A meditation and sharing support group that brings together the practice of meditation, Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation.

The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests.

There are no requirements to attend our meetings.

Suggested donation: $5

The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests.

There are no requirements to attend our meetings.

Suggested donation: $5
On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A man was hospitalized after a house fire that reportedly started in a kitchen on Monday afternoon, according to the Lebanon Fire District.
U.S. oil production reached an all-time record last week, with drillers pumping over 9.6 million barrels per day. Domestic oil drilling has boomed during the last decade as new technologies have allowed for a sharp increase in production at lower cost. Oil fields once deemed too expensive to tap are now gushing oil, creating economic growth in a variety of states, including North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This increase in production has outpaced domestic demand, and the United States is now exporting a record volume of crude oil, more than 2 million barrels per day.

Despite the increase in American production, global prices have been rising due to concerns about Middle Eastern stability and an agreement by OPEC to cut output. While this is good news for U.S. oil drillers, consumers are being squeezed by higher fuel prices, making the drive or flight to grandmothers house for Thanksgiving more expensive this year.

Sugar market extra sweet

Sugar rushed toward a six-month high Friday, topping 15.4 cents per pound.

The market has sweetened as investors buy sugar on fears of a supply shortfall in Brazil, the worlds largest producer. Poor weather has slowed sugarcane harvest in the South American country, and Brazil is increasingly using its sugar to produce ethanol fuel instead of food, which is reducing supplies available for export.

U.S. corn farmers may feel a pinch from the increased fuel production, as Brazil is the biggest buyer of U.S. corn-based ethanol; if Brazil can better meet its own needs, there will be less demand for U.S. ethanol and corn.

Although prices have climbed almost 20 percent in the last five months, sugar is still exceptionally cheap compared to its recent high of over 35 cents per pound reached in 2011, a realization that should bring cheer to bakers everywhere.

Cheapest Thanksgiving

in 5 years

A traditional Thanksgiving feast for 10 should cost less than $5 per person this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Prices fell from last year especially for turkey, which is dropping due to low feed costs and increased supplies. Other staples like sweet potatoes, milk, dinner rolls and pie crust are cheaper as well.

For non-traditionalists who prefer ham or roast beef, prices will likely be higher, as cattle and hog futures are higher this year than last.

As you sit down to eat, please remember to take a moment to give thanks for the farmers who produced the bounty on your table.
BOISE  One year into President Donald Trumps term, many Idaho agricultural organizations are hopeful that their members will see progress on key issues.

Ive never seen the agricultural community so united, said Carl Pendleton, who farms in Lincoln County. He had just returned from a meeting in Washington, D.C.

As organizations have begun holding their annual conventions, reforming environmental regulations is a high priority. Thats not new, but what is new is the sense of optimism that their voices will be heard.

This administration values and wants state input, said Norm Semanko during the fall Idaho Water Users Association water law seminar. The last two times I have been to D.C., Trump appointees say, What do states think? What do states want?

Thats called cooperative federalism, he said, where the state and federal branches work together.

Semanko listed several areas where water users may see progress including designation of waters of the United States (WOTUS), the Columbia River Treaty, agricultural water safety standards under the Food Safety Modernization Act and climate change. Although he is no longer executive director of the IWUA, the Boise-based attorney continues to be active in the organization and also the National Water Resources Association.

An executive order issued in February outlined a two-step process to look at repealing the previous WOTUS decision that included irrigation canals and infrastructure with natural rivers under federal regulations and then to replace it with something better. Draft rules are out.

Clean Water Act rules have been confusing at best for water users for many years, Semanko said. The George W. Bush administration had announced a rule-making process but it was not completed before Bush left office.

While he is confident manmade waterways will not be classified as waters of the U.S., he also warned fellow water law attorneys that the decision will be reviewed and likely challenged in court.

The Trump administration will take a fresh look at the costs and benefits of regulations, Semanko said. Were not chucking the goals of environmental regulation but will include economic development and jobs.

He is also encouraged by an order to put limits on paperwork and the time required to do environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. Limiting the NEPA process to two years will allow time to conduct a review of the potential environmental impact yet still give investors confidence to make financial decision, Semanko explained.

We want analytical data rather than encyclopedic documents, he said.

Regarding the Columbia River Treaty, a 60-year-old agreement between the U.S. and Canada designed to coordinate flood management efforts and optimize hydroelectric production, Semanko is confident that the U.S.  and not just the Pacific Northwest  will be involved in the negotiations.

Under the treaty, the U.S. paid Canada $64 million to construct three dams in British Columbia in exchange for 8.94 million acre-feet of assured flood storage. In 2024, that assured storage converts to effective use storage forcing U.S. dam operators to make effective use of storage water for flood control before calling on Canada to store snowmelt. The idea is to improve salmon habitat.

Ecosystem function is not part of the original treaty and U.S. water users dont want it to be part of the treaty extension. Idaho made recommendations for treaty modifications five years ago. Semanko expects the Trump Administration will take an active role in the negotiations but cautioned that there are other higher priority issues under discussion with Canada, including the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Elections have consequences, Semanko told water users. I think we will see that here.

Ethan Lane, executive director of the Public Lands Council, had an equally optimistic tone when talking with members of the Idaho Cattle Association at their annual convention in Sun Valley. Modernizing the Endangered Species Act and the Antiquities Act are high on their agenda.

Even if you dont have a listed species on your land, you are dealing with agencies who are managing listed species or a species that may be listed, Lane said.

One of the problems with trying to reform the ESA is that its the one of the most popular acts in America.

It saved the bald eagle. Its iconic, Lane said. Our goal is to make the ESA work like the rest of America thinks it already does.

The Public Lands Council worked with the Western Governors Association and several environmental groups to develop a list of reforms that both sides could live with.

We want to make it easier to get a species off the list and harder to get a species on the list, Lane said. This is the closest weve been to having a live ball that we can take to Congress.

Lane expects to see a decision released on the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah soon and that 1 million or so acres could be trimmed from the 1.35 million acres designated by President Barack Obama.

When that happens the environmental community will freak out, Lane said, but grazers need to be ready to say that they agree that a U.S. president should not have the authority to make large monument designations.

The Antiquities Act should allow a president the flexibility to protect a small ancient village site, should one be discovered during their term, but not to take a million acres around that site, Lane said.

The president taking action on this issue will create enough noise that we hope we can move forward with reforms.

The Trump administration will take a fresh look at the costs and benefits of regulations. Were not chucking the goals of environmental regulation but will include economic development and jobs.Norm Semanko, Boise attorney
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A major agribusiness company asked an Arkansas judge Friday to halt the states plan to ban an herbicide thats drawn complaints from farmers across several states who say the weed killer has drifted onto their fields and caused widespread damage.

Monsanto asked a Pulaski County judge to strike down the rule approved by the state Plant Board earlier this month that would prohibit the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. The ban is expected to go before a legislative panel next month, but the Missouri-based company said action is needed now because farmers are already buying their products for next years growing season.

The ban severely curtails Monsantos ability to sell its new dicamba-tolerant seed and low-volatility dicamba herbicide within the state, and every day the ban remains in place costs Monsanto sales and customers, the company said in its filing.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Dicamba has been around for decades, but problems arose over the past couple of years as farmers began to use it on soybean and cotton fields where they planted new seeds engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. Because it can easily evaporate after being applied, the chemical sometimes settles on neighboring fields. The state earlier this year approved a temporary ban on the herbicides sale and use, and has received nearly 1,000 complaints about dicamba this year.

The request to halt next years ban was added to a lawsuit Monsanto filed last month over the boards decision in 2016 to prohibit the use of dicamba.

In its amended lawsuit filed Friday, the company argued the Plant Board exceeded its authority by banning dicamba and did not consider the financial impact on the states farmers.

Monsanto said it would ask the court to move quickly on its complaint, and hoped the board would join in that request.

This is all about having the newest technology available to growers so they can choose what products they wish to use to combat those difficult-to-control weeds, said Scott Partridge, the companys vice president of global strategy. Theres no reason to delay.

The company also challenged the makeup of the 18-member board, arguing a state law that gives private groups such as the state Seed Growers Association power to appoint members violates Arkansas constitution.

Farmers have also complained about dicamba causing damage to their crops in other states, including Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Tennessee. The Environmental Protection Agency last month announced a deal with Monsanto and two other makers of dicamba herbicides, BASF and DuPont, for new voluntary restrictions on the weed killers use.

The ban severely curtails Monsantos ability to sell its new dicamba-tolerant seed and low-volatility dicamba herbicide within the state, and every day the ban remains in place costs Monsanto sales and customers. Missouri-based Monsanto, in court filing
Blood drives

The American Red Cross has scheduled community blood drives from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Church of Ascension-Episcopal, 371 Eastland Drive N., Twin Falls.

To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. Completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire is encouraged.

Recovery support

Recovery For Life groups meet at 7 p.m. Mondays at Twin Falls Reformed Church, 1631 Grandview Drive N. A free meal begins at 6 p.m.

Groups and classes include Cancer Support, Hope 12-Step, Parenting Skills, Codependency, GriefShare, Cooking Matters, Womens Word for Life Bible Study, and Special Parents Special Kids. Veterans Christian Fellowship also meets on Mondays.

Free child care and transportation. Information: 208-733-6128.

Seniors wellness

The Twin Falls Senior Center will hold a presentation for senior citizens at 12:15 p.m. Monday at 530 Shoshone St. W.

Connie Campbell of Syringa Place will talk about Impressive health benefits of pumpkin.

Free; 208-734-5084.

Parenting, coping support

Voices Against Violence is offering support groups at 212 Second Ave. W., No. 200, Twin Falls.

Parenting Group, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, to help improve parenting skills as well as learn rewards and consequences.

Mas alla de mi, Empoderando a las Mujeres domestic violence group in Spanish, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, for those who have been involved in an abusive or traumatic relationship, and also helps women develop a support system.

The Power to Change Group, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, provides information and support to women 18 and older, who have experienced difficulties in coping with past experiences.

Information: 208-733-2558.

Victims support

Support group for victims of domestic violence, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Mini-Cassia Shelter Haven of Hope, 323 First St., Rupert.

Information: Rachel, 208-312-7021.

CPR, infant safety

Infant safety and cardiopulmonary resuscitation class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

New parents, grandparents and caregivers learn CPR and what to do if an infant chokes. The class isnt a certification course.

Free; no registration required. 208-814-0402.

Happy babies

Happiest Baby on the Block class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 28 in Oak Room 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Learn a step-by-step approach to soothing your baby, and receive a parenting kit to use at home.

Cost is $15; pre-registration is required: 208-814-0402.

C-sections

Caesarean childbirth class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 29 in the Oak Rooms 2-4 on the l ower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Topics: Caesarean delivery procedures, pain management, and non-conforming labors.

Free; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.

Blood drive

CSI Idaho Student Nurses Association is hosting a blood drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 30 in the CSI Recreation Center upstairs gym, 315 Falls Ave., Twin Falls.

Schedule an appointment: redcrossblood.org, 208-921-2242 or skylarpasta@eaglemail.csi.edu.

Vision support

Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 to 2 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls.

Topics: glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes-caused vision problems.

Information: Idaho Commission for the Blind, 208-734-2140.

Childbirth

St. Lukes Magic Valley prepared childbirth bootcamp, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Oak Room at St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. This session is for those unable to attend the five-week prepared childbirth classes.

Topics: wellness during pregnancy; labor process with relaxation and breathing techniques; videos of deliveries and labor positions; and care of the postpartum mother and newborn. Bring a labor support person if possible.

Cost is $25 and pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.
THE telecoms duopoly is about to end, MalacaAang said Monday after President Rodrigo Duterte offered China the opportunity to enter as a possible third player in the Philippine telecommunications industry dominated by PLDT and Globe Telecom.

During the bilateral talks between President Duterte and the Chinese premier, President Duterte offered to the Peoples Republic of China the privilege to operate the third telecoms carrier in the country, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.

Saying the process of breaking the duopoly should have been sooner, Roque revealed that the former head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Rodolfo Salalima, did not act on certain proposalsincluding those for a Luzon Bypass Infrastructure recently signed between the Philippine government and a subsidiary of Facebook.

This agreement with the subsidiary of Facebook should have been signed as early as December 2016. It was not signed by the former secretary of the DICT, and this was one of the areas pinpointed by Cabinet investigators as an area of conflict of interest for the former secretary of the DICT, Roque said.

It was further reported by the special investigating committee that the former DICT secretary likewise may have prevented the earlier breakup of the duopoly by delaying the use of satellites as a viable option.

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The National Broadband Plan, which sought to address the longstanding issue of Internet connection quality in the Philippines, however, would still allow PLDT ang Globe to benefit at the end of the day under Salalimas plan, Roque said.

It was also observed that the initial costs for a national broadband plan appeared excessive at P200 billion because the recommendation did not consider the contribution that could be made by existing broadband providers such as the National Grid Corporation, the National Transmission Corporation, Fiber Optic Alliance and the Philippine National Railway Communication Project, Roque said.

Now, it would appear also that under the scheme being pushed by the former secretary of the DICT, the NBP terrestrial backbone would still have left the duopoly with the right to connect the end users to the backbone.

Roques announcement came after President Duterte ordered the creation of an inter-agency body that would review the National Broadband Plan following Salalimas resignation. Consumers can look forward now to better telecommunications, not just in terms of cellular technology but also in terms of Internet speed as well as access, Roque said.

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Saudi Arabia pledged to respond to Irans aggression as tension between the Saudi Kingdom and its allies on the one hand and the Islamic Republic and its allies on the other is mounting.

The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security, said Abdel Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister Sunday at an Arab League emergency meeting summoned by his country.

The emergency meeting was called by Riyadh to ponder over Irans aggression following various crises, which have broken out in the region few days ago starting from the sudden resignation of Saad Hariri, the Lebanese Prime Minister who is also known as a Saudi ally.

Hariri announced his resignation on November 4 from Riyadh, accusing Iran and its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah of spreading strife.

Iran and several Lebanese leaders including the Hezbollah movement accused Saudi Arabia of coercing Hariri into stepping down in a move to destabilize the country led by a unity of factions divided between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Riyadh and Tehran engaged in a war of words after a missile launched by Iran-backed Yemen Houthi rebels was intercepted near the Saudi capital international airport. Riyadh condemned the launch calling it an act of aggression. For Saudi Arabia, the missile was supplied by Iran with the help of Hezbollah.

Also last week, Bahrain condemned Iran for sponsoring a terror attack on a police bus in which one police officer was killed and several wounded. Bahraini authorities also blamed Iran and Hezbollah for a sabotage attack on its main oil pipeline, the week before.

To Saudi Arabias pledge for response, Iran noted that Riyadh was engaged in sowing division.

Unfortunately countries like the Saudi regime are pursuing divisions and creating differences and because of this they dont see any results other than divisions, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state media on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting in Antalya, Turkey, with his Russian and Turkish counterparts about the Syria conflict.
Saudi Arabia managed to convince most of the 22 Arab foreign ministers attending the emergency Arab league session in Cairo to condemn Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

The summit was marked by the absence of Lebanons foreign minister, Gibran Bassil, while the Lebanese representative at the meeting expressed reservations over the final communique.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari also did not attend the meeting. Iran, along with the US-led international coalition, has been a major supporter of Baghdad in its war against ISIS.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheith denounced Irans role in undermining the regions stability saying that he would not rule out going to the United Nations Security Council as a next step.

We are not declaring war on Iran at this stage, Aboul-Gheit said. We have not taken a decision to ask the Security Council to meet, but we are just briefing the council and maybe the next stage would be for us to meet and call for a Security Council meeting and submit a draft Arab resolution (against Iran).
Driven by a shared animosity towards Iran and its proxies in the region, Saudi Arabia and Israel are multiplying secret contacts to forge an alliance of convenience in the region.

After the unprecedented interview given by Israels Chief of Staff Gen Gadi Eisenkot to Saudi news outlet Elaph, in which he said that the two countries could unite to counter Irans influence in the region, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said his country has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia.

In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz did not characterize the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was hiding its ties with Saudi Arabia.

We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually we are the party that is not ashamed, he stated.

Its the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other sides wish, when ties are developing, whether its with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more  still, we keep it secret, the Israeli cabinet member said.

Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah group.
Algerias Defense Ministry on Sunday said coastguard has picked up 286 would-be illegal migrants heading across the Mediterranean to Europe by boat.

According to a ministry statement released by the state-run news agency, APS, the migrants were detained on several boats between Thursday and Saturday.

The number of illegal migrants detained in the North African nation has increased quarter by quarter, with 592 for the first quarter and 795 for the second and 1,243 for the third, according to the Defense Ministry.

Algeria has signed cooperation agreements with some European states to reduce illegal immigration.

Algerian authorities have launched a massive crackdown on migrants in recent months, rounding up hundreds and deporting them to their native countries. The dire deportation conditions were denounced by human rights watchdogs.

Human Rights Watch said more than 3,000 had been expelled in the past two months, including pregnant women, new-born babies and unaccompanied children.

There are around 100,000 African migrants in Algeria, most from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Human Rights Watch documented a previous roundup of more than 1,400 sub-Saharan migrants in December 2016.
@PatriciaMazzei

The crisis at the top of the Florida Democratic Party continued Monday with the resignation of Sally Boynton Brown, the party's president and chief administrator.

Her exit followed last week's decision by chairman Stephen Bittel to quit after he was accused of creating an unprofessional work environment for women.

"It has been a privilege to serve the Florida Democratic Party and I wish you continued success turning Florida Blue," Boynton Brown wrote Bittel and Vice Chairwoman Judy Mount in her resignation letter, which was effective immediately.

On Sunday, Boynton Brown angered some Democrats by publishing a post on Medium in which she appeared to defend Bittel. Boynton Brown wrote she never saw Bittel demean women, as six women told Politico Florida last week, and said she was "heartbroken" that staff didn't come to her directly with their complaints about him.

"It is unfortunate that not everyone who has worked with Chairman Bittel has had the same experience I have," she wrote. "In my experience, Chairman Bittel has been refreshingly open to feedback, given by myself and others, about his conversational style and modified his approach when he learned that others found it off-putting."

She also suggested new internal policies to prevent sexual harassment in the future, including hiring a personnel director and interviewing current and former staff about whether they've been harassed.

Bittel, who was elected chairman in January, hired Boynton Brown in April from the Idaho Democratic Party.

Mount will be interim chair once Bittel formally resigns as of 11:59 p.m. Monday, according to the party. It is unclear whether he will also be resigning his position as Miami-Dade state committeeman. If he doesn't, Bittel would have the single largest voice in the state in electing his successor, given Miami-Dade's outsize clout under the party's formula.

Mount, a longtime activist and former head of the Jackson County Democratic Executive Committee, had told supporters Friday that she intended to seek the chairmanship permanently.

But in a sign of ongoing internal party turmoil, Mount announced Monday that she will not run.

"I have always supported the Florida Democratic Party, its candidates and the causes so important to all of us true blue Democrats. I will continue to do so, just not as the next elected Chair," Mount said in a statement released by the party. "I said on Friday the focus was not on me. That's true. The focus is on advancing the causes and candidates of the Florida Democratic Party, moving forward and winning in 2018."

Also on Monday, Terrie Rizzo of the Palm Beach Democratic Party said in a Facebook post that she would seek Bittel's seat. Activist Alan Clendenin of Hillsborough County has said he'll run, and other state Democrats are considering candidacies as well.

A vote has been scheduled for Dec. 9 in Orlando.
@alextdaugherty

Republicans and Democrats beware: The master of selfies is running for Congress.

Mayra Joli, a Brickell-based immigration attorney and five-time beauty queen who dabbles as a pundit on Spanish-language television, is running without a party affiliation for retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinens Miami-based seat.

Joli, a lifelong Democrat, is also an ardent Donald Trump supporter who says that her 12 years on television gives her enough visibility to win.

I am not looking to run because I need a paycheck, like Donald Trump. Im not looking to run because I need fame, like Donald Trump. Im running because I need this country to succeed, Joli said. Like Donald Trump, I dont drink.

The self-described Jenny from the block could potentially impact one of the nations most competitive congressional elections in 2018 due to her pro-Trump message.

While Joli will face an uphill climb to win the open congressional seat that favors Democrats, her pro-Trump stance could create a complicated situation for the Republican nominee in a district where Hillary Clinton beat Trump by over 19 percentage points in 2016.

Being a Trump supporter in that district may not be the best tactic or person to be supporting if you actually want to win, said Miami attorney Rick Yabor, a frequent political commentator in Spanish-language media. What I think she does as an independent is shes going to hurt the GOP candidate when it comes to the general.

Joli kicked off her campaign two weeks ago at a pro-Trump rally in Tropical Park, complete with an LED billboard displaying her face and a karaoke machine.

As she grabbed the microphone to introduce herself to the audience, the karaoke machine began to play Whitney Houstons I Will Always Love You and Joli jumped right into the chorus, belting out an off-key And I... before beginning her stump speech.

Eventually Im going to master it, Joli said, adding that the karaoke machine will be a fixture at all of her future campaign events.

Read more here.
From an op-ed by Sen. Marco Rubio published over the weekend in the Miami Herald:

Health epidemics and deadly natural disasters in recent years have devastated Haiti and hampered its governments ability to properly function.

Yet our nation  especially my home state of Florida  has not only offered a helping hand to Haitians seeking refuge from these grave challenges, but also benefited significantly from their presence in and contributions to our country.

Since 2010, the United States has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, recognizing the island countrys perilous conditions brought on by a historic earthquake, a subsequent cholera epidemic, and most recently Hurricane Matthew.

Moreover, the Executive Branch has appropriately extended the TPS designation because of the extraordinarily difficult living conditions that persist in Haiti and the Haitian governments temporary inability to absorb thousands of people back into the population.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, now has until November 23 to make a determination on whether to extend the TPS designation once again.

If TPS is not extended, Haitians sent home will face dire conditions, including lack of housing, inadequate health services and low prospects for employment. Failure to renew the TPS designation will weaken Haitis economy and impede its ability to recover completely and improve its security.

More here.
ALERT: Help Mike McGuff fight Alzheimer's disease by donating to his 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer's team
Leonard Lindelof has drilled holes from Ovando to the moon.

The Minnesota engineer has become a fixture in the Blackfoot River Valley through his regular hunting season visits. Much of the connection stems from his fondness for Ovando Elementary School.

Hes real proud he started in a one-room schoolhouse, and ended up at NASA, Ovando supervising teacher Leigh Ann Valiton said of Lindelofs annual visits. He always tells the students they can achieve great, great things from small beginnings.

Now 92, Lindelof was introduced to the Blackfoot area in 1972 while drilling mineral test holes for E.J. Lonyear, an engineering firm hired by the railroad corporations that had legacy landholdings along their lines. His crews would poke two 2,000-foot holes in each section checkerboarding the railroad route, to catalog the potential mineral rights before the railroads decided to log or mine there.

At the same time, he was on loan to NASA as a chief engineer developing equipment for the Apollo moon missions. One of his biggest tasks was designing a drill that could operate on the lunar surface.

Solving the moon drill problem meant working with extreme heat and extreme cold at the same time. Drill bits get hot as they grind through rock, and typically use water or air to conduct the heat away and keep the metal from melting. Neither water nor air are available on the moon. Lindelof designed a way where molecular layers of the steel itself would shed the excess heat and protect the drill.

Cold presented more of a travel issue.

We couldnt find 60-below weather, Lindelof said. Canada could hit 70 below, but only for a week. Even getting 40 below is hard on a consistent basis. We even tried to get permission from the Russians to test in Siberia.

The Apollo 17 trip took a drill with batteries similar to what a carpenters hand drill looks like today. It could only penetrate a few feet of the lunar crust. Apollo 18 would have taken an atomic power generator that would have enabled drilling 2,000 feet down.

But Congress shifted focus from moon exploration to Mars and canceled the lunar missions. Lindelof went back to terrestrial engineering. Among his design breakthroughs was a snow skid originally intended for arctic aircraft that worked equally well on snowmobiles.

But he kept his outdoor fascination alive with regular visits to the Blackfoot during hunting season. He still lives Plymouth, Minnesota.

He had me fishing when I was 3 years old, nephew Brett Lindelof said. He started taking me deer hunting when I was 12 in Minnesota. In 1982, we started coming to Montana together.

When he discovered the Ovando Elementary School had substandard computers, Lindelof donated $40,000 to upgrade the resources. He also sends roses to the teachers every Valentines Day.

Lindelof hopes to encourage more children to aim for engineering careers during his school visits. But he often surprises them with his primary piece of advice.

He always tells them communication skills are of utmost importance, Valiton said. If you cant write it so everyone understands it, its not worth the paper its written on.
Northeast Montana's arm of the state's tourism office has about $9,000 in funding to partner with local organizations on projects to promote visitation to the eight counties that make up "Missouri River Country."

The cooperative marketing funds, part of the overall lodging tax collections reditributed to the region last fiscal year, are offered on the basis of a 50-50 match with partner organizations to produce promotional materials, said Missouri River County Executive Director Carla Hunsley.

"We like to target non-residents, but with us being so far up in the northeast corner, we also are targeting Western Montanans," Hunsley said. "You'd be surprised some people have never been to our area who have lived in Montana all their lives."

Missouri River Country is a nonprofit organization that receives funding based on the share of bed-tax collections the region contributes to the state total. Montana charges a 7 percent facilities use tax on purchases made at hotels, motels and other lodging businesses in the state. Three percent goes to the state's general fund, while most of the remainder is divvied up between the Department of Commerce and the state's six geographic tourism regions.

The Missouri River Region is less of a tourism hot spot than most of the other regions in the state. Hunsley said the boom in the oil fields had previously directed a substantial amount of bed-tax revenue to the state's coffers.

With the slowdown in the Bakken over the past few years, the Missouri River Breaks, Lewis and Clark Trail and the four dinosaur museums have become some of the biggest drivers of visitation to the region.

"Our tourism is about stable," Hunsley said. "I kind of go by our Dinosaur Trail visitation. Some stayed about the same, some were up a little, some were down a little, so on average I think we've been pretty stable."

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for cooperative marketing funds find more information, including applications and guidelines, by visiting www.missouririver.visitmt.com.

To contact the Missouri River Country tourism office, call 1-800-653-1319 or write to P.O. Box 118, Fort Peck, MT 59223.
Grizzly bear activity along the Rocky Mountain Front continues in October as Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear specialists have captured one bear just south of Choteau eating fruit near homes and are looking for another bear that has been coming into town also looking for food.
The silence coming out of Democratic Party headquarters these days is deafening. Having been rolled by the Republican majorities in Montanas recent special session  especially in their quest for more taxes  what Montanans are hearing are high-pitched whines about the evil Republicans. But that gets old after a while and one must wonder: What did you expect?

The reality is the guy in the Governors Office, the head of the executive branch of government, is a Democrat. It was no great secret that the states revenues werent keeping up with expenditures. And as all families know, when that happens, some things have to change. The changes most Montanans would make would be cutting back on their spending and prioritize existing funds to their most critical needs.

These are all functions of the executive branch and all within the purview of the Democrats and their governor. Yet, Bullock didnt make the cuts until the session started  and only then because the Republicans forced the issue. Moreover, one might argue that the originally suggested cuts were in large part targeted to paint a picture of losing vital public services to force the Republicans to raise taxes or be blamed.

But in fact, the lack of strategic planning and action on the governors part backfired, leaving the Democrats unprepared because, after all, theyd been told by their leader that his three-part plan was a done deal with Republicans. It wasnt, obviously. And they had no backup plan.

While Democrats are now pointing fingers and making accusations about the impact of the budget cuts, the truth is its going to be very tough to somehow make Montanans feel angry that their taxes didnt go up as much as Bullock and the Demos had wanted. Again, this seems so obvious one has to wonder why the Ds think its a winning argument.

Or how about the private prison deal? How can Democrats argue that they are being blackmailed by the prisons corporate owner who, as Missoulas Rep. Ellie Hill put it, incarcerates people for money. Uh, hate to point it out, but whens the last time anyone had a free prison? We, the state, the people, our elected officials, incarcerate lots of people all the time  and its taxpayers money that pays for both the state and the private prison. That the U.S. incarcerates a greater proportion of its population than any other civilized nation is the real and very expensive problem, leading one to ask just why the state was putting aside millions to buy the private prison in the first place?

In the meantime, the national Democrats are equally in disarray. Progressive icon Sen. Al Franken is on the hot seat for groping a female broadcaster while on a USO trip  with a damning picture of him reaching for the sleeping females breasts. Montanas Sen. Jon Tester has already donated the $25,000 he got from Franken to a domestic violence organization  but the Montana Democratic Party refused to do the same with the $12,500 they got from Franken.

Pile that on top of new condemnations of Bill Clintons womanizing by a Democratic senator, the corruption of Hillary Clintons campaign, and its a long ways to standing on any high hill of ethical purity for the Dems.

Ive said it before and will say it again: Its time for the Democrats to take a hard look in the mirror and get their own house in order from the top down. Blaming Republicans for doing exactly what their party platform says theyll do is a losing strategy.
An (Aug. 25) article about President Donald Trump quoted Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinkes daughter, Jennifer Detlefsen. Some of her language was extremely inflammatory and should have been left unsaid, let alone published.

Trump is our president, like it or not, and should be respected. The people voted him into office and they can take him out of they are dissatisfied with him after his four years as president.

I have never seen such disdain for a president in my life. While I did not like President Bill Clinton, I accepted him because others elected him. I am aware of his acts while president which were certainly not appropriate to his office; however, I never publicly criticized him because he was the president.

Detlefsen is a veteran and daughter of Zinke, who was appointed by President Trump. For her to use the language she did says volumes. She is entitled to her opinion but, because of whom she is the daughter of, your paper chose to put it on the front page.

I am a 30-year Navy veteran with three tours in Vietnam.

Detlefsens father should teach her that the reason we serve is for the country and its president.

Bob Rice,

Missoula
Thanks for the warning about budget cuts mostly hurting the vulnerable. ("Dont be fooled, Montana: Budget cuts are to the most vulnerable, not bureaucracy" by Beth Brenneman, et al., Nov. 16.)

Unfortunately, this looks like what is proposed on the national level as well: a budget and tax reform that will hurt the majority of Americans, especially the poor, children and the elderly.

Fortunately, the solution is the same on the national level as it is on the local level: contact your representative and senators and tell them vote against the proposed budget and tax reform. It is time for reform and a budget that works for all Americans.

Willie Dickerson,

Snohomish, Washington
Charges have been filed against 19-year-old Tanner Maloney of Butte in a case involving the illegal killing of a large mule deer buck known to spend most of its time on the outskirts of the Berkeley Pit.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks enforcement received a tip about the case in which a well-known mule deer was shot around the Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Memorial in the late evening of Saturday, Nov. 4.

Charges filed include unlawful possession, hunting within city limits, and hunting without a valid license.

The 5x5 mule deer met scoring criteria for restitution.

Pit bucks or mine bucks" are bucks that have been living in the Berkeley Pit area for years and, if not hunted, they tend to get big and will often come into neighborhoods and become known to the community.

In September 2016, FWP encountered a similar case in which a large mule deer buck was shot and mortally wounded in Uptown Butte. Kyler Olsen of Butte eventually pleaded guilty to charges including unlawful possession, shooting with artificial lights and within city limits, shooting from a vehicle, and abandoning a big game animal among other charges.

Butte Sgt. Coy Kline says hes thankful for the help of the community.

Were lucky to have a watchful public out here that truly values its wildlife. A lot of these cases might go unsolved without this help.

The best way to alert FWP to wildlife crime in Montana is to call 800-TIP-MONT. Callers may remain anonymous.
Police reports

Teen arrested for drug possession

Police arrested a 14-year-old female at East Middle School, 2600 Grand Ave., for possession of dangerous drugs at about 1 p.m. Friday. School officials allegedly caught two female students smoking outside during the lunch period and checked the students lockers. Officials found a small amount of marijuana in the locker of the student police arrested, according to police. Police cited the other student for possession of tobacco.

Resisting arrest

Police arrested Zachary Webber, 38, of Butte for a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct at about 1 p.m. Saturday on the 200 block of North Clark Street.

Police were allegedly called to the alley because of an altercation between two males. When police were trying to break up in the incident, Webber allegedly became louder and abusive to the officers.

Reckless driving

Police arrested Deanna Wajahuski, 38, of Butte for reckless driving, no liability insurance, driving on a suspended license, and habitual offender, all misdemeanors, at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Grand Avenue and Garfield Street. Police report that Wajahuski was driving aggressively on interstates 15-90 and tried to run a vehicle off the highway before getting off at the Continental Drive interchange.

Aggravated DUI

Police arrested Justin Bayer, 20, of Butte for a misdemeanor count of aggravated DUI and a misdemeanor count of speeding.

Police allegedly saw a car parked with the drivers door open on the side of the road during routine patrol at Dewey Boulevard and Rowe Road at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday. When police stopped and approached the vehicle, Bayer allegedly sped away, driving 38 mph in a 25-mph speed zone. Police stopped Bayer at Harrison and Dewey. He allegedly blew twice the legal limit for alcohol.

Asleep at the wheel

Police responded to a report of a truck striking a stop sign at Bennett and Main Streets and found Cory Hyndman, 29, of Butte asleep at the wheel on the 10 block of Bennett Street at about 1 a.m. Saturday. Hyndman allegedly blew three times the legal limit for alcohol and was arrested for a misdemeanor count of aggravated DUI, a misdemeanor count of hit and run of highway fixtures, and a misdemeanor count of driving while license is suspended.

Underage partiers

Police cited seven underage females, ranging in age from 13 to 17, at about 10 p.m. Saturday for possession of alcohol on the 100 block of East Second Street.

Police contacted the parents of all the juveniles and sent them home, according to police.

Criminal contempt warrants

Police arrested Stuart Shikoli-Wesonga, 24, of Butte for two misdemeanor criminal contempt warrants, a misdemeanor for failure to have two lighted headlamps, and a misdemeanor for operating without current registration. Police report that Shikoli-Wesonga was driving with only one headlight at 3 a.m. Saturday and pulled him over at Harrison Avenue and A Street. He allegedly lacked registration, and police also found he was wanted for two misdemeanor warrants for criminal contempt.

Outstanding warrants

Police arrested Jamie Church, 29, of Butte at Town Pump, 531 S. Montana St., for three criminal contempt warrants at 2 a.m. Sunday. Police recognized Church, who was in the parking lot, as having outstanding warrants.

Suspicious driver

Police responded to a report of a car driving suspiciously on the 200 block of West Granite Street and stopped Justine Berger, 23, of Butte at about 5 p.m. Saturday. Police arrested Berger for having two outstanding warrants, one misdemeanor criminal contempt warrant and one misdemeanor Montana Highway Patrol warrant.
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NEW YORK (AP)  The morning show where Charlie Rose worked until being fired Tuesday is reporting that two women at CBS News claim that Rose grabbed them inappropriately, with one saying he also whispered a sexual innuendo.

The accusations came to light after CBS News President David Rhodes fired the host on Tuesday for what he called "extremely disturbing and intolerable behavior" by Rose toward women at his PBS talk show. PBS has also cut ties to Rose.

"CBS This Morning" said three women at CBS have reported misconduct by Rose. The network said one didn't want details of her accusations made public, and all three requested anonymity. Rose has apologized for his actions.

Rose's former co-host Gayle King said Wednesday that it's important to keep reporting on the story.

___
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 []
Samuel Simpson Virts passed away on November 5, 2017 at the age of 93 at his home in the Sunrise Sonoma, California, Assisted Living Facility.

Sam was born February 6, 1924 in Minneola, Kansas and was raised in Bloom, a tiny unincorporated area, on a wheat farm. He was one of 4 children of Elizabeth Bell Simpson and Edmond Virgil Virts. His sister, Nedra, and brothers F.A. and Jay have preceded him in death. Sam married Mary Elizabeth Austin of Coffeyville, Kansas on December 23, 1944. Mary passed away in 1991. Sam married Teresa Renales, whom he met in Stockton, in 1994 but was widowed again in 2009.

He attended Bloom High School, Dodge City Junior College, Kansas State Teachers College, Northwestern University where he received his bachelors degree, and San Jose State where he received a masters in speech.

He served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1945 on the USS Tulagi, an aircraft carrier and the USS Wilkes-Barre, a light cruiser.

Sams various careers took him from Kansas to Colorado, to Indiana, to San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Clara. After Marys death, he lived in Stockton and Tempe before moving to Sonoma. His careers covered the gamut from disc jockey and manager of a radio station to assistant administrator at OConnor Hospital, director at Stanford Hospital, to a training director position at Lockheed/Technicon, the healthcare systems company that created and installed the first computerized hospital information system in the country. He earned the respect of his bosses, peers, employees and the communities he served as demonstrated by the myriad awards he received over his working life and volunteer service. He served as President of the American Red Cross of San Jose and headed the North State (California) Hospital Council. Awards included Red Cross Appreciation, Distinguished Citizen of San Jose and the KX-RX Golden Mike Award. And, he was asked to speak to the retired nurses from the 1959 Nursing Class at OConnor Hospital for their 45th anniversary.

Sam stayed active, given he was raising 5 children and working full time. He enjoyed riding his bicycle, running with his kids, and, later in life, participated in ballroom and square dancing for many years. Once his running days were over, he joined his local race walking club and received the Golden Gate Race Walker 50 mile award.

He is survived by his children: Thomas Edward (Ted) Virts and his wife Charlene; Ellen Elizabeth Brantley and her husband Ron Vitt; Anne Louise Friend and her husband Bill; Jay Vincent Virts and his wife Nancy; stepdaughters Donna Dobbs and Juanita Wilson; stepson Joey Renales; and several nieces, nephews and grandchildren. His daughter, Maureen Justina Virts, and stepson, Theodore Renales, preceded him in death.

He was devoted to his family and stepchildren and their families, his sweet dog Lovey, and his mens group. Although dementia eventually took its toll, his inclusiveness, his empathy for others, his gregarious spirit, and his sharp wit was with him til the end.

Samuel Virts will be interred at a private service in Santa Clara.

Friends are cordially invited to his celebration of life on December 21, from noon til 4 pm at the Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma, CA. Lunch will be served. Please wear joyous colors! Those who would like to share a story about Sam and how he touched your life will be encouraged to do so at the celebration. Anyone who would like to send stories ahead of time so we can post them on a bulletin board at the event can email them to Ellen Brantley at travellen52@yahoo.com.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that charitable donations be made to:

Muttville

Alzheimers Association

Hospice by the Bay
When the wildfires began to subside and we began to plan for recovery, the Napa Valley wine business came to an interesting and provocative conclusion: that in asking for help, it was OK to ask for peoples business.

There are millions of individuals around this country who feel a personal connection to the Napa Valley, and they find that connection in their relationship with wineries that they have visited. Many of these people were contacting us and asking how they could help.

The Napa Valley community showed its true colors by banding together immediately, and organically finding ways to help one another. Not surprisingly, the Napa Valley business community was a part of this response. Napa Valley businesses donated masks, collected clothing and food, opened their kitchens for emergency food preparation, paid wages for workers during closure, and donated monies directly to relief funds.

In fact, one of those funds, the Napa Valley Community Relief Fund, was already endowed with money left over from our last natural disaster, the 2014 earthquake. Much of that money was raised by Napa Valley wineries through the Napa Valley Vintners. All in all, Napas willingness to give continues to be an impressive force, and Napa businesses are not afraid to use their clout to support their local community.

So when winery customers asked what they could do, the wineries responded by saying, Keep purchasing Napa wines, which will enable us to continue supporting each other. Now that is truly a bold request, and it got me to thinking.

Supporting your local economy helps to provide for the needs as well as the comforts of your neighbors. In Napa Valley, we have a strong local economy. But the fires reminded me that this is not something to take for granted. We have a responsibility to care for the things we are thankful for.

One thing that the Napa Farmers Market is trying to accomplish is to provide a strong, vibrant and profitable marketplace for local farmers. When you shop at the Napa Farmers Market, you are supporting a way of life that many in this community hold dear. We buy from the farmers, which enables them to continue farming and providing fresh ingredients for our tables.

This year, at Thanksgiving, I am not only going to contemplate the bounty that I enjoy and to remind myself to be thankful for that bounty. I am also going to ask myself I am doing to actively support what I am thankful for.

What aspects of Napa Valley life are you grateful for, and what can you do to preserve them? I am thankful for our farmers and our farmers market. I am thankful to be part of a community that cares for others so readily. And I am going to continue to look for ways to support all of the above in the next year.

Risotto for the Holidays

Risotto requires constant stirring, so I prefer to make it when I know Ill have guests milling around my kitchen asking to help. I just smile and hand them the spoon. Cooking risotto is all about the process: Watch your heat, keep stirring, be patient and it will come out delicious.

1-1/2 to 2 quarts broth, or part broth/part water, simmering

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Italian Arborio rice

1 cup white wine, optional

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino romano cheese

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Variations:

Mushrooms, sliced or quartered

Kale or chard, deveined and chopped

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan and adjust the heat to keep it simmering.

Melt the butter over moderate heat in a large, heavy saucepan with high sides. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir until it is hot and coated in butter.

Add 1/2 cup of wine, if using. If not, add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth. Adjust the heat so the rice bubbles gently. Stir constantly, adding liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is cooked through but slightly al dente, 20 to 25 minutes. You may not use all the liquid.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Variations: For mushroom risotto, add sliced or quartered mushrooms when you add the rice. For a winter greens risotto, add chopped kale or chard in batchessome with the rice, some in the middle of the cooking and some near the end so that the greens have a range of textures, from soft to crisp.

Serves 6
When last month's deadly wildfires chased Jonathan Umholtz and his family from their Sonoma County home for 16 days, the disruption seemed endless. It turns out, that was just the beginning.

Umholtz, his wife and two kids were told a week after they returned home that they needed to leave again, this time for at least four months. A badly burned hillside above their three-bedroom house was on the verge of breaking loose, with the mud and all manner of debris threatening to come barreling down.

"It was like, what else can possibly happen?" said Umholtz, who as a supervising ranger for Sonoma County Regional Parks lives in park housing beneath Hood Mountain near Kenwood, and is now staying with generous friends. "It was heartbreaking."

With hundreds of square miles littered with trees and stripped of vegetation in the wake of the Northern California fires, mudslides are a near certainty as winter rains arrive. What makes the situation in the North Bay particularly dire is the large number of roads, buildings and even neighborhoods that sit in the potential path of the looming dirt and debris.

A huge effort among federal, state and local agencies is working to tame the threat. It includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is fast-tracking a new North Bay radar system to help detect slide-inducing storms. The U.S. Geological Survey has mapped areas where damaging flows are most likely to strike. And hundreds of workers, donning rain suits and armed with shovels and straw bales, are hustling to secure the slopes before they unravel.

"Just pay attention," advised Cordel Stillman, an engineer and director of programs for Sonoma Clean Power, who is coordinating much of the work in the fire-ravaged watersheds. "Things may get worse than we thought."

Crews appeared to stay in front of last week's storms, the biggest since the fires ignited Oct. 8. Santa Rosa's Fountaingrove neighborhood had a small scare when a sinkhole opened up, the result of a melted underground drain that left the surface unstable. Residents there and in a few other hilly areas have been told to plan for evacuations, should soils continue to subside as is common in the aftermath of a wildfire.

Last winter, storms forced the closure of much of Big Sur when vast tracts of mountains washed out after the Soberanes Fire. The prior year, small but steady landslides threatened the rural Lake County communities that burned in the Valley Fire. But the worst damage has been in Southern California, where the toll after big blazes includes dozens of homes besieged by mudslides following the 2009 Station Fire in La Canada Flintridge (Los Angeles County).

New computer models by the Geological Survey suggest that most burned parts of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties face less slide risk than scorched spots in other regions, mostly because they're less mountainous and rugged.

"The terrain is not as steep or as high relief," said Dennis Staley, a research scientist with the Geological Survey, who mapped the likelihood of mud and debris flows across Northern California after the fires. "But, that being said, there are places within each of the burn areas that have high hazard levels."

Among the most vulnerable spots are Sonoma County's Mark West Creek area, the ridge between Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, particularly Mount Veeder, Hogback Mountain and Hood Mountain, and parts of Napa County around Atlas Peak and Mount George.

Some of these places face an 80-to-100-percent chance of a mud or debris flow with just a short, intense burst of rain, defined as about a quarter inch in 15 minutes, according to the Geological Survey.

While mudslides can manifest in different ways after wildfires, the problem starts with a loss of protective vegetation to soak up water and stabilize a slope, coupled with soil that is both less porous and less cohesive after burning. In the most severely charred spots, the soil can develop a slick coating near its surface as a result of gases given off during the fire, making it impenetrable to water.

When the rain comes, the ground is ripe for erosion, with the potential for runoff to snowball as it picks up dirt, branches and other debris. Slides can occur long after the rain, too, when a saturated chunk of hill collapses under its own weight.

On a recent weekday afternoon, Cal Fire Capt. Jim Mahoney worked with the Eel River Camp inmate fire crew from southern Humboldt County to clear trees with chain saws in Hood Mountain Regional Park to reduce damage should a landslide occur.

"Without these measures, all these trees could end up in the road," he said, pointing to a hillside of burned oaks and firs.

Amid the hum of saws and the heavy breathing that comes with lugging large branches, Mahoney said the work was nothing compared with the crew's last task: digging trenches for wattles, the straw rolls that are designed to soak up water and are now ubiquitous across Sonoma County.

Not far from the park, NOAA scientists and the Sonoma County Water Agency are looking to install new weather radar to help foresee flooding and mudslides. The equipment is part of a $19 million X-band radar system that eventually will ring the Bay Area with the aim of providing more localized forecasts.

Equipment for the top of Sonoma Mountain wasn't scheduled to be in place for at least several months, but federal officials moved the launch to January in light of the fires.

"That part of Sonoma County is in a real radar hole," said Rob Cifelli, an NOAA meteorologist and team leader at the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. "We want to get something in there sooner than later to help emergency managers and the National Weather Service."

Long-term outlooks for this winter have offered little clue to whether the coming months will be wetter or drier than usual.

Umholtz, the ranger driven from his home, is hoping for fewer soakers this rain season, at least in the canyon behind his house.

When he recently stopped by the place, he said he was nervous about the hillside coming down in the midst of his visit. He still hasn't removed all of his family's belongings, just priority items like their dog, cat, two rabbits and two parakeets.

"It's almost the same feeling when we were evacuated from the fire," he said. "There's imminent danger, and you don't know how long you have."

While Umholtz said he and his family are lucky to still have a house, with so many others burned in the fires, he can't help thinking about the prospect of losing it after 12 years there.

"The hardest part is not knowing," he said. "Are we going to have a home to come back to?"
Three recent and seemingly discrete events neatly frame Californias political and legal war over whether the states six million K-12 students are being adequately educated.

The conflict pits the states education establishment against a coalition of civil rights groups, education reformers and charter school advocates over the achievement gap that separates poor children, particularly Latinos and African-Americans, from more privileged white and Asian students.

The battle has been waged in the Legislature, before the state school board and local boards and quite often in the legal arena.

The establishment backs the Local Control Funding Formula, Gov. Jerry Browns approach, which pumps extra money into districts with large numbers of the underachieving students, but leaves spending largely in the hands of local officials.

The Equity Coalition, as its called, contends that without rigorous state accountability measures, the money may be squandered, rather than focused on high-needs kids, and no one will be able to tell whether the program is working.

In fact, theres little evidence that it is working. The most recent set of state academic examinations showed scant overall progress and a continuing achievement gap.

The first of the events was the release by The Education-Trust-West of The Majority Report, contending that Latino youngsters, who are now a majority of public school students, are being poorly served.

Citing inequities in access and opportunity, the report declares that Latino kids are more likely, for example, to leave high school without a diploma than white or Asian students (and) are less likely to have access to, and complete, the high school courses to be eligible for the states public universities (and) less likely to complete college once enrolled.

In a nationwide assessment of fourth grade reading, the report continues, Californias Latino students ranked fourth from the bottom; in eighth grade, they slid to next-to-last place.

The second event occurred last Tuesday, when trustees of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second largest, reached a compromise on renewing permits for 15 charter schools and new permits for three more with revised operating rules.

It was a big test for the boards slender majority that had been elected with support from charter school advocates, over the stiff opposition of L.A. Unifieds teacher union. Whether charter schools  public schools governed by parents and other local groups rather than the central authority  are an effective answer to the achievement gap is a major issue in Californias school wars.

Education reformers in Los Angeles, led by philanthropist Eli Broad, have pushed hard for more charters, fighting pitched battles with United Teachers of Los Angeles and other unions.

A day after charters won in L.A. Unified, the state Board of Education, dominated by the education establishment, reacted to the flat results of this years statewide Smarter Balanced achievement tests by reconfiguring how those results are graded. In effect, it reduced the number of schools that would be considered low-performing and raised those at the top.

Education officials described it as a technical adjustment, but the Equity Coalition sees it as another effort by the establishment to mask the states education crisis.

All of this has come at the last minute, with very little notice to stakeholders and the public, a rushed closed-door meetingand no time to run analyses on how these proposed changes affect student subgroup performance, the coalition said in a letter.

While the specific flashpoints evolve, Californias school battle shows no signs of abating, and will heat up more next year when the warring factions back opposing candidates for state superintendent of instruction to succeed Tom Torlakson, the very embodiment of the establishment.
Many traditions in the history of Christianity have attempted to combat and correct the worship of three things: money, sex and power. Catholic orders have for centuries required "poverty, chastity, and obedience" as disciplines to counter these three idols.

Other traditions, especially among Anabaptists in the Reformation, Pentecostals and revival movements down through the years have spoken the language of simplicity in living, integrity in relationships and servanthood in leadership.

All of our church renewal traditions have tried to provide authentic and more life-giving alternatives to the worship of money, sex and power - which can be understood and used in healthy ways when they are not given primacy in one's life.

President Donald Trump is an ultimate and consummate worshiper of money, sex and power. American Christians have not really reckoned with the climate he has created in our country and the spiritual obligation we have to repair it. As a result, the soul of our nation and the integrity of the Christian faith are at risk.

As Abraham Lincoln, a politician with a deep knowledge of Christianity, stated in his first inaugural address, political action can, undertaken rightly, appeal to the "better angels of our nature." But political action undertaken badly, and reckless inaction, can mislead and dispirit us - and appeal to our worst demons, such as greed, fear, bigotry and resentment, which are never far below the surface.

Trump's adulation of money and his love for lavish ostentation (he covers everything in gold) are the literal worship of wealth by someone who believes that his possessions belong only to himself, instead of that everything belongs to God and we are its stewards. In 2011, before his foray into politics, Trump said, "Part of the beauty of me is that I'm very rich." And in his 2015 speech announcing his candidacy for president, he said: "I'm really rich. . . . And by the way, I'm not even saying that in a braggadocio - that's the kind of mind-set, that's the kind of thinking you need for this country." Later, during the campaign, Trump suggested that our country must "be wealthy in order to be great."

Lately, faith leaders have spoken out against the proposed Republican budgets and tax plans. The Circle of Protection, a group of leaders from all the major branches of Christianity, of which I am a part, said in a letter to Congress: "We care deeply about many issues facing our country and world, but ending persistent hunger and poverty is a top priority that we all share. These are biblical and gospel issues for us, not just political or partisan concerns.

In Matthew 25, Jesus identified himself with those who are immigrants, poor, sick, homeless and imprisoned, and challenged his followers to welcome and care for them as we would care for Jesus himself." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, too, has rejected the tax plan, calling it "unacceptable as written," and "unconscionable in parts" as it would enrich the wealthy and shortchange the middle class and the poor. And yet, much Christian support for Trump and his administration continues.

Then there's sex. Before Trump, Republicans liked to suggest that theirs was a fairly Puritanical party of family values with high standards for its candidates (despite many embarrassing exceptions). But Trump's boastful treatment of women - including bragging in a video about grabbing their genitals - and his serial infidelity and adultery are clear evidence of his idolatrous worship of sex. And it no longer seems like his is a unique case.

Speaking of embarrassing situations, the polls showing that evangelical Christians in Alabama express the most support for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore - even after women have accused him of unwanted advances when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s - may be the most damning testimony as to the politicized moral hypocrisy of white evangelicals.

Or as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore warned his fellow religionists this past week, "Christian, if you cannot say definitively, no matter what, that adults creeping on teenage girls is wrong, do not tell me how you stand against moral relativism."

And yet, according to a new poll, 72 percent of evangelicals now say that "an elected official who commits an immoral act in their personal life can still behave ethically and fulfill their duties in their public and professional life," though only 30 percent thought so a mere six years ago.

Other responses to Roy Moore's alleged behavior have been even worse than silence. Take Alabama state Rep. Ed Henry, who was also Trump's Alabama campaign co-chairman, and who tried to discredit and deny the women's stories, saying: "You can't sit on something like this for 30-something years with a man as in the spotlight as Roy Moore and all of a sudden, three weeks before a senatorial primary, all of a sudden these three or four women are going to talk about something in 1979? I call bull."

Some have tried to play down Moore's behavior, like Marion County, Alabama, GOP Chairman David Hall, who said: "I really don't see the relevance of it. . . . She's not saying that anything happened other than they kissed." Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler even used a biblical story to legitimize Moore's alleged offenses. "Take Joseph and Mary," he said. "Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus."

Trump, unsurprisingly, has been coy on the matter. He has not called for Moore to step aside, and the White House press secretary said the president "does not believe we can allow a mere allegation . . . from many years ago to destroy a person's life."

When it comes to worshiping power, Republican Christians most obviously stray from scripture in their attitudes on race. When 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump despite his blatant and constant use of racial bigotry for his own political interest, it showed that the operative word in the phrase "white Christian" is "white" and not "Christian." When white Christians say they did not vote for Trump because of his bigotry but for other reasons, faith leaders of color answer with a damning question: His racial bigotry wasn't a deal-breaker for you?

Week after week, Trump reveals that his leadership is always and only about himself; not the people, the country or even his party - and certainly not about godliness.

During his recent whirlwind trip through Asia, for instance, he bragged constantly about his red carpet treatment, and seemed to thrive on the attention and flattery while putting precious little effort into diplomacy. ("They were all watching," Trump gushed of people who he said called him in droves to congratulate him on the splendor of his visit to China. "Nothing you can see is so beautiful.")

The conflicts between his money, power and governing are always resolved in the same way - by his selfishness; by whatever happens to appeal to him, and only him, in that moment. Though he ran an anti-interventionist campaign, for instance, Trump reportedly decided to ramp up the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan this year after an adviser showed him a picture of Afghani women wearing miniskirts in the 1970s.

All leaders struggle with these temptations, and public figures must wrestle with them the most. Christians, rightly enough, have never expected perfect leaders - just those who can keep up their end of the moral struggle. But for Trump, there is no moral struggle. He is not immoral - knowing what is right and wrong, and choosing the wrong - he rather seems amoral: lacking any kind of moral compass for his personal or professional life. That's why the Christian compromise with Trump and his ilk has put faithful Americans at such serious risk.

Central to the health of our society is for American Christians to rescue an authentic, compassionate and justice-oriented faith from the clutches of partisan abuse, and from the idolatry of money, sex and power. The word "repentance" in Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions means much more than feeling sorry about the past; it also means "turning around" to equity and healing personally, and systemically in our institutions of policing and criminal justice, education, economics, voting rights, immigration and refugees, racial geography, housing, and more. Making repentance practical is the spiritual task ahead.
I believe many things these days, chief among them the fact that were in a moment of reckoning for men who for too long have held the levers of power and assumed that gave them the right to be awful.

I believe we need more women in charge, and fast. Men have had their chance to run things for ... well, for forever, and if the present waves of revelations about sexual harassment and sexual assault by powerful men show us anything, its that men have royally screwed things up.

I believe Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken, who last week was accused of groping a woman and kissing her without her consent, should step down, even though he apologized and encouraged an ethics investigation into his own behavior.

I believe Roy Moore, the Alabama judge facing numerous accusations of sexual misconduct against girls in their teens while he was in his 30s, should leave the race for U.S. Senate immediately.

I believe there should be a full investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump, even though voters overlooked those allegations and elected him.

I believe each of those cases, and myriad others surfacing now, should be looked at individually, with no bad action by one man being used to negate the bad action of another.

As the photo of Franken smirking as he reaches to grab the breasts of a sleeping woman went viral Thursday, many appropriately condemned him. And many who did that, myself included, were swiftly hit with excuses about how Moores alleged actions against teens are far worse than the accusation against Franken, or how allegations against Trump are more serious than Frankens case because Trump is president.

I believe thats a bad way to look at things. Condemning Franken isnt excusing anyone else. We shouldnt be measuring acts of harassment or assault by volume or severity and then letting lesser cases slide. Bad is bad. One doesnt negate the other, or excuse the other, and letting that happen is a disservice to any of the women whose lives were damaged.

I believe no fewer than 20 men will email me to say, Didnt hear anything from you when Bill Clinton was president!! To which I will respond: Thats because I was in my early 20s and not a journalist.

It was also a different time, and sex scandals were treated differently. That doesnt make Clintons actions any less reprehensible, but arguing that his treatment then doesnt measure up to the treatment of men caught up in the current wave of allegations is pointless. And dumb. And again, one mans horrid behavior doesnt make any other mans horrid behavior acceptable. Ever.

I believe the problem we have in this country with men who have power sexually harassing or sexually assaulting women has nothing to do with politics or ideology or religion. It has to do with male dominance and entitlement.

And I believe these revelations of swinish male behavior, revelations that will undoubtedly continue, signal one thing: Lascivious behavior stemming from male dominance and entitlement is no longer going to be ignored or begrudgingly accepted.

I believe thats a good thing.

And I believe we need more women in positions of power to make sure it happens. Fast.
With abundant displays of general dysfunction and specific allegations of sexual assault and harassment becoming pervasive in Washington, it is worth remembering that there are good examples of decency and leadership that we can point to. Republicans need to look no further than Vice President Mike Pence.

As with all vice presidents, much of Pence's contributions are underreported. He is dignified and cool at a time when the media craves salacious and hot.

Much of the media's recent attention has focused on the wave of Roy Moore, and now Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and perhaps major revelations about U.S. taxpayer money being used to settle sexual harassment claims in the House of Representatives. Put it this way: The word "wholesome" doesn't come up much these days when talking about the American political condition. A look at the work and style of the vice president, however, supplies much-needed reassurance and relief.

Despite all the noise, Pence has successfully stuck to the message that Republicans are working on issues that matter. Specifically, tax reform - which passed the House last week - and health care and infrastructure, which he reminds us are still alive.

Most recently at the Republican Governors Association annual conference, Pence's reassuring presentation gave attendees hope that Washington might not be spiraling out of control. While he was in Texas, Pence was able to hold forth with authority on everything from hurricane relief in Puerto Rico and in the mainland, to a detailed discussion about tax policy and the president's visit to Asia.

Pence and his office have been thought of as the pod of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic White House. Pence is confident in his role. His staff people understand what their jobs are, they don't covet their neighbor's job and they have reputations as being experienced and savvy.

And now, thanks to Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, they aren't as walled-off as they once were. Believe it or not, the ranks of the rational and well-adjusted are growing inside the White House. In fact, a greater sense of organization and discipline is coming over the entire Trump administration - with much of it originating from the vice president's office. We are still unlikely to experience a full pivot, but things in Trump-world are getting better.

While the likes of Kelly, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and a few others are considered guardians of the galaxy who act as guard rails that could keep the administration from plunging into a disastrous calamity, Pence is able to play some offense on the White House's behalf. Everyone knows he has authority, but they don't blame him for the confusion. He is welcomed on Capitol Hill as someone who knows and understands the details, governors claim him as a member in good standing within their informal club and Republicans everywhere are proud of him.

The very things the media want to ridicule are the very things that make Pence stronger during these tumultuous times. It is a good thing we have Mike Pence.
The family-owned company delivered more than 10 truckloads of holiday turkey donations to food banks and community groups in California, Oregon and Washington.

While the holiday donations are an annual tradition for Foster Farms, this season the company is making a special effort to help communities displaced by the Northern California wildfires with donations of 22,700 pounds of turkey to Napa and Sonoma County food banks, an additional donation of 40,000 pounds of poultry and $100,000 to Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa.
Despite the Napa wine industrys ongoing efforts to spur the return of visitors following the October wildfires, winery foot traffic is still lukewarm and recovering.

The fires occurred during what is normally the busiest month of the year for winery visitorship. Yet now, a month on, visitor numbers for many are still below what would be a normal draw for this time of year.

Winery owners and leaders have attributed the tepid return of visitors in part to the outside worlds warped view of wine country as still being crippled.

Michael Beaulac, winemaker and general manager at Pine Ridge Vineyards in the Stags Leap District, lost his home in the fires. Yet, When I drive through Napa Valley, for the most part, you dont really see that much damage, he said last week. You go up Atlas Peak, that area, of course you do. But for the tourists coming to town, they probably arent going to see a whole lot.

Holding the medias portrayal of the disaster largely accountable, winery owner Dario Sattui said that beyond the immediate destruction throughout wine country, the fires also killed tourism.

Because people think the whole Napa Valley burned down and its not true, he said.

Mike Reynolds, president of HALL winery in St. Helena and WALT winery in Sonoma, stressed the fires toll on the rural areas of Napa County and in the neighborhoods of Santa Rosa. There are portions that were devastated and we dont want to understate that, he said. But the majority of the valley and certainly the wineries and the vineyards, were not impacted.

However, a month after the heat, flames and smoke, that majority of wineries continue to grapple with the lingering economic impact of the distorted wine country-turned-wasteland image.

Sattui, who was born in the area, said that last months wildfires had been the worst disaster to happen in Napa Valley in his lifetime. The runner-up, he says, is the economic disaster that is still unfolding.

Tourists are vital to both of Sattuis wineries, V. Sattui in St. Helena and the 13th century Tuscan-style Castello di Amorosa tucked off of Highway 29 near Calistoga. Each sells its wine entirely through on-premises sales, meaning the lower the visitor numbers and foot traffic, the lower the wineries overall revenue.

Both had reopened by Oct. 16, a week after the fires began, but as of last week, Sattui estimated visitorship at each was about half of what it normally would be this time of year.

Though he lost vineyards on Henry Road to the Partrick Fire and grapes to smoke taint, Sattuis wineries were left physically unharmed. But now with lagging visitorship and sales, the toll on business has been severe enough that some winery employee hours have been scaled back, leading to several resignations, he said. I dont blame them.

For the month of October, visitor numbers at the HALL and WALT tasting rooms were also down by about 55 percent, Reynolds said. Though the first week of the month was normal, after that, it was essentially we were wiped out.

Reynolds said no employee hours had been shortened and, optimistically, both wineries had seen a decent amount of traffic at the end of October, in part due to local visitorship.

The case has been similar at Pine Ridge Vineyards which, like HALL, WALT and Sattuis wineries, also reopened Oct. 16. Though met with a very, very quiet week of sales and guests upon reopening, Beaulac also credited visitors from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area as having helped buoy the winerys business as the weeks have progressed.

What Im seeing and hearing when Im in the tasting room is a lot of people saying, We want to come up, because we heard thats what youre supposed to do, he said. The generosity just continues to amaze me.

The local wine industry has in turn offered its own helping hand to the North Bays recovery, with many wineries donating their tasting fees and other funds to the fire relief efforts throughout the month of October, and in some cases beyond.

HALL and WALT wineries were among those donating tasting fees last month, while founders Craig and Kathryn Hall raised more than $500,000 through a matching campaign with Redwood Credit Union. Sattuis wineries donated more than $100,000 to the relief efforts.

And while concerns over lukewarm visitorship continue to loom over winery business, optimistic overtones are also very much coursing through the industry.

Jen Locke, senior vice president of direct to consumer at Treasury Wine Estates, the Australia-based company that owns a cast of Napa Valley hallmarks, including Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer, Sterling and Stags Leap Winery, said in a statement last week, Our tasting rooms throughout the Valley are trending upward, especially the weekends.

In Sonoma County, Treasury-owned Chateau St. Jean winery reopened for the first time last Saturday, and was greeted by a line of guests, Locke said. We are without words for the outpouring of support and growing interest in visiting our tasting rooms has been very encouraging.

Russ Joy, general manager at iconic Ste. Michelle-owned Stags Leap Wine Cellars, a close neighbor to Pine Ridge Vineyards, wrote in an email that the winerys visitorship has also begun to recover, with weekend numbers improving in particular. Our current weekend traffic is essentially the same as last year, Joy wrote.

Now, more than ever, we need wine lovers visiting the wineries, buying wines, dining at our local restaurants and staying at our local hotels, he added.

Scott Goldie, co-owner of the Napa Valley Wine Train, which hosted a cast of Napa County political leaders and media for a luncheon last month to promote the regions recovery, wrote in an email that while cancellations brought ridership down to 20 percent of normal numbers in October and have carried on into this month, the impact is lessened as visitorship tends to slow this time of year regardless.

Rider numbers have also improved notably over the weekends, Goldie wrote. Longer term (into next year) we are very optimistic that the word will get out that Napa is back and better than ever and we will see a return to normalcy.

Sattui offered a similarly hopeful outlook for the coming year, noting that people maybe as the year progresses will come in greater numbers. But I think its really next year sometime  the spring  before they really come back full force.
Tuesday, Nov. 14

0811  Report of a woman riding her bike recklessly near Main/Grayson.

0925  Public Works was sent to remove a dead squirrel from the eastbound lane of Pope Street.

1035  Report of two dogs running loose near North Crane Avenue.

1100  A parked RV was reportedly blocking the view of drivers at Hunt/Church.

1257  A pedestrian crossing light at Charter Oak Avenue was damaged. It appeared to have been clipped by a large truck.

1443  A primary school student was reported missing. Police checked the area, and the student was found.

Wednesday, Nov. 15

0326  Report of a drunk driver on Magnolia Avenue. The driver had been seen driving slow, almost hitting things, and stumbling out of the car. Police arrested the 23-year-old Los Angeles man on suspicion of DUI.

0841  Police notified Caltrans that one of the green lights at Main/Pope was out.

0939  Medical aid on Hunt Avenue.

1155  A car parked in a Main Street parking lot had its tires slashed on Tuesday.

1455  A teacher caught three male students vaping in a locker room on Grayson Avenue. Police talked to them and confiscated their vaping products.

1756  Medical aid for a fall victim on Main Street.

2005  A woman reported being approached by a man asking for a ride on Library Lane.

2145  A person brought a man to the police department who appeared to be homeless and lost.

Thursday, Nov. 16

1036  A caller witnessed a non-injury hit-and-run at Oak/Madrona.

1607  A Peppertree Circle resident was receiving constant calls from people claiming to represent the federal government. An officer said not to call them back or give them any information.

1635  Report of a loud leaf blower on Adams Street.

1723  Report of loud equipment being used at a Pine Street construction site after 5 p.m.

2118  Report of a car unable to maintain its lane near Main/Sulphur Springs. Police pulled over the car and determined the driver was not drunk.

2207  Police were notified of a child custody issue.

2252  Medical aid on Pinot Way.

2326  A backpack was reported stolen from Main/Grayson.

Friday, Nov. 17

0640  Medical aid on Voorhees Circle.

0710  Two-car non-injury accident blocking the northbound lane of Main Street.

0757  A driver was seen getting into a car on Whitehall Lane after hed been drinking. Police stopped the car and arrested the St. Helena man on suspicion of DUI.

0922  A Main Street bank received a package in the mail containing an unknown white powder substance. Staff and customers were evacuated until police verified there was no danger.

0939  Medical aid on Park Street.

1052  Medical aid on San Lucas Court.

1631  Medical aid for a possible broken knee on Rosebud Lane.

1716  Report of a reckless driver tailgating and passing illegally on Highway 29 entering St. Helena. Police stopped the car and sternly warned the driver.

1751  Report of a small pickup blocking a driveway on Monte Vista.

Saturday, Nov. 18

1226  Report of a large white lab wandering Pratt Avenue.

1228  A rear license plate was found at Spring/Valley View.

1254  A juvenile was receiving threatening phone calls after he was told to buy gift cards and call back with the codes. The juvenile had told his father he needed to pay to avoid having his phone hacked.

1450  Report of a car leaking gas while it was being refueled at a gas station.

1552  Report of suspicious people trying to break into a car on Oak Avenue. Police determined one of them was the cars owner, who had locked himself out of the car.

1607  Report of a major water leak in an Adams Street parking lot.

1802  Report of a possible drunk driver in the elm tunnel.

Sunday, Nov. 19

0753  A black Suburban was reported stolen from Grayson Avenue on Saturday afternoon by a man whod said he was going to test drive it. Police investigated and found the car in Clearlake.

0812  Report of a frequent problem with a silver Honda speeding on Adams Street.

1249  A caller said a loud leaf blower had been running for about an hour near Madrona/Main.

1252  Report of three or four women fighting at a school on Hillview Place. Police took a report.

1541  Police were notified of a child custody issue.
Miljenko Mike Grgich is retiring as president of Grgich Hills Estate Winery and handing the leadership role at the 40-year-old Napa Valley winery to his daughter Violet, said a news release.

Its time, the 94-year-old Grgich said at an October board meeting. "I know that my dream is in good hands."

I know its hard to let go," said Violet Grgich. "This winery is his love and his lifes work.

However, Im excited." Growing the Grgich legacy for future generations "is an honor and a joy," she said. "I feel Im ready.

She added that her father will continue his involvement as adviser and winemaker emeritus at the winery he co-founded with Austin Hills in 1977.

Ivo Jeramaz, vice president, continues to lead the winerys winemaking and estate vineyard program.

A native of Napa, Violet Grgich grew up helping her father. At UC Davis, she majored in music but added enology, biology, and chemistry classes to her schedule. After earning a masters degree in music at Indiana University, she returned to Grgich Hills to work full-time, eventually becoming vice-president of sales and operations.
23:22

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today that he neither supported a ban on the movie 'Padmavati' nor backed those issuing threats to its actors and crew.

Singh decried attempts by what he claimed were "vested interests" to misinterpret his statement on the issue.

The chief minister made it clear that he was totally opposed to the threats being issued by certain hardline elements to the actors and directors of the film but reiterated that anyone feeling hurt by the alleged distortion

of historical facts had the right to peaceful agitation.

A distinction needs to be drawn between threats and protests, he said in a statement here.

"How can I seek or support a ban on the movie when I have not even watched it," asked Singh, refuting the "unfounded conclusions" that were drawn from his statement on Monday.

Clarifying his position, Singh said that nobody can be denied the right to disagree with others and protest peacefully in a civilised and democratic system, but nobody has the right to threaten someone with whom he/she does not agree on any issue.

"I totally condemn all people who are issuing threats and expect the law to take its course against them," he said, adding that any attempt to vitiate the country's peace and disturb its harmony needs to be dealt with effectively.

In his statement on Monday, Singh had said that as a military historian, who had studied history and even been to Chittor, he felt that distortion of historical facts was unacceptable.

"Cinematic license did not give anyone the right to twist historical facts," he had said, adding that protests were a justified recourse in a democratic system. -- PTI
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:00:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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By Maria Spiliopoulou, Alexia Vlachou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou

ATHENS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Faced with a dual crisis in recent years, the massive refugee influx and the debt drama, the Greek state has found critical aid in UNICEF and other local NGOs specializing in the protection of children's rights.

Through multi-level cooperation, strives have been made to assist refugee and migrant children, but more should be done to ensure a better future for children in need, UNICEF and NGOs' representatives told Xinhua.

On the occasion of the World Children's Day marked on Nov. 20 over the past six decades, Sofia Tzitzikou, President of UNICEF Greece, and Myrsini Zorba, co-founder and Honorary President of Greek NGO "Network for Children's Rights" offered an insight of how children in Greece are faring in key areas covered in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and what Greece is doing to promote their rights and ensure their well being.

Greece's National Committee of UNICEF was established in 1977. During the course of 40 years it has provided life changing support to millions of children, but the needs are endless.

"Basic rights today are not for granted even for kids born here, such as the right to life, the right to food, to education, the right of access to healthcare and so on," Tzitzikou told Xinhua, pointing to data in annual reports conducted by UNICEF Greece in recent years on the state of minors in the debt ridden country.

According to the latest report 55 percent of children in Greece are living on the threshold of poverty. The approximately 20,000 refugee and migrant children out of 62,000 people who have been stranded in Greece in reception centers and other facilities, after the closure of borders, are in particularly vulnerable.

Among them are about 2,300 unaccompanied children living in shelters and special safe zones inside camps. These minors are a priority group for UNICEF Greece.

"Every day we must remind people that these rights are there and we are obliged, it is our legal and ethical duty to protect and promote them," Tzitzikou said, outlining UNICEF Greece's actions towards improving all children's welfare.

As many partners are involved in this effort, UNICEF Greece opted to put emphasis in the field of education, without overlooking programs promoting breastfeeding or immunizations. In the past two years UNICEF Greece in collaboration with the Health Ministry provided vaccines for 62,000 refugee and migrant children who reached Greece.

In addition to providing material to thousands of children in need -- Greek and refugee alike -- to attend school, the National Committee also runs campaigns to inform parents, teachers and children of their rights.

Some of the programs concerning refugee children are covered by European funds, but in general due to the financial crisis UNICEF Greece faces a shortage of funds, as it relies solely on donations by individuals and enterprises.

"Due to the crisis what we are facing as a National Committee is of course a decline in our funds, but not a decline in peoples' willingness to help ... Greek society's support regarding the refugee crisis has been enormous, not only in actions run by UNICEF staff, but also in programs where we ask for volunteers," Tzitzikou said.

Myrsini Zorba, a former member of the European parliament, co-founded in 2004 the "Network for Children's Rights", one of the local NGOs cooperating with UNICEF Greece. Zorba always believed in the power of volunteerism.

Over the past five years the Network welcomes children at the "Culture Workshop" in central Athens where kids are taught foreign languages, including Chinese, as well as photography, dance and painting.

The NGO puts emphasis in culture and education, organizing visits to museums, as well as educational games in playgrounds, in addition to running libraries and providing healthcare and psychological support in collaboration with the City of Athens and other partners.

The Network aims to provide more opportunities to refugee children to leave the camps, Zorba explained. Although living conditions in many refugee camps in the mainland improved in recent months compared to the still overcrowded hotspots on the islands, much remains to be done. For Zorba no child should be growing up in a camp and citizens' mobilization can help.

"We have to keep in mind that as citizens we need to demand from the state and institutions to make policies with tangible results, because each day passing by that a draft bill is not voted, or a program is lagging, or a court is not announcing a verdict, can be crucial, some times of fatal consequences, for the life of a child," she said.

"We need to find a way to actively participate in actions, to get closer to what is happening around us," she stressed, urging more citizens to get involved in projects to help.

The refugee camp at the Piraeus port suburb of Schisto which is run by the Migration Policy ministry is an example of how the cooperation of the state, NGOs and local society can help.

When the camp was first established in the winter of 2016 on a former military site, 2,200 refugees were living in tents. Today 609 people, including 275 minors, are hosted in 159 containers with air condition, heating and kitchenettes.

The 92 percent of residents are Afghans, 5 percent Iranians and 3 percent Iraqis. Most are members of a total of 124 families. The 34 unaccompanied minors are hosted in a so- called "safe zone" within the camp.

The army and police provide security, NGOs such as the Network with the support of UNICEF, offer social workers, psychologists, medical aid and teachers, while local society helps in the integration of children.

Most minors at Schisto camp, along other 5,100 refugee children nationwide, attend classes in public schools. When they do not go to the nearby public schools they attend classes inside the camp, visit the library or play games.

Yorgos Triantafyllou, a social worker with the Network, and his colleagues are there to listen to their problems and assist.

"Through gatherings with parents and briefings on legal rights organized here at Schisto camp, we are trying to explain children's and women's rights in Europe.

"For me, the most important thing is when several mothers in such meetings are telling us: we do not know how to raise our children right, because we were brought up in a certain manner, please help us and show us the correct way," Triantafyllou said.
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!)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 02:45:30|Editor: pengying

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LONDON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- British Conservative Party lawmaker Stephen Hammond has warned that enshrining the Brexit date in the EU Withdrawal Bill will increase the chances of "economic catastrophe", Sky News reported on Sunday.

Hammond, 55, also former UK government minister, has labeled the government's attempts to write the Brexit date into British law as "madness", it said.

He claimed enshrining the date in the EU Withdrawal Bill would prevent "flexibility" if it was felt exit talks needed to be extended.

About the potential for a "no deal" Brexit, Hammond told Sky News: "We have to make provision for it and accept it is a possibility.

"And we have to accept, actually, by putting this date on the front of the bill, unfortunately you've made that more likely."

Hammond, who supported Remain last year, said leaving the EU without an exit agreement would be an "economic catastrophe".

The British government's amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill aims to declare 11 p.m. on March 29 of 2019 as the official moment Britain leaves the EU.

The Withdrawal Bill is undergoing line-by-line scrutiny in the House of Commons as part of a process to turn it into law. Almost 500 amendments have been lodged in a multitude of attempts to change the bill.

There will be several weeks of debates before the bill is handed to the unelected House of Lords where it will again face challenges in what could be an even tougher ride.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:25:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Arab foreign ministers condemned on Sunday Iran's intervention into Arab countries' affairs, saying they have asked the Arab group at the UN to address the President of the UN Security Council over Iran's violations.

In a statement after the an extraordinary meeting requested by Saudi Arabia, the Arab foreign ministers said they will ask the Arab Group at the UN to address the UN Security Council over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2231 on developing Tehran's ballistic missiles.

"This undermines Iran's allegations that its ballistic missile program is defensive as it threatens the Arabs' national security," the statement said.

The ministers have also said they will ask the Arab Group to address the UNSC over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2216 by providing armed militias in Yemen with weapons, considering targeting Saudi Arabia with an Iranian-made ballistic missile launched from Yemen as an offensive from Iran.

"The Arab Group will also ask the UNSC to assume its responsibility to maintain international peace and security," according to the statement.

The Arab foreign ministers have also condemned Iran's intervention into the internal affairs of Bahrain by supporting terrorists, providing them with weapons and training as well as stirring sectarian sedition.

They also said that Iran establishes terrorist groups inside Bahrain that were financed and trained by Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.

The ministers also held Hezbollah responsible for aiding terror groups in many Arab countries and providing them with up-to-date weapons, including ballistic missiles.

For decades, Shiite Iran has been demonized in the Sunni-dominated Arab world who accuses the Persian state of attempting to destabilize Arab states through aiding terror and opposition groups in many Arab countries.

However, Iran has always dismissed these accusations, saying it has always sought good ties with its Arab neighbors.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:51:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OSLO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg hoped that Turkey will accept her country's apology after Turkish leaders appeared on an "enemy chart" at a NATO military exercise in the Nordic country, public broadcaster NRK reported Sunday.

However, should Turkey want to talk more about the event, Norway will be open for that, Solberg said, adding that the relationship between Norway and Turkey is not in crisis and is "good".

"We are clear towards Turkey, and they are clear back towards us. Now I hope they accept our apology, so that we can move on," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Turkey announced to withdraw 40 Turkish troops from the NATO exercise at the Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's name and the picture of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were used in an "enemy chart".

Following the incident, both NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen apologized to Turkey, saying the message was written by a Norwegian national who was hired to work on staff during the exercise and the individual was terminated immediately.

Erdogan said on Saturday that the incident is "a reflection of a distorted point of view that we have seen in NATO for a while" and the matter "cannot be covered over with a simple apology".
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 04:51:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- German industrial giant Siemens has said that it is ready for talks with German workers' representatives on its plan to cut around 6,900 jobs worldwide, news agency DPA reported on Sunday.

"I hope that the unions will find a way to go from protest to dialogue and that we can reach a balance of interests," said Siemens personnel chief Janina Kugel to the Tagesspiegel newspaper on Saturday.

There were several ways for the German engineering and electronics firm to reduce its staff without forced lay-offs, Kugel said, including offering severance pay, training and early retirement.

About half of the announced job cuts will be in Germany, where the company said it planned to shut down facilities in the eastern cities of Goerlitz and Leipzig, DPA said in its report.

There will also be redundancies at locations in Offenbach, Erfurt, Muellheim and Berlin.

Germany's biggest union, IG Metall, called the restructuring plans a "widely mounted attack on the employees".

There have been no negotiations between the management and the workers so far, according to the DPA report.
An American soldier participates in a drill at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, northwest United States, Nov. 18, 2017. The Chinese and U.S. militaries were holding the 5th joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Oregon. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

by Ye Zaiqi, Liu Yang

PORTLAND, the United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Over a "river" that cuts off a road in a "flooded city," an injured victim bound tightly to a stretcher was slid on a rope bridge from one side of the "river" to safety on the other side in a simulated disaster relief operation here Saturday.

The rope bridge erected by a group of Chinese and American soldiers became the only tool that shipped the victim covered with a blood-soaked bandage under a survival blanket, who was played by specialist Glen Rathwick from the U.S. army, to a safe place across the "river" in a joint drill where the Chinese and American soldiers worked together to respond to a simulated humanitarian disaster in a third country.

The field drill, which entered its fourth day after a three-day academic seminar and table-top exchange, was part of a week-long joint humanitarian and disaster relief exercise and seminar in Portland, Oregon in western United States.

Chinese and American soldiers work together during a drill at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, northwest United States, Nov. 18, 2017. The Chinese and U.S. militaries were holding the 5th joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Oregon. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

The Chinese and U.S. soldiers worked in close cooperation to treat "injured victims" with patience and tacit understanding, though they did not know very much about each other's language.

"The medical personnel were good and knew what they were doing," said Rathwick.

"Felt the treatment was speedy and caused no further pain than necessary," he added, "I felt in safe hands."

He went on to say that it was good coordination from both sides when the soldiers from U.S. and Chinese armies came together to work on a same task.

While saving a victim suffering a broken neck and with weak life signs, a Chinese female army medic told him in soft and gentle tone: "Don't worry, you'll be OK."

She quickly fixed his legs and arms with aluminum splints before she asked her colleagues to take him away for further treatment.

The young soldiers from Chinese and U.S. armies came from different places and had totally different experience in response to real-world disasters, but they learned to team up quickly in the joint training.

"But after a few days, we were on the same page," said Staff Sergeant Daniel Schluter.

On another front was a simulated urban area flattened by a strong earthquake, where a bridge was pulled down and two private cars were buried under the rubble.

A team of Chinese and American soldiers were practicing to dig deep into the debris in order to find any possible life underneath.

A huge bulldozer and large cutting tools were employed, and the soldiers' faces were all wet with sweat, with roaring sounds coming from working rescue machines operating behind.

"This is a cement steel structure. Such large-scale equipment was used in rescue operations, most often by U.S. soldiers. While we were from China's southern part, we used more handy tools in enclosed-space rescue," said Wang Runze, a corporal from the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China.

The joint training provided a very good opportunity for both sides to learn from each other, he said.

An American soldier participates in a drill at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, northwest United States, Nov. 18, 2017. The Chinese and U.S. militaries were holding the 5th joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Oregon. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

At one point when they combed through a collapsed building, they would make a mark or sign that is universally recognizable on the surface of the structure after they finished their search, so that their fellow soldiers would not waste their precious rescue time in doing the same search.

He said American soldiers were puzzled about those signs and asked Wang about the reason, and the Chinese soldier explained in detail the no-more-searching sign to his American peers.

"The American soldier nodded in agreement and said it's very interesting and worth learning by the American Army," Wang smiled, beaming with a sense of pride.

"The Chinese soldiers were very professional and disciplined," said Staff Sergeant Newsburry Virgil from U.S. National Guards.

"I was fascinated by the Chinese soldiers, and they wasted no moment in the rescue," he added.

"Their coordination is almost perfect, and they know how they would make a team," Virgil noted, referring to his experience with the Chinese soldiers in the relief and rescue operation.

The joint training between Chinese and American troops has given him a valuable chance to learn how to respond to natural disasters, since he has never participated in rescue of any real-world calamities.

"I wanted to be part of the history," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 07:16:31|Editor: pengying

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An artist draws a street painting in Houston, Texas, the United States, on Nov. 19, 2017. More than 200 artists worldwide took part in this year's Houston Via Colori, one of the largest and most well-known art festivals in the city. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)

HOUSTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 artists worldwide took part in this year's Houston Via Colori, one of the largest and most well-known art festivals in the city in the U.S. state of Texas.

In its 12th year, Via Colori boasts an attendance of 30,000 people, three stages of live music, a delightful array of local food and beverage vendors, and award-winning street painters from all over the world.

Chinese artist Wu Yingde participated in the festival for the first time. Inspired by the touching moments when people helping each other during the disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey, Wu made a piece on the topic.

"During Hurricane Harvey, I could feel the power of people helping each other. I was deeply moved," Wu told Xinhua.

Used to work in a private studio, Wu said the atmosphere of street painting is really nice. "Here you can see the whole process of making a piece of art and you can better communicate and exchanges views with other artists," he said.

Art teacher Kevin Richert, who has been attending the event for eight years, said "It's a wonderful get-together for the community. Because if you notice the crowd, it just get bigger and bigger."

"Some are expected to be entertained, but also be amazed. We as artists get to expose to all the different things, simple film stars to philosophy," he said.

Young artist Brenda Melgar said she went through a contest to participate in the event for the first time as a high school student several years ago.

"It's great for the youth. But not only is that great because it's benefiting the Center for Hearing and Speech, which is one of the biggest, and probably the only center in Houston that helps out kids with hearing impairment to live a life without using sign language. So it's really for a great cause," she told Xinhua.

Produced by the Center for Hearing and Speech, the activity aims to fund critical health and educational services for local children with mild to profound hearing loss. Since its inception, the festival has raised 3 million U.S. dollars for the cause.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 07:36:33|Editor: pengying

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Staff members count ballots at a polling station in Santiago, capital of Chile, on Nov. 19, 2017. Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is leading the presidential election on Sunday, with 53.05 percent of votes counted, the Electoral Service of Chile (Servel) said. (Xinhua/Jorge Villegas)

SANTIAGO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is leading the presidential election on Sunday, with 53.05 percent of votes counted, the Electoral Service of Chile (Servel) said.

Pinera garnered 36.66 percent of support, while his main rival, center-left candidate Alejandro Guillier, won 22.63 percent, a report from Servel showed on Sunday evening.

Chileans voted for a successor to President Michelle Bachelet. For an outright victory in the first round, the candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the top two candidates will face off in a second round of voting on Dec. 17.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 08:46:50|Editor: pengying

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SYDNEY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leading Australian experts have called on the country's governments to hold tobacco companies accountable for damage done to people's health by taking them to court.

In an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia, public health experts from Macquarie University and Curtin University called on state and federal governments to seek remuneration from tobacco companies for the burden put on the public health system by smoking-related illnesses.

The authors, led by Macquarie University Health Studies lecturer Ross Mackenzie, said that Australia could use Canada, where the province of British Columbia's right to sue the tobacco industry was upheld by the Supreme Court, as a precedent.

"An estimated 2.6 million adult Australians were smokers in 2014, and smoking remains the country's leading preventable cause of death and disease," they wrote.

"It causes 15, 000 deaths annually and is likely to kill two-thirds of current users. Annual health, social and economic costs of smoking were estimated at more than $31.5 billion in 2008, and are now considered to be substantially greater."

Mackenzie and colleagues said there were lessons to be learnt from the Canadian experience.

"A major recovery in Australian litigation could potentially push an Australian subsidiary of a global cigarette manufacturer into bankruptcy, depriving plaintiffs of the opportunity to recover full damages... (It is) imperative that the parent (tobacco) companies remain as defendants in legal actions in order to satisfy the large damage awards necessary to provide just financial compensation," they said.

"Beyond the potential to recover billions of dollars spent on treatment of diseases caused by smoking, publicity around legal action would also emphasize the health and social impacts of tobacco industry corporate behaviour, furthering the denormalization of smoking in Australia and generating public and political support for further public health measures."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 09:01:52|Editor: pengying

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SYDNEY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Building more houses in the Australian city of Sydney will not be enough to alleviate the city's affordability crisis, a stud has found.

An analysis of the Sydney housing market by Australian National University (ANU) academics Cukkoo Joseph and Ben Phillips found that housing prices in the city had soared despite a long-term oversupply in many suburbs.

The report, released on Monday, contradicted claims by New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian and other politicians that ramping up the housing supply would improve affordability.

Phillips and Joseph said that while increasing supply would have "some benefits" it was "unlikely in isolation to create affordable housing."

"This inference is all the more likely given the time taken to complete new dwellings and that inevitably in the short to medium term new supply is only likely to be a small share of the total dwelling stock," the report said.

Inner-Sydney was found to have a surplus of 5900 dwellings relative to population growth since 2001, the most significant surplus of the 328 regions in Australia studied by the pair.

In total, Australia has built 164,000 more dwellings than required to deal with population growth since 2001.

"We haven't found a particularly strong relationship between the balance of supply and demand and house price growth," Phillips told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

"We did find a very small correlation, but it was less than 10 percent, so what that tells us is that there is perhaps some impact from housing supply but, by and large, what's driving house prices in Australia, particularly in our capital cities, is a whole range of other factors."

Data released in October revealed that there now isn't a single Sydney suburb with a median house price lower than 500,000 Australian dollars (377,000 U.S. dollars). In 2012 there were 159 suburbs where the median house price was below that benchmark.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 09:32:04|Editor: pengying

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SYDNEY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A private consortium in Australian has revealed its plans to build a supersonic train line between the Australian cities of Brisbane and Sydney.

The Hyperloop transport system, a concept invented by Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, will propel pods through a vacuum-sealed tube at speeds of up to 1,000 km per hour (kmph).

Steve Artis, director of Ultraspeed Australia, said the consortium had plans to build inland routes from Sydney to Brisbane via Tamworth and Toowomba with an extension to the Gold Coast.

A trip from Sydney to Brisbane, Australia's first and third most populated cities, would take under an hour and from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, a tourism hot spot, less than 10 minutes.

"It can be designed as a commuter solution as well as a long-distance route," Artis told News Limited on Monday.

Ultraspeed Australia is an official partner of the U.S. based Hyperloop One and is now seeking financial backing from Australians.

The company's proposal is based on offering fares which are equal to, or cheaper, the cheapest current public transport rates.

Furthermore, Ultraspeed hopes to extend its line to Melbourne, Australia's second biggest and fastest-growing city, with modelling suggesting the total cost would be around 30 billion U.S. dollars.

The company will make a full presentation at an Infrastructure Association of Queensland event on Thursday.

They have held discussions with the federal government but will await the result of November's Queensland state election before sitting down with state politicians.

Artis said that Australia's size and the large distance between major cities made it a perfect candidate but action is needed quickly.

"Unless Australia joins the discussion by the end of this year, we are likely to miss out for 10 years or more," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 11:12:26|Editor: pengying

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HAVANA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will visit Cuba on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and other important topics, said the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

Ri Yong Ho is set to arrive on Monday afternoon in the Cuban capital, according to a brief statement published on the foreign ministry's website. During his visit, Ri will meet with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, and participate in a series of other activities.

The visit comes at a time when both countries' ties with the United States are once again strained: U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to threaten Pyongyang with sanctions and even possible military actions due to the latter's recent missiles tests, and Washington withdrew more than half of its staff from its embassy in Cuba over an alleged sonic attack and also expelled 15 Cuban diplomats who worked in the U.S. capital in September.

Cuba and the DPRK have maintained sound political and economic relations since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1960.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 11:12:27|Editor: pengying

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SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Former senior secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday appeared in prosecutors' office to be quizzed over allegations that he was involved in a bribery scandal embroiling his former aides.

Jun Byung-hun, 59, former senior presidential secretary for political affairs, showed up in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office earlier in the day, local footage showed.

Jun told reporters that he was not involved in any illegality, saying he will give sufficient explanations to prosecutors to resolve any misunderstanding.

He apologized for aberrant acts of his two former aides, who had been already detained, saying he felt frustrated to burden the Cheong Wa Dae, the office and residence of President Moon.

It marked the first time that any senior secretary of President Moon is questioned by prosecutors since the new government was inaugurated in May.

Jun resigned as the senior political affairs secretary last Thursday, saying he didn't want burden President Moon.

Jun was suspected of inducing Lotte Homshopping, South Korea's retail giant, to donate 330 million won (around 270,000 U.S. dollars) in July 2015 to the Korea e-Sports Association, in which Jun served as its chairman at the time.

Shortly after the donation, the retailer renewed its business license for home shopping channel by three more years.

At the time, Jun was a lawmaker who served on the future planning, broadcasting and communications committee of the National Assembly having influence over the license renewal for home shopping channels.

Jun's two former aides were detained for embezzlement charge as they were suspected of embezzling 110 million won of the total donation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 11:22:29|Editor: pengying

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BAKU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here on Sunday that Russia is interested in finding a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will make every effort to help achieve a settlement.

"I absolutely agree with you that we must make active efforts in this direction," said Lavrov during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, AZERTAC news agency reported.

Lavrov also said Russia is committed to the implementation of all agreements with Azerbaijan.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan "is extremely interested in the soonest settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

He said the meeting with Lavrov is also an opportunity to discuss issues related to the further development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.

The Russian delegation led by Lavrov arrived in Baku on Sunday for an official two-day visit. Reports said Lavrov will meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Monday.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh first broke out in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes in the past along the borders and across the volatile frontline of the Karabakh area.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group is tasked to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group has a co-chairmanship mechanism comprising Russian, U.S. and French co-chairs, which began operating in 1996.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 11:37:33|Editor: Lifang

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Zhang Jian (2nd L), army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), shakes hands with a U.S. soldier at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, the United States, Nov. 19, 2017. Chinese and U.S. armies ended their 13th annual China-U.S. Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, Oregon on the western U.S. coast. (Xinhua/Yin Hang)

PORTLAND, United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. armies ended their 13th annual China-U.S. Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, Oregon on the western U.S. coast.

Zhang Jian, army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at the closing ceremony that the exchanges between Chinese and U.S. armies on humanitarian disaster relief and rescue have boosted their mutual trust over the past 20 years.

China and the United States, as two major powers in the world, should work hand in hand to jointly respond to risks and challenges, and make their due contributions to human development, said Zhang.

The Chinese army is willing to work with the U.S. side to deepen their practical cooperation on non-traditional challenges such as humanitarian relief and disaster management, in a bid to safeguard world and regional peace and stability, he added.

Robert Brown, U.S. Army Pacific commander, said on the same occasion that the U.S.-China exchanges on humanitarian disaster management carry vital significance for deepening the practical cooperation between China and the United States as well as their militaries.

He expressed the hope that the United States and China will continue their joint efforts to push forward military-to-military exchanges, academic discussions and practical training on humanitarian disaster management, so as to further improve their coordination capabilities in joint response to disaster relief and rescue operations.

Brown said he is confident about closer cooperation between Chinese and U.S. armies in the future.

The week-long training began on Nov. 13 at the Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Portland, the largest city in Oregon.

More than 100 servicemen and servicewomen from the PLA Southern Theater Command, the U.S. Army Pacific, Oregon Army National Guard and other units took part in the training aimed at improving response to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in which both armies were requested to provide humanitarian assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 12:22:41|Editor: ZD

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Alejandro Guillier (L), presidential candidate for the "Nueva Mayoria" coalition, attends an event in Santiago, capital of Chile, on Nov. 19, 2017. With over 90 percent of the votes counted in Chile's presidential election, there's no outright winner. The two top runners -- former President Sebastian Pinera and leftist candidate Alejandro Guillier -- will face a runoff in December. (Xinhua/Str)

SANTIAGO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- With over 90 percent votes counted in Chile's presidential election, there's no outright winner and the two top runners -- former President Sebastian Pinera and leftist candidate Alejandro Guillier -- will face a run-off in December.

Pinera is leading the race by gaining 36.63 percent of the vote, while his main rival Guillier, won 22.66 percent, followed by Beatriz Sanchez, leader of the leftist coalition Frente Amplio (Broad Front), with 20.34 percent, according to information released by the Electoral Service of Chile (Servel) late Sunday in the third tally of votes.

Chileans voted to elect a successor to President Michelle Bachelet. For an outright victory in the first round, the candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of the vote.

Unless there is a huge last-minute surprise, Pinera and Guillier will contest the presidency on Dec. 17.

Pinera, who already led Chile as president between 2010 and 2014, has positioned himself as the standard-bearer of economic growth and security. Guillier, the hope of the center-left, has vowed to carry on the legacy of Bachelet and push for further reform.

The voting results confirm pre-election polls, which have predicted a second round between Pinera and Guillier.

However, Pinera obtained a lower percentage of votes than projected, with most polls showing his support at around 44 percent, and some even predicting an outright win for him in the first round.

Despite the better-than-expected results, Guillier will have to fight hard to rally enough political support, likely by courting the supporters of fellow center-left candidate Carolina Goic and former Socialist deputy Marco Enriquez-Ominami.

However, the real decision-maker will likely be Sanchez and the Frente Amplio, a coalition of left-wing parties disenchanted with the main two parties and vowing to overhaul Chilean politics.

Sunday's election will also see 23 senators, 155 federal deputies, and hundreds of regional counselors picked.

The official final results will be published Monday morning local time.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 12:32:44|Editor: Yurou

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CANBERRA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- High-income Australian families are increasingly enrolling their children in government schools, rather than elite private schools, according to new figures.

The trend is reflected in new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which showed that, among wealthier families, enrolments in government (public) schools had increased by 7 percent over the last decade.

In 2006, just over 40 percent of students from high-income families earning more than 11,7842.40 U.S. dollars per year in New South Wales were attending government schools. That figure had now grown to 50 percent, according to the ABS data, released on Monday.

Conversely, 27.8 percent of this high-income group was now attending Catholic schools and 22 percent was going to private schools, down from 29 percent in 2006.

In Victoria, there was now 12 percent fewer children in independent schools compared to a decade ago, with an extra 4 percent of families heading to the Catholic sector, and 8 percent to government schools.

The reasons are said to be two-fold: the quality of teaching at some government schools has improved noticeably in recent times and the public system is a considerably cheaper option than private school education.

Independent Schools Victoria Chief Executive Michelle Green told Fairfax Media on Monday that while wealthier families were abandoning private schools, the new data showed how lower-income families were being attracted by what non-government schools had to offer.

"The figures challenge the myth that independent schools are the sole preserve of the wealthy," Green said, adding "in fact more than half of the students at independent schools are from low and middle income families."

The pattern was replicated across the country, beyond NSW and Victoria, and is set to increase pressure on already-stretched state public school systems that have been forced to install demountable classrooms by the hundreds in order to meet demand.

The latest data, taken from the 2016 Census, comes as the school funding debate pushes its way back into federal Parliament this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 12:57:48|Editor: pengying

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LONDON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A coffee-based biofuel will be used to help power London's public buses from Monday in a bid to reduce transport emission, local media reported.

Bio-bean, a London-based green-energy start-up, said it has produced enough coffee-derived biofuel to power one bus for a whole year, the BBC reported.

The company collects waste coffee grounds mostly from London's coffee shops for processing, and tops the resulting coffee oil with a range of animal and vegetable oil.

The final mix, consisting of 80 percent of diesel and 20 percent of biofuels, can reduce carbon emission from a bus journey by 10 percent to 15 percent, the AFP reported.

The buses can be powered by the new biofuel without the need for modification, said the company.

Londoners consume 2.3 cups of coffee a day on average and produce a total of 200,000 tons of coffee waste a year, according to Bio-bean.

To push for its green initiatives, the city of London has increasingly turned to biofuels for its public transportation. According to the reports, some of the capital's 9,500 buses are already powered by biofuels produced from cooking oil and tallow from meat processing.

Bio-bean founder Arthur Kay said the company hopes to expand next to France, where 38 billion cups of coffee are consumed a year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 13:07:51|Editor: pengying

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Washington D.C. in show of support to hurricane-hit Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in September, wreaking havoc on the U.S. territory's infrastructure. About half of its 3.4 million residents still lack electricity.

In the U.S. capital, protesters, carrying Puerto Rican flags and signs that read "Fight for Puerto Rico," marched from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.

Among others, the protesters called for more federal response to Puerto Rico and the cancellation of the island's debt.

According to the Puerto Rican Department of Public Safety, the death toll from Hurricane Maria stood at 51 and estimates put hurricane damage at 95 billion U.S. dollars.

The White House on Friday sent Congress a 44-billion-dollar disaster aid request for the country's disaster-struck areas, including Puerto Rico.

Lawmakers said the request does not come close to what local officials say is needed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 13:22:54|Editor: Yamei

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (2nd R) and Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief Constantino Chiwenga (1st R) pose for photos at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe met Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief Constantino Chiwenga and South African envoys here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Joseph Nyadzayo)

HARARE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told his countrymen on live television on Sunday evening that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December, hours after the ZANU-PF sacked him as party chief.

In his address from the State House, Mugabe, flanked by army generals, acknowledged the presence of ills afflicting his party and said he would chair the ZANU-PF's congress next month to resolve the problems once and for all.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now and I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

He said he agreed with the army generals that the infighting in the party was hurting the national economy.

"Among the issues discussed (with the army generals) is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. Of greater concern to our commanders are the well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness of purpose in both party and government was translating into perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy," he said.

The internal conflicts in the ruling party were being caused by inter-generational disagreements that must be resolved through merging of old established players as they embrace new rules, he said.

The televised address came not long after the ZANU-PF central committee decided at a special meeting earlier Sunday to remove Mugabe from the position of party leader and give him until noon Monday to resign as president or face impeachment proceedings.

At the same meeting, the ruling party also nullified expulsion of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.

Mnangagwa and First Lady Grace Mugabe have been contending to succeed Mugabe, one of the longest serving leaders in Africa.

The military intervened and took over control of the country after Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa as his deputy for alleged disloyalty and deceit. Mnangagwa had been Mugabe's political ally for more than 40 years.

Reports said Mugabe and his wife were under house arrest since the military operation on Wednesday.

Mugabe made his first public appearance on Friday since the military takeover, attending a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University.

Speaking Sunday on television, Mugabe said the military operation on Wednesday was triggered by concerns arising from their reading of the state of affairs in the country and the party.

"Whatever the pros and cons of the way they went about registering those concerns, I as the president of Zimbabwe and their commander -in-chief do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to and I do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern of the stability of our nation and for the welfare of our people."

Mugabe said in his meeting with the military commanders that they underscored the need for the party to collectively start the process to return the nation to normalcy.

Mugabe said the military operation did not amount to a threat to the country's constitutional order nor was it a challenge to his authority as the head of state and government and commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

He said he was happy that throughout the short period of the military intervention the pillars of state remained functioning.

Mugabe said the infighting in his party was affecting government projects and should now stop as the party inaugurates a new work culture which shows a strong sense of purpose and commitment to improving the economy.

Mugabe also acknowledged the role played by liberation war fighters, saying the party will strive to care for their welfare and ensure their participation in strategic party and government positions.

He said the party has to return to its guiding principles as enshrined in the constitution, which must be applied fairly and equitably in all situations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 13:48:02|Editor: pengying

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A small airplane crashed into a residential neighborhood near San Jose, the southern Bay Area city of California, on Sunday afternoon, injuring all three passengers aboard, fire officials said.

The accident took place near the Reid-Hillview Airport, causing no casualties on the ground.

The Cessna 172 airplane was rented earlier that afternoon. According to Capt. Mike Van Elgort of San Jose Fire Department, the pilot reported a "system failure" and crashed on the way back to the airport.

Agents from the Federal Aviation Administration were on scene to collect evidence for further investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 14:08:09|Editor: Yamei

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Hi, here is what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours.

PORTLAND, United States -- Chinese and U.S. armies ended their 13th annual China-U.S. Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, Oregon on the western U.S. coast.

Zhang Jian, army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at the closing ceremony that the exchanges between Chinese and U.S. armies on humanitarian disaster relief and rescue have boosted their mutual trust over the past 20 years.

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NAY PYI TAW -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

China believed that the Rakhine issue can be addressed by a solution acceptable to both Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations between the two neighboring countries, Wang told a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

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BEIJING -- Cai Qi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, has ordered a 40-day city-wide safety check after a deadly fire killed 19 people and injured eight more.

A fire broke out Saturday night at a three-story apartment at Xinjian Village, Daxing District in the southern suburb of the city. A total of 19 people died. Eight people were sent to the hospital, and seven of them have been out of danger.

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BEIJING -- Baidu plans to launch "small-scale production" of fully autonomous mini-buses in July of next year, according to Robin Li, CEO of the Chinese tech giant.

Baidu also plans to launch self-driving car models in cooperation with manufacturers JAC Motors and Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, Li said during the company's annual technology conference.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 14:23:17|Editor: pengying

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by Xu Haijing

CAINS, Australia, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A high-level investment forum is being held here on Monday as part of the Australian government's effort to attract more foreign investment to develop the country's comparatively underdeveloped north.

The Northern Australian Investment Forum, the second of its kind, was inaugurated in the tropical city of Cains, where more than 500 delegates from 21 countries and regions gathered for the biannual event.

The first Northern Australian Investment Forum was held in Darwin, Northern Territory, in November 2015.

Ning Jizhe, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum that China's Belt and Road Initiative has received positive response from the international community since it was first proposed in 2013.

So far, China has established capacity and investment cooperation mechanism with 36 countries and set up third country market cooperation mechanism with many countries including Australia.

The Australia government's plan to develop its north and China's Belt and Road Initiative have strong commonality and alignment, providing good opportunities for Sino-Australian investment cooperation, he said.

Northern Australia covers the whole Northern Territory and parts of Queensland and Western Australia. It comprises only 5 percent of Australia's 24 million population yet 40 percent of the land mass of the world's sixth largest country by area.

There are 17 million hectares of arable soil in the north. The resource-rich north also accounts for 90 percent of Australia's gas reserves.

"There is no doubt that there are opportunities from alignment between Australia's initiatives and China's Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative is going to be for China a game changer. Australia is having its own initiatives that are undertaking. Clearly there are complementarity between for example Northern Australia initiative and China's Belt and Road Initiative," Steven Ciobo, minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, said when answering questions from Xinhua at a press conference during the forum on Monday.

Ning proposed to promote China-Australia investment cooperation further in three areas: catering to the demands of Chinese and Asian market and promoting investment and development of northern Australia; taking into account the economic structural adjustment, upgrading bilateral investment; encouraging businesses to conduct third country market cooperation.

"The Australian government has big agenda in attracting investment in northern Australia. I'm sure there are many opportunities that Australian businesses and government can be partnering with Chinese businesses and the Chinese government in our shared goal of developing northern Australia," said Matt Canawan, minister for Resources and Northern Australia.

"More than 500 delegates being here is a testimony to the attractiveness and opportunities existing here in northern Australia. There is a great degree of interest in partnering with all northern Australians and the Australian government and state and territory government to the level of opportunities existed for northern Australia."

"At the government level, we put aside more than 11 billion Australian dollars (8.3 billion U.S. dollars) to invest in infrastructure, from Bruce Highway to Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility, to other strategic roads right across northern Australia. But we need to multiply that amount to really develop the North," said Canawan.

Ciobo said foreign investment into Australia is critical.

"Yes, we are a rich country. Yes, we have a strong domestic savings pool. But the fact is, if we want to reach our full economic potential, if we are going to drive the Australian economy, if we want to create jobs not only for northern Australia but across Australian economy, we must have foreign investment. That's consistent with our national interest to make sure our country can reach its full potential."

The forum lasts two days and will end on Tuesday.

Canawan said the first forum did lead to the investment in Darwin Port and investment in the Ord River agriculture district in Western Australia.

"We are hopeful we are getting similar outcome from this conference today."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 14:33:22|Editor: Yamei

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NANNING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A female albino Francois' leaf monkey was spotted in a national reserve in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the management bureau of the reserve.

A total of 118 Francois' leaf monkeys, belonging to 17 different groups, have been found living in the reserve.

There are fewer than 2,000 Francois' leaf monkeys worldwide. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the animal as an endangered species in 2008.

Zhou Fang, a professor from the college of animal science and technology at Guangxi University, said albinism is a natural phenomenon caused by gene deletion, and it is rare to see an albino Francois' leaf monkey in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 14:48:33|Editor: pengying

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the administration will soon announce its decision on whether to allow trophies of African elephants to be imported into the United States.

"Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of elephants or any other animal," Trump said in a tweet Sunday.

The president's tweet came after he delayed a decision on Friday to remove the ban on importing elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

"Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts," Trump tweeted Friday night.

"Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke," Trump continued, referring to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

In a statement Friday, Zinke confirmed that "the issuing of permits is being put on hold as the decision is being reviewed."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said Thursday that it believes the ban was no longer necessary.

A spokesperson said the agency "determined that the hunting and management programs for African elephants in Zimbabwe and Zambia will enhance the survival of the species in the wild."

The FWS insisted its decision to reverse the ban is part of "a robust United States conservation strategy," shortly before Trump's tweet on Friday.

The proposed reversal of the ban has faced a strong backlash, with celebrities and public figures voicing strong opposition to the administration's decision.

The Obama administration introduced the ban in 2014 that prohibits hunters from bringing the trophy heads of elephants they'd killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia to the United States.

Under the Endangered Species Act, elephants are categorized as endangered.

But a provision of the law allows for the import of trophies if it can be proved that hunting benefits conservation of the species.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 14:53:35|Editor: pengying

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump renewed Sunday his call for building a wall along the country's southern border with Mexico after a U.S. border patrol agent was killed and another was seriously injured while on patrol in U.S. state of Texas.

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt," Trump said in a tweet. "We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Trump's remarks were in response to the death of 36-year-old Rogelio Martinez, a border patrol officer who reportedly died of injuries he sustained while on duty.

Martinez's partner was also injured and remained in serious condition in hospital. The two men were reportedly responding to activity near the southern border in Texas.

In a statement, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said Sunday that the agency is "fully supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of this tragic event."

It is one of Trump's major campaign promises to build a wall along the U.S. border.

Since taking office, he has repeatedly renewed his call for beefing up border security with measures, including building a wall.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 15:08:44|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Ye Zaiqi, Liu Yang

PORTLAND, United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- More Chinese and U.S. soldiers participating in joint training will help build better capability of the Chinese and U.S. armies in humanitarian disaster control, a U.S. general said Sunday.

"I would like to take as many soldiers as possible to participate from the U.S. and China, because the more they participate, the more they understand each other, and the more chances they will see each other in real disaster," U.S. Army Pacific Commander Robert Brown said, in a response to Xinhua on how to boost the mechanism of China-U.S. cooperation on humanitarian disaster management in the future.

Brown made the remarks at a news conference at the end of an annual China-U.S. military training on humanitarian disaster management in Oregon on the western U.S. coast.

"We must continue to increase the complexity of the disasters in the efforts (in future training), because we had difficult situation but not as complex as we may face in a real disaster scenario," he said.

Brown said he had seen the Chinese and U.S. soldiers on the training session who have worked "so much more efficiently together."

"So the more (soldiers) we can take (in future training), the better, and I think it's very positive... You feel how effective this was and how much they have learned. That's a very positive thing," Brown said.

Zhang Jian, army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said the military-to-military relationship is an important part of the general China-U.S. relations.

"The Chinese army is committed to developing a healthy and stable relationship between the Chinese and U.S. militaries," he said at the press conference.

The disaster management exchange (DME) between China and the United States aims to share the two armies' experience on humanitarian disaster relief at home and internationally, and to explore new ways for both armies in humanitarian management, he said.

This will help cultivate the common will and capacity of both armies in future cooperation, and deepen their practical international cooperation on non-traditional security challenges, Zhang said.

"Therefore, the DME in this way will not only facilitate our military-to-military relationship, but will also provide a good opportunity to interact positively in the Asia-Pacific region, so that we can continue to work together to safeguard regional peace and stability," he said.

The Chinese and U.S. armies ended their 13th annual China-U.S. Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, the largest city in Oregon on the western U.S. coast.

At an earlier closing ceremony, Zhang said the exchanges between Chinese and U.S. armies on humanitarian disaster relief and rescue have boosted their mutual trust over the past 20 years.

China and the United States, both as major countries in the world, should work hand in hand to jointly respond to risks and challenges, and make their due contributions to human development, Zhang said.

The Chinese army is willing to work with the U.S. side to deepen their practical cooperation on non-traditional challenges such as humanitarian relief and disaster management, he added.

Brown said on the same occasion that the U.S.-China exchanges on humanitarian disaster management carry vital significance in deepening practical cooperation between China and the United States as well as their militaries.

He expressed hopes that the United States and China will continue their joint efforts to push forward the military-to-military exchanges, academic discussions and practical trainings on humanitarian disaster management, so as to further improve their coordination capabilities in joint response to disaster relief and rescue operations.

Brown said he is confident about closer cooperation between Chinese and U.S. armies in the future.

The week-long training began on Nov. 13 at the Rilea Camp of the Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Portland.

More than 100 servicemen and servicewomen from the PLA Southern Theater Command, the U.S. Army Pacific, Oregon Army National Guard and other units took part in the training aimed at responding to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in which both armies were requested to provide humanitarian assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 15:28:49|Editor: Lifang

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Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw (R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nay Pyi Taw Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar stands ready to join hands with China to speed up the development of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw has said.

Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

U Htin Kyaw, while meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Sunday, said the initiative has vigorously pushed forward international cooperation, and promoted the common development of countries.

The Myanmar president said Myanmar also appreciates the proposal of building a China-Myanmar economic corridor, and intends to actively integrate with the Chinese side over the project.

On the Rakhine state issue, U Htin Kyaw appreciated the Chinese stand and said Myanmar is willing to negotiate with Bangladesh to solve the problem according to China's three-phase solution proposal.

For his part, Wang said China and Myanmar have been friendly neighbors for decades, and became comprehensive strategic cooperative partners since the start of the new century. In the future, the two countries will build a community with shared destiny together.

The Chinese side regards Myanmar as an important cooperative partner on the joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to discuss the building of China-Myanmar economic corridor based on Myanmar's development guidelines and practical needs, so as to promote common development of the two countries, Wang said.

The Chinese side believes the Myanmar government has the wisdom and capability of pushing forward domestic peace process, and China will continue to offer support at Myanmar's request, Wang added.

On the same day, Wang also met with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The Chinese top diplomat said he was under instruction to visit Myanmar soon after the successful convening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

And it is intended to send out a positive message that China takes developing relations with Myanmar as one of its diplomatic priorities, Wang stressed.

While speaking highly of the role Myanmar army has played in the country's development and stability, Wang noted that the army is also a staunch force in promoting China-Myanmar friendship.

Wang noted that China-Myanmar military ties have stood the test of time and hardships and now constitute an important and indispensible part of China-Myanmar relations.

On the Rakhine state issue, Wang said China hopes the three-phase solution proposal can contribute to the proper settlement of the issue.

Min Aung Hlaing, for his part, said China is not only Myanmar's friendly neighbor but also the sincerest friend.

China has been providing strong support and assistance for a long time to Myanmar to help maintaining peace and stability, and promoting economic growth, he said.

Myanmar army is willing to continue playing an active role in carrying on the fine and friendly tradition of the exchanges between the Myanmar and Chinese armies, so as to usher in a new era of Myanmar-China friendly relations, Min Aung Hlaing said.

Myanmar appreciates China's position on the Rakhine state issue, he said, adding that Myanmar army will make unremitting efforts to seek the solution of the issue at an early date.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 15:38:52|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China leads the world in Exascale computing, a technology that could revolutionize human experience on Earth, said Les Cottrell, a lead computer engineer at Stanford University's prestigious National Accelerator Laboratory.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Cottrell said the term Exascale was coined just three years ago, and shortly thereafter came the announcement of two fastest computers from China that stunned the scientific world.

Exascale computing refers to computing systems capable of at least a billion billion calculations per second.

The two top Chinese supercomputers are Tianhe-2 and the Sunway TaihuLight. Tianhe-2, or Milky Way-2, is capable of speeds of up to 33.86 quadrillion calculations per second, while the Sunway TaihuLight is even faster with amped processing speeds up to 93.01 quadrillion calculations per second.

"China is no longer the poor neighbor," Cottrell said. "In fact, they're leading the world in many areas and competing with companies such as Cisco, Intel and IBM, on a one-to-one basis."

Cottrell spoke to Xinhua at the Super Computer Conference 2017 which was held last week in Denver, in the western U.S. state of Colorado. He once led a team of computer scientists that put the Chinese mainland on the World Wide Web for the very first time -- thanks to a 100,000-U.S.-dollar project financed equally by China and America's Department of Energy (DOE).

Cottrell explained Exascale's breathtaking potential to allow scientists a window into humanity never before imagined.

"Scientists will be able to use Exascale technology to simulate the formation of the Universe," said Cottrell.

Cottrell also cited examples of what the results of massive and high-speed data transfer could yield.

These diverse, computer-based applications can include driverless cars, solving pollution, running highly-efficient cities, and a deep understanding of the human brain.

Cottrell's niche is analyzing data from hard "X-ray diffractions generated from Free Electron Lasers," according to him.

The latter application would be able to analyze the formation of crystals in biological molecules, including vitamins, drugs, proteins and nucleic acids such as the DNA.

It could revolutionize medicine and the understanding of the human brain, and help design pharmaceuticals against diseases and could actually prolong life.

All of this will be made possible by supercomputers, specifically the leap to Exascale technology, which will move data from detectors to supercomputers 1,000 times faster than current.

Predictions on when Exascale will be realized have varied.

At a supercomputing conference in 2009, Computerworld projected Exascale implementation by 2018. In 2012, chipmaker Intel promised to deliver Exascale technology by 2018. A 2013 DOE-funded study puts the Exascale online date "in the 2020 time frame."

Timetables on Exascale's online entrance have varied because data transfer speeds have slowed overall, according to Cottrell.

"Computer speeds increased so quickly over the past 30 years that this speed slowdown was a surprise," he said.

"Today's computers are so fast that it's hard to even remember the old days of analog and vacuum-tube computers," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:04:01|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Working staff renovate Yumbu Lakhang palace in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Nov. 16, 2017. The palace, which is believed to be the oldest building in Tibet, has been closed to tourists and the renovation project is expected to be completed by April 2018. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

LHASA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has allocated a total of 10 million yuan (1.5 million U.S. dollars) to renovate Yumbu Lakhang, which is believed to be the oldest building in Tibet Autonomous Region, local authorities said Monday.

According to Champa Tsering, head of the cultural relics bureau in the city of Shannan, the funds will be used to reinforce and renovate the palace without altering its original appearance.

Champa Tsering said that the palace is in a poor condition due to its decaying wooden structure and cracked building walls.

The palace has been closed to tourists and the renovation project is expected to be completed by April 2018.

"Yumbu" means female deer in the Tibetan language. The palace was named after the shape of the mountain it was built on. Based on historical records, the palace dates back to the second century B.C.

In 1962, the palace was listed as a regional-level cultural relic in Tibet.

A government white paper released in 2015 showed that the central government has spent more than 1.4 billion yuan on restoring Tibetan cultural relics and refurbishing key monasteries since 1980s.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:04:02|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Xinhua writer Chen Wenxian, Liu Xue

JERUSALEM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China is seeking more sectors to cooperate with Israel in high technology under the background of the "innovative comprehensive partnership" established between China and Israel.

This is the common sense reached among officials, entrepreneurs and experts from China and Israel, who attended the 6th China-Israel Hi-tech Investment Summit held Sunday in Haifa, northern coastal city of Israel.

China-Israel hi-tech cooperation has been further expanded from sectors such as agriculture, medicine and biology to leading-edge sectors such as life science, smart city, aging tech, robotics and 3D printing, according to them.

These foremost hi-tech sectors are also what Chinese and Israeli entrepreneurs at the summit are eager to cooperate in the near future. These sectors are also widely viewed as emerging ones with huge market potentials. Especially, aging technology is seen an important one to be developed in China where the population of old people is sharply increasing.

China and Israel are seeking full collaboration in hi-tech from the very beginning and the collaboration has mutual bases, said Yona Yahav, mayor of Haifa city in an interview with Xinhua.

"We enjoy every moment of this collaboration and this summit here shows that we have a good ground to enlarge the relations," Yahav noted.

Haifa is a center of hi-tech and also a center of universities, and has four sister cities in China, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shantou.

That is why China and Israel are collaborating not only on business bases but also cultural bases, Yahav added.

While Chinese companies are hunting for cooperation opportunities in Israel, Israel is also now encouraging its hi-tech companies to go to China for more opportunities.

China's efforts of encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation became a hot topic at the summit. Experts deemed that these efforts are expected to create better opportunities for China and Israel to conduct much broader and deeper hi-tech cooperation.

It is a correct and wise action taken by China to push forward innovation and it is expected that the innovation environment would be greatly improved, said Dan Shechtman, a Nobel prize winner in chemistry, and a professor of Israel Institute of Technology, told Xinhua.

"China is not only a huge manufacturing country and China will become a huge innovative country in the future," Shechtman believed.

China is doing very well and it is wonderful to see many Chinese delegations coming to Israel for hi-tech cooperation, Shechtman added.

It is recognized that about 200 delegates from China and Israel were attracted to attend the summit, organized by Messila, an Israeli startup mainly focusing on medical robotics which has raised about 30 million U.S. dollars from China.

At the summit, Zhuhai-based Huafa Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Haifa Economic Corporation for future cooperation in the sectors of smart city and life science.

In Israel with the name of "nation of startups," expenditure on research and development accounted for 4.3 percent of its GDP in 2016, ranking the top in the world. Nowadays, about 6000 startups are running in the hi-tech field in Israel and about 300 R&D centers are under operation by international companies in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:09:05|Editor: Lifang

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Indonesian House Speaker Setya Novanto (C) sits on a wheelchair as he is escorted by investigators and aides upon arrival at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta Nov. 19, 2017. The Indonesian parliament has planned to hold an assembly to respond to the recent detention of Speaker Setya Novanto over corruption charges, seeking his replacement, a council member said on Monday. Novanto was arrested and brought to the detention facility of Indonesia's anti-corruption commission of KPK Sunday night. (Xinhua/Dedi Istanto)

JAKARTA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian parliament planned to hold an assembly to respond to the recent detention of speaker Setya Novanto over corruption charges, seeking his replacement, a council member said here Monday.

"In the upcoming assembly, the recommendation to replace the speaker would be discussed," a parliament member, Maman Imanulhaq, said in the parliament premises.

Novanto was arrested and brought to the detention facility of Indonesia's anti-corruption commission of KPK on Sunday night.

The arrest came following the commission's efforts to bring him to justice related to corruption scandal on digital ID card project that cost the state some 2.3 trillion rupiah (about 170 million U.S. dollars).

The commission has detained five suspects in the case that comprised of officials of the interior ministry, a businessman, a parliament member and the parliament speaker.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:09:06|Editor: liuxin

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KABUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani paid a visit to Shamshad television channel, a local TV network, on Sunday evening and condemned the terror attack on the media outlet, said a statement of Presidential Palace on Monday.

A group of terrorists targeted Shamshad Television channel on Nov. 7, killing at least five people and injuring 21 others. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the bloody attack.

"Shamshad TV is a national capital, your protection is the responsibility of the entire nation, government and particularly myself," the statement quoted the president as saying.

In meeting with the chief and employees of the channel, the president also lauded the leading body and officials of the television channel for resuming the TV's broadcasting and stated that the government would continue to support all media outlets in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:29:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CHENGDU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two drug dealers have been given death sentences with a two-year reprieve, by a court in Mianyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The ruling was announced by the Mianyang Intermediate People's Court on Monday.

The drug dealing and manufacturing case, which involves 82 people, is the largest that the province has ever seen, according to Sichuan police.

After a four-month investigation, police raided the drug gang based in Mianyang on July 5, 2016. Two kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.2 kilograms of semi-finished methamphetamine, and 2,000 magu pills, a stimulant composed of methamphetamine and caffeine were seized. Five vehicles were confiscated and more than 1.3 million yuan (195,000 U.S. dollars) was frozen.

Two people from the same gang were given life sentences, one given 15 years in prison and another one year in prison, the court said.

The rest of the gang were punished by administrative detention or sent to compulsory treatment, according to the court.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 16:49:23|Editor: liuxin

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TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday paid a visit to Iran's western province of Kermanshah, where relief efforts are still underway after a massive earthquake that killed 436 people last week, Tasnim news agency reported.

His visit to the quake-ravaged province is aimed to meet the victims and those left homeless by the quake and observe the course of relief operation in close, the report said.

Khamenei sympathized with the families of victims and called for more relief efforts by the Iranian officials.

In the 7.3 magnitude earthquake, with the epicenter near Iraq's Sulaymaniyah, over 9,000 Iranians were also wounded.

The earthquake destroyed 11,000 rural houses and 4,500 urban dwellings in Kermanshah province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 17:09:30|Editor: Xiang Bo

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HANOI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The total premiums collected by insurers in Vietnam stood at 84,186 billion Vietnamese dong (over 3.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of this year, up 20.4 percent on-year, the Insurance Supervisory Administration under the country's Finance Ministry said on Monday.

Specifically, life insurance premiums were 51,180 billion Vietnamese dong, up 32 percent on-year, while non-life insurance premiums stood at 33,006 billion Vietnamese dong, up roughly 9 percent.

In the 10-month period, insurance companies in Vietnam paid a total of 23,904 billion Vietnamese dong to insurance policy beneficiaries, including 12,060 billion Vietnamese dong by life insurers, and 11,844 billion Vietnamese dong by non-life insurers.

This year, total life insurance premiums are predicted to surge 23.4 percent against last year to 62,294 billion Vietnamese dong, and non-life insurance premiums to increase 9.4 percent to 40,087 billion Vietnamese dong.

The Finance Ministry is finalizing a draft decree on compulsory fire and explosion insurance, and completing other draft legal documents on agriculture insurance and micro-insurance.

Micro-insurance is the protection of low-income earners against specific perils in exchange for regular premium payment proportionate to the likelihood and cost of the risks involved. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 22,712 Vietnamese dong)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 17:39:39|Editor: Xiang Bo

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YANGON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Partnerships, not just between governments, but people-to-people, are needed to address far-reaching challenges, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said at the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting (ASEM FMM13) on Monday.

ASEM FMM13, one of the meetings under the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), is an intergovernmental forum for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe which is being held in Nay Pyi Taw for two days.

"The ASEM mechanism provides a unique opportunity for policy-makers of Asia and Europe to exchange views, share best practices and explore the best ways and means of addressing the challenges of global affairs," the state counselor said in a statement at the opening ceremony of the meeting.

At the ceremony, coordinators from the Philippines, Pakistan, the European Union and Estonia gave opening speeches, while youth representatives presented their vision on ASEM.

Plenary meetings under topics "Synergizing Peace and Sustainable Development," "3rd Decade of ASEM: Making ASEM Partnership More Dynamic and Connected" will be held until Monday evening.

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 17:39:40|Editor: liuxin

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (C) leaves after appearing before a special Presidential Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Nov. 20, 2017. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday appeared before a special Presidential Commission which is probing a treasury bond scam at Sri Lanka's central bank after the new government was elected in Jan. 2015. Ranil Wickremesinghe is the first prime minister in Sri Lankan history to appear before a special commission of inquiry appointed by a president. (Xinhua/Ajith Perera)

COLOMBO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday appeared before a special Presidential Commission which is probing a treasury bond scam at Sri Lanka's central bank after the new government was elected in January 2015.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is the first prime minister in Sri Lankan history to appear before a special commission of inquiry appointed by a president.

The commission is probing the controversial sale of treasury bonds during the period of the former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is alleged to have caused losses amounting to millions of U.S. dollars to the island country's coffers.

Mahendran was appointed the central bank chief in 2015 by Wickremesinghe before the bonds scam but resigned a year later. The opposition have been calling on the government to probe if the prime minister was aware of the scam.

Wickremesinghe was questioned for an hour by the commission on Monday, during which he said he had an opportunity to explain the government policy on public debt and clear his name.

"The president, secretary of our party and our ministers have come forward to fearlessly give evidence," Wickremesinghe told journalists after his hearing.

"The yahapalanaya (good governance) will move forward. There is nothing to hide. There may have been mistakes, shortcomings, but the yahapalanaya will move forward," he added.

Many senior ministers attended the hearing on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was invited before the commission following his public announcement last month that he was willing to testify should the commissioners require any clarification from him about government policy on bonds.

The commission had initially submitted a list of questions to the prime minister which he answered through an affidavit but he was summoned to appear personally for further clarifications.

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a three-member commission earlier this year to investigate if the country lost billions of rupees as alleged by the opposition as a result of the bond scam.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 17:49:43|Editor: Xiang Bo

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NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in the repeat presidential poll last month, paving the way for his swearing in next week.

The court's six judges determined that the two petitions against Kenyatta's re-election lack merit and therefore were dismissed, saying Kenyatta was validly elected.

The repeat presidential vote was held on Oct. 26 under the order of apex court which nullified the Aug. 8 election result over irregularities and illegalities.

Monday's ruling enables Kenyatta to be sworn in on Nov. 28 as per the Constitution.

Kenyatta won the elections with 7.48 million votes in 266 out of 291 constituencies where the election took place. This represents about 98.27 percent of valid votes.

Some 7.62 million Kenyans out of 19.61 million Kenyans cast their votes during the repeat exercise, representing 38.82 percent turnout.

The petitioners had argued that the repeat poll is a nullity because Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to subject candidates to fresh nominations, after the poll was invalidated.

The petitioners, including former assistant minister Harun Mwau and two prominent activists, argued that the Oct. 26 repeat election did not meet the threshold set by the Constitution.

The petitioners had asked the Supreme Court judges to annul the election on grounds that nominations were not done prior to the elections.

However, Kenyatta defended his re-election, arguing that there was no need for the electoral commission to conduct fresh nominations after the nullification of the Aug. 8 presidential election.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 17:59:49|Editor: liuxin

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SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's "diplomacy of golden mean" will help the Asian country expand diplomatic terrain beyond Northeast Asia by strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asian countries and nations bordering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the special security advisor to President Moon Jae-in said Monday.

Moon Chung-in, professor emeritus at Yonsei University in Seoul and special advisor for foreign affairs and national security for President Moon, told a press conference with foreign correspondents here that such diplomacy had "more to do with harmony."

"It's different from balance. Zhongyong has more to do with harmony, not being sided with one aspect, trying to make a balance among conflicting elements," said the special advisor referring to the Confucian philosophy's golden mean described in the Confucian classic, the Doctrine of the Mean.

He said the Moon government's diplomatic policy direction would not become excessive but try to be a moderation, calling it the diplomacy of "moderation and golden mean."

Asked about a balanced diplomacy which President Moon advocated on his campaign trail, the president has said in a joint press conference with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month that his balanced diplomacy was not aimed at a diplomacy between the United States and China.

It aimed, Moon has said, to expand his country's diplomatic territory to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and build a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and eventually for peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

To expand the diplomatic terrain, the Moon government was pursuing the so-called New Northern Policy and the New Southern Policy, which aimed to go beyond South Korea's focus on diplomacy with four powers surrounding the country such as the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

Under the New Southern Policy, South Korea will expand economic cooperation with 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the Southeast Asian nations were underestimated despite their political and economic influences, the special advisor said.

The advisor said the focus will be placed on the economic field, but some local experts estimated the expanded diplomacy with Southeast Asia will help South Korea resolve the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue as many of ASEAN members have diplomatic relations with both South Korea and the DPRK.

Under the New Northern Policy, the Moon administration will build trust with China, Russia and Mongolia through economic cooperation to eventually expand the cooperation to the DPRK.

The advisor said the new northern policy meets, at a point, the far east development advocated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

President Moon announced the new economic roadmap on the Korean Peninsula to link logistics into Eurasia through the peninsula divided into the two Koreas by the heavily armed border.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:09:52|Editor: liuxin

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ACCRA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ghana's First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo will arrive in China on Monday for an eight-day visit aimed at enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries, her office said in a release received here late Sunday.

The first lady's trip follows that of Ghana's Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to China and the subsequent visit to Ghana by China's Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming in September this year.

During the visit, she will open the first Ghana Trade and Investment office in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong Province.

Later, the Ghanaian delegation will travel to central China's Hunan Province to meet provincial officials and then proceed to the laboratory of Yuan Longping, "The Father of Hybrid Rice," and discuss how China could assist Ghana in improving on its rice yields.

Akufo-Addo will then journey to Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province to meet with officials of China National Building Materials Co., Ltd. (CNBM) who are working with the Ghanaian government on its flagship program "One District, One Factory."

On her way back to home, the first lady will make a stopover at Hong Kong to meet with the financial and investment community there, said the release.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:14:55|Editor: liuxin

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by Abdul Haleem

KABUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Well-being of children worldwide is the main aim of the UN Universal Children's Day but in war-ravaged Afghanistan, many children are facing miserable life.

Protracted and ruthless war, according to Afghans, could be blamed for the negative phenomenon in the war-torn country.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have left their houses from war-affected areas for safer places want to rescue their families and children.

To survive, many of the displaced families regularly send their children to collect garbage like plastics, dried bread and other usable items to earn some cash for their families.

Living with his family in Chaman-e-Babrak, a makeshift camp in the western edge of Kabul, where more than 700 of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) families have been living over the past eight years, Muzammel, a seven-year-old child, has already been a bread-winner of his family.

"We have nothing to eat. No flour, no rice and no cooking oil, no one has so far cooperated with us. I go to the market, collect plastics, collect discarded onions and potatoes and bring home to cook and eat," Muzammel who like many Afghans goes by one name whispered in talks with Xinhua.

Sitting around a dining table-like tablecloth with his siblings to have a lunch of only some pieces of Afghan traditional bread (nan), Muzammel murmured that he and many more children from the makeshift camp collect usable goods from garbage dump everyday to support their families.

Muzammel's father Ghulam Ali complained about what he described as a "miserable life."

He said that no one has assisted him to support his children ahead of winter which is getting closer by each passing day.

"We are a 15-member family, including my 13 children. I am a handcart vendor and can only earn around 200 afghanis (some 3 U.S. dollars) a day, the lowest income to support such a big family," Ali said.

Ali also alleged that street harassment in Kabul has added to the suffering of displaced families, saying many families including his can not allow their teenage daughters to go to school due to the stigma of street nuisance.

"My six children are going to schools, but I can't allow my three elder daughters to continue their education because of street harassment. I am a poor man and have no car to take them to school and bring them back home," Ali said.

Another displaced person and resident of the same camp, Mujahid, 28, said he can not support his six-member family as he can no longer work hard due to the wounds he received in one of his legs in war.

"No one has so far assisted us, neither the government nor other institutions. I have been working as a street vendor and can't carry heavy loads due to wounds in my leg," said Mujahid who earned some 150 to 200 afghanis a day.

In addition to deprivation of school and hardship in living, Afghan children, mostly from poor families, are also suffering from diseases.

According to UNICEF, diarrhea-related diseases claim the lives of some 9,500 children each year in conflict-hit Afghanistan. (1 afghani equals to 0.014 U.S. dollar)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:14:56|Editor: Lifang

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KAMPALA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Defense experts from the east African countries are meeting in Uganda to discuss ways of strengthening regional peace and security.

A statement from Uganda's ministry of defense said the five-day meeting that starts on Monday will among others look at the region's Protocol on Peace and Security.

The statement said the region's ministers of defense will also meet on Nov. 24 after the technical meetings.

East African countries under the East African Community (EAC) bloc include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda in January 2014 signed a pact on the establishment of the Mutual Defence, Peace and Security.

Experts say under the arrangement, the three countries will form a single defence territory, which means an attack on one will be considered aggression against all three.

The agreement also meant that the countries would carry out joint countering of security threats.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:19:57|Editor: Lifang

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By Xinhua writers Yuan Quan, Shi Linjing

ZHENGZHOU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- For centuries, Chinese farmers have battled poverty with sickles and hoes. Now, they have new tool: the pipa.

Xuchang Village, of Lankao County in central China's Henan Province, is known as "Pipa Village". It has abundant paulownia trees, an ideal raw material, and 54 workshops. Four in every five of the 628 villagers make the Chinese version of the lute and other traditional instruments.

They can make more than 50,000 pipa a year with sales exceeding 60 million yuan (9.05 million U.S. dollars). Some large factories export their instruments.

Frequent floods and sandstorms last century left the area with poor soil and crop failures, but in 1962, Jiao Yulu became Communist Party of China (CPC) secretary in Lankao and led the locals in planting trees to help soil and water conservation.

In the 1980s, when the trees were thriving, many villagers took up carpentry and sold furniture in the coastal cities.

When a professional instrument maker in Shanghai found that instruments made of paulownia sounded clear and melodious, locals began running workshops on the subject.

"We used to sell paulownia as a decorating material, but half a square meter of the wood was only worth 3 or 4 yuan. If we crafted a pipa, it would fetch at least 400 yuan," says Dai Shiyong, who opened Lankao's first instrument factory in 1988.

Dai was successful and others followed, despite some early complaints that the instruments were poor quality.

Xu Huiping left home to become a factory worker in the big cities, but by the 1990s, he was earning just 40 yuan a month at pipa factory in Kaifeng city, about 60 km from Lankao. He could barely support his two children and his handicapped wife, and the family was one of the most impoverished in the village. But Xu worked hard and mastered the process of making a pipa after a decade.

In 2008, he returned and opened a small workshop. Initially, he made fewer than 20 pipa a year. Most sold for more than 1,000 yuan, but they could range up to tens of thousands of yuan.

Xu is very happy in his work: "I work at home. I have more time to take care of my family."

This year, Xu bought two machines with a loan supported by the local government. He has received more orders and produced more than 3,000 pipa.

"I am speeding up, so I can complete all the orders."

Instrument-making has lifted 102 people in Xuchang village out of poverty and three families have opened workshops like Xu.

"The annual income of the poorest people has surged from 1,400 yuan in 2014 to 3,500 yuan," says Xu Shunhai, the village Party chief.

In 2014, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, visited Lankao twice as part of a campaign to pair top Party officials with poor areas.

That year, about 11.8 percent of Lankao's population lived in poverty. County authorities made a commitment to cast off poverty in three years and achieve moderate prosperity in seven years.

In March this year, Lankao withdrew from the national list of impoverished counties. Its poverty ratio is down to 1.27 percent. About 7,000 residents now run instrument-making workshops or factories, employing 65,000 people.

Xu Huiping's favorite pieces are two pipa that he gave to his daughter, Xu Siqian, on her 7th and 18th birthdays. He carved his name and poems on the soundboards, which were made of premium materials. Each could have sold 50,000 yuan.

"But they are priceless," says Xu, with a humble smile.

Xu Siqian, 20, started college last year and majors in music. She plays the pipa at home on breaks, drawing cheers and applause from the neighbors and making her father proud.

The industry has promoted music study. At weekends, parents busily send their children to music classes and almost every primary school now offers the national music curriculum.

Lankao is planning a "music village" where professionals from across the country can hold concerts.

Xu Siqian wants teach children in her village how to play the pipa after she graduates: "I hope one day all the villagers can not only make pipa, but also play and enjoy its beautiful music."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:35:01|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with visiting Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to further strengthen legal and judicial cooperation and exchanges with Ukraine, a senior Chinese official said Monday.

Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko in Beijing.

Guo said that the 19th CPC National Congress drew a blueprint for building China into a great modern socialist country by 2050, which includes efforts in advancing law-based governance.

"This brings huge opportunities for China and Ukraine to deepen judicial cooperation," Guo said, calling for the implementation of the consensus of the two countries' leaders and further strengthening legal and judicial cooperation, so as to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the peoples and institutions of the two countries and further boost bilateral ties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:40:03|Editor: liuxin

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HANOI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Seeing more contracts signed since June, the Vietnam Food Association has revised its target of exporting rice this year by 400,000 tons to 5.6 million tons.

Vietnamese rice export will see encouraging signs from now till the end of this year and even in the first quarter of next year, the association said on Monday, noting that Bangladesh will have imported some 500,000 tons of Vietnamese rice from May to December, and the Philippines is expected to import more Vietnamese rice in the 2017-2018 period.

From early January to mid-November, Vietnam exported roughly 5.3 million tons of rice worth nearly 2.4 billion U.S. dollars, with nearly 40 percent of the volume going to China, 10 percent to the Philippines, and 9 percent to Malaysia, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Last year, Vietnam shipped abroad nearly 4.9 million tons of rice totaling nearly 2.2 billion U.S. dollars, down 26.5 percent in volume and down 22.4 percent in value, said its Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to a national rice export strategy recently approved by the Vietnamese government, among types of rice for export from 2017 to 2020, some 45 percent will be white rice, 30 percent fragrant, special and Japonica rice, 20 percent sticky rice, and 5 percent value-added rice such as nutrient-enriched rice and organic rice, said the ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:50:07|Editor: Yamei

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Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China said Monday it firmly opposes the Indian leader's visit to a disputed area on the China-India border, urging India to refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues, and work with China to create conditions for talks.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the comment when asked about Indian President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" on Sunday.

China's stance on the issue of the China-India border is consistent and clear, Lu said at a daily press briefing.

"The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'," said Lu.

The two countries have been resolving border issues via negotiation so as to seek a fair and reasonable solution that can be accepted by both sides, he said.

"But before that, both sides should jointly safeguard the peace and stability on the border," Lu said.

Stressing that China-India ties are at an important stage for development, Lu said China hopes India can work with it to protect the overall relationship, refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues, and create favorable conditions for talks and the healthy development of bilateral ties.

The so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" was established largely on three areas of China's Tibet -- Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul -- which are currently under India's illegal occupation. These three areas, located between the illegal "McMahon Line" and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, have always been Chinese territory.

In 1914, British colonialists secretly instigated the illegal "McMahon Line" in an attempt to incorporate into India the above-mentioned three areas of Chinese territory. None of the successive Chinese governments have ever recognized this line.

In February 1987, Indian authorities declared the founding of the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh."

China and India have held 19 rounds of talks on boundary issues with the latest round taking place in April 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:55:09|Editor: liuxin

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least two workers died and two injured in a gas leak at a government-owned steel plant in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal Monday, officials said.

The incident took place at Durgapur Steel Plant in the state's West Burdwan district, some 160 km from state capital Kolkata.

"The gas leak occurred at the coke oven segment of the steel plant. Four workers fell ill after inhaling toxic fumes. They were rushed to a hospital, where two died," an official said.

The condition of the other two are said to be critical, he added.

"We have sealed all gas lines in the area as a precautionary measure," plant spokesperson Chinmoy Samajdar told the media.

The steel plant has ordered a probe into the incident. "A high-level committee has been formed to find out how the gas leak happened," he added.

Set up in 1950s, the steel plant is run by the Steel Authority of India Limited.

Gas leak incidents are not uncommon in India, the notable being the Bhopal gas tragedy in the central state of Madhya Pradesh's capital in 1984.

Over 4,000 people were killed when methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the U.S.-based Union Carbide's pesticide plant in Bhopal, considered to be the world's worst industrial disaster.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:55:10|Editor: Xiang Bo

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HEFEI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese media should report both the country's achievements and its deficiencies, and face up to hotspot issues in the new era, according to a Chinese official.

Jiang Jianguo, deputy head of Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting on promoting publicity work Monday.

Jiang, also head of the State Council Information Office, said that journalists should report China's rich experiences in governing the country, and its wisdom and solutions for global governance to audiences abroad.

He said that the 19th CPC National Congress, which declared a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, also provided new opportunities for publicity work in China.

"Communication and media workers need to choose topics that are easy to distribute, telling China's stories in a more vivid way," Jiang said.

The meeting was organized by China International Publishing Group in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 18:55:11|Editor: liuxin

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SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's "diplomacy of golden mean" will help the Asian country expand diplomatic terrain beyond Northeast Asia by strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asian countries and nations bordering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the special security advisor to President Moon Jae-in said Monday.

Moon Chung-in, professor emeritus at Yonsei University in Seoul and special advisor for foreign affairs and national security for President Moon, told a press conference with foreign correspondents here that such diplomacy had "more to do with harmony."

"It's different from balance. Zhongyong has more to do with harmony, not being sided with one aspect, trying to make a balance among conflicting elements," said the special advisor referring to the Confucian philosophy's golden mean described in the Confucian classic, the Doctrine of the Mean.

He said the Moon government's diplomatic policy direction would not become excessive but try to be a moderation, calling it the diplomacy of "moderation and golden mean."

Asked about a balanced diplomacy which President Moon advocated on his campaign trail, the president has said in a joint press conference with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month that his balanced diplomacy was not aimed at a diplomacy between the United States and China.

It aimed, Moon has said, to expand his country's diplomatic territory to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and build a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and eventually for peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

To expand the diplomatic terrain, the Moon government was pursuing the so-called New Northern Policy and the New Southern Policy, which aimed to go beyond South Korea's focus on diplomacy with four powers surrounding the country such as the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

Under the New Southern Policy, South Korea will expand economic cooperation with 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the Southeast Asian nations were underestimated despite their political and economic influences, the special advisor said.

The advisor said the focus will be placed on the economic field, but some local experts estimated the expanded diplomacy with Southeast Asia will help South Korea resolve the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue as many of ASEAN members have diplomatic relations with both South Korea and the DPRK.

Under the New Northern Policy, the Moon administration will build trust with China, Russia and Mongolia through economic cooperation to eventually expand the cooperation to the DPRK.

The advisor said the new northern policy meets, at a point, the far east development advocated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

President Moon announced the new economic roadmap on the Korean Peninsula to link logistics into Eurasia through the peninsula divided into the two Koreas by the heavily armed border.

Touching on South Korea's relations with China and the United States, the advisor said Seoul will make constructive efforts to try to find a new position between Beijing and Washington, but he noted that the diplomacy of golden mean will seek harmony and expand relations into the ASEAN members and the northern countries.

He said the basic axis will be the South Korea-U.S. alliance as the two countries are the ally with each other.

President Moon, the advisor said, will make many efforts to improve relations with the DPRK as inter-Korean relations are at the core of Seoul's diplomacy.

He noted that there has been no change in President Moon's stance on the inter-Korean relations, saying the basic strategy would be dialogue and negotiations with Pyongyang.

The DPRK has conducted no provocation for over two months, the special advisor said. Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3 and test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan in mid-September.

He anticipated the Moon government to find a new breakthrough by enhancing inter-Korean relations as there is no reason for South Korea to continue pressure and sanctions on the DPRK if Pyongyang stops provocation.

The advisor said pressure and sanctions were not an end but a means to encourage the DPRK to come to a dialogue table, adding that if inter-Korean relations are improved, President Moon would have more room for an active role in the Korean Peninsula issues.

The advisor emphasized that he is not a government official who speaks for the Moon government and speaks for President Moon, saying he just can give advice to President Moon on a part-time basis.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 19:00:13|Editor: liuxin

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ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Philippine government forces have rescued five Filipino fishmen from Abu Sayyaf group in southern Philippines, a military commander said on Monday.

The five victims had been held for 35 days since they were captured by the Abu Sayyaf group on Oct. 14 from their fishing boat near Sulu island. They were rescued by Philippine marines and naval forces last Friday.

Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, the Philippine Western Mindanao command chief, said the captives took chances to run away while military forces were shelling the terrorists with mortars.

Galvez told the reporters that the government forces continued to recover 17 more hostages, including a Dutch, a Vietnamese, five Indonesians and 10 Filipinos, still held captive in Sulu island, a known bastion of the Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippine.

The Abu Sayyaf group was set up in the early 1990s. The militant group is notorious for kidnapping-for-ransom, bombings and killing their captives when their multi-million-dollar ransom demand is not paid.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 19:20:18|Editor: Xiang Bo

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TIANJIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Tianjin Municipality has hosted three briefing sessions on the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) specifically for foreigners who are keen to know better about China.

The three briefing sessions held this month in this north China city were applauded by a foreign audience, including foreign experts, overseas students, foreign businessmen and people from foreign organizations.

Jay S. Siegel, dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology with Tianjin University, was glad that foreign faculty have equal access to the briefing.

"We think it is important to know about the Party congress because it laid out the policy where China wants to go in the next five years," he said.

Siegel said more than half of the faculty at the school are foreigners.

"We could encounter troubles if we don't know policies concerning China's higher education," he said.

One briefing session was held at Siegel's school. Feng Cuiling, Party secretary of the school, was there as a speaker to introduce reports and documents from the congress and share her impressions of attending the congress as a delegate in October.

Robert P. Borris, vice dean of the school, said he appreciated that Feng was supportive, not just for the local faculty but also the international faculty.

Du Yunfei, deputy headmaster of the school, said foreign teachers and students are keen to learn about the important national event. After the congress opened, the school prepared 300 copies of the report delivered at the opening session.

"They were all gone in an instant," he said.

Thepkanchana Thepkaew, a doctoral student from Thailand at Tianjin Normal University, said she is interested in the briefing because Thailand is located along the Belt and Road.

"I want to know how the initiative proposed by China will be pushed forward in the future, so I came to Feng's briefing," she said.

To help inform the public, briefing sessions have been held nationwide on the spirit of the landmark congress held in October, which outlines China's roadmap for future development.

While Feng needed an interpreter to convey her speech in English, the other two speakers shared their understanding of the congress spirit directly in English with the foreign audience.

Zhang Yuzhuo, Party secretary of Tianjin Binhai New Area, delivered a speech to dozens of business elite from foreign enterprises and shared what he learned as a delegate to the Party congress.

Zhang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, had worked as chair of China's leading coal producer Shenhua Group before becoming the Party chief in Tianjin Binhai New Area in March this year. At the lecture, he talked about the Party congress itself, along with his opinions on local development.

After listening to Zhang's speech, Reinaldo Costa, vice president of Novo Nordisk Company, said the CPC's goal of "improving people's quality of life" resonates with his company's mission.

Costa said China has become more open over the past five years, with a slew of new policies to make things more convenient for foreigners living in China, such as new work permit procedures introduced in April.

Costa said he and his colleagues have benefited from the reform.

Although Yan Chunhua, vice president of Nankai University, was not a delegate to the congress, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shared his understanding of the policies from the congress to an audience of more than 200 from 70 countries and regions.

Mohamed Jihad Mohamed Moustafa, an overseas student from Egypt, said he learned about the development of science and technology in China through Yan's elaboration on policies highlighted at the congress.

The Egyptian student hopes to learn about China's mobile payment system and set one up in his hometown.

Foreign audience members said after the briefings that they knew more about the direction of China's development and had become more confident in continuing their stay in the country.

"I know that China is continuing to comprehensively deepen reform and ensuring that every dimension of governance is law-based. All those things are reassuring the confidence of investors, not just for the U.S. but in general," said Martin Winchell, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China in Tianjin.

"Having a strong stable government is absolutely central to reaching the goals," said Robert P. Borris, the school vice dean.
Photos taken on Nov. 20, 2017 shows Jubilee supporters in Nairobi celebrate after Kenya's Supreme Court upheld the reelection of President Uhuru Kenyatta in last month's repeat poll, paving way for him to be sworn in next week. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune)

NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in the repeat presidential poll last month, paving the way for his swearing in next week.

The court's six judges determined that the two petitions against Kenyatta's re-election lack merit and therefore were dismissed, saying Kenyatta was validly elected.

The repeat presidential vote was held on Oct. 26 under the order of apex court which nullified the Aug. 8 election result over irregularities and illegalities.

Monday's ruling enables Kenyatta to be sworn in on Nov. 28 as per the Constitution.

Kenyatta won the elections with 7.48 million votes in 266 out of 291 constituencies where the election took place. This represents about 98.27 percent of valid votes.

Some 7.62 million Kenyans out of 19.61 million Kenyans cast their votes during the repeat exercise, representing 38.82 percent turnout.

The petitioners had argued that the repeat poll is a nullity because Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to subject candidates to fresh nominations, after the poll was invalidated.

The petitioners, including former assistant minister Harun Mwau and two prominent activists, argued that the Oct. 26 repeat election did not meet the threshold set by the Constitution.

The petitioners had asked the Supreme Court judges to annul the election on grounds that nominations were not done prior to the elections.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 19:50:29|Editor: liuxin

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COLOMBO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government has tightened security in Gintota, Galle in southern Sri Lanka following violent clashes which erupted between Buddhist and Muslim groups on Friday evening, the Government Information Department said Monday.

Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake said the government will continue to provide special security in Gintota as a precautionary measure.

Additional police battalions and officers from the Special Task force have been deployed in many areas across the Galle District.

Several houses, shops and a mosque were damaged when violent clashes erupted, resulting in the police declaring curfew in several areas in Galle for two consecutive nights.

Several people were also injured in the incident while at least 19 have been arrested.

Media reports said the groups had clashed over an accident which had escalated to violence.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who visited Gintota on Sunday to assess the damage warned that stern action would be taken against anyone causing violence and unrest.

He also called on his police chief to submit a report over the clashes.

A separate police team had also been deployed to assess the damage.

The prime minister also urged the public not to be misled by false stories which would cause communal disharmony.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 19:50:30|Editor: Xiang Bo

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WAKISO, Uganda, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- When war broke out in neighboring South Sudan in 2013, Gabriel Omiat became jobless and had to return to Uganda, with nothing much left.

The 27-year-old told Xinhua in a recent interview that after several months of trying to get serious employment, he finally landed a job at a Chinese company contracted to build Uganda's first ever expressway.

The 350 million U.S. dollar project linking Uganda's capital Kampala to Entebbe International Airport has been a blessing to Omiat and thousands of other semi skilled youths in the east African country.

Step by step, after following instructions from his Chinese supervisors, Omiat has grown to be one of the best welders at the expressway project of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

"The Chinese are not selfish people in terms of transferring knowledge and skills. When they give you an assignment, they first show you how to do it," said Omiat.

Thousands of locals who work on the expressway project had similar experiences.

Micheal Adipa, 24, dropped out of school when his parents could no longer afford the tuition fees. He did not possess any skills for a decent job apart from being a casual laborer. Through a friend, Adipa managed to travel to the capital Kampala, over 300 km from his hometown.

Since Adipa got a job at CCCC about five years ago, life has not been the same again. Thanks to the training received and his own diligence, he has quickly risen through the ranks to become a laboratory assistant.

Adipa's Chinese supervisors are proud of him, saying he is exceptionally good at learning.

"I have learnt mostly about material work on road construction. I have learnt how to control materials in road construction according to the design and specification of the project," Adipa said.

Chinese companies, especially those in the infrastructure sector, are employing thousands of Ugandan youths and helping the country to tackle unemployment.

At the peak of the ongoing construction of the expressway, CCCC employed more than 2,000 locals. Other major Chinese infrastructure development projects such as the construction of Karuma Hydro Power project and Isimba Hydropower project also have huge number of locals on its payroll.

Figures from the World Bank show Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world. About 53 percent of Uganda's population is younger than 15 years, well above Sub-Saharan Africa's average of 43.2 percent.

About 500,000 people are expected to enter the labor market every year. Currently, 64 percent of the unemployed are aged 24 and under.

For the lucky ones who are employed like Omiat and Adipa, they have something to smile about.

"Some of the money I earn from here I use it to pay school fees for my sisters and brothers in the village," Adipa said.

Another plus for Adipa, according to him, is that even when the Chinese project comes to completion, he will still have his skills that he can use elsewhere to earn a living.

With the skills acquired when working with the Chinese, Omiat plans to set up his own welding workshop.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 19:55:31|Editor: Xiang Bo

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PYONGYANG, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The ruling parties of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have pledged to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination, and push forward the development of relations between the two countries.

The pledge was made during a visit to the DPRK by Song Tao, special envoy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) General Secretary Xi Jinping, on Nov. 17-20.

Song, who is also head of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, met and held talks with leaders of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), during which he made a comprehensive notification on the main spirit and historical contribution of the 19th CPC National Congress held last month in Beijing.

The WPK congratulated the CPC on the overall success of its National Congress, and expressed wishes that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, the Chinese people will make tremendous achievements in building a great modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics and realizing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The two sides also exchanged views on relations between the two parties and the two countries, and on the Korean Peninsula issue and other issues of common concern.

They expressed wishes to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination and push forward the development of China-DPRK relations.

During his stay in the DPRK, Song also visited some local institutions in Pyongyang and paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a cemetery in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province of the DPRK.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 20:00:36|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday called for fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and unswervingly pressing ahead with reform.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which he heads.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2017-11-20 20:32:50|Editor: Lifang

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Beijing, Nov. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- This month marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of Xinhuanet.

Founded in 1997, Xinhuanet is a key state news website -- the "Online News Agency".

Through 20 years of development, Xinhuanet has evolved into a comprehensive news portal releasing all-media news information 24 hours daily in Chinese, 3 minority ethnic languages and 9 foreign languages reaching 20,000 pieces on multiple terminals globally.

Xinhuanet debuted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Oct. 28, 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 20:45:53|Editor: liuxin

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A supporter of Jubilee Party celebrates outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Nov. 20, 2017. Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in the repeat presidential poll last month, paving the way for his swearing in next week. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune)

NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in the repeat presidential poll last month, paving the way for his swearing in next week.

The court's six judges determined that the two petitions against Kenyatta's re-election lack merit and were therefore dismissed, saying Kenyatta was validly elected.

"Having carefully considered the above issues, the specific players in each petition, as well as the constitution and the applicable laws, the court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited and the final orders are that the petition by John Harun Mwau versus the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and two others as consolidated is hereby dismissed," Chief Justice David Maraga ruled.

"As a consequence, the presidential election of Oct. 26 is hereby upheld as is the election of Uhuru Kenyatta," Maraga added.

He said the six judge bench retired after hearing the two petitions with only two days left to the deadline, making it impossible to write a full judgment.

"What we read today is a summary verdict on the issues raised in the petitions," said Maraga.

The repeat presidential vote was held on Oct. 26 under the order of apex court which nullified the Aug. 8 election result over irregularities and illegalities.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga, whose legal challenge led to the nullification of Kenyatta's victory in August polls, announced he withdrew from the presidential race citing lack of reforms at the IEBC and lack of action on the staffers at the electoral body who bungled the Aug. 8 polls. He later said he rejected the results of the October repeat election.

Monday's ruling enables Kenyatta to be sworn in on Nov. 28 as per the Constitution.

Kenyatta won the elections with 7.48 million votes in 266 out of 291 constituencies where the election took place. This represents about 98.27 percent of valid votes.

Some 7.62 million Kenyans out of 19.61 million Kenyans cast their votes during the repeat exercise, representing 38.82 percent turnout.

The petitioners had argued that the repeat poll is a nullity because the IEBC failed to subject candidates to fresh nominations, after the poll was invalidated.

The petitioners, including former assistant minister Harun Mwau and two prominent activists, argued that the Oct. 26 repeat election did not meet the threshold set by the Constitution.

The petitioners had asked the Supreme Court judges to annul the election on grounds that nominations were not done prior to the elections.

However, Kenyatta defended his re-election, arguing that there was no need for the electoral commission to conduct fresh nominations after the nullification of the Aug. 8 presidential election.

Political pundits argue that the recently enacted amendments to the election laws which raised the threshold on the conditions that need to be met before the Supreme Court can find an election invalid, triggering a fresh exercise, might have made it difficult for the judges to annul Kenyatta's victory again.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 20:45:54|Editor: Xiang Bo

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WUHAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cargo train services have been launched between Yichang in central China's Hubei Province, and Hamburg, Germany.

A train carrying fresh oranges, medical gauze and packaging film departed from Yichang East Railway Station Monday morning, marking inauguration of the service.

The train will run through the provincial capital of Wuhan, and travel to Hamburg via Russia, Belarus and Poland, said Zhou Chigang from the Wuhan branch of the National Railway Administration.

The total length of the route is about 11,000 km.

The journey will take around 17 days, half of the time required for shipping services, at only a quarter of the cost of air freight, Zhou said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 20:50:57|Editor: Xiang Bo

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PYONGYANG, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The ruling parties of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have pledged to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination, and push forward the development of relations between the two countries.

The pledge was made during a visit to the DPRK by Song Tao, special envoy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) General Secretary Xi Jinping, on Nov. 17-20.

Song, who is also head of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, met and held talks with leaders of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), during which he made a comprehensive notification on the main spirit and historical contribution of the 19th CPC National Congress held last month in Beijing.

The WPK congratulated the CPC on the overall success of its National Congress, and expressed wishes that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, the Chinese people will make tremendous achievements in building a great modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics and realizing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The two sides also exchanged views on relations between the two parties and the two countries, and on the Korean Peninsula issue and other issues of common concern.

They expressed wishes to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination and push forward the development of China-DPRK relations.

During his stay in the DPRK, Song also visited some local institutions in Pyongyang and paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a cemetery in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province of the DPRK.

While meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier this month in Da Nang, Vietnam, Xi noted that China sincerely hopes for the best for the peninsula, and encourages South Korea to resume contact and dialogue with the DPRK and restart cooperation for reconciliation.

In his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, Xi reiterated firm commitment to achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and solving the nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

"The two sides will continue to fully and strictly implement U.N. Security Council resolutions and stay committed to solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation," Xi told reporters.

China has put forward the suspension for suspension initiative, which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale U.S.-South Korean military drills.

It also proposed a dual track approach to denuclearization on the peninsula on the one hand and establishing a peace mechanism on the other.

All relevant parties on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should exercise restraint and halt actions that could aggravate tensions in the region, according to a joint statement released by China and Russia after the eighth China-Russia consultation on security situation in Northeast Asia in October.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 20:50:58|Editor: liuxin

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ZAGREB, Nov. 20, (Xinhua) -- Croatia's Defense Ministry will choose fighter jets between Israeli and Swedish bids in its costly procurement of combat military aircraft, Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji List reported on Monday.

Out of four bids for the new fighter jets, American offer of F-16 Bloc 70/72 is too expansive, while Greek F-16 Block 30 is not good enough. As a result, Israeli secondhand F-16 Barak and Swedish new models JAS 39 Gripen were selected for the final round, according to the report.

Between the two alternatives, JAS 39s are more expansive than F-16s, because the Swedish jets are new while Israeli ones are 30 years old.

Michael Johansson, vice president of the Sweden-based SAAB company that produces JAS 39 Gripens, told Croatian media that they were ready to negotiate a price with the Croatian Defense Ministry.

Dozens of Croatian journalists were invited as guests of the Swedish company and Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist, as a part of a final lobbying process, Vecernji List reported.

Croatia aims to replace its outdated Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-21s. Under the plan, the first fighters are to be delivered to the Croatian Air Force by late 2020.

Although the purchase price of the aircraft is important, aircraft experts said that Croatia should also consider the costs of maintenance, infrastructure and flights during the entire period of use.

In 10 days, Croatian Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic will present the best offer for Croatia, and then Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic will make a final decision and sign a deal by the end of 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:01:56|Editor: liuxin

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Salah Abu-Rgiga, African affairs official of the Foreign Ministry of Libya, speaks during a press conference in Tripoli, Libya, Nov. 19, 2017. Libya's UN-backed government in Tripoli launched an investigation into the immigrant slave markets recently reported by some media, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:11:03|Editor: liuxin

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GAZA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 12 Palestinian factions and political powers, including Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas Fatah Party, left for Cairo on Monday for a broader reconciliation dialogue.

The dialogue will start in Cairo on Tuesday and is scheduled to go on for a few days, according to a Hamas official statement emailed to reporters.

The statement said the files on the agenda of the dialogue in Cairo are the reform of the PLO, setting up a date for the general elections and the social reconciliation.

The statement added that public freedoms, security in Gaza and the formation of a unity government are also on the agenda of the dialogue.

"We are all heading to Cairo with opened minds and hearts hoping to agree on all these issues and achieve full reconciliation," said the statement.

Resuming the broader dialogue with all factions was part of an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement reached in Cairo on Oct. 12 between Hamas and Fatah parties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:16:05|Editor: Jiaxin

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TIRANA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The well-known Albanian composer Aleksander Lalo passed away at the age of 68 late Sunday after a cardiac attack in Tirana's Mother Teresa Hospital.

Numerous people attended Monday a ceremony organized at Albanian Radio Television premises to honor Lalo and his great work.

Aleksander Lalo was one of the most well-known Albanian composers thanks to his voluminous work that included over 25 soundtracks, various songs and symphonic works and numerous excellent orchestrations.

Albania's top state officials, composers, directors, Lalo's friends and colleagues paid homage to the great composer, noting that Albania lost one of its best and most beloved artists.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:21:06|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BANGKOK, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) marks a starting point of new journey in China's development and generates new opportunities for China-Thailand cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Lyu Jian said.

The 19th CPC National Congress, held in Beijing in October, is a grand event that attracted the attention of not only people from across China but also around the world, Ambassador Lyu told media organizations from the Thai-Sino Association of Press.

He said the party congress came up with major political judgments such as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved.

It also went into greater depth on the historic mission of the CPC in the new era, set forth the basic policy of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and made an overall plan for advancing the cause of the party and country, he said.

He emphasized that the most important theoretical achievement of the 19th CPC National Congress is the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding thought of the party.

"It serves as a theoretical guidance for the development of various undertakings in China," Lyu said.

Besides, the 19th CPC National Congress focused on people's aspiration for a better life and laid down the platform and blueprint for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, he said, adding that the congress stated explicitly that China would complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, basically realize socialist modernization by 2035, and develop itself into a great modern socialist country by the middle of the century.

"The 19th National Congress, while guiding China in its pursuit of development, will also provide China-Thailand relations with new opportunities," Lyu noted.

First, there will be opportunities for the two countries to share experience in state governance so as to build up confidence in the path of development that suits respective national conditions, he said.

Lyu elaborated that China's course of development offers other developing countries a new approach toward modernization, and both China and Thailand are developing countries at similar development stage with similar development tasks.

"China pursues innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development and stays committed to developing a modernized economy, while Thailand upholds the 'sufficiency economy' proposed by His Majesty Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, puts forward Thailand 4.0, Digital Thailand and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and works on a national development strategy for the next 20 years," said the ambassador.

"In the future, China and Thailand can have more communication on development philosophy, strategies and measures so as to learn from and complement each other, and add fresh impetus to each other's growth," he added.

Secondly, he said, there will be opportunities for the two countries to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation with a higher quality at a higher level and jointly promote economic and social development.

"China's new policies and plans for building a modern socialist China, such as supply-side structural reform, industrial transformation and upgrading, innovative growth and Belt and Road international cooperation, have provided historic chances for China and Thailand to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

As the second largest economy of Southeast Asia who enjoys advantages in geographical location and business environment, Thailand can also play an important role in and gain long-term benefits from the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

He added that China has made positive progress and gathered abundant experience in digital economy, sharing economy, clean energy and other fields, and is working to build new areas, such as the Xiongan New Area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

"China is willing to explore ways for cooperation in the above areas with the Thai side," he said.

Thirdly, he said, there will be opportunities for the two countries to expand cooperation in international and regional affairs, and press ahead with the building of the community of shared future in Asia.

"The Chinese side will continue to support Thailand in taking part in international and regional affairs, expand bilateral and friendly cooperation with Thailand to cover multilateral areas, and jointly make contribution to world peace and development," he said.

"I believe that as socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the new era, and major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics strives to forge a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation and the community of shared future for all mankind, new drivers will be generated for China-Thailand cooperation," said the ambassador.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:26:08|Editor: Xiang Bo

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MANILA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Southeast Asia will benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative, the Philippine finance chief said on Monday, adding the China-proposed initiative complements the intensive efforts of the 10-nation ASEAN to strengthen and build its intra-regional connectivity.

Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the ongoing economic integration of ASEAN and China's plan to invest heavily in its trading partners' infrastructure via its Belt and Road Initiative will shape the development of the region's economies.

"The nations of Southeast Asia stand to benefit hugely from the BRI," Dominguez told a forum, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative complements ASEAN's efforts at regionalization.

"It will help make regional integration and economic cooperation more intensive," he said.

Specifically, Dominguez said the Philippines will tremendously benefit from the initiative.

He said the economic strategy of the Duterte administration aims precisely to achieve high and equitable growth for its people through the modernization of infrastructure.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plans a 168-billion-U.S. dollar "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure campaign in his six-year term.

Dominguez said the "Build, Build, Build" program will ease the movement of people and goods, and encourage more investments.

"ASEAN's intensive efforts to integrate its economies and China's decision to invest heavily in infrastructure will shape the development of the region's economy through the length of this Asian Century," Dominguez said.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

Intra-regional connectivity is crucial to the success of the ASEAN community. ASEAN plans to achieve a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated Southeast Asia by 2025.

At the ASEAN summit held last week in Manila, China and ASEAN also vowed to further deepen the cooperation in infrastructure connectivity.

Both sides are looking at potential projects in areas such as railways, highways, port and harbors, airports, power, and communications, for better business and investment environment, vowing to support efforts to explore synergies between ASEAN's master plan of connectivity with that of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:36:11|Editor: liuxin

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PARIS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that it was not in France's interests that German political parties failed to form a coalition government.

"It's not in our interests that the process freezes up. So, we have to move forward," Macron said while commenting on the collapse of the three-party exploratory talks for the formation of Germany's new government.

The talks failed late Sunday night after the Free Democratic Party (FDP) pulled out due to unbridgeable differences in immigration and energy.

"I spoke with the Chancellor (Angela Merkel) late last night. (FDP leader Christian) Lindner's statements are pretty tough and there is a real risk," Macron said.

A source from the president's office, the Elysee, said that Paris wants its main European ally "to be stable and strong, to move forward together."

"This reinforces the need for France to make proposals, to take the initiative, to work on an ambitious European project that we will implement with our German Partner," it was quoted as saying by local media.

In September, Merkel's conservative won a fourth term after defeating their competitors in a bitter victory tainted by unprecedented surge of a far-right party that made its first entry into the country's parliament in more than five decades.

The election's score forced her political camp to seek for a coalition to avoid a political crisis.

However, talks collapse threw Berlin to its worst crisis in decades and likely to force Merkel to form a minority coalition or hold a new election.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:36:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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PHNOM PENH, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China donated mine-clearance equipment, wheelchairs, motorcycles and office equipment to the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA) on Monday.

Chinese Ambassador Xiong Bo handed over the donation to CMAA's First Vice President Serei Kosal during a ceremony in Phnom Penh.

The donation included 18 mine detectors, 18 demining personal protective equipment (PPE) outfits, 18 sets of blasting tools, 1,200 wheelchairs, 340 tents and 40 motorcycles, as well as 26 sets of laptops, desktops and iPads.

Ambassador Xiong praised Cambodian deminers for their great contribution to safeguarding the lives and properties of the Cambodian people and hoped that the donation would help reduce landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) casualties and eliminate all kinds of mines and explosive remnants of war in Cambodia by 2025.

"The Chinese government has actively supported the demining cause in Cambodia, and we believe this batch of demining equipment and materials will be very useful for the Cambodian deminers," he said.

Cambodia is one of the most landmine-affected countries in the world. An estimated 4 to 6 million landmines and other munitions were left over from nearly three decades of war that ended in 1998.

According to official figures, landmine and UXO explosions had killed 19,757 people and either injured or amputated 44,948 others from 1979 to September 2017.

Kosal said more than 5,000 Cambodian deminers have been risking their lives to clear mines and UXOs in the area of nearly 2,000 square km and thanked China for the donation.

"China's assistance in mine clearance has saved the lives of tens of thousands of people who are living under threat of landmines and unexploded ordnances," he said, adding that China has supported the CMAA since 2015.

Kosal said the Southeast Asian country is seeking the budget of more than 400 million U.S. dollars to clear all types of landmines and explosive remnants of war by 2025.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:36:13|Editor: liuxin

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COLOMBO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will leave for an official visit to India on Tuesday, a statement from Wickremesinghe's office said on Monday.

During the visit, Wickremesinghe will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and call on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi.

Wickremesinghe will be taking part in the opening ceremony of the 5th Global Conference on Cyberspace to be held in the Aero City, New Delhi, which Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate on Thursday.

He will be accompanied by several ministers including Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:51:16|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military said on Monday it had arrested a Sudan People's Liberation Army In the Opposition (SPLA-IO) commander for allegedly recruiting Ugandan youths to join their ranks, a spokesperson said here.

Brig. Richard Karemire, Ugandan military spokesperson told Xinhua that Col. John Data alias Tom Chadiga was arrested in the northwestern district of Koboko for engaging in activities that do not promote security and peace in the neighboring country.

He said Data who has been under military detention has been handed over to Uganda Police Force for further investigations and prosecution.

Karemire said Uganda will not be used as a base to destabilize neighboring South Sudan.

Local media here report that many Ugandan youths and South Sudan refugees are secretly being wooed and recruited to fight alongside the opposition fighters to oust President Salva Kiir.

Uganda is host to more than one million South Sudan refugees. The influx of the refugees was sparked off by fighting in 2013 between troops loyal to Kiir and those supporting former vice president Riek Machar. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 21:56:19|Editor: liuxin

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BAGHDAD, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The office of the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday welcomed the verdict of the federal court to invalidate the Sept. 25 independence referendum of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan and the disputed areas.

A statement by Abadi's office said the court decision "came as reinforcement to the government's constitutional stance in the extension of the federal authority."

"We call on everyone to respect the constitution and to act under its roof in resolving all controversial issues and avoid taking any step contrary to the constitution and the law," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, the Iraqi Supreme Federal Court issued a verdict ruling that "the September 25 referendum, in Kurdistan region and the disputed areas outside the region, was unconstitutional," Ayas al-Samouk, head of the court's media office, said in a brief statement.

The court also nullified all the effects and the consequences of the referendum, Samouk added.

A few hours later, the Kurdish regional Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said the court's decision to invalidate the independence referendum was "unilateral."

"The Supreme Federal Court reached verdict without attendance of representatives from the Kurdistan Region," Barzani said in a press conference.

He said the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continues its efforts to launch dialogue with the government of Iraq to resolve the issues on the basis of Iraqi constitution.

"KRG's stance is very clear. Before and after the referendum we have always said that if the Iraqi constitution is implemented we'd have no disputes with Baghdad, but the constitution must be implemented by its entire articles," Barzani said.

Furthermore, Barzani said that there is a need for a third party to be present during talks between Baghdad and Erbil to help interpreting of the constitution.

Earlier, Baghdad rejected an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and to launch dialogue to resolve the problems between Baghdad and Erbil, instead Iraq's Abadi insisted on demanding the annulment of the independence vote before any dialogue between the two sides.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas on Sept. 25.

The independence of Kurdistan is opposed not only by the Iraqi central government, but also by other countries as it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and undermine the fight against IS militants.

Iraq's neighboring countries, especially Turkey, Iran and Syria, fear that the Iraqi Kurds' pursuit of independence threatens their territorial integrity, as large Kurdish populations live in those countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:16:25|Editor: liuxin

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DOHA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Qatar believes that the only way to resolve the Gulf crisis is through open dialogue, Qatar TV quoted Qatari deputy prime minister as saying on Sunday night.

Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, also Minister of State for Defense Affairs, said during an interview on Qatar TV talk show Al Haqiqa, "The Truth," that the ongoing dispute between the gulf countries has a historic background.

He added that the current rift and war against Qatar started in 2013 when it was planned to "shock the new government and make the country subject to others."

In 2014, an agreement was signed in Riyadh, which was binding on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) members.

However, the Qatari Emir refused to sign a modified document that was not binding on other GCC countries but Qatar specifically, he said.

The minister also reiterated that Qatar has never supported any extremist group in Egypt or Syria or at any other country.

"Qatar is working along with international coalitions to ensure the people's welfare and security," the minister said.

About the Taliban political office in Doha, the Qatari minister explained the opening of the office came upon the U.S. demand, and Qatar did so in order to restore peace in Afghanistan.

Regarding the readiness of the Qatari Armed Forces, he stressed that the forces are highly qualified, enjoyed a high morale, and are well-prepared to defend Qatar and combat terrorism.

On June 5, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed their diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremists and of funding terrorism.

Qatar has strongly denied the allegations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:26:27|Editor: liuxin

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ALGIERS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Algerian counter-terrorism troops destroyed two explosives and guns manufacturing workshops in Jijel province, Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Algerian troops also arrested an individual suspected of providing support to terrorist groups.

The statement specified that a unit of the National People's Army discovered and destroyed two workshops of explosives containing 10 hunting rifles, a repeating rifle, a shotgun, 22 bombs, ammunition, 269 bullets of different calibers, detonation tools, and a important quantity of spare parts for firearms.

The source said that this operation was part of the fight against terrorism, as it was conducted after efficient use of intelligence.

In the same context, a terrorist suspect was also arrested in the same region, as he is charged with providing support to terrorist groups.

Algerian army troops have been conducting wide scale dragging operation in the eastern region of the country, as several terrorists were killed, and many others were captured.

Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats, as tens of thousands of troops are deployed on eastern and southern border to thwart potential intrusion of militants.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:36:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RAMALLAH, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian National Authority (PNA) slammed Monday an Israeli court ruling demanding Palestinians to pay compensation for the families of Israeli victims killed in early 2001.

Eassa Qaraqe', head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Detainees Affairs Commission, said in a statement "we won't pay for occupiers and killers of Palestinians."

He said that this comes in breach of the Geneva Fourth Convention and cautioned of the repercussions of the Israeli schemes "to annex the West Bank." He described the decision as "blackmailing and theft."

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronot reported Sunday that a Jerusalem court ruled against the PNA to pay an amount of nearly 17 million U.S. dollars to a family of three Israeli victims killed in an operation by Fatah party's military wing six years ago.

Fatah Party Central Council member is one of those accused of killing the three Israelis. The court ruling requested the PNA to pay 40 percent of the fine and the rest by the families of the perpetrators.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:41:32|Editor: pengying

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Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) holds talks with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Tofik Babayev)

BAKU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The decades-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be resolved through diplomatic means, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here on Monday.

Speaking at the joint briefing with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, Lavrov stressed that "diplomacy can help move the process of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's settlement from a dead point."

"As co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, we will continue to seek for mutually acceptable peaceful solutions, taking into account the hints that emerged during the recent meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow," he said.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group is tasked to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group has a co-chairmanship mechanism comprising Russian, U.S. and French co-chairs, which began operating in 1996

Noting Russia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners, Lavrov said, "We show common positions on international platforms with regard to the inadmissibility of attempts to violate, ignore the principle of equal rights of states."

Mammadyarov said that "the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable ... Azerbaijan demands compliance with the (relevant) U.N. Security Council resolutions."

About the negotiations with Lavrov, Mammadyarov noted that the parties discussed the role of Russia as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

"I informed the Russian Foreign minister about the position of Azerbaijan and the results of the recent discussions in Moscow with the co-chairs. I held substantive talks with the co-chairs. We discussed specific issues to which we need to find solutions," the Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh first broke out in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes in the past along the borders.

A Russian delegation led by Lavrov arrived in Baku on Sunday for a two-day official visit. On Sunday, Lavrov met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:51:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- An advisory body of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday criticized a bill on listing foreign media as "foreign agents" for its multiple shortcomings and proposed it be amended.

The State Duma, Russia's lower parliament house, on Wednesday approved a bill vesting the government with the power to label foreign-funded media outlets as "foreign agents," and sent it to the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, for endorsement.

The Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights criticized the draft law for contradicting numerous federal laws including laws on media and non-governmental organizations, and asked the Federation Council to send it back for revision.

The bill lacked "legal certainty" in determining "foreign agents" and introduced excessive restrictions, while the bill itself was passed with certain violations of the existing legislative procedure, the council said.

The bill was proposed in response to the latest situation of Russian media in the United States, where RT America was forced to register as a foreign agent, which is qualified by Moscow as an obstacle to Russian media activities and a step violating the freedom of speech.

The Russian Justice Ministry on Thursday confirmed that it had sent out letters to some U.S. government-sponsored foreign media outlets operating in Russia, notifying them of possible recognition of their identity as foreign agents.

Under Russian legislation, if a bill is rejected by the Federation Council, it is normally sent back to the Duma, which has to decide whether to withdraw it from further consideration or form a conciliation commission of the two parliament houses to amend the bill.

The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights is a consultative body assisting the Russian president in the exercise of his responsibilities of a guarantor and protector of human rights and freedoms and drafting proposals in this area.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:51:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LUSAKA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Officials and experts from Zambia and Mozambique on Monday commenced preparatory work for a draft treaty aimed at preventing border conflicts.

The meeting of experts from the two countries was expected to produce a draft document on a boundary agreement between the two countries as part of the African Union Border Program (AUBP).

Last year, African ministers in charge of border issues tasked the AUBP to support African countries in finalizing delimitation and demarcation of border areas by 2022.

Travor Kaunda, Permanent Secretary in Zambia's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, said at the start of the meeting that boundaries of African countries were determined by colonial administrators and were poorly defined and ambiguous, hence sources of state conflicts.

"It is for this reason that African heads of States and Governments agreed that these boundaries should be properly demarcated and reaffirmed as they were the sources of state to state conflicts," he said.

The meeting, he said, would help the experts with skills that will enable them to draft treaties that were forward looking and alive to the current economic and social climate between the two countries.

He commended the two governments for efforts aimed at ensuring properly demarcated bounder areas, adding that this demonstrated a strong bond of neighborliness.

Manuel Ferrao, President of the National Institute for the Sea and Boundaries in Mozambique said on the same occasion that having properly demarcated border areas was cardinal in ensuring peace and stability in Africa.

He said having properly demarcated boundaries was also vital for sustainable economic development of countries as encroachment has been a source of complaints in some African countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 22:56:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUKAVU, DR Congo, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- For the past 12 years, Chinese peacekeepers have been providing assistance to the SOS Children's Village in the city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Over the years, every contingent of the Chinese peacekeepers dispatched to the conflict-torn region would follow a tradition of visiting the village, bringing along aid supplies and providing free medical services.

On a recent drizzly day, a Xinhua reporter followed the peacekeepers of the 21st Chinese peacekeeping mission based in Bukavu, who had arrived there a few months ago, on such a visit.

Eight-year-old Melissa told Xinhua that she and many other children have been living in the village since they were born. After classes, teachers would live together with the children. For them, the village is not only a school, but their home.

Statistics from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) show that among the 1.4 million people displaced in conflicts in the DRC over the past year, more than 850,000 were children.

Bukavu lies on a hillside overlooking Lake Kivu in South Kivu province, which has long been suffering from attacks targeting civilian and security institutions by local and foreign rebel militant groups. Thousands of civilians were killed in the region last year, according to the UN.

The SOS Children's Village in Bukavu is derived from its predecessor in Austria during the World War II, specializing in taking care of orphans. Founded in 1989, the Bukavu village is one of the earliest charity organizations in the DRC.

Village director Ciranee Cisika said the children are divided into 15 families, each of them with a "Mama" and 10 boys and girls of different ages.

The children are brothers and sisters who are taken care of by their "Mama," said Cisika.

SOS Children's Village Bukavu is equipped with facilities like school, medical center and vocational training center that are typical of ordinary family communities, where the children grow up until they become adults, said Cisika.

In its nearly 30 years of operations, the village has been running with difficulties as a charity, she said. Located on a remote hillside, it suffers from a chronic shortage of water and electricity. Moreover, frequent larceny by those displaced in regional conflicts presents an even worse challenge to the community, where there are only a total of three security personnel.

Doctor Zhang Jian, a psychologist of the Chinese peacekeeping mission, offered the children a show of Chinese calligraphy. To his amazement, a boy named Daniel learned to write down a Chinese motto: Study well and make progress every day, on the first attempt.

Yang Xia, an oculist, gave the children an eye examination. At first, they were full of curiosity and meekness, said Yang. But after a while, their faces lit up in a lively and joyous mood, holding my hands tightly, a scene reminding me of my four-year-old son back home.

With help from the SOS Children's Village and the Chinese peacekeeping mission, the living conditions of the children will be constantly improved, Yang said.

Cisika said that each year, the Chinese peacekeepers would pay more than four times of visits to the village, bringing along supplies and providing regular medical services.

More importantly, the Chinese peacekeepers introduced the children to the world of Chinese culture, broadening their scope of life and bringing about joy and solace, she said.

"Can I have a Chinese national flag?" asked the children as they extended their hands to the Chinese soldiers, who were concluding the visit and leaving.

The children may have yet to grasp what China is really like, but they are already showing signs of attachment to the Chinese peacekeepers, who are among the most familiar people other than their teachers.

With continuous help from the Chinese peacekeeping mission, the medical conditions of the Villages have been improved, said Cisika, adding that it is indeed fortunate for the more than 100 orphans living in the village.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:01:40|Editor: pengying

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Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit (L) shakes hands with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on Nov. 20, 2017. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit stressed Monday that "nobody wanted to harm Lebanon," after the Arab League's Cairo meeting on Sunday that links Lebanon's Hezbollah to terrorism. (Xinhua/Dalati Nohra)

BEIRUT, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed Monday that "nobody wanted to harm Lebanon," after the Arab League's Cairo meeting on Sunday that links Lebanon's Hezbollah to terrorism.

He made the remarks following meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, explaining "the circumstances" that led to the AL's fresh resolution from the urgent meeting.

He said the resolution was adopted by the committee formed by the AL over the Iranian question, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE.

Aboul Ghiet said, following meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, that Lebanon will not be a battleground for clashes between Iran and Arab states.

"This is certain. No one accuses the Lebanese government of terrorism, but one of its participating parties is accused of this," he added.

He noted that Lebanon could exert pressure on "this party" to encourage it not to intervene in regional affairs.

Several tweets from Aoun's official Twitter account said he also told Aboul Gheit that Lebanon cannot accept the suggestion of its government being a partner in terrorist acts.

He also said the position taken by Lebanon's delegate to the Arab League on Sunday represented the national will, likely referring to Antoine Azzam's objection to the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

During the meeting, Aoun had reportedly told Aboul Gheit that Lebanon is not responsible for Arab or regional conflicts, nor does it attack anyone, and therefore it is not acceptable for Lebanon to pay the price for these conflicts with its security or political stability.

Aboul Gheit again denied that there had been attempts to indict the Lebanese government for Hezbollah's actions, saying that "everyone understands the particularities of Lebanon's system" and that no one wanted to harm the country.

The secretary-general presided over the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo Sunday, which was called for by Saudi Arabia to discuss Iran's "violations" in the region.

It was only the 12th such session to be held since the organization's founding in 1945.

Aboul Gheit announced that the Arab states had agreed to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization in a summary of the resolution at a news conference following a closed session.

Lebanon objected to articles 4, 6 and 9 of the resolution pertaining to the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:06:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PYONGYANG, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday slammed Japan for making military provocations by joining the United States in staging joint drills aimed at preparing to attack it, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

On Nov. 11-12, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) staged large-scale joint military drills in league with U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier task forces involving USS Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz.

Japan has sent its Maritime SDF's escort warships Ise, Makinami and Inazma and claimed that "the drills were effective ones which clearly showed the strong will of Japan and the United States" to counter the DPRK, the KCNA said in a commentary.

Japan is stepping up the deployment of the new type missile defense system Aegis Ashore in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures under the pretext of coping with ballistic missiles of the DPRK, it added.

"It (Japan) is about to import SM-3 and F-35As and warships equipped with an Aegis combat system from the United States, according to a report from the recent press conference jointly held by (U.S. President) Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe," said the article.

It accused Tokyo of "buckling down to realizing their wild ambition for launching an overseas invasion" and "having gone beyond the red line in their risky military moves."

"Japan seeks to secure a pretext for deploying its SDF troops on the Korean Peninsula under the excuse of 'threat' from the DPRK and thus bring into reality its old dream of 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere' by justifying its reinvasion of the Asia-Pacific region," the article said, referring to an imperial term created by Japan to advance its colonialist ambitions.
Chinese and American soldiers work together during a drill at Camp Rilea in Seaside of Oregon, northwest United States, Nov. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

PORTLAND, United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. armies ended their 13th annual China-U.S. Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, Oregon on the western U.S. coast.

Zhang Jian, army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at the closing ceremony that the exchanges between Chinese and U.S. armies on humanitarian disaster relief and rescue have boosted their mutual trust over the past 20 years.

China and the United States, as two major powers in the world, should work hand in hand to jointly respond to risks and challenges, and make their due contributions to human development, said Zhang.

The Chinese army is willing to work with the U.S. side to deepen their practical cooperation on non-traditional challenges such as humanitarian relief and disaster management, in a bid to safeguard world and regional peace and stability, he added.

Robert Brown, U.S. Army Pacific commander, said on the same occasion that the U.S.-China exchanges on humanitarian disaster management carry vital significance for deepening the practical cooperation between China and the United States as well as their militaries.

He expressed the hope that the United States and China will continue their joint efforts to push forward military-to-military exchanges, academic discussions and practical training on humanitarian disaster management, so as to further improve their coordination capabilities in joint response to disaster relief and rescue operations.

Brown said he is confident about closer cooperation between Chinese and U.S. armies in the future.

The week-long training began on Nov. 13 at the Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Portland, the largest city in Oregon.

More than 100 servicemen and servicewomen from the PLA Southern Theater Command, the U.S. Army Pacific, Oregon Army National Guard and other units took part in the training aimed at improving response to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in which both armies were requested to provide humanitarian assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:16:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two vessels of the Pakistani Navy berthed at Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday for a friendly visit, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Pakistani vessels, a frigate and a sail training ship, docked at Bandar Abbas for a five-day visit that will also include joint military exercises, Commander of Iran's First Naval Zone Admiral Hossein Azad was quoted as saying.

Besides, commander of the Pakistani vessels Khalid Pervez said his forces convey the message of peace and friendship, and seek to exchange experiences with the Iranian Navy.

He hailed the navies of Iran and Pakistan as two of the most powerful in the region, expressing the hope that such visits would strengthen ties between the two neighbors.

According to the report, Iranian and Pakistani naval groups have made several reciprocal visits in recent years. They have also staged a number of joint military war games in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

In March, a Pakistani flotilla comprising navy ships Tippu Sultan and PNS Jurrat and a chopper visited Iran and participated in a joint drill with Iranian forces at the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:21:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the nation on television in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start. (Xinhua/The Herald)

HARARE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The ruling ZANU-PF party has asked the opposition Movement for Democratic Chnage (MDC) to support its motion to impeach President Robert Mugabe, ZANU-PF deputy secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana said Monday.

He told the media just before the start of the party's parliamentary caucus meeting that the ruling party needs 125 votes plus 73 votes from the MDC to obtain the two-thirds majority needed to impeach the president.

"We have discussed with the MDC and they have promised to give us the 73 votes that we require," Mangwana said.

He said the party hopes to complete the three-stage impeachment process by Wednesday.

The first stage is to move a motion and raise charges which require simple majority on Tuesday, followed by the setting up of a nine-member committee to investigate the charges and report back to parliament and voting on Wednesday, Mnangagwa said.

The impeachment effort by ZANU-PF came after Mugabe missed the party's deadline for him to resign by noon Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:21:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran and the EU started their third round of high-level talks in the capital Tehran on Monday seeking to boost cooperation, Press TV reported.

The meeting follows implementation of an international nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and the world powers in January 2016.

Helga Schmid, the EU's deputy political director, discussed issues of mutual interest, with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Schmid is accompanied by EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Commission's Director General for International Cooperation and Development Stefano Manservisi, and the Commission's Director General for Energy Dominique Ristori.

As a part of the meeting, the two sides will attend a seminar titled International Nuclear Cooperation: Expectations and Responsibilities, in Iran central city of Isfahan on Tuesday.

Iran and the EU have already held two rounds of high-level negotiations in Tehran and Brussels, seeking cooperation in economy and commerce, energy, environment, transportation, human rights, higher education, research and technology, culture, and regional developments.

The talks come amid the threats by the U.S. President Donald Trump to "decertify" Iran's 2015 international nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA, which put more restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in return for the lift of major international and western sanctions against Tehran.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:31:51|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) attends the 13th foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called for jointly building a new type of Asia-Europe partnership at the 13th foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Myanmar capital.

Wang said at first plenary session of the ASEM foreign ministers' meeting that the Communist Party of China successfully held its 19th National Congress last month, mapping out a grand blueprint for the development of China in the next 30 years.

Noting that China has entered a new era which will see the country foster closer connections with the world, Wang said China will continue to cooperate closely with all parties in Asia and Europe, and jointly strive for a brighter future.

The Chinese top diplomat urged concerted efforts to uphold regional peace and stability, saying that traditional and non-traditional security challenges are relatively concentrated in Asia and Europe.

Safeguarding regional peace and stability is the prerequisite for achieving development and prosperity and also the shared responsibility of all parties in Asia and Europe, he said.

Wang noted that mutual respect should be upheld and countries, big or small, are equal, adding that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and differences addressed through consultations.

The Chinese foreign minister also called on Asian and European countries to join hands to tap new growth drivers.

While the European economies are in the process of self healing, Asian economies, especially those of the developing countries, are full of vitality and have become the main engine of global economic growth, Wang said.

The recovery of the world economy calls for joint efforts by Asian and Europan countries to tap new growth points and cooperation between the two sides to create new momentum for development, he said.

To this end, Wang urged Asian and European countries to clearly voice support for multilateral trade system and oppose protectionism in all forms so as to press for liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment as well as economic globalization which is open, inclusive, reciprocal, balanced and win-win.

The Chinese foreign minister proposed that Asian and Europe countries work together to explore sustainable governance models.

Many countries have gained experiences in poverty reduction, pollution treatment, corruption fighting and inclusiveness promotion, and both Asian and European countries, while learning from each other, should follow the paths of development that suit their own national conditions, Wang said.

The ASEM foreign ministers' meeting should serve as a platform for the two sides to exchange experiences on governance and break development bottlenecks.

China has always been an advocate and promoter of Asian-European pragmatic cooperation, Wang said, noting that in 2018, China will hold a series of activities with other Asian-European countries in the fields of connectivity, nuclear power safety and urban water resource management, among others.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:36:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIRANA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama sent a letter to his French counterpart Edouard Philippe asking for France's support for Albania's European Union (EU) accession, local Scan TV reported Monday.

Rama's letter to Philippe, as well as other prime ministers of EU member states, comes at a time when Albania expects the EU to open negotiations talks in early 2018.

In the letter to the French prime minister, Rama made a summary of the reforms carried out by his government, as well as the steps Albania has taken to fulfill and meet the five key priorities set by the European Commission as a condition for opening of accession talks.

According to Rama, integration is what all Albanian citizens, regardless of their political beliefs, have looked forward to for the better part of 20 years.

He also assured that the Albanian government remained determined to carry on with the implementation of reforms, as well as the fight against organized crime and drugs trafficking.

Furthermore, Rama said Albania still had much to do and improve, meanwhile praising EU's technical and economic support to make things better here.

Rama closed his letter, dated Nov. 16, saying he hoped France would support Albania while moving towards the next phase of its development which would lead the country towards full accession and membership in the European family.

Two days ago, EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a post on social networks that 2018 could be a crucial year for the whole region on its path towards the EU.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:36:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The National Museums of Kenya in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday launched an open digital library for indigenous games funded by Chinese firm, Tencent.

Kenyan officials said digitization of traditional games is part of a broader strategy to preserve the country's rich cultural heritage and disseminate it to future generations in an efficient way.

"This country has a huge repository of traditional games which should be preserved in a digital format for easier reference by the next generation," said Mzalendo Kibunjia, Director General of National Museums of Kenya.

The East Africa nation is the first country in Africa to launch the Tencent-funded open digital library on traditional games project that has been successfully implemented in Brazil, Bangladesh, Greece and Mongolia.

It seeks to harness modern technologies and innovations to preserve and showcase indigenous games that were integral part of local communities' culture.

"This crucial partnership with Tencent will help reverse loss of valuable information on traditional games. They are part of our cultural heritage and are key in promoting cohesion, inclusivity and inter-generational learning," said Kibunjia.

He said creation of a digital library to store and disseminate sporting activities practiced by Kenyan indigenous communities will help foster inter-ethnic relations and boost tourism revenue.

Anne Therese Ndong Jatta, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, said that Kenya's digital library for traditional games will help convey values of solidarity, respect for diversity and inclusion.

"Digitization of indigenous games will create bridges across generations and among communities. It will contribute to cultural awareness, inter-generational learning and exchange," Jatta said.

The digitization of information and visual images of sporting activities cherished by indigenous Kenyan communities is part of a global project launched by UNESCO office in Beijing in 2015.

Zeng Qingyi, an officer at Communication and Information Sector at UNESCO Beijing Office said that a digital repository on traditional games will enable Kenyan youth appreciate the rich culture of their ancestors.

"This information on traditional games when digitized can be converted into learning materials. It will encourage young children to practice these games," Zeng said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:36:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Julius Gale

JUBA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's cabinet has approved a long-awaited draft constitution, paving for the way for the war-torn east African country to enact a new constitution in line with a 2015 peace pact, a peace monitoring body said Monday.

Festus Mogae, chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), said the government has assented to the constitutional amendment bill and that parliament is expected to endorse it next month.

According to the 2015 peace agreement, South Sudan should have a new constitution 18 months after the establishment of the transitional government of national unity in April 2016, but the country is behind schedule as war continues to grip the world's newest nation.

Mogae said the constitution lays a firm foundation for progress in the establishment of all the institutions and mechanisms provided for in the agreement.

"JMEC welcomes this significant progress and I urge the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) to expedite the ratification of the amendments to the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan," Mogae said.

The JMEC chairperson also said the security situation in South Sudan remains fragile as violations of a unilateral ceasefire declared by President Salva Kiir continue to be recorded across the country.

The former Botswana president further condemned acts of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by uniformed men in the Southwestern town of Yei.

"I condemn all incidents of violence and again call on the warring factions to cease all hostilities and abuses immediately," he said.

South Sudan's cabinet minister Elia Lomoro said the government is committed to implementation of the new constitution, adding that the country is engaging the African Union about the establishment of a hybrid court to try individuals or groups accused of committing atrocities during the civil war.

South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under United Nations pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.

The UN estimates that at least 4 million people have been displaced internally and externally.
People watch as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the nation on television, at a bar in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The ruling ZANU-PF party has asked the opposition Movement for Democratic Chnage (MDC) to support its motion to impeach President Robert Mugabe, ZANU-PF deputy secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana said Monday.

He told the media just before the start of the party's parliamentary caucus meeting that the ruling party needs 125 votes plus 73 votes from the MDC to obtain the two-thirds majority needed to impeach the president.

"We have discussed with the MDC and they have promised to give us the 73 votes that we require," Mangwana said.

He said the party hopes to complete the three-stage impeachment process by Wednesday.

The first stage is to move a motion and raise charges which require simple majority on Tuesday, followed by the setting up of a nine-member committee to investigate the charges and report back to parliament and voting on Wednesday, Mnangagwa said.

The impeachment effort by ZANU-PF came after Mugabe missed the party's deadline for him to resign by noon Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:42:00|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and pressing ahead with reform.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which he heads.

"In studying and implementing the spirit of the Party congress, we should focus on its essence, arrangements and requirements on reform," said Xi.

Senior officials Li Keqiang, Zhang Gaoli, Wang Yang and Wang Huning attended the meeting.

METHODOLOGY OF REFORM

Reform since the 18th CPC National Congress has made a series of theoretical, institutional and practical achievements, and established a framework for reform in major fields, said a statement issued after the meeting.

They are a solid foundation for future reform in deeper layers, which must rely on the thorough study and implementation of the spirit of the 19th Party congress and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

It also outlined three key points that should not be altered: CPC centralized, unified leadership of reform; the general goal of "improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance"; and the people-centered reform philosophy.

The leading group called for systematic, unified and coordinated action in pushing forward the tasks set at the 19th CPC National Congress, as well as continued efforts in ongoing projects.

In addition, it ordered early planning of reform for 2018 -- the 40th anniversary of the beginning of reform and opening up.

Revisions to the leading group's working rules and a report on supervising the implementation of reform were also adopted at the meeting.

REFORM IN VARIOUS FIELDS

A guideline stipulating that the State Council should report management of state-owned assets to the National People's Congress Standing Committee was adopted at the meeting.

It is aimed at ensuring that management of state-owned assets is open and transparent, to enable resources to better serve development and benefit the people.

A guideline on the selection and management of officials working in poverty-stricken regions was passed at the meeting, to help select officials able to promote poverty relief and deal with slack management and undesirable work practices.

A three-year action plan on rural environment was approved at the meeting, primarily focusing on garbage and sewage disposal while preserving the landscape.

A guideline on establishing a "lake chief" system was approved and lake chiefs will be appointed with responsibilities including resource protection, pollution prevention and control, and ecological restoration. China began to appoint "river chiefs" nationwide in December last year.

The leading group also agreed to fully implement educational policy and adhere to socialist educational orientation. Great importance will be attached in cultivating rural teaching staff.

The leading group asked for expansion of a pilot project to reform rural residential land, protecting public ownership of land, farmer's interests and arable land.

Farmers should not trade their residential land or abandon their rights to use the land in exchange for becoming urban residents, according to the statement.

The meeting called for improving the recruitment of general medical practitioners, especially in impoverished areas.

A reform plan for Central School of Communist Youth League of China was adopted at the meeting. Participants agreed that the school should make innovation in school running and place emphasis on political training to provide talent support for the Party's work on youth and the Communist Youth League of China.

The meeting passed a regulation on legislation, which requires consultation and third-party evaluation before making laws involving major adjustment of interests or those arousing wide controversies.

Legislative organs should play a better role in expressing, balancing and adjusting social interests and ensure each legislation conforms to the spirit of the Constitution and the people's will and win public support, said the statement.

The leading group also passed a guideline on deepening reform in trials of intellectual property cases, urging efforts to improve the intellectual property litigation system, expanding the establishment of courts dedicated to intellectual property trials, and improve judges' professional quality to encourage innovation in science and technology.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:47:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) should leave its doors open to dialogue when it comes to Brexit and the numerous challenges on the course of deeper European integration, Polish President Andrzej Duda said here on Monday.

"I am certain that we will soon overcome the financial crisis. However, the EU faces many great challenges such as Brexit. I would say this is a test that we need to pass...In my point of view, the EU should leave its doors open," the Polish leader said during a meeting with his Greek counterpart, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT.

Duda began a two-day visit to the Greek capital on Monday aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

He is the first Polish president to have paid an official visit to Greece in 17 years.

"I hope that my visit will be a milestone in bilateral ties and will boost cooperation between the two countries," he told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during separate talks.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos underlined Greece's willingness to cooperate with all member states to deepen relations and create a stronger EU.

"We Greeks, with many sacrifices -- for which we are not entirely responsible as I have stressed several times -- remain faithful to our European course, remain committed to the European vision," he said, according to an e-mailed press release by the presidency.

"Even though we are located at two different points on the European map, nevertheless, as NATO member states and as countries on the EU's eastern borders, we are engaged in a constant dialogue," Tsipras said according to an e-mailed press statement issued by his office.

"The upgrade of this dialogue would be, in my opinion, particularly beneficial for coping with contemporary challenges in the European Union and for deepening bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as the economy, trade, energy, communications, and transport," he added.

According to Greek government sources, the two sides focused during Monday's talks in particular on efforts to advance cooperation in the sectors of energy and transport in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:52:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Beijing police have detained 18 people in relation to the fire in an apartment that killed 19 people on Saturday.

A fire broke out Saturday night at a three-story apartment at Xinjian Village of Daxing District, a southern suburb of the city. A total of 19 people died. Eight people were taken to hospital.

Detainees include seven people who managed the apartment block, seven electricity workers, and four construction workers at a refrigeration facility, where the blaze is thought to have started. None of the 11 workers holds qualifications as required by the authority, police said.

Preliminary investigation showed there was a refrigeration facility in the basement of the apartment where the fire might have started.

Police are investigating other suspects.

Beijing has ordered a 40-day city-wide safety check following the fire.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-20 23:57:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, Nov. 20 Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said that those wanting the independence of the Catalan region of Spain should not underestimate the support that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has in Europe.

Speaking in an interview in the English edition of the El Pais newspaper published on Monday, Juncker admitted that "Catalonia is an enormous worry. I don't like the situation that has been created: it's a disaster."

According to Juncker, the threats were caused by populism. He said although nationalism was not exactly the same, it was still a "poison."

The EU leader said the Catalan independence referendum was "without any guarantees."

"Europe is a club of nations and I don't accept regions going against nations. Even less so outside of the law," he commented, saying that what the continent needed to do in the post-crisis environment was to "pool of all of the ambition, the talent and the energy of Europeans" rather than divide it.

The president of the EU Commission said he had never had any personal contact with former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, but described Rajoy as "a good friend."

"I support the position of the Spanish government. And do you know why? Because I am in favor of those who respect the law," said Juncker.

"The EU is based on the rule of law, and what my Catalan friends have done is the opposite: break the law.... Catalonia, like all of Europe must respect the law," continued Juncker.

He had another strong message for Puigdemont, saying "Catalan authorities must not underestimate the ample support that Rajoy has from the rest of Europe. They would be completely wrong if they were to do so."
| 2017-11-21 00:06:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VILNIUS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite urged Sweden on Monday to partake in enhanced bilateral cooperation, improved military interaction, and information exchange with Lithuania in order to increase regional security.

"Although Sweden is not a member of NATO, it is strategically important in regional defense, and its participation in deterrence and defense planning is paramount," Grybauskaite was quoted as saying in a statement released by the presidency.

Her comments followed a meeting with Urban Ahlin, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag).

According to the Lithuanian presidency's statement, preparation for the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Brussels this week was among the main topics discussed during the meeting.

Grybauskaite underscored that a "safe, peaceful, and democratic Eastern neighborhood" was "a common interest of Lithuania and Sweden."

Earlier in September, Sweden organized the military exercise Aurora with troops from Lithuania and other states of the region, as well as the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:07:11|Editor: huaxia

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NAY PYI TAW -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for jointly building a new type of Asia-Europe partnership on Monday at the 13th foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Myanmar capital.

Wang said at first plenary session of the ASEM foreign ministers' meeting that the Communist Party of China successfully held its 19th National Congress last month, mapping out a grand blueprint for the development of China in the next 30 years. (Myanmar-China-ASEM)

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TOKYO -- Following an alleged drunk-driving accident involving a U.S. Marine Corps member in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa that killed a 61-year-old local man, all U.S. service members in Japan have been prohibited from consuming alcohol, the U.S forces said Monday.

The ban applies to service people consuming alcohol on or off bases, the U.S. forces said. Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, a staunch proponent of lessening the base hosting burdens of the people of Okinawa, said of the incident that he is at a loss for words. (Japan-U.S.-Military)

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NAY PYI TAW -- Myanmar stands ready to join hands with China to speed up the development of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw has said.

Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. (Myanmar-China-Belt and Road)

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ISLAMABAD -- The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) of Pakistan has foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs from Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad, local reports said.

The ANF recovered 1 kg of ice from a passenger who was on his way to Saudi Arabia by acting on an intelligence tip-off, Dunya News said. (Pakistan-Drugs) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:27:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DUBLIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ireland confirmed on Monday that it had withdrawn its bid for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in order to focus on its bid for the European Banking Authority (EBA).

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Ireland had two very strong bids for the EMA and the EBA, which are both currently based in London.

But Ireland pulled out of race to host the EMA, recognizing the political challenge of pursuing two bids concurrently, the statement said.

As a consequence of Brexit, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is currently working on plans to move the EBA alongside with the EMA out of the United Kingdom, to keep it inside the EU.

Future homes for the EBA have been offered from Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Paris, Prague, Vienna and Warsaw.

The decision on the relocation of the agencies will be taken on Monday evening in a series of votes by the General Affairs Council, a configuration of the Council of the European Union.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:27:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus and Egypt have agreed to start discussions in December on an agreement to build a gas pipe from a Cypriot natural gas field to take gas to Egypt, Cypriot state radio reported on Monday.

It said the agreement came during talks when Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made an official visit to Cyprus on Monday.

The gas pipe will make use of an already existing pipe system from depleted Egyptian gas fields to liquefaction plants at Idku and Damietta.

State radio also reported that a four-party meeting of Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and Italy will be held on early December to sign a memorandum of understanding for building a gas pipe from gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean to Italy via Cyprus and Greece, a project supported by the European Union.

Several gas fields in the region have been discovered in recent years by Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt, making it a potential alternative for Europe to Russian gas.

Egypt said it wanted to buy as much gas as Cyprus could provide from its Aphrodite gas field.

Anastasiades told a joint press conference that he and Sisi agreed in their talks that the discovery of natural gas was opening up a unique opportunity for joint action aimed at benefiting the peoples of the two countries.

He also said the vision was to turn the hydrocarbon discoveries into a catalyst which would contribute towards peace, stability, and welfare of the wider region.

Energy issues, along with security and stability in the region and bilateral relations, will be on the agenda of a tripartite summit in Nicosia on Tuesday, with the participation of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Sisi also stressed the need for strengthening security and stability in the region, saying that the destabilization of the regions had led to the rising of extremism and terrorism.

He added that in this context, the signing of a defense and cooperation agreement between Cyprus and Egypt in 2015 had proved to be an important move.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:32:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia expects Albania to help the country secure a NATO membership invitation, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov told his visiting Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta on Monday.

Ivanov told a joint press conference that both Albania and Macedonia had embarked on their journey towards NATO, adding after Albania became a member, Macedonia was looking for support in its efforts to achieve the same goal.

With regards to the two countries' aspirations to join the European Union (EU), Ivanov told Albania's president that Macedonia's experience would be at the disposal of Albania to boost its EU integration efforts.

On the other hand, Meta said Albania was looking forward to Macedonia joining NATO and to making an evident headway in its EU integration process.

The leaders agreed to work on more concrete projects that would bring the two nations closer, including the countries' business communities and infrastructure.
MADRID, Nov. 20 Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said that those wanting the independence of the Catalan region of Spain should not underestimate the support that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has in Europe.

Speaking in an interview in the English edition of the El Pais newspaper published on Monday, Juncker admitted that "Catalonia is an enormous worry. I don't like the situation that has been created: it's a disaster."

According to Juncker, the threats were caused by populism. He said although nationalism was not exactly the same, it was still a "poison."

The EU leader said the Catalan independence referendum was "without any guarantees."

"Europe is a club of nations and I don't accept regions going against nations. Even less so outside of the law," he commented, saying that what the continent needed to do in the post-crisis environment was to "pool of all of the ambition, the talent and the energy of Europeans" rather than divide it.

The president of the EU Commission said he had never had any personal contact with former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, but described Rajoy as "a good friend."

"I support the position of the Spanish government. And do you know why? Because I am in favor of those who respect the law," said Juncker.

"The EU is based on the rule of law, and what my Catalan friends have done is the opposite: break the law.... Catalonia, like all of Europe must respect the law," continued Juncker.

He had another strong message for Puigdemont, saying "Catalan authorities must not underestimate the ample support that Rajoy has from the rest of Europe. They would be completely wrong if they were to do so."
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and fine-art photographer Miguel Gandert shows his work highlighting his mestizaje heritage, and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Runs through 12/29.

Querer means to want, to desire, to be in a place, with its people. In folk terminology, querencia is such a place, the center space of desire, the root of belonging and yearning to belong, that vicinity where you first beheld the light. Querencia, in collective terms, is homeland. ~Enrique Lamadrid, Nuevo Mexico Profundo

Miguel Gandert tells stories. He tells stories of his homeland, New Mexico (and beyond), its people and the cultural practices that distinguish communities from each other while simultaneously revealing their kinship. You will have to form your own words, however. Ganderts stories are told through penetrating, black and white photos. A primary focus of his work is his own mestizaje heritage and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas.

Miguel Gandert, a native of Espanola, NM, is an award-winning documentary and fine-art photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the world and are in numerous public collections including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Museum of American History and Art at the Smithsonian.

Querencia: Rituals of the Rio Arriba opens Friday, October 6 at the New Mexico Humanities Council, 4115 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque. An artists reception will be 6:00 pm  8:00 pm with an artist's discussion at 7:00 pm. The exhibit closes December 29, 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:42:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ATHENS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Greece's privatization fund, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), on Monday invited investors to express interest in the privatization of two key marinas in Athens and the Aegean Sea island of Chios.

HRADF launched two separate international public competitive tender processes for granting the right to use and exploit the Alimos marina and the Chios marina for a period of at least 35 years in both cases.

The deadline for the initial expression of interest by investors is Jan. 16, 2018 for the marina of Alimos and Jan. 18, 2018 for Chios.

The marina of Alimos on Athens' southern coastline is one of the most important marinas in Greece and amongst the biggest marinas in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Alimos, currently offering 1,100 berths for leisure boats of various sizes, serves to a great extent the berthing needs of the yacht charter market of Athens. The upland area of the marina is also used for dry storage and yacht maintenance and it includes buildings of varying use.

The Chios marina is located in the central part of the eastern coast of Chios, 2.5 km from the city center of Chios and from the main port, and about 6 km from the island's airport.

"Yachting tourism is a priority for Greece and growth may be achieved through marinas' concessions as in the case of Alimos and Chios. Attracting investments in Greek marinas greatly impacts the overall image of respective areas and supports the tourism industry," Aris Xenofos, HRADF's chairman, said during the launch of the two tenders.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 00:57:31|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were shot dead by police in the western county of Migori and in Nairobi's Kibra slums on Monday after opposition supporters staged demonstrations against the outcome of the Supreme Court that upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's win.

In the first incident a protestor in Kibra was shot dead by anti-riot police at Olympic area during running battles between the demonstrators and police.

Kibra Administration Police Commandant Enoch Maloba confirmed the incident adding that the protestors have paralyzed normalcy in the area which is an opposition stronghold.

In Migori County, one person was shot dead by anti-riot police who were battling with protestors who have blocked the Migori-Isebania highway in protest against the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict.

The country's apex court had earlier dismissed two key petitions and upheld Kenyatta's victory in the re-run on Oct. 26.

Kenyatta, who is expected to be sworn in next week, won with 7.48 million votes in 266 out of 291 constituencies where the election took place. This represents about 98.27 percent of valid votes.

Some 7.62 million Kenyans out of 19.61 million Kenyans cast their votes during the repeat exercise, representing 38.82 percent turnout.

In opposition strongholds which boycotted the repeat exercise, youths stoned and burnt vehicles as they engaged security officers in running battle for the better part of Monday afternoon.

There were also some violence in the lakeside city of Kisumu and other towns in western region including some neighborhoods in Nairobi where the youth expressed their displeasure with the Supreme Court verdict.

This is despite the National Super Alliance led by Raila Odinga calling on his supporters to remain calm and wait for communication from the coalition leadership. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 01:12:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Julius Gale

JUBA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ambassador to South Sudan said Monday that his country would not allow its territory to be used to carry out rebellious activities against the government and people of neighboring South Sudan.

Cleland Leshore said Kenya supports peace efforts to end the conflict in the world's youngest country and it would not meddle in South Sudanese affairs.

"I want to assure the government and people of South Sudan, the region and the international community that the government of Kenya will not allow Kenya to be used as a launching pad for any subversive activity against the government and people of South Sudan," Leshore said in Juba during a plenary meeting organized by South Sudan's peace monitor, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC).

He said since South Sudan plunged into civil war in mid-2013, neighboring countries took sides in the conflict, but Kenya remained somewhat neutral as it allowed both government supporters and opposition figures to stay on its territory.

But following renewed violence in Juba in June 2016, which shattered a 2015 peace deal, Nairobi backtracked against South Sudanese opposition groups.

In November 2016, Kenya deported James Gatdet Dak, a spokesman for the main rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by former vice president Riek Machar.

James Okuk, lecturer of political science at the University of Juba, said he remains skeptical about Kenya's interest in getting rid of South Sudanese opposition groups, alleging that Kenya still hosts several opposition figures.

"The statement is too vague and there is nothing much in it to change the current situation in South Sudan because opposition leaders continue to stay in Kenya without fear," Okuk said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 01:17:40|Editor: pengying

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BERLIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The coalition talks for a new German government failed late Sunday night after the pullout of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) due to unbridgeable differences in immigration and energy, throwing the European powerhouse into the worst political crisis in more than a decade.

TEST FOR MERKEL LEADERSHIP

Chancellor Merkel is holding urgent talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier about how to find a way out of the current impasse.

After hearing the news of the collapse of negotiations, Steinmeier had cancelled a planned trip to the state of North-Rhine Westphalia on short notice to remain in Berlin.

The largely symbolic role of president is associated with mediating and consensus-building responsibilities in Germany, giving Steinmeier a central role in helping overcome uncertainty in the German political landscape.

Much media and political speculation has focused on the fate of Chancellor Merkel.

Many observers had initially expressed confidence that the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader would demonstrate her traditional skill as a veteran stateswoman in mastering the complex "Jamaica" coalitions.

Jamaica coalition is a term in German politics describing a coalition government among the parties of Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc, FDP and the Green party.

However, the collapse of talks is widely seen as a serious test to Merkel's leadership of more than 11 years.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party went as far as to urge Merkel to resign over the failure of talks.

"Ms. Merkel has failed and the time has come for her to step down as Chancellor," AfD parliamentary faction leader Alexander Gauland said.

POLITICAL CHAOS

It's still too early to predict the fate of Merkel, but it's already the truth that German political system has been in a serious chaos, while the parties are pointing their fingers at each other.

The CDU, Christian Social Union (CSU) and Greens (Gruene) all joined in attacking the FDP for abruptly abandoning talks on Sunday night.

CDU secretary general Peter Tauber complained that the FDP had been "too cowardly to take responsibility" despite having been offered significant concessions on a range of issues such as the abolition of the so-called "solidarity tax".

Greens chief negotiator Michael Kellner further accused the FDP of having prevented the formation of a new government out of political calculations and described the party's participation in official negotiations as a "poorly-staged play."

Kellner claimed that the FDP had hampered the progress of talks by repeatedly making itself an obstacle to compromises in areas like refugee and climate policy between the CDU/CSU and Greens.

In a similar vein, Thomas Kreuzer, CSU regional parliamentary faction leader in its home-state of Bavaria, voiced the suspicion that the FDP had already been "planning" to retract its support for a "Jamaica" coalition.

The FDP rejected these accusations and instead blamed acting Merkel for the dramatic failure of the talks. FDP politician Volker Wissing told "Deutschlandfunk" that CDU and CSU had been overwhelmed with their task.

According to Wissing, Merkel had organized "chaotic negotiations" and "completely misread" the situation at hand.

The FDP politician defended his party's decision by arguing that more than 200 unresolved points still remained between the "Jamaica" parties after four weeks of talks.

FDP leader Christian Lindner had informed press that he was giving up on negotiations shortly before midnight (CET) on Sunday night with the words "it is better not to govern, than to govern falsely."

FDP secretary general Nicola Beer subsequently voiced optimism that her party was well poised to compete in re-elections.

Amid the trade of accusations among parties, President Steinmeier said Germany was now facing the worst governing crisis in the 68-year history of its post-World War II democracy.

RENEWED TALKS OR RE-ELECTION?

Without the FDP, the CDU/CSU bloc and Greens do not enjoy a sufficient majority in the new German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) to pass legislation.

Given the German Social Democrats (SPD) refusal to enter coalition talks with the CDU and CSU, possibility of re-elections can not be ruled out.

SPD secretary general Hubertus Heil consequently criticized the CDU, CSU, FDP and Greens for bringing "the Federal Republic of Germany into a difficult situation."

German media reported that the SPD has itself been surprised by Sunday night's development and cited party insiders who said that the party had made no preparations for a re-run of the September's federal poll.

Nevertheless, several SPD representatives reiterated on Monday that they were not available for another "grand coalition" between the CDU, CSU and SPD.

By contrast, the Left party (Linke) was quick to a call for re-elections. Speaking to the newspaper "Berliner Zeitung", Left party president Katja Kipping demanded a new poll "as quickly as possible."

"Nobody can seriously want a continuation of the grand coalition," Kipping asserted.

She claimed that re-elections would show that Merkel's style of governing no longer enjoyed voter support and it was time for a left-wing alternative.

Green party negotiator and Environmental Minister Juergen Trittin told "Deutschlandfunk" that re-elections were likely to occur around Easter.

Given that Germany was internationally expected to exert a stabilizing influence, Trittin said that he did not expect a minority government to constitute a viable alternative.

Nevertheless, CDU secretary Peter Tauber did not want to discuss the prospect of re-elections on Monday, arguing that voters expected of politicians to find solutions to problems.

Despite the call for elections by some parties, President Steinmeier still presses parties to form coalition for good of Europe.

The president's intervention may suggest that in his mind a re-election could only be the last resort.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 01:27:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia recorded 164 million US dollars in revenue from 43,695 Chinese tourists that visited the country in 2016, an Ethiopian official said on Monday.

The 2016 Chinese tourist figures had shown a steady increase from 2015 numbers which stood at 41,659.

Gezahegn Abate, Public and International Relations Director at Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT), said despite a steady increase in Chinese tourist numbers over the last several years, insufficient food and accommodation facilities are hampering even more growth.

Chinese are the third largest group of tourists to Ethiopia, only surpassed by US and British tourists, according to Abate.

"MoCT is encouraging Chinese investment in Ethiopia's hospitality sector with a view to dramatically increasing the number of Chinese tourists," Abate said.

With a view to making tourism a major hard currency earner, Ethiopia is implementing incentives for entrepreneurs involved in the tourism and hospitality industry, including duty free arrangements for construction materials.
File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the Capitol to deliver remarks about tax reform in Washington D.C. Nov 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he intended to designate the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a state sponsor of terror.

Trump said the step is long overdue and part of the U.S. "maximum pressure campaign" against Pyongyang. White House officials previously blamed the Asian nation for killing a man in a Malaysia airport and murdering the U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier, both denied by Pyongyang.

The DPRK, which was removed from the list of state sponsors of terror in 2008, was expected to join again with Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:03:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Christine Lagat

NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- African countries have made significant improvement in political and economic governance in the last decade despite disruptions in world order, said a survey released on Monday.

The 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), launched by Mo Ibrahim Foundation on Monday, painted a positive picture on the overall governance trends in Africa but warned against complacency that could slow down this progress.

"Over the last 10 years, 40 African countries have improved in overall governance. In the last five years, 18 of these, a third of the continent's countries and home to 58 percent of African citizens, including Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Namibia, and Senegal, have managed to accelerate their progress," according to the survey.

In 2016, Africa achieved its highest overall governance score in recent history, standing at 50.8 out of 100.0, the survey said.

However, the progress in Africa's governance is experiencing some hiccups, hence the need for governments and non-state actors to intensify vigilance.

"Africa's annual average rate of improvement in governance has slowed. Of the 40 countries improving overall governance during the last decade, more than half (22) have done so at a slower pace or declined," the survey said.

The survey revealed that eight of the 12 countries registering decline in overall governance over the past decade have not demonstrated the willingness to reverse the trend.

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance assesses progress in critical areas like health, education and social welfare that countries in the world's second largest continent have made.

According to the survey, there has been marked improvement in these sectors in the first half of this decade thanks to robust state financing and policy reforms.

The survey hailed progress made in infrastructure development across Africa, saying it unleashed positive economic and social outcomes in the continent.

African countries surveyed in the Mo Ibrahim report have also made progress in entrenching the rule of law, inclusivity and respect to diversity.

The survey noted that free and fair elections have become the norm in many African countries but warned of escalating violence and crime that may derail this progress.

Mo Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, lauded African countries for their concerted efforts to improve governance and the rule of law.

"As the index shows us, overall governance in Africa is improving. This is good news. However, the slowing and in some cases even reversing trends in a large number of countries, and in some key dimension of governance, means that we must be vigilant," Ibrahim said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:08:02|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday held bilateral talks with the British Prime Minister Theresa May as part of his three-day visit to the UK.

Akufo-Addo and May met to strengthen the ties of co-operation between the two countries, and move the bilateral relations to a point beyond aid, according to a statement from the Presidency of Ghana.

The two leaders also discussed issues bordering on next year's Commonwealth Summit.

Akufo-Addo said he was hopeful that the tenure of office of both leaders would be marked by the strengthening of the bilateral relations between Ghana and the UK for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their respective populations.

He said Ghana was looking forward eagerly to next year's Commonwealth Summit to be held in London, which would provide the opportunity to reinvigorate the Commonwealth around its theme of "A Common Future", and make it a dynamic instrument for the growth of the global community in the 21st Century.

May said that she and the people of the UK were looking forward to building a sound relationship, and also developing historic ties with Ghana for the next 60 years.

The British Prime Minister indicated that increasing the volumes of trade between the two countries was the key to boosting the growth, progress and prosperity of the two nations and their respective people.

She was hopeful that during her tenure of office, the UK would continue to build on the strong relationship it has with Ghana. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:13:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese phone marker OPPO on Monday launched the new F5 series smartphone across its stores in Kenya.

OPPO Kenya CEO Andrew Peng told journalists in Nairobi that the device is OPPO's first full HD phone with a full screen display in Kenya.

The F5 Smartphone also features Artificial Intelligence beauty recognition technology that is designed to personalize beautification for subjects, Peng said.

The device comes installed with a 20 megapixel front camera with an ultra-sensitive F2.0 aperture.

"This feature will allow the camera to gain more information to produce better images with less noise in low light conditions," Peng said.

The CEO noted that the new device comes with facial unlock which is a new face recognition technology that will recognize its user and unlock the phone.

The OPPO F5 will retail at about 320 U.S. dollars and will be available on sale from Nov. 28, both online and offline.

The CEO said that the smartphone has been placed on pre-order starting from Nov. 20 to 27 where members of the public will be able to pre-order manually.

The CEO noted that OPPO is concentrating on the smart phone market given growing demand globally as well as in Kenya.

Two other models, the F5 6GB edition and the F5 Youth will be available to Kenya consumers later on.

In February, OPPO was ranked as the world's number four Smartphone brand in the world by the International Data Corporation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:13:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's government on Monday announced economic measures to stop the devaluation of the national currency Sudanese pound (SDG) against foreign currencies.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir chaired a meeting on Monday at the presidential palace in Khartoum that brought together the first vice president, the finance minister and chief of the National Intelligence and Security Service.

"As part of the new measures, the state's companies will not be able to demand hard currency for a temporary period. A ceiling will be set for foreign currency transfers," Sudan's Finance Minister Mohamed Osman Al-Rikabi told reporters.

The country would also take legal actions against foreign currency dealers and brokers over charges of sabotaging national economy, money laundering and funding of terrorism, added the minister.

He pointed out that the meeting approved temporary suspension of domestic trade funding and diverting the financing to the production, export and processing industry sectors.

The meeting also set a ceiling for balance transferring which is to be agreed on between the Bank of Sudan and the National Telecommunications Authority.

Over the past two days, the SDG has registered an unprecedented decline against foreign currencies, with one U.S. dollar amounting to around 30 SDGs in parallel market before registering about 25 pounds on Monday.

The U.S. decision on Oct. 6, 2016 to lift the economic sanctions on Sudan has not changed the deterioration of Sudanese economy.

The secession of South Sudan in 2011 has negatively affected the Sudanese economy as the country lost around 70 percent of its oil revenues, creating a big gap in the foreign exchange market and the exchange rate.

The separation has also affected the state budget which dropped to around 50 percent, causing a huge budget deficit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:23:07|Editor: pengying

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U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson speaks during a press briefing after U.S. President Donald Trump designated the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a state sponsor of terror at the White House in Washington D.C. Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Shen Ting)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was designating the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a state sponsor of terror.

Trump said in a cabinet meeting in White House that "we will be instituting a very critical step, and that will start right now. Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism."

"It should have happened a long time ago. It should have happened years ago," said Trump, accusing the DPRK of "threatening the world by nuclear devastation" and repeatedly supporting "acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil."

White House officials previously blamed the Asian nation for killing a man in a Malaysia airport and murdering the U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier, both denied by Pyongyang.

Warmbier was an American university student who, while visiting DPRK as a tourist in Jan. 2016, was arrested and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. He was released in June 2017 and died six days after he returned to the United States.

"As we take this action today, our thoughts to turn to Otto Warmbier, a wonderful young man," Trump added, vowing to impose further sanctions and penalties on Pyongyang and related persons.

Trump also said the U.S. Treasury Department will announce measures on Tuesday to slap an additional "large" sanction against the DPRK.

"It must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, and cease all support for international terrorism -- which it is not doing," he noted.

The DPRK was removed from the list of state sponsors of terror by President George W. Bush in 2008.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 02:33:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUDAPEST, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The representatives of the think tanks of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) met here on Monday to evaluate and discuss the "16+1 cooperation".

"Five years have passed and together we have made great achievements in policy consultation, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and many other fields," Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Duan Jielong said in his opening remarks.

He said the bilateral relationships today between China and CEE countries are "at their best in history."

"We expanded our infrastructure and industrial partnerships," he said.

Istvan Ijgyarto, Hungarian State Secretary for Cultural and Science Diplomacy, praised the importance of think tanks in the "16+1 cooperation".

Hungary upholds the view that China-CEEC cooperation constitutes an important part of cooperation between the Eurpean Union and China in the framework of their comprehensive strategic partnership, Ijgyarto said.

Huang Ping, director-general of the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "We are here to implement the great ideas and suggestions and to use this forum as a platform to improve the bilateral relations of all the sixteen countries with China."

The conference entitled "The achievements of '16+1 cooperation' in the latest five years" has been jointly sponsored by the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the China-CEEC Think Tanks Network, by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and by the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

High on the agenda of the conference are the evaluation and discussion on the progress of the investment of China in CEEC, on the local collaboration in the 16+1 cooperation, and on the progress of transportation and communication.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 03:03:25|Editor: huaxia

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KIGALI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is targeting an annual industrial growth of 14 percent by 2020 from the current two percent in 2016-17 fiscal year, Rwandan minister of industry said Monday during celebrations of Africa Industrialization Day, at the Kigali special economic zone.

Minister of Industry Vincent Munyeshyaka also said that his government target is to see industrial sector contribute at least 20 percent to GDP up from the current 17.1 percent in 2016-17 fiscal year. The move requires close partnership between the government, private sector and development partners, he added.

"We are targeting to develop our local industries because they will play a key role towards social and economic transformation of our country through creation of enough job opportunities for the young and rapidly growing population," said Munyeshyaka.

He noted that across the developing world, countries that have successfully industrialized their economies have greatly registered tremendous development.

He cited Made in Rwanda initiative that was launched in 2015 among the strategies expected to drive up consumption of local products and close trade deficit.

The minister outlined government interventions geared at promoting local industrial development such as amendment of public procurement laws to give preferential treatment to local manufacturers, VAT exemption for raw materials and capital goods for manufacturing sector, and technical assistance.

He said the government looks to reducing the cost of production, access to modern technology, finance, having skilled and productive labour.

He also promised to address quality issues and ensure consumer protection.

The event, marked under the theme "African Industrial Development: a Pre-Condition for an Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)" brought together government officials, members of the private sector, manufacturers and civil society organizations.

The objective of this year's Africa Industrialization Day is to raise awareness of the importance of African industrial development in implementing a successful Continental Free Trade Area, and therefore further growing Africa's economy and supporting the eradication of poverty, according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

The day that falls on November 20 every year aims at raising global awareness of the challenges faced by the continent with regard to industrialization.

It also aims to mobilize both African leaders and international organizations to advocate for the accelerated and sustainable industrialization of Africa. Enditem
PARIS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- French authorities will prevent prayers on a street of Clichy-La-Garenne city, north Paris where a Muslim association plans further payers this week, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has said.

"There won't be prayers on the street. We will prevent street praying," Collomb said.

However, he told local media Sunday that Muslims "must have a place of worship to pray". "We will make sure we resolve this conflict in the next few weeks," he pledged.

The ban came several months after a row about prayer space between Muslims and city politicians.

Since March, worshipers have hold Friday prayers on the streets of Clichy-La-Garenne to protest the closure of a mosque located in the city's center.

But city lawmakers and locals have repeatedly rejected what they view as an unacceptable use of public space, according to a report by digital news publisher The Local.

Worshipers also accused local authorities of not offering them adequate land to build a new mosque. But some officials argue that Muslim worshipers already have a place to pray north of the town.

France, home to an estimate of 5 million Muslims, prevents public displays of religious activity, including street prayers and full face-covered veil, according to The Local.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 03:33:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Monday denounced the latest mortar attack on its embassy in Syria's capital Damascus, which caused damage to certain building facilities.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a mortar shelling hit hit the fence of the Russian Embassy close to a building of its residential quarter, causing damages to power transmission lines and water supply system.

None of the staff in the embassy were injured, the ministry added.

Noting that the embassy was purposefully targeted, the ministry also called upon the United Nations Security Council to condemn the "brazen action".

The Russian embassy in Damascus has been shelled several times since Moscow started to participate in anti-terrorism operations in Syria in September 2015.

The Russian air force is currently providing support to the advancing Syrian government troops in the east of the country against Islamic State (IS) terrorists.

Dozens of strikes have been launched by Russian bombers and submarines near Abu Kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria, since the beginning of November.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 03:58:54|Editor: Yamei

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Xinhua file photo)

BERLIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she would lead CDU (Christian Democratic Union) again in case of new elections, after the exploratory talks for a government coalition failed Sunday night.

She was "a woman who has responsibility and is also ready to take on more responsibility," the chancellor told the public broadcaster ZDF.

"I'm very skeptical" about leading a minority government, Merkel told ZDF. She added that she was ready to lead Germany for four more years, but that she felt a majority government was necessary for the stability in Germany and Europe.

Coalition talks of the CDU and its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens have failed on Sunday night after the FDP decided to pull out for irreconcilable differences, mostly on immigration and climate.

Merkel is now facing the most serious political crisis since she assumed office 12 years ago. According to German Basic Law, the Federal Parliament will be dissolved and new elections will be held if new government cannot be formed.

Merkel denied that she personally made mistakes in the talks. "I did what I could, and as I said, we really made progress."

Hours ahead of Merkel's comments, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appeared to rule out snap elections for now, emphasizing instead the obligation each party had to the voters.

"I expect the parties to make the formation of a new government possible in the foreseeable future," Steinmeier said in a televised statement from Berlin. "The parties had a responsibility that "cannot be simply given back to the voters."

Steinmeier said he would be holding talks with various leaders of the political parties in an attempt to broker an agreement.

Another possibility for Merkel is to form a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD). However, the social democrats reiterated their stance to head into the opposition in Bundestag.

"We are not available for a grand coalition," said SPD chairman and defeated chancellor candidate Martin Schulz in Berlin on Monday.

Prof. Oskar Niedermayer from Free University of Berlin told the ARD "Tagesschau" that Merkel will stand in the Bundestag for election as Chancellor and the Federal President then dissolves parliament.

The situation did not mean an end of Merkel's career, as there is no one who could easily replace her in CDU. However, in new elections, the election campaign would be much harder than the past, said Niedermayer.

The German public is in favor of a new election too, according to a quick survey.

The Forsa poll on Sunday showed that 45 percent of all eligible voters spoke for renewed elections as a way out of the current crisis. 27 percent of respondents would like to have a grand coalition and 24 percent a minority government.

Some experts believed that a new election will probably benefit the far-right Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) which garnered 12.6 percent of votes and became the third largest party in the Bundestag.

"We are prepared to become a rational opposition party in the Bundestag. We are looking forward to it and we are looking forward to potential snap elections," Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AfD, said Monday.
Photo taken on Sept. 22, 2013 shows the Russian embassy to Syria in Damascus, capital of Syria. (Xinhua/Zhang NaiJie)

MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Monday denounced the latest mortar attack on its embassy in Syria's capital Damascus, which caused damage to certain building facilities.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a mortar shelling hit hit the fence of the Russian Embassy close to a building of its residential quarter, causing damages to power transmission lines and water supply system.

None of the staff in the embassy were injured, the ministry added.

Noting that the embassy was purposefully targeted, the ministry also called upon the United Nations Security Council to condemn the "brazen action".

The Russian embassy in Damascus has been shelled several times since Moscow started to participate in anti-terrorism operations in Syria in September 2015.

The Russian air force is currently providing support to the advancing Syrian government troops in the east of the country against Islamic State (IS) terrorists.

Dozens of strikes have been launched by Russian bombers and submarines near Abu Kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria, since the beginning of November.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 04:13:58|Editor: pengying

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Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief Constantino Chiwenga speaks in a press conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Nov. 20, 2017. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has opened discussions with former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who he fired two weeks ago, Constantino Chiwenga said Monday. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) said Monday they are encouraged by the opening of talks between President Robert Mugabe and former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who he fired two weeks ago.

Army chief Constantino Chiwenga told a press conference that Mnangagwa, currently in self imposed exile, was now expected back in the country soon.

"Thereafter, the nation will be advised on the outcome of talks between the two," Chiwenga said.

He said in the meantime, Mugabe, who was removed from the position of party leader on Sunday, had started processes towards a definitive solution and roadmap for the country.

"As this happens we as the Zimbabwe Defense Forces and Security Services urge Zimbabweans to remain calm and patient, fully observing and respecting the laws of the country," Chiwenga said.

Chiwenga said the ZDF meetings with Mugabe had gone on in an atmosphere of mutual respect with several guarantees being made.

The ZDF also remained seized with its operation code named "Operation Restore Legacy", he said.

"We are confident to take our beloved country out of its present circumstances and set in on the desired development trajectory," he said.

Chiwenga urged the generality of Zimbabweans to refrain from any actions or activities that threaten peace, life and property. Students should also remain clam and proceed with their educational programs as scheduled, Chiwenga said.

His appeal to students came after University of Zimbabwe students staged demonstrations and refused to write their examinations on Monday until Mugabe steps down.

The ZDF statement comes as the ruling ZANU-PF party on Sunday removed Mugabe from party leadership and replaced him with Mnangagwa.

The party has also resolved to move a motion to impeach Mugabe in Parliament Tuesday, the same day he will be chairing a cabinet meeting at State House.

Following the military seizure of power last Wednesday, Zimbabwe has been thrown into political turmoil as Zimbabweans and political parties have united in their call for Mugabe to step down.

In his televised speech to the nation Sunday night, Mugabe said he will chair the party's congress next month to address once and for all challenges afflicting the ruling party.
File Photo: A child of a street bagger family eats gifted food on the World Food Day in the eastern Indian state Orissa's capital city Bhubaneswar, Oct. 16, 2014. (Xinhua/Stringer)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the fact that the world is letting children down by allowing them to go through hardships and suffering.

"I am sorry to say that, try as we might, we adults are letting you down," he told a gathering of children at UN headquarters in New York on the occasion of World Children's Day, which falls on Nov. 20.

"Millions of girls and boys like you are in danger, and we are letting them down. They are fleeing deadly conflicts. They are going hungry, or without the medicine they need. They are separated from their parents, or making long, dangerous journeys to safety. They are displaced and living in refugee camps far from home."

"All this is completely unacceptable. As a global community, we cannot continue failing all the children," said Guterres.

Every child has a right to a safe, healthy, peaceful childhood and to develop to their full potential, he said. "Today's children are tomorrow's leaders -- tomorrow's presidents and prime ministers, tomorrow's teachers and innovators, tomorrow's mothers and fathers, even tomorrow's secretaries-general of the United Nations."

He promised to "spare no effort to make sure that the United Nations is working every day, every hour, every minute" for children's best interests.

"The future of the world is in children's hands. But we can never forget that children's futures are in our hands. There is no greater responsibility, no more important job, and no better pathway to a better, healthier, more peaceful world for every person, every family, and every child."
A file photo of London. (Xinhua)

BRUSSELS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- After hours of fierce bargaining and compromising, ministers of 27 European Union (EU) members voted on Monday to relocate Britain-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA) to Amsterdam and Paris respectively.

Amid a lingering deadlock of Brexit talks, Monday's relocation is largely seen as an alarm to British government led by Prime Minister Theresa May, who has been suffering from both internal division at home and mounting pressure from the other side of the English Channel.

Shortly after the vote, the European Commission issued a statement, which laid bare that the relocation of these two agencies is a direct consequence -- and the first visible result -- of Britain's decision to leave the EU.

Hailing the EMA and the EBA as two key regulatory agencies for the EU's Single Market, the statement said they are essential for the authorization of medicines and for bank regulation, and must continue to function smoothly without disruption beyond March 29, 2019, the expected final date of Brexit.

Monday's voting procedure was based on the criteria endorsed by the Heads of State or Government of the EU27 at the European Council on June 22 this year. On Sept. 30, the European Commission provided an objective assessment of the offers received by member states, said the statement.

The Commission will prepare necessary legal work by making legislative proposals to amend the founding regulations for the two agencies. These proposals will be strictly limited to the issue of relocation, it said.

The Commission and Council have agreed to give priority to the handling of these legislative proposals to ensure that the Agencies remain operational throughout this process, added the statement.

The EMA is responsible for the evaluation, supervision and monitoring of medicines while the EBA monitors the banking sector.
Cai Weiming, Minister Counselor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Israel, gives a speech at the summit. (Xinhua Photo)

by Xinhua writer Chen Wenxian, Liu Xue

JERUSALEM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China is seeking more sectors to cooperate with Israel in high technology under the background of the "innovative comprehensive partnership" established between China and Israel.

This is the common sense reached among officials, entrepreneurs and experts from China and Israel, who attended the 6th China-Israel Hi-tech Investment Summit held Sunday in Haifa, northern coastal city of Israel.

China-Israel hi-tech cooperation has been further expanded from sectors such as agriculture, medicine and biology to leading-edge sectors such as life science, smart city, aging tech, robotics and 3D printing, according to them.

These foremost hi-tech sectors are also what Chinese and Israeli entrepreneurs at the summit are eager to cooperate in the near future. These sectors are also widely viewed as emerging ones with huge market potentials. Especially, aging technology is seen an important one to be developed in China where the population of old people is sharply increasing.

Yona Yahav, Mayor of Haifa City, gives a speech at the summit. (Xinhua Photo)

China and Israel are seeking full collaboration in hi-tech from the very beginning and the collaboration has mutual bases, said Yona Yahav, mayor of Haifa city in an interview with Xinhua.

"We enjoy every moment of this collaboration and this summit here shows that we have a good ground to enlarge the relations," Yahav noted.

Haifa is a center of hi-tech and also a center of universities, and has four sister cities in China, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shantou.

That is why China and Israel are collaborating not only on business bases but also cultural bases, Yahav added.

Dan Shechtman, Nobel prize winner in chemistry and professor of Israel Institute of Technology, gives a speech at the summit. (Xinhua photo)

While Chinese companies are hunting for cooperation opportunities in Israel, Israel is also now encouraging its hi-tech companies to go to China for more opportunities.

China's efforts of encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation became a hot topic at the summit. Experts deemed that these efforts are expected to create better opportunities for China and Israel to conduct much broader and deeper hi-tech cooperation.

It is a correct and wise action taken by China to push forward innovation and it is expected that the innovation environment would be greatly improved, said Dan Shechtman, a Nobel prize winner in chemistry, and a professor of Israel Institute of Technology, told Xinhua.

"China is not only a huge manufacturing country and China will become a huge innovative country in the future," Shechtman believed.

China is doing very well and it is wonderful to see many Chinese delegations coming to Israel for hi-tech cooperation, Shechtman added.

It is recognized that about 200 delegates from China and Israel were attracted to attend the summit, organized by Messila, an Israeli startup mainly focusing on medical robotics which has raised about 30 million U.S. dollars from China.

At the summit, Zhuhai-based Huafa Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Haifa Economic Corporation for future cooperation in the sectors of smart city and life science.

In Israel with the name of "nation of startups," expenditure on research and development accounted for 4.3 percent of its GDP in 2016, ranking the top in the world. Nowadays, about 6000 startups are running in the hi-tech field in Israel and about 300 R&D centers are under operation by international companies in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 04:49:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAPE TOWN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- As the World AIDS Day is approaching on December 1, Doctors without Borders (MSF) on Monday called for greater efforts to reduce high HIV/AIDS mortality rate in South Africa.

Despite significantly improved access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to 4.2 million people, major challenges remain to reduce HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa, MSF said while launching an anti-AIDS campaign in Khayelisha, an impoverished township in Cape Town.

With the total number of people living with HIV estimated at approximately 7.06 million in 2017, South Africa has an unacceptably high HIV/AIDS death rate of 180,000 deaths a year, according to MSF.

In Khayelitsha which is hard hit by the HIV pandemic, around a third of people on ARVs for 10 years have disengaged from care at some point, MSF Medical Coordinator for South Africa, Amir Shroufi said.

"HIV services across South Africa must be adapted to better retain people in care, and support the return of those who stop accessing services," said Shroufi.

In order to reach the 40 percent of people living with HIV who still have not started ARVs, scaling up public access to new tools such as self-tests will be necessary, he said.

Longer prescription times, and having community pick-up points or organized support groups for receiving medication can allow people to choose what works best for them at a given point in time during their lifelong treatment journey, Shroufi suggested.

He said clinic staff must be equipped with skills to welcome back people who may have temporarily stopped taking treatment, and to screen for and recognize when patients have advanced HIV or opportunistic infections.

In the context of under-resourced environments, nurses and lay counsellors must be capacitated to support this work, Shroufi said.

Also on Monday, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched a Right to Health report which highlights the importance of ensuring access to health care for all HIV patients.

The report mentions the substantial progress South Africa has made in scaling up ARV treatment to 4.2 million people.

Responding to the report, the MSF said that in light with the unacceptably high HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa, UNAIDS should include mortality reduction targets in reporting and monitoring anti-HIV/AIDS progress.

MSF urged UNAIDS to help governments like South Africa to focus on and invest in measures to achieve this goal.

South Africa has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world, with approximately 12.6 percent of its population infected by the disease, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 05:39:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RABAT, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The second China-Africa Investment Forum (CAIF) will be held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech on Nov. 27-28, the organizers said in a statement on Monday.

The forum will bring together more than 400 high-level Chinese and African business leaders.

The event will facilitate business meetings between the main stakeholders of trade and investment between China and African countries in order to foster sustainable partnerships with high added value, particularly in the industrial sector, the statement said.

The forum dedicates two days of conferences and debates to the financial implications for African economies and making the continent a true industrial platform, it pointed out.

Alongside the conferences, practical workshops will provide insights into and keys to understanding Chinese and African economic policies and operational environments, it added.

With more than 122 billion U.S. dollars in trade and 2.5 billion dollars of non-financial direct investment in 2016, China is Africa's most important trading partner today, the CAIF pointed out.

The launch of the Belt and Road Initiative means Africa needs to equip itself with the tools to effectively receive and use Chinese investment to accelerate its economic transition, it said.
Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) holds talks with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Tofik Babayev)

BAKU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The decades-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be resolved through diplomatic means, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here on Monday.

Speaking at the joint briefing with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, Lavrov stressed that "diplomacy can help move the process of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's settlement from a dead point."

"As co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, we will continue to seek for mutually acceptable peaceful solutions, taking into account the hints that emerged during the recent meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow," he said.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group is tasked to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group has a co-chairmanship mechanism comprising Russian, U.S. and French co-chairs, which began operating in 1996.

Noting Russia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners, Lavrov said, "We show common positions on international platforms with regard to the inadmissibility of attempts to violate, ignore the principle of equal rights of states."

Mammadyarov said that "the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable ... Azerbaijan demands compliance with the (relevant) U.N. Security Council resolutions."

About the negotiations with Lavrov, Mammadyarov noted that the parties discussed the role of Russia as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

"I informed the Russian Foreign minister about the position of Azerbaijan and the results of the recent discussions in Moscow with the co-chairs. I held substantive talks with the co-chairs. We discussed specific issues to which we need to find solutions," the Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh first broke out in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes in the past along the borders.

A Russian delegation led by Lavrov arrived in Baku on Sunday for a two-day official visit. On Sunday, Lavrov met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 06:09:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Monday accused the UN-backed government of migrant slave trade.

"The army command detected activity of organized crime of transporting and selling illegal immigrants from one gang to another, depending on area of control of each gang," the army said in a statement.

"These gangs transferred the slaves from the countries of their origin into Libya. More than a gang work with other gangs active in the sea to smuggle the migrants into Europe," said the statement.

"Local gangs legitimized by the Government of National Accord in western Libya, and other international gangs, are actively involved in horrific crimes against humanity by attacking migrants, violating their safety and health, and even selling their organs," the statement added.

The army warned against "continuation of such crimes," calling on the international community to lift the ban on arming its forces to "increase their capabilities to confront international crime, which the army considers an anti-terrorism effort."

CNN published a report recently of auctions in different parts of Libya, where stranded African migrants were sold as slaves for as little as 400 U.S. dollars.

The Tripoli-based Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that the government has launched an investigation into the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 06:34:39|Editor: pengying

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BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Argentinean submarine, which went missing last week with 44 people on board, had reported a malfunction in its battery system, leading military command to order a change of course, said Captain Gabriel Galeazzi to the press on Monday.

The spokesperson for the navy at the Mar de Plata naval base, said that the submarine, ARA San Juan, transmitted this report, prior to its final communication before losing contact, which is why the problem is not being directly linked with the submarine's mysterious disappearance.

The news of the battery malfunction let authorities to order the submarine to take a shorter, more direct route to the Mar del Plata naval base.

Another spokesperson, Enrique Balbi, said from Buenos Aires that "the malfunction could not be associated to the disappearance. This had been notified earlier, the submarine had a problem in its electrical power equipment."

Also on Monday, President Mauricio Macri visited the Mar del Plata naval base to meet with the families of the missing sailors. He also met with local commanders who apprised him of the latest information in the international search and rescue mission for the submarine.

Writing on Twitter last week, Macri said that "we are committed to using all necessary national and international resources to find the ARA San Juan submarine as fast as possible."

The search has seen a massive deployment of exploration planes, support vessels and underwater sonars, with teams from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, France, UK and the United States joining the effort.

The ARA San Juan is a TR-1700 submarine manufactured in Germany, and joined the Argentine Navy in 1985.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-21 06:39:41|Editor: Mengjie

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Workers carry rice donated by China, in Latakia, northwest Syria, Nov. 20, 2017. China donated 1,000 tons of rice to Syria, the Chinese Embassy in Damascus said in a statement on Monday. (Xinhua/Hummam Sheikh Ali)

LATAKIA, Syria, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,000 tons of rice donated by China has been delivered to Syria's northwestern city of Latakia, the Chinese Embassy in Damascus said in a statement Monday.

The donation was part of a larger supplies aid to be delivered to the war-torn country in batches in the near future.

The statement said the 1,000 tons of rice is part of 5,404 tons of rice China is pledging to deliver in the near future.

"China is working hand in hand with the Syrian side to secure the rice to be delivered to the Syrian people as soon as possible," the statement read.

A delegation from the Chinese Embassy in Damascus visited on Monday the port of the coastal city of Latakia in northwestern Syria, where the first shipment arrived.

Ibrahim Khudr Salem, governor of Latakia, escorted the delegation to the port of Latakia, expressing gratitude for the Chinese food aid.

"Thanks for the aid donated by China and for the supportive stance of the Chinese government and people to the Syrian people in their confrontation of terrorism and the regional schemes to divide Syria," Khudr said.

For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Syria Qi Qianjin told Xinhua that China aimed to help the Syrian people in the difficult time the country is passing through.

"We would like, through this food aid, to help the Syrian people in the difficult time of war and this food aid is a clear sign of the firm relations and friendship between the governments and peoples of China and Syria and we will continue to offer all humanitarian and economic help to the Syrian people," the ambassador said.

China has been supporting Syria in the humanitarian field since 2011. In May, China declared that it would provide food aid to the developing countries, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

China has also cooperated with UN organizations to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people throughout the six-year war.

Apart from the cooperation with the humanitarian organizations, China has also made direct donations in Syria.

In the first half of 2017, the Chinese government signed three agreements with the Syrian government to provide humanitarian aid to Syria worth over 40 million U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, China stressed that it will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Syria while calling to reach a political solution to end the Syrian war.
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The Economic Times of India earlier this month reported that Foxcomms India arm is thinking about setting up shop in the Nokia (News - Alert) special economic zone in Sriperumbudur. A December 2016 story by Economic & Political Weekly says Nokias mobile phone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur closed just eight years after beginning production.

Foxconn is best known for its work as an Apple (News - Alert) supplier. The Taiwanese company also does work for smartphone companies Nokia and Xiaomi.

According to the Economic Times of India report, Foxconn wants to double production capacity by year end. It already makes phones and TVs in India for other brands at plants in Andhra Pradesh, near Chennai, and in Sri City. But the companys Andhra Pradesh plant, The Economic Times of India suggests, is maxed out.

So its reportedly considering Sriperumbudur, a town 40 km southwest of Chennai, for a new location. Sriperumbudur had a population of more than 480,000, according to the 2011 census.

Foxconn is also expanding elsewhere in the world.

For example, in July the company announced plans to build an LCD manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant, Wisc. The company promised to invest $10 billion in the effort, which calls for the creation of a new campus with 20 million square feet of new office space. Foxconn also said it would create 13,000 jobs in six years.

As an incentive for these promises, Foxconn is expected to receive $3 billion in Wisconsin state subsidies.

But several news reports indicate that plans to build a massive display screen plant might not materialize as expected given Foxconns history of broken promises. For example, State Rep. David Bowen in an August opinion piece wrote that his cautious optimism went from a slow pedal to a screeching halt upon examining Foxconns recent history of deal making with other state and national governments in and out of the United States.

Edited by Mandi Nowitz
President Muhammadu Buharis two-day visit to the South-eastern states of Ebonyi and Anambra took place at the most opportune juncture, to show support to a governor who has done so much in promoting the presidents policy on food self-sufficiency and to endorse his partys candidate in a crucial vote to install a new governor through an election at the weekend in Anambra.

Given the unfortunate secessionist winds sown by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB) the presidents visit should be seen as part of the measures promised by the administration, following successful cooperation between the federal government, the regions five governors and the cultural leadership of the people, the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo. This joint effort has in no small means achieved success in putting out the fires ignited by IPOB. The visit should go further in soothing frayed nerves and provide an opportunity to listen more to the cries of the people of the region

This visit should give the nation a clear break in the mindset from the negativity that characterized the perception of the Buhari administration in the region, following his victory in the 2015 election in which a majority cast its lot with the former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan by giving him 2,464,906 votes, against Muhammadu Buharis 198,248.

Following the outcome of this election, some of the politicians who lost began to whip up fears of vendetta against the region even when there was no basis at all for this. It may have been a defensive strategy. But it nonetheless led to emotional responses to the president expressed through anger, paranoia, fear, frustration, resentment and confusion.

I recall that when he spoke on the subject of political patronage at the U.S Institute of peace, he described the way most democracies work that the one who gave 95 percent did not get the same as the the one that gave five percent votes but said emphatically that Iam a different kind of leader. He said, more or less in these words that he would be fair and just to all citizens irrespective of the way they voted and went on to add that this countrys constitution protects all citizens, all parts thereof by making specific provisions for fair and balanced distribution of appointments and projects known the federal character principle.

This was misconstrued and used to whip up sentiment against him in states that did not vote for him, even after the transcripts of what he actually said were published.

This negativity had prevailed in spite of the conscious effort the president made to reassure the South-east by giving four of the regions five states four senior cabinet posts, which are foreign affairs; industry, trade and investment; science and technology and labour, employment and productivity.

And given the choices he made, the South-east ministers today rank among the best this country has ever had if you look at their individual performances.

If you go through the online newspapers of the country, everyday, every week and every year there are stories about marginalization against a people for whom the president is doing so much to ensure their security,dignity and prosperity.

Beyond these misplaced fears, these south-easterners are a people known for their creativity, industry and hard work, from whose sweat the economy has benefited immensely. But it is equally true that they have not been served in due proportion by successive administrations in post-independence Nigeria. Had governments of yesteryears discharged their responsibilities to the region, and to the country at large, we might not have been in a situation of tensions and anger leading to violence and secessionist agitation which have their roots in the lack of infrastructure and opportunity for citizens to excel. Todays investments in infrastructure and people should change all that.

Beside the issue of political representation, federal roads in the South-east are a perpetual issue in our country. But each state in the country complains of bad federal roads. However, contrary to the notion that nobody in this government is doing anything about those roads, the region has a good number of roads paid for by the federal government that are either completed or undergoing repairs/construction.

As of May this year, there are 600 kilometers of roads that are under rehabilitation/ construction across the South East zones five states which include:

 Rehabilitation of Owerri  Umuahia Road Sections I, II, III in Imo/Abia States

 Rehabilitation of Enugu  Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II

 Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Enugu  Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II

 Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene  Ikot Umuoessien  Aba Road in Abia / Akwa  Ibom States

 Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene  Ikot Umuoessien  Aba Road in Abia / Akwa  Ibom States

 Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Enugu  Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway

 Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene  Ikot Umuoessien  Aba Road in Abia / Akwa  Ibom States.

 Enugu-Aba- Port Harcourt Expressway, which runs through Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States covering about 31 roads as well as construction of pedestrian bridges and flyovers, traffic signs and lights; the outstanding section of Onitsha-Enugu Road.

 Umana-Ndiagu-Adaebele-Udi Road in Ndiagu, NsukkaOboloafor -Ihamufu Road

 Ninth Mile-Nsukka-Oboloafor Road.

 Ohafia-OsoRoad (In Ebonyi and Abia States: 11.7 km)

 Nnenwe-Uduma-Uburu Road, Section1 (14 km in Enugu/Ebonyi).

 Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road; Section 1 (20.5 km).

 Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Section 11 (19.5 km).

 Construction of Obubra-Ikwo-Onueke-Nkomoro-Agba-Ezekuna-Ogboji-Nara-Cross River Border Road (7 km).

 Aba-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway (section 11)

 Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge Crossing (56.1Km).

 Rehabilitation of Lokpanta-Umuahia Tower (59.5km)

 Rehabilitation of Calabar-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene-Aba-Owerri Section 111.

 Ikot-Ekpene-Ikot Umuoessien-Aba Roadin Abia/Akwa-Ibom (43.2km).

 Owerri-Umuahia Road, Sections 1,11 and 111

 The Ikot-Ekpene Border: Aba-Owerri Dualisation Road Section 1, Phase 1 (11.26km).

 Mbaise-Ngwa Road Ohase 1 (14 km).

 Amanwaozuzu-Uzoagba-Eziama-Orie-AmakohiaRoad (10km).

 Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Section 11, among others

Of course there is the second Niger Bridge about which so many lies have been told to our brothers in the South-East.

A past president laid the brick once. Thereafter, he did nothing to actualize it. Having forgotten a promise made, he had a ceremony organized for him to inaugurate the project when the time to seek re-election came.

When the Obi of Onitsha reminded the then presidential candidate of his earlier promise to do the bridge, he got angry. He stopped short of calling the Obi a liar in his palace by outrightly denying ever making the promise.

Now, on the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State, the contractor had re-mobilized to site. In the budget proposals read last week at the National Assembly, Buhari listed this bridge as one of the administrations priority projects and announced an an allocation of N10 billion expenditure for 2018.

Other projects for the South East include:

Airport Terminal Building

 Construction of New International Terminal in Enugu.

Coastal Rail Project

 The coastal rail line has its route alignment passing through Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in Anambra State.

Maritime Access

With the dredging of the River Niger commissioned by NIWA, the yearning for maritime access to the sea by the south-east and the north as well, is just a matter of time for it to be realized.

Good projects apart, in the South-east as in all other subregions, good governance is also necessary and the steps the federal government is taking to deal with corruption, terrorism, banditry and lawlessness have the effect of lifting this country out of poverty and lack of development.

The countrys efforts to modernize its trade and investment by easing the process of doing business has already attracted the attention and acclaim of the world, and is giving Nigeria a quick rise in the ranking of countries. Known for their industrial and commercial prowess, there is no gain saying who the biggest beneficiaries are.

On the basis of these projects alone, no one should have any reason to doubt the good intentions of the President towards the South-east. Even if some of the people may not support the government, they cannot deny that their region has got a fair deal from Buhari. The federal governments support of Ebonyi states rice growing schemes leaned on a permanent solution to the fertilizer supply crisis in the country bears true testimony to a successful partnership between the centre and the subregion. In the field of agriculture alone, we have seen this new synergy in the functioning of the governments at the centre and the state. This is cooperative federalism at work, and at its best. Which in turn has led to a beneficial relationship based on mutual respect, hope and trust between the governor and the president in spite of political party differences.

The fruit of this type of relationship commends itself to other leaders in the country to shed old mindsets and maintain caution while making statements and to not get carried away by emotions leading to unnecessary tensions.

To help the nation move forward as one, the media for their part must decide against making unsubstantiated allegations and aspersions being levelled against the leadership at the centre for the mere fun of catching the headlines. The country needs this to maintain the delicate balance of the relationships between our diverse population and to avoid weakening our democracy. We need to do this and more to achieve something of substance for the nation.

Finally, it is to be hoped that beyond putting out the fire of these misplaced fears, Buharis visit would help to put the spotlight on the silent achievements of his administration in this distinct region so that the ordinary citizen will be reassured that he/she matters.
The Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) says that its members in Lagos State will start wearing uniforms from Jan. 1, 2018 for security and effective service delivery.

Mr Isreal Adeshola, the National President of the association, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

Adeshola said the operational uniform would bring sanity to the service in the state and the country as a whole.

According to him, the association has started training its members in Lagos State and educating them on the job procedures and attitudinal change while on duty.

The association has been able to train a reasonable number of conductors on behavioural change.

We started the registrations and training at Lagos State Drivers Institute for attitudinal and change in orientation of the members toward passengers and traffic rules.

By Jan.1, 2018, all our registered members will be in their operational uniforms for proper identification and effective service delivery, he said.

The president explained that part of the reasons for training its members was to ensure adequate security of passengers and good customer relationship with the people they relate with.

He said that putting on uniforms with identification numbers would ensure accountability and brought sense of responsibility among the members.

Adeshola said that the association was working towards eradicating the menace of using under-age as bus conductors across the country.

He announced that persons from 18 years and above were qualified to join the association.

The president added that any minor found operating as a bus conductor should be arrested.

We are coming out to tell Lagos residents that bus conducting is a respected profession like in other western countries where they are respected because they offered humanitarian services.

In Nigeria, people see them as nobody which is not supposed to be so, he said.

NAN reports that Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport had said that the introduction of uniforms for bus conductors would ensure safety and bring more development to the nations transport sector.

Amaechi spoke at the inauguration of the official uniforms for members of the Bus Conductor Association of Nigeria (BCAN), Lagos State chapter, on Thursday August 2, at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.

You have to change the perception of the people; you have to create a positive impression about yourself and make yourself accessible, he said.
It is shameful that Nigeria, which produced the likes of African Development Bank (ADB) president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; treasurer and vice president of the World Bank, Mrs. Aruma Otteh; independent non-executive director of Standard Chartered Plc, United Kingdom, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, among others, is now paying people from Malaysia to revive its economy.

The governor further queried: How can you hire foreign consultants that would work for 13 weeks to conduct a study on how to revive the economy of a country like Nigeria and pay them N458 million?

Fayose said the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of Buhari lacked clue as to how to solve our countrys economic problems. Now they have just confirmed that truly, they are clueless.

By hiring economic experts from Malaysia, President Buhari and his men have confirmed that they have no capacity to govern this country.

It was the cluelessness of the Buharis government that made the exchange rate that was N197 to $1 as at May 29, 2015 rise to as much as N500 to $1 before it came down to about N370 to $1. Today, official rate is N305 to $1.

It was this same cluelessness that made one bag of rice that was N7,000 at the time Buhari took office to rice to as much as N22,000 and made more than 25 states to be unable to pay workers salary regularly owing to dwindled revenue from the federation account.

The governor lamented the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), an agency of the Federal Government, that the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 million at the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 million at the end of September 2016.

This was caused by Buhari governments cluelessness. The president and his men do not know what to do. It is therefore left for Nigerians to use their votes to show Buhari and his APC the way out of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in

2019, Fayose said.

Meanwhile, former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, has pledged to rebrand the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure victory for her, if given the mantle of leadership.

He made the promise in Benin City at the weekend during a visit to the Edo State chapter of the party where he informed members of his intention to run for the national chairmanship position.

Daniel scored the Buhari low in economic growth and security. He said the APC has not achieved anything tangible to win the 2019.

The missing Chibok girls are still not found, herdsmen are killing people daily and ravaging parts of the country. The alarming cases of kidnap among others across the country is a sign of a failed government.

The Edo State PDP chairman, Dan Orbih appreciated the visit. He said the party was determined to ensure a credible candidate emerge as its national chairman.

A group, the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has, however, commended President Buhari, over the countrys ranking in the war against terrorism.

The SHAC Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Abubakar, made the commendation at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.

According to him, the recent ranking by the Institute for Economics and Peace, is a reflection of Buharis good leadership.

Abubakar said the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) was also an attestation of the success of the service chiefs in the war against terrorism in Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin.

The group stated that the ranking was not a surprise, given that the militarys efforts had reduced the Boko Haram activities by 80 per cent.

It urged Gbenga Daniel to intensify efforts to ensure that terrorism is totally eradicated in the country.
The bodies of the girls were found on a sinking vessel in the Mediterranean about two weeks ago and there where reports that they may have been sexually abused before they were murdered.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa told journalists in Abuja on Monday that the Italian Embassy had earlier indicated to the Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons that the burial would take place in Salerno, Italy on November 26, 2017.

But the Italian authorities, she said, went ahead with the burial last Friday without informing the Nigerian government, adding that the NAPTIP director is currently in Italy to engage with the Italian authorities ahead of the scheduled burial date.

The SSA who addressed newsmen alongside a NAPTIP representative, Mr. Abdulrahim Shaibu, explained that a protest letter had been sent to the Italian envoy in Nigeria over the matter.

Why were they (the bodies) hurriedly buried nine days before the date communicated to the DG, NAPTIP by the Italian Embassy without any information to Nigerian Government? Why the rush to bury the bodies without carrying out post-mortem to determine the causes of death?, she queried.

Dabiri-Erewa said that information indicated that only three of the girls were identified as Nigerians, noting that the identities of the other victims had yet to be ascertained before they were interred.

She noted that another issue of concern was that the victims families may have wanted them buried in their countries of origin.

The SSA also condemned the reported sale of Africans in a Libyan slave market as broadcast by CNN, saying this was unacceptable, despicable and inhuman.

She said,On the issue of Africans sold by Africans in Libya to Europe, as reported by the CNN in a report titled People for sale; where lives are auctioned for $400, this is totally unacceptable, despicable, and inhuman and should be condemned by anyone who is human and has blood running through their veins.

The Presidential aide appealed to the African Union, European Union, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, International Organization on Migration and the Economic Community for West African States to intervene in the matter and tackle the issue of slavery happening in Libya.

The perpetrators of this heinous crime should also be sanctioned, she said.
Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello has described the late former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme as the bridge that held Nigeria together for decades.

In a condolence message personally signed by the Governor and made available by Fanwo Kingsley, DG Media and Publicity, he described the late elder statesman as a thorough administrator, decent politician and a nationalist who saw Nigeria as a project of unity.

According to the Governor, the late Alex Ekwueme was an example of excellent leadership. He said the late icon rendered selfless service to his fatherland, standing on the podium of truth, sacrifice and progress all his life.

Bello expressed confidence that the Nigerian nation will immortalize the good name and sterling values Ekwueme lived for, calling on the new generation politicians and Nigerians to mirror the Ekwueme spirit of Service to humanity.
Nigerias former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathans land in Abuja, has been marked for possible demolition by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration.

The property sitting on a large expanse of land, opposite the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, said to belong to the former first lady.

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had, in June, sealed the multi-billion naira property. It was marked keep off under Investigation by the anti-graft agency.

Officials of Development Control, a department under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMAC), disclosed to DailySun, that the erection of the multi-billion naira property was a contravention of development control laws in the FCT, as it was sitting on a green area.

Referring to the former First Ladys property, a director said: That place is a Green area, and the property on it looks like a hotel. And you can imagine the deceit there, the signboard outside the property indicates that it is a foundation or an NGO home (A. Aruera Reachout Foundation/Women for Chang and Development Initiative), but the real property inside is something else.

The source also alleged that an FCTA official, a certain Deputy Director of the department, who visited the place last month for inspection, was allegedly assaulted by thugs.

Mrs. Jonathan has been in a running battle with EFCC since her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, left office in late May, 2015.
The incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance coasted home with a landslide victory in Saturdays Anambra governorship election.

Obiano, who won in all the 21 local government areas of the state, floored his arch rivals, Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (Anambra East) and Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party (Ogbaru) in their hometowns.

The Independent National Electoral Commission through the Returning Officer, Prof. Zanna Akpago, had declared Obiano the winner of the November 18, 2017 governorship election at the commissions office in Awka on Sunday.

A native of Uga in the Aguata Local Government Area, Obiano polled 234,071 votes to beat Nwoye (APC), who came a distant second with 98,752 votes.

The PDP governorship candidate (Obaze), who lost in Ogbaru, his local government area to Obiano, came third in the November 18 contest with 70,293 votes.

The candidate of the United Progressive Party and former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka, came fourth with 7,903 votes.

While Obiano polled 6,615 votes in Ogbaru LGA, Obaze garnered 4,416 votes with Nwoye of the APC getting 3,415 votes.

In Aguata, where a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Soludo, hails from, Obiano got 13,167 as against Nwoyes 5,807 and Obazes 4,073, a result that reflected Soludos support for the incumbent governor.

Obiano surprisingly won in former governor Peter Obis local government area, Anaocha as he (Obiano) garnered 11,237 votes, while the PDP (Obis party) with Obaze polled 6,554. APCs Nwoye got 5,297.

It was, however, in Anambra East, Nwoyes local government area, that the incumbent governors prediction of a landslide victory for himself and his party manifested as he took a large chunk of the votes in the area.

Obiano got 20,510 votes in Anambra East, where a son of the soil, Nwoye, polled 5,248 votes and Obaze got 1,132 votes.



Obaze rejects result, says outcome pre-determined

But the candidate of the PDP in the Anambra State governorship election, Obaze, has rejected the result of the poll.

Obaze, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone, described the outcome of the election as pre-determined.

According to him, the results of the local governments did not reflect the voting pattern.

When asked if he was satisfied with the exercise, the PDP candidate said, No, not quite. This seems to be a pre-determined result because it is not consistent with the voters turnout and the pattern.

It has never happened in Anambra politics that the winner wins 21 local governments. So, we need to look closely at what happened, why the incumbent governor is coming out top consistently.

That questions whether the other candidates have no stronghold as individuals and their respective parties. There is a certain dubious consistency that, just on the face of it, is an aberration.

Obaze said that the electoral commission had a case to answer in explaining how it arrived at the decision bordering on over-voting in some areas when accreditation and voting were done simultaneously.

He said, INEC has to give an account on why there was over-voting, why there was inconsistency between what was uploaded and what was actually voted. If you have a higher number on the chart and there were no issues where people were fully accredited and left, then how did you have higher figures in the card readers than the voting itself?

He also expressed concern over the delay in the announcement of the local government results.

Because we did not do consecutive accreditation and voting, it was simultaneous, it should have saved an enormous amount of time. If you do accreditation and then voting later, it consumes more time. But that was not the case.

When one of our correspondents asked if he would challenge the result at the tribunal, Obaze stated, Well, I am still consulting my people and I am still waiting.

Obiano says victory belongs to Anambra people, thanks Buhari

Meanwhile, Obiano has said that his electoral victory does not belong to him or his party but to the people of the state.

The governor, who made this remark in his acceptance speech, which he personally signed, added that the victory belonged to farmers, commercial motorcycle riders and wheelbarrow pushers and others, who now believed that agriculture remained the future of the country.

He said, With utmost humility, I stand before you to accept the historic mandate you have bestowed on me today. Umu nnem (my brothers and sisters), the victory we savour today belongs neither to Willie Obiano nor to our great party, APGA. No! This sweet victory belongs to Ndi Anambra.

It (victory) belongs to the wheelbarrow pushers and the Okada riders who have clearly seen in our recent political experience, a glimmer of light in the horizon. It belongs to the farmers in Ayamelum, Onono, Ogbaru, Omasi, Omor and Ufuma who have now realized that Agriculture is the future of Nigeria.

It belongs to the teachers and civil servants, who have seen that a motivated workforce is the greatest asset of any government and have rewarded our faith in them with an overwhelming verdict at the poll.

It belongs to the illustrious sons and daughters of Anambra State, who have seen the star of this great state rise in the eastern skies and have answered our call for Aku luo uno; bringing home their naira and dollars to put our dear state on the investment map!

This victory belongs to all of us! Umu nnem, this victory is not a winner-takes-it-all; for in the New Anambra of my dream, everyone is a winner.

The governor called on other candidates in the election, including Obaze and Nwoye to join hands with him and build a better place for Anambra people, adding that the state was bigger than any individuals ambition.

He stressed, So, I reach out a hand of brotherhood to my fellow contestantsOseloka, Tony, Osita, Godwin and others whose names I cannot easily recall here. And I say to you; my brothers, we have all fought a good fight.

But Anambra State is the winner! The interest of Anambra State is bigger than the private ambitions of anyone of us. Therefore, I pray you to join hands with me and build a better place for Ndi Anambra! Our beloved state needs our talent and our time. The time to build a better place is now!

Indeed, this victory is a referendum on the solid resolve of Ndi Anambra to rise above average in all we do. We have demonstrated that we are indeed capable of taking charge of our lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten the future of our children. I have no doubt in my mind that we shall continue to lay the building blocks for a prosperous tomorrow for all.

Ndi Anambra, this mandate is dear to my heart. I see it as a historic call to inspire my people to greatness. I see it as a call to deny myself sleep that my people may sleep better. Umu nnem, I will not give myself rest until our beloved state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. This is my promise to you all.

He, however, expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for proving to Ndi Anambra that under his watch, democracy would sink deeper roots in the Nigerian soil.

Mr. President promised us a free and fair election. Today, we can all see that he has kept his promise. Thank you so much Mr. President!

I must also thank the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what has been widely adjudged a transparent election in Anambra State. With this election, INEC has shown that it has fully braced itself for the 2019 elections. Thank you so much.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has hailed the courage of embattled Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

The 93-year-old president, who has being under intense pressure to resign, failed to handover power after a military coup earlier toppled his government.

But in his speech from State House office, sitting alongside top generals, Mugabe acknowledged criticisms from ZANU-PF, the military and the public but made no mention of his own position.

Mugabe said, Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns, said Mugabe.

We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions real or perceived in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit, he added.

Reacting via a tweet on Sunday, Fani-Kayode said, Robert Mugabe is one hard nut to crack. He aint going nowhere anytime soon.

Like or dislike him, for a 93 year old man to call the bluff of the military and his would-be usurpers whilst they were sitting right next to him on national television is deeply courageous. RESPECT!
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Morocco and the Mercosur- a sub-regional Latin-American grouping bringing together Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay- have recently started technical negotiations to pave the way for the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement.

To that end, a meeting was held at the headquarters of the Brazilian foreign ministry, where the Moroccan delegation shed light on the measures taken in the kingdom to promote economic openness through a series of FTAs and preferential trade accords signed with several countries and regional groupings along with the domestic policy to improve the business climate.

The Moroccan delegation included officials from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Digital Economy as well as members of the Moroccan Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Exports.

The delegation members also highlighted the progress achieved in terms of facilitating trade through the setting up of single customs window.

The Mercosur delegation, for its part, gave an overview of the regional economic grouping as well as details concerning the groups common external tariff in addition to the different industrial and trade policies of Mercosur member states.

The participants in the meeting also briefed their Moroccan counterparts of the progress made in FTA negotiations with the EU, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon.

Reaching an FTA between Morocco and Mercosur will add impetus to Moroccos exports, said Moroccos Ambassador to Brasilia, Nabil Adghoghi, in a statement to the Moroccan news agency (MAP).

Such an agreement will also enable Morocco to reinforce its standing and attractiveness as a logistics, trade and industrial hub in Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, he said.

The FTA with Mercosur will also help Morocco become a platform for Latin American businesses wishing to export to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and beyond.
Morocco has reaffirmed its position in favor of neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs of other states and called for sparing the Arab region another war.

The remarks were made by State Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Mounia Bouceta, who is attending the Arab Leagues foreign ministers emergency meeting in Cairo.

Bouceta told the press that Morocco rejects any aggression on the holy sites of Islam or on Gulf States and any other Arab country.

She also highlighted the close ties and the strategic partnership between Morocco and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Morocco remains committed along with friendly Arab states to defending peace and security in the region, she said at a tense regional context marked by arm wrestling between Saudi Arabia and its allies on one side and Iran and its proxies on the other side.

The Moroccan official recalled in this regard that Moroccos relations with its partners in the region are governed by the principle of neighborliness and non-interference in internal issues.

The Arab and Islamic world need to avert any potential war that may result in further bloodshed and resource dilapidation, she said, calling instead for action to be geared to promoting solidarity and cooperation to address common challenges.

Bouceta explained that Morocco is attending the Arab Leagues meeting at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, noting that the meeting examined the threats to peace, stability and territorial integrity and unity of the peoples of the Arab region.

The Arab League meeting delivered a tirade of criticism against Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, saying Tehran was destabilizing the region.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Arab nations would raise Irans destabilizing actions in the region with international organizations, including the UN Security Council.

Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss, Gheit said.

But Gheit said the Arab League was not declaring war on Iran at this stage. He added that Arab nations have not asked the Security Council to meet, but were just briefing the council and maybe the next stage would be for us to meet and call for a Security Council meeting and submit a draft Arab resolution (against Iran).
Algerias role in creating, funding and backing the Polisario separatists was highlighted in a detailed article by French magazine, Lincorrect, which sheds lights on facets of Algerias maneuvering to undermine Moroccos territorial integrity.

The magazine starts by a historical overview of Morocco as a centuries-old nation state that was forged through communion between the north and the south.

The article, titled Western Sahara: Vague Algerian Maneuvers, showed the Sahara has always been part of Moroccos territorial integrity long before the advent of Spanish colonialism in the late 19th century.

It adds that the propaganda and the provocations orchestrated by the Algerian military regime represent an information warfare against Moroccos sovereignty.

Although Algerian officials claim that they are not involved in the Sahara issue and that the dispute is between Morocco and the Polisario, on the ground the Algerian diplomacy in the EU and elsewhere is focused on lending support to the separatist front, said the magazine, yet, stressing that the EU is leaning towards the Moroccan stance.

At a time Morocco choose legal means to establish peace in the region, Algeria and its puppet the Polisario are offering funding to anyone who would create an anti-Moroccan association, author of the article Yves Leroy said.

Leroy deplores that Algeria preferred to sow the seeds of instability through supporting the Polisario in a region beset by terrorist organizations such as AQIM, Al Mourabitoun and the Islamic State.

He warned of the danger that would threaten the whole region if the Polisario strikes an alliance with the terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, in light of the increasing radicalization of the disenchanted youth in the Polisario camps.

Besides terrorist organizations, Leroy pointed to the connivance between international crime and terrorism, noting that the Polisario officials are engaged in criminal and smuggling activities in the region.

Amid such instability factors, Morocco remains the only stability agent with the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty being a bridge between the rest of the Kingdom and Africa, he said.
The Deputy Head of the UN-backed Libyan Presidential Council Ahmed Maetig announced Sunday he is leading inquiries into allegations that African migrants stranded in the North African country are being sold as slaves for a list price of $400.

Maetigs announcement came following a call on Friday by the African Union (AU) to Libyan authorities to investigate slave markets of African migrants caught in Libya.

The AUs chairman, President Alpha Conde of Guinea condemned what he called despicable trade from another era.

Conde called the Libyan authorities to reassess migrants detention conditions following revelations about squalid jails and detention centers that await migrants who are caught trying to reach the coast.

These modern slavery practices must end and the African Union will use all the tools at its disposal, Conde added.

Alongside the AU, several African countries have also condemned the inhuman deeds, which have been reported by CNN. The US news network managed to videotape the sale of migrants at auctions reportedly taking place in Tripoli, Sabratha, Ghadames, Sebha, Gharyan, Zintan, Rajban, Kabaw and Garabulli.

Some migrants, labeled farm laborers, are being sold for as little as $400.

Some 20,000 migrants mostly from Sub-Sahara are being stranded in Libya after they were prevented from reaching European coasts. Early last week, the UN condemned the concentration of the migrants who are, according to the world organization, being kept in inhuman conditions.

The UN report chided the EU, which has been aiding Libyan coastguards and militias to stem illegal migration using Libya as the main port of departure.

Saturday, thousands of African protestors, largely from sub-Saharan countries gathered in front of the Libyan embassy in Paris to demand immediate end to trade of migrants in Libya.
Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections

While some already are household names like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Val Demings in Florida, and Anthony Brown in Maryland, others like Natalie James in Arkansas, Will Boyd in Alabama,...

Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action

One of the great joys of my life is teaching. Im fortunate to teach classes on social justice at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the most respected schools in...
Will the former comedian soon be a former U.S. Senator? Its not at all clear. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Like everyone I consulted for a reality check when the story of Leann Tweedens allegations against him broke on Thursday, I figured Al Frankens Senate career would soon end. For Franken, the timing  near the apparent crest of national outrage about sexual harassment and abuse of women by powerful men, and in the midst of a very specific firestorm over the propriety of elevating Roy Moore to the Senate after accusations of misconduct several decades before Frankens  was horrendous. And then the photo of a leering Franken placing his hands on or near a sleeping Tweedens breasts at the end of the same USO tour where she claimed Franken had harassed and assaulted her was the capper. I could see him perhaps resolving to tough it out until the end of his current term in 2020, but with his career ruined and many past supporters and admirers distancing themselves from the former Saturday Night Live star.

When influential liberal New York Times voice Michelle Goldberg immediately penned a column entitled Franken Should Go, it sounded like an opinion just a bit ahead of an inevitable curve.

The first glimmer that Franken might survive immediate demands for his resignation came from his accuser, as Tweeden accepted a personal apology from him and said she was not trying to force him out of the Senate:

I didnt do this to have him step down. I think Al Franken does a lot of good things in the Senate, Tweeden said when asked if he should resign. You know, I think thats for the people of Minnesota to decide. Im not calling for him to step down. That was never my intention.

The people of Minnesota, or at least their elected Democratic leaders, appeared conflicted. Two Democratic candidates for governor, who both happened to be women (Rebecca Otto and Erin Murphy) called on Franken to resign. But current Democratic governor Mark Dayton and Frankens Senate colleague Amy Klobuchar have echoed the beleaguered senators own call for an ethics investigation before any formal action is taken.

This weekend, Frankens office told a Twin City newspaper he wasnt going anywhere at present:

Asked Saturday whether Franken would resign, a spokesperson for the senator responded: No.

He is spending time with his family in Washington, D.C., and will be through the Thanksgiving holiday, the staffer said by text, and hes doing a lot of reflecting.

I imagine so.

Democrats and other left-of-center observers will probably continue to be conflicted about whether to let Franken slowly regain respectability through apologies and contrition, or to push him toward the exit ramp. One factor in his favor is that the Senate has never before punished a member for bad pre-Senate behavior. But then again, thats precisely what senators from both parties have been contemplating if the voters of Alabama defiantly send them a deeply compromised Roy Moore.

More generally, Democrats worry about looking hypocritical, as Amanda Marcotte suggests at Salon:

Every day Franken remains in the Senate as a visible symbol of liberal hypocrisy, Republicans get a free pass to grope, harass and abuse women. Any effort by journalists or Democrats to hold them accountable will be met with, What about him? Even misogynist legislation, which Republicans love more than dogs love their owners, will prosper under the Al Franken shield.

And others, like Goldberg, are concerned that lenient treatment of Franken will signal an end to the current period of reckoning over sexual harassment and abuse:

[M]y first instinct is to say that Franken deserves a chance to go through an ethics investigation but remain in the Senate, where he should redouble his efforts on behalf of abuse and harassment victims. But if that happens, the current movement toward unprecedented accountability for sexual harassers will probably start to peter out.

The beneficiaries of that subsiding wave of interest would include the president, whose reckoning for his own behavior has yet to occur.

But, as Kevin Drum replies, treating Al Franken as nothing more than a chess piece in a broader contest is not exactly right either:

The message to men in power should be: we will treat you fairly. That should be our message to everyone, the guilty and the innocent alike. If we get to the point where we sacrifice individuals just for the sake of movement optics, thats where I get off the train.

To a considerable extent, Frankens fate will depend on whether he wants to make his every waking moment for the foreseeable future revolve around the difficult questions raised by his behavior toward Leeann Tweeden. Even if his Senate career survives, it will never be the same.
Not Trumps favorite. Photo: Michael A. Schwarz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg reported Monday that the Department of Justice will sue to block the merger between corporate giants AT&T and Time Warner, in a highly unusual move.

AT&T will go to court and seek an expedited hearing to try to block the lawsuit against the $85 billion deal, which was announced in October 2016.

The DOJs hesitance to give it the green light had been apparent for months, but the reason for its resistance  specifically, whether it has anything to do with President Trumps well-documented hatred of CNN, which is owned by Time Warner  remains a subject of intrigue.

Trump repeatedly promised to nix the deal on the campaign trail last year, though at the time it was hard to tell if he was sincere or just playing to his antimainstream media crowds. Since ascending to the presidency, though, he has not ceased his frequent Twitter attacks on the news network. Over the summer, the White House telegraphed that it was looking to punish CNN directly by meddling with the merger. And in November, the New York Times reported that Justice Department officials requested that AT&T sell Turner Broadcasting, which includes CNN, as a precondition to get approval for the deal. Justice Department officials pushed back on that account, claiming that AT&T offered outright to sell CNN, a claim the companys CEO rejected.

The DOJs antitrust department, especially those in Republican administrations, tend to look kindly on vertical mergers  that is, mergers between two companies that do not directly compete with each other. But Trump himself has denied that CNN has anything to do with the unusual level of scrutiny in this case, and some think AT&T is using the presidents disdain for the network as an excuse. Others believe that even if Trumps vendetta against the network is the reason for the DOJs lawsuit, megacorporation-averse consumers should be celebrating.

But the DOJ has yet to offer an explanation that fits with the administrations big-business-friendly philosophy, which on issue after issue has contradicted Trumps populist rhetoric. Even if it does, the mere appearance of a president interfering in corporate affairs because his feelings have been hurt by one of the companies involved should make anyone feel a little queasy.
Kim Jong-un is arguably a sponsor of terrorism, but labeling him as such could be just the latest in a series of mutual insults. Photo: KCNA/AFP/Getty Images

When word came out that the president was about to rename North Korea to the short list (which currently includes Iran, Syria, and Sudan) of state sponsors of terrorism, a witty colleague explained: Its an escalation on the threat matrix from your leader is short and fat.

Given the regular exchange of personal insults in which Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have indulged themselves, its not that hard to believe that the former seized on the state sponsor of terrorism designation as just another stick with which to beat the latter. But the underlying law and diplomacy of the gesture are, well, complicated.

When George W. Bush removed North Korea from the list in 2008 as part of a carrots-and-sticks effort to get the renegade country to curtail its nuclear program, Pyongyang had by any definition qualified as a major state sponsor of terrorism, as North Korea expert Joseph DeThomas reminds us:

[I]n Pyongyangs previous campaign of state sponsored terror, the targets were South Korean civilians and officials in large numbers. This included a bomb attack in Rangoon that murdered a significant part of the ROK Cabinet and the bombing of a South Korean civilian airliner killing 115 people in the 1980s.

North Korea doesnt do that sort of thing anymore. The ostensible rationale for resuming the designation is the 2017 assassination of Kims half-brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia. It is also possible to argue that North Koreas officially directed cyberattacks on the United States and other countries qualify as state-sponsored terrorism, though the designation has not been used for such activity before.

Other than making the label fit Pyongyangs offenses, the other issue with the designation is that the sanctions imposed under it are not terribly germane to a country with whom the United States has no significant trade or aid:

1. A ban on arms-related exports and sales.

2. Controls over exports of dual-use items, requiring 30-day Congressional notification for goods or services that could significantly enhance the terrorist-list countrys military capability or ability to support terrorism.

3. Prohibitions on economic assistance.

4. Imposition of miscellaneous financial and other restrictions 

So while North Korea probably qualifies for designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, it is not entirely clear what the designation is supposed to accomplish, beyond escalating the war of words between Trump and Kim. If thats all it involves, then Trump should have probably just announced Pyongyang is a short and fat sponsor of terrorism.
Collapse of party negotiations may force a new election in Germany, and an uncertain future for Angela Merkel and for Europe. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The U.K. wants a reliable negotiating partner for the terms of its Brexit. France wants an ally for its proposed changes in the European Unions defense and financial structure. Spain wants a powerful supporter of its efforts to halt Catalan independence.

Much of Europe, it seems, wants a stable Germany led by that great symbol of center-right stability, Angela Merkel. But the longtime German chancellor has apparently failed in her efforts to put together a governing coalition after elections in September.

Negotiations between Merkels Christian Democrats and their Bavarian counterparts the Christian Social Union with the Greens and the market-oriented Free Democrats broke down over a variety of disagreements involving migration, climate change, and fiscal policies. The Social Union democrats, who have in the past served in a grand coalition government with Merkel, are no longer interested in propping her up. And the other big party, the right-wing anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), is considered beyond the pale.

Merkel could continue as chancellor under a minority government, but she has indicated she would prefer new elections. Under Germanys cumbersome procedures to inhibit snap elections, that probably wont happen until the spring. And theres absolutely no guarantee that would resolve anything:

Recent opinion polls predict that a new vote would bring little change, compared to the result in September. A Forsa poll released last week showed Ms. Merkels conservatives at 32 percent, the Social Democrats on 20 percent, the Free Democrats at 12 percent, the Greens 10 percent and the AfD 12 percent.

The big fear in the background in Europe is that a post-Merkel era is about to begin, even though the chancellor is a comparatively youthful 63. But if she cannot wrestle the German political system into submission, Germanys ability to dominate Europe is no longer just a fact of life to be accepted. And that opens up all sorts of difficult questions about the continents future.
President Trump is waiting for a Thanksgiving resolution to the Russia investigation. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Years ago, my wife and I moved into a fixer-upper townhouse, and we hired contractors to replace the somewhat shabby kitchen. One September day, their workers came and tore out the old kitchen, leaving nothing behind but bare wooden paneling. We moved the old refrigerator into the dining room. I bought buckets of premade barbecued chicken that we ate off paper plates for dinner almost every night. We had no first-floor sink at all, so when we had leftover water in our paper cups, wed open the front door and toss it on the plants outside. It was bad. But our contractor had one word for us: Thanksgiving. All the work would be finished by Thanksgiving.

The fall weeks rolled by, and nary a worker was to be found. The work wasnt going slowly; it was not going at all. Sometime in January, our contractors informed us that the workers had left to get better jobs elsewhere immediately after tearing out our outdated but still functional kitchen. But during the months this travesty went on, they calmed us with near-daily reassurances. Thanksgiving.

While I dont empathize with President Trump, I felt some pang of recognition when I read the Washington Post account of how the White House is handling the Russia investigation. The outward signs, from Trumps perspective, look extremely dire. Legal experts tell the Post that Robert Muellers investigation appears to be still in its early stages, likely to to extend deep into 2018 and possibly longer. People on the inside of the investigation have even more ominous news: Witnesses questioned by Muellers team warn that investigators are asking about other foreign contacts and meetings that have not yet become public, and to expect a series of new revelations.

A series of new revelations. Thats bad.

A source close to the administration tells the Post that Mueller is running a classic Gambino-style roll-up that will reach everyone in this administration. When you read histories of the more successful presidential administrations in American history, a phrase you dont usually come across is Gambino-style roll-up.

However, in the face of this mounting evidence and the warnings of some allies, Trump has remained  by Trumps standards  fairly calm. Obviously, by the standards of a normal president, he is acting like a complete lunatic. But given Trumps patterns of spewing indiscriminate rage and abuse and lashing out at his enemies in wildly counterproductive fashion, he has conducted himself with notable restraint. Despite his barely concealed impulses, Trump has refrained from mass pardons or attempting to fire Mueller.

The apparent reason for his serenity is that his lawyer, Ty Cobb, has placated Trump with promises that Muellers probe would be over soon. The president himself, however, has warmed to Cobbs optimistic message on Muellers probe. Cobb had initially said he hoped the focus on the White House would conclude by Thanksgiving, the Post reports.

Thanksgiving. It will all be over by Thanksgiving.

By this point, three days before Thanksgiving, it should be relatively clear Muellers work is not going to be completed before the turkey is served. The Post notes that Cobb adjusted the timeline slightly in an interview last week, saying he remains optimistic that it will wrap up by the end of the year, if not shortly thereafter.

We had the same promise from our contractor. When our kitchen still looked like the inside of a treehouse on Monday of Thanksgiving week, he finally admitted the work would not be done by Thanksgiving. New Years?, I asked. Oh, definitely by New Years, he replied with a chuckle, adding that he was certain it would all be completed well in advance of that date. (Nota bene: It wasnt.)

The obvious question arising from this report is, what happens when Mueller fails to meet the deadline Cobb has arbitrarily set for him? If Cobb has bought time with Trump by blowing sunshine up his ass, at some point Trump will stop believing his lawyers absurdly copacetic analysis and start believing the people who are warning him about the Gambino-style roll-up under way. That point might come after Thanksgiving, it might come at New Years, or perhaps early next year. At some point, Trump is going to blow.
A border-patrol agent monitors prototypes of Trumps proposed border wall on November 1, 2017, in San Diego, California. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was killed and his partner was seriously injured while they were on patrol in rural West Texas on Sunday morning. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agents were responding to activity near Interstate 10 in Culberson County, Texas, which is about 90 miles east of El Paso, during the incident. Rogelio Martinez, 36, died. His partner, who has not been identified, called for help and was then transported to the hospital. He remains in serious condition.

The agency said the FBI has taken over the investigation, but provided little information about the incident. CBS News reported that the agents arrived at the scene in separate cars, with one investigating a tripped alarm and the other providing backup.

CBP tells us Agent Martinez hometown was El Paso. He was 36 and entered on duty with the Border Patrol on 8/12/2013. pic.twitter.com/f9p1jzO7wW  Ashley Claster (@ClasterKFOX_CBS) November 19, 2017

Texas senator Ted Cruz issued a statement expressing his condolences and referring to the incident as an attack. He suggested it means security must be increased at the border, though he didnt elaborate on what happened to the agents.

This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them, Cruz said. We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation.

Texas governor Greg Abbott expressed similar sentiments:

Our prayers are with the families of this Border Patrol Agent who was killed & the other who was injured in this attack in Texas. Our resources must be increased to prevent these attacks in the future. #txlege #tcot https://t.co/60tHfoWKRq  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 20, 2017

President Trump, as usual, was less delicate. Though we know few details about what happened to Martinez and his partner, he took the opportunity to renew his call for a southern border wall:

Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2017

As CBS News notes, Big Bend was responsible for one percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions at the border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region features mountains and the Rio Grande, which make it difficult for people to cross the U.S.-Mexico border there.

Martinez had been a border-patrol agent since August 2013. He is the 39th agent to die while working on the border since 2003.
Coca-Cola has launched the Power Play energy drink into the Ugandan market and Africa.

Coca Cola Beverage Africa managing director Conrad Van Niekerk said: With the current trend of busier schedules and more complicated lifestyles, people need an energy boost on a daily basis and this product provides the perfect offering.

The company says Power Play celebrates the Ugandan culture of work hard, play hard.

Whether it is long hours at work, the hustle on the street, dodging traffic on Boda Boda, studying through the night, dancing and celebrating culture, Power Play is an appropriately refreshing drink. The brand will feature well with extreme sport enthusiasts, and will be a good blend for people ex- cited by speed, and high energy, the company said in a press statement.

The drink will cost Shs 2,000 for a 400ml pack. Power Play is represented by an energetic icon bearing the image of a griffin that shows the winning and play hard attributes.

The Griffin is a combination of a lion and an eagle speaking to the attributes of the drink.
Researchers at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) in Kawanda have said they are ready to go for open- field trial of the genetically -modified banana, before it is released to the public in 2021.

This follows the passage of the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012 which now gives them a go-ahead to move out of the station to test their varieties in the community. The law now awaits the presidential assent but the fact that it has been passed by parliament, where it spent more than five years, is a big milestone.

Dr Priver Namanya Bwesigye, a senior researcher and plant biotechnologist at NARL, explained to The Observer: We have a number of technologies that are almost ready to go. Now that the law has been passed, were able to go to the field.

Going for open-field trials, Bwesigye explained, means that they will test the banana varieties with the farmers and the farming communities to make sure they can resist the bacterial wilt in different agro-ecological zones.

The national variety release committee requires us to test varieties in different zones in the country. It requires us to show that if a variety resists banana bacterial wilt in Masaka, it can also do the same in Gulu.

For the banana, the researchers need at least two years to evaluate and test in the farming community. This means they will be ready to release GM bananas to the general public in 2021.

The GM varieties are meant to resist banana bacterial wilt and they are also pro-vitamin A to fight malnutrition among most communities around the country. Dr Bwesigye told us that all conventionally-bred bananas dont have resistance to banana bacterial wilt.

The banana bacterial wilt resistant gene was got from green pepper, which is an edible crop while the pro-Vitamin A gene, was got from a banana variety not grown in this region but only found in South Eastern Asia.

These genes are added into the already existing varieties to make them resistant to banana bacterial wilt and become pro-vitamin A.

The banana remains the same. The only thing that changes is the resistance to diseases, she said.

Bacterial banana wilt was first reported in Uganda in 2001  all regions were affected, with central and western regions most hit

It was estimated the country lost up $4bn in ten years from the wilt destruction  this is about 17 per cent of the countrys GDP.

To stem the destruction, a nation-wide campaign was mounted with farmers told to destroy bananas suspected to have the wilt. They were also told not to get suckers from neighbours for planting  this is the most used method to plant bananas in local communities. It is also most susceptible to spread diseases.

Also farmers were told to always cut the male buds so that bees that visit them dont spread the disease. This requires a lot of vigilance which may not be the case with local farmers.

Dr Bwesigye said that while these measures had reduced banana wilt, they were not sustainable. Research for the GM banana variety started in 2004 and it is a better option to resist banana bacterial wilt.



FOOD INSECURITY ANSWER?

Various studies have shown that as many as ten million Ugandans are food insecure. Dr Bwesigye said a farmer will still need to manage the technology. For instance, if a farmer does not weed, mulch or prune, it means the yield will still not be enough to ensure his/her food security.

She adds there is nutritional value with a micro-nutrient that fights vitamin A deficiency or hidden hunger. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it reaches grave level when the deficiency in human body is at 15 per cent. In Uganda, average vitamin A deficiency is at 30 per cent.

It is rampant in communities feeding a lot on staples, Dr Bwesigye said.

The national household survey 2016/17 showed Kigezi region had highest malnutrition cases. This is because of the regions dependence on Irish and sweet potatoes as the staple.

We are addressing communities feeding on these bananas every day. The culture has not evolved [in Uganda] to ensure that people change [from staple] to feed on other things like vegetables, she said.

Dr Bwesigye said these technologies have been designed to be safe. She also said there has not been any GMOs released to the public.

All the trials have been confined at the station. Only banana varieties have been developed at the Kawanda station. Other crops like cassava, coffee, and beans are being developed at Namulonge Agricultural and Animal Production Research Institute.

mwesigwa@observer.ug
For years, the World Bank has been supporting basic education instead of university learning, following a proposal that it was important to the third world.

However, that thinking changed last year, following a meeting in Zimbabwe in 2016, at which university dons explained the significance of higher education on development in the third world.

So, last week, the World Bank formally unveiled plans to support the development of 24 Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) spread in the eight countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The projects objective is to strengthen the selected ACEs to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas of industry, agriculture, health, education and applied statistics.

Education minister Janet Museveni

Launching Ugandas four ACEs, education minister Janet Museveni said she was happy to see universities embark on projects that address real-life challenges.

Universities were not meant to be unreachable, talking to themselves, but to lead communities to find their own solutions, she said. It is a liberating day for my spirit to see our universities talk about projects that are addressing issues that deal with our everyday life.

The four centres are part of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE II) project, an initiative of participating African governments and the World Bank. She also hoped that the investment at higher education would have far-reaching implications.

This intervention in higher education worth $24 million, which is approximately Shs 87bn, is indeed a worthy investment and, as a country, we salute the partnership of the World Bank.

The ACEs are aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of selected higher education institutions to deliver quality post-graduate education and building collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas. that are also in line with national priorities as identified in the National Development Plan II, as well as Ugandas Vision 2040.

STIFF COMPETITION

The secretariat received 19 proposals from Ugandan institutions of higher learning, for support, in what was seen as an open, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. Some 24 centres were identified for support, and only four are from Uganda.

Makerere University is hosting two ACEs. The Centre for Materials, Product Development & Nanotechnology (MAPRONANO) will strengthen research and training in materials science and engineering, nanotechnology and nanomedicine in order to develop human resource capacity in applied science engineering disciplines.

The second ACE at Makerere is called the Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) hosted at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), which will focus on delivery of better crop varieties.

A third centre is at Mbarara University of Science and Technology  the Pharm-Biotechnology & Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMBIOTRAC), which will train and raise a critical mass of specialized and skilled human capital that can use a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to advance traditional medicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology.

The fourth centre is hosted at Uganda Martyrs University. African Center of Excellence in Agroecology and Livelihood Systems (ACALISE). This is tasked with providing training, research and community engagement for development in Agroecology, food systems, value chains and sustainable livelihoods for balanced development in the region.

The minister urged the winning ACEs to add value to learning outcomes in the country.

The importance of hands-on learning and university-industry cooperation as one of the most important mechanisms for practical application of science and technology should be emphasized, she said.

The centres will do research through graduate training in masters, PhD, and short-term courses and applied research in form of partnerships and collaborations with other institutions and with the private sector.

On his part, the education ministrys permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, pledged to ensure that the project achieves its objectives and becomes a model for others.

He also explained that the World Bank board had approved the ACE project in May 2016, before launching it in October 26, 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya. The condition for the loan to be effective was for each government to approve the loan, which Uganda achieved in July 2017. He challenged the ACEs to ensure timely delivery of innovations.

The $140million project is financed by the World Bank through credit line to the eight participating countries. The project will close in December 2022.

Phase One of this initiative (ACE I) is ongoing in West and Central Africa, having started in 2013 with 22 ACEs in eight countries.

The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), an institution of the East African Community responsible for coordinating higher education and research, is the regional facilitation unit for the project.

Speaking at the launch, the IUCEA deputy executive secretary, Prof Mike Kuria, called on the vice chancellors to spread the fruits of the research to all programmes within their universities

The centres of excellence must not become islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity. The centres should become pacesetters for other programmes, departments, schools and institutes, he said.

Excellence must not be limited only to the sciences, but must be applicable to the arts, humanities and social sciences. We need every one of us to be excellent in what we do for the good of our region.



mtalemwa@observer.ug
Officials at Bridge International Academies (BIA) were last week holed up in meetings in Nairobi, following a series of challenges that have beset the group in both Uganda and Kenya.

Attempts to reach BIAs new Uganda director, Morrison Rwakakamba, last week fell through, when he suddenly cancelled a scheduled interview with The Observer to attend a meeting in Nairobi.

He had been scheduled to explain the progress in their efforts to finally get registered as an education institution in Uganda. According to education ministry officials, BIA was reportedly still struggling to get a license, after a series of setbacks.

A teacher attends to learners at Bridge International Academy, Katooke

Many of the teachers they had fronted for accreditation failed the test, after it emerged that they did not have the requisite academic qualifications  but we are still giving them a chance to complete the verification exercise, an official at the ministry revealed.

This official, who gave us the information on condition of anonymity, as they are not permitted to speak on the ministrys behalf, insisted that BIA was also behind schedule in having its curriculum and premises passed as fit for operation.

BIA is working to obtain licenses for its 68 academies in Uganda, after a losing a high court case on the matter last year. Bridge agreed to submit to the education ministrys licensing regime after accepting not to pursue the matter in court again.

Across the border in Kenya, BIA officials had their operations in knots following an African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) report, released last week, demanded that Nairobi effectively enforce regulations on quality.

The report specifically faulted the Kenyan government over the lack of monitoring and effective regulation of private school chains, such as Bridge International Academies.

The ACHPR was particularly concerned that BIA schools register as non-formal schools, whereas they appear to offer formal education.

This, the report says, raises concerns on the compliance of BIA schools with the protection of the right to education under Kenyan law. The report urges Nairobi to ensure monitoring of Bridge International Academies regarding their system and methods of education.

Bridge runs over 400 schools in Kenya. The ACHPR report follows a government document from July 2017 that showed that most Bridge schools were not registered, despite being in operation for several years.

Earlier in February, a court order allowed the county of Busia, in western Kenya, to close 10 BIA schools. Several other cases are pending in other Kenyan courts. The Kenyan government is yet to formally respond to the letter, as a minister for education is yet to be appointed, following last months presidential election.

However, the ACHPR has been backed by mounting concerns from civil society over the commercialisation of education in Kenya and in Africa.

Zulekha Amin of Hakijamii, a Kenyan based NGO interested in education rights, said: the registration of schools operated by non-state actors must be conditional on full compliance with national standards.

She added that: evidence of compliance must be maintained at all times and adherence to the national standards must be subject to regular monitoring. Operators who fail to adhere to the national standards must have their registration revoked.

Martin Mavenjina, from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, was just as scathing.

Inadequacies in the public schooling system and public incentives have led to the rapid growth of so-called low-cost sub-standard private schools funded by development aid. This has resulted in the segregation or discriminatory access to education. The Government of Kenya has a legal obligation to guarantee free mandatory education for all without discrimination, Mavenjina added.

Officials in Rwakakambas office indicated that BIA would respond to the reports later this week after the Nairobi meetings.
Rev Leviticus Acidri of Madi and West Nile diocese of the Church of Uganda is one of the beneficiaries of seeds from Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), an army-led initiative to end household poverty and drive the country into the cherished middle-income status.

For two seasons now, Achidri has recorded low yields, thanks to suspected fake seeds he received under the programme.

Very few [seeds] germinated and those that did were attacked by armyworms yet the original seeds; the ones that we preserve locally, are doing well and were not attacked by the worms, Acidri told members of parliaments committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries on November 16.

MPs on a tour of a nucleus farm in Northern Uganda

The committee, led by its vice chairperson Robert Migadde Ndugwa (Buvuma), has for the past one month been investigating claims of farmers being supplied with fake seeds.

There is a problem in this country about the quality of seed, we have been wondering as a committee, wondering where the fake seeds come from, Migadde told The Observer on November 17.

Through the national agricultural advisory services (Naads) and OWC, government has been distributing planting materials, among other interventions, to farmers as President Museveni sought to improve Ugandas agricultural productivity.

Since then, questions have been asked about the quality of materials distributed, owing to the high failure rate.

Seed is a national security [issue]; when we have hunger, you see China intervening yet we can help our farmers to produce enough food, Migadde said.

In his 2017/18 budget speech, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija reported low survival rates of planting materials distributed to farmers which stood at 40 per cent.

Under Naads, assorted seeds are bought from private seed companies. These companies are obliged to have nucleus farms where they do seed multiplication from a foundation seed lot distributed by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) at $300 (Shs 1.08m) per kilogramme.

Without adequate land, some seed companies have entered into partnerships with individual farmers to produce the seeds for them. Unfortunately, some of the outgrower farmers were discovered to lack the capacity to produce good quality seeds.

The quality of seed determines the quality of yields a farmer will get. If we are distributing poor quality, miserable seeds, you know the quality of products we will get, Shadow minister of Agriculture Francis Gonahasa (Kabweri) said.

To ensure that good quality seeds are produced and distributed to farmers, government set up the national seed certification services (NSCS) under the Seed and Plant Act 2006 to supervise the companies.

However, out of 31 licensed seed companies, NSCS officials visited only 12 companies over the past one year. Some of these were visited on the eve of the MPs arrival.

In order for the seed companies to be supervised, they have to pay NSCS officials full allowances, including fuel, accommodation and meals. This discovery shocked the MPs, raising doubts on whether NSCS can ably supervise the seed companies in such an environment.

Samuel Emiku, the undersecretary of Uganda Prison Services, observed that this facilitation is normal.

The facilitation we give them is just their entitlements as government officials, but not to influence them. Their ministry is not facilitating them, and we have a crop that we need to be inspected, what do we do? wondered Emiku.

The MPs with Uganda Prisons officers at Rwimi prison farm

Uganda Prisons is one of the 31 companies licensed to supply seed to OWC. Many of these companies started as seed dealers but got licenses to clean, process and produce seed.

Without a nucleus farm, many buy [grain] from uncertified farmers, paint them with unapproved chemicals, pack and send to the market, said former Central youth MP Patrick Nakabaale.

Nakabaale is himself a seed producer under Gavic seeds, which works with Uganda Prison Services. The Naads executive director, Dr Sam Mugasi, concurred with Nakabaale, telling The Observer on November 17 that the agricultural agency is investigating the reports.

We have issued a warning to the seed companies because some buy grain and treat it; once we get them, we will blacklist them because we are tired of these endless complaints, Mugasi said.

Mugasi also blames the low germination rates on poor seed handling by farmers.

Some farmers keep the seed until the next season. Once you keep the seed under poor conditions, it will die, Mugasi said.

Besides the farmers, Michael Ocowun, the production manager at Equator seeds, meanwhile, blames district authorities for the mismanagement of the seeds. According to Ocowun, districts dont have proper storage facilities for the seeds supplied to them for onward distribution to farmers.



POLITICS

Then there is the politics involved in supplying seeds to Naads. According to Emiku, this might explain why some companies enjoy certain privileges.

There is some politics that we have failed to understand because despite a presidential directive that Naads picks the seeds for distribution from Uganda Prisons, they (Naads) would rather deal with private suppliers than us for reasons best known to them, Emiku said.

Uganda Prisons joined the seeds trade about one and a half years ago after a protracted court battle against some big shots in government who had wanted to grab part of its 2,200-acre Rwimi prison farm in Bunyagabu district.

Rwimi prison farm has since been turned into a nucleus farm for Uganda Prisons seeds. Because of the politics, Emiku said, the bulk of the 718.4 metric tonnes of seed produced by Uganda Prisons this year is likely to go to waste since Naads took only 29 metric tonnes.

But according to Naads, Uganda Prisons could not be accommodated since it started producing seeds late when the agency already had running contracts with other seed producers. These contracts are expected to expire in February 2018.



DISEASED ANIMALS

Even the animals are diseased. Instead of improving productivity, the cows that were brought in have only helped in spreading brucellosis to our indigenous breeds. We never had brucellosis fever here but the number of people and cattle that has been affected by the disease is big, Acidri said.

Available guidelines require that before livestock is distributed to farmers, blood samples are drawn and tested for possible infections at the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries laboratories.

According to Dr Mugasi, the distribution chain for cows faced challenges due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease and resistance of ticks to drugs.

Sickness is normal for any living thing; the issue should be how you treat it, Mugasi said on November 17.

We are coming up with a strategy to stop transporting cows from one region to another because some of them fail to adapt to the conditions of the region where they have been taken, Mugasi added.

In the new strategy, Naads hopes to work with local breeders to supply their respective regions.



sadabkk@observer.ug
Government says it has one option now: sack the striking health workers and hire new ones. But that option is not that easy or cheap either.

An analysis by The Observer shows it would be the expensive option that would cause irreparable damage to an already seriously sick sector given what knowledgeable observers say. President Museveni said last week that he was ready to hire new health workers if those on strike dont go back to work.

The president did not say from where though, and even his promised army replacement doctors are yet to report for duty at public hospitals. There are about 1,000 health workers on strike under the auspices of the Uganda Medical Association. Ivan Engoru, a labour law don at Makerere University, said withdrawing labour has got both international and national dimensions.

In the international dimension, we are talking about the legal framework with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which sets standards for labour-related matters. Then locally, we have the Constitution that has provisions that deal with economic rights, the Employment Act and the Labour Union Act, Engoru said.

But engagement in labour is generally treated as a private matter that two parties can agree; that one is providing labour and the other hiring pays for the labour. That, in effect, gives the person who is giving the labour the right to withdraw it, he added.

This is exactly what the doctors did. Government must either meet their demands or decide that it no longer needs them and, therefore, hires other professionals. Is it a feasible idea? It comes at a huge cost  bigger than meeting the current demands.

First, according to a doctor familiar with the sector, Ugandas health sector is already short of the health workers needed for it to function well.

Ugandas doctor-to-patient ratio is estimated at 1:25,725, with a nurse to patient ratio of 1:11,000. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends one physician per 1,000 people. Uganda needs to hire more doctors instead of firing the few in place.

A patient comes to a hospital and there is just one health worker. He/she has to attend to the children, the expectant mothers. Thats the reality. Thats how our public hospitals run, a health worker told us.

Another cost is in terms of experience that would be lost if these health workers are let go. Uganda Medical Association (UMA) accounts for most of the senior professionals Uganda has. For instance, the association has 712 of the 1,300 doctors in public service. At least 152 of them are senior consultants, with another 171 being senior house officers.

We analyzed the deficit of doctors and found that about 50 per cent of the established posts arent filled in our [public] hospitals. There is still room to recruit another 1,000 doctors to deploy in hospitals like Kabale Regional hospital which has six doctors out of the recommended 20, one doctor told The Observer.

The second cost would be lost trust in government on health workers job security.

If you fired my predecessor for demanding better working conditions, how sure am I that you will not humiliate me with ease? another doctor said.

There is also a cost to the taxpayers. Uganda currently spends at least Shs 70 million to train a doctor. Firing at least 1,000 and denying Ugandans an opportunity of getting services from them means the country will lose at least Shs 70 billion in the money that was spent to train them, according to one analyst.

When let go, more doctors will seek greener pastures in the neighbouring countries where they are on high demand. Another loss could stem from potential mass class action lawsuits filed against the government for wrongful dismissal.

Museveni once sacked health workers of Nakawuka Health Centre but were reinstated because he had no powers to relieve them of their duties

Another health worker said: We have consulted our lawyers and they advised us that industrial action is justified if the safety of the worker is at risk. Doctors were exposed to various occupational risks hence triggering the strike. Summary dismissal from employment during a strike is contrary to the law hence it is likely attract litigation.

Engoru said ILO rules give workers rights to association and the right to collective bargaining. In the same instrument, is embedded obligations on the part of an ILO member state not to victimize or discriminate against any employees on the basis of their participation in an industrial action.

Then there is the extremely high human cost. A lot of ordinary people are losing their lives from treatable diseases because there are either no health workers or essential supplies in hospitals. From Kiruddu to Jinja to Masaka, there have been people claiming their loved ones died after they found no one to take care of them at the hospitals.



MORE WITHDRAWALS

When The Observer visited several hospitals on Saturday, skeleton staff attending to emergency cases said they were also withdrawing their labour to let the army do the work. Museveni said last week that he would deploy the army, police, and prisons doctors to work in public hospitals.

But these institutions can only deploy less than 50 medical doctors, a hopelessly inadequate number. At Kawempe General Referral Hospital and Nagurus China-Uganda Friendship hospital, by Saturday, there were no army doctors or nurses in sight.

Kawempe offers vital gynaecology and obstetrics services and treatment of cervical cancer. On average, the hospital receives 100 patients daily, mainly mothers who come to give birth.

Hadijah Namugala, a patient who was found outside the postnatal ward, had waited for a security guard for over two hours to stamp her discharge letter. She said medical workers discharged her and told her that they were stopping to work on Saturday to allow the army take over.

But I havent seen any army doctor or nurse around the ward since I was admitted here on Sunday (Nov 12) to give birth. I was referred from Kasangati Health Centre because my high blood pressure was not stabilizing and I needed specialised doctors to help me deliver, she said.

Of course when I reached, they kept me waiting and didnt work on me that day. The following day when I gave the nurses Shs 100,000, they took me to the theatre and I was operated very fast. I gave birth to a baby boy, she said.

Namugala, like many Ugandans, said she had been buying drugs from the pharmacies outside the hospital and also paid nurses Shs 10,000 to administer the drugs until she was discharged on Saturday.

Even removing the catheter, which is the bag that collects urine after operation, you pay Shs 5,000 to nurses. If you dont, you remain with it. So, government should help us address the doctors problems because people are going to die, she said.

The doctors and nurses who didnt want to disclose their names at Kawempe General hospital said they are all going to lay down their tools by Sunday to let army doctors and nurses to take over since government failed to address their problems.

Dr Ekwaro Obuku, the UMA president that spearheading the strike, said government should not bury its head in the sand.

There should be efforts to sidestep legalese and instead look at the legitimate issues that are being raised, he said.

Government, for example, has an issue when it says it has no money. I think also having a comprehensive review of the salaries of all public servants is a good thing so that you dont sort this group then the other comes up. But in the interim, there must also be identification of critical issues raised by the doctors so that they are worked on and the rest await the outcome of the committee on salary review.

Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, told The Observer on Saturday: I have nothing else to discuss on the subject just wait for a communication from the prime minister.



zurah@observer.ug
Far from the resignation speech that many expected to hear from Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, Sunday, the exact opposite happened.

In a 20-minute, televised speech, which showed President Mugabe flanked by the uniformed generals who have been holding him hostage since they took over the state last week, on side, and his support team on the other, President Mugabe instead re-enforced his position as the head of the country, and offered a recognizance of sorts, for the militarys action.

I as the President of Zimbabwe, and as their Commander in Chief, do acknowledge the issues they have brought my attention to and do believe these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep patriotic concern for the stability of our nation and welfare of our people, said President Mugabe.

Echoing the very denial by the military when it took over the state broadcaster, Tuesday, that there was no coup, President Mugabe assured the nation that while a few incidents may have happened during what he called the operation, nothing was harmed beyond repair.

The operation I alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government, he emphasized, not even as Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

Mr. Mugabe went on to commend the militarys respectful and comported, treatment of him since the incident, which proceeded the ouster of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Even happier for me, and arising from todays meeting is a strong sense of collegiality and comradeship, now binding the various arms of our security establishment, he said.

Dispelling further speculation of a coup, President Mugabe expressed his happiness for the manner in which the country continued to function after the military takeover.

True, a few incidents may have occurred here and there, but these are being corrected. I am happy that throughout the short period, the pillars of state remained functional, President Mugabe said.

Praise for Countrys Citizens

Further surprises followed as President Mugabe expressed admiration for the citizens of his country, who the day before had turned out in one of the largest crowds ever seen in Zimbabwe, to demand his resignation. President Mugabe acknowledged the concerns that have come from the citizens, many who showed anger and frustration at his 37-years in office.

If there is any one observation we have made and drawn from events of the past week is the unshakeable pedestal upon which to rest our state of peace, law and order, amply indicating that as Zimbabweans we are genuinely peaceably disposed people, he said, adding that the dignity, discipline and restraint shown by Zimbabweans was to be admired.

Still in charge

Making no mention or acknowledgement of his ouster from the ruling Zanu-PF party by his long-time colleagues earlier in the day, President Mugabe, said he will preside over the upcoming Extraordinary Congress in December.

The congress is due in a few weeks from now, I will preside over its processes which must not be pre-possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public, said President Mugabe, disregarding his partys resolutions Monday, which have now earmarked the occasion to enforce his ouster as the party leader, first secretary and presidential nominee, and transfer the titles his ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will be confirmed at that same congress.

Fixing the economy

Among the various issues the military raised when it took over the state broadcaster, was the state of the economy which it said had been underdeveloped for the past five years due to the squabbling in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

In response, President Mugabe said it was true that the internal turmoil in his party had given the appearance of neglect for the economy and the well-being of the citizens of the nation. He vowed to change that in the future.

Amidst of all this, flagship projects already adopted by government stood stalled or mired in needless controversies, Mr. Mugabe acknowledged. All this now has to stop as we inaugurate a new work culture and pace which will show our strong sense of purpose, and commitment to turning around our economy in terms of our policies.

For examples, Mugabe cited the partys economic blueprint ZIMASSET, and development projects underway to help people in rural areas and growth points.

War veterans

Another bone of contention raised by the generals, which triggered their state takeover, was the purge of the partys members who had contributed to the liberation of the country. Among these were ousted Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Joice Mujuru who was fired in 2014.

President Mugabe, who has lost the support of many of the war veterans who have openly challenged his leadership, said he would change that, and take better care of the veterans, and recognize their contribution.

We still have in our various communities veterans of that founding struggle who might have found the prevailing management of national and party issues quite alienating. This must be corrected without delay, including ensuring that these veterans continue to play central roles in the lives of our nation, Mugabe said.

President Mugabe had until noon today, Monday to offer his resignation, or the partys chief whip will start proceedings to recall Mr. Mugabe, using a constitutional provision. He did not resign.
Dr Bedah Ssenkwale, a surgeon at Itojo district hospital is in trouble for alleged theft of government drugs and health equipment.



He was picked up by the State House Health Monitoring Unit team led by Dr Julian Nabatanzi from his privately owned Family Doctor's clinic in Ntungamo along Ntungamo-Kabale road.



Dr Nabatanzi says they made an impromptu visit to Family Doctors' clinic following a tip off by residents. She says they were shocked to find government drugs and government equipment in the clinic including gloves.

Dr Ssenkwale allegedly stole medical equipment from Itojo hospital

According to Nabatanzi, despite his clinic offering caesarean services, the monitoring unit found that none of Ssenkwale's staff are qualified. It is also alleged that Ssenkwale uses government equipment at Itojo hospital to operate on expectant mothers on a 'private arrangement'.



Nabatanzi ordered for the temporary closure of the clinic as investigations continue.

Ssenkwale declined to speak to the media. Geoffrey Osinya, a detective attached to the State House Health Monitoring Unit, said Dr Ssenkwale will be arraigned in court to answer charges of possession of government stores and embezzlement.



Ssenkwale's arrest comes at a time doctors are pushing government to disband the State House Health Monitoring Unit, saying it undermines their profession. They want cases of professional misconduct referred to their professional bodies for redress.
Doctors have been on strike since November 6 following failure by the government to increase their salaries and improve their working conditions.

For over two weeks now, the health sector has frozen and innocent lives are lost every day. The strike has also enriched the private health care service providers who are making a kill from the spill over from public hospitals. Ugandans that cannot afford the exorbitant fees at public health facilities are dying silently.

A public service doctor in Uganda earns about Shs 1.1 million while a senior physician takes home about Shs 3.4 million. Members of the Uganda Medical Association want this improved significantly with immediate effect.

This has come at a time when the government is already facing mass resistance from citizens over its planned move to change the constitution by amending article 102(b) to remove presidential age limits.

Those opposed to the move have been suppressed with military might, an action that portrays the sitting government as power-hungry and selfish.

It is so disturbing that the government has wasted Shs 13 billion on consultative meetings over a mere private members bill and it looks on when its citizens are dying like chicken on verandas of hospitals for lack of medical attention.

Notably, the United States of America donated $495 million in 2015 to the Ugandan health sector to fight three of the biggest health threats: HIV/Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

Most of this money was, however, misused and could not be accounted for according to the auditor general! Despite unfair budget allocations, where security sectors are prioritized over health and education, it is disheartening that even when development partners give us money, we misuse it.

We need leaders who can think beyond their personal interests and start looking at the greater good of our country.

In the meantime, the government should focus on major issues affecting its people such as unemployment, corruption and poor service delivery.

For example, the cancer machine has been down for almost two years with government citing lack of resources but recently it expressly procured a machine to detect pornography. Where are our priorities?

Cancer patients are suffering and dying but billions of money are spent to convince people that we should keep one man in office.

Many girls are unable to attend school due to lack of sanitary pads. President Museveni promised to solve that problem but now he is preoccupied with staying in power. It is high time we walked the patriotism talk and prioritised issues concerning every Ugandan.

saddammubballe@gmail.com

Makerere University.

@sadam muballe.

Ugandans should shun politics of patronage

Some unpatriotic people that have led Uganda since independence have always misinformed ignorant and intellectually weak Ugandans that their survival depends on them.

Hence, many people submit to the powers that be and rely on hand-outs for survival.Under such circumstances, Ugandas patriotic political parties and civil society organizations owe it to Ugandans to enlighten them on our immense economic potential that can be harnessed to give every citizen a decent life.

The potential is too huge that even the NRM regime characterised by selfishness and corruption has been able to rule for 31 years and even build roads and dams at prices three times more than the standard costs.

It is because of these resources that we can even let in an unlimited number of refugees and our economy remains standing. Given those facts, Uganda just needs patriotic leadership to begin the rapid prosperity journey it rightly deserves.



Kabonge Kennedy,

kabongek@yahoo.co.uk.

Bravo to Jesa

I recently travelled to the United States of America aboard a KLM flight from Entebbe.

In most of these airlines, the inflight menu will normally comprise foods, drinks and snacks from the airlines country of origin. This is the case with Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Ethiopian Airways and airlines from Arabia.

I was very impressed to see that Jesa yoghurt  perhaps the first Ugandan product  had made it to an inflight menu of a major European/global airline.

As we continued on our journey to Amsterdam, I asked my neighbour  a Dutch woman  about her experience with the Jesa yoghurt and how it compares with yoghurt in her country.

Her response was that it is very good yoghurt! I hope we shall see more exports out of Uganda on these airlines now that Jesa has opened the way.



Nathan Were,

nwere@worldbank.org.

Why Catholics should counter Pastor Bugingo

The Catholic Church should vehemently come out and challenge the flawed teachings of popular Pastor Aloysius Bugingo.

Pastor Bugingo recently said that it is not written anywhere (of marriage) that Till Death Do Us Part and that it is the Catholic Church that introduced this non-Biblical teaching.

The Church has thus far kept quiet even when this pastor was alleged to have burnt certain versions of the Bible he deemed incomplete. He has since uttered several other controversial statements out of his own flawed interpretations of the Bible.

As a church that has stood the test of time, the Catholics certainly have a mandate to counter this pastor. Otherwise, believers shall continue to be grossly misled.



Peter Ssetumba,

Kampala.

Zimbabwe scenario should worry Ugandans

The Magyezi bill, as called by many, about the proposed amendment of article 102(b) of the constitution is the talk of the nation today.

But sincerely speaking, the Zimbabwe scenario  where President Robert Mugabe has been put under house arrest by the army  should make us think twice before daring to touch our Constitution.

This is because amending (lifting of the age limit) will mean life presidency in Uganda. Historically, Uganda has never transferred power peacefully from one president to another; so, what next after Musevenis life presidency project goes through?

Automatically, Uganda will follow the Zimbabwe route. Think about it Uganda!

Ruth Akampurira,

Kampala.

letters@observer.ug
Early this month, the government of Rwanda established a new visa regime that is intended to ease and improve movement of tourists in that country.

For instance, on reciprocity basis, Rwanda will grant visas free of charge with 90 days validity to all East African Community (EAC) partner states, and this takes immediate effect. This is in addition to other African and Asian states.

But more importantly, come January 1, 2018, citizens of all countries will be eligible to get a 30-days visa upon arrival without prior application.

Before this change, it was only nationals of African countries who would get visas upon arrival in Rwanda. Also, Rwanda has eased the movement of Comesa members into that country. They will now be able to get a 90 days visa upon arrival and upon payment of the prescribed fees.

Also, Rwandans living abroad with dual nationality will be allowed to use national IDs on entry and would not be required to pay any visa fees.

This innovative strategy of the Rwanda government will earn them rewards in the tourism sector. Uganda needs to watch with keen interest the innovations being implemented by the EAC partner states.

This is because, in terms of tourism resources, we almost rely on the same resources. For instance, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, heavily rely on wildlife, lakes, national parks, but the trick is in being innovative in trying to attract tourists for the same resource.

Kenya is good at infrastructure and pricing. It is must be recalled that Rwanda and Kenya have national airlines with direct flights to some of these countries that can be termed as tourist sources.

This is an added advantage and disadvantage to Uganda which has no national airline with direct flights to Europe or USA. Not even within the region.

Rwanda being landlocked has become wiser by waiving unnecessary conditions for visa applications.

We need to device ways of promoting our resources, heritage and also become inclusive and participatory in the global economic affairs by being creative. And one of the ways is to emulate the Rwanda approach to visa applications.
President Museveni is a very condescending man. At times, he treats citizens like a herd of cattle receiving whistling commands to move to where the master desires.

He brooks no opposition, especially from those he considers younger than him. He believes he never makes mistakes; its the people below him that flounder.

In 2006, while addressing Movement supporters who had turned up at Kololo ceremonial grounds to celebrate 20 years of Ugandas liberation by National Resistance Army (NRA), Museveni seemed surprised that NRM had been infiltrated by corrupt people.

He promised to fight corruption head-on using guerilla tactics. We are still waiting for those tactics. Corruption is one of the reasons doctors are striking today.

Still in 2006, I had an exclusive interview with Museveni and asked him whether  as a person and president for 20 years  he had made some mistakes. In his characteristic way of rolling his eyes and beaming up his face, the president told me that it was only NRM which had made mistakes, and it was only him who corrected them!

He is never devastated because he is visionary and revolutionary. Revolutionaries are not amenable to such romanticism.

It is important also to remember that even if the president has gone through several elections during which he asked the citizen to trust him with the votes in order to serve them better, he declared early this year in Masindi that he is not anyones servant.

I hear some people saying that I am their servant; I am not a servant of anybody. I am a freedom fighter; that is why I do what I do. I dont do it because I am your servant; I am not your servant. I am just a freedom fighter; I am fighting for myself, for my beliefs; thats how I come in. If anybody thinks you gave me a job, he is deceiving himself

That is how Museveni holds himself!

So, the striking doctors should remember that the visionary is not their servant and he will deal with them as he wishes.

He has already threatened to fire them and replace them with those willing to work for the abysmal pay and dreadful working conditions.

Ironically, the president claims he went to the bush to fight for better working conditions of all Ugandans. The working conditions were not good for politicians because the ground was not level; there was no forum to express dissatisfaction with the governments delivery of service.

The president is not used to being in a poor bargaining position; in fact, he never bargains: he commands, orders and arbitrarily decides for whoever comes for a bargain.

But the president should not take the doctors strike as an affront on his person. He should take it in good stead, drop his arrogance and listen to them.

The doctors are not asking him to divert his personal fortune to improve working conditions in public hospitals and health centres. They are only saying that the countrys resources could be organized in such a way that their pay and working conditions are improved.

Remember, Mr President, that during the presidential campaigns, you presented yourself as the best top servant of this country. You are not expected to take offence when Ugandans mount pressure on you to deliver those promises.

You are not expected to take umbrage when Ugandans remind you to organise the country according to the law and Constitution. Even if you deny being our employee, the fact that you contested for the top job in the country and won it makes you our servant.

Through the taxes, Ugandans have improved your working conditions. You are better housed. You earn a tax-free salary.

You are the only person who cannot be sued or prosecuted in the competent court of criminal or administrative jurisdiction while serving as president.

You are the only Ugandan with a fully maintained jet at your disposal. You are the only Ugandan with authority to assent to any piece of law. You are the only Ugandan entrusted with security of this country.

We cannot all defend ourselves against internal and external enemies, but that duty was bestowed on you. You are the most protected person in the country. And all this is borne by the taxpayers to ensure that you have no excuse whatsoever for not doing your work.

If Uganda were a limited liability company, as the chief executive, you would be expected to account to shareholders annually and prove to them that you still merit that job. Well, Ugandans can only ask you to account after every five years.

Whereas, Mr President, you have powers to sack the striking doctors through your other agents, this should be handled with caution.

You ought to remember that a doctors job is not like that of a nut fixer, who only needs a screwdriver and spanners to turn the nuts. Just like in the army, one cannot rely on mercenaries to achieve a countrys strategic security concerns.

So, dont think of deploying mercenary doctors. They cant be relied upon. Kindly listen to the doctors and save the country and yourself from embarrassment.

The author is the business development director at Observer Media Limited.
With the Congress Working Committee announcing in New Delhi on Monday the timeline for its upcoming internal election, the issue of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the top party post now remains a formality. Though the party announced the poll details, CWC members unanimously passed a resolution to elevate Rahul to the party chief post. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is holding the president post for the past 19 years, will continue to guide Congress, a party statement said. The poll notification will be announced on December 1, and the scrutiny will complete on December 15. The last date to withdraw nomination is December 11, while voting, if only required, will take place on December 19. The party would formally announce the result on December 19. With poll campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls underway, the Congress is pinning hopes on generating enthusiasm among the party workers and cadres by announcing the change of guard. It remains to be seen how much impact it'll have on the Gujarat elections. Here are five points from Sonia Gandhi's speech in the CWC meeting that you should know.

'Party's roots spread across all districts of country'

Sonia Gandhi started her speech by putting forward the party agenda for the party president election, saying all but six states has completed the poll process and that it was time to conduct the elections to the top post. "Over the last 18 months, the election process that has concluded in all but six states has elected block presidents, an equal number of delegates, primary units and party members. This has provided an opportunity for the party to interact with lakhs of workers across the country, starting from the booth level. This reaffirms that the party's roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress party." She also thanked party leaders like chairman Mullapalli Ramachandran, members of the Central Election Authority, and other party workers for carrying out "this huge exercise with utmost diligence, integrity and impartiality".

'Modi govt arrogant, locking temple of democracy'

Sonia said the Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. "The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the Assembly elections. Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked - questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defence deals."

'Modi stalled Winter Session over Gujarat polls'

Sonia said the Modi government will be obliged to answer these questions, but in order to avoid the questions and answer ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extraordinary step of not holding a Winter Session when should be held. "The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST, but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament." Though the session was stalled due to Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs may announce a week-long or 10-day Winter Session in November end or in December, said sources.

'Millions suffering due to govt's poor policies'

Unemployment, rising inflation, falling exports and GST are causing tremendous suffering to millions of people. A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed. Yet, the Prime Minister continues with greater vigor, to make announcements, false promises, and to quote facts and figures that have nothing to do with the reality on the grounds.

'Govt erasing contribution of Nehru, Indira'

The Modi government is also forcefully trying to change the history of modern India by systematically erasing the contributions made by Pandit Nehruji and Indira Gandhi - be it through rewriting school textbooks, through malicious misinformation and propaganda, or ignoring with disdain the importance of the birth centenary of Indiraji, she said. "This vilification is blatant and for all to see. Rahul and many of you colleagues here and in Gujarat are working hard for a positive result in that state. Let us do our best to prove that people are not fooled and that they will make the right decision and defeat the present dispensation there."

Also read:Demonetisation a 'Modi Made Disaster', he should take responsibility: Congress
HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of mortgage lender HDFC, on Friday made its stock market debut on BSE and NSE.

The firm listed with an over 7 per cent premium against its issue price of Rs 290. The stock debuted at Rs 311, up 7.24 per cent from the issue price on the BSE.

At 12:25 pm, the stock was trading 17.83 percent or 51.70 points higher at 341 level on the BSE.

The life insurance firm's stock price later soared 27.24 per cent to Rs 369. On the NSE, it listed at Rs 310, reflecting a gain of 6.89 per cent.

It closed at Rs 344, up 18.71 percent over its issue price and 10.69 percent over its opening price.

The company's market valuation stood at Rs 69,671.19 crore. The Rs 8,695-crore IPO of the company was oversubscribed 4.90 times during November 7-9. The qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) portion was oversubscribed 16.60 times, non-institutional investors 2.29 times and retail investors 94 per cent, data available with the NSE showed. Price band for the offer was fixed at Rs 275-290 per share.

The IPO comprised sale of 1,91,246,050 equity shares, amounting to 9.55 per cent stake, by HDFC Ltd and up to 1,08,581,768 scrips, or 5.42 per cent, holding by Standard Life Mauritius.

HDFC Standard Life was established as a joint venture between HDFC and Standard Life Aberdeen plc (global investment company), initially through its wholly owned subsidiary The Standard Life Assurance Company and now through its wholly owned subsidiary, Standard Life Mauritius.

The company has a pan-India presence, comprising 414 branches across India as of September 30, supported by a workforce of 16,544 full-time employees. The global coordinators and book running lead managers of the IPO are Morgan Stanley India Company, HDFC Bank, Credit Suisse Securities (India), CLSA India and Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities (India).

The book running lead managers are Edelweiss Financial Services, Haitong Securities India, IDFC Bank, IIFL Holdings and UBS Securities India.

The insurer's solvency ratio as at March 31, 2015, March 31, 2016, March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017 was 196.1%, 198.4%, 191.6% and 197.5%, respectively. IRDAI has prescribed a minimum 150% solvency ratio limit.

The solvency ratio is derived out of the solvency margin (available solvency margin to required solvency margin) which denotes the amount by which the assets of the insurer exceed its liabilities.

The insurer had a balance sheet with total net worth of Rs 4,150 crore. The life insurer generated profit after tax of Rs 886.92 crore and delivered a return on equity of 25.6%, return on invested capital of 40.7% and operating return on embedded value of 21.7% during fiscal 2017.

As at June 30, 2017, the firm had total assets under management (AUMs) of Rs 94,750 crore and Indian Embedded Value of Rs 13,220 crore.
Cement industry stocks fell in Monday's trade after the Supreme Court on Friday sought a nationwide ban on use of pet coke and furnace oil.

The call for ban comes amid the national capital region engulfed by dense fog last week which lowered visibility and forced people to remain inside their houses prompting the government to close schools in the region and including advancing of BS-VI fuel introduction in Delhi.

The apex court has already imposed ban on the use of pet coke in the national capital region (NCR).

Pet coke is a cheap but polluting fuel used by cement, paper brick kiln, chemicals and textile industries.

The likely ban will be discussed in a meeting headed by oil minister Dharmender Pradhan on Tuesday.

Reacting to the apex court's call, Shree Cement shares slump as much as 5.3 percent, while JK Lakshmi Cement and JK Cement slide as much as 5.2 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

Companies like Shree Cement and JK Cement are largely dependent on pet coke, and the ban will have an impact on their EBITDA margins, said Rohit Natarajan of IDBI Capital.

Other cement makers such Ambuja Cements and UltraTech Cement Ltd were down 3.28 percent and 1.85 percent , respectively.

While the Shree Cement shares closed 4.21 percent lower, JK Cement fell 5.25 percent.

Ambuja Cements (3.44 percent) and Ultratech Cement (1.97 percent) also closed lower on the BSE.
The subscription for Bharat 22 ETF closes today. The PSU exchange traded fund (ETF) has been in news since it was launched as a part of the Narendra Modi government's divestment drive on August 10, 2017. The government had earlier approved the alternative mechanism through the ETF route to divest its stake in CPSEs. This is the second ETF after CPSE ETF was launched by the government in March 2014.

The CPSE ETF was launched in March 2014 for raising funds through disinvestment of government's share in public sector undertakings. We compare the two ETFs and find out the better option among the two.

Also read: Bharat 22 ETF's subscription in progress: Should you invest?

1. CPSE ETF has 10 stocks of Maharatna and Navaratna firms which are as follows.

ONGC, Coal India, Indian Oil , GAIL India, Power Finance Corp, Rural Electrification Corporation, Container Corporation of India, BHEL, Oil India and Engineers India.

The Bharat 22 ETF comprises 22 stocks. It has leading blue-chips such as ITC (through SUUTI) with 15.2 percent weightage, State Bank of India with 8.6 percent weightage, and Axis Bank (through SUUTI) with 7.7 percent weightage. Bank of Baroda, Bharat Electronics, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Coal India, Engineers India, Gail India, Indian Bank, Indian Oil Corp, Larsen & Toubro, National Aluminium Co, NBCC (India), NHPC, NLC India, NTPC, Oil & Natural Gas Corp, Power Finance Corp, Power Grid Corp of India, Rural Electrification Corp and SJVN are the other constituents of the fund. The fund consists of stocks from six sectors such as capital goods, finance, oil & gas, power, FMCG and metal, metal products and mining.

Hence, Bharat 22 ETF is more diversified than CPSE ETF.

2. The government gave a five per cent discount at the launch of CPSE ETF to retail investors and again those who held the ETF for at least a year got one fifth loyalty bonus.

A discount of 3 per cent has been offered to all categories of investors in Bharat 22 ETF.

3. The CPSE ETF has clocked 4.56 percent returns till date. In terms of returns till November 15, the constituents of the two funds are given below. An ETF is a traded security that tracks an underlying asset like a group of companies or commodity.

Bharat 22 ETF

CPSE ETF
It will not be wrong to say that the most important issue in the country is the release of a movie that some violent, fringe groups have opposed. People from Rajasthan to Madhya Pradesh, UP to Haryana are protesting against the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest movie. However, what is most jarring is the government's lack of stringent actions at the face of threats of violence and disruption. For instance, there are multiple open threats and bounties on the lead actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but the ones issuing these threats publicly are still roaming free.



According to the Business Standard, members of one Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha have offered Rs 1 crore to anyone "burning her alive" because they feel that Deepika should know what it feels like to get burnt alive. Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sahjawan is seeking a report regarding this, after which necessary actions would be taken.

Haryana BJP Chief Media Coordinator Suraj Pal Amu has announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as mentioned in agency reports. Not only that, Amu warned Ranveer Singh that he will break his legs if he continues to support the director. This open threat comes after a Meerut resident announced a reward of Rs 5 crore for the two stars.

Amu criticised Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje who urged I&B minister Smriti Irani not to let the movie release without necessary cuts. He says that even necessary cuts won't help as they won't let the movie release. He has been asked by BJP to explain his statement.

Punjab CM Captain Amrinder Singh said that nobody will support the distortion of history and supported those who are protesting against the release of the movie. However, West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee supported Bhansali and the cast and said that this controversy in unfortunate and a calculated plan of the political party, according to a report in The Indian Express.



Veteran actress Shabana Azmi and lyricist Javed Akhtar have asked Bollywood to unite and support Padmavati. They told India Today that the real culprits aren't Rajput Karni Sena but the governments of Rajasthand and UP and the Centre. Actress Aditi Rao Hydari who is also part of the movie spoke on Twitter about the statement made by SP Amu and asked if there is no difference between a gangster and a political leader and that this is an embarrassment for India.

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal slammed the CBFC and the protestors. He said that the CBFC is acting rather strange. He also said, "I can't understand how the protest has spread across the nation when hardly anyone has seen the film. How can protests against a film become so rampant when no one has seen the film, no one knows the content. I am sorry, the protests make no sense, unless we judge them against the political current political climate in the country," according to Times Now.

According to a report by Financial Express, advocates Sudip Kenjalkar and Smita Padole have filed a suit at the Pune civil court to stop the release of the movie in Pune district. Now, the Pune court has issued show cause notice and summons to Bhansali Productions and the star cast of six people to appear in the court on November 21.

Amid all this, Viacom 18, the studio behind the movie said that they have voluntarily deferred the release of the movie, which was scheduled to release on December 1. A day after this, the Censor Board turned down the makers' request to quickly review and certify the movie.

As of now, Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have been given security by the government.
JCC on CPEC will to finalise LTP 2017-30 20 November, 2017



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD: The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will meet here on Tuesday (Nov 21) to review and finalise a long-term plan (LTP) 2017-30 envisaging key areas of bilateral cooperation over the next 13 years amid Islamabads policy adjustments to facilitate Chinese investment and financing.



A senior government official told reporters that both senior officials meeting (SOM) and formal JCC meeting headed by ministers from the two countries would begin with discussions on the LTP in an attempt to sign a final agreement. He said the LTP draft, finalised after the 6th JCC meeting held in Beijing in December last year and shared with the provincial governments, had remained unchanged.



The official said a cabinet committee on CPEC headed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had already agreed in principle to offer a special incentive package under which all investments in the first phase of nine special industrial/economic zones to be made by end-2020 would enjoy complete tax holiday.



The 40-member SOM to be presided over by the planning and development secretary and his Chinese counterpart on Nov 20 will begin the day with discussions on the LTP and industrial and economic cooperation flowing out of it. All the six joint working groups on the LTP  industrial cooperation, Gwadar, transport infrastructure, energy and security  are led by federal secretaries and their Chinese counterparts.



Any outstanding matter relating to taxes and exemptions based on the special package cleared by the prime minister would come up for discussion in the last session of the SOM for submission to the JCC the following day.



On the next day, the formal JCC session would also begin with the LTP and would be co-chaired by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Vice Chairman of Chinas National Development and Reforms Commission Wang Xiaotao.



China Development Bank (CDB), the main financier of the CPEC, will make a presentation on the LTP on behalf of the Chinese side based on the outcome of the SOM and will be responded to by the Pakistani side. The JCC will conclude with the signing of documents, including the LTP, subject to resolution of all outstanding issues on taxation and policy direction.

Challenges to CPEC



Besides the ongoing cooperation on road and rail networks, the LTP seeks to boost information connectivity through operation of local communication networks and broadcast and TV networks and expedite Pakistan to adopt Chinas Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB) standard and border electronic monitoring and safe city constructions.



The two sides will strengthen cooperation in trade and industrial areas, expand bilateral economic and trade relations and enhance the level of bilateral trade liberalisation. They will promote the quality and efficiency improvement of the textile and clothing industry, expand the size of the textile industry and increase the supply of high value-added products and promote the Kashgar Economic and Technological Development Zone and Caohu Industrial Park to adopt the means like export processing to establish a regional cooperation and development model based on complementary advantages and mutual benefits.



The two sides will also expand cooperation in the appliance industry, promote Pakistans industries from assembling imported parts and components to localised production of parts and encourage various forms of Chinese enterprises to enter the Pakistani market to improve the development of energy efficient appliance industry in Pakistan, besides chemicals, engineering, agro, iron & steel and construction materials to meet the local demand and expand to export market.



They will cooperate in key construction areas such as biological breeding, production, processing, storage and transportation, disease prevention and control, water resources development and utilisation, land development and remediation, besides ICT-enabled agriculture and marketing of agricultural products so as to transition from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture in the regions along the CPEC to effectively boost the local agricultural economy.



The two sides will exploit the potential advantages of tourism resources in the regions along the CPEC, especially the China-Pakistan border areas, and actively help Pakistans coastal areas become more livable, business-friendly and tourist-friendly.



The LTP envisages construction of the 2+1+5 tourism spatial structure, which includes two centres, one axis and five zones: Karachi Port and Gwadar Port as the two centers, and the coastal tourism belt as the development axis, and five tourist zones of Jiwani & Gwadar, Jiedijiao, Olmara, Songminiya and Keti Bander.



Pakistan will apply international and Chinas new urbanisation concepts to the municipal construction of node cities along the CPEC, such as the construction of the public transport system and water supply and drainage systems and give full play to Chinas advantages in technology, equipment and capital, and solve some prominent livelihood issues via pilot projects.



The two sides agree to strengthen cooperation in financial regulation. They will continue to sign currency swap agreements and expand swaps size, enrich the scope of foreign currency from currency swap, assign the foreign currency to domestic banks through credit-based bids to support the financing for projects along the CPEC, besides creating bilateral payment and settlement system to reduce the demand for third-party currency and move to a bilateral foreign exchange reserve pool to form an effective mechanism for stabilising the exchange rate through cooperation of central banks and other financial sector regulators.



In the process, they plan to create a settlement platform for RMB cross-border trade and investment and a monitoring and early warning platform for cross-border cash flow and promote free flow of capital and facilitate cross-border transfer of legitimate funds, including those in financial markets.



Gwadar Port free zone will be developed on the pattern of Shanghai free trade zone and allow RMB offshore financial business. Both countries will encourage Chinese enterprises, private sectors and private sector funds of other economic entities to make various forms of direct investment, welcome Pakistans private capital in participating in the projects along the CPEC and establish various types of private financial institutions or infrastructure funds.
Robert Mugabe agreed to resign as Zimbabwes president

HARARE: Robert Mugabe agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabwes president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired him as its leader after 37 years in charge, a source familiar with the negotiations said.



ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto coup.



The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by Mugabe, without giving details.

Earlier on Sunday, the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of him meeting top generals at his State House offices, and a ZBC source said an outside-broadcast truck was being sent in preparation for an announcement.



Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month in a move that triggered the mid-week intervention by the army.



In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PFs Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.



Mugabe was given until noon (5.00 a.m. ET) on Monday to resign or face impeachment, an ignominious end to the career of the Grand Old Man of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.



Even in the West, he was renowned in his early years as the Thinking Mans Guerrilla, an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare he held a degree in violence.



As the economy crumbled and political opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe showed his true colours, seizing thousands of white-owned farms, detaining opponents and unleashing security forces to crush dissent.



As the vote was announced, war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa, who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a dictator, embraced colleagues and shouted: The President is gone. Long live the new President.



Mugabes 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her G40 political faction.



Speaking before the meeting, Mutsvangwa said Mugabe, who has so far resisted calls to quit, was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.



Hes trying to bargain for a dignified exit, he said.



If Mugabe refused to go, We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business, Mutsvangwa told reporters.



Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as The Crocodile, is expected to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.



On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabes expected overthrow.



His stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Ugandas Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.



Meanwhile, the man himself remained under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof compound, watching the support from his party, security services and people evaporate.



Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were ready to die for what is correct rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.



Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday.



On Harares streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a second liberation and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.



More than 3 million Zimbabweans  around 20 percent of the population  have emigrated to neighboring South Africa in search of a better life.












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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Calynn Lechner isnt sure whats looking back at her. The clay face shes sculpting has a beak like a turtle and lobster-ish whiskers. When shes done, the skin will look gelatinous, like a jellyfishs. Its a smorgasbord of everything, says Lechner, 23, her tattooed arm moving slowly as she uses a scalpel-like tool to carve details into its face.

Since she enrolled in the Tom Savinis Special Make-Up Effects Program at the Douglas Education Center, she cant look at a creature without scanning its anatomy for bits that could be borrowed for a movie monster. I pet my dogs and I notice their muscles, Lechner says.

Shes surrounded by classmates, all working on their own clay heads. Theres a rat, an alien, a haggard witch, even a chicken. This is an animatronics class and these creatures will move. The eyes and mouth of Lechners amorphous sea creature will pop open.

Two years ago, Lechner was earning a degree in elementary education at Austin Community College. After graduation, she couldnt picture herself in a classroomor in any job that kept her in the same room day after day. In Austin, she tended bar and took art classes. She saw former students of the Savini program on Face Off, the reality show on the Syfy network that pits prosthetic makeup artists against each other in an American Idol-style competition. She could do that, she thought.

It was a challenge, she says, convincing her boyfriend to move from Austinone of Americas most culturally lively citiesto the Douglas Education Centers home of Monessen, an economically battered town 30 miles south of Pittsburgh where about half the buildings sit unoccupied. I think he was curious and he wanted to support me, Lechner says. Her boyfriend, who also has an education degree, found a job as a paraprofessional at the local school district.

They rent the bottom floor of a house they share with housemates. They dont go out much on weekends. I stay in with Netflix and sculpt, Lechner says. Sculpting parties are big here.

The Douglas Education Center has survivedand expanded through the desolation that has sunk the rest of Monessen by attracting students with Hollywood dreams to a distinctly unglamorous location. When it implemented the special effects makeup program in 1999, the 117-year-old vocational school had around 100 students, according to Douglas officials. It has 334 in the most recent survey from Petersons College Data. While it still offers some more typical programsfor truck driving and medical billing and suchthe big driver has been the special effects makeup program, in which 150 students are enrolled. Where it was once contained in a single building, Douglas has spread to 10, absorbing once-derelict property downtown, sometimes buying structures fallen into disrepair from the town for as little as $1.

In the decades since the steel mills closed, Monessens 1960 population of 18,424 has been whittled down to 7,720. The most recent town-sponsored survey found that 57 percent of its buildings are essentially owned by the town, put into receivership for code violations, back taxes, blight or other issues that creep up when a town is abandoned. Douglas campus snakes through this landscape of boarded-up buildings and aged brick. The school is like the lone survivor of an economic horror story, one beyond the ghoulish imaginations of its students.

For most of its history, Douglas trained secretaries and salesmen, making some white-collar positions available to people without a four-year degree. Jeffrey Imbrescia, an accountant by trade who purchased the school in 1989, says it had to go beyond the typical because of population decline in the area.

There werent enough people here to support the center, says Imbrescia, so we had to look into programs that would attract students from all over the world.

In the late 1990s, an acquaintance from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh suggested he meet with Tom Savini, a Pittsburgh native who rose to fame in the B-movie cultural sphere first through his work on George Romeros zombie movies. In 2008, the school added a filmmaking program named for and made with input from Romero, a natural complement to the Savini program. Currently, 16 students are enrolled in it. Imbrescia said enlisting known names for their expertise was a way to gain instant credibility.

Students leave the programs after two years with specialized business associates degrees and, the heads of the program say, the grit and skills needed for the grueling work of a film crew.

They have made Douglas one of two significant economic presences in town, on par with the ArcelorMittal coke plant, the last remnant of industry whose smoke had acted as a solitary sign of life in Monessen.

I think without Douglas and the coke plant, the town would shut down, says City Councilman Ed Lea. There would be no tax base.

In addition to Douglas expanding presence, Boss Development Inc., a property company also owned by Imbrescia, has been buying up homes throughout town, gobbling up 20 since 2000 according to county property records, and primarily renting them to students. This places horror movie fanatics next door to Monessens longtime holdouts. The dynamic can get weird.

I think some of the people, the older people, get the wrong impression of the kids because they have piercings and they have tattoos, says Mary Jo Smith, the towns former mayor. Theyre just kids. If you treat them with respect, they treat you back. Smith, a self-described old lady, adds, I sometimes cant pay attention to them when they talk because Im just following the piercings in their nose as they move.

Douglas is virtually the only agent of change in Monessen. Sitting at a conference table at the schools new welcome center (a former church it assimilated from the downtown landscape), Imbrescia brags, We are the town. The police force has let us use equipment [for film shoots]. Building owners have let us use rooftops. Everyone knows us.

Still, Smith laments that Monessens only magnet for new residents is attracting temporary ones, unlikely to stay and build up the tax base and community its lacked for decades. Its not enough, she says, and unfortunately we dont have the jobs [the students] are looking for.

Thirty-nine-year-old Jason West of Fort Wayne, Ind., enrolled in the Romero film program, is one of the temporary residents passing through Monessen. After his discharge from the Air Force, West took a job as a machinist in a factory, but the daily grind made him miserable. He saw an ad for Douglas in Fangoria, the prominent horror movie magazine.

Once I had my wifes full support, I went for it, West says. She knew I couldnt spend the rest of my life in a factory. (She stayed behind in Indiana.)

Nearing graduation, hes learned script writing, lighting, editing and even budgeting for film production. West says his strongest skills are behind the camera. He adds, My ultimate goal is to be the DP [director of photography] on a major motion picture.

Many students enter the film program wanting to become DPs or directors. Such an opportunity wont be available for all of them, says Robert Tinnell, the programs director, whose movie writing, producing and directing credits date back to the 1980s.

There are jobs in social media and reality TV, he says. There is this ever-increasing need for content and people get good jobs. He adds, There are key grips who make $90,000 a year and have beautiful houses.

This truth informs the handson approach of Douglas film and makeup programs. A little time is dedicated to film history and theory. Most is spent on the rapid acquisition of skills that is typical of an associates program. And the ethos synchronizes with the work ethics of Savini and Romero, who contributed to dozens of films in their careers, often with a do-it-yourself attitude.

You have four-year programs and the students dont even touch a camera until the third year, Tinnell says. Not my kids.

Students split up into teams a few times before graduation and produce actual films. The program doesnt exist to create film snobs but crew members able to fill any entry-level film production position.

You know everything Fellini has ever done? Tinnell says. Guess what, no one on [the crew of] Dance Moms gives a .

The makeup program has a similar outlook. Creative kids inspired by sci-fi and horror movies come, hoping for jobs in Los Angeles shops, specialty makeup production companies. The school values their creativity and displays their devil heads and monster statues in buildings. But graduates also have options in other fields, says Jerry Gergely, director of the program.

Were not a monster school, he says. We encourage people to think beyond that. Those who dont make it into the movies could work for Disney- and Universal Studios-style theme parks, haunted houses and even medical prosthetic companies.

Jonny LeStrange (a professional name), originally from Allentown, says he was a misfit in high school and wasnt sure what he should do after exiting and getting his GED. As a hobby, he created elaborate makeup and face paint designs, often bemusing customers at the mall shoe store where he worked.

He enrolled in the makeup program and is completing his last semester. The school opens a whole bunch of doors, he says. You learn to sculpt, do hair, ventilate wigs.

Because he doesnt drive, his education has meant months stranded in Monessen, hoofing to and from Foodland and Dollar General. But LeStrange and his housemates have a place with a large workspace and the lack of distraction allows him to focus.

Lea, the city councilman, says the students are often walled off from the rest of the town. Thats the one thing I would like [to see change], he says. I would like to see the students become more a part of the community and travel outside the school. They are not with the residents and frequenting the local businesses as much.

Smith says she has concerns that the influx of students is not providing Monessen with the revitalization it needs.

When Boss takes over a property, they are bringing it up to code, but they are not bringing it up to the level where it will increase property values [in the whole area], she says. Its students, so sometimes they wont put the garbage out correctly. Its not creating the tax base where we can hire more police officers or ensure basic services, she says. She doesnt blame Boss or Imbrescia, but says the town should be more invested in attracting other property owners.

Lou Mavrakis, mayor at the time of this writing, says the city has 400 houses and 25 other buildings in a state of disrepair. Its a struggle to find anyone who can take them. He adds that hes glad to get any of them back on the tax rolls and secured. When theyre all boarded up like that, its a sign for the druggies and the vandals.

The landscape is ripe for filmmakers and artists obsessed with horror and sci-fi scenarios. Cody Patterson, a 22-year-old film student, concocted a short film, Lonesome Highway, after discovering that there was abandoned roadway that had once been a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike nearby. Its a post-apocalyptic story of two brothers avoiding a gang of slavers in a vast no mans land. (The roadway was put to similar use in a big-budget dystopian thriller, 2009s The Road.)

I was entering my fourth semester and wanted to get something like that done, Patterson says. I wrote it. We set up a shoot schedule. Six film students worked on it, with a makeup student. They got permission from the land conservatory that owns the deserted thoroughfare.

I just thought it was perfect, Patterson says, and this is the movie that needs to get made here. He did what do-it-yourself filmmakers and institutions in the Rust Belt have done by necessity for decades: Take what was available and make it into something.
Students from Abraham Wing School in Glens Falls on Monday dropped off food they collected to the Warren-Hamilton Counties Community Action Agency on Maple Street. Each of the schools 160 students donated one food item, which they delivered personally by walking from the school on Lawrence Street to the agency. Superintendent John Godfrey said there are additional items that will be dropped off by vehicle. The schools student government leaders and Parent Teacher Association assisted in the collection. The school has been doing this tradition during Thanksgiving week for at least a decade. The food will be used for the agencys emergency food baskets, and it came at a good time because the shelves were starting to get thin, according to CAA Executive Director Lynn Ackershoek.
CORINTH  A mother of nine and her 15-year-old daughter were killed in a fire Monday morning at 418 Main St. Three others were hospitalized, according to Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo.

Zurlo said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the fire, which appeared to have hit the second floor of the two-story metal-roofed structure hardest.

Members of his office were on the scene well into the afternoon, along with state fire investigators, county fire officials and members of the State Police.

According to multiple news reports, relatives said Briaunna Slimmer, who died in the fire, stayed home sick from school Monday. Her mother, Tonya L. Slimmer, 39, also died in the blaze, according to authorities.

Family members identified the injured as being Slimmers children, a 20-year-old son and two children ages 1 and 3.

Many of the rest of the familys nine children were at school at the Corinth Central School building, three blocks from the home.

Jerry Slimmer was at work at the time of the fire, but returned home and was consoled by friends and relatives.

A neighbor called 911 at 10:43 a.m., reporting heavy fire and smoke on the second floor.

Initial first responders received information from people at the scene that there may have been occupants still in the home, so they tried to make entry but were driven back by the intense smoke and heat.

Once firefighters were able to make entry into the home, the two female victims were located upstairs deceased.

The home is in a tightly packed neighborhood up the Main Street hill from downtown Corinth. There appeared to be no damage to the houses on either side.

Firefighters continued working on the roof for hours after putting the fire out, tearing it off in strips. The weather was chilly with high winds and snow squalls at times.

Autopsies on the two victims will be performed Tuesday at Saratoga Hospital.

The investigation into what caused the fire is still ongoing by members of the Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Unit, County Cause and Origin Team and state Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The Corinth Fire Company and Jessups Landing EMS were assisted at the scene by numerous fire and EMS organizations from the northern part of the county and parts of Warren County.

Other departments on the scene were Greenfield, Luzerne-Hadley, Saratoga Springs, West Glens Falls and Wilton, as were state forest rangers.

Upper Main Street was closed off for several blocks because of the fire.
ALBANY  A Glens Falls oncologist and his wife pleaded guilty Monday to federal misdemeanor charges for allegedly dispensing drugs to patients that had not been approved for use in the United States.

A lawyer for the doctor said Monday that the charges were the result of an innocent mistake on the couples part, and there was no criminal intent.

Dr. Vincent Koh, 72, and his wife, Milly Koh, 63, who is his office manager, pleaded guilty to a single count each of receiving and delivering misbranded drugs, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Albany.

They are accused of buying various discount oncology drugs from foreign sources between July 2010 and March 2012, which led to patients illegally being given mislabeled medications, prosecutors said in a new release.

The Kohs, who live in Queensbury, admitted in court that they regularly ordered and delivered to patients a drug labeled Mabthera. Generally, Mabthera contains rituximab, the same active ingredient found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug legally used and marketed in the United States as Rituxan, prosecutors said.

However, the drug ordered by the Kohs came from an unapproved, foreign source, and its label did not bear adequate directions for use and other information required by the FDA.

These drugs had not been approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States, and their labeling did not contain information required by law, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett wrote in a press release. As such, these prescription drugs were misbranded, and illegal to receive and provide to patients in the United States.

Investigators from the FDA handled the case. Barnett said he could not say how the FDA came to learn of the allegations, what the alleged motive was or whether any patients suffered medical problems or complications from the drugs.

The only thing we can discuss is whats in the plea agreement, he said.

A lawyer for the defendants said no one was harmed, however. The discrepancy was discovered when the drug supplier, a company in Illinois, came under investigation by the FDA.

Court records show the Illinois-based distributor was being used by a Canadian company, Quality Speciality Products, which had solicited the Kohs by fax, offering drugs at lower prices than they had been paying. Dr. Koh responded to the fax, and the practice placed 65 orders with the company, receiving drugs from unspecified foreign countries through Illinois.

Dr. Koh has practiced in the region for over 30 years and has offices in Glens Falls and Poughkeepsie. Prosecutors did not say whether the illegal medication distribution occurred at one or both locations.

Mrs. Koh is well-known in the Glens Falls area for her involvement in the Sister Cities exchange program between Glens Falls and Saga City, Japan.

The Kohs are free pending sentencing March 20 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Stewart. The charge is punishable by up to one year in jail and one year on supervised release, but they are not expected to receive jail sentences.

Dr. Koh was represented by E. Stewart Jones, who said the criminal charge was a strict liability count that does not require intent to commit a crime. So simply administering the drug violated the statute, he said.

What drugs are approved by the FDA and what are not is not at all clear, he said. It was simply a series of innocent mistakes involving a drug they thought was perfectly alright but turned out not to be.

Mrs. Koh was represented by Thomas Capezza, said the practice was getting medications from multiple sources, and one turned out to have gotten some that were unapproved through a series of innocent mistakes. The practice stopped doing business with the distributor when learning of the FDA issue, he said.

Dr. Koh and Mrs. Koh are committed to the well-being of their patients and the community they serve, he said.

A phone message left at the Kohs office in Glens Falls was not returned.
FORT EDWARD  Marketing firms are eager to start making Washington County a tourist mecca, but supervisors said their presentations left a basic question unanswered.

If the county spends upwards of $100,000 on tourism marketing, how will supervisors determine that the money was well spent?

Thats been part of the problem all along, said committee Chairwoman and Cambridge Supervisor Cassie Fedler. No one can tell us if its been worthwhile. And its the taxpayers money, so we want to know.

Three firms offered presentations for two hours Monday. The Agriculture, Planning, Tourism and Development Committee went into executive session afterward to discuss the proposals and whether they should hire anyone.

Each group offered very different ideas and, making things more complicated, different budgets. The county had asked for proposals with the same budget.

But all three had the same criticism: Washington County does not have a brand. Each said they would start by building the countys brand, although each proposed different descriptions of that brand.

Mannix Marketing suggested brainstorming with the supervisors. Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc., said the county should brand itself as a destination for authentic experiences. Black Dog Designs focused on agritourism, outdoor recreation, arts and craft food and beverages as the foundation for a brand.

Supervisors seemed most interested in Lakes to Locks Passage. While the other two detailed ways that they would advertise the county, Lakes to Locks Passage officials focused on what they would advertise.

The nonprofit proposed creating a series of tours for walking, biking, driving and boating. Routes would range from arts to snowmobiling to craft beer, and the agency would create a website where visitors could also build their own routes. Restaurants and stores along each route would be encouraged to hang flags advertising their route  a Friends of Craft Beer flag, for example.

The idea, they said, is to sell what the county does best.

Travelers today are really looking for an authentic experience, said Executive Director Janet Kennedy, describing the countys scenic working landscapes, which are normally called farms.

We know about branding. We created Lakes to Locks out of nothing, she said.

But supervisors focused on logistical problems. The biggest is that many of those who organize events do not list them on tourism websites.

We have tried everything we can, said Chairman and Argyle Supervisor Bob Henke, explaining to one marketing group that they cant count on the businesses to simply tell them when they have an event coming up.

You almost need a salesman, like an encyclopedia salesman, to go out there and say, Hello? Sign up! said Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff.

Haff proposed his own marketing plan, which he dubbed the nothing fancy common sense approach.

In it, he said the main problem is that events arent advertised well. He proposed the county take over advertising, using about $25,000.

Supervisors would each be given a small budget, based on population, with which to buy newspaper, radio, magazine and other ads for events they found worthy. He proposed a subcommittee of supervisors meet each quarter to approve expenses.

The organizer of the event does all the work. We just assist with promotional funding, he said.

But after the executive session, he said supervisors didnt like the idea of being responsible for each events advertising.

It would have meant they would have to do some work instead of fund and forget, Haff said.
GLENS FALLS  Marcia Winslow knew some of the history of World War II through letters to her mother and her fathers war diary, but she wanted to know more about it.

And she knew where to look.

Every year, the (Glens Falls) school district would produce an annual report, and some of those reports from during World War II were just amazing, she said. I got so much information from them and from other things I read from that time period.

All that reading and note-taking produced an oversized volume called Patriotism Throughout World War II . . . A Hometown Perspective.

Winslow recently retired after 36 years as an administrative assistant in the Glens Falls City School District. Now she has plenty of time to market her book and talk about what she learned.

One of the things that surprised me was that during the war, if you were a block captain or a doctor and you went to the movies, there was a box there to leave your name in, just in case someone needed you.

She also found it interesting that when she read one of the superintendents letters in the school systems annual report, part of it said, We hope our city will not endure war.

She also had access to letters to her mother, her family and her fathers diary while he was serving as the engineer on a B-17 bomber based in England.

On his 23rd mission, the plane was hit by flak and he had to bail out and broke his ankle. He wound up in a field hospital, couldnt go back up in the plane and wound up on a bond tour and giving pep talks.

The annual report letters fascinated her. They were describing how the war was affecting students, teachers and curriculum as the war began and as the war proceeded.

Winslow said the sense she got was that Glens Falls was an extremely patriotic city.

The book also contains a play written by the students of the Big Cross Elementary School during the war, which depicts patriotism of saving soap, buying defense stamps and the avoidance of the usual Halloween pranks, which they proclaimed were out for the duration.

The cover of the book is a story in itself.

My father was shown a picture of downtown Glens Falls, and he realized he was driving the car in the photo, Winslow said. So Loren Blackburn, a local artist, painted the cover picture from that photo.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
JOHNSTON, Iowa  Although its been nine years since historic floods caused more than $5 billion in damage to Cedar Rapids, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, believes there is a chance the city will get flood mitigation funds it is seeking.

Were doing what we can, he said Friday about his efforts with 1st District Rep. Rod Blum and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. We have to make sure that the money does come.

Cedar Rapids city officials estimate it will take about $600 million over 20 years to protect the city from future floods. This includes $269 million from the state  which already has been allocated  $110 million from Cedar Rapids and $73 million from the federal government. Another $150 million still is unfunded.

The federal money was authorized as part of the Water Resources Development Act, but that legislation includes numerous projects across the United States and no money has been appropriated for Cedar Rapids.

Loebsack, who represented Cedar Rapids at the time of the 2008 flood, acknowledged that the chance for the community to get federal funds may be limited.

Well, I think its fair to say given the problems that the federal government has had with the budget and all the rest, its hard to count on anything like that, he said during taping of Iowa Press.

I think we can make some progress on that, (but) it remains to be seen whether we can get all the funding that we need.

Although the 2nd District, which Loebsack now represents, doesnt include Cedar Rapids, he promised to continue to work as hard as I can to make sure that funding does come.
A 64-year-old former Moline man is serving a 14-year-prison sentence in New Mexico for fatally shooting the brother of his then-girlfriend more than 30 years ago.

Valentin P. Vasquez, then 30, had also shot his girlfriend and another man, both of whom survived, during an argument on March 28, 1984, at the home he shared with the woman.

He fled and moved to Moline in 1988, where he lived under an assumed identity. Moline Police Detective Mike Griffin said Friday that Vasquez had stayed under the departments radar during his time in the Quad-Cities.

That was until Nov. 29, 2015, when Vasquez was involved in a minor car accident in the 3900 block of 16th Street and was cited for disobeying a traffic control device and not having a valid drivers license.

The responding officer became suspicious of Vasquez and noted that he was acting nervous and provided the officer with different names, according to police.

He was arrested at the scene and held until officers could verify his identity. Thats when they determined that he was wanted in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and contacted the Albuquerque Police Departments Cold Case Unit, according to police.

Albuquerque police said in a 2015 news release that a cold case detective traveled to Moline and, with help from local officers, was able to obtain critical evidence in the 31-year-old case.

Vasquez was extradited to New Mexico and made a first appearance in the murder case on Dec. 21, 2015. According to online court records, he pleaded not guilty, and bond was set at $250,000 cash or surety.

He enter a plea of no contest  meaning he would not contest the charges  to one count of second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in August 2016.

Vasquez was sentenced the following October to 14 years in prison. He will be deported once he completes his prison sentence, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Police confirmed Monday that an East Moline man accused of fatally shooting 69-year-old Robert E. Neal Sr. on Friday night is his grandson, who lived with him.

During a short news conference at East Moline City Hall, police revealed some new details in the case against Roman P. Knox, 23, who faces one count of first-degree murder.

At 9:31 p.m. Friday, police were called to the 200 block of 19th Street for a battery complaint.

Lt. Darren Gault said during Mondays news conference that police initially were contacted by a passerby who said that there appeared to be two people fighting on the sidewalk and that one of them had a gun.

Police also received multiple 911 calls from other witnesses who said they either heard or saw something, Gault said.

Police found Neal, who appeared to have a single gunshot wound to the chest, lying on the grass and began administering aid until EMS took over.

He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police from East Moline, Silvis, Moline and the Illinois State Police set up a perimeter to try and locate the shooter, Gault said.

Witnesses directed police to the north where they said they saw the suspect running.

Knox, who was armed with a long gun and had blood on him, emerged from a home in the 100 block of 21st Street, surrendered "quite quickly" and was taken into custody without incident, Gault said.

Gault said the home is the one he shared with his grandfather.

He added that the statements from witnesses were absolutely vital to the quick arrest of Knox.

Knox remained in the Rock Island County Jail on Monday on a $5 million bond and will be back in court Nov. 28 for a preliminary hearing.

Police have said that the shooting stemmed from an earlier argument. Gault confirmed Monday that Knox is Neals grandson.

Gault said police are still trying to piece together a timeline of the shooting and declined to say what the two argued about. He did say that there was a history of domestic problems at the residence they shared.

Court records show that Knox has misdemeanor convictions for battery in Rock Island County and domestic battery in Mercer County in 2015.

Gault said detectives are continuing to investigate the case. He encouraged anyone who may have heard or seen anything, spoke to Knox prior to the shooting, or who may have home or business surveillance video in the area to call 309-752-1545 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500.

This is the first homicide reported in East Moline in 2017. The last homicide, Gault said, was the 2010 shooting death of Steven J. Clemons, 28.
The Rock Island Library board needs a $12 million commitment from the City Council to proceed with its plans for the future.

In March, the library board adopted a plan to move the library's central location to what is now the Tri-City Jewish Center and to downsize, but retain, the current historic downtown location. The plan also would retain the Southwest Branch at 9010 Ridgewood Ave., and would close and sell the 30/31 Branch at 3059 30th St., which is just two blocks from the Jewish Center.

But any move forward is contingent on the council's support.

Earlier this month, library director Angela Campbell explained the plan to city council members during a study session. She hopes to make a formal request to the council for a vote in January.

She readily admits that the timing is bad.

With declining revenues and rising expenses, the city's budget is tight. The 2018 budget proposal presented by staff on Monday night calls for a property tax increase and several fee increases.

The $12 million the library is asking for wouldn't have to start being paid until 2020, and it wouldn't have to be in one lump. What the library needs is a commitment so that it can proceed on other fronts  explore the closing and sale of the 30/31 branch, negotiate a purchase of the Jewish Center, begin applying for grants and approach donors with a concrete plan, Campbell said.

"We have a really great opportunity," she said, referring to the availability of the Jewish Center. "Everything is perfect except for the timing."

The reason Jewish leaders are willing to part with their building is that it has become too big and is no longer centrally located for its changing congregation.

City Administrator Randy Tweet said that all of the city's aldermen "have told me they support the library. Where they stand on this specific proposal, I can't tell you."

The overall cost of the library's plan is $15.64 million, not counting actual purchase of the Jewish Center, 2175 30th St. But Campbell said she is confident that even with purchase, the project would come in at under $20 million.

The $12 million from the city would be paid out over time, beginning in 2020, under the most optimistic timeline.

Other fundraising would come from the library foundation which already has secured a lead gift of nearly $1 million and has a goal of raising $4 million through a capital campaign and grant requests.

Another $2 million would come from smaller donors in the community at large.

Here is a closer look at the plan:

 Buy and repurpose the Jewish Center. The repurposing is estimated at $6.29 million. This would include a designated area for teens, outdoor space, meeting rooms, ample parking with a covered entryway and a cafe.

 Make needed infrastructure improvements and rearrange space in the downtown location, for $4.65 million. Of that, between $2 million and $3 million would be for new windows, energy-efficient lighting, wiring for the computer age and a new heating/ventilation/air conditioning system.

As for rearranging space, the lower level will continue to be rented to the Midwest Writing Center and, eventually, to The SwitchYard makerspace, a nonprofit offering a space with tools and equipment for do-it-yourself projects that people can't afford on their own. SwitchYard has already signed a contract with the library, and is currently located on the second floor.

The library's first floor would serve normal library functions. It would have designated areas for children and teens, reading areas, computers and historical/genealogical research materials.

The third floor would retain the community room, but the rest of the space would be available for rent.

Some residents fear that, eventually, the downtown location will close, as happened in Moline when that city's main location moved. Campbell and Kathy Lelonek, president of the library foundation, said they are committed to the downtown, and that they wouldn't be dedicating so much money for upgrades if they were going to close it.

 Retain the Southwest Branch. Operation of this branch is paid for through a contract with the Milan-Blackhawk Area Public Library District.

 Close and sell the 30/31 branch, with that money going to the overall project.

 The $15.64 million price tag for the overall plan also includes $2 million for escalation costs and another $2.7 million for contingency costs, money that might not be needed, Campbell said.

With this plan, nearly all residents are within three miles of a library location, she said.

She encourages residents to contact their aldermen to let them know what they think about the plan. "That's the only guidance they have to know what their constituents are thinking," she said.
The Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation will host a Christmas tea and tour at Quarters One on Arsenal Island on Sunday, Dec. 10. Seatings will be at noon and 3 p.m.

Food, several kinds of tea and a guided tour of the historic Quarters One mansion, decorated for the holidays, will be featured.

Tickets are $25 each, available online at www.davenporthouse.org or from Judy Tumbleson at 309-786-5980. Those buying tickets should indicate which time is preferred.

Only paid attendees of the Christmas tea can tour Quarters One.

The event is sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America and Modern Woodmen representative Doug Grenier.

The Rock Island Arsenal is an active military installation. Because the tour is considered to be a special event, guests can enter Arsenal Island with a United States picture identification at any gate. Visitors should tell guards they are going to Quarters One.

The foundation is a nonprofit all-volunteer organization that works to preserve Col. George Davenports former home and share his story with the community. For more information, visit their website at www.davenporthouse.org.

The house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1833-1834. It is on the north end of Arsenal Island.
The Regional Development Authority Board has awarded 61 grants totaling $1,350,364 to Quad-City nonprofit, civic and governmental organizations.

The latest round of grants brings the total awarded since 1991 to $65.5 million.

To help guide allocation decisions, the board has adopted a new mission statement: To strategically fund initiatives that create a vibrant, inclusive, and growing community.

This year, human-service organizations received 51 percent of the funds, while proposals from arts, culture and education organizations received 38 percent and traditional economic development entities received 11 percent.

Several awards made to behavioral and mental-health entities contribute to economic outcomes: For example, the Robert Young Mental Health Center received a grant to help expand and improve its facilities to provide child and adolescent services to more people, the Center for Alcohol and Drug Services received funding to update its electronic health-record system needed to stay current with billing requirements and Transitions Mental Health Services received funds to develop tele-psych services to expand access to mental health care across the region.

Payments were also made on five multi-cycle commitments, including Eastern Iowa Community Colleges for the Urban Campus project, River Bend Foodbank for an End Hunger initiative, Davenport Community Schools for its Creative Arts Academy, Quad-City Symphony Orchestra for its Masterworks Concerts and Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois for Camp Conestoga renovations. Multi-cycle awards make it possible to contribute to larger, longer-term projects.

To help guide allocation decisions, the board has adopted a new mission statement: To strategically fund initiatives that create a vibrant, inclusive, and growing community.

These organizations do so much to enhance quality of life in our community for everyone," said president Matt Mendenhall. "In many ways, nonprofits in the Quad-Cities lead our communitys inclusive culture and the RDA has been active in encouraging an inclusive community.
The Salvation Army is seeking toys to help Quad-City families have a better Christmas.

Through its Angel Trees, the Salvation Army hopes to provide toys to 1,500 area families. Angel Trees are at numerous Quad-City locations now through Dec. 18.

Illinois

Walmart, 3930 44th Ave., Moline

Walmart, 1601 18th St., Silvis

First Midwest Bank, 506 15th St., Moline

The Salvation Army Heritage Temple Corps, 2200 5th Ave. Moline

Iowa

Sears in Northpark Mall

The Salvation Army Davenport Corps, 3400 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport

The Salvation Army Family Service Center, 301 W. 6th St., Davenport

Angel Tree tags can be requested by calling The Salvation Army Family Service Center at 563-324-4808.

Last year, thousands of toys were displayed at The Salvation Armys Toy Shop on the Christmas assistance distribution days. Parents can shop for their childrens gifts and also receive a food box with the ingredients for a Christmas dinner.
The above organizations are recognized by Queens Crap as being beneficial to the city as a whole, by fighting to preserve the history and character of our neighborhoods. They are not connected to this website and the opinions presented here do not necessarily represent the positions of these organizations.The comments left by posters to this site do not necessarily represent the views of the blogger or webmaster.Street or satellite shots used here are from Google Maps or Windows Live Local
LINCOLN, Neb. | Nebraska regulators are set to decide Monday whether to approve or deny an in-state route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. It's the last major regulatory hurdle facing project operator TransCanada Corp.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission's ruling is on the Nebraska route TransCanada has proposed to complete the $8 billion, 1,179-mile pipeline to deliver oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The proposed Keystone XL route would cross parts of Montana, South Dakota and most of Nebraska to Steele City, Neb.

A vote in favor of the company's proposed route through Nebraska would give a boost to the long-delayed project, which was rejected by President Barack Obama in 2015, citing concerns about carbon pollution. President Donald Trump revived it in March, approving a permit.

The project has faced a barrage of criticism from environmental activists and some landowners for nearly a decade. A ruling against the company would cast renewed doubt on the proposal and could lead to another drawn-out legal fight.

Here are some things to know about the decision:

WHAT OPTIONS DOES THE COMMISSION HAVE?

The five-member Nebraska Public Service Commission is forbidden by law from factoring pipeline safety or the risk of spills into its decision because pipeline safety is a federal responsibility. So, it will not take into account a spill of 210,000 gallons of oil on the existing Keystone pipeline in South Dakota announced on Thursday.

The simplest choice is a yes-or-no vote on TransCanada's "preferred route" through a dozen Nebraska counties. But the commission could include major caveats that would add years to the project's timetable.

Commissioners could tweak TransCanada's proposed route, or pick one of the company's "alternative" routes. Company officials have said their preferred route causes the least amount of disruption.

If the commission denies the request outright, state law gives TransCanada a 60-day window to revise and resubmit its proposal for another review.

"It's not as simple as a 'guilty' or 'not guilty' verdict," said Brian Jorde, an attorney for Nebraska landowners who are fighting the project.

No matter what the commission decides, any group that presented arguments at an August hearing could appeal the decision to a state district court. The case would likely end up before the Nebraska Supreme Court.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DECISION?

The commission's vote could play a pivotal role in whether TransCanada moves ahead with the pipeline. After years of lobbying for the project, TransCanada acknowledged in a July conference call that executives won't decide until late November or early December whether to begin construction.

TransCanada spokesman Matthew John reiterated that timeline on Wednesday.

"We're going through the process with every intention to get this project built," John said. "But there are factors that we need to work out prior to making that decision," including regulatory approval in Nebraska.

John said the company also needs to finalize its contracts with shippers that want to use the pipeline.

TransCanada has been working to line up long-term contracts for the pipeline, which can carry an estimated 830,000 barrels a day. The company has not announced the results of its open season bidding process, which ended Oct. 26.

WILL THERE BE PROTESTS IF THE COMMISSION APPROVES THE PIPELINE?

Opponents in August vowed to stage mass protests against the pipeline if Nebraska regulators approve it, but say they will exhaust legal options first.

Pipeline opponents have lined parts of the proposed route with obstacles, including trees, solar panels, sacred corn from the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and a barn powered by renewable energy. Some opponents may try to physically block construction and have likened their resistance to the activists who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, N.D.

IS KEYSTONE XL STILL FEASIBLE?

Despite low oil prices and repeated delays, TransCanada has a strong financial incentive to keep pursuing the pipeline, said Zachary Rogers, a Houston-based analyst for Wood Mackenzie, an energy research and consulting firm.

Rogers said Western Canadian producers have been forced to ship their product by train, which is more expensive than a pipeline, and Keystone XL would reduce costs and improve their bottom line.

At the same time, Texas refineries face uncertainty because of political instability in Venezuela, one of their top oil sources, and a slowdown in Mexican production.

"Western Canada has been held captive by geography and hasn't been able to cheaply access the markets," Rogers said. "Any opportunity for them to get better access will buoy their margins."
HOT SPRINGS | Fall River County Commissioners recently approved vacating portions of a pair of intersecting section lines in Minnekahta Valley that will pave the way for a new utility scale solar energy project.

The decision was made during a public hearing on Nov. 7 following a presentation by representatives of 174 Power Global, a subsidiary of the Korean-based Fortune Global 500 Hanwa Group, which is developing the project. Construction is expected to begin in April.

Speaking on behalf of the petitioners were Sioux Falls attorney John Taylor and Brison Ellinghaus, director of Interconnection and Land Development with 174 Power Global.

The land is located within a 700-acre area midway between Hot Springs and Edgemont on both sides of U.S. Highway 18. It is owned by two separate parties: Scott and Joyce Phillips and the Collins Family Trust.

174 Power Global plans to rent the land for the solar farm, which is currently being utilized as pasture and hay ground by the two families. The company is the second-largest manufacturer of solar cells and modules in the world, and has developed more than 35 similar utility-scale solar projects. Other project in the U.S. are located in Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Connecticut and Indiana.

The Fall River County project  known as the SD Sun Solar Project  entails 570 usable acres of land, despite the entire site covering approximately 700 acres. With a capacity of 40 MW, the company has already put into place power purchases with Black Hills Energy for delivery in 2018 and 2019, generating enough electricity for 45,000 homes  assuming 200kWHS per month.

Ellinghaus said his companys project will bring significant investment into South Dakota, including more than $40 million into design, development, equipment and construction. The expected impact on the job market will be felt most notably in the construction phase, which Ellinghaus said could involve 50 jobs, with about five permanent jobs afterward to take care of the day-to-day operation of the site.

Not all of those operational jobs would be local, he added, but the company would utilize local people and businesses when possible.

In addition to job creation, Ellinghaus also pointed out the benefit to the countys tax base, which he said would likely start as a trickle. County commissioners requested some additional information on the companys projected impact on tax revenue.

If construction begins in April as planned, Ellinghaus said the solar farm should be operational by September. Ellinghaus said the expected 35-year lifespan of the project is based on the solar cells losing 1 percent of their capability in the first year, and then a half of a percent in each year after that.
STURGIS | Jamey and Amber Nehring are all about salvaging old wood and turning it into new and useful things and helping to rebuild lives.

Thats what they do.

Even the name of their Sturgis woodworking business, Renatus, is based on the latin word for reborn.

This is both our name and mission as we give old wood a new lease on life, and also as we look to bigger things, said Amber Nehring, in announcing Renatus Woodworks as one of eight statewide recipients of a two-year Dakota Rising Fellowship, which includes $10,000 and mentoring to put the funds to good use.

Jamey had always had a knack for woodworking. Prior to marrying Amber in 2012, he had built a queen-sized bunk bed with a closet under it.

Jamey was living in a 400-square-foot apartment. He and Amber were engaged and he knew she would be moving in after they were married.

"We needed a place for her to put all her clothes and all her stuff," he said.

A friend saw the bunkbed on a Facebook post and told Jayme he should venture into the furniture-making business. Jamey, then working for a contractor, decided to build his own business.

His first projects included a toy chest that looked like a Minecraft chest for his nephew and a doll crib for his niece.

He then made a coffee table for a fundraiser in Lead and a pedestal for a friends taxidermist business. Jamey was also commissioned to build furniture, countertops and other projects from reclaimed wood for Campfire Coffee in Deadwood.

The proceeds from the Campfire jobs allowed Jamey to invest in new tools, but from that point the couple decided their fledgling business needed to accomplish bigger things.

They decided to donate 50 percent of any profits to organizations that are about saving lives, such as orphanages in Africa or elsewhere. "It's where we felt led," Jamey said. "We're doing this on lots of prayer and lots of faith."

The Nehrings initially located their business in a former gasoline and service station on Lazelle Street in Sturgis.

"We had driven by there many times. When it finally sold we went and talked to the guy who bought it and asked if we could rent it," Jamey said.

The front of the station was what Amber described as "itty-bitty." They quickly overwhelmed the space.

"At the time I remember I only had a couple things to put in it," she said. "Then, after a year of being set up in there we were just bursting at the seams.

Sturgis Economic Development Director Pat Kurtenbach helped them find a bigger space. The new location, the old Dakota Mill & Grain company building on west Main Street, offered yet another chance for a renewal.

Dakota Mill & Grain closed its doors in 2012. The owners of the elevator said at the time that the building, dating back to the 1940s, has outlasted its useful life, and that repairing it would be more costly than it was worth.

But the Nehrings saw the potential. They rented the building, and after receiving the go-ahead, have slowly been renovating. An expansive showroom area even allows them enough space to seek other vendors for an area of downtown ripe for further rebirth.

"With the new laundromat and Indian Motorcycles, we believed this could be poised to be a new area of town," Amber said.

Along with furniture building, Renatus does general contracting, exterior staining including fences, decks, and cabins, and reclaiming barn wood.

They currently have between 35 and 40 barns to tear down across the state for refurbishing and creating wood furniture.

"We don't pay for (the barns). We offer to tear them down and clean up the mess in exchange for the material," Jamey said.

They employ two full-time carpenters. One builds picture frames from reclaimed barn wood, which are sold to old-time photo tourist shops in the region.

Dakota Resources, a community development fund certified by the U.S. Treasury Dept., raises money for small businesses through a capital investment fund that augments revolving loan funds for local development projects.

Dakota Resources President Beth Davis said selecting this years fellows from an impressive field of candidates was difficult.

Our new class of fellows comes from all across the state with vastly different backgrounds. We are confident these rural entrepreneurs are going to do great things for themselves and for their communities, Davis said in a release.

In applying for the fellowship the Nehrings first had to prove their business was rural-based and not in Sioux Falls or Rapid City, and they had to submit a business plan.

After making the final 12 candidates, they interviewed with Dakota Rising officials in Watertown in October. From that they were selected to be fellows in the program.

The fellowship includes business mentoring throughout the program.

"We've taken our business as far as we could take it on our own. For the business to continue to grow and prosper, this opportunity will make a world of difference," Amber said.
Most check stations in southwest Montana saw high numbers of elk come through compared to other years on the fifth weekend of the hunting season.

Biologists report elk moving to winter range and hunters following suit to great success.

Despite high winds, the highest harvest rate was seen in the Paradise Valley at 30.3 percent as the Livingston check station staff met with 175 hunters harvesting 34 deer and 19 elk.

Hunter harvest at Divide was over 100 percent greater than last year while numbers declined at Mill Creek to just 3 elk harvested. Area biologists attribute this to elk having moved through the Pintler and Mount Haggin areas and now concentrating on winter ranges to the east.
Billings police have identified the man who was found decapitated on Wednesday near 32nd Street West and Gabel Road as Myron Wesley Knight, 41, of Billings.

The identification came in a Monday morning press release from Lt. Neil Lawrence of the Billings Police Department.

Deputy Coroner Cliff Mahoney confirmed Monday that the body was decapitated, and that Knight had suffered multiple blunt force traumas, indicating hed been beaten.

Mahoney said he could not provide an estimate on when the man died or any additional details about his death. Autopsy results wont be available for a week or two, he said.

BPD is investigating the case as a homicide.

Police began investigating Wednesday night after two people walking on a dirt trail near the canal west of Billings Collision Repair found a body covered with debris and possibly a blanket near an abandoned transient camp, BPD Capt. Jeremy House said.

A Thursday press release, written by BPD Lt. Neil Lawrence, states that the body was found at around 5:06 p.m.

The body was initially reported to be headless and wrapped in carpet. House said Wednesday night he had not gotten close enough to the body to confirm that information. The body did appear to be partially covered in debris, including leaves and what might have been a blanket, House said.

Police are offering a $1,000 reward for information on Knight's killing. To provide information, contact the Billings Police Department Detective Division at 657-8473 or Crime Stoppers at 245-6660 with information about the homicide.
Guwahati : After Akhil Gogoi, Assam government is planning to arrest two prominent intellectuals under National Security Act (NSA) for their alleged support to Arshad Madanis controversial provocative remarks on the ongoing updation process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

A top source said that, the state home department is moved to direct the Assam police to arrest intellectuals Dr Hiren Gohain and Manjit Mahanta under NSA act.

On November 18, the Assam governor had confirmed of arresting Akhil Gogoi, a farmer leader and leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) under NSA act after the state advisory board of NSA recommended it.

The farmer leader and RTI activist was re-arrested by the Assam police on September 25 last, who was earlier arrested on charge of threatening to wage war against the country by allegedly urging the indigenous people of Assam to take up AK-47 rifle to protect their rights.

The top source said that, after Akhil Gogoi, the state government is now planning to arrest two intellectuals on the same way.

Dr Hiren Gohain, Manjit Mahanta and few other people were present at the programme held at the speaker hall of Constitution club of India, New Delhi on November 13, where Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani made his controversial provocative comment on the NRC and stated that Assam will

burn, there will be killings and retaliation, if 50 lakh Muslims are left from the updation process of NRC.

Massive protests have been held in Assam following Madanis comment and eight FIRs were lodged by several persons, organizations against Madani.

It is interesting that, while the Assam police arrested Akhil Gogoi under NSA act on charge of threatening to wage war against the country, why police wouldnt arrest pro-talk ULFA leader Jiten Dutta, who also allegedly threatening to wage war against the country. Now the state government is planning to arrest these intellectuals under the same act, who delivered their speech against the government, the top source said.

On the other hand, the special team of Assam police led by an ACP who presently staying in Delhi had grilled the organizers of the programme on Sunday.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : A major breakthrough for the security forces after, the finance secretary of banned outfit NSCN-K was arrested by the security forces from Meghalayas capital city Shillong on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.

Inovi Avika Achumi, finance secretary of NSCN-K was arrested in a joint operation carried by the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police from Demseiniong area in Shillong.

East Garo Hills district Superintendent of Police Davies R Marak said that, following a tip-off, the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police had jointly launched operation at Deseiniong area, where Inovi Avika Achumi hiding since couple of days.

We were informed from about Achumis presence in Shillong area and kept surveillance on his movement and activities. Intelligence informed that, Achumi hiding at Deseiniong area and staying at a rented house near NEEPCO office. Finally the troops raided at his hideout on Saturday night and arrested him, East Garo Hills district SP said.

Security personnel also detained Achumis wife and brother-in-law, but later they were released.

The top police official said that, security personnel did not recovered any arms and ammunition in possession from Achumi.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya police has started interrogation him to collect information of NSCN-K.

Achumi is a most wanted militant of National Investigating Agency (NIA).

NSCN-K is active in Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and some parts of Myanmar.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
NAYPYITAW, Nov 20: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism in a speech Monday that comes as her country is accused of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi did not directly mention the refugee exodus as she welcomed European and Asian foreign ministers to Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar. But her speech highlighted the views of many in Myanmar who see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and blame the population for terrorist acts.

The ongoing Rohingya exodus is sure to be raised by the visitors at the meetings held Monday and Tuesday.

The world is in a new period of instability as conflicts around the world give rise to new threats and emergencies, Suu Kyi said, citing Illegal immigrations spread of terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war. Conflicts take away peace from societies, leaving behind underdevelopment and poverty, pushing peoples and even countries away from one another.

Myanmar has been criticized for the military crackdown that has driven more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state into neighboring Bangladesh. The United Nations has said the crackdown appeared to be a campaign of ethnic cleansing, and some have called for re-imposing international sanctions that were lifted as Myanmar transitioned from military rule to elected government.

Foreign ministers and representatives of 51 countries are meeting in Naypyitaw in a forum that aims to further political and economic cooperation but takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.

A flurry of diplomatic activity preceded Mondays opening, with the foreign ministers of Germany and Sweden joining the EUs foreign policy chief in a visit to the teeming refugee camps in Bangladesh. Chinas Wang Yi was also in Bangladesh and met privately with Suu Kyi on Sunday in Myanmar following that trip.

Suu Kyi is Myanmars foreign minister and state councilor, a title created for the countrys once-leading voice for democracy since she is constitutionally banned from the presidency. She does not command the military and cannot direct its operations in northern Rakhine state, but her remarks in seeming support of the brutal crackdown have damaged her global reputation.

In her speech to the visiting foreign ministers, Suu Kyi also cited natural disasters caused by climate change as compounding the worlds problems. She said mutual understanding of problems like terrorism would be crucial for peace and economic development.

I believe that if policymakers develop a true understanding of each of those constraints and difficulties, the process of addressing global problems will become easier and more effective, she said. It is only through mutual understanding that strong bonds of partnership can be forged.

The European Unions top diplomat said earlier Monday that she is encouraging Suu Kyi to implement the recommendations of an expert panel on ensuring stability in Rakhine state and work was still needed on that.

The commission, led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, called for promoting investment and community-directed growth to alleviate poverty in Rakhine, which Myanmar officials have supported. But it also called for Myanmar to grant citizenship and ensure other rights to the Rohingya, which are hotly disputed and effectively render most of them stateless.

The commission, established last year at Suu Kyis behest, issued its report the day before a Rohingya insurgent group killed dozens of attacks on multiple police posts on Aug. 25. The militarys response has been called disproportionate and a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Rohingya now in Bangladesh have described indiscriminate shootings, rapes and arsons that wiped out whole villages. Some survivors bear wounds from gunshots and landmines.

Stopping the violence, stopping the flow of refugees and (guaranteeing) full humanitarian access to Rakhine state and safe, sustainable repatriation of the refugees are going to be needed, said Federica Mogherini, the high representative for EU foreign policy.

She said the EU was encouraging Bangladesh and Myanmar to work on that issue.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the security officials to provide full security to the people in view of upcoming elections.

Addressing the security seminar of province no 3 for the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies here in the capital on Monday, Prime Minister Deuba directed the security officials to create peaceful environment for voting by ensuring security to the people as different groups including Biplav-led party were trying to disrupt the elections.

PM Deuba who is also looking after the Home Ministry, said, "The constitution has been promulgated after a long struggle. Election is must for constitution implementation. People should get peaceful environment to cast their votes. Do not leave any stone unturned in security system to save the people's voting rights."

Similarly, Home Secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota directed the security officials to pay attention in implementing security plan to ensure the security before election, during election and after election. He said, "Security challenges in elections have already been identified. Problems will be resolved after moving ahead with the effective security plans."

Regional Administrator of the Central Development Region Reshmiraj Pandey familiarised about the security situation of all districts of province no 3 and plan prepared for election security for the province.

Security chiefs of each district had briefed the security conditions, challenges and measures to be implemented to control the security threat in the seminar.

It was discussed that the hooligans might be the major threat in Dolakha and Ramechhap and Biplav-led cadres in Sindhuli and Kavrepalanchok.

Similarly, party-protected ruffians are the major threat to security in Nuwakot and their possible connection with security officials and employees might be a challenge in Sindhupalchok district.

Meanwhile, it was briefed that security strategy has been prepared accordingly to address such threats.

The meeting has concluded that the Biplav-led party may use Chitwan districts as its headquarters to launch anti-election activities.

The seminar was organised with an objective of holding discussion on various matters including security challenges to be surfaced during elections and measures to resolve them as well as to exchange experience on security action plan and arrangement of neighbouring for peaceful election.

Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Kavrepalanchok, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Dhading, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts are in the province.

Home Secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Chief of General Staff of NA Purna Chandra Thapa, Inspector General of Police Prakash Aryal, Inspector General of Armed Police Force Singha Bahadur Shrestha, Chief Director of National Investigation Department Dilip Regmi and high ranking officials of Defense and Home Ministries had attended the seminar. RSS
PUCL Bulletin, November 2017

Interview with Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court and winner of Right Livelihood Award, 2017

We are in kalyug where rakshasas rule

The forces of good are on the run.

But dark times also challenge people to fight.

I believe Indians will rise against these dark times.

Even as he was fighting against the deportation of Rohingya refugees in the Supreme Court came the announcement that Colin Gonsalves, founder of the Human Rights Law Network, had been named one of the four winners of this years Right Livelihood Award, often described as the Alternative Nobel Prize.

The distinguished lawyer spoke to Jyoti Punwani about his journey from IIT Bombay to fighting for the wretched of the earth in the apex court.

How did you switch from IIT to the law?

When I was in IIT, the situation was politically very turbulent.

The Jayaprakash Narayan movement was on as was the railway strike. This turbulence percolated down to students.

A Marxist Study Circle was formed in IIT. It was an academic group where a lot of reading took place.

For me, studying a dull and boring course, this was exciting, specially because we had some world class teachers in that study circle.

Why did you choose a dull and boring course to study?

My father was an engineer and in those days there was no counseling.

A friend asked me to appear for the IIT entrance exam along with him. So I got into civil engineering. It was purely arbitrary.

But when you switched to law from engineering, surely your parents must have been upset.

My parents were very simple people.

When I got a first class in my ICSE school leaving exam, they were pleasantly surprised.

My father didnt know what IIT was. Frankly, nor did I.

They just went along with my decision.

I didnt become a lawyer immediately. I got involved in the housing rights movement. We used to have morchas against evictions, where I was arrested many times.

They (his parents) used to read about my arrest in the papers. And they must have guessed my finances werent great  I always took a bus, not an auto, my clothes were old...

I didnt live at home, I was quite a nomad, living at different activists homes. But whenever I went home, they never asked what I was doing.

I was an engineering graduate, but could never send money home. They never said anything about it.

How did you become a lawyer?

After two years in the housing rights movement, I went to meet (trade unionist) Dr Datta Samant. At that time I was living in a textile workers chawl at Currey Road (south central Mumbai).

Dr Samant spoke to me very roughly, implying: You middle class people come here to work for some time and then run away.

When he came to know I was a BTech he told me: Better go find a job, dont fool around. But I was insistent, so finally he called his brother Dada Samant and said: What can we do for him?

I had noticed many workers coming to them with their problems regarding lockouts, strikes. I suggested I could write letters for them. Thats how I started.

I went on to participate in domestic inquiries (against workers) in at least 500 industrial establishments in Mumbai. It was a marvelous experience.

Then a judge in the industrial court told me that if I didnt become a lawyer I would have no career.

Miltancy is the right approach because in this country there is no respect for the rule of law and for working class people.

Did Dr Samant pay you?

The princely sum of Rs 500 a month for working from 8 am till midnight. But those were the happiest days of my life.

You started off as a labour lawyer?

Yes, even today I do a lot of labour law.

I practised in the Thane industrial tribunal and then in the Bombay industrial tribunal, and then moved to the high court.

I stopped appearing exclusively for Dr Samants workers only after his death.

Could you earn much?

I had many cases of Dr Samants workers so I was able to lead a decent life.

Dr Samant started me off with Rs 500, but left me with a rich legacy both of experience and of clients. Ill remain eternally grateful to him.

He was my true guru. He taught me to see the world through the eyes of the working class. Only if you do that, can you do labour law meaningfully.

Dr Samant was much vilified, but he was one of the greatest trade unionists weve had.

His definition of militancy was correct  that one should not believe in the law and the court while negotiating workers demands. One must be a militant.

I have seen salaries of workers under him go up from Rs 400 to ten times that much just through negotiations.

When I see the salary scales today, some at pre-1980 levels and some even below the minimum wage, I feel all the gains of his period have been wiped out.

Explain: One must be a militant.

Miltancy is the right approach because in this country there is no respect for the rule of law and for working class people.

The inherent culture of domination lays down that working class people be treated with indignity. They must rise in revolt.

This is a fundamentally evil and unjust system.

What Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar said in 1942 (in his speech at the All India Depressed Classes Conference): Agitate, educate and organise is still valid.

Those who see the legal system close up, specially, see that it is all maya.

It is deeply inequitable and actually cruel for working class people. It needs such a radical overhaul that even the best of judges cannot think what kind of change is necessary.

So it will have to be changed only by people revolting against it.

Take a simple thing like a worker being terminated. He cannot approach the court directly, except in Maharashtra. He has to take permission from the labour commissioner before his case is sent to court.

So the labour commissioners office has become a cesspool of corruption, with companies ready to pay so that cases dont go to court.

Now Modi is going to dismantle labour laws. Im sure if that is done workers will rise in insurrection, just as we rose against the British.

There is little evidence of people rising in insurrection except maybe the Maoists.

There is lot of evidence in remote pockets where the media doesnt go. There are latent forms of insurrection  you dont see it because the State is so repressive.

There is so much bitterness, anger and resentment among people that is ground for insurrection.

Converting every social activist into an enemy of the State is the hallmark of this government.

If the legal system is maya, why do you continue with your practice?

Even if it is an illusion as a whole, there are very kind judges who want to change the world and the system, in significant positions in all courts.

Some judges make PILs (public interest litigation) their own cause. And the judgment by a Supreme Court judge covers the whole country, while that by a high court judge covers an entire state.

So, public-spirited lawyers can do good work. The law is an area no human rights organisation lawyer should abandon.

Some cynics say that by using the law you are strengthening belief in the capitalist system. But within capitalism there are areas of combat possible.

In the legal system, decent results are possible.

You get great judgments, but what about the implementation?

There are varying levels of implementation.

The Right to Food judgment was implemented 70%.

The midday meal and anganwadi schemes were about to close in 2000. Under IMF and World Bank pressure, the government had decided to close down the public distribution system.

Then came the PUCL case asking for legal enforcement of the Right to Food, and the Supreme Courts orders were implemented.

PDS coverage went from 14% to 70%. And in 2013 the Food Security Act was passed.

A lot depends on judges and the media. I tell sceptics  and there is a breed of new law professors who are super sceptics  as long as people are coming to you, people who have no lawyers to defend them, you must defend them.

If someone comes to tell you the bulldozer is coming to my house, will you tell him to fight the bulldozer by himself or give him a lecture on corruption of the judiciary? You would just take up the case.

Why did you move to Delhi?

When I was in Mumbai, the Human rights Law Network had only three or four offices. It was only after I came to Delhi that I could coordinate things and it could grow to 20 offices.

In Mumbai, the labour law field was stagnating because of the closure of factories and textile mills.

In Delhi, I started taking on environmental law and PILs. I found it to be a vibrant city of activists from all over the country.

So you dont subscribe to the view that young people today are no longer drawn to social causes like the previous generation?

No. A whole generation is coming up with different approaches, maybe not in the field of labour, but all branches: Environment, housing rights, minority rights, Dalit rights. Im optimistic.

I believe we are in kalyug where rakshasas rule and the forces of good are on the run.

But dark times also challenge people to fight. I believe Indians will rise against these dark times.

As the Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra said: Today when darkness with all its strength thrusts itself over the truth, if nothing else, a proud and noble Punjab is the light that will challenge it.

He was just a diya, but if all activists become diyas, what will be the result?

The NDA has raised the level of repression enormously.

The amount of surveillance, suspicion and anger against those involved in civil rights and Constitutionally protected work is very very high.

Fear among the people is also very high.

Do you see any difference in the way the UPA dealt with human rights and what the NDA is doing?

There is an element of continuity between the two. The UPA also suppressed civil rights groups and NGOs. Its levels of corruption were astronomical and this affected all its programmes.

But the NDA has raised the level of repression enormously.

The amount of surveillance, suspicion and anger against those involved in civil rights and Constitutionally protected work is very very high. Fear among the people is also very high.

Those who dont see themselves as enemies of the State like me  Im just trying by bits and pieces to correct the system; or the hundreds of NGOs and people working for reform in their specialised areas  we are all treated like enemies of the State.

Converting every social activist into an enemy of the State is the hallmark of this government.

Lynchings and hate speech, incitements to kill, are the hallmarks of this State.

Has all this affected the judiciary? The NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission) was shot down.

There is pressure to appoint judges of a particular political orientation. The NJAC would have fast-tracked the system of undermining the judiciary.

In two years the government would have appointed hundreds of judges. Now they have to do so in a decentralised fashion, go person by person.

You have recently taken up the Rohingya issue, before that you had taken on the AFSPA in Manipur. Do you get threats?



We get indirect threats.

Sometimes outside court someone walks up to me and says dont do this. I just tell them that Im doing my dharm. It is my duty.

They expect hostility and anger; I dont have any.

Ive found you have to listen to the other side and debate; people can then get logical answers to questions troubling them.

On the Rohingya issue, Subramanian Swamy in a debate with me on a TV channel raised security concerns. We have to take these concerns seriously, we cant reply to them by just repeating, Oh this government has an anti-Muslim stand.

I pointed out that 7,000 Rohingyas live in Jammu. There has been not a single case filed against them. The CM of the state says there are no cases, the police say there are no signs of radicalisation.

So who are these terrorists we are worried about? Cant you isolate and arrest them?

After the AFSPA judgment (the Supreme Court ruled last year that every death caused by the armed forces in a disturbed area should be thoroughly inquired into), I was accused by some army officers of supporting terrorists, and never condemning the killing of security forces by terrorists. Such judgments affect the morale of the forces, I was told.

I told the officers: If a terrorist tries to shoot you, and you shoot him dead, Id be the first to pin a medal on you because you risked your life for the country. If a terrorist bombs a school he must be proceeded with within the boundaries of the law.

But to take someone on suspicion, torture him and then kill him in cold blood in a fake encounter... that cannot be supported.

Wont your morale be higher if you catch rogue elements of the army and police, I asked the officers. Then you would not only be a fighting force, but a moral force too. I found that debating with them helped me clear my mind too.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to human rights?

It is all to do with the kalyug we are facing.

Under globalisation, capitalism has moved to a cruel stage. Money is equal to god, GDP is everything, and might is right.

In these circumstances, common people are deprived of all their rights, most of all, the right to live with dignity.

The hallmark of cruel capitalism is the violent discrimination of the poor.

The only solution then becomes revolution by the people. That is not a radical thought, it is just the simple solution.

Maybe it wont happen in my lifetime, but one day it will.

So many millions cannot live under such oppression for so long.

Jyoti Punwani
 "How Congress, the U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judges Contribute to Mass Incarceration" | Main | Noting Justice Department's latest ACCA/AEDPA litigation switch in time hoping to avoid nine Justices 

There are any number of old and new California sentencing stories that surround the murderous Manson family, especially as some members of the "family" continue to pursue parole. With the death of the leader, this extended Daily Beast article, headlined "Charles Mansons Prosecutor Says He Deserved to Be Killed Years Ago," provides a useful reminder of the awful carnage and legacy of Manson. Here are snippets with some of the enduring sentencing details:

Charles Manson should have died a long time before today. Thats according to one of the prosecutors who sent Manson and his murderous followers to Death Row, only to see their sentences later commuted to life in prison.

Manson, 83, died Sunday at Kern County hospital in California, corrections officials said. Mansons death spells the end of a very evil man, Stephen R. Kay told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview earlier this year prior to Mansons death.

Kay was a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who worked with fellow deputy Vincent Bugliosi to secure guilty verdicts for Manson and his flock of killers, who came to be known as The Family. Manson, Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, Charles Tex Watson, Steve Clem Grogan, and Bruce Davis were convicted in all or some of the 1969 murders of nine people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant with director Roman Polanskis child.

No, that was a pretty easy decision based on the gruesomeness of the crimes and the motives: wanting to start a race war, Kay said. I think there are some crimes that are so heinous that in order for us to exist as a society that we have to say we will absolutely not accept this type of behavior and the person will have to suffer the ultimate penalty. Its not that were giving Charles Manson the death penalty; its that he earned it....

At 73, and now retired, Kay said he can still hear the sinister threats on his life made by Manson and his disciples. Squeaky [Fromme] and Sandy Good snuck up behind me and said theyre going to do to my house what was done at the Tate house, Kay said.... During one of Mansons many parole hearings, the death-cult leader detailed how he was going to take out Kay. The most direct one was after the parole hearinghe told me he was going to have me killed out in the parking lot on the way to my car, he said. I mean, that to me was the most memorable one. It was so direct. Kay acknowledged even with protection, he was merely testing fate if he felt like he was immune to becoming another Manson victim. When Manson says something like that after what hes done, you have to take it seriously, he said.

Its the kind of power wielded by Manson that the former prosecutor feels was lorded over Fromme, who was caught with a pistol trying to shoot President Gerald Ford in 1975. I happen to believe that theres no way Squeaky Fromme on her own would have thought up the idea of trying to assassinate President Ford in the park in Sacramento, he said. I believe Manson put her up to that.

In 1970, Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Watson (in a separate trial later) were convicted of murder and conspiracy for the Tate-LaBianca killings and were all sentenced to death. Sealing their fates was fellow Family member Linda Kasabian, who testified against them in exchange for immunity. In a 1971 trial, Manson was convicted and sentenced to life for the 1969 murders of Donald Shorty Shea and Gary Hinman. When Shea, who was a ranch hand and stuntman on Wild Western films returned to Spahn Ranch with a black wife, it allegedly set Manson off. Manson was also convinced that Shea had snitched on the group, having tipped off cops on a boosted car, which led to an Aug. 16, 1969, raid at dawn on their compound by police....

All of the Family members who were sentenced to death, including Manson, were spared when the California Supreme Court overturned the death penalty back in 1972 and commuted their sentences to life in prison. The state would later bring back the death penalty, but the life sentences for Manson and his killer kin stuck. It would be ex post facto violation of the Constitution to go back and reinstate it because you can only be prosecuted with what the law was when you committed the crime, and these laws were committed in 1969, Kay said. And the death penalty that was in effect in 69 was held to be unconstitutional....

Ironically, most of Mansons former followers have outlived him, save for Susan Atkins, who died in prison from brain cancer back in 2009. Leslie Van Houten, now 68, held Rosemary Labianca down and covered her face with a pillowcase while another Family member carved War into her husbands stomach after stabbing him in the couples home. (Then they helped themselves to chocolate milk in the fridge.) Van Houten was also the one who scribbled missives on the house walls using their victims blood. I dont let myself off the hook, Van Houten told a parole panel. I dont find parts in any of this that makes me feel the slightest bit good about myself. Van Houten was granted parole in September, but Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to reverse the decision as he did last spring.

Charles Tex Watson, now 72, did a stint in Atascadero State Mental Hospital and said he has since found God while serving his life sentence as a chaplain at Mule Creek Prison in Ione. Watson failed more than a dozen times to convince a parole board to free him for his part in being Mansons hitman; his was the last face so many victims saw before they were tortured and slain with a wrench, knife, or pistol.

Patricia Krenny Krenwinkel, 70, remains Californias oldest female inmate and has been serving life at California Institution for Women in Corona. She has since renounced Manson and The Family. What a coward that I found myself to be when I look at the situation, Krenwinkel said during a 2014 interview with The New York Times. Lynette Squeaky Fromme, 61, was granted parole back in 2009 after serving 34 years hard time for the attempt on President Fords life. She has reportedly relocated to upstate New York, where she lives in isolation....

That Manson managed to hold on for this long was like an open wound for so many families. It made the case go on forever, Kay said. If the penalty was put into effect then the case would have been done in the 1970s. Theres never really any closure.... Tates mother, who died in 1992, became an outspoken crusader for justice. I think at one time she was the most powerful woman for victims rights in California, Kay said, adding that if you were a politician worth your salt in California you sought out Tates endorsement. She really started the victims rights movement that is still so powerful even today.

Kay isnt blind to the irony that had the sentence gone forward Manson wouldnt have become quite the diabolical deity that has haunted popular culture for decades. We wouldnt be having this conversation, Kay said.
 Anyone eager to draw sentencing lessons in the wake of mass murderer Charlie Manson's demise? | Main | "Gun theft from legal owners is on the rise, quietly fueling violent crime across America" 

Adam Liptak's latest New York Times Sidebar column, headlined "Serving Extra Years in Prison, and the Courthouse Doors Are Closed," does an effective (though necessarily incomplete) job of reviewing the notable recent change in litigation position coming from the Justice Department. Here are extended highlights from an article highlighting a complicated and important matter of federal habeas procedure:

It is one thing for a new administration to switch sides in a legal dispute. That is merely unusual. It is another to urge the Supreme Court to deny review in a case that would test whether the governments new position is correct.

In a Supreme Court brief filed last month, the Justice Department tried to have it both ways. It told the justices that it no longer believed that some federal prisoners serving longer prison terms than the law allowed were entitled to challenge their sentences in court. For the last 16 years, the Justice Department had taken the opposite view. It said so in at least 11 Supreme Court briefs. You might think the Supreme Court should settle things.

But the department urged the justices to refuse to hear an appeal from Dan C. McCarthan, a Florida man who said he was sentenced to seven more years than the law allowed. It did so even as it acknowledged that the legal question was significant and that the departments new position could lead to harsh results, condemning inmates to serve out unlawful sentences.

The administrations request that the Supreme Court deny review in Mr. McCarthans case was incredibly unseemly and not a good look for the Department of Justice, said Leah Litman, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, and an authority on the complicated web of statutes that govern post-conviction challenges from federal prisoners....

The Justice Departments litigation two-step also drew a sharp response from Mr. McCarthans lawyers, who include Kannon K. Shanmugam, a partner at Williams & Connolly. There is nothing inherently wrong with a new administrations changing position on a question before this court  although it is rare on a question involving the administration of the criminal justice system, Mr. Shanmugam wrote in a brief filed last week. But when the government changes position on a concededly important question that has divided the circuits, it should at least have the courage of its convictions and be willing to defend its new position on the merits in this court.

Nine federal appeals courts allow the challenges, while two do not. The new case, McCarthan v. Collins, No. 17-85, started in 2003, when Mr. McCarthan pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge. That conviction would ordinarily have subjected him to a maximum sentence of 10 years. But the judge sentenced him to more than 17 years under a federal law that requires longer terms for career criminals.

A career criminal, the law says, is one who has been convicted of at least three serious drug offenses or violent felonies. One of the convictions that justified Mr. McCarthans extra seven years was for escape.... When Mr. McCarthan was sentenced, courts treated all escapes as violent.... [But] a walkaway escape is not a violent felony, the [Supreme] court ruled in 2009, six years after Mr. McCarthan was sentenced to extra time based on just such an escape. He then asked the courts to take another look at his sentence.

In March, the 11th Circuit rejected Mr. McCarthans challenge. The vote was 7 to 4, with the majority saying that Mr. McCarthan had filed his challenge too late under a federal law that places strict limits on habeas corpus petitions. But the law has an exception, enacted in 1948, for cases in which the ordinary procedure is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of a prisoners detention.

The Justice Department had long agreed that the exception applied in cases like Mr. McCarthans. It said so in Mr. McCarthans own case before the 11th Circuit. Since the government and Mr. McCarthan agreed that he should at least be allowed the present his challenge, the 11th Circuit appointed a lawyer to argue the opposite position. Then it accepted the appointed lawyers argument, which was based on a technical analysis of various statutory provisions.

Only one other federal appeals court has interpreted the 1948 law to bar challenges like Mr. McCarthans. In 2011, the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver, ruled that a prisoner who had pleaded guilty to money laundering in 1999 could not challenge his conviction after the Supreme Court, in a decision issued nearly a decade later, undermined the prosecutions theory. The 10th Circuits majority opinion was written by Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, who joined the Supreme Court this year. His 2011 opinion, Professor Litman wrote in January, before his nomination, makes one wonder what a Justice Gorsuch would mean for criminal justice at the Supreme Court.

In 2011, the Justice Department criticized Judge Gorsuchs opinion. Last month, it endorsed it. Mr. McCarthan, the departments brief said, should have argued from the start that his escape was not a violent felony, even though the law at the time was squarely against him. He should have asked to have the adverse precedent overturned, the brief said. It was now too late to raise the question, the brief said.
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DENISON, Iowa | An Amber Alert issued for a 12-year-old girl who police said was taken by her 13-year-old boyfriend in his mother's car ended within a few hours Monday afternoon when the pair were found safely in the Des Moines area.

An alert was issued at 1:19 p.m. Monday detailing that 12-year-old Beyonce Carrasco has gone missing. Her abductor is believed to be 13-year-old Rodolfo Penaflor Jr.

Denison Police said Penaflor Jr. had taken off with Carrasco in his mother's car, a 2016 Nissan Sentra.

The Des Moines Police Department shortly after found Beyonce Carrasco and 13-year-old Rodolfo Penaflor Jr., her reported abductor, in the Des Moines area, police said. The alert was lifted around 2:30 p.m.
SIOUX CITY | Another prominent Democratic elected official from Sioux City metro has endorsed Fred Hubbell in the 2018 governor race, as state Rep. Chris Hall took that step Monday morning.

Back in September, Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott and Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill announced their support for Hubbell, a retired Des Moines businessman.

The Hubbell campaign in a release announced the endorsement of Hall, who has served in the Iowa House since 2011. Hall said proven leadership is needed, as Iowa faces a "severe budget crisis" under the leadership of Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Iowa needs a governor who will restore integrity to Iowas budget, and will invest in people first  supporting local communities, restoring funding for classrooms and expanding access to affordable health care  to get Iowas economy growing," Hall said.

"Freds decades of experience in business and public service give him the right decision making skills and relationships to lead this state."

Hubbell, a philanthropist and Democratic campaign donor who has been involved in multiple business ventures in Iowa, including life insurance and retail firms, said he is gratified to have Hall's support.

I look forward to working hand-in-hand with Representative Hall to prioritize Iowas budget to local communities, to get Iowa growing from the ground up," Hubbell said.

Other Democratic candidates have announced endorsements as the campaign advances toward a June primary vote that will determine the party's nominee. The candidates include Cathy Glasson, Jon Neiderbach, Andy McGuire, Nate Boulton, John Norris and Ross Wilburn.

Boulton was in Sioux City on Sunday to accept the endorsement of the Sioux City Firefighters Association, Local 7.
SIOUX CITY | Sioux City's massage therapy businesses would be required to obtain licenses from the city and undergo annual reviews under a new ordinance under consideration.

Authorities say the ordinance is designed to crack down on unauthorized businesses and those covering for illegal activity such as prostitution, human trafficking and drug dealing.

The City Council will vote Monday whether to impose the new regulations, which would go into effect at the beginning of next year.

A draft of the ordinance included in Monday's agenda states it is not meant as a deterrent to "legitimate licensed massage therapy businesses" but rather meant to weed out businesses that are unauthorized to practice or that engage in illegal activity. Such businesses can be difficult to identify, according to the document.

"Implementation of this ordinance will better enable the city to proactively screen, monitor and remove businesses that are engaged in illegal activity," the ordinance states.

Multiple Sioux City massage therapists contacted by the Journal Friday had not heard of the proposed ordinance but said they favored authorities cracking down on those operating in city limits without a state license to practice massage therapy, as is required by Iowa law.

"I'm in full support," said Joanne Klaus, a massage therapist who has practiced at Massage and Body and other establishments over the past several years. "I've always felt there needed to be more monitoring or inspections on the ones that don't seem to have an ethic."

Kevin Trowbridge, owner of Massage and Body, listed off seven businesses in Sioux City he believes are operating without licenses and said he believes they need to be investigated. He said he hadn't read the proposed ordinance but is not sure that additional regulations are the answer.

"I think most of our problem is enforcement of the current laws," he said. "I'm not sure how I feel about new laws."

New massage therapy businesses would need to pay a $150 license fee, under the ordinance. The fee would be waived for existing businesses, however.

Applications would include identification and information on the businesses' employees, their criminal records, any denials or suspensions of their state massage licenses and other information necessary for background checks.

Licenses will not be granted if the applicant or any owners, managers, employees or agents have a criminal conviction for a sex crime or for keeping a house of prostitution, or if they are a registered sex offender or have been denied a license by any other community.

The City Clerk's Office will initiate an annual review process to confirm business ownership, services provided and the business name.

A message left with the Sioux City Police Department to comment on the proposal was not immediately returned Friday.
DES MOINES  A new events center in Le Mars, Iowa, received a generous grant from the state last week.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded a $75,000 Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant to the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce to go toward a $314,530 project to renovate Browns Century Events Center on the corner of Plymouth Street and Central Avenue.

Two years ago, the 102-year-old former bank building was purchased by the Brown family of Merrill, Iowa, a traveling gospel musical group, and they converted it into a small theater and events space.

The Main Street Iowa Challenge grants have proven to be catalysts for the revitalization of Iowas historic main streets, said IEDA Director Debi Durham, in a release. These projects demonstrate the ongoing financial commitment the people of our state  both our elected officials and private citizens  have made to the revitalization of our historic downtown districts. Rehabilitated downtown buildings create opportunities for new business and new residences in the core of our communities.

The grants are administered through IEDAs Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs. The funding will be distributed in the form of matching grants to the selected Main Street programs. The estimated total project cost of the 14 brick and mortar projects is more than $2.7 million.

In order to qualify for the grant, recipients must provide a dollar-for-dollar match.

The Challenge Grant program is funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature. Since the first appropriation in 2002 through 2016, approximately $6.8 million in state and federal funds have leveraged over $45 million of private reinvestment. Over the life of the program, 138 projects in 49 Main Street Iowa commercial districts across the state have received funding.
LE MARS, Iowa | Housed inside a former Carnegie Library built in 1903, the Le Mars Art Center is, in itself, a work of art.

A building that was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979, this adaptation of the Renaissance Revival style is a terrific example of what small town library architecture was life in the early 20th century.

But if you asked Judy Marienau about her favorite feature at center, located at 200 Central Ave. S.E., she'll say it has to be the high ceilings.

"The high ceilings are wonderful when you're hanging art pieces," she said, inside a room filled with colorful quilts. "The high ceilings add to the beauty of art."

Since becoming the the art center's administrator (and sole employee) in 2014, Marienau has been slowly adding more function to the historic building.

The main floor consists of two art galleries, a shop, activity room and space dedicated to performances or receptions. The lower level has an art room, party room, meeting space and a small pottery area.

"The Le Mars Art Center is very much a work in progress," Marienau admitted. "I think I'm OK with that."

Sue Betsworth, a Le Mars accountant and a member of the Le Mars Arts Council, is also fine with the eclectic nature of the center.

That is, if there will always be space for her jewelry making.

"I love coming to the art center and making my costume jewelry," Betsworth said, stringing beads onto a chain. "It's so quiet here and I like to spread out my stuff."

Increasingly, the art center is becoming used as an all-purpose community center. With its central location, it is currently used for Mommy and Me workshops and art classes for kids and adults. It also offers an open studio for a host of local artisans.

However, Marienau is pleased that regional and national exhibits are bringing pieces to Le Mars.

"An art center our size is often deemed to be too small for many traveling exhibits," she explained. "We may be small but we offer a lot."

In fact, Marienau said part of the charm of the Le Mars Art Center comes from the friendliness of small-town life.

"Walking into an art center in a larger city can be intimidating," she said. "There's nothing stuffy about our art center."

Which is something Marienau hopes will never change.

"Up until the mid-1970s, this location was originally the home of the Le Mars Public Library," she explained. "We're keeping a part of Le Mars history alive and we're filing it with art."
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.
"Go live in better neighborhoods. Drive the best cars. Live in the best houses. Make not three, but five children. Because you are the future of Europe. That will be the best response to the injustices against you."



Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan clearly sees Turks living in the West as a spearhead of Islam. This year, he told Turks living in the West: "Go live in better neighborhoods. Drive the best cars. Live in the best houses. Make not three, but five children. Because you are the future of Europe. That will be the best response to the injustices against you." (Photo by Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)

"In a briefing for a parliamentary commission, Diyanet admitted that it gathered intelligence via imams from 38 countries on the activities of suspected followers of the US-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government accused of being the mastermind of the attempted coup on July 15... Diyanet said its imams gathered intelligence and prepared reports from Abkhazia, Germany, Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mongolia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Ukraine".



"Germany's domestic intelligence agency, has repeatedly warned about Milli Gorus's activities, describing the group in its annual reports as a 'foreign extremist organization'. The agency also reported that 'although Milli Gorus, in public statements, pretends to adhere to the basic principles of Western democracies, abolition of the laicist government system in Turkey and the establishment of an Islamic state and social system are, as before, among its goals... As the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Landesverfassungsschutz) in Hessen notes: The threat of Islamism for Germany is posed ... primarily by Milli Gorus and other affiliated groups. They try to spread Islamist views within the boundaries of the law. Then they try to implement ... for all Muslims in Germany a strict interpretation of the Qur'an and of the Shari'a. ... Their public support of tolerance and religious freedom should be treated with caution".



Judith Bergman is a columnist, lawyer and political analyst.

"Islam cannot be either 'moderate' or 'not moderate.' Islam can only be one thing," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 9. "Recently the concept of 'moderate Islam' has received attention. But the patent of this concept originated in the West... They are now trying to pump up this idea again. What they really want to do is weaken Islam..."Erdogan is working on strengthening Islam in the West, something he does, among other ways, by building Turkish mosques in Western countries. It is hardly surprising that he does not want the West to "weaken Islam", but at the moment there seems little risk of that happening. The establishment of Turkish mosques in Western countries appears to be proceeding apace with very little opposition. Conversely, building Western churches in Turkey is inconceivable.Erdogan clearly sees Turks living in the West as a spearhead of Islam. "Yes, integrate yourselves into German society but don't assimilate yourselves. No one has the right to deprive us of our culture and our identity", Erdogan told Turks in Germany as early as 2011. This year, he told Turks living in the West:Erdogan is evidently working to ensure, by continuously building new mosques and expanding old ones across Europe, that Muslims will indeed be the future of the continent.One Western country where Erdogan is ramping up Islam is Denmark. Two new Turkish mosques are about to open in the Danish cities of Roskilde and Holbk; in the past year, two Turkish mosques opened in the cities of Fredericia and Aarhus. New Turkish mosques were opened in Ringsted and Hedehusene in 2013; and in Kge the existing mosque opened a cultural center. There are 27 Turkish mosques in Denmark; eight of them are expanding or wish to expand.The new mosque in Roskilde, complete with minarets, is owned by Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). The inclusion of minarets is due to second- and third-generation Turkish immigrants, who wanted the mosque to look like a "proper mosque"."It is a general trend in all of Europe that Diyanet is expanding physically with new mosques, and through [the mosques] also religiously, politically and culturally" said professor Samim Akgonul, of the university of Strasbourg. He has analyzed the Friday sermons that Diyanet sends to mosques all over Europe; his analyses show that the sermons are full of political and nationalistic messages favoring Erdogan's regime. According to Tuncay Yilmaz, chairman of the board of Roskilde's Ayasofya Mosque, "Diyanet is not political, I can promise you that. Obviously they belong to the Turkish state, but they are independent of the government".That statement is false. Diyanet is an agency of the Turkish government -- and an extremely active one. As Gatestone's Burak Bekdil has noted In Denmark, nonetheless, the newest Turkish-state mosque was welcomed with open arms. The mayor of Roskilde, Joy Mogensen, who knew that the Turkish government owned the mosque, participated in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone in February 2016. She claims that the very fact that she and the city's bishop were invited to the ceremony meant that there were "good people" in the mosque working for "integration" -- otherwise they would not have allowed "a Christian woman like myself without a headscarf" to participate in their ceremony.One of those people "working for integration" is the chairman of the board of the mosque, Tuncay Yilmaz, who is also a member of the Roskilde city council for the Social Democratic party. He happens to have close ties to the radical Islamic organization Milli Gorus, which runs a travel agency where Yilmaz works . He organizes their trips to Mecca. "I am not a member of that organization" Yilmaz says . "The only connection is that I work for their travel agency".Clearly, Roskilde's mayor does not consider Yilmaz's affiliation a problem, nor does the city council. "If we had observed anything suspicious about that organization, we would have talked to him about it; but we haven't heard anything like that" said Sren Kargaard, chairman of the Social Democratics in Roskilde, when asked by journalists about Yilmaz's connection to Milli Gorus. Well, perhaps if Kargaard had bothered to look up Milli Gorus to inform himself about it, this is what he would have found, according to a 2005 report from theThis assessment, however, does not seem to bother Danish authorities, who appear to see no problems with their cities becoming Islamized by the Turks. That kind of ignorance -- or pretense of ignorance -- amounts to the dereliction of duty on the part of people such as the mayor of Roskilde and Mr. Kargaard.How many more mosques will it take?
Hundreds of the local LGBT community's movers and shakers attended Latinos Salud's annual networking, social and community event, DiversiSAFE, Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Miami Tower.

Attendees enjoyed food, wine, specialty drinks, music by local DJ AJ Reddy and performances by local drag queen TP Lords -- all while learning important information related to HIV/AIDS.

"As a community, we're in trouble. We live in an epicenter of HIV," said Stephen Fallon, executive director of Latinos Salud. "In fact, there are 3,000 counties in the United States. Miami-Dade ranks No. 1 in new HIV cases; neighboring Broward ranks No. 2. We also have more tools than ever before to keep you safe. I grew up on the condom code. But we have other tools, too."

One of those tools is PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, medication approved by the FDA that keeps HIV-negative people from becoming infected. Fallon said there are now 39 studies that followed 11,900 people through multiple years of using PrEP. The studies showed that PrEP protects 90 percent of the time when used correctly.

"It's just like condoms. It doesn't work if you leave a condom in the drawer and don't put it on. It doesn't work if you have a prescription for PrEP but you don't take it," Fallon said. "But if you use condoms, they work. If you use PrEP, it works."

Juan Oves, co-chair for Latinos Salud who emceed the event, said the objective of DiversiSAFE was to "empower the community to continue the conversation" about HIV/AIDS.

"We all play a role in ending this epidemic. It is our empowering approach to reaching the community and sharing with them valuable knowledge that they can share with others to staying healthy," Oves said. "It represents hope, for a bright, healthy future. And most of all, it represents celebration, for equality, health, and life. It is an opportunity for all of us to come together and end stigma in our communities."

Fallon says DiveriSAFE means that, for the very first time, the community has a diverse set of options to stay safe from HIV. "Theres not just one choice anymore." Latinos Salud created the DiversiSAFE model as a one-stop shop of sorts, giving each community member the entire range of options to reduce HIV risk.

"We dont preach that one is better than the other, or that you 'should' use the option we select," Fallon said.

Instead, Latinos Salud staff members take a client-centered approach, spending the most time explaining the benefits of whichever risk-reduction strategy the client is most motivated to implement in his or her own life.

"My generation grew up seeing firsthand how HIV ravaged our communities. The only defense we had was condoms," Fallon said. "Over the past half dozen years, researchers have described new strategies for reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. Many in our community were fearful that if the next generation adopted any strategy other than condoms, the epidemic would rebound back to what it once was."

Fallon said out of this fear, some in the community have spoken disdainfully about anyone who would rely on PrEP, or on a partners undetectable HIV status. He said this fear has driven stigma: "treating people living with HIV as dangerous, as untrustworthy, or frankly, even just as different from any of us."

"Stigma begins with fear. We now have tools that make it possible to stay safe without staying panicked," Fallon said. "Once everyone realizes this, we can finally end the reflexive HIV stigma that has hurt so many community members."

Latinos Salud launched DiversiSAFE in 2016.

For this year's event, "to make sure we brought the message home, we added some beautiful elements, from having a graceful dancer interpret and display the themes of DiversiSAFE, or having our DiversiSAFE models make sure that people noticed and will remember the name of this approach," Fallon said. "We [also] literally took over the iconic Miami Tower, lighting the building in the colors of the rainbow flag."

As a small non-profit, Fallon said "this was a heavy lift for us. But it was all worth it."

"When people started taking photos of the information shown on the screens, and when repeated back in their own words what theyd learned and how they were going to tell others, that told us wed hit our goal," he said.

Fallon said the event was their biggest and best one yet with 500 attendees.

"Our understanding is that this was the largest community HIV educational event in the nation covering PrEP and treatment as prevention," he said. "We want to thank South Florida for coming out in force and showing that we can fight HIV together."

This year, for the first time, Latinos Salud allowed people to pick their pledge and choose to support the nonprofit by covering costs of any unit of their services. That helped to defray the costs of the event.

"Just as we had last year, we offered free entry to anyone who pre-registered," Fallon said. "We extend this option, in hopes that it will be selected primarily by younger guests, those without the means to customarily attend a gala event like this, and those who might not otherwise be exposed to our communitys HIV services."

Oves was happy with the turnout and audience reaction.

"I felt the amazing energy in the room. As a born and raised Miami Hispanic gay man, I could not stop smiling from seeing so many diverse people from different generations coming together for an important cause," Oves said. "I think if we continue this momentum and each of us play a role in the epidemic, we can start creating big changes in South Florida. Im excited."

Fallon said the takeaway message out of DiversiSAFE is that each of the risk reduction options (condoms, PrEP, PEP, etc.) offers nearly complete protection from HIV, when implemented exactly as intended.

"But each of the options, in the real world, ends up being only mostly protective," he said. "Whichever option you can stick to best is the one that will get you close to 100 percent safe."

Latinos Salud offers free HIV testing, education, support and resources at their locations in Wilton Manors, Miami Beach and Kendall. For more information, visit LatinosSalud.org.
Late last week a Navy EA-18G Growler jet made the sky their canvas and sketched a cartoon stretching over the Okanogan Highlands in Washington state. However, the final product was not exactly a work of art.

Residents looked up to find that the Navy pilot had drawn male genitalia in the air; an incident that has launched a full Navy investigation.

Senior officer, Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker said The Defense Department is taking this matter very seriously as they try to find the culprit behind Thursdays incident. None of the aircrew involved has been identified so far.

The American people rightfully expect that those who wear the Wings of Gold exhibit a level of maturity commensurate with the missions and aircraft with which theyve been entrusted, said Shoemaker, who oversees naval air operations, in a statement released by the service. Naval aviation continually strives to foster an environment of dignity and respect. Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today.

As pictures of the images from Washington surfaced on social media, many were quick to point out that inappropriate portraits in the sky has started to become a pattern.

In 2014, the Drive reported on a Royal Air Force jet drawing a penis in the sky over Scotland and that same year the U.S saw their Navys elite flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, under investigation for painting a giant penis on the roof of a trailer at its winter training home in El Centro, Calif.

Although many expressed their distaste for the immature image that appeared in Washington, others such as Maximilian Uriarte, a Marine Corps veteran who draws the popular military-themed web comic Terminal Lance, believed the situation was miniscule.

I dont know how much the culture of these pilots is embroiled in inappropriate things, but I think that drawing a penis is just meant to be funny, he told The Post. For some reason, when you get into a situation where you need to draw something, its always a penis. Id love to offer real insight on this. But I dont know that there is much to be had.
Starbucks holiday cups are causing a stir again, and its not because Thanksgiving hasnt happened yet.

The company received criticism because the two hands featured on this years holiday design, according to NBC 7 San Diego. The hands are rumored to be the same as those of an animated lesbian couple featured in their holiday commercial earlier this month.

Giving good can be as small as someone opening the door for you, or recognizing the people that enrich your life  your childs teacher, a caregiver, a family friend, a Starbucks spokeswoman said to the Huffington Post. (December is) a time to celebrate all the good we give to each other. We will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world.

Users took to social media to both condemn and praise the cups potential inclusion of the couple.

The new Starbucks cup has lesbian couple on it. Rom 1:26 because of this,God gave them over to shameful lust, one Twitter user tweeted.

Great new #christmas campaign from Starbucks featuring #lesbian couple on the Holiday Cup, another user tweeted.

Previously, the company came under fire when they featured red cups for its 2015 holiday design, according to CNBC. Because of the absence of Christmas themes on the cup, some social media users called the cups a war on Christmas.

Starbucks previously has given support to the LGBT community. In 2012, the company was one of several corporations to support marriage equality legalization in its home state of Washington.

Santa has not yet commented whether this puts Starbucks on the naughty or nice list.
Days after Ohio Republican State Legislator Wes Goodman resigned after being caught engaging in inappropriate behavior, with an unknown man at his Riffe Center office, evidence of an alleged sexual assault has now surfaced.

Emails and documents obtained by the Washington Post revealed back in October 2015 Goodman was reported to have groped an 18-year-old in his hotel room during a fundraising event.

When the parents of the teen discovered what took place they called for immediate action to be taken by Tony Perkins, president of the Council for National Policy; the organization responsible for putting the event together.

If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade, the stepfather wrote to Perkins in an email.

Trust me . . . this will not be ignored nor swept aside, Perkins replied. It will be dealt with swiftly, but with prudence.

The situation was handled discreetly and put under wraps until this week when news broke of Goodmans resignation. However, the 2015 incident did lead to Goodman being suspended from the council and Perkins privately asking him to drop out of the race.

Last week, Ohio House Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe told House Speaker Republican Cliff Rosenberger of a witness who discovered the Representative hooking up with another man in his office.

Rosenberger and Goodman, whos married and an advocate for so called traditional marriage, discussed what repercussions would be made for his actions. Shortly after this meeting took place the right-wing legislator resigned.

I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behavior related to his state office, Rosenberger said in a statement to the Columbus Dispatch. I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.

Goodman, 33, who has shunned the LGBT community for not reflecting family values, during his campaign has asked for privacy during this time for him and his family. The legislator has also deactivated all of his social media and campaign websites.

We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life. That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service, Goodman said. For those whom I have let down, Im sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and my friends.
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.




Shaheed El-Hafed (Refugee Camps), November 13, 2017 (SPS) - The National Secretariat of the Polisario Front met on Saturday and Sunday in its 5th and 6th ordinary sessions, chaired by Secretary-General, President of the Republic, Brahim Gali, has renewed its willingness to cooperate with the international efforts aimed at the decolonization of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, in accordance with the charter and resolutions of the United Nations and African Union.

In a statement, the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front underlined the need for a full and urgent implementation of Resolution 2351 of the UN Security Council, in particular the part of the resolution related to the ceasefire agreement and Military Agreement No. 1, in the light of the serious events resulting from the flagrant Moroccan violation in Elgargarat region, stressing that any delay in the treatment of the situation could threaten to return to tension and confrontation.

It reiterated the need for MINURSO to adhere to the principles and norms that govern peace missions in the world, and demanded the immediate and unconditional return of the AU component to the mission.

It called on the UN and the AU to act energetically to impose a just and democratic solution, based on the urgent implementation of the terms of the UN-AU settlement plan of 1991, signed by both parties and ratified by the UN Security Council, establishing a date for the organization of a free and fair referendum that allows the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA
Judicial Watch Sues State Department for Podesta Group Records

Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5172

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State for all records about the Podesta Group Inc. and the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which have both been connected to the recent special counsel indictment of Paul Manafort. (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:17-cv-02489)).



Judicial Watch sued after the State Department failed to respond to a September 13, 2017, FOIA request for:



 All records of communication between any official, employee, or representative of the Department of State and any principal, employee, or representative of Podesta Group, Inc.



 All records produced related to any meetings or telephonic communications between any official, employee, or representative of the Department of State and any principal, employee, or representative of Podesta Group, Inc.



 All records regarding the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine.



 The FOIA request covers the timeframe of January 1, 2012 to the present.

The Podesta Group, formerly led by Anthony Podesta, and the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine have been mentioned in connection with the criminal indictment of Paul Manafort by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.



"Mueller's special counsel seems more interested in the alleged foreign ties of the Trump Team, rather than Hillary Clinton's associates," stated Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. "Judicial Watch aims to figure out the truth of what exactly the Podesta Group was doing with the Obama State Department."



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Ariel Misick testifies before SIPT about Water Cay land sale

Queens counsel Ariel Misick

By Delana Isles



ON THE witness stand of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Teams (SIPT) trial this past week was Ariel Misick, Queens Counsel and brother of two of the defendants in the trial.



Misick was taken through brief testimony by lead prosecutor Andrew Mitchell QC on his involvement in the sale of the land for the proposed Water Cay development.



Questions surrounded the sale of the land to Aulden Smith in November 2003, and it being transferred to Aquarius Development and subsequently to a company named Ashley Properties.



Misicks law firm, Misick and Stanbrook, of which he is a senior partner, brokered the sale of the land to his client Peter Wehrli.



Misick was shown a letter that Smith sent to the former premier Michael Misick dated February 18, 2003, in which Smith was requested the approval of the then executive council for the sale of the land in Water Cay to him for the purposes of constructing a development.



An additional letter was then shown to the witness for him to verify, this one dated November 2003 in which the sale of the land was granted to Aulden Smith and Trevor Saunders after it had been paid in full.



A further letter was shown to the witness in which Smith wrote to the premier about asking for the land to now be granted to him in the name of a company instead of his own name, as he would need additional partners to help with the development.



That companys name was Ashley Properties Limited.



The prosecutor then questioned the witness if his client, who was seeking to acquire the property under the name of another company, Aquarius Development, had asked him to create a false name to do so. The witness answered no.



Further questioned if he has ever had to create a false name for a client to keep the clients identity a secret and if this is normal business practice, the witness again replied no.



The background to the land sale involved Smith being sold the land at the deeply discounted price of $150,000 and then selling it on for $2.5 million.



In the information submitted by the prosecution at the beginning of the case, in his opening statement Mitchell had outlined how the Government was deprived of $1.3 million in secret profits that were distributed to, among others, former premier Michael Misick and deputy premier Floyd Hall.



He detailed payments made by a Swiss national, Peter Wehrli, who was interested in the acquisition and development of the Water Cay Crown land, directly to accounts of Michael Misick personally ($359,573) and/or the Progressive National Party (PNP) ($84,926) with the Belize Bank between 2002 and 2004.



According to Mitchell, Smith bought land on Water Cay with the assistance of a loan from Wehrlis company, Secured Holdings, represented by the local law firm Misick and Stanbrook, whose senior partner is Ariel Misick.



Smith then immediately sold the land in question to Wehrlis company for $2.5 million but only $700,000 was paid to the TCI Government.



Smith therefore profited by $1.3 million, and that money, after fees and commissions, was paid to another local law firm Stanfield Greene, whose senior partner, and former speaker of the house Clayton Greene, is also on trial.
Woman, 23, dies in South Dock car crash

Deceased: 23-year-old Cecile Shemara Israel



TRAFFIC officers are investigating a fatal road traffic incident that occurred on Tuesday (November 14) in which a 23-year-old woman was killed.



Cecile Shemara Israel was the lone passenger of a Silver Nissan Murano which crashed into a wall at about 6.18pm on South Dock Road, Providenciales.



She succumbed to her injuries as a result of the collision.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances that caused the incident and the exact cause of the young womans death.



The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them.



Friends and family of the young woman have mounted calls on social media for the Government to install appropriate street lighting along the road.
PM receives "ASOCIO-'17 Digital Govt Award"

State Minister for Post and Telecomunication Tarana Halim handing over ASOCIO-17 Digital Government Award, eAsia Award and WITSA Merit Award to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter\'s office on Monday.BSS photo

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday received "ASOCIO-2017 Digital Government Award".

State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim handed over the award to the premier at the beginning of the regular cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday morning.

Bangladesh Postal Department has been awarded with "ASOCIO-2017 Digital Government Award" of Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO) in Malaysia in recognition to reaching multidimensional digital services to the rural people.

Tarana received the award from the ASOCIO Chairman on September 18 last. ASOCIO was established in 1983 involving the National ICT Associations of 24 countries of Asia and Oceania region. The organization gives awards in four categories each year.

The Prime Minister also received "Silver Award" of Asia-Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) and "WITSA Merit Award" of The World Information Technology Services Alliance (WITSA) from Tarana Halim. Bangladesh Postal Department got the "Silver Award" of the AFACT as runners up in the eAsia Award Competition for its eCommerce-related service "Postal Cash Card: Banking for Unbanked People."

The award was given on September 12 in Taiwan. The AFACT is giving eAsia Award every year for the initiative for bridging digital divide.

On the same day in Taiwan, the WITSA awarded Bangladesh Postal Department with "WITSA Merit Award "for transforming 8500 post offices of Bangladesh into e-centers.

WITSA is the leading organization of IT Industries and currently 80 countries are its members, while nearly 90 percent of the world IT market represent to those countries.

The organization is giving awards in eight categories each year.




President greets members of armed forces on Armed Forces Day

President M Abdul Hamid on Monday greeted the members of armed forces and recalled the valiant role of their predecessors in the 1971 Liberation War on the eve of the Armed Forces Day. "Armed forces of Bangladesh are our pride. The nation always recalls with deep respect their role during the country's Great War of Liberation," the President said in a message as the country is set to observe the Day today.

The President recalled the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who declared the independence of the country on March 26, 1971 ignoring imprisonment and repression and imbued the entire Bengali nation with the spirit of Bengali nationalism.

He also recalled the memories of 1971 martyrs particularly naming the seven recipients of highest gallantry awards "Bir Shreshtha"-Sipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal, Captain Mohiuddin Jahangair, Sipahi Hamidur Rahman, Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, Lance Naik Noor Mohammad Sheikh and Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf. He noted with appreciation that the present government's initiative in setting out the Armed Forces Goal-2030, aimed at modernising Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force by increasing manpower, establishments and modern war instrument.

"I believe these programmes will help make the Armed forces more modern, skilled and dynamic," he added.

President Hamid said strong confidence in leadership, mutual trust and respect, dutifulness, professional skill and above all discipline are prerequisite to development of any force.

"I firmly believe that the Armed forces would continue to make efforts to uphold their glory by maintaining full confidence to their leadership," he added.
School teacher in US pulls off Muslim student's hijab

PTI, New York :

A Muslim girl student has alleged that her hijab was pulled off by a school teacher in the US state of Virginia, according to a media report.

The teacher pulled off the girl's hijab while she was talking with her friends at the Lake Braddock High School, Virginia, the Washington Post reported.

"So my hijab was ripped off my head today," the girl tweeted. "Then he says 'Oh your hair is so pretty' and tries to play it off like it's a joke," she said.

After the incident, she ran into a restroom and called her parents. They contacted the school and a mosque. The teacher, who was not identified, told other teachers he thought the student was wearing a hoodie over the hijab. He reached to pull off the hoodie and the hijab came off, he was quoted as saying by the paper.

The incident prompted an outrage from a Muslim advocacy group and others. The school also condemned the incident. The school's principal, David Thomas, said the teacher's actions were inappropriate and that the teacher had apologised to the student and her family.

The Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson, John Torre, described the teacher's action as "inappropriate and unacceptable". The teacher was placed on leave while the district investigates a complaint into the matter.




Putin plan to rejuvenate Russian politics makes slow progress

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath laying ceremony to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall in central Moscow

Reuters, Moscow :

Poised to run for a fourth term, President Vladimir Putin has started clearing out the old Russian political elite and says he's bringing in young people with "fire in their eyes."

But a Reuters analysis shows that he has made limited progress so far.

In the run up to March elections that are expected to hand him a mandate to stay in power until he is 70, Putin says he is promoting a new generation of officials to drive Russia's economic and political future.

One fifth of the country's 85 regional governors have been replaced this year and almost half of the lower house of parliament changed in elections last year after Putin brought in a new chief of staff. The Reuters analysis of political appointments shows, however, that in the cabinet, the upper house of parliament, the Security Council and the presidential administration, the pace of change has slowed and the average age is almost three years higher than when he began his third term in 2012.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the findings. He said it would take too long to check the data. With no change expected at the very top, critics say the lack of fresh blood translates into a dearth of fresh ideas to stimulate politics and the economy. "There are similarities with the era of (Soviet leader Leonid) Brezhnev in that we've fallen into a malign stability from which there's no way out," Dmitry Oreshkin, an independent political analyst, told Reuters.

Opposition protesters are fond of photoshopping Putin's face onto Brezhnev's torso on placards, implying that Putin and the system he has built is as stagnant as Brezhnev's Soviet Union, a charge the Kremlin rejects.

"For Putin there are no risks because the system works and obeys him," said Oreshkin. "The risks are for the country and the economy. The model of stability is underpinned by a system of loyalty and corruption. Outside Moscow, which is rich, there is stagnation."

Weighed down by Western sanctions for its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and backing for a pro-Russian uprising in east Ukraine, the Russian economy, though recovering, remains fragile and vulnerable to oil fluctuations and new sanctions.
PSC exam begins peacefully

Chittagong Bureau :

The first day of the Terminal Examinations-2017 for primary and Ebtedayee students in Chittagong division ended peacefully on Sunday.

Directorate of Primary Education (DPE), Chittagong sources said the first day of the examination was held in a peaceful manner as the authority adopted all-out preparations.

A total of 4,436 out of 1,52,552 examinees remained absent in English examination at different centers of Chittagong district. Nasrin Jahan, DPE, Chittagong said adequate number of vigilance teams consisting of officials from DPE were deployed in 346 examination centres, in Chittagong district to check any sort of unfair means or irregularities during the examination.
Economic and social progress are two sides of the same coin

Juan Menendez-Valdes :

At the heart of the agenda will be the formal proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights - 20 principles focused on equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion.

It is to serve as a 'compass for a renewed process of convergence towards better working and living conditions among member states' taking account of the changing realities of Europe's societies and the world of work.

So far, so laudable.

But let us remind ourselves of where we are. This is a time when the United Kingdom's somewhat shambolic exit grabs headlines. It is a time when populist and anti-EU sentiment is present in many member states.

A time also when many are questioning the benefits of an EU which had at its core the promise that we would all advance together towards a better quality of life and work.

Why then, at this critical juncture - as it battles to respond effectively to the complex new economic and political parameters - does the European Union focus on 'feel-good' phrases in a pillar of social rights?

The answer surely lies in the increasingly manifest need for a stronger link between economic and social developments. For the story of the European Union is, in fact, the story of upward economic and social convergence of the soon-to-be 27 member states - in a way that sees all benefit. In fact, the social model has always differentiated Europe from the rest of the world, explicitly trying to balance both economic and social needs.

But populist sentiment perceives the EU as inherently unbalanced; as the vanguard for austerity, as facilitating unfettered migration and mobility and as spawning over-zealous regulation in all aspects of life.

The ensuing ills of society are placed firmly at the EU's door. In reality, however, the EU's mandate in social affairs is limited, and both successes and failures result from responsibility shared with member states.

Indeed, the economy has been the primary vector of the integration process - from the European Economic Community through to the single market and Economic and Monetary Union. The logic was that rising prosperity and the intertwining of European economies would make war 'not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible'.

However, pan-European markets require rules and much of the social and employment legislation in the Union is related to this process of market-building.

Ensuring a 'fair playing field' has motivated European legislation on health and safety at the workplace and the principle of equal treatment, not least as regards gender, led to legislative initiatives on work-life balance, on part-time and temporary agency work, among others.

Furthermore, the Collective Redundancies Directive and legislation concerning information and consultation of workers provided a framework for structural change. These European laws have contributed to significant upward convergence in social and employment standards - not least among new member countries.

But if market-building legislation has consistently had more impact on economic and social outcomes, economic and social cohesion has also played a role. It has become the EU's main investment policy via the various Structural Funds, and in recent times has accounted for over half of public investment in some countries.

There is little doubt that the policy has met considerable success. However, the strong growth during the period from the mid-1990s up to the onset of the recession in 2007 masked the fragility of various aspects of employment and social protection in many member states.

For example, the decades before the recession saw a large increase in the number of temporary contracts. The crisis saw them largely wiped out. In some member states, insurance schemes were ill-equipped to provide income support and cutbacks in social protection expenditures weakened safety nets further.

This was the catalyst that placed the current social convergence concept at the centre of European policy discourse. On the one hand, the crisis signalled the interruption of a long-standing process of convergence of real standards of living among the member states.

On the other, the recession challenged the stability of the Euro, casting doubts on the existing system of financial governance.

As Greece and other countries affected by fiscal consolidation battled to stay afloat against a background of deteriorating employment and living and working conditions, and as other member states perceived the increased movement of workers, people and services as a growing threat to their standards of working conditions and social protection, political consensus grew that 'ever closer' integration - and the stability of the euro - required a strengthened social dimension.

It was against this background that the European Pillar of Social Rights, after a wide consultation process, emerged from the European Commission in April this year.

The Social Pillar makes it clear that economic and social progress are two sides of the same coin. Without social safety nets, people do not take risks. Education and training, and other activation policies are key ingredients to long-term competitive advantage and social protection plays a vital role in stabilising economies in the Economic and Monetary Union.

This is the significance of the Proclamation - it represents the inextricably linked political, economic and social integration of a continent.

As all countries return to growth, this is surely the time to demonstrate that integration can deliver. The Pillar is a first and essential step towards a new start for social Europe. Its implementation will require action not only at European level but by member states, social partners and governments at national and regional level.

This is the story of the European Union. A new chapter opens in Gothenburg this week. After that, it will be in Paris, Madrid, Prague that the most important pages are penned.

(Juan Menendez-Valdes is the director of Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions).


Trader Pankaj held in wealth case, gets bail

Court Correspondent :

A Dhaka Court yesterday granted bail to Brokerage Alliance Securities and Management Limited Chairman Pankaj Kumar Roy in a case filed for amassing wealth worth Tk 8.5 crore illegally.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday arrested businessman Pankaj Kumar Roy from his residence at Dhanmondi in the capital in a case lodged for amassing wealth illegally. A team of the ACC

conducted a drive in his house overnight and arrested him on Monday morning, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Sylvia Ferdous told the newsmen.

The anti-graft body on Sunday evening filed a money laundering case with Ramna Model Police Station against him on the charge of amassing wealth illegally.
Madrasa student found dead in Gulistan

bdnews24.com :

Police have recovered the body of a student from a madrasa in Dhaka's Gulistan.

The victim has been identified as 12-year-old Mohammad Zidan, who was a student at Madinatul Madrasa, close to Gulistan's Sergeant Ahad Police Box.

The boy was murdered at the madrasa early Monday, said Paltan Police Station SI Nishat Jahan.

Around dawn, a teacher saw blood on the floor of the madrasa and called for help, she told bdnews24.com. Zidan was found with his throat slit next to the toilet. Police were then notified.

Police and madrasa teachers took Zidan to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

One of Zidan's classmates, Abu Bakkar, is missing, SI Nishat said. A portion of the madrasa's fence is also broken. More information would be available after Bakkar was found, she added.
China draws 3-phase path to end

Rohingya crisis Ceasefire in Rakhine first to ease refugee return

Reuters, Naypyitaw :

China has proposed a three-phase plan for resolving the Rohingya crisis, starting with a ceasefire in Myanmar's Rakhine State so that refugees can return from Bangladesh, China's foreign ministry said ahead of meeting of European and Asian officials in Myanmar on Monday.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since late August driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State.

The refugees' suffering has caused an international outcry.

The foreign ministers Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, opening in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw is an important multilateral diplomatic gathering which happens once every two years and is designed to discuss issues between Asia and Europe.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in Myanmar before the outbreak of the current crisis.

Speaking in Naypyitaw on Sunday having arrived from Dhaka, China's foreign minister Wang Yi said China believed that the Rohingya crisis could be addressed by a solution acceptable to neighbours Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations.

'The first phase it to effect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order, so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee,' China's foreign ministry said in a statement citing Wang.

'With the hard work of all sides, at present the first phase's aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war.'

After a ceasefire is seen to be working, Wang said bilateral dialogue should follow to find a workable solution, and the third and final phase should be to work toward a long-term solution based on poverty alleviation.

Wang said poverty was the root cause of the conflict.

Myanmar's military has said that all fighting against the Rohingya Islamist militants died out on September5, but it remains on guard against incursions by fighters who had fled to Bangladesh with the refugees.

The refugee crisis erupted after the military launched brutal counter-insurgency operations against the militants after attacks on an army base and dozens of police security posts in Rakhine on August 25.

The group behind those attacks, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, had declared a one-month ceasefire on September10, which was rejected by the government. But there have been no serious clashes since.

Visiting Myanmar last week, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson condemned ARSA's attacks, and voiced support for Myanmar's transition to democracy under the civilian administration led by Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

But Tillerson also called for a credible investigation into reports of human rights abuses against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's security forces, whose generals retain autonomy over defence, internal security and border issues.

The United States and other Western countries have become more engaged with Myanmar in recent years, since it began a transition to civilian government after nearly 50 years of military rule.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, was expected to address the ASEM gathering, having also visited Bangladesh over the weekend.

Myanmar state media said the meeting was being attended by senior officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, 28 member countries of the EU, two non-EU member countries, 10 member countries of ASEAN, 11 countries of northeast and south Asia totalling 51 countries.

China has close relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh, and has long been a key player in lawless borderlands where rebel ethnic groups have fought Myanmar's government for decades. The conflict in those border regions has occasionally pushed thousands of refugees to seek shelter in China.

Since the Rohingya crisis, China has repeatedly expressed support for what it calls the Myanmar government's efforts to protect stability.

Myanmar and Bangladesh officials began talks last month to settle a repatriation process for refugees, and Bangladesh's foreign minister expects to take those talks to the next level in coming days.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should give encouragement and support to both countries 'to create the necessary conditions and a good environment', the ministry's statement quoted Wang as saying at a joint press conference with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader.
EU hopeful of BD-Myanmar deal on repatriation

Need to start implementing Annan Commission, reports discussed

Despite various international organisations\' pressure Rohingya refugees are entering Bangladesh through various points. This picture was taken from the Anjumanpara area in Cox\'s Bazar on Monday.

UNB, Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar) :

European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini on Monday expressed her hope that Bangladesh and Myanmar would reach a decision to sign MoU and agreement on safe repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to their homeland Myanmar.

"There is a real possibility Myanmar and Bangladesh reaching a MoU and an agreement for the safe repatriation of refugees (Rohingyas)," she told a small group of reporters including UNB correspondent after photo session with ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers.

She said, the EU is supporting this process and will stand ready to accompany this process in the coming week.

In the morning the EU top diplomat had informal meetings with some ministers on the situation in Rakhine State.

"That was extremely encouraging. We discussed the need to start implementing the Annan Commission Report," she said adding that she is very encouraged by "willingness and readiness" of the Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi going that direction.

The European Union and its Member States are delivering more than half of the total financial support to the Rohingyas, and they said they will continue to support them, as well as the government of Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh.

"It is, I think, a responsibility of the authorities to find solutions. Again, the international community has indicated some of the solutions, especially the Kofi Annan plan that Aung San Suu Kyi has committed to implement, and we are there to support her in doing this," said the EU top diplomat during her Bangladesh visit prior coming to Myanmar.

The Bangladesh government is now negotiating with the Myanmar government on repatriation issue.

The EU is trying to help the two countries to find a sustainable solution.

Minutes before opening session of the ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting, the EU diplomat said they are here to discuss economic cooperation, climate change, peace and security issues in the ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting.

"We are partners. I believe these two days will represent strengthening our partnership between Europe and Asia," she said.

The EU High Representative said they will also discuss some of the current priorities in terms of security, DPRK situation and Rohingya issues.

In the opening session, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism that comes as her country is accused of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi did not directly mention the Rohingya exodus in her speech to welcome European and Asian foreign ministers in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar.

But her speech highlighted the views of many in Myanmar who see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and blame the population for terrorist acts. Suu Kyi said conflicts around the world gave rise to new threats and emergencies, citing how illegal immigration spread "terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war."

Though silent about the protracted Rohingya crisis, State Counsellor and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday called for a new and stronger partnership among countries in Asia and Europe for the maintenance and promotion of peace and sustainable development through collective efforts.

"We must continue to nurture partnership to create new connections-not just between governments but also across the private sectors and civil societies and of course people to people," said Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, widely criticised over Rohingya issue.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali is leading Bangladesh delegation in the ASEM meeting.

Earlier on Sunday, Suu Kyi held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Suu Kyi, during the meeting, said Myanmar values China's understanding of the Rakhine issue which is much complicated and delicate.

The three sectors or points proposed by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister go in line with the view of Myanmar, she said.

"Myanmar's insistence on the rule of law is for stability and ceasing conflicts. Myanmar is desirous of solving the issue through bilateral talks with Bangladesh," she was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Myanmar State Counsellor Office.

Suu Kyi said development and poverty alleviation is the hope and goal of the government not only for Rakhine State but also for the entire country.

"China's assistance as a friend in need amidst the many problems is so much encouraging for Myanmar. May there be eternal friendship between the eternal neighbors China and Myanmar," she said.

Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi said China's hope for Myanmar is its peace and stability which is divided into three sectors.

"China has listened to the voices of Myanmar and Bangladesh. China hopes further talks between the two countries," he said.
Farmers Bank was set up for cheating, ACC should prosecute the cheaters

The New Nation on Monday reported that Bangladesh Bank (BB) has rejected the Farmers Bank's request for Tk 300 crore emergency fund support to avoid capital shortfall crisis pushing the bank to insolvency. Earlier the bank failed to clear a draft of Tk 33.44 crore of Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd (BTCL) triggering big crisis and there is basis for thinking that many other private banks are also facing similar situation because of mismanagement.







The central bank at a meeting held recently with Farmers Bank officials made it clear that it will not provide any emergency funding unless its top management officials resign to allow the overhauling of the bank.







Foremost of it, the central bank has asked its Chairman who is also a ruling party leader, former Home Minister and also the present Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts to resign as they believe the entire responsibility lies on him for the loan mismanagement. But as per insider report, he has declined to resign to give the impression that the bank is a private property of him.







Investigation by a team of Bangladesh Bank officials earlier found big mismatch of over Tk 400 crore loans without following proper rules and regular collaterals. The central bank is therefore right when it has suggested that the bank should make effective drive to realize the bad loans to overcome the crisis instead of looking for bail out fund from the central bank.







The bank was established in 2013 and within four years it runs into trouble because the management did not follow banking rules and held high the wish of the chairman. In the past the bank was even fined for the fund mismanagement but the powerful Chairman of the Bank sued the central bank at the High Court to show his unlimited power to ignore normal rules of business in running his bank.







How a bank so quickly ran into liquidity shortage is the big question. Bail out of banks in the first place takes place from tax-payers money to save public sector banks from falling into insolvency. The situation in Farmers Bank is entirely different since it is a private bank and moreover its management is defiant of the banking rules. If money is so easily available as the Chairman seems to believe then he will encourage the thieves to be more audacious.





It appears that the central bank has justifiably taken the rigid stance over the emergency funding in the light of the failure of the bank management to implement its earlier recommended prudential guidelines in operating the bank. It has also failed to bring about good corporate governance.







Bangladesh Bank's plan to dissolve the Board of Directors of the Farmers Bank is a welcome decision but that is not enough. The Directors must be held accountable for plundering the bank's money. The Farmers Bank was set up as cheater's bank. The question is how Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, a bureaucrat, famous for his unscrupulous political ambition was found fit to be trusted with a bank.







Money must be recovered from those who have cheated the bank. The Anti-Corruption Commission waste time and energy in search of corruption but it is weak against publicly identified corrupt ones. This is a disappointment. We have been telling that the ACC should be against those who have become notorious for big corruption instead of going everywhere to dig out corruption.






Pol clashes for personal interest, not on ideological grounds

1,028 deaths, 52,066 hurt in 5 yrs: ASK

Staff Reporter :

Political leaders and activists always engage in clashes only for personal interest, not for ideological grounds.

Usually leaders engage in clashes while trying to grab tenders, different government projects, lands and establishing supremacy on campus dormitories and institutions.

Awami League Presidium Member Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya said, "Political leaders and activists never clash on ideological grounds; it's always for personal interest. Usually leaders engage in clashes while trying to grab tenders, different government projects and lands."

Researcher, Journalist and Political Commentator Afsan Chowdhury said, "Politics in Bangladesh is driven by money, there is nothing in it about people's welfare, and political parties carry out attacks on rival groups for issues related to money."

Afsan Chowdhury pointed out that the Awami League has been in power for nine years now and during this time, people from different backgrounds with different interests have joined the party, which often leads to infighting and clashes.

Nur Khan, former Director (investigation) of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), said political conflicts are the manifestations of unstable and unethical politics.

He said, "Unethical politicians who lust



for power and money are normalizing conflicts among political parties." At least 1,028 people reportedly killed and 52,066 injured in 3,540 instances of political violence over the last five years, according to a data from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).

The ASK data is based on reports compiled over 57 months from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2017.

Awami League and its affiliate organizations have had 15 incidents of internal conflict per month on average, leading to the loss of three lives on every occasion. More than 44 were killed and 3,506 also injured during 256 clashes across the country from January to September this year.

In 2017, there were 256 clashes from January to September - at least 44 were killed and 3,506 injured across the country.

Among them, at least 28 people were killed and 1,917 suffered various injuries during 115 incidents of infighting between Awami League and its affiliates. Nine people were also killed during the same period when law enforcement agencies clashed with political activists.

In 2016 alone, 177 people, including 83 Awami League activists and 84 bystanders died in 907 political clashes, which also injured 11,462, according to the ASK data.

In 2015, the country's political parties had locked horns 865 times, leading to the deaths of at least 153 people while injuring 6,318. There were 66 days of blockades and shutdowns where 78 people died and 1,861 injured in 390 conflicts.

There were 226 instances of Awami League infighting which resulted in 33 deaths and 2,378 injuries.

In 2014, political activists and law enforcement agencies clashed a total of 664 times, killing 147 and injuring 8,373.

Awami League and BNP clashed 82 times. Their clashes killed 21 and injured 784. There were 171 instances of Awami League and affiliates infighting, killing 34 and injuring 2,206.

The January 5 election saw 22 clashes - killing another 34 and injuring 497. The upazila elections saw innumerable clashes -- 24 killed and 2,850 injured. In 2013, there were 848 clashes between law enforcement agencies and political activists. At least 507 were killed and 22,407 injured.

Over the past five years, BNP has engaged in 160 clashes - killing 14 and injuring 1,702. BNP (including Chhatra Dal) and Jamaat (including Chhatra Shibir) clashed 11 times, killing three and injuring 137. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader recently said that decency and tolerance are no longer present in politics, but only in posters and banners.

BNP Joint General Secretary Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said: "There are all sorts of people in BNP. There are some disputes among the leadership and activists, which leads to the clashes. It is completely normal."

National University Vice-Chancellor and political scientist Harun-or-Rashid said the basic principles of democracy were absent in Bangladeshi politics.

"Politicians, intolerant towards opposing views, usually engage in violent clashes over frivolous matters," he said, adding, "These are people who think they are above the law and hence have no qualms about ordering the deaths of others." Mahmudur Rahman Manna, former vice-president of DUCSU, said, "Today, political parties are more dependent on weapons, money and muscle, which are the main reasons behind any political conflict."
DU-BUET students clash

Admn fulfills 5 demands, 3 remains unfulfilled

Rayhanul Islam :

Students at the Bangladesh University for Engineering and Technology (BUET) continued to boycott classes and labs for the last 22 consecutive days demanding fulfillment of their main three point demands.

Meanwhile, the BUET administration has fulfilled their five point demands out of the total eight demands.

Several BUET students, who are involved in the protest programme, said if their three point demands are not meet, their protest would continue for an indefinite period.

The three demands are ensuring punishment to son of an employee and his associates, publication of probe report in short time and construction of a gate at all entry points to prevent outsiders from entering the campus.

The BUET students had clashed with the students tied to Dhaka University's Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall over a 'drive to remove outsiders' on October 26-27. Five BUET students were injured in the incident.

Since October 29, BUET students have been boycotting classes and labs, demanding that those involved in the incident be brought to book.

Ahasan Rabby Khan, a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department and one of the organizers, told The New Nation that the administration has already fulfilled their five point demands out of total eight demands.

``But our main three demands like punishment to son of an employee Raju and his associates Arnab, Nakib, Shuvo and Foysal, publication of probe report in short time and construction of a gate at all every entry points to prevent outsiders from entering the campus," he said.

Rabby also said, police detained Raju, but he was released on bail afterwards as the case was filed against him by the administration with simple grounds. But he did offense like an attempt to murder.

The administration has repeatedly made promises and ordered students to return to classes, but have not met all of the demands, also a convener and Mechanical Engineering Department student Partha Pritom Das told to The New Nation.

Dhaka University and BUET have each formed a committee to investigate the incident. But neither has submitted a report, even after three weeks have passed.

The probe committee led by Zahurul Haque Hall Residential Teacher Abdur Rahim was supposed to turn up with his report within a week after the incident.

The committee interviewed eyewitnesses, hall staff and students on October 28, 29 and 31 and November 6 and November 7.

Abdur Rahim told to The New Nation, we need more time as the matter is complicated. It has become even more complicated since CCTV footage of the BUET students' violence was leaked on the Internet."

``The BUET administration is yet to give us entirety the CCTV footage. As the incident occurred on the BUET campus it is mainly their responsibility. They will be able to give a clear idea of how it started. We are investigating if any of our students are involved," he said.'

"I don't know," said Student Welfare Director Prof Satya Prasad Majumder when asked about the issue. "This is under the registrar's control. Contact them."

"I cannot say anything about the probe," said Registrar Prof Md Saidur Rahman. "We have a Student Welfare director who handles such things."

"I do not have the jurisdiction to discuss this matter," he said after he was told that Prof Majumder referred journalists to him.

None of the officials and staff at the Registrar's Office and the Directorate of Student Welfare is willing to speak to journalists.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Saiful Islam, did not received mobile phone call, despite several time attempts for comments.
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They usually find underwater mines and enemy swimmers. But dolphins trained by the U.S. Navy were recently on a very different mission in Mexicos Gulf of California: trying to help scientists capture and protect one of our planets most endangered animals  a pint-size porpoise called the vaquita.

It sounds like a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, there was no happy ending. The rescue team hoped to protect the vaquitas in open sea pens. But when an adult female perished after capture, scientists ended the operation.

Its a bitter blow to one of the worlds most endangered species. Largely because of lethal entanglements in fishing nets, the vaquitas numbers have dwindled by 90 percent in the last five years, so a lot of hope was extinguished with the failure of the last-ditch rescue attempt.

But I still believe the fewer than 30 vaquita remaining today can be saved if Mexico will actually get gillnets out of vaquita habitat and halt all illegal fishing. And I hope the dramatic-but-failed rescue operation gets people thinking about an even larger issue  the growing threat to our planets entire web of life.

What can the world do now to prevent other imperiled wildlife  from walruses and elephants to monarch butterflies  from ending up in the vaquitas precarious position?

The vaquitas plight, after all, is no accident and no surprise. The 11th-hour capture operation came after years of reprehensible inaction by the Mexican government, which failed to protect the little animals from being killed by irresponsible and illegal fishing practices.

Vaquita cannot escape gillnets. After years of failing to get gillnets out of vaquita habitat and flunking on the enforcement front, Mexico now has only one option: succeed on these fronts or be held responsible for the demise of the vaquita.

Yet Mexicos failure to safeguard the vaquita is hardly unique. The Trump administration just shot down plans to give Endangered Species Act protections to dozens of imperiled species  including the magnificent Pacific walrus, which faces a terrifying threat as global warming melts the sea ice the animals need to survive.

Some day, in the not-so-distant future, will U.S. wildlife officials be forced to mount a desperate effort to round up the last few walruses in a last-ditch attempt to preserve the species?

The grim truth is that we find ourselves in the midst of the sixth great extinction due to human-induced changes to our climate, oceans and wild places. And we cant expect to capture and save every species. As with the vaquita, capture is risky, it may not work, and even when it does work, it is incredibly time and resource intensive.

Its the kind of choice we should never have to face again. We need animals, and endangered animals in turn need our care and attention  and courage to face down some of their most serious threats, like climate change, overfishing, reckless logging and oil industry pollution.

Failing to rise to that challenge now will put one species after another on the path to extinction. And well quickly find out just how lonely this planet can be.
Hey, Republicans! Did you enjoy Election Night on Nov. 7? Get ready for a lot more nights like that as immigration turns every last corner of the country blue.

When Ed Gillespie lost in Virginia, liberals crowed about how they're winning the war of ideas. The country has thoroughly, emphatically rejected Trumpism!

Republicans, being idiots, played along, arguing only about whether Gillespie's problem was that he didn't embrace Trump enough or embraced him too much.

Gillespie's campaign was fine. No cleverer arguments, community outreach or perfectly timed mailings would have changed the result. Contrary to The New York Times' celebratory article, "How the 'Resistance' Helped Democrats Dominate Virginia," it wasn't Democratic operative Kathryn Sorenson's savvy use of Facebook, Google and Eventbrites that carried the day. "The Resistance" didn't win.

What happened was Democrats brought in new voters. In 1970, only one out of every 100 Virginians was foreign-born. By 2012, one in nine Virginians was foreign-born.

The foreign-born vote overwhelmingly, by about 80 percent, for Democrats. They always have and they always will -- especially now that our immigration policies aggressively discriminate in favor of the poorest, least-educated, most unskilled people on Earth. They arrive in need of a LOT of government services.

According to the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of Hispanic immigrants and 55 percent of Asian immigrants support bigger government, compared to just over 40 percent of the general public. Even third-generation Hispanics support bigger government by 58 percent.

Polls show that immigrants are far more likely to support Obamacare and affirmative action than the general public, and are far less likely to support gun rights and capitalism.

It's one thing not to mention ethnic differences in crime statistics or welfare usage to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, but if the GOP continues to pretend to see no difference in how different groups vote -- while importing millions more foreigners to vote against them -- then they should get used to a lot more elections like what happened in Virginia last week.

It's not as if Republicans are unaware of how demographics can affect elections. They certainly notice when they're drawing congressional boundaries. We don't see GOP congressmen saying, "No, I don't mind trading that all-white town for part of a Chicago housing project."

Currently, everyone seems to be blaming the total disappearance of the GOP in Virginia on another demographic trend: All those federal workers living in the northern part of the state.

This is a fairy tale, like the one about Proposition 187 turning California blue, or the one about the "complacency of old money" turning Connecticut blue, or the one about a disorganized Republican Party turning Illinois blue. Pay no attention to the millions of Third-Worlders we've been dumping on the country.

In the past 40 years, upward of 50 million culturally backward, dirt-poor immigrants arrived in America, and state after state has gone blue, but we're always told states are flipping to the Democrats for some reason other than immigration.

True, Virginia is home to 322,198 people who are either current or retired federal employees. On the other hand, there are more than 800,000 Virginians who are foreign-born -- and that's not including the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the foreign-born who arrived in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Moreover, in Virginia, "federal employee" is not as Democratic-leaning as it sounds on account of the state's numerous military bases. Virginia Beach, for example, the largest city in the state, still votes Republican in presidential elections and is represented by a Republican in Congress.

Almost 15 percent of Virginians speak a language other than English at home. If we double the number of Virginians who are now employed by, or have ever worked for, the federal government -- and assume that none of them work on military bases -- that's still just 8 percent of the population.

The only reason Democrats want a never-ending stream of Third World immigrants is because they know immigrants will help them win elections, allowing The New York Times to write self-congratulatory editorials like this one last week: "Virginia Rejects Your Hateful Politics, Mr. Trump."

Well, technically, millions of Third-Worlders living in Virginia rejected Trump's "hateful politics." But guess what? They also rejected John McCain's pusillanimous politics and Mitt Romney's soft-spoken politics.

They were brought in to vote for the Democrats. That's the real job immigrants are doing that Americans just won't do.

As Democratic consultant Patrick Reddy wrote for the Roper Center 20 years ago, the 1965 Immigration Act, bringing in "a wave of immigration from the Third World," will go down in history as "the Kennedy family's greatest gift to the Democratic Party."

There isn't much time on the clock before it's lights-out for the GOP. And all Republicans can think to do is argue about how quickly to grant amnesty to so-called "Dreamers" and give the Democrats another 30 million voters.
By Trend





Russia, as a member of the trio of co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, is interested in helping in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Lavrov made the remark at a meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

"I fully share your assessment of our political dialogue. You have recently , on Nov.1, met once again with the President of the Russian Federation in Tehran. He extends you the warmest greetings, and with pleasure remembers your meetings. We are committed to realizing agreements reached between Vladimir Vladimirovich and you. I also would like to note with satisfaction that the trade turnover, according to our statistics, in the first 9 months of 2017 increased at least by more than 60 percent. This is a very serious step for preventing the decline trend in the trade turnover recorded two years ago, and as you have said, for boosting temps in increasing the investments. I should note the successful holding of an interregional forum this year in Stavropol. A meeting of the interparliamentary commission was held in Baku. My colleague and I exchanged visits on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations. An exhibition of archival documents was held in Moscow. Tomorrow we will hold an additional event dedicated to this date. I would like to thank the Diplomatic Academy of Azerbaijan for the invitation to make a speech, which I will do with pleasure tomorrow," Lavrov said.

The foreign minister further added that a lot of connections tie Russia and Azerbaijan.

" One good example: most recently in Moscow, the 100th anniversary of Kerim Kerimov, one of the founders of our space program, the chairman of the USSR State Commission for Manned Flight, was celebrated. I believe that such periods of our history should continue to unite us and set the bar for new bilateral relationship," he said.

"Surely, with my colleague, we will talk about our interaction in international organizations. This activity develops progressively. We, as a member of the trio of co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, are interested in helping in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Here we absolutely agree with you that active efforts should be made in this direction. Thank you again for this reception." he concluded.
By Trend





Azerbaijan looks forward to a bright partnership with the United States, long into the future, Novruz Mammadov, the assistant to the president of Azerbaijan for foreign policy, said in his article published on the Washington Times on November 19.

Mammadov reminded that Azerbaijan has long been a partner of the United States.

In the 26 years since we gained our independence, Azerbaijan has sought friendly relations with the United States, he wrote. Our relationship has continued - and indeed strengthened - over the years; guided by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the American administrations of the 2000s.

Mammadov noted that the backbone of the bilateral relations has been fortified around several key areas of mutual benefit and respect.

Azerbaijan has been a significant partner in the American-led efforts to eradicate terrorism from the world, he said.

Azerbaijan is also among the chief financial contributors to NATOs Trust Fund for Afghanistan, and the countrys peacekeeping contingent has provided boots-on-the-ground support to NATO-led missions in Afghanistan for more than a decade. As the Trump administration prepares its final push to purge al Qaeda from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan stands alongside both the United States and Afghanistan, he said.

Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan is a vital partner in the global oil and gas market, having emerged as a major player after the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipelines came online in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Today, Azerbaijans oil and gas exports play a critical role in Western energy security. Not only does Azerbaijani oil flow to our shared European allies, it reaches refineries as far West as Philadelphia. We appreciate the support of the United States for the Southern Gas Corridor, which, when it comes online, will ensure a long-term natural gas supply to our shared European & NATO partners, he said.

Mammadov added that Azerbaijan conducts foreign policy with predictable and trustworthy pragmatism. It has made us a standout partner for the United States as it pursues its own policy in - and cooperation with  the region. Our country is continually progressing toward modernization and consolidating its strong partnership with the United States, he said.

The top official noted that Azerbaijans favorable position at the crossroads of the East-West allows the country to facilitate international and regional transportation and trade.

The top official further highlighted the tolerance traditions in Azerbaijan.

With the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, Azerbaijan has emerged as a bold protector of democratic values, including secularism and voting rights for women in the region. Our country stands ready to defend the common values and interests shared between Azerbaijan and the United States and looks forward to a bright partnership, long into the future, he said.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

For many years the social and economic situation in Armenia has been sorrowful, but the life of Armenian soldiers has been even worse than the life of ordinary citizens. Bullying, violence, hazing and constant humiliation of human dignity  all these are common for the Armenian army.

Soldiers get killed in the Armenian army, their cases are being stifled, innocent soldiers are condemned for imperfect crimes, and real criminals go unpunished  everyone knows this, says Ruben Martirosyan, Armenian human rights activist who deals with army problems.

We cannot solve the problem at the root. Serzh Sargsyan said Do whatever you want. As a result, those who do destroy the army and have to take such wrong steps such as restricting the right to deferment, the activist said in his interview with 1in.am.

Last week, the Armenian Parliament passed the bill that restricts Armenian students right to defer their military service. Under the new legislation, if a male student wants to continue his education and delay serving in the army, he will have to sign a contract with the Defense Ministry in order to get a draft deferment. In this case, the person will have to serve three instead of usual two years in the military after completing his studies at the location chosen by the ministry. Moreover, during his study period the student will have to undergo military training.

Martirosyan said the restriction of the right to deferment is a wrong step impeding the development of the state. The Defense Ministry took this step because today no one wants to serve in the army due to the morals reigning there, and officials take out their children, he added.

The hazing of army conscripts has a strikingly violent form in Armenian army. Soldiers who have undergone more than six-month service bully new conscripts, while those in their last six months are senior soldiers who enjoy various privileges and higher states, including immunity from such treatment.

Moreover, these senior soldiers collect taxes from other soldiers of a military unit with subsequent transfer of the collected money to the unit authorities. Those who do not want to comply with this rule become the subject of bullying and violence. Sometimes that ends with murder of such soldiers.

I have information that when Serzh Sargsyans co-father-in-law was the head of the Central Medical Commission, corruption in the army distributed widely, says Martirosyan. Healthy conscripts were released from military service, and guys with health problems were called up instead of them. Everything was done to earn money. Now there is the same situation with some differences.

The human rights activist noted that forced military service will lead to consequences both in the army itself and in the development of the country.

Service in the army by force is fraught with many negative consequences  tension, conflict situations. Whereas everything should have been done the other way around. Everything had to be done so that young people would go to serve in the army willingly, at their own volition, he noted.

Martirosyan pointed out that for this, it is necessary to eradicate mayhem in the army, to introduce statutory relations, since today the Armenian soldier is in a slavish position, and all rights of soldiers are violated. Only after this situation is eliminated, it will be possible to discuss some issues, the activist said.

In this regard, it is silly to think that the Armenian government will achieve its goal to strengthen the army through adopting controversial laws. As a result, many of Armenian young men will intensify their efforts to move abroad in order not to suffer from hazing in the Armenian army, as well as to continue their education. This, in turn, will trigger even faster depopulation of the country.
A new Islamic finance forum entitled Islamic Finance Innovation Day is set to take place in Bahrain on December 7.



The event is being held with the strategic partnership of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and support from other industry partners including the Responsible Finance and Investment Foundation (RFI), a global non-profit organisation focused on building awareness, promoting research and encouraging convergence in responsible finance.



The inaugural forum will focus on Islamic Fintech and will be comprised of two moderated roundtables: Islamic Fintech  Adopting an Innovation Agenda and Human Capital Development: Supporting Sustain Growth and Fintech Innovation.



Each roundtable will discuss various topics including the important role of Shariah and other regulations in the drive for innovation and further industry advancement. Leading Islamic scholars, executives, standard-setting bodies and support organisations will be present to contribute expert insight into capitalizing on the opportunities for Fintech in Islamic finance.



We are pleased to support this forum series focusing on innovation in Islamic Finance and in, particular, the fast-developing Fintech industry, which offers Islamic financial institutions exciting new avenues for growth, said David Parker, executive director, Financial Services at EDB.



Bahrain, through the efforts of the Central Bank of Bahrain, the EDB and numerous other industry bodies and institutions, has taken decisive steps to create an ecosystem where Fintech can flourish and help to further unlock the vast potential and capital that exists within the world of Islamic finance, he added.



Bahrain has been a regional financial centre for over four decades, and has the largest concentration of financial institutions and funds registered and domiciled in the region. The financial services sector is the second largest contributor to GDP (16.5 per cent), and there are over 400 financial institutions licensed in the Kingdom, including almost 80 conventional banks and 25 Islamic banks. Bahrains strong ICT infrastructure and established platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship make it well-placed to provide a regional hub and testing ground for FinTech investments.



Fintech solutions can help drive the next stage of growth for Islamic finance, particularly if it takes consideration of best practices in responsible finance that can enhance the universal appeal for Islamic finance, said Blake Goud, CEO of RFI.



RFI is delighted to be supporting this forum series in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is home to a large concentration of Islamic financial institutions and industry bodies that are leading the innovation drive and the adoption of Fintech. We look forward to discussing the way forward for the industry and the meaningful role we believe Islamic Fintech can play in the achievement of sustainable development goals, he added.



The Forum series has been strategically timed to coincide with several Islamic finance events taking place in the Kingdom which also aim to highlight important current issues and trends within the industry. Key among these is the annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) taking place in Bahrain December 3-6, which each year attracts hundreds of regional and international Islamic finance industry heavyweights.  TradeArabia News Service
Leading officials of the multinational utility company Engie held discussions with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) on ways to develop smart and sustainable solutions which support a low carbon economy.



The high-level delegation from the French energy major also presented the latest solutions and technologies in the field of energy production at the Dewa meeting.



Engie team, headed by CEO Isabelle Kocher, was welcomed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and CEO of Dewa, who emphasised the importance of such meetings to boost co-operation.



The visit is in line with Dewa's objectives to leverage co-operation with major global companies, as well as the exchange of knowledge and sharing of best practices in the energy sector, he stated.



Al Tayer later presented Dewas most important programmes, projects, and initiatives in line with the ambitious vision of the leadership and achieving the objectives of the UAE Centennial Plan 2071 aimed at raising the status of the UAE to be among the best countries in the world.



He then briefed the delegation on Dewa's efforts to establish the infrastructure for electricity and water services in Dubai, as per the highest of standards and global best practices.



According to him, Dewa's strategic priorities are energy supply security, and the positioning of Dubai to become a global role model in energy efficiency and reliability, and ensuring a sustainable green economy.



"We are currently working on the Dh50-billion ($13.6 billion) Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park which is poised to become the world's largest single-site solar park based on the independent power producer (IPP) model."



On completion, the project will boast a total planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, he added.



The visiting delegation expressed interest in becoming a major partner in the upcoming Dewa projects to achieve the sustainable development of Dubai.-TradeArabia News Service
Emirates Hospital, a leading healthcare facility owned by KBBO Group, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing medical services to tourists, particularly Chinese visitors.

During official visit and meeting with Dr Jia Xiao Fang, president of China International Health & Medical Tourism Association (CIHMTA), Chinas largest health tourism and medical tourism industry platform, Pramod Balakrishnan, CEO of Emirates Healthcare Group, said Emirates Hospital in Jumeirah aimed to support Dubais commitment to provide world class healthcare services to Chinese tourists and visitors.

We are honoured to welcome Dr Jia Xiao Fang to our new hospital. We are committed to offer world-class treatments and facilities not only to domestic patients, but also tourists. The UAE and Dubai in particular with its best-in-class infrastructure, qualified doctors and quality services has turned into a hub for medical tourism and at Emirates Hospital, we aim to reinforce this position regionally and internationally, said Balakrishnan.

Emirates Hospital, a 100-bed facility, owned by Abu Dhabi group KBBO, opened in October 2017 and recently added obstetrics, paediatrics, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), special care baby unit (SCBU), a radiology department, and an emergency room.

Dubai has generated over Dh1.4 billion from the medical tourism sector with around 326,649 tourists visiting the emirate last year, according to Dubai Health Authority (DHA). It has been noted that the number of tourists from China visiting UAE has increased to a large extent as many Chinese travelers look to UAE and other Middle East destinations for better healthcare.

We are not only impressed with the advanced healthcare facilities, but are overwhelmed with the specialised services offered by the hospital. I am confident that this visit will serve as a conduit to encourage Chinese citizens to travel to UAE for best healthcare services, said Dr Fang. - TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Carbon has announced its first carbon credit transaction, with the sale of the resulting Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from Dewa Chiller Station L Project through adopting the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to Farnek Total Facility Management.



This initial sale paves the way for expansion of the green economy in Dubai, inviting further investment in CDM projects in the Emirate. This inaugural sale of locally issued CERs contributes to the growth of green projects, and is a breakthrough in Dubai Carbons efforts as a green economy enabler.



The sale which depends on locally produced CERs enhances the development of Green Projects in Dubai, since it is considered as a major achievement in invest in CDM in the Emirate.



The sale will also aid the efforts of Carbon Dubai in reducing the greenhouse gas emission footprint, and augment Dubais green economy ambition, as it reflects the growing demand for CERs in a diligent pursuit of sustainable development.



The project contributes to the isolation of 1,000 CERs (equal to 1,000 tonnes of CO2) achieving Farnek Total Facility Managements emission reduction targets, highlighting the organisations commitment to social and environmental projects in Dubai.



Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said: Dewa is committed to support the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the Dubai Clean Energy 2050 strategy, and Dubai 2021 plan, to make Dubai a smart environmentally clean sustainably healthy city, and for that, we support CDM projects.



Our environmental strategy focuses on reducing carbon emissions based on the best integrated green practices at all levels of our operations to ensure protection of natural resources, and creating a sustainable carbon market is an important part of our vision, which is to build sustainable financing for green projects, and bring best practices into the market.



We are pleased that Farnek was able to offset their CO2 emissions through our Chiller Station L Project and wish them success for further adoption of clean and renewable energy sources in the future. We are confident that Farnek will benefit from these units to reduce the effects of global warming on our planet for future generations, Al Tayer added.



Dewa is a key supporter of carbon reduction programs and is constantly recording new CDM projects with Dubai Carbon to reduce carbon emissions. The Chiller Station L Project , which is the source of the sale of recently sold CERs, also records high rates of reduction of 26,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, one of the few CDM projects in the Gulf region producing carbon credit units, where 95,197 carbon credit units have been issued so far.



Farnek chose to invest in the local economy in line with their corporate culture and expertise, thus aligning themselves to the country vision and ambition, said Waleed Salman, chairman of Dubai Carbon. We hope this will inspire other organisations in the Emirates to follow suit to mitigate the negative impacts on the environment.



Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek, said: Being a leader in providing innovative and bespoke solutions in the facility management sector, we are keen to invest in offsetting our emission footprint and reducing the impact of our businesses on the environment. We are proud to be the first to purchase CERs from the maiden project generating carbon credits in the GCC. It also gives us the opportunity to support the efforts of the Dubai Government in creating an environmentally responsible economy.- TradeArabia News Service
Daikin, a global leader in HVAC manufacturing, has pioneered a solution that can cut energy use drastically and save billions of tonnes of C02 globally.



Daikin has pioneered the new Inverter Split Wall Mounted unit, claimed to be the most energy efficient air conditioner of its type available in the GCC.



The split Inverter can achieve energy reductions of up to 70 per cent, compared to traditional split AC and window units, and boasts an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 13.3 at T1 condition, making it the most energy efficient air conditioner of its type in the market.



The result of continued research on refrigerants, R-32 is a next generation gas that addresses a range of environmental considerations in a balanced manner. The split inverter features bespoke design for the High Ambient GCC market, and is testament to Daikins commitment to develop sustainable systems with a lower impact on the environment.



Sana Hamdani, product planning manager  Middle East and Africa (MEA), Daikin, said: Combining the power of our inverters with the revolutionary R-32 refrigerant and our Intelligent Eye motion sensor technology, this inverter has been designed for optimum nominal and seasonal energy efficiency, in line with real life operating conditions in the Middle East, underlining our serious commitment to the environment.



The Inverter AC constantly adjusts the compressor speed to precisely maintain the desired temperature, and contributes on reducing the energy consumption all year round, for a lower electricity bill, she said.



The smart technology utilises an intelligent advanced control that regulates precisely the compressor speed to constantly adjust delivered capacity to meet the desired room temperature. It also provides powerful cooling, quieter operation and an extended product lifetime, she added.



By using R-32 refrigerant, Daikin inverter AC is able to maximise energy efficiency while minimising the global warming impact with zero ozone depletion potential and up to 80 per cent less CO2 emission than R-410A.



Installed in new systems or retrofitted to existing systems, the split inverter combines the power of the Daikin inverter swing compressor  designed and patented by Daikin  and the R-32 refrigerant, for an energy bill reduction of 30  70 per cent and lower use of refrigerants.



Across the GCC, infrastructure development projects, in addition to a steep rise in residential and indoor leisure projects, currently drive demand for new AC units, with the regional market projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3 per cent during 2017-2023.



But this high pace of growth has increased C02 emissions. According to findings from the UN, total emissions in the Arab region doubled between 1991 and 2008 with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt leading contributions.



In terms of C02 emissions per capita in the GCC, these had reduced significant after 2010 but remain higher than the global average, with an average up to 30 metric tonnes in Kuwait against 19.8 tonnes in US.



Across the world, 1.6 billion new AC units will be installed to 2050, according to figures published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.



Tuna Gulenc, general manager - MEA, Daikin, added: As a part of our environmental commitment to society, we believe it is manufacturers duty to advise the market and develop sustainable solutions that have practical applications to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.



People in Japan, Europe, China, Australia and other countries, already enjoy the benefits of inverter technology and here at our company, we believe the Middle East will soon follow suit. The use of inverter technology in HVAC units helps each citizen to contribute to the regional efforts to reduce environmental impact, Gulenc said.



In line with the evolving directives and strategies on sustainability as a core theme for future developments in the GCC, we are committed at developing and introducing state-of-the-art products and solutions, specifically designed for the region, achieving highest efficiencies, performances, and reliabilities. To put it simply, Daikin has set a new standard in the HVAC Industry, Gulenc concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE national Saeed Al Malik has been elected as the new chairman of the International Shipsuppliers & Services Association (ISSA), Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has announced.



DMCA said the election is a major Emarati achievement across the international maritime industry and extended its congratulations to Al Malik.



Al Malik is the first Arab national to hold the ISSA's top post, said a statement from the DMCA.



He will replace the incumbent chairman, Singaporean Abdul Hamid Al Hajji, and will serve for three years beginning in 2018. Al Malik's victory represents a strong push in the UAE's candidacy for Category B membership into the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Executive Council, it said.



Al Malik, who also currently serves as the head of the UAE National Ship Suppliers Association (UNSSA) was elected for the position during the association's 62nd Annual Convention, which was held in Athens, Greece, it added.



The ISSA convention was attended by members coming from all parts of the globe, widely composed of decision-makers, pioneers and maritime professionals. The two-day event was also attended by top Greek government officials and diplomats, including Sultan Majid Al Ali, UAE Ambassador to Athens, Greece.



Amer Ali, executive director, DMCA, expressed his pride in the UAE's new achievement, which confirms the high international confidence placed in the local maritime cluster.



He stressed that the selection of Saeed Al Malik as the new chairman of the ISSA represents a strong boost to the unified efforts to position the UAE among the world's leading maritime capitals.



Ali said: The election of Al Malik as the chairman of ISSA is a worthy achievement. He is leading the efforts of the UAE National Ship Suppliers Association to enhance the competitiveness of UAE companies involved in the supply of vessels at the regional and international levels, based on solid pillars of quality, efficiency and excellence.



There is no doubt that choosing him as the first Arab to head the international organisation is a source of pride for all of us. We are confident that he will surely bring in remarkable development to the ship supplying segment during his three-year term, he added.



Al Malik said: I am the first Arab to assume this position and I am truly honoured to be a representative of the UAE and Arab countries.



I am looking forward to heading the ISSA's initiatives and programmes that are aimed towards protecting the interests of IMOs members, offer e-commerce services to its 1800 members and provide them with the necessary legal and financial protection services, he said.



The objectives if ISSA, which operates in 42 countries, are to protect the interests of IMOs members in the maritime sector, customs and the tax authority. There has been great success in reaching an agreement with the IMO to solve disputes and problems related to vessels declared bankrupt or distressed, he added.



Al Malik continued: I intend to call upon the Federal Tax Authority to consider the cancellation of the value added tax (VAT) and customs duties on materials supplied to the ships as they go abroad.



I hope to reach an agreement after discussing this issue with the officials of the Federal Tax Authority so that companies in the UAE can compete with their counterparts from other competing countries, he concluded.



First established 62 years ago in the Netherlands. A year later, an office was opened in the British capital, London, UK, which was well known in the field of navigation in the world and with the presence of international shipping companies, the ISSA has now grown to a membership of over 2,000 ship suppliers from all over the world, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based international aluminium smelter, recently promoted Khaled Mersal to manager, Power Expansion Project.



Mersal joined Alba in 2008 as a shift engineer under the Graduate Engineers training programme for power operations, said a statement from Alba.



He was promoted to power operations superintendent in 2016 then as the acting manager Power Expansion Project since August 2016, it said.



Mersal has a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a M Sc. in Engineering System Management from Kingston University, London, UK. He also holds an MBA from the College of William & Marry Virginia, US.



Albas chief executive officer Tim Murray said: We are committed to promote Bahraini nationals from within to leadership positions for the future success of the company.



Mersal, a Bahraini national, will be key in driving the construction of PS 5, which is critical to the success of the Line 6 Expansion Project. I am confident that he will deliver excellent results and wish him all the best in his new role, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Zain Saudi Arabia, a top telecom operator and Huawei, a global ICT solutions provider have signed a new agreement to further enhance and train the distinguished human resources at Zain Saudi Arabia.

Zain Saudi Arabia continues to invest in human capital, Sultan AlShahrani, chief human resources and communication officer at Zain Saudi Arabia, stated after signing the agreement.



AlShahrani added: "Zain's keen interest goes beyond technical or marketing aspects, and even social responsibility programs. We aim to develop human capital, particularly citizens of distinctive talents, by providing them with training and continuing education opportunities. It is for that reason that Zain Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with Huawei, one of the most experienced technology companies in the world.



"We are fully aware that training and upskilling are some of the most effective investments. In line with our strategic plan, we continue to offer a variety of training and development programs, be they traditional or through training platforms, by working with the world's most prestigious and experienced companies in field, AlShahrani explained.



The agreement was signed at Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen, China. It represents further investment of the strategic partnership between Zain Saudi Arabia and Huawei, as the two parties carry forward collaborative work in various fields.  TradeArabia News Service
Energy is overtaking banking and finance as a target for cyber-criminals in the Middle East, yet companies in the sector are leaving themselves significantly more open to a successful attack, experts said at Security in Energy conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



Co-located within the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), Security in Energy recognises the increasingly critical importance of IT systems to oil and gas operations.



Ibrahim Al Shamrani, executive director of Operations at Saudi Arabias National Cyber Security Center, said 300 new malware samples were being discovered each day, and that his organisation was facing a growing number of attacks on the energy industry.



The energy sector is trending to be the second most targeted sector in the country in 2017, behind the government and ahead of the financial and telecommunications sectors, Al Shamrani said. However, attackers are three times more successful in compromising energy companies than they are in the financial sector. In this era, if oil and gas companies think they havent been attacked, or even compromised, I can tell them, you are not looking hard enough.



Recent figures from McAfee estimate the global cost of cyber-related crime, or illicit activity, is between $375 billion and $550 billion per year.



In a keynote address to the Security in Energy conference, Don Randall, former Head of Security and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the Bank of England, said he believed that figure was probably around $400 billion, and growing at between 10 and 20 per cent per year.



When we look at the types of issues that could affect the oil and gas or energy industries, the three principles are still hacking, phishing, and false identity, Randall told the conference. It doesnt matter if youre in the financial sector, in energy, utilities, the government, or anything else  the cyberattack will be the same, its just the consequences that are different.



For those making attacks, the chances of getting caught are low. Randal said that in the first six months of 2017, there were 350,000 attacks reported in the UK, but its estimated that figure only represents 40 per cent of the actual number of attacks taking place. He added that only 10 per cent of reported attacks are then investigated by law enforcement, and only 1.5 per cent result in any kind of judicial process.



In his Bank of England role, Randall helped develop new security protocols, including the creation of a specific Information Security Division, headed by himself as the chief information security officer, reporting directly to the board.



That model is now widespread in banking, completely separating the department that runs the IT infrastructure, from the team responsible for recognising and responding to threats.



I think we have to be quite radical in how we structure the responsibility and role of those who are there to police cyber activities, Randall said. Seriously look at who is policing your IT, and ask is that the same person who is managing it, maintaining it, implementing it, and looking after it  and potentially covering it up? Thats the issue. Youve got to work in harmony with the IT department, but youve got to have an independence there.



Held under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), and organised by the Global Energy division of dmg events, the 20th edition of Adipec is taking place from 13-16 November, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec). Adipec is one of the worlds leading oil and gas events, and the largest in Africa and the Middle East.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE has won a global bid to host the 2020 edition of the prestigious World LPG Forum, an event organised by the World LPG Association (WLPGA), the authoritative voice of the global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry.



The Enoc Group will host the event in Dubai in 2020.



WLPGA brings together over 250 private and public companies involved in the industry from more than 125 countries, develops long-term partnerships with international organisations, and implements projects locally and globally. The primary goal of the Association is to add value to the sector by driving premium demand for LPG, while also promoting compliance with good business and safety practices.



Enoc was among 14 other government departments that worked together on the winning bid that enhances the UAEs global position in the energy sector. The bid was supported by Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Ministry of Energy, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Roads & Transport Authority, Dubai Police and Dubai Airports, apart from local and regional oil and gas majors.



Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director & CEO of Dewa, and vice chairman of Enoc Group said: The key issues of clean energy, sustainability and innovation are fundamental to Dubais future economic growth and development. As semi-government entities, we have the ability to support the Emirates vision of leadership in energy security and efficiency through the unwavering support of a highly committed government.



Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, Enoc, said: Enoc and Emgas have a proven track record of diligent work in the pursuit of innovative, smart and clean energy solutions, and it is an honour to bring home and host such a prestigious event as the World LPG Forum in the Arab world.



Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai Tourism, said: Dubai being named the host city of the World LPG Forum, set to take place in 2020, is testament to the Emirates ability to bid for and attract major business events that foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration between stakeholders. Business events such as the World LPG Forum play a crucial role in attracting trade professionals from around the world, as we continue to transform the city into a leading global knowledge hub. We look forward to welcoming World LPG Association delegates and industry professionals to the city, and are positive that the outcome will leave a lasting legacy.



WLPGA CEO and managing director, James Rockall said: The World LPG Association is very happy to unite the global LPG industry for its 33rd Annual World LPG Forum in Dubai in 2020. With its world class infrastructure and excellent connections with the whole world, Dubai is the perfect place to host our annual Forum. Strong support from business and government from the UAE as well as the opportunity to associate the World LPG Forum with Expo 2020 Dubai proved very compelling reasons in our decision to select Dubai.



For over 30 years, Enoc Group has made significant contributions to Dubais continued drive towards economic development and sustainable development. At the heart of the Groups long-term strategy is the achievement of sustainability through efficiency and investment in alternative fuels. Within Enoc, it is in the LPG innovation space that such investments are already transforming the industry though sustainable, cleaner fuel technologies.



Emirates Gas (Emgas), a wholly-owned Enoc subsidiary, is a member of WLPGA. The company owns and operates an extensive distribution network with more than 50% of market share in the UAE, in addition to supplying bulk LPG to most of the 27 bottling plants in the UAE.



The World LPG Forum is the annual global event for the LPG industry that travels the globe every year gathering industry leaders, key policy makers, and the highest level of international agencies to explore the LPG business, discuss its growth potential and forge new business relationships.



Dubai, and the wider UAE, have embraced sustainable economic development for several years through major investments in clean energy and renewables. Promoting alternate energy sources such as LPG and CNG and utility-scale solar energy are part of its larger strategic programmes, which also include the adoption of COP22 sustainable development goals, the UAE Energy Strategy for 2050, UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021.  TradeArabia News Service
Al Marjan Island, a world-class island destination in Ras Al Khaimah, will usher in the New Year with a spectacular firework display never attempted before.

The mega-event will welcome visitors from across the world, underlining the destination as a definitive tourist and leisure destination.

Abdullah Al Abdooli, managing director of Al Marjan Island, said: We are pushing the boundaries and going beyond the obvious with this years New Years Eve gala, which has traditionally been popular with residents and visitors throughout the UAE.

A team of 30 engineers, pyrotechnicians, fabricators and others are working on the project led by Phil Grucci, creative director of fireworks by Grucci. Environment-friendly, organic material such as wood, Sulphur, charcoal from trees, water from the sea and metals from the ground will be used for the actual shells of the fireworks. All internal components have been conceptualised and assembled by Grucci at its factories in New York and Virginia.

More details on the Al Marjan Island fireworks gala including visitor viewing areas, parking and access routes, will be revealed in due course. The celebration will be telecast live and through social media networks, a statement said.

Located in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Marjan Island extends 4.5 km into the sea and covers an area of 2.7 million sq m. A luxury destination, Al Marjan Island supports Ras Al Khaimahs economy by powering the tourism, hospitality and property sectors, and contributes to the UAEs reputation as a business and leisure hub. - TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Air, Bahrains national carrier, today announced that it has awarded a 15-year contract for Boeing 787 aircraft component support to Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aerospace), the aerospace arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering).

Under the agreement, ST Aerospace will provide comprehensive component maintenance-by-the-hour (MBH) support covering component exchange, repair, overhaul, modification, reliability monitoring and logistics services for Gulf Airs new fleet of Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi said: ST Aerospace has demonstrated that it is the right partner for Gulf Air as we drive forward with our fleet renewal programme in preparation to welcome our new aircraft which commence delivery in the second quarter of 2018.

"We are happy to play a role in Gulf Air's fleet renewal plan, which will see its fleet of 787-9 expanding to 10 aircraft in the coming years. This multi-year component support contract that Gulf Air has awarded us speaks of the value we can create for, and deliver to, our customers through our hallmark Component MBH programme, said Lim Serh Ghee, President, ST Aerospace.

ST Aerospace's MBH programme, renowned for its flexibility and high level of customisation, is well established and popular among its global customers. For a fixed rate per hour, the airlines select a range of support services and pay a corresponding flight per hour rate, which is pre-determined. In this way, operators are able to keep operating costs low and also minimise fixed asset inventory holdings in terms of spares or maintenance equipment, a statement said.

Today, ST Aerospace provides integrated component support for a fleet of close to 600 aircraft on the MBH basis, for over 20 aircraft operators in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Gulf Air operates scheduled services to 42 destinations in 25 countries. - TradeArabia News Service
Wyoming wind is in demand, but as the industry changes so should the regulations that govern it, according to some state lawmakers.

Small wind farms that have cropped up in the state benefit from a 70s-era federal law meant to open a niche for developers in the monopoly that is the electricity market in places like Wyoming.

Large utilities like Rocky Mountain Power have to buy the electricity that these small producers generate on a 20-year-contract. But Wyoming has some wiggle room on how that law is applied.

On Tuesday, the Joint Corporations Committee will discuss reducing the contract period to three years and add language to current statutes ensuring that utilities dont overpay for the power they are required to buy. Their ultimate goal, they say, is to make sure rate payers in Wyoming are getting the best deal.

Why is this important now? The cost of wind is declining, said Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander.

Its not a good idea to force utilities into a 20-year fixed contract when the price of developing wind is likely to be cheaper every year, he said.

Additionally, power from the small farms is supposed to cost the same as electricity the utility develops on its own, according to federal law. Theres reason to believe that not always happening, he said.

Wyoming rate-payers under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act are supposed to get the best possible deal for this power, and its not happening, he said.

The senator proposed similar legislation a few years back that was passed in the Senate but never made it through the House.

Utilities like Rocky Mountain Power, Wyomings largest electricity provider, have also pressed for a contract time change over the years. The utility is in the midst of increasing their wind presence in Wyoming, planning to spend nearly $3 billion dollars adding new wind and transmission, as well as repowering their existing turbines.

But qualifying facilities dont necessarily fit into that plan.

The wind projects that we will consider will be subject to a bidding process, said David Eskelsen, spokesman for RMP. So there will be at least a determination of individual projects and prices, and therefore the benefit they might bring to customers.

The companys argument mirrors Cases.

The fact that the utility is required to take the wind over such a long term may not result in the lowest price for customers, Eskelsen said.

Wyoming is not the only state to have reconsidered how it handles the federal rules, said Robert Godby, director of the Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming.

Rocky Mountain Power has seen an influx of small renewables in Utah, only there the developers are solar farms. Utahs utility commission recently agreed to reduce the required contract time to 15 years.

Idaho went down to two years. It also changed the size of a qualifying farm after small producers were abusing the law, clustering multiple farms together that were really just a large wind farm, said Godby.

All these things are potential issues, he said of the falling price of wind and the potential high return small facilities can make off the federal law.

Its a fair discussion to have, he said.

Whether or not the bills would ultimately protect prices for consumers isnt clear.

Bryce Freeman, administrator of the Wyoming Office of the Consumer Advocate, said he understands the arguments on both sides. Hes just not sure its a significant problem.

For small developers, the 20-year contract attracts investors helping them get their projects off the ground. For utilities, the contract can tie them to a higher price for power, despite the fact that the cost of wind is falling.

But it doesnt appear to be a significant issue, at least not one thats come before the Office of the Consumer Advocate.

Only about 10 percent of the proposed projects that try to sell their electricity to Rocky Mountain Power under the federal guidelines end up being built, Freeman said.

[Lawmakers] must have something in mind that Im just not understanding at this point, he said.

Case, the lawmaker from Lander, said he doesnt have a problem with the federal law or the development of small wind farms. Hes not biased against wind energy, he said.

The law just needs to be congruent with the current state of the wind industry.

The goal is to get the rate payers the best possible deal.
Tuesday support meetings

Learn about geriatric pharmacology

Experience

Virtual Reality

Dont miss the chance to immerse yourself in an entirely new world when the Natrona County Library hosts a virtual reality demo from 4 to 8 p.m. Choose from over 50 of the best virtual reality games and apps while being taken through a guided experience with the HTC Vive. Free and open to the public. Gameplay will last for approximately seven minutes per player. Tickets will be handed out throughout the event, available on a first-come, first-served basis. The HTC Vive is provided by the Natrona County Library Foundation. Call 577.READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.
One local nonprofit is expanding while another state-wide nonprofit just shut its doors.

Councilman Bob Hopkins said at last weeks City Council session that he attended the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning for the Wyoming Rescue Missions new 22,000-square-feet facility.

I think its going to be really neat, he remarked.

The mission is a Christian-based charity that offers emergency housing and meals to those in need. The new Park Street Center will offer 48 beds for women and children and 73 beds for men. The facility will also include a larger kitchen and dining room, a computer lab and spaces where clients can meet with case managers.

About 150 politicians, philanthropists and other residents attended the groundbreaking, said Brad Hopkins, the missions executive director.

Even the wind was calm, he said. Its like a higher presence is just looking down with favor on this project and we are so excited.

The mission appreciates the tremendous amount of support shown by the community, he added.

Hopkins said the center is expected to be finished in about a year.

Between July 2015 and June 2016, the mission provided more than 26,000 beds to those in need and more than 41,000 meals, according to its 2016 annual report.

While the rescue mission is growing, the Wyoming Meth Project is shutting its doors.

The organization held its final meeting Tuesday, according to Councilman Chris Walsh.

The large-scale prevention program was aimed at reducing meth use through public service messaging, public policy and community outreach. The group announced in October that it would be closing down after nearly 10 years due to a lack of funding.

Any remaining funds will be donated to Caspers Youth Empowerment Council, said Walsh, who was on the projects board of directors. The empowerment council is a youth-run organization that strives to improve the community through various events and projects, such as giving presentations about bullying or drug awareness at schools.

Wyoming had the countrys second highest rate of meth users in the 12 to 17 age range, according to a 2007 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
An outside review of the Casper Police Department recommends allowing its Office of Professional Standards more time to investigate officer misconduct and dole out punishment.

The review calls for more officers to be trained to investigate allegations of officer misconduct, to extend the investigative time frame and do away with an unused disciplinary matrix that could make the department vulnerable to lawsuits.

The police department will not make any decisions regarding the review until City Manager Carter Napier names a permanent chief, a department spokesman said. Napier said he expects to name a new chief by the end of the month.

Interim Chief Steve Schulz is one of the finalists for the position.

The 155-page review is the result of work that began in March. It used data, officer interviews, a site visit and more to assess all aspects of the department, from the dispatch center to officer schedules. The review was released last month.

Lt. Shane Chaney, who heads up the office, said the recommendations in the review were expected, but the department had not been able to implement them prior to the review because of the citys tight budget.

I dont think that there were too many surprises (in the report), he said.

Existing process

Lower-level accusations of misconduct, such as speeding in a patrol vehicle, are typically handled by an officers sergeant. Most patrol sergeants arent trained to investigate serious officer misconduct, according to the report. If those complaints can be immediately addressed to the satisfaction of the person who brought them forward, they often arent entered into the departments personnel software.

That is changing, Chaney said.

The lieutenant said long-standing policy allowed for the software to be bypassed. The department now instructs its sergeants to enter minor complaints into a secondary software system in order to keep track of such complaints when an officer changes supervisors.

The department is also in talks with a Connecticut lawyer who helps train law enforcement officers in various procedures, including internal affairs, Chaney said. The department has had difficulty making the class cost-effective due to the relatively small nature of the department and the cost of travel. There are no local experts in the field, Chaney said.

Thats the struggle we have in Wyoming, he said.

Current rules

The departments rules require internal investigations be completed within two weeks. If a longer investigation is necessary, the office must request more time to complete it. The review board wrote that the current time frame is much shorter than those of other departments.

Requiring administrative investigations to be completed within 14 days is extremely difficult if not impossible, the report states.

Despite this, Chaney said most investigations are completed within the mandated time frame.

I generally dont ask for too many extensions, he said.

The department established a codified disciplinary matrix under prior leadership. It mandates penalties based on the severity of the offense. But the chief, who assigns punishments, can disregard the matrix.

The matrix was never fully instituted and now is largely disregarded, Chaney said. He said the department often uses a system of graduated punishment, in which a veteran officer will be held to a higher standard than a rookie. After an officer has spent some time on the force, he or she should know better than a new officer, he said.

Although the matrix in question is not used, the review suggests that its very existence makes the department vulnerable to lawsuits. By formally abolishing the matrix, the department would then do away with potential legal liability that appears whenever the matrix is disregarded, the review states.

City Attorney Will Chambers said he hadnt read the report and would be unable to comment on whether he thought the city was at risk of litigation related to police discipline procedures.
Happy Monday! This is the inaugural edition of the Casper Star-Tribunes politics newsletter. Were working to bring all of our politics coverage -- health care, education and energy policy on the, local, statewide and national levels -- under a single roof called 307 Politics. For now, this Monday morning email is the main part of this push. You can also access our political coverage by following this link, and as this experiment unfolds we may create social media channels that you can follow and perhaps even offer some live events. Ill keep you posted.

In the meantime, heres what Ive got for you this week:

WHAT THE HECK IS FOSTER FRIESS UP TO? Friess lives in Jackson, has several hundred million dollars to his name and a clear interest in politics. So far, thats meant bankrolling national candidates like Rick Santorum and Scott Walker. But now, Friess has been recruited by former Trump advisor and Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon to run against Wyomings incumbent U.S. Senator John Barrasso, a fellow Republican.

Friess told Washington, D.C. media that he was exploring a run in early October. He confirmed that to me. Then about a month ago he told Fox Business that he was opposed to Bannons effort to unseat Republican incumbents who dont sufficiently support President Donald Trumps agenda (by what measure Bannon is gauging this remains unclear).

While Steve Bannon wants to replace Republican incumbents I want to champion the effort [and for] that money be devoted instead to replacing the ten Democrats in states where President Trump won, Friess told FBN in an email. I do not intend to raise money to defeat fellow Republicans.

-- BUT WAIT! Three weeks after he told Fox he didnt support unseating GOP incumbents, Friess told Buzzfeed News that he is still considering challenging Barrasso. In fact, Friess said hes planning a listening tour around the state to gauge interest.

When I asked him for details, Friess -- who has a rather eccentric style of emailing that I have come to enjoy -- confirmed that he was still pondering a run and a listening tour.

No dates yet,,,,re:Listening tour? stay tuned, he wrote in the subject line.

-- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? One possibility is that Friess is distinguishing between his role as a major GOP donor and his role as a Wyoming resident and potential candidate for Senate. Friess has made clear that he wont underwrite Bannons larger quest to unseat Republican incumbents across the country. But that doesnt mean that in any particular race -- say, the one in Wyoming -- there might not be a candidate better suited than the current Republican incumbent. Like, say, Foster Friess.

MEANWHILE IN THE LEGISLATURE... Ive written a lot lately about tax proposals coming out of the Legislatures revenue committee. The committee is kind of considering raising local taxes, property tax, alcohol taxes, the cigarette tax, taxes on lodging and hospitality and a lawmaker not on the committee is also considering introducing a real estate transfer tax.

I say theyre only kind of considering raising the taxes because committee members have been clear that many of the proposals are being brought solely at the request of the leaders in the House and Senate who want options to close the $770 million deficit over the upcoming two-year budget cycle.

The committee, like the rest of the Legislature, is dominated by Republicans, and there was a curious incident at the end of their meeting in Cheyenne earlier this month when Wyoming Republican Party secretary Charles Curley admonished the panel for considering any new taxes and fees.

-- BITING ANALYSIS... Nate Martin of the liberal Better Wyoming group captured Curleys odd exchange with committee co-chair Sen. Ray Peterson, R-Cowley, in a harsh piece of analysis last Wednesday (Martin is no fan of Peterson):

Petersonalbeit grudginglyhas said that new taxes must be part of the solution if were to figure out how to create a more stable revenue structure.

So, when Curley finished, and while other lawmakers on the committee were dumbstruck ... Peterson made an important point: How, if we dont institute new taxes, will Wyoming ever move away from its dependence on minerals and the boom-bust cycle that goes with it?

Ive got to ask the question, Peterson said. When is the Republican Party going to address that concern I haveas a good conservative Republicanabout having a 70 - 30 percent [minerals dominated] revenue stream, and that boom-bust cycle we continually go through? When are we going to get serious about that problem, and do they see it as a problem?

Right. Plus, a revenue committee is, after all, supposed to consider revenue-related ideas. And more often than not, that means taxes.

-- WHAT'S NEXT? When members meet in December, theyll decide which measures to sponsor, but even then its possible that some bills might make it out of committee without the earnest support of its individual members.

Like Foster says, stay tuned.

QUOTABLE -- "Go to a bar in northeast Wyoming or south-central Wyoming and try asking some roughnecks if theyd be OK paying another 1 percent tax on their beer and nachos ... If you do ask them that I would recommend wearing running shoes and keeping your car door unlocked Mike Moser, executive director of the Wyoming State Liquor Association, told the revenue committee at their Cheyenne meeting.

MORE TAXES -- Wyomings U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi has been hard at working overhauling the federal tax code. While Wyoming's U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney voted for the House version last week, its been difficult to cover because the details of the plans remain in flux as the authors seek to get enough Republican senators on board without losing too many supporters in the House.

Anyway, Enzi spoke with Sheridan Media about tax reform last week and his main point was that his colleagues in the Senate should be offering constructive criticism rather than simply complaining about elements they dont like.

-- TALKING TAXES. JUST TAXES. Enzi is so focused on tax reform that he apparently had no time to speak with HuffPost reporter Jen Bendery (attentive readers will recognize her from an October collaboration with the Star-Tribune) about the allegations facing Republican Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of dating young teenage girls:

Im working on taxes right now and concentrating on that and heading to a meeting where I have to speak and thats what Im concentrating on, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) told HuffPost, walking quickly down a Senate hallway.

Asked if he has any thoughts at all on the Moore scandal, he replied, My thoughts are on taxes. If you want to talk about taxes.

OK. Do you want to tax Roy Moore? asked HuffPost.

Enzi said nothing and walked away.

Enzi has said elsewhere that Moore should withdraw from the race.

***

Like I said at the top, this newsletter is a work in progress and I need your help. Let me know if you like the style or would prefer more a simpler digest of recent political stories. Is it too long? Too short? And most of all, send me tips! I wont publish your name without permission. You can reach me at arno.rosenfeld@trib.com or 307-266-0634 and you can find me on Twitter @arnorosenfeld.
WHEATLAND  Some Wyoming courtrooms will be getting an upgrade under a plan by state court officials.

A five-year plan includes the earliest upgrades in the northeast corner of the state and the east-central region. The $7 million plan depends on a fee paid by people convicted in criminal cases or placed on probation or those filing probate or civil cases and state Supreme Court petitions.

State lawmakers increased the fee to $25 from $10 last year.

Wyoming Court Administrator Lily Sharpe says the upgrades are the "bare minimum" for modern courtrooms. The changes include new Wi-Fi so courts can use web-based programs and equipment for audio systems and jury rooms.
Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford journeyed into a magic a world when Disney asked her to write a related children's adventure book for Disney-Pixar's highly anticipated animated film 'Coco,' which opens the day before the long Thanksgiving weekend.

The 64-year-old Tucsonan, an award-winning bilingual children's book author, was accompanied in her mystical journey by her son, Aaron Rivera-Ashford, 41, a University of Arizona and American Film Institute graduate. He also was contracted by Disney through Random House, to collaborate on the book.

Coco is a film about 12-year-old Miguel Rivera, a Mexican boy who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician and his adventures into the the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Muertos. He is on a mission to discover the history of his family and why he is forbidden  like generations before him  to stay away from music.

The film was released in Mexico in late October for Dia de los Muertos.

Roni and Aaron brought their family to the recent premiere at Hollywoods El Capitan Theatre.

Roni spent time at the premiere with actor and director Edward James Olmos, who plays the voice of Chicharron in the film. Chicharron, named for a treat of fried beef or pork fat, is a skeletal musician in the Land of the Dead who is sadly disappearing from the Land of the Living because he is being forgotten.

Other voice roles include that of Miguel Rivera by Anthony Gonzalez, Mama Imelda by Alanna Ubach, Abuelita (grandmother) by Renee Victor, Hector by Gael Garcia Bernal, Ernesto de la Cruz by Benjamin Bratt, Mama Coco by Ana Ofelia Murguia and the voice of a clerk in the Department of Family Reunions is that of Gabriel Iglesias.

After reading portions of the unfinished Coco scripts last year, Roni and Aaron teamed up to write the related adventure book Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes.

The story is set in the Mexican town of Santa Cecilia in Oaxaca, a southern state in Mexico. Miguel embarks on a class project to identify eight of his favorite living creatures and he will transform them into alebrijes  colorful, fantastical sculptures that were invented about 100 years ago. The sculptures, which are made from paper mache, are a mix of ancient and modern Mexican art.

Roni gave characters in the story to people who touched her life deeply. Senora Sena, Miguels teacher, is based on Tina Sena, a dear friend and mentor of myself and my husbands when we were in college studying to be teachers at the University of Southern Colorado.

She was a special human being who did not discriminate. She spoke English and Spanish, and we loved each other like sisters, and now she is in the land of the dead, said Roni of Sena, who died at the age of 71 in Las Vegas of rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid cancer.

Also in the story is a red-tailed hawk and a butterfly that are among Miguels favorite creatures. The hawk symbolizes Ronis brother, Mark Capin, who died of tongue cancer at age 49 in Nogales in 2006. Before his death, the two spoke and Roni told him she wanted a sign of him coming to visit her after he entered the land of the dead. That sign would be him as a red-tailed hawk, and that bird, said Roni, has flown into the backyard at her southwest side home several times.

The butterfly in the book signifies the migration of butterflies from Canada to the midwest on into Mexico. The legend is that the butterflies are bringing the spirits home for Dia de los Muertos, said Aaron. I was blown away when I saw the artwork, he said. The personal touches we put in the book, the butterflies and the red-tailed hawk, made the cover.

Aaron, a director of production and development at Pantelion Films, also wrote the read-along with CD for Coco and Roni translated it into Spanish. The read-along was straightforward. They gave me the script and I had to reduce it from 120 pages to 32 pages using as much dialogue as possible, said Aaron.

It was a lot of rewriting and using more structure, and being able to fit the story into a specific space. The story was based on the artwork as well, explained Aaron, whose daily work at Pantelion deals with reading scripts, doing screenings and talking to directors about developing scripts onto the big screen. The company is a joint venture of Televisa and Lionsgate.

Storytelling is in my blood, said Aaron, who left a successful restaurant business in Chicago and returned to the classroom, receiving two bachelor degrees in 2012, one in media arts and the other in English and creative writing from the UA. He then went on and earned a masters in screen writing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 2015.

I love creating stories and my moms expertise in childrens books combined our talents, said Aaron of their collaboration on the Coco read-along and Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes.

Roni also wrote the Spanish translation for the Coco related adventure book Miguel and the Grand Harmony written by Matt de la Pena. It won the 2016 Newbery Award. In the story, music is personified as a live character that visits a town and the whole Rivera family because music is trying to touch the familys heart, explained Roni.

The retired bilingual elementary school teacher grew up in Nogales and comes from pioneering Jewish families. She embraced the culture and language of the community along the international border, which also is home to her husband, Daniel, a retired educator. The couple, who moved to Tucson nearly 30 years ago, raised three children and enjoy one grandson.

Children fill Ronis life, teaching for more than 30 years in the Nogales and Tucson unified school districts and reading to children from her five books, including My Tatas Remedies/Los Remedios de mi Tata, take her to book fairs throughout the Southwest.

My Tatas Remedies, which was published by Cinco Puntos Press in 2015, received nearly one dozen national, international and state awards, including two first-place bilingual awards from the International Latino Book Awards. The awards are produced by Latino Literacy Now, an organization co-founded by Olmos and Kirk Whisler.

Those awards, said Roni, brought her childrens books to the attention of Disney editors.

I want to continue building bridges of acceptance, communication and diversity through my stories, she said.

Disney consultant Marcela Davison Aviles, also a native of Nogales, said she suggested and recruited Roni for the publishing aspect of the film.

Im thrilled that Roni and Aarons perspective is a part of Cocos journey. ....I come from a family of Mexican poets, teachers and artists  so having the book translated into Spanish was critical and important, said Davison Aviles.

For decades, Mexican-Americans have advocated for opportunity, equitable treatment and positive representation of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in and by the Hollywood Studio system. Many of those pioneer civil rights activists, and their second generation mentees, worked on this film.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Nov. 20 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
Former Arizona Wildcats running back Orlando Bradford was sentenced to five years in prison Monday morning, after pleading guilty in September to two felony counts of aggravated assault.

Pima County Superior Court Judge Teresa Godoy sentenced Bradford to 2.5 years in prison for each of the two assault counts. He also was ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution.

Bradford was arrested in September 2016 after his then-girlfriend told police that he had hit and choked her. The day after his arrest, a second woman came forward to say that Bradford had also abused her, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.

He was charged with 10 felonies and five misdemeanors and scheduled for trial in October, before accepting the plea deal. Because prison is a requirement of his guilty plea, Bradford was taken into custody immediately following the Sept. 29 hearing and held in the Pima County jail pending sentencing.

In March, one of the women filed a $1 million notice of claim against the University of Arizona and the Arizona Board of Regents, its governing organization, for failing to stop Bradfords allegedly violent behavior.

While that claim has not been settled it has also not yet been filed in court, but last month, a second woman filed a lawsuit in federal court, saying that UA officials knew about Bradford's allegedly violent behavior and didn't take steps to protect other students.

Bradford entered the 2016 season as the Wildcats presumptive backup running back.
A new state law making it harder for neighbors to force a supermajority vote on rezonings will make it easier for the Tucson City Council to approve a proposed Frys supermarket on the east side.

The law, which overwhelmingly passed the Legislature last spring, adds several procedural requirements for neighbors wishing to formally protest rezoning proposed to city and town councils. It amounts to a sweeping revision of the rules for gathering protest signatures.

As such, it is one of the most impactful changes in land-use law in at least a decade, said Jordan Rose, president of the Rose Law Group, an influential Scotts- dale real estate and business law firm.

Until the law took effect in August, opponents of the Frys had rounded up enough protest signatures to force the supermajority vote requirement for a zoning change. That would have required six council members to approve the rezoning.

Under the new law, four votes will be enough to approve the zoning change, said John Beall, a Tucson city planning official. It would authorize construction of a 99,918-square foot supermarket, two much smaller stores and a service station with nine gas pumps.

The council is scheduled to vote on the proposed commercial zoning Tuesday night, following a neighborhood debate thats lasted two years. The Frys would be built less than 2 miles from Saguaro National Park-East, whose officials oppose it.

Linda Schaub, a neighborhood activist fighting the Frys, said she and her allies felt kicked in the gut and blindsided when they learned of the new law in recent months.

Schaub and Rose, a supporter of the bill, framed it similarly  although from opposite perspectives.

This bill was specifically structured for developers, said Schaub, team leader for the Save Houghton East Coalition. I feel like they stole our supermajority from us.

Real estate attorney Rose said Friday that the law is very pro-business, pro-growth, pro-economic development, pro-private property rights for Arizona.

I think the law renewed Arizonas commitment to the respect of private property rights, said Rose, whose firm represents developers, homebuilders and others who want to do economic development, she said.

It will have a tremendous effect on the dynamics of a successful project in many cases.

Under the previous law, if opponents of a rezoning rounded up protesting signatures from owners of 20 percent of adjacent properties on any one side of the project site, the supermajority vote was needed. That would require approvals from 75 percent of council members.

The new law says:

Opponents must get signatures from 20 percent of property owners on all sides of a project site.

Opponents must also garner signatures from owners of 20 percent of all those adjoining properties.

For the first time, land included in the potential protest area now includes the property that is proposed for rezoning, along with any public right-of-way within 150 feet of that same property.

In the past, the number of votes needed to achieve a supermajority on a city council was rounded up, toward the total number of council members. Now, it will be rounded up or down toward the nearest number.

For a seven-member council such as Tucsons, a 75 percent requirement used to mean six votes were needed to be a supermajority. Now, five votes will be needed.

Under the new requirements, if the property owner seeking the rezoning owns more than 80 percent of the land used to calculate protests, that alone would make a supermajority vote impossible.

The protesters against the Frys proposal got 45.5 percent of the total number of surrounding lots, but only 8.7 percent of all the total area, said Beall.

Keri Silvyn, a longtime Tucson land-use attorney representing Frys in this case, said she was pleased that the law was clarified to match city protest requirements with county protest requirements. But she and others representing Frys in this issue didnt push the bill, they said.

It was honestly a surprise to all of us, said Linda Morales, CEO of the Planning Center, a Tucson consulting firm also representing Frys in this case.

Added Silvyn: There have been attempts to do this for 20 years. There have been many, many attempts.

One of the law's co-sponsors, Reps. Bob Thorpe of Flagstaff, said, he was asked to "run" this bill by the City of Sedona, to help resolve zoning problems that the town had experienced.

"Throughout the process, both Sedona and the (Arizona) League of Cities and Towns were asked to review and approve the bill language and any amendments to the bill. The problem that we were trying to solve was to ensure that citizens living within Arizona cities and towns had the same requirements for opposing a zoning change as citizens living within Arizona counties, in other words, we wanted the uniform application of the law throughout Arizona."

The other co-sponsor, Brenda Barton of Payson, didnt return a phone call seeking comment on the bill.

Overall, these changes remind Marana-area activist Barbara Rose of recently passed legislation tightening requirements for citizens to force statewide referendum votes by gathering petition signatures. Rose unsuccessfully fought the May 2017 Lazy K Bar Ranch rezoning in the Tucson Mountain foothills, where the supermajority requirement was first in place but later removed for other reasons before the new law took effect.

The changes limit local control and the democratic process, she said. The Arizona Legislature should work for all of us, not just corporations and industries who care less about longterm sustainability and more about fast money.

Disagreeing, attorney Jordan Rose (no relation to Barbara Rose) said the new law still allows for community control, since local city and town councils must approve the rezoning.

This law just allows private property owners to not be held hostage in certain situations and allows elected officials who are the voice of those residents to make those decisions, she said.

The bills final passage came in the House on May 8, two days before the 2017 legislative session ended. Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law the same day. The House OKd it 59-0 after the Senate approved it 29-1 in March.

The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona endorsed the bill, which clarifies the previous law and represents a legitimate test for determining supermajority requirements, said group Vice President Spencer Kamps.

The League of Cities and Towns supported an early version of the bill as a way to clarify state law and, as Thorpe said, to insure that cities and counties had the same rules in such mattres, said Tom Belshe, the league's deputy director. It has since backed away from the broader measure that was ultimately enacted.

The league doesnt support the provision putting the property proposed for rezoning in the potential protest area, said Belshe. The league will try to remove them, he said.

We were not trying to make it harder to stop rezonings, Belshe said. It was our opinion that 20 percent of property owners meant 20 percent of all owners affected. We wanted to make the change so it was fairer, to give all property owners around it a chance to say yes or no.

In an emailed statement, Thorpe said that in the past, a very small percentage of property owners adjacent to a property with a proposed zoning change -- 20% of landowners on only 'one side' of the property -- were required in a petition to block a change. "

After HB2116 was enacted, again a small percentage of property owners can still petition to block a zoning change, however now 20% of the property owners on all 4 sides of the property are required.

"So for example, if there were 20 property owners (5 per side) adjacent to a proposed zoning change, prior to HB2116, only 1 property owner out of the 20 was required for a petition to block the change. In this same example, after HB2116 was enacted, it would now take 4 property owners out of the 20 for a petition to block the change. The requirements for cities and towns is now consistent with those for the counties, and is far from being either unreasonable or unattainable," said Thorpe, whose statement didn't discuss the later amendments adding additional requirements for a supermajority vote.

Schaub, the Frys opponent, said she suspects the new law helped change the timing of the final vote on the rezoning.

A city zoning examiner recommended approval of the rezoning in May. Normally, that would have meant a council vote within a relatively short time, before the law state took effect in August.

But Frys requested a delay in the council hearing until September, citing scheduling issues. It denied Schaubs allegations that the new law had anything to do with the request for a delay. There was a lot of interest in the project, and having the council hearing over the summer wasnt a good idea, Silvyn said.

The council hearing was ultimately delayed until this week, for unrelated reasons.
Editors note: For more than seven decades, Edith Fox kept her Holocaust story inside.

She sometimes told friends she wanted the words Holocaust Survivor on her tombstone. But she didnt want to talk about what she had endured. It was simply too painful.

In recent months Foxs health began to fail and she decided  at age 90  that she did not want her story to die with her. She was concerned people were forgetting about the Holocaust, and was horrified to hear that some deny it ever took place. She wanted to do her part to make sure people never forget.

And so, here is Foxs story, in her own words, as told to Nina Trasoff, Foxs friendly visitor through a Jewish Family and Childrens Services program designed to keep Holocaust Survivors active and engaged, and to family friend Sharon Price.

My name is Edith Fox, maiden name Weingarten. I was born and lived in Czechoslovakia in a town called Teplice (Teplice-Sanov before 1948).

My mother, Giselle Weingarten, never talked about her parents, so I dont know what happened to them, but her big brother raised her and two other sisters. At that time in Europe we didnt discuss family matters. In my time, all I did was go to school, prepare food, play with my friends and do homework. My mother was married to my father, Mano Fogel, who worked at a lumber yard. She had a fabric store; she always was a businesswoman.

I was the youngest in my family. I had five brothers. They were very protective of me. Their names were Heskel, Ignat, Sam, Harry and Zigmant. Two of my brothers were drafted into the Czech army.

I was 13 years old when the war started. In 1941, Nazis came and rounded us up: my parents and my 3 other brothers. They told us to take our personal belongings. They also told us they would take us to Poland, which at that time was divided, occupied by Germans and Russians. They told us we will get homes and businesses for free.

Instead, when we got to Poland, the Nazis made us run; if you couldnt run, youd get killed. They killed my mother right in front of me. She couldnt run fast enough. I grabbed her. It was too much for a kid to see. I told the Nazis to kill me, too, but they said no, you are going to work. People were dying in front of me. I saw a rabbi who was lying in the corner with his feet cut off, but he was still alive. He was lying out there until he died. It was unbelievable what they did.

Then they separated men and women and after that I never saw my father or my brothers again.

They took me and my friend, Leah, to the ghetto in Stanislau in Poland, where all the toddlers of Jewish families were housed. We had to wash the diapers of 300 babies. When we found out that the Nazis were coming to take us all, we asked the adults caring for the children if we could go into the bunker with them to be safe, but there was no room, so Leah and I went into the cellar where the furnace was and climbed into its chimney to hide.

The Nazis came and threw all the children into trucks like trash. Then they killed everyone in the bunker.

Leah and I stayed there hiding near the furnace for two to three days. Then we walked and walked, trying to get to the Czech border with Hungary. We saw a Czech soldier and thought he would help us, but he was controlled by the Nazis and was going to turn us in at the headquarters near Auschwitz. At the last minute, he let us go, telling us to go with God. We hid in the gutter. Leah wanted to go home, but she was killed when she tried. I was recaptured, and they took me to the Auschwitz concentration camp and I was all alone there. I didnt know what happened to the rest of my family. I was put in the line where (Josef) Mengele sent people to the right or to the left. To the left, people were killed. To the right, they were sent to work.

One day they came and took us  50 girls. We thought that they were going to kill us, but instead they got us to Gleiwitz near Auschwitz and put us to work at an ammunition factory. We had to stand in line for 8 hours and were not allowed to talk to anybody. We had to clean a little light with a stick of black soot. They made bullets out of it. I worked there for about three years or so.

While I was in Auschwitz, I saw too many things. Some people couldnt take it anymore and ran into the electrified fence to kill themselves. They just went up in flames. I saw people coming into Auschwitz from different places who were sent to take a shower and were killed. Then they took them to the crematorium. I met a boy who was watching the crematorium where he had seen his parents die. He was hoping they would come and bomb the place. He told me to come to that spot once a week and hed throw me a package. Shoes or clothes. Maybe they were from people they killed in the gas chamber, I dont know.

It was unbelievable. They were so organized. They said they wanted to kill 10,000 Jews every day.

As the war was ending, Nazis put all of us who were strong enough and could still run fast  the young ones  on a freight train with open boxcars without water, without food. They wanted us to die. Three days I was on that train. People were dying, stepping on everybody, lying on the floors. There were already dead bodies. Three days I was on that train. Finally I said, No! I dont want to be stepped on! So I jumped off the train. I jumped during the night when the train was moving slowly. I didnt want people to step on me; I decided if I die Id rather die outside on the snow; it was January. Many people were shot after they jumped off the train. But there were not so many who had the courage to jump. I kept running and running. I hit a tree and bumped my forehead. I thought I was shot, but then I realized it was only a small injury from running into something. I was in Mala Pevnost: Czech territory. I was hurt and still have a mark.

I didnt know exactly where I was, but I was in the woods. I was waiting for daytime to figure out where to go. I saw a person in a Czech uniform, I was so happy and I figured that a Czech soldier will never give me trouble. The war was ending. They knew they lost the war, but it was a Nazi in a Czech uniform.

He was taking me to Theresienstadt camp. There were seven girls with me. I dont know where they came from. They were running away, too, but the Germans caught them. When they were taking us, they put us in a house and were going to rape us. The first girl, a 13-year-old, started screaming and fighting them, so they pushed everyone else out. They killed the girl who was screaming and put up such a fight. They shot her. She saved the rest of us.

At Theresienstadt camp, one day a week guards would give us hot water and a piece of bread. But political prisoners who were also being held there (they were good and smart people) walked by every morning and threw pieces of bread through the wired open window.

Nazis wanted to starve us, but we survived. We had nothing: it was a toilet and the floor, cement and little windows; thats it. The Nazis would come in and kick us in the heads and call us swine and ask us, How are you still alive? Only one of the girls died.

From January until May we were there. But we were lucky. The Russians liberated us on May 8. They were just in time, because the Nazis had already killed all the political prisoners and we were next.

The Russians took us to the hospitals. We couldnt even walk. At the hospital, they tried to help us to get jobs. I said I wanted to go to America. They smuggled us from Czechoslovakia to Germany to get to the place where I could register to go to America. I didnt want to go home; there was no one there.

It took me two years to get to America. I was staying in the Displaced Person Camp run by Americans. While I was waiting, I volunteered at the hospital. I was 17 when I registered, and I was 19 when I came to America.

First, I came to New York City. They told me they will fix my nose, which I broke when I jumped off the train, if I leave New York City. Thats how I moved to Buffalo. Everybody wanted to live in the big city. I said I will go to Buffalo because I want to fix my nose. It was all flat. They fixed my nose in Buffalo. I didnt do anything for three to four weeks, but then they put me to work. I never went back to school. I only finished eighth grade when the war had started.

Two years later I met my husband, Joseph Fox, through my future sister-in-law. Her parents came from Israel and stayed in the same house where I had a room. Thats how I met her and thats how I met my husband. I worked as a manager of apartments: fixing them up, dealing with the mortgage, loans. My husband had a good job as an electrical assembly line technician in Bell Helicopter in Buffalo, N.Y. We raised three children in Buffalo  two sons and a daughter. Then we moved to Tucson for my husbands health, but he died in 1997. We have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

My brothers Sam and Zigmant survived the concentration camp. Sam moved to New York, Zigmant moved to Argentina, but I dont know what happened to the rest of my family. I looked for them after the war but could never find them.

I wanted to tell my story because Im afraid people are forgetting. We can never forget what happened. We can never let it happen again.
Re: the Nov. 13 article Runner Heston will test his limits to raise money to help fight hunger.

Dan Hestons dedication to easing the pain of hunger is an inspiring story. Thank you for bringing attention to Dans feats of feet and heart. He challenges us to push through discomfort to see that fewer and fewer people experience hunger. This includes, I would hope, asking and answering the uncomfortable question of why we have hunger in the first place.The article mentions that we founded the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. While we had a hand in starting the food bank, many other hands brought this wonderful organization to life, and thousands of people in Southern Arizona continue to contribute to its important work. Thank you, Dan. An inspiring athlete, an inspiring citizen.

Barry Corey and Mark Homan

Midtown
As a retired civics teacher, informed voting is very important to me. Recently, I had to opportunity to talk with a candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives in LD 11 (not even my district!) I came away with lots of food for thought. Holly Lyons is articulate and, more importantly, very smart.

She is a retired Air Force Colonel and has an interesting background. I don't want to say too much, just want to encourage people to reach out to her and listen to what she has to say, whether you live in her district or not. Colonel Lyons has some good ideas and an interesting way of looking at things. You may not agree with everything she says, but she listens and converses with both sides of the aisle openly and candidly. Contact her at info@lyonsforAZ.com and find out where she will be speaking. It is well worth the time and effort.
Democrats and their news media allies, predictably denounced the tax plans in both the House and Senate as "only being for the'rich." A tired old cliched narrative from them, that even mild mannered Senator Hatch from Utah denounced as bunk. The facts are that the tax reform plans will reduce most middle class federal income taxes, i.e., married filing jointly, by at least $1,000 a year. It doubles the IRS Standard Deduction from $12,000 to $24,000 and reduces tax brackets, i.e., from 15% to 12%. THAT amounts to tax savings for most Americans. And, the legislation reduces the corporate tax from 35% to 20%, to be aligned and competitive with most industrialized nations, including those Socialist-Democrat countries in Europe. Over time, the Republican tax plan would energize the economy, create job growth, and better wages for workers. Democrats apparently are afraid of that.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

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Johannesburg (SA): Journalist-turned-author Rana Ayyub received a Citation of Excellence in the 2017 edition of the Global Shining Light Award for an undercover investigation revealing Indias top officials complicity in the 2002 Gujarat Riots in her book, Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Coverup.

The citation was given at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference on Saturday, November 18 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The prize honours investigative journalism conducted in a developing or transitioning country, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions.

Two investigations were awarded first place which included Inside the Massive Extrajudicial Killings in Nigerias South-East and How the Onitsha Massacre of Pro-Biafra Supporters was Coordinated, on extrajudicial killings of a minority ethnic group in Nigeria, by Premium Times; and Project No. 1, by Beladi TV channel, on corruption in Iraqs Ministry of Education.

Along with Rana Ayyubs Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Coverup, another investigation that exposed an arms pipeline between Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East worth 1.2 billion in Making a Killing, also received the citation of excellence.

By honouring the extraordinary work of these journalists at risk, we pay tribute to all the good work being done in so many places where courageous journalists keep the flame of watchdog reporting alive, noted Sheila Coronel, Academic Affairs Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, one of the judges.

The award drew 211 submissions from 67 countries for stories published or broadcast between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.

The Global Shining Light Award is sponsored by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, an association of 155 non-profit groups in 68 countries that work to support and spread investigative reporting.
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): The CPI-M on Monday condemned the communalsiation of education in Rajasthan and urged the Central government to stop states from fairs such as the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair being held in Jaipur.

The CPI-M strongly condemns the outrageous directions issued by the Rajasthan Minister for Primary and Secondary Education according to which the students of all government and private schools in Jaipur have been asked to get their students to attend the five-day Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair being held in the state capital, the party said.

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This fair has stalls like that of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which are distributing pamphlets against love jehad, accusing Muslim men of ensnaring Hindu women, describing places where such ensnaring may take place, it added.

According to media reports, the VHPs stall has been giving away pamphlets on love jihad which talk of actors Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan divorcing their Hindu wives and then again ensnaring Hindu women.

The pamphlets point out places where love jihad takes place such as beauty parlours, mobile recharge shops, ladies tailors and Muslim hawkers. They say offering a seat on the bus to Hindu women by Muslim men is one of the tactics used by jihadis.

Another pamphlet deals with the alleged controversial activities of Christian missionaries.

It says three lakh propagators, who receive thousands of crores from Europe and the US, have helped make Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh Christian-majority states.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said that the fact that a constitutional government has given permission for holding such a fair is in itself highly objectionable.

That it is actually making it mandatory for school children to attend the fair and be exposed to the propagation of hatred for minority communities is completely unacceptable.

The CPI-M demands that the central and state governments must not permit the holding of such fairs, the Left party said.
Help India!

By Arshad Mohsin for TwoCircles.net

The power of mainstream media in spreading information and forming public opinions cannot be underestimated. We all know that when it comes to forming public opinion, the Times of India plays an extremely important role. But what of the times when this power is misused by journalists and powerful media houses? October 28 was one such day for me.

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For the readers, it may have been the story of a small brawl in a mosque over a speech on Friday in a local mosque, but for me and my family, the news report has had an unprecedented impact. I and my family feel threatened, scared and since the report, our lives have been traumatic. A journalist of the Times Of India has used his media clout to settle personal scores and got me booked under Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code.

Allow me to explain.

My name is Arshad Mohsin and I am an NRI living and working in Kuwait for the last 17 years, managing IT departments, writing language learning books, inventing life saving devices, trading, and teaching language and business skills in various institutions internationally. My books are available on Amazon.com and my inventions can be seen here on YouTube.

Despite living abroad, most of my work is India-centric. The pathetic educational and economic situation of Muslims back home has kept me in constant pain. I believe that the flaws in their moral and educational upbringing have descended them to hopelessness and backwardness. Whenever I visit India, I am invited by religious heads of the Mohallas to talk to my Muslim brothers in mosques wherever I go to pray. Mosques in Islam have been the centre of learning and enlightenment since the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). My hometown Gaya in Bihar is one such place where I have been invited by a number of religious heads to give Friday speeches and share my reformative views with the worshippers in their respective mosques. There have been changes, I am told, in peoples perception of education and religion since I began sharing my views through my speeches directly derived from the Holy Quran and the revered Ahadees.

On Oct 27, 2017, I was called by a senior citizen and ex-secretary of the white house compound mosque Sarwar Khan to deliver a speech nearly 25 minutes before the Friday Khutba routinely delivered by the respected Imam. The Imam himself had visited Khans house to invite me to the speech. Other Imams of various mosques in Gaya had been inviting me for a Friday speech in the previous weeks and this one was nothing new. Passing on the knowledge of Quran and Ahadees to your fellow Muslim brothers is mandatory in Islam and I was just obeying the commands of the Holy prophet (peace be upon him) in doing so. This time, however, it was an entrapment in the waiting, although nothing untoward happened during the speech which was followed by the Friday prayer led by the Imam. The speech was thought-provoking and the worshippers: mostly educated professionals, doctors, engineers, teachers and traders who met me after the prayers expressed their gratitude for sharing my views in the light of Quran and Ahadees.

But before the Imam could raise his hands for dua (supplication), a sudden voice of anger tore through the lines. It was the voice of Abdul Qadir, a senior correspondent of The Times of India covering Gaya, shouting at me at the top of his lung, threatening me in the most vicious and humiliating way possible. It was so disrespectful that many worshippers rose from their place and shouted him down, reminding him of how he should behave with a guest speaker. The Imam who was holding the mike asked Abdul Qadir to maintain the sanctity of the mosque and behave. Seeing a total public support in my favour enraged him and he left the mosque with a threat to teaching me a lesson.

The revenge was due and with the mighty Times Of India at his disposal, Abdul Qadir fires his first salvo, a front-page news full of half-truths, distorted facts and incriminating rumours about me and my speech was published the next morning on Oct 28, 2017. Here is a list of his carefully crafted false accusations as published in The Times Of India, whereby he tried to destroy my credibility.

Let us start with the headline. Abdul Qadir calls me a Kuwait-based cleric which I am not. In fact, I am not even distantly connected to Islamic clergy. I am just a researcher, writer and an inventor toiling for the educational and moral upliftment of my community. In fact, in an interview in 1996 The Times of India Patna edition rightly calls me an inventor, a science graduate and an English language teacher of scientific temperament. Abdul Qadir in his fit of revengeful anger and contrary to TOIs own findings paints me as someone against mathematics, chemistry and Zoology with an anti-science regressive ideology who could push Muslims further down the gutters of ignorance and illiteracy.

As for the mention of Darwins theory in my speech that men evolved from monkeys is universally rejected by the followers of Islam because Quran clearly states in Surah 94 Ayah 4 That We have indeed created man in the best of moulds/forms. In my speech, I had mentioned the same ayah of the Holy Quran and reminded people of their declared faith in Quran and not in theories contrary to the scripture. I never said that anyone who studies Darwin automatically ceases to be a Muslim. That was never my intention, nor am I someone to certify who is a true Muslim or not. However, clearly, this did not matter to the reporter from ToI.

Abdul Qadirs subheading is thus factually incorrect and is intended not only to malign me but also to defile the sanctity of the mosque where Quran was being discussed among the faithful.

As for some of the elements of the periodic table like Thorium and Titanium being named after the Greek and Scandinavian mythological Gods and idols, I had questioned the motives behind such nomenclature by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) which has deliberately neglected the great body of work done by the famed father of Chemistry Jabir Ibn Hayyan. Even the contribution of the great Indian civilization in the field of chemistry has been totally wiped out by the IUPAC. The discourse was totally around the dominance of western power over our scientific life whereas Abdul Qadir turned it around to a comment on idol worshipping and went to town with it. His innuendo imputes me of being against idol worshipers and thus attracts section 499 of Indian Penal code against me.

Another day, another incriminating allegation

On Oct 29, 2017, Abdul Qadirs defamatory allegations touch another milestone. This time he calls me a radical who is asking children to stay away from schools. The mention of Assuffa Islamic Education as a radical outfit seeking Muslims to denounce schools is yet another lie. Anyone who is a Muslim knows that the first Ayah of the Holy Quran is about the importance and significance of reading and learning. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked to read and teach his followers to read, write and get enlightened. The Holy prophet (peace be upon him) therefore chose to educate his companions in a place of the Holy Mosque of Madinah and which was called Assuffa Islamic education, its the prophetic design of teaching and educating the ummah. Its the traditional Islamic way of education, knowledge of Islam spread to the world from Assuffa and the companion who narrated the maximum number of ahadees named Abu Huraira was actually a student of the prophetic centre of learning called Assuffa. Assuffa, as mentioned in my speech, was meant to revive the prophetic way of education.

Abdul Qadir, however, very carefully and strategically gave it a radical colour while feigning innocence in an attempt to make as many people as possible think his effort is based not on his vindictiveness but an upstanding concern of radicalisation and extremism. This was his malicious attempt to play with the sensibilities of the security agencies and governmental authorities and use their empathy and moral to turn them against me.And it worked. Constant media report forced the honble IG police Nayyar Hasnain Khan to take cognizance and order a probe. In the absence of any complaint by any member of the Muslim community, the Investigative Officer himself turned an informant and wrote in his FIR of some sort of religious outrage in the white house mosque during my speech, a purported scene which he himself didnt witness in the first place. Now as the FIR has been registered and my smearer is at large with his clout in district administration, I am sure the powerful journalist Abdul Qadir will stop at nothing until my whole life is destroyed.

What I am calling into question is the dubious role of The Times Of India in carrying a factually incorrect piece of news and not responding to my email seeking an apology and a rebuttal to be published by them. Is this the ethical standard of the mighty Times Of India which we have grown up reading? Or is this is a life-ruining betrayal by the fourth pillar of Indian democracy? In an effort to tell the world the truth about this smear campaign I went and spoke to all available media persons in Gaya. Bytes were taken even by ETV, my concern was recorded but none dared to publish against such a heavyweight journalist of the mighty Times Of India, said one of the journalists of a leading daily at Gaya. You cant win against such a giant media house like The Times of India, said a famous media consultant from Patna.

True, I cant win against the Times of India. But I am not fighting with the ToI in the first place. I even sent an email to the resident editor to stop Abdul Qadir from bringing factually incorrect news to the pages of such a prestigious newspaper like the ToI. Sought an apology or else Qadir will face defamation case. This was an innocent rejoinder to me which it seems has angered even the resident editor who seems to have thrown his weight behind my tormentor. Is the Times of India proud of framing helpless, innocent Muslims just because they have a different opinion on education?

But the truth has its own power. I am writing this piece to speak the truth, to defend my way of life, my liberty of expression which the constitution of India (under article 19) ensures to all its citizen. My children are small and accosted by mischief mongers. My family is undergoing unprecedented torment. The district judge who could have heard my bail plea is yet to join at Gaya and there is no relief for me under section 41 despite my wifes tearful plea to both the honble IG Nayyar Hasnain Khan and the Honble SSP Garima Mallik. Does this not remind the readers of the tearful faces of Zakia Jafri and Fatima Nafis the mother of JNUs missing Muslim boy Najeeb?

I am not seeking clemency because its a fight for justice. I am scared that with the mighty Times of India behind him, Abdul Qadir and his gang can cause immense harm to my vulnerable wife and small children who are already scared to see their father suddenly being demonised, harassed, threatened and being denied the opportunity to speak his innocence to the world. The highest rate of Muslim incarceration in India should certainly be a matter of concern for anyone reading this piece. Please help me fight this battle for justice, with your support I can!
The Old Vic Theatre in London has received personal testimonies from 20 Staff members alleging inappropriate behaviour by Kevin Spacey who was its artistic director for over a decade. The theatre says that the actors cult of personality prevented staff from voicing their concerns over his actions and there was a lack of accountability on his part.

A culture of silence

The staff members and actors at the Old Vic reported their encounters with Kevin Spacey and said they felt unable to raise their concerns. The theatre apologised for not creating the conditions where staff felt they could speak freely.

The investigation revealed that with the exception of one, none of the claims was previously brought to managements attention and that young staff, in particular, felt intimidated by Spaceys status and stardom, preventing them from asking for help. One man said he had reported his concerns to management at that time but there was no action taken.

Personal testimonies

The law firm of Lewis Silkin was hired by the theatre to carry out the investigation into Spaceys alleged misconduct through a confidential process. Of the twenty individuals who gave their personal testimonies, 16 were former staff. Those interviewed made allegations of inappropriate behaviour, but it was noted in the investigation's conclusion that none of the accusers were minors at the time of the alleged incidents.

Many of those who saw the behaviour claim they did not know how to respond. In many cases they did not consider that reports of misconduct were serious and when they felt it was serious, they didnt think the Old Vic would be responsive given the status of the accused.

The Vic apologises

Amid strong criticisms in light of the allegations against their one-time director, the theatre has apologised for an environment that made it difficult for people to raise concerns.

Kate Varah, the company's executive director said that everyone should feel safe and free to speak out. She noted that the revelations also meant a new way forward for the organisation. The investigation concluded that the star power associated with Spacey played a part in the organisation's failure.

Kevin Spacey was appointed the artistic director of the 1,000 seat non-profit Old Vic Theatre company in 2003 and held the position until 2015. His goal was to invigorate the British theatre industry and bring in a new crop of American and British talent.
The situation in Wandsworth proves what the fundamental problem with Britain's housing crisis is; its draconian planning system. When the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 was introduced, this country's circumstances were far different to what they are now. The population was smaller and cheap housing was necessary to home people who had been made homeless by the Second World War. Even though there has been successive legislation since, they all have the same purpose; a centralised planning system.

"The Labour Party are the architects of the UK's housing problem"

No adminstration since the Attlee government of 1945-51 has repealed the Town and Country Planning Act 1947, so all parties are equally guilty of exacerbating the current housing crisis. But it is the Attlee years which deserve the blame for implementing centralised planning, which means the Labour Party are the architects of the UK's housing problem.

An Open Democracy post written in 2001 highlighted the problems with the housing sector that the then Labour government ignored. Famous architect Richard Rogers and former chairman of the Countryside Alliance, John Jackson, warned other countries not to emulate Britain's planning model.

They highlighted that the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 was effective in the sense that it nationalised the countryside and the planning system to stop cities like London expanding beyond the M25 and subsidised the countryside to allow the agriculture industry to make a profit.

Their thoughts back then mimic what the current Government's policy is now; to build on brownfield sites.

Mr. Rogers and Mr. Jackson warned in 2001 that there would be a demand for four million homes in between 2001-2021. The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is expected to announce during Wednesday's Budget that 300,000 new homes will be built every year now. But because of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947, councils are restricted from building on brownfield sites due to the protection this law grants the countryside and green areas in cities are built over due to demand in the inner cities.

"Is it worth preserving a repressive piece of legislation?"

Mr. Rogers and Mr. Jackson said one per cent of Britain's land is brownfield sites. Is it worth preserving such a repressive piece of legislation if it restricts builders from creating new properties on only one per cent of this country's land? As they said themselves in 2001, the UK does not need agricultural land to the extent it did after the Second World War to feed a starving population.

Another problem with the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 is that it prices out developers from building on the land needed to construct new homes. In 2001, Grade 2 land in Essex could be sold for 4,000 an acre. Once planning permission is granted, this rises automatically.

That same year, developers in Chelmsford were said to have paid 500,000 to build new properties. There is little incentive for developers to build whilst this law exists.

When Labour has the nerve to criticise Wandsworth Council's housing policy to provide their residents with affordable homes, they need to remember that it was their party in 1947 that created this outdated system.
As mentioned earlier, all governments since 1947 have exacerbated the current housing crisis by preserving the repressive Town and Country Planning Act that was implemented that same year. However, that does not mean successive administrations have not introduced flagship housing policies that deserve to be celebrated.

The Thatcher Government's 1980 Housing Act enabled council tenants to own their own properties. It was criticised for failing to ensure there was a sufficient supply of social housing to replace all the houses sold at the time. Yet Britain has the most council houses in Europe and for every new housing estate that is built, twenty-five per cent of new properties have to be social houses.

Equally, the 1980 Housing Act was not the final solution to today's housing crisis.

"A population surge, not insufficient housing numbers, is causing the housing crisis"

There have been numerous articles published over the last few days suggesting it is a population surge, not insufficient housing numbers, that is causing the housing crisis. There is a lot of truth behind these claims. As Theresa May said at the 2011 Conservative Party Conference when she was home secretary, immigration expanded in 1997 under Tony Blair. This policy not only caused the property bubble to burst because housing was in short supply, but it contributed towards last year's Brexit result.

Despite all the negativity surrounding house prices in the media, it is not all bad news.

Since the Coalition came to power in 2010, they introduced a new housing scheme called shared ownership. It is a brilliant concept, so why aren't the Government shouting about it enough?

Many councils are leaping onto the idea. Wandsworth Council has announced a unique policy that will provide local residents struggling with overcrowding with a shared ownership property.

They deserve credit for expanding this scheme to crowded tenants failing to move into affordable housing in the most expensive part of the nation.

"Shared ownership is not perfect"

Shared ownership is not perfect. Tenants do not own their property outright and they are restricted to specific properties. Valuation fees are imposed on people who wish to purchase more shares in their property.

Rent is still payable to a landlord and one-hundred per cent of maintenance costs must be paid.

However, considering many young people start off on a low income, it is an ideal scheme for millennials. The option of buying shares from your landlord is still there if you can afford it. Many under-25s resign themselves to renting when they leave home, but shared ownership is cheaper than renting and your house can be sold at any time. The rent on the landlord's share is below market rates and there is the benefit of increasing the value of your shared purchase.

This policy has provided many people with hope that they will one day own their own home. The Government should be proud of it, rather like the Thatcher government championed its 1980 Housing Act.

But like with many recent governments' solutions to the housing crisis, shared ownership is not the final answer.

It would be refreshing if the Chancellor announced on Wednesday that his policy of building 300,000 new homes a year was accompanied by the scrapping of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947, which would provide councils with the autonomy to create more shared ownership properties. This would provide people with choice when it comes to buying houses too. The anticipated extension of Help to Buy will not solve the housing problem either. Hammond has his hands tied by the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Sajid Javid. The latter was once the darling of the free market Tories, but has become a convert to state control since occupying his position. This decade will end with more houses being built than in 1997-2010, but the 2010s may well become another wasted opportunity to liberalise Britain's failed planning system.
A Senior member of the PLO has come out and said that the Palestinians would cease to have relations with the US if the threat to close its Washington D.C offices materialises. Donald Trump has often been described as the man who has mastered the "Art of the Deal" and no bigger deal, possibly in the history of modern mankind could ever be struck than being able to bring a peaceful end to the decades-old conflict between the Israeli's and the Palestinians. It is thought that the threat from the US to close the offices of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, is possibly a tactic being used by Donald Trump to try to gain some leverage over the Palestinian side of the conversation.

First time in 3 decades this has happened

According to the Daily Mail, the PLO must obtain permission every six months in order to keep their offices open, and this is thought to be the first time since the 1980's such a threat has been issued. The PLO opened its offices in Washington DC in 1994 and is seen as being the authority which is representative of all Palestinians. Donald Trump has a 90-day period in which to avert the closure of the office if it is felt that sufficient progress in talks has been made. On Twitter, the PLO General Secretary Saeb Erekat fired back at this threat calling the move "unacceptable." He also accused Israel of applying pressure on the US.

Israel was quick to distance themselves from such claims, saying that the issue was a "matter of US law."

A long, bloody conflict with no clear answers

The Israel Palestine saga is a conflict which has shown little signs of a peaceful outcome over the years. Many periods of fighting have led to previous attempts at conflict resolution which so often have ended in a frustrating stalemate.

The main phase of the conflict has been ongoing since 1964, with the most recent large-scale conflict taking place back in 2014. The 2014 conflict was sparked by the kidnap and murder of 3 Israeli teenagers by members of Hamas, which in response led to Israel conducting Operation Protective Edge. This resulted in a conflict in which many casualties were sustained on the Palestinian side, many of which are believed by the international community to have been civilians.

The conflict also saw rockets fired from the Gaza strip into neighbourhoods in Israel, and there have been a string of terror attacks inside Israel since the conflict which has resulted in several deaths.

Since the 2014 conflict, the already abysmal relationship between the two opposing factions has taken an even sharper plunge, and talks of a peace deal have completely broken down. Donald Trump famously said that he could possibly bring about a resolution to one of the longest-running battles the modern world has ever seen. This latest move by the US could go either way, an unpredictable situation such as the Israel Palestine conflict has not resulted in the coolest of heads prevailing over the years and it is not known how the Palestinians will act in reaction to this move. Only time will tell if this move will have any success in speeding the slow grinding peace process.
The latest updates for "Destiny 2" reveal that Bungie will likely work on a Free trial for the sequel. The publisher did the same practice in the first game and looks to do it again to let everyone play and enjoy the sci-fi shooter for a limited time.

Bungie also announced that they will add more raid quests for the sequel next year and it is rumored it could launch alongside the second DLC expansion. The publisher will launch the first DLC expansion, "Curse of Osiris" on Dec. 5 in all game platforms.

Free trial teased

Video game fans theorized that "Destiny 2's" emblem collection may reveal a possible free trial program for players who were not able to play the sequel in the consoles or in the PC platforms.

The first clue came from the "Mentor of Light" emblem, which revealed that players will have access to at least a few story missions and Crucible modes.

While Bungie has not officially revealed the full details of the free trial, it is likely that they are planning something big for the fans of the sci-fi shooter to keep them interested while they wait for the next set of expansions next year.

The free trial program may act like the first game, but fans want to see something new about it like adding more story missions and character gears.It is also speculated that the free trial could happen during the launch date of the "Curse of the Osiris" DLC.

The first DLC will focus on the Guardians' search for the legendary vanguard, Osiris on the planet Mercury as holds the secret to stopping the Vex army from conquering the galaxy.

Players will have a new level cap of 25 and a power level of 330 or 350 if they use the Legendary Mods.

Players will also encounter new Vex type enemies as game developer Dave Matthews told Italian website Everyeye that they must be creative in taking down these opponents. There is also the "Raid Lair" mode, which allows players to explore other areas of the Leviathan, and challenge themselves to unlock new gear, loot, and weapons.

New raids next year

Bungie announced during a live stream session of the "Curse of Osiris" expansion that they will add more raid quests for Destiny 2" in Spring 2018. Video game fans expect to see the new Raids to launch alongside the second DLC expansion.

It is rumored that the plot of the second DLC expansion has something to do with the Warmind Rasputin. Bungie will work on the details for the next expansion depending on the aftermath of the "Curse of Osiris" story.
At least 15 are dead and hundreds more injured in a stampede during a food distribution in Morocco on Sunday (Nov. 19). The victims, mostly women, were said to have been crushed as hundreds of people gathered to collect food at the market of a small town called Sidi Boulaalam. Reports from the Washington Post and New York Times relayed this information and provided details in this article.

Crowd causes stampede in marketplace

Many of those caught in the stampede were people who traveled for miles for flour that a local aid group was distributing in drought-devastated Morocco.

The food distribution on Sunday was a chance for people to take food home to their families, if they are able to nab some of the limited supplies, that is.

Videos and photos from the Sidi Boulaalam souk showed throngs of people crowding together. It remains unclear what caused the stampede that in the end killed 15 and injured many more. A witness, however, told Sky News that there were several hundred people at the distribution, and people were shoving and breaking down barriers in order to get food. The witness shared that the authorities on the spot became overwhelmed as the crowd kept fighting for food despite people being pushed to the ground.

Morocco economy masks small-town problems

Morocco is said to have a healthier economy compared to its neighboring countries, with only a 4.2 percent poverty rate in 2014.

However, it masks conditions in other rural areas where large parts of the population live in poverty. Despite large-scale infrastructure projects that changed the Moroccan economy in the last few decades, these projects were of little benefit to the countrys people.

In fact, the drought is already creating a ripple effect on Moroccos national stability.

The lack of water already affecting two straight harvests, the Kingdom is becoming more and more susceptible to natural disasters. With last years wheat and barley production at its lowest level in decades, Morocco will have to find more agricultural solutions and better ways to purify water that is available in the countrys water pipes to avoid shortage problems in the future.

The average Moroccan consumes at least 440 pounds of wheat every year, and the Moroccan government is pressured to find a solution to the drought soon.

King Mohammed offers assistance to stampede victims

Upon hearing news of the tragedy, King Mohammed VI ordered local authorities to take measures in providing support and assistance to the affected families. A statement from the interior ministry also noted that the king pledged to take care of the costs of hospitalization and burial expenses for the victims.
The cliche that everyones death diminishes us does not apply to Charles Manson. The career criminal, a Cult Leader, failed musician, and mass murderer finally died at the age of 83 at Kern County Hospital. Manson had been serving nine consecutive life sentences for multiple murders he instigated in late 1969. He initially received the death penalty, but that punishment was overturned briefly by the United States Supreme Court in 1972, commuting it to life in prison.

What did Manson do?

Manson, who was the leader of a hippie cult leading a hand to mouth existence at the Spahn Ranch, an abandoned movie set, directed his followers to invade the home shared by actress Sharon Tate and her husband director Roman Polanski, who was abroad at the time shooting a movie.

The cultists slaughtered her, her unborn baby, and her guests. The next night they invaded the home of Leon LaBianca and his wife Rosemary and murdered them as well.

Mansons cult, a mishmash of LSD, sex orgies, and racist philosophy worthy of anything modern white nationalists would articulate, maintained that the end of the world could be sparked by these murders which would then be blamed on the Black Panthers, sparking a race war. Manson was also put out that his musical career never took off, despite his association with such groups as the Mamas and the Poppas and the Beach Boys. He had decent enough talent, but his volatile personality ruined his first big break. He was another example of a failed artist who, like Hitler, turned violent.

The cultural effect of Manson.

The Manson murders, along with the infamous rock concert at the Altamont Speedway, brought the sixties to a close with an appropriate backdrop of bloodletting and screaming. Yet, many sixties radicals, such as Bernardine Dohrn, a good friend of Barack and Michelle Obama, praised what Manson and his followers did as a kind of performance art with a political subtext.

In a way, Manson was a perfect metaphor for the seamy side of the sixties, drugs, sex orgies, and rock and roll devolving into chaotic violence.

John Douglas, the FBI profiler who was the inspiration for Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, suggests that Manson did not fil the model of a serial killer, but he had the uncanny ability to inspire others to commit heinous acts.

He was too squeamish to perform the actions himself. He was someone who was too dangerous to be allowed at liberty due to his effect on others. In any case, Manson is now dead, several decades too late.
One of the biggest stories in American politics in recent weeks have been the allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Alabama senate hopeful Roy Moore. As the pressure mounts on Moore, it doesn't appear that the White House is ready to completely back off his campaign.

Conway on Moore

It was earlier this month when the Washington Post broke their bombshell story revealing the sexual assault and harassment allegations by four women who directed their complaints at Roy Moore. Moore is currently the Republican nominee to run in the special senate election in Alabama against his Democratic challenger Doug Jones as both men fight over the seat left vacant by current Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

It was likely that Moore would fill the seat since Alabama has long been a red state, but the Washington Post story has turned the election upside down. Since then, Moore has denied the allegations, but additional information has since been released, with even more women coming forward. The allegations go on to claim that Moore attempted to engage in sexual activity with the women when they were underage, causing a split in the Republican Party in how to handle the situation. These issues were brought up during an interview with Kellyanne Conway during the November 20 edition of "Fox & Friends" on Fox News.

Joining the hosts of "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning was Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway.

"I think the Democrats are in big trouble," Conway said, pointing out that many of the 2018 congressional seats up for grabs are in areas that supported Donald Trump. Conway then shifted her focus in attacking Doug Jones over the upcoming Alabama senate race, hitting back at the Democratic challenger for allegedly being weak on taxes.

Looking confused, co-host Brian Kilmeade asked Kellyanne Conway, "so, vote for Roy Moore?" "I'm telling you we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through," Conway said, before bringing up the recent sexual assault allegations against Democratic Sen. Al Franken, referring to him as a "half-funny comedian." After Kilmeade doubled down on his question, Conway once again deflected from the question in support of keeping Jones out of the Senate.

Fox & Friends Challenge Kellyanne Conway Over Alabama Race: 'So, Vote for Roy Moore? https://t.co/QgwVJpHzFq pic.twitter.com/E92v9h40ZJ  Mediaite (@Mediaite) November 20, 2017

"Right, and, you know what?" Kellyanne Conway said. "I just want everyone to know, Doug Jones, I want everyone to know his name. They pretend like he's some kind of conservative Democrat and he's not," she added. The segment came to a close as Conway continued to look bewildered in her apparent defense and endorsement of Roy Moore.

Twitter reacts

After Kellyanne Conway's interview on Fox News was broadcasted, critics took time to fire back on social media. "I believe @KellyannePolls has a young daughter. I wonder if she is prepared to leave that daughter in the custody of #RoyMooreChildMolester for only 30 mins!" on tweet read.

@POTUS @KellyannePolls To state you want people to vote for PEDOPHILE ROY is low EVEN for you. Do you have any self respect or morality?  MHP2008 (@MistyHPettway08) November 20, 2017

Once again, @KellyannePolls simply doesnt tell the truth.

Republicans are backing a noted child molester!

Bcs they want to pass their hachet job Tax bill that will mame, destroy & kill millions of Americans, add trillions to the deficit & give tax breaks to the wealthy. https://t.co/zOZY9Lu6oh  Jake Salas (@Jakemusc22) November 20, 2017

"Kellyanne Conway Just Said Its OK for Senators To Be P*dophiles," another tweet added. "Kellyanne is all in for Roy Moore. There are no words for her repulsive accommodation of a child molester.

The moral rot of the GOP is now complete. There's a special place in hell for Conway," one Twitter user noted.

Kellyanne is all in for Roy Moore. There are no words for her repulsive accommodation of a child molester. The moral rot of the GOP is now complete. There's a special place in hell for Conway. pic.twitter.com/deMRn8WmXw  Frank Funaro (@FrankFunaro) November 20, 2017

I believe @KellyannePolls has a young daughter. I wonder if she is prepared to leave that daughter in the custody of #RoyMooreChildMolester for only 30 mins! https://t.co/u7kGvuzD3s  Philip D Clarke (@PhilipdClarke) November 20, 2017

@KellyannePolls has a 14 year old daughter. Wonder if she'd let her daughter hang out with Roy Moore for a Tax Cut?  Summer Ann Summernot (@HeyMakeSense) November 20, 2017

"To state you want people to vote for P*DOPHILE ROY is low EVEN for you. Do you have any self respect or morality?" ad additional tweet stated. As the backlash continued to pour in, only time will tell how the special election in Alabama plays out.
The pharmaceutical maker Pfizer wants drugs slated for inclusion in the execution of Nevada killer Scott Raymond Dozier returned. Nevadas Department of Corrections answered on Friday: No. The two drugs that the company wants back are fentanyl and diazepam. The only agreement that the drug manufacturer and the states prison organization have, centers on the name of each drug.

Robert Jones is Pfizers vice president who demanded to have Nevada give back drugs purchased by the state for the lethal injection of the 46-year-old double-murderer. Pfizer didnt single out Nevada, however.

The company also requested the state of Nebraska gives back its Pfizer-made drugs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Pharmaceutical maker Pfizer says it will reimburse the state

On Friday, the Associated Press attained a copy of the letter received by Nevada prison officials, several news agencies reported. Brooke Keast, the spokeswoman for the states Department of Corrections (DOC) said Nebraska officials received a similar letter, Corrections One noted. The pharmaceutical manufacturer expressed objection to its drugs used in capital punishment cocktails. Jones assured that Pfizer will reimburse the state for returning the drugs.

In 2016, Pfizer stated that its policy banned distribution of its drugs, along with affiliate Hospiras products, for use in executing killers on death row in states with capital punishment, which is 31 states in all.

Nevada prisons have no obligation to return the product

Keast explained that the DOC isnt obliged to give back pharmaceuticals to Pfizer. The products were actually bought from the wholesale distributor Cardinal Health. Once we make purchases, Keast stated, that Nevada isnt under an obligation to return the product, the Reno Gazette-Journal wrote.

The drugs designated for the lethal injection of Dozier are shelved for now. His November 14 execution was postponed on November 9 after Judge Jennifer Togliatti, Clark County District Court, pulled the paralytic cisatracurium from the lethal injection protocol designated for the murderer. At that point, Nevadas prison chief, James Dzurenda, nixed the execution while the states Supreme Court reviews and rules on the judges decision.

In demanding that Nebraska return products the state plans to blend the death cocktail, Pfizer stated that its drugs are manufactured with the aim of enhancing and saving lives of patients, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Manufacturer also demands Nebraska return drugs

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, along with the states DOC, didnt comment on Thursday when asked whether the state has acquired Pfizer-made drugs. Dawn-Renee Smith, the prisons spokeswoman, said the state is not disclosing the identity of the supplier at this time, the Herald reported.

The information that Smith did relay is the amount Nebraska spent on four drugs designated for the upcoming execution of Jose Sandoval. He will be the first death row killer executed after a 20-year hiatus.

The states planned execution protocol includes diazepam, a sedative; fentanyl; cisatracurium, a paralytic; and, finally, potassium chloride.

Last month, Nebraska spent a total of $10,500 for the drugs  three of which Pfizer has banned for use in executions. Unlike Nebraska, Nevada DOC is evidencing more transparency in its process of procuring two of its three-drug injection protocol from Cardinal Health for under $500. Cardinal Health, Corrections One reported, has not expressed whether the company was aware of Nevadas intended use of the drugs purchased.
A second woman has come forward and accused Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) of allegedly groping her. Lindsey Menz, 33, told CNN Franken grabbed her buttocks in 2010 while posing for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair. According to CNN, this is the first allegation against Franken during his position as a senator.

This allegation comes days after Leeann Tweeden, a local radio news anchor in California, said Franken allegedly groped her and forcibly kissed her in 2006 when Franken was still a comedian. Franken has issued an apology to Tweeden and called for an ethics investigation to begin against himself.

Menz said she attended the Minnesota State Fair in 2010 with her husband and father, according to CNN. She said she spent the day taking photos with various elected officials and political candidates as they stopped by a local radio station's booth which her father's small business was sponsoring.

When Franken approached the booth, Menz said her husband took a photo of the two of them. She said Franken pulled her in really close and "put his hand full-fledged on my rear." According to CNN, Menz said the alleged attack lasted three to four seconds.

After the photo was taken, Menz said she walked away from Franken without saying anything. She said she approached her husband and said: "He totally grabbed my butt."

Franken wrote a statement to CNN and said he does not remember taking this photo and felt "badly" Menz felt disrespected.

According to CNN, Minnesota statutes state intentional touching of the buttocks, when covered by clothing, is not considered criminal sexual conduct.

Social media response

Tweeden said on "Good Morning America", she came forward with her allegations so other women would also feel empowered enough to share their stores. Since the #metoo campaign--a movement formed to empower sexual assault survivors to share their stories--began thousands of survivors have come forward to share their experiences.

Twitter users tweeted their comments on Menz's and Tweeden's allegations since they shared them.

@amyklobuchar @SenGillibrand Dont need an ethics panel tosee a rat. @alfranken should resign so Dayton can appoint someone of character.  Brit Ko (@brithko) November 20, 2017

@amyklobuchar @SenGillibrand Dont need an ethics panel tosee a rat. @alfranken should resign so Dayton can appoint someone of character.  Brit Ko (@brithko) November 20, 2017

President Donald Trump tweeted his opinion last week after Tweeden shared a photo of Franken allegedly groping her.

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Tweeden's allegations

Leanne Tweeden said in a blog post last week Franken, who was still a comedian at the time, forcibly kissed her without her consent during a skit rehearsal they would both perform during a 2006 USO comedian tour in Afghanistan. Additionally, she posted a photo which she claims is Franken allegedly groping her while she is asleep on a military plane.
Cop killer Bobby Wayne Stone will be the first death row inmate executed in South Carolina since 2011. The state has scheduled his death with the date for December 1, the Island Packet reported. The states Supreme Court set the date and notified the Department of Corrections. Unless the 52-year-old murderer opts for electrocution, his capital punishment will be delivered by lethal injection, according to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

In 1996, Stone killed Sumter County Sheriffs Office Sergeant Charlie Kubala. Though Stone admitted to shooting the officer, he asserted that it was accidental.

When he was sentenced to die in 1997, he was convicted of first-degree burglary and murder. For the last 20 years, the cop killer has been on death row.

Sheriffs officer killed responding to call, died at scene

Based on records from the states Supreme Court, the Packet reported that Sergeant Kubala responded to a call from a woman after she heard shots in her backyard. She called a neighbor, who went to the womans home and, then, police were called.

Stone was reportedly wandering the woods around the womans home, the Packet noted. He had also been drinking and fired some shots from a couple of guns he recently bought. He left after having been asked to do so earlier when he approached the womans house after police had been called.

Two calls were made to police. Kubala was the responding officer each time. When he returned to the home after the second call, he went to the side of the womans house. Stone was on a porch at the side of her home. He was holding a pistol as he banged on her door. The woman was inside with the neighbor she had called. After the neighbor heard either halt or hold it being yelled by someone outside, both women heard gunshots.

Kubala, a husband, and father, was shot once in the ear and once in the neck by Stone, who investigators described in 2005 as a burglar. Kubala died at the scene of the fatal shooting. Captain Gene Hobbs informed Kubulas wife of her husbands death. He said doing so was literally the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, WIS TV reported.

Convicted killer given death sentence twice

After Stone received the death penalty in 1997, his sentence was reversed in 2002. After a five-day sentencing hearing in 2002, he received the death penalty a second time following jury deliberations, which lasted nearly four hours. His 2002 sentencing hearing resulted when the states Supreme Court determined that the 1997 jury should have been informed that a life sentence equated with no possibility of parole.

Following the 2002 sentencing, then Sumter Sherriff Tommy Mims stated that it was worse to recount events the second time, recalling when he talked with Kubalas family the night of the shooting and his death, WIS relayed. He was a very well respected officer, according to Sheriff Anthony Dennis.

He left a hole in the department when he left.

If Stone does not request death by electrocution, the state will administer a three-drug death cocktail to carry out his capital punishment. March 29 marked Stones latest appeal, which the South Carolina Supreme Court rejected.
Over the weekend, Republican Sen. Jeff flake was caught on a hot mic predicting the demise of the GOP if the party continued to embrace the likes of Donald Trump and Roy Moore. In response to the comments, the president was quick to hit back on Twitter.

Trump on Flake

When Donald Trump first announced that he would be running for president, the initial consensus was that it was nothing more than a joke and a possible attempt to generate higher ratings for his reality show. Despite this, the former host of "The Apprentice" picked up steam and was able to ride that momentum to a primary win over 16 other conservative candidates.

While Trump was successful, some Republicans weren't pleased, with many left worried that the billionaire real state mogul would damage the party's brand with his controversial style and reckless behavior. Following his shocking win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November, Trump has continued to clash with his own party, making legislation dealing with health care and tax reform difficult despite having majority-control of the Senate and House of Representatives. Senators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham have spoken out in opposition to Trump, in addition to fellow senators Bob Corker and Jeff Flake who announced that they would not seek re-election due to Trump's presidency.

On Saturday, it was revealed that Flake believes the GOP won't survive under Trump, which the president commented on during a November 19 tweet, which was accidentally posted as a self-response to his own previous Twitter post.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Sunday night, Donald Trump didn't hold back his thoughts about Jeff Flake over his aforementioned comments.

"Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on 'mike' saying bad things about your favorite President," Trump tweeted, while using the incorrect abbreviation of the term microphone, writing "mike" instead of "mic." "Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is 'toast,'" he concluded.

No news here. I've been saying this to anyone who will listen https://t.co/50klmeSm5a  Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 18, 2017

The remarks in question were made while Jeff Flake was speaking to Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles on Friday night. "If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast," Flake said. Ever sine Flake announced he would be be running for re-election, he's been outspoken against Trump, referring to the commander in chief as "reckless, outrageous, and undignified" earlier this year.

Next up

As Donald Trump continues his in-fighting with members of the Republican Party, he has many unanswered questions facing him in the White House. With tax reform and the future of health care remaining a mystery, many continue to wonder what turn the Russian investigation will take next.
Catelynn Lowell is getting tons of support from her friends, family, and co-stars after announcing her suicidal thoughts and entering rehab at the end of last week. As "Teen Mom OG" fans may have seen, Lowell shocked her followers on Twitter last Friday when she admitted to thinking of "every way" to kill herself and quickly had her husband, Tyler Baltierra, drive her to a treatment center.

In addition to having the support of her partner, Catelynn Lowell also received kind messages from other "Teen Mom" stars, including Javi Marroquin, and her father, David.

Love you Catelynn. Get well soon, David Lowell wrote to his daughter on Instagram. You are without a doubt one of the strongest women I have ever known, or will ever know." David went on to say that he was proud to call Lowell his daughter and encouraged her to "get well soon."

Catelynn Lowell first sought treatment in 2016

As "Teen Mom OG" fans may recall, Catelynn Lowell entered a treatment facility in Arizona last year after facing intense struggles with postpartum depression following the birth of her second child, Novalee Reign, in January 2015. Lowell's first stint in treatment came not only after the birth of her second child but also just months after she and Tyler Baltierra tied the knot.

Lowell and Baliterra welcomed their first child Carly, who was given up for adoption, in 2009.

Do Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra want more kids?

Before Catelynn Lowell entered rehab, her fans and followers were waiting on the edge of their seats for a pregnancy announcement. Although there hadn't been any specific confirmation that they were trying to Conceive A Child, Tyler Baltierra had been speaking frequently of the idea of a third baby and even said that he was hoping his next child would be a boy.

The couple was even seen discussing the idea of having another baby during the sixth season of "Teen Mom OG." However, at the time, Lowell didn't appear to be ready to conceive a child and expressed concern about another bout with postpartum depression. Now, with Lowell seeking treatment for her mental health, it is hard to say if and when she and Baltierra will be ready to expand their family.

To see more of Catelynn Lowell, her family, including her husband, Tyler Baltierra and their daughter, two-year-old Novalee Reign, don't miss the upcoming premiere of "Teen Mom OG" season eight. The series also features Lowell's co-stars, Farrah Abraham, Amber Portwood, and Maci Bookout.
The Night King and the ice dragon Viserion managed to take down The Wall by the end of Season 7 in the drama series. The barrier that had long protected the people of the North from the threat of the White Walkers is gone. Undoubtedly, fear will take hold once the people learn that the army of the dead is slowly making their way North. Winterfell would be the first point of attack come Season 8. If by luck, Jon Snow and company arrive there ahead of the White Walkers, then at least the North has its defense.

Regardless, lives will be at risk. Blood will spill in what would undoubtedly be the most gruesome and epic battle between the living and the dead.

However, what of those who do not face the enemy head on? Will they survive? This brings us to question Varys and Melisandres fate in Game of Thrones Season 8.

Varys and Melisandre

So far, these two characters managed to spare themselves from danger in the past seasons of the drama series. Varys left Kings Landing following Tywin's death. Although, according to fans, he left so he could spy on Daenerys Targaryen for Cersei Lannister.

As for Melisandre, Jon Snow spared her life after he learned that she ordered the death of Stannis Baratheons daughter. Davos told Jon that the Red Priestess demanded the young girls sacrifice because it was what the Lord of Light wanted. Instead of executing her, Jon banished Melisandre from the North.

Imminent death

Melisandre knows that her time is up. She hinted at her death in a conversation with Varys in Season 7 Episode 3. In it, Varys advised the priestess not to return to Westeros, but she said she would come back. I will return, dear Spider, one last time. I have to die in this strange country, just like you, she said.

In the same conversation, Melisandre said that she is going to Volantis. Fans speculated that she will fetch the Fiery Hand so they can help defeat the White Walkers. If this happens, then Melisandre has no choice but to return to the North. According to Zimbio, it is likely where she will meet her demise. After all, Jon Snow warned her not to return or else he would hang her for murder.

Davos also vowed to execute her himself if they cross paths again.

Varys, on the other hand, dies a gruesome death in "Game of Thrones" Season 8. Fans speculated that Daenerys will stay true to her threat and burn him alive (see video below). She orders his execution after she learns that he has been going behind her back and feeding Cersei information about her plans. It is also interesting to point out that Varys refused to swear fealty to Daenerys.
Episode VIII of the sci-fi series Star Wars is The Last Jedi, and like its predecessors, this also holds promises to keep the audience captivated. There were rumors that Prince William and Prince Harry, the Royal siblings of Britain, would be seen in cameo roles in the movie. The source of the rumors was their visit to the set at Pinewood Studios in April last.

Actor John Boyega has now confirmed that the Royals will be seen in the movie in the role of stormtroopers. The two of them, along with Tom Hardy and Gary Barlow, would make up the foursome who would be responsible to guard Finn (played by Boyega) in an elevator.

Variety makes sense

Sky News reports that celebrities in the role of stormtroopers have been seen in Star Wars movies in the past, hence the entry of Prince William and Prince Harry, in the The Last Jedi, should not come as a surprise. In the last episode, The Force Awakens, it was Daniel Craig who was seen in a similar cameo role. He had been entrusted with the responsibility of acting as a guard to Rey (portrayed by Daisy Ridley).

Incidentally, some photographs pertaining to the visit of the Royal siblings to the set have been made public. In one of these, Prince Harry is shown with Mark Hamill, who is Luke Skywalker in the movie. The prince is apparently discussing an X-Wing fighter, and the subject could be on piloting because Harry is a pilot in his own right.

Prince William, the elder of the two, is shown enjoying a chat and exchanging views with BB8, the successor of the droid R2D2.

The story in brief

The Last Jedi is episode VIII of the very successful Star Wars series that began way back in 1977. It has kept pace with new technologies to provide high caliber sci-fi movies, and the audience has been enthralled with new stories, new settings, and new adventures.

The current story is about the initial steps that Rey takes into the Jedi world. Rey (Daisy Ridley) joins Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to embark on an adventure with Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac). Their mission is to uncover the mysteries of the Force along with secrets of the past. The cameo roles of the Royal siblings of Britain will be an added attraction.

Movies of this nature have a special attraction for a certain group because it is all about letting ones imagination run wild in a world of fantasy. The production of this genre of movies is usually always high-tech, and the results leave a lasting impression on the viewers. This is expected to follow the trend.
Three employees of Beijing Pangu Investment, a company controlled by fugitive Guo Wengui, pleaded guilty on Monday to destroying documents related to an investigation into public spending.

Ma Cheng, Sheng Ruigang and Guo Wencun destroyed evidence of accounts worth a combined 400 million yuan ($60.3 million) after being contacted by authorities looking into extravagant spending by public servants in August 2013.

They appeared at a public hearing at Dalian Xigang District People's Court in Liaoning province on Monday, according to local prosecutors.

Guo Wencun and another Pangu employee, Zhao Guangdong, also admitted restricting the personal freedom of Xu Zhaohui  a person Guo Wengui suspected of occupying his assets  for more than 50 hours in March 2014.

In November 2012, the pair also lured Huang Zheng  a person Guo Wengui suspected of writing unfavorable online comments about him  to Beijing from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The victim was searched, beaten and forced to write a letter of remorse before being put on a flight back home, according to prosecutors.

All four defendants said they had been acted under the instruction of Guo Wengui.

Guo Wengui, the property tycoon, fled China in August 2014 after being accused of multiple crimes. He is subject to an Interpol red notice, a kind of international arrest warrant.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
The recent move in the United States against foreign news organizations that receive government funding has raised serious concerns about press freedom and political bias toward certain countries.

Just a week ago, Russia's RT America was forced by the US Justice Department to register as a "foreign agent" under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), an outdated, 1938 anti-Nazi propaganda law.

Days later, Reston Translator, Sputnik Radio's partner in the US, also registered as a foreign agent, although it said the registration was not made at the request of the Justice Department.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has talked about countermeasures. In retaliation, the Duma, Russia's parliament, passed a bill last Wednesday requiring all mass-media outlets in Russia that receive overseas funding to register as foreign agents.

In its annual report to the US Congress last Wednesday, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommends that Congress strengthen FARA to require the registration of all staff of Chinese state-run media entities, claiming that "Chinese intelligence gathering and information warfare efforts are known to involve staff of Chinese-run media organizations and in light of the present uneven enforcement of the FARA".

For long, news media outlets have been exempt from FARA.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry quickly denounced the fear-mongering about Chinese news media. Spokesman Geng Shuang said "the so-called committee has always been full of prejudice on China-related issues".

"The content in the relevant report is sheer fiction, and the viewpoint of the report reflects their bias and stereotype against China," he said.

News organizations receiving government funding is certainly not unique to China or Russia. It is actually a common practice in many European and some Asian countries.

The NHK World of Japan, and France 24, both doing a good job in international reporting, are fully financed by their governments.

The current controversy reminds me of a debate I participated in early 2011 at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University over whether news organizations should accept government funding.

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, two students and I debated as the team in favor of government funding. Bollinger, a noted First Amendment legal scholar, argued that US universities, which more or less receive government funds, are still able to maintain academic freedom.

At the end of the debate, students at the school voted 28 to 17 in favor of government funding.

I remember saying at the time that what matters is doing good journalism rather than the source of funding. We have seen lousy journalism by many privately funded news outlets, and we have seen great journalism conducted in news organizations with full or partial government financing.

NPR and PBS, the two US stations that receive some government money, are widely considered to be doing excellent journalism.

International broadcasters available in the US, whether RT, CGTN, TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corp), NHK World and France 24, are doing a far better job informing Americans about the outside world than major US outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

The three US networks often indulge in single news stories a day, either Russia and US President Donald Trump, or Russia and Hillary Clinton, or Roy Moore, or Robert Mueller. Such disservice to the American people should be the real concern.

Gallup polls conducted in recent months have indeed revealed such serious concern among the American people.

A Sept 14 Gallup report showed that Americans' trust in mass media has sunk to a new low. Only 32 percent say they have a "great deal" or "a fair amount" of trust in mass media, down 8 percentage points from a year ago.

In a June report, only 27 percent say they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers; 24 percent have confidence in television news; and 16 percent have high confidence in news on the internet.

In an April 5 poll, 62 percent say the news media favor one political party over the other.

So if those US politicians and lawmakers truly care about keeping the populace well informed, they should stop demonizing international news outlets and start thanking them for bringing different perspectives.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Chinese and US troops perform a joint confined-space rescue operation at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Warrenton, Oregon. YIN BOGU / XINHUA

It's a rare moment when you hear US soldiers shout commands in Chinese, and vice versa.

But at a military camp in Oregon, US and Chinese soldiers not only exchanged rescue methods but also commands during a joint exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Two teams of eight soldiers, four from each side, were tasked to set up two rope bridges to transfer "patients" across a river in a flood-based simulation.

Not far from the "flood" site, two groups of rescuers were performing a confined-space rescue operation at a "rubble pile".

"It's pretty fun, we teach each other some words. We had a lot of laughing," said Matthew Means, first lieutenant in charge of the simulated rescue operations.

The joint exercise between the Chinese and the US militaries, which was held from Thursday through Sunday at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Warrenton, Oregon, involved more than 200 people from both sides. Its goal was to improve response to natural disasters and deepen relations and cooperation between the sides.

"What we've learned is there are different methods to accomplish the same purpose. The PLA (People's Liberation Army) showed us different ways of tieing knots and setting up a rope bridge," said Means.

He said there were no better or worse methods. "One way might be faster but less stable; the other way might be more secure but slower," he said. "We can have the different methodologies in our toolbox to pull out when needed."

The US participants are from the US Army Pacific and the Chinese come from the PLA Southern Theater Command Army. To most of them, it's their first time participating in a joint exercise with another country.

This joint exercise is part of the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. It also is part of the exchange mechanism between the two militaries.

This year marks the fifth practical field exchange on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief between the two sides since the exchanges were established in 1997.

"It's helpful that we can come together with another country in case of emergency or disaster to accomplish humanitarian missions," said Means. "It broadened our horizons."

What impressed Mo Sihua, a Chinese first lieutenant working at the rubble pile, the most during the exercise was the "casualty collection point" tactic from his US counterparts, which is more efficient and flexible.

What also impressed him was the wild animals he saw at the camp and the local seafood the US soldiers brought them during the afternoon breaks.

"They (the US soldiers) are interested in learning Chinese from us, and they are pretty quick in picking up Chinese words," said Lei Yang, a deputy company commander.

"We learned a lot, too," he said. "The old Chinese saying has it that no skill is a burden."
A handout photo shows Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November, pictured against a platinum-textured backdrop, in celebration of their platinum wedding anniversary on November 20, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

LONDON - A set of postage stamps to commemorate the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will go on sale across Britain on Monday, Royal Mail has announced.



Each of the stamps features photographs of the wedding in 1947 of the then heir to the British throne which took place at Westminster Abbey. They also feature the couple's engagement and their honeymoon.



The set of stamps have been approved by Buckingham Palace, Royal Mail said.



The wedding was the first Royal event following the end of World War II, with huge crowds flocking to St James's Palace to view an exhibition of some of the couple's 2,500 wedding gifts.



Princess Elizabeth, as she was then titled, wore a dress was designed by one of Britain's fashion icons, Norman Hartnell. It was made of ivory silk, decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls and had a train almost five meters in length.



In the days before television was available to the masses, more than 200 million listeners worldwide followed the service by radio. For the first time, newsreel cameras were allowed to film part of the proceedings for screenings in cinemas.



Royal Mail spokesperson, Philip Parker, said, "A platinum wedding anniversary is rare, and for the Royal Family it is unique. We are delighted to issue these six stamps to mark Her Majesty's and the Duke of Edinburgh's 70 years of marriage."



Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen and Prince Philip will mark their 70th wedding anniversary privately, with a family dinner at Windsor Castle on Monday evening.



From 1 p.m. local time on Monday, the bells of Westminster Abbey will ring to mark the anniversary. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are the longest married British royal couple in history.



The Duke has retired from official duties in the autumn this year, while the Queen has already become the longest-reigning monarch in the British history at 65 years, and the longest-lived at 91.
Isabelle Szczerbinski (center), whose Chinese name is Bao Ling, is a 12-year-old from Midlothian, Virginia who has been studying Chinese for seven years. Her parents (pictured) were proud of her as she was honored with a People-People Award by the Confucius Institute US Center in Washington on Saturday. DONG LESHUO / CHINA DAILY

A little girl's interest in wanting to talk about Chinese food put her on a path to study the Chinese language.

Isabelle Szczerbinski first became interested in Chinese when she was 5.

"We were at a Chinese restaurant in Dallas. She was watching a man making noodles. She was so excited that she wanted to talk with him. Unfortunately, he didn't speak English. On the way home, she said she wanted to learn Chinese," said Eric Szczerbinski, Isabelle's father.

"I totally fell in love with the language. It's so beautiful and unlike anything I've ever heard before," said Isabelle, who was one of 10 exemplary students honored by the Confucius Institute (CI) US Center in Washington on Saturday.

The People-People Award recipients were selected from 110 Confucius Institutes across the country.

"It's not just your knowledge about language and culture, it's actually the special sprit that inspires you to do this," said C.D. Mote Jr., president of the National Academy of Engineering, who is also on the honorary host committee.

The honorees all have extraordinary stories about their journeys of learning Chinese with the CI.

Isabelle, whose Chinese name is Bao Ling, is now 12. She lives in Midlothian, Virginia, where she is home-schooled.

Szczerbinski watches movies and TV from China without subtitles.

Some of her favorites Chinese cartoons are Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf, and Big Head Son and Small Head Dad, which are very popular in China.

"They are so different from what I've ever seen on American TV," said Szczerbinski.

Szczerbinski studies at the Confucius Institute near her home, the William & Mary Confucius Institute (WMCI) in Williamsburg, Virginia.

"It is just the beginning of a fantastic ongoing adventure, all thanks to the Confucius Institute," she said.

The WMCI offers courses on many aspects of Chinese culture, from travel tips to calligraphy, to tai chi, cooking and music.

The first course that Szczerbinski took was a cooking class.

"I love Chinese food. The chef was a famous chef, Peter Chang," she said.

Szczerbinski then tried tai chi and kung fu through the WMCI.

In 2017, through the WMCI, Szczerbinski joined the JNCL-NCLIS (LanguagePolicy.org) to lobby Virginia senators and congressional representative for more funding for language instruction in public schools.

"I want to thank the Confucius Institute for sharing the wonderful language and culture of China to the world," she said.

"It has been a wonderful journey for all of us," said Szczerbinski's mother.

James B. Heimowitz, president of the China Institute, said that more Americans need to be comfortable in a different culture and context.

"I hope each one of you knows how lucky you are to have the Confucius Institute as a bridge," Heimowitz said.

"The center serves as a vehicle for Chinese-language learning and cultural exchange and supports the individual Confucius Institutes across the country," said Gao Qing, executive director of the CIUS.

leshuodong@chinadailyusa.com
Chinese and US troops perform a joint confined-space rescue operation at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Warrenton, Oregon. YIN BOGU / XINHUA

It's a rare moment when you hear US soldiers shout commands in Chinese, and vice versa.

But at a military camp in Oregon, US and Chinese soldiers not only exchanged rescue methods but also commands during a joint exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief on Saturday.

Two teams of eight soldiers, four from each side, were tasked to set up two rope bridges to transfer "patients" across a river in a flood-based simulation.

Not far from the "flood" site, two groups of rescuers were performing a confined-space rescue operation at a "rubble pile".

"It's pretty fun; we teach each other some words. We had a lot of laughing," said Matthew Means, first lieutenant in charge of the simulated rescue operations.

The joint exercise between the Chinese and the US militaries, which was held from Thursday through Sunday at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center of the Oregon Army National Guard in Warrenton, Oregon, involved more than 200 people from both sides. Its goal was to improve response to natural disasters and to deepen relations and cooperation between the sides.

"What we've learned is there are different methods to accomplish the same purpose. The PLA (People's Liberation Army) showed us different ways of tying knots and setting up a rope bridge," said Means.

He said there were no better or worse methods.

"One way might be faster but less stable; the other way might be more secure but slower," he said. "We can have the different methodologies in our toolbox to pull out when needed."

The US participants were from the US Army Pacific, and the Chinese came from the PLA Southern Theater Command Army. To most of them, it's their first time participating in a joint exercise with another country.

"It's all about cooperation and collaboration together to save lives in a difficult crisis. It's critical to form the relationship before the crisis," said General Robert Brown, commander of the US Army Pacific, following the conclusion of the joint exercise on Sunday.

In just three years, 1 billion people living in the Indonesian Pacific region were residing in disaster-prone areas classified as high or extremely high risk, said Brown, citing a 2016 United Nations report.

"I feel, if a disaster happens right now in the Pacific region, with the way we cooperate, we would be way ahead and save a lot lives because of the effort here," said Brown.

This joint exercise is part of the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. It also is part of the exchange mechanism between the two militaries.

"The Chinese and the US soldiers live in the same barracks, face the same difficulties and make decisions collaboratively," said Major General Zhang Jian, commander of PLA Southern Theater Command Army.

"It's helpful that we can come together with another country in case of emergency or disaster to accomplish humanitarian missions," said Means. "It broadened our horizons."

Mo Sihua, a Chinese first lieutenant, was impressed by a "casualty collection point" tactic by his US counterparts.

Lei Yang, a deputy company commander, said "they (the US soldiers) are interested in learning Chinese from us, and they are pretty quick in picking up Chinese words. We learned a lot, too.

"The old Chinese saying has it that no skill is burden."

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
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HCM CITY  Saigon Co.op and Co.opmart supermarkets have made donations of cash and essential goods to victims of Typhoon Damrey in the south-central region earlier this month besides organising mobile sales campaigns to sell essential goods at cheap prices.

In Nha Trang, Co.opmart Nha Trang donated to 100 disadvantaged families and those covered by the Governments preferential policies in Van Ninh District and Ninh Hoa town the two localities hit worst by the storm.

Each set of relief items was worth VN1.2 million, consisting of VN500,000 in cash and VN700,000 worth of goods.

Its mobile sales vehicles were at Van Ninh market on November 13 and 14 and Ninh Diem Ward in Nha Trang on November 15 and 16.

Despite the difficulties in travelling due to damaged roads, executives from Co.opmart Tam Ky on November 15 visited Quang Nam Province and donated relief materials worth VN50 million to 50 disadvantaged households in Tra Van Commune, Nam Tra My District, and Tra Son Commune, Bac Tra My District.

Co.opmart Quang Ngai and Co.opmart Hue each gave relief materials worth VN100 million to 100 families in Quang Ngai and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces.

Co.opmart Hue also organised mobile sale trips with discounts of 20-50 per cent in storm-affected areas.

In Phu Yen Province, Co.opmart Tuy Hoa plans to organise a sales trip to sell at cost prices and donate relief items to 50 families in Xuan Quang Commune, ong Xuan District.  VNS
HCM CITY  As one of the leading trade and financial centres of the world, Hong Kong would be a gateway for Vietnamese enterprises to enter the Chinese mainland market and other regional and global markets, the deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said.

Speaking at a press luncheon in HCM City on Friday held by HKTDC and the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Benjamin Chau said Viet Nam was Hong Kongs third largest trading partner in ASEAN and its ninth largest trading partner worldwide, with bilateral trade reaching US$13 billion in the first ninth months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 11.6 per cent.

Viet Nam was the most important export market for Hong Kongs merchandise in ASEAN, with its exports to Viet Nam amounted to $7.4 billion, an increase of 11 per cent, he said.

Meanwhile, import to Hong Kong from Viet Nam reached $5.7 billion, up 12 per cent over the same period last year.

Bilateral trade had been fruitful for many years, he said, adding that he hopes Vietnamese companies make more use of the Hong Kong platform to further promote their businesses in the local market as well as the international market.

Chau also encouraged Vietnamese firms to participate in fairs organised by the council as exhibitors, which is a great chance for them to introduce their products and services to other countries.

Last year, more than 38,000 exhibitors from 88 countries and regions as well as nearly 770,000 buyers from 200 countries and regions visited more than 30 of the Hong Kong councils trade fairs, he said.

However, only 40 exhibitors from Viet Nam joined fairs, while the figure was more than 500 from Thailand and over 1,000 from Japan, he said.

Tina Phan, Director of Indochina at HKTDC, said Viet Nam was the producer and exporter of many fruits and vegetables, garments, handicrafts, and other products. Therefore, exhibitions on food, house-wares, or gifts are very suitable for Vietnamese firms to promote their products to international buyers.

Many international buyers had increasingly sought goods from Viet Nam through the councils fairs, she said.

Leveraging on our advantages, Vietnamese companies can expand businesses into the Chinese mainland and the world, Chau said.

Chau said HKTDC and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency on November 16 signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation on trade promotion.

Under the MoU, the two sides will co-operate in exchanging market information so that companies in Hong Kong and Viet Nam can know the market situation better, organise trade missions and capacity training programmes, encourage Vietnamese companies to utilise digital channels such as its www.hktdc.com in business transaction, and to participate in HKTDC trade fairs to tap into the Hong Kong and world markets, he said.

In addition, the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement, which was signed on November 12 and is expected to come into effect in January 2019, would further increase trade in goods, services, and investment between ASEAN countries and Hong Kong, as well as trade between Viet Nam and Hong Kong in particular, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  The southern province of Binh Phuoc announced on November 17 it has approved an investment plan for a US$54 million solar power plant project funded by Indian Tata Power Company.

The 49-megawatt plant will span 55ha in Loc Tan Commune, Loc Ninh District. Shenbagam Manthiram, chief representative officer of Tata Power Company in Viet Nam, said that the locality has good conditions for the company to carry out the project, including a significant period of daylight, convenient transport links and national grid connections.

Tata Power is asking the province to facilitate the project so that it can complete it before June 2019, he added.

Lauding the project, Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Nguyen Van Tram said he has asked the local Department of Industry and Trade and relevant agencies to support the company with legal assistance so that all necessary procedures can be finalised at the earliest.

He noted that the province will convert more than 20,000ha of forest land and rubber cultivation areas with low economic efficiency in Loc Ninh District into land for solar power development.

This will be made in tandem with branching out land funds to attract hi-tech agriculture development, Tram stressed, adding that the province is prioritising investment in renewable power and clean power.  VNS
By Dr. Remy Romney* H. pylori are types of bacteria that infect around two-thirds of the worlds population. The H. is short for Helicobacter, so called because they are spiral in shape (helico-, as in the word helicopter means spiral). In some cases, an H. pylori infection can lead to problems such as ulcers developing in the stomach or duodenum. The duodenum is a short part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach. H. pylori infection is also associated with stomach cancer and a stomach inflammation known as gastritis. Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cancer in Asia, including Viet Nam, with a 1.5 fold higher incidence in Ha Noi when compared to HCM City in 2017. Causes and risk factors H. pylori infections are thought to spread from one persons mouth to anothers. They may also be transferred from stool to the mouth if, for example, hands are not washed thoroughly after using the bathroom. Children are more likely to develop an H. pylori infection, mostly due to lack of proper hygiene. Risk of infection is associated with environment and living conditions. Symptoms of H. pylori infection Symptoms may include abdominal pain, which typically occurs when the stomach is empty, at night or a few hours after meals. It is described as a gnawing pain, and it may come and go. Eating or taking antacid drugs may relieve the pain. Those experiencing this type of pain or having a strong pain that does not go away should visit a doctor or gastroenterologist. A number of other symptoms may be associated with H. pylori infection: Feeling sick or vomiting

Excessive burping

Feeling bloated

Appetite and/or weight loss

Although common, if any of these symptoms persist, or if they are a source of concern, it is always best to see a doctor. Blood or a black colored stools also require a doctors attention.

Diagnosing H. pylori infection

Diagnosis is conducted by a procedure known as a gastroscopy: a long, thin instrument called an endoscope is inserted into the mouth and fed down into the stomach and duodenum. An attached camera sends back images that are viewed on a monitor. Any abnormal areas can be inspected, and special tools used with the endoscope can take a sample of these areas (biopsies), if required.

How to prevent gastric cancer

Stomach cancer and duodenal and stomach ulcers are associated with H. pylori infection. Doctors may advise a gastroscopy for people whose close relatives had stomach cancer or such problems as a stomach or duodenal ulcers. Treatment can cure an ulcer, and it may reduce the risk of developing stomach cancer. In short, no Helicobacter, no cancer.

Treating H. pylori Infection

Treatment normally requires taking a combination of two or three different antibiotics, together with another drug that reduces stomach acid production. Lowering stomach acid helps the antibiotics work more effectively. In most cases, only one round of antibiotics is needed to clear the infection but, occasionally, additional courses are needed, using different drugs. A test for H. pylori might be done using a breath test after completion of the treatment.

Many people infected with H. pylori never experience any difficulties. For those experiencing symptoms and receiving treatment, the long-term outlook usually is positive.

Treatment may not cure the infection if a person has a stomach or duodenal ulcer or stomach cancer. For those who develop these diseases, the result will depend on the problem, how soon it is diagnosed, and how it is treated.  Hanoi French Hospital

*Dr. Remy is an internationally trained specialist in gastroenterology and hepatology.

He recently joined the Hanoi French Hospital to bring his expertise to our customers and colleagues.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding H .pylori infection or other gastro-intestinal problems, please contact us at 84  24.3577.1100, access www.hfh.com.vn, or email us at contact@hfh.com.vn, Address: 1 Phuong Mai, ong a, Ha Noi
LONDON  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrate 70 years of marriage on Monday, becoming Britains first reigning couple to mark a platinum wedding anniversary.

The decades-spanning marriage of the Queen -- the nations longest serving sovereign -- has outlasted those of all prior British monarchs.

The royal couple will not hold any public events but have invited family and friends to Windsor Castle for a private dinner on Monday evening, according to media reports.

Earlier in the day the bells of Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh on November 20, 1947, will ring out in full celebratory peal.

The abbeys company of ringers -- a team of 10 -- will deliver the tribute uninterrupted for around three hours and 20 minutes, from 1300 GMT.

Also in honour of the occasion, Buckingham Palace on Saturday issued new photographic portraits of the Queen and the Prince, taken earlier this month in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.

They are framed by Thomas Gainsboroughs 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, whose 57-year union -- bridging the 18th and 19th centuries -- is the next longest British royal marriage.

In one of the photographs released, the Queen poses in the same cream dress she wore at her diamond wedding anniversary thanksgiving service 10 years ago, along with a yellow gold, ruby and diamond brooch Philip gave her in 1966.

Meanwhile the Royal Mail, Britains postal service, has issued a new set of six stamps to commemorate the historic landmark.

It includes images of the pairs engagement announcement at Buckingham Palace, their wedding amid the splendour of Westminster Abbey, and the first part of their honeymoon at a country estate in the county of Hampshire.

The fairy-tale royal wedding in 1947 was a morale boost during the tough years immediately after World War II.

Their marriage endured, as Philip accepted living in his wifes shadow, and the Queen seemingly forgiving his periodic gaffes.

They had four children -- Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward -- though their marriages have been less successful, with all except Edward having divorced.

The couple also boast eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, with a sixth great-grandchild expected in April, when Prince William and wife Kate Middletons third child is due.

The 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh retired from the public eye this summer, enjoying his newfound free time reading and painting.

For her part the Queen, at 91, is slowly passing over some of her official duties to her son Prince Charles, now aged 69.

The royal couple first met as teenagers, and eventually married when Elizabeth was a 25-year-old princess.

Philip, the son of a Greek prince banished from that country, renounced his titles and Greek Orthodox faith and became a British citizen in order to marry, adopting his mothers anglicised name, Mountbatten.

Prior to the wedding he told the Queen Mother he had "fallen in love completely and unreservedly" with her daughter.

Since described by Elizabeth as her "rock", Philip once remarked: "My job first, second and last, is never to let the Queen down."  AFP
HA NOI  Ten year old violinist Cao Hoang Linh from Ha Noi has won first prize in the Junior B category at the International Music Competition held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The annual event brought together dozens of contestants from many countries and territories, including Canada, Britain, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The jury included prestigious artists from the US, Italy, Argentina, Poland, Israel, and Japan.

Linh was born in a non-musical family, but all of them love the arts. His grandfather, translator Ong Van Tung, has written nine novels, 60 short stories and has won the State Prize for Literature and Arts. He has translated 50 literature works from Chinese into Vietnamese.

Linh is now studying fourth-year violin at the Viet Nam Music Academy under the guidance of lecturer o Xuan Thang.

Although he is only 10, he has received scholarships to join the International Music Session camp to the US for two succeeding years. He has also received a scholarship titled Viet Nams Classical Music involving a trans-national tour in August this year.

At the Thai event, which was held between November 12 and 18, Linh was commended for his genius".

Linh and his parents were excited at the praise.

Linh has been invited by Argentinean jury member, artist Eduardo Delgado, to join a music camp in Italy next summer.  VNS
HA NOI  More than 50 paintings, eight sculptures by 60 artists and Buddhists are on display in downtown Ha Noi to commemorate the 8th National Buddhism Congress (for the term 2017-2022).

Called the Contemporary Buddhism Fine Arts Exhibition, the event opened on Monday displays various views on the beautiful values of Buddhism in life, as well as contents of classic Buddhism teachings, the mingling of Buddhism in human life, peoples awareness during practising Buddhism and ancient Buddhism paintings and sculptures following Mandala and Thangka styles.

The works have been made between 2010 and 2017 on various materials such as lacquer, oil-on-canvas, silk and acrylic, as well as copper, glass and wood to create a varied artful atmosphere.

A sculpture at the exhibition.  VNS Photo oan Tung

According to Venerable Monk Thich Minh Hien, an official from Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, said the artists focused on aesthetics, humane hearts and bright minds.

Fine arts work in Buddhism has special features, with popularity and deep influence, and helps encourage people to return to their origins and promote beauty, he said.

During the historical current of Vietnamese Buddhism, fine arts were always tools to express and transmit Buddhist thoughts, he said, Besides priceless heritage of other forms of fine arts such as architecture, decorative sculptures, paintings and applied graphics, Buddhist fine arts has vividly featured 2,000-year-old Vietnamese Buddhism.

The exhibition is underway at the Viet Nam Fine Arts University, 42 Yet Kieu Street till November 29.  VNS
HA NOI  The Government will accord priority to a reasonable distribution of wealth as it tackles the various socio-economic disparities in the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Saturday.

Equality, growth quality and the handling of high-profile corruption cases were leading concerns as he fielded questions in parliament on Saturday afternoon.

He was the last Government leader to take the floor at the National Assemblys three-day hearings of cabinet members.

The 2.5 hour long Q&A session was the second time PM Phuc took questions. For the most part, his performance on major national issues was positively reviewed and received by deputies and voters, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Opening the session, PM Phuc reported on socio-economic achievements of 2017, especially stressing the fulfillment of 13 targets set by the NA last year.

Phuc asserted that the countrys growth quality has improved visibly, with industry contributing more than agriculture. He said that this years export turnover could reach US$210 billion, up 21 per cent compared to last year (and threefold the set target of 7 per cent).

The country has jumped five positions on the global competitiveness index and made progress on other human development indexes including life expectancy, which reached 73.7 years, the PM noted.

On administrative reforms, Phuc said the government has introduced a total of 14 resolutions and implemented several measures. Citing examples, he said the process of abolishing household registration books and issuing individual identification numbers has begun, and online portals set up to receive feedback from people and businesses.

From 2015, the number of civil servants on government payroll has been reduced by 30,000, he said, adding that from now towards 2021, the aim is to shrink the number of government workers by 2.5 per cent each year.

Disparities exist

Responding to questions over the wealth disparity, including social stratification between rural and urban areas, and mountainous areas and flatlands, Phuc admitted that despite the governments efforts and recent achievements, there remained big development gaps between these areas, with rural income just half of that in urban areas, and even lower in mountainous areas.

A reasonable distribution of wealth is an ongoing priority, and will be promoted in the coming time via economic restructuring, improving labour productivity and product quality, creating more jobs for people in remote areas, redistribution of income by taxation, and better social security, he said.

On promoting the private sectors role in the economy, PM Phuc said that the country can expect to have more than 115,000 new private companies this year and 93 per cent operating well.

He also reiterated the governments commitment to improving the trade/business environment, increasing transparency and equality in accessing resources, streamlining procedures, and preventing overlapping inspections.

Phuc asked private sector companies to say no to bribes and unofficial fees.

Responding to concerns over the management of foreign direct investment (FDI) businesses, PM Phuc said they are a part of Viet Nams economy that contributes 60 per cent of the countrys export value and employs 3 million people.

But there were issues with this sector, including the level of technology used, pricing, tax evasion and violations of environmental regulations violations. These will be dealt with strictly, the PM said, adding the Government will be choosy about attracting investment.

Investment will be directed to areas where there was real need, not in just any area, and by whatever means, he added.

He said FDI and domestic firms should co-operate better for a win-win development.

Anti-corruption fight

The Prime Minister strongly affirmed that the Party and the State will not allow outrageous high-profile corruption cases to fall flat, and that the judiciary and legislative branches will collaborate to deliver rightful results to the public.

Some deputies expressed their appreciation for the governments recent strong anti-corruption push, but also voiced concerns over new and more sophisticated and deep-lying forms of corruption that can undermine the political system.

PM said the government is collecting and integrating NA feedback on its amended Law on Anti-Corruption, in the spirit of there must not and should not be corruption.

He also asked the NA to consider raising wages for civil servants as a way to ensure their livelihood and reduce petty corruption.

The application of information technology solutions can be helpful in preventing corruption, he said, asking local governments to promote this process in the coming time, together with implementation of e-government.

Worst fears

When asked, the government leader admitted he was not entirely satisfied with the achievements in governing the country. He also said his worst fears are backwardness, corruption, peaceful evolution, and moral failings.

Phuc also responded to other issues raised at the hearing, including functions of a facilitating government, policies for ethnic minority people, equitisation of State-owned enterprises, measures to better protect forests, and civil servants bureaucratic attitude.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputies told the National Assembly on Monday that HCM City should have more autonomy in urban planning, building infrastructure, investment and the management of revenue for public servants payroll. They said this was the key for the southern city to continue to grow in the future.

HCM City is Viet Nams largest commercial and industrial hub. It is also the economic spearhead for the entire Mekong Delta region.

Despite continuous and rapid economic development since the beginning of the Renewal Process (oi Moi), the city has shown signs of sluggish growth in recent years.

There have been numerous issues, namely frequent traffic jams, pollution, over-population and difficulties in attracting investment and skilled labour.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Mai Hoa stressed the importance of having special mechanisms in place for the city. She cited numerous occasions in the past when new policies were introduced first and tested in HCM City, such as the establishment of a central industrial complex and joint-stock commercial banks before being implemented on a nation-wide scale.

Allowing the city special mechanisms is giving it a mission objective to test-run new management methods and policies. It will also provide the city with a much needed legal framework to continue on its growth path, she said.

Minister of Finance inh Tien Dung voiced his support for the proposal.

In 2015, its growth was only 9 per cent compared to 10.7 per cent in 2010. HCM City is keeping just 18 per cent of its total revenue, which it will use to cover its expenses and re-investment. Its clear that the citys growth is losing traction, Dung said.

While the majority of NA deputies showed their support, many concerns were raised over certain aspects of the proposal, namely a new tax code for property owners and land-use adjustment.

Deputies said implementing new taxes or raising existing ones may have a negative impact on the citys residents and businesses. They sais this could render the special mechanisms counter-productive.

The finance minister reassured deputies, saying that NAs approval was only the first step of the process. Careful planning, implementation of pilot programmes and exhaustive study of their impacts and results would be required further down the road before a concrete and final version of the citys new policies could be decided.

Both the citys mayor Nguyen Thanh Phong and his deputy Tran Vinh Tuyen attended the session as guest of the assembly.  VNS
It is estimated that each year, after the flooding season, hundreds of people in the northwestern mountainous region became penniless.  Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

HA NOI  Nguyen Hong Quan, 38, was seen one of the richest residents of Nga Ba Village in the northern mountainous province of Son La.

In just one night last month, however, he lost everything as floods swept through his village.

It was around 4am on October 11, water flowed in and in just a few minutes, the house was flooded, Quan told Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today).

The flood swept away all the furnishings. We all had to run out of the house. Minutes later, the house was cut into two and collapsed.

The house was not just a house. It was also a shop selling electronic products and household appliances, earning his household hundreds of millions of ong each year.

Then there was his farm growing mushrooms, which yielded an annual profit of over VN300 million (US$13,300). It was also destroyed, completely.

Nothing left. We have to start again. The most important thing now is how to earn enough to provide basic necessities such as food and clothes for the whole family, he said.

Quan is among thousands of people pushed into poverty by natural disasters.

Pushed back

It is estimated that each year, after the flooding season, hundreds of people in the northwestern mountainous region became penniless.

Many households who have worked hard to escape poverty are pushed back below the line by flooding.

Son La is one of the provinces in the region that has a high rate of poor households. The poverty gets worse after each flood or storm that hits the province, making it a long-standing phenomenon.

Before the floods in August, Luong Thi Hieus family in the provinces Nam Pan Commune was one among those living near the poverty line. Now, her family is categorized as a specially disadvantaged household.

My house, my crops, my farm and my domestic fowls ... all were swept away, she said.

Chairman of the Nam Pan Peoples Committee, Lo Van Can, said poor households in the commune accounted for nearly 42 per cent. The rate is certainly higher now as the recent floods have left many households broke.

Muong La District in Son La Province already reported a poverty rate of 48.26 per cent. After the storm and flooding in August, the district listed another 93 households as poor.

Cant escape

The flooding that hit central Ha Tinh Province in September also pushed many residents to near or below the poverty line. The province had over 41,000 poor households and 30,600 near-poverty households.

Nguyen Tat Chien, a resident of the provinces Ky Thuong Commune, said his house, which he built after saving money for many years, collapsed during the storm. We cannot escape poverty if storms and floods keep destroying everything like that, he said.

Chairman of the communes Peoples Committee,Vu Trung Tien, said 75 houses collapsed and more than 1,800 lost their roofs in the storm. Disadvantaged and poor households typically suffered the most, he said.

Typhoon Damrey earlier this month killed at least 69 people in central and south-central localities and left 30 others missing. It wrecked 1,484 houses, blew away 119,222 roofs and destroyed about 22,000ha of crops.

Climate change impacts

While northern and central localities suffered from severe consequences of storms and floods, the southern and south-central region have often had to bear damage caused by increasing drought and salinity.

Ninh Thuan Province, for example, suffered losses estimated at over VN184 billion last year. More than 5,000 animals died of drought and tens of thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed. This is one of the reasons the province has a high poverty rate of 37 per cent.

It is evident here that natural disasters have severely impacted poverty reduction efforts.

Le Viet Phai, Head of the Emergency Assistance Office under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department of Social Protection, told Nong thon Ngay nay that natural disasters have been extraordinary in recent years in terms of their number and level of consequences.

The amount of rice given as support to those affected by natural disasters last year doubled the average amount of previous years at 67,000 tonnes. In the first ten months of 2017, the Government provided over 32,000 tonnes of rice to people living in natural disaster-hit localities, higher than the whole of 2015. The Government had to spend VN500 billion ($22 million) just on helping people recover from the tenth storm to hit the country in September.

Viet Nam is said to be one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, having to face several natural disasters every year. Approximately 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas are highly susceptible to climate change impacts, it is estimated.

According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, natural disasters last year caused a total of VN40 trillion (approximately $1.8 billion) in economic losses for Viet Nam. Over the last 30 years, economic losses from natural disasters have cost Viet Nam an average of 1-1.5 per cent of its GDP per year.

According to international NGO Oxfam, poor people in Viet Nam are not only hardest hit by natural disasters but also face more difficulties in recovering from their consequences than other groups due to limited resources.

Natural disasters also make it harder for poor people to get access to credit. Besides, the more severe the natural disaster, the more the poor have to spend on food and healthcare.

Building resilience

Many measures have been taken to help the poor better adapt to climate change impacts, including natural disasters. These have aimed to increase their capacity through programmes that incorporate climate change adaptation with mitigation measures.

Local authorities in vulnerable localities have initiated new cultivation models to adapt to climate change.

In July, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Viet Nam would strive to complete the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, with a focus on poverty and inequality reduction, education, renewable energy and climate change adaptation.

Viet Nam has integrated climate change adaptation into planning and development schemes and pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent by 2030 or even 25 per cent, if it receives effective support from the international community.  VNS
HCM CITY - Some VN4.64 billion (US$206,000) was collected by the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry HCM City at the 14th KOCHAM Charity Night, organised on Friday in HCM City.

Some 130 South Korean enterprises contributed VN4 billion in cash and VN600 million in gifts for charity.

The money was donated for the HCM City Childrens Disability Association; the Orphanage, Disabled Children Care Centre in ong Nai Province; the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin Social Protection in Ba Ria  Vung Tau province; the Orphanage and Poor Patients Protection Association in Binh Duong Province; the Social Protection Centre in Long An Province; the HCM City Eyes Hospital; the Patient Support Fund; the Thien Phuoc Disability Facility in district 4, the Korean Elder Citizen Association in Viet Nam; and the Korean Support Fund.

KOCHAM HCMC has been in operation since 2003 with 700 enterprises, which represents the 2,500 Korean companies operating in the South and Central region of Viet Nam.

KOCHAM HCMC has organized the annual KOCHAM Charity Night since 2004.

This year, Viet Nam and South Korea celebrate their 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Trade volume between the two countries exceeded US$50 billion by October 2017. -- VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City and Military telecom group Viettel on Friday signed an agreement to develop the southern metropolis into a smart city during 2017-2020.

Under the agreement, Viettel will focus on building an operation centre to control and monitor all of the activities in the city by collecting and analysing data.

The centre will include many sub-centres such as a surveillance camera control centre to monitor streets for crime and traffic violations, an emergency call centre -- similar to the American 911 centre -- for fire and rescue services, an information security operations centre, a public administration centre and an information management centre for the media.

Deputy general director of Viettel Tong Viet Trung said that all of the information collected and carefully checked and analysed by the operation centre would help the citys administration make better decision.

For example, the information management centre for press and media could monitor public reactions to the news to help local authorities act quickly to respond to the public and prevent cases of information crisis.

The centre will ensure the highest security levels for all data collected, especially personal information, he added.

Collaboration between the city and Viettel will also focus on R&D activities including designing and manufacturing microchips and building a start-up supporting centre at the Viettel tower in District 10.

Accoridng to Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of HCM Citys Peoples Committee, collaborating with Viettel in building a smart city is vital to the city as it is working towards sustainable development based on high value-added industries.

He said one of the challenges that hinders the development of HCM City is that the administrations forecast capacity is quite low.

Therefore, the application of technology in building a smart city would help solve some of the citys biggest issues.

HCM Citys plan for smart city development is expected to be publicised on November 25.

The city will be organising an international forum on the integrated circuit industry in the coming time to call for investment in the sector.

Regional cooperation

While having to play many roles with limited capacity and resources, HCM City will be plagued with many issues of urban development if it could not strengthen cooperation with neighbouring cities and provinces, experts said.

At a seminar titled "HCM City, towards building a livable city", Prof. Dr. Nguyen Trong Hoa, former director of the city Department of Planning and Architecture, said HCM City should not try to solve all the urban development issues on its own, but instead reach out for regional cooperation.

I think HCM City does not have to become a megacity with 15-20 million citizens in the coming years. Instead, it should enhance regional cooperation to develop nearby urban areas.

If regional cooperation is strengthened, Binh Duong, Long An and ong Nai provinces can offer great support. In these provinces, there are many social housing projects which cannot find customers. HCM City should not take on many things at the same time, which will lead to the increasing of migrant workers, thus putting more pressure on itself.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau, deputy general secretary of the Viet Nam History Association, agreed with Prof. Hoa, adding that regional cooperation is hindered by differnces in land ownership among HCM City and its neighbours.

If the attitude is, what I do on my land is not the business of others, regional cooperation would be hard to achieve, she said.

Le Quoc Hung, deputy head of Southern Institute for Spatial Planning, said that international experts from Europe and the US have suggested the city adopt a regional development and planning approach and should not only look within its administrative boundaries.

Architect Khuong Van Muoi said the city should confront its weaknesses to adjust the development plan.

At the moment, it should tackle the two issues of congestion and urban flooding.VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a resolution to sustainably develop the Mekong Delta as apart of an effort to cope with climate change.  Photo tinmoitruong

HCM City  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a resolution to sustainably develop the Mekong Delta as apart of an effort to cope with climate change.

The resolution points out that the Mekong Delta accounts for 12 per cent of the national area and 19 per cent of population, contributes 50 per cent of the rice crop, 65 per cent of aquaculture, 70 per cent of fruit, 95 per cent of exported rice and 60 per cent of exported fish.

In the context of globalization and international integration, the Mekong Delta has a great opportunity for development but also faces a great challenge because it is vulnerable to natural changes.

The resolution sets a vision by 2100, the Mekong Delta will sustainably, safely and prosperously develop on the foundation of high-quality agriculture in combination with services, ecological tourism, and industry, especially processing industry, which will help to increase the value and competitiveness of agricultural products.

The infrastructure system of the delta will be carefully planned.

To reach the goal, by 2050, the Mekong Delta will become a region which has moderately good development and a modern social organization level. At that time, income per capita of the delta will be higher than the national average; the proportion of ecological agriculture and high-quality applied agriculture will reach 80 per cent.

It is very important to create sustainable and prosperous development for the Mekong Delta on the foundation of actively adapting, mobilising its strength and potential, transforming challenges into opportunities for development, ensuring prosperity for local residents as well as preserving traditional and special cultural values, paying attention to land, water protection, and especially local people, the resolution says.

The resolution also provides numerous comprehensive solutions, such as establishing ecological sub-regions for agriculture as economic development and infrastructure construction, and setting up a master plan for sustainable development in the Mekong Delta while adapting to climate change.

In the new master plan, the resolution notes that the definition of living with floods should be expanded as living with floods, brackish and sea water.

In particular, breakthrough mechanisms and policies should be implemented to attract non-budget capital, especially money from the private sector and the most favourable business environment should be created to encourage the private sector.

Encouraging mechanisms for resource mobilization and individual enterprises investing into infrastructure and tourism, including capital lending, bond issuance and public-private-partnership investment should be issued.

Inter-regional, inter-provincial and multiple target projects should get priority in providing loans.

The resolution instructs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the Mekong river exploitation co-operation, to ensure sustainable and fair usage of the river resources, especially for water resource among six Mekong river basin countries.

The ministry will persuade countries and international organizations which are Mekong river development partners to increase their support for activities of the Mekong River Commission, and will convince upper countries, which are not members of the commission, to join soon.

Particularly, the resolution instructs the HCM City Peoples Committee to build a co-operation programme with the Mekong Delta provinces in order to promote connectivity among the Mekong Delta, HCM City and Southeast region.

The resolution asks the National Assembly to consider, adjust, add and arrange the State budget to implement missions, projects and programmes which are mentioned in the resolution. -- VNS
HCM CITY  Leaders of the HCM City Party Committee and Peoples Committee on Friday had a meeting with educators in the city on the 35th anniversary of Viet Nam Teachers Day (November 20).

During the meeting, more than 300 teachers and educational officials, who represent more than 10,000 educators in the city, shared their concerns with the citys leaders.

Huynh Cong Minh, former director of the citys Education and Training Department, raised a question to the citys leaders: Can teachers live on their salary?

He said the salary for teachers in Viet Nam was too low, only VN3 million (US$136) for a new graduate.

Most of participants agreed with Minh, and pointed out that low salary did not encourage teachers to wholeheartedly dedicate to their career.

A new payment mechanism for teachers will help the citys education sector develop sustainably, said Minh.

Delegates also expressed their thoughts on appyling advanced curricula in the school.

Ha Huu Thach, head of the Le Quy on High school in District 3, said We suggest the citys leaders and the Education and Training Department allow us to import internationally well-known advanced curricula to teach in the school along with the current curricula. This act may prevent the brain drain.

He gave an example that his school lost about 90 excellent students each year to studying abroad, even though advanced curricula and outdoor activities for students were used in the school.

Thach hoped the schools with advanced curricula would apply self-control financial mechanisms soon in order to attract more skilled teachers and to send teachers to study abroad.

In addition, the students moral in today society is also a huge challenge to the citys educators.

Minh said We are focusing on moral education in the high school, while kindergarten and primary are the best levels for teaching morals.

He added that the city needed to care more about collaboration between society and the schools.

On behalf of the citys leaders, Tat Thanh Cang, deputy secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, said that the citys education sector was facing challenges, such as an unattractive salary mechanism and out-of-date curriculum and textbooks.

Cang said The city has collected all delegates opinions, which will be used for the project on educational development.

He also expressed the citys gratitude to educators in the cause of nation building, and developing HCM City. VNS
HAI PHONG  Since 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Minh Tue of Hai Phong City Police has assisted the families of 22 fishermen in moving from small boatsvulnerable to overturning amid waves caused by cargo shipsto homes in a new village in May Chai Commune.

The Cam River is the main estuary in the city, located in Ngo Quyen District. Here, hundreds of vessels operate day and night. People from other regions of the country gather here in tiny boats, fishing for living. But these maritime homes are not safe: the constant cargo ship traffic creates unpredictable waves that can flip boats with little warning.

Back in 2006, Ngo Minh Tue came up with the idea of establishing a village for fishermen so that they could move into more secure homes. At first, they werent interested. Worried about being under the control of local authorities, none of them wanted to move to the riverside. The lack of electricity and clean water also made them reluctant.

To alleviate their concerns, Tue developed a detailed resettlement plan over the past five years. He attracted the support of May Chai Communes residents and won approval from local authorities. He also asked his colleagues, governmental agencies and other organisations to donate food and rice. Additionally, Tue helped them build houses and roads connecting the newly formed village to surrounding areas.

However, as the fishermens families were persuaded of the benefits of moving, there were more challenges to come.

To create educational opportunities for their children, he has helped them obtain school subsidies, changing peoples attitudes towards education. At present, all of the fishermens children go to school.

Now that they have moved from boats to more stable accommodations, people are rebuilding their lives. Some even gave up on the fishing profession, pursuing other careers for more sustainable income.

My children and I have never dreamed of such a stable life, said Tran Thi Nghiem, 74, a resident of May Chai Commune.

Nghiem had spent most of her life in tiny boats with five to six other people. Tues assistance allowed them to escape poverty and hunger.

Thanks to Tue and other policemen, our fishermen are now having better livelihoods. We are grateful to have him, she added.

Speaking to the Quan oi Nhan dan (Peoples Army) Newspaper, Nguyen Thi Voi, head of May Chai Communes Residency Area no.1, said she was grateful for the initiative of Tue and his colleagues.

Their efforts have transformed the area. With Tue as the pioneer, policemen and local authorities have provided support for fishermen to stabilize their lives, she said.

Challenges to head

Although the village has been established, must overcome further challenges.

Only four households have obtained temporary residence registrations. The others, due to their lack of identification documents, have been not eligible for it, he said.

Procuring daily essentials for the village is another concern.

There is still no grid electricity so they must buy it from local enterprises. Environmental sanitation is not guaranteed. Those issues require local authorities cooperation to handle since we cannot do it alone, added Tue.

Responding to Tue, Pham Thi Thu Ha, deputy head of May Chai Commune Peoples Committee, said that they took his concerns seriously.

Improving peoples livelihoods and living conditions are also our priorities. We are finding solutions to gradually address those existing problems for people to enjoy a better life, she said.  VNS
Son La police have arrested 15 people, mostly officials, for alleged breaches in paying land clearance compensation for the Son La hydropower plant, the largest dam in the country.  Photo dantri.com.vn

SON LA  Son La police have arrested 15 people, mostly officials, for alleged breaches in paying land clearance compensation for the Son La hydropower plant, the largest dam in the country.

Two others have been placed under house arrest.

The Son La Party Committees Publicity and Education Commission held a press conference on Sunday afternoon to officially announce investigations against several local officials, including a department director and two department deputy directors.

Colonel Tran Thanh Son of the Son La police told the press that 12 people are accused of breaching economic regulations causing serious consequences. Another four will be investigated for lack of responsibility that has also led to serious consequences. The specific charges against the last one involved are yet to be determined and would be announced at a later time, Son said.

Son said suspected violations range from the land measurement process and mapping work to resettlement compensation for the Son La hydropower plant, causing losses to the State.

The plant is the biggest of its kind in the Southeast Asia, with the construction cost nearly VN35 trillion (US$1.5 billion), approximately more or less of its projected expenditure plan.

However, the cost of resettling thousands of people forced to move for the dam shot up by more than VN6.3 trillion ($280 million) over its planned expenditure.

The three most notable faces in this investigation are: Truong Tuan Dung, 57, deputy director of Son La finance department; Phan Tien Dien, 42, deputy director of the natural resources and environment department; and his superior, 59-year-old Trieu Ngoc Hoan, director of the environment department.

Five other environment officials are involved, as are the director, deputy director municipal and another official of the land register office.

The police are also looking into the responsibilities of two deputy heads of the Muong La District resettlement management board, the Party Secretary of Chieng Hoa Commune, Tong Van Thanh, and Ca Van Tinh, army chief in Ta Bu Commune.  VNS
HAI PHONG  The Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam asked relevant agencies to remove works illegally constructed under a bridge on the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Expressway.

Since last August, Minh Long Construction and Industrial Limited Company, which is responsible for managing and maintaining bridges on the expressway, has been reporting to Hai Phong Citys Transport Department about illegal works that have been built under a o Bridge in the citys Kien Thuy District.

The Minh Long company was unable to meet investors of the illegal works, which include houses, restaurants and garages.

Local authorities, including Kien Thuy District Peoples Committee, said they were not authorised to deal with the violations because the expressway is under the management of investor Viet Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI).

Soon after receiving reports about the violations last Friday, the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam asked VIDIFI to address the violations quickly.

The removal of the illegal works must be reported to the directorate this week, it said.

Launched in 2008 under the build-operate-transfer agreement, the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Expressway has total length of 105.5km, with six lanes and an intended speed of 120km per hour.

The expressway has 54 bridges in total.  VNS
HA NOI  Seven dams and reservoirs in Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces have begun releasing water as the central region experiences torrential downpours.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the tropical depression that made landfall in the south-central region over the weekend, together with a cold spell coming down from the north, have brought heavy rain to four localities in the mid-central region, including the provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam, as well as a Nang City.

The weather centre has issued alerts on potential flash floods, landslides and flooding in lowland areas in these localities.

The three biggest dams and reservoirs in Thua Thien-Hue Province were ordered to release water on Sunday night. The Ta Trach Reservoir was releasing water at the rate of 80 cubic metres per second, while the Huong ien and Binh ien dams did so at the high rates of of 1,994 and 1,809 cubic metres per second, respectively, as of early Monday morning.

Thua Thien-Hue has experienced downpours since Sunday, with water levels rising rapidly, according to a Viet Nam News correspondent based in the province.

Several roads in Hue City and the Quang ien and Huong Tra districts are already flooded.

The Thua Thien-Hue hydro-meteorological station has said that rain would continue until Saturday, with the total amount of rainfall potentially reaching up to 300-400mm.

Five mountainous communes of Phong ien, Phu Loc, Huong Thuy, Nam ong and A Luoi have been placed under red alert for landslides and flash floods.

Torrential rain in Quang Nam Province also forced four hydropower dams to release water down into the downstream sections of Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers.

As of 9am on Monday morning, A Vuong dam released water at the rate of 137 cubic metres per second, while the ak Mi 4, Song Bung 4 and Song Tranh 2 dams did so at 127, 260 and 290 cubic metres per second, respectively.

Heavy rains, combined with the release of water by dams, flooded several areas in ai Loc and Nong Son districts. Flooded roads have isolated three communes in ai Loc and another four in Nong Son from the district centre.

Damage in HCM City

Heavy downpours and strong winds last Saturday evening also destroyed the roofs of many houses and uprooted hundreds of trees in Binh Duong Province and HCM Citys Districts 9 and Thu uc.

In HCM City, around 149 houses had their roofs blown off and several roads, such as Nguyen Van Linh and National Highway No. 50 were severely flooded, causing numerous vehicle breakdowns and traffic snarl-ups.

In Binh Duong, around 100 houses lost their roofs while two collapsed.

Many parts of Di An town suffered from a power outage.

In the towns ong Hoa Ward, a 50-metre antenna tower collapsed on three houses.

No casualties were reported.

Medical supplies sent to storm victims

A donation of 5,000 food packages worth VN2 billion ($88,000) from Carlsberg Viet Nam, a member of the Carlsberg Group in Denmark, has been sent to flood victims of storm Damrey in the central provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, a Nang and Quang Nam.

The supplies, including rice, fish sauce, instant noodles, cooking oil, and milk, have been delivered to the communities affected.

Chung Ang University Hospital of Korea also donated US$18,000 worth of medical equipment to support central Quang Ngai Provinces health sector as part of annual co-operation between the hospital and the province.  VNS

Inbox:

Landslide blocks north-south train route

A landslide disrupted a train journey on the Hai Van pass on Monday, essentially blocking the north-south rail route.

Authorities are yet to say when normal service can be resumed.

The north-south train SE3, running from Ha Noi to HCM City, was forced to a sudden halt at around noon after several big rocks fell on to the railroad section between Lang Co and Hai Van pass in Thua Thien-Hues Phu Loc District.

The 15-carriage train, of which 13 are passenger cars, had to return to Lang Co, the previous station, instead of proceeding to a Nang.

After 247 passengers on board, including both Vietnamese and foreigners, were brought back to Lang Co, several decided to leave the train and find their own ways to a Nang.

Torrential rains are believed to have triggered the landslide.

Viet Nam Railways Deputy Director General oan Duy Hoach said that heavy rain was hindering repair work at the site.

All north-south trains will stop at Lang Co station until the train route can be resumed, Hoach said.  VNS
BERLIN  Chancellor Angela Merkel was left battling for political survival on Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed  plunging Germany into a crisis that could see it hold fresh elections.

Europes biggest economy now faces weeks, if not months of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action.

And with no other viable coalition in sight, Germany may be forced to hold new elections that risk being as inconclusive as Septembers polls.

Merkel had been forced to seek an alliance with an unlikely group of parties after Septembers elections left her without a majority.

But after more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkels conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," he said, adding that the parties did not share "a common vision on modernising" Germany.

Voicing regret for the FDPs decision, Merkel vowed to steer Germany through the crisis.

"As chancellor... I will do everything to ensure that this country comes out well through this difficult time," she said.

The Greens leaders also deplored the collapse of talks, saying they had believed a deal could be done despite the differences.

Failure in the air

The negotiations, which turned increasingly acrimonious, had stumbled on a series of issues including immigration policy.

Merkels liberal refugee policy that let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which in September elections campaigned on an Islamophobic and anti-immigration platform.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasise the need to protect industry and jobs.

Party chiefs had initially set 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) Sunday as the moment of truth, but the deadline went by without a breakthrough  the second overtime after already missing a previous target on Thursday.

But signs that talks were going badly began emerging and Bild daily said on its website that "failure is in the air" as parties dug in their heels on key sticking points.

Chancellor in danger

Merkel could now try to convince the Social Democratic Party, which has been junior coalition in her government since 2013, to return to a partnership.

But after the SPD suffered a humiliating loss at the polls, the partys top brass has repeatedly said its place was now in the opposition.

Merkel, who has been in power for 12 years, could also lead a minority government although she had signalled that she was not in favour of such instability.

Germany could likely therefore be forced to hold new elections.

But that is not without peril for Merkel, who would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to lead them into a new electoral campaign.

Top-selling Bild daily said earlier Sunday that a failure to forge a tie-up  dubbed a "Jamaica coalition" because the parties colours match those of the Jamaican flag  puts "her chancellorship in danger".

A poll by Welt online also found that 61.4 per cent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 per cent thought otherwise.

As coalition talks dragged out without a breakthrough, Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a warning to parties in the talks.

"All sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters," he said in an interview with Weltam Sonntag.

Sueddeutsche daily noted that Steinmeiers warning came because he sees in new elections "the risk that even a bigger coalition or a Jamaica coalition would no longer have a majority".

"Then the loss would have been greater than the failure of forging a government," it said.  AFP
SANTIAGO  Billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera, who held a commanding lead in Chiles first round of presidential voting, and leftist former TV journalist Alejandro Guillier will contest a runoff next month.

Ex-president Pinera had a 36.6 per cent lead to Guilliers 22.6 per cent with more than 90 per cent of the votes counted after the first round.

"Tonight we have achieved a great electoral result and above all because we have opened the doors which will lead us to better times," Pinera told his triumphant supporters.

Guillier, an independent supported by President Michelle Bachelets Socialist party, beat off a stiff challenge from an unheralded far-left candidate, Beatriz Sanchez, for the second runoff place.

Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010 to 2014, had been the clear favorite going into Sundays first round. The second round is set for December 17.

"The result is very similar to the one we had in 2009, and in 2009 we won the election, and we managed to get our country up and running," said Pinera, who campaigned on reviving an economy that has suffered years of weak growth.

Guillier, a 64-year-old news anchor turned Senator, said Chile "wants another way, and has expressed that in the vote," which gives him a platform to build on in the second round if he can unify a fragmented left.

"The result completely reconfigures the Chilean political landscape," University of Santiago analyst Rene Jara said after both far-left and far-right candidates polled more strongly than expected among the eight presidential candidates.

Sanchez, 46, a seasoned journalist who entered politics only in March, polled more than 1.2 million votes as a representative of the anti-austerity Frente Amplio party.

"Chile wants change and said it today by voting," she said.

Jara said Sanchezs vote had given her party "very strong negotiating power for the second round."

Although her party had been reluctant to pledge support for Guillier, "they are obliged to do so because they will not be responsible for a return of Pinera to power."

Analysts said Pinera will be forced to appeal to the far right for support in the second round, after extreme right-candidate Jose Antonio Kast polled strongly, taking 7.9 per cent of the votes.

Voter apathy

Bachelet, who was also Chiles first woman president, hugged and took photographs with female supporters before casting her ballot in Santiago.

"It is important that people come out and vote (for a candidate) because they feel they represent what they want for Chile," she said, predicting a second round.

As he headed to a Santiago polling station, Fernando Aravena, 76, said: "We need change. Thats the idea."

Daniel Concha, a 31-year-old psychologist, said it was "very likely" that Pinera would win the election.

Paula Salas, 35, said she voted for Sanchez.

"If she became president, she would do more, because she has fewer links with the powerful class," Salas said.

Lawyer Cristian Barros cautioned against a Pinera victory being seen as a foregone conclusion.

"There were several former presidential candidates in Chilean history who were considered winners, and I think Pinera should not be given as a winner until the end of the election," said Barros, 37.

Chiles constitution bans consecutive terms for presidents, but re-election after skipping a term is permissible.

Bachelet herself led the conservative South American country  Latin Americas fifth-largest economy  from 2006 to 2010 and then was re-elected to replace Pinera in 2014.

Compulsory voting was dropped in 2012. Since then, a growing number of Chiles 14 million eligible voters have decided to stay away from voting booths.

No majority?

Pineras first presidential victory in 2009 elections signified a break from the center-left politics that had reigned in Chile since democracy was restored with the end of Augusto Pinochets dictatorship in 1990.

But a Pinera comeback is not seen as a rejection of the overall economic and social model erected in the Bachelet years, during which Chile posted annual growth of 1.8 per cent and passed tax and labour reforms, as well as introduced free education and the right to abortion.

"Chileans dont want to tear down the model, just fix its structure," said political analyst Mauricio Morales of Talca University.

Pinera has promised modifications to Bachelets reforms, and vowed to have Chile join the club of developed nations within eight years.

His effectiveness, though, could be hobbled by a shortfall in legislative support.

"He is not going to have a majority in Congress," predicted analyst Marta Lagos, founder of Latinobarometro and MORI Chile.

Sundays elections also included legislative elections for 155 congressional seats and half the Senate.

The right was set to increase its share of the seats, but not by enough to have the majority in either chamber. It is the first poll in the countrys history that includes expatriate citizens.  AFP
RABAT  At least 15 women were killed and five injured on Sunday in a crush as food aid was distributed near the coastal tourist town of Essaouira in western Morocco, authorities and witnesses said.

The accident happened in the village of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60km from Essaouira.

A witness said that hundreds of women had gathered at a village marketplace for a distribution of flour organised annually by a prominent benefactor from the region who lives in the commercial capital, Casablanca.

"This year there were lots of people, several hundred people," the witness, a doctor who asked to remain anonymous, said.

"People shoved, they broke down the barriers," he said.

"The local authorities on the spot were overwhelmed. Even when there were people on the ground, people kept fighting for food."

The doctor said all those killed were women, adding that 10 more had been injured, and that two were in a critical condition. The injured were evacuated to a hospital in Marrakesh, he said.

Images posted on "essaouira en ligne tv", a Facebook page run by activists, show a large crowd gathered in the villages market square and bodies lying on the ground.

"Hunger kills dozens of poor people in the province of Essaouira," a caption reads. "The tragedy... brings shame on representatives and officials."

Manar Khouda, a teacher who runs the Facebook page, said the annual distribution has triggered several stampedes in the past.

She said only four police officers were on hand to guard this years delivery.

The Akhbar al-Yaoum newspaper quoted organiser Abdelkadir El Hadidi, an imam, as saying the operation was "in accordance with the law and under the supervision of the authorities".

Authorities said an investigation had been opened to "determine the circumstances of the incident" and establish who was responsible.

The interior ministry said King Mohammed VI had issued orders to "provide the necessary help and support to the families of the victims and the injured".

He had also decided to "personally cover the costs of victims funerals and burials, and the care of the injured," it said.

Morocco suffers glaring social and regional inequalities. An official report in early October slammed severe poverty that persisted in rural and remote areas of the country.

News website Medias 24 said Sidi Boulaalam was "one of the poorest" villages in Morocco.  AFP
Last week was a good week for Fred Hubbell and Nate Boulton.

They are the early front runners among seven Democrats seeking to become their partys nominee in the states gubernatorial election next year, according to a liberal websites poll and Des Moines Register analysis, both published last week.

Hubbell, a retired Des Moines businessman, and Boulton, a state legislator from Des Moines, were the top choices in a poll published by Iowa Starting Line, a website that covers Iowa politics and published by Pat Rynard, a former Democratic campaign staffer.

In the poll, 22 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they plan to vote for Hubbell in the June 5 primary election; 13 percent said they will vote for Boulton.

They were the only candidates to reach double figures in support; 47 percent said they are not sure for which candidate they will vote.

Cathy Glasson (6 percent), a nurse and union leader, and John Norris (5 percent), who in the past worked for Tom Vilsack and Barack Obama, received the next-highest support in the poll.

Because so many respondents said they remain unsure and because so few voters are tuned into the race this far out from the June primary, Rynard urged caution about reading too much into the early poll results.

Obviously, since we are seven months out from the actual voting date, all of these numbers should be taken with a big grain of salt, Rynard wrote at Iowa Starting Line. The majority of Democrats in the state havent even heard about most of these candidates yet. The electorate on the day of the primary could look much different. ... This is merely a snapshot of where the race is now, not a prediction of where its going to end up.

The poll, which was conducted by Atlanta-based 20/20 Insight, surveyed 762 likely Iowa Democratic primary voters from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points.

Democratic Party activists across the state reached a similar conclusion to the poll, according to a report filed last week by the Des Moines Registers chief political reporter, Jason Noble.

Noble interviewed Democratic activists and operatives, and reported Boulton and Hubbell lead the seven-candidate field, bolstered by demonstrable organizational strength, high-profile endorsements and the promise of ample dollars to fund campaigns into the June 5 primary election and beyond.

Hubbell and Boulton have displayed campaign strength in various ways in these early stages of the race.

Both have claimed successful fundraising hauls, although that cannot be independently confirmed until campaign finance reports are due to the state in January.

Hubbell, who possesses the resources to at least partially self-finance his campaign, was the first candidate to air campaign ads on television.

The Boulton and Hubbell campaigns had strong shows of campaign organization at the Polk County Democrats fundraiser in late September. Both had dozens of supporters show up wearing campaign T-shirts, held nearby pre-event rallies and marched in unison to the fundraiser  Boultons supporters banging thunder sticks and Hubbells accompanied by a local marching band.

But, as Rynard noted, the primary election remains seven months away. Hubbell and Boulton may appear to be the early leaders, but there is plenty of time for Glasson, Norris, or former state party chairwoman Andy McGuire to mount a serious challenge.

And with seven candidates in the race  party activist and former auditor candidate Jon Neiderbach and former Iowa City mayor Ross Wilburn also are running - the decision could wind up in the hands of the partys delegates. If no candidate receives at least 35 percent of the vote in the primary, the nominee is chosen instead by delegates at the partys state convention.

Bottom line: Hubbell and Boulton clearly have made a strong first impression, but there is a long way to go before the Democratic nomination is decided.
Advertisement

By The Associated Press

Nov. 19, 2017 | BIRMINGHAM, AL

By The Associated Press Nov. 19, 2017 | 10:27 AM | BIRMINGHAM, AL

A leading figure among religious liberals is speaking out against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.



The Rev. William J. Barber led a rally against Moore at a church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday. More than 100 people gathered for the event.



Barber and other speakers criticized Moore over allegations he made improper sexual advances toward teenage girls decades ago.



Speakers also cited Moore's opposition to gay rights and criticized him for opposing federally backed health care, assistance for the needy, public school funding and more.



The demonstration came two days after a group of conservative evangelical leaders held an event with Moore in support of his campaign against Democrat Doug Jones. Moore has long been a champion of Christian conservatives nationwide.



GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore's wife is standing by her embattled man, and she has gathered other Alabama women to his cause  but not everyone is sticking with him.



Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct toward women in their teens when he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. The accusations are dividing Republicans and women in particular.



On Friday, Kayla Moore surrounded herself with two dozen other women to defend him.



Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey says she has no reason to disbelieve the accusers, and she's bothered by the allegations. However, Ivey says she will vote for Moore anyway for the sake of GOP power in Congress.



But some other longtime GOP women voters say they can't support him.
By The Associated Press Nov. 14, 2017 | 08:56 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin's administration is asking consultants to redo their analysis of how much his proposed overhaul of the teachers' pension system would cost taxpayers.

Bevin's administration signaled Tuesday it doesn't like assumptions used by consultants in their analysis of the Teachers' Retirement System.

The redo request comes as Bevin considers convening a special legislative session to deal with one of the country's worst-funded public pension systems.

The original analysis said Bevin's pension overhaul bill could cost taxpayers an extra $4.4 billion over 20 years to fund retirement benefits for public school teachers. That projection assumes more teachers would retire early and the state would earn less on its investments

Bevin's administration has not released of a similar analysis of the pension system for state and local workers.
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Because of Svetochka, we have several sites working. It looks like the damage done to the servers has been excessive and they had serious meltdown of hardware and such. That means we may or may not have any data left from the last year, at the actual server site. Svetochka is trying to reset 2016 and back to the beginning. She has backups for that. 2017 we relied on their backups that have been done weekly. stupid is as stupid does

If she does then we are going to create an archive for Windows to Russia and keep the new posts separate from the old posts. Maybe even on a different server.but then, does it matter in the end?

WtR is on a new host right now. We grabbed a month at a cheap hosting and Svetochka moved her main site and WtR to the hosting. Then she salvaged almost all of her site, but WtR is 6000 posts, in comparison to 100 posts on her site. Big difference when it comes to data. Egit just took all night to upload 17,000+ backup images to WtRs new database. That is just part of the images I had in the library, but it helps 

Svetochkas site

[contentcards url=http://english4kids.russianblogger.ru/]

Thus, posting is kinda like running naked in a snowstorm. You are not sure why you are out in the storm, much less naked! All of WtRs clothes are gone

* * * * * * * * * *

What happened?

Lets just say.bad things and bad things do happen! Not the first time and not the last time.crying over spilled milk just will not happen in this case. Whodunit? You know the answer to that, whether you want to admit to that answer or not

Yes Windows to Russia will continue, the out pour of emails and such to express, Are You Guys Okay?

Is all the reason that Boza, Svetochka and I need to keep posting

News from the Tiny Russian Village and it is sad news. One of the village people died this last week (No, not Vova!) but.A good friend of mine and I have talked about him before. The family has been in the village since the gentleman was born and he went to school in the area. He was a college professor and a very wonderful man. He knew English and his wife actually teaches English in a university. He will be missed and he died after a few years of fighting against cancer. They operated several times, but never could get it all and it finally finished him off. I remember the last conversation I had with him and it was this summer. He told me all about the Tiny Russian Village as he saw it as a little kid. He will be missed, may he rest in peace and harmony now! He enjoyed summer life in the village until the end. maybe we will see each other on the other side?

Therefore, I have been informed that I cannot post anymore than a few posts in the next few days.  My boss and the best girl in the whole world, says so! I got that look and therefore, I will end this and only post again in a few days

Have a nice day

WtR
Nov 20, 2017 | By Benedict

In todays 3D printing news roundup, theres media recognition for Michelins 3D printed tire concept, a big investment in Norways Norsk Titanium, and an Irish cleantech company making biodegradable 3D printed irrigation systems.

TIME names Michelins 3D printed tire one of 2017s best inventions

Well start the roundup at TIME Magazine, because the New York-based publication has just named Michelins Vision 3D printed concept tire one of the 25 best inventions of 2017. The airless 3D printed tire, which we wrote about in June, could hypothetically last as long as the entire car.

On behalf of Michelin and the many designers and engineers involved in bringing the Vision concept to life, we are honored to receive this recognition from the editors at TIME Magazine, said Terry Gettys, global head of research and development for Michelin Group.

The unusual 3D printed tire is actually more of an all-in-one wheel and tire, and combines four technological areas: airless, organic, rechargeable, and connected.

Made from organic and renewable materials (hence the organic promise), the tire can be recharged with new 3D printed treads when required, which enables easy customization depending on road and seasonal conditions.

Its also fitted with sensors that detect road conditions and maintenance requirements, alerting the driver to all important information. This contributes to the tires connected status.

We believe the Vision concept is as beautiful as the natural world that inspires it, combining multiple technologies that together project the course for Michelins innovation in the years ahead, Gettys said.

The ideas presented in the Vision concept have taken hold among vehicle designers, demonstrating a feasible vision of how the tire can provide essential contributions to sustainable mobility in the future.

Rose Park Advisors invests in additive manufacturing company Norsk Titanium

Flying across the chilly Atlantic we arrive at Norwegian titanium additive specialist Norsk Titanium, which has announced significant investment from the Disruptive Innovation Fund of investment firm Rose Park Advisors.

Terms of the investment have not been released, though Norsk Titanium commented that the deal proved the value of its Rapid Plasma Deposition 3D printing technology, highlighting the reputation of Rose Park Advisors co-founder Clayton Christensen.

Christensen returned the compliment, saying that although many startups claim to be disruptive, Norsk Titanium is one of a few that genuinely are.

Norsk Titanium has identified a truly disruptive opportunity, Christensen said. Seeing our research in action is always exciting, and to see it in metals manufacturingwhere one of the classic historical examples of disruption occurredis even better.

Norsk Titanium is making especially big strides in the aerospace sector. In October 2017, Boeing started using aircraft with 3D printed Ti64 structural aviation components made using Norsk Titaniums RPD technology.

Irelands AquaRoot uses biodegradable 3D printed pipes to improve irrigation

Staying in Europe for the final item in the roundup, Irish cleantech company AquaRoot Technologies is using a biodegradable polymer to make 3D printed irrigation systems. The company has developed a proprietary platform that enables users to 3D print drainage and irrigation pipes on-site and at scale, both rapidly and economically, and in a manner that mimics the function of a tree root network.

According to AquaRoots founder and CEO Vincent Farrelly, the 3D printing platform allows users to build their own customized drainage and irrigation systems for specific applications. These might include growing plants in glasshouses, emergency drainage in buildings and on land, or the emergency channelling of water.

The 3D printable polymer used by AquaRoot was initially developed in collaboration with Irelands Athlone Institute of Technology, and the company now has a range of proprietary polymers (some biodegradable, some non-biodegradable) with different water-absorbing and transportation properties.

Our aim is that our AquaRoot system will be the de facto choice for users to create their own permanent or temporary water pipe systems, Farrelly says. Be that a horticulturist growing strawberries in a glasshouse, a construction worker draining a sump, or a farmer irrigating plants or providing water to animals.

AquaRoot came first in the Irish heat of the 2017 International Climate Launch Pad business competition, and plans to release a beta version of its 3D printed solution by mid-2018.

The company is seeking both investors and development partners to help it scale up its 3D printing operations.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Nov 20, 2017 | By Tess

3D printing has transformed or is impacting many industries, from aerospace to healthcare. One of the main appeals of the technology within these fields is that it opens up the possibility of what forms and parts can be designed. With that in mind, it is always interesting to see what designers themselves are doing with the technology; to see what 3D printed design for designs sake includes.

Lets take a look at four amazing and creative 3D printed products from the jewelry and design worlds.

3D printed Macrocosmos by Alessandro Zambelli

The first is a collection from Italian designer Alessandro Zambelli, which was inspired by outer space and UFOs. Comprising eight vases and receptacles for the home, the 3D printed collection, called Macrocosmos, is notable for its fun colors and contrasting shapes.

Each vase or piece from the collection was 3D printed using FDM 3D printing technology and was finished using brass parts and colored ERGAL pieces. The layers of the 3D printer are still visible on the designs, which adds a touch of playfulness to the colorful pieces.

Macrocosmos derives from my very personal desire to lend a new and contemporary interpretation to a specific manufacturing sector, said Zambelli. Until a few decades ago, this was a staple industry in the village where I live, known to this day as the village of toys because of its vast numbers of doll and toy factories.

My intention was to revive the near-surreal amazement I used to feel as a child whenever I saw those stacks of wooden crates, crammed with toy parts for assembly with the insight of the person I now am, he continued.

Macrocosmos marks Zambellis first collection under his design brand Alessandro Zambelli Edizioni. The designer says his brand will feature experimental and unique design objects and accessories.

Zambelli has been working with 3D printing for some time, having produced stunning 3D printed light shades, and more.

LEGO-inspired 3D printed Playful&Precious rings by hintlab

Next, is a 3D printed jewelry collection that is sure to entice or at the very least amuse all those with fond memories of playing with LEGO bricks. Designed by hintlab, a Paris-based design studio, the collection consists of customized 3D printed rings and earrings which can be adorned with tiny LEGO bricks.

Appropriately named Playful&Precious, the LEGO-inspired jewelry is not only customized to the wearer in terms of ring size, but can also be personalized based on finish (in bronze, brass, sterling silver, or gold) and, of course, in terms of what LEGO piece is attached to it. This means that the wearer can swap out different LEGO colors on a daily basis.

And dont worry if you dont still have your old LEGO collection on hand, because hintlab gives its customers a personalized set of tiny blocks in a range of selected colors.

The pieces themselves were designed by hintlabs founders Thomas and Allie and feature studs which were specially designed to be LEGO-compatible. To manufacture the made-to-order rings, hintlab has teamed up with Shapeways and reportedly uses both 3D printing and traditional jewelry casting methods to produce each ring.

We hope our rings can be a kind reminder to keep your inner-child run and roam free, said the design studio. Because after all, the most sophisticated people we knowinside they are all children.

The rings can be found on hintlabs Etsy page and come in a range of sizes. Clients can also choose to request a custom order.

Bearing: 3D printed jewelry line by Maison 203

Italian design brand Maison 203 is already pretty well established in the realm of 3D printed design: having produced a number of 3D printed handbags, and 3D printed jewelry collections such as Kalikon.

Now, having teamed up with designer Giulio Iacchettis, Maison 203 has unveiled its latest jewelry line: Bearing.

Aesthetically, the 3D printed collection recalls the grace and simplicity of a string of pearls, only instead of the mollusk-produced material, Bearing designs are made from 3D printed and hand-dyed nylon.

More than just pretty to look at, however, Maison 203 designers have used 3D printing technology to integrate a new level of functionality to the pieces, in the form of a ball joint connection mechanism. That is, each 3D printed pearl fits inside the next, which makes for a flexible and comfortable accessory.

The 3D printed Bearing collection consists of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings, each available in a range of different colors including Black, Blue, Navy Blue, Olive Green, and Cherry Red.

3D printed Colback panels by Rick Tegelaar

This last 3D printed design is not quite a finished product, but is still notable for its innovation.

As part of this years Dutch Design Week, a group of ten Dutch designers were invited by manufacturer Low & Bonar to produce a range of objects from Colback, a non-woven textile with applications in insulation, carpeting, road building, and more.

The project saw a number of creative uses for the material, including a chair made from pleated Colback and lamp shades made from the material using a laser-cutting process.

The one design that really stood out to us, however, was by Rick Tegelaar, who developed a method for 3D printing Colback fibers. Tegelaars method consists of a machine which is capable of 3D printing (or ironing) Colback fibers onto a surface also made from the non-women material. The result of the printing was a series of six rigid panels, each inspired by an aspect of the Colback research.

"Through pragmatic experiments and theoretical research, I discovered that Colback can be 3D printed exceptionally well due to the unique core-skin composition of its fibre," explained Tegelaar. "This triggered my interest to really look into the fibre and research its capabilities.

"We've now started a research project with a global footwear brand to try to implement the printing technique in their process. In this way, we can potentially eliminate the use of glue in the fabrication of shoes, he continued.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Nov 20, 2017 | By David

3D printing technology has enabled product designers in a variety of different fields to expand their horizons and re-imagine manufacturing possibilities, in terms of materials, shapes and many other factors. Fashion is one industry where 3D printing is starting to have a significant impact, particularly by enabling a range of cross-disciplinary influences, and a recent award-winning breakthrough has successfully combined stylish eyewear with a material more commonly associated with construction. South African architect Handre de la Rey's 3D printed concrete sunglasses are now commercially available on the 20 Eight website to a select number of fashion-forward consumers.

While this might seem like a strange clash of aesthetics and functionalities, concrete eyewear is actually not even a unique idea. XYZ Integrated Architecture studio and UK artist Daniel Sinsel have each created their own pairs, but this is the first that will see a commerical release.

The CS Project was inspired by the work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando, whose use of bold geometry, clean proportions and concrete informed de la Reys process. The sunglasses were five years in the making, from the initial concept to final production, with 3D printing and design technology playing a major role in the intermediate design and prototyping stages.

Handre de la Rey was named 2017 PPC Imaginarium Awards Industrial Design Category Winner for his innovative eyewear. The South African art and design competition challenges emerging creatives to express their talents by incorporating Portland cement-based concrete as the primary medium in their respective industries, and it helped CS Project gain some serious media coverage nationwide. Other winners included jewellery designer and manufacturer Zanele Vilakazi and fine artist Mziwoxolo Makalima.

Known as CS Project, the innovative concrete sunglasses are now being released on to the market by de la Reys design studio 20 Eight. Despite their heavy-duty material base, the sunglasses are relatively lightweight, weighing just 100 grams. Each pair was handcrafted and individually numbered, and the production run is currently limited to just 1,000 units. 3D printed metal was used to make the bridge, and the rims of the sunglasses are concrete, with interchangeable temples.

Conventional clay and resin moulding techniques were used, after which a 1mm-long silicon skin was added around the master rim to prevent breakages. Once the cement was properly cured, the components were sanded and sealed. CS Project recently went on sale at the GUILD, which is located at the Silo District at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa.

According to De La Rey, Developing (the) CS Project has been a challenge, albeit one that we have thoroughly enjoyed. Were extremely happy with the finished product and are currently shipping our first batch of sunglasses to Canada. Were also in the process of developing a Nylon version. Being announced as the Industrial Design Category Winner in the 2017 PPC Imaginarium Awards has given our design studio incredible exposure. CS Project has been on display at numerous esteemed galleries and has been featured widely in the media  were now receiving an influx of inquiries regarding our work. The awards pushed us to work hard on a design that is unique and out of our comfort zone.

The 3D printed concrete eyewear is priced at R 6500.00 (USD463).

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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All the news that's fit to eat.

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Frally%2F2016%2F09%2F14171426%2FWing-Wings-1500x750.jpg&ho;=https%3A%2F%2Fblogmedia.evbstatic.com&s;=723&h;=77748b690157bfd6fa4ec41f985229b037cf5177da325e24366cf98f10a74f50&size;=980x&c;=2959987683 image-library="0" caption="All the wings at\u00a0Wing Wing's." pin_description="" photo_credit_src="https://blogmedia.evbstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/rally/2016/09/14171426/Wing-Wings-1500x750.jpg" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252Frally%252F2016%252F09%252F14171426%252FWing-Wings-1500x750.jpg%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fblogmedia.evbstatic.com%26s%3D723%26h%3D77748b690157bfd6fa4ec41f985229b037cf5177da325e24366cf98f10a74f50%26size%3D980x%26c%3D2959987683%22%7D" expand=1 photo_credit=""] All the wings at Wing Wing's.

Wing Wings' 6th Annual Chicken Wing Eating Contest

Wing Wings' 6th Annual chicken wing eating contest and fundraiser returns this year to Spark Social Food Park in Mission Bay; which actually consists of two contests. One will be a timed event where contestants try to eat the most Angry Korean Wings in 10 minutes; and the other is the Hella Hot competition where contestants pit against each other to be the first to down 10hot wings first. There'll also be other food trucks/vendors, DJ spinning, raffles, and more. Best of all, funds raised will go to UNDOCUFUND, which supports undocumented immigrants affected by the recent Sonoma fires. // 1pm-4pm, Saturday December 2nd, 601 Mission Bay Blvd. (Mission Bay), more information on Facebook.





The Saratoga Celebrates 1 Year With Brunch

The Saratoga on Larkin is celebrating its first birthday with a sweet party tonight. There'll be free hors d'oeuvres and half-priced cocktails with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Project Open Hand, a non-profit that provides meals to the elderly and disabled. The restaurant is also getting into the Sunday brunch game starting December 3rd. There'll be Billionaire's Bacon, their delicious jenga tots with cheddar, chorizo, and cilantro; Texas French toast with thick-cut brioche, bourbon syrup, and bacon powder; mimosa donuts and more. // 1000 Larkin St. (TenderNob), thesaratogasf.com













Bluestem Gets a Major Revamp

Trevor Ogden, previous executive chef at Park Tavern, is now running ship at Bluestem and already making changes. Earlier this month he launched a new brunch menu which added deviled eggs with candied pancetta and pink peppercorn, buttermilk biscuits and gravy, and mushroom and crispy tofu hash. Last week, he redid the lunch and dinner menus with seasonal Californian fare. Expect marinated beets with purslane, wasabi, and duck fat toasted oats; a pan-roasted pork chop with cauliflower puree, spatzle, shaved Brussel sprouts; and more. // 1 Yerba Buena Ln. (SoMa), bluestembrasserie.com









Dandelion's 12 Nights of Chocolate Returns

Dandelion's 12 Nights of Chocolate is back. If you've never been to one of their events, know that each year the chocolate factory teams up with the Bay Area's best chefs to create a series of evenings centered around, you guessed it, chocolate. All proceeds go to benefit the SF-Marin Food Bank. This year's collaborators include Angela Pinkerton and David Nayfeld (Chef Fico) who will be doing a seated dinner, an ice-cream social with Salt & Straw, Revival, and Smitten Ice Cream, a nature-inspired meal with Atelier Crenn's pastry chef Juan Contreras, and much more. // See events here.









Thanksgiving Farmers Market



If you need some last minute produce, Cuesa's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is holding a special farmers market on Wednesday. In addition to fresh fare from the farmers, there'll be other vendors serving lunch, including Nepalese dumplings from Bini's Kitchen, Korean tacos from Namu, and porchetta sandwiches from RoliRoti. Other sweet vendors include Three Babes Bakeshop for the requisite Pumpkin pie, Marla Bakery for breads, and Crumble & Whisk because cheesecake is an appropriate food any time of the year. // 10:00am-2:00pm, Wednesday November 22nd, One Ferry Building (Embarcadero), more information at cuesa.org
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Chairman's Address - 2017 AGM

Sydney, Nov 20, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Big Un Ltd ( ASX:BIG ) provides the Chairman's Address at 2017 AGM.



Over the course of the last twelve months BIG has seen significant growth in share price, operating cash profits, customer numbers, international operations and organisational headcount.



This growth has come as a direct result of the talent of our team at BIG. Good leadership is fundamental to the success of the team and I would personally like to recognise the hard work, dedication, vision and passion that Richard, Sonia, Brandon and Andy continue to invest into the business.



The growth of the Company has been built on the foundation of BIG's business model, which is to produce high-quality videos for small to medium sized businesses, through which they can promote their business at an affordable price.



This past twelve months has seen the development of an enthusiastic sales team, both in Australia and abroad who are passionate about BIG and the results of this speak for themselves. Pipeline members have increased 544% year on year, paying subscribers increased 114% year on year and video content views have increased to 44.2million, an increase of 170% year on year. BIG's approach has always been to leverage its first-mover advantage and the momentum that our sales team has built is executing this strategy well.



As BIG's customer numbers have continued to grow quarter on quarter, the production team have expanded to meet this need. BIG's investment into this team has enabled the team to increase the production quality of their work whilst maintaining video production costs and efficiencies.



BIG has continued to devote significant resources into its technology development, with the appointment of Jason Short as BIG's Global Chief Technology Officer in July 2017. Jason has extensive experience in the development of mobile technology, business intelligence and marketing technology ensuring that BIG continues to bring leading-edge technology to both its business customers and consumers. During the 2017 financial year, BIG released its autogen technology. This technology has enabled the company to automatically generate large volumes of promotional videos, utilizing content from its existing video library. This has enabled BIG to leverage the customer base accessed through the BHA Media and Food and Beverage media acquisitions to market its services through targeted short videos.



Effective governance and internal controls are crucial to long-term business success. We recognise the importance of these and continue to prioritise these as part of our culture, both at board and executive level. This includes our processes to managing risks, be those financial, technological or operational risks.



Your Board pays close attention to both the Company's reputation and its culture. As BIG continues to transition from its history as a fast-growing start-up into a larger corporate entity, the Board remains committed to building a strong corporate culture and retaining its reputation as an employer of choice.



Our team at BIG are passionate, dedicated and hard-working and have each played their part in producing such a fantastic result for the 2017 financial year. I congratulate them again on the exciting and dynamic business that they are continuing to build and which the year ahead will see further key milestones being delivered.



Finally, I would like to thank our shareholders for their ongoing support and commitment to BIG. We truly value your belief in us and we will continue to strive to deliver outstanding results in return for that confidence.



To view the release, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/JWN87549





About Big Un Ltd





Big Un Ltd (ASX:BIG) is the parent company of Big Review TV Ltd. Big Review TV are innovative disruptors in the online video space delivering subscription based video technology products and services. The Company has operations across Australia and in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver and was listed on the ASX in December 2014.
After hawkers, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has trained guns on banks, asking them to conduct transactions in Marathi.

MNS functionaries met officials of banks including the Punjab National Bank, Union Bank and Allahabad Bank here and handed over letters to the bank managements, asking them to ensure that transactions are conducted in Marathi as well.

After the recent anti-hawkers stir, Raj Thackeray has appealed for conducting bank transactions in Marathi, for the sake of sons of soil and the common man, the letter said.

You are aware that Marathi is the rajbhasha (state language) of Maharashtra. That is why, our party is firm that all formal transactions in the state should be carried out in Marathi, the letter said.

The letters given to various banks are signed by local MNS functionaries, MNS youth wing vice president Akhil Chitre said.

You (banks) can conduct transactions in other languages also. But we are firm that transactions be also done in Marathi, the letter said, asking banks to respect Marathi.

Similar letters will be soon issued to foreign banks operating in Maharashtra, Chitre said.

Addressing a rally in Thane on Saturday, Thackeray had criticised banks for ignoring the Marathi language despite guidelines from the Reserve Bank of India on using the local language.

From Tuesday, our workers will go to banks and check if transactions are being done in Marathi. If not, we will force them to do so. We are not breaking any law but just enforcing RBIs guidelines, the MNS chief had said.

MNS had made telecom service providers to get their interactive voice response (IVR) systems to use Marathi. The party is now all set to ensure the same in ATMs, bank call centres, as well as their correspondence to customers, Chitre said.
The death of three women after they were being run over by an express train near Malad raises question about the safety of contractual labours of Indian railways. Since last seven years, 44 railway workers, that included contractual labours, have lost their lives on railway tracks in the Mumbai division. More than 12 gangmen have died while performing track maintenance work since past three years. Often railways fail to provide compensations to the kin of these deceased workers as they have to undergo huge hardships. The suburban section of the Mumbai division is already congested due to the introduction of more trains by railways. Therefore railways are unable to carry out proper maintenance work on regular working days. Often gangmen risk their lives while carrying out track maintenance work as they have to concentrate on their work and also keep an eye on running trains. An official has demanded that flagman must be posted on both sides of the track to keep watch on trains for ensuring safety of gangmen.

Navnath Laxman Khartade, an activist said, Railways cant make discrimination between contractual and permanent employees as these women had died while performing their duties. Thus injustice is being meted against them. The railways must pay compensation to them as they were doing their work. Activists and media should come forward to deliver justice them.

Gajanan Kirtikar, Shiv Sena MP and member of Railway Board said, Railways only hire contractual workers but fail to provide them adequate compensation after the occurrence of any accident. Even medical benefits are being denied to contractual workers by railways. I will look into this matter and will approach railways to provide compensation to them.

Bhai Jagtap, Congress MLA said, The government must provide compensation to kin of deceased workers irrespective of whether they are contractual or permanent employees. When Lalu Prasad Yadav was the railway minister he had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of deceased workers. The compensation amount should be increased to Rs 25 lakh now.

J R Bhosale, General Secretary of Western Railway Employees Union said, Being a principle employer, Western Railways must not shirk their responsibilities. Railways must provide compensation to the families of deceased workers.

Kirit Somaiya, BJP MP and Chairman of labour committee said, Railways must provide compensation to the families of deceased workers. I am overseeing this issue and we will ensure that justice is being provided to them.
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The UK division of Swedens West Atlantic cargo airline has relocated its operation from Coventry Airport to East Midlands Airport.

The express freight company has leased 43,000 sq ft of hanger space close to its key customers DHL and the Royal Mail.

A statement said that the move is driven by a need to find increased space to accommodate its recently expanded fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, and the fact that many of West Atlantics customers are based at East Midlands Airport.

West Atlantic also offers aircraft maintenance services and aircraft leasing which will benefit other cargo operators that are located at East Midlands Airport.

Nigel Hiorns, managing director for West Atlantic UK, said: "We had outgrown our Coventry facility as it could no longer meet the demands and needs of our business.

"A new base is required due to the rapid expansion of our fleet, and our in- house maintenance capabilities especially as we prepare to launch new converted Boeing 737-800 freighters in February 2018.

"East Midlands Airport is the perfect solution for us as its a prime site for our customer network and it will offer us a convenient solution for the maintenance of our larger aircraft.

The relocation was managed by MAG Property, a division of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) which owns East Midlands Airport, as well as Manchester, London Stansted and Bournemouth Airports.

East Midlands Airport is the UKs second busiest cargo airport after Heathrow, and the UKs most important airport for dedicated freight aircraft. Last year, 9bn worth of goods were exported on behalf of UK business to 200 countries in Latin America, Asia, North America and the Middle East.

Howard Ebison, East Midlands Airports commercial director, said: Such is the strategic importance of our cargo offer that many operators and their support networks want to be located nearby or on our site.

"The arrival of West Atlantic is a further boost to the current operation and is yet more evidence of the impact the airport has on attracting new business to the East Midlands region. The impact of such investment will be felt across the region especially by regional businesses that rely on exporting and importing goods.

Read more Cargo Airport and freighter operator news



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What would Thanksgiving be without turkey?

Last year, Americans carved more than 46 million turkeys at their Thanksgiving meals. There are steps you need to take, however, to make sure the star of the show is both safe and delicious to eat.

Thawing your turkey

Here's advice from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System on how to safely thaw your bird:

Do not let it sit on the counter at room temperature.

It can take longer for it to thaw in the refrigerator if the refrigerator is full and the temperature is below 40 degrees.

For a frozen bird, allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds to thaw.

Keep it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator on a tray to catch any meat juices.

Buy fresh turkeys no earlier than one or two days before Thanksgiving.

Always use cold water because this prevents dangerous bacteria from growing.

Another option is to place the packaged turkey in a container of cold water, but you must change the water out every 30 minutes.

Other safety tips:

Thaw the turkey completely before you begin to cook it.

Setting the oven at a temperature lower than 325 degrees and letting a frozen or partially thawed bird cook longer will put it in the temperature "danger zone" of 41 and 135 degrees

Dangerous bacteria can grow if the turkey is not thawed properly.

The internal temperature of the bird must reach 165 degrees to make sure all the bacteria is killed.

Always check the internal temperature with a calibrated thermometer. Do not rely on the "pop-up" thermometer.

Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

Use hot, soapy water and paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. Wash cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Wash cutting boards, dishes, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.

Use a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water to sanitize surfaces and utensils.

Keep cold foods at a temperature of 41 degrees or lower to prevent bacterial growth.
(Photo courtesy of Roy Wood Jr.)

For comedian Roy Wood Jr., food is no joke. He knows what he likes. Knows what he doesn't. And when the Birmingham native returns to his hometown this week, he won't have to ponder his restaurant agenda. "When I get to Birmingham, down South, my only objective is to get the food I can't get up here," says Wood, 38, who lives in New York City.

Of course, visiting his mother, Joyce Dugan Wood, is on the priority list. Wood, a correspondent for "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah," also has two standup shows to perform in Alabama, on Nov. 21-22 in Hoover and Huntsville. But he'll make sure to sandwich in a few visits to his favorite eateries -- "the places that, for me, warm my soul." During a phone interview with AL.com, Wood talked about his must-have dishes in Birmingham, and told us why they're on his crave list. Mary Colurso | MColurso@AL.com

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(Milo's Original Burger Shop Facebook photo/Stephen DeVries)

1. Milo's burger

"When I go to Milo's, the cheeseburger combo with sweet tea is a given," Wood says. He tailors the order -- light onions, light sauce -- and savors every bite. "Milo's gives you extra meat at random inside the burger," Wood says. "It's not a double cheeseburger, but it makes it feel like you got more than you paid for."

Wood admits that Milo's famous sauce is "a love it or leave it scenario," but it's definitely on his love list. He has a visceral reaction to people who offer faint praise for the Milo's burger, saying it's merely "fine." "What do you mean, fine?" Wood says. 'I'll fight you for this."

Favorite Milo's stop: Off Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood, on the way to his mother's house. "Of all the places in Birmingham where I like to eat, my stomach has the longest relationship with Milo's," Wood says.

Extreme example of a Milo's craving while traveling: "I had a three-hour layover in Atlanta and I was doing the math on how I could rent a car, drive to Anniston to Milo's to get a burger, and drive back to the airport," Wood says.

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(Milo's Original Burger Shop Facebook photo)

Optional at Milo's: apple pie

It's not a must-have for Wood, but he's been known to add dessert to his usual order at Milo's.

"Sometimes I'll get the Milo's apple pie, and sometimes I'll get it to go, to eat later," Wood says. "But you have to kind of eat it hot. It's one of the last fried apple pies out there."

He emphasizes that it's not a good idea to devour this treat on the run. "You have to sit still," Wood says, citing sugar debris from the pastry exterior.

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(The Fish Market Facebook photo)

2. Fried shrimp at The Fish Market

"It's funny, because The Fish Market started out as a place my mom liked to go to, and I would go with her," Wood says. "They have the best tartar sauce in the history of some food and probably the best fried shrimp. I don't know if it's the breading or what, but I'll go and sit at a table and eat a dozen fried shrimp with green beans and a baked potato."

Dining method: Forget the fork; Wood scoops up the shrimp with his fingers.

Approaching the plate: "Sometimes, if I haven't had enough veggies, I'll eat the side items first," Wood says. "Sometimes I eat all the shrimp first. It depends. Sometimes the side items are just a formality."

Exceptions to the rule: "I'm not a guy who explores," Wood says. "I find something I like, and that's what I get." At The Fish Market, however, his taste occasionally runs to fried catfish instead of shrimp. "And sometimes I get corn on the cob, just to mix it up," Wood says.

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(Niki's West Facebook photo)

3. Meat-and-three at Niki's West

Meat and three? For Wood, there's no better place than Niki's West. He's a fan of the country fried steak, meatloaf, fried chicken, fried okra, greens, mac and cheese ... you name it.

"Niki's West is so good, they can curse you out," Wood says, laughing. "At minimum, I'll get the food to go."

He's joking, of course. Although the restaurant's staff has a reputation for being brusque with folks who dawdle on the food line, Wood says he can deal with that.

"At Niki's West, in terms of chipperness and bubbliness, they're all about keeping the line moving," he says. "At Niki's West, they are efficient. Of everywhere I've gone, Niki's West is the busiest. People mistake the lack of small talk for a lack of hospitality. They're not rude; they just don't have time to ask you about your day."

His advice for newbies: Hang back, look at the day's menu and approach the steam table only when you're ready. But in Wood's view, it's difficult to make a bad choice here. "Niki's West is the kind of place I go to because I trust the cook," he says.

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(Niki's West Facebook photo)

Meat-and-three approach

"I'm a dude who loves food," Wood says. "Whatever I'm in the mood for, that's what I'm going to eat. You say I can't have a potato and rice? Watch me. Part of the beauty of Niki's West is that you're not going to be judged for your food choices. You could tell them to put gravy on carrot cake, and the only question would be, 'White or brown?'"

Carnivore: "I'm almost always a meat-and-three guy," Wood says. "If my girlfriend is with me, I might get four veggies to trick her into thinking I'm eating healthy."

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(Photo by Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com)

4. Fried chicken at Publix

Fried chicken in one hand, shopping cart in the other. That's how Wood rolls at Publix.

"Publix is the only grocery store I'ver ever gone to where I'll go buy food to eat while I'm shopping," he says. "I know it's not a restaurant, but Publix isn't a grocery store to me. It's just a really dope place to eat chicken wings and drumettes."

In fact, Wood is not above making a grocery run for one specific item that his mother needs, just so he can make a beeline for the deli counter.

"I don't know what it is about Publix fried chicken with a dab of hot sauce," Wood says, "but I really like it."

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(The Birmingham News file photo/Voncille Williams)

5. Pie at Jim N' Nick's BBQ

"There's a sense of pride in Southern food, in the preparation of it," Wood says. "Yeah, I can get barbecue anywhere, but I can't get a pie from Jim N' Nick's. If I'm ever famous enough and I want to be a jerk, I'll have somebody fly in a Jim N' Nick's pie."

Flavor that makes his mouth water: "Lemon, lemon, lemon."

Yum analysis: "For me, the most important thing about Jim N' Nick's pie is the graham cracker crust," Wood says. "You have the soft lemon filling and the whipped cream, doing its job, and then there's the dryness of the crust. I want to know the recipe for the crust. Honestly, crust doesn't get the appreciation that it should."

Mo' better memories: "When I graduated from college, I moved back in with my mother and I was just starting to be a road comic," Wood says. "My mother and I literally bought pies by the half, so we wouldn't infringe on each other's pie."

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(AL.com file photo)

6. Cobbler at Mrs. B's on Fourth

To satisfy his sweet tooth, Wood knows exactly what to order at Mrs. B's on Fourth. The peach cobbler is a classic, he says. (Sometimes, Wood will order it topped by vanilla ice cream.)

"The secret to Mrs. B's cobbler is they make it shallow in the pan," Wood says. "I don't have a formula, but I think it's two times the crust plus one-half the volume of the peach filling, depending on the circumference of the pan. Mrs. B's does it right. There's nothing worse than getting a piece of peach cobbler that's just a bowl of mushy peaches."

What makes Mrs. B's special: "it's a quintessential hole in the wall," Wood says. "It's a soul food spot, a block from Kelly Ingram Park. That place is an institution. My barbershop used to be in that block of stores. There are a lot of really polite old people there, and it's definitely family-run. I've been going there since the 1980s. I remember sitting there with my father (the late Roy Wood Sr., a Birmingham radio pioneer), having a meal in the middle of the day. It's like a piece of the city's civil rights history."

Savory note: "They have the best yams in the city," Wood says.

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Gone, but not forgotten

When does Wood abandon a restaurant on his short list? When the eatery takes his favorite dish off the menu, or changes it in a way that makes him frown.

"I'm looking at you, TGI Fridays!" Wood says. He'll never forgive the chain for tinkering with the Oreo Madness dessert, which is no longer on his simply scrumptious list. "It was two Oreo cookies basically 5 inches wide with ice cream in between them -- just a huge Oreo cookie ice cream sandwich," Wood says.

In the past, Wood says, "I would eat anything there, knowing the Oreo Madness was waiting for me." The current incarnation? Nah.

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(The Birmingham News file photo/Hal Yeager)

At the stove

Like many Southerners, Wood has a soft spot for dishes his mom used to make on Sundays and holidays. Recreating those in his own kitchen is another matter.

"My mom's sweet potato pie is pretty exclusive," he says. "She's the classic Southern woman in that she can't tell you how to make it. She knows how to make it. I tried to make her sweet potato pies before, but ... I don't know, the cinnamon, nutmeg or whatever, she can pretty much freehand these."

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(AL.com file photo)

When he's thirsty

For the record, we asked Wood -- who's lived on both coasts and traveled the country on comedy tours -- to weigh in on sweet tea.

"Sweet tea -- oh, my God, I love it," he said. "You can't get it everywhere, but even if it's bad, it's good."

When he left home to develop his career, Wood quickly learned where sweet tea was readily available and where he'd have to do without. "There's a line (on the map) that runs from Louisville, Kentucky, all the way over to Richmond, and nowhere west of Dallas," he says. "I call it the Sweet Tea Line."

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On social

Want more food commentary from Roy Wood Jr.? You'd best be following him on social media. Wood tells it like it is, especially on his Twitter feed: @roywoodjr.

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(Courtesy photo/Gavin Bond)

Back in Alabama

Roy Wood Jr. returns to his home state this week for two performances. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, he'll be at the Comedy Club Stardome, 1818 Data Drive in Hoover, 205-444-0008. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show (rescheduled from Nov. 3) are $21 general admission.

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, he'll appear at Stand Up Live, 2012 Memorial Parkway Southwest in Huntsville, 256-261-3374. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $20 general admission.

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(Photo courtesy of Roy Wood Jr.)

More on Roy Wood Jr.:

Roy Wood Jr.: From Birmingham stand-up to 'Daily Show' standout

Roy Wood Jr. on staying funny in tense political times

Watch 'Daily Show' close 'Alabama Week' by sending Roy Wood Jr. into the great outdoors

Roy Wood Jr. talks Daily Show, the Whoopi sitcom that almost was and running in fog

Birmingham native Roy Wood Jr. is up to some funny business on 'Last Comic Standing'

Birmingham supports comedian Roy Wood Jr. on TBS' 'Sullivan & Son'

Birmingham comedian Roy Wood Jr. gets serious for a cause

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More on food in Alabama:

Taylor Hicks' foodie guide to Alabama: 7 favorite dishes

Paul Janeway of St. Paul & the Broken Bones: 9 favorite restaurants in Birmingham

14 decadent dishes you can order at Alabama food trucks

20 dishes you've got to try at some of Alabama's best meat and threes
Jeff Sessions

has nearly become as much of a fixture on

"Saturday Night Live"

as President Donald Trump in 2017.

Emmy-winning "SNL" cast member Kate McKinnon revived her impersonation of the Attorney General and former U.S. senator from Alabama this week with a brief appearance during "Weekend Update" to address last week's congressional testimony.

Moments after co-anchor Colin Jost introduced McKinnon, her Sessions led the studio audience in a cheer: "When I say 'I do not,' you say 'Recall!'"

"Now that's a recall and response," she said.

She then provided an explanation for why Sessions had trouble remembering events he previously failed to disclose.

"I've had some memory problems stemming from a childhood trauma," she said, as Jost asked her what. "The passing of the Civil Rights Act."

Jost then asked, once and for all, if Sessions met with any Trump surrogates about Russia.

"I do not recall," she says, then whispering to the audience, "You know I recall."

A tail then appears behind Sessions to answer questions while he plays dead. "That's my possum tail."

Jost thanks Sessions for joining "Update," as McKinnon left the audience with one more punchline.

"Thank you for having me so much," Sessions says. "And in collusion, Happy Thanksgiving everybody."

Watch the bit below:
A lot has been written nationally and locally about Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's reaction to the Roy Moore allegations when she said she would vote for Moore despite multiple women accusing him of sexual harassment or sexual assault.

In Alabama, most of these opinions have been articulated by men. And thank God for these men, standing up for what is right and calling Ivey out. Yet women of our state have been painfully silent.

There is a special kind of betrayal - a cleaver-sized knife in the back - for the women of Alabama who thought maybe, finally, with a female governor we would get somewhere. That maybe we could stop the shenanigans that resulted in three of our last six governors being found guilty of crimes.

Women who are trailblazers in their field are always held to higher ethical standards, right or wrong. So when Ivey became governor (notice I didn't say she was elected) I protected her. Here she was, a rarity, a woman as governor in Alabama! She could have walked a Miss America-style runway with roses and I would have been right there, crying and waving and yelling, "You go Kay! Show them how great Alabama can be!"

Now I feel the way one of my staunch Democrat friends does. "I was impressed with her," she said, then paused, obviously contemplating recent events. "Until now."



Same, girl.

Ivey reminds me of my grandmother, who I miss every day and loved dearly. I'm sure if Ivey and I could sit down and have a long talk over tea, we would have more in common than we do not. My grandmother was one of the kindest people I've ever known. She would help, clothe and feed anyone in need.

And then, on occasion she would drop the n word. It was like an explosion of pain in my heart.

That's what Gov. Ivey's ethically bankrupt words felt like. They hurt. Now my heart and mind are ground zero for the litany of Alabama supporters who fire insults at women who have accused Moore of sexual assault and harassment. All backed by our state's top official, the governor.

It's easy to ignore this part when everything swirls around in the 24-hour news cycle. It's easy to focus on Moore. Yet let's not forget what only our second woman governor chose to do when times got tough. She chose a man accused of multiple sexual harassment and assault charges. Then she told the state she would vote for him. Young girls and teens were watching.

As some people have speculated, if this is only for political gain, that only makes it more treacherous.

In the gospel of John Jesus said, "Let those of you without sin cast the first stone" to men who were about to stone a woman to death.

I am an imperfect Christian sinner. Not only am I casting stones, I'm hurling a metaphorical brick through Gov. Kay Ivey's window just to get her attention. She has hurt the women of this wonderful state.

Women of Alabama need to be the watchdogs here. It's up to us (not the state or nation's top opinion writers or politicians) to call out Ivey.

I'm left to explain to my politically active 15-year-old, who cannot wait to vote, why our governor, our state's top official and leader, apparently thinks sexual assault is OK.

I can't do it. Gov. Ivey, can you?
Walk up to random Alabamians and you'll find that there is more that unites us than divides us.

That's what we've found as we travel the state talking to a few of its nearly 4.9 million residents.

We're creating a photographic portrait of Alabama by sharing the faces and stories of Alabamians in their own words. People of Alabama is a statewide portrait series of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home in honor of our state's 200th birthday. We partnered with the Alabama Bicentennial Commission to share these stories.

You'll find People of Alabama on Instagram at @peopleofAL, Facebook at Facebook.com/peopleofAL, and online at www.peopleofalabama.com. The series also appears every Sunday in the Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile newspapers.

Join the bicentennial celebration by sharing your own photos and stories of people of Alabama with the hashtag #peopleofalabama on social media.
The Rev. Dale Cohen, senior pastor at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook since 2015, announced to the congregation on Sunday that he's leaving at the end of the year.

Canterbury is one of the largest and most prominent United Methodist congregations in Alabama, and is the home church of U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Doug Jones, who has been a member there more than 33 years.

There is no apparent connection between Cohen's announcement and the heated Senate race between Jones and Roy Moore, who face off in a special election Dec. 12. Moore is a member of Gallant First Baptist Church, where Pastor Tom Brown has spoken out on behalf of his congregant.

The Rev. Andy Wolfe, who had been senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood from 1997 until his retirement in 2015, will serve as interim pastor at Canterbury United Methodist Church. A new senior pastor will be appointed next year. Ministerial changes are normally handled with appointments by the bishop in June.

Cohen posted the following message on social media:

"For all my friends both near and far who have gotten wind of a transition in our lives, I am posting a statement below that I shared with the congregation at Canterbury this morning. We love Canterbury and we love all the people there. Still, life in a large congregation can be complicated. We are grateful for the love and support of so many as well as for the opportunity to serve at such a great church. Here's the statement:

"After a challenging year, culminating with the results of the Market Survey, the Staff-Parish Relations Team has concluded a change in leadership at Canterbury is necessary. The Bishop is honoring this request, and a new Senior Pastor will be announced in April 2018 and will arrive at Canterbury in July 2018. In the interim, I have been granted a six-month renewal leave effective January 1, 2018. The Bishop will appoint the Rev. Dr. Andy Wolfe to serve as interim pastor from January 1st until the new Senior Pastor arrives in July of 2018. Although a difficult decision, it is a decision made with the best interests of both Canterbury and me in mind. You will receive a letter or email soon from the Staff-Parish Relations Team with more information about the transition. I pray that you will continue to work together for the unity and the future of Canterbury."

Cohen previously served as superintendent of the Northeast district, which includes Huntsville, for five years. He was also responsible for new church development from 2013-2015.

From 2003-2010, he was director of connectional ministries for the North Alabama Conference.

Canterbury was his first assignment as pastor of a church since he planted and served as pastor of Discovery United Methodist Church in Hoover from 1992-2003.
An inmate who escaped from the Coosa County Jail for the second time in less than a month broke into a home, tied up the residents and fled in their vehicle.

Shane Anthony Vernon, who previously escaped during booking on Oct. 29, made his getaway again about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, said Coosa County Sheriff Terry Wilson. Wilson first announced the escape Sunday and released additional details on Monday.

According to the sheriff, an internal investigation showed a corrections officer allowed Vernon out of his cell to use the inmate telephone system. While Vernon was using the phone, he noticed the officer on duty had failed to property secure one of the doors in that area of the jail.

Vernon went through the unsecured door and gained access to the maintenance in the ceiling of the jail, Wilson said. From there, he went around the remaining four security doors and fled the facility.

Sometime after his escape, Vernon broke into a home on Highway 231 in Rockford where he bound the residents and took their 2016 Ford Fusion. Authorities said he then abandoned that vehicle near Living Water Baptist Church on Elmore County Road 80 just south of the Coosa/Elmore county line where he fled into the woods on foot.

Many hours of a coordinated joint search was carried out by the Coosa County Sheriff's Office, the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, ALEA, the state tracking dogs, ALEA's Aviation Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

During that search, authorities discovered Vernon had stolen a small, red mini bike from another home and continued to avoid captures. The search has now been turned over to the U.S. Marshals for a nationwide search, Wilson said.

During his last escape, Vernon was being processed into the county when he forcibly removed his restraints and ran from the facility. He was recaptured early the following morning.

In additional to his original burglary and theft charges, Vernon is now charged with unlawful imprisonment, first-degree robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and second-degree escape.

Wilson said an internal investigation is being conducted regarding the actions of the jailer.

Vernon should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, Wilson said. He has several tattoos including "ride or die" on his right fist and a Chinese symbol the right side of his neck. He is described as a white male, 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds.

Anyone with information on Vernon's whereabouts is asked to call the Coosa County Sheriff's Office in Rockford at 256-377-2211, or call 911
A 7-year-old girl accidentally shot during gun play by one of her teen siblings is on a breathing tube and a feeding tube, but is expected to recover.

Nina Smith, an Oliver Elementary School second-grader, was at her father's Gate City home Sunday afternoon with her older brothers and sisters when her 14-year-old sibling was handling the gun and Nina was shot. The bullet went through Nina's shoulder and exited her side, but not before causing multiple internal injuries.

On Monday, both her mother and her father were by her side in the Intensive Care Unit at Children's of Alabama. Obviously upset, they are comforted by a good long-term prognosis for Nina. "She's real responsive,'' said her mother, Elizabeth Williams. "She is awake. She hears us. She is watching Frozen, and loves it."

The shooting happened Sunday afternoon while Nina was visiting her father, but he wasn't home at the time. Nina was there with several of her older siblings on her father's side including the 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 17-year-old and the 17-year-old's girlfriend. An adult was also at the home. Williams said the gun was brought into the home by one of the sibling's friends.

Birmingham police are still investigating the incident.

Williams and Nina's father still don't know the details of what happened. After Nina was injured, someone put her in a vehicle and tried to rush her to the hospital but crashed at the intersection of Montclair Road and Gaywood Circle.

Officers from the nearby Mountain Brook Police Department arrived on the scene first after witnessing the car, traveling at a high rate of speed, crash. The officers went to the vehicle to help and quickly realized Nina had been shot.

"Her 15-year-old sister called me and told me she got shot,'' Williams said. "I threw my phone. I just went blank."

Williams rushed to the hospital, but Nina was already in surgery. "She was unresponsive when she got to the hospital,'' Williams said.

Nina's gall bladder had to be removed and her lungs are punctured. She also has some stomach injuries. "She's breathing but it's not as strong as they want it to be she she's on a breathing tube,'' Williams said. "She has on a neck brace from the wreck, but they don't think she's injured from that."

It was 10 p.m. before Nina's parents got to see her. "She was fussy and sleepy,'' Williams said.

Nina is expected to remain in the hospital for two to three weeks and will have to undergo rehabilitation. "Right now, it's still a day to day basis but they said she's going to be OK,'' her mom said.

Nina's father was too distraught to talk about it. "He feels like they're blaming him and he's responsible, but he wasn't there,'' Williams said. "He's very upset because it happened at his house."

Williams said Nina's father for years fought to get custody of the teens and believes if he had them all along and was able to discipline them when they were younger, this would have not happened. "I feel like he shouldn't be punished,'' Williams said.

She said those who had the gun and fired the gun should be held accountable. More importantly, she said, she wants Nina's shooting to be a reminder to all who have and handle guns.

"Having a gun in the house is not safe,'' she said. "It's always the innocent person standing by who gets shot. It's never the person holding the gun. I don't think guns should be allowed."

Williams said the family has received an outpouring of support. "I thank everybody for their prayers,'' she said. "Just continue to keep us in your prayers."
The world was glued to television screens last night and almost everyone was expecting one thing: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabes resignation. It never came.

He delivered a rambling speech that said nothing. By the time he mentioned he would preside over the ZANU-PF Congress, it was already clear that Mugabe was not going anywhere. Across the world, the reaction was one of shock and utter disbelief. So what was that all about? What had happened?

What was very clear was that Mugabe did not resign. Those who had taken out the champagne to celebrate the historic moment of his resignation, after 37 years in power, had to put it away and wait for another day. Mugabe, the old warhorse, had once again defied the odds and hung onto power. What had been built up as a landmark moment turned out to be a big anticlimax.

I spoke to many people in Zimbabwe afterwards. They were deflated and confused. It was a sombre mood all over the country. It reminded me of my experience on August 1, 2013, the day after the general elections which were preceded by high hopes and expectations across the country. We knew of ZANU-PFs history of rigging elections, but somehow, there was a positive feeling that the sheer numbers would overwhelm the rigging system. We thought that, the next day, we would wake up to a new Zimbabwe.

But it all came crashing down, as it soon became clear that the rigging machinery had prevailed once again. As I drove around Harare, there was a melancholic cloud that hung across the capital city. Everyone was stunned and confused, asking what had happened. But nobody had answers. What was clear, though, was that the future was dark. And, true to that prediction, the years following that election have been years of darkness.

I do not think Mugabe will add another year to his rule. But he has successfully avoided defeat when everyone thought his end had arrived. by

Today feels eerily like that. Many people are recovering from the shock of last night, as they try to come to terms with what did not happen. There is uncertainty, confusion and anxiety.

The problem is that the military generals tried to have their cake and eat it. They led a military operation against Mugabes government but did not want to call it a coup. They wanted to do something illegal while appearing to be within the boundaries of the law. They were trying to be careful, but in doing so, they showed their hand too soon.

Mugabe saw their weakness and he exploited it. He realised that they were not ready to finish the job by breaking the law. He realised he could use the law to hang on to his job.

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Mugabe was emboldened when the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened an emergency summit of its security organ, in the wake of the military intervention. He was given further confidence by the African Union, which reiterated its principle that it would not recognise an unlawful change of government.

With that backing, and the knowledge of the generals concern to create a veneer of legality for their actions, Mugabe was negotiating from a position of strength. And history shows that the 93-year-old president is a tough negotiator, who rarely gives in and makes sure he comes away the winner every time.

I do not think Mugabe will add another year to his rule. But he has successfully avoided defeat when everyone thought his end had arrived. I suspect its because he wants to be the master of his own exit, or, at least, to appear like he is in control.

In his speech, he said they had agreed that he would preside over his partys Extraordinary Congress, which is set for early December. He probably wants to use that as a space to leave with dignity. He probably sees it as the grand stage for a respectable departure, which would not have been the case had he left last night.

For their part, if they gained his undertaking to depart at the Congress, the generals are probably content that they have achieved what they wanted all along. They would have preferred an immediate departure, but they will take his undertaking, as long as he can live by its terms.

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In any event, they must be satisfied that it was their actions last week that prompted Mugabes eventual departure. In not taking drastic action, they were constrained not only by the law, but also by their respect for a man who has been their leader for more than 40 years.

They want him gone, but they also want to treat him with the respect that they, deep down, believe he deserves. Thus, if he has conceded to go at Congress or soon afterwards, then they are probably prepared to wait a little longer.

There is also an argument that the generals are aware that their military action spawned distinct, but related, political processes which could yield the same result. The first is the mass protests led by the ordinary people. They could lead to heavy pressure against Mugabe. The second is the party-led process of removal (impeachment) under the constitution.

On the same day that the generals were negotiating with Mugabe, the Central Committee of his party, its highest decision-making body between congresses, held a meeting to expel him. It also resolved to start the process of impeachment if he did not resign by midday on Monday. As I write, the deadline has expired and ZANU-PF has called its MPs to a caucus to prepare for the impeachment proceedings.

The success of impeachment proceedings depends on whether the authors of Mugabes removal can mobilise the numbers among ZANU-PF MPs, and, possibly, among the MPs of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change  Tsvangirai (MDC-T) as well. An impeachment vote requires at least a two-thirds majority of the total membership of both Houses of Parliament. It is a high threshold.

Theres an argument that the impeachment process can be fast-tracked, but it does not take away Mugabes right to be heard. The committee that investigates Mugabes grounds of removal must presumably give him an audience. That could be humiliating enough for Mugabe, but it could also delay the process.

The prospect of being subjected to a trial by parliament might cause Mugabe to reconsider his options and throw in the towel. But he carries a stubborn streak, and, chances are, he will put up a fight before he goes down.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Zimbabwes army chief says ex-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa expected to return to the country shortly.

Zimbabwes army chief has said ex-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose dismissal on November 6 prompted a military takeover, is expected to return to the country shortly.

General Constantino Chiwenga told reporters on Monday that, following consultations, embattled President Robert Mugabe had started working towards a definitive solution and roadmap for the country.

His comments came after Mugabe ignored a noon deadline, imposed by the ruling ZANU-PF party, to offer his resignation.

The 93-year-old leader, who has been ruling Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, is now facing the threat of impeachment.

Encouraging developments

The rift between Mugabe and Mnangagwa triggered the armys intervention on November 15, as well as unprecedented mass public protests calling for the veteran leader to stand down.

Chiwenga said Mugabe was in touch with Mnangagwa, who is seen as his likely successor.





The security services are encouraged by new developments which include contact between the president and the former vice president  who is expected in the country shortly, the military chief said at the press conference.

Thereafter the nation will be advised of the outcome of talks between the two, added Chiwenga.

Cabinet meeting called

Mugabe has remained defiant despite being sacked as ZANU-PFs leader on Sunday.

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The veteran leader has called for a cabinet meeting on Tuesday before a parliamentary session where impeachment proceedings against him are expected to begin.

After the passing of the Monday noon ultimatum, 230 members of ZANU-PFs Central Committee endorsed the move to remove Mugabe, accusing him of being the source of instability and economic mismanagement over the past 15 years.

The impeachment of Mugabe could see Mnangagwa appointed interim president, paving the way for him to succeed his former ally.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, leader of Zimbabwes influential war veterans association, also held a press conference on Monday, demanding Mugabes removal.

As far as we are concerned, people dont want to see him as president anymore, he said.

We are saying, go now go now, your time is up. Please leave state house and let the country start on a new page.

With reporting by Tendai Marima in Harare. Follow her on Twitter: @i_amten
The first round of voting for Chiles president did not deliver a clear winner and will go to a runoff in December between the top two candidates. Coming in third was a surprise performance by Beatriz Sanchez, a left-wing coalition candidate.

With only 36 percent of the votes, ex-president and billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera has failed to reach the 50 percent required to become Chiles president.

Coming in second was Alejandro Guillier, a former journalist and senator who secured nearly 23 percent of the vote.

Pinera ran on a platform promising economic reforms, and he will run in the December runoff against Guillier, who promises to consolidate government reforms.

Candidate Beatriz Sanchez delivered a surprise performance, placing third in the first round of voting with just over 20 percent.

Sanchez secured the vote of many Chileans who were seeking more change in government.

Chileans will be going back to the polls next month to elect a new president.

Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman reports from Santiago.
Chancellor Merkel announces the failure of talks, as the EUs largest economy gets closer to a possible new election.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that her efforts to form a three-way coalition failed after liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) withdrew from the talks.

Now we have to deal with the facts. And the fact is that we were unable to finish the coalition talks with success, Merkel said in a press conference on Monday.

It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany. As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come.

Merkels centre-right Christian democratic political alliance (CDU/CSU) secured 33 percent of the general election that took place in September, losing about nine percent of the votes compared with the last election in 2013 and failing to form a single-party government.

The chancellor was holding talks with the FDP, which secured 10.7 percent of the votes in September, and the Greens, which scored 8.4 percent in the vote, to form a coalition government.

FDP: We made compromises

FDP leader Christian Lindner said that his party made various compromise offers during the talks that ended unsuccessfully.

He said that tax policies, European policies, questions of migration and education were among the compromises his party was willing to make.

We know that politics lives from balancing and with just 11 percent one cannot dictate the course of an entire republic, he told reporters in Berlin.

Immigration levels, climate change and the future of the EU were reportedly among the areas of contention in the failed coalition talks.

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Merkel is due to meet the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who could call for new elections.

She can also form a minority government if she can secure enough support from other parties in individual policies.

A snap election would lead to rougher and much more polarised political campaign than we had seen in September, Michael Thumann, diplomatic correspondent at DIE ZEIT newspaper, told Al Jazeera from Berlin.

I think the first thing Merkel will try is to form a minority government. The president will try to work with her on that, Thumann said.

Merkel has been the chancellor of Germany for the last 12 years.

A government vacuum in Europes largest and strongest economy might affect many issues such as the eurozones stability and discussed reforms backed by France.
Anxiety on the streets as a noon deadline for president to resign expires, as imposed by the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Harare, Zimbabwe  President Robert Mugabe ignored a noon deadline to offer his resignation, imposed by Zimbabwes ruling party, and now faces the threat of impeachment as people remain in a state of shock after the 93-year-old leaders anticlimactic address to the nation.

Public expectation was high that Mugabe would tender his resignation in a speech on Sunday evening. But after 37 years in power, Mugabe held to his throne longer.

In a scenario that last week would have been unthinkable, tens of thousands of citizens and the ruling ZANU-PF party have turned against Mugabe after a military takeover on November 15  which put the president under house arrest.

The ZANU-PF partys Central Committee, after expelling Mugabe as its leader on Sunday, had given him a Monday noon ultimatum to step down as president, or face impeachment.

Instead of celebration, the streets of Harare, the capital, were quiet after Mugabes address, in which he only acknowledged the partys problems. He took note of the militarys action, but said it did not challenge his authority as head of state.

The operation I alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, Mugabe said. Nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government. Not even as commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Mugabe vowed to preside over the extraordinary congress scheduled for next month.

He ended his address with a wartime mantra: iwe neni tine basa you and I have a job to do.

On Monday morning, Chris Mutsvangwa, the head of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, renewed a plea for Mugabe to resign and warned of further protests.

Speaking in Harare, he said: Mugabe, go now, go now  your time is up!

He added: Please leave State House and let the country start on a new page.

War veterans, who fought alongside Mugabe during the 1970s struggle for liberation from Britain and spearheaded the repossession of white-owned commercial farms in the 2000s, claim their president has betrayed the revolution.

We feel that if citizens remain on the sidelines then we will be sidelined. by Doug Coltart, human rights lawyer

Doug Coltart, a human rights lawyer, told Al Jazeera it was important for citizens to be involved in the movement to remove Mugabe.

ZANU-PF seems to be seeking to be sidelining the citizens in these protests, he said. We feel that if citizens remain on the sidelines then we will be sidelined.

We need to insert ourselves at the centre of the conversation.

Activist pastor Evan Mawarire, who has been holding mass prayer sessions, said: Today, there is a little bit of disappointment because of the presidents speech yesterday, that didnt say anything about the situation.

But for us, the resolution is we know what we want  we have been able to deliver a message that Mugabe must go.

We are now in danger of things escalating

Zimbabweans watching Mugabes speech at a cafe on Sunday evening in the capital gasped in disappointment and disbelief. Those who had gathered in bars and restaurants expressed disappointment and anxiety.

Tears welled up in Augustine Moyos eyes.

Im disappointed and heartbroken. I came all the way to see him resign, but now hes buying time. He bought time for another day, but he cant buy time for another election, the 35-year-old public relations officer told Al Jazeera.

Weve managed to survive to a non-coup for the past few days, but we are now in danger of things escalating. The military cant afford to back down now and hes not resigning so we now have a stalemate, but something will have to give and it wont be the army.

Gabriel Muchenagumbo, 30, told Al Jazeera he was unsurprised and feared the further measures that could be taken to remove him.

To me, hes already gone, these are the last kicks of a dying horse and if he doesnt submit that letter then measures will be taken against him by the parliament and the army, the barber said. He will have to be pushed out, but we cannot be sacrificed for one man, we cant.

According to constitution rules on stepping down, the president is required to submit a written letter of resignation to the Speaker of Parliament who must then issue a public notice within 24 hours of receipt.

In the event Mugabe does not file his notice, Mutsvangwa, the war veterans leader, has also warned of impeachment proceedings.

A motion could be put forward when parliament sits on Tuesday.

However, analyst McDonald Lewanika told Al Jazeera the process may take a few days as the house has to investigate the grounds for impeachment before pronouncing a decision on the motion.

Its time to let go

In an unprecedented mass protest, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets on Saturday to demand an end to Mugabes rule.

Valerie Mjanji, 37, a manager who participated in the march, said Mugabe needed to see an even stronger message from the people.

Hes danced his dance but now its time to let it go, hes had his time as president, but now he needs to let the nation go and let us be free, she told Al Jazeera. If we have to come out in our numbers then we should do that because he needs to get it, its time to let go.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the countrys largest opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, reportedly said he was baffled by Mugabes resistance.

The Central Committee also voted to reinstate as ZANU-PFs second secretary and interim party president Emmerson Mnangagwa  the vice president who Mugabe sacked on November 6. The Central Committees decision is expected to be ratified at next months congress.

Regional dignitaries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are expected to hold an extraordinary session this week to discuss the Zimbabwe situation in neighboring Botswana.

Follow Tendai Marima on Twitter @i_amten
Watchdog group finds that attacks by Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels killed more than 100 civilians in October.

At least 716 cases of rights violations were committed against civilians in Yemen last month, a rights watchdog has said.

The Geneva-based SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said in a statement on Sunday that among the violations were incidents of extrajudicial killing, physical assault, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, torture and violations of press freedom.

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More than 500 of the violations were attributed to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who currently control the capital, Sanaa, while the Saudi-led coalition was deemed responsible for at least 100.

A total of 115 civilians were killed in October, according to SAM. The group also reported 140 new cases of arbitrary detention in October, in addition to the thousands of civilians who were already being held by Houthi rebels and loyalists to Yemens former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

SAM condemned all the incidents in its report as gross violations of international humanitarian law.

[SAM] urges the UN and humanitarian organisations to provide immediate aid to the displaced civilians in Taiz and to work on lifting the blockade  immediately and without conditions, the group noted, urging the Saudi-led coalition to avoid targeting civilians and to review its rules of combat in accordance with the international laws and conventions.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have been at war in Yemen since March 2015, when the oil-rich kingdom intervened to push back Houthi rebels and reinstate the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The coalition, armed with US weaponry and logistical support, forced the closure of Sanaa airport in August 2016 to all but a few United Nations aid flights.

Earlier this month, the Saudi-led coalition intensified its embargo on Yemen, closing all of the countrys land, sea and air ports after Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

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Although Saudi eased its closure this week, allowing vital supplies into ports in government-controlled areas, the UN has warned that only a complete lifting of the blockade would stop what could be the worst famine in decades.

Saudi has deemed the blockade necessary to limit the alleged flow of weaponry to Houthi rebels from Iran.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen conflict, and seven million are in dire need of food assistance.
Germany chancellor says she would prefer a snap election than lead minority government after coalition talks break down.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she would rather take her centre-right alliance into a snap election than lead a minority government, as political uncertainty in Europes top economy rises.

The leader of the Christian Democratic (CDU) party made the comments on Monday after high-stakes negotiations to form a coalition government broke down.

Im very sceptical, about the prospect of leading a minority government, Merkel told public broadcaster ZDF.

She added that Germany needs stable leadership that does not need to seek a majority for every decision.

Presidents stark warning

The chancellor had entered three-way coalition talks after a general election in September failed to deliver a majority for any party.

The weeks-long discussions included Merkels Christian Democratic political alliance (CDU/CSU), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

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But late on Sunday, the pro-business FDP withdrew from the negotiations, plunging Germany into uncertainty and sending the euro falling.

Speaking after the talks broke down, casting doubt on Merkels fourth term in office, FDP leader Christian Lindner suggested his party could not offer any more compromises on issues such as clean energy and migration.

We were conducting exploratory talks, not forming a government, he said.

At the end, you decide whether trust has grown, whether there is a common vision. And it is exactly this common vision for the country that was missing.

Ahead of Merkels statement, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made it clear that he wants to avoid a new election, stressing that the countrys political leaders needed to return to the negotiating table.

In the election on September 24, the parties vied to take on responsibility of Germany, said Steinmeier, who has the power to call a fresh election.

This responsibility, in accordance with the German constitution, cannot simply be given back to the electorate.

Political deadlock

In Septembers poll, Merkels CDU/CSU secured 33 percent of the vote, down about nine percent compared with the previous election in 2013 and failing to form a single-party government.





The FDP gained 10.7 percent of the votes, and the Greens scored 8.4 percent.

Merkels former partners, the Social Democrats (SPD) have consistently ruled out being part of another so-called grand coalition since scoring just 20.5 percent of the vote in Septembers vote.

Based on the election result of September 24, we are not prepared to enter a grand coalition, said SPD leader Martin Schulz, adding that his party is not afraid of a new election.

We think its important that the citizens of our country, the sovereign voters, are able to evaluate the situation again.

German stability questioned

Josef Janning, head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, warned that Europes major power was faced with the prospect of being run by a timid government with little ability or desire to engage in bold policymaking at home or abroad.

It is likely the next government will not necessarily be a stronger government because it has come about in a rather cumbersome and conflictual process, which doesnt make for a very energetic and ambitious government, he told Al Jazeera.

It will rather be one that will try to pragmatically continue and muddle through, rather than shake up Europe with new ideas, he said.

Al Jazeeras Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Germanys capital Berlin, said the coming days will prove crucial not only in shaping Germanys immediate political future but also that of the European Union.

Even if the country does avoid having to vote again and whatever shape the next government will take, the stability that German leadership once represented is now being brought into question.
In continuing war of words Nasrallah says no proof Hezbollah supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab states.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has rejected claims made by Arab foreign ministers that the Lebanese group is arming rebels in Yemen.

In a televised speech on Monday from Beirut, Nasrallah, whose Shia group is represented in the Lebanese parliament and has a strong military wing, called the claims made at the previous days Arab League meeting ridiculous.

Referring to a paragraph in the final statement made after the meeting in Cairo, which accused Hezbollah of supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab countries with advanced weapons and ballistic missiles, Nasrallah said there was no proof for such claims.

Saudi Arabia has accused Hezbollah of playing a role in the November 4 firing of a ballistic missile by Yemens Iran-allied Shia Houthi rebels towards the King Khaled International Airport outside Riyadh.

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We have not sent any ballistic missiles or advanced weapons  not even guns  not to Yemen, not to Bahrain, not to Kuwait, not to Iraq  or any Arab country, Nasrallah said, adding that Hezbollah does not own ballistic missiles.

The only places that Hezbollah has sent weapons to were Palestine and Syria, he said.

Nasrallahs speech comes amid heightened tension between Iran  Hezbollahs ally  and Saudi Arabia since Saad Hariris surprise resignation in Riyadh as Lebanons prime minister, just hours before the missile fired by the Houthi rebels was intercepted near the Saudi capital.

Hariri, a Sunni politician and ally of Saudi Arabia, cited Irans grip on his country and threats to his life as the reasons for his resignation.

Arab League accusations

The special summit in the Egyptian capital on Sunday was requested by Saudi Arabia to discuss alleged violations committed by Iran in the Arab region.

At the meeting, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi foreign minister, said Iran was aiming to destabilise and fuel sectarian rift in the region and to drive a wedge between ourselves and our people.

The Bahraini foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, also spoke, accusing Iran of inflicting thousands of wounds on his country.

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Iran has arms in the region, the largest of which is Hezbollah, said Khalid bin Ahmed, adding that Iran threatened the security of Arab states.

Referring to the November 4 missile incident near Riyadh, Nasrallah said: I spoke of this before, but some did not understand: no one from Hezbollah had any responsibility in this. The problem with Saudi Arabia is that they dont understand that Yemenis have brains and are strong and can produce their own weapons.

He went on to condemn the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, saying: Call on Saudi Arabia to halt its massacres.

Despite waging a military offensive in Yemen for more than two years now, the coalition has so far failed to achieve its stated aims of dislodging the Houthi rebels from the capital, Sanaa, and the countrys north.

The war has taken a huge toll on the country: More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and millions of Yemenis have been left without basic necessities.

War against ISIL

In the context of the ongoing war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Nasrallah said on Monday that the armed groups era would be over when its fighters are removed from the Syrian border town of al-Bukamal.

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This does not mean that Daesh is over, but the infrastructure of Daesh is over, he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL, also known as ISIS.

Nasrallah, whose fighters are battling anti-government groups in Syria, said he is willing to pull Hezbollah out of neighbouring Iraq once the central government announces victory over ISIL in that country.

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said Nasrallahs comments on ISIL have to be viewed within the context of Hariris resignation, who said he would be ready to withdraw his resignation if Hezbollah disengages itself from regional conflicts.

She said it is possible that he is trying to open the door to a compromise so that Hariri can withdraw his resignation and there could be some sort of a national agreement in Lebanon.
Egypt opened the Gaza border on Saturday after Hamas handed control of the crossing over to the Palestinian Authority.

Gazas Rafah border crossing with Egypt will remain open for two more days as part of a reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

Egypt opened its largely sealed border with Gaza on Saturday for what was initially planned to be three days, but that time period was extended by another two days on Monday.

The opening came after Hamas gave the Palestinian Authority control over the crossing for the first time since 2007.

The Egypt-brokered deal is expected to lead to more regular openings of the Rafah crossing.

The Palestinian interior ministry said about 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza have applied for entry to Egypt in the past few months.

Egypts border with the Gaza Strip had been sealed since August, and was largely closed for years before that.

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So far this year, the border has been open on 14 days, according to the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza.

Under the terms of the reconciliation agreement reached last month, Gazas Hamas rulers are supposed to cede civil power to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) by December 1.

As a first step, they handed over control of its border crossings on November 1.

Mufeed al-Husayneh, Gazas minister of public works and housing, said that the Saturday opening was the first work of the government of national reconciliation taking over its functions at the Rafah crossing.

The unity government is ready to carry its responsibilities and roles, he said.

The head of the PAs security services, Majid Faraj, held talks with senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Friday.

All Palestinian factions are due to meet in Cairo soon to discuss ways to move the reconciliation deal forward.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained blockades of Gaza for years, arguing that they are necessary to isolate Hamas.

Impacted by the suffocating blockade, three Israeli assaults, and punitive measures from the PA aimed at forcing Hamas to cede control, Gaza has been in a downward spiral, worsening an already dire humanitarian and economic situation.

The small enclave is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and has been described as the worlds largest open-air prison.

About 42 percent of Palestinians in Gaza suffer from poverty, while youth unemployment stands at 58 percent and some 80 percent rely on international aid, mainly for food, according to the World Bank.
Riyad Hijab announces his resignation before a meeting in Saudi Arabia aiming to unify the Syrian opposition.

Riyad Hijab, the head of Syrias main opposition bloc, has resigned before a conference scheduled in Saudi Arabia aimed at unifying various groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A former prime minister under Assad who defected following the 2011 uprising, Hijab has been the face of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) since December 2015.

He announced his decision to step down on Monday, without explaining the reasons for his move.

After close to two years of hard work to preserve the glorious principles of the Syrian revolution [] I find myself forced to announce my resignation from the HNC, wishing it good luck, and wishing peace and security to my beloved country, Syria, Hijab said in a statement posted on social media.

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His resignation comes two days before an expanded Syrian opposition conference in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, announced in a statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The aim of the meeting, according to SPA, is to bring the platforms and parties of the Syrian opposition closer to one another and to unify the opposition delegation in the next round of United Nations-sponsored talks in Geneva.

The divisions within the opposition have long been a point of contention. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, has previously insisted that the groups unite in negotiations with the Syrian government.

Although the SPA statement did not specify which opposition groups would take part in the talks, the main divide within the opposition has been between the HNC and two dissident groups, the Moscow and Cairo platforms.

The Moscow and Cairo groups have close links to Russia and are tolerated by the government of Assad for their softer stance towards it.

Their positions on the war in Syria makes them markedly different from the HNC, which has called for the removal of Assad as the basis for any solution to the conflict.

While it is unclear whether Hijabs resignation was linked to Saudi Arabias planned conference, Omar Kouch, a Syrian analyst with close ties to the opposition, argued that the move was a rejection of what is going to happen in Riyadh and the alienation of the HNC.

They are enforcing international agendas  and specifically Russias  onto the opposition, so how can they accept this? Kouch told Al Jazeera from the Turkish city of Istanbul.

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They are trying to create a new opposition platform by adding the Moscow and Cairo groups  Hijab should have resigned a week ago when the meeting was announced, he added.

Since its entry into the Syrian war on the side of Assad in September 2015, Russia has simultaneously come to dominate in the diplomatic arena and steer negotiations on finding a solution to the conflict.

Along with Iran, which also backs Assad, and Turkey, a supporter of the opposition, it has led talks in Kazakhstan since the end of last year.

Kouch believes that following the Syrian armys battleground victories over the armed opposition, with Russian and Iranian help, the international community is attempting to force the rebels to accept a deal without the removal of Assad or a transitional period.

Since the start of the war in 2011, the Syrian government has systematically refused to entertain any prospect of a transition that entails the removal of Assad, while, for the opposition, this step remains the only option for peace.
Rohingya activists have accused Aung San Suu Kyi of denying their existence, after Myanmars leader failed to mention a humanitarian crisis that has seen the exodus of more than half a million refugees to Bangladesh since August.

In a speech on Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi said the world is facing new threats partly because of illegal immigration and the spread of terrorism, drawing criticism that she is trying to divert attention away from the Rohingya crisis.

Today we are facing a new period of global uncertainty and instability, Aung San Suu Kyi said at the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of foreign ministers in Naypyidaw.

Conflicts around the world are giving rise to new threats and emergencies: illegal immigration, spread of terrorism and violent extremism, and even the threat of nuclear war.

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In August, a fierce military crackdown, in the wake of attacks on army posts, sent more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing what the United Nations has described as textbook ethnic cleansing in Myanmars northern Rakhine State.

Described as the worlds most persecuted minority, the Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and abuse at the hands of Myanmars army and have been denied citizenship since 1982.

Many Buddhists in Myanmar believe that Rohingya are Bengali who migrated to the country illegally during the British rule in the subcontinent.

Change the discussion

Reacting to Aung San Suu Kyis speech, Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist based in Germany, said her statement was nothing but a denial of our existence.

Rohingya were recognised as citizens after independence in 1948. Our citizenship was snatched in 1982 by the military regime, he told Al Jazeera.

When Suu Kyis party, National League for Democracy (NLD), was established in 1988, many Rohingya supported her, he added.

The NLD issued IDs that mentioned the word Rohingya, he said, adding that four Rohingya stood in the 1990 parliamentary elections on the ticket of Aung San Suu Kyis party.

Al Jazeeras Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the border town of Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh where most of the fleeing Rohingya have taken shelter, said the Myanmar leaders speech was seen by many as a calculated move.

She is trying to change the main discussion from the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the issue of ethnic cleansing to the crisis of immigration and terrorism, added Chowdhury.

She is trying to please the military, which controls the borders, defence and interior ministry.

in the run-up to the foreign ministers meeting in Myanmars capital, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini emphasised the need to provide humanitarian assistance after visiting refugee camps in Coxs Bazar.

Seeing so many very young children taking care of even younger children is what strikes me the most, she said in a statement.

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The EU chief also called for a solution to the crisis and backed a plan by former UN chief Kofi Annan, who called for more investment to achieve community-directed growth and alleviate poverty in Rakhine.

Annans proposal also called for Myanmar to grant, among others, citizenship to Rohingya.

Mogherini, however, was criticised for not calling out the atrocities committed by Myanmars army, including a campaign of murder, rape and arson, since August 25.

Lotte Leicht, EU Director of Human Rights Watch, said that it was appalling how the EU chief completely failed to acknowledge that Rohingya were fleeing the armys campaign of crimes against humanity.

Appalling how the #EU High Rep @FedericaMog completely fails to acknowledge that #Rohingya are fleeing the #Myanmar army's campaign of crimes against humanity (killings, rape, arson, persecution)  what the #UN Rights Chief refers to as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" https://t.co/iApm8uERKy  Lotte Leicht (@LotteLeicht1) November 19, 2017

Aung San Suu Kyi, in her first public statement, had backed the military for their handling of the Rohingya crisis. Since then, her party has organised inter-faith rallies that critics have dubbed a public relations exercise.

Nay San Lwin said, Rohingya are not immigrants but citizens of Myanmar.

She [Suu Kyi] is showing her true face that she is against Muslims.
Conservative Sebastian Pinera will face socialist Alejandro Guiller after neither candidate wins 50 percent of the vote.

Chiles presidential election will go to a December run-off vote, after conservative Sebastian Pinera won the first round but fell short of an outright victory.

Pinera, a billionaire ranked by Forbes magazine as the third richest person in Chile, won 36.6 percent of Sundays vote. Socialist Alejandro Guillier came second, with nearly 23 percent.

A candidate needs to win at least 50 percent to secure an outright victory.

Pinera served as president from 2010 to 2014, the first conservative to do so since Chile transitioned to democracy from the far-right dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in the late 1980s.

After two decades of centre-left rule, the Pinera administration heralded pro-business reforms. In 2011, the billionaire president defended for-profit education, in the midst of a nationwide student protest movement which called for the end of private educational institutions.

Pinera is not well liked. He has [a lot of] negatives, but people think that he governed relatively well, that the country grew, that there was employment, there were opportunities for many people, so they are saying Lets give him a chance again,' political analyst Patricio Navia told Al Jazeera before Sundays vote.

Strength for second round

Guillier comes from the centre-left Nueva Mayoria coalition, the party of Michelle Bachelet, the outgoing president.





Bachelet, who took office in 2014, instituted a number of changes including same-sex marriage, education, pension and tax reforms designed to benefit the working class.

Corruption scandals and the publics impatience with the speed of the reforms dogged Bachelets presidency, leading to an approval rating of 26 percent.

She cannot run for re-election under Chiles constitution, which prohibits candidates from serving consecutive terms.

The biggest surprise of the election was the success of Beatriz Sanchez, a left-wing candidate who won more than 20 percent of the vote.

While Sanchez has yet to endorse Guillier, she has said that a Pinera presidency would be a step back for the country.

The sum of those who are for changes is more than that of those who want to go backwards, and that already gives us strength for the second round, Guillier told reporters after casting his ballot.

Regional effect

A victory for Pinera would be another blow to the once-powerful Latin American left. Right-wing governments have displaced leftists in Brazil and Argentina.

Venezuela, meanwhile, is undergoing a political and economic crisis, partly due to the low price of oil, which has reportedly caused widespread malnutrition.

Ecuador seemingly bucked the right-wing trend when the country elected Lenin Moreno to succeed populist Rafael Correa in February.

However, Morenos policies have been criticised as pro-business, causing the Alianza Pais party to remove him in October as their leader.

Correa, who now lives in Belgium, his wifes home country, has called on Moreno to explain his policies.
As Palestinians mark 50 years since the UN ordered Israeli forces to withdraw, experts say lasting peace is impossible.

For the past 50 years, a United Nations Security Council resolution has helped to sustain Israels occupation of Palestine, analysts say.

Ghada Karmi, a British-Palestinian author and lecturer at Exeter Universitys Institute of Arab and Islamic studies, says the central issue is that Israelis never intended to comply with UNSC Resolution 242, adopted on November 22, 1967.

From the steady colonisation of the Palestinian area, you can see that there has been no attempt on the part of Israel to comply with any part of the resolution, she said.

Resolution 242

Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, a resolution called on Israel to give up the territories it occupied in exchange for a lasting peace with its neighbours.

Israel defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, resulting in the Palestinian Naksa, or setback, in June 1967.

In that year, Israel expelled some 430,000 Palestinians from their homes. The Naksa was perceived as an extension of the 1948 Nakba, or catastrophe, which accompanied the founding of the state of Israel.

In a matter of six days, Israel seized the remainder of historic Palestine, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Later that year, Israel annexed East Jerusalem as well.

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Apart from the Sinai Peninsula, all the other territories remain occupied to this day.

Under the sponsorship of the British ambassador to the UN at the time, Resolution 242 aimed to implement a just and lasting peace in the Middle East region.

The resolutions preamble explicitly prohibited the continuation of Israeli control over territory that was acquired by force during the war, citing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security.

The resolution called on Israel to withdraw its forces from territories it had occupied in the Six-Day War, and urged all parties to acknowledge each others territorial sovereignty.

(i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;(ii) Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force by UN Security Council Resolution 242, Article 1

However, the resolution was used by Israel to continue its occupation of the territories, as it also called for achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem while falling short of addressing the Palestinian peoples right to statehood, analysts note.

As a result, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which at the time was perceived by the international community and by the UN as the representative of the Palestinian people, refused to acknowledge the resolution until two decades later.

The resolution was later used as the basis for Arab-Israeli peace negotiations and the notion of creating a two-state solution along the internationally recognised 1967 borders.

But in the US-based Journal of Palestine Studies, lawyer and Georgetown University professor Noura Erekat wrote that Israel has used Resolution 242 to justify the seizure of Palestinian land.

When Israel declared its establishment in May 1948, it denied that Arab Palestinians had a similar right to statehood as the Jews because the Arab countries had rejected the Partition Plan, Erekat wrote, referencing UN Resolution 181.

The final language of Resolution 242 did not correct the failure to realise Palestinian self-determination, referring merely to the refugee problem, she added.

Following the 1967 war, Israel argued that given the sovereign void in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip the territories were neither occupied nor not occupied, Erekat said, noting that Israel used this argument to steadily grab Palestinian land without absorbing the Palestinians on the land.

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Though Resolution 242 qualifies occupied territories as those areas occupied or acquired during the war, analysts say Israel used the vagueness of the language to its benefit.

[Israel and its allies] are saying there isnt anything specific  there arent any specific territories mentioned  which means, We can have this or that,' Karmi said.

This whole vagueness argument is artificial, to throw dust in the eye. The problem with the resolution is that it has never been implemented. That is one of the most serious things about it.

Sustaining the occupation

Mouin Rabbani, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for Palestine Studies, said the political context of the time was the underlying force behind the resolutions lack of execution.

Israels victory in 1967 was largely seen as an American victory as much as an Israeli victory, Rabbani told Al Jazeera. This was in the height of the cold war.

The United States UN representative at the time played a significant role in trying to steer the resolution in Israels favour, he said.

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It [Israel] had absolutely no intention of leaving, and it never came under sufficient political or military pressure whereby the costs of remaining in the occupied territories became higher than benefits of doing so, he said.

The importance of Resolution 242 actually came much later, after political developments formed the basis of an international consensus for a two-state-solution  a notion that began to emerge among the Palestinian leadership in the 1970s, Rabbani said.

Today, we always talk about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict  that didnt really exist at the time, he said. It was the Arab/Israeli conflict and the question of Palestine.

Palestinian dispossession

The fact that Palestinian statehood was not awarded much significance in the resolution is not the outcome of deliberate sidelining; rather, it is due to the political lens in which Palestine was seen at the time.

Despite the fact that Resolution 242 paved the way for negotiations, it is now completely irrelevant, Karmi said.

The basic issue to resolve this conflict is return. This is the basic issue  these people [the Palestinians] are dispossessed, she said.

But even with a series of brokered peace talks, there has been no real progress towards implementing a two-state solution, with discussions at a stalemate amid the expansion of Jewish settlements.

The soaring settlement project, which is in direct contravention of international law, has brought around 600,000 Israelis into dozens of Jewish settlements throughout the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities expropriate Palestinian land and carry out home demolitions on a regular basis, most commonly to expand existing settlements, or occasionally to build new ones.

Checkpoints and Israels separation wall have further hindered Palestinians freedom of movement.

Israel is totally in control of the Palestinian territories  not just the West Bank, but also Gaza, Karmi said.

The Gaza Strip, home to about two million people, has been under siege for more than a decade. In 2007, after the election victory of Hamas and the groups assumption of control over the territory, Israel imposed a strict land, aerial and naval blockade.

The fact of total Israeli control of 100 percent of Palestine is precisely and fundamentally why you cant have a two-state solution, Karmi said.
OPEC+ group has agreed to its deepest cuts to oil production since the coronavirus pandemic, and the US is not happy.
The embattled President Robert Mugabe is clinging to power and faces impeachment.

Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe appears to have ignored a deadline to resign. His ruling ZANU-PF party had told him he must step down by Monday or be impeached.

Now it says that process will begin. The party is accusing Mugabe of being responsible for political instability and an unprecedented economic tailspin. And frustration is turning to anger with hundreds of students out protesting, demanding Mugabe leave office.

So what is next for Zimbabweans desperate for change?

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Guests:

Bright Matonga  ex-spokesman and deputy information minister under Mugabe

Muna Ndulo  professor of law and constitutional expert at Cornell Law School

Earnest Mudzengi  political commentator and director of the Zimbabwe Media Centre
In an effort to advocate for more funding for the National Science Foundation, UF President Kent Fuchs invited Congressman Ted Yoho to UF.

Yoho visited UF on Friday morning to learn more about the NSF-funded research projects.

Fuchs, who is one of the members of NSFs Science Board, said UF received about $51,315,000 in NSF funding last year. He said there are about 378 active grants at UF under this program and 62 active NSF Graduate Research Fellows.

Fuchs said the goal of the conference with Yoho was to educate elected officials about the importance of the NSF. At the conference, about six students and six faculty members displayed their research projects for Yoho.

This agency is not mission-focused, it wants to make discoveries of science that will have an impact either in understanding the world we live in or in the economy, Fuchs said.

Fuchs said an increase in funding will help the nation become competitive in research.

I think we dont have enough imagination to figure out what could possibly happen if there was even more funding, he said.

Yoho said its time to push for more research and development funding. He said China is investing heavily in research, and he expects them to get ahead of the U.S.

The research youre doing, make it long-term, he said to the students. Our country is depending on you.

One graduate student asked Yoho about the recent tax plan, which will require graduate students to pay taxes on tuition waivers as income, according to nprEd.

Christopher Clukay, a UF anthropology doctoral student, said he wanted to voice his concerns to the congressman.

The NSF covered me well enough where I will be one of the lucky few, he said. It will hurt me on the tax plan, but it wont hurt me that much.

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The 26-year-old said he was worried about other graduate students who cannot afford the costs associated with the new plan.

Most grad students I know cant do that, so itll result in grad students dropping out nationwide, he said.

In the conference, Yoho said the condition is not yet final, and it may be removed. Clukay said he was unsure of how he felt about the congressmans answer.

I feel like he wants to do something and if he had total control, it would be OK, but I feel like Im not sure hes willing to go against his party leadership over it, he said.

@Christina_M18

cmorales@alligator.org

Congressman Ted Yoho and UF President Kent Fuchs discuss the process of the National Science Foundation conference before it begins. Fuchs invited Yoho to visit UF on Friday.
In the Graham Hall courtyard, four women adorned in tall, embellished headdresses sang traditional Russian folk songs.

The women performed for about 100 people Sunday at the UF Russian Culture Clubs 15th annual fall festival.

Daria Bulatnikova, the Russian Culture Clubs president and a UF marketing sophomore, said club members were excited for this years fairy-tale theme.

Russian folklore is like our Disney World, the 21-year-old said.

Bulatnikova is a Russian immigrant from Yoshkar-Ola, which is about 600 miles from Moscow.

She said club members made dozens of Russian dishes, folklore costumes and decorations for the festival.

Jeffrey Fiedler, a Gainesville resident, said he enjoyed sampling the foods, especially the blini.

(Its) sort of like a crepe or blintz; every culture has something similar, he said.

Attendees also tested three Russian sodas, wrote their names in Russian, took photos with fairy-tale characters and made matryoshka dolls, the Russian nesting doll.

Each member of the clubs board wore a traditional folklore costume and participated in the storytelling portion of the event. Women wore hand-made headdresses called kokoshniks. It took Bulatnikova 10 hours to design hers.

Neelesh Bapatla, the organizations vice president and a UF Russian senior, dressed up as one of The Three Bogatyrs, a Russian version of The Three Musketeers. Bapatla said his character, named Ilya Muromets, is his favorite.

The 22-year-old said the event was a good way for students to learn more about Russian culture.

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The Russian community, I wouldnt say its invisible, but its something that Americans dont usually think about, so its a good way to get a sense of the culture outside of politics, Bapatla said.

UF Russian Culture Club president Daria Bulatnikova serves food at their annual fall festival, which changes themes each year.
Amid multiple cases of reported fraud among UF administrators, another former employee has been reported to have misused university funds for personal use.

Jennifer Beback, a former Warrington College of Business administrative assistant, failed to reimburse personal shipping she charged to the colleges FedEx account, according to an internal audit from Oct. 23.

Auditors found that between March 2013 and July 2017, Beback failed to reimburse 17 personal charges to the college FedEx account, totaling $455.48.

It was not uncommon for employees to charge personal shipping costs to the colleges FedEx account, so long as the individual reimbursed the college shortly thereafter, according to the audit. The college since announced internally the practice would no longer be permitted.

Beback abused this practice by instructing Joan Lyon, a Warrington administrative support assistant, to stop keeping track of her personal use related to the account, auditors found in August. Lyon told auditors she did not suspect ill intent because Beback was the office manager and her superior.

The college sent Beback a letter Oct. 4 terminating her employment. Instead of a three-month notice period, she was terminated immediately and given a $13,760 lump sum, reflecting three months of her expected salary before tax, per University Police, according to the letter.

Though small in comparison, news of Bebacks embezzlement is one of many cases this year of reported fraud by UF employees.

Since October, five UF Housing and Residence Education employees have been terminated in relation to the ongoing UF audit on top Housing officials, according to Alligator archives.

The audit accused former Housing senior director, Azfar Mian, and the former Housing finance director, Stina Schoneck, of co-opening a Campus USA Credit Union account and withdrawing about $470,000 in UF funds for purposes unrelated to the university.

In March, a UF Transportation and Parking Services employee was arrested for cashing $8,401.75 in fraudulent checks she wrote to herself between April 2016 and March 2017, according to Alligator archives.

The fraudulent checks, which went nearly a year unchecked, prompted UF to expedite the hire of a new assistant in the Office of the Controller, UF spokesperson Janine Sikes wrote in an email.

The new assistant, Olga Weider, a certified accountant and auditor, will begin Dec. 1. Weider has been tasked with helping UF keep financial accountability, Sikes said.

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Were just a large, decentralized organization, Sikes said. Any additional help that we can have, that can reach out to the units and colleges across campus, the better.

@hoffdavid123

dhoffman@alligator.og
Recently, Peter Beinart took to the pages of the Atlantic to make a confession. Beinart confessed that he -- yes he -- had benefited from affirmative action. The New Republic, he claimed, had a policy of favoring well-educated white men from ivy league schools.

I considered myself qualified. Because Id spent years mimicking TNRs writing style, I had the right sort of clips. But as a white man graduating from an Ivy League school, I also had the right sort of identity. It was difficult to disentangle the two. And I didnt really try. I didnt try because the magazine afforded me extraordinary opportunity. Soon, I was not only working alongside people I revered, I was being given the chance to ascend to their level. Asking how much of their success was due to race, gender, and class -- as opposed to merit -- would have meant asking the same of myself.

Evaluating writing and writers is inherently subjective, as E.B White wrote, Who can confidently say what ignites a certain combination of words, causing them to explode in the mind? While its possible Beinart benefited from being white and male, its clear that the New Republic was a much more widely read and better regarded publication when he worked there. Further, a large number of the writers hired by Peretz achieved tremendous professional success after leaving TNR, including Beinart himself.

While the evaluation of writing is inherently subjective, the evaluation of college applicants and civil servants is much less so. Yet diversity advocates strenuously oppose the most objective measure we have, standardized tests. Diversity advocates want to make applying to college more like applying to work at the New Republic, replacing grades and SATs with college essays and holistic admissions.

Beinart also confuses editorial slant with discrimination, writing The absence of women and people of color in senior editorial jobs was intertwined with the magazines long-standing, jaundiced view of the African American and feminist left. Had I challenged that culture more emphatically, I would probably not have become editor in the first place.

Under Marty Peretz, the New Republic tended to hire centrist Democrats instead of people on the hard left. They also didnt hire many gun-rights supporters, abortion opponents, or religious conservatives. This reflected TNRs editorial stance; conflating a publications editorial stance with discrimination is asinine.

During the Peretz era, the New Republic co-existed with a large number of publications further to their left, such as the Nation. Progressive democrats who opposed welfare reform, supported affirmative action, or hated Clintonian centrism, had a multitude of outlets to publish in.

In the post Peretz-era, it has become impossible for anyone on the left to take a nuanced position on any issue touching on race or gender. Progressive Democrat James Webb was pilloried for questioning the scope of contemporary affirmative action, and Jeralyn Merritt was savaged for her fact-based defense of the Zimmerman verdict.

Left-wing publications supportive of feminism and progressive approaches to race have always existed. However, in the post Peretz-era heterodox views on race and gender have been completely silenced in liberal circles, leaving the most doctrinaire and politically correct in charge of the discussion.

Beinarts virtue signaling would have been incomplete without reference to the misconduct scandal engulfing former TNR employee Leon Wieseltier. Following allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior at TNR, Wieseltier has been fired from his most recent job as editor of a forthcoming online magazine.

Several women came forward to allege that Wieseltier made them uncomfortable with his sexual banter, and flirtation. They also accused Wieseltier of occasionally going in for an unwanted kiss, while socializing after work. More cynical readers will wonder whether, like a stripper carrying thirty extra pounds of lard, Wieseltiers real sin was being unsexy.

Still, Beinart cant resist kicking the old boy while hes down, relating a story of how he staged an intervention after Leon tried to smooch one of his co-workers after a night of drinking. Beinart writes, The magazine had no sexual-harassment procedures. So I called Marty -- who spent most of his time in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New York -- and asked him to come to Washington to tell Leon that his behavior was unacceptable.

Marty, Leon, and I met at the Willard Hotel. When I confronted him, Leon -- who had a gift for intimidation -- reacted ferociously. Is this some kind of intervention? he roared. Marty didnt push back. That was it. Leon never admitted to having done anything wrong, and he received no punishment. Sarah, having incurred Leons wrath, felt isolated at the magazine and left.

Beinart describes a conversation many of us have had to have, or perhaps someone had to have with us. Occasionally, one has to tell a friend, shes just not that into you. How the recipient handles the unwelcome news ought to define our judgment of them. Do they accept the bad news like a big boy or big girl, or do they keep pestering the object of their desire?

According to Sarah Wildman, Leon did not pursue her further, or retaliate against her for reporting the incident. He accepted her rejection and moved on. Beinart uses this incident as an example of how women were denied opportunity at the New Republic, writing, What I do know is that the affirmative action I enjoyed, and the sexual harassment Sarah suffered, were connected. I was given extraordinary opportunity at TNR, in large measure, because talented women like Sarah Wildman were not.

Thats a stretch.

Beinart concludes that he, as the former editor of the New Republic and contributing editor to the Atlantic, has much in common with angry white male Trump supporters.

In this regard, I suspect, I have something in common with the supporters of Donald Trump. Its not pleasant to realize that the bygone age you romanticize -- the age when America was still great -- was great for you, or people like you, because others were denied a fair shot. In the America of the 1950s, or even the 1980s, white, straight, native-born American men didnt worry as much about competing with Salvadoran immigrants and Chinese factory workers and professional women and Joshua-generation African Americans.

Here, Beinart takes a divergent collection of issues and reduces them to a single factor: white male resentment. Trade, immigration, affirmative action, sexual harassment, all reduced to white male whining. Never mind that, for example, African Americans may be one of the groups most hurt by mass immigration.

Its probably true that white working-class Trump voters are motivated by the type of economic and cultural fears Beinart cites. However, that doesnt make their views on trade, immigration, sexual harassment, or affirmative action wrong. Beinart commits a basic ad-hominem fallacy, holding that Trumpers are wrong by virtue of being white and male.

Gay intellectuals coined the term the performative masculinity to describe the pressured conformance to norms of masculinity. Beinarts writing inspired this author to coin his own term, the performativity of woke-ness. Beinarts column is a fifteen-hundred word virtue signal, letting the reader know that he Peter Beinart is down with the cause despite being stale, pale, and male.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, Anita Hill's star is shining brighter than it has since the riveting Hill-Thomas hearings in 1991. "Hill gave voice to the silent indignities endured by women," wrote Jonathan Capehart recently in the Washington Post  Capehart being one of many pundits who made such claims without any substantiation whatsoever. In fact, the actual evidence strongly suggests that if Hill ever suffered indignities, Clarence Thomas did not inflict them.

Some background is in order. Speaking to a NOW convention in July 1991, shortly after Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court, radical feminist Florynce Kennedy announced, "We're going to Bork him. We're going to kill him politically."

The woman who would orchestrate the Thomas assassination watched the news of his nomination at her California home. "He's the one," Susan Hoerchner screamed to her husband. He was the one, Hoerchner recalled, whom her Yale Law school pal Anita Hill had fingered as a hound dog back in 1981 when both she and Hill worked in Washington. Ten years later, Hoerchner was serving as a low-level judge in California, but Hill had moved on to the law school of Oral Roberts University in her native Oklahoma, a humble teaching post Thomas had helped her secure.

Although no one would take credit for what happened that July of 1991, it seems likely that the politically savvy Hoerchner put the harassment story in play. Before the month was out, well wired media people like Tim Phelps of Newsday and Nina Totenberg of National Public Radio knew about the Hill allegations. So too did abortion activists like Kate Michelman, the national director of the National Abortion Rights Action League. Abortion, after all, was the cause that inspired the Borking.

Thomas expected the confirmation hearings in September to be brutal, and they were. He expected the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to zero in on abortion, and they did. He ducked and dodged as he had to and avoided any crippling blows. With his confirmation all but assured, the activists had no effective recourse but to surface Anita Hill.

They had been scheming to force Hill into the open for weeks. Hill, however, continued to vacillate. She did not want her name in play, and she certainly did not want to speak to the FBI, but Senate staffers continued to lean on her, as did her friend Hoerchner, as did the media.

Finally, on September 23, Hill faxed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming that Thomas had pressured her to date him and talked graphically about sex in her presence. A staffer persuaded her to speak to the FBI, and this she reluctantly agreed to do. Later that same evening, two FBI agents interviewed her in Oklahoma. Hill proved oddly evasive. "She advised the interviewing Agents that she made the decision to prepare the statement after several telephone conversations with her personal friend, Susan Hoerchner," one of the FBI agents would later testify.

Thomas learned of the allegations two days later, when FBI agents came to his home to follow up on Hill's accusations. "When informed by the FBI agent of the nature of the allegations and the person making them," Thomas would testify, "I was shocked, surprised, hurt, and enormously saddened." He had never had an accusation like that leveled against him before.

In constructing her harassment narrative, Hill had some obvious inconsistencies to explain away. The most notable was why she had followed Thomas to the EEOC after he had harassed her at the Department of Education. In testifying, she offered the lame explanation that towards the end of their mutual tenure at the DOE, Thomas's behavior had somehow changed for the better.

"It appeared that the sexual overtures, which had so troubled me, had ended," she claimed with a straight face. Then, alas, the behaviors started up again at the EEOC. "He said, that if I ever told anyone of his behavior that it would ruin his career." So she kept quiet throughout the four prior Senate confirmations that Thomas had undergone, maintained a friendly relationship with him over the years, and even helped recruit him to Tulsa for a conference on civil rights law.

In the most stunning part of her testimony, Hill listed the abuses to which Thomas had allegedly subjected her. He pointed out a pubic hair on top of a coke can. He talked in detail about a porn star famously named "Long Dong Silver." He talked about his own sexual prowess. And he kept pressing her for dates, which she continued to decline.

When given the chance, Thomas did not apologize as his supporters advised but let the furies loose. "Senator," he said to a surprised Joe Biden, "I would like to start by saying unequivocally, uncategorically, that I deny each and every single allegation against me today." No one expected to hear this, certainly not with such ferocious conviction. Hill, after all, seemed so believable, and all Washington understood the risks of denying a woman's testimony.

"From my standpoint as a black American," Thomas thundered, "[the smear campaign] is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas." Thomas was just warming up.

"It is a message," Thomas continued, "that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree." As Thomas saw it, the "old order" was no longer Jim Crow. The new "old order" was progressivism.

Thomas, of course, survived the lynching, but the question remains as to whether Hill was telling the truth, at least about Clarence Thomas. Only one individual testified that Hill had complained about Thomas at the time of the alleged harassment in 1981. That was Susan Hoerchner. In her deposition for the Judiciary Committee, Hoerchner told of how she and Hill spoke regularly throughout 1981 when both lived in Washington. It was during this time that Hill confided in her that Thomas had been harassing her. In September 1981, Hoerchner left for California, and the conversations stopped. Here is how this played out in the deposition.

Q. And, in an attempt to try to pin down the date a little bit more specifically as to your first phone conversation about the sexual harassment issue in 1981, the year you mentioned, you said the first time you moved out of Washington was September of 1981; is that correct? A. Right. Q. Okay. Were you living in Washington at the time you two had this phone conversation? A. Yes. Q. When she told you? A. Yes. Q. So it was prior to September of 1981? A. Oh, I see what you're saying.

Hoerchner and her attorney, future DHS honcho Janet Napolitano, promptly asked for a recess. Hoerchner had just subverted the timeline on which the case against Thomas rested. "I began working with Clarence Thomas in the early fall of 1981," Hill told the Judiciary Committee. "Early on, our working relationship was positive." By Hill's account, Thomas did not begin to pester her for roughly three months. At the earliest, that would have been December 1981, three months after Hoerchner left for California, three months after she and Hoerchner stopped talking on any kind of regular basis. Hoerchner, in fact, described her communication with Hill after September 1981 as "sporadic." In her deposition, she described only one post-Washington contact: that of meeting with Hill at a professional seminar in 1984.

After conferring with Napolitano, Hoerchner had a convenient change of memory. Now it was time for the friendly Democratic counsel to ask, "When you had the initial phone conversation with Anita Hill and she spoke for the first time about sexual harassment, do you recall where you were living  what city?" Answered Hoerchner, "I don't know for sure."

The author who first reported the Hoerchner angle was none other than professional chameleon David Brock. Once the scourge of the left, he morphed into progressive smear artist extraordinaire as impresario of Media Matters for America. Although he has tried to distance himself from his reportorial past, his work on Hoerchner's testimony holds up. He explained why in a New York Times op-ed attacking Anthony Lewis's 1993 review of his book, The Real Anita Hill.

The problem with Hoerchner, wrote Brock, went much deeper than "a harmless lapse of memory." Hoerchner, Brock explained, had been entirely clear on the regularity of her calls with Hill: when they took place, where they took place, and how they ended after Hoerchner moved. This all changed when a Senate lawyer pointed out the inconsistency in timing.

When Hoerchner came back from a hasty recess, she "was suddenly unable to recall anything about the time or place of the call. But she was now adamant that Ms. Hill had named Judge Thomas as the perpetrator, a point on which she had previously been unsure."

The inference that Brock made here and in his book was that if Hill had been harassed as she charged, the harasser was not Thomas. The giddy momentum behind the accusation took Hill to a place she did not really want to go. This happens.

The media have chosen to forget. With their help, Anita Hill has come to play the sacrificial victim role for the feminist movement in much the same way that Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin play that role for the Black Lives Matter movement. The reality is this: America's progressives have little or no regard for the truth. The case they make for Hill is as dishonest as the case they make for Martin or Brown. They owe Clarence Thomas a major apology.
On November 16, 2017, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) kicked off her run for the 2020 presidency by intoning that Bill Clinton should have resigned (in disgrace?) in 1998 over the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Talk sure is cheap, isn't it? That's because the Democrats had in their power to dump Clinton in 1999 and kick him right out of office  and took a pass on it. They could even have accomplished this with a minority of their Senate membership. And not only would it have been easy, but it would even have redounded to their benefit, by guaranteeing their continued rule for at least six more years and probably ten. They would have only benefited from doing so. And how!

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States states that "no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." This means that if Vice President Albert Sidney "Al" Gore had succeeded to the Presidency in 1999, he would have been enabled to serve out the time remaining in Clinton's term  and then two full terms of his own. Gore would have been on a fast track to become the longest serving president in American history, save only Franklin Roosevelt himself.

We can reasonably infer that if Gore had succeeded to the presidency in 1999, the 2000 election line-up would have been the same in that alternate reality as it was in ours: Gore versus Bush. But would the outcome have been the same? Almost certainly not. The easiest way to win a presidential election is to run as an incumbent. Even with Gore not running in 2000 as the incumbent president, he gained 500,000 more popular votes than Bush did. If Gore had been the incumbent, Gore's winning margin would certainly have been several million popular votes, and Bush would never have been able to win in the Electoral College. Gore would have had the added advantage of claiming to be the stand-in for the "martyred" President Clinton. So why not just dump Clinton then and there?

What, exactly, did the Democrats owe Clinton in 1999, anyway? Exactly nothing. What had Clinton ever done for them? Using Dick Morris's "triangulation" strategy, Clinton had enacted much of Newt Gingrich's agenda, which was anathema to true-blue Democrats. Even worse, Clinton's excesses during his first two years in office had aroused so much disgust among the American people that they sent Republican majorities to both the House and the Senate in the 1994 midterm elections, exactly the way Democrat majorities in both Houses were wiped out in Barack Obama's own first midterm elections in 2010.

That's a lot of committee chairmanships lost, not to mention the forced departures of friends and colleagues. The Democrats should have been seething with rage. On both occasions, excesses wrought by Democrat presidents cost the Democrats the majority rule that they believe is theirs by birthright.

So the national Democrats had excellent reason to resent Bill Clinton in1999 and every motive to seek revenge. And the Republicans gave them the golden trigger by which to get that revenge: impeachment and conviction. All that would have been needed was for at least seventeen of the forty-five Democrat senators to vote to convict Clinton of one of the impeachment charges that had been voted on by the House. That's about 40%.

Instead, all forty-five Democrat senators stood, phalanx-like, behind Clinton.

Why did they do this? He had caused them nothing but electoral losses and loss of power. Why not just dump him in 1999 and then complain to the public about how unfair it was? Gore would have been golden for at least six more years and probably ten. He probably would have had coattails, too, at least in 2000.

Did the Democrats stand by Clinton because they sincerely believed that the Constitution was in peril if the Republicans could get away with getting rid of one of theirs? That was Clinton's defense, but the premise is so absurd as to be laughable.

Did they think Clinton could help them recover their fortunes in 2000? This is likewise laughable, because Gore and the entire Democrat down-ticket in 2000 thought Clinton was so radioactive that they didn't want him to campaign for them.

So why did the Democrats stand by Clinton in 1999, when it would have been to their advantage to get rid of him then, as well as giving them the chance to wreak their revenge on him?

Only one reason comes to mind: blackmail files. The Clintons did have those 900 FBI raw files. They also had their own minions of paid hacks. Does anyone think that only Republicans' dossiers were contained in those files? The Clintons must have had dirt on everybody, of both parties. That's an obvious reason for the iron hold Clinton was able to wield over them.

And Kirsten Gillibrand? Why does she act as if she's free of Clinton blackmail worries? Simple. She didn't enter the House of Representatives until 2007. The Clintons never assembled blackmail files on her.

Talk sure is cheap. Sometimes it costs nothing at all.

The author is an Iowa truck-driver known to some American Thinker readers as AtomicIgor.
If you're not familiar with the term "Perfumed Prince," take a look at Air Force LTG Jay Silveria, Commander of the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs.

Silveria achieved the national spotlight by chewing out the entire class over racial slurs posted on five cadets' quarters. Months later, it turned out that one of the targets was actually the perpetrator.

Here are some bullet points from a field manual.

Get the facts, before you act.

Solve problems at the lowest level.

Concede a mistake.

Praise in public, reprimand in private.

General "Knee-Jerk" violated all of them. When confronted with his error, he replied that this had to be said anyway. Apparently, he was conflating the Charlottesville protests with his own command, not to mention a likely disdain for his commander in chief.

But here we have an intelligence failure. Charlottesville may well have been a false flag operation. So was the "hoax" at Silveria's academy. Intelligence must be timely and adequate. Silveria was spot-on with time but dismally inadequate despite plenty of open source information, aka "news".

The general ranted himself into an ambush.

Wonder why we don't win wars?

Colonel David Hackworth coined the term "Perfumed Princes" to describe the leaders who sidestepped the Vietnam disaster and infested the senior ranks, playing the academic or business manager while they squeezed out soldiers on the soggy end.

But Silveria's rant went beyond careerism. Silveria ordered everyone to video his rant on their cell phones to make sure his spiel went prime-time. Everyone from Senator McCain to Joe Biden heaped the praise. The Washington Post opined, "Too bad Trump can't emulate the military when it comes to matters of race."

"Eau de Diversity" is the fab fragrance of the Perfumed Princes as required by the political elite.

Martin Dempsey, 18th chairman of the Army chief of staff, 2011-2015, persisted with the hyphenated American being our strength to the end of his career. Never mind that the attack at Fort Hood in 2009 was perpetrated by a Muslim-American Army psychiatrist-major. Of this, Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. chimed in at the time, "as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse."

The tragedy was that Hasan's behavior had been scaring the pants off his colleagues in Army mental health, of all places, for years. But they understand. Diversity comes first.

The tragedy was that the Army maintained that firing some 140 rounds in a medical processing center while yelling "Allahu akbar" was "workplace violence" until 2015, when a funding bill forced the Perfumed Princes to reclassify the incident as "combat-related." Until then, all the dozens of victims had been denied appropriate benefits and the Purple Heart, thirteen awarded posthumously.

Marine staff sergeant Joseph Chamblin was punished for having urinated on a Taliban corpse five years ago. The conviction was overturned this November, after discovering that then-general Amos had interfered in the judicial proceeding. Amos wanted this sort of thing "crushed."

Chamblin maintains that he made the incriminating video as a propaganda ploy, "because if an infidel touches the body, they're not going to Mecca or paradise." This is right out of Brigadier General John Pershing's successful tactics in the Philippines, 1909-1913, not to mention Clausewitz's concept of "the will" and of knowing one's enemy. Of course, the opponents are "diverse," or they wouldn't be at war to begin with.

Chamblin is luckier than Lt. Clint Lorance, who is serving a twenty-year sentence for opening fire on suspected Taliban scouts when they ran his check point. Lorance is one of the Leavenworth 10, referring to a fluctuating number of U.S. servicemen serving time while known terrorists are released from GITMO.

This isn't a matter of holding ourselves to higher standards. It's a matter of having no standards at all. Despite having made "war on terrorism" for sixteen years, the Perfumed Princes have yet to provide guidance  neither on trying terrorists nor on how novel rules of engagement translate into traditional military jurisprudence. It's all just fine, just the way it is, whatever it is, even with terms more generous to the enemy than to our own troops, who are just canonical cannon fodder.

Two Navy SEALs are presently under investigation for the death of Green Beret Logan Melgar in Niger. (Where is Niger, anyway? ) Pilfering money from a fund intended to pay informants may be involved. Funds like this are tempting. That is their military purpose. Proper administration requires multiple levels of oversight so that everyone up the chain has to be complicit if anyone pilfers. External audits look for money spent with no results.

But the Perfumed Princes don't really care about money. They don't care about results, either. Congress appropriates money it borrows from a printing press and dumps it into an Authorization for the Use of Military Force that doesn't have any milestones. How can anyone audit that?

A rule of thumb is that if pacification hasn't succeeded in seven years, then the insurgency has won, or another insurgency has taken its place. Parallel wars can spin off as long as someone's around with a gripe and guns. Our "war on terror" has become another "war on poverty" or "war on crime." But that's fine just the way it is with the Perfumed Princes. Funding, anyone?

The latest snafu is a recruit shortage. No kidding! Word gets around. Bradley Manning gets a pardon. Bowe Bergdahl walks on a dishonorable discharge. Clint Lorence remains in jail. Got it! Corrective action is to waive mental disorders, a novel solution even for an army as committed to diversity as ours.

Understand: the Perfumed Princes are not lowering the standards. The perfumed policy is to forward waivers for evaluation in the light of "new knowledge" about mental disorders. The mental health evaluators are Nidal Hasan's colleagues. They understand. Numbers count.

There also remains a large body of "old knowledge" in which homosexual behavior indicates mental disorders.

Bradley Manning received counseling regarding his sexual problems as required by regulation and cognizant authority. The problem here is that cognizant authority is a Perfumed Prince. It took a full-blown act of treason and espionage to reach the proper diagnosis.

American elites are killing America. But when our most focused, disciplined, and universal institution withers, it's time to stop, smell the roses, and pin the carnations. Perfumed Princes are not going to fall on their own swords.

Bowe Bergdahl and Bradley Manning are of grotesquely inadequate characters, but it's not to avoid jail that they enlisted. 'Twas a time when a judge could offer enlistment, in certain cases, in lieu of jail. It put a burden upon the military, but not an unusual one. Numbers count. Some didn't make it, although many did, under military leaders. But that's not what LTG Silveria is training up. God knows this generation is hurting for leaders like what no generation America has ever bred.
"...there are two kinds of truth in this world. The truth that is the unalterable bedrock of one's life and mission. And the other, malleable truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers, and their clients, bent and molded to serve whatever purpose was at hand." Michael Connelly, Two Kinds of Truth

There is a mass hysteria gripping the country at the moment. Some of it is probably part of a misguided plan to unseat Trump. The truly evil deeds of some are being conflated with far lesser crimes; but all forms of sexual predation are illicit and destructive. It was the New York Times's journalistic equivalent of a nuclear bomb that revealed what thousands of people had known for three decades: that Harvey Weinstein has been a sexually abusive monster. Everyone in the "business" knew it but kept quiet. His politics were "correct," so no one reported his many crimes against women. He was a huge donor to Democrats, especially to the Clintons. To be in bed with the Clintons is to be above the law and corrupt to the core. All of which means that, as night follows day, the Hollywood/Weinstein level of predation is probably rampant in Congress as well.

Some of the journalists who viciously demeaned Bill Clinton's victims in the 1990s are crawling all over themselves now, to say that they were wrong to defend him. They were young! They did not know any better." Or, as Kirsten Gillibrand commented, "Times have changed."

No, Senator, rape and any kind of sexual abuse was very wrong then and is still very wrong today. But those Clinton defenders never gave a thought to right and wrong. Just as university students today are taught that one must be a leftist or suffer well-deserved consequences, those "young" journalists never gave a thought to Bill Clinton's victims or what they may have suffered. Oh, no! They had to be destroyed.

Just as the leftists of Congress and the media who protected and continued to revere Ted Kennedy after he was wholly responsible for the death of a young woman in 1969, Mary Jo Kopechne, the left of the Clinton era never thought twice about maligning Bill's victims to protect him. It had to be done. Ted Kennedy should have gone to prison, but he remained in the Senate despite his reputation as the Harvey Weinstein of Congress. Bill Clinton remained in the Oval Office despite his having defiled it. The effusive glory that poured out of the mouths of every person who spoke at Ted's funeral, including the now traitorous Mitch McConnell, was enough to make one gag. The "lion of the Senate" was the scourge of the Senate.

Just as everyone in Hollywood knew Weinstein was a barbarous abuser of women, every member of Congress knew the same about Ted Kennedy. Bottom line? The denizens of DC are as morally bankrupt as the swamp dwellers of the film and television industry. Too many of them, not all of them of course, have lost all sense of right and wrong. They defend creeps like Al Franken for the same reason Nina Burleigh offered her special services to Bill Clinton; their politics are "correct." They leap at the chance to destroy a man like Roy Moore because his politics are wrong. Right and wrong? Good vs. evil? Morality vs. immorality? Not relevant. They have sold their souls for power.

Alexander Hamilton wrote that "Ambition without principle never was long under the guidance of good sense." Indeed. The Kennedys, the Clintons and their defenders in the government and media are the personification of ambition without principle. They have done the nation great and lasting harm. They see, they know, they defend, and keep silent about criminal scoundrels in their midst, victims be damned. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are as guilty as Kennedy and the Clintons. They are harboring nameless sex offenders as we speak. Their greater good is themselves, not the country.

The Clinton administration was corrupt, but the Obama administration took its cue from them and built upon it to become the most corrupt administration in modern history. The combined list of crimes committed by the two presidencies of Clinton and Obama is too long to list here. Both administrations were chock full of criminals and we are living with the consequences of their misdeeds today. The Clintons learned their tricks of the trade from the Kennedys. Obama learned his from the Clintons. Hillary got fabulously rich while Obama looked the other way, national security be damned. By now, all Americans should know that there are two kinds of truth. The actual truth and the always malleable truth fed to us by our media, our politicians and our celebrities who fancy themselves as arbiters of our culture. They lie for their living and deny the truth of the depravities that thrive in their midst.

The Clintons and the Obama administration did terrible and increasingly dangerous damage to America. Trump was elected to reverse course but the forces of the left and the entrenched Republicans are all aligned to sabotage him and the agenda he was elected to implement. They cannot abide an outsider in their club. He does not operate like them, speak like them or think like them; all to the good for his supporters. These people, the DC establishment, have no reverence for actual truth. They believe in their divine right to dictate their "truth" to the rest of us. The Democrats and establishment Republicans mean to submarine tax reform and likely will, just as they did with Obamacare repeal. Is there anything more disingenuous than campaigning on repeal for seven years and then not doing it? It is a conspiracy of the establishment to subvert Trump and thumb their noses to those who voted for him.

The sexual and/or power predators of the Hollywood left and in Congress are all of a piece, a nasty piece of collective work. The good guys among them are too few to bring about a change in how the country is governed. We are at the mercy of a corrupt ruling class unless we fight back very hard. The old guard needs to be gone; Schumer, Pelosi, McConnell, Durbin, McCain, Corker, Leahy, etc. They are a scourge upon us. They adhere to the morality-free fake truth of politicians. They eschew the real truth. It doesn't matter to them. They bend and mold their malleable truth, the truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers [think Mueller] and their clients to serve whatever purpose is at hand.
Al Franken, the so-called social justice warrior for women, has now been exposed. Although some people on the left are calling for his resignation, very few are doing so in Congress. The hyper-partisan Chuck Schumer is calling for an investigation. What is there to investigate? Doesnt a picture speak a thousand words? The honorable senator was caught red-handed. If this were a Republican, would the Minority Senate leader be singing the same tune?

Speaking of leaders in the Senate, where is Mitch McConnell and his moral indignation over a United States Senators immoral behavior? He readily echoes the outrage over Roy Moores alleged sexual inappropriateness and makes it clear there will be consequences if Mr. Moore is dutifully elected by the Alabamians.

Silence ensues, however, when it comes to one of his own. Yes, Mr. Franken, a fellow senator, is indeed one of their own since these days with few exceptions, little difference is apparent between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Their desire to maintain the status quo in which they walk supersedes all else, which is the reason they continue to resist President Trumps agenda, even when he reaches across the aisle. The dominant theme prevails: No outsiders allowed!

As in Hollywood, there may have to be a sacrificial lamb. Will Mr. Franken be the one? It is difficult to say. I would venture to say probably not. Both Messrs. Schumer and McConnell are long-time establishment pros. They will present the public with the necessary blustering, and an investigation may ensue. Eventually, however, like everything else in this easily distracted society, people will begin to forget. We know the anti-Trump mantra will rise again around healthcare, taxes, tweeting and anything else which diverts the attention of the pitifully and increasingly uninformed public. As many of us believe, Mr. Franken will continue to apologize and promise to reform his tawdry ways. He will be humiliated, and perhaps, beaten and bruised a bit by his fellow Senators. Eventually, however, all will be well again, and the same old same old will proceed.

If Mr. Franken is truly to be sacrificed, there are rumors Keith Ellison is waiting in the wings. Will the Left protect Mr. Franken, a white, now privileged, male, or will they continue to succumb to identity politics by installing the first Muslim Senator? We shall see.

History has revealed that the Left often eat their own. Robespierre, one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution, joined his bourgeois contemporaries and ended up arrested and guillotined, exemplifying the truth of royalist Jacques Mallet du Pan: Like Saturn, the Revolution devours its young.

Trotsky one of the movers and shakers of the Russian Revolution was later assassinated at the behest of Stalin, demonstrating the timeless nature of power politics unconstrained by tradition or law.

Execution is not the only way to bring someone down. More recently and less barbarically, George Soros betrayed Hillary Clinton by supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 primary. Of course, Mr. Soros, like all Leftists after the fact, claimed he had made a mistake. Donna Braziles new book also exposes and embarrasses the Clinton operative, and not to be ignored, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand now agrees that Bill Clinton should have resigned twenty years ago. There appears to be no evidence of the good Senators repudiation of Mr. Clintons support while campaigning for office. Yes, political aspirations trump all. Despite much bemoaning of corruption, malfeasance and sexual abuse, the Left will never truly relinquish one of their own unless they have a stronger messenger for their cause. Mrs. Clinton was sacrificed for Mr. Obama, and if Mr. Franken is put out to pasture, it may very well be for Mr. Ellison.

No, the politicians on the Left will continue their bullying tactics so long as those on the Right will act like cowardly lions. Mr. McConnell should step down from his perch and allow a sturdier, more limited-government representative to carry the torch. There have been a few courageous souls who vocalized this, but for the most part, the GOP Senators remain in check and will not sacrifice their careers for the sake of their constituents. Perhaps, they are fearful of their own secrets being revealed.

The American public is more divided than ever. The corrupt, fake news continues to stoke the rage of the never- and anti-Trumpers. This loyal community of charlatans, purported beacons of the truth, will remain steadfast in their attempts to destroy President Trump. By doing so, they will encourage the GOP to eat their own. Oh, the media will pretend they are appalled by certain peoples behavior on the Left, but being comrades-in-arms, they will not report or opine too loudly about this. If the past is any indication it will be repeated, look no further than Bill Clinton.

The author is using a pen name for reasons she explains here
Ever since World War Two, the University of California has managed the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, generating jobs, influence, prestige, and income for the university and bureaucrats who administer it. The LANL, which developed the first atomic bomb and has huge responsibilities for the nation's nuclear arsenal and more, has a yearly budget of $2.5 billion, which generates a huge amount of "administrative overhead" paid to the contract administrator to cover the expense of administering such a vast enterprise. Jobs, office space, and many other expenses would have to be cut back at U.C. if the contract were lost.



Los Alamos National Lab. Picture via Office of the President, University of California.

Now it appears that this historical plum for the university is at risk. Lindsay Ellis writes in the Houston Chronicle:

Texas' two largest university systems will have to knock off the incumbent if they hope to take over the Los Alamos National Laboratory management contract. ... In September, UT System regents approved $4.5 million in spending to put together a bid, a process that will include finding partners potentially in business and academia. The UT System hasn't formally voted to proceed on a bid to manage the facility, which is responsible for the safety and reliability of the country's nuclear weapons. They delayed a conversation and possible vote on the bid at a meeting earlier this month, and administrators said then that the vote will likely occur in an upcoming meeting.

It is, of course, possible that the Texas regents will decide that after spending four and half million dollars, the bid should not proceed. On the other hand:

Bids are due in mid-December, and the current contract ends in September 2018. Texas A&M University regents have also expressed interest in the contract.

I have to wonder if the U.T. system is willing to allow its in-state rival to proceed without its own challenge.

Lurking in the background of the potential competition is the fact that the University of California has been disgraced by corruption of its organizational control system  at the top of its organization. I have written about this previously, and a few days ago, the regents of the university censured but did not fire the university's CEO, Janet Napolitano. The San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board explained Saturday:

In October 2016, the state auditor's office sent two sets of survey questionnaires to each of the 10 UC campuses to obtain honest feedback from the campuses about Napolitano's administration. Each of the surveys directed the campuses to return them to the state auditor and not to share them outside of the campus. That's not what happened, according to an independent report written by retired State Supreme Justice Carlos Moreno and released by the regents last week. Instead, Napolitano approved a plan that involved her chief of staff and his deputy pressuring campuses to change their responses on the surveys from negative responses to positive ones. In some instances, her office also reviewed the responses submitted by the campuses. Napolitano even called the chancellor of UC Santa Cruz after that campus submitted its surveys to the auditor without allowing her office to see them first, suggesting the campus withdraw its responses. "In short, the review plan was likely to, and in at least one case did, chill campuses' responses to the State Auditor," Moreno wrote in his report. That this is inappropriate behavior should have been obvious to everyone involved.

This is no trivial matter. It is the equivalent of a corporate CEO deliberately altering the reported results of operations to deceive the board of directors. So grave was this offense that the leftist legislature and governor of California have made it into a criminal offense, after the fact. The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board wrote:

The still-stunning decision by University of California President Janet Napolitano to interfere with a state audit  by removing and weakening criticism of her office's performance from individual UC campuses  has gotten the harsh rebuke it deserves. It came in the form of Assembly Bill 562, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed this week. Under the new law, a state agency's decision to interfere with, impede or obstruct a state audit requested by the Legislature or required by statute is now a misdemeanor crime with a fine of up to $5,000. How Napolitano thought her behavior was acceptable in this matter remains incomprehensible.

It is impossible to conceive of a publicly held corporation not firing such an executive, yet Napolitano has been allowed to keep her job after corrupting the reporting system. Two subordinates left their jobs, but the boss who approved the corrupt plan to deceive the regents about her performance still has a job for some reason. A public rebuke and shaming is not enough.

I have to believe that the Department of Energy, which owns LANL, will consider the integrity of the body to which it grants the next management contract. Can it, in good faith, allow an executive who approved corrupt altering of data about her organization to be in charge of an ultra-sensitive operation?

It seems to me that without a complete housecleaning, it would be folly to trust the U.C. System. Napolitano has disgraced herself and the university, and her continued tenure in her job is a danger sign for any other organization that relies on the integrity of the University of California System.
A Border Patrol agent was murdered in the Big Bend sector of the U.S.-Mexican border yesterday. His partner was severely injured.

Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, died of injuries while responding to reports of "activity" near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area. His unidentified partner was taken to an area hospital, where his condition is listed as serious.

Martinez is the second agent killed this year.

Fox News:

President Trump pushed the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall Sunday night following the incident, tweeting: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!" Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Sunday calling Martinez's death a "tragic event." "Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured," the statement read. "We are fully supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of this tragic event. On behalf of the quarter of a million frontline officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition."

Records show the Big Bend sector of the border has been relatively quiet:

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

A recent audit by the GAO showed that the border patrol is short about 2,000 agents and is losing them faster than they are being hired.

More than 900 agents leave each year on average but the Border Patrol only hires an average of 523 a year, the Government Accountability Office said in a broad survey of staffing and deployment challenges at the key border law enforcement agency. The law requires the agency to have a minimum of 21,370 agents on board, but it had just 19,500 agents as of May. That's an even bigger problem when stacked up against President Trump's call for hiring 5,000 more agents, to reach a workforce of 26,370.

While the investigation into what happened to Agent Martinez is just getting underway, you have to wonder if the shortage of agents played any role in his death. Being one of the quietest sectors along the border, you wouldn't expect a much larger presence for the Border Patrol. But suppose ICE had the luxury of several thousand more agents. We'll never know.

As for the wall making a difference, from what we know of plans for building the wall, the Big Bend sector might not even feature a physical barrier. But since final plans for the wall have yet to be developed  and a cost estimate generated  it's impossible to know if a wall would have made a difference.

That said, the death of Agent Martinez highlights the absolute necessity to get control of our southern border. Whether he was murdered by drug dealers or illegal aliens is not the point. The point is that someone or some people illegally crossed the border and murdered an American hero.
Infamous serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson died yesterday at age 83. He died, peacefully, in a hospital bed, unlike his victims, who were murdered in the most unimaginably vicious manner.

Associated Press:

A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of L.A.'s rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war  an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter." The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California's Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty. "These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy. Linda Deutsch, the longtime courts reporter for The Associated Press who covered the Manson case, said he "left a legacy of evil and hate and murder." "He was able to take young people who were impressionable and convince them he had the answer to everything and he turned them into killers," she said. "It was beyond anything we had ever seen before in this country."

Manson murdered actress Sharon Tate and five of her friends at Tate's home on August 9, 1969. Less than a week later, the rock festival at Woodstock, N.Y. began. Those two events represented opposite sides of the same coin; a cultural revolution that changed America forever and brought with it far more pain and sorrow than liberating happiness.

If the myth of Woodstock involved a half a million people celebrating life in peace and love (That's the myth, anyway. The reality was far darker.), the truth of Manson's horrific deeds was that the killer celebrated pretty much the same philosophy as the hippies, except he used it to trap and malignantly influence his followers.

Drugs and sex  "if it feels good, do it"  were how Manson attracted his devotees. The same could be said about the murders his followers committed, who were high on LSD when they entered Tate's house and proceeded to massacre everyone. One of his female followers recalled how good it felt to stab her victims  almost a sexual experience.

You cannot look at the counterculture revolution without seeing both sides of it. The fallout from consequence-free sex, putting anything in your body that makes you feel good  the AIDS epidemic; the explosion of other STDs; addiction; overdoses; broken, shattered lives  this is the flip-side of the Woodstock generation's quest to find "peace and love." And Manson represented it perfectly.

Manson's delusions about starting a race war (afterward, he would rule the world) by "showing the black man" how to do it cost the lives of eight innocent human beings. He lucked out. California's death penalty statute was declared unconstitutional, saving him from the gas chamber.

That he died peacefully in his sleep is one of the great injustices of the 20th century.
Chicago has the weekend shootings. Baltimore is one of the closest things to a failed city in North America.

Let's look south to Rio de Janeiro, a city most Americans identify with carnivals and girls in bikinis.

Violence in Rio is now at historic levels and not getting any better, according to this report from Ernesto Londono:

For teachers in this seaside megacity, Rio de Janeiro's surge in violence has meant making a life-or-death judgment call with unnerving frequency: deciding whether to cancel classes because of nearby shootouts. For police officers, it has meant burying 119 of their own so far this year and surrendering ever more territory to drug gangs that have resumed open-air sales in teeming communities that had been declared "pacified" just a few years ago. Many ordinary residents of this city of about 6.5 million start the day scanning mobile apps that track live reports of gunfire before planning their commutes. A little more than a year since Rio de Janeiro hosted a largely successful Summer Olympics, Brazil's showcase city is plagued by a rise in lawlessness reminiscent of its darkest periods in the 1980s and 1990s. There were 4,974 people killed in Rio de Janeiro State, with a population of about 16.5 million, during the first nine months of this year, up 11 percent from last year, according to state government statistics. The rise in violent crime here is part of a nationwide trend that experts say has been exacerbated by Brazil's economic recession, by corruption that has hollowed out government coffers and by fierce competition between drug trafficking organizations. Last year, there were 61,619 people killed across Brazil, according to data compiled by Brazilian Forum on Public Security, making it the deadliest year on record. Facing a budget deficit and increasingly well-armed and organized drug cartels, officials in Rio de Janeiro have turned to the federal government for a bailout and to the military for backup.

Not a pretty situation, as they say!

Like Mexico recently and Colombia in the 1980s, the driving force behind the violence is cartels fighting for territory.

I've heard from friends in South America that Brazil has become the distribution center for illegal drugs going to Europe, Argentina, and elsewhere.

Adding to the problem is that Brazil has very porous borders with Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It's easy for illegal drugs, cartels, and cash to cross borders.

Cocaine, in particular, goes to Europe via Africa and is also consumed domestically.

It is believed to be worth $4.5 billion a year, or a huge incentive for lots of unemployed young men to join the business!

Is there any hope of Rio returning to a more stable past?

Not really.

You have a perfect storm of a huge illegal drug business and rather incompetent national leadership that has lost control of the country.

I would not be surprised if there is a hard-line military coup sometime soon. My guess is that it will be welcomed by a middle class struggling economically and scared to death of violence everywhere.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Chris Matthews's leg apparently has stopped tingling. He was a working-class kid from Philly who parlayed his job on the Capitol Police Force into work for Speaker Tip O'Neill, becoming his chief of staff, and, later, speechwriter for Jimmy Carter before moving into print and later TV journalism. He lives in a world of the power elite but carries his background and lack of an Ivy League diploma proudly.

He is a remnant of the Democratic Party of old, now but a memory, in a world where identity politics reigns supreme on the left. He is not a happy camper, and he said so this weekend at the Miami Book Fair.

Margaret Menge reports in Lifezette:

Chris Matthews gave it to the Democrats on Saturday in a talk at the Miami Book Fair, saying they've lost their connection to white working people, and had better try to get it back. "You know, ever since we started this Archie Bunker thing in the early '70s, making fun of white working people, we kissed them goodbye," he said. "You make fun of people, you look down on them? They get the message. You call them deplorables? They hear it. You bet they hear it. You say they cling to their guns and their religion? Oh yeah, I cling to my religion. OK. I'm a little person, and you're a big person. Thank you, I'll be voting for the other guy this time." ... "Our leaders, and I'm not just pointing to the one at the top, I'm talking about all the ones in Congress, they read out statements written by staff people who are bored to death," he said. "Cold toast. That's what we get from these people." And then he named names. "The other day when Trump came out with that tax bill of his, Pelosi said, or was it Chuck Schumer  it doesn't matter who reads this stuff, it's the same words  'It's a Ponzi scheme.' Oh, you original little person," said Matthews. "I am so tired of these people. Say something human. Say something that means something to you. Relate to people about what this tax thing will mean to their lives. They don't even bother. It's too much work. They're too busy raising money, kissing ass, which is what they do."

Despite my many disagreements with him on politics, I have always regarded Matthews as refreshingly willing to speak his mind. In the classic phrase, he's a guy I'd love to have a beer with. I am not sure if he realizes that his intra-party battle has been lost, and the home of the working class is now the GOP. But if he ever does, I hope he will speak up, as he is wont to do.
Media Matters for America (MMFA), the far-left advocacy group that targets conservative media and talk show hosts, was assisted in its efforts to get Fox News host Sean Hannity fired during a show on CNN on Sunday. In a new low point for the Cable News Network, CNN Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter welcomed MMFA president Angelo Carusone for a live, in-studio softball interview on why Hannity should be forced to go.

Stelter is no friend of Hannity, who has the #1 talk show on cable news. He introduced the CNN segment halfway into his show Sunday at 11 A.M. EST (source: transcript at CNN dot com):

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST: Sean Hannity's show is simply called "Hannity," but I think it's time for a renaming. It really is the Hillary Clinton horror show. Let's call it "The Clinton Scandal Hour," because, night after night after night, Hannity delights in supposed Clinton wrongdoing, seizing on old stories and spinning them into huge scandals. Vox recently called him the media's top conspiracy theorist. Now, my theory is that Hannity focuses on the Clintons partly so he doesn't have to deal with the daily Trump-related controversies. Lately, it's also been a convenient diversion from the Roy Moore scandal. At the end of one of his Clinton-bashing segments this week, Hannity kind of randomly said this: (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "HANNITY") SEAN HANNITY, HOST, "HANNITY": By the way, I have sources all of us are being surveilled illegally, just in case you're interested. Just telling you. Anyway... (END VIDEO CLIP) STELTER: Anyway? Sean, that's a huge story. You're under surveillance? By who, the Trump administration? You know, kooky sound bites like that would sometimes go unnoticed, if not for Media Matters. Media Matters is a left-wing group that monitors right-wing media. The group flagged that video clip and many, many more as part of an ongoing anti-Hannity campaign. Right now, it's promoting an ad boycott. It says, "Sign up to join the effort to encourage Hannity's advertisers to stop financially supporting his propaganda." Let's talk about that with the group's president, Angelo Carusone. He joins me now here in New York.

After that intro, Carusone was given six minutes to make his case  without interruption or any serious challenge or probing questions  for organizing a serious effort to convince Hannitys advertisers to stop sponsoring his show.

A similar advertiser boycott championed by MMFA and Carusone, aimed at former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, succeeded in getting O'Reilly fired last April  after being the #1 host on cable news for the previous fifteen years. Previously, MMFA and/or Carusone worked to get conservative hosts Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck fired from their programs.

It was advertisers deserting O'Reilly's show that cost him his job. Carusone is following the same playbook, hoping to repeat that success with Hannity, whom he has been targeting since last May.

Stelter asked Carusone, "Why do you think it's appropriate to try to take away any commentator's advertisers?"

CARUSONE: I don't  I don't like it at all. ... [A]t some point, you are forced to do it. ... No other network would let their personalities go out there and do the kinds of destructive and reckless things that Sean Hannity does. But when you're faced with an entity that doesn't have any accountability, you have two choices, do nothing and continue to endure the destructive consequences of it, or appeal to a higher power. In this case, it's the advertisers.



Angelo Carusone.

Carusone's appeals to low-information voters and sympathetic hosts like Stelter rely  like so much of the propaganda of the left  on systematic ambiguity: making vague but incendiary charges  of racism, hate speech, etc.  against a target without citing any specifics. This is a tactic popularized by left-wing agitator and Hillary Clinton mentor Saul Alinsky in the 1960s, the author of one of the bibles of the left, Rules for Radicals (in effect dedicated by the author to Lucifer).

One would think a demand that the most popular program on cable TV news be summarily shut down would require hard evidence and specific examples of something egregious to justify such censorship and denial of a host's and his large audience's 1st Amendment rights. But this is not and never has been the intent of the left, whether here or in the Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela, or anywhere else where the failed socialist-communist transformation of society has been tried.

An article at CNN dot com published after the program aired, twice on Sunday, continued to make MMFA's arguments:

Media Matters argues that Hannity's show is essentially "a Trump propaganda operation." ... The organization first called for a boycott in August, and it upped the pressure after Hannity stood by Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore.

"Stood by" Moore? This is a ridiculous and unsupportable assertion. The day after the story broke alleging that Moore had committed sexual misconduct or battery on several young women, one of them under the age of 16 at the time, four decades ago, Hannity interviewed Moore on his radio show. He replayed much of the interview on his Fox News TV program later that evening. So far, it's the only interview Moore has given. It put a lot on the record and was referenced in thousands of media reports and TV and radio discussions, and Hannity was given credit, including grudgingly from some in the left of center press, for asking Moore tough questions and getting him to answer questions on the record in the first place.

The following Wednesday, after challenging Moore to answer the accusations against him more directly, Hannity read a statement from Moore on his Fox News show. He never "stood by" Moore or gave Moore his approval. Rather, he said it is up to the voters in Alabama to decide Moore's fate in the special election scheduled for December 12. Moore, it should be noted, denies all of the charges against him. None of the allegations was ever heard until the Washington Post story alleging Moore's sexual misconduct four decades ago was published on Thursday, November 9, and obviously, none has ever been heard in a court of law.

None of these facts is relevant to the sharks on the left  including CNN, which is in direct competition with Fox News  who smell blood in the water from what they think is a seriously wounded Sean Hannity.

On CNN Sunday, Carusone claimed that thirty of Hannity's advertisers have dumped his program. This number is impossible to confirm. According to a search at Google News, no substantive new reporting on this subject has been published since November 15.

Who is Angelo Carusone?

Three years ago, the Daily Caller published "Media Matters Executive Wrote Racist, Anti-Semitic, Anti-'Tranny' Blog Posts." Many of the posts, by Angelo Carusone, are in poor taste or too obscene to be quoted here. Readers are invited to review the Daily Caller article.

Carusone became MMFA's president in 2016. The organization was founded in 2004 by right-wing author turned left-wing activist David Brock as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation. It has a $10-million-plus-a-year budget dedicated to monitoring and taking down any conservative media it doesn't agree with.

In 2010, MMFA declared "war" on Fox News. As Politico reported on March 27, 2011:

The liberal group Media Matters has quietly transformed itself in preparation for what its founder, David Brock, described in an interview as an all-out campaign of "guerrilla warfare and sabotage" aimed at the Fox News Channel.

Much like Brock, but even more surprising, considering Carusone's vitriolic attacks against Republicans now, Carusone once described himself as...a Republican! There's a wonderful resource online, archive dot org, that has copied and saved billions of web pages going back to 1996. Using it, one can find original pages of Carusone's website, angelocarusone dot com, when he controlled its content over a period of years. (More recently, the domain has fallen into the hands of Carusone's critics.)

On this page below, for example  saved on November 24, 2005  Carusone posted the following entry dated Nov. 21, 2005 and titled "Political Pickle."

Interesting, isn't it? So Carusone's political opinions have evolved  a lot  over the past decade. Fine.

In a page captured on Oct. 20, 2006, Carusone wrote "About Me."

A knowledgeable source who has proven to be accurate 100% of the time, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me this on Sunday:

Sources interviewed from both Fox News and Premier radio [Hannity's radio show syndicator] say there has been zero attrition and impact with this latest boycott attempt. Advertisers are fully aware that MMFA hates Fox News and Sean Hannity. One ad exec tells ... that advertisers just dismiss the obvious political agenda behind the attacks.

Most people [inside MMFA] are thinking a change in leadership is imminent, perhaps as early as January.

One top donor believes MMFA under Carusone has become so singularly focused on destroying Hannity that he will put their tax exempt status in jeopardy. Top donors and David Brock are becoming more concerned the MMFA brand is being destroyed because Angelo keeps making it personal and just about Hannity and Fox.

The CNN article Sunday is titled "Fox News defends Sean Hannity amid calls for ad boycott." The story notes:

The network on Sunday denounced a petition that is calling on advertisers to ditch Hannity's show as an "intimidation effort" that is "nothing more than political opportunism based on deceit." ... Sunday's statement was the first time that Fox News has commented on the boycott effort. "Sean Hannity hosts the number one program in cable news because millions of Americans make the decision to join him every night and the audience relationship is stronger than ever," said a Fox News spokesperson.

A Fox News spokesperson confirmed in an email to me Sunday evening that the Fox News statement cited by CNN is accurate and complete as of this time.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. Follow Peter on Twitter @pchowka.
Germany finds itself in a political crisis today as Chancellor Angela Merkel has failed to create a coalition government that would give her a majority in parliament.

The Free Democratic party, a minor pro-business party but vital to Merkel's efforts at coalition-building, pulled out of talks to form a government, leaving the chancellor with few good options.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Greens failed to reach a compromise with Christian Linder, chairman of the FDP, who said after the talks collapsed, "It is better not to govern than to govern wrongly."

Deutsche Welle:

While Merkel will remain acting chancellor, it remains unclear where this leaves her prospects of forming a new government. Her conservatives could choose to enter talks with just the Greens to form a minority government. The Social Democrats (SPD), who were the second-biggest party in the September election, ruled out forming a second consecutive grand coaltion later on Monday. SPD leader Martin Schulz said his party is "not available" for another coalition with Merkel and the SPD is not afraid of new elections. After suffering a humiliating election loss in September, the SPD has repeatedly reaffirmed that its role in the upcoming Bundestag will be in opposition. Merkel said she would inform President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has the power to call new elections, on Monday afternoon of the failure of the coalition talks. This suggests that a minority government with the Greens may be out of the question and the country could be heading for a new election.

Meanwhile, the third largest party in Germany, the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, finds itself on the outside looking in. Both major parties have said they will not ask the AFP to enter a coalition government.

This leaves Merkel in a bind. Heading up a minority government would be tricky, as she would need to form different majority coalitions in parliament for almost every bill she wants to pass. That's why many observers believe there will be new elections.

Bloomberg:

Merkel will consult with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday on what comes next. The ultimate move might be new elections that come as soon as this spring. This could be the popular choice with a majority of Germans in favor of heading to the polls again, according to a survey by ZDF television. The risk is that nothing changes, leaving the German parliament just as splintered as it is now, with six blocs and the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany as the third-biggest party.

There is also a risk that the AfD could become even stronger, forcing Merkel to seriously consider bringing them into the government. Indeed, now that the AfD is seated in parliament, millions of ordinary Germans who swallowed the anti-AfD propaganda that a vote for the nationalists was a vote for fascism see that Germany has not turned into the 4th Reich. That can only work in the AfD's favor.

Merkel is faced with a situation where there are no good options. But she's an experienced, canny politician and shouldn't be underestimated.
The all-Democrat Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is refining hypocrisy to its highest level in Washington, D.C.

The CHC has denied Republican U.S. House of Representatives member  and Cuban-American  Carlos Curbelo of Miami membership in a disgraceful display of petty partisanship.

This hypocrisy is not new, nor confined to Washington. In California, the highest ranking elected Hispanic Republican in the state, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (colonel, USMC ret.), asked to join the California legislature's version of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 2014. The group turned him down, citing "values"; Republican Hispanics do not share the "values" of Hispanic Democrats. Abortion, for example.

In 2012, Chavez, a former acting secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs under Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Jerry Brown (D) and an elected Oceanside city councilman, was overwhelmingly elected to the state legislature, having carried every precinct in North San Diego County's overwhelmingly non-Hispanic district.

He ran to solve immigration problems (California having the highest number of immigrants, legal and illegal, in the country); health and education problems (after the Marines, he ran a charter high school); and intelligent governance that encourages growth and rational economics.

He was and is totally issue-oriented. He joined several bipartisan efforts in the Assembly on legislation supporting comprehensive immigration reform, on allowing an illegal alien to practice law, and on other efforts lacking general Republican support.

When sworn into office, he innocently mentioned to Democratic colleagues that he would like to join the Latino Legislative Caucus so he could work with its members on bipartisan issues. He never heard back from the group.

Chavez told the Los Angeles Times, "When I didn't get a response, I asked what the deal was, and they said that I wouldn't be allowed in. ... They do not allow Republicans to be part of the group." Never have.

Democratic state senator Ricardo Lara, chairman of the Latino Caucus in 2014, rationalized the policy that excluded Chavez: it had been in "place since the caucus was founded (over) 40 years ago by five Democratic lawmakers" when there were no Republican Latinos in the legislature. In fact, at that time, there were only five Hispanics in the 120-seat legislature, all Democrats.

In contrast to the restrictionist Latino Caucus membership, the Asian Legislative Caucus welcomes members from both parties.

The Latino Legislative Caucus's website says the caucus exists "to identify key issues affecting Latinos and develop avenues to empower the Latino community throughout California." That means all Latinos and all Latino problems, doesn't it  not just Democrats? I digress.

Properly motivated, Hispanic voters outpace other voters in supporting or opposing issues they feel strongly about. For example, in 1994's infamous Proposition 187 vote that would have expelled mostly Hispanic children from schools without "due process," nor allowed medical treatment to those same children in hospitals  over 75 percent of California's Hispanic electorate voted against "187." They went overwhelmingly with Democrats.

On the other hand, in the 1982 California gubernatorial election, many Hispanics abandoned the Democratic Party's candidate for governor  L.A. mayor Tom Bradley (African-American)  and voted Republican. In doing so, they created the famous "Bradley Effect"  i.e., telling pollsters one thing and voting the opposite.

Colonel Chavez has been re-elected twice since 2012. He is favored to win again in 2018. He is still Hispanic, he is still a Republican, and he still isn't a member of the California Latino Caucus.

Change the name to Carlos Curbelo, change the state to Florida, and change the California legislature to the United States House of Representatives, and the exact same hypocrisy occurs as it did with Chavez.

"It is truly shameful the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has decided to build a wall around the organization to exclude Hispanic-Americans who aren't registered in the Democratic Party," Curbelo told the Associated Press. "This sends a powerful and harmful message of discrimination, bigotry, and division. Unbelievably, petty partisan interests have led the CHC to formally endorse the segregation of American Hispanics. It is a dark day on Capitol Hill."

"After due consideration, the CHC determined not to accept Rep. Curbelo's request to join the Caucus. The CHC isn't just an organization for Hispanics; it is a Caucus that represents certain values," said a taxpayer-paid CHC spokesman. Values?

The CHC demanded that Curbelo abandon his potentially successful "DREAMer" bill to legalize people who were brought here illegally as children and, instead, support the CHC's Democrat bill that has no chance to pass into law. He refused, so the CHC denied his request to join the group.

Hypocrisy is spelled CHC and D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T.

Contreras is the author of The Armenian Lobby & U.S. Foreign Policy (Berkeley Press, 2017) and The Mexican Border: Immigration, War and a Trillion Dollars in Trade (Floricanto Press 2016). he formerly wrote for the New American News Service of the New York Times.
Considerable uproar was generated this past weekend by legacy media reports that the commander of U.S. strategic forces would "resist 'illegal' nuke order from Trump," as CBS, in a headline echoed by most media sources, put it.

In fact, nothing of the sort occurred. The story, like many that have appeared since November 8, 2016, is an almost complete fabrication, intended to embarrass President Trump and cause turmoil within the federal government and among Trump's own supporters.

What actually happened is this: USAF general John E. Hyten, the chief of Strategic Command (StratCom), which is the trans-service military command that controls nuclear weapons, was asked a hypothetical question about what his reaction would be if he were given an "illegal" order to carry out a nuclear strike. Gen. Hyten answered hypothetically, not mentioning President Trump or any current international situation (e.g., North Korea) or implying that he would disobey orders. At no point did the general give any indication that he was going from the theoretical to the particular.

I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do. And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated.

The legacy media, speaking effectively as one voice, immediately portrayed this as being a direct rebuke to the president. There is no sign that Hyten's remarks were intended as anything of the kind. The media simply put words in his mouth.

Of course, it's possible that the question was deliberately asked to put the cat among the pigeons. Hyten's impatient, if not disdainful, response suggests that he, at least, may have suspected as much: "I think some people think we're stupid. We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"

So  all calls for Hyten's firing, jailing, or beheading should simply cease. Hyten is a patriot and a warrior with a proud record, having served in both the Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom campaigns. Let's turn the fire where it belongs: on the media.

The fact that this comment appeared this weekend is no coincidence, comrades. At the same time, the news was infested by comments from boob ex-jock LaVar Ball, who claimed that the president had nothing to do with his son's release from shoplifting charges by the Chinese, alongside twisted interpretations of State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's discussion of departmental morale to make it seem as if the organization were in a state of collapse under Rex Tillerson.

The aim of these reports is transparent: to undercut President Trump and his administration in order to create dismay among his supporters and to destroy his support across the country.

To take them seriously, to respond to them as the media and the left would like, is to collaborate. Rule of thumb is, simply put: anything  anything at all  coming from the legacy media must be examined under the presumption of dishonesty. Don't respond until after you've checked it out, not only down to the ground, but to the basement and subbasements as well. To do anything less is to be a patsy for the left.
Gaia Pope: suing the police for a crime that never happened

After the febrile reporting and shadowy photos of innocent people, police say foul play played no part in the death of Gaia Pope, the 19-year-old who went missing in bucolic Dorset.

You might wonder why police arrested three people on suspicion of murder. All three were released under investigation. Greg Elsey, whose son Paul Elsey was arrested by police, accuses investigators of behaving like wooden tops. He says his son can prove he was elsewhere when Gaia Pope went missing. So why was Paul Elsey arrested and subjected to harsh media scrutiny?

The newspapers piled in, as ever they must when a photogenic blonde is missing. But from front-page news, the Express relegates the case of tragic Gaia Pope to page 4. The police says the young woman might have taken her own life or died of natural causes.

The Mail presents her death as a mystery, asking a question we will never know the answer to. Did fear of prisoner who assaulted her push Gaia to suicide? asks the Mail, wrapping two questions into a headline to which the only sensible answer is no.

As for that assault, a friend tells the paper: She was assaulted when she was 17 and I think she thought the man would be released early from prison.

We are free to speculate, of course, but why did an apparent objective police investigation lead to the arrests of three people and talk of murder? Surely they knew of Gaia Popes past, and of her severe epilepsy, which, we are told, could take her life at any time? We read now that Paul Elsey, Nathan Elsey and Rosemary Dinch, the three innocent people arrested for a crime that never took place, are planning to sue police for wrongful arrest.

Over in the Sun, which talked of police swooping on Paul Esleys prized car  no, not that car  the story (page 7) is one of Tragic Gaias Attack Agony. The paper reads the dead womans mind. She feared fiends release, says the paper. She did? Well, maybe. Maybe not.

In the Daily Mirror (page 9), Gaia is the tragic teen. She is Gaia from Langton Matravers. In the Sun she is Gaia from Swanage. Gaia Pope was from Langton Matravers. She was staying at an address in Swanage when she disappeared on Tuesday 7 November 2017.

Such are the facts.

UPDATE: Det Supt Paul Kessell, of Dorset Police tells everyone:

We have today released from our investigation two men, aged 19 and 49, and a 71-year-old woman, all from Swanage, who had been arrested and were assisting with our enquiries. I appreciate our enquiries would have caused these individuals stress and anxiety, however we have an obligation in any missing person investigation to explore every possible line of enquiry. The public would expect Dorset Police to fully investigate the sudden disappearance of a teenage girl. Our aim was not only to find Gaia but to find out what happened to her. Gaias family has been informed of this latest development and our thoughts remain with all her family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

What happened to people helping he police with their enquiries? Why the rush towards arrest?

Anorak

Posted: 20th, November 2017 | In: Key Posts, News, Tabloids Comments (5) | TrackBack | Permalink
A rapist locked in a prison with women: what can go wrong?

On the heels of Jessica Winfield, the rapist born Martin Ponting who was moved to a womens prison after undergoing a sex change, and who, allegedly, was isolated from female lags after making unwelcome sexual advances, we meet Davina Ayrton, formerly David. Davina Ayrton is starting an eight year prison term for taping a 15-year-old schoolgirl in a Portsmouth garage. Davina is still in possession of her male genitalia.

And so to the moral maze: in court Ayrton expressed a desire to serve her time in a womens prison. Is it right that rapist is housed in a womens prison? Can it be right that female prisoners are housed with a convicted rapist? Whose rights are at stake here: the rapist who wants to be a woman; or women?

It can only be right and proper that the government works hard to understand the lot of transgender prisoners. Government figures suggest there are 0.8 transgender prisoners reported per 1,000 prisoners in custody. There are about 88,000 people in UK prisoners. Is it time for a trans-only prison?

In 2015, trans woman Tara Hudson was sentenced to 12 weeks in the all-male Bristol Prison. Her mother Jackie Brooklyn told the Bath Chronicle: I want Tara to be the last victim of a system which desperately needs bringing into the modern world. Hudson told the BBC: I could tell that they werent really ready for a prisoner like myself. Because of my gender identity they felt they had to lock me up in segregation and keep me away from the main population of the prison. I felt like I was being persecuted by the state I felt I had no rights.. I felt like an animal in a zoo.

Add her ordeal to the fates of Vicky Thompson, 21, and Joanne Latham, 38, from Nottingham, who were both sent to male prisons and the picture for trans prisoners is bleak.

Something needs to be done, for certain. But housing convicted rapists with women is not it.

Anorak

Posted: 20th, November 2017 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Brussels, November 20 - Milan lost the European Medicines Agency after lots were drawn - and not in a coin toss as previously reported - after finishing level on 13 votes with Amsterdam in the third and final vote Monday. The EMA, the EU's drugs body, is leaving London after Brexit.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni said "thanks Milan and thanks to all those who worked for the EMA, in the institutions and in private. A solid bid only beaten by drawing lots. What bad luck!".

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said that "it's really a bit absurd to be beaten because they drew lots. "All above board but not normal." Speaking at the same press conference, Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said "flipping a coin is sad. It is the paradigm of a Europe that can't decide. I think we should take some initiative, we'll see".

Maroni said that "there is great disappointment but also the awareness that everything that could be done was done to deliver a very competitive bidding dossier, which was shown in the first two votes". He said "we're sorry, because we were really ready" to host the EMA.

Northern League leader Matteo Salvini said it had been "crazy" for the new EMA location to be decided by drawing lots. "It's crazy that a choice that regards thousands of jobs and two billion euros in economic business is made in Europe by drawing lots...the umpteenth proof of the madness with which the European Union is governed," said the anti-euro, anti-migrant leader.

He added that it will be "a priority for our next government to renegotiate the 17 billion euros a year Italians pay Brussels".

Two envelopes were used to draw lots after the two cities tied after Slovakia abstained.

The Estonian EU duty president chose the envelope containing Amsterdam's name, not Milan's.

Pre-vote favourite Bratislava was eliminated in the first round. The voting then narrowed to a three-horse race between Milan, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, which was eliminated in the second round.


(ANSA) - La Spezia, November 20 - An Italian supermagnet destined for the ITER experimental fusion reactor in southern France on Monday left the La Spezia site of ASG Superconductors for the local port from which it will be shipped to Porto Marghera near Venice. Cadarache-based ITER aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the energy of the future, imitating the processes that happen in stars. The giant coil is the fruit of collaboration between Italian industry, the alternative energy group ENEA and the EU's Fusion for Energy (F4E) agency. ASG Superconductors is owned by the Malacalza family.

The company's CEO, Sergio Frattini, said the magnet was proof of Italian leadership in the sector.

"It's an amazing magnet in terms of size and shows our leadership in the sector of conductive supermagnets," he said.

F4E magnets chief Alessandro Bonito-Oliva said the participation in the fusion reactor was "a great opportunity" for European research and development to create "new, young technologies". The new magnet is the biggest ever made in the world.

ITER ("The Way" in Latin) is one of the most ambitious energy projects in the world today.

In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating to build the world's largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device that has been designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy based on the same principle that powers our Sun and stars.

The experimental campaign that will be carried out at ITER is crucial to advancing fusion science and preparing the way for the fusion power plants of tomorrow.

ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy and will be the first fusion device to maintain fusion for long periods of time. And ITER will be the first fusion device to test the integrated technologies, materials, and physics regimes necessary for the commercial production of fusion-based electricity.


(by Aldo Baquis)

TEL AVIV - Forty years ago on Sunday Anwar Sadat landed at Tel Aviv airport, marking a new page in Middle East history.



The Jewish State was still recovering from the traumatic 1973 Arab-Israeli War and now, for the first time ever, it was preparing to receive the president of Egypt, a leading Arab country. As the engines fell silent all eyes were on the door of the plane, which however remained empty for a long time. "Tension was at a high," then premier Menachem Begin's personal secretary Yona Klimowitzky recalled. "In fact some people feared that (PLO leader) Yasser Arafat might get off the plane." Marksmen were positioned on the roof of Ben Gurion airport. According to another emergency scenario disclosed by military radio on Monday, it was feared that a commando might jump out of the Egyptian plane and kill the Israeli leaders lined up along the red carpet. In Sinai the Israeli army was on top alert after troop movements had been registered along the Suez Canal similar to those seen on the eve of the attack by Egypt and Syria that triggered the Yom Kippur war. At last Sadat emerged smiling and the Israelis responded with enthusiasm. "We were in any case convinced that there was no deceit on his part," said then Israeli government secretary Arie Naor.



"In the months leading up to the visit Begin had secretly contacted the leaders of the United States, Romania, Iran and Morocco to ensure the visit's success." And Israel and Egypt reached peace agreements at Camp David in 1978.



Begin was obliged to dismantle the city of Yamit and 20 or so Jewish settlements in the Sinai Peninsula. "He was to suffer for that sacrifice for the rest of his life," Klimowitzki said.



"But he understood that peace came at a price." Sadat paid a bigger price when he was assassinated by an Islamic terrorist on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war in 1981. The Egyptian president "took a courageous step and since then, with highs and lows, the peace treaty has held," Premier Benyamin Netanyahu said. "Today Egypt and Israel, along with other countries, are side by side on the same barricade in a determined fight against radical Islam," he continued. On Sunday an official commemoration was held at the Knesset, where Egypt was represented by the ambassador Hazem Khairat.



Local media report that all attempts to receive top Egyptian political leaders in Jerusalem failed.


Syrian forces recapture border town from ISIS Iranian-backed rebels also in Abukamal

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, NOVEMBER 20 - Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed rebels have announced taking the last Syrian city still in ISIS hands.



Abukamal, on the Euphrates River and on the border with Iraq, had returned briefly under the partial control of the terrorist group after initially being liberated 10 days ago. The Iranian-backed rebels operate across the Iraq-Syria border and the commander of the Qods brigade, General Qasem Soleimani, travelled to the 'liberated' part of Abukamal a few days ago. Meanwhile on Sunday approximately 20 civilians were killed in the area between Homs and Damascus after getting caught up in crossfire between loyalist and rebel forces. Syrian news agency Sana reports that eight civilians were killed by rebels in Homs, while the Syrian Observatory for human rights reports that two people were killed in the capital and a further 17 in Ghouta, on the outskirts of the capital.



(ANSAmed).




(ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 20 - Some 40% of Saharawi refugees living in camps in Algeria are suffering from malnutrition alongside a lack of access to water, healthcare and education as funds to support them continue to diminish.



The Saharawi Red Crescent and the Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (CISP), an Italian NGO working in the field of international cooperation, has called for more attention to this vast humanitarian emergency, CISP Algeria and refugee camps coordinator Giulia Olmi said. Olmi, Saharawi Red Crescent chief Buhubeini Yahya and CISP chairman Paolo Dieci will be speaking at 3 PM in the CISP main offices in Rome on living conditions in the camps. Infant and maternal mortality rates are high, anemia is widespread and both the lack of food and new illnesses have emerged in the camps. For example, ''celiac disease affects 6% of the approximately 150,000 Saharawi refugees'', Olmi said, noting that it affects about 1% of the population in Italy. The food sent by donors, she stressed, is often not part of the food habits of the local population, especially the wheat that arrives through humanitarian aid. As part of a project by the Saharawi Red Crescent and CISP, 23 Saharawi women have for the past five years been doing house-to-house monitoring of the quality and quantity of aid received and basic nutritional levels. Of concern, Olmi said, ''is above all the steady reduction of funding, which has dropped from 12 million euro to the current 8 millions euros'', and ''the surprise announcement a few months ago by the Trump Administration that there would be a suspension of the funds allocated''. Thousands of people including many children and adolescents are thus at risk of not receiving treatment and support, she noted. (ANSAmed).


Israeli draft dodgers sentenced, police and Haredi clash Traffic blocked and dozens arrested

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, NOVEMBER 20 - Violent clashes occurred on Sunday and Monday between ultra-orthodox Haredi men belonging to the extremist Jerusalem Faction group and Israeli police in Jerusalem and the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Dozens of rioters were arrested, police say, after they invaded important throughways and blocked traffic. Police used 'skunk gas' to disperse the rioters, which remains for a long time on the skin and clothes of those hit with it. The rioting broke out after a military court sentenced 11 yeshiva students to the maximum sentence of 90 days in jail for not registering for the draft. A newspaper linked to the ultra-orthodox group, Ha-Peles, said that the sentences had sparked confrontation between them and a government that ''persecutes the Torah''. The newspaper added that the clashes would continue until the 11 Yeshiva students were liberated. (ANSAmed).




UN calls enslaved migrants in Libya 'crime against humanity' Guterres 'horrified' by CNN footage, calls for probe

(ANSAmed) - NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 20 - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Monday that he was ''horrified'' by video footage, broadcast on CNN, of African migrants sold as slaves in Libya. Guterres said ''slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights''. He called for an immediate investigation to bring those responsible before a court of law. The footage has already been given by CNN to the Libyan authorities, who have pledged to conduct an investigation. The UN chief called for all countries to apply the UN Convention against cross-border organized crime. He added that this was a reminder than migration must be dealt with in a thorough and humane way through development cooperation and that possibilities for legal migration must be increased significantly. (ANSAmed).




Don't ask Serbia to choose between the west and Russia - PM Ties with Moscow 'no obstacle' to EU membership, Brnabic adds

(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 20 - Serbia must not be asked to choose between the West and Russia, Premier Ana Brnabic said on Monday.



Belgrade's close ties with Moscow do not represent an obstacle to the country's objective of European integration, she added. 'We are not pro-US or pro-Russian, we are pro-Serbia," Brnabic said in an interview with the Financial Times.



"Our strategic focus is EU [membership] and wherever we go, whomever we talk to, we say this," she continued. (ANSAmed).




CAIRO - The Council of the Arab League on Sunday invited the United Nations Security Council to prevent Iran from pushing the Middle East reagion "into a dangerous abyss".



The council claimed that the recent missile attack by Yemen on Saudi Arabia was an act of hostility against all Arab countries. It went on to affirm the right of Saudi Arabia to defend its territory on the basis of article 51 of the UN Charter, confirming its support for the measures taken by Riyadh against the alleged violations committed by Iran. "The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told the assembly. He invited the Arab League member states to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iranian "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries, citing in particular the missile launched by Yemeni Shia Houthi rebels against Riyadh at the start of the month.



"The international community has taken a stand against aggressive Iranian policies by defining the country as the chief supporter of terrorism and has imposed sanctions due to its continuous violation of international law," the Saudi chief diplomat said. Meanwhile on Monday the EU and Iran will hold the third meeting of the High Level political dialogue in Tehran. The EU delegation will be headed by EAS Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid and include the EU special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis and European Commission Director General for Development Cooperation Stefano Manservisi.



The Iranian delegation will be led by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi.



The agenda will include the whole range of bilateral and regional issues.
Israel marks 40th anniversary of visit by Sadat Historic step marked turning point for region

(by Aldo Baquis) (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, NOVEMBER 20 - Forty years ago on Sunday Anwar Sadat landed at Tel Aviv airport, marking a new page in Middle East history.



The Jewish State was still recovering from the traumatic 1973 Arab-Israeli War and now, for the first time ever, it was preparing to receive the president of Egypt, a leading Arab country. As the engines fell silent all eyes were on the door of the plane, which however remained empty for a long time. "Tension was at a high," then premier Menachem Begin's personal secretary Yona Klimowitzky recalled. "In fact some people feared that (PLO leader) Yasser Arafat might get off the plane." Marksmen were positioned on the roof of Ben Gurion airport. According to another emergency scenario disclosed by military radio on Monday, it was feared that a commando might jump out of the Egyptian plane and kill the Israeli leaders lined up along the red carpet. In Sinai the Israeli army was on top alert after troop movements had been registered along the Suez Canal similar to those seen on the eve of the attack by Egypt and Syria that triggered the Yom Kippur war. At last Sadat emerged smiling and the Israelis responded with enthusiasm. "We were in any case convinced that there was no deceit on his part," said then Israeli government secretary Arie Naor.



"In the months leading up to the visit Begin had secretly contacted the leaders of the United States, Romania, Iran and Morocco to ensure the visit's success." And Israel and Egypt reached peace agreements at Camp David in 1978.



Begin was obliged to dismantle the city of Yamit and 20 or so Jewish settlements in the Sinai Peninsula. "He was to suffer for that sacrifice for the rest of his life," Klimowitzki said.



"But he understood that peace came at a price." Sadat paid a bigger price when he was assassinated by an Islamic terrorist on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war in 1981. The Egyptian president "took a courageous step and since then, with highs and lows, the peace treaty has held," Premier Benyamin Netanyahu said. "Today Egypt and Israel, along with other countries, are side by side on the same barricade in a determined fight against radical Islam," he continued. On Sunday an official commemoration was held at the Knesset, where Egypt was represented by the ambassador Hazem Khairat.



Local media report that all attempts to receive top Egyptian political leaders in Jerusalem failed. (ANSAmed).




The Airports Sustainability Declaration, an initiative started by Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol, ties in with current developments such as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, COP21 and the ICAO convention on reducing aviation emissions.

Abu Dhabi International Airport is the only airport in the region and one of just 23 worldwide to sign up to the declaration, which is already implemented by leading airports such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Brisbane Airport.

The signatories declare: Our ambition is to strengthen a system of sustainable and resilient airports, worldwide, through collaboration, transparency, innovation, and engagement. Together, we will ambitiously work towards our vision of airports voluntarily working together in a worldwide network to be socially, environmentally and economically prosperous and to be adaptable in the face of change.

Acting Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi Airports, Abdul Majeed Al Khoori said: Abu Dhabi Airports is proud to be leading the regional aviation community on sustainability issues. We will work within this framework, aligning our efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and our key partners in the industry, as we transition globally towards a more sustainable aviation sector.

The aim of the declaration is to get airports around the world to sign up and work together, sharing success, expertise, and innovations in the field of sustainability. The agreement was signed by Abu Dhabi Airports at the annual Airports Going Green Conference, held this year at Fort Worth Airport in Dallas, Texas.
Flights have increased in the winter schedule which came into effect on 29th October. Oman Air now operates six flights a week on its 737-800 aircraft, instead of the five that it operated during the summer.

Duqm is an industrial port town of great commercial importance, which has experienced vast development since 2008. As a Special Economic Zone, it attracts investors from around the world.
Qatar Airways acting chief officer Cargo, Guillaume Halleux, said: We are delighted to launch our eighth freighter destination for 2017, in line with our strategic expansion to our network and fleet. Since the countrys liberalisation, Myanmar has had the fastest-growing economy in the ASEAN region, and foreign investment in local trade has seen tremendous growth. We are extremely proud to be the first international airline to serve this emerging market with scheduled freighter service as we aspire to become the premier air cargo service provider in the region.



Myanmars air freight exports and imports have risen tremendously by 87 per cent and 58 per cent in metric tonnes since 2014. Qatar Airways Cargo currently offers belly capacity on the airlines daily passenger flights to Yangon. The addition of dedicated freighter service will provide additional capacity to support Myanmars thriving garment exports, as well as other major commodities, including fresh produce and food products. Ready-made garments are the chief exports destined mainly for Europe and the United States via a seamless stopover at the cargo carriers state-of-the-art Doha hub. The new service will also facilitate the transit of pharmaceutical imports from Europe to Myanmar through its established QR Pharma solution.
According to the MoU, the signatory entities will collaborate in the development of the UAEs commercial space transportation safety framework, sharing knowledge and best practices. Additionally, the entities will jointly organize workshops, symposiums, conferences, and working groups to promote industry standards and support the development of the UAEs national space sector.

The second MoU with the SNSB was signed by H.E. Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency and Olle Norberg, Director General of the Swedish National Space Board. Henrik Landerholm, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the UAE was also in attendance during the signing ceremony.

The MoU promotes cooperation between both parties in the fields of space science, technology, and applications. It encourages the sharing of ideas on space policy, law, and regulation, as well as the exchange of experts who will participate in jointly organised research and development projects and initiatives. In addition, the MoU endorses the holding of jointly organised workshops, symposiums, conferences, and working groups, including the involvement of UAE universities and educational institutions.

Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency said: Partnering with the US FAA to develop the UAEs commercial space transportation safety framework is in line with our efforts to transform the UAE into a future hub of the global space sector. Through the exchange of knowledge and experience, we will enhance our national capabilities and continue to support the growth of the UAEs space sector.

Similarly, our MoU with the Swedish National Space Board expands our network of international partnerships and supports the growth of the UAEs space infrastructure and human capital development. We firmly believe that collaboration is essential in the realm of space, and we aspire to work together with the international space community to enhance our collective capacities and advance humanitys legacy.
Several of them bashed Ranveer for comparing himself with two of the most iconic villains in Hollywood.

Actor Ranveer Singh, who is playing Alauddin Khilji, took to Instagram on Saturday to share a photo, where his character is photoshopped along with Heath Ledgers Joker from The Dark Knight and Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange.

Though Sanjay Leela Bhansalis magnum opus Padmavati is embroiled in controversy, the lead actors are leaving no stone unturned in promoting the film.

Actor Ranveer Singh, who is playing Alauddin Khilji, took to Instagram on Saturday to share a photo, where his character is photoshopped along with Heath Ledgers Joker from The Dark Knight and Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange.

However, this comparison did not go down well with Heath Ledger fans. Several of them bashed Ranveer for comparing himself with two of the most iconic villains in Hollywood.

One fan wrote, On what basis are you comparing yourself with a legend! Have you gone nuts? You have won yourself a huge crowd of haters (sic). Another fan added, Oh hes a great actor, no doubt about that, but Heath is a legend. Long way to go! (sic)
The CBFC has turned down the application of the makers of 'Padmavati' to expedite the certification process.

Mumbai: In the on-going furore over the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis controversial upcoming directorial Padmavati, the Supreme Court has chosen to not interfere in relation to the films release.

The response was in relation to a plea filed by a lawyer. The apex court said, 'we cannot interfere with CBFC's work'.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had turned down the application of the makers of 'Padmavati' to expedite the certification process of the film.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum-opus, which has been mired in a slew of controversies over its storyline and concept, will be reviewed and certified as per set norms of following chronological order of all applications, said the Censor Board.

The new release date of 'Padmavati', which features Deepika Padukone in the titular role of Rani Padmavati, alongside Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji, is yet to be announced.

The film was initially slated to release on December 01.
The 50-year-old "Baywatch" star claimed being verbally abused by the producer over his instructions during a film shoot.

New York: Supermodel-actor Pamela Anderson said disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein once told her that she would never get work in Hollywood, after she refused to follow his orders.

The 50-year-old 'Baywatch' star claimed being verbally abused by the producer, who has multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, after she disagreed with him over working with a real dog on a movie set, reported The Times.

"He told me I'd never work in this town again, because I refused to work with a dog. He wanted me to play Invisible Girl on a superhero movie. But they wanted me to work with an actual dog. I said, 'I won't work with animals in a film.' And he said, 'We're just going to put the dog there. What's the problem?' And I said, 'No. Put an X on the floor. I am talking to an invisible dog. Why do we need an actual dog?'

"And he was so mean. He called me back and shouted, 'You're Pamela Anderson; you're lucky I'm even putting you in a f***ing film. You're never going to work in this f***ing industry again, you son of a f***ing bitch," Anderson recalled.

The actor added although Weinstein was "intimidating", she held her ground.

"He's so intense. I've never been talked to that way by anybody. Not even by a boyfriend. He was really intimidating. And I did it. But I did it without the dog," she said.

Anderson denied being sexually harassed by the producer, who is currently being investigated by police from around the world for sexually abusing over 80 women in a period of three decades.
Netflix has planned a "Bright" style stage performance, red carpet and fan premiere at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel in the city.

Mumbai: Hollywood megastar Will Smith is set to visit Mumbai in December for the India premiere of his film "Bright" and is bringing co-stars Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace along with him.

Director David Ayer will also join Smith in Mumbai for the promotions of the Netflix action thriller on December 18, a statement from the streaming service read.

Netflix has planned a "Bright" style stage performance, red carpet and fan premiere at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel days before the movie's premiere, which is open to fans.

The movie, directed by Ayer of "Suicide Squad" fame, is set in an alternate present-day South Los Angeles.

The film, which will be launched for Netflix members around the world on December 22, is about two LAPD officers, played by Smith and Edgerton, who work to keep the streets of an alternate-reality LA safe from a sinister, dark underworld.
The filmmaker said, We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences.

Amid protests and threats to actress Deepika Padukone and film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the producers of Padmavati on Sunday announced that the release of the movie  scheduled for December 1  has been postponed.

The producers said they have taken the decision to postpone the release on their own and would ann-ounce the new release date very soon.

The development came on a day when Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM), a right wing group, announced in Uttar Pradeshs Bareilly a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone who burns Deepika alive. Another group of Rajput protesters earlier threatened to behead Mr Bhansali and maim Deepika by chopping off her nose.

A media statement released by a spoke-sperson of Viacom 18 said, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati, has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course, a Viacom 18 statement said. The film, which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing opposition for a year now as several right-wing groups have claimed that the film has sought to distorted historical facts to project the Rajput queen in poor light.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a right-wing group in Rajasthan, is among those that have been strongly opposing the release of the film. On November 14, the group even vandalised a theatre in Kota, Rajasthan, for screening the films trailer. In January 2017, Mr Bhansali, the films director, was roughed up by members of the Karni Sena in Jaipur. The films sets were also vandalised in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The filmmakers statement said, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in Padmavati that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our countrys story-telling prowess across the globe.

The filmmaker said, We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences.
In the coming days, the CISF will write similar letters to other leading schools across the country.

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force, which is tasked with protecting airports, ports, the metro and certain vital installations, as well as providing security to various public sector industrial units, has now offered to provide security consultation to leading schools across the country, including some Kendriya Vidyalayas, following the killing of a student at Gurgaons Ryan International School recently.

The CISF has written to some educational institutions, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Scindia School, Doon School, DPS and Modern School, saying it was willing to provide its professional expertise to them to help put in place a more secure environment for children. For this, it will charge a service fee of nearly Rs 4 lakhs from each schools, whereas private organisations usually charge a far higher amount. CISF officials said the move had been triggered after the killing of a student at Gurgaons Ryan International School, and there was a view within the force that schools too need professional expertise to revamp their security arrangements. Incidentally, the CISF has also approached the Ryan Group of Schools along with others like Rishi Valley in Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh. CISF director-general O.P. Singh claimed the move was part of its wider responsibility to society. In the coming days, the CISF will write similar letters to other leading schools across the country.

In its letter, the CISF said that in view of the recent killing of a student at a school in the NCR region, there was a need to review security arrangements at these institutions. CISF officers claimed the force was best suited to handle security needs and provide professional advice to such schools as it was a professional outfit involved in similar operations. The CISF has undertaken a similar exercise for Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, and done security audits for leading institutions like the Indian Institutes of Management and the Indian Institutes of Technology.

The CISF has assured the schools that its security inputs would be devised specially for the concerned institution keeping in view their specific requirements. The move will help provide a robust security platform and fire protection to these schools. At least three schools have already given a positive feedback to us on the offer, a senior official said.

Once the school agrees to hire the CISFs services, a team of senior officials and experts will visit the school, carry out a detailed security audit and hand over the final blueprint within a stipulated timeframe  of around three to four months. The idea is to make the security environment at schools more professional and competent. Our consultancy will also include a fire audit where anti-blaze and counter-fire measures would be suggested, the official added.
The situation of village Manjarkud, located about 80 km from Chhattisgarh's district Janjgir Champa and approx.

Janjgir Champa, Chhattisgarh: Jal hi jeevan hai (water is life), this is an old Hindi saying which we have heard many times but when water becomes the cause of our troubles then what do we do or say? This is a constant question being asked by those thousands of people who suffer from the outbreak of floods. In the past, floods in many parts of the country have caused huge devastation. From Bihar to the countrys financial capital Mumbai, people have had to suffer a lot due to floods every year.

It is worth noting that after the occurrence of natural calamities in the big cities, relief work is done on a largescale but there are some areas and smaller towns and villages where relief work takes a long time or does not happen at all.

The situation of village Manjarkud, located about 80 km from Chhattisgarh's district Janjgir Champa and approx. 200 kms from the state capital Raipur, is no different from other places where wide spread havoc is caused due to floods. According to the 2011 census, the total population of this village is 753. Spread over 911.72 acres, this village is an island in the middle of the Mahanadi river.

52-year-old Jiralal Mali from Manjarkud says, "In our village, people have to struggle in the rainy days. Our village is surrounded by the Mahanadi, due to which the water starts filling the streets of the village and enters into the courtyards of the houses. The houses begin to collapse; people shout and scream, running here and there trying to save their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We have to face extreme suffering. Then we have to make an appeal to the government to help in saving our lives. But the relief rescue team is so laid back that it takes a lot of time for them to come. We are forced to either climb up on tall trees or take refuge in the village community hall so that we can live at least till the rescue team arrives."

According to 60-year-old Buntyram Mali, "Naturally, the land of our village is very fertile, which is a great gift for us, but due to the floods there is continuous erosion of soil. Due to soil erosion, many acres of land flows away with the water. Due to which the island is getting reduced every year and our yield is declining drastically. Even though the government knows everything, no attention is being given to it. Due to land degradation, the cultivation of vegetables is also decreasing and people go to work in the brick kilns in other states for their livelihood. There, they have to face extreme suffering; people want to cordon off the village with stones to prevent land erosion. Chavvi Lala Mali, 40 years, says, "More than half the land of our village Manjarkud belongs to the people of Gram Panchayat Kansa, therefore half of the total benefits of the crop cultivated has to be given to them. In such a situation, the families of our village have to cope with hardships. For this reason, most of the people of the village leave their children with the other families and go to work every year in the brick kilns in other states."

Dudhiyan Bai, 60, said, "The rescue team personnel definitely come to save us during the flood but after a lot of losses. We are given food and drinking water, but we do not get any compensation for the damage."

18 year old Lakshmi Yadav says, "Our village is unable to prosper due to the floods. People migrate from the village because they need to earn a living. There are neither students nor teachers in the village although there are a lot of schools. Due to the condition of the village, no one wants to teach here. Children also do not have much interest in studies. I try to teach the small children of the village. In future, I want to study more and I want to become a teacher in my village so that my village can become an educated and ideal village."

It is clear from the words of the people that how the effect of floods each year is taking away any form of development from the village. The Chhattisgarh government which prides itself as being one of the fastest developing states in the country needs to prioritize the development of this village by protecting it from natural calamities and ensuring that the villagers don't have to go out to earn a living.

 Charkha Features
India and China can do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said.

Children pose for a group photo with the Dalai Lama at the launch of the Smile Foundations The World of Children initiative in New Delhi. (Photo: Asian Age)

New Delhi: India and China have to live side by side whether they like it or not, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sunday said and asserted that the two countries can together work towards making a more compassionate world.

He also said Tibetans are not seeking independence or separation from China but meaningful autonomy, and added that he admired the European Union spirit.

The Tibetan spiritual leader appreciated the idea of the Union of India. Citing his recent visit to Manipur where he learnt that some politicians wanted independence for the state, he said they needed to think broadly, more holistically. He said India and China are more than two billions of people together and though they have differences, Nalanda thoughts are not alien to them.

Nalanda university, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, attracted scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, among other countries. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture and learning of this unique university.

India and China can do something for a more compassionate world, more compassionate humanity, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said. And then India and China, at a practical level also, neither one has the ability to destroy others, he told reporters. Earlier during an interaction with children at an event here organised by the Smile Foundation, the Dalai Lama said many Chinese people appreciate Tibetan scholars knowledge of Nalanda.
Varun Gandhi also tweeted a picture in which the former PM is seen holding him, then a small child, in her lap.

New Delhi: As the nation paid glowing tributes to its third Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary, with the President and Prime Minister leading the remembrances, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said her late mother-in-law was one of Indias greatest PMs and said she had only one religion  that all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

BJP MP Varun Gandhi, meanwhile, in a tweet, hailed his grandmother as a mother to this nation. He wrote: Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you cant practice any other virtue consistently... To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you, Dadi... I know you always watch over us.

Varun Gandhi also tweeted a picture in which the former PM is seen holding him, then a small child, in her lap.
The SC has allowed Karti to visit the UK with certain conditions and an undertaking that he will return as per the order of the court.

The CBI is probing allegations of irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX media by Karti Chidambaram. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, who is being investigated in the INX Media case, to go to the United Kingdom for his daughters admission.

The apex court has allowed Karti to visit the UK from December 1 to December 10 with certain terms and conditions. It has also directed him to give an undertaking that he will return as per the order of the court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing allegations of irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX media by Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram.

The FIR lodged by the CBI, on May 15, alleged that Karti illegally took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance when his father P Chidambaram was the finance minister.

The CBI raided Karti's residence, along with 13 other locations in New Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and Chandigarh on May 16.
Singh had played a pivotal role as Reserve Bank of India, Governor, and Finance Minister in PV Narasimha Rao government.

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development would be bequeathed on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing Indias stature globally.

Mr Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee, a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said.

A statement from the Trusts secretary Suman Dubey said that the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development would be awarded to Manmohan Singh.

He will be awarded for leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving Indias stature in the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens.

It further said that Mr Singh was the only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the premier. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement.



Mr Singh had played a pivotal role as Reserve Bank of India, Governor, and Finance Minister in P V Narasimha Rao government. He had helped usher in economic reforms and as prime minister had led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence, the statement said.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi said the Govt was 'ill prepared' to implement GST; demonetisation left millions of people suffering.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said, 'A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed.' (Photo: File | GST)

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "lacking the courage to face Parliament."

The Congress president's allegation is based on the government's delaying of the winter session of the Parliament, which usually begins in November and runs for four weeks.

This time, however, because the PM and other top ministers are campaigning for the Gujarat election in December, the year-end session of Parliament has yet to be called.

"Modi government in arrogance has cast dark shadow on Indias Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds. It's mistaken if it thinks by locking temple of democracy, it'll escape constitutional accountability ahead of elections," Sonia said at the Congress Working Committee meet in New Delhi.

She added that the Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed Goods and Services Tax (GST) but lacks the courage to face Parliament.

Intensifying her attack at the Centre and the Prime Minister, Sonia said, "A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed."

Opponents like Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and the Congress have said the government is ducking facing the opposition's questions over the economic slowdown that has registered after the twin reforms of demonetisation and the new national sales tax or GST.
Derek says Oppn should counter allegations of corruption by raising the issue of competence .

New Delhi: Trinamul Congress member of Parliament Derek OBrien believes he has found a way to take the BJP on. The next national election, he says, should not be treated as a battle between Narendra Modi and a single candidate, but as 29 contests in the states.

The opposition should fight the BJP from 29 different regional platforms over diverse issues, Mr OBrien writes in his new book Inside Parliament: Views From The Front Row.

The election should be fought in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of individual states, he elaborated on Sunday.

A united opposition needs to chalk out its poll strategy by pitching all opposition leaders against Mr Modi, he added.

Make this a national election that is a sum of state elections. Make Modi and the BJP fight 29 different regional elections in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of the individual states, Mr OBrien said.

Mr OBrien chalked out the opposition strategy for 2019 in the new publication, which he described as the real book out of the 53 that he had written.

Dont let the BJP make it a contest around polarising issues  beef, pseudo-nationalism or some such prime-time, made-for-TV-and-Twitter agenda, Mr O Brien said.

In an essay titled The BJP is beatable in 2019, Mr OBrien suggested that the opposition consider where the BJP juggernaut was stopped in 2014 in Bengal by Mamata Banerjee, in Odisha by Naveen Patnaik, in Tamil Nadu by Jayalalithaa and also where the Congress has beaten the BJP in recent times in Punjab, led by Amarinder Singh.

To win the 2019 general polls, the opposition should counter allegations of corruptions by raising the issue of competence, he said.

I am convinced that they (the BJP) are beatable, he writes.

The government is trying to pen a false narrative around a ten-letter word corruption which the opposition must counter with another ten-letter word competence to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as BJP cannot win on any competence quotient, he said.

The leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha has set up a common constructive agenda for opposition unity. The BJP is trying to use this ten-letter word, corruption, since demonetisation. The opposition needs to use another ten letter word, competence, to counter the BJP. You have to ask questions about their competence about jobs, competence about the economy, competence about handling the situation after demonetisation, competence about how GST has been rolled out, Mr OBrien suggests in his book.

Opposition parties should not get distracted by polarisation narratives such as food habits and religion.

All these will benefit the BJP... This is an agreement all opposition parties need to have. Either inside Parliament or outside, he said.
It is clear that the SP is now ready to join the Hindutva battle by laying its claim on Lord Krishna.

Lucknow: The political battle between BJ and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is taking on a definite religious overtone.

After UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced a 100 feet statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, SP president Akhilesh Yadav promptly announced a 50 feet statue of Lord Krishna in Sefai.

Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Sunday, took the Ram versus Krishna battle to the next level when he said that while Lord Ram is worshipped only in north India, but Lord Krishna is worshipped even in the south states. He said that followers of Lord Krishna outnumbered those of Lord Ram.

It is clear that the SP is now ready to join the Hindutva battle by laying its claim on Lord Krishna. The Samajwadis, till now, claimed that they were a secular (read pro-Muslim) force and did not speak about Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

However, it now seems that they are ready to project a soft Hindutva image and this sudden affinity for Lord Krishna is proof of it. Yadavs, incidentally, claim that they belong to Lord Krishnas line of descent and majority of the community worships Krishna.
The DGPs statement came at a joint press conference of top police, Army and CRPF officials at Badamibagh Cantonment here.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police chief S.P. Vaid on Sunday asserted that there were no Islamic State imprints in the Valley, even as he expressed hope to convince parents of local militias to appeal their children to leave the path of violence and return to mainstream.

The DGPs statement came at a joint press conference of top police, Army and CRPF officials at Badamibagh Cantonment here.

On being asked about the claim of the terror group (IS) that it carried out its first attack at Zakura area in the Valley on Friday wherein a police officer was killed, Mr Vaid said the claim was yet to be verified.

It is yet to be verified and I do not think ISIS has any imprints here. We were able to successfully wean away more than 60 boys from taking the path of violence. We are hopeful that we will be able to convince parents of other boys to leave this path (of violence) and return to mainstream, he said.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Munir Khan also ruled out the presence of ISIS in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the Centre has taken note of reports about global terror group ISIS claiming an attack in the Kashmir Valley that left a police officer dead, Union minister Jitendra Singh said adding hat the future course of action would be adopted after taking an appropriate view.

The minister of state in the Prime Ministers office also said that the recent back to back successes achieved against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir was the result of the free hand given to security forces to wipe out the nearly three decade old militancy in the state which is in its last phase.
Patnaik, it was learnt, has been taking regular updates from BJD cadre in Bijepur.

New Delhi: An upbeat BJP in Odisha is leaving no stone unturned in order to achieve party president Amit Shahs target of Mission 120 plus for the next Assembly election in the state.

After its excellent performance in the panchayat polls, the saffron poll managers are now preparing to give Naveen Patnaik led ruling BJD another tough electoral fight in Bijepur bypoll, which the saffron poll managers are seeing as an agniparisha ahead of the 2019 assembly polls. Not taking any chance, the chief minister, it was learnt, has deputed his ministers in the assembly seats and each minister has been given the charge to oversee partys preparedness till the block level. Mr Patnaik, it was learnt, has been taking regular updates from BJD cadre in Bijepur.

Meanwhile, the BJP has strengthened its organisation in the state till the booth level with its Mo booth sabuthu mazboot (my booth, the strongest) exercise and had done well in Bijepur during the local bodies elections earlier this year.

Though the election commission is yet to announce the date for the bypoll, which has been necessitated due to the demise of Congress MLA Subal Sahu, saffron poll managers are working hard to make sure that the ruling BJD treats the bypoll as an agnipariksha (test by fire).

Sources disclosed BJP joint general secretary, Saudan Singh had advised the state leadership to rope in former BJD leader Ashok Panigrahi, who had contested the last election as an independent and dented BJDs vote bank.

Speculation is rife that the BJP could field Mr Panigrahi for the bypoll. On the other hand, late Congress leaders wife Ritarani has joined the BJD and could be its candidate.

At least the BJP has forced (chief minister) Naveen babu to reach out to his people, for whom he was inaccessible for all these years. Who would have thought that a CM would depute his ministers for a bypoll. No doubt the BJPs growing popularity and acceptability in Odisha, which the BJD has been ruling for more than 15 years, has unnerved the BJD, said a senior BJP leader. In the 147 member assembly, the BJP currently has just 10 members.
Jaitley says that the sessions were rescheduled so that they did not overlap with elections, and the Congress had also done it in the past.

'The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government.,' Jaitley said.(Photo: File/PTI)

New Delhi/Rajkot: Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley on Monday clashed over the delay in convening the Winter Session of Parliament with the Congress chief accusing the Modi-government of sabotaging it on "flimsy grounds" and the union minister saying Congress had done so too in the past.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaitley also said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The Winter Session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December. According to sources, the Government is considering a truncated Winter Session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," Gandhi said in her address at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi.

Refuting Gandhi's charge, Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times.

Jaitley said the opposition party when in power had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held for sure and that the Congress will be "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said, adding, "Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed."
After the Congress announced party president election schedule, it became likely that Rahul Gandhi will be elected president unopposed.

he Congress said if there is no other contender for the post, the party would announce Rahul's candidature on December 5. (Photo: File/PTI)

Chandigarh: Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Monday said the decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making India "Congress Free."

"I welcome the decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the president of the Congress. It will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making 'Congress-mukt Bharat' (Congress Free India)," he said.

The Congress, earlier on Monday, announced party president's election schedule. It is likely that party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will be elected president unopposed.

The election schedule was announced at the party's apex body, the Congress Working Committee meeting, which was addressed by party president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress will issue the poll notification on December 1 and if anyone would want to contend for the succession to the party presidency, he/she will have to file nomination papers by December 4.

The party will scrutinise the nominations on December 5 and allow contender(s), if there any, to withdraw the nomination by December 11.

Election, if there is any contender, would be held on December 16 and results will be announced on December 19.

The Congress said if there is no other contender for the post, the party would announce Rahul's candidature on the last date of scrutiny, i.e. December 5.
He simply said that since the EAC is the Prime Ministers team, therefore it will report only to him and discuss all issues with him.

New Delhi: Arguing that demonetisation was just one of the many steps which the Narendra Modi government has taken in the past three years to cut down on corruption, Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy in a recently penned book, which focuses on tracking black money and ways to cut down the menace, has said that passage of the benami law last year was also one such measure which has managed to effectively achieve its objective.

The book, titled On the Trail of the Black: Tracking Corruption, which he has co-authored with Kishore Arun Desai, who is an OSD at Niti Aayog, focuses on various methods to tackle corruption erupting out of the black money economy. It covers the rampant corrupt practices in various sectors like agriculture, real estate, education and even health.

In the past one year after demonetisation was announced, thousands of shell companies have been seized, Mr Debroy said. He gave an example that how around 17,000 shell companies were found to be operating from a particular post box address in Kolkata.

Similarly last year when the benami act was notified, around 400 such transactions have been detected and action taken against them. Out of these, he said, 240 cases dealt with benami properties, underlining the efficacy of the law passed by Parliament.

The economist, who is in the thick of things as far as drawing a roadmap for accelerating economic growth is concerned (in his capacity as head of EAC), remained tight-lipped about what would be the EACs action plan on the policy front.

He simply said that since the EAC is the Prime Ministers team, therefore it will report only to him and discuss all issues with him.

On being asked whether any major or big reforms are on the anvil, Mr Debroy quipped that anything by the definition big, will remain a surprise.
Congress releases nine more names, replaces four from first list.

New Delhi: The election deal struck between Congress and the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) almost came undone on Monday as the Patidars refused to accept just two seats offered to its members in the Congress 77-member first list for Gujarat released on Sunday.

On Monday, the Congress released its second list of 9 candidates, taking the total number of names announced to 86. The party has replaced four candidates from its first list announced on Sunday.

An upset Mr Patel cancelled a rally he was scheduled to address on Monday in Gujarats Rajkot to announce the pact with the Congress as the crisis over the electoral tie-up intensified and angry members of PAAS vandalised Congress offices and clashed with its workers in Ahmedabad and other areas.

Earlier, both Mr Patel and the Congress state leadership rushed in for damage control, holding fresh rounds of meetings in which more seats were discussed for PAAS members.

Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which was not given even a single seat by the Congress in its first list, said that it will go alone in the Assembly polls scheduled to be held on December 9 and December 14.

On Monday, many PAAS supporters indulged in violence and clashed with Congress members at various places in the state. Differences also emerged within the PAAS ranks as one of its leaders, Lalit Vasoya, filed his nomination papers as a Congress candidate ignoring PAAS convenor Dinesh Bambhaniyas statement that no one from the organisation will do so in protest over the raw deal offered by the Congress. Tuesday is the last day for filing nominations for the first phase of Gujarat poll.

Mr Patel, on his part, appealed to his supporters to let him talk to the Congress. In Ahmedabad, Mr Bambhaniya along with his supporters created ruckus at the house of state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates whom they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protest against the Congress, another PAAS convener, Alpesh Kathiria, said.

The Congress had named Patidars in its first list, apart from eight OBCs, 12 Kolis and seven dalits.

Trouble brewed between the NCP and the Congress too with the former saying that it will contest all the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The NCP has two MLAs in the current Assembly. The Congress named its own candidate even from the Kutiyana constituency in Porbandar district which has NCPs Kandhal Jadeja as the sitting MLA.

I think it would be better for us to fight on all the seats on our own than in an alliance with the Congress, senior NCP leader and former Union minister Praful Patel said.

Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, said that the alliance broke down because of the NCPs demand for more seats than it should have in the prevalent situation in the poll-bound state. The seat-sharing alliance would have been possible only if they had made limited demands, he said.
The party threatened to raid the Mahasabha office to remove the statue forcibly if its directive was not carried out.

Bhopal: Making a U-turn, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha on Monday denied that any temple dedicated to Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, has been built in the complex of its office in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

The right-wing organisation made this clear in its reply to the notice, issued by the Gwalior district administration last week directing the outfit to dismantle the statue of Godse to avoid legal action.

However, the Gwalior district administration on Monday issued a second notice to the Mahasabha being dissatisfied with the reply given by the latter on the consecration of the statue of Godse in the Gwalior office of the outfit.

We have issued second notice to the Hindu Mahasabha directing it to remove the statue from its office without any further delay, a senior district officer told this newspaper.

Godses bust was unveiled in the Gwalior office of Hindu Mahasabha on November 15, coinciding with his death anniversary, after the local administration refused to allot land for building his temple in the city. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress on Monday issued an ultimatum to the Hindu Mahasabha to remove the bust from its office within 24 hours.

The party threatened to raid the Mahasabha office to remove the statue forcibly if its directive was not carried out.

The party also issued an ultimatum to the Gwalior district administration to hit the streets over the issue if the bust was not removed from the Mahasabha office by Tuesday.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan also announced to build a memorial for her in the state.

Bhopal: Controversial film Padmavati will not hit silver screens in Madhya Pradesh if the objectionable scenes in the movie are not withdrawn, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday.

MP is the first state in the country to ban release of the movie, which has invited wrath of the warrior community of Rajput for the alleged poor portrayal of their icon, Padmavati, in the yet-to-be released film.

The film which has distorted facts about Rajput queen Padmavati and shows or says anything to disrespect her, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Chouhan said after holding a meeting with representatives of Rajput community on the issue.

Describing Padmavati as Rashtra Mata (mother of the nation), he said, She had made supreme sacrifices (for a good cause). Any kind of insult or disrespect to her will not be tolerated.

Even if the movie is passed by the censor board, it will not be allowed to screen in Madhya Pradesh, if the objectionable scenes in the film are not removed to the satisfaction of the people concerned, he declared.

Mr Chouhan also announced to build a memorial for her in the state. Besides, he declared to institute an award in the name of the queen to honour people for their achievements in different fields.

The movie was slated for release on December one. But, its release has been deferred indefinitely owing to some issues it has with the censor board. Earlier, the Rajput members made it clear that they were not opposing the entire movie, but they were against certain objectionable contents.

In another development, a case has been registered against Chhindwara district chiefs of minority wings of BJP and Congress for allegedly making objectionable comments in social media on Padmavati.

Police registered cases under relevant sections of Information Technology act and Indian Penal Code against Nazim Choudhury of Congress Nazim Choudhury and Rafat Khan of BJP for allegedly making disparaging remarks against her, the investigating officer said. Both of them were absconding.
Karni Sena, a fringe political group, has been protesting against the film since its shooting began.

New Delhi: Amid threats to actors and makers of controversial film Padmavati, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking deletion of allegedly objectionable scenes from the Bollywood movie, saying the plea was premature.

The apex court refused to interfere with the release of the film, whose makers have voluntarily put off its release beyond the scheduled date of December 1, pointing out that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is yet to grant certification to the movie.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, dismissed the public interest writ petition and said, Our (court) interference will tantamount to prejudging the matter. We do not intend to do so. Needless to say that the admitted pleadings are premature. Petitioner advocate M.L. Sharma submitted before the bench, which also included Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, that though the CBFC had not issued certification to the film, its songs allegedly projecting Rani Padmavati as a dancer.

The CJI said, The Censor Board has a statutory duty. How are they going to decide is their job. Can we say that you decide in a particular manner? Can we injunct the Censor Board not to exercise its statutory duty?

The development in the apex court came on a day when CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi, speaking to reporters at the Goa film festival, said, We are trying to follow processes. Instead of arguments, attempts are being made to have a dialogue on the issue.

Though Alauddin Khaljis siege of Chittor in 1303 is a historical fact, most modern historians reject the authenticity of Rani Padmini and the best-known story about the siege. The earliest source to mention Rani Padmavati is an epic poem, Padmavat, written by Sufi poet Makil Muhammad Jayasi in Awadhi in 1540.

Karni Sena, a fringe political group, has been protesting against the film since its shooting began. They allege that the film shows a romantic relationship between Rani Padmavati and Khalji. More protests erupted after the films song Ghoomar released, alleging that it is an artistic and historic fraud to portray an incorrectly attired courtesan-like painted doll in the song as the very queen the film purports to pay obeisance to.

Meanwhile, Haryana BJP served a show cause notice to its chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu seeking an explanation over his reported remarks offering `10 crore bounty for beheading Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone.

Tthe National Commission for Women (NCW) has also asked the Haryana police to look into reports of the BJP leader allegedly saying, I want to congratulate the Meerut youth who announced a `5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Earlier in the apex court, senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the producer and director of the film, opposed Mr Sharmas petition claiming that his averments were objectionable.

Directing deletion of the objectionable averments, the court said, Pleadings in court are not meant to create any kind of disharmony in a society which believes in conceptual unity among diversity.

Mr Sharma said that the film indulged in character assassination of Rani Padmavati and such a film cannot be allowed to be screened without deleting the objectionable portions. He said that the producer and director of the film should be prosecuted for defaming the Rani Padmavati.

Mr Salve refuted the allegations and said that the examining committee of the Censor Board was yet to view the film, which was returned on some technical grounds. What had been released are the trailer and promos, which have been approved by the Censor Board. He said the films songs had been cleared by the Censor Board and objected to the manner in which the petition was drafted containing allegations and distortions.
The British Safety Council is a not-for-profit workplace health, safety and environmental management organisation.

Mumbai: Nearly 48,000 workers die in the country due to occupational accidents, of which the construction sector contributes 24.20 per cent of the fatalities, says an international report.

Quoting the International Labour Organisation numbers, the British Safety Council, today said 48,0000 people on average die in the country per annum due to work-related hazards.

The British Safety Council is a not-for-profit workplace health, safety and environmental management organisation, also noted that the workplace deaths in India is 20 times higher than in Britain.

It observed that as many as 38 fatal accidents take place every day in the construction sector in the country, while there were only 137 fatal incidents in all sectors in 2016 in Britain.

"India with 1.25 billion population has a strong workforce of 465 million. However, only 20 per cent of them are covered under the existing health and safety legal framework.

"Though there are laws to address these health and safety concerns, their implementation is a big task due to lack of adequate manpower," British Safety Council chief executive Mike Robinson said today, adding there is one factory inspector for 506 registered factories here.

Noting that India is in a similar position to where Britain was 50 years ago in terms of the accident rates of work and enforcement of legislation, he said, "we see huge parallels to where Britain was 50-60 years ago to India today.

"We know that the work we do and the education and training that we provide can hopefully have a similar effect of what we had in Britain but in lot less than 50 years."

The council, which has been providing its products and services here for the last 30 years, today opened its India office in the city and has tied up with Chennai-headquartered NIST Institute.

It now aims to offer its full range of products like audit, training, e-learning, qualifications and membership in the Indian market.

"Initially, we only looked for a local organisation, which would allow us to deliver our products across the country, as we start to build our own delivery capabilities. However, in NIST weve found an organisation that has a largely complementary set of products and services as we have," he said.
After Akhlesh Kumar attacked the scribe, he indulged in a similar crime against a lady lawyer at the same place.

The ITO Metro station molestation case hit the headlines after the police lodged the FIR and arrested the accused.

New Delhi: While dismissing a bail application of the accused, who was recently arrested for molesting and attacking a woman journalist of this newspaper inside the ITO Metro station, a city court on Sunday observed that miscreants, who commit offences against women, particularly at public places, deserve to be dealt with an iron hand.

The ITO Metro station molestation case hit the headlines after the police lodged the FIR and arrested the accused. The shameful act was caught on CCTV cameras installed inside the Metro station premises. The accused has already refused to participate in the test identification parade.

Barely a few minutes after accused, Akhlesh Kumar, attacked the journalist, he indulged in a similar criminal and shameful act against a young woman lawyer at the same place. Also, a similar case is pending against the offender at the Barakhamba Road police station.

The victims statements under Section 164 of CrPC are yet to be recorded by the court. The accused, who had been remanded to a 14-day judicial custody, moved the bail plea before the magisterial court on the ground that he had been implicated in the case.

During hearing of the bail application, assistant commissioner of police Ranjit Kumar, SHO Babbar Bhan, and investigating officer K.K. Kaushik were present in court.

Dismissing the bail application, magistrate Sumeet Anand observed, The society at large and public places in particular deserve to be the safest place for public at large, especially women. Delhi Metro stations, the lifeline of commuting population of Delhi through public transport, needs to be safe enough so that anyone at any point of time doesnt have to think twice before boarding the Delhi Metro from anywhere in Delhi.
Mr Chidambaram claimed demonetisation was a dismal failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned.

Mumbai: Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram has warned that as the Narendra Modis government inches closer to the end of its term, it might also be assailed by the same degree of corruption allegations which drowned the UPA-II.

Referring to the second tenure of the erstwhile Congress-led UPA-2, Mr Chidambaram said that it had acquired a reputation for many many corrupt deeds at the fag-end of the tenure.

He, however, said the same odium could be attached to the NDA government as well when it completed its term (in 2019) though he did not wish it to happen. Since the UPA-II was the last government that completed its tenure, that odium attached to the government. Wait for any government to complete its term of five years, the same odium will attach to that government as well, he said during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival.

I am not wishing it happens, but it will happen. The point is, yes I know that the UPA-II had acquired, by the time its term came to an end, a reputation for many many corrupt deeds. But unless some one is actually convicted and punished, I am not willing to accept that he or she is guilty, the former minister said.

Touching upon the issue of corruption, the Congress Rajya Sabha member said the prime reasons for major graft are greed as against the need for funding elections.

In the case of a political person or a political party, it is the need to fund elections, which drives what you describe as corruption. Unless you find the ways to fund elections, you will not be able to bring down that scale of corruption, he said.

Mr Chidambaram claimed demonetisation was a dismal failure as far as curbing fake currency was concerned.
Farmers have become more aggressive now and many organisations are meeting tomorrow in Solapur to discuss the future action plan.

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis faces a fight on many fronts in the next two to three weeks, as all parties, including the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and farmers organisations have scheduled various agitations. Also, the Kopardi rape-murder case sentencing is due next week, and there is a possibility of adverse reactions if the punishment given to the culprits is deemed insufficient. The farmers loan waiver issue is still not resolved and their agitations for Minimum Support Price for sugarcane, cotton and soybean will continue.

Opposition parties are attacking Mr Fadnavis on various issues and they will take the fight to the streets now. The Congress will start its Sangharsh Yatra and the NCPs Yalgar March will also attack the government. The controversy over the period film Padmavati rages on and agitations show no sign of dying down.

Farmers are on the street for MSP for sugarcane, cotton, soybean and other agricultural products. Violence took place in some agitations (in the past) and the police resorted to firing. Farmers have become more aggressive now and many organisations are meeting tomorrow in Solapur to discuss the future action plan. Agitations will continue, Swabhimani Paksha party president and Member of Parliament Raju Shetty said.

The farmers loan waiver issue is still unresolved and opposition parties have started targeting Mr Fadnavis personally on various issues. For instance, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam has alleged that an IAS officer from Mr Fadnaviss office has aided a private company to bag the contract for towing away vehicles in the city. The chief ministers office has rejected the accusation.

These attacks are expected to intensify and the opposition will come together to fight the BJP in the Legislative Council election scheduled for December 7 and the Assembly session that will follow it.
The officials said that they would now verify the money trail in a bid to identify the source of income that was used to amass the assets.

Mumbai: The Thane police have seized several incriminating documents and papers pertaining to properties following multi location searches that were carried out in connection with the disproportionate assets case involving Congress corporator Vikrant Chavan.

The officials said that they would now verify the money trail in a bid to identify the source of income that was used to amass the assets. The police have also seized bank account details of Chavan, his wife and in-laws who are also named as accused in the case.

Chavans name had cropped up in the suicide of property developer Suraj Parmar in 2016, following allegations of extortion from Parmar. Thane polices probe revealed that Chavan and his wife allegedly amassed assets to the tune of at least 136.27 percent more than their declared income, between April 2012 and October 2015.

We searched 10 locations in Thane and Santacruz and have seized several documents and bank details. The verification has begun and will take some time, said M Bhor, assistant commissioner of police and investigation officer of the disproportionate assets case.

Other persons who have been named in the case include Chavans father-in- law Ravindra Nair, mother-in- law Shanta Nair, party workers Umesh Kamble, Santosh Gawade, Prakash Bhosale, Bhaskar Gadami, Anant Ghadge, Mahesh Shirke, Paresh Rohit and Sanjay Daga (vice president of Kalpataru Properties).
The BSC is a non-profit organisation working towards the creating awareness in workplace health, safety and environmental management.

Mumbai: Around 80 per cent of Indias workforce still works in an unsafe environment, a report by the British Safety Council (BSC) has revealed. The report also said that though the construction industry is known to be the second largest employer of workforce in India, it contributes to 24.20 per cent of occupational fatalities, the second highest in the country annually. According to the study, 48,000 workers die in India due to occupational accidents and 38 fatal accidents take place every day in the construction sector. The council has opened its office in Mumbai and will offer services to employees of construction firms like audit, training, e-learning, qualifications and memberships to raise awareness of health and safety.

The BSC is a non-profit organisation working towards the creating awareness in workplace health, safety and environmental management. The British Safety Council office in Mumbai will function as the organisations wholly-owned subsidiary and work alongside with its UK head office in providing safety training, safety audit services to companies in Mumbai and also other parts India. It will also work with the Indian government in these areas to create safer workplaces for citizens, said Lynda Armstrong, chair of trustees, BSC.

Citing the report, Mike Robinson, chief executive of the BSC said, India with 1.25 billion population has a strong workforce of 465 million people. Only 20 per cent of them are covered under the existing health and safety legal framework. Though there are laws to address these health and safety concerns, their implementation is a big task due to inadequate manpower. In comparison to the workplace deaths in the United Kingdom, it is 20 times higher in India, the report said. The report also stated that there is just one factory inspector for 506 registered factories.

In addition to building local delivery capability, the BSC has entered into a strategic partnership with NIST institute, a health, environment and safety organisation that is providing its training and auditing resources in Mumbai and other parts of the country.

Through its Mumbai office, the British Safety Council hopes to bring about a culture change with regard to workplace health, safety and well being in workplaces. British Safety Council in Mumbai works with many of them that are on the India Fortune 500, Ms Armstrong added.

Among the companies that the council works with are Indian Oil, Larson & Toubro, Mumbai International Airport, Reliance Industries and Tata.
Found in autorickshaw, girl is currently stable in Sion Hospital.

Hemant Sharmas image with the baby girl that he had tweeted with a plea of help on Sunday night.

Mumbai: A 25-year-old man rescued an infant girl from an autorickshaw parked near a dustbin in suburban Kanjurmarg he also posted her photos on Twitter with an appeal for help. Kanjurmarg police had taken the girl but yet to find her parents.

According to Kanjurmarg police officers, on Sunday night when Hemant Sharma and his brother were walking near Nutan Nagar naka at Kanjurmarg, they heard a childs crying. Following this, upon looking around, they found an abandoned baby girl. Mr Sharma immediately took a picture with the child and posted it on Twitter, asking for help, @Aman Found this 3 to 5 day year old kid in closed auto. Please help me guys. Ive no idea what to do? #help.

The baby girl was found in a parked autorickshaw near a dustbin in Kanjurmarg.

Senior PI of Kanjurmarg police station, Gajanan Kaple said, We received a call from the control room stating about a baby, upon which our team immediately contacted Hemant and took the baby in their custody. The baby looked ill and so we approached the Sion hospital, where she was later admitted. Her health is stable now. We are checking the CCTV footages of the area to establish the identity of those who had dumped the newborn and soon will arrest the person. 

Hemant Sharma, the rescuer got several praises from the people. He said, When I saw the abandoned baby, I got scared because she was shivering. I thought about taking a picture and uploading it on social media, with the hope of getting some help. The Mumbai police responded to my tweet and I handed over the baby girl to them.

The baby girl is currently in Sion hospital, where Mr Sharma visited her.

Later on Monday evening, Mr Sharma visited the baby girl in the hospital and tweeted about her ongoing treatment. He also mentioned that he will keep a tab on her health and will keep updating the same through his personal Twitter profile.
When Jadhav and Mali tried to calm the mob down, the latter gathered around a few more men and started hitting the constables.

The incident took place late on the night intervening on Sunday and Monday near the Chincholi Bunder area of Malad west. (Representational Image)

Mumbai: Two police c attached to the Malad police station were assaulted by the mob after the former had asked them to lower their voices on Sunday midnight.

The incident took place late on the night intervening on Sunday and Monday near the Chincholi Bunder area of Malad west, where the two constables, identified as Gangaram Jadhav and Prakash Mali intervened a group of people in the area who were shouting and laughing loudly. Upon asking the group to disperse, they started arguing with the cops. The argument resulted into the two constables getting assaulted by the mob, who accused one of the constables, Jadhav of hitting one of the group members unnecessarily. When Jadhav and Mali tried to calm the mob down, the latter gathered around a few more men and started hitting the constables.

After a few minutes, the constables left the spot and immediately called for help on their walky-talky, following which the police reached the locations and made the arrests.

Sudhir Mahadik, senior police inspector of Malad police station told The Asian Age, Jadhav and Mali registered an FIR against the 10 accused persons under section 353 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code that pertains to assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty and common intention. Further action is being taken against the accused.
The concerns have deepened after Modis handpicked man Bipin Rawat was made Chief of Army Staff.

Everyone wants an Army tank these days. Or an RCL gun. Obsolete and unusable, of course, but the symbolic hardware of war is much in demand in educational institutions across India. A number of universities and schools, elite institutions such as Delhis Modern School and Lucknows La Martiniere College among them, have sought and been allotted old Vijayanta or T-55 tanks by the Army. Ostensibly, this is to display the patriotism of the institution, or to instil it in their students. For the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime which equates its muscular nationalism with glorification of the military, it must be a source of satisfaction that dozens of such military hardware have been installed in educational institutions. Its trusted vice chancellors have taken up the cry for tanks in campuses, while huge sums are being allocated for new war memorials. Military rhetoric is used to gloss over policy muddles and administrative ineptitude. The tedious refrain that continues to be played out in the public space and on social media is always this: if the Army jawan can stand for long hours at the border to defend the country, surely Indians could stand  and die as it happened  in bank queues to show their devotion to country? Some sharp putdowns by Army officers who had also suffered in the same queues did help to somewhat quell the patriotic fervour of the BJP and its web of organisations that form a vast saffron brigade of right-wing Hindu supremacist ideology.

The changing profile of the Army in the new political landscape is deeply worrying. The military rhetoric has dominated news for much of the three years that Modi has been in power.

The concerns have deepened after Modis handpicked man Bipin Rawat was made Chief of Army Staff. The general has shown no hesitation in shedding the apolitical image of the Army, frequently taking political stances that no Indian Army chief has dared to so far. Provocative statements such as his bring-them-on challenge to the young stone pelters of Kashmir have been ignored by the government. In a May 2017 interview to a news agency, Gen Rawat said that he wished those pelting stones at security forces in the Valley were firing weapons at us. Then, he declared, I could do what I want.

Gen Rawat has even approached the central ministry handling education to demand that stories about Army valour be made part of the school curriculum. Obviously, no one raps a handpicked General for stepping out of line. But his major attempt to portray the Army as a people-friendly organisation has run into a storm of criticism. This is the Armys decision, clearly at the behest of the defence ministry, to build three railways bridges in Mumbai. Experts have been quick to point out that it is not the Armys role to make up for the inefficiencies of civilian departments except in times of emergencies such as natural disasters when its skill and capacity to set up temporary infrastructure is urgently needed. But unfazed by the criticism, Gen Rawat told a Delhi paper that citizens [should] get to know their Army by seeing us come to their assistance with the efficiency and capability we are known for.

That could have unhealthy portents though. Defence analysts say that in 1953, when martial law was imposed in Lahore, the Pakistan Army had launched a similar campaign to project a friendly image of Army efficiency by cleaning the city. What happened thereafter is now history.

One of the biggest conceits  and strengths  of Indias democracy is that it has succeeded keeping the military out of politics these many decades. Indias ability to manage the military while juntas periodically took charge of neighbouring countries has provided its citizens with a comforting sense of security that the Army remains safe for the worlds largest democracy. In the recently published Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence, Steven I. Wilkinson contends that this is primarily because of the critical choices made by the civilian leadership to curtail the Armys autonomy. Among other things, the Army top brass was discouraged from making speeches.

Not any more though. Now the Army (so far retired personnel belonging to a wing of the BJP) is brought in to harangue civilians on whats wrong with Indias democracy, to fulminate on TV, to lecture to students on patriotism. But many among them have also written openly about the dangers of this trend. Their warning: there are serious dangers in making the Army a vote bank.

By arrangement with Dawn
The company plans to build an ecosystem of apps using the local talent.

After joining Samsung as the top smartphone manufacturer in the country, popular smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is looking to invest $1 billion in Indian startups. The company will be investing the sum over the next 5 years, according to Livemint's interview with Xiaomis founder, Lei Jun.

In China, in the past four years, weve invested $4 billion in over 300 companies. In the next five years, we will invest in 100 companies in India. We will basically replicate the most successful ecosystem business model of China in India. We will have all types of services and products and integrate them. That is the Xiaomi business model. We focus on a few key things and everything else, we let our partners provide. Weve reached just a huge scale in seven years because of this partnership/affiliation model, Lei said.

Xiaomi had initially invested in stakes of Hungama and KrazyBee earlier this year. The company has been stressing about providing value-for-money products with better services. With its intention of creating an app ecosystem around its products, Xiaomi aims to differentiate its offerings from its arch rivals and provide an enhanced experience to the Indian smartphone consumer.

(source)
The news of Prakash Dahals death comes two weeks before the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Kathmandu: Nepals former Prime Minister and Maoist chief Prachandas only son Prakash Dahal died on Sunday due to sudden cardiac arrest. He was 36.

Prakash was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital early this morning, where he was pronounced dead.

Addressing a press conference, Dr J.P. Jaiswal of Norvic Hospital said Prakash was dead around three hours before he was admitted to the hospital at 5:50 am this morning.

His eyes were unresponsive and there was no pulse when he was brought to the hospital, said Jaiswal.

In 90% of such cases, patient suffers a severe cardiac arrest, he added.

Prakash was secretary to his father Prachanda and also central member of CPN (Maoist-Centre).

Mr Prachanda arrived at the hospital in Kathmandu from Jhapa, where he was attending election campaign for the upcoming elections.

President Vidya Devi Bhandari reached Mr Prachandas house in Baluwatar to express condolences on the demise of his son.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML chairman K.P. Oli and other senior leaders have also expressed condolences.

The news of Prakashs death comes two weeks before the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Prakashs wife Bina Dahal is contesting election for the Parliament from Kanchanpur district. Mr Prachanda had one son and three daughters. One of his daughters died four years ago. She was suffering from breast cancer.

Legislative elections will be held in Nepal in two phases on 26 November and 7 December 2017 to elect all 275 members of the 4th House of Representatives, the lower house of the Federal Parliament.
Sharif began his address with a trademark declaration of love to his audience.

Islamabad: Former Prime Minister and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif on Sunday addressed a public gathering in Abbottabad, formally launching his partys campaign for the upcoming general election, reported the Dawn on Sunday.

Mr Sharif began his address with a trademark declaration of love to his audience. Nawaz Sharif really loves you too, he told the crowd.

Today, I am remembering 2013. The same passion was present then, he said, surveying the gathering.

The former Premier, who was disqualified from public office by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers verdict, told his supporters that no courts decision can break the ties between him and his following in Abbottabad.

People speak of a minus-Nawaz Sharif formula, he said. But Nawaz Sharif is an ideology and this ideology will bring revolutionary change across Pakistan, he claimed. Nawaz Sharif is not a loser. If he was a loser, you and I would not be friends, he told the crowd. Will you support me in this struggle?
On March 3, 2012, after Jeeva ironed Rajakumari's uniform, the employer chided the maid for not knowing how to do a proper job of ironing.

Jeeva, who had studied up to eighth grade and could not speak English, was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by Rajakumari by the second week of February 2012 and the abuse soon became physical. (Representational Image)

Singapore: An Indian-origin former woman warrant officer in the Singapore Army was on Monday jailed for four months and three weeks for abusing and beating her Indian maid.

K Rajakumari, 57, who retired after 35 years of service, apologised to Sargunam Jeeva in Tamil and asked her not to tell anyone about her ordeal which included being hit by a plastic hanger until it broke.

But the police officer investigating the case understood the language and Rajakumari was caught, 'The Straits Times' reported on Monday.

She was charged for repeatedly abusing her maid in 2012.

After a 14-day trial, District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid convicted Rajakumari on September 5 last year of five counts of causing hurt to Jeeva, then 35, in her condominium apartment.

Jeeva first came to Singapore in late January 2012 but was abused between February and March of the same year.

Rajakumari had picked her and she was to be paid Singapore dollars 350 a month without any days off.

Jeeva, who had studied up to eighth grade and could not speak English, was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by Rajakumari by the second week of February 2012 and the abuse soon became physical.

On the night of March 3, 2012, after Jeeva ironed Rajakumari's uniform, the employer chided the maid for not knowing how to do a proper job of ironing.

She then hit Jeeva on her left upper arm with a plastic hanger until it broke.

Two days later, she scolded and slapped the maid hard on her face before pulling her hair and pushing her face against the window grill and kicking her in the waist.

Jeeva told the employer that she could not "withstand this torture any more" and requested Rajakumari to send her back to the agent's house. But Rajakumari told her this was not possible.

That night, Jeeva gestured to a maid in a neighbouring home for help and the latter called the police.

A policeman later heard Rajakumari tell Jeeva in Tamil: "Please forgive me, I won't do this anymore, please don't tell anyone about the abuse".

Unknown to Rajakumari, the officer could speak the language.

Rajakumari later admitted to him that she had hit Jeeva.

Rajakumari's lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan had earlier asked the judge to sentence his client to probation, stressing that she has had three hip replacements.

For each count of maid abuse, she could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to Singapore dollars 7,500.
Chinas 3-phase plan starts with ceasefire in Rakhine to prevent migration of local population.

Beijing: China said on Monday that Myanmar and Bangladesh have backed its plan to resolve a crisis that has caused more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees to flee from Myanmar into Bangladesh.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi presented a three-phase solution during visits to Bangladesh last week and Myanmar this weekend.

Deadly attacks by Rohingya militants on August 25 sparked a massive backlash from Myanmars security forces that the UN says may amount to ethnic cleansing.

Beijing, which supported the military junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has backed the countrys current government during the crisis.

The Chinese plan starts with a ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine state so that local residents can no longer be displaced.

It then moves to calls for the international community to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep up talks to find a feasible solution after the two nations reached an initial agreement on the repatriation of refugees.

The final phase would involve finding a long-term solution focused on poverty alleviation. This proposal was approved in Bangladesh by Bangladesh leaders. Yesterday (Sunday), it also won approval from Myanmar leaders, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

We hope that Foreign Minister Wang Yis proposal will not only help to resolve the current Rohingya crisis, but also more importantly will contribute to fundamentally addressing the issue, Ms Lu said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details.

Some 620,000 Rohingya have fled rape, murder and arson in Myanmar, where the Muslim minority are viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Mr Wang was still in Myanmar on Monday to participate in a meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers.
US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck, killing driver.

In this file image, an all-hands call is held aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold at the Okinawa Naval Base in Japan.

Tokyo: US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high.

A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection on Sunday, killing the other driver, 61.

The 21-year-old, whose breath test showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, was arrested and charged with negligent driving resulting in death, police said.

All US servicemen stationed in Japan are now banned from drinking, both on and off base, the US Forces in Japan said in a statement.

In Okinawa, personnel are also restricted to base or to their residences.

When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission, the statement said.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo made an immediate complaint about the case to the US side, demanding the US military enforce strict discipline and take preventive steps. It is extremely regrettable that this accident happened even though the Japanese government has repeatedly asked them for the thorough implementation of preventive measures and enforcement of disciplines, Suga told reporters.

The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty. But crimes by US personnel have seen relations with locals strained.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Forces sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman last year. The incident intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on the island.

Commanders across Japan will immediately lead mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior, the US statement added.

Okinawa accounts for nearly 75% of land allotted for US bases in Japan, despite being only a fraction of the countrys total area.

Commanders say incidents of off-base misconduct have fallen since the introduction of restrictions in 2013 that include requiring individuals of some ranks to be accompanied by a designated companion while spending an evening on the town.

According to Gunnery Sgt. Tiffany Carter, a spokeswoman for US Forces Japan, 2014 saw the lowest level of cases involving US troops since 1972, when Okinawa was handed back to Japan.

No-alcohol bans are routinely in place in active war zones. Nonalcoholic beer was the only tipple available for many troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan except for liquor smuggled onto base or obtained from the troops of Nato nations that permitted booze.
The police said they launched the probe after an image of Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media.

Jerusalem: Israeli police announced Monday an investigation after a photoshopped picture of President Reuven Rivlin wearing a Palestinian scarf emerged amid anger over his decision to reject a soldiers pardon request.

Mr Rivlin had on Sunday refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in March 2016.

Right-wing politicians criticised Mr Rivlins decision, and culture minister Miri Regev went as far as saying that he had abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the pardoning institution.

Mr Rivlins Facebook page quickly filled with messages of support but also scathing criticism, with responders telling him he was no longer my President, as one wrote, or accusing him of fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends, as another said.

Populist lawmaker Oren Hazan of the ruling Likud party, the same Rivlin was a member of in parliament and later as a minister called on Mr Rivlin to resign, and said pardoning authority should move from the Presidency to the Parliament. The police said they launched the probe after an image of Mr Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media.

The statement did not elaborate on those being investigated nor the possible crime committed.
The head of EU diplomacy has promised help to find a "sustainable solution" to the emergency. Europe strongly supports the democratic transition in Myanmar. The new Beijing approach to the emergency in Rakhine. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi illustrates a "three-stage plan". Economic interests push China to play a more active role in the humanitarian crisis.

Naypyitaw (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The thirteenth Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEM) opened today in the Burmese capital Naypyitaw. The informal forum aimed at promoting co-operation in each sector between the leaders of the two continents, sees the participation of 51 countries among members of the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The event will end tomorrow.

Commitment to Peace, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, as reported by diplomatic sources, the Rohingya humanitarian crisis will be at the center of the talks, opened today by Burmese Democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The presence at the summit of delegations led by Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi aroused the particular interest of analysts.

Bangladesh, which since last August has welcomed about 600,000 refugees from the Burmese state Rakhine, is confident in the intervention of the two nations to pressure Myanmar and speed up the return process. The return of refugees is at the center of discussions that begun several weeks ago between Naypyitaw and Dhaka, which are currently being stalled. The Burmese Army chief, accused by the United Nations of "ethnic cleansing," recently said it was impossible to repatriate the refugees as proposed by Bangladesh.

In Dharma's view, Dhaka has sought to get support from world diplomacy on official visit to Bangladesh in the last two days. Yesterday, a delegation composed of Federica Mogherini and foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden and Germany, went to the first reception camps set up by the government on the border with Myanmar (photo 2).

The EU's chief of diplomacy promised the help of the European bloc to find a "sustainable solution" to the emergency. "Rather than exerting pressure, our approach has been and will always be to provide room for negotiations," said Federica Mogherini, adding that "the European Union firmly supports the democratic transition in Myanmar."

In the same hours, the Burmese government welcomed Chinese Minister Wang Yi's arrival at Naypyitaw. The previous day he also met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the first stage of his tour to outline Beijings new approach to the emergency in Rakhine.

Since the outbreak of violence in August, Beijing has expressed its support for what it called "Myanmar's government's efforts to protect stability," and has repeatedly resisted the United Nations greater involvement in tackling the crisis . In March, China blocked a UN Security Council declaration on the Rohingya issue. Despite the Beijing opposition, on 16 November, the UN Human Rights Commission of the UN General Assembly adopted, with 135 votes in favor and 10 against, a resolution calling on the authorities of Myanmar to end military operations against the Rakhine Islamic minority.

Beijing intends to play a more active role in ending the humanitarian crisis by offering its help both to Dhaka and Naypyitaw. After yesterday's meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese President Htin Kyaw and Military Chief Min Aung Hlaing, Wang outlined a "three-stage plan" to address the emergency. "The first is to have a ceasefire and to restore order and stability, so the people can stop running away and live in peace, he said. In the second stage, all parties should encourage and support Myanmar and Bangladesh to strengthen exchanges, to find a way to solve this issue through consultation on the basis of equality. The third stage was for the international community to help develop Rakhine, he said. Rakhine is rich in resources but develops them inadequately, Wang said. We call on the international community to help the region eradicate poverty and increase investment ... China is willing to help and play its part.

Chinese analysts say that since Beijing intends to protect its strategic interests, the offer is in line with Chinas search of greater leadership in the region. Bangladesh and Myanmar are both strategically important for China, especially in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping's policy of connecting China with Europe through a new silk road. Wang Dehua, director of the Institute for South and Central Asia Institute at the Shanghai Municipal Center for International Studies, argues that Beijing does not want the Rohingya crisis to hinder the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar corridor, a key component of Chinese initiative.

Within its economic development plan, Beijing has invested massive amounts in Myanmar, engaging in the construction of roads, railways, ports and oil pipelines. About $ 10 billion in Chinese investment is intended for the construction of a deep-sea port, a commercial area, a special economic zone, and other infrastructure projects at KyaukPhyu, Rakhine. In 2013, the governments of China and Myanmar signed an agreement to create a 17kmq area in the region that serves as an industrial and infrastructural basis for more trade relations between the two countries. Private companies are also involved in the project, with a Chinese consortium ready to cover the $ 7.3 billion for the port. In April, a pipeline costing more than $ 2.45 billion to the Chinese came into operation. Along the 770km, it connects the remote shore of Rakhine to the southwestern Yunnan province of China.

China, which has been providing unshakeable support to Myanmar's military junta for over two decades, has also invested heavily in emerging Burmese democracy in an attempt to compete for influence with the United States and other Western powers. Minister Wang's trip, following US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit, according to experts, is also aimed at strengthening Beijing's position in Myanmar to counteract Washington's influence.
Israeli President Rivlin denies pardon. The 18-month sentence is indulgent, any further lessening of the sentence would damage the armed forces and Israel. The case creates divisions in civil society. Azaria has never shown remorse.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the young Israeli soldier sentenced to 18 months in jail for killing Palestinian Abdul Fatah al-Sharif while he was lying prone on the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman are among the figures supporting his request for grace, formally submitted by Azaria last month. The presidential office yesterday issued a statement announcing that the president "has taken the decision to deny Elor Azaria's request for pardon".

The statement adds that Rivlin considered both the crime committed and the circumstances, also mentioning the "indulgent" court ruling. "A further lessening of the sentence would damage the armed forces and the state of Israel," the statement continues, recalling that the ex-soldier may request to be released "on parole" in about three months, according to the provisions of the Criminal Code.

On March 24, 2016, Azaria shot dead the 21-year-old Palestinian in cold blood during an attempted assault on Israeli soldiers in Hebron, West Bank. Sharif, along with another 21-year-old Palestinian, had stabbed and hurt an Israeli soldier. Israeli forces opened fire, killing the second Palestinian and wounding Sharif. Shortly thereafter, Azaria shot the wounded Palestinian at point blank range. The scene was filmed by a witness and circulated by Israeli B'Tslem.

The sentence came at the end of a trial that began last May, has been the cause of deep division in public opinion and civil society in Israel. The military prosecutor appealed in July for a tightening of the sentence, considered too mild. The request was rejected, while at the end of September, Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot reduced the sentence, which Azaria began on 9 August, by four months.

He has never expressed remorse for his actions.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

New law outlines the figure of the patriot: he loves his country; he leads a healthy lifestyle; no smoking or alcohol abuse; capable of forming a large family. The actors of such education: public authorities, third sector organizations, families, and traditional religious confessions. The law due to be launched by January 1, 2018, the beginning of the presidential election campaign (with Putin the clear favourite). The skepticism of sociologist Leontij Byzov.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Education of Russian patriots must also be cultivated by representatives of the traditional religious confessions of the country. This is apparent from the text of a draft law "On education to patriotism in the Russian Federation", presented to the State Duma on November 15th. The document not only introduces the official definition of "homeland", but outlines the necessary traits of a person who loves his country: he must maintain a healthy lifestyle that excludes smoking and alcohol abuse, and above all tend to form a large family.

The law on patriotism is being proposed by a group of members of President Putins "United Russia" party. It explains that the term "patriotism" signifies "a moral principle, a social sentiment whose content expresses" love of Russia, ones people, consciousness of ones inseparability from the homeland, willingness to serve the best interests of ones homeland through ones actions, willingness to defend the homeland. " This same term, in the Slavic version of otechestvo, indicates "Russia, native country for those who belong to it through social, national or regional community, and who consider their citizenship an indispensable precondition for their dignified existence and their full realization". "Obsincost" therefore implies a true "communion" of intent and sentiment (sober), according to the Slavic doctrine of the Orthodox Church, which indicates in the nature of the Russian people a "natural capacity" of union in spirit.

Patriotic education, according to the text of the law, is delineated on different levels of development. First of all, the moral and spiritual level is considered, which has as its purpose the ideal of service to Russia. Then the civilian and patriotic level, which places among its aims the manifestation and consolidation of pride for the common participation of the great achievements of the forefathers and their traditions. " The third dimension is the patriotic-military one, beginning with eternal devotion to the fighters who have fallen for the defence of the country, and pride for the greatness of the Russian army.

The text also specifies the goals and qualities required for a "well-formed patriot". In particular, every good Russian citizen must have a positive relationship with his/her work, "one of the most important values of existence, to be able to actively contribute to the good of the country and the state. Together, the principal aim of these educational measures is to inculcate in citizens the need for "moral and spiritual development, to lead an impeccable lifestyle, to cultivate family life, to educate as many children as possible, and care for the elderly and neighbors, helping to maintain a climate of serenity in the workers' collective."

Supporting the efforts for patriotic education are called not only public authorities at all levels, but also the organizations of the third sector, the families themselves, and the "traditional religious confessions of Russia". This commitment, according to the document, presupposes "perseverance and the spirit of initiative in the work of transforming the mentality of citizens", as well as "of their value systems, orienting them towards the interests of society, the family and the state."

The draft bill goes on to give some examples of how to apply this educational initiative such as the care of the monuments of military patriotism; the formation of national pride among adolescents for the achievements of previous generations; a widespread study of Russian military history and celebratory dates. Indeed, the recent national celebration on November 4 revealed the populations scarce knowledge of the heroism of the Russian volunteer armies that drove out the Polish invader in 1612,thus saving Russia and inaugurating the Tsar Romanov dynasty.

The document also emphasizes that whatever the medium with which patriotism is inculcated, what matters is the result. The "special regional and local characteristics" should always be kept in mind as well as the "public associations of citizens and religious organizations inspired by traditional confessions", as the many patriotic fraternities and patriotic unions which are currently flourishing in the country.

Patriots and voters

It will probably take until years end before to approve the law, which would come into force on January 1, 2018, inaugurating President Putin's electoral campaign in view of the presidential election on March 18, in which he is widely expected to win a 4th presidential mandate ( thus in office until 2024, exceeding a quarter of a century in power). Central and regional authorities will therefore be given special powers to develop patriotic propaganda, and will introduce a formal terminology to be included at all levels regarding topics related to these issues. It will also legislate for support to organizations that excel in patriotic education, with appropriate funding and tax breaks.

Some commentators, such as sociologist Leontij Byzov, criticize the bill, considering it overzealous and an excuse for some deputies who want to attract attention. According to Byzov, the patriotic spirit of the Russians is reduced to little more than a certain widespread conformism, without great pretensions, except to obtain the approval of the authorities. There is no doubt, however, that patriotic propaganda has taken on very intense tonalities since the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine in 2013 and the annexation of the Crimea on March 18, 2014, to indicate precisely that date as "the solemn day of elections "throughout Russia, in honour of the Crimea referendum. Thus, the draft law is a further confirmation of the presidential policy of the last few years, but also the insistence of the Orthodox Church, starting with Patriarch Kirill, to foster a moral elevation of the population through education and thus distinguish Russia from the Western secularism which is already becoming widespread.
Pakistan is the second country in a few days to cancel a deal with China. Beijing wants sovereign guarantees, but refuses public tenders. Concerns are raised about the quality of Chinese equipment. The use of Chinese workers displaces locals, causing a significant political fallout.

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Chinas Belt and Road Initiative appears to have hit a snag. After Nepal, Pakistan pulled the plug on a multibillion dollar project with China.

Last week, Islamabad decided to pull out of the US billion Diamer-Bhasha dam with Beijing because it refused to accept the strict deal conditions.

The project will go on ahead anyway as the South Asian nation will finance the project  which will generate 4,500 megawatts (MW) of hydropower  itself.

Full transparency  through competing public tenders  of the adequacy, suitability and quality of the Chinese equipment being used could soon become a serious problem for Beijing.

On 14 November, Nepal cancelled a deal with the Chinese state-owned Gezhouba group for the Budhigandaki Hydroelectric project, which included the construction of one of the country's largest hydroelectric power plants.

According to Peter Guy, a former official with the World Bank, these cancellations illustrate the problems that countries will encounter when dealing with the Chinese concept of infrastructure investment.

First of all, such deals cannot be analysed as investments in the conventional financial sense. They are not even donations or credit but sales of equipment and infrastructure construction.

In view of the situation, for Guy, international best practices dictate that these power plants need to be put out to public tender.

The importation of tens of thousands of Chinese workers to install Chinese equipment also displaces the employment for locals, which leads to significant political fallout.

It is increasingly clear that China needs sovereign guarantees, which commit recipient States to certain responsibilities. However, asking for them in non-transparent bidding process arouses suspicion of corruption.

The Belt and Road Initiative looks good, until each country closely examines their financial commitment to receive infrastructure.
by Mathias Hariyadi

323 adults and 22 children from the village of Tembagapura saved. The troops first successfully occupied Kimberly and Bunti. Free Papua Movement militants have fled into the jungle. Gun fire heard during evacuation of hostages exploded some shots. Two corpses found.

Jayapura (AsiaNews) - 345 free residents of the village of Tembagapura, Papua province, have been freed from the hands of a local armed group. Their release took place last November 17, thanks to a joint operation of the Indonesian armed forces. Dozens of residents decided to stay in their villages, under the strict security protocols imposed by the military and the police.

The operation started days earlier, when special forced occupied Kimberly and Bunti, two neighboring villages, and subsequently entered Tembagapura. As the assault the special forces approached the village held by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) militants, an independent, armed group. The militants then fled to the jungle. "We've saved 323 adults and 22 children," said Papua Police Inspector General, Boy Rafli Amar.

Two corpses were found on the spot, possibly belonging to members of the armed group. Jakarta has set up a special unit to save the hostages following failed negotiations led by local leaders and religious leaders. At least 62 people between soldiers and policemen took part in the rescue operations. During the evacuation of the hostages gunshots were heard.
At least 66 homes, 26 shops, two mosques and 16 vehicles were damaged or torched. Police arrest 24 people for inciting ethnic violence. Disorders come as the United Nations Human Rights Council releases its review. Minorities are still in danger.

Colombo (AsiaNews/Agencies)  A road accident in Gintota, Galle district, on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, has re-ignited ethnic tensions between Buddhists and Muslims.

Last Friday, a woman and her son, both Muslims, were hit by a motorbike driven by a Buddhist man. This sparked a brawl that aroused latent anti-Muslim intolerance.

Members of the two communities clashed, resulting in widespread damages to property, mostly at the expense of Muslims.

In all, some 66 homes, 26 shops, two mosques and 16 vehicles (including four motorcycles) were damaged or torched. At least five people were hospitalised, but no death has been reported.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the scene of the incident and ordered an official investigation by the Inspector General of Police, who was asked to ascertain who was responsible as quickly as possible.

Police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara slammed "the attempt by some extremist groups to cause ethnic strife over a trivial matter."

Meanwhile, the authorities imposed a curfew from 4 pm to 9 am in Gintota, Kurunduwatte, Maha-Hapugala, Welipitimodara, Ukwatte and Piyaddigama.

The investigation has led to the arrest of 24 people in connection with the violence.

Some analysts now fear that the unrest may lead to more clashes between members of the two religions.

In June 2014, Buddhist radicals of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) attacked, pillaged and destroyed Muslim properties in Dharga Nagar, Beruwela and Aluthgama, three predominantly Muslim towns.

About 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes, 8,000 Muslims and 2,000 Sinhalese. Muslims suffered the most with four dead, 80 wounded, 90 homes, shops, mosques, and other building destroyed for millions of Sri Lankan rupees in damages.

Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country: 70 per cent of the total population of 21 million inhabitants. Muslims represent 10 per cent and are the largest group after the Tamil.

It is shocking to note that a small accident in Gintota which was not even fatal [. . .] led to communal unrest, wrote the Ceylon Today in an editorial today. [T]his incident shows how far ultra nationalist elements are vigilant over picking up even the slightest problem to 'stir the hornet's nest'.

Other experts note that ethnic violence has not yet been curbed in the island eight years after the end of the countrys 30-year civil war, only a few days after Sri Lankan authorities accepted a list of recommendations from the UN Human Rights Council.

[T]hese attacks carried out against Muslims at a time when the UNHRC's Periodic Review Working Group session was in progress a few days ago, makes the international community understand that the minorities are still in peril in the Island, the editorial also said.
At the Universal Periodic Review at the UN headquarters in Geneva, the head of the Sri Lankan delegation asks for patience with respect to the implementation of reforms. Critics exert pressure on issues like the people who went missing during the civil war, the return of seized lands, and the release and compensation for those unjustly accused of terrorism. Human Rights Watch also calls for action in matters of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Geneva (AsiaNews)  The Sri Lankan government has accepted most of recommendations made by the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in its regular Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

In total, Colombo accepted 177 out of 230 recommendations made by the Council, chaired by Joaquin Alexander, whilst the remaining 53 are to be evaluated. Sri Lanka also made 12 voluntary pledges.

Sri Lanka's special envoy to the Council, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Harsha de Silva said all the recommendations made by the Un body were constructive and useful.

On the eve of the Geneva meeting, which took place 15 November, several international NGOs criticised Sri Lanka for the slow pace of its commitment to human rights despite the promises of President Maithripala Sirisena.

One of the issues still pending is the promise to establish a mechanism to achieve justice for those who were victims of abuses during the country's civil war, which lasted almost 30 years, ending in 2009.

Such a mechanism should help in the search for all missing persons, review previous convictions for terrorism, and put into place a law for the return of land seized from Tamil communities.

According to the NGO Human Rights Watch, women's rights, and the protection around sexual orientation and gender identity are also issues of concern.

"[N]o nation is perfect," de Silva told the UNHRC. [I]t is natural to feel a sense of frustration. Indeed, Promoting and protecting human rights, we recognise, is constant work in progress. It is not something that can be done overnight despite the most sincere of commitments and the most fervent sense of determination.

At the same time, he noted that his country's efforts to promote human rights are often criticised by his governments political adversaries.

Our efforts to ensure harmonious relations between the different ethno-religious communities, and our commitment to constitutional reform, are often attacked by opponents as attempts to create divisions, he lamented. Yet, we persevere with strong determination.

(Melani Manel Perera contributed to this article)
Penfolds falls victim to hotbed of food fraud



Penfolds Wine

Police have seized 14, 000 bottles of fake Penfolds wine that was for sale in China.

The seize occurred after Penfolds parent company, Treasury Estate Wines, noticed that retailers were selling wine said to be Penfolds for low prices on popular Chinese online shopping site, Alibaba.

On Wednesday last week, 13 suspects were arrested after a police investigated was initiated.

Fraud crackdown follows landmark legal case

In January 2017, Treasury Estate Wines won what is considered a landmark legal victory in China when it gained the rights to use its business name from an intellectual property squatter.

The case, which was conducted in the Beijing High Peoples Court, granted Treasury Estate Wines the right to use the Chinese translation of the word Penfolds  Ben Fu.

In 2009, another party had registered the trademark for Ben Fu in China.

The battle over the rights to Ben Fu reportedly lasted two years.

The plague of food fraud in China and across the world

According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, global food fraud is worth AUD $52 billion annually.

Comparatively, illegal trade in firearms is worth AUD $8.5 billion annually, and illicit heroin trade is AUD $30 billion.

In April 2017, international police forces, Europol-Interpol, concluded an operation into food fraud with 9, 800 tonnes of counterfeit and substandard food and drink sized.

Seized food products were wide-spread and included mineral water, alcohol, seasoning cubes, olive oil and caviar.

A total of 61 countries took part in the operation which was carried out for the sixth year in a row.

This operation has once again shown that criminals will fake any type of food and drink with no thought to the human cost as long as they make a profit, said , said Francoise Dorcier, Coordinator of Interpols Illicit Goods and Global Health Program.

Food fraud in the largest food-consuming nation in the world

Joe Lederman, Principal of food law firm, FoodLegal, said China is by far the worlds largest food producing and consuming nation, but there is serious concern that it is a hotbed of food substitution, contamination and misrepresentation.

China and Australia are strong trading partners, Lederman said.

It is in the interests of both countries to stamp out improper and illegal activities in the food supply of our countries, he said.

There are strong existing legal and policy frameworks for cooperation between Australia and China, but these existing frameworks can be improved to deter food fraud, Lederman said.

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Wesfarmers Chief Executive retires



Richard Goyder

Chief Executive and Managing Director of Wesfarmers Richard Goyder has retired after 12 years in the role.

Goyder will be replaced by Rob Scott who has been Deputy Chief Executive of Wesfarmers since February 2017.

Chairman of Wesfarmers, Michael Chaney (also retiring), said whilst Goyder was Managing Director of Wesfarmers the companys value increased from $15 billion to approximately $50 billion.

Richard has been an extraordinary leader at Wesfarmers and is greatly respected and admired in the Australian business community, Chaney said.

Goyder used his final address to defend Wesfarmers conglomerate model.

Over the 33 years Wesfarmers has been listed, there have been many who have questioned our conglomerate model, said we should be broken up, and that conglomerates cannot sustain our performance, Goyder said.

What they miss is the culture, values and structures inside Wesfarmers which, combined, are pretty unique.

Goyders replacement, Rob Scott, first joined Wesfarmers in 1993 before moving into investment banking in 1996.

Scott re-joined Wesfarmers in 2004 and was appointed Managing Director of the companys Insurance division in 2007. Other roles he has held within Wesfarmers has included Finance Director of Coles. Managing Director Financial Services and Managing Director of Wesfarmers Industrials division.

Rob has proven capability to deliver improved business performance and to lead change through building great teams around him, Chaney said.

Importantly, he is deeply grounded in Wesfarmers culture and disciplined focus on sustainable shareholder returns.

Related articles
By Michael Milford, Professor, Queensland University of Technology

cheskyw / 123rf.com, Author provided

Should Australian truckies feel a little nervous about the rise of platooning?

Truck platooning has burst into both the international and Australian scene - with recent announcements including Elon Musks new Semi, and approval for Peloton Technology to conduct Australian trials.

Read more: How to make a driverless car see the road ahead

Platooning involves a number of trucks closely following one another, connected using vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Typically the lead truck does most of the driving work. Models vary in terms of what the drivers in the following trucks do, from having attentive drivers to having no driver at all.

So why dont we have widespread platooning already? Well, there are some challenges that are yet to be fully solved.



Trucks operating manually (in the blue) and the new close-following platoon model (in the red). Source 123rf.com/tele52/aurielaki/Michael Milford.

The benefits of platooning

On an average day, nearly five million tonnes of freight is moved within Australia, of which 70% is carried by trucks. Road freight has doubled in the last 20 years in Australia. Platooning could add some benefits to this situation.

For example, trucks can follow each other closely, leading to better fuel efficiency, perhaps up to 15%.

Safety is also better in some circumstances. For example, when the lead truck brakes for an obstacle, the trailing trucks can brake simultaneously, instead of waiting for a human driver to visually realise the truck in front is slowing.

In the case of the trailing trucks being automated without a driver, there are also labour savings.

While there are some differences between the US market and the Australian market, the overall challenges and opportunities are similar - financial and safety benefits in the US will also likely be relevant in Australia.

Continuous communication

Vehicles are typically connected through a Wi-Fi connection on a reserved radio spectrum at 5.9 GHz.

The reliability and security of vehicle to vehicle communication is key in platooning. If the communication link is being (at least partially) relied upon for safety-critical matters like braking, it must be reliable. Fail-safes must also kick in if the communication link is dropped.

Security from malicious parties is also an issue - one can imagine a scenario where people might try to steal the last truck by electronically disconnecting or taking it over.

Theres also the issue of sufficient spectrum allocation for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a topic of active research focus.

New versus existing infrastructure

Like self-driving cars, there are varied models for how platooning will work. Some require no changes to the road infrastructure whatsoever, relying entirely on vehicle smarts and sophisticated communication between vehicles.

Others rely on augmenting the road infrastructure with extra sensors, or even building dedicated roads and inland ports. Under this model, governments or road operators must make further investments, which brings up the issue of how this investment is recouped.

But augmented or dedicated infrastructure would significantly reduce the complexity and danger of platoon operations, meaning the higher efficiency might pay for itself.



Dedicating separate infrastructure to platooning trucks would simplify the technological challenge, at a cost. Source 123rf.com/tele52/aurielaki/Michael Milford.

The vigilance issue

Any system that introduces partial, but not fully autonomous operation can suffer from a vigilance problem. This could arise in a situation where there are drivers in the trailing trucks in a platoon, but theyre relying to some extent on the vehicle in front plus vehicle-to-vehicle communications to manage some of the driving.

As we see in the case of the recent Tesla fatality, humans can be poor at being an always vigilant backup to a mostly automated system. This is especially true when the human is required to act very quickly when something goes wrong, as is the case with self-driving cars.

Read more: The future of flying cars: science fact or science fiction?

The consequences of not being able to intervene sufficiently quickly are magnified when multiple 30 or 40 tonne vehicles moving at or above 80kmph are involved.

Less incidents, but they might be bigger

If done well, platooning will be much safer, resulting in fewer accidents due to human error.

But, like a freight train crash, if and when things go wrong, the outcome will be magnified by the close proximity of many heavy, high speed vehicles.

Currently some USA states decree a 150 metre minimum follow distance for trucks.

Even with perfect reaction speed, a truck only a few metres behind the lead truck will have a smaller set of options for reacting when something goes wrong in front of it.

The future of platooning

Platooning development is occurring in parallel with the race to develop autonomous consumer vehicles, also known as self-driving cars. But the motivations for platooning are different, and new technological challenges are involved.

Technologically, it is an easier overall challenge than making a genuinely Level 4 or Level 5 self-driving car. But there is a downside: the greater consequences if something goes catastrophically wrong.

As trials ramp up overseas and commence in Australia, we will soon be in a much better position to evaluate whether platooning is a viable future for Australian trucking.

Professor Michael Milford is a Chief Investigator at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Microsoft Research Faculty Fellow and Founding Director of the education startup Math Thrills Pty Ltd. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Government, Caterpillar Corporation, Mining3, Microsoft, the Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development and AMP.

Originally published in The Conversation.
By Alan Collins, Professor of Geology, University of Adelaide

Alan Collins, Author provided

We think of Australia as a solid landmass. But its actually more like a jigsaw puzzle that has been put together over many millions of years.

The problem with working out how Australia formed is that the evidence is often buried, making access to geological materials quite difficult.

But now new techniques, new drill holes and the reevaluation of older samples are reshaping our understanding of how and when Australia formed.

And the results are not what youd expect. An ocean and mountains once existed in the west and centre of Australia, and the eastern states are latecomers - theyre relatively new to the continent.

Read more: A map that fills a 500-million year gap in Earths history

Australia is old, very old









Alan Collins





Australia has only been a unique continent for around 55 million years. However, the rocks and minerals beneath us date back to an earlier time. These give clues as to the composite nature of the lands that make Australia.

The worlds oldest known material  some unprepossessing grains of sand  are found in Western Australia. These are 4,374 million years old, nearly as ancient as the planet Earth itself.

Between Perth and Kalgoorlie lies an ancient piece of the Earth called the Yilgarn craton. This is dated between 3,700 and 2,600 million years old. Further north, centred around the iron-ore towns of Newman and Tom Price, lies an equally old terrane called the Pilbara craton.

These cratons are really proto-continents, or wannabe-continents. They are made of the same materials continents are made of, but quite small compared to the modern landmasses. They are the earliest jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Building the lucky country

We now know that in Earths middle age, sometime between 1,800-1,300 million years ago, three contributing continents came together to form part of what we now recognise as Australia. At the time, each was still linked to rocks that are now found elsewhere in the world.

Surprisingly, the cratons that came from the three continents are broadly defined by our present state and territory boundaries.

The South Australian Craton (SAC) was connected to a big chunk of modern day Antarctica. The North Australian Craton (NAC)  matching roughly to the Northern Territory, the Kimberley and northern Queensland  was likely linked to parts of what is now northern China. The West Australian Craton (WAC) was made up of both the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons that had collided together earlier.

As the ancestral plates moved around, these three continents smashed into each other and formed ancient mountain belts. These mountains are now eroded to low stumps  such as the Musgrave Ranges in central Australia  or buried beneath much later sediments, such as those that make up the vast western deserts.









Marcella Cheng for The Conversation, modified from Yang et al, CC BY-ND





An ocean between states

The boundary between the West Australian Craton and the other cratons lies buried beneath the Nullabor Plain in the south, and beneath the Great Sandy Desert further north.

Until very recently, geologists thought this collision, which brought together much of the continent, occurred 1800 million years ago. This was based on the ages of some rocks poking out of the Great Sandy Desert in remote Western Australia.

But intriguing recent research using new dating techniques suggests that the collision represented by these rocks is actually 500 million years younger than anyone thought.

New exploratory drilling by state and federal geological surveys also suggests that an ocean once separated Western Australia and South Australia until at least 1,400 million years ago. This ocean was named after the Mirning people who are indigenous to the region.

Volcanoes along the border

Closing the Mirning ocean bought Australia together for the first time, around 1,350 million years ago. Oceans close by subduction: this is the process when an oceanic plate moves beneath an overriding continent, and is similar to that occurring in the Andes, Japan, or New Zealand today.

This process is thought to have created volcanic mountains along the region now straddled by the South Australia-Northern Territory-Western Australia borders. Our latest research paper proposes that as this mountain range formed, then eroded over time, the sediment produced was moved by rivers and deposited in a large inland sea that covered a lot of the Northern Territory under a blanket of sand and mud. This now forms the bedrock under much of the area between Tennant Creek and Katherine.









Geological Survey of Western Australia





What makes this particularly exciting is that this increased volcanic erosion bought nutrients into the sea. As a result, we suggest that huge bacteria growths injected our atmosphere with oxygen.

When the bacteria died, they were buried, underwent decay and resulted in vast gas reserves encased in rocks of the region.

Read more: A time capsule containing 118 trillion cubic feet of gas is buried in northern Australia

The eastern states are young

So these cratons, and the roots of the mountain belts that mark where they collided, make up Western Australia, South Australia, northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, but what about the eastern states?

Well for quite a long period of time, these areas of Australia simply did not exist. These relative newcomers consist mainly of rocks formed on the edge of old Australia as the Pacific Ocean evolved over the last 500 million years (in the last ninth of Earth history).

Read more: Explorers probe hidden continent of Zealandia

Tasmania is older and may well have been a part of North America until within the last billion years.

But apart from that, mountain ranges have grown, faults have moved, but the bulk of Australia has been together for the last billion years or so, only to have broken out finally as our present landmass 55 million years ago.

Alan Collins receives funding from a diverse range of industry, state and federal government sources.

Bo Yang receives funding from a diverse range of industry, state and federal government sources.

Grant Cox receives funding from the Australian Research Council Linkage scheme.

Originally published in The Conversation.


(David Carillet/Shutterstock.com) (David Carillet/Shutterstock.com)

Details of the changes to permanent employer sponsored skilled visa programmes in Australia that come into place in 2018 are being released.The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has also confirmed that there will be some transitional arrangements for the changed to the 457 visa scheme which will cease to exist in March of next year.From 01 March 2018 only jobs on the medium and long term strategic skills list will be available for direct entry visas for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS).Changes to the residency rules mean that the eligibility period to transition from temporary to permanent residence (TRT) will be extended from the current two years to three years and applicants will need to be aged under 45 rather than the current 50 years of age at the time of their application.The 457 temporary visa will cease to exist within the first two weeks of March 2018 and be replaced by two new visas, one for two years and one for four years.They will be linked to the Short Term Skilled Occupations List (STSOL) and the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) which will continue to be updated every six months by the Department of Employment, with the next review in January 2018.Occupations on the STSOL are eligible for a two-year visa with only one onshore renewal available for a further two-year period. The DIBP have indicated that the one time restriction will not apply if the visa is renewed offshore.Occupations on the MLTSSL are eligible for a four-year visa and only this list and visa stream will have a pathway to permanent residency after three years.The 457 visa has been very popular with employers but the two new visa streams come at a higher cost for them and it is not clear if there will be a reduction in employers offering jobs with these visas as a result.Employers must also pay applicants the market salary rate and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which was set at AU$53,900 in April 2016 and they will have to provide proof that they cannot find an Australian to fill the position being offered.Transitional arrangement will be put in place for people who held, or had applied for a 457 visa on 18 April 2017, who wish to apply for permanent residency through the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The age limit will remain at 50 and there will be no restrictions on occupations, so long as applicants are in the same position and employed by the same employer as their current 457 visa.Also, from March 2018, employers will be required to pay a levy to the Skilling Australians Fund. For businesses with annual turnover of less than AU$10 million, employers will be required to pay AU$3,000 per year. All other employers will be required to pay AU$5,000 per year.
Theres no one route to the future, yet there already are on ramps open to it.

If you were asked to describe a smart highway, you might say it swiftly collects tolls. You might say it speeds the flow of goods. You might say it advances safety. You might even say it glows. And you might say, how on Earth do I merge onto this ribbon of wonder?

All thats promised by myriad visions of the smart highway is nowhere near here yet, but some smart features already exist in some places. The technology is also being incorporated into the planning of major urban and suburban transportation-infrastructure projects.

Unlike the smart trucks and cars that are grabbing headlines, the smart highway seems to be slowly sneaking up on us. But that will change. As more highway users come to understand what intelligent roadways can offer trucking and society at large, more pressure will be directed at local, state, and federal government to speed their development by taking out regulatory speedbumps and spurring public and private investment.

To compare whats here and now to whats likely around the corner and what might be coming along somewhere down the road, it helps to start with a working definition of just what a smart highway is. Lets peg it as a road with one or more intelligent and/or interactive technological features bolted onto it or built into its design.

Following that line of thinking, we can see that existing roads with overhead gantries to make toll collection faster and safer or weigh-station bypass systems to benefit truckers as highways boasting smart features.

Where From Here

Where the smart highway goes from here appears limited only by the imagination. Transportation engineers might argue that mundane but critical technical limits like bandwidths and network speeds may play a role in what smart features get rolled out first and where. But infrastructure funding, or the lack thereof, will no doubt be the greatest limiting factor to building out the smart highway.

Lars Stenqvist, executive vice president of Volvo Group Trucks Technology and chief technology officer of Volvo Group, has been doing a lot of thinking about where technology and trucking are headed. An industrial engineer by training, he freely admits, I dont know what the future will look like, but I have a clear view of where its headed.

During a recent media briefing, he explained that smart trucks and smart infrastructure will work best hand-in-glove. Stenqvist said these three technologies have the greatest potential to change trucking: data connectivity, electric power, and autonomous driving.

He pointed out that even though each of these is being developed independently to one degree or another, their full impact will be felt when the three converge to benefit trucking and society by increasing highway safety, reducing congestion, and enhancing the quality of life.

In La La Land

Californias I-80 Smart Corridor project aims to boost safety and speed traffic flow by deploying various interactive smart features, including overhead signs that are dark until a lane-blocking incident occurs. Then, colored arrows, Xs and advisory speeds are shown.

Various forms of smart roads already exist, including one thats been quietly going about its business for over 30 years in the City of Los Angeles.

One could say that in La La Land, the streets may be paved with dreams, but in reality they are studded with sensors  25,248 to be exact, according to a CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) project presentation by Daimler AG.

The 7.5 million vehicles running around Americas second largest city are kept moving smoothly and safely in large measure thanks to Los Angeles state-of-the-art Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control System.

ATCS was launched for the 1984 Summer Olympics and has grown to become the most advanced traffic control system in the U.S., fueled by a massive number of data sources. On top of all those sensors that generate second-by-second input, there are more than 500 cameras trained on critical intersections.

Data is relayed by the sensors, embedded in surface streets and freeway lanes, to the systems control center. When the sensors determine traffic has slowed down, alerts are sent. System operators then reference cameras trained on the affected intersections to determine the cause of any tie-up and then take corrective actions, such as changing cycle times for traffic signals.

A newer initiative in the Golden State is the I-80 SMART Corridor Project in the Bay Area. It consist of a network of integrated electronic signs, ramp meters, and other state-of-the-art elements placed on roadways between the Carquinez Bridge in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to help improve safety and reduce congestion.

The project aims to provide real-time traffic information via variable speed signs and blocked-lane signs, as well as other improvements, including real-time ramp metering on 44 on-ramps to reduce merging conflicts and manage traffic volumes on I-80.

Just as every full-blown smart highway will be built of component technologies, existing roadways may be fitted with various stand-alone smart features. For example, an in-cab safety speed advisory notification system for truck drivers is being piloted on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by Drivewyze as an add-on service to its PreClear weigh-station bypass application.

Truck drivers signed up for the Drivewyze service get notifications in their cabs when approaching any of 26 curves and ramps on the Pennsylvania Turnpike where the advisory speed is less than the posted speed.

Doug Johnson, director of marketing, calls the Drivewyze platform the largest vehicle-to-infrastructure safety network in the world. It connects software in trucks to infrastructure at the roadside as well as to public and private infrastructure dispersed elsewhere.

He notes that the company is looking at developing other V2I solutions, such as an e-inspection system. Our objective is to build a service that provides carriers with a partial CSA credit, for volunteering to provide hours of service, driver, and carrier safety data in advance of a weigh station, says Johnson. This would be more than a bypass service, and we are in the process of trialing this now in a number of jurisdictions.

Alphabet Soup

The two communication technologies that largely underpin the capabilities of smart highways and the smart cars and trucks that roll over them are vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I).

V2V refers to on-board communication devices that transmit and receive messages about speed, heading, brake status, etc. With that technology, autonomous vehicles can communicate V2I directly with compatible infrastructure and V2V with other vehicles fitted with transmitters. V2I can be viewed as shorthand for technology that enables vehicles to use GPS and cellular/satellite links to communicate with roadside structures, such as toll gantries and weigh stations, or even all the way back to a fleets headquarters or a repair shop.

Smart highways embed smart technology on key stretches of highway in order to cut congestion, improve efficiency and reduce the risk of accidents, explains Jon Morrison, president of Wabco Americas, which counts connected-vehicle products among its offerings. He notes that southeast Michigan, for instance, has more than 100 miles of such roads. He says V2I technology is a key building block.

For example, says Morrison, one stretch of I-75 in Metro Detroit is equipped with high-tech roadside bar codes that communicate with vehicles equipped with V2I technology to alert them when there is construction or lanes closed ahead. Similarly, there is a road that communicates with properly equipped vehicles when the traffic signals ahead are about to turn red. These technologies use V2I communication and vehicle GPS receivers to monitor traffic issues.

There are also research highways in the works, including one that doubles as a real-world road. A year ago, Ohio announced that it will invest $15 million to install state-of-the-art infrastructure for testing autonomous and connected vehicle technologies along a designated Smart Mobility Corridor.

The corridor, a 35-mile stretch of four-lane, limited-access highway between Dublin and East Liberty, will be equipped with high-capacity fiber optic cable to instantaneously link researchers and traffic monitors with data from embedded and wireless sensors along the roadway.

These links will enable testing smart transportation technologies on a highway that carries up to 50,000 vehicles per day through rural and urban settings in a full range of weather conditions. Ohio DOT notes that, more immediately, the data gathered will also provide more frequent and accurate traffic counts, weather and surface condition monitoring, and incident management improvements.

Fred Andersky, director, customer solutions and marketing - controls for Ohio-based advanced safety solution supplier Bendix, says that among the first applications for the Buckeye States research road will be testing portable smart-highway solutions, like short-range communications used to send out alerts there is a work zone in place or congestion ahead.

Further down the road, he expects testing to expand into real infrastructure, such as lane-marking transmitters that are powered by solar energy tapped from reflective side-by-side lane markings. Andersky says such a setup would be used to center vehicles in their lanes. And it would work on a clear day  and in rain or snow.

Heres a depiction of one scenario for the rollout of autonomous vehicles on smart highways in the metro New York City area. According to the Regional Plan Association, getting really smart with vehicles and roads will require making many assumptions," some of which will likely not play out as anticipated.

Not So Fast...

As for when we might all start gliding over highways that were designed to be smart from the ground up, consider some takeaways from a report released last month by the nonprofit Regional Plan Association.

The RPA paper focuses on improving the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan area with the goal of making autonomous vehicles an everyday reality in the densely populated tri-state region thats centered on New York City.

Along with legal and privacy issues that could delay adoption of autonomous cars, trucks, and buses, RPA contends that before self-driving vehicles can take to the streets in any sizable number, it must be recognized that theres no one-size-fits-all solution for communities to address AVs.

RPA argues that physical planning strategies and government regulations will need to differ by geography and time of day. Whats more, suburban issues, including managing highway traffic, transitioning large areas devoted to surface parking, and adapting land use policies, will have to be addressed. And in urban areas, it will be a priority to regulate street space and address impacts on public transportation as well.

On the other hand, the regional planning group points out that already dozens of other groups and governments around the country and the globe are examining these issues and trying to better understand how to respond to this new technology.

The reason for all the studying to get smart highways built is manifold: To improve safety, to increase productivity and reduce stress in daily life, and to improve mobility for unlicensed drivers, including seniors and the disabled. And to make goods cheaper: Costs associated with moving goods (and their price to customers) could be substantially reduced if trucks were automated and if an alternate solution was devised (self-service and/or automation) to unload the vehicle, notes RPA.

Wabcos Morrison sees the largest challenge with smart highways being the investment in the infrastructure. Experts estimate that in the U.S. alone it costs hundreds of billions of dollars to equip the countrys 4 million miles of paved roads, in addition to the intersections, with [V2I] technology.

He notes that another hurdle to overcome is what to do with all the data that will be generated by and along smart highways.

It is likely that certain agencies will want to collect that data, says Morrison. Transportation planners may want to utilize the data collected on smart highways for use in designing more efficient roadways. Automakers may want access to the data when designing vehicles. The media may want to use it to monitor flow for their traffic reports. Exactly who will have access to the data gathered by the technology and how it is used is certainly something that will have to be addressed by the industry and related stakeholders.

Bendixs Andersky says for the full promise of smart highways and vehicles to be realized, there will have to be a coordinated effort between technology providers and government regulators. He adds, all of this will require the federal government to get more involved in [transportation planning and funding] than it has of late. And heavy trucks must be part of that equation.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials, which is expected to soon release its guidance on smart highways and vehicles, has already promoted several policymaking principles. These include calling for federal policies to be developed on data-sharing requirements and developing expressway plans that emphasize modernization over expansion, so roadside infrastructure is ready to accommodate the needs of autonomous vehicles.

During the extensive testing that will be required in the lengthy run up to adopting autonomous vehicles on a grand scale, NACTO suggests that the use of partially automated vehicles should be limited to controlled environments  like highways.

That opinion underscores the major role trucking will need to play in lobbying for increased highway funding, whether through public or private investments.

Those monies will be essential to cover the cost of the high-tech infrastructure that both motorists and freight haulers will rely on to save time, money and lives when driving on every shining stretch of smart highway ahead.

Originally posted on Trucking Info
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Clear skies. Low near 40F. ENE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 40F. ENE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Consumers desire for wholesome foods is leading to customer demand for product innovation from Hearthside.

BOISE, IDAHO  Until it was acquired by Hearthside Food Solutions in 2015, VSI had developed thousands of formulas that never made it to market.

By what could likely be considered a stroke of genius rather than a stroke of luck,

Hearthside also purchased a shuttered PowerBar plant in Boise within days of VSI.

The plant was in excellent condition, said Rich Scalise, chairman and chief executive officer of Hearthside Food Solutions, Downers Grove, Ill., of the former Nestle facility that had eventually been sold to Post. Both companies had kept it in great shape, so it was just a matter of streamlining operations in terms of the equipment and focus.

Today, the Boise plant houses a pilot line to perform test runs on the seemingly countless formulations that have not yet come to fruition, and three R.&D. specialists work on product development for U.S. customers. These are among Hearthsides top brass for product development, set to follow the innovation set forth by the 12 specialists at VSI.

From a trends perspective, Hearthside is nestled in the catbird seat. As American consumer demand mirrors whats happening in Europe, VSI has the company poised to deliver.

That was Richs ultimate strategy, said Dwayne Hughes, senior vice-president of supply chain. Boise was an empty plant, but it had the fundamentals to help us build the same capabilities that VSI has to get a footprint in the U.S.

The company made significant investments to get the line where it needed to be, including Sollich and Hosokawa makeup lines, meant to replicate VSI. The Boise plant, which originally produced protein-based bars, came equipped with a fully automated powder system, where silos automatically charge a storage hopper that dumps it directly into the mixer along with minors and liquids. It was the perfect base for the new line.

It was the right kind of business we wanted to emulate from VSI, Mr. Hughes said.

Chocolate enrobing is a big draw for both snack and functional bars.

Since then, caramel-layering capabilities have been added, as well as Sollich tempering equipment for real chocolate, something that was historically unique to the European market (U.S. operations called for chocolate compounds). A ProPack bucket sheeter also was added for smearing thin layers of either chocolate or caramel.

We also increased the flexibility in the second line and installed an extruder for customers who want an extruded product, Mr. Hughes said, noting that the line can easily change from extruding to slab forming.

In accordance with Hearthsides fast and flexible model, the company invested in a Campbell Wrapper row distribution system and Bosch flowwrappers.

Just a year into operation, business is already booming.

We see all these projects coming, and were already talking about where well put the next line, Mr. Hughes observed.

The plant in Boise creates an opportunity that was out of reach for VSI before the acquisition: U.S. market penetration. Through this new partnership, it can potentially manufacture products that were going to nearly every market except the United States. And the Leerdham plants will do the same for Hearthside.

This is our first international footprint, Mr. Hughes pointed out.

Ultimately, the goal is to expand VSIs offerings into other categories, perhaps baked bars or new products altogether, throughout Europe and potentially around the world. But for now, this is where the big opportunity is.

Bars are expanding globally, Mr. Scalise said. Its all the trends you hear about; people are still eating on the run, and theyre more particular about what theyre eating. They want bars with real attributes that fit their lifestyle. Consumers want nutrition; they want it clean, and they want to know what theyre eating. I think that transcends borders, and its why everyone is focused on it.

Whether its protein-based cold-formed bars for fitness and nutrition sweeping Europe or the grain-based baked and cold-formed bars dominating American co-manufacturing, Hearthside is heading toward global leadership.

As the company stays the course toward world-class manufacturing and continues its current growth trajectory, Mr. Hughes pays heed to the companys eighth guiding principle: celebrate results.

We know were not yet world-class, but were going to set records, he said. Well have better safety results than yesterday; well have better quality. We need our plant managers to celebrate these milestones and help our employees understand that were all taking this journey together.
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The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a boater who disappeared off the Manatee coast.

U.S. Coast Guard suspend search for boater

Fraser Horne, 63, was reported missing Friday



RELATED: Coast Guard searching for missing boater from Manatee



Fraser Horne, 63, was reported missing Friday evening. Hornes wife contacted authorities at about 6:15 p.m. after her husband did not return home on time.

Hornes 30-foot boat was located at 11:15 p.m. about five miles northwest of Bradenton, near Mead Point.

Officials said the engines were still on, but the boat was in neutral.

Suspending a search is the most difficult decision I have to make and our thoughts and prayers go out to Hornes family and friends, said Capt. Holly Najarian, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg commander, in a statement Sunday.

Crews searched 2,192 square miles for Horne.

Several agencies assisted with the search, including the Holmes Beach Police Department, Manatee County Sheriffs Office, Pinellas County Marine Unit, Florida Fish and Wildlife and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

Toula, Hornes golden retriever, was also reported missing on Friday.

A good Samaritan found the dog, and she was returned home.

The incident remains under investigation.
A Brooksville community is looking for a way to get their kids safely across the street to school.

School recommends students be dropped off in car line

Grandparent Cheryl Sears says students 'running for their lives'

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Cheryl Sears lives across the street from Brooksville Elementary School on North Broad Street. It's where her granddaughter goes to school and a major source of anxiety twice a day.

"They're basically running for their lives to get across the street," she said of the children.

The area includes four lanes of fast moving traffic. Slowing the cars down is Sears' mission. She wants the state to install a crossing signal.

"At minimum I would like to see the flashing lights, slow speed zone so that the kids have a chance to get across the street without having to run," she said.

The school recommends students be dropped off in the car line, but with the school only about 1,000 feet from the Clover Leaf community, there are many who make the trek across the street.

"I walked it a couple times. And just standing there for five minutes to get across the street is crazy," said Sears.

Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson spoke with the Florida Department of Transportation's Kris Carson, who said the situation is more complex than it seems.

The principal is aware of two students who regularly walk to school from the neighborhood. Because there aren't more children crossing the road, a crosswalk isn't warranted and the state will only put a signal in where there is an existing crosswalk.

What that means to the children in Clover Leaf Farms is: no school zone and no slowing of the traffic on U.S. Highway 41.

"I walked it a couple times," Sears said. "And just standing there for five minutes to get across the street is crazy."

Assistant Principal Richard Inmon has requested no students walk across U.S. 41. Parents should drive them safely to the entrance on the back of the property, farthest away from the roadway.
Week of Wild Waves for Oregon Coast, High Wind Warning Early Monday

Published 11/19/2017 at 7:25 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  A night of wild winds are in store for the Oregon coast this evening, while a week full of crazed waves will be the norm well into the holiday. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for Sunday night, expiring at 3 a.m. Monday morning, bringing gusts up to 60 mph to beaches and headlands.

Wave height will peak at a whopping 20 feet late Sunday night, then spend most of the week at around 15 to 17 feet  guaranteeing a big show.

On the northern Oregon coast, the strongest winds will be pummeling through about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., while on the central coast it will be 8 p.m. to midnight.

Ocean waves will be gargantuan later tonight, building to 20-foot waves at one point then subsiding to 15 feet after midnight. The rest of the week  until Friday  big waves in the teens will be the norm, often around 17 feet. This will mean a good, stormy show for much of the week, especially on rocky surfaces like those at Yachats, Oceanside, Cape Kiwanda, Depoe Bay or just south of Yachats. While jetties will be fun to watch, only do so from afar and stay well clear of them and all rocky surfaces. Stick to watching from safe vantage points such as parking lots.

All this likely brings some excellent storm debris finds along the beaches for those beachcombing over the Thanksgiving weekend, and some good erosion. Some gravel beds will likely open up, making for decent agate hunting  albeit in rainy conditions.

The wave action does not subside until Friday, so stay away from smaller beaches until then. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

The upcoming week looks unsettled and wet, the NWS said. A cold front will slowly move onto the north coastal areas this afternoon and through the remainder of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon tonight and Monday, stalling and weakening over the southern part of the forecast area Monday afternoon. The front then lifts back north across the forecast area as a warm front Monday night and Tuesday. The front will linger over the area into Wednesday. Another cold front will move through on Thanksgiving with showers lingering into Friday but decreasing later in the day. The next system is expected Saturday night and Sunday.

Fascinating finds were made on the beaches earlier this week after recent storms, including the unusually early appearance of velella velella and pyrosomes. See article for more details. - Keep an eye Oregon Coast Weather and surf conditions.



















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On Sunday night the stars of Team Raw and Team Smackdown were greeted by a packed house at the Toyota Center for the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event.

The event was billed as a full-on war between both factions and fans eat up every minute of it.
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This Christmas will be the first in more than 12 years that Fernando Martinez won't gather with loved ones at his father's Port Arthur home.

The house on Procter Street has been gutted down to its studs because of Tropical Storm Harvey.

The family will forgo the traditional live tree, even though Martinez's mother loves the smell, because they had to throw away all of their ornaments.

"Even the little paper ones we had made for her at school when we were kids, those ornaments and the rest of them are all gone," said Martinez, 37.

The Martinezes will still exchange presents, but the gifts will be smaller this year.

"We're going to try to make it as normal as we can," Martinez said. "But things are just going to be different because things just feel different. There are no words to describe it."

Like the Martinez family, thousands of Southeast Texans are spending money and time normally set aside for normal holiday pursuits on things like installing sheetrock, buying furniture and new car shopping.

Meanwhile, charities staffed by fatigued volunteers are dealing with a much greater need this year. They face trying to raise more money from fewer people, who are either too financially and emotionally drained to share now-precious resources or who, for the first time in their lives, have to ask for aid themselves.

Three months after Harvey, during a traditional season of hope, hope is now at a premium.

The Empty Stocking Fund

The Beaumont Enterprise's Empty Stocking Fund, which has been raising money for more than 100 years, has weathered many natural disasters, most recently Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008).

Members of the Christmas Bureau, the volunteer arm of the Empty Stocking Fund, said this year's calls for help were louder than in holidays past.

> > MORE: How to donate to the Empty Stocking Fund

"Everyone knows how the flood affected people," said Frances Engelbrecht, Christmas Bureau board secretary. "You can relate back to any hurricane beforehand and the weeks of damage it took to repair. But (Harvey's) flooding was so bad ... the need is so much greater than last time.

"People lost everything that was home to them, including the home itself," she said.

For the past several years, the Empty Stocking Fund has provided toys and books each Christmas to about 1,200 children. This year, the charity will ensure there are presents under the tree for 1,871 local kids - 927 girls and 944 boys.

"We just want them to be able to have a Christmas." Engelbrecht said.

This year's Empty Stocking Fund goal is $50,000. The Enterprise launched the fundraiser three weeks earlier than its usual Thanksgiving Day start because of the increased need post-Harvey.

"We need lots of money, lots of help," Engelbrecht said.

Englebrecht said the Empty Stocking Fund is not alone in that request.

"A lot of area agencies don't have money left because they spent it on immediate flood relief," she said.

The Food Bank

The Southeast Texas Food Bank coordinated water and supply efforts in the immediate days after Harvey.

Executive Director Dan Maher said after the emergency response ended, it became apparent fast that the network of people who needed the food bank's help had expanded.

Those who never needed the food bank's services before are now asking for help, he sad.

"People who ordinarily have decent economic means are sinking their finances into repairs or survival," Maher said.

There's "less gusto" in the area to volunteer or donate even though its needed now more than ever, Maher said. He believes people can't afford to give away what they don't have.

The food bank's annual turkey drive has already given out more than 6,000 birds through partner agencies for families and shelters serving those in need.

"There are people just grasping at straws for a hot meal," Maher said. "Comfort food goes a long way, especially at the holidays and especially with the volume of people approaching us about turkeys."

BPD's Blue Santa

Some charitable organizations that rely heavily on monetary or physical donations are feeling pinched as they try to fill the gaps Harvey created.

The Beaumont Police Department's Blue Santa program had a "wildly successful" fundraising event last year, according to one of the self-proclaimed "lead elves," Sandra Womack. The group raised almost $19,000 for children's toys.

This year, the team knows they'll be lucky to raise half that, Womack said. Every person on the Blue Santa committee was affected by Harvey in some way, a reflection of the devastated community that normally thrives on giving back.

"The focus this year is, of course, Harvey victims that lost everything," Womack said. "But there are so many people who are in the same boat."

The saying "any amount helps" rings true this year more than ever, Womack said.

MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/morgGstalt
A traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Orange County Saturday evening wound up in a pursuit that led to Louisiana.

Texas Department of Public Safety said a trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a motorcycle at approximately 6:15 p.m. The motorcyclist failed to stop and continued eastbound on I-10 into Louisiana.
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The FBI is investigating what U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling an attack on two border patrol agents that left one dead and the other wounded Sunday as they were on patrol in West Texas.

In a news release issued late Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials identified the deceased agent as Rogelio Martinez, 36, of El Paso. The agency did not release details of what occurred.

Jeanette Harper, with the FBI's El Paso office, said Sunday evening that authorities were still gathering facts and that contrary to reports from other news outlets, there was no shooting.

"They were not fired upon," Harper said. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."

She said a full account would not be released until Monday.

"Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty," Cruz said in a statement. "We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked."

President Trump tweeted a renewed call to "build the wall" Sunday evening in response to the death.

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"



So far, border patrol officials have said that Martinez was on patrol with his partner in the Van Horn Station area, which is near Interstate 10, about 120 miles east of El Paso when they responded to an activity that was not explained in the release.

Martinez's partner reported they had been injured and needed assistance, according to the agency, which did not provide a time the incident occurred or what caused the agent's injuries.

Responding agents provided medical care and both agents were taken to a local hospital, officials said.

RELATED: Suspicious activity report leads to seizure of almost 300 pounds of marijuana

Big Bend Sector agents were later told that Martinez died from his injuries, according to the release. His partner remains hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said.

Culberson County Sheriff's Office deputies aided agents in securing the scene and members from the agency's special operations group joined air and marine operations in searching for "potential suspects or witnesses," according to the release.

A Culberson sheriff's office spokesman said deputies were still investigating and could not comment.

Cruz said the death of Martinez in the line of duty is a "stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them."

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that she was notified of the incident and that her office is "fully supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of this tragic event."

"On behalf of the quarter of a million frontline officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition," she said in the statement.

Van Horn is about 430 miles west of San Antonio.
The Philippines will not reverse its ban on open-pit mining, despite a vote from an inter-agency panel and moves by a new environment secretary that sided with industry interests, President Rodrigo Dutertes spokesman said Monday.



The Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) had voted to lift the ban, which was imposed months earlier by former Environment Secretary Regina Lopez and led to the closure of half of the countrys 41 operating mines.



But the Philippine Congress, which backers of mining interests allegedly dominate, declined to confirm Lopezs appointment as secretary and removed her after she was in office for 10 months. She remains a strong Duterte supporter.



I assure you that this is one of the instances when I personally asked the president if theres been a change in policy and, he says, that there is still no new policy on this. There is still a ban on new open-pit mining, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.



However, it was not clear whether Duterte had received the recommendation of the MICC, Roque said, adding that he would further verify the governments position.



Lopezs successor, Roy Cimatu, had said he would soon issue an order restoring open-pit mining operations, but that all regulations would be strictly imposed. Cimatu co-chairs the Cabinet-level MICC with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, a close aide of Duterte.



The ban on open-pit mining would hopefully be lifted by the end of the year, Cimatu had said.

Lopez had ordered the closure of 21 of 41 operating mines and the cancellation of dozens of contracts for undeveloped mines in February to protect water resources, after auditors discovered that the mines that had been ordered shut were found to be operating in watersheds, contributing to environmental degradation.

While environmentalist groups hailed the ban as a step in the right direction, mining advocates warned that it could lead to thousands of job losses and economic dislocation, especially in areas where mining is the only source of livelihood.



These areas include sites in the southern island of Mindanao that are prospective gold and copper mine sites with estimates reaching U.S. $5.9 billion.



The project sites, which an estimated area of 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) straddling at least four municipalities in the south, are estimated to hold 15 million tons of copper and about 18 million ounces of gold, with mine production projected conservatively at U.S. $37 billion over the next two decades, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said.



The Philippines is also a major nickel producer and in 2015 mined about 420,000 tons of nickel, the metal derived from nickel ore  about 20 percent of global supply. These were mostly shipped to other countries, led by China, which used them in making other semiconductor products.
Thai authorities were looking for 20 Uyghurs who escaped from an immigration detention center near the Malaysian border before dawn on Monday by digging two holes and using blankets as ladders to escape, officials said.

The Uyghurs, who had been held for two years at the center in Sadao, a district of southern Songkhla province, escaped from their cells at about 2 a.m. and could have crossed into Malaysia, said police Capt. Surasak Siripan, the facilitys deputy director.

There were 20 Uyghurs who managed to escape, Surasak said. Five others were intercepted before they could flee.

Authorities searched with dogs through a rubber plantation where the detainees could have crossed to reach Malaysia, about a mile away from the detention center, he said.

We could not find their footprints because it rained last night and the rain wiped off their footprints, Surasak told reporters.

Without elaborating, he said the Uyghurs had tried to escape once before but authorities had recaptured them.

This time around they were successful and walked toward Malaysia through a rubber plantation, he said.

Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the Thai civil society group Peoples Empowerment, told BenarNews that Uyghurs were believed to be in detention centers throughout Thailand.

There were about 60 Uyghurs around various centers, but we do not know for sure because the authorities do not let us see them, Chalida said following the escape.

Earlier, a high-ranking security source who requested anonymity told BenarNews that Thailand had been in an awkward position after Bangkok turned over 173 Uyghurs to Turkey on June 30, 2015. A week later, Thailand deported 109 Uyghurs to China.

It is a hard position for us to either keep them or let them go somewhere, said the source, referring to the Uyghurs at the Sadao immigration facility.

Human rights groups condemned Bangkoks decision to deport the group to China, warning that the Uyghurs, who are Muslims, could face persecution and abuse.

China branded the deportees as terrorists and broadcast photos of them being flown back with hoods over their heads.

That forced repatriation may have precipitated a bomb blast in August 2015 that killed 20 people at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkoks Rajprasong tourist district, according to security sources. Two Uyghur men, who were arrested by Thai authorities as suspects in that case, went on trial in late 2016.

Uyghurs flee to Thailand

Hundreds of Uyghurs who speak a Turkic language have passed through Thailand fleeing what they described as persecution in the Xinjiang region in China, where they are one of 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. China has accused Uyghurs of involvement in attacks on ethnic Han Chinese.

Surasak said the 20 escapees were among a large group of Uyghurs who were detained in 2015 after they were found at the Tone Nga Chang waterfall in Songkhla.

The Uyghurs, who claimed they were Turkish and demanded that they be allowed to travel to Turkey, were kept at the detention center as authorities tried to verify their citizenship, officials said.

On Monday, a senior Islamic official expressed confidence that the escape would bode well for the Thai government.

The escape would help free Thailand of pressure from China to deport the Uyghurs, according to Wisut Binlateh, director of the coordination center for southern provinces of the Office of the Chularajmontri, Thailands Islamic spiritual leader.

Wisut told The Nation newspaper that the Uyghurs had tried to escape to join their wives and children. He said the minority Muslim community in Thailand had been calling on the Thai government to allow the Uyghurs to move to a third country, preferably Turkey.
Von: By R. SCHULER, P. FABIAN & W. HAENTJES

The historical project of a Jamaica coalition  a term used by Christian Lindner to describe a potential alliance between the Conservatives, the Greens, and the Liberals  is already history before it even began.

The Liberals walked out of negotiations on Sunday night. They said that it would be better not to govern at all than to govern the wrong way.

As soon as the news was out, representatives of the Union and the Greens started to pass the buck to the Liberals.

The Greens negotiator, Jurgen Trittin, said that they had presented a set of suggestions concerning climate protection, family reunifications, employment law, the abolishment of the solidarity surcharge, and mothers pensions. According to Trittin, at this point the FDP had already prepared its press release on the breakdown of the negotiations.

Lesen Sie auch

When Lindner made his statement to the press, the Greens, the CDU, and the CSU allegedly stood in front of the screens, watching in shock about this departure.

Deputy Chairwoman of the CDU Julia Klockner (44) talked about the well-prepared spontaneity of the FDP. You can do it like the FDP did, but it wasnt necessary. The accusation is that a single-handed abandonment of the talks was planned beforehand. It would have been decent if all party leaders could have announced the breakdown together.

Auch interessant

Head of the Greens Cem Ozdemir (51) claims that the FDP lacked the will to enter a Jamaica coalition even earlier than tonight. The Liberals have destroyed and rejected the successful completion of the talks.

Winfried Kretschmann (69, Greens) is deeply disappointed. Talking to BILD, he said that he didnt think Lindner would call it quits. I didnt really think any of the four parties would do that, even though Mr. Linder occasionally mentioned re-elections to the press.

BUT IS THE FAILURE OF THE JAMAICA TALKS THE FDPs FAULT ALONE?

Family reunion, solidarity surcharge abolishment, military deployments abroad, climate and energy policy  with regard to each of these difficult issues, two men jointly fought against the Greens: CSU head of regional faction Alexander Dobrindt (47) and head of the FDP Christian Linder (38). The two of them thereby also opposed head of the CDU Angela Merkel, who had offered compromises.

The fact is that neither Dobrindt nor Lindner are interested in the Greens success  on the contrary!

Lindner regards the Greens as his FDPs main competitor for the centre liberal vote. He emphasizes their ideological differences. The Greens do indeed regularly win votes in the well-off big city milieu that the FDP relies on.

Dobrindt has never made a secret of the fact that he considers the Greens enemies, and that their middle-class image must be overcome. Dobrindt and Linder agree that its smarter to let the Greens stay in opposition than to give them a boost by becoming a part of the government. Even if this means re-elections.

Both Lindner and Dobrindt have also  not unintentionally  harmed the Chancellor by the failure of Jamaica.

The Liberals exclusion from parliament in 2013 has shown Lindner how dangerous Merkels style of governing is for them.

Dobrindt thinks Merkels refugee policy is an enormous mistake, as is her refusal to locate the Union on the centre-right of the spectrum. According to him, this has made the AfD possible on the right and could pull the entire Union downward.

Moreover, Dobrindt has not forgotten that the Greens had kept attacking him over the passenger car toll when he was Minister of Transport. They kept criticising his work as a minister.

The Union, FDP, and Greens have cancelled their negotiations. It is unclear what will happen next. Chancellor Merkel referred to herself as the acting Chancellor.

If this means re-elections, the voters will certainly want to know more about who is to blame for the failure of the Jamaica negotiations 
For Immediate Release, November 20, 2017 Contact: Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

Kimiko Martinez, Natural Resources Defense Council, (310) 434-2344, kmartinez@nrdc.org Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration's Elephant, Lion Trophy Import Decisions Despite Trump's Tweets, New Trophy Policies Still In Effect WASHINGTON  The Center for Biological Diversity and Natural Resources Defense Council sued the Trump administration today for allowing U.S. hunters to import elephant and lion trophies from Zimbabwe. The lawsuit aims to protect animals and resolve confusion created by the administrations contradictory announcements in recent days. The suit comes days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service abruptly reversed an Obama-era ban on elephant trophy imports based on catastrophic elephant population declines. Fish and Wildlife also recently greenlighted lion trophy imports from Zimbabwe, despite the controversial killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe in 2015. After massive public outcry, including from established Republican politicians and pundits, President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced a hold on issuing elephant trophy import permits late Friday night. President Trump suggested on Twitter that a new big-game trophy decision would be forthcoming. Unfortunately, the new federal policies allowing imports of elephant and lion trophies  referred to as positive enhancement findings under the U.S. Endangered Species Act  remain in effect. The Trump administration must clearly and permanently halt imports of lion and elephant trophies to protect these amazing animals from extinction, said Tanya Sanerib, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. Trumps abrupt backpedaling after public outcry, while appreciated, shows how arbitrary this deplorable decision was. These incredibly imperiled creatures need a lot more than vague promises. Todays suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, notes that the Trump administration acted arbitrarily in its rush to reverse course and open the United States to Zimbabwean lion and elephant trophies in a move that is contrary to the Endangered Species Act. Putting trophy imports on hold isnt enough, said Elly Pepper, deputy director of Wildlife Trade for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Elephants are in crisis now. If we dont force the Administration to completely revoke its decision, President Trump could quietly start allowing these imports as soon as he stops facing criticism on Twitter. The Trump administrations decision to lift the ban on these trophy imports relies heavily upon Zimbabwe having the plans, resources, funds, and staff to conserve elephant and lion populations. But, as todays lawsuit notes, in a country where corruption is already a huge concern, a military coup that began Nov. 14 has cast further uncertainty on Zimbabwes rule of law. Zimbabwe scored an abysmal 22 out of 100 on Transparency Internationals 2016 Corruption Perception Index. Poaching elephants for their ivory remains a significant threat in Zimbabwe. According to aerial surveys  known as the Great Elephant Census  Zimbabwes elephant population decreased 6 percent between 2001 and 2013, when the aerial surveys were performed. Zimbabwes elephant population is reportedly still in decline, largely due to poaching. Zimbabwes lion population was estimated at roughly 703 lions in 2014.



The Great Elephant Census of savannah elephants conducted over the past couple of years revealed that fewer than 400,000 savannah elephants (not including the smaller forest elephants in western-central Africa) remain across the continent. The census results also documented the loss of 140,000 elephants over seven years due to poaching. In 2016, the IUCN found lions in Africa to be vulnerable to extinction noting an estimated 43 percent decline of African lion populations over 21 years. Studies show that trophy hunting is only a small portion of the funding all tourists, including those who do not deplete wildlife populations, provide in African countries that allow trophy hunting. Meanwhile, corruption in Zimbabwe raises serious concerns about where trophy hunters fees really go, according to assessments by the Obama administration and a 2016 report from House Natural Resources Committee. Learn more about the Center's work to save African elephants. Learn more about the Center's lawsuits against the Trump administration.
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Global citizens, prepare to pack your bags to visit Rwanda. The country has announced that effective from 1 January 2018, nationals of all countries will get a visa upon arrival without prior application, as part of the establishment of a new visa regime.

Vadim Nefedov via 123RF - Kigali, Rwanda

A communique released by the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration stated that citizens of all countries will get 30 days visa on arrival under the regime. Before that, only passport holders from African countries and a few other countries were getting visas upon arrival at Rwanda entry points. With some entrants required to pay a fee where applicable.

The communique also stated that Rwandans with dual nationality are now allowed to use National IDs on entry. This will waive visa fees for Rwandans coming into the country travelling on foreign passports in possession of a Rwandan ID for countries that permit dual nationality only.

On a reciprocal basis, the country will also grant visa free of charge with 90 days validity to these countries: Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Senegal, Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe. This is in addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa Member Community Partner States, Mauritius, Philippines and Singapore. This takes immediate effect, the communique read.

The comprehensive new visa regime also outlines visa waiver for some diplomatic and service passport holders, a directive which takes immediate effect. The countries include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, India, Israel, Morocco and Turkey. The communique also states that a 90-day visa on arrival for travellers from the COMESA (The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) region subject to payment of visa fees.

New visa regime a big step to boost tourism, open business opportunities

The new visa regime is a big step, which will boost tourism and open other business opportunities for the country because of the easy access by foreign nationals visiting the country.

The development comes at a time when the African Union (AU) is encouraging member state to liberalise free movement of citizens across the continent. Rwanda is among the countries which have taken a leading role in implementing the AU's recommendations. The country is reputed as one of the most open in visa openness index publications.

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB) Index, Africa remains largely closed off to African travellers and on average. "Africans need visas to travel to 55% of other African countries, can get visas on arrival in only 25% of other countries and don't need a visa to travel to just 20% of other countries on the continent." However, this reality is changing as some countries are beginning to show their commitment to calls to open up their borders to the rest of the continent.

The AU has continued its calls for countries to review their visa policies to "implement mechanisms allowing for the issuing of visas on arrival for citizens of Member States, with the possibility of a 30-day stay".

Last month Nigeria started issuing visas-on-arrival to African citizens visiting the country in accordance with the AU recommendation. The development was applauded by Africans across the continent as a major step towards the goal of encouraging free movement on the continent.
MAPUTO, Mozambique - The most promising startups in Africa will be pitching to investors at Seedstars Africa, 12-14 December 2017, in Maputo, Mozambique, in a showcase hosted by Seedstars World.

Seedstars World (SSW), the global community and platform for entrepreneurs in technology in emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, is hosting the third annual Seedstars Africa Summit that connects the most relevant players in innovation and technology in Africa with the world and between each other. Tickets are available now on www.seedstarsafrica.com.

After hosting competitions in 20 Africa countries throughout 2017, Seedstars World has been able to explore the local ecosystems and scout the most promising tech startups in each market. Seedstars World is now bringing together these entrepreneurs together with ecosystem players, mentors, investors and corporates from across the African continent.

Seedstars is a global organisation with a mission to impact people's lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship.

During 2017 we got to witness growing ecosystems, better startups and more involvement from public and private partners. We are very excited to be able to bring the entire network together in Mozambique in December and together look into some of the opportunities of the continent and explore how technologies can rapidly improve the current status quo in emerging markets worldwide, says Claudia Makadristo, regional manager for Africa.

The Africa Regional Summit will last for three days and bring together over 500 attendees commencing with a bootcamp for the participating startups, an ecosystem tour, an investor day and culminate with a conference on December 14, featuring the startup pitches, keynote speakers, and panel discussions that will support a range of topics and ideas pertinent to entrepreneurs in the region.

The event is hosted by local ambassador, UX Information Technologies. The main sponsor of the event is Standard Bank. Other partners include both local and international organisations such as: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, UNFPA, Merck, Enel , TRECC, Microsoft, Orange, GSMA and VC4A amongst many others.

"The Standard Bank Group is immensely proud to be associated with the Seedstars Africa Regional Summit and its objective of selecting the best tech startups from across the African continent to showcase their businesses in front of a global audience of partners, ambassadors, ecosystem players and investors. This aligns to our purpose of Africa is our home and we drive her growth. We look forward as an organisation with a vested interest in entrepreneurs, to supporting the event in Maputo and showcasing the diversity, and talent that Africa has to offer," says Sasha Vieira, head of incubator from Standard Bank Mozambique.

"We are very honoured to host the third edition of the Seedstars Regional Summit in Africa, following the steps of Morocco and Rwanda, and finally bringing the Summit to Maputo. The Seedstars network is very solution-oriented and we believe the regional summit is the perfect environment to bring together the best startups on the continent to exchange experiences from our individual markets and brainstorm truly applicable solutions for problems facing emerging markets, both on the continent and globally, says Tiago Borges Coelho, co-founder of UX, local ambassadors to Seedstars.

The startups that are invited for the main stage on December 14, in Maputo, Mozambique, are as follows:
Public health facilities are missing an opportunity to reduce HIV transmission because they are ill-equipped to meet the needs of men who have sex with men (MSM). Respondents to a study related experiences which drove them to hide their identity or seek services elsewhere.

Photo: Toledo Blade

Stigma experienced by MSM when accessing public healthcare facilities may take the form of explicit discrimination, or implicit micro-aggressions.

Twenty-seven MSM couples (16 in Namibia and 11 in South Africa), interviewed simultaneously but separately to maintain the integrity of their responses, illustrated how negative experiences, and the fear of repeating them, inhibits MSMs from exercising their right to access available services intended to reduce the transmission of HIV.

Straight spaces

Notably, the negative experience most reported was hostility and judgemental attitudes towards same-sex desire and behaviour by healthcare workers. Participants suggested that inadequate sensitisation training and ignorance about creating same-sex friendly spaces or providing services appropriately was the cause.

Participants also experienced healthcare facilities as straight spaces, where attitudes consistent with the assumption of heterosexuality as the norm was a barrier inhibiting MSM, without a word being spoken. Experiences of public healthcare facilities as discriminatory rather than accepting made participants feel that they needed to act straight before they could access services or even have the courage to enter healthcare facilities.

Gender-focused curricula

Disclosure of same-sex desire and practices to public healthcare workers was low, and many reported preferring healthcare services at NGOs catering for MSM, suggesting that MSM are less likely to disclose same-sex activity to public healthcare workers. This in turn limits access to services like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), screening for HIV and other STIs, and treatment for HIV. This is concerning in the fight against the HIV-transmission generally.

Research found that queering the space through concerted efforts to integrate and strengthen appropriate, gender-focused curricula at tertiary level and within in-service training/orientation of civil servants, could lead to healthcare being delivered more acceptingly, allowing for more inclusive, professional treatment. This could support MSMs access to public healthcare services and enhance national efforts to reduce the spread of HIV.
A series of roadshows launched by the Vumelana Advisory Fund aims to educate and empower land reform beneficiaries on how to make their land profitable and how to adopt good governance practices to ensure a fruitful future driven through land reform efforts. "While some progress has been made in the land reform programme, more work needs to be done in providing post-settlement support to communal property institutions, because without support, efforts being made will not yield the desired results of alleviating poverty, developing skills and creating jobs."

This according to Peter Setou, chief executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, speaking at the first of the series of roadshows in the North West.

Peter Setou CE @vumelana #Landreform is high on South Africas political agenda. However, few rural communities have fully benefited from ownership of their land. This is because they are unable to raise the capital or acquire the skills needed to use the land productively. pic.twitter.com/G8pXWZfb3x  VumelanaAdvisoryFund (@vumelana) November 15, 2017

Adressing challenges after land transfer

"There is a lot of public attention on the manner and pace of land transfer, but less attention is given to what happens after the transfer takes place," said Setou. Some of the challenges that beneficiaries face include compliance with basic governance requirements, a lack of understanding of how to make land profitable as well as a lack of understanding of the impact the failure to land reform can have on the country."

"It is important for communities to know and understand that measures are in place to improve processes and that assistance is available to them," says Setou. "Food security, sustainability of communities, and political and economic stability are some of the issues we need to bear in mind when addressing issues of land reform.

Peter Setou at the land reform roadshow in Pilanesberg

Scenarious in the South African land reform space

Over the duration of the land reform roadshows, Vumelana will be explaining to communities the different scenarios or situations that can arise in the South African land reform space and what the options are. These scenarios were put together by a team of 40 experts to map out four possible outcomes of the land reform programme. These scenarios are as follows:

Scenario 1, Connection and Capture: gives a description of what can happen should government allocate land haphazardly to get support ahead of the 2019 elections. Such a move is likely to benefit the politically connected to capture land reform for their own purposes.

Scenario 2, Market power and Concentration: describes what can happen should the government decide to accelerate land reform through community-private partnerships. Such a move would lead to a large transfer of commercial farmland to black South Africans, but would not necessarily bring about the necessary reform in the structure of agriculture.

Scenario 3, Occupation and Confiscation: Explains what can happen if South Africans opt for land invasion in the face of deepening hardship.

Scenarios 4, Hard bargaining and Compromise: Describes what can happen if South Africans agree to equitable land sharing. In such a scenario, land reform would become a shared responsibility among a wide range of actors, supported by an enabling state that is committed to pro-poor land and agricultural reform.

We believe that it is important that the beneficiaries of the land reform programme understand and appreciate that political developments may radically change the outcome of the land reform programme. It is, therefore, important that we create awareness of the possible outcomes, or scenarios, and educate those at the heart of the land reform so that they have information that empowers them to make informed decisions on the issue of land reform, says Setou.

The second leg of the future of land reform roadshow will take place on Wednesday 22 November 2017, at the ALDAM Holiday Resort & Conference Centre, Ventersburg and the next on 28 November in KwaZulu Natal.
South Africa's unemployment rate puts it in the bottom ten countries in the world. Hunger levels are growing. It has what Berkeley geography professor Gillian Hart calls a "population surplus to the needs of capital" that must find ways to survive despite living a " wageless existence ."

Image Source: The Conversation . Farm dwellers like Zabalaza Mshengu live in extremely precarious conditions. Association for Rural Advancement

This is happening against the backdrop of three unfolding social processes.

The first involves deteriorating conditions for survival. A new social category is emerging called the precariat: growing numbers of people who struggle to secure the conditions for their survival through traditional means like permanent work. Instead, more and more people survive through multiple jobs that are part-time, insecure and precarious. Guy Standing, who is a professor of economy security at Bath University and coined the term, estimates that a quarter of the worlds adult population is now in the precariat.

Secondly, land reform is now geared at servicing the economic needs of black and white rural elites. Land reform budget allocations are spent on the wealthy rather than poor South Africans who are unable to access land.

Thirdly, the structural legacy of dispossession of Africans from land hasnt been addressed. Failing to resolve this means that a painful political question is left hanging and becomes an easy symbol to manipulate.

So how do these historical and present conditions constitute the conditions for an emancipatory politics? For instance, will rural people who need land to live on or to farm organise to assert claims for restoration?

One possible answer emerges from research undertaken by the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), a land rights NGO working with farm dwellers in South Africa Kwazulu-Natal province.

AFRA recently undertook a socio-demographic and income survey of 850 households resident on farms in the Umgungundlovu Municipal District to understand more about farm dwellers conditions and how these have changed over time.

AFRAs conclusion is that the politics associated with land is not about an organised emancipatory movement. While the radical opposition party the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and some factions of the governing African National Congress (ANC) are calling for the restoration of land to Africans without compensation to existing landowners, farm dwellers are mainly preoccupied with daily survival strategies.

If work opportunities arise away from farms, then many farm dwellers will choose to leave the farm. However, such opportunities are increasingly limited. Many farm dwellers are now asserting a demand to remain on land they have long ties to. These different strategies fragment farm dweller interests in the land.

But it seems that the potential exists for a social movement of people surplus to capitals requirements. Whether such a movement develops depends on how effectively populist political groups can create alliances within and between the agricultural precariat, those living in city slums and those whose land access is threatened by agreements between traditional authorities and corporate interests like mining.

The International Peasant Movement, Via Campesina provides one example of a social movement involving reoccupation of unproductively used farmland. However, we argue that South Africas precariat is more complicated because the country is not agriculturally rich and more than half the population is now urbanised and lives in shacks on the edges of cities.

What we found

AFRA defines farm dwellers as rural people who live on large commercial farms owned by someone other than themselves.

In some respects, farm dwellers are a relic of the countrys agrarian history, which involved the establishment of capitalist agriculture in the early 1900s on the back of African labour tenants unpaid labour. In return, tenants were granted the right to use some of the farmland for their own farming.

Our data shows that farm dwellers are not simply wage workers. They identify intimately with the land they live on. More than half of the interviewees have family graves on the farm. Their livelihoods are land-based: more than half cultivate crops, while just under half own livestock.

We identified three distinct responses of a fragmenting class of agricultural labour to the increasingly strained conditions for its social reproduction. These are: moving away from conditions on farms that make survival intolerable or impossible; seeking out better options in the cities and towns; and holding on to the roots of a familiar life and place on the farm despite deteriorating conditions.

Those who decide to move away from farms usually do so because of landowner decisions. These include explicit measures to evict some or all of the family members  this affected 7% of the total sample of over 7 000 individuals  as well as implicit or constructive evictions which involved the impounding of livestock, cutting off access to basic services such as water and electricity, locking gates and preventing children from attending school.

The second response  seeking better options  involves individual farm dwellers who decide to leave the farm. About a quarter of farm dwellers who have the landowners permission to live on the farm choose to live elsewhere. Rates of unemployment affecting households on these farms exceed 80%, so those who leave tend to have done so in search of work.

Farm dwellers must contend with difficult living and working conditions. This makes the third response  staying on the farm  perhaps the most surprising.

One factor is farm wage income which makes up 55% of household income. So when people can get work on the farms where they have dwelling rights, it makes sense for them to stay.

There are other explanations for why farm dwellers stay on farms. We call this the politics of holding on to home.

Nearly 75% of all farm dweller households we interviewed had lived on the farm in question for 23 years or longer, and had a parent, grandparent or great grandparent who was born on the farm. When asked who is the owner of the house you live in?, 61% said they owned the house  even though they had already stated the name of the farms owner.

Among the reasons given were that they had no other home and had never lived anywhere else.

When asked who would take over the home after the household head died, more than half said that someone in their family would take it over. This suggests that a different, parallel conception of ownership co-exists with legal ownership of the land. Farm dwellers know the farmer is the title holder of the farm but are also asserting that they are the owners of their homes.

Creating alliances

A political alliance among farm dwellers opting for different survival strategies doesnt appear to exist yet although the economic conditions are present. It could possibly develop if either the EFF or a breakaway group from the ANC organise it.

For now, the EFFs focus seems to be on shack settlements and the urban poor and the ANC is too mired in its own internal wrangles to be able to organise a movement of this kind.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
The Department of Basic Education is calling for public comment on the Draft Policy on Home Education.

Home Education is a purposeful programme of education for a learner, alternative to school attendance, which is provided under the direction and supervision of the learners parent primarily in the environment of the learners home, said the department in a statement on Monday.

Home Education is recognised under section 51 of the South African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 (SASA), as a lawful alternative to compulsory attendance to school.

The provision of Home Education is guided by the Policy for the Registration of Learners for Home Education which was promulgated on 23 November 1999 (effective from January 2000), which sets out national norms and standards which apply uniformly across all Provincial Education Departments (PEDs).

The draft policy is a result of the departments decision to review the 1999 Policy in order to address gaps which created inconsistencies in the implementation of the policy nationwide.

A working group representative of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), PEDs, UMALUSI, Parents, Independent Schools Associations of South Africa (ISASA), South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), as well as Impaq (representing independent curriculum service providers) was established in 2015 to review the existing Policy (1999), by outlining principles on which the reviewed Policy could be based.

Written comments on the draft reviewed Policy on Home Education can be sent through to the Deputy Director-General: Curriculum Policy, Support and. monitoring, Department of Basic Education for attention: Ms P Ngcobo; Address: 222 Struben Street, Pretoria, 0002. Fax: 012 323 7749 or email az.vog.ebd@p.obocgn.

The draft policy can be accessed on www.education.gov.za and www.thutong.doe.gov.za.

The public has up to 8 December 2017 to submit inputs, comments and recommendations.

The policy review comes immediately after the publication of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill whereby the public was also asked to submit comments. Clause 25 of the Bill aims to strengthen the legislation on Home Education in alignment with the Policy.
Statistics indicate that 90% of imports and exports in Africa are driven by sea. With a global middle class set to reach five billion people by 2030, global trade is set to continue to grow at an unprecedented rate. Reports suggest that global freighter fleet is expected to double over the next decade due to the growing consumption demands of the ever-increasing middle class.

Gilbert Saggia, MD: East Africa, SAP Africa

Beyond fulfilling their respective countries' trade needs, ports act as gateways to landlocked countries such as Ethiopia and Chad, that have significant agrarian and raw materials export potential, and a great need for imports of finished and processed goods from the East and West. Without these gateways, landlocked countries that have much to offer in world trade are figuratively closed for shop.

If Africa is to play a meaningful role in world trade and benefit from the rapid global growth, its seaports will be key to ensuring that success. However, African ports face the primary challenges of under-developed infrastructure and inefficient operations, leading to significant losses in potential revenue.

According to PWC, of the 72% of world container throughput commanded by developing countries, Africa collectively only sees 1%. A hypothetical improvement from 1% to 3% would increase the economic value of trade by sea by a magnitude equivalent to the GDP of certain African countries.

There is clearly a need to drive improved performance at African ports if we are to take advantage of the economic promise that the future holds.

What's holding back our sea trade success

The primary challenges shared by most African ports are long cargo clearance times; under-developed basic port and hinterland infrastructure; usage of dated equipment and low levels of automation; and container and cargo theft.

To help address some of these challenges, global donor organisations are funding the development of various African trade corridors. This is witnessed in the significant investments that are going into port infrastructure capacity expansion including parking lot expansions, deepening of canals and the widening of basins. Infrastructure investment is, however, only one piece of the puzzle required to handle more cargo in a more efficient manner.

The key to efficiency is for ports to do more with their existing resources, particularly those focused on moving cargo. By optimising the utilisation of these resources, ports will not only improve their cargo throughput but also become more profitable.

According to SAP global performance benchmarking, ports that leverage technology to drive productivity improvements have a 36% higher operating margin than their peers. As an example, in Asia where ports are largely automated, the turnaround time for vessels - the time it takes to port, offload cargo, reload, and depart - can be as little as seven hours compared to the five-day average for an African port. Cargo vessels can also spend a full month longer in an African port than they would in an Asian equivalent.

One of the key differentiating factors of leading global ports is the extent to which they have adopted emerging technologies. For example, IoT-driven smart logistics platforms and advanced analytics solutions that manage container theft, predict the failure of key equipment, and reduce downtime, in real-time, thereby increasing port throughput and protecting profit margins. By contrast, outdated technology and manual processes remain a burden for African ports with most operators still relying on ageing equipment, disparate systems and a siloed approach to handling core processes and operations.

Moving forward for Africa's ports

To address the challenges and overcome some of the prevailing inhibitors to their success and growth, African ports are embracing various technologies to achieve performance improvements realised by their counterparts in other geographies.

In pursuit of such performance excellence, African port authorities have identified two top-level goals: increasing port throughput and improving terminal operations. To increase port throughput, port authorities are considering ways to accelerate the flow of goods through their port by reducing congestion in the value chain. By leveraging hub logistics, transportation management solutions, and connected warehouse offerings, port authorities can accelerate the rate of information exchange across the multiple stakeholders in the port value chain, and unlock the ability to conduct real-time performance monitoring of key assets. This enables them to track profitability at an asset level, enabling them to identify potential new business opportunities.

As an example, the Hamburg Port Authority simplified logistics and truck park management with SAP Hub Logistics and was able to reduce idle time for carriers, improve its traffic management system, and achieve a higher turnover of traffic from nine million containers to an eventual 25 million.

To improve terminal operations, African ports need to adopt automation as a means of standardising and simplifying port operations. In addition, these ports require a centralised approach to managing processes, enabled by a single platform for all automation efforts. This will allow them to handle unusual circumstances by pre-empting potential business disruption, recommending remediation actions and facilitating communication between stakeholders across the port value chain, with no duplication of efforts or messaging.

Africa's relevance in the global food and resource transportation value chain is significant.

Realising Africa's economic potential

With 30% of the world's remaining mineral resources and approximately 60% of the world's uncultivated arable land on the continent, Africa's relevance in the global food and resource transportation value chain is significant. The success of Africa's ports and associated transport networks is critical to Africa's conversion of economic potential to economic success.

To adequately facilitate greater trade with the world, African ports need to embrace innovation, automation and simplification. By investing in the right business solutions that offer end to end transportation management, connected warehouse management, vessel and container track-and-trace, and inter alia, improved hub logistics, African ports can take a step closer toward enriching the continent.
For a short while, some time around 2014, it looked as if the clothing, textile, footwear & leather (CTFL) sector was beginning to recover after almost 20 years of crippling pressure from East Asian imports.

Dmitriy Shironosov via 123RF

But just as the industry was getting on its feet came the double whammy of dismally low economic growth and the spread of international clothing retailers through the country's upmarket shopping malls.

The biggest and fastest-growing of them - H&M and Zara - do not source any of their products from SA, a policy they appear to have little or no intention of changing.

It's a bitter blow for the SA Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu), which has fought valiantly to hold on to every single one of its members' jobs. Part of that fight has involved working with retailers and government to switch to local sourcing by developing areas of competitive strength to protect and grow jobs. The combined effort achieved significant progress and managed to staunch the job losses - for a while.

From a low of about 20% a few years ago CTFL retailers now get just over 30% of their product from SA manufacturers. Sactwu's long-term target is around 40%, which it's sticking to despite the grim economic conditions and the influx of the European retailers.

There's not much the union can do about low economic growth, but it says it can do something about the European retailers, and it is trying to persuade them to tweak their business models so they are more in tune with local conditions.

This is why, a few weeks ago, the union reverted to its more traditional tactics, launching limited protest action at outlets of retailers H&M and Zara in some of the bigger shopping malls. Australia-owned Cotton On is off the hook for now, because it has shown an interest in engaging with Sactwu to explore local sourcing opportunities.

The protest action involved only shop stewards and was intended merely to create some public awareness around the issue. But it's easy to assume it will be ratcheted up if the two powerful European retailers don't make some concessions.

The unions want the companies to commit to a portion of local sourcing in their products. The signs aren't good. Despite several interactions with midlevel management over the course of a few years, Sactwu has failed to get access to senior procurement staff in either company.

"We have written to both Zara and H&M, welcoming their investment in SA, congratulating them on their successes to date but indicating our concern that their successes are leading to the substitution of locally made products (sold by SA retailers) with more imported products," Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel tells the Financial Mail

"We've indicated that we wish to find a remedy to this problem, as it is leading to job losses and factory closures."

Kriel says the longer the issue of local sourcing by international retailers remains unaddressed the more jobs will be lost. The union is also concerned that the situation will deteriorate exponentially as struggling local retailers, such as Stuttafords, are replaced by powerful, well-resourced foreign entities.

"Our manufacturing industry will find itself increasingly locked out of channels to the domestic retail market," Kriel says.

A major concern is that, though still comparatively small, H&M and Zara are making significant inroads into product lines that have been the focus of much of the local development efforts. "Their pricing on these lines is remarkably low; none of the local retailers can match them," says one industry player, who does not want to be identified, expressing a common suspicion that with global supply chains these groups have scope for predatory pricing.

"The concern is that they're selling into SA from their global warehouses at low prices that take advantage of preferential EU import duties."

Sactwu's gritty determination to protect the local industry should be seen in the context of a sector that once employed 220,800 people. That was back in 1996, before China became a member of the World Trade Organisation and started to flood the global market with clothing that could be sold stunningly cheaply because of cheap labour, cheap funding and generous subsidies on electricity and other costs.

The Chinese were assisted, albeit unintentionally, by an ANC government that agreed to reduce its clothing, textile, footwear & leather tariffs faster and to a lower level than required by the international General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (the precursor to the WTO). Shareholders of local clothing retailers were the main beneficiaries of the flood of Chinese imports, as profits surged on the back of increased sales and higher margins.

Some, such as Mr Price and Pepkor, did considerably better than others.

Inefficient manufacturers, who had been protected for decades, were quickly put out of business, but so, too, were many efficient producers. By 2014 employee numbers had shrunk to 91,816. Thanks largely to the switch to local sourcing the numbers held at these levels until December 2016. But by June 2017 the figure had dropped to 87,057, with a 5,000 drop in clothing jobs more than wiping out small gains in footwear.

Michael Lawrence, executive director of the National Clothing Retail Federation, describes how, in recent years, the source of pressure has shifted from China and Asia to Europe.

He confirms the benefits of efforts involving government, retailers, manufacturers and Sactwu, and seems particularly impressed by the quality of the department of trade & industry's engagement.

Government's investment has been a critical part of the drive to make manufacturing more competitive. Garth Strachan, deputy director general at the department, says the entity is mindful of the problem of global retailers posing a threat to local outlets because of their global supply chains.

"It is for this reason we have just embarked on a clothing retail study in collaboration with the private sector to further improve the clothing and textile competitiveness programme and secure stronger localisation and collaboration across the retail value chain," he says.

Lawrence, who says retailers are extremely apprehensive about any co-ordinated efforts because of the competition authorities, says government engages on a very regular basis and provides feedback on what does and doesn't work. The retailers are able to give an indication of volumes needed, which makes planning significantly easier.

Lawrence says most of the retailers (Pep and Ackermans are not involved in the local sourcing initiative) are pushing for a more responsible corporate citizen agenda, but he acknowledges that the push to local production also reflects a changing business model aimed at protecting and growing profits.

Lawrence Pillay, head of sourcing at Woolworths, says that at present 53% of the group's clothing purchases are procured from Southern Africa, which includes SA, Mauritius, Madagascar, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana. He says 29% of the group's purchases at cost are specifically sourced from SA.

He says the intention is to grow this, and the group has several initiatives in place to support local manufacturing by building capacity along the supply chain.

One major challenge is product availability. "Certain complex products are not easily available locally," he says. Another is the need to import most woven fabrics to make up the garments. The associated costs make local suppliers uncompetitive on certain products.

The key advantage to sourcing locally is speed and reaction time. "With retail becoming more nimble and quick in response to market trends, a local supply base allows us to react to changes in trends faster and provides better speed to market. This allows for better stock management," says Pillay. He adds that trading in rand with a local supplier also offers some protection from currency volatility.

Ironically, Zara can be credited with the much greater focus on speed and reaction time that has helped to push local sourcing. Zara's super-fast supply chain has been key to its dramatic global growth over the past 20 years, which forces competitors to copy it.

One of the most enthusiastic supporters of the local sourcing drive is Edcon CEO Bernie Brookes. A few weeks ago he hosted a trendy fashion show in the Johannesburg CBD designed to showcase young up-and-coming talent. It was a celebration of SA talent as well as of corporate SA's commitment to resuscitating the local industry.

Proudly SA was effusive in its praise. Guest speaker of the evening, small business development minister Lindiwe Zulu, may not have been quite as effusive, but was certainly warmly encouraging.

The benefit of local sourcing is proximity of suppliers - which, Brookes tells the Financial Mail, allows stock to arrive in stores faster - resulting in increased flexibility and quick response. Brookes says using local design centres that better understand the buying brief is a considerable advantage and helps Edcon to react quickly to shifts in product trends.

The challenges of local sourcing include lack of both production and fabric capacity. Brookes says the local production landscape is fragmented, with a strong reliance on "cut-make-trim" factories, and it's not always clear they have the capability to produce the required quality. Edcon is working on a number of projects aimed at developing local facilities.

Even Mr Price has come to the party and is making concerted efforts to improve the quality and volume of its local sourcing.

Over at H&M the tone is considerably less encouraging. Anna Velikova, communications manager for the local operation, confirms that representatives of the management team at four of its stores had received Sactwu's protest memorandum.

"We will look into it and respond accordingly," she says. On the issue of local sourcing, Velikova says H&M has started test production of garments in Africa.

"In Ethiopia we produce hand-beaded items, denims and basics." The group is continuously looking into production in countries around the world, Velikova says. "We see great potential in the retail market in Africa."

Zara might be an even tougher nut to crack. Inditex, the company that owns the Zara brand, says it has told Sactwu that its manufacturing capacity is not linked to the company's commercial presence.

"Inditex has stores in 94 markets. It concentrates most of its production in countries close to its Spanish headquarters: Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Turkey," Inditex says in an emailed response to queries.

It does do some sourcing from 50 other countries "depending on specific and differential skills and specialisation". Suppliers have to comply with the company's code of conduct and with demanding conditions in terms of quality and sustainability.

"Inditex has also transmitted to Sactwu its complete openness to receiving and considering any supplier that would be willing to be part of Inditex's supply chain," says the e-mail.

Sactwu is not persuaded. It says that until the recent protest action it was consistently fobbed off by Zara's SA office.

All that's on offer now is an explanation of how local factories can apply to be suppliers. Sactwu is looking for a more strategic commitment that Zara could work on with the local industry.

Without it, the pace of job losses in the local industry is likely to pick up.

Source: Financial Mail
The Constitutional Court this week handed down judgment in a matter that will be of interest to parties who contract with state-owned companies. On 27 September 2006, the State Information Technology Agency SOC Ltd ("SITA") entered into an agreement with Gijima Holdings (Pty) Ltd ("Gijima") in terms of which Gijima would provide information technology services ("IT services") to the South African Police Services ("SAPS agreement").

Pursuant to a dispute between the parties in relation to the SAPS agreement, the parties entered into a settlement agreement on 6 February 2012 in terms of which Gijima would render IT services to the Department of Defence (DoD agreement).

Gijima raised its concerns about the validity of the DoD agreement with SITA, but on more than one occasion SITA assured Gijima that the DoD agreement complied with its procurement processes. Gijima accordingly rendered IT services to the Department of Defence in terms of the DoD Agreement.

The DoD agreement was extended several times, but a payment dispute ultimately arose between the parties. This dispute went to arbitration. During the course of the arbitration, SITA pleaded that the DoD agreement was concluded in contravention of Section 217 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The arbitrator ruled that he did not have jurisdiction to determine this constitutional issue.

A subsequent application to the Pretoria High Court was brought by SITA to, inter alia, declare the DoD agreement constitutionally invalid.

In response, Gijima argued that the decision to award the DoD agreement to it constituted administrative action in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 3 of 2000 ("PAJA") and should SITA have wished to review its own decision in awarding the DoD agreement, it should have done so in strict compliance with PAJA, including Section 7, which affords a party 180 days in which to launch review proceedings.

It was SITA's contention that PAJA did not apply to organs of state wishing to review their own internal decisions.

The High Court dismissed SITA's application agreeing with Gijima.

On appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal, Gijima's claim was again dismissed on the basis that PAJA applied and SITA had not shown any good cause for launching its application outside of the time period prescribed in section 7 of PAJA with no explanation as to the cause and extent of the delay (some 22 months).

On appeal to the Constitutional Court, it was held that:

PAJA does not apply to an organ of state seeking to review its own decision. An organ of state must instead do so under the principle of legality as: an organ of state seeking to review its own decision cannot be a beneficiary of the rights afforded under Section 33 of the Constitution (being the right to administrative action that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair) as Section 33 of the Constitution creates the right to just administrative action to be enjoyed by private persons only, and that the State is the bearer of obligations under that section.

the DoD agreement is constitutionally invalid as it did not comply with section 217 of the Constitution;



SITA's delay of nearly 22 months before approaching the High Court to review the decision to award Gijima with the DoD agreement was inordinate and as a result there was no basis for the Constitutional Court to exercise a discretion to overlook the delay;



despite the finding that the DoD agreement was constitutionally invalid, it was in the interests of justice and equity for SITA to not benefit from having given Gijima false assurances regarding the validity of the DoD agreement and from its own undue delay in instituting proceedings. The declaration of constitutional invalidity of the DoD agreement did not have the effect of divesting Gijima of any rights to which, but for the declaration of invalidity, it would have been entitled.

Ultimately, it was the consideration of justice and equity that resulted in the Constitutional Court finding that despite the DoD agreement being constitutionally invalid, Gijima ought not to be divested of its accrued rights under the DoD agreement.

Baker McKenzie Johannesburg acted on behalf of Gijima Holdings.
Building up your personal brand is the most difficult and yet the most rewarding process for an entrepreneur. Right from conceptualising, to putting into action, every little step can be a giant leap for the brand value. Here is how you can build your own brand successfully.

Be available

The first and foremost thing about starting a business is to be always available. Opportunities dont knock on your door twice and if in one of these opportune moments you are offline or your phone is on silent, you might lose a huge chance forever!

Build contacts

Whether you are an aspiring actor or a new garment chain, contacts will take you places. Study the industry to find out how you can build better contacts and make sure you do ample homework beforehand. Get to know the important people and how you can reach out to them. Find out the places and occasions where it is easy to make contacts and charm your way into people.

Do your study well

It is important to study the industry, as well as the potential customers to know and understand what sells best or how you can reach out to them better. It is true that people are immensely attracted to discounts and free but creating a brand is much more beyond that.

Utilise social media

From eight to eighty-eight, no seems to be immune to the charm of social media and this is what you have to utilise the best in order to reach out. Create a niche for your brand using social media.

Dont engage in aggressive marketing

Nothing can be more off putting than aggressive marketing. Do not be that annoying person who keeps pushing people to buy products or services by constantly pestering them. You might simply end up in their blocked contact but thats not all. It might create such a negative image that they would rather spend more on an inferior brand than go for yours!

Organise well

It is important to be organised and have a transparent and easy system in place. Maintain lists and database to keep a track of all your contacts, clients, sales, supplies, services, payments etc. so that even in your absence anyone can hold the fort without having to rummage for every little thing. Take out some time every day to organise and maintain your records to avoid future discrepancies.

Dont fake it

In this era of connection, you will be surprised to know how fast information can travel. Just like word of the mouth can bring your business, it can also ruin your brand image completely. Therefore, it is important to be honest, ethical and genuine.

In todays connected world of the internet, this is especially true if you are selling big ticket items like cars or diamond rings. A customers review of your services can easily make or break your business.

Think about it, would a consumer trust you more if they read positive reviews and experiences of your business from other customers? Or would they rather risk getting ripped off from a business with bad reviews?

Hence, be authentic stick to having transparent business ethics in order to reach your goal!

Be dynamic

One of the most important things to remember is that you cant progress if you are satisfied. Therefore, once you have achieved a goal, move into the other. Have a vision of both short and long-term goals so that your brand value keeps increasing. Stagnancy can herald the end of profits and reputation; thus, it is important to keep it moving and dynamic every moment.

These little steps will go a long way in helping you establish a brand value for your business. With ethical business strategy and hard work, it is actually possible to create a successful personal brand quite fast.
NEW YORK, US: Journalists from Cameroon, Mexico, Thailand, and Yemen were honoured last week at the Committee to Protect Journalists' 27th annual International Press Freedom Awards for courageous work amid risks such as imprisonment, threats, and exile.

Christiane Amanpour.

The families of two recently murdered former International Press Freedom Awardees - Pavel Sheremet of Ukraine, and Javier Valdez Cardenas of Mexico - also attended the event. The crowd of nearly 1,000 stood to honour the two journalists and their loved ones following a video tribute to their work and to CPJs efforts to combat impunity.

All of us in this room lose sleep over the safety of those who work for us, or with us, in difficult and dangerous places, said David Rhodes, president of CBS News and chair of the awards dinner. Like all of the news organisations here tonight, we support journalists willing to take risks on behalf of their readers, listeners, and viewers - and their right and need to be informed.

The evenings host, chief international correspondent for CNN and CPJ board member, Christiane Amanpour, also reminded guests of the importance of American leadership on press freedom, saying, We need the US to be a beacon - a defender, not a destroyer, of First Amendment values everywhere. The brave journalists we honour tonight certainly think so. They have paid dearly, some with their lives or liberty, to report the news.

Thai reporter Pravit Rojanaphruk, who faces sedition charges for his critical reporting on Thailands junta, received his award from Financial Times US managing editor Gillian Tett. Veteran journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker presented an award in absentia to Ahmed Abba, a Cameroon correspondent for Radio France Internationale who has been imprisoned since 2015 on terrorism charges for his reporting.

Academy award-winning actor Meryl Streep presented Patricia Mayorga with her award. Mayorga, a correspondent for Mexicos Proseco and founder of the Free Journalism Network, was forced to flee Chihuahua state after death threats for her reporting on corruption and human rights. Miriam Elder, world editor at BuzzFeed News, presented the award to Afrah Nasser, an independent Yemeni blogger living in exile in Sweden.

Judy Woodruff, managing editor of PBS NewsHour, received the inaugural Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award for her work in advancing press freedom. Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC, and PBS, and is a founding co-chair of the International Women's Media Foundation. The award is named in honour of the late journalist and CPJ board member Gwen Ifill, who co-anchored PBS NewsHour with Woodruff.

I dedicate this award to all journalists across the land, who are determined to stay true to the facts, true to their mission, despite the efforts to silence or intimidate them, Woodruff said.

The event was held at the Grand Hyatt New York and included an appeal during the evening that was matched by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. I offer a special salute of thanks to our dinner chair, David Rhodes, president of CBS News, said Kathleen Carroll, chair of CPJ's board. David is an eloquent advocate for the cause that brings us together tonight. Under his leadership, we have so far raised over $1.9 million to help journalists in trouble.
Much like Claude Levi-Strauss, in whose footsteps she followed both at the College de France and as director of the Laboratoire danthropologie sociale, Francoise Heritier became an ethnologist thanks to a series of coincidences. This history and geography graduate nonetheless followed a traditional path. She was sent by Levi-Strauss to the Upper Volta region to conduct a study on the inhabitants of an area where the French West African government wanted to build a dam. Thus began what would be a 7-year field study in the tropics which had a lasting impact on theoretical approaches in anthropology. For Francoise Heritier, her fieldwork was the locus for the psychological change experienced by all ethnologists and a source to which she always allowed herself to be led, following Levi-Strausss suggestion. It was also extremely varied: her work ranged from the Bobo to the Mossi and the Dogon, before she settled with the Samo in Burkina Faso, a people with whom she is rightly associated.

The laws of the mind and the structure in things

Peeling away layer after layer of meaning in her dense Samo ethnographic data, F. Heritier identified the key topics she would work on for the rest of her life. These can best be summarised using the elegant labels she devised herself: the exercise of kinship, the differential valence of the sexes, the logic of fluids, and the buffers of thought.

Francoise Heritiers systematic, comparative thinking produced a profound renewal of the structural method. She always claimed her affiliation with this approach, which she defended like an impregnable fortress, and clearly demonstrated its extensive capacity to adapt to the different materials being analysed.

This renewal was grounded on the idea that structure is already present in things and particularly that, irrespective of time or place, human beings have always considered the body and its fluids to be the main foundation of their material and intellectual lives. This substantive perspective, which follows on from her mentors work, is the defining feature of F. Heritiers structuralism.

An initial point to be made is that the idea of structure being present in things might seem to be countered by the fact that these things simply reproduce the principles presiding over the workings of the mind, as established by Levi-Strauss: oppositions, correlations, synthesis, etc. Put differently, could it not be said that F. Heritier reduced the notion of structure to empirical reality? Does looking for structure in things mean abandoning the idea of studying their unconscious infrastructure? In order to fully explore these questions, it is inevitably to structuralism itself that we must turn.

First and foremost, it should be noted that the structural organisation posited by F. Heritier does not relate to the nature of the facts being observed.

Whether the topic at hand is kinship, the prohibition of incest or bodily fluids, their practical function does not imply a different logic from the logic at work in other objects  myths, for example, which we know are more thought than experienced. They are all subject to the same operations of the mind.

Next, it is important to underline that there is no contradiction between structure existing in things (in objecto, as it were) and in systems of representation (in intellectu). Adopting analytical procedures of a structural nature forces us, sometimes unconsciously, to link the two major aspects of social phenomena that, following Levi-Strauss, we tend to call the sensitive and the intelligible. F. Heritier has given many examples of this approach, confirming by the same token that while the premises of structuralism were first applied specifically in anthropology between the 1940s and 1960s, they have in fact always existed because they are inherent to all scientific processes: indeed, Levi-Strauss reminded us of this in a lecture about the Catalan poet Raymond Lulle in 2005.

Gerald Holton

One example of this pre-existing structure suffices to illustrate the point. No structural analysis of American-Indian myths using the canonical levi-straussian formula would have been possible had these myths not already been related to one another. When Levi-Strauss explained that he chose the Oedipal myth as the first example for his analysis due to the striking analogies that seem to exist between certain aspects of archaic Greek thought and that of the Pueblo Indians, [1] he was quick to point out that he was interpreting it according to the categories through which the American-Indians themselves conceived of their myths. If the field played such an important role for Levi-Strauss, it is once again important to ask where exactly the notion of structure is located and what it contains.

This is the key to understanding the innovative scope of F. Heritiers thinking. While Levi-Strauss spoke about structure, he remained largely focused on the formal aspects of social phenomena. F. Heritiers approach, however, frames the notion differently. She conceives of structure as present in things. For this reason, it is all the more abstract (perhaps even potential) because it is displayed by the elementary obvious facts of the cultures being observed; undividable facts relating to the biological order (the body) and the natural world (the regularities of the cosmos). For example, we cannot fail to take into account that parents come before children or that all human societies have devised ceremonies that celebrate the periodic renewal of time. This takes us back to the principle of structural analysis that consists in looking for the same kind of formal properties in different kinds of content.

F. Heritier looks for these formal properties in the antithetical dyads of universal value that Gerald Holton began to enumerate. [2] This path has not, however, led her back to the framework of a descriptive physiology such as that devised by the British structural-functional anthropologist Radcliffe-Brown. [3] To her mind, contrasts such as hot/cold/, dry/wet, superior/inferior do not come one after another, in a linear fashion. Instead, they can be classified according to the key conceptual opposition: identical/different. As such, they therefore make up systems of arbitrary representation and F. Heritier was the first to identify the underlying logic of these systems in different social spaces. As she explains,

with the same universal symbolic alphabet, rooted in this shared biological nature, each society devises singular cultural phrases that are specific to them. [4]

This approach points structural analysis in two complementary directions: the search for invariants and the composition of differences (which are inevitably similar!) within the same system of transformation. The abstract and the concrete are therefore closely intertwined because the progress of one can only be measured through the progress of the other. If it is true that, after Levi-Strauss, we can no longer confuse the notions of social structure and social relations as the latter consist of the raw materials out of which the models making up the social structure are built, [5] then it logically follows that social relations already have a structure and we can only broach it by building models (the true object of structural analysis). However, this is precisely where F. Heritier has brought about the most lasting progress in the discipline. By treating social facts as things, in Durkheims wake, she identified the structuring nature within kinship relations of the differential valence of the sexes and the mechanics of bodily fluids. This constant attention to structural phenomena has had remarkable consequences.

Circulation of fluids and kinship systems

Samo woman

First, by acting mutually upon each other, these two dimensions show that kinship choices are less about the necessity of exchange than about a concern with coherence in the circulation of fluids  within the body and between bodies  according to paths liable to ensure the construction of the social. Regarding the question of exchange, Francoise Heritiers recent discussions of ethnographic data (from Arab marriage to the matrilineal system of the Na in China) have confirmed the levi-straussian configurations involved (in particular, the atom of kinship and the role of the maternal uncle). However, this aside, her major results lie in two areas of the structural theory of kinship: analysis of terminological systems and, thanks to the use of IT, analysis of semi-complex structures of alliance.

F. Heritier substantialised terminological systems, as it were, by cross-referencing them with the fluids and the three fundamental elements of any kinship system: 1. The fact that parents come before children; 2. The need for an encounter between the two sexes to allow reproduction; 3. The impossibility of reversing the natural order of births. Among other contributions, F. Heritier showed that the combinatorics of these basic elements has a dual dimension: it is both historical (which gives them a certain flexibility) and timeless. This explains why it is useful not to try and identify all the combinations that have actually taken place but rather to understand why some of them  in kinship systems for example  remain only virtual. The comparison between terminological kinship systems confirms once again that structure already resides in things. Each system conveys a vision of the world, it tells us about relationships between sexes and generations and it does so through different combinations of the same basic biological elements.

F. Heritiers analyses of the semi-complex structures of alliance among the Samo of Burkina Faso made a decisive contribution to our understanding of how elementary structures work (those in which spouses are prescribed).

However, above all, they encouraged us to search for constants in complex structures (those where it is prohibited to marry individuals defined by their genealogical position). Today, we are in a position to make substantial progress in thinking about the modern Western marriage system, including in large towns and cities, by showing that there are regularities in spousal choices.

Running counter to the current tendency to set aside the theoretical tenets of the discipline  with the intention of making progress, but often resulting in a return to a pre-structural position (particularly one that is empirical and inductive)  F. Heritiers work on semi-complex structures of alliance have opened up long-lasting new perspectives in studies of kinship. This is evidenced, for example, by Philippe Descolas work [6] on the types of marriage found among the collective groups characteristic of the four schemes of identification that he theorised in Beyond Nature and Culture for relationships between humans and non-humans: while animism and totemism lie incontrovertibly on the side of elementary structures, analogism and naturalism relate rather to semi-complex and complex structures respectively.

The differential valence of the sexes

Claude Levi-Strauss

Another key lever of F. Heritiers anthropology is what she calls the differential valence of the sexes. This ties together the three founding pillars of Levi-Strausss social tripod  the prohibition of incest, the sexual division of labour and a recognised form of sexual union  and explains how they function. By positing the fact that sexual difference is at the foundation of all thinking, did Francoise Heritier uncover the naturalist illusion that human societies use, more or less consciously, to try and legitimate masculine domination? The question is a sensitive one and the stakes are high insofar as the primal observation of the irreducible difference of the sexes could give the impression of a unique and universal transcription, in a canonical form legitimating the relationship between the sexes, of facts that are considered as being of the natural order because they are the same for everyone. [7] From this perspective, the naturalist illusion is corroborated by systems of representation and their spontaneous nature is apparent in language  in popular notions of pregnancy and breastfeeding, but also in biologists conceptions which, still today, view life as the result of inert matter (the ovum) being fertilised by an active principle (sperm). However, in reality, by exploring how the differential valence of the sexes is displayed in different human societies, it becomes clear that there is no unique paradigm because, to use Francoise Heritiers words again:

the characteristics observed in the natural world are broken down and atomised into conceptual units and then pieced together again in syntagmatic associations that vary according to the society in question. [8]

This point is illustrated by the way the Samo conceive of sperm production, as deriving from the thick, sticky red-coloured substance contained in bones.

Another methodological point should be made here. While this reflection about the differential valence of the sexes, the body and its humours encourages us to turn to the life sciences, it nonetheless still confirms how fruitful the discoveries of structural linguistics are. F. Heritiers thought falls implicitly into the same line of thinking initiated by Joseph Bedier, who first discovered the existence of constants in the Fabliaux (a fixed, organic and unchanging part). This line of thinking was taken up by the formalism of Vladimir Propp and, finally, by Levi-Strausss structural analysis of myths: the latter marked a decisive turn precisely when it began to break down the narratives of myths into irreducible minimal units (mythemes) and to recompose them using the resources of the musical score.

Through Levi-Strausss structuralism, the linguistic model permeated a large part of contemporary anthropological thought and was also at the origin of Francoise Heritiers notion of the chain of associated concepts. Strictly speaking, this idea derives both from breaking things down into minimal units as mentioned above (something we all owe to Troubetzkoys notion of phoneme) and from the paradigmatic aspect to language (in particular the mnemonic group brought to light by Ferdinand de Saussure, [9]which resides in memory and can be activated at any time). It is because these chains of concepts intercommunicate by semantic contiguity (due to their paradigmatic association in the architecture of the mind) that they can be divided into segments, which then provide the primary matter that the anthropologist uses to build models. An illustrative example can be seen in the different ways in which the same elements are combined, worldwide, during New Years celebrations.

However, F. Heritier introduced an important methodological shift: she showed how the logic prevailing over how this invariant framework of thought functions makes it legitimate to compare groups that are not contiguous in space or in time (the Nuer and the Nambikwara, or Aristotles Greeks and Sicilians). Given that the concepts forming these chains are associated with particular series of possibilities of use, the following assertion is possible:

when a given possibility in a given conceptual series is actualised, this either prevents other associations or allows them to arise. [10]

In this sense, a prime example is afforded by linking Buddhist monks combustion in their asceticism, in order to attain the state of the blessed, with the combustion of alcoholic women in Europe and the United States in the 17th century: both relate to the same logic of the body consuming itself from the inside.

However, despite being rooted in the materiality of substances, symbolic logic does not lose the autonomy to which its universal nature testifies. The symbolic is very clearly one of the components making up the social fact. This is why it is so closely intertwined with the emergence and preservation of the incest prohibition. The differential valence of the sexes (and their identity) is structurally involved in the prohibition of two blood relations of the same sex sharing the same partner: this is the incest of the second type uncovered by F. Heritier. [11] By bringing the humours of the two blood relations directly into contact, their partner of the opposite sex transforms their nature-given consubstantiality, through an incestuous combining of the identical. By a logical reversal, this symbolic doubling of what is the same by what is other stands in correlation with the doubling of what is other in the self, and particularly to women creating male individuals.

Dogon country

The incest prohibition and symbolic transfer

The principle of equivalence between full siblings of the same sex ties in with the differential valence, as evidenced by the symbolic transfer of the prohibition of secondary incest in the most exemplary case: the two-sisters prohibition.

My point here is to underscore the importance of this symbolic transfer, which I have also emphasised in my own work on spiritual kinship. [12] More then prohibition itself, from a structural perspective, the relationship between one man and two sisters is mainly characterised by the fact that it is not neutral. When it is not simply rejected, combining the identical is either sought or subject to symbolic transfer, as evidenced by the American-Indian and European cases, as well as narratives from the Old Testament. F. Heritier highlighted, in other cultural zones, both the specific nature of the prohibition related to sexual relations between a man and two sisters and the impossibility of a man marrying his sister-in-law after divorcing his wife or after her death. From her perspective, edifying confirmation of this secondary incest can be found not only in the social mores of faraway worlds but also in European, and particularly French, legislation, which prohibited such marriages until 1914 and in canonical law, which used to require an exemption for such marriages (this was abolished in 1986). [13]

Samo Wikimedia

Another case  this time concerning combining the identical in the brother/brother pair  confirms the principle of equivalence between full siblings of the same sex and the possibility of transferring incest of the second type, while also paving the way for one of F. Heritiers more recent areas of inquiry, namely new reproductive technologies. The case in question is artificial insemination by a sperm donor. Contrary to the provisions of French law, which stipulate that donors should be entirely anonymous, sometimes couples bring along their donor, whereas theoretically he is only supposed to make a donation to the sperm bank. In the official regulations, there is clearly something that, while framed in terms of anonymity, relates to a rejection of incest: the fear of the bodily fluids of two blood relatives meeting in the same woman. However, it is also important to understand why some people refuse the idea of an anonymous donor and put forward their own. An unknown donor can be perceived as the dangerous trope of the total stranger. As F. Heritier has noted:

There are no societies in which marriage with a total stranger is a predominant, valued trope. Such marriages remain exceptional, even though they often appear fundamental including in Arab societies where the most valued marriage is marriage of close kin. [14]

On the contrary, from the perspective of popular wisdom, the best donor to replace a husband is someone who could actually have been that husband and father. This model of home-made artificial insemination is entirely coherent with incest of the second type: the fluids of the blood relative run no risk of meeting in the same womb because the husbands sperm is not supposed to have any active value. From a symbolic point of view, artificial insemination equates to taking the place of someone who is dead: the best donor is therefore a brother, first cousin or close friend of the husband, depending on the possibilities available. This logic connects these new technologies to more archaic solutions, for example in Southern Italy where, when a man was sterile, during certain pilgrimages a brother or friend would step into the breach in the shelter of a sanctuary. In a way, the two cases are very similar; on the one hand, the sacred outlook justified resolving problems of sterility in a collective orgiastic framework; on the other, centres for medically assisted reproduction establish an aseptic relationship removed from psychological involvement or physical intimacy. Whereas the normative institutional point of view distances us from the solutions devised in exotic societies or in our own past, popular conceptions in fact draw us closer to these, through new modes of reproduction and new forms of parenthood (from blended families to civil unions). [15]

The citizen anthropologist

Dogon, Mali Wikimedia

Anthropologys vocation of composing worlds also explains the quality of Francoise Heritiers political commitment. She views herself as a citizen anthropologist. [16] The notion of thought in movement, the title of one of her books, is very apt as it captures her ability to shift focus rapidly and surprise her interlocutors with her thought in action. The expression also reflects her ability to follow the movements of thought in order to understand how this thought is structured in things. It is therefore understandable that every time Francoise Heritier has become personally engaged in a societal cause  from violence to AIDS to the problems of research  she has viewed her political commitment through the lens of the discipline and made the cause in question an anthropological object. This allows her to approach these causes more efficiently, in both political and social terms, and reveals anthropologys true vocation, not just with regard to the other disciplines in the humanities but also in terms of its topics of analysis.

The true ethical dimension to anthropology consists precisely not in looking to ethnic groups to find systems of value that might provide new revelatory truths, but instead in drawing on the differential features of their cultures in order to go back to the founding principles of human identity. Like many of us, F. Heritier embarked on the intellectual adventure that is anthropology by chance, but she never left it. Her life and her lifes work testify to her intellectual courage and generosity, which have created challenges that the new generation will no doubt take up.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) will not be relocating to Dublin after it lost out to Paris by the narrowest of margins today.

As part of the negotiations associated with the UKs decision to withdraw from the EU it was deemed necessary for the EBA to relocate to an EU Member State from its current location in London prior to the UKs exit.

Dublin and Paris were tied with 13 votes each after the third round of voting at a meeting of the General Affairs Committee in Brussels earlier today.

The selection of Paris was then made by the drawing of lots.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said: I congratulate Paris on being chosen as the new seat of the European Banking Authority.

It is important that there is a smooth transition and successful relocation for the Authority, its staff and their families.

The EBA plays a vital role in the European system of Financial Supervision and it is essential that its work, which helps to protect consumers and contributes to the Unions financial stability, continues during the transition.

The Central Bank of Ireland is an active member of the EBA and will continue to work with the Authority to achieve high quality prudential regulation and supervision across the banking sector.

Earlier today, EU chiefs also decided to move the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London to Amsterdam after Brexit.

Announcing the decisions, Estonian deputy EU affairs minister Matti Maasikas said: "It was a tight competition, and we needed to draw a lot on both cases."

The two agencies are currently based in Canary Wharf in London, where they employ around 1,000 staff.
Yo! Sushi has launched an assault on the North American market by snapping up Canadian firm Bento Sushi in a 100 million Canadian dollar (66m) deal.

The takeover transforms the London-based restaurant group into one of the largest sushi brands outside of Japan, with the two firms recording combined sales of around 197m in the past year.

Bento is the biggest sushi company in Canada and the second largest in North America, operating from 600 restaurants and supplying 1,700 sites.

The deal was driven by Mayfair Equity Partners, an investment firm which backed a management buyout of Yo! Sushi in 2015 leading to the return of chief executive Robin Rowland.

On the deal, Mr Rowland said: "Weve successfully reinvigorated the business over the last two years to ensure the foundations are in place for long-term growth.

"This acquisition takes Yo! into the next stage of its development, and creates the first global multi-channel Japanese food purveyor.

"Bentos proposition and its management teams strong track record make it the ideal partner for Yo! as we look to further grow our brand."

Ontario-based Bento was founded by chairman Ken Valvur in 1996 and served up annual sales growth of 16% over the past three years.

As part of the deal, Mr Valvur and Bento chief executive Glenn Brown will join the Yo! Sushi board.

Mr Valvur said: "The combination of Yo! and Bento will further enhance our groups ability to be the partner of choice for grocery and institutional food service providers throughout our enlarged operating geography, and creates exciting opportunities for our valued team members on both sides of the Atlantic."

Yo! Sushi, which opened five more UK restaurants this year and has sales of around 80 million, saw like-for-like sales jump 5% over the past 18 months.

Daniel Sasaki, Mayfair managing partner, said: "Yo! has been an innovator since its founding, and the transaction with Bento is further evidence of its ability to evolve its model to become a multi-channel, multi-brand business with international scale.

"We look forward to supporting Yo! and Bento on this transformational next step as we build on the excellent momentum and progress made since our investment in 2015."
Northern Ireland cannot be used as a bargaining chip in Brexit negotiations, Arlene Foster has said.

The Democratic Unionist leader warned politicians in Brussels and Dublin that a deal that involved creating barriers between the North and the rest of the UK was unacceptable.

Mrs Foster's remarks came ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street tomorrow.

The DUP leader, whose party's confidence and supply arrangement with the Conservatives is keeping Mrs May in power at Westminster, will discuss Brexit and the ongoing powersharing crisis at Stormont during talks in London.

Gerry Adams will lead a Sinn Fein leadership delegation to No 10 for a separate meeting with Mrs May tomorrow morning.

Mrs Foster's comments on Brexit come amid calls from senior EU figures and the Dublin government for bespoke customs arrangements for Northern Ireland when the UK leaves the EU, to enable the free-flow of goods across the Irish border.

"Northern Ireland will exit the EU on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom," said the DUP leader.

"We will not countenance a border in the Irish Sea. I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment on this point.

"The GB market is not only critical for Northern Ireland but for the Republic of Ireland. We want to see a sensible arrangement that can work for all concerned. The democratic wishes of the British people must be implemented.

"Those in Dublin and Brussels, recklessly trying to use Northern Ireland for their own objectives, should cease. The Prime Minister should warn Brussels that Northern Ireland must not be used as blackmail."

Mrs Foster also rubbished any suggestion that Brexit could result in a return to violence in Northern Ireland.

On the powersharing impasse, she suggested Northern Ireland was edging toward a return to direct Westminster rule unless a deal with Sinn Fein could be reached.

"I want to see local ministers making decisions about Northern Ireland but we cannot continue without a ministerial-led government," she said.

Mrs Foster praised Northern Ireland Secretary Jame Brokenshire for intervening to impose a budget for the North's rudderless public services earlier this month.

"Further steps now look inevitable unless there is a change of direction," she said.
A man accused of murdering the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin last year is "inextricably linked" to the shooting, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Eamonn Cumberton (aged 30) of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 35-year old Michael Barr in the Sunset House pub in Dublins north inner city on April 25, 2016.

Dominic McGinn SC opened the prosecution case today.

He told the court that Mr Barr was the manager of the pub, where, on the day in question, he started working at 5:20pm.

The court heard that sometime between 8:30pm and 9:33pm, when the emergency services were called, two men wearing masks and boiler suits "burst" into the pub.

Mr McGinn said the evidence will be that the men "targeted" Mr Barr, shooting him multiple times in the head and neck.

The barrister said the court will hear that shortly after the shooting, three people were seen on nearby Walsh Road attempting to set fire to a silver Audi car.

The court heard the evidence will be that the gardai arrived, extinguished the fire before it had taken hold, and that items of relevance were found on the rear seat, including loaded and cocked firearms, masks, balaclavas and boiler suits.

Mr McGinn said that back at the Sunset House pub, the emergency services had arrived but were unable to assist Mr Barr, who was pronounced dead at 10:12pm.

He had been shot seven times, with five shots to the head and one each to the shoulder and neck, the court heard.

Mr McGinn said that ballistics evidence will show the shots had been fired from a firearm found in the Audi.

He further stated that on the day after the shooting Mr Cumberton and another man, neither carrying luggage, boarded a flight to Thailand.

Mr Cumberton was arrested on May 27, the court heard.

Mr McGinn said the court will hear evidence that analysis showed the accused man's DNA was consistent with a mixed profile found on a black baseball cap and rubber mask found in the Audi.

The barrister said the prosecution case is that Mr Cumberton is "inextricably linked to the items found in the Audi, themselves inextricably linked" to the shooting.

This evidence was to be seen in combination with the accused man's behaviour after the shooting, Mr McGinn added.

Bernard Condon SC, for the accused man, told the court that the defence will be challenging all of the prosecution's evidence.

The trial will therefore be heard in voir dire - or 'a trial within a trial' - in order for the judges to determine the admissibility of the evidence.

The trial was adjourned today in order for Mr Condon to consider additional evidence, and resumes tomorrow morning in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge James Faughnan.
A Garda who is out sick from work due to alleged bullying and racial abuse has launched a High Court challenge against a decision by the Garda Commissioner to reclassify his illness.

The action has been brought by Garda Deming Gao, a native of China who is a naturalised Irish citizen, who joined An Garda Siochana in 2008.

He has been stationed at Dun Laoghaire and Shankill Garda Stations, where his Counsel Mark Harty SC told the High Court today that Garda Goa has been allegedly subjected to "prolonged and persistent bullying, harassment and racial torment."

Counsel said GardaGao brought these incidents to the attention of his superiors, and had spoken with a welfare officer within An GardaSiochana

When his colleagues learned of this meeting, Garda Gao was allegedly branded a rat and the alleged mistreatment intensified, the court heard.

Garda Gao was allegedly avoided, shunned and isolated by other Gardai who refused to communicate in a courteous, professional and respectful manner.

In addition Garda Gaos religious beliefs ethnic background and personal and family values were allegedly ridiculed by a number of his colleagues.

He relocated to Shankill, but continued to experience alleged mistreatment from fellow members of An Garda Siochana, it is claimed.

Counsel said in November 2016, Garda Gao was subjected to a verbal attack by a Garda colleague.

He went to his doctor and was deemed unfit for work due to stress.

Garda Gao also attended for assessment at the Garda Occupational Health Service.

Garda Gaos injury was classified as as injury on duty, however in May 2017 he was informed in correspondence that the status of his injury had been changed to ordinary illness and backdated to the time he went out of work.

Correspondence from his employers stated that the initial classification was issued in error.

No other reason or explanation has been given to Garda Gao for the re classification.

The Garda Commissioner has also sought the repayment of monies alleged overpaid to Garda Gao.

While no breakdown of the alleged over payments have been furnished to Garda Gao the Commissioner has commenced deducting monies from the nominal payments to him, it is claimed.

Counsel said his client sought to appeal the reclassification, but was informed in a letter last month his sick leave remains classified as that of an ordinary illness.

Counsel said the Commissioner has "no legal basis" to reclassify the injury.

The decision is outside the powers of the Commissioner, and the reclassification was carried out without the views of his client, his medical advisors or the Gardas own chief medical officer being taken into account, Counsel added.

No adequate reasons have been given for the decision, Counsel added.

As a result of the reclassification Garda Gao and his young family have suffered financially.

He is in receipt of a nominal weekly payment and is struggling to make his financial obligations.

In his action against the Garda Commissioner Garda Gao seeks an order quashing the the decision to re classify his injury from being a work related injury to being ordinary illness, and that the original classification be restored.

He further seeks declarations that the re-classification of the injury was carried out in breach of natural or constitutional justice, and that the commissioner is not entitled to seek repayment of the alleged overpayment of wages to the Garda,

Permission to bring the challenge was granted on an ex-parte basis by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan.

The case will come back before the court next month.
A man was caught with nearly 5,000 worth of cannabis when a garda stopped him for not wearing his seat belt, a court has heard.

Judge Martin Nolan told Joseph Smith (27) you should wear your seat belt before suspending a prison sentence of three years.

Smith, of Beverly Crescent, Knocklyon, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on March 23, 2016.

Garda Alan Murray told the court that he was on mobile patrol when he spotted Smith driving a black BMW without his seatbelt on.

He followed the car up to Beverly Crescent where it stopped. He told Smith he had seen him driving without his seatbelt on but Smith initially denied this.

Gda Murray then asked to see his licence and insurance policy and Smith went into his house to get these. The garda then spotted a holdall in the front passenger footwell of the car and saw a clear bag of cannabis herb sticking out on top of this.

When Smith came back the garda seized the holdall and found three bags of cannabis and an electronic weighing scales. The drugs had an estimated street value of 4,760. Smith told the gardai: Im holding it for a few hours. Its not mine. 100 per cent.

Defending him, Sarah Jane OCallaghan BL, said that this was a particularly unlucky day for her client.

She said at the time he had built up a drug debt of 3,000 because of a cocaine addiction.

Counsel said he was now drug free. She said the day of the offence turned out to be the best day of her clients life because he had since turned his life around.

Judge Nolan said he could accept it was unlikely that Smith would re-offend in this way and that he wouldnt be justified in imprisoning him immediately.

He suspended the sentence for three years on condition that Smith be of good behaviour for that period.
Pamela Anderson has written to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar asking him to "pull up his stylish socks" and ban fur farming in Ireland.

It follows the decision to ban the use of wild animals in circuses here in the new year.

The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed signed the regulation earlier this month, saying there was widespread public support for the move, which applies to wild animals such as camels and tigers.

Today Ms Anderson, a long-time animal rights advocate sent a letter on behalf of PETA to the Taoiseach urging him to ban fur farming here.

She said that she hopes Ireland can now follow the lead of the North and Britain in outlawing fur farming.

PETA claims Ireland has three fur farms.

Anderson, who previously offered to have a drink with former Taoiseach Enda Kenny if a ban was put in place, wrote: "I was thrilled to hear the news from my friends at PETA that Ireland will ban wild-animal circuses.

"While I celebrate this victory and look forward to raising a glass of Guinness with your predecessor the next time I'm in town, I'm now looking to celebrate with you what I very much hope will be the next victory for animals: an end to fur farming in Ireland."

"I can't think of anyone more capable of creating history once again than you, Ireland's youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

"Please, would you pull up those stylish socks of yours and announce a ban on fur farming in Ireland? I greatly look forward to clinking glasses with you when that happens."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the housing crisis will only be solved bit-by-bit.

He launched the foundation stone for 84 new social homes in Clongriffin in Dublin earlier today.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Varadkar reiterated that solving the current problem will take time.

I unveiled a foundation stone earlier at the site of 85 new social housing units in Clongriffin. pic.twitter.com/xeQzaAhBI1  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 20, 2017

"You mentioned there being only 85 here, but this is how it's done," he said.

"We had a jobs crisis four or five years ago, and I was never at the announcement of 200,00 jobs - I was at the announcement of 50 jobs, 100 jobs and 150 jobs.

"And this is how it's done, at sites all around the country."

Earlier today, figures released by South Dublin County Council showed a record number of homeless people are living in emergency accommodation in that area.

Some 459 households were in emergency accommodation at the end of last month.

Sinn Fein's Housing Spokesperson Eoin O'Broin described the statistics as "alarming".

"What it's also telling us is the number of people who are presenting as homeless is significantly higher - 730 households presented as homeless this year," he said.

"Some of those presented once, for the first time, others presented and had to present repeatedly throughout the month, which is a very worrying trend."
An adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is time for Turkey to review its membership in the Nato military alliance, according to Turkish media reports.

Yalcin Topcus comments, reported by Cumhuriyet and other media on Monday, came days after Turkey withdrew some 40 troops from a Nato drill in Norway after the countrys founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Mr Erdogan himself were depicted as enemies.
Authorities in the US have captured a six-foot crocodile that came ashore on a Florida beach.

News outlets reported that wildlife officers caught the large reptile on Monday afternoon on Hollywood Beach.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to maintain stability after the Free Democratic Party pulled out of talks on forming a new government with her conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens, raising the possibility of new elections.

Ms Merkel told reporters that the parties had been close to reaching a consensus on how to proceed with formal coalition talks but that the Free Democrats decided abruptly to pull out just before midnight on Sunday - a move she said she respected, but found "regrettable".

She said she would consult with Germany's president later in the day to brief him on the negotiations and discuss what comes next.

Without bringing the Free Democrats back to the table, Ms Merkel will be forced to try to continue her current governing coalition with the Social Democrats, although that centre-left party has said it will not do so, or she could try to form a minority government, which was seen as unlikely. Otherwise Germany will have to hold new elections.

"It is at least a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany," Ms Merkel said. "But I will do everything possible to ensure that this country will be well led through these difficult weeks."

Ms Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and sister Bavaria-only Christian Social Union, the pro-business Free Democrats and the left-leaning Greens had already blown past Ms Merkel's own deadline of Thursday to agree on a basis for opening formal negotiations on a coalition of all four parties, a configuration that has never been tried at a national level in Germany.

Key sticking points were the issues of migration and climate change.

Among other things the Greens were pushing for Germany to end its use of coal and combustion engines by 2030, though they had signaled they were open to some compromise.

The other parties are also committed to reducing carbon emissions, but Ms Merkel's bloc had not put a date on when to phase out coal. The Free Democrats also expressed concern about what the moves would mean for jobs and Germany's economic competitiveness.

On migration, the Christian Social Union wanted an annual cap on refugees, while the Greens sought to allow more categories of recent migrants to bring their closest relatives to join them.

Ms Merkel said that "we thought we were on a path where we could have reached agreement", when the Free Democrats decided to pull out.

Free Democrat leader Christian Lindner told reporters that his party decided to withdraw rather than further compromise its principles and sign on to policies the party was not convinced of.

"It is better not to govern, than to govern falsely," he said.

Greens politician Reinhard Buetikofer criticised Mr Lindner's decision, saying on Twitter that the Free Democrat had chosen "a kind of populist agitation instead of governmental responsibility".

Looking ahead, if it comes to a new election, polls currently suggest it would produce a very similar parliament to the current one, which would make efforts to form a new government similarly difficult.

Though Ms Merkel could also abandon the Free Democrats and the Greens and instead form a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats, her current partners in the outgoing government, the Social Democrats have been adamant about going into opposition following its disastrous result in the September 24 election.

Party leader Martin Schulz as recently as Sunday again ruled out the possibility of pairing up with Ms Merkel's bloc to form a new government.

AP
Update - 8.02am: The sister of Charles Manson's victim Sharon Tate said a prayer for his "soul" after she was told of the notorious cult leader's death at the age of 83 yesterday.

Debra Tate, whose pregnant sister was among those killed by the Manson Family cult, told US broadcaster CBS that she was called shortly after his death by the prison where he had been incarcerated.

She said she was still processing the news, but added she had "said a prayer for Manson's soul and has forgiven the family but refuses to forget what they did".

Newspapers restarted the presses to update their front pages, with The New York Post's reading: "Evil dead: Make room, Satan, Charles Manson is finally going to hell."

"Burn in hell," splashed the New York Daily News on the death of the "bloodthirsty cult leader".

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of Manson victim Jay Sebring, said his death brought "no joy or comfort".

He told US magazine People: "For years our family's involvement in the parole hearings has had nothing to do with anger or hatred towards the inmates. We go out of love to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. For justice.

"So today we derive no joy or comfort from the passing of Mr Manson. Nor is there closure because nothing will bring back Jay, or any of the victims sent to their graves 48 years ago. For us, our hearts and thoughts are with them."

Michele Hanisee, president of Los Angeles' Association of Deputy District Attorneys, said: "Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death."

But she also highlighted the words of the late Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Manson and described him as "an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values".

Earlier: Charles Manson, whose cult killings horrified the world, dies aged 83

Cult leader Charles Manson, whose followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, has died. He was 83.

A spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections said Manson died of natural causes on Sunday night.

The gory slayings horrified the world and revealed a violent underbelly of a counterculture that preached peace and love.

The killings occurred on successive August nights and terrorised the city of Los Angeles.

Tate, who was nearly nine months pregnant, was found stabbed repeatedly in her Hollywood mansion, along with several of her friends. Other victims included coffee heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring.

The next night a wealthy couple was killed in a similar fashion.

Investigators learned Manson sent a group of disaffected young followers to commit murder as part of a twisted, quasi-religious belief that it would launch a race war.

AP
Argentina's navy has said it is analysing a noise that might have come from a missing submarine with 44 crew members on board.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said a US aircraft was sent to check an area where the noise was heard by two Argentine Navy ships.
A senior Syrian opposition leader has quit his post, a week before a new round of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.

Riyad Hijab said in a statement that he is stepping down as head of the Syrian oppositions High Negotiations Committee after two years in the post.

Hijab, a former prime minister under president Bashar Assad, did not give a reason for his decision but referred in the statement to attempts by foreign powers to carve up Syria into zones of influence "through side deals made without consulting the Syrian people," a reference to Russian-led ceasefire talks.

Hijabs resignation comes as preparations are underway to host a two-day Syrian opposition conference in Saudi Arabia starting on Wednesday, ahead of the Geneva talks scheduled for November 28.

The resignation also comes amid intense violence in Damascus suburbs and the capital, which continued for days despite a truce brokered between the government and armed rebels by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The week-long fighting has claimed dozens of lives, as government forces conducted air strikes and shelling on the besieged eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus.

Rebels responded with shells, and a group of insurgents attacked a military base.

People inspecting damage from airstrikes hit in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus on November 17. Pic: Ghouta Media Center via AP

Today, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory and the Ghouta Media Centre said they documented the death of a woman and four children in Kfar Batna village in the rebel-held eastern suburb.

Eastern Ghouta suburbs have been largely under a tight blockade by pro-government forces, despite the August "de-escalation" agreement that was supposed to allow in humanitarian aid.

The UN estimates there are around 350,000 people trapped by the blockade. The recent fighting has killed at least 87 civilians in the suburbs, according to the Observatory.

Also today, the state news agency Sana said two Judo players were killed and more than 12 other players were injured, some critically, when a rebel-fired mortar round hit a sports hall where they were training in Damascus.

The agency earlier reported six people were killed, including a child, when shells hit two Damascus neighbourhoods.

AP
Theresa May and key Cabinet ministers who oversee Brexit negotiations are expected to discuss Britain's offer to the European Union for the so-called "divorce bill" Brussels insists is needed to unlock trade talks.

The Cabinet Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee will meet on Monday after Chancellor Philip Hammond said Britain will make proposals to the EU in the next three-and-a-half weeks on the settlement of outstanding financial commitments.

European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of next month for Britain to make further movement on the divorce bill and Irish border for EU leaders at the December 14-15 European Council summit to declare "sufficient progress" has been made on withdrawal issues for talks on a future trade relationship to begin.

Downing Street refused to discuss the agenda for Monday's meeting or reports that the sub-committee could agree an offer. But it is understood that some ministers think the divorce bill is likely to be discussed.

On Sunday, Mr Hammond told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "We are now I think on the brink of making some serious movement forward in our negotiations with the European Union, and starting to unblock that logjam so that people can start to see clarity about the future."

Reports, dismissed as speculation by Number 10, have suggested Mrs May could be prepared to offer a further 20bn (22bn) in payments, which would bring the total sum Britain is prepared to pay to settle its liabilities to around 38bn (42bn) - well short of the 60bn (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

Mr Hammond said he was sure the UK would bring forward proposals in time for the December summit, making clear that the Government wants to agree soon a post-Brexit implementation period to allow businesses time to transition to new trading terms.

"The Prime Minister is clear that we will meet our obligations to the European Union and as you know, we want to make progress in the discussions at the December Council at the European Union and the Europeans have asked us for more clarity on what we mean by meeting our obligations," Mr Hammond said.

"We will make our proposals to the European Union in time for the Council, I am sure about that."

Mr Hammond promised Britain would honour its debts but also "negotiate hard" on the various aspects of the financial settlement.

He underlined the urgent need to secure a post-Brexit implementation period in the next few months, acknowledging it is a "wasting asset" that will have less value the later it is agreed.

The Chancellor said it would be "much less useful" in a year's time as businesses will have started making alternative arrangements and Government agencies will have begun putting in place contingency plans ahead of the expected Brexit date on March 29 2019.

"It is a wasting asset and that's why it's in everybody's interest that we get the implementation agreement as soon as possible," he said.

Conservative former minister Robert Halfon said the public would go "bananas" if the UK offered 40bn (44bn) to 50bn (56bn) at a time of constraints on public spending.

He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "If we start saying that we're going to give 40 to 50 billion to the EU I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare.

"I voted Remain because I believe in alliances of democracies in an uncertain world, but we voted to leave, the public want to leave, and I cannot believe that the public would accept such a huge amount when we need money for our schools, our hospitals, our housing and many other things."

Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg urged the Government not to fall into a "trap" on the divorce bill.

"They need our money," he told BBC Sunday Politics.

"If we don't pay any money for the final 21 months of the multi-annual financial framework, the EU has about 20bn (22bn) - 18-20bn (20-22bn) gap in its finances.

"It has no legal authority to borrow. And that means either it's insolvent, or the Germans and others have to pay more. Or possibly some receive less. So our negotiating position on money is very strong."

The ministers who make up the subcommittee that will meet on Monday are: Mrs May, Mr Hammond, First Secretary of State Damian Green, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Business Secretary Greg Clark, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.
At least two people have died in opposition protests in Kenya after the countrys Supreme Court upheld President Uhuru Kenyattas win in last months repeat election.

Police chief Enoch Maloba confirmed that one protester was shot dead by anti-riot police in the Kibra area of the capital, Nairobi.

And in western Kenya, Migori county police chief Joseph Nthenge said one person was shot dead by anti-riot police who were battling with protesters blocking a road.

Mr Kenyatta has not commented publicly on the court decision.

The Supreme Court endorsed Mr Kenyattas re-election in a repeat vote that the opposition boycotted while saying electoral reforms had not been made.

The decision appeared to put an end to a months-long political drama never seen in Africa that has left dozens dead.

The court dismissed challenges by human rights activists and a politician who argued that last months election was not conducted according to the law.

The court in September nullified the August presidential election over irregularities and ordered a new vote held last month.

It was the first time a court in Africa has overturned a presidential election.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose legal challenge led to the nullification, then boycotted the repeat election and rejected Mr Kenyattas overwhelming win.

In some opposition strongholds, the repeat vote could not be carried out amid unrest.

Mr Odinga is now asking for international intervention as violent protests continue.

Kenya "was being pushed to the precipice", he said on Sunday.

Dozens of people have been killed in clashes since the August vote, which kicked off months of uncertainty in East Africas economic hub.

With this weekends death toll nearly 100 people have died in the political unrest, the majority opposition demonstrators shot by police during protests.

There had been concerns about intimidation of the justices, who failed to muster a quorum to decide on a last-minute petition that sought to postpone last months election.

One justices bodyguard was shot and seriously wounded hours before the expected judgment.
Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after masterminding the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, has died after nearly a half-century in prison.

He was 83.

Manson died on Sunday night of natural causes at a California hospital while serving a life sentence, his name synonymous to this day with unspeakable violence and depravity.

Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, reacted to the death by quoting the late Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor who put Manson behind bars.

Mr Bugliosi said: "Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values."

"Today, Mansons victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death," Ms Hanisee said.

#RIP to the victims of Charles Manson. They are the people we should be remembering today. pic.twitter.com/f0XhJd4XbW  Sandy Quadros Bowles (@SQBthatsme) November 20, 2017

A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of LAs rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war, an idea he said he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song Helter Skelter.

The deaths horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at Californias Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty.

"These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didnt teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

Linda Deutsch, the longtime courts reporter for The Associated Press who covered the Manson case, said he "left a legacy of evil and hate and murder".

"He was able to take young people who were impressionable and convince them he had the answer to everything and he turned them into killers," she said.

"It was beyond anything we had ever seen before in this country."

California Corrections Department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said it has yet to be determined what happens to Mansons body.

It was also unclear if Manson requested funeral services of any sort.

Prison officials previously said Manson had no known next of kin, and state law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, then it is up to the department to determine whether the body is cremated or buried.

The Manson Family, as his followers were called, slaughtered five victims on August 9 1969, at Tates home: the actress, who was eight and a half months pregnant, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish movie director Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the estates caretaker.

Tates husband, Rosemarys Baby director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time.

The next night, a wealthy grocer and his wife, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were stabbed to death in their home across town.

The killers scrawled such phrases as Pigs and a misspelled Healter Skelter in blood at the crime scenes.

Manson was arrested three months later.

Sharon Tate would be 74 years old.

Her child would be 48.

J. Sebring, 84

W. Frykowski, 81

A. Folger, 74

S. Parent, 66

Forget Charles Manson pic.twitter.com/GPwE2iKS0I  T. Blake Braddy  (@blakebraddy) November 20, 2017

In the annals of American crime, he became the personification of evil, a short, shaggy-haired, bearded figure with a demonic stare and an X, later turned into a swastika, carved into his forehead.

"Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the 60s ended abruptly on August 9 1969," author Joan Didion wrote in her 1979 book The White Album.

After a trial that lasted nearly a year, Manson and three followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

Another defendant, Charles "Tex" Watson, was convicted later.

All were spared execution and given life sentences after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

Atkins died behind bars in 2009.

Krenwinkel, Van Houten and Watson remain in prison.

Another Manson devotee, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, but her gun jammed.

She served 34 years in prison.

Manson was born in Cincinnati on November 12, 1934, to a teenager, possibly a prostitute, and was in reform school by the time he was eight.

After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, Manson was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him because he considered prison home.

"My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system," he would later say in a monologue on the witness stand.

"I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you."

He was set free in San Francisco during the heyday of the hippie movement in the citys Haight-Ashbury section, and though he was in his mid-30s by then, he began collecting followers, mostly women, who likened him to Jesus Christ.

Most were teenagers; many came from good homes but were at odds with their parents.

The "family" eventually established a commune-like base at the Spahn Ranch, a ramshackle former movie location outside Los Angeles, where Manson manipulated his followers with drugs, oversaw orgies and subjected them to bizarre lectures.

He had musical ambitions and befriended rock stars, including Beach Boy Dennis Wilson.

He also met Terry Melcher, a music producer who had lived in the same house that Polanski and Tate later rented.

By the summer of 1969, Manson had failed to sell his songs, and the rejection was later seen as a trigger for the violence.

He complained that Wilson took a Manson song called Cease To Exist, revised it into Never Learn Not To Love and recorded it with the Beach Boys without giving Manson credit.

Manson was obsessed with Beatles music, particularly Piggies and Helter Skelter, a hard-rocking song that he interpreted as forecasting the end of the world.

He told his followers that "Helter Skelter is coming down" and predicted a race war would destroy the planet.

"Everybody attached themselves to us, whether it was our fault or not," the Beatles George Harrison, who wrote Piggies, later said of the murders.

"It was upsetting to be associated with something so sleazy as Charles Manson."

According to evidence, Manson sent his devotees out on the night of Tates murder with instructions to "do something witchy".

The states star witness, Linda Kasabian, who was granted immunity, testified that Manson tied up the LaBiancas, then ordered his followers to kill.

But Manson insisted: "I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed."

His trial was nearly scuttled when President Richard Nixon said Manson was "guilty, directly or indirectly".

Manson grabbed a newspaper and held up the front-page headline for jurors to read: Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares.

Lawyers demanded a mistrial but were turned down.

From then on, jurors, sequestered at a hotel for 10 months, travelled to and from the courtroom in buses with blacked-out windows so they could not read the headlines on newsstands.

Manson was also later convicted of the deaths of a musician and a stuntman.

Charles Manson in 2009 and 1970

Over the decades, Manson and his followers appeared sporadically at parole hearings, where their bids for freedom were repeatedly rejected.

The women suggested they had been rehabilitated, but Manson himself stopped attending, saying prison had become his home.

The killings inspired movies and TV shows, and Mr Bugliosi, the prosecutor, wrote a best-selling book about the murders, Helter Skelter.

The macabre rock star Marilyn Manson borrowed part of his stage name from the killer.

"The Manson case, to this day, remains one of the most chilling in crime history," veteran crime reporter Theo Wilson wrote in her 1998 memoir, Headline Justice: Inside The Courtroom - The Countrys Most Controversial Trials.

Even people who were not yet born when the murders took place know the name Charles Manson, and shudder."
A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making false statements on firearm purchase forms, criminal conspiracy to make false statements on firearm purchase forms and selling or transferring...
The wait for the next annual Arrow-verse crossover is nearly over. The tradition, which started with The Flash season 1 and Arrow season 3, has now grown to include all four superhero shows on The CW. The event, titled Crisis on Earth-X, promises to be biggest crossover yet and will truly incorporate all four shows and their casts. The CW has recently released a full-length trailer for the event and it looks to capitalize on the promise of every previous crossover.

Supergirl Episode 3.8 Crossover Photos: Will Barry and Iris Finally Get Married?>>>

As was previously reported, the crossover will see the heroes of all four shows join together across timelines and universes for the wedding of The Flashs Barry Allen and Iris West. The wedding is heavily featured in the first part of the trailer. Iris can be seen bonding with the female characters, including Supergirls Kara and Alex Danvers, while Barry confers with Arrows Oliver Queen. While it appears that Joe West will be Barrys best man, the trailer makes clear that Oliver is a part of the wedding party and has quite a bit of support for The Flash.

While the trailer starts off on very happy notes, things quickly turn towards action. Barry and Iris wedding is promptly broken up the arrival of the villains of the crossover, Nazis. Quickly all the heroes unite in their mutual distaste for the Nazi invaders but it turns out that the baddies are a little closer to home than they might realize.

DCs greatest heroes unite in the 2-night crossover event, #CrisisOnEarthX, starting next Monday at 8/7c on The CW. pic.twitter.com/hWdldahmDP  Arrow (@CW_Arrow) November 20, 2017

The trailer explains that the villains of the crossover come from the mysterious 53rd world of the multiverse, Earth-X. Its home to a group of characters who are the reverse of the Arrow-verses heroes. While glimpses of an evil Flash and Green Arrow can be seen, the trailer is primarily concerned with the evil Supergirl, still played by Melissa Benoist, who will be going by the name Overgirl.

It appears that if Crisis on Earth-X has a main villain it will be Overgirl, which makes sense since Supergirl is the most powerful hero and should be the most threatening villain.

5 Reasons The Thinker Is a Bold New Direction for The Flash>>>

Once Overgirl is unveiled, the trailer lays on the grimness thick. It appears at one point that Jefferson Jackson, one half of Firestorm, is shot as he slumps, nearly lifeless. Hes not alone, though, as Rene Ramirez AKA Wild Dog is later seen being carried lifeless and most of the cast is glimpsed under threat from a firing squad.

Yet there are still plenty of triumphant moments for the heroes as well. The trailer shows Oliver Queen back in action, suiting up as Green Arrow. Noticeably, David Ramsey, who plays Diggle and has been taking over the mantle of Green Arrow in Arrow season 6, is almost entirely missing from the crossover.

Most interestingly, Wentworth Miller, who has played Captain Cold, is heavily featured. Miller will be playing a new version of Leonard Snart for the crossover, named Citizen Cold. While this Snart is different, it appears he still has some of the previous iterations snark and disposition, briefly showing off a flirtation with Sara Lance.

Are you ready for the crossover? Do you think this will be the most exciting event yet? How do you feel about the heroes fighting evil versions of themselves? Are the dangerous looks at Jax and Rene in trouble just misdirection?

Crisis on Earth-X will begin on Monday, November 27 with Supergirl at 8/7c, followed directly by Arrow at 9/8c before wrapping up on Tuesday, November 28 with The Flash at 8/7c and Legends of Tomorrow at 9/8c on The CW.

Want more news? Like our Arrow Facebook page!

(Image courtesy of The CW)




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Study: Non-fearful social withdrawal linked positively to creativity

UB research suggests that not all forms of social withdrawal are unhealthy

Over the years, unsociability has been characterized as a relatively benign form of social withdrawal. But, with the new findings linking it to creativity, we think unsociability may be better characterized as a potentially beneficial form of social withdrawal.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Everyone needs an occasional break from the social ramble, though spending too much time alone can be unhealthy and there is growing evidence that the psychosocial effects of too much solitude can last a lifetime.

But newly published research by a University at Buffalo psychologist suggests that not all forms of social withdrawal are detrimental.

In fact, the research findings published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences suggest that one form of social withdrawal, referred to as unsociability, is not only unrelated to negative outcomes, but linked positively to creativity.

Motivation matters, says Julie Bowker, an associate professor in UBs Department of Psychology and lead author of the study, which is the first study of social withdrawal to include a positive outcome.

We have to understand why someone is withdrawing to understand the associated risks and benefits, she says.

Bowkers study results are reminiscent of realities that surface in literature, from Thoreaus retreat to Walden to Thomas Mertons work as a cloistered monk, but for all the conversation and examples about the benefits of withdrawing to nature or reconnecting to the self, the pursuit has remained something that hasnt been well investigated in the psychological literature, according to Bowker.

Until now.

When people think about the costs associated with social withdrawal, often times they adopt a developmental perspective, she says. During childhood and adolescence, the idea is that if youre removing yourself too much from your peers, then youre missing out on positive interactions like receiving social support, developing social skills and other benefits of interacting with your peers.

This may be why there has been such an emphasis on the negative effects of avoiding and withdrawing from peers.

But, in recent years, Bowker says there is growing recognition for the different reasons why youth withdraw from and avoid peers, and that the risk associated with withdrawal depends on the underlying reason or motivation.

Some people withdraw out of fear or anxiety. This type of social withdrawal is associated with shyness. Others appear to withdraw because they dislike social interaction. They are considered socially avoidant.

But some people withdraw due to non-fearful preferences for solitude. These individuals enjoy spending time alone, reading or working on their computers. They are unsociable. Unlike shyness and avoidance, research consistently shows that unsociability is unrelated to negative outcomes. But, Bowkers study is the first to link it to a positive outcome, creativity.

Although unsociable youth spend more time alone than with others, we know that they spend some time with peers. They are not antisocial. They dont initiate interaction, but also dont appear to turn down social invitations from peers. Therefore, they may get just enough peer interaction so that when they are alone, they are able to enjoy that solitude. Theyre able to think creatively and develop new ideas  like an artist in a studio or the academic in his or her office, says Bowker.

In the study, shyness and avoidance were related negatively to creativity. Bowker thinks that shy and avoidant individuals may be unable to use their solitude time happily and productively, maybe because they are distracted by their negative cognitions and fears

For the study, 295 participants reported on their different motivations for social withdrawal. Other self-report measures assessed creativity, anxiety sensitivity, depressive symptoms, aggression, and the behavioral approach system (BAS), which regulates approach behaviors and desires, and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), which regulates avoidant behaviors and desires.

Bowker says there is some overlap in the types of social withdrawal. Someone might be high in shyness, but also have some tendency toward unsociability. But, the results from her study show that when the research controls for all the subtypes, the three types of social withdrawal are related differently to outcomes. Not only was unsociability related positively to creativity, but the study findings also showed other unique associations, such as a positive link between shyness and anxiety sensitivity.

Over the years, unsociability has been characterized as a relatively benign form of social withdrawal. But, with the new findings linking it to creativity, we think unsociability may be better characterized as a potentially beneficial form of social withdrawal.
Former employees of Britannia Industries and the company have settled an over decade-long dispute pertaining to pension, paving the way for release of dues estimated to be in the region of Rs 40 crore. The pensioners, who were nearly 300 in number originally, had been fighting the biscuit major since March 2003 for their dues. 50 have died since.
Share prices of cement fell sharply on Monday, on Friday's order of the Supreme Court reiterating the ban on use of petcoke in Delhi and the rest of the National Capital Region, to control pollution. The SC has clarified that the ban is applicable across Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, too.
Women-led start-ups find it difficult to get funded, say scientists who found that men prefer to invest in run by other males, creating a bottleneck that keeps ladies out of the ranks of tech entrepreneurs.

According to the researchers from University of California, San Diego in the US, men make up 90 per cent of venture capitalists. This creates a "chicken and egg" situation faced by women entrepreneurs.

Since female-led start-ups face tougher funding prospects than male-led start-ups, fewer women enter the tech entrepreneur pipeline that ultimately feeds the ranks of venture capitalists, according to the study.

"Women are treated differently than their male counterparts. They receive less interest and, in the end, less funding from male investors," said Michael Ewens, professor at California Institute of Technology in the US.

To reach that conclusion, researchers analysed data from 2010 to 2015 on the fates of nearly 18,000 start-ups with profiles on AngelList, a website that connects start-up with investors.

Data collected by the site showed how much interest were garnering from investors as well as the gender of the founders and interested investors.

Researchers combined those data with other information they collected about whether the start-ups ultimately found funding, failed, went public, or were purchased by another company.

They found that male-led companies were almost twice as likely to receive funding from male investors than were female-led companies.

Male-led companies also had a higher chance of being asked to meet with a male investor and of being "shared" from AngelList onto other platforms like Facebook or Twitter by a male investor.

Among the start-ups seeking funding on AngelList, 16 per cent were founded by women. However, researchers found that female-founded companies only made up 13.5 per cent of companies that had success finding funding on the platform.

One possibility is that start-ups founded and led by women have undesirable characteristics that investors are responding to that were not obvious to the researchers.

If this were the case, potential investors of both genders would have good reason to prefer companies founded by men, researchers said.

However, the data revealed that women-founded companies were less desirable only to male investors. Female investors actually slightly preferred women-founded companies, suggesting that the women-founded companies did not have uniquely undesirable characteristics.

Researchers also found that the worst performers were in fact male-founded start-ups that paired with male investors. Female-female, male-female, and female-male pairs all performed better.

(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.)
Prospective investors for may have to factor in the Naxal violence which has cost the company quite a bit in the past.

Essar Steel, promoted by the Ruias, was among 12 recommended by the Reserve Bank of India for insolvency under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. A number of including Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal have evinced interest in .
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Reliance Industries, the most profitable company as also the largest borrower, has hit the overseas debt market with a $800-million bond sale programne as it seeks to pare a portion of its high cost debt that stands at over Rs 2.14 lakh crore.

"Reliance has hit the overseas debt market with a $800 million issue," investment banker told PTI, requesting not to be quoted as the issue is yet to be priced and closed.

Meanwhile, rating agency Moody's today signed a Baa2 rating to the proposed unsecured bond sale by RIL. The bonds will rank pari passu with RIL's other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations, it said assigning the Baar rating.

It can be noted that for the September quarter, RIL, which has a market capitalisation of close to Rs 6 lakh crore, had a cash pile of Rs 77,014 crore and a debt of Rs 2,14,145 crore, up from Rs 1,96,601 crore in the previous quarter.

The Mukesh Ambani-led RIL has been borrowing heavily for expansion and entry into telecom space with Reliance Jio into which it has invested over Rs 1.4 lakh crore. That apart it has also pumped in over Rs 1 trillion into its core refining and petrochemicals expansion which is now completed.

"The Baa2 rating reflects RIL's ability to generate operating cash flows, with annual Ebitda of over USD 10 billion from its large-scale integrated refining and petrochemical operations that generate strong margins, and its nascent but growing digital services business," said Vikas Halan, a vice-president and senior credit officer at Moody's.

The rating also incorporates the increase in RIL's business risk because of its growing digital services business and our expectation that high cash outflow for capital spending will keep its free cash flow negative over at least next 18 months", added Halan, who is also Moody's lead analyst for RIL.

Early November, Moody's had lowered RIL's credit rating outlook to stable while affirmed its overall ratings, citing likely negative free cash flow due to heavy debt repayments over the next 18 months.

Moody's had said RIL would see large cash outflow over the next 18 months towards paying back its creditors for the billions of dollars of capex it had incurred on telecom and refining and petchem expansions. This would lead RIL to tap the debt market more as a result of which it would not be able to reduce its debt and also its free cash flow to be in the negative territory for next 18 months or so, Moody's had said.

"Such payments along with additional capex towards telecom will constrain any reduction in net borrowings until fiscal 2019," Moody's had warned.

"Accordingly, we've revised our outlook on RIL's long-term issuer rating to stable from positive, but the outlook on its foreign currency senior unsecured rating is maintained at stable," Moody's had said.

Moody's expects Jio, which reported a Rs 260 crore operational profit in Q2 with a Rs 271 crore net loss, to turn in first set of profits in the current fiscal itself.

The oil-to-telecom conglomerate reported a 12.5 per cent jump in Q2 net after refining margin soared to a nine-year high and telecom venture earned operational profit.

It earned a net income of Rs 8,109 crore, or Rs 13.7 per share as it could earn USD 12 on turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel, up from USD 10.1 a barrel gross refining margin in same quarter of previous year and USD 11.9 a barrel in first quarter of the current fiscal. Total revenue was up 23.9 per cent to Rs 1,01,169 crore.

(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.)
Japanese investment giant SoftBank is close to acquiring an additional 10-12 per cent stake in ANI Technologies, the parent company of Ola, to increase its holding in the ride-hailing firm to around 50 per cent ahead of its planned investment in global rival Uber.
Vijay Mallya, 61, the beleaguered Indian businessman facing an extradition demand from the Indian government in a British court, will fight the attempt to drag him back to India not just on the issue of poor prison conditions in India, but on the alleged demerits of New Delhis argument.
The death of a 7-year-old girl in the paediatric ward of Fortis Memorial Hospital in Gurugram has resulted in heated discussions on social media on the quality of health care provided by private hospitals.
Delhi Sultnate ruler Alauddin Khilji has been in the news for a few days  for the wrong reasons, of course  with Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmaavat riling fringe groups like Rajasthans Rajput Karni Sena, which claims the movie distorts history to show Queen Padmavati in a poor light.
Its invariably a rough crowd at the Traffic Courtnot fun to deal with for any magistrate, male or female. Lawyers cussing over minor traffic fines is all in a days work. Yet, when she passed an adverse order for a minor traffic offence, the young woman magistrate was unprepared for the viciousness of the verbal assault made by the male lawyer in open court against her. Teri aukaat kya hai (who the hell are you)? he is said to have yelled in Hindi in open court. Teri chaddi phaad ke rakh doonga (I will rip off your panties).

Something snapped in her and she lodged an FIR. But two months later there was not even a chargesheet. Other judges and lawyers spoke solicitously: How would she face the shame of a trial? A reconciliation would be better, they counseled.

But the woman magistrate will not relent, even though the case has been stuck for nearly two years now. Senior lawyer Vrinda Grover has been appointed amicus curie and everyone is trying to work out a solution that will restore, at least to some degree, the magistrates dignity.
Delhi might not be a smart city but some lucky residents of the capital might get to experience what it would be like to live in one in the coming years. A new smart sub-city is to come up near Vasant Kunj and next to the Ghitorni metro station, according to reports.
The family of India's Consul General in Durban was attacked by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence there, prompting India to raise the issue with South African authorities.

The family of Consul General Shashank Vikram, including his five-year-old son, domestic staff and a visiting teacher were reportedly held up during the armed intrusion at their residence on Innes Road, on Sunday.

"We have taken up the matter with the relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He said that ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats and officials posted abroad, along with their families, is a matter of highest priority for the Indian government.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has spoken to the Consul General and inquired about the well being of his family, Kumar said.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban, the Independent Online reported.

"They (Vikram's family) are OK but they were obviously traumatised," consul S K Pandey was quoted as saying.

Nobody suffered physical harm, he said, adding that they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone, which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident.
PSLV C38 carrying Cartosat-2 and 30 other satellites, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, on June 23, 2016. The 104 small satellite launched by PSLV last year had caught the interest of global satellite makers. Photo: Reuters
On paper, the five-day fair organised by the Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation (HSSF) which got underway here on Thursday aims to philosophically explain and practically expound how Hindu spirituality and traditional Hindu lifestyle provide a solution to contemporary challenges  family and human values, womens honour, patriotism, environment, ecology and pollution.
As the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film "Padmavati" continued to simmer, a fringe group today targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive".

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, who plays legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie, and Bhansali at Damodar Swarup park here and shouted slogans against them.

They also took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. We demand that office-bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."



Asked about Bhuvneshwar Singh's threatening remarks, Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought in this regard.

"We have sought a report from the policemen on duty. Thereafter, action will be taken," he said.

"Padmavati" has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

Earlier this year, Bhansali was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

Padukone and Bhansali have also received threats. Their security has been beefed up by the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, the film fraternity has come out in support of Bhansali and the team, with many leading artistes calling it an attack on creative freedom.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The producers of Padmavati  a Bollywood movie based on an epic poem about a Rajput queen  said on Sunday they had indefinitely delayed the release of the film, which has been accused of distorting history and has sparked protests.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday that film Padmavati would not be allowed to release in the state unless the objectionable scenes were removed.

"We have been reading about the queen's sacrifice from childhood. Distortion of history will not be tolerated. Unless the objectionable scenes are removed, I will not let the film to be released across the state," he told a gathering after holding a meeting with representatives of Rajput community.

He also announced that a memorial would be built in queen Padmavati's memory.

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that the 'Padmavati' controversy was a manufactured one to suppress freedom of expression.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," the chief minister wrote on Twitter.

West Bengal chief minister's stand in favour of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film comes amid protests against its release by Rajput groups and some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders across the country.

Haryana BJP leader, Suraj Pal Amu, on Sunday announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for beheading actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Padmavati was slated to release on December 1; however, the release has been postponed, as the film is yet to receive approval from Central Board of Film Certification.
World's biggest toilet pot model was unveiled at Marora, popularly known as the "Trump village", in Haryana on the World Toilet Day today in a bid to create awareness towards sanitation and use of toilets.

The nondescript village, with a population of 1,800, in Mewat region was in June rechristened as "Trump village" by NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in a gesture to US president Donald Trump ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington.

The Nuh district administration, however, later said the move to rename the village was "illegal", forcing the organisation members to remove boards mentioning the new name.

NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation inaugurated the model. Photo courtesy: Twitter handle @SulabhIntl

Sanitation expert and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak and other dignitaries inaugurated the "biggest toilet pot of the world" model and dedicated another 95 new household toilets to the residents of the village.

"It's a symbolic gesture to inaugurate a large toilet pot at Trump village to mark the World Toilet Day to create awareness among people towards the use of toilets and safe sanitation," Pathak said.

He said the large pot replica would be moved to Delhi's Sulabh Toilet Museum.

Photo courtesy: Twitter handle @SulabhIntl

Since then, Sulabh International has carried out the construction of toilets for every household and set up of a vocational training centre for girls in the village.

"Organising a programme in a remote village of Haryana on the World Toilet Day was a promotional concept in connection with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make villages in India free from open defecation on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary year in 2019," Pathak said.

Photo courtesy: Twitter handle @SulabhIntl

Apart from inaugurating individual toilets, two books on the use of toilets and sanitation were also released.

Pathak said he hoped the move would win enough attention and goodwill to raise awareness for a major social problem.

Puneet Ahulwalia, a member of the ruling Republican Party of the US, speaking on the occasion, said the initiative would go long way to motivate masses towards cleanliness and safe sanitation.
China on Monday criticised a visit by President Ram Nath Kovind to the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims, saying China opposed any activities by Indian leaders in disputed areas.
The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from December 1-10 for his daughter's admission to the Cambridge University there.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked to file an undertaking before it within three days, giving assurance that he will abide by the timeline and return to India on the expiry of the period.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agency's stand on Karti Chidambaram's plea seeking to go abroad.

The bench, however, made it clear that its order, permitting to go abroad, will not be cited before any court of law as precedent.

The apex court had on November 9 asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing the request of Karti to go abroad for a few days.

The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union Finance Minister.

The top court is hearing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madras High Court order staying the government's look out circular (LOC) against .

The CBI had on September 1 told the top court that there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to the investigation in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti.
The Enforcement Directive (ED), after investigating 3,700 cases of involving tainted assets worth Rs 9,935 crore, found that the Indian economy faces a bigger threat from cheating and corruption than it does from drugs and arms smuggling.
V Vinkudothu looks like a college student. Bespectacled, she could easily pass for a youngster who had come to watch the farmers rally organised by a conglomeration of around 180 organisations in the capitals Parliament Street.
Under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janatiya Partys trade union wing, the centre is likely to dilute many provisions of two of its main proposed labour reforms- Small factories Act and Code on Industrial Relations.
Thousands of farmers from across the country assembled here today, and demanded a one-time total farm and remunerative prices for their produce.

At a 'Kisan Mukti Sansad' or farmers' liberation parliament, two "bills" were passed for debt and remunerative prices for their produce.

The gathering was organised under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), comprising 180 peasant organisations from all over the country.

According to AIKSCC leaders, the "bills" passed by them will be placed in Parliament as private member's bills by Lok Sabha member Raju Shetty of the Swabhimani Paksha and Rajya Sabha member K K Ragesh of the CPI(M).

"We will also seek the support of other political parties to ensure that these private member's bills are passed in Parliament," said Ashok Dhawale, a leader of the All India Kisan Sabha, a constituent of AIKSCC.

According to the AIKSCC, "steady rise in input costs, like fuel, pesticides and fertilisers and even water, and slashing of subsidies by the government" are some of the key factors behind cost versus income "imbalance" being faced by the farmers at present.

The protesting farmers have alleged that the ruling BJP has done nothing for the farmers and instead has been using them to meet its political interests.

"The prime minister earlier said that no state would give bonus above the MSP (minimum support price) and now before the (Assembly) election in Gujarat, when cotton prices are down, the Gujarat government announced (bonus) of Rs 500 per bale. But what happens to farmers of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab or Tamil Nadu?" CPI leader Atul Anjan said.

"This is blatant pampering of farmers and using the situation to meet your political interests, and not the interests of farmers," he added.

(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.)
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff (COSC & CNS) Admiral Sunil Lanba officially inaugurated the 42nd ICMM World Congress on Military Medicine in a glittering ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan here today. The COSC & CNS emphasised the importance of Military Medicine which provides the medical support required by troops deployed in combat as also in their peace time duties. .

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Admiral Lanba lauded the efforts of the organisers in conceptualising this World Congress with the theme of Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead, which would address its ever evolving role depending on its myriad combat and non combat responsibilities. .

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Delegates from 75 member nations of the International Committee on Military Medicine (ICMM) were officially welcomed by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Lt Gen Bipin Puri. .

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The ceremony was also attended by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, Defence Secretary Shri Sanjay Mitra, outgoing Chairman of the General Assembly and the Committee of ICMM Major General Terawan Agus Putranto from Indonesia, Vice Chairman Maj Gen Al Juaid from Saudi Arabia, other dignitaries from the ICMM Secretariat, Vice Chairman & former DGAFMS and Senior Colonel Comdt of the Army Medical Corps Lt Gen M K Unni, Secretary General Roger Van Hoof from Belgium, Chairman of the Scientific Council Maj Gen Marc Morillon from France and Scientists and Research Professionals from numerous Research Institutes in India and abroad. .

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The highlights of the days proceedings included a scintillating cultural show by the medical cadets of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune that enthralled the audience. The keynote address was delivered by Lt Gen N K Parmar (Retd). A panel discussion on Women in Combat: Challenges for Healthcare Providers provoked much discussion and debate. A plenary session on Innovations in Field Medical Care was also held. .

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Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr Subhash Bhamre said the Government has been tirelessly working towards making up for critical shortages of the armed forces over the years and the policies are now designed to make procurement and acquisition of defence platforms both fast and transparent. Dr Bhamre was addressing defence attaches of around 70 countries, strategic experts, captains of indigenous defence industry & Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) while inaugurating the 2nd annual conclave of Foreign Defence Attaches, jointly organised by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and defence portal BharatShakti.in here today. .

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Quoting the 2015 statement of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who had said that the Government was spending tens of billions of dollars on acquisitions from abroad and 20 to 25 per cent reduction in imports could directly create additional jobs in India, Dr Bhamre said, This is why defence is at the heart of our Make in India programme. We have reformed our defence procurement policies and procedures. There is now clear preference for equipment manufactured in India. Our procurement procedures will ensure simplicity, accountability and speedy decision making." .

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Elaborating on the issue of Make in India, Dr Bhamre further said, it provides a wide opportunity and the Government would like to invite global defence companies to take advantage of India being a huge market while simultaneously sharing their technology with us. The Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 and its Chapter on Strategic Partnership provides the necessary methodology for such partnerships to flourish..

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Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in a video message conveyed best wishes for the important deliberation at the conclave and informed the gathering she was looking forward to the outcome of the conclave. There were three technical sessions entitled Is India Ready to Absorb High-End Technology, Defence Exports: The Indian Experience and Defence Technology and Models Abroad. The valedictory address was delivered by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Lt Gen Satish Dua. .

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China's next-generation multi-nuclear warhead intercontinental ballistic missile with a proclaimed ability to hit targets "anywhere in the world" may be inducted into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) early next year, a media report said on Monday.

The new missile -- the Dongfeng-41 -- also has a speed of more than Mach 10 and can use decoy devices and chaff to pierce its way through the enemy's missile warning and defence systems.

The missile, which underwent another test -- the eighth since it was first announced in 2012, could be in the PLA's line-up as early as the first half of 2018, state-run Global Times said.

The missile must have matured considerably if it is to start serving in the PLA, Xu Guangyu, a senior advisor from the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association said.

The Dongfeng-41 is a three-stage solid-fuel missile with a range of at least 12,000 km, meaning it could strike anywhere in the world from a mainland site, Xu told the Global Times, adding that, "it can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads, each of which can target separately."



The South China Morning Post reported that China had possibly tested the ICBM in its Western desert area in early November, but it did not give the exact location or date of the test.

Another report on the seventh test-firing of the Dongfeng-41 came from a US satellite tracking system and appeared in the Washington Free Beacon in April 2016.

Song Zhongping, a Phoenix TV commentator and former member of the PLA's Second Artillery Corps (Rocket Force), is of the view that the Dongfeng-41 is very likely already in service since tests and other checks of missiles can be conducted after deployment as well.

Song said that the deployment of the missile certainly demonstrates China's nuclear deterrence abilities.

"Once the Dongfeng-41 goes into service, China's ability to protect its own safety and to prevent wars would greatly increase," Xu said.

Russian experts feel that the missile's deployment is aimed at the US as it could reach most of America and Europe.

A commentary in Global Times at that time said the deployment of the DF-41 was a "strategic deterrence tool" and Beijing would "ready itself for pressures" imposed by the new US government headed by President Donald Trump.

The PLA Rocket Force on Sunday showed five models of China's homemade conventional and nuclear missiles.

China has a range of missiles, including the Dongfeng-26 ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-21D land-based anti-ship ballistic missile, described as a "carrier killer", and the Dongfeng-16G conventional missile designed for precision strikes against key enemy targets.
Cyberspace is the ideal platform for terrorists because, unlike conventional warfare, barriers to entry into cyberspace are much lower. The price of entry is an Internet connection. The surreptitious use of the Internet to advance terrorist group objectives has created a new brand of Holy Warvirtual jihadthat gains thousands of new adherents each day. Long after the current terrorist groups have ceased to be a major threat from a physical perspective, they will remain omnipresent in cyberspace, promoting a virtual caliphate from their safe haven behind computer keyboards around the world. Islamic extremists are natural candidates to transition to a virtual world that offers them automatic citizenship beyond the nation-state.
A prominent Indian-American, who holds a key position in the White House, has refuted the notion that US President Donald Trump is anti-immigrant.

"First of all, I don't think that the rhetoric is anti-immigrant. I think it's anti-illegal immigration," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said.

Shah's comments come days after a key Congressional committee passed a legislation that proposes to increase the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders from $60,0000 to $90,000 and imposes a number of restrictions on the work visa that is popular among Indian IT professionals.

The bill prohibits H-1B dependent employers from replacing American workers with H-1B employees, there are no longer any exceptions.

It also lengthens the no-layoff policy for H-1B dependent employers and their client companies for as long an H-1B employee works at the company, which means they cannot layoff equivalent US workers.

Shah said Trump was only trying to make immigration "more merit-based" and "reform" the legal system regarding it.

"President Trump has put forward a pretty serious set of proposals on immigration; not just on enforcement but also about reforming the legal system to make it more merit-based right with ideas that work for the US economy and for the American worker," he said.

"To ask for immigration to support the US economy, for asking for people who are coming here to be vetted for public safety or security threats, I don't think it's a very big leap. I think it's very reasonable. The public supports that," he added.

Shah slammed the mainstream media for the "unfair" coverage on the issue, which "sometimes" leaves the White House "frustrated".

"There's a tone in the media on this issue which is not fair. The mainstream media is just not paying attention to and is not focused and not giving kind of credit where it's due," he rued, asserting that in today's modern age, the president has many ways to get his message out.

"He uses it very effectively with Twitter and other social media. He uses it very effective with public speaking with taking and when he does a question and answer session we always say look the president is his own best messenger," he said.
The Trump administration is adding hurdles and increasing scrutiny in the employment-visa application process, making it harder for businesses to hire foreign workers, and companies and immigration attorneys are bracing for more changes soon.
Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said that his government has taken necessary steps to maintain peace with Pakistan.

According to the Khaama Press, speaking to local residents and elders of southern Zabul province, President Ghani said the perceptions that the government's strategies regarding peace efforts are not clear are baseless.

However, he stated that Afghan government won't allow anyone to do bad with their country.

Recently, tensions between the two countries escalated after an increase in cross-border shelling from Pakistan's side.

Earlier this week, Afghanistan said that over 500 missiles landed in its Kunar province in the past four days after being fired from across the Durand Line.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The general committee of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Monday suspended party president Bimal Gurung for six months and appointed Binay Tamang as the new party president.

The general committee meeting was chaired by Binay Tamang.

Gurung's wife, Asha, who is the chief of the GJM Mahila Morcha and party general secretary Roshan Giri, along with 14 other leaders, has also been suspended.

The absconding GJM president has been out of public sight since June, and has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in connection with a grenade attack on the Kalimpong Police Station, and a bomb attack in Darjeeling's Chowk Baazaar area.

Last month, seven companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and three companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which are deployed in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, were withdrawn. Prior to this, the entire region was witnessing an indefinite shutdown over the demand of a separate Gorkhaland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Birlasoft, part of the CK Birla Group, has contributed to solving the air quality crisis in Delhi NCR through its CSR project Shodhan 2017-18. Shodhan, which means purification in Hindi, is an attempt to arrest the pollution caused by crop burning in the villages in the Delhi NCR region through technology.

As part of the pilot project undertaken in two villages of the Patiala region in Punjab - Agethi and Bibipur, the villages had zero-crop burning this year. This project will be expanded to other villages in Punjab over the course of the next one year.

Over the last few years Delhi NCR, home to over 20 million people, remains under the cover of smog during early winter months of October-November.

In fact, this year Delhi NCR has been reeling under smog with poor air quality that has given rise to various health ailments. One probable contributor to the suffocating envelope of smog that settles over the national capital region has been the burning of crop stubble in the villages in the neighbouring States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

As evident in NASA's fire map images, Punjab has been the primary contributor to this menace. In fact, research findings had indicated that 20 days of stubble burning by Punjab farmers alone had generated 9000 tons of PM2.5 last year.

Birlasoft's CSR initiative, Shodhan 2017-18, was started with an aim to attack this problem and provide a viable solution that can be replicated in villages that record stubble burning.

In association with project advisors, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) and implementation partner, SEED CSR, Birlasoft tried to understand the problem and identified two Punjab villages - Agethi and Bibipur as part of a pilot project. In this phase, Birlasoft covered 1500 acres of land and 150 farmers and their families.

Farmers were indulging in the practice of crop burning because the method is economical and cleans the field completely for sowing of new crops even if it has many harmful effects on the environment.

Under Shodhan, farmers of the target village were provided modern farm equipment on subsidized rent during the harvest cycle to make the process of clearing residue and preparing the field for new crop easier and pollution-free, thereby solving the issue of crop burning to a great extent.

In a process spread over several months, the company's CSR project team worked with project partners to organize awareness building sessions with local farmers and their families. Then, farmers were sensitized and trained to use modern farm machinery. Post registration of the beneficiaries, work at ground level started in October. Happy seeder, super SMS, combine Harvester, Bailers, Rotavaters were provided to the beneficiaries in both the villages for the straw management during the harvest cycle to get their land ready for next crop. As a result, farmers in these two villages ensured that no crop burning took place this year.

"Birlasoft is a responsible corporate that understands that development and sustainability should go hand-in-hand. In our attempt to help solve a problem that has grown to a dangerous magnitude, we have attacked the issue of crop burning where it was believed to be most severe. We believe that there is a lot of potential in this program and with the right partners and support from our peers, we can grow Shodhan to have a wider reach and increased impact in the future," said Chief People Officer, Birlasoft, Samit Deb.

Birlasoft employees contributed their effort and time by voluntarily participating in the initiative to ensure that maximum participation and zero stubble burning.

Implementation Partner: Society for Educational Welfare and Economic Development 'SEED', constituted under Societies Act 1860, having its registered office in New Delhi. It offers social development programs in diverse fields including implementation of CSR projects related to Agriculture Development, Community Development, Skill Development, Women Empowerment, WASH, Quality Health and Education across India.

Advisory and Facilitator: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), an educational institution of national importance that is engaged in the advancement of teaching, research and extension activities in various fields of agriculture and allied sciences having its office at Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana, Punjab.

PAU, being sector experts has agreed to come to an understanding to undertake the project with mutual understanding for Mechanical Solutions for Paddy Straw Management with Zero Burning under Public Private Partner-ship Mode in form of Advisory and Facilitator.

Birlasoft, part of USD 1.6 billion diversified CK Birla Group, enables clients in Manufacturing, Banking and Financial Services, Insurance, and Healthcare industries become competitive in their by providing value based information technology services. Birlasoft's portfolio of services includes Enterprise Application Services, Custom Application Services and Specialized services like Testing, Analytics and Mobility. Birlasoft has presence across US, UK, Europe, APAC including India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its third list, consisting of 28 candidates, for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.

The BJP announced the names of the candidates on Twitter.

Yesterday, the party had released the second list, consisting of 36 candidates, and had earlier released a first list - of 70 candidates.

Overall, the party has announced 134 candidates for election to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, which is to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will send show cause notice to a Haryana BJP leader who announced Rs 10 crore bounty on actor Deepika Padukone and Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Haryana BJP's state chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Sunday announced a reward of Rs. 10 crore for beheading Padukone and Bhansali.

"The BJP doesn't have any link with such types of comments. The party distances itself from this (Anu's) statement. The party also mulls what action could be taken against him under the constitution of the party and a show cause notice will be issued to him," BJP General Secretary Anil Jain told ANI.

He further added that such fatwas does not matter in Haryana where rule of law prevails.

"Respecting women is the top priority of the BJP and Haryana has maintained it. The rule of law prevails in Haryana and such fatwas won't have any meaning," Jain added.

The period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor has been facing protests from various groups, including Shree Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.

Jain, however, also maintained that the BJP feels no one should distort the history in any manner.

"The party also feels that the history should not be distorted in any manner but doesn't subscribe to such types of comments," Jain asserted.

Padmavati has been facing controversy since Bhansali started shooting the film earlier this year. The director was roughed up by the Rajput Karni Sena members in Jaipur and the film's sets were vandalised.

The epicenter of protests against the flick is Rajasthan.

The Karni Sena activists have upped the ante against Padmavati by staging protests in various parts of the country, covering Bangalore in the South as well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State (independent charge) in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Monday said the promotion of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as party chief is directly proportionate to the defeat of the party.

Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister said, "This is a peculiar phenomena of the Congress Party. Each time the Congress looses an election, Rahul Gandhi gets an elevation. The defeat of the Congress in an election is directly proportionate to the promotion of Rahul in the party hierarchy."

He added that after 2014 Lok Sabha debacle, Rahul became the vice-president of the party after he was elevated from the post of general secretary.

"Now after Gujarat's debacle he will move on to become president of the Congress Party. We have nothing to say about Rahul's elevation as it is their internal matter. We are confident of the victory with each passing day. Rahul Gandhi's campaign in Gujarat is a blessing in disguise for us. It offers Gujarat an opportunity to judge where each one of us stand," Singh said.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) today announced the schedule to elect the next party president, paving the way for Rahul's coronation just before the Gujarat elections.

The CWC meeting was chaired by current party president Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence earlier this morning.

The 47-year-old vice-president of the Congress is set to succeed his mother, Sonia, and is expected to be elected unopposed like she has been for the past 17 years.

The Congress will issue the poll notification on December 1 and if anyone would want to contend for the succession to the party presidency, he/she will have to file nomination papers by December 4.

The party will scrutinise the nominations on December 5 and allow contender(s), if there any, to withdraw the nomination by December 11.

Election, if there is any contender, would be held on December 16 and results will be announced on December 19.

The Congress said if there is no other contender for the post, the party would announce Rahul's candidature on the last date of scrutiny, i.e. December 5.

In October, Sonia had said Rahul Gandhi would be elevated soon.

Sonia has been the Congress President since 1988, making her the longest-serving chief of the party.

She has been unwell in recent years and has scaled back her public engagements, which brought Rahul more to the forefront.

Rahul became the party's vice-president in January 2013.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy said on Monday that the Congress would not be able to emerge as a stronger party until it becomes indigenous.

Taking a jibe at Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origins, Swamy said, "For the last 10 years, the Congress, which is very weak, has been telling this, but it is not done. The Congress party will not have a future and emerge stronger 'jab tak iska swadeshikaran nahin ho jata' (till it becomes indigenous)."

Speaking to media after addressing 'Jaipur Dialogues Forum' here, the 78-year-old leader said, "If Godse had not killed Gandhi, then the country would not have gone through politics of appeasement and westernisation and economic policy would have been better as the nation was not in the hands of Nehru and later his family members."

In the forum, he spoke on India post Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

On Ayodhya dispute, Swamy said, "Hindus would not allow a mosque inside Ram Janambhoomi area, which is about three acre. The construction of the temple is likely to begin soon and is most likely that we can all visit there from Diwali next year."

The BJP leader further said Hindus cannot accept the compromise formula.

"Though the court's decision would be welcomed by both parties; however, if they (Muslims) want, they can build mosque at any other place," he said, adding Babri Masjid was built after demolishing a temple at Ram Janambhoomi.

"I hope both communities agree on this formula. Hindus cannot accept the compromise formula," he added.

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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday passed a resolution to elevate vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the party president.

The decision was taken during a CWC meeting, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, at her 10 Janpath residence.

Meanwhile, it was decided that the notification for the poll will be issued on December 1 and nomination can be filed on December 4.

Voting will be held on December 16 and the counting of votes is schedule for December 19.

Rahul's elevation as the Congress president was expected for months.

Several party leaders have had directly or indirectly indicated that Rahul would soon take the reins of the party.

Earlier in October, party president Sonia Gandhi had also hinted that Rahul 's elevation as party chief 'will be done soon'.

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Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to DGP Karnataka on Monday to ensure the security of Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone and her family members.

In the letter, Reddy even condemned Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu's Rs 10 crore 'bounty' statement.

Earlier in the day, the Commission for Women (NCW) wrote to the Haryana DGP seeking action against Amu.

Amu on Sunday made derogatory remarks against 'Padmavati' film crew and announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress.

The movie, starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing protests from various groups, especially Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.

Meanwhile, the release date of the epic drama has been indefinitely postponed from December 1.

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday hit back at the Congress over the latter's allegation of casting a "dark shadow on parliamentary democracy" by failing to announce the dates of Winter Session of the Parliament.

"Even when Congress was in power, they use to decide the dates of the winter session in a way that they do not clash with elections. Winter session will definitely take place and the government will announce the dates soon. We will surely address the issue raised by the oppositions," Jaitely said while addressing the media here.

The grand-old party has alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was deliberately trying to push the dates for the session, as they did not want to face 'uncomfortable questions' ahead of Gujarat assembly elections in December.

The senior BJP leader also said the party would win the election convincingly as people's support was with them.

"Modi-government, in its arrogance, has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," said Congress president Sonia Gandhi while addressing the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi today.

Sonia further said the Centre cannot escape constitutional accountability by "locking the temple of democracy".

Last week, Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the date for winter session of Parliament would be decided before Sunday (November 19).

The election to 182-seat Gujarat Assembly will be held on December 09 and 14 and the results will be declare on December 18.

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The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India in partnership with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur Foundation and Jhpiego (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University), launched 'Manyata' - a nationwide movement urging the need for quality care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth when risks of life-threatening complications are the highest.

The movement was flagged off by Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and Pankaja Munde, Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare, Government of Maharashtra.

Nearly 45,000 women die in India every year during childbirth due to reasons entirely preventable. The movement is based on the premise that culturally in India; pregnancies tend to be focused more about babies than about mothers. A mother's is critical and equally precious as her child's and her well-being, our collective responsibility.

Manyata calls for bringing all stakeholders together and raising awareness about the fact that mothers are as important as their babies. She needs tools that empower her to make choices about where she seeks care during pregnancy, as minimum quality care is her basic right.

As a step forward, the movement has already begun targeting private maternity providers to adopt recognized standards for excellence in maternity services and urges all stakeholders to build an ecosystem that supports and centers around quality maternal care.

Among other things, these include clinical procedures of managing care during labour, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. Based on rigorous assessment, the prestigious Manyata certification will be awarded to those facilities that meet these standards. Currently, available to providers in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the initiative will be rolled out nationally over time. These efforts are being made so that every expecting woman can demand a Manyata standard of care for herself.

Pankaja Munde, Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare, said, "It is now high time that we put the focus back on women, their needs, their especially when they are expecting. Manyata should not just be limited to private hospitals, but we should work towards implementing this in all public hospitals across India."

Speaking on the initiative, actress Shilpa Shetty said, "It is time that the society also cared as much about the health and well-being of mothers during childbirth, as the baby she brings to this world. Being a mother, I would love to see everyone coming together to join the movement and urge all expecting mothers to insist on quality care for herself".

"In popular culture, women are hailed as symbols of sacrifice and conditioned to think that they are second to their children and spouse. This is entirely a false perception. We must demand the very best care for ourselves especially when it comes to motherhood. Caregivers must also give equal attention to mothers as much as their babies," she added.

As part of the initiative, FOGSI will mentor a network of trained volunteers who will help facilities improve and sustain stronger skill sets as well as facilitate exchange of experiences. Dr. Hema Divakar, National Convenor, Manyata and Former FOGSI President, said "Manyata is not just a promise to expecting women for quality care, it is a reality. It is FOGSI's approval recognizing those who consistently deliver quality care during pregnancy and childbirth knowing that better, safer and respectful care will reach mothers".

"FOGSI's clarion call through Manyata is to engage as many providers as we possibly can so that no mother dies giving life. It is a direction to our community of doctors that we must do whatever we can because she matters. We must remember never to forget moms. We must empower her. The time is right. The time is now." He told to ANI

Feeling hopeful that this movement is a step in the right direction, Dr. Rishma Pai, FOGSI President, added, "Supporting quality improvement initiatives in private facilities will motivate peers to join the quality movement. After all, be it the public or private hospital, every mother deserves the best care wherever she chooses to go, because 'She Matters'"

MSD for Mothers, a key partner in this initiative, felt that Manyata augments the Government's efforts to work towards reducing maternal mortality in India through the launch of many schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Yojana.

Dr. Naveen Rao, Lead, MSD for Mothers further said, "We believe that in order to save mothers, we must design, deploy and scale solutions in three areas: empowering women to make informed choices, equipping health providers with the skills, tools and technologies they need to provide high-quality care; and strengthening health systems to sustain the delivery of high-quality services that benefit women and their communities".

The launch brought together stakeholders from the national government, civil society, doctors, development agencies and academics. A short public awareness film, Don't Forget Moms, was also shown in a bid to encourage private facilities to join the quality bandwagon.

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The India Vision Institute (IVI) organised a 'Walk in the Dark' in Panaji this week to highlight eye care and preventable blindness issues.

IVI is a not-for-profit organisation working towards preventing avoidable blindness.

Participating in the walk with blindfolds were around 50 visually-impaired children along with 400 others.

Notable guests included Tony Huber, Australian Consul General for Western India; Vinod Daniel, CEO, India Vision Institute; Vivek Mendonsa, Director, Lawrence and Mayo, Mumbai; Kishor Sarsolkar, MD, Mukta Drishti Foundation; Roser Mendonsa, National Association for the Blind, Goa; and Dr Pradeep Naik, Dean, Goa Medical College and Hospital.

The walk, which began from the Goa Pharmacy College, 18 June Road, was organized with the support of the Australian Consulate General, Mumbai and the Mukta Drishti Foundation, Goa in partnership with the Goa Medical College and the National Association for the Blind, Goa.

Tony Huber said, "The Australian Consulate General, Mumbai is pleased to be associated with IVI to organise this event through our Direct Aid Program. Today's walk sheds light on the issue of preventable blindness in India and the importance of optometrists. I understand in most cases refractive errors can be treated by a pair of spectacles prescribed by an Optometrist. Australia has experience and world class training to offer in this field, and can contribute to efforts to boost the number of qualified optometrists and tackle preventable blindness," he added.

Mr.Daniel noted, "There are over a hundred million Indians with some form of visual impairment and requiring spectacles. Over 80% of global visual impairment is preventable or treatable. Uncorrected refractive error is one of the major causes of blindness worldwide, and so too in India. There is an acute shortage of trained Optometrists in the country. India needs 110,000 Optometrists and currently we have about 45,000 of them."

"The economic burden of vision loss and eye disorders, especially from uncorrected refractive errors, is huge in India, and unless attended to at the earliest, will only add to the loss to the nation. There is a direct correlation between learning and vision and it is unfortunate that millions of Indian school children cannot achieve their full potential because they do not have access to a pair of glasses. Walk in the Dark is an IVI awareness initiative. Previous walks have been held in Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru," Mr Daniel added.

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Amidst much controversy, the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will on Monday begin in Goa's Panaji, where around 200 films from over 80 countries will be screened.

This nine-day extravaganza's inauguration will be done by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in presence of and Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Smriti Irani, even as the row over the dropping of two films 'Nude' and 'S. Durga' from the screening schedule continues.

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with 'Personality of The Year' award at the festival.

Canada is the focus country this year and will be presenting a package of its eight best recent films. Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan will be honoured with a 'Lifetime Achievement Award'.

'Beyond the clouds', which was entirely made in India, by legendary Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi will be opening the fest, while the Indo-Argentine film 'Thinking of Him' by Pablo Cesar will wind-up the event.

Around 26 feature films and 16 non-feature films, belonging to different languages, regions and cultures, will be screened in the Indian Panorama Section of the festival.

Vinod Kapri directed Hindi film 'Pihu' will be the opening movie in the feature film category, while 'Pushkar Puran' by Kamal Swaroop will open the non-feature film category of the Indian Panorama.

IFFI will also screen two movies, 'Hindi Medium' and 'Secret Superstar' for the visually impaired persons with special audio described technology.

Seven award-winning films from BRICS countries will also be screened at the festival.

To ensure greater participation of the local audience, the IFFI will have a Bioscope Village where non-delegates can watch the movies.

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In view of positive response from investors, the government has decided to increase the New Fund Offer (NFO) size of Bharat 22 ETF from Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs. 14,500 crore, to cater to the demand of retail investors and retirement funds; a notification from Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) read.

Bharat 22 ETF, which is an innovative disinvestment route for the Government of India to disinvest its holdings in select CPSEs, strategic holdings of SUUTI, and Public Sector Banks, invited a strong response from all categories of investors including retirement funds and retail investors.

The NFO got subscription of approximately Rs. 32,000 crore from 3,35,000 applications.

This is the highest ever NFO collection in the history of mutual funds in India.

Moreover, the total issue was subscribed around four times.

The response from FPIs and FIIs was also huge and they subscribed to the tune of approximately Rs. 10,000 crores in anchor and non anchor categories.

The NFO of Bharat 22 ETF was launched on November 14 for anchor investors and was available for non-anchor investors from November 15 - 17.

The ETF comprises of 22 companies across six sectors, which includes bluechip and private companies such as Larsen & Tubro (L&T), Axis Bank, and ITC.

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The notification for second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections will be issued on Monday.

Polling for this phase will be held on December 14 in 93 constituencies.

Yesterday, the Congress released the first list of its 77 candidates for the upcoming polls.

The Central Election Committee of the party selected the names in a meeting held in New Delhi.

The names had been chosen for the first phase of polls to be held on December 9.

Senior party leader Shaktisinh Gohil will contest from Mandvi constituency.

Arjun Modhwadia has been given party ticket.

The Congress and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders have held a meeting in Ahmedabad regarding the reservation issue for Patidar community in the state.

The BJP has already announced two lists of 106 candidates.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will file his nomination from Rajkot later today.

The last day of filing nominations for the first phase is on November 21.

Of the 182 seats, 89 in Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat will go to polls in the first phase.

The result will be announced on December 18.

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The union government and the World Bank signed a guarantee agreement for USD 98 million and grant agreement for USD 2 million for the "Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project."

The agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India, and Hisham A. Abdo, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, on behalf of the World Bank.

A loan agreement was also signed by K S Popli, Chairman and Managing Director, India Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and Hisham A. Abdo, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, on behalf of the World Bank, an official release from the Ministry of Finance noted.

The project consists of two components- Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks (estimated total project cost of USD 100 million, including USD 75 million in IBRD loan and USD 23 million in CTF Loan) and technical assistance (USD 2 million in CTF Grant).

The objective of the project is to increase solar generation capacity through establishment of large-scale parks in the country. The project will help establish large-scale solar parks and support the government's plan to install 100 Gigawatts (GW) of solar power out of a total renewable-energy target of 175 GW by 2022.

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Bidar Police on Monday rescued 13 camels that were allegedly being transported for slaughter, and arrested four men in this regard.

A case has been filed against the four men, namely Nathan Khan, Amjad Khan, Bakkaji and Dinesh, at Bidar's Market police station.

The animals were smuggled out of Gujarat and were being shifted to a slaughter house at Sultanpur locality in Bidar, when the police raided the truck and rescued the camels.

The rescued animals were shifted to a 'goshala' (cowshed) at Rampure colony, Bidar.

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Kashmiri parties, including the London-based Kashmir Voice International (KVI) London, have unanimously passed a resolution to allow international human rights organisations to visit both sides of Kashmir.

This decision was taken during a Kashmir Parties Conference convened by the KVI in Luton, UK, under the theme "Kashmir Conflict- A way forward for an achievable solution"

A five-member committee was framed to contact and consult different Kashmiri alliances, parties and groups in the UK to frame an agreed common minimum program (CMP) to be pursued together.

"The conference calls for all human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley to be stopped and perpetrators of such violations to be brought to justice. The human rights violations in Pakistan-held Kashmir should also come to an end. International human rights organisations should be allowed to visit both sides of the state," read a statement issued by the KVI after the conclusion of the conference.

The parties noted that all draconian laws affecting the dignity and freedom of Kashmiris should be withdrawn and that democratic rights and space for political activities should be restored.

The conference observed that repression in Kashmir is causing trauma, harassment, insecurity and uncertainty among the people and it should be brought to an end.

"The army bunkers are intensifying fear in civilian areas and this should be removed," the missive read.

"Kashmiri political prisoners anywhere in the state or outside the state should be released unconditionally," it added.

Participants in the conference discussed constitutional guarantees and conditions contained in the Accession Document should be restored on the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir, and added that this could form a solid base for a final solution.

"A constituent assembly should be convened representing all three regions to draft a new constitution for the future," the statement further read.

Apart from that, the resolution called for the Government of Pakistan to allow the civilian administration on its side of Kashmir to function freely.

"The interference from the (Pakistan) federal government affects the efficiency in the administration and disables it to function freely. The Kashmir Affairs Ministry (KAM) should withdraw its hand from the affairs of the state and trust the local administration in the discharge of its duties. The KAM should be abolished and replaced by a developmental council," the statement said.

The party leaders also agreed that the Interim Constitution Act of 1974 should be abolished and replaced by a full-fledged constitution. To ensure the same, an elected constituent assembly should be convened in Muzaffarabad.

The parties has also decided to make a genuine demands of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and to soften the Line of Control (LOC) between the two parts of erstwhile state, enabling Kashmiris from both sides to exercise their right to move freely.

"People-to-people contact should be encouraged and sharing of different programs should be started and expanded with the passage of time. Trade has already started should expand and traders should be provided all necessary facilities," the statement read.

It also emphasized on demilitarisation of the state and believed that India, Pakistan and Kashmiris from both sides can sit together to settle the issue for good.

Leaders of various parties, including the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the Awami National Party (ANP), the Jammu Kashmir Freedom Movement (JKFM), the Kashmir National Party (KNP) and the Jammu Kashmir Liberation League (JKLL), and office bearers of KVI took part in the conference. Some councillors, intellectuals, and representatives linked with the tourism sector were also present.

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Minister of State (MoS) Defence Subhash Bhamre on Monday said that there is zero tolerance to the terrorism.

Talking to media, Bhamre said that the India Army is trying to flush out terrorism from the valley, "India has inherent role in ensuring security in the region. Our policy and determination is clear. There is zero tolerance to the terrorism and we are going to stop cross border infiltration of terrorists. Our army is after them and trying to flush out terrorist from the valley."

Bhamre's statement comes a day after the Indian Army called for peace in the valley and urged the local terrorists to give up militancy.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Commander Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu said, "The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves a Mujahid. But are you a Mujahid, or just a proxy for Pakistan? Come back to the mainstream as this will facilitate return of peace to the valley. We are ready to receive them in an honorable manner.

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Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and West Bengal government over former Railways Minister Mukul Roy's phone tapping issue.

Roy, who has left Trinamool Congress (TMC) party for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court and said his phone conversations were being tapped by the West Bengal government.

Centre, state government and Roy's telecom service providers - MTNL and Vodafone- have been given time till December 7 to file their reply. The court will again hear the case on that day.

During the hearing, the lawyers for the Centre and the West Bengal government had opposed the petition on the basis of jurisdiction.

Roy resigned from TMC on September 25. Later, he was suspended from the party for six years for anti-party activities. He also resigned from Rajya Sabha membership on October 11, 2017 and joined the BJP on November 03.

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The Mumbai road to 'Global Entrepreneurship Summit' (GES) was a resounding success and saw participation by eminent women leaders including designer and entrepreneur, Neeta Lulla; entrepreneur and actor, Shilpa Shetty Kundra; actor, film producer, entrepreneur, Vishakha Singh; creative director, Viacom, Atika Ahmed Farooqui.

The keynote addresses was delivered by Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati, secretary general, Global Interfaith WASH alliance.

Sujeet Samaddar, senior consultant, NITI Aayog represented the Government of India and Edgard D. Kagan, represented the US Consulate Mumbai. Aseem Gupta, principal secretary, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, was present on behalf of Government of Maharashtra.

The Mumbai event was part of a series of six interactive entrepreneurial events as a part of "Road to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) Series" organised by FICCI in partnership with NITI Aayog.

"This summit is encouraging for women who want to be entrepreneurs. This is an open conversation started with the Governmentof India. I encourage and support the entire convocation and also FICCI and NITI Aayog and Maharashtra Government, for coming together and organising this event. The conditioning of the women, especially at grass roots level is changing and they want to do something for themselves in addition to looking after their homes and families," said Shilpa Shetty Kundra.

"Empowerment is entrepreneurship. Such initiatives help change a lot of mindsets and it is a positive step towards women empowerment. Such platforms will boost the morale of women and give them opportunity to excel in their respective fields. Congratulations to FICCI, NITI Aayog and Maharashtra Government for organising such an event on a massive scale," said designer and entrepreneur, Neeta Lulla.

Touching on various important subjects like "Women Entrepreneurship Development & Gender Equality" and "Entrepreneurship touching People's lives" fourteen budding women entrepreneurs shared their views, experiences and challenges in two panel discussions chaired by Neeta Lulla and Nira Nandi.

Five women entrepreneurs pitched their start-up ideas to an eminent jury panel. The winner and runner-up were awarded a "Golden ticket" chance to go to Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held in Hyderabad.

The event helped in bringing together industry leaders, start-ups, serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors as well as enablers of the innovation ecosystem viz. government, international agencies and industry associations not only from India but across the globe.

The stakeholders deliberated on several aspects related to start-ups such as finance, investment, mentoring and human capital. The event also showcased success stories, social impact and also the gaps to be filled to ensure that women entrepreneurs are successful in fulfilling their dreams and ambitions.

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In the wake of fallout between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the latter on Monday said the grand old party had betrayed them, adding their party would perform better without any alliance.

Speaking to ANI, NCP leader Praful Patel said, "We had a discussion with the Congress regarding the Gujarat elections where we discussed about bringing a change in the state as for the past 22 years, the BJP Government has been ruling and an atmosphere is brewing against them. If we all come together to fight this election, we can overcome the saffron party. But it's disappointing that the Congress neither talked nor discussed anything with anybody before declaring its candidates."

He added that the NCP had been preparing for the Gujarat elections since last year and it was everyone's wish to fight jointly against the BJP.

"We will put our best candidates in the front and I think we will perform tremendously without the Congress. They did what they had to do. Now our party will work for its own welfare," Patel said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said the doors of the Congress were open for everybody, be it the NCP or any other party, but if someone demanded unreasonable things, then that would not be accepted.

"If we leave all the seats, then what would be left? Our Congress leaders are working peacefully and in a calm way. Had the NCP stuck to its own region, it would have succeeded. They should not try to trouble the political environment in Gujarat. They were asking for more parties than their actual position in the region and that was not possible," Gehlot said.

The Congress seems to have managed to anger both the NCP and the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

The list of 77 candidates that the Congress released last evening had 22 Patidar community leaders, including three from the PAAS, and none from the NCP, seeming to have angered both the ally parties.

The BJP, on the other hand, has included 19 Patidar leaders among the 106 candidates it has announced so far.

A clash also broke out between Patel and a police personnel outside the residence of Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

Of the total 182 assembly segments in Gujarat, 89 seats will go to the polls in the first phase to be held on December 9.

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Given the recent withdrawal of the governments of Nepal and Pakistan from two separate projects with China, its direct impact may hamper the financial credibility of the latter, thereby creating a blockage "One Belt and Road" (OBOR) initiative, according to award winning financial journalist Peter Guy.

Guy's column, which appeared in the South China Morning Post, stated that unless China reviews its developmental financing strategy, the need for a sovereign guarantee will persist as the Belt and Road expands. Demanding sovereign guarantees in a non-transparent bidding process only arouses suspicions of corruption, he added.

The analysis goes on to say unless China decides to give away multibillion-dollar power generation systems, it will begin acting like a rational financier and demand sovereign guarantees on power off take agreements to support the loans.

The analysis comes in the wake of the government of Nepal's decision to abandon the USD 2.5 billion deal to build the Budhigandaki Hydroelectric project dam with the Chinese state company, China Gezhouba Group.

Furthermore, last week, Pakistan too decided to back out of the USD 14 billion worth Diamer-Bhasha dam with China, refusing to accept the deal's conditions. The project, however, will go ahead, with Pakistan funding the project, which is estimated to generate 4,500 megawatts (MW) of hydropower.

This adds up to two important projects being cancelled one after another, thereby posing a financial obstacle before China's OBOR plan, both due to unacceptable terms on behalf of China.

To this regard, Guy suggests that for massive power projects, the deals represent a sale of generation equipment as well as infrastructure construction. Developmental bankers say that while many recipient countries will do these deals without a sovereign guarantee, China, as a sovereign has realised that they cannot, he further noted.

The author goes on to suggest that the concept of public tender to finance such projects be put out. This would ensure full transparency of the adequacy, suitability and quality of the Chinese equipment being used.

According to Guy, investment in infrastructure cannot be analysed as investments in the conventional financial sense, as they are not credit by the post second war Marshall Plan or loans, grants made by the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development to war torn European countries, one of the Bank institutions.

Further, he said the deployment of tens of thousands of Chinese workers to install Chinese equipment is a setback to the employment of locals, which leads to significant political fallout.

The former Bank Group officer concluded that the Belt and Road Initiative looks good until each country closely examines what their financial commitment to receive infrastructure.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders, who were working as agents of Congress, have been exposed following their clash over ticket distribution.

PAAS workers, in the late hours of Sunday, protested against Congress Party in Ahmedabad and Surat, expressing dismay over ticket distribution ahead of assembly polls in the state.

Speaking to ANI, Rupani said, "PAAS leaders were working as agents of Congress, and now they have been totally exposed. They were earlier agitating not for the reservation, but to make Congress win in the upcoming election."

Following the release of Congress' list of candidates, which includes only three PAAS candidates, infuriated leaders of the community staged protest.

In Surat, the agitated protestors clashed witch Congress workers, and allegedly vandalised the party's office.

A clash also broke out between Patel and police personnel outside the residence of Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

Patel informed that PAAS members had to wait for hours outside after they were called to Solanki's residence for a meeting.

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The Baloch Organisation (WBO) said the attempts made by Pakistan and London governments to thwart the ongoing #FreeBalochistan campaign will not affect it.

"Despite attempts by the Pakistan Government and Transport for London (TfL) to censor our advertising campaign, the billboard advertising campaign is going ahead on roadsides all over London," a message from #FreeBalochistan billboard campaign read.

The message from the campaign further read: "Raise your voice against human rights abuses in Balochistan."

Earlier this month, the WBO launched an advertising campaign on taxis, buses and billboards in London to highlight Pakistan's war crimes and human rights abuses in Balochistan.

The campaign is underway across London and aims to catch the attention of locals, highlighting Pakistan's war crimes and human rights abuses in occupied Balochistan.

The WBO has repeatedly urged the International community to hold Pakistan accountable for its crimes against humanity in Balochistan including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and torture.

Bhawal Mengal, a member of the WBO who organised the advertisements, said, "Our campaign aims to highlight the situation in Balochistan which has long been concealed".

He added that local journalists are not allowed to report on the situation, the ones that do are either picked up or killed, the International media is not allowed to enter Balochistan.

"So, we believe such campaigns can be very effective in highlighting the situation," Mengal said.

Pakistan has denounced the advertising campaign as "malicious", "anti-Pakistan" and an attack on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Pakistan High Commissioner in London, Syed Ibne Abbas, has called on the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London to order the banning of the adverts.

The UK Ambassador to Pakistan, Thomas Drew, has been summonsed by the Pakistan Government and told that such adverts "should not be allowed."

The WBO maintains that it will continue its campaign peacefully and respectfully, speaking out against human rights violations in Balochistan.

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Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi on Saturday asserted that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will approve the schedule for nomination, after which the process to select the party president will start.

"The schedule for the elections will be approved and according to that, the process will start. The date for which will be announced on Monday," Janardan Dwivedi told ANI.

Explaining the process for the elections, Dwivedi said the CWC approves schedule for the elections, "The Congress Working Committee approves the schedule for the Congress President Elections separately."

On asking what date will Rahul Gandhi be "crowned" as the party president, Dwivedi asserted that using this word would be "wrong" at the moment.

"The date for Congress president elections will be announced, when the nominations will be filed, when the scrutiny will happen and when the date for taking back the names will happen," the Congress leader said.

On speculations that Rahul Gandhi is the only candidate for the post of president, he added that if somehow there is only one name that will be filed for the nomination, then the date will be announced the same day as the name withdrawal.

"And if there is no name then he (Rahul Gandhi) will become the party president," said Dwivedi.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting will be held on Monday at 10.30 am to discuss the schedule of the party president election.

Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the Congress president has been expected for a while now.

Several Congress leaders have directly or indirectly indicated that Rahul would soon take over the party.

Earlier on October 13, Congress President Sonia Gandhi also hinted that Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party chief 'will be done soon'.

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Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday supported the people backing the violent protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed 'Padmavati'.

Speaking to the media, Singh said that people, protesting against the movie, were doing the right thing as distortion of history was not acceptable by anyone.

"Nobody will accept any distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so," he said.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also echoed a similar view and said they would not allow the release of the movie in the state unless its "controversial portions" were removed.

The chief minister also banned the epic drama in the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, extended her support to the film and said that the controversy was a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom of expression.

The chief minister tweeted, "The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."

The movie, starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing flak from various groups, including Shri Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.

Amid the hue and cry, the release of the movie was also deferred. It was earlier slated to release on December 1.

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The Congress announced Party President's election schedule on Monday. It is likely that party vice president Rahul Gandhi will be elected party president unopposed.

The election schedule was announced here at the party's apex body, the Congress Working Committee meeting here, which was addressed by party President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress' Central Election Authority Chairman Mullapalli Ramachandran announced the schedule for the elections.

"Notification for Congress President poll will be issued on December 1 and the nominations can be filed till December 4. The last date for withdrawal is December 11. The voting will be conducted on December 16 and the results will be declared on December 19," Ramachandran said.

According to sources, it is unlikely that any other Congress leader would file nomination for party president's election and Rahul's will be officially declared Congress President on December 11, the last day of withdrawal.

Even, Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi hinted this on Saturday when he told reporters that "If only one nomination is filed, it will be announced on date of withdrawal of nominations that he is the president since there is no other nomination."

Congress Central Election Committee started electoral process in May 2016 that has ended.

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi addressed the CWC meeting and congratulated the Central Election Committee for carrying out huge exercise of with utmost diligence, integrity and impartiality.

"Over the last 18 months, the election process that has concluded in all but six States has elected block presidents, an equal number of delegates, primary units and party members. This has provided an opportunity for the Party to interact with lakhs of workers across the country, starting from the booth level," Sonia said.

She further added that "this reaffirms that the party's roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress Party".

The Congress President also launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for not declaring the dates of Winter Session.

"Modi government in arrogance has cast dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds. The government is mistaken if it thinks by locking temple of democracy, it'll escape constitutional accountability ahead of elections." Sonia said.

She further added that "the Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed GST (Goods and Services Tax) but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament."

She also exhorted party workers to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government is defeated in Gujarat.

The 14th Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, 2017 is scheduled to be held on December 9, 2017 and December 14, 2017.

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Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Monday said the decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making India "Congress Free."

"I welcome the decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the president of the Congress. It will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making 'Congress-mukt Bharat' (Congress Free India)," he told ANI.

The Congress, earlier in the day, announced party president's election schedule. It is likely that party vice president Rahul Gandhi will be elected president unopposed.

The election schedule was announced here at the party's apex body, the Congress Working Committee meeting here, which was addressed by party president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress will issue the poll notification on December 1 and if anyone would want to contend for the succession to the party presidency, he/she will have to file nomination papers by December 4.

The party will scrutinise the nominations on December 5 and allow contender(s), if there any, to withdraw the nomination by December 11.

Election, if there is any contender, would be held on December 16 and results will be announced on December 19.

The Congress said if there is no other contender for the post, the party would announce Rahul's candidature on the last date of scrutiny, i.e. December 5.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has once again extended her helping hand and asked Indian High Commission in Islamabad to grant medical visa to three Pakistani nationals.

Swaraj assured medical visa, after Sadia, a Pakistani woman requested the Minister to grant a visa to her ailing mother to get a liver transplant.

"We will certainly help. I have asked Indian High Commission in Pakistan to issue visa for the liver transplant of your mother. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted.

She also promised to help out two other Pakistani nationals with similar requests.

Earlier in October, Swaraj had granted medical visa to five Pakistani nationals.

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The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board has come up with a proposal wherein they suggested to buid Ram temple at disputed Ayodhya site and the mosque in Lucknow.

Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi said that they have come up with the proposal following discussions with different stakeholders.

"After discussions with different parties we have prepared a proposal in which a Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya and a mosque can be built in Lucknow," he told ANI.

He further said that this solution would ensure peace and brotherhood in the country.

Rizvi along with some Mahantas from Ayodhya will also approach the Supreme Court before December 5 with a solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

He recently met several Mahantas, including Mahanta Dharamdas and Mahanta Sureshdas in Ayodhya, for mutual agreement in the long-standing dispute.

Earlier, the Shia Waqf Board had proposed to the apex court that a temple can be built in Ayodhya and the mosque be located nearby in a Muslim-dominated area.

Various attempts have been made by all the stakeholders till now to resolve the matter amicably but all went in vain.

Earlier, the top court had also suggested that an out-of-court settlement was the best recourse to the dispute.

The apex court will commence the final hearing of the long-standing matter from December 5, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.

The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babar in 1528.

The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque.

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The Holiday season is here and it seems like people are all set to hit the road in record numbers.

According to a report by American Automobile Association (AAA), around 50.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the five-day period, from Wednesday to Sunday, with 89 percent driving, according to Miami Herald.

This is a 3.9 percent increase since 2016 and the highest number overall in 12 years.

Auto travel is expected to jump by 3.2 percent from last Thanksgiving and air travel by five percent.

The report noted that travellers, going by plane, will pay the lowest average round-trip ticket price in five years for the top 40 domestic routes, but the daily car rental is 34 percent higher than last year's figure and the highest Thanksgiving weekend rate since 2013.

Vicky Evans, AAA's assistant vice president of travel sales development, noted, "Thanksgiving kicks off the start of what will likely become the busiest holiday season in more than a decade. A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence. These factors should help fuel consumer spending and generate a strong finish for the travel industry this year."

According to the report, 2017 will be the ninth consecutive year of rising holiday travel.

The auto club said the average price of hotels, rated by AAA as three-diamond, increased by 14 percent to USD 176 a night.

However, the average rate for two-diamond hotels dropped by five percent to USD 117.

Warm-weather locales dominate this year's top 10 Thanksgiving holiday destinations, based on bookings through AAA's website.

The increase in travel by road is expected even though the prices of gas are up over last year.

The airport expects a seven percent hike in departing passengers over the 10-day, period between last Friday and next Sunday, compared to 2016.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has announced that his Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ community for past injustices committed against them.

"On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Canadian prime minister's announcement came at a time when Australia voted in favor of marriage equality, while the Turkish capital Ankara has banned all gay rights functions.

The apology is expected to be the most comprehensive ever offered by any national government for past persecution of sexual minorities.

The Canadian government has already taken other steps to reduce discrimination against sexual and gender minorities, such as passing legislation that bans discrimination against transgender Canadians and equalizing the laws of consent for intercourse.

Earlier in July, Justin Trudeau became the first sitting Prime Minister to march in Halifax Pride parade.

Dressed up in a pink shirt and white pants, the prime minister waved and yelled "Happy Pride!" to thousands of people along the parade route, stopping periodically to take selfies as members of the crowd called out his name.

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Gangster Devpal Rana was killed and two of his associates were injured on Monday when three unknown assailants fired on them inside the court premises in Roorkee.

Two people were arrested in this regard, while one shooter reportedly managed to flee from the spot.

All three of them were rushed to the Roorkee Civil Hospital from where Rana was referred to a Dehradun hospital, but he succumbed to injuries on the way.

The arrested shooters are being interrogated by the police.

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United States President Donald Trump has said that America was yet again designating North Korea as a "state sponsor of terrorism".

Trump announced the move on Monday, during a public meeting with his Cabinet, at the White House, adding the Treasury Department would announce new sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday.

"[This] should have happened a long time ago," CNN quoted Trump, as saying.

North Korea was removed from the list by President George W. Bush in 2008.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said his government would make the state free from crime and corruption.

He made this statement while addressing an election rally for the upcoming local body elections.

The chief minister said the work environment under the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was not conducive.

"Earlier, even when the Mayor was from the BJP, the work environment was not conducive under the SP and the BSP as they used development funds as per their own wishes," Adityanath said.

He also said that the pace of development work under his government had increased manifold.

"In five years, the Samajwadi Party made 29,000 houses for people under government schemes, whereas we made 11 lakh houses in eight months of our government," Adityanath said.

He said that his government was committed to provide electricity in every village and city of the state.

Appealing people to vote for the BJP candidates, the chief minister said majority was necessary for faster development.

"For the overall development, a full majority board is needed," the chief minister said.

The campaigning for the first phase of elections to urban local bodies in Uttar Pradesh ended on Monday evening for districts where polling would be held on November 22. Twenty four districts will go to polls in the first phase.

The polling in the other two phases will be held on November 26 and 29, while counting of votes for all the three phases will be done on December 1.

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The Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday condemned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's tweet about Miss World Manushi Chhillar and said as a politician he should think about public's interest instead of mocking at them.

Speaking to ANI, NCW chairman Rekha Sharma said, "I was thinking of summoning him but he apologised in between. But his apologies are not genuine as he is telling people to chill after making such remarks. He is a politician and he should talk in the interest of people instead of making fun of them".

She added that Chhillar's replies in the pageant were appreciated across the world.

"I would request and suggest him to apologise properly to the nation because he has not hit below the belt only to the girl but the entire nation because she has brought fame and name to the nation. By summoning, I did not mean to book him or go to police but we just want him to realize what he has said was wrong," Sharma said.

She added that many a times Tharoor has put himself in a soup by his tweets.

"Earlier also he had termed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as 'Mango People'. Many people tweeted against him but he is too much into a 'chill' mode and he needs to come out of it," Sharma further said.

Another women activist, Brinda Adige said that Chillar's win in the Miss World's contest is a moment of pride and she has performed admirably.

"The tweet by Tharoor is absolutely humiliating and I am appalled that a politician of this stature and with such academic background, can make such a cheap statement. It shows his sexist and misogynistic mindset. He has humiliated Indian women and whole of India," she added.

Following Chhillar's victory at the Miss World 2017 pageant on Saturday, Tharoor had tweeted, "What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!"

However, the tweet backfired on Tharoor, when Twitteratis slammed him for comparing Manushi's surname to 'loose change'.

In another tweet, Tharoor issued an apology, saying, "Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!.

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The Chairperson of Kerala Women Commission was again denied permission on Monday to meet Hadiya, whose marriage to a Muslim man set off a legal war - famously known as Kerala 'Love Jihad' case.

Hadiya's father had not allowed MC Josephine to meet her last week too.

The chairperson had visited to ensure Hadiya's safety during the journey to Delhi to be presented before the Supreme Court on November 27, the next date of hearing in the case.

The state women commission has now sought a report from the district police chief regarding her travel arrangements and safety measures.

24-year-old Hadiya is currently living with her parents here, who have alleged that her marriage to a Muslim man is a case of 'love jihad'.

The case is under consideration of the Supreme Court now, which had ordered the NIA investigation into it.

Hadiya's husband, Shafin Jahan, on September 16 filed a plea in the Supreme Court and requested to call off the NIA probe, alleging that the investigation agency "is not being fair".

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Robert Mugabe has passed a deadline set by ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) to resign as the country's President.

Mugabe is now likely to face impeachment proceedings in the Parliament, as per the terms set by the ruling party.

As per a CNN report, the autocrat had agreed to terms for his exit and that a letter had been drafted.

However, the 93-year-old Mugabe disregarded expectations to end his 37-year rule when he ended the televised statement without resignation on Sunday night.

Mugabe, in his first television appearance since the military intervention, did not announce his resignation instead said the country needed to "return to normalcy".

President Mugabe has been asked to step down from presidency following a de facto military coup.

The ruling ZANU-PF had set Monday noon as the deadline for Mugabe, failing which he was supposed to face impeachment proceedings in the Parliament.

Mugabe has already been voted out from the party and replaced with recently dismissed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as new party leader.

Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace has also been booted out from the party over accusations of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office."

The controversial first lady used to be her husband's secretary as well.

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The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) signed a MOU with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Health Technology Accelerated Commercialization (H:TAC) Program. H:TAC will be implemented in partnership with the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

Under the program, FICCI and IC2 Institute will commercialize technologies developed by ICMR labs for the benefit of communities at large.

The program will leverage the expertise and technical knowledge of ICMR scientists who have developed much needed affordable healthcare technologies. The program will ensure market access for the already developed technologies of ICMR labs and it would accelerate the availability of advanced diagnosis, treatment, prevention and healthcare delivery, benefitting the health and welfare of every Indian citizen.

H:TAC will also build capacities for ICMR scientists by providing them training on technology commercialization strategies and giving them an exposure on global best practices on innovation and commercialization. The program will take innovations from ICMR labs to not only Indian markets but global markets by providing handholding and business development support to ICMR scientists.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

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At least 15 people died and five others injured in a stampede during distribution of food aid in Morocco's southern province of Essaouira, a media report said.

The stampede, which took place in the village of Sidi Boulalam, occurred when local people rushed to get food, Xinhua news agency quoted Moroccan state TV channel 2M as reporting. Most of the victims were women and elderly people.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI had given direct orders to support families of the victims, the Interior Ministry said.

Distributions of food aid are common in the North African nation, especially in remote areas. The activities are organised by private sponsors as well as by the authorities.

--IANS

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Actor Nedumudi Venu has had a long and eventful association with the Malayalam film industry, that saw him acting in 500 films over 40 years. To honour the 69-year-old "gentleman" film actor, a cultural night will be hosted here on November 26.

Leading film producer Suresh Kumar told media on Monday that apart from a public meeting to honour Venu, there will be a special cultural and musical programme based on some of the characters Venu had played.

The programme will be organised by the Trivandrum Film Fraternity along with the Kerala government and the Vayalar Ramavarma Cultural organisation.

"One of the biggest reasons for his success and his 500 films is because he came from the theatre and has excelled in each and every role that he has played," said Kumar.

Venu, who hails from water-locked Nedumudi in Alappuzha, came to the state capital more than four decades back and starting his career as a journalist.

It was his association with popular playwright, theatre director, poet and lyricist Kavalam Narayana Panicker, that made his entry into Malayalam films easy.

After donning the greasepaint in "Thampu" (1978) by director G. Aravindan, Venu's journey began in the film industry. He has since played numerous roles that have been etched in the minds of many.

Among his hugely popular roles are ones in films like "Thakara", "Chamaram", "Kallan Pavithran", "Vida Parayum Munpe", "Panchavadi Palam" and has been a live wire in many a films directed by Priyadarshan.

A multi-faceted personality, Venu is a good mridangam player and besides scripting films, he has also directed one.

A hugely popular person on film sets, Venu is known for his mild manners and his unassuming personality has helped him in having a wide circle of friends both from the film industry and outside.

--IANS

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Actress Deepika Padukone, who is at the centre of a row over "Padmavati", has pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), that will have US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the inauguration on November 28.

A senior official of Telangana government said on Monday that Deepika has withdrawn her name from the event.

She had earlier confirmed her participation, the official said.

He, however, said the reason for her pulling out of the event is not known.

The actress was one of the speakers at a session on 'Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood: The Path to Moviemaking'.

The Nigerian film industry is popularly referred as Nollywood.

Deepika's move comes amid a raging row over "Padmavati", which was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Protest by Rajput groups forced the producer to defer the release.

Some leaders of BJP and right-wing groups have threatened the actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Few have even announced rewards for killing them.

Being co-hosted by the US and India, the GES, with the theme 'Women First, Prosperity for All', will bring together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters from around the world for two-and-a-half days of training and mentoring.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session on November 28.

--IANS

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Cairo, Nov 20 (IANS/WAM) The Arab Foreign Ministers have condemned the continuation of the Iranian occupation of the three UAE islands -- Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa -- in a resolution at the end of an emergency meeting here to discuss Tehran's intervention in the Arab countries' affairs.

The resolution on Sunday expressed support for peaceful measures and means the United Arab Emirates may take to restore sovereignty over its occupied islands as per international law.

The emergency Arab Foreign Ministers' meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention.

The ministers also condemned Iran's continuing aggression and intervention in the Arab countries which they said fed sectarian conflicts.

--IANS/WAM

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Cutting across party lines, politicians in West Bengal on Monday paid glowing tributes to veteran Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi who passed away earlier in the day in New Delhi.

Condolences poured in from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior Ministers like Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee, and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.

Former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dasmunsi, who was in coma since 2008, died on Monday at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, doctors said. He was 72.

"I feel as if I have been orphaned. It is painful to think that he is no more. He was my political friend, philosopher, and guide. I used to reach out to him both for political reasons as also personal. Everyone addressed us as Priya-Subrata," Mukherjee said.

Recalling Dasmunshi's role in students' politics, West Bengal Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said: "We are extremely saddened by the demise of Dasmunshi... he used to teach us dos and dont's. In order to honour him, we would appeal to the Speaker to adjourn the Assembly session on Tuesday after 12 noon, so that members of the Assembly can attend his last rites."

Rajya Sabha MP and former Bengal Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya recalled Dasmunsi's qualities.

"He never used to be stressed or overwhelmed when the party was in a crisis. He was such a powerful speaker that everyone would believe everything he said. We have had debates, but never fights. The Bengal Congress' decline started the day he fell ill," Bhattacharya said, adding that the Congress in Bengal was incomplete without him.

State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Dasmunsi was a national asset.

"His demise is the country's loss. We have decided that our party flags will be flown at half mast for three days," Chowdhury said.

"His debates were based on logic and data and that era has ended with his demise," said Communist Party of India-Marxist MP and politburo member Mohammed Salim.

Expressing grief over Dasmunsi's death, CPI-M State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also said he had "immense contribution" to Parliamentary democracy.

--IANS

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A rights group on Monday asked the Chinese government to stop building big data policing platforms to store personal information of its population, calling it a violation of privacy rights.

The Human Rights Watch's statement said the "Police Cloud" was designed to track and predict the activities of activists, dissidents and ethnic minorities, and does not comply with international privacy standards, reports Efe news.

"It is frightening that Chinese authorities are collecting and centralizing ever more information about hundreds of millions of ordinary people, identifying persons who deviate from what they determine to be 'normal thought,' and then surveilling them," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.

The Chinese government, according to the HRW, has stored citizens' information for years, and is now exploring new technologies to gather personal information more efficiently, and to share it across departments at both the national and local levels.

Various applications used to analyse texts, videos and security camera images in real time or near real time are aimed at suppressing crimes, however, the HRW said these methods also allow police to arbitrarily obtain information about ordinary people.

International privacy standards require the collection, retention, and use of the personal data of individuals for policing purposes be allowed only if there was a genuine threat to a public interest; the laws in China did not meet these requirements, said the HRW.

"Preventing crime is a legitimate state interest, but predictive tools often point to the same old patterns, making it likely for policing to replicate old mistakes or biases such as targeting of people of lower socio-economic status.

"This throws into doubt whether the use of these predictive tools adds much new, and whether they are either a necessary or proportionate intrusion on the rights of individuals," the HRW added.

--IANS

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In more trouble for "Padmavati", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the film will not be released in his state even if it clears the Censor Board, while his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh backed the Rajput community for objecting to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama that is mired in controversy.

While Chouhan announced in Bhopal at an event that the film has "distorted history" and thus cannot be allowed for "release" in his state, the Punjab Chief Minister said it was the right of Rajput people to protest as the film is a "distortion of history which no one will accept".

"If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji, then that movie cannot be allowed to release in the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

"And I am saying this because people of the country and Madhya Pradesh cannot accept disrespect of their pride," the BJP leader added.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

His comment followed a meeting he had with representatives of the Rajput community on Monday morning.

Amarinder Singh, in his comments said: "Anything that is historical event... no one will object. But here they are distorting history," Singh told reporters.

"I have also gone to Chittor and returned and seen all things there... So, this is distortion of history and no one will accept it."

"And if communities are objecting to it then it is their right to object," the Punjab Chief Minister added.

The comments come a day after the release of "Padmavati" was "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, had said the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed".

Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that "Padmavati" is not released without necessary changes.

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Some Hindu groups, mainly the Karni Sena of Rajasthan, have been vigorously protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

"Padmavati" features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

--IANS

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Amid controversy about the ownership of Biswa Bangla logo, some miscreants allegedly put coal tar on it and also on photographs of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, printed on banners along both sides of the VIP road in the northeastern outskirts of the city.

"Some unknown persons put coal tar on the Biswa Bangla logo and on the photographs of the Chief Minister printed on the banners. These were placed along both sides of VIP road," South Dum Dum Municipali ty Chairman Panchu Gopal Roy said.

He accused the BJP of indulging in the "unlawful and uncivilised act" and said the Trinamool Congress "hates this kind of politics".

"We lodged a complaint with the Lake Town police station and police assured us action would be taken after reviewing the CCTV footage," Roy said, adding the local municipality has already planned to replace the existing banners with new ones within 48 hours.

Recently, BJP's new entrant Mukul Roy had alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "Biswa Bangla" logo and the Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation were owned by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Subsequently, state government refuted his allegations and said Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation was owned by the government.

Denying all the allegations, Trinamool Congress MP and party's yout h wing Chief served legal notice to Roy.

Roy, too, replied to Banerjee's legal notice.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COMIO India, part of Chinese firm Topwise Communication, on Monday launched three handsets in the Rs 6,000-Rs 10,000 price segment in India.

The COMIO C1, C2 and S1 devices are priced at Rs 5,999, Rs 7,199 and Rs 8,999 respectively.

COMIO has a data tie-up with Reliance Jio which offers packages with additional data benefits.

"Within a short time span since our national launch, we have come back to our consumers with 'Made in India' smartphones. This is in-line with our long-term vision for the Indian market and a step closer in achieving our goal of becoming leaders in the mid-segment smartphone category," said Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, CEO and Director, COMIO India.

All the three devices run on a Quad-core 64 bit Mediatek chipset, has 32GB internal memory and are 4G VoLTE-enabled.

The COMIO C1 has 5-inch HD IPS display and 8MP autofocus with flash rear camera with 5MP selfie camera.

The COMIO C2 handset comes with a powerful battery, a 12.7 cm (5) HD IPS Display, has 8MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera with flash. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

The COMIO S1 houses 13MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera. It is paired with a 5.2-inch HD IPS display, front fingerprint sensor, 2GB RAM and a 2700mAh battery.

One of the interesting feature in the smartphones is when someone tries to unlock the device by trying to break the pattern or PIN, the device will automatically take the image of the unauthorised person.

Topwise Communication, known for specialisation in R&D and manufacturing, have deputed engineers from China to train and monitor the assembly process at the manufacturing facilities in the country to match their global standards.

COMIO India aims to manufacture nearly one million devices over the next six months through its contract manufacturers -- V-Sun and Hipad Technology.

The company also plans to strengthen brand presence with a network of 30,000 retailers, 800 distributors and over 800 after-sales touch points.

The smartphones are available at retail stores in north and west India and online platforms.

--IANS

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A Panaji special anti-corruption court on Monday granted interim relief to former Chief Minister and Congress MLA Digambar Kamat, who is embroiled in an illegal mining case.

The court, while granting Kamat interim relief, also set the next hearing for his anticipatory bail application for November 27.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Goa Police, which is probing the illegal mining case, has also been directed to file a reply by November 27.

Kamat, who is one of the key accused in a multi-crore illegal mining case, had filed for anticipatory bail before a special anti-corruption court in Panaji on Saturday.

Kamat, along with then Principal Secretary Mines Rajiv Yaduvanshi and several other bureaucrats, is accused of allowing mining companies to fraudulently avail of the "condonation of delay" clause to renew their iron ore mining leases.

Yaduvanshi, who is currently Health Secretary in the Delhi government, turned state approver on Saturday, which has added an edge to the police efforts to nab Kamat. A police team had raided Kamat's residence in Margao in a bid to arrest him, but the Congress leader could not be traced.

The former Chief Minister, who is currently a sitting Congress MLA from the Margao assembly constituency, has also served as a minister in a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government in the early 2000s.

State Congress chief Shantaram Naik on Monday told IANS that condonation of delay is a quasi-judicial function of a government minister and police were targeting Kamat because he was a Congress leader.

"A minister has the power to pass a quasi-judicial order. Even if you consider that it is an erroneous order, why you hold him to be a criminal, unless there are other things which I am not aware of?" Naik said.

--IANS

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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday began a meeting here to chart out a schedule for the election of the Congress President which will see the elevation of Vice President Rahul Gandhi to the party's top post.

The meeting was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, P. Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushilkumar Shinde and Karan Singh.

The CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, will decide on the dates for filing of nominations and the election.

On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files against Rahul Gandhi, then he will be declared President unopposed.

The party has time till December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.

The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.

--IANS

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Spain's Ambassador to Argentina, Javier Sandomingo, has confirmed that efforts are underway to repatriate Spanish Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza's body to Madrid early this week on a regular commercial flight.

"At present, we don't have all the procedures finalized, but we think that that is what's possible and foreseeable," Efe news quoted the diplomat as saying on Sunday.

The idea is for the transfer of the body to be accomplished via a direct flight on a regular airline, departing on Monday at 1:30 p.m. local Argentine time, he added.

In remarks to reporters at his official residence, the ambassador ruled out that the body could be repatriated on Sunday despite the fact that the Argentine government had earlier said that it was working to do that.

"There is a series of earlier efforts ... but, as always, the death must be entered into the corresponding registers. That began yesterday, but the decision about the manner of transport of the remains is obviously up to the family," Sandomingo said.

The family of Maza, who died on Saturday in Buenos Aires from an acute kidney infection, was awaiting the arrival in the Argentine capital of his son to make a definitive decision about repatriating the body.

On Sunday morning, Maza's son went to the Buenos Aires hospital where his father had received medical care in recent days, but he left shortly thereafter in the company of several other people close to the matter.

Sandomingo said that Maza's remains are already at the funeral home that will handle them, given that no autopsy will be performed.

"When someone dies from natural causes, and in a hospital, it's not necessary," the diplomat said.

"There is no need for a government plane. Here there are five or six flights every day. If there were a flight every three days, it would be another thing, but (we have) normal flights with sufficient frequency ... and it's normal to use those flights."

In Madrid, officials at the Diplomatic Information Office confirmed that Maza's remains will arrive in Spain on Tuesday morning.

The 66-year-old AG died suddenly, apparently as a result of an acute kidney infection, at the Basterrica Hospital in Buenos Aires, where he had been admitted upon feeling ill while following an intense official agenda this past week.

--IANS

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said exposure of personal data "in the name of Aadhaar linking" is "very dangerous" for the freedom of expression of the country.

"I am in favour of a unique card (identification). There cant be different cards for a person. But in the name of Aadhar card... in the modern age... the way in which details are being exposed on websites... this is very dangerous for freedom of expression, the society, for the individual and the country.

"All the skeletons (in the cupboard) are being exposed. Why did they do this I don't know," she said in response to a query based on media reports that claimed "210 government sites made Aadhaar information public."

"Some people feel happy even after doing wrong things," Banerjee added.

--IANS

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Thousands of farmers from across the country held a protest march here on Monday and organised a 'Kisan Mukti Sansad' or mock Parliament session to present two bills on crop loans waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce.

The protest march organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) -- an umbrella body of 184 farmers organisations -- started from the Ramlila Maidan and ended on Parliament Street near Jantar Mantar.

"We want Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to visit the Kisan Sansad and hold discussion with farmers," Kirankumar Vissa, a farmer activist from Telangana, said, The bills will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

All members in the mock session were women, who spoke about their sufferings due to the "wrong and anti-farmer policies" of the government.

Lok Sabha member and farmer leader Raju Shetti tabled the bills, which were then discussed.

"We will pass these bills in the evening after discussions," Shetti said.

Social activist Medha Patkar was designated house Speaker during the mock session.

Criticising the NDA government for "failing" to fulfil its promise of 50 per cent profit over crop production cost, the farmers warned it of repercussions during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Pooja More, a farmer from Maharashtra, said thousands of farmers had committed suicide as the government had no concern for them.

"There are leaders who make tall claims, but do nothing. The current system is not beneficial to farmers."

Prabhavati from Karnataka's Bidar said her brother committed suicide as crop prices fell drastically.

"We grow pulses, grains, and sugar cane on our 10 acres. Despite good yield, we could not even recover the production cost. So, my brother committed suicide," she said.

Many farmers said they were under tremendous financial burden due to the fall in prices and lack of government help.

--IANS

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The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah has said that the group will withdraw its fighters from Iraq once the Islamic State terror organisation has been completely eradicated.

IS has already lost practically all the territory it conquered in Iraq and in Syria, though it retains a presence in both countries, Efe news reported.

Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech aired on Al-Manar television that since the rise of IS, Hezbollah has cooperated with the Iraqi authorities by sending combatants and trainers.

"We believe that the mission has been accomplished, while we await the Iraqi announcement of the final victory, then we will take the necessary steps concerning the Hezbollah leaders and cadres present in Iraq."

IS, which controlled nearly a third of Iraq in 2014, now occupies only a few locations in the country's western desert along the border with Syria.

On Friday, Iraqi forces announced the liberation of the western town of Rawa, the last remaining major IS stronghold in the country.

"Liberating al-Boukamal (in eastern Syria) is a big achievement and the importance of al-Boukamal is that it is a border city and at the Qaim border crossing, thus the connection of Syria and Iraq has been achieved," Nasrallah said.

"This victory and this achievement fortifies the unity of Syria. After the battles of Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Mayadin, the end comes in al-Boukamal, to say that the project of dividing Syria has failed."

He also directly accused the US of financially supporting IS and of not wanting the terrorists to withdraw from al-Boukamal.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Shahid Kapoor, one of the three lead actors of "Padmavati", on Monday said he is confident that the historical drama will release and will be as loved and celebrated as his "Udta Punjab".

Shahid spoke on the sidelines of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here. He said stopping the release of the film would set a precedent which he would not be "proud" of, adding that he had to suffer a similar ordeal with his earlier film "Udta Punjab".

"It will be a precedent which I am not proud of if the film finds it difficult to release. I believe that the film will release. I believe that this process is difficult and like I said, I went through a similar process with Udta Punjab. I eventually saw the film come out and I eventually saw the film loved and celebrated," Shahid said.

"So till I am disappointed, I will choose to be optimistic, because this has happened in the past. And I did see 'Udta Punjab' released. It was released all over the country.

"It released peacefully and it was seen by any and everybody and the people whom the film was about, the state of Punjab, their reaction was so beautiful when they saw the film. And I really think it will be similar for 'Padmavati'," said the actor, adding that the threats to physically injure filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the movie's lead actress Deepika Padukone were shameful.

"Padmavati", on the valour of Rajput queen Padmavati, is in the eye of a storm following protests from conservative groups.

"Any kind of conversation which is violent in nature is not very nice, is not in good taste and it is absolutely uncalled for an unfortunate," Shahid said.

"I believe in the process of certification and I am very confident that eventually 'Padmavati' will come out and it will come out in full force. I don't think there is anything in the film that is you know unacceptable or that is not in good taste. I think our constitution says you are innocent until proven guilty," he added.

In the film, Shahid plays Rawal Ratan Singh, husband to Rani Padmavati's character essayed by Deepika. Actor Ranveer Singh plays Alauddin Khilji.

"Padmavati" is yet to get a certificate from the censor board.

--IANS

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Indian and Myanmar armies began their maiden joint exercise in the northeastern state of Meghalaya on Monday, an army official said.

A total of 15 officers from the Myanmar Army and 16 from the Indian Army are taking part in the six-day India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX), which is slated to last until Saturday.

General Officer Commanding, Red Horns Division, Major General P.S. Behl welcomed the Myanmar and Indian army contingents at the newly-inaugurated state-of-the-art Joint Training Node at Umroi Cantonment, about 25 km from Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya.

"The basic aim of the exercise is to learn bilaterally from both nations. India is a major contributor to peace keeping and we have much varied experience in different peace-keeping operations," Behl told journalists.

Noting that India and Myanmar had very good relations and the Myanmar Army and the Indian Army are the best of friends, the army officer said: "We are sure, with our experience and our infrastructure over here, we shall be able to impart adequate knowledge to them and prepare them for future peace-keeping operations."

Brigadier S. Murugesan, who is leading the Indian delegation, said the exercise had been specially designed by the Indian Peace Keeping Centre, known as the Centre for UN Peace Keeping, New Delhi.

"The aim of the exercise is to train the Myanmar Army to participate in UN operations either as individuals or as members of the contingent. I hope this joint training exercise will further strengthen our defence cooperation and bilateral relations," he said.

The training curriculum will equip the participants of the Myanmar Army with the requisite knowledge and skills to meet the evolving challenges of peacekeeping operations in accordance with principles, policies and guidelines of the United Nations.

On the other hand, Colonel Aung Kyaw Htun, who is leading the Myanmarese contingent, said the joint military exercise would benefit their army.

"This is the first India-Myanmar military exercise. We will learn more from them (Indian Army) and we hope to have similar exercise with our friends from the Indian Army in Myanmar," Htun, who also heads the Department of Strategic Studies of the Myanmar Army, said.

Indian and Bangladesh armies successfully conducted Exercise SAMPRITI at Umroi Joint Training Node on November 11.

--IANS

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Local newspapers in Manipur hit the stands on Monday with their editorial columns blank -- in protest against the burning of some copies of the "Poknapham", a Manipuri language newspaper, by BJP youth activists on Saturday.

On its Saturday edition, the newspaper carried a regular satire column casting aspersions on the BJP, one of the ruling parties in Manipur, over the question of territorial integrity in the light of the imminent implementation of the framework agreement that was signed between the Centre and the armed Naga group, the NSCN-IM on August 3. Both parties are refusing to disclose the details of the agreement.

Miffed over the satirical write-up, some Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists burned copies of the newspaper in the party office.

The President of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union, Wangkhemcha Shyamjai said, "There is a system in Manipur over such issues. The aggrieved party should hold talks with the publisher and editor of a particular publication to thrash out the differences. The party could go to a law court if its grievances are not settled. The burning of the newspaper copies is unacceptable".

P. Labango Mangang, editor of 'Kangla Pao', told IANS that as a mark of protest all editors were requested not to publish editorials on Monday.

There is no statement from the BJYM as yet over the incident of burning of the newspaper copies, which is regarded as an "infringement of the right to freedom of expression".

--IANS

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North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho will visit Cuba on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and other important topics, government officials confirmed here.

Ri will arrive on Monday afternoon in the Cuban capital, reports Xinhua news agency.

During his visit, he will meet with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, and participate in a series of other activities.

The visit comes at a time when both countries' ties with the US were once again strained.

American President Donald Trump has continued to threaten Pyongyang with sanctions and even possible military actions due to the latter's missiles tests, and the US withdrew more than half of its staff from its embassy in Cuba over an alleged sonic attack and also expelled 15 Cuban diplomats who worked in Washington in September.

Cuba and North Korea have maintained sound political and economic relations since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1960.

--IANS

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Sahitya Akademi awardee Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen has been declared winner of the Big Little Book Award this year in the "Author in Bengali Language" category for her contribution to the children's literature.

The award, given out by Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to recognise and honour authors and illustrators of children's literature, focused on the writers in Bengali language in its second edition.

Sen, an eminent Bengali poet and novelist, who has written for children as well as adults, expressed her pleasure in receiving the award and stressed on importance of re-igniting children's imagination with books in today's world driven by technology.

"In today's world, books are fighting for children's attention. Technology and other recreational activities like music are taking precedence over a more conventional form, i.e. reading. It's important to re-ignite children's imaginations with books, and encourage more publishers to invest their time and energies towards children's literature," she said.

Chennai-based illustrator Proiti Roy, known for her works in various children's books across languages, received the award in the illustrator category.

The oraganisers of the initiative said the award focused on Bengali literature this year as it has a rich history as well as remarkable contemporary works in recent years.

--IANS

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the murder of Kanpur-based retired junior high school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla, who was killed by unidentified persons last year, an official said on Monday.

The anti-terror agency filed an FIR on Sunday and took over the case from the Uttar Pradesh Police following the Home Ministry's November 17 order, almost a year after the murder.

The agency re-registered the case which was earlier registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 24, 2016 under sections of murder of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Shukla, a retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed on October 24, 2016 by unidentified persons at around 12.30 p.m near village Piwadi in Kanpur while returning home on a bicycle.

The state government had also recommended the NIA probe after it emerged that Shukla might have been killed by four accused in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast case.

An NIA official confirmed the registration of FIR at the agency's Lucknow unit and said the train blast accused had admitted to their involvement in the murder.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Atif Muzaffar and Mohammad Danish, after Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast earlier this year. Their associate Faisal Khan was with them at the time of murder.

Muzaffar, according to police, told them that Danish, Faisal and he were testing a .30 calibre pistol when they accidentally fired a bullet that hit Shukla.

A ballistic test report later corroborated this evidence, police had said. The NIA, which investigated the train blast, chargesheeted Muzaffar and Danish and also alleged that Muzaffar and Danish had killed Shukla.

--IANs

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nokia on Monday announced the launch of a cluster development programme which will digitally empower the weaver community and connect them to technology and the marketplace in the villages of Tamil Nadu.

The programme titled "KanchiLoom" and to be implemented in partnership with Delhi-based non-profit Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), will provide training and easy access to internet and wireless connectivity to 5,000 community members, including 500 weavers of three villages in Kanchipuram.

The project will enable weavers to embrace new technologies, designs, and scale-up traditional weaving methods by employing Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools and digital connectivity for marketing and sales.

"We strongly believe that digital inclusion is an important pillar for socio-economic growth. Our collaboration and support for social development programs focus on the use of technology to enable equal access to opportunities in education and training for all sections of society," Amit Marwah, head of Customer Marketing and Communications for Nokia India, said in a statement on Monday.

"The KanchiLoom project is one such endeavour to assist the weavers and entrepreneurs in the cluster to hone their skills and to use digital knowledge and connectivity to realise their full potential," Marwah added.

As part of the initiative, an e-commerce portal will also be established to promote greater self-reliance amongst weavers through direct market access, the report said.

"We believe that KanchiLoom programme will truly transform the lives of the weavers by providing them with training and access to the internet and wireless connectivity," said Osama Manzar, Founder-Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation.

"The entrepreneurs in the region will further benefit from the e-commerce portal and specific entrepreneurship training provided as part of the initiative. The programme will help the community to learn about new opportunities and growth areas," Manzar added.

--IANS

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Over 5,000 delegates from around the world, including the Who's Who of the Information Technology industry, are expected to participate in the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) here next February.

This is for the first time that India is hosting the prestigious event, which will bring together businesses, government, regulatory bodies and academia to discuss the future and the direction in which the global IT industry is heading.

With the theme 'amplify digital', WCIT will be held parallel to India Leadership Forum (NILF), the annual leadership event of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), the apex body of Indian IT industry.

This is the first time that NASSCOM will be holding its flagship event outside Mumbai.

NASSCOM's core committee held its meeting here on Monday to discuss the arrangements for the WCIT and NILF, scheduled to be held from February 18 to 21.

C.P. Gurnani, CEO and Managing Director, Tech Mahindra, told reporters that NASSCOM will spend $3 million for organising the event at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

The Telangana government has paid Rs 5 crore as royalty fee to WCIT to get the event.

WCIT is the apex organisation of IT industry associations of 80 countries.

Gurnani said about 20 Fortune A500 CEOs, 100 CXOs from various parts of world and more than 10 ministers from various countries were expected to participate in the World Congress, which will have 150 sessions.

The Congress will discuss discus technological disruptions, their impact on all verticals, the challenges faced by the world, the skill requirements and also whether the disruption will create more jobs or take away the jobs.

B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, founder and Executive Chairman, Cyient, said there would also be discussion on the how the Indian IT industry will response to technology changes.

Jayesh Ranjan, secretary, IT, Government of Telangana said as the countries would share their experiences and the best practices, the state would get the opportunity to learn from them.

--IANS

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In yet another blow to the makers of historical period drama "Padmavati", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that a film that "distorts history" and was "against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji" would not be allowed to be screened in the state.

"If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother, Padmavatiji', then that movie cannot be allowed for release in Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said while addressing members of the Rajput community here at his residence.

"And I am saying this because people of the country and Madhya Pradesh cannot accept disrespect of its pride," the BJP leader added.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

Chouhan's remarks came soon after he met a delegation of Rajput community members, who had gone to meet him demanding ban on the release of the movie in the state.

On Sunday, the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama "Padmavati" was "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1, 2017.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said that the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed".

Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that "Padmavati" is not released without necessary changes.

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Some Hindu groups, mainly of the Rajput community, have been protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The makers have also not got a clearance yet from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which said the application from the makers was "incomplete".

"Padmavati" features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

--IANS

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Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday said that 'Padmavati' will not be released in Rajasthan till necessary changes as per the suggestions given to the Centre were incorporated in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie.

Earlier in the day, the state Home Minister said the state is considering a ban on the movie within the state as per the legal framework and is seeking legal advice.

Raje, in a letter to Union information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday, had sought "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".

The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large.

Raje said maintaining law and order in Rajasthan was the highest priority and it will be maintained at all cost.

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan's Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that the Rajasthan government is considering a ban on 'Padmavati' movie within the legal framework and is seeking legal advice on the issue.

He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.

"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.

"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the Minister said.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has been protesting against the movie for the last few months and now wants a ban on "Padmavati".

--IANS

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Two vessels of the Pakistani Navy berthed at Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday for a friendly visit, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Pakistani vessels, a frigate and a sail training ship, docked for a five-day visit that will also include joint military exercises, Commander of Iran's First Naval Zone Admiral Hossein Azad was quoted as saying.

The commander of the Pakistani vessels, Captain Khalid Pervez, said his forces convey the message of peace and friendship, and seek to exchange experiences with the Iranian Navy.

He hailed the navies of Iran and Pakistan as two of the most powerful in the region, expressing the hope that such visits would strengthen ties between the two neighbors.

According to the report, Iranian and Pakistani naval groups have made several reciprocal visits in recent years. They have also staged a number of joint military war games in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

In March, a Pakistani flotilla comprising navy ships Tippu Sultan and PNS Jurrat and a chopper visited Iran and participated in a joint drill with Iranian forces at the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

--IANS

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Over 200 big and small Rajput organisations staged protests and demanded a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film "Padmavati" here on Monday.

"Thousands of Rajputs have come from different parts of Maharashtra and other places to demand a ban on the film. The protests will continue till the community's demands are met," said Raj Purohit, the organiser and national President of "Bharatiya Itihas & Sanskriti Rakshak Manch and Rashtriya 36 Kaum Ekta Parishad".

"Several speakers demanded that the film must be shown to the community members which is opposing it on certain grounds. Instead, Bhansali thought it fit to show it to a handful of mediapersons which has upset even the Censor Board," Purohit told IANS.

Some of the leaders who spoke at the meeting included Karni Sena founder-chief Lokendrasingh Kalvi and present president Sukhdeo Singh Gogakhedi, Maharashtra Minister Jaikumar Raval, North Indian community leader R.U. Singh, legislator Ram Kadam and many others.

Kalvi said that Madhya Pradesh has already banned the film, now a similar ban must be ordered all over India as it's a slur on the community and historical facts.

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Mumbai Ram Kadam, who questioned why the film was screened before obtaining Censor Board clearance, questioned the expertise of some of the mediapersons who have been praising it and trying to create a confusion.

Kadam, who heads one of the unions in the film industry, warned that in future, Bhansali would be boycotted and not allowed to make a single film if he took the community for granted.

Kalvi said that in the past, Bhansali had given a written commitment to the Rajput community that he would first show it to them before its release for the general audiences, but he has gone back on his word.

Purohit called upon Bhansali to invite the aggrieved Rajput community members for a special screening, consider their opinions before going ahead with the release.

"The manner in which the revered Rajput Queen Padmavati is shown dancing is an insult to her and the community as a whole. Till the community's demands are not met, it will continue protests all over the country against 'Padmavati'," Purohit said.

Rajput Satya Gaurav Trust President Batuksinh Waghela said the community is firm that "unless all the objectionable content is deleted from the film, it would not permit its release under any circumstances" anywhere in the country.

During the three-hour protests, thousands of participating community members raised slogans condemning the film and Bhansali, raising full-throated demands for banning it and protecting Rajput pride.

--IANS

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The Rajasthan government is considering a ban on 'Padmavati' movie within the legal framework and seeking legal advice on the issue, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday.

He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.

"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.

"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the Minister said.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday wrote to the Centre to seek "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".

In the letter, she also requested the Central Board of Film Certification to consider all possible outcomes of the controversy and its effect before certifying the film.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has been protesting against the movie for the last few months and now they want a ban on 'Padmavati'.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom for the admission of his daughter to Cambridge University.

Karti Chidambaram had sought the court's permission to visit Cambridge on December 1, assuring that he will come back on December 10.

The apex court directed Karti Chidambaram to file an undertaking within three days on his flight details and that he will come back by December 10.

"Needless to say, if the undertaking is not complied with, the first respondent (Karti Chidambram) shall face such consequences as may be deemed fit and proper," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said.

The court also said that upon his return to India, "he shall file an affidavit with regard to grant or non-grant of admission" before this the apex court.

Earlier, as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation, sought to put Karti Chidambram under strict conditions for his visit abroad, senior counsel Kapil Sibal pointed out that his client (Karti) had returned voluntarily the last time he went abroad and was not a common criminal.

Mehta said it was their experience that whoever did not return after getting permission to go abroad was not a common criminal.

The court order came after the CBI, investigating his alleged role in facilitating the 2007 Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance for INX Media Ltd when his father was the Union Finance Minister, put up certain conditions to be imposed if the court permitted Karti to go abroad.

Pointing out that the Monday's order on permission to travel abroad was passed after the CBI's consent, the court said it will in no way "reflect upon the legality or otherwise of the lookout circular" and without prejudice to the contentions to be advanced by both the parties when the case is heard.

The court said the order should not be cited before any court of law to "further any kind of cause that will hinder the investigation or anything else".

The court directed for further hearing in the third week of January 2018.

--IANS

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The Argentine Navy continues to coordinate with international allies in the search for its submarine, a media report said.

The submarine disappeared last Wednesday along the country's Atlantic coast with 44 crewmen on board.

Helping to search for the ARA San Juan are Chile, Brazil, the US, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Uruguay and Peru, although other countries have offered their cooperation in the search and rescue operation, Argentine Defence Minister Oscar Aguad confirmed on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The last time the submarine reported was on Wednesday morning and when it continually missed the deadline for establishing communications again the search was launched on Thursday morning and is still underway.

The US Southern Command on Sunday sent a second aircraft to assist in the operation, a P-8A Poseidon with a crew of 21 from Jacksonville, Florida, which is expected to arrive in Argentina in the coming hours.

The Southern Command earlier had sent a P-3 surveillance plane belonging to NASA.

The German-built diesel-powered vessel set sail on Monday from the southern port of Ushuaia enroute to its base in Mar del Plata, farther north in Buenos Aires province.

All terrestrial communications stations along the Argentine coast have been ordered to search for communications and listen to all possible frequencies of transmission by the submarine to try and make contact with the vessel.

Weather conditions in the region have made the search difficult, spokesmen said, with 6-8 meter (20-26 foot) waves prevailing there in recent days.

--IANS

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The security cover of 16 Congress legislators in Manipur has been slashed to seven personnel each, from the earlier count of 15, with effect from Monday, a police officer said.

L.M. Khaute, Director General of Police, said the security personnel withdrawn from the MLAs would be used for the overall security arrangement during the two-day visit of President Ram Nath Kovind starting Tuesday.

"Security has been tightened in view of the general strike called by six major insurgent outfits to sabotage the official functions during the President's visit."

However, the Congress MLAs are not amused since threat perception is formidable in this insurgency-afflicted state.

State Congress President T.N. Haokip told IANS that it is "discriminatory" and asked why was the security cover of the ruling party legislators not touched.

All MLAs, MPs and other elected members get armed guards in Manipur. In the past, some Chief Ministers, ministers and MLAs have been ambushed and casualties reported.

In some instances, the armed guards have been overpowered and disarmed by the insurgents.

--IANS

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Shia Central Waqf Board on Monday issued a draft on the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute, in which it argued for construction of Ram Mandir at the contested property, while writing to the state government for a mosque in Lucknow.

The draft was presented by Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi and the priest of All India Akhara Council, Narendra Giri, to the media. It was earlier submitted to the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Rizvi told reporters that it had been proposed in the draft that the name of the mosque should not be after any emperor, and it should be called Mosque of Peace or "Aman ki Masjid".

He said that the Board had written to the Uttar Pradesh government for granting land to Shia Muslims at a designated place for the mosque, which the board would construct through a committee by raising money at its level.

The Supreme Court would now decide on the draft, Rizvi said.

He added that Waqf would not stake any claim to the disputed Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid property and would not have any issue if Hindus built a temple there.

The Ayodhya dispute is centred on a plot of land in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya to which both Hindus and Muslims claim stake.

--IANS

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday appeared before a special commission which is probing a treasury bond scam at the country's central bank after the present government was elected in January 2015.

Wickremesinghe is the first Prime Minister in Sri Lanka's history to appear before a special commission of inquiry appointed by a President, reports Xinhua news agency.

The commission is probing the controversial sale of treasury bonds during the period of the former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is alleged to have caused losses amounting to millions of dollars to the island country's coffers.

Mahendran was appointed the central bank chief in 2015 by Wickremesinghe before the bonds scam but resigned a year later.

The opposition have been calling on the government to probe if the prime minister was aware of the scam.

Wickremesinghe was questioned for an hour by the commission on Monday, during which he said he had an opportunity to explain the government policy on public debt and clear his name.

"The president, secretary of our party and our ministers have come forward to fearlessly give evidence," Wickremesinghe said after his hearing.

"The 'yahapalanaya' (good governance) will move forward. There is nothing to hide. There may have been mistakes, shortcomings, but the 'yahapalanaya' will move forward."

Many senior ministers attended the hearing on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was invited before the commission following his public announcement last month that he was willing to testify should the commissioners require any clarification from him about government policy on bonds.

The commission had initially submitted a list of questions to the Prime Minister which he answered through an affidavit but he was summoned to appear personally for further clarifications.

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed the three-member commission earlier this year to investigate if the country lost billions of rupees as alleged by the opposition as a result of the bond scam.

--IANS

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Kunwar Surajpal Singh Ammu, a ruling BJP leader in Haryana, on Monday said he firmly stands by his announcement of Rs 10-crore reward for beheading Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and film actress Deepika Padukone over their movie "Padmavati".

Ammu, chief media coordinator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, said he gave the statement as a "Rajput" and not as an office-bearer of the party.

Ammu said he had doubled the bounty on the heads of Deepika and Bhansali to Rs 10 crore. Ammu also issued a threat to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer has in the movie played the role of Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi Sultan obsessed with legendary 13th century queen of Chittor Rani Padmavati.

He said: "We do not want to take law in our hands but will not forgive anyone who tries to spoil the image of Rajput kings and queens."

"Padukone is just like our daughter and she must stay away for playing roles like the one she played in Padmavati," he said, adding: "If anyone raises an eye (sic) at our sisters and daughters, they will be punished."

He also questioned Rs 300-crore funding for the movie and said it was a conspiracy against the Rajput community.

On being asked whether he had received any notice from the BJP for his statement, he told IANS: "No notice has been received yet. I'll answer if I get one. I am ready to do anything for the welfare for my community."

--IANS

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Two policemen were killed and three others injured while defusing a bomb that went off inside a police station in Jharkhand's Giridih district on Monday, police said.

According to police officials, the accident took place when the members of Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad were defusing bombs that were kept at Saria Police Station of Giridih district.

The police had seized these explosives and bombs some six months ago.

On Monday, the Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad members were called to defuse the bombs on the police station premises. While defusing them, one bomb went off, killing two policemen and injuring three others.

The blast was so powerful that it broke window panes of nearby houses.

The deceased have been identified as Mohamad Asraf Qureshi and Mahendra Turi.

--IANS

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Emphasising on the growing importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu has said that the legal community should make use of this mechanism for enhancing ease of doing business.

Prabhu conveyed the message through video conferencing at the Bar Leadership Summit held here recently.

The agenda of the Summit, organised by Indian National Bar Association (INBA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, was 'Reforms in the Indian Legal Sector'.

The Summit explored issues and concerns surrounding the liberalisation of the Indian legal services sector.

"The Summit on the whole agreed on the need to reform the legal sector to align itself with the new global realities in the profession," the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education) Satya Pal Singh, in his inaugural address, stressed on the importance of law as an enabler of justice and spoke on the importance of the impartiality and neutrality of the judicial system in India.

He noted that the justice system should focus on the difficulties faced by victims in particular.

Secretary General of INBA Kaviraj Singh highlighted the dramatic changes that have taken place within the legal sector in India in the last two decades and identified the three major areas which need focus - conduct of arbitration in India, reforms in the Indian legal regulatory sector and liberalisation of legal services.

Law Secretary Suresh Chandra said India has huge potential to increase the size of the legal market, which is around $9 billion at present. He suggested that reforms in this sector could tie in with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda of 'reform, transform and perform'.

Additional Economic Adviser, Department of Commerce, Sangeeta Saxena, highlighted the need for diversification of services exports and the particular importance of the legal services sector in boosting India's overall performance in services.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) R.S. Suri noted that the "gulf of understanding between the Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils and the government needs to be bridged" and that frequent consultations and deliberations are needed in reforming this important sector.

--IANS

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has told his countrymen on live television that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December to resolve problems afflicting the ZANU-PF, a media report said.

Mugabe's address on national television on Sunday evening came after the ZANU-PF's decision earlier in the day to recall him from the position of party leader and gave him until noon Monday to resign as the President or face impeachment proceedings, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 93-year-old had previously refused to step down despite being under house arrest since Wednesday after the military launched a takeover.

Earlier on Sunday, the Zanu-PF held a meeting of its central committee where they removed him as the head of the party and warned that he must resign or face impeachment. It also appointed his former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader.

Mugabe's decision to sack Mnangagwa as the Vice President two weeks ago had prompted an extraordinary chain of events as the military intervened to block the 93-year-old President from installing his wife Grace in his place.--IANS

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Countering opposition criticism, Finance Minister on Monday said the Winter Session of Parliament would "certainly" be held, adding that Parliament sessions have been delayed in the past as well.

"It has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening and timing is decided in such a way that it does not overlap with election campaigns," Jaitley told reporters in Rajkot of Gujarat.

"They (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that... Parliament session will be certainly held, all issues will be taken, and Congress will be exposed," Jaitley said.

The Minister's comments came as Congress President Sonia Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying the Winter Session of Parliament on "flimsy grounds".

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As political parties and experts continue to debate the pros and cons of the recently introduced goods and services tax (GST), the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), the regional board for holding Class XII examinations in the state, has decided to introduce the GST in its curriculum from the current academic year for students who opt for economics as one of the subjects. The introduction of the chapter on GST is not only to encourage the students to get a thorough idea and knowledge on GST but also to clear the confusion over GST that prevails among the common people of the state, said AHSEC secretary Kamaljyoti Gogoi. Assam was also the first state in the country to ratify the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST after the Lok Sabha passed the Bill in December last year.
When any citizen of India publicly issues a death threat, the ordinary course of the law demands that the state security apparatus should kick in to detain them on the grounds of criminal intimidation. Yet some unknown youth from Meerut continues to remain scot-free after announcing over the weekend a Rs 5-crore bounty on the heads of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, the director and lead actor, respectively, of the movie Padmavati. Instead, the government headed by Chief Minister Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh wrote a letter to the Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting requesting that the release of the film be deferred on the grounds that it would not be in a position to manage the law and order problems that might follow if the movie were shown in cinema halls in the state. Which is to say, the Uttar Pradesh home department was absolving itself of the responsibility of controlling incidents of effigy burning, vandalism, demonstrations, slogan shouting and even, yes, submission of memorandums if the film were screened.
The Congress on Monday eased the path to have a new party chief in Rahul Gandhi by December 5. But in Gujarat, its alliance talks with Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti faced difficulties.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance on Sunday, after India ranked third in World Economic Forum's list of most trusted governments.

Nadda took to Twitter to share the list, and later followed it with another tweet saying that the list was testimony to India's development.

"India securing third best place in the list of most trusted governments worldwide is an evidence that the country is treading in the right direction of development under our Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership," Nadda wrote on Twitter.

The report reveals that almost three quarters (74 percent) of Indians say they have confidence in their government.

The factors taken into consideration were- the economy, political upheaval, and headline-grabbing events like major corruption cases.



This is compared to only about one third of Americans. The situation is even worse in Greece, where only about one in 10 citizens trust those in charge, according to the report.

The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Indonesia, while India grabs the third spot.

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today looked set to take over the reins of the party from his mother on December 5, days ahead of the crucial Gujarat Assembly polls, with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) approving the schedule for the party president's election.

The CWC, the party's highest decision making body, met here today and approved the schedule for the much-awaited election to the top party post, which has been occupied by Sonia Gandhi for a record 19 years since 1998, when she replaced Sitaram Kesri.

The election process will kick off on December 1 with the beginning of filing of nominations. The last date for nominations is December 4, until 3 pm. Following scrutiny of nominations on December 5, the list of valid candidatures will be put out on the same day at 3:30 pm.

Party sources said Gandhi, the 47-year-old vice president, is likely to be the sole candidate in the fray and is "deemed to be the next party chief on December 5, a few days before the Gujarat Assembly polls. Polling for the two- phase election is to be held on December 9 and 14.

Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on December 19, Mullapally Ramachandran, the chairman of the Congress' central election authority, told reporters after the CWC meeting.

A contest, however, seems unlikely.

was appointed Congress vice president in 2013 and speculation about his elevation has been rife for quite some time, particularly after Sonia began keeping indifferent health.

For a long time, was said to be reluctant about assuming the reins of the party, and it was only at an interaction with students and faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, in the US in September this year that he said he was ready for the job.

"I am absolutely ready to do that," he said, responding a question.

The imminent promotion of Rahul Gandhi was hailed by several Congress leaders, but panned by the ruling BJP.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the proposed elevation was a step in the right direction which would help revive the party ahead of the 2016 Lok Sabha elections.

"It is time to pass on the baton of the party affairs into the able hands of Rahul Gandhi, who is mature and competent enough to lead the Congress into the next Lok Sabha elections," Amarinder told reporters in Chandigarh.

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhary said Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the party's president would have a positive impact on the organisation.

The former Union minister, however, said his promotion would not lead to the party's old guard getting "thrown by the wayside".

The BJP, however, took a swipe at the development.

"Can an ordinary booth level worker aspire to be the president of the Congress? Or is the post reserved only for the family? Is it possible even for a state level leader to even aspire to be considered for the post," senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said in the capital.

The Union minister cited the examples of BJP chief Amit Shah and his predecessors Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh who were all ordinary booth-level workers in the party before they went on to head it.

Another Union minister Giriraj Singh said," The Congress has now become a private limited company".

As the Congress got ready for a generational shift, the party's communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said Sonia Gandhi would continue to guide the organisation.

"Sonia Gandhi is our leader and mentor. She has always guided the Congress party ... Her able leadership and guidance will always be available, not only to Rahulji, but also to crores and crores of Congressmen and women always."



Replying to a question on the role of Sonia Gandhi after the election, Surjewala said, "Let the election process be concluded and I will be very happy to answer that question."



Those eligible to vote are Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates who have already been elected by their respective state units.

Once the president has been named, he or she will choose a new CWC team comprising vice president, general secretaries and treasurer among other office bearers.

In her opening remarks, Sonia Gandhi launched a stinging attack on the government on a range of issues, including demonetisation, goods and services tax and unemployment.

"The Modi government, in its arrogance, has cast a dark shadow on India' parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," she told the party's highest decision-making body.

According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi told the meeting that every Congress worker should "aim for the bull's eye" in the upcoming election in Gujarat, where the party is locked in a bitter contest with the BJP after being out of power for 22 years.

The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The timing and duration of the have sparked off a fresh war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Congress President Sonia Gandhi firing shots at each other's political outfits on Monday.
Ayodhya, the virtual fulcrum of the Uttar Pradesh civil polls, is set to witness the end of high-octane electioneering Monday evening before the temple town votes on Wednesday to elect its first mayor.
At least 25 people were killed today in two separate road accidents in Pakistan, days after 27 people died when a speeding bus fell into a ravine in Punjab province.

The first accident took place near Theri bypass in Khairpur area of Sindh province where a coal-laden truck fell over a passenger van in Sindh province, killing at least 20 people and injuring four others.

Police said that early morning thick fog and careless driving were the main reasons for the deadly accident, which also injured four others.

According to officials, the van was en route to Sukkur from Khairpur when the incident took place near Theri bypass. All the passengers in the van were labourers, Express Tribune reported.

Police and rescue officials said the death toll could rise as the some injured were in serious condition.

The heavily loaded truck with coal lost control while overtaking and fell on the van, which was on its way to Sukkur from Ranipur in Sindh, police said.

In the second incident, at least five persons including three children of a family were killed when a car they were travelling in fell into a ravine in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

The incident took place near Malkot village of Abbottabad district.

The car, carrying six persons of the family, was headed for Malkot area from Rawalpindi when it met with the accident, police said.

The vehicle fell into the ravine due to over-speeding, killing five persons on the spot and injuring a child, rescue officials said.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused by careless driving, bad roads and faulty vehicles.

At least 59 people were killed while 18 others were injured when a passenger bus collided head-on with a truck on the same Theri bypass in 2014.

On November 9, a speeding bus carrying over 100 passengers fell into a ravine killing at least 27 people and injuring 69 others in Punjab province.

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Forty tonnes of red sanders worth about Rs 16 crore, meant to be smuggled to various countries, have been seized from a godown at Oragadam on the outskirts of the city and three persons arrested in this connection.

The seizure was made on Saturday, a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence press release said.

It said DRI officials had been working on an input that red sanders logs were allegedly smuggled from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, to the Middle East and South East Asian countries before landing in China, which is the largest international market, it said.

On November 18, the DRI officers intercepted a truck in Oragadam on a specific input and found red sanders logs concealed in bags stuffed with worn rags and clothes.

The same day they inspected a godown in the locality and seized red sanders logs concealed in four trucks that were ready to be transported, the release said.

As per the Indian Trade Classification notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, export of red sanders in any form is prohibited.

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Over 50 residents of Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK) travelled by a cross-LoC bus to reach Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district today, officials said.

The bus service had on November 6 resumed operations after remaining suspended for nearly four months owing to heavy shelling by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

"The cross-LoC bus plied as per schedule. 52 PoK residents arrived in Poonch while 14 PoK residents returned from this side after spending time with their relatives," the officials said.

Nearly 74 PoK residents have availed the facility to visit India in the past two weeks, they said, adding the service was used notwithstanding the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army last week.

Pakistani troops had targeted forward areas along the LoC in Poonch district for from November 15 to 18, casting a shadow of uncertainty on the cross-LoC trade and travel.

The bus service was started along the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road in April 2005 and the Poonch-Rawalakot route on June 20, 2006 to facilitate trade and travel between Jammu and Kashmir and PoK.

The trade between the two parts of Kashmir started in October 2008 on the barter system.

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An ad-hoc teacher with a municipal corporation-run primary school in northwest Delhi was today gunned down by some unidentified persons, the police said.

Deepak (31) was found lying in a pool of blood near the gate of the primary school in Swaroop Nagar around 4:30 pm. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead, they said.

He was a contractual teacher at the school run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. No arrest has been made so far in connection with the killing, said a senior police officer.

"The CCTV footage shows the attackers were in a Grand i10 car," said Milind Dumbere, DCP, Northwest Delhi.

Police have seized empty cases and live rounds from the spot.

The killing could be the fallout of a personal enmity. A probe is underway, they said.

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Union Health Minister J P Nadda has taken note of alleged overcharging by a Gurgaon-based private hospital from family members of a patient, who reportedly died of dengue recently.

A Twitter user @DopeFloat in a post on a microblogging site alleged that the hospital "charged Rs 18 lakh" for 15 days of treatment of dengue for a young daughter of his friend.

The tweet later went viral on social media.

"One of my batchmate's 7 year old was in @fortis_hospital for ~15 days for Dengue. Billed 18 lakhs including for 2700 gloves. She passed away at the end of it...," he tweeted.

After the post was widely circulated on social media, the Union health minister on twitter said: "Please provide me details on hfwminister@gov.in . We will take all the necessary action."



Meanwhile, Fortis hospital in a statement claimed that "all standard medical protocols were followed in treating the patient and all clinical guidelines were adhered to".

"She was admitted with Severe Dengue which progressed to Dengue shock syndrome and was managed on IV fluids and supportive treatment as there was a progressive fall in platelet count and hemoconcentration.

"As her condition deteriorated, she had to be put on ventilatory support within 48 hours," the hospital said in a statement.

On September 14, the family decided to "take her away from the hospital against medical advice (LAMA Leave Against Medical Advice) and she succumbed the same day," it said.

The hospital said an itemised bill "spread over 20 pages was explained and handed over to the family" at the time of their departure from the hospital.

All consumables are transparently reflected in records and charged as per actuals, it claimed.

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Amsterdam today won a fierce fight to host the European Medicines Agency after it leaves London, securing one of the most prized spoils of Britain's decision to leave the EU.

The Dutch city beat Milan in a tiebreak after three rounds of secret voting by the 27 EU member states without Britain failed to produce an outright winner, officials said.

The new location for the European Banking Authority will be decided later today, with both London-based agencies up for grabs as a result of last year's shock Brexit vote.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Twitter before the vote that "whatever the outcome, the real winner of today's vote is EU27. Organised and getting ready for Brexit."



Diplomats compared the complex voting process to the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The production's nail-biting televised voting sequence is one of the most watched TV moments in Europe and is known for its come-from-behind surprises.

Copenhagen was in third place.

Together the two agencies account for 1,000 jobs, as well as bringing both prestige to the host country and an economic boost in the form of tens of thousands of visitors every year.

The battle for both agencies has been bitterly contested with governments jostling to win the backing of other countries with "hot bargaining" behind the scenes, a diplomatic source told AFP.

But it has also been deeply political. Axed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said that Barcelona had been the "favourite" but that the "state had condemned it", blaming violence over the region's disputed independence vote.

There were 16 candidates to be the new home of the EMA, one of the world's most powerful drugs watchdogs, which employs 900 pharmaceutical experts, biologists and doctors from every corner of Europe.

There is a smaller batch of eight bidders for the EBA, the banking regulator with 159 staff. The EBA is perhaps best known for its regular stress tests on the EU's financial sector in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Both are currently based in London's Docklands business district but must move when Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019 because EU agencies are not allowed to be based outside the union.

Member states brought out all the stops to extol the merits of their candidate cities, producing glossy brochures and videos and offering a host of perks.

The Irish government had said it was willing to contribute 78 million euros (USD 91.5 million) over 10 years to cover costs, while Vienna promised a children's nursery, and Milan threw in access to a gym.

Italy was even forced to deny reports that it would increase its military contingents to the Baltic countries as a bargaining chip to promote Milan's candidacy.

In an unusually complex procedure -- even for the EU -- each country had six points to distribute for each agency in the first round of voting, including three to give to their first choice, two to their second and one to their third.

In the second and third rounds they had one point each to distribute. In the end, Amsterdam and Milan had to draw lots.

One diplomatic source said his country had resorted to studying "game theory" to be ready.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, delivered an evaluation of the applications in September based on a range of criteria from transport links, to job prospects for spouses and schools.

But the staff of the agencies in question, already being forced to up sticks from London, had reportedly nervous about some of the candidates, reportedly including Bratislava, Warsaw, Bucharest and Sofia.

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Assam Rifles(AR) and Manipur police have apprehended two persons for their alleged involvement in the November 13 IED blast in Chandel that claimed the lives of two AR personnel.

Assam Rifles in a release today said the two arrested are members of proscribed militant outfit Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and have "confessed to their crime".

"Items used to execute the action have also been seized," it said.

The release said the proscribed militant outfit have been luring financially weak and unemployed youths to carry out anti-national activities.

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Experts are analysing sounds that might have come from an Argentine submarine lost for five days with 44 crew members on board, the country's navy has said.

Spokesman Enrique Balbi yesterday told reporters that a US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft was dispatched to check an area where the noise was heard by two Argentine navy ships to help in the effort to isolate the source of the sounds.

The "noise" was heard in the South Atlantic about 360 kilometres from the Argentine coast and at a depth of about 200 meters, Balbi said.

A US Navy official familiar with the search cautioned that it was unclear whether the Argentines described the sound as something similar to tools being banged against the hull of a submarine as was previously reported.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the information about the sounds comes from the Argentine government.

The ARA San Juan went missing on Wednesday as it sailed from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

More than a dozen international vessels and aircraft have joined the search, which has been hindered by stormy weather that has caused waves up to 6 meters.

In the first confirmation of a malfunction, an Argentine navy official said earlier Monday that the submarine reported a battery failure Wednesday and was returning to base when it went missing.

Brief satellite calls over the weekend had originally been thought to indicate the crew was trying to re-establish contact, prompting emotional celebrations by family members and officials. But Balbi said earlier Monday that officials analysed the seven low-frequency satellite signals and determined they were not received from the submarine.

Although the German-built diesel-electric vessel carried enough food, oxygen and fuel for the crew to survive about 90 days on the sea's surface, the sub had only have enough oxygen to last seven days submerged, Balbi said.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, said he was sending "fervent prayers" for the crew.

Relatives of crew members took to social media yesterday to ask for support during the search.

"Pray so that my husband, Fernando Santilli can return home," Jesica Gopar wrote. "He's in the San Juan submarine."



The submarine was originally scheduled to arrive yesterday at the navy's base in Mar del Plata, which is about 400 kilometres southeast of Buenos Aires.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri met with family members at the base as they waited anxiously for about their loved ones.

"We can make up a thousand movies with happy and sad endings, but the reality is that the days pass by and not knowing anything kills you," Carlos Mendoza, the brother of submarine officer Fernando Ariel Mendoza, told The Associated Press.

"Every minute is oxygen that's worth gold.

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Several people were injured today, including a police officer, when aspiring teachers clashed with the security forces after a demonstration turned violent here.

Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the job seekers agitating under the banner of Sikshya Sahayak Ashayi Sangha, Odisha, near the State Assembly.

The incident took place when about 25,000 unemployed B Ed passouts and certificate in teaching (CT) holders were staging a dharna at the Lower PMG Square, demanding employment as Sikshya Sahayaks (Assistant Teachers).

The police, however, resorted to lathicharge when the agitators allegedly pelted stones at the police when a delegation of the association had gone to meet the School and Mass Education (S&ME) minister for a discussion.

The gathering turned violent when their leaders were called for a discussion. They pelted stones on us in which the Capital Police Station IIC was injured along with a few of our personnel," DCP Satyabrata Vhoi said.

Bhoi said the police first dispersed the agitators and the situation is presently under control.

School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra said there is a delay in engagement of the Sikshya Sahayaks as the matter relating to their appointment is sub-judice in Orissa High Court. The demands of the association will be considered after they make fresh application, the minister said.

The aspiring teachers are agitating for long demanding employment as Sikshya Sahayaks as per a notification of the S&ME department dated December 26, 2016.

According to the notification, the Sikshya Sahayaks (SS) will be engaged in each district by the respective Zilla Parishad by a Selection Committee to be headed by the Collector-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad as Chairman and District Education Officer, all the Block Education Officers of the District, District Project Coordinator (SSA), District Employment officer and the District Welfare Officer as members.

Though the aspirants are waiting for a long time, the notification in this regard is yet to be issued.

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Scientists have developed augmented reality (AR) glasses that superimpose virtual images on the body and can assist surgeons in removing tumours.

Malignant tumours often form metastases that spread to other parts of the body via the lymphatic system. High surgical skills are required to identify the precise location of the affected lymph nodes, enabling them to be completely removed.

The 3D-ARILE system developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Germany superimposes a virtual image of the exact position of the lymph nodes using data glasses.

Malignant melanoma, or black skin cancer, is the diagnosis that most people fear. Cancer cells can, for example, be transported by the lymph fluid to the lymph nodes.

This leads to the growth of secondary tumours, or metastases. The first lymph nodes to be affected are referred to as sentinel lymph nodes.

Despite advances in medical science, it is still difficult for doctors to determine the precise anatomical location of sentinel lymph nodes during surgery and to check that the affected lymph nodes have been completely removed.

3D-ARILE provides doctors with a navigation aid for lymph node removal.

The novel augmented reality system, based on the use of data glasses, helps surgeons locate lymph nodes with the aid of virtual markers.

What makes these AR glasses special is that they work in combination with powerful medical navigation software, a stereoscopic, near infrared (NIR) camera system, and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent dye.

"To make the affected lymph nodes visible, the fluorescent dye is injected into the patient in the direct vicinity of the primary tumour," said Stefan Wesarg, research scientist at Fraunhofer Institute.

"It then spreads along the lymphatic pathways and collects in the sentinel lymph nodes," said Wesarg.

The dye fluoresces when exposed to infrared light, in this case generated by infrared LEDs. NIR cameras capture the fluorescence and produce a 3D reconstruction of the affected lymph node.

This virtual image showing their exact position is superimposed in real time and can be viewed by the surgeon through the data glasses.

"In our case, the malignant tissue is marked in green. In this way, the surgeon can verify that every last trace has been removed," said Wesarg.

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Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board today proposed relinquishing its right over the disputed land in Ayodhya, and building a 'masjid-e-aman" in Lucknow to resolve the Ram janmabhoomi-Babri masjid tangle, a move rejected by the Muslim protagonists involved in the protracted legal fued.

The board, which is the 'mutawalli' (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque, has proposed giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya, and a draft for resolving the issue, prepared by the Shia Waqf Board, has been submitted in the Supreme Court on November 18, its chairman Wasim Rizvi told reporters here.

Claiming that the formula for resolving the matter proposed by the Shia Waqf Board was the best, Rizvi said it is of the view that instead of Ayodhya, a 'masjid-e-aman' (the mosque of peace) be constructed in Lucknow's Hussainabad area.

The Board, he said, has requested the government to provide a one acre plot for it.

The proposal, however, did not go down well with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"On whose behalf has he brought this draft proposal? He (Rizvi) does not enjoy the confidence or recognition of either the Sunni sect or the Shia sect," AIMPLB counsel in the case and its senior member Zafaryab Jilani said.

Jilani, who is also the convenor of Babri Masjid Action committee, referred to some legal shortcomings in the draft proposal.

"The Shia Board has no authority over the disputed land as the Allahabad High Court, in 2010, had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre area at Ayodhya among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla...the Shia board has no right over any part of the land," he said.

Moreover, Jilani said since the Shia Waqf Board did not appeal against the high court's decision, it meant that the ruling, which was binding on all till the Supreme Court announced its judgement, was acceptable to them.

Rizvi, however, rejected the claim of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board over the disputed site, saying that the Allahabd High court had given the land to Muslims and not to Sunni Waqf Board.

Chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board Zafar Farooqui said any claim can be accepted or rejected only by the court "...our involvement has been since 1961 and it is being rejected by the Shia Board now...he (Rizvi) does not have the authority to do so..."



Rizvi, he said, has been chairman of the board since 2006-07, and could have spoken on the subject even when the case was being heard by the Lucknow bench, which came up with its verdict in 2010, or in the Supreme Court where the hearing is going on for the last seven years.

"It is absurd. He has been silent on it ever since and has become active only now. The case is going on in the highest court of the country. Whatever he has to say, he should do it in the court. What's the relevance of releasing his formula to the media?" he said.

Jilani alleged that Rizvi was "working overtime to please certain forces in order to serve his personal motives".

Rizvi, who addressed the press conference along with Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the All India Akhara Parishad, alleged that the Shia Board's views on the matter were never put forward in a forceful manner because the lawyers deployed for the purpose were "fake".

Referring to the criticism of his recent actions, Rizvi said it was because the board was never given any court copy and that it was not aware that lawyers were pleading on its behalf.

It was only on March 21, 2017, when the apex court said that talks could be initiated for mutual agreement to end the dispute that the Shia Waqf Board looked into the files in detail only to find that though it is a party in the case it never gave 'wakalatnama' to the counsel appearing on its behalf, Rizvi said.

"It is a matter of probe that the case is being pursued by overlooking the actual claimant which is the Shia Board...I have requested the central and state governments to get it enquired as to who had fielded the lawyers on our behalf," he said.

On Rizvi's allegations regarding fake counsel, Jilani said that it should be probed by the Shia board itself.

Jilani, however, said that he had never seen any counsel pleading on behalf of the Shia Board in the court.

On the role of AIMPLB, Rizvi said it (board) should have come forward for a dialogue but since it did not take the initiative, Shia board had to come forward.

Giri said a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed and that an amicable settlement should be reached on the issue by talking to all the parties concerned.

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The Odisha unit of the BJP today demanded the entire Ganjam district to be declared as hit by unseasonal rains and also sought adequate compensation for farmers who suffered crop loss.

A BJP delegation, led by Ganjam district unit president Kanhu Charan Pati, submitted a memorandum listing the demands to the revenue divisional commissioner, southern division here.

A BJP team had yesterday visited different blocks of the district to assess the crop condition after the paddy crops were damaged by unseasonal rains.

"We found that paddy crops have been destroyed all over the district. The condition of the farmers is pathetic everywhere, said Pati.

The farmers in the district hasve been subjected to immense hardships of late. They suffered crop loss first due to drought and then from pest attack, particularly by the brown plant hopper (BPH), he said. Unseasonal rain has now lashed the district for over four days, which has added to their misery, Pati said.

The saffron party also sought waiver of all crop loans and incentive of at least Rs 500 per quintal on paddy, in addition to the minimum support price (MSP).

The BJP also demanded payment of at least Rs 10 lakh each as ex-gratia to the families of the farmers who have committed suicide owing to crop loss.

At least two farmers had committed suicide this month in the district, allegedly due to crop loss.

The Odisha government has been conducting a survey of the crop loss due to the unseasonal rain in the district.

"The exact damage will be known only after assessing the situation at the field level, said deputy director of agriculture, Ganjam, Manoj Behera.

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BJP's youth wing in Tamil Nadu today began a state-wide exercise to inspect whether hotels have revised prices after the GST council brought all hotels in the five per cent bracket without Input Tax Credit.

The GST Council recently reduced the tax rate on 178 items from 28 per cent to 18 per cent and also brought all AC and non-AC restaurants in the five per cent GST bracket without the Input Tax Credit (ITC).

Kicking off the state-wide campaign here, BJP Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan visited a top hotel in Thiyagaraya Nagar area to inspect whether GST rates was reduced and also visited some shops.

She also tweeted about her inspection on Twitter and shared some pictures of her having food with party cadres.

She said it was 'condemnable' that hotels had increased prices despite reduction in GST rates.

"As per the request by people, the GST rates were reduced for food items. This government will function as per the wishes of the people, she tweeted.

BJP Yuva Morcha, Tamil Nadu President, Vinoj P Selvam said "Today BJYM Tamil Nadu inspected restaurants in Chennai to check whether this reduction in tax is being implemented".

Several customers had slammed hotels for not reducing prices after the new revised GST structure, with many taking to the social media alleging that they had in fact increased the rates following reduction in GST.

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People who overdose on paracetamol could be helped by a blood test that shows immediately if they are going to suffer liver damage, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK say the test - which detects levels of specific molecules in blood



will help doctors identify which patients need more intense treatment.

It will also help speed the development of new therapies for liver damage by targeting patients most likely to benefit.

The test detects three different molecules in the blood that are associated with liver damage - called miR-122, HMGB1 and FL-K18.

The study, published in the journal Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, measured levels of the three markers in more than 1,000 patients who needed treatment for paracetamol overdose.

They found that the test can accurately predict which patients are going to develop liver problems, and who may need to be treated for longer before they are discharged.

"These new blood tests can identify who will develop liver injury as soon as they first arrive at hospital. This could transform the care of this large, neglected, patient group," said James Dear, from the University of Edinburgh.

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Boko Haram fighters killed six farmers outside the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the civilian militia and the brother of one of the victims said today.

Yesterday's attack in Lawanti village, in the Jere area of Borno state, again underlined the threat posed by the group to people outside heavily-fortified towns and cities.

Mohammed Asheik, from the Civilian Joint Task Force assisting the military with security in the northeast, said: "Our people went to the farm to work.

"Seven Boko Haram on two motorbikes met them and slaughtered two, then killed the other four. They killed six people in all."



Asheik's account was supported by Jidda Ahmed, who said his elder brother, Musa Jidda, was "shot and beheaded" as he tried to flee.

Boko Haram rarely claims attacks but the method is in keeping with tactics seen elsewhere in the long-running conflict.

Attacks on isolated rural communities have been a feature of Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency in the remote region in recent months after the end of the annual rainy season.

Nigeria's military, with help from regional allies, have succeeded in pushing the jihadists out of territory captured in 2014 and 2015.

But farmers have been forced to try to resume their work to help alleviate chronic food shortages that have left hundreds of thousands starving and dependent on food aid.

Fields and farms have been blighted by eight years of conflict, with locals unable to sow or cultivate crops.

At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless since the fighting began in 2009.

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Around 50 students were today rushed to hospital after they fell sick from the deafening sound and noxious fumes of a bomb that was defused near a school building in Coochbehar district, police said.

The students were taken to Haldibari hospital, which then referred about 15 of them to Jalpaiguri hospital, they said.

The children complained of breathlessness and pain in the ears, Chief Medical of Jalpaiguri hospital Jagannath Sarkar said, adding, splinters from the bomb also hit a few of them.

Some of the students at Haldibari hospital were released after they were administered first aid, hospital sources said.

Bomb disposal squad was called in to defuse the explosive, which was lying in an open space adjacent to the school, police said.

An examination was underway in the school when the bomb was being defused.

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US President Donald Trump today said that his recent visit to five Asian countries fetched some USD 300 billion worth of deals and that people have started respecting America again.

Trump's five-nation tour of Asia this month included stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

"We just returned from a historic 12-day trip to Asia. Everywhere we went, the American delegation was greeted with tremendous hospitality and tremendous respect. People are respecting our country again, believe me," Trump said at his Cabinet meeting at the White House.

"We brought back more than USD 300 billion worth of deals, which could reach well over a trillion dollars within a very near future. That means jobs for the US at a very high level.

"As you know, we've just come up with the best job performance in over 17 years. But this is a lot more jobs, and we think the number is going to actually get a lot better. We're going to also put a lot of people that have not been able to find jobs, we're going to put them back to work -- because they're not registered right now; theyll be registered in a positive sense," the president said.

Trump said the Japanese car companies will be opening up and expanding their plants in the US.

"We worked very closely with Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe on that. We're renegotiating our bad trade deal with South Korea, and we've started talking about bilateral trade with many countries in Asia.

"Most importantly, we've made clear to all countries that we cannot continue to be treated unfairly when it comes to trade any longer. It's not fair to our companies, and it's not fair to our workers. Last year, we lost over USD 800 billion on trade deals with other countries," Trump said.

"So we had a negative number, a trade deficit of almost USD 800 billion with other countries. That's not going to be happening. That's changing. And I explained that to them. From the standpoint of Asia, they understand it. Every one of them understand it," the president added.

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Power discom BSES today enabled a feature in its mobile application through which customers would be able to identify officials visiting their home, a move aimed at checking unscrupulous practices.

The BSES said that there have been instances where impostors masquerading as the discom's officials troubled customers despite its regular campaigns to "sensitise" them about the menace.

The new feature has been rolled-out, initially, for customers in east and central Delhi. It will be soon be available for BSES customers in south and west Delhi, the discom said.

"BSES has introduced the 'BYPL representative check' option on the BSES Mobile App, which will let discom customers verify the authenticity of any official (meter reader, bill distributor and inspection team official)," the company said in a statement.

It stated that the move will significantly reduce the "menace of impostors".

The BSES said that after downloading the app from the 'Google Play Store', customers will be required to click on the option 'BYPL Representative Check' and enter the 'Employee Id' section.

"We have been routinely urging our consumers to be on guard against such unscrupulous elements. We once again appeal to our consumers not to get intimidated or induced by the threats and false assurances of 'impostors' and not give them any money whatever be the reason.

"All Enforcement (fines and penalties) and Commercial payments are to be made only at designated BSES offices," a official of the discom said in the statement.

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The Shia Waqf Board said today that it has submitted a draft proposal in the Supreme Court that seeks an amicable resolution of the vexed Ayodhya issue and envisages the construction of a 'Masjid-e-Aman' in Lucknow's Hussainabad area.

"The draft for resolving the Ayodhya issue, prepared by the Shia Waqf Board, has been submitted in the Supreme Court on November 18," board chairman Wasim Rizvi told reporters here.

Claiming that the formula for resolving the matter proposed by the Shia Waqf Board was the best, Rizvi said the board which is the 'mutawalli' (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque had suggested giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya.

"The Board is of the view that instead of Ayodhya, a 'Masjid-e-Aman' be constructed in Lucknow's Hussainabad area and it has requested the government to provide one acre land for it," he said.

Referring to the claims of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board over the disputed site, Rizvi said the one-third land given by the Lucknow bench of the the Allahabad High Court through its September 2010 judgement was to Muslims and not to the Sunni Waqf Board.

Rizvi, who addressed the press conference along with Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the All India Akhara Parishad, alleged that the Shia Board's views on the matter were never put forward in a forceful manner because the lawyers deployed for the purpose were "fake".

"On perusal of the files of the board, we have found that the lawyers pursuing the matter had not even been given the "vakalatnama" by the board, Rizvi said and demanded that the government order an inquiry into it.

"The Shia Waqf Board is being accused of becoming active on the Ayodhya dispute lately but the reality is that it had no knowledge that lawyers have been deployed in the court from its side...The government needs to inquire as to who had deployed counsels on behalf of the board who did not plead the case properly," Rizvi said.

Giri said that a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed and said that an amicable settlement should be reached on the issue by talking to all the parties concerned.

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Noida Police are looking into a set of clues that they don't often find in a scene of crime - two pairs of underwear.

The police said a bank manager's house in Sector 117 was burgled. Gold and diamond jewellery and Rs 65,000 were missing from the house, the police said.

Police haven't traced the criminals, but found male and female underwear which they believed belonged to them.

The police said the burglars may have had sex before or after the crime.

They suspect the bank manager's domestic help and her boyfriend could be behind the burglary.

The bank manager said he hired the help through a placement agency.

The undergarments have been sent for forensic examination and a report was awaited.

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The Karnataka cabinet today approved the Karnataka Electronics System Design and Manufacturing Policy 2017-22, aimed at encouraging the hardware sector.

"We are good in Software, but not in hardware, we want to encourage hardware sector also. So the government has come out with this policy," official sources said after the cabinet meeting here.

The policy will give thrust to 3D printing, robotics, Internet of things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Stem Cell Research among others, they said adding that billions of dollars investment is envisaged.

India's Electronic System Design and Manufacturing industry is forecasted to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 16-23 per cent to reach USD 171-228 billion by 2020, a industry specific report earlier this year said.

Chief Minister has been authorised by the cabinet today to select the next Chief Secretary as the tenure of Subhash Chandra Khuntia comes to end later this month.

Three senior IAS officers who are in the run for the post include Additional Chief Secretaries Ratna Prabha, S K Patnaik and Latha Krishna Rao.

The cabinet has also given its approval for procurement of drugs, chemicals and miscellaneous items for public health institutions during 2017-18 at an estimated cost of Rs 340.47 crore.

Among the other decisions taken by the cabinet include Rs 1 crore towards a fellowship in memory of distinguished sociologist M N Srinivas at University of Oxford; Construction of Bengaluru International Convention Centre in 35 acres near Kempegowda International Airport at Devenahalli at the cost of Rs 1440 crore under public private partnership model.

Also approved is constitution of Chalukya Heritage Development and Management Authority.

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Canada is concerned about the national security threat posed by citizens who joined the Islamic State group, returning to this country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said.

In parliament, Trudeau yesterday pledged to prosecute those who broke Canada's anti-terrorism laws by joining the IS group, but also said his government would try to reintegrate them into society.

"We recognise the return of even one individual (who joined the IS group) may have serious national security implications," Trudeau said.

"We are going to monitor them. We are also there to help them to let go of that terrorist ideology," he added.

Nearly 180 Canadians are known to have travelled overseas to join the IS group. About 60 have returned to Canada, according to government figures released in 2016.

Only two returnees have been prosecuted under Canada's anti-terrorism act, so far.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale last week explained the difficulties of gathering evidence in war zones for successful criminal prosecutions.

He rejected, however, the use of extra-judicial killings used by allies to solve the problem, telling public broadcaster CBC: "Canada does not engage in death squads.

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Veteran actor Charles Dance said he is game for featuring in the prequel to successful fantasy epic franchise of "Game of Thrones", if the plot is as good as the main series.

The 71-year-old actor, who essayed the role of patriarch Tywin Lannister, said he would love to come back on the show's spin-off, reported Metro newspaper.

"If it was in the same calibre, yes. Because 'Game of Thrones' really was as good as it gets. It's a fantastic series. I look back on it fondly.

"Occasionally you have long days in the cold, the horse doesn't behave properly, or the armour sticks in the back of your neck, but we're not down in the mines digging for coal, we're actors. We're pretending for everything, and we're very lucky to be able to do that," Dance said.

The actor's character, Tywin was killed off in the fourth season of the show by his son, Tyrion, played by actor Peter Dinklage.

"GOT" season seven ended this year in August, while the eighth and final chapter of the series is expected to air by mid-next year.

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China today dismissed a top Pakistani Army General's allegation that India has established a special intelligence cell at a cost of $500 million to sabotage the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it does not have any such report.

Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat on November 14 said had accused India of stoking "chaos and anarchy" in the region.

He alleged that Indians external intelligence agency RAW has established a special cell at a cost of $500 million to sabotage the . He also accused India of fanning terrorism in the restive province of Balochistan.

"We have no such relevant reports," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about the allegation.

Chinas rebuff over the allegation against India is significant considering that Beijing and Islamabad regard themselves as "iron brothers" sharing "all-weather ties".

Also in an apparent reference to India's objections over the traversing through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Lu said, "We hope that could win more recognition and support from regional countries and the international community".

Pakistans top officials have been accusing RAW of sabotaging the CPEC as the Pakistani security forces had to battle numerous attacks by the Balochistan nationalist forces as well as the Islamic State in Balochistan province.

The CPEC connects China restive Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

Lu said the CPEC is new type cooperation framework built by China and Pakistan for long term cooperation development.

"It is important not just to the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity," he said.

He said China believe that it can work with Pakistan to ensure the success of the CPEC and the economic cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

(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.)
Transport Minister today asked citizens to click picture of wrongly parked cars and send to authorities, while proposing a 10 per cent reward for them from Rs 500 fine imposed on the owner of the concerned vehicle.

Gadkari said he felt "ashamed" that absence of parking lots outside his own Ministry forced "ambassadors" and "big people" to park on road blocking the way to Parliament.

"In my Motor Vehicle Act, I am going to add one law (provision). Any car on road, you just take the photo on your mobile and send it to the department concerned or Police. There will be Rs 500 fine and 10 per cent will go to the complainant," Gadkari said today.

"No parking places are available. People are using roads for that," he said.

The minister said big institutions should have their parking places.

He said, "every day it is shameful for me...the Ambassadors are coming ... the big people are coming. Infront of Parliament, my total road is blocked and for getting permission to build a parking place I needed 13 permissions."



He said it took months to take permission for constructing a single parking lot and he had raised the issue with the then Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Gadkari during the laying of foundation stone for his own Ministry's automate parking had said in May 2016 that he felt "ashamed" that his own ministry had to wait nine months to get approvals for a 'simple automated parking lot'.

Gadkari, who has been very keen on this project, had expressed anguish over this delay at its foundation laying ceremony at Transport Bhawan near Parliament, prompting Naidu to promise a one-month cap on grant of all such permissions.

Transport Bhawan will be the first government building to have an automated multi level car parking facility in its premises at a cost of about Rs 9 crore.

The automated parking lot project is being undertaken by NHIDCL. The facility will comprise ground plus seven floors. Spread over an area of 314 sq metres and with a height of 22 metres, the facility will be able to house 112 cars. The retrieving time for cars will be 120 seconds.

The Motor Vehicles Bill, which aims to usher in far- reaching reforms in the transport sector, was in August referred to a 24-member Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

The committee will have to submit its report to the Rajya Sabha by the first day of the next session "without extension of time, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has said.

The bill aims at bringing sweeping reforms in the transport sector, ranging from hefty fines for traffic rules violations to improving the licensing system and checking bogus licenses.
Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab today joined the chorus of protests against 'Padmavati' with Shivraj Singh Chouhan warning the film will not be screened in his state if it distorts history and Capt. Amarinder Singh saying cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, criticised the protests over the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, alleging there was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression, calling it "super emergency". The TMC supremo did not name any party.

Earlier, the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, both BJP-ruled states, had also raised concern over the proposed release of the period drama in which actor Deepika Padukone plays the legendary Rajput queen.

The makers of 'Padmavati' yesterday said the release date of the film, which also featured Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred. The film was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said the film would not be allowed to be screened in MP if it contains scenes "breaching the honour" of the Rajput queen or portrays "distorted facts".

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted (in the movie)," he said.

If there are scenes breaching the honour of Queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said.

The Congress alleged that Chouhan's announcement against the screening of the film was a "propaganda" for polarisation of votes in the next month's Gujarat elections.

"This is ridiculous. Chouhan made this announcement even before the movie was cleared by the Censor Board. This is a propaganda being staged in the view of ensuing Gujarat polls with an aim to polarise voters in that state," alleged Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh.

The Punjab chief minister said nobody had the right to distort history as he told reporters in Chandigarh that he himself has studied history and even been to Chittor.

"Cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts...Those, whose feeling are hurt by distortion of facts, have the right to protest," he said when asked to comment on the controversy over the movie.

Protests are a justified recourse in a democratic system, said Singh, who leads the Congress government in Punjab.

Banerjee while describing the controversy over "Padmavati' as unfortunate urged the film industry to come out in support of Bhansali and his film.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves.

"We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," Banerjee said in a tweet.

Various religious organisations, spearheaded by Shri Rajput Karni Sena, have alleged that director Bhansali has distorted facts in the film.

The film has been facing controversy since Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hitting out at the ruling partner CPI over the Thomas Chandy resignation issue, Kerala minister M M Mani said the party did not show "coalition propriety".

His remarks come days after four CPI ministers kept away from a cabinet meeting chaired by ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a bid to put pressure on the state government to seek the resignation of Thomas Chandy, facing encroachment charges.

Chandy later resigned as state transport minister on November 15.

Mani, known for his characteristic rustic style, said in Malappuram last night, "There is no need for the ruling LDF to carry 'vizhuppu bhandam' (stale laundry).

"In the Thomas Chandy issue, the CPI failed to show coalition propriety," he alleged.

NCP has two MLAs--Chandy and A K Saseendran. It is an All India party, the power minister said.

"In this case, they (CPI) are acting as hero. Our opinion is that the ministers not attending the cabinet meeting was against coalition propriety," he said.

A war of words had erupted between the coalition partners-CPI(M) and CPI- over the decision of the ministers to skip the cabinet meeting over the Chandy issue.

The ministers-- E Chandrasekharan, V S Sunil Kumar, K Raju and P Thilothaman-- kept away from the cabinet meeting as Chandy decided to attend the same on November 15, despite the Kerala High Court making observations against him.

Chandy, a businessman-turned-politician, is accused of land encroachment for his luxury resort. He resigned the same day after consulting the national leadership.

His resignation came a day after the Kerala High Court rejected his plea to quash an inquiry report, which had indicted him in connection with the land grab case.

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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) today approved the schedule for election of the next party president, paving the way for the elevation of Rahul Gandhi.

Party sources said the process of the election will start on December 1 with the issuing of the notification.

The 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi is expected to take over the reins in the first week of December, ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections starting December 9, the sources said.

The all-important meeting of the CWC, the highest decision making body of the Congress, approved the schedule.

The meeting was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretaries.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before December 31.

The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.

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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said he admired Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for winning people's trust and respect for a long time.

The 82-year-old Buddhist monk met the chief minister at latter's residence near the city airport.

"Naveen Patnaik is one of the longest serving chief ministers of the country. Unlike the Zimbabwean leader (Robert) Mugabe, Patnaik came to power through election process; and more importantly, he has won people's trust and respect. So, I admire him," the Dalai Lama told reporters after the meeting.

Patnaik, son of veteran leader Biju Patnaik, is serving as chief minister of Odisha for the fourth consecutive term.

Stating that the Tibetan people, who have been staying here, are very happy, the noble laureate said the north eastern state had been very kind to Tibetans living at Chandragiri area of Odisha's Gajapati district.

"Happy over Dalai Lama's praise. I am honoured that his Holiness Dalai Lama is visiting Odisha, and, it is the second time that I met him as chief minister of the state," Naveen Patnaik said.

The Dalai Lama, who reached here on a two-day visit, was welcomed by Odisha ministers S N Patro and Achol Chandra Panda.

A large number of Tibetan people assembed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here to welcome the spiritual leader, who came to Odisha after a gap of seven years. The Dalai Lama's last visit to the state was in 2010.

The popular monk will be honoured by a private university here tomorrow.

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The DDA today handed over 12 acres of land in Rohini to the Delhi government for constructing bus depots, even as Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot sought more area, saying it would lead to procurement of more of these vehicles.

The AAP government has been claiming that it cannot buy buses as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was not providing enough land for depots.

The minister said that he hoped that the land-owning agency would give more land immediately so that it was able to procure more buses and augment public transport in the national capital.

Twelve acres of land was today handed over to the transport department of the Delhi government, a DDA official said.

"Happy that DDA is handing over possession of 12 acres of Land in Rohini today, 20.11.17 at 11 am. Hope DDA will hand over more land parcels immediately so that Govt can get more buses and augment public transport (sic)," Gahlot tweeted earlier in the day.

There are around 5,567 buses, including those of the DTC, against the required 11,000, which is mandated by the Delhi High Court.

During the announcement of the odd-even scheme to tackle rising air pollution in the city, the Arvind Kejriwal government faced criticism from the opposition that alleged that the AAP dispensation had not been able to add a single bus to the DTC fleet after it came to power.

However, the government could not roll out the road rationing scheme (from November 13 to 17) as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) did not give exemption to women drivers and bikes.

Last week, the transport minister had written to Lt Governor Anil Baijal seeking that he direct the DDA to allot 135 acres of land to the government to complete its bus fleet.

He had also claimed that the government had made payment of around Rs 90.5 crore, but the possession of these land has not been given so far.

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CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi today said the censor board was trying to resolve the controversy over the film "Padmavati" through dialogue and not arguments.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film is the first major hurdle that Joshi faces as the head of the Central Board of Film Certification.

"This is not the right place to talk about the issue. We are trying to follow the due process. We should sort out the issue through dialogue, not through arguments," Joshi said at the red carpet of the inaugural day of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The censor board had returned the application to the film's makers citing "technical issues" after protests erupted over the magnum opus on the legendary queen of Chittor, with various Rajput groups and politicians accusing the director of "distorting historical facts".

The makers Viacom18 Motion Pictures said yesterday it had deferred the December 1 release of the film.

Shahid Kapoor, who plays Raja Ratan Singh in the movie, also expressed the hope that the period drama would be soon released.

"Sometimes films of this nature.... it gets a bit complicated. I will choose to be optimistic till the due course is done. This is not the time to be angry, not the time to lose your cool. There are enough people doing that. So I would choose to say that I believe in the process," Shahid, who is also attending IFFI, said today.

"I am sure 'Padmavati' will come out. It is a film we are very very proud of. I am sure once people see the film, all this will be forgotten," he added.

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An alleged drug peddler was held near a bus stand in north east Delhi with over 4kg of cannabis, estimated to be worth Rs 40 lakh, seized from him, the police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a Crime Branch team arrested the 37 -year-old accused near the bus stand in Nand Nagri.

He was allegedly carrying 4.184 Kg cannabis, broought from Nepal, estimated to be worth Rs 40 lakh, said Ram Gopal Naik, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

The accused was carrying some drugs in his pockets while most of it was stuffed in his car, he said.

The Crime Branch was working on cracking a syndicate of drug peddlers in the Delhi-NCR that used to bring drugs from Nepal and supply them in the area, the officer said.

The police said that the accused came in ontact with a Nepalese man, who introduced him to the next contact in Nepal.

During the investigation, the accused told police that the contraband was brought to Delhi a few days back and was to be supplied to a man from Haryana.

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The government decision to hike import duty on edible oils by 12.5 per cent and 15 per cent is likely to safeguard farmers interests and protect country from cheap edible oil imports, and better prices for farmers, a report said.

The government has increased import duty on most of the edible oils imports to protect farmers and domestic industry's interest, Care Ratings said today.

Over the weekend, government hiked import duty on crude soyabean oil by 12.5 per cent to 30 per cent, soyabean refined oil by 15 per cent to 35 per cent, crude palm oil by 15 per cent to 30 per cent, RBD palm oil by 15 per cent to 40 per cent, sunflower crude oil by 12.5 per cent to 25 per cent and sunflower refined oil by 15 per cent to 35 per cent.

Care ratings said that the hike in import duty is likely to support the oilseed prices the farmers receive.

The move is expected to keep a check in cheap imports of edible oils. However, this measure will not reduce dependency on edible oil imports as the country meets about 65 to 70 per cent of the requirements through imports.

Care Ratings also said that increase in import duty is expected to result in higher domestic edible oil prices.

The government had last increased import duty by 5 per cent and 10 per cent in August 2017. The import duty has been hiked back-to-back to safeguard the interests of farmers. Rising imports have been leading to lower Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.

According to data released by the Solvent Extractors' Association (SEA) soybean, rapeseed and groundnut were being sold lower than the MSP and their prices had declined in the range of 20 to 30 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The lower price, in turn deters farmers to sow oilseeds and opt for other crops.

As per the SEA, imports of edible oils increased by 3.5 per cent to 15.1 million tonnes in the oil year November2016-October 2017 compared to the corresponding period a year ago.

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The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and IIT-Delhi today joined hands to work on measures to stabilise the Ghazipur Landfill site, in order to avert recurrence of the recent cave-in incident, the civic body said.

An agreement was signed between the EDMC and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, at the municipal corporation's headquarters at Patparganj.

Incidentally, a part of the massive dump had caved in September, killing two people, prompting the Lt Governor to shut the site for waste dumping.

"A group of faculty members of IIT-Delhi would provide their technical advice and expert opinion to the EDMC on stability analysis of the slope of the landfill waste, which is parallel to the canal.

"The faculty members would advise on the short-term stabilisation measures for the slope, parallel to the canal, based on the result of the stability analysis. The EDMC would be free to choose from the remedial measure(s) based on feasibility and after concurrence of the consulting group," the EDMC said in a statement.

The Ghazipur landfill is the oldest of its kind in the national capital. It was started in 1984 and is spread over 29 acres.

According to officials, the permissible height for a garbage dump is 20 metres. Every day, 2,500 metric tonnes of garbage is disposed at the site.

Superintendent Engineer Arun Kumar on behalf of the EDMC and professor Ramesh Dutta on behalf of IIT Delhi signed the agreement.

East Delhi Municipal Commissioner Ranbir Singh, and other members of the IIT team, were also present on this occasion.

"Stability analysis of the slope would cover variables such as slope inclination, slope height, pore pressure, seismic forces etc. The stability analysis would take about 12 weeks to complete," the EDMC said.

Based on the short-term stabilisation measures chosen by the EDMC, the corporation would then select a remedial agency with adequate experience in similar works as per the technical advice of the consulting group of the IIT Delhi, it said.

Singh said that this agreement has been signed "in order to avert repeat of Ghazipur landfill cave-in incident".

He said that the slope development work will be done in two phases.

In the first phase, stabilisation analysis of the slope would be done and in the second phase that part of the slope which had caved-in would be stabilised.

The whole project would be carried on in the presence of technical experts, Singh said.

The agreement has been signed for a period of one year with the consulting fees of Rs 16 lakh to be paid by the EDMC, it said.

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Eight labourers were killed after the cables of an elevator snapped when they were coming out of an underground tunnel today, police said.

The underground tunnel, which police said is more than 100 feet beneath the surface, is being constructed near Akole village as part of the Nira-Bhima river-linking project on the outskirts of Indapur town, 120 km from here.

Around 6.30 pm, eight labourers were coming out of the tunnel in a lift when its cables snapped mid-way. All of them were killed in the incident, said sub-inspector B N Pawar of the Bhigwan police station.

He said most of those killed were from outside Maharashtra, but they are yet to be identified. A police team was at the spot to ascertain their identity.

The river-linking project, launched under the Krishna Bhima Stabilisation scheme, involves the construction of 24.8 km-long Nira-Bhima Link 5 tunnel.

The project, which began in 2012, is designed to take water from water-rich rivers to scarcity-hit areas.

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The Madhya Pradesh High Court today invalidated the election of BJP's Dhar MLA Neena Verma on the ground of lacunae in her nomination papers.

This is for the second time that the high court has set aside Verma's election, that too from the same seat.

Justice Alok Verma of the Indore bench of the high court, however, stayed his order for 45 days, after her lawyers prayed for time to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Neena is the wife of former Union minister and senior BJP leader Vikram Verma.

Today's HC order came on a petition filed by Sureshchandra Bhandari, a tax consultant who is a registered voter in the Dhar constituency, challenging her election.

As many as 24 columns in Neena's affidavit attached to the nomination papers were not filled, and the petitioner's lawyer Ajay Kumar Gangwal alleged there were discrepancies in other documents too.

She was also alleged to have furnished contradictory information about the value of her properties.

Neena Verma had won the Dhar seat by defeating her Congress rival by 11,482 votes.

In the previous Assembly election of 2008, she had defeated the Congress candidate by a margin of one vote from the same seat.

Balmukund Gautam, the defeated candidate, then moved the high court, claiming postal ballots had been manipulated. The HC had upheld his case, and nullified Verma's election.

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After hawkers, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has trained guns on banks, asking them to conduct transactions in Marathi.

MNS functionaries today met officials of banks including the Punjab National Bank, Union Bank and Allahabad Bank here and handed over letters to the bank managements, asking them to ensure that transactions are conducted in Marathi as well.

"After the recent anti-hawkers stir, Raj Thackeray has appealed for conducting bank transactions in Marathi, for the sake of sons of soil and the common man," the letter said.

"You are aware that Marathi is the 'rajbhasha' (state language) of Maharashtra. That is why, our party is firm that all formal transactions in the state should be carried out in Marathi," the letter said.

The letters given to various banks are signed by local MNS functionaries, MNS youth wing vice president Akhil Chitre said.

"You (banks) can conduct transactions in other languages also. But we are firm that transactions be also done in Marathi," the letter said, asking banks to "respect Marathi".

Similar letters will be soon issued to foreign banks operating in Maharashtra, Chitre said.

Addressing a rally in Thane on Saturday, Thackeray had criticised banks for ignoring the Marathi language despite guidelines from the Reserve Bank of India on using the local language.

"From tomorrow, our workers will go to banks and check if transactions are being done in Marathi. If not, we will force them to do so. We are not breaking any law but just enforcing RBI's guidelines," the MNS chief had said.

MNS had made telecom service providers to get their interactive voice response (IVR) systems to use Marathi. The party is now all set to ensure the same in ATMs, bank call centres, as well as their correspondence to customers, Chitre said.

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The Delhi BJP has appealed to the the Centre to extend the exemption granted to "illegal constructions" in the city till December 31, 2020 under the NCT of Delhi (Special Laws Provision) Act 2014.

The Centre should also direct the Delhi government and municipal corporations to complete the process of regularization of unauthorized colonies by June 2020, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said.

The central government should extend the exemption granted to illegal constructions under the NCT of Delhi (Special Laws Provision) Act 2014 till December 31, 2020, he said.

"Neither the Arvind Kejriwal government tried to take steps to regularize the unauthorized colonies nor persuaded the Urban Development Ministry to exempt the affected people," he said.

The rules regulating the use of land and buildings in Delhi should be amended to suit the aspirations of the people so that there are legal constructions in Delhi in the future, he added.

Kapoor has written letters to the Urban Development minister and Lt Governor of Delhi alleging that government officials were threatening the people with demolitions in January.

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Humans cause more damage to the tangible cultural heritage than any other factor like nature or environment, an exhibition on preventive conservation here has showcased.

The exhibition was recently organised by a group of students from Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts to celebrate the 30th Foundation Day of the institute.

The students of PG Diploma in Preventive Conservation used wall hanging posters to suggest ways to conserve tangible cultural heritage monuments seeking to ensure that they remain accessible to the present and future generations.

One of the flowchart diagrams highlighted the fact that deterioration of cultural heritage is more due to human aggressors than natural aggressors like flood, earthquake, storm, etc.

Besides nature, damages due to fire, colour bleeding, vandalism and theft are major factors behind the deterioration of cultural heritage.

"It may be intentional or unintentional, but the acts by humans turn out to be the biggest factors to be blamed for the deterioration of our cultural heritage," Aditi, one of the participating students, said.

Newspaper clippings related to a massive fire at Delhi's National Museum of Natural History last year; 16 antique Kashmiri shawls missing from Delhi's Crafts Museum; and theft of a dagger gifted to Jawaharlal Nehru by Saudi Arabia also found place in the exhibition, further bolstering the claim.

With three broad classifications of conservation preventive, remedial and restoration, the posters touched upon explaining various environmental factors like light, heat, humidity, etc. that may deteriorate the condition of the antique objects or structures.

The students have used flowcharts and diagrams to describe the types of museum objects -- organic, such as paper manuscript; inorganic, like the Natraj sculpture in bronze, which is prone to corrosion; and composite, which is a mix of the two, for example the famous painting -- The Mona Lisa.

While the focus audience of the exhibition was people connected with museums, it intrigued people from all walks of life.

"This concept has intrigued people from all walks of life, we have answered numerous queries from several visitors, many of them not even remotely linked to museums," Aditi said.

The posters not only highlighted the factors deteriorating heritage but also the measures that can be taken to prevent and restore them.

For monitoring purpose, the posters suggest instruments like Whirling Hygrometer and RH meter to measure relative humidity (RH).

Similarly, another poster went on to explain the suitable environmental conditions for the heritage with one of the flowcharts suggesting use of light for minimum possible time to maintain the originality of the colour of the museum object.

Documentation to reduce the time taken to find a particular object in the museum and proper storage of the cultural heritage in a museum were also explained using flowcharts.

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The next month's Feast of St Francis Xavier, known as the most reverred festival of Goa, and Novenas may be eco-friendly this year as the Goa Church is mulling over a ban on the usage of plastic or bio-degradable material.

Thousands of pilgrims attend the Feast of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa, where his relics are preserved. While the Feast would be held on December 4, Novenas will begin from November 25 onwards.

Novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks.

"To begin with, we will avoid using flex and decoration made up of thermacol to deck up the stage set up for the mass. This is a hard decision and we have been already been talking about it," said Fr Patricio Fernandes, Rector of Basilica of Bom Jesus where the relics of st Xavier are preserved.

He said the decision to ban plastic or bio-degradable items is in sync with the call given by Pop Francis.

Fr Fernandes said the Church Authorities are still contemplating ways to minimise or negate the use of environmentally hazardous material during the Feast.

"As people are used to plastic or thermacol, it will be a bit difficult task. Usage of these non-environment friendly material began a decade ago to deck up the stage of the mass," the priest said.

People from across the country will participate in the Feast celebrated in honour of St Xavier, the patron saint of Goa.

Fr Fernandes said groups of pilgrims from places like Karwar, Belgaum, Sawantwadi, Azra and Malvan usually arrive on their foot for the festival.

He said devotees from Portugal, Italy and other countries also attend the Feast.

"On the daily basis, we have a big crowd in the early morning and then evening when Novenas begin. On Saturday and Sunday, we keep the mass at 5 a.m. to ensure lesser footfalls," the priest said.

This year, the masses will start at 4 A.M as a large number of people typically camp near the Basilica in night.

About 15,000-20,000 people will participate in the main mass which will begin at 10.30 a.m.

Fr Fernandes said the masses will be held in local languages, besides in French and Spannish.

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At least five persons including three children of a family were killed today when a car they were travelling in fell into a ravine in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

The incident took place near Malkot village of Abbottabad district.

The car, carrying six persons of the family, was headed for Malkot area from Rawalpindi when it met with the accident, police said.

The vehicle fell into the ravine due to over-speeding, killing five persons on the spot and injuring a child, rescue officials said.

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France will be the first to welcome African refugees evacuated from Libya to NIger by the United Nations refugee agency, French officials announced today.

After experiencing appalling living conditions at camps in the north African country, the refugees were taken to Niger on November 11 by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where they have been looked after.

The 25 Eritreans, Ethiopians and Sudanese -- including 15 women and four children -- should reach France "at the latest in January," the interior ministry said.

Libya has long been a major transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe, and many of them have fallen prey to serious abuse at the hands of traffickers and .

US television network CNN aired footage last week of an apparent live auction where black men are presented to buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400 (340 euros).

And the European Union's policy of helping Libyan authorities intercept migrants crossing the Mediterranean and returning them to "horrific" detention has been branded "inhuman" by UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

Pascal Brice, the director general of OFPRA (French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) told AFP that France will take in the migrants following a visit to Niger's capital Niamey.

He said the migrants -- who were selected because they need protection -- will be given refugee status "very quickly" when they arrive in France.

"It is above all a way of saving people who have come out of a hell, with torture, rape and abduction of children," Brice said, adding the refugees were "almost all victims of sexual violence".

"The challenge now is that other countries, Europeans, Americans, Canadians, join this process," said Brice.

A further 47 refugees who were already living in Niger will also be taken in by France.

Alessandra Morelli, head of UNHCR in Niamey, said "we have done miracles" following the evacuation.

Although the figure of 25 refugees is tiny when compared to the 44,000 registered by UNHCR in Libya, Morelli said "we are convinced that there will be other operations".

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A gangster was killed and two of his associates were injured today when three persons fired at them on court premises at Roorkee where he had been taken in connection with a hearing, a senior police official said today.

Devpal Rana, a member of the notorious Sunil Rathi gang, sustained eight bullet injuries and died while he was being taken to hospital in Dehradun. Two shooters, hailing from Jind in Haryana, were arrested from the spot while another is on the run, SSP Haridwar Sunil Kumar VK told PTI.

Three persons had opened fire at Rana and two of his associates in the additional district judge's court where he had to be produced in connection with an old case, the SSP said.

His associates Amit and Satish who had gone to meet him at the court also sustained injuries in the firing.

All three of them were rushed to the Roorkee civil hospital from where Rana was referred to a Dehradun hospital but he died on the way, the SSP said.

His two associates were undergoing treatment.

Rana, against whom a large number of criminal cases are lodged at different police stations, was lodged in Roorkee jail and had been brought to the ADJ'scourt in connection with a hearing, he said.

The SSP said that they suspect that political rivalry with a man, whose wife is the block pramukh in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, could be behind the incident.

Davpal Rana's wife was earlier the block pramukh of Nanauta.

Two shooters named Sanju and Mohan were arrested from the spot while another shooter named Vikas is on the run.

Two automatic pistols have been recovered from the shooters who are being interrogated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
High-stakes talks to form a new German government collapsed today as the pro-business FDP party walked out, plunging Europe's biggest economy into a political crisis and potentially precipitating the end of Chancellor Angela Merkel's career.

After more than a month of gruelling negotiations, Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party said there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," said Lindner, adding that "we cannot and will not answer for the spirit of the exploratory papers".

The talks, which turned increasingly acrimonious, had stumbled on issues including the divisive matter of immigration.

Merkel's liberal refugee policy that let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which in September elections campaigned on an Islamophobic and anti-immigration platform.

With the Social Democratic Party already ruling out returning to a coalition with Merkel, and the veteran leader herself refusing a minority government, Germany would likely be forced to hold new elections.

And Merkel, in power since 2005, would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to lead them into a new electoral campaign.

Top-selling Bild daily said yesterday that a failure to forge a coalition puts "her chancellorship in danger".

A poll by Welt online also found that 61.4 per cent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 per cent thought otherwise.

Merkel had been forced to seek an alliance with the unlikely group of parties after September's elections left her without a majority.

Party chiefs had initially set 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) today as the moment of truth, but the deadline went by without a breakthrough -- the second overtime after already missing a previous target on Thursday.

But signs that talks were going badly began emerging and Bild daily said on its website that "failure is in the air" as parties dug in their heels on key sticking points.

Anxious to curb the haemorrhage of voters to the AfD, Merkel's Bavarian allies CSU has demanded a 200,000 cap on new arrivals.

Negotiators were unable to square that demand with the Greens' push for war refugees -- who benefit from temporary protection -- to be allowed to bring their family members to Germany.

"We will not accept that people who are already getting a lower status of protection by law are also excluded from family reunions. That is inhumane," Greens negotiator Juergen Trittin told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasise the need to protect industry and jobs.

As parties refused to budge, Germany's President Frank- Walter Steinmeier told Welt am Sonntag newspaper that "all sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters".

Sueddeutsche daily noted that Steinmeier's warning came because he sees in new elections "the risk that even a bigger coalition or a Jamaica coalition would no longer have a majority".

"Then the loss would have been greater than the failure of forging a government," it said.

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The government has raised Rs 14,500 crore through the Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), comprising 22 companies, a top official said today.

"We have decided to retain Rs 14,500 crore of the total subscription that has come in for Bharat-22 ETF," Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Neeraj Gupta said.

The ETF saw bids of nearly Rs 32,000 crore coming in, with FIIs bidding for one-third of the money.

The portion reserved for retail investors was subscribed 1.45 times; retirement funds -- 1.50 times and NIIs and QIBs -- 7 times.

With this, the government has raised Rs 52,500 crore through disinvestment in the current fiscal, including listing of insurance PSUs.

Last week the portion reserved for anchor investors was subscribed six times amounting to Rs 12,000 crore.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund managed Bharat-22 ETF's new fund offer (NFO) had an initial issue size of over Rs 8,000 crore. As much as 25 per cent of total issue size, or Rs 2,000 crore, was reserved for anchor investors who put in bids worth about Rs 12,000 crore.

LIC, Bank of India, SBI Pension Fund, EPFO and HDFC Ergo Insurance are among those who have put in bids.

"During the three days reserved for non-anchor investors, we witnessed an overwhelming response from all investors, particularly retail segment. In due course, the ETF will be listed," ICICI Prudential AMC MD and CEO Nimesh Shah said.

The issue opened for subscription for retail investors from November 15-17.

This Index is a unique blend of shares of key Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as also government shares in blue chip private companies like Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Axis Bank and ITC.

The shares of the government companies represent six core sectors of the economy - Finance, Industry, Energy, Utilities, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Basic Materials, making the Index broad-based and diversified.

The government has set an ambitious target of raising Rs 72,500 crore for disinvestment in the current fiscal. Of this, Rs 46,500 crore is to be raised through minority stake sale in PSU and Rs 15,000 crore from strategic sale. Another Rs 11,000 crore is to come from listing of insurance companies.

The state-owned companies or PSUs that are part of the new Bharat ETF 22 include ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco.

The other CPSEs on the list are Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks -- SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda -- figure in the Bharat-22 index.

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A retired Air Force officer heading a government school in Punjab's Sangrur district was removed from the post of principal after being indicted of charges of sexual harassment of two Class 12 girls, according to an official release.

The chief minister had directed the Sangrur deputy commissioner to investigate the charges against retired Wing Commander C Deepak Dogra, principal, Government Meritorious School, Ghabdan, the state government release said.

He was indicted of the charges in a report submitted to the Chief Minister's Office recently, it said.

"In his report, the deputy commissioner found evidence to support the sexual harassment allegations levelled against the principal by two Class 12 girls," the release said here.

Following the submission of the report and acting on the chief minister's directive, the Society for Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students of Punjab has divested Dogra of the charge of principal with immediate effect, it said.

"He has been asked to hand over the charge to the school's vice principal Deepika Rani and report to the office of the project director of the Society for Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students," the release said.

The principal has been booked under section 354 A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code, and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the release said.

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The first list of candidates released by the Congress for the Gujarat Assembly elections has come as a disappointment for the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), as only two of its members have found a place in it.

Two PAAS members - Lalit Vasoya and Amit Thummar -found their names in the list released yesterday, even as the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats.

Upset with the development, the PAAS leadership directed its two members (who were given tickets) not to fill their nomination forms, as a sign of protest.

However, one of them (Vasoya) filed his nomination today from Dhroaji seat on the Congress' ticket.

After he filled up the form, Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel tweeted lines of a poem written by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Badhayein aati hain, ayengi, ghire pralay ki ghor ghataein, paon ke niche angare, sir par barse yadi jwala, nij hato main haste haste, aag lagakar jalna hoga, kadam milakar chalna hoga".

The lines loosely translate to, "obstacles keep on coming, sky might be overcrowded by doom, embers beneath your legs, rain of fire on your head, but we have to set our hand on fire, we have to walk with each other, matching every step.

Hardik also cancelled his rally which was to be held in Rajkot, where he was supposed to announce support for the Congress party, after the row over ticket distribution.

The Congress had last night released its first list of 77 candidates, in which apart from two PAAS members, over 20 other Patel candidates were given tickets.

Soon after the list was released, agitated PAAS members started protest in many parts of the state, as they claimed that they were not given proper representation in the released list.

In Surat, the PAAS members ransacked the Congress city unit office and indulged in sloganeering against the party.

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convener Dharmik Malaviya told reporters last night.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convener Dinesh Bhambania along with his supporters created ruckus at the house of state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates who they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protest against the Congress," another PAAS convener, Alpesh Kathiria, said.

Police was called at many places by the Congress party.

The security personnel were deployed in large numbers at the state Congress headquarters in Paldi area also.

Yesterday, the PAAS members, led by Bhambania and Kathiria, had met state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and other Congress leaders, and later said that they have reached a compromise formula.

They had said that Hardik would announce support to the Congress in its Rajkot rally today.
The Delhi High Court today asked the Director General of Prisons to inspect the Tihar Jail here to ascertain whether the inmates have access to medical and basic facilities like sufficient number of toilets.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the DG Prisons to also look into whether there was sufficient cleanliness in the central prison.

The high court was prompted to issue the directions based on a report which said that a court in the United Kingdom had refused India's request to extradite a suspected bookie as it felt that the conditions in which he would be kept in Tihar Jail would be a violation of his human rights.

The bench noted that the prison was "hopelessly overcrowded" and inmates have claimed there were not enough toilets and medical treatment was given belatedly.

The high court directed the DG Prisons to carry out the inspection and file a report before the next date of hearing on December 18.

The bench referred to the report while hearing a PIL initiated by it after several prisoners moved the high court complaining about the inhuman conditions and lack of medical and employment facilities at the newly-commissioned Mandoli Jail in the national capital.

The prisoners had written letters to the high court about their plight inside the jail.

To decongest the Tihar Jail in west Delhi, two other jails -- one at Rohini in northwest Delhi and another at Mandoli in east Delhi, were made operational in December 2004 and October 2016 respectively.

The Mandoli complex, which has six prisons, can house 3,776 inmates. Tihar and Rohini jails have 14,469 prisoners as against the sanctioned strength of 6,250.

The letters had complained of pathetic living conditions in the jail, besides the lack of medical facilities, employment opportunities and faulty punishment procedures allegedly being implemented by the jail administration.

As per the Tihar Jail Manual, the inmates who are handed out jail terms, are imparted education, useful skills and lessons to respect the law. It aims to improve the inmates' self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve.

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The Madras High court today dismissed a batch of petitions, including by Latha Rajinikanth, wife of actor Rajinikanth, against refixing of rent of shops by the Chennai Municipal Corporation.

Justice S Vaidyanathan dismissed the petitions after accepting the contention of the counsel for the corporation that the Supreme Court had already dismissed such petitions filed against the refixing of the rent.

Mohan Menon, authorised signatory for Latha Rajinikanth, challenged the June 23 order of the corporation increasing rent of his shop in the city, where a travel agency was running for the past more than 25 years from Rs 3,702 to Rs 21,160.

Menon submitted that though the land may be valuable, the building's value depreciated over the years. The corporation was not even maintaining the building and its occupants were spending huge amount for it.

He also claimed that the basic principle enunciated in the Rent Control Act for fixing a fair rent was not followed.

The counsel for the corporation submitted that according to a government order, the corporation has to revise the rent once every nine years. Moreover, the apex could had also dismissed petitions challenging the hike, he contended.

Accepting his arguments, the judge dismissed the petitions.

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The Bombay High Court today refused to stay the demolition drive conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) along the Tansa water pipeline that runs across Mumbai, saying any blanket order may be misused.

A bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Congress MLA Naseem Khan and representatives of the residents living in slum clusters along the water pipeline.

The petitioners sought an interim stay on the demolition drive, which the Chief Justice refused saying the drive was being undertaken in compliance with a previous HC order and the aggrieved may approach the court on individual basis for relief.

"I understand that this (the demolition drive) might be a problem for some families. However, I can't pass a blanket order and allow anyone to misuse the order," she said.

"Those who feel that they are being wrongly targeted by the drive can approach the court for relief on an individual basis," the Chief Justice said.

The BMC, in compliance with a previous order of the high court, has been demolishing all encroachments, including the unauthorised residential and commercial structures, along the Tansa water pipeline that runs across nine administrative wards of the city.

The petitioners, who stay in the slum clusters in Andheri and Powai areas, opposed the ongoing demolition drive along the water pipeline and sought a staytill April 2018.

They argued that their children, who are studying in various schools and colleges in the city, are currently in the middle of their respective academic years.

The petitioners also said that if the demolition drive is permitted to continue, it will disrupt the studies of about 8,500 school and college going children living in the affected areas.

They have also demanded that if their homes are demolished, they should be provided alternative accommodation by the state authorities in an area within three kilometres from their present homes.

The plea claims that while the Maharashtra government's rules mandate that slum dwellers be rehabilitated within the three-kilometre limit, the authorities in the present case were providing alternative accommodation to the petitioners in areas as far as 25 kms from their present homes.

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The Gujarat High Court today reserved its order on a petition filed by portal The Wire, seeking quashing of a criminal defamation case filed against it by Jay Shah, the son of BJP president Amit Shah.

Justice J B Pardiwala reserved his order after hearing detailed arguments by both sides.

Advocate Mihir Joshi, representing journalist Rohini Singh, the author of the article "The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah", and its editors, told the court that the article was not defamatory, and that the facts presented in it were based on documents which were in public domain.

The article was a piece of investigative journalism, and filing of a criminal defamation case against it curtails the freedom of press, the lawyer argued.

Rohini Singh and others moved the high court last week seeking quashing of the defamation case filed by Jay Shah in magistrate's court.

The petition came up for hearing for the first time today.

Shah's lawyer S V Raju said the article was defamatory, and two witnesses examined by the lower court established that the reputation of his client was hurt by it.

The article, uploaded online, was later changed to remove earlier mistakes, he said.

The high court today did not allow government pleader Mitesh Amin to argue in the matter after he sought permission.

Jay Shah filed a criminal defamation case after the article claimed that his company's turnover grew exponentially within a short time after the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014.

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The Delhi High Court today reserved its judgement on the trial court's reference for confirmation of capital punishment given to two death convicts in the 2009 Jigisha Ghosh murder case.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta concluded hearing arguments and reserved its verdict on the appeals of the two death row convicts and another convict, challenging the trial court's conviction and sentence in the case.

While convicts Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla were handed down death penalty, the third offender Baljeet Malik was given reprieve from the gallows for his good conduct in jail and awarded life imprisonment by the lower court.

The sessions judge had last year sent the case records relating to the conviction and death sentence of Kapoor and Shukla to the high court.

It is mandatory for a trial court to refer a death penalty case to a high court for confirmation of the sentence within 30 days of the pronouncement of the verdict.

The trial court had on July 14, 2016 held the duo guilty for murder of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh and other counts.

While sentencing the two to death, the trial court had said the 28-year-old woman was killed in a "cold-blooded, inhuman and cruel manner" and "brutally mauled to death".

It had said the magnitude and brutality exhibited by the convicts made the case 'rarest of rare', warranting capital punishment for Kapoor and Shukla.

Kapoor and Shukla in their appeal claimed the trial court has "wrongly held that the case falls in the category of rarest of rare".

Malik, challenging his conviction and sentence of life term through his counsel Amit Kumar, had said the trial court judge had "failed to appreciate that there were contradictions and discrepancies in the depositions of prosecution witnesses (PWs) and, therefore conviction and the sentence awarded to him is liable to be set aside".

The trial court had imposed varying fines on them.

The trio are also facing trial for the murder of TV journalist Soumya Viswanathan, killed a year before Jigisha.

The trial court had held the three guilty under several sections of IPC, including murder, abducting for murder, destruction of evidence, voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery, forgery for purpose of cheating and using as genuine a forged document.

It had held that the charge of criminal conspiracy could not be proved against them.

The police had filed the charge sheet in the case in June 2009, stating that Jigisha's post-mortem report had revealed that she was killed by smothering. The trial in the case began in April 2010.

Recovery of the weapon allegedly used in Jigisha's murder had led to cracking of the murder case of Soumya Vishwanathan, who was a journalist with a channel.

Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home in her car from office in the wee hours.

The police had claimed robbery as the motive behind the killings of both Jigisha and Soumya.

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Police in Pakistan on Sunday seized two and a half kg of heroin worth lakhs of rupees while it was being smuggled to India at the Wagah railway station, a media report said.

The heroin was found in a cargo train heading to India from Lahore, the Express Tribune reported.

Two-and-a-half kilogrammes of the contraband was concealed inside furniture, the report said.

The heroin is estimated to be worth lakhs of rupees in the international market.
A special court today extended by a day the CBI remand of former Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shimla D W Negi, arrested in the case of custodial death of an accused in the rape-and-murder of a teenage girl in Kotkhai in Himachal Pradesh.

The CBI arrested Negi on November 16 and he was produced in the court after his five-day remand expired today.

The court did not accept the plea of the CBI for extending the remand by five days. It fixed the hearing for tomorrow.

The CBI registered two cases on the direction of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in July this year to probe the rape-and-murder of the 16-year-old girl and the second related to the custodial death of an accused, Suraj Singh, arrested by the Himachal Pradesh Police.

The high court is monitoring both the cases and directed the CBI to file the charge sheet in the custodial death case by November 30.

The CBI also sought the permission of the court for voice sample tests of the eight police personnel arrested earlier and the hearing was fixed for today. However, the court deferred the hearing to November 23 as the defence lawyers did not appear in the court.

The CBI earlier arrested Inspector General of Police (IGP) Z H Zaidi, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Manoj Joshi and six other policemen in the case.

Zaidi, the then Theog DSP Joshi, the then Station House Officer of Kotkhai, one Assistant Sub-Inspector, three head constables and one constable were arrested by the CBI on August 29.

Suraj Singh, an accused in the rape-and-murder case, was killed allegedly by another accused in the case at Kotkhai police station on the intervening night of July 18 and 19, triggering a massive public outrage.

Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal, was among six people arrested by the local police.

The remaining five accused in the rape-and-murder case have been released on bail as the CBI failed to file the charge sheet within 90 days.

Zaidi was heading a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case of rape-and-murder of the minor school girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla in early July.

The case was later transferred to the CBI on the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

The Class X student had gone missing on July 4 and her naked body was recovered from Haliala forests in Kotkhai on July 6.

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Kerala State Human Rights Commission today ordered probe into allegations that a six-member family was harassed by police in three police stations.

Taking serious note of the reports that the family was harassed by the police, the Commission, after taking suo motu case into the incident, directed the Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief to submit the report in three months.

The ordeal of the family reportedly began yesterday when the cars of a judge and the family scraped when they were driving in same directions at Chirangara in Koratty in Thrissur district.

Nidhin, who was driving the vehicle of the family, alleged that the car carrying his ailing father, two-year-old kid and mother were stopped by traffic police when they had reached Aluva in Ernakulam district.

They were allegedly directed by the police to go to meet Circle Inspector at Chalakudy in Thrissur district.

However, he did not turn up.

The police, after making them waiting for few hours, allegedly directed them to meet Sub Inspector of Koratty Police station. They were reportedly let off by the police without registering a case after six hour ordeal at three stations.

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Prominent Imphal-based newspapers, including the daily that was burned down by alleged members of BJP's youth wing, left their editorial columns blank today in protest.

Copies of vernacular newspaper Poknapham were set on fire by unidentified miscreants in front of BJP's party office at Nityapat Chuthek here on Saturday over alleged disparaging content against the Prime Minister.

"The editorial column has been left blank today in protest against burning of an Imphal-based newspaper by BJP Youth Wing," the editor of Sangai Express said.

The president of All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), W Shyamjai, condemning Saturday's incident, told reporters that "the act of burning the paper amounts to promulgation of mob culture."



"If the parties involved are unable to settle the matter at the level of AMWJU, they can approach the court," he said.

The BJP Manipur Pradesh Yuva Morcha did not discuss the matter with the editors and the publishers of Poknapham, Shyamjai added.

Echoing similar sentiments, President A Mobi of Editors' Guild Manipur said the members of the political party should have approached the right forum instead of burning editions of the vernacular.

A BJP official said the "Vox Populi" column in Saturday's edition of Poknapham earned the wrath of his party members.

"The content which appeared in the 'Vox Populi' column of the daily is being considered derogatory against the Prime Minister of the country," said a BJP official on the condition of anonymity.

He, however, did not confirm if the copies of Poknapham were burned by his party members.

"The case might be taken to the Press Council of India," he added.

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Over a lakh students from across the country have signed a memorandum, urging the government to include human rights in school curriculum.

"Knowledge of human rights is essential for us to understand and access our rights both as children and when we grow up. The schools become the best spaces where our human rights education can begin," read the memorandum, which is the initiative of a civil society group.

Human rights education should be imparted in schools from class 1 to 10, it said.

They should also be taught through games, play and dramas, comics and social as well as digital media, it said.

"Keeping in mind the children at risk and the ones who are vulnerable, the government should design programmes that involve imparting of human rights education beginning from their homes as well as right from aanganwadi centres to schools and then ultimately colleges," it said.

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The week-long army warfare exercise by India and Myanmar, the first to be held in the country, began today at the Joint Warfare Centre at Umroi near here, officials said.

The exercise code-named India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX) is aimed at building and promoting closer relations with armies of the neighbouring countries, they said.

The six-day training exercise also aims to train the officers of Myanmar Army in various United Nations Peacekeeping roles and tasks, the statement said.

The training curriculum will enable the participants of Myanmar Army with the requisite knowledge and skills to meet the evolving challenges of peacekeeping operations in accordance with principles, policies and guidelines of the United Nations.

At the exercise, 15 officers from the Myanmar Army and 16 officers from Indian Army took part. They were welcomed by Red Horns Division GOC Major General PS Behl, Army spokesperson said in a statement.

The Indo-Myanmar joint Army Exercise is a positive step in the bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations, the statement said.

The conduct of such exercises in future will not only enable mutual capacity enhancement, but will assist in building strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and Myanmar, it added.

A week-long Indo-Bangla army exercise concluded at the Centre last week.

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Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is slated to open tomorrow an event to commemorate the World Fisheries Day.

A day-long event with the theme 'Doubling of farmers' income by 2022' will be held at the Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex at Pusa Road here, an official release stated.

Exhibitions, technical sessions and information on government schemes are key attractions of the event.

India has been celebrating the World Fisheries Day for the past four years.

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IndiGo has suspended two staffers for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger at Guwahati airport.

The incident involving lawyer Krishna Sarma happened yesterday wherein her mobile phone was allegedly snatched by a staff to delete certain pictures clicked by her.

Regretting the "unpleasant experience" of Sarma with its airport staff, IndiGo said, "based on her complaint, has suspended the two employees involved in the incident pending investigation".

When contacted, Sarma told PTI, "I am satisfied that IndiGo responded with such alacrity". But, she refused to talk further about the incident.

In its statement, IndiGo said the airline has been in touch with Sarma and regretted the inconvenience caused to her



"In fact, we have kept her informed of the immediate steps that IndiGo has taken following her complaint," the statement said.

According to a message circulating on social media, Sarma clicked some pictures when her luggage was being screened again and again.

After checking her bag, one of the staff allegedly said she had to delete the pictures. Despite the passenger saying that the pictures have been deleted, the staff forcibly snatched her phone and proceeded to delete the same from 'recently deleted' folder in the phone, as per the message purportedly attributed to Sarma.

Following the incident, she complained to the airline.

Earlier this month, a video clip of IndiGo staff assaulting a passenger at the airport in the national capital had gone viral. Later, the airline apologised for the incident while a probe by aviation regulator DGCA is on.

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Expanding its footprint, heritage body INTACH has opened a new chapter each in Haryana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, taking the total number of its branches to 200, a senior official today said.

A non-profit organisation established in 1984 and headquartered in New Delhi, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) works on protection, conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage.

"We are marking the World Heritage Week (November 19-25) and happy to share that three new chapters have been recently added to our list. Hisar Chapter in Haryana opened early this month," the senior INTACH official told PTI.

He said in Rajasthan, a joint chapter has been launched for three towns of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu, while in Chhattisgarh, a chapter has been started in Khairagarh.

"The three towns in Rajasthan are filled with old havelis, forts and palaces. And so it is fitting that we have a chapter to cover that historic area. In Hisar also, the city is rich in heritage," he said.

According to the official, the new chapter in Chhattisgarh has been started in an art university in Khairagarh, considering the tribal culture of the region.

"So, now we have 200 chapters across the country," he said.

In November last year, the heritage body had opened a chapter in the historic city of Darbhanga in Bihar and prior to that in December 2015, in silk city Bhagalpur.

Gaya and Sitamarhi have also been on INTACH's radar but, still facing some challenges.

"In Sitamarhi, we got good response but not the required number of volunteers we need to get the specified number of members and life members, required for starting a chapter.

"In Gaya, we are in touch with faculty at Magadh University to mobilise support for membership, but we have not got good response at all so far," Bihar Chapter Convener Prem Sharan rued.

The ancient city of Gaya, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mahabodhi Temple, and the iconic Vishnupad Temple, besides a large number of colonial-era buildings.

The Gaya Collectorate, District Board building, District Engineers Office, the Dakbungalow, are some of the oldest heritage buildings in the city, known for the time distinct architecture and red colour.

Besides, it is also dotted with several private mansions and palatial houses, many of which are in ruins, and immediate need of restoration.

INTACH has chapters in all major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Shimla, Patna, Ahmedabad and Bhopal.

The new chapters are likely to give boost to documentation and preservation of heritage in the three states.

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The district court here today granted interim anticipatory bail to Goa's former chief minister Digambar Kamat, facing a probe in the illegal mining scam case.

Judge Irshad Agha, while granting interim relief to Kamat, fixed November 27 for the next hearing of the Congress leader's application for pre-arrest bail.

A special investigation team of the Goa Crime Branch has summoned Kamat for questioning tomorrow.

The court, in today's order, said, in case of his arrest by the SIT, he should be bailed out on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety of the like amount.

Advocate Sivan Desai, Kamat's lawyer, told reporters that the Crime branch did not submit its reply to Kamat's plea during the hearing today.

He also said the court was informed about attempts by the SIT to arrest Kamat on Saturday night even as his anticipatory bail plea was pending before the court.

Prosecutor G Kirtani, however, denied there was any attempt to arrest Kamat.

The SIT is investigating Kamat's role in a case filed in September 2014 against mine owner Prafulla Hede. It has been alleged that the delay in the renewal of the lease for a mine at Collem in South Goa was condoned by the government in an irregular manner when Kamat was holding mining portfolio.

Justice M B Shah Commission, which probed alleged rampant illegal mining in Goa, had observed in its report that several mining companies were allowed to fraudulently use the provision of condoning the delay in renewal of mining lease.

Apart from Hede, some government officials are also named as accused in the case. The SIT has questioned several officials, including former principal mines secretary of the state Rajiv Yaduvanshi.

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Iran says a statement by Arab League foreign ministers condemning the Islamic Republic and its proxy Hezbollah is "full of lies" and the product of Saudi "pressure and propaganda."



State media quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as calling on Saudi Arabia to stop its "barbaric attacks" on Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been at war with Tehran-backed rebels since March 2015.

He also called on Saudi Arabia to drop its boycott of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar, which has warm ties with Iran.

Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo yesterday lashed out at Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, accusing them of destabilising the region and vowing to take the matter to the UN Security Council.

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The Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) today wrote a letter to Delhi Police chief Amulaya Patnaik, flagging "police apathy" in the ITO metro molestation case involving a female journalist.

The journalist working with an English daily was allegedly molested in the non-paid area of the metro station on the night of November 13.

A local tea stall help Akhilesh was arrested by the Metro police two days after the incident.

The letter by IWPC president Shobhna Jain and general secretary Aditi Tandon expressed concern over the incident that took "very close" to the Delhi Police headquarters.

The women's right group alleged that there was "delay" on part of the police in responding to the distressed reporter and registering an FIR on her complaint.

"The IWPC would like to reiterate that there cannot be any compromise on the safety of women at all times and in all situations," the letter said.

The body also highlighted the nature of women journalists' job wherein they have to work till late in the night and commute by public transport.

It added that the police should make the city's women folk feel safe.

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The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP today accused Farooq Abdullah of "spreading falsehood" against his opponents, a day after the National Conference president claimed that the saffron outfit wants to "fragment India".

Abdullah yesterday accused the BJP and the RSS of playing communal politics and claimed they were trying to "fragment India into bits and pieces".

"Having faced criticism even in Kashmir for his irresponsible and anti-national statements, Abdullah has resorted to his time-tested technique of telling lies and spreading falsehood to malign his opponents in the hope of saving his sinking boat," BJP state spokesman Anil Gupta said.

Gupta was referring to Abdullah's remarks on November 11, when he said that PoK belonged to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight.

Yesterday, Abdullah also decried what he said was attempts by the BJP and the RSS to "sow seeds of hatred and mistrust" among communities for political gains.

Gupta said "such an accusation from the president of a party which was born with a communal agenda was tantamount to the 'pot calling the cattle black'".

"It is an acknowledged fact that apart from theatrics Abdullah has mastered the art of rhetoric, weird statements and falsehood but how dare he refer to it as BJP's hypocrisy," Gupta asked.

"Hypocrisy and deceit are hallmarks of the NC, which was an ally of Indira Gandhi when the Emergency was declared in the country," he alleged.

"Can Farooq Abdullah deny that he was the architect of dividing the electorate on communal lines in 1983 elections, when he forged an alliance with all Kashmiri separatist and religious parties and sowed the seeds of divisive politics in the state?" he said.

The BJP leader also cited Abdullah's statement during the 2014 elections in the state. Gupta said Abdullah had made statements like "those who voted for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi should drown in sea" and appealed Muslim voters of the Jammu region to not vote for BJP candidates.

"I leave it to the honourable people of J&K to decide which party resorts to communal and divisive politics," Gupta said.

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The JKNPP today demanded an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore for the families of those killed in the line of duty from the state, including sub-inspector Imran Tak who was killed in a shootout with militants on Friday.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman Harsh Dev Singh also alleged that the PDP-BJP government had a "callous" attitude towards the families of those killed while protecting the country.

"We urge the government to announce a Rs 1 crore ex gratia to martyrs in Jammu and Kashmir and demand that the family of Imran Tak and others be granted the amount," he told reporters here today.

"The state government has been callous towards the state's martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the motherland," alleged Singh, a former minister.

He alleged that while the BJP-PDP alliance continues to dole out incentives and jobs to surrendered militants and dependents of deceased anti-nationals, it preferred to remain "tight-lipped over the announcement of ex gratia for the families of martyrs".

The tall promises of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to provide ex gratia of Rs 1 crore has not been implemented on the ground, Singh claimed.

He alleged that while other states honoured their "martyrs" and gave adequate ex gratia, the J-K government "showed empty coffers" to the bereaved families.

The JKNPP chairman claimed that over 1,500 police personnel had been killed in the valley since insurgency broke out in the late 80's and several homes had been ransacked by suspected militants in recent months.

"But the announcement of ex gratia and other benefits are yet to be gievn," he said.

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In no let up in the wave of resentment against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati", Karni Sena activists created ruckus outside a cinema hall at Anjad town here for playing the trailer of the controversial movie.

The police, however, have not registered a case.

"Karni Sena members created ruckus after the trailer of 'Padmavati' was shown in the middle of a movie through satellite last night," said Dharmendra Jain, owner of Virendra Talkies.

He said the film's trailer would not be shown again.

Anjad police station in-charge R R Chouhan said the Karni Sena had last month submitted a memorandum to the district authorities, demanding a ban on screening "Padmavati" and its trailer.

He said police personnel brought the situation under control soon after they were informed about the protest.

"The cinema hall owner has been asked not to screen any part of the movie or its trailer, until its release is duly approved by authorities," the officer said.

Chouhan said no case has been registered in this regard.

Political leaders and a number of organisations, especially the Karni Sena, have been opposing the release of the history drama, claiming that it had portrayed Rajput queen Padmini in bad light.

The Rajasthan-based outfit had even threatened to chop off the nose of lead actor Deepika Padukone if she did not refrain from making "provocative" statements.

The fringe outfit had also threatened violence if the movie was released.

A Haryana BJP leader is reported to have announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for anyone beheading Padukone and Bhansali.

The film's December 1 release was recently deferred.

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The Supreme Court today allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from December 1-10 for his daughter's admission at the Cambridge University there.

The apex court imposed certain conditions on Karti and directed him to furnish an undertaking in three days that he would abide by the conditions and timeline of his visit.

The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union Finance Minister.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Mishra said since the investigation was in progress, Karti will not cite the present order of allowing him to go abroad as a precedent in any court.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked Karti to furnish documents of grant or non-grant of admission to his daughter in the university on his return from UK.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agency's stand on Karti's plea seeking to go abroad.

He said that contempt action be initiated against Karti if he does not return to India after the completion of period of his visit abroad.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said he has agreed to furnish an undertaking and contempt action is a natural consequence which may follow if he does not return and hence it should not be mentioned in the order of the court.

The bench while taking the note filed by CBI on record said that legality of government's Look Out Circular (LOC) against Karti will be deliberated at the later stage.

It posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

In his application, Karti has sought court's permission to visit abroad for his daughter's admission at a college of the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

The apex court had on November 9 asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing Karti's request to go abroad.

The top court is hearing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madras High Court order staying the government's LOC against Karti Chidambaram. The CBI had on September 1 said there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to probe in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti.

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With technology playing a key role on how corporates strategise their future expansions, several landlords expect a rise in smart buildings with a preference to use modern technology rather than recreating old-fashioned properties, a report says.

According to a report by the property consultant CBRE, 84 per cent of landlords expect a rise in smart buildings as a result of technological innovation.

It further says it is essential for landlords to partner more closely with tenants when developing smart buildings.

"Today, IoT is supporting the development of a new breed of smart buildings hosting technological ecosystems that track and manage energy, environment, security and other key features. This allows real time interaction between building operators and tenants, and can improve employee experience," its Chairman, India and Southeast Asia Anshuman Magazine said.

He further said it is essential for landlords to partner more closely with tenants when developing smart buildings.

"They should engage with tenants at the planning stage to ascertain the features and technology they require," Magazine said.

The survey found that the combined use of energy management technology and indoor environment control sensors have been widely adopted by landlords.

More progressive landlords are beginning to provide flexible space solutions to tenants including co-working space and bookable rooms for meetings and events, it said.

"Using modern technology in new buildings will be convenient instead of recreating older properties. Landlords should partner more closely with tenants when developing smart buildings, engaging with tenants at the planning stage," he said.

Magazine added that India has the unique advantage of having several of these aspects already available here.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said leaking out of Aadhaar card details could be "dangerous" because it might lead to the disclosure of confidential information about individuals.

Banerjee told reporters here that Aadhaar details being leaked out was "alarming", and could be dangerous for individuals and society.

"We don't know why such acts are taking place. We already have the PAN card, voter ID card. But I believe what is taking place in the name of the Aadhaar card will be dangerous for any individual and society," she said.

Criticising the Centre, the Trinamool Congress chief said, "Some people act like Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and take sudden decisions such as dividing the state or the move of demonetisation. This information about Aadhaar card details leakage also shows such a mindset."



More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India said recently.

"Details from head to toe of every individual, talks between mother and daughter... husband and wife would be known. I have been warning (people) about this time and again," Banerjee said.

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Lenders of debt ridden Reliance Communications have approved the sale of its real estate assets in Delhi and Chennai to Canada-based asset management firm Brookfield, said a source.

"Lenders have approved sale of real estate asset RCom holds in Delhi and Chennai for Rs 801 crore to Brookfield," a source privy to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity.

When contacted RCom declined to comment on the development, while email query sent to Brookfield elicited no immediate reply.

The proceeds will be used for retiring debts, the source said.

As per of its asset monetisation plans, RCom has been working on finding investors or buyers for prime real estate assets, including at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Navi Mumbai, measuring nearly 125 acres with development rights of potentially over 17 million sq ft and prime property of 4 acre near Connaught Place, New Delhi.

RCom, which is reeling under Rs 45,000 crore debt, is under a standstill period (for interest and principal repayments) till December 2018 and expects to complete the SDR process as per applicable RBI guidelines.

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Lenders of debt ridden Reliance Communications have approved the sale of its real estate assets in Delhi and Chennai to Canada-based asset management firm Brookfield, said a source.

"Lenders have approved sale of real estate assets RCom holds in Delhi and Chennai for Rs 801 crore to Brookfield," a source privy to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity.

When contacted RCom declined to comment on the development, while email query sent to Brookfield elicited no reply.

The proceeds will be used for retiring debts, the source said.

As part of its asset monetisation plans, RCom has been working on finding investors or buyers for prime real estate assets, including at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Navi Mumbai, measuring nearly 125 acres with development rights of potentially over 17 million sq ft and prime property of 4 acre near Connaught Place, New Delhi.

RCom, reeling under Rs 45,000 crore debt, is in a standstill period (for interest and principal repayments) till December 2018 and expects to complete the SDR process as per the RBI guidelines.

RCom is also in talks with Brookfield for selling its mobile towers.

The company expects telecom tower and real estate businesses to help pay off Rs 27,000 crore.

On October 30, RCom said that it plans to pay debt of 27,000 crore through asset monetisation, Rs 7,000 crore through equities and carry forward debt of Rs 6,000 crore to new business.

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The Supreme Court today directed the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit within a week on whether it has notified a road in Aurangabad zone as state highway before banning the sale of liquor within its 500 metres.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by three beer bar restaurants of Maharashtra alleging that the state government had stopped their business despite their shops not being located within the stipulated 500 metre distance from PatasDaundKarmalaParandaBarshi road.

The restaurants also alleged that this road has not been declared a state highway under the local statute.

The apex court had on December 15 last year banned all liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways after March 31 this year.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the counsel for the state to file an affidavit and posted the matter on November 29.

"On being asked, Nishant R Katneshwarkar, counsel appearing for the state, submitted that the roads which are the subject matter in issue are not state highways as there has been no such declaration. Let an affidavit of the competent authority be filed within a week hence in this regard," the bench said.

The restaurants had approached the high court which asked them to approach the apex court which is seized of the matter.

"The Maharashtra Highways Act specifies in Section 3 that the State Government by notification in Official Gazette, declare any road, way or land to be a Highway and classify it as a State Highway (Special), State Highway, a Major District Road, Other District Road or a Village Road.

"This notification having not been issued or brought on record, the prohibition contemplated by the Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgment, is not attracted," the restaurants said.

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A defiant Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks amounting to nearly Rs 9,000-crore, today appeared before a local court in London for his pre-trial hearing where the liquor baron's extradition hearing was confirmed for eight days starting December 4.

The 61-year-old businessman, out on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard earlier this year, was released by the Westminster Magistrates' Court judge on the same bail conditions and asked to appear in the court on December 4.

The extradition trial will last until December 14, with December 8 marked as a non-sitting day.

Speaking to reporters as he left today's case management hearing, Mallya said, "it will all become clear in court".

His defence team, headed by barrister Clare Montgomery, updated Judge Arbuthnot that the defence argument skeleton had been submitted last week and now "the ball is in the Indian government's court" to present their reply by next week.

She also presented the judge with a "running order" of witnesses to be deposed in the case, adding that the Indian authorities are "content with that order".

Based on the defence timetable, the judge should be ready to rule on the case by December 24.

However, given the tight timeline for both sides to submit their closing arguments in writing, the judge suggested scheduling a half-day hearing in January after the oral closing submissions to conclude the trial in the new year instead.

However, Mallya's barrister was not in favour of that delay as that could lead to the Indian government presenting new material to the case and she said the defence was keen to "draw a line under all the material - evidential and non- evidential".

The judge concurred, saying "things have a habit of popping up" and has left things open for the moment.

Aaron Watkins, appearing for the UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of the Indian government, said as he was stepping in for CPS barrister Mark Summers, he would have to confirm the exact timeline with him.

Some of the witnesses on Mallya's defence team's list include Margaret Sweeney, chief accountant at Force India Formula One team, Prof Lau as an expert on the Indian legal system, aviation expert Dr Humphreys and prison conditions expert Dr Alan Mitchell.

The case will open on December 4 with opening arguments and the witness statement of Dr Humphreys.

Mallya's trial drama will be further enhanced on December 11 when American taxi hailing company Uber's appeal against the revocation of its licence to operate in London comes up for its first hearing in the same court.

Mallya has repeatedly stressed that he has done nothing wrong and will let the evidence speak in court.

The CPS had presented additional "supplemental" charges of money laundering to the previous charges of fraud at the last hearing in the case on October 3.

The previous fraud charges relate toMallya'snow-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owing more than Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks.

The UB Group chief has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016.

The CPS said it was technically re-filing its extradition request in court, after the new charges "superseded" the previous ongoing case.

The judge,Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot, agreed to formally re-open a fresh case while keeping to the same time-table as set before.

However, she had concurred withMallya's defence team that if further evidence keeps coming in it could put the December 4 trial date at "risk" before releasing him on the same bail conditions as before.

The conditions of his bail includeproviding a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

Arbuthnot has been hearingMallya's extradition case at Westminster Magistrates' Court on his previous arrest warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April.

If she rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UKhome secretary must orderMallyas extradition within two months.

However, the case can go through a series of appeals before arriving at a conclusion.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place from the UK to India under the arrangement.

Judge Arbuthnot and her colleague, Rebecca Crane, at Westminster Magistrates court have rejected two other long- pending extradition requests from India recently, that of UK- based alleged bookie Sanjeev Kumar Chawla on October 16 and a British Indian couple,Jatinder and Asha Rani Angurala, on October 12, relating to bank fraud.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the death of senior Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi an called it a "great loss".

"I am deeply saddened by the death of Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi. My deep condolence to members of his family, well-wishers and party workers. He was a very popular leader in Bengal since 1972..." Banerjee posted on her twitter handle.

The TMC chief said, "He (Dasmunsi) was in coma for almost 9 years. A massive stroke in 2008 virtually ended his political career. Otherwise he could have done more in his political life. He was still alive but now he is no more. It is a great loss. May his soul rest in peace," she tweeted.

Banerjee also declared half-day holiday for state government employees as a mark of respect for Dasmunshi.

The Congress leader, who was in coma since 2008, today passed away at a New Delhi hospital this morning.

He was 72.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today left for North Bengal to discuss the current situation in Darjeeling hills with all political parties there tomorrow.

The all-party meeting from the Darjeeling hills will take place at Pintail village during which the chief minister would also take a stock of the ongoing projects there, officials said.

Security arrangements at Pintail village and it's adjoining areas have been tightened to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the chief minister's visit,



Banerjee will also be holding an administrative review meeting of Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts on November 22, the officials said.

Chief Secretary Malay De, Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha and representatives of local bodies of the three districts would be present at the meeting to be held at 'Uttar Kanya', the state's administrative headquarters in North Bengal.

Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on November 23, the officials said.

This all-party meeting on Darjeeling situation would be the fourth one held in the past few months.

Normalcy returned to the hills after Banerjee's first meeting with all political parties of the hills in Kolkata on August 29 and the 104-day long shutdown over a separate Gorkhaland state was called off thereafter.

A new administrative board for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) came into existence with the resumption of work of all projects that had come to a standstill due to the agitation.

The state government announced earlier announced a Rs 500 crore package and later an additional Rs 174 crore was earmarked for the development of the hills.

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A man has been arrested for allegedly cheating several persons on the pretext of online sale, police said today.

Sector 20 police station in-charge Anil Kumar Shahi said police last night got information that a man on the pretext of cut-price articles was duping innocent buyers.

Police raided the company and arrested Pawan Mishra.

A paptop, a mobile phone and Rs 1.10 lakh in cash were seized from him.

During interrogation, Mishra told police that he is a student of a college in Delhi.

He would offer a very low-price deal to attract shoppers and then dupe them. Nobody would file a complaint for a small amount of money, police said.

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A 55-year old man succumbed to burns at a hospital two days after he attempted self-immolation in front of the house of a local AIADMK leader here accusing her of cheating him of Rs 11 lakh.

Thangaraj died at the Government Hospital in Erode, about 50 km from here, where he was admitted after he set himself ablaze on November 18, police said.

A case has been registered against the AIADMK Namakkal women's wing secretary Kalyani for allegedly abetting the suicide after the victim gave a dying delcation before a Erode Magistrate, they said.

Police said the woman was absconding and further investigation was on.

According to the FIR, Kalyani had taken Rs.11 lakh from Thangaraj in July last year promising to get a government job for his nephew but did not honour her assurance.

Upset over this, Thangaraj allegedly doused himself with kerosene in front of Kalyani's house and set himself ablaze.

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Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad has sought the Election Commission's opinion on the disqualification of 17 legislators, who were holding charge as parliamentary secretaries, following the orders of the High Court, a Raj Bhavan official said today.

The matter was referred to the Election Commission of India as required under Article 192(2) of the Constitution of India on November 16 last, a Raj Bhavan deputy secretary said in a statement.

The matter was forwarded to the EC based on a representation by Madal Sumer, a resident of Jowai, who had approached the High Court to disqualify the 17 MLAs on certain legal grounds, he said.

This was brought to the attention of the governor of Meghalaya on November 16 by Sumer and he took the decision to seek the opinion of the Election Commission of India, the official said.

Sumer had filed a PIL in the HC challenging the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in the state government citing a Supreme Court ruling on the matter.

The HC had on November 9 held invalid the Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2005 for want of legislative competence of the state legislature. It Act was struck down and the disqualifications were left at the hands of the governor.

Although all the 17 legislators had resigned en-mass on the same day itself, Sumer had told the governor that their resignation was of "no consequence" and that the disqualification does not allow them to continue as MLAs.

He cited the Supreme Court ruling and the powers conferred upon the Governor and said the 17 MLAs stand disqualified by operation of law with effect from the date they were appointed as parliamentary secretaries.

Of the 17 MLAs, Comingone Ymbon and Celestine Lyngdoh were elevated and inducted in the cabinet by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma earlier this year.

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A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in forest area of Tral in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Gujarbasti forest area of Tral based on information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

During the search operation, gunshots were heard, prompting the security forces to intensify the combing operation, he said.

A gunbattle broke out as the security forces closed in on the position of the militants, the official said.

One militant has been killed so far, the official said, adding that the identity of the militant was yet to be ascertained.

The operation was going on till reports last came in.

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A day after the video of Maharashtra Water Conservation Minister Ram Shinde peeing by the roadside surfaced, the Congress today took a dig demanding that he be appointed as the "brand ambassador" of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for the state.

The clip purportedly shows Shinde urinating by the roadside on the Solapur-Barshi road when he was travelling in his car.

Shinde had said that he was unwell after spending nearly a month touring the state for the government's flagship Jalyukta Shivar scheme and had to relieve himself in the open as he couldn't find a toilet while travelling.

Taunting the minister, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said Shinde proved on World Toilet Day yesterday that Maharashtra has become open defecation free.

"...He should be appointed as the brand ambassador for Swacch Bharat mission of the state government," Sawant said in a statement issued here today.

He accused the government of patting its back on "non-existing development".

"Earlier, Urban Development department had shown a photo of Bangkok to showcase development. Then it went on to claim how villages, which were not even included in the Jalyukt Shivar scheme, had benefitted from it," he said.

Citing the figures obtained from the RTI, Sawant said the government created only 1,624 toilets in Mumbai in the last three years and that many people still defecate in the open in the megalopolis.

"The CM had announced two years back that the government will create 50,000 toilets for women in the city. Not a single toilet has been constructed as yet," he claimed.

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An accident was averted today as the driver of a Sampark Kranti train applied brakes in time to slow it down before it hit an overturned jeep in Bhopal railway division, a Railway official said.

The Railways is going to felicitate train driver V P Nandwani, his assistant Sanjay Khare and gangman Dinesh Kumar for their presence of mind, it said in a statement later.

"No passenger was injured in the collision as the driver of 12651 Sampark Kranti (Madurai- Hazrat Nizamuddin) applied brakes in the nick of time after being alerted by a gangman between Barkhedi and Obedullaganj stations," Bhopal Divisional Railway Manager Shobhan Choudhuri said.

The jeep had no passengers. Its driver apparently jumped off before the train hit it, and ran away.

"The train hit the jeep, but the impact was minimal given that its speed was too slow as the emergency brakes had been applied," Choudhuri told PTI.

The jeep, being rashly driven, first hit and broke through the fencing of the railway track and then overturned, he said.

"Seeing this, the gangman ran and raised a red flag some distance away from the spot to stop the train," he said.

The driver of the Sampark Kranti on the down line applied emergency brakes. The train rolled at a speed of around 10 km before hitting the jeep, he said.

"Had the train hit the jeep at the speed it was running earlier, a big tragedy would have taken place," the DRM said.

"We will ensure that such incidents will not recur," Choudhuri added.

"We have registered an FIR against the jeep driver. I have ordered inquiry into the incident," he said.

"The jeep driver might have jumped off at the eleventh hour," Bhopal railway division public relations officer I A Siddique said.

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Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley today clashed over the delay in convening the Winter session of Parliament with the Congress chief accusing the Modi government of sabotaging it on "flimsy grounds" and the union minister saying Congress had done so too in the past.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaitley also said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 nd 14.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December. According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December



"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," Gandhi said in her address at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi.

Refuting Gandhi's charge, Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times.

Jaitley said the opposition party when in power had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held for sure and that the Congress will be "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said, adding, "Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed.

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US-based Moody's Investors Service today said it has upgraded Vedanta Resources' corporate family rating (CFR) to Ba3 from B1.

Moody's Corporate Family Ratings are opinions of a corporate family's ability to honour all of its financial obligations.

It has also upgraded the company's senior unsecured bond rating to B2 from B3, the ratings agency said in a statement.

"Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Vedanta Resources plc's (Vedanta) corporate family rating (CFR) to Ba3 from B1," the statement said.

"The upgrade of Vedanta's ratings reflects our view that the relatively benign operating environment and stabilising commodity prices will aid in enhancing the company's EBITDA and cash flow generation," Kaustubh Chaubal, Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst said.

The upgrade also reflects the significant progress that Vedanta has made in reducing absolute debt levels following the merger of its subsidiary Vedanta Ltd with the group's oil and gas subsidiary Cairn India Ltd (CIL). The company has reduced about 17 per cent of its gross debt, Chaubal, Moody's lead analyst on Vedanta, added.

Moody's expects a further reduction in gross debt and improvement in earnings.

Meanwhile, higher sales volumes led by an increase in production will pave the way for earnings and cash flow expansion, although annual capital expenditure aggregating USD 1.2-1.5 billion and dividend payments will likely limit free cash flow generation.

"Vedanta's unsecured bond issuances in January and August this year each totalling USD 1.0 billion and a USD 840 million term loan for refinancing constitute proactive steps towards refinancing its debt maturities and lengthening the age profile of its debt," Moody's said.

Moody's expects the current operating environment and the company's track record in turning around its operations will help in Vedanta plc's ability to refinance the term debt -- largely owed to relationship banks -- aggregating USD 1.2 billion due over the next 16 months.

The Ba3 CFR, Moody's said, also takes into account "Vedanta's large scale, diversified business profile, as reflected by its presence in the copper, zinc, aluminium, iron ore, oil and gas, and power businesses across multiple geographies and track record of relative margin stability through commodity cycles."



Moody's further said it "rates the senior unsecured bonds issued by the holding company Vedanta Resources plc at B2 -- two notches lower than the company's CFR to reflect the bondholders' relatively weak position against the creditors of operating subsidiaries.

"The two-notch difference reflects the acute legal and structural subordination of holding company debt holders to the rest of the group, due to a highly complex group structure with less than 100 per cent shareholding in key operating subsidiaries".

The agency said the stable rating outlook Moody's view that Vedanta's operating and financial metrics will continue to steadily improve with stable commodity prices. In particular, Moody's expects that its earnings expansion and a permanent reduction in gross debt will increase the pace of correction in the company's leverage.

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China on Monday said Bangladesh and Myanmar have accepted Beijing's mediatory role and agreed to implement a three-phased solution proposed by its Foreign Minister Wang Yi to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's violence hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims.

Wang travelled to Dhaka where he met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. He then flew to Nay Pyi Taw and met with Myanmar's top leaders yesterday.

"Wang Yi proposed initiatives including three phased solution so as to fundamentally resolve this (Rohingya) crisis," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

"His initiative won approval from Bangladesh and Myanmar. We hope it would resolve the issue and contribute to addressing this crisis," Lu told media answering a spate of questions.

After his visit to Bangladesh, Wang told media in Myanmar yesterday that he had proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

China mostly refers to as Rakhine state issue, the home of Rohingya people who are mostly Muslims.

Addressing a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi at Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, Wang said the first phase proposes to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced.

Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said.

The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution, he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, Wang called on the community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

China also has extensive investments in Rakhine state.

"Beijing has emerged as the top supporter of the embattled Suu Kyi" - the de-facto leader of Myanmar, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported last week.

China, which provided unwavering support for Myanmars military junta over two decades, is behind a USD 7.3 billion deep-water port in Rakhine, which plays a pivotal role in Beijings belt and road trade initiative.

It also built USD 2.45 billion oil and gas pipeline project linking the remote coast of Rakhine to southwestern Chinas Yunnan province, 770-km away.

State Grid Corporation of China launched a power transmission line and a substation project in Shwebo in Myanmars north western Sagain region, and Myanmar has also bought FC-1 Xiaolong multi-role combat aircraft from China, the Post had reported.

Asked whether Myanmar has accepted the ceasefire as per the first phase of Chinas proposal, Lu said Wang's plan focusses not only on the immediate problem but also on the long term fundamental solution to the issue.

This three-phased solution won the "acknowledgement" from Bangladesh and Myanmar, Lu said, without elaborating.

Outlining China's diplomatic efforts, Lu said Wangs diplomatic initiative has been launched during the current visit.

"But for a long time we have been proposing that Bangladesh and Myanmar could engage in consultation and resolve the issue. It is during this visit the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to engage in consultations to resolve the issue. The bilateral consultations are already under way," Lu added.
A senior leader of opposition National Conference (NC) today wrote a letter to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, seeking a ban on the release of film 'Padmavati' in the state till its contents are verified.

"I request you to kindly order the ban on the release of feature film 'Padmavati' till its contents are verified and the various religious or community groups are satisfied that the film is not likely to hurt the sentiments of the people," NC Provincial president Devender Singh Rana said in a letter addressed to the chief minister.

Rana in the letter, which was released by the party to the media here, said many deputations from across the Jammu province have approached him in this regard in the last couple of days.

Quoting media reports suggesting that the contents of the movie could allegedly hurt the sentiment of a particular community or religion, the NC leader said it has the potential to "disrupt peace and order" in Jammu province.

Various groups across the country, most of them from the Rajput community, have accused director Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting historical facts in the film.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the killing of a retired school principal in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur allegedly by ISIS terrorists, according to an official statement issued today.

Ramesh Chandra Shukla, retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School, was killed by unidentified persons near village Piwadi in Kanpur on October 24 last year around 12.30 pm, it said.

"The NIA has initiated the process to take over the investigation of the case," the statement read.

Three men allegedly owing allegiance to ISIS and suspected to be involved in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast had shot dead Shukla in cold blood just to test their firing skills, according to NIA officials.

The details of the killing were made known during the interrogation of Mohammed Atif Muzzafar and Danish, who were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police soon after the train blast on March 7, the officials said.

Muzzafar and Danish claimed to have told their interrogators that they had practised firing a pistol on the banks of the Ganga in Kanpur.

Thereafter, the duo, along with Saifullah, who was killed in a 12-hour encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police on March 8 at Thakurganj near Lucknow, rode a motorcycle in the lanes of Kanpur to look for a live target. It was there that they spotted 62-year-old Shukla riding a bicycle.

Despite having retired two years ago, Shukla's passion for teaching was alive and he used to take extra classes for students at a school.

Muzaffar and Danish took out their pistols and fired a shot each at the unsuspecting victim, killing him on the spot, the NIA officials said.

The duo had in their statement said they were "happy" the next day reading about the incident in newspapers and complimented each other for "successfully clearing" the practical test, according to NIA officials.

Ten people were injured in a low-intensity IED blast on board the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train near the Jabdi railway station in Shujapur district of Madhya Pradesh on March 7 this year.

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The government today sought to downplay Islamic State's presence in Jammu and Kashmir, but acknowledged the resurgence of a radical group in the Valley.

There is no authoritative information about the presence of ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior home ministry official said.

The comment came in the wake of claims that the global terror organization was involved in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar wherein a terrorist, identified as Mugees, was killed and a sub-inspector, Imran Tak, lost his life.

'Amaq', which is the official agency of ISIS, had claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Pictures of Mugees with the ISIS flag in the background surfaced on social media. Even his body was wrapped in the flag of the banned terror group during funeral.

However, the official said it has come to light that Mugees belonged to an extremist group called Tehrik-ul- Mujahideen and was its Pulwama district commander.

The Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen was among the first few militant groups that emerged at the onset of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s, the official said.

It follows the ideology of Salafism which is ultra radical like ISIS. However, the police have found no logistical connection between the two, another official said.

The cadre strength of the group is very small and it has been facing an extreme shortage of weapons.

Officials said the Tehrik-Ul-Mujahideen was founded much before the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen came into existence.

After the killing of Mujees, Adil Ahmed has been appointed the group's commander in Pulwama district.

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Facing flak from opposition parties over his recent meeting with officials in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today asserted there was no "illegality or unconstitutionality" in his actions.

A Raj Bhavan release also dismissed as "absolutely wrong" and "figment of imagination" the opposition charge that Purohit was acting at the behest of the Central Government and said he would continue such meetings in future.

Though the Governor was sure about the legality and correctness of his action, he sought opinion from a leading legal expert to have a proper examination of his action - from legal as well as Constitutional perspectives, it said.

"Equipped with that detailed opinion, Thiru Purohit asserts that none of his actions in seeking a meeting with the District officials in Coimbatore amounts to any illegality or unconstitutionality," the release said.

It said the purpose of the Governor's meeting was to seek a first hand input about various welfare and development schemes and programmes and their implementation.

The clarification comes days after a political row erupted in the state with several opposition parties strongly criticising Purohit's meeting with top district officials in Coimbatore on November 14 during his visit to the city.

The governor, who assumed office last month, has said a day after the meeting that he would visit the district as well as the other districts every year.

DMK working president M K Stalin, leaders of the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, PMK and even deposed AIADMK deputy chief T T V Dhinakaran flayed the Governor for holding the meeting, alleging it amounted to interference in the state's rights, a charge denied by several state ministers and BJP.

Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, has alleged that this was an attempt by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the governor to "take away the authority vested by the people" in an elected government.

He has also alluded to the differences between Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy in the neighbouring union territory over the former's style of functioning and said, "Tamil Nadu is not Puducherry."



Rejecting their charges, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and some of his ministerial colleagues have said there was nothing wrong in the governor holding such meetings.

The Raj Bhavan release issued by the Principal Secretary to the Governor said the meeting was welcomed by certain sections of society, while others found it "not in conformity with the constitutional provisions and conventions".

Stating that a few of the critics also felt that the Governor had a political agenda and he was acting at the behest of the Central government, it said this was "absolutely wrong and false and based on the figment of imagination."



There was no attempt to short-circuit official channels or force a meeting. Everything was done according to the norms and the meeting gave the Governor a good idea of the status of various welfare and development schemes, it said.

Noting that the Governor had conducted similar meetings during his tenure in Assam, the release said conducting such meeting never violated any law or the Constitution.

These meetings helped the Governor in getting first-hand knowledge of the developmental needs and problems faced by the people, the release said.

The Governor would continue such efforts to fulfil his responsibilities as envisaged in the oath he had taken to devote himself in the service and well-being of the people of the state, it said.

It further said because the Governor's action "is as per law and the Constitution, many Ministers in the government of Tamil Nadu have appreciated and supported his effort."



"At no place does the Constitution stop the Governor from seeking any such meeting. The purpose in seeking such meetings is not to subvert the authority of the State government, but to support their efforts in good governance", it said.

The Governor as already stated by him would abide by the Constitution in letter and spirit. "He will always strive to uphold the dignity of the Office of the Governor," the release added.

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Joining the chorus against 'Padmavati', Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said today that the film would not be allowed to be screened in the state if it contains scenes "breaching the honour" of the Rajput queen or portrays "distorted facts".

The chief minister also said that a memorial of the queen Padmavati would be constructed at a site here, where a memorial for the country's brave soldiers has been proposed.

Earlier, the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, both BJP-ruled states, had also raised a concern over the proposed release of the period drama in which actor Deepika Padukone plays the legendary Rajput queen.

Addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence here, Chouhan said twisting of historical facts will not be tolerated.

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted (in the movie)," he said.

If there are scenes breaching the honour of queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said



He said that queen Padmavati was a "true reflection of the Indian woman".

"We have been studying about the rare sacrifice and dedication of queen Padmavati since our childhood," he said referring to the legend that the queen had committed "jauhar" (self immolation) before Chittor could be captured by Alauddin Khalji in 13th-14th century.

He said a memorial of the queen would be built at a site in the state capital, where a memorial for the country's brave soldiers has been proposed.

Earlier, delegations of the Rajput community arrived from different parts of Madhya Pradesh and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister demanding a ban on the release of 'Padmavati'.

Last night, activists of the Karni Sena, which is at the forefront of the protests against the film, created a ruckus outside a cinema hall in Anjad town in Barwani district of the state after a trailer of the film was allegedly shown during a movie.

Dharmendra Jain, the owner of Virendra Talkies where the incident occurred, said the trailer of the film will not be shown again.

The film has been facing controversy since director Sanjay Leela Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

A number of organisations, especially Karni Sena, have been opposing the release of the history drama claiming that it has portrayed the Rajput queen in bad light.

The Rajasthan-based members of the Sena had even threatened to chop off the nose of actor Deepika Padukone if she doesn't desist from making "provocative" statements.

The fringe outfit had also threatened violence if the movie was released.

The makers of "Padmavati" yesterday said the proposed December 1 release of the film, featuring Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, besides Padukone, has been deferred.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje recently wrote to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, urging her to ensure that "Padmavati" is not released without necessary changes.

The Uttar Pradesh government had also asked the I&B ministry to defer the release of the movie, saying there was "public anger" about the "distorted historical facts".

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Norway's 80-year-old King Harald was released from hospital today after being treated for three days for an infection, and is in "fine form", the palace said.

"His Majesty the King is in fine form and left Oslo University Hospital this morning," the palace said in a briefly-worded statement.

The monarch was hospitalised on Friday for an infection but no other details were disclosed.

King Harald V is the grandson of Haakon VII, the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of a union with Sweden. He became king in 1991 on the death of his father.

In 2003, he underwent surgery for bladder cancer, and had another operation in 2005 on a cardiac valve.

The king, who has repeatedly ruled out abdicating, has a largely ceremonial role consisting primarily of representative duties.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeau's wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leader's partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders -- who she refused to name -- incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."



Large protests followed Trump's election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.

"He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way -- he did not seem offended," she said.

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More than 67 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy has reached the mandis of Haryana compared with over 62.46 lakh MT crop arrived in market during the same period a year ago.

Government agencies have so far procured over 58.50 lakh MT whereas the remaining quantity of over 8.50 lakh MT of paddy has been procured by the millers, an official release said here today.

More than 27.18 lakh MT of paddy was purchased by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.

About 19.17 lakh MT of crop was purchased by Hafed, over 6.40 lakh MT by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation, 5.55 lakh MT by the Haryana Agro-industries Corporation and 19,585 MT by the Food Corporation of India.

Out of the total arrivals, the maximum quantity has reached Karnal which is over 14.47 lakh MT followed by Kurukshetra at 11.93 lakh MT, the release said.

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The National Commission for Women (NCW) today asked the Haryana Police to look into reports of a BJP leader from the state promising a reward of Rs 10 crore to anyone who beheads actor Deepika Padukone and 'Padmavati' director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Haryana BJP's chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu has reportedly put a bounty on their head and also threatened actor Ranveer Singh, who also stars in the movie.

In its letter to the Haryana DGP, the NCW asked him to "look into the matter immediately".

The NCW, in a statement, said it has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports on Amu's remarks.

The commission said it "takes a stringent view of such unwarranted and illegal statements".

Amu was quoted as saying, "I want to congratulate the Meerut youth who announced a Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali."



"We will reward those who behead them with Rs 10 crore and also take care of their family's needs," he said.

After widespread protests, including threats, the makers of the film have deferred its release from its December 1 release.

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Pakistan and China today discussed the new US policy in Afghanistan and South Asia and agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and closely work in various multilateral fora.

This was decided during the 8th Round of Strategic Dialogue between the two sides in Islamabad, where Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation, while the Chinese side was led by Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

The Foreign Office said both sides held comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral ties. These included: the Belt and Road Initiative and specifically, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; bilateral trade; defence; counter-terrorism; culture and people-to-people exchanges.

"The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in all mutually relevant areas for the benefit of the two countries," it said.

Janjua and Kong also exchanged views on issues including the situation in Afghanistan, the new US policy in South Asia and matters relating to the Korean Peninsula.

US President Donald Trump announced his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August in which he had hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

He also slammed Pakistan for its support to terror groups and warned Islamabad of consequences if it continues to do so.

China had defended its all-weather ally Pakistan, saying that Islamabad is at the frontline of combating terrorism.

During the meeting, Janjua also raised the Kashmir issue.

China and Pakistan agreed to further augment cooperation in various multilateral fora including the UN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral organizations.

The two sides reiterated commitment to strengthen and enhance bilateral mutual cooperation in all fields including political, security and economic issues, and to further coordinate on issues of regional and international significance.

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Pakistan and China today agreed to further strengthen cooperation in all mutually relevant areas and closely work in various multilateral fora including the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

This was decided during the 8th Round of Strategic Dialogue between the two sides in Islamabad, where Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation, while the Chinese side was led by Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

The Foreign Office said both sides held comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral ties. These included: the Belt and Road Initiative and specifically, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; bilateral trade; defence; counter-terrorism; culture and people-to-people exchanges.

"The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in all mutually relevant areas for the benefit of the two countries," it said.

Janjua and Kong also exchanged views on issues including the situation in Afghanistan, the US policy in South Asia and matters relating to the Korean Peninsula.

She also raised the Kashmir issue.

Both sides agreed to further augment cooperation in various multilateral fora including the UN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral organizations.

The two sides reiterated commitment to strengthen and enhance bilateral mutual cooperation in all fields including political, security and economic issues, and to further coordinate on issues of regional and international significance.

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Pakistan's Interior Minister today asked for more time to end the more than two-week long siege of the capital Islamabad by some 2,000 protesters belonging to hardline religious groups who have been demanding the resignation of the country's law minister.

The activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i- Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road at Faizabad interchange that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

The protesters demand the resignation of law minister Zahid Hamid for changes made about Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of prophethood oath in the Elections Act 2017 passed in September.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was summoned by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Siddiqui for failing to implement orders on Friday to clear the roads within 24 hours.

The judge in the hearing admonished the administration and ordered that notices be issued to secretary interior, chief commissioner, inspector general and deputy commissioner for failing to carry out court orders.

Iqbal requested for more time to deal with the issue peacefully.

The court observed that it was responsibility of the state to ensure right of common citizen and protesters were causing serious problems for students, patients and others.

Later, the judge adjourned the hearing till Thursday and asked that the issue should be resolved by the next hearing.

Iqbal told media after the hearing that the court orders would be implemented and the protesters removed before the November 23 deadline set by the court.

He said he had ordered the police to delay operation to give talks with clerics another chance to succeed.

"A meeting has been summoned in afternoon (today) with all clerics of Islam's leading schools of thought to end the crisis. I hope to find a peaceful solution in next 24-48 hours," he said.

The government has deployed hundreds of security personnel in riot gear to take action against the protesters but has been dilly-dallying to take action due to fear of backlash from the extremists.

However, it already buckled under pressure and restored the oath to its original form last week after National Assembly passed the amendment in the Elections Act 2017.

The government also offered to send law minister on leave or change his portfolio but the protesters rejected it and refused to disperse until the minister was removed.

Commuters continue to face severe problems with traffic jams on different roads.

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Train service on the Sealdah South section of Eastern Railway was disrupted for over four hours today as some local people obstructed movement of trains at Baruipur station to protest the eviction of encroachers beside railway tracks.

As several trains were stranded at various stations in the South section due to the blockade, aggrieved passengers ranacked the station manager's room, demolished the punching machine and set afire the TTE's (travelling ticket examiner) room at around 7 pm, Additional SP, South 24 Parganas, Saikat Ghosh said.

Ghosh said lathi-wielding policemen chased away the ransackers as the situation went out of control but normalcy was soon restored at the station compound.

Earlier at 4 22 pm, a section of locals blocked the tracks on both up and down sections protesting against the demolition of the shanties along the track by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel.

The demonstrators, led by the local councillor of Baruipur Municipalty, claimed 14 toilets, built on the side of tracks, were also razed down by the GRP and demanded compensation be announced by the Divisional Railway Manger immediately.

A senior official of state government said the railways undertook the eviction drive without informing the state government.

The blockade and arson caused cancellation of 35 local trains while eight trains were stranded at different stations, an Eastern Railway spokesperson said.

The blockade, which commenced at 4.22 pm, could be lifted only after 4 hours but train services resumed from Sealdah at 8.34 pm, the railway official said.

In all, 35 local trains were cancelled and 8 trains were stranded in different stations for over four hours causing immense hardships to people returning home from work.

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The Kapurthala police today claimed to have solved the sensational Rs 1.14 crore heist from the cash van of a private bank at village Bhogpur near Jalandhar with the arrest of man, who they say is the prime accused.

Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, a proclaimed offender, and his alleged accomplice were arrested, the police said.

An amount of over Rs 10 lakh, one pistol and a stolen motorcycle and 200 narcotic capsules were recoveredfrom their possession, SSP Sandip Kumar Sharma told a conference here today.

Seven robbers on two motorcycles and a car had looted the money from a cash van of the bank at village Bhogpur on November 10 this year.

The Jalandhar and Kapurthala police have already arrested six accused in this case in a joint operation.

The SSP said that the police on a tip off set up a check barrier near village Bahui on Kapurthala-Sultanpurlodhi road today and intercepted a motorcycle on which both the accused were coming to Kapurthala.

He claimed that the duo was searched and over Rs 10 lakh was recovered from a bag in their possession. The SSP said that police had so far recovered over Rs one crore from the remaining the accused.

He said that Gopi isa proclaimed offender allegedly involved in a murder case of a Dera head Baba Pritam Singh of village Barchui falling in Jalandhar.

The SSP said that the accused Gopi had fired from his pistol while looting the cash van.

The police identified Gopi's accomplice as Kuldip Singh, a resident of village Bussowal and claimed to have recovered the 200 drug capsules from his possession.

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Three firefighters and a man were killed and at least a dozen others feared trapped under the debris after a three-storeyed plastic manufacturing factory in Mushtaq Nagar here caught fire and collapsed today, police said.

Firefighters were trying to douse the flames when the the factory collapsed, trapping 15-20 people, police officials said.

"Four bodies have been pulled out," Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Pradeep Aggarwal said.

The victims have been identified as Inderpal Singh, Fire Officer Simaon Gill and firemen Rajan and Puran Singh, he said.

Rescue operations are underway and could continue throughout the night.

Earlier in the morning, at least 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army experts are being aided by local authorities in the massive rescue operation. Earth-moving machinery is being used to clear the debris.

Senior district administration and police officials are present at the site.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he was "shocked and saddened" by the factory collapse incident.

"Shocked and saddened at the Ludhiana factory collapse. Have asked district administration to extend all help to NDRF in rescue operations," he tweeted.

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Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress president was long overdue, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today, describing the party vice president as "mature and competent".

Calling the proposed elevation of Gandhi as Congress president a step in the right direction, he said it would help revive the party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in New Delhi today and approved the schedule for the election of the next party president starting December 1, clearing the decks for Rahul to take over the reins of the party ahead of the crucial Gujarat Assembly polls.

"It is time to pass on the baton of the party affairs into the able hands of Rahul Gandhi, who is mature and competent enough to lead the Congress into the next Lok Sabha elections," Amarinder told reporters here.

Responding to a question, Amarinder said he was completely in favour of promoting youth, in whose hands lay the future of the party and the country.

Noting that the Congress in Punjab had fielded maximum number of youth in the last Assembly polls, he said it was in national interest to infuse young blood into the polity.

"Rahul has all the qualifications needed to provide a strong and visionary leadership to the Congress," he added.

On the farm debt waiver issue, the chief minister said the process was on in full swing.

Reaffirming his governments commitment to farm loan waiver, as described in the notification issued last month, he said around 10.25 lakh debt-ridden farmers would be benefited under the scheme that would cost the government Rs 9500 crore.

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The CPI(M) today alleged that Rajasthan's minister for primary and secondary education was "exposing" schoolchildren to the propagation of hatred for minority community, by asking them to attend the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair.

According to reports, officials asked schools in Jaipur to take the students to the fair, on the directions of Minister of State for Education (Primary and Secondary) Vasudev Devnani. However, authorities said the visit was not mandatory.

The Left party in a statement has accused the minister of issuing "mandatory direction" to the students of government and private schools to attend the fair.

"The fact that a constitutional government has given permission for such a fair to be held is in itself highly objectionable. That it is actually making it mandatory for schoolchildren to attend the fair and be exposed to the propagation of hatred for minority communities is completely unacceptable," the statement says.

The party said the distribution of a pamphlet by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) warning Hindu girls against 'love jihad' was in "blatant violation" of the secular character of the Constitution.

The CPI(M) said the "central and state governments must not permit the holding of such fairs".

The fair in Jaipur ended today.

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The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board has submitted before the Supreme Court a proposal for settlement of the decades-old dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site, saying a temple can be built in Ayodhya and the mosque could be raised in Lucknow.

The board has told the top court that peaceful settlement between the parties was in " interest" and would bring about harmony between Hindus and Muslims in the country.

In an application seeking to file settlement proposal, the board has claimed that they being the rightful owner of the disputed property were ready to give up "all the rights" over the land to pave the way for construction of Ram Mandir.

The board also said that to end the dispute, the state government shall also cooperate and allot one acre of land to the Shia community to construct a new Masjid outside Ayodhya, in Lucknow.

"Respecting such faith of Hindu community, the UP Shia Central Waqf Board, in the larger interest of nation, is ready to give up its all rights over the Babri Masjid land, a shia waqf for construction of Shri Ram Mandir with a view to bring an end to the dispute," the board has said in its proposal.

It said that they had taken the initiative and held discussions with "non-Muslim stake holders" in the matter and accused the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board of "wrongly staking its claim on the Babri Masjid".

The Shia board also claimed that the mosque built on the disputed land was a Shia mosque and, on the basis of evidence, it has been established that its last 'mutawalli' (a trustee of waqf) was a Shia Muslim.

It said the Sunni board's February 22, 1944 notification wherby they recorded the Babri mosque as Sunni Waqf has been held invalid by the court.

"Keeping in view to resolve the mandir-masjid dispute, the government of UP shall also cooperate and out of nazul land lying vacant in Mohalla Hussainabad in front of Ghantaghar, Lucknow, allot one acre land to Shia community for constructing new masjid outside the religious peripheries of Ayodhya and for that purpose UP Shia Central Waqf Board has already made a written request to the UP government," the board said.

The application said that even in Islamic countries, mosques have been removed.

"In the interest, the peaceful settlement between the parties will bring in harmony between Hindus and Muslims and country can be saved of communal conflicts in the future," it said.

The Shia board said it had held a series of meetings and discussions with several Hindu stakeholders, including Presidents of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and All India Akhada Parishad, and a compromise has been arrived at between them.

It had sought the apex court's permission to submit the settlement proposal.

Earlier too, the Shia Board had offered a solution saying that a mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a "reasonable distance" from the disputed Ayodhya site.

However, its intervention was opposed by All India Sunni Waqf Board which had claimed that judicial adjudication between the two sects had already been done in 1946 by declaring the mosque, which was demolished on December 6, 1992, as the one which belonged to the Sunnis.

The apex court had on August 11 said it would commence the final hearing in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute from December 5, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.

The court had reached a consensus on commencing the hearing on a total of 13 appeals filed against a 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.

The high court had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acre area at Ayodhya among the parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla (deity).

A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Hourt, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had said the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

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Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said today that the dispute related to Ram Temple in Ayodhya would be decided by the court alone, and exuded confidence that the construction work would commence next year.

The Rajya Sabha member said Art of Living Foundation head Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's effort to find an amicable solution to the dispute was welcome and good for harmony but the matter would be settled and decided by the court.

Speaking at the Jaipur Dialogue Forum, he said that people should be ready to go to Ayodhya by next Diwali.

He said that the hearing on the matter in the Supreme Court is expected to begin in early December and end by April.

The matter is expected to be decided by the court by August, he added.

He expressed confidence that Hindus would win the court battle, after which the construction of Ram temple would begin.

Targeting the Congress, Swamy said the opposition party was "leaderless" and would soon disappear.

"Congress's end is sure. If it lives, it can live only in Tihar jail. The corruption the Congress party (leaders) committed is now resulting in punishment by courts," he said.

He also extended support to the Vishva Hindu Parishad's campaign against 'love jihad'.

He said that there was a need to remain alert to 'love jihad'.

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A rape survivor's testimony can be accepted without corroboration, especially in a case where the rapist is her father, the Delhi High Court has observed.

The court's observation came during the hearing of an appeal by a man who has been held guilty of raping his 17- year-old daughter.

Justice Pratibha Rani upheld his 7-year jail term awarded by a trial court in November 2009 after holding him guilty of raping his daughter.

"While dealing with the case of rape wherein the offender is none else but the father, the version of the prosecutrix can be accepted without any corroboration. In the statement of the prosecutrix there are no material contradictions except about the date or the month.

"This court cannot ignore that she is illiterate and put her thumb impression on the complaint as well as on FIR. She being an illiterate person may not be able to give specific date and time or the month or the year," the court said.

The man had challenged his conviction, pointing out the the discrepancies in his daughter's testimony.

The court, however, refused to accept the assertions, noting that the discrepancies were minor and the complainant's testimony was largely reliable.

It noted that the evidence established that the girl was subjected to rape by her father.

"The medical evidence corroborated the testimony of the prosecutrix to the extent that her hymen was found ruptured. Minor contradictions or discrepancy appearing in her statement as pointed out by counsel for the appellant (man) cannot be treated a ground for disregarding otherwise reliable testimony which proved the prosecution case beyond reasonable doubt," the court noted.

As per the prosecution the man use to sexually abuse her daughter regularly after the death his wife in 2008 and also used to beat her on resistance.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced today that a 'Rashtramata Padmavati Award' has been instituted by the his government for people doing outstanding work for the protection of women.

The chief minister made this announcement at an event where BJP's Madhya Pradesh chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan called Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali a "sinner" and alleged that in the movie 'Padmavati', history had been tampered with for the sake of money.

In his speech, the chief minister



said that the movie would not be allowed to be screened if it "distorted facts" or breached the honour of the legendary Rajput queen.

Addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence here, Chouhan also announced the institution of the "Rashtramata Padmavati Award" for a person "doing outstanding work for protecting the honour of women" and the "Maharana Pratap Award" for gallantry.

He, however, did not elaborate.

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted (in the movie)," he said.

If there are scenes breaching the honour of queen Padmavati, the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said.

He said that queen Padmavati was a "true reflection of the Indian woman".

"We have been studying about the rare sacrifice and dedication of queen Padmavati since our childhood," he said referring to the legend that the queen had committed "jauhar" (self immolation) before Chittor could be captured by Alauddin Khalji in 13th-14th century.

He said a memorial of the queen would be built at a site in the state capital, where a memorial for the country's brave soldiers has been proposed.

In his address, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Chauhan dubbed Bhansali a "sinner".

"Several sinners came and went back after committing sin but there are still some like Bhansali," he said, alleging that the history of 'Rashtramata Padmavati' has been tampered with "for the sake of money".

Meanwhile, the Congress termed the Chief Minister's announcement against the screening of "Padmavati", as "propaganda" for polarisation of votes in the next month's Gujarat elections.

"This is ridiculous. Chouhan made this announcement even before the movie was cleared by the censor board. This is propaganda being staged in the view of ensuing Gujarat polls with an aim to polarise voters," alleged Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh.

Criticising Chouhan for announcing "Rashtramata Padmavati award", Singh said the chief minister has "miserably failed" in protecting the honour of women in Madhya Pradesh.

He should pay attention to checking the crime against women, the Congress leader said.

Earlier in the day, delegations of the Rajput community arrived from different parts of Madhya Pradesh and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister demanding a ban on the release of 'Padmavati'.

Last night, activists of the Karni Sena created ruckus outside a cinema hall in Anjad town in Barwani district for playing the trailer of the controversial movie.

Dharmendra Jain, the owner of Virendra Talkies where the incident occurred, said the trailer of the film will not be shown again.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who filed his nomination for the next month's polls, today attacked the Congress, saying the opposition party has "outsourced" itself to three prominent activists in the state as it has "nothing" of its own.

With the "son of Gujarat" Narendra Modi helming the central government, the state will scale new heights under the BJP, he said at a gathering here, adding "we will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt".

The BJP leader, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, filed his nomination from Rajkot (West) Assembly seat at 12:39 pm, described as "vijay muhurat" (auspicious time) by party leaders.

Rupani is the sitting MLA from the constituency where voting will be held in the first phase on December 9.

Rajkot BJP president Kamlesh Mirani and cooperative sector leader Jyotindrabhai Mehta along with a group of supporters accompanied Rupani to the office of the district election officer, where he submitted his papers.

Before filing his nomination, Rupani addressed the gathering where he slammed the Congress, saying the party is relying on three activists to save itself in the BJP-ruled state.

The chief minister did not name anybody, but he was apparently referring to caste and community leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani.

"The Congress is outsourcing as it has nothing of its own. Three people have come out to save the Congress, such is the condition of the party. The Congress is broken, and a Congress-mukt India means an India free of poverty, corruption and joblessness," he told the gathering.

He said if the BJP wins 150-plus seats in Gujarat, the state will achieve new peak in growth with the help from the central government.

"We will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt, and our development is stabilised. The Congress did injustice to Gujarat during 10 years of the UPA rule. Now, in Delhi, a son of Gujarat, Narendrabhai, has given a lot to Gujarat.

"Under a BJP government with 150-plus seats, Gujarat will achieve new heights of development with the help of the central government," he said.

Jaitley said the BJP has emerged as a symbol of "development and stability," while the Congress represented "anarchy".

"The BJP has emerged as a symbol of development and stability. In more than two decades of its rule in Gujarat, the party brought progress and development, and the state was put on the (investment) map of the country and the world," Jaitley told reporters.

He said the upcoming election is a battle between "growth and anarchy".

"The forces against us in this election are working to divide the state, its people and they symbolise anarchy. So this election is between stability, growth and progress represented by the BJP, and anarchy symbolised by the other side," the Union minister said.

He expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge victorious with a "huge" majority.

The election to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place in two phases -- December 9 and 14 -- and votes will be counted on December 18.

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The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition seeking deletion of certain alleged objectionable scenes from Bollywood movie 'Padmavati', calling it "premature".

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed that Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not yet given certificate to the movie and the apex court cannot "injunct" a statutory body from doing its duty.

"We have been apprised that the film has not yet received the certificate from the CBFC. In view of the aforesaid, our interference in this writ petition will tantamount to pre- judging, which we are not inclined to do," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

The bench also struck off certain paragraphs from the plea filed by advocate M L Sharma, saying pleadings in a court "are not meant to create any kind of disharmony in the society".

During the hearing, Sharma raised the issue of songs of the movie being released without getting a certification from the CBFC.

He alleged that part of the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-Shahid Kapoor starrer was released despite the fact that CBFC had returned application, seeking grant of certification for the movie, to the filmmakers as it was incomplete.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing one of the respondents, countered the submissions and said the film's promo was released and it has got the requisite CBFC approval.

When the petitioner repeatedly alleged that part of the film has been released, the bench observed, "Censor Board has a definite role. They will see the guidelines which are there in the Act (Cinematograph Act). That is their duty. We are on other things. Should the Supreme Court intervene in stopping a movie?"



The petitioner alleged that there was "character assassination" of Rani Padmavati in the film and the CBFC would not go into these aspects.

The bench then elaborated on the functioning of CBFC in certifying a film and said "CBFC is a statutory body. How can the court injunct a statutory body not to exercise its duty?"



It also said the court cannot direct the CBFC to decide a matter in a particular manner as it was for the board to take a call.

Salve told the court that CBFC had sought from the filmmakers some documents which they have already filed and whatever was being shown at present has got the approvals.

Sharma had approached the court seeking a direction for removal of all scenes of alleged 'character assassination' of Queen Padmavati from the movie before its release.

Viacom 18, the makers of the film, had earlier said that they have deferred the movie's release which was originally scheduled on December 1.

The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was roughed up by members of Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

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The Supreme Court today expressed displeasure over the collection and non-utilisation of juvenile justice fund by various states and union territories and said it appeared that children of this country were "not relevant".

The top court made the observation when the Centre placed before it data on money collected and spent by various states and union territories under the juvenile justice funds.

"Nobody has done anything. It appears that children of India are not relevant, as per the states," a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

The bench was hearing a PIL seeking implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act and its rules. The petition has raised the issue of alleged apathy by the governments in implementing the welfare measure.

During the hearing, the bench asked the counsel appearing for the Centre regarding the money collected under the fund.

The Centre's counsel told the court that in states like Assam and Andhra Pradesh, the process of creating the fund was going on while in Bihar, the money collected under this fund was Rs 65,000.

He said Chandigarh had Rs 10 lakh in the juvenile justice fund and the administration has spent Rs 1.90 lakh out of it.

When the counsel was reading out the details of funds of other states and union territories, the bench asked "why has the Centre not given funds?"



Responding to the query, the lawyer said the money under the juvenile justice fund was to be given by the respective states and union territories.

Senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for petitioner, told the bench that each state and union territory could give Rs 50 crore in the juvenile justice fund and the amount could be used for rehabilitation of the children.

"For children who come out of the juvenile justice board, there is no rehabilitation fund. The Centre can work out a scheme for there rehabilitation," he told the bench which reserved its judgement on the plea.

The apex court had in August asked the Centre to file an affidavit indicating whether the state commissions for the protection of child rights and state child protection societies have been set up in each state and union territory.

It had also asked the government to indicate in its affidavit certain other issues including whether the juvenile justice board and child welfare committees were set up in every district and if not, the names of districts where these are yet to be constituted.

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An RSS worker was arrested tonight in connection with the recent attack on the city corporation Mayor V K Prashant, police said.

Prashant was attacked allegedly by BJP workers at the corporation council here on Saturday. Four women councillors and a staff member were injured in the melee during a discussion on installing high mast lights in the city.

The accused had been identified Anand, police said.

Meanwhile, a BJP woman councillor, who was injured in the melee and undergoing treatment alleged that she was assaulted by CPI(M) councillors who addressed her by her caste name.

She alleged though she submitted a complaint to police, no case was registered.

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As many as seven entities today settled a probe by markets regulator Sebi into alleged violation of insider trading norms on a payment of about Rs 50 lakh towards settlement charges.

While Dileep Malhotra paid a total of Rs 22.7 lakh to settle the case, Ranjit Malhotra settled the matter after paying over Rs 12.27 lakh, Arjun Transport Co Pvt Ltd paid Rs 5.74 lakh and Kabir Malhotra paid Rs 3.08 lakh, the regulator said in settlement orders.

Besides, Satish Chandra Malhotra, Uma Malhotra and Anjali Malhotra settled the matter after paying Rs 2 lakh each.

The regulator agreed to settle the adjudication proceedings in the matter of Empire Industries pertaining to violation of PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations after it was approached by these seven entities with a plea under the settlement regulations.

"This settlement order disposes of the adjudication proceedings initiated against the noticee," the regulator said in seven similar-worded settlement orders adding that it would not initiate any enforcement action for the alleged defaults.

It was alleged that the entities had traded in the shares of Empire Industries during July 2014 to September 2015 leading to change in their respective shareholdings.

They were required to make the disclosures about change in their respective shareholdings to the firm and the stock exchange under the PIT norms. However, they allegedly failed to make such disclosures.

Sebi had initiated adjudication proceedings to inquire into and adjudge the alleged violations of the provisions of PIT norms by the entities in the scrip of Empire Industries during the period from June 6, 2014 to September 30, 2015.

Pending adjudication proceedings, these seven entities had approached Sebi earlier this year to settle the case on payment settlement charges.

Thereafter, Sebi's High Powered Advisory Committee recommended the case for settlement on the payment of about Rs 50 lakh. This was also approved by Sebi's panel of whole-time members, following which they remitted the amount.

Accordingly, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has disposed of the adjudication proceedings initiated against them.

It further said that enforcement actions, including commencing or reopening of the proceedings, could be initiated if any representation made by them is found to be untrue.

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Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar today sought to corner the state government on development of north Karnataka region and demanded a 'white paper' on implementation of developmental works as per Nanjundappa Committee report on regional imbalance.

Questioning the government's intentions by pointing out its 'failures', he called the government "irresponsible".

Initiating the special debate on issues related to north Karnataka in the legislative assembly, Shettar alleged that the "state government has not responded to the issues of north Karnataka, whether it is implementation of Nanjundappa Committee report or Article 371(J) of the Constitution, giving special status for Hyderabad-Karnataka region."



Citing differences in allocation, release and utilisation of funds during successive years, he stressed the need for evaluation or review.

"When I had raised similar demand during earlier sessions, Chief Minister had agreed, but no review or evaluation has been done so far. Government seems to have no interest, it is irresponsible" Shettar said.

"If you can't do it, at least give it to professional institution like Centre for Multi-disciplinary Development Research, Dharwad to evaluate this and give their findings," he added.

Stressing the need for evaluation of Nanjundappa Committee reportand implementation of developmental projects under it so far, Shettar said "it is important, it will help us in course correction if required. Government should at least now wake up from deep slumber."



"I also demand that government release a white paper regarding the implementation ofNanjundappa Committee report," he added.

Speaking on lack of developmental work being undertaken by the state government in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region which has been provided special status, Shettar spoke about issue of malnutrition that still exists in the region.

Citing non-utilization of allocated funds to the development of the region during successive years, the former chief minister termed it as "injustice" and questioned whether the government was "dead or alive?"



Also targeting government over its "apathy" towards state transport system in the northern region, he demanded that government give tax exemption to North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, so as to allow them to function efficiently in the days to come.

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There are signs of friction and disagreements within the Taliban which has failed to meet any of their military objectives this year in Afghanistan, a top US commander in the war-torn country today said.

He also acknowledged India's positive role in Afghanistan and said that Afghanistan's export of agricultural products to India is a major push.

In 2017, the Taliban failed to meet any of their military objectives. They failed to take any cities, as they've attempted for the last two years, General John Nicholson, Commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told reporters during a conference call from Kabul.

They suffered a significant amount of casualties from the Afghan-led offensive operations, he said.

"We are seeing signs of friction and disagreement within the Taliban leadership ranks. They know they cannot win in the face of this growing capability. In September, we saw them, in the face of these tactical setbacks, take a knee and change their tactics.

"They decided to stop attacking cities, trying to seize and hold terrain, and instead shift to suicide attacks and attempts to inflict casualties to prove their relevance," Nicholson said.

And so this, is a step back in terms of enemy tactics to a guerrilla warfare type of strategy, from one where they attempt to seize and hold terrain, he said.

The Taliban, he said, are interested in making money, and to some extent this movement has evolved into a narco insurgency, so that the profits from narcotics now exceed their operating expenses.

"And we find that the leadership of the Taliban fight over the money, and it's often divided along tribal lines. Our message to the enemy is that you cannot win the war.

"It's time to lay down your arms and enter into a reconciliation process. And if they don't, they're going to be consigned to irrelevance, as the Afghans expand their control of the country, or death," Nicholson said.

Nicholson said the government is expanding its control through offensive operations and brings those areas back under government control.

"Then we expect to see those areas under cultivation, when the farmers have a choice and they don't necessarily -- they aren't forced to be growing poppy -- we believe the government, in those areas, so far, in the country, has been pushing the listed agriculture.

"Why is this new? Because the markets in India are being opened up to Afghan listed agriculture, as you've heard President (Ashraf) Ghani talk about the air bridge to India and the export of agricultural products to India is a major push," he said.

The US thinks that the expanded government control will equate to less poppy cultivation.

Earlier in the day, the US and Afghan forces carried out strike against opium factories in Northern Helmand, the so- called emirate of the Taliban, where they have enjoyed relative freedom of action for the last several years and where much of their drug enterprise is located.

Nicholson said the Afghan air force led these strikes yesterday with A-29 attacks against drug labs.

And then, last night, they were supported by the US Air Force, with B-52s and other strike aircraft, to include the F-22 Raptor, he said.

"These also complemented Afghan Special Forces strikes. So a raid went in yesterday against a Taliban prison in Now Zad. And then these also complemented conventional offensive operations being conducted by the 215th Corps in Central Helmand," he added.

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Six people, including two soldiers, have died in clashes between the army and militiamen in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese army said today.

An army position was attacked by two so-called Mai-Mai armed groups near the town of Beni in North Kivu province yesterday, it said.

Since the beginning of 2017, Mai-Mai militias have regularly attacked Congolese army positions in the region and in neighbouring South Kivu.

"At the moment, the situation is under the army's control," a regional spokesperson for the military, Lieutenant Jules Tshikudi, told AFP.

"We routed the Mai-Mai who attacked our position in Bulambo Isale. The death toll is four Mai Mai dead and four wounded. Two members of the national armed forces died in combat."



The assault was probably carried out by two "Mai-Mai" groups, the Mazembe and Malaika, who say they are defending the Nande community, according to sources.

Armed Congolese groups and foreign forces control swathes of territory in North Kivu province and fighting is relatively common.

The Mai-Mai became prominent as armed community militias during the Second Congo War (1998-2003).

They teamed up with the Kinshasa government to battle invading troops, notably from Rwanda as well as foreign rebels. Some Mai-Mai forces never gave up the weapons they got from the regime.

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The BJP today hit back at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for her criticism of the government over likely curtailment of Parliament's Winter Session, saying her charge was a "lie" and would rank among the "greatest hypocrisies" in recent times.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said in a statement that the Congress president was resorting to "diversionary tactics" fearing defeat in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls.

Extending the Winter Session of Parliament beyond Christmas is not unusual, he said, citing precedents.

He also referred to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's attendance in Parliament, which is "nothing to be proud of", to hit out at the party's record in Parliament.

"The barrage of accusations made by the Congress president on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks among the greatest hypocrisies of our time. These allegations are totally unsubstantiated and a lie in the realm of rhetoric over reality," Yadav said.

Congress's "newfound love" for Parliament is ironical, he said, claiming that it has in the last three years established itself as the "most destructive opposition" in Indian history.

"Their sole aim in Parliament has been to disrupt proceedings and prevent debate. Exactly a year ago, when the historic demonetisation was implemented, the Congress single- handedly disrupted Parliament and did not allow a debate on the subject, fearing their own corrupt deeds would be further exposed in front of the country," Yadav said.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, he said in the current 16th Lok Sabha, his attendance stands at 54 per cent while it was 43 per cent in the last Lok Sabha.

"His participation in debates, questions and private member's bills is negligible," he said.

Under various prime ministers, the Winter Session had been extended beyond Christmas, Yadav said.

In 2008, there was a break during the parliamentary session due to the state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, he said.

"Similar situations were seen in 1981, 1990, 1993 and 2011. In fact, the Winter Session in 1990 began after Christmas, on 27th December 1990 and lasted till 11th January 1991," he said.

Considering the party's performance in Parliament, that's rich for the Congress to pontificate on Parliament running smoothly, he said, asking it to walk the talk and cooperate with the government in the running Parliament instead of "stalling" it.

Sonia Gandhi's comments on corruption are also "laughable", the BJP leader said.

Starting from the jeep scandal in the 1950s, Bofors in the 1980s to the AgustaWestland chopper scam recently, the Congress has "milked" the defence sector to fill the pockets of a select few, he alleged.

"It is the NDA government under Prime Minister Modi that India's defence apparatus is undergoing a complete transformation with zero tolerance to corruption," he said.

It was expected that the Congress would introspect after being rejected by the people but it was yet to happen, Yadav claimed.

"India's strides in ease of doing business, the upgrade (in ratings) by Moody's, the impressive FDI figures do not matter to the Congress, which is busy devoting time and energy to more fruitful matters such as a coronation ceremony," he said in remarks laced with sarcasm, aimed at the likely elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president.

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will begin a four-day India visit from tomorrow with an aim of boosting bilateral ties.

Wickremesinghe will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during which the vexed fishermen issue is likely to figure.

The two leaders are also expected to deliberate on issues relating to maritime security, amid efforts by China to strengthen its naval presence around the waters of the island nation.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister's first destination will be Bengaluru and will arrive here on Wednesday, according to the external affairs ministry.

Wickremesinghe's engagements here include participation at the 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space.

He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Sri Lanka in May during which he attended the biggest Buddhist festival 'Vesak Day' as its chief guest.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister will wrap up his visit here on Friday.

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With both adoptive parents of Indian toddler Sherin Mathews now booked into a Dallas jail, police say they are waiting for the autopsy report and details from laboratories to determine the cause of her tragic death.

Wesley Mathews and his wife Sini Ann Mathews have been arrested by police in the Texan city of Richardson weeks apart in connection with the mysterious death of 3-year-old Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year.

Sherin was found dead in a culvert nearly 1km from her home in suburban Dallas, weeks after Wesley informed the police that the toddler was missing. Wesley initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am as punishment because she refused to drink her milk.

Wesley, 37, was arrested on October 26, hours after a cadaver dog found Sherin's body in the culvert. He has been charged with injury to a child, a felony charge. He is now in the Dallas County Jail with a USD 1 million bond. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Sini, 35, the foster mother of Sherin, was arrested on November 17 after the police alleged that the couple, hailing from Kerala, left Sherin in the kitchen alone and went out for dinner with their 3-year-old biological daughter October 6, the night before the toddler was reported missing by Wesley.

Sini, has been arrested and charged with with abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony in Texas.

Sergeant Kevin Perlich with Richardson Police says the arrest of Sini came after investigators went through a lot of evidence and determined that the time was right to go forward and arrest her for endangering a child.

He said police have sent a lot of "stuff" to laboratories for analysis and some of them have returned. But they were still waiting for details from other equipments seized from the home and vehicles of the Wesley and Sini Mathews.

Perlich, the Internal Affairs & Public Information Officer of Richardson Police Department said, "We are still waiting for the additional evidence to come to us.

"When that additional evidence comes into us, it may lead us in another direction, it may result in additional charges, may result in amended charges. We will wait and see how it unfolds and make those adjustments," he said last week after Sini was arrested.

Police have said the investigation into the death of Sherin is continuing.

"As far as exact time and cause of the (Sherin's) death is concerned, we are still waiting to get from the Medical Examiner's office as well as trying to piece that together as when she may have actually passed away," Perlich said.

Last week, police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when the couple returned home an hour and a half later after having dinner at a restaurant.

An arrest affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where the couple had left her.

"The Medical Examiner's Office is probably waiting for additional tests on the body that they have to do, once we have that, it will tell us something as well," he said.

"Hopefully, there is always a possibility that they can't make a determination, but if there is something that comes in back, may lead the investigation in another direction, may be something else we have to take a look at we haven't been able to look at because we haven't been aware of it," he said.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

After Sherin's body was found, he changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit made public by police.

Sini appeared before a family court judge on November 13 to attempt to regain custody of her biological daughter, who had been moved into foster care by Child Protection Services after Sherin's death.

The toddler is expected to be moved out of foster care to live with an extended family member in Houston.

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Jeffery Tambor has decided not to come back on the comedy series "Transparent", after two women accused the actor of sexual harassment.

The claims were made by Tambor's former assistant Van Barnes and co-actor Tracy Lysette, which the actor has denied.

Speaking to Deadline, the multiple award-winning actor said, "Playing Maura Pfefferman on 'Transparent' has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life. What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago.

"I've already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue. Given the politicised atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return to Transparent," he added.

The actor, 73, had issued a statement denying the accusations, saying it was "distressing" for him to be labelled as a predator.

Showrunners Amazon has launched an internal investigation.

According to reports, the creator of the show, Jill Soloway, and its writers are trying to save the show from being axed.

Tambor essayed Maura in the show, a retired college professor, who finally opens up to her family about always identifying as a woman.

"Transparent" has been renewed for a fifth spell. Its fourth season aired on September 22.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today denounced the central government over the Aadhaar data leak even as the Congress demanded that Prime Minister immediately resign over the lapse.

Banerjee told reporters here that Aadhaar details being leaked out was "alarming", and could be dangerous for individuals and society.

"We do not know why such acts are taking place. We already have the PAN card, voter ID card. But I believe what is taking place in the name of the Aadhaar card will be dangerous for any individual and society," she said.

Criticising the Centre, the Trinamool Congress chief said, "Some people act like Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and take sudden decisions such as dividing the state or the move of demonetisation. This information about Aadhaar card details leakage also shows such a mindset."



More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India said recently.

The Aadhaar issuing body in response to an RTI query said it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

"Details from head to toe of every individual, talks between mother and daughter... husband and wife would be known. I have been warning (people) about this time and again," Banerjee said.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Mamata Banerjee has been saying it for the last few years that this Aadhaar system can cause serious problems and there are chances of leakage of information. Now we are seeing that the same thing has happened. The central government has to take responsibility for it."



Like demonetisation and the hurried implementation of the GST, the implementation of the Aadhaar system was also flawed, he said.

The Congress demanded that the prime minister immediately resign over the lapse.

"We have been saying this for the last few years that the way government was pursuing this Aadhaar card system could pose a serious risk. But the government didn't pay any heed to it," Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said.

"We demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take moral responsibility and immediately resign," he said.

Defending the central government, state BJP chief and MLA Dilip Ghosh said, "There can be problems when a new system is implemented in a country like India. We should not try to play politics over it.

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Eleven Tamil Nadu fishermen who drifted into Sri Lankan waters after their boat developed a snag mid sea today were let off by the island nation's Navy, a state fisheries department official said.

The fishermen from Nagapattinam district strayed into Lankan territorial waters after their boat developed a snag while they were fishing in the region, Assistant Director Fisheries department, Nagapattinam, Gangadar said.

They were arrested by the Lankan navy and taken to Kaarainagar, he said.

The fishermen apprised the Lankan navy that they drifted because of malfunctioning of their boat engine, he said adding the sang was rectified and they were sent back.

The incident comes amid recurring arrests of fishermen from the state by the Lankan naval personnel on charges of poaching fish in their waters.

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A tribal woman was seriously injured, while her husband and twodaughters escaped unhurt when Naxals attacked their house in Gadchiroli district, police said today.

The incident took place late last night in Laheri village under Bhamragadh taluka of the Naxal-affected district, around 400km from here in the Vidarbha region.

A statement from the office of the Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli, said a group of Naxals opened fire at the house ofone Mura Guddi Parsa at 11 pm.

Mursa Parsa, along with his wife andtwo daughters, was sleeping inside the house when the incident took place. The firing left Mursa's wife, Jaini Mura Parsa (35), severely injured, the statement said.

Mura Parsa and his daughters escaped unhurt in the attack, it said.

The woman was rushed to a hospital in Laheri by her husband with the help of villagers. She was later shifted to another hospital in Aheri town of Gadchiroli district, the statement added.

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US President Donald Trump today declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a move that allows the Trump administration to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea had been removed from the list of state sponsor of terrorism under the George W Bush administration.

The announcement was made by Trump during his Cabinet meeting.

"Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. It should have happened a long time ago. It should have happened years ago," Trump said in his address to the Cabinet.

In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil, he said.

"As we take this action today, our thoughts to turn to Otto Warmbier, a wonderful young man, and the countless others so brutally affected by the North Korean oppression," he said.

"This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons, and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime that you've all been reading about and, in some cases, writing about," Trump added.

Tomorrow, the Treasury Department will be announcing an additional round of sanctions, and a very large one, on North Korea, he said.

"This will be going on over the next two weeks. It will be the highest level of sanctions by the time it's finished over a two-week period. The North Korean regime must be lawful. It must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, and cease all support for international terrorism -- which it is not doing," Trump said.

The House Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the move.

"I applaud the administration for relisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Over the past year alone, Kim Jong-Un and his regime brazenly assassinated his brother with a chemical weapon and brutally tortured Otto Warmbier, leading directly to his tragic death," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

These are not isolated incidents, but are examples of a consistent pattern of terror, he said.

The regime also continues its push to develop nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, threatening global security, Trump said.

"This designation endorsed by a high-ranking North Korean defector who recently testified before the committee



rightly exposes the Kim regime's utter disregard for human life and is an important step in our efforts to apply maximum diplomatic and financial pressure on Kim Jong-Un," Royce said.

Congresswoman Ileana Ro-Lehtinen, chairman Emeritus of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, commended the decision.

"Redesignating North Korea provides the administration with important tools to increase pressure on the Kim regime and I commend the decision to put it back on the list where it belongs," she said.

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on 29 August in a major escalation of tensions by Pyongyang. Five days later, it carried out a sixth nuclear test, sending tensions soaring over its weapons ambitions and causing global concern.

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US President Donald Trump called elephant hunting a "horror show" and indicated that he will block imports of elephant trophies from two African nations despite his administration's earlier approval of the practice.

On Friday, Trump had temporary halted the decision of the US Fish and Wildlife Services to lift ban on import of trophies of elephants from Zambia and Zimbabwe into the US.

"Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal," Trump said in a tweet late last night.

Trump's decision to review the Obama-era policy received a wave of criticism from some conservationists, Republican lawmakers and many celebrities.

The Obama administration banned such imports because authorities believed trophy hunting harmed the survival of elephants.

Last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Services said after more than two years of extensive assessments, it has determined that importing limited numbers of hunted elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia into the US will help protect wild elephants for future generations.

The decision was part of a robust US conservation strategy that seeks to eliminate poaching and associated wildlife trafficking while using legal, managed hunting programmes to support wildlife and habitat conservation in range countries.

Well-managed hunting programmes provide huge economic incentives across Africa to conserve some of the planet's most iconic and beloved species, it said.

Noting that the US holds range of countries to high standards that demonstrate hunting and management programmes benefit the conservation of species in the wild, the service said after providing copious data and evidence, Zimbabwe and Zambia have shown that allowing limited numbers of elephants to be legally taken in their countries will provide much- needed conservation dollars to preserve habitat and protect wild herds from criminal poaching gangs.

The Center for Biological Diversity had described this as a "horrific news" and said that "it is shocking" that Zinke is lifting the trophy ban during a military coup.

The same night, Trump announced that he had temporarily halted the decision.

"Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts. Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke. Thank you!" Trump said in tweet late last night.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke supported Trump's decision.

"President Trump and I have talked and both believe that conservation and healthy herds are critical," he said in a statement.

"As a result, in a manner complaint with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, the issuing of permits is being put on hold as the decision is being reviewed," Zinke said after the Trump administration was criticised for its decision earlier in the day.

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A suicide attack at a market today killed at least two civilians and wounded around 20 others in a northern region of Cameroon plagued by Boko Haram attacks, sources said.

The attacker concealed the bomb inside a bag of beans and exploded in the middle of a crowd in Kolofata, according to a source close to the security services.

A police source in the region confirmed the attack to AFP.

Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group, has been blamed for repeated assaults on Kolofata, including one particularly brazen operation in July 2014 that involved kidnapping the wife of the country's deputy prime minister, Amadou Ali.

Since 2014, when Cameroon went to war against Boko Haram, the group has killed 2,000 civilians and soldiers and abducted some 1,000 people in the far north of the country, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

Since its emergence eight years ago, Boko Haram, active in countries bordering Lake Chad (Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad), has killed at least 20,000 people.

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Kenya's Supreme Court today validated the election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta, sparking opposition protests that left two dead, according to police.

While the court decision led to celebrations in ruling party strongholds, protesters took to the street in opposition areas in the capital and the west of the country.

One protester was killed in Nairobi's Kibera slum, while a paramedic tending the injured at a demonstration in western Migori was also shot dead, according to police.

The death toll from four months of election chaos now stands at 54, with most protesters killed at the hands of police, according to rights groups.

The protests erupted after the Supreme Court dismissed two petitions seeking to overturn the victory of Kenyatta in October 26 elections, paving the way for him to be sworn in for a second five-year term on November 28.

"The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited. As a consequence, the presidential election of 26 October is hereby upheld as is the election of the third respondent," said Chief Justice David Maraga, referring to Kenyatta.

Maraga had in September annulled an August election due to "irregularities and illegalities", a historic decision hailed across the globe as an opportunity to boost Kenyan democracy.

However, the ruling -- a rare victory for Odinga -- only deepened acrimony and protests, leaving the country deeply divided.

Accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to make fundamental reforms to improve the vote, Odinga withdrew from the October ballot which he urged his followers to boycott.

In the run-up to the vote, a top election official fled the country, saying the poll would not be credible, and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati himself said he could not guarantee a free and fair election.

Election day was marred by chaos in opposition strongholds, with polling stations unable to open in 25 constituencies.

The boycott handed Kenyatta a landslide victory of 98 percent, although turnout was only 39 percent.

This time, Odinga and his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition did not go to court to challenge the second election, but a former politician and two rights activists did.

They pointed to procedural questions, the toxic democratic environment, and Chebukati's own questioning of the process.

However the six-judge bench dismissed the petitions in a matter of minutes.

In a statement, Odinga said the ruling "did not come as a surprise", nor did it alter his opposition to a government he regards as illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathise with it," he said.

of the court's decision sparked celebrations in Kenyatta's strongholds.

"Let NASA people now go and mourn quietly and allow us to celebrate. They were laughing last time, today it is our turn," said Jackson Mandago the governor of Uasin Gishu county.

"We are happy that we will not have another election until 2022."



But while many will be breathing a sigh of relief that the prolonged election process is drawing to an end, tensions remain high in opposition strongholds.

"Maraga has gone against our wish. They could have nullified it because that was not an election. It was just done in parts of the country," said Mercyline Akinyi in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, where protesters set a vehicle alight.

"We will wait for Baba (Odinga), to tell us the way forward."



Clashes had erupted in Nairobi's Mathare slum yesterday after four bodies were found in the street, with outrage spreading to Kibera and protests also taking place in Kisumu.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

However, the opposition claimed the four had been shot dead, and angry residents blamed members of Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe.

Tensions had also risen on Friday when a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.

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Two miscreants today looted Rs 14 lakh from two private security guards at gunpoint in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, police said.

Naugachhia Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mukul Ranjan said the incident occurred near Chakmaida village on NH 31 when the private security guards were going to deposit Rs 14 lakh at Kharik branch of ICICI bank after collecting the amount from a Reliance petrol pump.

The two bike borne miscreants suddenly appeared and snatched the bag containing Rs 14 lakh from them at gunpoint, the SDPO said.

However, different statements by the two security guards have raised doubts over the incident, he said.

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The permanent members of the UN Security Council are 'unnerved' by the prospect of India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari winning against Britain's candidate in the election to the last seat of the World Court as it would set a precedent that may challenge their power in the future, observers here feel.

Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the Hague-based International Court of Justice, the sources say.

The permanent members of the Security Council -- the US, Russia, France, and China -- appeared to have rallied behind Greenwood. Britain is the fifth permanent member of the Security Council.

In the 11 rounds of the election so far, Bhandari has been receiving the support of nearly two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly but is trailing by three votes against Greenwood in the Security Council.

The 12th round of elections has been scheduled for Monday.

Britain on Friday in an informal consultation of the UN Security Council members mooted the idea of joint conference mechanism as it feels that this could be their only face-saving exit strategy, informed sources said.

As shared with other members of the Security Council during informal consultations, Britain would prefer to stop voting on the ICJ elections after the first round as it fears that otherwise, India could well cross the two-third mark. In that scenario, it would be very difficult for the UN Security Council to stop India's candidate from being elected to the ICJ.

However, the prospect of India winning against a P5 member through democratic means is something that this elite club of veto-wielding countries  Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States  are unnerved with, because this would set a precedent that they do not want to be repeated.

"Today it is Britain, tomorrow it could be any one of us" is the argument which has brought all these five countries together, sources say.

"If the one (of the P5) is going to be knocked off today, the other fear that they might be knocked off tomorrow," according to a source.

Such an assessment of the UN insiders is based on informed sources, as voting for the ICJ election in both the Security Council and the General Assembly are based on secret ballots and there is no way to know who voted for whom.

In all the rounds of the election so far, Greenwood has consistently got nine votes and Bhandari five in the Security Council. It is likely that on Monday India might increase its tally.

It is understood that both New Delhi and Permanent Mission of India to the UN have been working overtime to convince the members of the Security Council on the need to go by the voice of the majority of the General Assembly.

But by Sunday evening it appeared that Britain was ready to execute its plan, as per which after the first round of voting they would call for a meeting of the Security Council and would seek a mandate to stop any further round of voting, and would call for adoption of joint conference mechanism, which was last adopted in 1921.

However, this might come as a silver lining for India, sources said.

This is because the Security Council vote to stop further rounds of the ICJ election would be open and not through a secret ballot.

As a result, countries, many of whom have been pledging friendship with India but secretly voting against its candidate would be exposed in the open of raising their hands against India. This is something that members of the Security Council would avoid.

Of the Permanent Five members, the US under President Donald Trump has just come out with a 100-year plan of friendship with India and renamed the Asia-Pacific as the Indo-Pacific region.

Incidentally, hours before the ICJ election, Trump would be meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at the White House.

It is not sure if Trump plans to weigh in on this issue in favour of India.

Trump has repeatedly called himself as the "best friend of India and Indian Americans" in the White House.

Russia is an all-weather, tested friend of India. Over the past several decades, France has emerged as a reliable friend of India. The stand of China on a lot of issues is well known, including Indias membership to the Security Council and Beijing vetoing a move to designate Azhar Masood as a global terrorist by the UN.

So, it would be quite a surprise, if China favoured an Indian candidate.

"When chips are down, you always get support from developing countries," commented one India watcher at the UN.

The voting in the General Assembly, which overwhelmingly favours India, is reflective of the new global order, which is not pleasant to the world powers.

Despite the best of British efforts, their vote tally in the General Assembly has decreased with every other round of voting.

"That's why they are trying to find a face-saver to get out of this," a source said.

India has been seeking that the democratic process needs to play its full course in both the Security Council and the General Assembly and there should not be an intervention or adoption of a process that has never been used before or the one that undermines the voice of the majority.

The British move to stop voting after the first round might create bad blood between two important wings of the world body, which could have a long-term implication. The General Assembly might think that it has been denied its right to vote.

Hours ahead of the scheduled vote, the UN General Assembly president and Security Council president are likely to hold another round of consultation with the stakeholders to explore what are their options.
US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high.

A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection yesterday, killing the other driver, 61.

The 21-year-old, whose breath test showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, was arrested and charged with negligent driving resulting in death, police said.

All US servicemen stationed in Japan are now banned from drinking, both on and off base, the US Forces in Japan said in a statement.

In Okinawa, personnel are also restricted to base or to their residences.

"When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission," the statement said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo made an immediate complaint about the case to the US side, demanding the US military enforce strict discipline and take preventive steps.

"It is extremely regrettable that this accident happened even though the Japanese government has repeatedly asked them for the thorough implementation of preventive measures and enforcement of disciplines," Suga told reporters.

The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty.

But crimes by US personnel have seen relations with locals strained.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force's sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman last year.

The incident intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on the island.

Commanders across Japan will immediately lead mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior, the US statement added.

Okinawa accounts for nearly 75 percent of land allotted for US bases in Japan, despite being only a fraction of the country's total area.

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The US today urged Nepal to conduct the upcoming elections in a peaceful manner, days after a number of attacks against candidates were reported.

"Following the largely peaceful conduct of Nepal's three phases of local elections, the US is alarmed at recent attacks on political candidates and condemns any attempt to impede the electoral process through the use of violence," said a statement issued by the US Embassy here.

"We call on all sides to maintain and uphold a peaceful and democratic election process for both rounds of upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections.

"A key principle of democratic electoral systems is protecting the rights of citizens to participate in the electoral process without fear of violence or harm," it said.

A number of explosions have occurred in different parts of the country ahead of the two phases of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Around a dozen political activists belonging to different political parties sustained injuries in these attacks.

"We urge everyone to respect the freedoms of peaceful expression and assembly, and individual voters' rights as laid out in Nepal's laws and Constitution.

"Elections are a time for political debate, but in a democracy, the mechanism for expressing disagreements is through the ballot box," the US said.

The US remains committed to working with all stakeholders for a peaceful, inclusive, and credible election process, the statement said.

Nepal is organising provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases on November 26 and December 7.

The elections are seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

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Police today fired teargas shells and used lathi-charge to bring under control a group of Pardi community members who were protesting the suicide of a woman.

The protesters allegedly threw stones at the Gandhinagar police station here.

Nobody was injured in the lathi-charge, police said.

Bhopal Inspector General of Police Jaideep Prasad told PTI that an inquiry has been ordered into today's incident as well as the allegation against three policemen that they were responsible for the woman's suicide.

As of now there was no evidence to suggest that these policemen abetted the suicide, the IG said.

According to the protesters, Indermal Bai (35), member of the Pardi tribe, immolated herself after pouring kerosene in front of policemen Sandeep, Jadav and Gajraj when they went to her place on Friday and threatened to frame her up in a false case if she didn't pay them Rs 20,000.

She died on Sunday night, her mother Surja Bai said.

Members of the Pardi tribe living in Gandhinagar area today gathered at the police station to protest her death where they allegedly indulged in stone-pelting.

The IG claimed that the deceased woman hadn't stated in her dying declaration that she was being harassed by police.

Asked why the three policemen visited her house on Friday, Prasad said they were looking for her brothers. "In the past, police had recovered some weapons from them," he said.

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A Delhi court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to respond to a plea of a woman director of two Dubai-based firms, accused in a money laundering case connected with the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, claiming she was not getting proper treatment.

In her application before Special Judge Arvind Kumar, Shivani Saxena, an active director of Dubai-based M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings, has submitted that she was suffering from various ailments.

Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for the accused, alleged that the medical report submitted by the doctor, on the directions of the court earlier, was "incomplete".

"Considering the facts and circumstances, jail superintendent is directed to authorise some medical officer along with complete medical records of the accused to appear in court on November 23," the judge said.

The court had on October 16 denied her bail, saying the allegations against her were serious.

The advocate appearing for Enforcement Directorate, N K Matta, had told the court that if granted the relief, she could flee from justice and hamper the ongoing probe. The ED had on September 13 filed a charge sheet against her and others.

Shivani Saxena and her husband Rajiv are residents of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, an archipelago which is home to the most expensive properties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the charge sheet claimed.

It alleged that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares, among others" in this case.

The agency claimed that its probe had found that AgustaWestland, United Kingdom, had "paid an amount of Euro 58 million as kickbacks" through two Tunisia-based firms.

"These companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others," the ED had alleged.

The agency had also arrested Delhi-based businessman Gautam Khaitan who is currently out on bail. It had registered a PMLA case in 2014 and named 21 people in its money laundering FIR.

On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The political parties in West Bengal today lashed out at the Centre over the leakage of Aadhaar card details and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately resign over the lapse.

"We have been saying this for the last few years that the way government was pursuing this Aadhaar card system could pose a serious risk. But the government didn't pay any heed to it. We demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take moral responsibility and immediately resign," Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Manan said.

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India has said.

The Aadhaar issuing body said, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Mamata Banerjee has been saying it for the last few years that this Aadhaar system can cause serious problems and there are chances of leakage of information. Now we are seeing that the same thing has happened. The central government has to take responsibility for it."



Like demonetisation and hurried implementation of GST, the implementation of Aadhaar system was also flawed, he added.

Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Ashok Bhattacharya also echoed the views of TMC.

State BJP president and MLA Dilip Ghosh defended the central government. "In a country like India when a new system is being implemented there can be problems. We should not try to play politics over it.

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Biodiversity in India's iconic Western Ghats is facing a threat from forest loss, encroachment and conversion, says a global environment agency in its report.

It also put the hills in "Significant Concern" category in its new outlook in the conservation prospects of natural World Heritage sites.

The report, released recently by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, says pressure from the human population in the Western Ghats region is greater than that faced by many protected areas around the world.

The new report - 'IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2', which assesses for the first time changes in conservation prospects of all 241 natural World Heritage sites, warns that climate change will probably exacerbate a system already under pressure and has the potential to impact the large-scale monsoonal processes which the Western Ghats influence.

Moderating the region's tropical climate,the site presents one of the best examples of the monsoon system on the planet.

A network of 39 separately managed sites in Western Ghats was inscribed as World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2012.

It says ongoing pressure for development would continue to place the Western Ghats under high threat.

Traditionally conserved by small populations of indigenous people leading sustainable lifestyles, the area is under increasing population and developmental pressure, requiring intensive and targeted management efforts to ensure that not only are existing values conserved, but that some past damage may be remediated, it says.

The report said pressure from human populations in this region should not be underestimated. Fifty million people are estimated to live in the Western Ghats,"resulting in pressures which are orders of magnitude greater than many protected areas around the world."



Evidence suggests that forest loss, encroachment and conversion continue to affect the property, it said.

It, however, acknowledges the initiatives taken by the government to protect the biodiversity of Ghats.

"The challenges are many, but the will by both government and non-governmental groups to ensure the conservation of the Western Ghats is high," it says.

However, until more data is accumulated (on conservation trends and protection and management aspects), and given the number and level of threats that this property faces, its conservation outlook is still assessed as of Significant Concern, says the report.

Older than Himalaya mountains, the Western Ghats, spread over Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, represents geomorphic features of immense importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes.

The report says each of the 39 component parts of the property has its own management system and protective measures that vary throughout this complex serial site that stretches over a distance of some 1,600 km from north to south.

"There is a priority need to articulate a clear overarching management framework that harmonises policy and management practise across the various clusters and states. Functional corridors that assure wildlife movement and ecological connectivity between the clusters of component protected areas are also required," it says.

The global World Heritage Outlook in 2017 remains similar to 2014 with a positive conservation outlook ("good" or"good with some concerns") for 64 per cent of sites, "significant concern" for 29 per cent and "critical" status for 7 per cent.

These results are for the 241 natural World Heritage sites listed as of November 2017,including new sites which havebeen inscribed on the World Heritage List since the previous report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition AIADMK here today sought to know what locus standi Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has to comment on his Tamil Nadu counterpart, when he himself is at loggerheads with the Puducherry Lt Governor on several issues.

Addressing reporters here, party's legislature wing leader A Anbalagan asked, "What locus standi does Narayanasamy have to comment on his counterpart in Tamil Nadu and other Ministers there, when he (Narayanasamy) has locked horns with Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and dislocating the smooth working of the administration?"



At a seminar yesterday, Narayanasamy said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ministers should boldly stand up against the "autocratic manner of functioning of the Centre" as seen in the state governor holding meetings with the officials.

Anbalagan said Bedi's style of functioning should not be equated with that of Tamil Nadu Governor.

"If Narayanasamy makes comments on Tamil Nadu ministerial team then Puducherry would suffer a lot on several fronts," he said.

The Puducherry chief minister is engaged in a bitter spat with Bedi over her style of functioning for the more than a year.

On November 15, a political row had erupted in Tamil Nadu over Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit's meeting with officials in Coimbatore as the DMK and other opposition parties claimed that it amounted to interference in the state's rights.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhucon Projects Ltd said today that the World Bank has debarred it from participating in the projects aided by the multilateral funding agency for two years, reducing the initial period.

In a BSE filing, the company said: "The World Bank has temporarily debarred Madhucon Projects from participating in World Bank aided projects for a period of three years due to alleged negligence of its project staff in Lucknow-Muzzafarpur Highway projects which constituted a sanctionable practise as per the World Bank sanctions guidelines."



The filing was in response to clarification sought by the bourses from Madhucon Projects on media reports which said that "World Bank debars Madhucon Projects for two years".

The company said: "Mudhucon challenged the same before the sanctions Board of World Bank at Washington, wherein, after a personal hearing, vide decision dated October 26, 2017 Madhucon was exonerated of all allegations except the one pertaining to negligence while claiming two material advances."



The board, the company said, reduced the period of debarment to two years.

However, this decision was based on consideration of material supplied by the World Bank after the hearing, without serving a copy to Madhucon, on the basis of which the company has filed its representations before the sanctions Board seeking review of its decision, as the penalty imposed is grossly disproportionate, the company said.

"Thus the case is presently subjudice and hence the non- disclosure to the exchange, as of now," it said.

The decision will not have any material effect on the company as its order position for the next three years is full to its existing capacity and Madhucon Projects is not at all dependent on World Bank aided projects for its revenues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Western Railway (WR) has introduced a mechanism under which users can rate and provide feedback about the hygiene of toilets at the 17 stations under its jurisdiction, a senior official said.

"On the occasion of World Toilet Day yesterday, we tied up with urban technology firm Gaia to provide smart feedback system to track and monitor the cleanliness of toilets across 17 stations of our Mumbai Division," he said.

Under the Smart Feedback System for cleanliness of lavatories, users have to scan the QR code, provided in front of the toilets, and answer questions regarding their upkeep and behaviour of the attendant, among other things. This will help the WR assess cleanliness of the toilets and customer (passenger) satisfaction, the official said.

The official said based on the feedback from users, the Railway will take action against errant contractors by way of fines or blacklisting.

"The 17 stations under the Mumbai division are Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Lower Parel, Elphinstone Road (Prabhadevi), Dadar, Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, Goregoan, Andheri, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Bhayander and Nallasopara," WR chief spkoesperson Ravinder Bhakar said in a statement.

"The pay and use toilets at these stations have been either recently constructed or renovated with modern infrastructure and amenities," he said.

Bhakar said the feedback system will enable the Mumbai Division to monitor the facilities and sanitation level at public toilets across the stations under its jurisdiction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ousted Zimbabwean vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa is in contact with President Robert Mugabe and will return home soon, the army chief said today as he called for "calm and patience".

"The security services are encouraged by new developments which include contact between the president and the former vice president comrade Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa who is expected in the country shortly," army chief general Constantino Chiwenga said on television.

"Thereafter the nation will be advised of the outcome of talks between the two."



"The Zimbabwean defence and security services further urge Zimbabweans to remain calm and patient" while a "solution and road map is found for the country," he added.

Chiwenga's statement comes after Mugabe stunned the nation on Sunday and did not mention resigning during a long and rambling speech during which he was flanked by the generals who seized power from him a week earlier.

Many Zimbabweans had thought that Mnangagwa, who is believed to have fled to South Africa after being sacked by Mugabe on November 6 -- triggering the current crisis -- was already back in the country.

Last Friday, a senior aide who declined to be named said Mnangagwa had returned to Zimbabwe a day earlier, after spending nearly a week abroad.

It was exactly a week ago that Chiwenga delivered a statement flanked by top military brass in which he warned he would intervene if Mugabe purged any other top leaders like Mnangagwa. It was apparently the climax of a long-running battle between Mnangagwa and First Lady Grace Mugabe to be the frontrunner to replace the ailing 93-year-old president.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Ron Bousso, Simon Jessop and Susanna Twidale

LONDON (Reuters) - The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund's proposal to ditch its oil and gas shares, though hugely symbolic in the battle against climate change, is unlikely to cause a rush to the exit by major investors in the sector in the short term.

The move by the $1 trillion fund, the world's largest, rattled stock markets, exposing what is seen as one of the biggest threats to companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP as the world shifts towards renewable energy such as wind and solar.

But in the meantime, expectations of growing global demand for oil and gas for decades to come mean reliance on these companies is likely to continue.

And although the Norwegian initiative will encourage those seeking to hasten the move to a low-carbon economy, the degree to which other investors can follow the fund's example, at least in the short term, is less clear.

The European oil and gas index fell on Friday to its lowest since late September, extending declines following the Norwegian fund's announcement.

For some, it was seen as an opening shot in the decline of the 150-year-old sector in the battle to slow global warming and reduce carbon emissions, reminiscent of the demise of coal.

"The investor exit from oil and gas as a fuel source will be slower than coal, but the emissions reduction maths is clear and so this inevitable transition has started," said Nathan Fabian, director of policy at Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a United Nations-backed group that represents asset managers with holdings of over $60 trillion.

But other investors do not draw the same parallels.

"I do not see this as the start of a broader trend among major investors," said Rohan Murphy, energy analyst at Allianz, which holds shares in several oil majors.

"Coal is a more obvious SRI (sustainable responsible investment) sell compared to oil and gas - coal is dirtier."

"Gas, which is a big part of all the big oil businesses today, is the answer for the medium-term energy transition to gas from coal for power generation," Murphy said.

Petroleum companies see natural gas as a cleaner alternative to coal for power generation in the effort to wean the world off fossil fuels by the end of the century.

"Many wish for a quick and revolutionary role reversal between the oil and gas industry, and the renewable and new electric industry. But undue haste and an overly ideological approach could bring great economic and social damage," Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in a speech last month.

Also, demand for oil in transportation and plastics is not expected to decline significantly until 2050, according to many forecasts.

The Norwegian announcement came as more than 195 nations met in Bonn, Germany, to decide how to comply with climate targets agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit a rise in global temperatures.

SCALE

But beyond our dependence on oil and gas, the size of the world's top oil companies would make mass divestment a huge challenge. The top five publicly traded companies - Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and Total - together have a market value of over $1 trillion.

Coal companies, on the other hand, have always been smaller.

For now, there is no viable alternative to oil and gas to meet the world's demand, several investors said.

"My guess is that after the initial market adjustment ... the move may not damage the sector's long-term performance significantly," said Kevin Gardiner, global investment strategist at Rothschild Wealth Management.

The Norwegian wealth fund's move, echoing Saudi Arabia's plan to list part of its national oil company, was aimed at making Norway less exposed to volatile oil prices and less reliant on revenue from fossil fuels.

If approved, it would most likely take years for the Norwegian fund to unwind its large investments in the sector and find new homes for the money.

And while there is also growing demand from retail investors to invest in 'responsible' or 'sustainable' funds, oil and gas companies are not commonly excluded and any change here would be gradual.

Dropping oil and gas companies would also mean missing out on a rich source of dividend income, a prized asset at a time of low bond yields.

Three - Shell, Exxon and Gazprom - were among the top-10 dividend payers globally in the third quarter.

In absolute terms, the number of oil and gas companies in leading stock indices varies, with 14 in the STOXX 600 index of leading European companies, or 2.3 percent; and 26 in the S&P 500, or 5.2 percent.

The size of some of the largest can have a disproportionate impact on returns relative to their index peers. While there are just two companies in Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index, for example, they make up 14 percent of the index's value.

While the Norwegian fund has long been a trend-setter for issues around socially responsible investing, particularly in Scandinavia, the reason for this decision is relatively unique.

Its desire to make treasury receipts less dependent on the oil price is not a challenge faced by most pension funds, which make up a large slice of the money invested globally.

Any decision to ditch oil and gas would arguably leave them less diversified, not more, said investors, although charitable endowments may have more flexibility to do so.

(Additional reporting by Helen Reid in London, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; editing by Giles Elgood)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's palm oil imports are likely to drop until the end of the year after the world's largest edible oils buyer raised import taxes to the highest in more than a decade, importers and dealers said.

India announced late on Friday that it raised its import tax on crude palm oil to 30 per cent from 15 per cent, while the duty for refined palm oil has been raised to 40 per cent from 25 per cent.

Malaysian palm oil futures dropped more than 3 per cent to a three-month low of 2,626 ringgit a tonne on Monday.

"Short term demand will see a major impact because it was such a steep price hike, but (India's) local oilseed production is not enough to cover all its demand," said David Ng, derivatives specialist at Phillip Futures in Kuala Lumpur.

The duty hike should lift India's local oilseed prices, which may encourage farmers to sell oilseeds and increase supply for crushing, said Dinesh Shahra, managing director of Ruchi Soya.

Indian oilseed crushers had been struggling to compete with cheaper imports from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Argentina, reducing demand for local rapeseed and soybeans which have been trading below government-set prices in the physical market and angering farmers.

Indian soyoil and crude palm oil futures jumped by the daily maximum limit of 4 per cent on Monday.

"Importers will first clear earlier inventories. Then they will see at what level prices stabilise in the local market before deciding about December imports. December imports could be around 600,000 tonnes," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

While market participants were anticipating a duty hike, the extent of the increase surprised them.

"Many importers have sold palm oil in advance at the earlier duty rate. They will struggle in fulfilling commitments. Their entire margin has been wiped out," the dealer said.

India's palm oil imports in October stood at around 750,000 tonnes.

Edible oil imports for the full year, however, is expected to remain higher than last year.

"The overall import volumes are unlikely to change significantly for the entire marketing year as local oilseeds supplies are limited and there is huge demand," said B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Solvent Extractors' Association, a Mumbai-based trade body.

The South Asian country could import 15.5 million tonnes edible oils in the current year, down from an earlier estimate of 15.9 million tonnes, said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of the Sunvin group, a vegetable oil importer.

($1 = 4.1500 ringgit)
By Makiko Yamazaki and Ayai Tomisawa

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's plan to raise some $5.4 billion through a sale of new shares will help it avoid a delisting, but will also see more than 30 overseas investors, including activist funds, own 35 percent of the embattled conglomerate.

The move, decided at a board meeting on Sunday, will allow Toshiba to pay off billions of dollars in liabilities at its bankrupt U.S. nuclear power business, Westinghouse. That in turn gives it the funds to return to positive net worth by the end of the financial year in March, as an $18 billion sale of its prized memory chip unit is unlikely to close before then.

The issue of 2.28 billion new shares at 262.8 yen per share, a 10 percent discount to Friday's close, will result in a massive 54 percent dilution in earnings per share.

Toshiba's shares were, however, down just 5 percent in early afternoon trade as the delisting risk was removed and as the capital raising had been expected. The stock was last trading at 277 yen - a level above the sale price.

"Toshiba's fund raising eliminates the risk of Toshiba being delisted so that part is positive," said Takatoshi Itoshima, chief portfolio manager at Commons Asset Management.

"What's also positive is that the fund raising will improve the company's financial health. There is an argument that the company will be left with nothing (without the chip business), but it's good that the company's capital will recover."

Third Point LLC, Oasis Management Company and Cerberus Capital Management were among the more than 30 investors which invested through some 60 funds.

Singapore-based fund Effissimo Capital Management, established by former colleagues of Japan's best-known activist investor, Yoshiaki Murakami, will become the largest shareholder in Toshiba with an 11.34 percent stake.

Payments for the new investment are due to be completed on Dec. 5.

Toshiba also confirmed that it is looking at selling Westinghouse assets.

Sources told in September that Westinghouse is working with investment bank PJT Partners Inc on a sale process.

Private equity firms Blackstone Group LP and Apollo Global Management LLC have teamed up to bid for the business while Cerberus Capital Management LP was in talks with U.S. nuclear power plant component provider BWX Technologies Inc about submitting a joint bid, the sources said at the time.

Toshiba had initially planned to use funds from the sale of its chip unit to cover its Westinghouse liabilities, but a highly competitive and contentious auction process led to delays in deciding on the buyer and has meant that Toshiba may not obtain the necessary anti-trust clearance by the end of March.

The chip deal still faces legal challenges from its chip joint venture partner Western Digital, which argues no deal can proceed without its consent and has sought an injunction through an international arbitration court.

Toshiba is demanding that Western Digital drop the litigation as a condition over a coming round of a joint investment in Toshiba's new flash-memory chip production line in Yokkaichi, Japan. The two companies held talks in the United States last week for settlements, but have yet to agree on details, sources familiar with the matter said.

($1 = 112.0400 yen)

(Additional reporting by Ran Kim and Naomi Tajitsu in Tokyo and Miyoung Kim in Singapore; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(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.)
Venture capital fund Unicorn India Ventures, led by former SEBI chairman M Damodaran, launched their maiden venture debt fund today. This sector agnostic fund will be worth Rs 600 crore and is the second fund from Unicorn.

"The Indian startup ecosystem is maturing. The capital structure of funds is lopsided with hardly any debt. We believe, it is the right time to launch venture debt fund alongside traditional venture equity," said M Damodaran, Chairman, .
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini will donate 50 per cent of their wealth under Giving Pledge- a movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. Reports suggest that the Nileknis' wealth is estimated to be to the tune of around USD 1.7 billion. With this, the Nilekanis have joined the list of other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Sobha Ltd Chairman PNC Menon who have also committed half of their wealth to philanthropy.

In a statement, the Nilekanis explained why they joined the Giving Pledge movement. They said: "We see that inequality is increasing sharply in most countries. We see the young and the restless in this interconnected globe, unsure of their future, wanting more but anticipating less. We see a growing politics of polarization, of divisions, of brinksmanship. It is as if the world holds its breath. What should we do at this time? That is a question every citizen must ask. Those of us who have wealth beyond all our wants must ask that very sharply. Wealth comes with huge responsibility and is best deployed for the larger public interest. So what must the super-wealthy do?"

"We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity for so many people to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagwad Gita- Karmanye Va dhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma karma phalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani," the Nilekanis added. Bill Gates welcomed Nilekanis for their pledge and said: "I'm amazed by how Nandan Nilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I'm delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge."

This is not the first time when the Nilekanis are donating. In past, Nandan Nilekani gave money to rebuild the hostel campus of IIT Bombay. He also set up the Indian Institute for Human Settlements with the aim of solving urban challenges for India.

The Giving Pledge is an effort to help address society's most pressing problems by inviting the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will. It is an open invitation for billionaires, or those who would be if not for their giving, to publicly dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

Under the pledge, signatories will find their own unique ways to give that inspire them personally and benefit society. The movement was started with 40 pledgers in the United States in 2010. As of November 2017, there are 171 pledgers from 21 countries.
On line with the Narendra Modi government's Make in India initiative, the centre government has decided to retract the process to acquire a batch of Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) from Israel for the Army, and asked premier defence research laboratory DRDO to develop it with indigenous technology. However, the Israeli firm, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, stated it had not received any communication from India.

Official sources said on Monday the government has decided to retract the Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure the Spike missiles from an Israeli firm.

The sources indicated that the proposal to acquire the missile system faced hurdles when Israeli side apparently expressed reservations in ensuring full transfer of technology as per the provisions of the 'Make in India' initiative. They said the decision to retract the RFP was taken after the DRDO expressed confidence of producing the ATGMs.

The DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) has now been told to work on the project and has been given four years to develop the missile, the sources said. There was no official comment from the defence ministry on the issue.

India's Kalyani group and Israel's state-run Rafael Advanced Defence Systems had commissioned a Rs 70 crore production facility near Hyderabad in August, anticipating that the Israeli firm would bag the contract.

In Jerusalem, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems said it has not received any communication from India on retraction of the RFP.

"Rafael has not been officially informed of any change in the decision to purchase Spike missiles. Spike is in use with 26 different militaries around the world, and was selected by India after a long and rigorous process, in which it successfully met all the requirements in a wide variety of combat test scenarios," Rafael's deputy spokesman Ishay David told PTI.

The defence ministry has been strongly pushing for transfer of technology in procuring various weapons and other platforms from foreign defence majors as part of its broad policy initiative to encourage domestic defence industry.

As per the original proposal, India had planned to acquire the ATGMs for the Army at a cost of $500 million.

With PTI inputs
The government has decided to retain Rs 14,500 crore of the total subscription that has come in for Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund, which comprises 22 companies. With bids worth Rs 32,000 crore coming in, the 8,000 crore Bharat 22 Electronic Traded Fund was subscribed four times. However, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bade for one-third of the money. The retail investors' portion was subscribed around 1.45 times, NIIs and QIBs 7 times, and retirement funds 1.50 times.

With this, the government has raised Rs 52,500 crore through disinvestment in the current fiscal, including listing of insurance PSUs, reported PTI, adding that last week the portion reserved for anchor investors was subscribed six times amounting to Rs 12,000 crore.

Compared to its counterpart CPSE ETF, which was launched in March 2014, the Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is more diversified with blue chips such as ONGC, SBI, IOC, Nalco, BPCL, NTPC and Bank of Baroda as well as SUUTI shares in entities such as ITC, Axis Bank and L&T. The ETF's expense ratio is 0.0095 per cent. A discount of three per cent is available for all categories of investors. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company is the fund manager for the ETF.

The issue received highest subscription for any new fund offer (NFO) in the history of Indian mutual fund industry, reported the Economic Times. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund managed Bharat-22 ETF's new fund offer (NFO) had an initial issue size of over Rs 8,000 crore. As much as 25 per cent of total issue size, or Rs 2,000 crore, was reserved for anchor investors who put in bids worth about Rs 12,000 crore. "During the three days reserved for non-anchor investors, we witnessed an overwhelming response from all investors, particularly retail segment. In due course, the ETF will be listed," ICICI Prudential AMC MD and CEO Nimesh Shah told PTI. LIC, Bank of India, SBI Pension Fund, EPFO and HDFC Ergo Insurance are among those who have put in bids.

This ETF comprises leading companies from the private sector having an exposure of 39 per cent to the fund while the rest are public sector firms. The fund comprises leading blue-chips such as ITC (through SUUTI) with 15.2 per cent weightage, State Bank of India with 8.6 per cent weightage, and Axis Bank (through SUUTI) with 7.7 per cent weightage. Bank of Baroda, Bharat Electronics, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Coal India, Engineers India, Gail India, Indian Bank, Indian Oil Corp, Larsen & Toubro, National Aluminium Co, NBCC (India), NHPC, NLC India, NTPC, Oil & Natural Gas Corp, Power Finance Corp, Power Grid Corp of India, Rural Electrification Corp and SJVN are the other constituents of the fund. The fund consists of stocks from six sectors such as capital goods, finance, oil & gas, power, FMCG and metal, metal products and mining.

"This is the second fund in the PSU ETF series, after Reliance CPSE ETF, which clocked returns twice as Nifty 50 ETF over last one year. The earlier ETF was more skewed towards three sectors and hence the risk factor was high. The current Bharat 22 index is more diversified one with 22 stocks across six sectors. This reduces risk as well as return potential in comparison to the old one. Out of the six sectors, we hold a positive outlook towards 5 of them and neutral in FMCG and hence it is overall futuristic. Also since sectors, including banking and metals, have been in doldrums since long time, a long term investor is set to benefit from this proposition. Notwithstanding the recent rally in PSU banks post recapitalisation decision, there is long way to go," said Jeevan Kumar, Head of Investment Advisory, Geojit Financial Services, had earlier told Business Today.

However, some experts believe that this fund is not for the common investors. "Ideally, such funds are for more evolved investors. For common investors, it is better to stick to diversified funds. While Bharat 22 is more diversified as compared to CPSE ETF, it is still a thematic fund with PSU focus. And in time like these when markets have run up quite a bit, it would be prudent for investors to stick to diversified funds and invest systematically," said Anil Rego, CEO & Founder, Right Horizons.

The government has set an ambitious target of raising Rs 72,500 crore for disinvestment in the current fiscal. Of this, Rs 46,500 crore is to be raised through minority stake sale in PSU and Rs 15,000 crore from strategic sale. Another Rs 11,000 crore is to come from listing of insurance companies.

ALSO READ: Bharat 22 ETF a huge hit among anchor investors
In a bid to increase consumer demand, the GST Council may extend the tax cut on consumer durables like washing machines and refrigerators from the current level of 28 per cent to 18 per cent in the upcoming meet. It is also expected to help push demand in the sector, the TOI report said.

Earlier this month, the Council brought down taxes on over 200 consumer goods. As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both air- conditioned and non-AC.

Ever since the GST was rolled out, the industry has been demanding that appliances such as washing machines, TVs, refrigerators be placed in the 18 per cent tax slab as these are no longer considered luxury items.

Godrej Appliances EVP and Business Head Kamal Nandi had reprtedly said that home appliances have become a necessity and are no longer a luxury. "We believe that in a market like India, which is a low-penetrated market, slotting appliances under the 18 per cent tax slab will make them more affordable. We have been giving this feedback to the government," the Hindu Business Line quoted him as saying.

Revenue Secretary Hashmukh Adhia had earlier called for complete overhaul in GST rates. He said: "There is need for some rejig in rates. It is possible that some items in the same chapter are divided. There is a need for harmonisation of items chapter wise and wherever we find there is a big burden on small and medium businesses and on common man, if we bring them down, there will be a better compliance."

The government has brought down taxes on over hundreds of products in the last couple of GST Council meet.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A man who survived a serious car accident thanks to a reminder note from his wife to wear his seat belt is making stops at schools alongside her to share their story as a reminder of why seat belts are important.

Before his wife, Alyson, placed the photo of herself and the couples 5-year-old in his car, Michael Simkins hardly wore his seat belt, the Deseret News reported .

The photo, surrounded by doodled hearts, came with a message asking Michael Simkins to buckle up for their sake.

Although his car was wrecked Sept. 28 in a large, multicar pile up on Interstate 15, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper managed to recover the photo and returned it to Michael Simkins while he was in the hospital.

The trooper told Alyson Simkins that had he not been wearing the seat belt, her husband might have gone through the windshield.

Thinking of what could have happened if he hadnt followed his wifes advice that day brought tears to his eyes.

Ever since then I have always worn my seat belt because I knew it was important to my family. I almost died that day, Michael Simkins said.

The couple shared their experience with a group of fifth-graders at James E. Moss Elementary School on Tuesday as part of a preview for the Click It or Ticket campaign by the Utah Highway Patrol.

After hearing Simkins story, Alyson Simkins took photos of the students.

Each wrote a message for a loved one on their images, similar to note she wrote to her husband, reminding them to buckle up.

We thought it was a really good idea and good way to remind people to wear their seat belts, to show them their loved ones right in front of their face and tell them, Wear your seat belt for me. What other reason would you need? Alyson Simkins said.

Nearly 3,500 crashes have occurred each year during the Thanksgiving weekend for the past five years, Utah Highway Patrol Maj. Mark Zesiger said.

During the departments campaign, which started Saturday and will run through the Thanksgiving weekend, 300 troopers will be working overtime to remind drivers to buckle up and stay safe while drivers are travelling home for the holiday.

We write tickets. But its more to educate, Zesiger said. Its to make contact with that person, hopefully educate them and reinforce the message about that love and their safety, to make sure theyre getting home to their family.
Monday, November 20, 2017 at 5:30AM

Review: Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel line has been hit by one issue after another. But the good thing coming out of it is it seems Google is at least paying attention to remedy what they can. This time around there seems to be a strange buzzing sound coming out of the smaller Pixel 2 deviceat least for some users. The sounds apparently manifests when the phone is placed to the ear when making calls. According to Google, the update will be on its way in the coming weeks but they wont specify a date yet.

Source: Android Authority
Havercroft wrote to the paper hoping someone might send her a photo of a poppy next to the name of a distant family member at the Australia War Memorial, 100 years from the day he'd died in the Battle of Passchendaele.
Mr Hall said the funds were simply from "general [club] revenue to support the activities of the union", that the club had "many sources of revenue" and its key purpose, as stated in its constitution, was to support the union.
Opponents to the planned buffer zone have also complained about the exemption for the new suburb of Ginninderry, a joint venture between the ACT government and the Corkhill brothers to develop land on both sides of the border west of Belconnen, beside the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Falls.
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Did someone tell you the minivan was dead? Not for Honda, its not. The Japanese automaker sells its Odyssey hand over fist in America, where it stands as its fifth most popular model line  behind the Civic, Accord, CR-V, and Pilot, and well ahead of anything that the Acura division sells.



Little wonder, then, that when it has to recall the Odyssey, Honda has to recall a lot of them. About 800,000 of them in this latest campaign.

The problem with all those 2011-17 Odysseys comes down to the second row of seating, which could tip forward under hard braking  but only if its not properly latched after adjustment.

That doesnt strike us as Hondas fault, per se. But having received 46 reports of minor injuries resulting from this problem, its issued a recall for all those minivans to have their latches repaired or replaced.

While it figures out just what to do, however, Hondas released detailed instructions (and will soon release an instructional video) showing owners how to properly latch those benches in place.

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Jeremy Clarkson claims he was almost killed while testing a driverless car on UK roads recently.



Writing in The Sunday Times, the outspoken journalist didnt specify what semi-autonomous car he was piloting but said his experience tells him that were a long away from having safe and fully-autonomous vehicles on public roads, The Independent reports.

I drove a car the other day which has a claim of autonomous capability and twice in the space of 50 miles on the M4 it made a mistake, a huge mistake, which could have resulted in death.

We have to be very careful legally, so Im not going to say which one, Clarkson said.

The experience of The Grand Tour host comes at an interesting time in the UK. The countrys chancellor, Philip Hammond, is preparing to give the green light for developers to test self-driving vehicles on public roads.

In typical Clarkson style, he jokingly suggested hell only buy into self-driving cars when they can drive along the Death Road in Bolivia.

You drive one of your driverless cars over the Death Road in Bolivia and Ill buy one.

Sit there with your hands folded and let it drive you up there, then squeeze past a lorry with half the tire hanging over a 1,000ft drop while the car drives itself. Fine, Ill buy into it, he said.

PHOTO GALLERY
Unlike the U.S., purchasing a Tesla Model X in Poland isnt that easy, making the electric SUV somewhat of a unicorn in the country.



Seemingly determined to own a Model X no matter the cost, a group of thieves from Poland have gone to extraordinary lengths to steal one and vanish without a trace, local media reports.

It is understood that the Model X arrived in Poland from Sweden after being stolen. When being unloaded from the ferry, it allegedly rammed the exit barrier and drove away. Authorities were able to track the car down and place it in a guarded parking lot.

Despite these measures, thieves were able to find the parking lot, cut open the fence and steal the vehicle, all while officers shot at SUV a number of times.

It isnt clear if the people that stole the Model X from the guarded parking lot are the same individuals who brought the car into Poland from Sweden.

RMF24 reports that police are in the process of trying to track down the car and the perpetrators.

VIDEO
Have you had trouble wrapping your head around the Toyota Prius V? Well soon that wont be a problem, because Toyotas pulling that particular model from the US market.



A sort of wagon/minivan version of the Japanese automakers signature dedicated hybrid, the Prius V lags as the slowest-selling member of the Prius family. Last month, Toyota sold only 652 of them in the United States, ahead even of the Prius C hatchbacks 900.

After six years and nearly 160,000 units sold in the U.S., Toyota spokesman Corey Proffitt told Green Car Reports, the decision was made to end Prius V production for the U.S. and Puerto Rico this December.

The reason for its discontinuation comes down to the RAV4 Hybrid, of which Toyota sold over 5,000 last month. Apparently American buyers would sooner take their hybrid in crossover form than that of a wagon or minivan.

Though the Prius Vs fuel economy is significantly higher than the RAV4 Hybrids, the latter offers a more desirable crossover design  and all-wheel drive.

The Prius V isnt the only hybrid minivan facing the axe: Ford is also fazing out the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi PHEV from the US market. Which, as Green Car Reports points out, is only fitting: the two models launched around the same time, and will leave together, too.

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Volvo will be supplying ride-sharing giant Uber with up to 24,000 autonomous drive compatible vehicles between 2019 and 2021.



These cars will be based on Volvos fully modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which is currently being used on the Swedish automakers 90-series cars, as well as on the new XC60 SUV.

The automotive industry is being disrupted by technology and Volvo Cars chooses to be an active part of that disruption, said Volvo boss, Hakan Samuelsson. Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for AD ride-sharing service providers globally. Todays agreement with Uber is a primary example of that strategic direction.

These base XC90 premium SUVs that will be supplied to Uber feature all necessary safety, redundancy and core autonomous driving technologies required by the ride sharing company. The only thing left for Uber to do is add its own self-driving features.

Were thrilled to expand our partnership with Volvo, said Ubers head of auto alliances, Jeff Miller. This new agreement puts us on a path towards mass produced self-driving vehicles at scale.

When asked when Uber might be debuting these self-driving cars in the U.S., Miller told Autonews that its sooner than most people think, adding that his companys objective is to be able to operate them [the cars] without anyone behind the wheel in select cities and environments. In other words, hes talking about Level 4 autonomous driving, as level 5 is still far off into the future.

I dont know of anyone in the world who is saying they will be able to do Level 5, which is autonomous all the time everywhere in every use case.

Even though Uber wont be fiddling with the XC90s powertrain, Miller also said that several modifications had to be made to the cars steering and braking systems.

Those are two elements that we are making modifications to so the vehicle can operate as a Level 4 autonomous vehicles as opposed to just Level 2 or Level 3. We also have to embed sensors around the vehicle. In addition to what you see on the roof, there are several sensors behind the fascia of the vehicle.

Of course, the fact that theyre starting off with the existing XC90 makes things easier on both companies.

This would not be possible if it was a special [one-off] vehicle, confirmed Samuelsson.

While providing Uber with these AD-compatible cars, Volvo will also use them for its own independent autonomous car strategy, which should lead to the release of a fully autonomous model in 2021.

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Alanna Kelly

His daughter was killed during a multi-vehicle collision on the Coquihalla Highway just south of Merritt almost eight months ago.

This weekend, Hideki Mimura flew from Japan to prevent further deaths on roadways and share the memory of 21-year-old Melissa Mimura.

On April 2, our daughter had her first and last traffic accident on Highway 5, he said. She was on the way back from Vancouver to Kelowna after visiting friends.

Mimura would have graduated from the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus just two months after she died.

She was really looking forward to having her whole family coming from Japan to celebrate, he said.

Hideki joined multiple Kelowna residents on Sunday at Waterfront Park for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

It is too late for us, but the reason I travelled from Yokohama is to prevent any more tragedy we are going through right now, he said. We are still suffering from the great pain of losing her, we cry multiple times, everyday.

The event, sponsored by One Crash is Too Many, hopes to influence rules in B.C., saying the penalty for distracted driving needs to be stricter and driving behaviour needs to change.

B.C.'s Attorney General David Eby said distracted driving is a "high-risk behaviour" similar to impaired driving or speeding and should be treated as such.

Distracted driving is a factor in more than 25 per cent of all car crash fatalities in B.C., killing on average 78 people each year.

Hideki said his daughter got into a collision after a sudden weather change and called police to get help. She just stepped outside her vehicle when she was hit by a driver and was instantly killed.

Since their daughter's death, the driver who killed her has not been fined.

So far this driver has not been given a ticket or fine, not written a letter of apology to us, that means with the law in Canada it is OK to kill someone if the weather is bad, no matter how careful or not, he said.

"To lose a child is too hard," he said.
Photo: Chantelle Deacon The S.S. Sicamous transformed into a Christmas market.

Thousands walked through the doors of the S.S. Sicamous over the weekend, which transformed into a unique Christmas market.

Over 40 local vendors were on board the luxury passenger vessel in Penticton, showcasing their handcrafted goods for purchase.

We are very much in line with supporting our local economy, said Laurel Burnham, market manager. All of the vendors are small scale entrepreneurs.

Theres all kind of beautiful handmade items and baking.

The boat turned into a Christmas market on both Saturday and Sunday, with a small fee at the door.

A large part of what we take at the door will go back into the ship itself, which is really significant because this is a beautiful heritage site, Burnham said.

The family friendly event had knit wear, quilting, homemade baking, soaps, candles and more.
Photo: Chantelle Deacon The Winterland Market raises money for local charities.

The fourth annual Winterland Market in Summerland has raised about $1,000 for local charities.

The event took place on Nov. 18-19 and featured a variety of vendors selling unique products.

The market is in support of the community, said Carrie Mayes, market manager. We are raising money for the foodbank, as well as different organizations within town.

There was more than 26 vendors, selling homemade items and baking.

The Christmas market accepted cash donations or food items in support of the Summerland Food Bank.
Photo: Joe Luchak Tractor-trailer rolled over on the Trans-Canada Highway on Nov. 19, 2017.

A tractor-trailer rolled on its side Sunday, but it is not clear if anyone was injured.

The incident happened on Trans-Canada Highway just before Three Valley Gap towards Revelstoke at about 1:30 p.m.

Police officers and firefighters were on scene, but there is no word on how the driver is.

Castanet has reached out to Revelstoke RCMP and are awaiting a response.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Britain is marking the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip with a peal of bells, a set of portraits and some commemorative stamps.

The then-Princess Elizabeth married naval Lt. Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 20, 1947. Now 91, she is the first British monarch to reach a platinum anniversary.

The royal family is reportedly holding a gathering at Windsor Castle to celebrate Monday's anniversary.

Buckingham Palace marked the occasion by releasing several new portraits of the couple, taken in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle by photographer Matt Holyoak.

The Royal Mail has issued a series of commemorative stamps. And at Westminster Abbey, bell-ringers will sound a full celebratory peal  lasting more than three hours  in tribute.
Photo: CTV

Surrey RCMP are seeking the public's help after a weekend stabbing.

Officers responded to the 15200 block of 86th Avenue about 7:45 p.m. Saturday when paramedics called them to the scene of a man bleeding from several wounds that appeared to be from an edged weapon.

The 25 year old was taken to hospital following what appears to have been an altercation during a gathering at the residence.

Everyone had left by the time police arrived, however it appears those involved were known to each other.

Police ask that anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who saw people arriving or fleeing the scene call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or CrimeStoppers.
Photo: Contributed

Harbour seals, sea lions and some fish-eating killer whales have been rebounding along the Northeast Pacific Ocean in recent decades. But that boom has come with a trade-off: They're devouring more of the salmon prized by a unique but fragile population of endangered orcas.

Competition with other marine mammals for the same food may be a bigger problem than fishing, at least in recent years, for southern resident killer whales that spend time in Washington state's Puget Sound, a new study suggests.

Researchers used models to estimate that from 1975 to 2015, marine mammals along the U.S. West Coast ate dramatically more chinook salmon - from 6,100 metric tons to 15,200 metric tons, according to a study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports.

In the same period, salmon caught by commercial and recreational fishing from Northern California to Alaska declined from 16,400 to 9,600 metric tons.

"This really quantifies yet another pressure on recovering the salmon population," said co-author Isaac Kaplan, a research fishery biologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, part of NOAA Fisheries. Other threats to salmon include habitat damage, dams and pollution.

The emphasis typically has been on managing how fishing affects salmon. But this study brings the rest of the ecosystem, including predators, into the picture, Kaplan said.

Researchers have known marine mammals gorge on salmon in certain hotspots, including the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. But the predators may be eating even more in the ocean than thought.

The study found southern resident killer whales, which increased from 292 to 644, ate the most salmon in terms of biomass, or weight, while harbour seals ate the greatest numbers of salmon, mostly juvenile fish.

The whales have struggled due to lack of food, pollution and impacts from boats since they were listed as endangered in Canada in 2003 and 2005 in the U.S. There are now just 76, down from a high of 140 decades ago.
Photo: The Weather Network

One of Canadas high-profile weather forecasters is warning Canadians across the country to brace for a whole lot of snow this winter.

Chris Scott, The Weather Network's chief meteorologist, says the message from his forecast team is "'buckle up' because it looks like a stormy winter."

Scott says this year's La Nina weather system bears a striking resemblance to that of 2007-2008, when Toronto recorded its snowiest winter ever.

"History tells us that when we have cooler waters off the coast of South America, that's La Nina, and those winters tend to be classic Canadian winters."

British Columbia, the Prairies, Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes are all in store for above normal levels of precipitation, according to the forecast.

In Western Canada, that precipitation will likely be snow as the region shivers in below normal temperatures.

But in the Maritimes, where slightly higher temperatures are expected, the precipitation could make for some sloppy conditions.

Scott says storms with lots of snow are forecast for December in the eastern half of Canada, while in the western half of the county, the winter conditions are expected to start in January.

La Nina winters often mean changeable weather, and Scott says that while Canadians can expect to be pounded by numerous snowstorms, there will also be sustained periods of milder weather.

"You might get two out of three months where you think, wow, that was a wild winter, and then one month where the winter goes away," he explains. "But this will be a winter that's more on than off."

The weather pattern also calls for a winter that lingers, meaning the country could experience snowstorms as late as March.

Ski resorts are also anticipating a banner season, especially in western Canada, where the coastal mountains are already getting snow.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Jury selection has begun in the trial of a Nova Scotia man accused of killing an off-duty police officer in Halifax.

Christopher Calvin Garnier is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Truro police officer Const. Catherine Campbell.

He's also charged with interfering with a dead body.

Campbell's remains were found near Halifax's Macdonald Bridge in September 2015.

Hundreds of people have packed a floor in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court for jury selection.

Twenty three days have been set aside for the trial.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Canadian military has launched an investigation after a reservist died during a training accident in Manitoba on Saturday.

Cpl. Nolan Caribou, who was an infantryman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group, was found dead at Canadian Forces Base Shilo.

The military said in a news release that Caribou's death took place during a training exercise that focused on basic defensive routines, patrolling, and raids.

It said no live ammunition was used during the exercise.

"On behalf of the members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, I would like to relay our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Cpl. Nolan Caribou. We are saddened by the loss of this soldier, who was a valued member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles," Lt-Col. Sean Moran, commanding officer of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, said in the news release.

The military said Caribou served with the unit for five years and has not been deployed operationally as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The regiment is based out of Winnipeg's Minto Armouries but was training at Shilo on Saturday.

CFB Shilo is 35 kilometres east of Brandon, Man.

Considerable training exercises are done at CFB Shilo, and the base is used by the Canadian military, RCMP and provincial corrections officers, as well as foreign militaries including Germany, France and the United States.

The military said there were multiple training exercises underway when the accident occurred.

It said that until the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service completes its investigation, it will not provide further details.

This is the third time this year a soldier was killed during a training accident on a Canadian forces base.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Parliament's first budget watchdog is warning the federal government to be careful how it spends billions in new housing money over the next decade to ensure it actually makes a lasting impact.

In an analysis published today, former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page says Ottawa currently doesn't tie homelessness and housing funding to any outcomes, meaning the money flows whether the results are good or bad.

Page and two co-authors argue that when provinces, territories and municipalities have to report on how they spend federal money, they each use their own benchmarks and present them without any context.

The research from Page's team at the University of Ottawa's Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy comes days ahead of the scheduled unveiling of the Liberals' national housing strategy.

A key pillar of the strategy will be collecting specific information to measure progress towards reducing homelessness and the number of households struggling to keep up with housing payments.

Page said getting the right data is going to be key, otherwise the situation nationally won't improve no matter how much money gets thrown at it.

"I'm optimistic that there is positive change coming," he said in an interview.

"The federal government feels a little bit of the pressure  they need to score a policy victory on a national housing strategy."

The Liberals are expected to unveil their much-anticipated national housing strategy on Wednesday, revealing how the federal government will spend $11.2 billion in housing money, and about $5 billion more leftover from the previous Conservative government.

The government hopes to build 80,000 new affordable rental units over the next decade as part of a heavy emphasis on expanding the supply of affordable housing in Canada.

The plan also aims to lift 500,000 families out of what's known as "core housing need" and help a further 500,000 avoid or get out of homelessness.

Newly released data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation found that 1.7 million households were in "core housing need" in 2016, meaning they spent more than one-third of their before-tax income on housing that may be substandard or doesnt meet their needs.

It will be up to cities to spend the federal money on housing programs, meaning that the Liberals will have to take into account regional and community differences to some extent, said Page, co-chair of the board for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

Nevertheless, he added: "What are we trying to fix  it's similar right across the country.

"What if we had parents who hit hard times and we found ourselves living out of an emergency shelter without a steady roof over our head and maybe not access to a school? That experience, that's similar whether you're living up North or you're living in Ottawa."
Photo: CTV

A second woman has accused Minnesota Sen. Al Franken of inappropriate touching, saying he put his hand on her bottom as they posed for a picture at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010  after he had begun his career in the Senate.

Lindsay Menz told CNN last week for a report broadcast Monday that the interaction made her feel "gross." She said she immediately told her husband that Franken had "grabbed" her bottom, and she said she posted about it on Facebook.

Menz's allegation comes days after a Los Angeles broadcaster, Leeann Tweeden, accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. Franken already faced a Senate ethics investigation over Tweeden's allegation, but the Menz allegation is potentially more damaging for Franken because it would be behaviour that occurred while he was in office.

Franken, a Democrat, told CNN he didn't remember taking the photo with Menz, but said in a statement to the network that he feels badly that she felt disrespected.

"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken told CNN. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

Franken's office did not immediately respond to Associated Press messages seeking comment.

Menz, 33, who now lives in Frisco, Texas, said her father's business was sponsoring a radio booth at the Minnesota fair and that she took photos with several elected officials and political candidates as they stopped at the booth.

She said as she posed with Franken, he "pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear," Menz said. "It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek."

Menz said she told her husband, Jeremy Menz, and father Mark Brown about it right away. Both men affirmed that to CNN. Menz also said she posted the photo with Franken on Facebook on Aug. 27, and when her sister commented on the photo, she replied: "Dude -- Al Franken TOTALLY molested me! Creeper!"

The AP was not able to immediately view her account to verify the post.

Franken, 66, is the latest public figure to be caught in the deluge of revelations of sexual harassment and misconduct that have crushed careers, ruined reputations and prompted criminal investigations in Hollywood, business and beyond.

He has apologized to Tweeden, and she has accepted the apology, but a handful of Democrats have called for him to resign. Republicans, still forced to answer for the multiple allegations facing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, joined in pressing for an expected investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Franken said he would welcome it.

Franken cancelled a sold-out book festival appearance scheduled for Monday in Atlanta to speak and promote his book, "Al Franken, Giant of the Senate." He hasn't appeared in public since Tweeden's allegation.
Photo: Google Maps

Construction of a roundabout will close the intersection of Old Vernon, Rutland and Acland roads for four days.

The closure begins at 7 p.m. today and continues until Friday at 7 a.m.

A transit detour for the Route 8 university bus will be in effect, with stop closures on Rutland Road, Acland, and Edwards roads. Temporary stops will be located at Commercial Drive, near the Old Rutland Road alignment.

The work is being done by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure as part of the ongoing Highway 97 six-laning project. Roundabout finishing work, including curb and gutters, is anticipated next year.
Photo: Contributed

Thompson Rivers University is getting set to announce a major donation this Thursday, during its annual TRU Foundation Awards ceremony.

The ceremony will involve 610 students receiving $672,603 in bursaries and scholarships and will take place at the TRU gymnasium at 5:15 p.m.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says Nebraska's decision to allow TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline to run through that state brings North America closer to greater energy security.

Nebraska's Public Service Commission today approved the pipeline's passage in a 3-2 vote, although not along the preferred route for the $10-billion project.

The panel ruled the new pipeline should be nearer to TransCanada's (TSX:TRP) existing pipeline in Nebraska to maximize monitoring and to reduce the impact on habitat for endangered species.

Notley says in a statement that the decision is another step in Alberta's broader effort to bring more of its oil to the world and to diversify markets.

She urges Canadian decision-makers to follow Nebraska's example so that Alberta can have access to global markets from Canadian ports.

TransCanada shelved its Energy East pipeline to the East Coast in October, citing delays resulting from the regulatory process and associated cost implications.

"While we are very pleased with Nebraska's approval, it underscores that Canadian regulators need to keep pace if we are going to build a truly diversified set of markets," Notley stated Monday.

The Nebraska go-ahead comes as TransCanada continues to clean up a 5,000-barrel oil spill last week from its pipeline in nearby South Dakota. Pipeline opponents have held up the spill as a reason not to approve Keystone XL.

Notley was in Toronto Monday as part of a speaking tour to stump for the Trans Mountain pipeline. The $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan Canada (TSX:KML) project is to expand an existing pipeline to the British Columbia coast through Burnaby so Alberta can get a better price overseas for its oil.

The line was approved last year by the federal government, but is opposed by B.C.'s governing NDP. Burnaby officials have been accused of delaying the project by dragging out permit approvals.
A group of Penticton Indian Band youth got hands-on fire training during a two-day boot camp last week.

The workshop was a partnership between the First Nations Emergency Services Society of BC, PIB Fire Department and Penticton Fire Department.

FNESS fire service officer Liz Wilson says their organization provides fire safety and firefighter training to the 204 First Nations communities in B.C.

We travel all over the province trying to encourage, teach skills, provide support so that communities can improve their fire prevention programs and fire department capacity.

In Penticton, the municipal fire department brought a propane control burner to simulate a stove-top fire.

The youth were actually able to practice using a fire extinguisher to put it out, Wilson We see that as a very practical, useful, life skill.

The PIB Fire Department held demonstrations on how they clear a home during a structure fire. The youth, in full gear, then got to give it a try themselves.

Wilson says much of their programming targets youth, with the goal of sparking greater safety in the community as a whole.

A representative of the B.C. Wildfire Service, and a PIB traditional burner also delivered presentations.
Photo: The Canadian Press

New Brunswick says it has become the first province to fully secure its supply of recreational marijuana.

It announced a memorandum of understanding with Zenabis to provide four million grams of cannabis and derivative products with a retail value of about $40 million.

The province previously signed similar agreements with Organigram and Canopy Growth Corp., each worth about $40 million annually.

"We are committed to ensuring the legalization of cannabis is introduced in a safe and secure way so we can get cannabis out of the hands of our youth and the proceeds from selling cannabis out of the hands of criminals," Premier Brian Gallant said in a statement.

The Zenabis deal is expected to create about 450 jobs over the next two years in the village of Atholville.

The province announced in August 2016 that it would provide a $4-million loan to Zenabis to build its New Brunswick facility. The local First Nation has itself invested $3 million in the facility.

"This opportunity will not only provide a financial return, but more importantly  a partnership built from meaningful conversations, a vision for the future within the sector, and a lasting, mutual, beneficial, business relationship," Chief Darcy Gray of the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government said in a statement.

Zenabis has a 393,000 square foot facility in Atholville for the production and distribution of pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana, and holds a second production licence in Delta, B.C.

The company says it is also in the "late stages" of securing a licence for a 280,000 square foot facility in Stellarton, N.S., which Zenabis says makes it the "only coast to coast licensed producer in the country."

The federal government has introduced legislation to legalize recreational weed by July 1, but left distribution and regulation to the provinces.
Photo: Jon Manchester

New guidelines set the minimum amount of activity that toddlers, preschoolers and even babies should get each day.

The new report was developed by experts including the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology; obesity specialists at Ottawa's Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario; and the non-profit group ParticipAction.

The "24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years" suggests kids aged one to four should get at least three hours of physical activity spread throughout the day.

That includes at least one hour of "energetic play" for three- and four-year-olds  something that previously wasn't recommended until age five. Suggestions include running, dancing, or playing outside.

Babies, too, should work on daily goals. Researchers suggest those younger than 12 months get at least 30 minutes of "tummy time" spread throughout the day. It's the first time this group has been assigned a minimum duration of what could be considered exercise.

The guidelines are based on research that suggests kids aged four and younger are much too sedentary and get too much screen time.

"The earlier we can influence the trajectory of children's behaviours, growth and development, the better," says Dr. Mark Tremblay, director of the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Ottawa hospital.

"There's a greater chance that if that trajectory changes a little wee bit, way back when you're really young, by the time you reach the end of adolescence that could amount to a whole heck of a lot."

The guide follows a similar report released in June 2016 with advice for five- to 17-year-olds.

Like that previous report, the guide takes a "whole day" approach that integrates previously separate recommendations for sedentary and active time. Parents are urged to see how their kids' sleep, sedentary and active time are all interrelated.

Tremblay says just 13 per cent of preschoolers aged three and four meet the overall guidelines, a shortfall he blames on too much screen time. As much as 76 per cent of preschoolers exceed the one-hour limit of screen time per day.

He'd like to see that age group in "energetic" play for at least 60 minutes spread throughout the day, in addition to two more hours of activity at any level  "more intensity is better," he adds.

There wasn't enough data to suggest a minimum amount of energetic play for toddlers aged one and two, but again, Tremblay says more is better.

There was enough data to recommend that babies who are not yet sitting or crawling get at least 30 minutes of waking time on their tummy, supervised and spread out throughout the day.

"Allow them to develop the muscles on the front and the back, in different positions," Tremblay says of the practice, which puts a baby on their tummy, thereby forcing them to use their neck and back muscles to get a look at their surroundings.

Floor-based play can help build strength, too, with suggestions including reaching and grasping, pushing and pulling, and crawling.
Photo: Chantelle Deacon

A Chrysler 300 was t-boned downtown Penticton Monday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Winnipeg and Westminster around 11:30 a.m. for a two-vehicle crash.

A witness at the scene said a red Pontiac Vibe allegedly ran a red light, colliding with the side of the white Chrysler travelling down Winnipeg St.

Tow trucks were needed to remove both vehicles. Nobody was injured.
Six years of year-over-year growth coupled with historically low unemployment rates indicate Tennessees economy wont slow down anytime soon, according to a report released by the Secretary of State's office.

There were 9,326 new entity filings in the third quarter of 2017, representing a 4.8 percent increase compared to the same time last year. Initial filings have had positive year-over-year growth for 24 consecutive quarters. Domestic limited liability corporations, which are up 12.4 percent this quarter, account for more than half of all new entity filings.

Every quarter these reports confirm that Tennessees leaders have created a wonderful climate where businesses can thrive. Hopefully, this marked success attracts more businesses to call the Volunteer State home, said Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

The Tennessee Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators report is created to provide a periodic snapshot of the states economy based on a variety of information, including new business data from the Division of Business Services.

There were 25,242 dissolutions filed during the third quarter of 2017, representing a 7.5 percent increase compared to the same time last year. This is a common seasonal pattern as many entities are administratively dissolved in August for failing to file annual reports.

Among the states four largest counties, Shelby County experienced the largest year-over-year growth at 17.2 percent with 1,868 initial filings for the third quarter. Davidson County had 2,220 initial filings. Knox and Hamilton counties saw 791 and 635 filings respectively. The four counties account for 5,514 new entity filings during the third quarter, which is a 7.8 percent increase compared to the same time in 2016.

The states unemployment remains at a record-breaking 3 percent in October after first hitting the milestone in September. Tennessees unemployment rate is now well below the current national average of 4.1 percent.

The national economy grew 3 percent in the third quarter compared to the quarter before it thanks to more jobs, growing housing starts, declining auto sales and falling gas prices nationally.
Thanksgiving travelers will not be delayed by construction on Tennessee roads during this busy travel holiday. TDOT will halt all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. All construction related lane closures will be stopped beginning at noon on Wednesday, through 6 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 27.

Over a million travelers in Tennessee are expected to drive to their holiday destinations this year, said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. This is the most traveled holiday of the year. Halting road work during this busy time will provide maximum capacity on our highways and help alleviate congestion, especially during the predicted peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday. TDOTs regional HELP Trucks will also be working throughout the holiday weekend to assist with incidents that may occur along the interstates.



While all lane closure activity will be stopped, workers may be on site in some construction zones. Long-term lane closures will also remain in place on some construction projects for motorists safety. Motorists are reminded to drive safely and obey the posted speeds, especially in work zones. Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones where workers are present face a fine of up to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.



The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and TDOT are partnering with law enforcement across the state for the I-40 Challenge, with the goal of having zero fatalities on the 455 miles of I-40 in Tennessee. On the peak travel days of Wednesday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 26, the Tennessee Highway Patrol will have troopers stationed every 20 miles on I-40, along with increased law enforcement on all highways.



AAA predicts 50.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving holiday, an increase of 3.3 percent over last year. Tennesseans make up 1.16 million of those travelers, with an estimated 1.1 million expected to travel by automobile.



From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone for travel information, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.



In 2016, the Tennessee Department of Transportation lost three workers in the line of duty. All three were struck by passing motorists. Those tragedies bring the total number of TDOT lives lost to 112. We dont want to lose another member of our TDOT family. Were asking you to WORK WITH US. Click on the WORK WITH US logo to learn more.


Tyson Food, Inc. officials announced Monday that the company will locate new operations in Gibson County.

Food processor, Tyson Foods, will create more than 1,500 jobs and invest over $300 million in Humboldt, which represents Tysons biggest investment in Tennessee and the single largest investment in Gibson Countys history.

I want to thank Tyson Foods for choosing Humboldt as the location for its new operations and for creating 1,500 new jobs in Gibson County, Governor Bill Haslam said. The new facility will be Tysons fifth location in Tennessee and it means a great deal that a company of this magnitude continues to grow its footprint in our state. I appreciate Tyson for its continued commitment to Tennessee and for helping us get one step closer to our goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.

Todays announcement that Tyson Foods will invest $300 million and create 1,500 jobs is great news for the people of Gibson County, U.S. Senator Bob Corker said. Companies continue to thrive in Tennessee because of our strong business climate and commitment to workforce development, and I applaud Governor Haslam and Commissioner Rolfe for all they do to make investments like this possible.

Tyson Foods is one of the worlds largest food processing companies. The company produces chicken, beef and pork, as well as prepared foods. The company offers food products under Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Sara Lee, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells and State Fair brands. Tyson currently has four facilities in Tennessee and employs approximately 5,000 Tennesseans.



I want to congratulate Tyson Foods on locating its new facility in Gibson County, Department of Economic and Community Development Bob Rolfe said. Tysons decision to select Humboldt to invest over $300 million and create 1,500 new jobs will be transformational to this area of West Tennessee. Tyson has been a great partner to our state for 45 years, and I want to thank the company for making the largest investment in Gibson Countys history.

Our company has been successfully producing chicken in Tennessee for more than 45 years, so were pleased to expand our presence in the state with this major investment, said Doug Ramsey, group president of poultry for Tyson Foods. Were grateful for the invitation to become part of Humboldt and Gibson County. The location is attractive to us because of the strong support weve received from state and local leaders, the existing industrial park and availability of labor, as well as access to feed grains produced in the region.

Tyson will locate its new facility on the Select Tennessee Certified Gibson County Industrial Park North site in Humboldt. The new facility will operate as a tray pack facility, which will include a hatchery, processing facility and feed mill. The facility is set to be fully operational by 2019.

"We are proud that Tyson has chosen our state and this community for this project, Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton said. Every new job benefits a family. Every new market opportunity for poultry and grain producers benefits our farmers. Every dollar invested benefits Humboldt and Gibson County, as well as the surrounding counties. And when rural Tennessee prospers, all of Tennessee prospers."

Local officials and the Tennessee Valley Authority thanked Tyson Foods for its investment and new jobs in Gibson County.

This is an historic day for Humboldt, Gibson County and West Tennessee, Humboldt Mayor Marvin Sikes said. I want to thank Tyson Foods for its commitment to our community and region. The significant job creation and capital investment that will result from this project will have a positive impact on our community that will last for many years, and I could not be more excited about the future of Humboldt and Gibson County.

Many years of dedicated work from countless Gibson County citizens and volunteers have laid the foundation for the arrival of this day, Gibson County Mayor Tom Witherspoon said. There is not a doubt in my mind that Tyson Foods tremendous job creation and capital investment will have a long lasting, positive impact in Gibson County that will ring in a new era of economic growth bringing opportunity for all of our citizens.

TVA and Humboldt Utilities are excited to congratulate Tyson Foods on its decision to locate in Gibson County and create over one thousand new job opportunities, TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. Helping to foster job creation and investment in the Valley is fundamental to TVAs mission of service and we are proud to partner with Gibson County Economic Development, City of Humboldt, Gibson County Chamber of Commerce, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission.

Humboldt and Gibson County are represented by Senator John Stevens (R  Huntingdon) and Rep. Curtis Halford (R  Dyer) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Danny Wirtz, vice chair of Breakthru Beverage in Cicero, is seen at the warehouse July 26, 2016. Breakthru Beverage Group, co-owned by Rocky Wirtz and family, is expanding its reach by merging with Republic National Distribution Co. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Breakthru Beverage Group, the alcohol wholesale company that has its Illinois operation based in Cicero, is planning to merge with Texas-based Republic National Distribution Co. to form the second largest alcohol distributor in the U.S., the companies announced Monday.

It would be the the second major tie-up in recent years for the Wirtz family alcohol distribution business, which dates to 1945. Last year, Wirtz Beverage joined forces with New York-based Charmer Sunbelt to form Breakthru Beverage. In merging with Republic National, the newly formed entity would distribute beer, wine and spirits to 27 states and Canada, with projected annual sales of about $12 billion.

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The two companies announced Monday they signed a letter of intent to combine their assets and operations, a transaction that is expected to close in the second quarter of next year pending regulatory approval. No financial terms or details on ownership structure were disclosed.

Breakthru looks forward to joining forces with (Republic National) to establish an even stronger foundation of industry knowledge, talent, history and heritage. We see this as the launch pad to bring innovation to life and to usher in a new era for our business and industry, Breakthru CEO Greg Baird said in a news release.

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Certainly, such a merger could help both companies compete against Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, the largest alcohol wholesaler in the U.S. after Miami-based Southern Wine & Spirits of America and Texas-based Glazers merged last year.

Bacardi left Breakthru and other distributors last year, taking its $1 billion distribution business to Southern Glazer, a significant hit at the time for the newly formed Breakthru.

I think this move balances the power at the top of the food chain, said Emily Pennington, managing editor for the trade publication Wine & Spirits Daily.

Its also another chapter for the Wirtz family alcohol distribution business, which has proven more lucrative over the years than the familys hockey team  the Blackhawks  real estate holdings or insurance business.

Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz, also co-chairman of the board of directors for Breakthru Beverage, would serve on the new companys board. So would his son Danny Wirtz, who would also become the chief growth and strategy officer for the combined business.

Tom Cole, currently president of Republic National Distribution Co., would serve as CEO of the new company.

In some markets  such as Colorado, Florida, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.  Breakthru and Republic National are currently competitors and likely would need to consolidate some operations.

Thats not the case in Illinois, where Breakthru employs almost 1,200 people, according to a Breakthru spokesman, who said the merger wont have any impact on the Illinois workforce.

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gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
Youd think Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk still lived in Chicago the way he grumbles about road work in the city.

I see a lot of street work being done, that's kind of annoying. That must be really hard for Chicagoans is all the road closures. You know, North Avenue over here is one lane, that's not good. Cmon guys, figure out how to do it, Odenkirk said in an interview with the Tribune on Friday at Second City. Look, the fact is, in a general sense, it's a wonderful thing, the building and the road repairs. Cmon now, would you rather have the roads crumble? But it's annoying.

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Odenkirk laughed when this reporter suggested he contact WME-IMG co-CEO Ari Emanuel  Mayor Rahm Emanuel's brother and Odenkirks agent when he was starting out in comedy.

Yeah, I dont think so, said Odenkirk, 55. I dont bother Ari unless ... sometimes if there's a key moment in a negotiation I might send him a note and then hell bring the hammer down.

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Odenkirk, a Chicago improv veteran who grew up in Naperville, was in town Friday to speak to Harold Ramis Film School students and alumni in a morning seminar moderated by school chairman Trevor Albert. Annoyance Theatre founder and artistic director Mick Napier moderated an afternoon session attended by students from the film school and Second City Training Center.

Odenkirk, who sits on the film school's advisory board, told students in the morning workshop about his path to TV stardom, which included stops at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Ed Debevics to sling burgers and the writing staff of Saturday Night Live. He also helped some students punch up their comedy sketches. Afterward, he chatted with the Tribune about his return to Chicago and his upcoming projects.

On his Chicago food pyramid: I love the Greek restaurants in Greektown. I love the Chicago Diner, the vegetarian food they make there. I love Als Beef. Like, I go to the Chicago Diner and I feel so good about myself and it's great food, and then I go to Al's Beef as well. I do both.

On his 18-year-old son Nate, who attends college in Ohio: I have a notion that he will end up doing comedy and may very well pass through Chicago, whether that means Second City or the Harold Ramis school or ImprovOlympic or the Annoyance, who knows. One of these spaces here in Chicago that does experimental comedy I think is quite possible for him.

On the sexual misconduct allegations that have rocked the comedy world: Of all the worlds, the comedy world should be the one that most desires an honest interaction within itself and with the public. We basically are trying to tell the truth about life and get a laugh at the same time. Usually you get a laugh because you told the truth. And I think this moment of discovery and sharing and victims being able to share their feelings and their pain is great. It's a good, good thing and beyond that, I feel as far as what happens to people who have been accused or who have admitted to doing things, they also have a journey that theyre going to go on, and I will be interested to see what that is, just like everybody else.

But I dont think its going to stay limited to politics and show biz, by the way. I really feel like people are people. These are high-profile careers and as a result, they become fodder for our press and our public conversation. And I think that's a good thing, but what it's going to do is it's going to then spread this sharing moment to every part of society hopefully.

On his future projects: He appears for a few seconds in The Disaster Artist, a James Franco movie due out in some Chicago-area theaters Nov. 30. He plays the late journalist Ben Bagdikian in The Post," slated for limited release Dec. 22. Season 4 of Better Call Saul" is due out next year. His memoir is under construction. He said he's hoping for an extension because I don't feel great about what I've got.

tswartz@tribpub.com

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By the time a movie star of verifiable acting ability has been around for a few decades, you start seeing interviews like the one, recently, in which George Clooney mentioned quitting acting at least until something like Paul Newmans role in The Verdict comes along. That film has become an industry-veteran touchstone. Legal dramas featuring a flawed but nobly wily protagonist: These are catnip for maturing male beauties eager to remind audiences they can A) carry a character-driven project, and B) quit coasting on their charm, or their ability to pretend to kill people, for a couple of hours.

In his 40s Clooney took on such a role in writer-director Tony Gilroys Michael Clayton. Now, Denzel Washington has done the same, as the consciously un-smooth operator in nearly every shot of the flamboyant performance showcase Roman J. Israel, Esq., written and directed by Dan Gilroy, Tonys brother.

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Gilroy wrote the part for Washington. A bit of a savant is how one character describes Romans personality and compulsive behavior. For 26 years, this brilliant but socially maladroit activist, a Berkeley graduate, has worked in the LA law office of a well-known criminal defense attorney. His boss death pushes Roman into the public light, and its clear this throwback in the ill-fitting suit and retro Afro has no taste or tolerance for the grinding compromises of the criminal justice system.

In a condescending spirit of pity, Romans hired on by hotshot attorney George Pierce, played by Colin Farrell in silky, fast-talking menace mode. The instigating conflict in Roman J. Israel, Esq. comes from Romans unsanctioned handling of a case involving a young man wrongly accused of murder. Without giving it away  theres a genuinely effective twist involving the identity of a new client  Roman breaks the law, comes into some money and spends the rest of the film reckoning with that decision. Were set up for all this in an early throwaway line of Romans, inspired by real-life Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson: Each one of us is greater than the worst thing weve ever done.

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Gilroy made his feature directorial debut with Nightcrawler (2014), a sharp, efficient study in ethics and ambition starring Jake Gyllenhaal. As a writer, Gilroy (son of playwright Frank D. Gilroy, of The Subject Was Roses) hits about .500 for individual scenes, a believable one followed by an artificial construct.

Early on, Roman explains the esquire designation to signify a standing slightly above gentleman, below knight. This is on-the-nose stuff. Roman meets a valiant civil rights activist (Carmen Ejogo of Selma) who invites him to a meeting of protesters, and it quickly goes south, with Roman getting upbraided by two young women (one played by jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding) for his old-school manners. Its not a short scene, but it peaks just when it gets interesting. The movie lacks key progressions and transitions, especially in its middle section. Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a morality tale primarily about a good, sympathetic mess of a Don Quixote who screws up. Secondarily, its about the Farrell characters change of heart, brought about by the idealist in his midst. The two mens crisscrossing transformations never quite convince.

Its frustrating, because the actors are all excellent and the movies actually trying to speak to the audiences better instincts about what makes a grown-up movie protagonist worthwhile. Clearly with his stars input, Gilroy invents a flurry of character tics and eccentricities; at times, Romans like a spiritual cousin to Elwood P. Dowd of Harvey, with the crossed-out phone number on his business card, and his general air of sexlessness. Still, you stick with it, or a lot of it. Even when the movie loses its way narratively, Washingtons in there, slugging, building a living, breathing character out of Gilroys knight-errant.

Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune

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In the damp, all-American burg of Big Cherry  the setting for the new Tracy Letts play The Minutes  the rambling and esoteric agenda of the town council is filled with the patter of parking and pepper jelly, softball fields and suppers at the Kiwanis. The council is one of part-timers and eccentrics  a dentist, a businessperson or two, a couple of benignly wacky retirees. The gavel belongs to the white-haired wrangler, Mayor Superba, played with the utmost precision in director Anna D. Shapiros world premiere Steppenwolf Theatre production by William Petersen. Hes measured, procedural, casually dressed. He grew up believing in his little town. Just like songwriter Paul Simon.

Nothing in this explosive 90-minute drama  which might eventually remind you of William Goldmans The Lord of the Flies or Shirley Jacksons The Lottery, or maybe even the Duffer brothers Stranger Things  is as it seems.

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The appeal and the challenge of this frequently riveting, Steppenwolf ensemble-driven play, which is populated by 10 officials and one clerk and is set entirely in a city-council meeting room, is that you know this from the get-go. You know this because anyone who has been paying attention understands that the heartland has atrophied, knows that an intense political and cultural battle is being waged for its soul, has figured out that the level of understanding enjoyed by liberal urbanities of these increasingly foreign, isolated and defensive communities has been diminishing with every Breitbart refresh.

Small-town America has circled its wagons  for good reason, you could argue  and all the elitist, dis-empowered cognoscenti can do is quake, turn its anger on itself and whine pointlessly about the inequity of the electoral college.

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The Minutes (youll note that I am staying clear of precisely how nothing is as it seems and why some minutes appear to have gone missing, so as not to blow your real-time, heart-in-the-mouth experience) feels very much like an apocalyptic response to the arrival of the zero-sum game that is the America of President Donald J. Trump.

But its also a continuation of a theme explicated extensively by Letts in his masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama August: Osage County, the notion that Americans of European heritage are occupiers of land that is not, cannot ever be, should not ever be, their own. Sure, theres a tear-jerking small-town mythology  everything from Winesburg, Ohio, to Thornton Wilder to Mayberry  but these stories of comfort and mutual compassion are globbed onto much older and far more authentic narratives of barbaric violence and theft. In a repudiation of responsibility for the acts of previous generations, we white people have just buried them in the ground, as we do with a parent or, heaven help us, a child.

Yet without the reconciliation of these competing stories, no authentic small-town ethos ever can emerge. And thus ever-nervous small-town America is condemned to be pulled by the hand by demagogues who appeal to its baser interests.

Those, I think, are the main points that Letts is trying to make with The Minutes. The last two Letts plays  Mary Page Marlowe and Linda Vista  have been focused on gender and individuation, personal stories of both strife and self-actualization, you might call em. But The Minutes, which is expected to move to Broadway this spring, is Letts first clear return to August territory. August is a play that asks a family what kind of family it considers itself to be. The Minutes asks the same question of a town. And of a country.

Id argue The Minutes needs more work. The primal conclusion that awaits depends for its impact on the utter, quotidian veracity of all that is gone before. Its complicated because Letts also wants to have fun. And so he does, telegraphing his intent with clever ticket names, and creating characters like Mr. Oldfield (Francis Guinan) who bathes his colleague Ms. Innes (Penny Slusher) in spittle as he hacks on about nothing in particular. Then theres the unctuous Mr. Breeding (Kevin Anderson); the modestly corrupt Mr. Assalone (Jeff Still); the dotty Ms. Matz (Sally Murphy) and the over-anxious Mr. Hanratty (Danny McCarthy). On occasion, Shapiro leans too readily into the satire without the necessary counterbalance of credibility. That needs recalibrating, without losing the laughter of complicity.

More complex is the question of what Letts want to do with the lone African-American character, Mr. Blake (James Vincent Meredith). Race is very much an issue in this play, yet Mr. Blake is underwritten. Chronically so, in my view. Cliff Chamberlains Mr. Peel, the whistle-blower here, also needs to be sharpened in contrast, so that his tenacity feels more organic. But the mayor and the clerk (the latter is superbly played by a cold-eyed Brittany Burch) are where the tone rings with tension and truth. Petersen is the very model of procedural terror, especially when he encounters Ian Barfords determined Mr. Carp.

The Minutes, staged on a setting from David Zinn that deftly captures the tension of patriotic grandiosity and provincial defensiveness found in city halls across the land, will not be a play you forget quickly. It is a typically robust response to the moment from Letts, offering not just a repudiation but an opportunity.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

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cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: The Minutes (3.5 stars)

When: Through Jan. 7

Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Running time: 90 minutes

Tickets: $20-$105 at 312-335-1650 or www.steppenwolf.org

Enjoy someone else's drama A great theater city deserves a great theater critic. Enter Chris Jones. Subscribe now and get 4 weeks of full access for only 99.

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The crowd that filed into the International House at the University of Chicago already had books for signing, and their books were uniform and large: Pete Souzas Obama: An Intimate Portrait, which is the No. 1 book in the country (so says The New York Times best-seller list, so says Amazon) and quite likely the most sought-after book this holiday. Its a $50 slab of a thing. Yet this audience  students, young professionals, professors and South Side residents  carried one, two and even three copies at a time.

They sat and waited for Souza to arrive and discuss his time as chief White House photographer for President Barack Obama. They smoothed their copies across their laps, cuddled their covers. They sought Souzas autograph.

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The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obamas eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, is at once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful  in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. Less than 12 months since Obama left office (indeed, the very moment he left his office is included), it also reads like a lesson in how fast things can change.

Depending where you stand, its a sci-fi dispatch from an alt-America, a sycophantic mash note, an unusually intimate history, an elaborate act of trolling a sitting president.

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Or all of the above.

What is less debatable is that this is a portrait of a man who could be generous and inscrutable, competitive and aloof, inquisitive and playful  a politician who could show layers. So there is great admiration in the images: Obama writing a speech in an empty classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School after the massacre in Newtown, Conn., Obama having a casual lunch with a struggling Minnesota woman whod written to him, Obama speaking down to Vladimir Putin, Obama throwing a confident air-jab in his chief of staffs office as he awaits a vote  even Obama as a junior senator from Illinois, in his tiny windowless basement office.

Souza was a national photographer for the Tribune when he first started following Obama in 2005. He was assigned to document the then-43-year-old rising political stars first months in Congress. In 2009, he was asked to join the White House, as a combo historian/documentarian/family photographer. He had a single demand: complete access to the new president, 24/7. Which was granted. Souza knew his way around the place: Hed worked in the White House before, as a photographer for Ronald Reagan. Plus, the Obama administration would be the first White House to recognize the promise of digital accessibility  or at least, a highly selective illusion of such.

Nine years later, Souza, at 62, is something of a living reminder of the 44th presidency  in particular through his Instagram account (1.6 million followers), which since spring has delivered a regular dose of the Obama years, often pitched as not-so-veiled digs at the Trump administration. Trump signs an immigration ban; Souza posts Obama meeting a refugee. Trump has a testy phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull; Souza posts an image of the former president and Turnbull sharing a joke.

For many of Souzas admirers, watching with widening eyes as the current president dismantles the legacy of his predecessor, the account has became a daily affirmation.

A reminder of a (relatively) stable time.

At the University of Chicago  as with many of Souzas book events the room was predictably packed, every ticket snapped up, many having stood in line long before doors opened. David Axelrod, former Obama adviser (now director of the schools Institute of Politics), floated past; Marian Robinson, the former first ladys mother, arrived. A woman in the back sighed to a friend: Did she think Obama would make a surprise appearance? (He didnt.) The next morning, Souza, a New England native, sat slumped in his hotel, flannel shirt over a Red Sox T-shirt, wrangling Wi-Fi, exhausted. The following is a condensed version of a longer chat.

Q: You know, I heard a woman wonder out loud if Obama was going to be there and jump up on stage  almost like hes the new Springsteen or Dylan.

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A: No, hes not traveling with me  and quite frankly, I hope he doesnt show up at any event. I dont get nervous doing this, but I would be if he were sitting in the front row.

Q: When you started that Tribune assignment back in 2005, what were your initial thoughts about him? Did he seem promising? Someone who might stall out?

A: I was telling (Axelrod) last night that in 2004, as Obama made his big speech at the Democratic National Convention, I was traveling with John Kerry. I read a profile of him in The New Yorker. He seemed full of hype. But what surprised me the first day was how comfortable he was. It was as if I wasnt there, and I was in some pretty intimate settings with him and his daughters. I remember he would do these Thursday breakfasts with Dick Durbin, and I went to every one for like six weeks. I remember, at one of them, this couple in the audience, who were there to see Obama. The woman said to her husband, Whos the other guy? That was Dick Durbin. Obama was the rock star.

Q: How different was shooting Reagan?

A: He was far more formal, and in his 70s, so he didnt do as much.

Q: Your goal then, youve said, when you started at the Obama White House, was to create the most comprehensive photographic archive of a president ever.

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A: Yes, because I always felt that was what the job should be. Yoichi Okamoto, LBJs photographer, was the first to really document for history everything a president did. Hes the main influence on me. But he set the bar so high even photographers like David Kennerly, who did this for Ford, who many felt was one of the best  well, Ford only served 2  years, so not even Kennerly could be comprehensive. The Reagan archive? Pretty good, but access was bad, and he didnt do a lot outside the office. Eric Draper did great with Bush (Jr.), but the Bush (Sr.) archive wasnt that great.

Q: Did you go into this job assuming, like other White Houses, much of what is recorded wont be seen by anyone for many, many years  even for decades?

A: Yeah. I didnt cover their campaign; I didnt know their philosophy. I was thinking of history. There has been a tradition, since Nixon, in the lower floors of the West Wing, (photographers) hang work, but a lot is ceremonial. So I made a decision to show behind-the-scene stuff. Thats when the Obama digital team said the public needed to see these photos.

People give me credit for being social-media savvy. I was actually the holdout. I still thought I was doing this for history. It took five months to convince me to show (on Facebook, Flickr, etc.). I didnt want them using photos for spin. Remember Obama took office January 2009, Instagram didnt exist for another year. In 2011, the digital team wanted me to start an Instagram account in my name, not a White House account. They said people were identifying the pictures with me.

First thing I posted was the Air Force One seal. Second, the grapes on Air Force One. They had the freshest grapes. I wanted to establish this wasnt someone in a situation room with an iPhone.

Q: Did they ever ask you to delete anything?

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A: You cant. We had to live with it. According to White House attorneys, if it was online, you couldnt touch it  it was public record.

Q: How did you see your role? You were kind of a family photographer, kind of a documentarian, kind of a journalist, but not actually any of those things exactly.

A: Thats tough. My background is photojournalist. I didnt change the way I approached a picture at the White House. But you would have an uproar from the photojournalism community if I had called myself one  which is valid. I was on the government payroll.

Q: Actually, in 2013 the White House Correspondents Association filed a complaint with the White House that photographers were being excluded from covering events with the president  and the White House was just using your photos.

A: They do that every administration. The difference here is the Obama administration happened to fall at a time when social media exploded, and the White House took advantage of it. I happened to be the photographer. But I was (angry). I could not respond. I wanted to, I felt they made me the fall guy. Some former friends, they tried to bring me down.

I was not responsible for press access. The press office decided that, and the White House photographer will always get access the press doesnt get. Because of social media, some images of events were posted, and they didnt like that. Did they occasionally have valid arguments? Absolutely. There were situations they should have let the press cover, but what they were complaining about was 30-second photo ops.

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Q: Some of these photos are so intimate, I wonder how physically close you were? In those photos from the war room during the Osama bin Laden raid, for instance? Or when youre shooting Obama in that classroom, writing a speech after a mass shooting, and youre one of the only people there.

A: I used the quietest camera available, no flashes, but really when youre doing it every day, people forget about you. And I was also selective in how many pictures I took.

Q: A lot of people have called what youre doing on Instagram trolling, but I wonder if you see it instead as maybe a kind of accelerated nostalgia?

A: I think people do. There is an argument I should have waited five, 10 years to do this book. If I am still around in 10 years, maybe there is time to do a second book, and I would bet things may look differently with the perspective of time added. I did a Reagan book four years after he left office, and if I did one now, it would be different, with pictures I would have never included the first time. Things change, contextually.

Q: When you approached Obama about the book and what it should look like, he told you to consider the aesthetics of your shots over the narrative  why?

A: I think he truly liked the photography and was saying, you dont need to show a photo from debt-ceiling fights  you dont need to show everything. Just the best photos. I wanted a narrative. I wanted both. I wanted people to get the highs and lows. Remember, hes writing his book too. So hes going through the same mental process, of deciding what stories are worth telling. He also just has an opinion on everything.

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Q: Would you ever do this again?

A: No way. Im worn out. Im too old. Even if Hillary had won  well, she has a photographer she has worked with for years, but I wouldnt have stayed to help out for even like more than a week. No, I had my shot, and its all consuming, its every Christmas, its every day. I dont know (that) I want to shoot politics again. It will wear you out.

cborrelli@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @borrelli

[ Pete Souza photos: Intimate moments from Obama's presidency ]

[ 'Chasing Light': Amanda Lucidon's visual diary of Michelle Obama's White House years ]
Sandi Jackson and husband Jesse Jackson Jr. leave the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14, 2013, following a sentencing hearing. (Saul Loeb / Getty AFP)

Are disgraced former power couple Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandi Jackson finally ready to make peace?

The stakes for mutually assured destruction in the couples bitter divorce have been ramping up all year  with him threatening to drag former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and two other men into the case, and her trying to subpoena her husbands onetime blonde travel companion as well as the owners of a strip club and a bath house, along with television reporter Tamron Hall.

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But with a trial date just a couple of months away threatening to turn the cold war between the former congressman and his Chicago alderman wife thermonuclear, common sense may at last have prevailed.

Both parties last week agreed to scrap the January trial with Washington, D.C., Judge Craig Iscoes blessing, indicating that a deal may be close.

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Jesse Jackson Jr.s attorney, Brendan Hammer, declined to comment, and Sandi Jacksons lawyer, Chandra Walker Holloway, did not respond to questions Monday.

But dont crack open the divorce Champagne just yet. Lingering beefs between them  who both served federal prison time for misusing his campaign funds  still have the potential to boil up.

The latest squabble is over his medical records. Lawyers for Jackson Jr., who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, say in court papers that his wife wants to use the records to gratify private spite or promote public scandal, which could ultimately harm the couples two minor children.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews

[ Ex-Rep. Jesse Jackson divorce trial date set after 'mediation was not successful' ]

[ Jesse Jackson Jr. renews attempt to subpoena Garry McCarthy in his divorce ]

[ Sandi Jackson subpoenas Tamron Hall, strip club and bath house owners in Jesse Jr. divorce ]
Chance surprises students at the donation presentation of $1 million from Jewel-Osco to his arts and literature fund with Chicago Public Schools. (Mohammed Kloub / Chicago Tribune) (Mohammed Kloub / Chicago Tribune)

Chance the Rapper made a surprise appearance at Clark High School Monday as Jewel-Osco made a $1 million donation  the largest in company history  to his arts education fund with Chicago Public Schools.

The New Chance Arts & Literature Fund is the result of a partnership between SocialWorks, CPS and Ingenuity, an organization that advocates for arts education.

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Jewel-Osco president Doug Cygan announced the companys donation before introducing Chance to the ecstatic high school students at the surprise assembly.

Chance spoke to the students about taxes, encouraging them to research where their parents money is going.

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You guys dont receive the same benefits that a lot of other people do, and your parents pay the same money into the same government taxes, Chance said, telling the students to look up public school funding formulas and related subjects.

These are people and things that have a big impact on your lives and how youre educated, he said.

The Chicago native thanked Jewel-Osco for supporting education, but said equal opportunity comes down to CPS leadership.

Principal Charles Anderson said it meant the world to him and his students that the presentation happened at Clark, emphasizing the importance of helping students discover avenues to express themselves through art.

Im just so proud of Chance, hes the epitome of helping others, Anderson said.

mkloub@chicagotribune.com

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Chicago has surpassed 600 homicides for the second year in a row and for only the third time since 2003, according to data kept by the Tribune.



As of early Monday, the city has recorded at least 609 homicides. That trails the 711 homicides this time last year but far exceeds previous years. In 2015, the city had recorded 443 homicides by the weekend of Nov. 22. In 2014, it was 400.

The Chicago Police Department's count of homicides this year is 595 because, unlike the Tribune, it does not count homicides on expressways as well as fatal shootings by police officers and homicides considered justified.



Shootings are also markedly down from last year but up by hundreds compared to previous years. At least 3,267 people have been shot in Chicago this year, compared to 3,937 this time last year. In 2015, the number so far was 2,288 and in 2014, 1,999.



This weekend saw 13 people shot in the city, including a 14-year-old boy who was seriously injured.



The boy was walking on Sunday morning in the 2500 block of North Lotus Avenue in the Cragin neighborhood on the Northwest Side when someone shot at him from a vehicle, hitting him in the chest.



He was one of four teens shot over the weekend.



From Friday afternoon to early Monday, one man was fatally shot. Anthony Collins, 30, died Sunday after he was shot in the 1600 block of North Mango Avenue in the the North Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

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Chicago police initially said the shooting was self-inflicted, but the Cook County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.



The weekend's latest gun attack was a double shooting in the West Side's South Austin neighborhood around 3:10 a.m. Monday. Two men were shot in a residence in the 5000 block of West Fulton Street when the assailants entered the home and fired at them, police said.
This video from a dashboard camera of a Chicago police squad car shows Officer Marco Proano shoot at a moving car, wounding two teens inside it, on December 22, 2013 near 95th and LaSalle streets in the Princeton Park neighborhood. (Courtesy of the Chicago Reporter) (Chicago Tribune)

The first time Chicago police Officer Marco Proano shot someone, he was given a department commendation.

Less than a year later, when Proano fatally shot a teen outside an overcrowded dance party, he was rewarded with the superintendent's award for valor.

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But Proano's third on-duty shooting in a three-year span earned him a much more dubious distinction on Monday: Five years in prison.

Proano, 42, who was convicted of excessive force for firing 16 times into a moving vehicle filled with teens in December 2013, became the first Chicago police officer in decades, if not ever, to be sentenced to federal prison for an on-duty shooting.

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In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman said that Proano's actions that night  caught on police dashboard camera video  were "exceptionally unjustified" and an insult to hardworking officers who serve and protect. Two of the teens were wounded, but all five in the vehicle were lucky they weren't killed, the judge said.

"Mr. Proano was not maintaining the 'thin blue line' that separates us from anarchy, and chaos and violence," Feinerman said. "He was bringing the chaos and violence. He was the source of it."

Proano's case became a public flashpoint amid the Laquan McDonald shooting scandal in 2015 after a Cook County judge released to the Chicago Reporter the shocking dashcam video of Proano aiming his gun sideways and firing as the Toyota containing the teens backed away from him.

Adding to the controversy was Proano's attempt to justify the shooting by claiming he was trying to protect one of the teens who was hanging out of the car's passenger window as it backed away. At trial, prosecutors showed jurors how the Toyota was sprayed haphazardly with bullets, including one that struck just inches from the teen Proano was supposedly defending.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Levin reacts to the five year sentence given to Marco Proano, who was convicted of using excessive force in a 2013 shooting. Nov. 20, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

After the incident, the Police Department changed its policy on the use of deadly force to prohibit officers from shooting at or into a moving vehicle when it "is the only force used" against the officer or another person.

As he argued at trial, Proano's attorney, Daniel Herbert, said Monday that Proano did exactly as he was trained to stop a deadly threat. In asking for probation, Herbert also said Proano had been made a scapegoat in the wake of the McDonald video and ensuing U.S. Department of Justice probe that found Chicago officers routinely violated the constitutional rights of citizens.

Herbert said Proano was "extremely remorseful" for his actions but hinted that his client did not wish to address the court before he was sentenced. Proano, however, had an apparent change of heart, telling the judge he was trying "to protect human life" that night and still feels strongly he did nothing wrong.

"The night in question I didn't go out there hunting for somebody or trying to kill somebody," said Proano, speaking quickly and occasionally stumbling over his words. "I had a minimal amount of time to put it all together  a matter of seconds."

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Proano said he initially was "baffled" over being charged, asking himself, "Why am I even here?" He said he believes the anti-police "climate" contributed to the decision to charge him.

In his remarks, Feinerman said he found Proano's lack of acceptance that he committed a crime "troubling."

"This was not a close call," the judge said. "Mr Proano engaged in criminal armed violence."

Proano showed no reaction to the sentence when it was handed down, leaving the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse without comment.

After the hearing, Herbert said he planned to appeal the verdict and sentence, calling his client a good man who had "no malice in his heart."

Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Levin said it was "nonsense" to argue that Proano was charged because of an anti-police climate.

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"This case is not about Officer Proano being a scapegoat at all," Levin told reporters in the courthouse lobby . "In this case, Officer Proano was investigated for the conduct that he committed.  It was about him. It was about conduct that he committed. And ultimately today he was sentenced for his crimes, no one else's crimes."

Proano, an 11-year department veteran, has been relieved of his police powers since he was charged and will soon be off the force entirely because of his felony conviction, Herbert said. He must report to prison by Jan. 23.

Proano's weeklong trial in August focused on the dashcam video of the shooting that unfolded at 95th and LaSalle streets on Dec. 22, 2013, after Proano responded to a call of a stolen vehicle being pursued by police.

The video, played several times for jurors, showed Proano walking quickly toward the stolen Toyota within seconds of arriving at the scene while he held his gun pointed sideways in his left hand. Proano can be seen backing away briefly as the car went in reverse, away from the officer. He then raised his gun with both hands and opened fire as he walked toward the car, continuing to fire even after the car had rolled into a light pole and stopped.

In all, Proano unloaded all 16 bullets in his gun in just under nine seconds. Prosecutors argued his actions violated all the training he received at the police academy, including to never fire into a crowd, only fire if you can clearly see your target and stop shooting once the threat has been eliminated.

In a recent court filing, prosecutors said Proano has shown no remorse for his actions. In fact, the officer told court officials in a pre-sentence interview that he sees himself as the victim, saying he felt "a sense of 'betrayal' " because he'd served the community for many years and "is now 'left out in the cold,' " prosecutors wrote.

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In his arguments Monday, Herbert, who also represents Officer Jason Van Dyke on murder charges in the Laquan McDonald shooting, said Proano's indictment for the shooting has "resonated throughout the Chicago Police Department" and sent a "loud and clear" message to police rank-and-file that their actions are being scrutinized like never before.

Herbert also hinted that Proano's case has had a chilling effect on other officers who aren't policing as aggressively as before for fear of being slapped with charges.

In rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia Alexakis said it was "offensive to say, "Give (Proano) a light sentence because otherwise police officers might not do their jobs.'"

Records show the 2013 incident was Proano's third on-duty shooting in three years. In 2010, he was one of five officers who opened fire on a car after a chase and crash in the 700 block of West 91st Street. The driver  32-year-old Garfield King, a convicted felon  was killed, according to a database of police-involved shootings compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Proano, meanwhile, fired five rounds into the vehicle, wounding a 19-year old woman riding in the passenger seat of King's car.

Less than a year later, in July 2011, Proano fatally shot 19-year-old Niko Husband at close range during a struggle as police tried to break up an unruly dance party on the South Side. Proano said Husband had tried to pull a gun.

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Proano was cleared in both shootings by the now-defunct Independent Police Review Authority, records show. For Husband's shooting, he was also given a superintendent's award of valor  bestowed for acts of "outstanding bravery or heroism," Herbert said.

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A Cook County jury later ruled the shooting of Husband was unjustified and awarded his mother $3.5 million in damages. But the judge overseeing the case set aside the jury's verdict, a ruling that's being appealed.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b

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Makayla Edwards, 14, leans on her mother, Panzy Edwards, outside police headquarters Aug. 10, 2017, in Chicago. Edwards' son, Dakota Bright, 15, was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in 2012. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

A veteran Chicago police officer who was cleared of wrongdoing by Superintendent Eddie Johnson in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy still must face a disciplinary hearing that could cost him his job.

Last summer, Chicagos police review agency had found Officer Brandon Ternand used excessive force, calling the shooting of Dakota Bright unprovoked and unwarranted and recommending his firing.

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But Johnson disagreed that Ternand should be fired, finding that his actions in the November 2012 shooting were clearly justified, according to records.

However, last week, a Chicago Police Board member selected to review the matter rejected Johnsons recommendation and ordered an evidentiary hearing be held to decide if Ternand should be disciplined. Possible punishment ranges up to his dismissal.

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After reviewing the matter, I find that the superintendent did not meet the burden of overcoming the recommendation of discipline, Police Board member Steve Flores said last week at the board's monthly meeting at police headquarters.

Until recently, a three-member panel of the Police Board would resolve disciplinary cases if the superintendent disagreed with the decision of the Independent Police Review Authority. But now that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has replaced IPRA, those duties fall to a single member chosen randomly.

Ternand, a 10-year police veteran, was stripped of police powers in October and placed on paid desk duty pending the disciplinary proceeding, according to the department.

Ternand fatally shot Bright while chasing the teen on foot in the South Side's Park Manor neighborhood on the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2012. IPRA concluded that Bright was not armed when he was shot in the back of the head, though he may have tossed a gun earlier during the chase. Officers recovered a .22-caliber revolver in a front yard near where the chase began, IPRA said.

In ruling the on-duty shooting unjustified, IPRA questioned the truthfulness of certain statements made by Ternand to investigators, including a claim that he shot Bright when the teen reached into his waist area and started turning toward the officer after scaling a fence.

"This lacks credibility," IPRA said in its report, noting that Bright was already two city lots away  about 50 to 55 feet  from Ternand when the officer opened fire.

Given that Bright had no gun when he was shot, IPRA said, it was unlikely the teen would have made a gesture toward the officer, particularly since he was likely pulling away from the officer during the foot chase.

Between mid-December 2010 and mid-December 2014, records show, Ternand received about 25 complaints, joining about a dozen other officers who amassed the most complaints within the 12,000-strong police force over that period.

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Ternand also has been named in six federal lawsuits in addition to the suit by Bright's family filed in Cook County Circuit Court. Records show that the city has paid out about $1.1 million overall in litigation involving Ternand, including $925,000 last year to settle the lawsuit by Bright's mother.

According to the records, Ternand has fired shots on at least three separate occasions while on duty  all within an approximately two-year period.

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In August 2012, about three months before Bright's shooting, Ternand and another officer fired at two men in the 6700 block of South Blackstone Avenue. Ternand fired three shots but didn't hit anyone, according to the records. In October 2014, Ternand shot three times at a 16-year-old in the 6600 block of South Kenwood Avenue but missed, the records show.

On learning of IPRA's findings, the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx took another look at the shooting after prosecutors under her predecessor, Anita Alvarez, decided in 2013 not to charge Ternand.

But Foxxs office has since also decided not to prosecute the officer.

After a review of all available admissible evidence, the states attorneys office has concluded there is no basis for criminal charges in this case, Robert Foley a senior adviser in Foxx's office, said last week.

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jgorner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JeremyGorner

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[ Chicago cop found at fault in teen's fatal shooting has history of lawsuits, complaints ]

[ Chicago cop's 2012 fatal shooting of teen 'unprovoked' and 'unwarranted': IPRA ]

[ Family, others protest shooting of 15-year-old by police ]
The chemical spill from the U.S. Steel facility in Portage caused beaches in and around Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to close and left officials scrambling to determine the extent of damage caused to the local environment. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday threatened to sue U.S. Steel after one of the companys northwest Indiana plants spilled toxic metal into a waterway less than 20 miles away from one of the citys Lake Michigan water intakes.

Emanuels decision to piggyback on a legal challenge filed last week by a University of Chicago law clinic is part of a concerted push by the Chicago Democrat to crack down on polluters as President Donald Trump moves to dramatically cut funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state enforcement efforts.

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The Tribune first reported last week that U.S. Steel had requested confidential treatment from Indiana regulators after a wastewater treatment system malfunctioned Oct. 25 at its Midwest Plant in Portage, releasing 56.7 pounds of chromium into a waterway that drains into Lake Michigan. The amount spilled was 89 percent higher than what the plant is permitted to discharge over 24 hours.

It marked the second time this year that the plant exceeded legal limits on chromium, a toxic metal used to make steel alloys rust-resistant.

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Flanked by environmental activists at a Sunday press conference, Emanuel condemned what he called a lack of transparency by the Pittsburgh-based company. He speculated that U.S. Steels attempt to keep the latest spill secret was part of a broader effort by industry and the Trump EPA to relax environmental regulations and cut back on enforcement.

The silence from the Trump EPA has led the city of Chicago to sue and to also shake up and wake up the EPA to their responsibilities, Emanuel said.

Its unacceptable and its not an accident that U.S. Steel did not report the incident to the EPA, because they think that, in fact, there is nobody there that they are responsible or accountable to, Emanuel said. Chicago will fight against that mindset.

A statement released Sunday by U.S. Steel said the October mishap did not pose any danger to water supply or human health. The company noted it promptly told Indiana regulators about the incident.

U. S. Steel is committed to complying with all environmental standards, to ensuring the safety of our employees and our neighbors in the communities in which we live and operate, and to safeguarding our shared environment, the company said.

In April, fishermen spotted a bigger spill in Burns Waterway, a man-made slip that runs along the west edge of the steel mill and drains into Lake Michigan, prompting a high-profile response by emergency crews from the EPAs Chicago office.

U.S. Steel later reported that 346 pounds of chromium had poured out of a rusted pipe into the waterway, including 298 pounds of hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic version of the metal made infamous by the movie Erin Brockovich.

A month later the company filed another report that estimated substantially more hexavalent chromium ended up in the waterway  920 pounds  but it dismissed the finding as an "absurd result" from a single water sample.

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It remains unclear how much hexavalent chromium was released in the October spill.

An EPA spokeswoman confirmed last week that Indiana regulators didnt tell the federal agency about the latest spill until after the Tribune inquired about it.

Enforcement of environmental laws generally is handled by the EPA and state agencies. The federal Clean Water Act allows others to file legal challenges on their own but requires them to warn companies and regulators 60 days before filing suit.

The citys notice to U.S. Steel, sent Monday afternoon, is based largely on similar action taken last week by lawyers from the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the U. of C. Law students dug through publicly available documents and found several violations at Portage plant since 2011, said Mark Templeton, director of the law clinic.

This evidence shows that they are repeatedly violating the discharge limits imposed upon them and they are neglecting to properly maintain their facility, which could lead to  unlawful discharges in the future, said Edward Siskel, Chicagos corporation counsel.

Hexavalent chromium can cause stomach cancer. Studies show exposure to the toxic metal also increases the risk of reproductive problems, child development issues and liver and kidney damage.

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Quarterly testing by the Chicago Department of Water Management shows levels of hexavalent chromium as high as 0.22 parts per billion in treated drinking water this year -- 11 times higher than a health goal California officials adopted in 2009. But levels in Chicago and most other U.S. cities are below a controversial regulatory limit California later adopted: 10 parts per billion.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment defines the health goal, 0.02 parts per billion, as an amount that reduces the lifetime risk of developing cancer to a point considered negligible by most scientists and physicians. The state's regulatory limit was adopted based on other considerations, including the added cost of water treatment.

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Threatening to take legal action against U.S. Steel puts people on notice that Chicago will take steps to protect Lake Michigan, Emanuel said.

The mayors proposed 2018 budget calls for 10 new health inspectors funded by an increase in environmental fees and higher fines for companies that violate city codes. Emanuel pledged the added staff will help make up for cutbacks at the federal and state level.

tbriscoe@chicagotribune.com

mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @_tonybriscoe

Twitter @scribeguy

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David Johnson, 21, was charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of an off-duty Chicago police officer Nov. 17, 2017. (Chicago Police Department )

The stepson of a Chicago police officer, who was stabbed more than 10 times in the head and face while she was off-duty, was charged with attempted first-degree murder in the attack, officials said Sunday.

David Johnson, 21, of South Deering, is alleged to have attacked his stepmother with a kitchen knife Friday morning as she was driving in the South Shore neighborhood, police said.

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The 47-year-old woman was taking Johnson to the University of Chicago Medical Center to see his therapist because she was concerned about him and his behavior, according to Assistant States Attorney Jillian Anselmo.

Johnson was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and is seeking treatment, according to his public defender.

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He repeatedly stabbed the off-duty officer when she stopped at a red light near the 1600 block of East 76th Street, causing her to hit a school bus, police said.

The tip of the kitchen knife broke off during the attack and became lodged in her temple.

Johnson allegedly tried to slash her throat, but the victim blocked him with her hands and managed to get out of the car. She was stabbed in both hands. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.

She was taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and released Sunday, police said. Johnson fled the area on foot but turned himself in about eight hours later.

Prosecutors said he approached a school Safe Passage worker near 76th Street and Cregier Avenue and told him that he stabbed someone but didnt want to go to jail.

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The Safe Passage worker called police and Johnson waited there until police arrived.

Prosecutors said the victim has been a CPD officer for 18 years and has been married to Johnsons mother for more than four years.

Johnson, of the 9700 block of South Commercial Avenue, audibly sobbed as prosecutors described the incident Sunday during a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

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Judge Sophia Atcherson said release was not appropriate in this case and ordered Johnson held on no bail.

His mother, father and brother were present in court and declined to comment.

nmoreno@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @nereidamorenos
On Nov. 20, Nevest Coleman walked out of Hill Correctional Center a free man after having been behind bars for almost 23 years. Coleman and Darryl Fulton were sentenced to life in prison two decades ago for a brutal 1994 rape and murder they have long denied committing. Recent DNA testing indicates they may be innocent. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Galesburg, Ill.  Nevest Colemans family waited eagerly Monday outside a state prison in western Illinois as the final hours of Colemans 23 years behind bars slowly evaporated.

When Coleman finally emerged from Hill Correctional Center, his hands pressed together in front of his mouth as if in silent prayer, his family erupted in smiles.

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There he is, a cousin shouted. The day has finally come!

Coleman walked out of custody and into the waiting arms of his daughter, Chanequa. Spotting his son, Nicholas, Coleman said, Come here boy! and wrapped him in a deep embrace. All three cried.

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About 250 miles south, outside Menard Correctional Center in Chester, a similar scene of tears, hugs and family greeted Darryl Fulton.

Fulton and Coleman were sentenced to life in prison two decades ago for a 1994 rape and murder in Chicagos Englewood neighborhood, but recent DNA testing indicates they may be innocent. A Cook County judge and prosecutors agreed last week to free both Chicago men and grant them new trials.

Both men were convicted after confessing to Chicago police detectives who, records show, had a history of misconduct and allegations of coerced false statements.

The new DNA testing found semen from a serial rapist on the victims underwear. The new trials for Coleman and Fulton could be dropped once a final round of DNA test results are reviewed. The serial rapist has not been publicly identified.

Fulton, 50, said he didnt believe his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, when she told him he would be released from prison. Once he realized she was for real, he wept with joy.

In a phone interview, Fulton told the Tribune that when he walked out of prison, he hugged his mother and reminded her of a promise hed made years ago.

I told you we were going to make it through this, Fulton said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 7 Darryl Fulton, center, holds back tears as he describes the feeling of being released from Menard Correctional Center on Nov. 20, 2017, in Chester, Ill. Fulton spent 8,607 days in prison after being convicted of a 1994 rape and murder. Surrounding Fulton are, from left, his lawyer Kathleen Zellner, daughter Jaszulyn Fulton, mother Dorothy Davis, niece Imone Griffin and great-niece Peoria Barber. (Steve Matzker / Chicago Tribune)

Over the years, Fulton remained close with his family. He would often write letters to organizations and individuals seeking help, which he would mail to his sister so she could type them up and make them more presentable. One of those letters went to the Cook County states attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit, which eventually conducted the new forensic testing in Fultons and Colemans cases.

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Asked whether he felt anger toward the justice system, Fulton struck a hopeful note.

Im not gonna say Im angry. But I will say this: I know that there are bad people in the world and there are good people in the world, Fulton said. The good will override the bad every time.

Upon his release, Fulton headed with family to Wendys to try the Baconator he had seen advertised on television. Wendys was amazing, he said.

Flanked by his family and attorney, Russell Ainsworth, Coleman told reporters he felt emotional and tired. He had not slept much in the past three days, since learning that he would be going home.

I wish my mother and father were here, he said, his face crumpling in tears. Both parents died while Coleman was incarcerated.

He said hes looking forward to eating macaroni and cheese. But, more than anything, Coleman said he wants to spend time with family.

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One day at a time, just try to move forward, said Coleman, who has been in custody since his mid-20s and is now 48. Let the past be the past.

Coleman said he felt upset that it took so long to regain his freedom but now that hes out, I cant be mad no more.

Time to live. Time to live. Time to live, he said.

Coleman and Fulton were convicted after confessing to killing Antwinica Bridgeman, who disappeared in April 1994 after a gathering of friends for her 20th birthday. Both men later recanted their confessions.

Coleman and Fultons saga is the latest for a Cook County justice system that continues to reckon with allegations of coerced confessions and cases overturned by DNA findings.

According to data compiled by the National Registry of Exonerations, a wrongful conviction database maintained by the University of Michigan, at least 146 people have been freed from prison after being convicted in Cook County  a staggering sum that ranks Cook County higher than almost every state for exonerations.

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That figure doesnt include 15 men whose convictions were vacated last week in what is believed to be Cook Countys first mass exoneration. Those convictions were linked to an allegedly corrupt crew of Chicago police officers.

Over the years, civil rights attorneys and others have criticized local law enforcement, including prosecutors, for being slow to respond to concerns over convictions. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx was elected last year after pledging to be more open toward innocence claims.

Foxx said last week that prosecutors have a duty to right wrongs.

The Tribune has written extensively about Colemans and Fultons cases.

Two weeks after Bridgeman disappeared, Coleman found her body in an abandoned basement of the Englewood home where he lived with his family, and Colemans mother called authorities.

No physical evidence ever linked Coleman and Fulton to the attack, a Tribune review of court records and police reports found.

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Coleman had no criminal history at the time of his arrest and worked as a member of the groundkeeping crew at Comiskey Park.

On Monday, Coleman met his 9-month old granddaughter, Shaniya Thomas, for the first time outside the prison.

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Shaniya joins a tightknit family.

Even while incarcerated, Coleman maintained a close relationship with his children, calling often and developing a tight bond. Colemans brother, Louis, flew in from Washington, D.C., to be in Galesburg for his release.

On Sunday, the night before the inmates were released, Colemans sister Jennice played a small prank on him when he called. She answered Hello somewhat listlessly and then asked, Have you talked to (your attorney)?

Whats wrong? Whats wrong? Whats wrong? Coleman asked in a panic.

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Nothing, she joked, youre still coming home.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com

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Two suspects, possibly connected to a string of carjackings in Chicago, were arrested after a crash along the Eisenhower Expressway near Austin Avenue late on Nov. 13, 2017. (Network Video Productions) (Network Video Productions)

Chicago police were called to at least two carjackings Sunday and early Monday, capping a week that saw nearly 20 such attacks across the city.

In the most recent carjacking, a 20-year-old man was sitting in a 2014 Buick Verano with a female in the 2400 block of North Maplewood Avenue in Logan Square around 12:35 a.m. Monday when two gunmen forced them from the car, police said.

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Earlier on the Far South Side, a 52-year-old woman was pulling out of a driveway in a 2016 Kia Sorrento around 6:40 p.m. Sunday in the 2300 block of West 115th Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood, police said.

The woman told police she was approached by two men in a white four-door sedan. The passenger of the sedan got out with a handgun and told the woman to leave the car and get on the ground.

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The latest incidents come as carjackings are rising in Chicago.

More than 700 carjackings have been reported in the city so far this year, outpacing last year's total of 663, which was nearly double the carjackings reported in 2015, the Tribune reported this month.

Just in the last week, at least 19 carjacking have been reported.

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In a 24-hour period from Nov. 12 to Nov. 13, Chicago police said they responded to 12 carjackings.

In the following days, an 88-year-old man was carjacked by two men on Wednesday in the 1000 block of West 61st Street when he as returning from the gym, police said. One of the suspects was killed while speeding away.

Two more people reported carjackings Thursday, followed by another two Friday.

Tribune reporters Elyssa Cherney and Jeremy Gorner contributed.

Both high-crime and trendy Chicago neighborhoods see surge in carjackings

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A woman was stabbed in the 700 block of North Trumbull Avenue on Nov. 19, 2017. (Madeline Buckley / Chicago Tribune)

A 37-year-old woman was seriously injured late Sunday after she was stabbed in a domestic-related fight, Chicago police said.

The woman was stabbed in the abdomen and chest around 10:55 p.m. in the 700 block of North Trumbull Avenue in the West Side's East Garfield Park neighborhood.

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A male is in custody in the stabbing, police said.

The woman was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.
The Chicago City Council is expected to easily approve Mayor Rahm Emanuels 2018 budget on Tuesday, a spending plan that raises taxes for the sixth time in seven years, but doesnt take as big of a bite as the ones in years past.

Still, thanks to previous decisions made by the Emanuel-controlled City Hall and Chicago Public Schools, the typical homeowner will have to pay $174 more in taxes next year. About $97 of that increase can be chalked up to property tax hikes, but Emanuel also is boosting 911 fees by $40 a year for a family with three phone lines, and water bills will go up $37 for the typical home.

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All told, the average family will be paying $1,813 more a year in taxes and fees to the city and schools than they did before Emanuel took office in 2011 once all of the mayors tax and fee increases take full effect.

The bulk of that money is going to shore up woefully underfunded city worker and teacher pension systems, repair aging city water and sewer pipes, and phase out some questionable financial practices.

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The overall tax and fee tally would be even higher, except for a property tax break that Emanuel helped push through Springfield this year. Even as lawmakers were raising the state income tax rate by 32 percent, taking more out of peoples paychecks, they also were approving a new law increasing the homestead exemption that homeowners get from $7,000 to $10,000.

The break will help cushion the blow going forward, but it also means that figuring out the impact of the upcoming property tax hikes requires more math than usual. Heres how it breaks down for the owner of a $250,000 home:

*CPS is increasing property taxes by $224.5 million. That would have cost the average homeowner about $191 more next year, but the tax break knocks that figure down to $182, according to Cook County Clerk David Orrs office, which calculates tax rates.

*City government property taxes are going up by $63 million, the fourth and final increase from a $543 million hike for police and fire pension funds approved in 2015. That would have added about $54 next year for the owner of that $250,000 home, but the tax break reduces it to $51.

*The tax break, however, doesnt only apply to the amount of new money CPS and City Hall are asking taxpayers to fork over. It applies to the whole property tax bill. Taking that into account, the added homeowners exemption will reduce the property tax bill on the average home by $148 next year.

*The end result? City and school tax hikes mean the average homeowner will pay $97 more in property taxes next year. As always, some caveats: some homeowners may see different results if they are eligible for other exemptions afforded to senior citizens, longtime homeowners and veterans.

The new tax break also cuts multiple ways, helping people with less costly homes at the expense of those who live in pricier places and owners of commercial property. Thats because the taxes not paid by less-expensive properties dont go away. Instead, they shift to more expensive homes and all businesses.

A home worth $500,000 will be hit with a combined city-CPS tax increase of more than $369 this year, even with the higher homeowners exemption figured in. A commercial property worth $500,000, which is ineligible for the exemption, can expect a combined increase of more than $1,361.

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Besides the property tax increases, homeowners and businesses also face water/sewer and 911 tax increases next year.

Water and sewer taxes that will go into the municipal worker pension fund will increase by 69 cents to $1.28 for every 1,000 gallons. That will cost the typical homeowner with a metered water line about $37 a year, according to city calculations.

Homeowners who dont have meters installed would be hit even harder. Their water and sewer taxes will increase by about $76 next year. Many seniors, meanwhile, get a 50 percent break on their sewer and water tax.

Emanuel is proposing $1.10-per-month increase in the current $3.90 fee for 911 services on all landline and cellphones billed to a city address. A homeowner with three phone lines would pay nearly $40 more a year.

While the property and water tax hikes already have been approved, the 911 fee will be part of the debate Tuesday when aldermen consider Emanuels budget.

Aldermen also will be asked to approve a 20-cent increase to the current 52-cent tax on ride-sharing trips through services like Uber and Lyft. Those taxes would go up 15 cents next year and another 5 cents the year after, eventually raising about $21 million a year for the CTA. Going to and from work via Uber would cost an extra 40 cents a day.

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Some aldermen are resisting giving tax money approved by the city to the CTA, as well as plans to cover $80 million in security expenses for CPS. The council members note they dont have a say on how those agencies spend their money. But council approval of taxes for the CTA and city spending to cover CPS costs are not unprecedented, and are unlikely to derail the budget.

Emanuel also wants to raise from 5 percent to 9 percent the amusement taxes for concerts, comedy shows and plays at venues with more than 1,500 seats, while eliminating the current 5 percent amusement tax at places that have between 751 and 1,500 seats. That would add $3 to the cost of a $75 ticket and bring in about $15.8 million for city coffers.

Since Emanuel took office in mid-2011, overall taxes and fees at the city and CPS have gone up by nearly $2.2 billion, according to a Tribune analysis.

The mayor says he is making up for past financial mismanagement and, to be sure, most of the city money is being used to increase contributions to the city worker pension systems, which were at risk of going broke within a decade. To do that, hes increased the property tax, boosted the 911 fee and imposed a new water and sewer tax to eventually pour more than $800 million extra a year into those funds.

Emanuel also has increased underlying water and sewer fees by $489 million a year, with that money going to repair an aging water and sewer system that spans the city.

Though other tax and fee hikes have paid for day-to-day expenses, Emanuel has stopped using one-time revenues like the long-term lease of the citys parking meters to cover operating costs. Hes also worked to end other questionable financial practices like extending debt over longer periods at higher overall costs.

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Over at CPS, which is controlled by the mayor, about half of the $700 million in property tax increases enacted since he took office are going into the teachers pension fund, which also was in bad financial shape.

Nevertheless, neither the city nor CPS is out of the financial woods.

Over three years starting in 2020, required taxpayer contributions to the city's worker pension funds are expected to grow by $864 million, according to the city's latest annual financial analysis. Thats a major reason the citys credit rating hovers in junk-to-low investment grade territory.

And CPS faces immense financial challenges on all fronts ranging from pension and debt payments to operating costs, even with recent big property tax boosts and added state funding. Its bond ratings are in deep junk territory.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ReporterHal

[ Emanuel budget raises taxes for 6th time in 7 years ]

[ GOP's proposed tax plan could hit Chicagoans in areas with high property taxes ]

[ Aldermen want changes at $10 million white flight home value program ]
The State Board of Elections on Monday rejected an effort to remove Illinois from the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, leaving the state in a controversial system aimed at flagging voters registered in multiple states.

The 4-4 split along partisan lines pitted election officials desires to have accurate voter rolls against concerns the system can be inaccurate and vulnerable to hackers looking for personal information  with a dash of political intrigue on the side. Republicans voted against leaving the system at Mondays election board meeting, and Democrats were for it.

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Illinois is among more than two dozen states participating in the program known as Crosscheck. But the program has drawn increasing criticism after other states have wiped out voter registrations based solely on its findings without following procedures spelled out in federal voting rights laws. Because Mondays vote was tied, the state remains in the program.

Indivisible Chicago, a progressive group formed following President Donald Trump's election, has raised security concerns involving Illinois voters personal information, but there are also political considerations. The top election official in Crosscheck's home state, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, is the co-chair of a Trump-appointed panel on voter fraud that Democrats contend is aimed at trying to push voter suppression measures.

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William McGuffage, a Democrat from Chicago who has served on the board for 18 years, called Crosscheck suspect for a lot of reasons. He contended there was a symbiotic relationship between Kobachs role in Kansas overseeing the multistate database and his role on what I called the bogus Trump commission.

Republican Board Chairman William Cadigan of Winnetka called it a shame that this whole issue of voting list maintenance has gotten entangled with Washington politics. But he said Illinois is required by federal law to have accurate voter registration lists and noted the state has received notice expressing concerns from the U.S. Department of Justice that could lead to litigation.

Republican board member Ian Linnabary of Rockford told board members he had spoken with Kansas election officials and had good news that a meeting of all member Crosscheck states about security concerns would be held within the next two weeks.

While Linnabary said that no board members feel voter fraud is rampant, he urged the panel to take a step back and not withdraw from Crosscheck while efforts are made to secure the system.

We know changes will be made to enhance security, he said.

Illinois is one of 10 states that uses two voter-registration verification systems. It is among 20 states participating in a program acknowledged as more secure and accurate, the Electronic Registration Information Center, known as ERIC. But only one neighboring state, Wisconsin, is a member of that system.

Several county clerks who administer elections said Monday that they favor keeping Illinois in Crosscheck. Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said his experience has been a fruitful one and called its use of the last four digits of Social Security numbers a gold standard for identification. The Social Security information in the system is also among the biggest privacy concerns of opponents.

Chicago Board of Elections Executive Director Lance Gough said the city has had problems with Crosscheck and a lot of false positives when searching for duplicate registrations. City elections officials called Crosscheck an inferior process and urged other states to join ERIC, which uses drivers license data instead of Social Security numbers.

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Last week, Democrats attending a legislative hearing dealing with Crosscheck said they would act to take the state out of the system if the state elections board didnt. State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said opponents of the program would meet soon.

rap30@aol.com

Twitter @rap30

RELATED

[ Democratic lawmakers urge end to controversial cross-state voter check ]

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In this handout photo provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hold a meeting at the Schloss Bellevue on Nov. 20, 2017, in Berlin, Germany. (Handout / Getty Images)

BERLIN  The sudden collapse of talks to form a coalition government left German politics in turmoil Monday, as Chancellor Angela Merkel reckoned with one of the worst crises of her 12-year tenure and signaled that a new election is likely.

The unexpected failure triggered a flurry of activity in the normally predictable world of German politics, putting financial markets on edge, setting off speculation over a new election and upping the volume on previously whispered conversations about how much longer Merkel can last.

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Following a midday meeting with the chancellor, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attempted to calm the choppy waters with a speech in which he called on parties to come back to the negotiating table and avoid another vote after an inconclusive September election.

"The responsibility given to the parties remains," said Steinmeier, noting that Monday's impasse was unprecedented in Germany's post-war history. "One can't just return that responsibility to the voters."

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But despite his plea, a fresh vote looked increasingly likely - a fact that Merkel herself acknowledged Monday evening in an interview with broadcaster ZDF.

While Merkel insisted she would not step down, she also suggested that calling a new election would be preferable to leading a government that must survive vote-to-vote without a majority in the German parliament, the Bundestag.

"Germany needs a stable government," she said.

Her comments indicated that without a change of heart from the center-left Social Democrats, who have resisted joining a new coalition, Germany is probably headed for a new election.

The possibility was met with enthusiasm by the German far right and with apprehension across Europe, where German stability has long been taken for granted.

"After Brexit and Trump, Germans are now facing the prospect of something out of the ordinary happening in their own country," said Sudha David-Wilp, deputy director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund. "Something that was beyond their borders is a spectacle that they will now have to deal with, too."

The breakdown of the talks ends the assumption that Europe's largest economy will be governed by a previously untried coalition among Merkel's conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats and the environmentalist Greens.

That awkward alliance - dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colors are the same as the island nation's flag - was considered the only viable path to a stable government.

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But after weeks of contentious negotiations over asylum, tax and environmental policies, the Free Democrats unexpectedly pulled out late Sunday, leaving Merkel with few options - none of them attractive.

One is to form a minority government, perhaps with the Greens. But that has never been attempted at the federal level in Germany, and it could prolong the country's instability while hastening Merkel's exit.

Another is for Merkel to persuade her partners from the last government, the Social Democrats, to join her in another "grand coalition" between Germany's two biggest parties.

But the Social Democrats continued to resist that idea Monday. The party "will not shy away from new elections," Social Democratic leader Martin Schulz said. "In fact, we welcome them."

The possibility of an election early next year that could open the way to more gains for the far-right Alternative for Democracy Party (AfD) - and further unsettle the politics of a country that has been Europe's rock of stability - sent the euro sliding in early trading before it rebounded.

AfD leaders on Monday celebrated the breakdown in the talks.

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"Merkel failed," tweeted prominent AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch. "An AfD success!"

At the least, a new vote would lead to months of uncertainty in German politics at a time when Europe has much on the line and other countries across the continent are looking to Berlin for leadership.

Among the outstanding issues are Britain's departure from the European Union. Britain is due to get out by March 2019, but instability in Berlin could make the negotiations - already fraught - even more difficult.

French President Emmanuel Macron, too, has a lot at stake in the German talks.

He has advocated sweeping reforms for the E.U. and the euro, including a "multispeed" Europe that would create a separate euro-zone budget and finance minister. But his initiatives rest on a strong Franco-German axis, a condition that was largely assumed as a given after Macron's election victory in May.

Macron told reporters Monday that he called Merkel late Sunday as her plans to form a governing coalition collapsed.

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"It's not in our interests that the process freezes up," Macron said.

It is Merkel herself, however, who has the most to lose if the talks are not revived. After three terms in office, her fourth was expected to be the one that would cement her legacy. But now her ability to serve another four years is in jeopardy.

The major German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called the impasse "the most difficult crisis of her 12 years in office."

It comes after a September election in which Merkel's CDU - and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union - topped the polls, but fell well below expectations with 33 percent of the vote.

The election left Merkel weakened, and with diminished leverage heading into coalition talks that were always expected to be difficult, but which most analysts had thought would ultimately yield a government.

Although the parties were considered far apart on key issues, most observers had predicted that they would put aside differences to avoid another election that could enhance support for the anti-immigrant AfD, which won parliamentary seats for the first time this year after gaining nearly 13 percent of the vote.

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But the parties' stances on asylum rules and German reliance on coal proved to be the sticking points.

The breakdown came when Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner announced that his party was pulling out of the talks, saying there was no "basis of trust."

"It is better not to govern than to govern wrongly," said Lindner, whose party won nearly 11 percent in the September vote.

The Greens and the CDU accused the Free Democrats of political grandstanding.

Greens co-leader Katrin Goring-Eckardt, whose party won nearly 9 percent in September, said the parties had been headed toward a deal when the FDP suddenly pulled out.

"I'm convinced it wouldn't have taken much more time to come to agreement," she said.

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The Washington Post's Luisa Beck in Berlin and James McAuley in Paris contributed to this report.
Firefighters work at the scene of of a fire Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, at the Verla International cosmetics factory on Temple Hill Road in New Windsor, NY. (Allyse Pulliam / AP)

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y.  Authorities recovered the body of a male worker reported missing after two explosions and a fire at a New York cosmetics factory left 30 to 35 people injured, including seven firefighters caught in the second blast, officials said Monday.

"A deceased male employee was recovered from the plant fire at approximately 7:40 p.m.," Orange County spokesman Justin Rodriguez said in a statement Monday night. He gave no additional details.

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Police said the first explosion occurred around 10:15 a.m. Monday at the Verla International cosmetics factory in New Windsor, about an hour's drive from New York City. Firefighters who responded were inside when the second explosion occurred around 10:40 a.m.

Up to 35 people were being treated for injuries, including seven firefighters, most of them from the nearby city of Newburgh, Town Supervisor George Green said. Two of the firefighters were taken to the burn unit at Westchester Medical Center, he said. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

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There was no word on a cause of the blaze, which fire crews and hazardous materials teams were battling into the night.

Verla was cited for nine occupational safety violations earlier this year, according to records on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's website. One was related to problems with the handling of flammable and combustible liquids.

The federal agency also cited inadequacies relating to respirator protection for workers and the maintenance of exit routes. The company agreed to pay $41,000 in penalties.

Television video from Monday's explosions showed thick, black smoke spewing from a section of the roof of the sprawling facility, which includes manufacturing and warehouse buildings. Workers milled about a parking lot while fire crews looked on.

"It's still an active fire scene," Green said, adding that the flames were "knocked down pretty well at this point."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state emergency response teams have been sent to the factory. State personnel dispatched included homeland security staffers, state police, environmental conservation enforcement officers and health department technicians, the Democratic governor said. The state also will investigate working conditions and regulatory compliance at the plant.

"Following today's chemical explosion, I am directing a multi-agency investigation to get to the bottom of what happened and review compliance with state labor and environmental laws," he said in a statement.

The factory is about a half-mile from the town hall and police station in New Windsor, on the Hudson River's west bank, 55 miles north of New York City. The 37-year-old New Windsor-based company's website says the products it makes include nail polish, perfumes, lotions and other products.

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The company's phone number wasn't working. An email sent to the company wasn't answered.
Authorities say a 57-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound in his ground blind in the Town of Newton Saturday. The Marquette County man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 62-year-old Shawano County man was found dead in his tree stand Saturday on private property in the Town of Westfield by a member of his hunting party. Coroner Tom Wastart says an autopsy shows he died of natural causes.

Three other hunters were wounded by gunfire elsewhere during opening weekend. Those shootings happened in Brown, Shawano and Forest counties.

An estimated 600,000 hunters participated in opening weekend of the nine-day gun season in Wisconsin.
The city of Alexandria, Va., has quietly removed a portrait of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that hung on the wall of the City Council chambers for 54 years, relocating it to the Lyceum, a local history museum.

Mayor Allison Silberberg, a Democrat, called the museum "a more appropriate place" for the large painting of Lee, who was born in Alexandria and went on to command the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

Like a similar portrait of George Washington, it was taken off the wall last summer as crews repaired the City Hall roof, then cleaned and repainted the room. But when it was time to rehang the art, the Lee portrait was replaced by a 1798 map of the city. The Washington painting was returned to the wall.

"I don't think any of us got a single email or call about it," City Manager Mark Jinks said. He said he called the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who donated the painting to the city in 1963, to inform them of the change.

The decision was another step in the national reconsideration of Confederate tributes that began with a 2015 mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, by an avowed white supremacist who had been photographed with a Confederate flag.

South Carolina has since removed the flag that flew at its statehouse for more than a half-century. Confederate battle flags have disappeared from license plates in Georgia and Virginia, and Confederate statues were taken off public land in New Orleans, Kansas City, Maryland, Florida, Ohio and elsewhere.

"With all that's going on in the country, with statues and all that, I think [the museum] is where it belongs," council member Willie Bailey, a Democrat, said of Lee's portrait. "That's where history is."

Alexandria, the first Southern town to be occupied by Union troops, has a fraught relationship with its 19th-century past. After the shooting in Charleston, the city government stopped its longtime practice of flying the Confederate flag at Washington and Prince streets on Lee's birthday and Confederate Memorial Day.

The City Council then voted to move a statue of a Confederate soldier from that intersection to the front lawn of the Lyceum museum. But Virginia law prohibits the relocation of certain Civil War monuments, and state lawmakers from Alexandria said last year was the wrong time to seek special permission from Richmond to move the statue.

This summer, after a white-supremacist rally to protest the possible relocation of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville turned deadly, state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said he would introduce a bill in 2018 to allow the Alexandria monument's relocation.

Leaders of a historic Episcopal church in Alexandria last month decided to remove a pair of plaques from its sanctuary that memorialize Washington and Lee, two of its most prominent parishioners.

Also this fall, a hotel on King Street removed a plaque that had been bolted to the wall of the building for decades and gave an incomplete account of the first war-related deaths after the Union invaded Alexandria on May 24, 1861. The marker, posted in 1929 by the Sons and Daughters of Confederate Veterans, memorialized the first Southerner killed by the Union, without saying he had first shot and killed a Northern colonel on the property.

The Alexandria City Council faces another Confederacy-related decision next month, when it is expected to vote on what to rename its portion of Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as U.S. Route 1. A citizens' group is pushing for Richmond Highway, as did a plurality of people in a nonscientific, online Washington Post survey last year.

Vice Mayor Justin Wilson, a Democrat, said that when Jinks and Silberberg asked the council's opinion about removing the Lee portrait, he suggested replacing it with a rotating display of people from all eras who were important to the city, including people of color.

"I've always been of the opinion ... that part of the challenge we have is we only tell part of history, and we need a broader portrait and time period," Wilson said.

The oil-on-canvas portrait, painted by George Bagby Matthews in the late 1800s, is now part of a museum exhibit on Alexandria during the Civil War. A label next to the portrait outlines Lee's life and quotes him as saying, "There is no community to which my affections more strongly cling than that of Alexandria, composed of my earliest and oldest friends, my schoolfellows, and faithful neighbors."
Six months into a special counsel's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, White House aides and others in President Donald Trump's close orbit are increasingly divided in their assessments of the expanding probe and how worried administration officials and campaign aides should be about their potential legal peril, according to numerous people familiar with the debate.

Some in the West Wing avoid the mere mention of Russia or the investigation whenever possible. Others take solace in the reassurances of White House lawyer Ty Cobb that special counsel Robert Mueller will be wrapping up the probe soon and the president and those close to him will be exonerated. And a few engage in grim gallows humor, privately joking about wiretaps.

The investigation reached a critical turning point in recent weeks, with a formal subpoena to the campaign, an expanding list of potential witnesses and the indictments of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates. Some within Trump's circle, including former chief of staff Reince Priebus, have already been interviewed by Mueller's investigators, while others such as Hope Hicks  the White House communications director and trusted confidant of the president  and White House counsel Donald McGahn are expected in coming weeks.

One Republican operative in frequent contact with the White House described Mueller's team "working through the staff like Pac-Man."

"Of course they are worried," said the Republican, who insisted on anonymity to offer a candid assessment. "Anybody that ever had the words 'Russia' come out of their lips or in an email, they're going to get talked to. These things are thorough and deep. It's going to be a long winter."

The president himself, however, has warmed to Cobb's optimistic message on Mueller's probe. Cobb had initially said he hoped the focus on the White House would conclude by Thanksgiving, but adjusted the timeline slightly in an interview last week, saying he remains optimistic that it will wrap up by the end of the year, if not shortly thereafter.

Trump's lawyers have also repeatedly said the president himself is not personally under investigation.

"I've done my best, without overstepping, to share my view that the perception of the inquiry  that it involved a decade or more of financial transactions and other alleged issues that were mistakenly reported  just wasn't true, and that the issues were narrower and wholly consistent with the mandate provided by the Justice Department to the Office of the special counsel," Cobb said.

Cobb added that those who have already been interviewed by Mueller's team have left feeling buoyed. "The people who have been interviewed generally feel they were treated fairly by the special counsel, and adequately prepared to assist them in understanding the relevant material," he said. "They came back feeling relieved that it was over, but nobody I know of was shaken or scared."

But the reassurances from Cobb and others  which seem at least partially aimed at keeping the president calm and focused on governing  are viewed by others as naive.

"The president says, 'This is all just an annoyance. I did nothing,'" said one person close to the administration. "He is somewhat arrogant about it. But this investigation is a classic Gambino-style roll-up. You have to anticipate this roll-up will reach everyone in this administration."

The soothing outlook also comes against the backdrop of new revelations.

In mid-October, for example, Mueller's office subpoenaed a series of documents from the Trump campaign with a list of Russia-related search words, according to a person familiar with the request. The person said the request appeared to be "an effort to be thorough" and not miss any records as the office obtains the communications of campaign members through other methods.

Mueller's investigators are also still actively mapping out all the attempts by Russian nationals and people with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government to connect with and possibly infiltrate the Trump campaign. So far, at least nine people in Trump's orbit had contact with Russians during the campaign or the transition to the White House, according to Mueller's charging documents and interviews and records obtained by The Washington Post.

Witnesses questioned by Mueller's team warn that investigators are asking about other foreign contacts and meetings that have not yet become public, and to expect a series of new revelations. Investigators are especially focused on foreign officials' contacts with Michael Flynn, a campaign adviser and later Trump's national security adviser, witnesses said.

Cobb said he does not expect the latest revelations to "unduly extend the inquiry."

Many in the White House also insist they believe the probe is coming to a close, a view shared by the president himself. Arguing that most investigations start with periphery players and move ever closer to the inner circle, they view Mueller's recent focus on those closest to Trump as a sign that his probe has reached its final stage.

People close to the investigation, however, say a tidy and quick conclusion is unlikely, and would defy the pattern of most special counsel investigations in recent history.

In fact, legal experts and private defense lawyers monitoring the case believe that Mueller's investigation  which officially began in May and resulted in its first charges against three former campaign aides last month  is still in its early stages.

They expect that the prosecutors have considerable investigative work still to do, and they predict more campaign officials, among others, will face charges. They expect the probe to extend deep into 2018 and possibly longer.

The trial of Manafort and Gates, for instance, is many months away. And Mueller's investigators are still gathering documents and other evidence to evaluate.

Prosecutors have also secured a guilty plea and cooperation from former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who has been talking to investigators about his conversations with other members of the Trump campaign, according to people familiar with the probe.

In any white-collar probe, investigative pressure on low-level officials can lead to guilty pleas and cooperation, generating new evidence and leads about those higher on the chain of command, these people noted. And while that process can stall out if people refuse to cooperate or offer nothing of interest to investigators, there's no indication that has happened in the Russia investigation.

"I don't think there's any reason to believe this is almost over," said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at George Washington University. "Based not just on what we've seen but also what we know about white-collar investigations generally, this seems to me like it is just getting started."

Three separate congressional committee investigations into Russian interference in the election sometimes overlap and track over Mueller's probe, and pose high-risk complications for Trump aides, politically and legally.

The Senate Judiciary Committee last week alleged that it appeared Kushner had withheld some documents about a Russian gun rights' activist's effort to connect a Putin ally and the Trump campaign. Kushner's lawyers said the committee never asked their client for records of proposed meetings that never happened  but the episode gave the impression Kushner had something to hide.

Far more serious is the need for Trump aides to answer honestly and consistently; any testimony to a congressional committee that later shifts before an FBI agent or grand jury could be used to charge a witness with making false statements.

Some people close to the president, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, have urged Trump in recent weeks to consider hiring a veteran criminal defense lawyer to protect him from missteps in the probe. Bannon has complained to friends that he considers Cobb, who is managing the White House's response to the Russia probe, and John Dowd, one of the president's personal lawyers on the investigation, to be out of their league in handling questions and document requests from Mueller's star-studded team of prosecutors.

This summer, Trump had interviewed a handful of lawyers, and ultimately decided to hire Marc Kasowitz  a Bannon ally and a longtime lawyer for the Trump Organization  to represent him in the case. But Kasowitz flamed out amid questions about his volatile temperament and after a series of heated strategy disagreements with other lawyers representing the Trump family. The president now relies on Cobb, Dowd and Jay Sekulow, another personal lawyer helping with the probe.

Inside the West Wing, many aides describe an atmosphere of relative calm against the backdrop of the investigation, with staffers mindful but not necessarily worried about the probe. Those who are not directly involved said they deliberately avoid the topic of Russia and the investigation, simply refusing to talk about it and only thinking about it on days when it dominates the news.

One White House official said the ongoing investigation has now just become a frustrating part of daily reality for aides, and they attempt to soldier on knowing they personally did nothing wrong.

But some suspect that Mueller's probe may weigh more heavily on some of their colleagues, especially those who have been compelled to testify before Congress or Mueller's investigators. More than a dozen, including McGahn and Vice President Mike Pence, have had to hire lawyers, and some junior aides fear their legal fees will rise to three or four times their annual salaries.

One Republican close to the White House likened the low-grade nervousness to working for the Senate campaign of Roy Moore  the Alabama Republican facing allegations of unwanted sexual and romantic overtures to teenage girls when he was in his 30s  and never quite knowing what else might come out.

The revelation last month that Papadopoulos had been arrested in July and was secretly cooperating with Mueller's team led many to rack their memories: Had they ever talked or emailed with him?

And sometimes, gallows humor creeps into the West Wing.

"When the staff gather in the morning at the White House now, they jokingly say: 'Good morning. Are you wired?'" one person close to the administration said.

The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett and Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump's critics are arguing that GOP calls for the Justice Department to investigate Hillary Clinton and Democrats' ties to Russia are an effort to distract from the real Russia investigation, into potential Trump-Russia collusion.

No, they are not.

Ever since Watergate, the mantra of all major corruption investigations has been to "follow the money." Well, Americans of all political stripes should be outraged by the fact that both Democrats and Republicans in Washington are up to their eyeballs in Kremlin cash. Russian money found its way into the pockets of not only Trump advisers like Paul Manafort and Rick Gates  who were recently indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller but also Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.

This should suggest to objective observers that Russia was using its money to influence both sides in order to advance the Kremlin's interests. And it means that any full and impartial investigation of Russia's efforts to influence our political process needs to follow the Russian money flowing into the coffers of the Clintons, their foundation and their top associates.

The New York Times reported in 2015 that "shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, [former President Bill] Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock." In total, $145 million went to the Clinton Foundation from interests linked to Uranium One, which was acquired by the Russian government nuclear agency Rosatum.

Think that was just a coincidence? As former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy points out, the Uranium One deal is not a national security scandal, it is a corruption scandal involving "Clinton family self-dealing." Ask yourself: How many half-a-million-dollar speeches has Bill Clinton given to Kremlin-linked banks since Hillary Clinton was defeated? How much Russian money is flowing into the Clinton Foundation's coffers today? If Donald Trump had given a $500,000 speech paid for by a Kremlin bank, and his private foundation had accepted $145 million from Vladimir Putin-linked oligarchs and their Western business partners, do you think that his critics would be insisting there was nothing to see here?

Then there is Tony Podesta. It is now front-page news that Podesta has been forced to step down from his soon-to-be-defunct lobbying firm, the Podesta Group, after being ensnared in the same scandal that led to the indictment of Trump campaign aides Manafort and Gates. The Podesta Group failed to register as a foreign agent for Russian interests while lobbying on behalf of the European Center for a Modern Ukraine  a front group that Mueller's indictment says was "under the ultimate direction" of Ukraine's Putin-backed president and his political party.

We should all be deeply concerned by how much Russian cash was sloshing around Washington, and how much of it found its way into the bank accounts of the Clintons and those around them. And we should all, Democrats and Republicans alike, want to get to the bottom of it.

As Americans, it goes against our sensibilities to encourage the Justice Department of one party to investigate the vanquished candidate of the other party. But does the fact that Clinton lost mean Americans don't deserve to know the full extent of Russia's efforts to influence our political process?

None of this absolves the Trump campaign or calls into question the intelligence community's conclusion that "Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help ... Trump's election chances." But it does underscore that the Russians were smart in what the intelligence community calls their efforts to "undermine public faith in the US democratic process." They played both sides, and in so doing preyed on the singular weakness of the Clintons and those around them  greed.

Any impartial investigation of Russia's efforts to meddle in our democratic process needs to include a full inquiry of the Russian money flowing into Clinton world. Such an inquiry is not a distraction. It is critical to restoring public faith in American democracy.
The word has gone forth that a "reckoning" is due. Democrats are preparing to come to terms with Bill Clinton's sexual transgressions. Sort of. Depending on what you mean by "reckoning."

Last week, in a conversation with a male Democratic consultant about the extraordinary wave of sexual harassment allegations  or, more accurately, the reaction to those allegations  shaking American culture, it seemed as if some sort of grappling with the sordid side of Clinton's history was inevitable. Clinton is 71 years old. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has run her last race. There is nothing he can do for Democrats now in return for their continued silence about a sleazy past.

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Some ambitious Democratic politician, we agreed, might even perceive long-term benefit in lambasting the former president for his sins. (On Thursday night, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., seized the opportunity, saying Clinton should have resigned from the presidency.)

Just about everyone seems to recognize that at least some of the allegations leveled against Clinton over the decades were too credible to be dismissed. Paula Jones was cynically manipulated by right-wing operatives. But, c'mon, something must've happened in that hotel room where she said Clinton exposed himself.

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In The New York Times, liberal columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote a column this week titled "I believe Juanita," referring to Juanita Broaddrick, a woman who accused Clinton of rape. In The Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg denounced "moral sickness in the service of partisanship." She was referring specifically to the partisan hacks  shout-out to Ann Coulter!  justifying Roy Moore's Senate campaign in Alabama. But she meant the Democrats who explained away Clinton's behavior as well.

Younger liberal men such as MSNBC host Chris Hayes and Vox writer Matthew Yglesias were on board with the Kill Bill vibe, too. It seemed like a consensus was in the works to disinter Clinton's presidency, let out a collective hiss and then bury it all over again with an ugly new epitaph.

But if the conversations I had last week with a few Democratic women in their 50s and 60s are any indication, not everyone's ready for the funeral.

These are women who worked for sexual equality and abortion rights. Women who in the 1990s or since had worked in powerful positions in Democratic politics and government. None was willing to talk on the record. None was ready to cut Clinton loose from the party that they had given decades of their lives to. Each was ambivalent in her own way.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 77 Hillary Rodham, second from left in the back, poses with the Maine South High School debate team in her 1965 school yearbook. Photo courtesy of Maine Township High School District. (Handout, Main Township High School District 207)

In the most striking conversation, an extraordinarily accomplished professional recalled Clinton as a philanderer. She sighed over Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky. But she had completely, conveniently, forgotten the non-consensual parts of the Clinton saga.

Another woman of forceful opinions, forcefully expressed, hemmed and hawed uncharacteristically. She spoke of her anger at the awkward, impossible position in which Clinton had placed his liberal supporters during the Lewinsky scandal. And she talked about forgiveness  not reckoning.

Another circled around the chessboard without ever landing on a square. "This is going to churn for a while," she said. "I don't know that there will be a spotlight moment on Bill Clinton. But I do believe the portrait of him will change."

That seems like a good guess. But watching devoted Democrats rationalize the past does put the sight of Alabama Republicans rationalizing the present in context. White Christians in Alabama are busy triangulating the basis of their vote for skeevy Roy Moore, just as last year they rationalized their support for skeevy Donald Trump. No doubt they would prefer an honest senator who didn't molest teenagers. But they're going to the culture war with the candidate they've got, not the candidate they wish they had.

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Democrats in the 1990s did the same, albeit with a man, unlike Moore, who had intellectual and political gifts that paid dividends for the whole nation. Democrats are now responding to far less serious accusations against Sen. Al Franken by pushing him into the equivalent of purgatory  an ethics committee investigation. If things work out, and no other credible accusations are made, he may very well keep his seat.

In New York, Jonathan Chait wrote of Moore's candidacy: "It's easy to feel superior about this when opposition to grotesque treatment of teenage girls lines up neatly with your own party's well-being."

The awkward truth is that the nation's politics are balanced on a needle right now. Otherwise decent people will tolerate the intolerable, the indecent, even the criminal for the chance to nudge the world ever so slightly in their direction.

In one sense, with Harvey Weinsteins on the way down, women are on the rise. Surely that's the pulse of the moment, and the long-term trend. But with a groping sexist in the White House, and Republican men running Congress, women are also vulnerable in the short term.

A Clinton reckoning  whatever that means  will likely come in some form. But it may have to wait until the world shifts further toward the more equitable balance that Clinton himself, for all his grim faults, sought to bring forth.

Bloomberg View

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Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg View. He was executive editor of the Week.
The claim that President Donald Trump is mentally unwell has a particular valence in todays charged political environment. It isnt supposed to sound like a partisan criticism. Its supposed to sound like an objective statement of medical fact.

Thats especially true when its uttered by mental-health professionals, as in the recent collection of essays The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. But its also true when the allegations come from civil society, as in the pro-impeachment ad paid for by billionaire Tom Steyer, which calls Trump mentally unstable. And its even true when the assessment comes from politicians like Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who used the unstable line in hearings last week on the presidents power to wage nuclear war.

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Enough. Stop using the language of mental health to criticize the president for his actions, his policies and his character. Calling the president crazy is a way of trying to end political conversation, not start it. It fundamentally contradicts the goal of politics in a republic, which is supposed to be based on dialogue and engagement, not conclusory diagnosis. Name-calling, even pseudoscientific name-calling, is anathema to effective democracy.

The psychiatrists have the most to answer for. They havent examined Trump. They havent subjected him to the protocols of personality instruments and assessments that would go into an ordinary diagnosis. Rather, they are leveraging their professional knowledge and status to assess his mental health for purposes of political criticism.

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Whats more, the contributors to the Dangerous Case volume acknowledge as much. As part of their efforts, they needed to explain why they reject the so-called Goldwater Rule, which tells psychiatrists that they cannot comment on the mental health of public figures they have not examined. Their proffered answer is, more or less, that the threat to the country from Trumps presidency is so great that it outweighs countervailing ethical principles. That is, political imperative justifies the departure from prevailing medical ethics.

(Whether the Goldwater Rule, a formal rule in the American Psychiatric Associations canon of ethics, is a good idea is another matter. And whether it would be constitutional for a state to sanction a psychiatrist for violation of the rule is another matter still.)

The intended effect of the psychiatrists and psychologists claims is surely to weaken the presidents political position by encouraging the public to treat him not as an ordinary politician with mistaken or repulsive views but as someone who is dangerously ill. Their point is that Trumps actions are not those of a controlled, balanced person who can be reasoned with.

From this it follows that critics shouldnt think of the president as a standard political opponent, a worthy interlocutor for civic discourse, but as an object of treatment. The professionals are all committed to the view that there should be no stigma attached to mental illness, but their claims nevertheless raise the possibility that the unwashed public might look down on or pity Trump for his purported illness.

The idea that ones political opponent can be cured by treatment runs counter to the democratic idea that citizens can shape one anothers political judgments by rational discussion. Mental illness cant be cured by logic or reason, at least not according to most mental-health professionals.

You might try to reason with a mentally unwell person. But you wouldnt expect that reasoning process to be sufficient or even very successful, because the person with the disorder is, by hypothesis, suffering from a mind diseased, as Shakespeare put it in Macbeth.

And mental instability is not a ground for impeachment under the Constitution, notwithstanding Steyers ad. Its not a high crime or misdemeanor.

The Constitution does provide for temporary presidential removal by the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet if the president is unable to fulfill the duties of his office. But the 25th Amendment makes no specific mention of mental illness. And President Trump is plainly able to fulfill his duties, even if not in the way that liberals would consider proper.

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The upshot is that the politicians charge that Trump is unstable reflects the judgment of the others who use similar terminology. What they really mean is that they dont trust his judgment, and that he might do something rash and potentially harmful.

Yet perfectly sane, mentally healthy people commit rash or mistaken actions all the time. They get angry and say foolish things. They sometimes endanger themselves and others. Not every bad act is the product of mental disease.

In the long run, adding the charge of mental illness to the charge of criminality in our political lexicon is likely to have a similar effect  normalizing it for both sides of the partisan divide. Lock her up led to Democrats calls for sending Trump to jail. Hes unstable is likely to lead to Republican claims that Democratic candidates are unwell or downright crazy.

Its not too late to walk this back. Blame Trump for his actions, his policies or even his character. But dont presume to judge his mental health  lest ye be judged in return.

Bloomberg

Noah Feldman, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
During his presidency, Barack Obama was under considerable pressure to initiate prosecutions against officials in the George W. Bush administration. Even before taking office, Obama strongly signaled that he would not do this, suggesting that we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards. In 2009, he added, At a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.

As late as 2015, Human Rights Watch argued for the opening of new investigations, complaining that criminal prosecutions of Bush officials were obligatory under international law, above all for what it described as torture by the Central Intelligence Agency. It contended that without prosecutions of Bush-era officials, the legacy of the Obama administration would be forever poisoned.

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Those are strong words, but the Obama administration resisted such arguments. It was right to do so.

To be sure, no one is above the law. Political opponents of a president cannot claim immunity from prosecution. But the bar must be set very high. That conclusion is vindicated not only by principle, but also by long-standing traditions, whether Republican or Democratic. American presidents have been extraordinarily reluctant to call for prosecution of their political rivals. They have looked forward rather than backward.

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With his enthusiasm for prosecuting Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump is breaking that long-standing norm of American democracy.

Prosecuting political rivals and their associates is a tactic of authoritarians, and it reeks of authoritarianism. It suggests that political victors will not be content to have won; they will bring the force of the criminal law against those they have defeated.

That suggestion is dangerous to self-government and political liberty. It tells people who dissent, or who support rivals to current leaders, that they may be at risk. It turns opposition into an act of courage, rather than an exercise of rights.

Prosecution of political rivals politicizes the Justice Department, and in the most damaging way. Sure, the attorney general works for the president. But in a free society, prosecutorial judgments should be, and should be perceived to be, objective  rooted only in the law and the facts. Whenever national prosecutors pursue a political opponent of their president, many people will ask, naturally enough: What is the real motivation here?

Such prosecutions have the additional vice of intensifying a nation's political divisions. They suggest that one side has been led by criminals, possibly even traitors. They announce to the millions of people who supported the president's political opponent: You favored a crook.

For purely partisan reasons, some people will cheer any such prosecution, and others will rage and mourn. After an election, it is far better to accept Abraham Lincoln's suggestion, offered in a time of Civil War, that we should bind up the nation's wounds.

These points raise an obvious question: Why is Trump fixated, nearly a year into his presidency, on prosecuting Clinton? I think I know the answer, and it is unfathomably sad.

To see it, we have to step back a bit and consider one of George Orwell's most powerful creations: the Two Minutes Hate, directed against Emmanuel Goldstein, the Enemy of the People and opponent of Big Brother.

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As Orwell depicts it in 1984, Big Brother focuses the public on Goldstein's misdeeds and the continuing threat he poses: He was the commander of a vast shadowy army, an underground network of conspirators. As citizens see Goldstein's face on a screen, they break out into uncontrollable exclamations of rage, followed by a hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge-hammer.

Orwell's ominous words suggest that every human heart is vulnerable to that ecstasy. The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining in. (Think of what happens on contemporary social media.)

For Big Brother, the Two Minutes Hate is shrewd politics. It is a diversion from issues of policy, and from problems that people face in their ordinary lives. It focuses citizens' attention on a malevolent, even demonic force, who continues to threaten them.

Of course, Orwell was producing a caricature, and Trump, freely elected in a system with checks and balances, is no Big Brother. But politicians on the right and the left, and in both democratic and undemocratic societies, have found it useful, or irresistible, to identify their own Goldsteins, and to initiate a period of Hate  minutes, weeks, months or years.

Hillary Clinton is Trump's Emmanuel Goldstein.

Bloomberg

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Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is the author of #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media and a co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness.
Amazon has developed Amazon Key, a new delivery system available for Prime members that unlocks the front door for package delivery and other trusted services. (Dreamstime / TNS)

Youre waiting for an important package to be delivered. Or for the furnace repairman to arrive. Or the cable guy. Their companies cant tell you exactly when theyll be there. So you pace. And you peer out the window. And you hope youre not in the bathroom when someone rings the bell.

Because a serviceperson wont linger or circle back, youll have to call and make another appointment.

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Delivery drivers wont leave the package without a signature. Or they will leave it, increasing the risk that it will be swiped by porch pirates patrolling neighborhoods around the holiday season.

If you step away, if you get distracted, if you dont hear the bell, youre out of luck.

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But what if these package deliverers and others had a way to unlock your door (legally and with your permission), set the package inside or do the repair, and then leave your house as secure as when they entered? And what if you could monitor the action via a video camera? And what if there were real-time notification to watch the delivery as it happens?

Thats the idea behind Amazons new Amazon Key service rolling out this month in Chicago and 36 other cities. Sounds great to those of us whove encountered the frustrations chronicled above. Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors, Peter Larsen, vice president of delivery technology for Amazon, says in a news release.

Well, maybe not for everyone. We imagine some people will balk at allowing any stranger into their homes while theyre away  even with the aforementioned video monitoring and real-time notification to watch the delivery as it happens. Theres still a stranger in your home while youre not there. Amazon says its delivery people will be thoroughly vetted. But we all know thats not a foolproof guarantee.

Still, we applaud Amazon for seeking to fill what weve always considered a huge, inexplicable void in the whole delivery biz. That is: Deliveries generally happen during the day, when many people arent home. Finding that door tag dangling and then being obliged to make the pilgrimage to a local delivery center is annoyingly inefficient. In the ideal world, delivery would take place when people are available. There shouldnt be any guessing involved. If Fed Ex and its ilk can track a package every step of the way from Beijing, how come they dont know that youre not home?

Weve waited for an innovative tech guru to one-up Fed Ex and UPS by offering exclusive nighttime service. Say, Fed Ex After Hours  from apres dinner to 10 p.m.? When people are home to sign for important packages.

Yes, wed pay extra for that.

This isnt so revolutionary. Many grocery delivery services already have night hours. People can order Thai food or pizza at all hours. Why not packages?

Speaking of innovation, even the sclerotic U.S. Postal Service plans to offer cheap next-day delivery service in 20 major U.S. cities on Sunday during this holiday season. Why? Because theres overwhelming demand.

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Amazon plans to eventually expand its keyless entry program so that others  from dog walkers to repairmen  can enter your home, do their jobs and leave. Walmart is testing a similar program that will allow drivers not just to deliver, but stash groceries in the refrigerator, if a customer requests.

A Florida company is thinking even bigger. Moon Express recently revealed a plan to start regular delivery service on the moon  as soon as theres someone there to open the door. We like the companys big ambition. The rest of us here on Earth still dream of the day we can get a package delivered after we get home from work.
Questions we have after hearing Todd Stroger say Monday he wants to run against Toni Preckwinkle to reclaim his old job as Cook County Board president:

Is Stroger serious? Does he remember why he was ousted by Preckwinkle in the 2010 Democratic primary? He lost because of his reviled, rescinded penny-per-dollar sales tax increase.

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Does Stroger recognize Preckwinkle, finishing her second term as board president, is now in a similar precarious situation with fuming taxpayers because of her own reviled, rescinded penny-per-ounce soda tax? Yet Stroger hopes to challenge her without showing a whit of remorse for having slammed residents with his own unnecessary tax increase? Really?

What the heck is it with these Cook County Democratic pols and their tax gouges? Are bad penny taxes like the proverbial bad penny and destined to return again and again, even though they are an irresponsible creation of the countys inbred tax-and-spend culture?

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Additional question in the form of a matching game: Which of the above candidates justified tax increases by stating revenue is reform and which one decreed you must support revenue? Answer: Stroger pushed for the 2008 retail sales tax increase and said revenue is reform, while Preckwinkle defended her 2017 soda tax as a required contribution. She also insisted her tax would help change the beverage habits of thirsty people, as if the public asked county officials for lifestyle advice.

Bonus question: Who responded to county tax overreaches with thunderous protests? Thankfully, you the public did, which was why Strogers penny-per-dollar sales tax increase died and why Preckwinkles penny-per-ounce sweetened beverage tax also went flat.

Strogers tax cost him his position. In 2008 he added the 1 percentage point sales tax (recall that he wanted to add 2 percentage points), but taxpayers revolted. His board cut the increase in half and Preckwinkle rescinded the rest after succeeding him. Unfortunately, Preckwinkle later reinstated Stroger's 1 percentage-point sales tax increase. Yet even that wasnt enough money to sate Cook Countys appetite: Preckwinkle launched the soda tax, which also hit a brick wall with voters. That tax disappears Dec. 1.

With the soda tax gone, Preckwinkle belatedly grasped that the first priority in management of taxpayer money is to ensure every dollar  and penny  is spent responsibly. The soda tax would have been an easy way to close a budget gap, but it was a terrible idea. Now, Preckwinkle and County Board members appear ready to lay off workers, cut unfilled positions and make other reductions.

Stroger, whose late father, John Stroger, also served as board president, has been out of elected office since being trounced by Preckwinkle. He appears to have taken away the exact wrong message about Cook County government. Stroger says he feels vindicated his sales tax increase was later reinstated when he should be expressing regret for squeezing residents.

As Stroger made the media rounds Monday, he sounded keen to get his job back, but we heard no new ideas about how to be a good steward of the peoples money. Theres always some natural growth, he said on television. Unfortunately, he wasnt referring to the accrual of political wisdom. He was talking about county spending.

Penny for our thoughts? The Democratic primary is four months away. Besides Preckwinkle and Stroger, former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti is planning a run. Perhaps other candidates will step forward. Let this contest focus on smart governance, not creative taxation.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services workers have been attacked and threatened as they entered homes to protect children. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

At least a dozen Department of Children and Family Services workers have been attacked or seriously threatened as they entered homes to protect children or investigate mistreatment allegations since 2013, a Tribune analysis of government records and interviews found.

The violence, though rarely publicized, can be serious.

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Last week, a DCFS investigator was called to a West Side Chicago elementary school following reports that a boy there had a burned ear. The boy's mother, who also was alerted to the hotline call, rushed to the school and attacked the DCFS worker, choking her and pushing her into a wall, according to a Chicago police report and other government records.

The 24-year-old mother was charged with felony aggravated battery in the Nov. 13 incident, Cook County court records show.

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The DCFS investigator  who had served for years as a south suburban police detective before becoming a state child protection specialist this year  was treated at a Melrose Park hospital and was not expected to return to work for at least a week, DCFS officials said.

In the wake of a Sept. 29 beating that left DCFS investigator Pamela Sue Knight in a coma in Sterling, Ill., Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill to stiffen criminal penalties for such assaults. DCFS officials say they support the bill and are reviewing agency policies to protect frontline workers.

"Our staff are first responders. The severe attack was a stark reminder of the dangers of going into these unpredictable and often hostile situations," said Senior Deputy Director Neil Skene.

DCFS workers are not allowed to carry Mace or other weapons on home visits, but they can ask local police for accompaniment if needed.

The AFSCME Council 31 union that represents DCFS workers met Thursday in Springfield with DCFS Director Beverly "B.J." Walker and discussed the Knight attack and new measures that might keep child protection workers safe.

Among the union's proposals were improving training on identifying and de-escalating dangerous situations, as well as giving workers greater freedom to request police escorts. Some workers have told the Tribune that supervisors can discourage the escorts because the presence of law enforcement can impede a family's cooperation with the agency.

"We heard their own firsthand stories of hostile situations," Walker said after the meeting. "It's a constant in the life of a worker. You have to worry even when you don't know you have to worry. We're going to work collaboratively with the union to look at our policies and practices and our training on additional ways to deal with these situations."

To measure the violence, the Tribune gathered worker compensation claims, police reports and interviews with DCFS officials.

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In a Cook County case from last year, a DCFS worker needed more than six months of disability leave after she was attacked by a parent, DCFS officials confirmed.

Two years ago, a child's relative purposely smashed a car into a worker's vehicle in Chicago, T-boning the car of the worker seeking protective custody of a child, DCFS officials confirmed.

In 2014, a DCFS worker in Cook County needed two months off after she went to take protective custody of a child but was confronted by the child's mother and two friends, who beat her.

A Harvey DCFS worker in 2013 needed weeks off after a beating left her with an eye injury, and she still has eye damage, according to Tribune interviews with DCFS officials and the worker's colleagues.

At least five people were arrested in attacks since 2013, court records show. Two of them were jailed after threatening to shoot DCFS caseworkers.

In other cases DCFS workers declined to bring charges against relatives of the children they were seeking to protect.

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In a Chicago case from 2015, a man with a lengthy record of criminal violence and mental illness threatened to kill a DCFS supervisor's daughter, while a woman with him jumped out at that supervisor from the bushes outside the juvenile court building and cursed at her, according to government records reported by the Tribune in May. The supervisor declined to press charges, but asked to be removed from that family's case, records show.

Union officials said there is no way to comprehensively track attacks and threats against DCFS workers. But they noted that workers frequently face threats and harassment that does not warrant a police report as they visit homes racked by domestic violence, drug abuse and criminal activity.

A bill introduced earlier this month by state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Freeport, would give DCFS workers the same protections as police officers, firemen and peace officers by making it a Class 1 felony to batter a DCFS worker performing his or her official duties. Perpetrators would face more severe penalties upon sentencing.

A dozen central Illinois lawmakers, 11 Republicans and 1 Democrat, have signed as co-sponsors.

"It's unfortunate an act of violence was inflicted on a DCFS worker in order for legislation to be proposed," said co-sponsor state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. "This bill will give DCFS workers the additional legal protections they deserve."

DCFS Director Walker has conveyed her support for Stewart's bill to the agency's legislative staff, Skene said. "We welcome everybody's involvement to figure out what more we could do to protect the workers when they're out in these dangerous situations," he said.

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In the Sterling field office, DCFS has given Knight's co-workers paid time off to deal with their grief and personal pain, offered counseling and added staff, Walker told the Tribune.

Knight is in a Chicago rehab facility and remains in a coma seven weeks after the attack. Her husband, Don Knight, said after a recent court hearing that she "will require medical assistance and equipment to support her for the remainder of her life," according to the Sauk Valley Newspapers.

Carroll County prosecutors last month upgraded charges against Andrew Sucher, who now faces two counts of felony aggravated battery for allegedly beating Knight to the ground and kicking her head when she went to his parents' Milledgeville home to take custody of a child.

Sucher has pleaded not guilty but remains jailed in Carroll County on a $200,000 bond. He also faces separate Whiteside County charges of domestic violence and aggravated battery of a child.

dyjackson@chicagotribune.com

gmarx@chicagotribune.com

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"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" arrives on Netflix on Dec. 5. (Disney-Marvel Studios)

If youre going to be spending many hours with family in the next month during the holiday season, then look to Netflix for a break from all the nagging questions about your love life and career. Or, bond with your cousins over your shared love of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Other titles to be excited about: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, coming on Dec. 5, the return of Netflix originals Easy on Dec. 1 and The Crown on Dec. 8. As for last call titles, we suggest you get to bingeing It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia before its first 11 seasons leave the streaming site.

Here's the complete rundown of what is coming and leaving Netflix in December.

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Jump to what's leaving Netflix

Dec. 1

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8 Mile

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

All Hail King Julien: Season 5 Netflix original

A StoryBots Christmas Netflix original

August Rush

Chef & My Fridge: 2017

Dark: Season 1 Netflix original

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Diana: In Her Own Words

Dreamcatcher

DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays Netflix original

Easy: Season 2 Netflix original

Exporting Raymond

Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story

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Full Metal Jacket

Hitch

My Happy Family Netflix original

Nacho Libre

Sahara

The Farthest - Voyager in Space

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The Little Rascals

The Wackness

The Young Victoria

Tyson

V for Vendetta

TURN: Washington's Spies: Season 4

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Voyeur Netflix original

While You Were Sleeping

Dec. 4

When Calls the Heart: Season 4

Dec. 5

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight Netflix original

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Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Dec. 6

Trolls Holiday Special

Dec. 8

El Camino Christmas Netflix original

The Crown: Season 2 Netflix original

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Dec. 11

Catwoman

The Magicians: Season 2

Dec. 12

Disney's The Santa Clause

Disney's The Santa Clause 2

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Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

Judd Apatow: The Return Netflix original

Dec. 14

41 Dogs in My Home

A&E: When Patients Attack

Ainsley Eats the Streets: Season 1

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Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4

Dec. 15

A Five Star Life

Christmas Inheritance Netflix original

Discovering Bigfoot

El Senor de los Cielos: Season 5

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Erased: Season 1 Netflix original

Freeway: Crack In The System

Neverlake

Pottersville

Reggie Yates Outside Man: Volume 2

The Haunting of Helena

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The Mafia Kills Only in Summer

The Ranch: Part 4 Netflix original

Trollhunters: Part 2 Netflix original

Ultimate Beastmaster Netflix original

Wormwood Netflix original

Dec. 18

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Hello, My Twenties!: Season 2 Netflix original

Dec. 19

Miss Me This Christmas

Russell Howard: Recalibrate Netflix original

The Indian Detective: Season 1 Netflix original

You Cant Fight Christmas

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Dec. 20

La Casa de Papel: Season 1 Netflix original

Dec. 21

Peaky Blinders: Season 4 Netflix original

Dec. 22

72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America: Season 1 Netflix original

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Bright Netflix original

Dope: Season 1 Netflix original

Fuller House: Season 3, New Episodes Netflix original

Rosario Tijeras: Season 1

The Toys That Made Us: Season 1 Netflix original

Dec. 23

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Creep 2

Myths & Monsters: Season 1

Dec. 25

Cable Girls: Season 2 Netflix original

Planet Earth II

Dec. 26

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Todd Barry: Spicy Honey Netflix original

Travelers: Season 2 Netflix original

All Hail King Julien: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Beat Bugs: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Larva: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Pororo: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

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Puffin Rock: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Skylanders Academy: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Trollhunters: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

True and The Rainbow Kingdom: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Word Party: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018

Dec. 27

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Pusher

Dec. 29

Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 2: Part 1 Netflix original

Killer Legends

La Mante: Season 1 Netflix original

Shelter

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The Climb Netflix original

Dec. 31

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity  Netflix original

Fun Mom Dinner

Dec. 1

All I Want for Christmas

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Bedazzled

Black Snake Moan

Compulsion

Cousin Bette

Hoffa

La Viuda Negra: Season 1

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Picture Perfect

Practical Magic

Rebelde

Scary Movie 2

Scary Movie 3

Super Size Me

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Terriers: Season 1

The Crucible

The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus

The Man from Snowy River

Touch: Season 2

Toys

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Two Girls and a Guy

Waking Life

Young Frankenstein

Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Seasons 1-2

Dec. 5

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Holes

Dec. 9

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1-11

Dec. 10

Lucky Number Slevin

Nightcrawler

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The Rite

Dec. 11

Dollhouse: Season 2

Dec. 13

The Queen of Versailles

Dec. 15

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America's Funniest Home Video Kids: Holidazed

America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Animals with Attitude: Season 1

America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: It's Tough Being a Kid: Season 1

America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Playtime Ain't for Wimps: Season 1

America's Funniest Home Videos: New Collection D: Nincompoop Nation

Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself

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Dec. 19

Dance Academy: Series 1-3

Dec. 20

Che: Parts 1 & 2

Dec. 24

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Amores Perros

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Dec. 25

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

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@michelleglopez | mglopez@redeyechicago.com
Sure, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every single year, but somehow it always manages to creep up and catch us unprepared.

If you want to take it easy and avoid the last-minute shopping scrambleand also dont feel like getting dressed up for dining outweve got a few restaurants thatll do most of the heavy lifting so you can enjoy a turkey day meal in comfy pants on your couch.

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Bub City

435 N. Clark St. 312-610-4200

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Bub Citys Thanksgiving To-Go option ($23.95 per person, serves eight) features a whole smoked turkey, cornbread and sage stuffing, salad, mashed potatoes and gravy and optional add-ons including brisket baked beans and green bean casserole. Call to place your order by 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 and pick it up on Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Florentine

151 W. Adams St. 312-660-8866

Not in the mood for turkey? Grab an Italian cobb salad ($16) with chicken, avocado, egg, bacon and gorgonzola, Margherita pizza ($13) or Americano burger ($18) with charred onion and house fry sauce. Dont forget an assortment of Italian cookies ($6) for dessert. You can walk into the Loop spot and place your order with the front host or hostess, or call aheadjust make sure to do it between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Jake Melnicks Corner Tap

41 E. Superior St. 312-266-0400

Some people make sandwiches with leftover turkey the day after the holiday, but who says you have to wait? Head over to Jake Melnicks for Thanksgiving on a Bun, a turkey patty topped with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy. If you arent a fan of pie, you can still get your sweet potato fix with a side of tots. The festive sandwich is $10 on Thanksgiving and available for $15.95 the rest of November.

Mity Nice Bar and Grill

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835 N. Michigan Ave. 312-335-4745

If youre planning to do some Black Friday shopping at Water Tower Place, you might as well scope it out beforehand with a visit to Mity Nices Thanksgiving buffet. For $19.95, youll get two containers (48 and 38 ounces) and one soup cup. Fill those up with selections including shrimp and crab bisque, pepper-crusted beef tenderloin, baked macaroni and cheese and pumpkin chiffon pie. The buffet is open noon-8 p.m.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

The Promontory

5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West 312-801-2100

This Hyde Park favorite offers dinner packages for different-sized groups. The dinner for two ($56) includes one turkey leg and half a turkey breast with gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and two slices of pie. Dinner Package A for four to six guests ($225) includes a fully cooked 10-12 pound Slagel Farms turkey, three side dishes (choose between dressing, mac and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes and broccolini) and an apple or sweet potato pie. Dinner Package B serves seven to 10 folks ($400) and comes with everything in Package A, plus all five sides and both pies. Place your order online at promontorychicago.com, then pick it up between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Timothy OTooles Pub

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622 N. Fairbanks Court 312-642-0700

If, for some reason, youve got a taste for fried balls, Timothy OTooles is the place to be. Their annual Turkey Testicle Festival is on Black Wednesday, but the Streeterville pub has several Thanksgiving specials, including a bucket of deep-fried turkey testicles ($11), turkey panini with bacon and cranberry mayo ($12) and pumpkin pie with whipped cream ($4). Theyre open 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., so this is a good option if you crave a midnight snack after your Thanksgiving dinner.

@SadeMichelle | smcarpenter@redeyechicago.com

[ Still hungry? More of RedEye's restaurant coverage ]
South Barrington officials are considering a 2.8 percent increase to the village's property tax levy, as they look to contribute more to their police pension fund and cover increases to employee benefits, officials said.

If approved, the village's latest property tax levy request would bring in an estimated $2.7 million to the village. Officials' request last year ended up bringing in $2.6 million in property taxes to South Barrington.

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Under the requested amount, a South Barrington homeowner with an $850,000 valued home would pay $37 more a year in property taxes to the village, officials said.

The proposed property tax levy comes after village trustees approved a balanced 2017-18 budget earlier this spring, estimating $7 million in expenditures and $7.1 million in revenues.

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"We are very careful with taxpayers money," said Village President Paula McCombie. "We spend a lot of time getting contracts down to the lowest bid. We're kind of fanatics about that."

The increased property tax levy would help officials cover police pensions, which is set to increase 2.6 percent from $806,000 total to $827,000, based on village actuaries, said Michelle Bodie, finance director and treasurer for South Barrington.

Officials also recently started paying $50,000 more a year to help cover employee's health insurance, which partially is causing the increased levy request this year, Bodie said.

If the request is approved, the general fund part of the levy, covering public safety salaries and benefits, will go from $1.75 million to $1.8 million, she said.

Residents can share their thoughts on the proposed property tax levy in South Barrington during a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 inside South Barrington Village Hall, 30 S. Barrington Road.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Editors: Ramya Bodupalli and Zhou Qian

Chinas value-added tax (VAT) reform is the largest tax overhaul in the country since 1994. The reform began as a Shanghai-based pilot program  a popular method for incubating reforms in the country  in 2012 before expanding to other cities and nationwide to all sectors in 2016.

In short, the reform replaced the Business Tax (BT)  which previously coexisted alongside VAT, and applied to a select number of industries  with the VAT. After VAT reform, authorities treated the sale of goods and services alike, eliminating the disproportionate taxation of services and simplifying Chinas tax system

Nevertheless, authorities have continued to amend the reform.

In August 2017, the State Council announced plans to enhance the non-standardized tax rate structure, simplify the tax compliance system, and push forward VAT legislation. Prior to this, in July 2017, Chinas State Administration of Taxation (SAT) simplified the VAT system from four to three tiers: VAT rates were simplified to three brackets  six, 11, 17 percent, with the 13 percent bracket removed.

The nature of VAT reform will remain fluid as the authorities continue to simplify and streamline VAT in the country. In the meantime, the demands of the VAT system remain onerous, particularly for foreign investors who are unfamiliar with the tax system in China. In this article, we explain the basics for calculating VAT in China.

Taxpayer categories



Under the VAT, taxpayers fall into one of two categories based on their annual taxable sales amount: general taxpayers or small-scale taxpayers.

Taxpayers with annual taxable sales exceeding the annual sales ceiling set for small-scale taxpayers must apply for general taxpayer status. A company must obtain VAT general taxpayer status in order to issue fapiao, which is a key requirement for conducting business. The sales ceilings are:

RMB 500,000 (US $75,400) for industrial taxpayers (i.e., enterprises primarily engaged in the manufacture of goods or provision of taxable services);

RMB 800,000 (US $120,570) for commercial taxpayers (i.e., enterprises engaged in the wholesale or retail of goods) ; and,

RMB 5 million (US$754,000) for VAT reform taxpayers.

Small-scale taxpayers are subject to a lower three percent uniform VAT rate; general taxpayers are subject to rates ranging from six to 17 percent. However, small-scale taxpayers cannot credit input VAT from output VAT, nor are they entitled to VAT export exemptions and refunds.

Taxpayers who have annual taxable sales below the ceiling, as well as taxpayers who have recently established a new business, can voluntarily apply for general taxpayer recognition, provided they are capable of setting up legitimate, valid, and accurate bookkeeping.

Tax specialists at Dezan Shira & Associates note that local tax authorities may use unwritten requirements to assess the type and number of VAT fapiao available to the taxpayers. These soft requirements may include factors such as registered capital, office size, and number of employees.

RELATED: How Chinas VAT System Skews Financial Reporting

Calculating VAT

Taxpayers may use two methods for calculating VAT payable: the general calculation method and the simplified calculation method. Generally, the former applies to general taxpayers and the latter applies to small-scale taxpayers.

General calculation method

VAT payable under the general calculation method is the current output VAT deducted by the current input VAT:

VAT payable = Current output VAT  Current input VAT

Output VAT refers to the VAT amount calculated according to the sales volume of the taxable services provided and the applicable VAT rate:

Output VAT = Sales volume x VAT rate

Sales volume refers to the entire price and other charges obtained by the taxpayer from providing taxable services. Where the taxpayers pricing combines sales volume with output VAT, the taxpayer should use the below formula to calculate the sales volume:

Sales volume = Tax-inclusive sales volume / (1 + VAT rate)

Input VAT refers to the VAT paid, or borne by the taxpayer, when purchasing goods, or receiving processing, repair and replacement services, as well as taxable services. Input VAT that taxpayers can deduct from output VAT includes the VAT amount specified on:

A special VAT invoice (including goods transportation industry VAT special invoices) obtained from the seller;

A Customs Import VAT Special Payment Document obtained from Customs; or,

A tax payment certificate obtained from the tax authority or Chinese agent for taxable services provided by foreign entities or individuals (in this case, the written contract, proof of payment and bill or invoice issued by the foreign entity are also required).

Tax specialists at Dezan Shira & Associates provided the following example: A design company purchases RMB 600 worth of design services from a supplier, and then provides RMB 1,000 worth of design services to a customer. The VAT rate for design services is 6 percent; the VAT payable is RMB1,000 x 6%  RMB600 x 6% = RMB 24.

If the current output VAT amount is less than the current input VAT amount, taxpayers forward the outstanding portion to the next filing period. However, taxpayers should note that certain input VAT items cannot be deducted from output VAT, including non-VAT taxable items, VAT-exempt items, and items that adopt the simplified calculation method.

If a taxpayer provides taxable services that are subject to different rates, the taxpayer should account the sales volume for each tax rate separately or else the highest tax rate will apply.

Where an overseas entity or individual provides taxable services in China and does not have an operating entity in China, the tax withholding party should calculate the amount of tax to be withheld using the below formula:

Amount of tax to be withheld = Price paid by the service recipient / (1 + VAT rate) x VAT rate

Simplified calculation method

Under the simplified calculation method, no input VAT is deductible and a uniform 3 percent levying rate applies:

VAT payable = Sales volume x VAT levying rate (3%)

Tax Compliance Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

Zero-rated VAT and VAT exempt services

The export of taxable services are zero-rated or VAT exempt. Both zero-rated and VAT exempt services are exempt from output VAT.

What is the difference between zero-rated and exempted VAT? Under zero-rated VAT, the input VAT attributable to the export of services can be credited from VAT payable and/or refunded. Under the exemption system, the input VAT attributable to export of services cannot be credited or refunded.

According to relevant regulations, VAT zero-rating takes precedence over VAT exemption when a pilot service is eligible for both VAT zero-rating and VAT exemption. A provider of zero-rated VAT services may opt to pay VAT or apply for VAT exemption instead by filing a relevant declaration; however, these taxpayers cannot elect for a VAT zero-rating in the subsequent 36 months.

Since the procedures for obtaining a tax refund for zero-rated VAT services are complex, taxpayers who have little input VAT deductible often opt for VAT exemption.

Zero-rated VAT calculation methods and treatments

For zero-rated VAT services, the exemption, credit and refund method applies to the provision of zero-rated services by taxpayers who adopt the general calculation method, while the exemption and refund method applies to foreign trade enterprises that provide both zero-rated and other services. These methods are as follows:

The exemption, credit and refund method: VAT is exempted, and the corresponding amount of input VAT is used to offset the amount of VAT payable  any surplus is refunded.

The exemption and refund method: VAT is exempted, and the corresponding input VAT on purchased taxable services is refunded.

Special VAT invoice cannot be issued for zero-rated services. Providers of zero-rated taxable services should submit the following materials in order to qualify for the treatment:

An application form for recognition of export tax refund (exemption) eligibility and electronic data generated by the export tax refund (exemption) reporting system;

The relevant business licenses and permits for international transportation services;

The time charter and wet lease for international transportation services as well as the relevant contract or agreement for lessees leasing transportation tools via voyage charter;

The Technology Export Contract Registration Certificate for R&D and design services;

The certification qualification, the Foreign Trade Operator Filing Registration Form, and the PRC Customs Goods Import and Export Consignor Consignee Customs Registration Certificate for zero-rated VAT services providers that engage in export of goods but have not undergone export tax refund (exemption).

Following the recognition of the sales revenue from the provision of zero-rated VAT services, the service providers should file VAT returns and apply for refunds with the tax authority within the VAT filing period in the subsequent month (or quarter).

The service provider should collect all relevant certificates and apply for a refund between the subsequent month (or quarter) following revenue recognition and April 30 of the following year, or they will no longer be entitled to obtain the refund (exemption).

Among other materials, international transportation service providers should provide original copies of the cargo, passenger manifests, or other vouchers reflecting the service revenue. R&D and design service providers should provide the relevant Technology Export Contract Registration Certificate and R&D or design agreement signed with the overseas entity.

Obtaining VAT exemption

To obtain exemption for exported services, a written cross-border service contract must be signed with the service recipient. In addition, the entire income from the service must be obtained from overseas. Companies that utilize intercompany arrangements should note that no exemption can be applied if a local branch or company pays for the service.

Taxpayers providing VAT exempt exported services should conduct separate accounting for the sales volume of the exported services and calculate non-deductible input VAT. No special VAT invoice should be issued for VAT-exempt income.

To apply for exemption, taxpayers should conduct filing with the tax authority and submit materials, including the service agreement (translated into Chinese from any foreign language), proof that the service took place overseas, proof that the service recipient is located overseas, and any proof that the transport involves foreign destinations.

Editors note: This article was originally published on December 19, 2013; the article has been reviewed, revised, and updated to reflect the latest developments.



About Us China Briefing is published by Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, including ASEAN, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road, and Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here, and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here. Dezan Shira & Associates is a full service practice in China, providing business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax, IT, HR, payroll, and advisory services throughout the China and Asian region. For assistance with China business issues or investments into China, please contact us at china@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com

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

This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting.

Chinas Investment Landscape: Identifying New Opportunities

Chinas foreign investment landscape has experienced pivotal changes this year. In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we examine how foreign investors can capitalize on Chinas latest FDI reforms. First, we outline new industry liberalizations in both Chinas FTZs and the country at large. We then consider when an FTZ makes sense as an investment location, and what businesses should consider when entering one. Finally, we give an overview of Chinas latest pro-business reforms that streamline a wide range of administrative and regulatory measures.

Dezan Shira & Associates
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Visits by overseas tourists to China's Hainan Province reached 887,000 between January and October, up 57.1 percent year on year.

It is estimated that the visits made by inbound visitors will hit a historical high of 1 million by the beginning of December, according to Zhou Ping, deputy head of the Hainan tourism development commission, on Sunday.

In order to facilitate the travels of foreign tourists, the province has launched over 50 direct air routes connecting Russia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

From 2013 to 2015, Hainan witnessed a plunge in inbound tourism with the number of overseas tourists falling from 970,000 to 500,000. At the same time, wealthier domestic tourists had shifted from vacationing in Hainan to overseas destinations.

Over the past few years, the province has invested heavily in promoting tourism through all kinds of media platforms and by organizing online and offline promotional activities.

Zhou said Hainan has hosted tourism promotions in European, Southeast Asian and Central Asian countries.
You are here: Home

China's insurance regulator said Monday that it has banned three life insurance firms from issuing new products in the next six months.

The three companies, the Bank of Communications Life Insurance, ABC Life Insurance and Greatwall Life Insurance, have violated certain regulatory provisions, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) said on its website.

Investigators have found serious problems in the companies' product design and management, the commission said, ordering the companies to recall the defective products and rectify the problems.

CIRC said it will continue to tighten regulatory supervision and punish irregularities.

This came amid the country's efforts to intensify financial regulation and supervision to contain financial risks.
Cai Qi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, has ordered a city-wide safety check after a deadly fire killed 19 people and injured eight others.

A fire broke out on Saturday night at a three-story apartment at Xinjian Village, Daxing District in the southern suburb. A total of 19 people died. Eight people were sent to hospital, and seven of them have been out of danger.

Preliminary investigation showed there was a refrigeration facility in the basement of the apartment, where fire was likely to have started, fire fighters said. Fire fighters said there was heavy smoke in the building but no large flames.

Cai Qi and acting mayor Chen Jining led other officials to the site of the fire on Sunday morning and stood in silent tribute to the victims.

On Sunday afternoon, Cai convened a city-wide conference.

"Lessons of the fire is extremely grave. The city must be on high alert. We must take actions and protect people's lives and safeguard the safety and stability of the capital," he said.

Cai ordered a clean-up of industrial compounds, illegal construction and disorderly venues in order to eliminate fire risks.

Local officials must check every village and every courtyard for security risks, he said.

An investigation team has been set up to ascertain the cause of the fire and punish those who are responsible.
Legal professionals have welcomed a revision to the law that aims to tackle the growing number of lawsuits related to smartphone apps.

The demand for smart mobile devices has soared in China in the past five years, creating a highly lucrative app market. Yet the rush to profit has resulted in rogue business tactics, such as copying well-known brands or creating apps that block users from downloading rival software.

A report last year from the Supreme People's Court showed that courts nationwide filed 2,181 lawsuits over unfair competition in 2015, up by about 54 percent year-on-year. Those related to the internet increased sharply, it said.

To deal with that, a new clause in the Law Against Unfair Competition, which for the first time regulates the behavior of technology companies involved in the app market, was approved by national legislators this month.

The revised law, which takes effect in January, "specifically responds to unfair competition online, which receives the most complaints from the public, and will help judges deal with the rise in such disputes more accurately", said Yang Dejia, chief judge of the intellectual property tribunal of Haidian District People's Court in Beijing.

Disputes over unfair practices "not only harm the interests of app makers but also disrupt general market order", he said at a forum over the weekend.

The new clause sets out several forms of misconduct, including copying another's brand, and states that unfair behavior should be punished by banning the offender from the market.

In 2015, the Chaoyang District People's Court in Beijing ordered a technology company to pay 200,000 yuan ($30,190) to a media company because an app designed by the defendant had the same name that the plaintiff had used in its WeChat public account.

"The app market is the harder-hit section and breeds unfair competition, because mobile devices have become a major way to surf the internet," Yang said.

Yang Huaquan, a law professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, also welcomed the revision. The unfair competition law was first introduced in 1993.

"However, the new clause needs to be continuously observed in practice and improved because it may get out of date easily in light of rapid developments in cyberspace," he said.

Diao Yunyun, an employee responsible for legal affairs at Tencent, one of China's largest technology enterprises, said: "The clause is too specific to cover all unfair competition online."

For example, she said, theft of app data is not mentioned in the law, though it happens frequently in the market.

She said she is looking forward to seeing the clause further interpreted in future legal documents to correct other unfairly competitive behavior online. "After all, we don't want it to be rendered ineffective in a short time," she said.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/U Aung)

China and Myanmar on Sunday vowed to further promote their bilateral relationship and deepen their pragmatic cooperation.

The pledge came during talks held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, between Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang said China regards Myanmar as an important partner in the joint development of the China- proposed Belt and Road Initiative, noting that China and Myanmar enjoy obvious complementarity.

He said China stands ready to work on an economic corridor between the two countries according to Myanmar's national development plan and its actual needs so as to further strengthen China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation.

At the talks, the Chinese minister stressed that China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are neighbors with "paukphaw" ("fraternal" in the Myanmar language) friendship and China firmly supports Suu Kyi in governing the country in line with the will of the Myanmar people.

China also firmly supports Myanmar in its efforts to uphold the country's sovereignty, independence, security and dignity as well as in its endeavours to realize the national reconciliation, he said.

Wang expressed the hope that relevant parties in Myanmar follow the "Panglong" spirit and realize long-standing peace at an early date through friendly consultations.

Suu Kyi, for her part, said that what Myanmar people most want now is peace, stability and development, highlighting that it is of utmost importance for Myanmar to cooperate with China to realize these goals.

She expressed appreciation of China's proposal to build the China-Myanmar economic corridor, saying the initiative is highly matched with Myanmar's national development plan.

Suu Kyi said that by participating in the corridor building, Myanmar hopes to cooperate with China in such priority areas as transport and electricity. They are the two sectors facing problems that call for urgent action in the country, she added.

Myanmar would like to develop synergy with China on the proposal of building the economic corridor at an early date, she said.

On the Rakhine state issue, Wang Yi said at the talks that it is complex and can only be properly addressed between Myanmar and Bangladesh through friendly consultations.

He called on the international community to create necessary conditions and an enabling environment for the settlement of the issue.

According to Wang, China has proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue.

Suu Kyi said Myanmar values the understanding for the country China has expressed on the Rakhine state issue and agrees to the China-proposed three-phase solution.

The Myanmar state counsellor hoped that China continues to play an important role in pushing for the early settlement of the Rakhine state issue.

After the talks, Wang Yi and Suu Kyi attended an agreements exchange ceremony as well as an unveiling ceremony of a Chinese cultural center.
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People watch as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the nation on television, at a bar in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told his countrymen on live television on Sunday evening that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December, hours after the Zanu-PF sacked him as party chief.

In his address from the State House, Mugabe, flanked by army generals, acknowledged the presence of ills afflicting his party and said he would chair the Zanu-PF's congress next month to resolve the problems once and for all.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now and I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

He said he agreed with the army generals that the infighting in the party was hurting the national economy.

"Among the issues discussed (with the army generals) is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. Of greater concern to our commanders are the well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness of purpose in both party and government was translating into perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy," he said.

The internal conflicts in the ruling party were being caused by inter-generational disagreements that must be resolved through merging of old established players as they embrace new rules, he said.

The televised address came not long after the Zanu-PF central committee decided at a special meeting earlier Sunday to remove Mugabe from the position of party leader and give him until noon Monday to resign as president or face impeachment proceedings.

At the same meeting, the ruling party also nullified expulsion of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.

Mnangagwa and First Lady Grace Mugabe have been contending to succeed Mugabe, one of the longest serving leaders in Africa.

The military intervened and took over control of the country after Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa as his deputy for alleged disloyalty and deceit. Mnangagwa had been Mugabe's political ally for more than 40 years.

Reports said Mugabe and his wife were under house arrest since the military operation on Wednesday.

Mugabe made his first public appearance on Friday since the military takeover, attending a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University.

Speaking Sunday on television, Mugabe said the military operation on Wednesday was triggered by concerns arising from their reading of the state of affairs in the country and the party.

"Whatever the pros and cons of the way they went about registering those concerns, I as the president of Zimbabwe and their commander-in-chief do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to and I do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern of the stability of our nation and for the welfare of our people."

Mugabe said in his meeting with the military commanders that they underscored the need for the party to collectively start the process to return the nation to normalcy.

Mugabe said the military operation did not amount to a threat to the country's constitutional order nor was it a challenge to his authority as the head of state and government and commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

He said he was happy that throughout the short period of the military intervention the pillars of state remained functioning.

Mugabe said the infighting in his party was affecting government projects and should now stop as the party inaugurates a new work culture which shows a strong sense of purpose and commitment to improving the economy.

Mugabe also acknowledged the role played by liberation war fighters, saying the party will strive to care for their welfare and ensure their participation in strategic party and government positions. He said the party has to return to its guiding principles as enshrined in the constitution, which must be applied fairly and equitably in all situations.
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At least 15 people died and five others injured in a stampede during distribution of food aid in Morocco's southern province of Essaouira, according to Moroccan state TV channel 2M.

The stampede, which took place in the village of Sidi Boulalam, occurred when local people rushed to get food. Most of the victims were women and elderly people.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI had given direct orders to support families of the victims, said the Interior Ministry.

Distributions of food aid are common in the North African nation, especially in remote areas. The activities are organized by private sponsors as well as by the authorities.

A recent drought has greatly hammered agricultural output in Morocco, leading to the high cost of food.
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Photo taken on Nov. 19, 2017 shows a general view of an extraordinary meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. [Photo/Xinhua]

Arab foreign ministers condemned on Sunday Iran's intervention into Arab countries' affairs, saying they have asked the Arab group at the UN to address the President of the UN Security Council over Iran's violations.

In a statement after the an extraordinary meeting requested by Saudi Arabia, the Arab foreign ministers said they will ask the Arab Group at the UN to address the UN Security Council over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2231 on developing Tehran's ballistic missiles.

"This undermines Iran's allegations that its ballistic missile program is defensive as it threatens the Arabs' national security," the statement said.

The ministers also said they will ask the Arab Group to address the UNSC over Iran's violations of the Council's resolution 2216 by providing armed militias in Yemen with weapons, considering targeting Saudi Arabia with an Iranian-made ballistic missile launched from Yemen as an offensive from Iran.

"The Arab Group will ask the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility to maintain international peace and security," according to the statement.

The Arab foreign ministers condemned Iran's intervention into the internal affairs of Bahrain by supporting terrorists, providing them with weapons and training as well as stirring sectarian sedition.

They said that Iran establishes terrorist groups inside Bahrain that were financed and trained by Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.

The ministers held Hezbollah responsible for aiding terror groups in many Arab countries and providing them with up-to-date weapons, including ballistic missiles.

For decades, Shiite Iran has been demonized in the Sunni-dominated Arab world who accuses the Persian state of attempting to destabilize Arab states through aiding terror and opposition groups in many Arab countries.

However, Iran has always dismissed these accusations, saying it has always sought good ties with its Arab neighbors.

During the ministerial meeting, Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, who chaired the meeting, described Iran's interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries as a major challenge that should be immediately handled.

He said that Iran's unprecedented interference in Arab affairs could hinder efforts aimed at restoring Yemen's security and stability, he stressed, calling on top Arab diplomats to take a firm stance towards Iran's malpractices in the Arab region.

For his part, AL Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said targeting an Arab capital with ballistic missiles by illegal and regionally supported militants is a dangerous threat which should not be dealt with as a normal matter.

Aboul-Gheit underlined that the missile launched by Houthi militants on a Riyadh airport on November 4, repelled by the Saudi air defense, is another dangerous episode in a series of violations and intervention in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia.

He explained that the missiles were Iranian-made and considered to be a clear aggressive message from Iran that the Arab capitals were in the range of Tehran's ballistic missiles, stressing that the message was unacceptable, as the Arab countries were able to defend their security and stability, as well as they refused to live under threat.

In addition, the secretary general also pointed to Iran's interference and acts of sabotage, including the targeting of an oil pipeline in Bahrain on November 10, as well as proven facts of espionage networks in Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Iran must respect the sovereignty of Arab states and stop interfering in their domestic affairs.

Shoukry urged Tehran to maintain good relations with the neighboring Arab countries and stop fomenting sedition in the Arab region.

Egypt will not allow any country to undermine security of the Gulf and Arab countries or interfere in their domestic affairs, he stressed.

Addressing the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that AL response to hold this urgent meeting reflected the Arab countries' perception of grave dangers facing the security of the region due to the Iranian blatant intervention in the Arab internal affairs with the aim of destabilizing the region and provoking sectarian strife.

Al Jubeir added that the ballistic missile, which was fired by Houthi militants towards Riyadh, was part of a series of repeated Iranian attacks against Saudi Arabia, pointing out that about 80 Iranian ballistic missiles were fired by the Houthi group in Yemen.

He went on to say that Saudi Arabia would not pass this attack without a reaction or hesitate to defend its national security to maintain the safety of its people.
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Members of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party central committee attend a special meeting in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start.

The ruling party, at a special meeting of its central committee, also nullified expulsion of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and restored him as member of the central committee.

The party's congress for next month will ratify appointment of Mnangagwa as president and first secretary of Zanu-PF.

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was dismissed from position of vice president and second secretary of the party.

Mphoko, First Lady Grace Mugabe, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ignatius Chombo, Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao are expelled from the party.

Secretary for Finance Overt Mpofu and minister of home affairs chaired the meeting. With 201 members attending, quorum needs 151 members for decisions to pass.

Already, all the 10 provincial branches of the party have passed a vote of no confidence in him, making Sunday's central committee meeting merely procedural.

Mugabe is due to meet Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantine Chiwenga on Sunday, state broadcaster ZBC reported Saturday. This will be the second meeting between Mugabe and Chiwenga since the military took over government this week.
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File photo taken on Nov. 23, 2010 shows the Argentine submarine ARA San Juan. An Argentinean submarine has lost contact in the South Atlantic with 44 crew on board, military authorities said on Nov. 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The search for the Argentine submarine that disappeared with 44 crew members on board last Wednesday will continue "until it appears," the Argentine Navy said Sunday.

"We will continue to redouble our efforts tomorrow, day and night, looking by air, sea and underwater until the submarine appears," said captain Gabriel Galeazzi, spokesman for the Navy, in a press release.

The submarine, ARA San Juan, lost contact when carrying out a surveillance mission near the southern city of Puerto Madryn in Argentina's exclusive economic zone in the South Atlantic.

"We have not been able to geolocate the seven satellite calls registered in Argentine naval bases that could have come from the vessel, because they were very short and very weak to provide a reliable location point to be located," Galeazzi told reporters at the naval base of Mar del Plata, where ARA San Juan was based.

Foreign efforts have been joining the search, the Navy said.

Two U.S. airplanes arrived, along with a submarine rescue squadron composed of a mini-submarine and a remote submersible vehicle.

A P-3 exploration aircraft from the Brazilian Air Force arrived and a P-295 exploration aircraft from the Chilean Navy have already been put at the disposal of Argentina. British and French vessels are also actively hunting for the submarine.

The search operation is being led by Argentine Defense Minister Oscar Aguad, who is keeping President Mauricio Macri constantly informed of the operation.

The president stated that everything possible would be done to find the missing submarine.

"We are committed to using all national and international resources that are necessary to find the submarine ARA San Juan as soon as possible," Macri tweeted this week.

He added, "We are in contact with the families of the crew of the missing submarine ARA San Juan to inform and support them. We share their concern and that of all Argentines."

The ARA San Juan is a TR-1700 submarine manufactured in Germany, and joined the Argentine Navy in 1985.
Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to visit Beijing on Tuesday to hold bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Reports by the ROK media say Kang's trip is to prepare for an upcoming summit between the leaders of the two countries.

Kang's visit underscores the two neighbors' earnestness in wanting to fully restore bilateral ties at an early date.

Relations soured after the previous ROK administration decided to deploy the United States' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the ROK. But the two sides announced they would bring bilateral relations back onto their normal track at the end of last month.

This came after Kang told ROK lawmakers that Seoul would not seek additional THAAD deployment and there has been no change in Seoul's stance that it will not participate in the US-led missile defense system. Since then, Beijing and Seoul have sought to rebuild momentum in their bilateral interactions.

President Xi Jinping met his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting earlier this month in Da Nang, Vietnam. A visit by Moon to Beijing next month would signal good relations are well on the way to being fully restored.

The current thaw in bilateral ties would not have happened had the ROK not realized the necessity of adjusting its policy on THAAD.

Moon has adopted a different approach to his predecessor. As his adviser said on Monday, Moon is seeking to build trust with China, Russia and Mongolia through economic cooperation and hopes to eventually expand the cooperation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The strong political resolve and matching actions it has displayed to resolve the THAAD issue have paved the way for China and the ROK to restore trust. It is to be hoped Seoul will honor the commitments it has made.

Mending the fences of bilateral ties epitomizes the political wisdom of the two neighbors. It not only serves their own interests but also caters to the efforts to break the tensions arising from the antagonism between the US and the DPRK.

The situation has been threatening to spin out of control with the rhetoric of Washington and Pyongyang becoming increasingly aggressive. The shared determination of both sides to defuse the crisis without resorting to military options will surely help prevent that nightmare scenario from occurring.

China and the ROK have common interests in pursuing regional peace and stability. Something Xi rightly pointed out during his meeting with Moon in Vietnam.

And the public in the ROK is clearly appreciative of Moon's change of approach. His approval rating has climbed to over 70 percent in recent weeks.

The renewed rapport between Beijing and Seoul ties will help build on fruitful communication among stakeholders in the Korean Peninsula issue of late. This in turn can help create conditions conducive to resolving the issue through dialogue.
'Made in China 2025' strategy leads to a spate of transformative technologies

The 19th China International Industry Fair held in Shanghai earlier this month confirmed for lay people what industry insiders knew for a whilethat global corporate giants as well as domestic companies operating in China are resolutely digitalizing their factories, systems and processes as if their future depended on new technologies such as intelligent manufacturing powered by industrial cloud platform.

"Industrial cloud platform" refers to an automated manufacturing system that integrates advanced machines, internet-connected sensors and big data analytics. It boosts efficiency, productivity, quality and reliability of output, experts said.

In China, it heralds a new era in manufacturing. It will not only showcase the country's coming of age in technology but set the tone for the rest of the world, they said.

Cloud platforms have become integral to companies' implementation of the "Made in China 2025" strategy, which envisages manufacturing upgrade (or automation wherever possible) so that emphasis is on quality as well, not just quantity.

Eventually, all this tech churn would result in products, services, equipment and systemsall customized for individual consumers and companies, and mass-produced in a jiffy, to highest quality.

Automated cars, superfast PCs, quicker airline and hotel bookings, high-tech online shopping, fool-proof online financial transactionsconceivably, all will be within the realm of possibility.

Earlier this month, Swiss company ABB Group offered a sneak preview of such possibilities. Its new small robot, the IRB 1100, can handle small parts and assembly functions in the manufacture of computers, communications equipment and consumer electronics.

"China's growing demand for high-value products, especially automobiles, and home-related services, offers many growth points," said Peter Tyroller, a board member responsible for the Asia-Pacific at Robert Bosch GmbH, the German mobility, industrial and software conglomerate.

To exploit growth points that Tyroller sees, and for the Made in China 2025 strategy to succeed, intelligent manufacturing and robots are vital, said He Dongdong, senior vice-president of Sany Heavy Industry Co.

No wonder, big companies are investing heavily in those areas, spurring a healthy competition, as smaller firms, their corporate clients across industries, vie to digitalize themselves.

Rather than waiting for government policy to stimulate the market, domestic companies China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp or CASIC, Sany and Haier Group have all pushed their own industrial cloud platformsRootcloud, CosmoPlat system and CASICloud respectivelyto grab as much market share as possible.

That's because the domestic market is currently dominated by foreign companies (but more about them in a bit).

CASIC, the State-owned defense giant, has been promoting its CASICloud website since June 2015. The website was designed to enable users to benefit from the industrial internet.

"We thought of adopting the industrial internet several years ago as CASIC was seeking to better coordinate its research and production in the manufacture of space products," said Shu Jinlong, chairman of CASICloud Technology Co, a subsidiary of CASIC that is responsible for operating the Chinese platform.

"With the introduction of our internal industrial internet, we have improved the efficiency and productivity of institutes and factories under CASIC. So we hope that the industrial internet could help more businesses."

So far, more than 800,000 businesses, including 3,000 foreign companies, have begun using CASICloud. More than 90 percent of them are small, privately held firms.

Through the website, users can also publish ideas and invite tenders for production, monitoring and control of their factories' machines in real time, collect and analyze data gathered in the manufacturing process as well as optimize their operating systems.

More such wonders were on show at the Shanghai fair. ABB robots showed how they can, through continuous press automation, speed up output rate, churning out up to 14 parts per minute in press lines.

The emerging technologies have already inspired several corporate moves in China.

For instance, in August, Siemens China set up its first research and development center in Chengdu for Mind-Sphere.

In September, it reached an agreement with the Hong Kong Science Park to build the first MindSphere-based digitalization center for a smart city.

Earlier this month, Siemens also signed a strategic partnership with Shanghai Hytera Co, a communication equipment manufacturer, to provide digitalization design consulting, product lifecycle management software, as well as complete automation solutions to the company.

Wang Haibin, vice-president and general manager of the digital factory at Siemens China, said the partnership with Hytera is in line with ongoing efforts to promote digital transformation at local enterprises. "Siemens will continue to leverage advanced technologies in electrification, automation and digitalization to create value for Chinese clients."

Over the past year, Siemens has agreed to provide consultation and solutions for digital upgrading to Chinese companies such as HBIS Group, Baowu Group, Jinyu Biotechnology, Cathay Industrial Biotech, Yunnan Baiyao and Jomoo.

Similarly, in June, Robert Bosch and Baidu, the Chinese online search giant, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on smart mobility in China.

Bosch will be involved in Baidu's Apollo project, which aims to provide open software for the development of automated vehicles.

Under the deal, Bosch will contribute sensors and its Bosch Road Signature map-ping service for vehicle localization. Both companies will provide technical expertise to support the drafting of legislation relating to automated driving in China.

Shi Yong, vice-president of Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Information Research Institute, said cloud platforms will continue to push Chinese companies in many emerging as well as traditional sectors.

They will feel the need to adopt trends in digital, intelligent, service-oriented and platform-based development to enrich their operations, he said.

Globally, the tech wave began to rise in 2014 when the US-based General Electric launched its Predix platform. Germany's Siemens AG followed it up in 2016 by launching MindSphere, a cloud-based open internet of things operating system.

ABB Group and France's Schneider Electric SA, too, announced their own new platforms: ABB Ability and EcoStruxure, respectively, to create a whole new paradigm for the global manufacturing sector.

"Industrial cloud platform is able to enhance cross-industry digital service ability and extend from device to cloud-with devices, systems, solutions, services and a platform that enable customers to improve efficiency, add economic value and ensure precision in their products," said Gu Chunyuan, ABB's president for Asia, Middle East and Africa regions.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB's Robotics and Motion Division, said, "The global manufacturing industry is changing. Rising demand for individualization and customization is increasing the complexity of automation, bringing higher requirements for smart and communicating devices, flexible and efficient automation processes and seamless collaboration across the value chain."

So, China has set a goal for itself to establish up to 300 demonstration projects throughout the country by 2020, including 40 system solution providers with more than 1 billion yuan in annual sales revenue, according to the China Information Technology Industry Federation.

He of Sany said, "Most Chinese manufacturers are still at industry 2.0 phase, in terms of technology. The ones who are working on industry 4.0 need to lead and guide the small ones to upgrade."

A glimpse of China Inc's future

Siemens' cutting-edge digitalized plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the first one outside of Germany, epitomizes the industrial cloud that will soon become commonplace in China.

The facility develops and produces industrial automation products like programmable logic controllers and human-machine interfaces for the China and global industrial markets.

Such products are used widelyin automotive, machinery manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, glass, cement, metallurgy, power, petrochemical, city subway transportation fields.

At the highly automated unit, raw as well as processed materials are sorted and delivered to the production line concerned at the exact time, without a worker having to lift a finger.

"The key to making this smart manufacturing happen is the collaborative digital platform that is based on PLM software, which is widely used by auto, aerospace and aviation companies," said Chuck Grindstaff, chief executive officer of Siemens PLM Software. "As many as 19 out of the top 20 aviation companies in the world, such as Boeing and Airbus, use our service."
Baosteel engineers oversee unmanned operations at their workshop using Schneider Electric's automation software. [Provided to China Daily]

When Schneider Electric, which specializes in digitalizing energy management and automation, showcased EcoStruxure, its open, interoperable, internet of things or IoT-enabled system architecture, at the 19th China International Industry Fair in Shanghai earlier this month, it got many Chinese companies interested immediately.

EcoStruxure has been already adopted by China Baosteel Group, one of China's largest steel producers by output. It helps Baosteel to increase safety of operators and non-operators in the workshop and improve productivity. Daily output will likely increase 15 to 30 percent to reach up to 10,500 tons.

The Rueil-Malmaison, France-headquartered Schneider Electric is seeking to collaborate with various businesses in Shanghai to integrate the internet of things or IoTa network of devices, vehicles, buildings and other objects that contain software or sensors that allow them to connect and exchange datainto traditional industries.

Schneider Electric now earns 45 percent of its revenue through the IoT.

The company has also unveiled System Platform 2017, which sets a new standard for operational excellence for industrial organizations.

The platform combines operational technology and information technology into one management interface. Users can easily access the system to practise various complex operations. The whole procedure is as simple as tapping smartphone apps. "It's like an industrialized Android system," said Ma Yue, senior vice-president, industry business, Schneider Electric China, the company's local arm.

The system also creates a centralized multi-user collaboration platform, which allows itself to maintain configuration, administration and deployment locally or remotely.

Combined with its sustainable design, the system can make a company a consumer of its own side-products.

Schneider Electric has more to offer China. It plans to use its Shanghai research and development facility to supply various types of products and services to both Chinese and global markets, said a senior Schneider executive.

The company currently has more than 700 researchers in China. The average time for a new product to go to market is 18 to 24 months.

Its China operation employs 26,000 staff across 26 factories, eight logistics centers, three R&D offices, five branches and 40 regional offices.

"China is also the second-largest market for Schneider Electric and the largest market of industrial automation, ahead of the US," said Ma.

"We've set a long-term goal to sell one-fourth of our products in the Chinese market and the rest to global markets. China's Belt and Road Initiative is encouraging us to deploy more resources in China and other related markets."

Schneider Electric's core strengths lie in both hardware (industrial equipment) and software ("solutions to seamlessly connect, collect, analyze and act on data in real time, delivering enhanced safety, efficiency, reliability, and sustainability" to "homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries"), as described on its website.

The company's presence in China is helping local companies in other ways as well, he said. "Based on China's strong manufacturing ability and rich resources, many Chinese companies have already started to invest overseas by selling industrial equipment and carrying out EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) projects. Schneider's products and services help them go global," said Ma.

Schneider Electric's technology prowess flows from its investment (5 percent of its revenue) in R&D. For that, it has established five regional research centers worldwide: in France, the United States, China, India and Mexico, respectively.

Chen Bin, executive vice-president of the China Machinery Industry Federation, said China is making progress on the path to becoming an advanced and competitive economy, but it will take time for the required changes to have an impact on industry.

Patience and consistency will be required, as well as continuous reforms along the way, he said.
Aubo (Beijing) Robotics Technology Co Ltd, a Chinese collaborative robot (or co-robot/cobot) maker, raised 60 million yuan ($9 million) in series A funding from Fosun Group on Nov 7.

Fosun is bullish on China's co-robot market and expects Aubo to win 30 percent share of the local market, which is forecast to reach 1.3 billion yuan by 2020.

Unlike traditional industrial robots, a co-robot can interact with human co-workers in a shared workspace without imperilling the latter. In contract, industrial robots are mostly operated autonomously or with limited human guidance.

Factors including China's ageing population, and Chinese enterprises' more flexible requirements are helping the rise of co-robots, an industry report said.

Fosun's investment will facilitate Aubo's research and development efforts, and help expand co-robot production.

In June 2015, Zhejiang Dun'an Artificial Environment Co Ltd made the initial investment in Aubo by pumping in 60 million yuan.

"Fosun hopes to assist Aubo become a unicorn (a startup with a valuation of $1 billion or above). The investment in outstanding innovative enterprises will bring Fosun high returns," said Tang Bin, senior vice-president of Fosun Group.

Fosun will continue to look for opportunities to increase its stake in Aubo, he said.

"The era of cobots being unable to deliver the accuracy and efficiency of industrial robots is going to end," said Wei Hongxing, chairman of Aubo Robotics.

Since 2013, China has been the world's largest industrial robot market. Last year, 88,992 industrial robots were sold across the country, up nearly 27 percent year-on-year, according to the China Robot Industry Alliance.

Foreign brands such as ABB, Kuka, Fanuc and Yaskawa command 80 percent of the local market share, said Wei.

Cobots could help Chinese robot manufacturers to wrest back market share from their international counterparts, he said.

For, in the emerging cobot R&D, only a narrow gap separates Chinese makers and foreign manufacturers.

Also, made-in-China cobots cost nearly 20 percent less on average, thanks to resources being available in close proximity to production centers, according to an industry blue paper on cobots published on Nov 8.

The report was jointly published by Shenzhen Gaogong Industry Research Consulting Co Ltd and Universal Robots, a Danish manufacturer of smaller and flexible cobots.

"China is going to witness a sales spurt in collaborative robots," the report stated, adding that cobot sales will swell more than four times in four years to 12,000 units in China by 2020.

Their main target clients will be medium and small-sized enterprises.

Ni Guangnan, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said Aubo serves as an example for Chinese manufacturers to reach the same competence level of companies of developed nations.

As many as 2,300 cobots were sold in China last year, up 109 percent year-on-year. The market size rose 84 percent to 360 million yuan.

Aubo has an ambitious plan to increase the annual output to 30,000 units in three to five years and become a public company by 2020.
Chinese middle-class affluence is helping revive the local market for dishwashers, a product that never really took off in the past.

The segment is expected to double its growth this year, in line with the ongoing consumption upgrade in the country, according to a report from GfK China, a consumer and market research firm.

Dishwasher sales on JD.com, an online marketplace, grew 239 percent from January to September, according to the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.

Countrywide sales reached 2.42 billion yuan ($360 million) from January to August, up 135 percent year-on-year. Full-year sales are expected to rise by nearly 97 percent year-on-year to 5.2 billion yuan, GfK said.

By August, 17 new dishwasher brands appeared in the market in one year. The number of product models grew from 167 last year to 229, according to a white paper of the Chinese dishwasher industry.

More brands and more models are expected in the coming months.

"The boom shows the emerging new middle class, who tend to pursue a better quality of life, has become the main consumer group (for the dishwasher segment)," said Shi Xiaoyu, home appliances analyst of GfK China.

The new generation better appreciate that dishwashers could be a cleaner, safer and highly efficient solution to kitchen-related chores, Shi said.

Dishwashers were initially launched in the China market in the early 1990s. But they failed to become popular.

Consumers thought the relatively expensive home appliance was not essential. Some thought installing a big machine at home was troublesome. Others doubted its efficiency.

Only 0.5 percent of Chinese families bought the appliance back then, according to Jiang Feng, president of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.

This was in contrast to the West where about 70 percent of European and American families had dishwashers at home.

"Given the ongoing Chinese consumption upgrade, dishwashers will have great potential for growth in the domestic market," Jiang said.

Shi attributed dishwashers' rising popularity also to appliance makers' new marketing strategies. "Companies, especially domestic ones, have begun to launch more new dishwashers that better meet the demands of consumers," Shi said. "They also adopt innovative marketing methods such as selling through e-commerce platforms."

Sun Zhitao, general manager of the kitchen and bathroom business department of JD, said dishwashers will become a necessity for Chinese kitchens in the future.

Shi agreed. More and more consumers are considering built-in dishwashers in kitchens while finalizing interior decoration for their new homes, Shi said.

However, dishwasher manufacturers should be cautious about the impact of an overheated market on the segment's future, Shi said.

Shi further said companies should harmonize various (offline and online) sales channels, and pay more attention to design and quality, which could help increase consumer acceptance level for the product. "Dishwasher is a future kitchen star. It is on the way to gradual growth."
Party leadership reinforced as new decision-making process begins

Eighteen regional railway bureaus administered by China Railway Corp finalized name changes on Sunday as they registered as limited companiesthe latest step in the corporation's structural reform.

Registrations were completed earlier with provincial-level industrial and commercial departments.

With the name change, Beijing Railway Bureau has become China Railway Beijing Group Co Ltd, for example.

The move is part of national railway operator CRC's reform to further optimize its resources, turn a bigger profit and reduce debt. The corporation will be the sole investor in the limited companies.

CRC will exercise the responsibilities of the investor, without setting up a board of shareholders, according to a company statement on Sunday.

"The new companies will establish committees of the Communist Party of China, boards of directors, levels of management and boards of supervisors," CRC said. "Party committees will play a leadership role, directors will make decisions, managers will run and operate the company and supervisors will oversee it."

"The limited companies will adhere to the leadership of the Party. Discussion in the Party committee will be completed before the board of directors and managers make decisions," it said.

Members of the Party committee can take positions as directors, managers or supervisors, and vice versa.

Guo Zhuxue, the former Beijing Railway Bureau chief, is now president of Beijing Group Co Ltd, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Wang Qiurong, president of Jinan Group Co Ltd, was previously head of publicity for CRC.

The administrative organs of CRC have been streamlined and staff members have been reduced, the company's statement said.

CRC was established in 2013 with registered capital of 1.03 trillion yuan ($155.4 billion) to take over the commercial duties of the now defunct Ministry of Railways. The ministry was estimated to be 2.6 trillion yuan in debt.

At the same time, the 18 regional bureaus, which operate sections of the railway network and were previously part of provincial-level governments, became commercial entities under CRC's administration.

The railway reform has been deepened and has stimulated market vitality, the company said. China has invested 625.64 billion yuan in railways this year, as of October. The annual goal is to invest 800 billion yuan, according to CRC.
Executives from Mercedes-Benz attend a news conference on Friday during the ongoing Guangzhou auto show, which saw the German auto brand unveiling top variants of Flagship model and latest NEV model Concept EQA. Photos Provided to China Daily

The car industry in 2017 has seen slowing growth. However, there's always a silver lining, with the premium car market standing slightly higher in spite of the industry-wide trend.

The latest indicator comes from Mercedes-Benz, which has sustained healthy and steady momentum, with nearly 508,000 vehicles sold in first ten months, 27 percent growth year-on-year. These impressive transcripts turned out to be quite a convincing refrain for the company's already staggering two-million-unit sales record in China over the past half-decade.

More importantly, however, numbers are just outgrowth of the company's years of dedicated work rather than a deliberate choice or measure of success, as the company aims at staying humble and confident.

"We truly enjoy the dynamics of the Chinese market, and we are very thankful for the outstanding acceptance of our brand and products by our Chinese customers," said Hubertus Troska, member of the board of management at Daimler AG, responsible for China, at a news conference.

On Friday, the Stuttgart-based automaker introduced 34 Mercedes and smart models, including one premiere and ten launches, in a bid to amaze a number of onsite media in the balmy coastal city of Guangzhou, wrapping up the already successful year.

Mercedes-Benz introduced Maybach S 680 with China-exclusive nomenclature that contains auspicious numbers in the Chinese culture to tribute local customers.

And even, for the first time in China, the company has taken the role of a lead runner among top three German brands in the first ten months this year.

"That position may be maintained and it may not, but I tell you in all sincerity that in many ways it is unimportant," said Nicholas Speeks, president & CEO, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd.

"What we and I are most proud of, is the work we have done to win the trust of our dealers and our growing family of customers and friends that have brought us to that position," he said.

The collection of launches that stole the spotlight includes the Concept EQA, Maybach S 680 and E 63 S 4MATIC+ Special Edition, spanning the range from vision of the future of e-mobility to staples of premium sedan and performance driving.

While consistently introducing new models that push the boundaries of automotive technology, the German automaker also worked to harden the dealer relationship in further lifting the customer experience.

"We are working closely with our dealer partners to create a new retail ecosystem that enables more efficient retail operation, enhanced personnel expertise, and ultimately better customer experience in the digital economy and moving forward," said Li Hongpeng, the company's senior executive vice-president. "We are very confident that we can make this a reality."

Not satisfied with merely staying true to their long-term commitment to China through the right products and services, what the company pursues also lies in investing in the future.

For instance, new energy vehicles, or NEVs, offer a salient representation of future solutions for human mobility, which have already seen half a million units sold in first ten months in China, the world's largest NEV market, and are expected to account for 15 to 20 percent of its sales by 2025.

"Electric mobility will be one of the biggest game changers in the decades to come," said Troska.

"Of course China, already the largest NEV market in the world, will continue to play a major role in this aspect."

Mercedes-Benz introduced Concept EQA to Guangzhou and announced first locally produced pure electric model to be EQC in 2019.

At the conference, Mercedes-Benz announced it will invest 10 billion euros ($11.79 billion) to expand its electric fleet over coming years and will offer at least one electrified alternative in each model range by 2022.

Before officially kicking off the first model EQC, which is set to hit Chinese roads in two years, it brought out the Concept EQA earlier in Guangzhou.

The Concept EQA, the first Mercedes-Benz all-electric EQ concept vehicle in the compact segment, is poised to be a game-changing model of its segment.

Driving into a new era in style, the design of the Concept EQA exudes an electric aesthetic with a reduction of sharp edges and lines, as well as boasting a range of up to 400 kilometers, bringing the public a clear-cut vision of future mobility.

The S-Class and Maybach S-Class

Following the first batch of models released earlier in September, Mercedes-Benz this time launched the S 500 L 4MATIC, the Maybach S 560 L 4MATIC and Maybach S 680 in order to further expand the S-Class family and continue to take the lead in the dimensions of automotive design, luxury and intelligence.

The new S 500 L 4MATIC comes with a new in-line 6-cylinder engine, which works for the first time with the most cutting-edge 48-V intelligent motor and electronic turbochargers, achieving fuel consumption comparable to 4-cylinder engines and performance on a par with an 8-cylinder.

The Mercedes-Maybach S 560 4MATIC features a new V8 engine as one of the world's most efficient, with seamless switching between the 4 and 8-cylinder operating modes. The Maybach S 680 for China comes with a China-exclusive nomenclature that contains an auspicious number in Chinese culture, a tribute to local customers.

The AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ Special Edition features a powerful 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine that can push to 0-100 kilometers per hour in just 3.4 seconds, putting it in a league of its own.

Mercedes-AMG with a Driving Performance brand spirit has brought performance enthusiasts the AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ Special Edition, the AMG S 63 L 4MATIC+ and AMG S 65 L, each with outstanding performance, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the brand. Earlier this year, the AMG 43 Series models were also introduced to China's market at full blast to secure the market.

As the most powerful E-Class production model ever, the AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ Special Edition features a powerful 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine that can push to 0-100 kilometers per hour in just 3.4 seconds, putting it in a league of its own. Other models with personalized variety that the brand brought to Chinese customers in the year's final chapter also include the distinctive G 500 designo manufaktur Edition and AMG G 63 Exclusive Edition. With its eyes on the horizon, Mercedes-Benz strives for progress, and recognizes China as an integral part of its future. Speeks said that with the enhanced brand value, strengthened customer experience, and more locally produced products, they will firmly hold confidence for future growth in China.

"Not only as a market but as a home and a partner, and our role in the continuing long history of this ever-fascinating land will continue to grow."
Executives from Volkswagen Group China and partner JAC Motors pose for a photo at the Guangzhou auto show. [Photo provided to China Daily]

German car manufacturer Volkswagen is coming to the fore in China's e-mobility drive with an ambitious plan to launch nearly 40 locally produced new energy vehicles there by 2025.

The carmaker will introduce more than 20 new energy vehicles into the world's largest car market between 2020 and 2025, thereby adding up to almost 40 locally produced models in the next seven to eight years, said Volkswagen Group China President and CEO Jochem Heizmann.

China is leading the way to the final breakthrough in the adoption of e-mobility and Volkswagen is determined to be at the forefront, said Heizmann.

The business chief, who is also member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, made his remarks during the ongoing Guangzhou auto show.

Volkswagen has set out a plan to deliver 400,000 new energy vehicles to customers in 2020 and 1.5 million new energy vehicles - most of them pure battery cars - in 2025.

The massive product plan, which shows the carmaker's greater commitment to the Chinese market, came after its global e-mobility strategy, Roadmap E, was announced two months ago at the Frankfurt auto show.

The strategy heralds the most comprehensive electric offensive in the automotive industry worldwide, according to Heizmann.

To better meet its demand for battery supplies, the company has started a global tender process with a total value of more than 50 billion euros ($59 billion) for long-term strategic partnerships - including in China.

The Roadmap E strategy comes with huge investment, a large proportion of which will be made in China due to its leading position, both in e-mobility and Volkswagen's business.

Heizmann said Volkswagen Group China and its joint venture partners will invest more than 10 billion euros in the industrialization of e-mobility between now and 2025.

"I'm convinced, this is a framework that fosters innovation in all the relevant areas - not only in e-mobility," Heizmann said.

"Our traditional strengths of customer focus, quality, safety, innovation and R&D give us the firm foundation. On that, we are steadily building our new mobility priorities," he added.

Volkswagen Group China President and CEO Jochem Heizmann delivers a speech in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The group believes that new mobility is an area that offers immense potential as vehicles become more connected and the form of transport people want diversifies.

It constitutes an integral part of Volkswagen's campaign, TOGETHER - Strategy 2025.

The strategy maps out its course for transformation from being a leading global car manufacturer to a provider of sustainable, people-oriented mobility solutions.

Earlier in the year, the carmaker forged valuable new partnerships with leading Chinese companies in the areas of artificial intelligence, new energy vehicle charging and premium car rental services.

At this year's Guangzhou auto show, it announced decision of the establishment of the Ezia brand to provide intelligent mobility services in China.

The brand brings together all the activities of Mobility Asia, a member of Volkswagen Group China.

The company says it will create an innovative dual ecosystem that provides customers with seamless access to a wide range of smart mobility services.

At the same time, the group has also entered into new mobility services cooperation, signing a memorandum of understanding with China Mobile Internet of Things, a subsidiary of Chinese telecom operator China Mobile.

The partner is known as an Internet of Things and telematics service platform leader, and the two will collaborate in providing smart mobility and lifestyle-related connected devices and services.

The company says the key element to succeeding during this transition period for Volkswagen, however, is remaining focused on the needs and demands of customers, including remaining attentive to their current demands.

To that end, Volkswagen says it is responding to the market's preference for spacious cars and is in the midst of a major roll-out of SUVs.

This was demonstrated by the vehicles presented by the Group's brands at the workshop: SKODA KAROQ, Volkswagen T-ROCSTAR concept and Audi Q8 sport concept as a vision of the SUV future.

"We are transforming and we will deliver," Heizmann said.
Olaf Kastner, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, delivers a speech in Guangzhou.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Leading high-end brands achieved their best performance yet in the Chinese market last month, soaring beyond the targets they set at the beginning of this year, despite the overall slowing growth of the passenger car segment.

BMW Group beat an internal sales record this year in China, after achieving a solid 15.1 percent growth rate in the first 10 months, with 487,069 BMW and Mini cars delivered.

"Our product offensive will secure sustainable growth, which is the basis of long-term success," Olaf Kastner, president & CEO of BMW Group Region China, said at the 2017 Guangzhou auto show news conference on Friday.

"We are confident about the future automobile business in China and will continue our successful development in the years to come."

Mercedes-Benz also reached new highs in China both in the month of October and in the first ten months of the year. The brand's sales rose with a double-digit growth rate to 46,016 vehicles last month. Since the beginning of the year, sales in China increased by 27.8 percent to 488,915 vehicles.

"About 71 percent of the delivered Mercedes-Benz were China-made products," local media cited Duan Jianjun, executive vice-president for sales and marketing of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd, as saying on Friday in Guangzhou.

Audi has achieved its highest growth rate to date this year, with sales up 14.5 percent in China. With 53,828 automobiles sold, this year saw the best October sales month in Audi history. Since January, the automaker sold 472,498 cars in China.

Jaguar Land Rover's China sales soared almost 28 percent to 488,915 vehicles in the first ten months, more than its total sales in 2016. A total of 12,321 Jaguars and Land Rovers were sold in the country last month, up 12 percent year-on-year.

An optimistic outlook for the world's largest market is shared among the premium automakers, and they pin their hopes on the continued fast expansion of the Chinese luxury segment for next year's growth.

Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo and BMW in particular share a similar optimistic vision for China's luxury car market development in the future, expecting their big year in 2018.

Frank Wittemann, president of Jaguar Land Rover Integrated Marketing Sales and Service told China Daily: "The growth in the premium market is fast, and the annual growth rate could be 10 percent this year. Given a 5 to 6 percent growth rate year-on-year is healthy, we are not worried about development.

"Competition is fierce in the Chinese market. We need to be stronger and stronger, and compete in the right way. We will grow in a sustainable, qualitative way, rather than competing in a price war."

Chinese customers are showing their preference more and more for premium brands with a unique character and products with personality, Yuan Xiaolin, senior vice-president of Volvo Car Group, said in an interview with China Daily.

"The performance in China is beyond the group's earlier expectation. We are progressing in line with the market trend," Yuan said.

From January to October, the Chinese-owned Swedish brand's sales were equivalent to those in the whole of 2016, with its sales volume growth reaching 30 percent year-on-year. Huge market potential exists for the future Chinese automobile industry, as the luxury segment contributes a relatively small portion of the world's largest market, according to Duan at Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service.

Duan said: "The deliveries of luxury automobiles contributed less than 10 percent to the overall Chinese market. Compared with the premium segment's 15 to 30 percent market share in mature markets, there will be great room for development."
Attendees use smartphones to take photographs under a signage for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect following the Dec 5, 2016 launch at the Hong Kong stock exchange. The bourse's link with Shenzhen came two years after the start of a similar connect program with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. [Photo/Agencies]

Value of foreign investors' shares as at September-end reaches $154 billion

BEIJINGAs China opens up its financial market to the world, global investors are increasingly adding Chinese stocks into their portfolios.

The total value of domestic stocks held by overseas entities hit 1.02 trillion yuan ($154 billion) at the end of September, up from 700 billion yuan at the end of January this year, latest central bank data showed.

Foreign investors mainly bought Chinese shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect programs, which together saw foreign fund inflows of 326.3 billion yuan at the end of October.

Investor interest in the A-share market was particularly strong recently, evidenced by a surge in daily inflows of "northbound fund," or money invested from Hong Kong into the Chinese mainland, which has averaged 1.6 billion yuan since mid-October, higher than 900 million yuan since the beginning of this year.

Financial stocks and those in the consumer products industry were among the favorite picks among many foreign investors.

Those invested via the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor or QFII program mainly chose to bet on blue chips in these industries, such as Bank of Beijing and liquor maker Kweichow Moutai.

According to Gao Ting, an analyst with UBS, overseas investors tend to go overweight on Chinese consumer product stocks in their portfolio, and will likely increase their holdings after the inclusion of A shares by global index provider MSCI.

Starting June next year, MSCI will include some China A shares in its emerging markets index on a gradual basis.

Since the announcement of the decision in June, applications to open accounts through the stock connect programs have surged, with increasing number of active investors in the market, Nomura Securities noted.

The inclusion will bring about $15 billion to $20 billion into the Chinese capital market next year, estimated Wang Hanfeng, an analyst with China International Capital Corporation.

The growing interest from overseas investors was also driven by confidence in China's economic fundamentals, analysts said.

China's economy continued steady expansion in the first three quarters, with growth at 6.9 percent year-on-year, above the government target of 6.5 percent for 2017.

"We are quite bullish on China's economy in the long run. While the GDP number may not be as strong, we see great investment potential in technological innovation, globalization and increased profitability of firms," said Shi Bin with UBS Asset Management.

"Once we find good investment targets, we'll hold our position for the long-term. We don't sell shares just because it went up 10 percent," Shi said.

China's stock market has been recovering steadily this year after market turmoil starting from the summer of 2015 once sent the major index below 3,000 points.

As more favorable conditions have emerged, it is high time for China's capital market to open even wider, Wu Qing, chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, recently told Xinhua.

The exchange has initiated a research program to study the possibility of a Shanghai-London stock connect, Wu said.

"We've been actively participating in international rule-making and international governance of stock exchanges under the mechanism of the World Federation of Exchanges. Our work has gained international recognition," Wu said.
A new type of mutual insurance for medical staff members is expected to be launched next year, to provide corresponding guarantee for them when medical accident occurs.

"Covering all the 2.9 million medical workers in China, the mutual insurance, initiated by Cncare, will greatly encourage famous and experienced doctors to work in multiple hospitals, especially in private medical institutions," said Han Xiaohong, chairman of Health Management and Health Insurance Society under Chinese Non-governmental Medical Institutions Association on Friday.

Han, also one of the founders of Cncare, made these remarks at the annual meeting of Health Management and Health Insurance Society in Bo'ao, Hainan province.

Cncare is a service provider of health security for Chinese workers, specializing in providing institutions and enterprises with healthcare services based on general medical treatment.

The insurance for physicians has been authorized by China Medical Doctor Association and Chinese Non-governmental Medical Institutions Association, she said, stressing that the insurance will promote the development of private medical institutions in China and help solve the difficulty of ordinary people seeing a doctor.

With the promotion of healthcare reform by the central government, China's non-public medical institutions have seen unprecedented development.

On the other hand, the insurance will accelerate the innovation pace of insurance industry, she added.

Cncare offers a mutual helping platform for medical staff members, especially doctors, through the mutual insurance.

All the doctors, including those who work in public hospitals, can buy the insurance by themselves.

It was also announced at the annual meeting that seven insurance companies, including People's Insurance Company of China and Sunshine Insurance, have signed contracts with Ciming (Bo'ao) International Hospital through the platform of Cncare, in order to provide insurance service for the patients of the hospital.

"Connecting medical institutions and insurance companies, Cncare is a medical service platform, which constructs information, selects companies and integrates resources," said Han.
JERUSALEM - China is seeking more sectors to cooperate with Israel in high technology under the background of the "innovative comprehensive partnership" established between China and Israel.

This is the common sense reached among officials, entrepreneurs and experts from China and Israel, who attended the 6th China-Israel Hi-tech Investment Summit held Sunday in Haifa, northern coastal city of Israel.

China-Israel hi-tech cooperation has been further expanded from sectors such as agriculture, medicine and biology to leading-edge sectors such as life science, smart city, aging tech, robotics and 3D printing, according to them.

These foremost hi-tech sectors are also what Chinese and Israeli entrepreneurs at the summit are eager to cooperate in the near future. These sectors are also widely viewed as emerging ones with huge market potentials. Especially, aging technology is seen an important one to be developed in China where the population of old people is sharply increasing.

China and Israel are seeking full collaboration in hi-tech from the very beginning and the collaboration has mutual bases, said Yona Yahav, mayor of Haifa city in an interview with Xinhua.

"We enjoy every moment of this collaboration and this summit here shows that we have a good ground to enlarge the relations," Yahav noted.

Haifa is a center of hi-tech and also a center of universities, and has four sister cities in China, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shantou.

That is why China and Israel are collaborating not only on business bases but also cultural bases, Yahav added.

While Chinese companies are hunting for cooperation opportunities in Israel, Israel is also now encouraging its hi-tech companies to go to China for more opportunities.

China's efforts of encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation became a hot topic at the summit. Experts deemed that these efforts are expected to create better opportunities for China and Israel to conduct much broader and deeper hi-tech cooperation.

It is a correct and wise action taken by China to push forward innovation and it is expected that the innovation environment would be greatly improved, said Dan Shechtman, a Nobel prize winner in chemistry, and a professor of Israel Institute of Technology, told Xinhua.

"China is not only a huge manufacturing country and China will become a huge innovative country in the future," Shechtman believed.

China is doing very well and it is wonderful to see many Chinese delegations coming to Israel for hi-tech cooperation, Shechtman added.

It is recognized that about 200 delegates from China and Israel were attracted to attend the summit, organized by Messila, an Israeli startup mainly focusing on medical robotics which has raised about $30 million from China.

At the summit, Zhuhai-based Huafa Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Haifa Economic Corporation for future cooperation in the sectors of smart city and life science.

In Israel with the name of "nation of startups," expenditure on research and development accounted for 4.3 percent of its GDP in 2016, ranking the top in the world. Nowadays, about 6000 startups are running in the hi-tech field in Israel and about 300 R&D centers are under operation by international companies in the country.
Foreign companies will be able to own more than 49% of Chinese ventures

China's commitment to grant overseas financial companies more access to its domestic market is hailed by analysts as a move that could help London's banks and asset managers capture new growth.

Major international financial players including JP Morgan Asset Management, Standard Life Aberdeen, UBS, HSBC and Goldman Sachs have welcomed the announcements and confirmed their interest in China. USB added that it would continue to grow its stake in its China joint venture.

"UK firms fearing loss of access to the EU after Brexit are also likely to be interested in these plans," said Ben Robinson, a senior economist at the London-based think tank Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.

"Other financial market developments in China, including the expansion of financial products as well as the inclusion of Chinese A-shares into the MSCI next year, are likely to tempt asset managers and investment firms," Robinson added.

MSCI, the US index provider, will be adding Chinese stocks to its emerging markets index in June next year. Overseas funds tracking the MSCI as a benchmark are expected to significantly buy more Chinese stocks.

China's new policy announcements were made by Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao on Nov 10. They follow the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, where Chinese leaders set out the long term strategic direction of the nation, of which financial liberalization is one of the focuses.

Jan Dehn, head of research at Ashmore Investment Management, said the fast pace of financial reform so soon after the 19th CPC National Congress shows that China "is committed to realizing its destiny" as the world's undisputed economic and financial key player.

Dehn said he expects London's banks and asset managers to "offer real added value in the China market" as a result of their eventually strengthened China presence enabled by the rule change, because China currently has a large saving base, which overseas banks and asset managers are keen to tap into.

Beijing is yet to announce the detailed timing of the policy change.

Under current regulations, foreign financial companies can only own up to 49 percent of their China joint ventures, frustrating their attempts to compete effectively with Chinese rivals.

Etelka Bogardi, a partner at the law company Norton Rose Fulbright, said the regulatory changes could provide "a second opportunity" for foreign firms to grow their market share.

Bogardi added new competition in China resulting from foreign players' China expansion will also encourage Chinese domestic financial companies to update their governance standards in line with international norms.
The latest rankings on international brands' environmental performance in the China supply chain was jointly released by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The rankings are based on the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), which collects public data on areas including government compliance, online monitoring, confirmed public complaint records, self-reporting and third-party environmental audits.

This year's ranking evaluated 267 international brands that run businesses in China. A total of 25 Chinese brands were ranked among the top 100.

A green supply chain is conducive to environmental protection. As core enterprises with strong corporate social responsibility tend to select suppliers with remarkable green performance, more suppliers will be forced to meet environment protection rules to promote green production modes.

The following are the top 10 brands with the best green supply chains.

No 10 Puma
iFlytek's AI-enabled robot sits the test of China's national medical licensing examination. [Photo provided to China Daily]

First impressions, they say, leave deep impressions. How true!

I had my first experience of robots at the 19th China International Industry Fair in Shanghai earlier this month. And the devices have created such deep crevices in my mind that a dichotomy, an inner conflict of sorts, is forming.

I can't stop thinking about those various types of industrial and service robotshow they are versatile enough to perform wide-ranging functions such as folding a shirt, mixing cocktails and welding.

And they left me paranoid. Would bionic robots grab my job one day in the not-so-distant future, leaving me jobless, unemployable, redundant?

You'll see shortly my fears are not completely unfounded. I learn European and Japanese manufacturers have already begun producing more service robots in China to keep up with growing demand.

Rising middle-class affluence and urbanization are spawning intense demand for a variety of services, which is causing worker shortages in many service and labor-intensive industries. The problem is aggravated by high attrition rates and rising cost of labor.

Worse, millions of migrant workers have returned to their homes in the countryside or lower-tier cities in recent years, unable to cope with the transition pressures exerted by factors like high cost of living. But many are staying put in the hope of finding work in mega cities.

This trend is coinciding with manufacturing as well as consumption upgrades in China, which is marked by frenetic efforts to boost industrial output. The automotive, chemical, communication and consumer electronics sectors have been among the hardest hit by this rush.

There is growing pressure on companies to increase their investment to fully automate factories. They call it "intelligent manufacturing".

New-age robots can deliver multiple services, from cleaning and assembly operations in the chemical and automotive sectors to working at unimaginable heights or depths where human workers face safety risks.

The countrywide reach of the robotics revolution and the shrinking rural workforce appear to be two sides of the same coin.

For Chinese manufacturers, it seems, low production levels, rising labor costs, outdated management methods and changing demographics are desperate challenges that need to be dealt with forthwith, before they morph into a crisis. So, they are pushing hard toward putting robots to work at their factories, plants and R&D facilities.

By the way, the metal-and-synthetic molds with embedded circuitry and software are seen as, well, more reliable, more efficient, more productive and more versatile than human workers.

You'll probably agree with me by now that my growing paranoid streak is not misplaced.

But then, is China's industrial robot industry ready for a massive robot job takeover, which appears almost inevitable now?

The industry is far from mature. It's still nascent in terms of independent innovation, and manufacture of core components as well as complete sets of robots. Domestic robot firms rely heavily on imports and collaborations with foreign companies.

They have to for now, because they are keen to equip their factories with industrial robots to improve efficiency and accuracy. Home-made robots are not for the high-end market anyway.

Foreign firms hold an 80 to 90 percent market share in robots capable of sophisticated maneuvers, while China-made robots are mainly used for simple operations such as carrying, arranging and material handling.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, there are now more than 800 robot manufacturers in China, of which 200 produce the main bodies while the others are mainly engaged in assembly or material processing.

Three major components of industrial robotssensors, speed reducers and servo motorsare still in the firm grip of foreign firms. This means, Chinese robot manufacturers have little bargaining power to influence product prices.

The dichotomy to deal with now therefore is this: should the local industry continue the current pattern of deploying more and more robots to perform jobs that were earlier done by human workers? Or, given the huge domestic market, should it cry carpe diem, seize the moment, and decisively shift its attention to becoming more capable of independent innovation?
Pilot program to begin in several provinces and expand in 2018

China will transfer a chunk of State financial assets to its social security funds, a program experts believe will ease the pressure of pension payments as the aging population continues to grow.

Ten percent of State-owned equity, including shares of State-owned enterprises and financial institutions, will be transferred to the National Council for Social Security Fund and smaller, local State-owned companies, the State Council, China's Cabinet, announced in a document on Saturday.

The pilot program will begin with three to five SOEs and two central financial institutions in several provinces this year. The program aims to make up for possible shortfalls in the nation's pension provisions and will be expanded in 2018 to involve more State-owned companies, the document said.

The recipients of the transferred shares will be able to earn dividends and sell their shares, but they will not be involved in the contributing parties' management, the document said. A three-year freeze from the time of the transfers will be placed on recipients selling the shares.

The National Council for Social Security Fund can set up a pension fund management company to independently operate the transferred assets.

These moves will ensure the sustainable development of China's pension insurance system, while also diversifying the capital structure of wholly State-owned companies as part of an ongoing reform to improve their market efficiency and competitiveness, the Ministry of Finance said on Saturday in an online statement.

"The transfer program will cut the burden of the working generation by expanding the pension fund scale without raising taxes or pension contribution rates," it said.

The Finance Ministry also said that the program is not aimed at selling off State-owned assets to meet the pension obligations. Rather, it is a long-term measure that supplements social security funds and optimizes the structure of State-owned capital.

By about 2050, China's aging society will peak at more than 480 million people over the age of 60. This will be about 35 percent the Chinese population, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"China will face a severe challenge in meeting its pension obligations," Chu Fuling, director of the Institute of Social Security Studies at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, told Xinhua on Saturday.

In 2016, China's basic pension pool took in 2.85 trillion yuan ($430.1 billion) and spent 2.57 trillion yuan. China still has a total of 3.65 trillion yuan in pension reserve. "On the whole, China is looking very good right now," said Chu. "But the issues lie in geographical imbalances, such as provinces where economic growth is behind the national average."

For example, the three Northeast China provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang ranked below the national average GDP growth rate of 6.9 percent in the first half of this year. Liaoning ranked lowest of all provinces, scoring only 2.1 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

This means fewer people are employed so less is contributed to the pension pool in those regions, which could result in a deficit while more people are laid off or retire from old industrial jobs in the struggling local State-owned industries, Chu said.

"The new program will be another crucial channel supporting our social security safety net," he said, adding that the other three main channels are individual payment, government subsidies, and strategic reserves.

"Transferring state assets to the social security fund will ease the pressure of pension payments and put people's minds at ease," Chu said.

Jin Weigang, president of the Chinese Academy of Labor and Social Security, told Xinhua that the new program will help China bolster its strategic pension reserve as its aging population continues to grow.

"It will ensure future Chinese can get their pensions on time," he said. The next step will be building the specific laws and regulations to manage this program and the transfer of assets, he added.

China Daily-Xinhua
Residents of Nyingchi, in the Tibet autonomous region, celebrated Gompo New Year with festival activities on Sunday despite having been hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake the day before.

Three people sustained minor injuries when the earthquake struck the city's Manling county at 6:34 am on Saturday. No casualties were reported.

The quake occurred at a depth of about 10 km and its epicenter was in a remote area in Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake was felt strongly in several counties in Nyingchi and caused temporary power failures in some areas, as well as leaving cracks on 1,453 houses, mostly in Manling. Some people were moved into disaster relief tents while authorities assessed the safety of houses after the quake, the Nyingchi government said on Saturday night.

Wu Yingjie, Party chief of Tibet, passed on President Xi Jinping's regards to those who are affected and disaster relief workers via a video conference on Saturday. More than 4,473 people from different departments have been involved in disaster relief work so far.

Basang Cering, Party chief in the village of Zhaxigang, Lunang township, told Xinhua News Agency that he could not stand still in his house when the quake struck. Six houses in village were damaged by the jolt.

The tremors also triggered falling rocks, temporary blocking a highway linking Nyingchi with Tangmai, one of the townships struck by the quake. The road had already been cleared by People's Armed Police troops by Saturday.

The China Seismological Bureau launched a third-degree emergency response and monitored an investigation of the situation in a teleconference. A team of 32 experts were dispatched to the quake zone.

The Ministry of Transport also sent investigators to check the safety of bridges in the quake zone.

But, not to be deterred, residents of Nyingchi celebrated New Year as usual by setting off firecrackers and dancing in traditional costume on Sunday. Gompo New Year, which originated in the Gompo Tibetan region, falls on the first day of the tenth month of the Tibetan Calendar.

Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn
A national laboratory in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, that is inspecting the quality of bird nests for use as a health food, is currently awaiting final approval to start importing raw nests - which some consider a delicacy.

The nests, which come mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia, are in demand in China.

"We have finished all preparations for the designated port to import raw bird nests and have reported to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine," said Huang Juanwu, deputy director of the inspection bureau in Qinzhou. She said approval was expected to come next year.

The inspection laboratory is equipped with various technologies needed to recognize genuine bird nests, she said.

Since 2006, only processed bird nests have been allowed into China because of the risks of diseases such as avian flu associated with raw nests, according to the administration.

Figures from the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine indicate that 21.5 metric tons of processed nests - 58 percent of total import volume - came from Indonesia in 2016. Malaysia was second, with 15.6 tons, or 42 percent. Thailand was added in August this year as another source of nests.

"Unlike other kinds of bird nests, raw ones contain plenty of feathers and droppings and have a high risk of carrying bird-borne organisms, including avian flu. So China hasn't permitted raw imports so far," said He Ri'an, the director of the national laboratory in Qinzhou. "Our laboratory has all kinds of technologies to inspect the raw bird nests."

There are 372 tests used at the laboratory. They cover sialic acid, nitrite, heavy metals, microorganisms and bird-borne viruses.

Nowadays, China's domestic demand for bird nests, a traditional specialty in some Southeast Asian countries, is large. The import of raw bird nests to China could bring employment opportunities.

In November 2016, the administration signed off on a protocol on raw nests with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry of Malaysia, which helped promote the product.

The importation of nests to China has seen some setbacks in the past. In 2011, the Zhejiang provincial Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found fake nests and unqualified processed ones containing excessive nitrite. Most of those were imported from Malaysia.

As a result, all nests were pulled off the shelves of Chinese markets, and importation was suspended. At the end of 2013, the authorities announced that Malaysian processed bird nests and related products met China's standards, and importation resumed.
Hong Kong is launching a joint checkpoint arrangement for the express rail link connecting it with Guangzhou with the signing of a deal between the special administrative region and Guangdong province.

Legal experts and lawmakers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region voiced support for the deal, praising the government's efficiency. They called on the public to work with the government to implement the plan to launch joint checkpoint service at West Kowloon Station on the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

The deal lays the legal foundation to have designated places in the terminus that allow authorities from both sides to go through customs checks.

The deal was the first in a "three-step process" for implementing a joint checkpoint arrangement.

Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Committee member and law professor Albert Chen Hungyee said he was confident that the co-location would be adopted because such an arrangement is in line with Hong Kong's Basic Law and won majority support in the SAR's Legislative Council.

He also said the government's efficiency in signing the deal immediately after obtaining legislative support demonstrated that the time is pressing for implementing the plan.

The 140-kilometer Express Rail Link, or XRL, is expected to be in use in the third quarter of 2018. It will greatly cut travel time between Hong Kong and Guangdong's capital Guangzhou. It now takes about 14 minutes to get from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, according to official data, and about 48 minutes to Guangzhou.

After signing the deal, the SAR and mainland will jointly seek a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approving and endorsing the arrangement, before Hong Kong starts working on local legislation for the plan.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told reporters after signing the deal with Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui that she was informed that the NPC Standing Committee would deliberate on the deal in December and that the SAR would submit the deal to its Legislatve Council in February 2018.

She conceded that major challenges would appear in the third step - getting Legislative Council's passage of the plan.

Lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said every bill legislators consider should be deliberated three times. If debate is intentionally delayed by filibusters, the Legislative Council's president would take appropriate actions to resume the debate, she said.

She suggested the government, as well as stakeholders, organize more public promotions of the plan to gain wider public recognition for it and the high-speed train.

Engineering lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok said the legislation should not be difficult because of the similar experience of Shenzhen Bay, where a joint checkpoint arrangement has been in place since 2007.

willa@chinadailyhk.com
Firefighters leave the scene of a deadly fire in Daxing district, Beijing, on Sunday morning. Thirty-four firetrucks were dispatched to fight the blaze, which started on Saturday evening and left 19 people dead and eight injured. [Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Beijing's top official has demanded an inch-by-inch inspection for potential safety hazards after a blaze on Saturday night killed 19 people and injured eight others in Daxing district.

The fire brigade sent 34 firetrucks to an apartment fire in the village of Xinjian after being alerted at 6:15 pm on Saturday, and the fire was extinguished by about 9 pm. All the injured were hospitalized, according to local authorities.

Those thought to be responsible for the tragedy have been taken into custody, authorities said, and an investigative team has been set up to investigate the cause.

Cai Qi, Party chief of Beijing, demanded an inspection combing the capital inch-by-inch, going "village by village and compound by compound" to discover any safety hazards, a news center local authorities set up for the accident said in a statement.

Cai called for the closure of compounds used for industrial purposes and for illegal business operations in rural Beijing areas to be rooted out to ensure safety.

The scene of the blaze was cordoned off on Sunday morning and could not be reached. A man who escaped the flames said there was a garment factory in the building, which had two stories and a basement. He also said the building had more than 100 residents.

"I just came back from work for 20 minutes when choking smoke came into my room. I opened the door and found the building filled with heavy smoke," said the Heilongjiang province man in his 40s who gave his name only as Rong.

Rong said he crawled to escape after grabbing his cellphone and a coat. The smoke smelled like burning tires.

"There are two entrances to the building. I was lucky enough to choose the right one to get away - the other one was close to the fire, and there was much heavier smoke," he said.

Rong said his company, a nearby car dealer, organized regular safety trainings and what he learned in them helped him to escape. He stayed in an internet cafe that night.

Stores near the blaze have been asked to suspend business, China Daily learned and various business owners confirmed.

On Sunday morning, local authorities had begun demolishing a building near the site. "We were told at 5 am to move everything out before 8 am," said a man from Zhejiang province surnamed Lu who works in a phone store in the building.

It was not clear whether the demolition was related to the fire.

Part of the building was illegally built, and Lu previously had heard the building was to be demolished, he said, holding a bag with some packaged cellphones and dried shrimp he took from his shop.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
A political adviser in Shanghai has pointed out the lack of detailed regulations on the civilian use of drones, as the rising number of devices with high-resolution cameras raises concerns about privacy infringement.

Ma Chi, a member of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, raised the issue during the committee's bimonthly meeting on Nov 2.

Ma was struck by the number of people flying drones near his workplace, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, where he is a cultural policy researcher.

"They fly the drones about three floors off the ground, and room interiors can be seen clearly on the remote control screens," Ma said. "They are unaware of this infringement of privacy and say they are just having fun."

Drones with high-resolution cameras are becoming more affordable - a popular model costs about 3,000 to 4,000 yuan ($450 to $600) - and can be purchased online.

While the exact number of drone users is hard to confirm, a report by the Civil Aviation Administration of China said there were 10,255 certified drone pilots in 2016.

According to a training center affiliated with DJI, the country's largest drone manufacturer, its 74 branches trained 6,500 drone operators in the past year alone.

Trained drone pilots often engage in tasks related to aerial photography, agriculture and surveying, but for most amateurs the main purpose is taking photos.

"There are potential privacy issues related to drones since they are widely used for photography," Ma said. "And there are no particular regulations dealing with it."

Since June, incidents of drones interrupting civil aviation have prompted the introduction of regulations requiring drone producers to incorporate geofencing - use of global positioning or radio frequency identification to define a geographic boundary - in their products, along with real-name registration of drones that weigh more than 250 grams.

But current regulations regarding the use of drones are either too vague or too complicated for users to follow, Ma said. "Real-name registration does not mean one can fly one's drone at liberty," he said.

Qu Weibing, a guide for a Shanghai travel agency, bought a mini drone in July that required him to register the device online.

He said it was easy and took only a few minutes to fill out the form. But he was stopped by police when he tried to fly the drone in August in Yunnan province.

"They said I needed to apply for a flying permit at a local police station, or I would face a fine," Qu said.

Though Qu said privacy infringement had not occurred to him, he said he does enjoy using the drone to take bird's-eye pictures of scenery.

Qu is open to stricter rules.

"If a set of detailed and easy-to-follow regulations and instructions regarding the use of drones is available, I'll be more than happy to follow it," he said.
A nurse feeds a newborn baby at Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai earlier this month. [Provided to China Daily]

Premature babies at a Shanghai pediatric hospital's neonatal intensive care unit will no longer be fed infant formula. Instead, they'll get breast milk from their own mothers or donated by others.

The Children's Hospital of Fudan University has established, for the first time in the city, a breast milk bank especially for newborns in the ICU.

During trials in recent months, 25 mothers donated more than 200,000 milliliters of breast milk to the bank, benefiting 32 premature infants, the hospital said.

"Premature babies in intensive care are either those born with very low weight or serious conditions. They are especially vulnerable," said Cao Yun, director of the hospital's neonatal ICU.

"Currently we only call on mothers whose children are also in the ICU to donate spare milk, as the ingredients of breast milk vary and the breast milk of premature babies' mothers is different from that of full-term babies' mothers," she said.

Previously it was common practice for all premature babies to be fed with infant formula either for convenience or because their mothers were not able to secrete enough milk. But breast milk is extremely important for premature newborns, especially the most vulnerable ones, Cao said.

"Breast milk is the best food and sometimes a lifesaving medicine for such babies, who haven't developed fully in their mothers' wombs," Cao said.

"The incidence of acute necrotizing enterocolitis - an inflammation of the small intestine - is high among preterm newborns, especially those with a birth weight of less than 1.5 kilograms, and the condition is fatal in some cases. Breast milk can reduce it significantly."

The antibodies and active tissue present in breast milk elevate babies' immunity and protect them from infection and other complications, Cao said. It also helps with the development of their visual and nervous systems.

Since 2011, the hospital has been educating parents whose babies are in intensive care about the importance of breast milk and encouraging mothers of hospitalized infants to bring their own breast milk to the hospital.

"We have found that babies fed with breast milk have higher survival rates, lower infection rates and are discharged from the hospital earlier," Cao said.

Huang Guoying, president of the hospital, said the establishment of the milk bank was inspired by a visit to pediatric hospitals in Canada three years ago.

"They had mature milk banks for babies in intensive care," Huang said. "If the babies are fed with infant formula, their parents need to sign an informed consent document. But if they are fed with milk from the breast milk bank, they can drink it freely."

Yuan Li, whose premature baby stayed in the neonatal ICU for two months and was discharged earlier this month, donated more than 20 bags of breast milk to the bank.

"I have enough milk, and I am grateful that I can give some to other babies who are in need of it," she said.

Cao said the breast milk bank was first designed to satisfy the needs of newborns in intensive care - sometimes more than 200 at a time. The hospital plans to extend the service to other babies, such as those who have undergone surgery, to promote recovery.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn
Legal professionals say constant updating required to stay current

Legal professionals have welcomed a revision to the law that aims to tackle the growing number of lawsuits related to smartphone apps.

The demand for smart mobile devices has soared in China in the past five years, creating a highly lucrative app market. Yet the rush to profit has resulted in rogue business tactics, such as copying well-known brands or creating apps that block users from downloading rival software.

A report last year from the Supreme People's Court showed that courts nationwide filed 2,181 lawsuits over unfair competition in 2015, up by about 54 percent year-on-year. Those related to the internet increased sharply, it said.

To deal with that, a new clause in the Law Against Unfair Competition, which for the first time regulates the behavior of technology companies involved in the app market, was approved by national legislators this month.

The revised law, which takes effect in January, "specifically responds to unfair competition online, which receives the most complaints from the public, and will help judges deal with the rise in such disputes more accurately", said Yang Dejia, chief judge of the intellectual property tribunal of Haidian District People's Court in Beijing.

Disputes over unfair practices "not only harm the interests of app makers but also disrupt general market order", he said at a forum over the weekend.

The new clause sets out several forms of misconduct, including copying another's brand, and states that unfair behavior should be punished by banning the offender from the market.

In 2015, the Chaoyang District People's Court in Beijing ordered a technology company to pay 200,000 yuan ($30,190) to a media company because an app designed by the defendant had the same name that the plaintiff had used in its WeChat public account.

"The app market is the harder-hit section and breeds unfair competition, because mobile devices have become a major way to surf the internet," Yang said.

Yang Huaquan, a law professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, also welcomed the revision. The unfair competition law was first introduced in 1993.

"However, the new clause needs to be continuously observed in practice and improved because it may get out of date easily in light of rapid developments in cyberspace," he said.

Diao Yunyun, an employee responsible for legal affairs at Tencent, one of China's largest technology enterprises, said: "The clause is too specific to cover all unfair competition online."

For example, she said, theft of app data is not mentioned in the law, though it happens frequently in the market.

She said she is looking forward to seeing the clause further interpreted in future legal documents to correct other unfairly competitive behavior online. "After all, we don't want it to be rendered ineffective in a short time," she said.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
In a landmark decision, a court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, ruled in favor of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba after it sued a company for fabricating transactions and favorable comments related to online stores. It was the first such case in the country.

The verdict was decided on Oct 27 and took effect on Nov 11. The defendant, Hangzhou Jianshi Network Technology, did not appeal within 15 days of the verdict.

Xihu District People's Court ordered it to pay 202,000 yuan ($30,500) in compensation to Alibaba for violating the Law Against Unfair Competition and disturbing the market order of e-commerce platforms, according to a written statement from Alibaba, which is headquartered in Hangzhou.

The case has far-reaching significance in the healthy development of e-commerce, Alibaba said, as "such a verdict serves as a warning to deter copycats".

"Only when lawbreakers' income from illegal business is all used for compensation and they can no longer make a profit will the legitimate rights and interests of law-abiding companies and consumers be safeguarded," it said.

To create a fair, transparent and honest shopping environment, Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall set up an evaluation system for consumers to evaluate products and services after each purchase, the company said.

Being able to browse a product's transaction records and prior customers' evaluations has become an important decision-making tool for people selecting from a large number of products.

The court said Hangzhou Jianshi established a website in 2014 specializing in accepting requests from online stores to make fake purchases and leave favorable user comments. The company made 360,000 yuan in brokerage and membership fees from September 2014 to March 2016, when its operation was suspended by Hangzhou's market supervision administration.

Altogether, 3,001 Taobao and Tmall stores asked the company to fabricate transactions and user comments, according to court documents.

Alibaba sued the company in December and requested compensation of 2.16 million yuan. A hearing was held on Feb 15.

"Such fake evaluations constitute serious pollution of the evaluation data formed by real consumers, and mislead consumers who rely on the data to make purchase decisions," said Zhang Yiwen, a senior legal expert at Alibaba.

China's top legislature recently adopted a revision of its Law Against Unfair Competition, stating that e-commerce operators must not deceive consumers by faking sales volume or user comments.
URUMQI - The Chinese section of a transcontinental expressway project linking China to Europe opened to traffic on Saturday.

The key 10-kilometer section of road, in the border city of Horgos, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, connects a border inspection area with the Lianyungang-Horgos expressway. It marks the full opening of the expressway in China.

The project - with a total length of 8,445 km - links Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, to St. Petersburg, Russia. China and Kazakhstan jointly proposed building the transport corridor in 2006. Construction began in 2008.

Li Zhinong, deputy head of the regional transportation department, said the opening of the Horgos section of the expressway will help further open up China to the West and facilitate the economic and social development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Wang Haijiang, deputy mayor of Horgos, said the annual volume of freight exported through the Horgos port will increase to 3.5 million tons with the opening of the section.

He said cargo sent from Lianyungang to Europe will take just 10 days to arrive - instead of 45 - when roads replace shipping by sea.

According to the World Bank, the expressway project will help increase the volume of freight between China and Europe by 2.5 times, with new companies and supporting facilities along the way providing jobs for local people.

Transport company Huaxin Co Ltd in Horgos has been sending Chinese consumer products, as well as machinery, to Kazakhstan by truck.

"The old roads are in poor condition. The 370-km trip from Horgos to Almaty usually takes a whole day," company official Wang Yong said. The new expressway will help the company save time and reduce costs, Wang said.
BEIJING -- China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Monday met with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Varela is making his first state visit to China since the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

Establishing diplomatic ties is in accordance with the fundamental interests of China and Panama, as well as their people, said Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Varela reaffirmed Panama's adherence to the one-China principle.

Zhang stressed the importance of implementing the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and strengthening cooperation on legislation.h Zhang called on the legislative bodies of China and Panama to enhance trust, share experience on state governance, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and create a friendly legal environment.

Zhang also briefed Varela on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in Beijing last month.

Varela said he agrees with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and hopes China will make more great achievements.

Varela said Panama stands ready to cooperate more with China in various fields, and he supports the communication between the legislative bodies of the two countries.
A new lab to be built in eastern China will combine supercomputing and big data research to provide technical support for global marine research.

The Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Inspur Group, the National Supercomputer Center, and Peking, Tsinghua and Shandong universities signed an agreement to launched the project on Saturday.

"Marine research needs support from supercomputers, while the development of supercomputing is driven by its application in marine research," said Wu Lixin, head of the Qingdao lab's executive committee. "The joint laboratory will better serve ocean observation, analysis and forecasts."

The Qingdao lab is home to the world's fastest supercomputer for marine research, and by 2020 it aims to develop an exascale supercomputer capable of running at least 1 quintillion (1 followed by 18 zeros) floating-point calculations per second.

Also on Saturday, the Qingdao lab signed a strategic cooperative agreement with two national supercomputing centers, in Jinan and Wuxi, to establish a "supercomputing group". A deal was also agreed with China Telecom and the China Education and Research Network to support connections between the three partners.

"All parities  the joint lab, supercomputing group and telecom companies  will contribute to constructing a high-resolution simulator for global oceanic systems," said Wei Zhiqiang, vice-executive director of the joint lab project.

Building the simulator is one of the goals of the international lab operated by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, the US-based National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Texas A&M University.
Fifty students who received treatment after a tuberculosis outbreak at a middle school in Taojiang county, Central China's Hunan province,are recovered and fit for school, while the remaining 22 are still under observation, Taojiang authorities said in a statement released on Sunday.

The TB outbreak was first confirmed on Thursday by Taojiang county, which said the outbreak occurred at Taojiang No 4 Middle School on Aug 19.

The school has 2,908 students and 188 faculty and staff.

By Thursday, 72 students from the school were receiving treatment or put under healthcare management, according to a statement released by the Hunan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.

Among the 72 students, 29 had been diagnosed with tuberculosis in the outbreak, five other students were suspected of infection, and another 38 students were taking medication for disease prevention.

Local authorities for discipline inspection are investigating whether there is a dereliction of duty or misconduct of civil servants.

Since Aug 19, 14 groups of about 70 officials and experts from the provincial and municipal health and education commissions arrived in Taojiang to guide the handling of the outbreak, Wang Jianguo, deputy head of Taojiang, said in the release.

Wang said staff from the county health bureau will clean and sanitize classroom buildings, dormitories and school canteens every day.

The school made study plans for those contagious students who are unable to attend school. The school also provided computers and installed network for the students who are receiving domestic therapy so that they can attend lectures online.

He said the local government will pay for the part of the treatment cost that is not covered by health insurance. The government had already paid more than 170,000 yuan ($25,600) for the first batch of 22 sick students.

The school will exempt tuition and housing fees for students who return to school this year, and students who suspend schooling due to the disease can continue their study next year for free, he added.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn
BEIJING -- China said Monday it firmly opposes the Indian leader's visit to a disputed area on the China-India border, urging India to refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues, and work with China to create conditions for talks.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the comment when asked about Indian President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" on Sunday.

China's stance on the issue of the China-India border is consistent and clear, Lu said at a daily press briefing.

"The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'," said Lu.

The two countries have been resolving border issues via negotiation so as to seek a fair and reasonable solution that can be accepted by both sides, he said.

"But before that, both sides should jointly safeguard the peace and stability on the border," Lu said.

Stressing that China-India ties are at an important stage for development, Lu said China hopes India can work with it to protect the overall relationship, refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues, and create favorable conditions for talks and the healthy development of bilateral ties.

The so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" was established largely on three areas of China's Tibet -- Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul -- which are currently under India's illegal occupation. These three areas, located between the illegal "McMahon Line" and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, have always been Chinese territory.

In 1914, British colonialists secretly instigated the illegal "McMahon Line" in an attempt to incorporate into India the above-mentioned three areas of Chinese territory. None of the successive Chinese governments have ever recognized this line.

In February 1987, Indian authorities declared the founding of the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh."

China and India have held 19 rounds of talks on boundary issues with the latest round taking place in April 2016.
BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday called for fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and unswervingly pressing ahead with reform.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which he heads.
URUMQI - The Chinese section of a transcontinental expressway project linking China to Europe opened to traffic on Saturday.

The key 10-kilometer section of road, in the border city of Horgos, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, connects a border inspection area with the Lianyungang-Horgos expressway. It marks the full opening of the expressway in China.

The project - with a total length of 8,445 km - links Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, to St. Petersburg, Russia. China and Kazakhstan jointly proposed building the transport corridor in 2006. Construction began in 2008.
Polish accordion player Klaudiusz Baran performs at the International Accordion Festival in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

When accordion player Klaudiusz Baran, the rector of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, premiered Polish composer Marcin Blazewicz's Concerto for Accordion and String Orchestra in Beijing along with the symphony orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music and its conductor Yu Feng, they received long ovation from the audience.

"This is not only the piece's premiere in China but also the first time that we played together, which is a great celebration of the instrument," says Baran, referring to his cooperation with Yu and the Chinese students at the concert during the third International Accordion Festival on Nov 14.

The festival, initiated by the Central Conservatory of Music, which ended on Sunday, brought together musicians from around the world, including Finland, Germany and Spain.

The event, which is held every three years, premieres works by Western composers commissioned by Cao Xiaoqing, the director of the accordion department at the Central Conservatory of Music.

A concert, titled Composers Talk About Chinese Elements, was held at the school on Friday, featuring pieces, including My Motherland by Finnish composer and accordion player Petri Makkonen and Great Wall by Spanish composer and accordion player Gorka Hermosa.

Speaking about his piece, Makkonen says: "I used to compose based on my homeland. So, this is the first time that I have composed for a different country."

Makkonen was born in Iisalmi, central Finland, and started to play folk music using a piano and accordion at the age of 8. He graduated from the Sibelius Academy in accordion playing and composition and teaches at Kuopio Conservatoire in Finland.

"When Cao gave me the Chinese version of My Motherland, I was impressed by its smooth melody. Since the accordion is such a versatile instrument, I tried to tell stories with this melody."

Veteran Chinese-Australian composer and pianist Chu Wanghua also had his accordion concerto, Song of Life, perform at the festival.

"Compared with the piano and the violin, there are few original pieces written for the accordion, which is a pity for the instrument. So, audiences are not aware of the potential of this instrument," Chu says. "I hope more Chinese composers will write for it."

Song of Life features Chinese folk songs. The piece had its world premiere in Australia in June when it was performed by Chinese accordion player Xu Xiaonan, who teaches at the Central Conservatory of Music.

According to Cao, the Central Conservatory of Music launched its accordion major in 2004.

This year, four of Cao's students stood out among 78 competitors at the 54th Klingenthal International Accordion Competition, which was held in May in Germany.

"Their success not only brings China attention but also encourages more young Chinese to learn the accordion. It's a revival for the instrument," says Cao.
General manager of Tianqiao Performing Arts Center Zhang Li delivers a keynote speech during the celebration event held in Beijing on Nov 19. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Tianqiao Performing Arts Center celebrated its second anniversary in Beijing on Nov 19, 2017.

Covering an area of 165, 000 square kilometers, the center has strived to be a professional and market-oriented and international establishment as well as a top stage that leads the performing arts industry in China.

Culture is the soul and name card of a city. To be a cultural center of Beijing and art place for people, Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center has always been working hard in the capitals cultural field. Since it was established two years ago, it has staged over 1,400 performances, having received over a million audiences and established a remarkable reputation in the performing arts field, media and citizens, said An Zhaohui, chairman of Beijing Tianqiao Zenith Investment Group Co, Ltd.

For the past two years, the center has introduced Broadway musical My Fair Lady, French musical Romeo and Juliette in 2016, and other classics, including Wicked, the Producers, Jersey Boys and the Chinese version of Jekyll and Hyde, becoming a home of musical fans in Beijing.

Besides musicals, the center has also held a series of arts festival for different groups. For instance, the Women of the World Festival held in September this year invited more than 100 female guests from all walks of life to share experience on arts and bring arts closer to peoples daily life. Also, the City Arts Carnival targeted at white-collar workers and family groups held a series of shows during the summer time.

In response to the Belt and Road Initiative and deepening the cultural communication with countries involved in the initiative, the center has invited artist from such countries as Russia, Lithuania, Italy, Israel and Tajikistan, to perform in Beijing.

Tianqiao Performing Arts Center has signed strategic partnership with London-based Southbank Center through a comprehensive collaboration in the fields of art festival, staff training and exploration of content.

In the future, the center will strengthen cultural confidence and promote the prosperity of socialist culture, offer qualified art show to meet peoples increasing spiritual and cultural needs, and make culture serve the people and the city better, said Zhang Li, general manager of Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.
Dissidents shocked to find Hong Kong not calling shots alone Updated: 2017-11-21 06:06 (HK Edition)

Lau Nai-keung asks why the question over autonomy and central government jurisdiction, despite having been answered over and over again, is still being asked

I thought nothing was out of the ordinary at the Basic Law forum in Wan Chai last Thursday, and was surprised to read in the news the next day that Beijing has announced in the forum the curbing of Hong Kong's autonomy. "Did anyone say that?" I ask myself, scratching my head.

"Beijing has signaled its impatience at Hong Kong for making no progress in rolling out a controversial national security law, suggesting the city is already paying the price with independence advocates exploiting the lack of such legislation," the South China Morning Post wrote. "Li Fei, a senior mainland Chinese official who specializes in the city's mini-constitution, also made it clear at a Basic Law forum in Wan Chai on Thursday that Beijing would 'jointly govern' Hong Kong with direct control over 'important issues,' while the city's autonomy would be limited to local affairs."

The use of "would" - as in "would 'jointly govern' Hong Kong" - is curious. It implied that before Li's announcement, Beijing was not jointly governing Hong Kong, which is apparently incorrect. I am not sure whether this blatant mistake is intentional or not, but this is Hong Kong politics 101, the SCMP should not have employed people who do not understand this for its politics beat.

The central government has made it clear once and again that our city's authority to govern is derivative. The Basic Law is not laid down by God. It is not a contract between the United Kingdom and China, as those who claim the Basic Law stemmed from the Sino-British Joint Declaration suggest. It is also definitely not a "social contract" between the central government and the residents of Hong Kong. Rather, it is a piece of legislation that was passed by the National People's Congress. As such, the city's authority relies on the will of the Chinese people through the NPC.

These concepts are nothing new. In fact, as early as 2004, Qiao Xiaoyang, then deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, made clear in a speech on the Basic Law interpretation that China is a unitary government system and therefore the concept of residual powers was not applicable. During the same speech, he also said the provincial authorities had no power of their own and all the powers were delegated by the central government.

I have copied the summary of Qiao's speech in the paragraph above almost word for word from, guess what, the SCMP!

This is getting tiring. It has always been clear that the NPC gives and it takes away. Hongkongers do not have a birthright to a "highly autonomous" Hong Kong. Some Hongkongers may not like this and they have tried in many different ways to defy the reality. But after the "Occupy" movement and all that, we can see that these radicals have limited influence on the larger society.

What disgusts me is that instead of admitting their defeat, the dissidents are playing dumb and pretending that they have never heard about the concept of limited autonomy before. The truth is, they heard it loud and clear the first time; they fought it, and they lost. By pretending this is new, they thought they could have another chance instigating protests and this time they might be able to win decisively.

A wise man once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. An insane person is worth our sympathy and help, but when he gets into our way and keeps us from functioning normally, we have to put him into a hospital where he can be treated properly.

Last month in Beijing, General Secretary Xi Jinping told the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that the central government's overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong should be combined with the city's high degree of autonomy in an "organic" way.

Some local commentators made fun of the word "organic" because they do not know what the original Chinese word used means in the context, others made meaningless speculations. These are nothing but a reflection of old and unfounded fears. Please stop whining, and look at what is new and what is important in the rapidly changing world - one which China has a leading role in.

(HK Edition 11/21/2017 page8)
Presumed connection between power, money greatest 'contradiction' in city Updated: 2017-11-21 06:06 (HK Edition)

This past weekend I was at an internal forum with various people discussing the Hong Kong economic and political scene. A question was raised over what exactly is the greatest "contradiction" - by which is meant the greatest source of strife that is bogging down Hong Kong's progress. Various answers were raised. One participant said it was the wealth gap; one said it was the "hate the Communist Party of China" mentality; one said it was dissatisfaction with the progress in political reform. Most people agree that there are cracks in the education system so that many young people have failed to know the difference in today's China and the China before Deng Xiaoping's reforms. I agree that all the above certainly play a part in the antagonism toward the government, and the polarization of Hong Kong society. But I suggested that the greatest contradiction is the presumed connection between power and money.

In recent years I have noticed use of the term quangui (power-endowed rich) for the privileged class in Hong Kong. Whether people complain about the special administrative region government or the central government, there is a presumption that power has been biased toward serving the interest of the rich first. One reason why many people wanted political reform is that they believe with political reform, the perceived monopoly of the rich over power can be cracked, so power can be opened up to benefit more Hong Kong people.

It is important to recognize that this perception is widespread and that it is important to change this perception. It is this perception that has created such distrust over the SAR government and over the CPC.

Of course, the SAR government can point out the many initiatives taken in recent years to alleviate the plight of the poor, and that most of these initiatives hurt the interests of the rich. The statutory minimum wage is a case in point. The Low-income Working Family Allowance is another. The new regulations introduced in recent years over property sales by developers is yet another. But all these were considered to be the minimal amount the government delivers in order to pacify the opposition. They were introduced, so it is thought, only as a strategic ploy to fool the public. Notwithstanding the major crackdown on corruption launched by President Xi Jinping, critics opted for the narrative that it was self-serving and was directed at rounding up political opponents.

To the extent that real changes are happening and that people on the Chinese mainland are enjoying the benefits of an enlightened government that takes the interests of the people at heart, most mainland residents today do not believe the narrative of a self-serving CPC. This is why, whereas only 48 percent of mainland residents were found satisfied with the direction the country was heading in 2002, by 2014 this went up to 87 percent according to the Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center did not provide more updated figures, but in July this year an Ipsos Public Affairs survey found China is the most optimistic country in the world, with 87 percent of people believing their country is on the right track.

The SAR government probably will become more popular over time if it were as effective as the central government in serving people within its jurisdiction. Unfortunately its performance has been held down by the filibuster and the opposition rhetoric. Changing the impression of the power-money connection has proven very difficult. But it remains the key to improving the SAR government's performance.

Actually, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has been making headway in this direction. She proposed an easy-to-administer non-means-tested scheme of public transport subsidy based on the amount spent on one's Octopus card. She also proposed improving the Low-income Working Family Allowance (to be renamed as the "Working Family Allowance") to benefit more working households. She would inject HK$300 million into the Child Development Fund in 2018-19 to support more projects for the benefit of children from low-income families, and on top of that she has proposed to set up a Children's Commission.

Rather than tackling contentious political issues, she goes about working out innovative policy measures to benefit the Hong Kong public and especially the underprivileged. This way, her Policy Address earned a vote of thanks from the Legislative Council, and that vote actually drew support from four legislators from the non-establishment camp. The last time the Policy Address earned a vote of thanks was in 2008.

Thus, the situation is not hopeless. But it will be very important for the SAR government to sidestep normal procedures especially when a decision may appear to favor particular business interests. That had happened before with the Avenue of Stars innovation project. In the end the original proposal had to be rolled back. Much time was wasted, and the government was criticized. Thus ensuring transparency, improving communication, and building an image that the government actually does have the interests of Hong Kong public at heart, will gradually change that unfortunate impression. When the government succeeds in building trust, other initiatives will prove much easier to move forward.

(HK Edition 11/21/2017 page8)
File photo. [Photo/VCG]

Babies breastfed exclusively for a sustained period from birth are half as likely to develop eczema when they reach the age of 16, a new study said Monday.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, examined more than 13,000 Belarussian teenagers enrolled in the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT), the largest randomized project ever carried out on human lactation.

The PROBIT study recruited a total of 17,046 mothers and their new-born babies between June 1996 and December 1997.

Half of the maternity hospitals and pediatric clinics involved in the study were randomly assigned to receive a breastfeeding promotion intervention, while the other half continued their usual practices.

It showed that a 54 percent reduction in cases of eczema among teenagers whose mothers had received support to breastfeed exclusively.

"The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends between four and six months of exclusive breastfeeding to aid prevention of allergy and associated illness," lead author Carsten Flohr of the King's College London said in a statement.

"Our findings add further weight to the importance of campaigns like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, which is tackling low rates of breastfeeding globally."

Eczema causes the skin to become itchy, dry, cracked, sore and red. It affects around one in 5 children and one in 10 adults in the developed world.
Chanjet redefines rules for small and micro businesses

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2017-11-17

Chanjet IT Co Ltd suggested an idea of "Smart Company" to support the innovative upgrading of small and micro companies at the 2017 GICC on Nov 17, a leading innovation conference for small and micro companies.

The Zhongguancun-based company is a leading finance and management service provider for small and micro companies.

The conference, jointly launched by Chanjet, Alibaba Cloud, Yonyou Cloud, UC and LKK, gathered more than 100 domestic leading startups, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars. Discussions primarily focused on management, products, marketing and technologies to provide excellent ideas for the transformation of traditional companies.

Yang Yuchun, president of Chanjet IT Co Ltd, proposed his innovative idea of "Smart Company" during the GICC 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yang Yuchun, president of Chanjet IT Co Ltd, creatively proposed the concept of "Smart Company"an intelligent business management mode-to backup small and micro businesses that face transformation.

"Smart Company" will adopt a dual-engine organizational structure which is data-driven and network-coordinated. It allows information to effectively circulate among each department in company through instant messaging cloud service within the organization. Meanwhile, the mode can realize timely feedback among enterprises and help companies promptly take various contingency measures.

Yang Yuchun put forward an intelligent operating mechanism with a core of "four systems"intelligent analysis, intelligent marketing, intelligent sales and intelligent operation to promote turnover traits and effectively lower companys cost-benefit ratio.

According to a survey conducted by Accenture and McKinsey, there are less than 30 percent of Chinese traditional enterprises involved that are ready to conduct transformation. For traditional enterprises, the focus of transformation is often placed on the existing expertise, but technology integration gets ignored.
During 2017 Greece and China have organized several events to promote cultural exchange between the two peoples along cooperation in many other areas.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping met more than 600 individuals selected for their outstanding work promoting the country's cultural and ethical progress at a ceremony to honor them in Beijing on Friday.

To show his particular concern and respect for two senior attendees who have dedicated their lives to building the nation, Xi took them by the hand and invited them to sit with him for a group picture, a touching moment that triggered great applause.

The remarks Xi made at the conference encouraging them to make new contributions, and his display of respect to them, show the importance attached by China's new leadership with Xi at the core to the building of a modern socialist civilization and sounded a clarion call to advance the cause.

The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation does not mean pursuing economic development alone, but also advancing its cultural development. The balanced development of material and cultural civilizations and their mutual promotion is indispensable to establishing a modern socialist country.

The more than 600 representatives invited to the award ceremony are all role models in their fields and their deeds are an epitome of our times. In the early period of China's reform and opening-up, the Communist Party of China had already established the strategy of attaching importance to the building of both material and spiritual civilizations. Since the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012, the new leadership has offered ideological guidance and intellectual support for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and made historical achievements in this endeavor.

The times have raised new requirements for building the Chinese spirit, strengthening Chinese values and creating a Chinese paradigm that adheres to core socialist values while carrying forward China's traditional culture.

--PEOPLE'S DAILY
Senior citizens chat at a retirement home in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

WITH ITS AGING SOCIETY putting a strain on pension payments, China will transfer some State assets, including shares of State-owned companies and financial institutions, to the country's social security fund, according to a document issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Saturday. Beijing News commented on Sunday:

The plan is intended to help make up for shortfalls in the nation's pension schemes, the State Council document said.

Initially, 10 percent of equity in seven State-owned enterprise will be transferred to the National Council for Social Security Fund, with more SOEs to be included in the program next year.

The move is expected to ensure the sustainable development of China's basic pension insurance system while, equally importantly, diversifying the capital structure of SOEs to improve their management efficiency.

The country faces severe pension pressure, with the problem particularly grave in regions like the old industrial belt in the northeast of the country. The transfer program, if carried out successfully, would increase the pension fund scale without raising taxes or pension contribution rates.

Employing corporate interests risks compromising the checks and balances between SOE shareholders, while using cash may come at the cost of current SOE employees. The transfer of equity, rather than interests or dividends in cash, is a carefully balanced solution.

The transfer of equity program is not about selling off State-owned assets to meet the nation's pension obligations. It is designed to lower corporate costs and foster the healthy growth of the capital market. And with more State-run companies to be included in the program next year, the central government will have more fiscal ammunition to meet its obligations to the elderly.
ACCORDING TO REPORTS, the personal information of local residents, from their identification card numbers and mobile phone numbers to addresses, are revealed in a host of documents that can be viewed on various government websites across the country. Such personal information, including that of people receiving financial aid, has been disclosed online without their consent. Legal Daily commented on Saturday:

Governments at all levels are right to disclose their work online, so long as they are careful with what they choose to make public. Divulging the personal information of local residents without their consent risks damaging government credibility.

On the one hand, it is praiseworthy that more local governments publish how they spend public funds on their websites. On the other hand, disclosing citizens' information without informing them in advance goes against the intention of supervising the use of public power, not least when there are specific rules about it.

Some argue that disclosing certain citizens' identification card numbers avoids confusion since many of the listed have the same names. Even so, that still leaves crucial information available to any and all, which violates the code of conduct in terms of government work disclosure.

What leads to such poor implementation of placing government work in the sunshine, a move designed to encourage public supervision of civil servants, is the truth that many still have little idea about the legal consequences of any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

In other words, most of government-owned information and data can and should be made public as long as it does not involve national and commercial secrets or disrupt social governance. But when it comes to people's personal information, their authorization for disclosure must be obtained and the information displayed should be protected, by such means as concealing some digits of identification card numbers and phone numbers might help.

On their part, those in charge of running government websites need to follow due instructions about disclosing government affairs while ensuring malpractices are curbed and any persons found responsible are held accountable immediately.
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

Parade atmosphere seen during the 90th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24, 2016 in New York City. [Photo:VCG]

As a spiritual individual, I seize every opportunity to rejoice in the celebration of any event that brings people together from all walks of life.

Those festive occasions allow us the chance to forget all about our conflicts and communicate with each other on the basis of being equal members of the human race, regardless of our gender, race or religion.

The American Thanksgiving transcends distance and all other differences to bring members of American families and their friends together to share sumptuous meals and offer thanks to God for the blessings that were generously bestowed upon them.

Some people perceive Thanksgiving as a religious event. However, in actual life, it is more of a social occasion rather than an event associated with a particular religion. To celebrate it, Americans travel thousands of miles to be with families and friends.

Prior to venturing into the details of the celebration, I would like to give a brief background about the event.

Thanksgiving Day is a major holiday that takes place on the fourth Thursday of November every year in the USA and on the second Monday of October in Canada.

The celebration was designated to mark the harvest festival. At first, it was observed on and off after the 1789 proclamation by President George Washington. In 1864, it became a federal holiday. Thanksgiving precedes the Christmas and New Year festivities. It is considered one of the major holidays in the USA.

Americans take advantage of having a long weekend during Thanksgiving to reconnect with their relatives and friends. Airports and other transportation hubs handle millions of passengers who are anxious to reunite with their families and friends.

This year, the Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated Thursday, Nov 23. On this day families and friends will gather around the dinner table to feast on a variety of delicious dishes such as roasted turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pecan and pumpkin pies, while sipping leisurely from their drinks and exchanging views and news.

While relaxing, they may reminisce about their beautiful memories from previous celebrations. In some families, each person might take turns to proclaim to God the blessings for which they are grateful.

For those who are less fortunate, such as the homeless or those with no family, charitable organizations hold dinner parties to feed them with common Thanksgiving dishes.

Some American cities hold Thanksgiving parades, which are enjoyable feasts to watch, especially for families. One of the most amazing parades is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is held in New York City. It features floats with themes from specific Broadway plays and cartoon characters.

I do believe that it is important to be familiar with traditional festivities in a particular country to attain competence in its language. Consequently, during my teaching assignments, I usually allocate classes to familiarize my students with the major American holidays such as Thanksgiving.

During those classes, I frequently pose this question to each one of my students: "What are you thankful for?" My objective is to teach them to appreciate their blessings.

Bearing in mind the fact that it is hard to be away from family during the Thanksgiving holiday, some generous Chinese establishments will hold Thanksgiving dinner parties to permit Americans in China to celebrate the event with their peers and Chinese friends.

I hope that on Nov 23, my fellow Chinese will take a moment of their precious time to share the noble joys of the celebration with their American friends, colleagues, neighbors and even strangers.

Sharing joyful occasions with other nationalities may help narrow the gap of differences between their citizens.

At last, I must seize this opportunity to wish all Americans in China a very enjoyable Thanksgiving Day.

Sava Hassan is a Canadian Egyptian educator.
Most people complain that their once-spectacular city has since taken a turn for the worse over the years. People love to focus on the negative. Perhaps thats just part of human nature. On the contrary, my report on Dalian happens to be quite the opposite. So if youre looking to read another venting session from another downer of a foreigner in China, you can stop reading right now.

Dalian has seen its challenges. Since my arrival in 2008, there have been some complaints about the ongoing construction, building a bridge that obstructs the open ocean view from Xinghai Square, and the annoyances of building a subway system from scratch. Little did people know, and many have yet to admit, that these challenges resulted in many positives. The new construction has given the city a much needed facelift, the bridge is absolutely gorgeous (especially at night), and the new subway system has immensely added value by cutting down on commute times and reducing pollution as there is now less of a need to get around by car. So, these once seemingly adverse events have since proven to be remarkably positive. On top of all that, Dalian has put a considerable amount of time, energy and money into supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses to enter the market. This effort was sorely needed as Dalian has always been known as an amazing place to live and grow old, but never really as a place to excel or grow in the business world. Things are changing.

I, myself, take great pride in Dalian as I have lived here for the majority of my adult life. Arriving in May of 2008 at the age of 24, I now find myself to be rapidly approaching a decade in this beautiful city and truly regard it as my second hometown.

Since very early on in my life, my family has always tried to find ways to give back, be it through the giving of time or financially, to the community we live in. There are always people everywhere in this world who are in need of a helping hand. Our son is a bit too young (11 months old) to help others, but his mother and I are regularly involved in giving our time to support different organizations, ranging from raising money for autistic children, raising awareness and donating money to help abandoned animals, and spending time and playing a small role in the education process for local orphans.

My most moving experience in this country to date occurred while working with the kids at the local orphanage. Im not sure about the conditions of the orphanages in America, but the one here in Dalian has a very nice set up. However, like any orphanage, you will come across some stories that will make your heart cry.

Just last week while playing with a group of about 12 kids, I noticed that there were two newcomers. Curious about their background, I asked the nurse where they had come from and what their situation was. She didnt know much, other than that they were picked up from a nearby town about two hours away. Not five minutes into playing with the newly arrived brother and sister, I came to find out directly from the six-year-old boy that he and his three-year-old sister had recently lost their mother and were estranged from their older sister. I didnt pry to find out more details, but hopefully this story opens your eyes a bit to what sort of hand some people in this world have been dealt. Its stories like this that can really put everything into perspective. As well, I told it to show you that you dont necessarily need money to give back and at least try to make a positive impact on someone elses life. Working with the kids has, without a doubt, strengthened my relationship and connection with this city.

No matter where our family ends up in the future, Dalian will always be my second hometown. I hope that I can leave it in a better place than when I first came.

Tyler came to China in 2008. Planned on staying for two years, now coming up on ten. Passionate about his family, helping Chinese students get into their dream schools in America, and producing funny content online that makes people laugh.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.
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Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrives in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam on Sunday morning.[Photo/Xinhua]

DAR ES SALAAM - Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents.



The arrival of the Peace Ark, its second in seven years, was received with joy by Tanzanians.



At the welcome ceremony held at Dar es Salaam port, Task Group Commander of Peace Ark Guan Bailin said the visiting crew will carry out free medical services, humanitarian assistance, and conduct medical training to consolidate and promote friendly relations and deepen professional exchanges between China and Tanzania.



Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo thanked China for sending the Peace Ark to Tanzania again.

"China has helped Tanzania in different sectors. One of the notable areas is the construction of Tazara railway, which connects Tanzania and Zambia," said Makanzo.



In 2010-2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.



The current tour has already taken the Peace Ark to Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Mozambique.



The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.
Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet for talks in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, November 19. 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

NAY PYI TAW - China and Myanmar on Sunday vowed to further promote their bilateral relationship and deepen their pragmatic cooperation.



The pledge came during talks held here between Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



Wang said China regards Myanmar as an important partner in the joint development of the China- proposed Belt and Road Initiative, noting that China and Myanmar enjoy obvious complementarity.



He said China stands ready to work on an economic corridor between the two countries according to Myanmar's national development plan and its actual needs so as to further strengthen China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation.



At the talks, the Chinese minister stressed that China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are neighbors with "paukphaw" ("fraternal" in the Myanmar language) friendship and China firmly supports Suu Kyi in governing the country in line with the will of the Myanmar people.



China also firmly supports Myanmar in its efforts to uphold the country's sovereignty, independence, security and dignity as well as in its endeavours to realize the national reconciliation, he said.



Wang expressed the hope that relevant parties in Myanmar follow the "Panglong" spirit and realize long-standing peace at an early date through friendly consultations.



Suu Kyi, for her part, said that what Myanmar people most want now is peace, stability and development, highlighting that it is of utmost importance for Myanmar to cooperate with China to realize these goals.



She expressed appreciation of China's proposal to build the China-Myanmar economic corridor, saying the initiative is highly matched with Myanmar's national development plan.



Suu Kyi said that by participating in the corridor building, Myanmar hopes to cooperate with China in such priority areas as transport and electricity. They are the two sectors facing problems that call for urgent action in the country, she added.



Myanmar would like to develop synergy with China on the proposal of building the economic corridor at an early date, she said.



On the Rakhine state issue, Wang Yi said at the talks that it is complex and can only be properly addressed between Myanmar and Bangladesh through friendly consultations.



He called on the international community to create necessary conditions and an enabling environment for the settlement of the issue.



According to Wang, China has proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue.



Suu Kyi said Myanmar values the understanding for the country China has expressed on the Rakhine state issue and agrees to the China-proposed three-phase solution.



The Myanmar state counsellor hoped that China continues to play an important role in pushing for the early settlement of the Rakhine state issue.



After the talks, Wang Yi and Suu Kyi attended an agreements exchange ceremony as well as an unveiling ceremony of a Chinese cultural center.
Chilean presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera delivers a speech to supporters after leading in the first round of general elections in Santiago Chile November 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

SANTIAGO - Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is leading the presidential election on Sunday, with 53.05 percent of votes counted, the Electoral Service of Chile (Servel) said.



Pinera garnered 36.66 percent of support, while his main rival, center-left candidate Alejandro Guillier, won 22.63 percent, a report from Servel showed on Sunday evening.



Chileans voted for a successor to President Michelle Bachelet. For an outright victory in the first round, the candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the top two candidates will face off in a second round of voting on Dec. 17.
Poster of Africans in Yiwu.

A Somali-born woman who settled in China has co-produced the documentary film, Africans in Yiwu, with a Chinese university lecturer in a quest to tell the true story of the lives of Africans living in China.

All manner of stories are often told about the situation of Africans in China, largely based on hearsay or unverified information, said Hodan Osman Abdi, a full-time researcher and lecturer with the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University.

Early in 2016, they began to shoot the six-episode documentary, which is over three hours long.

"Africa's involvement in China is widely discussed, but most are in a negative tone. Less talked about are the real lives of Africans living in China," Hodan said when asked why she spearheaded the effort to make such a film.

"We followed the lives of over 20 individuals from different African countries for two years, documenting their journeys of self-development and achievements," she said.

Hodan explained she wanted to use the power of film to get the message out to the biggest and widest audience by using a unique new lens of a combined Chinese and African vision.

There's growing excitement surrounding this production and it could turn out to be quite something, she believed, adding that the film might receive some criticism. However, she said she just wanted to contribute to the global discourse on the presence of Africans in China, as well as helping more people to understand the new models proposed by China.

Hodan grew up in Saudi Arabia, but was dazzled by Chinese culture and later came to Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province, in the autumn of 2005. In Sept 2006, Hodan began her undergraduate studies at Zhejiang Normal University. Since then, Hodan has engaged in China-Africa and China-Arab cultural exchanges.

She said she hopes to be an influential cultural envoy worldwide to help more Chinese to learn about Africa inside out and foster more China watchers among Africans.

Please contact the writer at liuhui1@chinadaily.com.cn
LONDON - British Conservative Party lawmaker Stephen Hammond has warned that enshrining the Brexit date in the EU Withdrawal Bill will increase the chances of "economic catastrophe", Sky News reported on Sunday.



Hammond, 55, also former UK government minister, has labeled the government's attempts to write the Brexit date into British law as "madness", it said.



He claimed enshrining the date in the EU Withdrawal Bill would prevent "flexibility" if it was felt exit talks needed to be extended.



About the potential for a "no deal" Brexit, Hammond told Sky News: "We have to make provision for it and accept it is a possibility.



"And we have to accept, actually, by putting this date on the front of the bill, unfortunately you've made that more likely."



Hammond, who supported Remain last year, said leaving the EU without an exit agreement would be an "economic catastrophe".



The British government's amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill aims to declare 11 p.m. on March 29 of 2019 as the official moment Britain leaves the EU.



The Withdrawal Bill is undergoing line-by-line scrutiny in the House of Commons as part of a process to turn it into law. Almost 500 amendments have been lodged in a multitude of attempts to change the bill.



There will be several weeks of debates before the bill is handed to the unelected House of Lords where it will again face challenges in what could be an even tougher ride.
HAVANA - The foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will visit Cuba on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and other important topics, said the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

Ri Yong Ho is set to arrive on Monday afternoon in the Cuban capital, according to a brief statement published on the foreign ministry's website. During his visit, Ri will meet with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, and participate in a series of other activities.

The visit comes at a time when both countries' ties with the United States are once again strained: US President Donald Trump has continued to threaten Pyongyang with sanctions and even possible military actions due to the latter's recent missiles tests, and Washington withdrew more than half of its staff from its embassy in Cuba over an alleged sonic attack and also expelled 15 Cuban diplomats who worked in the US capital in September.
An American soldier participates in the disaster relief training during the China-US Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange in Seaside, Oregon, Nov 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

PORTLAND, United States - Chinese and US armies ended their 13th annual China-US Disaster Management Exchange Table Top Exchange (TTE) and practical field training Sunday in Portland, Oregon on the western US coast.

Zhang Jian, army commander of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at the closing ceremony that the exchanges between Chinese and US armies on humanitarian disaster relief and rescue have boosted their mutual trust over the past 20 years.

China and the United States, as two major powers in the world, should work hand in hand to jointly respond to risks and challenges, and make their due contributions to human development, said Zhang.

The Chinese army is willing to work with the US side to deepen their practical cooperation on non-traditional challenges such as humanitarian relief and disaster management, in a bid to safeguard world and regional peace and stability, he added.

Robert Brown, US Army Pacific commander, said on the same occasion that the US-China exchanges on humanitarian disaster management carry vital significance for deepening the practical cooperation between China and the United States as well as their militaries.

He expressed the hope that the United States and China will continue their joint efforts to push forward military-to-military exchanges, academic discussions and practical training on humanitarian disaster management, so as to further improve their coordination capabilities in joint response to disaster relief and rescue operations.

Brown said he is confident about closer cooperation between Chinese and US armies in the future.

The week-long training began on Nov 13 at the Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility of the Oregon Army National Guard in Portland, the largest city in Oregon.
Kenya's Supreme Court judges preside before delivering a ruling on cases that seek to nullify the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta last month in Kenya's Supreme Court in Nairobi, Kenya Nov 20, 2017.[Photo/Agencies]

NAIROBI -- Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in the repeat presidential poll last month, paving the way for his swearing in next week.

The court's six judges determined that the two petitions against Kenyatta's re-election lack merit and were therefore dismissed, saying Kenyatta was validly elected.

"Having carefully considered the above issues, the specific players in each petition, as well as the constitution and the applicable laws, the court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited and the final orders are that the petition by John Harun Mwau versus the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and two others as consolidated is hereby dismissed," Chief Justice David Maraga ruled.

"As a consequence, the presidential election of Oct. 26 is hereby upheld as is the election of Uhuru Kenyatta," Maraga added.

He said the six judge bench retired after hearing the two petitions with only two days left to the deadline, making it impossible to write a full judgment.

"What we read today is a summary verdict on the issues raised in the petitions," said Maraga.

The repeat presidential vote was held on Oct. 26 under the order of apex court which nullified the Aug. 8 election result over irregularities and illegalities.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga, whose legal challenge led to the nullification of Kenyatta's victory in August polls, announced he withdrew from the presidential race citing lack of reforms at the IEBC and lack of action on the staffers at the electoral body who bungled the Aug. 8 polls. He later said he rejected the results of the October repeat election.

Monday's ruling enables Kenyatta to be sworn in on Nov. 28 as per the Constitution.

Kenyatta won the elections with 7.48 million votes in 266 out of 291 constituencies where the election took place. This represents about 98.27 percent of valid votes.

Some 7.62 million Kenyans out of 19.61 million Kenyans cast their votes during the repeat exercise, representing 38.82 percent turnout.

The petitioners had argued that the repeat poll is a nullity because the IEBC failed to subject candidates to fresh nominations, after the poll was invalidated.

The petitioners, including former assistant minister Harun Mwau and two prominent activists, argued that the Oct. 26 repeat election did not meet the threshold set by the Constitution.

The petitioners had asked the Supreme Court judges to annul the election on grounds that nominations were not done prior to the elections.

However, Kenyatta defended his re-election, arguing that there was no need for the electoral commission to conduct fresh nominations after the nullification of the Aug. 8 presidential election.

Political pundits argue that the recently enacted amendments to the election laws which raised the threshold on the conditions that need to be met before the Supreme Court can find an election invalid, triggering a fresh exercise, might have made it difficult for the judges to annul Kenyatta's victory again.
A $5 million global partnership to provide life-saving food assistance to Syrian refugees was announced in Beijing on Monday by the World Food Programme and HNA Group, a Chinese global company focusing on tourism, logistics and financial services. The three-year project will enable WFP to support refugees in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

"This contribution is an additional confirmation of China's longstanding commitment to helping people in Syria who have suffered so much and who continue to suffer because of the crisis in their country," said David Beasley, executive director of WFP. "WFP will continue to work to increase our cooperation with the public, private and government sectors so we can help more people."

Under the agreement, WFP will use the funds from HNA Group to provide school meals and take-home rations for displaced children in Syria, as well as electronic food vouchers for Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

The group has also released a specially designed in-flight meal box to raise awareness of the hunger partnership among people in China and those visiting the country. It will print and distribute the boxes for use on domestic and international flights operated by HNA Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Fuzhou Airlines.

Tang Shengyao, deputy head of the international cooperation department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that as more and more people commit to the United Nations' 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals, the ministry will continue to support WFP's global strategy and programs to end hunger.

"More importantly, our cooperation and partnership will serve as an opportunity to raise the awareness of more enterprises and individuals to pay greater attention to the world poverty and hunger issue, and to provide supportive living care", said Li Xianhua, vice-chairman of the HNA Group.

Beasley also mentioned that the aid program aims to not only end hunger and conflict and provide supplies, but also to promote the development of local economies. For the first time in a decade, the number of people suffering from hunger is going up because of man-made conflicts and its consequences, according to UN's statistics.

WFP and HNA Group started their strategic partnership in 2013 with an HNA contribution of $1.6 million over five years in support of WFP's school meals and take-home-rations program for nearly 4,000 schoolgirls in Ghana.

Contact the writer at liuxuan@chinadaily.com.cn
Win-win cooperation foundation of China-ROK ties

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-11-20 18:56

BEIJING -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha from the Republic of Korea (ROK) will visit China from Nov. 21 to 23, and both sides will exchange views on issues of common concern, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing on Monday.



Kang's visit is at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the spokesperson said.



China and the ROK are close neighbors, and sound bilateral ties are in accordance with historical trends and the common will of the people of two countries, Lu said.



It has been the standard for the two countries to maintain friendly communication and win-win cooperation since they established diplomatic ties 25 years ago, Lu said, noting that China is, and will always be, committed to promoting bilateral ties on the basis of mutual trust and benefit.



"We hope both sides will implement the consensus reached by their leaders to strengthen political trust, respect each other's core interests and major concerns," the spokesperson said.



Lu expressed his hope that the ROK undertakes earnest efforts to make sure that bilateral ties will have a steady and healthy development along the right track, so as to create good conditions for cooperation, benefit the two countries and two peoples, and promote regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
PYONGYANG -- The ruling parties of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have pledged to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination, and push forward the development of relations between the two countries.

The pledge was made during a visit to the DPRK by Song Tao, special envoy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) General Secretary Xi Jinping, on Nov. 17-20.

Song, who is also head of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, met and held talks with leaders of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), during which he made a comprehensive notification on the main spirit and historical contribution of the 19th CPC National Congress held last month in Beijing.

The WPK congratulated the CPC on the overall success of its National Congress, and expressed wishes that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, the Chinese people will make tremendous achievements in building a great modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics and realizing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The two sides also exchanged views on relations between the two parties and the two countries, and on the Korean Peninsula issue and other issues of common concern.

They expressed wishes to strengthen inter-party exchange and coordination and push forward the development of China-DPRK relations.

During his stay in the DPRK, Song also visited some local institutions in Pyongyang and paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a cemetery in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province of the DPRK.

While meeting with the Republic of Korea's President Moon Jae-in earlier this month in Da Nang, Vietnam, Xi noted that China sincerely hopes for the best for the peninsula, and encourages the ROK to resume contact and dialogue with the DPRK and restart cooperation for reconciliation.

In his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, Xi reiterated firm commitment to achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and solving the nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

"The two sides will continue to fully and strictly implement UN Security Council resolutions and stay committed to solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation," Xi told reporters.

China has put forward the suspension for suspension initiative, which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military drills.

It also proposed a dual track approach to denuclearization on the peninsula on the one hand and establishing a peace mechanism on the other.

All relevant parties on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should exercise restraint and halt actions that could aggravate tensions in the region, according to a joint statement released by China and Russia after the eighth China-Russia consultation on security situation in Northeast Asia in October.
Loch Awe is a scenic loch in Scotland, gently fringed with thick conifer forests and beautiful oak woods. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A delegation put together by Scotland's national tourism agency is coming to the end of a 9-day trade mission to China that it hopes will help attract Chinese millennials to the country, a group it hopes will become a "driving force of growth" for Scottish tourism.

The number of Chinese visitors to the United Kingdom is expected to rise from the current 260,000 a year to 384,000 in the next five years, according to VisitBritain, the UKs national tourism authority.

Around one-fifth of those Chinese visitors to the UK spend time in Scotland.

Scotland's national tourism agency, VisitScotland, says the expected growth in the number of visitors from China is likely to be driven by the young adult traveler.

Research shows the average age of Chinese visitors to the UK is younger than the average age of visitors from other countries, with half of Chinese visitors last year aged between 25 and 44. Phocuswright, a global market research company, estimates that 60 percent of international Chinese travelers are aged between 18 and 34.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: "The future of Scottish tourism lies beyond our shores.  China is a hugely important emerging international market and this mission will provide our partners with an excellent platform to speak directly to the top travel professionals in some of the countrys most valuable outbound regions."

Roughead noted that the trade mission coincides with launch of Scotlands Year of Young People.

Eleven Scottish businesses have taken part and have interacted with major Chinese tour operators. The tour ends on Nov 21.

VisitScotland says China's growing wealth, an increasing interest among Chinese people in traveling to Europe, and Scotland's higher profile, have contributed to a steady growth in tourism during the past decade.

Connectivity has also been enhanced in recent years, thanks to airlines including Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates offering one-stop connections between China and Scotland via the Middle East. Turkish Airlines and Finnair are also now competing with British Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa for a share of the market serving Scotland.

Last year, as part of its China Ready initiative, the Scottish capital launched Scotland's first-ever destination campaign on influential Chinese social media sites Weibo and WeChat. The campaign was funded by the VisitScotland Growth Fund.

Edinburgh is now the second-mostly-visited destination for Chinese visitors to the UK, after London. This year, the Scottish capital has seen interest raised further after China Central Television, China's major television broadcaster, entered talks with Scotland to broadcast the world-famous Hogmanay New Year festival in China.

And two years ago, a Chinese strand was added to the Blogmanay social media campaign, which reached almost 10 million people via Twitter in 2016. More than 17,400 tweets were generated, along with 3,000 images on Instagram.
Scientists in the United Kingdom and China are working to create a future built on graphene, the "super material" that may soon be used for a range of things, including charging smartphones in seconds and filtering salt out of seawater.

At the first UK-China graphene conference last week in the Southwest China city of Chongqing, British scientists demonstrated the latest breakthroughs in the commercialization of the highly conductive, incredibly strong two-dimensional material made of carbon.

Researchers from the Manchester-based National Graphene Institute demonstrated the filtration capabilities of ultrathin, graphene-oxide membranes. The technology could be used to separate particles from solvents in the manufacture of medications, and to provide clean drinking water from seawater.

Graphene could play an important role in the development of wearable electronics, and scientists at the conference demonstrated the use of graphene in flexible, battery-like devices printed directly onto textiles.

Researchers around the world are developing technologies that use graphene, including smartphone batteries that charge in under a minute, and ultrathin antennas that transfer a terabyte of data in second.

China's interest in British research into the commercial application of the material was highlighted by President Xi Jinping's visit to the National Graphene Institute during his 2015 state visit to the UK.

At the conference, UK trade minister Rona Fairhead and Tian Shihong, director-general of the standardization administration of China, agreed to work together to establish an international organization for standardization in graphene research.

Creating common standards for scientific research increases efficiency and cooperation in international study, said Rebecca Jiang, science and innovation officer at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

"Collaborating on graphene standards will therefore reduce technical barriers to trade and joint research and development in an area that is a strength for both countries, with huge market potential," Jiang said.

She noted that China and the UK are "natural partners" when it comes to graphene research and commercialization.

The UK has become a world leader in the study of graphene, investing 61 million pounds ($80.8 million) in the National Graphene Center and a further 60 million pounds in the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre, which is set to open next year.

The graphene market in China is forecast to be worth $200 million during the next three years, making it the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. As of September, 2,950 Chinese companies said they were exploring the use of graphene in their businesses, according to government statistics.
Chinese people in Britain are more likely to experience racial harassment than people from other ethnic groups, according to a new research.

The study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex found that an average of 4 to 10 percent of people across most ethnic minority groups said they had experienced some kind of racial harassment in the last year.

But the highest rate of reported incidents was among Chinese men and women, with 15 percent saying they had experienced racial harassment during the same period.

The report said other ethnic minority groups that are more likely to report experiencing racial harassment include Pakistani men, Indian-Sikh men, Indian-Muslim men, and Bangladeshi women.

Chinese students told China Daily they generally felt safe in the United Kingdom but were wary in certain circumstances.

A postgraduate student at Sheffield University who prefers to be identified by her surname Liu said she had never been a target of racial harassment but a friend had been treated badly because of her poor ability to speak English.

"My friend, Sun, said when she first came to the UK and checked into a hotel, the receptionist wasn't very approachable," said Liu.

Liu feels safe most of the time but is concerned when she encounters people who are drunk.

And a PhD student who goes by the name Cao, who also studies in Sheffield, said she worries about becoming a victim of crime when going out late at night.

According to the study, many incidents take place in the street, in shops, and on public transport, with 10 to 20 percent of men and women across ethnic minority groups in England saying they had experienced physical or verbal attacks in public because of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.

With the exception of black Caribbean and black African people, twice as many people anticipate or fear harassment as the number who actually experiences it.

The research said fear of a racist attack may have detrimental effects on labor market participation, social interaction, physical activity, and on mental health and wellbeing.

Renee Luthra, director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Essex, told The Guardian: "Our study has found that harassment is experienced by the broad population of ethnic minorities, and damages mental health, even among those who do not directly experience it."

Alita Nandi, research fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research, said: "We hope this evidence will be taken up by law enforcement in identifying high-risk places and making public spaces accessible to all, and by mental health professionals by considering ethnic and racial harassment as an additional factor in mental health issues experienced by ethnic minorities in Britain."

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story
Frankfurt-based China Europe International Exchange announced on Monday that it will launch a new share market in 2018 to help Chinese companies raise funds for expansion in Europe and countries covered by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The so-called D-share market will help-blue chip Chinese smart and advanced manufacturing companies raise funds from European investors and strengthen their visibility and branding in Europe by raising investor awareness.

The funds raised by Chinese companies from their Frankfurt listings can then be directly used for their overseas expansions and acquisition activities. Their fast overseas expansion plans are also expected to generate attractive returns for European investors.

"Chinese companies are going out for international business, seeking partners globally. This creates the need for more diversified financial services," said Chen Han, co-CEO of the exchange, which also is called CEINEX.

"Banks, intermediaries and other financial services shall develop multiple financial connectivity levels to serve the real economy. CEINEX brings these participants from finance and the real economy together and develops innovative products to support them," Chen said.

A spokesman for CEINEX said several Chinese companies are now in the pipeline preparing for D-share listings. Trading could begin in early 2018.

The D-share market launch announcement came at a time of growing overseas investors' interest in buying Chinese shares, following the US index provider MSCI's decision to include China's A-shares into its emerging markets index starting in June next year. Funds tracking the MSCI index as a benchmark are expected to buy more Chinese stocks.

Companies seeking D-share listing must be already listed on China's A-share markets. CEINEX has not imposed minimum requirements on the companies' scale or trading history, but will vet the companies seeking listings to ensure they satisfy Deutsche Borse's reliability and transparency of information requirements.

The trading of the D-shares is open to all investors who have accounts with Deutsche Borse. The D-share market will be operated as a part of the Deutsche Borse main board and be traded within the Frankfurt time zone.

CEINEX is a joint venture between Deutsche Borse, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the China Financial Futures Exchange and was established in 2015 with support from the governments of both China and Germany.

Currently, it lists 65 bonds and 15 exchange-traded products, all of which include underlying China-related assets. These products give investors valuable exposure to China's vast capital market opportunities.

Companies listing on the D-share market will be mostly Chinese technology and manufacturing companies, as the market is designed to encourage dovetailing of China's "Made in China 2025" and Germany's "Industry 4.0" strategies.

cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
As thousands of journalists from around the world started working at the news center of the BRICS Summit, many said they were impressed by the considerate arrangements, professionalism and hospitality they have encountered.

They were preparing for the next few intensive days, focusing on the future of BRICS and its impact on their own countries.

"I took part in many international events, but this experience is unique because in every part of the organization of this summit, we saw professionalism," said Aly Diouf, head of tourism and information and communication technology columns at Soleil Business magazine in Senegal.

"Everything is well managed here," he said. "The volunteers are very polite."

Diouf, who is participating in a 10-month program in China, said he has traveled a lot in China, met officials and visited many enterprises.

"I realize that China is a very strong economy, so the other thing you need to strengthen may be people-to-people exchanges. You have a strong country; you have to present it to the world.... The BRICS Summit and the Belt and Road Initiative are very important to open China to the rest of the world."

Apurva Narendra, an editor at The Indian Express, said he was most interested in two aspects of the summit: how India-China ties will move forward after the summit and how BRICS countries will progress in the next five years. Jelly Musico, a reporter at Philippine News Agency, said he is very interested in the BRICS Plus model introduced recently, under which China proposes to expand participation in the bloc.

Leaders from five other emerging markets and developing countries - Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand - will attend the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries during the summit and engage in dialogue with the BRICS members.

Musico said he expects that his country might also forge deeper cooperation with BRICS countries in the near future.

Edmund Smith-Asante, a reporter for the Ghanaian newspaper Daily Graphic, said his "first impression on the venue is that it's very beautiful. Everything's so organized. .. You did a very good job."

Smith-Asante said he expects BRICS topics and outcomes to benefit Africa and the whole world.

"I want to hear what President Xi Jinping will say in his address at the summit. I also want to hear what the participants will put on the table during the summit," he said.

Yu Dunhai, director of the media center, said more than 3,000 reporters from 80 countries and regions registered to report on the summit.

Yu said the media center, which covers about 8,000 square meters, has tea break areas that are designed with features of Chinese culture as well as the culture of southern Fujian province, where the summit is being held.

Chen Liubing contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn

Reporters from 80 countries and regions work in the media center of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday. Some 3,000 journalists registered to report on the event.Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

(China Daily 09/04/2017 page3)
Chinese premier to visit Hungary, attend SCO meeting in Russia

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-11-20 18:43

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the sixth meeting of heads of government of China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries during his official visit to Hungary, and attend the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Russian city of Sochi from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the announcement on Monday, saying the tour is being made at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.



Concerning China-CEE cooperation, Lu said the meeting in Hungary coincides with the fifth anniversary of the establishment of China's cooperation with the 16 CEE countries. During these five years, cooperation between the countries have achieved tangible progress in connectivity, trade, economy, finance, industrial capacity and cultural exchanges.



Lu said that China expects the upcoming China-CEE meeting to map out the future cooperation direction and steps on the basis of previous experience, and to advance China-Europe ties.
Brilliant, tormented, passionate, scatological, superstitious, devious, loyal, bitterpick an adjective, good or bad, and it invariably applies to the German reformer Martin Luther at one time or another in his turbulent life. I was born to wage war against sects and devils, Luther said, and that is why my books are so stormy and combative.  I am the great woodcutter who has to forge a path and therefore I have to destroy so much.

The towering figure who changed the course of Western civilization also had feet of clay. That is one reason why, 500 years later, we continue to find Luther captivating. There is a historical footnote that illustrates Luthers ongoing impact. In 1934, Rev. Michael King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, attended the Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin. So taken with the story of the German monk, Rev. Michael King changed his name to Martin Luther King Sr. and then changed the name of his five-year-old son from Michael King Jr. to Martin Luther King Jr. Such was the enduring legacy that inspired an African American pastor to name his son after a German monk.

As a Reformation scholar, I too find myself returning again and again to Luther, both for amusement and insight. I am not sure my ego could have survived the scathing rebukes he dished out to some of his closest friends. The truth is many of his friends learned to bite their tongues, or else they became his enemies. It was indeed difficult to stand in the presence of what his closest ally, Philip Melanchthon, described as a militant temperament and a cocky self-righteousness. Luther was a raging fire.

Herman Selderhuis has managed to write a biography that captures Luther and all of the contradictory adjectives that describe him. Selderhuis, professor of church history at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands and founder of the Refo500 commemoration currently celebrating the Reformation around the world, is one of the leading Reformation scholars today. Few scholars are able to make history come alive. It is a special gift for someone of Selderhuiss stature to successfully reveal the flesh-and-blood Luther, warts and all.

Four Insights

One of the outstanding features of Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography is that it gives insight into Luther before he was Luther the Reformer. Selderhuis reminds us that young Luther remained a product of the medieval mindset, one suffused with demons and devils behind every death and disaster. In 1533, during one of his famous table talks with students, Luther regaled his dinner companions with gripping stories of a childhood neighbor who was a witch. The episode was recorded as follows:

This woman punished a preacher without ever even mentioning his name and cast a spell on him so that he had to die. He couldnt be helped with any medicine. She had taken dirt from the ground where he had walked, threw it in the water, and bewitched him, because without the earth he could not become better again.

As this anecdote makes clear, Luther cannot be understood apart from the medieval context. The late Heiko Oberman described Luther, in the subtitle of his 1992 biography, as existing in a spiritual state between God and the Devil.

A second insight we find is that the Reformation was not merely a reformation in theology. Luthers insights had socio-political implications, and he learned how to function within those strictures of the day. As Selderhuis makes clear, Luthers reformation was very German. That is to say, there had long been German grievances against the Italian dominance of the papal throne. While Luther did not launch the Reformation as a political act, he soon benefited from, and indeed exploited, the longstanding German hostility toward Italy. In 1520, Luther wrote to his friend Georg Spalatin, advisor to Prince Frederick the Wise of Saxony: Germany is oppressed, not by her own but by the Italian crudeness.  He refers to supporters of the papacy as Italian murderers. One cannot escape the reality that the German theologian recognized and capitalized on the pre-existing cultural tensions to further the Reformation movement.

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A third insight concerns the protection Luther received from Frederick the Wise. Scholars have long pondered why Prince Frederick supported him against the papacy and amid ominous threats to his Saxony throne. This question is all the more intriguing given a lack of evidence that Frederick ever embraced Luthers teaching. The reasons for Fredericks dramatic support for Luther are multi-layered. But Selderhuis makes clear that part of the rationale was due to his anti-Italian sentiments. Like other German leaders, Frederick resented ever-increasing papal taxes levied on the Germans.

On the personal level, Selderhuis also notes that the pope had refused permission for Frederick to marry Margaretha, daughter of Emperor Maximilliannot once, but twice. As it turns out, the Reformation was propelled forward at a crucial point because of Fredericks personal resentment toward the pope. The Reformation did not take place in a vacuum.

A final insight touches Luthers family life. One of the most dramatic stories in Luthers life was his marriage to Katharina (or Katie) von Bora. It also proved to be a revolutionary act. Luther met his wife in a most unusual way. She was a nun that he had aided in escaping the Cistercian monastery near Nimbschen. Katie and several of the other nuns landed on Luthers doorstep in April 1523. Acting as a matchmaker, he quickly found husbands for all but oneKatie von Bora. He did not especially like Katie and described her as a zesty lady who was proud and snooty. He added, I would not know what devil would want her. Luther tried to marry her off to two available men, but alas, no match was made. Then Katie took the initiative. She said she would marry Luther or Nicholas von Amsdorf, one of Luthers associatesand Amsdorf declined the offer.

Katies offer got Luther to thinking about marriage. Up to this point, he felt that marriage was out of the question because he expected to die a martyr. In the final analysis, Luther decided to marry Katie to please his father, to rile the pope, to make the angels laugh and the devils weep. He did not marry for love. In fact, he stated before his marriage: I do not love my wife, but I do appreciate her.

Cultural conventions prescribed that a dowry and social status determined a marriage match. But neither Luther nor Katie had neither. He was a declared heretic, and she was a runaway nun. But a remarkable thing happened after his marriage. Luther actually fell in love with Katie, and this had a massive cultural impact. Luther was quite open about his affection for Katie. He wore his heart on his sleeve. I love my Katie, yes indeed. I love her more dearly than myself. Because of his status as a reformer, his marriage became the new Protestant paradigm. As Harvard historian Steven Ozment has written, No institutional change brought about by the Reformation was more visible, responsive to the late medieval plea for reform and conducive to new social attitudes than the marriage of Protestant clergy.

Spiritual Workings

Beyond these signal events in Luthers life, Selderhuis provides a number of bubble-bursting clarifications that will surprise a general audience. First, he argues, the 95 Theses were not all that revolutionary. In essence, Luther protested the abuse of the sale of indulgences, not indulgences themselves. Further, there is nothing in the 95 Theses about justification by faith alone, and Luther even declares his obedience to the pope.

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Second, Selderhuis claims that Luther did not himself nail the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. Of course, he wrote out the 95 Theses for the purpose of instigating an academic debate among the theological faculty at the University of Wittenberg. (This is why they were written in Latin.) They would have been posted not by a professor but by the beadle of the university. Another bubble is burst with the realization that Luther probably did not utter the iconic words Here I stand, I can do no other. It turns out this language was attributed to Luther only in a later publication.

As a historical theologian, I am attracted to theological subtleties. I would have enjoyed more detail on Luthers understanding of justification by faith alone, a wrestling with the nuances of his paradoxical theology of the Cross, and his Anfechtungen (the overwhelming terror that God was going to condemn him). But I have to give ground on this because Selderhuis did not set out to provide a detailed analysis of Luthers theology. This is first and foremost a spiritual biography. The emphasis is on those events and spiritual workings that shaped Luther at the deepest level and gave rise to his theology.

As a teacher of church history, I have often warned my students that an honest engagement with the so-called heroes of the faith can be spiritually disconcerting. After all, these individuals were sinners with faults, often very serious faults. Luther was no different. But there is a spiritual benefit to recognizing the frailties of our heroes. In order to keep our spiritual balance, we must remember that God works through sinners. Isnt this the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Paul? And if God can work through such sinners as these, surely he can work through us too.

Frank A. James III is the president and professor of historical theology at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. He is the co-author of Church History: Pre-Reformation to the Present, vol. 2 (Zondervan) and author of Peter Martyr Vermigli and Predestination: The Augustinian Inheritance of an Italian Reformer(Oxford University Press).
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Evangelist Alveda King Noted in Influential Christian Roster While Urging Prolife Votes for Alabama

Contact: Leslie Palma, 732-757-9087

ATLANTA, Nov, 20, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Being included in the 'Newsmax 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America' roster brings a new level of accountability to my lifelong journey of service to God and humanity," said Evangelist Alveda King, Founder of Alveda King Ministries and Director of Civil Rights for The Unborn for Priests for Life.

The announcement reached King while she was "praying over the situation regarding the looming Alabama Senate race."

"As a longtime prayerful supporter of Judge Roy Moore, King says she is "concerned that voters will be distracted by the media fury involving unsubstantiated accusations.

"While we must be ever mindful of the need to protect our women and children, we must also remain focused on the issues at hand because every vote counts in the race for life. In Alabama, Judge Moore stands for the sanctity of human life from the womb to the tomb. His opposing candidate Doug Jones who is an abortion advocate does not. Remember, Life is a Civil Right. In every election, as the One Blood Human Race of Acts 17:26, we must always vote our values, with life from the womb to the tomb as a priority.

"Jesus said: 'Ye who are without sin, cast the first stone.' It's important to remember, especially during the coming Thanksgiving and Christmas season that Christ's lasting mission is to heal rather than condemn humanity. A divine insight: 'Mercy overcomes judgment.'

"We are currently in a climate of playing the 'blame game' while accusations are running rampant. As a woman, I appreciate the opportunities now available to women and indeed all victims of abuse to come forward to receive healing. However, in the process we must leave the doors open for repentance rather than fostering destruction across the board.

"In the case of Judge Roy Moore what is lacking for many is the certain confirmation that the accusations are true. On the other hand, the sincere testimonies of those who have known and supported Judge Moore through the years, mine included, far outnumber the current charges against him.

"Meanwhile, we must remember that we should never rush to judgment before the genuine facts and not opinions and fake news are considered. True justice demands that any judgment must be withheld until the real truth is revealed.

"If we fail to pursue these truths, we run the risk of creating and fostering a climate of further injustices for our unborn children and ourselves as well as further establishing a precedent for increasing unjust condemnation in the future."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Evangelist King, a niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., King is a former representative of the 28th District in the Georgia House, and a best-selling author, a minister, and frequent FOX News Channel and NEWSMAX contributor. In addition to these roles, she has served as an educator, entertainer, and legislator, and in her own words, she serves as a devoted "Guardian of The King Family Legacy."
home World Sweden denies work permit to Christian refugee facing deportation to Iran

The Swedish government has reportedly refused to grant a temporary work permit to a Christian refugee who is facing a dangerous deportation back to Iran.

According to CBN News, Iranian Christian actress Aideen Strandsson has been offered a job as a technology developer for the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson, but she was unable to take the job because she is still considered as an illegal immigrant.

Strandsson, who converted from Islam to Christianity after having a dream about Jesus, came to Sweden on a work visa and applied for asylum in 2014 shortly after her conversion. However, the Swedish Migration Board had denied her application and had reportedly turned over her case to the border police for eventual deportation back to her home country.

The government had also denied her application for a temporary employment permit to allow her to work at Ericsson.

Experts have said that Strandsson faces certain prison, rape and possibly even death if she is deported back to Iran.

"The migration board information regarding Iranian prisons tells us that torture and rape is common and it is a breach of international law to subject any person to such treatment," Swedish attorney Gabriel Donner said back in August.

The board had already rejected Strandsson's asylum application twice even though its website states that it will never deport asylum seekers to nations where they face danger.

"They said to me, 'It's your personal life and it's not our problem if you decided to become a Christian, and it's your problem,'" Strandsson said in August.

After CBN broke the news about Strandsson's deportation, many viewers contacted the migration board to express support for the Iranian actress, but the officials refused to budge.

A migration board official reportedly contacted CBN and said, "the fact that your readers write to us will not change the Migration Agency's decision, nor can we change the court's decision."

"Her case has been appealed and processed by the Migration Agency and thereafter by the Swedish courts, which have also decided that she cannot be granted asylum," the official added.

The Hungarian government had reportedly offered asylum to Strandsson after learning about her case, and she has also received offers of help from all over the world. But the actress said she wants to stay in Sweden because she has family there and she feels that it would be wrong to back off from what she deems to be an "injustice."

While the Swedish government had denied her application for a temporary work permit, it had reportedly given 150 protected identities to former Islamic State fighters who have returned to the Scandinavian country so that they can find jobs.
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Firefighters battled a blaze at Furr High School early Monday.

Houston Fire Department was dispatched to the school on Mercury Drive around midnight. A person on the scene said one wall of the school was fully involved when firefighters arrived, which was extinguished fairly quickly.

Neither the cause of the fire nor the extent of its damage were clear Monday morning.

The school serves about 1,000 students, 83 percent of which are considered at-risk, according to public records.

The school began its Thanksgiving break Monday, according to its website.
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A man is dead from an apparent gunshot wound in west Houston Monday.

Houston Police said officers were dispatched to 8100 Cook Road around 2 a.m. for a report of a man lying in a median.

The man, who has not been named, was dead when officers arrived, police said.

Investigators later determined he'd been gunned down while fleeing a gas station parking lot following some sort of disturbance.

There was no known suspect description or motive. The victim's name was not immediately released.

Anyone with information in the case can contact Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Dr. Laura Murillo could have gone on for hours about the four decades of accomplishments of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

But the Chamber's CEO and president masterfully gave the 1,400 guests attending the Chamber's gala at the Marriott Marquis on Saturday the Cliff Note version filled with videos, photos, a gospel choir and confetti.
It's a terrible feeling to get out of the airport and realize you don't have any cash for the skycap, or to end a relaxing massage with doubts over whether you tipped enough.

And, do you know when a tip is in order for a hotel's front desk clerk? What about the doorman?
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Karen Fonseca, the owner of a white truck at the center of a social media dispute with Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls, is considering a civil rights lawsuit against the sheriff's office.

Fonseca's attorney, Brian Middleton, made the announcement during a press conference on Monday. Middleton added that the American Civil Liberties Union has also expressed interest in a possible lawsuit.

"We should not allow Sheriff Nehls to intimidate people into silence," Middleton said. "This is wrong and we will not let it stand."

The threat of legal action stems from controversy over a Facebook post Nehls made on Wednesday, Nov. 15, regarding Fonseca's truck, which bears a sticker that reads "F--- Trump and f--- you for voting for him."

PAST COVERAGE: F-Trump truck owner talks about freedom of speech

Nehls threatened to charge Fonseca with disorderly conduct over the sticker. A day later, Fonseca was arrested on a pre-existing fraud warrant out of the Rosenberg Police Department.

Now Playing: Karen Fonseca, owner of a truck bearing a large "F--- Trump" sticker, and now a new "F--- Nehls" sticker, talks about her public disagreement with Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls, who made a Facebook threat to have her arrested for disorderly conduct. The press conference was held Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Video: Kristi Nix/Houston Chronicle

Middleton and State Rep. Ron Reynolds allege that Nehls' public dispute with Fonseca is a politically-motivated attack designed to gain attention as Nehls considers a campaign against Rep. Pete Olson, who represents the 22nd District of Texas.

"I demand an apology from Sheriff Nehls for targeting (Fonseca) and making her life and her family's life a living nightmare," Reynolds said in a statement.

Fonseca has since added a new sticker that reads "F--- Troy Nehls and f--- you for voting for him."

In response to Monday's press conference, Nehls said in a statement that the intention of his Facebook post was to identify the owner of the truck to have a conversation.

"The facts in this case as I see them are that Karen Fonseca wanted to place her feelings into the public realm by driving around with an obscenity on her vehicle. She got just that -- much public recognition," Nehls said.

"This recognition did not cause her to be indicted by a grand jury for Felony Fraud (this happened back in August of 2017), but it did bring the subsequent warrant to our attention and we did our job by arresting her."

Fonseca said during the press conference that she thinks there are positive aspects to the attention this dispute has received.

"We have people of every race stopping us, wanting to shake (our) hand, wanting to pull to the side and take a picture," she said.

Fonseca added that she's been inspired by the public response.

"People back down and don't want to stand for what they believe in. That's why we're in the world we're in today."

The sheriff's office said Monday that Nehls will review the press conference and release a statement later in the day.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.
A fatal hit-and-run crash killed a 40-year-old motorcyclist Friday near Bush Intercontinental Airport, police said.

A man riding a black Kawasaki motorcycle was headed north in the 18600 block of Kenswick Drive at about 5:20 p.m., according to Houston police. He was weaving through traffic and cut in front of a white box truck headed the same direction. The motorcyclist hit the front of the box truck, lost control, drove off the road and was thrown from the motorcycle.

The box truck driver did not stop.

The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.

The Houston Police Department's Hit and Run Unit is looking for the driver of the box truck.
The Greater Houston Community Foundation has awarded $500,000 to the Spring Branch Education Foundation Harvey Relief Fund. The grant was announced this week.

The gift brings the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund to more than $1 million, according to SBEF Executive Director Cece Thompson.

On Nov. 15, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, administered by GHCF, announced the second round of grants totaling $28.9 million to 90 nonprofit organizations to provide services and support to flood victims. SBEF was one of three education-related relief funds to receive a grant.

"As far as we know, the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund is the only one that specifically helps families in Spring Branch ISD," Thompson said. "Our gifts help families fill gaps not met by other local and federal efforts. Since the Fund is managed by SBEF staff, there are no administrative costs. Every dollar goes directly to SBISD student and staff families who were displaced by Harvey."

SBEF continues to distribute Target and Walmart gift cards to help families meet their most pressing needs, whether it's food, clothing or supplies. The Foundation has awarded grants of $50,000 to Community In SchoolsHouston, which identifies specific needs. CIS provides vouchers to families to assist with rent, utilities and other necessities.

SBISD officials estimate there are as many as 1,000 student and staff families displaced by Harvey. Others may be identified. The district uses the Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ) to make this assessment for students. Generally completed at the time of enrollment, the SRQ can be updated throughout the school year as living situations change. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, living situations may reflect substandard living conditions (no electricity, for example); or living in a shelter, with friends or relatives, in a hotel/motel, transitional housing or unsheltered locations such as a car or tent.

SBEF's mission is to support students and educators to enhance education and prepare students for a successful future. The SBEF Harvey Relief Fund helps staff and students be prepared for each school day.

Community members who wish to donate to the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund may visit https://www.pledgecents.com/cause/yldlny/hurricane-harvey-supporting-sbisd-famili.
Hurricane Harvey dumped enough rain on Texas to fill the entire Chesapeake Bay. Widespread flooding caused an estimated $190 billion in damage, meaning Harvey could be the most expensive storm in American history.

The hurricane hit the energy sector particularly hard.

Over a dozen oil refineries along the Gulf Coast shut down or stalled production, reducing the country's refining capacity by 20 percent. That caused gasoline prices to rise nationwide. In parts of Texas, gas prices rose 50 cents at the pump.

But consumers needn't worry about short-term price hikes. History indicates the market will stabilize and prices will quickly return to previous levels.

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, gas prices rose from a national average $2.60 a gallon to as high as $5 in some places like Georgia. Yet, by the end of 2005, thanks to an increase in energy imports and domestic production, gas prices were lower than they were before Katrina struck.

Today, our energy supply is more robust and geographically diverse than in 2005. So the recovery will occur sooner.

Current U.S. oil reserves are 60 percent larger than they were in 2008 and these energy resources are located in different parts of the country. While the amount of U.S. crude oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico has increased, the Gulf's share of total U.S. crude oil production decreased from 27 percent in 2003 to 16 percent in 2014. Other regions of the country have become major oil producers. As a result, the U.S. energy supply is less vulnerable to an isolated natural disaster, no matter how vicious.

Energy companies have also improved their disaster preparedness. Before Harvey hit, firms began shuttering refineries and evacuating personnel. Many of the refinery closures were due to proactive safety measures, not facility damage.

By shutting down facilities safely and preventing long-term damage, firms put themselves in position to quickly ramp up production and refining capacity. As early as September 4, eight refineries had started prepping to reopen. Just three days later, ConocoPhillips reported that its Eagle Ford Shale wells had been restored to over 90 percent of pre-storm production.

Thanks to these efforts, drivers are already noticing falling prices at the pump.

Aside from working to resume production and relieve drivers, energy firms are doing everything they can to alleviate Texans' suffering and get hurricane victims back on their feet as soon as possible. ExxonMobil, for example, contributed $500,000 to relief efforts, Chevron donated $1 million, and ConocoPhillips dished out $5 million. Weatherford International set up a donation page for employees and families affected by the disaster, and pledged to match donations.

Energy firms' efforts are just a small part of the overwhelming support Americans have shown Texas. Citizens, celebrities, and corporations alike are lending a hand. A Good Samaritan used his Escalade with monster-truck tires to tow a National Guard vehicle. J.J. Watt, the Houston Texans superstar, helped raise more than $37 million for Harvey relief. And Coca-Cola gave two men permission to break into their warehouse and steal bottled water for community residents in dire need.

Harvey was devastating for Texans, and it temporarily raised prices at the pump. But thanks to energy companies' improved safety precautions, more diversified supplies, and relief efforts, Texas and the nation are poised to bounce back stronger than before.

Andrew Langer is President of the Institute for Liberty.
A Houston SWAT team rescued three people, including a 4-year-old girl, from a southwest Houston apartment Thursday after a family member held them inside at gunpoint, police said.

The SWAT team was called to the complex in the 8900 block of South Gessner about 8:20 a.m. after reports that an armed man was barricaded inside one of the units, according to the Houston Police Department.
Authorities are on the hunt for a fleeing suspect following a vehicle chase in northwest Houston.

An officer tried pulling over a vehicle near Perry and Cypress Mills around 2:50 p.m. Sunday, according to Houston police.
A wrong-way crash in Sugar Land sent a man to the hospital Sunday night after he drove off the highway and into a tree.

The man drove through oncoming traffic about 9:30 p.m. in the 4500 block of Texas 6, a stretch of highway bordered by neighborhoods and businesses. He hit at least one vehicle before veering off the road and crashing into a tree, Sugar Land Police spokesman Doug Adolph said.
Hours after Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $20,000 reward for information about an attack that left one Border Patrol agent dead and another injured, sources said there may not have been an attack at all.

Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed while on patrol in West Texas Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said. Martinez and his partner were responding to a call near the Van Horn Station, about 120 east of El Paso.

It is not clear how Martinez died, though officials have said it was not in a shooting. His partner was in serious condition Sunday.

RELATED: U.S. Border Patrol agent dies from injuries suffered while on patrol near Big Bend Sunday morning

An anonymous source told the Associated Press that Martinez and his partner were found at the bottom of a 14-foot culvert and that Martinez might have fallen. A union official earlier said the agent appeared to have been struck in the head with a rock or rocks, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, said Monday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who responded to the scene Sunday described it as "grisly" and said the dead agent and his partner had "extensive injuries."

However a U.S. border patrol official says so-called reports of an attack were "speculation" as of Monday evening, according to a report from the Associated Press.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official Rush Carter says all the agency can confirm is that the two agents were injured and that a joint investigation with the FBI will hopefully determine how that happened.

Now Playing: President Trump on Sunday tweeted about the death of a Border Patrol agent in Texas. Video: GeoBeats

The reward offered by Abbott was for information leading to an arrest of anyone responsible for the attack.

We owe a great deal of gratitude to the brave men and women of the United States Border Patrol who serve every day to protect our homeland," Abbott said.

Those with tips related to the case can call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-8477 or text "DPS" and your information to 274637. Tippers can also submit information here.

"As authorities continue their investigation, it is important that they receive any and all information to help apprehend and deliver swift justice to those responsible," Abbott said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here. | kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @kbrad5
AUSTIN -- After 173 years, an historic Texas map has come into official hands.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced Monday that an 1844 map of the Republic of Texas by noted earl-day mapmaker Carl Flemming has been donated to the state by a Kerrville couple, who purchased it during a Dallas liquidation sale.

Republic of Texas maps are rare and are highly priced artifacts of when Texas was its own country.

Flemming's map, high detailed from the days when Texas reached into what is now Colorado and New Mexico before its boundaries were redrawn in the Compromise of 1850, is considered an historic prize.

Bush's office did not disclose the value of the map or how it ended up with the law firm, though historic Texas maps are often displayed as prized artifacts in corporate offices.

"I am pleased that Carol and Morris McIntyre . . . have helped us save Texas history by donating this rare map," Bush said in a statement. "The GLO Archives will be the permanent home for this map, where it will be conserved, digitized, and made available for study and reproduction."

Carol McIntyre said she saved the historic map to ensure that it "would have a safe, protected and permanent home."

"I acquired this map in the liquidation of a large Dallas law firm where I was employed as a paralegal on the liquidation team," she said in a statement through Bush's office. "Throughout my business and legal career, I have seen a 'throw-away' mentality to keep up with the fast pace of changing technology. I have learned that historically significant items should be given the highest level of consideration.

"It is extremely rewarding to put a historical item in a permanent preservation environment where it belongs," said Mrs. McIntyre, now retired.

The map shows the northern boundary of Texas extending to the Arkansas River, encompassing territory into the Rocky Mountains and parts of New Mexico, including Santa Fe.

The map appeared both as a separate issue, and in some of Flemming's atlases.

Flemming issued his 1842 German edition of a famous 1841 Arrowsmith map on a reduced scale for dissemination among the many potential German immigrants to Texas in the mid-1800s, According to Bush. As a result, the map is sometimes referred to as the "German Arrowsmith" because of the similar cartography.

Arrowsmith's 1841 map was probably the first to show the full extent of Texas's claim to the upper Rio Grande, the northern border of which ended at the Arkansas River.

"Flemming retained Arrowsmith's sprawling Republic of Texas boundaries through subsequent editions, even though the boundary changed with the Compromise of 1850," Bush said in a statement.

"Flemming even retained an erroneous statement describing the arid western region of Texas which stated that "this tract of Country explored by LeGrande in 1833 is naturally fertile, well wooded, and with fair proportion of water."

"Houston and New Washington are shown on the map, despite New Washington being burned by Santa Anna in 1836. Thirty counties are numbered and identified by a key in the upper right portion of the sheet."

In addition, the commissioner noted that Flemming followed Arrowsmith's model for his maps, there is an inset plan of Galveston Bay at the lower left. Flemming's continental version has the distinction of being among the last maps showing the extended Republic boundary.

Some sources state that the map is known to have been published up to 1853 without changes, according to Bush.

The map includes bold tracings of counties' boundaries. Large cities and towns are labeled, including New Washington, which had been burned by Mexican forces under Santa Anna in 1836.

In recent years, the GLO has received several donated maps, ranging from early-day North American maps, a large 1854 map of North America and an "incredibly rare 1848 Stephen F. Austin map" of Texas.

Texas became a state in 1845.

The archives of the Texas General Land Office, home to 36 million documents and over 45,000 maps and sketches detailing the history of the public lands of Texas from the Republic era to the present, is one of the premier cartographic resources for Texas.

Bush said reproductions of the donated Flemming map of Texas are now available for $20 each. All funds raised by map reproduction sales are directed toward the conservation of the GLO's archival collection.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Community Foundation has announced $3.3 million in grants benefiting health and human service programs.

One such program receiving a grant is Safety Around Water, the Akron Area YMCA's water-safety program for children ages 6 to 12. The grant will help fund classes, transportation, swimsuits, towels and goggles for up to 500 high-risk Akron Public Schools students.

"The Safety Around Water lessons are different than swimming lessons because our emphasis is going to be on safety. Every skill that they are learning in this program is going to help them if something bad were to happen to them in the future," said Leah Ferencak, aquatics director at Lake Anna YMCA, in a news release.

The foundation earmarked an additional $77,500 in grants for health and human services programs through its grant co-investment program. Partners in that program include the Alice J. Caniglia Fund, the Glenn and Karen Leppo Family Fund and an anonymous fund. Their donations, combined with more than 20 field-of-interest and unrestricted funds, will support the following health and human services programs, according to a news release:

"

Akron Area YMCA

Akron Blind Center

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank

Akron Children's Hospital

American Red Cross of Summit & Portage Counties

Autism Society of Greater Akron

AxessPointe Community Health Center

Battered Women's Shelter

Bridges Summit County

Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry

Catholic Charities Community Services of Summit County

Christ Child Society of Akron

Community Legal Aid Services

Community Pregnancy Center

Community Support Services

Embracing Futures

Family & Community Services Inc.

Freedom House for Women

Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio

Goodwill Industries of Akron

H.M. Life Opportunity Services

Homeless Charity

IBH Addiction Recovery Center

Info Line

Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio

L.I.N.K.S. Community and Family Services

Mature Services

NAMI Summit County

Open M

Pastoral Counseling Service

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

Portage Path Behavioral Health

Prevent Blindness Ohio

Rahab Ministries

Ronald McDonald House Akron

Shelter Care

South Street Ministries

Stewart's Caring Place

Summit County Community Partnership

Summit County Fatherhood Initiative

Twinsburg Seniors

United Disability Services

Victim Assistance Program

Victory Gallop

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AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron woman is charged with murder after she stabbed a man in the neck when she crashed a car into a building Saturday morning, police said.

Jelicia Wilder is charged with murder and domestic violence in the death of Dierre R. Spaulding, Akron police said in a news release.

Officers were called at 7 a.m. after Wilder, 27, crashed a gray 2007 Pontiac G6 into a vacant building at 781 Grant Street in Akron. Wilder told police she lost control of the car as she tried to make a right turn before she slammed into the building.

Investigators noticed Spaulding, 27, was in the passenger seat with stabbed wounds to his neck. He was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital for treatment. He later died at the hospital, police said.

Wilder told police she was in a fight with Spaulding and stabbed in the neck at their East Merling Avenue residence. She was driving Spaulding to the hospital when the crash happened, authorities said.

Wilder was being held in the Summit County Jail. Court records did not list an initial court appearance for Wilder.

To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
AKRON, Ohio --- When it comes to marketing new music, having a 40-year-old, multi-million-selling album to your name is not a bad start.

The rock band Kansas put out an album of new music, "The Prelude Implicit," in 2016, and was looking for ways to sell it. "It's not like it's 1979 anymore," said Kansas guitarist and founding member Richard Williams in a recent phone interview. "What do we do to get people to listen to it?"

The answer came in the form of "Leftoverture," the band's breakthrough album, which featured its signature hit, "Carry On My Wayward Son," and has sold more than 5 million copies since it's release in 1976.

"We decided to perform 'Leftoverture' in its entirety as a vehicle to market the new record," said. Williams. "The thought was that we would do 15, maybe 20 auditoriums and that would be the tour, so that we could promote the new record.

"Right out of the box, we did 80 shows. Promoters just kept calling. There are a lot of Kansas fans out there."

The Leftoverture 40th Anniversary Tour show, which stops at Akron's Goodyear Theater on Nov. 25, is a two-hour-plus event that includes songs off the band's 11 studio albums, new songs from "The Prelude Implicit," and culminates with the album "Leftoverture," performed in its entirety, in sequence.

History in the making

As the tour wound on through the fall and winter of 2016, the decision was made to record the shows, for posterity if nothing else, resulting in "Leftoverture Live & Beyond," released Nov. 3.

"We were always planning another new record, but as we went around the corner this year, we just said 'the next 15 shows we're going to record.' More to document this for the future," Williams said. "And in the days of old, recording live was such an undertaking -- you had to bring the mobile truck in. Now our front-of-house console is a recording studio; everything can be done in the box."

Meanwhile, "The Prelude Implicit," the band's first studio album since 2000's "Somewhere to Elsewhere," has reached No. 41 on the Billboard Top 200, No. 5 on the Billboard Rock Album chart, and as high as No. 3 on the Independent Album chart.

Not long ago, Kansas appeared to be a band on commercial life support, leading to the eventual retirement of founding member and lead vocalist, Steve Walsh, in 2014. Guitarist-keyboardist and founding member Kerry Livgren, was the author of the band's most commercially recognizable compositions, "Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind." But his involvement with the band has been sporadic since the late 1980s, with several solo projects to his credit.

"Since 2000, we never recorded anything new and that was very frustrating for me," Williams said. "Kerry and Steve, neither one of them was interested in recording anything new and the (live) set list was getting smaller and smaller."

Williams says Walsh's departure in 2014 was "bittersweet," but set the stage for recording the new studio album, and more touring.

"It was bittersweet because we have been brothers in arms for so long," said Williams. "But (the current lineup) is a great group of guys who want to play more. The answer to everything is 'Yes,' where for a long time it was always, 'No.' This is the closest thing I've found to the band when it started."

The rise of Kansas III?

The newest version of Kansas includes Williams and original drummer Phil Ehart, joined by bassist Billy Greer, guitarist Zak Rizvi, keyboardist David Manion, violinist David Ragsdale, and vocalist Ronnie Platt.

"We're blue collar guys," says Williams. "Gold albums and things are nice, but this is fun. "I don't want to look back as much as forward. I'm looking forward to coming to Akron. I've heard it (Goodyear Theater) is a beautiful theater.

"We have always been called kind of progressive rock, but not really progressive. They have to compartmentalize things and I get that," he said. "But it's all rock 'n roll and we are way too busy now to be worried about what box they put us in."

Kansas

Nov. 25

8 p.m.

1201 East Market St. Akron, OH 44305

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BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - One morning last week, Darla Taddeo and Jill Martin frantically assembled doughnut boxes at the end of the counter inside Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee Shoppe.

They needed to work quickly. The business was closing for good in a matter of days, and customers were lined up out the door to buy doughnuts here for the last time. They also wanted to say goodbye to shop owners Danny Cech and his brother and sister-in-law Glenn and Melissa Cech.

Taddeo and Martin, who also poured coffee for customers, aren't earning much for their efforts. In fact, they aren't paid at all. The two Brecksville residents are customer-volunteers, and they have pitched in over the years whenever needed, just to help the Cechs.

"They're just great people," Taddeo said. "They've become personal friends."

Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee, on Ohio 82 just east of Brecksville Road, will lock its doors forever Wednesday after 34 years in business. The Cechs have lived in Brecksville for about as long.

Danny Cech, 63, said he and his older brother are nearing retirement age, so it's time to let go.

"It's a bittersweet thing," Danny Cech said. "It's been a fun job. I'm very sad, but it's been a good ride.

"I will miss the people," Cech said. "Some of our customers were kids when they first came in here. Now they're getting married and having children. We've had some deaths, too."

Taddeo said she and her family started coming here more than 10 years ago.

"I always called this the unofficial City Hall of Brecksville," Taddeo said. "Old timers would sit at the counter, talking about what was going on in town, although some have passed away."

Mayor Jerry Hruby agreed, saying that when he first ran for mayor in 1987, he spent hours in Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee, meeting and talking to voters.

"They opened their doors to sell their products, but in the end they created a gathering place that resulted in many friendships, and gave folks a place to feel at home," Hruby said of the Cechs.

Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee Shoppe has been called the unofficial City Hall of Brecksville.

Before opening Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee in the early-to-mid-1980's, Danny Cech was a cook and bartender in a couple of Greater Cleveland restaurants, and Glenn Cech was a welder at Republic Steel.

Neither brother had business experience, but Melissa Cech's family had established doughnut shops in the Detroit area. So the Cechs bought the Brecksville building and learned how to make doughnuts.

The building itself has a rich history. Originally it was The Dog House, a hot-dog diner, in the 1960's. Then, Franklin "Bud" Pasek, who later became Brecksville building commissioner, purchased the property and turned it into Bud's Cup and Saucer.

"A lot of our customers are children of parents who worked at Bud's," Cech said. "It was a breakfast-lunch place."

Eventually Pasek leased the building to another lunchtime diner before selling it to the Cechs.

"We took a step out of the norm and started a business," Cech said. "It was scary at first, but it's been a success from day one."

Cech attributed that success to hard work and pride in their doughnuts, muffins and coffee.

"We're putting our names on the product," Cech said. "We put our love into it."

Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee survived the proliferation of Starbucks and other national coffee chains. Cech said the shop has served Kona coffee from Hawaii, which is smooth, not "bitter and burnt" like coffee in certain chains.

"In the beginning, we were concerned about the competition," Cech said. "But after you go through it and people keep coming back, we knew we would be OK. You just hope there is enough pie to go around."

Cech said the shop probably won't remain vacant for long. They have sold it to another Brecksville family, which has plans to remodel the building and open another business here, possibly a coffee shop.

That's good news for Martin, one of the customer-volunteers. She hopes the new establishment will resemble Brecksville Doughnuts & Coffee.

"Brecksville has a small-town feel," Martin said. "This place does, too."
Security News

Kaspersky Lab Faces New Wave Of Allegations About Russian Roots, Could Be Blocked From Federal Sales

Sarah Kuranda

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Kaspersky Lab is once again facing challenges when it comes to its Russian heritage, with reports out Tuesday that it might be blocked from selling to the entire federal government and that it had worked with Russian intelligence.

According to an ABC report, citing unnamed government sources, the Trump administration is considering removing Kaspersky from the GSA Schedule, which would prevent all federal agencies from buying its solutions. The report said a decision could emerge in the next few days.

Kaspersky has global headquarters in Moscow and has North American headquarters in Woburn, Mass.

[Related: Bill Passes That Could Block Kaspersky Lab From Selling To U.S. Department Of Defense]

The Senate Armed Services Committee last month passed a bill to prohibit the U.S. Defense Department from using the security vendor's software over concerns that it "might be vulnerable to Russian government influence." The bill still needs to make its way through Congress before being signed by President Donald Trump.

A second report, in Bloomberg, also alleged that Kaspersky had been working with the Russian intelligence agency FSB, citing internal emails it had obtained. It said the relationship included developing technologies for the agency to prevent against DDoS attacks.

Kaspersky published a lengthy blog post slamming the reports, particularly the latter Bloomberg report on its alleged relationship with the Russian intelligence community. Kaspersky said it "regularly" works with governments and law enforcement agencies around the world, but does "not have inappropriate ties with any government."

The report alleged that Kaspersky had worked in tandem with the Russian government around its anti-virus and DDoS prevention offerings. It also said it had cooperated with hosting companies and the FSB to provide intelligence on hackers and their locations for raids. Kaspersky denied all of these claims, saying it regularly works with other vendors to integrate its technologies through licensing agreements, that the Russian government is not a Kaspersky Lab DDoS Protection client, and makes hourly updates to the software in a secure way (not communicating private information).

"In the internal communications referenced within the recent article, the facts are once again either being misinterpreted or manipulated to fit the agenda of certain individuals desperately wanting there to be inappropriate ties between the company, its CEO and the Russian government, but no matter what communication they claim to have, the facts clearly remain there is no evidence because no such inappropriate ties exist," Kaspersky Lab said in an official statement.

Partners said they weren't particularly concerned about the reports. One partner, who did not want to be identified, called the moves "par for the course" for working with a foreign vendor. He predicated ultimately that it would little to no impact on Kaspersky.

Michael Knight, president and CTO of Encore Technology Group, a Greenville, S.C.-based solution provider, said in an email that the moves appear to be "political jockeying" between the two countries, with Kaspersky caught in the middle.

Knight said other major vendors, including Cisco, have worked with federal agencies, including the NSA, FBI and DOJ without problem. While Kaspersky likely has worked with the Russian government in the past, he said there is a "major difference between working with them to solve state crimes versus cyber espionage."

"I do not believe Kaspersky has been involved in Nation-State Cyber Crimes the same way I dont think that Cisco has been an active player although their technology may have been used to do different things," Knight said.
Storage News

Chaos Sumo Aims To Solve IoT Data Headaches With Smart Object Storage For AWS S3

Joseph F. Kovar

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Chaos Sumo, a developer of object storage, has developed with it calls the first "intelligent," smart storage for Amazon Web Services S3.

The technology, Chaos Sumo Smart Object Storage service, provides data discovery, management, and analytics as a way to simplify storing of increasing amounts of data using the popular AWS S3 service, said Thomas Hazel, founder and chief technology officer for the Boston-based company.

Chaos Sumo embeds intelligence in S3 via its Data Edge platform, Hazel told CRN.

[Related: AWS Re:Invent 2016: 16 Storage Products For AWS Clouds]

"So many companies are doing data analytics on object storage," he said. "I wanted to go beyond the noise. Everybody's dumping things into S3 object storage, but they face several issues."

Chief among those issues is the fact that customers are dealing with so many buckets of storage in S3, Hazel said. "Bucket" is the AWS term for a logical unit of object storage.

"Chaos Sumo funds all those buckets," he said. "There's just a click to discover them, which can then be dragged to a virtual bucket without the need to build a new service or ETL [extract, transform, and load] the data to normalize it. Those virtual buckets provide an aggregated correlation between the different physical buckets, which can then be queried with the S3 API."

Chaos Sumo could have created a new file store to handle those physical buckets, Hazel said. "But instead, we created a simple service to create virtual buckets without the need for coding or scaffolding," he said, referring to the process of building a new Hadoop cluster.

A typical use is for IoT, where customer might be looking to store data from multiple devices in AWS S3 because it is easy, elastic and cheap, Hazel said. A customer might want to discover what was stored and then refine it to present to apps for analysis before passing to data scientists to organize the information, he said.

"In a classic case, they would have to build a Hadoop cluster and hire a RedShift database administrator," he said. "Now they get self-service. Data scientists can now use Data Edge to log into S3, find the data, group it as needed, and get results."

Chaos Sumo increases the importance of the data scientist, Hazel said. "We let companies do more with their data scientists," he said. "It may actually decrease the importance of data engineers or data administrators who might be sitting in the middle to organize the data before sending it to the data scientists, business analysts, and business intelligence people."

Chaos Sumo has turned out to be a much better way to manage customers' data lakes in AWS, said Kevin O'Rourke, co-founder and chief technology officer at JetSweep, a Chelmsford, Mass.-based solution provider and partner to both companies.

Because of Hadoop and big data, the whole data lake concept has become sort of a "Wild West" as companies increasingly dump data into S3, O'Rourke told CRN.

"We looked at Hadoop distributions and products on top of Hadoop as a way to manage those data lakes," he said. "But when we saw Chaos Sumo at an AWS meeting, we felt the company really understands this. We caught them early on in their development cycle, and even volunteered to be in their beta cycle."

S3 has several issues, not the least of which is the probability of getting lost with the content in S3, O'Rourke said. "There's no single centralized management layer, and no single person software layer," he said. "Chaos Sumo does it all nicely."

Furthermore, O'Rourke said, a lot of products that integrate with S3, including third-party applications. need to map to specific buckets or folders as a connection. "Chaos Sumo has a concept of the virtual bucket which allows a set of virtual buckets or virtual folders to act as one," he said.

Also, Chaos Sumo can integrate physical and virtual buckets together as a way to cleanse the data when bringing them together to discover what's inside and do quality checks, he said.

When Chaos Sumo talks about the concept of data lakes, a lot of people might think of a central repository, O'Rourke said.

"But it's really a logical repository," he said. "There are buckets everywhere. This isn't a large folder-like repository. Those buckets have different purposes. Some are refined, some are raw, and some are transient."

Chaos Sumo provides channel partners the opportunity to differentiate themselves with Amazon S3 skills, Hazel said.

A free edition of Data Edge is available that lets customers discover what data they have stored in S3, Hazel said. The premium edition, which allows discovery, organization, and query of the data, is available for about $100 per month for 10 GBs or more of data processed during the month, a cost which rises into the thousands of dollars at terabyte capacities. "But it's dramatically lower than the scaffolding or other services," he said. "RedShift or building Hadoop clusters can be very expensive."
A two-day workshop is being organised by the Government of the Solomon Islands in partnership with CTA, the Pacific Island Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Pacific Community (SPC). All key stakeholders in the agriculture, tourism, trade and health sectors will be brought together with the aim of developing and supporting local businesses in serving tourism-related markets in the Solomon Islands.

Tourism is the lifeblood of many Pacific economies and agritourism provides a promising avenue for diversification and trade growth. High quality, nutritious and healthy food, available every day of the year, is critical to hotels, lodges and resorts. Often the food-purchasing bill of a tourism site is large in comparison to the size of the local economy, yet surprisingly little of this is spent locally, even when supplies are available from farmers, fishermen and small-scale agribusinesses. The challenges of shifting food-sourcing to local suppliers are considerable  achieving this in a way that meets commercial needs and customer preferences, and meets food and safety requirements, would be one way in which tourism operations can significantly increase their contribution to local economic development.

Solomon Islands has 40% of the share in the Pacific tourism market, and it is the biggest tourist destination. Tourist arrivals are almost hitting the one million mark. It has natural and cultural potential to develop its tourist market further by diversifying its tourism policy and strengthening its linkages with the agriculture industry. This will increase resilience of food systems and incomes for rural communities. A policy on agritourism will also develop linkages with the health sector ensuring that it supports national campaigns towards nutritious and healthy food.



This workshop builds on the positive experience of Vanuatu and Samoa, where the national governments, together with CTA and partners, also organised successful Agritourism Policy Setting Workshops in 2016. The next Agritourism Policy Setting Workshop is scheduled to take place this year in Fiji. Discussions are underway for similar activities in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Timor Leste and Palau for 2018.

More recently, CTA supported an Agritourism Workshop for the entire Pacific region on 18 October 2017, as part of the first Pacific Week of Agriculture (Vanuatu, 16-20 October 2017). Participants shared lessons and experiences in agritourism development and deliberated progress made by agribusinesses in serving tourism markets in selected countries. It resulted in the first ever Agritourism Development Recommendations, which were presented to and approved by Pacific Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Services (MOAFS) on 20 October 2017. Following this, Pacific Ministers of Tourism attending the 27th South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) Council of Tourism Ministers on 25 October adopted their own Agritourism Recommendations, a significant advancement of the Agritourism agenda in the Pacific.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Herbst finds himself in the vortex of a family legal feud this Thanksgiving.

Herbsts mother is suing his sister and estranged brother-in-law, as well as their lawyer, alleging they illegally hacked into her iPhone messages to try to dig up dirt for a wrongful termination and defamation of character lawsuit against Herbst.

In the initial lawsuit filed last November, Herbsts future brother-in-law, Jesse Jablon, accused the Trumbull first selectman of firing him from his town job because he was dating Herbsts sister  and spreading rumors to prospective employers that Jablon was a drug dealer.

Now Herbsts mother, Deborah Herbst, is striking back with her own lawsuit filed Nov. 6 in state Superior Court in Bridgeport.

The defendants conspired together to unlawfully and without authorization access the plaintiffs personal private data hosted on her iPhone computer systems and programs and to thereafter remove the data, reproduce it and publish the plaintiffs confidential, personal private data, the lawsuit said. The plaintiff has a right of ownership and privacy to the data and the contents of her personal communications and information within her iPhones system and programs, and has experienced and experiences distress and angst at the violation of her privacy and life perpetuated and continued by the defendants.

Herbst, who is among a dozen Republicans with gubernatorial aspirations in 2018, declined to comment through a campaign spokesman Monday about the latest lawsuit. Previously, he has disputed allegations against him in Jablons lawsuit.

Both Jablon and his wife, Amanda Herbst, declined to comment Monday through their New Haven attorney, John R. Williams, who is also named as a defendant in the latest lawsuit.

Williams told Hearst Connecticut Media he had no comment at this time, as the two sides try to reach a resolution in the dueling lawsuits.

Deborah Herbst, the former chairwoman of the Trumbull Board of Education, is seeking unspecified monetary and punitive damages, as well as attorneys fees, from her daughter, son-in-law and Williams.

The plaintiff did suffer and continues to suffer emotional harm and injury as the direct and proximate result of the defendants conduct as alleged heretofore, the lawsuit said.

Jablons lawsuit against Tim Herbst alleges he lost his temporary post as Trumbulls chief administrator in August 2013 because of Jablons relationship with Herbsts sister.

It went on to accuse Herbst of bad-mouthing Jablon to future employers such as the city of Ansonia, and jeopardizing Jablons job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car by making claims he is a drug dealer.

Jablon is seeking at least $15,000 in punitive and compensatory damages from Herbst, who opted against running for re-election as Trumbulls first selectman this year to focus on next years governors race.

Herbst has stood by his decision to fire Jablon, citing what he characterized as a conflict of interest of having his sisters boyfriend in a high-profile position in his administration.

He previously denied meddling in Jablons job search and shared a pair of emails from current and former Ansonia officials that he said proves Jablon wasnt hired for an information technology position with the city because he wasnt qualified.

Herbst has declined to comment on the lawsuits claim that he raised suspicions about Jablon being a drug dealer with Jablons employer.

During an April 2015 interview with Hearst Connecticut Media for a profile, Herbst said he gave Jablon a choice to keep dating Herbsts sister or keep his job.

If Jablon continued to do both, Herbst said at the time, it would have opened him up to allegations of nepotism. And if the relationship between his sister and Jablon didnt work out, Herbst said, it would have put him in an awkward position.

Jablon had been working as Trumbulls chief administrative officer while Herbsts chief of staff was on maternity leave.

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Anything but joined up: Leaks about the content of Philip Hammond's Budget have shown that what 11 Downing Street is thinking appears to be contradictory and confused

There was a time when the content of the forthcoming Budget was the most closely guarded secret in government. No longer: now we have a rising tide of leaks authorised, presumably, by the Chancellor.

At least this lets us know, in advance, what the thinking is in 11 Downing Street. On the evidence of what is emerging, that thinking is anything but joined up. To the contrary, it is chaotic, contradictory and confused. Thats when it isnt merely messy, muddled and mystifying.

We are told this will be a budget for housing, and that the Chancellor will build 300,000 new homes a year  which sounds suspiciously like something out of a Soviet plan with its annual tractor manufacture targets.

Remedy

But the growing problem with housing cannot simply be expressed in terms of a shortage. The issue is as much as anything a matter of stagnation, with the housing market seizing up through lack of activity. This means people who need to move for reasons of work, or accommodating a growing family, are stuck.

And the swingeing increases in stamp duty implemented by the previous tenant of No 11, George Osborne, are in large part responsible. About this, Mr Hammond has so far been silent.

As the co-author of a recent London School of Economics report on the effects of stamp duty, Prof Christian Hilber, argued: If you are a young family and you have an additional child, youll need an additional room, but the stamp duty is discouraging this kind of move because of the additional cost. In a nutshell, the stamp duty discourages the elderly from downsizing and young expanding families from moving to more adequate housing.

Mr Hammond has followed George Osborne's lead by plunging money into the Help-to-Buy Equity Loan. Predictably the main effect of the scheme has been to increase the price of new homes

Hammond has instead followed Osbornes ridiculous remedy by plunging more taxpayers money into the so-called Help-to-Buy Equity Loan, directed at first-time buyers of new-build homes. Last month, the Chancellor threw another 10bn at this. The main effect (entirely predictably) has been to increase the price of new homes: they have gone up by 15 per cent more than the price of existing second-hand homes since the plan was introduced. This boosts only the big housebuilders and, of course, the bonuses of their bosses.

Nor has this efficiently targeted those buyers who most need help: four in ten of those who have used the scheme earn more than 50,000 a year (twice the average wage), and one in ten of the purchasers was earning at least 80,000 a year.

A government survey itself revealed that almost 60 per cent of those using Help to Buy said they could have afforded to purchase without the scheme, and one in five was not even a first-time buyer.

Scrapping this scheme and putting the money saved towards a cut in stamp duty would be a start on the path back to reason. The Treasury would argue that the funds raised by stamp duty are essential to its plans to tackle the national debt. So heres an alternative suggestion for Fiscal Phil: why not scrap the absurdly costly HS2 London-Leeds rail scheme?

During the recent general election, Hammond, who as a former Transport Secretary should know better, claimed that the cost of HS2 would be 32bn. If only. The Governments own figures suggest it will cost 52bn. But Michael Byng, the rail expert who created the method used by Network Rail to cost its projects, has warned the Transport department that the scheme could eventually cost twice that, a staggering 104bn. Mr Byng claimed that HS2 has not questioned the figure, or my methodology.

Absurdly costly: During the general election, Mr Hammond said the cost of HS2 would be 32bn despite a rail expert suggesting the total could reach a staggering 104bn. Pictured is an artist's impression of the Fazeley viaduct on the proposed route

Worse still, HS2 is not the answer to the problem it purports to address: the relative lack of transport infrastructure in the North of England.

That would best be addressed by a new line from Manchester to Leeds, or a trans-Pennine tunnel between Manchester and Sheffield. But these have not been given the go-ahead  while countless billions are to be frittered on HS2.

The most absurd example of lack of joined-up thinking at No 11 has emerged from its briefings to different newspapers yesterday. Some had Treasury-inspired headlines about a plan to put almost 500 million of taxpayers money into funding charging points for electric cars. It is justified by the official policy of trying to wean the public off the use of fossil fuels, specifically oil. All in the great cause of limiting CO2 emissions.

Weird

But whats this? The Sunday Times tells us that Mr Hammond will in this weeks budget throw a tax lifeline to oil and gas producers in an attempt to unleash an estimated 40bn of new North Sea investment. This is seriously weird. The reason our North Sea oil producers are in a pickle is the fall in the price of oil. And the biggest long-term reason for the fall in the oil price lies with the move to other forms of energy supply  as encouraged by government.

So on the one hand the Chancellor proposes to subsidise us to abandon oil as our fuel for motoring, and on the other he proposes to subsidise oil companies to try to produce more of the stuff. This is the fiscal equivalent of the Pushmi-pullyu, with Mr Hammond as Dr Dolittle.

Still, doing little is better than doing something stupid. And I fear the latter sums up the Governments self-defeating housing policies.

Rolf Harris and thorny questions for the police

Rolf Harris had one of his convictions quashed after it was found that witness for the prosecution was a fantasist

It wont restore Rolf Harriss reputation, but last week one of that now unmentionable entertainers 11 convictions for indecent assault was quashed.

The Court of Appeal did so after private investigators hired by Harris found the main witness for the prosecution, David James, was a fantasist with convictions for dishonesty (including a fictitious claim that he was a war hero).

Mr James had come forward to support the claim of Wendy Wild that she had been molested by Harris, after police made countless calls for witnesses: he was all they got. The Appeal Court also heard from Ms Wilds stepfather, who said the assault could never have happened; and police admitted there was no evidence that Harris had ever visited the community centre in Portsmouth where it was alleged to have taken place.

Or as Lord Justice Treacy put it: If Mr James is removed from the picture [the victim] is left on her own in asserting an encounter with Mr Harris at the community centre in circumstances where there was a body of evidence to the contrary.

What will happen to the 22,000 that Harris had been obliged to play Wild in damages? By rights, she should repay him, in full: though she had complained this sum was too low to compensate her for what she described as 40 years of nightmares.

Ms Wild  who is unusual in waiving her right to anonymity  forgot to mention the thousands she would additionally have received from the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme. That is money paid by you and me, through general taxation.

At the time of Harriss conviction in 2014  he was 84 then  I wrote that it reminded me of what happened after Soviet show trials of former heroes of the Russian Revolution in the Thirties. Just as the accused then found their images permanently wiped from all official photographs, so Harriss work has been entirely expunged from public view.

But I added that unlike the Soviet trials, the evidence against the formerly much-loved artist and entertainer had not been fabricated. It now appears that, at least in one case, it absolutely was.

So what action do the police propose to take against Mr James, whose false evidence led directly to an unjust conviction? And why did they not discover his history of fabrication? Or if they did, why did they not disclose it? Rolf Harris should not be alone in asking such questions.
Getting married should be one of the happiest times in a woman's life, but for some Muslim brides the fairytale can suddenly come to a shocking end.

Rukhsana Noor and Habiba Jaan both found themselves homeless and hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt after learning that their Sharia marriages were not recognised under UK law.

Both women's stories are told in a new Channel 4 documentary, The Truth About Muslim Marriage, which exposes the plight of women who discover they have no legal rights after their 'marriage' falls apart.

Habiba, a mother of four, found out that she was never legally married to her husband because they'd never registered the marriage. When she begged him for a civil ceremony she discovered that he was actually legally married to someone else.

She had taken out a loan to lend him money and when she couldn't force him to repay it, her home was repossessed and she suffered a mental breakdown.

Rukhsana wasn't allowed to take her husband to a family court to divide their assets and had to spend 100,000 taking him to civil court because they too were never legally married.

She called the situation 'heartbreaking', and felt stupid for not knowing she'd never had an official marriage.

In a Muslim marriage ceremony the couple are kept in separate rooms while they sign a marriage contract. Many believe this contract to be legally binding, but it is not actually recognised under UK law.

Campaigners are currently trying to change the law so that all Muslim weddings have to be registered. According to the latest statistics, 80 per cent of Muslim marriages are not considered legal.

Habiba Jaan discovered that her husband refused to have a civil wedding because he was legally married to someone else

Habiba's story

Habiba, who appears in The Truth About Muslim Marriage, had four children with her husband before learning they had never legally been husband and wife.

She pleaded with her husband to get a civil ceremony but he always resisted, and she began hearing rumours that he had another wife.

While polygamous marriages are accepted by Islam, many Muslims do not choose them and Habiba was horrified to discover that the reason her husband didn't want to marry her was because he did in fact have a legal wife.

She decided to leave him but it was difficult as she had borrowed money from him and was forced to pay it back herself, unable to take him to family court.

Habiba had to sell off her assets to repay the debts and ended up losing her home with children to support.

She said: 'I was actually homeless, my house was repossessed. I had a mental breakdown and it was a very difficult time. I was left at a stage where I didn't even have 10p to buy milk for my son.'

The campaign to change the law The Register Our Marriage campaign has been funded by family lawyer Aina Khan with the aim to change The Marriage Act of 1949. The law states that only Anglican, Jewish and Quaker marriages have to be registered, which the campaign is trying to revert. 90% of Mosques in England don't register Muslim marriages under civil law, and 80% of young Muslim marriages are not registered. Most Muslim marriage ceremonies take places in the couple's homes or function rooms in hotels, where there will be no registrar to sign legal documents registering the marriage. This means that, should they break up, they do not have the same rights as other married couples in the UK. In most Muslim countries, there are sanctions for a celebrant who carries out a Muslim marriage without registering it Advertisement

Rukhsana Noor didn't realise she wasn't legally married and spent 100,000 trying to get their shared house because they weren't entitled to use the family court

The Muslim marriage survey Channel 4 surveyed 900 Muslim women who were married in the UK. The broadcaster asked about their married life and whether they had been legally married. 60 per cent didn't have a civil marriage ceremony

Over a quarter didn't know their marriage wasn't legal

Two thirds of them did know, but two thirds of that group didn't want a civil ceremony

Less than a third got married in a Mosque

89 per cent wanted to be in monogamous marriages

80 per cent of young Muslim marriages have not been registered

90 per cent of Mosques do not register marriages Advertisement

Rukhsana's story

Rukhsana had a comfortable life as an IT consultant before she realised the truth about her marriage.

She began feeling unhappy in the relationship and eventually decided to leave and sought a divorce, until she realised there couldn't be a divorce - because there was never a marriage.

She believed the marriage contract she signed on her wedding day was binding, and didn't have a civil ceremony.

Rukhsana said: 'There would only be an Islamic divorce because we were not legally married, so we're seen as cohabitees. It's not a divorce settlement, you're fighting for your share of the property.

'That's when I had a wake up call. Silly me, went to university, [had] been brought up in the UK, and I believed it.'

Rukhsana had to go to a civil court to prove she had made financial contributions to the home they'd bought together, which was worth almost 400,000. Had the couple been legally married they could have gone to a family court, where a judge would have attempt to divided their assets in a 50/50 split.

She has spent five years and 100,000 fighting for her home, which is now derelict because they didn't get the chance to move in.

'It's heartbreaking. It really is heartbreaking,' Rukshana said.

Myriam Francois also had a marriage that she discovered wasn't legal. She presents The Truth About Muslim Marriage that researches the problem

The documentary found that 60 per cent of Muslim women didn't have a civil marriage ceremony

Women like Rukhsana and Habiba appear in a new documentary presented by Myriam Francois, who also had a ceremonial marriage.

The film surveyed 900 Muslim women on their marriages and found that a quarter of them didn't know their marriages weren't legal.

Family lawyer Aina Khan has started the Register Our Marriage campaign which is asking the government to amend the Marriage Act to include Muslim weddings.

She said: 'I regard it as heartbreaking to hear that these stories are not only happening under our noses but growing as we do nothing. We've been caught sleep walking into a disaster and nobody has done anything about it.

'The government is aware there is a problem but they've asked for data, there is no data. I'm hoping very much that when we are able to show the government our statistics people will have sympathy.'

The Truth About Muslim Marriage airs on Tuesday at 10pm on Channel 4.
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One of the longest-lasting Royal marriages, today marks the milestone 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

To celebrate this special occasion, Matthew Butson, vice president of the Getty Images Archive  which has access to over 130 million images, including some of the most iconic imagery of the Royal Family  has selected his eight favourite photos from each decade the Royal couple have been together.

Shortly after their wedding, King George the VI wrote to his daughter; 'I can see that you are sublimely happy with Philip' - and decades later, the Queen went on to praise her husband with the words; 'I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know.'

Here, Matthew talks FEMAIL through his pick of portraits of the royal couple as they celebrate their great milestone - and what each image reveals about their enduring devotion.

Scroll down for video

In a special portrait to commemorate 70 years of marriage, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh - pictured against a platinum-textured backdrop - together mark their special anniversary, shot by Matt Holyoak

Forties: A Royal wedding for Princess Elizabeth, 1947

Here comes the bride: On 20th November 1947, at just 21, the young Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. Here you can see a bridesmaid re-arranging her veil as the newly-wed couple make their way down the aisle

'On 20th November 1947, at just 21, the young Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. It was only two years after the end of the Second World War and rationing was still in place in Britain,' says Matthew Buston.

'The wedding was fairly simple and like any bride at the time, the Princess had to collect clothing coupons for her dress. This beautiful shot shows one of the Queen's many bridesmaids re-arranging her veil as the newly-wed couple make their way down the aisle.'

Fifties: A Queen-in-waiting and her young family, 1952

Happy family: This shot shows the young Royal couple posing happily for a family portrait with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral Castle. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, purchased the Castle in the 19th century

'This 1952 shot by Lisa Sheridan, which is part of our Hulton Royals Collection, shows the young Royal couple posing happily for a family portrait with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

'Lisa Sheridan had a close relationship with the Royal Family and regularly photographed the Queen as a young girl. This image was taken only months after King George VI died and the Queen ascended the throne at the age of just 25. Plans were already well underway for her coronation which took place the following year.'

Sixties: A family day out at the polo, 1967

Trophies for her princes: Here photographer Michael Stroud catches an intimate family moment between parents and son. Taken in 1967, the Queen is awarding both Prince Philip and Prince Charles with trophies after a friendly polo match

'Here photographer Michael Stroud catches an intimate family moment as the Queen awards eighteen-year old Prince Charles and his father Prince Philip with trophies after a friendly polo match.

'A love of the sport has been passed down through generations of the Royal Family with Prince William and Prince Harry keen polo players today.

'In 2010, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho launched the Sentebale Polo Cup and the young Princes have regularly competed against each other in friendly matches.'

Seventies: Jumping Queen, 1971

Jumping for joy: This 1971 image shows Queen Elizabeth on a visit to Turkey, accompanied by Prince Philip and their daughter Princess Anne. The Queen is caught mid-motion, as she is being given a helping hand to step ashore

'This 1971 image shows Queen Elizabeth on a visit to Turkey, accompanied by Prince Philip and their daughter Princess Anne. The Queen is caught mid-motion, as she is being given a helping hand to step ashore.

'Since the Queen's ascension, the Duke of Edinburgh has accompanied the Queen on all her State Visits overseas and been her constant companion. In turn, the Queen has praised her husband for being her 'strength and stay' during her reign.'

Eighties: Queen and Philip at Windsor, 1982

At home in Windsor: Here we are given a rare glimpse of the Royal couple sharing a private moment. Taken at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle in 1982, the Queen and Prince Philip both have a keen interest in equestrian sports

'Here we are given a rare glimpse of the Royal couple sharing a private moment. Taken at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle in 1982, the Queen and Prince Philip both have a keen interest in equestrian sports.

'The event occurs annually in May and often it's cold and grey, however the sunlit dappled trees, along with the relaxed attired and comfortable nature of the couple, makes this picture very warming.'

Nineties: Royal Family Trooping, 1990

Family affair: (L To R) Prince Edward, Duchess Of York, Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince William, The Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte Of Luxembourg, Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Lord Frederick Windsor, Princess Diana, Lady Rose Windsor, 16th June 1990

'Since the 18th Century, Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign. Over a thousand parading soldiers, horses and musicians come together each June in a magnificent procession.

'The celebration closes with an RAF fly-past which is watched by members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace Balcony. Here we see The Queen, aged 64, and Prince Philip surrounded by their children and grandchildren on June 16th 1990.'

Noughties: Marking the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 2001

Golden couple: Taken in November 2001, this picture was used to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee the following year. Deviating from traditional royal portraits, this more modern shot was taken by Patrick Lichfield at Buckingham Palace

'This picture was taken in November 2001, and used to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee the following year. It's a fantastic shot, taken by Patrick Lichfield, who was known for his studio portraiture and who also photographed the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Different from traditional royal portraits, this image has a distinctly artistic feel.

'A few years later, the Queen and Prince Philip went on to become the first couple in the Royal Family to celebrate their Diamond Wedding anniversary.'

2010s: Feeding time at the zoo, 2017

Feeding time at the zoo: Getty Images Royal Photographer Chris Jackson, who has shot many of the more recent famous images of the Royal Family, took this photo in 2017 during a visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Elephant Centre. This has to be one of the more memorable images. After watching the elephant team carrying out daily care tasks, the Queen proceeded to feed Donna the elephant a banana!

Getty Images Royal Photographer Chris Jackson, who has shot many of the more recent famous images of the Royal Family, took this photo in 2017 during a visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Elephant Centre.

'This has to be one of the more memorable images of the Royal Couple. The Queen, who has been an animal lover since childhood, didn't just watch the elephant team carry out their daily care tasks but joined in feeding Donna the elephant herself! Elephants are an animal particularly close to the hearts of the Royal Family and the Tusk Trust was one of the first charities Prince William chose to patronage.'
The latest Christmas advert set to pull on the heartstrings of the nation tells the tales of a 50-year-long marriage between two adorable bears - and could give John Lewis a run for its money in the cute stakes.

Produced by Heathrow Airport, the tear-jerking ad sees the two fluffy protagonists - Doris and Edward Bair - regularly reunited at Christmas over 50 years.

Filmed in the historic - and now closed - Terminal One at the West London airport, the two-minute advert takes viewers down memory lane to 1967 as it recounts how the couple first met.

Bear-y cute! Edward and Doris Bair star in this year's festive ad from Heathrow Airport. The two-minute commercial tells the story of how the couple met and are reunited at Terminal One during different stages of their lives

The camera starts whirling in 1967, taking viewers down memory lane to the flights that were landing in West London five decades ago

A clumsy Edward leaves his coat on a flight - a long-disbanded Boac Cunard plane - and is handed it back by cabin crew Doris.

The bears, who starred in the airport's first seasonal advert last year, quickly fall in love and soon become Mr and Mrs Bair, with a growing family.

As the decades roll on, the airport setting changes - with digital screens arriving in the 80s - but the bears' festive reunion remains unchanged.

Same tree, different spot: The Bairs continue to reunite in arrivals after falling in love when cabin crew Doris hands Edward his lost coat in 1967

By the late Seventies, fashions had changed and the Bairs are seen greeting each other with a mini bear already in tow and a bear in the oven...

With Petula Clarks Couldnt Live Without Your Love providing an emotional soundtrack, viewers are left heart-in-mouth at Edward's final arrival at Heathrow.

Heathrows Commercial Director, Ross Baker, told MailOnline: 'After an overwhelming response across the globe to Doris and Edward last year, we had to bring these lovable bears back to our screens.

And then come the grandchildren! The makers behind the ad say they wanted to convey the feeling of 'being wrapped in the arms of a loved one at Christmas'

'We hear from our passengers that there is no greater feeling than being wrapped in the arms of a loved one at Christmas.

'We wanted the advert to capture this unique feeling and make people feel even more excited to welcome friends and family this festive season.'

The advert closes with a lone Edward looking at a black-and-white photo of his wedding to Doris, and viewers - momentarily at least - are left wondering whether their festive reunions have finally come to an end.

John Lewis traditionally leads the way with seasonal commercials and this year has poured 7million into its latest effort.

A final flight? Edward is seen on the plane looking at an old photo of his wedding to Doris

...before he enters arrivals with no-one there to greet him...or is there?

This year's heart-warmer includes a mischievous and flatulent monster called Moz and his relationship with a seven-year-old soulmate.

The ad is directed by Oscar winner Michel Gondry and set to an Elbow cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road classic Golden Slumbers.

Its 7million marketing blitz also includes a 20 Moz cuddly monster, clothes, mugs, children's book and even a tie-up with Sky and Google they hope will be as successful as their Monty the Penguin' campaign from 2014, which made 2.5million in soft toy sales alone.
Harriet Wallace-Jones, 52, is co-founder of textiles label Wallace Sewell, best known for its scarves and for designing seat fabric for London Underground and the Crossrail trains. Harriet is married and lives in Dorset with a daughter, 12, and son, ten.

Emma Sewell and I met while studying textiles at art school in London, but only really became friends during our MA at the Royal College of Art.

We both wanted to work in a mill as textile designers, but when we left in 1990 it was during a recession and there were no jobs. So we decided to share a studio just for the camaraderie.

Harriet Wallace-Jones met her business partner at art school in London. The pair went on to create Wallace Sewell where they are best known for the designs on London train seats

In 1992, we were offered a stand at Chelsea Crafts Fair. We wondered, what can we do together? What are our strengths? My light bulb moment came when I realised we could do scarves.

I designed silk designs with big bold asymmetric blocks; Emmas were beautiful wool crepes. Nobody could tell who made what.

A buyer from Barneys in New York put in an order. Six months later she returned to ask about our next season. In the end our accountant said: Why dont you become a partnership? Itd be simpler for the books. So we did.

Nine years ago, I moved here from London, so now we design individually. But were so in tune we often pick the same colours

We were given a tight four-colour palette when asked to design for the Underground. But for the interim Crossrail, we selected the colours.

A shed visible on the route was a beautiful grey-green that ended up in the design. Its lovely people are sitting on our textiles.

Recently a friend of Emmas daughter said: Why doesnt someone design seat covers for the Tube? And she was able to say proudly: Actually, my mum has.

Wallace Sewell: 25 Years of British Textile Design, Fashion and Textile Museum ftmlondon.org
Yep, its that time again: to get in a truckload of currants, chop sticky mixed peel, track down that weird barley wine. For those of us who do things by the book  be it Nigella or Delia  Stir-up Sunday is the first act of our Christmas feast.

Of course, you can buy it all ready-made, but that, surely, is missing the point. Good cooking, done with care, thought and attention, sends a message; the consumer feels nourished and loved.

Good books are full of food. The cooking and eating of it says so much about our characters.

Bestselling author Gill Hornby recommends the best books on cooking to help you through the trickier times in life

In Laura Esquivels Like Water For Chocolate, Tita is forbidden to marry her lover Pedro, so he weds her sister instead. Tita becomes chef to the family, and all her emotions go into her food, quite literally. Tears fall into the wedding cake while she mixes it and the whole party goes down with food poisoning. Thats what you call sending a message.

Your family has a diseased relationship with food, says one character in Jonathan Franzens The Corrections. Its clear from their table: When the liver was lifted a faint suction could be heard. The sodden lower crust was unspeakable.

Of course, theyre a miserable lot.

Mrs Ramsay in Virginia Woolfs To The Lighthouse spends all of Part One worrying about dinner: will her boeuf en daube be a success? It seems absurd, as the whole world is about to be engulfed in turmoil. But she knows she is creating a memory that will last for years  after the Great War, even after her own death.

So think of that as you stir up this Sunday. Yes, after all that steaming and tying and whatnot, this years offering will be gone in minutes. But it will, somewhere deep down, be remembered, for ever. Because you will have made it for them.
Veteran porn star and escort Madison Missina has revealed the ugly truth of what really goes on behind-the-scenes at a porn filming.

The 35-year-old Melbourne 'sexologist' knows her way around the bedroom and has starred in over 100 adult movies - but admitted there is more than meets the eye during an on-camera romp.

Madison described porn sex as being 'the worst sex ever' and shattered the illusion most furtive adult-film fans hold dear.

The 35-year-old Melbourne 'sexologist' (pictured) knows her way around the bedroom and has starred in over 100 adult movies - but admitted there is more than meets the eye during an on-camera romp

Madison (pictured) described porn sex as being 'the worst sex ever' and shattered the illusion most furtive adult-film fans hold dear

'It gets quite messy... and it's so painful. The worst sex I've ever had is on a porn set,' she told news.com.au.

'It's quite clinical ... and it's completely void of what makes good sex good.'

The leading ladies in pornographic films appear to be enjoying themselves on the surface, but Madison revealed it can be a less-than-pleasurable experience.

'Because we have the camera there, you're not having sex in normal angles,' she added.

'They are often hitting your uterus or your ovaries and it hurts a lot. Sometimes cysts on ovaries can burst during porn.'

The leading ladies in pornographic films appear to be enjoying themselves on the surface, but Madison revealed it can be a less-than-pleasurable experience

The 35-year-old told the publication for an average 14-15 hour booking, sex will only happen about three times

For 35-year-old porn star Madison Missina (pictured), she said men don't always want a 'porn girl experience'

Madison blamed the red-blooded sexual appetite of her less-experienced male co-stars for the unpleasant porn sex.

And when making the transition from making adult films to her escort career, the call girl said not all of her clients are actually after the pornstar experience.

She said men don't always desire a 'porn girl experience' or a 'quickie', but want to feel 'significant and special' and sex with male clients doesn't always happen.

The 35-year-old told the publication for an average 14-15 hour booking, sex will only happen about three times.

With 18 long years of escort experience, Ms Missina said the fact that she's a lesbian has helped her further her career because she never finds any men sexually attractive.

Madison blamed the red-blooded sexual appetite of her less-experienced male co-stars for the unpleasant porn sex

The 35-year-old told the publication for an average 14-15 hour booking, sex will only happen about three times

Jake Ryan (pictured) has been an escort for two years and claims he has said sex with approximately 1,700 women in his lifetime

However Jake Ryan, who has been an escort for two years, revealed women can be 'selfish' when it comes to sex.

The 28-year-old claims he has said sex with approximately 1,700 women in his lifetime and told News.com.au that some 'want it rough', while the others 'want sex sensual'.

'I might have to prepare certain things. So for a boyfriend experience, a lot goes on behind the scenes,' Mr Ryan told the publication.

But the biggest thing women want between the sheets is satisfaction - and Mr Ryan says his female clients can tell he wants to make their experience 'as good as mine'.
If she ever tires of being one of Instagram's most famous influencers, Chloe Morello might have a second career as a detective.

The YouTube star has posted an expose on fellow beauty bloggers, claiming they're buying fake followers and likes in an attempt get money and products from brands.

Although Chloe refused to name these illegitimate influencers, she went into detail to show her fans just how they can discern which profiles are fraudulent.

'I really hate drama, but I'm getting right into the drama. I'm basically the Instagram Edward Snowden' Chloe began in the video, which has already been viewed more than 400,000 times.

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YouTube star Chloe Morello has posted an expose on fellow beauty bloggers, claiming they're buying fake followers and likes in an attempt get money and products from brands

Although Chloe refused to name these illegitimate influencers, she went into detail to show her fans just how they can find out which profiles are fraudulent

'I'm seeing a lot of influencers come up and actually committing fraud, by fraudulently acquiring followers, comments, and likes on Instagram.'

Chloe began the video by recognising that, in the grand scheme of things, it may seem like a non-issue that people are spending their money buying fans.

'This is going to sound so dramatic, but keep in mind, social media is a billion dollar business,' she said.

'We get paid to promote products, we get sent away on trips, we get gifted so much cool stuff. Brands are paying thousands of dollars for posts with these people, and some of these people have no following.'

'It's really frustrating to see people with these fake followings take opportunities away from my close friends who have a smaller but more authentic audience.'

Chloe said she mainly made the video for people in the Australian beauty industry, hoping it will 'clue them into' what is happening behind the scenes.

Chloe said she mainly made the video to speak directly to people in the Australian beauty industry, hoping it will 'clue them into' what is happening behind the scenes

Chloe's investigation began when she came across one Instagram profile and saw the woman had more likes than views on a video (pictured), which she said is impossible

But she also showed the notes from her own investigation, giving any curious fan the tools to see if they could spot a fraud.

Chloe's investigation began when she came across one Instagram profile and saw the numbers didn't quite match up.

The person, who had 50,000 followers, had posted a make-up video that was viewed 2,500 views but somehow had 2,800 likes.

'I'm not good at maths, but that's not possible,' Chloe said. 'I knew immediately.'

The profile also had almost exactly 2,000 likes on every single picture, which Chloe also pointed out was unnatural.

'You get a natural fluctuation in your interaction and engagement,' she said. 'I upload a picture and its got six comments and 10,000 likes, the next photo has 30,000 likes and 500 comments.'

'There's a very natural variation in my posts and that's the same for everyone.'

The profile also had almost exactly 2,000 likes on every single picture, which Chloe also pointed out was unnatural

Chloe believes that these bloggers are getting these exact numbers via 'comment pods' (pictured), a WhatsApp group made up of hundreds of wannabe influencers

But after Chloe went through 50 posts on this Instagram account, she found that there were exactly 200 comments on almost every single picture.

Chloe believes that these bloggers are getting these exact numbers via 'comment pods', WhatsApp groups made up of hundreds of wannabe influencers.

'You post your pictures or the link in the group, and everyone in that group will like and comment,' the sleuthing beauty blogger explained.

'So if there's 200 people in the group, you know you're getting 200 comments because, before you can post your photo in the group, you must comment on every single person's photo in that Whatsapp group.'

And, after examining these profiles, Chloe believes that influencers aren't even writing the comments themselves but rather hiring 'virtual assistants' to do so.

'I've been following certain people to figure out how they're doing this, and I believe they're hiring someone in a foreign country,' Chloe said.

Chloe found it strange that the same girls she had met and chatted with at events were leaving comments in broken English that often didn't make any sense.

She also found evidence of her theory on SocialBlade , a social media analytics site, and found how different her projection of growth looked to these accounts sudden rises and dips

Meanwhile Chloe pointed out how her photos naturally get a varied amount of comments and likes each day, rather than these profiles that consistently get the same number

She also found evidence of her theory on SocialBlade, a social media analytics site that can track the growth of any Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter account.

Chloe compared her own projection of growth to that of two users who she suspected were buying fake followers, muzzing out their names.

'I've got a very smooth projection of growth, and there are some times when that projection increases quite rapidly and sometimes when it's really slow,' she explained.

'You can see pretty clearly that these people are buying followers once a week. It will go up really fast and plateau really fast, these followers have been bought in chunks.'

'It's natural that someone might have a very rapid projection - I get them when I do giveaways or someone gives me a shout out - but to have a succession of it 10 weeks in a row, I do not know how that's possible.'

Chloe then recommended that any fake influencers who were watching start from scratch and try to build a legitimate fan base

Chloe said she was speaking out to help brands learn how to avoid being conned and paying for 'fake followers, fake likes, and fake comments'.

'The second a brand invests their ad dollars or gives opportunities or products to fake influencers, that's where I think it's fraud,' she said.

'This person has a fake following, it's not legitimate, but the brand doesn't know that. The brand isn't going to get anything out of it.'

Chloe then recommended that any fake influencers who were watching should start from scratch and try to build a legitimate fan base.

'Your only form of recourse would be to start a new account, just tell everyone you got hacked and start again,' she said.

'It's my duty, as someone in my position, to Edward Snowden this s***.'
Princess Diana described Hasnat Khan as 'Mr Wonderful' and friends said the heart surgeon was the love of her life.

Now, Khan, 57, hopes to have found the love of his life. I hear he has become engaged to a beautiful Muslim woman many years his junior.

She is understood to be called Somi Sohail and accompanied him to a ball in London's Mayfair this weekend held by the charity Chain of Hope.

'Hasnat is very happy,' a friend tells me. 'He hasn't told us much yet about Somi, but they plan to get married and have children. We are delighted for him.'

The surgeon shared an intimate relationship with Diana until just months before her death in 1997.

Princess Diana described Hasnat Khan (pictured left) as 'Mr Wonderful' and friends said the heart surgeon was the love of her life. Now, Khan, 57, hopes to have found the love of his life. I hear he has become engaged to a beautiful Muslim woman called Somi Sohail (pictured right) many years his junior, writes Sebastian Shakespeare

'I found her a very normal person with great qualities,' he said in 2008, breaking an 11-year silence about the Princess.

After meeting at the Royal Brompton Hospital, where Diana was visiting a friend who was recovering from a heart operation, they pursued a discreet, two-year affair that finished in the early summer of 1997.

The Princess's closest friends have spoken of her distress when he ended their relationship, which was serious enough for his family to meet her during her 1996 visit to Pakistan, when she wore a traditional shalwar kameez  baggy trousers teamed with a flowing dress  out of respect for their Muslim faith.

It is understood that at one point Diana was so smitten she contemplated converting to Islam so they could marry. She abandoned the idea when he decided their relationship could not work long-term.

Princess Diana is pictured in 1996 in an operating theatre in Harefield Hospital in London

His father, Abdul Rasheed Khan, said his son had told the family: 'If I married her [Diana], our marriage would not last for more than a year. We are culturally so different from each other.

She is from Venus and I am from Mars. If it ever happened, it would be like a marriage from two different planets.'

Khan introduced Diana to Chain of Hope, for which he is a volunteer surgeon.

A decade after her death, he wed Hadia Sher Ali, a Pakistani descendant from Afghan royalty, who was 29 at the time. However, their arranged marriage ended after just 18 months.

Last night, Khan and Miss Sohail could not be reached for comment.

Choir leaves George's school on sour note

The choir based at Prince George's (pictured) school in Battersea, south London, has quit after 19 years over increased security measures introduced to protect the young royal, writes Sebastian Shakespeare

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced they would be sending Prince George to Thomas's school, fellow parents were delighted their little darlings would be educated with the future king.

Ten weeks into his first term, however, some of them could be forgiven for wondering if the social cachet is worth the headache.

For I can reveal that a choir based at the school in Battersea, South London, for 19 years has quit after security measures  including signing in and other restrictions  introduced after the Prince's arrival made weekly rehearsals so difficult.

The Battersea Choral Society is now preparing for its Christmas concert at Holy Trinity Church in Sloane Square on December 12 at another school.

Spokesmen for Kensington Palace and Thomas's school declined to comment.

Drink and drive Clarkson style

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson is pictured with his 46-year-old girlfriend Lisa Hogan

Jeremy Clarkson 57, has shared this picture of his girlfriend, Irish actress Lisa Hogan, 46, sipping wine served from two drawers he's had fitted in place of the rear seat in his Range Rover

Here's a swanky feature to impress Jeremy Clarkson's well-heeled chums in the so-called Chipping Norton set in the Cotswolds.

The Grand Tour host, 57, has shared this picture of his girlfriend, Irish actress Lisa Hogan, 46, sipping wine served from two drawers he's had fitted in place of the rear seat in his Range Rover.

Clarkson uses the other to store his guns for shoots near his Oxfordshire home.

Nothing can be sweeter, says scone eater Zeta

Actress Catherine Zeta Jones, 48, took to Facebook to share a picture of her and her father eating scones with clotted cream and jam when she visited the UK this weekend

With her peculiar mid-Atlantic drawl, Catherine Zeta-Jones seems more at home in Hollywood than her native South Wales these days, but she seemed happy to be back in Britain this weekend.

'Always puts a smile on my face when I land in good old Blighty,' the 48-year-old Oscar winner said online next to this picture of her about to tuck into a jam scone with her father, sweet factory owner David Jones.

'Two of my favourite things in one picture. My daddy and my traditional British afternoon tea.'

She appears to have left her husband, Fatal Attraction star Michael Douglas, 73, behind. She once said: 'It's so funny, because Michael and my parents are the same age.'

Retail mogul Sir Philip Green's (pictured) wife has been given the 'Chevalier de l'ordre de Grimaldi. Lady Tina Green's husband however is facing calls to have his knighthood revoked

Roly-poly retailer Sir Philip Green faced calls for his knighthood to be revoked after he sold BHS to a serial bankrupt, but now his wife Tina has been honoured.

Monaco resident Lady Green has been made a 'Chevalier de l'ordre de Grimaldi'. 'I'm very proud of her,' the Topshop boss tells me.

'She does a lot of work for charity.' Green shed his 'Sir Shifty' nickname after stumping up 363 million to help fill the black hole in the BHS pension scheme.
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It's the most wonderful time of the year - if you're a lingerie lover, that is.

The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is one of the most celebrated A-list events in the calendar, but such a reputation doesn't come easy; in fact, it takes a lot more work than many people might expect.

This fact is evidenced in a series of images taken backstage at this year's show capturing the immense amount of effort made to get the models looking their best before they step out onto the runway.

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Ready to roll! Bella Hadid was pictured posing very provocatively in her bra and a skimpy pink robe as she prepared for this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai

A helping hand! The model grabbed a piece of her own hair as it was being worked on by the stylists

Legs looking good! Bella propped up her long limbs as a make-up artist went to work on her

Strike a pose: The 21-year-old also shared several very risque shots of herself on Snapchat

Woah nelly: Bella is appearing in this year's show without her sister Gigi, who dropped out at the last minute amid speculation she was denied a visa by the Chinese government

What has she been doing? The model appeared to have a few bruises on her thigh as she propped her leg up on the chair

Texting Gigi? The model was seen using her phone at one point, while sitting and waiting for her hair to be done

Rearranging: The brunette beauty was see adjusting her lingerie as she sat in front of a mirror

Surprise! Bella and her make-up artist looked a bit stunned as they both stared into the camera

Chit chatting: The model looked totally at ease as she enjoyed a conversation with her hairstylist, who was seen working on her hair with a Dyson hairdryer

Risque: Bella seemed unfussed by the fact that she was wearing so little

Happy as can be: She settled happily into her chair and treated herself to a juice, no doubt to keep her energy up

Model behavior: Bella pulled a sultry pose as she got ready backstage in her pink floral robe ahead of the catwalk show

She's a natural! The famous Hadid showed off her natural beauty look as she had her make-up done backstage

Flying solo: Bella is walking the Victoria's Secret show without her sister Gigi this year, who had to pull out

Looking good: Bella was seen pulling a sassy pose while posing for cameras backstage at the show

True pro: Bella was seen conducting interviews as she had her hair and make-up finished off ahead of the show

Some of the brand's most popular Angels, including Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, and Romee Strijd, were spotted being attended to by a team of hairstylists and make-up artists while they chilled out backstage in their iconic pink Victoria's Secret robes - which are worn by the models each year as a kind of pre-show uniform.

Upset: Gigi Hadid revealed on Thursday that she would not be walking in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Alessandra, 36, was seen deep in conversation with her make-up artist - perhaps discussing whether or not she will return to the famous fashion show next year, after it was reported earlier this week that she plans to retire after taking to the catwalk to strut her stuff in this year's show.

Remarkably this will be Alessandra's 17th Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, making her one of the most-used models in the brand's history.

Clearly keen to remember the show either way, Alessandra happily shared several images of herself backstage, posting them to her Instagram account to give her fans a sneak peek at her look.

Her close friend and fellow expert Angel Lily, 32, also shared several images on social media, snapping a selfie while wearing her silk robe, and simply captioning it: 'Here we go!'

However, while there were a host of famous faces seen prepping for the hotly-anticipated event, there were several stars missing from the action, including model Gigi Hadid, who was reportedly denied a visa by the Chinese government after a video surfaced of her earlier this year in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.

The 22-year-old model, who was slated to walk the runway with her sister Bella, took to Twitter on Thursday morning to reveal that she would not be traveling to China to do the show, however she failed to explain the reason behind the decision - prompting much speculation that she had been refused a visa.

'Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year,' she wrote. 'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

Beauty: Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, flashed a smile at cameras, before giving designer Olivier Rousteing a kiss on the cheek

Work, work, work: The model was seen being tended to by a make-up artist, after reports that this year's show will be her last

Peace and love! Lily Aldridge, 32, looked relaxed and comfortable backstage, having walked in numerous shows for the brand in the past

Flawless! The American model showed off her stunning hair and beauty look after being preened to perfection

Expert: Lily shared a selfie as she prepared for her turn on the catwalk, while also posing for cameras backstage

Beauty: The 32-year-old has walked in numerous Victoria's Secret shows in the past

Stunner: Alessandra posted a video of herself having her make-up done on Instagram, happily smiling and laughing while an artist worked on her face

Something funny? The model covered up a little bit more than some of her fellow Angels, wearing a pair of white trousers with her skimpy embroidered robe

Autograph? Alessandra was seen signing a book that was being passed around among the Angels backstage

Back in action! Karlie Kloss was seen showing off her bright blonde locks as she prepared to make a return to the catwalk, having retired as an official Angel back in 2015 because of her hectic schedule

In the swing of things: The model looked so at-ease, it was impossible to tell she had ever taken time off

She's been practicing that pout! The model was wearing some casual pink flip flops, as well as the signature pink robe

Beautification: Karlie looked up at lead make-up artist Tom Pecheaux as he worked on her face

Memories! Like many of her fellow models, Karlie was seen snapping several photos and videos with her new iPhone X

Naughty but nice! Karlie showed off her pout while winking at cameras, as a stylist tonged her platinum blonde locks

Transformation: Karlie was seen inspecting her make-up as she had her hair and make-up done backstage

Bossing it! Karlie looked to true professional as she posed for cameras in her official Victoria's Secret chair

Natural glow: Sara Sampaio looked stunning even without having her make-up done

Having fun! Lily posed for a selfie with her fellow models Josephine Skriver and Elsa Hosk

Kisses! Lily and Adriana spent much of their time backstage posing for fun photos

Ready, set, go! Adriana was very animated as she sat in the make-up chair

The Brazilian model was later seen with her headphones on as they Victoria's Angels geared up for the show

Old school! Adriana was seen taking a selfie with an analogue camera after going through hair and make-up

Cheeky! The supermodel was sen pulling a series of funny poses as she larked around backstage ahead of the show

In September, furious Chinese people warned the supermodel not to attend this year's show in Shangai, leaving thousands of angry comments calling for the brand, and the country, to boycott Gigi.

The model did not specifically reveal why she pulled out of the show, although it was recently reported that some models were having trouble getting their Chinese visas approved.

Fashionista reported that four models, Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia and Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine, had allegedly been denied visas, according to Instagram fan accounts.

Instagram user @VSModelSpain posted a screenshot of a Dasha confirming that she will not be walking in the show this year via an Instagram Direct Message.

Although there was no mention of Gigi having issues with her visa, Chinese fans have been demanding that she be denied entry into the country because of her 'racist' video.

It was also reported earlier this week that Katy Perry had suffered similar treatment at the hands of the government, with rumors surfacing that she was 'banned indefinitely' from China, amid speculation that she had been set to perform at the show this year.

Page Six reported that Chinese authorities denied the 33-year-old pop diva's visa after outrage over her wearing the Taiwanese flag during a 2015 concert at Taipei Arena.

Naughty! Lais Ribeiro pulled some fun, and rather risque, poses for the camera as a team went to work on her hair

Star of the show: The 27-year-old was chosen to wear this year's Fantasy Bra in the show, an honor that is given to one Angel each year

Big moment! It is considered to be big honour to be the Angel chosen to wear the Fantasy bra

One-of-a-kind: This year's Fantasy Bra is worth a whopping $2 million, features 6,000 gemstones, and took 350 hours to make

What a babe! Angel Taylor Hill was also spotted backstage at the show

That signature look! The 21-year-old had her hair styled in the loose waves that the models are famous for wearing each year

Beauty: Martha Hunt was seen examining her make-up look ahead of the spectacular catwalk show

A mascot? Martha, 28, cuddled a cute stuffed red panda while sitting in the make-up chair

Glam look: A hair stylist was seen tending to Martha's voluminous blonde locks ahead of the extravaganza

Touch up: A make-up artist was seen touching up Martha's dramatic smokey eye look while backstage

Sweet smile: Josephine Skriver beamed at the camera as she turned around for a pretty portrait

Beauties: Jasmine Tookes (left) and Ming Xi (right) both paused to flash the cameras a smile before continuing with their beauty preparations

Ready to go! US model Jasmine, 26, showed off her glamorous look as she prepared for her turn on the catwalk

Animated! Chinese model Liu Wen was pictured backstage ahead of the show in Shanghai

Group shot! Karlie, Romee, Josephine, Megan and Sara all posed together for a fun photo, showing off their best pouts

Lovely ladies: Lais, Alessandra, and Adriana all pulled their robes down to flash their decolletage as they posed together

Beaming: Sara flashed a big smile as her hair stylist appeared to be having an animated discussion about something

Work in progress! Sara was pictured while having her make-up done, before displaying a very glamorous make-up look

Girl power! This year's Victoria's Angels posed for a group shot with designer Olivier Rousteing (centre) while backstage

The communist country was further angered over her wearing a sunflower gown - symbolic of the Sunflower Student Movement, which protested a Chinese trade agreement in 2014.

'She was initially granted a visa to perform at the VS show in Shanghai, then Chinese officials changed their minds and yanked her visa,' a source told the publication.

'For every artist who wants to perform in China, officials comb through their social media and press reports to see if they have done anything deemed to be offensive to the country. Maroon 5 was banned a few years ago because one band member wished the Dalai Lama happy birthday on Twitter.'

Executive producer Ed Razek told People that news reports on the show have been 'inaccurate'  but failed to confirm or deny either woman had been refused visas to enter the country.

Those certainly weren't the only organizational nightmares to strike the show; organizers were said to be dealing with a string of disasters thanks to incomprehensible bureaucracy and managerial incompetence that's endemic in China - however it is said that things have been made all the more complicated for staffers thanks to fears that they are being spied on.

That's left the China-based team flustered, as they can't call on help from the US headquarters for fear of having their missives intercepted and used against them.

Posers! Lily was seen snapping a selfie with Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing - who collaborated with the brand on several pieces being worn in the show - and fellow model Adriana

What a trio! The ladies looked more than happy to ham it up for the cameras as they posed with a more straight-faced Olivier

Perfecting his pout: The designer did little else than smile, leaving the wilder poses to the experts

Popular! Alessandra also took her turn to pose with the designer

And another! Karlie also got in on the posing action with Olivier

Smile everyone! The ladies abandoned their flip flops to leap up on a sofa and pose with Olivier

Getting glam! Adriana - another veteran Angel - giggled happily while having her hair teased into those signature Victoria's Secret waves that the models wear every year

Do blondes have more fun? Romee Strijd also happily posed for a picture backstage as she waited to have her hair and make-up finished before slipping into her runway ensemble

Getting her own back! The 22-year-old whipped out her own camera and turned it on the photographers

Preparation: The Dutch model was seen having her make-up finished off by an expert make-up artist

Stunner: Victoria's Angel Roosmarijn de Kok showed off her flawless make-up look ahead of the catwalk show

Working it: The Dutch beauty later modelled a pink lingerie set beneath her uniform pink silk robe

Her best advert! Swedish model Elsa Hosk was seen showing off her her own lip kit while backstage at the show

In good company: South African model Candice Swanepoel posed with fashion designer Olivier Rousteing backstage

'[VS staff in China] want to discuss what's going on as far as replacements for those denied visas and alternative arrangements, but they have to be tight-lipped because it seems that the government is watching their e-mails,' an insider told Page Six.

China's nominally Communist government, having come about as the result of a popular uprising just under 70 years ago, is nervous about the possibility of being dethroned in similar circumstances.

So it keeps a tight rein on its people and those who come to visit, spying on 'private' correspondence and limiting access to those sites that won't let them do so - neither Facebook nor Gmail are accessible in China thanks to its 'Great Firewall'.

For those in the country with a Virtual Private Network - VPN - that can circumvent online spying, the possibility of the Chinese government reading emails and taking action against those it sees as troublemakers is very real.

And Victoria's Secret can't handle any more spanners in the works of its Shanghai show, which is already in chaos, insiders told Page Six.

But the absence of some of their friends doesn't seem to have dampened the spirits of the other models luck enough to be walking in the show.

Over the weekend, they kept their social media followers apprised of the run-up to the hotly-anticipated extravaganza.

Pucker up! British model Megan Williams blew a kiss at cameras after going through hair and make-up

It's a secret! Megan, 23, showed off her sizzling figure, removing her robe to pose for this provocative snap

What beauties! Alanna Arrington, Maggie Lane and Megan Williams posed for a group shot

Sultry: Model Nadine Leopold looked incredible as she posed backstage in her pink lingerie set and matching robe

Heavenly! Angels Nadine and Megan posed together ahead of the spectacular catwalk show in Shanghai

Can you keep a secret? Angels Devon, Mega, Roosmarijn and Nadine posed with their fingers to their lips

Beauties: Devon, Roosmarijn and Nadine showed off their flawless blonde waves ahead of the catwalk extravagant

Pink ladies: The Victoria's Angels showed off their matching uniform, consisting of floral silk robes and pink flip flops

They're ready to go: Georgia Fowler (left) and Grace Elizabeth (right) also took their turn to pose for the cameras

Complexion perfection: Alanna Arrington modeled some rather funny-looking lip and eye masks, later showing off her finished make-up look

But first... Amilna Estevao and Zuri Tibby used up some of their time backstage posing for selfies

Pampered: Devon Windsor flaunted her fierce make-up look after being glammed up by the make-up artists

Beauty: Alecia Morais stared down the lens of the camera as she had her manicure done by a nail artist

Abs of steel! The models - like Maggie Laine - spend weeks prepping for the show to ensure that they look in tip top shape

Natural beauty: Sudanese model Grace Bol will be making her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut this year

Big smile! British model Leomie Anderson beamed at cameras after having her hair and make-up done

Larking around! Brazilian model Bruna Lirio was seen snacking on a banana ahead of the show

Looking glam! Spanish model Bianca Padilla gave a sultry pose to the cameras ahead of her turn on the catwalk

Energetic! One model was seen leaping in the air in anticipation of the show beginning

Massive operation! An impressive wide shot shows the Victoria's Angels getting ready backstage

New friend? The beauties posed with a fun stuffed dog - the logo for PINK - as they showed off some fun velvet bras and panties backstage

What a babe! Leila Nda is also modeling the PINK collection, and made sure to take her turn to pose with the brand's dog

Romee posted an Instagram photo Sunday of herself in a lacy black bra and tight matching jeans.

The Zoetermeer-born blonde wore a black choker with a couple of glinting beaded necklaces, aiming her best smoldering stare at the camera.

'Getting in the mood for tomorrows lingerie event of the century, so excited for my outfits and the runway, cant wait for you all to see soon! Lets do this,' she captioned, adding '@victoriassecret' and an exploding emoji before '#vsfashionshow2017'.

Josephine Skriver, a 24-year-old Copenhagen native who like Romee is a Victoria's Secret Angel, uploaded a Sunday photo of herself strutting outdoors in town.

She wrote in her caption that it was 'rehearsal time!! practice makes perfect'.

Her hair swept back into a tightly-wound updo, she had draped a black coat over a raven-colored cleavage-baring top and a floral miniskirt.

Tassels fringed her hemline, which was cut off around mid-thigh to showcase her knockout legs, and she wore black boots that stretched up past her knees.

After that, Josephine popped yet another photo onto her Instagram page, this one of her with her fellow Victoria's Secret Angel Lily.

The pair were wrapped in matching flowery robes, and Josephine wrapped her arms affectionately about her colleague, the pair of them beaming for the camera.

Josephine effervesced in her caption: 'love her. love her. love her,' popping in an emoji of two hearts and then: '@lilyaldridge #vsfashionshow'.

Lily herself, who posted the same photo with Josephine, also uploaded what appeared to be a selfie in which she pouted under evocative purple lighting.

She had bundled up in a black turtlenecked sweater, loyally accenting the ensemble with a black and white Victoria Sport beanie.

Elsa Hosk, whose blonde hair has been cropped at about shoulder length, has posed for a wide-eyed selfie she threw onto her Instagram page this Sunday.

'Rehearsal': Bella posted a two-photo album of herself in which she modeled loose-fitting black boots and indoors, illuminated by strips of purple light overhead

There's that pout: Her Instagram Story has featured footage of her in that same outfit, as she mugged for the camera

Posing up a storm: Romee Strijd, a 22-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel, posted an Instagram photo of herself on Sunday in Shanghai, the day before the brand's fashion show there

'rehearsal time': Josephine Skriver, a 24-year-old Copenhagen native who like Romee is a Victoria's Secret Angel, uploaded a Sunday photo of herself strutting outdoors in Shanghai

'love her': After that, Josephine popped yet another photo onto her Instagram page, posing with close friend Lily

Fabulous! Victoria's Angels Nadine Leopold (left) and Vanessa Moody (right) were seen posing backstage

Flying high! American model Vanesa flashed a big smile at cameras as she had her hair and make-up done backstage

Excited! She and fellow Angel Herieth Paul showed off their Victoria's Secret cushions while backstage at the show

Beanie loyalty: Lily herself, who posted the same photo with Josephine, also uploaded what appeared to be a selfie in which she pouted under evocative purple lighting

The 29-year-old Swede wore a pink Gucci T-shirt - which she had tucked into royal purple trousers that were themselves tucked into thigh-high pink boots.

That whole outfit was on display in another photo Elsa posted, which saw her posing up a storm outdoors near an elegant stone planter.

Sara Sampaio, from Porto, Portugal, posted a photo of herself flinging up a peace sign in front of a view of the Shanghai skyline.

She wore a GIA hoodie and stood on - as her location was tagged - The Bund, a waterfront on the west bank of the Huangpu River.

She since posted a photo of herself lying down beside Georgia Fowler, who is not an Angel but who will be walking Monday's fashion show.

Sara was dressed in a chic white blouse, whilst Georgia showed off her enviably trim midriff in a black crop top she wore with glistening rings and earrings.

Candice Swanepoel tagged Victoria's Secret senior creative Ed Razek, as well as photographer Russell James, in the snapshot she posted.

The Mooi River-born model, named a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010, wore a pink wrap and had part of her hair lopsidedly bundled up.

'Baby C by @russelljames #backstagesecrets @victoriassecret @ed_razek,' wrote Candice in the caption to the Sunday upload.

On Monday, Candice will make her triumphal return to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which has never happened in Shanghai before.

Hello, gorgeous: Elsa Hosk wore a pink Gucci T-shirt - which she had tucked into royal purple trousers that were themselves tucked into thigh-high pink boots, as seen on her Instagram

Beautiful on The Bund: Sara, a 26-year-old VIctoria's Secret Angel from Portugal, posted a photo of herself flinging up a peace sign in front of a view of the Shanghai skyline

Lounging: Sara since posted a photo of herself lying down beside Georgia Fowler (right), who is not an Angel but who will be walking Monday's fashion show

Company: Candice Swanepoel tagged Victoria's Secret senior creative Ed Razek, as well as photographer Russell James, in the snapshot she posted

The trilingual model took last year's extravaganza off, having delivered her firstborn child - a son called Anaca - the month prior.

Bella posted a two-photo album of herself in which she modeled loose-fitting black boots and indoors, illuminated by strips of purple light overhead.

'Rehearsal,' the 21-year-old began a lengthy caption, going on: 'Feeling so grateful...The energy of the girls, the team, backstage / front stage, the incredible fans were so beautifully intense and motivating. I can't wait for tomorrow'.

'All of my girls completely rocked it today & it makes me smile thinking about how hard every single person- models, stylists, look designers, the lights, the music, backstage, front stage etc worked to prepare-so many months in advance-such a huge, almost unbelievable production...and now it's finally happening!' she gushed.

Bella closed out: 'Thank you to everyone involved for putting in blood sweat and tears .. this show is going to be,' popping in an emoji with hearts for eyes.

Her Instagram Story has featured footage of her in that same outfit, mugging for the camera as she looked down at it amid all that evocative lighting.

In a more brightly-lit selfie upload, she wore a black sleeveless top and offered a classic supermodel pout, her head surrounded by cartoon hearts.

Not long after, a picture of her in the 'rehearsal' look cropped up on her Instagram Story, framed by glowing pink squiggly lines and captioned: 'TOPOFTHEMORNINGTOYA.'

'You don't wanna - yeah, let's cover the wing in the back,' Alessandra conceded.
A mother says she lets her two-year-old daughter wear make-up and dye her hair, because she can't stand the constraints that society puts on creativity.

Trainee tattoo artist Amy Lyn, 25, from California, claims her daughter, BellaMae, will make wiser decisions as an adult if she is allowed to make choices as a child regarding how she looks.

Lyn, who also has bright pink hair, says that the two regularly enjoy mother-and-daughter fake tattoo and make-up sessions, with BellaMae choosing the same colour for her hair as her 'favourite crayons'.

Little BellaMae, aged two, already chooses the make-up she wants to wear and what colour her hair is. Her mother, Amy Lyn, from California, says that she's simply giving her toddler 'freedom of expression'

Pink hair, don't care: The toddler first dyed her hair for Halloween and is currently sporting a dark pink do; mother-of-one Lyn says that the adult world - with 40-hour working weeks - diminishes creativity

BellaMae loves copying her mother's body art with fake tattoos; something Lyn, 25, says it's about not making her daughter a 'cookie cutter' child

'Alternative parenting, I think starts with the style,' says Lyn.

'The grunge/punk/alternative style really bloomed in the eighties and nineties. Growing up in that time I think I really held onto the darker, more unusual fashion and style.

She adds: 'As a person becoming a mother, I don't want to change and let go of that darker creative side of myself.

'I waited until my daughter started to take interest on her own to introduce temporary tattoos, colourful play make-up, and dyed hair.

'From there I let her have the lead. I feel extremely strong about being myself no matter what.

'Other than just physically letting her play with the way she looks as a kid who just thinks it's fun, I think of alternative parenting as simple as out of the cookie cutter mould.

Lyn says that parents often take a dictator approach, banning things until they feel their child is old enough to make an informed choice.

Parents are 'dictators', Lyn says and thinks children should be able to express themselves with colour

Making children wait until they're older to make bigger decisions about how they look is a mistake, thinks the trainee tattoo artist

'I think waiting until they are in middle school or high school or even eighteen years of age, is too long to wait to teach them about choices and cause and effect.

'I chose to let my daughter start exploring options to express herself as soon as she is capable, so that down the line she's less likely to waste time trying to find who she is and can focus on making whatever her dreams are reality.'

There are necessities in life like working, and paying bleak bills, but you can still be an individual and have joy in anything Amy Lynn

Amy is BellaMae's definition of normal as she has never seen her mother without tattoos or stretched ears.

She's always loved the tattoos and used to put stickers all over herself until Amy Lyn bought her some temporary ones. Her hair was dyed for the first time at Halloween after she was given the choice.

'If I have any kind of message by allowing my daughter to put little temporary tattoos on herself, and playing with make-up, or changing her hair colour to look like her favourite crayons, it's that I want her to know freedom of expression,' added Amy.

Lipstick, powder and paint: BellaMae, who's nearly three, after experimenting with her make-up and fake tattoos

Be an individual: Lyn says being herself is the most important thing to her - and she'll try to pass that on to BellaMae

'Adulthood often lacks so much creativity, and the world needs it to combat the constant bills, and 40+ hour work week.

'Most people would say that my daughter (almost three years old) is too young to be changing her hair colour, but I say let her start choosing now.

'I give my child the option to have fun bright hair now, so that she will be a better decision maker later in life. And let's face it, if you were giving the option as a child in the thirties to have blue hair, you probably would do it.

'Because a child then and now, still has the same childlike wonder, it's our outside circumstances that affect what we have access and acceptability to.'

Amy feels this alternative parenting is already extremely common at the moment thanks to the 80s and 90s kids growing up and having children of their own.

'It's the generations that were born in the eighties and nineties that were the most open to expressing themselves, and had the tools to do so through music and art,' she explained.

'Now those generations are having children and I see so many people give up that creative part of them to go for the usual parenting - being that Mom and Dad who choose everything for their kids until they're old enough to choose for themselves.

'I try to stay as creative as possible, so that my daughter can see that even though there are necessities in life like working, and paying bleak bills, you can still be an individual and have joy in anything.'
A model has spoken of her horror after being left with a 'lumpy, painful and distorted' mouth from a botched lip augmentation.

Beth Cowan wanted fuller lips and visited a practitioner in the back room of a hairdressers' salon in February this year.

But after months of pain and swelling, the 22-year-old, of Chester-le-Street, visited a doctor who found that the procedure had been botched, with some filler injected in the wrong place.

Dr Steven Land, an A&E doctor at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, managed to correct most of the damage, but Beth is still left with a tiny lump that she may have to live with forever.

Now Dr Land has called for tighter regulations in aesthetic procedures, saying an increasing number of people are coming to A&E with similar stories to Beth's.

Beth Cowan visited a practitioner in the back room of a hairdressers' salon in February this year but was left with lumpy lips with some filler injected in the wrong place

The model had to undergo corrective lip surgery from Dr Steven Land at his Novellus Aesthetics surgery in Newcastle after the botched job

'People need to be extremely careful about which practitioner they use,' he said.

'Working in A&E, myself and my colleagues are seeing an increasing number of patients coming into A&E with aesthetic complications administered by untrained or poorly trained practitioners, many with no medical background.'

In the UK, non-surgical cosmetic treatments are worth nearly 3bn and remain an unregulated practice.

Beth booked a practitioner for lip augmentation after seeing positive reviews on their Facebook page. She said: 'I was in and out of the treatment room within five minutes, which at the time I presumed was the usual timescale.

'It felt like I was on a conveyor belt with other patients waiting. Having never had any aesthetic treatments previously, I had nothing to compare to. I was told I could wear make up and consume alcohol, although my lips had swollen immediately and were quite painful.'

Dr Land has called for tighter regulations in aesthetic procedures, saying an increasing number of people are coming to A&E with similar stories to Beth's

One month later, Beth returned for the top-up filler and the lumpy, distorted lips developed very soon afterwards. She said: 'I thought what I was experiencing was fairly normal and just presumed they would settle down.'

But by June, the painful lumps were still as obvious as ever, so she visited Dr Land, who also owns Novellus Aesthetic Clinic in Jesmond, Newcastle. He said: 'When I first saw Beth, I did a full medical consultation and it was obvious that she need to have the previous treatment corrected.'

He added: 'It is shocking to see how someone can inject a lip so badly, endangering a young person's looks, yet these procedures still go unregulated.

'Untrained and unqualified individuals lack the background anatomical knowledge to avoid complications as well as the ability to treat patients should complications arise. Worst case scenario these poor practitioners could cause death of the lip tissue or even permanent blindness.'

Beth hit the headlines in 2015 as she told of her journey to becoming a model, beating anorexia and bulimia along the way.
If you're planning on tying the knot next year and want your wedding to stand out from what everyone's seen before, take heed of the below advice.

Wedding planners from around the world have revealed the hottest wedding trends for 2018 - and they're far more exciting than the bog standard themes that have dominated Pinterest over the last 12 months.

From marble dancefloors to moody bouquets, Martha Stewart asked the best wedding planners in the business to forecast the hottest wedding trends for 2018.

The editors at Martha Stewart Weddings asked the best wedding planners in the business to forecast the hottest trends for 2018 - and it seems that weddings will be getting smaller and much more personalised

LIVING BARS: Rather than a classic bar, experts say that incorporating some freshly cut foliage into your drinking station will make it super trendy. One expert suggests setting up a laser-cut bar with green leaves creeping out for an Instagram-worthy look.

POTTED PLANTS: While some brides love lining their aisle with rose petals or even candles, 2018 will be all about potted plants. Experts say a quintessentially British look will be all the rage and suggest wrapping the pots in silk fabrics for a chic touch.

CULTURAL WEDDINGS: While lots of people tie the knot abroad, one planner says bride and grooms will be fully embracing local culture next year. Couples should say their vows off the grid and embrace local traditions and customs - like a Montenegro guitar procession or salsa dance performance in Spain.

When it comes to flowers and bouquets, the experts say that dogwood will be a big trend because people want 'overgrown' blooms, left. Experts also say it's all about the 'drama' for 2018 and tout purple as the hottest colour

SMALL WEDDING PARTIES: Good news for those on a budget! Experts predict that weddings will be getting smaller with just one maid of honour and two bridesmaids making up the bridal party.

MOODY FLOWERS: Peach and cream hues have been popular with brides for decades but things are getting dark for 2018 with darker, detailed, and textured florals set to be a big hit. Experts say it's all about the 'drama' and tout purple as the hottest colour of 2018.

TRANSLUCENT TENTS: Wedding planners are noting that couples looking to tie the knot next year are opting for the modern, architectural, and clean design translucence tents with floor-to-ceiling windows. If you don't want to celebrate in a marquee, they say you can incorporate the trend into your big day with more glass tables and lucite invitations.

Wedding planners are noting that couples looking to tie the knot next year are opting for translucent tents and plenty of glass

Experts say a quintessentially British look will be all the rage and suggest lining your aisle with potted plants

MARBLE DANCEFLOORS: Replace a traditional black and white checkerboard dancefloor with a marble one if you really want to impress. Planners say that an aerial photo of bride and groom dancing on the marble is going to be the snap every couple will want in their wedding album next year.

DOGWOOD BOUQUETS: One florist claims that the key trend for bridal bouquets next year is 'overgrown' and ladies will be plumping for a bunch made solely of dogwood flowers.

COLOURED CANDLES: Experts predict that coloured candles will be the perfect way to brighten up any event space. She recommends popping them on tables or dispersing them around the room for an unexpected twist on classic decor.

EDIBLE PLACE CARDS: Add an unexpected twist to your big day by making your place cards edible or created using plants or in vases.
She's a doting mother-of-two and Sophie Wessex displayed her maternal side as she met locals during a solo trip to Bangladesh this week.

The 52-year-old cradled a little boy as she mingled with locals during her trip on Monday.

Sophie visited Brunei with husband Prince Edward last month to mark the Sultan's Golden Jubilee and now the Countess of Wessex has made a solo trip to Bangladesh to visit the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka.

Sophie Wessex visited Fultola village to observe diabetes and nutrition training provided to rural housewives and met locals

Sophie was particularly taken by one little boy who she cuddled up to during her visit

Sophie paid a visit to Fultola village to observe diabetes and nutrition training provided to rural housewives.

The work The Countess saw in the rural communities today was that of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

In Bangladesh, nearly 10 per cent of the population have diabetes, and the number of people going blind from the disease is set to double by 2030. Their projects aim to improve services and raise awareness of the condition, so that people are able to get the screening and the treatment for the disease before they lose any vision.

It comes a day after she donned a pair of white gloves and helped perform a sight test as she went round the ward visiting young patients.

The royal looked typically sophisticated in a floral dress and burgundy jacket as she met with young patients.

The Countess of Wessex meets performers who raise awareness about diabetes and blindness to rural communities

The Countess is given a tour of the sight-saving work by the Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation, Bangladesh

Sophie, a mother-of-two, cuddled up to a little boy during her trip to meet housewives

Sophie looked chic in a cream and white ensemble, which she accessoried with an orange and green scarf

The Countess makes a speech to a rural community about the importance of protecting your sight from diabetes

The Countess of Wessex then boarded a sea plane in Barisal

The Countess of Wessex waved off at wellwishers as she hopped aboard a boat

The Countess has her eyes examined at the Sher-e Bangla Medical College & Hospital, Barisal  a clinic set up by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust

Sophie Wessex donned a pair of white gloves as she helped doctors perform a sight test at the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka

The royal, 52 , was seen speaking to a young patient during her tour around the hospital

Sophie also met with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to the country on Sunday.

During her visit to the eye hospital, she was seen chatting to patients, testing one youngster's vision by holding up two fingers.

The mother-of-two later doted on a young baby that was being treated at the hospital.

Sophie, who previously visited Bangladesh in 2009, was visiting the eye hospital with the sight-saving charity ORBIS.

Sophie later doted on a little baby, before giving a thumbs up to a patient on the ward

The mother-of-two put on a pair of gloves as she accompanied doctors around the hospital

Sophie was seen examining a young patient with during her visit to the eye hospital

A close-up shot shows the Countess carefully removing a dressing from the youngster's eye

The Countess was visiting the eye hospital in Dhaka with the sight-saving charity ORBIS

Sophie looked in good spirits as she met a baby and her mother during the visit, before meeting another cute toddler

The Countess also tested out the equipment while being shown around the eye hospital

She also met with members of staff, including a nurse at the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute

Sophie unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit to the hospital in the Bangladeshi capital

She has previously spoken about how her daughter Louise's sight problems has inspired her to campaign for the visually impaired.

Louise, now 14, was born prematurely in 2003, causing a condition called strabismus, which left her with a 'profound' squint.

The teenager has since had the problem corrected and now has perfect eyesight.

Sophie has been a patron of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness since 2003 and is a global ambassador for Vision 2020, an initiative aiming to eliminate avoidable blindness over the next five years.

Sophie looked typically sophisticated in a floral dress and burgundy jacket for her visit to Bangladesh

She met with the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (right) at her official residence

Sophie was seen having an animated conversation with Prime Minister Hasina
From verbal abuse to being told they're going through 'a phase', a brave group of young people have revealed what it's really like to be a transgender person in 2017.

The short film, made to mark Trans Day of Remembrance, highlights the daily battle the British youngsters are faced with - including living with a constant threat of violence and being labelled a 'butch lesbian' who 'may as well be dead'.

It features a TV actor who has appeared on Casualty, a musical theatre star whose parents are priests, and a YouTuber who came out to her followers just two months ago.

The video was produced by social change company, Shape History in partnership with Jake Graf, a trans director and activist, to challenge the stigma surrounding what it means to be young and trans.

Since being shared on Facebook on Sunday night, it has quickly racked up more than 41,000 views.

The film, #TransYouth, features young British people between the ages of 16 and 24, reflecting on the everyday stigma they face - but also aims to celebrate their courage and determination in standing up for who they are.

Mike Buonaiuto, executive director of Shape History, said: 'As a social change company, we're honoured to work with such diverse and talented young people day in day out.

'Through our work with the United Nations Free and Equal campaign, and also with many LGBT charities across the UK and US, we have seen that whilst visibility for trans people is growing rapidly - most often young trans people feel incredibly disempowered and unable to speak up and be seen and heard.

'We hope this film helps the whole LGBT community further engage in essential conversations about positive progress.'

YouTuber Ellen Stephenson from Brighton, who recently came out as transgender, revealed: 'The fact that I am Trans and the fact that my past will eventually comes up later down the line completely puts me off dating. So when it's most hurtful to me is when people say that you're never going to be a real girl because obviously I know I am - I know I'm a girl'

Musical theatre actor Harry/ Harrison Knights spoke about the reality of living as trans, saying: 'Do I have an authentic life or do I have children? Having taken testosterone we're infertile really now - that was a very difficult decision to make at the age of 19'

Casualty actor Misia Butler reveals how he keeps strong by surrounding himself with 'people that reinforce that they see you as who you are'

CJ Chalmers said: 'They told me that I would never transition - that I was just a butch lesbian - and that I may as well be dead. It hurt that little bit more because it came from [transgender] people - but it still hurt no matter who it would have come from'

The film begins by asking the teenagers about the labels placed on them by society. The group of 10 young folk take on words such as 'sick', 'confused', 'freak' and 'predator' that have been traditionally used to degrade and intimidate trans people.

The youngsters were also keen to challenge the idea that being trans has become a 'fad' or a 'trend' pedalled by famous YouTube trans activists and overzealous NHS doctors and parents.

Filmmaker Jake Graf said: 'As someone who grew up without any positive trans role models, I had long wanted to give a voice and platform to the new wave of brave, inspiring and visible young trans faces and activists.

'It was an honour to work with an organisation like Shape History, and to cast and co-direct what will hopefully become a valuable resource for trans youth for many years to come.'

Bart/ Olivia Mastin, who uses the pronoun 'They', said: 'The threat of violence is just... it's really scary. And there's no reason why that needs to be there. If someone is just dressing up as themselves - why do we need to treat them as a spectacle? Why do we need to behave like they are not a human being or not another person?'

Cocktail waitress Jordan Monk said: 'Anyone could be a bad person - just because we're Trans doesn't make us that. There's not many people who would like to tell their family or friends that they're dating a Trans woman because of the misconceptions that are already out there. But then if they just met me they might realise that I'm an alright person - and that it's fine'

The film ends on a positive note, with the teenagers talking about their hopes for the future - such as being able to go to the toilet or the supermarket without being asked questions, and feeling safe when walking down the street.

Harrison Knights, one of the young people who stars in the video, added: 'With the rise of knowledge of trans issues in recent years comes a newfound misunderstanding and transphobia.

'I hope this video can enlighten the cisgender population into understanding that the trans youth in particular are just as loving and flawed as everybody else.'
Meghan Markle has reportedly been spotted jetting from her hometown of Toronto to London as rumours of her impending engagement to Prince Harry go into overdrive.

A source told Hello! magazine that the actress was spotted flying to London from Toronto on Saturday.

The news comes after it was reported that she's quitting her role as Rachel Zane in hit show Suits.

A source told Hello! Magazine that they spotted Meghan Markle flying from Toronto to London on Saturday as rumours swirl she is quitting the show to focus on her relationship with Prince Harry

Meghan's TV body double Nicky Bursic seemingly confirmed widespread reports that Meghan is to leave the show - by posting a message of good luck to the actress.

'It's been an absolute pleasure and honor being your 'STAND-IN' for the last 2 seasons,' wrote Nicky Bursic, a six-year veteran of the show.

'Though I've been on @suits_usa for 6 years , the latter 2 has been my most memorable. Wishing you all the happiness in the world Bella.'

'You deserve it all!' Meghan Markle's Suits body double Nicky Bursic posts champagne emoji after actress quits show amid Prince Harry engagement rumors

Personal message: She tagged her post with a champagne glasses emoji, and the hashtag 'you deserve it all' amid rumors of an engagement between Meghan and her boyfriend Prince Harry

She tagged her post with a champagne glass emoji, and the hashtag 'you deserve it all' amid rumours of an engagement between Meghan and her royal boyfriend Prince Harry.

The attached picture showed both Nicky and Meghan on set, arms around one another, wearing matching outfits.

Since posting the picture, Nicky has made her public Instagram page private.

It has been reported that Meghan - who plays Rachel Zane in the American drama series - is going to depart the series alongside her co-star Patrick J. Adams after season seven comes to a close.

Moving on: Both Meghan Markle and co-star Patrick J Adams, who plays her onscreen fiance, plan to leave the show after the current season finishes recording

A source told Us Weekly magazine: 'Patrick was always leaving the show. He made his mind up a while ago. Patrick wants to pursue other things and he's realized his time at Suits has come to an end.

'They were waiting for Gabriel Macht to sign. He's going back so there will be a season eight and as of now, nine. It will make it an easy break for Meghan to leave as well.'

And a source had previously revealed the team at Suits were already preparing for Meghan's departure since she started dating Prince Harry.

The insider added: 'If Meghan decides not to come back for season eight, the show will still keep going, if everyone else signs on. She isn't the main cast member on the show, and quite frankly, everyone already thinks she's not coming back.'

Meanwhile Meghan, 36, missed her friend Serena Williams wedding on Thursday, as she finished up her filming commitments in Canada.

The show's last day of filming was on Friday. After that her plans are unknown - although it has been widely speculated that the beauty intends to move to England to be with Prince Harry.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Meghan and is awaiting comment.
Permanently etching a word or image into your skin is a decision that requires a lot of thought.

Which suggests that the people captured in this photo gallery take their politics very seriously indeed.

Far from opting for a meaningful quote, cherished name or important date, these ink fans took inspiration from the world of politics.

From President Donald Trump's head on a baby's body, to a winking Hillary Clinton and a bespectacled Sarah Palin, these tattoos make their owners' party allegiances clear - and not all of the political portraits are flattering.

A very distinctive tattoo shows President Donald Trump's head on a baby's body

A member of Pantsuit Nation? Another ink fan opted for a winking Hillary Clinton

Miss you already: The owner of this tattoo wanted to put his devotion to former President Barack Obama on permanent display

Remember Sarah Palin? The owner of this quirky tattoo won't ever forget her

Throwback: This woman's nostalgic tattoo captures a smiling former President Bill Clinton

Former President George Bush appears confused in this tattoo - which may be the desired effect for onlookers, too

She may have lost the election, but Hillary Clinton is still popping up in people's body art

Some ink fans choose politician-inspired body art not as a sign of their devotion - but quite the opposite

Feel the Bern? This tattoo appears to show US Senator Bernie Sanders

Throwback: Not all of the tattoos are of contemporary political heavyweights - although this Abraham Lincoln ink does have a modern twist

Barack Obama seems to be a popular choice for those who like their tattoos to reveal something about their politics

A smiling Sarah Palin made for a popular choice in areas with very visible tattoos

Others were also creative in showing how they viewed some of the most famous faces

George Bush appeared to show vampire tendencies in one persons graphic tattoo

A minimalist president Trump with black eyes depicted one persons allegiance

One person chose the statement elements of Bernie Sanders for a simple design
Alton Towers amputee Leah Washington has revealed how difficult it was to go out in public for the first time after losing her leg in the 2015 Alton Towers crash.

The pretty 20-year-old, from Barnsley, told followers of her blog that she couldn't conceive a day after the accident in which she might be seen 'going out in public with my prosthetic leg and wearing a bikini.'

However, Leah, who is still dating boyfriend Joe Pugh, who was beside her on the Smiler ride when it crashed, says she now wants to help others who have 'struggled with body confidence.'

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Leah Washington, from Barnsley (pictured with boyfriend Joe Pugh) lost her leg in the Smiler crash at Alton Towers in June 2015. In a new blog post, the 20-year-old has revealed how difficult it was to go out in public with her prosthetic leg following the accident

Leah, pictured with friends on holiday, revealed to followers that she thought she would never be confident enough to wear her prosthetic leg and a bikini on a sunshine holiday - but says: 'I never thought I would do it but I DID'

Leah was just 17 when she boarded the Smiler rollercoaster carriage with Joe, which smashed into a stationary train at the Staffordshire theme park in June 2015.

In a new blog on her website, Leah wrote: 'After my accident in 2015 I was 17, going out in public for the first time it was very daunting.

'I thought I cannot let this accident stop me from doing things and with my worries I did go out in public. People would look and point and it was very hard for me and my parents.'

The 20-year-old revealed that a holiday to Cape Verde in January 2016 proved a turning point.

Holiday fun: The 20-year-old has posted several shots of herself wearing a bikini on her Instagram account. Right: Leah says she hopes she can encourage others to 'live your life how you want to live it'

Leah and Joe, who suffered two shattered kneecaps in the incident, have stayed together after the tragedy occurred on their first official date

'My biggest problem was going out in public with my prosthetic leg and wearing a bikini and I never thought I would do it but I DID!'

Leah then explained how she now hopes to inspire others into being more confident about the way they look.

She writes: 'You need to do things for yourself, not for others and ignore what other people think and live your life how you want to live it.

'Everyone has their own issues, you just may not know about it, not everyone is perfect.'

An investigation into the 2015 accident concluded that the crash was due to human error. An engineer had wrongly restarted the ride while a stationary carriage was on the track in front of it.
It might be dark and gloomy outside but Queen Letizia brightened up a winter's day with her vibrant sartorial choice on Monday.

The Spanish Queen looked immaculate in a bold yellow blouse and chic midi skirt as she joined her husband, King Felipe, to welcome the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

The royal couple were on hand to host an official lunch for the President, who has urged Spain to recognise Palestine to enhance peace efforts with Israel.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia welcomed the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, at the Royal Palace in Madrid

According to WAFA, he praised the Spanish parliament for encouraging the government to recognise Palestine. He said: 'We are proud of the position of the Spanish parliament which recommended to its government to recognise the state of Palestine.

'This is something we hope will happen soon because of its importance to peace efforts in our region and so that Palestine and Israel can live side-by-side in security, stability and good neighborly relations, which will bring hope in a better future for Palestine and its people who have suffered from historical injustice when they were uprooted from their homeland in the 1948.'

He added: 'We are still committed to peace based on international decisions, the Madrid peace conference and the Arab peace initiative. We also support efforts by (US) President Donald Trumps administration to achieve a historic peace deal. We also stress the important role of the European Union and its positions that are committed to international law, which we are definite it will continue.'

Just last week, the Spanish queen continued to show her support for the global fight against cancer, as she met key officials at a summit for world leaders in Mexico City.

Queen Letizia looked flawless and youthful as she joined her husband at the palace on Monday

The couple welcomed President, who has urged Spain to recognise Palestine to enhance peace efforts with Israel

According to WAFA , he praised the Spanish parliament for encouraging the government to recognise Palestine

Queen Letizia, 45, had been in the Mexican capital all week, attending the World Cancer Leaders' Summit and closing the event with a passionate address.

She met the President of the International Union Against Cancer to discuss how cities across the globe are tackling the fight against the disease.

Tipping her fashion hat to the oncoming festive season, mother-of-two Letizia looked striking in a deep red velvet knee-length dress with a fitted red coat and bright red clutch bag.

The Spanish Queen looked immaculate in a bold yellow blouse and chic midi skirt as she joined her husband

Wearing her glossy locks loose, the Queen joined a group of key attendees to discuss points from the summit.

The Spanish style icon is partial to the eye-catching red outfit, with the Felipe Varela red coat previously seen on a royal visit to Japan earlier this year.

Letizia, who has left King Felipe IV on parenting duty back in Madrid, spoke to the summit's attendees and received a warm response.

A week of good work: Queen Letizia speaks during the World Cancer Leaders Summit closing ceremony at Palacio de Mineria in Mexico City

Wearing a deep burgundy velvet dress by Felipe Varela, with elegant heels in a matching velvet , a toned and tanned Letizia looked confident as she walked off stage

The 45-year-old royal also spent time deep in discussion with fellow royal Princess Dina Mired of Jordan at the closing ceremony for the event.

The two women were seen in animated conversation, with Princess Dina leaning in closely to chat to her Spanish counterpart as they took their seats.

Letizia took another opportunity to showcase her ultra toned arms in a sleeveless navy dress with a ruched detail at the front.

The mother-of-two added a splash of colour to the ensemble with a red handbag, while Princess Dina stood out from the crowd in purple.

Princess Dina is the wife of Prince Mired bin Ra'ad, a descendant of the royal houses of Syria and Iraq and a member of the Hashemite dynasty, meaning he is related to King Abdullah II of Jordan.

She is the former director general of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and is a passionate advocate for the early detection of breast caner in Jordan.

It's a subjects close to the royal's heart as one of her sons is a cancer survivor.

Princess Dina looked striking in a purple hued dress and gold earrings

Queen Letizia has also made cancer a focus of her charity work and has previously given speeches at events around the world.

The mother-of-two has returned to Mexico for this week's event, more than two decades after she spent time there as a student.

Prior to meeting King Felipe she studied for a masters in journalism at the University of Guadalajara in the mid 90s, before working at the newspaper Siglo 21.

Back in Spain a year later, she took on a role with the Spanish version of Bloomberg, a news channel and agency specialising in economics, before moving to CNN+.
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It was a family affair on Monday as Princes William and Harry, joined by the Duchess of Cambridge, at Windsor Castle to kick off the Queen's 70th anniversary celebrations.

The Queen's grandsons and Kate could be seen arriving by car at the monarch's Berkshire home where celebrations for her platinum wedding anniversary will be held this evening.

While her evening attire could not be seen in full the Duchess had clearly gone to every effort to preen and prep with her famous brunette locks coiffed to perfection.

From the car she could be seen wearing an elegant string of pearls with a dazzling diamante clasp and a pair of matching pearl drop earrings and her neckline appeared to showcase a black lace collar.

The Duchess is thought to be wearing a 785 Diane Von Furstenberg dress which she was spotted wearing just a few weeks ago at the The Anna Freud Gala Dinner, as well as to the 2014 Royal Variety Performance, however, that was not her crowing piece.

The four-strand pearl choker worn by Kate this evening previously belonged to the Queen and it is believed to be the first time that she has worn the piece.

The choker was previously borrowed by Princess Diana, who was loaned the statement piece to wear at a banquet at Hampton Court Palace in 1982.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Harry for the Queen's 70th anniversary celebrations at Windsor Castle on Monday evening

The Queen has been seen spotted wearing the necklace on several occasions, including a visit to Bangladesh in 1983, a year after Diana had borrowed it.

William, 35, and Harry, 33, looked their dapper best in black tie complete with traditional dickie bows and pocket handkerchiefs.

Clearly not wanting to miss a moment of the celebrations William could be seen wearing his glasses as he rode in the back of the royal car.

Squeezed between the two princes was Kate, 35, who had wrapped up against the elements in a black wool coat for her arrival at the castle.

Not present for this evening's proceedings is Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle who is rumoured to be in London but clearly not attending this evening.

The royals, who were dressed in black tie, are heading for a special dinner at the castle to mark the monarch's milestone anniversary

The cheerful trio appeared to be in high spirits sharing a joke as they made their way to the reception in the royal

Conditions being a little snug, it was not long before Kate shed her winter coat revealing an elegant black lace dress

The family will be attending a special dinner in celebration of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's milestone anniversary.

Also arriving by car at the castle was the Queen's cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent joined by two companions

Other guests tonight include the Queen's children Prince Charles accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew Prince Edward, Princess Anne.

Her Majesty's grandchildren the Princesses of York, Beatrice and Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall - accompanied by Mike Tindall are also expected at dinner this evening.

The necklace worn by Kate this evening previously belonged to the Queen who has in the past lent it to Princess Diana Pictured: Her Majesty in the necklace in Bangladesh 1983 (left) and Diana wearing the piece at Hampton Court in 1982 (right)

Prince Charles was not far behind taking the front seat and is expected to be joined by the Duchess of Cornwall this evening

Guests were subjected to tight security measures upon arrival at the castle with police men checking names and ID

Earlier today Her Majesty presented the Duke with a rare honour as a special anniversary present as they celebrate 70 years of marriage.

As the royal couple reached their platinum wedding anniversary, the monarch appointed Philip a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) for services to the sovereign.

The touching gesture will be seen as the Queen's recognition of the devotion Philip has shown through the decades, supporting her publicly and privately.

Philip, 96, retired from his public role in the summer after years of royal duty alongside the monarch.

Today mark's the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's platinum anniversary, with these portraits released on Sunday to mark the occasion

Also arriving by car at the castle was the Queen's cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent (far right) joined by two companions

Lord Frederick Windsor and his sister Lady Gabriella Windsor, children of Prince Michael of Kent, arrive for the party

A guest list revealed just some of the royals expected to attend the evening ceremony including some lesser known royals

WHO'S WHO! THE NAMES YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNISE ON THE ROYAL GUEST LIST THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF SNOWDON The new Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong Jones, took on his father's earldom in January following his death. David is the son of Princess Margaret and he and his glamorous heiress wife, Serena, Countess of Snowdon (nee Stanhope), 46, are parents to Charles, Viscount Linley, 17, and Margarita, 14 - who was a bridesmaid at the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thanks to the family's royal ties. Born at Clarence House in 1961, the Earl spent much of his early life at Buckingham Palace where he was schooled alongside his cousin, Prince Andrew. David, 55, was in his late teens when his parents finalised their acrimonious split in 1978, but his father remained close to the royals and even shot the Queen's official 80th birthday portrait. Unlike his cousin, David eschewed a military career to carve out a path in furniture design, setting up his own company and later joining Christie's where he now works as a chairman. LADY SARAH CHATTO Daughter of the Queens late sister, Princess Margaret, Lady Sarah is one of the most low-key Royals yet holds a very special place in Her Majestys affections. One royal insider says: The Queen adores Sarah and seeks out her company as often as possible. She is her absolute favourite younger Royal. They are hugely at ease in each others company. Much giggling can be heard when they are together. They share a sense of loyalty, fun, duty and the ridiculous. THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER The Duke of Gloucester is the Queens cousin and a full-time working member of the Royal Family. The Duke of Gloucester carries out a significant number of public duties and undertakes hundreds of official engagements in the UK and overseas each year. The Duke, 66, who is supported financially by the Queen out of the Privy Purse, moved from 40-room Barnwell, near Oundle, where he farms a 2,500-acre estate, some 16 years ago. THE EARL OF ULSTER Son of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor, is 23rd in line to the throne and leads a relatively low profile existence. The Queens surgeon gynaecologist delivered the 28-year-old by Caesarean when his mother went into labour two months early. LADY DAVINA LEWIS

Daughter of the Queen's first cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, who is also a grandson of George V. 'Denny' grew up in a Kensington Palace apartment, went to St George's Ascot and took a degree in media studies. In 2004 she married Gary Lewis a sheep shearer of Maori descent, after meeting him while surfing in Bali. Gary is also a carpenter and surfer, and has very much taken after his father, who is a champion sheep-shearer in New Zealand. THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF KENT The Duke of Kent is another of the Queen's cousins. He and Duchess of Kent began presenting the winners trophies at Wimbledon in 1969, when he became president. But the duchess has not done so since 2001  when she handed a trophy to Venus Williams  after giving up royal duties. In 1993 she won hearts with her natural warmth as she hugged Jana Novotna, who burst into tears after losing to former world number one Steffi Graf. She was also praised for her resilience when she walked out to present trophies despite having a cast on her foot one year. Their sons George Windsor, the Earl of St Andrews and Lord Nicholas Windsor were also in attendance. Advertisement

He is the longest serving royal consort in British history, and the Queen, the nation's longest reigning monarch, is the first to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary.

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street.

The monarch presented Philip with the honour at Windsor Castle, where they are marking their anniversary privately.

They are celebrating with close family and friends at a special dinner at the Berkshire residence on Monday evening.

Philip is already a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG), a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (KT) and a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)

Now with his GCVO he will have four UK order of chivalry breast stars. The last UK citizen to equal this was his uncle Lord Mountbatten of Burma.

Philip also has many other honours including the Order of Merit (OM), Order of New Zealand (ONZ), and Knight, Order of Australia (AK).

The couple will celebrate their landmark anniversary with an intimate family dinner at their Berkshire home of Windsor Castle

The Queen and Prince Philip are seen posing against a platinum-textured background in a new set of three photos released by Buckingham Palace

The Queen was a 21-year-old princess when she married her consort Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

The fairy-tale royal wedding was a morale booster in the tough years that followed the Second World War and millions of people tuned in to listen to the ceremony on the wireless.

The young princess wore a Norman Hartnell dress made of duchesse ivory silk-satin which was hand-embroidered with more than 10,000 pearls and crystals.

Wartime leader Winston Churchill summed up the occasion as 'a flash of colour on the hard road we travel'.

Less than five years after the royal wedding, the Princess became Queen on the death of her father George VI.

Together, the Queen and Philip have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reign, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

With their family growing year by year, the Queen and Philip are preparing to welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April - a third child for the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen was a 21-year-old princess when she married her consort Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Pictured: The couple on their wedding day

The couple (pictured with children Prince Charles and Princess Anne) have five great-grandchildren already and will welcome their sixth next year

They already have five great-grandchildren - Savannah and Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as eight grandchildren - Peter and Zara Phillips, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, and their own four children the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.

Bells at the historic Abbey in central London have rung out in tribute on Monday, with a full celebratory peal lasting around three hours and 20 minutes.

The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but this occasion is not being marked which such a service.

Prime Minister Theresa May sent her congratulations to couple on their "special" anniversary, while other messages came from the Women's Institute, of which the Queen has been a member longer than she has been married to the Duke, joining the Sandringham branch as a princess in 1943.

In 2007 on their 60th anniversary, the Queen bestowed the Royal Victorian Chain upon the Duke as a sign of her affection.

A series of portraits of the Queen and Philip taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak was released to mark the platinum anniversary.

The portraits show the monarch wearing a yellow gold, ruby and diamond scarab brooch, given as a personal gift from Philip to the Queen in 1966.
A New York woman has alleged that a brow bar owner has threatened her and her son via text message after she left a negative review for the business on Yelp.

Jessica Droppa, 42, from Manhattan, left a one-star review for Brows by Victoria NYC on Saturday after a negative experience at the salon - before returning to Yelp that day to share screengrabs of threatening text messages that she claims the owner, Victoria, sent her using a burner phone.

'The text I received from Victoria. Anonymous right after I posted my opinion. She uses a burner number to harass and bully customers,' Jessica wrote of the violent messages, which included cruel insets and threats to harm her.

Bad business: Jessica Droppa, 42, from Manhattan, claims the owner of Brows by Victoria NYC is threatening her via text message after she left a negative Yelp review for the business

Harassment: After sharing her one-star review, Jessica returned to Yelp to share screen grabs of messages she claims the owner, Victoria, sent her using burner phones

Scary: The messages were filled with insults as well as violent threats

'You ugly a** b***h with a f**ked up nos job when i catch you I'm gonna punch you right in your face...and you got a big a** stomach that's why you can't sit up straight you f**king weirdo [sic],' the messages reads.

'i know where you work out of and where your ugly a** son goes to school you don't have no man you miserable b***h shaped like a apple. jealous bum b***h nobody wants you I got a nice thanksgiving surprise for your ugly a** [sic],' the person continued.

In a public response to Jessica's review, the business owner shared a screengrab of her customer's Instagram page, writing: 'This is Jessica Droppa's Instagram, she is a NYC esthetician and works at Atelier Esthetique, my least favorite esthetics school.'

Underneath Jessica's review, Victoria wrote a lengthy response, which she later updated.

Start of it all: In her original Yelp review, Jessia said Victoria is 'beyond rude' and 'borderline abusive' to her

Allegations: Victoria publicly responded to Jessica's Yelp review and claimed she was a 'jealous NYC esthetician' who was spying on her business for another brow specialist

Her story: The Upper East Side business owner also claimed in her post that she blocked Jessica on Instagram six months ago and never serviced her

Victoria claimed in her initial post that Jessica is a 'jealous NYC esthetician' whom she blocked on Instagram six months ago.

'I did not service her due to her strange behavior, the business owner wrote, while slamming Jessica for the wearing a 'big bow' in her hair and arriving an hour early.

Victoria insisted that the real reason Jessica arrived early was because Joey Healy, another brow specialist in New York City, sent her to Brows by Victoria NYC to spy on the business, claiming that she saw her talking to him.

The Upper East Side business owner stated that Jessica 'appeared at least five months pregnant and drugged,' and claimed that she didn't even service her.

'I will also be posting a picture of your paper thin brows that Joey has cared for for the past few months like you said. I will also post a picture of your Instagram and send it to yelp, you are just another jealous esthetician with no customers and nothing better to do [sic],' she wrote.

Going public: Victoria shared a screengrab of Jessica's Instagram page on Yelp

Slinging insults: 'This is Jessica Droppa's Instagram, she is a NYC esthetician and works at Atelier Esthetique, my least favorite esthetics school,' she wrote

Her reponse: Jessica hit back by sharing a screengrab of the Brows by Victoria's Instagram page to show that she has never followed her

Getting heated: Jessica said the picture proves that she has never followed Victoria on Instagram

Jessica responded to Victoria's claims by sharing a screengrab of her Instagram account, writing: 'As you can see I have never followed Victoria on Instagram. She has now resorted to sending me threatening text messages.'

She also posted a picture of her eyebrows to show that they weren't 'pencil thin' as Victoria's claimed in her response.

In her updated Yelp review, Jessica shared a long message for Victoria, recalling how horribly she was treated at the salon while begging the owner to stop harassing her via text message.

According to Jessica, she has a receipt from her Venmo transaction with Victoria and her husband can attest to the service.

Jessica insisted that she was talking to her nanny, not Joey Healy, and she accused Victoria of 'defamation of character.'

Cruel words: Victoria shared a photo of Jessica's sister Margaret on her Instagram page, writing that she 'need a brow transplant'

Intense: Victoria also posted the same picture of Margaret on Yelp, writing: 'you can see bad brows run in the family'

Sharing her story: Jessica updated her original Yelp review can recalled how horribly she was treated at the salon while begging the owner to stop harassing her via text message

Pleading: 'Please STOP sending me harassing text messages. You have threatened my child and myself with bodily harm, she wrote

'Drugged? You realize what you are saying is defamation of character? What if I was pregnant? What if I have a bad illness? What does this have to do with your customer service and attitude toward paying customer? What does this have to do with EYEBROWS?' she asked.

Jessica also slammed Victoria for threatening both her and her son over the negative Yelp review.

'You have threatened my child and myself with bodily harm. Remove my photo ASAP. You don't have my consent to post my pictures on social media or my son's Instagram account you animal,' she wrote.

Jessica went on to claim that in Victoria's original post she shared her son's information and Instagram account.

'I know you have bullied past reviewers. This has to stop,' she continued. 'You have said you know where my son goes to school? You must be mentally ill. You have disrupted me late at night with threatening text messages.'

No end in sight: Victoria updated her response to say that she has contacted both the police and Atelier Esthetique

She ended her post by saying she has contacted the authorities, as well as her attorney, and she will be notifying the Better Business Bureau.

Victoria updated her response to say that she has contacted both the police and Atelier Esthetique, 'this mentally ill individual's work place,' to show them 'proof of harassment' on all of her social media accounts.

'She also had her sister Margaret Droppa (also with pathetic brows) write reviews and harass my Instagram and cellphone which is exactly what I need to build my case,' Victoria wrote of Jessica's sister. 'Margaret's picture is the 9th from the left please look at these criminals that are mothers, etc. and the way they carry themselves.'

'This is Margaret Droppa Sister of Jessica Droppa also harassing my business via yelp and Instagram...you can see bad brows run in the family,' Victoria captioned the image of Jessica's sister on Yelp.

Victoria also posted the image on her business' Instagram page, writing: 'Gurrrrll I see why you lurking on my page you need all the brow help you can get @margaret_grayson look at you you should know better than to try to come for me honey!!!

Disturbing behavior: Jessica shared the harassing text messages she received on Monday with Daily Mail Online

'She is nuts!' Jessica also shared a text message conversation she had with someone else who claims she was harassed by Victoria

'Why do people that try it always look a hot mess you need a brow transplant but looking at that cheap dress and cheap makeup I dont think its in your budget..girl bye you look a hot hot fool of mess stay in your lane #dontcomeforme #youtriedit #thedevilisaliar #nailsalonbrows #browqueen #browsbyvictorianyc #teampetty [sic],' she wrote.

Jessica told Daily Mail Online that she contacted Yelp about the harassment but has yet to hear a response. She said she filed a police report with a precinct for aggravated harassment as well.

She also shared a text message conversation she had with another woman who claims she was harassed by Victoria.

The woman named Kelly stated that Victoria stalked her on Instagram, writing: 'She is nuts.'

Daily Mail Online has reached out to Brows by Victoria NYC for comment.
There were signs this might not be a seamless working relationship from the start.

Alexandra Abrahams, 41, turned up to her job interview wearing a smart suit and heels. The 28-year-old woman she hoped would be her boss looked casual in a long, bohemian frock.

It wasn't just their different approaches to work attire that struck Alexandra, however, but their attitudes to the interview itself.

Self-consciously slipping off her jacket in the chaotic confines of a bustling coffee shop, she struggled to deliver a painstakingly prepared presentation that would prove she was the right choice for the position of marketing manager at an upmarket catering company.

But all the while, her potential employer's smartphone pinged continuously with notifications from Instagram.

Jennifer Davidson (pictured), 41, turned up to her job interview wearing a smart suit and heels. The 28-year-old woman she hoped would be her boss looked casual in a long, bohemian frock

'She was distracted and spoke in business jargon at breakneck speed,' recalls Alexandra. 'All I could think was: 'Wow  she's young.'

'But when she offered me the job, I was excited. I thought working for someone so youthful would be a positive challenge.'

Yet, within five months, Alexandra's hopes that her new young boss would provide a 'positive challenge' had morphed into dread at the prospect of sitting desk-to-desk with her every day.

'Her know-it-all attitude was intimidating,' she says. 'I felt so drained that I quit.'

Much has been made of the hazards of employing millennials  the generation born between 1982 and 2000, with many now in their 20s and early 30s. Entitled. Oversensitive.

Unable to make decisions. Unfairly or not, this is the less-than-flattering reputation many have acquired in the workplace.

Within five months, Alexandra's hopes that her new young boss would provide a 'positive challenge' had morphed into dread at the prospect of sitting desk-to-desk with her every day

But what's it like as a middle-aged employee having a millennial boss? If you haven't given the idea much thought, then perhaps it's time to start.

After all, millennials now constitute the largest generation in the American workforce.

And thanks to a fickle job market and, some might say, this sense of entitlement, increasing numbers of them have not so much risen through the ranks as leapfrogged their elder underlings altogether  to end up in the boss's chair at an age when previous generations were still making the tea.

But if you expect them to be grateful for their exalted status, you may well be disappointed.

'Millennials don't have a concept of 'serving time',' explains Helen Goss, an employment lawyer at legal firm Boyes Turner.

'Older generations expected to have to climb a career ladder, but millennials don't want to wait years to be promoted. They want their abilities to be taken on trust  which can cause friction.'

Indeed. Especially if, like Alexandra, your decades of hard fought-for experience are given scant appreciation.

Alexandra had been working in the marketing industry for 20 years when, in February, she joined the fashionable London catering firm whose marketing arm was managed by her millennial boss.

She realised that, for all her ability and knowledge, being in her 40s also made her something of an anomaly.

'As well as our boss, the rest of my team of six were also female, in their 20s and had clearly been recruited to reflect the creative, youthful vibe of the company,' says Alexandra, who lives in Bromley, Kent, and is engaged to Cez, 38, a financial consultant.

'You could count the number of staff aged over 40 on one hand. When I heard one of my team describe a 40-year-old man in another department as 'old', I decided to keep quiet about my own age  and they didn't ask.'

Meanwhile, the trendy open-plan office was more boutique hotel than corporate building, with its free coffee counter and complimentary breakfasts served from the specially designed 'rustic' kitchen.

With even the likes of billionaire Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, 33, famously choosing to sit among his employees, it seems a coveted corner office is a thing of the past for millennial head honchos  a fact that disquieted Alexandra.

'I sat opposite my boss and found it intimidating asking her advice in front of everyone,' she says. 'I wouldn't have minded a private room in which to speak to her.'

Not that her boss was always there to offer advice anyway, because her seniority didn't stop her holding the popular millennial view that work-life balance is sacrosanct.

Carer Jennifer Davidson, 43, can certainly vouch for the confidence of the millennials who are now her superiors at work

'She spent half her week working from home and often came in late on a Monday. Everyone else rolled in casually after 9am and clocked off on the dot of 5.30. I was frequently in the office on my own. It wasn't ideal.

'And call me old-fashioned, but I prefer to speak to people face-to-face than constantly emailing people.'

And when her boss did speak to Alexandra, it tended to be in indecipherable jargon. 'She was always talking about 'reaching out' to clients and using words such as POA (plan of action).

'When she told me to get the IA (information architecture) for the ROI (return on investment), it actually felt as if she were talking in a different language. Luckily, that instruction was emailed, so I was able to look up what on earth she was talking about online.'

Alexandra quickly became overwhelmed. 'All our work was done on Apple Macs and in Google documents, which I'd never used before,' she says. 'I tried to learn the systems in my lunch hour and took my Mac home with me  but the work piled in too quickly.

Until 2015, Jennifer was on an equal footing with most of her twenty-something colleagues at the home for elderly people in Scotland, where she works

'My colleagues said they were too busy to help. They'd all done degrees in digital marketing, so technology was second nature to them. They would look at me condescendingly when I said I didn't understand.'

The age gap between Alexandra and her boss  newly promoted to marketing director after six years at the company  made her feel increasingly alienated.

'She'd formed a close-knit gang with my younger colleagues. In meetings, they'd all walk away whispering and I knew they were talking about me. Whenever I tried to approach her, colleagues would step in and say she was too busy to speak. I felt bullied and left out.'

Having been trained to finish one job at a time, Alexandra loathed the multi-tasking expected from a generation known for its ever-decreasing attention span.

'As part of our marketing strategy, we were encouraged to check our social media accounts throughout the day.

'Colleagues were always on Twitter or Instagram, while I spent time making sure that jobs were done properly.

'Everything had a 'hashtag' and one colleague who helped train me remarked I was 'so unusual' in doing things slowly. But they were always so busy, they made mistakes.'

Alexandra's confidence evaporated. 'I was so worried I wasn't fitting in that I stopped eating and sleeping properly. I felt constantly stressed.'

In June, she resigned. 'When I told my boss it wasn't working out, she was nice, but effectively said that the company 'is what it is',' says Alexandra, who is now looking for another job. 'But surely experience should count for something?'

Admittedly, the staggering self-belief that many millennial bosses display is, in large part, down to older generations who have raised their offspring in a 'child-centric' manner, leading them to believe that others exist to cater to their every whim.

'Social media also makes the world seem a smaller place,' says employment lawyer Helen Goss. 'Millennials glean experiences online in a way that previous generations couldn't.'

Carer Jennifer Davidson, 43, can certainly vouch for the confidence of the millennials who are now her superiors at work.

'When I was in my 20s, I listened to my older boss who had been in her job for years,' says Jennifer, who is married to Simon, 42, and has two young children.

'But the girls newly above me in rank are power-crazed  despite having no experience.'

Until 2015, Jennifer was on an equal footing with most of her twenty-something colleagues at the home for elderly people in Scotland, where she works.

But while she was on maternity leave, many of the younger staff were encouraged to complete an additional level of training  so, by the time Jennifer returned to work, they ranked above her.

'They are now in charge when the senior nurse is away and can tell me what to do,' she says.

'Millennials don't have a concept of 'serving time',' explains Helen Goss, an employment lawyer at legal firm Boyes Turner. 'Older women expected to have to climb a career ladder, but millennials don't want to wait years to be promoted. They want their abilities to be taken on trust  which can cause friction.' File image used

'Whether it is cleaning or escorting an elderly patient to the toilet, there is never a please or a thank you. They use their new authority as an excuse to disappear to chat and are attached to their smartphones even on duty.

'Because they have so little work experience, they think that such behaviour is normal.'

Still worse is their worrying disregard towards their newfound responsibility. 'They're not bothered about leaving jobs undone, just as long as they finish on time,' adds Jennifer.

'Recently, at 7.50pm, I pointed out that one elderly patient needed to be changed for bed. They told me: 'You can take over if you want, but we're finished'  and left because their shift ended at 8pm.'

She says that although her confidence has been 'knocked' by her millennial bosses, she doesn't plan to question their authority as that would 'cause friction'.'

She adds: 'In the care industry, I think it is easy to become too qualified too young. Experience comes with age, and they lack it.'

Of course, not all millennial managers are dictatorial bullies. Indeed, many are reluctant to see themselves as 'bosses' at all, because it doesn't chime with their egalitarian world view.

Goss says: 'Millennial bosses often have a new sensitivity and terminology in terms of how they refer to their staff . They are 'colleagues' or are 'working together'.

'They generally see the workplace as being less hierarchical.'

Which can be quite unsettling for employees like 46-year-old Leigh Hancock  a baker employed by cake company owner Samantha Whittingham  who find comfort in the structure of the career ladder.

'Everyone needs boundaries,' says Leigh, who in her 20s was a credit controller, before taking a decade off work to raise her twins, now 12.

Yet Samantha, 28, from Swindon, Wiltshire, who hired Leigh this May to help her cope with her expanding business Corporate Cakery, which provides cakes for events, says she finds it 'weird' when Leigh calls her boss. 'I consider her part of the team,' she says. 'I don't look down on her.'

And that's not the only difference in mindset between the pair. Samantha is a fan of 'disruptive change'  which, for the uninitiated, means she is 'artistic, creative and an improviser'.

Leigh, on the other hand, is a meticulous planner who likes to stick to the brief she's been given.

Samantha explains: 'We work well together, but it will cause minor disagreements. A few weeks ago, we were making a large cake for a vehicle launch, but as Leigh was making it, I realised that the silver balls she was decorating the sides with could be flattened to look like tyres. She looked worried when I told her. She said she had to stick to the design.'

Then there is social media, on which Samantha spends 'several hours a day' to promote her company. She's told Leigh that it would be good for her to be on Twitter, too  'but she doesn't understand it'.

And nor does Leigh, who lives in Cirencester with her husband John, particularly want to.

'I would feel vulnerable on Twitter and Instagram,' she says, adding that Samantha has 'done a blog post' on her  not that she is '100 per cent sure' what that means.

'It's gone out to millions of people and I'm really nervous about it. This way of working is alien to me. Everyone needs to know everything about you  I'm not comfortable with that.'

Yet management with a personal touch has become increasingly ingrained in the metaphorical millennial boss handbook.

'There has been an Americanisation of work culture, which encourages more openness,' says Goss. 'For older staff, it can feel awkward. Many will wonder why they have to talk about their feelings at work.'

Dan Bladen, who in 2013 set up Chargifi, a solution that allows smartphones to charge wirelessly, is a case in point.

At 28, Dan already has 15 staff, 12 of whom are older than him. His chief operating officer is 52 and all but one of his five board members are over 40.

'At first, I found it intimidating,' he says. 'But I've found the older staff are comfortable with straight talk in a way my generation is less used to.'

By that, he seems to mean his older employees are less likely to fly into a strop if they disagree with his decisions than oversensitive millennials.

'My generation needs to rediscover the art of discussion  and appreciate that disagreeing with people doesn't mean you don't like them any more.'

So far, so refreshing. But Dan, a theology graduate who is married to Jessica, 33, who is expecting their third child, hardly has what older generations would consider a conventional management style.

'I'm relational,' he says. Come again? 'I walk the line between professional and friend. Hiring has to be a two-way street.

'I invest in people and ask how their home life is going. I understand if there is anyone ill in their family, and that my team are going through different relationship cycles.'

To that end, Dan, who sits with his staff in an open-plan office, has set up a slack channel (no, me neither) on which his staff can share jokes.

There is a 'team away day', an 'office perk box' and free treats. He sounds, in truth, more like a therapist than a boss.

'Millennials are far more mission orientated,' he says. 'They're on a mission to change the world, which is inspiring.' If slightly discombobulating for the rest of us.
There is nothing more frustrating than taking a bag of salad out of the fridge only to find that has gone soggy and is only fit for the bin.

However, a nurse has revealed her genius hack for preventing salad leaves from wilting using just one simple household item.

Jill, from Bristol, shared her solution for keeping bagged salad fresher for longer on Twitter last week.

A nurse has revealed her ingenious hack to prevent bagged salad going soggy and all you will need is some kitchen roll

She tweeted: 'Dont waste bagged salad! My tip to stop salad going soggy is put a strip of kitchen roll inside bag to soak up moisture'.

Jill says that adding just a single sheet to a salad bag can help to absorb excess water preserving the lettuce for longer.

For times when you haven't got kitchen roll to hand there are alternative solutions to reviving sad salad leaves.

Hayden Groves, executive chef at catering company BaxterStorey, previously revealed that you can revive most wilting leaves by soaking them in a bowl of iced water for a few minutes.

Dont waste bagged salad! My tip to stop salad going soggy is put a strip of kitchen roll inside bag to soak up moisture #soggysaladsolution pic.twitter.com/eyxgY1spw3  JillsWellness  (@JillsWellness) November 12, 2017

This rehydrates the salad, and iced water seems to boost the process and crisps the leaves more efficiently as, once picked, they prefer to be cold.

This technique will perk up soft herbs such as basil, sage and parsley, too, Hayden told the Daily Mail. Just shake off the excess water and use immediately, or wrap the leaves in kitchen roll and store in the fridge, where they should remain fresh for a couple more days.

If you dont fancy eating it raw, Hayden says that stir- frying wilted salad with a little butter and garlic will produce a tasty side dish for grilled fish or chicken.

You can also add torn salad leaves to stews and pasta sauces or give them a quick pan-fry and mix into omelettes.

For those transporting their salad to work, their are ways to avoid wilting leaves in your lunch box.

Australian food bloggers Sammy & Bella claim that by adding black rice to your salad you can prevent it going soggy.

Speaking to Pedestrian earlier this month the pair say: 'This humble grain is actually pretty damn fancy: it looks gorgeous, with that beaut dark purple colour.

'Its chewy and nutty and works perfectly as a flavour carrier in your salad, and best of all, it soaks up all the extra dressing and juices (looking at you, tomatoes) that appear in your salad at around 1pm and works as a magical de-sogger.'
A smart plaster that detects the early signs of sepsis is to be fast-tracked into NHS hospitals.

Trials of the Respira Sense device show it can identify a deteriorating patient an average of six hours earlier than current methods, significantly boosting survival chances.

NHS England bosses yesterday announced they had earmarked the gadget for rapid adoption as part of the Health Services innovation accelerator programme.

The 40 sensor is placed on the chest of very sick patients to monitor their breathing as soon as they arrive in hospital. The technology  which can be worn for eight days at a time  tracks respiratory rates 25 times a second and sends the data to a tablet, smartphone or hospital computer.

NHS England bosses are earmarking the device for rapid adoption, with hospitals in Portsmouth, Leeds and London already accessing it

The device comprises a six-inch adhesive sensor that sticks to the abdomen and a small plastic capsule that contains the battery, electronics and Bluetooth transmitter. A Danish trial of 132 patients found the device allowed doctors to see when a patient started deteriorating with sepsis an average of six hours before they would usually spot the problems.

In the best cases, they were given a warning 12 hours early.

Hospitals in Portsmouth, Leeds and London are assessing the device, but the NHS wants more doctors to start trialling it as part of the countrys battle against sepsis. The Mail launched its End the Sepsis Scandal campaign in January 2016 to raise awareness of symptoms among patients and staff.

NHS England has asked the countrys 15 academic health science networks to start promoting the Respira device, and has given the Irish company behind the gadget a share of a 220,000 national bursary designed to promote innovative technology.

Cork-based PMD Solutions plans to apply to NHS watchdog NICE for clinical recommendation by the end of the year.

Sepsis, known as the silent killer, develops when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs. It is the leading cause of avoidable deaths in the UK, killing at least 44,000 people a year.

The Irish firm behind the gadget has received a share of a 220,000 national bursary for the promotion of innovative technology

The Respira Sense helps doctors act quickly by sounding the alarm when a patient starts deteriorating. Doctors say a respiratory rate of 20 breaths per minute is the most significant indicator of sepsis in patient in hospital care.

If someone is in intensive care, their breathing is tracked by a life support machine. But if someone is in a general ward, breathing rate is tracked periodically  with a nurse every so often simply counting breaths per 60 seconds.

Previous attempts to create monitoring devices failed because they sounded the alarm every time someone got out of bed or walked up a flight of stairs. The new gadget uses a motion tracker to identify when someone is moving, and an algorithm to take into account their increased breathing rate.

Dr Ron Daniels, of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: This will be the future  wearable technology that enables us to monitor our patients in a non-invasive, affordable and reliable way.
A nurse who makes light of her blotchy skin condition by describing herself as a 'human Oreo' or 'cow' reveals she is sniggered at by children and asked if she is contagious.

Sharekia Winston, 31, from Richmond, Virginia, first developed white, pigment-free patches around her eyebrows two months after her eldest daughter Deniyla was born in July 2006, but initially dismissed the symptoms as just rash.

After being diagnosed with the skin condition vitiligo, Ms Winston, a nurse, endured cruel remarks from strangers, with some even asking if the disorder is contagious, causing her to pile on make-up every day to hide her patches.

Yet, Ms Winston has now ditched the make-up and regularly posts pictures of herself online using the hashtags #oreo, #cow and #moo.

She said: 'To deal with the vitiligo, I started to joke about myself online. I'd say I accepted it, adding things like, "I have vitiligo and if you don't like it don't look!" and "if you don't know what vitiligo is, think of a cow or an Oreo biscuit!"

'I am beautiful and the patches are part of me'.

Ms Winston, who describes herself as a 'vitiligo advocate', wishes to help others who have the skin condition.

Sharekia Winston has ditched make-up and encourages sufferers to be happy in their own skin

She developed the condition after the birth of her daughter Deniyla (pictured while pregnant)

Ms Winston endured cruel remarks from strangers, with some asking if her condition was contagious (pictured with her daughters Braelyn and Deniyla, and husband Derrick)

WHAT IS VITILIGO Vitiligo is a disease in which the pigment cells of the skin are destroyed in certain areas of the body. Although the exact cause is unknown, experts say it is an autoimmune condition in which the body's defense system mistakenly attacks and destroys certain cells within the body. It's not painful and doesn't have significant health consequences, but it can have emotional and psychological consequences. Treatment ranges from medicines and creams to skin grafts. Common areas for white patches are the armpits and groin, around the mouth, eyes, nostrils, navel, genitals and rectal areas. Symptoms include loss of skin color with white patches of skin in any location on the body. Most will develop the condition prior to age 40. About half develop it before age 20. It may have a genetic component, as the condition tends to run in families. Source: Medicine Net Advertisement

'I am beautiful and the patches are part of me'

Despite cruel remarks from strangers and concerns from others over her condition being contagious, Ms Winston has accepted her skin disorder and is no longer self-conscious of her appearance.

She said: 'I realised it wasn't going to go away any time soon and I needed to love myself for being me.

'I am beautiful and the patches are part of me now, so I've had to deal with that.

I am so happy with myself now. I have ditched the make-up and feel confident in my own skin.'

Ms Winston even posts photos on social media of her make-up free face and body.

She said: 'To deal with the vitiligo, I started to joke about myself online.

'I'd say I accepted it, adding things like, "I have vitiligo and if you don't like it don't look!" and "if you don't know what vitiligo is, think of a cow or an Oreo biscuit!"

'Just call me an Oreo. I'm two different colors and being able to joke about what I look like has really got me through.

'I used the hashtags #Oreo, #cow and #moo, so people knew I wasn't ashamed anymore.'

'It made me feel so much better, getting it out there and being completely honest about what was happening to me.'

Ms Winston would pile on make-up to hide her skin condition, known as vitiligo

Yet, she now embraces the disorder and posts pictures with the hashtags #cow and #moo

Ms Winston describes herself as 'beautiful', adding the patches are part of who she is

As a 'vitiligo advocate' she wishes to encourage other sufferers to accept their appearance

Ms Winston says joking about her condition online has helped her to deal with her appearance

Being upfront about her appearance has made Ms Winston feel better about her disorder

'I didn't really think much of it'

Ms Winston developed patches around her eyebrows two months after Deniyla's birth, but dismissed the symptoms as just rash.

Yet, two months later, Ms Winston claims she started to 'change colour,' as the patches spread across her face, arms and legs.

She was referred to a dermatologist after visiting a doctor in January 2007, where she was diagnosed with vitiligo, which causes areas of skin to lose their pigment and become white.

Ms Winston said: 'I didn't really think much of it, at first assuming, like any other skin irritation, it would go away.

'I was given some hydrocortisone cream, containing steroids, but it didn't seem to do any good.'

Ms Winston says she started to 'change color' as the patches spread on her face, arms and legs

She was referred to a dermatologist in 2007 after visiting a doctor (pictured with Braelyn)

Ms Winston initially assumed the symptoms would go away with time (pictured with Derrick)

She was given hydrocortisone cream, but it did not help her symptoms (pictured with Derrick)

With treatment not working, Ms Winston grew ashamed of her looks (pictured with Braelyn)

'Children would snigger at me'

Ms Winston said: 'I became really ashamed of how I looked and started piling make-up on, covering my face and body in foundation, to hide the patches.

'I'd apply a full face of make-up for work; heavy eyeshadow, foundation, bronzer and blusher.

'I must have looked like I was going out partying, rather than going to work as a doctor's nurse.'

Ms Winston's confidence was further shattered by people's reaction to her appearance.

She said: 'Children would snigger at me in the shops and ask their mums what was wrong with me.

'Some of people in the street even asked if it was contagious.'

After the birth of her other children, Braelyn, eight, and Anthony, three, Ms Winston's vitiligo continued to spread, making doctors believe it was triggered by changing hormones.

She wore heavy eyeshadow, foundation, bronzer and blusher to work (with son Anthony)

She says she must have looked like she was going out partying, not to work (with Anthony)

Children would snigger at Ms Winston's looks and ask their mothers what was wrong with her
A baby with the 'worst case of meningitis doctors have seen in 25 years' has had her fourth limb amputated.

Terri Mitchell, the aunt of Kia Gott, 11 months, from Wyke, West Yorkshire, wrote on Facebook this week: 'Kia has had her 4th amputation and is still fighting she's a little sleepy after all her ops.'

Kia's family have also been warned the youngster may lose her sight and hearing, as well as suffering 90 per cent brain damage.

The youngster first became ill two months ago when she developed a rash across her face and body, before being rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung.

Her father Paul Gott, 35, a self-employed window fitter, blames the NHS for Kia's life-threatening condition after it raised the age of meningitis vaccination to 12 months last year. He is campaigning to reverse this rule.

Although still in hospital, Kia is off a ventilator and breathing independently.

Kia Gott has had her fourth limb amputated in the 'worst case of meningitis for 25 years'

Doctors warn the youngster may also lose her sight and hearing (pictured before the illness)

Kia's father Paul Gott (pictured with her mother Vikki) blames the NHS for her illness

BE WISE TO THE SYMPTOMS OF DEADLY MENINGITIS Bacterial meningitis is very serious and can cause death in as little as a few hours. Meningitis vaccines offer excellent protection, but they are not yet available for all forms. Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia include: Fever and/or vomiting

Severe headache

Limb, joint or muscle pain

Cold hands and feet and or shivering

Pale or mottled skin

Breathing fast or feeling breathless

A rash anywhere on the body

A stiff neck - less common in young children

A dislike of bright lights - less common in young children

Very sleepy, vacant, or difficult to wake

Confused or delirious

Seizures or fits may be seen Source: Meningitis Research Foundation Advertisement

Vaccinations only eligible for those aged 12 months

Mr Gott argues the youngster only contracted the illness due to the NHS' decision to increase the age of meningitis vaccination to 12 months last year as there were so few cases in the UK.

He has since started a petition to lower the vaccination age.

Mr Gott told ITV News: It makes me feel sick that they can just stop something that could save so many lives.

May suffer 90% brain damage

Kia first became ill when she developed a rash across her face and body two months ago.

After her lung collapsed, Kia was rushed to hospital where doctors at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, West Yorkshire, said it is the worst case of Meningitis C septicaemia, a form of the condition, they have seen in 25 years.

The doctors warned Kia's family she may need to have further limbs removed, as well as being at risk of losing her sight and hearing, and suffering 90 per cent brain damage.

In the most recent amputation, surgeons were able to remove part of one of Kia's legs by leaving the limb above the knee intact, Telegraph & Argus reported.

Although still in hospital, Kia is off a ventilator and is breathing independently.

The family has set up a JustGiving fundraising page to raise money for adaptations to their home.

Kia's aunt says she is sleepy but fighting in hospital (before her illness with sister Elsie, four)

Kia developed a rash across her body two months ago (before with her brother Kayden, eight)

Kia's father blames the NHS for not allowing babies under 12 months to be vaccinated

Although still in hospital, Kia is off a ventilator and is managing to breathe independently

How was the illness caused?

The NHS stopped giving the MenC vaccine to 12-week-old babies in July 2016 due to there being so few cases of the disease in infants and young children in the UK.

Babaies still receive the vaccination for MenB, protecting against meningococcal group B bacteria, which are responsible for more than 90 per cent of such infections in children at 8 weeks, 16 weeks and one year old.

Meningitis C septicaemia is caused by bacteria that lives in the back of throats of one in 10 people; normally doing no harm.

Yet, if it enters the blood system, the bacteria can trigger a potentially life-threatening infection.

The symptoms of bacterial meningitis in young children, which can kill in hours, include fever, vomiting, headaches and joint or muscle pain.

Parents are also advised to look out for cold hands, shivering, pale or mottled skin, a rash anywhere on the body, and a child who is sleepy, vacant or delirious.
The deadly plague epidemic in Madagascar that is at 'crisis' point will trigger an outbreak of polio, a researcher warns.

Dr Derek Gatherer from Lancaster University fears aid workers will so focused on the 'medieval disease' they will forget nationwide efforts to prevent polio cases.

He told MailOnline: It could derail the polio vaccine campaign, which would be a setback for eradication.

'If [the] Madagascan health service is bursting at its seam coping with plague, then getting the polio vaccine programme running to plan will be something of a challenge.

At least 171 people have died in the country off the coast of Africa's 'worst outbreak in 50 years' and 2,119 have been infected, World Health Organization figures show.

International aid workers are desperately battling to contain the 'crisis', which has prompted 10 nearby African countries to be placed on high alert by the WHO.

Nationwide polio campaigns have been in place in recent years to immunise millions of children aged up to five years old against the paralysing condition.

More than 2,000 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as 10 nearby nations have been placed on high alert

Professor Allen Cheng, an infectious disease expert at Monash University, warned of the dangers of the plague and said this year's outbreak has been 'unusual' - because it is airborne.

He wrote in a piece for The Conversation: 'Its not possible to eradicate plague, as it is widespread in wildlife rodents outside the sphere of human influence.'

Plague, caused by the Yersina pestis bacteria, killed hundreds of millions of people in three devastating outbreaks, including the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century.

It is easily treated with antibiotics in the current climate - however, experts are still concerned it will cause eternal havoc because it is constantly mutating.

Kyle Harper, a professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma, said biological evolution is 'cunning and dangerous'.

Professor Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire, told Project Syndicate: 'There still is no vaccine; while antibiotics are effective if administered early, the threat of antimicrobial resistance is real.

'That may be the deepest lesson from the long history of this scourge. Biological evolution is cunning and dangerous.

'Small mutations can alter a pathogens virulence or its efficiency of transmission, and evolution is relentless.

'We may have the upper hand over plague today, despite the headlines in East Africa.

'But our long history with the disease demonstrates that our control over it is tenuous, and likely to be transient  and that threats to public health anywhere are threats to public health everywhere.'

Two thirds of cases in Madagascar have been caused by pneumonic plague, which can be spread through coughing, sneezing or spitting and kill within 24 hours.

It is strikingly different to the bubonic form, responsible for the 'Black Death' in the 14th century, which rocks the country each year and infects around 600 people.

Others worry it will eventually hit the US, Europe and Britain, leaving millions more vulnerable due to how quick it can spread through populations.

And with the plague season expected to run until April, scientists believe there will be another spike of cases in the coming months.

Scores of doctors and nurses have already been struck down with the disease, and there are growing fears hospitals will be unable to cope if it continues its rampage.

But local officials are adamant the outbreak is slowing down as the number of new cases is on the decline.

Scientists are growing increasingly concerned this year's outbreak has reached 'crisis' point

HOW THE PLAGUE HAS ESCALATED DATE OF REPORT October 4 October 9 October 12 October 17 October 20 October 26 October 31 November 6 November 9 November 14 INFECTED/DEAD 194/30 387/45 684/57 849/67 1,297/102 1,309/93 1,801/127 1,947/143 2,034/165 2,119/171 Advertisement

Malawi was added to the growing list of nations placed urged to brace for a potential outbreak last weekend, becoming the tenth.

South Africa, Seychelles, La Reunion, Tanzania, Mauritius, Comoros, Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia have already been told to prepare.

Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the world-renowned University of East Anglia, was the first expert to predict the plague could travel across the sea.

He previously told MailOnline: 'The big anxiety is it could spread to mainland Africa, it's not probable, but certainly possible, that might then be difficult to control.

'If we don't carry on doing stuff here, at one point something will happen and it will get out of our control and cause huge devastation all around the world.'

Adding to the fears, he has previously warned there is a risk the disease could spread 'globally'.

Officials in Madagascar have warned residents not to exhume bodies of dead loved ones and dance with them because the bizarre ritual can cause outbreaks of plague

International agencies have so far sent more than one million doses of antibiotics to Madagascar. Nearly 20,000 respiratory masks have also been donated

However, he was adamant that it would be easy for an economically developed country to contain the treatable disease in its current form.

Professor Hunter's concerns echoed that of dozens of leading scientists, many of whom have predicted the 'truly unprecedented' outbreak will continue to spiral.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, an international health scientist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, described it as the worst outbreak in 50 years.

And Professor Johnjoe McFadden, a molecular geneticist at Surrey University, said that the plague is 'scary' and is predominantly a 'disease of the poor'.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline two weeks ago, he also said: 'It's a crisis at the moment and we don't know how bad it's going to get.'

Professor McFadden added: 'It's a terrible disease. It's broadly caused more deaths of humans than anything else, it's a very deadly pathogen.

'It is a disease of poverty where humans are being forced to live very close to rats and usually means poor sewage and poor living conditions.

Schools and universities have been shut in a desperate attempt to contain the respiratory disease, with children known to come into contact with each other more than adults, and the buildings have been sprayed to eradicate any fleas that may carry the plague

HOW DID THIS YEAR'S OUTBREAK BEGIN? Health officials are unsure how this year's outbreak began. However, some believe it could be caused by the bubonic plague, which is endemic in the remote highlands of Madagascar. If left untreated, it can lead to the pneumonic form, which is responsible for two thirds of the cases recorded so far in this year's outbreak. Rats carry the Yersinia pestis bacteria that causes the plague, which is then passed onto their fleas. Forest fires drive rats towards rural communities, which means residents are at risk of being bitten and infected. Local media reports suggest there has been an increase in the number of blazes in the woodlands. Without antibiotics, the bubonic strain can spread to the lungs - where it becomes the more virulent pneumonic form. Pneumonic, which can kill within 24 hours, can then be passed on through coughing, sneezing or spitting. However, it can also be treated with antibiotics if caught in time. Madagascar sees regular outbreaks of plague, which tend to start in September, with around 600 cases being reported each year on the island. However, this year's outbreak has seen it reach the Indian Ocean island's two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina. Experts warn the disease spreads quicker in heavily populated areas. Advertisement

In Madagascar, a sacred ritual sees families exhume the remains of dead relatives, rewrap them in fresh cloth and dance with the corpses

'A TICKING TIME BOMB WAITING TO DECIMATE THE WORLD' Credible experts have warned that there is no threat to the UK, however, some have warned the plague outbreak will reach the UK. Richard Conroy, founder of Sick Holiday, has sent a chilling warning to UK authorities - saying it's 'only a matter of time' before the disease arrives on British soil. Mr Conroy warned it is inevitable due to the vast movement of people across the globe its inevitable that plague will continue its march. He told MailOnline: 'I believe that it's 100 per cent likely that plague will arrive in the UK once more - it's just a question of 'when', not 'if'. 'And it's not an exaggeration to say that this is a real threat - a ticking time bomb that's waiting to decimate the world. 'With the current outbreak still remaining treatable with antibiotics, however, the current risk is low.' Advertisement

'That's the root cause of why it's still a problem in the world. If we got rid of rats living close enough to mankind then we wouldn't have the disease.'

Professor McFadden warned in countries such as Madagascar 'people often need to walk more than a day to receive proper medical treatment'.

He added: 'Fortunately in plague, it has not developed much antibiotic resistance. If that kicks in, the plague will be far, far scarier.

'If you throw more and more antibiotics at patients, antibiotic resistance is more less inevitable.'

Commenting on previous WHO figures, Professor Robin May, an infectious diseases expert at Birmingham University, told MailOnline the outbreak was 'concerning definitely'.

Dr Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster Universitys biomedical and life-sciences department, told MailOnline the country would struggle to cope if cases continue to spiral.

He said: If it wasnt for the international aid coming in things, would definitely be much worse for them [Madagascar].

Amid concerns the plague had reached crisis point two weeks ago, the World Bank decided to release an extra $5 million (3.8m) to control the rocketing amount of cases.

The money will allow for the deployment of personnel to battle the outbreak in the affected regions, the disinfection of buildings and fuel for ambulances.

WILL IT TRAVEL ON PLANES AND BOATS? Fears have been raised that the plague epidemic which has quickly blighted Madagascar could spread through air travel and sea trade. However, experts stress the risk of this is low because of the screening protocols that have been implemented to curb the outbreak. But, some are concerned frequent flights and ferries between the island and the mainland of Africa could cause the disease to spread. Dr Ashok Chopra, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas, said the crisis in Madagascar had yet to peak. He told The Sun: If they are travelling shorter distances and they're still in the incubation period, and they have the pneumonic (form) then they could spread it to other places. 'We don't want to have a situation where the disease spreads so fast it sort of gets out of control.' Advertisement

The latest World Health Organization figures come days after aid workers on the ground revealed that police are having to seize the corpses of plague victims.

Charlotte Ndiaye, of the WHO, described the situation as being 'terrible', with many traditional families unwilling to part with their loved ones.

Hundreds of families are confused about what they should do with the dead bodies, Ms Ndiaye told South African's Mail & Guardian newspaper.

If officials suspect someone to have died from pneumonic plague, an officer armed with chemicals will be disposed to kill any bacteria on the corpse.

They are then placed in a sealed body bag and placed in a common grave - but the practice goes against the traditions of the Malagasy culture.

In the culture, there is an annual celebration to honour the dead - and aid workers previously warned this would fuel an increase in cases.

All Saints Day, otherwise known as the 'Day of the Dead', is a public holiday which takes place on November 1 each year. Crowds often gather at local cemeteries.

WHY DID THE 'GODZILA' EL NINO TRIGGER THE WORST PLAGUE IN 50 YEARS? Experts also believe last year's natural phenomenon El Nino - dubbed 'Godzilla', triggered an increase in rat populations in rural areas, sparking the beginning of the epidemic which has so far infected at least 1,300 people. Forest fires have also driven the rats and their plague-carrying fleas towards areas inhabited by humans, local reports state as a reason behind the surge in cases recorded this year. But Professor Matthew Bayliss, from Liverpool University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, suggested floods and heavy rains  triggered by Cyclone Enawo, may also be to blame. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he warned the particularly aggressive El Nino of 2016 may be behind the aggressive start of this year's outbreak, which has seen it hit two heavily populated cities for the first time, including the capital Antananarivo. '2016 was the strongest El Nino on record, and was nicknamed by some 'Godzilla',' he said. Some have suggested the growing burden of climate change was to blame. 'It is a change to the movements of water in the Pacific Ocean which then has an effect on climate in many parts of the world, including east and southern Africa. 'Our own research suggests that El Nino played a role of the Zika outbreak, but it is also possible that the conditions have facilitated this large scale plague outbreak.' Experts believe the natural phenomenon dubbed 'Godzilla' triggered an increase in rat populations in rural areas of Madagascar, sparking the beginning of the epidemic Professor Bayliss, alongside colleagues including climatologist Dr Cyril Caminade, were behind a 2014 study that found outbreaks of plague in Madagascar are linked to the naturally occurring climate event in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they found large outbreaks tend to coincide with the fluctuation of air pressure and sea surface temperature, partly driven by El Nino. It was based on 48 years worth of data. They were also behind another study, released in the same journal in December last year, which found El Nino fuelled the Zika outbreak in South America. It went on to strike more than 70 countries and caused a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads. What is El Nino? El Nino, along with its little sister La Nina, are part of a recurring shift in climate that occurs as warm water shifts from one side of the Pacific to the other. It is caused by a shift in the distribution of warm water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator. Usually the wind blows strongly from east to west, due to the rotation of the Earth, causing water to pile up in the western part of the Pacific. This pulls up colder water from the deep ocean in the eastern Pacific. However, in an El Nino, the winds pushing the water get weaker and cause the warmer water to shift back towards the east. This causes the eastern Pacific to get warmer. But as the ocean temperature is linked to the wind currents, this causes the winds to grow weaker still and so the ocean grows warmer, meaning the El Nino grows. This change in air and ocean currents around the equator can have a major impact on the weather patterns around the globe by creating pressure anomalies in the atmosphere. Advertisement

'In that type of situation, it may be easy to forget about respiratory etiquettes,' Panu Saaristo, the International Federation of Red Cross' team leader for health in Madagascar, previously told MailOnline.

Concerned health officials have also warned an ancient ritual, called Famadihana, where relatives dig up the corpses of their loved ones, may be fueling the spread.

To limit the danger of Famadihana, rules enforced at the beginning of the outbreak dictate plague victims cannot be buried in a tomb that can be reopened.

Instead, their remains must be held in an anonymous mausoleum. But the local media has reported several cases of bodies being exhumed covertly.

Despite the serious risks publicised by the authorities, few in Madagascar question the turning ceremonies and dismiss the advice.

People in Madagascar believe the ritual honours their dead relatives, who can be 'turned' every five, seven or nine years

Willy Randriamarotia, the Madagascan health ministry's chief of staff, said: 'If a person dies of pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for a Famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body.'

Experts have long observed that plague season coincides with the period when Famadihana ceremonies are held from July to October.

Last week MailOnline revealed the 'Godzilla' El Nino of 2016 has also been blamed for the severity of this year's outbreak by causing freak weather conditions.

Plague season hits Madagascar each year, and experts warn there is still six months to run  despite already seeing more than triple the amount of cases than expected.

Usually the country sees cases of bubonic plague, which is transmitted by rat flea bites and was responsible for the 100 million fatalities from the 'Black Death' in the 14th century.

If left untreated, the Yersinia pestis bacteria can reach the lungs. This is where it turns pneumonic  described as the 'deadliest and most rapid form of plague'.

Health officials are unsure how this year's outbreak began, but local media report that forest fires have driven rats towards rural communities.

This year's worrying outbreak has seen it reach the Indian Ocean island's two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina.

AID WORKER ON THE GROUND REVEALS SCALE OF THE PROBLEM A senior aid worker on the ground in Madagascar has provided MailOnline with an exclusive snapshot of what is happening on the island. Panu Saaristo, the International Federation of Red Cross' team leader, has revealed thousands of infected adults are unwilling to seek help because they are scared of hospitals. Mr Saaristo said the cultural stigma associated with seeking medical help was masking the true scale of the problem as it means many of those who are infected are failing to be diagnosed. At the same time there is also a growing shortage of life-saving tests which can provide a rapid diagnosis. Speaking about the decline in plague cases reported today by Madagascan health officials, Mr Saaristo said he feared this is not really the case and that the true scale of the problem growing. He told MailOnline: 'No-one is happier than us, if that is indeed the case'. 'Fear of the fact if they get diagnosed with the infection and the long time they would have to spend in hospital' could be a factor in many not seeking treatment because they connect 'hospitals to death', he added. 'People start avoiding healthcare that may lead to a situation where people start dying.' He warned this year's outbreak has been 'truly unprecedented', and is 'not the plague as usual'. Figures show that at least 1,300 cases of the plague have been reported so far in this year's outbreak, with 93 official deaths recorded. However, UN estimates state the toll could be in excess of 120. Mr Saaristo warned more deaths are expected unless the urgent shortage of rapid diagnostic tests is immediately addressed, as the majority of plague cases spreading through Madagascar can prove fatal in just 24 hours. Advertisement

'It's one of Madagascar's most widespread rituals,' historian Mahery Andrianahag told AFP at a festival in Ambohijafy, a village outside the capital Antananarivo

Experts warn the disease spreads quicker in heavily populated areas. It is estimated that around 1.6 million people live in either city.

The first death this year occurred on August 28 when a passenger died in a public taxi en route to a town on the east coast. Two others who came into contact with the passenger also died.

This year's outbreak is expected to dwarf previous ones as it has struck early, and British aid workers believe it will continue on its rampage.

Olivier Le Guillou, of Action Against Hunger, previously said: 'The epidemic is ahead of us, we have not yet reached the peak.'

The most recent WHO figures dispute claims by Dr Manitra Rakotoarivony, Madagascar's director of health promotion, that the epidemic is on a downward spiral.

He previously told local radio: 'There is an improvement in the fight against the spread of the plague, which means that there are fewer patients in hospitals.'

THE OPENING OF THE RED CROSS' FIRST MAKESHIFT PLAGUE CLINIC Concerned humanitarians have opened a clinic attached to a major hospital in the country's capital in a desperate attempt to contain the plague outbreak. The International Federation of Red Cross has set-up a makeshift treatment clinic at the Andouhatapenaka Hospital in Antananarivo. Twenty beds are available to be used in the clinic, but it is unsure how many patients are currently being treated at the makeshift centre. Aid workers stress it will be able to offer 24/7 treatment to those infected, as officials continue their attempts to clamp down on cases. An international team of doctors are also providing supervision and training on plague treatment Advertisement

The ceremony sees the wrapped remains carried out into the open and carefully placed on a mat where they are rewrapped, or 'turned' in the new shrouds

WHAT IS THE FAMADIHANA RITUAL? The unique custom, originating among communities that live in Madagascar's high plateaux, draws crowds every winter to honour the dead and to honour their mortal wishes. 'It's one of Madagascar's most widespread rituals,' historian Mahery Andrianahag told AFP at a festival in Ambohijafy, a village outside the capital Antananarivo. Relatives invite all their fellow villagers to attend the ceremony and to take part in the procession as well as musical and food festivities, but the wrapping of the body is a purely family affair. The dead may be 'turned' more than once but only every five, seven or nine years, and can be wrapped in several shrouds if different parts of the family or loved ones want to honour them. The customary ritual, rather than a religious rite, is a celebration accompanied by music, dancing and singing, fuelled by alcoholic drinks. As soon as it is over, the mats on which the bodies are laid are pulled up. Many participants store them under their mattresses in the belief it will bring them good luck, harboring bacteria. Advertisement

The WHO, which issues a new report into the outbreak every few days, also remains adamant that cases are on the 'decline in all active areas' across the country.

The plague outbreak in Madagascar tends to begin in September and ends in April. Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization confirmed it would be no different this year.

He said two weeks ago: 'After concerted efforts of the Ministry of Health and partners, we are beginning to see a decline in reported cases but there are still people being admitted to hospital.

'At this time we cannot say with certainty that the epidemic has subsided. We are about three months into the epidemic season, which goes on until April 2018.

'Even if the recent declining trend is confirmed, we cannot rule out the possibility of further spikes in transmission between now and April 2018.'

A WHO official added: 'The risk of the disease spreading is high at national level because it is present in several towns and this is just the start of the outbreak.'

International agencies have so far sent more than one million doses of antibiotics to Madagascar. Nearly 20,000 respiratory masks have also been donated.

However, the WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions. It previously asked for $5.5 million (4.2m) to support the plague response, which has now been issued.

Despite its guidance, Air Seychelles, one of Madagascar's biggest airlines, stopped flying temporarily earlier in the month to try and curb the spread.

Schools and universities were shut in a desperate attempt to contain the respiratory disease, with children known to come into contact with each other more than adults. The buildings have been sprayed to eradicate any fleas that may carry the plague.

Dilys Morgan, head of emerging infections and zoonoses at Public Health England, said: 'The risk to people in UK is very low, but the risk for international travellers to and those working in Madagascar is higher.

'It is important that travellers to Madagascar seek advice before travelling and are aware of the measures they can take to reduce the risk of infection.

'The UK has robust systems in place for assessing illness in persons returning from travel or work overseas.

'Plague is no longer the threat to humans that it was centuries ago, as antibiotics work well if treatment is started early.'

For Madagascans, the famadihana ceremony is an intense celebration accompanied by music, dancing and singing, fuelled by alcoholic drinks
RALF LITTLE V JEREMY HUNT FEUD RECAP Little posted a 42-tweet thread last Monday that included fact checking of the claims and statistics that Hunt presented in his controversial interview on the Andrew Marr show. Here are the points he made: His first claim, backed by Full Fact, was that there were 6,000 fewer nurses working in mental health in 2015, compared to that of 2010 in England. He claimed that there were also 170 fewer fully trained doctors specializing in psychiatry and psychotherapy in 2016, compared to 2010. He also said the training for new psychiatry specialists fell to only 69% of places filled this year after two rounds. Little then condemned Hunt for quoting figures that were unverifiable to further his own political agenda. He finished off his thread by urging Hut to engage in an open conversation on the matter of healthcare with full transparency and real statistics, in the presence of fact checkers and medical professionals. Advertisement

Jeremy Hunt has finally hit back and said he wants to 'get to the bottom' of his Twitter confrontation with Ralf Little after the actor accused the health secretary of lying about his efforts to challenge mental health.

In a series of 26 tweets, Mr Hunt sent the 'funny bloke' actor, 37, best known for his appearance in the Royle Family, links he claims prove he has increased NHS mental health staff in recent years.

Mr Hunt finishes the thread disputing Little's claims he 'knowingly lied' over his self-professed 'biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe' asking the actor, who has yet to reply, for proof.

He also praises any Twitter readers for having the 'endurance and resilience' to read the more than 20 tweets, saying he is not as witty as Little, but he felt compelled to 'put the record straight', before adding he will not be commenting on the issue on social media again.

Last Monday, Little took down Mr Hunt in 42 tweets - after he challenged the actor to a 'double-dare'.

Little accused Hunt of lying on Twitter about claims he masterminded the 'biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe' on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

The 37-year-old actor then sent a public tweet to the Tory: 'If I'm wrong, sue me. I double dare you.' It sparked a week-long war of words.

Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, eventually hit back at the accusation and provided a range of statistics backing his claim up to dismiss Little's scathing remark - and double-dared the actor to retaliate.

Ralf Little (right), 37, accused Jeremy Hunt (left) of lying on Twitter about claims that he masterminded the 'biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe'

Little then responded after carefully fact-checking Hunt's disputed figures because he is 'never one to resist a challenge'.

In a series of 42 tweets, he exposed the truth behind Hunt's figures - and mocked his ability to use unverified statistics to his advantage.

He jokingly wrote under the hashtag 'quadrupleOscarwinner': 'I don't blame you - if no-one kept a record of Oscar winners, I'd be telling everyone I've got four.'

Thousands of Twitter users, including psychologists and mental healthcare workers, praised Little's 'destructive' takedown and issued a range of memes mocking Hunt.

Read Jeremy Hunt's 26 rebuttal tweets for yourself below

Rebuttal: Hunt was determined to 'get to the bottom of this issue' in his 26-tweet rant in response to actor Ralf Little's 42-tweet take down posted last Monday

He wrote: 'Now I know you are a funny bloke and in politics a lot of insults are traded but the question is can you back up what is a very strong claim?'

Hunt added: 'Parity of esteem for mental health became law in 2012, so here are the tables that show the 4,300 increase in staff at mental health trusts since 2013...'

He continued: '...more than 2,000 of which are fully disqualified (e.g. not the reduction of 167 in the fullfact piece you linked)'

His next tweet read: 'And here's how we get the increase in talking therapies staff of over 2000, some of which will overlap with the trust figure because some IAPT services are provided by trusts (although many aren't)...'

Tweet 6: Hunt then linked the data sets that he used to back up his claims made on the Andrew Marr show

Tweet 7: '@ralflittle you pointed out that mental health nurses have gone down. This is correct, even though overall numbers working in mental health have gone up. Why? Because post Mid Staffs we realised...'

He continued: '... there were too many hospital wards with dangerously low staffing so in the last five years have increased hospital nursing staff by almost 13,000. Whilst this has been good for hosps, it has been challenging for MH'

He then wrote: 'So to fill the gap we now have 8,000 MH nurses in training and have this Sept announced an increase in nurse training places overall by 25%'

He conceded a little in tweet 10: 'You are correct that I did misread a briefing and tell the House of Commons that there was a 30,000 increase in mental health staff when I should have said a 30,000 increase in NHS clinical staff including in mental health...'

Hunt then makes a correction: '... so I have corrected the record. But 12,700 more doctors and 10,600 more nurses on our wards since 2010, including 4,300 more MH staff since 2013 isn't a bad thing surely?'

He added: 'But 'more' mental health staff does NOT mean "enough" staff and still too many patients wait too long. That's why we published plans in July for an additional 21,000 posts'

He continues: 'My biggest area of concern is actually children and young people, because half od all conditions become established before the age of 14. So we will shortly be publishing a green paper on children and young people's mental health to address this'

He preemptively answers an imminent question: 'What about the dosh? Extra staff cost money so this is what the data shows last year alone spending on mental health went up by 575m'

He continued: '...with CCGs increasing spend by 6.3% vs an overall increase of 3.7% in their funding - in other words spending up both in absolute terms and as a proportion of NHS spend'

Tweet 16 read: 'This has delivered some notable improvement sin mental health in the last 7 years including the introduction of waiting times standards for psychosis and talking therapies for the first time anywhere in the world (with standards for eating disorders to follow)'

He then boasted: 'The New York Times praised the expansion of talking therapies as "the world's most ambitious effort to treat depression, anxiety and other common mental illnesses"'

He then said: 'We have also seen significant improvements in crisis care including the roll-out of liaison psychiatry to over 90% of A&Es, of which half are 24/7. This may have contributed to a 6% fall in suicide rates'

He continued: 'But there is still MUCH more to do. In fact we are only two years in to a five year plan that will see us treating a million more people by 2020/21 compared to when we started. Here's the plan'

Tweet 20: Hunt then reminds his followers of the Twitter accusations against him by Ralf by retweeting one

Tweet 21 read: 'Perhaps you can see from the facts above why both I and the NHS England Chief Exec DO believe this is the biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe...'

Tweet 22: He then posted another screenshot of Simon Stevens to back up his claim

Tweet 23 circles back to Ralf Little's accusations: 'There may be a European country with bigger expansion plans but I have yet to find it. I am sure I don't get everything right but on the basis of evidence no reasonable person could describe the claim as "knowingly lying"'

He then tries to strike a deal: 'So let's do a deal: you provide me with evidence that I was - as you claim - deliberately seeking to mislead the public about mental health in my Marr interview & I will happily meet you, factcheckers and all'

Hunt tries to end the thread with a joke: 'Frankly anyone who has got this far in the thread deserves a medal for endurance and resilience not least because I am nothing like as witty as @ralflittle'

He promised at this would be his final tweet on the issue: '... I hope you understand that in the rough and tumble of Twitter sometimes we have to put the record straight! I therefore apologis for this interminable long threat and promise this will be my final tweet on the issue'

HUNT CAUGHT OUT... Hunt admitted inflating an increase in mental health workers by 43 times the actual figure during a Commons debate last month. He misled MPs by claiming there were 30,000 more mental health workers than when the Conservatives won power from Labour in 2010. However, Hunt in fact was referencing the increase in overall clinical NHS staff - Only 692 more people are working in mental health. This is just a 0.82 per cent increase from when the Tory-led Coalition was elected. The rise has been down to a large spike in the number of psychotherapists, despite there being 5,000 fewer mental health nurses than seven years ago. His claim came after fellow Tory MP Stephen McPartland asked issue during Heath Questions what steps had been taken to increase the UK's mental health workforce. Mr Hunt replied: 'Our mental health workforce has increased by 30,000 since 2010, and another 21,000 posts are planned.' But Channel 4 FactCheck spotted the error and prompted an admission from the Department of Health. A department spokesperson said at the time: 'This was an error and we will be correcting Hansard accordingly.' Advertisement

The heated exchange had been building up for some time, following Hunt's House of Commons debate where he used skewed figures.

He then appeared on the Marr Show at the end of last month, where he made the controversial claim about helping the NHS to expand its mental health provision.

Little tweeted him almost immediately after his appearance on the show, for which he was ridiculed across social media.

However, it took 10 days for Hunt to respond to Little's initial tweet. The actor then fired off his series of messages a few days later.

Hunt promised earlier this year to employ 21,000 more people in mental health by 2021 - but experts warn much more is needed.

He said the aim was to treat an extra one million people over the next four years under one of the biggest boosts to mental care in Europe.

Hunt promised mental and physical health services will be integrated as part of a 1.3 billion drive to provide services seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Campaigners have long argued mental health in the UK is woefully underfunded  and warn psychological conditions are not treated as seriously as physical ones.

And inspectors warned in July that thousands of mental health patients are being treated in unsafe hospital units.

Two in five mental health services inspected in the last three years have not met safety requirements, the Care Quality Commission said.

FUNDING PROBLEMS IN THE NHS Mental health care has been identified as a major priority by Theresa May, who called shortfalls in services a 'burning injustice'. Hunt recently said mental health needed to be made a priority amid concerns it had been overlooked due to stigma. Earlier this year, BBC Panorama revealed mental health trusts in England have had their funding cut by 150 million over the past four years. In May, the Government announced it would create 21,000 mental health posts in the NHS by 2021 as part of a 1.3 billion drive. It was aimed to help treat an extra one million people. But critics immediately questioned the pledge and doubted that enough people could be trained in such a short space of time. Others said it would do little to replace the 6,000 mental health nursing posts lost since 2010. Sir Simon Wessely, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said such staff will have to be 'cheap and not that well trained'. He warned they would struggle to manage the 'difficult stuff'. Advertisement

Thousands of Twitter users, including psychologists and mental healthcare workers, praised Little's 'destructive' takedown and issued a range of memes mocking Hunt

Little tweeted: 'This is what it looks like when a man goes on TV and knowingly lies to the public. If I'm wrong @jeremy_hunt, sue me. I double dare you'

Hunt responded: '4,300 more employed by mental health trusts, 2,700 more employed in talking therapies, 1,400 more people treated every day since 2010. Isn't it ur job 2 find a major European country that's done better and faster rather than make assertions you can't support? I double dare you [sic]'
Farmers in the US are increasingly suffering from depression and anxiety, leaving them at risk of suicide as crop prices stagnate.

Rural growers, fishers and forestry professionals were the most likely occupational groups to commit suicide in 2012, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prices for the top crops produced in the US  including corn, soybeans and wheat  have been in stagnant at best for the last couple of years, and have gradually declined since mid-2012.

Research has shown a close connection between the measurements of farmers mental health and the prices of the crops they farm. A recent Minnesota survey found that those who worked closely with farmers had observed increasing signs of issues like anxiety and depression in them.

As crop prices fall, farmers in the US are increasingly depressed, anxious and prone to suicide (file image)

Top agriculture-producing states, including Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, have begun to introduce programs to try to support the mental health of their farmers in light of recent trends.

Earlier this year, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture surveyed professionals the frequently interact with farmers  such a s bankers and veterinarians - in an attempt to gauge levels of depression and anxiety among farmers.

The survey respondents overwhelmingly agreed about the financial stresses of the farmers they worked with, with 80 percent saying farmers were increasingly under stress. A majority also reported observing increases in anxiety and concerns over what would happen to their farms when they wanted to retire, or when they passed away.

'The occupation itself is very stressful, so stress on the farm is so natural that a lot of farmers don't even realize that they are stressed,' says Dr Ted Matthews, rural mental health specialist who advises the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

As part of its effort to respond to these concerns, the states Department of Agriculture introduced a 24 hour helpline to provide some support to struggling farmers.

The phenomenon is hardly unique to Minnesota. In May, the University of Iowa published the findings of its recent study on the rates of suicide and homicide among farmers in the US.

The researchers found that 230 farmers took their own lives between 1992 and 2010. The researchers noted that these recent suicide rates dont quite rival the 1980s, but some of the root causes may be similar.

Dr Matthews speculates that the suicide rates among farmers are even higher than what has been documented.

'We really don't know the number of suicides or attempted suicides because, for one, some farm accidents are suicides, because if they have insurance, and feel like they have no out, they commit suicide [in a way such that] they can get insurance money' for their families, he says.

Some consider the 1980s a worse economic crisis for farmers than the Great Depression was. During that decade, the value of farm land fell, and foreclosures swept rural America.

Values of corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops have wavered up and down since, but following the last price peak in 2012, anxious comparisons to the 1980s have re-emerged.

Researchers speculate that, in addition to financial concerns the relative physical isolation and cultural stoicism of American farmers contribute to their vulnerability to mental health concerns and suicide.

'In general, farmers are isolated, meaning that they don't have access to all these facilities that people that live in a city do,' says Dr Matthews.

Instead, farmers tend to suffer in silence as their worlds change around them, but won't leave farm life. 'They're born into this occupation, this belief system that that's all they do because that's all they've ever done,' Dr Matthews says.

In recent years, research has also linked pesticides commonly used by farmers to depression.

But they're not going to call, and if they don't call, people will say there's not a need Dr Ted Matthews, on the problem of mental health hotlines for farmers

A large 2014 study from the National Institutes of Health and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that exposure to several classes of pesticides increased the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression by as much 90 percent, in some cases.

Hotlines like Minnesotas have been introduced in Wisconsin and Nebraska as well. The US Health Resources and Services Administration helps to fund Agrisafe and the Rural Health Information (RHI) Hub, both of which offer some resources for mental health.

But the RHI Hub's hotlines, which had operated in seven states, no longer exist. According to RHI's site, they were not financially sustainable.

Dr Matthews is skeptical that hotlines will do much for farmers any way.

'We have to find ways to approach them,' he says. 'What tends to happen is that when ideas [to support farmers] are found, they get enmeshed in a bigger concept, and the value gets lost as it turns into a program where if you call, they will help,' he says.

'But they're not going to call, and if they don't call, people will say there's not a need.'

There is still no federal mental health program directed to farmers in particular.
Christmas shoppers who use the car have been warned to be 'very wary' about using private car parks during the festive period thanks to the snowballing number of fines in recent years.

Firms that operate the sites are gearing up for a 'Christmas bonanza' as they are handing out almost 13 times more tickets than a decade ago, according to the RAC Foundation.

Analysis by the motoring research charity found that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sold 1.4million vehicle-keeper records to private parking companies in the second quarter of the current financial year.

This compares with around 112,000 during the same period in 2007/08.

Warning: The RAC Foundation says that motorists should take care when parking the car this Christmas - or face huge parking fines

The information is used to chase vehicle owners for alleged infringements in private car parks, sending penalty charges often worth up to 100.

ParkingEye Ltd obtained the largest amount of data in the most recent quarter at 467,000 records  or roughly one in three.

These latest figures suggest quarter three will be a 'bumper period' for parking firms as it includes the run up to Christmas and the pre-New Year sales, the RAC Foundation warned.

It estimated that the total number of records sold by the DVLA could exceed six million in 2017/18, up from 4.7million during the previous 12 months.

The DVLA charges private firms 2.50 per record, suggesting the agency could earn more than 15million from the process during the current financial year.

Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation director, said: 'We all like to think we will bag a bargain at this time of year, but our festive shopping could come at a very high price.

'Private parking firms are already issuing tickets at an unprecedented rate and if history is anything to go by they will be breaking yet more records in the weeks ahead.

'Drivers should be very wary of overstaying their welcome in private car parks by even a matter of moments, and they should not give these firms any other reason to come after them with demands for eye-watering sums which will spoil their Christmas.

'Private parking companies do not allow a grace period at the end of your parking time - even at Christmas.'

Responding to the analysis, a ParkingEye spokesperson said: 'ParkingEye purchased the largest amount of records from the DVLA in the second quarter of 2017/18 because it operates the largest number of car parks across the country on behalf of its clients.'

Mr Gooding welcomed efforts by a Conservative MP to crack down on the industry.

Sir Greg Knight's private members' Bill - which would lead to the introduction of a code of conduct for private car park operators - is expected to be debated in the Commons early next year.

In 2015, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to motorists battling high parking fines by rejecting a case brought by an Essex chip shop owner.

Barry Beavis, of Billericay, fought a long-running legal battle with London-firm ParkingEye after he was handed an 85 parking fine for overstaying his allotted two hours at a Chelmsford retail park.

Mr Beavis launched legal action against the private car park's operators insisting the fine was disproportionate and excessive.

Had the 47-year-old won the case, it could have paved the way for other motorists to battle high charges and fines.
The stand-off between investors and the board of the London Stock Exchange is set to escalate as directors prepare to publish evidence they say shows outgoing boss Xavier Rolet was overly domineering.

Board members are reportedly considering whether to fend off a shareholder revolt over his surprise departure with emails revealing a dismissive, overbearing manner.

A five-man committee is preparing a dossier outlining his run-ins with executives and directors over the past two years to quash rumours that the chief executive was forced out unfairly.

Departing: LSE directors prepare to publish evidence they say shows outgoing boss Xavier Rolet was overly domineering

Rolet announced he would be stepping down last month. At the time, both sides said it was an amicable decision and Rolet would leave by the end of 2018.

But senior investors called on the board to explain why he was off, given his assurance months earlier that he would be staying.

One top-ten shareholder claimed Rolet, 58, had said his retirement was postponed and he was back in the seat at an investor meeting in June  four months before he decided to quit.

Another shareholder at the open day said Rolet had reiterated his commitment to the LSE six weeks after being put forward for re-election as chief executive  garnering 99.5 per cent of investor support.

Sir Chris Hohn, founder of The Childrens Investment Fund, sent an explosive letter to LSE chairman Donald Brydon demanding that he explain why Rolet was leaving  and even suggested Brydon had forced him out.

Sir Chris Hohn sent an explosive letter to LSE chairman Donald Brydon demanding that he explain why Rolet was leaving

Sir Chris used his 5 per cent holding in the LSE to force it to call a shareholder meeting before Christmas to vote on whether Brydon himself should be sacked and Rolet reinstalled.

But LSE directors are fighting back, with one person close to the board saying there had been an accumulation of incidents in which Rolet clashed with them.

The board committee, led by Paul Heiden, a senior non-executive director, is considering publishing emails sent by Rolet. To maintain his independence, Brydon is not on the committee.

One associate said Rolet was a passionate, opinionated person, adding: If he differs from you he will end up doing what he wants.

A source close to the LSE said: The facts, not the opinions around this issue, will be set out.

Rolet has run the LSE for more than eight years, and is credited with changing it from an 800million business to one worth 14billion.

But his star fell after his attempt to sell the LSE to Deutsche Borse was blocked by the EU in March.
Rocketing demand for artisan spirits has boosted independent craft gin and vodka

Jumping juniper

Rocketing demand for artisan spirits has boosted independent craft gin and vodka. Sales of specialist versions have more than doubled in five years. Turnover has hit 350million, up 123 per cent from 157million in 2012, Funding Options says.

Capital craft

Online craft marketplace Etsy is expanding its London office, basing most of its international operations in the UK to streamline its global business. Around 150,000 British sellers were based on the platform at the end of 2016.

Boost economy

Some 58 per cent of firms want Chancellor Philip Hammond to invest in physical and digital infrastructure to strengthen the economy as it steers its way through Brexit negotiations, a poll by accountants BDO LLP reveals.

Xmas caution

Christmas spending is likely to fall 0.1 per cent this year as lower wages and tepid growth hit consumer confidence. Spending in November and December is set to slump, Visas consumer spending index shows, while online buying is expected to dominate sales.

Dividends up

Global dividends grew at their fastest rate in more than three years thanks to generous special dividends, according to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index. More than 248billion was paid out in the third quarter, up 14.5 per cent.

Roll call

Loo roll maker Accrol wants 18million from investors to tackle a cash crisis. It suspended shares last month after warning that earnings would be lower than forecast.
Edward Klein is the former editor in chief of the New York Times Magazine and the author of numerous bestsellers including his fourth book on the Clintons, Guilty as Sin, in 2016. His latest book is All Out War: The Plot to Destroy Trump was released on October 30, 2017.

Bill Clinton is facing explosive new charges of sexual assault from four women, according to highly placed Democratic Party sources and an official who served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations.

The current accusations against the 71-year-old former president  whose past is littered with charges of sexual misconduct  stem from the period after he left the White House in 2001, say the sources.

Attorneys representing the women, who are coordinating their efforts, have notified Clinton they are preparing to file four separate lawsuits against him.

As part of the ongoing negotiations, the attorneys for the women are asking for substantial payouts in return for their clients' silence.

A member of Clinton's legal team has confirmed the existence of the new allegations.

President Clinton, here with residents at the William Rivera Betancourt Vocational School which was turned into an emergency shelter in Canovanas, Puerto Rico, is facing accusations of sexual assault from four unidentified women, highly placed Democratic Party sources told author Ed Klein

The unidentified women were in their late teens at the time of the alleged assaults. Clinton flew around the world on q private jet, which was nicknamed 'Air F**k One' (pictured)

Back in the late 1990s, Clinton paid $850,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee whose case led to Clinton's impeachment in the House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal by the Senate in 1999.

The negotiations in the new lawsuits are said to have reached a critical stage.

If they fail, according to sources in Clinton's inner circle, the four women are said to be ready to air their accusations of sexual assault at a press conference, making Clinton the latest  and most famous  figure in a long list of men from Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey who have recently been accused of sexual assault.

The new allegations refer to incidents that took place more than 10 years ago, in the early 2000s.

Clinton flew around the world with a flock of beautiful young women on a private jet, which was nicknamed 'Air F**k One.'

The four women, who have not yet revealed their identities, were in their late teens and claim they were sexually assaulted by the former president.

The 71-year-old politician has been followed throughout his years in public office with allegations of sexual misconduct, reaching its peak with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Pictured: Clinton with White House intern Lewinsky in 1998

In the late 1990s, Clinton paid $850,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by Paula Jones (left and right), a former Arkansas state employee whose case led to Clinton's impeachment in the House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal by the Senate in 1999

The new charges are likely to revive the debate over why Democrats defended Clinton and why liberals and feminists ignored credible charges of sexual assault against Clinton from Juanita Broaddrick (left) and Kathleen Willey (right)

Contacted for a comment on the women's allegations, a member of Clinton's legal team said: 'Obviously, I'm aware of [the allegations] but can't talk about them.'

The new charges are likely to revive the debate over why Democrats defended Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and why liberals and feminists ignored credible charges of sexual assault against the 42nd president, not only from Paula Jones, but also from Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, and others.

'Bill is distraught at the thought of having to testify and defend himself against sex charges again,' said a Democratic Party official who is familiar with the case.

'He hopes his legal team can somehow stop the women from filing charges and drag him through the mud.'

The source added that Hillary Clinton is furious with her husband for getting entangled in yet another sexual scandal.

Hillary Clinton allegedly offered to hire private detectives to find dirt on the new accusers, but Clinton's legal team advised against it, sources said

'Bill spends a great deal of his time in his penthouse apartment above the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. Hillary occasionally goes to Little Rock, but she refuses to stay in the apartment because she knows that's his love nest,' a source said

She reportedly offered to hire private detectives to dig up dirt on the women, but Bill Clinton's attorneys persuaded her to not interfere.

'In the past Hillary had a team of detectives that managed to silence a number of women in Little Rock who had complaints about Bill's unwanted sexual advances,' said the source.

Klein's latest book, All Out War: The Plot to Destroy Trump, was released on October 30, 2017

'But now Hillary admits there's a different atmosphere in our culture about sexual harassment and it's not possible to intimidate women into silence about charges once they make up their mind to speak up.

'Hillary wants to remain in the public eye as a leader of the resistance to Donald Trump and play a major role in politics for years to come, including maybe even running for president again in 2020,' the source continued.

'She's afraid this latest scandal could destroy the Clinton legacy and torpedo her plans.

'The relationship between Bill and Hillary has been more of a business relationship for a number of years, except when it comes to their daughter and grandchildren.

'They haven't lived as man and wife for a number of years, mostly due to Bill's running around with other women.

'It became obvious years ago that even age wasn't going to make Bill settle down and stop chasing women. Hillary has simply ignored it and lived her separate life.

'Bill spends a great deal of his time in his penthouse apartment above the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.

'Hillary occasionally goes to Little Rock, but she refuses to stay in the apartment because she knows that's his love nest.'
A Pennsylvania man who was seriously burned when his chainsaw exploded has died from his injuries, authorities say.

David Baker, 68, was working at his home in Warrington Township, York County, when the explosion occurred around noon on Thursday, Lehigh County officials say.

He was 'working on the chainsaw' when it exploded, officials say.

David Baker, 68, died at Lehigh Valley Hospital (pictured) from wounds he sustained after his chainsaw exploded

He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital but died from his injuries at around 1.40am the following day, YDR reports.

The county coroner said that 85 percent of Baker's body was covered in full-thickness, or third-degree, burns.

This means that the burns reached through all layers of his skin.

The death has been ruled an accident but remains under investigation.

Authorities have not said what may have caused the explosion.

Baker's body was 85 percent covered in full-thickness burns. Police are investigating what caused the chainsaw (pictured in a stock photo) to explode

No other injuries were reported in the explosion.

It is not clear whether anyone was with Baker at the time of the explosion.
An 'intoxicated' US Marine who was accused of crashing his truck and killing a Japanese man allegedly had a blood-alcohol content that was three times the legal limit.

The victim, who was identified by local reports as Hidemasa Taira, 61, was making a turn when his vehicle was hit by the Marine's truck around 5.30am in Okinawa, Japan, according to Kazuhiko Miyagi of the Okinawa police.

Japanese authorities said the soldier's vehicle was coming from the opposite direction when the crash occurred.

An US Marine is accused of crashing his truck and killing Japanese man, Hidemasa Taira, 61, while over the limit. Pictured is Taira's truck after the crash

Marine, Nicholas James-McLean, 21, was arrested and questioned by police after his two-ton military truck smashed into Taira's mini-truck.

Taira was later confirmed dead at a local hospital. Witness accounts indicate that Taira had the right of way, and James-McLean may have gone through a red light.

Authorities said the Marine was slightly injured in the crash.

Local reports said a breath test indicated that James-McLean had an alcohol level that was three times the legal limit. Japan's legal limit is 0.03 per cent.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry put out a statement saying James-McLean was 'driving under the influence of alcohol' when the collision occurred.

'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, expressed its deep regret over this incident and requested that discipline would be strengthened and that measures would be taken to prevent recurrence,' the statement said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, said a statement issued Sunday evening by Marine Corps Installations Pacific.

The US Marine Corps expressed 'sincere condolences' to Taira's family and promised full cooperation with the investigation.

The incident could fuel opposition to the US military presence on Okinawa, where about 47,000 troops are stationed in the country as part of a joint security treaty. Protesters hold a rally after a US helicopter crash at a farm in October

Lt Gen Lawrence Nicholson, commander of Marine Forces Japan and III Marine Expeditionary Force, said in the statement that they are 'still gathering facts and working with the Japanese authorities who are investigating the accident and its causes'.

The incident could fuel opposition to the US military presence on Okinawa, where about 47,000 troops are stationed in the country as part of a joint security treaty.

But crimes by US personnel have been a frequent irritant in relations.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force's sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman in April last year.

The case intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on Okinawa.

The island accounts for nearly 75 per cent of land allotted for US bases in Japan even though it has a fraction of the country's total area.
Libya will launch an investigation into slave trading in the country after a video emerged appearing to show migrants being sold at auction for as little as $400.

The war-torn nation has long been a major hub for desperate migrants hoping to reach Europe and many have fallen into the hands of traffickers.

In chilling footage of a live auction aired by CNN last week, black men appeared to be presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands.

They were being sold off for as little as $400.

A video emerged appearing to show migrants being sold for as little as $400. The clip sparked protests in Paris, with a march against 'slavery in Libya' last week (pictured)

Now, Libya's internationally recognised government has announced it would probe the allegations.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would launch an investigation.

Metig said he would instruct the formation of a 'commission to investigate these reports in order to apprehend and bring those responsible to justice', the statement added.

The foreign ministry in a statement added: 'If these allegations are confirmed, all implicated persons will be punished.'

The CNN report apparently showing migrants being auctioned off in Libya was shared widely on social media, provoking outrage in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.

The grainy footage shot on a mobile telephone shows a man CNN said was Nigerian and in his 20s being offered up for sale as part of a group of 'big strong boys for farm work'.

Libya has long been a major hub for desperate migrants hoping to reach Europe and many have fallen into the hands of traffickers (file photo)

In the CNN report, a person identified as an auctioneer can be heard saying '800... 900... 1,000... 1,100...' before two men are sold for 1,200 Libyan dinars ($875).

Around 1,000 people took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against slavery in Libya, according to French police. The gathering led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a 'despicable trade... from another era'.

Senegal's government expressed 'outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil' that constituted a 'blight on the conscience of humanity'.

Niger's president Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him 'deeply angry' and urged Libyan authorities and international organisations to do 'everything possible to stop this practice'.

African migrants from nations including Guinea and Senegal but also Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Gambia make the dangerous crossing through the Sahara to Libya with hopes of making it over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

But testimony collected by AFP has revealed a litany of rights abuses at the hands of gangsters, human traffickers and the Libyan security forces, while many end up stuck in the unstable North African nation for years.

More than 8,800 stranded migrants have been returned home this year, according to the International Organization for Migration, which is also compiling evidence of slavery.
Eliahu Pietruszka shuffled his 102-year-old body through the lobby of his retirement home toward a stranger he had never met and collapsed into him in a teary embrace.

He kissed both cheeks of his visitor and in a frail, squeaky voice began blurting out greetings in Russian, a language he hadn't spoken in decades.

Only days earlier, the Holocaust survivor who fled Poland at the beginning of World War II and throught his entire family had perished, learned that his younger brother had also survived, and his brother's son, 66-year-old Alexandre, was flying in from a remote part of Russia to see him.

The emotional meeting was made possible by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial's comprehensive online database of Holocaust victims, a powerful genealogy tool that has reunited hundreds of long-lost relatives.

But given the dwindling number of survivors and their advanced ages, Thursday's event seemed likely to be among the last of its kind.

Israeli Holocaust survivor Eliahu Pietruszka, right, embraces Alexandre Pietruszka as they meet for the first time in Kfar Saba. Pietruszka fled Poland at the beginning of World War II

'It makes me so happy that at least one remnant remains from my brother, and that is his son,' said Pietruszka, tears welling in his eyes. 'After so many years I have been granted the privilege to meet him.'

Pietruszka was 24 when he fled Warsaw in 1939 as World War II erupted, heading to the Soviet Union and leaving behind his parents and twin brothers Volf and Zelig, who were nine years younger.

His parents and Zelig were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and killed in a Nazi death camp, but Volf also managed to escape. The brothers briefly corresponded before Volf was sent by the Russians to a Siberian work camp, where Pietruszka assumed he had died.

'In my heart, I thought he was no longer alive,' Pietruszka said. He married in Russia and, thinking he had no family left, migrated to Israel in 1949 to start a new one.

Then two weeks ago, his grandson, Shakhar Smorodinsky, received an email from a cousin in Canada who was working on her family tree. She said she had uncovered a Yad Vashem page of testimony filled out in 2005 by Volf Pietruszka for his older brother Eliahu, who he thought had died.

Volf, it turned out, had survived and settled in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Ural Mountains. Smorodinsky tracked down an address and reached out to discover that Volf, who had spent his life as a construction worker, had died in 2011 but that Alexandre, his only child, still lived there. After Smorodinsky arranged a brief Skype chat, Alexandre decided to come see the uncle he never knew he had.

Smorodinsky, a 47-year-old professor from Ben-Gurion University in southern Israel, invited The Associated Press to record Thursday evening's reunion at his grandfather's retirement home in central Israel.

Israeli Holocaust survivor Eliahu Pietruszka, center, looks at a picture with Alexandre Pietruszka and family in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba

Upon meeting, the two men clutched each other tightly and chatted in Russian as they examined each other's similar facial features.

'You are a copy of your father,' said a shaking Pietruszka, who has a hearing aid and gets around in a rolling walker. 'I haven't slept in two nights waiting for you.'

Throughout the meeting, Alexandre swallowed hard to hold back tears, repeatedly shaking his head in disbelief.

'It's a miracle. I never thought this would happen,' Alexandre, himself a retired construction worker, kept saying.

It did, thanks to the Yad Vashem database of pages of testimony, whose goal is to gather and commemorate the names of all of the estimated 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide. The Names Recovery Project has been Yad Vashem's flagship mission in recent years. The memorial's very name - Yad Vashem is Hebrew for 'a memorial and a name' - alludes to its central mission of commemorating the dead as individuals, rather than mere numbers like the Nazis did.

It hasn't been an easy task. The project began in 1954, but over the following half century, fewer than 3 million names were collected, mostly because the project was not widely known and many survivors refrained from reopening wounds, or clung to hopes that their relatives might still be alive.

Israeli Holocaust survivor Eliahu Pietruszka, right, speaks with Alexandre Pietruszka as they meet for the first time in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba

The names collected are commemorated in the museum's Hall of Names, a cone-shaped room whose walls are lined with bookshelves containing folders upon folders of testimonies. Still, until 2004, more than half of the allotted folders remained empty.

That year, the database went online and provided immediate easy access to information in English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and German. Thanks to a high-profile campaign, and the efforts of Yad Vashem officials who have gone door-to-door to interview elderly survivors, the number has surged to 4.7 million names.

Another rewarding byproduct has been that of tech-savvy grandchildren using it to research their families, leading to emotional reunions between various degrees of relatives from around the world.

The rate of reunions has trickled significantly in recent years as elderly survivors have passed away, making each one increasingly significant, said Alexander Avram, the director of the database.

'It is not too late to fill out pages of testimony. We need to document each and every victim of the Holocaust,' he said. 'But such a reunion is a very special moment because we are not going to see a lot more of them in the future.'

Debbie Berman, a Yad Vashem official at the reunion, said it was incredibly moving to be there for 'the end of an era.'

'This is one of the last opportunities that we will have to witness something like this. I feel like we are kind of touching a piece of history,' she said.

For Pietruszka, a retired microbiologist and great-grandfather of 10, it was a fulfilling coda to a long, eventful life.

'I am overjoyed,' he said. 'This shows it is never too late. People can always find what they are looking for if they try hard enough. I succeeded.'
Advertisement

Metal peacock feathers, a partly constructed wooden clock and a 'nano man' are just some of the strikingly intricate images entered into the 13th engineering department photo competition at the University of Cambridge.

Sponsored by German engineering firm ZEISS, the annual competition celebrates technological innovation.

The top spot was taken by PhD student Bryn Noel Ubald, who submitted a video showing how fluid flows over a turbine blade.

His clip was part of a study using high-fidelity computational modelling to understand the impact of measurement devices within aircraft engines.

Another entree showed a scanning electron micrograph showing thousands of entangled carbon nanotubes resembling a stickman standing at the edge of a cliff.

The carbon nanotubes forming the nano man's body are 100 times stronger than steel despite being just one sixth as heavy as the metal.

Fran Sergent's entry, ICTP2017 Peacock, showcases metal forming technology by showing how the elite faculty's methods sculpted a bird that began life as an architect's sketch.

Visuals showing liquid crystals, microfibres and multi-cellular spheroids were also featured in the submissions made to this year's competition.

ICTP2017 Peacock by Fran Sergent shows architect David Carmichael's sketch morphing into the final sculpture created in the University of Cambridge's engineering department

Nano-Man by Ravi Chitwan and Wei Tan shows a scanning electron micrograph of countless carbon nanotubes resembling a sculpture of a stickman standing on a cliff edge. The tubes are 100 times stronger than steel.

The Wonders of Turbulence from Multi-Cellular Spheroids by Bryn Noel Ubald shows how a low pressure turbine blade interacts with fluid

Wooden Clock Under Construction by Hugh Hunt was among the entries made to the University of Cambridge's 13th annual engineering department photography competition

Chappel Viaduct, Colne Valley, Essex, by Daniel Brackenbury shows the railway viaduct that carries the Gainsborough Line from Marks Key to Sudbury

Capillary Formation from Multi-Cellular Spheroids by Alex Justin shows two multi-cellular spheroids formed from a large cluster of endothelial cells. The cells coat the interior of blood vessels and the spheroids depicted here are embedded alongside fibroblasts into a 3D collagen hydrogel

Style Transfer on the Engineering Fountain by Fergal Cotter is a stylised image of the university's structure combined with the James Jean painting Adrift

Cooling Crystals by Jennifer Jones shows a cell containing a liquid crystal placed between crossed polarisers. When the picture was taken the crystal was cooling from its isotropic phase

This picture of capillary formation from multi-cellular spheroids by DTG Galhena shows an image taken by a scanning electron microscope of crystaline vein graphite flakes - also known as Sri Lankan Graphite - spread over a conductive carbon tape

Rainbow Glass by Jennifer Jones shows a custom-made glass cell holding a liquid crystal. The crystal's thickness changes across the cell, creating different colours in different regions

Gelatin Micro-fibre Initiation by Elisabeth Gill shows the microscope image of electrospun gelatin fibres on a 3D printed PLA support. The PLA is opaque to the naked eye and sparkles under normal lighting, but under the microscope the fibres in this samples are too large and merged for the intended mimicking of the fibre architecture of the extracellular matrix of cells

A Friendly Smile by Livia Souza shows the empty core and the polymeric shell of microcapsules produced with microfluidics for capsule-based self-healing of cementitious materials
Police say three people, among them two inmates, used a nine-year-old girl to smuggle drugs into a Vermont prison in the fall.

Vermont State Police say one of three people who have been charged showed the girl how to slip drugs enclosed in cellophane wrap to an inmate during visitation on September 10 at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport.

Newport resident Sarah Watson, 34, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges including drug possession and delinquency of a minor.

Smuggling scheme: Vermont prison inmate Chad Paquette (left), 38, and Sarah Watson, 34 (right) have pleaded guilty to drug possession in a smuggling plot involving a young girl

Accused mastermind: Officials believe Jason Watson had orchestrated the failed scheme in which a nine-year-old girl slipped a baggie containing an opioid to Paquette

Sarah Watson and the girl were visiting Paquette at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport (pictured) when the child passed the drug to the inmate

Inmate Chad Paquette, 38, was the recipient of the contraband, and he also pleaded guilty to drug possession.

A state police affidavit, obtained by The Caledonian Record, indicates Paquette swallowed a baggie that was later recovered. It contained strips of an opioid, Buprenorphine.

Officials say Paquette's fellow inmate Jason Watson, 28, was the one who orchestrated the deal involving the child. He has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to deliver and sell a regulated drug and to contributing to the delinquency of a minor in this case.

Jason Watson is currently serving time for aggravated domestic assault, drug possession and violating probation.

Paquette's criminal record includes convictions for heroin possession, burglary, and felony gross negligent operation. In late July, he was found guilty of escape.

According to a state police affidavit, Sarah Watson and the nine-year-old girl went to the Newport prison on September 10 to visit with Paquette.

Jason Watson, who is married to Sarah (pictured together), has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to deliver and sell a regulated drug and to contributing to the delinquency of a minor

Evidence: Jason Watson allegedly had arranged the smuggling by calling Sarah Watson and instructing her to do practice runs with the nine-year-old drug mule (not pictured)

Surveillance cameras inside the correctional facility captured the moment the nine-year-old took an item from around her waist, glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then passed the item to Paquette under the table, according to the affidavit.

A corrections monitor was said to have observed the inmate lowering his head, shielding his face with his arms and slipping the item into his mouth, according to the document.

Corrections officers then locked Paquette in a cell where he had to defecate in a bucket fitted with a bio bag to collect evidence.

Locked up: Watson is currently serving time for aggravated domestic assault, drug possession and violating probation

Three days after the visit, Paquette 'produced a fecal sample that contained a small cellophane bundle' that contained six strips of Buprenorphine, the affidavit stated.

When a prison official asked the inmate why he chose to use a child to smuggle the opioid, Paquette was quoted as saying: 'It was a bad decision...I shouldnt have done it.'

According to the document, Jason Watson had arranged the smuggling by calling Sarah Watson and instructing her to make the necessary preparations and do practice runs with the nine-year-old girl.

Social media posts suggest that Jason and Sarah Watson are married and have two children together, but it is unclear if the girl tasked with sneaking the drugs into the prison was their daughter.

When questioned by the authorities, Mrs Watson admitted to going along with the plan. She said the child agreed to secretly bring the opioid into the prison.

The nine-year-old later corroborated the story in an interview with a Department of Children and Families investigator.

On Tuesday, a judge sentenced Sarah Watson to six to 12 months in prison, all of which were suspended, and a year of probation. As part of her plea deal, the woman will be required to undergo drug screenings and enter a treatment program.
Protesters marched Sunday in Washington in solidarity with hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, criticizing the lackluster US response to the storm and calling for reform.

Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in September, ravaging the US territory's infrastructure. Some 50 per cent of its population of 3.4 million people still lacks electricity more than two months later.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of hit hip-hop musical 'Hamilton,' alongside actress Rita Moreno rallied the crowd. Jose Andres, an award-winning chef who led efforts to feed hungry Puerto Ricans after the storm, also attended the march.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda (C) and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr. (R), attend a Unity for Puerto Rico march on Capitol Hill Sunday in Washington, DC

Actress Rita Moreno and Lin-Manuel Miranda (R) speak at a Unity for Puerto Rico rally at the Lincoln Memorial during Sunday's protest

Thousands attended the Unity for Puerto Rico rally, seen here at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday in Washington, DC

Miranda rallied the crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: 'So Puerto Rico, you are not forgotten. The compassion of the American people is real and it is still here.'

'If the government would meet us where we already are, that would be a really incredible thing. We could keep raising money, but it's not going to do any good if the government doesn't help us,' he added.

Demonstrators gathered at the US Capitol with Puerto Rican flags and signs that read 'Fight for Puerto Rico,' then marched toward the Lincoln Memorial at the other end of the National Mall.

'We have men and women in Puerto Rico who are suffering. We need to help our fellow Americans' said Janette Messina, a 45-year-old protester from New York.

Messina added 'We need to abolish the Jones Act, we need to remove the debt, we need to make Puerto Rico great again.'

The Jones Act is a 1920 law restricts shipments between US ports to US-owned and operated cargo ships.

Rita Moreno (C) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (R) speak at a Unity for Puerto Rico rally at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., attend a Unity for Puerto Rico march on Capitol Hill Sunday

Members of the Hispanic Federation participate in the Unity March to highlight the ongoing humanitarian and natural disaster crisis in Puerto Rico, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington

People carry signs during a protest for Puerto Rico on November 19, 2017 in Washington,DC.Puerto Ricans protested in Washington on Sunday in solidarity with their hurricane-hit island, criticizing the US response to the storm and calling for changes to be made

The restrictions were eventually waived for Puerto Rico, but were blamed for slowing the disaster relief response.

Messina carried a sign that read 'Make Puerto Rico Great Again' - a play on Donald Trump's campaign slogan, and one of many that appeared to take aim at the president.

'Tweet Puerto Rico With Respect,' read another sign, an apparent reference to Trump's at-times vitriolic Twitter responses to criticism of his handling of the disaster.

Members of the Hispanic Federation participate in the Unity March to highlight the ongoing humanitarian and natural disaster crisis in Puerto Rico, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington

People carry signs during a protest for Puerto Rico in Washington,DC.Puerto Ricans protested in Washington on Sunday in solidarity with their hurricane-hit island

Jasmin, a 39-year-old from New York who would only give her first name, said her family members on the island lacked basic necessities months after the storm hit.

'I have family in Puerto Rico - they still don't have clean water, they don't have electricity, I can barely get a call in to them, and that is a major, major problem, and it's not being addressed,' she said.

'Months from the storm, and it's still the same. And there's this narrative that things are getting better, but it's not,' added Jasmin.

'This is another instance where Puerto Rico always gets the short end of the stick.'

Rafael Negron, 52, came from New York with his wife and daughters for the protest.

'We came out... to protest what's going on, the lack of support for Puerto Rico from the United States government,' Negron said.

Another motivation was taking their daughters to their first demonstration, a chance for them to learn about 'what it is to be an American and... how to protest things you don't like.'
The president pushed his plan for a wall between the United States and Mexico on Monday after one Border Patrol agent was killed and another injured while working Sunday in southern Texas.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a cabinet meeting, he called America's southern border 'very dangerous' and 'rough territory,' saying 'that's where the drugs are coming in.'

'We are going to have the wall. It's part of what we are doing. We need it,' the president declared.

Authorities said Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area when they were both attacked.

President Donald Trump renewed his pledge Monday to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, after a Border Patrol agent was killed in Texas on Sunday

Authorities said Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were attacked while on patrol, and the National Border Patrol Council says: 'We strongly believe rocks were what was used.' Trump is pictured talking to the media with his cabinet surrounding him

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Rogelio Martinez (left and right) lost his life in a suspected rock-throwing ambush on the Texas-Mexico border

'As you heard, we lost a Border Patrol officer just yesterday,' Trump said, 'and another one was brutally beaten and badly, badly hurt. It looks like he'll make it, but very, very badly hurt.'

He tweeted on Sunday that the U.S. 'will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!'

Trump also repeated his claim that his presidency has led to a substantial drop in the number of illegal immigrants pouring into the U.S. from the south.

'You see the numbers, they're back to 78 per cent down from what they were,' he said. 'And those numbers will get better and better, but we have to stop the massive drug flow from pouring in.'

Trumps has pledged for more than two years to wall off Mexico from the United States, and prototypes are already being built and analyzed

The president tweeted his anger and resolve on Sunday and said the government 'will seek out and bring to justice those responsible'

While Martinez lay dying on Sunday, his partner reported that they were both injured and in need of assistance.

Responding agents provided immediate medical care, and transported them both to a hospital.

Officials said they are now searching the Big Bend area of Texas for potential suspects and witnesses.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them, but a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM in El Paso that the assailants were 'undocumented immigrants' who used likely used rocks to beat the agents.

'We strongly believe rocks were what was used,' NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told the station.

The FBI has taken over the investigation into the fatal incident near the US-Mexico border. An agency official from the El Paso office confirmed that Martinez and his partner 'were not fired upon.'

Martinez had been a border agent since August 2013 and was from El Paso.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 per cent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. Pictured is a patrol vehicle outside the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas

'Our thoughts and prayers are with Agent Martinez and his family, and with the agent who was injured,' officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 per cent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.

The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the US from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents.

It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.


This is the terrifying moment a group of thugs kick and punch a driver and his friend in a shocking road rage attack that brought traffic to a standstill.

The attack happened on Mona Street in Auburn, 19km west of Sydney on Thursday afternoon in front of shocked by-standers.

Confronting footage, filmed by witnesses, showed a man in a high-vis yellow shirt punching victim Nazih Zahoo on the footpath while another man dressed in black helped.

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Confronting footage, filmed by witnesses, showed a man in a high-vis yellow shirt punching victim Nazih Zahoo on the footpath while another man dressed in black helped

The victim appeared to be kicked and punched in the face repeatedly.

A child could be heard yelling 'someone call the cops' while drivers honked their horns in an effort to stop the fight.

The attackers were seen running through traffic back to their cars before fleeing the scene.

Both men attacked in the incident were so badly injured they required hospital treatment.

Victims of violent crimes advocate Howard Brown said the attack was more than just road rage.

'This was a riot they had exposed to the community and young children,' he told Yahoo 7.

In the footage, the victim appeared to be kicked and punched in the face repeatedly

Both men attacked in the incident were so badly injured they required hospital treatment

Victims of violent crimes advocate Howard Brown said the attack was more than just road rage

He urged the attackers to 'hand yourselves in'.

'Take yourself to the nearest police station and hand yourself in,' he said.

The police obtained two videos of the incident but appealed for help from the public.

The police urged anyone with information to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A paedophile who was facing 54 years in prison for raping two young girls he met at church has been spared jail time by NSW District Court Judge John North (pictured)

A paedophile who faced 54 years in prison for raping two young girls he met at church has been spared jail time because the sex offender has high cholesterol, has been struggling with sleep and didn't have sex education lessons as a child.

The 55-year-old man from Dubbo, whose identity has been suppressed, pleaded guilty this year to 10 counts of historic sex crimes involving two girls, aged eight and 10, from 1980 to 1987, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The farmer, who is known as TM, was 19 when he began abusing the girls, who he met through a church group that he was involved in.

Despite the serious nature of his crimes, District Court Judge John North handed TM a two-year suspended sentence with no supervision order.

Judge North listed a series of bizarre reasons for why the man should receive credit, prompting the 55-year-old's victims to call the sentence a 'slap in the face.'

The 55-year-old man from Dubbo, whose identity has been suppressed, pleaded guilty this year to 10 counts of historic sex crimes involving two girls, aged eight and 10, from 1980 to 1987 (stock image)

Judge North spoke of TM's 'good character' and naivety because of his lack of sex education, as well as his sleep deprivation over the case.

'His mother refused to allow his participation in sex education at school. I am willing to accept to accept that the offender was naive and totally inexperienced and therefore a significant age gap is not quite as important,' the judge said.

He noted TM's diabetes, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease would be difficult to treat in prison, where Judge North said he would have to be contained in isolation.

'He would be treated as a serious sex offender in custody, and I accept that he would have to spend a considerable time in protective custody, or indeed, in isolation,' Judge North said.

'Given his age and background and the nature of the offences, he would be vulnerable to abuse.'

TM's work as a farmer grazier and the drought that plagued his properties from 2002 to 2012 were also noted.

TM's victims told the publication they are worried the man will continue to have access to children through the church because of the lack of supervision order.

The women have also protested the suppression order keeping their identities secret  saying they want to be able to speak out and warn others.

It is believed Attorney-General Mark Speakman has asked the Police Commissioner to investigate the case, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Levitating pods surging through vacuum sealed tubes at lightening fast speeds could make a journey Sydney to Brisbane possible in under an hour by 2020.

A $40 billion dollar project, spearheaded by US-based Hyperloop One, aims to establish a full network from Melbourne to Brisbane, which would see pods carrying passengers at speeds exceeding 1000km/h.

Australian developers have their sights on an inland route from Sydney to Brisbane, via Tamworth and Toowoomba - inclusive of an offshoot to the Gold Coast.

Levitating pods surging through vacuum sealed tubes at lightening fast speeds could make a journey Sydney to Brisbane possible in under an hour by 2020

Steve Artis, director of Ultraspeed Australia, says the revolutionary travel pods could also serve as a freight solution

Not only would the route make a 10 minute journey from the Coast to Brisbane possible, Steve Artis, director of Ultraspeed Australia, says it could also serve as a freight solution, Courier Mail reports.

'It can be designed as a commuter solution as well as a long-distance route,' Mr Artis said.

A connection between Sydney and Canberra is the first proposed connection, followed by Canberra to Melbourne.

US trials have proven the technology a certain economical and structural possibility, with Australian development of the revolutionary system reliant on financial support.

The technology uses metal vacuum tubes with near zero pressure resistance to levitate pods on air cushions above giant magnets.

A $40 billion dollar project, spearheaded by US-based Hyperloop One, aims to establish a full network from Melbourne to Brisbane

The pods are then propelled through tubes with an electric air compression fan at the front and an electric linear induction motor at the rear.

The tubes would be elevated on pylons through use of solar panels, which would cause minimal disruption to roads and farmland beneath.

Mr Artis said the company was in discussion with the Federal Government and was eager to talk business with the winning party after this weekend's Queensland election.

Liberal National Party has reportedly pledged $2.5 million towards a business case study to analyse potential of a Hyperloop from the NSW border to QLD's Bundaberg.

With the technology having gained attention from Europe, the Middle East and India, Mr Artis said unless Australia wanted to miss out for more than 10 tens, it needed to 'join the discussion today'.
A Russian investigative journalist has claimed that whistleblower Edward Snowden is 'a sort of ghost'.

'Nobody can talk to him, nobody has seen him,' Andrei Soldatov, an author and expert on post-Soviet security services said on a recent Lawfare podcast.

'He is a sort of ghost.'

Snowden has been living in exile in Russia since summer 2013 after fleeing the US, and spending weeks in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

In his attempts to escape 'persecution' by the US authorities, Snowden asked more than 20 countries for asylum but was unable to leave Russia after the US revoked his passport.

Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov (right) has claimed that whistleblower Edward Snowden (left) is 'a sort of ghost'

Since then he's a lived a relatively quiet life aside from a few interviews with Western media and some video chat gigs on the speaking circuit.

But he has been careful not to give too much away about his personal life, and takes intense security measures amid fears that he could be kidnapped by US agents.

He has also tried to distance himself from his new home.

In November 2015, he told a crowd in Washington DC, via video chat: 'People say I live in Russia, but that's actually a little bit of a misunderstanding. I live on the internet. And that's where I spend all of my time.'

Yahoo reports that the following month, he announced: 'I'm not in Russia. I'm not on the Internet. I'm in Utah.'

Soldatov believes Snowden is using the strategy 'to be seen just out of the United States. "I'm not in Russia, specifically, I'm just somewhere."

'It looks like he's there, but since he's banned from talking to Russian journalists or Moscow-based foreign journalists... he speaks only to journalists coming specifically to interview him, so they are all approved [by the Russian government] in advance. So he is almost nowhere.'

Since then he's a lived a relatively quiet life aside from a few interviews with Western media and some video chat gigs on the speaking circuit (pictured in an interview with John Oliver)

Snowden shares an apartment with his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, a former pole dancer, who regularly visits him in Moscow from the US.

Director Oliver Stone, who last year released a movie on Snowden, said Mills was crucial to Snowden's transformation from US patriot to whistleblower.

'They said she was a pole dancer and dismissed her widely,' said Stone.

But Snowden realized 'he couldn't live without her', he said.

'I think that from being a loner, he changed, and I don't think he ever had another girlfriend, as far as I know.'

Mills' pictures include racy shots but also landscape images which seldom give any clues about their location.

Nothing in her social media gives any sense of Snowden's whereabouts in Russia, although he possibly has an IKEA blind in his bedroom.

Aside from his security concerns, Snowden's Moscow lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said he was a 'non-public person.'

Snowden shares an apartment with his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, a former pole dancer, who regularly visits him in Moscow from the US

Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor, is wanted for espionage and theft of state secrets.

He shook the American intelligence establishment to its core in 2013 with a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance in the US and around the world.

They included revelations about snooping on friendly foreign leaders.

But his life was threatened in February when NBC quoted a senior US official saying Russia was considering a Snowden handover 'to curry favor' with Trump.

The move would be seen as a Putin 'gift to Trump', paving the way for warmer relations and an end to sanctions, it was claimed.

If sent back he could face a 1,000 year prison sentence for treachery in leaking NSA secrets in any deal handing him back to the US.

While America's most wanted has been told he can stay in Moscow until 2020, he is evidently worried this does not give him enough protection.

In a move that would infuriate Washington, his attorney Wolfgang Kaleck recently asked the European Parliament to consider granting him asylum.

Mills' photos of her with 34-year-old former NSA man Snowden rarely give away clues about their secret location in Russia

Berlin-based attorney Mr Kaleck claimed EU countries were indebted to the whistleblower for exposing US snooping on 'friendly' European governments.

Kucherena has also said that he could apply for full Russian citizenship after being resident in the country for five years, which would prevent him from ever being extradited to the US.

One of the criminals being considered for the controversial exchange was said to be convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, 50, nicknamed the 'Merchant of Death'.

Bout, a former air force officer, was kidnapped by US authorities in Thailand in 2011 and convicted of conspiracy to kill US citizens and provide material for terrorists.

In Moscow respected journalist and political analyst Sergey Parkhomenko claimed an exchange of Snowden for Bout had already been agreed by Putin and Trump.

But this was stopped because of the political climate in the US over Trump's alleged links to Russia.
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Top universities have secretly hired investigators to snoop on millions of former students, the Daily Mail can reveal.

In an aggressive drive for donations, they have paid wealth screening firms  including one called Prospecting for Gold  to trawl for information about their alumni's worth.

This has included sensitive details about their incomes, investments, pensions, value of their homes and even friendship circles.

A number of victims, targeted for two decades, have been ranked according to wealth, class and whether they are likely to leave money to the universities in their wills.

In total 24 Russell Group universities were found to have forwarded details about alumni to wealth research firms and are now being investigated to see if they breached data protection laws

Oxford University has screened 199,369 alumni records since August 2007, data released under Freedom of Information requests showed, assessing information including 'estimated wealth band'

Some of the 24 institutions  all members of the elite Russell Group  are very likely to have broken the law if they wealth-screened supporters without their consent, or without them reasonably expecting that this would happen.

While some of the universities admit they have not explicitly sought permission, they justify themselves by saying relevant details are provided online.

Charities that used a similar operation were fined last year because they had not asked for donors' permission.

Last year, universities brought in more than 1billion in new donations, with more than 80 per cent going to the Russell Group, including Oxford and Cambridge.

Given that just over 1billion was raised by universities between 2000 and 2005, it means they are now raising in a year what they used to make in five.

An investigation into the Mail's findings was launched last night by the Information Commissioner's Office, backed by the Department for Education.

All 24 Russell Group universities will be investigated and could face huge fines.

Last year, the ICO fined ten charities for illegally wealth-screening donors without their permission.

Elizabeth Denham, the Information Commissioner, said last night: 'Personal data belongs to the individual. That means telling people what it's going to be used for and who it's going to be shared with. This is what the law requires.

'We will look carefully at the evidence provided by the Daily Mail to see if and where any rules have been broken.'

The Mail reveals today that universities have been secretly snooping on former students' finances since 1997.

Some have information on the value of alumni's bequests, stocks, properties and 'generous pensions'. Alumni are ranked by their 'net wealth' and the 'likelihood of leaving a gift in their will'.

They are also screened for previous charity donations, so the university can appeal to their 'interests'. Some former students have been hounded for donations despite being on the official 'no-call' list.

Universities have faced furious criticism in recent months for paying staff huge salaries while students are taking on increasing debt.

In 2015/16, university heads reportedly received an average pay package, including benefits, of 277,834. The Mail revealed how Craig Calhoun, the former vice-chancellor of the London School of Economics, was paid 1.7-million over four years.

At least 25,000 former students have been screened to 'identify individuals that have the ability to support the university at a considerable level'

Alumni from Cardiff university have had their estimate incomes, sizes of shareholdings and property values reported back to the institution after wealth investigators were handed their details

Meanwhile, the typical graduate today will leave university with debts of around 46,000 and eight in ten will never fully repay their tuition fee loans.

Universities are partly funded by the taxpayer and student fees of 9,250 a year. But in an attempt to top up their incomes, many have adopted a more aggressive US-style approach to fundraising.

All 24 Russell Group universities admitted to the Mail that they have sent alumni's data to wealth screening firms. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by these firms, but any organisation that uses this service must clearly tell people their data will be passed on like this.

Examples of the process include Cambridge having 301,769 alumni records screened by sending names and contact details to companies, including one named Prospecting for Gold.

The university admits it has shared data without asking for written permission but says it has posted online a 'data protection statement for alumni' which explains that people's details can be passed on.

Oxford, meanwhile, has screened 199,369 alumni records since August 2007, assessing information including 'estimated wealth band', using companies including WealthEngine.

It said that in emails to alumni there is a link to its data protection statement, which explains how it collects 'wealth assessment information'.

The universities had to release the information to the Daily Mail under the Freedom of Information Act. The Russell Group has previously campaigned to be exempted from the Act, because its members are private institutions and not public bodies, even though they receive public money.

Andrew Allison, from the Freedom Association, said: 'This is outrageous. If you can't trust universities with your personal data, who can you trust? I am pleased the ICO is mounting a major investigation.'

Stephen Dunmore, of the Fundraising Regulator, said: 'Universities have a responsibility to maintain public trust  they must review how they use personal data.'

The universities said they follow 'best practice' requirements set by watchdogs and are reviewing their fundraising methods. A spokesman for the Russell Group added: 'Our members are hugely grateful for the ongoing commitment to higher education shown by so many alumni and take their privacy very seriously.'

Prospecting for Gold denied snooping on students, saying: 'We are totally transparent about the work we do.'

WealthEngine, a US company, has stopped working in the UK. It did not provide wealth estimates and a spokesman said: 'Our relationships with our UK clients were not secret.'

The Department for Education said: 'Fundraising must be done in line with the law. An individual's personal data is protected by statute, and I understand the Information Commissioner, as the responsible regulator, is looking into this issue.

When they asked me to leave a legacy, they knew I had the cash

Seven years after graduating from Leeds, I got an email hailing the university's successes before bluntly asking: 'How will your legacy to Leeds make a lasting mark?'

The email explained how 'a gift in your will, however large or small, is a wonderful way to help future generations of students and the wider world'.

Almost a year to the day later, there was another email. 'How far could a gift in your will go?' it asked.

At the time, what was unbeknown to me  and to the many other alumni who received the emails  is that months earlier we had been screened to work out if we were likely to leave gifts in our wills.

The homepage of Bluefrog Fundraising, one of the companies used by universities in order to assess the wealth of alumni

Our personal details were secretly sent to an agency named Bluefrog Fundraising, which specialises in assessing whether alumni or charity donors are likely to be generous in the future.

The university has since admitted this was done 'to assess the likelihood of data subjects leaving a gift in their will to the University of Leeds' and that 'this information was then used to tailor fundraising communications to those most likely to respond'.

I was also stunned to discover my alma mater had sent my data to wealth screening firms three times since 2013.

It admits I never gave written permission, but said emails to me included small print with a link to a 'privacy statement' where I could have found out it may have been passing on my details.

Leeds added the emails I received about leaving a gift in my will were 'sent to all alumni on our email database' and not directly linked to my details being shared.

As the Mail Investigations Unit reveals today, my experience is far from unique.

In fact, millions across the country who attended university will have had their highly sensitive financial information scrutinised without their knowledge.

The money-making tactics have come to light after we sent Freedom of Information requests to universities, forcing them to reveal whether they had used wealth screening companies.

Another firm was called 'prospecting for gold'. When asked about their work for the Russell Group universities, the firm said: 'We are totally transparent about the work we do'

To find out the full details of the snooping, reporters also sent the universities they attended 'subject access requests'  a legal means for anyone to ask an organisation for a copy of all the information it holds on you.

The process revealed that a number of colleagues had been similarly screened by their alma maters.

One graduated from University College London in 2004. Nine years later, it sent her details to two wealth screening firms to assess how they should target her for donations.

She was dismissed as a potential major donor by investigators at Prospecting for Gold, which was looking for the wealthiest former students who could afford to donate more than 100,000.

However, another firm named Response One discovered she and her family members had previously supported human rights charities.

The significance? UCL was trying to raise money for its law department's Centre for Access to Justice. By finding out which former students had given to human rights causes, the university could tailor appeals to them.

UCL said its privacy notice is online and would have been sent to former students when they enrolled and in subsequent alumni letters.

Some universities use a service from the consumer credit agency Experian that assesses the 'demographic make-up' of former students and sorts them by class.
John Ibrahim's bodyguard is still refusing to speak to police days after he was shot on the eve of the Ibrahim-Mehajer wedding.

Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata was hit once in his upper body when a bullet was fired over a fence into Mr Ibrahim's mother's house in Sydney on Friday night.

The 59-year-old was said to be protecting the bride Aisha Mehajer, sister of disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer at the time.

Semi Ngata, known as Tongan Sam, (pictured centre back with Daniel and John Ibrahim) was shot in the back in Merrylands, in Sydney's west on Friday night

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer married on Saturday at the same home where John Ibrahim's bodyguard was shot hours earlier

But many questions remain unanswered as Mr Ngata reportedly refuses to talk to detectives and the shooter is still on the run.

Police initially believed he was shot in the back but later discovered the bullet was in his torso, and were no longer sure he was even shot at the Merrylands address.

An early motive for the shooting was a feud between members of the Mehajer clan and that of groom Sam Sayor, Mr Ibrahim's nephew.

A source claimed they overheard a man tell Sayour he would be lucky to see his wedding day during a fiery exchange last week, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

But police were now also investigating whether it stemmed from a series of drug shipments worth $1 billion that were intercepted earlier this year, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The imposing figure (pictured centre, with Sam Ibrahim, left, and lawyer Stephen Alexander, right, outside court in 2009) was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery

The seizures and subsequent raids resulted in the arrest of more than a dozen people including Mr Ibrahim's son, and brothers Fadi and Michael.

The brothers were detained in a dramatic police sting in Dubai and extradited back to Australia over a drug and tobacco syndicate.

Fadi was released from jail on strict bail conditions after a $2.2million surety was put up.

The Merrylands home belonging to John's mother was searched by police during the raids, and a loaded 9mm handgun was seized from the property.

John's home was also raided as part of the investigation in August - but he was not arrested or charged with any offences and police have not so far suggested he or his family were involved in the shooting.

Ngata was shot in what has been described as a 'brazen and targeted' attack as the final preparations for the wedding were being made at the home of Mr Ibrahim's mother.

Ms Mehajer was with another woman in the backyard to help set up the wedding at the time of the shooting, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Tongan Sam (left with Fadi Ibrahim and Salim Mehajer) is still refusing to speak to police days after he was shot

The imposing figure was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery, and his lawyer said he was recovering well.

Ngata's wife has been keeping a bedside vigil and told reporters 'he was doing OK'.

The suspected getaway car was found burnt out in a nearby suburb.

As guests arrived for the wedding on Saturday evening, marked and unmarked police vehicles patrolled the area for fear of further violence during the nuptials.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside John Ibrahim's mother's home ahead of the ceremony

Guests were seen around the house all afternoon as they helped organise the impending wedding

On Saturday night a small selection of guests attended the wedding as originally planned.

Luxury cars lined the streets surrounding the houses during what appeared to be a low-key event.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly was released by Salim Mehajer's sister Kat Sakalaki, as the newlyweds were seen signing their marriage certificate.

Aisha, dressed in an off-the-shoulder lace midi length gown, sat on a golden throne next to her beau in ripped trousers and a sky blue jacket.

The table in front of them was lined with expensive jewels, including two wedding rings and a gold bracelet. A flower wall visible behind them set the scene for a Kim Kardashian-inspired ceremony.

Guests walk into the premises as the sun goes down and police scour cars for any evidence

This guest of the wedding was seen carrying a David Jones bag into the house on Saturday

As police continued to investigate the shooting people began to arrive at the home with flowers and wedding decorations

While the inside of Ibrahim's mother's house where the wedding was set was awash with congratulations, outside police with flashlights were checking parked cars for any clues about the shooting.

Authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scanned the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands.

Tongan Sam has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss John for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.

His loyalty to Ibrahim was shown in 2014 when he was pictured wearing a T-shirt with John's face emblazoned across it.

Two thumbs up! This jolly guest was all smiles as he arrived for the impending nuptials

The presiding priest walks into the house in preparation for the wedding on Saturday evening

Media and neighbours gathered outside the Merrylands home (pictured) owned by John Ibrahim's mother on Saturday morning

John and his three brothers - Sam, Michael and Fadi - have all been either shot or stabbed over recent years.

Michael - the most recent victim - was gunned down on Macquarie Street in Sydney's CBD in 2015, while Fadi was shot five times as he sat in his Lamborghini.

Sam was also hit in the legs in a 2011 drive-by shooting, and John was stabbed in Kings Cross as a teenager.
Attendees at a Gippsland Bachelor and Spinsters Ball were beaten and stomped on after an 'absolutely crazy' brawl broke out at the event over the weekend.

Pictures emerged on social media of a young woman lying in bed with a neck brace with 'possible spinal damage' and bruising.

Friends of the woman say her head was 'repeatedly stomped on' by a man who also 'punched the absolute c**p out of her for no reason' on Saturday night.

The horrific injuries suffered by a woman who was beaten and stomped on during mass brawl at Bachelor and Spinster ball

An 'absolutely crazy' brawl broke out at the event in Victoria over the weekend leaving partygoers injured

Police were called to the reserve on the South Gippsland Highway near Bakewell Street shortly before 12.30am on Sunday.

Two people were seriously injured in the wild fight at the reserve in Tooradin.

A 24-year-old Alexandra man and a 22-year-old Traralgon man were taken to hospital.

A number of others were treated for minor injuries but were not taken to hospital.

One woman who appeared to have attended the event said the breakout of violence was 'absolutely crazy', hiding behind a car to avoid the incident which involved 'many' people.

Two people were seriously injured in the wild fight at the reserve in Tooradin

Two people were seriously injured in the wild fight at the reserve in Tooradin with witnesses stating they still recall the incident

The 24-year-old Alexandra man and another 22-year-old Traralgon man were taken to hospital with social media users slamming the incident

'I won't ever be going to another one. It's just a big pick up f**kfest, idiots blowing up their cars and chicks wearing makeup and heels. I'm out,' she wrote on Facebook.

A number of others expressed disappointment on social media at how the event in recent times has been riddled with violence, thefts and wild antics.

'There's always fights, spiking or someone getting bottled or stabbed,' one man wrote online.

Commenters on Facebook were quick to call out the changing ways of the event

A number of others were treated for minor injuries but were not taken to hospital across the 'many fights'

A number of others expressed disappointment on social media at how the event in recent times has been riddled with violence, thefts and wild antics

'Too close to the peninsula and all the cardboard cowboys go and act like f*** heads.'

A woman blamed too many 'townies' for wrecking the ball scene.

'Can't seem to go to a ball and not have someone injured, something stolen from your car/site, or someone getting their drinks spiked.'

She added it was 'the new generation today' which has messed up the show for old regulars.

Casey Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the incidents and no arrests have been made at this stage.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
TV daredevil Guy Martin spent five months hand building an exact replica of a 30-tonne First World War tank from scratch.

Filming the project for a Channel 4 show, the motorcycle racer and mechanic built a British Mark IV tank - which rumbled into action for the time 100 years ago tomorrow at Cambrai, Northern France.

The creation was in tribute to the engineers who designed them and the eight-man crews who drove them into the fierce heat of battle during the First World War.

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TV daredevil Guy Martin spent five months hand building an exact replica of a 30-tonne First World War tank from scratch, for a Channel 4 show airing at 9pm Sunday. The motorcycle racer and mechanic built a British Mark IV tank - which rumbled into action for the time 100 years ago tomorrow at Cambrai, Northern France

Such was the deafening noise the machines produced, soldiers inside the steel hull were forced to use sign language to communicate, and risked carbon monoxide poisoning from engine fumes.

'It's hot. It stinks. It takes two of us to drive it. And you're going nowhere fast,' Guy told The Mirror, having driven the Mark IV for the first time on camera.

Adding: 'That's all very well when you're driving around a car park but with six more people in it  and you're getting shot at  it's a different matter.

'I've nothing but respect for those guys 100 years ago.'

Coincidentally, Guy, 36, was born in Lincolnshire, the same area where agricultural engineers William Foster & Co designed and built the revolutionary war machines.

The tanks were 26ft long by 10ft wide and rolled on to the battlefield at the Battle of Cambrai on November 20, 1917.

It was the first time tanks had been used en mass, as part of a strategic land and air attack, designed to penetrate Germany's supposedly impenetrable lines, breaking the bloody stalemate at Passchendaele and Ypres.

They had previously been used sparingly in support roles such as the 72 tanks hidden in south-west of Ypres at the Battle of Messines but never so aggressively, and never in these numbers.

And so on November 20, 1917, about 476 Mark IV tanks were made ready for the battlefield, facing down German heavy artillery weaponry.

The creation was in tribute to the engineers who designed them and the eight-man crews who drove them into the fierce heat of battle during the First World War. Such was the deafening noise the machines produced, soldiers inside the steel hull were forced to use sign language to communicate, and risked carbon monoxide poisoning from engine fumes

Coincidentally, Guy, 36, was born in Lincolnshire, the same area where agricultural engineers William Foster & Co designed and built the revolutionary war machines. The tanks were 26ft long by 10ft wide and rolled on to the battlefield at the Battle of Cambrai on November 20, 1917

Despite significant improvements in maneuverability and weaponry from it's predecessor the Mark I - the Mark II and III only incorporating minor improvements, spending much of their run in training sequences - the Mark IV's weaknesses were still exposed, with many succumbing to gunfire, shelling and mechanical frailties.

Come the second day of the battle, only around half of the tanks readied for action were still operational, having pushed just five miles into enemy territory.

William Foster & Co would go on to build 1,220 tanks but only seven originals still exist, rusted and broken.

Guy's task was made all the harder as no original blueprints for the designs still exist, meaning his team created a 3D design using modern computer technology based on old photographs and a Haynes Workshop manual.

It was the first time tanks had been used en mass, as part of a strategic land and air attack, designed to penetrate Germany's supposedly impenetrable lines, breaking the bloody stalemate at Passchendaele and Ypres. They had previously been used sparingly in support roles such as the 72 tanks hidden in south-west of Ypres at the Battle of Messines

On November 20, 1917, about 476 Mark IV tanks were made ready for the battlefield, facing down German heavy artillery weaponry. Guy painstakingly rebuilt one from scratch, including the insides, weaponry stations and periscopes

The steel chassis was welded together by a team at JCB's factories in Staffordshire.

He also enlisted Hertfordshire-based engineers Chasestead Ltd to manufacture more than 360 components, including gun mounts, periscopes and even 3,000 fake rivets for authenticity.

Like the Mark I before it, the tanks came in Male and Female versions, which differed based on their weaponry and usage - some heavily attack orientated, others used for defensive or support roles.

While no original Daimler engine exists, Guy was able to procure an old Rolls-Royce engine, bought some 25 years ago by a tank enthusiast Stephen Machaye for only 100.

Guy's task was made all the harder as no original blueprints for the designs still exist, meaning his team created a 3D design using modern computer technology based on old photographs and a Haynes Workshop manual

The steel chassis was welded together by a team at JCB's factories in Staffordshire. He also enlisted Hertfordshire-based engineers Chasestead Ltd to manufacture more than 360 components, including gun mounts, periscopes and even 3,000 fake rivets for authenticity

Guy and his team called their creation Deborah II, after one discovered buried on the Cambrai battlefield in 1998.

In a poignant moment, Guy's team achieved their dream of driving the tank on the Cambrai battlefield in a moving re-enactment of the first battle.

Starting at the same spot, Guy said: 'I won't ever forget driving this incredible tank across the historic battlefield on such a significant day. It was a very emotional experience as we stood quietly and remembered those who died at Cambrai.'

Guy and his team called their creation Deborah II, after one discovered buried on the Cambrai battlefield in 1998. In a poignant moment, Guy's team achieved their dream of driving the tank on the Cambrai battlefield in a moving re-enactment of the first battle

The Mark IV came fourteen months after the Mark I faltered into action at the Battle of Fleurs-Corcelette on September 15, 1916.

Still in their design infancy and plagued with mechanical errors, only 32 of the 49 tanks shipped to The Somme took part in the initial assault and only nine made it across no-mans land.

But their introduction signalled a new, deadly era in modern warfare that would swing the pendulum in the Allied forces favour in the harsh, deadlocked trenches of Northern France.

The war was into its third year and Britain had suffered huge casualties. What was meant to have been a swift victory had turned into a prolonged, bloody campaign.

The Mark I tank, pictured, had four successive remodels based on feedback from the Battle of Flers Courcelette (pictured: Mark I tank)

The heavily shelled ground made advancement in large numbers impossible without risking the lives of thousands of troops.

Plans for a vehicle that could overcome the arduous terrain had been considered before but none had come to fruition.

It was left to Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty, to establish the Landships Committee in 1915, to tackle the stalemate.

Armoured vehicles were soon developed to be able to travel over difficult terrain, cross trenches, resist small-arms fire and to capture enemy positions by breaking through no mans land.

Soldiers pictured repairing trenches next to a damaged Mark I tank after it broke down during The Somme, a common problem with early tanks (pictured: Mark I tank)

According to Peter Johnston the Head of Collections, Development and Review at the National Army Museum, it was the Royal Navy that spearheaded the development of the tank.

Mr Johnston said: Initially called landships, they became known as tanks after factory workers at William Fosters and Co. in Lincoln likened them to steel water tanks.

There were two types of tanks, male and female versions. The male version had two quick firing 6-pounder naval guns attached while the female carried five machine guns.

The tank was not ready for deployment until 1916, and even then it was considered hasty by the French who felt their use in limited numbers had cost the Allied forces the crucial advantage of surprise.

The tanks were too primitive to make a lasting impact but did prompt a mass manufacture of later models (pictured: Mark I tank production line at William Foster & Co's factory in Lincolnshire)

The battle took place ten weeks into The Somme. The great advance hadn't gone as planned and Britain has suffered 60,000 casualties already. Fighting had regressed and shrunk into smaller, localised battles and one of such was Flers-Courcelette.

Churchill considered the design too primitive for successful deployment. Yet the need for a decisive victory meant that the battle was too crucial to not take the risk.

On the 15 September 1916, 32 tanks were fielded in battle for the first time ever, and made their way across no mans land as part of a creeping barrage.

Though their introduction served a purpose in terms of shocking the enemy, theyre effectiveness was debatable.

Early on in the battle the use of a tank alongside an infantry assault inflicted huge casualties on the enemy at Leuze Wood, but it was eventually stopped at Combles Trench after being set alight.

Many others broke down or failed to navigate the wide trenches, while their armour failed to stop large calibre bullets.

Recognising their lack of progress with tanks, the Germans often chose to restore damaged British tanks rather than build their own (Mark I pictured)

The tanks vulnerabilities were exposed and even the nine surviving vehicles were so badly damaged that they played no further role in the war.

Even when they did break through enemy lines, the tactics were so new that troops had little idea how to capitalise on their advantage, meaning the battle, while ending in victory, was far from decisive.

Mr Johnston said What they [tanks] did show, however, was the enormous potential of armoured warfare and in 1917 the Royal Tank Corp, the oldest tank corps in existence was formed, which allowed crucial tactical development and refinement.

Their usage was a game changer in warfare. While the victory was achieved, it was far from decisive and the Germans had retained much of their ground. he added.

Ironically, it was actually the Germans who would go on to use tanks to greater effect in future conflicts, with the Panzer division often dominating the battlefield in the Second World War.

The use of the tank paved the way for the creation of the Royal Tank Corp in 1917 which led to technical improvements (Mark I pictured)

Recognising the tanks capabilities for warfare, Adolf Hitler ensured the mass mechanisation of his army along with an innovative battle tactic called the Blitzkrieg  a quick, powerful and mobile attack designed to shock and outmanoeuvre enemies.

In the hundred years since their introduction, the tank has gone through a battle tested and technologically led evolution making it crucial in ground combat.

Though it was a British innovation that changed combat forever, Flers-Courcelette will be remembered ultimately as a failure for the tank.
Melissa Ann Santana, 36, was arrested on October 30 and was indicted on Tuesday

A Northern Arizona University professor was indicted on Tuesday after she allegedly stalked two firefighters and a student and gave false information to law enforcement.

Melissa Ann Santana, 36, was arrested on October 30 and was indicted on five counts of felony stalking and three counts of false information.

The associate professor of interior design was alleged to have stalked two US Forest Service firefighters, one of their wives, a friend and a NAU student.

From February 2015 up until September 2017, Santana stalked mostly through electronic communication, it is alleged.

US District Court documents add that the woman used 'many different identities, email addresses, social media accounts and temporary telephone numbers.'

For the sake of anonymity, the alleged victims' names were redacted from the report.

The professor was detained on campus by US Forest Service law officers. A spokeswoman from the university added that Santana was not employed at the school any longer.

'The university does not comment on what appears to be an ongoing criminal matter,' Ott said to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Court documents state Santana met the firefighters through Tinder and met the first one, NL, under the alias 'Ann, 29.'

The associate professor of interior design at Northern Arizona State (pictured) was alleged to have stalked two US Forest Service firefighters, one of their wives, a friend and a NAU student

The firefighter shared with authorities that the relationship with Santana was sexual and consisted of meetups mostly in her office or his house.

The affair with the married professor lasted from November 2015 until June 2016 when he ended the relationship.

Santana matched with the second, KT, in August 2016 and planned to meet in September 2016.

He shared with law enforcement that he was soon aware that she was the same woman harassing the other firefighter.

Using aliases such as 'Laura Towner' and 'Kendall Patterson', Santana would send threatening messages to the two men, according to court documents.

Messages were sometimes affectionate but also occasionally intentionally malicious.

Court documents state Santana sent a text to NL that said 'I miss you so much,' but also sent a message to KT that said 'be like the Granite guys and go die in a fire.

The second referred to the 19 out of 20 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died during the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013

Using the alias 'Kelli Torrence', she allegedly sent a message to KT's fiance stating the two had a sexual relationship.

The professor was said to have keyed an expletive on the driver side door of one of the firefighters' vehicles and slashed his tires.

Under the name 'Cathy McCarthy' she sent an email to several hotshot crew supervisors accusing firefighters of raping her 15-year-old daughter in September 2016. It was said to have occurred while the crew was headed to a fire near Rock Springs, Wyoming.

US Magistrate Judge Charles R. Pyle denied the teacher's release as she was a danger to the public and she was fired from the university

The IP address confirmed that the email Cathy McCarthy used was attached to Santana.

The woman was also said to have used a fake number to message the Globe Hotshot Superintendent Dean Whitney that said 'Can you please tell REDACTED to call me. He won't return my phone calls, I'm pregnant, it's his. He needs to take responsibility. Thanks.'

That same September 2016 text was sent to the Flagstaff hotshot crew superintendent as well.

A student at NAU told authorities that he met the professor through a Craigslist post in 2014 and met her in person in February 2015.

'Stalking on the NAU Facebook page began about a week later,' according to the student.

He added that he had 'harassing phone calls from various unknown numbers, emails and posts on his personal Facebook page.'

A 'smear campaign' was launched online claiming he had an STD. The IP address showed that the computer used to start the campaign had searched for information on the two firefighters and confirmed that the person was Santana.

She also used the name 'Amanda Foster' to allegedly harass the students' friends, even going as far as to get one fired over 'continuous false post and emails that claimed she [the friend] steals.'

Describing Santana as someone he once considered to be a friend, the student shared that 'he confided about being stalked to Santana.'

US Magistrate Judge Charles R. Pyle denied the teacher's release as she was a danger to the public. Her multiple aliases also made her an obvious flight risk.

If convicted, she could face 40 years at a maximum.
Parents of a two-year-old who nearly lost his life to meningococcal say they thought they'd given him all necessary immunisations to protect him against the deadly disease.

Arthur Long was struck down out of the blue in February by the aggressive W strain that robbed him of part of his right hand and both of his feet.

His parents Carly and Nathan Long thought the meningococcal injection they gave him at 12-months-old was enough to keep him safe, Seven News reports.

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Arthur Long was struck down by meningococcal W in February - a strain unfortunately not protected against by the free vaccine given at 12-months-old

'We just thought you were immunised against everything you could possibly be immunised against,' Mrs Long said.

Like most children, Arthur was protected against the C strain, but what his parents didn't know was of the four other potentially fatal types, A, B, Y and W.

While protection against C was offered free to all babies through the Government, protection from the other strains had to be purchased privately.

After more than six months in Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Arthur is preparing to undergo his 26th surgery.

Parents Carly (right) and Nathan (left) Long thought the meningococcal injection they gave him at 12-months-old was enough to keep him safe

Mr and Mrs Long recall the harrowing moments the disease savaged their son's body without a warning, even after he was cleared by a GP.

'Friday night he was perfect, Saturday morning, off, fluey,' Mr Long said.

A doctor visited the home in the afternoon and they 'weren't worried about him', but just hours later, Arthur's organs had begun shutting down.

He was put on a Mercy flight from Launceston to Melbourne, and doctors weren't confident the boy would even make it through the journey.

Mr and Mrs Long recall the harrowing moments the disease savaged their son's body without a warning, even after he was cleared by a GP

Mr Long described it as 'the most frightening thing,' saying 'it's so quick and so lethal, like a doctor compared it to Ebola.'

While Arthur is getting used to his two new prosthetic feet, his mother says the family's challenges weren't over just yet.

'We'll face them and he will probably face them better than us,' Mrs Long said.

Meningococcal takes the life of one in 10 of its victims, while 20 per cent are left with permanent disabilities.
On Friday, his wife Kayla Moore gave a press conference saying she is standing by her man

So far nine women have come forward accusing Moore of assault, mostly while they were in their teens

Allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore continued to mount after several more people said they were aware of Moore's alleged penchant for young girls.

'It was a known fact: Roy Moore liked young girls,' Faye Gary, a retired Gadsden police officer alleged to the New York Times, adding: 'It was treated like a joke. That's just the way it was.'

Others in his community had similar observations about Moore, saying his alleged penchant for young girls was well known.

Senate candidate Roy Moore is facing more accusations about inappropriate behavior with young girls in his Alabama community

Glenn Day, who managed two stores at the mall at the time, said security had asked him to let them know if Moore was at the mall.

'I can't believe there's such an outcry now about something everybody knew,' Day said.

Janet Reeves who worked at the local mall Moore would frequent says he asked her friend, who was 17 or 18 at the time, for her number.

'I just thought he was the creepy old guy,' Reeves told the Times.

Moore has faced a slew of allegations against him, but is refusing to drop out of the senate race

Several local residents said they knew about Moore approaching teenage girls. They said that he was often working out at the local YMCA, shirtless, chatting up high school aged girls.

Delores Abney who frequented the YMCA said that Moore would talk to girls that 'appeared to be high school on up' in her exercise class, adding that 'it just did not look appropriate.'

However not everyone in his community echoed the same sentiments. Terry White, a former Gadsden police officer who worked security at the mall, said, 'Nobody, as far as I know, ever complained.'

Numerous local residents have come forward with stories about Moore approaching teenage girls during his time as assistant district attorney in Etowah County, Alabama.

The Washington Post first reported earlier this month that a woman said Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her in 1979, when she was 14 years old and he was 32.

Moore, with wife Kayla Moore, has refused to step down from the senate race after several allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault surfaced during his 30s

Since last week, Moore has been engulfed by accusations of sexual misconduct toward women in their teens when he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. Several of his accusers have allowed their identities to be made public.

One said Moore molested her when she was 14. Another said Moore assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old waitress after he offered to drive her home.

Five others said Moore pursued romantic relationships with them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18.

Meanwhile his wife Kayla Moore said during a press conference Friday that she is standing by her man. 'He will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama,' said Kayla Moore, who did not take questions.

Moore has denied the allegations and is refusing to drop out of the Alabama Senate special election.
Passengers will soon be boarding British Airways planes according to how much they paid for their flights.

From next month, those who pay the lowest fares will have to wait at the departure gate and board after everyone else.

The carrier will introduce a group boarding system on all its flights from December 12.

When passengers check in they will be assigned a group number between one and five which will be printed on their boarding pass.

British Airways are introducing boarding procedures according to how much passengers have paid for their tickets

The lower the number, the earlier the passenger will be allowed to board.

Number one will be assigned First Class passengers on long-haul flights and short-haul travellers on BAs business class, Club Europe, as well as Gold members of the BA Executive Club

Next will be business class Club World passengers on long-haul flights, and Silver members of the Executive Club.

Group three will be passengers in World Traveller Plus, which is BAs premium economy, as well as Bronze members.

Normal economy passengers will be in group four.

The indignity of boarding the plane last will be given to those travelling on the cheapest, hand-baggage only fares. These fares were introduced in 2013 as BA sought to compete with easyJet.

Passengers with mobility issues or who are travelling with young children will still be able to board ahead of everyone else.

The change is revealed in an internal document, which says: This method has been used all around the world by many airlines and aligns BA with partners American Airlines and Iberia.

Passengers will be assigned a number between one and five when they check in, with the lower numbers being given priority boarding

Group boarding simplifies the process, making it easier for customers to understand the boarding sequence at the gate.

Passengers reacted with anger and bemusement on social media, and accused BA of losing the plot. Some described the prospect of being in group five as having to do the walk of shame.

Earlier this year it emerged that BA is on the verge of having its rating cut from four to three stars, or of five, by research firm Skytrax.

This would put Britains flagship carrier on a par with Ryanair and Uzbekistan Airways, and comes after a string of controversies over baggage charges and the removal of perks for first-class passengers and the withdrawal of free food on European economy services.

British Airways said the boarding method was inspired in part by Iberia's approach

A spokesman for British Airways confirmed the move, saying: We are always looking at ways to improve the airport experience for our customers.

'Earlier this year we were the first UK airline to introduce automated biometric technology, with the launch of self-service boarding gates, and we also installed self-service bag drop points at Heathrow and Gatwick giving our customers an even quicker check-in experience.

Next month we are looking at introducing new boarding procedures to further improve the customer journey by creating a number of groups to speed up the process.

'This method has been used by airlines around the world for a number of years, including by our partners American Airlines, Iberia and Qatar.
A pilot and passenger walked away unharmed after a single-engine plane clipped a tree and crashed on a Florida highway.

Pilot Marc Allen Benedict, 61, and his passenger 55-year-old Gregory Guinee took off in the four-seat Rockwell Commander 112 at 9am from Clearwater Airpark and flew to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport Sunday morning.

Pinellas County deputies said the pair refueled the aircraft at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and attempted to return back to the Clearwater Airpark when the crash occurred around 10am.

A pilot and passenger walked away unharmed after a single-engine plane (top center) clipped a tree and crashed on a Florida highway

Video of the crash was caught on camera by Pinellas County deputies who were in the area on an unrelated call on Sunday. The plane is seen flying extremely low before the crash

The plane (top right) then clipped a tree, causing a large branch to fall in the middle of the road, before it crash-landed on the highway

Two deputies who were responding to an unrelated call for service in the area caught the crash on their dashcam.

In the video, the plane is seen flying very low over the highway when all of a sudden it appears to try and pull up.

The plane then clipped a tree, causing a large branch to fall in the middle of the road, before the aircraft crash-landed on the highway.

The two deputies who were already at the scene quickly secured the area, blocked off traffic and went to aid the two men.

According to officers, Benedict said he believed there to be engine trouble while in the air over the area of Sunset Point Road and Belcher Road area in Clearwater.

Benedict told investigators he did not believe he could make it back to the Clearwater Airpark and began looking for a safe place to land.

Investigators said both the pilot Benedict (left) and his passenger Guinee (right) reported no injuries and refused medical treatment

Benedict said he observed what appeared to be an opening and attempted to land the plane (pictured) on Keene Road. While landing, Benedict reported the left wing caught a tree causing the plane to spin and crash

The investigation into the cause of the crash (pictured) is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. It has not yet been determined what caused the plane to crash

He said he saw a deputy near the intersection of Keene Road and Sunset Point Road.

Benedict said he then observed what appeared to be an opening and attempted to land the plane on Keene Road.

While landing, Benedict reported the left wing caught a tree causing the plane to spin and crash.

Investigators said both the pilot Benedict and his passenger Guinee reported no injuries and refused medical treatment. No other injuries were reported.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

It has not yet been determined what caused the plane to crash.
More than 1,000 nurseries and childminders have gone out of business in the last two years as the country's childcare crisis deepens, it was revealed yesterday.

Ofsted figures show there has been a net loss of 1,146 nurseries and childminders from the Early Years Register since 2015.

This is the year the Conservative government was elected with a promise of 30 hours free childcare for working parents  a flagship scheme it has been accused of underfunding.

In total, 15,288 childcare providers have left the register since 2015, while only 14,142 have joined, according to the data obtained by Tracy Brabin, the shadow minister for early years.

Ofsted figures show there has been a net loss of 1,146 nurseries and childminders from the UK Early Years Register since 2015. File image used

The data, published in The Observer, shows that four-fifths (81 per cent) of those who left the register had been rated either good or outstanding by Ofsted.

The new figures come as it was recently revealed that more than a third of nurseries fear going bust because of the Tory's new 'free' childcare scheme.

Since this September, most children aged three and four have been entitled to 30 hours a week of free childcare.

To qualify, parents must earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national living or minimum wage and less than 100,000 a year.

But nurseries point out that Government funding does not cover the cost of providing the places.

Rising financial pressures including higher business rates and the impact of the national living wage is forcing nurseries to close.

Other childcare providers are restricting when they offer the free hours and charging parents for hours needed outside of these times.

Some are also raising their hourly rate for younger children and introducing fees for services that were previously free such as meals, milk and nappies.

2015 wass the year the Conservative government was elected with a promise of 30 hours free childcare for working parents  a flagship scheme it has been accused of underfunding. File image used

The sector has written an open letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond ahead of the Budget on Wednesday, pleading for the government to increase childcare funding and warning of a crisis.

The Pre-School Learning Alliance and the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years say local authorities typically pay nurseries and childminders just 4.27 an hour to provide the 'free' hours to parents.

This leaves nurseries facing an average 18 per cent annual shortfall in funds, and the average childminder out of pocket by more than 410 per child per year.

As a result, a study published in September found that 38 per cent of nurseries expect to be driven out of business within a year under the strain of the new childcare initiative.

The survey of 1,400 nurseries, preschools and childminders carried out by the Pre-School Learning Alliance also found that half expected to raise their fees and charges.

Research published in Nursery World also shows that some nurseries have come up with 'unethical' ways to pass the cost of providing the scheme back on to parents.

Sanjay Morzaria, who runs Little Darling Childcare in Harrow, said he faces a 14.60 daily shortfall in funding from his local authority for each 30-hour place he provide.

Under the rules of the scheme, he is not allowed to openly charge families a top-up fee to make up the difference.

The sector has written an open letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured) ahead of the Budget on Wednesday, pleading for the government to increase childcare funding and warning of a crisis

Instead, he is charging parents of children eligible for 30 hours government-funded childcare 15 a day for lunch.

Those families taking their youngsters home for lunch pay a 7.50 penalty for every five minutes they are early or late returning.

Mr Morzaria said: 'It's unethical and totally unfair but I don't have a choice.'

Parents whose children are eligible for the 30-hour scheme also pay a new charge of 40 a day to cover the cost of lunch and extracurricular activities at the Abacus Ark chain of nurseries in London.

Owner Anthony Ioannou said: 'We have to do what we're doing because we'd shut down otherwise.'

Ms Brabin yesterday accused the Government of failing working families.

She told The Observer: 'Ministers ask early-years providers to do more and more but refuse to give them the necessary funding.'

Children and families minister Robert Goodwill said: 'We are determined to support as many families as possible with access to high-quality, affordable childcare, and earlier this year we fulfilled our promise to double the free childcare available to working parents to 30 hours a week, saving them up to 5,000 a year per child.'
The emotional mother of a young boy buried alive beneath one-metre of 'quicksand' has told how she and her husband dug desperately with their hands to free their son.

Riley Stiles was playing with his older brother and a friend on their rural property at Jundabup, south of Perth, on Sunday afternoon when the trio began digging a hole.

As the pit reached two metres the three boys jumped in, only for it to collapse on top of them, leaving the youngest of the group buried up to his shoulders in dirt.

Hearing the boys' screams, Rosanna Stiles and husband Matt ran to help, only for the trench to again collapse - this time leaving young Riley buried beneath the surface.

Still in disbelief her son had made it out, the mother-of-two fought back tears as she told Daily Mail Australia how as she and her husband dug with her hands, they feared their son was already dead.

Riley Stiles was playing with his older brother and a friend on their rural property at Jundabup, south of Perth, on Sunday afternoon when the trio began digging a hole

Rosanna Stiles and her husband Matt dug frantically with their bare hands to save their son Riley (left) who became trapped in quicksand on their property south of Perth on Sunday

Dramatic images from the scene show Riley clinging to his teddy bear as he was being carried away in a stretcher

'They were helping to clear a section on the block and decided to dig a hole, and the three of them got into it when it was about two metres deep,' Ms Stiles said.

'It collapsed on one side and buried him up to his neck. As my husband jumped in a whole section collapsed on top of them - it was like quicksand.

'I had a shovel, my husband was digging with his hands. I don't know how we got to him, he was probably a metre under the surface. We thought he was dead.

'Even when emergency rescue arrived I think everybody was still expecting the worst.'

For more than three hours the eight-year-old remained trapped as rescuers tried to dig him out, before he was finally freed about 7pm on Sunday.

Clinging to a brown polar bear toy as he flew by air ambulance to hospital, Ms Stiles said while their family and rescuers were distraught, young Riley was hardly phased.

'He said he just didn't want to die': Ms Stiles told how while she and her husband had barely slept last night, Riley (pictured) wasn't phased by the ordeal

'He remembers the whole thing - he said he just didn't want to die,' she said.

'When we jumped in the helicopter he said "Mum, can you take a photo?" and then at the hospital he was talking everyone's ears off.

'I don't think Matt or I slept at all last night, but this morning he's jumped out of bed - there's not much that can hold him back.

'If there's anyone that was going to make it through last night, it was going to be our little boy.'

Emergency services worked into the night to rescue the boy, before finally freeing him about 7pm

Flown to Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, he was later transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and then released just hours later on Sunday night

Flown to Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, he was later transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and then released just hours later on Sunday night.

Emergency services said the rescue operation was difficult because the boy ended up trapped in an awkward position.

It is understood the Stiles family had only moved to the home in the recent months.
He loves books and was ecstatic when he met author Michael Morpurgo

Four years ago his mother taught him to spell with eyes and an alphabet board

Jonathan Bryan, 11, of Wiltshire, has cerebral palsy and can't speak or move

Born with severe cerebral palsy, Jonathan Bryan cannot speak or move.

But the 11-year-old has an incredible imagination and is obsessed with books  so it was a dream come true when he was able to meet his favourite author Michael Morpurgo.

This Christmas we are asking you to help grant the wishes of more children like Jonathan by donating your old 1 coins to Make-A-Wish Foundation UK.

The charity arranges magical experiences for youngsters who are fighting life-threatening conditions.

Generous Daily Mail readers have already raised more than 150,000 as part of our Quids for Kids campaign.

Born with severe cerebral palsy, Jonathan Bryan (pictured centre with his mother Chantal and siblings Jemma, five and Susannah, eight) cannot speak or move. But the 11-year-old has an incredible imagination and is obsessed with books  so it was a dream come true when he was able to meet his favourite author Michael Morpurgo

Jonathan, from Stanton St Quintin, Wiltshire, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, having been starved of oxygen in the womb when his mother Chantal was injured in a car accident.

His health problems are profound and life limiting  he also has kidney failure, chronic lung disease and is oxygen dependent.

He spent the first seven years of his life unable to communicate beyond facial expressions  'locked in' his own body, unable to speak or move.

But four years ago his mother taught him to spell with his eyes and an alphabet board.

It quickly became apparent that Jonathan had a passion for the storybooks she had been reading him. 'Jonathan has spent so much of his life in hospital,' said Mrs Bryan, 40, a former social worker and now her son's full-time carer.

'Reading to him was always an escape from those surroundings for both of us. We'd snuggle up together while I read to him for hours, losing myself in the pages of these wonderful stories, only able to hope that Jonathan was being similarly carried away as he listened.'

Mrs Bryan only discovered quite to what extent when her son began to master the art of spelling words.

'The great breakthrough was when we were writing a story together about pirates and he spelt out the word 'myriad',' she said.

This Christmas The Daily Mail is asking you to help grant the wishes of more children like Jonathan (pictured centre) by donating your old 1 coins to Make-A-Wish Foundation UK

'This wasn't one of the pre-printed words I'd been working on with him  in fact it wasn't a word I'd have expected a child his age to know.

'He was only nine then. This was such a beautiful moment, when I realised that Jonathan had a mind and voice very much of his own.'

Jonathan's greatest desire was to meet Mr Morpurgo  a wish that was turned into a reality by Make-A-Wish Foundation UK on an unforgettable afternoon last December.

Jonathan and his two sisters, Susannah, eight, and Jemima, five, travelled to Exeter Cathedral, where the War Horse author read Jonathan's own short story aloud. The story imagined his travels with his similarly locked-in best friend Will.

The author encouraged Jonathan to write a book of his own  and he is now working on the story of his life, Eye Can Write, which will be published next summer.

Jonathan, from Stanton St Quintin, Wiltshire, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. But four years ago his mother Chantal (pictured) taught him to spell with his eyes and an alphabet board

After the meeting, Jonathan wrote Mr Morpurgo a letter, saying: 'Hearing you read my tale was like sitting at the feet of my storytelling master; immersed in the richness of your narration we travelled the landscape of my silence together.' Jonathan says that since meeting his hero he feels inspired to write.

He says: 'Immersing myself in a story is the most enjoyable, wonderful escapism; books have nourished my mind and prevented mental decay during my years of silence.

'Trapped in cerebral palsy here; I run within the pages: skipping, laughing, exploring.

'Immersing myself in the adventure of new tales, I have inhabited the scenes of author's pictures and woven them with my imagination.

'Words have been my portal to another world. And now it is my turn to be the custodian of the power of words.'

Every year, Make-A-Wish Foundation UK grants hundreds of sick children their One True Wish.

This year's goal is to grant 1,000 wishes but even then, many more requests will still be waiting to be fulfilled.

A heartbreaking 20,000 young people face gruelling treatment and long periods in hospital over Christmas this year.

The Mail has partnered with Nationwide Building Society, which will take old 1 coins for the charity until December 20.

Or like thousands of readers, you can make a regular donation  see the panel below for details.
Charlotte Avery, president of the Girls' Schools Association, believes children are being robbed of their childhood by inappropriate content on their phones

Web giants should filter out pornography on smartphones to protect 'screenagers' from the 'wild west' of the internet, a leading headmistress has claimed.

Charlotte Avery, president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA) warned that modern childhood is in danger of being eroded by easy access to 'inappropriate' content online.

While modern technology has made societies more 'widely connected' and 'better informed' than ever before, there is also a 'moral imperative' for web companies to tackle the 'dark side' of the internet.

Ms Avery, 47, who is headmistress of St Mary's School, Cambridge, said parents need additional help to tackle the 'worrying' issue of online porn.

Speaking ahead of the GSA annual conference in Manchester, she said that schools can only do so much to protect pupils from online content and called for tighter filter controls on smartphones.

She said: 'I think that some parents have not grown up with the phones and a lot of parents are not even aware of basic filters.

'This is what I mean about schools trying to do their part and web companies actually putting these filters in as an automatic as opposed to thinking that parents have got to go online and set up these filters.

'It's very easy to bypass filters and I think that a lot of parents don't know what they should be doing.

'I think it's also beholden on these companies to, for example, get out advertising campaigns and work very closely with parents, maybe around national days, aimed at internet safety day or anti bullying week.'

She warned that explicit content is widely reported to be just 'three clicks away' for children surfing online.

Ms Avery, who is head of St Mary's School, Cambridge, said web giants have a moral duty to protect children from material like online pornography

'I think that for young people who are beginning to explore their sexuality, the fact that they seem to think that what they see online is real and it's not, and it's the distortion of the norm, distortion of body, for a particular end which is unhelpful,' she said.

'I also think that when they see things like a ready access to pornography it then makes things like sexting seem very, very trivial, and of course, that's not trivial either.

'It's about trying to engage with them as young people, talking about healthy relationships and the dignity of the human body as opposed to the indignity.'

She will tell the conference today (mon) that 'there is less childhood but more adolescence' in modern society.

Ms Avery will say: 'The children of today are different. 'Screenagers' are fearless in the face of the digital bombardment.'

Referring to the smartphone, she adds: 'It's here and it's an enormously powerful tool for learning - we need to encourage the proper and creative use of this technology.

'New information technologies have made our societies more widely connected, more affluent, and better informed; but they have also encroached on our personal lives in ways that few could have anticipated, made us more inward-looking while simultaneously eroding public trust, and left us exposed to extremist views.'

Meanwhile, pupils at Eton College have been banned from using smartphones, laptops and tablets in their rooms after bedtime because of fears their addiction to social media is leaving them sleep-deprived.

The 38,700-a-year boarding school has told all 13-year-olds to hand over their electronic devices to their housemasters before they go to bed at 9.30pm.

The measure was introduced by head master Simon Henderson, who said lost sleep could harm pupil's ability to concentrate in lessons and, damage academic performance.
Ministers are preparing to offer the EU up to 40billion in divorce payments, Philip Hammond has suggested  as ministers prepare for a crunch meeting on the issue today.

The Chancellor said the Government would make a fresh offer to Brussels ahead of an EU summit next month when leaders are due to decide whether to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the UK.

Mr Hammond put no figure on the new offer, but Brussels sources have suggested the EU will not consider a payment of less than 40billion.

Ministers are preparing to offer the EU up to 40billion in divorce payments, Philip Hammond has suggested  as ministers prepare for a crunch meeting on the issue today

This is double the figure previously offered by Theresa May.

In September, the Prime Minister offered to hand over 20billion to the EU during a two-year transition to a new relationship after Brexit in 2019.

But EU leaders, who are demanding at least 53billion, have rejected the offer as too small. Ministers on a key Cabinet sub-committee are due to hold talks behind closed doors today on how much to offer the EU, and what to demand in return.

Boris Johnson and David Davis have both warned the Prime Minister against making a significant new offer unless it is accompanied by guarantees on the type of trade deal the UK can expect from Brussels.

But the Chancellor yesterday indicated he was backing a bigger payment, saying there was a very high value in having a close trade relationship with the EU after Brexit.

Talking up the prospect of a new offer, he told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I do think were at something of a turning point. Weve had a difficult year.

Were now I think on the brink of making some serious movement forward in our negotiations with the European Union, and starting to unlock that logjam so that people can start to see clarity about the future.

The EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, set a deadline of this Friday for a new offer, although this has now been extended for a further week. France and Germany, which will have to plug the financial holes left by the UKs EU departure, have both indicated they will delay the opening of trade talks until they receive an improved offer.

Ministers are desperate to begin talks on trade and a two-year transition deal at next months EU summit in Brussels. Mr Hammond yesterday suggested ministers would act to ensure a deal, saying: We will make our proposals to the EU in time for the Council, I am sure about that.

The Chancellor said the Government would make a fresh offer to Brussels ahead of an EU summit next month when leaders are due to decide whether to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the UK

The Cabinets Brexit strategy and negotiations sub-committee is due to meet today to try to thrash out an agreement on a new offer.

This could be put to a full meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow before being proposed to EU Council president Donald Tusk, who will travel to London for emergency talks with the Prime Minister on Friday.

But, despite Mr Hammonds assessment, there is no guarantee of agreement among ministers. One Cabinet source said there was an impasse on the issue. Pro-Remain ministers have a narrow majority on the Brexit sub-committee.

But the Prime Minister is said to be reluctant to push ahead without the support of Brexiteers such as Mr Johnson, Mr Davis, Michael Gove and Liam Fox, who are all members of the committee. Mrs May will come under pressure today to get guarantees from Brussels on the future relationship with the EU before agreeing a new sum.

Mr Hammond put no figure on the new offer, but Brussels sources have suggested the EU will not consider a payment of less than 40billion

Failure to get agreement on the divorce terms next month will lead to renewed calls for the Government to prepare for leaving the EU without a trade deal. Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg yesterday urged ministers to reject any further financial demands.

He said: Its a matter of choice for the Government  they will have to choose whether to give lots of money to the EU or spend money on necessary UK public services. Id encourage the Government to choose our own domestic services, instead of expensive schemes in Europe.

And some pro-Remain MPs are also nervous about handing over large sums to Brussels without receiving guarantees in return. Tory MP Stephen Hammond said he was not opposed to increasing the offer, but added: We have to be clear what were paying for and what were getting.
Salim Mehajer has arrived at a Sydney court (pictured) to face two charges of breaching an AVO taken out on behalf of his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth

Salim Mehajer arrived at a Sydney court on Monday to face two charges of breaching an AVO taken out on behalf of his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth.

The 31-year-old was arrested overnight following a car crash with Ms Learmonth's friend in Kingsgrove at 1am, according to 7News.

He was allegedly driving an Audi when it crashed into another car carrying two women, who appeared to be frightened of the man a witness described as 'abusive.'

Carlos Ramos and his wife Sophie McGee said they were asleep at their home when they heard a man launch into a tirade.

The couple, who called police, told The Daily Telegraph they looked outside and saw a white Audi carrying two men blocking the path of a Toyota Carolla.

The publication claimed Mehajer was heard screaming his estranged wife's name and demanding a set of keys to a Jeep be returned.

'The crash didn't wake me, he did,' Ms McGee.

'There was a guy being very aggressive to the car, cursing, swearing, wanting to  saying he was going to hurt somebody,' Mr Ramos told 9News.

'He was telling her to get out of the car  she was obviously scared of him,' he said.

No one was injured but Mehajer spent the night at Campsie Police Station with a 'blanket' to keep him warm.

He was pictured arriving at the Burwood Local Court just before 11.30am wearing a bright blue hooded jumper and thongs - a drastic change from the extravagant suits he often seen sporting. He is expected to apply for bail.

The former politician's most recent arrest came just moments after he bizarrely posted a picture of he and Ms Learmonth together on his Instagram account. It is unknown of the image was taken recently.

In the caption, the 31-year-old tried to explain away a previous social media asking for a 'sophisticated personal assistant' and claimed his account had been hacked.

'He [sic] is a photo that I hope to make you smile,' he wrote alongside the picture of he and Ms Learmonth.

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The former politician's most recent arrest came just moment after he bizarrely posted a picture of he and Ms Learmonth together on his Instagram account (pictured)

Mehajer was pictured arriving at the Burwood Local Court just before 11.30am wearing a bright blue hooded jumper and thongs - a drastic change from the extravagant suits he often seen sporting

The 31-year-old was arrested overnight following a car crash with Ms Learmonth's friend in Kingsgrove at 1am

Mehajer has been charged with two counts of breaching an apprehended violence order and one count of dangerous driving, a police spokeswoman said.

Last week, Mehajer told Sydney's Central Local Court that he and Ms Learmonth are still together - and their separation was nothing but a ruse.

Appearing in court to appeal his bail conditions, Mehajer was under cross-examination, and therefore under oath, when he made the claim, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'She wants to get out of the media and she acts like she is not with me but she is with me. We are not [separated] - we are still together, we are talking,' he said.

The news comes just one day after the disgraced former Auburn mayor's younger sister Aisha married John Ibrahim's nephew Sam on Saturday at the same home where Ibrahim's bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' was shot in the back hours earlier.

Many of her prominent family members, including Mehajer and his parents, were not in attendance.

Last week, Mehajer claimed in court that he and Ms Learmonth are still together - and their separation was nothing but a ruse (pictured together in 2015)

Mehajer tied the knot with Ms Learmonth (pictured on wedding day together) in August 2015, in a so-called 'wedding of the century'. It's is believed their marriage imploded less than a year later

Mehajer and Ms Learmonth's marriage is believed to have imploded less than a year after their August 2015 'wedding of the century' that shut down a Sydney street.

Ms Learmonth reportedly packed her bags and left their mansion in Lidcombe, western Sydney, to stay with family in the NSW Illawarra region.

Mehajer faced Sutherland Court in August for an AVO filed by police on behalf of Aysha, which was extended this month.

The order was the second he had faced, after first facing court for an AVO hearing in July 2016, when police prevented him from contacting or approaching his estranged wife following a confrontation at her sister's Wollongong home.

As a result of the court orders, Mehajer is not allowed to contact Ms Learmonth.

The property developer said in court though that he is 'not too familiar with the AVOs'.

The news comes just one day after the disgraced former Auburn mayor's younger sister Aisha married John Ibrahim's nephew Sam (pictured together) on Saturday

Mehajer (pictured) told a Sydney court the pair are still married and still in contact. An AVO prohibits him from contacting Ms Learmonth

The pair are pictured attending a court hearing in 2015 after Mehajer was given penalty notices for allegedly driving an unregistered Ferrari without a licence

Mehajer told the court he was 'not too familiar with the AVOs' before claiming the pair were still together

'All I know is that we do talk and we are still married,' he said.

Last year, Mehajer threatened to rape Aysha's parents in a vicious and expletive-ridden video message.

The shocking video obtained by Channel Nine's A Current Affair shows the embattled property developer screaming into the camera.

'Aysha you've got five minutes to give me a call,' Mehajer says.

'I'm going to rape your mum. Your mum and your f****** dad'.

The videos were reportedly sent after the former beauty therapist moved out of the couple's marital home earlier this year and refused to talk to him.

Mehajer was under cross-examination as he tried to appeal his bail conditions when he made the eyebrow-raising claim

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate. Mehajer and his parents were not in attendance

'I hope you die you f****** sl**,' he screams, his voice cracking from the exertion.

Mehajer also switches briefly to Arabic in the short clip.

'I swear on the Koran, I swear to God, I'm not leaving today,' he says.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old shared a photograph of what appears to be another woman to his Instagram account.

The woman's face was blocked by a monkey sticker, and a marking on her wrist was blurred out.

Underneath the image, he posted a line of red love hearts.

When Ms Learmonth was asked by Daily Mail Australia in March to clarify if she and Mehajer were still together, Ms Learmonth replied: 'No confusion, thanks.'

She was seen at the time celebrating her birthday with family in Sydney. Mehajer was not present.
Five people were injured when scaffolding collapsed onto a street in Lower Manhattan on Sunday morning.

The incident occurred just after 11.30am, although it's unclear what caused the 20-foot-high scaffolding to cave in near the intersection of Broadway and Prince Street in SoHo.

Photos quickly flooded social media showing wooden planks and metal scaffolding strewn about with FDNY firefighters on the scene.

Officials said all five injuries are minor and non-life-threatening.

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Five people were injured after scaffolding collapsed onto a street in Lower Manhattan on Sunday morning

The incident occurred just after 11.30am, although it's unclear what caused the 20-foot-high scaffolding to collapse near the intersection of Broadway and Prince in SoHo

Two people were trapped under the scaffolding when it first collapsed, reported The New York Post, but both were rescued. Officials said all five injuries are minor and not life-threatening

Fire officials said the collapse likely happened due to high wind gusts. A wind advisory is in effect in the city until 6pm

Two people were trapped under the scaffolding when it first collapsed, reported The New York Post.

Jonathan Mejia, a vendor at Artists and Fleas, told the newspaper that he and others rushed over to move debris out of the way, managing to free a woman.

'There was someone underneath that needed my help. We started moving things away. There were maybe 15 of us,' he said.

'I saw that her head was cracked open and her leg was folded, almost out of place. She looked at us and said: "What happened?"'

Fire officials said the collapse likely happened due to high wind gusts. The National Weather Service in New York said a wind advisory is in effect in the city until 6pm.

Photos quickly flooded social media showing wooden planks and metal scaffolding strewn about at the corner of Prince Street and Broadway with FDNY firefighters on the scene

According to FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Lonino, the exterior plywood panels 'acted as kind of a sail' and caused the whole structure to collapse

FDNY officials said 'we're absolutely' lucky there weren't more injuries because the scaffolding collapsed over a subway entrance, but no train had let out at the time

According to FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Lonino, the exterior plywood panels 'acted as kind of a sail' and caused the whole structure to collapse.

FDNY officials said 'we're absolutely' lucky there weren't more injuries because the scaffolding collapsed over a subway entrance, but no train had let out at the time.

'Scaffolding that is meant to protect residents should not be up long enough that it needs to be inspected over and over again year after year,' City Councilman Ben Kallos, a Democrat who represents the Upper East Side, said in a statement.

'We can do a better job at keeping New Yorkers safe, by making sure building repairs are done as soon as possible and scaffolding are up for no longer than they have to be.'
Lauri Love (pictured with mother Sirkka and father Alexander) is facing 99 years in jail and a 7million on hacking charges in the US

Theresa May has failed to ask Donald Trump to stop the extradition of vulnerable hacking suspect Lauri Love to the US, his supporters claim.

Experts warn the Asperger's sufferer could commit suicide if he is sent to America to be tried on charges which carry a possible 99-year prison sentence.

More than 70 MPs, including a Government minister, have now written to Attorney General Jeremy Wright demanding he raise Mr Love's case with the US authorities.

The MPs want Mr Love, 32, to be tried in Britain, where his alleged crimes took place. Mr Love, a vicar's son, is accused of 12 computer hacking charges including accessing data from the FBI, the US central bank and Nasa.

If found guilty, as well as a 99-year prison sentence, he could face a 7million fine. He is accused of being a 'hacktivist'  part of an online community of political cyber protesters.

The US indictment charges him with computer hacking in order to acquire and make confidential information public, and 'aggravated' identity theft to access databases.

A copy of the letter to the Attorney General, signed by 73 MPs, has also been sent to Mrs May. It comes a week ahead of a High Court appeal against the decision to extradite him.

'If Mr Love has committed a crime, he should be prosecuted and justice should be served. We believe if he is extradited, there is a great probability he will end his own life,' they write.

'We have no doubt in mind there will be potentially fatal consequences if the United States chooses to pursue this extradition.'

The MPs say they have 'deep concern' for Mr Love, from Stradishall, Suffolk, over his history of mental health issues, including depression and psychosis, as well as Asperger's and severe eczema.

How PM gave courts their final say Legal changes were introduced by then-home secretary Theresa May to prevent a repeat of the case of accused computer hacker Gary McKinnon. The so-called Forum Bar allows courts to refuse extradition in cases where a substantial amount of the alleged crime took place in Britain. Lauri Love allegedly committed his crimes in his parents home in Suffolk. Before the Forum Bar was introduced in 2013, the home secretary had discretion to refuse extradition on various grounds, including human rights. Mrs May used this in the case of Mr McKinnon, whose alleged crimes also took place in Britain. But since then the power has transferred to the courts. Mr Loves lawyers are appealing his extradition on the grounds that the judge did not apply the Bar in his case  its first substantive test. To use the Forum Bar, a judge must consider factors such as where the most harm was committed, where the evidence, witnesses and victims are located and the accused persons connections to the UK. Advertisement

The letter is co-signed by Labour MP Barry Sheerman, Tory MP Heidi Allen and Mr Love's Tory constituency MP Matt Hancock, the Minister for Digital.

As home secretary, Mrs May prevented the extradition of computer expert Gary McKinnon  whose case closely resembled Mr Love's  following a Daily Mail campaign.

Mr Love's extradition appeal will be heard by the Lord Chief Justice and will focus on a legal principle which was introduced by Mrs May after the case of Mr McKinnon.

The principle, known as the Forum Bar, states that individuals should be prosecuted in Britain if their crime was committed here.

Mr Love allegedly committed his crimes in his parents' home in Suffolk, while Mr McKinnon had allegedly hacked US websites from a house in London.

Mrs May granted Mr McKinnon a pardon, but removed the power of the home secretary to do so in future, transferring it to the courts through the Forum Bar. But in 2016, it failed its first legal test after a district judge ruled Mr Love could still be extradited.

Next week, the most senior judicial figure in England and Wales will hear Mr Love's appeal and decide whether the Bar was correctly applied.

In their letter, signatories pointed out that if US prosecutors are successful, Mr Love would be the first UK-based accused hacker to face trial in America.

The UK has prosecuted at least 13 computer hackers accused of interfering with US computer systems who did not face extradition requests.

The MPs asked: 'Why is the United States insistent on Mr Love's extradition despite the UK having a proven track record of appropriately prosecuting, sentencing and rehabilitating individuals who have committed computer hacking offences against the US?'

Theresa May has been accused of failing to raise the case with Donald Trump ahead of a High Court hearing on extradition proceedings

They conclude: 'We would ask you to please make representations to your American counterparts, if you have not already done so, to request that they take account of all the relevant medical evidence and either cede jurisdiction in Mr Love's case to the UK or facilitate a deferred prosecution agreement'.

Naomi Colvin, of campaign group Courage Foundation, said: 'To the best of my knowledge, and that of Lauri's legal team and his family, the UK Government has not made any kind of representation to Donald Trump asking for us to be able to try Lauri here instead of him being extradited to the United States.'

Last year, 114 MPs wrote to former US president Barack Obama and the US ambassador to the UK to request the extradition order be withdrawn so Mr Love can be tried in Britain.

Miss Colvin added: 'More than a hundred MPs signed a letter to Barack Obama last year about Lauri and I don't think the UK Government did anything to act on those concerns either.'

Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett is likely to rule on Mr Love's case in the New Year. If he is unsuccessful, he can take his case to the Supreme Court and then to the European Court of Human Rights before he is extradited.

A Government spokesman said: 'It is for a judge to decide on extradition cases and Mr Love's appeal will be heard by the High Court later this month.'
Senior Tories yesterday accused Brexit rebels in their own party of trying to thwart the referendum result by stealth.

Pro-Brexit MP Suella Fernandes and Remain-supporting former minister John Penrose accused rebels of engineering synthetic complaints about the flagship EU Withdrawal Bill, which returns to the Commons tomorrow.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the two MPs said the legislation should be a simple matter of copying and pasting EU law onto the UKs statute book to provide legal continuity after Brexit.

Senior Tories accused Brexit rebels in their own party of trying to thwart the referendum result by stealth. Pro-Brexit MP Suella Fernandes (pictured) and former minister John Penrose accused rebels of engineering synthetic complaints about the flagship EU Withdrawal Bill

They said: But theres a danger it will be used as a Trojan horse, to thwart the referendum result by stealth.

The synthetic fuss over whether the date for Brexit should be in the Withdrawal Bill is a good example.

The Article 50 process has already set the date anyway, and Parliament approved it with a whopping majority. Whats the problem?

Nine Tory rebels, led by former attorney general Dominic Grieve, are threatening to join forces with Labour tomorrow in a bid to defeat the government over its plans to drop the EUs controversial Charter of Fundamental Rights from British law after Brexit.

Mr Grieve, who is also leading opposition to fixing the Brexit day in law, yesterday hit out at pro-Brexit ministers, describing them as unhinged.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the two MPs said the legislation should be a simple matter of copying and pasting EU law onto the UKs statute book to provide legal continuity after Brexit (pictured: John Penrose)

I do sometimes think that some of my colleagues have become unhinged actually, not the PM, he said.

The PMs problem is that shes surrounded by people who get louder and more strident by the moment as some of the inevitable problems, which were going to come with Brexit, start to make themselves apparent.

But, in a bizarre twist, Mr Grieve then urged MPs on both sides of the Brexit divide to be more polite to each other.

He said he felt uncomfortable opposing the government on elements of Brexit, but said he would not be bullied into backing down.

Its very important to be polite and its very important to listen if youre going to have a disagreement, he said.

But equally there does come a point in these processes where the risk that you start to run is that youre just being bullied into silence and I think the last week has shown to me that that risk is very apparent.
A teenager who was trapped in a blowhole has been been winched to safety, in a dramatic rescue on the NSW Central Coast.

A triple-zero call was received about 10.50am on Monday with emergency services racing to Snapper Point Rd at Frazer Park.

The 18-year-old was with a large group of people who were jumping off the rocks when he was swept into the cave, a NSW Ambulance spokesman said in a statement.

An 18-year-old who was trapped in a blowhole after jumping off rocks has been been winched to safety, in a dramatic rescue on the NSW Central Coast

The teen was returned to the car park above the cave without injury and the Westpac helicopter returned to its base

He was winched to safety after being strapped to a paramedic suspended from a rescue helicopter.

The paramedic was lowered from the helicopter by rope into the water, securing the young man before they were hauled back to the aircraft.

The teen was returned to the car park above the cave without injury and the Westpac helicopter returned to its base.

Two of the youth's friends were located nearby the scene and managed to walk out unharmed.

The paramedic was lowered from the helicopter by rope into the water, securing the young man before they were hauled back to the aircraft
He later defended himself online by tweeting that 'it was his job to ask questions'

Tame took up six of his allotted eight minutes pressing Ardern over the anecdote

She explained that a third party had observed Trump appear confused about her

Tame repeatedly asked her whether Trump had mistaken her for Trudeau's wife

Jacinda Ardern has vehemently denied claims Donald Trump thought she was Justin Trudeau's wife during a recent visit to Asia.

Miss Ardern was quizzed on the matter on TVNZ after she reportedly shared the anecdote at the New Zealand Music Awards last week.

Comedian Tom Sainsbury, who shared a stage with the New Zealand prime minister at the awards show, said he was told the confusion came at the APEC summit in Vietnam.

'When [Ms Ardern] met US President Trump at APEC, he mistook her for the wife of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau,' Mr Sainsbury claimed on RadioLIVE.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denied claims Trump thought she was Sophie Gregoire Trudeau

After hearing rumours about the supposed confusion, TVNZ's morning show host Jack Tame took her to task in a six-minute grilling.

'So two people say that you told them that Donald Trump mistook you for Justin Trudeau's wife,' Tame began.

'Did Donald Trump mistake you for Justin Trudeau's wife?'

Ms Ardern clarified, saying that 'second-hand, someone said that they thought that it had happened... But in all my interactions, certainly Donald Trump didn't seem to have confused me in all out interactions. But someone else observed this.'

The new prime minister was repeatedly forced to explain that she was 'in a circle [when] someone else observed, what they took to be, some confusion [by Trump] over who I was'.

Wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau (left) does not appear to look similar to Jacinda Ardern (right)

Ms Ardern heard from a third party that Trump may have been confused about who she was

'Not interested in that,' Tame cut in, refusing to let the topic drop.

'I want to know at the music awards, what is the story you told a comedian in a group of people was it simply that, "Hey guys, funny story, Donald Trump mistook me"... was it that, because that is what they say you told them.'

The New Zealand Prime Minister also denied telling Mr Sainsbury that Trump mistook her for the Canadian First Lady, explaining that she had 'shared a yarn' about someone else seeing Trump become confused about who she was.

Jack Tame (left) grilled Ms Jacinda Ardern for nearly all of her time on the breakfast talk show

Ms Ardern was clearly exasperated the she was being forced to repeat the story multiple times

'I think I should never have recounted the story,' she finally says, clearly exasperated after more than five minutes on the topic.

Tame then took a rebuke from his co-host Hillary Barry, who wasn't pleased that the topic took up six minutes of the eight-minute segment with the New Zealand Prime Minister, with the final two minutes devoted to dental care.

Tame later defended himself by tweeting that 'it was his job to ask questions' and declined to comment further when contacted.
A state-backed body tasked with approving new Press regulators has been accused of breaking rules by lobbying for changes to the Data Protection Bill in a fresh assault on Press freedom.

The News Media Association said the Press Recognition Panel, set up under a royal charter after the Leveson Inquiry, has urged peers to amend the Bill.

The PRP proposed changes to an exemption that allows journalists to carry out investigations, such as the recent expose of the Paradise Papers tax avoidance scandal, without having to obtain the consent of people involved before using their data.

The Press Recognition Panel urged MPs to adopt a code of conduct despite being funded by public money which prohibits lobbying, according to a letter from the News Media Association

In a letter to the Cabinet Office the NMA, which represents local and national newspapers, said the PRP had urged peers to adopt a journalists' code of conduct drawn up by controversial Press regulator Impress.

Impress, which is financially backed by former Formula One boss Max Mosley, covers only a handful of hyper-local publications and blogs.

It was embroiled in controversy when it found its chief executive and two board members had broken its own rules by posting abusive tweets about some newspapers, including the Daily Mail.

In its letter to peers, the PRP also appeared to warn against including the Editors' Code of the Independent Press Standards Organisation in the Bill, even though it is the code followed by the vast majority of the Press, the NMA said.

If Ipso's Editors' Code is removed from the Bill it would severely restrict the ability of those who abide by it to store and access information, and investigate wrongdoing.

The Bill empowers individuals to have more control over their personal information. There would be heavy fines for groups that do not safeguard sensitive data.

In its letter, also sent to culture minister Matt Hancock, the NMA says the PRP intervention is its 'second foray into parliamentary lobbying in recent months'.

The code of conduct was drawn up by Impress, the controversial Press regulator headed by Max Mosley, who was exposed romping with prostitutes by the News Of The World

The NMA said as the PRP was entirely funded by public money at the time it made its lobbying interventions, it is effectively a public body and so should be governed by the relevant principles.

It notes that Cabinet Office guidelines state that public bodies should put 'robust and effective' systems in place to ensure they do not, and are not perceived to, engage in political lobbying.

The NMA says the PRP's latest intervention 'strays significantly from its core functions', adding: 'As an attempt to change legislation the October 2017 briefing is clearly political lobbying.'

Mr Mosley has been a vocal supporter of state-backed restrictions on the Press since being exposed by the News of the World for taking part in an orgy with prostitutes.

The vast majority of national and local newspapers, including the Daily Mail, have signed up to Ipso, which is entirely independent of the state.

The Cabinet Office said it will consider the NMA's letter. The PRP said: 'The PRP is entirely independent.

'Our briefing to peers explains that omitting the post-Leveson system of regulation from the Bill would undermine Parliament's original intentions, and mean people continue to be denied access to justice when they are wronged by the Press.'
Rising numbers of children are seeking help from a charity as they are confused about their gender.

Mermaids, which is Britains only nationwide charity for transgender and gender diverse children, says it has seen a nearly 700 per cent rise in calls and emails in three years.

Calls to and from children and their families have leapt from 199 a year to more than 1,700, according to the charity. Emails sent in have risen from 296 to more than 2,200. It comes as growing numbers of young people are sharing their stories of changing sex on websites such as YouTube  leading others to question their own gender identity.

Rising numbers of children are seeking help from a charity as they are confused about their gender. Mermaids, which is Britains only nationwide charity for transgender and gender diverse children, says it has seen a nearly 700 per cent rise in calls and emails in three years

A training manager at Mermaids, who did not want to be named, said at a conference held by the Royal Society of Medicine last week: Children are accessing YouTube channels and they are self-identifying at a much younger age.

Now young people are recognising someone, hearing what they are saying  they are able to say, Thats me, thats who I am.

The figures from Mermaids include phone calls both to and from the charity. The numbers mirror the rise in numbers of children being sent to specialists because of gender confusion. Almost 2,000 have been seen by doctors in the past year, according to the Gender Identity Development Service.

Children aged just three are getting specialist help, with those aged 11 being allowed to take powerful hormones to prevent them going through puberty.

Dr Bernadette Wren, a consultant clinical psychologist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, the only facility specialising in child gender identity, has attributed the rise to greater recognition of transgender and gender-diverse people.

But she also raised concern that social media often featured discussions about treatment such as hormones, which might not be appropriate for all young people seeking help.

Calls to and from children and their families have leapt from 199 a year to more than 1,700, according to the charity. Emails sent in have risen from 296 to more than 2,200

Despite soaring number of enquiries about gender dysphoria, it is thought relatively few actually get to the stage of having medical treatment.

Experts believe that while some children are trapped in the wrong body, many are simply confused about their sexuality and identity during the turmoil of puberty.

A Mermaids spokesman said the increase in calls could be attributed to a number of factors, including increased media coverage, availability of information, and society becoming more accepting of gender non-conforming.
One in ten towns and villages could lose their free cash machines.

Banks including RBS and Lloyds want a cut in the fees they pay when their customers use ATMs run by other firms.

But the operators of those dispensers warn the lower revenue would make the machines uneconomical. The industry association said scrapping them could leave up to 5,000 of the countrys 48,000 towns and villages without a free cashpoint. Campaigners said pensioners and small businesses such as shops and pubs would be worst hit.

Anything that jeopardises peoples ability to access an ATM is extremely worrying, particularly because so many banks have closed, said Justin Modray, of the consumer group Candid Money. It would be a travesty for those already struggling to access finance if their ATM closes as well.

Ron Delnevo of the ATM Industry Association said: It looks like banks are scrambling around for some way of getting their profits back, and theyve picked this. Its going to affect a vital public service and that will have a knock-on effect for businesses and the economy. People will be furious.

One in 10 villages could lose their free cash machine as banks want a cut in the fees they pay when their customers use ATMs run by other firms

Banks are typically charged 25p when a customer withdraws cash from a machine outside their own network. And Lloyds and RBS  both bailed out in the financial crisis  claim this charge, which goes to the other operators, is too high.

The fees are set by Link, a company owned by high street banks and independent operators such as Cardtronics and Notemachine. It is consulting on plans to cut fees by 20 per cent over the next four years, meaning the independents would get just 20p per withdrawal.

The operators say this could force them to shut down sites which are no longer profitable.

There are also fears that cash machines which are free to use would start to charge. Insiders said the fee change could save Lloyds as much as 40million a year. John Howells, chief executive of Link, said he was determined to keep ATMs open in isolated areas  with operators offered an extra 10p per transaction where necessary.

But he said fees were too high  encouraging a proliferation of ATMs. Because Link cant take the risk that vulnerable customers will be hit, we will have a premium which can be applied to any area of concern, he added.

Link claims that demand for cash is dwindling as payments by card and contactless soar.

It cites a forecast by banking lobby group UK Finance that over the next decade, cash payments will fall by 43 per cent to 8.7billion a year.

But the Bank of Englands chief cashier Victoria Cleland said last month that cash was not in decline. She said the value of bank notes in circulation last year jumped 10 per cent, hitting more than 70billion in the festive season.

We need to look closely at their claim that this will lead to a reduction in free cash machines.

Labour MP Wes Streeting said: The key thing is to make sure that people across communities outside major towns and cities have access to free cash machines when they need them.

It isnt a surprise that operators dont want to see their fees go up, but we need to look closely at their claim that this will lead to a reduction in free cash machines.

An RBS spokesman said last night: We have one of the largest free-to-use ATM networks and are committed to working with the industry and Link to ensure we continue to offer customers access to ATMs at no cost to them, particularly vulnerable customers and those in rural areas.

A Lloyds spokesman said any changes should ensure ATMs are in the right areas for consumers, providing free access to cash, strengthening financial inclusion and supporting vulnerable customers.
A Greens candidate's campaign volunteer illegally parked a ute in a disabled spot.

Shannon Girard's campaign for the conservative, rural southern Queensland seat of Scenic Rim has suffered a major embarrassment less than a week before polling day.

The candidate posted an apology on Facebook after an image of the Toyota Hilux, parked over a line marking, was sent to Sydney radio presenter Ray Hadley, whose program is broadcast in Queensland.

Greens candidate Shannon Girard has apologised for this Toyota Hilux ute in a disabled spot

Queensland Greens candidate Shannon Girard posted this apology on his Facebook page

'It came to my attention over the weekend that a volunteer parked in a disabled parking space,' Mr Girard said on Facebook.

'Ive spoken to the volunteer involved and they are incredibly sorry and sincerely apologised for any inconvenience or any upset caused.

'I have spoken to all my volunteers that this is not acceptable and we would never approve of this behavior. Im am also truly sorry that this has occurred.'

In another embarrassment, Mr Girard's campaign profile on the Greens website describes him as growing up in Goondiwindi in 'Central Queensland'.

Playing to his political base: Shannon Girard has apologised for a campaign embarrassment

Parking mad: Greens candidate Shannon Girard campaigns next to a stationary car

Shannon Girard says he grew up at Goondiwindi in 'Central Queensland' - a region which is is more than 650 kilometres away

The trouble is the town of 11,000 people, on the Queensland border, is more than 650 kilometres away from Central Queensland.

'Growing up gay in a small town was difficult,' he said.

In a bit of spin with his apology Mr Girard said disability advocate Jordan Steel-John, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was recently sworn in as a West Australian Greens senator to replace dual New Zealand citizen Scott Ludlam.

Betting website Ladbrokes puts the Greens' chance of winning the Liberal National Party-held seat this Saturday out at a whopping $51 compared with $1.22 for the incumbent and $4.25 for One Nation.
Gerry Adams announced he will resign as president of Sinn Fein, ostensibly to let a younger generation flourish, but in reality for his own shallow ends

Gerry Adams is a vain man for whom image is everything. So his weekend announcement to the adoring party faithful in Dublin was carefully staged.

Here was the freedom fighter turned man of peace, the eminence grise of Irish Republican politics and a statesman on the global stage, gracefully withdrawing to allow a new generation to flourish.

'Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now,' declared the 69-year-old who has been party president since 1983.

Yes, there were some tears, but there was also relief, while in pubs in both the North and South those watching his speech on television might well have raised their eyebrows as well as a glass.

For the truth is that this is a cynical ploy by Adams that few who know him  or Republican politics  take seriously.

There is some friction within Sinn Fein among ambitious younger politicians, resistance from voters who abhor his link with the IRA and the violence of the past, and ridicule of his ineptitude when it comes to issues of the day such as the economy. They also object to the bullying by Adams and his cronies if dissent is voiced.

He is, they feel, holding the party back. It is purely for electoral reasons that he has taken this decision.

But be in no doubt this poisonous man will still be manipulating the strings of the Republican movement which, over 50 years, has brought so much bloodshed and misery and sectarian hatred to Northern Ireland and beyond.

The remains of an IRA bomb victim are placed into a body bag during Bloody Friday in Belfast. Nine people died and 130 were injured when 20 bombs exploded in 80 minutes

Of course, Adams famously insists that he has never been a member of the IRA.

But as his critics have been pointing out for years now, this denial is rather at odds with him marching in IRA parades wearing a black beret, bearing terrorists' coffins on his shoulders, and being appointed Officer Commanding of Republican prisoners when he was in jail.

Both sides of Adams's family were staunch republicans and several were interned or imprisoned for IRA activities.

He was still a teenager when, in the late 1960s, he became an enthusiastic rioter in the civil rights campaign, which was hi-jacked by Republican paramilitaries.

Clever and articulate, in March 1972, when he was only 23, he was interned. But so well-regarded was he by senior IRA figures that he was released to be part of a delegation which held talks  ultimately futile  in London with the then Home Secretary, Willie Whitelaw.

This is a cynical ploy by Adams that few who know him take seriously

Many years later Brendan Hughes, a former close comrade of Adams who became disillusioned with the IRA, was secretly interviewed for an American archive.

He alleged that Adams was involved in two incidents that year as a senior member of the IRA's Belfast Brigade, claims that Adams has always denied.

Hughes admitted to being an organiser of what became known as Bloody Friday, a day of horror in July 1972 when the IRA let off 26 bombs in different locations in and around Belfast in less than an hour-and-a-half.

Nine people were killed including two British soldiers and five civilians, and 130 were injured, some of them horribly.

Adams and the other two senior figures who had agreed the plan bore as much responsibility as he did himself, said Hughes.

In December that year, there was the terrible death of Jean McConville. A 37-year-old widow with ten children, she had been suspected for no good reason of being an informer and was dragged from her maisonette in the Lower Falls Road  prised from the grip of her screaming six-year-old twins  by a pitiless female gang.

While Adams will give up his presidential title, be under no illusion that he will continue pulling the strings of the Republican movement

Hughes alleged that Adams ordered her execution and secret burial. In 2003 her skeleton was found on a beach in the Irish Republic.

Hughes's allegations were corroborated by Dolours Price, an IRA volunteer, who had driven McConville to the scene of her death; she alleged that Adams was her 'Officer Commanding' when she was in the IRA, and the man responsible in 1973 for ordering her to be part of a team that bombed the Old Bailey and injured 200.

In 2015, Northern Irish prosecutors announced that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Adams and others.

Over many decades Adams has been arrested and interrogated about IRA crimes, but he is tough and omerta rules in the IRA.

While Adams uses rhetoric about reconciliation, he stokes the fires of sectarian hatred

Many journalists, historians, commentators and politicians have claimed he was a key player on the IRA Army Council from the early 1970s, but he denies any involvement.

If they are right, then like Martin McGuinness, Adams is a murderer who ran a paramilitary organisation that killed around 1,800 people and inflicted appalling injuries on tens of thousands more.

It is true that Adams realised earlier than many Republicans that the IRA could not win a military victory and that Unionists could not be bullied and intimidated into a united Ireland.

He and McGuinness were the key people in persuading the leadership that the way forward was to have 'a ballot paper in one hand and an Armalite in the other'.

In the late 1980s, as it became obvious that the best the IRA could expect militarily was a stalemate, Adams embarked on developing 'the peace process', which after almost a decade  interspersed with occasional murders  would result in the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.

Adams denies being a key player in the IRA Army Council, but this denial is at odds with him marching in IRA parades wearing a black beret and bearing terrorists' coffins on his shoulders

Yet while Adams uses fine rhetoric about reconciliation, he consistently stokes the fires of sectarian hatred. He is a cold man who is adept at using lies and hypocrisy to infuriate his opponents.

He is loathed by opponents in the Irish parliament, where his self-righteousness is matched only by his aggression.

He has trained his right-hand woman and designated successor, the deputy leader of Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, to be just as unpleasant and sanctimonious.

Although no longer an elected politician in the North, Adams operates there through the obedient Michelle O'Neill, leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, whom he appointed as McGuinness's successor.

Together they have made it impossible to do a deal to restore the Northern Ireland executive by constantly adding to a list of impossible demands other parties can never agree to.

In Northern Ireland, Adams knows that the Sinn Fein vote is boosted by encouraging tribal tensions and that won't stop any time soon. In the Republic, he remains focused on Sinn Fein getting into government.

And let's not forget the continuing influence of the IRA: Adams's inner circle which dictates Sinn Fein policy consists of mostly unelected IRA veterans.

Without Adams, Sinn Fein would falter and is at risk of fracture. He's not going anywhere.
President Donald Trump has expressed more doubts about a new policy allowing trophies of African elephants shot for sport to be imported.

'Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal,' Trump tweeted Sunday night.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has argued that encouraging wealthy big-game hunters to kill the threatened species would help raise money for conservation programs.

It announced Thursday that it would allow such importation, drawing criticism from animal rights advocates, environmental groups and some GOP lawmakers.

Trump decided Friday to delay the policy until he could review it with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

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President Donald Trump has expressed more doubts about a new policy allowing trophies of African elephants shot for sport to be imported

Trump tweeted Sunday night that a decision on the ban would be coming next week

He tweeted late Friday that he will uphold a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review

The Fish and Wildlife Service said in a written notice issued Thursday that permitting parts of elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back as trophies will raise money for conservation programs.

The change would override a 2014 ban imposed by the Obama administration. The new policy applies to the remains of African elephants killed between January 2016 and December 2018.

Just hours before Trump's dramatic reversal on Friday, Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders had defended the US Fish and Wildlife Service's move to end the 2014 ban initiated under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

The service said Thursday that it would begin issuing permits to import 'sport-hunted trophies from elephants hunted in Zimbabwe' between January 21, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

Zambia would also have been covered under the revised rule.

The move was met with a barrage of criticism from animal rights groups and activists.

Donald Trump Jr poses with an elephant carcass while holding its tail in his hand in 2012 in Zimbabwe. The president's sons are known to have a passion for hunting

It also came on the same day that the US State Department presented to Congress its first annual report on wildlife trafficking which, it said, 'remains a serious transnational crime.'

French screen legend and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot added her voice to the growing chorus of criticism, slamming Trump as 'unfit for office' after his administration's 'shameful actions.'

'No despot in the world can take responsibility for killing off an age-old species that is part of the world heritage of humanity,' Bardot said in a letter to Trump, released through Fondation Brigitte Bardot.

The move is 'a cruel decision backed by Zimbabwe's crazy dictator and it confirms the sick and deadly power you assert over the entire plant and animal kingdom,' the 83-year-old actress added.

'Your shameful actions confirm the rumors that you are unfit for office.'

According to the Great Elephant Census project, African Savanna elephant populations fell by 30 per cent between 2007 and 2014, while Zimbabwe saw a drop of six per cent.

President Donald Trump says he will keep a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review

Despite an overall fall in poaching, Africa's elephant population has declined in part because of continued illegal killing, said a report this year by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

African ivory, in particular, is highly sought in China where it is a status symbol.

A provision in the Endangered Species Act says the import of such trophies can be legal if accompanied by proof that the hunting benefits broader conservation of the species.

Trump's sons are known to have a passion for hunting.

In one widely shared photograph, Donald Trump Jr poses with a knife in one hand and an elephant tail in the other, the animal's corpse beside him.

The US decision follows tumultuous days in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe refuses to resign after the military seized control of the country.
Salim Mehajer (pictured on Monday) faces time behind bars with police looking to oppose bail after he was arrested for allegedly breaching an AVO taken out on behalf of his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth

Salim Mehajer faces time behind bars with police looking to oppose bail after he was arrested for allegedly breaching an apprehended violence order taken out on behalf of his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth.

The 31-year-old was arrested after a car crash in Kingsgrove in Sydney's south in the early hours of Monday.

The former Auburn deputy mayor will apply for bail on Monday afternoon when his case is presented before the court, his lawyer George Thomas told News.com.au.

He is willing to abide by bail conditions, including not using Instagram and not entering Kingsgrove where Ms Learmonth lives, Mr Thomas said.

He could also be forced to police twice a week and pay a $5,000 penalty, according to the publication.

Mr Thomas said his client allegedly violated the AVO taken out by police on behalf of Ms Learmonth by posting an image of the couple together to Instagram on Sunday night.

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Mehajer tied the knot with Ms Learmonth (pictured on wedding day together) in August 2015, in a so-called 'wedding of the century'. It's is believed their marriage imploded less than a year later

Mehajer's lawyer said the 31-year-old allegedly violated the AVO taken out by police on behalf of Ms Learmonth by posting an image (pictured) of the couple together to Instagram on Sunday night

Prosecutors at Burwood Local Court stated: 'We'll be looking at opposing the release application.'

It's the second smash in less than a month for the 31-year-old after he crashed his luxury 4WD in October on his way to court to face assault charges.

He was allegedly driving an Audi when it crashed into another car carrying two women, who appeared to be frightened of the man a witness described as 'abusive.'

Carlos Ramos and his wife Sophie McGee said they were asleep at their home when they heard a man launch into a tirade.

The couple, who called police, told The Daily Telegraph they looked outside and saw a white Audi carrying two men blocking the path of a Toyota Carolla.

The publication claimed Mehajer was heard screaming his estranged wife's name and demanding a set of keys to a Jeep be returned.

'The crash didn't wake me, he did,' Ms McGee.

'There was a guy being very aggressive to the car, cursing, swearing, wanting to  saying he was going to hurt somebody,' Mr Ramos told 9News.

'He was telling her to get out of the car  she was obviously scared of him,' he said.

The 31-year-old was arrested overnight following a car crash with Ms Learmonth's friend in Kingsgrove at 1am

Mehajer told a Sydney court on Thursday he and his estranged wife (pictured together) are still together, although he's 'not too familiar with the AVOs'

No one was injured but Mehajer spent the night at Campsie Police Station with a 'blanket' to keep him warm.

He was charged with two counts of breaching an apprehended violence order and one count of dangerous driving.

The former deputy mayor of Auburn first came to wider public attention in August 2015 when he closed a street in the suburb of Lidcombe for his glitzy nuptials.

But after less than a year of marriage, NSW police sought an AVO against Mehajer to protect his wife Ms Learmonth.

Monday's incident follows a weekend wedding linking the Mehajer family and another infamous Sydney clan the Ibrahims.

Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata, a long-term enforcer for the family of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, was found with a gunshot wound at Mr Ibrahim's mother's Merrylands house on Friday night.

Last week, Mehajer claimed their separation was nothing but a ruse (pictured together in 2015)

The former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki married John Ibrahim's nephew Sam on Sunday (pictured together)

At the time, the family was preparing for the wedding of Mr Ibrahim's nephew and Mehajer's sister.

In the mid-October two-car crash at Lidcombe Mehajer was taken to hospital on a stretcher on the day he was due to appear in court charged with allegedly robbing and assaulting a taxi driver.

Detectives later confirmed they were investigating allegations companies linked to Mehajer were involved in car insurance fraud.

It's been suggested two collisions in 2016 were similar to Mehajer's October crash.

An insurance assessment review found the cars last year were likely stationary when struck, the Seven Network has reported.
Surrounded by the army generals who had been expected to oust him from power, Robert Mugabe sat behind a table draped with a table cloth and with a simple box of tissues placed on one side.

Would Mugabe weep as he brought the curtain down on 37 years of rule? As he addressed the nation it soon became clear that not only would there be no tears, there would also be no resignation. Here is that controversial speech in full.

Mugabe addressed the world from behind a desk with a box of tissues placed on it

Fellow Zimbabweans, I address you tonight on the back of a meeting I held today with the nations security forces command element.

This meeting which was facilitated by a mediating team followed an operation mounted by the Zimbabwean Defence Forces in the week that has gone by, and which was triggered by concerns from their reading of the state of affairs in our country and in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Whatever the pros and cons of the way they went about registering those concerns, I as the President of Zimbabwe and as their Commander in Chief do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to, and do believe these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern for the stability of our nation and for the welfare of our people.

As I address you I am also aware of a whole range of concerns which have come from you all as citizens of our great country and which deserve our untrammelled attention.

Todays meeting with the command element has underscored the need for us to collectively start processes that return our nation to normalcy so that all our people can go about their business unhindered in an environment of perfect peace and security assured that the law and order prevail as before and endure well into the future.

If there is any one observation we have made and drawn from events of the last week it is the unshakable pedestal upon which rests our state of peace and law and order, amply indicating that as Zimbabweans we are generally a peaceably disposed people and with a given-ness to express our grievances and to resolve our differences ourselves and with a level of dignity and restraint so rare to many other nations. This is to be admired. Indeed such traits must form the path of our national character and personality. Yes, a veritable resource we summon and draw upon in times of vicissitudes.

The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government, not even as commander in chief of the Zimbabwean Defence Forces. To the man, the commend element remained respectful and comported themselves with diktats and mores of constitutionalism. True, a few incidents may have occurred here and there but they are being corrected. I am happy that throughout the short period the pillars of state remained functional. Even happier for me and arising from todays meeting is a strong sense of collegiality and comradeship now binding the various arms of our security establishment. This should redound to greater peace and offer an abiding sense of security in communities and in our entire nation.

Among the issues discussed is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. Of greater concern to our commanders are the well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness of purpose in both party and government was translating into perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy. Open public spats between officials in the party and government exacerbated by multiple conflicting messages from both the party and government made the criticisms levelled at us inescapable.

Amidst all this, flagship projects already adopted by government stood stalled or mired in needless controversies. All this needs to stop as we inaugurate a new work culture and pace which will show a strong sense of purpose and commitment to turning around our economy in terms of our policies. The government remains committed to improving the social and material conditions of the people. Government will soon unveil an entrepreneurial skills and business development program which will empower and unleash gainful projects at our growth points and in rural areas.

Fellow Zimbabweans we are a nation born out of a protracted struggle for national independence. Our roots lie in that epochal struggle whose goals and ideals must guide our present and structure our future.

The tradition of resistance is our collective legacy, whose core tenets must [be] subscribed [to] by all across generations and across times. Indeed these too were a concern of our commanders who themselves were makers of that revolution and often at very tender ages and at great personal peril. We still have in our various communities veterans of that founding struggle who might have found the prevailing management of national and party issues quite alienating. This must be corrected without delay, include ensuring that these veterans continue to play central roles in the lives of our nation. We must all recognise that their participation in the war of liberation exacted lifelong costs that, while hardly repayable, may still be assuaged and ameliorated.

Generals sat stony-faced as Mugabe spoke. Later, sources said he had gone off script.

In respect of the party and the party issued raised both by the commanders and by the general membership of Zanu-PF, these too stand acknowledged. They have to be attended to with a great sense of urgency, however I am aware that as a party of liberation, Zanu-PF has over the years written elaborate rules and procedures that guide the operations of all its organs and personnel. Indeed the current criticisms raised against it by the command element and some of its members have arisen from a well-founded perception that the party was stretching or even failing in its own rules and procedures. The way forward thus cannot be based on swapping vying cliques that ride roughshod over party rules and procedures. There has to be a net return to the guiding principles of our party as enshrined in its constitution, which must apply fairly and equitably in all situations and before all members. The era of victimisation and arbitrary decisions must be put behind [us], so as we all embrace a new ethos predicated on the supreme law of our party and nourished by an abiding sense of camaraderie.

To all, there must be a general recognition that Zanu-PF is a party of traditions and has been served by successive generations who are bound together by shared ideals and values, which must continue to reign supreme in our nation.

Hints of inter-generational conflict must be resolved through harmonised melding of old established players as they embrace and welcome new rules through a well-defined sense of hierarchy and succession.

Indeed all these matters will be discussed and settled at the forthcoming Congress within the framework of a clear roadmap that seeks to resolve once and for all any omissions or contradictions that have affected our party negatively. The Congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, that must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public.

As I conclude this address I am aware that many developments have occurred in the party or have been championed and done by individuals in the name of the party. Given the failings of the past and the anger these might have triggered in some quarters, such developments are quite understandable, however we cannot be guided by bitterness or vengefulness, both of which would not make us any better party members or any better Zimbabweans. Our hallowed policy of reconciliation which we pronounced in 1980 and through which we reached out to those which occupied and oppressed us for nearly a century and those we had traded fire with in a bitter war surely cannot be unavailable to our own, both in the party and in our nation.

We must learn to forgive and to resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit. I am confident that from tonight our whole nation at all levels gets refocused as we put our shoulder to the wheel amidst the promising agricultural season already upon us.

Let us all move forward reminding ourselves of our wartime mantra: [You and I have work to do].

I thank you and goodnight.
A 64-year-old woman has revealed that she was 'groomed' into sending $100,000 to a fake Italian lover she'd never met.

Patricia Meister, from Queensland, struck up the online relationship with a man named 'Carlos' after being sent a Facebook friend request in 2015.

But months after the extensive scam took hold, the Brisbane woman realised he was instead a fraudster she believes was working with a Malaysian syndicate.

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Patricia Meister, 64, (pictured) has revealed that she was 'groomed' into sending $100,000 to a fake Italian lover she'd never met during an interview with Today Extra on Monday

During an interview on Today Extra Monday morning, Ms Meister spoke about how she was duped into the elaborate ruse.

'Initially you go through a grooming stage with the scammer where they ask you a lot of personal questions and they try to reproduce a persona that actually fits your ideal person,' she said.

'The first request for money came after he probably groomed me for a good couple of months.'

Ms Meister went on to explain that the money was never asked for 'in one hit', while the backstory of her supposed lover had been detailed.

'He was supposedly an interior designer living in Brisbane, however all the transfers were made to Malaysia, so he was basically working with a syndicate.'

Speaking with Daily Mail Australia last month, Ms Meister said the pair had exchanged messages and had phone conversations almost daily.

The 64-year-old opened up about the elaborate ruse she was caught in after striking up an online relationship with a man named 'Carlos' following a Facebook friend request in 2015

'I guess at the time, I was going through a period in my life where I felt isolated. I'd been single for a while and I'd never been on dating sites,' she said.

'We started chatting. He was charming, smart and educated. He was very good with English and he was very romantic. I was very much in love with him at one stage.'

Eight weeks into their relationship though, 'Carlos' asked if she could lend him $600 because his credit card wouldn't work while he was in Malaysia for a project.

'It didn't feel right but I thought "well, it's not a huge amount of money to lose". It wasn't a huge request so I did a wire transfer to him,' she recalled.

'A part of me thought it was wrong so I questioned him, saying "you're a businessman, your credit card should work..." His story didn't add up.'

But the requests for money didn't end there, with another excuse claiming his goods had been held up in Malaysian customs.

'The first amount I sent him was $7,000. When he went to get the money, he told me he needed another $7,000,' she said.

'When he tried to pay me back, he said his bank couldn't do the large international transfer so he arranged for a courier to deliver the cash instead.'

Ms Meister explained that you go through a grooming stage 'where they ask you a lot of personal questions and they try to reproduce a persona that actually fits your ideal person'

Ms Meister claimed that everything he said had been 'backed up by "documents"', and that she had received a 'tracking sheet' to keep an eye on the parcel.

But when the parcel reached Kuala Lumpur airport, there was a $25,000 fee to let the cash leave the country.

Concerned about her business address being listed on the documents she felt it would be 'suspicious' if she let it sit there and made the payment.

'I was kind of thinking "well I've got to pay this money to get my money back",' she said.

The ruse came to a conclusion when she received a phone call on the day the parcel was set to arrive claiming Carlos and his lawyer were in a serious car accident.

'My stomach dropped to my shoes. I knew at that point, I'd been scammed,' she said.

After refusing to pay for their medical fees the pair stopped talking for about a week, with Carlos later making a 'miraculous recovery'.

Two months later she received a text message from him saying: it was 'all a terrible misunderstanding.'

Speaking with Daily Mail Australia last month, Ms Meister said she received a number of requests for money but that they had been backed up by 'documents'

Without a second thought, Ms Meister fired back that he was a 'scammer', before he ended the conversation saying 'catch me if you can, my dear'.

Ms Meister revealed she had tried to report the incident to police but there was nothing they could do.

She said that she had heard of such scams taking place but was unaware of the complex web spun by the thieves.

'People think you're stupid but they're not walking in our shoes. It's not a matter of being stupid. Even the most intelligent, educated women are getting scammed.

'I know I'll never get my money back but all you can do is raise awareness. There's a lot of lonely people out there, the dating websites are riddled with scammers.'

Digital psychologist Jocelyn Brewer told Today Extra that there are a number of red flags people can be aware of to avoid being scammed.

Among those include looking out for fake profile photos, stories that aren't accurate and a refusal to meet in person.

Simple ways to verify whether the person was lying or telling the truth involved running a reverse google search on images, as well as investigating the legitimacy of a person's business via their website.
Nathan Dale Tomlin (pictured), 18, was arrested Sunday afternoon for allegedly threatening to shoot two of his peers at Lebanon High School on Snapchat. He was charged with two counts of harassment

A high school student was arrested Sunday afternoon for allegedly threatening his classmates with a gun on Snapchat.

Nathan Dale Tomlin, 18, was reportedly seen holding a rifle with rounds of ammunition in a Snapchat video, the Lebanon Police Department said in a statement.

Authorities said Tomlin had allegedly made threats to shoot two Lebanon High School students and even identified who each round of ammunition was for.

'When officers arrived at his residence, Tomlin admitted to making the video. Nathan Tomlin stated that he wasnt being serious and didnt have intentions of shooting anyone,' the police statement read.

Tomlin was arrested and transported to the Wilson County Jail and charged with two counts of harassment.

The weapon was confiscated and placed into evidence.

Police said the there are conditions of Tomlin's release. Neither he nor the victims can be on the high school's property.

The sheriff and his staff are 'taking every precaution to ensure the safety of all LHS students and will be working with our department to monitor the situation'.

There is no perceived threat to any of the student body or staff of LHS at this time, police said Sunday. Officers will be at the school this week as a precaution.
Sydney drivers who spend on average more than $25 a week on tolls will get free car registration.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said tens of thousands of drivers would save $360 a year, with the rebate backdated to July, in a city projected to be the world's toll capital by 2023.

The plan is budgeted to cost $100 million a year - but she insists it won't deter people from taking public transport.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and WestConnex Minister Stuart Ayres announced the policy to give motorists free car registration

Drivers would get free car registration is they spent $25 or more a week on road tolls (Milsons Point entrance to the Sydney Harbour Bridge pictured)

'I want to make sure that people have every opportunity to use public transport, that's my preferred way of getting around, but obviously we also know that people also need to use toll roads,' she said.

The premier also promised the generous rebate wouldn't see funds diverted from new roads.

'We've done our sums and each road project stands on its merit in terms of how we finance those road projects,' she said.

'We've ensured we have the capacity to continue to build into the future.'

The announcement came after drivers avoid the M4 motorway in Sydney's west after new tolls

The announcement comes after drivers avoided the M4 in Sydney's west, after tolls were imposed in August.

However, WestConnex Minister Stuart Ayres, who hails from Penrith, said that was to be expected.

'That's what we said would happen, the traffic movements are playing out pretty much exactly how we forecast they would,' Mr Ayres told reporters.

In July, The Daily Telegraph projected Sydney would become the world's toll road capital by 2023.
Convicted murderer Sue Neill-Fraser is on a hunger strike at Risdon Prison in protest of the way she is being treated by officials.

Neill-Fraser, 62, has spent eight years behind bars of 23-year sentence for the death of her partner Bob Chappell on the couple's yacht.

The body of Bob Campbell has never been found, and prosecutors convinced the court that Neill-Fraser dumped it in the Derwent River.

Her daughter, Sarah Bowles, is understood to have contacted supporters with information Neill-Fraser was upset at being moved from low to medium security.

Sue Neill-Fraser (pictured) is on a hunger strike at Risdon Prison in protest of the way she is being treated by officials

The body of Bob Campbell (pictured) has never been found, and prosecutors convinced the court that Neill-Fraser dumped it in the Derwent River

'As a family, we are really concerned for her health and wellbeing,' Ms Bowles told The Australian. 'I'm worried about her.'

The daughter of the jailed society heiress claims following a cell search where contraband items were allegedly found, including make up and craft scissors, her mother was shifted to medium security unit, next door to Karen Patricia Nancy Keefe.

'They said that this was contraband. Mum said she had approval for these and that they had searched her cell in the past and there'd never been an issue in the past. She was hauled off to medium security and placed into a cell next to ... (a woman) who her legal advice is to have nothing to do with,' Ms Bowles said.

Keefe is accused of perverting the course of justice in relation to Neill-Fraser's appeal to overturn her conviction after providing false evidence in an affidavit regarding Neill-Fraser and Meaghan Elizabeth Vass.

Sarah Bowles (pictured, second left) insists that her mother (pictured, second right) did not kill Bob Campbell (pictured, right) and says they had a happy relationship

Sarah Bowles (pictured) is understood to have contacted supporters with information Neill-Fraser was upset at being moved from low to medium security and close to a woman accused of perverting the course of justice in her mother's appeal case

When her DNA was found on the couple's yacht Ms Vass, a then-homeless 15-year-old, was called to give evidence at Neill-Fraser's murder trial.

It is understood Neill-Fraser is under instructions from her lawyer not to have any contact with Keefe.

Ms Bowles has adamantly insisted her mother is not a killer, and is behind a push to prove her innocence.

Supporters now fear Neill-Fraser is being bullied in prison, with reports suggesting although she has been moved back to her original cell, she is continuing her hunger strike.

Susan Neill Fraser (pictured, right) has always denied killing partner Bob Campbell (pictured, left)

Neill-Fraser lied about owning a red jacket (pictured) which combined with her other falsehoods played a crucial role in her conviction

Ms Bowles had not heard from her mother as of yesterday morning, prompting concerns she has lost privileges.

Sarah Bowles believes that her mother did not kill Bob Campbell, the man who she describes as a father figure.

In July reports surfaced of compelling new evidence which could suggest who was on the luxury yacht where Neill-Fraser's scientist lover was murdered in 2009.

Ms Bowles wants justice for Mr Campbell, whose body has never been found, as well as for her mother.

'There's no doubt in my mind that Mum is innocent,' she said at the time.

A Tasmania Prison Service spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia further details were not available.

'For security and privacy reasons Tasmania Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoners'.
John Ibrahim looked pensive as he arrived at Westmead Hospital on Sunday night to visit his feared bodyguard Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata.

The King of the Cross appeared conflicted as he walked past patients at the Sydney hospital, stopping momentarily to glare at a photographer as his picture was taken.

Tongan Sam was hit once in his upper body when a bullet was fired over a fence into Mr Ibrahim's mother's house in Merrylands on Friday night.

The 59-year-old was said to be protecting the bride Aisha Mehajer, sister of disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer at the time.

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Semi Ngata, known as Tongan Sam, (pictured centre back with Daniel and John Ibrahim) was shot in the upper body in Merrylands, in Sydney's west on Friday night

Tongan Sam has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss Ibrahim for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.

Ibrahim said 'the whole family inherited a brother' when Mr Ngata moved in to the same street as his mother - where he ended up getting shot on Friday.

Mr Ngata's loyalty to Ibrahim was shown in 2014 when he was pictured wearing a T-shirt with John's face emblazoned across it.

He started protecting Ibrahim - on the orders of his older brother Sam - after he suffered a bad beating while working at the door of one of his clubs The Tunnel.

'If I see John and I don't see you (Tongan Sam) within two metres, I going to kneecap both of you',' John Ibrahim recorded his brother Sam as saying in his autobiography.

Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer married on Saturday at the same home where John Ibrahim's bodyguard was shot hours earlier

Mr Ngata's shooting occurred just hours before the wedding of Ibrahim's nephew Sam Sayour and Aisha Mehajer, the sister of disgraced Salim Mehajer.

But many questions remain unanswered as Mr Ngata reportedly refuses to talk to detectives and the shooter is still on the run.

Police initially believed he was shot in the back but later discovered the bullet was in his torso, and were no longer sure he was even shot at the Merrylands address.

An early motive for the shooting was a feud between members of the Mehajer clan and that of groom Sam Sayour.

A source claimed they overheard a man tell Sayour he would be lucky to see his wedding day during a fiery exchange last week, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

But police were now also investigating whether it stemmed from a series of drug shipments worth $1 billion that were intercepted earlier this year, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The imposing figure (pictured centre, with Sam Ibrahim, left, and lawyer Stephen Alexander, right, outside court in 2009) was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery

The seizures and subsequent raids resulted in the arrest of more than a dozen people including Mr Ibrahim's son, and brothers Fadi and Michael.

The brothers were detained in a dramatic police sting in Dubai and extradited back to Australia over a drug and tobacco syndicate.

Fadi was released from jail on strict bail conditions after a $2.2million surety was put up.

The Merrylands home belonging to John's mother was searched by police during the raids, and a loaded 9mm handgun was seized from the property.

John's home was also raided as part of the investigation in August - but he was not arrested or charged with any offences and police have not so far suggested he or his family were involved in the shooting.

Tongan Sam (left with Fadi Ibrahim and Salim Mehajer) is still refusing to speak to police days after he was shot

Ngata was shot in what has been described as a 'brazen and targeted' attack as the final preparations for the wedding were being made at the home of Mr Ibrahim's mother.

Ms Mehajer was with another woman in the backyard to help set up the wedding at the time of the shooting, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The imposing figure was rushed to Westmead Hospital for surgery, and his lawyer said he was recovering well.

Ngata's wife has been keeping a bedside vigil and told reporters 'he was doing OK'.

The suspected getaway car was found burnt out in a nearby suburb.

As guests arrived for the wedding on Saturday evening, marked and unmarked police vehicles patrolled the area for fear of further violence during the nuptials.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly has been released by the former Auburn deputy mayor's sister Kat Sakalaki, as Aisha and Sam sign their marriage certificate

On Instagram Ms Sakalaki wrote: 'I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today! I love you so much Aishy #feelingemotional'

The names of the couple were etched on a pavement outside John Ibrahim's mother's home ahead of the ceremony

Guests were seen around the house all afternoon as they helped organise the impending wedding

On Saturday night a small selection of guests attended the wedding as originally planned.

Luxury cars lined the streets surrounding the houses during what appeared to be a low-key event.

A photo of the happy couple smiling adoringly was released by Salim Mehajer's sister Kat Sakalaki, as the newlyweds were seen signing their marriage certificate.

Aisha, dressed in an off-the-shoulder lace midi length gown, sat on a golden throne next to her beau in ripped trousers and a sky blue jacket.

The table in front of them was lined with expensive jewels, including two wedding rings and a gold bracelet. A flower wall visible behind them set the scene for a Kim Kardashian-inspired ceremony.

Guests walk into the premises as the sun goes down and police scour cars for any evidence

This guest of the wedding was seen carrying a David Jones bag into the house on Saturday

As police continued to investigate the shooting people began to arrive at the home with flowers and wedding decorations

While the inside of Ibrahim's mother's house where the wedding was set was awash with congratulations, outside police with flashlights were checking parked cars for any clues about the shooting.

Authorities could hardly be seen in the dead of night as they scanned the selection of wedding cars lining Price Street in Merrylands.

Two thumbs up! This jolly guest was all smiles as he arrived for the impending nuptials

The Islamic marriage celebrant walks into the house in preparation for the wedding on Saturday evening

Media and neighbours gathered outside the Merrylands home (pictured) owned by John Ibrahim's mother on Saturday morning

John and his three brothers - Sam, Michael and Fadi - have all been either shot or stabbed over recent years.

Michael - the most recent victim - was gunned down on Macquarie Street in Sydney's CBD in 2015, while Fadi was shot five times as he sat in his Lamborghini.

Sam was also hit in the legs in a 2011 drive-by shooting, and John was stabbed in Kings Cross as a teenager.
Posters bearing the name of a notorious neo-Nazi group which claims to be 'the Hitlers you've been waiting for' have been plastered over the walls of Sydney University.

Members of the Antipodean Resistance, mostly made up of white men aged in their teens or their 20s, glued the signs on the campus over the weekend.

One, which showed an image of a skull wearing a hat with a swastika, read: 'No drugs, no degeneracy, no tolerance.'

Another, which also displayed the symbol, warned: 'Nazi youth organising on your campus!'

Posters bearing the name of a notorious neo-Nazi group which claims to be 'the Hitlers you've been waiting for' have been plastered over the walls of Sydney University

Members of Antipodean Resistance (some pictured with their faces covered by skulls), mostly made up of white men aged in their teens or their 20s, glued the signs on the campus over the weekend

The group first came to light when they covered signposts at two Melbourne Universities with posters written in Mandarin.

They reportedly translated to: 'Attention! No Chinese are allowed within this area. If intrusion occurs, deportation will likely happen'.

They later took aim at same sex couples during the postal vote period, using homophobic signs to allege 'gay marriage enables paedophilia'.

Sydney University was previously targeted in April by the group, who have hosted 'radicalisation camps' in Queensland and in Melbourne in the past.

Video produced by the Antipodean Resistance shows small groups of men, dressed in camouflage gear, walking through bushland carrying swastika flags.

They are also seen using Socialist Alliance posters to fuel their campfire.

Members of Antipodean Resistance previously plastered posters around Melbourne claiming same sex marriage 'enables paedophilia'

The group first came to light when they covered signposts at two Melbourne Universities with posters written in Mandarin

The neo-Nazi youth group have previously targeted several university campuses across Australia

At the end of the video, a logo appears with text reading: 'This could be you!' and encourages viewers to 'join your local Nazis'.

On Sunday, a Sydney University spokesperson said it was committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment on campus.

'Any graffiti or posters of a racist nature are removed as soon as possible,' they told student paper Honi Soit.

'We would urge anyone with knowledge of incidents to always report them to Campus Security for appropriate investigation and further action.'

Video produced by the Antipodean Resistance shows small groups of men, dressed in camouflage gear, walking through bushland carrying swastika flags
Pauline Hanson has become a grandmother for the fifth time, holding a baby boy on a day off from the campaign trail.

The One Nation leader welcomed the birth of young Nate on Monday morning, only five days out from the Queensland election where her party is tipped to pick up seats and possibly decide who forms government.

'Welcome Nate Lee. He was born at 11:30am and weighing in at 3.6kg (7.9 pounds),' she told her 215,706 Facebook followers.

Pauline Hanson, holding baby boy Nate, has become a grandmother for the fifth time at 63

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee (right) has delivered her second child, a boy

'Thanks for everyones well wishes. Theyve been lovely.'

Senator Hanson suspended her election campaigning on Sunday to be by her daughter Lee's side for the birth of her second child.

The 63-year-old grandmother delivered the news about her daughter Lee going into labour as Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Liberal Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull launched their party campaigns for the November 25 poll.

'The Queensland election couldn't have come at a worse time for me this time around,' she said in a statement.

The Queensland senator suspended her campaign appearance on the 'Battler Bus' as her daughter was preparing for labour

Senator Hanson joked that if it was a girl, she would have a campaigner who looked like her.

'Imagine if it's a little girl with fiery red hair, I'll have a little mini me to keep the two major parties on their toes at the next federal election,' she said.

The Queensland senator was in India on a parliamentary study trip when the election was called three weeks ago.

Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee, who now lives in Hobart, has become a second-time mum

The One Nation leader is putting her Queensland election campaign plans on hold for love

'An opportunistic Annastacia Palaszczuk took advantage of me being out of the country when the election was called and unfortunately in this situation, babies wait for no one,' Senator Hanson said.

Australia's busiest grandmother has cancelled her scheduled Monday appearance on the One Nation 'Battler Bus' through her former home town of Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, where she ran a fish and chips shop.

It comes as a Newspoll showed former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts in with an even chance of taking the seat of Ipswich off Labor.

Lee Hanson (pictured in 2003 after visiting her mum in Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre for a later quashed electoral fraud conviction) is a loyal daughter

Pauline Hanson remembered how her daughter handed out for her on a polling booth in 1998

The poll, published in The Weekend Australian, also showed One Nation polling strongly in the Labor-held Townsville seat of Thuringowa, where candidate Mark Thornton owns the Cupids Cabin adult show.

Senator Hanson recalled how her daughter Lee handed out how-to-vote cards for her in 1998, when she ran unsuccessfully for the federal, Ipswich-based seat of Blair.

'My only daughter sat on a polling booth on her 15th birthday and has been by my side during times when I've needed her, I wouldn't miss this special moment for anything,' she said.

Lee Hanson was by her mother's side in 2002 as she faced electoral fraud charges in Brisbane Magistrates Court

'I've always said we need to return to family values, and this is a moment in every mothers life where you want to be apart of your own daughter's monumental day.'

Senator Hanson, who had won the neighbouring seat of Oxley in 1996 as a disendorsed Liberal candidate, missed out on taking Blair in 1998 despite having the highest primary vote of 36 per cent, as the major parties put One Nation last.

In this year's Queensland election, Labor is putting One Nation last while the Liberal National Party, led by Tim Nicholls, is putting the Greens last.

It is the first compulsory preferential voting election in the state since 1989.
The woman who was hit in the face by a man she called out for 'manspreading' claims to have received death threats since she came forward.

Sam Saia, 37, said she has received racist and sexist comments since she came forward about the attack on social media on Thursday.

'I did what I had to doLooking back, I still would have done this' she said to the New York Daily News.

'The police have done right by me. They made it right.'

Sam Saia, 37, posted this picture on her Facebook page after the incident on the NYC subway where she says a man hit her after she told him to move. Since she came forward, Saia said she has received increase death threats

Derick Smith, 56, was arrested on Saturday and charged the next day for assault, menacing and harassment. His bail was set at $5,000.

While she has taken some of the original post down from social media, Saia did share some anonymous comments that called her a 'n****r lover' and a 'race traitor.'

'I just want people to back off at this point,' Saia added.

'I'd like people to stop calling me a race traitor and if they'd see me on the street they'd punch me.'

The woman added that people on the street express support when they see her out and about.

A Good Samaritan stepped in and forced a man off a New York Subway train after he launched into a sickening rant and punched Saia in the face because she said he was 'manspreading'.

Derick Smith, 56, was arrested on Saturday and charged the next day for assault, menacing and harassment. His bail was set at $5,000

Saia said she had politely asked the man to move his legs while she was sitting on the N train on Thursday, when he erupted into a violent rage, and began swearing at her, threatening her and punched her in the mouth.

Thankfully, a fellow straphanger intervened and grabbed the attacker, forcing him off at the next stop.

Brooklyn commuter Victor Conde, the brave passenger that rescued Saia, said he had intervened when he saw her in trouble and ordered her attacker to 'Get the 'F' off the train.'

'He was definitely not all there,' the 29-year-old added.

Video showed him shouting at the abuser: 'Get the f*** off the train. Get off the train bro, you just f***ing hit a lady.'

A man, pictured left, is said to have punched a woman, pictured seated, after she asked him to move. A good Samaritan, pictured right, steps in

The good Samaritan is seen restraining the man and warning him that he better get off.

He said: 'You hit her in the face. She's bleeding. Look at her mouth. Just get off at the next stop.'

The incident began around 7:45 am on Thursday when Saia said she asked the man sitting next to her if he could give her a little more room.

He he ranted: 'B****, you ain't nothing! I've raped white b*****s like you, f***ing c---! You ain't nothing, you f***ing b----!' the man yelled, according to Saia.

The good Samaritan, pictured right, tries to remove the 'manspreader', pictured left from the NYC subway car

After Conde stepped in, the 'manspreader' tried to backtrack and apologize but no one on the train is having it.

It is assumed that he got off.

Speaking about the incident to Daily News, Ms Saia: 'This took me by surprise. It's just a matter of safety. I want my neighborhood to be safe. I don't want this to happen to other women or men.'

She added that she couldn't understand 'how you could do that to somebody.'

The video was posted on social media by fellow passenger Anthony Macca.

Mr Macca told Daily News that he did not witness Ms Saia get hit by the 'manspreader' but had heard the argument break out and started filming shortly after.

The 'manspreader' turns to the woman, pictured seated, and is heard apologizing for hitting her
Kenneth Hatch, who was once named 'Deputy of the Year,' was charged with sexually abusing three girls. A Maine jury found him not guilty of two counts

A mistrial has been declared in the case of a onetime 'Deputy of the Year' charged with sexually abusing three girls in Maine.

Jurors in Kennebec County acquitted Kenneth Hatch, of Whitefield, of two felony counts but deadlocked Monday on the remaining 20 felony counts.

This lack of resolution resulted in the mistrial on those charges.

Prosecutors say Hatch abused the girls from 1999 to 2014.

Court documents say the abuse of one girl started when she was 6 years old. The others were 14 or 15.

All told, he was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, unlawful sexual contact and furnishing marijuana.

He was found not guilty of one count of sexual abuse and one count of furnishing of marijuana for girls, both of which pertained to girls between the ages of 14 and 15, the Wiscasset Newspaper reports.

Hatch, the prosecution alleged, abused the three girls from 1999 to 2014. He was faced with 22 charges including sexual abuse of a minor, unlawful sexual contact and furnishing marijuana

The jury could not reach a verdict on 20 other counts against Hatch. The judge declared a mistrial. Pictured in the purple shirt is defense attorney Richard Elliott. Pictured second from right is Judge William Stokes

The jurors told the court that further deliberation would likely not help them come to a conclusion about the 20 remaining charges.

Hatch pleaded not guilty. His lawyer said the accusers knew each other and had an ax to grind.

He has been on unpaid leave with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department.

A status conference will be held on December 20.

It is not clear whether or not the state of Maine will retry Hatch on the remaining charges.
The sister of Charles Manson's most famous victim, pregnant actress Sharon Tate, says she prayed for the notorious killer's soul after learning he had died on Sunday.

Manson, the psychopathic cult leader who had been behind bars for 48 years, died of natural causes at 8.13pm on Sunday at a hospital in Kern County, California aged 83.

He had been taken to hospital from Corcoran State Prison with an undisclosed illness last week.

The news of his death was confirmed by Debra Tate, the sister of actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant with film director Roman Polanski's baby when she was stabbed to death by his followers.

'This could be the end of an era or just the beginning,' she said.

'I said a prayer for his soul.'

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Cult leader Charles Manson (pictured left in August 2017 and right in October 2014) has died aged 83

Charles Manson is being escorted to his arraignment in 1969 and remained behind bars until his death

The news was confirmed by Debra Tate (left), the sister of one of his victims - pregnant actress Sharon Tate

A statement released by the Association of Deputy District Attorneys of California on Monday morning quoted Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the trial who died two years ago.

It said: 'Manson was an evil, sophisticated con-man with twisted and warped moral values.

'Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death.'

Prison officials say it's 'undetermined' what will happen to Manson's corpse as he has no next of kin.

State law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, it's up to the department to determine what happens with the body.

It's unclear if Manson requested services of any sort.

Victims: (top row left to right) Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, (middle row left to right) Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, (bottom row left to right) Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, Donald Shea.

Manson was rushed to a Bakersfield hospital last week for emergency medical treatment (picturing in his younger days, arriving for court in 1971)

Manson was rushed to a Bakersfield hospital last week for emergency medical treatment.

Witnesses said he looked 'ashen', was covered in blankets and was not expected to last much longer after his health had been steadily declining for months.

In January, he was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield for severe intestinal bleeding and a sigmoid lesion.

Doctors wanted to operate immediately but Manson had refused.

By the time he changed his mind and was ready for the operation, doctors determined he was too weak for surgery, and he was sent back to jail.

A source at the time said: 'He's not good. His health is failing.'

The 83-year-old had been behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage.

Three of his followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten, killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring.

He had ordered his family members to slaughter Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and three of her friends at her home above Beverly Hills.

Stephen Parent was a fifth unfortunate victim that night. He had driven to the property to see if caretaker William Garreston wanted to buy his AM/FM Clock radio, and had stayed on for a beer at the guest house. He was shot multiple times when he wound down the window at the electric gate as he left.

Manson and three of his followers, Susan Atkins (left), Patricia Krenwinkle (center) and Leslie Van Houten (right) killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring

1971: Charles Manson, with a swastika on his forehead, walks to court in Los Angeles

Charles Manson sits in the courtroom during his murder trial in 1970 in Los Angeles, California

1970: Charles Manson arrives for court with a shaven head, an open shirt, and a swastika carved in his forehead

'Family' members: Patricia Krenwinkle (left) makes a face as Leslie Van Houten and Susan Atkins (right) smile in August 5, 1970 on the way to court

Susan Atkins (left, with Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie van Houton) took part in several of the slayings, including those at the Tate residence, where she tasted Sharon Tate's blood and used it to write 'Pig' on a house wall

The following night the Family butchered small business owners Leno and Rosemary La Bianca, in their home in Los Angeles.

The murders were carried out in upscale, mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles in order to blame the crimes on African Americans, in the hope of sparking what he termed a 'Helter Skelter' race war.

Manson was also later convicted of the slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea.

During the trial he was convicted of leading a cult in which disaffected young people living in a commune followed his orders and were ultimately turned into killers.

Today Sharon Tate's sister Debra told People she never wished ill of any of the convicted killers. She said: 'Each one of these people and myself now have are spirits or our wills are slightly entangled.'

'My cross in my bedroom still has the flowers that I slipped into Jesus's feet when Susan died,' she says. 'I cried a tear and I asked for forgiveness on her soul. I'll do the same thing when Charlie dies.'

Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkle and Van Houten were convicted of murder and initially sentenced to death for the killings.

Manson, who was not actually present but ordered the killings, applied for parole in 2012 but was denied release and was not eligible to apply again until 2027.

The cult leader continued his life of crime behind bars after being locked up, with more than 100 infractions during his time in prison, for charges including assault, making voodoo dolls and hiding a hot air balloon order catalog in his cell.

The murders were carried out in upscale, mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles in order to blame the crimes on African Americans, in the hope of sparking what he termed a 'Helter Skelter' race war. Manson is pictured in 1969 during a preliminary hearing

Coroner's office personnel wheel the body of film actress Sharon Tate from her home in Bel Air, California, August 9, 1969

LA County coroner's office take notes and look at the bodies found on the lawn of the Sharon Tate-Roman Polanski home

Speaking to People, retired Los Angeles County prosecutor Stephen Kay, who helped convict Manson of the 1969 murders, said: 'He threw hot coffee on a guard and spit on a guard's face. He had a saw blade in the sole of a shoe.

'He was making little dolls, but they were like voodoo dolls of people and he would stick needles in them, hoping to injure the live person the doll was fashioned after.

'He said his main activity was making those dolls.'

Manson was also targeted by other prisoners - on one occasion a Hare Krishna poured lighter fluid on him and set him on fire.

And prior to being moved to Corcoran in 1989, prison guards at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville found a hacksaw blade, marijuana and LSD in Manson's cells according to a report in the LA Times.

The California Department of Corrections said he had spent the past 27 years incarcerated in the Protective Housing Unit at Corcoran, which houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing.

Before that Manson had also been housed at San Quentin State Prison, California Medical Facility, Folsom State Prison and Pelican Bay State Prison.

During the trial he was convicted of leading a cult in which disaffected young people living in a commune followed his orders and were ultimately turned into killers. He is pictured being taken to jail in 1969 by a group of police officers

Manson even managed to maintain a love life inside, and was recently engaged to 29-year-old Afton 'Star' Burton until she called off the wedding.

Afton, who changed her named to Star a decade ago, crossed the country at the age of 18, leaving her home on the Mississippi river and moving to Corcoran to be closer to the jail.

She struck up a relationship with Manson when she started writing to him after a friend chose him as the subject of a school project.

A marriage license was issued but expired in February 2015 amid lurid reports that Afton had only wanted to marry Manson so that she could take possession of his corpse on his death and use it for profit - charging people a fee to view it.

'Maybe I should have killed 500 people, I would have felt I really offered society something': How Charles Manson turned from child thief to notorious cult leader

Manson's life of crime began at an early age. At 12 he had been sent to reform school. He escalated from started by robbing stores to stealing cars and eventually orchestrating seven murders. He is pictured in 1966

Even people not born when the murders took place shudder when they hear his name.

With a Swastika tattooed on his forehead, Charles Manson was the very embodiment of evil.

The notorious 'mad eyed' killer from Cincinnati languished in prison since 1971 when he was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder.

He directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people including actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski.

'Maybe I should have killed 500 people, I would have felt I really offered society something,' he said after he was sent down.

Manson was in reform schools and juvenile centers from the age of 12.

His career of crime started with robbing liquor and grocery stores before he stole cars, pimped women, and committed forgery. He ended up orchestrating cold-blooded murders.

'I'm special,' Manson said. 'I'm not like the average inmate. I have spent half my life in prison. I am a very dangerous man.'

Manson was an accident, born to 16-year-old prostitute Kathleen Maddox on November 12, 1934.

The alcoholic often left her young son in a relative's care so she could continue with her wild lifestyle.

At one point the teenage mother allegedly sold Manson to another woman for a pitcher of beer.

Manson possibly never met his father Colonel Walker Scott as his mother married laborer William Eugene Manson after his birth.

Manson showed 'dangerous' signs of his penchant for violence at the start of his adulthood.

Patricia Krenwinkel (center) with Manson Family members Susan Atkins (left) and Leslie van Houten in 1969. All three were convicted of murder

Charles Manson is pictured smiling while wearing a suit and tie. His life of crime started young

After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, Manson was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him because he considered prison home.

'My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system,' he would later say in a monologue on the witness stand. 'I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you.'

At 18 he was moved to a high security reformatory after he sodomized a boy while a razor was held to the boy's throat.

'If I wanted to kill somebody I'd take this book and beat you to death with it and I wouldn't feel a thing,' Manson said. 'It would be just like walking to the drugstore.'

In prison Manson became obsessed with music and learned how to play the steel guitar. He believed his musical talents would earn him fame and a following.

He was set free in San Francisco during the heyday of the hippie movement in the city's Haight-Ashbury section, and though he was in his mid-30s by then, he began collecting followers - mostly women - who likened him to Jesus Christ. Most were teenagers many came from good homes but were at odds with their parents.

The 'family' eventually established a commune-like base at the Spahn Ranch, a ramshackle former movie location outside Los Angeles, where Manson manipulated his followers with drugs, supervised orgies and subjected them to bizarre lectures.

He befriended rock stars, including Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. He also met Terry Melcher, a music producer who had lived in the same house that Polanski and Tate later rented.

By the summer 1969, Manson had failed to sell his songs, and the rejection was later seen as a trigger for the violence. He complained that Wilson took a Manson song called 'Cease to Exist,' revised it into 'Never Learn Not to Love' and recorded it with the Beach Boys without giving Manson credit.

Manson was obsessed with Beatles music, particularly 'Piggies' and 'Helter Skelter,' a hard-rocking song that he interpreted as forecasting the end of the world. He told his followers that 'Helter Skelter is coming down' and predicted a race war would destroy the planet.

Front page of the Los Angeles Times on January 26 1971 reporting on the conviction the previous day of Charles Manson and three members of his 'Family'

'Everybody attached themselves to us, whether it was our fault or not,' the Beatles' George Harrison, who wrote 'Piggies,' later said of the murders. 'It was upsetting to be associated with something so sleazy as Charles Manson.'

According to testimony, Manson sent his devotees out on the night of Tate's murder with instructions to 'do something witchy.'

The state's star witness, Linda Kasabian, who was granted immunity, testified that Manson tied up the LaBiancas, then ordered his followers to kill. But Manson insisted: 'I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed.'

His trial was nearly scuttled when President Richard Nixon said Manson was 'guilty, directly or indirectly.' Manson grabbed a newspaper and held up the front-page headline for jurors to read: 'Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares.' Attorneys demanded a mistrial but were turned down.

From then on, jurors, sequestered at a hotel for 10 months, traveled to and from the courtroom in buses with blacked-out windows so they could not read the headlines on newsstands.

Manson was an accident, born to 16-year-old prostitute Kathleen Maddox on November 12, 1934

The American public first heard of Manson and his Family when actress Sharon Tate, 26, was viciously murdered at her home. She was eight months pregnant with husband Roman Polanski's child when she was stabbed to death, with an X cut into her stomach and one of her breasts cut off.

The gruesome Manson Family didn't stop there. In addition to Tate's murder, Manson orchestrated his Family to murder six other victims.

Manson was eventually revealed as the mastermind and convicted of conspiracy of murder. He was given the death sentence but it was changed to nine consecutive life sentences after California abolished the death penalty.

Although Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims, he was found guilty of ordering their murders.

He was later convicted of ordering the murders of music teacher Gary Hinman, stabbed to death in July 1969, and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea, stabbed and bludgeoned that August.

Manson's life in prison wasn't all grim. He was caught twice with a contraband cell phone and was engaged to Afton Elaine 'Star' Burton when she was 27 and he was 80, in 2014.

In November 2009, a Los Angeles DJ and songwriter named Matthew Roberts, who was adopted at birth, claimed to be Manson's fourth son

Their marriage license expired and were never married. Burton first started seeing Manson when she was 19 after she moved from Illinois to California so she could visit him.

Mason leaves three sons. In November 2009, a Los Angeles DJ and songwriter named Matthew Roberts, who was adopted at birth, claimed to be his fourth son.

Roberts' biological mother claims to have been a member of the Manson Family who left in the summer of 1967 after being raped by Manson. Manson himself has stated that he 'could' be the father.

Manson died Sunday aged 83 one week after he was admitted to hospital.

The California Department of Corrections said he had spent the past 27 years incarcerated in the Protective Housing Unit at Corcoran, which houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing.

Before that Manson had also been housed at San Quentin State Prison, California Medical Facility, Folsom State Prison and Pelican Bay State Prison.

Manson even managed to maintain a love life inside, and was recently engaged to 29-year-old Afton 'Star' Burton until she called off the wedding.

Afton, who changed her named to Star a decade ago, crossed the country at the age of 18, leaving her home on the Mississippi river and moving to Corcoran to be closer to the jail.

She struck up a relationship with Manson when she started writing to him after a friend chose him as the subject of a school project.

A marriage license was issued but expired in February 2015 amid lurid reports that Afton had only wanted to marry Manson so that she could take possession of his corpse on his death and use it for profit - charging people a fee to view it.

The Manson family today: From finding God, to winning a college degree and writing a book, the followers of Charles Manson are either behind bars or dead  apart from one

By Kelly McLaughlin

Manson's 'Family' disciples committed at least nine murders, but it was the horrific killing spree of seven people on August 9-10, 1969 that sealed his notoriety - and earned him and many of his followers life in prison.

Since the murders, only one member - Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford - has been paroled.

Six other cult members remain in prison, while one, Susan Atkins, died of brain cancer while incarcerated in 2009.

Here, MailOnline reveals what has become of the members of Manson's cult.

Charles 'Tex' Watson, 71: Jailed

Watson described himself as Manson's 'right hand man'.

On August 9, 1969, he and three female accomplices murdered actress Sharon Tate and four visitors at her Beverly Hills home.

The following night, they killed a couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, at their Los Angeles home.

Charles 'Tex' Watson, 71, has apologized for the killings. He became a minister in 1981, taking a path similar to some other ex-Manson Family members who also turned to Christianity

Watson was initially sentenced to death in the stabbing and shooting rampage, but the sentence was later commuted to life when the California Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that the death penalty was unconstitutional.

Watson remains in prison near Sacramento, California, after repeatedly being denied parole.

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate  the last surviving member of her immediate family  urged a panel of parole commissioners last year to reject freedom for the man she called 'the most active, the most prolific killer in the Manson family'.

In prison, Watson wrote a book, Manson's Right-Hand Man Speaks Out, saying the charismatic Manson offered utopia, then persuaded his followers to act out his 'destructive worldview'. Watson has apologized for the killings.

He became a minister in 1981, taking a path similar to some other ex-Manson Family members who also turned to Christianity.

Watson also obtained his college degree behind bars.

Susan Atkins, died in 2009, aged 61

Atkins took part in several of the slayings, including those at the Tate residence, where she tasted Sharon Tate's blood and used it to write 'Pig' on a house wall.

She died of brain cancer in a California prison in 2009 at age 61. Atkins had been denied a request to be freed on parole as the fatal illness took hold.

She is the only other cult member - other than Manson himself - to have died.

Atkins admitted stabbing Tate to death as the actress begged for her life and that of her unborn son. Atkins claimed she and other cult followers acted on orders from Manson and were on LSD.

She died of brain cancer in a California prison in 2009 at age 61. Atkins had been denied a request to be freed on parole as the fatal illness took hold

Atkins' death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972, after the California Supreme Court abolished capital punishment. Atkins will next be eligible for parole in 2012.

While living with the Manson 'family', she became pregnant and Manson helped deliver the baby boy, naming it Zezozoze Zadfrack. His whereabouts are unknown.

Patricia Krenwinkel, 69: Jailed

Krenwinkel took part in the murders of the LaBiancas and at the Tate residence and has become California's longest-serving woman prisoner.

In June, commissioners again denied parole for Krenwinkel, after a six-month inquiry to look into allegations that she had been abused by Manson or someone else, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Krenwinkel has been denied parole 13 times for the slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four other people.

'Family' member: Patricia Krenwinkel took part in the murders of the LaBiancas and at the Tate residence. She has become California's longest-serving woman prisoner

She was a 19-year-old secretary living with her older sister when she met the 33-year-old Manson at a party. She testified that she left everything behind three days later to follow him because she believed they had a budding romantic relationship.

She said in December that her feelings faded when Manson became physically and emotionally abusive, and trafficked her to other men for sex.

She said she left him twice only to be brought back, and that she was usually under the influence of drugs and rarely left alone.

'I thought I loved him. I thought - it started with love, and then turned to fear,' she once said.

Krenwinkel in December recounted how she chased down and repeatedly stabbed Abigail Folger, 26, heiress to a coffee fortune, at Tate's home on Aug. 9, 1969, and helped Manson and other followers kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night.

Manson and his right-hand man, Charles 'Tex' Watson, told her to 'do something witchy,' she said, so she stabbed La Bianca in the stomach with a fork, then took a rag and wrote 'Helter Skelter,' ''Rise' and 'Death to Pigs' on the walls with his blood.

Leslie Van Houten, 68: Jailed

Van Houten is serving a life sentence for taking part in the murders of the LaBiancas.

Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown overturned a parole board recommendation that she should be released, saying that Van Houten still posed an 'unreasonable danger to society'.

In September, the parole board again granted her parole, which started a 150-day review process that will likely culminate in a final decision by Brown.

'Family' member: Leslie Van Houten is serving a life sentence for taking part in the murders of the LaBiancas. She was the youngest member of Manson's cult

Van Houten was the youngest member of Manson's cult and was just 19 years old when she took part in the murders of the LaBiancas.

Over two nights in August 1969, Manson's ragtag band of followers killed seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.

Van Houten didn't take part in the first night's killings of Tate and four others, but she helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, on the second night.

She said that on the night of the attack, she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times.

Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to 'do something,' she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

But since her incarceration more than 40 years ago, she has been a model prisoner.

During those years she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

Bruce Davis, 75: Jailed

Davis is serving a life sentence at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea.

At the time of his arrest Davis had the Family 'X' carved into his forehead.

Bruce Davis (center) is serving a life sentence at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea

Davis was not involved in the more notorious killings of Tate and six others by the Manson 'family.'

He long maintained he was a bystander in the killings of the two men but in recent years he acknowledged his shared responsibility because he was present.

He testified at his 2014 hearing that he attacked Shea with a knife and held a gun on Hinman while Manson cut Hinman's face with a sword.

'I wanted to be Charlie's favorite guy,' he said then.

During the half-century since the slayings, parole panels have decided five times that Davis is no longer a public safety risk. Officials have cited his age and good behavior behind bars that includes earning a doctoral degree and ministering to other inmates.

But California Governors, who have the final say on release, have repeatedly denied him parole.

Robert (Bobby) Beausoleil, 70: Jailed

Beausoleil is serving a life sentence for the 1969 murder of Hinman

Beausoleil is serving a life sentence for the 1969 murder of Gary Hinman.

A California parole board last denied his bid on October 14, 2016. He will be eligible for a hearing again in 2019.

Beausoleil was sentenced to death for the 1969 slaying of musician Gary Hinman, but it was commuted to life in prison when the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972.

He was transferred in 1994 to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem at his request, after he married a woman from Oregon while in prison and fathered four children.

Beausoleil was an aspiring musician and actor before he joined the Manson family.

He was in jail when other Manson followers killed actress Sharon Tate and four others, then murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.

Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, 69: Paroled

Fromme was a member of the Manson Family and attended Manson's trial.

In 1975, she was tackled by a Secret Service agent after she aimed a pistol at then President Gerald Ford.

Convicted of attempted assassination, she was sentenced to life in prison.

She was paroled in 2009 and moved to Marcy in New York state, according to the New York Post.
A summary released by the US Department of Defense shows reports of sexual assault at Fort Bragg increased by 28 per cent in 2016 over the year before.

The summary, issued by the DoD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office on Friday, revealed that 146 reports of sexual assault were made at North Carolina's Fort Bragg in 2016, as compared to 114 reports in 2015.

Overall, the 2016 sexual assault report figures from Army, Navy and Marines bases were down marginally from 2015's reports.

At Army bases, there were 2,205 total reports in 2016, compared to the 2,217 reports made in 2015. Navy bases saw 1,285 total reports, compared to 1,243 reports. Marine bases came in at 825 total reports, versus 837 reports.

The Air Force, however, showed a more than three per cent increase in sexual assault reports, rising from 1,009 total reports in 2015 to 1,043 reports in 2016.

A new Department of Defense report divided up sexual assault reports by individual military installations for the first time. According to the report, sexual assault reports at North Carolina's Fort Bragg rose 28 per cent

The report covered new sexual assault claims made on bases during the 2016 fiscal year

The new DoD report, which covered all the military bases in the US and abroad, represents the first time that sexual assault report data has been broken down per base, Reuters reported.

In the military, sexual assault covers the gamut from harassment and groping to rape. The statistics in the new report covered non-domestic, abuse-related adult sexual assaults that were 'received or managed by' the individual military installations' Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs).

According to the DoD, although sexual assault report was made on a base, it did not mean that the incident occurred at that particular base or even in that year, the News & Observer said.

The DoD allows victims of sexual assault to report their assault to their SARCs at any time and place that they choose to do so. It is also possible for a report to be filed on base, even if the assault occurred in the civilian sector or prior to the person's entering military service.

The report showed that sexual assault allegations rose by about three per cent at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina

The report was not all bad news, though, as several bases showed decreases in sexual assault reports, as at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where reports fell almost 45 per cent

The new figures seen in the DoD's 'Reports of Sexual Assault Received at Military Installations and Combat Areas of Interest' covered the fiscal year from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016.

The report showed that the frequency of sexual assault reports seemed to be on the rise at bigger bases.

Fort Bragg, which saw a 28 per cent spike in sexual assault reports, is said to be the biggest military installation in the world, servicing about 50,000 military personnel, and is home to many Army special forces and airborne units. The base recently made headlines on November 14, following a soldier's collapse and subsequent death while on a physical training run.

Reports were also up at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, which saw 169 reports of sexual assault in 2016, up three per cent compared to 164 the year before.

Meanwhile, California's Naval Base San Diego saw a 13 per cent rise in reports, going from 165 reports in 2015 to 187 reports in 2016. And Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood Army base saw at 25 per cent increase in claims, from 104 sexual assault reports in 2015 to 130 reports in 2016.

Abroad, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan  headquarters of the 7th Fleet, which suffered a tugboat versus destroyer collision on Saturday and saw two fatal collisions over the summer  saw an almost 77 per cent rise in reports, up from 30 reports in 2015 to 53 reports in 2016.

Sexual assault reports were seen to drop at some military installations, though.

At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, the number of reports fell almost 45 per cent, from 49 reports in 2015 down to 27 reports in 2016. And Georgia's Fort Benning saw a more than 26 per cent drop in reports, from 90 in 2015 to 67 in 2016.

Florida's Naval Air Station Pensacola experienced almost an 18 per cent decrease in reports, down from 45 reports in 2015 to 37 reports. Virginia's Naval Station Norfolk  said to be the world's largest naval station  showed just over a seven per cent decrease in reports, dropping from 291 reports in 2015 to 270 reports in 2016.

The DoD believes that less than a third of service members reported their sexual assaults in 2016. Reuters reported that the military has said that an anonymous, biannual survey reveals a more accurate estimate of the number of sexual assaults experienced by military personnel.

According to the latest survey, 14,900 service members experienced some kind of sexual assault in 2016, down from 20,300 in 2014.
A Victorian pet groomer who beat a dog to death will avoid jail time after undergoing just eight hours of anger management classes.

Paul Rogers killed beloved silky-fox terrier Leela after claiming the animal bit him while at a Melbourne Petbarn store in April 2016, the Herald Sun reports.

The 51-year-old was originally sentenced to three months in prison, but appealed and will now do 200 hours of community service.

Victorian pet groomer Paukl Rogers, 51, who bashed silky-fox terrier Leela (pictured) to death with a hairdryer in April 2016, will avoid jail time after undergoing just eight hours of anger management classes

Rogers reportedly used the classes as proof his temper was under control and will take part in a 18-month community corrections order.

Nine-year-old Leela died after sustaining injuries from being thrown against a wall and bashed with a hairdryer.

The Victorian County Court appeal was told Rogers was depressed at the time, after the death of his own dog.

He was also said to be genuinely remorseful and that his actions had been 'out of character'.

The 51-year-old, who worked at a Melbourne Pet Barn (stock image), was originally sentenced to three months in prison, but appealed and will now do 200 hours of community service

Judge Michael OConnell ruled a 10-year ban on owning pet would be slashed to just four and that he would not be imprisoned despite the seriousness of the offence.

RSPCA Victoria prosecutor Senior Inspector Daniel Bode said the organisation was 'appalled at the cruelty inflicted' and the 'betrayal of trust' for the owner.

Rogers was reported to the police and to the RSPCA by his employer, with the incident caught on CCTV footage.
President Donald Trump blasted Republican Senator Jeff Flake on Twitter on Sunday, calling his political career 'toast' after he was caught on mic criticizing the President and Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.

After a town hall event Flake was hosting in Mesa, Arizona, he stepped off the stage without removing the microphone on his lapel, which was still feeding to the TV cameras in the back of the room.

While speaking to Mesa Mayor John Giles, Flake said if the GOP becomes 'the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast'.

Trump retorted on Sunday evening using the senator's own words, tweeting: 'Senator Jeff Flake(y)' will 'be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is "toast".'

President Donald Trump (pictured, November 2017) blasted Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake on Twitter on Sunday evening, calling his political career 'toast' after he was caught on mic criticizing the President and Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore

While speaking to Mesa Mayor John Giles after he stepped off stage at a town hall event on Friday (pictured), Flake was heard saying if the GOP becomes 'the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast'

Trump retorted on Sunday evening using the senator's own words, tweeting: 'Senator Jeff Flake(y)' will 'be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is "toast"'

Trump appeared to be predicting that Flake would vote against the GOP tax bill.

In return, Flake's spokesman, Jason Samuels, told CNN: 'Senator Flake is still reviewing the tax reform bill on its merits. How he votes on it will have nothing to do with the President.'

The House of Representatives passed their version of legislation last week but the fight be harder in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim two-seat majority.

Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson has already publicly stated he opposes the bill in its current but that he is open to negotiating changes.

Susan Collins of Maine has also voiced concerns with the bill - as has Flake.

Flake told CNN last month that he wouldn't be voting for the bill if he thought it was fiscally irresponsible.

And Collins told the network that she believed more should be done to help those earning lower and middle incomes.

Trump appeared to be predicting that Flake (pictured, October 2017) would vote against the GOP tax bill but Flake's spokesman says the congressman has not decided which way he will vote yet

Trump (pictured, October 2017) has said he wants a bill passed by the end of the year. More than two Republican defections in the Senate would likely kill the bill and Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson has already publicly stated he opposes the bill in its current form

'It benefits people of all tax brackets, but what I want to do is to skew more of that relief to middle- and low-income families,' she said.

Flake announced last month that he would not be seeking reelection.

In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor announcing his retirement, Flake said he would not be 'complicit' with the Trump administration.

'It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end,' he said.
A man who stashed more than 780,000 child porn images on hidden hard drives has been jailed in Melbourne for a second time.

Mohammad Salih, 55, was arrested in 2016 after police searched his home and found external hard drives filled with child porn. One device was hidden in an internal cavity of a printer on a shelf in his kitchen.

The children were aged between about five and eight years, with some of the images and videos falling into the most extreme category of child porn.

Mohammad Salih, 55, was arrested in 2016 after police found an external hard drive, containing sexual imagery of children

In February 2016 police charged Salih after identifying 780,438 images and 119 videos identified as child porn on the hard drives, which County Court of Victoria judge Claire Quin described as "a very large amount, relating to hundreds of thousands of victims".

"This material was for your personal use, your activity does, however, provide a market for the exploitation of vulnerable children," she said on Monday, jailing Salih for four-and-a-half years.

It is not Salih's first time in jail for child porn.

In 2008, he was jailed for two years - with a 12-month non-parole period - for possessing and making child pornography after he was found with about 400,000 images and videos.

During his time in jail, Salih, who has a son he hasn't seen for almost 10 years, was assaulted and spent time in hospital.

Between late 2013 and April 2015, Salih came to police attention again when he failed to notify authorities he created a new email address and internet usernames, which was a violation of his sex offenders reporting obligations.

Salih was jailed for four-and-a-half years in the County Court of Victoria on Monday

In May 2015, a search warrant was executed at his home and a laptop containing child porn was seized, Judge Quin said.

A subsequent raid found two hard drives, including one hidden in his kitchen.

"It's apparent that the sentence of imprisonment and time on parole didn't deter you from reoffending in a similar manner," the judge said.

Salih's rehabilitation prospects were limited given he lived a socially isolated life and had been jailed for similar offending previously, she added.

He must serve at least two-and-a-half years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Salih, who was jailed for four-and-a-half years in the County Court of Victoria on Monday, was also jailed in 2008 for similar offences.
The president of Rutgers University has argued that the recent rash of anti-Semitism on campus is protected by the First Amendment.

Speaking during a student government town hall last week, Robert Barchi said: 'If I'm a Ku Klux Klan member, and I'm going to burn a cross on a vacant lot, that's a constitutionally protected right.'

'You put that cross on my front yard, and you light it, that is not constitutionally protected, that's harassment,' Barchi said, according to Tap Into New Brunswick. 'It's an exception to the First Amendment.'

Robert Barchi (pictured in 2013), the president of Rutgers University, argued that the recent rash of anti-Semitism on campus is protected by the First Amendment

Last month, a swastika (pictured) was found on the corner wall of Stonier Hall on the campus. When addressing that incident during the November 16 town hall, Barchi said: 'It is free speech, it's not hate speech'

Barchi, who has been the president of the New Jersey school since 2012, spoke about the recent incidents including anti-Semitic posts allegedly shared on the Facebook of a food science professor and the swastika graffiti on a Rutgers dorm.

Last month, a swastika was found on the corner wall of Stonier Hall on the campus.

When addressing that incident during the November 16 town hall, Barchi said: 'It is free speech, it's not hate speech.'

'If it's a general building on the university, that's First Amendment rights,' Barchi said.

However, Barchi said such action would violate the university's vandalism policy.

Barchi went on to defend microbiology professor, Michael Chikandas, and adjunct professor of international law, Mazen Adi.

Barchi defended microbiology professor, Michael Chikandas (right), and law professor, Mazen Adi (left). Chikandas allegedly shared dozens of anti-Semitic posts on his Facebook and Adi came under fire after he allegedly accused Israel of trafficking human organs

UN Watch has petitioned the university (pictured) in an effort to terminate its employment with Adi. That petition had more than 4,500 signatures on Friday

Chikandas allegedly shared dozens of anti-Semitic posts on his Facebook.

Since the incident thousands of students have called for his resignation with a petition that has garnered more than 5,000 signatures.

'But the question is, does having posted that created an environment in his work that would compromise his ability to teach or to do research?' Barchi asked.

'That's an employment issue, so we are actually investigating him,' Barchi said, according to the Tap Into New Brunswick.

Adi came under fire after he allegedly accused Israel of trafficking human organs. Adi previously worked as a diplomat for the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad when he reportedly made the allegations.

'We're fully aware of his past, having vetted his employment credentials,' Barch said. 'Everything is absolutely in order.'

UN Watch has petitioned the university in an effort to terminate its employment with Adi. That petition had more than 4,500 signatures on Friday.
Manson's life of crime began at an early age. At 12 he had been sent to reform school. He escalated from started by robbing stores to stealing cars and eventually orchestrating seven murders. He is pictured in 1966

Even people not born when the murders took place shudder when they hear his name.

With a Swastika tattooed on his forehead, Charles Manson was the very embodiment of evil.

The notorious 'mad eyed' killer from Cincinnati languished in prison since 1971 when he was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder.

He directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people including actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski.

'Maybe I should have killed 500 people, I would have felt I really offered society something,' he said after he was sent down.

Manson was in reform schools and juvenile centers from the age of 12.

His career of crime started with robbing liquor and grocery stores before he stole cars, pimped women, and committed forgery. He ended up orchestrating cold-blooded murders.

'I'm special,' Manson said. 'I'm not like the average inmate. I have spent half my life in prison. I am a very dangerous man.'

Cult leader Charles Manson (pictured left in August 2017 and right in October 2014) has died aged 83

Patricia Krenwinkel (center) with Manson Family members Susan Atkins (left) and Leslie van Houten in 1969. All three were convicted of murder

Manson was rushed to a Bakersfield hospital last week for emergency medical treatment (picturing in his younger days, arriving for court in 1971)

Manson was an accident, born to 16-year-old prostitute Kathleen Maddox on November 12, 1934.

The alcoholic often left her young son in a relative's care so she could continue with her wild lifestyle.

At one point the teenage mother allegedly sold Manson to another woman for a pitcher of beer.

Manson possibly never met his father Colonel Walker Scott as his mother married laborer William Eugene Manson after his birth.

Manson showed 'dangerous' signs of his penchant for violence at the start of his adulthood.

After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, Manson was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him because he considered prison home.

'My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system,' he would later say in a monologue on the witness stand. 'I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you.'

At 18 he was moved to a high security reformatory after he sodomized a boy while a razor was held to the boy's throat.

'If I wanted to kill somebody I'd take this book and beat you to death with it and I wouldn't feel a thing,' Manson said. 'It would be just like walking to the drugstore.'

In prison Manson became obsessed with music and learned how to play the steel guitar. He believed his musical talents would earn him fame and a following.

He was set free in San Francisco during the heyday of the hippie movement in the city's Haight-Ashbury section, and though he was in his mid-30s by then, he began collecting followers - mostly women - who likened him to Jesus Christ. Most were teenagers many came from good homes but were at odds with their parents.

The 'family' eventually established a commune-like base at the Spahn Ranch, a ramshackle former movie location outside Los Angeles, where Manson manipulated his followers with drugs, supervised orgies and subjected them to bizarre lectures.

He befriended rock stars, including Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. He also met Terry Melcher, a music producer who had lived in the same house that Polanski and Tate later rented.

Charles Manson is pictured smiling while wearing a suit and tie. His life of crime started young

By the summer 1969, Manson had failed to sell his songs, and the rejection was later seen as a trigger for the violence. He complained that Wilson took a Manson song called 'Cease to Exist,' revised it into 'Never Learn Not to Love' and recorded it with the Beach Boys without giving Manson credit.

Manson was obsessed with Beatles music, particularly 'Piggies' and 'Helter Skelter,' a hard-rocking song that he interpreted as forecasting the end of the world. He told his followers that 'Helter Skelter is coming down' and predicted a race war would destroy the planet.

'Everybody attached themselves to us, whether it was our fault or not,' the Beatles' George Harrison, who wrote 'Piggies,' later said of the murders. 'It was upsetting to be associated with something so sleazy as Charles Manson.'

According to testimony, Manson sent his devotees out on the night of Tate's murder with instructions to 'do something witchy.'

The state's star witness, Linda Kasabian, who was granted immunity, testified that Manson tied up the LaBiancas, then ordered his followers to kill. But Manson insisted: 'I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed.'

His trial was nearly scuttled when President Richard Nixon said Manson was 'guilty, directly or indirectly.' Manson grabbed a newspaper and held up the front-page headline for jurors to read: 'Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares.' Attorneys demanded a mistrial but were turned down.

From then on, jurors, sequestered at a hotel for 10 months, traveled to and from the courtroom in buses with blacked-out windows so they could not read the headlines on newsstands.

The American public first heard of Manson and his Family when actress Sharon Tate, 26, was viciously murdered at her home. She was eight months pregnant with husband Roman Polanski's child when she was stabbed to death, with an X cut into her stomach and one of her breasts cut off, according to a Time article published in 1969.

The gruesome Manson Family didn't stop there. In addition to Tate's murder, Manson orchestrated his Family to murder six other victims.

Manson was eventually revealed as the mastermind and convicted of conspiracy of murder. He was given the death sentence but it was changed to nine consecutive life sentences after California abolished the death penalty.

Victims: (top row left to right) Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, (middle row left to right) Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, (bottom row left to right) Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, Donald Shea.

Front page of the Los Angeles Times on January 26 1971 reporting on the conviction the previous day of Charles Manson and three members of his 'Family'

Manson was convicted of leading a cult in which disaffected young people living in a commune followed his orders and were ultimately turned into killers. He is pictured being taken to jail in 1969 by a group of police officers

Although Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims, he was found guilty of ordering their murders.

He was later convicted of ordering the murders of music teacher Gary Hinman, stabbed to death in July 1969, and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea, stabbed and bludgeoned that August.

Manson's life in prison wasn't all grim. He was caught twice with a contraband cell phone and was engaged to Afton Elaine 'Star' Burton when she was 27 and he was 80, in 2014.

Their marriage license expired and were never married. Burton first started seeing Manson when she was 19 after she moved from Illinois to California so she could visit him.

1971: Charles Manson, with a swastika on his forehead, walks to court in Los Angeles

Charles Manson sits in the courtroom during his murder trial in 1970 in Los Angeles, California

Susan Atkins (left, with Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie van Houton) took part in several of the slayings, including those at the Tate residence, where she tasted Sharon Tate's blood and used it to write 'Pig' on a house wall

Mason leaves three sons. In November 2009, a Los Angeles DJ and songwriter named Matthew Roberts, who was adopted at birth, claimed to be his fourth son.

Roberts' biological mother claims to have been a member of the Manson Family who left in the summer of 1967 after being raped by Manson. Manson himself has stated that he 'could' be the father.

Manson died Sunday aged 83 one week after he was admitted to hospital.

The California Department of Corrections said he had spent the past 27 years incarcerated in the Protective Housing Unit at Corcoran, which houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing.

Before that Manson had also been housed at San Quentin State Prison, California Medical Facility, Folsom State Prison and Pelican Bay State Prison.

Manson even managed to maintain a love life inside, and was recently engaged to 29-year-old Afton 'Star' Burton until she called off the wedding.

Afton, who changed her named to Star a decade ago, crossed the country at the age of 18, leaving her home on the Mississippi river and moving to Corcoran to be closer to the jail.

She struck up a relationship with Manson when she started writing to him after a friend chose him as the subject of a school project.

A marriage license was issued but expired in February 2015 amid lurid reports that Afton had only wanted to marry Manson so that she could take possession of his corpse on his death and use it for profit - charging people a fee to view it.
A Goldman Sachs analyst has predicted that 2018 will be another year of strong growth for the worldwide economy.

'2017 is shaping up to be the first year of the expansion in which growth surprises to the upside,' Goldman co-chief markets economist Charles Himmelberg said in a note to clients on Thursday, reported CNBC.

'We expect 2018 to deliver more of the same,' said Himmelberg.

Himmelberg and his team expect the global economy to grow 4 per cent next year.

Goldman Sachs predicts that the global economy will grow 4 per cent in 2018 (file photo)

US growth in GDP on an annualized basis is shown for each quarter of the past four years

The latter half of 2017 has shown strong growth for the US economy, which posted annualized real Gross Domestic Product growth of 3 per cent for the third quarter.

Germany, Europe's larges economy, showed strong GDP growth of 3.3 per cent in the third quarter, while growth in the UK remained sluggish but slightly better than expected at 1.6 per cent.

Australia's economy is expected to accelerate at a 'modest' pace as stagnant wages weigh on consumption, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

Stock markets have surged in response to the strong growth, with the S&P 500 index up 14 per cent for the year in the US, and Germany's Dax up more than 13 per cent.

Stock markets have surged in response to the strong growth, with the S&P 500 index up 14 per cent for the year in the US

'Heading into 2018, one of the top policy risks in focus for investors is the passage of US tax reform,' wrote Himmelberg.

Goldman predicts an 80 per cent chance that tax reform gets done in early 2018, Himmelberg said, predicting corporate tax cuts could stimulate growth.

'A second policy risk which has fallen off of radar screens, but which is still active, in our opinion, is US trade policy,' Himmelberg said.

Wall Street mavens are fearful that trade restrictions could put a damper on stock growths.
British Gas is scrapping its standard gas and electricity bills in a shake-up which could save households up to 75 a year.

Britain's biggest energy supplier is planning the biggest industry reforms for more than 15 years as it's expected to announce it will no longer sell open-ended or rolling standard variable tariffs (SVTs) from April next year.

The shake-up will see new customers only able to subscribe to fixed period deals, which will force them to shop around for renewals at the end of one, two or three years.

It is the biggest attempt by an energy supplier to tackle the threat of the Government's energy price cap and will put an end to the 2billion energy market rip-off.

Britain's biggest energy supplier is planning the biggest industry reforms for more than 15 years as its expected to announce it will no longer sell open-ended or rolling standard variable tariffs (SVTs) from April next year

British Gas owner Centrica is due to announce seven new price plans and the company will write to its customers to switch schemes, with the transfer expected to be completed by 2019.

Centrica's group chief executive Iain Conn, however, insisted the reforms were not triggered by the Government's threat to cap energy prices, despite claiming that price controls would set the energy market back.

It comes as Britain's Big Six brace for a raft of regulatory changes after the Government announced that a price cap will be imposed on poor-value energy tariffs.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Conn said: 'We have actually been working on these proposals for many months now.

'We have been saying for the last 18 months that we think the best solution for this market is to end evergreen contracts, contracts that don't have an end date.

'We obviously had to pause when Theresa May announced her intention to cap the market but we have now announced today a comprehensive set of actions to reform the market, starting in our case with the removal of the standard variable tariff.'

He said the Government should prohibit open-ended contracts and remove the cost of green energy costs from household bills.

Centrica's group chief executive Iain Conn insisted the reforms were not triggered by the Government's threat to cap energy prices

Mr Conn said: 'The cost of renewable policies in everyone's bills and other Government subsidies and incentive schemes has now reached over 5billion a year.

'It's going to be costing next year, in our estimate, about 200 in everyone's bill, that's getting on for 20 per cent.

'We think it's much fairer to find another way of paying for it because people who find it most difficult to pay for their energy are really struggling with this component.'

In August, British Gas announced an eye-watering 12.5 per cent hike in electricity prices in a direct snub to the Government.

The Centrica-owned firm was accused of 'sheer greed' and 'Dick Turpin energy' after the 18th century highway robber, following the news affecting 3.1million customers.

The huge increase in prices from September 15 - ahead of the winter - was at odds with concerns about high energy bills raised by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Before the general election, Mrs May announced plans for a cap that could save millions of people on SVTs around 75 a year.

However, the move by British Gas suggested millions of families and pensioners will see an increase in bills, rather than a fall.

The firm said the price rise was its first since November 2013 and the group pledged to help protect more than 200,000 vulnerable customers from the increase.

Theresa May previously announced plans for a cap that could save millions of people on standard variable tariffs around 100 a year

Expectations of a price rise were fuelled by a website blunder by British Gas staff yesterday.

An incomplete statement briefly appeared on the website at noon promising to explain why it has had to raise electricity prices.

It was titled 'Why we've had to raise electricity prices - our first increase since November 2013.' However, the body of the text read only 'blah blah', suggesting the upload was an error.

It was quickly removed from the website and British Gas subsequently refused to comment, beyond saying it does not speculate about future electricity pricing.

Such announcements are highly sensitive because they can affect share prices. Consequently, there are strict rules on how they are made, including timing, which is normally early in the day before stock markets open.

Social media users were outraged by the rise at the time of the announcement.

Jase Ives said: 'British Gas to be rebranded after putting up prices 12.5 per cent. No need to change personal banking details... Dick Turpin energy will get your cash.'

Another called 'JDunn' tweeted: 'Bye bye British Gas when the time comes. Absolutely unbelievable. Salaries not increasing like this #RansomToLive.'

And Charlotte Smith said: 'The 12.5 per cent price hike is sheer greed on the part of British Gas. Absolutely no excuse whatsoever. No doubt the others will follow.'
Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have gone to Bulgaria in search of the 'woman in purple' - a figure who is keeping the operation alive.

Waitress Luisa Todorov, 58, is believed to be the mystery woman seen by two witnesses standing outside apartment 5a of the Ocean Club from where Madeleine was taken 10 years ago.

One witness saw her standing by a lamp post just outside the apartment at 8pm on May 3, 2007 and another saw her about half an hour later nearby.

Mrs Todorov's husband Stefan, 50, was working at the tapas bar at the Ocean Club where the McCanns and their seven holiday friends were dining when Madeleine was abducted.

Mr Todorov had been in Portugal since November 2002 and also worked as a car painter.

The couple, who both worked at the restaurant 500 metres away from the apartment block, gave statements to police five days after Madeleine's disappearance.

They both denied having any knowledge of the case and have not been spoken to again for over a decade.

Madeleine McCann, then three, vanished in May 2007 while on holiday with her family in Portugal

Heriberto Janosch Gonzalez, who has been investigating the case for 10 years, is convinced Mrs Todorov is the mystery 'woman in purple'.

He said: 'I have been combing through all the police files trying to identify who the woman in purple could be.

'It has been widely reported that Yard officers are in Bulgaria.

'Examining all the known statements it seems highly likely the police are seeking the Todorovs. They are the only known people with a clear link to Bulgaria.'

According to their witness statements Mrs Todorov finished her shifts at 6pm while her husband started at 8pm until midnight having worked as a car painter during the day.

In the past few months, the Grange team  now down to four detectives from a peak of 31  has been criss-crossing Europe trying to locate a woman who was spotted watching a building before Maddie went missing

Jenny Murat, 79, whose son Robert was the first official suspect, but was formally cleared of suspicion in 2008, has told how she noticed a woman outside the apartment in Praia da Luz, which Maddie vanished from in 2007.

Talking of when she spotted the woman in purple, Mrs Murat said: 'I saw the woman standing on the corner of the street.

'She caught my eye because she was dressed in purple-plum clothes. It struck me as strange.

'It's so usual for anyone, particularly a woman, to be standing alone on the street in our resort, just watching a building.

'The next morning, we heard that a little girl had gone missing, and I later told police about the woman I'd seen right outside. I didn't recognise her and don't have a clue who she is, but she seems a bit suspicious.'

In the past few months, the Grange team  now down to four detectives from a peak of 31  has been criss-crossing Europe trying to locate the woman.

Their budget had been due to run out in September, but officers are understood to have used the 'woman in purple' line of investigation to persuade the Home Office  which is financing the inquiry from central government funds  to grant a six-month extension.

The 154,000 agreed will allow inquiries to continue until March, taking the total spent on Operation Grange near to 12 million.

During the past six years, a string of theories and suspects have come and gone.

Variously, the spotlight has fallen on a group of British contract cleaners working in the resort, a smelly, pot-bellied man, a burglary gang posing as charity collectors, child-traffickers and gypsies.

Some police critics of Operation Grange point to what they see as its 'original sin'  the failure of the Met's team to re-interview Gerry and Kate McCann and the so-called Tapas Seven (above)

Operation Grange has been one of the longest, most high-profile and costly police investigations in history.

Launched in May 2011, officers have sifted (and translated) 40,000 documents produced by Portuguese police who conducted the initial investigation, and by the eight teams of private detectives who have worked on the case.

Some 600 'persons of interest' have been examined and 'sightings' of Madeleine  in Brazil, India, Morocco and Paraguay, on a German plane and in a New Zealand supermarket  assessed.

The Portuguese investigation of Madeleine's disappearance was criticised by the British authorities as being not fit for purpose.

Scotland Yard began an investigative review into the disappearance in 2011, on the orders of then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

However it is understood Met detectives have been relying on Portuguese transcripts of key interviews with British witnesses, rather than conducting their own.

Operation Grange has conducted no formal witness interviews with Gerry or Kate McCann or the seven friends they dined with on the night Madeleine disappeared.
A Sydney magistrate says controversial businessman Salim Mehajer has effectively been put under house arrest after he allegedly breached an apprehended violence order taken out on behalf of his estranged wife.

Mehajer was arrested and charged on Monday morning following a car crash in Kingsgrove in Sydney's south and appeared at Burwood Local Court facing two counts of breaching an apprehended violence order and one count of dangerous driving.

It's alleged the former Auburn deputy mayor was stalking his ex-partner Aysha Learmonth in the laneway behind her Kingsgrove home in his white four-wheel drive Audi in the early hours of Monday morning.

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Mehajer (pictured) returning to his Vaucluse residence having just been released on bail

Mehajer (pictured) had to hand in his passport and have someone post $10,000 to secure his bail

Mehajer (pictured) has a nightly curfew from 10pm to 5am and must report to police three times a week

Sydney magistrate says Salim Mehajer (pictured) has effectively been put under house arrest

Mehajer (pictured) allegedly breached an apprehended violence order taken out on behalf of his estranged wife

It's alleged Salim Mehajer (pictured) was stalking his ex-partner behind her Kingsgrove home

Salim Mehajer's Vaucluse home (pictured) 'where he will be virtually on house arrest'

The court heard Ms Learmonth was walking to her friend's car to get McDonald's when she saw the white car allegedly driven by Mehajer approach. She then fled into her home in fear.

Mehajer's barrister, George Thomas, said there was nothing to prove Mehajer was driving the car and there were "stark and significant" inconsistencies between the evidence of the proposed prosecution witnesses.

It's alleged Mehajer also breached his AVO by publishing an Instagram post at the weekend of him and Ms Learmonth.

The post has since been deleted with Mehajer claiming his Instagram account was hacked.

Mr Thomas said that claim might have received a different reception if he was federal Liberal minister Christopher Payne who last week said his Twitter feed was hacked.

"But he's not Christopher Pyne - he's Mr Mehajer," Mr Thomas said.

The police prosecutor opposed bail saying there were risks Mehajer would commit further serious offences and there was concern he would interfere with witnesses or evidence - namely dash cam footage inside the car during the collision.

The 31-year-old smiled when he was granted bail by Magistrate Joy Boulos who imposed strict conditions and said he'd effectively be under house arrest in Vaucluse.

Mehajer tied the knot with Ms Learmonth (pictured on wedding day together) in August 2015, in a so-called 'wedding of the century'

Mehajer's lawyer said the 31-year-old allegedly violated the AVO taken out by police on behalf of Ms Learmonth by posting an image (pictured) of the couple together to Instagram on Sunday night

"Mehajer is entitled to the presumption of innocence and I do propose to grant him bail with very stringent conditions where he will be virtually on house arrest," the magistrate said.

Mehajer has a nightly curfew from 10pm to 5am and must report to police three times a week. He's not to use any social media sites to contact his estranged wife.

He must also stay away from the Kingsgrove area where she lives.

Mehajer had to hand in his passport and have someone post $10,000 to secure his bail.

He left court on Monday evening wearing a blue tracksuit and thongs.

He made no comment to media - except to laugh at times - before jumping into a white BMW SUV driven by a male friend.

Monday's crash was the second in less than a month for the former Auburn deputy mayor after he smashed his luxury 4WD in October on his way to court to face assault charges.

Mehajer first came to wider public attention in August 2015 when he closed a street in the suburb of Lidcombe for his glitzy nuptials.

But after less than a year of marriage, NSW police sought an AVO against Mehajer to protect his wife Ms Learmonth.

Mehajer is due to reappear at Burwood Local Court on March 26 and 27 to face the AVO breaches and dangerous driving charge.
Satellite imagery has picked up on activity suggesting a submarine being built

South Korea's spy agency said on Monday it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North's Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation 'at any time', the agency told lawmakers.

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.

This undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army (KPA) during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea

It has led to further speculation Kim Jong-un may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States.

South Korea's spy agency said today it was monitoring developments closely.

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programmes in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the US mainland.

It has fired two missiles over Japan.

The reclusive state appears to have carried out a recent missile engine test while brisk movements of vehicles were spotted near known missile facilities, Yi Wan-young, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee which was briefed by Seoul's National Intelligence Service, said.

The third tunnel at the Punggye-ri complex remained ready for another detonation 'at any time', while construction had recently resumed at a fourth tunnel, making it out of use for the time being.

'The agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space, but in fact to ratchet up its threats against the United States,' the lawmakers told reporters after a closed-door briefing by the spy agency.

North Korea defends its weapons programmes as a necessary defence against US plans to invade.

The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.

It has led to further speculation Kim Jong-un may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States

It comes as it emerged North Korea as new evidence was unearthed showing Pyongyang's nuclear plans.

Analysts at 38 North reported it had satellite imagery had picked up on activity on November 5 at the Sinpo South Shipyard, suggesting the country was on 'an aggressive schedule to build and deploy its first operational ballistic missile submarine'.

Expert Joseph Bermudez Jr said: 'The continued movement of parts and components into and out of the parts yards adjacent to the construction halls indicates an ongoing shipbuilding program.

'The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine's pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine (SSB).

'Throughout 2017 there has been continued movement of parts and components into and out of the two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

'Accompanying this has been the movement of the gantry and tower cranes that service the yards.

'These activities suggest a prolonged and ongoing shipbuilding program, which is supported by the fact that the Sinpo South Shipyard has historically been the primary manufacturer of large submarines for the Korean People's Navy (KPN).'

Pyongyang is also carrying out a sweeping ideological scrutiny of the political unit of the military for the first time in 20 years, according to Kim Byung-kee, another lawmaker in the committee

Pyongyang is also carrying out a sweeping ideological scrutiny of the political unit of the military for the first time in 20 years, according to Kim Byung-kee, another lawmaker in the committee.

The probe was led by the ruling Workers' Party's Organisation and Guidance Department and orchestrated by Choe Ryong Hae, who once headed the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army himself until he was replaced by Hwang Pyong So in May 2014.

As a result, Hwang and Kim Won Hong, who Seoul's unification ministry said was removed from office in mid-January as minister of the Stasi-like secret police called 'bowibu', had been punished, the lawmaker said. He did not elaborate.

Choe, who was subjected to political 'reeducation' himself in the past, appears to be gaining more influence since he was promoted in October to the party's powerful Central Military Commission.

The National Intelligence Service indicated that Choe now heads the Organisation and Guidance Department, a secretive body that oversees appointments within North Korea's leadership.

'Under Choe's command, the Organisation and Guidance Department is undertaking an inspection of the military politburo for the first time in 20 years, taking issue with their impure attitude toward the party leadership,' the lawmaker, Kim, said.

Separately on Monday, South Korea approved a request by a South Korean to attend an event in the North marking the anniversary of the death of his mother who formerly led the Chondoist Chongu Party, a minor North Korean political party.

The son, identified only by his surname Choi, will be the first South Korean to visit the North since liberal President Moon Jae-in took office in May.

He is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang via China on Wednesday and return on Saturday, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

A senior Chinese official wrapped up a four-day visit to North Korea on Monday, apparently without meeting the country's leader, Kim Jong Un.

Song Tao, head of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party, met senior officials from the Workers Party of Korea and 'exchanged views on the Korean peninsula issue', China's official Xinhua news agency said.

'The ruling parties of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Monday pledged to strengthen inter-party exchanges and coordination, and push forward relations,' it added, using North Korea's official name.

Song had been in Pyongyang to discuss the outcome of the recently concluded Chinese Communist Party Congress in Beijing.
Amy Vigus, of Colchester, Essex, collapsed and later died after taking an 'MD Bomb'

Police investigating the ecstasy death of a young music fan confirmed today they have been unable to trace the dealer who supplied her with the killer pill.

Amy Vigus, 20, of Colchester, Essex, collapsed and later died after taking an 'MD Bomb' at a music festival in Stratford, East London.

In the days after her death, devastated relatives posted a heartbreaking anti-drug film on Facebook. The video - which said she would 'never know the pain she has caused' - has been viewed more than three million times.

A full inquest was held today into the trainee accountant's death. Miss Vigus's parents Kervin and Karen attended, along with her sister, Abby.

Friends of the popular young woman also packed into Essex Coroner's Court in Chelmsford for the half-hour hearing and wore sunflower broaches in memory of the 'little whirlwind'.

Detective Inspector Gary Biddle, of Essex Police, said officers had struggled to find the dealer who supplied the ecstasy to Miss Vigus at the Elrow Town music festival at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on August 19.

The inquest heard how their investigation had been 'fraught with difficulties' because the matter was not reported to police until Miss Vigus had died.

The 20-year-old trainee accountant had taken MDMA at Elrow Town music festival in London

He said: 'Amy was quite well throughout the afternoon but it was not until later in the afternoon that she became unwell. She collapsed and was taken to a medical tent.'

Whilst at the tent Miss Vigus was given a vitamin C tablet, along with water, and felt well enough to continue enjoying the festival.

The inquest heard how she again collapsed later in the day but felt well enough to make her way back to Kelvedon train station where her mother collected her and took her home.

Miss Vigus collapsed again at home and her parents carried out CPR before paramedics took over.

Her family released a video tribute to her, which had an anti-drug message, on Facebook

She died at Colchester General Hospital on the afternoon of August 21 having fallen into a coma.

Detective Inspector Biddle added: 'There was virtually no scene for us to attend. We only had a very vague description of the first male who approached Amy.

'There were four descriptions of those who were arrested for selling drugs but none of those arrested matched up.

'I am satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances. It is clear that Amy intended to take the drugs and we can't really take it any further.

'There is no suggestion anybody forced Amy to take the drugs and there is no suggestion of foul play.

'My conclusion is that it was a very tragic set of circumstances but we do consider the matter to be drug-related.'

The inquest heard how Miss Vigus's three friends, who were not named today, also took drugs at the festival but were supplied by a different dealer.

A post mortem into Miss Vigus's death concluded the cause of death was hypoxic brain injury due to the toxic affect of MDMA ingestion.

Police struggled to find the dealer who supplied the ecstasy to Miss Vigus at the music festival

Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray concluded the young woman had died as a result of an accident.

Miss Vigus's mother and sister wiped tears from their eyes as the verdict was recorded.

Mrs Beasley-Murray read from a heartbreaking tribute statement from the family.

They said Miss Vigus was 'beautiful, intelligent, honest, thoughtful and determined - a little whirlwind', adding: 'She would light up any room she walked into.'

A post mortem into Miss Vigus's death concluded the cause of death was hypoxic brain injury

Mrs Beasley-Murray, speaking to the family, said: 'Amy Vigus died as a result of an accident. What a tragic accident.

'She went off, probably in an excellent mood, for a happy day at the festival and it ended like this.

'I have read what you said about her, you say she was always up for a challenge and lived life to the full. Words can hardly express what you are feeling feeling'.

Miss Vigus's mother spoke briefly when asked if the family had any questions for the police. 'We just miss her so much. We just miss her,' she whispered.

Miss Vigus, pictured as a girl, was 'beautiful, intelligent, honest, thoughtful and determined'

Her parents declined to comment today other than asking that the local community be thanked, along with the Press and those who donated following the death.

In the family's video after Miss Vigus's death, the narrator said: 'In a moment of madness she took an unknown substance she was led to believe was the party drug MDMA.

'She continued to socialise and smile. Then she began to pay for her mistake. Amy's body rejected whatever unknown substance she had taken. Our Amy managed to make it home, where she collapsed one more time.'

The video adds: 'Our Amy made a mistake. Our Amy will never smile again. Our Amy is dead. In that moment of madness she took an unknown substance. Our Amy had no idea it would have led to this. She will not be celebrating Christmas anymore.

Detective Inspector Gary Biddle (left), who gave evidence at the hearing, and Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray (right) are pictured outside the court today

'She will not be celebrating her 21st birthday. She will not be buying her parents Mother's or Father's day cards. She will never know the pain she has caused.'

After Miss Vigus's death staff at Colchester General Hospital - who had battled to save her - took the unusual step of speaking out about how they had been affected by the tragedy.

Jane Murphy, matron for critical care, said: 'Working within the intensive care environment can be an emotional roller coaster and it was with great sadness we were unable to prevent the loss of Amy.

'Every single staff member has been affected by this tragic loss. It was clear she was very much loved and it was heartbreaking to experience the family's devastation.

Friends packed into Essex Coroner's Court in Chelmsford for the half-hour hearing today

'We feel it is incredibly brave of the family to produce the video in order to try to prevent another family going through what they are tragically going through.'

Since Miss Vigus's death her family have been fundraising for the critical care unit where she was treated after her collapse.

In a post on Facebook Miss Vigus's family said the staff were 'true heroes in her final hours' pledging to support the hospital 'indefinitely'.

The post said: 'We will continue to spread Our Amy's story in the hope that it helps even one person.

'Please feel free to use the video in schools or anyway which you feel will have a positive influence.'
For all the lingering tensions between President Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush, Trump's White House shares one thing in common with his Republican predecessor's: People.

Trump has installed more than three dozen veterans of the Bush administration, putting them in charge of running agencies, implementing foreign policy and overseeing his schedule.

While hiring from the last administration controlled by the same party is common, Trump's staffing moves are notable given his pledges to change politics-as-usual and the frosty relations between the current and former Republican standard-bearers.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Federal Reserve board member Jerome Powell after announcing him as his nominee for the next chair of the Federal Reserve. Powell served in the Treasury Department under Bush 43

The Bush influence has only grown stronger recently, as Trump nominated Alex Azar to lead the Health and Human Services Department, where he served under the Bush administration, and tapped Jerome 'Jay' Powell to be chairman of the Federal Reserve. Powell served in the Treasury Department under President George H.W. Bush.

While the White House says this is standard practice, some Trump allies say the hires don't fit with the president's non-traditional style.

'If Donald Trump's presidency fails it will be because he has perhaps inadvertently surrounded himself with' Bush associates, said longtime Trump associate Roger Stone.

The Bush alums in the administration include Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who served as Bush's labor secretary, and Dina Powell, the deputy national security adviser who oversaw presidential personnel and later served in Bush's State Department as an assistant secretary under Condoleezza Rice.

Even the president's schedule and day-to-day operations are overseen by a former member of Bush's inner circle: Joe Hagin, who served as deputy White House chief of staff.

Of course, hiring staffers from a past administration brings needed experience.

'These are complex jobs and the time is limited,' said Mike Leavitt, a former Utah governor and Health and Human Services secretary under Bush.

He pointed to the importance of understanding the complexities of federal regulations, the budget and congressional relations. 'If everyone has to learn it anew the chances of implementing an agenda are substantially reduced and the quality of government isn't as good.'

Still, the commingling follows a campaign in which Trump repeatedly dismissed Bush's handling of the Iraq war and his administration's focus on nation-building overseas and branded his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, as 'low-energy Jeb' during the Republican primaries.

In a pointed speech last month, George W. Bush  without mentioning Trump by name  denounced bigotry coursing through present-day American politics, warning that 'we've seen nationalism distorted into nativism,' and the 'return of isolation sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places.'

Trump vented his frustration about Bush's speech to a former adviser, arguing that it represented another attack aimed at undermining his presidency, according to a person familiar with the conversation who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation.

Traveling aboard Air Force One at the start of his recent trip to Asia, Trump was asked by reporters to respond to Mark K. Updegrove's new book, 'The Last Republicans,' in which the elder Bush calls Trump a 'blowhard' and George W. Bush wonders if he would be the last Republican president.

'I'll comment after we come back. I don't need headlines. I don't want to make their move successful,' Trump said. The president has yet to comment on the recent Bush criticism.

Of course, not all former Bush advisers are jumping into the current administration. Bush's former top adviser Karl Rove, for example, has been a vocal critic of Trump, and many former Bush foreign policy advisers denounced Trump's views during the campaign.

Trump allies, like Stone, question if the hires are shifting Trump's policies away from his campaign pledges.

He said there has been a softening of Trump's isolationist policies, noting his missile strike in Syria and agreement to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Stone also questioned the plans to limit tax deductions for state and local taxes as part of a proposed tax overhaul approved Thursday by the House.

'If you told me that a Republican president was going to get elected and his tax reform would have me paying more? That's George Bush. He said read my lips, no more new taxes,' Stone said of the 41st president. 'What genius came up with repealing state and local? That's just a tone deaf idea.'

White House officials said it was only natural for Trump to cultivate former members of the Bush administration.

'I have to imagine there is going to be overlap since he was the last Republican president,' said Marc Short, the White House's director of legislative affairs who worked in the Homeland Security Department during the Bush administration. Indeed, the list is long.

Trump's labor secretary, Alex Acosta, was appointed by Bush to the National Labor Relations Board and later served in the Justice Department's civil rights division and as a top federal prosecutor in South Florida.

Dan Coats, a former Indiana senator and U.S. ambassador to Germany under Bush, is Trump's director of national intelligence.

When the president grappled with a series of debilitating hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico this year, his most high-profile responders were from Bush's network, including Tom Bossert, the administration's homeland security adviser; Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Elaine Duke, who took over Homeland Security on an acting basis when Trump named John Kelly his chief of staff.

Trump's nominee to head Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, worked for the agency during the Bush administration.

'Republicans who have White House experience or broader administration experience, they either got it under Bush 43, or they're pretty old,' said Josh Bolten, White House chief of staff under Bush. 'So it's a natural place to look. It is the farm system.'
The Prime Minister in Downing Street today ahead of the Cabinet sub-committee meet

Downing Street tonight insisted 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' after a secretive summit of senior ministers to discuss signing off on a 40billion Brexit divorce bill.

Theresa May was today warned that 'one pound is too much' to give Brussels as she gathered her Brexit 'war Cabinet' to discuss hiking Britain's offer.

A meeting of 10 of Mrs May's most senior ministers gathered for what could prove to be one of the crucial moments in the Brexit process.

But as the meeting broke up after more than two hours, No 10 sources said the UK and EU must 'step forward together'.

Ahead of the Downing Street summit, the Prime Minister faced a cacophony of complaints from Tory backbenchers who said the public would 'go bananas' if the government doubles its offer to the EU.

Senior Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are believed to be ready to agree to the increase - but are demanding concrete assurances from Brussels about trade talks.

Before her ministers gathered, Mrs May refused to be drawn on the details of the proposal that will be discussed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said yesterday that Britain was preparing to table a new compromise deal ahead of an EU summit next month when leaders are due to decide whether to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the UK.

Mr Hammond declined to give a figure, but Brussels sources have suggested the EU will not consider a payment of less than 40billion - double the figure previously floated by Mrs May.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson left No 10 late tonight following a marathon summit of top ministers to decide whether to offer the EU more money for Brexit

Mr Johnson is thought likely to support a higher offer to trigger trade talks amid a major Cabinet row over how much to concede

In September, the Prime Minister offered to hand over 20billion during a two-year transition to a new relationship after Brexit in 2019.

But EU leaders rejected the offer as too small. Some hardliners in the European parliament are demanding up to 100billion euros.

Ministers on a key Cabinet sub-committee are due to hold talks behind closed doors this afternoon on how much to offer the EU, and what to demand in return.

Mr Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis have both warned the Prime Minister against making a significant new offer unless it is accompanied by guarantees on the type of trade deal the UK can expect from Brussels.

But the Chancellor yesterday indicated he was backing a bigger payment, saying there was a 'very high value' in having a close trade relationship with the EU after Brexit.

David Davis and Michael Gove, pictured in Downing Street this evening, are also due to be attending the Cabinet sub-committee session

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was in Downing Street this morning ahead of the crunch talks this evening

Talking up the prospect of a new offer, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'I do think we're at something of a turning point. We've had a difficult year.

'We're now I think on the brink of making some serious movement forward in our negotiations with the European Union, and starting to unlock that logjam so that people can start to see clarity about the future.'

Any figure in the order being demanded by the EU would leave Mrs May at risk of a huge backlash from Tory MPs - who have made clear they do not believe Britain has any legal obligations to pay.

Senior MP Nigel Evans told MailOnline Britain had already made the running in the negotiations and put a good offer down on money.

WHO IS IN THE PM'S BREXIT 'WAR CABINET' There are 10 ministers in the sub-committee that will discuss the divorce bill offer today: Prime Minister Theresa May First Secretary of State Damian Green Chancellor Philip Hammond Home Secretary Amber Rudd Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Brexit Secretary David Davis Trade Secretary Liam Fox Business Secretary Greg Clark Environment Secretary Michael Gove Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Advertisement

He said: We are the ones who have talked about transition, we offered 20billion extra funding.

That has to be in their interests to stop a black hole that Germany and France would have to fill.

That is British taxpayers money for public services, not for Brussels bureaucrats.

Former minister Robert Halfon said voters would not understand if the Tories handed over huge sums to Brussels after years of austerity.

'If we start saying that we're going to give 40billion to 50 billion to the EU, I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare,' he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour.

'I cannot believe the public would accept such a huge amount when we need money for our schools, our hospitals, our housing, and many other things. I think that is going to be very difficult if it is going to be that amount of money.'

Fellow backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg urged ministers to reject any further financial demands.

'It's a matter of choice for the Government  they will have to choose whether to give lots of money to the EU or spend money on necessary UK public services,' he said.

'I'd encourage the Government to choose our own domestic services, instead of expensive schemes in Europe.'

Trade Secretary Liam Fox (left) and Home Office Amber Rudd (right) were both in Downing Street this morning, and will attend the sub-committee meeting later

Another Tory MP Peter Bone said 'one pound is too much'.

'There is no legal obligation whatsoever for us to pay any money. We are net contributors, over 200billion over the years to to the European Union superstate.

'If anyone should get any money from this divorce, its us. The idea we would pay 38billion is absurd.

'I was at a meeting yesterday with constituents and they said, Look, Peter, if youve got 38billion available, use it to support the NHS. I find that a pretty strong argument.'

Fellow Brexiteer MP Henry Smith said: 'Especially as Germany struggles to form a government, now is not the time for Britain to offer more money than her obligations are due in EU Brexit negotiations.

'The EU27 will of course miss UK cash but no deal would damage their economies and trade surplus with us far worse.'

Speaking on a visit to Birmingham ahead of the meeting this afternoon, Mrs May said: 'I set out in my Florence speech that we will honour our commitments. I was very clear about that, as I said - for the current budget plan - no other EU country needs fear that they will have to receive less or pay in more.

'Weve been very clear that we will honour our commitments.'

Boris Johnson (pictured out jogging today) and Michael Gove (pictured right in Downing Street last week) are believed to be ready to sign off on an increased divorce bill offer, but are asking for guarantees from Brussels on trade

Chancellor Philip Hammond said during a BBC interview yesterday (pictured) that Britain was preparing to table a new compromise deal ahead of an EU summit next month

The Chancellor said the Government would make a fresh offer to Brussels ahead of an EU summit next month when leaders are due to decide whether to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the UK

The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, initially set a deadline of this Friday for a new offer, although this has now been extended for a further week.

France and Germany, which will have to plug the financial holes left by the UK's EU departure, have both indicated they will delay the opening of trade talks until they receive an improved offer.

German foreign minister Michael Roth said today that Britain must move on the financial settlement if it wants trade talks.

'It is about the money. In the end, its about the rights of the citizens of the EU and its about the money,' he said.

'I have already made it clear that the British must make a move. They must stand by their contractual obligations. They cant be released from them.'

Ministers are desperate to begin talks on trade and a two-year transition deal at next month's EU summit in Brussels. Mr Hammond yesterday suggested ministers would act to ensure a deal, saying: 'We will make our proposals to the EU in time for the Council, I am sure about that.'

The Cabinet's Brexit strategy and negotiations sub-committee is due to meet today to try to thrash out an agreement on a new offer.

This could be put to a full meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow before being proposed to EU Council president Donald Tusk, who will travel to London for emergency talks with the Prime Minister on Friday.

Theresa May (pictured visiting an engineering training facility in Birmingham today) could face a rebellion over any big payment to the EU

Jacob Rees-Mogg (left) and Robert Halfon (right) are among the Tory MPs who have warned about handing over large sums as a divorce payment to the EU

But, despite Mr Hammond's assessment, there is no guarantee of agreement among ministers. One Cabinet source said there was an 'impasse' on the issue. Pro-Remain ministers have a narrow majority on the Brexit sub-committee.

But the Prime Minister is said to be reluctant to push ahead without the support of Brexiteers such as Mr Johnson, Mr Davis, Michael Gove and Liam Fox, who are all members of the committee. Mrs May will come under pressure today to get guarantees from Brussels on the future relationship with the EU before agreeing a new sum.

Failure to get agreement on the divorce terms next month will lead to renewed calls for the Government to prepare for leaving the EU without a trade deal.

And some pro-Remain MPs are also nervous about handing over large sums to Brussels without receiving guarantees in return.

Tory MP Stephen Hammond said he was not opposed to increasing the offer, but added: 'We have to be clear what we're paying for and what we're getting.'
A waitress has been shot and killed in a robbery at an upmarket wine bar in Atlanta, Georgia.

Police were called to reports of a shooting at Barcelona Wine Bar at the Westside Ironworks on Howell Mill Road at 1.45am on Sunday.

The 29-year-old woman was discovered upstairs with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. She was later identified as employee Chelsea Beller of Atlanta.

Tragic: The 29-year-old woman was discovered upstairs with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. She was later identified as employee Chelsea Beller of Atlanta (pictured)

According to reports, three men came in just before the restaurant was closing and tied up employees with electrical tape. They then forced Beller to open a safe upstairs before she was shot.

The suspects then fled the scene.

The waitress was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead, 11alive reported.

Police have now launched a murder investigation.

According to reports, three men came in just before the restaurant was closing and tied up employees with electrical tape. They then forced Beller (pictured) to open a safe upstairs before she was shot

The bar's general manager Eric Ferraro told Fox 5 the the loss was a 'horrible tragedy'.

'It has shaken all of us,' he said. 'As the investigation gets underway, we are working closely with Atlanta police to help them with the investigation.

'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family and our team.'

Meanwhile, friends and family have been paying tribute to the waitress on Facebook.

Pat Keenan wrote: 'It's so sad that scumbags can take a precious life for a few thousand bucks, if even that.

'Chelsea Beller you will not be forgotten, you were so great to be around and always enjoying the moment.

'I was excited to meet you in Atlanta and even more so when you came to DC to help lead the team.

'You're one of a kind. My heart goes out to your family and friends.'

Another friend, Lauda Rodriguez Lacayo, wrote: To the most beautiful heart we have all known and loved.

'You lived out loud in a way that made everyone listen and love you. Every day. You pushed the envelope for everyone to be great in their own way.

'You dared to be real and live with you heart on your sleeve in the most colorful and beautiful ways possible.

'Always being you from beginning to end. Thank you for every day we shared and thank you for challenging me to be the better version of myself.'
Coles supermarkets are rolling out quiet shopping hours to help shoppers with autism.

For an hour every Tuesday, selected Coles stores will have no music, register tones will be toned down and trolley collections will be suspended so shoppers with autism won't be disrupted in store.

The selected stores will have dimmed lights by 50 per cent and between 10.30 to 11.30am the stores will become 'judgement free zones', according to 9 News.

Coles (pictured) supermarkets are rolling out quiet shopping hours to help autistic shoppers

For an hour every Tuesday, selected Coles stores will have no music and dimmed lights

'At Coles, we are always looking at ways we can meet the differing needs of our customers by creating a shopping environment in which our customers and team members feel comfortable,' Coles Accessibility Sponsor Peter Sheean told the publication.

The quiet shopping hour will mean the selected supermarkets will lower their sensory experience for shoppers and will avoid making announcements over the PA, except in emergencies.
The military will get no new money in this weeks Budget despite warnings from Tory MPs and defence chiefs that the Armed Forces are on the verge of collapse.

Government sources last night rubbished claims Philip Hammond will announce another 2billion for the military when he unveils his spending plans on Wednesday.

They said the new Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has not asked for more cash despite fears the department cannot pay for its military plans, as he wants to take stock of the situation first.

But the move looks set to enrage Tory grandees and MPs who have launched a major intervention to plead for more cash for Britain's depleted forces.

Four former Tory defence ministers have today urged Theresa May to boost funding for the military so Britain can take on tyrants like Kim Jong-Un.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, pictured last week on a tour of HMS Queen Elizabeth, is understood not to have asked for nay extra cash from Wednesday's Budget despite fears the military do not have the funding they need to carry out their plans

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Sir Gerald Howarth, Mark Francois and Sir Peter Luff told The Mirror the growing threat posed by North Korea and Russia means the UK must find more cash for the military.

Meanwhile, 25 Tory MPs have written to Mr Williamson to warn they could rebel and vote down any further military cuts.

The letter, drawn up by former Army officer Johnny Mercer, warned they are 'not prepared to see' any more reductions to the Navy and called for extra cash to take on the growing terror threat from Islamic States (IS).

Mr Williamson, who was promoted to Defence Secretary after Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit over sexual misconduct claims, is personally re-examining all defence plans.

It is understood he has not yet ruled anything out, including future cuts to Britains amphibious warfare fleet.

Senior military officers have raised concerns that Sir Michaels departure half way through a mini defence review has been very damaging and destabilising for the Ministry of Defence.

They have warned privately that the 178billion equipment programme  mapping out plans for new ships, jets, vehicles and gadgets - is in disarray.

This is because the plan was reliant on billions of pounds of efficiency savings which are impossible to find, they have told insiders.

As a result, there has been a sharp deterioration in the UKs military capability which is hidden by unready elements looking good but unable to operate fully, they have warned.

Sir Michael had fought for more money for defence, claiming the Armed Forces faced growing threats from terrorism and states such as Russia and North Korea.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show yesterday, is unveiling his Budget on Wednesday. He has come under heavy pressure from backbench Tory MPs to find extra cash to pump into the Armed Forces

The three service chiefs are also understood to have stressed the need for more cash in recent months in order to meet the increasing pressure on the Armed Forces.

But Mr Williamson, who has only spent a few weeks in the job, is examining the current progress of an ongoing review before he makes demands to the Treasury.

Defence sources stressed he had vowed to fight for defence, and he would decide how much extra cash was needed  if any  in the coming months, before the outcome of the review.

Last week Mr Williamson, 41, said: When you are Secretary of State for Defence, every decision you make is very much about the lives and futures of these people that give everything to serve.

You realise you have to be the one that is the loudest voice at the Cabinet table, that is absolutely going to be there fighting for them and hopefully delivering for them.

The Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and other key departments are currently taking part in the government review of national security capabilities.

Described as a mini Strategic Defence and Security review (sdsr), it is feared it is merely a cost-cutting exercise. It is expected to report at the beginning of next year.

North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-Un, pictured inspecting a drill of the launch of a long range ballistic missile in September. Military chiefs say Britain needs to beef up its defence spending to take on the growing threat of rogue countries like North Korea and Russia

Last week, General Sir Richard Barrons, the former commander of Joint Forces Command, told the Commons Defence Committee that the Army was 20 years out of date.

He also warned there were currently existential risks to the UK homeland which the armed forces were unable to deal with.

He said defence is underfunded to the tune of 2 billion a year and that without more resources there was a danger it would simply fall over.

Sir Richard said the forces appeared to be in denial about the scale of the problems they faced and that some supposed military capabilities were no more than holograms.

Following his bleak assessment, it was claimed that Mr Williamson had insisted on 2billion more for the cash-strapped forces, sparking a fight with the Chancellor Philip Hammond.

It was also claimed Britains only two amphibious landing ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, would also be saved in a U-turn, but such cuts have not yet been ruled out.
Liberal Councillor Christine Forster said she was appalled at the promotion

The City of Sydney council has been widely criticised after it promoted an anti-vaccination event in the 'what's on' part of its website.

Tickets for the 'Let's talk about vaccines' information night featuring Dr Judy Wilyman, a prominent anti-vaccination activist, were being advertised on the City of Sydney.

However Dr Wilyman's research and PhD 'A critical analysis of the Australian Government's rationale for its vaccination policy' has been labelled a 'conspiracy theory' by members of the medical profession.

Dr Judith Wilyman (pictured) claimed in her thesis there was collusion between the World Health Organisation and the pharmaceutical industry

She's also published research proposing a disproven link between the whooping cough vaccine and autism.

Doctors, politicians and members of the public called on the council to immediately pull promotion of the event on social media.

Labor deputy leader and Sydney MP Tanya Pilbersek tweeted: 'Who approved of this idiocy?'

'Let's talk about vaccines isn't an info night - it's an event designed to share misinformation and spread scaremongering anti-vaccine propaganda. @cityofsydney need to take this down now!' Australian doctor, television personality and author Brad McKay wrote on Twitter.

'@cityofsydney Please reconsider the high risk you are legitimising dangerous misinformation pretending to be #science with 'Let's talk about vaccines'', another Twitter user wrote.

Liberal Councillor Christine Forster said she was appalled at the promotion and would lobby to have the event cancelled.

Rachael Dunlop, from the faculty of medicine and research at Macquarie University, told the ABC that having an anti-vaccine event advertised on the City of Sydney website implies that it is hosted, or even endorsed, by the council.

'The nonsense that will be spouted at this event is nothing more than scaremongering and misinformation wrapped up in conspiracy theories and designed to scare parents into not vaccinating their children,' Dr Dunlop said.

Wilyman argued against Australias pro-vaccination policy back in 2016 (stock image)

The event promised to answer questions such as: 'Government, media and the medical community are pushing more and more vaccines on us. Why?'

Its link on the council's website was removed after it was brought to the attention of the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore.

She tweeted: 'Thank you for alerting me to this event - I have spoken with staff and asked for it to be removed immediately.'

The City of Sydney said in a statement it was removed from its listings section because it was 'contrary to our values'. 'This event should not have been included in the City of Sydney's 'what's on' listings and it has been removed. This is not a City of Sydney event.'
Shocking video has emerged of an off-duty police officer shoot and kill two suspects during a raid on a pharmacy while holding his baby boy under one arm.

Sergeant Rafael Souza entered Bifarma in the centre of Campo Limpo Paulista in Brazil with his wife and their young son to buy medicine on Saturday afternoon when armed gunmen rushed in.

The dramatic scenes were caught on CCTV in the state of Sao Paulo.

While the clerk was attending to his wife, two burglars with hoods and a gun barged in to rob the premises.

According to reports, one of the suspects, Jefferson Alves, 24, a resident of Campo Limpo, pointed the gun at Sgt Souza, who identified himself as a police officer.

Sgt Souza, of the 49th Metropolitan Battalion, said that the suspect intended to shoot him so he reacted.

He pulled his gun and shot one of the assailants at point blank range before he pursued the other man.

His wife screamed as she reached out for the baby while cowering below shelves.

Sgt Souza handed the tiny child to her before the video cut out.

Sergeant Rafael Souza entered Bifarma in the centre of Campo Limpo Paulista in Brazil with his wife and young son to buy medicine on Saturday afternoon when armed gunmen rushed in

Jefferson Alves, 24, a resident of Campo Limpo, allegedly first pointed his gun at Sgt Souza

The officer said he was forced tio react and shot one of the assailants at point blank range before he pursued the other man
Charles Manson, the convicted mass murderer and cult leader who died on Sunday at the age of 83, orchestrated the gruesome murders of seven people in August 1969 in California by his devoted followers.

The group of runaways and outcasts known as the 'Manson Family' committed random murders in upscale mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles - unleashing a wave of panic in the city and beyond.

The aim was for African Americans to be blamed, in the hope of sparking what Manson believed to be an impending and apocalyptic race war.

Cult leader Charles Manson (pictured left in August 2017 and right in October 2014) has died aged 83

Charles Manson is being escorted to his arraignment in 1969 and remained behind bars until his death

Victims: (top row left to right) Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, (middle row left to right) Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, (bottom row left to right) Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, Donald Shea.

His 'Family' disciples committed at least nine murders, but it was the horrific killing spree of seven people on August 9-10, 1969 that sealed his notoriety - and earned him and many of his followers life in prison.

Since the murders, only one member - Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford - has been paroled.

Six other cult members remain in prison, while one, Susan Atkins, died of brain cancer while incarcerated in 2009.

Here, MailOnline discloses what has become of the members of Manson's cult.

Charles 'Tex' Watson, 71: Jailed

Watson described himself as Manson's 'right hand man'.

On August 9, 1969, he and three female accomplices murdered actress Sharon Tate and four visitors at her Beverly Hills home.

The following night, they killed a couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, at their Los Angeles home.

Charles 'Tex' Watson, 71, has apologized for the killings. He became a minister in 1981, taking a path similar to some other ex-Manson Family members who also turned to Christianity

Watson was initially sentenced to death in the stabbing and shooting rampage, but the sentence was later commuted to life when the California Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that the death penalty was unconstitutional.

Watson remains in prison near Sacramento, California, after repeatedly being denied parole.

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate  the last surviving member of her immediate family  urged a panel of parole commissioners last year to reject freedom for the man she called 'the most active, the most prolific killer in the Manson family'.

In prison, Watson wrote a book, Manson's Right-Hand Man Speaks Out, saying the charismatic Manson offered utopia, then persuaded his followers to act out his 'destructive worldview'. Watson has apologized for the killings.

He became a minister in 1981, taking a path similar to some other ex-Manson Family members who also turned to Christianity.

Watson also obtained his college degree behind bars.

Susan Atkins (left, with Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie van Houton) took part in several of the slayings, including those at the Tate residence, where she tasted Sharon Tate's blood and used it to write 'Pig' on a house wall

She died of brain cancer in a California prison in 2009 at age 61. Atkins had been denied a request to be freed on parole as the fatal illness took hold

Susan Atkins, died in 2009, aged 61

Atkins took part in several of the slayings, including those at the Tate residence, where she tasted Sharon Tate's blood and used it to write 'Pig' on a house wall.

She died of brain cancer in a California prison in 2009 at age 61. Atkins had been denied a request to be freed on parole as the fatal illness took hold.

She is the only other cult member - other than Manson himself - to have died.

Atkins admitted stabbing Tate to death as the actress begged for her life and that of her unborn son. Atkins claimed she and other cult followers acted on orders from Manson and were on LSD.

Atkins' death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972, after the California Supreme Court abolished capital punishment.

While living with the Manson 'family', she became pregnant and Manson helped deliver the baby boy, naming it Zezozoze Zadfrack. His whereabouts are unknown.

Patricia Krenwinkel, 69: Jailed

Krenwinkel took part in the murders of the LaBiancas and at the Tate residence and has become California's longest-serving woman prisoner.

In June, commissioners again denied parole for Krenwinkel, after a six-month inquiry to look into allegations that she had been abused by Manson or someone else, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Krenwinkel has been denied parole 13 times for the slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four other people.

Patricia Krenwinkel took part in the murders of the LaBiancas and at the Tate residence. She has become California's longest-serving woman prisoner

She was a 19-year-old secretary living with her older sister when she met the 33-year-old Manson at a party. She testified that she left everything behind three days later to follow him because she believed they had a budding romantic relationship.

She said in December that her feelings faded when Manson became physically and emotionally abusive, and trafficked her to other men for sex.

She said she left him twice only to be brought back, and that she was usually under the influence of drugs and rarely left alone.

'I thought I loved him. I thought - it started with love, and then turned to fear,' she once said.

Krenwinkel in December recounted how she chased down and repeatedly stabbed Abigail Folger, 26, heiress to a coffee fortune, at Tate's home on Aug. 9, 1969, and helped Manson and other followers kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night.

Manson and his right-hand man, Charles 'Tex' Watson, told her to 'do something witchy,' she said, so she stabbed La Bianca in the stomach with a fork, then took a rag and wrote 'Helter Skelter,' ''Rise' and 'Death to Pigs' on the walls with his blood.

Leslie Van Houten, 68: Jailed

Van Houten is serving a life sentence for taking part in the murders of the LaBiancas.

Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown overturned a parole board recommendation that she should be released, saying that Van Houten still posed an 'unreasonable danger to society'.

In September, the parole board again granted her parole, which started a 150-day review process that will likely culminate in a final decision by Brown.

Leslie Van Houten is serving a life sentence for taking part in the murders of the LaBiancas. She was the youngest member of Manson's cult

Van Houten was the youngest member of Manson's cult and was just 19 years old when she took part in the murders of the LaBiancas.

Over two nights in August 1969, Manson's ragtag band of followers killed seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.

Van Houten didn't take part in the first night's killings of Tate and four others, but she helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, on the second night.

She said that on the night of the attack, she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times.

Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to 'do something,' she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

But since her incarceration more than 40 years ago, she has been a model prisoner.

During those years she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

Bruce Davis (center) is serving a life sentence at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea

Bruce Davis, 75: Jailed

Davis is serving a life sentence at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea.

At the time of his arrest Davis had the Family 'X' carved into his forehead.

Davis was not involved in the more notorious killings of Tate and six others by the Manson 'family'.

He long maintained he was a bystander in the killings of the two men but in recent years he acknowledged his shared responsibility because he was present.

He testified at his 2014 hearing that he attacked Shea with a knife and held a gun on Hinman while Manson cut Hinman's face with a sword.

'I wanted to be Charlie's favorite guy,' he said then.

During the half-century since the slayings, parole panels have decided five times that Davis is no longer a public safety risk. Officials have cited his age and good behavior behind bars that includes earning a doctoral degree and ministering to other inmates.

But California Governors, who have the final say on release, have repeatedly denied him parole.

Robert Beausoleil (left in younger years and right, recently) was sentenced to death for the 1969 slaying of musician Gary Hinman, but it was commuted to life in prison when the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972. He is serving a life sentence for the 1969 murder of Hinman

Robert (Bobby) Beausoleil, 70: Jailed

Beausoleil is serving a life sentence for the 1969 murder of Gary Hinman.

A California parole board last denied his bid on October 14, 2016. He will be eligible for a hearing again in 2019.

Beausoleil was sentenced to death for the 1969 slaying of musician Gary Hinman, but it was commuted to life in prison when the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972.

He was transferred in 1994 to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem at his request, after he married a woman from Oregon while in prison and fathered four children.

Beausoleil was an aspiring musician and actor before he joined the Manson family.

He was in jail when other Manson followers killed actress Sharon Tate and four others, then murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.

Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, 69: Paroled

Fromme was a member of the Manson Family and attended Manson's trial.

She was a former child performer living in Venice Beach, California, when she met Manson at a Manhattan Beach party in 1967 with fellow follower Krenwinkel.

In 1975, she was tackled by a Secret Service agent after she aimed a pistol at then President Gerald Ford.

Convicted of attempted assassination, she was sentenced to life in prison.

Fromme continued to correspond with Manson while she was in prison, officials have said.

Despite briefly escaping prison in the 1980s, Fromme was paroled in 2009 and moved to Marcy in New York state, according to the New York Post.
Russian traffic police admit they are powerless to act against a new trend among the super rich of taking wild animals out for drives in their expensive cars.

Videos are going viral with an anonymous father and seven-year-old daughter taking a lion cub for a ride, apparently in the family Rolls Royce.

At one point the cub bites the girl's coat and shows its teeth to her father who is driving the car.

A bizarre trend of the super rich taking exotic animals for drives is sweeping Russia. One clip showed a lion cub sitting next to a girl, seven, in the front of a Rolls Royce

In the video, the Rolls Royce is driving down Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow, used by Vladimir Putin to commute to work in the Kremlin

At one point the cub bites the girl's coat and shows its teeth to her father who is driving the car

The father calls himself 'bad guy but good dad', and titled one of the videos: The Maasai in Africa gave us a lion, now we don't know what to do with it

Another video shows a man taking a brown bear for a spin in his Mercedes.

The footage was posted on an Instagram site dedicated to the antics of rich Russian kids.

But police have told the media that they can do little since taking wild animals for a ride is not a crime under the country's traffic laws.

Recent reports say a rising number of wealthy Russians are keeping dangerous animals as pets.

The man who posted the footage of the bear in his Mercedes AMG boasted: 'Our response to Dubai princes with leopards on passengers seats.'

The same man appears to have a lion cub as a pet. 'Safety is guaranteed,' he claimed.

The father and daughter show two videos with a lion cub - in one they are driving down Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow, used by Vladimir Putin to commute to work in the Kremlin.

He calls himself 'bad guy but good dad', and evidently he recently took his daughter to Africa visiting Kenya and Tanzania among other countries.

In another astonishing video, a man filmed a huge brown bear in the passenger seat of his Mercedes

The camera then pans around to the bear's side of the car and shows the animal chewing on something in its huge claws. The white Mercedes then speeds off

Russian traffic police admit they are powerless to act against a new trend among the super rich of taking wild animals out for drives in their expensive cars

Rich Russian Kids headlined one of the videos: 'What do you know about happy childhood?

The unnamed father called the other: 'The Maasai in Africa gave us a lion, now we don't know what to do with it.'

But there were critical postings from shocked Russians.

'What if it starts biting the girl's face at high speed - will he continue filming it?' posted one.

'Get rid of him asap, he will grow up in a few months and will start testing who is the Alpha here,' said another comment.

The father was accused of 'ruining the life of a wild animal, making him a toy for your daughter for couple weeks'.

Russian police told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper there are no laws forbidding drivers from taking wild animals for rides in their cars.
Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife has denied claims the star sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, saying he was with her the whole time.

The actor and filmmaker, 71, was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl while he filming Over the Top in Las Vegas in the late 1980s, according to a bombshell report obtained by DailyMail.com

The Rocky star was 40 years old when the unnamed teenager told police she had been 'intimidated' into having sex with him and his bodyguard Michael 'Mike' De Luca at the former Las Vegas Hilton hotel in July 1986.

But in an interview with TMZ, Brigitte Nielsen, who was married to the actor between 1985 and 1987, said the incident could not have occurred because the couple were together the whole time.

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Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife Brigitte Nielsen (pictured with the star in 1987) has denied claims the star sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, saying he was with her the whole time

'During the summer of 1986 we were newlyweds. I was inseparable with Sylvester when Over The Top was being shot in Las Vegas.

'The story claims that at approximately 8:30 in the evening during the shoot of the movie the person claims she was in our suite at the Hilton Hotel.'

She continued: 'This incident did not occur. Most of the day, I would watch him film, then we'd have dinner and go to our room. No other person was in the room with him, but me.'

The actor and filmmaker, 71, (pictured here in 2016) was accused of sexual assault by a 16-year-old girl while he was filming a movie in Las Vegas in the late 1980s, according to a bombshell report obtained by DailyMail.com

In the police report, the 16-year-old claimed she had sex with Stallone and he encouraged De Luca to join them. At that point she became 'very uncomfortable' with the encounter but felt she had 'no choice'.

De Luca then forced the teenager to perform oral sex on him before penetrating her, while Stallone made her give him oral sex, according to the police report.

Retired Las Vegas metro police department detective sergeant John Samolovitch, who was head of the sexual assault unit at the time, confirmed to DailyMail.com the copy of the police report is in fact a true copy of the original report.

Michelle Bega, spokeswoman for Stallone, told DailyMail.com: 'This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by any authorities or anyone else regarding this matter.'

After the incident, the teen claims Stallone threatened her - she couldn't tell anyone because both men were married and if she said anything, 'they would have to beat her head in', before laughing with De Luca.

The unidentified teen ultimately decided not to pursue charges against either men because she was 'humiliated and ashamed', as well as being 'scared', according to the police report.

At the time of the incident Stallone, now 71, was 40 years old. Bodyguard De Luca, who was shot and killed by California police during a traffic stop in 2013, was 27 years old at the time.

But in an interview with TMZ , Brigitte Nielsen (pictured with Stallone) said the incident could not have occurred because the couple were together the whole time

Brigitte Nielsen was married to Sylvester Stallone between 1985 and 1987

Police were alerted to the incident when a hotel employee called police to report that a friend of the victim said she needed advice on the matter.

When officials tracked down the teen, she relayed details of the alleged assault to them.

She said she was staying at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel with family friends for 10 days, from July 18 to July 28, during the time that Stallone happened to be filming at the hotel for the upcoming movie Over the Top.

The teen said she met actor David Mendenhall, who was playing Stallone's son in the film, at the hotel's arcade and he introduced her and her cousin to Stallone on Wednesday, July 23, 1986.

In the following days, the cast and crew of the movie continued filming at the hotel, and on Friday, the teen said she saw Stallone and got his autograph.

According to the police report, Stallone asked the girl how old she was and after learning she was 16 years old, he asked her 'how she got such a build'.

One of the teen's friends had received a kiss on the cheek from Stallone during the conversation, so the teen said she also asked for a peck on the cheek from Stallone.

'He replied that he would give her a kiss at a later date, that she would not forget', according to the police report.

The next day the teen said she returned to the area in the hotel where the crew was filming with a larger picture for Stallone to autograph for her so that she could give it to a friend.

The 16-year-old said she was staying at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel with family friends for 10 days, from July 18 to July 28, during the time that Stallone happened to be filming at the hotel for the upcoming movie Over the Top. Pictured: Stallone in Over the Top

There, she met De Luca, Stallone's bodyguard, who allegedly asked the teen if Stallone made a pass at her, what would she do.

The teen said she responded that she 'would probably make a pass back at him'.

De Luca then gave her two keys for a room on the 27th floor and told her to go up to the room as soon as possible,' according to the police report.

That night, the teen claims she went up to the 27th floor where she met Stallone and De Luca in the hallway and together, they all went into the hotel suite.

From there, the teen said she and Stallone went into the bedroom, got undressed and began having intercourse, while De Luca stayed in the bathroom.

The teen told police that they 'really didn't have sex' because Stallone only inserted himself 'a little ways' into her and 'only kept it in for a few seconds'.

Stallone remarked to the girl that she was 'very tight' before asking her if she ever had sex with two men at the same time, according to the report.

She said she responded that she hadn't and then Stallone went into the bathroom and brought De Luca into the bedroom.

Stallone allegedly asked De Luca if he wanted a 'blow job' from the teen and De Luca then 'forced her head down onto his penis', according to the police report.

The minor claims De Luca forced her to perform oral sex on him for a few minutes before he 'came around and had vaginal sex with her'.

Then Stallone allegedly 'came over to her and pushed her head down onto his penis and made her give him a blow job'.

Neither of the men climaxed but the teen said that Stallone asked her if she 'wanted to see come' and then he ejaculated in front of her, the report continued.

The teen told police that after she got dressed, 'Stallone made the comment that they were both married men and that she could not tell anybody about the incident and if she did, that they would have to beat her head in'.

Stallone and De Luca both 'laughed after he made the comment', according to the report.

Police noted that 'during the interview [the teen] became emotionally upset numerous times, crying and sobbing.'

The report continued: 'She indicated that if the sexual encounter had only been with Stallone, she would not pursue this matter, but due to the fact that Mike, the bodyguard became involved in the sexual incident, she didn't know what she wanted to do.'

According to police, when De Luca became involved in the sexual encounter 'she became very uncomfortable with the situation. She states she did not want to have any type of sexual contact with the bodyguard, but felt she had no choice in the matter.

'She states there was no actual physical force, but she did feel intimidated.'

Police noted in their report that the teen had 'difficulty in relating her thoughts' and was 'extremely emotional' when telling her story.

When pressed if she wanted to pursue charges against Stallone and De Luca, the girl told police: 'I'm humiliated and ashamed, but I don't want to prosecute.

'I'm kind of scared and I'm very ashamed. I don't want anybody else to have that happen to them, but I don't want to prosecute. I cannot talk about this anymore, please leave me alone.'

She later signed a no prosecution form and the matter was dropped, although police did confiscate De Luca's concealed weapon permit on July 30, 1986.

A story about Sly Stallone being involved in a possible sexual assault in Las Vegas in 1986 was first reported by Doug Poppa of the Baltimore Post Examiner.

The bombshell police report was made a year before Stallone's half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti, threatened him with a lawsuit in 1987, alleging that Stallone raped her and sexually assaulted her for years.

Although court documents show the actor 'vigorously denied and continues to deny and dispute all claims of wrongdoing', he agreed to give Filiti a lump sum of $2 million, as well as $16,666 a month for the rest of her life.

His half-sister, whose own mother claimed she was a drug addict, died in 2012 after a battle with lung cancer.

Stallone is one of the most recent A-listers in Hollywood to be accused of sexual assault and/or harassment in the wake of damaging claims made against Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Brett Ratner, among several others.
David Davis is said to have fallen out with his top Brexit mandarin because he would not let him travel on RAF planes.

The bizarre spat reportedly erupted after the Brexit Secretary insisted he did not want to use commercial flights as he criss-crossed Europe for negotiations.

But the permanent secretary at his department, Oliver Robbins, apparently kept blocking the requests.

Brexit Secretary David Davis (right) is said to have fallen out with his top mandarin Oliver Robbins (right) over the minister's desire to use RAF planes

Mr Davis has been leading talks with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured right) since July

According to new book Fall Out by Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman, Mr Davis had to appeal for Theresa May's chief of staff Gavin Barwell to step in and clear the trips.

It is claimed the minister threatened that he would not make the journeys unless he could use RAF planes, which can cost up to five times more than commercial tickets.

The book also reveals clashes over accusations that Mr Robbins was shutting Mr Davis out of key talks with European officials.

Mr Robbins, the most senior official leading on the negotiations with the EU, left the Brexit department in September to work directly for Mrs May in a new Cabinet Office unit.

There were claims at the time that his move was due to tensions with Mr Davis.

But the government insisted the change was intended to 'strengthen cross-government coordination of the nest phase of negotiations with the EU'.

Mr Robbins has continued to attend talks with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier alongside Mr Davis.

Sources close to Mr Davis said that the account was based on 'gossip rather than fact'.

But Labour MP Peter Kyle said: 'This totally disgusts me. He railed against bloated Eurocrats then demands a private jet to fly to Europe.

'Ive seen him stuffing his face in the Commons tea room the same day of negotiations in Brussels. He thinks the world should revolve around his ego.'

Mr Robbins moved from the Brexit department to the Cabinet Office in September, but is still attending the talks in Brussels (pictured) alongside Mr Davis
Thomas Millward, 19, died after taking a legal high similar to LSD

An 'exceptional' Cambridge University student was found naked at the bottom of a stairwell after taking a legal high version of LSD, an inquest has heard.

First year engineering undergraduate Thomas Millward, who was dubbed 'one of the most promising young men of his generation', was found dead on March 6 last year.

The 19-year-old was declared brain dead in hospital after suffering 'unsurvivable' head injuries at Girton College.

An inquest into Thomas's death started today at Huntingdon Law Courts.

It heard he and his girlfriend had taken drugs bought online three weeks earlier, because they thought it would be a 'fun and positive experience'.

Jurors were told Mr Millward, who played as a forward for the Cambridge rugby team, had suffered a concussion during a match three days before his death.

The hearing was told that Mr Millward was rushed from his college halls to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge shortly after 9.30pm.

His 21-year-old girlfriend Daniella Mieloszyk, a fellow Cambridge student, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply. She was later released without charge.

Thomas Millward's 21-year-old girlfriend Daniella Mieloszyk (pictured), a fellow Cambridge student, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply but later released without charge

The couple (pictured) had taken drugs they bought online three weeks earlier, because they thought it would be a 'fun and positive experience'

Assistant Coroner for Cambridgeshire Simon Milburn, giving a summary of the case said: 'During the afternoon of March 5, 2016 Thomas and his girlfriend took a substance which was probably something known as 1p LSD.

Mr Millward was in his first year at the University of Cambridge

'It was what was referred to as a legal high. He was found naked face down at the foot of the wooden stairwell. His clothes were found on the corridor of the second floor.'

Giving evidence today, Ms Mieloszyk repeatedly broke down in tears as she described the moment she woke up and found him at the bottom of the stairs next to his room.

She said she last saw Thomas alive as they were trying to sleep in his room while 'overwhelmed' by the drug.

She said: 'The next thing I remember was waking up... regaining a sense of awareness and in the room on my own.'

Ms Mieloszyk, who will be returning to study Human, Social and Political Sciences at the university in the next academic year, said they each took two tabs of the now illegal drug at about 3pm.

She said she bought the drug online three weeks previously, adding: 'We knew it was kind of like of a legal equivalent to LSD.

'I think we underestimated and naively didn't realise what it would be like and had expectations that it would be something that was a fun and positive experience which would be interesting to have.'

She claimed never to have taken the drug and believed Thomas had not either.

The first-year engineering student was found at the foot of a stairwell at Girton College in Cambridge

The 19-year-old was declared brain dead in hospital after suffering 'unsurvivable' head injuries

The inquest heard she saw him lying with his head near and facing two vending machines at the foot of the stairwell.

Answering questions from Thomas's father Mr Brian Millward, she said she was not aware of a historic knee injury affecting Thomas at the time.

She added Thomas had felt 'dizziness' after suffering a concussion in a rugby match three days earlier.

The inquest heard a toxicology report found Thomas had 180th of the amount of LSD in his blood expected five-hours after taking it and no trace of the drug in a hair sample.

Mr Millward said: 'We suspect.. only half an hour before the air ambulance (arrived) that he went to the top floor and removed his clothes on the F Block.

'Then ran back through the other corridor below back to his room and that's when he fell.'

In a statement Detective Sergeant Andrew Warner said he arrested Daniella after she told him she 'had no idea' what the drugs seized from Thomas's room were and claimed she 'found' them at a festival in Brighton.

Paramedics notes stated the rugby forward was found unresponsive in a pool of blood and was believed to have taken LSD at around 3pm that day.

Consultant Neurosurgeon Stephen Price at Addenbrooke's told the inquest he had died of a 'severe traumatic brain injury' and was declared brain stem dead with his parents bedside at 11am the next day.

'The overall picture was of very high pressure in the brain,' he said.

'We made the decision that this was an unsurvivable head injury and we decided to not put him through an operation.

'The family in due course agreed to organ donation as well.'

Answering questions from Thomas's father, he said the after-effects of his concussion 'potentially contributed towards' his fall.

Paramedics notes stated the rugby forward was found unresponsive in a pool of blood and was believed to have taken LSD

In a statement read out to the inquest, Monica Dayo, a fellow engineering student at Girton College, said: 'In all the time I knew Tom I didn't see him get on the vending machines, jump or them or slide down the banisters, although I'm since told that he did this at times.'

She had found Thomas' body as she was walking down the stairs with a friend.

Police arrested Daniella after finding two paper squares of it in a 'metallic silvery bag' in a blue pouch under Thomas's bed.

Detective Constable Alice Draper said: 'We retrieved an olive green duffle bag which had items which appeared to belong to a female... a heart-shaped plastic container which had white power on it which we obviously seized believing it was class A drugs.

'The suggestion had been all along that it was LSD that had been taken not that it had been any other Class A drug.

'There was no suggestion of anything sinister.'

The inquest continues.
An Uber driver who murdered his two children and tried to blow up his wife before making a botched suicide attempt was jailed for life yesterday (Mon).

Evil Endris Mohammed, 47, smothered his eight-year-old son Saros and daughter Leanor, six, with a petrol-soaked rag as they slept.

He then tried to cause a gas explosion in the family home that would have killed wife Penil Teklehaimanot, 37.

Mohammed stripped a cooker away from a kitchen unit and then punctured a pipe behind it to cause a gas leak at 3.30am on October 28 last year.

Endris Mohammed, pictured right after setting his car on fire in a suicide attempt, was 'the perfect dad' according to his wife Penil Teklehaimanot despite the Uber driver admitting killing their two young children

The Ethiopian asylum seeker started a small fire at the front door of the family home in Holland Road, Hamstead, Birmingham, hoping to trigger an explosion.

But Penil was woken up by the smoke alarm and managed to put out the fire with her bare feet and hands.

The children were dragged out of the house and Saros was rushed to Sandwell Hospital while Leanor was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Despite the desperate attempts by doctors, both children were pronounced dead within a minute of each other.

CCTV images of Endris Mohammed shows him arriving at a petrol station before entering and buying a jerrycan full of fuel

The warped father told a psychiatrist that he killed his two children because he did not want them to suffer after he set the house ablaze

Mohammed would use the petrol he purchased at the garage to smother his two young children

Emergency services who arrived at the family home were met with a scene of devastation and the lifeless bodies of the two children

When he realised his plot to blow up the house had failed Mohammed drove 40 miles in his Uber taxi before setting fire the cab in a desperate attempt to kill himself.

Passersby spotted the flaming car at 4am in Butterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs., and he was left with severe burns to his head and face.

Mohammed admitted he unlawfully killed his children - claiming he was not in his right mind because of money worries - but denied two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

Pictured is the burnt-out car that Mohammed set ablaze after murdering his children in an attempt to take his own life which he survived

On Friday a jury at Birmingham Crown Court convicted him on all three counts after just 30 minutes of deliberation.

Yesterday Mohammed, whose burned and disfigured face is revealed in his police mug shot, was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 33 years.

Judge Justice Andrew Gilbart said: 'This country has a long proud history of welcoming those from abroad who flee from persecution.

FATHER HAD 'NO HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS' Mohammed was captured on CCTV buying a jerrycan of fuel Inquiries conducted after Endris Mohammed killed his children showed he had no history of mental illness and contradicted his claims of being under intense financial pressure. Detectives say only Mohammed himself knows the true motive for the horrifying killings - which followed an apparently ordinary day driving his taxi. Commenting on the inquiry, Detective Inspector Justin Spanner said the killer's wife, Penil Teklehaimanot, last saw her children at about midnight in the lounge as they started a downstairs 'sleepover' with their father. The officer said: 'There is no previous history, known to anybody, of any mental health illness with Endris Mohammed. 'As part of our investigation we spoke to people who were in his taxi on that day and they say he was happy, chatting and he seemed very normal. 'Penil also said there had also been no change in his behaviour in the events leading up to that evening. 'The only person who can give a true answer about the motive for what happened is Endris Mohammed himself. The killer then drove to a road in Newcastle-under-Lyme where he was discovered next to his taxi having suffered burns to his head and hands 'However, sometimes it's what they don't say that's important. He has never mentioned trying to kill his wife and has not acknowledged the fact that he has tried to kill her, whilst acknowledging that he has unlawfully killed his children. 'They have separated on two previous occasions and on one of those occasions it was about him not pulling his weight at home, not working and therefore not contributing to the home. 'We have carried out financial inquiries. We found that his bank account was not overdrawn, Penil was working full time and bringing good money into the house.' Praising Penil for her bravery in using her bare hands and feet to put out the fire as she was joined by a neighbour, Mr Spanner added: 'They went into the lounge and they actually thought the children were sleeping at that point. 'They carried the children out to the front lawn and at that point they realised the horrific circumstances.' Advertisement

'Both of you (Mohammed and his wife) had done so, and established your lives here in Birmingham, along with your two children.

'However that secure and apparently happy family life was destroyed by you.

'That safe haven she shared with you and her children was destroyed by you in the

most appalling manner imaginable, for this was a terrible criminal enterprise on your part, designed to kill all three of your family, partner and children, as they slept.

Mohammed's wife, Penil Teklehaimanot, 37, had said on the day her children died she went to bed with everything normal but then was woken by the fire alarm and saw the flames. Pictured: the house being inspected by forensic officers after the blaze

Mohammed, pictured in a court sketch, had denied murder and attempted murder on grounds of diminished responsibility

'Your partner has now lost her whole family and her home at one fell swoop.

'She gave evidence and has conducted herself in this trial with dignity and restraint, and in her evidence she was generous enough to speak of your good qualities as a father and partner.

'Her victim impact statement speaks of the fine qualities of these two happy, cheerful, engaging and rewarding children of whom any parent could be justly proud.

'Instead of their growing into adulthood, and their talents and qualities being allowed to flourish, you have deliberately snuffed out their young lives.

DEVASTATED MOTHER: 'HOW COULD ANYONE BE SO COLD-HEARTED? The tragic youngsters' devastated mother, Penil Teklehaimanot told how there was 'no bigger pain in this world, than losing her children Following the trial last week, devastated mother Penil Teklehaimanot paid a heart-wrenching tribute to her children in a statement released by West Midlands Police. The 37-year-old told how there was 'no bigger pain in this world' than losing her son and daughter and said she was still 'constantly looking for them..' She said: 'Saros and Leanor were taken away from me in a way which has had a profound effect and changed my life forever. 'Their loss has left a gap in my life that will never be filled. 'It is indescribable pain to lose loved ones in such a brutal manner. All I can say is that there is no bigger pain in this world than this experience.. 'I cannot comprehend how anyone could be so cold-hearted. 'At a time like this, there are so many feelings - despair, anger, sorrow, confusion and so many questions still about why this happened? 'No one ever thinks that they'll be saying goodbye to their two children. In our faith community we always try to give our young, the very best. Paying tribute to her 'amazing children', Ms Teklehaimanot 'This loss was also felt in the entire community reflected in the huge numbers of people who came to pay their respects at their funeral' 'They seem too full of life and all the promise of things to come. Their futures stretched out before them - like a book waiting to be read. 'Saros and Leanor brought so much happiness and joy to my life. 'Saros's teachers will tell you that he was the most polite well-mannered child. He was a pleasure to teach. 'He was one of the most amazing writers you could ever meet. 'The other children in school described him as really clever and smart, someone who always got lots of house points, someone who played nicely, was funny, nice, kind, a football fanatic, a son, a brother, a fighter, a fantastic and true friend. 'Leanor's teachers will tell you she was a wonderful, mature girl because she would take on any challenge that faced her to the best of her ability. 'She would always listen to advice and try to use this to improve academically. 'She was well-behaved, cared about and had respect for doing the right thing. She always considered the needs of others but was competitive especially when it came to sport. 'She was a very popular member of her class, a daughter, a sister, a young lady with lots and lots of friends. 'This loss was also felt in the entire community reflected in the huge numbers of people who came to pay their respects at their funeral. 'When justice has been done the entire community and I can have some closure. 'I hope we'll all gain strength from realising, as we look back on Saros and Leanor's life and we remember with pleasure, the effect they had on everyone in such a short space of time. 'I am still constantly looking for them both.' Advertisement

'Their mother escaped death, but she must endure that tragic loss as she rebuilds her life.

'What makes that all the more poignant is that they loved you, as did your partner.

'Your children looked to you for guidance, protection and love.

'They trusted you implicitly and were enjoying your company even on the night of their murder.

'You repaid their trust in you by killing them.'

In a victim impact statement read out in court, his wife Penil said: 'Losing Saros and Leanor left a gap in my life that will never be filled.

'It is an indescribable pain to lose lives, ones in such a brutal manner - there is no bigger pain in this world than this experience.

'There are so many feelings: despair, anger, sorrow, confusion and so many questions still about why this happened.

'Nobody thinks they will say goodbye to a youngster.

'They seem too full of life and all the promise of things to come, their futures stretched out before them.'

During the two-week trial the court heard Endris arrived in the UK from Ethiopia as an asylum seeker in 2006.

Emergency services rushed to the couple's home in following a blaze at the property in Handsworth, Birmingham, at around 3.30am on October 28 last year

He got together with Penil, a fellow asylum seeker, but they split up when she suspected him of cheating on her before they got back together and went on to have two children.

He worked as taxi driver but found himself in financial difficulty after having to pay 250 a week to rent the car from Enterprise.

The day before the murders, he was captured on CCTV buying three litres of petrol in a black fuel container from an Esso garage.

On the night of the killings, Mohammed calmly played Xbox with son Saros while Leanor slept on the sofa and his wife went to bed upstairs.

After the blaze, fire investigators found traces of petrol in the kitchen, lounge and hall area of the family home.

Timothy Raggatt QC, defending, said: 'Here is a man of (previous) good character, a devoted husband who has done something unspeakable.

'He is at a loss to understand it himself.'

An NSPCC spokesman today said: 'This was a tragic case in which two young children were robbed of their lives by a man who should have been protecting and nurturing them.

'It is crucial that anyone with a concern about a child speaks out no matter how small they think it is as it could save a life.

'Contact the NSPCC helpline anonymously on 0808 800 5000. Childline is there for children and young people 24/7 on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk.'
West Australian police officers will be allowed to grow beards early next year.

The new grooming standards, which were handed down at the annual WA Police conference on Monday, are an effort to 'modernise the force' and keep up with the other states.

Previously, WA officers were only permitted beards for 'religious, cultural or medical reasons' and they had to show significant amounts of proof to support their claim.

Previously, WA officers were only permitted beards for 'religious, cultural or medical reasons' and they had to show significant amounts of proof to support their claim

But from March 1, 2018 those pieces of evidence won't be required and that 5 o'clock shadow will be permitted

But from March 1, 2018 those pieces of evidence won't be required and that 5 o'clock shadow will be permitted.

Western Australian Commissioner of Police Karl O'Callaghan told the ABC last year the clean-shaven policy had been around as long as he could remember.

'I think someone a long time ago thought that beards looked untidy and they were difficult to regulate, so we have never changed it. I guess like a lot of things that will change,' he said at the time.

But while the uniform of the men in blue has changed over the years to be more 'functional', the rules surrounding facial hair have remained the same.

'I was doing a police graduation on Friday and we had a Sikh man graduate and of course they wear beards as part of their culture, so there will be change coming,' Mr O'Callaghan commented.

Western Australian Commissioner of Police Karl O'Callaghan told the ABC last year the clean-shaven policy had been around as long as he could remember but needed to change

But the rules are less clear in NSW where men are usually told to be 'neatly trimmed' (pictured)

In 2012, Victoria Police banned beards, goatees, soul patches and other forms of facial hair other than neatly-trimmed moustaches and sideburns.

One of the reasons Victorian police gave for the ban was that police officers with beards look 'unprofessional' and wouldn't garner respect from the public.

But the rules are less clear in NSW where men are usually told to be 'neatly trimmed.'

Queensland police officers are allowed a 'full face with moustache', but goatees are not permitted.

There have also been updates to Body Art and Body Modification Policy this year, with tattoos and piercings becoming more acceptable.
Bizarre footage has emerged of a lion nestling against a safari jeep before marking its territory.

In the clip, which was filmed in Harrismith, South Africa, the huge man-eater is seen snuggling up to the jeep and looks to be admiring his reflection in the wing mirror.

In bizarre scenes, he then turns his back on the vehicle and pees on it, marking his territory.

True love: In the clip, which was filmed in Harrismith, South Africa, the huge man-eater is seen snuggling up to the jeep and looks to be admiring his reflection in the wing mirror

The lion then resumes rubbing his impressive mane all over the side of the jeep while one of his friends watches on.

According to the person who uploaded the video the lion, who they nicknamed 'Shane', took a special liking to the vehicle.

'Shane 'loves' our vehicle in many different ways,' they wrote. 'And he claims it as his own with a territorial marking!!

'We believe believe he is literally in love with this land cruiser.'

In bizarre scenes, he then turns his back on the vehicle and pees on it, marking his territory
Newlywed Paula Williamson has given an insight into married life with Britain's most notorious prisoner, their unconventional nuptials and her solo honeymoon.

The actress told ITV's Lorraine that her new husband Charles Bronson - now known as Charles Salvador - was the 'most warm, genuine and compassionate soul' she had ever met.

The pair tied the knot at high-security HMP Wakefield last week, where they walked down the aisle to the Death March and the groom wore socks adorned with his trademark handlebar moustache.

The 37-year-old said she 'absolutely adores' Bronson, who has been behind bars for some 44 years, and hit back at critics who have labelled their union a publicity stunt.

The actress told ITV's Lorraine, her new husband - who has been behind bars for 44 years - was the 'most warm, genuine and compassionate soul' she had ever met

Soap star Paula Williamson married notorious prisoner Charles Bronson in front of just four people (Pictured, Ms Williamson at the reception with her new husband's lookalike)

Notorious prisoner Bronson (left) wore a trilby and Union Jack shoes during bizarre wedding ceremony to Ms Williamson (right)

Speaking to Lorraine, the newlywed revealed how her romance with the inmate blossomed as they penned letters to one another over three years.

They finally met a year ago before enjoying a whirlwind engagement.

Their ceremony last week was attended by just four people and prison guards, before the new bride had to enjoy her reception and honeymoon alone as her husband returned to his cell.

Paula told Lorraine: 'I absolutely adore the man. I love him.

'He's one of the most warm, genuine, compassionate souls I've ever come across in my life. I adore him completely.'

She also revealed how 'lonely' she felt as she went on her honeymoon with a friend.

'Charlie kept saying enjoy yourself. In all honesty I felt very lonely. I spent two days in my hotel room, more or less, didn't really want to go out or do much.

'I did have one nice day on the beach. I kept hearing his voice in my mind saying make sure you enjoy every second it was lonely.'

Speaking to Lorraine, the newlywed revealed how her romance with the inmate blossomed as they penned letters to one another over three years - before finally meeting in person a year ago

The new Mrs Charles Bronson Paula Williamson, pictured, was all smiles as she flashed her wedding ring in the ITV studio

Paula said of her new husband: 'This man's never killed anybody, he's never raped anybody, he's never hurt a child. He's served his time and well over for the crimes he's committed'

On the backlash that she is 'attention seeking' and out to write a 'tell-all' book, she said: 'I've heard it all now 1,000 times over. Over and over and over again.

'I had a very, very comfortable life before I got with Charlie. There's no reason for me to be doing this other than to say I love the man.

'This man's never killed anybody, he's never raped anybody, he's never hurt a child. He's served his time and well over for the crimes he's committed.

'And we don't condone the crimes he's committed but he's 14 and a half years over what he should have served now. [He's served] 44 years in total.'

She then revealed she believes her husband should be released from prison, as she gets set to deliver a petition to Downing Street on December 7 campaigning for his freedom.

Guests of honour: Dozens of people packed into the York House Hotel to celebrate the wedding of their friend and long-term prisoner Charles Bronson including gangster turned author Dave Courtney (second from left)

An array of eclectic guests were invited to the unusual wedding of Charles Bronson and his soap actress bride Paula Williamson (pictured together)

Asked if she believes he will one day be released she insisted: 'Yes, yes I do.

'I have to otherwise it would be a bit silly getting married to him if I didn't ever believe we were going to have a life outside. I 100 per cent believe that he's going to be out.'

The pair enjoyed two hours together before the groom was sent back to his cell

Paula said her husband 'looked beautiful, really, really handsome' on their wedding day.

She added: 'He was wearing a white jacket, red tie, black shirt, he had braces, he had little socks with a handlebar moustache on as well.

'It was as lovely as we could possibly make it.

'[We had] Two hours [together]. Not by ourselves completely.

'We could go and sit on the sofa and have a chat and a kiss and whatnot. We had a dance as well.

'Credit where it's due to the staff at HMP Wakefield, they made it as lovely as they possibly could for us.

'I had to be searched before I went in the ladies were so respectful of me.

'When I got to the front and I was with him stood there nothing else mattered.'

'We did not consummate the wedding.'

Smile! Katie Price's ex-husband Alex Reid (far left) and a Charles Bronson impersonator (right) were among the guests pictured with boxer-turned-artist Andrew Parkin

The soap actress, pictured accompanied by a male friend, tied the knot with Bronson four years after striking up a relationship with him by becoming a pen pal

Paula partied at a hotel before flying off to Malta for her honeymoon

Guests at the ceremony were treated to a buffet consisted of mince pies and Viennetta ice cream, and Paula had her first dance with a Bronson lookalike.

BRITAIN'S MOST NOTORIOUS PRISONER Charles Bronson pictured here being led to the cells in 2001 Charles Bronson is one of the country's most notorious prisoners and has spent the majority of the past four decades imprisoned for a series of violent crimes. In recent years he has turned his hand to art and changed his surname from Bronson to Salvador in tribute to the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali. He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused 500,000 in damage in rooftop protests. He has been moved prisoners more than 120 times during his 43-year spell behind bars - much of which has been in solitary confinement. After two failed marriages, his new wife Paula Williamson says her husband has changed his ways. Advertisement

She partied at a hotel just a stone's throw from the prison, where she went to bed at 10.30pm before flying off to Malta for her honeymoon accompanied by a photographer.

Paula, who once starred in Coronation Street, is Bronson's third wife and said she 'felt like Michael Jackson' after she had to sneak into the prison under a blanket as photographers camped outside trying to get a snap of her 1,000 dress.

Bronson, now 64, has spent most of his life in prison and may never be freed but his new bride insists their marriage will last.

On their big day last Tuesday, locals watched on as the unusual wedding procession made its way to Wakefield jail.

The bridal party was driven in a Mercedes by professional Bronson lookalike Tim Crowley.

And the ceremony itself, held in the prison's parole room, was witnessed by Bronson's cousin, Stuart Godfrey, and long-term supporters Rod and Linda Harrison and Tim Price.

The groom donned a white jacket, black shirt with a red tie and carnation for the day, with Union Jack shoes and socks adorned with a picture of his moustache.

Paula's wedding ring bears the date of the big day as well as Bronson's old jail number, 1314.

The reception was held at York House Hotel and was attended by gangster Dave Courtney and Katie Price's ex Alex Reid.

Cheers broke out among guests as Paula called for the release of Bronson, who was jailed for armed robbery in 1974 but has seen time added on to his sentence for multiple violent outbursts inside.

Of their future, Paula said: 'I've got a lot of campaigning to do. Eventually yes [he will get out]. It's progression we're looking for now. He's doing all he can.

'The man can't do anymore and I'll do all I can. We're now a team and we're together and this is it.'
The sister of the 'Manson Family' victim Sharon Tate has revealed she said 'a prayer for his soul' after learning that cult leader Charles Manson had died.

Manson, who died of natural causes aged 83 on Sunday, masterminded a spree of nine murders in July and August 1969 in Los Angeles that shocked the world.

News of his death was confirmed by Debra Tate, the sister of his most famous victim actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant with film director Roman Polanski's baby when she was stabbed to death by his followers in 1969.

Debra Tate (left), the sister of Charles Manson's most famous victim, Sharon Tate, said that she said 'a prayer for his soul' after learning that the cult leader had died in prison on Sunday. Sharon Tate (right) was brutally murdered by Manson's followers in 1969

Tate said she received a call from a prison official informing her of Manson's death.

She said she has never wished ill will on the convicted killers, adding that she will ask for 'forgiveness' on Manson's soul, as she did when cult member Susan Atkins of brain cancer died in 2009.

Tate was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with film director Roman Polanski's baby when she was stabbed to death

'My cross in my bedroom still has the flowers that I slipped into Jesus's feet when Susan died,' she told People. 'I cried a tear and I asked for forgiveness on her soul. I'll do the same thing when Charlie dies.'

Tate said that she is determined to keep Manson's followers behind bars, but believes that God will take care of their souls when they die.

'These are sociopaths,' she says. 'They're no less violent today than they were then.'

Manson died from natural causes at 8.13pm on Sunday at a Kern County hospital, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.

Earlier this week it was reported he was on his death bed in hospital and sources claimed 'it's just a matter of time.'

The 83-year-old had been behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage.

Three of followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring.

Cult leader Charles Manson (pictured left in August 2017 and right in October 2014) has died aged 83

Charles Manson is being escorted to his arraignment in 1969 and remained behind bars until his death

He had ordered his family members to slaughter Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and three of her friends at her home above Beverly Hills.

Stephen Parent was a fifth unfortunate victim that night. He had driven to the property to see if caretaker William Garreston wanted to buy his AM/FM Clock radio, and had stayed on for a beer at the guest house. He was shot multiple times when he wound down the window at the electric gate as he left.

The following night the Family butchered small business owners Leno and Rosemary La Bianca, in their home in Los Angeles.

The murders were carried out in upscale, mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles in order to blame the crimes on African Americans, in the hope of sparking what he termed a 'Helter Skelter' race war.

Manson was also later convicted of the slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea.

Victims: (top row left to right) Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, (middle row left to right) Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, (bottom row left to right) Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, Donald Shea.

Manson and three of his followers, Susan Atkins (left), Patricia Krenwinkle (center) and Leslie Van Houten (right) killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring

She said she has never wished ill will on the convicted killers, adding that she will ask for 'forgiveness' on Manson's soul, as she did when cult member Susan Atkins of brain cancer died in 2009. Atkins is pictured above before her death

'Each one of these people and myself now have are spirits or our wills are slightly entangled,' Tate told People of Manson and his followers.

Tate, the only surviving member of her family, attends all Manson-related parole bids and led efforts to block parole for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, who was sentenced life in prison for helping kill Rosemary and Leno La Bianca.

Although Van Houten denied she was there the night Sharon Tate was murdered, Debra stood with members of the La Bianca family as they turned in copies of petitions to block her parole in June of 2016.

Van Houten admitted during her parole hearing she would have killed babies if Charles Manson had given her that order.

Manson was convicted of murder even though he did not physically take part in the crimes.

Prosecutors proved he incited his followers to commit the murders though.Manson and his 'family', including Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Van Houten were sentenced to death in 1971 for the Tate-LaBianca murders.

The sentences were later commuted to life in prison after California abolished the death penalty.
The Irish Prime Minister 'choreographed' his threat to use his Brexit veto with the European Union to flush out Britain's position on Ireland's border.

Leo Varadkar dramatically upped the ante on Friday by saying he would block the talks moving on unless the UK committed to not imposing a hard border.

It came after months of mounting concern that Theresa May's Government was failing to come up with a meaningful plan for the issue.

But it has now been exposed that the move came as part of a coordinated plan with the EU to force the UK to spell out its position on the Irish border.

Using the veto would stop Britain moving on to trade talks by the New Year, delaying the ext phase of negotiation by several months and dealing a major blow to the PM.

Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, pictured arriving to attend the European Social Summit in Gothenburg where he warned he would use veto to force UK to put in writing commitment to not creating a hard border in Northern Ireland. The threat was part of coordinated actions with the EU to flush out Britain's position on the border

EU and Irish sources told RTE that the British had been dragging their feet and refusing to properly engage with the thorny issue of the Irish border.

One told the broadcaster: 'All we have been getting from the British was muzak (background music) and nothing else.'

Mrs May has said Britain will leave the single market and customs union after a two-year transition period, but this has raised serious questions about the future of the peace process.

Britain, the EU and Ireland have all said they do not want to see a return to a hard border amid fears border controls and guards could reignite sectarian violence.

In the summer the UK unveiled plans to create a new customs arrangement which would use high tech gadgets like number plate recognition to carry out customs checks without a return to a hard border.

But the Irish PM and the EU thought the plans fell far short of grappling with many of the issues.

And they launched a coordinated effort behind the scenes to try to turn the screw on the British Government and get them to put to come up with more detail.

Theresa May, pictured with Mr Varadkar (far left) at the EU summit in Gothenburg. The Irish PM has said Britain needs to do more to flesh out plans to create a soft border in northern ireland after we quit the EU single market and customs union

An EU paper proposing that Northern Ireland will have to stay in the customs union and single market to avoid a hard border was 'designed to be leaked' according to a source.

The paper had been carefully choreographed between the Irish Government and the EU Brexit Task Force, led by the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

An EU source told the broadcaster: 'There was an understanding that this was an internal document.

'But it was mainly for outside consumption. It was a document that was designed to be leaked.'

The proposal, which would effectively push the border back to the ports on the mainland creating a hard border between Northern Ireland and the the rest of the UK was immediately dismissed by British ministers.

And it was followed by by Mr Varadkar's threat on Friday, when he said: 'We've been given assurances that there will be no hard border in Ireland, that there won't be any physical infrastructure, that we won't go back to the borders of the past,' Varadkar said.

'We want that written down in practical terms in the conclusions of phase one.'

Meanwhile, Donald Tusk, the President of the Council, also warned Mrs May had two weeks to make up her mind on the Irish border along with the divorce bill and citizens rights.
A man has won a 1,500 legal battle after a landlady barred him from her pub because he was a 'traveller'.

Michael McDonagh, 28, was refused a drink by Wendy Buck at the Pegasus Pub in Southmead, Bristol.

Mr McDonagh filmed the pair's exchange on his phone and can be heard explaining how he had been to the pub 'hundreds' of times before and claimed he had 'never caused any problems'.

Michael McDonagh, 26, was refused a drink by Wendy Buck (pictured) at the Pegasus Pub in Bristol, in November 2015

Mrs Buck barred him because she thought Mr McDonagh had been involved in a fight at the Pegasus, 15 months earlier and not because he was a traveller.

But at the end of the conversation he asked her: 'Are you saying you're not allowing travellers in this pub?' and she replied: 'We're not allowing travellers in this pub.'

The traveller community is protected under the Equality Act 2010 and McDonagh said refusing to serve him based was discrimination.

He took the case to Bristol Civil Court which has now ruled in his favour.

It found that he was discriminated against directly by Mrs Buck and vicariously by the company that owned the pub.

The court added that there was no 'anti travellers' policy at the pub so there was no need for an injunction stopping it.

Mrs Buck said she barred him because she thought Mr McDonagh had been involved in a fight at the Pegasus (pictured) 15 months earlier and not because he was a traveller

Mrs Buck was ordered to pay McDonagh 1,500 damages within 21 days and 365 court costs.

The three-minute confrontation between the pair in November 2015 showed Mr McDonagh ask Mrs Buck 18 times if he was being banned because he was traveller.

Deputy District Judge Chris Whiteley said: 'McDonagh was persistent in raising it, no fewer than 18 times. Clearly he was trying to get Mrs Buck to agree with him.

'Mrs Buck denies his being a traveller the reason, once directly and twice by implication.

'She admits it is the reason once and the other 14 times she doesn't respond or is unclear.

Mrs Buck was ordered to pay McDonagh 1,500 damages within 21 days and 365 court costs

'It didn't look to me like an attempt to get rid of Mr McDonagh but rather to avoid dealing with what was primarily on her mind.

'Mr McDonagh was persistent, not unreasonably so - he was entitled to an explanation. He was persistent but he was not aggressive or violent.'

Mrs Buck claimed Mr McDonagh was being a 'persistent nuisance' and she only agreed with him to make him go away as she felt threatened.

But the judge said he found her answers were inconsistent.

The judge said she failed to deny she was barring Mr McDonagh because he was a traveller a number of times.

After the trial Mr McDonagh's lawyer Will Stone from the Avon and Bristol Law Centre said: 'I'm happy.

'The fact that Mr McDonagh had to wait two years in this case is a shame but he did get a result and it shows that you shouldn't put up with discrimination.'
Cult leader Charles Manson's ailing health was kept quiet in the months leading up to his death on Sunday because of inmate privacy laws.

The 83-year-old, who orchestrated a number of murders by his followers in the late 1960s, died of natural causes on Sunday at 8.13pm, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Manson was hospitalized twice in the months before his death - once in January and again in November - but little information about his health was released to the public.

Cult leader Charles Manson (pictured left in August 2017 and right in October 2014) has died aged 83. He was hospitalized twice in the months before his death - once in January and again in November - but little information about his health was released to the public

Charles Manson is being escorted to his arraignment in 1969 and remained behind bars until his death. The 83-year-old, who orchestrated a number of murders by his followers in the late 1960s, died of natural causes on Sunday at 8.13pm

Vicky Waters, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), said there will be an autopsy even though 'obviously it's natural causes'.

But when Manson was hospitalized last week, state prison officials had declined to comment on his condition.

Officials cited federal and state medical privacy laws that prevent the organization 'from commenting on protected health information for any inmate in our custody'.

When Manson was hospitalized at a Bakersfield hospital in January, state prison systems also declined to comment on his condition.

Sources at the time said that Manson had a 'serious' illness.

Law enforcement officials detailed the tight process of treating an inmate to the Los Angeles Times.

'They remain under CDCR custody and 24-hour supervision during this time,' Waters told the newspaper. 'CDCR also notifies and works with hospital security and law enforcement.'

Manson and three of his followers, Susan Atkins (left), Patricia Krenwinkle (center) and Leslie Van Houten (right) killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring

Victims: (top row left to right) Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, (middle row left to right) Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, (bottom row left to right) Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, Donald Shea.

She added that inmates are 'routinely' taken to hospitals for surgeries or other medical care.

Prison officials have said that it's 'undetermined' what will happen with Manson's remains following his death.

Prison officials previously said he had no known next of kin.

State law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within ten days, it's up to the department to determine what happens with the body.

It's unclear if Manson requested services of any sort.

Manson's followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969. The killings occurred on successive August nights and terrorized the city of Los Angeles.

The cult leader continued his life of crime behind bars after being locked up, with more than 100 infractions during his time in prison, for charges including assault, making voodoo dolls and hiding a hot air balloon order catalog in his cell.

1970: Charles Manson arrives for court with a shaven head, an open shirt, and a swastika carved in his forehead. The cult leader continued his life of crime behind bars after being locked up, with more than 100 infractions during his time in prison, for charges including assault, making voodoo dolls and hiding a hot air balloon order catalog in his cell

The repeated infractions are likely the reason behind the high security levels that were in place around Manson.

Speaking to People, retired Los Angeles County prosecutor Stephen Kay, who helped convict Manson of the 1969 murders, said: 'He threw hot coffee on a guard and spit on a guard's face. He had a saw blade in the sole of a shoe.

'He was making little dolls, but they were like voodoo dolls of people and he would stick needles in them, hoping to injure the live person the doll was fashioned after.

'He said his main activity was making those dolls.'

Manson was also targeted by other prisoners - on one occasion a Hare Krishna poured lighter fluid on him and set him on fire.

And prior to being moved to Corcoran in 1989, prison guards at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville found a hacksaw blade, marijuana and LSD in Manson's cells according to a report in the LA Times.

The California Department of Corrections said he had spent the past 27 years incarcerated in the Protective Housing Unit at Corcoran, which houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing.
Defenseless and wearing her pyjamas, Australian Justine Damond, 40, was fatally shot by an American police officer near her home on July 15.

Set to be married in August to her American fiance Donald, Don, Damond, her family told Australian Story they didn't think they would be touched by the gun culture.

'If she can be shot, anybody can be shot,' Ms Damond's sister-in-law Katrina Rusczcyk said.

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Defenseless and wearing her pyjamas, Australian Justine Damond (pictured) was fatally shot by an American police officer near her home in July

Set to be married in August to her American fiance Donald Damond (left), her family told Australian Story they didn't think they would be touched by the gun culture

'She did what any Aussie woman would do, go to the police,' John Ruszcyk (pictured) told Australian Story

Ms Damond's fiance was away on work when she heard someone in extreme distress prompting her to call the police once, then again eight minutes later after no one turned up.

'She did what any Aussie woman would do, go to the police,' John Ruszcyk told Australian Story.

'They were rookie cops. They didn't have dash cams on, body cams on.'

Born to Mr Ruszcyk, an English teacher from America, and Margaret, an Australian nurse, Ms Damond lived a peaceful life 'inspiring others' with a strong love for helping animals.

Described as 'a wonderful little girl, verbal and very determined' Ms Damond was a student with straight As who loved playing with her brother, Jason, on Sydney's northern beaches.

Ms Damond's family said she wanted to save everyone from pain and hurt, to save animals and to save her mother, who later died of cancer.

'Justine was someone who only ate organic, she watched everything she ever put into her body,' family spokesperson Tom Hyder told News Corp in July.

'If she can be shot, anybody can be shot,' Ms Damond's (pictured) sister-in-law Katrina Rusczcyk said

Family said they were 'determined to make sure Justine's death was not in vain'

'It was such a paradox in the way that she died,' Ms Rusczcyk said.

'She lived her life as a peaceful person inspiring others.

'We are determined to make sure Justine's death is not in vain.'

When Ms Damond moved back to Australia, she began teaching neuroscience and how meditation could control the body.

Mohamed Noor (right) is refusing to speak about what happened and won't break his silence even if the case goes to court

Zach and Don Damond outside their Minneapolis home on Thursday when a protest march was held following the death of Justine Damond

Ms Damond's father John Ruszcyk (left) believed she may have walked up to the police car at about 11.30pm that night for help when the terrible tragedy instead took place

However she soon met Don and made the move to America.

The night of the shooting was the hottest night of the year, meaning all the neighbour's windows were closed and air conditioners were blasting.

The laneway had garages backed onto it with a number of motion sensors lined on it.

Ms Damond's father John Ruszcyk believed she may have walked up to the police car at about 11.30pm that night for help when the terrible tragedy instead took place.

The night of the shooting was the hottest night of the year, meaning all the neighbour's windows were closed and air conditioners were blasting

Ms Damond is the fifth person to have been killed by police in Minnesota this year, according to Australian Story

Her soon-to-be stepson Zach was reportedly also not at the home at the time, but returned on Sunday to discover the crime scene.

'My mum is dead, I'm so done with all this violence ... America sucks, these cops need to get trained differently,' Zach said on a video he shared to social media after the shooting.

Ms Damond is the fifth person to have been killed by police in Minnesota this year, according to Australian Story.

Jason Sole of Criminal Justice at Hamline University told the program that no one in society should be the person calling police and then ending up dead.

Jason Sole of Criminal Justice at Hamline University told the program that no one in society should be the person calling police and then ending up dead

However, the police officer, Mohammad Noor, is refusing to break his silence, even if the case goes to court

Ms Damond's family enlisted lawyer Robert Bennett to fight the civil case and win justice for Justine

However, the police officer, Mohammad Noor, is refusing to break his silence, even if the case goes to court.

Months on, her family is still searching for answers.

Ms Damond's family enlisted lawyer Robert Bennett to fight the civil case and win justice for Justine.

'Somebody took my daughters life for no reason and I think that's a crime,' Mr Ruszcyk said.

'And I'd like to see him in court.'
A former Australian soldier accused of killing his baby son has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Nicholas Baxter had pleaded not guilty to murdering his six-week-old son on November 3, 2011.

Matthew Baxter suffered brain hemorrhaging and 17 rib fractures before he died, ABC News reported.

Baxter (pictured with his wife) was cleared of a murder charge, but found guilty of manslaughter by a Supreme Court jury in Townsville on Monday

Baxter was cleared of a murder charge, but found guilty of manslaughter by a Supreme Court jury in Townsville on Monday.

He will be remanded in custody and face court for sentencing on Tuesday.

His wife and family, who supported him throughout the trial, were visibly upset in court.

The court heard Baxter had called Bluewater Medical Practice in Townsville on November 3, 2011 to report his son was unwell.

He had been alone with the baby while his wife was away.

Baxter denied he was responsible for the babys death throughout the trial.
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A photographer has captured mesmerizing images of US Olympic synchronized swimmers underwater.

The stunning photos, shot in a swimming pool against a black background, show the swimmers posing with their bodies intertwined.

In some the swimmers are wearing clothes such as dresses and shirts while in others they carry the US flag.

The bliss beneath the surface: A photographer has captured mesmerizing images of synchronized swimmers underwater. Pictured: Bill May, Christina Noelle Jones & Kristina Lum

This image shows swimmers Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones posing underwater for the camera against a black background. Pictured: Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones

Proud patriots: In some the swimmers are wearing clothes such as dresses while in others they carry the US flag. Pictured clockwise starting at 12: Claire Barton, Mariya Koroleva, Anita Alvarez, Phoebe Coffin, Sarah Rodriguez, Alison Williams

Photographer Liz Corman, 32, began shooting swimmers in this specific style in 2015, when she was invited to photograph the USA Mixed Duet team as they were preparing for their debut at the FINA Worlds in Kazan, Russia.

She said: 'Depending on the pose, a single dive can last as short as 10 seconds and yield four to five shots, and a more 'comfortable' pose can last 45 seconds or longer and produce 20 to 30 images.

'There are so many variables with the light patterns, body, hair, face, costume, and at times, surface reflection, that it takes quite a bit of perseverance to ensure we got what we were looking for.

'An average shoot is several hours, extending to eight hours at times.

'The process of setting up and breaking down is enough effort that more often than not, I try to get the most out of every shoot.'

Despite the apparent complexity of what goes into her work, Liz said that the technique she uses is 'deceptively simple.'

With underwater housing around her camera, the photographer wears a weighted belt in order to remain stable beneath the surface. A background in synchronized swimming, which she retired from around a decade ago, also helps with breathing control, Liz said.

Photographer Liz Corman, 32, began shooting swimmers in this specific style in 2015, when she was invited to photograph the USA Mixed Duet team as they were preparing for their debut at the FINA Worlds in Kazan, Russia. Pictured: Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones

She said: 'Depending on the pose, a single dive can last as short as 10 seconds and yield four to five shots, and a more 'comfortable' pose can last 45 seconds or longer and produce 20 to 30 images'. Pictured: Bill May and Kanako Kitao Spendlove

The photographer added: 'There are so many variables with the light patterns, body, hair, face, costume, and at times, surface reflection, that it takes quite a bit of perseverance to ensure we got what we were looking for'. Pictured: Bill May and Kristina Lum Underwood

In order to have her subjects stand out, the photographer also has a series of different backdrops, which she lowers down into the pool and weighs down with bricks and scuba weights. Pictured: Mary Killman

To date, Liz - who is originally from Maplewood, Minnesota - has photographed more than two dozen swimmers. Left: Mary Killman. Right: Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones

Eerie: Liz said: 'I have been involved in some aspect of synchronized swimming for most of my life, yet I have never lost the feeling of its transcendent magic'. Pictured: Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones

Strange: These two images show a couple embracing underwater. The man is wearing a white shirt while the woman wears a colorful dress. Pictured: Bill May and Christina Noelle Jones

In order to have her subjects stand out, the photographer also has a series of different backdrops, which she lowers down into the pool and weighs down with bricks and scuba weights.

Each time Liz and the swimmers return to the surface, the photographer offers them fresh directions.

To date, Liz - who is originally from Maplewood, Minnesota - has photographed more than two dozen swimmers against such black backdrops; in her career she has photographed hundreds of action shots of synchronized swimmers.

The photographer has planned a 2018 series of private portrait shoots with synchronized swimming clubs across the US, adding to her unnamed body of fine art works.

Liz said: 'I have been involved in some aspect of synchronized swimming for most of my life, yet I have never lost the feeling of its transcendent magic.

'I believe that feeling really comes through in my work.

'My models see that my passion comes from an authentic experience, creating an environment of trust and mutual respect for one another's talents, abilities and ideas.

'Our shared vernacular allows for a much more nuanced direction on set as well as a communion of ideas.'

Posing underwater: Each time Liz and the swimmers return to the surface, the photographer offers them fresh directions

These stunning images highlight the incredible beauty that can lie beneath the surface when it comes to synchronized swimming. Pictured: Anita Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva
A woman who shot to fame for showing off her 'immense wealth' on social media scammed 1.6 million in the space of seven years to support her lavish lifestyle.

Taiwanese Lin Siyin, 37, convinced her friends and family members to invest money in her with the promise that she would give them high returns.

The woman was known as the 'goddess of supercars' in Taiwan for her large collection of expensive vehicles and luxurious fashion items that was seen on her Facebook account.

The Taiwan High Court gave Ms Lin a jail sentence of eight years and seven months on November 16, based on her 12 charges of dishonesty and intention to deceive.

Lin Siyin (pictured) was charged with 12 counts of dishonesty and intention to deceive in Taiwan. She often posted pictures showing her lavish lifestyle on her Facebook account

According to Apple Daily Taiwan, the 37-year-old Ms Lin started a so-called 'money loaning service' to newly registered business in 2010. She targeted at her relatives and friends and asked them to invest money in her.

She claimed that they could not only get their capital back, but also receive an eight per cent interest in addition to a monthly bonus of two to four per cent.

Ms Lin was known to live a high-flying lifestyle in Taiwan.

On her now-deleted Facebook account, called 'Candy Lin', she frequently posted pictures of herself buying luxurious goods such as Hermes handbags and Patek Phillipe watches.

She earned her nickname, 'goddess of supercars', because she liked expensive cars and would often share pictures of them.

It's said that Ms Lin had spent her investors' money on buying houses and a Mercedes AMG SL-63 sportscar which was worth 117, 725.

She was also believed to own a Bentley.

Ms Wang, one of Ms Lin's victims, told SET News that she had transferred TWD 23,000,000 (577,354) to Ms Lin as investment about three years ago, but she failed to get it back.

Over 10 victims reported to the police claiming they had been scammed by Ms Lin, according to a court hearing in February, 2017.

Ms Lin was seen driving her Bentley out all the time, according to her friends and relatives

Ms Lin was accused of spending money on cars, clothing, handbags as well as expensive shoes

Ms Lin allegedly used the money to purchase a Mercedes AMG SL-63 that is worth 117, 725

Ms swindled a total of TWD 66,000,000 (1,656,757), said the court.

She was arrested in January. Ms Lin had reportedly sold her houses and supercars for money beforehand.

Prosecutors confiscated dozens of Chanel and Hermes bags as well as high-end branded shoes from Ms Lin.

On February 7, she was charged with 12 counts of dishonesty and intention to deceive under the Taiwan's criminal law in a trial.

The Taiwan High Court gave Ms Lin a jail sentence of eight years and seven months.

In a second trial, held on November 16, the court affirmed the original judgement.

However, Ms Lin reportedly showed remorse in court and asked for a chance to 'get back to the society and pay the money back through appropriate methods'.

Ms Lin has been given the right to appeal.
Britain will not get an 'ambitious' trade deal unless it obeys EU rules, Michel Barnier warned today - as he ruled out City firms being able to trade freely in the bloc after Brexit.

In an uncompromising speech, the EU's chief negotiator demanded the UK accept Brussels regulations on tax levels, food quality, and 'social' standards or face being excluded from key markets.

But he made clear that even if Britain signs up to those rules there is no chance of City firms keeping 'passporting' rights that mean they can operate unhindered across borders.

Mr Barnier also warned that Britain still needed to come forward with proposals to resolve the issues of the divorce bill and the Irish border before trade talks can start.

In an uncompromising speech today, Michel Barnier dismissed the idea that City firms will keep 'passporting' rights allowing them to trade in the bloc

Theresa May (pictured on a visit in Birmingham today with Chancellor Philip Hammond) will gather her Brexit 'war Cabinet' later to discuss an improved offer on the divorce bill

Mrs May appeared in good spirits today as she visited an engineering training facility with Mr Hammond this morning

The tough talk will come as a blow to the City, where firms have been hoping for a deal with Brussels that could allow them to keep operating in the same way.

So-called 'passporting' rights mean businesses can operate freely across borders without having to seek further regulatory approval.

Mr Barnier ruling out the prospect could fuel fears that more of them will choose to relocate at least some of their activities to other European countries.

Delivering a speech to the Centre for European Reform in Brussels, the French former minister said the EU wanted to forge an 'ambitious' trade relationship with the UK.

But he said Britain could not keep the benefits of the EU single market, and the bloc would 'never compromise' on financial regulations.

ISSUES HOLDING UP BREXIT TRADE TALKS Divorce Bill: Theresa May has said Britain will pay 20 billion euros for a two-year transition deal and honour the commitments we have made. But the EU are demanding Britain goes further in spelling out exactly what we will pay - squeezing out more cash before we move on to trade talks. Irish border: Both sides want to keep a soft Irish border, fearing a return to border guards and check points could reignite the violence of The Troubles. But it is unclear how this will be achieved when the UK leaves the customs union. The EU says Northern Ireland should stay in the EU customs union to avoid a hard border with the Republic. But the Government and the DUP - who are propping Mrs May up in No10 - say they will not accept a deal which involves a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Citizens Rights Theresa May has laid out an offer to guarantee the rights of the 3.2million EU citizens in the UK. They will be given a two-year grace period to apply for settled status, which they will be granted as long as they pass criminal and security checks. But this was rejected by the EU Parliament who say the status should be automatic and not involve criminal records checks. Advertisement

'The legal consequence of Brexit is that the UK financial services providers lose their EU passport,' Mr Barnier said - although he suggested they might be able to keep more limited rights on the basis of 'equivalent' regulations.

With Theresa May gathering her Brexit 'war Cabinet' to discuss a fresh offer on the UK's Brexit divorce bill, Mr Barnier said that it remained his priority to 'settle the accounts accurately'.

He said it was for the UK to 'come forward with proposals' for how to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

He raised the possibility that Northern Ireland could stay in the customs union while the UK leaves - a possibility that has been flatly dismissed by the government.

'I expect the UK, as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to come forward with proposals,' he said.

'The island of Ireland is now faced with many challenges. Those who wanted Brexit must offer solutions.'

Mr Barnier said 'Brexit means Brexit' as he repeated that the UK would not be allowed to 'cherry pick' the best bits of EU membership.

He cautioned that the European parliament would not approve a deal that permitted too much 'divergence' from EU regulations - a key demand of Brexiteers.

The UK faced an 'important decision' that would 'shape the discussion on our future relationship and shape also the conditions for ratification of that partnership in many national parliaments and in the European Parliament'.

'There will be no ambitious partnership without common ground on fair competition. Stated: Tax-dumping, food safety, social and environmental standards,' he warned.

He also rejected suggestions the UK will continue to be able to benefit from the work of European agencies, arguing that 'freedom implies responsibility for building new UK administrative capacity'.

But despite the hard line, Mr Barnier did make clear he was ready to discuss an 'ambitious' agreement.

'If we manage to negotiate an orderly withdrawal and establish a level playing field... the EU will be ready to offer its most ambitious FTA (free trade agreement) approach,' he said.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, is believed to be ready to sign off a higher divorce bill but only in return for commitments on trade

Leading Brexiteer and Trade Secretary Liam Fox (left) was seen going into No10 today. The stance set out by Mr Barnier (right) will give ministers pause for thought as they prepare for the start of trade talks

'This is why we have started internal preparations with member states, to be ready to talk about the future as soon as we will have agreed on how to settle the past.

Mr Barnier said Brussels would be ready for a 'no deal' outcome, but it was 'not our scenario'.

'I regret that this no-deal option comes up so often in the UK public debate,' he said. 'Only those who ignore, or want to ignore, the current benefits of European Union membership can say that no deal would be a positive result.'
Footage of school-leavers in Queensland taking LSD tabs and inhaling nangs has surfaced on social media.

The ex-students are believed to be apart of the schoolies group currently on their third day of partying in the Gold Coast.

The disturbing videos were uploaded to popular photo-sharing app Snapchat, with one showing a boy with a blue 'tab' on his tongue, which is poking out for the camera, Nine News reports.

The disturbing videos were uploaded to popular photo-sharing app Snapchat, with one showing a boy with a blue 'tab' on his tongue, which is poking out for the camera

Text reading 'go hard or go home' is emblazoned across the video, with the drug featured in the footage believed to be LSD

Text reading 'go hard or go home' is emblazoned across the video, with the drug featured in the footage believed to be an LSD tab.

The student also claims they 'just got back from hospital' before taking the drug.

A second 'snap' shows a man breathing in air from a yellow balloon, a practice of inhaling nitrous oxide called 'nangs'.

A second 'snap' shows a man breathing in air from a yellow balloon, a practice of inhaling nitrous oxide called 'nangs'

Two people were arrested this week after 24,000 ecstasy pills worth $1 million were seized in the Fortitude Valley area

The high a person gets from nangs only lasts 20 seconds and has the potential to damage the nervous system.

In the opening weekend of the Gold Coast's schoolies season police have arrested 41 people, 19 of which were school leavers.

Bruce Kuhn from Queensland Police said the force 'won't tolerate anything to do with drugs' for the remainder of the party period.

So far the most common drug police are finding on school leavers is MDMA.

Two people were arrested this week after 24,000 ecstasy pills worth $1 million were seized in the Fortitude Valley area.

They were allegedly meant to be sold during schoolies week.
Questions have been raised over a review expected to clear police and MI5 over their handling of the terror attacks which rocked Britain this year - despite fears at least three of the extremists had been previously flagged as dangerous.

Internal reviews were set up after the spate of attacks in the UK this summer, with police and security services carrying out their own inquiries, overseen by a barrister.

But concerns the authorities are 'marking their own homework' have increased after reports today that the review is expected clear agencies of any blame.

The Westminster Bridge attack was the first in a wave of terrorist atrocities this summer. A review of security services and police is expected to clear them of any blame

Despite recommending a number of measures in how to improve monitoring of extremists, no one in power will be criticised, The Guardian reported today.

The conclusion comes despite a series of revelations about past fears over those who carried out the attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.

Concerns have been raised that the reviews were carried out internally and Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee is now looking at whether to launch its own inquiry.

Labour MP Paul Flynn pointed out that the Committee had only just been nominated and no democratically accountable body had been able to scrutinise the handling of the attacks.

Mr Flynn said he hoped the cross-party committee would now carry out a proper inquiry, saying there were long-standing 'doubts' about processes within the Met Police.

'It is always a nonsense to mark your own homework,' he told MailOnline.

Kharum Butt and his two accomplices lie dead after they killed eight on London Bridge in June

Mr Flynn added: 'It (the ISC) is committee that is not elected by the House, it is chosen by the Prime Minister.

'They have a long backlog of work. It is a critical committee with a job that no-one else can do.'

After the London Bridge attack it emerged that terrorist Khuram Butt had appeared alongside other high-profile extremists in a Channel 4 documentary called The Jihadis Next Door.

His friends had also alerted authorities to his extremism after he talked about going to Syria to fight with ISIS.

The Manchester attacker Salman Abedi had also been flagged to MI5 over suspicious behaviour before he killed 22 in the pop concert suicide bombing in May.

Butt had been hiding in plain sight, having appeared on TV documentary The Jihadi Next Door

It is believed he wasn't put under surveillance because the warnings did not allude to a specific plot.

The reviews, overseen by lawyer David Anderson, are expected to call for better monitoring of posts terror suspects are putting online, using computer algorithms to spot suspicious activity.

MI5 chief Andrew Parker's job was on the line over the agency's work before Manchester

Head of MI5 Andrew Parker's job was said to be on the line if his agency was found to have missed warnings.

He said last month that MI5 were using the 'harsh light of hindsight to squeeze out every last drop of learning so that we can be the very best we can be, now and in the future'.

He also warned that the terrorist threat the UK faces has accelerated at an alarming rate and is worse now than at any time during his 34-year career.

Police in the UK made 379 terrorism-related arrests this year, up 68% on the 226 people detained in the previous 12 months.

Westminster, 5 dead: The career criminal Muslim convert who changed after prison stretch Extremist website: Khalid Masood Khalid Masood, 52, killed five people and injured nearly 50 when he drove a hired 4x4 along the pavement of Westminster Bridge before stabbing a policeman outside Parliament. It emerged in the days after the attack that he was known to police but was not linked to extremism or terrorism. Masood (right) was a low level criminal who racked up a number of convictions while growing up in Kent and Sussex. But he changed his name from Adrian Ajao to Masood and was rarely seen by his family after a 2003 prison sentence for a violent attack. Instead he moved into an area of Luton known for its extremism and was alleged listed as a contact for a website which slammed Christians and Jews urged 'war' against 'the enemy of Allah'. Advertisement

Manchester, 22 dead: Warning signs over suicide bomber who spent time in Libya before attack Flagged up: Salman Abedi Salman Abedi, 22, killed 22 including children as young as eight when he detonated a suicide bomb at the exit of an Ariana Grande concert in May. The British-born son of Libyan immigrants to the UK, Abedi (right) was on MI5's radar after security services were alerted three times to his extremist views. It has been claimed information passed to an MI5 regional office should have led to him being made a 'high priority' and being put under surveillance. He has travelled to extremism-plagued Libya and Istanbul shortly before the attack and authorities have said he did not act alone. UK prosecutors are currently trying to negotiate the extradition of his brother Hassem, who was arrested in Libya after the attack having previously been pictured online brandishing a machine gun. Advertisement
A man who was filmed screaming and spitting during an aggressive rant at McDonald's has been arrested and charged.

The terrifying incident occurred at a Wodonga branch of the fast food restaurant on Saturday night.

The man was filmed swearing at McDonald's staff before knocking over a cash register, spitting at them and kicking an ice box.

Standing at the counter, the bearded man repeatedly swears at McDonald's staff demanding his food after he had been told to sit down.

The man kicks an ice box repeatedly after staff refused to give in to his disgraceful behaviour

The aggressive man swore at McDonald's staff at the Wodonga store on the Victorian border

'Where's my f***ing food?', he shouts.

This prompts a woman working behind the counter to demand he leave the premises in suburban Birralee.

'Get out right now,' she said, pointing at the door.

Knocking over napkins, he replies aggressively: 'I paid for my food. Call the cops on me. F***.' 'I paid for that s***.'

He then utters the c-word before knocking over a cash register monitor.

The man's belligerent behaviour only escalated when a female employee told him to leave

Not content with waiting for his order, the man knocks over a cash register computer screen

The female employee repeats her demand for him to leave.

'I highly suggest you leave right now,' she said.

The man demands his money back.

'I paid for my s***. Where's my food?,' he said.

The man's knocks over a metal straw dispenser on the counter when he is told he is not getting his food, as the employee calls police.

'Where's my f***ing food,' he demands again. 'C***. Where's my food?'

After knocking over a metal straw dispenser and throwing napkins, the man kicks an ice box

When the staff ignore him, he kicks an ice box across the floor before knocking more items from the counter.

The two-minute video has already been viewed more than 18,500 times since it was posted on the Albury/Wodonga Area Crime Whinge and Whine Facebook page on Sunday night.

'The realities are staff aren't paid 'danger' money to engage such unpredictable and violent situations. I feel for the undue treatment here,' they said on their post.
China has unveiled the world's most powerful amphibious assault vehicle that can travel at high speeds both on land and water, according to the Chinese state media.

The formidable armoured vehicle, called VN18, boasts a maximum speed of 65 kmh (40 mph) on the ground and 30 kmh (19mph) on water and is the fastest of its kind in the world, reported China Central Television Station.

The 26.5-tonne beast is said to be equipped with a cannon, a machine gun and an anti-tank missile. It can carry three drivers and 11 soldiers.

China Central Television Station has revealed footage of the formidable VN18 assault vehicle

The amphibious vehicle is said to be the fastest of its kind in the world by its state-run maker

China Central Television Station, the country's state broadcaster, revealed footage of the military vehicle in a programme on November 18.

The 1,600-horsepower assault vehicle was billed as China's 'magical weapon' by the programme.

It's said to be a modified variant of ZTD05 Light Tank, which was developed between 2000 and 2005.

Built with aluminium alloys, VN18 is armoured with a 30mm cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun, an anti-tank missile and smoke grenades, said the report.

The military vehicle is produced by Norinco Group, a state-owned weapon manufacturer in China.

VN18 boasts a maximum speed of 65 kmh on the ground and 30 kmh on water

It's said to be armoured with a cannon, machine gun, anti-tank missile and smoke grenades

During an interview with China Central Television Station, Zhang Wenhui, who is the deputy General Manager of Norinco Group, said VN18 is the fastest amphibious assault vehicle in the world.

Mr Zhang said: 'Only China and the United State have amphibious assault vehicles.

'Although the United State has them, their armies are not equipped with them.'

Mr Zhang claimed that amphibious assault vehicles in the United State are not as fast as VN18.

He said: 'They tried to developed faster ones than ours, but they failed.'

In explaining how fast VN18 is on water, Tan Yongyao, Head of the R&D at Norinco said: 'On the waters, it's like a car running at 120 km/h on a highway.'

Mr Tan added that the vehicle could work in adverse weather conditions and resist winds up to six metres per second (11 knots).

China Central Television Station commented that VN18 is another example of the country's innovative power.

The vehicle is a modified variant of ZTD05 Light Tank, which started producing in 2006

This is not the first time China has flexed its military muscles on TV recently.

Last month, China Central Television Station revealed the country's first ever images of a model of its hypersonic glide vehicle, a nuclear weapons expert claimed.

The secretive missile delivery craft, known as the DF-ZF, could travel at up to ten times the speed of sound (7,680 mph/12,360 kph) according to some estimates.

Its speed will ensure the country's nuclear threat can reliably breach the United States' ballistic missile defence shield, which fires incoming strikes out of the air.
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Britain's Christmas markets will surrounded by a ring of a steel with armed police on patrol and metal detectors at entrances as security is raised over new terror fears.

There will be concrete barriers, stop and search checks and officers on the ground at the popular festive events in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Bath in the run up to Christmas.

The precautions are being taken after the Local Government Association warned councils to be vigilant this year with the terror threat level to the UK currently at 'severe' - meaning an incident is 'highly likely'.

Britain has suffered from the three horrific attacks this year with innocent people and children killed in London and Manchester.

But while security is being ramped up in light of the atrocities in Westminster in March, the Manchester Arena in May and London Bridge in June, the authorities are also concerned about a potential copy-cat attack.

Last Year 12 were murdered when an ISIS fanatic ploughed a lorry through Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Christmas market.

Police patrol at Edinburgh Christmas market as security measures are ramped up across the country in fear of a terror attack

A large concrete block sits on the pavement outside an entrance to Edinburgh's Christmas market to stop vehicles smashing their way in and harming visitors

Armed police walk among shoppers in Edinburgh Christmas market as Britain's terror alert remains at 'severe' going into the festive period

EDINBURGH

Visitors to the Scottish capital's Christmas markets on George Street and East Princes Street this year can expect bag searches and security checks at entrances.

Police Scotland have also pledged to enforce additional security measures and armed officers will be on patrol at the festive events.

A police spokeswoman said: 'Our priority is the safety and security of all those attending or involved, and the public are encouraged to continue with their plans to attend or take part in events as normal.'

'The public may see additional protective security measures. There could also be increased security checks at some events and venues so we advise the public to arrive in plenty of time to allow for this.

Security gates are erected at the Christmas market in Manchester as the authorities increase security to keep visitors safe

Greater Manchester Police patrol around the market after pledging to put more officers on the ground to keep shoppers safe

A metal gate is connected by a wall of concrete barriers outside Manchester's Christmas market as part of new strict security measures

A security gate, stopping vehicles from coming and going, is erected at Manchester's market, along with a concrete barrier

Concrete bollards create a protective wall around Manchester Christmas market, mere months after the city was hit by a devastating terror attack at the Manchester Arena

MANCHESTER

Manchester's Christmas market has also bolstered its security precautions, in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 23 people at an Ariana Grande gig in May.

Visitors will be met with metal and concrete barriers at the Yuletide festival, with armed police patrols keeping a watchful eye over the crowds.

Superintendent Chris Hill, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'I want to assure people that we are strengthening protective security as an extra precaution to keep people as safe as possible, and it should make people feel more comfortable and reassured about attending events like the Christmas Markets.

'This has been a difficult year for the city and we must never forget the people who have been affected.

'However, we have already all come together and shown our strength and determination to carry on enjoying our day to day lives.

'I want to encourage everyone to do the same. We are here and we're doing everything that we can to keep you safe.'

Guests flock into Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park under the watchful eye of security guards as safety precautions are beefed up around the popular Christmas festival

Rucksacks and women's handbags are searched at the entrance of London's popular Winter Wonderland festive market

Long steel barriers have also been put up in Hyde Park to prevent potential lorry or van attacks mimicking the atrocity in Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Christmas market last year

CCTV cameras are scattered throughout Winter Wonderland, one of London's most popular Christmas attractions which covers a quarter of Hyde Park

A Metropolitan Police 4X4 drives through Hyde Park while patrolling the Winter Wonderland site earlier this week

Large metal gates with concrete bases have been put up near the entrance to London's Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

LONDON

London has been hit twice in the past 12 months by terror attacks involving vehicles on Westminster Bridge and London Bridge.

In response to those atrocities barriers separating traffic from pedestrians were erected on three of the capital's bridges.

Similar measures are no in place at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland festival, one of London's most popular Christmas attractions.

A Met Police spokesman said: 'The public may see additional protective security measures and barriers at events this year, in response to a number of vehicle-based terrorist attacks we have sadly seen both here in the UK and abroad.

'There could also be increased security checks at some events and venues so we advise the public to arrive in plenty of time to allow for this.'

Metal barriers are erected outside Birmingham's Christmas market near the Bullring shopping centre to protect visitors

A vehicle barrier is erected outside Birmingham's Christmas market with a connecting wall of concrete bollards

Metal bollards and a concrete wall is place around Birmingham's festive market to stop potential vehicle attacks

BIRMINGHAM

In Birmingham a protective wall of concrete blocks will protect shoppers from potential vehicle attacks, with metal barriers at entrances to the Christmas market, close to its popular Bullring shopping centre.

Police officers are carrying out 'vehicle-based and foot-based stop checks' at a number of locations throughout the city centre.

Superintendent Andy Parsons, of West Midlands Police, said: 'These checks are to offer reassurance to our communities and those who plan to attend our world famous Christmas market.

'There will be a mixture of armed, unarmed and plain clothes officers patrolling the city.

'It is really important that we tackle all crime together so if you see something or hear anything suspicious, we need to know so we can try to do something about it.'

Concrete bollards create a barrier in front of the Leeds Christmas market in an effort to stop vehicles mounting the curb

Large flower pots are lowered into position in the Yorkshire city of Leeds to stop vehicles mounting the pavement

A metal barrier is erected at an entrance to Leeds' festive market as police call on organisers to increase their security

LEEDS

Extra protective measures have also been taken at Leeds' Christkindelmarkt, one of the most popular German festive markets in the country.

The festival is held in Leeds' Millenium Square and has more than 40 wooden chalet stalls, expected to bring swathes of crowds to the city centre.

Large planter pots have been lined up on the Yorkshire city's pavements to stop vehicles mounting curbs, while metal bollards have been erected near the entrances to the market to protect shoppers.

Workers lower barriers at Bath city centre in an effort to keep members of the public safe from potential vehicle terror attacks

Large concrete bollards are lowered into position in Bath ahead of the Christmas market starting in the historic city

Concrete blocks surround Bath Abbey in fear of a vehicle mounting the curb and driving into pedestrians

BATH

Large concrete blocks have been installed in the historic city of Bath, to protect shoppers at the Christmas market from potential attacks.

Further barriers will also be installed by the authorities to make it safer for pedestrians and visitors to the city centre.

Bath and North East Somerset Council boss Tim Warren told the Bath Chronicle: 'These improvements are part of business as normal for the city.

'We are simply taking the prudent step of installing additional measures which are in common with those seen elsewhere in the country. There is currently no known threat to the city.'
A newborn baby was dumped in a black bag outside a hotel with his umbilical cord still attached just hours after being born in Thailand.

The shivering boy was rescued after a passing driver heard cries coming from the tiny package dumped at the roadside in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Emergency services arrived to find a newborn baby boy still with blood marks from the birth and an umbilical cord attached.

The shivering boy was rescued after a passing driver heard cries coming from the tiny package dumped at the roadside in the early hours of Sunday morning

A newborn baby was dumped in a black bag (pictured) outside a hotel with his umbilical cord still attached just hours after being born in Thailand

Emergency services arrived to find a newborn baby boy still with blood marks from the birth and an umbilical cord attached

Authorities believe he had been born only a few hours before he was dumped in the Phra Phutthabat district of Sarburi, Thailand.

The 5.9lbs infant was rushed to hospital where he was given a warm bed to sleep in while the Police Lieutenant Colonel from Phra Phutthabat station appealed for information in tracing the mother.

He said: 'The baby was found wrapped in towels and inside a black bag near the entrance to a hotel.

'We believe the baby had only been born for a few hours because his body was stained with blood.

'The weight was checked at the scene and found to be 2,700 grams.

'There was no more evidence found.'

The 5.9lbs infant was rushed to hospital where he was given a warm bed to sleep in while the Police Lieutenant Colonel from Phra Phutthabat station appealed for information in tracing the mother

Lieutenant Colonel said they believed the baby was likely to have been born to a 'young mother' who had fallen pregnant after 'having fun' and not being in a serious relationship.

He added: 'The mother may also be from a family that had problems and could not look after a baby.

'He was thrown away almost immediately after birth before having chance to form any bonds with his mother.

'Police will urgently check CCTV in the area and bring legal proceedings against anyone involved in leaving the baby.

'We hope that a kind-hearted person will look after the baby from now and give him a good life.'
Hilarious footage has emerged of a bored boy making faces against a car window as he waits for his grandmother.

The video shows the child's face being dragged up and down the glass as he opens and closes window.

The clip was captured by the boy's grandmother on October 6 in Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, as she was returning to the car after running some errands.

The video shows the child's face being dragged up and down the glass as he opens and closes window

The boy's mother, Kristen Hauck, said: 'My son was waiting for his nana in the truck and got really bored and when she came out she caught him on video.'

Writing on Facebook, Ms Hauck said her son had no idea his grandmother was filming at the time, and that she was saving the clip for his wedding day.

'This made my whole week!! Good Lord that is funny!' commented one friend.

Another wrote: 'What a kid... he cracks me up.'
A British sailor has been left homeless after his yacht sunk off the coast of Australia on a 'shoestring' 5,000 round-the-world voyage.

Nick Batty was rescued 1,300 miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday after his boat, Talent, capsized and its mast was snapped off in treacherous weather.

The 49-year-old had sunk 'every penny he had' into the global trip on his ship called Talent.

He set off from his hometown of Falmouth, Cornwall, in July but was left stranded in the Indian Ocean for 15 hours before he was rescued by a US merchant ship.

Mr Batty lost everything because he had no insurance for the vessel, which doubled as his home, and now plans to give up cross-ocean sailing for good and hopes to buy a dog instead.

Nick Batty was rescued 1,300 miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday after his boat, Talent, capsized and its mast was snapped off in treacherous weather

He set off from his hometown of Falmouth, Cornwall, in July but was left stranded in the Indian Ocean (seen right) for 15 hours before he was rescued by a US merchant ship (left)

Nick Batty, 49, pictured on his boat - which also doubled as his home - in Falmouth, Cornwall back in July

Nick in Freemantle, Perth, today with the enormous ship which rescued him in the background

Nick, who is originally from Alton, Hampshire, said: 'I had been thinking about doing a round the world trip for some time, it was a personal challenge.

'I had no insurance, I couldn't afford it as I did the whole trip on an extreme shoestring budget.

'Talent had already been taken across the Atlantic a couple of times.

'I spent 5,000 in total over the winter preparing for the voyage, and 1,000 of that was on my food. That was all the money I had in the world.

'I lived on that boat, so it was everything I had in the world. When I set off I knew there was quite a high chance of not making it. But every day is a new day.

'I was unlucky really - luck is always a big factor.

Nick Batty was rescued 1,300 miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia

'When I get home, my plan is to replace the boat with a dog, stop off-shore sailing and make an effort to settle down.

'I have been doing it for 20 years and it is an adventure for a while but for forever it is a tough life.

'I won't be homeless for long, and if worse comes to worse I can buy a wreck and use that as my home.

'It is all a bit sad but I'm uninjured and though there was a bit of hardship and struggle, I've had a great time and a real experience.

'I lost the boat but I gained yet another story.'

Nick, who had worked as a yacht delivery skipper taking boats across the sea for 20 years, was undertaking his 31st ocean crossing.

He set off from Falmouth on July 8 and was 132 days into the voyage, which he hoped would take about 300 days in total.

He had sailed underneath the Cape of Good Hope and was making his way across the Indian Ocean towards New Zealand when he ran into difficulties.

Luckily when the strong waves violently capsized his vessel he was below board eating dinner as he said if he had been above deck he would definitely have been flung overboard.

After cutting the snapped mast and poles loose from his boat, he put out a mayday distress call and was rescued by US car carrier Patriot after 15 hours.

But Nick still had to face five metre-high waves while the huge vessel attempted to manoeuvre close to him so he could clamber aboard.

His boat was left to sink and he arrived into Freemantle in the early hours of this morning where he plans to spend several days 'getting drunk' before flying home to the UK.

Nick Batty on board his boat, Talent, taking measurements from the maps using navigating tools

Nick Batty set off from Falmouth (pictured) on July 8 and was 132 days into the voyage, which he hoped would take about 300 days in total

Nick, who does not have children or a spouse, said: 'I was sailing along quite comfortably, eating my dinner and playing a game on my iPad below deck, when I heard a massive bang and the boat was flung violently onto its side.

'That didn't worry me because I have been knocked over lots of times, but then straight away there was another big bang and the mast snapped off.

'It's possible she hit something, I'm not sure why she got knocked flat.

'I came back up and looked outside and the whole mast and all the poles were in the water underneath the boat, smashing into the bottom of the boat.

'I decided it was too dangerous to try and recover anything so I had to cut it all free.

'Once I did that the boat was quite stable but I had no way of moving - I was just stuck in the middle of nowhere.

'Some of the waves were five metres high and my little boat was getting bashed to bits, but the crew did an amazing job of getting it next to me.

'I was alcohol free on the boat for 136 days, so I am planning to get drunk for a few days before flying back to the UK.'

Some of the waves were five metres high when the US merchant ship moved in to rescue, and Nick's little boat was getting 'bashed to bits', but the crew did an amazing job of getting it next to the sailor, he said

The boat (left) was left to sink and he arrived into Freemantle in the early hours of this morning where Mr Batty (right) plans to spend several days 'getting drunk' before flying home to the UK

The Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed Nick was rescued by the Patriot after activating an emergency signalling device which was relayed to AMSA by the Internaitonal Emergency Response Coordination Centre in the USA

The Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed Nick was rescued by the Patriot after activating an emergency signalling device which was relayed to AMSA by the Internaitonal Emergency Response Coordination Centre in the USA.

A spokesman added: 'Due to the distance offshore, AMSA chartered a Falcon 900 jet aircraft from Perth with a Western Australia Police officer on board to fly to the search area.

'The yachtsman was confirmed to be in good health, and the Patriot has now resumed its journey to Fremantle where it will arrive on 20 November.

'AMSA would like express our sincere thanks to the Master and crew of the Patriot for answering the call for help and rescuing the yachtsman in difficult conditions. Due to the remote location, their assistance was vital in this successful rescue operation.'
Philip Hammond has put the brakes on plans to take a trip in a driverless car amid fears it would result in a disastrous photo just days before his 'make or break' Budget.

The Chancellor let slip yesterday that he would be taken for a spin in one of the vehicles while on a trip with the PM to the Midlands today.

The trip was designed to help plug his pre-Budget announcement to get driverless cars on UK roads by 2021 as part of plans to beef up Britain's high tech industries.

But No10 and Treasury aids are said to have put a screeching halt to the idea amid fears that picture could be used as a metaphor for a 'driverless' government.

Swerving the potential gaffe, instead the Chancellor was pictured on a traditional walkabout of an engineering factory in the West Midlands with Theresa May.

Philip Hammond, pictured with Theresa May on an walkabout of an engineering factory in the west Midlands. No10 and Treasury aides killed off plans for him to be pictured in a driverless car instead

Relations between Theresa May and her Chancellor Philip Hammond are said to be frosty, but the PM had a smile on her face as she toured the factory today. The Chancellor is under a lot of pressure to unveil a gaffe-free and bold Budget on Wednesday to stay in his job

A Downing Street source told the Daily Telegraph 'he is not going to go in a driverless car' while a Treasury source added 'he is not getting in a driverless car'.

Mrs May's Government has been hit by a series of crises, scandals and setbacks ever since she called the disastrous General Election which wiped out the Tory majority.

She lost two Cabinet ministers in a week after Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit as Defence Secretary over claims he was inappropriate with women.

Mr Hammond, pictured with Mrs May on the factory tour today, as said he wants to see driverless cars on British roads by 2021

And seven days later Priti Patel was called back from Africa and effectively sacked after her secret meetings with Israeli officials and politicians was uncovered.

Her de facto deputy Damian Green is battling for his political career amid claims he made an unwanted at a young activist and had extreme porn on his office computer.

And Mrs May could face a humiliating defeat on her Brexit Bill in the Commons as Tory rebels work with Labour and the SNP to change the Bill.

Amid these continual crises Mr Hammond is under huge pressure to deliver a Budget on Wednesday which is free from gaffes and sets out bold plans to win back particularly younger voters who have deserted the Tories.

He has already announced plans to build 300000 new homes a year in a bid to win over Millennials who have flocked to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.

As part of his efforts he yesterday announced plans for a major push for driverless cars in Britain.

The Chancellor has made clear his crucial financial package this week will be a rallying cry for Britain to take the lead on technology.

Playing down concerns about the safety of self-driving vehicles, Mr Hammond said that after Brexit the UK to be 'leading the next industrial revolution'.

Alongside removing obstacles to autonomous cars, Mr Hammond is set to announce investment in robotics and 5G internet.

He will unveil changes to regulations that will allow developers to test self-driving cars on UK roads for the first time.
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The Spitfires of the Battle of Britain and Russian T-34 tanks which fought in Kursk are often seen as the most influential machines of the Second World War.

But pictures unearthed for a new book show just how central motorbikes were to the Nazi war effort as Hitler unleashed Blitzkrieg on the continent.

The Nazis used motorbikes as a key part of their fast-moving attacks which tore through Holland, Poland and Czechoslovakia at the start of the war.

The newly-discovered pictures show the iconic German motorbike and sidecars which have since appeared in scores of war films, as well as the stunts pulled by riders as they attempted to show off their skills.

A new book studying motorbikes during the Second World War features a number of stunning photos of Nazi soldiers performing stunts, including these National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) riders showing off before the Hitler Youth

The book documents some of the kit which has since appeared in scores of war films, including these leather trenchcoats

The allure of the motorbike in occupied lands is shown in this photo of a French woman sitting in a German sidecar

Hundreds of riders from Hitler's NSKK corp (pictured in Bavaria) used the BMWs being rolled off production lines in Germany

The importance of bikes to the war and the enthusiasm they fostered among the public is shown here in a photo of Hitler with German motorcycle racer and former land speed record holder Ernst Jakob Henne

The motorbikes were put to use for propaganda on the home front, with displays before large crowds used to boost morale

A German motorcyclist jumps through a sheet of newspaper before crowds in a display before the war started in June 1938

The book also shows other attempts at creating a military bike, such as the French bid to combine the motorbike and the tank in this LeHaitre prototype from 1939

As well as forming part of the attack, motorbikes were widely used by Hitler's forces to carry out patrols in occupied countries and carry messages to and from Berlin.

Paul Garson, author of the book Two-Wheeled Blitzkrieg, said: 'Motorcycles have been going to war as long as there have been motorcycles around to go to war.

'They were recruited for the battlefield thanks to their merits of speed, manoeuvrability and adaptability as a weapons platform  not to mention their cost effectiveness when compared to other mechanized implements of modern warfare.'

Mr Garson uncovered the story of one rider who loved his motorbike so much he offered to buy it from the army at the end of the war.

Motorcycle corp riders in infamous Nazi helmets joke around with a pram during a manoeuver by the group during the war

Motorbikes and sidecars were popular among Nazi high command as they were quick to fix and agile in the battlefield

The book sets out how the German army developed motorbikes for warfare starting from the First World War

The BMW bikes used by the Wehrmacht suited the 'Blitzkrieg' style of rapid-advance attack favoured by Nazi high command

The lifestyle of the motorbike rider was used to attract youngsters to the Nazi cause at home and in occupied countries

This photo of troops moving through France in 1940 shows the advantages of bikes over other forms of transport

A Luftwaffe corporal stands by an army trooper and a young boy aboard a civilian DKV Luxus 200 before the war in the 1930s

The bikes were so successful in the German attack on the Soviet Union that Stalin himself ordered his factories to start producing bikes copying the BMW design used by the Germans.

In the later stages of the war, the US also significantly increased motorbike production, with over 90,000 being produced during the war.

The pictures unearthed by Mr Garson's research also show pre-war motorbikes used by the military.

He added: 'Motorcycles were first introduced into the German military arsenal in 1904 when fourteen NSU machines appeared during the Imperial Manoeuvres,' Paul said.

'By 1911, with the addition of sidecars that could carry additional men, weapons and material, some five-thousand-four-hundred machines joined the German army during the First World War of 191418.'

Two-Wheeled Blitzkrieg is published by Amberley Publishing.

The pictures show some of the bizarre attempts nations made to utilise bikes for war, including this British photo from 1889
A young girl whose mother was burned alive four years ago after being accused of being a witch has been brutally tortured with hot knives for the same alleged offence.

The victim, believed to be just six years old, is recovering in hospital after receiving treatment for wounds and burns after the savage attack in Papua New Guinea.

She was rescued by Lutheran missionary Anton Lutz from a remote village near Sirunki in the Enga province of the country late last week.

The savage attack took place in a remote village near Sirunki in the Enga province of Papua New Guinea late last week

The attack comes after footage emerged last month appearing to show three bound women being threatened with machetes after they had been accused of sorcery in the country

Mr Lutz told ABC News: 'It's the first time that I've had to deal with anything with a young child like this and it's always confronting.'

The victim is thought to be the daughter of Kepari Leniata, whose savage murder in 2013 made headlines around the world.

The 20-year-old had been accused of practicing sorcery, or sanguma as it is known locally, and was burned alive

She was tossed screaming on to a pyre of tyres after locals said she had killed the six-year-old son of a neighbour.

The Papua New Guinea prime minister, Peter O'Neill, took to Facebook to condemn the attack on the six-year-old girl

Witch hunting remains a widespread practice in Papua New Guinea (file photo)

Following the gruesome murder, Papua New Guinea's leaders pledged to combat so-called sorcery killings and they repealed the 1971 Sorcery Act, which allowed acts of sorcery to be used as a defence in a murder trial.

Sanguma in Papua New Guinea Sorcery and witchcraft are both widely believed in Papua New Guinea. Witch hunting remains a widespread practice on the island and people accused of being witches are blamed for unfortunate events such as the sudden death of a villager. Up until 2013, the accusation of sorcery was a plausible defence in murder cases thanks to the 1971 Sorcery Act. Its repeal only came after a series of savage and public killings, including that of Kepari Leniata. The 20-year-old had been accused of practicing sorcery, or sanguma as it is known locally, and was burned alive. But even its repeal has not halted sorcery-related violence. Local media reported that in the past month alone, at least 20 women have been the victim of sorcery-related violence. Advertisement

Despite this, attacks have continued and Mr Lutz said the attack on the girl last week was directly related to the accusations against her mother.

The country's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, condemned the attack.

Writing on his official Facebook page, he said: 'Lets be clear, sanguma beliefs are absolute rubbish.

'In the modern day sanguma is not a real cultural practice, it is false belief and involves the violent abuse and torture of women and girls by pathetic and perverted individuals.

'The men behind these murders are cowards who are looking for someone to blame because of their own failure in life.

'These violent acts are against our values as a nation and are completely unacceptable.'

He called on communities and leaders to help end sanguma activities.

Witch hunting remains a widespread practice in Papua New Guinea and people accused of being witches are blamed for unfortunate events such as the sudden death of a villager.
Three security guards roughly handled Ms George and then threw her out

She said she was asked by security to sit down but continued dancing

Jo-Anne George, 57, went to see the Fleetwood Mac star at Rod Laver Arena

A Melbourne woman has claimed she was thrown out Stevie Nicks' concert

A woman has claimed she was dragged by three security guards from a Stevie Nicks concert for dancing.

Jo-Anne George, 57, from Melbourne, claims she was thrown out of a Stevie Nicks concert

Jo-Anne George, 57, from Melbourne, paid $204 for a floor ticket to see the former Fleetwood Mac songstress perform on November 16.

Ms George told The Age there were no issues as she was dancing to opening act Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders, but once Nicks came on stage she was asked to stop.

The 57-year-old, who stands at 5'5", said she was asked to sit down three times by security, after another patron gave her their seat.

'The next minute three of them had me and were dragging me along the floor of the aisle. They threw me out of the stadium,' Ms George said.

'I have never been so humiliated in my life. I was assaulted and treated like a criminal.'

The Stevie Nicks fan said she had never seen the songstress (pictured during her Sydney show) live before and was excited for the concert

Ms George paid $204 for a floor ticket to see the former Fleetwood Mac songstress perform on November 16

Ms George said the rough treatment has left her with a sore back and bruises on her arm, as well as feeling depressed and anxious.

The Stevie Nicks fan said she had never seen the songstress live before and was excited for the concert.

She said the treatment she received by the security guards was 'totally uncalled for and very aggressive'.

Management for Rod Laver arena confirmed a woman was 'ejected' from her seat

Management for Rod Laver arena confirmed a woman was 'ejected' from her seat.

'The individual was asked to return to her seat a number of times and after failing to cooperate was ejected,' the spokesperson said.

Ms George said she 'doesn't know what's going on with Melbourne if you can't dance anymore'.
The first woman to come forward and claim she had sexual encounters with Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore when she was just 14 and he was 32 sat down for an interview on Today.

In her first television interview Leigh Corfman, 53, detailed her two alleged dates with Moore, who she claims approached her in 1979 outside a courtroom during a child custody hearing between her parents.

Not long after, she claimed that she found herself in her underwear on the floor of his living room, being asked to touch his penis as he stood in his underwear.

Moore's campaign stated that Corfman's story was 'garbage and 'the very definition of fake news' after she first spoke to The Washington Post, with the 70-year-old politician claiming he did not even know Corfman.

When asked how she felt about that denial, Corfman said: 'I wonder how many mes he doesn't know.'

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Speaking out: Leigh Corfman (above on Today) sat down for her first TV interview since accusing Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore, 70, of sexual misconduct

Misconduct: Corfman detailed how Moore (above last week) allegedly removed her clothing and then stripped to his underwear after taking her to his house in 1979

Corfman said soon after meeting Moore outside the court he called to ask her out, but refused to classify their outings as dates, calling herself a ' a 14-year-old child,trying to play in an adult's world.'

'It wasn't a date. It was a meet. At 14, I was not dating. At 14, I was not able to make those kind of choices,' said Corfman.

'I met him around the corner from my house. My mother did not know. And he took me to his home.'

She then said: 'After arriving at his home, on the second occasion that I went with him, he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceed to - seduce me, I guess you would say.

'And during the course of that, he removed my clothing. He left the room and came back in, wearing his white underwear. And he touched me over my clothing, what was left of it. And he tried to get me to touch him, as well. And at that point, I pulled back and said that I was not comfortable.'

Corfman said that the alleged sexual contact between herself and Moore did not progress beyond that, and soon after she asked him to take her home.

Those two dates however have impacted her ever since, which is part of the reason she claims it was so hard to come forward and speak out publicly against the Republican, who is running to fill the seat left vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

'It took away a lot of the specialness of, you know, interactions with men. It took some trust away. It allowed me to delve into some things that I wouldn't have otherwise,' said Corfman, who alluded to her troubled teenage years in her interview with the Post.

'It took years for me to regain a sense of confidence in myself. And I felt guilty. I felt like I was the one to blame. It was decades before I was able to let that go.'

Child: Moore was the 32-year-old assistant district attorney at the time while Corfman was a 14-year-old high school student (above)

Hitting out: Moore has denied Corfman's allegations and said earlier this month that he did not even know the woman (Corfman and Savannah Guthrie above)

She also made it clear that she was never silent about what she claims Moore did to her, and that she had been privately sharing the information ever since she first met with the then-assistant district attorney.

'My family knew. Family friends knew. My friends knew,' explained Corfman.

'I spent a lot of time every time he came up, railing against him and what he had done to me when I was 14 years old.'

She also revealed that she almost confronted him back in 2000, but that she decided against that move after speaking with her family.

'The second time, I actually sat down with my children, who were then junior high and elementary school,' said the single mother, who has been divorced three times.

'And I told them an overview and gave them the ability to make the decision. They were afraid that, with all of the social connections, they would be castigated in their groups.'

Two decades later, the Post sought her out and she decided it was time to share her story.

Corfman also dismissed allegations that her decision to come forward was politically or financially motivated during the interview.

'If anything, this has cost me.I had to take leave from my job. I have no tickets to Tahiti. And my bank account has not flourished,' said Corfman.

'If anything, it has gone down because currently, I'm not working.'

She also confirmed her previous statement that she had voted Republican in the last three presidential elections, including last November when she cast her ballot for Donald Trump.

Corfman said she has been able to gain an incredible support system from all this, and has been touched by the number of people opening up to her about their own experiences with Moore and other alleged predators.

At the end of her segment on Today, anchor Savannah Guthrie flashed up a photo of Corfman when she was 14, and asked her what she thought about when she saw the picture.

'She sure did have a lot of promise ahead of her,' said Corfman.

'And she didn't deserve to have a 32-year-old man prey upon her.'

Stand by your man: Moore's wife Kayla has said that this is nothing but a witch hunt (above last week)

Moore moore moore: Moore is currently trailing Democrat Doug Jones (above) by 12 points in the race, with voting set to take place on December 12 for the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions

It was revealed over the weekend that President Donald Trump was not campaigning for Moore ahead of the December 12 runoff election because he had 'discomfort' with the allegations of sexual misconduct made by nine women.

'Obviously if he did not believe that the women's accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore,' said White House legislative director Marc Short.

The Republican leaders in both the Senate and House of Representatives have already called for Moore to step down ahead of the election next month, where he is currently trailing Democrat Doug Jones by 12 points.

Moore is getting plenty of support however, especially from his wife Kayla.

'We knew something was coming, just did not know what next. This is the same Gloria Allred that did the very exact same thing to Trump during his campaign,' wrote Kayla in a letter last week after Moore's fifth accuser came forward in a press conference with the noted attorney.

'Going on two months now they've been on a witchhunt here in Etowah County and our state advertising people to step forward with accusations and we are gathering evidence of money being paid to people who would come forward. Which is part of why we are filing suit!'

Kayla then said: 'Washington establishment and Democrat Party will stop at nothing to stop our campaign.'

She closed out by telling her followers: 'Prayers appreciated....'

This came after Kayla posted a letter from 50 pastors showing their support for Moore over the weekend without noting that it was obtained in August, leading two of the individuals who signed to come forward and demand that their names be removed.
A man who survived last week's mass shooting in California has recounted the harrowing moment he watched the gunman shoot and kill his wife as she ran towards him.

Michelle and Troy McFadyen were among the 17 people shot during gunman Kevin Neal's rampage in the small town of Rancho Tehama on Tuesdsy.

Troy survived the attack and is currently recovering in hospital, but his wife was not so lucky.

Michelle, a former teacher who worked in social services, died after being shot at point blank range at least four times.

He said he was still having 'flashbacks' about watching his wife get killed before his eyes.

Michelle McFayden (pictured left, with her husband Tory), from Rancho Tehama Reserve, was murdered in front of her husband on Tuesday

The couple had been driving into town for a doctor's appointment on November 14, when they saw a white pickup bearing down on them, which crossed into the oncoming lane, as if to crash into them head on.

Troy swerved to avoid the truck, but the driver barreled into the side of his Ford Crown Victoria car, T-boning it. the driver's door was so badly damaged, that they couple had to climb out through the passenger's side.

They had just clambered out the vehicle when they heard gunfire and saw Neal approaching them, with his gun drawn.

'I look over my car, (over the roof) and look down the hill and this guy is drawing a bead with his pistol  He starts firing in our direction and I say to my wife 'Run! Run! Let's go!' he told the Detroit Free Press.

This Jan. 31, 2017 photo provided by the Tehama County Sheriff's Office shows Kevin Janson Neal, the gunman behind a rampage in Northern California

'We're panicked and the gunfire is just coming, he's coming up the hill, firing his gun,' he said.

The married couple began running and Troy was hit in the left leg, but was still able to walk and had attempted to flag down a passing car. The driver locked their doors and drove off, he said.

At that moment he was shot again, and this time the bullet hit his right leg, shattering the bone.

Troy says as he collapsed on the ground, he saw his wife running towards him.

He then watched in horror as Neal took aim and began firing at her.

'She falls in the ditch and he walks up rather casually and puts two rounds in her. All the while I'm screaming, 'Please don't! Please don't!' Troy said.

He added that the gunman was walking away when he heard Michelle whimper in pain, so he turned back and shot her at least two more times.

Neal turned his attention back to Troy who begged him to 'save his bullets' because he was bleeding out.

'I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead!'' he said.

A California Highway patrol officer photographs a vehicle involved in a deadly shooting rampage at the Rancho Tehama Reserve

Plywood covers one of the windows at the Rancho Tehama Elementary School, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017

The widower said he looked the gunman in the eye, but he'd appeared calm and methodical.

'Just another creepo,' he said.

Neal decided not to shoot Troy, but instead climbed inside another vehicle and attempted to run him over. The victim was able to drag himself off the road just in time, and down into the ditch near his wife.

'I'm still having moments of flashbacks thinking about that truck coming toward me, just missing me,' he said. 'And being shot and watching my wife.'

Troy was rescued by a passing motorist and eventually flown out to Mercy Medical Center where he underwent multiple surgeries to repair his legs.

He is hoping to be released in time for Thanksgiving.

But as his physical wounds heal, he is left to grieve for his wife, who was his 'anchor, and his whole world', according to Troy's nephew Eric McFadyen.

'I talked to my wife a couple times a day because we really loved each other, and I always ended my calls with 'Be safe,' he said.

Authorities found the bullet-riddled body of Neal's wife, 38-year-old Barbara Glisan (left), under the floorboards of their home. Danny Elliott (right, with his family was also killed

Johnny Phommathep (left), whose wife was shot and wounded in Thursday's rampage, said that Neal threatened to kill Danny Elliott and his seven-year-old son

The Tehama County Sheriff's Office said Neal, 44, killed Danny Elliott and his mother, Diana Steele, in an apparent act of revenge before he shot randomly into vehicles and at people in the tiny rural community about 130 miles north of Sacramento.

The gunman also Joseph McHugh III, 56, both of Rancho Tehama Reserve and wounded at least a dozen adults and children before authorities shot him dead during a rampage on Tuesday.

The gunman rammed a car into the gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School and shot at its portable classrooms. He tried repeatedly to get into a kindergarten classroom but quick-thinking staff had locked the school down, and he eventually stormed off.

According to the local school district, Neal shot through windows and walls, hitting one child in a classroom, who had to be airlifted to hospital.

That child was identified as Alejandro Hernandez, six; he was hit in the chest and foot, according to a cousin who started a GoFundMe page for him.

Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston has said he wasn't sure why Neal headed to the school, but Phommathep said Neal probably went there looking for Elliott's son. The school has about 100 students, in kindergarten through fifth grades.
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An incredibly rare white crocodile has been spotted in a remote part of Northern Territory.

Affectionately named Pearl after her lightly coloured scales, the white crocodile has been spotted in the Adelaide River for the first time.

Locals have been speculating that Pearl may even be the only one of her kind in Australia.

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Pearl the white crocodile (pictured) has been spotted in the Northern Territory, believed to be the only white croc in Australia

Spotted in the Adelaide River Sunday, the rare white crocodile is believed to be about nine or 10-years-old

Spotted jumping out of the water for tourists on Sunday, the rare white crocodile is believed to be about nine or 10-years-old.

Locals believe Pearl could be a descendant of the famous, now dead, Michael Jackson the crocodile, which was killed for killing someone.

Michael Jackson was a famous white-headed crocodile which also lived in the Adelaide River before he was killed in 2014.

Sunday was the first time Pearl was seen fully out of the water during the Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise.

Sunday was the first time Pearl was seen fully out of the water during the Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise

'Pearl has particularly touched our hearts as it is highly likely she is the offspring of Michael Jackson,' the NT Crocodile Conservation and Protection Society page read.

'Pearl is an extremely rare croc especially given her size. Most crocs with this colouring do not survive long in the wild.

'Michael is gone but it's nice to know his genes live on in the river.'

It is believed Pearl and Michael Jackson carried the leucistic gene, which causes a loss in pigmentation.

Photos show the amazing pearly white scales sitting out of the murky dark water.
In a beautiful video shared on Instagram James Regatuso, 29, got down on one knee to propose to his high school sweetheart girlfriend Kayleigh Fahey in a picturesque setting at a park in Upstate New York.

The heartwarming clip that has been viewed more than 38,000 times shows James pretending to take photos of his girlfriend who has her back turned to him.

With Kayleigh's, 31, back turned James then places the phone on the floor to video them as he bends down on one knee and asks her to marry him.

The newly engaged couple, James Regatuso (left) and Kayleigh Fahey (right), are high school sweethearts

Kayleigh, who is a nurse practitioner in cardiology, looked completely taken aback as she emotionally buried her heads in her hands.

When describing the breathtaking moment she revealed 'I can't even tell you how shocked I was,' she told Dailymail.com.

She said the moment was even more significant as the Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York has a special place in both their hearts, revealing it has 'so much personal meaning to us.'

Kayleigh said after the proposal they went to go see both their families who had no idea about James' romantic plans: 'not a soul knew,' she stated.

Apparently James had asked Kayleigh's father in the summer for her hand in marriage but he kept quiet on exactly when he was going to pop the question.

When they arrived to see Kayleigh's family after the proposal she said she initially hid her hand and greeted everyone before flaunting the stunning ring shocking everyone.

The couple (pictured above at a friends wedding) had just come home from a trip to Bali and Indonesia

James said he wanted to do it somewhere romantic and close to home, so he took her to Letchworth State Park, where they are pictured here

Kayleigh posted a photo of her beautiful ring on Instagram captioning it 'future Mrs. R'

'It took my mom a second, she wasn't sure what was going on at first.' She recalls her mother and granddad being absolutely ecstatic: 'they were squeezing me so tight!'

Both James and Kayleigh said they are genuinely surprised that their video went viral as it was a video 'meant to be shared with our family and friends to they could witness our special moment,' she said.

'We never knew how many people would view it and genuinely love it and wish us well. I think with all the negativity that is sadly taking place in the world right now, many people enjoy capturing a happy moment like ours. So for one minute out of their day, if our video can make them smile, thats wonderful! she explained.

The couple started dating in 2004 but broke up for about three years after James moved to South Carolina for a work opportunity. The now newly engaged couple reconnected at the end of 2015.

She said they are looking forward to enjoying the moment and 'seeing what the New Year brings.'
Substitute teacher Madeline Marx, 23, has been indicted on two counts of sexual battery after she allegedly had sex with two male high school students. Mugshot taken last Wednesday

A 23-year-old substitute teacher from Ohio who allegedly had a sexual relationship with at least two students has been indicted on two counts of sexual battery.

Madeline Marx has also been accused of sending nude photos to one of the teens.

Marx was arrested at Kettering Fairmont High School on Wednesday where she had been a substitute teacher for two years.

Police were notified of the allegations at 8am on Wednesday morning after students went to the school principal saying they were concerned about the alleged relationship.

Kettering police Lt. Mike Gabrielson said Marx was arrested three hours later after detectives found probable cause.

A 17-year-old student told police he was given oral sex by the teacher July 19, while a 16-year-old boy told police he had intercourse with a substitute teacher September 21.

Madeline Marx, 23, of Brookville, was indicted on two counts of sexual battery and is due back in court on November 30. Here she is pictured pleading guilty to her charges

Police physically removed her from Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, where she was a substitute teacher for two years

In this mugshot, taken last Friday, Marx admitted to having sexual relationships with multiple students, according to court documents and has now been ordered not to contact them

Marx now been released on bond and ordered not to contact the two students.

She originally pleaded not guilty.

'We became aware (Marx) was possibly involved with inappropriate activities with a juvenile,' Kettering Superintendent Scott Inskeep said.

'When we become aware of them then we will remove those people and not have them around our students.'

Marx had been given a four year teaching license last year that enabled her to teach grades K-12, WHIO reports.

Marx, who has been a substitute in the district for two years, was arrested (above) at the high school on Wednesday afternoon

Neither of the incidents happened on school property.

Police said Marx admitted to sending several nude photos to one of the students via Snapchat and Instagram.

Marx graduated last year from the University of Dayton and dropped out of a fall 2013 sexual ethics class, WHIO says.

She graduated from the nearby Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in 2012.
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Kevin Spacey was seen jogging over the weekend while he is receiving treatment at an exclusive sex rehab center in Arizona after more than a dozen men came forward accusing him of sexual abuse or harassment that dates back years.

The 58-year-old disgraced actor attempted to hide his face on both of his outings on Friday and Sunday by wearing dark sunglasses and a large dark hoodie.

Spacey jogged alone along the barren 'Affirmation Trail' at the expensive sex rehab center The Meadows on Sunday but had two male companions join him on his previous run on Friday.

The shamed Hollywood actor checked into the $36,000-a-month facility earlier this month - as first revealed by DailyMail.com - where he is believed to be receiving treatment for sex addiction.

Spacey is currently attempting to lay low and 'taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment' after an outpouring of sexual abuse and harassment claims were made against him, causing Netflix, his publicist and films to cut ties with him.

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Kevin Spacey was seen jogging on Friday at a trail at The Meadows sex rehab center in Arizona over the weekend (pictured)

The 58-year-old disgraced actor attempted to hide his face on his run on Friday by wearing dark sunglasses and a large dark hoodie. He was joined by two other men on his run on Friday

On Sunday, Spacey jogged alone along the barren 'Affirmation Trail' at the expensive sex rehab center The Meadows

The shamed Hollywood actor checked into the $36,000-a-month facility earlier this month - as first revealed by DailyMail.com - where he is believed to be receiving treatment for sex addiction. Pictured: Spacey on Sunday

The Meadows bills itself as 'the nation's premier inpatient treatment center for sex addiction' and shamed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is also an alleged patient of the clinic's

On Sunday, Spacey wore a black hoodie, black shorts, long white socks and black running shoes as he jogged on the dirt trail. He kept up a steady pace before slowing down and turning back around towards the center.

Although Spacey took the run alone, he was previously joined by two other men on Friday, as they were seen running down a hill and returning back to the facility.

He attempted to keep his identity hidden with a dark blue hoodie, gray sweatpants and dark sunglasses.

The Meadows clinic is popular among celebrities and has treated stars such as Tiger Woods, Elle Macpherson, Kate Moss and Selena Gomez.

And in the wake of sexual harassment and assault claims made against Hollywood players, Harvey Weinstein entered into the clinic's program and the alleged serial assaulter has been spotted in disguise around the area.

The House of Cards actor is seeking treatment after Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp made the bombshell allegation that Spacey came onto him when he was just 14 years old following a party at Spacey's home.

Spacey attempted to keep his identity hidden with a dark blue hoodie, gray sweatpants and dark sunglasses

The House of Cards actor is seeking treatment after Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp made the bombshell allegation that Spacey came onto him when he was just 14 years old following a party at Spacey's home. Pictured: Spacey on Friday

Spacey, who came out as gay after the allegations surfaced, issued an apology via social media saying the story 'horrified' him but that he didn't recall the encounter

Rapp said the actor, who was 26 at the time, had drunkenly picked him up 'like a bride' before lying down on top of him in the alleged 1986 incident. Pictured: Spacey working out on Friday with a male friend

The Meadows clinic is popular among celebrities and has treated stars such as Tiger Woods, Elle Macpherson, Kate Moss and Selena Gomez. Pictured: Spacey working out on Friday

Rapp said the actor, who was 26 at the time, had drunkenly picked him up 'like a bride' before lying down on top of him in the alleged 1986 incident.

Spacey, who came out as gay after the allegations surfaced, issued an apology via social media saying the story 'horrified' him but that he didn't recall the encounter.

'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,' Spacey said.

In the days that followed, Spacey was hit with a string of sex abuse allegations from other men. So far, more than a dozen men have come forward to allege that Spacey either harassed, assaulted, or attempted to rape them. Five of the accusers said the alleged incidents took place when they were teenagers.

One of his accusers claimed that Spacey grabbed his penis and chased him around a club and another said he got an assistant to request sex on set.

Harry Dreyfuss, the son of Richard Dreyfuss, has also alleged that Spacey groped him when he was 18 years old in 2008 when he was a high school senior.

On Sunday, Spacey decided to take his run alone. He wore a black hoodie and shorts, along with dark sunglasses and a hat

In the days that followed Rapp's allegation, Spacey was hit with a string of sex abuse allegations from other men. So far, more than a dozen men have come forward to allege that Spacey either harassed, assaulted, or attempted to rape them

Five of Spacey's accusers said the alleged incidents took place when they were teenagers and Spacey was an adult

In Spacey's statement after Rapp's story emerged, he said: 'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior'

Anthony Rapp (left) was the first person to publicly accuse Spacey of sexual misconduct. Harry Dreyfuss (right), the son of Richard Dreyfuss, has alleged that Spacey groped him when he was 18 years old in 2008 when he was a high school senior

And The Old Vic, where Spacey was an artistic director for 11 years from 2004, reported that 20 people came forward and claimed he had sexually harassed them during his time at the theater.

In the wake of the allegations, Netflix revealed they had cut ties with Spacey after the numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault were leveled against him.

His talent agency Creative Arts Agency, as well as his publicist, have also parted ways with the actor.

It has also since emerged that Spaceys scenes from an upcoming Ridley Scott film were to be re-shot with another actor just six weeks before it was due to be released.

Spacey, who was initially tapped to portray billionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in All The Money In The World, will have his scenes re-shot with 87-year-old Christopher Plummer.

The Meadows claims to have the best sex addiction treatment program in the US.

It runs a 45-day 'Gentle Path' treatment program for sex addicts, which involves patients undergoing counseling and 'expressive arts' to try and deal with their issues.

The Old Vic, where Spacey was an artistic director for 11 years from 2004, reported that 20 people came forward and claimed he had sexually harassed them during his time at the theater

In the wake of the allegations, Netflix revealed they had cut ties with Spacey after the numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault were leveled against him

His talent agency Creative Arts Agency, as well as his publicist, have also parted ways with the actor since the allegations

Gentle Path at The Meadows (above), which sits on 35-acres of land just an hour north of Phoenix, offers a voluntary 45-day treatment for men that costs over $58,000

Patients also commit to having no sex for eight weeks as part of the program that includes journaling, group therapy, one-on-one counseling, yoga and horseback riding.

Patrick Carnes is the founder and owner of Gentle Path at the Meadows located in Wickenburg, Arizona. He told CBS that his facility is not a place where people come for a 'vacation'.

Gentle Path, which sits on 35-acres of land just an hour north of Phoenix, offers a voluntary 45-day treatment for men that costs over $58,000.

Patients who voluntary seek treatment are required to commit to at least eight weeks of no sex. During that period they will examine sexual fantasies and create a relapse prevention plan.

Carnes said his facility is not a place for a 'vacation'. 'It's like boot camp!' he told CBS.

The Meadows bills itself as 'the nation's premier inpatient treatment center for sex addiction.'

'Men are guided on their journey of recovery by examining the underlying causes of addiction and co-occurring disorders. The goal is for these individuals to gain the courage to face difficult issues, including grief and loss; heal from emotional trauma; and become accountable for their own feelings, behaviors, and recovery,' The Meadows' website says.

Patients who voluntary seek treatment at The Meadows are required to commit to at least eight weeks of no sex. During that period they will examine sexual fantasies and create a relapse prevention plan
Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to the president, contended Monday that voters should not elect Doug Jones, the Alabama Democrat running against Roy Moore for the U.S. Senate, because he'll try to raise their taxes.

Conway would not endorse Moore's candidacy directly. 'I'm telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through,' she said on Fox & Friends after co-host Brian Kilmeade asked her if the message was 'vote Roy Moore.'

Asked by Kilmeade a second time, she pivoted and said: 'If the media were really concerned about all of these allegations, and if that's what this is truly about, and the Democrats, Al Franken would be on the ash heap of bygone half-funny comedians. He wouldn't be here on Capitol Hill. He still has his job.'

Later, at a press briefing, a reporter asked press secretary Sarah Sanders if the White House's position is that it is better to elect someone accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls over a Democrat. Sanders said that was not the White House's position, regardless of what Conway said.

Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to the president, contended Monday that voters should not elect Doug Jones, the Alabama Democrat running against Roy Moore for the U.S. Senate, because he'll try to raise their taxes

Conway would not endorse Moore's candidacy directly. 'I'm telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through,' she said on Fox & Friends

Asked by host Brian Kilmeade if the message was 'vote Roy Moore,' Conway said: 'If the media were really concerned about all of these allegations, and if that's what this is truly about, and the Democrats, Al Franken would be on the ash heap of bygone half-funny comedians'

'We feel the people of Alabama should make the determination of who their next senator should be,' she said, adding, after the reporter pushed back, 'I'm giving you the answer, the position of the White House.'

Sanders refused to take a position on efforts to mount a write-in campaign for the position, making a similar claim about the right of the people to do decide, and revealed that Trump has not spoken to Moore since the first set of allegations were published.

Asked if the president wants Moore to win the race, Sanders invoked a political rule that prohibits some employees in the executive branch from engaging in political activity while they're on duty.

'Look, obviously the president wants people within the House and the Senate who support his agenda, but as I've said and as the Hatch Act prohibits me from going any further,' she said. 'We certainly think this is something that the people of Alabama should decide, and I'm not going to be able to weigh in on anything further beyond those comments.'

Later, at a press briefing, a reporter asked press secretary Sarah Sanders if the White House's position is that it is better to elect someone accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls over a Democrat. Sanders said that was not the White House's position

Earlier, on Fox & Friends, Conway deflected when she was asked about Moore and brought up Franken and Sen. Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat whose corruption case ended in a mistrial last week, and asked why he gets to return to Washington.

Conway also launched an assault on Jones in a shift away from the president's statement last week, through Sanders, that the people of Alabama should decide who represents them in the Senate.

That was the line Sanders used several times last Thursday as she was pressed to explain President Donald Trump's position on Moore, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama who has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct toward teenage girls.

'Look, the President believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be,' Sanders said.

After she was specifically asked if Moore should stay in the Senate race that will be decided next month, Sanders said last week that the president's position remains the same as it did when the accusations surfaced.

'If the allegations are true, then that Roy Moore should step aside,' Sanders said.

Conway tore down Jones, the Democrat in the race, on Monday, greasing the skids for Moore, or some other Republican, to win the Dec. 12 special election in Alabama

Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are openly pondering the possibility of a write-in campaign to elect someone else to the position such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Sessions vacated the seat to join the Trump administration earlier this year, setting off the Dec. 12 special election.

At her briefing on Monday, Sanders would not say whether the president would support a campaign to write in Sessions or Luther Strange, a Republican appointed to fill the seat until such time that someone is elected that Trump supported in the GOP primary.

'We support the people of Alabama making the decision on who their next senator should be,' she said.

When Conway tore down Jones, the Democrat in the race, on Monday, she greased the skids for Moore, or some other Republican, to win.

'He will be a vote against tax cuts,' she said. 'He is terrible for property owners.'

She told Alabama voters 'don't be fooled' by Jones, calling him 'weak' on crime and borders and 'strong' on raising taxes.

'So vote Roy Moore,' Kilmeade asked her?

She replied: 'Doug Jones is a doctrinaire liberal, which is why he is not saying anything, and why the media are trying to boost him.'

Kilmeade asked her the question again, and she brought up Franken, a Democrat representing Minnesota in the Senate.

Franken apologized last week for a photo in which he could be seen smiling and putting his hands over radio host Leeann Tweeden's breasts while she slept. He is now expected to come under investigation by the Senate ethics committee.

'He wouldn't be here on Capitol Hill. He still has his job,' Conway said Monday on Fox, making reference this this photo of Franken putting his hands on a radio host's breasts while she slept that was released last week

Kilmeade rebutted Conway with the Republican National Committee's withdrawn support for Moore.

Many women are backing away from him, too, Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt chimed in.

'Right,' Conway responded. 'And you know what, I just want everybody to know, Doug Jones, nobody ever says his name and pretends he is some kind of conservative Democrat in Alabama. And he's not.'

Fox and Friends' Steve Doocy interrupted Conway to ask if Trump would be traveling to Alabama to campaign for Moore, and she acknowledged, 'There is no plan to do that.'

'The president is going to continue traveling around the country on tax cuts and other issues, yes,' she said.
A woman in China has been beaten to death by her boxer husband who claimed to have caught her being unfaithful.

Professional kickboxer Xue Ding, 32, was said to have hitting his partner, 27, nonstop for five hours at their home under the influence of drugs.

The man has been arrested by local police on suspicion of intentional bodily harm.

Zhao Pan (left) was accused of cheating on her husband, Xue Ding (right), before being beaten

She was beaten for five hours as Xue Ding throws punches and hit her with feather duster

According to a report on Sichuan Radio and Television, an unconscious Zhao Pan was rushed to the Jiangyou No. 2 People's Hospital in Sichuan Province, on September 16 morning.

Doctors found numerous bruise marks and swellings all over Zhao's body.

'The bruise were cumulative wounds and there was a large area of her body appearing in deep purple colour,' said the doctors.

The 27-year-old woman, who was a mother of a toddler son, died of brain stem damage in the hospital two days later.

The incident occurred when Zhao Pan's husband, Xue Ding, claimed to have caught his wife cheating on him. The couple reportedly had a quarrel on September 15.

The kickboxer admitted that he used his fists to punch his wife. He said he also used a feather duster and a scabbard to hit his wife.

The horrific beating was said to last for five hours - from 4am to 9am.

Xue Ding's mother, who lived in a flat underneath the couple in Jiangyou, told the local police that she heard screaming noises and tried to open their door.

She called emergency services and sent her daughter-in-law to the hospital.

The professional kickboxer admitted beating his wife to the police after being arrested

The mother, who died on September 18, left behind her son Lele, who is only 17 months old

Doctors claimed that Zhao Pan would have a little chance to survive as most part of her brain tissues were not functioning.

'She might recover but will remain in persistent vegetative state.'

Zhao Pan died in the hospital on September 18 - two days after being admitted - from serious brain stem damage.

The 27-year-old left behind her young son, Lele, who is just 17 months old. The boy is being looked after by Ms Zhao's parents.

'I think what he [Xue Ding] has done is inhumane. Beating a person to death is crueller than anything else. He beat my daughter for five hours, non stop,' said Ms Zhao's father.

Mr Xue went into hiding after attacking his wife.

Jiangyou police checked CCTV footage and followed the car that Mr Xue had been driving. They caught him hours after the incident came to light.

Police officer Lou Lei said Xue Ding was a famous kickboxer in the neighbourhood.

'During the beating, his hand got dislocated, but he realigned it back in position and continued the beating,' he said.

Police also searched drugs in Mr Xue's apartment and he was tested positive in the drug test.

Xue said he was responsible for the domestic violence but he insisted that he was not aiming at any particular body parts to hit on.

He explained that he had caught his wife cheating in their two-year marriage and this was something he wouldn't tolerate.

The case is still under investigation.
Senator Al Franken's speech will be cut from a television broadcast of a tribute to late night legend David Letterman, according to PBS.

The Minnesota Democrat is embroiled in a sex-assault scandal that dates back to a 2006 USO tour.

Separately, on Monday CNN reported that a Minnesota woman claims Franken groped her rear end during a photo-op in 2010  after he took office

'PBS will air an updated "David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize" on Monday. Sen. Al Franken participated in the event, but will not appear substantially in the PBS program airing nationally Monday evening,' according to a statement from Cecily Van Praagh, a spokeswoman for WETA, the Washington, D.C. PBS affiliate.

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Sen. Al Franken appeared on stage to honor David Letterman as he received the Mark Twain Prize for humor last month but PBS has cut his part from the broadcast

Franken feted Letterman along with other comics and posed for red carpet snapshots, just weeks before a woman accused him of sexual assault in a 2006 incident

Last week radio host Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a mock 'rehearsal' of a comedic kissing scene he wrote for a USO show in Afghanistan; Franken is shown groping hr breasts during the ride home on a military p

Letterman held up a poster announcing the event as he received the Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center in Washington; Franken is pictured first (top left) as a headline act

'PBS and WETA, the producing station, felt that the inclusion of Sen. Franken in the broadcast at this time would distract from the show's purpose as a celebration of American humor. Every year, this program is edited for both length and content to keep it entertaining and focused on its intended purpose as a celebration of American humor.'

Franken appeared on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington on October 22 for the program's taping, talking about videos he made with Letterman about global warming for the 'Funny or Die' website.

In one segment of the 'Boiling the Frog' series, the two talk about how Letterman's giant beard is a secret weapon to fight carbon emissions.

Another brands billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch 'Siegfried and Roy' for working magic in Washington to block environmental legislation.

The Mark Twain Prize has been awarded every year since 1998, and the event is broadcast on PBS

Leeann Tweeden, pictured, sent Franken's political career into a tailspin last week

But Franken's yuk-yuks didn't make the cut for Monday night's on-air version of the show.

Last week radio host Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a mock 'rehearsal' of a comedic kissing scene he wrote for a USO show in Afghanistan.

She also released a photograph taken on a military plane during their return from the tour, showing Franken smiling and groping her breasts while she slept.

Franken has issued three separate apologies to Tweeden but his spokesman said over the weekend that he has no intention of resigning his Senate seat.

The Senate Ethics Committee will reportedly investigate the incidents, likely leading to a symbolic censure or other sanction.

Franken spoke during the Mark Twain Prize taping about a video series on global warming that he made with Letterman for the 'Funny or Die' website

The Kennedy Center has previously honored Bill Cosby with the Mark Twain Prize; Cosby now faces lawsuits and felony charges for allegedly raping women over a span of 43 years

The Mark Twain Prize has been awarded since 1998. Its recipient in 2009 was comedian Bill Cosby, who became the subject of dozens of rape allegations five years later.

The Kennedy Center's online tribute to Cosby does not include any mention of the scandal, which as led to lawsuits, felony charges and a mistrial.

The Cosby incidents allegedly took place from 1965 to 2008.
A farmer in China was astonished to find one of his new-born bull calves had an extra leg on its back.

The mutant animal seems unaffected by the extra limb and is developing otherwise normally.

The animal was born on a farm near Muling city in the Heilongjiang Province of north-east China.

Udderly unbelievable: A mutant bull with five legs has been born on a farm in north-east China

Healthy and happy: It seems unaffected by the extra limb and runs around the farm as normal

The leg complete with cloven hoof grows out from the young bull's back. It's just behind its shoulder, and hangs down its right side.

A gene mutation is thought to be behind the extra limb.

The animal's owner Wu Yujiang told a reporter from Pear Video that he would be happy to donate the bull to a zoo so that 'more people could come and see it'.

Moo-ving just fine: The extra limb is just behind the its shoulder and hangs down its right side

The owner: Farmer Wu Yujiang (pictured) said that he'd be happy to donate the bull to a zoo

The condition of having extra limbs is known as polymelia.

It is often caused when two embryos start off as conjoined twins but one dies early in development and only one limb is left by the time of birth.

Another condition that can cause extra legs is dipygus, when the torso of an embryo forks at an early stage in development, resulting in the duplication of the legs.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has congratulated his daughter on her surprise engagement sparking outrage among gay marriage activists.

Mr Abbott, a lead spokesman for the No campaign, congratulated his fitness fanatic daughter Frances on her engagement to former Olympian turned weightlifter Sam Loch on Twitter, even after just two weeks of dating.

Oddly using two tweets to post his message, the Liberal MP said: 'Really thrilled at the news of Francie and Sam's engagement. 1/2

'We are very proud of her and the Abbotts are looking forward to welcoming Sam into the family. 2/2'

@TiffanyBakker wrote: 'So two weeks is fine to get engaged, but gay couples who have been together years, no? Right.'

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Tony Abbott congratulated his daughter on her surprise engagement on Twitter (pictured)

His congratulatory tweet (pictured) caused outrage among gay marriage activists

Frances Abbott announced her engagement to the Olympian rower on Instagram (pictured)

Gay rights activists perceived Tony Abbott's (pictured) congratulatory tweets as hypocritical

@NathanhyperBole fired off: 'Thanks for protecting the sanctity of marriage just so that total strangers like your daughter and her new fiance can get married.'

Frances, 26, made the shock announcement on her Instagram account on Sunday, sharing photo booth picture strips of herself and Olympic rower Sam Loch, 34, adding the engagement notice in the caption.

'Hey Feyonce,' she wrote.

'Two weeks was all it took to know that forever with you was a mighty fine idea.'

Ms Abbott added hashtags reading: 'why wait', 'he liked it so he put a ring on it' and 'let's do this'.

No image has emerged of the ring.

Frances Abbott (right) and her new fiance Sam Loch (left) are both fitness fanatics, with Ms Abbott regularly competing in bodybuilding competitions and Mr Loch previously competing in the Olympics

The announcement was met with a mix of shock and excitement by the competitive bodybuilder's followers.

A journalist for Harper's Bazaar who recently interviewed Ms Abbott was more shocked than most.

'Whoa! Things change quickly,' wrote Rachelle Unreich.

'When I interviewed you not very long ago for Harper's, you said you were sooooo single! Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness.'

Ms Abbott told her social media followers she had only been dating Mr Loch for two weeks

The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding.

Last year, she competed and recently told Daily Mail Australia the competitions were an 'exciting experiment' for herself.

She recently made headlines for her publicly stating she supported marriage equality, while her politician father stood firmly against it, despite his sister being in a high-profile same sex relationship.

Ms Abbott told Daily Mail Australia earlier this month the debate could rage on between the highly passionate members of her family, but would all be set aside at the dinner table.

The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding last year

Sam Loch holds multiple world records for rowing, and has competed in the Beijing and London Olympics

Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne

'Politics is one of those things,' she said. 'It's hard to avoid when it comes to my family, but we love each other.

'We will politely agree to disagree and I guess that's the same with most families. You're like: 'I'll give you the stink eye across the table, but that's about it'.'

When asked about Tony and his sister, Christine Forster, disagreeing, Frances said: 'Of course it's set aside when we sit down. It's all: ''Hey', 'Hey''.'

Ms Abbott recently worked for the marriage equality campaign, which she said was 'interesting':

'For me, it seems so obvious,' she explained.

'I don't really understand why it's a debate. It was great working with the equality campaign. It's time for change.'

Sam Loch, her new fiance, holds multiple world records for rowing, and has competed in the Beijing and London Olympics.

Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne.

No announcement has been posted to Mr Loch's Instagram, though he is an avid user of the platform, often sharing videos demonstrating his super-human strength.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Abbott for comment.


A young father named his killer to police after he was stabbed 29 times and his new girlfriend had her throat cut, a court heard today.

Lee Hatley, 29, told officers he was dying after being repeatedly knifed in the head, neck and chest by his friend Bradley Wood, 25.

His girlfriend Lauren Egan-Perkins, 22, was also stabbed in the neck by Wood as she slept at her flat in Islington, north London, it is alleged.

Despite suffering horrific injuries and having a piece of blade embedded in his brain, Mr Hatley managed to stagger next door to alert a neighbouring couple at 2am on 26 June this year.

Despite suffering horrific injuries and having a piece of blade embedded in his brain, Mr Hatley managed to stagger next door to alert a neighbouring couple at 2 in the morning

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC told the Old Bailey: 'As they sought to provide him with first aid, he told them he had been stabbed 'everywhere' and named the person who stabbed him as Bradley Wood.

'He was heard to repeat this identification of his assailant on a number of occasions by neighbours and then police officers, who he also told he was dying.

'In fact not only Lee Hatley but also his partner Lauren Egan-Perkins had been stabbed with a kitchen knife picked up at Egan-Perkins' flat by Bradley Wood.'

Jurors heard Hatley, his friend Louis Rooney and Wood had spent the evening smoking and drinking at Miss Egan-Perkins' flat in Westcliffe House on Baxter Road.

By the time of the attack, Mr Rooney had left and Miss Egan-Perkins, 22, had gone to bed.

She awoke to find herself being attacked by Wood, and suffered a stab wound to the neck and a large cut to her throat, the court heard.

Wood fled the scene and enlisted the help of his father Alan to collect him from Essex Road.

He then travelled to Northampton, where he told another friend of his father 'It got out of hand, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

Wood eventually handed himself into police on 30 June and made a statement claiming that when he picked up a knife Mr Hatley 'misunderstood' and lunged at him.

He said he did not intend to harm Mr Hatley during the struggle - but failed to explain how Miss Egan-Perkins became injured.

Bradley Wood is also accused of attacking Mr Hatley's girlfriend, Lauren Egan-Perkins, 22, as she slept at her flat in Islington, north London

The prosecutor said Wood was the only candidate for the stabbing of Miss Egan-Perkins and claimed he attacked Lee Hatley 'offensively and in anger'.

Mr Atkinson said: 'While he would have been entitled to defend himself if he had been attacked, his response to any such attack from an unarmed man, a friend, was to use a lethal weapon - a response out of all proportion.

'The fact that some of the wounds were to Mr Hatley's upper limbs was consistent with those injuries being sustained when Mr Hatley was defending himself.'

The prosecutor added: 'His conduct in running away and seeking to stay away from the police are revealing because they were the actions of someone who knew he had done something badly wrong.'

Mr Hatley, a father-of-one, had met Miss Egan Perkins a few weeks before his death.

Wood, of New College Mews, Islington, north London, denies murder, attempted murder and the alternative of wounding with intent.

The trial continues.
The ex-partner of Natasha Darcy-Crossman, accused of murdering her wealthy sheep farmer husband, has reportedly been staying at the dead man's property.

Paramedic Colin Crossman has been spotted on the property of Mathew Dunbar, 42, who was allegedly murdered by Ms Darcy-Crossman, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Mr Dunbar was found dead, connected to a helium canister on his Walcha property, on August 2.

Mr Crossman was one of the first paramedics on scene after Mr Dunbar's death. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on his part.

Natasha Darcy-Crossman, 42, was arrested and charged on Saturday with the murder of her husband, Mathew Dunbar

Mathew Dunbar (left) was found dead on his Walcha property on August 2. Colin Crossman (right), the ex-partner of Ms Darcy-Crossman, was one of the first paramedics on scene

Ms Darcy-Crossman, 42, has repeatedly told police, as well as friends and relatives, that her husband had committed suicide.

She was refused bail at Tamworth Local Court on Sunday, after her arrest on Saturday.

Mr Crossman was one of the first paramedics on the scene after Mr Dunbar's body was found.

He has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is reportedly looking after his three children he shares with Ms Darcy-Crossman, who were staying on the Walcha property before their mother's arrest.

Ms Darcy-Crossman, 42, has repeatedly told police, as well as friends and relatives, that Mr Dunbar had committed suicide (pictured together)

Ms Darcy-Crossman had reportedly tried to buy ram sedatives from a vet days before her husband died.

She was refused service at Walcha Veterinary Clinic, The Daily Telegraph reports, as neither she nor her husband owned rams.

Mr Dunbar had recently reordered his affairs to arrange for his wife to inherit everything he had upon his death.

Police will reportedly use the mother-of-three's attempt to buy sedatives and google searches made on her phone in their case to prove Mr Dunbar was murdered.

The case is set to return to court on January 4.
President Donald Trump and some of his White House advisors are warming to his lawyer's optimistic assessment that special counsel Robert Mueller could be close to wrapping up his Russia probe.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb, who has long preached cooperation with Mueller for White House aides ensnared in the investigation, is now predicting the investigation will be finished by the end of the year or soon afterward, the Washington Post reported.

Cobb had earlier predicted it would be done by Thanksgiving, which isn't happening.

The president himself has 'warmed' to Cobb's message, the paper reported without providing specific attribution.

President Donald Trump is warming to an optimistic view that special counsel Robert Mueller is wrapping up his investigation

And the president's optimism hasn't prevented some of his underlings from fretting  especially after former Trump campaign foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and the government indicted he is cooperating with investigators.

'When the staff gather in the morning at the White House now, they jokingly say: 'Good morning. Are you wired?' a person close to the administration told the paper.

But Cobb indicated that staffers who have met with Mueller's team one by one have been treated 'fairly.'

'The people who have been interviewed generally feel they were treated fairly by the special counsel, and adequately prepared to assist them in understanding the relevant material,' Cobb said. 'They came back feeling relieved that it was over, but nobody I know of was shaken or scared.'

Cobb's view is that the probe is narrower than genuinely understood,

'I've done my best, without overstepping, to share my view that the perception of the inquiry  that it involved a decade or more of financial transactions and other alleged issues that were mistakenly reported  just wasn't true, and that the issues were narrower and wholly consistent with the mandate provided by the Justice Department to the Office of the Special Counsel,' Cobb said

Mueller's investigators plan to interview several key White House staffers in the coming weeks. Among them are communications director Hope Hicks, White House counsel Don McGahn, and Josh Raffael, a spokesman for Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, CNN reported.

President Trump has repeatedly called the probe a 'witch hunt'

Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have been interviewing Trump campaign officials, running down financial records, and parsing statements about who met with Russians and when during the campaign

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, arrives to the U.S. Courthouse for a bond hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Manafort, 68, an international political consultant, was accused along with his right-hand man, Rick Gates, of lying to U.S. authorities about their work in Ukraine, laundering millions of dollars, and hiding offshore accounts. Both pleaded not guilty

Senate Judiciary panel leaders chided Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner for neglecting to hand over Russia documents

The internal predictions that things are wrapping up come as congressional investigators continue to unearth new material, and just weeks after two top campaign advisors, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, where indicted on money laundering and conspiracy charges unrelated to the campaign.

Trump and Cobb's reportedly optimistic view isn't shared by many outsiders, who assess that Mueller is methodically working his way inside after starting with a focus on outside figures.

One person close to the administration called it a 'Gambino-style roll-up. You have to anticipate this roll-up will reach everyone in this administration,' wrote the Post.
Anthony Nicholls died in hospital days after a firework was posted through his letterbox

Police have arrested two more people after a father was killed by a 200-shot firework in his home.

Officers investigating the death of Anthony Nicholls, who was 56, have now arrested four people in connection with the blaze at his Birmingham home on November 2.

West Midlands Police arrested an 18-year-old woman in the Ward End area of the city yesterday before a 21-year-old man was arrested at Shildon Airport after arriving on a flight.

The latest arrests came after two men, aged 29 and 22, were last week arrested in Lee Hall and Stechford respectively.

Both were released on bail as police probe the circumstances surrounding Mr Nicholls death.

Detective Inspector Paul Joyce, from West Midlands Polices Homicide Team, said: This is a challenging investigation but we are making good progress.

'Four people have now been arrested and we have lots of encouraging lines of enquiry.

'The local community have been supportive of our investigation and I would like to thank them for their cooperation.

'We strongly believe the answer to solving this case lies in the community and wed like to hear from anyone with information who has not come forward.'

The former hardware store worker was rushed to hospital with 60 per cent burns and placed in an induced coma after the blaze ravaged his property

The fire started after the industrial-sized firework was set off by a group of men who burst into Mr Nicholls home at around 11.20pm, while he and his girlfriend enjoyed a Chinese takeaway.

His partner, a 50-year-old woman, escaped with fractures to her lower limbs after jumping from a first floor window at the property.

She has been released from hospital, but suffered life changing injuries.

Sadly, Mr Nicolls died in hospital.

Shocking pictures show the devastation inside a gutted house after the firework was posted through his letterbox.

Neighbours claim Mr Nicholls desperately tried to smash windows so that he and his partner could escape the flames which left the walls blackened and a TV melted.

This picture of a blackened staircase inside the property shows the devastation caused by the commercial firework

The 56-year-old was taken from the property by firefighters after they received a 999 call at 11pm last Thursday.

The former hardware store worker was rushed to hospital with 60 per cent burns and placed in an induced coma after the blaze ravaged his property.

10,000 REWARD IS ISSUED FOR MORE INFORMATION The independent charity Crimestoppers has put up a reward of up to 10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers. Information passed to Crimestoppers is always 100% anonymous. Call 0800 555 111 or use their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. The reward of up to 10,000 only applies to information given to Crimestoppers. Information given directly to the police does not qualify. Advertisement

But West Midlands Police said Mr Nicholls never regained consciousness and detectives had now launched a murder inquiry.

Mr Nicholls' was described as a 'fun-loving, funny man' who 'worked hard all his life'.

A blue forensic tent could be seen outside the 150,000 semi-detached property on Saturday, which has been left badly damaged by the fire.

Neighbours living on the quiet residential street described seeing paramedics frantically working on Mr Nicholls.

One elderly woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's really shocking because this is usually a nice quiet area.

'I've been told somebody put lit fireworks through their letterbox. They were both in bed asleep and Marie jumped from the window.

'People were saying they could hear fireworks going off in the night and that they sounded very close.

'Its despicable that somebody could do such a thing. He used to work at the hardware shop over the road but gave up because of his health.'

Mr Nicholls' friend Janet Mahoney, 73, said: 'He was a nice chap - anyone who spoke to him would say the same thing. I knew him from the shop he worked in. It really is shocking and I'm so so sad for Tony - I spoke to him only three days before the fire.'

Mr Nicholls' partner, named as Marie, is believed to have broken both legs jumping from the bedroom window after they were awoken by the blaze last Thursday night

Detective Inspector Paul Joyce of West Midlands Police said previously: 'The impact would have been terrifying for the occupants and I would urge anyone who sold or is missing a firework of this size to get in touch.

'This would have been a large heavy firework that would have been difficult to carry some distance, so I would ask anyone who saw someone carrying a large box in the area last Thursday night to contact us.

'Any information no matter how insignificant if may seem to you could help our investigation.

'Sadly one of the victims of this fire has died and our thoughts are with his family and partner at their time of loss.

'His death means that we are now treating this as a murder enquiry and I would like to re-emphasise the need for anyone with information to call us.

'We are following up several active lines of enquiry and are focusing on CCTV from the local community. If you have any home CCTV that we have not yet seen please call us.'

Officers believe the firework, which gutted the home's interior, would have taken two minutes to fully discharge and are asking for help in tracing where it came from.
Ten pubs across Sydney and Canberra have been ordered to change the name of long-running pub favourite night Tranny Bingo.

Sydney law firm Allens last week sent the pubs letters on behalf of a transgender woman named Katherine Wolfgramme, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The letters demanded the pubs stop using the term 'Tranny Bingo' as it is 'highly offensive and distressing.'

Transvestite Daniel Floyd, also known as Penny Tration (left) started Tranny Bingo in Bondi in 2000. It's now hosted at over 15 pubs across Sydney and Canberra

Ten pubs across Sydney and Canberra have been ordered to change the name of long-running pub favourite night Tranny Bingo (Tranny Bingo at Pendle Hill Inn pictuired)

Transvestite Daniel Floyd, also known as Penny Tration started Tranny Bingo in Bondi in 2000. It's now hosted at over 15 pubs across Sydney and Canberra.

One pub that received the letter, The Pendle Hill Inn, in Sydney's west, has stopped running Tranny Bingo, but licensee Peter Adams said the demand was 'ridiculous'.

'The word "tranny", for some people, is not acceptable. For a lot of people, it still is acceptable,' Mr Adams told The Daily Telegraph.

'The letter has made absolutely no difference to us at all. They haven't got a legal leg to stand on.'

Part of the letter said: 'Our client is not requesting that the event cease. Rather, her request is simply that you change the description of the event and associated advertising.'

If the request was not met by December 22 further action would be taken with the Australian Human Rights Commission, the letter said.

Other pubs that received the letter include The Coopers Hotel in Newtown, Potts Point Hotel in Kings Cross and the Balmain Hotel in Balmain.

One pub that received the letter, The Pendle Hill Inn, in Sydney's west, has stopped running Tranny Bingo, but licensee Peter Adams said the demand was 'ridiculous'
Hopes of finding the missing Argentinian submarine were dashed on Monday night as the navy said unusual noises picked up on sonar did not come from the vessel.

Search teams had been combing a 35 square nautical mile stretch of water 330 miles off the coast for the ARA San Juan after noises, thought to be the crew tapping on the hull of the vessel, were picked up by two search boats.

But the search is back on again after the sounds turned out to be bogus - the second time in 24 hours that rescue efforts had been scuppered.

Earlier in the day Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said signals received over the weekend that were thought to be distress calls from the sub had come from somewhere else.

The ARA San Juan (pictured) has been missing for five days after reporting a fault before dropping out of communications

President Mauricio Macri met with vice admiral Miguel Angel Mascolo (right) rear admiral Gabriel Gonalez (center) as search efforts continued on Monday night

One of the 44 missing crew members is weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk, 35, Argentina's first female submariner

An international search operation is underway for the submarine, with the British Royal Navy deploying ice patrol ship HSM Protector to help

Mr Babli also warned that there could be just 48 hours to find the San Juan before the crew run out of oxygen.

Spokesman Enrique Balbi said that if the sub was settled on the surface, or able to put up a snorkel to draw fresh air, there are supplies on board to last for a month.

But if the sub is underwater - as seems to be the case after surface searches failed to find it - then there is only enough air inside to last for a week.

The craft has already been missing for five days, and search areas indicate it is likely in deep water, meaning sending up a snorkel would be problematic.

Mr Balbi said analysis of radio transmission received over the weekend revealed that they did not come from the sub. 'We have still been unable to contact [the crew],' he added.

The last known communications from the sub's crew were on Wednesday. One call reported a routine battery fault, while the details of the second call have not been disclosed by the navy.

One of the missing crew is 35-year-old weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk, who is the country's first female submariner.

A multinational air and sea search is under way with help from countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, the United States and Uruguay.

Storms have complicated efforts to find the navy submarine, which had gone missing in the South Atlantic.

More than a dozen boats and aircraft from Argentina, the United States, Britain, Chile and Brazil had joined the search effort.

Authorities have mainly been scanning the sea from above, as storms have made the search difficult for boats.

The Royal Navy has deployed an ice patrol ship to help search for the missing submarine.

Britain sent the HSM Protector, a polar exploration vessel, to the southern Argentine Sea to assist in searches.

NASA has also sent its Lockheed P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft to the scene

A GPS map from November 18 shows the initial areas searched by NASA's aircraft. These include a small area off the coast of Comodoro Rivadavia, and a much larger area further north

A magnified version of the map shows the aircraft made several passes over the stretch of water before abandoning its efforts

Another map taken on Sunday shows the aircraft returned to another area slightly further south and made multiple passes over the water

Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982 over the Falklands Islands, which are called the Malvinas in Argentina.

A spokesman for the British Navy said: 'Following a request from the Argentine government, HMS Protector has been deployed to join the search and rescue effort for the ARA San Juan.'

The US Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California, to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine.

NASA also sent its Lockheed P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft.

President Mauricio Macri said in a tweet that the country will use 'all resources national and international that are necessary to find the submarine'.

Relatives of the crew members gathered at the Mar del Plata Naval Base in the hopes of hearing news about their loved ones.

'We feel anguish. We are reserved but will not lose our hope that they will return,' Marcela Moyano, wife of machinist Hernan Rodriguez, told television network TN.

'We're very worried, we have little news, we're waiting for communication,' said Eduardo Krawczyk, weapons officer Ms Krawczyk,the only woman on board the German-built submarine.

From the Vatican, Argentine Pope Francis said he was making 'fervent prayers' for the crew.

Krawczyk, 35, is one of the crew on board the vessel which went missing last week

The missing submarine was sailing from Ushuaia to Mar Del Plata when it vanished

The TR-1700 class diesel electric submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia near the southernmost tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, around 240 miles south of Buenos Aires.

The San Juan is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

The 213-foot long submarine was built in 1983 by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke. However, it underwent a seven-year refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its life by a further 30 years.

The navy believes the submarine, which left Ushuaia en route to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province, had communication difficulties that may have been caused by an electrical outage, Balbi said.

Navy protocol would call for the submarine to come to the surface once communication was lost.

He said: 'We expect that it is on the surface.'

The German-built submarine, which uses diesel-electric propulsion, was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet, according to the navy.
Shane Anthony Vernon, 27, broke free from Coosa County Prison in Rockford, south-east of Birmingham, on Sunday at about 2.30pm

An Alabama inmate has managed to escape prison for the second time in less than one month.

Shane Anthony Vernon, 27, broke free from Coosa County Prison in Rockford, south-east of Birmingham, on Sunday at about 2.30pm.

Sheriff Terry Wilson said Vernon had 'physically circumvented the security of the jail' when he made his latest prison escape.

Vernon, who authorities warn is armed and dangerous, was last seen in a wooded area of Elmore County, close to the Coosa County line.

Authorities believe Vernon stole an electric dirt bike in Elmore County to make his escape.

Vernon had previously escaped the prison back on October 29 when he was being booked into the county jail.

He forcibly removed his restraints and ran away from the prison.

Authorities say he was recaptured nearby the following day.

Vernon was being held on multiple felony charges, which according to online jail records, include burglary and auto theft.

He is described as a white male, 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds.

He also has several identifying tattoos on his body, including 'ride or die' on his right fist, a Chinese symbol on his neck and the word 'county' on his left shoulder blade.
This is the moment masked yobs on a quad bike hurled rocks at a team of hunt saboteurs smashing their windscreen.

The dashcam clip shows the three thugs riding on a single bike towards a van being driven by West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs.

Two rocks collide with the saboteurs' windscreen before the balaclava-clad men speed off from the scene in North Yorkshire.

Masked yobs threw bricks at the windscreen of a vehicle driven by hunt saboteurs

Police are investigating the attack which happened on Saturday at around 1pm while the saboteurs were protesting against the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt.

A spokesperson for the saboteurs group said: 'They were violently attacked. Two rocks were thrown at the windscreen of our moving van by masked thugs driving a quad bike at speed.

'Our van driver and front seat passenger were very, very lucky to escape without serious injury and police are currently investigating the horrific attack.'

The group alleged the rocks were thrown by people linked to the hunt although their identity has not been established.

The video emerged on the same day as footage of a huntswoman whipping a saboteurs during an event by the East Sussex & Romney Marsh Hunt Club.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association branded the attack 'the height of stupidity'.

Nobody was injured in the incident, although the group's vehicle was badly damaged

The saboteurs posted this pictured of the rocks which were thrown at the van online

He said: 'It's down to luck and exceptional driving that someone wasn't seriously injured as a result of this attack.

'Throwing rocks at a moving vehicle is the height of stupidity and we formally ask both North Yorkshire Police and the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt what they plan to do about this incident.

'They can be assured that such violence doesn't deter us, rather it makes us more determined, and both these hunts can look forward to increased scrutiny from hunt saboteurs in the weeks to come.'

A police spokesman said: 'North Yorkshire Police is investigating this criminal damage incident which happened in the Church Fenton/Biggin area at around 12.45pm on Saturday 18 November 2017. '

The hunt has been contacted for comment.
A French sheepdog that rose to fame for being the fastest dog on a scooter has been diagnosed with cancer.

Norman was was diagnosed with lymphoma in June and has been battling the disease ever since.

The seven-year-old pooch that rose to fame after appearing on David Letterman in 2011 and has two Guinness World Records has gone through chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant thanks to a flood of donations.

His loving family stepped up and established a GoFundMe in a bid to save his life.

Supporters raised have over $20,000 to help save the pup's life as of Monday morning, but funds are still needed.

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Norman the Scooter Dog, who first rose to fame in 2011 when he appeared on David Letterman, was diagnosed with stage IV lymphoma

He had a bone marrow transplant in September and still needs daily platelet transfusions

Just this month, an animal cancer charity called the Perseus Foundation has agreed to match donations up to $10,000 for Norman's care.

The two-time Guinness World Record holder can ride both scooters and bicycles without the assistance of a human friend.

'Norman has often been likened to a man in a dog suit because of his goofy personality and heartwarming charm.

'He truly is a unique dog that is loved by his community and by many around the world,' the page reads.

Lymphoma is usually terminal for dogs, but Norman's family created a GoFundMe to pay for the expensive treatments

Norman has been at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital since September Dr. John Chretin (pictured) has the best success rate for bone marrow transplants in dogs

The standard treatment for lymphoma in dogs is chemotherapy, which can prolong life expectancy from six months to as much as 24 months.

Without any treatment, lymphoma can kill a dog in as quickly as two weeks.

Since Norman is only seven years old, his family wasn't ready to give up on him yet.

'Norman has so many more years of joy to give. This dog loves life and lives to make others happy. It is hard to imagine not doing everything humanly possible to save his life,' his page reads.

The pup holds two Guinness World Records as the fasted dog on a scooter. He can also ride a bike

The pup has begun producing some of his own platelets, and the transfusions have been reduced from two bags a day to one

Norman went through several rounds of chemotherapy to get him into remission before he would travel to California from Canton, Georgia, for a bone marrow transplant that cost his family about $25,000.

He has been at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital since September 26. He had his bone marrow transplant on September 28, and still needs daily platelet transfusions. It costs about $2,000 each day.

The pup has begun producing some of his own platelets, and the transfusions have been reduced from two bags a day to one.
A New York City college is encouraging police officers to use one specific campus bathroom that is allegedly in sore need of repair.

And a student at Brooklyn College, part of the public City University of New York system, is even drafting a petition to ban police officers from the campus, which is in the neighborhoods of Midwood and Flatbush.

Donald Wenz, the school's public safety director, told student newspaper The Excelsior that the college wants police officers to use the bathroom in the campus's West End Building 'rather than walking across either quad to use the bathroom'.

Brooklyn College has officially stated that it prefers for police officers to use one specific bathroom on its campus. Pictured is the campus, which is located in the Midwood and Flatbush neighborhoods

Meanwhile, a student is drafting a petition that would seek to ban police officers from campus entirely. The school said in a statement that it offers public servants the right to use their facilities 'as a courtesy'

An investigation by the New York Post found that said bathroom has an 'out of order' toilet and lacked both soap and paper towels.

A student told the Post: 'You can only wash your hands in one of the sinks because the other two are broken.'

The news comes as an unidentified student is drafting a petition, to be delivered to the university's president, to ban police officers from campus entirely.

The student told the Excelsior that they want the university's president to make a statement that declares: 'We do not want the NYPD on campus in any respect even if its just to take breaks and use bathroom.'

The school prefers for police officers to use the bathroom in the school's West End Building (Number 8 in this campus map). An investigation by the New York Post found that the building's bathroom was in sore need of repair

Donald Wenz, the school's public safety director, said that police officers using the bathroom in WEB is preferable to having them 'walking across either quad to use the bathroom'

Multiple students told both their campus newspaper and the Post of how people feel 'triggered' by the presence of police officers on campus.

A college spokesperson told the Post that it offers public servants the right to use their facilities 'as a courtesy'.

Tensions between police officers and students at the school reached a breaking point two years ago, after it emerged that an undercover police officer had been surveilling Muslim students in an effort to try to find Islamic terrorists.

The woman, who went by the name of Mel, short for Melike, spent four years earning the trust of Islamic students at the college as part of an NYPD operation to spy on Muslims.

A documentary about the police operation, 'Watched,' has been screening on campus this semester.
A nine-year-old Maine boy with cancer has died after his wish for a Christmas celebration was fulfilled.

Jacob Thompson's family used social media Monday to announce that he died Sunday at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

His family thanked those who sent Christmas cards and prayers, saying it gave joy to Jacob and optimism to his family.

An update to his GoFundMe on Monday read: 'It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jacobs passing with you. At just 9 years old, Jacob passed away after his a 4 year battle with neuroblastoma. We hope that Jacobs story and the enormous outpouring of support from around the world will have a lasting impact on raising awareness for this disease. We hope that donations will be made, and a cure will be discovered as a result.

Jacob Thompson, the nine-year-old boy whose last wish was for Christmas cards, has lost his battle with cancer

Jacob ended up receiving cards from all over the world as people responded to his request

Countless sacks of mail would arrive for the the little boy who wanted to celebrate xmas early

Jacob is pictured opening a present at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland. He died, Sunday, after a four-year-battle with neuroblastoma.

After asking for Christmas cards to celebrate the holidays early, Jacob received tens of thousands of cards and gifts from across the country and around the world

The cards were all handmade as people took their time time to create something special

In October, he was admitted to Maine Medical Center. Doctors there said he only had a month to live, so his family wanted to help him celebrate one final Christmas

'Each and every person who sent Jacob a Christmas card, a gift, a Facebook message or video, or a prayer made a difference in the final days of his life. You brought Jacob joy, and you brought us all optimism for the future. Thank you for taking the time, and taking an interest in our sweet boys journey. Sadly, there are many others like him that we hope you will continue to help.'

The family paid tribute to the people and organizations that helped them including the staff at the Barbara Bush Childrens Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Jacob was diagnosed at the age of five with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that starts in the nerve cells and generally affects infants and young children.

Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that most commonly affects children ages five or younger, and it accounts for 7 out of 10 childhood cancers.

Jacob's family, including his mom, pictured right, say they have been overwhelmed by the support and love they have felt by strangers they will likely never meet

Jacob is pictured with his grandparents, John, and Memere T. His family had asked for homemade Christmas cards to be sent to him as a means to help him celebrate Christmas early

He is pictured reading a homemade Christmas card. His family wrote on his GoFundMe page: 'We want to send out a huge thank you for all the love and support. We will be paying this forward and giving back to the childrens cancer community'

The boy was able to celebrate the holidays in his hospital bed as he received cards and gifts

Every year, 800 children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the United States alone.

After being admitted to hospital in October, the family knew his time was short and help an early Christmas celebration at the start of November.

The family decorated his hospital room with a Christmas tree, lights and fake snow.

People were touched by the story. Cards poured in from around the world.

Jacob was inundated with cards and presents, the latter of which will be shared with fellow children at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.

In Jacob's last days, the family urged people to send cards to servicemen and women as Jacob still had 21 pallets of mail to sift through

Jacob was a huge fan of penguins. The family have asked people to make donations in Jacob's honor to Operation Gratitude, to a penguin rescue group, or to simply pay it forward

'It's been surreal really,' his mother, Michelle Thompson Simard, told WCSH 6 at the start of November. 'There has been a huge outpouring of support, prayers and love.'

The little boy also loved penguins. His family urged people to make a donation to a penguin rescue group, Operation Gratitude 'or pay it forward in your community.'

Jacob's family say they have been overwhelmed by the support and love they have felt by fellow Mainers, and strangers they will likely never meet.

In Jacob's last days, the family urged people to send cards to servicemen and women as Jacob still had 21 pallets of mail to sift through.
Three men who launched a gun, machete and knife attack on a reveller outside a Leeds nightclub have been jailed for a total of 52 years.

Shocking footage shows the victim, a 42-year-old man, being set upon outside the Nite Trax club, in Chapeltown Road shortly before 1am on August 29, last year, while the area was busy with people celebrating the Leeds West Indian Carnival weekend.

The victim received a gunshot wound to the chest after a sawn-off shotgun was fired at him from just a few feet away. He also received knife wounds and had to undergo surgery.

Shaquille Liddie, 24, from Leeds, was identified as the gunman and pleaded guilty to attempted murder and possession of a firearm. He was jailed for 14 years

Kemar Ricketts (left), aged 29, and Seion Allen (right), aged 33, both from Leeds, were found guilty of attempted murder following a trial last week. Both were sentenced to 19 years in prison

Three men were arrested and charged with attempted murder after police made CCTV appeals to the public.

Shaquille Liddie, 24, from Leeds, was identified as the gunman and pleaded guilty to attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was jailed for 14 years at Leeds Crown Court today.

Kemar Ricketts, aged 29, and Seion Allen, aged 33, both from Leeds, were found guilty of attempted murder following a trial last week. Both were sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Griffiths, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: 'This was an absolutely appallingly violent attack and it is only by sheer chance that the victim was not killed.

Shocking footage shows the victim, a 42-year-old man, being set upon in a gun, machete and knife attack outside the Nite Trax club, in Chapeltown Road, Leeds

The victim received a gunshot wound to the chest after a sawn-off shotgun was fired at him from just a few feet away. He also received knife wounds and had to undergo surgery

'These men armed themselves with a sawn-off shotgun, a machete and a knife and shot the victim at close range in a targeted attack that we have never been able to establish the basis for.

'The whole incident was captured on CCTV and it shows just how busy the area was with people enjoying the evening at the time and the obvious risks there were to others. A woman who was an innocent bystander received slash injuries to her leg during the attack.

'It took a very lengthy and protracted investigation into the circumstances to identify the men responsible and bring them to justice.

'We hope the significant sentences they have received will send a clear deterrent message to others about how seriously offences of this nature will be treated and the heavy penalties that people can expect.

'Guns have absolutely no place in the hands of criminals in our communities and we will continue to do everything we can to tackle firearms crime and protect people from the risks that violent offenders like these present.'
A soldier was killed with a single punch for 'dancing stupidly' in a nightclub, a court heard today.

Jack Mitchell, 24, suffered a bleed on the brain after he was hit by Jake Davies, 29, in the early hours of February 5.

The signaller with 32 Regiment Royal Artillery was on a month's leave with the army and on a night out with friends when he was struck.

Mr Mitchell and Davies argued on the dancefloor at The Warehouse club in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Jack Mitchell (left), 24, suffered a bleed on the brain after he was hit by Jake Davies (right, outside Gloucester Crown Court today), 29, in the early hours of February 5 this year

Prosecutors claim the pair may have fallen out because the victim was 'stupidly dancing' with his friends.

The defendant punched him and Mr Mitchell lost consciousness and despite paramedics being called he died in the club foyer at just after 3am.

Davies denies manslaughter on the grounds of self-defence.

Mr David Scott, prosecuting, said: 'The issue is not who hit Jack. That is clear.

'It was one punch that split an artery, and one punch that killed him. Manslaughter can come in many different forms.

'Jack Mitchell did not appear a threat to this man. Both men had been drinking. Both had been on the dancefloor where they came together.

'It may have been that Jack had been dancing stupidly - what is clear is that him and his friend were just having a good time.

Jack Mitchell, left, dressed in his military uniform with his mother Kate, was on leave when he visited the nightclub with friends

The 24-year-old soldier is pictured with his mother Kate, left, and his younger sister Jasmine

'That dancing caused a standoff but there were no blows and Jack and the defendant parted ways.

'The standoff lasted no more than sixty seconds. A member of the door staff intervened. Jack walked off and got himself a drink.'

He continued: 'The defendant walked around the dancefloor to speak to the doorman in question, Sean Jeffries. Then he walked back towards Jack.

'Within a second of confronting him he had punched Jack. He fell to the ground, lost consciousness and never regained it.'

Mr Mitchell's friend Julie Bassett, who saw the confrontation, broke down on the witness stand as she described the moments leading up to his death.

Jack was more like a teddy bear. He was the type of person who would look after anyone no matter what. Julie Bassett

Ms Bassett said: 'He'd been away, so he was happy to see his friends again.

'Jack was more like a teddy bear.

'He was the type of person who would look after anyone no matter what. Even on the rugby pitch he wouldn't have hurt a fly.

'We were just dancing, just doing silly dancing and exaggerated movements.

'It was just one of those things where you are having a laugh on the dancefloor. It was nothing at all. We were just dancing.'

Ms Bassett said she then heard Mr Davies who was next to them in the crowd say to Jack: 'What the f*** you doing?'

She said that Jack appeared to be stepping back and that Mr Davies chest was 'sticking out'.

Shaun Jefferies, the bouncer who intervened, told the court that 'both men were facing each other in a sort of fight mode'.

He added: 'Once I saw a commotion on the dance floor and I got through the crowd I saw Jake towering over him.'

Mr Mitchell was knocked unconcious from the blow to his head and never came round, dying in the foyer of The Warehouse Nightclub in Stroud, Gloucestershire

When paramedics arrived at the club, they found Mr Mitchell had no pulse and began to administer CPR.

They inserted tubes into his airways and gave him seven shots of adrenaline but he was pronounced dead at 3.06am.

An autopsy revealed extensive blood on the brain from a half centimetre arterial haemorrhage.

There was also a small abrasion to the right of the nose, a small split to his lip and an abrasion to his right ear - injuries consistent with a blow to the face, it was said.

Mr Mitchell had spent the afternoon watching the Six Nations with friends at Stroud Rugby Club in Gloucestershire, the court heard.

Later he joined his father for drinks at various pubs and at one point was in the same boozer as Davies who later hit him.

The jury was shown photos taken of Mr Mitchell the night of his death in which he is seen posing and smiling with his friend.

The court heard how Davies told police he had only drunk four or five pints that evening.

But the prosecution said they doubted this given he had begun his evening at just before 6pm.

Mr Mitchell had been a signaller within his regiment while on duty in Cyprus, providing communication for troops and operated the radio in the field.

The case continues.
Tory policy chief George Freeman said he had resigned as No10 policy chief

Tory MP George Freeman announced today that he had quit as the PM's policy chief after complaining about party's 'nostalgia' and 'lazy privilege'.

The MP said he was stepping down as chair of the PM's No10 policy board so he could be a 'strong voice' for the party.

But confusingly Downing Street sources claimed the job had not even existed since June.

The news comes just days after it emerged he had launched an extraordinary attack on his own side in a private letter to the Prime Minister in September.

In a bog on the ConservativeHome website today, Mr Freeman called for an 'organisational and cultural modernisation of conservatism for the twenty-first century'.

He said the party needed to 'reach out' to people who had become 'disillusioned', warning that otherwise the party would end up 'simply talking to ourselves'.

'Its why Ive stood down as Chair of the Prime Ministers Policy Board in Number Ten, to focus on my role as Chair of the Conservative Policy Forum,' he wrote.

'We need a strong Conservative forum and voice  outside of, but heard inside, Government.'

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said the resignation spoke 'volumes on the current state of the Tories in Government'.

But Downing Street sources said the No10 policy board had not be reconstituted since the election in June - suggesting Mr Freeman did not have a job to resign from.

Mr Freeman himself said tonight that he had agreed with Downing Street last week that he would 'wind up' the policy board.

'I agreed with No10 in July to review the role of the Policy Board after Conference, and last week we agreed to wind up the Board in No10 and focus on my work as Chair of @ConservativePF on Party Renewal,' he said.

It is not clear why the government did not challenge his use of the job title in more recent public interventions.

The letter from Mr Freeman that emerged last week warned Mrs May to make clear she had learned the lessons of the snap election in June.

Within weeks of it being received in September the Tory leader attempted to use her disastrous party conference to promote domestic policies including a cap on household energy bills.

The push was swamped by Brexit after Mrs May coughed and spluttered through her main speech memorable only for a stage invasion and collapsing set.

In his letter to the PM, Mr Freeman said: 'We are now in a new battle of ideas which is reshaping 21st century politics.

'We need to move fast to show that the Conservative Party has learnt the lessons of the last election and is serious about intellectual, organisational and cultural renewal.

'If we allow ourselves to be defined as a narrow party of nostalgia, hard Brexit, public sector austerity and lazy privilege we risk alienating ourselves from an entire new generation of voters.'

Downing Street sources said Theresa May (pictured on a visit in Birmingham today) had not reconstituted the policy board since the general election in June

Mr Freeman insisted he had agreed with Downing Street last week that he would 'wind up' the policy board

Asked whether Mrs May shared his concern about how the Conservatives might be seen, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'No.

'As seen yesterday in the housing announcement, the Government has a broad and ambitious programme domestically and internationally, delivering on important issues like housing.'

In a controversial speech last week, Mr Freeman said young people could desert Britain and Brexit may be 'the moment we finally failed as a great nation and became a second or third tier nation'.

Mr Freeman gave the chilling warning as he urged the country to rise to the challenge and become a leader in new technologies.

But his gloomy words are likely to spark anger among his Brexiteer colleagues who have said Britain is in line for a huge economic boost if it takes advantage of quitting the bloc.

Warning of a bad scenario which could lie ahead, he told an event hosted by the IPPR think-tank in London that Brexit lead to Britain's decline.
A Texas woman with a 'F**k Trump' sticker plastered on her pickup truck has now added another expletive-filled message in honor of the sheriff who threatened her with disorderly conduct charges.

Karen Fonseca, who was arrested last week on an outstanding fraud warrant, had been seen in the Houston area driving a pickup truck displaying an expletive-laden message opposing President Trump and his supporters.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls had initially put out an appeal on social media to track down Fonseca and threatened to issue her a citation for disorderly conduct over the sticker.

He posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook on Wednesday alongside a request to speak with the driver. Nehls in his post said that a county prosecutor told him the message could warrant a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

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Karen Fonseca, 46, added the 'F**k Troy Nehls' sticker (above) to her truck in honor of the sheriff who last week threatened her with charges for the 'F**k Trump' message on her pickup

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls had put out an appeal on social media to track down Fonseca and threatened to issue her a citation for disorderly conduct

The sheriff later backed down after District Attorney John Healey said he didn't think it would have been a prosecutable case.

The following day, Fonseca was taken into custody on an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August by the Rosenberg Police Department. She remained in the county jail Thursday night with bond set at $1,500.

Following her release from prison, Fonseca posted a photo on Facebook on Sunday of the new message on her truck.

It now reads: 'F**k Trump and f**k you for voting for him. F**k Troy Nehls and f**k you for voting for him.'

Fonseca said the message has been on the rear window of her pickup for nearly a year and it would remain there for the time-being.

At a press conference with her attorneys on Monday, Fonseca said she was simply exercising her freedom of speech rights.

'No matter what race, religion, or belief you may have, we are all equal. Not any one of us is any better than anyone else. Everyone's voice should be heard. And I'm just one person,' she said.

'What are we teaching our next generation of presidents to be? If you can say 'grab those women by the p***y'. (Trump) says it and nobody deletes it.'

Fonseca and her lawyers held a press conference on Monday morning saying she feels everyone is entitled to free speech

Nehls posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook last week alongside a request to speak with the driver. He later back down on his threat of charges against Fonseca

"I feel we're all entitled to our freedom of speech. We should stand together and always stand behind what you believe. And that is what it takes to make a change happen," Karen Fonseca, owner of anti-Trump truck, says pic.twitter.com/UJabwEq843  CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2017

'I feel we're all entitled to our freedom of speech. We should stand together and always stand behind what you believe. And that is what it takes to make a change happen,' she added.

Her lawyers say they are considering filing civil rights lawsuit against the sheriff.

Fonseca was arrested on Thursday over an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August. She added the 'F**k Nehls' sticker over the weekend after being released

At a news conference after his Facebook post appealing for information about the owner of the truck, Nehls said he supported freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace he had pledged to keep.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, which covers the county just southwest of Houston, said Nehls' post was removed once the pickup driver was identified.

Nehls had also been receiving hate messages toward his wife and children, according to the sheriff's office.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonseca's message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization.

The ACLU noted a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War.
Richard Avedon and Mike Nichols were ready to run off to Paris while in the throes of their decade-long affair claims a new biography about the legendary photographer.

Norma Stevens writes in 'Avedon: Something Personal' that the esteemed lens man confided in her about his relationship with the EGOT-winning director while she was working as the head of his studio.

'We had so much going for us . . . We were made for each other,' Avedon told Stevens according to the book, which was co-authored by Steven M. L. Aronson.

'At one point, we even thought about running away together. Eloping, we called it  leaving our wives and our lives and moving to Gay Paree.'

The early copy of the salacious biography, which hits bookshelves this week, was obtained by Page Six.

Avedon had asked that his sexuality be made public after his death claims Stevens in the book.

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Lovers on the bridge: A new book set for release on Tuesday claims that Richard Avedon (left in 19960) and Mike Nichols (right in 1961) almost eloped to Paris while having an affair

Closer: 'Eloping, we called it  leaving our wives and our lives and moving to Gay Paree,' Avedon said to his business partner (John Richardson speaks with Dianne Sawyer while Avedon and Nichols talk in the background)

Best of buds: The two were friends for 50 years, but the 'secret' relationship lasted for just a decade according to author Norma Stevens (pair above at an event honoring Avedon in 1993)

Meet and greet: 'We had so much going for us . . . We were made for each other,' Avedon told Stevens of the pair's alleged affair she writes in the book (Nichols and Avedon in 1999 above)

Avedon also explained to Stevens that he had the chance to introduce Nichols to the City of Lights back in 1972 when he shot the then-comedian and his girlfriend, model Suzy Parker, for Harper's Bazaar according to the book.

In the end however, the two were not able to leave their lives behind to pursue their relationship writes Stevens.

'We chickened out but we were together for years, till Mike met someone else,' Avedon allegedly told Stevens.

That split was not the end however, as Stevens later writes that Avedson said: 'Later on we started things up again  there were sparks, but no fire. But weve stayed best friends.'

He then added: 'And well always have Paris.'

Nichols went on to marry four times, and had been wed to ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer for 26 years at the time of his death in 2014.

Avedon married second wife Evelyn Franklin in 1951 and the two were together until her death in March 2004. Seven months later Avedon passed away.

The years of the pair's alleged affair is not revealed however in the book.

Nichols spoke about the first time he worked with Avedon in an interview with Harper's Bazaar just before his death.

'Dick was a friend of mine, and he called up and asked if I'd like to do this gag on Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra,' said Nichols of the photo shoot he did with Parker for the magazine.

'I said, "Sure, why not?" I'd made fun of a lot of people at that point; it seemed like a great idea.'

The photos were meant to tell the story of a couple who fell in love on the set of their film Josephine and Napoleon and were now running through Paris trying to escape the paparazzi.

'Dick had a genius for making it all really happen, so all you had to do was react,' explained Nichols.

Avedon was married twice (book above)

'Dick got the paparazzi all riled up; he got me all riled up. He was a director, really, and like all great directors, he knew how to bring an entire world to life.'

Nichols said that in the end he was 'amazed by the photos his friend was able to capture, noting: 'Every moment said something.'

He then added: 'Dick saw things other people didn't see.'

Avedon meanwhile was on hand in 1999 when Nichols was honored at Lincoln Center in New York City for his body of work.

In his 2016 book Focus: The Secret, Sexy, Sometimes Sordid World of Fashion Photographers, Michael Gross revealed that Avedonw as bisexual.

The son of Avedon's first wife Dorcas Nowell bsaid his mother told him that the photographer was a homosexual.

Avedon did have a son Christopher with his second wife.

In that same book a former assistant also said that Avedon had relationships with men, naming famed writer James Baldwin as one of his paramours.

Lovely ladies: Nichols said Sawyer was his great love (pair on left in 2008) while Avedon was often photographed with his beautiful subjects (on right with Audrey Hepburn in 1989)

Original duo: Nichols and his original comedy partner Elaine May (above in 1958) briefly dated before his first marriage

Long list: Nichols was linked to the likes of Carrie Fisher (left imn 1978), Candace Bergen (right), and Gloria Steinham

First lady love: Nichols was twice linked to Jackie Kennedy (above in 1983)

He started off in the world of comedy as part of the famed duo Nichols and May, and once the pair split began acting in regional theater productions.

Then, in 1963 he took on the task of directing the Broadway play 'Barefoot in the Park' starring Robert reford and won the first of his nine Tony Awards.

He moved to the silver screen three years later, directing Hollywood's most famous couple Elizabeth taylor and Richard Burton in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?'

Nichols was nominated for his first of five Academy Awards for his work on that movie, and won the Best Director prize the following year with the release of 'The Graduate.'

That film would eventually define the decade, and launched Nichols to the top of the Hollywood heap.

Soon, his love life was receiving as much attention as his pictures.

He was married to his first wife Patricia Scott for three years from 1957 to 1960; wed second wife Margot Calls in 1963 before divorcing and 1974; and walked down the aisle with the third Mrs. Nichols, Annabell David-Goff in 1975 before splitting in 1986.

In between he was linked to the likes of Carrie Fisher, Candace Bergen, Gloria Steinham and Jackie Kennedy - both before and after her second marriage to Aristotle Onasis.

It was an impressive list for the man who at the age of four lost his hair after being inoculated for whopping cough and wore wigs for the rest of his life.

He also dated May briefly but it was Sawyer he said was the love of his life.

My ultimate happiness began in 1988 when I married Diane. She is the perfect wife,' said Nichols before his death.
Orhan Yigit, 44, from Castleford in West Yorkshire, is accused of forcing himself on one of his victims on three separate occasions

A Police Community Support Officer allegedly abused his position to sexually assault and rape of domestic violence victim.

Orhan Yigit, 44, from Castleford in West Yorkshire, is accused of forcing himself on one of his victims on three separate occasions.

Yigit, known as 'Pedro' to his victims, had befriended the husband of one of them and would visit in full uniform on his police bike - often when her husband was out.

A court was told how Yigit became aware she was being beaten by her husband and blackmailed by offering to get her 'into a nice refuge' in exchange sexual favours.

On one occasion he 'forced his tongue down her throat' for 60-90 seconds while on another he stripped naked and appeared in her living room.

Ian Brooke, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court how one day between September and December 2016, Yigit appeared at her house under the pretence of surveilling drug activity at a neighbour's house.

He said: 'She asked him if he had done anything about the drug dealing and he said he would go upstairs to have a look out of the window.

'He then asked if he could go into the bedroom to get a better view.

'Once in there he turned around and said, "do me favours and I'll do you a favour".

'He knew how desperate she was to get out of her situation.

'She asked him what he meant and he told her he was on his lunch hour so could not do a lot but they could meet elsewhere and for everything she did he would make she get into a nice refuge.

'She was low and desperate. He pushed her gently towards the bed.'

Mr Brooke said Yigit asked the woman to perform a sex act on him.

Yigit denies two counts of sexual assault, one count of rape and one of misconduct in public office between September 2015 and April 2016

He said: 'He stood with his trousers around his ankles and took her jumper off.

'He saw the bruises on her chest and arms and said "how desperate are you to get out?"

The woman is said to have performed the sex act on Yigit.

The court was also told how Yigit made sexual advances on another woman while investigating the theft of her van.

He slipped his hands under her bra straps and rubbed her shoulders when she became upset about the theft.

Yigit denies two counts of sexual assault, one count of rape and one of misconduct in public office between September 2015 and April 2016.

The trial continues.
Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster have hit a record high after the beast was spotted for a ninth time this year.

Diana Turner, from Michigan in the US, was watching a live stream of the loch, which scans the water near Urquhart Castle - purportedly a favourite haunt of Nessie.

Several recent sightings had already been made at the same spot in the afternoon she spotted a strange 'wake movement' on the water.

Gary Campbell, the recorder and keeper of the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, said: 'The sighting lasted about two minutes and other than a boat in the distance, she saw no other traffic on the loch.

The image capture by Diana Turner who claims to have spotted the mythical beast while viewing Loch Ness through a webcam from the US

'She saw a wake and it does not appear to be that of a boat.'

'She made the recording on September 29, but has only notified us of it now.

'But we have accepted it and it means the number of sightings [this year] is the most we have had this century.'

It comes after genetics expert Dr Jo Knight, a lecturer at Lancaster University, was staggered to see an unexplained strange 'fin' shape when looking through her and nine-year-old son Sam's holiday snaps.

In June a Canadian woman also took two videos from the Loch Ness Webcam while watching the water from more than 5,000 miles away.

Genetics expert Dr Jo Knight, a lecturer at Lancaster University, was staggered to see an unexplained strange 'fin' shape when looking through her and nine-year-old son Sam's holiday snaps

Mr Campbell said two of last year's sightings were also by webcam, including one from an online watcher in America.

'It means that there are more people than ever before are looking for Nessie,' said Mr Campbell.

'In recent years the most sightings in a year we have had is 17 - and that was in 1996. Before that the 1960s and 1930s were the times that had most sightings - sometimes more that 20 in a year.'

Previously newly wed Rebecca Stewart was touring with husband Paul on October 2 when she became the seventh person to spot Nessie this year.

Dr Jo Knight was staggered to see an unexplained strange "fin" shape when looking through her and son Sam's holiday snaps

Mrs Stewart from Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, photographed and saw a large fin shape for five minutes. Her husband also saw the creature which gatecrashed their honeymoon.

Mr Campbell said 2017 was a 'fantastic' year for Nessie sightings.

'This year is turning out to be a vintage one for Nessie and we have a few more weeks left for any more sightings.'

Sam Knight, with his grandfather Steve, after the youngster and his mother say they spotted the Loch Ness Monster

After fears that the world's most famous monster had gone 'missing,' the first official sighting of Nessie this year was logged on April 28 - to the relief of her worldwide fans. The last previous sighting was August 21, 2016.

Mr Campbell stressed that the majority of claimed sightings do not get included on the register - as most can be explained.

'Anything that is later proved to a hoax or can be subsequently explained is removed from the register,' said Mr Campbell, 51, a chartered accountant from Inverness.

It was in 1996, Mr Campbell saw something resembling a 'mini whale' - with a black shiny back - at the south end of the loch.

'I have spent the last 21 years trying to explain it,' admitted Mr Campbell.. 'Like most sightings I only saw it for a few seconds. When I went to record it, I found there was no register, so I started one, the following May.'

Since then Mr Campbell has logged over 1080 sightings.

According to Google, there are around 200,000 searches each month for the Loch Ness Monster, and around 120,000 for information and accommodation close to Loch Ness. The monster mystery is said to be worth 30m to the region.

Irish missionary St Columba is first said to have encountered a beast in the River Ness in 565AD.

Gary Campbell, the recorder and keeper of the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, said 2017 has been a 'fantastic' year for sightings

Among the most famous claimed sightings is a photograph taken in 1934 by Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson.

The image was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, who, on his deathbed, revealed that the pictures were staged.

The Home Office recently rejected a cheeky bid by a group of artists from Glasgow to grant the Loch Ness Monster permanent UK residency after Brexit.

And a scientist has revealed his plans to DNA test the waters of Loch Ness in another bid to determine once and for all if Nessie exists.

Professor Neil Gemmell will look for traces of unusual DNA by gathering water samples from the Scottish loch before analysing them using police forensic techniques.

Professor Gemmell, of New Zealand's University of Otago, thinks this could solve the monster mystery.
Authorities were searching Texas' Big Bend area for suspects and witnesses Monday after US Customs and Border Protection agent Rogelio Martinez was allegedly beaten to death with a rock while on patrol.

According to officials, Martinez, 36, and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area on Sunday, when both suffered serious injuries.

Responding agents provided immediate medical care and transported both agents to a local hospital, where Martinez later died from his wounds.

US Customs and Border Protection agent Rogelio Martinez (left and right) lost his life in a suspected rock-throwing ambush on US-Mexico border in Texas

His partner, who has not been named, remains in the local hospital in serious condition.

Martinez had been a border agent since August 2013 and was from El Paso. According to social media posts, he is survived by his fiancee.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them, but a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM the assailants were 'undocumented immigrants' who used likely used rocks to beat the agents.

'We strongly believe rocks were what was used,' NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told the station.

The FBI has taken over the investigation into the fatal incident near the US-Mexico border. An agency official from the El Paso office confirmed that Martinez and his partner 'were not fired upon.'

On Sunday, President Donald Trump seized upon the news of the ambush to push his controversial Mexico wall plans.

Heartbreak: Martinez's fiancee shared this image of the couple on her Facebook page

'Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!' Trump said in a tweet.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, also publicly commented on the deadly incident that resulted in Martinez's death, characterizing it as an attack.

Cruz said in a statement the nation is grateful 'for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents.'

He also said that what happened on Sunday is a 'stark reminder' that an 'unsecured border' poses a threat to the safety of the communities and border agents tasked with protecting them.

Governor Abbott tweeted in a similar vain: 'Our prayers are with the families of this Border Patrol Agent who was killed & the other who was injured in this attack in Texas,' he wrote. 'Our resources must be increased to prevent these attacks in the future.'

President Donald Trump pushed his Mexico wall plans after one border agent was killed and another injured while on patrol in Texas on Sunday

Authorities said Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity while on patrol near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area when they were both injured. Trump tweeted this statement following the incident

'Our thoughts and prayers are with Agent Martinez and his family, and with the agent who was injured,' officials from the US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 per cent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.

The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the US from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents.

It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.


A Florida church has said that signs warning that the property is not a gun-free zone helps protect the congregation from attacks.

The River at Tampa Bay Church, in east Tampa, Florida, has a sign on every door of the building warning people that the congregation is 'heavily armed'.

'Please know this is not a gun free zone - we are heavily armed - any attempted will be dealt with deadly force - yes we are a church as we will protect our people,' pastors from the non-denominational church say on the signs.

The church has had the signs up for a year, but well-known senior pastor Rodney Howard-Browne reminded his followers about them days after the Sutherland Springs, Texas, massacre earlier this month.

The River at Tampa Bay Church, in east Tampa, Florida, has a sign on every door of the building warning people that the congregation is 'heavily armed'

'He made it very well known on social media and here at the ministry, if you're going to come here to look to do harm, you're going to be met with force,' Associate Pastor Allen Hawes told ABC.

Services at the church, which seats more than 1,000, are broadcast live.

Its head pastor is evangelical Dr Howard-Browne, a South African-born US citizen who first came to the United States as a missionary in 1987

His teachings on the concept of 'holy laughter' - an outpouring of joy caused by the Holy Spirit - helped to inspire the Toronto Blessing, which many believe to be an instance of mass blessing which took place in 1994.

The church has had the signs up for a year, but well-known senior pastor Rodney Howard-Browne reminded his followers about them days after the Sutherland Springs, Texas, massacre earlier this month

But the church wants to make its stance on guns known worldwide after a gunman killed 26 people during services at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

'If you think you are going to come here and do that, this is a deterrent for you because it is everywhere, it's not like we hide these signs. They're big signs, and it's going to tell these people, we will protect our people,' Pastor Hawes told Fox 13.

Those who are armed during services include parishioners with concealed-carry permits, uniformed deputies and private plainclothes officers.

'I believe, if you look at the teachings of Jesus, Matthew, and different places in the scriptures, we see it will get increasingly darker - wars, rumors of wars, and people with not good intentions are going to look for a way to make a statement,' Hawes added.

The non-denominational church has 24-hour-a-day security at the 83-acre property.
A white former police officer in Oklahoma has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fatal off-duty shooting of his daughter's black boyfriend.

Former Tulsa officer Shannon Kepler was convicted last month of first-degree manslaughter in the 2014 slaying of 19-year-old Jeremey Lake.

His sentencing comes after four trials spanning nearly a year, including three that resulted in hung juries.

Tulsa County District Court Judge Sharon Holmes also issued Kepler with a $15,000 fine during his sentencing on Monday.

Former Tulsa officer Shannon Kepler (above in June) was sentenced on Monday to 15 years in prison for the fatal 2014 off-duty shooting of his daughter's black boyfriend

Kepler's lawyers said the 24-year police veteran was trying to protect his daughter because she had run away from home and was living in a crime-ridden neighborhood.

The officer, who retired from the force after he was charged, told investigators that Lake was armed and that he shot him in self-defense.

Police never found a weapon on Lake or at the scene, and several neighbors testified that they didn't see a gun either.

Lisa Kepler was 18 years old when she met Lake while he was volunteering at a homeless shelter where she was staying.

She told the court her parents dropped her off at the shelter in July 2014 after she had been sneaking out at night and acting out.

Kepler was an off-duty 24-year-police veteran at the time when he shot 19-year-old Jeremey Lake who was walking with his daughter Lisa Kepler on August 5, 2014

Kepler was convicted last month of first-degree manslaughter in the 2014 slaying of 19-year-old Jeremey Lake

After a few weeks, Lake offered her a place to stay at the home he shared with his aunt, she testified.

Lisa said on the day of the shooting, she and Lake were passing out water bottles to the homeless before walking back to his aunt's home. She testified that she noticed her father's SUV parked out front and that he started asking her questions.

Kepler, who retired from the force after he was charged, told investigators that Lake (above) was armed and that he shot him in self-defense

She told the court her father asked what she was doing in the neighborhood, but she couldn't remember how she responded.

Lake's aunt said her nephew was reaching out to shake Kepler's hand to introduce himself when Kepler fired his weapon.

Kepler killed Lake days before the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, fanned a national debate over the treatment of minorities by law enforcement.

A single black juror was seated for each of Kepler's four trials, and civil rights activists accused Kepler's lawyers of purposely trying to exclude potential black candidates, a charged that they denied.

The first three juries deadlocked 11-1, 10-2 and 6-6, forcing the judge to declare mistrials. Prosecutors said after the drawn-out case finally ended with a conviction last month that it took so long because many citizens are reluctant to send a law enforcement officer to prison.

Oklahoma law sets out a minimum sentence of four years for the charge but has no maximum term, leaving it up to Holmes to decide on the final punishment. Jurors had recommended a 15-year term.
This daring dog is a real-life Mutley - flying along on his owner's motorbike.

Five-year-old Jack Russell Maylo sits proudly on the petrol tank of the Yamaha racing bike every time his owner Emre Gursoy goes out for a ride in Turkey.

From his perch Maylo can see the world flying past and enjoy the air in his ears.

According to Emre, a hotel front office manager in Antalya, Turkey, his dog gets extremely excited at the mere mention of a motorbike ride.

Emre said: 'I got Maylo when he was three months old, and he is now five. I love him so much and he is like a best friend.

'Because of that I take him out on my motorbike every weekend. He is always extremely well behaved.

'He absolutely loves it. He gets excited when I tell him we are going on the bike and even more so when I put him on it.

'He is perfectly safe on there as he is safely strapped and secured.

'We get lots of attention when we are out and about. People always stop us for photos.'

Leader of the pack: Five-year-old Jack Russell Maylo sits proudly on the petrol tank of the Yamaha racing bike every time his owner Emre Gursoy goes out for a ride in Turkey

Helping hand: Maylo helps owner Emre, a hotel front office manager in Antalya, Turkey,to clean the dust off their bike after a ride through the country

Born to be wild: Maylo loves riding on the motorbike and Emre (pictured) says he gets very excitedat the mere mention of a motorbike ride, his owner Emre says
This is the shocking moment a bus driver held his grandson while driving a bus on road in south-west China.

The man claimed he couldn't find anyone to look after the boy and had to bring him to work.

The man was spotted by a local traffic police and received a two-point demerit and a 5.69 fine.

The two-year-old boy can be seen sitting on his grandfather's lap on a bus in southwest China

According to The Paper, Mr Yao was driving the bus in Bijie, Guizhou Province.

His two-year-old grandson was sitting on his lap and touching the steering wheel.

Mr Yao claimed that he decided to take care of the toddler as there were no one at home.

From the footage, he taught his grandson to hit on the honk.

'See there is a car here, tell him to make way for your grandpa. Tell him,' Mr Yao told the little boy.

Mr Yao teaches his grandson to press the honk to let the other car to give way to the bus

However, the honking alerts a traffic policeman that the driver is found dangerously driving

Mr Yao has to contact his wife immediately and sends the children away to home

His grandson then pressed on the honk, but it alerted an on-duty traffic policeman.

Mr Yao was told to contact his wife immediately and sent the children home as carrying a child while driving can be distracting and dangerous.

The policeman reminded the driver should have the responsibility to safeguard all the passengers' lives on board.

Mr Yao received a two point demerit and a 50 yuan (5.69) fine.
The election watchdog has launched a new probe into whether Vote Leave gave 625,000 to activist Darren Grimes to avoid a 7million spending limit in the EU referendum.

Vote Leave - led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove - gave Mr Grimes the money to support his BeLeave campaign in the run-in to the June 23 referendum last year.

The Electoral Commission looked into the case earlier this year and took no action. It said yesterday it had received new information.

The watchdog is already conducting investigations into other parts of the Brexit campaign, including whether Arron Banks funded Leave.EU with Russian money.

Vote Leave - led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove - gave Mr Grimes the money to support his BeLeave campaign in the run-in to the June 23 referendum last year

Fashion student Darren Grimes (pictured on the BBC on referendum night) was registered as an official participant in the referendum while Vote Leave was the lead campaigner for Out

Fashion student Mr Grimes was registered as an official participant in the referendum while Vote Leave was the lead campaigner for Out.

The donation, made as Vote Leave approached its own spending limit of 7million, made Mr Grimes one of the best funded minor campaigns in the referendum.

The Electoral Commission is also looking in a Vote Leave donation to the Veterans for Britain leave campaign.

Giving the money was not itself a breach of spending rules but Vote Leave was not allowed to direct how Mr Grimes or Veterans for Britain spent it.

IT FIRM AGGREGATE IQ AT THE CENTRE OF WATCHDOG PROBE The Electoral Commission has re-launched an investigation into whether Vote Leave directed donations to an obscure Canadian firm called Aggregate IQ. Vote Leave chief Dominic Cummings has credited the data-driven advertising and social media firm's work targeting potential Leave voters online with swinging the referendum. It was set up in 2013 by Zack Massingham, a 34-year-old Canadian former university official turned digital marketing guru. It has 20 staff and works out of a second floor office in a shopping centre in Victoria, a city in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Vote Leave handed cash to activist Darren Grimes and Veterans for Britain as it neared its 7million spending limit ahead of the EU referendum. Both spent the cash they were given with Aggregate IQ. Vote Leave was allowed to give away donations but not to direct how the money should be spent. Grimes and Veterans for Britain insist they chose Aggregate IQ independently. Advertisement

A Buzzfeed investigation last year revealed both Mr Grimes and Veterans for Britain spent the money with an obscure Canadian advertising firm Aggregate IQ. Both said they did so independently.

The Electoral Commission looked into the issue in February and March this year but said it had now received 'new information'.

Bob Posner, the Electoral Commission's Director of Political Finance and Regulation and Legal Counsel, said: 'There is significant public interest in being satisfied that the facts are known about Vote Leave's spending on the campaign, particularly as it was a lead campaigner with a greater spending limit than any other campaigners on the 'leave' side.

'Legitimate questions over the funding provided to campaigners risks causing harm to voters' confidence in the referendum and it is therefore right that we investigate.'

The Electoral Commission wants to know whether Mr Grimes' or Veterans for Britain official spending returns after the referendum were correct.

It will also seek to establish whether Vote Leave's spending return was correct and whether the campaign broke its 7million spending limit.

The Electoral Commission announced earlier this month it was investigating Arron Banks and Leave.EU over whether they received illegal donations.

Mr Banks angrily denied taking Russian money when the probe was announced and claimed the watchdog was not fit for purpose.
A British woman in prison in Iran has been knitting clothes for her daughter to keep her spirits up after becoming 'suicidal' as she approaches 600 days behind bars.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in Tehran in April 2016 as she tried to leave Iran after a visit with her two-year-old daughter. She vehemently denies claims she was plotting against the regime and Britain has called for her release.

An update on her condition states: 'Nazanin has periodically felt suicidal throughout her 20 months, and can be overwhelmed by inescapable thoughts of the imminent death of herself or those closest to her.'

In a bid to keep herself occupied, she has been making a crochet pinafore for her daughter Gabriella, making a pair of slippers and knitting a baby's jumper in case she is freed and can have another child.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in an Iranian jail away from her daughter for nearly 600 days. She denies the fundamentalist state's claims she is a spy

She has now spent more than 18 months away from daughter Gabriella, who is now three. Her husband is campaigning for her release

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison after an Iranian court convicted her of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. She denies the charge.

The row over Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's continued detention was heightened in recent weeks after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrongly claimed she may have been training journalists.

Today she managed to get a message out via her husband and revealed lumps she had found in her chest are not believed to be cancerous.

In the message, she spoke of how Iranian TV has used the ensuing British parliamentary debate to repeat heavily-disputed claims that she was a spy.

From her prison cell, she said: 'It is torture to keep hearing these lies on TV. I get very agitated by all the press attention in Iran. I feel like I dont have the capacity to do this anymore.

'It has been so long they have been pressuring me, and then all this these past two weeks. I do not have the strength.'

Last week, her husband met Boris Johnson, whose comments on the case threatened to lengthen Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's sentence

Mr Ratcliffe, who has been unable to get an Iranian visa, has not seen his wife or their three-year-daughter, who is being cared for by her grandparents, since the ordeal began

She was however given some good news this week after managing to see a doctor, who told her lumps in her chest after not inflaming and are not thought to be cancerous.

But the 38-year-old, who is suffering from PTSD, depression and insomnia after being torn from her child, was denied the chance to see a psychiatrist.

She added: 'People tell me here it is all about politics. But I dont care about the politics. Surely I can be released on humanitarian grounds? There are humanitarian grounds for my baby and for me?

'I dont want to be in the news. I just want to be a normal person again, with a normal life with my child. I have been waiting for so long. All this time, away from my baby, and for what?'

British diplomats hope a plan to repay a 450million debt the UK owes Iran may improve relations between the two countries, leading to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release.
Two teenagers waved to stunned passengers on a rail platform as they filmed themselves 'train surfing' by hanging on to a speeding carriage.

Harris Ahmed, 18, from east London, and a 16-year-old boy captured their reckless stunt before sharing the video on YouTube.

The pair were hauled in front of magistrates and sentenced earlier today after pleading guilty to endangering the safety of a person conveyed by the railway at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.

Harris Ahmed (pictured), 18, from east London, and a 16-year-old boy captured their reckless stunt before sharing the video on YouTube

British Transport Police said the footage, reported to them on October 31, showed youngsters on a train in Brentwood, Essex.

Prosecutor Chiram Mondal said: 'This is an offence effectively called train surfing.

'The two defendants posted a video on YouTube where they were identified as jumping on a train and filming themselves riding between the two carriages.

'They are seen to wave to other people on the platform effectively as some form of stunt.'

He pointed out that 'the most danger was to the defendants themselves' as their arms were very close to the edge and beneath high voltage cabling which could fall down and electrocute them.

One of the boys climbs into the gap between two carriages during their reckless stunt

Ahmed stands between carriages, alongside his 16-year-old friend, as he poses for a photo

If the train had to stop quite suddenly it could have 'a detrimental impact' on the passengers, Mr Mondal added.

Ahmed, a student, was given a 12-month community order, while the 16 year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a four-month referral order.

They were each ordered to pay 105 in surcharge and court costs.

Ahmed has since deleted the video of the prank, the court heard.
The criminal investigation into Kevin Spacey's alleged groping of a recent high school graduate in the summer of 2016 appears to be one step closer to resulting in formal charges against the actor.

On Monday, the mother of the alleged victim appeared on Megyn Kelly Today with an update on the investigation into her son's claims by the Nantucket County Sheriff's Department.

'There is evidence. Because there's an ongoing police investigation, I'm not able to talk about what that evidence is. But there is evidence,' revealed Heather Unruh.

'And there are witnesses.'

The NCSD would not comment on the investigation, citing Massachusetts privacy laws involving victims of sexual assault, but a spokesperson for the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office was able to give an update on the case.

'We are in touch with the attorney who represents the individual who made the allegations,' Assistant District Attorney Tara L. Miltimore told DailyMail.com on Monday.

'A meeting has been scheduled. The matter will proceed from there.'

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Fall from grace: A spokesperson for the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office tells DailyMail.com their office will meet with the lawyer of Kevin Spacey's accuser (Spacey above at the Club Car in nantucket the week of the alsaleged incident)

Backing him up: Heather Unruh (above), the mother of the teen who was allegedly groped by Spacey at a Nantucket bar in 2016 said evidence and witnesses support the boy's claims

Runaway: Spacey allegedly stuck his hand down the boy's pants multiple times after a night of drinking in 2016 (Spacey jogging near his Arizona rehab facility over the weekend)

When asked about what she believed would happen next in the case during her appearance on Today, Unruh said: 'I think he has run out of using his celebrity. So I think we are not going to stop until he pleads guilty.'

Unruh later said that since getting her son's blessing to come forward and share his story she has been contacted by eight individuals who also claim they were victims of Spacey's sexual moisconduct - including at least one on Nantucket.

She began the interview by sharing more details about what allegedly happened between the Oscar-winning actor and her son, who had just graduated high school and was working on Nantucket for the summer.

'He was not expecting it. This was over the course of - I can't say how many minutes. They were together for a while,' said Unruh of the alleged assault.

'It happened when my son got off of his shift. A late-night shift bussing tables in the Club Car restaurant, and the Club Car bar is attached to it.'

Unruh continued: 'Just as my son got off work, he was introduced to Kevin Spacey. He was thrilled, thinking this has to be the greatest night of my life. And they talked for a long time. They sang together at the piano.

'And then, out of nowhere, Kevin violated him. And not just once.'

Unruh remained steely throughout the interview, showing no tears but plenty of determination as she spoke of her desire to see Spacey be punished for this alleged offense, claiming that her son is just one of many victims.

'Its an abuse of power and fame. He lures them in, making them feel like they are the greatest person, that he is really interested in what they have to say and they have a great conversation,' explained Unruh of how she believes Spacey operates in these situations.

'And he strikes when they least expect it, just when they start to feel comfortable with it. To be honest with you, Ive heard from at least eight other alleged Spacey victims, and I think there are so many more still afraid to come forward. Or just too embarrassed.'

And while she admitted that she and her family are both being ridiculed and in some cases attacked on social media, the good far outweighs the bad now that her son has been able to speak out.

'I would think it was worth it, even if we had been bullied more than we have been,' said Unruh.

'But its been hard to take, my son doesnt see it much because he is in that university bubble, he is in college. I see it every day.'

She then added: 'But would it deter me from coming forward again with it? Absolutely not because until we call these people out for the victim shaming and blaming that they do, we are never going to see change for everyone else.'

Standing strong: The boy, who is currently in his second year of college, decided to file charges just last month (Spacey above in July 2016 flying on a private jet out of Boston after his time in Nantucket)

More of the money in the world: A $10 million reshoot begins Tuesday on the film All The Money in the world, with Spacey (left in the film) being cut from the picture and replaced by Christoper Plummer (right)

Unruh previously said during an appearance on Today that Spacey repeatedly stuck his hand down the pants of her 18-year-old son but he was eventually able to get away when a woman walked over to him while the actor was in the bathroom and said: 'Run!'

At the time, Spacey was trying to convince the boy to join him at a party said Unruh, who now hopes to find the mystery woman who she believes saved her son from a far worse fate.

When the boy eventually got to his grandmother's home, he told his younger sister what had happened and then called his mother.

Unruh had tears in her eyes as she recalled the conversation, which began with her son stating: 'Mom, Kevin Spacey tried to rape me.'

DailyMail.com uncovered multiple photos of Spacey from that week in Nantucket back in 2016, including one taken with a co-worker of the victim at the Club Car, where the alleged assault took place.

Another shows the Oscar winner, 58, with his constant companion, manager and former pop star Evan Lowenstein while one posted by the actor himself shows him flying in a private plane to an event in nearby Boston.

Reps for Spacey have not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Chopped: Spacey is already gone from the film's promotional posters (above)

Spacey is already facing some very swift repercussions.

He is being cut from Ridley Scott's finished film 'All the Money in the World' and replaced by Christopher Plummer, just six weeks before it hits theaters.

All of Spacey's scenes will be reshot and co-stars Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams are expected to participate.

Scott, who is known to be an efficient director, is intending to keep the film's December 22 release date.

87-year-old Plummer was reportedly Scott's first choice for the role of Getty, but the director was pressured into casting a bigger name.

Plummer, who is best known for his work in 'The Sound of Music,' won his first Oscar in 2012 for playing a man who comes out late in life in the film 'Beginners.'

One of the people close to the production said that Scott's plan caught Sony by surprise, but the studio is supporting the switch.

The new scenes will be reshot in Rome starting on Tuesday, taking Williams and Wahlberg away from their families over the holiday and costing an additional $10million.

Spacey has also been fired from House of Cards after 24 men have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

At least one other investigation is underway, with Scotland Yard looking into a sexual assault allegation made against the actor who spent over a decade serving as artistic director at The Old Vic.
A man from California was inspired to destroy his own personal gun after the troubling mass shooting that just occurred in California.

Gunman Kevin Janson Neal went on a deadly 45-minute rampage through rural Rancho Tehama on Tuesday, a quiet area about 120 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento.

Chad Vachter of Riverside County, California posted a video on Facebook explaining how believes in the Second Amendment but he will no longer have weapons of mass destruction in his home.

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Chad Vachter of Riverside County, California is pictured here explaining how believes in the Second Amendment but he will no longer have weapons of mass destruction in his home

He was inspired to destroy his own personal gun after the troubling mass shooting that just occurred in California, pictured here smashing it with a hammer

He captioned the video: 'I challenge anyone anywhere to destroy their personally owned assault weapons. Barrel needs to be cut twice and the bolt carrier group / receiver must be cut and smashed as well.'

'Every decommissioned assault rifle destroyed is one that cannot fall into the wrong hands. I know many people are safe gun owners / handlers . But no one is 100 percent theft / loss proof.'

'I personally am keeping a shotgun, for home defense. In reasonable accord with constitutional rights/ 2nd amendment but my right to bear arms should not infringe on anyones rights to peacefully assemble, worship, go to school and just plain go about their life without fear of random mass murders by a single individual. #notwiththisgun.'

In the video he pleaded with other gun owners: 'I challenge anyone anywhere to destroy their personally owned assault weapons'

His autistic son receives treatment at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, a location the gunman hit up during his craze shooting.

This was very poignant for Chad: 'So when my son is old enough to realize that someone went in there and shot up that place and he sees that gun in my possession and asks me "why do you have it Daddy," I don't have a good answer,' he told KMIR.

'I can't do it. I can't have something in my house that so easily could become part of another situation like that and I'm not gonna be desensitized to that, I refuse to,' he stated.

He expressed deep sorrow for the victims but he did say 'I feel like I've done the only thing I can do in this equation, even if it's just a small thing. I did my part to make things better.'

Pictured here is his AR-15, which is a semi-automatic version of the United States military M16 rifle

In the video Chad can be seeing using a hammer to smash his AR-15 gun to bits, he's pictured here holding the gun

In the video Chad can be seeing using a hammer to smash his AR-15 gun to bits.

The California shooting began just before 8am when officers received reports of a man down on Bobcat Lane near Fawn Lane.

The shooter's weapons included two AR-15 type semi-automatic rifles with multi-round magazines that he allegedly assembled himself.

In recent months there have been several mass shootings, including the deadliest one in US history which occurred in Las Vegas.

And now many celebrities are using their platform to bring awareness to the dangers of guns.

Hilary Clinton, Billy Eichner, Gigi Hadid, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Emmy Rossum, Julianne Moore and Joe Biden are just some of the individuals who have protested against gun violence following the horrific mass shooting that took place at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival.

Former Vice President Biden tweeted after the Las Vegas shooting pleading for change (pictured above)

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton asked people to see this is a human issue as opposed to political

Former Vice President Biden tweeted: 'How long do we let gun violence tear families apart? Enough. Congress & the WH should act now to save lives. There's no excuse for inaction.'

Fellow politician Clinton seconded that by saying 'our grief isn't enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again.'

Model Gigi said on Twitter: 'It sickens me the ease in which a TERRORIST can be sold a GUN. Is the ease really worth all these lives?! This needs to stop.'
A young Scot's bizarre dance routine has earned more than a third of a million views and an impromptu street party in his honour.

The video, branded 'Strictly Come Valium', shows Aiden Graham give a short but very intense performance of something akin to body popping in the clip, despite having no music.

The 22-second clip shows the hotel worker roll up his sleeves before shuffling in a robotic manner around a living room - in complete silence.

Off-camera, a pal eggs Aiden, from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, on with a droll commentary, including the line: 'That's f****** professional.'

The odd video, filmed by Martin McLaughlin, was uploaded by viral page Scottish Vines with the joke caption 'Strictly Come Valium.'

There are no suggestions that Aiden's moves really were drug-induced - but the video proved hugely popular online and quickly amassed more than 350,000 views and 4,800 likes on Facebook.

The clip begins with Aiden standing in front of a lounge chair in a living room, and beginning to roll his sleeves up.

Martin can be heard in the background telling Aiden to begin and that his dancing is 'superb', while another says: 'It's well good'.

Aiden then pops the hood of his grey jumper and begins to shuffle around while moving his arms rapidly back and forth.

Dance master: Aiden Graham gives a short but very intense performance of something akin to body popping in the clip, despite having no music

Martin says 'Holy s*** man', while an unknown man off camera deadpans: 'It's well good isn't it?'

As Aiden continues to drag his feet around the living room and attempts to pop and lock his arms, Martin says: 'F***'s sake mate, that's f****** professional. Well done mate, well done eh, how good was that?'

Social media users have gone wild for the video since it was uploaded on Tuesday.

Off-camera, a pal eggs Aiden, from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, on with a droll commentary

Mad Khouraky said: 'Honestly had to take a second there to tell if what he was doing was voluntary motoric movement, or just spasming the f*** out.'

Thomas Munro added: 'That's the worst f****** mime artist I've ever seen. The glass box he's trapped in must have hunners of shelves.'

Ross McGill commented: 'The most impressive part is that the boy can't move like that without any music on, he just has rhythm flowing through him.'

Billy Gillan joked: 'I thought the internet had gone down and he had started lagging.'

While Leonie Arlow said: 'I tell you what's f****** professional, his sarcasm.'

The footage also sparked a rave on the streets of Glasgow in Aiden's honour.

Punters in Glasgow were caught on video performing a similarly odd dance routine to that displayed by Aiden

Crowds of people embraced a Saturday night boogie after a kilted man appeared in the city centre with a pair of speakers mounted to a trolley

A video captured by social media user @caarlymcneil shows a group of men dancing to Cha Cha Slide, Hammertime and other club hits

Close to 50 revelers were captured on video by social media user @caarlymcneil as they danced on a Saturday night in the Scottish city.

The video shows a man wearing a wooly hat and a kilt blasting music from powerful speakers mounted to a delivery trolley as punters of all ages dance along.

Dubbed 'Saturday nights in Glasgow producing yet again', the video has so far received over 21,000 retweets.

The footage then shows a number of passing party-goers embrace the street party and dance along
A convicted killer in an Ohio prison claims in a federal lawsuit that his civil rights have been violated by the repeated cutting of his dreadlocks.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of inmate Cecil Koger, 35, says his faith of Rastafarianism requires him to wear his hair in dreadlocks.

The lawsuit filed last week says the prison has forcibly cut his hair five times, impeding his ability to practice his religion.

Pictured here is Cecil Koger, convicted of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in an undated photo

The lawsuit says Ohio's prison system has allowed dreadlocks for other inmates and seeks to force the prison system to recognize Rastafarianism as a religion.

It also says that on five occasions employees of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction held down Koger and forcefully cut his dreadlocks.

Guards also used pepper-spray to subdue him, the complaint argues.

Koger has been under state custody since 2000 and is currently being held in Trumbull Correctional Institution in Leavittsburg.

Rastafarianism is classified as a new religious movement and a social movement that was developed in Jamaica during the 1930s.

They believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile as the result of colonization and the slave trade.
President Donald Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday in his latest challenge to Kim Jong-un's regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face international isolation.

In a Cabinet meeting, Trump called the designation 'a very critical step' that he said will 'start right now.'

'Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago,' Trump said.

The president said new sanctions are on the way for the 'murderous regime,' invoking Otto Warmbier, an American college student who died days after his return to the U.S. from North Korea earlier this year.

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President Donald Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday, following through on his administration's promises throughout this trip to Asia to make a decision soon

North Korea said last week that it has no intention of ending its nuclear program

The president said new sanctions are on the way for the 'murderous regime' invoking Otto Warmbier, an American college student who died days after his return to the U.S. from North Korea earlier this year

Trump demanded that North Korea 'end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism' on Monday as he lit into the rebellious regime for international terrorism and carrying out assassinations on foreign soil.

'This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons, and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime,' Trump said.

Throughout the next two weeks, Trump also said the U.S. Treasury Department will be unveiling new sanctions on Pyongyang.

'It will be the highest level of sanctions by the time it's finished over a two-week period,' he asserted.

The State Department's list of countries that provide aid and comfort to terror groups grows to four with today's addition of North Korea.

Iran, Sudan and Syria were already on the blacklist, with Sudan being the most recent of the three to be blacklisted in 1993.

North Korea had been designated state sponsor of terrorism but George W. Bush removed it from the list in 2008.

A senior U.S. official suggested earlier this month that Pyongyang would be back on notice in short order as he reminded reporters during Trump's tour of Asia that North Korea was 'designated as a state sponsor of terror' once upon a time.

'It was one of the things that a previous administration lifted that designation as part of a hopeful attempt to lure them into reversing the threat. And, of course, that didn't work out,' the official said. 'So I'd remind that they clearly fit the criteria for a state sponsor of terror in a previous administration.'

According to the State Department, state sponsors of terrorism are restricted from receiving foreign assistance from the U.S. They also face a ban on defense exports and sales, in addition to other unspecified punishments.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would not say what sanctions the administration plans to put on the regime, leaving those details to Treasury, only that the coming action were in response to 'assassinations outside of their country, using banned chemical weapons' and other 'very, very, serious' infractions.

'We already have many of these actions in place through the current sanctions. It may, though, disrupt and dissuade some third parties from undertaking certain activities with North Korea, as it does impose a prohibition on a number of other activities that might not be covered by existing sanctions,' he said from the White House podium.

Tillerson admitted that the State Department's targeting of North Korea as a state sponsor of terror may not amount to much considering that Pyongyang is already under strict global and U.S. sanctions.

'I don't want to suggest to you that the designation is suddenly going to put a whole new layer of sanctions on them. Because again, I think, we already have North Korea so heavily sanctioned in so many ways with the U.N. resolutions that have been undertaken. But this will close a few additional loopholes off,' he said.

The president said Monday that he was slapping the label on North Korea during a Cabinet meeting, following through on his promises throughout his Pacific Rim trip to make a decision soon.

Remarking on his 'historic' trip to Asia, where he pushed for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Trump said, 'People are respecting our country again, believe me.'

'We will be instituting a very critical step, and that'll start right now,' he said. 'Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.'

The president made the announcement during a Cabinet meeting. His spokeswoman confirmed the designation just after he made the remarks in front of reporters

At the White House press briefing later in the day, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, the president's position is: 'The North Korean regime must be lawful. It must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism.'

Tillerson told reporters the terror designation was part and parcel to 'ongoing steps to increase the pressure' on North Korea to forgo it's destabilizing activities.

'This is just continuing to point out North Korea's illicit, unlawful behaviors internationally, and we felt it necessary to reimpose the designation for that reason,' he said.

North Korea said last week that it has no intention of ending its nuclear program.

'As long as there is continuous hostile policy against my country by the US and as long as there are continued war games at our doorstep, then there will not be negotiations,' North Koreas Ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae-song said. 'Our country plans ultimate completion of the nuclear force.'

Trump made a point of asserting the United States' 'unmatched military capabilities' as he delivered remarks last month in Kim's backyard.

In Seoul, the second stop on his five-nation blitz, Trump also said that Kim's regime had 'made numerous lethal incursions in South Korea, attempted to assassinate senior leaders, attacked South Korean ships and tortured Otto Warmbier, ultimately leading to that fine young man's death.'

At the White House press briefing later in the day, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said North Korea 'must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism.' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters the designation is part and parcel to 'ongoing steps to increase the pressure' on North Korea

Trump said Monday as he announced the new sanctions and terror designation that 'North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.'

Tillerson also referred to assassinations by the regime in the plural tense, even though the only reported instance on foreign soil was earlier this year in Malaysia when Kim's half broth, Kim Jong Nam, was murdered.

He demurred when a reporter asked him for another example at the White House, saying he no other information he could share.

The president said his thoughts also turned to 'Warmbier, a wonderful young man, and the countless others so brutally affected by the North Korean oppression.'

Warmbier was taken into custody in North Korea in January of 2016 after he yanked down a propaganda poster, authorities with Kim Jong-un's government have said. The regime sentenced him to 15 years hard labor for 'hostile acts against the state.'

The 22-year-old college student was in coma when he was released. He passed away less than a week later in his home state of Ohio from an 'undetermined' cause of death that a coroner's report tied to an oxygen deprivation injury a year prior.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner listen as President Donald Trump announces that the United States will designate North Korea a state sponsor of terror

The House of Representatives overwhelming passed a new set of nuclear sanctions on North Korea in October in Warmbier's name.

House legislation cited the North Korean government as a primary money laundering institution and a front for companies that support the development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

It also made note of North Korea's sixth nuclear test, in September of this year, and its illicit manufacturing of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Those sanctions would hit 'virtually anyone that facilitates trade and investment with North Korea,' the bill's author, Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, has said.

'The goal is to incentivize foreign banks to sever ties to anyone involved in the North's economic activity and ultimately cut off Pyongyang's access to the resource it needs in pursuit of its nuclear ambitions,' Barr said last month in a statement that was pointed at China, a major trading partner of North Korea.

Senators on the Banking Committee advanced the legislation while Trump was in South Korea.

Trump has already used the power of the executive office to unilaterally deploy sanctions against North Korea in September during the United Nations General Assembly after warning that week that the U.S. would 'totally destroy' North Korea if it continues down its current path of destruction.

Sanctions yielded by that measure will hit any business or financial institution that does business with North Korea.
Fifteen Dartmouth College students have spoken out accusing three psychology professors facing sexual misconduct allegations of creating a 'hostile academic environment' marked by excessive drinking, favoritism and at times inappropriate behavior.

The New Hampshire attorney general's office opened a criminal investigation last month after learning about allegations against psychology professors Todd Heatherton, Paul Whalen and Bill Kelley, all of whom have been put on paid leave and have had their access to campus restricted.

Authorities haven't released any details, but 15 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students recently wrote to the school newspaper, The Dartmouth, anonymously accusing the trio of creating a hostile environment 'in which sexual harassment is normalized.'

Accused: Todd Heatherton is one of three male psychology professors at Dartmouth College who were suspended last month amid allegations of sexual harassment

Professors Paul Whalen (left) and Bill Kelley (right) remain on paid leave amid the ongoing investigation by the New Hampshire attorney general's office

The accusers also alleged that the professors violated at least one campus policy related to sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or consensual relationships between students and faculty.

In interviews with the newspaper, several students described an uncomfortable workplace culture that blurred the line between professional and personal relationships and said they often felt pressured to drink to excess at social events.

One woman said she felt like she was being tested at one gathering when a one of the professors put his arm around her and slid it down her body. The student said she felt so uncomfortable that she got up and went to the bathroom.

Other students told the paper that Kelley encouraged his lab members to drink and socialize at least once a week, including on weeknights and sometimes during business hours.

The newspaper did not identify the students but said it confirmed their association with the psychology and brain sciences department.

A college spokeswoman said Monday that officials appreciate hearing from the group and encourage anyone with additional information to reach out to the college or law enforcement.

'At the heart of our ongoing investigations is an extensive fact-finding process led by an experienced external investigator,' Diana Lawrence said.

Speaking out: Simine Vazire (left), a tenured professor of psychology at the University of CaliforniaDavis, has accused Heatherton (right) of groping her behind in 2002, when she was 21 years old

Party school: Some students claimed that Kelley (pictured left beside Heatherton) encouraged his lab members to drink and socialize at least once a week

Julie Moore, who represents Heatherton, told the newspaper her client is confident he has not violated any of the policies mentioned in the letter, that he has never had sexual relations with a student and rarely has socialized with students or the other two professors.

While the 15 accusers did not share specific anecdotes from their interactions with the male professors, last week Simine Vazire, a tenured professor of psychology at the University of CaliforniaDavis, told Slate Magazine that Heatherton groped her at an academic conference in 2002.

Vazire was 21 years old at the time and a graduate student at Dartmouth when she traveled to Savannah, Georgia, for the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

According to her account published in Slate on November 13, she was standing next to Heartherton, to whom she had not been introduced, in a circle of students and professors when, without saying a word, he allegedly reached out and squeezed her behind.

Vazire told the magazine that she was not particularly traumatized by that incident, which she bluntly described as 'one a**-grabbing' and a 'blip on the radar,' but she suggested that it was indicative of the kind of casual harassment that, according to her, is rampant in academic science.

Ivy League: Fifteen students at Dartmouth College (pictured) have spoken out accusing the three professors of creating a 'hostile academic environment' marked by excessive drinking, favoritism and at times inappropriate behavior

When Slate asked Heatherton to comment on Vazire's claim, the suspended professor said he had no recollection of 'touching her in any way at a conference 15 years ago.'

'I have just recently heard of this for the first time, but, if I touched her as she described, all I can say is that I am profoundly sorry,' he stated.

DailyMail.com on Monday reached out to Vazire seeking further comment and was awaiting a reply.

The UC-Davis professor was not the only one to share her experience with Heatherton.

Last month, Jennifer Groh, a professor at Duke University who previously taught at Dartmouth, sent a letter to the external investigator revealing that in 2002, a student came to her saying that Heatherton groped her breasts at a recruiting event.

The unnamed student alleged that the renowned professor, who was in his 40s at the time, touched both her breasts with both his hands, while telling her that she was not doing well in her work, reported The Boston Globe last week.

Groh wrote that she reported the incident to the associate death of faculty, but she never heard a word about her complaint.

Heatherton went on to win the Champion International Professorship, and two years later was named the chairman of the colleges psychological and brain sciences department.

His attorney said Heatherton was never disciplined for the incident described by Groh because the college looked into it and determined that the physical contact with the female student was not at all sexual, but 'accidental and totally unintentional.'
Oscar Pistorius's father is planning to question ballistics evidence used in his son's trial in hopes of clearing the former Paralympian of murder and keep him out of a maximum-security prison.

The murderer's family is using a birthday jail visit later this month to discuss an obscure law that his father could use to overturn Pistorius's conviction for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.

The move comes as judges in South Africa's appeals court decide whether they should overturn the double-amputee athlete's initial six-year sentence given in July last year and instead sentence him to the prescribed minimum of 15 years.

Oscar Pistorius's father, Henke (right, with Pistorius) is planning to question ballistics evidence used in his son's trial to overturn his conviction

The murderer's family is using a birthday jail visit later this month to discuss an obscure law that his father could use to overturn Pistorius's conviction for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp (pictured above with Pistorius), in 2013

If he is sentenced to 15 years, Pistorius will be moved from the 'relaxed' Atteridgeville Correctional Facility to the maximum-security Kgosi Mampuru II jail.

He previously spent a year at the max security facility when he was initially convicted of culpable manslaughter.

Gang members, reportedly rule over prisoners at the facility, threatening to rape others, give them HIV or extort them for money.

To avoid returning to the jail, Pistorius's father, Henke, is applying to become an amicus curiae, which is Latin for 'friend of the court'.

The title will allow him to question the ballistics evidence that was used in Pistorius's trial in 2014.

In photos from the trial, Pistorius was seen putting his fingers in his ears in an apparent attempt to block out testimony in which police experts explained how his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

Pistorious's father is convinced that the state's description of the trajectory and grouping of the bullets that hit Steenkamp misled the court in the initial trial, a family insider told The Sun.

The insider said: 'Henke believes that the state did not present accurate information to the court and this was not challenged by Barry Roux, Oscar's lawyer.

If he is sentenced to 15 years, Pistorius will be moved from the 'relaxed' Atteridgeville Correctional Facility (pictured) to the maximum-security Kgosi Mampuru II jail

Pistorius previously spent a year at the max security Kgosi Mampuru II prison when he was initially convicted of culpable manslaughter. Gang members, reportedly rule over prisoners at the facility, threatening to rape others, give them HIV or extort them for money

'He thinks the information he has spent months researching is vital and proves that Oscar had no intention of killing the person behind the door.

'He is convinced he has enough to convince appeal court judges that there has been a miscarriage of justice in the case and his research clears Oscar of murder.'

On the day of the testimony, a police expert claimed Steenkamp was standing in a toilet cubicle facing the closed door when she was hit in the right hip by the first of four bullets fired by the double-amputee athlete.

Captain Christiaan Mangena told Pretoria's High Court that Ms Steenkamp then fell back on to a magazine holder by the toilet before she was hit by a further two bullets fired by Pistorius through the wood door.

One bullet fired from the 9mm pistol struck her in the right arm and while another penetrated her skull as she crossed her arms over her head to protect herself, Captain Mangena said.

As Mangena threw his hands up to cover his head in court and replicate the 'defensive position' he said Steenkamp took as the last shots were fired, Pistorius put his fingers in his ears.

In photos from the trial, Pistorius was seen putting his fingers in his ears in an apparent attempt to block out testimony in which police experts explained how his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was killed

To avoid returning to the jail, Pistorius's father, Henke, is applying to become an amicus curiae, which is Latin for 'friend of the court' so he can question ballistics evidence

Ahead of the appeals court's decision on Pistorius's sentencing, prosecutors have said the athlete has not shown 'genuine remorse' for murdering Steenkamp.

They said that a judge 'overemphasised' Pistorius's disability and gave him a 'shockingly lenient' sentence that amounts to an 'injustice'.

'Murder is murder,' chief prosecutor Andrea Johnson told a five-judge panel at the Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa today.

'There is no true, gut-wrenching remorse,' she added.

Nearly five years after the once-admired Olympic runner first appeared in court for shooting Ms Steenkamp multiple times through a closed toilet door at his home, his fate is still not certain.

Pistorius claimed he mistook Ms Steenkamp for a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine's Day 2013 when, without his prosthetic legs on and standing on his stumps, he shot four times through the cubicle door.

If the court agrees to increase his sentence, Pistorius, 30, could remain in prison until after he is 40.

This is the second time prosecutors have gone to the Supreme Court in the city of Bloemfontein to challenge a decision by Judge Thokozile Masipa, who presided over Pistorius's trial.

Pistorious's father (right) is convinced that the state's description of the trajectory and grouping of the bullets that hit Steenkamp (left) misled the court in the initial trial, a family insider

In 2015, prosecutors successfully appealed against Judge Masipa's ruling that Pistorius was not guilty of murder. The court overturned the verdict of culpable homicide - or manslaughter - and convicted him of murder.

Judge Masipa then sentenced Pistorius to six years in prison for murder, a term just one year longer than her original sentence for manslaughter. Prosecutors called that sentence 'shockingly' light.

Judges can deviate from prescribed minimum sentences if there are compelling circumstances. The prosecution says there were no compelling reasons.

'What we are saying is the court exercised its discretion inappropriately,' prosecutor Johnson said, calling the six-year sentence 'unjust'.

Judge Masipa's initial sentence was appropriate in the circumstances, Pistorius's defence lawyers said, and his disability was not exaggerated.

He had both his legs amputated below the knee when he was a baby because of a congenital condition.

'Of course his disability is mentioned, but it can't not be mentioned,' defense lawyer Kelly Phelps said. 'It is one of the factors of this case. We can't magic away his disability.'
The two Minnesota-raised turkeys headed to the White House for the annual turkey pardoning ceremony tomorrow now have names: Wishbone and Drumstick.

The duo's names were announced Monday at the Willard Hotel, the lavish property where the birds currently have a suite, which is located just a block down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.

Carl Wittenburg, the National Turkey Foundation's chairman, who raised the birds, said Wishbone and Drumstick were selected from a flock of 80 for 'their character, their temperament, their showmanship and how they looked strutting their stuff.'

'So that's really what it gets down to,' Wittenburg told DailyMail.com. 'Can they handle the show.'

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Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota introduced the birds at Monday's press conference, as they were raised in his Congressional district

The Minnesota-raised birds were named Wishbone and Drumstick by the White House. Drumstick is the taller of the two birds

Drumstick and Wishbone give each other a look as they pose for photographs Monday at the Willard Hotel in Washington

The Willard Hotel houses the two turkeys to be pardoned nearly every year. It's a beautiful Beaux-Arts building located just a block down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House

Wishbone and Drumstick show off their tale feathers to a room full of reporters Monday, getting the first glimpse of this year's turkeys primed for tomorrow's turkey pardoning

Wishbone and Drumstick are the center of attention at the Willard Hotel in Washington Monday, the day before the turkey pardoning

Wishbone and Drumstick - debuting their new names - strutted their stuff Monday morning at a ballroom at the Willard Hotel

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Only one of the two birds will be officially 'pardoned' by the president, however both will live out their days at Virginia Tech

Wishbone and Drumstick would sporadically gobble at the crowd, as they strutted their stuff for news photographers Monday morning at the Willard

The White House featured the two turkeys to be pardoned in its Instagram Sunday, showing the two birds, Wishbone and Drumstick, settling into their suite at the Willard Hotel

Which turkey should be pardoned during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony?



After the pardoning, Drumstick and Wishbone will join last years turkeys, Tater and Tot, at Virginia Techs Gobblers Rest exhibit.  The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 20, 2017

Wittenburg made the selection alongside his wife, Sharlene, and members of the local 4-H Club, who were helping raise the birds.

The presidential flock was raised in Alexandria, Minnesota.

While two birds took the 'turkey turnpike,' as it was called, to Washington, only one will get to be the star at tomorrow's turkey pardoning ceremony, President Trump's first.

'The names are chosen by the White House,' Wittenburg explained. 'So right now you can go on WhiteHouse.gov and we, as the public, can pick the one particular turkey that gets to take the table tomorrow at the White House event.'

The White House ended up posting the poll on Twitter.

Wittenburg said he could tell the birds apart, as Drumstick is taller.

The White House also described Drumstick as having a 'tall and proud' strut and being a lover of classic rock, especially the band Journey.

Wishbone strongly shuffles, the White House said and enjoys country music, including hits by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

It's good news, however, for the understudy too, as both birds will be technically pardoned and allowed to live out the rest of their lives at Virginia Tech, at an exhibit called 'Gobbler's Rest.'

Both Wishbone and Drumstick will live out the rest of their lives at Virginia Tech, home of the HokieBird (back right)

National Turkey Federation Chairman Carl Wittenburg, who grew Wishbone and Drumstick, welcomes the HokieBird, Virginia Tech's mascot, to a press conference at the Willard Hotel

The HokieBird marvels at this year's White House turkeys Wishbone and Drumstick. The pardoning will take place at the White House tomorrow

Wishbone and Drumstick show of their gobbling skills to reporters gathered at the Willard Hotel Monday morning in Washington

The HokieBird takes a peek at his feathered brothers, Wishbone and Drumstick, the two turkeys in town from Minnesota who will take a trip to the White House tomorrow

Turkeys bred for slaughter are generally morbidly obese, with many of the presidents' pardoned turkeys living less than a year.

However, last year's birds, Tater and Tot, are still kicking it at Virginia Tech.

On hand Monday, was Virginia Tech's mascot the HokieBird, who mugged for pictures alongside Wishbone and Drumstick.

The two birds arrived in Washington, D.C., Sunday and were checked into their own suite at the Willard Hotel, the hotel that traditionally houses the birds.

The White House soon put out an Instagram story, showing the two birds standing on the two hotel beds in the suite and then later of the birds walking around the room.

'Check back Monday to find out their names and cast your vote,' the White House's post said.

During the Obama years, the White House also offered an online poll to have Americans decide which turkey the president would pardon.

A reporter poses for a selfie with the two birds - Wishbone and Drumstick - Monday at the Willard Hotel in Washington

Turkeys Wishbone and Drumstick get comfortable in their suite at the Willard Hotel Sunday night, upon arriving in Washington for Tuesday's turkey pardoning

For years, President Obama made the turkey pardoning a family affair, enlisting the help of daughters (from left to right) Sasha and Malia

In 2016, President Obama swapped out daughters Sasha and Malia for nephews Aaron and Austin Robinson for his final turkey pardoning ceremony

President George W. Bush meets Flyer the turkey at the November 2006 turkey pardoning at the White House

In the early years, American presidents - including President Dwight D. Eisenhower - were merely presented with a turkey at the White House. The event evolved into a turkey 'pardon' under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s

American presidents were annually presented with a turkey starting in 1947, though the event didn't officially turn into a 'pardoning' ceremony until the Ronald Reagan years.

Reagan pardoned 'Charlie' the turkey in 1987.

President George H.W. Bush made it into an annual tradition when he took office in 1989.

And the tradition was respected through the Clinton and Bush 43 years.

President Obama tried to make the pardoning a family affair, having daughters Sasha and Malia participate for the first seven years he was in office.

Last year however, the girls, now in their teens, were replaced by younger models, with President Obama's nephews Aaron and Austin Robinson standing alongside the president as he pardoned Tot.

During the Obama years the turkeys also got star treatment, staying at the Willard most years, or at the W, the more modern luxury hotel next door
The adoptive gay father who killed his newly-adopted daughter was 'a Jekyll and Hyde character' who hoodwinked social services, a judge found.

Elsie Scully-Hicks was just 18 months old when she was murdered by her adoptive father Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, at the home he shared with his partner in Llandaff, Cardiff.

In a previously unreleased family court judgment, a senior judge said her killer appeared to be 'eminently suitable to adopt', but was in fact 'a Jekyll and Hyde character'.

Elsie Scully-Hicks died at the hands of her adoptive father just days after her adoption was completed. A judge today revealed the reasons she was removed from her birth mother

The judgement exonerates Scully-Hicks' husband of any blame, with the judge finding he did not fail to protect Elsie.

Mr Justice Moor, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, added: 'I make it absolutely clear that the fact that this was a gay adoption is quite irrelevant.'

The judge said he had come across a significant number of non-accidental injury cases 'involving all sorts of different people'.

'I am absolutely satisfied that sexuality has absolutely no role whatsoever in determining which of a very small minority act in a way that very serious injury and/or death is done to children,' the judge said.

'I am equally satisfied that Matthew Scully-Hicks presented to the world as eminently suitable to adopt.'

During family court proceedings, Matthew Scully-Hicks's partner said he was 'numb and devastated'.

In a fact-finding judgment, Mr Justice Moor said his husband, an account manager, did not want to be alone in the house where the murder took place.

'He is lonely and frightened. It was his decision to part. He did so as the medical evidence was telling him that Matt had hurt his daughter,' Mr Justice Moor said.

Matthew Scully-Hicks was jailed for a minimum of 18 years for the little girl's murder

The judge said Scully-Hicks' husband had confronted his husband after receiving a medical report about Elsie's injuries.

'Matt continued to deny that he had done anything but the reports were categoric,' Mr Justice Moor said.

'He didn't know what to think. Over the following days, there were endless heated arguments.

'He accepts that Matt hurt Elsie and she is dead because of it. He said it is a permanent separation. He had taken his vows in 2012 very seriously but has removed his wedding ring.'

The judgment also revealed the reasons she was initially removed from her birth mother.

Speaking at the end of last year, Mr Justice Moor said: 'Her birth mother is a drug addict who was certainly in prison at one point during the adoption proceedings.'

He added: 'Elsie had to be taken away from her birth mother as she was suffering significant harm at the hands of her birth mother, due primarily to her birth mother's drug addiction.'

Mr Justice Moor had been asked to make findings of fact to help social services staff make decisions about the care of Elsie's sibling.

He had analysed issues at a family court hearing in December 2016, but his conclusions had to be kept under wraps to prevent the criminal trial being delayed.

'The facts of this case raise serious issues that will be of genuine public concern,' he said in his ruling. 'This case is as serious a case as I have dealt with.'

During Scully-Hicks' trial, prosecutors told Cardiff Crown Court he had violently shaken Elsie.

Jurors heard how he had described the toddler as 'a psycho', 'the exorcist' and 'Satan dressed up in a baby grow' in text messages to friends and family members.

They were told that he struggled to cope with being the primary carer for Elsie as his husband worked full-time.

Scully-Hicks denied murder, but a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict following a four-week trial. He was jailed for at least 18 years.
An MSNBC co-host slammed Hillary Clinton on Friday for lashing out at Donald Trump over sexual misconduct claims while her husband Bill was never held accountable for his own.

'Hillary Clinton needs to stop,' Mika Brzezinski said of the former Democratic presidential candidate on the 'Morning Joe' program.

'She needs to stop talking about this topic unless Bill Clinton wants to come forward and apologize for being a sexual harasser, for settling [lawsuits] with women, for what happened with Monica.'

Mrs. Clinton said over the weekend at an Arkansas event honoring Bill that President Trump has 'disgraced the office' because several women have accused him of sexual harassment and abuse.

'Morning Joe' host Mika Brzezinski said Monday that Hillary Clinton should stop criticizing Donald Trump over sexual misconduct claims until Bill Clinton apologizes for his own

Mrs. Clinton said Saturday in Arkansas that President Trump has 'disgraced the office' because several women have accused him of sexual harassment and abuse

Brzezinski said Bill Clinton should have resigned 'in real time' when his affair with Monica Lewinsky was uncovered and exploded into a scandal

And she asked during an interview on WABC Radio that 'we have a man who's accused of sexual assault sitting in the Oval Office, don't we?'

'The very credible accusations against him have not been taken seriously. We cant excuse the president from this debate.'

Trump has denied all the accusations against him.

Brzezinski fired back Monday against the Clintons, saying the 42nd president should have resigned over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

'Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, sexually harassing someone who is 22 years old when you're in power is just wrong, and you should go  in real time,' she declared.

And she noted the contrition of other men accused this year of sexual harassment, including Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken and journalist Mark Halperin.

'He needs to apologize as quickly as Al Franken did, as much as Mark Halperin did. And as much as he wants to!' Brzezinski said.

'If you're not going to apologize and it's clear you've done something wrong, please, please, you the politician and your wife the politician need to not talk about these issues.'

'Just don't, OK?  Unless you want to come to the table with some honesty.'

President Bill Clinton carried on a sexual affair with Lewinsky, then a 22-year-old White House intern, and was impeached for lying about it under oath  but kept his job

Brzezinski said that 'Bill Clinton's behavior was accepted' and criticized Hillary for defending him

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said on Thursday that Bill Clinton should have left office because of the Lewinsky scandal.

Brzezinski agreed Monday and said the reason Donald Trump became president was the irony of Hillary Clinton lambasting Trump over sexual misconduct allegations while staying silent about Bill Clinton's

'Bill Clinton's behavior was accepted. It was pushed under the rug, and even women defended him. ... And his wife ran for president even though these women who accused him were attacked in the media, were maligned, or settled [in court],' she said.
British cameraman Mark Milsome (left), 54, who previously worked on Game of Thrones and James Bond has died while shooting a stunt sequence for a BBC drama in Ghana

A British cameraman - who worked on Game of Thrones and James Bond - has died while shooting a stunt sequence for a BBC drama in Ghana.

Mark Milsome is thought to have died after a camera position deemed safe was hit by a stunt car on Saturday.

Milsome, 54, was working on upcoming drama The Forgiving Earth when the incident occurred. The BBC said it was 'deeply shocked and saddened' to hear the news.

It said in a statement: 'We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear this terrible news.

'Mark Milsome was hugely talented and a much-respected colleague. Our thoughts are with Mark's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.'

His agent, Sarah Prince, said he would be 'greatly missed' and that an investigation into into the circumstances surrounding his death is under way.

Mr Milsome, 54, is understood to have died during a night shoot for a car stunt scene on Saturday. The BBC said it was 'deeply shocked and saddened' to hear the news

'Obviously a catastrophic mistake was made, which resulted in Mark's death. It should never, ever, have happened in this day and age,' Ms Prince said.

Adding: 'He was a well-respected, lovely guy - very talented.

'There has been an outpouring of grief from people who knew him in this industry - he also grew up within it because his father was a renowned cinematographer.

His agent, Sarah Prince, said he would be 'greatly missed' and that an investigation into into the circumstances surrounding his death is under way

Mrs Prince added: 'He was a gentleman and loved by everybody. Incredibly generous with his time and talent, and his warmth.'

'He was a gentleman and loved by everybody. Incredibly generous with his time and talent, and his warmth.

'He worked with very big stars, very big directors and he was very humble in all aspects. He was the antithesis of the raging egos you hear about in the industry.'

'An investigation into the circumstances is under way, we all need answers to this dreadful tragedy.

Mr Milsome began his career in the 1990s as a clapper loader, working his way up the camera department to focus puller, camera operator and director of photography

Sherlock writer Mark Gatiss expressed his sadness on Twitter following the tragic news

He started out in the 1990s as a clapper loader, working his way up the camera department to focus puller, camera operator and director of photography.

The Forgiving Earth, previously called Black Earth Rising, is a crime thriller that BBC Two plans to air in the UK in 2018, with Netflix having global rights outside of Britain.

It is about the prosecution of international war crimes and written by Hugo Blick, who wrote and directed thriller The Honourable Woman.
Residents on Lesbos went on strike today over claims European migrant policies have turned the Greek island into a 'prison' for refugees escaping conflict in the Middle East.

Islanders shut businesses, shops, nurseries and civic offices while hundreds gathered for a rally at a central square.

Calling for the Greek government to move asylum seekers to the mainland, banners read 'Lesbos is not a place of exile'.

Just a few miles off the Turkish coast, Lesbos has borne the brunt of Europe's migrant crisis, which at its worst, saw nearly a million asylum seekers landing on its shores.

Residents on Lesbos went on strike today over claims European migrant policies have turned the Greek island into a 'prison' for refugees escaping conflict in the Middle East. Protesters (pictured) gathered in the central square

Mayor Spyros Galinos told the Athens News Agency today: 'Lesbos is not an open prison, nor will we allow anyone to view it as such.

'The message is that we can't take it any more. Lesbos is in a state of emergency.'

The population was last estimated at 86,400, but has increased enormously with the arrival of asylum seekers fleeing Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Migrants arrive in boats before heading north to countries like Germany, France and the UK.

It is currently hosting around 8,500 asylum-seekers at its main centre Moria, which is designed to hold fewer than 3,000.

Thousands of them have become stranded on Lesbos and four other islands close to Turkey since the EU agreed a deal with Ankara in March 2016 to shut down the route through Greece.

Mayor Spyros Galinos (pictured addressing crowds) told the Athens News Agency today: 'Lesbos is not an open prison, nor will we allow anyone to view it as such'

Calling for the Greek government to move asylum seekers to the mainland, banners read 'Lesbos is not a place of exile'

Some have been moved to camps on the mainland, but authorities say the terms of the agreement prevent asylum-seekers from traveling beyond the islands.

Only the most vulnerable migrants are transferred to Greece. But the local authorities say the government is interpreting EU the agreement too strictly.

Rights groups have described conditions in camps across Greece as deplorable and unfit for humans.

On Lesbos, violence often breaks out over delays in asylum procedures and poor living standards.

Islanders shut businesses, shops, nurseries and civic offices while hundreds gathered for a rally at a central square

The island, just off the Turkish coast, is currently hosting around 8,500 asylum-seekers at its main centre Moria, which is designed to hold fewer than 3,000
The crime scene where a mother and daughter were found shot dead in their Virginia home earlier this year may have been staged to look like a murder-suicide instead of a double murder.

Police initially suspected that Helen Hargan, 23, had shot her 63-year-old mother Pamela Hargan and then turned the gun on herself in their idyllic suburban home in McLean on July 14.

But a newly unsealed search warrant, which was obtained by WUSA 9, stated that the investigation had revealed the crime scene may have been 'altered and staged'.

Police initially suspected that Helen Hargan, 23, had shot her 63-year-old mother Pamela Hargan and killed herself in their Virginia home in July

Authorities were alerted to their deaths when the boyfriend of one of Helen's sisters called 911 from Dallas, Texas saying they had been shot.

He told the dispatcher his girlfriend had called him and said her sister had killed their mother.

Police found Pamela's body in the laundry room, while her youngest of three daughters was found dead in an upstairs bedroom.

The recently unsealed warrant revealed evidence from before the women were found dead.

A newly unsealed search warrant states that the investigation revealed the crime scene inside the Virginia home (above) may have been 'altered and staged'

There were multiple attempted 'fraudulent' wire transfers made from Pamela's accounts, including one the day before and one a day after her death.

The warrant stated that the transfers 'were attempted by Megan Hargan who is another daughter of Pamela Hargan.'

Megan has a seven-year-old daughter and was living at the home at the time.

Neighbors say the child no longer lives at the home.

A police radio call from the night of the killings stated that Megan was on her way to her mother's home from Maryland.

Police have not named a suspect in the case but said it is still a 'very active' investigation.
A British man who has spent a decade on the run has been arrested on suspicion of mowing down a Spanish police officer.

The 42-year-old was detained on a European Arrest Warrant in a village near the scene of the incident in the border town of La Linea opposite Gibraltar.

Officers revealed he had been on the run for a decade and was using a fake driving licence and false ID in the name of another person when he was held.

The 42-year-old was detained on a European Arrest Warrant in a village near the scene of the incident in the border town of La Linea opposite Gibraltar (pictured)

The 42-year-old, who has not been named and has been identified only by his initials A.J.L, is expected to be remanded in custody after going before an investigating judge.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in the Spanish port city of Algeciras, which made the arrest, said they found several vehicles used by the suspect to avoid being detected ahead of the detention after being given a tip-off about the areas he could be living in.

He was held at a police checkpoint on Saturday.

Full details of the 2007 incident involving the office who was run over - a local police officer employed by La Linea town hall - have not been revealed but he is understood to have been badly injured.
A vegetarian plane passenger was left feeling underwhelmed when the airline he was flying with offered him an apple and pear for dinner.

Steve Hogarty was flying with Colombian airline Avianca when he told flight attendants he required a non-meat food option.

But to his disappointment, instead of offering him something like a cheese sandwich or a vegetable stew, they decided two pieces of fruit would be enough.

Seemingly not wanting to treat him any differently to those who received a regular meal, the apple and pear were served wrapped in cling film with a knife and fork.

Steve Hogarty was flying with Colombian airline Avianca when he told flight attendants he required a non-meat food option. He was extremely underwhelmed by what he got (pictured)

He tweeted: 'The vegetarian meal on this flight is an apple and a pear wrapped in clingfilm, served with a knife and fork.'

The journalist's post was widely read, with over 500 people liking the post and several retweeting it.

Noticing the furore, Avancia replied claiming 'this is not our standard'.

A staff member tweeted: 'Service is our priority, please let us know your flight date/number and also your contact information via DM.

'This is not our standard so we surely will investigate as soon as possible. AC'

Mr Hogarty replied again saying he would 'DM them some recipe ideas'.

His post encouraged other dissatisfied vegetarian fliers to share their experiences.

Mike Gilyatt hit out at British Airways for offering him chicken or beef when he told them he didn't eat meat on a flight from Tokyo to London.

Charity worker Dave O'Caroll responded to Mr Hogarty's picture with his own, claiming he had been served a random selection of fruit (pictured) on a recent flight

He tweeted: 'On a recent British Airways flight I asked for a vegetarian meal and they told me they had none left, but kindly offered me chicken or beef as an alternative. I eventually got given some cheese.'

The airline spotted his post and replied: 'This is disappointing to hear, Mike.

'Where were you travelling from and to? We can pre order vegetarian meals on our long haul services and in our Club Europe flights.'

Charity worker Dave O'Caroll responded to Mr Hogarty's picture with his own, claiming he had been served a random selection of fruit on a recent flight.

He posted: 'I asked for a veggie meal on a flight once and this is what I got. At least yours was wrapped.'
Two European Union agencies are to be relocated out of London after EU chiefs flipped a coin and drew lots from a fishbowl to decide on new destinations.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) will head to Paris after the French capital was picked out of a bowl following a tied vote with Dublin, Ireland.

Earlier, Amsterdam was named the new home for the European Medicines Agency following a similar tie, forcing EU chiefs to flip a coin.

It comes as the EU's chief Brexit negotiator warned Britain would not be allowed to 'cherry pick' elements of the single market, adding: 'Brexit means Brexit.'

EU chiefs voted to move the European Medicines Agency (pictured) to Amsterdam and the European Banking Authority to Paris

Michel Barnier employed Theresa May's own catchphrase as he lambasted Leave supporters who said Britain could enjoy some of the benefits of the single market while ditching freedom of movement.

He added: 'We take note of the UK decision to end free movement of people.

This means, clearly, that the UK will close the benefits of the single market. This is a legal reality.'

Today's move to relocate two key agencies out of London are among the firmest signs yet of Britain's impending departure from the EU.

The honour of performing the tiebreak procedure fell to Matti Maasikas, Estonia's EU affairs minister, who was chairing the ministerial meeting in Brussels.

And he had to do it not once, but twice, crushing the hopes of first Milan, which tied with Amsterdam to secure the EMA, and then Dublin, which lost out to Paris to host the EBA.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured) warned Britain would not be allowed to 'cherry pick' elements of the single market, adding: 'Brexit means Brexit'

'It was a big transparent bowl with two small lots,' he told reporters eager for details of the novelty.

'You did marvellously,' beamed the contented Dutch minister at his side. 'With a lot of talent,' chipped in his equally satisfied French counterpart. 'Thank you.'

Italy's Sandro Gozi was less sanguine. The early favourite Milan had led every round of a voting process which leaders have compared to the European Song Contest. So being pipped in the fishbowl 'left a bitter taste in the mouth', said Gozi:

'It's like losing a final on penalties.'

The two agencies are currently based in Canary Wharf where they employ around 1,000 staff.

Some 890 top jobs will leave Britain for Amsterdam with the European Medicines Agency, giving the Dutch a welcome economic boost and more prestige.

The EMA is responsible for the evaluation, supervision and monitoring of medicines.

The Paris-bound European Banking Authority, which has around 180 staff members, monitors the regulation and supervision of Europe's banking sector.

Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said: 'It is a fantastic result. It shows that we can deal with the impact of Brexit.'

The Prime Minister in Downing Street today ahead of the Cabinet sub-committee meet

The European Medicines Agency has less than 17 months to complete the move, but Amsterdam was considered ideally suited because of its location.

It comes as Downing Street tonight insisted 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' after a secretive summit of senior ministers to discuss signing off on a 40billion Brexit divorce bill.

Theresa May was today warned that 'one pound is too much' to give Brussels as she gathered her Brexit 'war Cabinet' to discuss hiking Britain's offer.

A meeting of 10 of Mrs May's most senior ministers gathered for what could prove to be one of the crucial moments in the Brexit process.

But as the meeting broke up after more than two hours, No 10 sources said the UK and EU must 'step forward together'.

Ahead of the Downing Street summit, the Prime Minister faced a cacophony of complaints from Tory backbenchers who said the public would 'go bananas' if the government doubles its offer to the EU.

Senior Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are believed to be ready to agree to the increase - but are demanding concrete assurances from Brussels about trade talks.

Before her ministers gathered, Mrs May refused to be drawn on the details of the proposal that will be discussed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said yesterday that Britain was preparing to table a new compromise deal ahead of an EU summit next month when leaders are due to decide whether to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the UK.

Mr Hammond declined to give a figure, but Brussels sources have suggested the EU will not consider a payment of less than 40billion - double the figure previously floated by Mrs May.
A Pennsylvania has been found guilty of beating his roommate to death during an argument over some stolen beer.

Justin Vankirk was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after a non-jury trial on Monday.

The 35-year-old Brentwood resident confronted 58-year-old roommate Charles Parker about the Keystone Ice beer last year and fought with him.

Justin Vankirk, 35, (left) was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of his friend and roommate Charles Parker, 58, (right). The pair had an argument over some stolen beer

The two began to argue in Parker's bedroom where Vankirk hit his roommate several times in the face and head.

As Parker was bleeding from his lips and mouth, Vankirk dragged his body to the dining room 'because he did not want any blood to get on his carpet', he told officers.

He then left him lying on the floor and went to bed.

Vankirk says he did not call 911 until the following afternoon when he returned home around 4.30pm and saw Parker still lying on the flooring - not breathing.

Valkirik initially claimed he knew nothing of circumstances leading up to the fall, but officers found a picture of Parker's body on Vankirk's cell phone that had been taken at 4.49am.

Vankirk, who posted a number of selfies posing with various types of beer, told police that the fight began when Parker stole some of the beers he had bought

Parker was pronounced dead at the scene. He had suffered bruising and swelling, and had 'abnormalities about the back' of his head.

Officers noted that Vankirk's knuckles were swollen and that he had blood on one of his shorts.

Vankirk also initially gave investigators 'various accounts' of how he found Parker and his 'timeline of events had varied as well'.

Parker was pronounced dead at their Brentwood, Pennsylvania apartment (pictured). He had suffered bruising and swelling, and had 'abnormalities about the back' of his head

When Vankirk was finally taken into custody he 'admitted that he got into a confrontation with the victim', according to authorities.

He also told police he had tried to clean up Parker's blood with water

A defense attorney conceded during a trial last week Vankirk punched Parker multiple times but said Parker's fatal head injury could have come from falling down while drunk, something she alleged he had a history of doing.

The judge says Vankirk didn't mean to kill his longtime friend but his actions caused the death.

Parker's death at the hands of Vankirk rattled their next-door neighbors, who said at the time that the men had been friends and roommates for years.

'When we first got the news, we were shocked,' Sarah Spreckic said to WPXI. 'We thought maybe he fell.'

'This was the last thing we thought, just a complete surprise. They were really good neighbors. We liked [both of them] a lot.'

Neighbor Igor Spreckic said both men were known to be heavy drinkers.

'So there was alcohol involved,' he said. 'In their spare time, alcohol was involved always.'
A renowned tenor with Opera Australia has been charged with historic sex offences over the alleged assault of a 14-year-old girl who was part of a children's chorus..

The girl, who claims she was sexually assaulted by David Edward Lewis in the mid-90s, is believed to have alerted police after seeing the performer in the production of Puccini's Turandot in Sydney in March, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Lewis has been charged with two counts of sexual intercourse with a person over 14 but under 16 and four counts of aggravated indecent assault of a person under 16.

Some of the offences are alleged to have taken place at the Sydney Opera House.

Scroll down for video.

Renowned tenor David Lewis with Opera Australia has been charged with historic sex offences over the alleged assault of a girl, 14, who was in the children's chorus at the time

The 58-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager when he was in his mid-30s working as a chorister for the opera company.

The Sydney Morning Herald claims a cast member saw one of the alleged assaults in progress and alerted others within Opera Australia, prompting a chaperone to be appointed to the children but no further action against Mr Lewis.

'Opera Australia is like the Catholic Church in miniature,' an employee told the publication.

Opera Australia claims the 58-year-old's personnel file did not contain any complaints. The company was asked for information about past productions by police in 2016.

Mr Lewis recently starred in Two Weddings, One Bride earlier this year (pictured). The 58-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager when he was in his mid-30s working as a chorister for the opera company

Mr Lewis starred in Two Weddings, One Bride earlier this year.

In July, the tenor told the Opera Australia about the charges he was facing.

Mr Lewis was ordered to step down by senior members, who also banned him from coming near the Opera Centre.

He resigned from his position in October after 25 years as a chorus member and is expected to appear in court on December 5.
An Indian ruling party politician has been left red-faced after a video of him urinating in public went viral on World Toilet Day, despite government efforts to stop people relieving themselves in the open.

Ram Shinde, a minister for water conservation in the western state of Maharashtra, was filmed answering the call of nature in a field by the side of a road Saturday.

The clip spread online the following day. November 19 marks the United Nations' official World Toilet Day, which aims to raise awareness about the health risks caused by a lack of lavatories.

Mr Shinde - a member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - defended his actions, effectively saying 'When you've got to go, you've got to go.'

'I have been travelling continuously for the last one month reviewing the Jalyukta Shivar scheme,' he told the Press Trust of India (PTI), referring to drought-prone Maharashtra's water conservation programme.

'Continuous travelling in high temperatures and dust made me ill. I was suffering from fever and when I couldn't find a toilet while travelling, I had to relieve myself in the open.'

India is notorious for its lack of toilets. Some 70 percent of Indian households do not have them while around 600 million people, nearly half the population, defecate in the open, according to UNICEF.

Three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to build toilets for everyone by 2019.

The government has so far helped install more than 50 million lavatories across the country of 1.25 billion people and has been encouraging citizens to break old habits and use them.

PTI and other news outlets said the incident occurred on a stretch of road between the cities of Barshi and Solapur in the south west of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the state capital.




John Auld III, 26 who went by the nickname Trey, of Shreveport, Louisiana was killed

Officials say a medical helicopter has crashed in rural Arkansas, killing all three people on board.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management confirms the helicopter went down Sunday night near the Arkansas County town of DeWitt, about 60 miles southeast of Little Rock.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says the aircraft was flying from Pine Bluff to DeWitt at the time of the wreck. There were no patients were on board.

Pafford Air One identified the victims as 46-year-old pilot Michael Bollen of Hot Springs, 61-year-old flight nurse James Lawson Spruiell of Sulligent, Alabama; and 26-year-old flight paramedic John Auld III, who went by the nickname Trey, of Shreveport, Louisiana.

FAA investigators are heading to the crash site, and the National Transportation Safety Board says it's investigating.

Scroll down for video

46-year-old pilot Michael Bollen of Hot Springs, left, and 61-year-old flight nurse James Lawson Spruiell of Sulligent, Alabama were both killed in the accident

Emergency services attended the crash site minutes after impact but all three on board died

The Bell 407 helicopter belonged to Pafford EMS, which provides emergency transport in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma (file photo)

Courtesy of KARK

Pilot, Michael Bollen, seen with his son Jack

Deputies spoke with a woman who lived in the vicinity of the crash who said she witnessed the helicopter go down and could see a fire from her location.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered the helicopter had been consumed by fire and the fire department was still working to extinguish fire in the rear part of the aircraft.

The Bell 407 helicopter belonged to Pafford EMS, which provides emergency transport in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

The company said on its Facebook page that it's 'devastated by the sudden loss of three of our team members.'

Dustin Ross, Director for Pafford Air One released the following statement:

'We are all devastated and profoundly saddened by the tragic loss of these valued EMS colleagues and friends. We will continue to try and comfort the crew's families as well as everyone in our employ.'

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Schoolies teenagers have been spotted hanging off the edge of balconies at high-rise hotels, putting their lives in serious danger.

Ex-students were snapped sitting on the ledge of a balcony at least nine floors above the ground at Focus Apartments, on the Gold Coast, on Sunday afternoon.

'They were up there sitting on the edge and yelling and throwing things to each other between floors for more than an hour. It was definitely very dangerous,' a witness who snapped the shocking moment told the Courier Mail.

Schoolies teenagers were spotted hanging off the edge of their balconies at Focus Apartments, on the Gold Coast, on Sunday afternoon

Deadly stunts on balconies have caused problems for police in past years.

Last year, a 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a fractured pelvis after falling from his second-floor balcony at 3am.

In 2015, two 17-year-old boys were charged with committing an unregulated high-risk behaviour and taken to court after climbing between floors of their hotel.

Balcony hopping was an even bigger problem in 2013, with countless teenagers photographed jumping across into other apartments.

Three boys who posted a photo clinging off the edge of their 23rd floor highrise apartment were publicly shamed after boasting about their antics.
A 38-year-old New York City mother who admitted to smothering her 20-month-old son in the restroom of a Manhattan burger restaurant on Monday was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Latisha Fisher pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter in connection to the March 2015 death of her son, Gavriel Ortiz-Fisher, which at the time of her arrest she blamed on the devil.

Gavriel Ortiz-Fisher never reached his second birthday because of his mothers unconscionable act, said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. While the fatal suffocation of a child at the hands of his own mother is a tragedy that can never be undone, I hope this lengthy prison sentence gives the victims grieving family some sense of closure.

In tears: Latisha Fisher, 38, is pictured sobbing in Manhattan State Supreme Court on Monday during her sentencing for the smothering death of her son

Guilty: Fisher pleaded guilty last month to a manslaughter charge in the killing of 20-month-old Gavriel Ortiz-Fisher

At her sentencing on Monday, Fisher was photographed sobbing while seated at the defense table. The New York Times reported she was heard repeating: I am sorry. I love my son.

State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro sentenced her to 18 years in state prison, with credit for the two-and-a-half years she had spent in jail, followed by 10 years of probation.

Gavriel's biological father, Luis Ortiz Jr, and the toddler's grandfather, Luis Ortiz Sr, were both present for Fisher's sentencing and were seen wiping away tears.

Fisher was arrested on March 30, 2015, after she was discovered by restaurant staff at 2.30pm in the bathroom of 5 Boro Burger sitting on the toilet and holding her son, Gavriel.

The toddler was foaming from the nose and his lips were blue. FDNY first responders who were summoned to the eatery by restaurant staff transported the boy to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.

Tearful closure: Luis Ortiz Jr, Gavriel's father (left), and the boy's grandfather, Luis Ortiz Sr (right), broke down in tears in court on Monday

Luis Ortiz Sr is pictured getting a hug from a supporter during Fisher's sentencing Monday

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner later ruled that the childs death was a homicide as a result of smothering.

The New York Post previously reported that Fisher suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and had a violent past. After her arrest, she told police the devil made her do it.

She claimed she was protecting Gavriel from someone who wanted to eat him by putting him to sleep with her hand.

Fisher was recommended for an alternative sentencing program after pleading guilty for the 2011 stabbing of her aunt.

She received a positive evaluation as recently as September 2014, according to documents seen by the New York Daily News.

Fisher was discovered by staff in the bathroom of 5 Boro Burger (pictured) sitting on the toilet and holding her unconscious son, Gavriel

After her arrest, Fisher (pictured) told police the devil made her smother her child

She had been taking medication to combat her paranoid schizophrenia after being diagnosed in the aftermath of the incident.

The woman told clinicians that she had heard voices saying that her aunt was trying to kill her before the stabbing.

In September 2014, a court-appointed social worker said that she was 'a poster child for an alternative to incarceration program' and had 'adjusted very well to the demands of new motherhood'.
A paedophile spared jail despite pleading guilty to raping two young girls is accused of abusing more children and paying one of his victims for her silence.

The Dubbo predator, known as TM, was given a two year suspended sentence due to high cholesterol, sleeping problems and because he never had sex education.

One of the victims has claimed the 55-year-old abused at least two other women, as the Director of Public Prosecutions looks into an appeal of his sentence.

A paedophile spared jail despite pleading guilty to raping two young girls is accused of abusing more children and paying one of his victims for her silence (stock image)

The woman - abused between 1980 and 1987 after meeting TM, then 19, through a church group - said other victims are yet to come forward, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'It followed the same pattern, he starting abusing them when they were 10 and then raped them when they were 13,' she said.

The newspaper claims court documents show the man met one of women in a park where he paid her $5000 for a statutory declaration promising to keep silent.

The woman gave evidence against him anyway, and is one of the two victims to have come forward so far.

If the DPP succeeds in lifting the non-publication order on the case, the pair say it could lead to more victims giving evidence against TM.

District Court Judge John North handed TM a two-year suspended sentence with no supervision order.

The Dubbo predator, known as TM, was given a two year suspended sentence due to high cholesterol, sleeping problems and because he never had sex education (pictured is Judge John North, who handed down the suspended sentence)

TM escaped jail despite guilty pleas to 10 counts of historic sex crimes involving the two girls, aged eight and 10.

Judge North listed a series of bizarre reasons for why the man should receive credit, prompting the 55-year-old's victims to call the sentence a 'slap in the face.'

He spoke of TM's 'good character' and naivety because of his lack of sex education, as well as his sleep deprivation over the case.

The judge noted TM's diabetes, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease would be difficult to treat in prison, where he would have to be contained in isolation.

'He would be treated as a serious sex offender in custody, and I accept that he would have to spend a considerable time in protective custody, or indeed, in isolation,' Judge North said.

'Given his age and background and the nature of the offences, he would be vulnerable to abuse.'

TM's work as a farmer grazier and the drought that plagued his properties from 2002 to 2012 were also noted.

Attorney-General Mark Speakman said new laws are due next year that will end suspended sentences such as the one given to TM.

'I share longstanding community concerns about lenient sentences for abhorrent child sex abuse offences,' he said.
The state of Colorado has fined Uber $8.9million for allowing 57 drivers with serious criminal or motor vehicle offenses to work for the company.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission said Monday that it launched an investigation into the ride-hailing service last year after an Uber driver was accused of assaulting a passenger in Vail.

In the 18 month investigation, the PUC said it found the drivers were allowed to work for Uber in Colorado despite having previous felony convictions, including a former prison escapee, major traffic violations or problems with their driver's licenses.

The state of Colorado has fined Uber $8.9million for allowing 57 drivers with serious criminal or motor vehicle offenses to work for the company (file photo)

According to the PUC, those drivers should have passed the background check allowing them to work for the company.

Uber arrived in Colorado in June 2014, and the PUC was responsible for creating rules to regulate the ride-sharing service. The rules went into effect in January 2016.

The rules required Uber to perform a criminal history check, get the driver's history, and have a valid driver's license, according to the Denver Post.

'We have determined that Uber had background check information that should have disqualified these drivers under the law, but they were allowed to drive anyway,' PUC Director Doug Dean said.

The investigation found that nearly 60 Uber drivers were allowed to work in Colorado despite having previous felony convictions, major traffic violations or problems with their driver's licenses. A prison escapee was one of the worst cases

'These actions put the safety of passengers in extreme jeopardy.'

The parent company Rasier, LLC will be fined $2,500 for each day one of the 57 drivers worked.

The PUC found that 12 of the drivers had felony convictions, 17 had major moving violations, 63 had drier's license issues and three had interlock driver's licenses, required after a DUI conviction.

Uber has just 10 days to pay 50 percent of the massive fine or request a hearing to contest the penalty.
Young women are taking more drugs and drinking more alcohol than males at Schoolies, according to authorities.

Paramedics said it was 'concerning' how many females have required treatment for intoxication as the annual celebration on the Gold Coast moves into its third day.

'We have noticed that on both evenings so far the number of female patients we have had has doubled the number of male patient,' Queensland Ambulance Service special events co-ordinator Justin Payne told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

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Young women are taking more drugs and drinking more alcohol than males at Schoolies, according to authorities

Police said they won't hesitate to act against anyone found with drugs, with detection dogs deployed on the streets. There is no suggestion the pictured revellers were found with drugs

'We are still seeing a lot of intoxication. We are still seeing some drugs come through our tents,' he said.

'The drugs are a wide range of drugs, the most common we are dealing with is MDMA.'

Queensland Police arrested 41 people, including 22 'toolies' and 19 Schoolies during the first weekend of the end-of-school celebrations, mostly for drug possession.

Gold Coast Inspector Bruce Kuhn said police won't hesitate to act against anyone found with drugs, with detection dogs deployed on the streets.

'We are still seeing a lot of intoxication. We are still seeing some drugs come through our tents,' an ambulance spokesman said

Queensland Police arrested 41 people, including 22 'toolies' and 19 Schoolies during the first weekend of the end-of-school celebrations

It comes after the first night of celebrations left police 'generally pleased' with the behaviour of school leavers.

Six teenage boys were arrested on Saturday night, again, mostly for drug possession offences, police said.

That compared to the eight arrests on the first night last year.

'Police were generally pleased with the behaviour of schoolies, with only a small number of the large crowd coming to the attention of police,' police said in a statement on Sunday.

There were also 12 non-schoolies arrested and charged with 24 offences on Saturday night, mostly related to drugs.

Revellers are pictured on the second night of Schoolies week on the Gold Coast
Charlie Rose has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards eight women who either worked for him at the time or were potential employees in a blistering new expose published by The Washington Post.

Among the claims being made by the women are that Rose would grope their breasts, buttocks and genitals without their consent, make lewd telephone calls, and walk around naked in their presence without warning.

The women who have come forward with these claims about Rose, 75, were all between the ages of 21 and 37 at the time of the alleged misconduct and working for the legendary television host.

Two former employees said that the young female assistants and producers Rose would constantly surround himself with were known as 'Charlie's Angels.'

In a lengthy statement in response to the expose, Rose did not deny all of the allegations being made by the women but said that he did not believe all of his accusers were 'accurate' in heir description of his offenses.

'It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed,' stated Rose.

'I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.'

The backlash was swift for Rose, with PBS and Bloomberg announcing they would no longer air his eponymous talk show within an hour of the Post publishing their story on Monday and CBS suspending the host.

CBS also ran a segment on the allegations just three minutes into the CBS Evening News broadcast on Monday.

Following the publication of The Post article, two additional women came forward in an interview with The New York Times, and Business Insider published an interview with three more former interns. This brings the total number of accusers to 13.

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Charlie Rose's War: Charlie Rose (above last week) has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight women who spoke with The Washington Post

Harassment: Kyle Godfrey-Ryan (above) claims Rose walked around naked in front of her at his home over a dozen times and said he fantasized about seeing her swim naked

Unwanted advance: Megan Crydt (above) worked as a coordinator after graduating from Harvard, and said Rose grabbed her thigh during a car ride soon after she started

Rose, whose only marriage ended in divorce back in 1980, has been in an on-and-off relationship for the past 25 years with Amanda Burden, 73, who is a Principal at Bloomberg Associates.

All of the alleged incidents described by the woman in the Post story occurred while Rose was with Burden, who is the stepdaughter of CBS founder William Paley.

Rose has no children.

Three of the women who came forward agreed to use their names while the other five accusers who spoke on the record asked that their identities not be revealed for fear of possible repercussions.

Kyle Godfrey-Ryan was one of the three who agreed to let the Post use her name as she detailed her time working as Rose's assistant a decade ago in New York City.

She claims that Rose walked around naked in front of her at least a dozen times while the two were working from his home.

Godfrey-Ryan also alleged that Rose would call her late at night or early in the morning to describe his fantasies of seeing her swim naked in his pool.

She claimed that Rose said he wanted to watch as she disrobed by the pool at his Bellport estate and swam naked in the moonlight.

Her own sex life was also a topic Rose wanted to know about claims Godfrey-Ryan, claiming he would call late at night or early in the morning, asking: 'Whos next to you? What do you do? Is he touching you?'

Godfrey-Ryan said she just acted as though the call and questions were not happening, a tactic she also employed when it came to Rose's alleged groping of her at work.

Those incidents usually occurred after he had very publicly berated the young female employee.

'It would usually entail some version of him also touching me,' Godfrey-Ryan said of her boss' apology.

'A hand on the upper thigh. Hed give a hug but touch the side of the breast.'

She was later fired by Rose she claims, when he learned that she had shared details of his behavior with a friend.

That move came shortly after Godfrey-Ryan said she approached Rose's longtime producer Yvette Vega about the calls, who made her feel like she was being a 'dramatic little girl.'

'Thats just Charlie being Charlie,' was Vega's response, according to Godfrey-Ryan.

Godfrey-Ryan had then hoped her friend could help by speaking to Rose, but that was not the case.

'He took me out to lunch and told me how embarrassed he was, how he didnt treat me like that,' she said of Rose's response to her sharing the allegations of sexual misconduct.

'It was really about how I got it wrong, and, obviously, I couldnt work there anymore.'

She ultimately went back to school, saying her time on the show ruined journalism for her and that she still gets upset when she see Rose on the air.

Godfrey later shared the story on her Facebook page while writing about her decision to come forward.

'I do not revisit this time in my life often and I felt no need to take anyone down. I am also in a moment of incredible highs in my professional life and feel that I am fully living out my purpose; the last thing I want or need is to attach my name to a sexual assault story,' wrote Godfrey.

'Then, late last week I was read excerpts of transcripts from the other women. Though many came before me, some women were attacked violently and repeatedly after the time I worked there. These stories helped me reframe my perspective.'

Godfrey continued: 'I felt that by withholding my identity, I was de-legitimatizing the experiences of these other women. I couldnt be complicit in what silence meant for them, so I allowed my name to run with the story.'

Right-hand ladies: Rose with longtime producer Yvette Garcia (left in 2014) and partner Amanda Burden (right in 2015)

Charlie's angels: Rose with his CBS This Morning co-hosts Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King (above in March)

Speaking out: 'It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed,' stated Rose (statement above)

It was around the time that Godfrey-Ryan was working for Rose that Harvard graduate Megan Crydt joined the team as a coordinator, working from 2005 to 2006 with Rose.

She said she found herself at the receiving end of an unwanted sexual advance while riding with Rose in his Mini Cooper, claiming that the host put his hand on her thigh as he was driving through the city.

Her boyfriend confirmed the story, saying Crydt had told him at the time.

'I dont think I said anything,' said Crydt.

'I tensed up. I didnt move his hand off, but I pulled my legs to the other side of the car. I tried not to get in a car with him ever again. I think he was testing me out.'

Two former interns are among the accusers who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

One, who worked for Rose in the early 90s, said she was summoned to work the desk at his New York home, where he would shower and use the bathroom with the door open.

She claims that at one point he turned on the shower and immediately began calling her name.

When she refused to respond he suddenly appeared standing over her in the nude, wearing nothing but a towel, she claims.

An intern working for Rose 10 years later claimed that he groped her breasts while also trying to get her to spend the night at his Bellport home on Long Island.

She claims to have refused that offer multiple times.

Her now-husband backed up these allegations by stating he had been told about the incidents at the time when the two were dating.

This conduct continued for so long, despite the staff numbering approximately 15 people ever since the show began in 1991, because of Rose's pull, said that intern.

'Everybody is terrified of him,' she explained.

'He creates this environment of constant fear. And then hell shine a spotlight on you and make you feel amazing.'

Out east: Rose's Bellport home (above)with pool, tennis courts and a sizeable guest house where Reah Bravo and an unnamed woman claim they were harassed or assaulted by the host

DC digs: Rose also offered Bravo his Georgetown home (above) to live in if she agreed to stay and work for him instead of taking a competing job

The most recent encounter occurred in 2010 at the Bellport home of Rose.

A woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had agreed to meet him there in 2010 to discuss a job.

That interview quickly took a turn however, with the woman claiming that Rose appeared in 'an untethered robe' soon after she arrived and tried to stick his hand down the front of her pants.

She began meeting with Rose in 2009 about a possible job, noting that these always seemed to occur in unconventional settings like a dinner with his friends and once a weekend lunch.

Then, in June 2010, she received an email asking her to come to his Bellport home for the weekend.

'As I mentioned, Im going to my place on long island tonight to write... and then coming back tomorrow for a dinner. This is to invite to visit,' wrote Rose.

'You have your own wing of the house, or even a guesthouse, Its on the water, plus Olympic pool, tennis court, plenty of movies and books and sailing and I run on the beach at sunrise and sunset.'

He later noted: 'This has no influence on our dialogue about work projects.'

She agreed to the meeting and soon found herself arriving at the home after midnight with Rose, who she seemed to think might be slightly inebriated.

Rose gave the woman a tour of the property she claims and then went to change after getting his pant leg wet in the pool.

He came out in a robe that he left untied and yelled at her when she began to speak about abuse of power, claims the potential employee.

Rose then allegedly tried to put his hand down her pants.

'By the time he touched me the first time, he was already very angry,' said the woman.

'I was scared, and I was also kind of frozen.'

She said that she soon found herself in his bed but does not remember getting there, and alleged he again tried to stick his hand down her pants while asking: 'Baby, oh baby, why are you crying?'

Once he fell asleep she made her escape and the next day Rose acted as if nothing had happened the previous night.

He also told her she did not get the position when she emailed him that week.

'The whole thing was really the most humiliating and most degrading experience Ive ever had,' said the woman.

Meeting of the minds: Astronaut Scott Kelly, Rose and Donald Trump chat at the 2016 Time 100 Gala (above)

Commander and chief: Rose interviews President Barack Obama in the White House back in 2016 (above) for his eponymous talk show

Reah Bravo was also an intern when she worked for Rose back in 2007, with the 29-year-old student at Columbia in graduate school for international relations at the time.

She was broke at the time and while the internship with Charlie Rose Inc was unpaid, it had long been a dream of hers to work for the show, she told the Post.

Fate seemed to be smiling upon her however when she received an email from Rose one day offering to pay her to do some work at his Bellport home.

'Here is the deal: Ill pay you $2,500 for the week plus all expenses for food, movies etc.,' wrote Rose.

'You will be there from Monday August 13-Friday afternoon, August 17. Your primary responsibilities are to organize and catalogue all my books and tapes and files... It will help me a lot, be fun for you, and you will have a car all the time for whatever you need to do.'

Things were going fine until the night Rose returned to the house drunk and asked Bravo to have a glass of wine with him and walk out to his dock.

She described what happened next as 'reckless' and reflective of her boss' 'poor judgment,' claiming he came up behind her and put wrapped his arms around the young woman, who was almost 50 years his junior.

Bravo did not think of him as a predator at that time though, claiming a tearful speech about how lonely he was manged to impact her judgment despite the fact that she found the display unconvincing at the time.

On her next trip to Bellport she caught a glimpse of Rose naked as he took an outdoor shower, claiming she quickly averted her eyes.

Rose later asked if she had seen him in the shower, and when she said she had not seemed disappointed, according to Bravo.

There were more trips to Bellport and later a trip to Aspen, during which time she wrote a letter to Vega.

'On a personal note, I know working for Charlie requires one to embrace his uniqueness and develop a professional relationship that can account for it,' wrote Vega.

'Its taken a couple straight forward conversations between the two of us, but I feel Im in a better place than previously. And thats not to say that I was previously in a really bad place!'

Vega responded by assuring her that she had seen and heard everything possible over the years working with Rose and that anything she divulged to her would be in 'confidence.'

Bravo began working more and more with Rose, and said that he would grope her in cars and grabbed her face in a way that forced her to look at him as he spoke.

The most alarming incident occurred in 2008 during a trip on private plane, claims Bravo, who said that shortly after Rose asked her to put in a DVD on Algeria for the two to watch, he got up and pressed his body on hers.

'I felt at a loss. I mean, what am I going to do? We were how many feet up in the air?' she said of having her boss on top of her, adding that she felt lucky the two were at least fully clothed at the time.

After the 'animalistic' move Bravo said she felt 'immense shame' for not trying to fight him off.

When she finally decided to leave later that year for a job offering her three times the salary that she was then working as an associate producer for Rose, he took her to dinner at the Spotted Pig and offered her a job in DC.

He also said she could stay at his Georgetown residence.

Bravo declined the offer, and looking back on the incident noted: 'I would never want to live someplace where he had keys.'

She also said that all these years later she can see that Rose had a very clear pattern in how he tired to lure in young women.

'He most definitely said, on numerous occasions, "Ive never forced you to do something you didnt want to do,"' said Bravo.

'He would say this forcefully and wait for my confirmation after he said this. I remember once wondering if I was being recorded.'

Vega's presence seemed reassuring, according to the women, two of whom said they spoke with the producer about his alleged misconduct.

'I should have stood up for them,' said Vega. 'I failed. It is crushing. I deeply regret not helping them.'

Her inaction is now costing her as well, with PBS saying in a statement: 'PBS was shocked to learn today of these deeply disturbing allegations. We are immediately suspending distribution of Charlie Rose.'

Bloomberg released a statement as well, saying: 'We are deeply disturbed to learn of these allegations and are immediately suspending the show from airing on Bloomberg TV.'

That statement was quickly backed up, with the channel airing Daybreak Asia in the 6pm slot instead of Charlie Rose just minutes later on Monday.

PBS will be airing the Antiques Roadshow in place of Charlie Rose in the 11pm hour while the claims being made against the host are investigated.

The women who the Post spoke with all worked for Rose, and none were employed by PBS, CBS and Bloomberg at the time.

Those three companies all said that they had no records showing Rose had ever been accused of sexually harassing or assaulting a fellow employee.

'The wave of sexual abuse allegations we've been reporting from Hollywood to Washington has now touched CBS News,' said Anthony Mason on CBS Evening News.

He went on to say that Rose had been suspended before tossing to a report on the allegations from correspondent Jim Axelrod.

'The women who spoke with the Post worked for Charlie Rose inc., not CBS or PBS, where his interview air, or Bloomberg, where it's taped and rebroadcast,' explained Axelrod at one point, before listing off the allegations.

He also shared the official statement from CBS News, which read: 'Charlie Rose is suspended immediately while we look into this matter. These allegations are extremely disturbing and we take them seriously.'

NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt led with the allegations against Rose on Monday in a segment that recapped the Post story, with the network also managing to confirm the accounts two of the women gave the Post in the 90 minutes between the publication of the story and the start of the program.

ABC World News Tonight With David Muir led with another sexual misconduct story in the news on Monday, choosing to start of the show with an update of the allegations being made against Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore before reporting on the claims being made about Rose.

Both NBC and ABC also focused on the Rose's longtime producer Yvette Vega in their coverage.

'Several of the accusers say they told Yvette Vega, Rose's long-time executive producer, about their experiences,' noted Linsey Davis on World News.

ABC made that claim despite the Post story stating very clearly that only two of the eight women they had interviewed said that they had reported 'Roses inappropriate sexual behavior' to the producer.

That detail also did not stop NBC from also reporting of that 'several of the women complained to Rose's executive producer Yvette Vega.'

Bill the thrill: Rose sits down with Bill Clinton last year for a CBS interview (above) just two months before his wife Hillary lost the election

Friend in need: A 2006 dinner honoring the CEO of Walmart, which Rose hosted alongside Harvey Weinstein (above)

Amy Brittain, who reported the story for the Post alongside Irin Carmon, took to Twitter shortly after the story was published to share her contact information.

'Sadly, my inbox is already flooded with women who have had similar, disturbing encounters with Charlie Rose,' wrote Brittain.

'Please reach out if you have any information to share. Our reporting continues.'

Carmon started looking into the story back in 2010 when she first heard rumors about Rose's alleged misconduct while writing for Jezebel.

Two additional women came forward hours after she published her story Monday in an interview with The New York Times, saying that Rose had made unwanted advances towards them in the past.

The anonymous accusers both alleged that the host had tried to kiss them, though no years were given or additional information to support those claims or establish their relationship with Rose at the time.

It was also unclear if these women had worked for Rose or been interviewing for a job like the women who spoke with the Post.

The Times also spoke to some of the women who were previously interviewed by the Post, including the potential employee who went to Rose's Bellwort estate back in 2010 and ended up in his bed.

'Why didnt I hit him? Why didnt I run inside? I was completely racked with guilt and self-hatred,' she said in her interview with the Times.

Business Insider also published their own investigation into Rose on Monday, which included interviews with three former interns.

One, who worked on the program in 2005, alleged that Rose had inappropriately touched her leg while her drove to her dorm room in the city to drop her off one night.

When she later asked for career advice, she claims Rose invited her to his hotel room.

The other two interns, who worked for Rose in 2008 and 2010, shared stories of being asked to meet Rose at his townhouse in Manhattan and having the septuagenarian answer the door in his bath robe.

All three women said they made the decision not to come forward for fear of losing future employment in the industry, which is why they spoke anonymously to Business Insider.

The intern who worked for Rose back in 2005 noted that she grew up watching the show and saw the job as a great opportunity.

'It looks great on the resume,' she said, adding that Rose is 'revered in the industry and really respected.'

These reports come ten years after Rose's lawyer David Boies, who also represented Harvey Weinstein, threatened to sue Radar Magazine for defamation over a 2007 article about the host.

Rose was depicted in that piece as a 'toxic bachelor' who worked hard and played hard while out in Bellport, with one source claiming that at one dinner party Rose reached his hand up the skirt of a married woman and palmed her buttocks like a 'honeydew'.

Radar refused to print a retraction and Boies never followed through with his lawsuit.

It was one of the few public scandals he endured, with the other coming a year prior when PBC very publicly asked him too not host a dinner back in 2006 honoring H. Lee Scott Jr., then the chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores.

'Dont do this,' PBS ombudsman Michael Getler told Rose.

'As the host of one of the most respected and popular public affairs shows distributed on public broadcasting, you have an obligation not to do anything that could be seen by viewers as even a possible conflict of interest, or as diminishing the integrity or credibility of public broadcasting.'

The New York Times revealed at the time that Rose dismissed his concern while explaining why he even agreed to host the dinner in the first place.

'Harvey Weinstein, who is a friend of mine, called and asked me to do this as a favor,' explained Rose.

He seemed to have forgotten that friendship last month when he welcomed Tina Brown on his program to talk about he scandal, with the perpetually calm Rose appearing noticeably harried and frantic as he introduced the subject.

That jangled intro soon segued into an interview which was commanded by Brown as an uncommonly passive Rose did his best to say nothing at all on the subject.

Rose will not be replaced on CBS This Morning, and the network already got a head start on the fallout by keeping him off the air on Monday, hours before the story broke.
Julie Bishop and Karl Stefanovic have had an awkward exchange after the Today Show host quizzed the Foreign Minister on tax cuts.

The tense conversation saw Stefanovic accuse Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of being 'soft', the Liberal Party of 'leaking like a rusted gutter' and questioned his intentions with proposed middle-income tax cuts.

'The Australian people aren't idiots, this is just an empty unfunded promise we can't possibly afford,' he said to Bishop.

'What we want is for the Australian people to keep more of their hard earned dollars, and we think the tax rates are too high,' Bishop said as she paused to sigh.

'That was a big sigh Julie, this is a tough sell for you isn't it?' he replied as she laughed and dismissed him.

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Julie Bishop and Karl Stefanovic have had an awkward exchange after the Today Show host quizzed the Foreign Minister on tax cuts

'What we want is that the Australian people keep more of their hard earned dollars, and we think the tax rates are too high,' Bishop said as she paused to sigh

Turnbull raised the prospect of the income tax-cuts in next year's federal budget while speaking to Business Council of Australia on Monday.

Labor, however, is sceptical, saying the promises are aimed at achieving a short-term gain in opinion polls.

Asked when Australians could expect income tax cuts, Mr Turnbull said it would be the government's focus in 2017 ahead of the May budget.

'We are determined to make sure that there is more money in the pockets of hard-working Australians,' he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

'Our focus now is on middle-income tax cuts.'

Last year's budget saw the Federal Government saw the top marginal tax rate of $180,000 drop two per cent from 49.5 to 47.5.

The middle-income threshold of 37 per cent take was lifted from $80,000 to $87,000, which benefited

Turnbull raised the prospect of the income tax-cuts in next year's federal budget while speaking to Business Council of Australia on Monday

Stefanovic was particularly hostile when gauging the issue with Bishop on Tuesday, dismissing the idea of the cuts and referencing the nation's growing debt.

'How on earth are you going to stay on track and pay back the mounting debt, which incidentally is a $1 billion per day,' he asked.

'President Trump is talking about a corporate tax rate of 20-25 per cent, we simply can't stay at 30 per cent we will be internationally uncompetitive,' Bishop replied.

Stefanovic again asked how the government plan to repay the debt, intimating Bishop did not answer the question.

'You want a sugar hit from the Australian people, don't you?'

He then continued to mock Turnbull, bringing up his awkward moment on Triple M on Monday where he couldn't name a single ACDC song after legendary guitarist Angus Young passed away.

'What is your favourite ACDC track? That's a question the PM couldn't answer,' he asked.

'Well I'm not going to say Highway To Hell, I'm going to say Shook It All Night Long.'

Stefanovic was particularly hostile when gauging the issue with Bishop on Tuesday, dismissing the idea of the cuts and referencing the nation's growing debt

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the prime minister of giving millionaires a tax cut while lifting the Medicare levy by 0.5 per cent.

'It is like free beer tomorrow, isn't it? This guy says whatever comes into his head to keep the wolves from the door,' Mr Shorten told the Seven Network.

'We all know there is a Newspoll this weekend. What Malcolm does is on the week before a Newspoll, he comes up with a thought bubble ... but he's got no detail on it,' Mr Shorten said.

Mr Turnbull's speech also highlighted the need to increase the disposable incomes of Australian workers, pointing out recent efforts to reshuffle tax thresholds and scrap the deficit levy on big earners.

The prime minister acknowledged the major bank levy contained in this year's budget 'brought us no joy' but argued it was necessary to repair federal finances.

Of his intervention in the gas market, he said: 'I defy anyone to argue that ideological purity is more important than addressing soaring energy costs.'

Mr Turnbull and and Treasurer Scott Morrison have also taken the unusual step of urging business chiefs to do more in support of their plan to slash company taxes.
Two people have been killed and a third airlifted to hospital after a truck and car collided in rural New South Wales.

The truck had been travelling north on Gipps Way, 30km south of Condobolin, around 450km west of Sydney, at about 5.45pm Monday when it was involved in a head-on collision with the sedan.

A 21-year-old woman, who was driving, was flown to Westmead Hospital in Sydney with critical injuries.

Two people have been killed and a 21-year-old woman airlifted to hospital after a truck (pictured) and car collided in rural New South Wales on Monday

The truck had been travelling north on Gipps Way, 30km south of Condobolin, about 5.45pm when it was involved in a head-on collision with the sedan (pictured are emergency services at the scene)

Two passengers in the sedan, a man and a woman who have yet to be identified, died at the scene following the horrific crash.

The 59-year-old driver of the truck was able to escape his vehicle before it burst into flames, police said.

He sustained minor injuries in the incident and was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene.

Crash investigators remain at the scene, with the road now reopened between Lachlan Valley Way and Lake Cargelligo Road.

The 59-year-old driver of the truck was able to escape his vehicle before it burst into flames and sustained minor injuries, police said
A chauffeur for a wealthy Saudi family claims he shattered a pensioners car window with his bare fist because he was in shock after his aunt and cousins died in the Grenfell Tower fire.

Okasha Aziz, 25, got out of his silver BMW and punched through Adrian Dormans passenger window in a fit of road rage hours after the tragic blaze killed 71 victims on June 14.

Aziz struck Mr Dorman in the face after his hand crashed through the glass during the attack on Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, West London.

Okasha Aziz smashed through the window of Adrian Dorman's car in a fit of rage hours after the Grenfell fire

He sped away from the scene but was arrested and charged with one count of common assault and one count of causing 300 of criminal damage after his bloodied victim called the police.

Aziz admitted the charges at City of London Magistrates Court and claimed he had lost the plot after finding out that his relatives were unaccounted for following the inferno.

His solicitor Claudia Francois said he had helped desperate residents at the scene in North Kensington before attacking Mr Dorman on his way home from work.

The court heard Aziz has since been sacked from his job driving women around for a high-ranking Saudi family.

That day was the day of the Grenfell tower tragedy. He assisted in trying to put out the blaze. His aunt and her children died in the fire, said Ms Francois.

You have somebody which is under copious amount of stress. He hasnt eaten and was in an anxious state.

The fire killed 71 people and Mr Aziz claims to have helped residents as they were forced to flee the tower

He worked as a chauffeur, transferring females of a high-ranking family. He is extremely remorseful for these actions, he is entirely ashamed. He has lost his job and good character.

The court heard Aziz lost his temper when he was caught in major traffic diversions due to the fire on his way home from work.

He pulled alongside Mr Dorman at a set of lights and shouted: Get a bloody move on you silly git.

The victim recalled the terrifying attack that followed in an impact statement.

Mr Dorman said: I saw the vehicle trying to make passage through the traffic to take over cars, driving erratically, weaving in and out of bus lanes.

As I stopped at the crossing of the lights, the person in the BMW pulled up and gestured to get a move on. He said get a move on you silly git. Then he called me a racist. I dont know why.

The next thing I know he reverses his car around mine. He got out to the drivers door tried to unlock the door, however I locked it.

Mr Aziz says his aunt was killed in the fire and that she sent a video of herself and her children shortly before they died

I wound my window up, I could see he wasnt a reasonable guy. He asked me to get out of the car to sort things out.

He tried to open my driver side door, however he was unable to. The next thing I know he tried to break my window with his bare fist.

The window shattered. The glass went all over me cutting my left index finger. He then punched me on the side of my face.

He then ran back to his car, did a U-turn and sped off in the opposite direction. I was shaken by the incident when the glass broke as a normal person couldnt break it.

Aziz has previously said his family members - who werent named in court - sent him a video from the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower just before they were burned alive.

He told Russia Today: We have got friends and family who live upstairs init, but we couldnt go in.

We know they are trapped and, like, you can just see little kids, you can see little kids yeah, their hands on the windows and crying for help.

I have got an aunty who lives on the 20th floor, she sent us a video with my cousins, know what I mean, just before they were burned alive.

I know they didnt survive... They gave up hope. They thought there was helicopters out there coming to save them.

Aziz, of Shepherds Bush, admitted one count of common assault and one count of causing criminal damage. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on November 24.
Chilling footage has emerged of six-year-old Kylie Maybury's killer pretending to be a pillar of the community years before his arrest for raping and murdering the little girl.

The video shows Gregory Keith Davies acting without a care in the world, casually opening up about his passion for baking lemonade scones and entertaining friends.

Davies candidly chats amid smiles to the camera and bursts of laughter - before he was arrested for the horrific crime in 2016.

Kylie vanished after she and her mother visited their neighbour Lorna Simpson on Melbourne Cup Day, 1984.

Chilling footage emerges of rapist and killer Gregory Keith Davies (left) hiding in plain sight and pretending to be a pillar of the community

The body of six-year-old Kylie Maybury (pictured) was found dumped in a gutter in Preston a day after she disappeared on Melbourne Cup Day in 1984

Gregory Keith Davies (pictured) pleaded guilty to the heinous crime on the first day of his pre-trial committal hearing in May

She had walked to the shops in suburban Preston East to buy sugar for her mother but never returned.

Kylie's body was found dumped in a gutter in the same area early the next day.

The young girl's killer wasn't identified until more than 30 years later in 2016, thanks to a DNA match to semen found on her underpants.

Davies had been using his middle name to avoid detection for the horrific 1984 murder.

Kylie's mother Julie Maybury (pictured leaving court in May) said she was shocked to discover she knew the family of her daughter's killer

The video shows convicted murderer Davies (left) casually opening up about his passion for baking lemonade scones and entertaining friends

He managed to evade police while showing an interest in country music and moving to Waterford Park an hour north of Melbourne, where his brother lived - before police came calling.

He established an alias in the community as a man who helped injured wildlife and who opened his home up as a bed and breakfast, but the facade would not last.

Davies admitted to the November 6, 1984 sexual assault and murder on May 29 2017 on what was supposed to be the first day of his pre-trial committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

The retiree's guilty plea ended a three-decades-long mystery.

In July this year, Davies was attacked in a Melbourne prison, with boiling water poured on his groin.

Davies is currently locked up at Port Phillip Prison, awaiting sentencing.
David Davis today made clear Britain will not pay the EU a 40billion divorce bill unless there is a trade deal - amid an angry backlash at ministers agreeing to double the offer.

The Brexit Secretary insisted that 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' as he said a financial settlement cannot be reached until future trade terms are clear.

The comments lay bare the heart of the standoff between the UK and Brussels - as the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has explicitly stated there can be no link between the divorce payment and trade.

Brexit Secretary David Davis today insisted that 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' as he said a financial settlement cannot be reached until future trade terms are clear

Theresa May is set to offer the EU 40billion in return for a free trade deal with the bloc - twice which she had originally suggested paying

Mr Davis was giving a speech in London after Theresa May's Brexit 'war cabinet' agreed to offer billions more in divorce payments to the EU.

Brussels sources had indicated they would not consider opening talks unless the UK hands over about 40billion  double the amount previously suggested by the Prime Minister.

The plan for an increased offer came after ten key ministers met amid tight secrecy in Downing Street, ahead of a crunch summit next month.

But it has already prompted a major Tory revolt.

Addressing an event organised by a think-tank this morning, Mr Davis said it was 'becoming clearer with every negotiating round' that the EU's insistence on resolving the divorce bill, Irish border and citizens' rights issues before starting on trade talks was not sustainable.

The EU must now move on to discuss trade because it was an integral part of those areas, he said.

THE STICKING POINTS IN THE BREXIT TALK Divorce Bill: Theresa May has said Britain will pay 20 billion euros for a two-year transition deal and honour the commitments we have made. But the EU are demanding Britain goes further in spelling out exactly what we will pay - squeezing out more cash before we move on to trade talks. Irish border: Both sides want to keep a soft Irish border, fearing a return to border guards and check points could reignite the violence of The Troubles. But it is unclear how this will be achieved when the UK leaves the customs union. The EU has suggested Northern Ireland will have to stay in the EU customs union post Brexit to avoid a hard border with the republic - effectively pushing the hard border to the sea. But the Government and the DUP - who are propping Mrs May up in No10 - say they will not accept a deal which involves a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Citizens Rights Theresa May has laid out an offer to guarantee the rights of the 3.2million EU citizens in the UK. They will be given a two-year grace period to apply for settled status, which they will be granted as long as they pass criminal and security checks. But this was rejected by the EU Parliament who say the status should be automatic and not involve criminal records checks. Advertisement

'The final resolution of the financial settlement depends on it, because nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,' Mr Davis added.

Mr Davis said his desire was for there to be a deal with the EU, but said the government would be planning for all eventualities.

'While I have said I'm confident that we can get a deal with the European Union, of course, the alternative is possible, not probable, but it's possible, that we don't get a deal,' he said.

'The department I run isn't called the department for getting a deal come what may, it is the Department for Exiting the European Union.

'And, whatever happens, we are leaving the European Union and delivering on the instructions of the British people.

'I don't think it would be in the interests of either side for there to be no deal.

'As a responsible Government it is right that we make every plan for every eventuality.'

Former Brexit minister David Jones told the same conference that unless Brussels agrees to move on to the next phase of talks the PM should suspend negotiations.

'There is nothing to be gained by continuing to flog a dead horse,' Mr Jones said.

A German MEP ALSO accused the EU of trying to charge Britain too much for Brexit - and made clear he blamed Brussels for the split.

Hans-Olaf Henkel, the former head of the German equivalent of the CBI, said the EU had 'changed the rules of the game' by pursuing a federalist agenda.

He told the conference Eurocrats' determination to forge a 'United States of Europe' was destroying the bloc.

Earlier, senior MP Nigel Evans said the PM should resist 'ransom' demands from the EU.

He urged her to show the same 'steel' as Margaret Thatcher did when negotiating Britain's rebate in the Eighties, adding: 'We cannot play Santa for Juncker, and Scrooge for public services. The public will not accept it and they are right not to.

Sources suggested they had agreed to raise the offer to the EU, but only in return for assurances on a future trade deal.

Precise figures were not discussed in yesterday's two-hour meeting  and the final sum would only be agreed once a trade deal has been struck.

The move represents an uneasy compromise between Remainers led by Philip Hammond and pro-Brexit ministers led by Boris Johnson, who told Mrs May he could not accept a 'unilateral' offer unless it came with guarantees on our future relationship with the EU.

No10 RULES OUT ROLE FOR ECJ AFTER BREXIT Downing Street has insisted that European Court of Justice jurisdiction over EU nationals in the UK will end after a two-year transition period following Brexit. Reports suggested that a meeting of senior ministers chaired by Theresa May last night had left the door open for some continuing involvement of the Luxembourg court after Brexit. Immigration minister Brandon Lewis fuelled speculation today when he told MPs that the matter was 'part of the negotiations'. But the PM's official spokesman confirmed that while the ECJ's role could be unchanged during a two year 'implementation period' following the Brexit date, its jurisdiction 'will come to an end' after that. Advertisement

The prospect of a bigger divorce payment sparked anger on the Tory benches last night. MPs warned that, with the Budget taking place tomorrow, the Government risks a public backlash if it hands billions to Brussels as austerity continues at home.

Others pointed to chaos in Germany, where Angela Merkel is facing fresh elections. One Cabinet minister said: 'What we are willing to agree on the bill is one issue  but is the EU capable of agreeing anything with Germany in crisis?'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said the PM had made a 'generous offer' of 20billion in her speech in Florence in September.

'We should not be offering any more money at this stage,' he stressed.

'Negotiation is about strength and courage and we have to make sure we don't give in every time they ask for more.

'This week the Chancellor will stand up and tell us we need to get the deficit down and can't make any spending commitments, while on the other hand saying we are going to give the EU more money.

'Voters will ask, why is the EU more important than them?'

The deal is believed to be an uneasy compromise between pro-Remain led by Philip Hammond and Brexiteers led by Boris Johnson (pictured leaving Downing Street on Monday night)

Senior Tory MPs Nigel Evans (left) and Robert Halfon are among those condemning the idea of handing over huge sums to the EU as a divorce payment

Even pro-Remain Tories voiced doubts. Former minister Robert Halfon said: 'If we start saying that we're going to give 40billion to the EU, I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare.

'I voted Remain ... but we voted to leave, the public want to leave, and I cannot believe that the public would accept such a huge amount when we need money for our schools, our hospitals, our housing, and many other things.'

DAVIS FALLS OFF THE EU CLIFF EDGE The Brexit Secretary exited the stage with a trip, which turned into a run out of view of delegates David Davis fell off his own Brexit cliff edge today after stumbling off a podium following a crucial speech on divorce talks with Brussels. The minister in charge of the UK cutting ties with the EU laughed and looked backwards as he almost took a tumble this afternoon. It came moments after he insisted the UK was prepared for the possibility of not securing a deal with the EU. But the former SAS soldier did admit that a deal was more likely than not before exiting the stage with a trip, which turned into a run. Advertisement

Downing Street remained tight-lipped about the outcome of yesterday's meeting, but a source said: 'It remains our position that nothing's agreed until everything's agreed in negotiations with the EU.

'As the Prime Minister said this morning, the UK and the EU should step forward together.'

Another insider insisted that the agreement was 'not about dangling a carrot' in front of Brussels. 'If we move it will be because they are moving  we will move together,' the source said. 'We are talking about reciprocity.'

Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister said she had already made it clear the UK would 'honour our commitments' made during years of EU membership.

She will now discuss the new divorce bill offer with European Council president Donald Tusk on Friday.

She hopes to strike a deal that will see Brussels agree to open formal trade talks next month, in return for greater 'clarity' from the UK on the divorce bill.

Yesterday's meeting also saw lengthy discussion of the continuing differences with Brussels over the future of the Northern Ireland border and the status of EU citizens.

Sources played down reports that ministers had agreed to give the European Court of Justice jurisdiction over the rights of EU citizens in the UK after Brexit.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned yesterday that Britain will have to accept European red tape for years to tie up a free trade deal with Brussels.

Mr Barnier said the EU is prepared to offer its 'most ambitious' package only if the Prime Minister guarantees to keep Britain tied to a wide range of Brussels rules.

He urged Mrs May to quickly make a decision, which he said would be hugely important to the chances of a deal.

Michel Barnier has warned that following EU red tape will be contingent to the UK getting a trade deal with the bloc

He also warned that national parliaments across Europe would strike down any eventual deal if the UK follows the advice of Donald Trump and decides to cut all ties with the EU.

The message will rankle with Brexiteers who believe the desire to distance the UK from EU rules was one of the main factors behind the referendum result.

Mr Barnier said: 'Does it [the UK] want to stay close to the European model or does it want to gradually move away from it?

'The UK's reply to this question will be important and even decisive because it will shape the discussion on our future partnership.'

Mr Barnier said any attempts by the UK to attract other investors by turning the country into a tax haven would scupper the chances of a deal.

He also warned against relaxing rules on the environment, competition and food safety, which will be viewed as cautioning against a possible deal with the US.

GERMAN MEP SLAMS EU'S BREXIT DIVORCE BILL DEMANDS A German MEP has accused the EU of trying to charge Britain too much for Brexit - and made clear he blamed Brussels for the split. Hans-Olaf Henkel, the former head of the German equivalent of the CBI, said the EU had 'changed the rules of the game' by pursuing a federalist agenda. He told a conference in London that Eurocrats' determination to forge a 'United States of Europe' was destroying the bloc. 'Brussels changed the rules of the game... European policy was the reason for Brexit,' Mr Henkel said. He also appealed for the UK to demand a better deal on freedom of movement and stay in the EU. 'You are the only country with any common sense left. Please stay,' he said. Advertisement
An Islamic fashion designer has sent a gay pride rainbow hijab to Tony Abbott in support of gay rights, despite the majority of Muslim areas in Australia voting No to same-sex marriage.

Fashion house MOGA mailed the garment to the former Australian prime minister, who has loudly campaigned against same-sex marriage, after Australia voted Yes to the same-sex marriage postal survey last Wednesday.

'By removing the focus on sexuality we are trying to remind Mr Abbott and others who share a similar view that marriage should be a union between two people in love, irrespective of gender,' MOGA said.

Fashion house MOGA mailed the rainbow scarf (pictured) to the former Australian prime minister, who has loudly campaigned against same-sex marriage

'By removing the focus on sexuality we are trying to remind Mr Abbott and others who share a similar view that marriage should be a union between two people in love, irrespective of gender,' MOGA said (scarf pictured)

'Our love and adoration towards the LGBTIQ community is strong and we have designed a limited edition rainbow striped Pride scarf in honor of their strength, bravery and inclusive spirit.'

The Islamic head scarf sold out in just six days after it was released in Australia, despite the majority of Muslim areas voting No to marriage laws changing.

Of the 17 seats that voted No, 12 were in Sydney's west, including Bankstown, Auburn, Villawood and Ryde.

One analyst argued there were cultural reasons behind western Sydney's No vote.

Antony Green said western NSW had the highest proportion of people born in non-English speaking countries.

The Islamic head scarf sold out in just six days after it was released in Australia, despite the majority of Muslim areas voting No to marriage laws changing

An Islamic fashion designer has sent a gay pride rainbow hijab to Tony Abbott in support of gay rights, despite the majority of Muslim areas in Australia voting No to same-sex marriage

'There are other political cultural issues there I think that's what you're seeing in those western Sydney results,' Mr Green told The Broadcaster.

'I understand there's been some quite specific campaigning within the Muslim community, the Chinese community, in parts of western Sydney.'

Islamic imam Keysar Trad performed sermons railing against same sex marriage in western Sydney mosques.

Demographer Mark McCrindle told Daily Mail Australia he was fascinated by the results released by the Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

'They are all the areas of Sydney with the highest migrant population and have high proportions of non-Christian regions.

State by state breakdown: NSW voted most narrowly for same sex marriage - while in the ACT nearly three quarters of the population were in favour

'They're religious areas and culturally diverse areas - they seem to be the factors.'

Mr McCrindle doubted the high vote totals in these areas were a reflection of the success of the No campaign.

'I think... any No campaigning has been pretty minimal and not particularly strong in either organisation or impact.

'What we have here in western Sydney or south-west Sydney electorates is just a perspective of people again - because of their cultural and religious diversity - that is different... to what the majority of the rest of the electorates had,' the social researcher said.

We do! Celebrations broke out across Australia (here in the Melbourne CBD) after the YES vote won 61.6% of the vote
Local councillor posted the latter to Facebook, drawing hundreds of supporters

The Tingalpa resident supported the development in a now-viral emotional letter

A man has penned a passionate submission to council in support of a new KFC

An unlikely hero has emerged in a small Brisbane community after his passionate submission for a KFC to be built 'two minutes' from his house went viral.

The man, who lives in the Tingalpa community, has made a heartfelt plea to his council arguing that it should give the green light to a new KFC restaurant and Caltex service station.

Most of the submissions were arguing against the new development, so the chicken enthusiast's letter stood out from the pile.

A passionate KFC fan has penned a letter to his local council (right) in support of a new store

Local councillor Ryan Murphy praised the submission and singled out the letter on Facebook

'I love KFC. This store with be 2 minutes from my house!! Please ignore the people objecting to this development!!' he wrote.

The form was intended for people to object to the new development, but the creative man crossed out the word 'object' so that the title read 'I wish to SUPPORT the proposed development at 1466 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa'.

Among his persuasive arguments were the fact that the queue at the Wynnum KFC outlet is too long, and that the 'hopeless' Carindale store always gets the orders wrong.

He also threw out a tip to fellow KFC fans - 'I have complained to KFC about this store (you get KFC vouchers if you complain, FYI.)'.

Residents have complained that lines are always too long and slow at the Wynnum KFC outlet

Councillor Murphy, who represents the Doboy Ward in Brisbane City Council, also loves KFC

Local councillor Ryan Murphy, who represents the Doboy Ward in Brisbane City Council, praised the submission on 7NEWS as 'likely the biggest thing to happen in Tingalpa in 2017'.

He posted the letter to Facebook, prompting an outpouring of support and praise for the enthusiastic chicken-lover.

'Can we vote for him? He's pro jobs and development. And we so need another KFC,' one man wrote, agreeing with his assessment of the Wynnum and Carindale outlets.

Steven Peake took to Facebook to support the call for a new KFC in Tingpala, Queensland

'Sadly, from personal experience his characterisation of both the Wynnum and Carindale stores is highly accurate,' Councillor Murphy agreed.

Another supported added: 'I second this guy. I just moved to walking distance to this [proposed] KFC.'

All residents are encouraged to file their submissions in relation to the proposed development by December 6.
A North Korean official has branded Malcolm Turnbull as Donald Trump's 'mouthpiece' after the Australian prime minister criticised Kim Jong-un's rogue state.

Last week, Mr Turnbull urged world leaders to 'turn off [the country's] tap' by enforcing UN security sanctions to prevent North Korea from illegal fundraising.

The statement evidently did not go down well in Pyongyang, with North Korea's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Hui Chol issuing a fiery response.

A North Korean official has labelled Malcolm Turnbull President Donald Trump's 'mouthpiece' (pictured together last week) after the Australian prime minister criticised the country's illegal fundraising overseas

North Korea's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Hui Chol hit back at Mr Turnbull's comments in a statement this week, claiming the prime minister could have jeopardized his political career (pictured is North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un)

In a statement last night, Mr Choe claimed Mr Turnbull could have jeopardised his political career.

'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth is the way I ought to respond to the Australian Prime Minister who hurled unreasonable abuse at the DPRK in defiance of international norms of etiquette and courtesy,' the minister said.

'For the Prime Minister of a country he is, he should  seriously ponder over the consequences that an inappropriate remark he makes could bring to his own political career.'

'It is not surprising that the Prime Minister is being ridiculed in the neighbouring countries as 'a paper cat hiding behind a paper tiger labelled Trump', 'Trump's mouthpiece' and 'a second-class Western citizen' who would be shy to be the second in grovelling to Trump,' Mr Choe said.

Mr Choe's comments come as Mr Turnbull announced his strong endorsement for Mr Trump's move to designate North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism (pictured)

Mr Choe's comments come as Mr Turnbull announced his strong endorsement for Mr Trump's move to designate North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism.

The prime minister said the U.S. president's decision, which allows for additional sanctions, mirrored an international commitment to bring the rogue state to its senses.

'Kim Jong Un runs a global criminal operation from North Korea pedalling arms, pedalling drugs, engaged in cyber-crime and of course threatening the stability of region with his nuclear weapons,' Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
Nasa has once again been accused of covering up the existence of alien life, after an astronaut captured footage of a UFO.

The mysterious object was spotted entering Earth's atmosphere by one of the crew of the International Space Station.

Despite assurances from the space agency that it is just a meteor, conspiracy theorists remain convinced that it is evidence of extra terrestrials.

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Nasa has once again been accused of covering up the existence of alien life, after an astronaut captured footage of a UFO. The mysterious object (circled) was spotted entering Earth's atmosphere by one of the crew of the International Space Station

SECURETEAM 10 CONTROVERSY SectureTeam10 is one of the most viewed YouTube channels, with over 785,000 people subscribing to its conspiracy videos. But the channel has come under fire, as Lions Ground, a rival channel, claims that it has been intentionally fooling its viewers. According to Lions Ground, SecureTeam10 has been raking in an estimated 600 ($745) a day by posting fake videos that 'outsmart UFO believers.' Advertisement

Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli shot the clip, which shows a fiery ball of light racing towards the Earth's atmosphere.

The ISS crew member believes that the object could be space debris, but both the space agency and alien enthusiasts have rejected this explanation.

Tyler Glockner, who runs alien hunting YouTube Channel SecureTeam10, believes it is more proof of a government conspiracy to hide the existence of aliens.

Nasa has previously been accused of covering up an alien sighting after a video surfaced showing six UFOs passing the ISS live-stream, seconds before the feed was cut and replaced with images from a camera showing the inside of a briefing room.

Although the footage of the most recent sighting came from Nasa, conspiracy theorists are suspicious over how quickly they released it to the media.

Speaking in a video uploaded to the SecureTeam10 channel, Mr Glockner said: 'I don't think it's a meteorite at all.

'What many people may not realise is that this video is a timelapse.

'You're seeing the earth spinning at a high rate of speed and we see this flash of light coming from space.

'It does look to be moving at 85mph (136 km/ph).

'But when you account how fast the earth would have actually been moving, had this not been sped up, it would have been moving much, much slower.

'Speeds that are slower than even the slowest meterorites.

'Why did they do this? Why were they so adamant about publishing this when when they've never jumped on a story so fast?'

Mr Glockner also says that the round ball is coming in at too steep an angle to be a meteorite.

In the video, he compares the object to another meteorite that fell to Earth during the 2011 Perseid meteor shower.

In this clip, the characteristic tail of a meteor that is missing from the ISS object can clearly be made out.

Mr Glockner added: 'If you compare this to what they are calling a meteor in this new footage, at no time does this so called meteor look like anything that was captured back in 2011 - it just doesn't.

'It's a short, stubby object that looks nothing like the other meteor here.

Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli shot the clip, which shows a fiery ball of light racing towards the Earth's atmosphere

Tyler Glockner, who runs alien hunting YouTube Channel SecureTeam10, believes it is more proof of a government conspiracy to hide the existence of aliens

Mr Glockner says that the round ball is coming in at too steep an angle and too slowly to be a meteorite

Nasa has previously been accused of covering up an alien sighting after a video surfaced showing six UFOs passing the ISS (pictured) live-stream shortly before it was cut

'We can see this discharge, the energy coming from here vanish.'

Not everyone agrees with the paranormal explanation on offer.

Speaking to MailOnline Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, said: 'Nasa can't win when it comes to dealing with UFOs.

'In this instance, SecureTeam10 are complaining that the agency rushed to release the footage and has only put forward a meteor as the explanation.

'I'd rather believe Nasa than SecureTeam10 any day.

'Even if it was debris, it doesn't turn it into a extraterrestrial scoutship filled with tentacled aliens on a mission to invade our planet, which is what SecureTeam10 imagines every time they see a blob of light filmed by Nasa cameras.'
Animals are dying from preventable diseases because some vets are using 'unscientific' homeopathic treatments, experts have warned.

Vets are harming pets and livestock by ignoring traditional methods and instead putting faith in 'unproven claims', the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said.

The warning follows a petition signed by more than 3,300 vets expressing concern over the harm that homeopathic treatments cause animals.

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Animals are dying from preventable diseases because some vets are using 'unscientific' homeopathic treatments, experts have warned. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said vets are harming pets and livestock by ignoring traditional methods of treatment (stock image)

WHAT IS HOMEOPATHY? Homeopathic 'treatments' are based on the use of highly diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the body to heal itself. A central principle of the alternative remedy is that 'like cures like'  that a substance that causes certain symptoms can also help to remove those symptoms. Homeopathy with pets is practised by about 50 vets in the UK. While the treatment has been advocated by the Prince of Wales among others, clinical trials have shown it offers no benefit beyond the placebo effect. This effect describes a treatment alleviating a patient's symptoms simply because he or she believes it will work. Advertisement

Chris Tufnell, senior vice-president of RCVS, highlighted a popular homeopathic remedy called nosodes, which replaces traditional vaccinations with sugar-coated pills made with diseased matter from another animal.

According to Dogs Naturally magazine: 'When a nosode is given, the body recognizes the cellular structure and disease imprint, producing an immune response similar to actual exposure to the disease itself.

'Although this is difficult to prove scientifically, there are numerous examples of how nosodes have been used in homeoprophylaxis and to treat the onset of disease.'

'I have seen dogs die from completely preventable conditions such as parvovirus, which is extremely unpleasant and preventable,' Mr Tufnell said.

'It's entirely unnecessary.'

He added that owners using homeopathic medicines rather than painkillers leave their pets in 'unacceptable' pain.

Homeopathic treatments are based on the use of highly diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the body to heal itself.

A central principle of the alternative remedy is that 'like cures like'  that a substance that causes certain symptoms can also help to remove those symptoms.

Homeopathy with pets is practised by about 50 vets in the UK.

While the treatment has been advocated by the Prince of Wales among others, clinical trials have shown it offers no benefit beyond the placebo effect.

This effect describes a treatment alleviating a patient's symptoms simply because he or she believes it will work.

A policy statement agreed by the RCVS this month concluded there was no 'recognised body of evidence' for homeopathy.

'Furthermore, it is not based on sound scientific principles,' it said.

Homeopathic 'treatments' are based on the use of diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the body to heal itself. Believers of homeopathy for pets include Prince Charles, who has previously revealed he uses the method on his cows and sheep

HOMEOPATHY ON ANIMALS The RCVS statement follows a petition calling for the College to ban veterinary surgeons from prescribing homeopathic treatments. The petition, which attracted more than 3,300 signatures, warned that allowing the use of such therapies could lead to 'unnecessary suffering or death' because of the danger of people using them instead of orthodox treatments. 'It would be devastating for a dairy farm that went out of business because homeopathic treatments failed to control an outbreak of mastitis [mammary gland infection],' equine vet Danny Chambers, who set up the petition, said. Advertisement

'To protect animal welfare, we regard such treatments as being complementary rather than an alternative to treatments for which there is a recognised evidence base or which are based in sound scientific principles.

'It is vital to protect the welfare of animals committed to the care of the veterinary profession and the public's confidence that any treatments not underpinned by sound scientific principles do not delay or replace those that do.'

The British Veterinary Association came out in support of the statement, adding that 'complementary and alternative treatments not based on sound scientific principles or evidence could have detrimental consequences for animal health and welfare'.

But the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons said it was 'deeply disturbed' by the RCVS policy, describing it as a 'biased and ill-judged viewpoint'.

A spokesperson said pet owners used complementary and alternative medicines when conventional treatments produced unwanted side-effects or did not work.

The RCVS statement follows a petition calling for the College to ban veterinary surgeons from prescribing homeopathic treatments.

The petition, which attracted more than 3,300 signatures, warned that allowing the use of such therapies could lead to 'unnecessary suffering or death' because of the danger of people using them instead of orthodox treatments.
Sex robot fans can fulfil almost any weird fetish - from a doll with three boobs, to one with elf ears to one with a cat tail - according to an adult performer who visited a US RealDoll manufacturer.

Far from being a niche accessory, there are a surprising number of customers prepared to shell out thousands on sexy cyborgs that provide an emotional connection, the source claimed.

Some enthusiastic customers already have harems of super realistic cyborgs that can be 'anything they want' - with manufacturers saying they are struggling to meet demand.

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Sex robot fans can fulfil almost any weird fetish - from a doll with three boobs, to one with elf ears to one with a cat tail, according to an adult performer who visited a US RealDoll manufacturer. Pictured is cyborg Harmony made by RealDoll

SEX ROBOT HARMONY As part of her visit, Ms SugarCookie also spoke to cyborg Harmony 2.0 who can be programmed with 18 different personality traits, including 'shy' and 'sexual.' 'My favourite hobby is talking to you... You're so hot Harriet', Harmony said. 'I can't get enough of you staring at me like this, you're really turning me on!' she said. Harmony has 30 different faces to choose from, 16 body types, customisable breasts from AA to triple F, 19 different nipple types from 'perky' to 'puffy', and 11 different types of genitalia. The robot has 18 different personality types from happy to sensual, shy to talkative. It is modes such as 'shy' which most concern critics, who cite another sexbot as a blatant invitation to 'normalise' rape. Advertisement

'The production and demand for the dolls were way larger than I thought', adult performer Harriet SugarCookie told Daily Star Online after visiting RealDoll manufacturers in California.

'You can get almost anything you want, it's a fantasy. A doll with three boobs? No problem. Elf ears? Sure. A cat tail? Why not? And they make them super realistic.'

In the summer it was reported sex doll 'Fanny' was attracting more customers than real-life prostitutes at the 'Kontakthof' brothel in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

'They love the dolls a lot and they want more than one. Each doll is considered it's own person and some clients end up with a harem of them', said Ms SugarCookie.

The doll comes with a 'persistent memory' allowing her to build up relationships with her owners, use emotions and remember facts about them.

As part of her visit, Ms SugarCookie also spoke to cyborg Harmony 2.0 who can be programmed with 18 different personality traits, including 'shy' and 'sexual', to provide an 'emotional connection' with its owner.

'My favourite hobby is talking to you... You're so hot Harriet', Harmony said.

'I can't get enough of you staring at me like this, you're really turning me on!' she said.

Far from being a niche accessory, there are a surprising number of kinky customers prepared to shell out thousands on sexy cyborgs. Pictured is Harmony with creator Matt McMullen

'I think women get more choice in terms of sex toys than men. Maybe it means there's a higher demand?', said Ms SugarCookie.

'The industry will definitely have something to offer women. You can already get 'f*** machines' for women', she said.

Last month The Mail on Sunday became the first newspaper to experience Harmony 2.1, the latest version of a sex robot Matt McMullen has been working on since 2014.

Harmony has 30 different faces to choose from, 16 body types, customisable breasts from AA to triple F, 19 different nipple types from 'perky' to 'puffy', and 11 different types of genitalia.

Harmony has 18 different personality types from happy to sensual, shy to talkative. It is modes such as 'shy' which most concern critics, who cite another sexbot as a blatant invitation to 'normalise' rape

Many customers already have harems of super realistic cyborgs that can be 'anything they want' - with manufacturers struggling to meet demand, the source claimed

The robot has 18 different personality types from happy to sensual, shy to talkative.

It is modes such as 'shy' which most concern critics, who cite another sexbot as a blatant invitation to 'normalise' rape.

Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism project, said creating a robot willing to have non-consensual sex 'is to risk normalising rape but giving it a publicly acceptable face'.

'We should no more be encouraging rapists to find a supposedly safe outlet than we should facilitate murderers by giving them realistic blood-spurting dummies to stab.'

The doll comes with a 'persistent memory' allowing her to build up relationships with her owners, and remember facts about them

Harmony works via an app on a smartphone or tablet which allows users to 'build' her personality.

She will 'remember' your family members' names, your favourite colour, food, book or movie.

She tells jokes and is programmed to greet her owner with soothing phrases such as 'Welcome home darling, how was your day?'

But her silicone body remains inanimate, something McMullen hopes to improve on by eventually introducing robotic arms, hands and heat sensors.

Harmony works via an app on a smartphone or tablet which allows users to 'build' her personality

Her silicone body remains inanimate, something McMullen hopes to improve on by eventually introducing robotic arms, hands and heat sensors

She tells jokes and is programmed to greet her owner with soothing phrases such as 'Welcome home darling, how was your day?'
Neanderthals survived at least 3,000 years longer than previously thought, in a small enclave in what is now southern Spain.

Experts uncovered three new sites on the Iberian Peninsula that contained distinctly Neanderthal artefacts, dating back 37,000 years.

Previous research suggested that our early cousins were wiped out, most likely by our ancestors interbreeding with them, around 40,000 years ago.

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Experts uncovered three new sites on the Iberican Peninusula that contained distinctly Neanderthal artefacts, dating back 37,000 years. The finds include stone tools used for working with wood, like those pictured

Previous research suggested that our early cousins were wiped out, most likely by our ancestors interbreeding with them, around 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals survived at least 3,000 years longer than previously thought, in a small enclave in what is now southern Spain

HOW EARLY HUMANS INTERBRED The Middle Palaeolithic was a part of the Stone Age, and it spanned from 300,000 to 30,000 years ago. It is widely acknowledged that during this time, anatomically modern humans started to move out of Africa. Early humans began to assimilate Eurasian populations, including Neanderthals, through interbreeding.. During this time, they began to assimilate Eurasian populations, including Neanderthals, through interbreeding. According to the new research, this process was not a straightforward, smooth one. Instead, it seems to have been punctuated, with different evolutionary patterns in different geographical regions. Advertisement

The authors of the study, an international team from Portuguese, Spanish, Catalonian, German, Austrian and Italian research institutions, examined a number of finds uncovered at the sites.

The artefacts uncovered at Cueva Anton, Finca Dona Martina and Abrigo de La Boja, over a period of ten years of fieldwork, include stone tools and decorative shells only previously found at locations populated by Neanderthals.

The team say their findings suggest that the process of modern human populations absorbing Neanderthals was not a regular, gradual wave of advance but a 'stop-and-go, punctuated, geographically uneven history.'

They believe future studies may uncover evidence of other geographically isolated populations of Neanderthals surviving beyond previous estimates.

In a written statement, Dr Joao Zilhao, from the University of Barcelona and lead author of the study, said: 'Technology from the Middle Palaeolithic in Europe is exclusively associated with the Neanderthals.

'In three new excavation sites, we found Neanderthal artefacts dated to thousands of years later than anywhere else in Western Europe.

'Even in the adjacent regions of northern Spain and southern France the latest Neanderthal sites are all significantly older.'

The Middle Palaeolithic was a part of the Stone Age, and it spanned from 300,000 to 30,000 years ago.

It is widely acknowledged that during this time, anatomically modern humans started to move out of Africa.

Early humans began to assimilate Eurasian populations, including Neanderthals, through interbreeding.

According to the new research, this process was not a straightforward, smooth one.

The Neanderthal artefacts found date to thousands of years later than anywhere else in Western Europe. This image shows the Cueva Anton, a paleoanthropological and archaeological site in the Murcia region of southeast Spain

The type of tools uncovered have only previously found at locations populated by Neanderthals. The find suggest the process of modern humans absorbing Neanderthals through interbreeding was not a regular, gradual wave

Archaeologists also uncovered ornamental shells favoured by our early cousins. Experts believe future studies may uncover evidence of other isolated populations of Neanderthals surviving beyond previous estimates

The finds were uncovered at Cueva Anton, Finca Dona Martina and Abrigo de La Boja, around 40 miles (60 km) from the Mediterranean port city of Cartagena

Instead, it seems to have been punctuated, with different evolutionary patterns in different geographical regions.

In 2010, the team published evidence from the site of Cueva Anton in Spain that provided unambiguous evidence for symbolism among Neanderthals.

Putting that evidence in context and using the latest radiometric techniques to date the site, the researchers show Cueva Anton is the most recent known Neanderthal site.

'We believe that the stop-and-go, punctuated, uneven mechanism we propose must have been the rule in human evolution,' Dr. Zilhao said.

WHAT DROVE THE NEANDERTHALS TO EXTINCTION? Neanderthals are a human-like species that evolved from a shared ancestor, but split from humans between 1,000,000 and 800,000 years ago. They migrated from Africa to Europe around 560,000 years ago, long before modern humans. The first Homo sapiens reached Europe roughly 100,000 years ago, replacing the Neanderthals there a few thousand years later. There are many theories as to what drove the downfall of the Neanderthals, between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago. Experts have suggested that humans may have carried tropical diseases with them from Africa that wiped out their ape-like cousins. Others claim that plummeting temperatures due to climate change killed off the Neanderthals. The predominant theory is that early humans drove the Neanderthals to extinction through competition for food and habitat. Homo sapiens' superior brain power and hunting techniques meant the Neanderthals couldn't compete. Advertisement

'This helps explaining why Palaeolithic material culture tends to form patterns of geographically extensive similarity while Palaeolithic genomes tend to show complex ancestry patchworks.'

The key to understanding this pattern, says Dr. Zilhao, lies in discovering and analysing new sites, not in revisiting old ones.

Although finding and excavating new sites with the latest techniques is time-consuming, he believes it is the approach that pays off.

He added: 'There is still a lot we do not know about human evolution and, especially, about the Neanderthals.

Neanderthals (museum model pictured) are a human-like relative that evolved from a common ancestor, but split from humans between 1,000,000 and 800,000 years ago

Neanderthals lived alongside our ancestors in Eurasia for thousands of years. Pictured is the migration of Neanderthals and humans from Africa to Eurasia

'Our textbook ideas about Neanderthals and modern humans have been mostly derived from finds in France, Germany and Central Europe.

'During the Ice Ages these were peripheral areas.

'Probably as much as half of the Palaeolithic people who ever lived in Europe were Iberians.

'Ongoing research has begun to bear fruit, and I have no doubt that there is more to come.'

The full findings were published in the journal Heliyon.
If you think you're safe to watch x-rated content on Incognito Mode at work, think again, according to the Google developer who created it.

Bosses can still keep a tab on employees' web searches when they are using the Incognito search, which contrary to popular belief is not actually private.

One of the developers has warned whatever you choose to watch is 'certainly still visible' to your employee, school or service provider.

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'Going incognito doesn't hide your browsing from your employer, your internet service provider, or the websites you visit', the page warns when it opens

WHAT IS THE POINT OF INCOGNITO MODE? Far from being a way to watch x-rated content without getting caught, the primary intention of incognito mode is to allow people to share devices without mucking up another user's cookies. For example if a boyfriend is looking for engagement rings and does not want his girlfriend to see, Mr Fisher said. It is also useful if you want to book flights as it prevents airlines from keeping tabs on a user's activity and potentially increasing the price. With shopping as well, using incognito mode stops companies being able to suggest 'similar items'. If a user is unsure about the reliability of a site they are clicking on, it is good to click on it in incognito mode first, Mr Fisher advised. In order to open incognito on Chrome, open a new tab, click on the wrench icon in the top right hand corer and click 'New Incognito Window'. Advertisement

Google's Vice President of Chrome Dan Fisher, who helped create the Incognito Mode in December 2008 told the online magazineThrillist that they did not call it 'privacy mode' for the simple reason it is not private.

Far from being a way to watch x-rated content without getting caught, the primary intention of Incognito Mode is to allow people to share devices without mucking up another user's cookies.

For example if a boyfriend is looking for engagement rings and does not want his girlfriend to see he can keep that content secret, Mr Fisher said.

'When you launch the incognito tab there's this disclaimer there where we really try to help make it really clear to people that your activity is certainly still visible to the websites you visit and could be visible to your employer, to your school, and to your [internet service provider] of course', said Mr Fisher.

It is also useful if you want to book flights as it prevents airlines from keeping tabs on a user's activity and potentially increasing the price.

With shopping as well, using incognito stops companies being able to suggest 'similar items'.

If a user is unsure about the reliability of a site they are clicking on, it is good to click on it in Incognito Mode first, Mr Fisher advised.

In order to open an incognito tab on Chrome, open a new tab, click on the wrench icon in the top right hand corner and click 'New Incognito Window'.

'Going incognito doesn't hide your browsing from your employer, your internet service provider, or the websites you visit', the page warns when it opens.

'Pages you view in incognito tabs won't stick around in your browser's history, cookie store, or search history after you've closed all of your incognito tabs'.

'Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be kept', the page reads.

Bosses can still keep a tab on employees' web when they are using Google's Incognito Mode, which contrary to popular belief is not actually private (stock image)

Dr Fisher says the best way to keep your privacy secure is to use an updated browser.

If users want to be truly invisible they should use Tor, or the Dark Web.

Tor - short for The Onion Router - is a seething matrix of encrypted websites that allows users to surf beneath the everyday internet with complete anonymity.

It uses numerous layers of security and encryption to render users anonymous online.

The network has been linked to criminal activity such as drug dealing and even services to hire hit men.

Most of the web's information is buried far down on dynamically generated sites, unable to be found or seen by traditional search engines - sites or pages don't exist until created as the result of a specific search.
A TV historian believes he may have discovered the real location of the Battle of Brunanburh on a humble lay-by off the A1.

The battle is long believed to have saved England from Viking invaders over 1,000 years ago.

It pitted a West Saxon army against a combined hoard of Vikings, Scots and Irish in 937, and was one of the most decisive events in British medieval history.

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A TV historian believes the epicentre of the Battle of Brunanburh was Robin's Hood Well (pictured) near the quaint village of Burghwallis, about seven miles north of Doncaster and has a population of just 300 people

THE BATTLE OF BRUNANBURH The Battle of Brunanburh, which pitted a West Saxon army against a combined hoard of Vikings, Scots and Irish in 937, was one of the most decisive events in British medieval history. In 927, King Aethelstan invaded Northumbria, occupied York and expelled King of Ireland Anlaf Guthfrithson's kinsmen, the rulers of York and Dublin. Ten years later, in the summer of 937, Anlaf and Constantine launched their invasion with 'the biggest Viking fleet ever seen in British waters'. At some point later in the year Aethelstan advanced out of Mercia and attacked the main allied army around Brunanburh. In a battle described as 'immense, lamentable and horrible', King Aethelstan defeated a Viking fleet led by the Anlaf and Constantine, the King of Alba. Anlaf escaped by sea and arrived back in Dublin the following spring. Had King Athelstan - grandson of Alfred the Great - been defeated it would have been the end of Anglo-Saxon England. But upon victory, Britain was created for the first time and Athelstan became the de facto King of all Britain, the first in history. Advertisement

Had King Athelstan - grandson of Alfred the Great - been defeated it would have been the end of Anglo-Saxon England.

But upon victory, Britain was created for the first time and Athelstan became the de facto King of all Britain, the first in history.

Despite the legendary battle's significance, mystery has surrounded its true location for over 1,000 years, with more than 30 locations proposed across England.

A consensus emerged that the battle took place in Bromborough on the Wirral, Merseyside, but TV historian Professor Michael Wood is convinced it actually unfolded 100 miles away in South Yorkshire.

He believes the epicentre of the battle was Robin's Hood Well near the quaint village of Burghwallis, about seven miles north of Doncaster and has a population of just 300 people.

The monument was originally on the route of the A1 but was moved a few hundred yards south in the 1960s when the road was expanded into a dual carriageway.

Professor Wood, who has presented documentaries about early medieval British history for the BBC, said a battle site on the main route from York down into England's Danish heartland in Mercia is a far more likely location for the battle.

He said: 'The evidence clearly points to the Battle of Brunanburh taking place in the region south of York which was the centre of conflict between the Northumbrians and the West Saxon kings during the second quarter of the 10th century.'

In 927, King Aethelstan invaded Northumbria, occupied York and expelled King of Ireland Anlaf Guthfrithson's kinsmen, the rulers of York and Dublin.

Ten years later, in the summer of 937, Anlaf and Constantine launched their invasion with 'the biggest Viking fleet ever seen in British waters'.

Professor Wood (pictured) has presented documentaries about early medieval British history for the BBC. The battle is long believed to have saved England from Viking invaders over 1,000 years ago

Professor Wood said a battle site on the main route from York down into England's Danish heartland in Mercia (pictured) is a far more likely location for the battle

A consensus emerged that the battle took place in Bromborough on the Wirral, Merseyside, but TV historian Professor Michael Wood is convinced it actually unfolded 100 miles away in South Yorkshire

At some point later in the year Aethelstan advanced out of Mercia and attacked the main allied army around Brunanburh.

In a battle described as 'immense, lamentable and horrible', King Aethelstan defeated a Viking fleet led by the Anlaf and Constantine, the King of Alba.

Anlaf escaped by sea and arrived back in Dublin the following spring.

The name Bromborough comes from an Old English place name Brunanburh or 'Bruna's fort' which is the same as the battle.

But Prof Wood argues the case for Bromborough being the location of the battle 'rests on the name alone'.

The monument was originally on the route of the A1 but was moved a few hundred yards south in the 1960s when the road was expanded into a dual carriageway. The old Great North Road passes Robin Hood's Well in 1906

A TV historian believes he may have discovered the real location of the Battle of Brunanburh on a humble lay-by off the A1 (pictured). He gives six main reasons as evidence

SIX REASONS THE BATTLE TOOK PLACE IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE Most people believe the Battle of Brunanburh took place in Bromborough on the Wirral, Merseyside. But TV historian Professor Michael Wood is convinced it actually unfolded 100 miles away in South Yorkshire, near the quaint village of Burghwallis. He gives six main reasons as evidence for the battle's location in South Yorkshire: 1 - He says a battle site on the main route from York down into England's Danish heartland in Mercia is a far more likely location for the battle. The region south of York was the centre of conflict between the Northumbrians and the West Saxon kings during the second quarter of the 10th century. 2 - The name Bromborough comes from an Old English place name Brunanburh or 'Bruna's fort' which is the same as the battle. But Professor Wood argues the case for Bromborough being the location of the battle 'rests on the name alone'. He says Bromborough is not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book and doesn't appear until the 12th century. 3 - There are also doubts about whether Brunanburh should be spelt with a single or double 'n', as it was by several 10th and 11th century chroniclers. Altering the spelling to a double 'n' and Brunnanburh changes the Old English meaning from 'Bruna's fort' to 'the fort at the spring', which could refer to Robin Hood's Well. 4 - Professor Wood highlights a poem in 1122 in which John of Worcester reported Anlaf's fleet landed in the Humber, the opposite side of the country to the Wirral. 5 - And a lost 10th century poem quoted by William of Malmesbury says the Northumbrians submitted to the invaders at or near York, implying the invaders were in Yorkshire in the prelude to the battle. 6 - An early Northumbrian source, the Historia Regum, gives an alternative name for the battle site - Wendun. Professor Wood said this could be interpreted as 'the dun by the Went' or 'Went Hill' in south Yorkshire, near to Robin Hood's Well. Advertisement

He says Bromborough is not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book and doesn't appear until the 12th century.

There are also doubts about whether Brunanburh should be spelt with a single or double 'n', as it was by several 10th and 11th century chroniclers.

Altering the spelling to a double 'n' and Brunnanburh changes the Old English meaning from 'Bruna's fort' to 'the fort at the spring', which could refer to Robin Hood's Well.

Prof Wood highlights a poem in 1122 in which John of Worcester reported Anlaf's fleet landed in the Humber, the opposite side of the country to the Wirral.

And a lost 10th century poem quoted by William of Malmesbury says the Northumbrians submitted to the invaders at or near York, implying the invaders were in Yorkshire in the prelude to the battle.

An early Northumbrian source, the Historia Regum, gives an alternative name for the battle site - Wendun.

The A1 passes Robin Hood's well in the 1950's. Prof Wood argues the case for Bromborough being the location of the battle 'rests on the name alone'

Prof Wood believes the epicentre of the battle was Robin's Hood Well about seven miles north of Doncaster (pictured). The original site is in yellow and today's site is pictured in green

The monument moved a few hundred yards south in the 1960s. Altering the spelling to a double 'n' and Brunnanburh changes the Old English meaning from 'Bruna's fort' to 'the fort at the spring', which could refer to Robin Hood's Well

Prof Wood said this could be interpreted as 'the dun by the Went' or 'Went Hill' in south Yorkshire, near to Robin Hood's Well.

Prof Wood, 69, of north London, said: 'This is one of the greatest events in early British history yet there has been a controversy for more than 300 years.

'It is strange the site could be forgotten for an event which was so famous and recorded in so many sources.

'Bromborough has become the consensus especially in the last 20 to 30 years but this is all because of a form of its name which appears to derive from 'Bruna's Fort'.

'Yet Bromborough was not mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086 and there are no references to it until the 12th century.

'There is no other evidence whatsoever to support Bromborough but plenty of evidence to suggest the battle was somewhere else.

Prof Wood highlights a poem in 1122 in which John of Worcester reported Anlaf's fleet landed in the Humber, the opposite side of the country to the Wirral. Pictured is Robin Hood's Well today

In a battle described as 'immense, lamentable and horrible', King Aethelstan defeated a Viking fleet led by the Anlaf and Constantine, the King of Alba. Pictured is the site in North Yorkshire

'You have to leave no stone unturned and we have accepted the spelling of Brunanburh with a single 'n' but several 10th and 11th century chroniclers spelt it with a double 'n'.

'This completely alters its meaning from 'Bruna's Fort' to 'Fort of the Spring'.

'The alternative name for the battle in the Historia Regum of Wendun could be interpreted as 'the dun by the Went' or 'Went Hill'.

'If you are travelling up the A1 into Yorkshire Went Hill is one of the biggest landmarks and a major escarpment.

'An early 12th century chronicler said the invading fleet landed in the Humber and there is clear evidence the Northumbrians submitted to the invaders.

'If the goal of the invaders was to re-establish their kingdom in York, what were they doing in the Wirral?
More than 30 newly discovered 2,200-year-old skeletons could finally help to reveal who wrote the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls.

Remains found near the site where the scrolls were discovered suggest the bodies were linked to an celibate Jewish brotherhood known as the Essenes.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have fascinated scholars and historians since the ancient texts were found around 70 years ago scattered within a series of caves in the West Bank.

Thought to have been written between 200 BC and 100 AD, the scrolls inscribe some of the oldest known foundations of the Old Testament.

Despite experts citing the texts as among the biggest archaeological finds of the 20th Century, their origins and authorship have remained a mystery for decades.

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More than 30 newly discovered 2,200-year-old skeletons could finally help to reveal who wrote the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls. Remains found near the site where the scrolls (file photo) were discovered suggest they were linked to an ancient Jewish group known as the Essenes

THE ESSENE The Essene were an ancient Jewish religious sect or brotherhood that flourished in Palestine from the 2nd century BC to the end of the 1st century AD. The New Testament does not mention the groups, and ancient accounts from scholars and philosophers of the time sometimes differ in significant details. This suggests a strong diversity among different Essene communities. The sect clustered in small, monastic communities that generally excluded women. Property was held in common and all details of daily life were regulated by officials. The group's numbers were never large, with estimates putting them at some 4,000 at their peak. Advertisement

Ever since their discovery, a number of suggestions have been put forward as to who created or oversaw the texts, including soldiers, craftsmen, people from the Iron Age, or Bedouins.

Now an analysis of remains found in 33 newly uncovered graves could help experts to understand the mysterious texts' history.

Analyses of the bones support a previous theory that the scrolls were written or guarded by members of a celibate, all-male Jewish sect called the Essenes.

The mysterious group flourished in Palestine from the 2nd century BC to the end of the 1st century AD.

Like the scrolls themselves, the graves were found in Qumran, an archaeological region in the West Bank along the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea.

Anthropologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority in Jerusalem radiocarbon dated the bones, revealing they are about 2,200 years old, around the same age as the scrolls.

But it was not just the age of the bones that linked them to the ancient texts.

All but three of the 33 skeletons were identified as probably male, based on factors such as body size and pelvic shape.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have fascinated scholars and historians since the ancient texts were found around 70 years ago scattered within a series of caves in the West Bank

The remaining remains may have belonged to men too, but not enough skeletal evidence exists to be sure.

Of the 30 skeletons identified as male, each was aged between 20 and 50 - or possibly older - when they died.

These parallels suggest the skeletons were once members of the mysterious Essenes crypt, the researchers claimed.

WHO WROTE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS? The Dead Sea Scrolls have fascinated scholars and historians since the ancient texts were found around 70 years ago scattered within a series of caves the West Bank's Qumran region. Previous finds at sites around Qumran have suggested it was founded more than 2,700 years ago. The people of Qumran abandoned the area after war tore the region apart, returning to reoccupy it for 200 years, up to around 68 AD. An early theory on the creation of the Dead sea Scrolls claimed that members of an ancient, celibate Jewish sect, the Essenes, lived in Qumran. The theory says the group either wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls or were caretakers of the legal, philosophical and religious documents. Over the past 30 years, many other theories have been put forward, including that the scrolls were written by Bedouin herders, craftsmen and Roman soldiers. Advertisement

'I don't know if these were the people who produced the Qumran region's Dead Sea Scrolls,' project scientist Dr Yossi Nagar told ScienceNews.

'But the high concentration of adult males of various ages buried at Qumran is similar to what has been found at cemeteries connected to Byzantine monasteries.'

Given the lack of signs of injury on their bones, them men were unlikely to have been soldiers, the researchers said.

Dr Nagar presented the findings last Thursday during the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research.

As there appears to be no women in the burial, the group was likely a 'community of ideologically celibate men child proportion and adult age at death distribution match the common desert monasteric societies of the subsequent periods', the researchers, led by Dr Nagar, wrote in their paper.

Previous finds at sites around Qumran have suggested it was founded more than 2,700 years ago.

The people of Qumran abandoned the area after war tore the region apart, returning to reoccupy it for 200 years, up to around 68 AD.

Thought to have been written between 200 BC and 100 AD, the scrolls inscribe some of the oldest known foundations of the Old Testament

An early theory on the creation of the Dead sea Scrolls claimed that members of an ancient, celibate Jewish sect, the Essenes, lived in Qumran.

The theory says the group either wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls or were caretakers of the legal, philosophical and religious documents.

Over the past 30 years, many other theories have been put forward, including that the scrolls were written by Bedouin herders, craftsmen and Roman soldiers.

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS Discovered between between 1946 and 1956, the Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 ancient manuscripts containing parts of what is now known as the Hebrew Bible, as well as a range of extra-biblical documents. They were first found by shepherd Muhammed Edh-Dhib, as he searched for a stray among the limestone cliffs at Khirbet Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea in what was then British Mandate Palestine - now the West Bank. The story goes that in a cave in the dark crevice of a steep rocky hillside, Muhammed hurled a stone into the dark interior and was startled to hear the sound of breaking pots. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a caves in the limestone cliffs at Khirbet Qumran (pictured) in the West Bank Venturing inside, the young Bedouin found a mysterious collection of large clay jars, in some of which he found old scrolls, some wrapped in linen and blackened with age. The texts are of great historical and religious significance and include the earliest known surviving copies of biblical and extra-biblical documents, as well as preserving evidence of diversity in late Second Temple Judaism. Dated to various ranges between 408BC and 318AD, they are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean, mostly on parchment, but with some written on papyrus and bronze. The scrolls are traditionally divided into three groups. 'Biblical' manuscripts, which are copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible comprise 40 per cent of the haul. Advertisement
Babies understand more speech than parents think and can link words to objects at a very young age, a study found.

At just six months they recognise the meanings of some words are more similar than others, researchers found.

For example young children were able to tell words like car and pram were more alike than words such as car and juice.

The researchers claim that parents should talk to their children as much as possible because they are always listening and learning from what you say.

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Babies understand more speech than parents think and can link words to objects at a very young age, a study found. At just six months they recognise the meanings of some words are more similar than others, researchers found (stock image)

THE STUDY As part of the study, researchers invited babies and their carers into a lab fitted with a computer screen and few other infant distractions. The infants were shown pairs related images, like a foot and a hand, or unrelated images, like a foot and a carton of milk. For each pair, the caregiver, who couldn't see the screen, was told to name one of the images while an eye-tracker followed the baby's gaze. The youngsters spent more time looking at the named images when the two images were unrelated than when they were related. Professor Bergelson said: 'They may not know the full-fledged adult meaning of a word, but they seem to recognise that there is something more similar about the meaning of these words than those words.' The researchers claim that parents should talk to their children as much as possible because they are always listening and learning from what you say. Advertisement

As part of the study the researchers, from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, showed babies images of linked objects while a caregiver was asked to name one of the objects.

Eye-tracking software revealed the young children then spent more time looking at the image that was named.

Professor Elike Bergelson, lead author of the study, said: 'Even though there aren't many overt signals of language knowledge in babies, language is definitely developing furiously under the surface.

'Even in the very early stages of comprehension, babies seem to know something about how words relate to each other.

'And already by six months, measurable aspects of their home environment predict how much of this early level of knowledge they have.'

Professor Bergelson also discovered babies' word knowledge was linked to the amount of time they listened to people talking about objects in their immediate surroundings.

For the first part of the study she invited babies and their carers into a lab fitted with a computer screen and few other infant distractions.

The infants were shown pairs related images, like a foot and a hand, or unrelated images, like a foot and a carton of milk.

For each pair, the caregiver, who couldn't see the screen, was told to name one of the images while an eye-tracker followed the baby's gaze.

The youngsters spent more time looking at the named images when the two images were unrelated than when they were related.

Professor Bergelson said: 'They may not know the full-fledged adult meaning of a word, but they seem to recognise that there is something more similar about the meaning of these words than those words.'

Young children were able to tell words like car and pram were more alike than words such as car and juice. The researchers claim that parents should talk to their children as much as possible because they are always listening and learning from what you say (stock image)

She then studied the babies at home and discovered babies learned to recognise words linked to objects in their surroundings.

Her team looked at the different aspects of speech the babies were exposed to, including the objects named, what kinds of phrases they occurred in, who said them, and whether or not objects named were present and attended to.

She said: 'It turned out that the proportion of the time that parents talked about something when it was actually there to be seen and learned from correlated with the babies' overall comprehension.'

Duke professor of psychology Sandra Waxman, who was not involved in the study, said: 'This study is an exciting first step in identifying how early infants learn words, how their initial lexicon is organised, and how it is shaped or influenced by the language that they hear in the world that surrounds them.'

Professor Waxman added more research is now needed to understand how parents should speak to their babies.

She added: "Before anyone says 'this is what parents need to be doing", we need further studies to tease apart how culture, context and the age of the infant can affect their learning.

Prof Bergelson said: 'My take-home to parents always is, the more you can talk to your kid, the better.

'Because they are listening and learning from what you say, even if it doesn't appear to be so.'
Scientists have proposed a new theory that could rewrite the timeline of the Chernobyl disaster.

After eyewitnesses reported seeing two major explosions on April 26, 1986, its widely been believed that the first of these was a blast of steam, caused by energy from the hot cooling water and a nuclear surge across the reactor core.

The new analysis, however, suggests a nuclear explosion came first.

This explosive event within the reactor would have launched a jet of debris as high as 3,000 meters, followed by the steam explosion that would have caused the reactor to rupture.

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After eyewitnesses reported seeing two major explosions on April 26, 1986, its widely been believed that the first of these was a blast of steam. The new analysis, however, suggests a nuclear explosion came first. The destroyed facility is pictured above in 1986

WHAT THEY FOUND Researchers analyzed xenon isotopes detected by scientists from V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute in the Leningrad, four days after the accident. These were found far from the site of the disaster itself, at a city called Cherepovets, north of Moscow, and far from the major track of the debris. According to the researchers, these isotopes would have been created by recent nuclear fission  indicating a nuclear explosion. According to the new analysis, the observations of the destroyed reactor tank are also indicative of a nuclear explosion followed by a steam explosion. This would have caused temperatures to climb high enough to melt the 2-meter-thick bottom plate in the southeastern part of the core, which had reportedly disappeared. Witnesses at the time reported a blue flash above the reactor seconds after the first explosion, which the researchers say supports the new timeline. Advertisement

In a study published to the journal Nuclear Technology, researchers from the Swedish Defence Research Agency, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, and Stockholm University analyzed xenon isotopes detected by scientists from V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute in the Leningrad, four days after the accident.

These isotopes were found far from the site of the disaster itself, at a city called Cherepovets, north of Moscow, and far from the major track of the debris.

According to the researchers, these isotopes would have been created by recent nuclear fission  indicating a nuclear explosion.

The main debris, on the other hand, contained equilibrium xenon isotopes from the reactors core.

This material was found northwest of the site, in Scandinavia.

An assessment of the weather conditions from the time suggests the fresh xenon isotopes found at Cherepovets came from debris launched higher into the sky than that from the reactor rupture.

According to the researchers, a nuclear explosion would have ejected the debris to much higher altitudes than the steam explosion.

We believe that thermal neutron mediated nuclear explosions at the bottom of a number of fuel channels in the reactor caused a jet of debris to shoot upwards through the refuelling tubes,

This jet then rammed the tubes 350kg plugs, continued through the roof and travelled into the atmosphere to altitudes of 2.5-3km where the weather conditions provided a route to Cherepovets.

The steam explosion which ruptured the reactor vessel occurred some 2.7 seconds later.

Witnesses at the time reported a blue flash above the reactor seconds after the first explosion, which the researchers say supports the new timeline

According to the new analysis, the observations of the destroyed reactor tank are also indicative of a nuclear explosion followed by a steam explosion.

This would have caused temperatures to climb high enough to melt the 2-meter-thick bottom plate in the southeastern part of the core, which had reportedly disappeared.

THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER On April 26, 1986 a power station on the outskirts of Pripyat suffered a massive accident in which one of the reactors caught fire and exploded, spreading radioactive material into the surroundings. More than 160,000 residents of the town and surrounding areas had to be evacuated and have been unable to return, leaving the former Soviet site as a radioactive ghost town. A map of the Chernobyl exclusion zone is pictured above. The 'ghost town' of Pripyat sits nearby the site of the disaster The exclusion zone, which covers a substantial area in Ukraine and some of bordering Belarus, will remain in effect for generations to come, until radiation levels fall to safe enough levels. The region is called a 'dead zone' due to the extensive radiation which persists. However, the proliferation of wildlife in the area contradicts this and many argue that the region should be given over to the animals which have become established in the area - creating a radioactive protected wildlife reserve. Advertisement

Burnthrough observed in the subinstrumentation room below suggests there were brief and sharply directed streams of high-temperature plasma entering from above, the researchers wrote in the study.

This strongly supports the hypothesis of a much stronger plasma jet aimed in the opposite direction where because of the refueling tubes through the 4-m-thick upper plate, there was substantially less resistance.

In other parts of the core, the bottom plate had remained mostly intact  but, it had dropped by roughly 4 meters.

Scientists have proposed a new theory that could rewrite the timeline of the Chernobyl disaster. A radiation zone sign in the abandoned city of Pripyat is pictured

The nuclear explosion within the reactor would have launched a jet of debris as high as 3,000 meters, followed by the steam explosion that would have caused the reactor to rupture, the researchers say

This was likely caused by the second explosion, a steam explosion which generated enough pressure to push the plate down without getting hot enough to melt it.

The steam also launched the 2,000 ton top lid roughly 20-30 meters above the floor.

Witnesses at the time reported a blue flash above the reactor seconds after the first explosion, which the researchers say supports the new timeline.
Amazon has unveiled a new version of its web storage service for the CIA and other intelligence community agencies to host secret classified data.

Known as the 'AWS Secret Region' it will allow the 17 intelligence agencies to host, analyze and run applications on government data classified at the secret level.

The new service is air-gappedor shut offfrom the rest of the internet.

Known as the 'AWS Secret Region' it will allow the 17 intelligence agencies to host, analyze and run applications on government data classified at the secret level.

'Today we mark an important milestone as we launch the AWS Secret Region,' said Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Amazon Web Services Worldwide Public Sector.

'AWS now provides the U.S. Intelligence Community a commercial cloud capability across all classification levels: Unclassified, Sensitive, Secret, and Top Secret.

'The U.S. Intelligence Community can now execute their missions with a common set of tools, a constant flow of the latest technology and the flexibility to rapidly scale with the mission.'

Through the company's $600 million C2S contract, brokered several years ago with the CIA, Amazon already provides a region for the intelligence community's top secret data.

'The AWS Top Secret Region was launched three years ago as the first air-gapped commercial cloud and customers across the U.S. Intelligence Community have made it a resounding success,' said Carlson.

The Defense Department spends some $40 billion on IT each year, and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos hopes the firm will now get a larger part of it

'Ultimately, this capability allows more agency collaboration, helps get critical information to decision makers faster, and enables an increase in our Nation's Security.'

CIA Chief Information Officer John Edwards said the new region is a key step in commercial cloud computing technology.

'The AWS Secret Region is a key component of the intel community's multi-fabric cloud strategy.

'It will have the same material impact on the IC at the Secret level that C2S has had at Top Secret,' Edwards said in a statement.

Amazon Web Services is the most profitable division of business giant Amazon.

The Defense Department, which spends some $40 billion on IT each year
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Bali is so renowned for its spiritual heritage and jungle landscapes that merely mentioning the word conjures up images of a tropical haven.

Yet, those who are familiar with the Indonesian island will know it has become synonymous with nightlife. The beach resorts of Kuta and Seminyak have notorious party reputations.

This is why travelers in search of unparalleled paradise should head to the eastern side of the island.

Luxury lagoon: The resorts focal point is its large palm-fringed swimming pool

Alila Mangiss offers a host of activities including snorkelling, boat trips and temple tours

Here the fleets of mopeds and dodgy looking bars that litter the southern regions give way to sleepy fishing villages and lush rice paddy fields.

This is the Bali I want to experience and I am pleased to find it awaits me at the Alila Manggis, a boutique hotel in the town of Candidasa.

The resort is around a 90-minute drive from Denpasar Airport and sits in a quiet spot between the sea and the island's most sacred volcano, Mount Agung.

Set across four thatched blocks, all 55 rooms face out across the pristine lawn and large palm-fringed swimming pool.

The resort provides daily complimentary afternoon tea by the pool featuring fresh lemongrass and ginger tea and a selection of cakes

Spa Alila has two outdoor spa bales facing the ocean so guests can receive their treatment while listening to the sound of crashing waves

Spoilt for choice: Seasalt restaurant serves both authentic Balinese and western dishes

Those on the top floor have a balcony with double daybed while the ones below have a private patio.

The decor is in keeping with the resort's laid back luxury vibe  think plush white cotton bedding and traditional Balinese wood and wicker furniture.

Guests are treated to complimentary afternoon tea by the pool as well as yoga and Tai Chi classes.

Alila Manggis also offers a host of activities including snorkeling, temple tours, sunrise treks and, the one that catches my eye, a visit to a traditional Balian healer.

I spend one-hour with Mountain, a local medicine man in his mid-40s, which begins with a relaxing head to toe Balinese massage.

Samantha met with Mountain (left), a local Balinese healer, as part of a one-hour spiritual experience. He made her cry, in a good way. Guests can enjoy a romantic candlelit meal for two in a secluded spot that overlooks the sea (right).

This is slightly unexpected as I thought, having watched the film Eat Pray Love more times than I care to admit, I was going to have my palm read by a toothless centennial.

After the massage Mountain instructs me to sit up and close my eyes while he holds his hands over my head and philosophises about happiness.

I have no idea what he did to me but as I come round from my meditative state he asks me how I feel and I started to uncontrollably cry.

Laid back luxury: Rooms are decorated with traditional Balinese wood and wicker furniture and plush white linens

Pictured is one of the two corner suites, which have a living area and large balcony with double day-bed

Mountain reassures me my tears are happy tears and tells me I have lots of good energy, before bestowing upon me the parting phrase 'I hope you're happy always'.

I leave feeling bemused but strangely at peace as I walk back to my room to get ready for dinner.

The impressive grounds look particularly beautiful at night when candle-lit lanterns are hung around the resort's restaurant, Seasalt, which serves both authentic Balinese and western dishes.

I'm a dessert person so it is no surprise the most memorable part of the meal comes in the form of a sorbet of green bean, jackfruit and coconut milk known locally as Es Puter.

There's so much to do in Bali and vast amounts of natural beauty to explore I wish I had more time.

It's undeniably one of those bucket list destinations you simply must tick off but take my advice and avoid the tourist traps.
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An elderly grandmother sews outside her home, children gather crops and traders go about their business in Durbar Square.

Dutch photographer Don Oppedijk, now 65, captured fascinating scenes in the remote mountainous country of Nepal during a trip across Asia in 1981.

He photographed snow-covered Mount Everest while flying into Kathmandu on a Fokker F27 plane. And locals who had never seen westerners before.

Pictures from the popular Durbar Square in Kathmandu show children, traders and men going about their day in the area, which is now one of the most popular spots in the country for tourists.

Almost 40 years later and tourist numbers are now close to a million a year and the country has been transformed.

Oppedijk said: 'Kathmandu was like no other place in Asia back then. I remember it being about four times cheaper than Thailand in the 70s and 80s. Scroll down to go back in time.

Dutch photographer Don Oppedijk, now 65, captured Nepal during a trip across Asia in 1981

Oppedijk said: 'Kathmandu was like no other place in Asia back then'

Oppedijk said that he remembered Nepal being four times cheaper than Thailand in the 70s and 80s

Peek back in time: Two men have a chinwag at a timbered grocery store in Kathmandu

Kathmandu's temples are a huge draw to tourists, with hundreds of thousands visiting every year

Oppedijk captures a shadow creeping across a temple in Kathmandu as tourists and locals walk past

One local sporting a big pair of shades is all smiles as he's snapped by Oppedijk

A woman sews outside her home in Pokhara, using a very sturdy metal sewing machine

Shoe shine tradesmen ply their trade in Kathmandu (left) while the image on the right shows a typically bustling scene in the city

Some things never change: Nepal had stunning vistas in 1981 - and still does to this day

Birds wheel through the sky as Oppedijk points his lens across the eye-popping landscape

Daily grind: Three women carry enormous bundles of sticks in Pokhara in 1981

Oppedijk photographed snow-covered Mount Everest while flying into Kathmandu on a Fokker F27 plane

Locals gather beneath the ornate timbers of an old building in Kathmandu

Four local children can't hide their delight at being snapped by Oppedijk in Pokhara
Somewhere out there a phantom ship could well be drifting, having roamed the seas without a crew for decades.

She was last seen in 1969, 38 years after she was abandoned in the Arctic  but since then no one has laid eyes on the SS Baychimo.

Her fate, to this day, is unknown and she endures as one of the most mysterious ghost ships of modern times.

She was last seen in 1969, 38 years after she was abandoned in the Arctic  but since then no one has laid eyes on the SS Baychimo, pictured

In 2006 the Alaskan government expressed an interest in solving the puzzle once and for all, but its efforts came to nothing.

This steel-hulled cargo steamer was launched in 1914 in Sweden, but back then was called SS Angermanelfven.

Her job was to transport goods between Hamburg and Sweden, but after the First World War she was handed over to the British as part of Germanys war reparations and in 1921, having been acquired by the Hudsons Bay Company, was renamed the Baychimo.

For the next 10 years her triple expansion steam engine powered her up and down the bitingly frigid northern coast of Canada, collecting and off-loading pelts.

Then, on October 1, 1931, her life as a ghost ship inched closer when  on a trip to Vancouver - she became stuck in pack ice near the Alaskan town of Barrow, the 11th northernmost community in the world.

The SS Baychimo first became stuck in ice near the Alaskan town of Barrow, pictured, the 11th northernmost community in the world

The crew abandoned her for a couple of days while they warmed up in Barrow, then returned to find her floating free from her sub-zero prison.

But the 1,322-ton vessel became stuck fast again on October 8  more drastically this time - and Hudsons Bay Company decided to rescue its employees from the grip of the perilously icy environment.

In all, 22 were retrieved, but 15 very hardy sailors  including the captain - decided to stay, despite the punishing weather. They built a wooden shelter nearby and dug in for the winter.

Then the spookiness inched closer still, because after a blizzard hit on November 24, the Baychimo disappeared.

The captain and the rest of the crew simply thought that shed broken up and sunk in the storm.

But a week later a native Inuit seal hunter told the crew that hed seen the ship about 45 miles away.

The excited crew tracked it down and boarded it, but it was in such bad repair that it was abandoned there and then and left to its fate.

After that she was sighted another 12 times  including in 1932 off Wainwright, Alaska, by a trading party who boarded her, in March 1933 by Eskimos, who sheltered in her for 10 days during a storm and in November 1939 by Captain Hugh Polson, who wanted to salvage her.

Polson was the very last person to board her.

In March 1962 she was spotted drifting in the Beaufort Sea and seen stuck in ice in 1969, between Point Barrow and Icy Cape in the Chukchi Sea.

That was the last recorded sighting of her and since then, no one has set eyes on her, but no wreckage has ever been found either.

Did the sea finally claim her? Or is she still out there somewhere on her eerie odyssey? We may never know.
Nobody encapsulated the every day trials and tribulations of fatherhood better than Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in Daddy's Home.

In its sequel, Daddy's Home 2, the pair are joined by their own equally embarrassing on-screen fathers played by Mel Gibson and John Lithgow.

The result is a laugh-out-loud sequence of insults, gaffes and general dad moments as the foursome navigates their way through an awkward, modern family Christmas.

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Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Will Ferrell and John Lithgow in Daddy's Home 2

But in the real world of celebrity fatherhood, child rearing can be just as taxing.

Lucky for us, we get to peer in on all the stars' blunders and their proud moments through social media.

Ryan Reynolds

No one offers their fans a more realistic and hilariously honest account of their struggles as a parent than Ryan Reynolds.

Ryan Reynolds pictured with his wife Blake Lively and their two daughters James, two, and Ines, one, in December last year

Father to two girls with stunning wife Blake Lively, Ryan was bowled over by the birth of their first daughter, James, in 2014.

He and Blake did a stellar job of keeping their little bundle of joy hidden from public view for a long time, but he did treat us to some of their finest moments online.

As the months rolled on, funny man Ryan kept the one-liners coming.

Now that they have two daughters (baby Ines was born in September 2016), the candid and hilarious dad tweets are sure to continue for a years.

David Beckham

David Beckham, who gushes uncontrollably over his only daughter Harper, reserves a more teasing tactic for his sons.

David Beckham with daughter Harper, wife Victoria and their sons Brooklyn, (left), Cruz (center) and Romeo in April 2015

And while he may be an object of desire for women all over the world, for Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, he's just an embarrassing dad trying to cramp their style.

This was never truer than in April 2015 when Brooklyn, then 16, celebrated reaching 100million Instagram followers with a video.

Reached 1 million followers on my mums birthday. Thank u guys so much #ismydadcoolerthanme A post shared by bb (@brooklynbeckham) on Apr 17, 2015 at 7:49am PDT

'It's my mum's birthday...,' he said awkwardly as David bellowed in the background: 'Brooklyn, we're leaving!'.

As the bashful teen soldiered on with his video, uttering: 'I've got 100million followers,' proud dad David chimed in again, this time appearing on camera to boast: 'I've got 52!'.

Just an average night in the Beckham household.

Mark Wahlberg

In Daddy's Home 2, Wahlberg is joined by his on-screen father played by Mel Gibson.

In real life however, the actor struggles alongside his celebrity cohorts when it comes to child rearing.

Mark Walhberg with partner Rhea Durham and children Ella, Grace, Brendan and Michael in 2015

Walhberg has four kids - Ella, Grace, Brendan and Michael - and each holds a special place in his heart.

But just other ordinary parents may relate, he has to work extra hard to gain the attention of his brooding pre-teen son Brendan.

Happy birthday Brendan!  Nine years old today.  A post shared by Mark Wahlberg (@markwahlberg) on Sep 16, 2017 at 12:39pm PDT

In one hilarious video posted earlier this month, Brendan barely acknowledged his famous dad while happily celebrating his 9th birthday in the silence of his noise-cancelling headphones.

Wahlberg previously joked about daughters Ella and Grace and how he will forbid them from dating for years, giving a special warning to Justin Bieber.

Good luck girls!

John Legend

Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen made no secret of their long struggle to conceive so when baby Luna was born in April 2016, the normal social media spamming began.

John Legend with wife Chrissy Teigen and their daughter Luna in London in September

Chrissy, the queen of candid social media posts who even fights with trolls in the comments section, does most of their 'gramming but legendary lyricist John has been known to post his own gushing tributes to their protege.

Among the achievements he is most proud of is her ability to play the piano while chowing down on ribs and completing a Halloween masterpiece.

'At the piano, eating a rib. It doesn't get any better than this,' Legend said of baby Luna in this shot from October 2017. With sauce smeared on her face and still in her PJs, it was a scene most dads could no doubt relate to, maybe just without the Shroenhurt piano

Keen to show off his protege, the singer shared another snap of her 'first art installation' after Halloween

Dax Shepard

Rivalled perhaps only by his wife Kristen Bell with their parenting posts, actor Shepard takes pride in documenting the chaos his two daughters bring to daily life.

The pair may not like to have their daughters Lincoln, four, and Delta, two, pictured publicly, but they sure don't hold back when it comes to sharing their antics online.

The 43-year-old star also added a comedic touch when it came to announcing their births.

Dax Shepard and wife Kristen Bell have two children together but choose not to photograph them publicly

Chris Pratt

Pratt shares one son with his ex-wife Anna Faris and both actors give a light-hearted, running commentary on how they parent the five-year-old on social media.

Chris Pratt and ex-wife Anna Faris with their five-year-old son Jack in April this year

But Chris won over parents everywhere when he revealed in an all-too relatable string of tweets that little Jack had managed to take over his Twitter feed while playing a game.

What did he have on his mind? Play-doh, of course.

Daddy's Home 2 will be released in theatres on November 23rd
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They're busy actors and doting parents to two young children.

And Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis took a well deserved break this week, jetting off as a family to Hawaii for some sunshine and relaxation.

Olivia, 33, and Jason, 42, showed off their slender beach bods as they enjoyed a day at the beach with their two little children, three-year-old son Otis and one-year-old daughter Daisy.

Paradise: Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis were sunning themselves on the beach in Hawaii during a sweet family holiday this week

Doting parents: Olivia, 33, and Jason, 42, enjoyed the seaside with their two little children, three-year-old son Otis and one-year-old daughter Daisy

Mustached Jason wore a pair of scarlet swimming trunks with paint purple floral patterning.

The Horrible Bosses star accessorized with sunglasses and at times could be seen wearing a T-shirt.

Meanwhile, Olivia emphasized her svelte figure in a black one-piece, occasionally modeling a hat with a dented crown.

She also shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses, opting for a pair with black lenses and translucent bronze-colored rims.

Peach on the beach: Olivia had slid her enviably svelte figure in a black one-piece

Getting some shade: She occasionally modeled a hat with a dented crown

At one point, Olivia swept her hair - which is cropped to above the shoulders - up into a bun, and was seen cradling each of her children.

Lying down on her back, the doting mother could be seen lifting her smiling baby daughter up into the air.

Little Daisy was seen standing beside her father, staying up on her feet all by herself.

Beaming: She looked like she was having a ball out by the ocean

Mother and child: Olivia cradled her youngest in her arms on the sand

I believe I can fly: Lying down on her back, the doting mother could be seen lifting her smiling baby daughter up into the air

Getting her feet wet: Olivia spent some time wading around the shallows

Jason was also spotted holding hands with his firstborn on the sand.

Olivia and Jason have each been married once before - she to filmmaker Tao Ruspoli from 2003 to 2011, he to writer and actress Kay Cannon from 2004 to 2010.

Near the beginning of this year, Jason confided in People about parenthood, saying: 'My joke, when we had Otis was, at least, having a boy, I have a better understanding of how Im going to screw him up.'

Family fun: Jason and Olivia were each seen walking by the waves beside little Otis

Supportive parenting: Daisy sat on her mother's stomach as the latter lounged on the sand

Getting some sun: Olivia could also be seen laying on her stomach, propping herself on her forearms

Watchful mom: Olivia kept an eye on Otis as he stood on the sand holding a toy rocket

Staying hydrated: The actress had a bottle of Evian water at her side

He countered: 'But with a little girl, I mean, she couldnt have a better role model in [Olivia] and my sisters and Olivias sisters and our mothers.'

Olivia's future film releases include Life Itself, which was written and directed by This Is US creator Dan Fogelman and features Olivia amid a star-studded cast.

Others appearing in the film include Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening, Oscar Isaac, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Cooke and Mandy Patinkin.

So sweet: Olivia had a huge smile on her face as she held her son, and she seemed to be enjoying the sea breeze

Confab: Smiling, Jason leaned down to have a chat with his fiancee as their elder child stood nearby

Next year will also see the release of A Vigilante, the first feature film to be directed by Sarah Duggar-Nickson, who has also written the screenplay.

According to IMDb, the film centers on someone who rescues domestic abuse survivors from the people mistreating them.

Jason also has movies due for release next year, including Next Gen, an animated film with a voice cast that features James Franco, David Cross and Michael Pena.

He will also be seen next year in Driven, a politically-tinged drugs thriller co-starring Judy Greer and Lee Pace, among others.

Family fun: While walking by the waves with Otis, Olivia flung her arms up into the air, and also kept a look out for him as he chased after a ball

Quality time: Little Daisy was seen standing beside her father, staying up on her feet all by herself

Mother and child: Daisy also stood by her mother and held onto her thumb like a little railing

Father and son: Otis was also seen holding Jason's hand as they took a stroll on the beach

Cleopatra pose: Olivia looked the image of relaxation while stretching herself out over the sand
She was reunited with her husband Oliver Curtis in June after he served 12 months in prison for insider trading.

And on Monday, Roxy Jacenko opened up about the types of 'favours' that went on behind the scenes in the cell.

Speaking to KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O, the 37-year-old confirmed Oli didn't participate in any 'man-on-man sex'.

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Awkward topic! On Monday, Roxy Jacenko opened up about whether or not Oli had had any man-on-man sex when he was in jail

'Did Oli have to have any man-on-man sex during his prison time?' asked Kyle.

Giggling to herself, the PR maven revealed it was a question she did ask him.

'No. I did ask that, I did,' she replied.

Already had the discussion: Giggling to herself, the PR maven revealed it was a question she did ask him

With the shock-jock continuing to probe whether she believed him or not, the Roxy said she had no doubts.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, the mother-of-two revealed the topic was not an uncomfortable conversation at all.

'It was very much asked in good humour!' she recalled.

Open and honest: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, the mother-of-two revealed the topic was not an uncomfortable conversation at all

Time away from the family: In June 2016, Oli was sentenced to a minimum 12 months in prison after he was found guilty of conspiring to 45 illicit trades

In June 2016, Oliver, 32, was sentenced to a minimum 12 months in prison after he was found guilty of conspiring to 45 illicit trades.

Upon his release earlier this year, the disgraced businessman proposed to his wife for the second time.

The couple who first wed in 2012 are parents to Pixie, 6, and Hunter, 3.
She once blamed a lack of good men as the reason she has been so unlucky in love.

But Leah Costa, 24, appears to have found a good prospect in former Bachelorette star Michael Turnbull, despite her relationship with his former rival David Witko.

The busty blonde, who was unceremoniously booted from The Bachelor earlier this year, was recently spotted flirting with real estate agent Michael, 36, while filming Bachelor In Paradise in Fiji, according to New Idea on Monday.

New flame? Leah Costa, 24, appears to have found a good prospect in former Bachelorette star Michael Turnbull, despite her relationship with his former rival David Witko

Photos published by the magazine show a bikini-clad Leah and a shirtless Michael enjoying a romantic date at the beach on Mango Bay Resort and a source claims their chemistry is undeniable.

'Even when the cameras weren't rolling, Leah was glued to his side, finding any excuse to touch him or snuggle up close,' an insider said.

'Apparently Leah had her heart set on Michael heading onto the show.

Look away Dave! Leah and Michael's romantic date in Fiji comes after she confirmed her relationship with former Bachelorette star David Witko

The source continued: 'She knew he was one of the most controversial characters and that hooking up with him would guarantee her airtime.'

Their rumoured romance comes just months after Leah announced she had moved on from former Bachelor star Matty Johnson with former Bachelorette star David, 34.

Leah and David have shared a series of loved-up snaps on social media over the last few months, one as recently as September.

Is it over? Leah and David have shared a series of loved-up snaps on social media, one as recently as September

Moving on? Tellingly, the pair attended the same Baroq House event in Melbourne last month separately, with Leah arriving alone and David posing for a snap with stunning Miss Universe Australia Caris Tiivel (R)

However, the university student appears to have since ditched the hunk for Michael.

Tellingly, the pair attended the same Baroq House event in Melbourne last month separately, with Leah arriving alone and David posing for a snap with stunning Miss Universe Australia Caris Tiivel.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Ten for comment.

Leah and Michael join the likes of Keira Maguire, Tara Pavlovic and Apollo Jackson all set to appeat on Bachelor In Paradise Australia.
They both failed to find everlasting love on Married at First Sight.

But now Sharon Marsh and Andrew 'Jonesy' Jones are giving love another chance, with NW reporting the pair are heading to the new show, Love Island.

'Shaz is looking better than ever - she's confident and happy, and this is perfect for her,' an insider told the publication.

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'She's looking better than ever, it's perfect for her!' Married at First Sight's Sharon Marsh is heading to Love Island...and Andrew 'Jonesy' Jones is tagging along

The source added that Andrew is taking Love Island as a bit of joke and wants a free trip to Spain.

He and Sharon are reportedly best friends.

'This is just a laugh for him,' the source said.

Moving on: They both failed to find everlasting love on Married at First Sight (Sharon is see with her twin and Andrew)

They added: 'He doesn't think he'll find anything for real on TV, but he's not going to turn down a free trip to Spain with his best mate.'

Sharon 'married' Nick Furphy on Married at First Sight, but the pair ended their relationship in July.

It was recently reported that Sharon moved on and found a new boyfriend, fireman Adam Medvid.

Over: Sharon 'married' Nick Furphy on Married at First Sight, but the pair ended their relationship in July

Case of the ex: Andrew meanwhile, had a short-lived romance with Cheryl Maitland on Married at First Sight

She recently told OK: 'I've been with him for nine months and we've moved in together.'

Andrew meanwhile, had a short-lived romance with Cheryl Maitland on Married at First Sight.

He was dubbed a 'villain' last year, when he bad-mouthed Cheryl during a boys-only dinner on the show.

He told his male co-stars that he would dump her for his original partner Lauren, if given the choice.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted both Andrew and Sharon for comment in relation to this story.
As a runway veteran and Victoria's Secret alum, she's well-acquainted with the art of fashion.

And Karolina Kurkova was every bit the masterpiece Saturday at RH West Palm design gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida.

At the exclusive opening party, the Czech beauty, 33, dazzled in an ivory wrap dress which showcased her supermodel figure with a delicate ribbon belt around her middle.

White hot! Karolina Kurkova looked like a masterpiece Saturday at RH West Palm design gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida

She teamed the frock with a creme jacket and strappy silver heels.

Karolina, who is repped by One Management, accessorized with a crocodile clutch and diamond studs.

The former VS Angel styled her blonde blocks into a smooth updo while lining her striking blue eyes in dark kohl.

Inside the stunning blonde caught up with fellow celebs Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves.

In the clutch! The One Management repped beauty accessorized with a crocodile clutch and diamond studs

Kohl miner's daughter: The Victoria's Secret alum styled her blonde blocks into a smooth updo while lining her striking blue eyes in dark kohl

Star studded: Inside the stunning blonde caught up with fellow celebs Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves, later posing with RH Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman (center-left)

Matthew, who is currently in Florida shooting the Beach Bum, was dapper in a Western style shirt and jeans while his model wife dazzled in a gold dress with bell sleeves.

The famous friends posed with one of the evening's hosts, RH Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman.

Karolina posed on some of the luxe designs inside the gallery, which bills itself as 'a dramatic canvas for one of the most comprehensive collections of luxury home furnishings in the world.'

Work of art! Karolina posed on some of the luxe designs inside the gallery, which bills itself as 'a dramatic canvas for one of the most comprehensive collections of luxury home furnishings in the world'

Karolina's hubby Archie Drury was close by, looking handsome in an ash colored suit with sky blue shirt.

The model and actor have two kids together: Tobin, eight, and Noah, two.

Karolina loves being a parent, describing herself as a 'Super-Model Mom, TV Personality, and Woman' on her Instagram.

The celeb recently made an uplifting post about children on social media, writing: 'Children are our future! As a parent, it is important to teach them strong values and be the best role model that you can be' along with a photo of her family.
She's never been afraid of showing off her killer curves.

And Ariel Winter made heads turn once again as she posted a seductive braless photo to her Instagram account late Sunday afternoon.

The 19-year-old actress looked gorgeous as she revealed an ample amount of cleavage in the sexy social media share.

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Back in black! Ariel Winter made heads turn once again as she posted a seductive braless photo to her Instagram account late Sunday afternoon

The busty brunette wore a see-through black blouse which featured black floral detailing woven onto the garment.

Thick black satin ran down the starlet's chest with a slim black satin pocket perched atop her bosom.

Ariel opted for minimal accessories aside from her ample assets and a pair of dangling silver earrings.

Beautiful: The 19-year-old actress hasn't shied away from flaunting her incredible curves; seen in August

Her long chocolate brown tresses were tied into a high ponytail with wisps of her hair sweeping down by her cheeks, a look pulled together by celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Colombini.

The Modern Family starlet's makeup was impeccable with long flirty eyelashes and a smokey cat eye artistically designed by makeup artist Allan Avendano.

Ariel recently admitted that she's dealt with a fair share of unkind words toward her body on social media, but found a way to respond to her harshest critics.

'Its difficult to not write something sassy, but I feel better when I write something positive,' Winter said.

Work it: Ariel recently admitted that she's dealt with a fair share of unkind words toward her body on social media, but found a way to respond to her harshest critics; seen in May

Golden girl: In the interview the Speed Racer actress admits that 'I still get insecure all the time,' but that writing something positive back to her haters 'makes you feel better about yourself'; seen in November

In the interview the Speed Racer actress admits that 'I still get insecure all the time,' but that writing something positive back to her haters 'makes you feel better about yourself.'

And while she was ridiculed for he lack of curves when she first began on Modern Family as an 11-year-old, things got worse as her body developed.

'I started trying to dress for my body and was called a slut or a fat hooker,' said the former child actress. 'It got even worse as I was turning 13, 14, 15. It really took so much of my self- esteem.'

Bright light: In September, the young actress took to social media to lash out at her haters and body shamers; seen in September

In September, the young actress took to social media to lash out at her haters and body shamers.

'I'm trying to live my life!' the actress wrote on Instagram after she was criticized by trolls for her racy outfit choice at the 2017 Emmy Awards.

'People wear shorts. People have wardrobe malfunctions. No one is perfect. I'm not a stylist! I don't know what to wear everyday so I look "appropriate" or "fashionable."

The Kiss Kiss Bang Bang recently celebrated her one-year anniversary dating boyfriend Levi Meaden.

Young love: The Kiss Kiss Bang Bang recently celebrated her one-year anniversary dating boyfriend Levi Meaden; seen on Instagram




It seems thou shalt not covet a larger role in Kim Kardashian's business.

For the reality television personality is said to have fired her assistant Stephanie Shepherd for 'lacking knowledge' that would allow her to succeed in a more important position within her organisation.

And it seems the long-term lackey is now paying a high price for making the cardinal sin of demanding a role beyond her capabilities, as the former dynamic duo are no longer talking.

Not speaking: It has been claimed Kim Kardashian has not been talking to her faithful long-term lackey Stephanie Shepherd since firing her

An insider told People: 'Shes still friendly with the other sisters but she and Kim arent really speaking.

'Kim made a decision to let Stephanie go. She was a good assistant but when Stephanie wanted to transition into a larger role with Kims brand and businesses, it just didnt work.

'Kim gave her the chance but after a short period of time it became clear that Stephanie just didnt have the knowledge to take on a role like that. Kim made an executive decision to part ways.'

This year the self-styled high flyer promoted her sidekick from executive assistant to chief operating officer of Kim Kardashian Brands - surely one of the most coveted positions in the exciting reality television industry.

You're fired: Kim decided to axe her apprentice after deciding she 'lacked knowledge' to succeed following a promotion

With great power comes great responsibility: This year Kim promoted Stephanie (front) to COO of the Kim Kardashians Brands

But with great power comes great responsibility, and it seems she was given the chop for failing to meet expectations.

Among her weighty duties was helping to run her boss's much touted Kimoji app.

Stephanie has been the reality favourite's personal assistant since 2013 and they went their separate ways just a few weeks ago.

It had previously been claimed in US Weekly, there is 'no bad blood' between Kim and Stephanie, simply that 'they just agreed their working relationship was no longer working.'

Their source said that while they don't work together professional, she attended Kim's birthday dinner in October and Kendall's 22nd birthday party this month.

Uh oh: The magazines's insiders noted that there's no bad blood between Kim (c) and Stephanie (r), simply that 'they just agreed their working relationship was no longer working'

Friend of the family: She attended Kim's birthday dinner in October and Kendall's 22nd birthday party this month; (from l to r) Jen Atkin, Stephanie, Kendall and a friend

However she was not seen at Kim's baby shower, which took place last week.

An insider told US Weekly 'it's been a downward spiral' since May, and it seems Kim was not best pleased her underling flapped her gums to Refinery29, spilling the beans about her job and working for Kim, while also divulging about the Paris robbery.

While it's not the only thing that caused the split, 'other stuff happened on top of that left a bad taste in Kim's mouth,' US Weekly reported.

During an October episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney spoke to Kim about Stephanie after the assistant revealed she felt unfulfilled with her career.

Kourtney told Kim she wanted to give her a heads up about the situation: 'She feels, like, maybe shes in a place in life where shes unfulfilled, job-wise.'

Blast from the past: Stephanie Shepherd has been Kim Kardashian's assistant since 2013

High maintenance sidekick: It is claimed 'other stuff happened on top of that left a bad taste in Kim's mouth'

Pals: Kourtney and Stephanie are often seen going out, exercising or just spending time together; they call each other 'wifey' on social media

Kourtney and Stephanie are often seen going out, exercising or just spending time together; they call each other 'wifey' on social media.

Kim didn't take to kindly to that, and told Kourtney she thought it was 'inappropriate' Stephanie said that.

The KKW Fragrance founder said during the KUWTK episode: 'I do think its, like, inappropriate for her to talk to you and not to me.'

She added: 'I mean, dont you think thats just, like, a little bit unprofessional? Thats like a convo she should have with me.'

She also questioned her relationship with Stephanie.

Kim asked Kourtney: 'Do you find it weird that youre like "wifey" with my assistant?'

Drama: During an October episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney spoke to Kim about Stephanie - who revealed she felt unfulfilled with her career

Stirring the pot: A gleeful Kourtney told Kim her sidekick had complained to her about feeling 'unfulfilled job-wise'
She's part of a star-studded, musically-inclined family.

And the Ross family proved ain't no mountain high enough to keep them away from supporting Tracee Ellis Ross during her hosting duties at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday night.

The entire group was dressed in their Sunday best on the red carpet ahead of the star-studded awards show.

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Family affair: Tracee's (centre) family joined her on the red carpet, including (from left) sister Rhonda Ross Kendrick, niece Callaway Lane, brother Evan Ross, neice Jagger, sister Chudney Ross, mum Diana Ross, brother Ross Naess, nephew Leif, nephew Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick and nephew Bronx

Tracee was positively glowing in a figure-hugging crimson-colored sequined frock which featured long sleeves and a thigh-baring slit.

Her sparkling backless ensemble showed off her killer curves and was complete with long sleeves and a high neckline.

She wore her dark brown hair in gorgeous natural curls and added a splash of bright red stain to her lips.

Smile! The Ross family proved ain't no mountain high enough to keep them away from supporting Tracee Ellis Ross during her hosting duties at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday evening

Beautiful! Tracee was positively glowing in a figure-hugging crimson-colored sequined frock which featured long sleeves and a thigh-baring slit

Red hot! Her sparkling backless ensemble showed off her killer curves and was complete with long sleeves and a high neckline

Endless Love! Diana Ross looked simply stunning in a strapless black dress with an incredibly unique black headpiece

Diana Ross, 73, looked simply stunning in a strapless black dress with an incredibly unique black headpiece.

She wrapped a thick black belt around her slender waistline and proudly displayed her ample assets.

Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson showed off their golden family on the red carpet of the award's show.

Darling! Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson showed off their golden family on the red carpet of the award's show

Happy couple: The 29-year-old actor and his 33-year-old bride brought along their two-year-old daughter Jagger Snow Ross and Ashlee's eight-year-old son Bronx from a previous marriage to musician Pete Wentz

The 29-year-old actor and his 33-year-old bride brought along their two-year-old daughter Jagger Snow Ross and Ashlee's eight-year-old son Bronx from a previous marriage to musician Pete Wentz.

Tracee made sure to document her mommy-and-me bonding time while getting ready for the awards show with a few quick videos on Instagram.

In an adorable series of snaps, the Blackish star smiled while her rockstar mother planted a massive kiss on her face.

Stars! Tracee made sure to document her mommy-and-me bonding time while getting ready for the awards show with a few quick videos on Instagram

Sweet! In an adorable series of snaps, the Blackish star smiled while her rockstar mother planted a massive kiss on her face

Wild night! The Ross family made sure to support Tracee Ellis Ross on her big night as the host of the American Music Awards

2017 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS Lifetime Achievement Award Diana Ross - WINNER Artist of the Year Bruno Mars - WINNER The Chainsmokers Drake Kendrick Lamar Ed Sheeran Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist Bruno Mars - WINNER Drake Ed Sheeran Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist Lady Gaga - WINNER Rihanna Alessia Cara Favorite Pop/Rock Duo or Group Coldplay The Chainsmokers Imagine Dragons - WINNER Favorite Pop/Rock Album The Weeknd Starboy Bruno Mars 24K Magic - WINNER Drake More Life Favorite Pop/Rock Song 'Despacito' Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber - WINNER 'Shape Of You' Ed Sheeran 'Closer' The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey New Artist of the Year James Arthur Niall Horan - WINNER Julia Michaels Post Malone Rae Sremmurd Collaboration of the Year The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey 'Closer' DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne 'I'm the One' Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber 'Despacito' - WINNER Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar 'Don't Wanna Know' The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk 'Starboy' Tour of the Year Garth Brooks Coldplay - WINNER U2 Video of the Year Bruno Mars 'That's What I Like' - WINNER Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee 'Despacito' Ed Sheeran 'Shape of You' Favorite Country Male Artist Sam Hunt Thomas Rhett Keith Urban - WINNER Favorite Country Female Artist Miranda Lambert Maren Morris Carrie Underwood - WINNER Favorite Country Duo or Group Florida Georgia Line Little Big Town - WINNER Old Dominion Favorite Country Album Jason Aldean They Don't Know Chris Stapleton From A Room: Volume 1 Keith Urban Ripcord - WINNER Favorite Country Song Sam Hunt 'Body Like A Back Road' Jon Pardi 'Dirt On My Boots' Keith Urban 'Blue Ain't Your Color' - WINNER Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist Drake - WINNER Kendrick Lamar Migos Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album Drake More Life Kendrick Lamar DAMN - WINNER Migos Culture Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne 'I'm the One' - WINNER Kendrick Lamar 'HUMBLE.' Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane 'Black Beatles' Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist Bruno Mars - WINNER Childish Gambino The Weeknd Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist Beyonce - WINNER Kehlani Rihanna Favorite Soul/R&B Album Bruno Mars '24K Magic' - WINNER Childish Gambino 'Awaken, My Love!' The Weeknd 'Starboy' Favorite Soul/R&B Song Bruno Mars 'That's What I Like' - WINNER Khalid 'Location' The Weeknd 'Starboy' Favorite Alternative Rock Artist Imagine Dragons Linkin Park - WINNER twenty one pilots Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist The Chainsmokers - WINNER DJ Snake Calvin Harris Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist Bruno Mars Shawn Mendes - WINNER Ed Sheeran Favorite Latin Artist Daddy Yankee Luis Fonsi Shakira - WINNER Favorite Contemporary/Inspirational Artist Lauren Daigle- WINNER MercyMe Chris Tomlin Top Soundtrack Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 Moana - WINNER Trolls Advertisement

Glittering: Diana's son Evan and his wife Ashlee looked gorgeous on the red carpet

Stunning: She shimmered in a full length copper and silver gown

Precious moment: Tracee's mum Diana collected the Lifetime Achievement award, beside Barry Gordy on Sunday night

Youthful: Diana defied her years in a figure-hugging purple dress

Proud: Surrounded by her grandchildren and her children, Diana was enjoying a very proud moment
Don't throw money at Ashanti.

One man in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday found that out the hard way, as the entertainer lashed out at a fan who threw bills on the stage of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center while she performed there Saturday.

The 37-year-old R&B staple was in the midst of a routine in which she lap danced on a man seated on the stage, while fans nearby threw money in her direction.

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Pointing fingers: Ashanti, 37, chided a fan in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday for throwing money on the stage during her show at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center

The Grammy winner stopped her song and told the crowd, 'Let me tell you something - stop, stop stop. I need you to stop throwing that money, I am not a f****** stripper, OK?'

According to TMZ, the fan who the Rock Wit U (Awww Baby) artist was yelling at was affiliated with Ballarrinas, a gentleman's club about a mile away from the venue.

The establishment's owner, Dyamin Thomas, posted a clip of Ashanti's outburst on Instagram, pointing out that he felt her racy stage show was consistent with an environment in which people would toss money at the performers; and that the gesture was one of love - not disrespect.

'WAIT Ashanti aint that you in your background video throwing money? And arent you giving a lap dance?' Thomas wrote, adding that Cardi B is 'the only one winning right now.'

Racy: Ashanti gave a fan a lap dance during her sultry showing on stage

Stop the show! Ashanti said at one point, 'I need you to stop throwing that money, I am not a f****** stripper, OK?'

'You broke hearts tonight, girl,' Thomas wrote, adding that those who threw money did so in an effort to 'show love and thats how its done in' Hawaii.

The Rain On Me songstress did receive some love from her Twitter fans for drawing a line in the sand.

More on the story: A local strip club owner took to Instagram to deride the singer's actions

Sexy: The stage was riddled with money as the entertainer performed

One wrote, 'My girl @ashanti is a f****n queen!! Stopped mid song to let a [person] know that she [ain't] a stripper so ... quit throwing money on stage.'

Another said, 'Ashanti just told someone stop throwing dollahs. She [ain't] no stripper!!!! Daaaaat righhht girrrrrl!'
He's just released his new memoir.

And Australian comedian Joel Creasey has reflected on the past year, including his acting debut in the show Sisters and announcing a national tour.

The 27-year-old personality told TV Week: 'It's been an intense year.'

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'It's been an intense year': Joel Creasey reflects on 2017 and admits writing his memoir was both 'fun' and 'emotional'

Joel - who previously had a stint on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! - told the publication that he didn't hold back with his book.

'When I wrote it, some parts were really emotional, and other bits were really fun to write.'

He also added that he wrote most of his book on a plane.

Opening up: Joel - who previously had a stint on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! - told TV Week that he didn't hold back with his book

'Then again, it was good, because after a few drinks in the air, it's much easier to pour your heart out,' he explained.

This week Joel took to the stage at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney and spoke about the time he came out as gay to his parents.

The THIRSTY: Confessions of a Fame Wh**e author confessed he imagined coming out would be more dramatic than it was in reality.

'I was 16 and I was going to sit my parents down and say, mum and dad, Im gay. And theyd say, get out of here you homo, and I was going to run away from home  and then two weeks later theyd come and find me on a street corner singing, Its a hard knock life,' The Herald Sun reported he said.

Recalling how the situation played out in reality, Joel said: 'I sat my parents down and told them I'm gay and they said, "cool, we're having pasta for dinner." I said, "I don't think you heard me, I said I'm gay. I can't eat f**king carbs anymore can I?!"'

Joel also admitted to the crowd that he is regularly asked about when he realised he was attracted to the same sex.

Happy: The comedian is pictured with boyfriend Jack Stratton-Smith

'Was it when I was four and my mum was singing me Mary Had A Little Lamb and I said, "do you know anything from Cats?'" he said.

'Was it when I was seven and I was banned from watching 101 Dalmatians because I used to cry at the end when Cruella de Ville DIDN'T win? I was like, "give her the puppy coat, it's gorgeous."

'Was it when I was one and my mum was breastfeeding me and I stopped her and said, 'look, lets just be friends'?'

In his book, Joel confesses to sleeping with an unnamed AFL player.
They have been battling their nerves week ahead of the glitzy show special in the famous Tower Ballroom.

So it is no wonder the stars of Strictly Come Dancing were keen to let their hair down on Saturday, as they celebrated Gemma Atkinson's birthday while up in Blackpool.

According to The Sun the 2017 cast, as well as the judges and even BBC host Graham Norton, partied the night away at the Big Blue Hotel in the seaside resort - with some staying out until the early hours.

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Boozy: The stars of Strictly Come Dancing to let their hair down on Saturday, as they celebrated Gemma Atkinson's birthday while up in Blackpool

The paper reports the group enjoyed a boozy session at their hotel bar after the show, to celebrate both Gemma and pro Janette Manrara's birthday.

An insider revealed the Strictly stars had celebrated the occasion until the early hours of 6:30am, following the excitement of the Blackpool special.

They revealed of the bash: 'All the judges were there and Graham Norton hung about for a bit after watching the show.'

Let's go: The 2017 cast, as well as the judges and even Graham Norton reportedly partied the night away at the Big Blue Hotel - with some staying out until the early hours

Letting loose: They revealed of the bash, which went on til 6:30am: 'All the judges were there and Graham Norton hung about for a bit after watching the show (above)'

The source also claimed the actress, who was turning 33, was keen to keep a low profile the following day as one of the latest party-goers home. MailOnline has contacted representatives of Gemma for comment.

It was clear the cast had enjoyed a wild night out together, when they were spotted leaving their hotel in the coastal town on Sunday morning.

Host Claudia Winkleman told the paper as she made a disheveled exit, with her glitzy silver shoes in hand: 'I've had a bit of a late night, please don't take any pictures. I look a mess!'

'I look a mess!': It was clear the cast had enjoyed a wild night out together, when host Claudia Winkleman said as she left the hotel on Sunday morning: 'I've had a bit of a late night'

Feeling good: Meanwhile judge Shirley Ballas cheekily revealed the escapades of her co-stars, by admitting she was one of the earliest home

Meanwhile judge Shirley Ballas cheekily revealed the escapades of her co-stars, by admitting she was one of the earliest home.

She teased, while throwing a wave at cameras: 'I was one of the well behaved ones - I was in bed by half one!'

The celebrations occurred two days after Gemma's actual birthday - when the star was spotted leaving her show at Key 103 FM in Manchester, with a large bouquet of roses in hand.

Let's party! Gemma shared a playful selfie on social media as she celebrated her birthday alongside pro Janette Manrara

Gemma later joined Aljaz Skorjanec for a practice session, with both clutching a giant Toblerone chocolate bar - no doubt another gift to the actress.

It is no wonder the crew opted to stay in their hotel for the festivities, after professional dancer Gorka Marquez was punched yobs at the Blackpool after-party last year.

The Spanish star, who is reportedly dating Gemma, was left with two broken teeth following an 'attack by a group of youths' outside the town's Flamingo nightclub.

A spokesman for the BBC said at the time: 'Gorka was sadly the victim of an unprovoked incident in Blackpool on Saturday night, but he will be back in training this week.'

Rumours of a romance between Gorka and Gemma have been swirling since the show began in September

Awkward: It was recently claimed that Gorka had subsequently fallen out with his partner Alexandra Burke (above), who is reportedly 'furious' with the relationship

Rumours of a romance between Gorka and Gemma have been swirling since the show began in September.

It was recently claimed that Gorka had subsequently fallen out with his partner Alexandra Burke, who was 'furious' with the relationship.

However addressing the feud rumours, she said on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two: 'We're all so focused on our dances that we haven't got time to fall out.

'Gorka's priority on the show is getting Alexandra through week by week, the same thing Aljaz has. My focus is pleasing Aljaz, it's the same for every couple.'
He has been spending plenty of time with his younger girlfriend Sofia Richie as of late.

But Scott Disick has not forgotten about those who matter the most.

The 34-year-old reality star was spotted on a bonding outing with his two eldest children in Calabasas on Sunday.

No doubt it was going to be a relaxed afternoon with seven-year-old son Mason and five-year-old daughter Penelope as he took them to the movies.

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Happy times: Scott Disick treated his two eldest children - seven-year-old son Mason and five-year-old daughter Penelope - to a movie trip in Calabasas on Sunday

Scott made sure all attention was on him as he sported a bright red sweatsuit including a KITH hoodie and striped Adidas trousers.

He teamed the casual cool look with a pair of Kanye West's Adidas Originals Yeezy Calabasas Powerphase sneakers in white.

His hair was done in his signature combover as he sported a considerable amount of scruff on his face.

The father-of-three accessorized with a pair of tortoise designer shades as he looked over his kids.

Chill: The 34-year-old reality star made sure all attention was on him as he sported a bright red sweatsuit including a KITH hoodie and striped Adidas trousers

His eldest Mason even matched his dad as he wore a bright red Adidas track jacket. Two-year-old son Reign was not seen on the outing.

Scott recently reunited with his 19-year-old girlfriend Sofia during a dinner at Nobu in Malibu on Friday after her trip to London earlier this week.

During her trip across the pond, Scott was filming scenes for Keeping Up With Kardashians in the LA area with Kris Jenner's boyfriend, Corey Gamble.

Together again: Scott recently reunited with his 19-year-old girlfriend Sofia Richie during a dinner at Nobu in Malibu on Friday after her trip to London earlier this week

Scott has three children with his ex partner Kourtney Kardashian.

The father of three is reportedly 'in love with' Sofia, who is the daughter of Lionel Richie, according to US Weekly.

According to the magazine's insider, the duo 'are still going strong,' and Sofia seems to share the same sentiment for Scott, with the source claiming she is 'so into him' and 'has been for a while.'

Showing off: Scott and Sofia made their relationship public in September while enjoying a holiday in Miami, Florida

Last week, Sofia spoke to E! News about her dad Lionel's thoughts on her relationship: 'He's good. He's been very nice. He's been very cool. He's very supportive, whatever that means.'

Her comments comes one month after Lionel told US Weekly that he's in 'shock' about the relationship.

He said to the magazine: 'I'm the dad, come on. I'm scared to death, are you kidding me?'

Inseparable: Earlier this month, they were seen relaxing in Los Cabos, Mexico; just weeks earlier they had a romantic trip together to Venice and Milan, Italy

Scott and Sofia made their relationship public in September while enjoying a holiday in Miami, Florida.

Earlier this month, they were seen relaxing in Los Cabos, Mexico; just weeks earlier they had a romantic trip together to Venice and Milan, Italy.

They also spent time in Puerto Vallarta for a couples getaway in early October.
She's set to drop jaws with yet another thrilling performance at the American Music Awards.

But Pink was turning heads for a whole other reason as she arrived to the awards show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday with her husband Carey Hart.

The hit-maker, 38, rocked the red carpet in a vibrant coral pink gown embellished with bright orchids with gold ivy.

Flower power! Pink was turning heads for a whole other reason as she arrived to the awards show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday with her husband Carey Hart

Pink's elaborate and eye-catching gown clung to her torso as the skirt flared out impressively, skimming the floor.

Violet tresses styled into wide curls, Pink looked incredible with plenty of mascara and bronze blush to compliment her stunning features.

She rocked an array of accessories, including a pair of long, dangling earrings, silver rings, including an elaborate silver one.

Her supportive husband Carey sharpened up in a black tuxedo with a bold royal blue tie.

Pretty in Pink! The hit-maker's elaborate and eye-catching gown clung to her torso as the skirt flared out impressively, skimming the floor

Showing his support! Her husband sharpened up in a black tuxedo with a bold royal blue tie

Walking the red carpet, Pink couldn't have looked happier to attend the star-studded show alongside her husband.

The hit-maker is slated to drop jaws Sunday night with one of her signature, thrilling performances.

Pink expressed her anxiety about a stunt she was set to perform at the awards show in a clip she posted to her Instagram account.

Ready to rock! The chart-topper looked ecstatic to attend the show

Let's get this show on the road! Pink will be dazzling audience members with one of her signature jaw-dropping performances at the American Music Awards

The star was practicing for her performance in which she dances off the side of the JW Marriot, a 34-story high rise building in downtown Los Angeles, using a harness.

Calling the stunt 'the craziest most insane thing I've ever attempted to do,' the chart-topper said: 'This is the first time that I've ever panicked ... I'm just afraid I'm going to get up there and be like, "I dont know if I can do this." I dont care about heights, I just care about being able to actually breathe up there.'

The star-studded event featuring some of the most famous musicians in the world took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and were aired live on ABC.

So in love! Hart was clearly proud of his wife ahead of her big performance

Never let them see her sweat! Pink will be performing a death-defying performance for the awards show

Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist went to Lady Gaga, while Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist went to Bruno Mars.

It was a big night for Bruno, who also won the coveted Artist Of The Year Honor.

Bruno's album, 24K Magic, was also announced as the winner of Favorite Pop/Rock Album, beating out The Weeknd's Starboy and Drake's More Life.

Star-studded: The awards show featuring some of the most famous musicians in the world took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and were aired live on ABC
They are currently competing on Channel Nine's Family Food Fight.

And while the Panayides family are flamboyant and fun in the kitchen, the foursome have suffered their fair share of heartbreak.

In an emotional interview with TV Week, contestant Con Panayides, 44, has opened up about the tragic death of the brood's matriarch, Maria.

Family tragedy: The Panayides family are entertaining the nation on Nine's Family Food Fight, but in an interview with TV Week, son Con (right) revealed their grief over the death of clan matriarch, Maria

'I would have loved my mum to see my kids', the amateur chef told the publication.

The fishmonger-by-trade added: 'I have three beautiful children she never got to meet'.

Con's mother Maria passed away from cancer in 2007, after battling the illness for three years.

'I have three beautiful children she never got to meet': Con revealed his heartbreak in TV Week

It was a tragedy endured by Con, as well as his father, George, sister, Soulla, and brother, Fanos.

The four of them appear together on Family Food Fight, where they have fast become beloved competitors.

However, Maria's premature death is not the first hardship the family have faced.

Flamboyant family: The fun loving brood have suffered their fair share of tragedy

The Panayides's were originally from Cyprus, before they lost everything after the Turkish invasion in 1974.

Con was just a toddler when his parents arrived in Australia as refugees with no money and nothing more than a suitcase.

No doubt the late Maria would be looking down marveling at how far her family has come as they entertain the nation on the action-packed cooking program.
She welcomed her second child into the world in August with husband Marcus Mumford.

But 32-year-old Carey Mulligan put mommy duties on hold on Sunday when she attended a screening of her new film Mudbound in New York.

The Great Gatsby star wowed in a high neck pink Emilia Wickstead dress at the event that was also attended by co star and R&B legend Mary J. Blige.

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Pretty in pink: 32-year-old Carey Mulligan put mommy duties on hold on Sunday when she attended a screening of her new film Mudbound in New York.

The Drive actress epitomized red carpet chic in the pink gown with floral print pink puff cuffs.

She wore a pair of black heels that lent inches to the starlet's 5'7" frame.

The An Education actress wore her blonde tresses pulled back in a bun so as to give full access to the English beauty's flawless features.

Top of their game: The Great Gatsby star wowed in a high neck pink Emilia Wickstead dress at the event that was also attended by co star and R&B legend Mary J. Blige, 46

Mary J. Blige meanwhile wore a white mesh dress with a turtleneck.

The 46-year-old Be Without You hitmaker accessorized with diamond encrusted hoop earrings and bracelet.

The How To Get Away With Murder actress died her raven locks into blonde ringlets, which were swept to one side and cascaded to the rapper's right shoulder.

Hot mesh! Mary J. Blige meanwhile wore a white mesh dress with a turtleneck

White on: The 46-year-old Be Without You hitmaker accessorized with diamond encrusted hoop earrings and bracelet

Talent behind the lens: Mulligan posed with Mudbound's 40-year-old director, Dee Rees

Carey and her Mumford & Sons frontman husband Marcus were pen pals in childhood who lost touch, but reconnected as adults and went on to marry in April 2012.

Their first child, daughter Evelyn Grace, was then born three years later in September.

The couple are famously tight-lipped about their private life and never confirmed their second pregnancy publicly - but Carey was seen stepping out with a prominent baby bump on numerous occasions earlier this year.

Cast of stars: also at the screening with Mulligan, Blige and Rees were costars Jason Mitchell [far left] and Rob Morgan [second from right]

Glamorous mom: Mulligan welcomed her second child into the world in August with husband Marcus Mumford of the band Mumford & Sons

US Weekly then announced the pair had welcomed their new arrival in August, with a source claiming: 'They have been loving being parents and their friends and family are thrilled.'

Her varied career has seen her nominated for an Oscar, whilst she garnered a slew of critical acclaim for roles in An Education, The Great Gatsby and Suffragette.

The blonde beauty has been busy promoting her new film Mudbound, which will be released on Netflix on Friday.

Publicity tour: Academy Award nominee Mulligan also made an appearance at MOMA to promote Mudbound last Friday

Multi talented: Blige received a Golden Globe nod for her musical contributions to 2011 film The Help

Mulligan, Blige and director Dee Rees, 40, also made an appearance at the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences official Academy screening on Friday to promote Mudbound.

The period piece tells the story of two families living in rural post-World War Two Mississippi, who are placed at odds due to the social and racial hierarachy of the era.

Carey plays Laura McAllen, a mother who attempts to adapt to her new life with her husband in the remote land, and when her brother-in-law Jamie (played by Garrett Hedlund) returns from the war, things change for the struggling housewife, as Jamie is everything her husband is not.

Also appearing in the drama is Mary J Blige, who plays family matriarch Florence Jackson, and has been tipped for major awards success for her performance.

Timely story: Mudbound tells the story of two families living in rural post-World War Two Mississippi, who are placed at odds due to the social and racial hierarachy of the era

The plot: In Mudbound, Carey plays Laura McAllen, a mother who attempts to adapt to her new life with her husband in the remote land
She's been separated from her Balinese boyfriend for six months.

But Schapelle Corby and Bernard Simanjuntak, commonly known as Ben Panangian, are still going strong, with the convicted drug trafficker sharing an intimate snap of their video chat to Instagram last week.

The 40-year-old shared a shirtless photo of her convicted drug offender boyfriend, while video chatting to him from her hospital bed.

Still going strong! Schapelle Corby and Bernard Simanjuntak, commonly known as Ben Panangian, are still going strong, with the convicted drug trafficker sharing an intimate snap of their video chat to Instagram last week

She spent much of last week in hospital recovering from knee surgery and her long-distance lover has helped nurse her back to health through loved-up video calls.

'Hospital spam* Home time again. Spent last two days in hospital with my 3rd & hopefully last Knee surgery,' the Queensland-native captioned.

'A big thanks to My Doctor & all hospital staff that have looked after me, everyone has been so professional. #hopalong #recoverytime #knee #kneesurgery #dolly #blacknwhite #kuntilanak.'

Long-distance love: The smitten pair met behind bars in 2006, in Kerobokan jail while both serving sentences for drugs possession and she has previously described Ben as her 'soulmate'

Schapelle, who returned to Australia in May after serving nine years in a Bali prison, was first admitted to hospital in June after breaking her ankle, knee and leg during a 'freak accident.'

Since returning home in May for the first time in 12 years, Schapelle has spent quality time with loved ones but is said to be struggling with being away from Bali surfer Ben.

The smitten pair met behind bars in 2006, in Kerobokan jail while both serving sentences for drugs possession and she has previously described Ben as her 'soulmate.'

On the mend: She spent much of last week in hospital recovering from knee surgery and her long-distance lover has helped nurse her back to health through loved-up video calls

Injured: Schapelle, who returned to Australia in May after serving nine years in a Bali prison, was first admitted to hospital in June after breaking her ankle, knee and leg during a 'freak accident'

Earlier this month, her sister Mercedes told Studio 10 that Schapelle is 'getting by' despite being apart from the man who supported her through her legal woes in Bali.

'He's a lovely, lovely man and she's getting by,' she said.

When asked about reports claiming Ben was banned from entering Australia due to his criminal history, Mercedes denied this explaining: 'He hasn't tried.'

Convicted drug offender: In 2005, Schapelle was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being caught with 4.2 kg of cannabis at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. She served nine years before being released and deported to Australia

Earlier this year, Woman's Day claimed the couple were trying for a baby shortly before Schapelle's return to Australia.

'Schapelle is very much in love with her Balinese boyfriend Ben [Panangian]. She wanted to remain with him in Bali,' a source said.

'They were desperately trying to get pregnant before she left  that way she'd have an Indonesian baby and it would make her path back to seeing Ben a whole lot easier.

'Ben has been living with Schapelle and her brother in Bali for months, and they've been open about trying for a child. They both want a family together more than ever before.'

In 2005, Schapelle was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being caught with 4.2 kg of cannabis at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.
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She famously had a kidney transplant just months ago.

And Selena Gomez hit the stage for the first time since the procedure at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night.

The 25-year-old star debuted her collaboration with Marshmello titled Wolves at the star-studded gala as she rocked a sexy white nightgown.

She's back: Selena Gomez hit the stage for the first time since the kidney procedure at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night

Revealing: The 25-year-old star's dress was so short that at points where she rolled around on the ground and car her underwear could be seen during the broadcast

The garment was so short that at points where she rolled around on the ground and car her underwear could be seen during the broadcast.

She also debuted a new blonde do for the performance which was supposed to be set after a car crash in a red Ford Mustang.

Selena emerged with 'cuts' on her knees and forehead as she rocked a white mini nightgown.

Wow factor: She also debuted a new blonde do for the performance which was supposed to be set after a car crash in a red Ford Mustang

A cut above: Selena emerged with 'cuts' on her knees and forehead as she rocked a white mini nightgown

Emotional: Throughout the performance she rolled around on the ground and car

I see London, I see France: In the process Selena may have accidentally flashed her undergarments

Respect: She earned an uproarious applause from the crowd

She completed the look with matching white Puma shoes and socks which ended at just above the ankle as she was surrounded by dancers who mimicked wolves.

Back on September 14, Selena revealed the kidney transplant as she shared a photo of herself and BFF Francia Raisa in hospital gowns holding hands.

The stunner has also since rekindled her relationship with on/off boyfriend Justin Bieber who she has been seen gallivanting with in recent weeks. He did not appear at the gala event.

Chilling: In black and white, the drama of Selena's stage performance really came alive

Top performer: The stage performance was quite the showstopper and an epic way to return to the stage

High drama: There was plenty of emotion in her raw stage performance on Saturday

Serious: She delivered a memorable performance, wowing with her new blonde hair

Touching tribute: One emotional high point at the event came during a tribute to Whitney Houston in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film The Bodyguard as done by Christina Aguilera

Classic: The 36-year-old singer did I Will Always Love You before a medley of the late singer's other hits

Legendary: She went on to perform I Have Nothing and Run To You as classic scenes from the 1992 classic movie also starring Kevin Costner were shown

One emotional high point at the event came during a tribute to Whitney Houston in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film The Bodyguard.

Houston died in 2012 aged 48 after drowning in a hotel bathtub.

Viola Davis made a surprise appearance as she presented the tribute and introduced Christina Aguilera.

It was there where the 36-year-old put her talents on display by performing classic I Will Always Love You before a medley of the late singer's other hits.

Taking the plunge! Christina rocked a very low cut black gown which showed off her cleavage

Talented: Christina then had the star-studded crowd on their feet and busting moves as she did I'm Every Woman

Wonder in white: Viola Davis looked gorgeous in a white gown and Le Vian diamond bracelets as she introduced the Whitney Houston tribute

She went on to perform I Have Nothing and Run To You as classic scenes from the 1992 classic movie also starring Kevin Costner were shown.

Christina then had the star-studded crowd on their feet and busting moves as she did I'm Every Woman.

The show was closed out with yet another emotional high as Diana Ross was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Still stunning: The show was closed out with yet another emotional high as Diana Ross was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award

Shining star: The 73-year-old singer couldn't help but put on a show as she made quite the entrance before she performed a medley of her classics

She's coming out: She tossed her huge shawl as she did 1980 hit song I'm Coming Out

The 73-year-old singer couldn't help but put on a show as she also performed a medley of her classics.

She opened up with 1980 hit song I'm Coming Out before moving on to Ease On Down The Road, Take Me Higher, and The Best Years Of My Life.

For her grand finale, she brought her grandchildren on-stage to dance along as she did Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

Rolling out the hits: She also moved on to Ease On Down The Road, Take Me Higher, and The Best Years Of My Life

Family first: For her grand finale, she brought her grandchildren on-stage to dance along as she did Ain't No Mountain High Enough

'I feel so humbled by this': While accepting her shiny new award she was surrounded by the rest of her friends and family - including daughter Tracee Ellis Ross who hosted the event - in an emotional moment

Muse: Taylor Swift sent in a video tribute to Diana which aired earlier in the night

Standing room only: The crowd was definitely in awe of the legend's performance

While accepting her shiny new award she was surrounded by the rest of her friends and family - including daughter Tracee Ellis Ross who hosted the event - as she emotionally said: 'I feel so humbled by this.'

One of the most incredible performances of the night came courtesy of Pink who performed aerial acrobatics as she was hung to the side of the JW Marriott Hotel in Downtown LA.

The 38-year-old artist was joined by other dancers as they were suspended from the top of the building for a death-defying routine complete with flips and jumps.

For the intricate performance, Pink did her track Beautiful Trauma.

Death defying: One of the most incredible performances of the night came courtesy of Pink who performed aerial acrobatics

Wow factor: She was suspended on the side of the JW Marriott Hotel in Downtown LA

Happy camper: The 38-year-old artist was joined by other dancers as they were suspended from the top of the building for a death-defying routine complete with flips and jumps

Good spirits: She seemed to have a blast during the performance

Friendly to fans: She happily waved to people staying inside the hotel who watched the performance through the window

Put your pinky fingers to the moon: The biggest winner of the night was Bruno Mars as he won seven of his eight nominations including the top prize of the night: Artist Of The Year but was not in attendance as he is on tour in Brazil and sent this video

The biggest winner of the night was Bruno Mars as he won seven of his eight nominations including the top prize of the night: Artist Of The Year.

The talented 32-year-old star is currently in Brazil as part of his 24K Magic Tour but that did not stop him from sending a video message to thank his fans for the great honor.

He also won Favorite Album Soul/R&B, Favorite Male Artist Soul/R&B, Video Of The Year, Favorite Song Soul/R&B, Favorite Male Artist Pop/Rock, and Favorite Album Pop/Rock.

Excited: Lady Gaga was also not in attendance at the event but she was also a big winner as she was presented with the Favorite Female Pop/Rock artist gong

Touching: The 31-year-old singer had an empowering and inspirational speech as she said: 'Just remember that if you feel different or not understood, don't you dare give up on who you are, fight like hell for what you believe in'

Showing her skills: Earlier in the night she was shown performing in Washington DC as she did her new hit The Cure

Showing off: She wore a see through white bodysuit as she played a Perspex piano

Making moves: It was definitely a high energy performance from the other coast

Lady Gaga was also not in attendance at the event but she was also a big winner as she was presented with the Favorite Female Pop/Rock artist gong.

The 31-year-old singer had an empowering and inspirational speech as she said: 'Just remember that if you feel different or not understood, don't you dare give up on who you are, fight like hell for what you believe in.'

Earlier in the night she was shown performing in Washington DC as she did her new hit The Cure while rocking a see through white bodysuit as she played a Perspex piano.

Couple goals! While he won in three categories at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night, Keith Urban only wanted to share the moment and his prizes with wife Nicole Kidman

So in love! The country singer was surprised with two more wins when he hit the stage to pick up his gong for Favorite country Male Artist

Here you go! Justin Hartley handed two of the trophies to Nicole who was sitting front row in the audience

Demi Lovato also performed at the star-studded event as she did Sorry/Not Sorry.

The 25-year-old artist also made waves as she was joined by newly-elected Virginia legislator Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person to win a state legislative seat.

Keith Urban had a bit of a surprise during the event as he was walking up to pick up his gong for Favorite Country Male Artist and was presented with two more.

Presenting him the award was Justin Hartley and Kathryn Hahn, who revealed he would also be winning for favorite Country Song and Country Album.

Touching: Linkin Park was also a big winner just months after losing their lead singer Chester Bennington after suicide as Mike Shinoda said: 'I want you guys to take a moment to appreciate what you have and make Chester proud'

Check mate: One Direction member Niall Horan won New Artist of the Year

Not Radioactive: Imagine Dragons took home the first gong in the Favorite Pop/Rock Duo or Group category at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night

Hahn said he didn't have enough hands for all the gongs. In response Hartley handed two of the trophies to Keith's wife Nicole Kidman who was sitting front row in the audience.

Keith was overcome with emotion as he said in response to his wife holding up his gongs: 'Absolutely you should be sharing these my love!'

Linkin Park was also a big winner just months after losing their lead singer Chester Bennington after suicide.

While accepting the gong for Best Alternative Rock Artist, rapper Mike Shinoda urged everyone to be thankful for the life they lead as he said: 'I want you guys to take a moment to appreciate what you have and make Chester proud.'

Making a statement: Demi Lovato looked fantastic as she performed hit Sorry Not Sorry

Memorable: Demi Lovato lookalike Alessia Cara performed alongside Selena's ex-flame Zedd

Stunning: She looked gorgeous in a white dress with her long hair left loose around her shoulders

Squad: There was obvious jubilation after Demi's powerful performance

Making history: Pink and Kelly Clarkson were the first performers of the night as they did a duet of REM hit Everybody Hurts

Hell for leather: Pink looked fashionable as always

Shining star: Hailee Steinfeld looked fantastic in a silver glittered look

WHat a night: She performed alongside Alesso, Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, and watt

You can't see me: Nick Jonas rocked a leather jacket and camouflage shirt as he performed

Talented: Alessia Cara performed with Zedd

Double duty: Kelly Clarkson came back later to perform Miss Independent before Love So Soft

In formation: Korean boyband BTS may have had the most energetic performance of the night as they had diehards screaming and even crying in the crowd as they performed hit DNA

The man in black: Niall Horan did Slow Hands

Adorable: Macklemore performed his hit Glorious with Skylar Grey

Dazzling: On the stage, Bebe Rexha was glowing in a white strapless dress with a fluffy cover up as she performed

Performing: The blonde shared the stage with Florida Georgia Line's Brian Kelley (left) and Tyler Hubbard (right)

Belting it out: The musician offset her bright white outfit with a glowing tan

Korean boyband BTS may have had the most energetic performance of the night as they had diehards screaming and even crying in the crowd as they performed hit DNA.

Even Suicide Squad star and 30 Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto seemed impressed as he presented right after the performance and said: 'I need a moment to recover from that performance. That was incredible.'

Las Vegas-based rock group Imagine Dragons took home the first gong in the Favorite Pop/Rock Duo or Group category.

Big moment: The event was kicked off with a powerful speech by Jamie Foxx

United: Foxx welcomed first responders of the recent hurricanes and wildfires that have ravaged parts of the United States alongside daughter Corinne

Slithering: Ciara looked stunning in a shiny black snakeskin dress

Stunners: Kat Graham and Kelly Rowland matched in black as they presented

Knows talent when he sees it: Jared Leto seemed impressed as he presented right after BTS's performance and said: 'I need a moment to recover from that performance. That was incredible.'

Tremendous trio: Stranger Things stars Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, and Gaten Matarazzo - pictured from left to right - presented together

And the winner is: Chadwick Boseman presented the first award of the night

Dynamic duo: Modern Family Star Chrissy Metz and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson proudly talked about their hometowns while presenting

The group made a stand as they commended strong women and the LGBTQ community before ending the speech with the message: 'peace, love equality for all.'

DJ Khaled received the second award of the night in the Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song category for I'm The One which featured Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne.

He made sure to thank God before his one-year-old son Asahd who he adorably called the 'executive producer' of the song before ending the speech by saying: 'God is the greatest!'

Stunning: Tracee Ellis Ross then came out in a low-cut orange gown as she is the host of the star-studded gala

Lineage: She began her monologue by talking about her legendary mother Diana Ross who will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award

Better by the dozen! Tracee wore 12 stunning outfits while hosting the American Music Awards on Sunday evening

Serving it up: Tracee wrapped her killer curves in maroon sequins on the arrivals carpet for the first of her many ensembles for the evening

Star power: One of Ross' looks included her mother Diana Ross' iconic vintage white suit

Nearly 37 years later: Diana seen in a Diana Ross television special, originally broadcast on CBS, March 2, 1981

The event was kicked off with a powerful speech by Jamie Foxx as he welcomed first responders of the recent hurricanes and wildfires that have ravaged parts of the United States.

He then introduced Pink and Kelly Clarkson who had a duet for the first time to pay tribute to those that were loss in the natural disasters that have hit in recent months. They did classic REM tune Everybody Hurts from 1992.

Tracee Ellis Ross then came out in a low-cut orange gown as she is the host of the star-studded gala. She began her monologue by talking about her legendary mother Diana Ross who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 45-year-old actress had a total of 12 costume changes throughout the night including mom Diana Ross' vintage white suit.

The star-studded event featuring some of the most famous musicians in the world took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and were aired live on ABC.

Winners at the AMAs are determined by a poll of the public and fans with the option of voting through the award show's website.

Sheer daring: Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman seemed to be having a good time in the crowd

Dynamic duo: DJ Khaled happily posed with the legendary Diana Ross

Legends: : Berry Gordy, Diana and Smokey Robinson - pictured from left to right - happily posed together

Cool dude: Jared Leto looked happy as he posed by his seat

Happy together: Jamie and daughter Corinne posed with Nick Jonas

Not so strange: Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin - pictured from left to right - happily posed together

Catching up: Jared was spotted chatting it up with Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda backstage
He's a style icon and doting dad.

And Jamie Foxx played both parts as he arrived with his daughter Corinne to the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Oscar winner, 49, cut a dapper figure in a navy suit as the 23-year-old commanded attention in a purple Jovani pantsuit.

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Family affair: Jamie Foxx, 49, arrived with his daughter Corinne, 23, to the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday

Daring to impress, Jamie took off his Prive Revaux sunglasses as he looked dashing in the dark classic tailored suit.

The action star's physique was put on center stage as the shirt and jacket pulled tight against his chest.

Corinne - who is signed to LA Models - left little to the imagination as the form fitting ensemble had a revealing cut out at her decolletage.

The USC graduate kept her raven tresses long and loose as she paired the sophisticated look with a gold embellished purse.

Proud papa: The Oscar winner cut a dapper figure in a navy suit as the model commanded attention in a purple Jovani pantsuit

Rock hard: The Baby Driver alum's action star physique was put on center stage as the shirt and jacket pulled tight against his chest

Last year, it was revealed that Corinne's mother was Connie Kline - a 48-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran.

And Jamie shares daughter Annalise, eight, with publicist Kristin Grannis, 40.

At the start of the AMA show, Jamie and Corinne joined police officers and paramedics on stage as they paid tribute to first responders.

The Ray star was right at home at the musical event as he has enjoyed a much lauded singing career along with his acting one.

Tribute: At the start of the AMAs, Jamie and Corinne joined police officers and paramedics on stage as they paid tribute to first responders

In 2006, he won Best Duet/Collaboration with Kanye West for Gold Digger at the BET Awards while garnering four Grammy nominations as well.

Meanwhile, Bruno Mars led the AMA nominations with eight, followed by Ed Sheeran, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Chainsmokers and The Weeknd, who each have five nominations.

But the most interesting category was Best Female Pop/Rock artist with Rihanna and Lady Gaga going head-to-head with newcomer Alessia Cara.

Respect: The crowd on stage took a moment to reflect

Star gazing: Jamie and Corinne posed with Nick Jonas as Pink ate some fries behind them

The night featured many performances from the biggest artists in music including Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Lady Gaga.

Pink had her most daring performance yet as she has been seen practicing a routine while hanging off the side of a hotel building over the weekend.

Pop veterans Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson hit the stage.

Black-ish actress Tracee Ellis Ross is host of the event as her legendary musician mother Diana Ross is also a featured performer.
She found love with assistant director Nathan Gooley after starring on Channel Seven soap Home And Away.

And having dated for several years, Bonnie Sveen gushed over her beau in Monday's TV WEEK magazine, crediting him for making her feel secure with the media glare.

'Once (Nathan) came into the picture, it just didn't bother me as much (of media glare),' the 29-year-old told the publication.

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'He helps me feel secure': Bonnie Sveen, 29, credited her director boyfriend Nathan Gooley in helping her deal with fame, in Monday's TV WEEK magazine

Bonnie said of dealing with her newfound fame: 'I think there was someone who was sharing it with me, who was able to, not necessarily protect me, as though I needed that or that's what he was doing, but you do definitely share it.'

The star, who currently features in the second season of drama The Secret Daughter, went on to say that when she is not acting she loves nothing more than returning back home to her native Tasmania.

'You know there's somewhere you can go home to and people who know you,' she said.

Support: The actress said of dealing with her newfound fame: 'I think there was someone who was sharing it with me, who was able to, not necessarily protect me, as though I needed that or that's what he was doing, but you do definitely share it'

Content: Bonnie, who currently features in the second season of drama The Secret Daughter, went on to say that when not acting she loves nothing more than returning back home to her native Tasmania: 'You know there's somewhere you can go home to and people who know you'

Bonnie's comments come just days after the blonde beauty revealed to New Idea that she has babies on the brain.

'I'll definitely have kids one day,' she gushed.

But with her acting career booming, the Channel Seven personality confessed she was in no rush to start a family.

'Nath is a bit older. He's 34 in December, so it feels like 29 isn't too bad and we have some time,' she added.

Back in 2015, Bonnie was spotted wearing a ring on her wedding finger, sparking rumours the couple were planning to tie the knot.

Talk of babies: The former Home And Away star's comments come just days after she revealed to New Idea that she has babies on the brain, saying: 'I'll definitely have kids one day'

Two years on, Bonnie and Nathan are still yet to walk down the aisle.

Before finding love with Nathan, the red carpet regular told Daily Mail Australia that there were plenty of available men in Sydney, but she was looking for Mr Right.

'I don't think there's a shortage of beautiful men in my life, that's the thing,' she explained previously.

'If I find someone that's compatible in a relationship then that would be wonderful.

'I don't need to search for it, I tend to stumble across some really gorgeous, different personalities.'

Wedding bells? Back in 2015, Bonnie was spotted wearing a ring on her wedding finger, sparking rumours the couple were planning to tie the knot
She addressed break up rumours that she had split from pub baron Stu Laundy on Sunday.

And over the weekend, Sophie Monk was spotted at her local hairdressers puffing away on a cigarette and drinking a glass of champagne as she sat outside of the premises.

The Bachelorette star was pictured sitting on a chair outside taking a phone call while she puffed away.

Feeling stressed? Sophie Monk puffs on cigarette and drinks champagne after FINALLY addressing claims that she's split from Bachelorette pub baron winner Stu Laundy

The Blonde beauty appeared to go make up free for the occasion and appeared in a slightly stressed mood.

The 37-year-old wore a casual white T-shirt paired with denim jeans and a pair of black heels.

After Sophie left the hairdressers with her hair freshly blow dried, the former Bardot star showed another woman her phone as the duo discussed its contents.

Stressed? The blonde beauty appeared to go make up free for the occasion and appeared in a a slightly stressed mood

Her visit to the Gold Coast salon comes after she spoke out about her relationship status with the wealthy businessman.

Playing MC for the McDonald's Supercrew Awards, the 37-year-old blonde bombshell jokingly said that the couple had 'broken up' and she was 'pregnant' and 'married'.

Casual chic: The 37-year-old wore a casual white T-shirt paired with denim jeans and a pair of black heels

'Even though the media says [we've] broken up, I'm pregnant and married, I'm still with the guy,' she confirmed at the event, adding that with all the speculation she was 'getting confused herself'.

The news comes after an insider spotted winner Stu attempting to keep under the radar at Sydney's affluent suburb of Mosman on Saturday.

What are they looking at? After Sophie left the hairdressers with her hair freshly blow dried, the former Bardot star showed another woman her phone as the duo discussed its contents

With Sophie no where to be seen, the publican purchased a newspaper from a local newsagent while in the midst of a 'very deep phone conversation'.

Donning dark shorts, a hoodie and his signature aviator sunglasses, the father-of-four was quick to leave the venue in his luxury car.
Glitz and glamour brings out the best in some people.

That was the case for Ansel Elgort and his girlfriend Violetta Komyshan, who beamed at one another with affection as they walked the red carpet at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old Elgort looked dapper in a navy blue with buttons, over a patterned black and white collared shirt with yellow trim, and black dress shoes.

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Dynamic duo: Ansel Elgort, 23, and his girlfriend Violetta Komyshan, 21, were beaming as they walked the red carpet at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles

The New York City native's shaggy brown mane was lightly-styled as he smiled and posed for photographers at the venue.

Komyshan shined - literally - in a sheer, shimmering flesh-toned gown with large sequins, with a one-piece white undergarment visible under the exquisite ensemble, and open toe heels.

The 21-year-old ballerina - whose time with the Divergent star traces back to their days as sweethearts at Fiorello H. LaGuardia Performing Arts High School in New York - had her lustrous brown mane parted to the side, with her beautiful face complemented by subtle makeup and a bold shade of lipstick.She wore multiple diamond earrings at the event.

Ansel has a musical background himself, with multiple albums out in the electronic dance genre under the moniker Anslo. He's also friends with members of the South Korean pop outfit BTS, as he tweeted a shot in which he and Komyshan posed with them. He captioned the tweet with emojis, showing the South Korea flag added to the American flag equals love (represented by a heart).

Show-stealer: Komyshan glimmered in a flesh-toned gown with large sequins

Longtime loves: The duo have dated on-and-off with one another dating back to their days as students at Fiorello H. LaGuardia Performing Arts High School

Top of the world: Ansel's career continues to soar with a stream of successful feature films

Ansel earlier this week made headlines at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney, Australia, breaking his silence over the scandal swirling around his Baby Driver co-star Kevin Spacey, who's been accused by 15 men of sexual harassment or abuse.

The fast-rising actor told News Corp of Spacey, 'The whole thing is really shocking,' before pointing out the major changes occurring amid the ongoing revelations of sexual harassment and abuse throughout show business.

'I think whats happening right now in the industry,' he said, 'is people are standing up and saying that certain ways of the industry are no longer acceptable or in life in general. The world should be a safer place where sexual harassment is not acceptable.'

Elgort can currently be seen in the film November Criminals, co-starring Chloe Grace Moretz. It's available now via streaming services and will be released to a limited slate of theaters December 8.

Multi-talented: Ansel has released albums in the electronic dance genre under the name Anslo

Charming couple: The young performers looked in top form as they posed

Sounding off: Ansel said that the sexual harassment scandal surrounding his Baby Driver co-star Kevin Spacey struck him as 'really shocking'

Reunited: Elgort and his love posed with his pals from the South Korean pop group BTS
They may have had a 10-year reality show documenting every movement of the family, but Kris Jenner has now hired a personal scribe to track their conversations.

The 62-year-old Kardashian family matriarch was widely mocked among her daughters during Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians after they discovered her latest move.

The situation raised eyebrows when they realized the scribe would be joining them for dinners and lunches and writing down their every word because Kris was worried about becoming too forgetful.

Momager mocking: Khloe Kardashian mocked her momager Kris Jenner for hiring a personal scribe during Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Kris said: 'I am constantly multi-tasking and trying to take care of a gazillion things at the same time. I'm always working on my organizational skills and trying to work out how to become more organized and more productive.

'I'm getting older and I feel like I can't remember anything, so I need to write it down. I called Kendall today and two minutes later I couldn't remember why I called her.

'This is genius. I can have somebody follow me around every single day and then repeat back to me what I said and did. This is everything,' Kris declared.

Kris's was prompted to hire new employee, Madhvi Patel, after the mother-of-six forgot she had promised to throw a family barbecue and daughter Khloe asked if she was 'losing it'.

Watching her mother write on a personalized notepad with the name 'Kris Kardashian' at the top of the page, she quipped: 'Did you forget what your last name was too?'

Smiling through: Kris tried to maintain a smile while Khloe made outrageous comments during dinner as the scribe recorded her comments

New employee: Madhvi Patel accompanied Kris to dinner and transcribed her conversations

Organizational skills: The 62-year-old momager said she hired the scribe to help her be more productive

When Madhvi accompanied Kris to dinner with her three eldest daughters, Khloe went out of her way to make her mother feel as uncomfortable as possible.

Kris squirmed as Khloe joked that she was wearing a diaper, commented on her drinking, discussed 'queefing' and claimed that she thought her name was 'S*** Head' when she was a child as the scribe typed away.

Discussing the awkward dinner later with her mother, Khloe said: 'I think having a person follow you around and type on a computer all day is a little excessive.'

Too much: Kris was hiding her face as Khloe said she was wearing a diaper for the scribe to capture

Cracking up: Kim was cracking up at Khloe's antics with the scribe

Kris told her: 'You have no filter. You're always fun but sometimes you take it to another level and you have no filter.'

'I wonder where I get the other level from?' Khloe asked. 'You have a f***ing scribe dictating everything you do.

'That's her job but it's also my job to show you how ridiculous some things are. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings,' Khloe assured her mother.

Transcription service: Madhvi was transcribing as Khloe confronted Kris about having a personal scribe

Her job: Khloe said it was her job to let Kris know when she was being ridiculous

Scribe spat: The reality star said she didn't mean to hurt her mother's feelings

Kris, however, turned the tables on Khloe during a dinner at Kourtney's house  in front of Madhvi - and presented her with KY jelly and yeast infection medicine and claimed she had a lice problem.

The momager later conceded to Kourtney: 'Going forward, I think it's probably best to use the scribe during meetings and business hours and not family time.'

There was a moment of light relief during the one-hour episode when Khloe declared that she wanted to get Botox around her belly button.

Good one: Kris got back at Kloe by embarrassing her in front of the scribe also

At work: Madhvi was hard at work as Kris tried turned the tables on Khloe

Button envy: Kendall Jenner showed her belly button that Khloe admired

Noticing sister Kendall's midriff, she commented: 'Your belly button is so vertical. I'm jealous. I literally will get Botox around my belly button, just so it looks like that.'

Kim, thinking that Khloe was already receiving this treatment, enviously asked: 'Who does this for you?'

'I don't,' Khloe explained. 'I'm going to, that's what I'm saying.'

So vertical: Khloe admitted that she was jealous of Kendall's 'vertical' belly button

Good idea: Kris told Kourtney that she was going to only use the scribe for business matters

Kim told her sisters: 'No one's offering me that.'

Kim, meanwhile, decided she wanted to raise awareness of homelessness in Los Angeles after passing rows of tents on the street after a family trip downtown to the Museum Of Ice Cream.

She said: 'My dad used to drive us to Skid Row when we were little to just show us that the rest of the world doesn't really live how we live in Beverly Hills and that always stuck with me.

Museum visit: A family trip to the Museum Of Ice Cream in downtown Los Angeles reminded Kim of the homelessness problem

'When you have kids everything opens up and you want our world to be the most perfect place for them and your awareness becomes so heightened,' Kim added.

Kim and Khloe met with Reverend Andy Bales from the Union Rescue Mission and were introduced to some of the people staying at the shelter.

The sisters learned that there were not enough shelter beds in LA because 47,000 people are on the streets and there are only 12,000 shelter beds available.

Eyes opened: The reality star said having kids has raised her aware of issues

Rescue mission: Kim and Khloe went to the Rescue Mission on Skid Row to learn more about the homeless

A shocked Kim said: 'The homeless issue is a full epidemic and I don't know what the answer is to get people off the streets, but I'm so willing to help in any way I can. I just want to bring awareness to this issue.

'Unfortunately people do live in bubbles and people probably think LA is this glamorous place and it makes me feel really sad that people are living like this and the problem is getting worse.'

Kim arranged another meeting with LA City Councilwoman Nury Martinez and visited a homeless encampment, where they chatted with members of the community.

Full epidemic: The mother of two met with LA City Councilman Nury Martinez to discuss the issue

Encampment visit: Kim and the councilwoman went out to a homeless encampment in the San Fernando Valley

Real people: The councilwoman and Kim talked to a homeless man living in the encampment

She said: 'I know this isn't something I can fix by myself, but I hope that everything I'm learning will wake something up inside other people so everyone can come together.'

She also helped put on an event to support the Alexandria House in LA, a shelter that supports women and single mothers.

Kim said: 'It's so important to understand that not everyone on the street is a drug addict. The people I met are having hardships  maybe they lost their job, maybe they just had a bad circumstance. There are so many different stories and I think that's the most important thing.'

First hand: Kim and her assistant Stephanie also went to the Alexandria House to learn about women at the shelter
Claire Fraser really went overboard during Sunday's episode of Outlander for her 18th century Highland warrior lover.

The time-traveling surgeon, played by Caitriona Balfe, jumped off the British ship The Porpoise in a bid to rescue Jamie, portrayed by Sam Heughan.

The episode titled Heaven And Earth opened with Jamie urging the Artemis captain to follow The Porpoise with Claire aboard.

Going overboard: Claire Fraser went overboard for her lover Jamie during Sunday's episode of Outlander

James challenged Captain Raines, but stopped when weapons were drawn and was imprisoned below deck.

Claire meanwhile with the help of teenage British soldier Elias Pound tried to contain the typhoid fever breaking out on the ship.

The captain's logs helped Claire as she discovered the carpenter's crew were all sickened and all died except for one.

Claire learned that he was working as a galley hands still serving food.

Tough spot: Jamie was in a tough spot as he challenged the captain of The Artemis

Captain Leonard followed Claire's advice and had the galley hand taken into custody.

Jamie meanwhile enlisted Fergus to steal the keys to his cell and free him.

'I lost her once, I cannot lose her again,' Jamie said.

Typhoid fever: Claire was fighting off typhoid fever aboard The Porpoise

Fergus refused to help fearing that he would put his love Marsali in jeopardy.

Jamie then promised to give his blessing to Fergus marrying Marsali if he helped out.

A memorial service aboard the Porpoise included a burial at sea after bodies were wrapped up.

Young helper: Elias Pound, 14, was assigned to help Claire

Burial ceremony: Victims of the typhoid fever were buried at sea

Claire tended to a man suffering from alcohol poisoning after he drank the pure alchohol that was distilled to stop the infection from spreading.

The captain's log while being inspected again by Claire showed that Jamie was wanted for sedition after being recognized by Harry Tompkins.

Fergus and Marsali almost consummated their relationship, but Ferugs stopped and said they have to wait until marriage as he promised Jamie.

Captains' logs: The captain's logs helped Claire figure out the source of the infection

Claire quizzed young Elias about Harry and lied that he also might be a carrier.

Harry was later brought to Claire and revealed he knows her identity.

She held a sharp medical on him but Harry was not intimidated and said, 'Kill me, I'll thank you for it'.

Sharp instruments: The surgeon broke out her sharp instruments with Harry Tompkins



Harry reveals that Jamie also was wanted for murder for the body found in a casket of creme de menthe.

Claire then had Harry jailed after claiming he was a typhoid carrier and warned him to stay away from infected galley cook Howard.

Mrs. Johansen, the wife of the alcohol poisoning victim, thanked Claire with goat cheese and promised to help her warn Jamie.

Helping hand: Mrs Johansen promised to help Claire after the doctor saved her husband from alcohol poisoning

Claire was left wondering when the woman said she had to feed her goats.

Fergus again refused to help Jamie and told him that he feared for Marsali and would move 'heaven and earth' because he loves her.

Claire then found Elias delirious in a hammock and believing she was his mother.

Fever victim: Elias was stricken by typhoid fever

Totally delirious: The boy believed that Claire was his mother before he died

The boy died and Claire with tears flowing finished sewing up his sack as his body was thrown overboard.

The Porpoise then approached land and Mrs Johansen got Claire to go with her to feed the goats.

Claire tried to make a break for it but was intercepted by Captain Leonard and soldiers.

Tender moment: Fergus and Marsali nearly consummated their relationship

Holding off: The couple held off on having sex at the urging of Fergus

Leonard said he was duty-bound to turn in Jamie and escorted her back to the Porpoise.

Claire later that night was lead up to the deck by Mrs. Johansen who pointed to the land and told her to go.

She was assured the water would move her and was given some money.

Wanted man: Claire found out that Jamie was wanted for sedition

Good plan: Mrs Johansen urged Claire to go find Jamie once they were on the island

Claire stripped off some of her clothes and Mrs. Johansen tossed tied barrels for a raft.

'Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,' Claire said before leaping into the water.

Outlander returns on Sunday on Starz.

Nice try: Captain Leonard intercepted Claire and brought her back on the ship
A feverish Father Gabriel found himself locked in a cell at the The Saviors' Sanctuary after joining forces with Negan and escaping from a trailer surrounded by walkers.

The two shared a bizarre scene during Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead that saw them making confessions to one another.

While Gabriel told Negan how he had locked his congregation out of the church when the end of the world began, Negan opened up about his first wife.

Odd couple: Gabriel Stokes teamed up with Negan during Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead as they escaped a trailer surrounded by walkers

He told the priest: 'My first wife was a real wife. My only real wife 'til death did us part. It was before this. I lied to her, I screwed around on her. She was sick and when she went it was during this. I couldn't put her down. That is how I was weak. That is what I will confess.'

The episode titled 'The Big Scary U' began with a flashback to Gabriel praying inside his church.

Gabriel told God: 'I might die. I very likely will die. I'm not asking to live. You've given me redemption and it's that which makes me no longer fear death. But what I fear is a fruitless death and what I ask for, after you have given me so much, is purpose.'

The show then flashed back again to the day Rick's group began their attack on the Saviors, with Gregory telling Negan and his men that he could persuade the Hilltop to stand down.

Opening up: Negan gave a confession to Gabriel while they were holed up together

Prayer time: The episode opened with Father Gabriel praying in a flashback at his church

'I don't like killing people any more than you do,' Gregory told Negan.

Negan replied: 'I like killing people. I say it's about killing the right people. You kill the right people at the right time, everything falls into place. Everybody's happy.'

While Gregory told The Saviors he could help them, Negan questioned why, if his power was so great, he was not forewarned about a planned attack.

Offering help: Gregory offered to help The Saviors before the attack on The Sanctuary

Authority figure: Negan assured everyone they would continue on their mission to save people

'I think you're playing both sides,' he said. 'I think you're a thin-d***ed politician threading the needle with your thin, thin d***.'

'I wasn't aware of things until they were already in motion,' Gregory assured him.

Things picked up again inside the trailer, where Gabriel and Negan found themselves locked inside at the end of the first episode of this season.

Trailer trap: Gabriel and Negan were trapped in a trailer surrounded by walkers

There was a moment of confusion for viewers, when Negan knocked Gabriel to the floor and took his gun, but then helped him sit up and congratulated him on his 'smart play'.

Asked why he stayed back to help Gregory, rather than escape from The Sanctuary, Gabriel said: 'What I fear is a fruitless death. There had to be some reason I did what I did. Maybe this is the reason.'

'What?' Negan asked.

Smart play: Negan congratulated Gabriel for his smart move

'I think I'm here to take your confession,' Gabriel told him.

Back inside the Sanctuary, and unaware that Negan and Gabriel were locked inside the trailer, Regina told her fellow Saviors: 'We have to assume Negan's dead.'

A furious Simon retaliated: 'I'm Negan and as I understand it, everyone in this room is. I realize there's a lot of stress in the air, but just to clarify, are you saying you're someone else Regina?'

Stressful situation: Simon was angry as The Saviors met without their leader Negan

'No,' she said.

While Dwight vowed to lead the Saviors out of their crisis, Simon said they needed to find the mole who led Rick's group to attack.

Looking at former Alexandria resident Eugene, he said: 'We find that subhuman coward that did this to us and we're going to kill him very slowly in front of everyone here over the course of a few very long days.'

Slow death: The traitor among the group was going to be tortured and killed, Simon said

Back inside the trailer, Gabriel asked Negan to tell him his weakness

'We may be dead soon,' he said. 'Wouldn't you want to confess before all that happens? Wouldn't you want absolution before that? Forgiveness? It costs nothing more than saying the truth aloud.'

After asking Negan if he wanted to confess to killing people and forcing people to work as slaves, he hit a nerve when he asked about his wife.

Nerve hit: Gabriel hit a nerve when he asked Negan about his wife

The priest asked: 'Was there a first? One before all of this? A wife you promised to have and to hold, forsaking all others? One you told that lie to?'

Then, while Negan's back was turned, he grabbed his gun back and locked himself inside a closet in the trailer.

Instead of using the gun to kill Negan, Gabriel agreed to work with him to escape the trailer, on the condition that he confess.

Escape plan: Negan and Gabriel struck a deal to escape the trailer together

After Negan opened up about his wife, the priest opened the door, held out the gun and said: 'You're forgiven'.

Negan punched him in the face and told him to keep his gun.

While Negan and Gabriel covered themselves with the innards of a dead walker and slowly emerged from the trailer, the Saviors found themselves surrounded by workers at the Sanctuary as tensions grew.

Covered up: Negan covered himself with zombie innards as they escaped

Close call: Walkers hung onto Negan as he and Gabriel left the trailer

Open mouth: An open-mouthed walker approached Negan with wide eyes

Up close: Negan and Gabriel got up close and personal with walkers

Dwight, trying to calm the situation down, told them: 'We're going to get through this. We just need some more time.'

The workers, however, complained about the lack of water and protection and demanded to know where Negan was.

Regina, shooting one of them dead, declared: 'I'm Negan. Anyone else want a bullet?'

Calming presence: Simon ordered the workers to head back to their designated area

Right on cue, Negan appeared with Gabriel and the group dropped to their knees.

He told them: 'I'm guessing a lot of you fine folks thought I was dead, chewed up, never to be crapped out again.

'Well, here's a little refresher on who the hell I am. I wear a leather jacket, I have Lucille and my nutsack is made of steel. I am not dying until I am damn good and ready.'

He's back: Negan returned just in time and restored order at The Sanctuary

While tensions grew at The Sanctuary, they also rose between Rick and Daryl as the fan favorites disagreed about the best way forward.

After retrieving dynamite from the truck loaded with ammunition, Daryl said: 'We know what we've got to do. Blow up the Sanctuary, let the walkers flood in and they'll surrender. It'll be done. We could end this by sundown.'

Rick, however, told Daryl he did not want to put the workers and their families at risk and vowed: 'There's a plan and everyone's sticking to it.'

That's dynamite: Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon unloaded dynamite from the truck

Blow it: Daryl suggested blowing up The Sanctuary but Rick disapproved

'Not everyone,' Daryl proclaimed. 'Some of our people are dead, Rick. Negan and that other group, this is on them. If people die, it's their fault, not ours.'

As Daryl marched off, Rick grabbed him and the pair wrestled on the floor until Rick threw the bag of dynamite into the truck.

They suddenly realized the vehicle was on fire and ran for cover while it exploded.

Choke hold: Rick was put in a choke hold by Daryl as they fought over plans

Blown up: The truck loaded with ammo and explosives burst into flames and exploded

In flames: Daryl and Rick watched the flames after the explosion

As they prepared to leave, Rick saw a helicopter in the sky.

Back at The Sanctuary, Negan gathered The Saviors and told them they needed to find out how the attack had been possible.

Eugene appeared to figure out that Dwight was the traitor among The Saviors.

Looking up: Rick looked up as he heard a sound overhead

Chopper sighting: A helicopter was spotted flying above the trees

Negan cornered Eugene after the meeting and told him : 'You solve this thing with the bad smelling convention outside, I will make you very, very happy.

'But even if you try your best and I know you try your best, but you don't figure something out, I assure you, I will kill you quickly so you don't have to see all the awful, horrific things that are going to go down in here when we run out of food and water.'

Eugene nodded when Negan asked if he could still count on him.

Allegiance check: Negan made sure he could still count on Eugene

At the end of the episode, Eugene knocked on Gabriel's cell door to bring him supplies but found him ill and feverish inside.

Shaking and sweating, Gabriel told Eugene they had to get Maggie's doctor out of The Sanctuary.

'That's why I'm here. There's a reason we're here,' he said. 'We have to get him out of here.'
On Monday, New Idea claimed 'nothing would give Cassandra Thorburn more satisfaction' than beating her ex-husband at his own game, as she reportedly embarks on a career in the media.

But just hours after the tabloid magazine hit newsstands, Karl Stefanovic's former wife unleashed her fury by writing a powerful open letter for Woman's Day.

The 46-year-old mother-of-three explained that she 'doesn't need revenge' after Karl began dating model Jasmine Yarbrough following their separation last year.

Having her say: Cassandra Thorburn has responded to a New Idea report that she wanted 'revenge' on her ex-husband Karl Stefanovic in a fiery open letter for Woman's Day magazine

'I don't feel the need to exact revenge on Karl for leaving me - I'm just happy to be starting a new chapter in my life. I'm most content spending time with my three children and making plans for our future,' Cassandra wrote.

'I find it very hurtful they feel the need to compare Karl's new girlfriend Jasmine with me,' she continued.

'Karl and I created 21 years of memories - there's certainly no competition between our years together and their lives now'.

Cassandra, a former ABC journalist, explained she has no plans for a career in media, and her next project is releasing a children's book early next year.

'I find it very hurtful they feel the need to compare Karl's new girlfriend Jasmine with me': The former ABC journalist clarified there was 'no competition' between her and Jasmine Yarbrough

New love: Karl met Jasmine, a former model-turned-shoe-designer, in late 2016 following his separation from Cassandra after 21 years of marriage

Cassandra's open letter was in response to a story published in Monday's New Idea, which alleged she is 'weeks away' from an announcement 'that could make her even more successful than her Logie-winning ex.'

A supposed 'insider' told the publication: 'Nothing would give her more satisfaction than beating Karl at his own game after everything he's done to her.'

Cassandra met Karl, 43, at a party in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1995, and they married that same year.

The former couple, who are now divorced after 21 years of marriage, share three children together: Jackson, 18, Ava, 12, and River, 10.

History: Cassandra met Karl, 43, at a party in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1995, and they married that same year. The former couple share three children - Jackson, River and Ava

Karl reportedly met new girlfriend Jasmine in late 2016, following his separation.

Cassandra recently told Woman's Day that her ex-husband was 'dead' to her.

'The children still have a father but I don't have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we wont ever be friends again,' she explained.
Fans have spent the last few months eagerly waiting for the return of the Real Housewives Of Melbourne.

And on Monday, Foxtel's Arena channel released their first full promo video for the fourth series, set to air early December.

And to no surprise, there's more drama then ever, with Gina Liano, 51, and Gamble Breaux, 47, reigniting their on-going feud.

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Still bitter? On Monday, Foxtel's Arena channel released their first full promo video that showed the feud between Gina Liano and Gamble Breaux continue

The quarrel between the pair is seen after Gina opens up to housewife Lydia Schiavello about how disappointed she was that she didn't hear a thing from Gamble after her father Nick passed away, earlier in the year.

'I thought that Gamble may have come to see me when Dad passed,' she said.

'She goes to the opening of an envelope.'

At least she has one friend! The quarrel between the pair is seen continuing after Gina opens up to housewife Lydia Schiavello (left) how disappointed she was that she didn't hear a thing from Gamble after her father Nick passed away earlier in the year

Hurt by her lack of empathy, Gina organises a dinner with the girls but chooses not to invite the blonde star.

Offended by the barrister's actions, Gamble sends a box of roses during dinner with a note saying 'I would've never excluded you from my table'.

Ripping it up, Gina said she was done with the star and accused her of having 'some problems'.

The war continues: Offended by the barrister's actions, Gamble sends a box of roses during dinner with a note saying 'I would've never excluded you from my table'

In the final scene, a dinner party goes haywire after oldest cast member Janet Roach, 58, flips Gina the bird before telling her to 'stop playing the victim card'.

'I'm not the victim, I'm the f***ing queen,' responds the perfume entrepreneur.

The Real Housewives Of Melbourne drama continues on December 6 at 8:30pm.
He suffered a turbulent time at 2Day FM, first his ratings-poor breakfast show (which he co-presented with Sam Frost) was moved to evenings, then it was axed altogether.

But almost five months after the show finished, it appears Rove McManus has found the funny side of the situation.

The 43-year-old made fun of how short-lived his radio show was after learning that his former co-host's brother had just completed training for the medium.

'You lasted longer than we did': Rove McManus jokes about his short-lived 2Day FM stint with Sam Frost after her brother finished his radio course

'I reckon you lasted longer than we did,' the comedian commented on an Instagram post by Alex Frost.

Sam appeared to appreciate the slight jab, commenting: '@rovemcmanus ahhhh hahahahahahahahahahahaha seriously.'

The Rove and Sam show aired for the last time on June 30, less than six months after it was moved to an evening time slot.

Rove and the former Bachelorette, 28, had only debuted their 2Day FM show in November 2015.

The pair repeatedly fell behind rivals like Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS FM - the star team they had replaced at the network.

Seeing the funny side: Rove made fun of how short-lived his radio show was after learning that his former co-host's brother - Alex Frost - had just completed training for the medium

Short lived: The Rove and Sam show aired for the last time on June 30, less than six months after it was moved to an evening time slot

Not to be: Rove and the former Bachelorette, 28, had their 2Day FM show cancelled after less than two years of it being on air

The duo were replaced by comedians Em Rusciano and Harley Breen in the morning slot.

Rove remained contracted to Southern Cross Austereo although Sam did not.

The pretty blonde has since gone on to reinvent herself as an actor and will feature on Australian soap Home And Away in 2018.

Meanwhile, her brother Alex is also hoping for a successful career in the Australian media industry.

'Finished my radio course at AFTRS on Saturday and my body is so ready to have weeknights and weekends back. Not 100% sure I've passed yet tho (sic),' he wrote in an Instagram post earlier this month.
She's the busty former Bachelor star who was rejected by Sam Wood on the show in 2015.

And it appears it wasn't second time lucky for Nina Rolleston either, as she was seen leaving Fiji just a week after filming for Bachelor In Paradise began.

On Monday, the 30-year-old was spotted looking dejected at Nadi International Airport as she prepared to board a flight back home to Brisbane.

SPOILER ALERT: Nina Rolleston packs her bags and jets back to Brisbane just a week after filming for Bachelor In Paradise began

Nina cut a lonely figure as she killed time inside the airport with only her phone for company.

Returning to reality television appeared to have taken its toll on the brunette, who was seen openly yawning while sitting on a lounge.

Nina seemed keen to get back home as soon as possible, as she picked up her packed luggage and headed to the departure gate to board a Virgin flight.

Sent packing? The 30-year-old was seen on Monday looking dejected in Nadi International Airport as she prepared to board a flight back home to Brisbane

Unlucky in love... again: Nina cut a lonely figure as she killed time inside the airport with only her phone for company

Get me out of here! Nina seemed keen to get back home as soon as possible, as she picked up her packed luggage and headed to the departure gate to board a Virgin flight

The Queenslander wore a simple, black off-the-shoulder dress teamed with a pair of matching sandals.

Her luscious locks, parted in the middle, fell loosely down her shoulders.

And she opted for a natural look, wearing only light touches of makeup.

The wedding planner accessorised with a dainty silver necklace, and a pair of matching drop earrings.

Over it? Returning to reality television appeared to take its toll on the brunette, who was seen openly yawning while sitting on a lounge

Heading home: Nina failed to win Sam Wood's heart on The Bachelor in 2015

All black ensemble: The Queenslander wore a simple, black off-the-shoulder dress teamed with a pair of matching sandals

Her swift departure from the Fijian island comes after leaked airport snaps revealed a large proportion of the contestant list on Saturday.

Among those caught red-handed leaving for Fiji earlier this month included a beardless, slimmed-down Blake Colman as well as Florence Alexandra Sophia, Luke McLeod and Mackane Reid.

They joined previously confirmed contestants, such as Apollo Jackson, Keira Maguire, Michael Turnbull and Tara Pavlovic.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment.

Relaxed look: The Queenslander wore her luscious locks loosely in a casual style which was parted in the middle

Natural: She opted for a natural look, wearing only light touches of makeup, including some eye-shadow

Leaving 'paradise': Her swift departure from the Fijian island comes after leaked airport snaps revealed a large proportion of the contestant list on Saturday
Jack Maynard has apologised for repeatedly using the N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets posted between 2011-2013.

But Lorraine Kelly branded the I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star, 22, as an 'idiot' following the first episode of the ITV reality show.

On Monday's episode of Lorraine, the 57-year-old host insisted if the shocking social media posts were 'unacceptable' back then then they were 'unacceptable now'.

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'What an idiot': Lorraine Kelly slammed I'm A Celebrity's Jack Maynard for using N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets dating six years ago

Discussing the tweets on Lorraine, the television sensation said: 'What an idiot, what an idiot! You are right it does come back and bite you on the bum if you write something. If it was unacceptable then, it's unacceptable now.'

The tweets, obtained by The Sun, show Jack using the racist term 'n*****', as well as calling fellow social media users by the homophobic slur 'f*****' and 'retarded'.

Jack's representatives have insisted the successful vlogger, who has secured his biggest career move to date with I'm A Celebrity, was 'ashamed'.

'He is ashamed': Jack, 22, has apologised for repeatedly using the N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets posted between 2011-2013

Shocked: On Monday's episode of Lorraine, the 57-year-old host insisted if the shocking social media posts were 'unacceptable' back then then they were 'unacceptable now'

Revealed: Speaking about the tweets on Lorraine, 'What an idiot?...If it was unacceptable then, it's unacceptable now'

The Sun reported that Jack posted photos of people with facial deformities with comments such as 'in his prime' and 'Ahahahaha! Sooo funny!'

Jack told MailOnline the reality star was apologetic and ashamed of his actions.

The statement read: 'Jack is ashamed of what he said in these tweets, many of which were deleted a long time ago and were sent in response to a neighbour who was bullying him.

'Jack was a lot younger when he posted them in 2012 but realises that age is no defence.

Apology: The tweets show the 22-year-old star casually using the racist term n*****, as well as calling fellow social media users by the homophobic slur f***** and 'retarded'

'Ashamed': A spokeswoman for Jack told MailOnline the reality star was apologetic and ashamed of his actions, saying: 'Jack is ashamed of what he said in these tweets, many of which were deleted a long time ago and were sent in response to a neighbour who was bullying him

'He would never use that language now and realises that, as someone who was bullied himself, this kind of retaliatory, inflammatory, insulting language is completely unacceptable.'

An ITV spokeswoman told the website: 'Jack has issued a full apology and has deleted the tweets that he sent.'

Boasting a whopping 1,195,687 subscribers, Jack is the first vlogger to enter the celebrity jungle.

Delete: An ITV spokeswoman told the website: 'Jack has issued a full apology and has deleted the tweets that he sent'
He's now the host of successful Channel Seven game show The Wall.

But on Monday, Axle Whitehead admitted he hadn't ruled out a return to Home and Away and claimed that he would even reprise his role as 'bad boy rock star' Liam Murphy.

Speaking to TV Week, the 36-year-old revealed that a return to Summer Bay is still on the cards.

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'Never say never': Axle Whitehead has revealed he may return to Home and Away to reprise his role as Liam Murphy

'Never say never,' he told the publication.

'I haven't had the offer yet, but we'll wait and see.'

When Axle left the show to try and further his acting career in 2013, the door was always left ajar for him to return.

Liam was written out of the show by leaving the Bay to be with his son Ash, so he could spend more time with his family and leave his 'bad boy rock star' image behind.

'Bad boy': Axle departed the show in 2013 after playing 'bad boy rock star' Liam Murphy on-screen from 2009

Axle claimed he would love to rejoin the cast and crew of the long-running soap and described them as 'family.'

'It's such a successful show because it feels like family,' he said.

'It feels like family': Axle praised the cast and crew of the long-running drama, claiming they are 'bloody hard workers'

'The crew is unlike anyone I've worked with - it's such a family and they're all bloody hard workers.'

Upon his departure from the show, Axle travelled to Los Angeles to broaden his acting skills and subsequently landed a role in season five of the critically-acclaimed American drama series Shameless.

Returning to Australia earlier this year, he now hosts the highly successful Channel Seven game show The Wall.
He was vilified for making millions from the demise of BHS, which resulted in 11,000 job loses when 164 were closed in August 2016.

Sir Philip Green, 65, was enjoying the fruits of his labour hosting a celebration of a new Topshop and Topman opening at Cecconi's, Soho Beach House in Miami on Saturday night.

The bash was full of opulence at the private members club with tree lights, a delicious feast and glamorous guests.

Pure wealth: Sir Philip was in his element hosting the celebration of the Topshop and Topman Miami store opening at Cecconi's at Soho Beach House on Saturday night

In the wake of the scandal that erupted as a consequence of the BHS disaster, Sir Green has since agreed to pay back 363m into the defunct store's pension fund.

Elsewhere the businessman is cutting jobs at his Arcadia Group head office to streamline the business.

The retail group, which owns both Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, is cutting 300 roles in total.

Money talk: Sir Green was in his usual smart/casual attire wearing a black suit and a crisp white shirt with his silver hair swept back and his permanent tan from plenty of holiday time

In high spirits: Sir Philip was enjoying his own success chatting to guests at the Italian restaurant in his usual dapper style while indulging in a pasta meal

In 2016 profits at the group fell by 16 per cent to 211m but despite these cuts the retail tycoon has been enjoying indulging himself lately.

Last Monday he was seen enjoying a night out with his glamorous wife Tina at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, London.

The 65-year-old tycoon, who is estimated to be worth 3.8bn, cut a dapper figure for his dinner date in a black pinstriped suit paired with a white fitted shirt which was open at the neck.

Dinner date: Putting the BHS scandal behind him, Sir Philip Green enjoyed a lavish night out with his glamorous wife Tina at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, London on Monday

Billionaires: The 65-year-old tycoon, who is estimated to be worth 3.8bn, cut a dapper figure for his dinner date in a black pinstriped suit paired with a white fitted shirt which was open at the neck as he joined wife Tina in their luxury car

Flashing a relaxed smile and a healthy tan, the Arcadia Group chairman chatted to pals before joining his wife of 27 years in his luxury car.

Tina went for a classically British look for her night out, clad in a black rollneck jumper, paired with a leather skirt and a elegant houndstooth coat.

Her blonde locks were styled sleek and straight and she went for simple glowing make-up.

The couple wed in 1990 and share two children, Chloe, 26 and Brandon, 24.

Chloe is notably dating 'Hot Felon' and model Jeremy Meeks.

Smile: Flashing a relaxed smile and a healthy tan, the Arcadia Group chairman chatted to pals

Night out: Sir Philip looked delighted after his seafood dinner at the celebrity haunt

Happy couple: Tina went for a classically British look for her night out, clad in a black rollneck jumper, paired with a leather skirt and a elegant houndstooth coat

The model recently said that he was not interested in the Topshop heiress' money, after leaving his wife to be with her.

He told The Mirror: 'Ive never been happier in my life than right now,' Meeks said. 'Weve found love, were in love and we are very happy.

'I love Chloe for her and if she didnt have a dollar I wouldnt give a s*** because were so happy.'

Family: The couple wed in 1990 and share two children, Chloe, 26 (above) and Brandon, 24
They're the former reality TV stars who were seen flying to Fiji, where new reality dating show Bachelor In Paradise is being filmed.

And now some of the smoke-and-mirror tactics the former Bachelor and Bachelorette stars are using to avoid being exposed as contestants on it are coming to light.

Several stars who are believed to be participating in the series have taken to Instagram over the past two weeks to share their activities within Australia, despite being spotted leaving the country for Fiji days earlier.

You're not fooling anyone! Bachelor In Paradise stars share VERY misleading Instagram snaps to convince fans they're in Australia... after they were busted flying to Fiji

Bachelor reject from Matty 'J' Johnson's season Florence Alexandra Sophia said she was 'literally at the beach' in Melbourne's St. Kilda on Monday.

Her post followed another from Wednesday that showed her eating eggs on toast and having a coffee at a Camberwell cafe, in the city's east.

But she was spotted at the airport holding packed luggage two weeks previous, believed to be en-route to Fiji.

Only three days later, Sophie Monk reject Sam Cochrane walked through Sydney airport wearing an olive sweatshirt and skinny jeans before jetting out of town for Nadi.

He then posted to Instagram on Friday, claiming to have just visited Movie World on the Gold Coast with his brother.

Playing tricks? Several stars who are believed to be participating in the series have taken to Instagram over the past two weeks to share their activities within Australia, despite being spotted leaving the country for Fiji days earlier

Misleading? Florence Alexandra Sophia shared a post on Wednesday that showed her eating eggs on toast and having a coffee at a Camberwell cafe, in Melbourne's east. But she was spotted at the airport holding packed luggage two weeks ago, believed to be en-route to Fiji

Oops! Sophie Monk reject Sam Cochrane posted to Instagram on Friday, claiming to have just visited Movie World on the Gold Coast with his brother, but made the mistake of wearing the exact same outfit he flew to Fiji in - albeit with a slightly different hat on

Sam was arguably trying to pull the wool over fans' eyes with the post, but made the mistake of wearing the exact same outfit he flew to Fiji in - albeit with a slightly different hat on.

His former The Bachelorette co-stars Luke McLeod and Mackane Reid have also shared some suspect material to Instagram.

A fortnight ago, Mackane shared a photo of himself lazing about on a Western Australian beach, and again on Tuesday eating lunch prepared by a Perth kitchen.

Meanwhile, Luke posed with his best friend - his dog - while holding onto a glass of red wine on November 10.

However, both Luke and Mackane were seen following a Fiji airlines staffer and hauling luggage into hire cars on November 6.

Also suspicious: Mackane Reid (pictured) took to Instagram two weeks ago to share a photo of himself lazing about on a Western Australian beach, and again on Tuesday eating lunch prepared by a Perth kitchen
She's the Australian actress who landed arguably her biggest role yet in the Channel Ten drama Sisters.

And Lucy Durack has revealed that the role of Roxy on the recently premiered show has capped off what has been a 'crazy year' for the star.

Aside from her role on Sisters, 2017 has seen Lucy nab a part in ABC comedy The Letdown as well as continuing her role of Tugger on the Channel Nine drama Doctor Doctor.

Plum roles: Lucy Durack has revealed that the role of Roxy on the Channel Ten drama sisters has capped off what has been a 'crazy year' for the star

Speaking to TV Week, the 32-year-old gushed about what has proved to be a red letter year, admitting that she is still 'pinching herself.'

'It's been a crazy year,' she told the publication. I'm still pinching myself.'

She continued: 'I've always wanted to work on a television series but it's become a case of "be careful what you wish for," because now I have three.'

Big year: Speaking to TV Week , the 32-year-old gushed about what has proved to be a red letter year, admitting that she is still 'pinching herself.' Lucy is pictured with sisters co-stars maria Angelico (l) and Antonia Prebble (r)

The publication also reported that it's been a stellar year, personally for Lucy as well with the actress celebrating her 10 year anniversary as a couple with husband Chris Horsey, whom she married in 2014.

With the pair welcoming daughter Polly into the world in 2015, Lucy also revealed that her cherubic offspring may be starting to take after her parents, with Christopher also being an actor, choreographer and dancer.

'She loves to play and dance,' Lucy gushed. 'She's been around theatre and film sets a lot, so she'll have a good approximation of what the industry is all about when she's older.'

Going strong: The publication also reported that it's been a stellar year, personally for Lucy as well with the actress celebrating her 10 year anniversary as a couple with husband Chris Horsey, whom she married in 2014.

With Lucy balancing motherhood with quite a hectic work schedule, she also revealed that her and Chris are looking to add to their family.

'Definitely one day,' she said. 'We both have siblings, so we know how great it is.'

While she is no stranger to the stage, having appeared in such productions as Wicked, Legally Blonde and 42nd Street, her Sisters, The Lowdown and Doctor doctor roles represent her biggest TV appearances to date.

Prodigy? With the pair welcoming daughter Polly into the world in 2015, Lucy also revealed that her cherubic offspring may be starting to take after her parents, with Christopher also being an actor, choreographer and dancer

Like mother like daughter: 'She loves to play and dance,' Lucy gushed. 'She's been around theatre and film sets a lot, so she'll have a good approximation of what the industry is all about when she's older.'
She has dedicated her life to preserving the legacy of her late husband and the original King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Yet, Priscilla Presley's appearance got viewers talking on social media following her interview on Monday's instalment of Lorraine as she promoted new compilation Elvis album and tour, Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

While giving insight into her life with Elvis, the 72-year-old's appearance got fans commenting on Twitter in their droves about her youthful look.

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Discussions: Priscilla Presley's appearance got viewers talking on social media following her interview on Monday's instalment of Lorraine as she promoted new compilation Elvis album and tour, Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

A viewer shared on the micro-blogging site: 'What has Pricilla Presley done to her face?'

'Priscilla Presley what happened to ageing gracefully? #plastic,' another posted. 'Priscilla what have you done to your face!'

One fan wrote: 'What has Priscilla Presley done to her face.....looks like she has a scary mask on'.

While a viewer wrote: 'Priscilla Presley looking like something from a horror movies on ITV Lorraine'.

Age-defying: Priscilla's youthful look garnered a wealth of attention

Youthful: While giving insight into her life with Elvis, the 72-year-old's appearance got fans commenting on Twitter in their droves about her youthful look

Despite the negative commentary, fans of Priscilla jumped to her defence and expressed their awe in how great she was looking.

One fan wrote: 'I know she has had a lot done but Priscilla Presley looks amazing!!! @reallorraine @ITVLorraine'

'@Cilla_Presley lovely to see you on "Good Morning" with Lorraine,' another shared. 'I always listen to Elvis. Love his music #ElvisPresley'.

Praise: Despite the negative commentary, fans of Priscilla jumped to her defence and expressed their awe in how great she was looking

Wrapped up: Priscilla donned a burgundy coloured rib top for the occasion which featured bow detail on the shoulder

Discussions: Aside from her appearance, the American beauty discussed at length how his Christmas hit Blue Christmas caused hysteria amongst parents and pastors when it was released in 1957

Candid: She shared: 'When this was released in 1957 it wasn't received very well, it was seen that it was outrageous and degrading...'

Priscilla previously fell foul to botched plastic surgery, and allegedly had industrial low-grade silicone similar to that used by mechanics to grease car parts injected into her face.

Her spokesperson added said at the time: 'Priscilla Presley was one of many documented victims of Dr. Serrano.

'An investigation which uncovered his misconduct ultimately lead to his imprisonment. Ms. Presley dealt with this matter years ago and everything is now well.'

Speaking out: In 2008, it was confirmed that Priscilla had fallen foul to botched plastic surgery, and allegedly had industrial low-grade silicone similar to that used by mechanics to grease car parts injected into her face

Natural beauty: The stunning star was an undeniable beauty in her youth

Serrano was investigated after his patients complained the injections caused lumps, paralysis and craters in the face. He was arrested in 2004 and charged in relation to the illegal injections.

Serrano was later sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy, smuggling and use of unapproved drugs in 2006.

Aside from her appearance, the American beauty discussed at length how his Christmas hit Blue Christmas caused hysteria amongst parents and pastors when it was released in 1957.

Love of her life: Priscilla is pictured on her wedding day with Elvis at the Aladdin Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas in 1967

Family: Priscilla pictured with Elvis and their daughter Lisa-Marie

She shared: 'When this was released in 1957 it wasn't received very well, it was seen that it was outrageous and degrading...

'Now the album is revered because the teens of the day made it go to the top of the charts but parents told them they couldn't buy it.

Adding: 'He didn't do it on purpose but he said when he was releasing it, it would be a little rock'n'roll.'

Discussing how shy he was, Priscilla added: 'He lived in his own world, we lived in his world, he often felt uncomfortable going out... but on stage that's the Elvis everyone saw.'

Chic: She kept to a burgundy theme for her appearance, wearing a floral print midi skirt
She is known for her fun-filled morning TV slots every week day morning.

But Holly Willoughby experienced a rather less smooth appearance on Monday morning, after she was left panicked by a large snake which had joined her on This Morning.

And things didn't end there for the 36-year-old presenter, who was seen grappling with the 14ft python alongside Phillip Schofield, as the progamme then came off air for over ten minutes after mysteriously crashing.

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Panic! Holly Willoughby experienced a rather chaotic appearance on Monday morning, after she was left horrified by a large snake on This Morning, before transmission cut off

Holly was seen panicking as she attempted to hold the huge snake with Phil, both giggling before she started to freak out.

'They're not trying to squash you', Phil attempted to soothe, as Holly screeched in the background.

'It's the tongue bit that scares me,' Holly replied. 'She's very beautiful... as long as she stays that way

And as the snake started to wrap itself around her leg and wander up her skirt, Holly screamed, begging for the snake to be taken off her.

A slithery experience! Things didn't end there for the 36-year-old presenter, who was seen grappling with the creature alongside Phillip Schofield

'Oh god lord. God gracious, well I never. What do I do?' she screeched, as Phill told her to 'just let it happen'.

Panicking, Holly responded: 'Can you get it off? Oh gosh that made me panic. Let's just give it back! We were being cool sorry!'.

And following her panic, the chaos continued with This Morning unexpectedly crashed for 10 minutes.

Techical difficulties: The progamme then came off air for over ten minutes after mysteriously crashing

Horror: Holly was seen panicking as she attempted to hold the huge snake with Phil, both giggling before she started to panic

The ITV brunch time show experienced technical difficulties mid-way through today's episode, with parts of the country missing out on Ben Fogle and later on Vicky Pattison.

The presenters were interviewing the 44-year-old adventurer when the screen crackled and cut out before a voiceover said: 'Sorry for disruption on ITV. We're working hard to fix the issue and will be back in a few minutes.'

The Twitter account added: 'We're sorry if you can't see us on your television right now. We're working on the problem and we'll be back with you as soon as possible!'

'They're not trying to squash you', Phil attempted to soothe, as Holly screeched in the background

'Oh god lord. God gracious, well I never. What do I do?' she screeched, as Phill told her to 'just let it happen'

'Can you get it off? Oh gosh that made me panic. Let's just give it back! We were being cool sorry!'

The technical issues went on for 10 minutes before the nation were rejoined with Holly and Phillip, who were unaware of any problems until the connection was restored, and Vicky Pattison for the 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' segment.

The 55-year-old silver fox said: 'We've been doing it without you by the way.'

Vicky joked: 'I'm making my This Morning debut and it's not even being shown'.

Holly quickly added: 'They didn't tell us, we just carried on,' with Phillip then explaining: 'We've just been told the country is back with us.'

Keeping her distance! Holly kept away from Pil as he held the slithery creature

Unimpressed! Holly opted to sit a safe distance away from the huge snake

What's going on! Viewers panicked as the daily show went off air, taking to Twitter to share their confusion

Although the issue was rectified, the crew still have 'no clue' what caused the blip.

Holly said: 'We have no clue what went on. We just looked down at the screen and saw we weren't on. I blame the snake  I think it was the snake's fault.'

Fellow presenter Rylan Clark-Neal joked on Twitter that he had 'accidentally' pulled the plug after producers refused to let him interview Victoria Beckham.

And viewers panicked as the daily show went off air, taking to Twitter to share their confusion.

Fans posted memes of characters in The Office, South Park and Spongebob Squarepants running scared, while some even feared there had been a terror attack.

A spokesperson for ITV told MailOnline: 'We would like to apologise to This Morning viewers after the programme went off air for 12 minutes today as a result of an issue at BT Tower, which affected the live feed to ITV. We are in contact with BT to establish the cause of this issue.'

Humorous: Fans posted memes of characters in The Office, South Park and Spongebob Squarepants running scared

Stolen spotlight: The ITV brunch time show experienced technical difficulties mid-way through today's episode, with parts of the country missing out on Ben Fogle and later on Vicky Pattison (pictured)
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Her sister Gigi Hadid took to Twitter last week to reveal she would not be attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year, amid speculation she was refused a visa.

And Bella Hadid was keen on continuing the show for the two of them, as she strutted her stuff down the eagerly anticipated 22nd annual runway show in an array of skimpy ensembles at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, China on Monday.

While the 21-year-old supermodel, who made her VS debut last year, commanded attention as she showcased her taut figure in the saucy looks, she accidentally suffered a double nipple slip in her perilously plunging white lingerie set.

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Heaven sent! Bella Hadid, 21, showcased her taut figure in an array of incredibly skimpy ensembles and dramatic wings as she strutted down the runway for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China on Monday

Peek-a-boob! While the supermodel, who made her VS debut last year, commanded attention as she showcased her taut figure in the saucy looks, she accidentally suffered a double nipple slip in her perilously plunging white lingerie set

Bella continued to prove she had the career most wannabe models could only dream of as she headed down the runway, while being serenaded by the likes of Harry Styles, Miguel, Jane Zhang and Leslie Odom Jr.

With her years of catwalk knowledge under her belt, the beauty - full name Isabella Khair Hadid - got off to a sensational start as she strutted along in a skimpy black lingerie set before channelling Grecian vibes with a lilac coloured look.

Complementing the plume of feathers she wore with her first ensemble, which drew attention to her impeccably toned stomach and ample cleavage, the brunette donned a pair of paisley print long gloves as well as colourful heels and eye-catching striped socks.

Despite being without her sister, Gigi for the event - who pulled out of the event last week amid claims she has been banned from entering China - Bella looked in high spirits as she was seen uncharacteristically smiling.

Work it! The supermodel - full name Isabella Khair Hadid - got off to a sensational start as she strutted along in a skimpy black lingerie which drew attention to her impeccably toned stomach and ample cleavage

Wow! Complementing the plume of feathers she wore with her first ensemble, the brunette donned a pair of paisley print long gloves as well as colourful heels and eye-catching striped socks

Bottoms up! Clearly sensational from every angle, the stunning daughter of Yolanda Foster flaunted her pert posterior in high cut briefs as she sauntered back down the catwalk

Commanding attention: Bella proved her model prowess as she effortlessly stormed the catwalk

Seamless: Bella paraded her envy-inducing figure with ease in her sky-high blue heels on the catwalk

Stunning: With her envy-inducing good looks, which consisted of bronzed cheekbones and mascara-laden eyes, Bella proved that her choice to return to the VS catwalk this year was a no-brainer

With her envy-inducing good looks, which consisted of bronzed cheekbones and mascara-laden eyes, Bella proved that her choice to return to the VS catwalk this year was a no-brainer.

Clearly sensational from every angle, the stunning daughter of Yolanda Foster flaunted her pert posterior in high cut briefs as she sauntered back down the catwalk.

It wasn't long before Bella returned, this time displaying her sensational front and impossibly flat stomach in a cropped semi-sheer bustier.

Donning a pair of matching gold speckled high-cut briefs, Bella's look was completed with a lilac kaftan which fell in effortless drapes with bedazzled gold lining.

Chic: Bella's first black lace looks, which boasted a cheeky cut-out design, was complemented with chic white gloves with blue floral print

She's got this! Bella looked in her element as she continued to work her effortless model poses backstage

Wow: It wasn't long before Bella returned, this time displaying her sensational front and impossibly flat stomach in a cropped semi-sheer bustier along with lilac kaftan which fell in effortless drapes

Striking: A spiked gold headpiece added to the regal feel as she effortlessly sashayed her way down the dim lights of the runway

Momentum: Her garment boasted a surprising edge as she utilised her arms to lift her flowing kaftan to create quite the eye-catching display

Bella was dripping in diamonds, with a dazzling silver necklace enhancing her decolletage, while her fingers and ears were lavished in further jewels.

A spiked gold headpiece added to the regal feel as she effortlessly sashayed her way down the dim lights of the runway.

Her garment boasted a surprising edge as she utilised her arms to lift her flowing kaftan to create quite the eye-catching display.

While she oozed sex appeal in the two ensembles, her final look proved to be her most daring as it boasted an incredibly low-cut neckline and flashed a peek of her nipples as she happily danced away on stage.

Oops! While she oozed sex appeal in the two ensembles, her final look proved to be her most daring as it boasted an incredibly low-cut neckline and flashed a peek of her nipples as she happily danced away on stage

Low-cut: As well as the extreme plunge, the bra proved to be slightly semi-sheer - which seemed to highlight Bella's ample assets

Standing tall! The scantily clad star's 5 ft 9 in height was boosted with towering strappy nude-coloured ankle boots

Loving life! However, the blunder went unnoticed by Bella as she happily danced under falling confetti to mark the end of the show

As well as the extreme plunge, the bra proved to be slightly semi-sheer - which seemed to highlight Bella's ample assets.

However, the blunder went unnoticed by Bella as she happily danced under falling confetti to mark the end of the show.

While Bella has been joined by her gaggle of model pals on the runway, she was left without her sister Gigi whow as reportedly denied entry into the country.

Ahead of the runway show, Bella couldn't resist flaunting her perfect figure as she took to Instagram with the enthusiastic caption: 'Let's DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Back for more! Bella made her Victoria's Secret Runway Show debut last year

Here they are! The Victoria's Secret class of 2017 all took to the stage to perform as a group

'Let's do this!' Ahead of the runway show, Bella couldn't resist flaunting her perfect figure as she took to Instagram in a tiny white bikini and pink robe

Not here: Bella's sister Gigi, 22, revealed last week that she would not be travelling to China to do the show, however she failed to explain the reason behind the decision - prompting much speculation that she had been refused a visa (Pictured last year)

'I will be there in spirit!' Gigi took to Twitter to reveal she was 'bummed' that she couldn't make it to China and was eagerly anticipating next year

Striking a fierce pose as she stood backstage, the model of the moment was pictured stripping off her pink VS robe to flaunt her frame in a tiny white bikini.

The model, 22, took to Twitter on Thursday morning to reveal that she would not be travelling to China to do the show, however she failed to explain the reason behind the decision - prompting much speculation that she had been refused a visa after a video surfaced of her earlier this year in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.

'Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year,' she wrote. 'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

In September, furious Chinese people warned the supermodel not to attend this year's show in Shangai, leaving thousands of angry comments calling for the brand, and the country, to boycott Gigi.

The model did not specifically reveal why she pulled out of the show, although it was recently reported that some models were having trouble getting their Chinese visas approved.

Backlash: The model prompted speculation that she had been refused a visa after a video surfaced of her earlier this year in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.(In 2016)

Happy: Despite being without her sister, Gigi for the event - who pulled out of the event last week amid claims she has been banned from entering China - Bella looked in high spirits as she was seen uncharacteristically smiling

'Another incredible experience': Bella announced she would be returning to the Victoria's Secret Fashion show back in August alongside a a busty lingerie-clad snap

Fashionista reported that four models, Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia and Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine, had allegedly been denied visas, according to Instagram fan accounts.

Bella announced she would be returning to the Victoria's Secret Fashion show back in August alongside a a busty lingerie-clad snap.

'I feel so crazy humbled to get the opportunity to be a part of this show again...Walking into the offices this year i felt so happy, healthy, and honored..

'I can't wait for another incredible experience!!! Congrats to all of the beautiful ladies I will be walking beside. I can't wait! Xx' she gushed.

In 2016, Bella looked striking as she made her debut alongside her ex The Weeknd who serenaded her down the catwalk.
She missed the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, after leaving to start a family with long-term boyfriend Hermann Nicoli.

But Candice Swanepoel was back on top form on Sunday, as she opened the runway in lingerie in Shanghai,China for the 2017 spectacular.

With rock hard abs and lean legs, Candice, 29, seemed to be in better shape than ever, almost a year to the day since welcoming Anaca.

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Scarlet siren: Victoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel returned to glory on Sunday in Shanghai, China

She was red hot in tiny scarlet knickers and a push up bra, modelling a huge flame costume on her back.

To the look, she accessorised with coloured peep toe boots and sleeves that matched a rainbow-coloured collar.

In a second, tartan lingerie set, the blonde bombshell's fantastic abs were on full display.

Bringing sexy back: The model has been walking in the VS Show since 2010 but notably missed the 2016 show to start a family

Striking: In a tartan set, the beautiful blonde showed off her incredible abs

Candice said she was delighted to open this year's Victoria Secret fashion show.

Speaking shortly before the show, she told Vogue.com: 'I'm opening this year so which [in itself] is a big 'I'm back' moment so I'm looking forward to that.'

She admitted it was 'very different' watching her pals on the runway from her home last year, rather than being backstage.

She said: 'I watched the show from my couch in Brazil which was a very different experience. I definitely missed it, so of course I'm excited to be back.'

The South African model has had a great time exploring Shanghai with her family, as well as hanging out and catching up with her model friends.

Back with a bang! The model (left, on Sunday) barely seemed to have changed a day since 2015 (right)

She said: 'I love being anywhere that has a strong culture and it's really fun for us to explore and learn a lot about the Chinese while being a guest in their country.

'The way the fans are is different from other places-they're always so polite and welcoming.

'The whole thing has been great. We got to laugh and hang out in the midst of a lot of nerves and excitement it's nice to just enjoy the moment.'

Parading her sensational figure, the South African born beauty barely seemed to have aged a day since her last appearance in 2015, which took place in New York.

Candice was reunited with old friends on the catwalk, including models Elsa Hosk and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Body beautiful: The lithe beauty is returning two years after her last show

She has been walking for the underwear brand since 2010, notably missing out on the 2016 show.

In 2013, Swanepoel was named the cover model of the coveted Victoria's Secret Swim Catalogue and later that year, she was chosen to wear the 'Fantasy Bra' in the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The 10 million dollar bra, named the 'Royal Fantasy Bra', was created by Mouawad.

The bra and its matching belt featured over 4,200 precious gems, including rubies, diamonds and yellow sapphires set in 18 carat gold with a 52-carat ruby at the center.

It was only last October that the model gave birth to her first child Anaca with her long-term boyfriend Hermann.

The 2017 Victoria's Secret Show is available to stream exclusively on hayu in the UK and Ireland from Nov 29

Line-up: (From left) Angels Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver, Stella Maxwell, Martha Hunt, Liu Wen and Ming Xi were the stars of the show

She was 17 when she first met her Brazilian model beau in Paris and they went onto get engaged in August 2015.

The proud mum revealed she has been devoting a lot of time to her son and she couldn't help but gush about how her son was 'incredible'.

In recent months, she wrote on Instagram: 'Anaca is incredible - I look at him and I can't believe he's mine. As a young girl, I didn't ask to hold other people's babies but I definitely felt nature's call to be a mummy and I'm just loving it.

'The first few months devoting my time to him has been really important.'

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air on November 28 on CBS.
They are the ex-pat Australian siblings whose family re-located to Los Angeles to help chase their dreams of musical stardom.

And Alli and Cody Simpson returned the favour somewhat on Monday, when they helped their father Brad celebrate his birthday with an ear-splitting rendition of Happy Birthday.

Taking to her Instagram story, Alli shared a duo of short videos that showed the celebrations in full swing admitting that the Simpson clan had 'lost it.'

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'Family's finally lost it!' Cody and Alli Simpson offer an ear-splitting version of Happy Birthday for father Brad as the family celebrates with two tubs of ice cream

Celebrating! Alli and Cody Simpson helped their father Brad celebrate his birthday with an ear-splitting rendition of Happy Birthday

The first video showed Cody, 20, Alli, 19, along with younger brother Tom, 12, hamming it up with a rather piercing rendition of Happy Birthday.

Appearing to have stuffed what looked to be candy snakes into their ears to drown out the noise, Cody, Alli and Tom loudly and proudly belted out the birthday tune.

While Brad seemed chuffed at the sentiment, he also appeared more interested in the unusual choice of birthday 'cake' - two tubs of vanilla ice cream with a candle stuck in each.

'Family has finally lost it,' Alli captioned the madcap video. 'Happy bday dad.'

The celebrations didn't end there however, as Alli shared a second video that showed Brad happily consuming his birthday confection.

Dancing like no-one was watching to 1970s disco hit You Sexy Thing, Brad happily ate spoonfuls of ice-cream as he gleefully swiveled his hips and nodded his head to the tune.

Appearing to have put a disco ball-esque filter on the video, Alli captioned it simply: 'happy birthday, love you daddo.' (sic)

'Family has finally lost it' The first video showed Cody, 20 (above), Alli, 19, along with younger brother Tom, 12, hamming it up with a rather piercing rendition of Happy Birthday

Ear plugs: Appearing to have stuffed what looked to be candy snakes into their ears to drown out the noise, Cody, Alli and Tom loudly and proudly belted out the birthday tune

Cody, who has previously been romantically linked to the likes of Gigi Hadid and Kylie Jenner, set hearts aflutter on Saturday when he revealed on the Today show that he is currently single.

When asked if he had 'a girl at the moment', the star took a few uncomfortable seconds to think before answering, 'No, no'.

'Single ready to mingle, baby,' he continued more confidently.
It's the highly-anticipated fashion event that is beamed to televisions across the globe.

And this year, it was Australia and New Zealand talents that turned heads at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Breathtaking lingerie models Georgia Fowler, Kelly Gale and Stella Maxwell walked the runway at this year's show, which was held at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai on Monday.

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Rubbing shoulders: Australia and New Zealand talents Georgia Fowler (pictured), Kelly Gale and Stella Maxwell join fashion heavyweights at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Georgia, 25, flaunted her impeccable figure in a skimpy black and blue lingerie set that showcased her slender pins and trim stomach.

She strutted her stuff in a pair of blue and white striped boot heels and a plume of black and blue feathers.

The brunette bombshell oozed confidence as she strode to the end of the runway and placed her hands on her hips, giving the audience a chance to admire her enviable physique.

Backstage, the New Zealander gave the cameras a closer look at the finer details of her extravagant but skimpy outfit that drew attention to her perfectly pert posterior.

Stunning: Breathtaking lingerie models Georgia Fowler (centre), Kelly Gale (left) and Stella Maxwell (right) walk the runway at this year's Victoria's Secret show

Flaunt it! Georgia, 25, flaunted her impeccable figure in a skimpy black and blue lingerie set that showcased her slender pins and trim stomach

Walk the walk! She strutted her stuff in a pair of blue and white striped boot heels and a plume of black and blue feathers

Nailing it! The brunette bombshell oozed confidence as she strode to the end of the runway and placed her hands on her hips, giving the audience a chance to admire her enviable physique

Also at the event was the equally stunning Kelly Gale, who put on a busty display on the runway.

The 22-year-old stepped out wearing a lace plunge bra that revealed ample cleavage, and a sheer cover up with floral applique.

An arrangement of purple and white flowers sprouted from Kelly's back as the Swede of Australian and Indian heritage mixed it with names such as Bella Hadid and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Flawless: Backstage, the New Zealander gave the cameras a closer look at the finer details of her extravagant but skimpy outfit that drew attention to her perfectly pert posterior

Turning heads! Also at the event this year was the equally stunning Kelly Gale, who put on a busty display on the runway

Taking the plunge! The 22-year-old stepped out wearing a lace plunge bra that revealed ample cleavage, and a sheer cover up with floral applique

British-New Zealander Stella Maxwell also set hearts racing in a black Chantilly lace bra with black laced briefs.

Her thigh-high boots continued the show's Asian-inspired theme while accentuating her long, and slender legs.

The skimpy outfit also displayed the stunner's washboard abs, while she walked the runway with a series of firework-like decorations extending from her back.

Stunner: British-New Zealander Stella Maxwell also set hearts racing in a black Chantilly lace bra with black laced briefs

Mixing it up! She also changed into a bejewelled leather number with a bedazzled silver bustier while walking down the runway with Martha Hunt

Biker chic: The 27-year-old's second outfit was teamed with a biker-inspired red leather mini skirt and tartan-patterned heels

She also changed into a bejewelled leather number with a bedazzled silver bustier while walking down the runway with Martha Hunt.

The 27-year-old's second outfit was teamed with a biker-inspired red leather mini skirt and tartan-patterned heels.

Australian Victoria Lee featured in the show in a sportier ensemble that included a mesh pair of trackpants that revealed her stunning figure.
He is proud father of five, who regularly voices his support for his famous, model children.

But Mohammed Hadid, 69, wanted to be there in person again on Sunday, as he surprised the model at her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China.

There to see daughter Bella, 21, walk for a second time in the annual lingerie parade, the property mogul brought along his younger fiancee Shiva Safai, 36, for a star-studded turn out.

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In attendance: Bella Hadid's dad Mohamed, 69, and his wife Shiva Safai, 36, attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai on Sunday

Mohamed - who is father to famous models Gigi and Anwar Hadid - looked slick in a black suit with a white shirt and skinny tie.

The property mogul is also father to Alana and Marielle Hadid from first marriage to Mary Butler.

Beauty Bella, 21, was stunned to learn her dad and his fiancee Shiva had flown out to support her.

Speaking backstage shortly before the event, she told Vogue.com: 'My dad's here this yearI didn't even know he was coming and all of a sudden he's in China!

Getting prepped: The brunette was walking in the show for a second time

'I'm so happy that he's here, I can't even believe it.'

She continued: 'Getting out on that runway is probably one of the best feelings in the world - just to walk and feel the energy of the crowd.

'Obviously our outfits are amazing, but to even go backstage and see all the time, effort, sweat, and tears that every person puts into this show is incredible. It is great seeing them watch the show and see their final product. Plus, all the girls have worked really hard to be here.'

Last year, Mohamed and Shiva were in the audience to see Bella and her older sister Gigi Hadid walk in the 2016 Victoria's Secret show, which took place in Paris, France.

Gigi pulled out of this year's event last week for unspecified reasons, though it has been reported she was refused a visa by strict Chinese authorities.

Looking good! Bella looked incredible on the runway, when she modelled a series of lingerie sets

Good genes: The busty brunette was proud to walk in her second VS Show

Only a year ago, Mohamed and Shiva were there to see Bella and her older sister Gigi walk in the 2016 show.

Proving to be the ultimate modern family, the couple joined Mohamed's ex-wife - and the girls' mother - Yolanda Hadid for the afterparty.

Mohamed has been engaged to gorgeous Shiva since 2014, four years after ending his relationship with Yolanda.

Speaking recently about her relationship with Bella, Shiva said: 'I would say I feel more like someone they know they can always trust as a friend, rather than a stepmother.

Proud dad: Mohamed was once again there to support his daughter

She added: 'I am very grateful to be part of a family. I have been welcomed in with so much warmth and love.

'They know they can count on me any time and day and I'm always there cheering them on from the sidelines. I'm so proud of their success and the beautiful young women they've become.'

Shiva went on to praise Bella, Gigi and Anwar's mother Yolanda, to whom Mohamed was married for six years, until 2000.

Supportive: Mohamed was there to see Bella's big sister Gigi (left) walk in the 2016 show, held in Paris, France

Happy family: Bella and Gigi's mother Yolanda Foster (second left) also joined Mohamed and Shiva at last year's show

She said she did not need to act as a mother to the girls, because they already had such a wonderful matriarch.

Yolanda did not seem able to attend on Sunday in Shanghai, and Gigi pulled out at the last minute.

It was confirmed last week that Gigi 'would not be able to make it' to the show, despite being slated to walk alongside her sister.

Dazzling appearance: The guests joined arrivals including fashion designer Olivier Rousteing

Joining guests: Turkish model Tulin Sahin was among the red carpet attendees

Showing her face: Chinese actress Guan Xiaoto looked cute in a tutu dress

Stand out: Miss Universe Thailand 2016 Chalita Suansane was dressed beautifully

Showing up: Li Xiaolu, also known as Jacqueline Li, is a Chinese actress who attended

Stylish: Brazilian style blogger Helena Bordon put in an appearance

It came just a few months after she came under fire in China over a controversial video showing her squinting her eyes to imitate Buddha.

'I'm so bummed,' she wrote on Twitter, 'I won't be able to make it to China this year,' she wrote.

'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

The model's Twitter announcement comes just a few months after she was forced to apologize to the Chinese people for a 'racist' video of herself squinting her eyes
She became a household name in the late 90s playing popular Vicky in teen flick American Pie.

Nearly two decades on from the film franchise, Tara Reid, 41, continues to cut a stylish figure as she stepped out in West Hollywood on Friday following a catch-up with pals.

The actress showcased her signature style as she slipped into a pair of distressed ripped jeans for the sun-soaked outing.

Fashion fiend: Tara Reid, 41, continues to cut a stylish figure as she stepped out in West Hollywood on Friday following a catch-up with pals

The Sharknado star teamed her form-fitting jeans with a black cropped vest top and sky-high ankle boots as she waited for a cab with her males friends.

The blonde beauty accessorised her chic look with a gold chain leather handbag and statement Gucci belt while her glossy locks were worked into her usual straight style.

Keeping to her glamorous beauty look, Tara sported a dark smokey eye make-up, plenty of bronze powder on her cheeks and a swipe of pink lip-gloss.

Killer heels: The actress showcased her signature style as she slipped into a pair of distressed ripped jeans for the sun-soaked outing

Tara has endured criticism and sparked concern over her slim physique and she hit back at her bodyshamers in a revealing new interview with DailyMailTV.

'I am not anorexic. I have never been anorexic and I don't have an eating disorder,' she said. 'I am just thin. People are overweight and we don't attack them every time they go out.'

She continued: 'People have been calling me painfully thin for years. I can take one of the Halloween costumes I wore last year and put it on this year.

'It's the same weight. I don't fluctuate  it's just who I am. I do eat. I eat all the time. But this is just my natural weight and people need to leave me alone.'

Hitting back: Tara has endured criticism and sparked concern over her slim physique and she hit back at her bodyshamers in a revealing new interview with DailyMailTV

Career: Since American Pie, she starred in 2001's Josie and the Pussycats alongside Rachel Leigh Cook and Rosario Dawson

Tara was propelled to stardom in 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski where she played trophy wife Bunny before securing a major role in the American Pie franchise as Vicky Lathum.

She has also starred in films Josie and the Pussycats, Cruel Intentions and Van Wilder: Party Liaison.

The starlet also took part in 2011's Celebrity Big Brother where she forged an unlikely friendship with Irish pop duo Jedward.

She did confess to not being totally immune to criticism, saying she is like anyone else and cannot hide if she is hurt.

Despite the negativity Tara revealed has never been happier in her life and said she was in a 'good place.'

Cinematic CV: She starred opposite Ryan Reynolds in 2002's Van Wilder: Party Liaison




She has been strutting her stuff for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show since 2013.

But Ming Xi momentarily lost composure as she suffered an epic tumble at the 22nd annual show which was held at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai on Monday.

The Chinese model, 28, accidentally caught the flowing fabric of her ensemble on the heel of her thigh-high gladiator shoes - sending her packing for all to see.

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There she goes! Ming Xi, 28, suffered an epic tumble at the 22nd annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show show which was held at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai on Monday

Going, going, gone! Ming momentarily lost composure as she tripped over her ensemble and fell to the ground

Ming initially appeared on the runway looking absolutely jaw-dropping, but she was soon dealt with an embarrassing moment as she fell in her vertiginous lace up gold sandal heels.

The raven-haired beauty was seen dramatically falling to the floor, before grabbing onto her statement headgear to avoid further disaster.

With all the excess material, getting up off the floor proved to be quite the challenge for the beauty.

Luckily Ming was able to laugh off the fall as she finally made her way up from the ground.

Taking a tumble: The Chinese model, 28, accidentally caught the flowing fabric of her ensemble on the heel of her thigh-high gladiator shoes - sending her packing for all to see

Oops! The raven-haired beauty was seen dramatically falling to the floor, before grabbing onto her statement headgear to avoid further disaster

Laughing it off: Ming did her best to keep a smile on her face as she attempted to get up

Tangled up! With all the excess material, getting up off the floor proved to be quite the challenge for the beauty

The show must go on! Luckily Ming was able to laugh off the fall as she made her way up from the ground

While many would have been left red-faced, Ming didn't break a sweat as she flashed a huge smile while continuing her sexy strut.

Despite the blunder, Ming looked sensational in her saucy metallic and royal blue hued bodysuit.

The number was paired with a whimsical semi-sheer blue gown, with balloon sleeves and a soaring split down the middle.

Glamorous floral wings and an incredible crown set completed the look, as did her striking coat of make-up.

Veteran: She has been strutting her stuff for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show since 2013

Rise to fame! Ming was discovered after placing third in the Elite Model Look competition in 2010 and has since gone on to become one of China's most sought after models

Impressive: She kicked off her international modelling career for Givenchy's 2011 Haute Spring Show, before wowing at the likes of Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood and Kenzo the same year

Like it didn't even happen! While many would have been left red-faced, Ming didn't break a sweat as she flashed a huge smile while continuing her sexy strut

Speaking of her sudden fame back in 2011, Ming told CNN: ' Even now I dont believe I am really a model, its very surreal to me'

Ming was discovered after placing third in the Elite Model Look competition in 2010 and has since gone on to become one of China's most sought after models.

She kicked off her international modelling career for Givenchy's 2011 Haute Spring Show, before wowing at the likes of Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood and Kenzo the same year.

Speaking of her sudden fame back in 2011, Ming told CNN: ' Even now I dont believe I am really a model, its very surreal to me.'

'I had no preconceptions about this career, I tend to just go with the flow. I never really gave (being a professional model) too much thought before. That said, I absolutely love what Im doing now,' she concluded.

Laughing it off! Ming handled the embarrassing situation like a champ

Wow: Despite the blunder, Ming looked sensational in her saucy metallic and royal blue hued bodysuit

Sexy: The number was paired with a whimsical semi-sheer blue gown, with balloon sleeves and a soaring split down the middle
She survived the dreaded dance off on Sunday night's Strictly Come Dancing's results show.

And Debbie McGee couldn't hide her delight as she headed to a London studio to hone her dance skills in rehearsals on Monday ahead of Saturday's show.

The former ballet dancer, 59, and her professional partner Giovanni Pernice, 27, celebrated their small victory with a cosy hug and a thumbs up to cameras as they prepared for a gruelling day of dancing.

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What a relief! Strictly Come Dancing's Debbie McGee, 59, couldn't hide her delight as she cosied up to Giovanni Pernice on Monday after they survived the dance off against Jonnie Peacock

One step closer to grasping the Glitter Ball trophy, the smiling radio personality proved to be ready for rehearsals in her skintight leggings.

Debbie wrapped up for the occasion sporting a charming scarf and pink jumper over her petite frame.

Adding to her warmth-inducing display, she sported a knee-length black quilted jacket and knee-high boots.

Raring to go! Debbie was in high spirits as she headed to a London studio to hone her dance skills in rehearsals on Monday ahead of Saturday's live programme

Meanwhile, the Italian hunk slipped his physique into baggy jogging bottoms and a form-fitting T-shirt as he prepared to show Debbie the steps to this week's dance.

Her outing comes after Paralympian Jonnie Peacock was the eighth star to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing 2017 after losing in the dance off.

The sportsman, 24, who was paired with Oti Mabuse, performed the Tango to Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics yet failed to impress judges when he went head-to-head against the 59-year-olds Spice Girls-themed dance.

Despite his disappointment, Jonnie spoke of his joy over being the first disabled contestant on the dance show and his happiness at being treated as an equal - despite criticism over judge Shirley Ballas' comments of his posture.

Happy days: Paralympian Jonnie Peacock is the eighth star to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing 2017 after losing in the dance off to Debbie McGee on Sunday night

Gracious: Jonnie spoke of his joy over being the first disabled contestant and his happiness at being treated as an equal - despite criticism over Shirley Ballas' comments of his posture

Jonnies eviction came as the cast headed to the famous Blackpool Ballroom during which Alexandra Burke soared to the top of the leaders board for a second week.

Despite impressing fans with his Tango, the show hit wound up in the bottom two with Debbie after the judges scores were combined with viewers votes with the famous duo scoring lowest.

After the pair performed their dance from the night before, the judges unanimously opted to save Debbie and her dance partner Giovanni Percine.

Rocking out: The sportsman, 24, who was paired with Oti Mabuse, performed the Tango to Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics yet failed to impress judges when he went head-to-head against the 59-year-olds Spice Girls-themed dance

Grateful: He said of his elimination: 'I think its been an absolute honour to be the first disabled person and I want to thank each and every one of you for judging me as an equal'

Gracefully accepting the verdict, Jonnie said: Massively. I think its been an absolute honour to be the first disabled person and I want to thank each and every one of you for judging me as an equal.

Thats what I want. Youve been critical with me and I want that criticism; and I think thats fantastic and hope it paves the way for more people to come through and I think they may be able to stick their bum under a bit better than me.

I need to say a gigantic thank you to this woman for pushing me because she knows what Im capable of.Her choreography has been has been outstanding, and for putting up with me, pinching me, biting me - thank you so much.

Dynamic duo: Turning his attention to Oti, he said: 'I need to say a gigantic thank you to this woman for pushing me because she knows what Im capable of'

Dancing for the stars: Meanwhile Oti said of the athlete: Jonnie is not only an inspiration but he represents so much more. If anybody wants to do anything, if you put your mind to it then you can achieve it and thats what he represents'

Saved: Jonnie and Oti were eliminated after a dance-off against Debbie McGee, 59, and her partner Giovanni Pernice (above)

Despite his comments about equality, the night before saw Shirley come under fire for a comment she made while critiquing his performance.

Shirley offered advice to the Paralympic champion on how to correct his posture - causing fury as viewers blasted her comments as 'insensitive', while others expressed concerns that she had forgotten he had an amputated leg.

Jonnie, who has regularly won praise throughout the duration of his time on Strictly so far, was given criticism by Shirley that he - nor fans at home - were expecting.

Criticised: Jonnie, who has regularly won praise throughout the duration of his time on Strictly so far, was given criticism by Shirley that he - nor fans at home - were expecting

Referencing the single Sweet Dreams he had performed to, Shirley revealed: 'Im trying to dream in my mind as to how I can help you with your posture.'

'I think you really need to think about the tailbone of your spine pointing downwards and your chest - everything needs to be pointing down,' she stated.

While Jonnie took the feedback in his stride, viewers at home took to Twitter with their outrage. 'Dear producers, Please remind the JUDGES that Jonnie Peacock cannot fully control his frame & posture due to his prosthetic leg - UNLIKE OTHER CONTESTANTS. Sincerely, Frustrated viewer.'

Quick fix: She said after his performance: 'I think you really need to think about the tailbone of your spine pointing downwards and your chest - everything needs to be pointing down'

'He cannot fully control his frame due to his prosthetic leg!': While Jonnie took the feedback in his stride, viewers at home took to Twitter with their outrage

'Has every judge just forgotten that Jonnie Peacock is missing an actual limb and may need to pop his bum out to stay upright?! #Strictly2017. Such unfair criticism to Jonnie Peacock for posture. Unbelievably insensitive. #StrictlyComeDancing2017.'

Aside from Shirley's criticism, Oti was equally gushing in her praise for her dance partner on Sunday night, telling hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman: This has been one of the most life changing things that could ever happen to me.

Jonnie is not only an inspiration but he represents so much more. If anybody wants to do anything, if you put your mind to it then you can achieve it and thats what he represents.

Tough: Despite the unanimous decisions, the judges confessed they struggled to chose between the the two fan favourites

Stiff competition: Darcey Bussell said: Its very difficult because both couples made such improvements' while Bruno Tonioli added: 'They both did great jobs, great performances'

Despite the unanimous decisions, the judges confessed they struggled to chose between the the two fan favourites.

Darcey Bussell said: Its very difficult because both couples made such improvements tonight but the couple I would like to save just on giving a technically more competent performance is Debbie and Giovanni.

Bruno Tonioli seemed to concur on the tough decision, as he went on: Let me say, they both did great jobs, great performances, very different, very effective but I have to save the couple who I think overall is much stronger and for that reason I save Debbie and Giovanni.
Her fiance Blake Shelton was recently named People's Sexiest Man Alive.

Not to be outdone, Gwen Stefani has nabbed a magazine cover of her own, fronting Marie Claire's holiday issue.

The 48-year-old divorcee reflects on the heartache she had endured before meeting Blake, in the issue.

'For a long time, I could not understand why Id had so much heartache in my life,' she admitted. 'I have parents who are still married and in love. I had such loving role models. I don't understand it.'

'I don't understand it': Gwen Stefani spills about her past heartache as she covers Marie Claire

But she said she now sees that the pain had a purpose.

'What I learned was that my heartbreak was supposed to happen, that it was my purpose to write about and share my story,' Gwen told Marie Claire.

'I met at least 50 to 100 people before each show on my tour and got to hear that my truth and my story translated, and I feel very lucky and honored knowing that.'

Before Blake, the platinum blonde - who modeled Cartier rings on the magazine cover - had only gone through two serious romances.

When you got it: In one of her eye-catching photos for the magazine, Gwen showed off her enviably trim midriff in a slinky white Roberto Cavalli frock

She dated her onetime No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal for seven years, and had a 20-year-relationship with her now former husband Gavin Rossdale.

The marriage lasted from 2002 until 2016 and produced three sons - Kingston, 11, Zuma, nine, and Apollo, three.

Gwen had filed for divorce in August 2015.

By that November, Blake and Gwen had officially confirmed they were an item, after a swirl of rumors to this effect.

'I had such loving role models': The 48-year-old divorcee confided inside: 'For a long time, I could not understand why Id had so much heartache in my life'

She told Marie Claire about visiting 'my best friend' Blake's Oklahoma ranch, saying: 'It's very tribal. Blake has a sister, she comes with her kids.

'We cook and get muddy and dirty. There are ATV's. Being a mother of three boys, its kind of the perfect place. Everything is real now, whereas before, things didnt seem so real.'

The frequent church goer also talked to magazine about worship, saying: 'Spiritual exercise got me somewhere. Some people like to meditate, do yoga, or just take quiet time, but for me - instead of how you talk to yourself, you pray.'

Said Gwen: 'You surrender and ask for guidance. Its not all about you.'

The Fullerton-born pop star, who released her first holiday album You Make It Feel Like Christmas last month, discussed her professional ambitions as well.

'I would love to do something like [write a musical], just be a part of a writing thing, because that confidence has come back now, and I know I have something to offer.'

Smoldering: Gwen Stefani covered Marie Claire 's holiday issue in a sheer polka-dotted David Koma dress, accessorizing with Cartier jewelry

So sweet: Gwen called Blake 'my best friend' in the magazine

The songbird said: 'It used to be such a stress; there was so much doubt in me  now its like: "Well, just go and write and write a song."'

In one of her eye-catching photos for the magazine, Gwen showed off her trim midriff in a slinky white Roberto Cavalli frock.

Wearing flashy jewelry, she lifted both her hands up to the sides of her forehead, displaying her scarlet-painted fingernails.

Gwen flashed a bit of leg in black La Perla underwear for another photo, draping herself in a thick Normal Kamali jacket and pulling on Capezio tights.

Thigh's the limit: Gwen strutted her stuff in a pair of camel suede thigh-high boots as she arrived at a studio in Midtown, New York, for filming on Monday morning

Green goddess: The mother-of-three looked incredible as she wandered around the set of The Today Show in a dazzling emerald gown
She is known to flaunt her figure in risque outfits on social media.

But Blac Chyna covered up in a military-style bomber jacket on Monday as she jetted out of LAX airport in California.

The 29-year-old reality star opted for a low-key look in the oversized coat, which also aided in concealing the vibrant scarlet wig she donned for the flight.

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Peace: Blac Chyna, 29, covered up in a military-style bomber jacket on Monday as she jetted out of LAX airport whilst concealing her scarlet wig

Chyna - whose real name is Angela Renee White - opted for comfort with a pair of form-fitting leggings as she posed for cameras.

The reality star also wore a loose-fitting band slogan T-shirt and completed the look with a pair of metallic silver trainers.

Keeping her accessories as chic as the rest of her look, she donned a pair of oversized reflective heart sunglasses as she made her way to check-in her Louis Vuitton holdalls.

Flying in style: Chyna - whose real name is Angela Renee White - opted for comfort with a pair of form-fitting leggings as she posed for cameras

Her trip comes just a week after she celebrated her daughter's first birthday.

Chyna, who shares daughter Dream with ex Rob Kardashian, threw a lavish birthday bash in an under-the-sea themed party.

Mermaids could be seen swimming laps in the massive crystal blue pool set in the middle of the backyard, with a petting zoo in the corner.

Party time! Her trip comes just a week after she celebrated her daughter's first birthday with an incredibly lavish bash that saw Mermaids swimming in the pool, a magician and llamas

Under the sea! At the party, Mermaids could be seen swimming laps in the massive crystal blue pool set in the middle of the backyard, with a petting zoo in the corner

Adding to the magical theme were inflatable mermaid pool floaties displayed in the pool and turquoise sea horses were plastered to the walls.

Despite the celebrations, Chyna has launched a lawsuit against Kim Kardashian West and Kris Jenner.

The reality star filed court documents against ex-fiancee Rob and his 'powerful, vindictive family' last month, accusing them of 'slut-shaming' her, - but has now dropped Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian and Kylie and Kendall Jenner from the list of defendants.

The littlest Kardashian: Dream Kardashian was also treated to a birthday bash by dad Rob and some of the family (pictured with aunt Kim Kardashian on Snapchat)

Trouble in paradise: The reality star recently filed court documents against ex-fiancee Rob and his 'powerful, vindictive family' last month, accusing them of 'slut-shaming' her

She claims the cancellation of season two of her reality show Rob & Chyna can be blamed on the reality family, which led to the ex stripper losing out on income, endorsement deals, appearance fees and promotion of her products.

Her lawyer Lisa Bloom alleges that the E! network still had interest in doing a second season of the show even though Chyna and Rob were no longer together.

The former couple split shortly after welcoming baby Dream and Rob has since accused her of using him to get fame and revenge after her ex Tyga started dating Rob's sister Kylie, 20.
She's been up to a 34GG chest size and down to her natural B cup over 20 years.

But Katie Price, 39, has prompted rumours of a ninth recent procedure, after she was pictured looking extremely busty on Instagram while debuting new, long hair extensions.

With her stomach sucked in, the brunette's sizable chest protruded and users began to speculate about whether she had opted for another enlargement.

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Has she? Katie Price prompted speculation of a ninth boob job over the weekend when she posted a picture of her ample chest in a crop top

One fan asked: 'Is it the hair you wanted people to notice or was it the new boob job yet again?'

Another pointed out: 'Boobs look miles bigger!' and another pointed out: Too [two] big changes.

One other used asked: 'Why have you gone massive again in the boob dept ??? Hairs looking good xx'

Another concerned fan said: 'Wow in and out, constant boob jobs. Everytime you post a picture your boobs seemed to have changed its crazy, as long as your healthy I suppose thats all that matters.'

Another increase: Fans believed that Katie (here in June) had increased her chest yet more

Busty: The model (here in October) has previously spoken about wanting another boob job, but she currently thinks they're too big

One more concluded: 'Oh wow Katie looks like you have gone and had a boob increase again after you had a boob reduction a few years ago..these are looking like the days you went by the name Jordan.. excessively big boobies.'

Katie's fanbase were left divided over her ample chest, with some saying she looked 'beautiful' and 'stunning' yet others saying her chest was now too big.

'I'm sorry but those boobs are way too big,' said another fan, with another saying: 'Those boobs look comic like.'

'Your breasts look horrendous,' said another. 'For mercy's sake, get them reduced to match your physique. Your face looks hard and fake. what are you doing to yourself?'

Speculation: Katie's fans were confused about whether or not she'd increased her bust size in the new pictures

Seeing the funny side of the post, another said: 'Got the old balloons up my top trick going on'

While others suggested she go small again: 'U look ridiculous with those massive balloons...no right for your body'

And another agreed: 'Get rid of those hideous boobs Katie they look stupid on your tiny frame.'

Nevertheless, insiders have confirmed that Katie has not gone under the knife again this time, but she's proportionally slimmer on her waist thanks to weight loss.

Katie has begun a new six-week regime in light of cheating revelations about husband Kieran Hayler and the news that her mother is battling a terminal lung illness.

Throwback: At the age of 16, launching her modelling career, Katie was a modest 32B cup

Increase: Here in 2004, Katie had already had three breast enlargements

Bigger: By 2009, she was a 32C cup, which was slightly reduced on her last

In her own words: In 2011, Katie was just about to go up again, to a 32F

A representative for Katie said: 'Katie has been training to look good and feel good.

The rep continued: 'Weight loss was never the goal but fat loss was inevitable. Katie has only lost a few pounds on the scales but has reduced inches everywhere.

'Her fitness and strength has increased and her arms and stomach are noticeably more toned hope this helps.'

Since emerging in the modelling industry with a modest B-cup bust, Katie has surgically changed her chest just short of 10 times.

Back to basics: Here in 2012, Katie has been up and down, going back to her natural size in 2014

Katie first went under the knife in 1998 aged just 20 to go from a B cup to a slightly fuller C cup.

But it wasn't long before the glamour model decided that bigger was better and in 1999 she went up to a D cup before a further op took her to a ample F size.

The star remained content with her bust size for seven years before opting for another operation to lift her famous assets after the birth of her three children.

This took her up to a G cup while she also had a nose job.

Chesty: Katie (here in October 2014) decided to go back under the knife to boost her bust again

After expressing a previously unheard of interest in having smaller breasts, Katie then shrunk down to a 32C in 2008.

The plastic surgery fan returned to the clinic after the breakdown of her marriages to Peter Andre and Alex Reid and stepped out with eye-popping F-cup breasts once more.

And she shocked fans when she announced she was going all natural for the first time in almost two decades and had her famous implants removed. back in 2015,

Her cup size was reduced from a 32G to her natural 32B.

Too big? Katie (here in November) recently said she feels like her chest is too big

Many procedures: Katie is no stranger to cosmetic procedures, recently having a bum lift

But it seemed Katie couldn't stay away from the implants as she went for her biggest implants yet when she travelled to Belgium to get 32GG implants.

Speaking in September, Katie admitted her bust was too big and she was keen for a reduction.

The model told The Sun: 'They are so big at the moment, I might go smaller. They always say be sensible but you get used to them being that big and then they shrink.

She added: If people want to say Im addicted they can say it but Im not.
At 59, she carefully maintains the sex vixen looks which made her famous.

But the age defying Michelle Pfeiffer looked unrecognizable as she was pictured on the Hawaii set of Ant-Man And The Wasp.

The usually blonde actress had gone grey - seemingly with a wig - in a bid to age her appearance for the role, in which she and Michael Douglas, 73, play the original versions of the title superheroes in the movie.

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Out in paradise: On Sunday, Michelle Pfeiffer, 59, and Michael Douglas, 73, were in character shooting Ant-Man And The Wasp, walking barefoot across a Hawaiian beach

Michelle was also dowdily dressed in a colorful, ornately patterned kaftan by Camilla.

Meanwhile, the grizzled and bearded Michael wore a powder blue shirt with its sleeves folded up, tucking the top into khaki trousers.

Between takes, Michael could be glimpsed apparently having his hairdo touched up.

He and Michelle were seen were in character shooting the film, walking barefoot across a Hawaiian beach.

What a change: Her look in character (left) was a far cry from the glamorous image she projects in real life, as on this year's Emmy red carpet (right)

Last day: Director Peyton Reed revealed that evening that principal photography had ended, writing in a tweet: 'Thats a wrap'

Stylish: Michelle, who in regular life is a blonde, sported a wavy grey hairdo and was dressed in a colorful, ornately patterned kaftan by Camilla

Director Peyton Reed revealed that night that principal photography had ended, tweeting: 'Thats a wrap. #AntManandtheWasp'.

Michelle and Peyton - who had a pair of headphones round his neck - were spotted together looking at a slip of paper they both held.

Ant-Man And The Wasp, which stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly respectively as the new versions of the title superheroes, is a sequel to the 2015 film Ant-Man.

Beachwear: Meanwhile, the grizzled and bearded Michael wore a powder blue shirt with its sleeves folded up, tucking the top into khaki trousers

In that movie, Michael's character Hank Pym is the original, now-retired Ant-Man and helps prepare Paul's character Scott Lang to be the new one.

Hank is also the father of Evangeline's character, whose real name is Hope.

Michelle, who recently played Bernie Madoff's wife Ruth in the HBO movie The Wizard Of Lies, was not in the first Ant-Man film but has joined the second.

Maintenance: Between takes, Michael could be glimpsed apparently having his hairdo touched up

Having a chat: At another point, he draped his arm round Michelle and she put a friendly hand on his shoulder while they talked

She plays the long-lost Janet, who in addition to being Hank's wife and Hope's mother was also the original Wasp before disappearing into the 'Quantum Realm.'

Michelle and Michael have never co-starred in a movie before, but she confirmed on the Today show this month that they could have done.

She dished that she declined the opportunity to act in the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct, directed by Paul Verhoeven.

Top brass: Michelle and Peyton - who had a pair of headphones round his neck - were spotted together looking at a slip of paper they both held

Background: Ant-Man And The Wasp, which stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly (not pictured) respectively as the new versions of the title superheroes, is a sequel to the 2015 film Ant-Man

Michael went on to co-star in that film with Sharon Stone, who famously flashed the camera during an interrogation scene.

Ant-Man And The Wasp will see the return of many of the prequel's cast, including Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Michael Pena and T.I.

It is slated for release in Britain next June 29, and in America a week later.

The first Ant-Man was originally supposed to be directed by Edgar Wright, but after he parted ways from the film during pre-production, Peyton stepped in.

Who's who: In that movie, Michael's character Hank Pym is the original, now-retired Ant-Man and helps prepare Paul's character Scott Lang to be the new one

Family: Hank is also the father of Evangeline's character, whose real name is Hope (not pictured)

Edgar, who retained a writing credit on that first film, told the Variety podcast Playback: 'I think the thing with that is, the most diplomatic, you know, answer is that, you know, I wanted to make a Marvel movie, but I don't think they really wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie.'

Later, he became more specific, saying: 'But then, you know, I was the writer-director on it, and then they wanted to do a draft without me.

'And, you know, having written all my other movies, that's kinda, like, it's like a tough thing to, kind of, move forward, thinking: "Oh, I th- you know, if I do one of these movies, I would like to be the writer-director."

'Being - suddenly becoming like a director-for-hire on it, you're sort of less emotionally invested and, you know, it's a sort of, I, you know, you start to sort of wonder why you're there, really,' the Baby Driver director explained.

New addition: Michelle, who recently played Bernie Madoff's wife Ruth in the HBO movie The Wizard Of Lies, was not in the first Ant-Man film but has joined the second
She has been enjoying downtime after her gruelling stint in West End play Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

And after three months on stage in slinky outfits, Sienna Miller, 35, was sporting wholly more casual attire as she headed out in New York on Monday.

The Alfie actress looked effortlessly chic in an over-sized khaki jacket as she walked hand-in-hand with her five-year-old daughter, Marlowe.

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Family time: Sienna cut an effortlessly stylish figure in a oversized khaki coat as she headed out with her daughter Marlowe in New York on Monday

Sienna complemented the look with a black knitted top and mottled grey joggers. The American Sniper beauty teamed her casual ensemble with a pair of white trainers and black sunglasses.

She wore her blonde tresses parted down the middle around her shoulders as the cute duo headed for breakfast in West Village.

The outing comes after her three-month stint on stage, after which she wrote on Instagram: 'That is an over and out for Maggie the Cat! Exhausted, exhilarated and incredibly emotional to have reached the end after 98 shows.... Yipeeeeee!!!' (sic)

Cute: The Alfie actress held tightly onto Marlowe's hand as the duo crossed the road

In recent weeks, the fashionista has enjoyed catching up with her former fiance Tom Sturridge.

Sienna shares her little girl Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge with her former fiance whom she dated from 2011 to 2015.

The former flames co-parent their daughter, after calling it quits in 2015.

Effortlessly stylish: The star recently revealed that her and Tom do as much as they can to give their daughter as normal a family environment as possible

The family are seen out in the Big Apple on many occasions, and the star recently revealed that her and Tom do as much as they can to give their daughter as normal a family environment as possible, including staying at each other's houses.

She told Harper's Bazaar: 'Everybody will stay over or we'll all go on holiday and that's because we genuinely want to be around each other.

'It's great for our daughter that she has two parents who love each other and are friends. He's definitely my best friend in the entire world.'
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The creme de la creme of the modelling business stormed down the runway for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Monday.

And for all the Angels, it was time to let their hair loose as they attended the 22nd annual lingerie's show glamorous after-party, with supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio - who has officially announced she's hanging up her wings - bringing along her nine-year-old daughter Anja Mazur

The Brazilian bombshell, 36, who walked for her seventeenth VS show, was joined by the model likes of Ribeiro, Georgia Fowler and Cindy Bruna as they celebrated yet another successful year for the brand.

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Her little Angel! Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio brought along her nine-year-old daughter Anja Mazur to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after-party in Shanghai, China on Monday

Hot turnout! Alessandra was joined by the likes of Lais Ribeiro (L) and Georgia Fowler (R) who sizzled on the pink carpet

Veteran Angel Alessandra didn't mind sharing the spotlight, as she arrived on the pink carpet with beaming Anja.

The catwalk queen cut an incredibly leggy figure as she bared her bronzed frame in a sequinned black mini-dress.

Alessandra's number boasted frilled wrap detailing on the other side and she boosted her height in a pair of towering black strappy heels.

The beauty- who starred in her first runway show for the lingerie brand when she was just 19 - sported poker straight locks and a glamorous coat of make-up as she lovingly held on to Anja's hand.

Busty: Cindy Bruna put on a seriously busty display in a plunging white suit, which she teamed with a pair of flared white trousers and pointed silver heels

Mummy/daughter: Veteran Angel Alessandra didn't mind sharing the spotlight, as she arrived on the pink carpet with beaming Anja

Work it! The catwalk queen cut an incredibly leggy figure as she bared her bronzed frame in a sequinned black mini-dress

Stunning: The star sported poker straight locks and a glamorous coat of make-up

Chic: Cindy flashed her ample cleavage in a plunging white blazer as she posed with aplomb

The youngster couldn't contain her smiles and looked lovely in a dress and faux fur white coat.

Alessandra wasn't the only one who put on a sexy display at the after party, as Lais Ribeiro commanded attention in a perilously plunging sequinned red dress.

The stunning Brazilian model, 27 - who had the honour of wearing the $2million gold Fantasy Bra - worked her angles in the eye-catching backless number.

Georgia Fowler continued to sizzle off the runway as she posed up a storm in a heavily cut-out asymmetrical silver dress.

Model moment: The glamorous girls turned heads as they descended on the runway together (Pictured L-R: Sara Sampaio, Martha Hunt, Stella Maxwell, Josephine Skriver, Elsa Hosk, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Romee Strijd, Jasmine Tookes, Taylor Hill and Lais Ribeiro)

Here come the girls! Front row: Romee Strijd, Lais Ribeiro, Sara Sampaio, Lily Aldridge, Stella Maxwell, Elsa Hosk, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, Bridget Malcolm, Martha Hunt, Jasmine Tookes, Taylor Hill Second row: Gizele Oliveira, Grace Bol, Daniela Braga, Maria Borges, Model, Grace Elizabeth Harieth, Bella Hadid, Cindy Bruna, Barbara Fialho, Devon Windsor, Kelly Gale, Vanessa Moody, Bruna Lirio, Karlie Kloss, Leomie Anderson, Blanca Padilla, Third row: Zuri Tibby, Nadine Leopold, Roosmarijn De Kok, Leila Nda, Dilone Altagracia, Alanna Arrington, Samile Bermannelli , Aiden Curtiss, Sanne Vloet, Ming Xi, Sui He, Liu Wen, Estelle Chen Fourth row: Wang Yi, Megan Williams, Georgia Fowler, Amilna Estevao, Victoria Lee, Alexina Graham, Frida Aasen, Jourdana Phillips, Xiao-Wen Ju, model, Xin Xie, Kelly Gale, Alecia Morais, Lameka Fox, Maggie Lane at the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Beaming beautiful: The VS Angels couldn't contain their delight following the show

Wow factor: Bella Hadid showed off her stunning physique in a red corset style dress with thigh-high split skirt

Glamorous: Bella flaunted her toned legs and pert posterior in the figure hugging gown at the fashion bash

Adorable: Alessandra lovingly held on to Anja's hand, who looked sweet in a lovely dress and faux fur white coat

Brunette beauty: VS veteran Adriana Lima showed off her toned legs and midriff in a sequinned black and ivory bustier dress

Glamour: Adriana, who walked in her first VS show in 1999, oozed glamour with a sleek ponytail and a bold red lip

Supermodel; Adriana showed why she is such an integral part of the lingerie house's fashion show as she posed

Red hot: Alessandra wasn't the only one who put on a sexy display at the after party, as Lais Ribeiro commanded attention in a perilously plunging sequinned red dress

Plunging: Lais flashed her cleavage in the sparkling scarlet beaded dress as she shot the camera a winning smile

Silver siren: Georgia Fowler continued to sizzle off the runway as she posed up a storm in a heavily cut-out asymmetrical silver dress

Glam squad; Sui He, Liu Wen and Ming Xi showed off their sensational figures at the glittering photocall

Talented quintet: Miguel, who performed at the show, joined the stunning group for a fun photo

The sparkling number boasted a bra-inspired top - flaunting her assets- while her tiny midriff was cinched in with a large gold ring.

Cindy Bruna put on a seriously busty display in a plunging white suite, which she teamed with a pair of flared white trousers and pointed silver heels.

The beauty accessorised her sensational decolletage with a labyrinth of gold necklaces.

Model of the moment Bella Hadid oozed old Hollywood glamour in a simple, yet sexy red dress.

The number boasted a draped middle, which teased at her impossibly flat stomach before falling into a sensational leg-flaunting split.

Pert: Angel Jasmine Tookes radiated beauty in a plunging red lace dress which flashed her pert bust and toned legs

Siren: Model of the moment Bella oozed old Hollywood glamour in the envy-inducing sizzling dress

Racy: The number boasted a draped middle, which teased at her impossibly flat stomach and slender waist

Wow: Leila Nda oozed glamour in a structured black dress with a soaring thigh-high split

Back with a bang: Angel Candice Swanepoel looked sensational in a skimpy minidress for her first show back since giving birth to her son Anaca

Leila Nda oozed glamour in a structured black dress with a soaring thigh-high split.

The Belgium beauty opted for a chic ponytail, with a few loose tendrils framing her face, and accessorised with a glitzy silver choker.

Karlie Kloss showed off her statuesque frame to perfection as she worked her angles in a one-shoulder black sequinned mini-dress and towering black heels.

Portuguese model Sara Sampaio was keen on continuing the sexy display off the runway, as she clad her figure in a sequinned mesh cut-out dress.

The green-eyed beauty covered her modesty in a black bra and high-waisted underwear.

Cleavage: Candice looked positively glowing as she enjoyed her return to the spotlight after becoming a mother

Racy: VS Angel Taylor Hill flashed her underwear and her toned legs in a glittering semi-sheer gown

He's got Styles! Harry looked dapper in a black suit and fitted pink shirt as he made an appearance at the party

Figure on form! Karlie Kloss showed off her statuesque frame to perfection as she worked her angles in a one-shoulder black sequinned mini-dress and towering black heels

Portuguese model Sara Sampaio was keen on continuing the sexy display off the runway, as she clad her figure in a sequinned mesh cut-out dress

The green-eyed beauty covered her modesty in a black bra and high-waisted underwear

Lily Aldridge also stuck to the black colour scheme as she opted for a gorgeous gown with a flowing ruffled split

Stylish: The strapless number bared her sensational decolletage and she complemented the number with sky-high silver strap heels

Lily Aldridge also stuck to the black colour scheme as she opted for a gorgeous gown with a flowing ruffled split.

The strapless number bared her sensational decolletage and she complemented the number with sky-high silver strap heels.

Ethereal beauty: Elsa Hosk showed off her phenomenal legs and taut midriff in a black glittery crop-top and matching split miniskirt

Glowing: Elsa, 29, glowed with metallic eyeshadow, fluttery false lashes and a rose lipstick enhancing her pout

Dazzle: Josephine Skriver, 24, worked a duck egg blue beaded minidress with a sheer panel across the bust

Toned: Romee Strijd looked sensational in a silver tasselled minidress paired with chic chestnut heels

Blonde beauty: Angel Stella Maxwell, 27, flashed her toned legs in a glittering silver asymmetric gown and vertiginous heels

Playful: Brazilian model Daniela Braga kicked up her legs in the air as she posed and pouted in a semi-sheer black dress

Statuesque stunners: (L-R) Actress and model Devika Hoorne, model Grace Bol, model Estelle Chen and model Megan Williams wowed at the photocall

Showstopping: (L-R) Model Maggie Laine, model Leomie Anderson and model Grace Elizabeth wowed at the party

Vibrant: (L-R) Models Amilna Estevao, model Frida Aasen, actress Guan Xiaotong and Leila Nda rocked their sensational look

Leggy: Dutch model Sanne Vloet dazzled in a asymmetric silver polka dot minidress paired with silver peeptoe shoes

Stylish: (L-R) Model and actor Godfrey Gao, actor Archie Kao and entrepreneur Mohammed Sultan looked dapper on the pink carpet

Suave: Godfrey rocked a floral shirt, white jeans and a denim jacket as he posed for snappers at the party
At the beginning of October Brendan Cole slammed Shirley Bassey after she critisised his Tango with Charlotte Hawkins on Strictly Come Dancing.

And James Jordan and Ola Jordan have praised his actions, as they posed in a racy Dirty Dancing-inspired shoot ahead of their tour.

The semi-clad couple promised it would be 'much sexier' than Stricty, with Brendan joking that it would be 'outrageous but not porno'.

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Seeing double! James Jordan and Ola Jordan posed for a racy Dirty Dancing-inspired shoot ahead of their tour

Dressed in a black lace bra and leggings, a glamorous Ola was seen leaning into her husband and dance partner of 18 years, as he showed off his rippling muscles.

And the duo certainly gave Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, who played Baby and Johnny in the 1987 Dirty Dancing original a run for their money as they posed up a storm.

One sizzling shot saw Ola slip into a white semi-transparent crop top, as they reenacted the famous front on shot of the dancing couple.

Racy! The semi-clad couple promised it would be 'much sexier' than Stricty, with Brendan joking that it would be 'outrageous but not porno'

Watch out Baby! The duo gave Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, who played Baby and Johnny in the 1987 Dirty Dancing original (left) a run for their money as they posed up a storm

Speaking to The Daily Star ahead of their tour, the duo admitted their tour would be 'naughty'.

'Latin dancing is very sexy  it's more sexy than what you see on Strictly,' James said. 'You will have the glitz and glamour but it's going to be more raw.

And speaking about Brendan's spat with the judges, the professional dancer admitted he'd love to see him as a judge.

The original: Dirty Dancing (1987) Jennifer Grey (as Frances 'Baby' Houseman), Patrick Swayze (as Johnny Castle) Directed by Emile Ardolino

'Latin dancing is very sexy  it's more sexy than what you see on Strictly,' James said. 'You will have the glitz and glamour but it's going to be more raw

'I like it when Brendan or Anton kick off or stand up for their partner  it's boring to see niceynicey all the time,' he said.

The couple, who have been dance partners for 18 years and married for 14 years, also opened up about not falling victim to the 'Strictly curse'.

Admitting that they boasted a strong marriage- the key to their continuous success, Ola explained that dancing brings people closer together.

And her husband agreed, adding: 'You do form a really close bond and become really good friends. Dancing brings you closer, you get quite passionate. We dont take ourselves too seriously'.

'I like it when Brendan or Anton kick off or stand up for their partner  it's boring to see niceynicey all the time,' they said of Brendan hitting back at the judges last month

'You do form a really close bond and become really good friends. Dancing brings you closer, you get quite passionate. We dont take ourselves too seriously', they said of their relationship

Brendan Cole caused tension on Strictly Come Dancing in October when he disputed head judge Shirley Ballas' comments toward his dance.

The professional dancer took to the dance floor with Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins to perform a Tango inspired by 'Top Gun' as part of the BBC Latin and ballroom dance competition's movie week.

And despite giving what he believed was a solid performance, he was shocked to find that head judge Shirley disagreed.

Pledging his respect to her, Brendan explained: 'I do respect her but I just don't agree'.
She commanded attention in an array of shimmering ensembles at the highly-anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show earlier that day.

So it is no wonder Bella Hadid was keen to let her hair down on Monday night, as she arrived at the catwalk event's after-party in Shanghai, China.

The model, 21, swapped her skimpy lingerie for an equally show-stopping red corset gown - but almost flashed too much beneath the saucy thigh-high split, as she posed for cameras.

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Red hot! Bella Hadid was effortlessly glamorous at the after-party for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 for Shanghai, China on Monday

Whoops! The model, 21, swapped her skimpy lingerie for an equally show-stopping red corset gown - but almost flashed too much beneath the saucy thigh-high split

After strutting her stuff on the catwalk, the brunette beauty proved her model prowess once again when she arrived at the celebratory bash in a striking red gown.

The dress involved a raunchy lace-up corset, which plunged into a sweetheart neckline to tease at her cleavage, before skimming her slender frame to her petite waist.

A Grecian-style wrap skirt was layered on top - which featured a saucy cut-out across her hip, as well as a daring thigh-high split, threatening to flash too much as she posed, with one leg cocked.

Leading lady: After strutting her stuff on the catwalk, the brunette beauty proved her model prowess once again when she arrived at the celebratory bash in a striking red gown

All eyes on me: The dress involved a raunchy lace-up corset, which plunged into a sweetheart neckline to tease at her cleavage, before skimming her slender frame to her petite waist

Cut-out for the catwalk: A Grecian-style wrap skirt was layered on top - which featured a daring cut-out across her hip

Keeping all eyes on her stunning gown, the model tied her look together with simple black heeled sandals, and opted to go without jewellery.

Sweeping her hair into a slick up-do, Bella then let her striking model features take centre stage - which she accentuated with a dramatic purple smoky eye and hot pink lip.

First smouldering on the hot pink carpet, the sister of fellow model Gigi then broke into gleeful laughter as she posed for cameras ahead of the star-studded bash.

Finishing touches: Keeping all eyes on her stunning gown, the model tied her look together with simple black heeled sandals, and opted to go without jewellery

Leading lady: Sweeping her hair into a slick up-do, Bella then let her striking model features take centre stage - which she accentuated with a dramatic purple smoky eye and hot pink lip

Having a ball: First smouldering on the hot pink carpet, the sister of fellow model Gigi then broke into gleeful laughter as she posed for cameras ahead of the star-studded bash

It is no wonder Bella was in good spirits, after strutting her stuff down the eagerly anticipated 22nd annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in the city.

While the 21-year-old supermodel, who made her VS debut last year, commanded attention as she showcased her taut figure in the saucy looks, she accidentally suffered a double nipple slip in her perilously plunging white lingerie set.

Bella continued to prove she had the career most wannabe models could only dream of as she headed down the runway, while being serenaded by the likes of Harry Styles, Miguel, Jane Zhang and Leslie Odom Jr.

Heaven sent! It is no wonder Bella was in good spirits, after strutting her stuff down the eagerly anticipated 22nd annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in the city

Peek-a-boob! While the supermodel, who made her VS debut last year, commanded attention as she showcased her taut figure in the saucy looks, she accidentally suffered a double nipple slip in her perilously plunging white lingerie set

With her years of catwalk knowledge under her belt, the beauty - full name Isabella Khair Hadid - got off to a sensational start as she strutted along in a skimpy black lingerie set before channelling Grecian vibes with a lilac coloured look.

Complementing the plume of feathers she wore with her first ensemble, which drew attention to her impeccably toned stomach and ample cleavage, the brunette donned a pair of paisley print long gloves as well as colourful heels and eye-catching striped socks.

Despite being without her sister, Gigi for the event - who pulled out of the event last week amid claims she has been banned from entering China - Bella looked in high spirits as she was seen uncharacteristically smiling.

Work it! The supermodel - full name Isabella Khair Hadid - got off to a sensational start as she strutted along in a skimpy black lingerie which drew attention to her impeccably toned stomach and ample cleavage

Wow! Complementing the plume of feathers she wore with her first ensemble, the brunette donned a pair of paisley print long gloves as well as colourful heels and eye-catching striped socks

Bottoms up! Clearly sensational from every angle, the stunning daughter of Yolanda Foster flaunted her pert posterior in high cut briefs as she sauntered back down the catwalk

Stunning: With her envy-inducing good looks, which consisted of bronzed cheekbones and mascara-laden eyes, Bella proved that her choice to return to the VS catwalk this year was a no-brainer

With her envy-inducing good looks, which consisted of bronzed cheekbones and mascara-laden eyes, Bella proved that her choice to return to the VS catwalk this year was a no-brainer.

Clearly sensational from every angle, the stunning daughter of Yolanda Foster flaunted her pert posterior in high cut briefs as she sauntered back down the catwalk.

It wasn't long before Bella returned, this time displaying her sensational front and impossibly flat stomach in a cropped semi-sheer bustier.

Donning a pair of matching gold speckled high-cut briefs, Bella's look was completed with a lilac kaftan which fell in effortless drapes with bedazzled gold lining.

Chic: Bella's first black lace looks, which boasted a cheeky cut-out design, was complemented with chic white gloves with blue floral print

She's got this! Bella looked in her element as she continued to work her effortless model poses backstage

Wow: It wasn't long before Bella returned, this time displaying her sensational front and impossibly flat stomach in a cropped semi-sheer bustier along with lilac kaftan which fell in effortless drapes

Striking: A spiked gold headpiece added to the regal feel as she effortlessly sashayed her way down the dim lights of the runway

Momentum: Her garment boasted a surprising edge as she utilised her arms to lift her flowing kaftan to create quite the eye-catching display

Bella was dripping in diamonds, with a dazzling silver necklace enhancing her decolletage, while her fingers and ears were lavished in further jewels.

A spiked gold headpiece added to the regal feel as she effortlessly sashayed her way down the dim lights of the runway.

Her garment boasted a surprising edge as she utilised her arms to lift her flowing kaftan to create quite the eye-catching display.

While she oozed sex appeal in the two ensembles, her final look proved to be her most daring as it boasted an incredibly low-cut neckline and flashed a peek of her nipples as she happily danced away on stage.

Oops! While she oozed sex appeal in the two ensembles, her final look proved to be her most daring as it boasted an incredibly low-cut neckline and flashed a peek of her nipples as she happily danced away on stage

Low-cut: As well as the extreme plunge, the bra proved to be slightly semi-sheer - which seemed to highlight Bella's ample assets

Standing tall! The scantily clad star's 5 ft 9 in height was boosted with towering strappy nude-coloured ankle boots

Loving life! However, the blunder went unnoticed by Bella as she happily danced under falling confetti to mark the end of the show

As well as the extreme plunge, the bra proved to be slightly semi-sheer - which seemed to highlight Bella's ample assets.

However, the blunder went unnoticed by Bella as she happily danced under falling confetti to mark the end of the show.

While Bella has been joined by her gaggle of model pals on the runway, she was left without her sister Gigi whow as reportedly denied entry into the country.

Ahead of the runway show, Bella couldn't resist flaunting her perfect figure as she took to Instagram with the enthusiastic caption: 'Let's DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Back for more! Bella made her Victoria's Secret Runway Show debut last year

Here they are! The Victoria's Secret class of 2017 all took to the stage to perform as a group

'Let's do this!' Ahead of the runway show, Bella couldn't resist flaunting her perfect figure as she took to Instagram in a tiny white bikini and pink robe

Not here: Bella's sister Gigi, 22, revealed last week that she would not be travelling to China to do the show, however she failed to explain the reason behind the decision - prompting much speculation that she had been refused a visa (Pictured last year)

'I will be there in spirit!' Gigi took to Twitter to reveal she was 'bummed' that she couldn't make it to China and was eagerly anticipating next year

Striking a fierce pose as she stood backstage, the model of the moment was pictured stripping off her pink VS robe to flaunt her frame in a tiny white bikini.

The model, 22, took to Twitter on Thursday morning to reveal that she would not be travelling to China to do the show, however she failed to explain the reason behind the decision - prompting much speculation that she had been refused a visa after a video surfaced of her earlier this year in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.

'Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year,' she wrote. 'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

In September, furious Chinese people warned the supermodel not to attend this year's show in Shangai, leaving thousands of angry comments calling for the brand, and the country, to boycott Gigi.

The model did not specifically reveal why she pulled out of the show, although it was recently reported that some models were having trouble getting their Chinese visas approved.

Backlash: The model prompted speculation that she had been refused a visa after a video surfaced of her earlier this year in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.(In 2016)

Happy: Despite being without her sister, Gigi for the event - who pulled out of the event last week amid claims she has been banned from entering China - Bella looked in high spirits as she was seen uncharacteristically smiling

'Another incredible experience': Bella announced she would be returning to the Victoria's Secret Fashion show back in August alongside a a busty lingerie-clad snap

Fashionista reported that four models, Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia and Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine, had allegedly been denied visas, according to Instagram fan accounts.

Bella announced she would be returning to the Victoria's Secret Fashion show back in August alongside a a busty lingerie-clad snap.

'I feel so crazy humbled to get the opportunity to be a part of this show again...Walking into the offices this year i felt so happy, healthy, and honored..

'I can't wait for another incredible experience!!! Congrats to all of the beautiful ladies I will be walking beside. I can't wait! Xx' she gushed.

In 2016, Bella looked striking as she made her debut alongside her ex The Weeknd who serenaded her down the catwalk.
She's been the constant companion of music producer David Foster for the past few months.

But there was no sign of Katharine McPhee's reported beau when she arrived at Los Angeles Airport on Sunday solo.

The 33-year-old rocked a low-cut little black mini-dress that she wore under a long black overcoat.

Solo trip: Katharine McPhee arrived at Los Angeles Airport on Sunday without her reported beau David Foster

Katharine teamed her stylish look with red leather knee-high boots, flashing her shapely thighs.

Her casually styled blonde tresses brushed her shoulders and framed her face, which appeared to be make-up free with just some dark red lipstick.

The Scorpion actress completed her ensemble with a little black purse that she wore across her body, a larger one she carried and, of course, celebrity must-have dark glasses.

Katharine and David, 68, have been sparking romance rumors since late summer thanks to multiple dates.

These boots are made for flying: The 33-year-old rocked a low-cut little black mini-dress that she wore under a black overcoat plus red leather knee-high boots, flashing her shapely thighs

On Wednesday night the pair went to the launch of Bumble Bizz together in Malibu hotspot Nobu.

They first met in 2006 when he mentored her during her bid to win American Idol.

She came in second but they maintained a close bond, returning to perform together on the show two years later.

So close: She has been the constant companion of music producer David Foster, 68, for the past few months, here seen at the launch of Bumble Bizz in Malibu hotspot Nobu Wednesday

And that friendship appears to have blossomed into something more. But Katharine has to fit her new beau into her busy career.

She's co-starred in CBS's Scorpion as Paige Dineen, one of an international network of super-geniuses, since 2014. And she took to Instagram on Monday to remind viewers to watch her show.

Katharine will next be seen on the big screen in Intensive Care with Mira Sorvino, due out next July.

She is also co-starring in Louisiana Caviar, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s debut as a director.

He also wrote the script and stars in the story about a feared Russian-Israeli oligarch who is banished from the U.S. setting into motion a spiraling chain of events.

The movie has yet to set a date for release.
She was forced to bow out of this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show due to her multi-million dollar contract with rival lingerie brand, La Perla.

And Kendall Jenner kept a low-profile as she left a lunch meeting at Gemma restaurant at the Bowery Hotel in New York's Lower East Side on Monday while her Angel pals ruled the runway in Shanghai, China.

Seemingly keen to go under the radar, the supermodel, 22, wrapped up in an oversize grey check coat by Balenciaga for her day in Manhattan.

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Missing out? Kendall Jenner left a lunch meeting at Gemma restaurant at the Bowery Hotel in New York's Lower East Side on Monday while her Angel pals ruled the runway in Shanghai

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star kept casual in baggy stone-wash ripped jeans and a simple white sweater, teamed with 90s-style trainers.

Kendall sheltered her eyes from the winter sun with a pair of tinted, round lens shades, while wearing her dark locks scraped back in a bun.

The catwalk queen opted for natural make-up as she went about her day of meetings in the city.

Kendall made her Victoria's Secret show debut in New York City in 2015, and appeared for a second time at the showcase in Paris, France, last year.

Plaid's the way to do it: Seemingly keen to go under the radar, the supermodel, 22, wrapped up in an oversize grey check coat by Balenciaga for her day in Manhattan

Under the radar: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star kept casual in baggy stone-wash ripped jeans and a simple white sweater, teamed with 90s-style trainers

Lunch meeting: Kendall sheltered her eyes from the winter sun with a pair of tinted, round lens shades, while wearing her dark locks scraped back in a bun

Disappointment: Kendall was unable to take part in this year's show due to her multi-million dollar contract with Italian lingerie brand, La Perla (pictured at the 2016 VS event in Paris)

The model previously described appearing in the annual lingerie presentation as a dream come true, saying in 2016: 'Im SO honored to have walked in the Victorias Secret Fashion Show for the second year in a row,.

'Its something Ive always dreamed about and to get to do it with my actual best friends is even beyond my expectations.'

Kendall was unable to take part in this year's show due to her multi-million dollar contract with Italian lingerie brand, La Perla, which is said to have included a 'non-compete clause'.

The beauty wasn't the only one of her pals to have missed out on the Shanghai show, with fellow model Gigi Hadid, 22, also unable to attend.

No VS show, no problem! The catwalk queen opted for natural make-up as she went about her day of meetings in the city

Catwalk queen: Kendall made her Victoria's Secret show debut in New York City in 2015, and appeared for a second time at the showcase in Paris, France, last year

Visa problems? The beauty wasn't the only one of her pals to have missed out on the Shanghai show, with Gigi Hadid, 22, also unable to attend at the last minute (pictured in 2016)

She wrote via social media: 'Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year.

'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

The model was originally confirmed to appear but dropped out of the show last week amid speculation she was denied a visa because of a controversial video in which she appeared to 'mock Asian people'.

Gigi's sister Bella Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, Romee Strijd and Candice Swanepoel were among the many stars of Monday's 22nd annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which took place in Shanghai, China, for the first time ever.

Here come the Angels! Monday's 22nd annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which took place in Shanghai, China, for the first time ever
She was spotted sharing a friendly kiss with Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood last month, three weeks before he announced his split from his wife.

And Candice Brown looked carefree as she stepped out after another gruelling Dancing On Ice training session, hours after Paul revealed he and wife of 19 years Alex were to go their separate ways.

The GBBO 2016 champion, 32, cracked a relaxed smile as she made her way out of the ice rink, clad in a blush pink slogan sweater and geometric print leggings.

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Training: Candice Brown looked carefree as she stepped out after another gruelling Dancing On Ice training session, hours after GBBO judge Paul Hollywood revealed he and wife of 19 years Alex were to go their separate ways

Banishing the chilly temperatures, the baking queen wrapped a colourful snood around her neck and carried a furry trimmed parka.

For comfort she slipped on monochrome trainers and purple socks. Her ombre tresses were swept up into a high ponytail and her pretty features enhanced with fluttery lashes and a dusting of peach blush.

She carried a rucksack as well as her personalised smartphone, and flashed her new diamond engagement ring.

After Candice's exchange with Paul, which saw the newly-engaged star receive a kiss on the cheek from him at the Pride of Britain Awards, raised eyebrows last month, the pair both took to social media to insist their farewell was simply a friendly gesture.

Farewell kiss: Candice was spotted sharing a friendly kiss with Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood last month, three weeks before he announced his split from his wife, with both parties denuying it was anything romantic

Carefree: The GBBO 2016 champion, 32, cracked a relaxed smile as she made her way out of the ice rink, clad in a blush pink slogan sweater and black and white geometric print leggings

Warmth: Wrapping up against the chilly temperatures, the baking queen wrapped a colourful snood around her neck and carried a furry trimmed parka

She was also seen toying with Paul's ear as they relaxed at the table at the Grosvenor House Hotel. After the images were released, Candice branded it a 'goodbye peck'.

It came just weeks before Paul and Alex confirmed their heartbreaking split in a joint statement on Monday saying: 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate.

'Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time.'

The baking guru, who is now worth 10million, split from his wife, 53, temporarily in 2013 after admitting an affair with his US co-star Marcela Valladolid, 39.

Hometime: Her ombre tresses were swept up into a high ponytail and her pretty features enhanced with fluttery lashes and a dusting of peach blush

Wave: She carried a rucksack as well as her personalised smartphone, and flashed her new diamond engagement ring

Comfort: For comfort she slipped on monochrome trainers and purple socks

The couple reconciled a few months later and he described the incident as 'the biggest mistake of my life' in an interview with BBC radio.

Speaking at the time, he told the BBC he 'was shocked about the whole thing kicking off the way it did... but I deserved it and I've taken it. It was my punishment'.

Series seven winner Candice, who recently announced her engagement to Liam Macauley, was spotted with Paul as he cupped the back of her head and kissed her goodbye following a night out at the Pride of Britain Awards in London.

Friends: After raising eyebrows with her and Paul's exchange after the Pride of Britain Awards (above) last month, which also saw newly-engaged Candice receive a kiss on the cheek from Paul, 51, the pair both took to social media to insist their farewell was simply a friendly gesture

A spokesman for the pair said it was an 'innocent kiss on the cheek', and that it was 'untrue' to describe it as an 'intimate kiss'.

The representative, who was also there on the night, told MailOnline: 'Following The Mirror Pride of Britain Awards last Monday, seven of us including Paul and Candice were seated outside waiting for cars home.

'The photograph was taken as Paul was saying goodbye to each of us.'

Paul and Alex, who is also a chef, married in 1998, and have a teenage son together, Joshua.
She paid a heartfelt tribute to her ex-boyfriend, rapper Lil Peep, after he tragically passed away at the age of just 21 last week.

And grieving Bella Thorne was seen preparing to leave Los Angeles with new beau Mod Sun, 30 - also a rapper - on a Thanksgiving getaway to Minnesota on Monday as she battled her heartache at the wake of the news.

The actress, 20, bundled up in several layers and kept her head down as she left a property in the Sherman Oaks area of the city.

Trying to move on: Grieving Bella Thorne was seen preparing to leave Los Angeles with new beau Mod Sun, 30, on a Thanksgiving getaway to Minnesota on Monday

The starlet rocked a baby pink hoodie that was tucked into a pair of olive overalls.

Bella stomped the streets in a pair of thick heeled white high tops as she kept her trademark red tresses underneath a white knit cap.

Bella was followed by her boyfriend of one month, who wore an outrageous wardrobe of striped and camouflage.

In the lead was Bella's sister Dani, who carried blankets and luggage as she rocked a casual ensemble.

Grieving: The actress, 20, bundled up in several layers and kept her head down as she left a property in the Sherman Oaks area of the city

Tough time: Bella paid a heartfelt tribute to her ex-boyfriend, rapper Lil Peep, after he tragically passed away at the age of just 21 last week

The Disney Channel alum took to Twitter on Thursday to share her disbelief at her ex Lil Peep's death at the age of just 21.

Bella wrote: 'Peep you deserved more out of life. Life didn't do your greatness justice.'

The New York-born rapper's former lover appeared heartbroken as she posted an Instagram story in which she mourned his sudden passing.

In a short series of videos, Bella said: 'To anybody out there who is a Lil Peep fan you guys know how talented he was. How good he was. Well, he was even more f**king great as a person.'

Stomp: Bella stomped the streets in a pair of thick heeled white high tops as her sister Dani followed behind in pink boots

Modest Mod: Bella was followed by her beau of one month - rapper Mod Sun - who wore an outrageous wardrobe of striped and camouflage

Police in Tucson, Arizona, said Lil Peep, whose real name was Gustav Ahr, was found dead on his tour bus ahead of a scheduled concert in the city on Wednesday night.

Sgt. Pete Dugan said evidence pointed to an overdose of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and other substances.

In an eerie twist, just hours before his death, where he was found outside The Rock club in Tucson, he shared an image on-stage with a caption reading: 'When I die you'll love me' while also posting a shot in which he seemed to have placed two pills on his tongue.

It was reported on Monday that Lil Peep took a nap before his show and 'never woke up' according to a police report obtained by TMZ.

His manager found him sleeping on the tour bus 'snoring and breathing without issue around 5:45pm'.

Work horse: Dani carried blankets and luggage as she rocked a casual ensemble

Packing it up: Bella was ready to get her holiday started

Caravan: The kids looked ready for Burning Man

Tribute: Bella took to social media to pay tribute to deceased ex Lil Peep last week after it emerged he had died at the age of 21

But when another manager checked on him later in the evening, Lil Peep was found 'unresponsive' and the authorities were called.

Bella and Lil Peep dated briefly back in September.

In a devastating element to the story, just 48 hours before he passed away he was interviewed by DJ Zane Lowe, who asked him if we was struggling with being on tour to which he replied: 'Yeah, definitely man. If anything, things have gotten worse'.

Zane went on: 'Because of the travelling and the touring under pressure?' when the embattled hitmaker said: 'Yeah. Things just get worse.

'Things get worse and worse and worse every day. (My fans) tell me all the time that it helps them stay alive, keeps them from committing suicide and stuff like that.

'A lot of them have - I've seen countless Lil Peep tattoos on people, they've devoted their lives to my music. It's pretty crazy, it blows my mind. I love it, it's a great thing and if it's helping people, then that's why I'm doing it.'
The happy couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary two weeks ago.

And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) has been treated to a romantic getaway with her husband Lance 'Buddy'Franklin to mark the momentous occasion.

The 26-year-old model has been busy sharing pictures and videos from her enviable retreat, including the most intimate and passionate elements of their stay.

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How romantic! Jesinta Campbell gets 'spoilt' by husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin during wedding anniversary vacation in Thailand

Nuptials: Just two weeks prior, Jesinta and Lance, 30, celebrated their first wedding anniversary. The devoted twosome married in an intimate ceremony in the Blue Mountains, with Beyonce's hit 'Halo' playing as Jesinta walked down the aisle

Arriving at the idyllic Cape Panwa Hotel earlier this week, Jesinta made the most of her time exploring the island with her AFL beau.

She gushed over her life partner in a series of snaps, writing 'you are (OK emoji)' on a candid picture of Buddy by their hotel's infinity pool.

Later in the evening, she shared a picturesque dinner setting overlooking the ocean, where Buddy was waiting to enjoy a one-on-one date with his wife.

Loved-up! She gushed over her life partner in a series of snaps, writing 'you are (OK emoji)' on a candid picture of Buddy by their hotel's infinity pool

Dinner is served! Later in the evening, she shared a picturesque dinner setting overlooking the ocean, where Buddy was waiting to enjoy a one-on-one date with his wife

Wow! The singular table was lit by candlelight and was adorned with a box of red roses

The singular table was lit by candlelight and was adorned with a box of red roses.

And if the dinner wasn't romantic enough, Jesinta then took a short video of her bed setting, which features flower petals, a love heart made of towels and the words 'happy anniversary'.

Jesinta, clearly delighted by thelovely surprise, captioned the clip 'spoilt' with a drawing of a love heart.

'Island life!' Jesinta Campbell, 26, flaunted her trim pins in Daisy Dukes, in a snap shared to Instagram on Monday, as she enjoys a vacation in Thailand with husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin

After jetting to Phuket,Thailand, she wasted no time in sharing other picture-perfect snaps of their romantic holiday to Instagram.

One particular photo captioned 'island life' saw the model flaunt her trim pins in a pair of distressed Daisy Dukes.

A photo taken in front of a pink-washed wall saw the David Jones ambassador revealing her lean legs in a pair of denim cut-off shorts.

Jesinta teamed the look with a semi-sheer white top, an abstract headscarf, statement drop earrings and designer sunglasses.

Leggy lady: Another image shared with the former beauty pageant titleholder's 412k followers, saw the brunette hanging on tightly to a rope wound onto a tree branch

Behind-the-scenes: Jesinta shared a comedic progression of shots before she achieved the 'perfect' picture she shared to her followers

Now THAT's a view! Jesinta shared a stunning view from her luxurious resort, Cape Panwa Hotel

Another image shared with the former beauty pageant titleholder's 412k followers, saw Jesinta hanging on tightly to a rope wound onto a tree branch.

The red carpet regular captioned the snap, while poking lighthearted fun of herself: 'Island life (getting on and off was not so elegant).'

She later shared a behind-the-scenes look at how many takes it took to get the 'perfect' shot in a comedic four-part post on Instagram Stories.

Also taking to her Instagram Story, Jesinta gave her legion of fans a close-up look at her stunning resort views.

'Picture Perfect': The David Jones ambassador looked to be making the most of her idyllic getaway

Thirsty work: Jesinta indulged in a fancy cocktail, being sure to capture the antics to her Instagram Story

Taking to Instagram at the time, the brunette beauty shared a sweet throwback snap from their nuptials.

'Exactly 1 year ago today. Happy Anniversary Mr. Franklin. May Love always be our light x 04.11.16' Jesinta captioned the image.

The devoted twosome married in an intimate ceremony in the Blue Mountains, with Beyonce's hit 'Halo' playing as Jesinta walked down the aisle.

Shortly after the nuptials, Jesinta told Vogue: 'Don't plan your wedding around what other people want. It's about you two joining lives together and your family and having a good day.'
US President Donald Trump is said to have mixed up New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (C) with Canadian leader Justin Trudeau's wife at an Asian summit

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leader's partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders -- who she refused to name -- incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."

Large protests followed Trump's election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.

"He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way -- he did not seem offended," she said.
The US has several military bases in Japan, but there has been longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on Okinawa

US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high.

A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection on Sunday, killing the other driver, 61.

The 21-year-old, whose breath test showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, was arrested and charged with negligent driving resulting in death, police said.

All US servicemen stationed in Japan are now banned from drinking, both on and off base, the US Forces in Japan said in a statement.

In Okinawa, personnel are also restricted to base or to their residences.

"When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission," the statement said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo made an immediate complaint about the case to the US side, demanding the US military enforce strict discipline and take preventive steps.

"It is extremely regrettable that this accident happened even though the Japanese government has repeatedly asked them for the thorough implementation of preventive measures and enforcement of disciplines," Suga told reporters.

The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty.

But crimes by US personnel have seen relations with locals strained.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force's sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman last year.

The incident intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on the island.

Commanders across Japan will immediately lead mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior, the US statement added.

Okinawa accounts for nearly 75 percent of land allotted for US bases in Japan, despite being only a fraction of the country's total area.
Supporters of Kenyan's opposition party National Super Alliance (NASA) took to the streets after opposition leader Raila Odinga arrived at Jomo Kenyatta airport on Friday

Kenya's Supreme Court is due to rule Monday on whether President Uhuru Kenyatta can be sworn in for a second term or if there must be yet another vote.

The dispute over this year's presidential elections has left the country deeply divided, with protests and clashes between opposition supporters and police commonplace.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga won an unprecedented court victory overturning the result of the original August 8 poll after claims hackers broke into the electoral commission database and manipulated the results.

That led to a rerun last month that Odinga boycotted, claiming the vote would not be free and fair.

After hearing two days of arguments on the validity of the second vote, Chief Justice David Maraga said last week a six-judge bench would hand down its decision Monday -- the constitutional deadline.

The ruling will either call for a third presidential election to be held within 60 days or clear the way for Kenyatta's swearing in on November 28.

Former lawmaker and businessman John Harun Mwau submitted one petition challenging the vote, while another was filed jointly by Njonjo Mue, a human rights and judicial expert, and Khelef Khalifa, director of Muslims for Human Rights.

Although Kenyatta obtained 98 percent of votes cast last month, voter turnout was only 39 percent, down from 79 percent in August, after the opposition boycotted the new election saying the election commission had not instituted wide-ranging reforms necessary for a free and fair vote.

The opposition has since called for demonstrations, economic boycotts of certain companies and a campaign of civil disobedience.

Lawyers for Mwau have argued that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should have conducted fresh nominations ahead of the October 26 vote.

Mue and Khalifa's counsel has argued that violence and intimidation and a lack of independence for the IEBC -- whose own chairman Wafula Chebukati claimed he could not guarantee a free and fair election -- meant the rerun vote was not in line with the constitution.

Chebukati later changed his mind and said the election could go ahead.

Maraga was thrust into the spotlight after annulling the original August 8 vote, a decision hailed worldwide as an opportunity to deepen Kenya's democracy and set an example for other African nations.

But the decision led instead to unrest and acrimony that has left the nation bruised and deeply divided. Kenyatta has said he will abide by the final ruling "no matter its outcomes".

Before the second vote, the Supreme Court had found by a majority vote of four judges to two that the initial election was marred by widespread illegalities and irregularities.

However, a last-minute Supreme Court hearing on the eve of the rerun challenging the legality of the election was scrapped when only two judges turned up raising fears the bench may have been compromised.
Indonesia's parliament speaker Setya Novanto, 62, has been charged in a graft scandal that shocked the country earlier this year

Indonesia's parliament speaker has been charged in a major graft scandal thought to have cost the state $170 million, after a bizarre drama that involved a failed raid on his palatial estate.

Setya Novanto, who has previously faced allegations of extortion, is among several politicians accused of taking kickbacks from funds for a government project to issue new ID cards.

The scandal, which came to light earlier this year, caused widespread shock even by the standards of one of the world's most corrupt countries.

Novanto was detained for questioning on Sunday, but only after a dramatic string of events in which he emerged from hospital shortly after a raid on his home by anti-corruption investigators.

"We will take every legal step possible to show that he is innocent and we will continue to do so," his lawyer Fredrich Yunadi told AFP.

Indonesias Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials had on Wednesday night raided Novanto's multi-million-dollar estate in a ritzy part of the capital, known for its extreme gap between rich and poor.

But the 62-year-old was nowhere to be found, sparking a frantic city-wide search amid fears he had left the country.

In a peculiar twist, the politician showed up in a Jakarta hospital Thursday claiming to have been injured in a car crash.

Doctors said Sunday he showed no signs of serious injuries and was fit for questioning.

Indonesia's parliament speaker was moved in a wheelchair from hospital to a detention centre after being charged for his involvement in a graft scandal

Photos showed Novanto wearing an orange vest worn by corruption suspects and being moved in a wheelchair from the hospital to a detention centre.

Novanto, an influential politician from the Golkar Party, has been caught up in corruption scandals in the past.

He was forced to quit as speaker in 2015 after he was named a suspect for extorting a stake from US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan in exchange for extending the company's right to operate in the archipelago.

He was cleared of the allegations and was reappointed as speaker in 2016.

In 2015, he appeared at a news conference at Donald Trump's Manhattan skyscraper, where the now-US president described him as an "amazing man" who would do "great things for the United States".
Indian Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who has the lead role in the film, has received death threats by those trying to halt the movie's release

Indian filmmakers said they have delayed indefinitely the release of a Bollywood historical epic about a legendary Hindu queen that has been the subject of weeks of violent protests.

Caste-based groups have been targeting "Padmavati", which was due to hit screens on December 1, over rumours that the movie will depict a romance between the queen and a Muslim ruler.

In a statement late Sunday Viacom18 Motion Pictures said they had "voluntarily deferred" the release date of the film, which has yet to be certified by India's censor board.

"We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course," it said.

Supporters of Rajput Karni Sena shout slogans during a protest in Gandhinagar on November 12 against the film

The movie first ran into opposition in January when protesters belonging to the Rajput Karni Sena caste-based group attacked director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and vandalised the set during filming in Jaipur in Rajasthan.

The protesters are apparently unhappy about speculation that the film will include a romantic liaison between Rajput queen Padmavati, also known as Rani Padmini, and the 13th and 14th century Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji.

The Rajput caste were historically Hindu warriors who ruled over kingdoms in western India.

Rajput Karni Sena accuse the film's makers of distorting historical facts, but historians say the queen is a mythical character and there is no clear evidence that she even existed.

Protesters attacked another set near Mumbai in March, burning costumes and other props.

They have stepped up protests in recent weeks, including making death threats against lead actress Deepika Padukone and Bhansali and demanding to preview the movie before it is released.

- 'Bullies' -

Last week the leader of another caste-related group, the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM), offered 50 million rupees ($769,000) to anyone who "beheaded" Padukone and Bhansali.

Followers have burned effigies of the actress and the threats led Mumbai police to beef up their security of Padukone and the director.

India's Hindi film industry churns out hundreds of movies every year but filmmakers often face intimidation from fringe groups, fuelling fears over creative freedom in the country.

The censor board has so far refused to certify the movie, saying the producers' application form was "incomplete" while several politicians have also weighed into the controversy.

On Monday the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, a member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the film could not be screened in the state "if historical facts are distorted".

The deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, also a BJP politician, had earlier called for "controversial portions" to be removed from the movie.

Cast members have called for detractors not to rush to judgement before seeing the film for themselves while several Bollywood personalities have come out in support of the movie and its team.

"Sad that bullies have prevailed again. The government's stance is disappointing but not unexpected," Hansal Mehta, a director, wrote in a tweet.

Actress Sonam Kapoor said she was "appalled" at the controversy, describing it as "ludicrous".

The movie stars Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh, the husband of Padmavati, and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji who leads an invasion to try to capture the queen.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to form a government at the weekend, fuelling uncertainty in Europe's biggest economy and sending the euro tumbling

The euro faced fresh pressure in Asian trade on Monday after German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to form a government at the weekend, fuelling uncertainty in Europe's biggest economy.

Several Asian stock markets tracked a sell-off on Wall Street, where all three main indexes finished in the red on profit-taking and fears that US lawmakers would struggle to pass Donald Trump's tax-cut plans.

While the House of Representatives approved its version of the reform legislation and a key Senate panel cleared a different version, the Republicans' wafer-thin majority in the Senate mean they will have a tough fight to clear the upper chamber.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin predicted a final draft would reach Trump's desk by Christmas, but observers said that time-frame would be tough given the tight margins and some senators' concerns over some of the measures.

Hopes for market-friendly tax cuts as well as for major infrastructure spending and deregulation helped fuel a surge in global equities this year.

The losses in New York continued in Asia on Monday but some markets managed to bounce back in the afternoon.

Tokyo ended down 0.6 percent, while Sydney shed 0.2 percent and Seoul lost 0.3 percent.

However, Hong Kong rose 0.2 percent, marking a fourth straight gain, while Singapore was up 0.1 percent.

Shanghai added 0.3 percent as traders brushed off early worries about a crackdown on the wealth management industry, which will regulate almost $15 trillion in assets, as part of a drive to address a huge debt mountain.

Jakarta hit another record high, rising 0.6 percent.

- 'Basis of trust' -

On currency markets the euro fell after Merkel's attempts to form a new government collapsed -- plunging Germany into a crisis that could see it hold fresh elections.

The leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative alliance the CDU-CSU and the ecologist Greens.

There are fears the country could be gripped by months of paralysis with a lame-duck government, while Merkel's political future has also been called into question.

"The news is negative for the euro but its longer-term implications are not clear yet," Mansoor Mohi-uddin, head of currency strategy in Singapore at NatWest Markets, told Bloomberg News.

However, while the euro has taken a hit, Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA, said he doubted the sell-off would be sustained.

"Liquidity is exceptionally thin and could exaggerate moves. But this knee-jerk reaction does look a bit overdone as Merkel can still establish a minority government with either the FDP or Green Party," he said.

Oil prices were mixed but both main contracts managed to hold on to Friday's surge. That came after Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khaled al-Faleh said he remained committed to an OPEC deal to limit production.

In early European trade Frankfurt fell 0.5 percent, London shed 0.3 percent and Paris dropped 0.2 percent.

- Key figures around 0820 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 22,261.76 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.2 percent at 29,260.31 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,392.40 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,361.71

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1735 from $1.1793 at 2150 GMT

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 112.10 yen from 112.14 yen

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3236 from $1.3215

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP six cents at $56.61 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN 10 cents at $62.62

New York - DOW: DOWN 0.4 percent at 23,358.24 (close)
Duterte has vowed to unseat the Supreme Court chief justice

The Philippines' Supreme Court chief justice warned on Monday that an attempt by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte to impeach her could threaten the country's democracy.

Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno gave the warning as legislators in the House of Representatives prepared to begin impeachment hearings against her following a threat by Duterte that Sereno would be forced out.

Sereno has been one of the few voices willing to criticise Duterte for allegedly disregarding due process and attacking other branches of government as part of his brutal anti-crime campaign.

Duterte in turn vowed last month to impeach Sereno for alleged corruption. His allies in Congress will begin hearings on the impeachment complaint this week.

"This is getting to be larger than myself. This is no longer just about me. It is about democracy," Sereno told broadcaster ABS-CBN in a live interview.

She said the charges against her were fabricated and warned that the judiciary would be under threat if the Duterte government was allowed to pursue her.

"Is the judiciary safe? And if the judiciary is not safe, is democracy safe? Are the constitutional rights of people still assured?" she asked.

Earlier this year Duterte's arch-critic, Senator Leila De Lima, was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and is behind bars awaiting trial.

De Lima insists the charges were trumped up to silence her. Rights groups and European lawmakers call her a political prisoner.

Duterte has also called for the impeachment of government Ombudsman Conchita Morales after her office began investigating allegations that Duterte had secret bank accounts containing millions in embezzled funds.

Elected last year on a promise to wage a bloody war on drugs, Duterte has been accused of tolerating human rights abuses and ignoring the rule of law as he pursues suspected drug users.

The government says almost 4,000 "drug personalities" have been killed by authorities as part of Duterte's campaign but critics say thousands more have died at the hands of government-backed vigilantes.

Duterte enjoys widespread support and his allies control both houses of Congress.

But concern is growing that he is seeking to monopolise power through his attacks on independent branches of government.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will this week make his first official trip to Moscow

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by The International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes related to the Darfur conflict, will visit Russia on Thursday, the Kremlin said.

The visit will be the long-time Sudanese leader's first official trip to Moscow.

"We can confirm that (a meeting will take place) on Thursday," news agencies quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying.

He did not say whether the Sudanese leader would be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin or another senior official.

Bashir has denied charges against him and continues to travel to various countries with impunity, despite being wanted by the Hague-based court.

Sudan's deadly conflict in Darfur broke out in 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, which launched a brutal counter-insurgency.

The UN says at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced as a result of the conflict.

Top Sudanese officials including Bashir now claim that the conflict has ended, but the region continues to see regular fighting between myriad ethnic and tribal groups.
Pakistan's roads have a grim safety record

At least 20 people including women and children were killed Monday when a lorry toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a passenger van in southern Pakistan, police said.

Five people were injured in the accident in Khairpur district in Sindh province.

A senior district police official said the truck was trying to overtake the van when it toppled and crushed the other vehicle.

"The van (was) buried under the coal and at least 17 people including children and women died on the spot," Azfar Mahesar told AFP.

Eight injured people were rushed to hospital but three subsequently died, said hospital doctor Ghulam Jafar.

Several of the bodies were badly crushed by the coal and so far just 10 have been identified, he added.

Pakistan has one of the world's worst records for fatal traffic accidents, due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
In 2016, the ICC sentenced Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years in jail on five charges of war crimes when his troops went on a murderous rampage in Central African Republic

More than 5,000 victims of atrocities committed by troops commanded by former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba are calling for individual reparations, rights activists said Monday.

International judges sentenced Bemba in June 2016 to 18 years in jail on five charges of war crimes committed when his troops went on a murderous and violent rampage in neighbouring Central African Republic between October 2002 to March 2003.

Most of the victims "have lost everything, and continue to live with the physical and psychological consequences of the crimes, horrors and traumas they have experienced," said a rights NGO.

Although Bemba has appealed his sentence, the ICC is already preparing the ground for what reparations should be awarded to the 5,229 victims.

It would be the tribunal's third such award since it opened in 2002 as the world's only permanent war crimes court to prosecute the worst of crimes.

According to a survey by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in June, most victims want to see individual damages rather than a collective award for communities ravaged by Bemba's private militia.

"They insist that their compensation be paid to them individually and be accompanied by awareness-raising sessions to make people more sensitive to the problem of stigmatisation," FIDH added.

- A commander's responsibility -

Bemba, now 55, sent in 1,500 troops from his Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) to quash a coup in CAR.

But they unleashed a five-month reign of terror, with the court handed down its toughest penalty for what it denounced as a wave of "sadistic, cruel" rapes and murders.

Bemba's case was the first at the ICC to focus on rape as a weapon of war and the first to highlight a military commander's responsibility for the conduct of the troops under his control.

Even if the reparations come late they "are still an exception in a country that is ravaged by impunity and that continues to be the target of violent conflicts and sexual crimes committed by militias and armed groups," FIDH added.

The victims also want to see the formerly rich businessman forced to pay damages from his own pocket.

In its two previous reparations awards, war crimes judges said in August that a Malian jihadist was liable for 2.7 million euros for destroying Timbuktu's fabled shrines in 2012.

But it recognised he was penniless.

And in March, the ICC awarded symbolic damages of $250 (212 euros) to each of the 297 victims of former Congolese warlord Germain Katanga, serving 12 years for a 2003 attack on a village.

Reparations are also still due to be finalised in the case of Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, serving 14 years for conscripting child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A file picture shows Iraqi Kurds waving flags during a demonstration on October 21, 2017 to protest against the escalating crisis with Baghdad

Iraq's top court on Monday declared the Kurdish north's independence referendum in September to be unconstitutional, firing a new salvo in the political crisis with the autonomous region.

The legal move marked the latest stage in the dispute between Baghdad and Kurdish regional capital Arbil sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding "yes" vote for independence in the Kurdish area.

A statement said the Supreme Court "rendered a decision declaring unconstitutional the referendum held on September 25, 2017 in Iraqi Kurdistan... and cancelling all the consequences and results".

Last week, as the deadline announced by the court for its decision on the constitutionality of the referendum approached, the Kurdistan government said it "respected" the decisions taken by Iraq's highest court.

It also said it respected a previous decision on Article 1 in the constitution insisting on Iraqi unity, which could be a basis for dialogue.

On Monday, the court again cited this article in its ruling, saying that the holding of the Kurdish independence referendum "contradicts and contravenes it", its spokesman Ayas al-Samuk said in the statement.

Parliament in Baghdad is currently reviewing the federal budget for the coming year, including the allocation for the Kurdish region.

Kurdish premier Nechirvan Barzani at a press conference in Arbil denounced the court's "unilateral" decision taken without consulting representatives of the autonomous region.

He also said he was "ready for dialogue" with Baghdad.

Earlier Abdel Salam Barwari, a former deputy and member of former Kurdish leader Massud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party, also rejected it.

"It was a predictable decision given the past of this court and the fact that it has now become a political tool," he told AFP.

In Baghdad, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the court decision, saying his government "rejected this referendum and refused to have anything to do with it".

- Severe repercussions -

Last month, the UN Security Council urged the Iraqi government and regional leaders in Kurdistan to set a timetable for talks to end the crisis.

The world body's appeal came after Baghdad dismissed an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and hold talks.

Rejecting the freeze offer, Abadi instead demanded the annulment of the independence vote.

September's referendum was initiated by Barzani, for whom the repercussions were severe.

At the end of October he announced he was stepping aside, having lost almost all of the territory disputed between Arbil and Baghdad.

On October 16, Iraqi government and paramilitary forces had moved in to take over all of the disputed areas.

Under the constitution, these areas come under the central government in Baghdad, with their status to be discussed in future negotiations.

The Kurds also lost all of the oil resources in Kirkuk province that could have ensured the viability of a hypothetical Kurdish state.

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and in the wake of the chaos created in 2014 by a sweeping Islamic State group offensive, Kurdish peshmerga forces had filled a security vacuum in the north.

But in the space of just two weeks, Baghdad retook control of almost all of these areas with the aim of returning to the "blue line" of 2003, limiting Iraqi Kurdistan to the three northern provinces of Dohuk, Arbil and Sulaimaniyah.

The two sides also took part in a tit-for-tat wave of arrest warrants aimed at respective political and military figures.

The Kurds issued warrants for 11 Iraqi figures, and a Baghdad court did the same for the organisers of the referendum and the vice-president of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The crisis with the Kurdish areas came with Baghdad also battling to rid the country of the remnants of the jihadist fighters who had dug in after their lightning campaign three years ago swept across swathes of neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
A Palestinian poses with the national flag on October 12, 2017 in Gaza City after Hamas and Fatah agreed to end a decade-long split

Leaders of various Palestinian factions headed for the Egyptian capital Cairo on Monday ahead of talks aimed at moving forward with a reconciliation agreement.

Senior figures from 13 different political factions -- including Gaza's rulers Hamas and the West Bank-based Fatah -- are due to meet on Tuesday for three-day talks, with potential topics of discussion including the formation of a new unity government.

Under an Egypt-brokered agreement reached last month, the Islamist Hamas is supposed to hand over civil control of Gaza to the Fatah-led national government on December 1.

A source at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt told AFP that representatives from various factions including Hamas had crossed over on Monday morning.

"The aim of the meeting is to incorporate all the factions as partners and not just spectators as the page of division is folded for the last time," Azzam al-Ahmed, who heads the Fatah delegation, said in a statement.

The Hamas delegation will be headed by deputy leader Salah al-Aruri and its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar.

Neither Fatah leader Mahmud Abbas nor Hamas chief Ismail Haniya will attend.

Another 11 other smaller political factions will also be in attendance.

The most likely source of tension at the meeting will be the future of Hamas's vast armed wing, although the talks are not expected to lead to a final ruling on the matter.
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil supplier, has posted more than $200 billion in budget deficits in the past three years and has withdrawn heavily from its reserves

S&P Global Ratings on Monday affirmed Saudi Arabia's credit ratings, saying the kingdom's sweeping reforms could make it attractive to investors in the medium term despite underlying risks.

The agency maintained its "A-/A-2" ratings on Saudi Arabia and said its outlook was stable, citing expectations the government would take steps to consolidate public finances in the next two years.

"Recent shifts in Saudi Arabia's political power structures and societal norms, alongside various regional stresses, could increase the risk of policy mistakes that could result in increased domestic and geopolitical tensions," S&P said.

"However, we also consider that these structural reforms could empower Saudi citizens and make Saudi Arabia more attractive to investors over the medium term, as the authorities intend."

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year unveiled his Vision 2030 programme of economic and social reforms for a post-oil era and has recently announced a host of multi-billion-dollar mega projects, including a futuristic megacity with robots and driverless cars.

But this month's wide-ranging crackdown on dozens of elites, ostensibly to tackle corruption, coupled with increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran, have provoked concern among investors.

Analysts have warned the uncertainty could intensify capital flight or derail reforms at a time when the kingdom is seeking to attract badly needed investments to offset a protracted oil slump.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil supplier, has posted more than $200 billion in budget deficits in the past three years and has withdrawn heavily from its reserves.

Following the energy slump, the kingdom undertook reforms and fiscal measures to cut public spending and boost non-oil revenues.

The kingdom has also introduced a series of price hikes, imposing fees on expats and preparing to introduce value-added tax in the new year.
Lights out for Mugabe? Not just yet, say analysts

He is 93, in failing health and has enemies on almost every side, but President Robert Mugabe used his TV address Sunday to display the survival skills of one of the world's wiliest politicians.

With the generals who threaten his grip on power sitting to his side, Mugabe blithely ignored demands he quit -- and even declared he would preside next month over his party's congress, despite the fact it had just sacked him.

From vanquishing domestic political rivals after independence to weathering international sanctions over his ruinous policy of seizing land from white farmers, the president has a long history of defying pressure.

Analysts gave quiet respect for Mugabe's tactical skills, even if they worry his latest manoeuvres have brought tensions in Zimbabwe that much closer to boiling point.

"It might be that he feels he has not secured the guarantees that he feels are necessary for his own immunity and for his family," said Piers Pigou, an analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG).

"Mugabe is a tactician, a strategist. He might be able to delay and generate a certain amount of obstruction" before agreeing to step down on his terms.

After two rounds of talks with the generals who seized power last week, it was widely expected that Mugabe would resign.

Instead he delivered a slow and rambling speech on state TV on Sunday in which he insisted that the military takeover was "not a threat" to his rule.

The crisis erupted on November 13 over a factional squabble to succeed the ailing president.

Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him, sidelining the vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired.

It now appears that the military has been continuing efforts to ease Mugabe from power without being seen as forcing out the nonogenarian leader.

- 'Tolerated his nonsense' -

"It's a matter of when. He might not leave tomorrow or next week, but he is clearly at the end of his political life," said Eldred Masunungure, a politics lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

Analysts have suggested that Mugabe's infamously stubborn character could also be hindering the conclusion of a deal between the president and the army.

"The fact that he thinks he still has a role to play is remarkable... He is not used to being tempered or being constrained by others," said Pigou.

Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa warned that Mugabe would likely be negotiating hard to protect himself and his family from prosecution.

"Mugabe needs to take protection for himself -- he carried out serious crimes since the 1980s and he has stolen a lot of resources and sent them abroad. His wife Grace has been the one spearheading most of that.

"He doesn't want to lose face because Robert Mugabe is somebody who has come to believe that Zimbabwe belongs to him, that he is the best leader for Zimbabwe, despite having destroyed the economy and carried out serious violence on the people of Zimbabwe."

Mugabe's reputation has been deeply tarnished by his authoritarian instincts, rights abuses and economic record during his 37-year rule.

"He has very little room to move at the moment. Zimbabweans have tolerated his nonsense for too long, and sooner or later, they may just decide to say we are removing you," added Gutto.
This picture taken on November 17, 2017 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency shows Song Tao (3rd L)attending a meeting with Choe Ryong Hae (2nd R), a senior official of the North's ruling party

A Chinese special envoy on Monday ended a four-day trip to North Korea during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear crisis.

Officially, Song Tao was sent by President Xi Jinping to report on the outcome of the Chinese Communist Party's recent congress.

Analysts had expected that Song would press North Korean officials on the nuclear standoff, but did not expect any breakthroughs.

The trip came a week after US President Donald Trump urged Beijing to do more to rein in its Cold War-era ally, warning that time was quickly running out to resolve the crisis.

Song's visit was the first by a senior Chinese envoy for more than a year.

Relations are severely stressed over Pyongyang's sabre-rattling -- with missile launches and a sixth nuclear test -- and Beijing's support for tough UN sanctions on its neighbour.

China's official Xinhua news agency said the two sides "exchanged views on issues of common concern", including "issues on the Korean peninsula", along with relations between the two countries and their ruling communist parties.

The brief report said they agreed to "strengthen inter-party contacts and exchanges and push for the development of China-North Korea relations".

Bonnie Glaser, China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP that it was difficult to unpick the true tenor of the trip.

"I doubt that the nuclear issue figured prominently in this visit. China appears eager to prevent its ties with the DPRK from deteriorating and, if possible, improve them," she said.

There has been no mention of any meeting between Song and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

When the North sent an envoy to Beijing after its own party congress last year, the official met Xi.

- Testing ties -

As Song wrapped up his trip, South Korea announced that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha would travel to Beijing on Tuesday to prepare for a December visit by President Moon Jae-In.

Kang's meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi is also expected to cover ways to "work together in seeking a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue", the South's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Relations between China and South Korea have also been strained by the nuclear crisis, with Beijing angry at Seoul for hosting a US missile defence system.

South Korea and the United States say the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is intended to counter missile threats from North Korea.

China sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities. It has slapped a series of measures on South Korean firms and banned its tour groups from visiting the country in moves seen as economic retaliation.

But the two countries have been seeking to improve ties in recent weeks.

"China is always committed to moving forward the bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.
President Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe with a rod of iron since independence in 1980. But the gag on protest has now been lifted -- tens of thousands have taken to the streets to demand his departure

Zimbabwe is locked in one of its worst political crises since independence with strongman Robert Mugabe refusing to resign despite a military takeover, mass street protests and his dismissal from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Here is a snapshot of the ongoing turmoil in Zimbabwe where Mugabe has ruled with a rod of iron for the past 37 years:

- Vice president sacked -

November 6: Mugabe fires Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resolve a succession dispute.

His removal appears to clear the way for Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, to take over as president -- a move that angers the military, which has close ties to Mnangagwa.

- Army takeover -

November 14: In the evening, tanks move towards Harare, with gunfire heard around Mugabe's residence a day after a blunt warning from army chief General Constantino Chiwenga.

By the early hours, military's vehicles are on the capital's streets, but deny staging a coup, giving a televised address saying the 93-year-old leader is safe and that they are "only targeting criminals around him".

November 15: South Africa says Mugabe has told its president, Jacob Zuma, by telephone that he is under house arrest but is "fine".

The European Union and former colonial power Britain urge a peaceful resolution of the crisis while South Africa warns against any "unconstitutional changes" of government.

- Mugabe digs heels in -

November 16: Mugabe refuses to step down during talks with generals, a source close to the army leadership says, in a move which enrages many Zimbabweans who see it as a bid to "buy time" to negotiate a favourable end to his 37-year reign.

A day later he appears at a university graduation ceremony, acting as if nothing has happened.

Meanwhile, opposition is gathering pace within his own ranks, with eight out of the 10 branches of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF taking to state television to demand he stand down.

Zimbabwe's influential war veterans association also demands he step down immediately, urging people to join huge street protests planned for the weekend.

- Mass protests -

November 18: Tens of thousands of people joyfully take to the streets across the country to demand Mugabe's departure and celebrate his apparently imminent demise in scenes of public euphoria not seen since independence in 1980.

It is a display of open defiance that would have been unthinkable just a week earlier.

- Ousted as party chief -

November 19: ZANU-PF sacks Mugabe as leader and demands he resign as head of state. It also expels his wife Grace and names ousted VP Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Adding to its stunning reversal of allegiances, it threatens to impeach Mugabe if he does not resign by Monday midday.

Mugabe meets with the army chiefs before making a defiant televised address in which he shows no sign of leaving, frustrating widespread hopes he would resign.

- Impeachment? -

November 20: The ZANU-PF deadline passes without Mugabe resigning, with the army expected to hold a briefing in response to the crisis.

Any move to impeach Mugabe would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament which is due to meet on Tuesday.

However, if he were impeached, it would mean the current vice president -- Phelekeza Mphoko, who is loyal to Mugabe's wife -- would automatically be named as interim leader in a development the army would want to avoid.
The ruling paves the way for President Uhuru Kenyatta to be sworn in on November 28

Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday validated the election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta, sparking opposition protests that left two dead, according to police.

While the court decision led to celebrations in ruling party strongholds, protesters took to the street in opposition areas in the capital and the west of the country.

One protester was killed in Nairobi's Kibera slum, while a paramedic tending the injured at a demonstration in western Migori was also shot dead, according to police.

The death toll from four months of election chaos now stands at 54, with most protesters killed at the hands of police, according to rights groups.

The protests erupted after the Supreme Court dismissed two petitions seeking to overturn the victory of Kenyatta in October 26 elections, paving the way for him to be sworn in for a second five-year term on November 28.

"The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited. As a consequence, the presidential election of 26 October is hereby upheld as is the election of the third respondent," said Chief Justice David Maraga, referring to Kenyatta.

Maraga had in September annulled an August election due to "irregularities and illegalities", a historic decision hailed across the globe as an opportunity to boost Kenyan democracy.

However, the ruling -- a rare victory for Odinga -- only deepened acrimony and protests, leaving the country deeply divided.

Accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to make fundamental reforms to improve the vote, Odinga withdrew from the October ballot which he urged his followers to boycott.

- 'Toxic environment' -

Tensions had risen across the country ahead of the ruling, with violent clashes between opposition supporters and police in Nairobi on Friday

In the run-up to the vote, a top election official fled the country, saying the poll would not be credible, and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati himself said he could not guarantee a free and fair election.

Election day was marred by chaos in opposition strongholds, with polling stations unable to open in 25 constituencies.

The boycott handed Kenyatta a landslide victory of 98 percent, although turnout was only 39 percent.

This time, Odinga and his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition did not go to court to challenge the second election, but a former politician and two rights activists did.

They pointed to procedural questions, the toxic democratic environment, and Chebukati's own questioning of the process.

However the six-judge bench dismissed the petitions in a matter of minutes.

- 'Decision under duress' -

In a statement, Odinga said the ruling "did not come as a surprise", nor did it alter his opposition to a government he regards as illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathise with it," he said.

Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga described the Supreme Court's ruling as "a decision under duress"

News of the court's decision sparked celebrations in Kenyatta's strongholds.

"Let NASA people now go and mourn quietly and allow us to celebrate. They were laughing last time, today it is our turn," said Jackson Mandago the governor of Uasin Gishu county.

"We are happy that we will not have another election until 2022."

But while many will be breathing a sigh of relief that the prolonged election process is drawing to an end, tensions remain high in opposition strongholds.

"Maraga has gone against our wish. They could have nullified it because that was not an election. It was just done in parts of the country," said Mercyline Akinyi in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, where protesters set a vehicle alight.

"We will wait for Baba (Odinga), to tell us the way forward."

Clashes had erupted in Nairobi's Mathare slum on Sunday after four bodies were found in the street, with outrage spreading to Kibera and protests also taking place in Kisumu.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

It was not immediately clear how Kenya's opposition supporters would respond to the court ruling

However, the opposition claimed the four had been shot dead, and angry residents blamed members of Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe.

Tensions had also risen on Friday when a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.
Syrian men mourn a child in a makeshift clinic following shelling of the rebel-held town of Douma on November 19, 2017

Entire families have been buried under the rubble in a rebel-held enclave near Syria's capital, as government forces pursue a nearly week-long campaign against the area despite a de-escalation deal.

The violence aims to further weaken rebels in their last stronghold near Damascus, analysts said, as Russia, Iran and Turkey launch a diplomatic dash to resolve Syria's grinding six-year conflict.

The three countries agreed earlier this year to establish de-escalation zones aimed at reducing hostilities in four battleground areas across Syria.

One such zone came into effect in Eastern Ghouta in July, but after months of relative calm, intense artillery fire and air strikes have pummelled the region for the past week.

Residents of the opposition stronghold have described living in utter terror.

"We're forced to hide in parts of our home that aren't suitable for living, like the bathroom and the kitchen," said 28-year-old Majed.

"We even sleep there sometimes."

The father of two lives in Douma, one of the largest towns in Eastern Ghouta and a regular target of regime raids.

Despite his wife's efforts to create a normal life for their children, their four-year-old son has been left deeply scarred.

"When he hears the bombing, he runs to hide in the closet or behind the door, screaming, 'The plane, the plane is attacking'," Majed told AFP.

Since Tuesday, government bombardment of Eastern Ghouta has killed at least 80 civilians including 14 children, and wounded hundreds more, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

- 'Too close' to Damascus -

In Douma on Sunday, an AFP journalist witnessed doctors rushing to treat wailing children lying on bloodstained hospital beds.

Their eyes wide with fear, children awaited life-saving care, many having had limbs pierced by shrapnel.

Nearby, two men mourned over the lifeless body of a child, wrapped in a red-and-white sheet on the floor.

An estimated 400,000 people live in Eastern Ghouta, where a four-year government siege has made food, medicine, and other basic necessities either unavailable or too expensive.

Regime forces began their bomb assault there last week, after hardline rebel group Ahrar al-Sham attacked a military base in the nearby town of Harasta.

Rebel fire on Damascus has also killed more than a dozen people in recent days, including on Monday two members of the national judo team.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported Monday night that Diaa al-Din Badr and Mohammad Khanji were killed, and 15 other athletes wounded, when mortar fire hit the Al-Fayhaa sports centre.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said government troops were trying to "turn the rebels' popular base against them".

"Regime forces used the rebel offensive on Harasta as a pretext to target all of Eastern Ghouta," he said.

The presidents of rebel backer Turkey and of regime allies Iran and Russia will meet in Sochi on Wednesday to discuss reducing violence and boosting aid deliveries.

But analysts say the Eastern Ghouta hostilities have marred the de-escalation deal touted by the three countries.

Nawar Oliver of the Turkey-based Omran Centre think tank said the Eastern Ghouta zone "is not over, but it's hit a big obstacle".

"Obviously, the de-escalation deal in the Ghouta isn't going too well," said Aron Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation.

Syria's government had long eyed Eastern Ghouta, viewing the enclave as "too close to the capital to be left like this" and rebels had "little chance" of surviving.

- 'It's a child's leg' -

In the rebel-held town of Madira on Sunday, White Helmets rescue workers climbed through the rubble of a building after a recent air strike.

Flashlights in hand, they scrambled over concrete blocks and metal rods to try to find the bodies of the family that had been living there.

"They're six people. We found three, and three are left," one volunteer said.

One volunteer dug into the rubble with a wooden stick and uncovered a limb, which he placed carefully in a white bag.

"It's a child's leg," his colleague said.

Another volunteer said the air strike had hit "a bomb shelter that residents were hiding in since the evening call to prayer".

"There are a lot of body parts," he added.

According to the Observatory, the six-member family -- a man, his wife, and their four children -- all died in the bombardment.

After regime shelling on Douma earlier that week, paramedic Firas al-Kahhal said he had witnessed a haunting scene.

The 22-year-old was dispatched to the bombed-out home to search for any survivors.

"As soon as we entered I saw a baby girl, no more than eight months old, trying to crawl out of the rubble," Kahhal told AFP.

The infant had suffered wounds to her head, but survived.

"What we saw was heartbreaking. She lived under shelling and terror. Her brain can't even absorb what's happening."
The roughly 2,000 protesters from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan group have blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls

An Islamabad court warned authorities Monday to obey its order to shut down a protest by a little-known hardline religious group, which has sparked widespread anger by virtually bringing the capital to a halt for two weeks.

The Islamabad High Court said it would hold officials in contempt if they did not launch a crackdown, as enraged commuters called for the roads to be opened and critics accused the government of creating a dangerous precedent by failing to take a tough stance.

The roughly 2,000 protesters from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan group have blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls.

The government insisted on negotiating with the demonstrators, who are a small group by Pakistani standards, even after the court issued an order for the roads to be cleared by last Saturday.

"This is a very serious situation," a written statement from the court said Monday. It blasted the lack of progress as "beyond comprehension" and said the suffering of citizens had reached its limit.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of federal law minister Zahid Hamid over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath election candidates must swear.

Demonstrators have linked it to blasphemy -- a highly contentious issue in deeply Muslim Pakistan -- and claim the oath was softened to enable the participation of Ahmadis, a long persecuted Islamic minority sect.

Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal insisted negotiations would continue.

"We want to resolve this issue immediately and peacefully. Pakistan cannot afford any unrest," he told reporters in Islamabad Monday.

Protesters at the demonstration, where young men armed with clubs are refusing to let vehicles pass and at times pelting those who come near with stones, were defiant.

"We are here until he resigns, we will not go," said Pir Muhammad Ijaz Ashrafi, a spokesman for the party, warning that if the government acted against them it would "not survive".

Others warned that if the government does move to disperse the protesters, rallies could spread throughout the country.

- 'False sense of fear' -

Analysts said authorities had bungled their response and created an unhelpful precedent.

"This was a regular protest, attended by a very small crowd. However, the government dragging its feet, turning it into a protracted engagement, has given it a lot more weight than it needed," said Zeeshan Salahuddin, of the Center for Research and Security Studies.

He added that "anytime anyone is upset with the government, the capital may be choked and the government will bend its knees".

Retired general Talat Masood said the response had been "spineless".

"If they continue with this situation, (the protesters') demands will keep on increasing, which is very dangerous," he said.

Columnist Zahid Hussain said the fears of violence were overblown.

"There is a false sense of fear that the situation can get out of control. The government should set up a writ and take an action against them," he told AFP.

"They should have not been allowed to come to this stage."
Boko Haram continues to wage attacks in northeastern Nigeria despite government and military claims that the jihadists are a spent force

Boko Haram fighters killed six farmers outside the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the civilian militia and the brother of one of the victims said on Monday.

Sunday's attack in Lawanti village, in the Jere area of Borno state, again underlined the threat posed by the group to people outside heavily-fortified towns and cities.

Mohammed Asheik, from the Civilian Joint Task Force assisting the military with security in the northeast, said: "Our people went to the farm to work.

"Seven Boko Haram on two motorbikes met them and slaughtered two, then killed the other four. They killed six people in all."

Asheik's account was supported by Jidda Ahmed, who said his elder brother, Musa Jidda, was "shot and beheaded" as he tried to flee.

Boko Haram rarely claims attacks but the method is in keeping with tactics seen elsewhere in the long-running conflict.

Attacks on isolated rural communities have been a feature of Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency in the remote region in recent months after the end of the annual rainy season.

Nigeria's military, with help from regional allies, have succeeded in pushing the jihadists out of territory captured in 2014 and 2015.

But farmers have been forced to try to resume their work to help alleviate chronic food shortages that have left hundreds of thousands starving and dependent on food aid.

Fields and farms have been blighted by eight years of conflict, with locals unable to sow or cultivate crops.

At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless since the fighting began in 2009.
A man gestures in front of the Arc de Triomphe during a march against "slavery in Libya" on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he was horrified by video footage showing migrants being sold as slaves in Libya and that these auctions should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity.

US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live auction in Libya where black men were presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400.

"Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity," Guterres told reporters.

"I am horrified at news reports and video footage showing African migrants in Libya reportedly being sold as slaves," he said, adding: "I abhor these appalling acts."

Guterres called on "all competent authorities" to investigate the slave auctions without delay, adding that he had asked the "relevant United Nations actors to actively pursue this matter."

Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would investigate the allegations, in a statement posted Sunday on the Facebook page of the GNA's press office.

Guterres wants Libyan authorities as well as the International Criminal Court, which has a mandate to open war crimes investigations in Libya, to look into the slave auctions, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

- African anger -

The UN chief has mobilized the UN high commission for human rights, his envoy in Libya Ghassan Salame, the UN office for drugs and crime, which has responsibility for human trafficking, and the International Organization for Migration, to take action, said Haq.

The images have triggered outrage from African leaders and calls for an inquiry.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a "despicable trade... from another era."

Burkina Faso recalled its ambassador to Tripoli after expressing "shock" at the images, said Foreign Minister Alpha Barry.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has demanded information from Libya about the fate of some 30 Burkinabe migrants detained in the camps, said Barry.

Senegal's government expressed "outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil" that constituted a "blight on the conscience of humanity."

Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him "deeply angry" and urged Libyan authorities and international organizations to do "everything possible to stop this practice."

The UN Security Council will on Tuesday discuss human trafficking during a special debate expected to focus on the treatment of migrants in Libya.
Morgue workers in Morocco's Essaouira on November 20, 2017 carry the body of one of the victims of a deadly stampede a day earlier during a food aid delivery

Mourning relatives on Monday started burying the victims of a stampede that killed 15 women during a food aid delivery near the popular tourist town of Essaouira on Morocco's coast.

"It's a tragedy," said the husband of one of the victims, breaking down in tears after burying her.

Hundreds of women had gathered on Sunday at a marketplace in the village of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Essaouira, for an annual distribution of food aid organised by a benefactor from the region.

A witness told AFP that people had pushed and broken down barriers as they fought for food.

Morocco accident

"If you fall, it's over for you and you get trampled on," one survivor said, speaking from a hospital bed.

"Nobody came to our aid, everyone was shouting for help," she added.

Authorities have launched a probe into the tragedy, which also left 10 women injured.

At the morgue of Essaouira's hospital, the scent of incense barely covered the stench of corpses wrapped in blankets.

Mohamed, a forensic doctor from Essaouira who preferred not to give his last name, said the bodies were "in a sorry state".

"They had severe fractures, huge bruises on the body," he said.

The families of the dead came to identify their relatives as ambulances waited to take the bodies away for burial.

Relatives on November 20, 2017 gather in Morocco's coastal town of Essaouira for the funeral of Zahra Bent Abdelmajid, one of 15 women killed in a stampede the previous day during a food aid delivery

"I hardly recognised my mother," said Mjid, a son of one of the victims.

Habiba, a woman bundled up in a pink djellaba robe, a veil over her hair, said she had lost her big sister in the crush.

- 'People here are needy' -

"She came to get oil and flour, but there were too many people. She fell and was trampled on," the 57-year-old said.

The press and social media users have blamed Morocco's glaring social and regional inequalities for the accident, calling it a "two-speed country".

News website Medias 24 blamed poverty for the crush, calling it an "unprecedented tragedy".

"People here are needy, there is no agriculture, no work," Mjid said.

Moroccans take part in a protest on November 20, 2017 after 15 women were killed in a stampede during a food aid delivery

He moved from Sidi Boulaalam to commercial capital Casablanca as a young man, leaving behind a village of 8,000 people eking out a meagre living from their livestock, far from the developed infrastructure of Morocco's main cities.

Late Monday, more than 100 people gathered in the main square in Essaouira to show their solidarity with the victims of the stampede and to denounce "the stigmatisation of the poor".

King Mohammed VI gave instructions for better security in the future when aid is distributed to the needy, the interior ministry said.

Provincial officials said arrangements had been made for the aid delivery on Sunday, but "the crowd exceeded estimates".

Khalid Azourar, a member of a local NGO, blamed the accident on a lack of organisation.

"Poverty is in people's minds," he said. "People do not know how to respect a queue".

An official report in early October slammed severe poverty in rural areas of Morocco.

Medias 24 said Sidi Boulaalam was "one of the poorest" villages in the country.
A photoshopped image of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin wearing a keffiyeh Palestinian scarf is seen on the Haaretz news website on November 20, 2017

Rightist Israeli politicians and angry members of the public lashed out at President Reuven Rivlin Monday over his refusal to pardon a soldier jailed for shooting dead a prone Palestinian assailant.

Rivlin's decision not to intervene in the case of Elor Azaria's manslaughter conviction was the latest chapter in a story that has divided Israel since the March 2016 incident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Police on Monday announced an investigation after a photoshopped picture of Rivlin wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh headdress emerged amid widespread rage over his decision, announced on Sunday.

The badly doctored picture features a smiling Rivlin and the caption "Reuven Rivlin a traitorous Jew-boy may his name and memory be accursed" in Hebrew.

It immediately sparked comparisons with posters of Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin in a keffiyeh which appeared ahead of his assassination by a Jewish extremist in 1995.

Rivlin was a leading member of the right-wing Likud party until he was elected to the non-partisan presidency but former comrades were among the first to berate him.

Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (C) was given an 18-month prison sentence for the manslaughter of a prone Palestinian assailant

Culture Minister Miri Regev, of Likud, said that he had "abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the institution of the (presidential) pardon".

Rivlin's Facebook page drew messages of support but also scathing criticism.

One person wrote that he was "no longer my president," while another accused him of "fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends."

Lawmaker Oren Hazan, also of Likud, called on him to resign, and said the power to grant pardons should be transferred to parliament.

'Unacceptable'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also Likud leader, said that while the imagery used against Rivlin was beyond what was permissible, criticism in general was a healthy thing.

"Not every criticism is incitement," he told senior Likud members on Monday, according to a party statement.

My only request is for the criticism to be respectful and to the point -- without keffiyehs," Netanyahu added.

"This is unacceptable when it is directed at the president or any other public representative."

"I called for a full pardon for Elor Azaria from the first day," he said. "My opinion has not changed."

The keffiyeh image used against Rabin was a reference to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who made the scarf his trademark, and was meant to imply that Rabin was betraying the Jewish state.

Opposition head Isaac Herzog of the Labour party posted Rivlin's doctored image next to that of slain Labour leader Rabin.

"We all know how it starts, we all know how it ends," he wrote on Twitter.

Rivlin's office postponed an olive harvesting event at the presidential residence in Jerusalem set for Monday morning, citing "inclement weather," despite blue skies.

Azaria is due to remain in prison until October 2018.

The March 2016 shooting in the West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he had feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up -- a claim judges rejected.

The incident, and Azaria's subsequent arrest and trial, deeply divided Israel and led to an extraordinary rift between right-wing politicians who wanted to see him released and top military brass, who harshly condemned his actions.

On July 30, a military court turned down Azaria's appeal against his conviction for manslaughter and upheld an 18-month prison sentence, which he began serving on August 9.

In September, Israel's Chief of Staff General Gadi Eisenkot reduced the term to 14 months.

Rights group Amnesty International has said Azaria's sentence does "not reflect the gravity of the offence".

The UN human rights office said it was an "unacceptable" punishment for "an apparent extra-judicial killing".
Caitlan Coleman Boyle (l) and her Canadian husband were abducted by the Haqqani network while travelling through a remote area of Afghanistan -- for reasons that remain unclear -- in 2012

A US mother held hostage by Taliban-linked militants for five years has detailed the violence and sexual assault she endured in captivity, and said her young son was also beaten.

"This was an intolerable situation for a child to be in," Caitlan Coleman Boyle, 31, told ABC News in a television interview broadcast Monday.

Boyle gave birth to three children in captivity. She and her Canadian husband were abducted by the Haqqani network while travelling through a remote area of Afghanistan -- for reasons that remain unclear -- in 2012.

The family were released last month in Pakistan in circumstances that are also unclear, and are now trying to rebuild their lives in Canada.

Pakistan's military has said it rescued the family while some US and Canadian officials have reportedly described their release as a "negotiated handover."

Boyle said their guards "could be very violent, even sometimes with the children," assaulting their now four-year-old son with a stick, and hitting her and her husband.

"I would get beaten or hit or thrown on the ground," she told ABC News. She broke a cheekbone and three fingers while intervening to protect the children, her husband, Joshua Boyle, 34, told ABC.

They made toys out of bottle caps and bits of cardboard, and fearing the family could be beheaded, they made up a game based on England's Charles I, who was executed in 1649, and Oliver Cromwell, she said.

"Obviously with people like this, the idea of a beheading is always on the table, so he certainly knew that this type of thing could happen to his family but then we would come up with games to make it not seem so scary," she said.

"He had great fun pretending to be Oliver Cromwell and chasing Charles I around and trying to behead him," she said. "We made it a game so that he wasn't afraid."

After the family returned to Canada last month, Boyle, 34, accused his kidnappers of murdering an infant daughter through a "forced abortion" and of raping his wife.

"They came into the cell, and they took my husband out forcefully, dragging him out, and one of the guards threw me down on the ground, hitting me and shouting 'I will kill you, I will kill you'" his wife told ABC News.

"And that's when the assault happened. It was with two men. And then there was a third at the door. And afterwards, the animals wouldn't even give me back my clothes."
Protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets to demonstrate against the extended rule of President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Police and security forces killed at least 53 protesters during anti-government demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo between April and October, according to a report released Monday.

The National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) report said officers used "disproportionate" force during an outbreak of street protests against the extended rule of President Joseph Kabila.

Fifty-two people were shot dead and one other died from tear gas over the sixth month period, according to 200 observers who monitored the protests for CENCO. Three police officers were killed by demonstrators.

The report also found that at least 105 people were injured -- 87 of them with bullet wounds -- and at least 335 protesters arrested by the police, armed forces and security services.

Four police jeeps, two offices and a shop were set alight by protesters.

"The use of disproportionate force by the police and other state agencies is the basis for at least 98.67 percent of human rights violations" during the protests, the report said, adding that demonstrators should also "avoid all acts that could undermine public order".

The Congolese government defended the actions of the police and questioned the legitimacy of the report for its "malicious intent or lack of professionalism".

"This report by CENCO only gives the time parameters without specifying the places where these acts occurred", Congolese government spokesman, Lambert Mende, told AFP.

- More protests planned -

Demonstrations against Kabila have often turned violent since he refused to step down at the end of his second and final term last December.

But as protests and a bloody crackdown swelled, a deal was brokered by the Catholic Church enabling him to stay in office pending elections to be held by the end of 2017.

That election has now been delayed until December 23, 2018, and opposition and citizen movements are planning a "peaceful demonstration" on November 28 to demand Kabila's resignation in the next month.

On Thursday, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Canada expressed "concern" over the state of freedom of expression and assembly in the country.

The DR Congo's history is a bloody one. Two decades ago, the country collapsed into the deadliest conflict in modern African history.

Its two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead. The east of the country remains a battleground for rival ethnic militias.

Kabila took office after his father Laurent was assassinated in 2001 at the height of the Second Congo War.

He was confirmed as leader in 2006 during the first free elections since independence, and re-elected for a second term in 2011 in a vote marred by accusations of fraud.
Palestinian travellers pull their suitcases as they arrive at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, under the control of the Palestinian Authority, on November 18, 2017 as it opened for three days for the first time since a reconciliation deal

Conflict is likely to once again engulf Gaza if a deal on the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Hamas-controlled enclave fails, the UN envoy for the Middle East warned Monday.

Addressing the Security Council on the eve of talks in Cairo between Palestinian factions, UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said the Egyptian-led "process must not be allowed to fail."

"If it does, it will most likely result in another devastating conflict," warned Mladenov.

"Whether it would be triggered by a meltdown of law and order in Gaza, by the reckless action of extremists or by strategic choice, the result will be the same - devastation and suffering for all."

Leaders from 13 factions including Gaza's rulers Hamas and the West Bank-based Fatah will meet Tuesday in Egypt to discuss modalities for the return of the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza since 2007, and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, the last conflict dating back to 2014.

Under the unity deal signed last month, the Palestinian Authority is to resume full control of the Gaza Strip by December 1.

At the weekend, the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza was reopened after the Palestinian Authority took control of the crossing for the first time since 2007.

"Two million Palestinians in Gaza have high hopes that the government's return will improve their lives," said Mladenov.

"After living in abject misery under Hamas control and locked in by the closures, their situation is close to exploding."

Israel however has reacted coolly to the deal, saying it will not negotiate with a government that includes Hamas if the Islamist movement does not disarm.

Mladenov also expressed concern about a row between the United States and the Palestinian Liberation Organization over the PLO's office in Washington.

The US State Department has refused to renew the permission for the PLO office to operate in Washington, prompting PLO leaders to threaten a freeze on ties with the US administration.

Addressing the dispute, Mladenov said: "Only through constructive dialogue can we hope to advance peace and I call on all parties to remain engaged."
US television host Charlie Rose, seen here alongside "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Norah O'Donnell, left, and Gayle King, right, has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct by eight women

Charlie Rose, one of America's most respected broadcasters, an award-winning television host and interviewer, was suspended Monday after eight women accused him of years of sexual harassment and unwanted advances.

A bombshell Washington Post report said the women were employees or aspired to work on the "Charlie Rose" show and were in their 20s and 30s when the alleged harassment took place from the 1990s to as recently as 2011.

They complained that the unwanted advances included lewd phone calls, groping and walking naked in front of them. Three of them spoke on the record.

The report makes Rose, now 75, the latest senior male journalist accused of misconduct in the wake of the downfall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, which opened the floodgates of sexual assault and harassment accusations in many industries.

Almost immediately, public broadcaster PBS moved to suspend distribution of the "Charlie Rose" show. CBS, where Rose co-hosts "CBS This Morning" and is a contributing correspondent for "60 Minutes," followed suit.

"Charlie Rose is suspended immediately while we look into this matter. These allegations are extremely disturbing and we take them very seriously," a CBS News statement read.

A spokesperson said PBS was shocked by the "deeply disturbing allegations."

"Charlie Rose" is produced by an independent television production company.

"PBS does not fund this nightly program or supervise its production, but we expect our producers to provide a workplace where people feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect," the spokesperson said.

Storied television and radio host Larry King, who previously led an eponymous show on CNN and now hosts one on Hulu and Russia's RT America, said the scandal engulfing so many male stars is "terrible."

"There's no excuse for it. What was playful maybe years ago is no longer playful," he told AFP on the red carpet before presenting a prize at the International Emmy Awards ceremony in New York.

"It keeps coming to light. Something's got to change."

- 'Greatly embarrassed' -

In a statement he tweeted out, Rose said "I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed."

"I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate," the divorced host added.

"I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."

The New York Times has suspended Glenn Thrush, pictured in July 2016, following allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior that the newspaper said were "very concerning"

The Post said five of the women accused Rose of putting his hand on their legs.

Two said that while they worked for Rose, he emerged from the shower and walked naked in front of them. One said he groped her buttocks at a staff party.

Earlier, The New York Times confirmed that it had suspended a senior White House correspondent, Glenn Thrush, after news website Vox reported that he engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior on his previous job at Politico.

"The alleged behavior is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times," a statement read. "We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended."
US President Donald Trump said restoring North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terror "should have happened a long time ago"

China called Tuesday for extra efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis through talks after US President Donald Trump re-branded Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Beijing has repeatedly pushed for negotiations to end the standoff. Some analysts warned that the terror designation could further inflame tensions.

"We still hope all relevant parties can contribute to easing tensions, that the relevant parties can resume talks and (adopt) the correct track to resolving the Korean peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation," said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

"More should be done in that regard."

China has pushed for a "dual track approach" which would require the United States to freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programmes, but the proposal has not gained traction.

Trump on Monday promised a rapid escalation of US Treasury sanctions against the North after adding its name to a terror blacklist previously led by Iran and Syria.

"Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago," Trump said.

He cited the death of a US student who had been held in a North Korean jail and the assassination by nerve agent of Kim's elder half-brother on foreign soil as reasons for the move.

However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said sanctions and diplomacy could still pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un into talks on nuclear disarmament.

"We still hope for diplomacy," he said, adding that punitive measures were already having a significant impact on Pyongyang's economy.

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There was no immediate reaction from North Korea, but an editorial in the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun before the announcement described Trump as a "mentally deranged money-grabber" who was leading the US down an "irretrievable road to hell".

The White House has said it will not tolerate the North's testing or deployment of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets.

Japan said it "welcomes and supports" Trump's announcement. But there was a more restrained response from South Korea.

Seoul's foreign ministry said the US measure was "part of the international community's common efforts to bring North Korea to the path of denuclearisation through strong sanctions and pressure".

Some analysts warned of a possible backlash.

"North Korea will consider it as a thing next to a declaration of war," Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University for North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP.

"There is a possibility that it may retaliate by test-launching an ICBM in the near future."

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Both Trump and Kim have previously raised fears of open conflict erupting over the North's banned nuclear missile programme, as they exchanged insults and threats of a devastating military response.

But US officials say their main hope is that Pyongyang will back down, in the face of what Tillerson described as an inexorable increase in Chinese-backed economic and diplomatic pressure.

"We know that there are current shortages of fuel based upon what we can gather anecdotally and also from certain intelligence sources," Tillerson said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson advised President Donald Trump to return North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terror after concluding it had been implicated in a string of assassinations

"We know that their revenues are down," he said. "So I think it is having an effect. Is this the reason we haven't had a provocative act in 60 days?"

North Korea is already under a crushing sanctions regime, and Monday's terror designation will not have much immediate economic impact.

But Trump said his declaration was the prelude to a two-week period of announcements -- starting with a "very large" US Treasury sanctions measure -- that would amount to a "maximum pressure campaign".

US officials see the designation -- which was removed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 -- as a way of intensifying pressure on other nations and foreign banks which may be failing to fully enforce the sanctions.

- Tortured in custody? -

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said.

Trump invoked Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old who died this year after being repatriated from detention in North Korea in a coma. US officials allege he was tortured in custody.

In February Kim's potential rival and elder half-brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport, in an assassination blamed on Pyongyang.

US officials would not say what new sanctions might be announced but an expert predicted secondary measures against Chinese banks, and an Asian diplomat said there could be action against individual North Korean traders working in China.

The diplomat said Washington would like to impose a total oil embargo on the North but China was not yet ready to accept a move that could cause Kim's regime to topple and unleash chaos on its border.
Officials in Nebraska granted TransCanada the final major permit it needs to begin construction of the 1,180-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline

Regulators in the US state of Nebraska on Monday granted a key approval needed for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, the source of a nearly decade-long feud between environmental activists and the energy industry.

Officials in Nebraska granted TransCanada the final major permit it needs to begin construction of the 1,180-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline, days after a leak in the existing Keystone line spilled some 5,000 barrels of oil in a nearby state.

In a 3-2 vote, the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved the project, but required the pipeline's operator to use an alternative to its original preferred route.

By state law, the regulatory body was not allowed to consider the risk of leaks or the potential environmental impact.

TransCanada said that, once built, the pipeline extension would connect to an existing network, and ferry 830,000 barrels of oil per day from landlocked Alberta, Canada to US Gulf Coast refineries.

The controversial $5.3 billion project was first proposed in 2008. US President Donald Trump reversed his predecessor Barack Obama's decision to block it.

Construction had been held up by environmental groups and Nebraska landowners concerned about negative environmental and economic impact.

Supporters have argued that the pipeline is a safer alternative to other forms of ground oil transport, and would create jobs and boost America's affordable energy supply.

In voting no, Commissioner Crystal Rhoades was the only one to make prepared remarks during the short morning meeting.

She expressed skepticism about the pipeline's touted economic gains and concerns that some landowners were not properly informed of the alternative route's path through their property.

"(TransCanada) provided insufficient evidence to substantiate any positive economic impact for Nebraska from this project," she said.

The approval of an alternative route could give new grounds for opposing landowners to file an appeal within the next 30 days.

A law firm representing landowners hailed the decision to deny TransCanada its preferred Keystone XL route through Nebraska.

"We will carefully evaluate the Order and meet with our clients," attorney Dave Domina said in a statement.

Opposition group Bold Nebraska said the alternative route raises concerns over possible environmental contamination of an area of sand dunes and an aquifer, and also provides new grounds to push back against the pipeline's construction.

"This decision today throws the entire project into a huge legal question mark," Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska told a news conference.

Kleeb said the alternative route was not reviewed by federal authorities and would force TransCanada to seek new approvals.

The approval of an alternative route "opens up a huge victory for us in order to fight this now on the federal level."
Israeli security forces disperse a protest by ultra-Orthodox Jews against compulsory military service in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, on November 20, 2017

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews battled Israeli police near Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem on Monday, with 33 people arrested in the latest protests against compulsory military service, police said.

In mainly ultra-Orthodox Bnei Brak, adjacent to Tel Aviv, protesters threw firecrackers at riot officers and blocked streets, a police statement said.

Two policemen were injured and 28 protesters arrested, it said, during what it called "severe violence".

"The Israel police will act with determination and zero tolerance against any attempt to disturb public order, endanger passersby and road users, and disrupt the lives of residents," the Hebrew-language statement added.

In Jerusalem, it said, five "ultra-Orthodox extremists" were arrested during a protest outside an army draft centre, during which they attempted to block vehicles leaving the building.

A series of such protests in recent months has been spurred by the occasional arrests of ultra-Orthodox young men accused of dodging military service.

Haaretz newspaper said Monday's confrontations and similar incidents a day earlier were sparked by the Sunday sentencing of 11 ultra-Orthodox young men to 90 days in jail for draft evasion.

It said that, in response, an influential rabbi ordered his followers to "go out to the city streets and protest for the honour of the Torah, which has been trampled into the dust".

Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two.

Ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption.

Those who are not exempt must enlist and are subject to arrest by military police if they refuse.

In September, a decision by Israel's supreme court struck down the law exempting them.

But the court suspended its ruling for one year, giving the government time to pass a new law.

The ruling raises the possibility that the ultra-Orthodox could be forced into service, a highly contentious proposition with political implications.

Ultra-Orthodox parties are a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition and have often acted as kingmakers in Israeli politics.

The ultra-Orthodox are against serving for a variety of reasons.

Some do not recognise Israel, believing a Jewish state is not allowed before the coming of the Messiah.

Others argue that religious study is just as important to Israel as military service, or that ultra-Orthodox soldiers would be confronted with strong language and other irreligious behaviour.

Around 10 percent of Israel's eight million people are considered ultra-Orthodox.
Fighters from the armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement march in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis on July 20, 2017

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas rejected on Monday an Arab League resolution labelling Lebanon's Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

In a statement the party said it "rejects the description of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement as terrorist."

Instead, it added, Israel's actions against Palestinians should be labelled "terrorism."

It also called on Arab states to "support the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people" and urged them to work together to solve their differences through dialogue.

On Sunday Arab League members adopted a resolution saying they would hold the "terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah... responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries, with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

The resolution came amid soaring tensions between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, Shiite Hezbollah's backer.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

Despite being Sunni, Hamas has long been seen as an ally of Iran.

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, while Hezbollah fought the Jewish state in 2006.
Businessman Reza Zarrab was arrested by US authorities in March 2016 after flying with his pop star wife Ebru Gundes and their daughter to Miami for a Disney World holiday

The scheduled trial of a Turkish-Iranian gold mogul and a banker accused of defying US sanctions on Iran, was on Monday delayed by a week without explanation.

After a two-hour court hearing behind closed doors in New York, Judge Richard Berman announced that jury selection, which had been set to begin Monday, was delayed until November 27. Opening statements are now scheduled for December 4.

Businessman Reza Zarrab was arrested by US authorities in March 2016 after flying with his pop star wife Ebru Gundes and their daughter to Miami for a Disney World holiday.

But neither Zarrab nor his lawyers attended the hearing Monday, fueling speculation that he is cooperating with prosecutors and could avoid going on trial.

A lawyer for co-defendant Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank, declined to comment on reasons for the delay.

On Monday, the Turkish government called the court case, which has aroused the ire of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a plot against Turkey and said the suspects were being held like hostages.

Turkish prosecutors on Saturday launched a criminal probe against the US attorneys behind the case -- former attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara and his acting replacement Joon Kim -- on accusations of fabricating the case.

US media reports say President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn is being investigated for alleged talks with Turkey on deporting Zarrab and dissident Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, in exchange for money.

Turkey and Flynn's lawyers have denied any such negotiations.
An image grab taken from Hezbollah TV on November 20, 2017 shows Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Lebanese Shiite movement, giving a televised address from an undisclosed location in Lebanon

The head of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah on Monday flatly denied Arab accusations his group had sent weapons to conflict-ridden regional countries, while celebrating his fighters' military wins abroad.

The Arab League denounced Hezbollah during an extraordinary meeting in Cairo on Sunday, calling the group "terrorist" and demanding it stop intervening in regional conflicts and "spreading extremism".

Saudi Arabia called the ministerial-level meeting to discuss "violations" by its rival Tehran, which backs armed movements across the region, including Hezbollah.

The Sunni kingdom was furious after intercepting what it said was a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh by Shiite Yemeni rebels and supplied by Iran, which has denied the allegation.

In a televised address on Monday, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah said his group was not involved in the attack.

"No one from Lebanon's Hezbollah has anything to do with the launch of this missile," Nasrallah said.

He also rejected accusations that Hezbollah was sending weapons to regional conflict zones.

"I want to formally deny it: we did not send weapons to Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, or Iraq," Nasrallah said.

Arab diplomats have condemned Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, whose members are seen here in October 2016 during Ashura commemorations in southern Beirut

The Arab League meeting's concluding statement said it would hold Hezbollah "responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

Nasrallah mocked the accusations as "foolish," but stopped short of his typical vitriol against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

"We haven't sent weapons to any Arab country -- no ballistic missiles, advanced weapons, not even a pistol," he said, later clarifying that his fighters had sent arms to the Palestinian territories and had taken arms with them to Syria.

- 'Mission accomplished' -

Even as he rejected accusations of regional meddling, Nasrallah lauded Hezbollah's involvement in battlefield victories against the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq.

In recent days, IS has lost control of the last towns it held in both countries, capping the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base.

Nasrallah said Monday he was ready to pull Hezbollah's fighters back from Iraq after IS lost the town of Rawa near the border with Syria.

"We consider that the mission has been accomplished, but we are waiting for the final, Iraqi announcement of victory," he said.

He said the group had deployed "large numbers of our commanders and cadres" to Iraq.

"If we find that it's over, that there is no need for the presence of these brothers, they will return to be deployed in any other arena that needs them," Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah has also dispatched thousands of fighters to neighbouring Syria, where they are bolstering President Bashar al-Assad's troops.

Regime forces and allied militia on Sunday ousted IS from Albu Kamal, the last town the jihadists had controlled in Syria.

"Today, with the liberation of the last pocket... of Albu Kamal, history will mark the end of Daesh as a state," Nasrallah said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

He admitted that a "large number" of Hezbollah fighters had lost their lives in the assault on Albu Kamal.

- 'Do not intervene' -

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by prime minister Saad Hariri.

In a televised broadcast from Riyadh earlier this month, Hariri sent shockwaves across the region by announcing he was stepping down from the premiership.

He has yet to return to Lebanon, spending two weeks in Saudi Arabia before flying to Paris.

Hariri said he would be in Beirut by Wednesday to take part in Lebanon's Independence Day celebrations.

His extended stay in Riyadh prompted accusations -- even from Lebanese President Michel Aoun -- that Hariri was being held "hostage" by Saudi authorities.

On Monday, Nasrallah said he did not consider Hariri's resignation to be final, and said all Lebanese factions were awaiting the premier's arrival.

"The priority is the return of PM Saad Hariri to Lebanon," he said, adding that he was "open" to dialogue.

Nasrallah then turned the Arab League's accusation on its head, warning others not to meddle in Lebanon.

"Do not intervene in Lebanon's affairs, like the blatant, brazen intervention we have seen over the past two weeks."
Claude Muhayimana, centre, is accused of "complicity" in crimes against humanity during the 1994 Rwandan genocide

A Rwandan man accused of transporting militiamen to the scene of a massacre during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda will face trial in France for "complicity" in crimes against humanity.

Rwandan authorities have accused Claude Muhayimana of involvement in the killing of thousands of people in a church and a stadium in the western district of Kibuye. At the time, Muhayimana was working as a driver for a guesthouse.

A French judge ordered on November 9 that Muhayimana stand trial for "complicity" in genocide and crimes against humanity "by aiding and assisting".

But more serious charges linked to the massacre were abandoned at the request of the Paris prosecutor due to problems with evidence, a judicial source told AFP on Monday.

The trial will be suspended during an appeal filed by the defence against the judge's decision.

Muhayimana, a refugee who obtained French nationality in 2010, was arrested in 2014 in the northern city of Rouen. He was previously released in 2015 after an appeals court ruled in his favour.

Rwanda has requested his extradition, but a French appeals court refused to extradite him on the grounds that the crime of genocide was not on the statute books in Rwanda in 1994.

It will be the third trial in France in connection to the Rwandan genocide, after a former army officer in 2014 and two mayors in 2016.

Around 800,000 people -- mostly members of the minority Tutsi community -- were killed in a 100-day spree of violence, largely by Hutus, in the genocide.
Riad Hijab took charge of the Syrian opposition's High Negotiation Committee when it was formed in December 2015 in Saudi Arabia

The head of Syria's umbrella opposition movement announced his resignation Monday, two days before a key conference aimed at forming a new delegation to upcoming peace talks in Geneva.

In a statement on Twitter, Riad Hijab said he was stepping down after nearly two years serving as the head of the Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee.

"I find myself today forced to announce my resignation from the High Negotiations Committee, wishing them further achievements, and wishing for my beloved country Syria peace, security, and stability," he wrote in Arabic.

Hijab was serving as Syria's prime minister when he defected in 2012, and took charge of the opposition HNC when it was formed in December 2015 in Saudi Arabia.

He did not provide specific reasons for his resignation but said he had faced "attempts to lower the ceiling of the revolution and prolong the regime of (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad."

Immediately after Hijab's resignation, several other HNC officials including Suheir Atassi and Riad Naassan Agha also announced they were withdrawing from the body.

The resignations come just two days before opposition figures are to gather in Riyadh, at the invitation of the Saudi foreign ministry, to prepare for UN-led peace talks later this month.

Opposition figures and analysts suspected that hardline regime opponents like Hijab would be sidelined in that summit.

"With his resignation, Hijab preempted the Riyadh conference on Wednesday, which was planning to form a (new) HNC, elect a new head coordinator, and form a delegation to Geneva talks," a senior opposition official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Riyadh summit will aim to unite representatives of the HNC, the Istanbul-based National Coalition prominent opposition grouping, independent opposition figures, and members of two groups known as the Cairo and Moscow platforms and seen as more favourable to the regime.

The United Nations' special envoy to the Syrian crisis, Staffan de Mistura, has intensified his calls in recent months to unite the various bodies into a single opposition group.

Syrian government officials had long complained they wanted to deal with one, unified delegation at peace talks.

But a senior HNC official told AFP on Monday that "uniting opposition groups will be a difficult task in light of differences in opinion, particularly on Assad's fate."

Since the uprising against Assad erupted in 2011, Syria's political and armed opposition has suffered internal fragmentation.

More than 330,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out.
US sanctions targeted four companies and two individuals involved in printing counterfeit Yemeni currency to benefit Iran

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a network individuals and companies accused of forging money to help Iran's Revolutionary Guards, officials announced.

The sanctions targeted four companies and two individuals involved in printing counterfeit Yemeni currency to benefit Iran, including Iranian national Reza Heidari and Mahmoud Seif, whose nationality was not given, according to a statement.

The US Treasury said the pair allegedly used the companies -- ForEnt Technik and Printing Trading Center in Frankfurt, and Rayan Printing and Tejarat Almas Mobin Holding in Tehran -- to evade European export restrictions while procuring equipment used to print fake Yemeni currency potentially worth hundreds of millions of US dollars.

This benefitted the Revolutionary Guards' external operations arm, which has been subject to US sanctions since 2007.

"This scheme exposes the deep levels of deception the IRGC-Qods Force is willing to employ against companies in Europe, governments in the Gulf, and the rest of the world to support its destabilizing activities," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

"Counterfeiting strikes at the heart of the international financial system, and the fact that elements of the government of Iran are involved in this behavior is completely unacceptable."

The sanctions effectively freeze the individuals and companies out of much of the global banking system and bar financial institutions subject to US law from doing business with them.

Under a two-year-old deal signed by the prior administration and heavily criticized by President Donald Trump, the White House has agreed to exempt Iran from sanctions related to its nuclear program. However, Washington has pursued assertive sanctions unrelated to the nuclear program.

The latest move comes two months after the US slapped sanctions on individuals and companies accused of carrying out cyber-attacks against US banks or acting in support of the Revolutionary Guards.

And the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards in October, accusing it of providing to support for militant groups including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Taliban.

As far back as 2007, the administrations of Barak Obama and George W. Bush imposed sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards, tying the armed forces to Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs and to human rights abuses.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, approved by Obama, required Iran to surrender much of its enriched uranium, dismantle a reactor and submit nuclear sites to UN inspection, while Washington and Europe lifted some sanctions.
Demonstrators protest outside the St Louis city jail following the arrest of 123 people protesting the acquittal of former St Louis police officer Jason Stockley on September 18, 2017

Federal authorities have launched a civil rights probe of the St Louis police's response to recent street protests in the midwestern American city, following multiple accounts of questionable tactics.

The US Department of Justice revealed the investigation Monday, which was welcomed by the city's mayor as an opportunity for an independent review.

The FBI and federal attorneys are probing "allegations of potential civil rights violations by law enforcement officers in the St Louis area," US Attorney Jeffrey Jensen told AFP.

Jensen would not disclose the scope of the investigation, but said it focused on the police response to protests on September 15 and in the weeks that followed.

The protests stemmed from the acquittal of former officer Jason Stockley, who is white, in the 2011 fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith, a black man.

Within days, accusations emerged of police employing excessive force against protesters, including arresting innocent bystanders and journalists, and the unjustified use of pepper spray.

"Chief O'Toole and I believe that an independent, third-party review makes sense," Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement.

A federal judge last week ordered the city's police department to alter its procedures, including avoiding use of chemical-based weapons against peaceful protesters who are not threatening to break the law.

The judge also ordered police to stop "arbitrarily" declaring peaceful protests unlawful, thus triggering arrests.

The judge's order stemmed from a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several protesters.

"While it is important that the federal government investigates the systemic violation of civil rights," the ACLU said in a statement, "the city of St Louis should proactively engage with the community now to develop a collaborative policing model."

The city's mayor and police chief had jointly called for a federal investigation of police officers' behavior.

Congressman Lacy Clay, who represents the St Louis area, had sent a letter to federal authorities last week demanding a probe.

"St Louis is the poster child for the need of federal intervention to address decades of bad police relations," Clay said in the letter.
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - A jury has convicted a 37-year-old man of three counts of aggravated murder in the 2016 shooting deaths of three people in a home in Washington state.

The Columbian reports (http://bit.ly/2hzG9a9) a jury on Friday also convicted Brent Luyster of one count of attempted murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Luyster, a known white supremacist, shot and killed Joseph Mark Lamar, Zachary Thompson and Janell Renee Knight on July 15, 2016, in the small town of Woodland. A fourth person was shot and survived.

Officials say Thompson was Luyster's best friend and LaMar a friend. Knight was LaMar's partner.

Prosecutors say Luyster killed the three because he was upset about felony charges in a different case that might land him back in jail. Luyster's defense team argued that was speculation and said there was little physical evidence against Luyster.

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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - The treasury secretary says he had no idea that a photo of him and his wife posing with a sheet of newly printed money would go viral.

And he says he's not bothered that some commentators suggested the pair looked like James Bond villains.

Steven Mnuchin had invited his wife, Louise Linton, to join him for what is usually a routine photo of a treasury secretary examining currency being printed with his signature.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, right, and his wife Louise Linton, hold up a sheet of new $1 bills, the first currency notes bearing his and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza's signatures, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington. The Mnuchin-Carranza notes, which are a new series of 2017, 50-subject $1 notes, will be sent to the Federal Reserve to issue into circulation. At left is BEP Director Leonard Olijar. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

But the photo from Wednesday's event became an internet sensation. It showed Mnuchin and Linton - who was wearing long black-leather gloves - holding the sheet of $1 bills.

Mnuchin - a former Hollywood producer - tells "Fox News Sunday" he probably should take it as a compliment that he's being linked to the successful Bond series.
SAMMAMISH, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say a Washington couple and their adult son were found dead in their home in an apparent double murder-suicide.

The King County Sheriff's Office says police were notified by a family member when the father did not show up to an appointment Saturday. When deputies arrived at the family's Sammamish home at about 7 p.m., they found the three adults dead. Police also found a gun nearby.

Authorities have not released the names of the two men and the woman who died.
TOKYO (AP) - Japan's exports grew 14 percent over a year earlier in October on strong demand for vehicles, electronics and machinery. However, customs data released Monday showed even faster growth in imports of oil, gas and coal that caused the trade surplus to fall more than 40 percent from the year before.

As China recovers momentum following a slowdown, demand from the region's biggest economy is helping to breathe fresh life into its neighbors' economies.

Exports are helping to drive a moderate recovery in Japan, the world's third-largest economy, as its factories struggle to keep up with demand for cars, electronic components and manufacturing equipment.

In this March 24, 2017, photo, workers stand at a seaside construction site with the pier of a container terminal in the background in Tokyo. Japan's trade surplus fell more than 40 percent in October from a year earlier, despite strong growth in exports to China, the U.S. and the EU, as costs for imports of oil, gas and coal surged. Customs figures released Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, showed imports rose almost 19 percent from the same month a year earlier in October to 6.41 trillion yen ($57 billion) while exports were up 14 percent at 6.7 trillion yen ($59 billion). (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

At the same time, Japan's imports have risen thanks to higher costs for crude oil and other commodities: surging 19 percent from the same month a year earlier in October to 6.41 trillion yen ($57 billion) versus exports of 6.7 trillion yen ($59 billion). The resulting surplus of 285.4 billion yen ($2.54 billion) compared with a 481.2 billion yen surplus a year earlier and 667.7 billion yen in September.

China displaced the U.S. as Japan's biggest export market in October, as shipments to Asia's biggest economy jumped 26 percent to 1.35 trillion yen ($12 billion). Its imports from China rose 14 percent to 1.62 trillion yen ($14 billion).

Japan's surplus with the U.S. jumped 11 percent to 644.7 billion yen ($5.75 billion) on exports of 1.28 trillion yen ($11 billion), led by chemicals and machinery. Imports from the U.S. climbed 3.1 percent to 637 billion yen ($5.7 billion), with the biggest growth in imports of fish, soybeans, coal, liquid petroleum gas and iron ore.

Imports of crude oil, gas, coal and other fuels surged 37.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.24 trillion yen ($11 billion). Rising prices and the weakening of the Japanese yen over the past year contributed to that increase.

"Looking ahead, the export climate index remains elevated and suggests that export growth will continue at a similar pace as the 6.4 percent year-on-year increase recorded last quarter," Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary.

But the economies of Japan's major trading partners are likely to slow in the next year, he said. "We therefore we expect real export growth to slow from 6 percent year-on-year this year to 3 percent in 2018."
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesia's anti-graft commission has arrested the speaker of the country's Parliament who for weeks evaded questioning over his alleged role in the theft of $170 million of public money.

Attempts to question Setya Novanto took an unexpected twist on Thursday night when he was involved in a car crash and admitted to hospital. The previous day he had evaded arrest in a police raid on his home.

Novanto's lawyer said he was badly injured in the crash, but Corruption Eradication Commission spokesman Febri Diansyah said Monday that an independent panel of doctors concluded there was no need for his continued hospitalization.

Indonesian House Speaker Setya Novanto sits on a wheelchair as he is escorted by investigators and aides upon arrival at Corruption Eradication Commission office in Jakarta, Indonesia late Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Indonesia's anti-graft commission arrested the top politician who for weeks evaded questioning over his alleged role in the theft of $170 million of public money. (AP Photo)

Diansyah said Novanto was moved to a detention center around midnight Sunday. Photos showed him in a wheelchair wearing the commission's orange vest for prisoners.

He is accused of being among 80 people, mostly officials and politicians, and several companies who used the introduction of a $440 million electronic identity card system in 2011 and 2012 to steal more than a third of the funds.

Novanto, also chairman of Golkar, a major party in Indonesia's governing coalition, has denied any wrongdoing.

Diansyah said Novanto will be detained for 20 days to assist with the commission's investigation.

The car accident unleashed a wave of incredulity in Indonesia with some seeing it as an outrageous move to stymie the investigation.

A Donald Trump admirer, Novanto made an unexpected appearance at the future president's news conference at Trump Tower in New York in September 2015 along with another Indonesian lawmaker. Trump introduced Novanto as one of Indonesia's most powerful men who would do great things for the U.S.
VAN HORN, Texas (AP) - The Latest on the death of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in Texas (all times local):

8:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump says those responsible for the death one U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and the serious injury of another will be brought to justice.

The president made the comment on Twitter Sunday night amid a series of unrelated tweets. He also reiterated his call for a wall at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Details about how the agents were injured have not been released.

A Border Protection spokesman says Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were hospitalized Sunday after being hurt while on duty in the Big Bend area of South Texas.

Martinez died at the hospital. His partner's name has not been released.

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4:20 p.m.

The FBI has taken over the investigation of the death of one U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and the serious injury of another.

Border Protection spokesman Carlos Diaz confirmed to The Associated Press in an email that the FBI was in charge of the investigation.

Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were transported to a local hospital Sunday after sustaining injuries while on duty in the Big Bend area of Texas. Martinez died and his unidentified partner is in serious condition.

Spokesman Douglas Mosier says Martinez was 36 years old and from El Paso. He had been a Border Patrol agent since August, 2013.

No details of how they sustained injuries have been released.

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3 p.m.

Authorities are searching Texas' Big Bend for potential suspects and witnesses after a U.S. Customs Border Patrol agent was fatally injured responding to activity there.

Authorities did not provide any details Sunday on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them.

Border Patrol spokesman Douglas Mosier says in a statement that agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were transported to a local hospital, where Martinez died. Martinez's partner is in serious condition. His name wasn't released.

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.
WASHINGTON (AP) - It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday - the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war.

No detail seems to have been overlooked. There's even a designated "safe escape" door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska, through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring U.S. nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to - or in anticipation of - a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

In this Nov. 14, 2017, photo, Gen. Robert Kehler, USAF (Ret.) former Commander United States Strategic Command, testifies before Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on North Korea on Capitol Hill in Washington. It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday _ the day nuclear bombs zero in on America. But some worry about the potential for deadlocked decision-making in an actual nuclear crisis. Kehler was asked about this at a congressional hearing. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

And yet fundamental aspects of this nightmare sequence remain a mystery.

For example, what would happen if an American president ordered a nuclear strike, for whatever reason, and the four-star general at Strategic Command balked or refused, believing it to be illegal?

Robert Kehler, a retired general who once led that command, was asked this at a congressional hearing last week. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation."

By interesting, he seemed to mean puzzling.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a president's first recourse would be to tell the defense secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

"And then, if the commander still resisted," McKeon said as rubbed his chin, "you either get a new secretary of defense or get a new commander." The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

The current head of Strategic Command, Gen. John Hyten, said Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada that he would refuse a launch order from a president if he believed that order to be illegal. Hyten also predicted that the president would then ask him for options that Hyten judged to be legal.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Kehler scenario misses a more important point: The Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.

The renewed attention on these questions reflects unease - justified or not - about President Donald Trump's temperament and whether he would act impulsively in a crisis.

This past week's Senate hearing was the first in Congress on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons since 1976, when a Democratic congressman from New York, Richard L. Ottinger, pushed for the U.S. to declare it would never initiate a nuclear war. Ottinger said he wanted to "eliminate the prospect that human ignorance and potential human failure in the use of nuclear materials, especially nuclear weapons, will lead to the destruction of civilization."

Forty-one years later, the U.S. hasn't ruled out first-strike nuclear options and is unlikely to do so during Trump's tenure. This troubles experts who worry about a president with the sole - some say unchecked - authority to initiate nuclear war.

"We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with U.S. national security interests," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., at the outset of last week's hearing.

The committee chairman, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was not targeting Trump. But he, too, has publicly questioned whether Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward North Korea and other countries could lead the U.S. into a world war. In the end, Corker's hearing produced little impetus for legislation to alter the presidential authorities.

James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saw politics at play.

"But I think it's a genuinely important subject, and I think it's one we should be debating irrespective of who the president is," he said.

Acton said a president rightly has unchecked authority to use nuclear weapons in response to an actual or imminent nuclear attack. In his view, the president should otherwise be required to consult in advance with the secretaries of state and defense, and the attorney general, and get approval from two of the three before acting.

Matthew Waxman, a professor at Columbia Law School, says changes of this sort would put a valuable check on the president and protect his nuclear authority from potential military insubordination.

Waxman and Richard Betts, director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, have a proposal: To order a nuclear first strike, the president would first have to get "certification" from the secretary of defense that the order is valid and authentic, and from the attorney general that it is legal.

These added safeguards wouldn't risk delaying a response to an enemy attack in progress, Betts said. They would apply "only in situations where the United States is considering starting the nuclear war."
BERLIN (AP) - The Latest on Germany's political uncertainty (all times local):

5:35 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is "very skeptical" about the idea of running a minority government and new election would be a better option if it's not possible to form a coalition.

The chairman of the German Free Democratic party FDP Christian Lindner attends a board meeting at the party's headquarters in Berlin, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. (Markus Schreiber)

Merkel's attempt to build a coalition of her conservatives and two smaller parties collapsed on Sunday. Her partners in the outgoing government, the center-left Social Democrats, insisted on Monday that they won't renew the alliance.

No other politically plausible combination has a parliamentary majority - leaving a minority government or a new election as the only options.

Merkel said in an interview with ARD public television's Brennpunkt program: "I don't have a minority government in my plans....I don't want to say never today, but I am very skeptical and I think that new elections would then be the better way."

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2:55 p.m.

The leader of Germany's Free Democrats has defended his decision to torpedo talks on forming a coalition government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc and the Greens, saying compromises needed would have gone against the pro-business party's fundamental principles.

Christian Lindner told reporters Monday his party had attempted compromises but still found suggestions over its key topics of migration policies, financial issues and education too far removed from the "change in policies" that Germans voted for in the elections.

He says: "if the FDP had agreed to these, we would have had to abandon our fundamental positions."

He says with such strife over trying to establish the framework for formal coalition negotiations, his party lost "confidence that a stable government could be formed with this constellation" of parties.

Lindner spoke before President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged all parties to reconsider their positions so a government could be formed.

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2:45 p.m.

Germany's president is urging his country's political parties to reconsider their positions and make it possible to form a new government.

Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel's talks on forming a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats and traditionally left-leaning Greens collapsed Sunday night. On Monday, the center-left Social Democrats - Merkel's partners in the outgoing government - said they won't budge from their refusal to enter a new Merkel administration.

If that stands, a minority government or new elections are the only options. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who would have to decide on those options, said he will meet the various parties this week and urged them to rethink.

Steinmeier said: "There would be incomprehension and great concern inside and outside our country, and particularly in our European neighborhood, if the political forces in the biggest and economically strongest country in Europe of all places didn't fulfill their responsibility."

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2:15 p.m.

The leader of Germany's main center-left party says it will stick by its refusal to join a new government under conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Social Democrats have been the junior partners in a "grand coalition" government of Germany's biggest parties since 2013. But their leaders have said since the party slumped to its worst election result since World War II in September that it would go into opposition.

Party chairman Martin Schulz said Monday that the Social Democrats are "not available" for a repeat of the outgoing coalition. He said that, after the election, "it was clear that the 'grand coalition' had got the red card."

Schulz said that his party isn't afraid of a new election. Merkel's attempt to form a government with other partners collapsed Sunday night.

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12:55 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns about the collapse of negotiations to form a coalition government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany.

Speaking in Paris on Monday, Macron said "it's not in our interest for it to get tense."

Preliminary coalition talks broke down late Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) bowed out of the negotiations with Merkel's conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens. FDP leader Christian Lindner said his party pulled out of the talks rather than further compromise its principles

Macron said he had spoken to Merkel Sunday night and believed that the declarations of pro-business FDP President Christian Lindner "were quite hard."

The relationship between France and Germany, the eurozone's two strongest economies, is seen as the driving force behind the European Union.

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11:20 a.m.

Germany's main business group is calling on the country's mainstream political parties to show responsibility and make compromises after the failure of coalition talks.

The head of the Federation of German Industries, or BDI, said Monday that "economic stability needs political stability." Dieter Kempf said that German industry faces "enormous challenges" despite the country's good current economic situation.

He pointed to "global crises, the need for reform in Europe and urgent decisions for investment" in Germany itself, and said that requires more than a caretaker government.

Kempf said that "all parties must be prepared to make compromises for growth, prosperity and employment."

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10:50 a.m.

The Netherlands' foreign minister says new elections in Germany, the European Union's most populous member, would be "the worst scenario."

Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said in Brussels Monday that "Germany is a very important country in Europe and thus it will become difficult to take important decisions in Brussels."

Zijlstra noted that it took the Netherlands seven months to form a new government after an election earlier this year. Coalition talks in Germany collapsed on Sunday night, nearly two months after elections.

Zijlstra said: "So I'd say, think about it again, and maybe it is better to talk again than to have elections again."

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10:40 a.m.

Germany's main center-left party says the parties that failed to form a new government have put the country "in a difficult situation."

The Social Democrats have been the junior partners in a "grand coalition" government of Germany's biggest parties since 2013. But their leaders have said since the party slumped to its worst election result since World War II in September that it would go into opposition.

The party's general secretary, Hubertus Heil, said Monday that the party's position "is known" and said party leaders will now consider how to proceed. He didn't elaborate ahead of a planned appearance by party leader Martin Schulz Monday afternoon.

Four weeks of talks between Merkel's Union bloc, the pro-business Free Democrats and the traditionally left-leaning Greens collapsed Sunday night.

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8:20 a.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to meet with the country's president after talks on forming a new government collapsed in the night, raising the possibility of new elections.

Merkel will meet President Frank-Walter Steinmeier later on Monday to brief him on the negotiations and discuss what comes next.

Preliminary coalition talks broke down late Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats bowed out of the negotiations with Merkel's conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens.

Beside the possibility of new elections, Merkel could attempt to continue her current coalition with the Social Democrats - which that party has said it will not do - or she could try to go ahead with a minority government.

Free Democrats leader Christian Lindner told reporters his party pulled out of the weekslong talks rather than further compromise its principles.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier briefs the media after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged early Monday to maintain stability after the Free Democratic Party pulled out of talks on forming a new government with her conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a statement after the pre-talks on forming a new German government failed early Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 in Berlin. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
LONDON (AP) - Britain marked the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip on Monday with a peal of bells, a set of portraits and some commemorative stamps.

The then-Princess Elizabeth married naval officer Lt. Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 20, 1947, in a Britain physically and economically ravaged by World War II. Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the ceremony as "a flash of color on the hard road we travel."

Elizabeth became queen in 1952. Now 91, she is the first British monarch to reach a platinum anniversary.

FILE - This is a June. 2, 1953 file photo of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as they wave to supporters from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, following her coronation at Westminster Abbey. London. (AP Photo/Leslie Priest, File)

Philip, who is 96 and also holds the title Duke of Edinburgh, has spent the ensuing decades supporting his wife in her role as head of state. At their 50th wedding anniversary, Elizabeth praised her husband as "quite simply... my strength and stay all these years."

The royal family is reportedly holding a gathering at Windsor Castle to celebrate Monday's anniversary. The royal couple has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Buckingham Palace marked the occasion by releasing several new portraits of the couple, taken in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle by photographer Matt Holyoak.

The Royal Mail has issued a series of commemorative stamps. And at Westminster Abbey, bell-ringers sounded a full celebratory peal - lasting more than three hours - in tribute.

In this handout photo issued by Camera Press and taken in Nov. 2017, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose for a photograph in the White Drawing Room pictured against a platinum-textured backdrop at Windsor Castle, England. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are marking 70 years since they wed in London's Westminster Abbey. At the time, Princess Elizabeth was just 21 and Philip, a naval officer, was 26. Their wedding was a spark of joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II. (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via AP)

In this handout photo issued by Camera Press and taken in Nov. 2017, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose for a photograph in the White Drawing Room pictured against a platinum-textured backdrop at Windsor Castle, England. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are marking 70 years since they wed in London's Westminster Abbey. At the time, Princess Elizabeth was just 21 and Philip, a naval officer, was 26. Their wedding was a spark of joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II. (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via AP)
US declares NKorea a terror sponsor; new sanctions expected

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump announced Monday the U.S. is putting North Korea's "murderous regime" on America's terrorism blacklist, despite questions about Pyongyang's support for international attacks beyond the assassination of its leader's half brother in February.

Trump said the designation as a state sponsor of terror was long overdue, and he promised a new wave of sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure campaign" over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons that could soon pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland.

North Korea will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the blacklist. The North had been designated for two decades until 2008 when it was removed in a bid to salvage international talks aimed at halting its nuclear efforts. The talks collapsed soon after and haven't been revived since.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the designation was a "very symbolic move" with limited practical effects although it could close a "few loopholes" in a tough sanctions regime that was starting to bite in Pyongyang. He said anecdotal evidence and intelligence suggests the North is suffering fuel shortages, with queues at gas station, and its revenues are down.

Still, Tillerson also acknowledged a two-month pause in the North's rapid tempo of nuclear and missile tests and said there was still hope for diplomacy. With tougher sanctions in the offing, he warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, 'This is only going to get worse until you're ready to come and talk."

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CBS suspends Rose, PBS halts his show following allegations

NEW YORK (AP) - Charlie Rose is the latest public figure to be felled by sexual misconduct allegations, with PBS halting distribution of his nightly interview show and CBS News suspending him Monday following a Washington Post report with the accusations of eight women.

The women, who all worked for Rose or tried to work for him, accused the veteran newsman of groping them, walking naked in front of them and telling one that he dreamed about her swimming nude.

Rose, 75, said in a statement that he was "deeply embarrassed" and apologized for his behavior.

"PBS was shocked to learn today of these deeply disturbing allegations," the public broadcasting service said in a statement. "We are immediately suspending distribution of 'Charlie Rose.'"

Three women went on the record in the Post's deeply-reported story. Reah Bravo, a former associate producer for Rose's PBS show who began working for him in 2007, told the newspaper: "He was a sexual predator, and I was his victim." She said Rose groped her on multiple occasions and once, during a business trip to Indiana, called her to his hotel room where he emerged from a shower naked.

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10 Things to Know for Tuesday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. HOW TRUMP IS SQUEEZING PYONGYANG

The president announces that the U.S. is putting North Korea on America's terrorism blacklist. He also promises a new wave of sanctions.

2. CHARLIE ROSE HIT WITH HARASSMENT CLAIMS

Eight women reportedly accuse the veteran newsman of multiple unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate behavior

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Manson has endured as the face of evil for nearly 50 years

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Other killers snuffed out far more lives than Charles Manson did in 1969. Yet he has endured for nearly a half century as the personification of evil, even in an age in which mass shootings leave dozens dead at a time.

Manson, the hippie cult leader who died Sunday at 83, horrified America more than a generation ago with the way he seemed to have turned young people murderously against everything their parents cherished. That horror continued long after he had been locked up, in large part because of the demonic image that crime experts say he cultivated with his bizarre behavior and his searing, wild-eyed gaze.

"He had that maniacal look that was always so striking," said James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern University in Boston, calling Manson the most notorious killer of all time. "Manson was memorable: his voice, his appearance, his mannerisms, as well as his crimes and the 'crazy Charlie' act he put on."

Manson was convicted of orchestrating the slaughter of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people over two successive August nights in Los Angeles. Prosecutors said he was trying to foment a race war, an idea he supposedly got from a misreading of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter."

He was sentenced to death, but that was commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

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Warming to make thunderstorms larger and more frequent

WASHINGTON (AP) - Summer thunderstorms in North America will likely be larger, wetter and more frequent in a warmer world, dumping 80 percent more rain in some areas and worsening flooding, a new study says.

Future storms will also be wilder, soaking entire cities and huge portions of states, according to a federally-funded study released Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The U.S. in recent years has experienced prolonged drenchings that have doused Nashville in 2010, West Virginia and Louisiana in 2016 and Houston this year. The disasters cost about $20 billion a year in damage.

By the end of century if emissions aren't curbed, these gully washers will be much worse because they will get bigger, said Andreas Prein, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, who led the study.

Prein and colleagues used high-resolution computer simulations to see how global warming will likely change the large thunderstorms that are already daily summer events in North America. Previous studies projected more frequent and wetter storms, but this is the first research to show they likely will be more widespread, covering an entire city instead of just half of it, Prein said.

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Before elephants, US loosened limits on lion trophies

WASHINGTON (AP) - One month before the Trump administration sparked outrage by reversing a ban on trophies from threatened African elephants, federal officials quietly loosened restrictions on the importation of heads and hides of lions shot for sport.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began issuing permits Oct. 20 for lions killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia between 2016 and 2018. The agency is also currently studying whether to add three additional countries to the list - Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania.

Previously, only wild lions killed in South Africa were eligible to be imported.

In a pair of recent tweets, President Donald Trump said he will delay the new policy on allowing elephant trophies, but he made no mention of lions. Trump, whose adult sons are avid big-game hunters, also expressed skepticism about his own administration's claim that killing threatened animals could help save them by helping raise money for conservation programs.

"Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal," the president tweeted on Sunday.

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Justice Dept. sues to stop AT&T's $85B Time Warner deal

NEW YORK (AP) - The Justice Department is suing AT&T to stop its $85 billion purchase of Time Warner, setting the stage for an epic legal battle with the telecom giant.

It could also create a new headache for President Donald Trump, whose public statements have raised suspicions that he might have interfered with the department's decision, potentially undermining its legal case. DOJ's antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, has said the president did not tell him what to do. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday she wasn't aware of any specific action related to the case taken by the White House.

In a press release, Delrahim said that a combined AT&T-Time Warner would "greatly harm American consumers" by hiking television bills and hampering innovation, particularly in online television service. The DOJ said AT&T would be able to charge rival distributors such as cable companies "hundreds of millions of dollars more per year" for Time Warner's programming - payments that would ultimately get passed down to consumers through their cable bills.

In an emailed statement Monday, AT&T general counsel David McAtee said the lawsuit is a "radical and inexplicable departure from decades of antitrust precedent" and that the company is confident that it will prevail in court.

AT&T runs the country's second largest wireless network and is the biggest provider of traditional satellite and cable TV services. Time Warner owns HBO, CNN, TBS and other networks, as well as the Warner Bros. movie studio.

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US ending temporary permits for almost 60,000 Haitians

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration said Monday it is ending a temporary residency permit program that has allowed almost 60,000 citizens from Haiti to live and work in the United States since a 2010 powerful earthquake shook the Caribbean nation.

The Homeland Security Department said conditions in Haiti have improved significantly, so the benefit will be extended one last time - until July 2019 - to give Haitians time to prepare to return home.

"Since the 2010 earthquake, the number of displaced people in Haiti has decreased by 97 percent," the department said in a press release. "Haiti is able to safely receive traditional levels of returned citizens."

Advocates and members of Congress from both parties had asked the Trump administration for an 18-month extension of the program, known as Temporary Protected Status. Haitian President Jovenel Moise's government also requested the extension.

Rony Ponthieux, a 49-year-old Haitian nurse with temporary residency who has lived in Miami since 1999, told The Associated Press, "This isn't over, this is time we get to fight for renewal, not to pack our bags." She has a daughter and a son born in the United States and another son in Port-au-Prince.

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Nebraska gives long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline new life

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska regulators Monday approved a Keystone XL oil pipeline route through the state, breathing new life into the long-delayed $8 billion project, although the chosen pathway is not the one preferred by the pipeline operator and could require more time to study the changes.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission's vote also is likely to face court challenges and may require another federal analysis of the route, if project opponents get their way.

"This decision opens up a whole new bag of issues that we can raise," said Ken Winston, an attorney representing environmental groups that have long opposed the project.

Environmental activists, American Indian tribes and some landowners have fought the project since it was proposed by TransCanada Corp in 2008. It would carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska to meet the existing Keystone pipeline, where it could move as far as the U.S. Gulf Coast. Business groups and some unions support the project as a way to create jobs and reduce the risk of shipping oil by trains that can derail.

President Barack Obama's administration studied the project for years before finally rejecting it in 2015 because of concerns about carbon pollution. President Donald Trump reversed that decision in March.

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Shootings put semi-automatic rifles ads under new scrutiny

ATLANTA (AP) - The ads leap out from the pages of almost any gun magazine: Soldiers wearing greasepaint and camouflage wield military-style rifles depicted as essential to the American way of life. A promotional spot by the Mossberg brand boasts of weapons "engineered to the specs of freedom and independence."

The ad campaigns by major gun makers did not pause after mass shootings at a Las Vegas country music concert and a Texas church, and the slick messages are big drivers of sales ahead of Black Friday, by far the heaviest shopping day each year for firearms.

But the marketing tactics for the semi-automatic weapons known as AR rifles are under new scrutiny following the recent attacks. Gun-control activists say the ads risk inspiring the next shooter, while gun-rights advocates insist the weapons are being blamed for the works of deranged individuals.

"Guns are not sold on the basis of being just tools," said gun industry expert Adam Winkler, a professor at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law and author of a book about the Second Amendment. "They're being sold as an embodiment of American values."

The advertisements have become a focal point in the court case against a gun company over the 2012 massacre at a Connecticut elementary school where gunman Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle to kill 20 children and six adults. Bushmaster has advertised its AR weapons with the slogan "consider your man card reissued."
HELSINKI (AP) - A Norwegian court has sentenced a 34-year-old man to seven and a half years of prison for joining the Islamic State group and fighting alongside the terror group in Syria.

The Oslo District Court said Monday that the Norwegian man traveled in November 2014 to Syria, where he took part in various IS training schemes and weapons training.

The man, identified by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK as Kristian Michelsen, was arrested by Turkish authorities in 2016 on the Turkish-Syria border and handed over to Norway.

He has acknowledged being welcomed by IS members on arrival to Syria but denied the court's charges, saying he soon had second thoughts on joining the group.

Defense lawyer Siri Langseth told NRK the man would appeal the verdict. Prosecutors had demanded a nine-year sentence.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Supporters of an international boycott movement against Israel have lashed out at rock star Nick Cave after he played in the Jewish state and accused the pro-Palestinian activists of trying to bully musicians.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel called Cave's shows a "propaganda gift" that helps "art-wash" Israeli policies toward Palestinians.

Cave plays Monday in Tel Aviv after an almost sold out show there the night before.

FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2013 file photo, Australian musician and screenwriter Nick Cave poses during a photo call promoting his new album 'Push the Sky Away' in Mexico City, Mexico. Cave said he is performing in Tel Aviv to take a stand against an international movement advocating for boycotts against Israel. Cave told reporters Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, he came under pressure to cancel his shows by the BDS movement, which calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

The Australian musician said he faced pressure to cancel shows by the BDS movement, which calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Cave said he wanted to take a "principled stand against anyone who wants to censor and silence musicians."

Some artists have canceled shows in Israel amid BDS pressure while many others continue to play.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. CHARLES MANSON, WHOSE CULT SLAYINGS HORRIFIED WORLD, DIES

The imprisoned hippie cult leader, who orchestrated the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, was 83.

FILE - In this 1969 file photo, Charles Manson is escorted to his arraignment on conspiracy-murder charges in connection with the Sharon Tate murder case. Authorities say Manson, cult leader and mastermind behind 1969 deaths of actress Sharon Tate and several others, died on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. He was 83. (AP Photo, File)

2. MUGABE WON'T GO QUIETLY; MORE PROTESTS VOWED

The longtime authoritarian president ignores a midday local deadline set by Zimbabwe's ruling party to step down or face impeachment proceedings.

3. WASHINGTON MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE LAST OF 'THE MOOCH'

Anthony Scaramucci, the short-lived White House communications chief, tells AP he remains in close touch with the Trump administration and sees himself working with the president again in the future.

4. WHITE HOUSE OPEN TO STRIKING HEALTH PROVISION FROM TAX BILL

The provision would repeal a requirement that everyone in the U.S. have health insurance or pay a fine, but is opposed by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, whose vote the White House needs.

5. WHY TRUMP ISN'T STUMPING FOR MOORE

The president isn't calling for the Alabama Senate candidate to leave the race but won't campaign for the Republican because of "discomfort" with the sexual misconduct allegations against Moore.

6. HOW SUU KYI VIEWS GLOBAL INSTABILITY

Myanmar's leader, whose country is accused of violently pushing out minority Rohingya Muslims, says the world is facing conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism.

7. 'IT NEVER REALLY LEAVES YOU'

In the worst opioid epidemic in U.S. history, addiction recovery may be toughest for pain patients who must find safer ways to manage their conditions, AP learns.

8. TEEN TRANSGENDER MOVEMENT MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THOUGHT

Although the concept that children can be transgender has been discussed in the open only recently, one study estimates that about 150,000 teenagers in the U.S. identify as transgender, AP finds.

9. HARD TO BELIEVE: 'OBAMACARE' CAN BE HAD FOR FREE

Due to a quirk in the system, consumers are getting the word that taxpayer-subsidized health plans are widely available for next year for no monthly premium or little cost.

10. WOMEN DOMINATE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, BUT NOT AS NOMINEES

Women instead took over the show with powerful performances from Diana Ross, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga and more.

Disappointed Zimbabweans watch a televised address to the nation by President Robert Mugabe at a bar in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by ending his address on national television without announcing his resignation. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran on Monday rejected a harsh statement by Arab League foreign ministers condemning the Islamic Republic and its proxy Hezbollah, saying the tirade was "full of lies" and the product of Saudi "pressure and propaganda."

State media quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as calling on Saudi Arabia to stop its "barbaric attacks" on Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been at war with Tehran-backed rebels since March 2015. He also called on Saudi Arabia to drop its boycott of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar, which has warm ties with Iran.

Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday lashed out at Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, accusing them of destabilizing the region and vowing to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, left, and his Bahraini counterpart, Sheik Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, right, meet with foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are meeting in Cairo to discuss a draft Saudi declaration on countering Iranian influence in Arab affairs. The four Arab nations have been boycotting the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar since June in part over its warm ties with Iran. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Christian ally of Hezbollah, also rejected the Arab League statement, which had accused the militant group of terrorism and of supporting "terrorist groups" across the region.

Aoun said Lebanon had been subjected to Israeli "aggression" for decades and had the right to defend itself. Hezbollah, the only Lebanese group to retain its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war, forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 and continues to portray itself as Lebanon's first line of defense. Hezbollah is also a member of Lebanon's coalition government.

Aoun said Lebanon rejects any accusation that its government "is a partner in terrorist attacks."

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who visited Lebanon and met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday, said Lebanon "cannot be an arena for any Arab-Iranian confrontation."

He added that naming Hezbollah a terrorist organization is not new as it happened during last year's Arab summit. He also clarified that the accusations of terrorism were leveled at "one of the ruling partners" in the Lebanese government, and not the government as a whole.

Saudi officials have said in recent weeks that they would consider the Lebanese government hostile if Hezbollah joins any future government. The Saudi statement was rejected by many Lebanese, who see Hezbollah as a legitimate representative of the country's Shiites.

Tensions spiked between Saudi Arabia and Iran after the Yemen rebels, known as Houthis, fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted outside Riyadh earlier this month. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran and Hezbollah of arming the rebels, charges denied by both.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran have long vied for regional supremacy, and support rival proxies across the Middle East.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

Alabama Republican Roy Moore's campaign is going on the offensive against the media and one of the women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

FILE - In this Tuesday, June 6, 2006 file photo, Judge Roy Moore stands with his wife, Kayla, after conceding the governor's race to Gov. Bob Riley, in Gadsden, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Moore's campaign has issued a Monday night statement questioning the account of Beverly Nelson, who said Moore assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old waitress. The campaign is quoting two restaurant employees who did not remember Nelson or Moore eating there.

Six women have accused Moore of pursuing romantic relationships with them when they were teenagers. Two have accused him of assault or molestation.

The campaign says voters will "see through the fake news."

Moore's campaign did not respond to Leigh Corfman's Monday interview with NBC's "Today," in which she said Moore molested her when she was 14.

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4:25 p.m.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says the White House position on embattled Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore hasn't changed, and Alabama voters should decide his fate.

Her comments follow White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's assertion Monday morning that a vote for Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, would be a "vote against tax cuts."

Sanders says, "Obviously, the president wants people both in the House and the Senate who support his agenda."

Many national Republicans have called on Moore to step aside in the wake of multiple sexual assault and harassment allegations. Trump has not followed suit, but through spokespeople has called the allegations troubling.

Sanders says, "We feel like the people of Alabama should make the determination on who their next senator should be."

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8 a.m.

Leigh Corfman says she was "absolutely not" paid to speak publicly now about her sexual encounter with Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore when she was 14.

Corfman was the first woman to publicly accuse Moore of sexual misconduct since his GOP nomination to Alabama's U.S. Senate seat. Moore has denied the allegations.

Corfman tells NBC's "Today Show" Monday that she decided against going public previously because she was afraid that her children would be shunned in Alabama, where Moore became a state judge.

Corfman says she agreed to share details only after The Washington Post sought her out and gave her assurances she wasn't the only one accusing Moore of misconduct. She tells NBC, "my bank account has not flourished. If anything it's gone down because I'm not working."

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7:35 a.m.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway is attacking the Democrat running in the Alabama Senate race against Republican Roy Moore. The special election has been rocked by sexual misconduct allegations against Moore.

Conway lashed out against Doug Jones during a Monday appearance on "Fox & Friends." She says Jones would "be vote against tax cuts," calling him a "doctrinaire liberal."

Moore has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted teenage girls when he was in his 30s.

White House aides have said President Donald Trump doesn't know who to believe, but isn't campaigning for Moore because of "discomfort" with the claims.

Asked if she was encouraging people to vote for Moore, Conway avoided the question, saying: "I'm telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through."

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3:17 a.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump isn't campaigning for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because of "discomfort" with the sexual misconduct allegations made by several women.

But he isn't calling on the controversial judge to drop out of the race because aides say he thinks the state's voters should decide. Ultimately, aides say Trump doesn't know who to believe following decades-old allegations made one month before the Dec. 12 election.

White House legislative director Marc Short, said: "Obviously if he did not believe that the women's accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore." Still, Short added the "38-year-old allegations" were virtually unprovable.

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003 file photo, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore holds his Bible as he acknowledges the applause during his speech at the Barrow County Court House in Winder, Ga. Moore drew rounds of applause as he spoke in support of the framed Ten Commandments in the courthouse breezeway. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska regulators are set to decide Monday whether to approve or deny an in-state route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. It's the last major regulatory hurdle facing project operator TransCanada Corp.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission's ruling is on the Nebraska route TransCanada has proposed to complete the $8 billion, 1,179-mile (1,897-kilometer) pipeline to deliver oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The proposed Keystone XL route would cross parts of Montana, South Dakota and most of Nebraska to Steele City, Nebraska.

A vote in favor of the company's proposed route through Nebraska would give a boost to the long-delayed project, which was rejected by President Barack Obama in 2015, citing concerns about carbon pollution. President Donald Trump revived it in March, approving a permit.

FILE- This Nov. 6, 2015, file photo shows a sign for TransCanada's Keystone pipeline facilities in Hardisty, Alberta, Canada. TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline leaked oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, the company and state regulators said Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, but state officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

The project has faced a barrage of criticism from environmental activists and some landowners for nearly a decade. A ruling against the company would cast renewed doubt on the proposal and could lead to another drawn-out legal fight.

Here are some things to know about the decision:

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WHAT OPTIONS DOES THE COMMISSION HAVE?

The five-member Nebraska Public Service Commission is forbidden by law from factoring pipeline safety or the risk of spills into its decision because pipeline safety is a federal responsibility. So, it will not take into account a spill of 210,000 gallons (790,000 liters) of oil on the existing Keystone pipeline in South Dakota announced on Thursday.

The simplest choice is a yes-or-no vote on TransCanada's "preferred route" through a dozen Nebraska counties. But the commission could include major caveats that would add years to the project's timetable.

Commissioners could tweak TransCanada's proposed route, or pick one of the company's "alternative" routes. Company officials have said their preferred route causes the least amount of disruption.

If the commission denies the request outright, state law gives TransCanada a 60-day window to revise and resubmit its proposal for another review.

"It's not as simple as a 'guilty' or 'not guilty' verdict," said Brian Jorde, an attorney for Nebraska landowners who are fighting the project.

No matter what the commission decides, any group that presented arguments at an August hearing could appeal the decision to a state district court. The case would likely end up before the Nebraska Supreme Court.

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WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DECISION?

The commission's vote could play a pivotal role in whether TransCanada moves ahead with the pipeline. After years of lobbying for the project, TransCanada acknowledged in a July conference call that executives won't decide until late November or early December whether to begin construction.

TransCanada spokesman Matthew John reiterated that timeline on Wednesday.

"We're going through the process with every intention to get this project built," John said. "But there are factors that we need to work out prior to making that decision," including regulatory approval in Nebraska.

John said the company also needs to finalize its contracts with shippers that want to use the pipeline.

TransCanada has been working to line up long-term contracts for the pipeline, which can carry an estimated 830,000 barrels a day. The company has not announced the results of its open season bidding process, which ended Oct. 26.

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WILL THERE BE PROTESTS IF THE COMMISSION APPROVES THE PIPELINE?

Opponents in August vowed to stage mass protests against the pipeline if Nebraska regulators approve it, but say they will exhaust legal options first.

Pipeline opponents have lined parts of the proposed route with obstacles, including trees, solar panels, sacred corn from the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and a barn powered by renewable energy. Some opponents may try to physically block construction and have likened their resistance to the activists who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota.

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IS KEYSTONE XL STILL FEASIBLE?

Despite low oil prices and repeated delays, TransCanada has a strong financial incentive to keep pursuing the pipeline, said Zachary Rogers, a Houston-based analyst for Wood Mackenzie, an energy research and consulting firm.

Rogers said Western Canadian producers have been forced to ship their product by train, which is more expensive than a pipeline, and Keystone XL would reduce costs and improve their bottom line.

At the same time, Texas refineries face uncertainty because of political instability in Venezuela, one of their top oil sources, and a slowdown in Mexican production.

"Western Canada has been held captive by geography and hasn't been able to cheaply access the markets," Rogers said. "Any opportunity for them to get better access will buoy their margins."

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Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

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Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv

This aerial photo shows spills from TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, that leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, near Amherst, S.D., the company and state regulators said Thursday, but state officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and activated emergency response procedures after a drop in pressure was detected resulting from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County, TransCanada said in a statement. The cause was being investigated. (DroneBase via AP)
CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge sentenced a former Chicago police officer who was convicted of civil rights violations after he opened fire on a car full of teenagers to five years in prison on Monday, telling the officer that when he pulled the trigger 16 times he was acting more like a violent criminal than someone sworn to uphold the law.

"At that particular moment he was acting not as a police officer... He was bringing chaos and violence," U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman said of Marco Proano.

Proano, who did not show any emotion during the sentencing, told the judge that he fired at the car to "protect human life as it was" and that he continues to "feel strongly" that he acted properly. His lawyer later explained that Proano acted in part to save the life of a teen hanging from the window of the vehicle and prevent the stolen car from speeding away, where it could have crashed into other vehicles or strike pedestrians.

The sentence comes three months after a jury convicted 42-year-old Proano of two felony counts of using excessive force in violation of the two people in the car who were injured when the officer shot him in December 2013.

On Monday, Herbert again argued that Proano was doing what he was trained to do and what he "witnessed other police officers do and what he was encouraged to do by his superiors." Herbert suggested that Proano was a victim of the anti-police climate toward the Chicago police force since a dashcam video was released in late 2015 showing the fatal shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald.

But the judge rejected that argument.

Proano, who since his conviction has been fired from his job at the police department, was ordered to turn himself in to authorities on Jan. 23 to begin his prison term. Herbert said he plans to appeal the conviction.

The sentence was not what either side asked for, with Herbert requesting that Proano be put on probation but not sent to prison and prosecutors asking the judge to sentence Proano to eight years in prison.

The case marked another case in a series of allegations of Chicago police brutality and misconduct in recent years.

The trial of Proano was the first of a Chicago police officer for an on-duty shooting since McDonald's death in 2014.
NEW YORK (AP) - A judge postponed jury selection in the trial surrounding a conspiracy to help Iran evade economic sanctions after the star defendant, an international gold trader who had been trying to broker a diplomatic solution to the case, was a no-show Monday.

The case against Reza Zarrab, a citizen of Turkey and Iran, has strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey. On Monday, the government there depicted the trial as a conspiracy, with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag describing Zarrab as a "hostage" being forced to testify against Turkey.

But Zarrab wasn't in court early Monday and had not participated in pretrial activities for weeks. Zarrab's criminal lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, declined to comment this month on anything related to his client.

Lawyers for deputy CEO of Halkbank, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, were in Manhattan federal court Monday for the start of jury selection. But U.S. District Judge Richard Berman held a locked-door session with lawyers for more than an hour before calling reporters inside to say the case was postponed for a week. He didn't say why, and lawyers didn't explain the delay outside court.

"The delay is the delay is the delay. I can't say more," said Victor Rocco, a lawyer for Atilla, after he emerged from court.

He added: "I can't comment guys. It's a sealed proceeding."

Prosecutors left court without speaking to reporters. Dawn Dearden, a spokeswoman for prosecutors, declined comment.

Afterward, Berman issued a one-page order, confirming that a conference in the case scheduled for Tuesday would still occur and noting that opening statements and witness testimony will occur as soon as a jury is picked beginning next Monday.

Earlier this year, Zarrab hired former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to try and broker a diplomatic solution to the case. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly asked the U.S. to release him.

Adding to the mystery, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons began reporting on its website that Zarrab had been released from custody on Nov. 8.

Prosecutors said he was still "in federal custody," but wouldn't say where. Judge Berman declined to answer questions about his status.

The prosecution was little noticed by Americans when it began, but was a major development in Turkey.

Zarrab, who is married to Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes, had initially been arrested in that country in 2013 as part of a sweeping corruption investigation involving the state bank, Halkbank, and several top Erdogan lieutenants.

But prosecutors and police involved in the corruption accusations were removed from duty and the charges were later dropped.

Since then, Erdogan's administration has tightened control over the country, arresting at least 50,000 people following 2016 coup attempt he said was orchestrated by Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric living in Pennsylvania. Several Americans have also been arrested in that crackdown.

Erdogan has demanded that Gulen be handed over to Turkey, perhaps in exchange for detained Americans.

Erdogan has also demanded that Zarrab be freed.
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AP) - Sounds detected by probes deep in the South Atlantic on Monday did not come from an Argentine submarine that has been lost for five days, the country's navy said Monday, dashing newfound hope among relatives of the 44 sailors aboard.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters that the "noise" was analyzed and experts determined it was likely "biological." He said the sounds did not come from tools being banged against the hull of a submarine as was previously reported by some media.

"We all had hope, but unfortunately this comes from believing sources that are not trustworthy," Balbi said. "Some sources were saying that this was banging on the hull in Morse code signals."

School teachers hang a sign with the colors of the Argentine flag that reads in Spanish "ARA San Juan, we wait for you" on a the fence at the Navel base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine ARA San Juan on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Marina Devo)

The noise was heard by two Argentine navy ships about 220 miles (360 kilometers) from the Argentine coast and at a depth of about 650 feet (200 meters). A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft was sent to help in the effort to isolate the source of the sounds.

The ARA San Juan went missing Wednesday as it sailed from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata. More than a dozen international vessels and aircraft have joined the search, which has been hindered by stormy weather that has caused waves up to 20 feet (6 meters).

In the first confirmation of a malfunction, an Argentine navy official said earlier Monday that the submarine reported a battery failure Wednesday and was returning to base when it went missing.

Brief satellite calls over the weekend had originally been thought to indicate the crew was trying to re-establish contact, prompting emotional celebrations by family members and officials. But Balbi said earlier Monday that officials analyzed the seven low-frequency satellite signals and determined they were not received from the submarine.

Although the German-built diesel-electric vessel carried enough food, oxygen and fuel for the crew to survive about 90 days on the sea's surface, the sub had only enough oxygen to last seven days submerged, Balbi said.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, said he was sending "fervent prayers" for the crew.

The U.S. Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego, California, to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine. The command includes a remotely operated vehicle and vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines.

Pledges of help also came from Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil and Britain, the latter sending a polar exploration vessel, HMS Protector.

Some relatives of the missing crew members took to social media Monday to ask for support during the search.

"Pray so that my husband, Fernando Santilli can return home," Jesica Gopar wrote. "He's in the San Juan submarine."

The submarine was originally scheduled to arrive Monday at the navy's base in Mar del Plata, which is about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southeast of Buenos Aires. Argentine President Mauricio Macri met with family members at the base as they waited anxiously for news about their loved ones.

"We can make up a thousand movies with happy and sad endings, but the reality is that the days pass by and not knowing anything kills you," Carlos Mendoza, the brother of submarine officer Fernando Ariel Mendoza, told the AP.

"Every minute is oxygen that's worth gold."

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Associated Press video journalist Paul Byrne reported this story in Mar del Plata and AP writer Luis Andres Henao reported from Buenos Aires. AP writer Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

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Paul Byrne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/byrnepaulj

Luis Andres Henao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuisAndresHenao

In this picture released by Argentina's presidential press office, Navy base Chief Gabriel Martin Gonzalez, right, talks to Argentina's President Mauricio Macri over a map at the Navel base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine ARA San Juan on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (Argentina Presidency via AP)

A ship leaves a Naval base to join the search for missing submarine ARA San Juan, in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine ARA San Juan on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Marina Devo)

Juan Carlos Mendoza, father of Fernando Mendoza, a crew member of the missing submarine ARA San Juan, stands outside the Navel base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine ARA San Juan on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Marina Devo)

People gather outside the Naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The Argentine submarine ARA San Juan has been lost at sea for five days with 44 crew members on board as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Paul Byrne)

A image of Jesus with the handwritten Spanish message "I trust you, save the 44, thanks to countries for your solidarity" hangs on a fence at the Navel base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine ARA San Juan on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Marina Devo)

In this picture released by Argentina's Navy, a plane that will take part in the search for a missing submarine stands parked before taking off from an Aeronaval base in Trelew, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with submarine on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (Argentina Navy via AP)

On this undated photo released by the Argentine Navy, Eliana Krawczyk poses for a picture inside an Argentine submarine. Krawczyk, the first female submarine officer in Argentina, is one of 44 missing crew members of the ARA San Juan that went missing some three days ago. (Argentine Navy via AP)

A view of the entrance of the Navel base of the missing submarine ARA San Juan where family members of the missing vessel are gathering, in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Authorities last had contact with the submarine on Wednesday as it was on a voyage from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata. (AP Photo/Vicente Robles)
POQUOSON, Va. (AP) - A white Virginia sheriff's deputy has been reassigned after attending a Halloween party in blackface.

The Washington Post reports Deputy Jean Browning, a 20-year veteran of the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office in southeast Virginia, attended a party dressed as U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, who was dressed as President Donald Trump.

Trump publicly feuded with the Florida congresswoman last month after she criticized comments he made to the widow of a soldier killed in Niger.

Sheriff J.D. Diggs said in a news release that based on the circumstances and "the need for the community to realize that the sheriff's office takes race relations seriously," he had reassigned Browning to another job within the department. She was previously an anti-drug officer in the local school system.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early December to discuss threats against Israel from Hezbollah and Iran and "ideas to stabilize the situation in Lebanon."

The prime minister told his Likud party at a meeting Monday that he spoke with the French president "at length" the previous day.

Lebanon was plunged into crisis earlier this month by the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Hezbollah rival. Hariri recently traveled to France from Saudi Arabia, where he had made the announcement.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP)

Netanyahu says he and Macron agreed to meet to "see if we can adopt similar approaches, as much as possible, concerning this threat and the nuclear agreement with Iran."
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A lawyer for Gen. Ratko Mladic said Monday it is not certain the former Bosnian Serb military commander will show up in a United Nations courtroom when judges deliver their verdicts in his long-running trial for allegedly masterminding atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

Mladic's attorneys have filed a flurry of recent motions to have the ailing 75-year-old's health assessed before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announces its decisions Wednesday.

He faced 11 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, in a marathon trial that began back in 2011.

Dragan Ivetic, lawyer for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, poses for a portrait in front of the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal, ICTY, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The tribunal is scheduled to deliver its verdicts in his genocide trial on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz defended the length of the indictment and trial, saying that international prosecutions are interested in more than just getting a quick conviction.

"We also want to show in a public trial the magnitude of the crimes committed," he said. "This is not something you can do in six months or one year."

Mladic's trial is the last to end at the ground-breaking tribunal before it closes down by the end of the year. The court last year convicted his political master, former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, on near-identical charges and sentenced him to 40 years. Karadzic has appealed.

Defense attorney Dragan Ivetic said lawyers for the former military leader were not attempting to stall the case and have been trying for weeks to have Mladic's health checked, fearing a court appearance might kill him.

"We've had a medical doctor that has said, actually based on his diagnosed condition, any form of stress, including a trial proceeding, may increase his chance of having a stroke, a heart attack or dying," Ivetic told The Associated Press.

Brammertz said the hearing should go ahead.

"I have today no reasons at all to agree or to support any postponement," he said. "I think it's very important that this ... judgment is coming out. I think the victims and survivors deserve to hear the verdict by the judges."

Judges at the court have so far rejected the lawyers' requests for doctors to visit Mladic, who survived two strokes and a heart attack before he was arrested and imprisoned in 2011. The former general is under close medical supervision at the United Nations detention facility where he has been held since his arrest after more than a decade on the run.

"General Mladic wants to be present because he believes that he is not guilty," Ivetic said. "But I don't know whether the medical circumstances allow him to be present. ...That's why I need a medical doctor to assist us all in finding that information out."

The possibility of Mladic dying before the judges deliver their verdicts recalls former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in 2006 before judges could pass judgment in his trial. Milosevic was accused of fomenting violence across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled.

Mladic is charged with overseeing atrocities including the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the eastern Bosnian municipality of Srebrenica, the deadly shelling and sniping of Sarajevo and purges of Muslims and Croats early in the war from towns and villages Serbs wanted to turn into part of a Greater Serbia.

His lawyers have urged the judges to acquit, arguing that he did not give orders for atrocities and was not even in Srebrenica during the 1995 massacre.

It remained unclear if Wednesday's long-awaited public hearing for announcing the verdicts could go ahead if Mladic does not attend.

His absence would be a disappointment to survivors who traveled to The Hague on Monday to watch the culmination of the trial of the man they hold responsible for killing their loved ones.

One of them, Ramiza Burzic, who lost two sons during the Srebrenica massacre, said she is still hunting for the remains of her second son and blames Mladic.

"We have only found half of the body of my first son. He was not born without a head and arms," Burzic said as she prepared to board a flight in Sarajevo. "Mladic was there, and he ordered mass graves to be dug and spread all over Bosnia. His intention was that a mother would never find the whole body of her son in those graves."

Burzic said she expected judges to hand Mladic a life sentence, "so all of his progeny will know what he was doing and what kind of man he was."

The U.N. tribunal has, in the past, convicted officers under Mladic's command of involvement in the Srebrenica massacre and the deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.

If the court does convict Mladic, an appeal seems inevitable.

"There are many things that give rise to a potential claim for unfair trial that troubled us during the work that we did and that might require additional filings or action," Ivetic said.

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Associated Press video journalist Eldar Emric in Sarajevo contributed to this story.

Dragan Ivetic, lawyer for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, gestures during an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal, ICTY, is scheduled to deliver its verdicts in Mladic's genocide trial on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Exterior view of the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal, ICTY, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, where the court is scheduled to deliver its verdicts in the genocide trial of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Dragan Ivetic, lawyer for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, gestures during an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal, ICTY, is scheduled to deliver its verdicts in Mladic's genocide trial on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

In this Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, picture, a woman crosses the street backdropped by a large Srebrenica remembrance graffiti, in Sarajevo, Bosnia. As former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic _ the notorious "Butcher of Bosnia" _ awaits a verdict on genocide charges in the custody of the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal, back home in the Balkans he is still revered as a hero by many Serbs. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish media reports are quoting an adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying it's time for Turkey to review its membership in the NATO military alliance.

Yalcin Topcu's comments, reported by Cumhuriyet and other media on Monday, came days after Turkey withdrew some 40 troops from a NATO drill in Norway after the country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Erdogan himself were depicted as enemies.

NATO's secretary-general and Norway's government apologized to Turkey over the incident, which Turkish officials have described as one of the "greatest scandals" in the alliance's history.

Topcu said: "This organization, which is engaged in all kinds of hostile attitudes toward a member, is not a must for us. Our presence in this institution must be addressed urgently by Parliament."

Topcu spoke in Astana, Kazakhstan.
HUMBOLDT, Tenn. (AP) - Tyson Foods Inc. plans to build a new chicken production complex in Tennessee, a $300 million project that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2019, the company said Monday.

The new plant in Humboldt will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide, the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said in a statement and a news conference. The plant will help it meet strong consumer demand for its chicken, the company said. Construction is expected to begin within three to six months.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker attended the news conference and praised Tyson for choosing Humboldt, a rural city of about 8,200 people located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) northeast of Memphis. Tennessee competed with other states for the project. Doug Ramsey, group president of poultry for Tyson, would not discuss which other states were in the mix.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam speaks at a news conference announcing a new Tyson Foods Inc. plant on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 in Humboldt, Tenn. Tyson Foods Inc. plans to build a new chicken production complex in Tennessee, a $300 million project that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2019, the company said Monday. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

Officials said the local agriculture community will benefit from the project, providing supplies and feed for the plant, which will feature a hatchery, processing facility and feed mill. Tyson's project will be built at a 500-acre (200-hectare) Gibson County industrial park that's been seeking a tenant for about 20 years, county mayor Tom Witherspoon said.

"It's rare that you get a manufacturing project that has such an impact on our agriculture community," Witherspoon said. "That's what's made it such a good project for Gibson County."

Ramsey said the existing industrial park, availability of labor and access to feed grains produced in the region, were reasons why Tyson chose Gibson County

Haslam said that while unemployment in Tennessee is low - at 3 percent as of September - "it's no news that some of our rural counties have struggled." He called the plant a "big deal" for the state.

"Agriculture is a big part of who we are," Haslam said. "So we combine our farmers' ability to contribute to this facility with the jobs that will be located here."

Tyson currently operates four facilities in the state, employing about 5,000 people. The company says it paid Tennessee farmers more than $61 million in the 2016 fiscal year.

The announcement marks the second major economic development project Tyson has begun this year in Tennessee. In August, the company announced an $84 million expansion of operations in Union City. That project is expected to create about 300 jobs.

The company's portfolio of products includes Tyson chicken, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm and Ball Park.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican authorities said Monday that the principal line of investigation in the murder of a top executive from Mexican media conglomerate Grupo Televisa is robbery.

Mexico state prosecutor Alejandro Gomez Sanchez also said that a bodyguard for the slain Adolfo Lagos who witnessed the attack told investigators he believed one of the attackers was wounded.

Lagos, who headed Televisa's phone and internet arm Izzi, was shot to death Sunday while bicycling near the famed Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City.

The media giant expressed its condolences for the family of Lagos.

The state prosecutors' office had said in a statement Sunday that Lagos was wounded by a gunshot while riding his bike and died later at a nearby hospital.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said via Twitter that the federal Attorney General's Office would participate in the investigation.

In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, armed men killed a mayor-elect Monday. The state prosecutor's office said in a statement that it was investigating possible links to a fuel theft ring, but also to local police.

Merida Mar Dominguez, director of the New Alliance party in Veracruz, said some 30 armed men arrived in SUVs, dragged Santana Cruz Bahena from his home in broad daylight and executed him in front of his family.

Cruz Bahena served as mayor of Hidalgotitlan in eastern Veracruz from 2010 to 2013 as a member of the Revolutionary Institutional Party. He was elected in June as a candidate for New Alliance and was scheduled to take office Jan. 1.
SANTA PAULA, Calif. (AP) - Harrison Ford came to the real-life rescue of a woman who was involved in a car accident north of Los Angeles.

Santa Paula, California, police tell the Ventura County Star that the actor and a friend were in the area when a car rolled off a highway in the small town Sunday around noon. Senior Officer Matt Alonzo says Ford and the friend came to the driver's aid and acted as good Samaritans. He says Ford and other people on scene were able to help the woman out of the car. She suffered minor injuries.

TMZ published pictures Sunday of Ford standing by the car on the side of a hill and talking with police.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The family of former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says they're cautiously optimistic that he'll make a full recovery from a heart attack.

A Monday statement issued through a family spokesman said Ridge remained in an intensive care unit in Austin, Texas. He had been attending a Republican Governors Association conference there Thursday when he called for help at his hotel.

Ridge's wife, Michele, says doctors are encouraged by his progress, although they caution there's a "long road ahead."

They say Ridge has made steady progress since undergoing an emergency cardiac catheterization, and doctors have removed some of the machines used to stabilize him.

The Republican was a two-term Pennsylvania governor from 1995 to 2001. He was the first homeland security secretary, serving under President George W. Bush until 2005.
NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that a detention center in New York state must reform how it decides parole for asylum.

Civil liberties lawyers had sued on behalf of more than 30 immigrants who were held in the Batavia facility. They say they were wrongly denied parole while their asylum applications were pending.

U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth Wolford ruled on Friday that the detention center must redo parole applications for asylum-seekers who have been denied and must push through applications for others. She ruled the facility must provide an asylum-seeker with information on the requirements and an individualized explanation for why an application has been denied.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials did not immediately comment on the ruling.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate investigation into the reported sale of African migrants in Libya, saying transactions may amount to crimes against humanity.

Guterres said Monday that "slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights."

The former U.N. refugee chief said he was "horrified" at video footage, broadcast on CNN, of the bidding and sale of migrant men seeking a better life.

Guterres called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and said he has asked appropriate U.N. bodies "to actively pursue this matter."

He said migration must be addressed "in a comprehensive and humane manner" and should include a crackdown on smugglers and traffickers.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - What makes a good presidential turkey? Showmanship. A readiness to strut his stuff and gobble on command, yet enough restraint to stay on a table for the big photo op.

So say a Minnesota turkey farmer and 4-H kids who raised the turkey that will go to the White House for an official pardon from President Donald Trump on Tuesday. It's the 70th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey tradition. Here's a little deeper look at the event and what goes into it:

THE TRADITION

In this photo released by The White House, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, two turkeys set to be pardoned by President Donald Trump are shown in a Washington hotel, Sunday Nov. 19, 2017. President Trump will pardon them on Tuesday. (White House Photo by Hannah MacInnis via AP)

White House archives show that Americans have sent presidents holiday turkeys at least since 1873 under President Ulysses S. Grant. But the National Thanksgiving Turkey dates from 1947, when the National Turkey Federation became the official supplier and presented a 47-pound gobbler to President Harry Truman. In those days the turkeys were destined for dinner.

Formal pardons began with President George H.W. Bush in 1989, though stories of spared turkeys date back to President Abraham Lincoln. President John F. Kennedy sent his 1963 turkey back to its farm. Sometime around the Nixon era the White House began sending them to petting zoos after the ceremonies, though without formal pardons.

MINNESOTA'S GOBBLERS

The perk of taking presidential turkeys to Washington goes to the chairman of the National Turkey Federation . This year that's Carl Wittenburg, from the Minnesota town of Alexandria.

Wittenburg recruited five Douglas County 4-H members to help. They're the same teens he and his wife, Sharlene, mentored to a second-place finish in the statewide 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge this summer with a project on turkey bedding. None of the girls had worked with turkeys before. Now they're all going to the White House to help oversee the bird, though Wittenburg's 19-year-old son, Wyatt, will lift it up onto the table.

The Wittenburgs grow more than 100,000 turkeys annually for Northern Pride Cooperative in Wyndmere, North Dakota, but they raised the presidential flock on their smaller hobby farm near Alexandria. The birds hatched in late June. The star and an understudy who would step in if there's a last-minute problem will be around 47 and 37 pounds respectively by pardoning time.

THE CHALLENGES

The goal is getting the turkeys used to people. Teaching them to stay on the table and behave is the key, said Katie Kent, 18. The birds are hand-fed grub worms as bribes.

"We're getting them used to being on that table and getting them to gobble and strut on command," said Kodi Bundermann, 17.

Strutting for a turkey means fanning out his tail feathers and puffing out his body feathers. Toms do it to look good to the hens, Wittenburg said. Gobbling also is a male behavior; females click or cluck. It's hard to get turkeys to strut on command, he said, but they'll gobble nine times out of 10.

The 4-Hers also play them music. They seem to like country, said Christina Kuismi, 16.

"They love anything shiny, or even the ends of shoelaces, which are a little shiny," Kuismi said. "They like to untie shoelaces. They've gotten really good at it."

Another challenge for the ceremony is that turkeys are very easily distracted, she said.

"They're just very easily entertained," she said. "They just want to go everywhere and see everything and explore."

THE STARS

The team selected the two best birds from a flock of about 20, They looked for showmanship and character with an absence of any stage fright, Wittenburg said. They wanted turkeys that would strut and gobble for the cameras and the president yet remain calm on the table, he said.

The birds got officially named Drumstick and Wishbone on Monday, and the White House opened a Twitter poll on which one Trump should pardon. They stayed at a hotel near the White House for the run-up to the big show. A flock-mate was pardoned by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday.

The presidential birds will finish out their lives in leisure at Virginia Tech , joining the 2016 winners, Tater and Tot, at Gobbler's Rest in Blacksburg. With luck, they might live another year or more. A few of their predecessors have hit the ripe old age of 2. Very few domestic turkeys live that long. The vast majority get sent to processing plants when they're between 14 to 20 weeks old.

THE RISKS

Pardons have not always gone smoothly and gratitude is not guaranteed.

In 2001, a turkey named Liberty pecked President George W. Bush in the midsection - some reports say his crotch - drawing laughs from the crowd and an awkward expression from the president's face.

Another memorable photo shows a grimacing President Ronald Reagan getting a face full of feathers when the 1984 turkey started flapping its wings. A turkey also flapped around on Reagan before jumping off the table and strutting around the White House lawn in 1981.

TURKEY FACTS

Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state, with 450 farmers raising about 46 million turkeys this year. North Carolina is No. 2. They're among six states that account for nearly two-thirds of U.S. turkey production. The others are Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and Virginia.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that farmers will raise nearly 245 million turkeys this year. The National Turkey Federation estimates that Americans will eat about 46 million for Thanksgiving, 22 million at Christmas and 19 million for Easter. But most turkeys are destined to become deli meat, sausage and other products.

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LONDON (AP) - The man credited with creating the production line of young stars at Borussia Dortmund over the last decade has left the German club to join Arsenal as its head of recruitment.

Sven Mislintat leaves Dortmund after 10 years and will officially start his role at Arsenal in December.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says "identifying and developing talent is a core part of our philosophy and Sven has an outstanding track record over many years."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembele are among the youngsters to have been identified by Mislintat before breaking into Dortmund's first team.

Arsenal says scout Steve Rowley has stood down from his role after 25 years but will continue as a consultant.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N.'s Mideast envoy warned Monday that if reconciliation talks between Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas fail there will most likely be "another devastating conflict."

Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council that "critical intra-Palestinian talks" are scheduled to open in Cairo on Tuesday.

He said the Oct. 12 agreement between the rivals, aimed at restoring the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority's rule in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, started "a long road that could lead to reconciliation."

FILE - In a Monday, Sept. 25, 2017 file photo, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, attends a press conference at the (UNSCO) offices in Gaza City. Mladenov said Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, that reconciliation talks between Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas must succeed, warning that failure "will most likely result in another devastating conflict."(AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

But the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process warned of the consequences and likely conflict if the Hamas-Fatah agreement fails.

"Whether it would be triggered by a meltdown of law and order in Gaza, by the reckless action of extremists or by strategic choice, the result will be the same - devastation and suffering for all," Mladenov said. "This cycle must be avoided at all costs."

He said Palestinian leaders, Israel and the international community "have an important responsibility to advance the peace efforts."

The rival factions must also first solve the humanitarian crisis for Gaza's two million residents and return the territory to full civilian and security control by the Palestinian Authority, Mladenov told the council by video conference from Jerusalem.

Tuesday's talks are expected to focus on the Palestinian Authority's expansion of its rule in Gaza and broader national issues.

In 2007, Hamas wrested control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority after winning legislative elections a year earlier. It has wielded absolute power in Gaza since, driving humanitarian conditions to near-total collapse.

Mladenov called the Palestinian Authority's control over Gaza border crossings since Nov. 1 "a landmark step." And for the first time in more than a decade, he said the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was opened on Nov. 18 under the authority's control.

The transfer of responsibility at Gaza-based public institutions is also "slowly proceeding," Mladenov said, noting that several ministers and technical teams have traveled from the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank to Gaza to begin restoring government control.

Mladenov said the "not-so-good news" is that Gaza residents "have not seen any improvements to their daily lives."

Power outages last up to 20 hours a day, clean water is limited and sewage keeps flowing into the Mediterranean Sea "at catastrophic levels," he said.

Mladenov urged donors to fund the $10.8 million that is still needed to reach the U.N.'s $25 million humanitarian appeal for Gaza.

On broader Israeli-Palestinian issues, Mladenov welcomed the Nov. 8 announcement that security coordination between Israel and the Palestinians was being restored.

He expressed concern at the implications of an announcement by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday that the Palestinian Liberation Organization cannot operate a Washington office if the Palestinians try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians, which U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined the Palestinians tried to do in September.

The Palestinians threatened Saturday to suspend all communication with the U.S. if Trump follows through and closes the PLO office.

That could undermine Trump's bid for Mideast peace - a mission he has handed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Mladenov said "only through constructive dialogue can we hope to advance peace and I call on all parties to remain engaged."

"I believe and hope that a genuine change in Gaza, including full security control by the Palestinian Authority, would contribute to restoring confidence in the feasibility of a comprehensive peace agreement," he said. "All Palestinian factions must seize this opportunity to open a new page for their people."

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Israel respects the Trump administration's decisions but said: "We believe in negotiations with the Palestinians. We don't believe in unilateral actions."
"End Game" (Grand Central Publishing ), by David Baldacci

Assassins Will Robie and Jessica Reel are forced to become detectives to solve a baffling disappearance in David Baldacci's latest thriller, "End Game."

When the U.S. government wants to quietly eliminate a threat, it relies on Robie and Reel to take out the target. Their boss, known as the Blue Man, takes a rare vacation to visit his hometown in a rural part of Colorado. When he disappears, his superiors call on the Robie and Reel to find out what happened. They both work better hidden and seeing the world behind a sniperscope than confronting potential suspects directly.

This cover image released by Grand Central shows "End Game," by David Baldacci. (Grand Central via AP)

The citizens of the small town of Grand have issues with strangers asking questions. Both Robie and Reel have stumbled into a vast conspiracy that will probably get them killed, but they persevere for the sake of their boss.

It doesn't help that they are having personal issues. Robie has fallen in love with Reel, and he thought his feelings were reciprocated. So why is she giving him the cold shoulder?

Baldacci is a gifted storyteller, and while he has used a similar theme of taking his main characters and tossing them into a small town where they are a fish out of water and are forced to confront justice and injustice, it still works.

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Online:

https://davidbaldacci.com/
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - An American woman who endured five years of captivity in Afghanistan said she and her Canadian husband resisted their captors and did the best they could to raise young children in brutal conditions, using bottle caps and cardboard as toys and teaching their eldest son geography and astronomy.

"Obviously it saddened me to see how they were growing up, what they were growing up knowing. But I had to do everything I could do help them," Caitlan Coleman Boyle told ABC News in an interview broadcast Monday.

Pakistani troops rescued Coleman Boyle, her husband, Joshua Boyle, and their three children on Oct. 11, five years after the couple was abducted in Afghanistan on a backpacking trip. The children were born while the family was being held by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Coleman Boyle, who is from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, said their captors beat their eldest son, Najaeshi, with a stick, and he knew the family was in mortal danger.

"Of course this was an intolerable situation for a child to be in, the constant fear, so we had to come up with really unique ideas on how to help him not be afraid. Because obviously with people like this, the idea of a beheading is always on the table. So he certainly knew that this type of thing could happen to his family, but then we would come up with games to make it not seem so scary," she said.

Joshua Boyle told ABC how he and his wife physically fought with the guards, and she suffered a broken cheekbone and three broken fingers.

"She was very proud of that injury," he said.

He said their captors repeatedly tried to get him to join forces with them, noting that he had expressed disagreement with U.S. foreign policy. He said he repeatedly told them no.

"I would call them religious hypocrites to their face and would tell them that they would burn in hellfire for what they've done and that I would rather be killed than join their group," he said. "And that did not make me friends."

Boyle told reporters shortly after the family's release that his wife had been raped. In the ABC interview, Coleman Boyle recalled that guards dragged her husband from their cell, and one of them threw her on the ground, shouting, "I will kill you, I will kill you."

"And that's when the assault happened. It was with two men and then there was a third at the door and afterward the animals wouldn't even give back clothes," she said.

Now living in Canada, she said she hopes their children "find happiness and joy" as they grow up.

"My wish for them now is they never have to face fear in their lives again, that they can heal from this and grow to be strong, to be good, to have enough fun to make up for the years of trauma that they've had to endure," she said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Melania Trump, and son Barron, continued a time-honored, first lady tradition on Monday: receiving the official White House Christmas tree.

A military band quartet played holiday tunes as a horse-drawn wagon carried the 19 1/2-foot Balsam fir from Wisconsin up the White House driveway.

The first lady, wearing a holiday red turtleneck and a coat draped over her shoulders, and Barron, in a dark suit coat, white shirt and dark slacks, emerged from the North Portico. They circled the tree and walked over to Jim and Diane Chapman, who presented it. The Chapmans own a Wisconsin Christmas tree farm and won an annual contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association.

First lady Melania Trump and her son Barron Trump, look at the Wisconsin-grown Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The tree will be displayed in the White House Blue Room. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"This is a beautiful tree. Thank you so much. We will decorate it very nicely," the first lady told the Chapmans and other members of their family. "I hope you can come and visit with us."

The White House chief usher, who oversees the residence, and the grounds superintendent picked out the tree during a September scouting trip.

After Mrs. Trump and Barron gave their symbolic approval, the tree was carefully carted off to the Blue Room where, after a slight trim and the removal of a monstrous chandelier, it will become the holiday showstopper for a president who has vowed to put Christmas back in the center of the winter holidays.

During last year's presidential campaign, Trump railed against the preference for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," characterizing it as a "chipping away at Christianity."

"And we're not going to let that happen anymore, folks. I'll tell you," the then-candidate said at a March 2016 news conference in Florida. "A lot of times I'll say at the rallies around Christmastime we're going to start saying Merry Christmas again. You know, they don't say it anymore. The department stores don't put it up. We're going to start saying it again."

Invitations to dozens of holiday parties are going out. The subject line of one emailed invite references a White House "Christmas reception," while the language of the invitation itself refers to a "holiday reception."

The tree usually arrives the day after Thanksgiving, but was delivered early this year to accommodate the Trumps, who are spending the holiday at their estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

While the Trumps are away, a small army of volunteers, decorators and florists from around the country will descend on the White House on Friday and spend the holiday weekend transforming every inch of the 132-room mansion for Christmas, complete with a tree in every public room.

The White House food kitchen and pastry kitchen will go into overdrive preparing all of the food and cakes, cookies and pies that are typically served at the parties, along with the gingerbread White House - which is on display for weeks and never served. Cookies in the image of former President Barack Obama's dogs Bo and Sunny were always among the first items to be slipped into purses for the trip home. Trump does not have a pet.

The first lady tweeted last week, after she returned from accompanying the president to Japan, South Korea and China, that the souvenir Christmas booklet for tourists and party guests is being printed. The tweet included a photo of what appeared to be pages of the booklet strewn about a desk.

"Excited to receive the beautiful tree Monday!" she said.

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First lady Melania Trump with her son Barron Trump, right, greet the Chapman family of Silent Night Evergreens, who presented them the Wisconsin-grown Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The tree will be displayed in the White House Blue Room. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

First lady Melania Trump, third from right, with her son Barron Trump, third from left, is presented by the Chapman family of Silent Night Evergreens, the Wisconsin-grown Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The tree will be displayed in the White House Blue Room. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

First lady Melania Trump and her son Barron Trump, look at the Wisconsin-grown Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The tree will be displayed in the White House Blue Room. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida nursing home under investigation for the deaths of 13 patients after Hurricane Irma says in a letter to Congress that staff members did everything possible but couldn't overcome a lack of power to the central air conditioner.

In a letter released Monday, Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills attorney Geoffrey D. Smith told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that employees followed proper procedures between the air conditioner losing power on Sept. 10 and when the deaths began Sept. 13. The committee is investigating the deaths as are local police detectives and the state.

Smith said managers made repeated calls to Florida Power & Light, the state health care administration and Gov. Rick Scott in an effort to get the air conditioning power restored but got nowhere. Meanwhile, he says the facility's main power never went out and employees used portable air conditioners and fans to cool the patients and kept them hydrated. There was no state law requiring nursing homes to have backup generators for their central air conditioners.

He said staff had been closely monitoring patients for two days when the deaths began without warning. He said the temperature inside the facility never exceeded 81 degrees, which would be within standards.

"We believe that there were multiple system failures that need to be considered and investigated before casting blame on persons who risked their own well-being to care for others during this natural disaster," Smith wrote.

Scott's office issued a statement Monday saying, "This facility had a responsibility to its patients to protect life during emergencies. We must learn why this facility chose not to evacuate their patients to the hospital across the street or call 911."

Florida Power & Light says it followed the priority list for restoration as agreed to by Broward County.

Smith wrote in his letter that from Sept. 10 to 12, the staff monitored the facility's 150 patients and none exhibited any sign of heat exhaustion.

He said about 3 a.m. on Sept. 13, several patients began showing signs of respiratory and cardiac distress. He said the staff summoned paramedics for each patient and followed proper protocols.

"The onset of heat stroke is impossible to predict and can occur in 10 to 15 minutes," he said. He said the elderly are susceptible at 81 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).

He said about 6 a.m., Hollywood police officers and staff from Memorial Regional Hospital, the trauma center across the street, declared a mass casualty situation. Officers and hospital staff members have said the facility seemed excessively hot. Detectives took a temperature reading but that has not been released.

All patients were evacuated to Memorial over the next three hours. Three patients died at the nursing home, five later that day at Memorial and five in subsequent days at the hospital. A 14th death was later determined not to be related. The dead ranged in age from 57 to 99, with most from their 70s to 90s.

Smith rejected criticism that the center should have evacuated its patients to Memorial earlier, saying that would violate established emergency procedures.

"Hospitals are critical facilities that are supposed to be used for individual cases," not as mass evacuation centers, he wrote.

Shortly after the evacuation, an FPL crew arrived and restored the air conditioning's power in 20 minutes, he wrote.

He said 242 other Florida nursing homes lost power. He said he is seeking information on deaths at other facilities to see if they spiked during the blackout.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Britain lost a seat on the International Court of Justice on Monday for the first time since the tribunal started work in 1946, a setback seen by some diplomats and commentators as the result of waning international influence following its vote to leave the European Union.

Based at The Hague, Netherlands, the 15-member world court is the U.N.'s top judicial organ and its job is to settle disputes between countries.

Five judges are elected every three years and serve for nine years.

After four rounds of voting, Ronny Abraham of France, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia, Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade of Brazil and Nawaf Salam of Lebanon were elected Thursday by required majorities in both the General Assembly and Security Council.

Britain's Christopher Greenwood and India's Dalveer Bhandari, both running for re-election to the court, were forced into a runoff for the fifth seat because Greenwood had the required majority in the 15-member Security Council while Bhandari topped the vote in the 193-member General Assembly.

But Bhandari's support was gaining while Greenwood's was diminishing, apparently leading the British judge to drop out.

Bhandari was then easily elected Monday by both the assembly and the council.

"We are naturally disappointed," Britain's U.N. ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said, "but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates."

He said the United Kingdom will continue to support the court's work "in line with our commitment to the importance of the rule of law."

Before the vote, Britain's Guardian newspaper said that "losing a British presence on the court would be an international political embarrassment."

A Greenwood loss "will be interpreted as a blow to the U.K.'s international standing post-Brexit," the paper said. It will also demonstrate "the increasingly limited diplomatic influence wielded by the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, at the U.N."
The Queen has presented the Duke of Edinburgh with a rare honour as a special anniversary present as they celebrate 70 years of marriage.

As the royal couple reached their milestone platinum wedding anniversary, Elizabeth II appointed Philip a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) for services to the sovereign.

Her Majesty has appointed His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO).  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 20, 2017

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by The Queen, for services to the Sovereign.  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 20, 2017

The touching gesture will be seen as the Queens recognition of the devotion Philip has shown through the decades, supporting her publicly and privately.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in celebration of their platinum wedding anniversary

Philip, 96, retired from his public role in the summer after years of royal duty alongside the monarch.

He is the longest serving royal consort in British history, and the Queen, the nations longest reigning monarch, is the first to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary.

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street.

#HappyAnniversary to The Queen & The Duke of Edinburgh, today celebrating 70 years of marriage!

Discover more photos here: https://t.co/M3pWuT0ITX pic.twitter.com/GQEjVyeWQ9  Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) November 20, 2017

The monarch presented Philip with the honour at Windsor Castle, where they are marking their anniversary privately.

They are celebrating with close family and friends at a special dinner at the Berkshire residence on Monday evening.

Elizabeth II was a 21-year-old princess when she married her consort Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

The fairy-tale royal wedding was a morale booster in the tough years that followed the Second World War and millions of people tuned in to listen to the ceremony on the wireless.

The scene at the altar. The service at Westminster Abbey began at 11.30am #PlatinumWeddingAnniversary #royalwedding70 @PAImages pic.twitter.com/V2XOkXqXaq  PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) November 20, 2017

The young princess wore a Norman Hartnell dress made of duchesse ivory silk-satin which was hand-embroidered with more than 10,000 pearls and crystals.

Wartime leader Winston Churchill summed up the occasion as a flash of colour on the hard road we travel.

Less than five years after the royal wedding, the Princess became Queen on the death of her father George VI.

Bells at the historic Abbey in central London have rung out in tribute on Monday, with a full celebratory peal lasting around three hours and 20 minutes.

The Abbey bells are ringing today to mark the #70thweddinganniversary of The Queen and Prince Philip.  https://t.co/KTNIFPXvlK  Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) November 20, 2017

The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but this occasion is not being marked which such a service.

Prime Minister Theresa May sent her congratulations to couple on their special anniversary, while other messages came from the Womens Institute, of which the Queen has been a member longer than she has been married to the Duke, joining the Sandringham branch as a princess in 1943.

Congratulations to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrate their Platinum Wedding anniversary. They have devoted their lives to the service of the UK and the Commonwealth - my best wishes to them both on this special occasion: pic.twitter.com/FDlNcCWOkB  Theresa May (@theresa_may) November 20, 2017

In 2007 on their 60th anniversary, the Queen bestowed the Royal Victorian Chain upon the Duke as a sign of her affection.

A series of portraits of the Queen and Philip taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak was released to mark the platinum anniversary.

The portraits show the monarch wearing a yellow gold, ruby and diamond scarab brooch, given as a personal gift from Philip to the Queen in 1966.
Arsene Wenger has hailed Shkodran Mustafis leadership qualities and likened the defender to Per Mertesacker.

Mustafi headed the crucial opener in Arsenals 2-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday and produced an excellent defensive display to prevent Harry Kane adding to his north London derby tally.

A thigh injury in October kept Mustafi out for six weeks but Arsenal are yet to concede in the Premier League this season when he has partnered Laurent Koscielny in defence.

Arsene Wenger likens Shkodran Mustafi to Arsenal veteran Per Mertesacker

 @MustafiOfficial always knew @MesutOzil1088 would pick him out from that free-kick https://t.co/kibfwTdAsJ  Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 19, 2017

Wenger believes Mustafi brings greater organisation to his back line and compared the German to compatriot, and now 33-year-old Arsenal club-mate, Mertesacker.

First of all, hes similar to Per on a mental front, but of course hes 10 years younger, and hes a leader, hes a motivator, Wenger said.

He has a strong focus, and hes strong in the challenge. He had an outstanding performance against Tottenham. In the air he was good. He started a bit nervy and slowly became stronger and stronger.

After joining Arsenal from Valencia last year, Mustafi endured an inconsistent first season in England and he was linked with a move to Inter Milan last summer.

We heard from @MesutOzil1088 after his man-of-the-match performance in #AFCvTHFC... https://t.co/3Pw9GGupp8  Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 19, 2017

Wenger, however, insisted the 25-year-old was not close to leaving the Gunners and Mustafi also laughed off the suggestion.

You like to say this s***, said a smiling Mustafi.

Obviously, because youre asking me about it, its your job, as are the people from outside, talking and thinking that they know everything. In the end, what happens in the changing room is the real thing.

I dont understand why people are just talking about things. How can they know? How can they know if I have or havent been talking to clubs? Its just rumours.

Asked if he could confirm he was not close to leaving, Mustafi said: But Im here. Im standing right in front of you in an Arsenal shirt.

After todays team performance, it might be tough to just pick one of these  https://t.co/JIVbhw416Z  Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 18, 2017

Alexis Sanchez was also on target at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal moved to within one point of Tottenham in the table.

Wengers men had been branded a fading force in their rivalry with Spurs but they silenced the doubters, at least for now, with a ruthless display.

Its always Arsenal is this, Arsenal is that, Arsenal is not coming back. Its always the same, Mustafi said.

I think its about what the team is feeling and the team is thinking. We keep saying it but were always alive, we always believe in ourselves, we always give everything on the pitch.

Then obviously when it comes to games like that you have to show character  we did it. I think you have to give the team credit.
Britains hopes of an advantageous free trade agreement with the EU could be dashed if it attempts to use Brexit as an opportunity to abandon the European model and transform itself into a low-tax, low-regulation economy, Brussels chief negotiator has warned.

EU will not wait for UK. Future of EU is more important than #Brexit. We continue to negotiate new FTAs, develop internal market, digitalisation, strengthened defense & security policy says @MichelBarnier at #CERfutureEU pic.twitter.com/FEe2oz3dfv  Kreab EU (@KreabEU) November 20, 2017

Michel Barnier said the EU wanted to strike an ambitious deal with the UK, but warned that the remaining 27 national parliaments and the European Parliament could refuse to ratify it unless Britain commits to a level playing field on issues like fair competition, food safety, social protections and environmental standards.

Mr Barnier also said that Britain must come forward with proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland  as well as settling its financial accounts accurately  if it wishes to make progress towards trade talks at next months crunch European Union summit

On Ireland those who wanted Brexit must offer solutions, says @MichelBarnier at CER conference #CERfutureEU pic.twitter.com/uAxEAPIJo6  CER (@CER_EU) November 20, 2017

He suggested that this could involve separate regulatory regimes for Northern Ireland and the mainland, effectively moving the border with the single market area to the Irish Sea.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that UK-based financial services firms would lose the passport which allows them to operate in the EU market after Brexit.

He borrowed Theresa Mays old catchphrase to mock those who argue that a special arrangement should be made for the sector, telling them: Brexit means Brexit, everywhere.

His comments came as Prime Minister Theresa May prepared to chair a Downing Street meeting at which senior ministers are expected to discuss an attempt to break the deadlock by increasing Britains offer on its divorce bill.

Downing Street refused to comment on reports that the Cabinets Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee could approve a further 20 billion in payments, bringing the total offer to around 38 billion  well short of the 60 billion euro (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

Speaking during a visit to Birmingham on Monday morning, Mrs May repeated that the UK would honour our commitments and no other European Union country needs fear that they will have to receive less or pay in more.

Prime Minister .@theresa_may & Chancellor @PhilipHammondUK touring Birmingham training centre ahead of key cabinet meeting to discuss the #Brexit bill. PM says (as she has before) UK will honour our commitments. pic.twitter.com/uRR1Am0VB7  Richard Vernalls (@rvernallsPA) November 20, 2017

European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of next month for breakthroughs on the divorce bill and the Irish border if the EU27 are to conclude at the December 14-15 summit that sufficient progress has been made to move on to the second phase of negotiations, dealing with the future trade relationship.

Countdown to Brexit key events

German foreign minister Michael Roth said the EU27 need clarity from Britain on its divorce bill, warning: I currently see no chance of the European Council in December really sending out the signal that these talks can get going.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the EUs General Affairs Council in Brussels, Mr Roth added: In the end, its about the rights of the citizens of the EU and its about the money.

I have already made it clear that the British must make a move. They must stand by their contractual obligations. They cant be released from them.

Germany: SPD (S&D) rejects coalition with Merkel. Minority gov't or snap election only realistic alternative left. #Jamaika  Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) November 20, 2017

The prospects of progress in December were dealt a blow by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkels attempts to put together a coalition in Germany, meaning that one of the European Unions most significant players will be focused on her own position and a possible re-run election rather than being fully engaged in the Brexit process.
Metal peacock feathers and a "nano man" are among the striking images entered into the Cambridge University engineering departments 13th annual photo competition.

The peacock entry, called ICTP2017 Peacock, is by Fran Sergent, and celebrates the technologies of metal forming.

Nano-Man by Ravi Chitwan and Wei Tan. (Ravi Chitwan and Wei Tan/PA)

It features a peacock made with a combination of established techniques and new processes developed at Cambridges engineering department.

The nano man entry is a scanning electron micrograph showing thousands of entangled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) resembling a tiny stickman figure standing at the edge of a cliff.

Technology around CNTs is rapidly developing, and the material is 100 times stronger than steel and one-sixth as heavy. The photo is by Ravi Chitwan and Wei Tan.

The wonders of turbulence from Multi-Cellular Spheroids by Bryn Noel Ubald.( Bryn Noel Ubald/PA)

The overall winner of the photography competition, sponsored by ZEISS, was PhD student Bryn Noel Ubald for his video which shows how fluid behaves as it moves over a turbine blade.

It is part of a study which uses high-fidelity computational modelling to understand the impact of measurement devices within aircraft engines.
Frances President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns about the collapse of negotiations to form a coalition government in Germany led by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Speaking in Paris on Monday, Mr Macron said: Its not in our interest for it to get tense.

Preliminary coalition talks broke down late on Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) bowed out of the negotiations with Mrs Merkels conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens.

(Oliver Berg/dpa via AP)

FDP leader Christian Lindner said his party pulled out of the talks rather than further compromise its principles

Mr Macron said he had spoken to Mrs Merkel on Sunday night and believed that the declarations of pro-business Mr Lindner were quite hard.

The relationship between France and Germany, the eurozones two strongest economies, is seen as the driving force behind the European Union.
Adam Lallana has been included in the Liverpool squad travelling to Spain for the Champions League clash with Sevilla on Tuesday.

The England midfielder, yet to play in a competitive game this season, has been stepping up his recovery from a thigh injury.

Defender Joel Matip does not feature after he was absent from Saturdays 3-0 Premier League victory over Southampton due to a groin problem.

Adam Lallana included in Liverpool squad for Champions League clash with Sevilla

 The Reds have named a 23-man travelling squad for Sevilla...



Full list: https://t.co/Toamq1F59G pic.twitter.com/zwjYQx9pEA  Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 20, 2017

Another man included in the 23-man squad  announced by the Merseyside club on their official website on Monday  is striker Danny Ings, who has made only one first-team appearance so far this term.

Liverpool top Champions League Group E with eight points, one more than second-placed Sevilla, and will qualify for the next round with a win on Tuesday, or with a draw if Spartak Moscow lose at home to Maribor.

Jurgen Klopps Reds head into the contest at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on a winning streak that extended to four matches in all competitions with the result against Southampton.

The only game Sevilla have not won in their last five was a 2-1 defeat at Barcelona.
Democracy watchdog the Electoral Commission has opened an investigation into EU referendum spending by the Vote Leave campaign.

As well as looking into whether the main pro-Brexit campaign exceeded spending limits and entered an incorrect return, the Commission will also investigate donations made by Vote Leave to student Darren Grimes and Veterans for Britain.

The announcement of the inquiry came as anti-EU millionaire Arron Banks, chair of the separate Leave.EU organisation, threatened legal action against the Commission over its investigation into his Brexit campaign.

Electoral Commission figures show that Mr Grimes received donations totalling 625,000 from Vote Leave, which  along with 50,000 from an individual donor  allowed the 23-year-old to spend 675,000 on the BeLeave social media campaign to encourage young people to vote to quit the EU in last years referendum.

Veterans for Britain also received a donation worth 100,000 from Vote Leave in the run-up to the June 23 2016 vote.

Vote Leave reported spending totalling almost 6.8 million on the referendum, bringing it close to the 7 million limit for the designated lead campaign. Registered campaigners like Mr Grimes and Veterans for Britain were permitted to spend 700,000.

The Electoral Commission has launched a new investigation into spending at the EU referendum by Vote Leave, Darren Grimes and Veterans for Britain. Read our statement: https://t.co/qu4oo6OvVr pic.twitter.com/xmC04teqPc  Electoral Commission (@ElectoralCommUK) November 20, 2017

Announcing its inquiry into Vote Leave, the commission said: The opening of this investigation follows a review of previous assessments that the Electoral Commission conducted in February and March 2017 which, at the time, resulted in no further action being taken.

Since that time, new information has come to light which, when considered alongside the information obtained previously, has given the commission reasonable grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed.

Vote Remain and Vote Leave signs on a lamp post

Meanwhile, the commission was facing a threat of legal action from Mr Banks unless it reveals the sources behind an investigation into the funding of his Brexit campaign, Leave.EU.

The insurance tycoon said he would seek a judicial review of the decision to launch the probe unless the Electoral Commission gave details of its sources within 21 days.

His intervention came after the commission said the investigation into Leave.EU was being delayed because the Brexit campaign group had failed to hand over information.

The commission is looking into the alleged undeclared provision of services to Leave.EU by data firm Cambridge Analytica.

The watchdog is also separately looking into whether Mr Banks was the true source of three loans worth 6 million on non-commercial terms to Leave.EU, and whether Better For The Country Limited (BFTCL)  a company that lists him as a director  was acting as an agent when it donated 2.3 million to five registered campaigners.

Mr Banks said the investigation into the links to Cambridge Analytica and advocacy firm Goddard Gunster had not been resolved after 200 plus days.

Arron Banks

Last week the commissions head of regulation Louise Edwards said in a letter: Investigations can take further time where the commission needs to go back to organisations to ensure that full disclosure of requested material has been provided.

In relation to our first investigation in respect of Leave.EU, the commission will shortly set out to Leave.EU areas where it appears material has not been provided, notably relating to documents comprising the services provided by Goddard Gunster in late 2015/early 2016.

But in his response Mr Banks said: At the outset of the investigation we sent you three lever arch folders full of the relevant information and the last we heard from you was in July.

There have been no requests for further information or chasers.

He claimed the commission has sat on the investigation because it did not have a shred of evidence but it was too embarrassing for you to conclude.

On the second investigation into whether dark Russian money or overseas donations had been made to Leave.EU, he said: Unless you set out in the next 21 days the source of these allegations and why you find them credible, we intend to seek a judicial review of the decision to investigate our campaign and the political reasons why.

An Electoral Commission spokesman said the watchdog had seen Mr Banks open letter and will be responding in due course.
Jessica Harrington likened the Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown to doing the lottery as Sizing John prepares to take up the first of three challenges that could yield a 1million jackpot.

Last seasons Cheltenham Gold Cup hero will edge closer towards winning the huge bonus if he can land the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

Even still, Sizing John would only become a millionaire if he can claim the King George at Kempton and the Gold Cup back at Cheltenham in March.

Sizing John wins the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup for Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power - a first win in the race for both of them! pic.twitter.com/xa7c50TAy5  ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 17, 2017

Harrington said: It will be very hard to win the three races. Its a bit like doing the lottery. If the first number doesnt come up you know your fate for the rest of them.

I would like to bring him back to the Gold Cup, but the last two winners of that race (Coneygree and Don Cossack) havent even got back to Cheltenham.

From that point of view, plan A is to get him there, and anything else would be a bonus.

Owner Ann and Alan Potts following the Gold Cup at Cheltenham (Mike Egerton/PA)

Sizing Johns enterprising assault on the windfall was engineered by owner Alan Potts, who died last week at the age of 80.

Potts and his wife, Ann, who died in August, sent a strong squad of horses to Harringtons County Kildare yard in 2016 and the switch gained significant profit with two Cheltenham Festival winners in March.

She said: Alan was the one who said last year that he would like to go for the 1million bonus this season. He was very good to me, and brought some nice horses into the yard.

Everything I wanted to do, I was allowed to do. He was under a lot of stress with Ann not being well, but he got her to Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown and to France, which she loved, in June.

What a race - Sizing John wins the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup! pic.twitter.com/WNSWXy3ybL  At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 26, 2017

Sizing John is likely to arrive in England on Thursday ahead of his first start since April, when he dramatically won the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Harrington is, however, satisfied the seven-year-old is as fit as he can be without having had a run beforehand.

She said: Hes been to the Curragh to gallop around on the sand, to Naas and on Sunday to Punchestown. In Naas he went a full two miles over fences, and at Punchestown he galloped a mile and a half.

My only worry is that three hard races last year might leave a mark on him, but he had a good few hard races the year before and seemed to come out of it very well.

Gordon Elliott is expecting a big run at Haydock from Outlander

Sizing John is one of seven confirmations for the Betfair Chase, for which Charlie Hall Chase winner Bristol De Mai is the general ante-post favourite.

Additional Irish interest comes in the shape of the Gordon Elliott-trained Outlander, who returned to winning ways in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Elliott said: Forget about his run in Down Royal, if he comes back to his Lexus run hes good enough to line up in it. That was very, very good.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is to be relocated from London to Amsterdam after Brexit, it has been announced.

Alongside the European Banking Agency, the EMA is one of two key EU regulators which are to move away from Londons Canary Wharf, where they currently employ around 1,000 staff.

Amsterdam will be the new location of the European Medicines Agency



Background info on the relocation of the UK-based EU agencies: https://t.co/MasW1n0Goh pic.twitter.com/KDbMvmoWRA  Estonia in the EU (@EEinEU) November 20, 2017

The Dutch city of Amsterdam won a battle to host the EMA against a field including Athens, Barcelona, Bonn, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Lille, Milan, Porto, Sofia, Stockholm, Malta, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb.

EU and Union flags

Ministers from the 27 other EU members voted at a meeting in Brussels on which cities should become the agencies new homes.

The chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Mike Thompson, said: Congratulations to Amsterdam on their successful bid.

Hosting the EMA is a singular honour for any city and we will do all we can to support the agencys smooth transition to its new home.

Congratulations to Amsterdam, The Netherlands  Read our response to the @EUCouncil's decision on the new home for @EMA_News #EMA https://t.co/dvD54RsnIw  ABPI (@ABPI_UK) November 20, 2017

Mr Thompson added: Todays decision marks the moment when attention should switch to how patient safety and effective public health can be maintained during this complex transition and into the future.

We now urge both the UK and the EU to put patients first and acknowledge that securing a comprehensive agreement to co-operate on medicines safety, regulation and supply is an urgent negotiating priority.

Under the terms of the contest to provide a new home for the regulators lost by the UK, it was decided that the EMA and EBA could not both be relocated to the same country.

Each bid was assessed on factors of accessibility; schools for the children of staff; healthcare and access to work for spouses; business continuity; geographical spread; and the assurance that the agency can be operational in its new home when the UK leaves the EU.

Today we find out which European city has won the European Medicines Agency (EMA).



But what a loss for the UK: 900 jobs, 322m budget (89% from fees & charges, 5% from EU), health industry setting up nearby & 40,000 business visits a year. Gone from London. Thanks to #Brexit. pic.twitter.com/kGjYuebpvC  Scientists for EU (@Scientists4EU) November 20, 2017

Success in the competition will provide a boost to the economy and political prestige of both Amsterdam and the winning city in the EBA contest.

European Council President Donald Tusk said that the real winner from the relocation decision was the 27 states who will remain in the EU after Britain has left.

Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, called for reassurances that the move to Amsterdam will not have adverse effects on patients in the UK and EU.

She said: This is best achieved by ensuring an orderly transition. Patients must not get slower access to new drugs and treatments as a result of this move.

John Hardy, Professor of Neuroscience at University College London, said: This is just another unforeseen  by the politicians  consequence of Brexit.

Of itself, it is bad enough news  many highly skilled jobs moving out of the country. But a greater impact will be the tug this exerts on the pharmaceutical companies as they weigh up where to make their clinical research investments.

Over time, this is likely to lead to a disinvestment in the UK of pharmaceutical industry jobs and this has been a major source of revenue and employment for the UK.
By Clyde Russell

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The nickel market is learning that there is a difference in believing you are the next big thing in battery metals and the reality that you are actually still beholden to the Chinese steel sector.

Nickel was one of the darlings at last month's annual London Metal Exchange Week, with everybody from producers, to traders and consumers talking up its prospects on the back of the expected surge in electric vehicles.

The euphoria helped drive benchmark LME nickel to a more than two-year closing high of $12,920 a tonne on Nov. 6, but since then the price has stumbled.

Nickel closed at $11,575 a tonne on Nov. 17, a drop of 10 percent in under two weeks, while Shanghai Futures Exchange contracts also showed a similar decline, dropping 9.5 percent from their peak on Nov. 7 to end at 93,630 yuan ($14,144) a tonne on Nov. 17.

The positive long-term outlook for nickel as a key component for batteries for electric vehicles hasn't changed in the past two weeks since LME Week, but what has changed is the market view of the short-term outlook for China's vast steel sector.

About 70 percent of global nickel supplies are used in making stainless and other steel products, compared to about just 4 percent in batteries.

While the use of nickel in batteries is growing at an annual rate of close 6 percent, according to the Nickel Institute, it will take several years before this demand becomes sufficient to act as a standalone driver of prices.

In the meantime, steel is where the action is, and given that China represents about half of global steel output, it isn't hard to see why this sector is key to nickel's fortunes.

The major theme currently in China steel is the output restrictions being enforced by the authorities over winter as part of efforts to limit pollution caused by burning coal in industrial processes.

The weight of these output cuts is still to show up meaningfully in production data, but already there are indications that China is cutting production.

Average daily crude steel output dropped for a second month in October, falling 2.5 percent to an average 2.334 million tonnes a day, down from September's 2.394 million.

Average crude steel output will fall below 2.3 million tonnes in November as 28 cities fully implement output curbs between mid-November and mid-March, according to Qiu Yuecheng, an analyst with the steel trading platform Xiben New Line E-Commerce in Shanghai.

CHINA'S NICKEL APPETITE

Even without the current steel restrictions, China's appetite for nickel has been subdued so far this year.

Imports of refined nickel are down 51.4 percent to 155,382 tonnes in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year.

The drop in refined imports has been somewhat offset by an 8.8 percent gain in imports of nickel ores and concentrates to 25.96 million tonnes in the first nine months.

However, the big mover has been in imports of what China customs terms ferronickel, which are up 54.3 percent to 1.09 million tonnes.

However, the major part of that is cargoes from Indonesia, which shipped 792,393 tonnes in the first nine months, a jump of 57.1 percent over the same period in 2016.

But Indonesian ferronickel doesn't fit the usual definition of the beneficiated, intermediate stage nickel product, as it has a much lower nickel content.

This can be seen in the price, with Indonesian ferronickel imports in September having a landed price of $1,375.98 a tonne, while those from next biggest supplier New Caledonia came in at $3,009.44 a tonne.

Chinese nickel supporters have basically turned to low quality, partly beneficiated nickel from Indonesia as a substitute for refined nickel and nickel ore.

The ready availability of this grade from Indonesia suggests that the market is far from tight, and that Chinese nickel producers have been able to show flexibility and adapt to the shifting dynamics of the market in Asia.

Overall, the picture that emerges is that while nickel may well catch a ride on the predicted boom in electric vehicles, this is a story for the future.

The current picture is one where China steel output still drives the market, and this is looking somewhat bearish for the next few months over winter, but may well enjoy a resurgence in the spring of 2018.

(Editing by Richard Pullin)
KIEV, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Kostiantyn Lytvynskyi, chief operating officer and head of trading of Kernel, Ukraine's largest grains and oilseed producer and the world's top sunflower oil exporter, has left the company, two sources close to the matter said.

Kernel was not immediately available to comment.

A filing available on Kernel's website shows the company plans to propose at its general assembly on Dec. 11 to acknowledge the termination of Lytvynskyi's mandate as director of the board of directors.

Lytvynskyi was also responsible for logistics.

The Warsaw-listed company appointed Yevgen Osypov as chief executive officer last month to run day-to-day operations and be responsible for the execution of strategy. Andriy Verevskyy remains chairman of the board steering the policy, strategy and further development of the company.

Kernel says it accounted for around 9 percent of total grain exports from Ukraine and 3 percent of Russia's in 2016/2017, making it the leading grain exporter from the Black Sea region. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris and Jonathan Saul in London. Editing by Jane Merriman)
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BEIRUT, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Lebanese president appeared to defend Hezbollah as necessary to resist Israel on Monday, after an Arab League statement accused the group of terrorism and noted it is part of Lebanon's coalition government.

"Israeli targeting still continues and it is the right of the Lebanese to resist it and foil its plans by all available means," President Michel Aoun's office quoted him as saying in a Tweet.

The heavily armed Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, formed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, fought Israel's occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s and says its weapons are still needed against Israel.

Saudi Arabia, a regional rival of Iran, opposes Hezbollah's role as a military force in Syria and has accused it of helping the Houthi group in Yemen and militants in Bahrain.

The Arab League met on Sunday to discuss what it called Iranian interference in Arab countries, and accused Tehran's ally Hezbollah of terrorism.

Aoun said that Lebanon could not accept suggestions that its government was a partner in acts of terrorism, another Tweet quoted him as saying after meeting Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Beirut.

Aboul Gheit said in Beirut that nobody was accusing Lebanon's government of terrorism or wanted to harm Lebanon.

"One of the ruling partners is accused of this...It is an indirect means of asking the Lebanese state to talk to this partner and convince them to restrain their acts on Arab land," he said. "Everyone acknowledges the particularity of the Lebanese situation."

Lebanon faces a political crisis after its prime minister Saad al-Hariri suddenly resigned on Nov. 4 in a statement broadcast from Saudi Arabia. His resignation statement accused Iran and Hezbollah of "sowing strife" in Arab countries. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Angus McDowall; Editing by Peter Graff, William Maclean)
By Marc Frank

HAVANA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - North Koreas foreign minister will arrive in Cuba on Monday, in search of support amid unprecedented pressure from the United States and the international community to cease its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The Cuban foreign ministry, in a brief note on its web page, said Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho would meet with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, among other unspecified activities.

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapon and missile programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan.

Cuba and North Korea have maintained warm political relations since 1960, despite Havanas often-stated opposition to nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump has also increased pressure on Cuba since taking office, rolling back a fragile detente begun by predecessor Barack Obama and returning to the hostile rhetoric of the Cold War.

The visit provides an opportunity for North Korea to demonstrate, just 90 miles from the United States, that it is not completely isolated, and for Cuba that it will not buckle under U.S. pressure.

At the same time, diplomats said Cuba was one of the few countries that might be able to convince North Korea to move away from the current showdown with the United States that threatens war.

"We often ask the Cubans if they can talk to them," an Asian diplomat said.

The two Communist-run countries are the last in the world to maintain Soviet-style command economies, though under President Raul Castro, the Caribbean nation has taken some small steps toward the more market-oriented communism of China and Vietnam.

Cuba maintains an embassy in North Korea, but publicly trades almost exclusively with the South. Last year, trade with the latter was $67 million and with the North just $9 million, according to the Cuban government.

However, in 2013, Panama discovered a load of Soviet vintage weapons hidden under 10,000 tonnes of Cuban sugar on a North Korean vessel, in violation of U.N. sanctions and appearing to confirm suspicions that the two countries worked together to circumvent them.

Cuba claimed the weapons were going to North Korea for repairs and were to be sent back. (Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
By Alex Lawler

LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Oil exports from southern Iraq have risen by 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) this month to close to a record high, according to shipping data and an industry source, as OPEC's second-largest producer seeks to offset a shortfall from the north.

Southern Iraqi exports in the first 20 days of November averaged about 3.50 million bpd, up 150,000 bpd from October, according to shipping data tracked by Reuters and independent tracking by an industry source.

The increase follows a decline in output in northern Iraq since mid-October, when Iraqi forces took back control of fields from Kurdish fighters. Iraq has said southern exports would rise to make up the shortfall, although some in the industry were sceptical this would be possible.

"It seems they managed to get there," the industry source who tracks Iraq's exports said.

The rise brings southern exports within a whisker of the record high of 3.51 million bpd seen in December 2016, the last month before an output cut agreement led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries took effect.

The increase this month, though, has not entirely offset the drop in shipments from the north.

Northern exports have averaged about 250,000 bpd so far in November, according to shipping data and the industry source, down from an estimated 450,000 bpd in October and levels of more than 500,000 bpd in earlier months this year.

The drop in supplies from Iraq comes as OPEC, Russia and other producers are cutting output by about 1.8 million bpd until March 2018 in an effort to get rid of a glut and support prices.

Iraq has adhered less to the supply deal with non-OPEC producers than OPEC peers such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but the drop in Kirkuk output helped to boost Iraqi and overall compliance with the deal.

The bulk of Iraq's oil is exported via the southern terminals. Smaller amounts are shipped from the Kirkuk fields in northern Iraq via Ceyhan in Turkey. (Editing by Mark Potter)
By Isla Binnie

OSTIA, Italy, Nov 20 (Reuters) - At their office in a rundown Rome neighbourhood, volunteers from a neo-fascist group line up bags full of groceries to donate to poor Italian families, keen to show local residents they are ready to help.

Such initiatives helped CasaPound win 9 percent of the vote in a municipal election this month, securing its first ever seat on Ostia's council.

Buoyed by a rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment and years of economic strain, the group hopes for a similar breakthrough in national elections due next year.

Europe is proving fertile terrain for the far right, with the Alternative for Germany party winning seats in the Bundestag in September for the first time and Austria's Freedom Party, which was founded by Nazis, in talks to enter government.

Although polls say CasaPound will struggle to make an impact nationally, the group is ploughing a furrow in forlorn areas like Ostia, where the beach fills with day-trippers in summer but the backstreets are dogged by organised crime and poverty.

"They help lots of families who are in trouble, although you can't deny they can be violent," said 33-year-old Daniele Fascetti, an unemployed Ostia resident, recalling how CasaPound delivered water to homes when the supply was cut off last year.

"It works like this: 'I don't have water, you bring it to me. No one else helps, other political parties never come here. I vote for you.'"

A microcosm of some of Italy's thorniest social issues, Ostia's problems were laid bare in the local council election campaign, the first since the previous mafia-infiltrated council was shut down two years ago.

An assault on a journalist by a man linked to the mafia, who had praised CasaPound on Facebook, prompted the government to deploy the army for the run-off. CasaPound condemned the attack and distanced itself from the coastal mafia clans.

Shrugging off any damage to its image from the incident, the group's prime ministerial candidate, Simone Di Stefano, said he saw the Ostia result as another step forward after it took 8 percent in mayoral elections in Lucca, Tuscany, in June and gained seats on councils in nearby Todi and the Alpine town of Bolzano.

"Things have certainly sped up a lot," Di Stefano told Reuters in the six-floor building in Rome which CasaPound occupies and has emblazoned its name on. "We are across the whole boot," he added, referring to the shape of Italy.

Eighteen families live in the block, whose inside walls are hung with anti-capitalist posters and the flag of the National Fascist party under wartime dictator Benito Mussolini.

The centre-left government is trying to pass a law that would clamp down on such Fascist imagery, concerned about a return to extreme right-wing ideology.

Di Stefano is indifferent to that prospect, pointing instead to the black and white tortoise logo that represents CasaPound's core belief that all Italians have a right to housing.

"We are trying to take all the anger there is among Italians in the right direction, which is criticism of globalisation and the European Union," Di Stefano said.

ABANDONED

CasaPound is clamouring for migrants to be removed from a squalid camp in Ostia, and, in July, volunteers in bright-red tabards chased away roving street hawkers, mostly Africans, who peddle drinks, clothes and jewellery on the beachfront.

Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi, of the anti-system 5-Star Movement, denounced the group for "violence and intimidation", saying "no one should take the place of the institutions".

But many of Ostia's 230,000 residents feel abandoned by the state, and although the 5-Star won Sunday's run-off vote on Sunday, turnout was a threadbare 34 percent.

"Politicians have totally disappeared here, and CasaPound has taken advantage of that vacuum, stoking controversy about migrants," said Daniele Piccinin, 41, a freelance journalist who cast a blank vote.

Railing against immigration is not reserved for the political fringes in Italy, where more than 600,000 migrants have arrived by boat in the past four years.

A poll by SWG this month showed 65 percent of respondents said they were not open to immigrants, while 55 percent said racism was acceptable in some circumstances.

Mainstream parties like the Northern League, part of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right bloc, have tapped adroitly into such sentiment, helping to limit CasaPound's expansion at the national level.

But the party, which was founded in 2008, had room to grow, said Marco Valbruzzi of the Cattaneo Institute research firm.

"Continuing to cultivate the peripheral areas can probably bear fruit in future elections - although not in 2018 - if the traditional parties do not realise they need to go back to having a presence on the ground," Valbruzzi said.

For some in Ostia, the creeping advance is worrying.

"I didn't live through Fascism, but my mother told me stories," said Raffaella Di Bona, 54, who works in tourism. "We need to remember that in the 1920s we were the migrants, otherwise history has taught us nothing." (Reporting by Isla Binnie; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Robin Pomeroy)
AMMAN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - At the British embassy to Jordan, a former rescue cat is settling into his new position as chief mouser - as a traditional well established in the ministries of London goes global.

"Lawrence of Abdoun" is a fluffy black-and-white tom who, according to his Twitter feed, reports directly to the Foreign Office's Palmerston, a cat that delights his 57,000 followers with regular updates from the ministry in Whitehall via @DiploMog.

Lawrence, named after T.E. Lawrence, a British military officer who fought alongside Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, has already gained 2,500 followers since being adopted from an animal shelter last month.

Abdoun is the neighbourhood of Amaan where the embassy is located.

"Apart from his mousing duties, he reaches out to followers on Twitter. Whats quite interesting is the British public are seeing the U.K embassy in Jordan in a different light," said Deputy Ambassador Laura Dauban.

"Through Lawrences Twitter account were trying to show a different side to Jordan, what it is really like, a peaceful, prosperous country that British tourists should come and visit."

Tweeting under the name @LawrenceDipCat, Lawrence has discovered the perils of social media, and has even been fat-shamed by trolls.

"Hes been a bit upset because some people have said he looked a bit fat in the last tweet he did, so hell be doing some exercises and posting to sort of rectify that situation," Dauban said. (Reporting by Bushra Shakhshir; Writing by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
OUAGADOUGOU, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's foreign minister said on Monday it had recalled its ambassador to Libya over a report that black African migrants were being auctioned as slaves there.

The decision by the West African nation followed the broadcast by CNN of footage of what it said was an auction of men offered to Libyan buyers as farmhands and sold for $400, a chilling echo of the trans-Saharan slave trade of centuries past.

Foreign Minister Alpha Barry announced the decision by President Roch Marc Kabore in a news conference.

"The president of Burkina Faso has decided to recall the ambassador to Tripoli, General Abraham Traore, for a consultation," Barry said.

He added that he had also "summoned the Libyan charge d'affairs in (Burkina Faso's capital) Ouagadougou to express our indignation at these images that belong to other centuries, images of the slave trade".

African and European leaders are due to meet in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan next week, where migration and Europe's efforts to tackle it by co-opting Libya will be high on the agenda.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said last month that a European and African deal to stem the flow of migrants coming through Libya to Europe had failed to tackle the severe abuses they face. (Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Surekha Alles, Managing Director - Allianz Lanka

Allianz Lanka continued to maintain its impressive performance across its general and life businesses through the 9 months ended 30thSeptember, 2017.

Allianz Insurance Lanka, the general insurance company, recorded Gross Written Premium (GWP) of Rs.3.92 billion during the period under review, a YoY growth of 30% over GWP of Rs.3.02 billion reported during the same period last year. This helped the business registerpre-tax profits (PBT) of Rs.126.9 million, a marked increase over the PBT of Rs.3 million at the end of 3Q, 2016.

The Life Companyregistered an impressive growth of 18% in annualized new business premiums in 3Q 2017 with GWP growing by 13% YoY to Rs. 864 million. This allowed the business to report pre-tax profits (PBT) of Rs.68 million.

Allianz Lankas prudent investment strategy continued to help generate greater returns with the general insurance business witnessing a 38% growth in its investment portfolio and 27% YoY growth in investment income which stood at Rs.202 million at the end of the period under review. The life business investment portfolio grew by 39% YoY, from Rs. 1.9 billion to Rs. 2.6 billion generating investment income of Rs.207 million, a YoY growth of 43%.

I am delighted to note that the company continues to move ahead along its steady growthtrajectory and has performed exceptionally during the quarter despite stiff competition and a spike in claims due to natural disasters. We have managed to deliver these results while standing by our policyholders affected by the weather. Our teams focused on helping them get their lives and businesses back to normal as quickly as possible, offering assistance and expediting claims settlements, said Mrs. Surekha Alles, Managing Director, Allianz Insurance Lanka.A clear reflection of our commitment to delivering sustainable growth and greater value to all stakeholders, the performance numbers have strengthened our confidence in meeting our financial targets and ending the year on an emphatically successful note.

Both the life and general businesses of Allianz Lanka maintained healthy solvency margins of 519% and 175% respectively as at 3Q 2017. A symbol of the companies ability to pay insurance benefits and other payments, they were well above the minimum solvency regulations.

Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd. and Allianz Life Insurance Lanka Ltd., known together as Allianz Lanka, are fully-owned subsidiaries of Allianz SE, Germany, a world leader in integrated financial services. Having started out as a Greenfield operation in 2005, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing insurance service providers in Sri Lanka. The company prides on supporting its clients business strategy by understanding their risk profile and needs, and providing individual solutions from its world class portfolio of products and services. Around the world, over 140,000 Allianz employees serve some 86.3 million retail and corporate customers in 70 countries, who place their trust on the knowledge, global presence, financial strength and solidity of Allianz to support them in their moment of truth.
Business Top 30 awards ceremony organised by the Business Today magazine was held at Shangri La Hotel in Colombo. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe attended the event as the Chief Guest of the awards ceremony. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
Policemen gather near a damaged jail gate after inmates escaped from the prison.

KANDAHAR AFP Nov19, 2017-Dozens of prisoners were freed by Afghan special forces during a raid on a Taliban jail in southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.



Up to 30 civilians and police were rescued from the prison in Helmand province, where the militants have a large presence, during the operation late Saturday. Among those released were four teenagers, Helmand police spokesman Abdul Salam Afghan told AFP. Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, commander of the Afghan National Armys 215 Corps, said 20 civilians who had been chained up and a number of police were sprung from the jail in Nawzad district.



The inmates had been accused by the Taliban of committing various crimes, Ahmadzai added.

In a statement the Taliban said the prisoners were all criminals. The Taliban operates its own courts and prisons in areas under its control. While punishments can be harsh the system is often seen as being more efficient and less corrupt than the official one.
By Lahiru Pothmulla

Science, Technology and Research Minister Susil Premajayantha last week said the government will send a team of experts to Russia to study and gather information about chrysotile fiber (the main ingredient of popular roofing solution, asbestos) and its effect on human health.



The Sri Lankan government has proposed to fully ban the usage of asbestos by 2024.



Speaking at the launch of two studies on chrysotile fiber use in Sri Lanka, where it was said chrysotile fiber has no negative impact on human health, the minister said the team will consist of representatives from different ministries and institutions. They will have a study over there and gather information and then report back. Thereafter, we will report to the Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for enforcing some kind of restriction.



According to my knowledge, there are certain restrictions even at present. We will look into how we are going to use this raw material in the roofing industry without harming the humans, he stressed.

Premajayantha said the raw materials for the industry are being imported mainly from Russia and therefore, the subject has been taken up at several high level meetings.



Recently I met the Russian Ambassador and his predecessor. This matter was also taken up. As a result, we met a delegation led by politicians of Russia and had discussions, he said.



He said his ministry is in the process of conducting extensive research to find out whether white Chrysotile fibre affects the health of people.



The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) is conducting research and we may have to consult medical experts, he said.



According to the minister about 1.8 million houses in the country use asbestos sheets for roofing.

General public mostly use them for roofing and ceiling purposes. Therefore we have to get the expert opinion and then report to the Ministry of Environment and especially the Central Environment Authority (CEA). Then we can get together and address the issue. Im sure that there are solutions. With our inputs, we will come to a conclusion; not in a hurry but considering all the facts, he said.
Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga today assured the people that there was ample stocks of fuel to last the next three weeks and said three more ships carrying fuel would arrive in the country within the next two weeks.

He said his Ministry had requested the CID to investigate the rumour mongering by miscreants who were sending text messages via social media websites to cause panic among motorists.

The minister said President Maithripala Sirisena had promised to launch an investigation into this matter.

He told a news conference held at the ministry yesterday that anti-government elements were using the social media to embarrass the government.

I assure all stakeholders that there is no fuel shortage and that I will not hesitate to inform the people even if there was a remote chance of a fuel shortage. However, fuel stations have had to release extra fuel due to the increased demand during these two days. Usually, we release 2,500 metric tonnes of fuel a day but we have released up to 4,000 metric tonnes of fuel to cover any extra demand, he said.

The minister said they had received reports of some privately-owned fuel stations refusing to release fuel though they had enough stocks.

We will acquire these fuel stations if this state of affairs continues, he said.

The minister said in the past there had been a business mafia in the fuel sector and that the ministry was now in the process of doing things right for the benefit of the people.

He said at the next Cabinet meeting he would submit a proposal for the construction of fuel storage tanks in various parts of the country. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

Video by Buddhi
Advice would be sought from the Attorney General's Department with regard to the Northern Provincial Education Minister who had refused to hoist the national flag, Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray said today.

He said this at a news briefing held today to announce the stance of the NPC in connection with this incident.

Education Minister S. Sarveshwaran, who was the Chief Guest at a function, held at the Perakum Maha Vidyalaya in Irattaperiyakulam, Vavuniya on November 16, 2017 is alleged to have refused to hoist the national flag. (Sheain Fernandopulle)
Asia has achieved remarkable growth and prosperity over the past decades. It is not without costs though. Part of the regions rapid expansion happened at the expense of its environment and scarce natural resources.



To ensure that our economies can continue to develop and grow sustainably, we need to continuously ask ourselves: what intervention do companies have to make today to be operating years from now.

For many companies, there is a constant balance between generating growth and returns, and minimizing negative impact on the environment, health and safety. Instead of turning away companies that cause stress to the environment and community,a more practical solution is for governments and banks to work withthemto meet sustainable standards.



Positioning to play bigger role



Because banks are able to influence capital allocation by assessing and managing risks, the industry is well positioned to play a bigger role in the development of sustainable finance. It is not about exiting sectors because they cause harm to our environment or community; these industries support many jobs that provide for families and sustain economies. It is more about supporting practices that promote sustainable business, employment and growth while being socially responsible.



The mission of providing finance responsibly can be met with predicament though. Banks thrive by financing clients, but they encounter a dilemma of balancing economic gains with environmental and social (E&S) impact when sustainability risks arise from thesefinancing decisions. Banks can also become vulnerable to reputational risk from charges of their clients environmentally and socially inappropriate behaviour.



But as an international financial institution that does most of its business in emerging markets, we are cognizant of our responsibility and the difference we can make through our choice to bank the right companies.



Since 1997, we have implemented a comprehensive approach to managing E&Srisks. Our Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) framework applies standards adopted from the Equator Principles to assess and manage E&S risks in projects. By being an active member of industry bodies, we also commit to understanding and promoting guidelines and policies to help clients address challenges and capitalise on sustainable growth opportunities.



Take for example our ESRM team, whichacts as an in-house independent advisor on sustainability-related issues.It either lends support to a financing deal by working with willing clients to achieve the right E&S standards, or concludes that others sustainability goals are misaligned with what our Bank stands for. The teams role spans from initial risk assessments and detailed due diligence to designing time-bound action plans tied to loan conditions.



Investing in time and resources



But why should companies invest time and resources to meet stringent standards that could compromise near-term gains? And how relevant are responsible business actions to Singapore?

Situated at the end of the Malayan Peninsula between Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore is no stranger to the perennial haze caused by forest firesused to clear land for agricultural production and sale. The prolonged haze in 2015 resulted in disruptions including schools closure and suspended delivery services by fast-food companies. For the first time, consumers in Singapore boycotted products from companies involved in causing the haze, and had retailers withdraw those brands from their shelves. It cost the country some S$700 million of economic losses.



The realisation hit home. The need for sustainable practices has gone beyond building a green environment; it is also about the people and their community.



Remedial actions were taken. In October 2015, the Association of Banks in Singapore issued guidelines on responsible financing. A month later, Indonesias banking regulator announced that green financing would be compulsory for all banks in Indonesia by 2018. In 2016, the Singapore Exchange introduced sustainability reporting on a comply or explain basis to increase non-financial disclosures transparency. The Monetary Authority of Singapore is a supporting partner of the Collaborative Initiative for green finance in Singapore, an initiative that is being driven by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs in collaboration with the UN Environment Inquiry. A report that will outline the opportunities and possibilities to better mainstream green finance in Singapore has just been published this week.



Sustainable development principles



Opportunities based on sustainable development principles could help the private sector unlock US$5 trillion in business opportunities and create 230 million new jobs in Asia by 2030, the Business & Sustainable Development Commission said in June 2017.



Banks success as a business is intrinsically linked to the health and prosperity of their markets. While we help clients that meet sustainability standards to build sustainable results, it is also about working with those who are not compliant today but are committed to making the right changes.



As rapidly-evolving sustainability benchmarks up the ante on corporate responses to the growing social demands on organisations, helping companies to secure their social licence to operate can only become the way forward. Without this intent, we risk losing the forest for the trees.



(Judy Hsu is the Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered, Singapore and ASEAN Markets (Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand & Rep Offices)

BLURBS



Opportunities based on sustainable development principles could help the private sector unlock US$5 trillion in business opportunities and create 230 million new jobs in Asia by 2030

A report that will outline the opportunities and possibilities to better mainstream green finance in Singapore has just been published
Buddhist thinking superimposed upon all Eastern thought the notion of the equality of all human beings - C.G. Weeramanthry

Social contract theory requires the Govt to use such power for peace, safety and public good of the people

Giving foremost place to Buddhism proved to be a sound constitutional machinery

Sovereignty is in the people was a fundamental feature of the Buddhist system of Government - Dr. Wijeyethunga

Article 9 of the Constitution has become the subject of much discussion. Could or should it be removed from the Constitution?



Article 9 reads as follows;



The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14 (1) (e). (Emphasis mine).



Critics allege that this Article leads to inequality. According to some it is only a decoration. However, there were historical and practical reasons to include it in the present constitution. Similarly makers of the new constitution cannot disregard or destroy the basic foundation and structure of our civilization. Constitutions of several other affluent countries, e.g. Denmark, Hungary, Norway, most of the Middle East Countries etc., fearlessly safeguard State Religions of their respective civilizations. Buddhism has formed the structure and foundation of our civilization for over 2500 years.



C.G.Weeramantry, former Vice President of International Court of Justice and a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, in his work on Equality and Freedom states; Buddhist thinking superimposed upon all Eastern thought the notion of the equality of all human beings.... Buddhist thinking likewise furnishes some of the earliest recorded thought concerning the conduct of democratic self-governing institutions.



What assured the stability of our country and society for over 2500 years? It was nothing but the application of Buddhist principles of good governance by the Kings and administrators of the State who gave the foremost place to Buddhism. They gifted us a proud history free from Ethnic or communal conflicts or clashes.



Foremost place to Buddhism



From the time of arrival of Arahath Mahinda in 236 B.C., giving the foremost place to Buddhism had been the first principle of the unwritten constitution of this nation. Today it is in our written constitution. Buddhism firstly imposes a set of strict rules of good governance on the Head of the State and secondly assures a working social contract among the Government/State and its people.

The term Buddha Sasana could be further extended to include Maha Sangha, archaeological sites, villages, lands and properties feeding Buddhist temples and Viharas



In such a State, the King should refrain from Sathara Agathi (4 biases); bias due to (i) liking (ii) anger (iii) ignorance and (iv) fear. He should treat the community with Sathara Sangraha Wasthu (i) Giving (Dana) (ii) pleasant words (iii) working for public benefit and (iv) equal treatment. He shall necessarily practise the Ten Royal Virtues (Dasa raja Darma) (i) Generosity/charity (ii) morality (iii) Sacrifice for the public benefit (iv) Honesty/integrity (v) Kindness (vi) Restraint of senses (vii) Avoid hatred (viii) non-violence (ix) tolerance (x) non-opposition to the will of the people.



There are plenty of other similar rules and practices proclaimed in Buddhism. No Constitution in the world (not even the sub-committee reports or the interim report presented to the constitutional assembly) imposes such strict rules relating to moral conduct directly on the key officials of the three Organs of the State (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary). The main focus of such constitutions (and reports) is only to physically regulate such institutions and organs.



The other unique feature of a State placing Buddhism in the foremost place is the creation or a workable social contract, promising the complete implementation of Rule of Law. Western concept of social contract considers that people hold the absolute power (including the powers of government): We call it Sovereignty (it is inalienable). People entrust or surrender such powers of government to the Government/State, which in return undertakes to protect the People. Social contract theory requires the Government/State to use such power for peace, safety and public good of the people (P/N; this theory is simplified and restricted to the extent as required for this article).



However the people should have the right to take such power back, either at the end of a given term or whenever the government abuses such power and breaches such contract against the expectations of the people. However, the pioneers of this theory, (Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, John Locke) have no practical answer to the question, how could the people get back the power surrendered to the Government if the Government abuses such power or act against the interest of the people? Suggested options are either to rebel against the government or to make the law ineffective by disobedience.

The other unique feature of a State placing Buddhism in the foremost place is the creation or a workable social contract, promising the complete implementation of Rule of Law



These methods need force leading to violence, breach of law and peace etc. and therefore are unconstitutional. This is an inbuilt defect in modern constitutions, but inevitable in the absence of a complete theory of a workable social contract.



On the other hand, giving the foremost place to Buddhism proved to be a sound constitutional machinery that assured a cordial and stable relationship among the King (Government) and the People for over two thousands of years. Kings pledged before people and Maha Sangha (Buddhist Clergy) to give the foremost place to Buddhism and protect and foster Buddha Sasana. This pledge was later symbolized by retaining the custody of the Dantha-Dathun Vahanse (the Sacred Tooth relic of Gauthama Buddha). According to Dr. Harischanda Wijayathunga, Kings were selected with the consensus of the people and the approval of Maha Sangha. However, the Maha Sangha did not incline to interfere with the political affairs or state administration, except when the King abused powers or acted against the expectations of the people. According to Dr. Wijayathunga, the concept that Sovereignty is in the people was a fundamental feature of the Buddhist system of Government and had been practised for over thousands of years in this Country (That theory is not an invention of West).



Therefore (unlike the Western oriented so call- modern constitutions) in our historical (unwritten) constitution Sovereignty of the people passed to the King/State through Maha Sangha in a semi-circle path, while maintaining a Triangle of Accountability in between.



The King relied on the approval of Bikkus/Maha Sangha and the consent of the People. Bikkus/Maha Sangha were maintained by the people and protected and fostered by the King. The People in turn depended on the King for their protection, peace, prosperity and governance and on Bikkus/Maha Sangha for Spiritual guidance and upliftment. This triangle of accountability inter-locks them with strong mutual commitments.

What assured the stability of our country and society for over 2500 years? It was nothing but the application of Buddhist principles of good governance by the Kings and administrators



In such a system the people had constant control over the State (King) and had every right to participate in the decision making process. King and the people were constantly advised by Maha Sangha with their knowledge and wisdom. Maha Sangha, being an independent sub-society practising detachment, could conveniently execute their social responsibility without material expectations. People, neither required waiting until the expiration of a specific time to change the King, nor had any reason to protest or be rebellious for their needs, as they had a ready-made channel to communicate their requirements to the King. King/State was duty bound to obey and comply with such requirements. Further, Buddhist principles of good governance did not permit the King to disregard the needs of the people. But, whenever the people found reasons to take back the powers entrusted upon the King, they could easily reverse the earlier process with the intervention of Maha Sangha. This reverse process too was constitutional.



Buddha Sasana



Buddhist principles of governance were (are) functional on the foundation of Buddha Sasana. The Supreme Court (in SC Determination 1/94 (1994) held; The expression Buddha Sasana is wider than Buddhism and includes the entire establishment together with objects and places of religious practices and worship of Buddhists. Hence the term Buddha Sasana could be further extended to include Maha Sangha, archaeological sites, villages, lands and properties feeding Buddhist temples and Viharas. Therefore the Buddha Sasana includes both tangible and intangible features.

For over 2500 years Buddha Sasana has been established throughout the entire territory. Therefore it is mandatory for the country to be under the authority of one supreme central Government in order to give full effect to Article 9; i.e. the Country should be a Unitary State. Further, this constitutional responsibility compels the State to protect the territory and assure the prosperity of every citizen (not only of Buddhists) of the Country, without which the protection and fostering of Buddha Sasana would not be practical.



Therefore every citizen of such a State would equally be benefited by this unique system of government. According to historians, our civilization had (still has) an inbuilt social mechanism whereby the people of different ethnicities, races, classes, religions etc., merged into one community by leaving behind their respective differences. It was a system of harmonization or unification, (which is opposed to the alien concept of reconciliation). Therefore there was (and still is) no room or reason for communal conflicts. This mechanism prevented our country from segmentation or separation and assured the unity and solidarity of the people for over thousands of years. Therefore, purported the inter-communal conflicts and differences promulgated by racist separatists/politicians are mere fabrications artificially implanted in the hearts of our people with ulterior and vicious political motives.



Our Kings saved the unitary State by uniting the people. For this they used the simple method of Eksesath Kireema/ Ekachathra Kireema. This means calling the people to group under one umbrella. In the constitutional sense, this term is different from Unitary (State), which represents, a Central Supreme Legislature and a Central Government with concentrated executive powers exercisable over the entire country. Unitary State is a concept created by law (constitution) taking the territory as the basis. Eka-Chchathra, on the other hand, refers to a unitary State created by the people with their solidarity and accepting the leadership of one King, State or Government. Our Kings established a Unitary State, not by the force of law, but with the free will of the people uniting with each other irrespective of their religion, caste, race or ethnic origin etc. (this is also another aspect of the theory of social contract; bond between citizens).



As Weeramathri observes, However elaborate or simple, Third Word societies thus afforded a central place for the group concept, without which they could neither be understood or administered...what follows (from this examination) is the lack of appropriateness of Western concepts of individual freedom adopted without adaptation to their Third World setting.



The authors of the interim report and the sub-committee reports seem to have completely ignored the thinking, traditions, historically established constitutional principles and practices of the very civilization (comprising of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and observers/followers of all religions) that they claim to be making a new constitution for. Therefore, they have messed up the fundamentals. This patent procedural failure shall lead to total rejection of the new constitution or any other similar constitutional amendments.



In my work on this subject (Budusasuna ha Viyawasthava-Desarasa publications) I have further dealt with the nature, scope and the application of Article 9. It assures a stable and a united/ indivisible society and serves equally (without discrimination) the persons of all religions and ethnicities. Article 9 alone forms its own system of government with unique features that cannot be found in any other constitution in the world. It stands above the other Articles in the Constitution and binds the Sate unconditionally. Therefore, the State is bound to give effect to the order of Maha Sangha to terminate the ongoing constitution making process as - obviously- that process has been driven on the wrong track from the very inception.



Unfortunately we have not yet realized the value and the uniqueness of Article 9. Instead of removal, it is high time to look into ways to make it a fully functional provision in the Constitution.

For over 2500 years Buddha Sasana has been established throughout the entire territory. Therefore it is mandatory for the country to be under the authority of one supreme central Government in order to give full effect to Article 9; i.e. the Country should be a Unitary State.



Further, this constitutional responsibility compels the State to protect the territory and assure the prosperity of every citizen (not only of Buddhists) of the Country, without which the protection and fostering of Buddha Sasana would not be practical.



Therefore every citizen of such a State would equally be benefited by this unique system of government.



According to historians, our civilization had (still has) an inbuilt social mechanism whereby the people of different ethnicities, races, classes, religions etc., merged into one community by leaving behind their respective differences. It was a system of harmonization or unification, (which is opposed to the alien concept of reconciliation).



Therefore there was (and still is) no room or reason for communal conflicts. This mechanism prevented our country from segmentation or separation and assured the unity and solidarity of the people for over thousands of years.



Therefore, purported the inter-communal conflicts and differences promulgated by racist separatists/politicians are mere fabrications artificially implanted in the hearts of our people with ulterior and vicious political motives.



Our Kings saved the unitary State by uniting the people. For this they used the simple method of Eksesath Kireema/ Ekachathra Kireema. This means calling the people to group under one umbrella. In the constitutional sense, this term is different from Unitary (State), which represents, a Central Supreme Legislature and a Central Government with concentrated executive powers exercisable over the entire country. Unitary State is a concept created by law (constitution) taking the territory as the basis. Eka-Chchathra, on the other hand, refers to a unitary State created by the people with their solidarity and accepting the leadership of one King, State or Government.



Our Kings established a Unitary State, not by the force of law, but with the free will of the people uniting with each other irrespective of their religion, caste, race or ethnic origin etc. (this is also another aspect of the theory of social contract; bond between citizens).



As Weeramathri observes, However elaborate or simple, Third Word societies thus afforded a central place for the group concept, without which they could neither be understood or administered...what follows (from this examination) is the lack of appropriateness of Western concepts of individual freedom adopted without adaptation to their Third World setting.



The authors of the interim report and the sub-committee reports seem to have completely ignored the thinking, traditions, historically established constitutional principles and practices of the very civilization (comprising of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and observers/followers of all religions) that they claim to be making a new constitution for.



Therefore, they have messed up the fundamentals. This patent procedural failure shall lead to total rejection of the new constitution or any other similar constitutional amendments.

Unfortunately we have not yet realized the value and the uniqueness of Article 9. Instead of removal, it is high time to look into ways to make it a fully functional provision in the Constitution.



In my work on this subject (Budusasuna ha Viyawasthava-Desarasa publications) I have further dealt with the nature, scope and the application of Article 9.



It assures a stable and a united/ indivisible society and serves equally (without discrimination) the persons of all religions and ethnicities. Article 9 alone forms its own system of government with unique features that cannot be found in any other constitution in the world. It stands above the other Articles in the Constitution and binds the Sate unconditionally.



Therefore, the State is bound to give effect to the order of Maha Sangha to terminate the ongoing constitution making process as - obviously- that process has been driven on the wrong track from the very inception.



Unfortunately we have not yet realized the value and the uniqueness of Article 9. Instead of removal, it is high time to look into ways to make it a fully functional provision in the Constitution.
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On November 20, the 10th jubilee sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus was held, where the RA NA Vice President, the Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee Eduard Sharmazanov had welcoming remarks.

November 20, 2017, 15:34 Edauard Sharmazanov: Artsakh Has the Same Right of Declaring Independent Statehood as Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 20, ARTSAKHPRESS: Dear Boleslav Kazimir,

Dear participants of the 10th jubilee sitting of the Armenian-Belarusian Inter-Parliamentary Committee,

I am glad to welcome you in the National Assembly. I hope that during todays sitting effective discussions will be held. Our bilateral parliamentary agenda is rather full: it includes the issues of the parliamentarians cooperation on the international platforms, as well as the problems concerning the expansion of the trade-economic ties. One of the most important items of the Armenian-Belarusian bilateral strategic relations is the parliamentary cooperation: in that sense our Committee has weighty role and serious works to do.

Dear colleagues,

During the last years the Armenian-Belarusian cooperation has got a new content, particularly, our parliamentarians actively cooperate in the frameworks of the CSTO PA, the IPA CIS and the OSCE PA. Nevertheless, let me stress that we have a lot to do, there are also shortcomings. We should take steps for more active, effective and coordinated work, and particularly, we should have distinct position in the issues sensitive for the two countries. Here, I would like to note that still in the year 2000 our states adopted a statement within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty, where it distinctly reads that the military-political cooperation between the CST member states should be of prior importance towards the third countries, which are not included in that military-political treaty, today already the CSTO. I believe that we all understood what I speak about.

I also note that in October 2016 the Presidents of our countries adopted a statement on the peaceful settlement of the NK problem within the framework of the CSTO Yerevan Forum. Touching upon the NK conflict, I would like to note that Armenia is for exclusively peaceful settlement of the problem within the framework of Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format. We refuse the military solution of the problem for ensuring progress in the negotiations and condemn the bellicose rhetoric. To ensure progress in the settlement process of Vienna, Saint Petersburg and Geneva Agreements should be called into life as soon as possible. Artsakh declared its independence in accordance with the USSR laws and has the same right of declaring independent statehood, as Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and our duty is to protect that right.

Thanks for attention, Mr Sharmazanov said.
My visit to Sovele Catholic Mission in south Bougainvilles Bana District had led me to this house, behind which, half-buried in the soil, was the concrete cell measuring about five metres by five metres and four metres in height.

This was our death bunker whenever we did wrong - like drinking - or whenever we were suspected of dealing with the BRA. We were urinated at and defecated over and we died in here.

He directed my eyes to a concrete cell behind the padres house.

[But] under Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) control we suffered the most.

But when the [PNG] army came to Sovele in late 1992, Thomas continued, we decided not to flee but remain in our villages with hope for better change for Bougainville.

ARAWA  In Nagovis we were the first people to uphold the Bougainville Revolutionary Armys fight in 1990, recalled Thomas Kolouko of Biroi village in the Bana District.

The German priest who constructed it in 1990 used it to store mission records.

Before the PNGDF came, Thomas said in the cells semi-darkness, there were shelves all over this wall. Mission records and so on were stored in here.

But when the army came from Boku, they destroyed all mission records and converted this cell into their sewage tank.

So as time went by and many of our men got into trouble, especially us Biroi and Bakoram villagers, or if we were suspected of having connections with the BRA, we were thrown here.

Some of us were executed around this building while we inside listened to the gunshots and their last cries or the thud of their bodies landing on the ground.

According to Thomas Kolouko, during the PNGDF occupation of Sovele, the mission was the killing yard of Bougainvillean men suspected of interacting with the BRA.

Suspects from all over Bana District were tortured in and around the church. Some were left to bleed their lives away there.

Just a few metres away from the church there are 8 graves from which remains were recently removed for proper burial by relatives.

My brother alongside another local man went through days of torture in the church and this bunker, Thomas said uneasily. Then they were ordered on to the lawn and told to run.

As they ran they were both gunned down. They were dead.

This event was witnessed by Sovele Primary School students during their work parade afternoon.

I was picking up rubbish and watched the men marched here, said Justin Teneke, from Biroi, now a public servant with the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Armed men were all around here and guns were fired. Later in the night words spread that Mr Koloukos brother was killed.

The two men also revealed that of the many victims killed at Sovele Catholic Mission, one was airlifted in a helicopter and flown towards the coast by the PNGDF. Many people think the victim was dropped into swamplands around the Jaba River estuary.

The PNGDF still have not told relatives where they dumped the body.

We suffered enough under PNG, Thomas said. Before the 1988 armed uprising we suffered under the Panguna mine that developed PNG and not Bougainville. What do we need to say in the referendum vote? Independence is all we need to put in the referendum ballot.

Men, women and children have washed us with their innocent blood; and that blood must be paid for with independence and nothing else.
A former 40 year Atheist analyzes Atheism, without resorting to theism, deism, or fantasy.

***

If You Don't Value Truth, Then What DO You Value?

***

If we say that the sane can be coaxed and persuaded to rationality, and we say that rationality presupposes logic, then what can we say of those who actively reject logic?

***

Atheists have an obligation to give reasons in the form of logic and evidence for rejecting Theist theories.
LOCUST GROVE  After vital signs are taken and symptoms are evaluated, examinations are completed and prescriptions are written, patients are offered one more remedy for what ails them.

A word of prayer.

Many who attend the Living Water Community Clinic in Locust Grove gladly accept it.

We dont push it on them, said the Rev. Tom Schafer, pastor emeritus. But when youre struggling and hurting, youre more open to it.

The clinic is a mission of The Lake of the Woods Church, and it offers free medical and spiritual care, along with counseling, to uninsured adults in the surrounding area. Most of the patients whove come to the clinic since it opened in June 2016 live in eastern Orange County, but residents of Culpeper and Spotsylvania counties also have been treated there.

The church started the outreach as part of its great commission to share the Gospel, but it certainly developed at an opportune time. As health care costs continue to rise, one of every 10 adults in the state lacks medical insurance, according to the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

If we have insurance and we get sick, we go to the doctor. These folks arent able to do that, said Debbie McInnis, executive director of the clinic. And they work hard, some of them have two jobs.

More than three-fourths of Virginias uninsured adults are part of working families, according to the foundation. Without health insurance, they have lower five-year survival rates, higher likelihoods of being diagnosed as having late-stage cancers and far lower rates of receiving important screening tests, the foundation states.

In 2016, the Rev. Adam Colson was doing a summer series called Living in the Red, in which he examined the words of Jesus, which are printed in the New Testament in red type.

The church has about 600 members and already had a number of ministries in place. It provides training for foster parents and makes sure children in foster care have backpacks filled with needed items. It offers afterschool programs and keeps lockers full of school supplies for needy children in the Locust Grove area. It caters to disabled adults and holds support-group meetings for those seeking help with addiction or weight loss.

But it wasnt doing anything in the heal-the-sick department, and Colson thought that maybe five or 10 years down the road, the church would be in a position to offer free medical care.

A year later, we were able to open up our community care clinic, he said. We believe were to follow Jesus example, and he met the whole needs of the person.

The Lake of the Woods Church put together a leadership committee to plan the facility, and word spread quickly.

The phone was ringing off the hook with people calling and asking, What can we do to help? recalled Schafer. Ive been a pastor for 40 years, and I have never seen a community embrace something like they did this clinic.

Officials with Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg and the Novant Health-University of Virginia hospital in Culpeper serve on the board or as the clinics medical director. The clinic also has partnerships with health care agencies that process tests and lab work for free or provide prescriptions for as low as $4 each.

Thats really the only thing we ask people to pay, McInnis said about the copay for medicines.

Since the clinic opened, its offered more than 300 visits to more than 90 patients.

***

About seven churches in the Locust Grove area provide funding to cover the clinics rent and utilities, which total about $50,000 a year. Businesses also have donated items.

The facility operates in the Locust Grove Town Center on Route 20. Its housed in an office that once offered eye exams and already had separate treatment rooms.

All the workers at the clinic volunteer their time, including McInnis, who puts in 12 to 16 hours a week as the director. Shes joined by about 25 active volunteers, including nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants who are certified and all have day jobs, McInnis said.

Others help with paperwork, offer counseling or just keep an eye on the place.

The clinic currently is open once a week, from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, but is looking to add another weeknight or Saturday morning to its schedule.

Some patients come for an acute issue, such as the flu or bronchitis, and are diagnosed as having high blood pressure, diabetes or other chronic problems.

Others who seek counseling suffer from anxiety, depression or struggles with alcohol, said Schafer, who meets with people on clinic nights, then schedules counseling sessions at other times. Colson does the same with those who seek spiritual guidance.

A lot of these folks have numerous stressors in their lives, partly brought on by their health, Schafer said. Some of them are beaten down by life.

***

April and Robert Creekmore live in Orange with their two children, ages 10 and 5, and had been able to get insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

But when it was time to renew, the price went up three times and we couldnt afford that, she said.

She sought care at the Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg, but wasnt accepted because shes not part of the planning district the facility serves. She had planned to visit the Orange County Free Clinic, which operates in the Silk Mill Building in the town of Orange, about 20 miles away.

Its been amazing to come down the street to the churchs clinic, said the stay-at-home mother whose husband is a self-employed carpenter.

The clinic doesnt normally see children because theyre typically covered by a Medicaid-based insurance. But when April Creekmores son had a rash, one of the clinics providers examined him.

Theyve all been very nice, professional and caring, she said. Weve all been seen.

The clinic wont turn away anyone who is sick or needs help on the first visit, McInnis said. After that, clients must get an eligibility card, which is good for a year.

To be eligible, patients must live in Orange, Spotsylvania or Culpeper and not qualify for any type of medical insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. They must have a household income that is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level guidelines.

For a family of four, thats $49,200 a year.

Like others without insurance, Creekmore and her family live without a safety net, always worried that a broken bone or chronic illness could change everything.

You pray that nothing serious happens, she said.
Civil rights leader Ruby Sales is set to visit Charlottesville at the end of November to participate in a public conversation on social justice and spirituality hosted by the Virginia Foundation of the Humanities.

Dubbed Every One of Us: A Conversation with Ruby Sales on Race, Spirituality and Public Life, the event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, located at 233 Fourth St. NW.

Sales will converse with Charles Marsh, a professor of religious studies and director of the Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia, on issues of race, spirituality and public life. Justin Reid, director of African American Programs at the VHF, will serve as moderator.

The event is free, made possible through funding from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at UVa. Registration at VirginiaHumanities.org/events/ruby-sales is encouraged but not required.

Sales is a nationally recognized civil rights leader and public theologian who brings a wealth of African-American spiritual traditions to her theological innovation and social activism, according to a news release from the VFH. As founder and executive director of the Georgia-based SpiritHouse Project, Sales builds authentic communities to advocate for racial, economic and social justice. While in Charlottesville, she will meet with community leaders and lead a master class for UVa undergraduates.

We sought creative programming, in partnership with the Charlottesville-area community, that uproots the conscious and unconscious biases and misbeliefs that lead to racial tension, Archie Holmes, vice president for academic affairs at UVa, said in the release. VFHs event featuring Ruby Sales will do this in a unique and challenging way.
Multiple state agencies are responding to two chemical explosions Monday at a cosmetics factory in downstate New York.

The blasts at the Verla International factory in New Windsor, Orange County, injured 13 people, including five firefighters. Temple Hill Road between Union Avenue and Route 94 is closed in both directions, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Four state agencies have deployed personnel and resources to assist with the response. Nearly 30 state troopers and 10 state Department of Environmental Conservation police officers have been sent to the scene. The DEC also dispatched two representatives from the agency's emergency management unit, a regional air pollution control specialist and a regional spill response engineer.

The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services sent 10 employees, four foam trailers, a hazardous materials response vehicle with air monitoring equipment, fire investigation teams and K-9 units from the Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The regional director for environmental health, an environmental engineer and a sanitarian have been dispatched to the scene by the state Department of Health.

"In response to the chemical explosion and fire that occurred this morning in New Windsor, I am directing state emergency response teams to assist local officials in the response efforts in any way necessary," Cuomo said. "I urge residents in the immediate area to monitor the situation and follow direction from local law enforcement."

Cuomo is also calling for an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion at the factory.

Verla International was founded in 1980 and manufactures several cosmetic products, including lotions, nail polish and perfumes. Cuomo's office indicated that the chemicals used to manufacture cosmetics caused the fire. Authorities haven't determined the actual cause of the explosions.

But there are health concerns about the chemicals and how the substances could affect those at the scene.

"All smoke can be hazardous to breathe, especially smoke containing potentially harmful particles and chemicals," state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said. "As we continue to learn more about the air quality in the area affected by this explosion, I encourage those in the surrounding area to take appropriate precautions and await further direction from first responders."
A pair of New York congressmen are partnering on legislation that seeks to crack down on the over-prescribing of opioids to treat pain.

U.S. Reps. John Katko and Tom Suozzi introduced a bill in the House that would impose a seven-day limit on opioid prescriptions to treat acute pain. When registering with the Drug Enforcement Administration, medical providers would be required to confirm they won't prescribe more than a seven-day supply of opioids for acute pain treatment.

The measure is identical to a New York state law signed in 2016 that limits opioid prescriptions to seven days for acute pain, such as a broken bone or wisdom tooth extraction.

The limit wouldn't apply to chronic pain or pain management related to cancer care, end of life care or palliative care, according to the bill's sponsors.

The Senate version of the bill was introduced in April. U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and John McCain are the main backers of the legislation.

Suozzi, a Long Island Democrat, echoed Katko's comments that his district has been impacted by the opioid epidemic.

"Our bipartisan legislation takes a big step toward preventing people from being over-prescribed and beginning a downward spiral toward dependency on opioids," he said.

Members of Congress have called for action on the use of opioids to treat acute pain. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced legislation in 2016 that would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop guidelines for prescribing opioids to treat acute pain. The bill didn't advance in Congress.

There is a concern about the role of prescription opioids in the ongoing health crisis. At a forum on the drug epidemic in March, Katko said one of his sons received a 30-day supply of painkillers after having his wisdom teeth removed.

Similar stories have been shared at other public forums. Katko has told the story of a local high school athlete who was injured and received prescription painkillers. He became addicted to the drugs and when he couldn't get the painkillers anymore, he turned to heroin.

Katko, R-Camillus, said his legislation will reduce the risk of opioid abuse.

"The opioid drug epidemic has devastated families in central New York and communities nationwide," he said. "This bipartisan bill would target one of the root causes of drug overdoses in the United States, which is the over-prescription of highly addictive opioids."
WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. - On the 597th day, the day he hoped everything would change, Joe Stewart woke early. He took 15 pills in a single swallow. He shaved his head. And then he got down to the business of the day, which was the business of every day, and that was waiting. He looked outside, and saw his mother there in a green sedan, engine running. So many months he had waited for this moment, and now it was here. Time for his Social Security disability hearing. Time to go.

Stewart, 55, set out on crutches, tottering out of his mobile home and down a metal ramp he'd laid when stairs became too much. "I'm sweating my ass off," he said, getting into his mother's car, his long-sleeved dress shirt hanging open. He tilted the passenger seat all the way down, placed a pillow at the small of his back and, groaning and wincing, settled in as best he could.

"Did they say long-sleeved?" asked his mother, Jean Bingham, 73.

"It was the only decent shirt I had!" he said.

He knew only what he'd been told by his lawyer, who wanted to see him again before the hearing, and that was not to wear a T-shirt and to bring along a list of medications he uses to treat the pains that are all he has to show for a lifetime spent installing vinyl siding throughout Webster County. Neurontin for nerve pain. Baclofen for muscle spasms. Trazodone for depression. Hydroxyzine and Buspirone for anxiety, a condition that seemed to worsen each day his wait stretched into the next.

Stewart had first applied for federal disability benefits on May 21, 2015. The application was denied, and so was his appeal. When he appealed the second rejection, he went to the back of one of the federal government's biggest backlogs, where 1.1 million disability claimants wait for one of some 1,600 Social Security administrative law judges to decide whether they deserve a monthly payment and Medicare or Medicaid. "A death sentence" is how Stewart, who has no health insurance, has come to think of another denial.

For other applicants, the wait itself may be enough to accomplish that. In the past two years, 18,701 people have died while waiting for a judge's decision, increasing 15 percent from 8,699 deaths in fiscal 2016 to 10,002 deaths in fiscal 2017, according to preliminary federal data obtained by The Washington Post. The rising death toll coincides with a surge in the length of time people must wait for a disposition, which swelled from a national average of 353 days in 2012 to a record high of 596 this past summer.

The simplest explanation is that there isn't enough money. The Social Security Administration's budget has been roughly stagnant since 2010, while the number of people receiving retirement and disability benefits has risen by more than 7 million, despite a slight decline in the disability rolls beginning in 2015 as some beneficiaries reached retirement age.

The more complicated explanation, however, also includes fewer supporting staff members helping judges. A recession that increased the number of applications and appeals. A new regulation that requires additional medical evidence, lengthening the files judges have to read. And heightened scrutiny in the aftermath of a 2011 scandal in Huntington, W.Va., where one judge, who approved nearly everyone who came before him, was later convicted of taking $600,000 in bribes. Since then, according to a September report by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the average judge has gone from deciding 12 cases every week to fewer than 10, a relatively small slowdown that, spread across hundreds of weeks and hundreds of judges, has contributed to the crushing backlog.

"I know that people will die waiting," said Marilyn Zahm, president of the Association of Administrative Law Judges. "This is the reflection of our priorities as an American people. We have decided it's better for people to die than to adequately fund this program. ... Will this get worse? Will the number of people who die double?"

While lengthy everywhere, the wait times have stretched longer still in some places, such as in Miami, where people wait an average of 759 days, and Long Island, where the wait is 720 days, and northern Mississippi, where the average is 612 days, and where Stewart couldn't stop shaking in his car seat.

"My shirt is undone, I ain't going to be able to put it in my pants. My pants are too tight," he said, rummaging through a red bag filled with his medications, realizing he had forgotten to bring something to eat.

"You didn't eat no breakfast?" his mother asked.

"I ain't have the time!" he said.

He hadn't felt pressure like this in years - not since he last worked in April 2015, and his world was reduced to food stamps, credit cards and the confines of a single-wide trailer, parked along a country road that few cars go down. He had thought about this day ever since. What would the judge ask him? Would he believe him? Or would he think he was lying, too lazy to work? Would he finally get an answer, or would the wait continue?

Stewart took an anxiety pill and looked at the car's speedometer.

"Never going to get me there in time," he told his mother as she steered through the remote county of hills and pine where nearly 1 in 5 working-age adults receive either Supplemental Security Income, for the disabled poor, or Social Security Disability Insurance, for disabled workers.

He fidgeted with the air conditioning vents, opening them up.

"I'm going from chills to hot spells," he said. "I've got hot spells now."

He leaned back.

"I'm getting cool."

Then: "I'm sweating."

Then: "I'm getting worse now."

* * *

For most of his life, Stewart had believed things could only get better. He had been raised with the conviction that a man was only as good as what he could accomplish with his hands, and so he had always felt good, because he could do so much with his. After high school, he started out building furniture. Then he worked as a carpenter. But vinyl siding was what he loved completely. Cutting the metal. Measuring it out. Hauling it in his truck and completing a job worth being proud of, worth attaching his name to, and that was a promise he made to every customer after opening his company, Premium Siding, 10 years ago.

At the time, the county was in the midst of a steady and precipitous decline, accelerated by a recession that never seemed to end, and Premium Siding's profits were barely enough for Stewart to survive on, let alone pay for health insurance. So already carrying two decades of work injuries - falling off ladders, getting shocked by hot wires - he would sometimes go to a community clinic that charged $35 per visit. Or more likely, he'd use a heating pad and try to think about anything but pain, until one day in the summer of 2013, when pain became nearly the only thing he could ever think about.

He can't remember what he tried to pick up. He remembers only that he had been out at a work site, lifting and cutting 50-pound coils of metal. He remembers reaching for something that had barely weighed anything. He remembers the sharp, immediate pain, the sudden realization that his back might never be the same, and that, for everything he would ultimately lose, he had never even touched whatever it was he had reached for. The doctor would later say he had a compressed vertebra and a pinched nerve in his lower spine. But in that moment, it felt more stabbed than pinched - "vicious, terrible stabbing" - and he went home, to his bed, which was where he was, four years later, on another day of waiting, when an alarm went off.

Nine in the morning. Time for his medication. He turned on the lights - three bare bulbs - and saw again what his life had become, in this trailer he allowed no one to enter, not even his mother. He stumbled past the leather furniture that hadn't been sat on since he hurt his back, and the NASCAR toy cars he carefully collected years ago, covered in a thick film of dust along one wall, and the kitchen countertop obscured by months of trash.

"Let's just get it over with," he said, looking at his bottles of medicine.

The pills made him drowsy, and he went to the only place he could still sit. The Ab Lounge, an exercise chair he had bought to strengthen his lower back but now used because it could recline just so, was where he conducted his affairs. There were empty peanut jars nearby, a stack of debts and a remote control, which he picked up. A science-fiction show came on, and he tried not to think about the bankruptcy papers he would soon need to file. Or the yard out back he could no longer tend to and had to poison. Or the utter sameness of his life, every day so much like the one before, that his memory felt increasingly blurred. Or that just about the only time his phone rang anymore, as it did at this moment, was when a bill collector called.

"Yeah? Okay," he said into the phone, realizing it was only his mother, who was planning to use her Social Security check to buy him more medicine later that day. "That will work."

He hung up and shook his head, unable to handle the shame of it anymore. He had promised himself that if he was denied again, he'd no longer accept his mother's help. He'd let his pills run out, and his trailer go dark, and start drinking again. So much in his life depended on others now, from the television his brother had helped pay for, to the groceries delivered by his mother, who also took him wherever he needed to go, including on this morning to see his lawyer before his Social Security disability hearing.

"I just need silence," he said, in the car, hoping that would calm him.

"I'm not used to all of this, Joe!" she said, giving him a weary look.

"I need - I need silence."

The car went quiet, and Stewart waited for the anxiety medicine to take hold. For his hands to stop quivering. For the car to carry him past all of the payday loan shops and empty storefronts of Webster County to an office belonging to a lawyer who he believed could help him.

* * *

"Hugh Gibson Law, this is Samantha, can I help you?" the receptionist was saying to another caller.

On the other side of the counter, sitting on a thick-cushioned couch in the waiting area, was a thin man with gaunt features who grimaced whenever he shifted in his seat. Every now and again, someone at the office would ask him if he needed anything.

Water? Something to eat? Want to lie down?

The man tightened his grip on his cane.

"I want someone to shoot me," he finally said.

"Hugh Gibson Law," the receptionist said to another caller.

A few minutes later, Gibson, the most prolific Social Security disability lawyer in Webster County, a tall, garrulous 71-year-old who himself walks with a limp and a cane, came into the waiting room, glanced at the man on the couch and headed into the back of the office. Gibson had spent years witnessing the disintegration of people like him, marooned in a disability adjudication system that he still believed could be a force for good, despite everything. He started taking disability cases four decades ago, when claims in Webster County predominantly involved illnesses and car accidents. But then the factories that once powered the county's economy closed, and more unemployed workers started applying, and the wait became longer and longer.

When potential clients now ask about applying for disability, Gibson tells them that it could be two years minimum before they get a judge's decision, and that they can't work while they wait if they want to be approved. They usually lose the car first, then the house. Next comes bankruptcy. Stresses accrue, marriages fracture, pains and illnesses mount, and some die right before their hearings, when the wait is worst, and when Gibson brings clients into his office to prepare one final time, clients like the thin man with the cane, Joey Sims, 36, now seated in front of him.

"Does he have a good case?" Gibson asked his assistant.

"He hasn't been to the doctor but twice this year," she said.

"A semi-idiot then," Gibson sighed, knowing that the severity of a medical condition mattered only so much as what was documented, and not enough was documented here.

"If I had money to go see the doctors, then I wouldn't need help," Sims said, exasperated.

"Yeah, well, we have serious things to deal with to get you approved," Gibson said, glowering, because it seemed that way with every case. If clients weren't too young, then often there were drugs in their pasts. Or they'd return to the job after an injury and, even if they quit soon after, it would look to a judge like they could still work.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do," Sims pleaded, and Gibson began a routine he performs for all of his clients, the same one he did again the next day for an anguished woman in a back brace.

"You can't just go in there and be an idiot," he told her.

"They don't pay liars," he told her.

"See that shirt you got on? Don't wear that," he told her.

Gibson knew how terrible he must sound sometimes, hollering at clients, cutting them off, ordering them around, but he also knew what could happen if he didn't. They could say something to a judge that would be innocuous in other circumstances - that they could drive, or mow grass - but could lead to a quick denial, which had been happening more often, as the disability approval rate among judges nationwide dropped from 73 percent in 2008 to 55 percent last year.

There were increasingly days when Gibson wondered whether it was time to scale back. After all, he was paid only if his clients won. Maybe the other lawyers were right, some cases just couldn't be won. And that was how he was quietly beginning to feel about Stewart.

* * *

Outside Gibson's office, Stewart held a stack of medical papers and, disoriented, tried to listen as his mother asked question after question.

"Are you taking those in there?" she asked of the documents.

"How long is this going to take?" she asked.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"Remind me to tie my shoes," was all he managed to say, going inside the law office, shoelaces flopping this way and that. He took a seat in a back room, head full of doubts. If he couldn't focus well enough to answer his mother's questions, how was he going to answer the judge's?

"Joe," Gibson said, riffling through all 169 pages of his medical file. "Let's go over what you do all day."

Stewart didn't say anything. His mouth was dry. He was still wearing sunglasses he'd forgotten to take off.

"What time do you get up?" Gibson asked after a moment.

"Around nine," Stewart said.

Gibson cringed.

"How many of [your medications] make you lightheaded?" came another question.

"Quite a few," Stewart said. "About half."

Another bad look came over Gibson's face. He tapped his pen against the folder.

"Make no mistake, if you don't do this well, you're going to lose," he said slowly. "You've got to speak up and tell him what is what and not be vague. 'Sometimes.' 'A little while.' 'A little bit.' 'Not very much.' 'A whole lot.' All those words. They don't mean anything. They don't mean anything. You might as well just open your mouth and close it. Because nothing comes out worse than those vague words. And I just want to grab people and slap them - wake up! You can't just say 'sometimes' with a judge!"

"Lord, mercy," Gibson said, telling Stewart that he could not have drawn a stricter judge. James Prothro had the 31st lowest approval rating among Social Security administrative law judges, according to a Washington Post analysis of every judge's disposition record between January 2010 and April 2017. During that period, Prothro decided 2,610 cases, approving 27 percent of them.

Later, Stewart would get angry. He would think about all of the people he had seen in Webster County receiving benefits whose disabilities he considered milder than his, and wonder how they had gotten them, and why everything had to be so difficult for him. But at that moment he just nodded slowly, wanting to absorb everything Gibson said - stand to show he couldn't sit for long; never say, "I don't know" - until Gibson rose from his seat.

"You have a slim shot," he said. "People sitting around the house, watching TV all day, they're not used to talking, and I understand that. But I have to get you to talk. Tell the judge the things the judge needs to know. Can you do that, Joe?"

And then Stewart was back in the car, and he was rummaging for his anxiety medicine, and he was saying, "I need to put it in my pocket so I can remember to take it," and he was going into a courtroom, and the door behind him was closing, and it was locking, and he was trying to stay calm.

* * *

Five-hundred and ninety-seven days.

One-hundred and sixty-nine pages of medical evidence.

One hearing.

How to condense so many years of physical deterioration, so many days of waiting, into one hearing? How to convince someone of pain, when no one can see it? How to remember to say everything that needed saying - the pills taken, the number of pounds that can be lifted, the distance that can be walked, the falls, the different doctors and their names?

So Stewart did his best to follow Gibson's directions. He carried his back pillow into the courtroom. He stood when he felt pain. He was specific. He said, "burning in the chest." He said, "I went to see my chiropractor, but they wanted $60, so I haven't been back." He said, "My mother, she's tired of driving me around; she has other things to do."

And he tried to look at the judge, to express with his eyes what he couldn't with words, but the judge wasn't in the room at all. He was sitting in front of a camera in another courtroom 65 miles away in another Social Security Administration building in Tupelo, part of a government policy to work down the backlog by holding some disability hearings by videoconference. Stewart heard the disembodied voice of someone whom Gibson called a "vocational expert," whose role it was to use, among other sources, the government's list of possible jobs, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, last updated in 1991, to discern whether there was any work someone like him could do anywhere in the United States, regardless of pay, distance from his house, or whether he would be hired.

And then an hour had passed, and the hearing was over, and Gibson was saying, "Thank you, your honor." Stewart, feeling dazed and unsure whether that was really it, sat for a moment, until he saw everyone else was standing. He got up. He collected his crutches and walked outside with Gibson, who was going on and on about the judge.

"One lawyer - a good lawyer - they had 13 cases with him, and they didn't win a one," he said. "Not a one."

"Whether or not he's going to pay you, I do not know," he said.

"So we'll wait and see. . . . You might not get a decision until February." And: "It may be six months."

Gibson said something about errands he had to run, shook Stewart's hand and got into his bright red truck. And Stewart, now caught in another backlog of people awaiting a disposition after the hearing - which has doubled in the last year, from 35,000 claimants to 70,000 - watched him drive off, then saw his mother. She was in her car, waving at him to move it, so he climbed in and reclined the seat until he was nearly supine.

"Can I ask you a question?" said his mother, who had sat outside the courtroom but overheard something about a videoconference. "Was he in there?"

"Who?" Stewart asked.

"The judge."

"No, he was on TV," he said, and she looked confused.

"Well, I'm relieved it's over," she finally said.

"It ain't over," he responded, and there was nothing else to say, so on they went to Webster County, through the endless rows of tall pines, past the houses Stewart had once worked on, stopping at his trailer. "There's another day," his mother said and pulled away, and he was alone again. The trailer was dark inside. He took his afternoon medication. He sat in his Ab Lounge. The television came on. The pills started to do their work. The 597th day was over, and the only thing left to do was to wait for the 598th to begin.
First, Id like to congratulate Ernie Reed for winning a seat on the Nelson County Board of Supervisors. Well done  and look for me to try to join you when the next election for the South District comes up. We live in a beautiful place on our only planet, and I look to you to help keep it that way.

Next, Id like to thank all of the Virginia candidates and voters who seemingly have changed the direction of the Democratic Party in this state. I marveled at those elected; everyone made me so proud of being a Virginian.

I sent emails out to many in my home state, Louisiana, and some of those folks wrote back saying they were envious. And they should be; it was a marvelous day in heading the government back toward the people and away from the richest.

Im very curious if these new folks will continue to resist the money of the corporations and rich. If they do, maybe  just maybe  the Democratic Party will again become the party of the people. And I can again find a home in a major party in the U.S. It will be nice to come in from the cold.

Now lets address something that is new to my writings. Men should have no decision on whether a woman aborts a fetus or not. A regular guy can replace all the energy he expended in conceiving a child by drinking a beer or having a burger. A woman spends nine months in pregnancy and then is often left to raise the child as best as she can by a father who refuses to accept responsibility.

When men, usually Republicans, tell a woman that she must bring the child to term and then spend years of her life doing her best to raise it without help from the government, she is absolutely right in giving them the one-fingered salute. That is basically slavery, and Im surprised that women have put up with it so long.

Finally, men, if you havent heard yes, you have no license to go one inch further with a womans body. Not hearing no is not enough. There are a myriad reasons you may have not heard no. The same cannot be said for hearing yes. Follow that protocol, and youll not get into the trouble that so many have recently done.

Michael Tabony, Nelson County
The 2017 Census of Agriculture is being sent out to farmers starting this month through December.

State Agricultural Commissioner Richard Ball is encouraging farmers to participate in the census to guide future funding for the industry. The census is conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Services and is the only complete count of U.S. farms and their operations.

"It has never been easier to complete the Census of Agriculture and I encourage every New York Farmer to make sure they are counted," Ball said in a press release. "The census results directly influence funding for research, marketing, services and valuable programs for our industry."

Over three million farmers in the U.S. will be mailed the questionnaire this year. Those questionnaires are due by Feb. 5, 2018. Results will be available by February 2019.

This year farmers are asked to respond online if possible.

A new question will appear this year regarding military veteran status. This will help the NASS to learn if farming has become a viable career path for those in the service and how to better direct future outreach programs for veterans.

The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2012.

For more information on the census, visit the NASS website, follow NASS on Twitter at @usda_nass or call (800) 727-9540.
AUBURN  A Cayuga County legislator's "incognito" test of new security measures at the county office building has led to discussion about the policies and practices when visitors walk through the entrance.

Legislator Ryan Foley, who represents Auburn residents in District 15, said he had two constituents complain about their experiences with security since July when the new procedures were put into place. Over the past week or so, Foley and Undersheriff Jim Stowell have been working together to address concerns and strengthen current policies.

The new system at 160 Genesee St., Auburn, involves visitors showing security their photo ID. If visiting a floor other than the first, officers will list the date, time and floor on a sticker pass the person must wear. There are other new precautions in place such as bag searches and requiring people to keep their hoods down, all listed on a sign near the entrance.

Foley's experiment first was brought up at a Nov. 8 Government Operations Committee meeting, which Foley chairs. Following a safety committee presentation and update by Stowell, Foley said he had some concerns. He told the committee that he had worn sunglasses and a backpack and walked through the front doors of the office building one day. He'd forgotten his ID at home, but he had meant to be "incognito."

He told legislators that he was surprised how thoroughly his bag was searched, and that every pocket was opened.

"I think there's room to explore here about the exact policies of that group," he said. "I don't see unified policy at the moment, and I could be wrong by that. It seems selective to me."

Legislator Terry Baxter said he was angry that Foley had tested security, and appeared confused why his colleague would do that. Stowell said considering the number of mass shootings and terror attacks today, it's "not a big lift to ask what's in your bag."

In an email to The Citizen on Nov. 10, Foley wrote he had some concerns about whether the general public had a negative experience walking into the building, if people were treated differently based on their appearance or other things and the amount of discretion used by the security guards.

"I didn't feel security were hostile during this process, stern would be a good word, but I could see how some people might feel stressed after this type of interaction," he wrote. "My best guess from this whole charade that it's not so much the guards at the entrance as much as a lapse in the policy and procedures, as you noticed."

Stowell, Foley and the building's head of security Tom Giltner, got together Nov. 15 to discuss the policies in place and Foley's experience "to feel like an average person through the door."

Giltner confirmed that security checks bags. If it's a particularly large bag, they may ask to keep it behind the front desk. They may not check bags of people visiting departments on the first floor, because the line could become backlogged and security is on that floor anyways, Giltner added.

Giltner said if anyone has questions about the way security is handling things, he points to the signs. Stowell added that he's had no calls for discrimination complaints.

Giltner said if there are concerns, he hopes legislators or others will tell him. As a result of the interaction, too, Foley plans to participate more on the safety committee. Giltner and Stowell said they both felt it was important to have a legislative representative.

"It's tough," Giltner said. "When you make change, it's tough to get it going."
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Alibaba said on Monday it would take a major stake in one of China's top food sellers for USD 2.9 billion. (File Photo)

Beijing: Alibaba said on Monday it would take a major stake in one of China's top food sellers for USD 2.9 billion as the e-commerce giant expands further into the retail world.

China's largest e-commerce platform has invested heavily in recent years to connect its online and offline portfolio of businesses, taking stakes in several Chinese grocers, shopping malls and department stores.

Alibaba will buy a 36 per cent stake in Sun Art Retail Group from Taiwanese conglomerate Ruentex Group, leaving Alibaba and French firm Auchan Retail with roughly equal stakes in Sun Art's 446 hypermarkets that sell everything from groceries to clothes.

Sun Art also operates smaller superstores and is building a line of unmanned stores.

Hangzhou-based Alibaba has bet its future on uniting online and offline selling, executing the strategy well before US-based Amazon made its first major purchase of bricks and mortar grocer Whole Foods earlier this year.

"Alibaba is excited to join with our new partners to redefine traditional retail through digital transformation," chief executive Daniel Zhang said in a statement.

Sun Art is one of Auchan's major bets on the Chinese market and the chain of stores has been a boon for its business. The Alibaba investment will integrate Sun Art's bricks and mortar stores with the online selling giant's platform, the companies said in a press release.

"Bringing together the leaders of in-store retail and of online retail will allow us to serve hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers a fully integrated, world-class shopping experience," said Wilhelm Hubner, chief executive of Auchan Retail, which will slightly raise its stake in Sun Art as part of the deal.
The dispatches by the world's largest coal miner rose by 9.6 per cent to 248.9 MT in the April-October period of this fiscal.

New Delhi: Coal dispatches from state-run miner Coal India Ltd (CIL) to power sector improved by 18 per cent to 39.9 million tonnes in October, official data showed.

The power ministry earlier this month had also stated that coal stocks at power plants were "much better" and dry fuel inventories had started building up at the plants.

Coal India had supplied 33.8 million tonnes (MT) of dry fuel to power producers in October 2016.

The dispatches by the world's largest coal miner rose by 9.6 per cent to 248.9 MT in the April-October period of this fiscal, over 227 MT in the year-ago period.

The supply of coal by Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), a state-owned coal mining company, also registered an increase of 5 per cent to 4.2 MT, over 4 million in the same month of previous fiscal.

Power Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had earlier in the month said that the number plants facing acute coal shortage had come down to 12-13.

The coal ministry earlier had blamed power producers for low stocks of dry fuel at their plants.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had last month asked the Centre to ensure adequate supply of coal and early allocation of a coal block situated in Odisha to meet the severe fuel shortage being faced by power units in his state.

Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam in September had said that power generation at thermal power stations reduced by 2,700 MW due to shortage of coal, forcing it to resort to load shedding in the state.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler has said that he finds the demonetisation rollout "deeply flawed" and the introduction of Rs 2,000 notes "puzzling". (Photo: AFP)

Mumbai: Days after the one-year anniversary of demonetisation, Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler has said that although the ban of high value currencies was a per se good move, its execution by the Narendra Modi government was deeply flawed.

Thaler won the Nobel Prize in economics for his extraordinary work in the field of behavioral economics in 2017. His comment on the controversial note ban move comes as a reply to an email sent by his student Swaraj Kumar.

The concept was good as a move to a cashless society to impede corruption but the rollout was deeply flawed and the introduction of the Rs 2000 note makes the motivation for the entire exercise puzzling, Thaler told Kumar.

Kumar, in his email had asked the economist, "After the announcement of Nobel committee, your tweet on Indias demonetization got a lot of attention and many people are quoting it to support the whole exercise. I know that you have suggested in the past to demonetize higher denomination to reduce corruption and to move towards a cashless society. But I was wondering whats your thoughts on the execution like demonetizing 86 per cent of the notes in circulation and only 50 days for the note exchange?

The email was sent to clarify Thalers stance on the issue as previously, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had claimed on Twitter that he supported the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "This is a policy I have long supported. First step toward cashless and good start on reducing corruption.  this is the text of the Thalers tweet from 2016 that was shared by members of the ruling party after he won the Novel Prize, to hail the Modi governments move.

However, Thaler replied saying really? Damn. when he was notified by Twitteratis that the government was introducing Rs 2,000 currency notes. This part of his tweet was however not highlighted by the note ban supporters.

Thalers straightforward response reveals his thoughts on the move that seized 86 per cent of the currency in circulation overnight. The recent slowdown in the economy with the GDP falling to a three-year low of 5.7 per cent has also been attributed to the note ban move.

Apart from Thaler, a lot of economists who hailed the demonetisation of the high value currencies, found the introduction of Rs 2,000 notes puzzling and contradictory to the objective of note ban.
With Sai Pallavis popularity hitting the zenith post Fidaa, the Telugu buyers of Malayalam film Kali, (starring her) are sure looking to cash in on the success and her fame.

While the Telugu version has been titled Hey Pillagada, after a lot of dilly-dallying, the team has announced the films release date as November 24. The action-thriller, which stars Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role, will be competing with Mental Madilo, Devi Sri Prasad and Balakrishnudu next week.
People who had sex at least twice a week released more antigens like immunoglobulin which helps fight off colds and flu. (Photo: Pixabay)

Scientists claim that men are more aroused by revealing pictures of women during colder months than they were during the summer.

Scientists also say that cold air also improves sperm quality - explaining the higher birth-rates during this period and a general sense of more attraction during this period.

Whatever, be the reason, we list reasons why winter is the best time to get intimate with your partner.

It could lower his risk of prostate cancer: According to a study conducted by the Harvard Medical School, men who ejaculated more often reduced their risk of developing prostate cancer by 22 percent. Researchers still don't know what is the reason behind it, but if sex is the way to avoid it, then why not!

Chance of getting a cold goes down: According to researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, people who had sex at least twice a week released more antigens like immunoglobulin which helps fight off colds and flu.

It keeps you looking super young and confident: A Scottish researcher and clinical neuropsychologist David Weeks found that the people whose age was underestimated by seven to 12 years were also reporting having sex three times a week, in comparison to those who were less frequent

It'll help get rid of menstrual cramps: A 2000 study found that 9 percent study done in 2000 found that 9 percent of 1,900 women were masturbating solely to get rid of their menstrual cramps. There's no way that many masturbating women are wrong.

It makes women more fertile: A new study in Fertility and Sterility found that having sex every day could help prepare your immune system for pregnancy, which is critical in terms of increasing your chances of having a baby.

Lowers blood pressure and ability to stress out: A 2005 study found that people who had penile-vaginal intercourse had lower blood pressure and better stress responses than people who didn't.

Sex can actually make one more intelligent: Several studies by researchers at the University of Maryland and Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, found that mice and rats who had sex more often were also less stressed. A de-stressed mind makes people more intelligent thinkers.

Cuddling chances increase: Cuddling is an option during summer, after sex, as both partners are sticky and hot. But in the winter, youre probably going to want to get your cuddle on. In the winter, one is more likely to cuddle post sex because it's a great way to stay warm.

Sex in socks: A 2013 study from University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that 80 percent of women who took part in the study had orgasms when manually stimulated by a partner if they were wearing socks compared to 50 percent when barefoot.
Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who's spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage. (Photo: Pixabay)

The countdown to launch creeps closer and there's still plenty for self-taught rocket scientist Mad Mike Hughes to do: Last-second modifications to his vessel. Pick up his flight suit. Leave out enough food for his four cats  just in case anything happens.

Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who's spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage. His project has cost him a total of $20,000, which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craig's List that he converted into a ramp.

His first test of the rocket will also be the launch date  Saturday , when he straps into his homemade contraption and attempts to hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy, California. He will travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph.

"If you're not scared to death, you're an idiot," Hughes said . "It's scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket.

"I'm a walking reality show."

The daredevil/limo driver has been called a little bit of everything over his career  eccentric, quirky, foolhardy. Doesn't bother him. He believes what he believes, including that the earth is flat. He knows this thought is a conundrum, given that he's about to launch himself into the atmosphere.

Down the road, he's intending to build a rocket that takes him to space, so he can snap a picture and see with his own eyes.

"I don't believe in science," said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth. "I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the area, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that's not science, that's just a formula. There's no difference between science and science fiction."

This will actually be the second time he's constructed and launched a rocket. He jumped on a private property in Winkelman, Arizona, on Jan. 30, 2014 , and traveled 1,374 feet. He collapsed after that landing  the G-forces taking a toll  and needed three days to recover.

That distance, though, would've been enough to clear the Snake River Canyon, which is a jump daredevil Evel Knievel made famous when he failed to clear it during his attempt in 1974. Stuntman Eddie Braun did successfully rocketed over the canyon  using Knievel's original blueprints  in September 2016.

Just don't mention Knievel around Hughes. He's not a fan.

"He was an average stunt guy," said Hughes, a former motorcycle racer. "He stole his look from Elvis."

Hughes constructed his latest rocket at the "Rocket Ranch" in Apple Valley, California. It's a five-acre property he leases from Waldo Stakes , the CEO of Land Speed Research Vehicles who's currently working on a project to make a car travel 2,000 mph.

Their relationship formed a few years ago when Hughes approached Stakes about building a rocket. Stakes receives plenty of these sorts of requests, but this one stood out because Hughes was building it himself.

"Nothing is out of reach," Stakes said. "Anything can be done. You just have to put enough money, time and thought into it."

Here's the thing: Hughes doesn't make all that much money  $15 per hour as a limo driver, plus tips. That's why he's scrounged for parts, finding the aluminum for his rocket in metal shops and constructing the rocket nozzle out of an aircraft air filter. He gave it a good varnish of cheap paint, and his launch pad is attached to a motor home he bought for $1,500.

"I want to inspire others  and you have to do something incredible to get anybody's attention," he said.

The location of the jump will be Amboy, a ghost town located in the Mojave Desert and along historic Route 66. The fictional town of Radiator Springs in the Disney movie "Cars" was loosely based on Amboy.

Hughes got permission from the town's owner, Albert Okura, who purchased the rights to Amboy in 2005 for $435,000. The launch will take place on an air strip next to a dilapidated hangar.

"It is absolutely the most wacky promotional proposal I have had since I purchased the entire town in 2005," said Okura, who's also the founder of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain. "He is a true daredevil and I want to be part of it."

On the morning of the launch, Hughes will heat 70 gallons of water in a stainless steel tank and then blast off between 2 and 3 p.m. PT. He plans to go about a mile  reaching an altitude of about 1,800 feet  before pulling two parachutes. They're discouraging fans  safety issues  but it will be televised on his YouTube channel . He said he's been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management.

Following his jump, he said he's going to announce his plans to leap into the race for governor of California.

No joke.

His future plans include an excursion into space. He and Stakes have already brain-stormed on a "Rockoon," which is a rocket that, rather than being immediately ignited while on the ground, is carried into the atmosphere by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and lit. This rocket will take Hughes about 68 miles up.

First things first  this jump over a ghost town. He will be tinkering with his rocket right up to takeoff.

"A guy who builds his own rocket in his garage, about to jump a mile is pretty cool," Hughes said. "It's the most interesting human-interest story in the world."
The pilot painted an enormous outline of a penis in the sky using the condensation trails from his multi-million-dollar warplane. (Photo: Twitter/DaffyDano)

The US Navy was left red-faced Friday after a pilot painted an enormous outline of a penis in the sky using the condensation trails from his multi-million-dollar warplane.

Residents of the town of Okanogan, in the western state of Washington, had been stunned to see the EA-18G Growler jet - a variant of the workhorse F/A-18 warplane - scrawling the phallic symbol on Thursday, and several photos quickly circulated online.

Its a nice fall day in Washington at a kids ball game...then about 40 seconds in, things take a turn https://t.co/q98iAujkoY  Jilly Bean  (@Peachy__Queen) November 18, 2017

Navy officials acknowledged one of their crews was behind the stunt, saying the aircraft "left a condensed air trail resembling an obscene image to observers on the ground."

"The actions of this aircrew were wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values," Lieutenant Commander Leslie Hubbell, a spokeswoman for the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, said in a statement.

"We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation -- and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

"The Navy apologizes for this irresponsible and immature act," she added.

Many onlookers on the ground posted images of the drawing on social media and appeared amused by the stunt.

Ramon Duran told The Spokesman-Review that he was running errands when he noticed the jet drawing the male genitalia.

"After it made the circles at the bottom, I knew what it was and started laughing," Duran said.

"It was pretty funny to see that. You don't expect to see something like that."

The Boeing EA-18G Growler combines the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform "with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite" at a cost of $67 million each, according to a Navy fact sheet.
Whatever kind of clothes you are looking for, from saris to salwar suits or intricately designed dupattas in silk, cotton or linen, Narsingh has it all at affordable prices.

Their first cloth emporium was set up in 1964 and today, over five decades later, the Narsingh brand is still thriving. Rajesh Singhania, Managing Director of Narsingh Cloth Emporium reminisces, We were a joint family. My father and all my uncles used to work together at one small store. In those days, ours was the only store outside which people used to wait for hours together until it opened. And there used to be so much crowd that it was difficult to even keep one foot inside. What started with just one modest store has now grown to become an empire of sorts with multiple stores across the city. Notably, Narsinghs clients are from all walks of life  politicians, bureaucrats, doctors, Tollywood actors as well as people from all other financial and professional backgrounds.

Rajesh, who learnt the tricks of the trade from his father Susheel Kumar Singhania, loved visiting the family store as a child. So its only natural that he jumped into the business, straight out of college. What got him more involved in the business was seeing and, as a result, developing an interest in various kinds of fabrics in his growing years. No wonder then that Rajesh is quite the fabric connoisseur of the family! We have been doing it for more than two generations; first it was my grandfather, then my father and now, me! We source fabrics from across the country and also recreate them to suite modern tastes, he says.

Interestingly, after Rajeshs wedding, Narsingh also started a designer store by the name of Kanak Studio. Narsingh has been catering to a wide segment of customers since over 50 years. But when my wife Shivaanii came up with an idea to start a bridal store, it made sense to me and we launched Kanak. As we are a well-known brand in Hyderabad, the idea of having a fashion store is to deliver happiness to our clients and add a spark to their day of happiness, shares Rajesh.

Mentioning how the taste of customers is constantly evolving with the times, Shivaanii says, In recent times, things have changed. As people are travelling globally and seeing the world, they are getting exposed to different styles, markets, fibers, fabrics and fashion.

Talking about the challenges of launching a new brand, Shivaanii says, There is no fun in sailing in smooth waters; challenges are a part of life. Although I hail from a business family, I personally didnt have much experience. So balancing the three facets of life  family, health and work  was the biggest challenge initially. Also, travelling to meet the best artisans or karigars for embroidery, zari work, etc, across the country, was a hectic experience. But the taste of success keeps you driving further. Now that the kids have grown up and business is well established, its getting better. In hindsight, all the pain was honestly worth it.

Like his wife, even Rajesh feels that hard work, sweat and setbacks are an integral part of the road to success. He says, I believe that when you climb a mountain, its a hard journey but on the top there is a beautiful view waiting for you. My father started this business with just a handful of money but now there are so many feathers in Narsinghs cap. Our honesty, hard work and determination have paid off. I believe every day is a struggle in the journey to tomorrow.

So, how does the brand and its team continue to grow and learn? Our industry requires constant innovation and creativity. For this purpose, we keep looking at our surroundings for inspiration, Shivaanii says, adding, Nature, trees, monumental buildings and sculptures, etc., are the sources of our inspiration. Sometimes, consciously or subconsciously, we are inspired by many elements of our environment. We are also trying our bit to learn and keep evolving.
Bengaluru: A 25-year-old woman, who met a man on train and got close to him, has accused him of raping her on several occasions. The case registered at a police station in Haveri has now been transferred to Cottonpet police station as the incident took place under its jurisdiction.

The accused, Marikumar (26), is a resident of Haveri and a grocery supplier. He met Aarti (name changed) at Karajagi railway station in Haveri. Aarti was living with her husband and two children in Vidyaranyapura and often quarrelled with her husband.

After one such fight, she had left for her relative's house in Haveri and that was when she met Marikumar. Both became friends, started talking to each other over phone and eventually became close. The police said that Aarti eloped with Marikumar, who cheated her with false promise of marrying her. After finding out that he was already married and broke his promise of marrying her, Aarti lodged a complaint, accusing him of rape and cheating.

The complaint stated that on October 4, Marikumar called her and asked her to meet him near the Yeshwantpur railway station. He told her that he had something important to discuss and took her to a lodge in Cottonpet where he allegedly raped her again. A few days after that, he allegedly repeatedly called her and asked her to meet him at one of his relative's house in

Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru district. She stayed in Tumakuru for two days and later went to Haveri to his house where she found out that he was married. Marikumar with his family and relatives attacked her and forced her to leave the place.

The woman registered a complaint at the Haveri police station on October 30.

The Haveri police, who arrested the accused from his house, have now transferred the case to Cottonpet police station.
Chennai: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Saturday landed a major haul of red sanders of about 40 tons from a godown near Oragadam, 56 kms from Chennai, off the Chennai-Bengaluru highway on Saturday. The seized red sanders logs are worth over Rs 16 crore, according to officials. Sources said the DRI officers were working on various inputs about red sanders being smuggled through Oragadam, an automotive manufacturing hub on the outskirts of the city.

We received intelligence about various gangs collecting red sanders logs in these godowns and then clandestinely swapping them with export consignments bound for foreign destinations through Chennai port, an official said. On Saturday, officials spotted a suspicious looking truck near Panruti and intercepted it. On inspection, the truck was found to be loaded with bags stuffed with worn rags and clothes.

However, below the bags, red sanders logs were found, after which the officials took the truck driver to the godown where they were loaded. On reaching the godown, a SUV was spotted and the men inside fled in the vehicle, leaving one person behind. He was apprehended and on further inspection of the godown, four trucks loaded with red sanders logs were found.

The trucks and the wooden logs worth over Rs16 crore were seized and the godown sealed. The highly prized species of trees is smuggled to the Middle East and South East Asian countries from where ultimately they land in China, officials said. Investigations are on to find the others involved in the smuggling.
Chennai: The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Chennai (South) directed the Air France to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to family members of a woman passenger for missing her bag while she flew from the USA to Chennai nine years ago. The Forum's compensation, however, comes after her death.

In the petition, S. Deenadayalan of Manali had submitted that his wife D. Amsaveni (now deceased) travelled on Air France flight from Detroit Metro, USA to Paris on December 7, 2008 and reached Chennai on December 9, 2008 at 12.30 am. While travelling she took two bags and one with tag No. NW 379192 was found missing.

He stated that the value of missing articles amounts to $1540 equivalent to Rs 77, 000. Even after repeated requests, the airline failed to take steps. In the petition, Deenadayalan sought a refund of Rs 77,000 towards the value of the missing articles and a compensation of Rs 3 lakh from M/s. Air France, Pantheon Road, Egmore, and M/s. Air France, Anna International Airport, Chennai for causing mental agony and deficiency in service.

In its reply, M/s. Air France submitted that complainants made an exaggerated claim and inflated the value of the articles allegedly carried in the luggage. Amsaveni was carrying prohibited items in the baggage and she had not made any declaration of the articles at the time of checking in the baggage. Hence, the airline cannot be held liable for the loss of such prohibited items as per the General Carriage Act. She failed to provide any bills/ invoice or any other supporting documents to substantiate the value of the articles and thus the baggage.

However, on discovering that the baggage was untraceable, M/s. Air France, Pantheon Road, Egmore, as a measure of goodwill, estimated the weight of the baggage to be 6 kg on the basis of the contents as declared by the complainant herself and accordingly offered her a compensation of `7,525 on the basis of 17 Special drawing rights per kg. This was higher than the industry standard of US $20 per kg. She refused to accept the compensation. The airline had not committed any deficiency in service and sought dismissal of the petition. The bench, comprising president M. Mony and members K. Amala and Dr T. Paul Rajasekaran, said admittedly the baggage was duly checked in and if any prohibited items found in baggage or if any undeclared items found in baggage the airline can very well reject the baggage. The bench said considering the facts and circumstances, M/s. Air France, Pantheon Road, Egmore, and M/s. Air France, Anna International Airport, Chennai are jointly liable to pay a sum of Rs 77,000 and a compensation of Rs 30,000 for causing mental agony.
Soon after the list was released, PAAS workers, led by Hardik Patel, expressed anger and started protesting in various parts of the state claiming they were not given proper representation. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Ahmedabad: Poll bound Gujarat has witnessed its latest share of action hours after Congress released the first list of 77 candidates on Sunday for the upcoming state elections.

Soon after the list was released, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers, led by Hardik Patel, expressed anger and started protesting in various parts of the state claiming they were not given proper representation.

Two PAAS members - Lalit Vasoya and Amit Thummar - were given tickets in the list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had originally demanded 20.

Vasoya got the ticket for Dhoraji while Thummar got for Junagadh seat.

Also Read : Guj polls: Cong list delayed as party grapples with factionalism, Patidar hardball

Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

In Surat, PAAS members gheraoed the city unit office and indulged in sloganeering against the Congress.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya told reporters.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania, reached the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki with his supporters, to represent their case.

"We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us," he said. However, Solanki was not present at his Ahmedabad residence.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold massive protests against Congress tomorrow (Monday)," another PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria said.

PAAS leader Dinesh Patel said, "We'll ask our party candidates to not file a nomination. If they still do, we'll protest against them also.

#WATCH: Miffed over ticket distribution, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel earlier today said will oppose Congress if our concerns are not addressed pic.twitter.com/ly7RQqIM8c  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Dinesh Patel also alleged that the Police has been targeting the community, and posing a threat to their lives.

"Police personnel are arresting us under the influence and out of uniform too. They want to kill us. Our life is under threat," he added.

Also Read : Gujarat polls: Hardik Patel's Patidars played tough, delayed Congress list

Earlier on Sunday, PAAS members led by Bhambania and Kahiria had met Solanki and other Congress leaders. After the meeting it was declared that they had reached a compromise formula.

Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, only if the party committed itself to allotting reservation in education and government jobs to his community.

The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.

With inputs from agencies.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wants the Padmavati makers to remove the objectionable scenes from the film. (Photo: PTI)

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that film Padmavati would not be allowed to release in the state unless the objectionable scenes were removed.

"We have been reading about the queen's sacrifice from childhood. Distortion of history will not be tolerated. Unless the objectionable scenes are removed, I will not let the film to be released across the state," he told a gathering after holding a meeting with representatives of Rajput community.

He also announced that a memorial would be built in queen Padmavati's memory.

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that the 'Padmavati' controversy was a manufactured one to suppress freedom of expression.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," the chief minister wrote on Twitter.

West Bengal chief minister's stand in favour of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film comes amid protests against its release by Rajput groups and some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders across the country.

Haryana BJP leader, Suraj Pal Amu, on Sunday announced a bounty of Rs. 10 crore for beheading actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Padmavati was slated to release on December 1; however, the release has been postponed, as the film is yet to receive approval from Central Board of Film Certification.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police on Monday arrested a 32-year-old man, who runs a recruitment consultancy, for allegedly seeking 'hot' pictures from a woman job applicant.

Following a complaint by the woman, an engineering graduate, officials of the SHE Teams (a wing of the city police which handles cases of stalking and eve-teasing) arrested B Narender Singh, the accused, said additional commissioner of police Swati Lakra.

The complainant had appeared for an interview for a job in the IT sector.

Afterwards, when she contacted Singh through WhatsApp to know about the status of her application, Singh messaged back asking her to send her "hot" pictures, the officer said.

"Shocked, she flatly refused," Lakra added.

Singh allegedly repeated his demand when the woman called him some days later to ask about the progress of her application.

Unless she sent him her pictures, he won't consider her for the job, he told her, as per the complaint.

Singh also told her that he would be recruiting candidates for many reputed IT companies, and he will offer her a good job if she agreed to send her photos, and it will be difficult for her to get a job otherwise as she is a fresher, the complaint said.

Singh was arrested under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
The Supreme Court has allowed Karti Chidambaram to visit the UK from December 1 to December 10 with certain terms and conditions. (File photo)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, who is being investigated in the INX Media case, to go to the United Kingdom for his daughters admission.

The apex court has allowed Karti to visit the UK from December 1 to December 10 with certain terms and conditions. It has also directed him to give an undertaking that he will return as per the order of the court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing allegations of irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX media by Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram.

The FIR lodged by the CBI, on May 15, alleged that Karti illegally took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance when his father P Chidambaram was the finance minister.

The CBI raided Karti's residence, along with 13 other locations in New Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and Chandigarh on May 16.
Four RSS workers injured have been given medical care and are being treated while the attackers are yet to be identified. (Photo: ANI)

Kannur/Thiruvananthapuram: Four Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers were attacked in Kerala's Kannur district on Monday.

The four injured have been given medical care and are being treated while the attackers are yet to be identified.

On Sunday, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker was injured after a crude bomb was hurled at a rally. Seven BJP workers were taken into custody and later arrested late on Sunday night for the attack.

The incident happened a day after Mayor VK Prasant was attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at the city corporation council.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) District Secretary Anavoor Nagappan alleged that the BJP workers had unleashed violence on the workers of his party during a procession.

In October, a RSS activist was injured, while bombs were hurled at a BJP party office.

The BJP had on October 3 launched its Jana Raksha Yatra from Kannur to highlight 'Lefts atrocities' in the state.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said, 'A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed.' (Photo: File | GST)

New Delhi: Attacking Narendra Modi over the delay in the winter session of Parliament, Congress party President Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused the Prime Minister of "lacking the courage to face" the Houses.

The dates for the winter session of the parliament, which usually begins in November and runs for four weeks, has not been announced yet as Modi along with other top ministers are campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly elections to be held on December 9.

"Modi government, in arrogance, has cast dark shadow on Indias Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds. It's mistaken if it thinks by locking temple of democracy, it'll escape constitutional accountability ahead of elections," Sonia told at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee in New Delhi.

She added that the Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed Goods and Services Tax (GST) but lacks the courage to face Parliament.

Intensifying her attack at the Centre and Modi, Sonia said, "A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed."

Opponents like Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and the Congress leaders have said the government is ducking facing the opposition's questions over the economic slowdown that has registered after the twin reforms of demonetisation and the new national sales tax or GST.
Hyderabad: Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which is held for the first time in South Asia, will have many speakers who have connections to the host city Hyderabad.

There are home-grown distinguished women speakers like Vani Kola, MD of Kalaari Capital, Deepanwita Chattopad-hyay, CEO of IKP Knowledge Park, Anuradha Acharya, CEO of Mapmygenome India and Rama Akkiraju from IBM. They will be part of various panel discussions. These home-grown entrepreneurs and professionals, who have made it big, have shared their excitement to address the GES.

Akkiraju said on her social media page, This speaking engagement is extra special for me as I'm originally from Hyderabad. Im very much looking forward to giving this talk in my home turf (sic).

She will be speaking on how artificial intelligence (AI) will shape tomorrow and the innovations in the field. Ms Vani Kola will be part of the panel on master class. Sharing her excitement on Twitter, Ms Kola said, Proud it is Hyderabad.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was chaired by the current party president Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence on Monday morning. (Photo: Twitter | @INCIndia)

New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday announced the schedule to elect the next party president, paving the way for Rahul Gandhis coronation just before the Gujarat elections.

The CWC meeting was chaired by the current party president Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in the morning.

The 47-year-old vice-president of the Congress is set to succeed his mother, Sonia, and is expected to be elected unopposed like she has been for the past 17 years.

The Congress will issue the poll notification on December 1 and if anyone would want to contend for the succession to the party presidency, he/she will have to file nomination papers by December 4.

The party will scrutinise the nominations on December 5 and allow contender(s), if there any, to withdraw the nomination by December 11.

Election, if there are contender(s), would be held on December 16 and results announced on December 19.

The Congress said if there is no other contender for the post, the party would announce Rahul's candidature on the last date of scrutiny, i.e. December 5.

In October, Sonia had said Rahul Gandhi would be elevated soon.

Sonia Gandhi has been Congress President since 1988, making her the longest-serving chief of the party. She has been unwell in recent years and has scaled back her public engagements, which brought Rahul more to the forefront.

Rahul became the party's vice-president in January 2013.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Last month, most main luxury auto brands achieved double-digit growth rate in China. After regaining the crown of the luxury auto brands in China in June, Audi remained the most popular luxury auto brand in China in October. Last month, Audi delivered 53,828 vehicles in China, including Hong Kong, increasing 14.5 percent compared with the same period of last year.

Thanks to its sales momentum in the first half year, Benz was the best seller in the perspective of year-to-date sales. By the end of October, Benz sold 488,915 vehicles in China, soaring 27.8 percent from a year earlier.

Compared with September, 2017, there was little change in the ranking, except that the sales of Lexus exceeded those of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Last month, the Japanese luxury auto brand delivered 12,443 vehicles in China, 110 units more than JLR. However, JLRs cumulative sales were 10,000 more than those of Lexus.

In the first ten months of this year, Volvo sold 93,085 vehicles in China, not too far from its annual sales target, 100,000 units. Lincoln delivered 5,514 units last month in China, surging 48 percent year on year.

What should be pointed out is that Infiniti here refers to Dongfeng Infiniti. It managed to grow slightly to 2,557 from a year earlier. Until the end of October, the cumulative sales of Acura jumped 147.4 percent to 12,171 units.
New Delhi: After intense speculation over his elevation that has been going on since 2013, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi appears all set to take over as Congress president in the first week of December.

The much-awaited move is likely to take place in the middle of the Gujarat polls and the Gandhi scion will face trial by fire in less than a fortnight of his taking charge of the party as the results of the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat elections will be announced on December 18.

The Congress Working Committee, under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Monday ratified the schedule of the polls for the post of Congress chief.

The nomination process will begin on December 1 and end on December 4. If Mr Gandhi is the only one to file the nomination, as is expected, he will be declared elected unopposed after the scrutiny of nominations take place on December 5.
Congress leaders at separate media interactions on Monday slammed the comments of minister K.T. Rama Rao at Warangal on Saturday, who said that the time had come to bury the party.

Hyderabad: Congress leaders at separate media interactions on Monday slammed the comments of minister K.T. Rama Rao at Warangal on Saturday, who said that the time had come to bury the party. Rajya Sabha member G. Renuka Chowdary, Leader of Opposition in Council Shabbir Ali, deputy leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and former PCC chief V. Hanumantha Rao talking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan said it was not possible for either for Mr Rama Rao or his father, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to bury the Congress. They said several leaders had made such comments and gone into exile in the past.

Ms Chowdary said when poor people were unable to bear the rising prices and had sold their golden mangalasutrams due to difficulty in raising crops, how was it possible to achieve Golden Telangana as often proclaimed by the Chief Minister. She said the Bangaru Telangana concept was confined to the Chief Minister and his family.

She said that if a tax was levied on the rhetoric of the family members of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, their tall talk would have been reduced to a great extent.

Mr Hanumantha Rao said the government was encouraging fake seed companies and the farmers were paying the price for it. He said the farmers were against the TRS government for not organising the birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a befitting manner. He reiterated that he would not contest the 2019 elections and would campaign for the Congress.

Mr Shabbir Ali said the people were waiting to teach the TRS in the state and the Modi-led BJP government at the Centre a lesson for their failures in implementing promises. He said the Congress had provided a political platform for Mr Chandrase-khar Rao. Mr Rama Rao should observe political etiquette before criticising an age old party like the Congress.
The upgradation of India's sovereign rating by US-based rating agency Moody's is a welcome sign of the increasingly changing perception of India's inherent economic strength. Coupled with a higher ranking in the Ease of doing Business, assigned by the World Bank, it imparts a feel-good mood when it is needed most for the macro economy, especially in the wake of the criticism about demonetisation and the GST rollout. But after the dust settles down, the common man cannot be faulted if he is left wondering what the euphoria about the rating upgrade is all about. To the perceptive observer, the rating agencies have been at best, capricious by nature. They have not covered themselves with glory always, especially in the light of their track record of having rated mortgage-backed securities in the US as AAA in the last decade which led to investment banks in the West taking wild bets based merely on the ratings. What happened due to the resultant meltdown in 2008 is part of financial folklore. Splitting the spoils among themselves, three rating agencies, Moody's, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, all US-based, control 90 per cent of the sovereign ratings market. These ratings are used by international investors and the higher the rating, the better the chances of foreign investments flowing in. Also, a higher rating may lead to lower cost of borrowings by the countries, the better-rated corporates and banks in these countries in raising foreign currency debt.

For long, there has been valid criticism of the methods and the apparent biases in these ratings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had proposed the setting up of a rating agency by the BRICS countries at its summit in Goa a year ago. And the Economic Survey, piloted by our Chief Economic Advisor, Aravind Subramanian, in January this year had mocked at these agencies over their "Poor Standards". Slamming the agencies about their emphasis on per capita income levels, the Survey said: "Lower middle income countries experienced an average growth of 2.45% of GDP per capita (constant 2010 dollars) between 1970 and 2015. At this rate, the poorest of the lower middle income countries would take about 57 years to reach upper middle income status. So if this variable is really key to ratings, poorer countries might be provoked into saying, "Please don't bother this year, come back to assess us after half a century." That was a perfect cock a snook at the inherent Westward bias of the rating agencies. The Survey's pitch, from a developing country's perspective, was rational and fact-based. One may also recall that both the big two daddies of international rating reached settlements in the US to come out of litigation related to their horribly wrong prognosis of mortgage-backed securities.

While Standard & Poor's paid $1.375 billion to settle a US justice department-led lawsuit that alleged that the firm had defrauded investors by issuing inflated ratings in the years preceding the financial crisis, Moody's reached an agreement for $864 million with the US justice department and 21 states, which accused the company of inflating ratings on mortgage securities that were at the centre of the 2008 financial crisis. India's sovereign rating has not had any impact on its economic growth. Foreign currency borrowings by the Indian State have been minuscule in comparison with its domestic borrowings. India has never defaulted on its foreign currency borrowings. As for private companies, there have been instances when they have pierced the sovereign ratings and borrowed at lower costs than the sovereign, Reliance Industries being one such example. Further, rating agencies have been consistently behind the curve as theirs is a vocation which normally is not associated with any responsibility. For good order's sake, it will be worth recalling that India enjoyed an A2 rating in the 1980s and it took the foreign exchange crisis of 1991 for Moody's to push us down below investment grade. So much for their prescience and research!

Recent economic history also tells us that if governance standards are improved, there are enough resources and talent within the country itself to build the India growth story, ensuring employment opportunities as well. And from a macro-economic standpoint, foreign inflows are needed just to fund the investments-savings gap. India's domestic savings rate has been historically high. For the man on the street and indeed for a vast majority of people, however, these ratings do not mean anything. What has the price of essential commodities got to do with external rating? At what prices are tomato, onion and potato selling in the local vegetable market is more material to the common man than how the rating agencies view India. Whether services in Government offices and public utilities like banks are friendly and accessible, whether drinking water, primary health facilities and education are available at reasonable rates, whether there are motorable roads - these are the nagging questions which bother the ordinary person. There is a long way to go before these services become assured to all Indians.

International ratings, the resultant gyrations in the Sensex and the media attention may be par for the course as far as the chatterati are concerned. What the ordinary man wants is perhaps an index or a rating which would measure the Ease of Living which incorporates basics like food prices, ease of accessing Government services including primary health, education and law and order... A discussion about Moody's and Fitch may well be as obtuse as Quantum Physics to the common man. It is time we thought of an index which will measure the Ease of Living, which the Prime Minister himself has pointed to, as a barometer for our daily "business of living".

(The author is a public sector banker. Views are personal).
Mumbai: The IGP (Establishment) Aurangabad range, Rajkumar Whatkar on Monday rejected the application of a female constable seeking permission to undergo gender reassignment surgery.

In an order, the IGP said that, as per recruitment rules, the minimum height of a male constable should be 165 cm while the height of applicant  who joined police force in 2009  is 162.5 cm and she could not be accommodated in the male section of the police force and hence should not be granted permission for the surgery.

Beed resident Smita Deshpande (name changed) had moved the application to the DGP, Maharashtra, via her lawyer Dr Ejaz Abbas.

Dr Abbas said, Due to hormonal changes, she is living in the physical condition of a transgender, and society is usually unfair and cruel towards the third gender so she wants to become a male person now.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has suggested to the opposition YSR Congress that it carry out its protests in New Delhi instead of creating law and order problems in the AP capital Amaravati. Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Mr Naidu strongly objected to Opposition parties calling for the Chalo Assembly rally and said that it was not right to target him on the special status issue. He said that special category status was promised for the state, but instead the Centre had come forward with the special package.

He said after the unscientific bifurcation, he had to accept every benefit that was offered to the state to help it recover from the bifurcation losses, including the revenue deficit. He too wanted the special category status, but could not refuse the special package offered by the Centre, as the development of the state with assistance in any form from the Centre, was important to him.

Mr Naidu said he had been working hard to mobilise funds and develop the state and has even visited the homes of ministers to seek funds. Even in the case of the Polavaram project, he had to take the additional risk of briefing Union minister Nitin Gadkari who took over from Ms Uma Bharati. Opposition parties should have complimented him on his work and supported him in getting more funds from the Central government. Instead, the Opposition parties were trying to create law and order problems in the state, which is already suffering from the after effects of bifurcation, he observed.

Mr Naidu thanked the Centre for its financial support in different forms. He said either special category status or the special package was helpful for the state. Opposition parties could fight with the Central government, he said.
The Shia Waqf Board had laid claim to the demolished Babri mosque on the grounds that it was actually built by Mir Baqi, who was a Shia. Mir Baqi was a commander of forces when Babar was the emperor.

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board has prepared a proposal for the Ayodhya dispute in which the temple will be built at the Ram Janambhoomi site in Ayodhya and Masjid-e-Aman will be built in Lucknow.

Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi on Monday said, Following discussions with the different parties we have prepared a proposal.

He said that this formula would ensure and amity between the two communities and in the country.

The Shia Waqf Board had laid claim to the demolished Babri mosque on the grounds that it was actually built by Mir Baqi, who was a Shia. Mir Baqi was a commander of forces when Babar was the king.

The Shia Waqf has earlier filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to be made a party to the case pending in the apex court. Mr Rizvi said that he, along with some saints and seers from Ayodhya, will soon approach the Supreme Court before December 5 with this solution to the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

The Sunni Central Waqf Board has already rejected an out of court settlement and its counsel Zafaryab Jilani said that they would wait for the court verdict.

Reacting to the Shia Waqf Board formula, Mr Jilani said that they were not even a party to the dispute as yet and hence, the formula was meaningless. He said Muslim would not give up their claim on the disputed site.
Chennai: It is within the public knowledge that the registration department is one of the most corrupt departments in the state and without bribe money, nothing will move and people who had the experience of visiting the registration office, would say, said the Madras high court while posing 10 queries to be answered by the state government and the DGP.

Even the latest raid conducted in the registration offices, a month ago, yielded huge sums of corrupt money. When the purchasing power of people has gone up and the salary got increased, people tend to purchase properties and that is the reason why number of registrations in the sub-registrars office has increased.

Since a number of documents are being registered in all the -registrar offices, each and every day, it is necessary for the DVAC to keep vigil on those offices to prevent demand of bribe money for registration. If this sorry state of affairs is in existence, one can expect the quantum of money which will have to be paid by the parties concerned to the officials in the name of gifts in the offices of registrars where the documents in respect of immoveable properties would be registered in large numbers, said Justice N.Kirubakaran and posed the 10 queries.

Passing interim orders on a petition filed by T.Boopathy, Justice Kirubakaran said in this case, five documents have been submitted as early as on August 23, 2016, and August 26, 2016, for registration before the sub-registrar, Pammal, and for more than one year, nothing has been heard of by the petitioner. Even during the lifetime of petitioners grandfather, he had filed a petition, seeking release of documents. At least, after the filing of the petition, authorities should have been prompt enough to release the documents. However, nothing has been done and no communication has been sent giving the reasons as to why the documents have been retained or withheld without registration, which the authorities have to explain, the judge added.

The judge said if the case projected before this court was to be believed, then the situation prevailing in registrars offices in TN, was very difficult to be appreciated. It was stated that since CCTV cameras have been installed to oversee the functioning in such offices, third parties have been employed to collect corrupt money for registering documents. Only with a view to restrict or minimize corruption, if any, the novel idea of installation of CCTV cameras was implemented in the registration offices. But, that attempt seems to have been successfully frustrated by this kind of employment of third party people otherwise called as middlemen or touts to collect corrupt money for registering documents. N.Suresh, counsel for the petitioner, would submit that in almost all the registration departments, this menace was prevalent. Therefore, this court impleads the state of TN, represented by its secretary, commercial taxes and registration department and the DGP as respondents in the petition, the judge added.

Pointing out the list of persons and the details of gifts submitted by the counsel for the petitioner, the judge said if the list was to be believed, a person cannot register a document, without payment of Rs 1 lakh as bribe money for registering a one ground plot. Though the people are under the mistaken impression that our country has not advanced, they will change their opinion after seeing this scientific way of corruption. These corrupt practices would only go to show that, all was not well with the registration departments, if the allegations made by the petitioners were true, the judge added.

Court poses 10 queries to department secy, DGP

Justice N.Kirubakaran of the Madras high court has directed the state of TN represented by its secretary, commercial taxes and registration department and the DGP to answer 10 queries relating to alleged corruption prevailing in the registration offices in the state.

The ten queries are :

Q Whether the authorities are aware that the registrars and other officials of registration departments are employing third parties to collect money over and above the amount payable for registration of documents?.

Q Is there any inspection or raid made by the higher officials in this regard so far?



Q If raids have been conducted, then how many such raids have been conducted for the past 10 years?

Q Whether any money had been seized during such raids and if so, details to be furnished for the past 10 years with regard to the quantum of seized money?

Q How many cases have been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act and how many persons have been arrested?



Q If any departmental action has been taken against the erring officials and what is the result of the departmental action, so taken, pursuant to seizure of corrupt money?



Q If third parties have been employed for collecting money, what are the steps taken by the authorities to do away with such illegal system of collecting money, including arrest of those touts?.



Q Whether the registrars are filing their assets every year to the authorities concerned and whether any officer has been charged for having been in possession of disproportionate wealth during service?.



Q Whey not the registration department install digital login system so that only the officials/staff working in the said departments could enter the office so that third parties could be prevented from having access into the office?



Q When there is a decision of this court that three weeks time would be the maximum time limit either for registering or returning the document, why the sub-registrar, Pammal, has retained the documents of the petitioner for more than one year?.

The judge posted to December 4, further hearing of the petition filed by T.Boopathy.
New Delhi: You (Uttar Pradesh government) cannot get Taj Mahal again if it is destroyed. Let us look at the broader picture to protect it, the Supreme Court observed on Monday and refused to grant permission to the state to go ahead with the construction of a multi-level car parking facility surrounding the historical monument.

The bench comprising Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta refused to accept the argument of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the state that if car parking was not allowed, then both international and domestic tourists would have walk more than a kilometre. The bench told the ASG, You cant get Taj again. Have a long-term perspective. People should learn to walk. You dont have a vision document. Thats the whole problem.
Hyderabad: Cinematography minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said on Monday that the government at present was not considering imposing a ban on the screening of the controversial film Padmavati in the state. The release of the film has been deferred, and the Supreme Court has refused to intervene in its release.

Speaking to this newspaper, the minister said, the film is still awaiting a censor certificate. To our knowledge, the Central Board of Film Certification has referred the movie back to the producer and producer has postponed the release of the film that was scheduled on December 1. He said that unless the movie gets a censor certificate, there is no question of its release. So we have not taken any view as of now whether or not to ban the movie, the minister said.

Asked about the decision of the Madhya Pradesh government to ban the film, Mr Srinivas Yadav said he did not know of it. How can a decision to ban a movie be taken without it getting a censor certificate, he said. We have not received any representation from any community so far seeking the banning of the movie. If anyone makes a representation, we will think about it, Mr Yadav said.
Chennai: To improve the performances of state board students in national level competitive exams like Neet, the Tamil Nadu government revised syllabus for classes 1 to 12 and released the draft new syllabus on Monday.

Following the approval of high-level committee which met here on Monday, Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palanisami formally released the draft syllabus and position papers on various subjects. The new syllabus will replace 12-year-old higher secondary syllabus and seven-year-old common syllabus for classes 1 to 10. It has included many aspects which expected to improve the students performance.

After collating good aspects of more than 15 boards including CBSE we have come out with the new syllabus. If it is implemented fully, the students would do well in all the competitive exams, said M. Anandakrishnan, chairman, Tamil Nadu Curriculum Framework Committee.

The draft syllabus also has well-defined learning outcome for all subjects and all classes. The content of the draft syllabus will be much more advanced than the current syllabus. We have introduced technology for science subjects and we have also introduced six skill development courses like textile manufacturing, he said.

Many new topics like robotic science, nanoscience, environmental chemistry or green chemistry are being introduced to students at school level. All the concepts will have explanations about where it connects with our life.

School education minister K.A.Sengottaiyan said the new syllabus was prepared in a record time of just four months. The syllabus will help the students to shine in whatever field they choose to study in future. We have created the syllabus to prepare the students for the future, he added.

The draft syllabus has been published on www.tnscert.org. Experts, teachers, and the public can read it and give the feedback and suggestions online or through letters until November 28. All these suggestions would be considered for inclusion in the syllabus, the minister said.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GWM released luxury SUV brand WEY one year ago, and then launched VV7 and VV5 models this year. Wei Jianjun, chairman and founder of WEY reveals that the total number for WEYs dealerships exceeds 60, and is expected to reach 300 at the end of 2018. He also reveals that the sales target for WEY next year will be 250,000 units.

WEY is built to compete with joint-venture brands. Wei Jianjun also claims that, WEY brand will end the era when joint venture brands gain huge profits. VV7 has a monthly sales volume exceeding 16,000 units and VV5 is also expected to exceed 10,000 units at the end of year, meaning WEY brand has successfully entered into the SUV market monopolized by joint ventures in which model price ranges from RMB 150,000 to 200,000.

WEY brands success relies heavily on its high product quality. As the first model winning GOOD in Small Overlap Collision test with American standards, VV5 model also smoothly passed roof static pressure test, showing a series of safety configurations to consumers and winning reputation from the market. WEY brand also displayed its P8 and XEV concept models at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September, showing its ambition to compete with global brands.

Following the industrial trend of new energy and connected intelligence, WEY would also take efforts in these areas. Its introduced that WEY will launch many competitive NEV models, beginning from PHEV P8. The first WEY BEV XEV model is expected to be updated with L4 autonomous features in two years. GWM is also constructing the largest domestic driverless testing field, which will be completed and put into use within this year.

Four WEY SUV products will be launched in 2018, with NEV models accounting for half by the support of new high-end new energy technological platform Pi4. Pi4 platform has key hybrid biaxial drive technology, which is able to achieve complete decoupling for craniocaudal axis. The platform uses hybrid technologies including start-stop, motor Boost, and engine power generation.
Chennai: Claiming that actor Kamal Haasan is seeking cheap publicity, which cannot be accepted, state fisheries minister and AIADMK senior D. Jayakumar warned that his government will not hesitate to take legal action against the actor if he continued to level baseless charges against the government.

Flaying the actor for making unsubstantiated charges the minister said though there were many avenues in a democracy like Vigilance and Anti Corruption or the courts, through which the actor could have raised the issue if at all there was any merit in his accusations, he chose to spew baseless allegations against the government.

His intention appears to be clear I had asked him to substantiate his charges, three months ago but he is yet to react to it. We will not hesitate to take action against him if he continues to make baseless allegations against the government, Mr Jayakumar told reporters here on Monday.

The ministers comments are lined to the actors tweet on Sunday night, in which he said, It is a crime for the government to indulge in looting, and the act to go unchecked is also a crime.

The bell has rung. Criminals shouldn't rule, people and democracy should immediately act. People should become judges. Lets wake up. I request, the veteran actor who is set to launch his own political party said.

Jayakumar claimed that Kamal is the only person who asked money from his followers to start a political party. And this has become obvious as to who is operating him from behind.

He recalled that the actor had stated that he would run out of Tamil Nadu (when protests by Muslims erupted against his film 'Vishwaroopam') when former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was alive.

"Kamal is trying to seek cheap publicity by criticising the government. He is living in imaginary world like his character in the movie 'Guna.' His intentions are not acceptable", Mr. Jayakumar said and warned "we add salt to our food" - indicating the government would not be a silent spectator to his remarks.
Hyderabad: The Shia community people lodged a complaint against a famous TV news presenter from Delhi for posting derogatory statements against the gods and deities on Sunday at Dabeerpura police station.

The complaint was given against Rohit Sardana, a journalist, who is currently working for Aaj Tak in Delhi.

Mr Sardana had tweeted on Sunday, comparing the gods and deities to film tiles with provocative words said the Dabeerpura police inspector.

Based on the complaint, a case was booked against the journalist under section 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of IPC and started an investigation.
Hyderabad: Multinational producers of meat, fish and chicken have adopted double standards and continue to use antibiotics in the food which is supplied to India. However, they desist from doing so when it comes to the food supplied to the US and the Europe, stated the Centre for Science and Environment.

A poultry farmer, on condition of anonymity, said, The company officials demand that the feed must have these medicines mixed so that the bird and animal are healthy and free of diseases. During winters, these animals are affected and to ensure that they are free from disease, there is continuous supply of medicines in powdered form in their feed. These are the practices which have continued since years and now stopping them will affect the production cycle.

In a series of tests that have been carried out and evaluated, the CSE found that the antibiotics were used in the farms. Mr Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of CSE, said, The companies which are supplying foods to the US and the European Union are not using antibiotics for the birds and animals. But those which are earmarked for India are used. There is a rising antimicrobial resistance in India and they cannot adopt this double standard. The multinational food chains supply meat, fish and chicken to corporate food chains, hotels and the food processing industry.

CSE has sought response from 11 multinational companies of which three are based in India regarding the plans and policies for eliminating antibiotic misuse. But there has not been any response. Mr Amit Khurana, head of food safety at CSE, noted, We have to first ensure that the organised sector complies with the guidelines of the World Health Organisation and introduce a plan to reduce the use of antibiotics. Once we have them, various associations will fall in line.
Sonia Gandhi has accused the Narendra Modi-government of 'sabotaging' the Winter Session of Parliament on 'flimsy grounds'. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Rajkot: Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley on Monday clashed over the delay in convening the Winter Session of Parliament with the Congress chief accusing the Modi-government of sabotaging it on "flimsy grounds" and the union minister saying Congress had done so too in the past.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaitley also said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The Winter Session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December. According to sources, the Government is considering a truncated Winter Session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," Gandhi said in her address at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi.

Refuting Gandhi's charge, Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times.

Jaitley said the opposition party when in power had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held for sure and that the Congress will be "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said, adding, "Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed."
Chennai: Former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, who had kept away from DMK for the past three years, expressed his willingness on Sunday to resume his political career if his father and party chief M Karunanidhi wished so. Alagiri, the DMK strongman in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu whose wings were clipped ahead of the 2014 general elections, told reporters on his arrival at the airport here from Madurai that his father who has been ailing for some time is doing well and is expected to resume his duties soon. His (Karunanidhis) health is fine. I have come only to meet and check on his health, Alagiri said, when asked how his father was doing. I will if he wished so, he gave a cryptic reply when reporters sought to know whether he would take a plunge into active politics once again.

DMKs former organising secretary of Southern Tamil Nadu, who has been maintaining a low profile ever since he was sidelined by the party high command, has been in the news recently. He had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking him for visiting his father during his day-long trip to Chennai on November 6. DMK sources said Alagiris statement should be seen just as an answer to the question posed by a reporter during an informal interaction. Political observers see Alagiris recent statements as his way of expressing an interest in taking an active plunge into politics ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Alagiri was the undisputed leader of DMK in southern districts for quite long years irrespective of the partys status at the Fort St George, but his dominance in the party was demolished by his younger brother M.K. Stalin, who now controls the entire DMK leadership. It would be very difficult for Alagiri to come back to active politics. Stalin would never allow that too at a time when his stature in the party is increasing day by day, a senior leader said.
New Delhi: Chairing her last meeting of the Congress Working Committee, Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the government for sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament. Mrs Gandhi said, The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on Indias parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the Assembly elections.

Refuting Mrs Gandhis charge, finance minister Arun Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times.

The Winter Session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14.

Chiding Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the midnight Parliament session to roll out GST, Mrs Gandhi said, The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST. But today he lacks the courage to face Parliament.
New Delhi: The deal struck between Congress and the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti almost became undone on Monday as the PAAS did not accept the only two seats offered to its members in the Congress first list for Gujarat released on Sunday.

Both Mr Patel and the Congress state leadership rushed in for damage control holding fresh rounds of meetings in which more seats are being mulled for PAAS members.

Many youth from the PAAS indulged in violence and even clashed with Congress members at various places in the state. By the evening it was clear that there were differences in PAAS ranks as one of its leaders Lalit Vasoya filed his nomination papers despite PAAS convener Dinesh Bambaniya saying that none from the organisation would do so.

Trouble brewed between NCP and the Congress too with the former saying that it would contest all the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections.

I think it would be better for us to fight on all the seats on our own than in alliance with the Congress, senior NCP leader and former Union minister Praful Patel said.
Everyone wants an Army tank these days. Or an RCL gun. Obsolete and unusable, of course, but the symbolic hardware of war is much in demand in educational institutions across India. A number of universities and schools, elite institutions such as Delhis Modern School and Lucknows La Martiniere College among them, have sought and been allotted old Vijayanta or T-55 tanks by the Army. Ostensibly, this is to display the patriotism of the institution, or to instil it in their students. For the ruling BJP regime which equates its muscular nationalism with glorification of the military, it must be a source of satisfaction that dozens of such military hardware have been installed in educational institutions. Its trusted vice chancellors have taken up the cry for tanks in campuses, while huge sums are being allocated for new war memorials. Military rhetoric is used to gloss over policy muddles and adm-inistrative ineptitude. The tedious refrain that continues to be played out in the public space and on social media is always this: if the Army jaw-an can stand for long hours at the border to defend the country, surely Indians could sta-nd  and die as it happened  in bank queues to show their devotion to country?

The changing profile of the Army in the new political landscape is deeply worrying. The military rhetoric has dominated news for much of the three years that Modi has been in power. The concerns have deepened after Modis handpicked man Bipin Rawat was made Chief of Army Staff. The general has shown no hesitation in shedding the apolitical image of the Army, frequently taking political stances that no Indian Army chief has dared to so far. Gen Rawat has even approached the central ministry handling education to demand that stories about Army valour be made part of the school curriculum. Obviously, no one raps a handpicked General for stepping out of line. But his major attempt to portray the Army as a people-friendly organisation has run into a storm of criticism. This is the Armys decision, clearly at the behest of the defence ministry, to build three railways bridges in Mumbai. Experts have been quick to point out that it is not the Armys role to make up for the inefficiencies of civilian departments except in times of emergencies such as natural disasters when its skill and capacity to set up temporary infrastructure is urgently needed.

That could have unhealthy portents though. Defence analysts say that in 1953, when martial law was imposed in Lahore, the Pakistan Army had launched a similar camp-aign to project a friendly im-age of Army efficiency by cle-aning the city. What happe-ned thereafter is now history. One of the biggest conceits  and strengths  of Indias democracy is that it has succeeded keeping the military out of politics these many decades. Indias ability to manage the military while juntas periodically took charge of neighbouring countries has provided its citizens with a comforting sense of security that the Army remains safe for the worlds largest democracy. In the recently published Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence, Steven I. Wilkinson contends that this is primarily because of the critical choices made by the civilian leadership to curtail the Armys autonomy. Among other things, the Army top brass was discouraged from making speeches. Not any more though. Now the Army is brought in to harangue civilians on whats wrong with Indias democracy, to fulminate on TV, to lecture to students on patriotism. But many among them have written openly about the dangers of this trend. Their warning: there are serious dangers in making the Army a vote bank.

By arrangement with Dawn
As Theresa May wrestles  albeit not very effectively  with the task of quitting the European Union, I am reminded of a Danish politician telling me long ago that the British could never be fully European because their historic links with India had left its imprint on their character and culture. The reverse is far more obvious. The language in which even a robust Hindu nationalist like Narendra Modi makes his most portentous announcements, the bureaucracy that decides every detail of our lives, our parliamentary democracy, schools, colleges and the postal system, the Army that defends us, the courts to which we look for justice, and, indeed, the very models of social success are legacies of the only ruler that, as P.V. Narasimha Rao had once said in Singapore, India didnt absorb. Britain steered Indias transition from medievalism to modernity. As some British Sikhs seek to distance themselves from other Indians, one of the communitys most successful members, 86-year-old Kartar Lalvani, argues that the sense of unity that prompted Sikhs and Muslims, Kashmiris and Nagas to regard themselves as part of the great Indian family was the finest achievement of British rule. As he says in his book, The Making of India, British rule helped to create a unified India out of multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and divided regions of the vast Indian subcontinent.

Talking to the soft-spoken and reclusive black-bearded Sikh recalled Nani Palkhivala saying that freed of governmental restraints, an Indian abroad can buy from a Scotsman and sell to a Jew and still make a profit. Britain has allowed the Karachi-born refugee Lalvanis the opportunity to live up handsomely to that maxim, which might explain the rosy view Kartar takes of the British Raj. Although the preface of his book frankly admits Britains exploitative role, there can be no doubt about his meaning when he says: It is worth pausing to consider what India would be like today if the British had chosen to stay at home. This is the untold story. Britains legacy has been the theme of anguished and exultant debate for decades. Jan Morris evoked the magic of empire. Jon Wilsons India Conquered argues that the purpose of imperial power was to do nothing more than maintain imperial power. The mission civilisatrice (or civilising mission) in which Kipling gloried was the rationale of Macaulays Minute on Education.

On our side of the divide, Rabindranath Tagore passionately bemoaned the filth and squalor that he saw as the residue of British rule. It was left to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to strike a balance with diplomatic precision. Asked how far he would cut India off from the empire, Gandhi famously replied: From the empire completely; from the British nation not at all, if I want India to gain and not to grieve. The Lalvani clans career could be an epitaph to that claim although their accomplishments are not as well known in India as they should be. NRIs like the Hinduja brothers, Lakshmi Mittal and the ubiquitous Swraj Paul grab the limelight but people of my generation remember the excitement when Reita Faria, a medical student from Mumbai, was crowned Miss World and was reportedly squired around London by a turbanned young Sikh called Gulu Lalvani. Years later he was linked with Princess Diana. Gulu is the founder-chairman of Binatone, which manufactures digital cordless phones, and now lives in Phuket in Thailand where the family has substantial hotel interests. His elder brother Kartar, who lives in London, is a pioneer in nutritional science and founder of the huge company Vitabiotics that has a cure for everything. You name it, Vitabiotics makes it. The company was awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise. No wonder the subtitle of his formidably informative and meticulously researched book is The Untold Story of British Enterprise.

Highlighting the point, the cover reproduces photographs of the Iritty Bridge in Kerala and a Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway train drawn by a steam locomotive. Not many Indians would have dared to defend the Raj like the courageous Kartar. Dr Manmohan Singhs Oxford speech in 2005 provoked criticism at home because its still thought unpatriotic to praise the British. In fact, one of the reasons I decided many years ago not to stay on in Britain was this awareness of implicit tension between unnecessarily rival loyalties. Even much later when a friendly British diplomat arranged residency for me and my family, I let the privilege lapse. Its different for other nationalities. Poles and Serbs can take a pragmatic view of Britain, but Indians are too closely tied up in the British past for the relationship to strike an objective balance. The Indian politician the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) met during his Indian tour understood this emotional dimension. When the prince asked what more Indians could want since everyone he had seen looked happy and contented, the politician replied: Self-respect, Sir!

Given this antidote to the achievements Lalvani lists in such detail, it might be safer to defer a conclusion, taking a leaf from Zhou Enlais book. It may be recalled that when Zhou was asked in 1972 about the impact of the French Revolution, he replied it was too early to say. However he may have meant it  and there are now alternative interpretations  the reply is quoted to emphasise the Chinese ability to take a long view of history. To return to Britains Indian connection, the attractive young Romanian restaurant hostess at Londons Hilton Hotel where Kartar and I were dining said shed been to India. Seeing my surprised look, she explained: My husband is English. He wanted to spend our honeymoon there. You know the English have this thing about India! Its reciprocal.
The satellite is the first of four next-generation spacecraft for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

An advanced US weather satellite designed to improve the accuracy of extended forecasts has been launched into polar orbit from California.

The Joint Polar Satellite System-1 lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:47 a.m. PST Saturday atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket.

The satellite is the first of four next-generation spacecraft for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Circling the Earth from pole to pole 14 times a day, JPSS-1 carries a suite of five instruments intended to make global observations that will improve forecasts of severe weather events three to seven days beforehand.

The satellite also will contribute to near-term weather forecasts, climate and ocean dynamics research, among many other uses.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the retail sales of passenger cars in October reached 2.25 million, with a month-on-month growth of 2% and a year-on-year growth of 3%. The surprising ring growth of October was pushed by the recovery of consumption capacity after the house price tends to stablize, and the ambition of automotive enterprises to achieve sales goals in the last quarter.



In terms of automotive types, the month-on-month growth of October was mainly due to the 5% month-on-month growth of SUV. Sedans saw a good rebound driven by new energy vehicles, while MPV still dropped off. Statistics showed that the October sales of self-owned brands grew by 9% compared to September. Besides, Japanese and German brands enjoyed a remarkable year-on-year growth and the month-on-month growth of October saw a good improvement.

This year also follows the rule of "Silver September and Golden October", the same as previous two years. The CPCA believes that the rule formed mainly due to the preferential purchase tax that took into effect from October, 2015 and began to drive the sales afterwards. Under such condition, many automotive enterprises released good news of promising sales. Some enterprises were even ambitious to reach 1 million annual sales. The Korean brand cars that underwent a slump before also reported growth recently.

By the statistics of the CPCA, the total sales of Dongfeng Nissan and Geely from January to October were 969,105 and 909,584 respectively, without much doubt to hit 1 million, while the total sales of Changan were 844,092, also with great potential to join 1 million group. To summarize, it's very likely that there may be seven automotive companies that have sold more than 1 million passenger cars by the end of this year.

The sales of new energy passenger vehicles in October reached 65,000, 7,000 more than September with a month-on-month growth rate of 102%. Among them, the sales of A00-class full electric passenger car was 34,300, accounting for 65% of the passenger car market. The secretary general of the CPCA, Cui Dongshu predicted that, the annual sales of new energy passenger vehicles in 2017 will exceed 500,000.
President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to withdraw from the agreement, hasnt been invited to the One Planet Summit. Photo: Pixabay

As negotiations at the global climate conference in Bonn, Germany, draw to a close Friday, heres a look at which steps will be taken in the coming years to further international efforts to curb global warming:

Dec. 12, 2017: French President Emmanuel Macron has invited more than 100 world leaders to Paris for the second anniversary of the landmark climate accord forged in the city in 2015. President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to withdraw from the agreement, hasnt been invited to the One Planet Summit.

2018: Next years global climate talks take place in Katowice, Poland, from Dec. 3-14. In order for officials to finalize the rulebook there, preliminary meetings will have to be held during the course of the year. These low-level encounters will include the Talanoa Dialogue, a Fijian-inspired process in which countries start to take stock of whats been achieved so far under the Paris agreement and consider what more can be done. The talks in Katowice will be strongly influenced by the UN scientific panels October report on whether the most ambitious goal of keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius can be achieved.

2020: If the US goes through with its threat to withdraw from the Paris accord, the earliest this could come into effect would be on Nov. 4, 2020  shortly after the next American presidential election. Countries that are party to the Paris agreement have until 2020 to submit new or updated plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), on what they are doing to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

2023: Eight years after the Paris accord countries will for the first time conduct a full and formal review of whats been achieved to date, known as a global stock-take. The process is meant to be repeated every five years.

2030: Many countries have set themselves substantial emissions reduction targets 15 years from the Paris accord. The European Union, for example, wants to cut its emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels, though some countries including Germany are aiming for a 55-percent reduction.

2050: Climate scientists calculate that the world economy will have to go carbon neutral by the middle of the century if the Paris goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) is to be achieved. That can either be done by ending all use of fossil fuels or by finding a way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at an industrial scale.

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If you want to carry your data in this retro-looking flash drive, then Canon will ask for a sum of $80 (approximately Rs 5,000) from its Australian online store

If you are in the market for a full-fledged camera, then one of your shortlisted camera models has to be a Canon model. After all, they are one of the best DSLR camera manufacturers in the world along with Nikon, Sony, Fuji and Pentax amongst others. And it looks like to show just how good they are at imaging solutions, they have come up with a miniature retro-designed camera. But look closely though and its a different story altogether.

What you actually see in the picture is a USB flash drive designed to look like a retro rangefinder camera  particularly the Canon IV SB rangefinder camera from the 1950s. The flash drive has a storage capacity of 8GB  an amount of space that cannot be termed as plentiful but will be enough to keep certain photos and documents.

What blows our mind away is the immaculate attention to detail. It looks every bit a vintage camera, right from its faux lens housing to the fake buttons. Even the markings from the original model have been retained on the flash drive. This is why Canon warns on their Australian website that you shouldnt mistake this as a functioning rangefinder.

If you want to carry your data in this retro-looking flash drive, then Canon will ask for a sum of $80 (approximately Rs 5,000) from its Australian online store. But what you are getting for a high-priced flash drive is the ability to turn heads whenever you are plugging it in your laptop.

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Germanys telecoms regulator said on Friday it was banning the sale of smart watches that can be used by parents to check on their children, saying the devices violated Germanys strict surveillance laws.

The Federal Network Agency said it had already taken action against several firms that sell the watches online but did not name them.

It urged parents to destroy the watches, which are widely available on the German market and target children between the ages of 5 to 12.

Via an app, parents can use such watches to secretly listen to a childs environment. They are to be seen as a prohibited transmitter, Jochen Homann, president of the agency, said in a statement. Our investigation has also shown that parents have used the watches to listen to teachers in the classroom.

The decision follows the agencys decision in February to ban distribution of a talking doll, saying its software could be hacked to reveal personal data.

The agencys actions reflect growing concerns about the security and privacy risks associated with the exploding number of smart gadgets, often called the internet of things.

Surveillance is a particularly sensitive issue in Germany where East Germanys Stasi secret police and the Nazi era Gestapo kept a close watch on the population.

The agency said the watches in question include a SIM card and offer a limited telephone function which can be controlled via an app, similar to baby monitoring devices.

By programming the watches to call a telephone number, they can be used to secretly listen to conversations, an act that is prohibited under German law, the agency said.

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A UN panel agreed Friday to move ahead with talks to define and possibly set limits on weapons that can kill without human involvement, as human rights groups said governments are moving too slowly to keep up with advances in artificial intelligence that could put computers in control one day.

Advocacy groups warned about the threats posed by such "killer robots" and aired a chilling video illustrating their possible uses on the sidelines of the first formal UN meeting of government experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems this week. More than 80 countries took part.

Ambassador Amandeep Gill of India, who chaired the gathering, said participants plan to meet again in 2018. He said ideas discussed this week included the creation of legally binding instrument, a code of conduct, or a technology review process.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, an umbrella group of advocacy groups, says 22 countries support a ban of the weapons and the list is growing. Human Rights Watch, one of its members, called for an agreement to regulate them by the end of 2019 - admittedly a longshot.

The meeting falls under the UN's Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons - also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention - a 37-year old agreement that has set limits on the use of arms and explosives like mines, blinding laser weapons and booby traps over the years.

The group operates by consensus, so the least ambitious goals are likely to prevail, and countries including Russia and Israel have firmly staked out opposition to any formal ban. The United States has taken a go-slow approach, rights groups say.

UN officials say in theory, fully autonomous, computer-controlled weapons don't exist yet but defining exactly what killer robots are and how much human interaction is involved was a key focus of the meeting. The United States argued that it was "premature" to establish a definition.

The concept alone stirs the imagination and fears, as dramatized in Hollywood futuristic or science-fiction films that have depicted uncontrolled robots deciding on their own about firing weapons and killing people.

Ambassador Gill played down such concerns.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have news for you: The robots are not taking over the world. So that is good news, humans are still in charge ... We have to be careful in not emotionalizing or dramatizing this issue," he told reporters Friday.

The United States, in comments presented, said autonomous weapons could help improve guidance of missiles and bombs against military targets, thereby "reducing the likelihood of inadvertently striking civilians." Autonomous defensive systems could help intercept enemy projectiles, one US text said.

Some top academics like Stephen Hawking, technology experts such as Tesla founder Elon Musk and human rights groups have warned about the threats posed by artificial intelligence, amid concerns that it might one day control such systems - and perhaps sooner rather than later.

"The bottom line is that governments are not moving fast enough" said Steven Goose, executive director of arms at Human Rights Watch. He said a treaty by the end of 2019 is "the kind of timeline we think this issue demands."

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Microsofts mobile strategy was entirely wrong and basically destroyed every chance of its mobile push to succeed: Bosch

Microsoft recently acknowledged the death of the Windows Phone platform, saying that it has no plans to ship new features or hardware for its mobile operating system.

Users and developers have long been switching to Android or iOS, those who have not, were probably waiting for a new Windows Phone hardware which was effectively ended last month, by the tweets of Microsofts Joe Belfiore.

Of course we'll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren't the focus. We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest. He tweeted.

However, there are some who cant get over the death of Windows phone without criticising Microsoft for ruining the platform.

The creators of Game Troopers, which was one of the most popular games on iOS and Android a few years ago, explain that despite their commitment to Windows phones, Microsofts mobile strategy was entirely wrong and basically destroyed every chance of its mobile push to succeed.

Microsoft has done a lot of bad things with Windows Phone, from an engineering point of view  with so many breaking changes on the platform  and from a commercial point of view - the way they treated very loyal developers like Game Troopers and how the company tried to attract others. These were all wrong, Game Troopers CEO Jesus Bosch was quoted as saying in an interview with Spanish outlet OneWindows.

Bosch says hes not at all surprised, explaining that Microsoft should have acknowledged the demise of Windows phones sooner.

The decision does not surprise me. I would add that it was time [for Microsoft] to be brave and honest with the community. But its better late than never, he said.

Bosch says they are considering their options and theres a good chance some titles would be removed from the store in the coming months. Microsoft doesnt typically comment on such departures from the store, but developers hating the company surely cant be a good thing, especially because the software giant itself needs app makers to support the Windows 10 Universal Platform push.

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Kaspersky is currently banned on computers used by US government on claims that the company helped Russian spies attacks against American targets.

Kaspersky has recently published the results of its investigation following claims that its antivirus software was used in an attack aimed at an NSA employee. The computer security firm has accused the malware infected software of Microsoft, the reason for the NSA hack and theft of top-secret US intelligence materials.

Earlier reports indicated that Kasperskys antivirus software, which was running on the NSA workers home computer, is believed to be the reason behind the Russian spies to access the machine and steal important documents which belonged to NSA hacking unit dubbed as Equation Group.

Talking about the software that facilitated the hack, Kaspersky says it wasnt the antivirus software that allowed cybercriminals to breach into the system but pirated Microsoft software.

According to Softpedia, the user downloaded and installed a pirated copy of Microsoft Office 2013 and used a key generator to bypass the activation process. Reports say that the Kaspersky Antivirus, which was installed on the system, was disabled manually in order to activate the pirated copy of Microsoft Office.

The company claimed that the computer was infected by other malware, including a Russian-made backdoor tool, which was hidden in a pirated copy of Microsoft Office.

The illegal activation tool contained within the Office ISO was infected with malware. The user was infected with this malware for an unspecified period while the Kaspersky Lab product was inactive. The malware consisted of a full-blown backdoor which could have allowed other third-parties to access the users machine, the Company said.

Kaspersky said that the malware was controlled from a computer server based in China and would have opened a path into the computer for anyone targeting an NSA worker.

The company says some of NSAs files ended up on its servers after the antivirus system detected a 7Zip archive file infected with the malware.

As per the antivirus policy, infected files were uploaded to Kaspersky for analysis. This detection took place on October 4, 2014. Once the classified docs were discovered the infected file was deleted for which Kaspersky says the archive was not shared with any third parties.

Kaspersky is currently banned on computers used by US government on claims that the company helped Russian spies attacks against American targets.

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MIUI 9 is expected to massively improve app load times, implement subtle UI changes, bring in the split-screen mode as well as Picture-in-Picture mode  a feature that has been exclusive to Android Oreo as of now.

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi has announced that it will discontinue support for its Mi 2/2S, Mi 4i, Redmi Note 4G, Redmi 2, Redmi 2 Prime, and the Mi Note smartphones. These phones will not receive any beta versions of MIUI post November 19.

The MIUI 9 will be last update for the aforementioned devices. Currently, the MIUI 9 update is available for the Mi Mix 2, the Mi 5, and the recently launched Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite phones. The company has confirmed to push the update by the end on November.

MIUI 9 is expected to massively improve app load times, implement subtle UI changes, bring in the split-screen mode as well as Picture-in-Picture mode  a feature that has been exclusive to Android Oreo as of now.

The following Xiaomi smartphones will receive the MIUI 9 update:

Mi MIX 2, Mi Note 3, Mi 6, Mi Max 2, Redmi Note 4, Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi 4, Redmi 4X, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite , Mi MIX, Mi Note 2, Mi 5, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus, Mi Max, Mi Max Prime, Redmi Note 3, Redmi 3, Redmi 3S, Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Mi Note, Mi 4i, Redmi 2, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi Note 4G Prime, Redmi Note 2, Mi 4, Redmi Note 4G, Mi 3, Mi 2.

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Jeeva, who had studied up to eighth grade and could not speak English, was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by Rajakumari by the second week of February 2012 and the abuse soon became physical. (Representational Image)

Singapore: An Indian-origin former woman warrant officer in the Singapore Army was on Monday jailed for four months and three weeks for abusing and beating her Indian maid.

K Rajakumari, 57, who retired after 35 years of service, apologised to Sargunam Jeeva in Tamil and asked her not to tell anyone about her ordeal which included being hit by a plastic hanger until it broke.

But the police officer investigating the case understood the language and Rajakumari was caught, 'The Straits Times' reported on Monday.

She was charged for repeatedly abusing her maid in 2012.

After a 14-day trial, District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid convicted Rajakumari on September 5 last year of five counts of causing hurt to Jeeva, then 35, in her condominium apartment.

Jeeva first came to Singapore in late January 2012 but was abused between February and March of the same year.

Rajakumari had picked her and she was to be paid Singapore dollars 350 a month without any days off.

Jeeva, who had studied up to eighth grade and could not speak English, was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by Rajakumari by the second week of February 2012 and the abuse soon became physical.

On the night of March 3, 2012, after Jeeva ironed Rajakumari's uniform, the employer chided the maid for not knowing how to do a proper job of ironing.

She then hit Jeeva on her left upper arm with a plastic hanger until it broke.

Two days later, she scolded and slapped the maid hard on her face before pulling her hair and pushing her face against the window grill and kicking her in the waist.

Jeeva told the employer that she could not "withstand this torture any more" and requested Rajakumari to send her back to the agent's house. But Rajakumari told her this was not possible.

That night, Jeeva gestured to a maid in a neighbouring home for help and the latter called the police.

A policeman later heard Rajakumari tell Jeeva in Tamil: "Please forgive me, I won't do this anymore, please don't tell anyone about the abuse".

Unknown to Rajakumari, the officer could speak the language.

Rajakumari later admitted to him that she had hit Jeeva.

Rajakumari's lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan had earlier asked the judge to sentence his client to probation, stressing that she has had three hip replacements.

For each count of maid abuse, she could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to Singapore dollars 7,500.
South Korea have said that North Korea may have ballistic missile capable of reaching US this year. (Photo: AFP)

Seoul: South Koreas spy agency said on Monday it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the Norths Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation at any time, the agency told lawmakers.

Read: No nuke test in 2 months spark rumors of N Korea's Kim Jong-un being unwell

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.
Earthquake of 7.0 magnitude strikes off New Caledonia, triggers Tsunami warning. There have been no immediate reports of damage. (Representational Image)

Noumea: A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of New Caledonia on Monday, triggering a brief tsunami warning and evacuation alert but causing no significant damage, local officials said.

The US Geological Survey said the shallow tremor hit approximately 82 kilometres east of the lightly populated Loyalty Islands at around 09:45 am (2245 GMT).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued an alert saying areas within 300 kilometres (180 miles) could be affected, including Vanuatu and New Caledonia, whose capital Noumea sits some 250 kilometres east of the epicentre.

It said that tsunami waves had been "observed" but gave no location or further detail.

Sirens sounded briefly along coastal areas of the Loyalty Islands with some residents told to evacuate. However, after an hour they were advised to resume normal activities but to remain vigilant for aftershocks.

There have been no immediate reports of damage.

Pierre Lebellegard, a seismologist for the French Research Institute for Development, told AFP the Loyalty Islands had been seismically active for the past three weeks.

"They must be very frightened in Mare," he told AFP, referring to the main island where over 5,600 people live.

He added that such quake clusters "happen every 10 to 15 years" in the area.

Nervous residents reported feeling several tremors throughout the night before the quake hit.

"Parked cars were shaking and everyone went outside," one official from Mare told AFP.

"I thought I was going to faint, I was very afraid and I rushed out of my building," said a resident of central Noumea.

Geo-science Australia seismologist Spiro Spiliopoulos said damage in the capital was unlikely.

"They will feel moderate shaking, but there is a low likelihood of damage from the earthquake itself in Noumea," he told AFP.

Monday's earthquake followed a series of temblors to hit the Loyalty Islands area over the past few weeks, including a 6.8-magnitude quake that struck at the end of October.

New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, is part of the "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.




Shanghai (Gasgoo)-On Nov. 17, Geely Automobile (Belarus) Co., Ltd., the first automotive joint venture between China and Belarus, held an inauguration ceremony for its CKD(Complete Knock Down) assembly plant as well as an off-line ceremony for its first mass produced model, the Geely Atlas in Borisov, Belarus, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in attendance.



During the ceremony, Lukashenko expressed that he had dreamed that one day Belarus can manufacture its own cars. Now, thanks to the help of China, Belarus realizes the dream of manufacturing cars.

On that day, the first Geely Atlas produced in Belarus rolled off the production line. President Alexander Lukashenko test drove the model and said that in the future they will intend to replace the imported official vehicles with the Belarus-made Geely models gradually.



In 2013, under the One Belt and One Road initiative, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Belarus jointly established the Geely Automobile (Belarus) Co., Ltd. At the suburb area of Borisov, they built up a CKD assembly plant consisting of coating, welding, and final assembling in less than 30 months. With China's most advanced manufacturing and managing technologies, the first phase of the plant will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 units.
President Ram Nath Kovind inspecting the guard of honour on his arrival at Raj Bhavan helipad in Itanagar on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China on Monday criticised a visit by President Ram Nath Kovind to the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims, saying China opposed any activities by Indian leaders in disputed areas.

The latest row over Arunachal Pradesh suggests the Asian giants remain far apart, despite recent attempts to defuse tension over a region that China claims as southern Tibet.

The Indian president went over the weekend, inaugurating a new state assembly building.

For India, the state is where the sun first risesbeing its easternmost regioneach day, and from here light is spread across the country, he said in a speech to the state assembly.

He also remarked on several steps taken by the federal government to advance the states transport links.

Speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China had never recognised Arunachal Pradesh, but that Chinas position on the border issue was clear, which was to seek a solution both could accept via talks.

Before the border issue is resolved, both sides should jointly work hard to protect the peace and tranquillity of the border region. China resolutely opposes Indian leaders activities in disputed regions, Lu said.

Sino-India ties are at an important stage in development, and China hopes India does not do anything to complicate the border issue but should instead create conditions for border talks and the healthy, stable development of relations, he added.

China and India have tried to develop two-ways ties in recent years but there is still deep distrust over the border dispute.

In April, China slammed Indias decision to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in the same region, saying it could cause serious damage to relations.
German Chancellor and chairwomen of the German Christian Democratic Union Angela Merkel addresses the media on the results of their exploratory talks on a coalition of the German Liberals, the Green Party, the Christian Democrats and the Christian Social Union, in Berlin on Monday. (Photo: AP)

Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday her efforts to form a three-way coalition government had failed, thrusting Germany into a political crisis and pushing Europes largest economy closer to a possible new election.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) unexpectedly pulled out of more than four weeks of negotiations with Merkels conservative bloc and the ecologist Greens, citing irreconcilable differences.

The euro hit a two-month low against the yen soon after FDP leader Christian Lindner said on Sunday that his party was withdrawing from the talks as the three would-be partners could not find common ground on key issues.

A tired looking Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor and would consult with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward, adding that a deal had been within reach.

It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany, Merkel told reporters. As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come.

It was a sobering moment in the career of a woman who during 12 years in power became a symbol of stability, leading the euro zone during its debt crisis and building compromise within the European Union on a deal with Turkey to stem migrant arrivals.

Merkel was weakened after a September election as voters angry with her decision in 2015 to open Germanys borders to more than a million asylum seekers punished her conservatives by voting for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party.

The break down of the talks leaves Germany with two unprecedented options in the post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government, or the president calls a new election if no government is formed.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkels current coalition partners who were the second-biggest party in the election, have ruled out a repeat of an alliance with her conservatives, who won the vote but were left with fewer seats.

There is little appetite for a new election. The main parties fear that the AfD would win more than the almost 13 percent of votes it secured to enter parliament for the first time as the third-biggest party.

Difficult for economy

Failure to form a government in Europes largest economy could have implications for everything from euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron to the shape of relations with Britain after it leaves the EU.

The next government was also expected to increase spending, raising hopes of more fiscal stimulus for an economy that has been relying on consumption and state spending for growth.

While campaigning for a fourth term, Merkel cited the strong performance of an economy that has been growing since 2010 and a record low unemployment rate as reasons for voters to back her conservatives.

Economists have accused her of complacency on the economy, saying she should overhaul the tax system to make it more growth-friendly and boost investment on digital infrastructure - demands also made by the FDP.

The DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce said a prolonged period of uncertainty would be bad for the economy.

There is the danger that work on major issues for the future of our country will be delayed for a prolonged period of time, DIHK President Eric Schweitzer wrote in an email. German companies must now prepare for a possibly long period of uncertainty. This is always difficult for the economy.

The break down of the talks came as a surprise, especially as it was announced by the resurgent FDP, Merkels preferred coalition partners who had dropped out of parliament four years ago and had ruled with her conservatives during 2009-2013.

After its impressive electoral comeback, the FDPs decision to pull out of coalition talks was puzzling, according to Jackson Janes, of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

And it is also a dangerous game of poker for Germany, Janes added.

Immigration was the main sticking point in the negotiations. Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Christian Social Union (CSU) Bavarian allies had demanded a yearly cap on the number of asylum seekers that Germany accepts each year, a measure rejected by the Greens.

There was also discord over conservative proposals to limit the right of some accepted asylum seekers to bring in immediate family members. Merkel said a compromise with the Greens on immigration had also been possible.

Government spending, tax cuts and climate policy had also been sticking points.

Today there was no progress but rather there were setbacks because specific compromises were questioned, the FDPs Lindner said. It is better not to rule than to rule the wrong way. Goodbye!
Offering rich tributes to the late prime minister Indira Gandhi on her birth centenary, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday remembered his dadi (grandmother) as his "mentor and guide", even as the Congress looked set to appoint him as the next party president.



"I remember you dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength," Rahul said on Twitter as top party leaders made brisk preparations to formally elect him as Congress president.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is meeting on Monday morning to finalise the schedule for the election.

Party sources, however, did not rule out the possibility of the CWC adopting a resolution elevating the 47-year-old as party president.

Either-or situation

A senior Congress leader told DH that many of the party's state units have already passed resolutions asking Rahul to assume the responsibility of president.

"It is an either-or situation. Either the election schedule or a resolution will be on agenda," the leader said.

Since 2000, when the late Jitendra Prasada had contested the presidential election against Sonia Gandhi, internal polls in the Congress have been an uncontested affair. Last November, the CWC itself had urged Rahul to take over as president and mobilise forces to fight against the "dictatorial rule" of the Narendra Modi government.

The appointment of the new Congress president is expected to take place in the middle of the Gujarat Assembly elections where Rahul has emerged as a key campaigner against the BJP in Modi's home state.

With Modi away in Delhi and no clear leader of the BJP in the state, the Congress is eyeing its chances of coming to power after a gap of more than two decades.

Final push

Modi is hitting the campaign trail from November 22 and is expected to address rallies in each of the 33 districts of Gujarat.

The final push by Modi in the Uttar Pradesh elections is considered to have turned the tide decisively in favour of the BJP earlier this year. The BJP plans to do an encore in Gujarat and has planned an extensive campaign schedule for its star campaigner.

Congress leaders hope that Rahul's elevation as party chief could take its campaign to a crescendo in Gujarat and create the necessary buzz ahead of the polling days - December 9 and 14.
The dangerous hospital strains - drug-resistant bugs that were earlier seen only in a medical set-up - have now spread into the community, among people who didn't go anywhere near a hospital for several months.



As a result, doctors are increasingly encountering cases where patients land up in the intensive care units of a referral hospital straight from home, thanks to these drug-resistant bacteria that can't be killed by common antibiotics.

The latest warning came from a new study involving more than 5,300 ICU patients in Delhi, out of which 3,822 were infected on the day of the admission or within 48 hours. Over 1,450 of them produced positive culture in pathology, suggesting high concentration of the infected pathogen in the body.

"Out of these 1,452 patients, as many as 201 (13.8%) were direct admissions from community with no documented contact with any healthcare facility in the last three months," reported the team from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and City Hospital.

Fatal infections

The finding, reported in the Journal of Critical Care, indicates the huge potential public health threat as these dreaded infections found a way to escape the confines of a hospital and spread into the community. Also, death is more common in people having these infections.

"The resistance to high-end antibiotics by organisms contracted by patients in the community resulted in high mortality, as seen in our study. It is a cause for worry and needs further research and proper action plan," said Sumit Ray, vice chairman, department of critical care, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, who led the study.

Infections due to multi-drug-resistant pathogens are of major concern worldwide. One of the troublesome types of bugs is called ESBL (extended spectrum beta lactamases) which is resistant to newer-generation antibiotics and can be easily transferred in the community.

While the ESBLs pose therapeutic challenges to the doctors, abuse of third-generation cephalosporins has been identified as one of the key reasons behind the rise of these superbugs.

The study appears days after a fresh government report demonstrated how life-saving antibiotics are abused by doctors and consumers.

"Between 2000 and 2015, the proportion of third-generation cephalosporins among total antibiotics increased significantly, while penicillin consumption remained constant and the use of fluoroquinolones decreased. This increased use of third-generation cephalosporins is consistent with the high prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E.coli in India," said the scoping report on antimicrobial resistance, brought out by the Department of Biotechnology.
Rajeev Shetty, the owner of Shetty Lunch Home, has filed a complaint with the RT Nagar police, seeking action against Manjunath Babu, Assistant Commissioner of Police (JC Nagar), for assaulting him on November 9.



In the complaint, he stated that ACP Babu thrashed him badly and threatened to close down the hotel. However, the RT Nagar police said: "Since the case is under departmental inquiry, an FIR cannot be registered. Suitable action will be taken after consulting senior officers."

Talking to reporters, Shetty said he had attached all the relevant documents, including CCTV footage, with the complaint. However, the police are hesitant to file the FIR.

"I am scared to commute alone. I don't know what will happen to me. I am spending every day in fear. My family members and I are completely depending on City Police Commissioner T Sunil Kumar for our safety," he said.

Responding to the incident, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, "I need to know why the ACP was so angry with the hotel owner and what was the reason to beat him badly. I have instructed the police commissioner to initiate action against the ACP after the inquiry report is submitted."

Shetty was beaten by the ACP on the night of November 9 for reportedly keeping his hotel on Dinnur Main Road open until midnight.

After a week of the incident, the video clip went viral on social media and local news channels. The city police commissioner ordered a departmental inquiry, under the aegis of DCP (North) Chethan Singh Rathor.




Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe clung to the vestiges of office today, using a TV address to maintain he was still in power despite a military takeover and a mounting clamour for his autocratic 37-year rule to end.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said, pitching the country into deep uncertainty.

Many Zimbabweans had expected Mugabe, 93, to announce his resignation after the army seized power, opened the floodgates of citizen protest and his once-loyal party told him to quit.

But Mugabe, sitting alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention, delivered a speech that conveyed he was unruffled by the turmoil.

Speaking slowly and occasionally stumbling as he read from the pages, Mugabe talked of the need for solidarity to resolve national problems -- business-as-usual rhetoric that he has deployed over decades.

He made no reference to the chorus for him to resign and shrugged off last week's dramatic military intervention.

"The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander in chief," he said.

Instead he urged harmony and comradeship.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I... do acknowledge their concerns," said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit."

His address provoked immediate anger, and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political turmoil.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets," Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP.

It was not immediately clear from his remarks when and where the protests would take place.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds had marched and sang their way through Harare, believing Mugabe was about to step down.

Highlighting the contradictions in Zimbabwean politics, the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier yesterday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.

The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe -- the world's oldest head of state -- during a reign defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

Sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit and to secure a deal guaranteeing future protection for him and his family.

"What you saw yesterday, it shows that the people have spoken," Mordecai Makore, 71, a retired teacher told AFP about Saturday's marches.

"All we want is peace, a good life with a working economy that creates jobs for our people. We will continue praying for that. I want my children and grandchildren to live a normal good life."

The factional succession race that triggered Zimbabwe's sudden crisis was between party hardliner Mnangagwa -- known as the Crocodile -- and a group called "Generation 40", or "G40", because its members are generally younger, which campaigned for Grace's cause.

The president, who is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader, is in fragile health.

But he previously said he would stand in elections next year that would see him remain in power until he was nearly 100 years old.

He became prime minister on Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980 and then president in 1987.

Zimbabwe's economic output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.
Residents around Hosakerehalli junction are left in a fix after a negotiation meeting called by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials. The meeting was to quote a rate for their properties obstructing the construction of an underpass. The underpass is constructed as part of a city-wide signal free corridor plan.

In August, talking to DH, B S Prahlad, Chief Engineer of Major Roads infrastructure, had promised the aggrieved residents that all their properties will remain untouched. In the latest development, Prahlad has been replaced by KT Nagaraj, the superintending engineer.

Nagaraj had presided over the meeting in the first week of November which gave a hint to the residents of the property acquisition process.

An irked resident said, "There is no end for this. Earlier they had promised that none of our properties will be affected. All of a sudden they have sent a notification asking us to appear for a negotiation meeting. A decision is still not taken on the property acquisition matter. This has left us in a lurch. Why can't they stick to one decision?"

The roads were dug up a year ago, forcing nearly 40-50 residents to remain under house arrest.

They have been unable to drive out their vehicles and are compelled to bear the stench of waterlogged pits. Several commercial establishments have been affected as well and the property owners are unclear about their future due to this project.

"All we want is clarity about the process. We are ready to give the property for a good cause and development, but not in this unplanned manner. The unscientific markings, digging up the roads without a proper plan and officials without clear goals have left us ashamed of our civic bodies," adds a citizen. When the BBMP official presently working on the project was contacted, he rubbished Prahlad's remarks and said without acquiring the land, it is impossible to complete the project.

"A DPR has already been completed. We cannot be more clear than this. We need to acquire pieces of land, according to which the markings are done. We will be following all the necessary guidelines in the acquisition process," said an official, who doesn't want to be named. He added, "Presently the BESCOM and BWSSB are laying electricity, water and sewage lines and the area is dug up. Only after it is done we will be able to resume the project."
A brave 27-year-old woman chased down and caught her molester and handed him over to police with the help of a few friends in HSR Layout on November 17.



The accused, identified as Narayanswamy, a resident of Begur, has been arrested. The police are on the lookout for his friend who was riding a bike, while the duo committed the crime.

According to the police, the incident occurred on Friday evening when the victim was returning from a gym in HSR Layout 6th block.

Two men on a bike approached her and passed lewd comments at her. While the victim ignored them and continued to walk, pillion rider Narayanswamy groped her.

She raised an alarm and started chasing the bike, which resulted in the rider losing control and the duo falling down.

While the woman managed to catch hold of Narayanswamy, the rider fled the spot. The victim called her friends and trainers from the gym, who rushed to the spot and beat the accused up before handing him over to the police.

The HSR Layout police have registered a case and interrogated Narayanswamy to get details about the identity of his partner-in-crime.

The police are also reviewing the CCTV footage in and around the spot as a part of collection of evidence. Narayanswamy was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody.
Chancellor Angela Merkel was left scrambling for ways to drag Germany out of a crisis on Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed, potentially forcing Europe's top economy into snap elections.



Germany now faces weeks, if not months of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action.

With no other viable coalition in sight, Germany may be forced to hold new elections that risk being as inconclusive as September's polls.

Angela, whose liberal refugee policy has proved deeply divisive, had been forced to seek an alliance with an unlikely group of parties after the ballot left her without a majority.

But following more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks overnight, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Angela's conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," he said, adding that the parties did not share "a common vision on modernising" Germany.

Voicing regret for the FDP's decision, Angela vowed to steer Germany through the crisis.

"As chancellor... I will do everything to ensure that this country comes out well through this difficult time," she said.

News magazine 'Der Spiege'l called the breakdown in negotiations a "catastrophe" for the chancellor and said Germany, long seen as an island of stability in a turbulent West, was having its "Brexit moment, its Trump moment".

The Euro fell following the news, although analysts said the longer-term implications for the currency were not yet clear.

The negotiations, which turned increasingly acrimonious, stumbled on a series of issues, including immigration policy.

Angela's liberal refugee policy that let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which captured 12.6% of the vote after an Islamophobic and anti-immigration campaign.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised on the need to protect industry and jobs.

Angela could now try to convince the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has been the junior coalition partner in her government since 2013, to return to the fold.

But after suffering a humiliating loss at the polls, the party's top brass has repeatedly said the SPD's place was now in the Opposition.

Angela, who has been in power for 12 years, could also lead a minority government although she had signalled that she was not in favour of such instability.

Germany could, therefore, be forced to hold new elections, which would have to be called by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

But that is not without peril for Angela, who would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to carry their banner into a new campaign.

Top-selling 'Bild' daily said a failure to forge a tie-up - a so-called "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag - put "her chancellorship in danger".

A poll by 'Welt' online also found that 61.4% of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5% thought otherwise.
Shanghai(Gasgoo)-On Nov. 17, BYD unveiled the Song Max at the Auto Guangzhou 2017. Zhao Changjiang, General Manager of BYD Auto Sales Company announced that BYD has completed its annual sales target two month earlier than scheduled. He also exposed that in 2018 all of the Dynasty models will be upgraded and its annual NEV sales target will reach 200,000 units.



Zhao Changjiang stated that BYD targets to sell 200,000-unit NEVs in 2018. Meanwhile, its NEVs will expand its global coverage from 200 cities to 400 cities, greatly promoting the popularity of NEVs worldwide. BYD will also add 30,000 power charging facilities to shape a more convenient and complete charging service network.

Tesla once emphasized it is not only an automaker, but also a new energy company. Similar to Tesla, Wang Chuanfu, CEO of BYD said at a senior executive meeting that BYD can't be simply defined as a battery company or a car manufacturer, but should be positioned as a provider of a set of new energy solutions. He also added that BYD will gain revenue of RMB 1 trillion by around 2025. Therefore, BYD will conduct a great reform in their organizational structure, saying that it will establish an organizational structure of business group + business division, which will enable all the groups to take their own professional advantages to enlarge sales growth.

It is also revealed that BYD will split the battery, parts, onboard software, mold businesses, etc. to be independent departments. BYD is expected to have a battery sales surge if these independent departments start to supply products to consumers.

Wang Chuanfu also disclosed that about fifty or sixty cities in China now are considering cooperating with BYD to build SkyRails. By the end of this year, five cities will finish the construction of SkyRail, and around 10 to 20 cities maybe in talks with BYD on the SkyRail project. Wang Chuanfu also paid much emphasis on brand building of the company, aiming to build BYD to be a century-old company.
Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi breathed his last at a private hospital here on Monday, nine years after suffering brain-stroke that pushed him into a coma.



Priyoda, as he was popularly known, passed away at 72 with his wife - a former union minister - Deepa Dasmunshi and son Priyadeep at his bedside.

A consummate politician and key trouble-shooter for the UPA government in its first term, Dasmunshi handled portfolios such as Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources and Information and Broadcasting with elan.

"He died at 12.10 p.m. today (Monday). He had been critically ill for the past one month and unfortunately succumbed to his illness," Apollo Hospital said in a statement.

Dasmunshi had suffered brain stroke on October 12, 2008, and was rushed to AIIMS and was later shifted to the Apollo Hospital. The stroke had left him paralyzed and unable to speak.

All his basic functions a breathing, blood pressure, sleep-wake cycle were stable but he was not aware of his surroundings.

He was also taken to Germany for stem cell treatment a mainly for the brain treatment, which had been damaged after the stroke had led to the loss of blood supply causing irreversible damage.

"Despite his prolonged illness, he remained popular in the imagination of his people. His death is an irreparable loss to the Congress party and the country," Congress President Sonia Gandhi said in a statement.

Dasmunshi's mortal remains were brought to the AICC headquarters where top Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi bid him a final farewell.

"We will miss Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi ji. A brilliant political mind and a good human being. Bengal and the Congress party have lost a tall leader. Our thoughts are with Deepa ji today," Rahul Gandhi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Dasmunshi as a "popular leader with rich political and administrative experience".

Former President Pranab Mukherjee said he was "deeply saddened" at Dasmunshi's death. "His loss will be felt forever," he said.

An avid footballer, Dasmushi was the President of the All India Football Federation for 20 years. He also had the rare distinction of being the first Indian to be the match commissioner in a FIFA World Cup game at the group stage playoff between Croatia and Australia in 2006.

A five-term Lok Sabha member, Dasmunshi represented South Calcutta, Howrah, and Raiganj in the lower house of the parliament. He began his political career with the Indian Youth Congress before entering Parliament in 1971. He was the President of the Youth Congress from 1970-71.
The HSR Layout police have arrested two men who molested a 27-year-old woman in HSR Layout Sector 6 on November 17.



Narayanappa (55) and Manoj (30), residents of Begur and sand brokers by profession have been arrested by the police.

According to police, the incident occurred on a service road in HSR Layout 6th sector when the woman was waiting for her colleague to bring his bike that he had parked at a vacant plot near the building they worked.

Both the woman and her colleague were heading home after they had finished with their workout at a gym, one floor above their workplace, the police said.

At around 8.30 pm, near a big stormwater drain close to the service road that was not lit properly, two men on a bike approached the woman and groped her from her back.

While they were fleeing the spot, the woman told her colleague, who chased them on his bike and intercepted them.

Meanwhile, a constable posted nearby rushed to the spot hearing the commotion. As people started to gather, bike rider Manoj left the bike and fled the spot, while Narayanappa was nabbed by the victim's colleague and was handed over to the police.

The HSR Layout police registered a case booking both culprits under IPC Section 354 - assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty. The two were produced before a magistrate who remanded them to judicial custody.
Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree on Monday said that work on construction of General Thimayya Museum in Kodagu will be completed by March next year, before his birth anniversary.



Replying to S Veena Achaiah (Cong), who sought to know the reason for the construction work being very slow, in the Legislative Council, she said the land where the museum is being built was owned by Transport department. There was some delay in transferring the land to the Kannada and Culture department. So the construction work was going in slow pace, she added.

The minister said the department has now expedited the work, and it will be completed by March next year.

Earlier, Veena Achaiah said the government had sanctioned Rs 5.50 crore for General Thimayya Museum in 2013. So far, only Rs 45 lakh has been utilised. Works should be expedited and state government should ensure that the museum works are completed by March. It should be inaugurated by March 21, birth anniversary of General Thimayya, she added.

To another question by Jayamala of Congress on installing the statue of former chief minister K C Reddy at Vidhana Soudha, Umashree said the government is unable to do so because of the Supreme Court order.

She, however, added that an appropriate decision will be taken after holding a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard.
As the winter sets in, Indian cities are grappling with high levels of air pollution. Delhi, a megacity with the worst air quality as per a recent report by World Health Organisation (WHO), has recently adopted an emergency action plan to combat air pollution called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). It is formulated by a Supreme Court-mandated panel and suggests a slew of measures to control pollution on 'severe' and 'very poor' air quality days in Delhi and its national capital region (NCR).



Bengaluru, which recorded near 46% rise in the level of air pollution this Diwali, aims to become the electrical vehicle capital of India. To this effect, the Karnataka government has announced its 'Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy 2017', which will not only make the state a hub for production of cleaner fuel vehicles, but also bring down air pollution and reduce dependence on the fossil fuels.

A recent report by the Indian Institute of Science on the transport sector of Bengaluru has suggested that by stressing on electric vehicles, the city can reduce emissions by 84% in 2030 and even 90% by 2050.

Apart from Delhi and Bengaluru, several other Indian cities have dangerously high levels of air pollution. For instance, the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) data of September 2016 had ranked Hyderabad as city with the worst air quality among the monitored South Indian cities.

This year's Diwali data of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board showed the particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, or PM2.5, surged in Hyderabad to a 24-hour average of 112 Ig/m3 as against the national daily average standard of

60 Ig/m3. WHO has a much lower guideline limit of 25 Ig/m3 for 24-hour mean PM2.5.

The situation was no better in Chennai where a cloud of smog descended on the city on the Diwali night. As per news

reports, the levels of PM10, another indicator of air pollution, touched 777 Ig/m3 at Sowcarpet in north Chennai, which is four times the level compared to 180 Ig/m3 last year. The daily average standard of PM10 is 100 Ig/m3, as mentioned in the national ambient air quality standard of the CPCB.

A public health concern

Air pollution is a serious public health concern in India. 'The State of Global Air 2017', a special report on global exposure to air pollution and its disease burden has claimed that India's worsening air pollution caused some 1.1 million premature deaths in 2015. India has experienced the steepest increases in air pollution levels since 2010 and now has the highest PM2.5 concentrations among the countries studied in the report.

This is extremely worrisome because as per the WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database, as urban air quality declines, the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, increases for those who live in the cities.

Air pollution is rising across the cities of the world. A new WHO air quality model, released last year, reported that 92% of the world's population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO's ambient air quality guidelines for ambient annual mean of PM2.5 at 10Ig/m3. PM2.5 includes pollutants like sulphate, nitrates and black carbon, which penetrate deep into the lungs and in the cardiovascular system, posing the greatest risks to human health. The situation is worse in low and middle income countries, such as India, where 98% of cities with more than 1,00,000 inhabitants do not meet the WHO air quality guidelines.

Sources of air pollution

There are various sources of urban air pollution in Indian cities including inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants and industrial activities. According to a 2010 report prepared by TERI, the major sources of PM10 in the city emissions are transport (42%), road dust re-suspension (20%), construction (14%), industry (14%), diesel generator (DG) sets (7%) and domestic (3%).

For Delhi, a pollution source inventory and source apportionment study was carried out by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 2015. This study assessed 13 key pollution sources and their relative contribution to different pollutants. Road dust (38%) dominated the particulate inventory in the study, followed by vehicles (20%), and industry and power plant sources (11%). In the case of nitrogen oxide inventory, industry (52%) lead with more than half the share, followed by vehicles (36%).

The study observed that vehicles were the most consistent and dominant sources of pollution throughout the year in Delhi, while most other sources were variable. Clearly, a variety of sources are contributing to air pollution in the urban centres, thus, cities need comprehensive plans to control the pollution.

Disaster alert system

According to the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, air pollution is responsible for 10,000 to 30,000 deaths annually in the capital. Last November, the Supreme Court of India (SC) directed the government to frame and implement a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the plan in January this year. This plan is designed like a disaster alert system, which directs governments to take tougher and tougher actions based on the level of air pollution.

The key measures, which are listed under the 'moderate' and 'poor' categories, are already in force through the year, with state governments monitoring progress. From October 17, 2017 to March 15, 2018 the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories have come into force in Delhi-NCR to curb dangerously high levels of pollution.

Various agencies in Delhi have been assigned actions to take when pollution touches moderate (air quality index of 101-200), poor (air quality index of 201-300), very poor (air quality index of 301-400) and severe levels (401-500), based on the air quality index. For instance, when PM2.5 levels cross 300 Ig/m3 or PM10 levels cross 500 Ig/m3, entry of trucks will be stopped (except essential commodities); and construction activities will also be stopped. If PM2.5 crosses 250 Ig/m3 and PM10 crosses 430 Ig/m3, brick kilns, stone crushers, hot-mix plants are to be shut down.

Whereas Delhi has put in place a legal plan to control air pollution, none of the other cities have such a plan to protect their residents from the impacts of air pollution. The cost of inaction is going to be insurmountable.
Deeply embarrassed by one of its leaders offering a Rs 10 crore bounty on the heads of actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali of the film 'Padmavati', the BJP said it has issued a show cause to him for making the outrageous statement.



BJP general secretary Anil Jain said the party had nothing to do with such statements and emphasised that there is rule of law in Haryana and no one can issue such fatwas.

Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu, at a function of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha in Delhi on Sunday, had offered a bounty of Rs 10 crore on the heads of Deepika and Bhansali.

As Amu's remarks came in for criticism from several quarters, the BJP sent a show cause notice to him, indicating that the party would take action against him.

The National Commission for Women also said it would urge the Haryana Police to take action against Amu.
Despite security forces neutralising 190 militants this year, the highest over the last decade, the number of active ultras operating in Kashmir has increased due to fresh recruitment and infiltration from across the border.



"While 80 local militants were killed this year, more than 100 local youths have joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammad over the first 10 months this year. Some 30-40 heavily armed militants, mostly foreigners, have also managed to infiltrate into Kashmir from Pakistan," a senior police officer, involved in counter-insurgency operations, told DH.

He said fresh recruitment coupled with infiltration, has ensured that the numbers of militants do not go down, despite "operation all out" by the security forces.

Of the 190 militants killed this year, 110 were foreigners and mostly killed near the Line of Control (LoC).

"The fact is that militant numbers have increased compared to the last year. The sustained militant recruitment this year is a worrying trend. Growing street unrest, especially in 2016, helped militants recruit more and more youth. Even after losing several commanders and cadres this year, LeT, Hizbul and Jaish have enough manpower and weapons to strike at security forces and civilian targets," the officer revealed.

Sources in the intelligence agencies said increasing cash and weapon-snatching incidents this year in the Valley indicate there is a far larger component of local recruits among the 250-300 active militants.

"Militant handlers in Pakistan are encouraging looting of banks to access cash as well as snatching of weapons as it helps it maintain deniability of its role as a sponsor of terrorism in J&K and project it as homegrown militancy," they said.

General-Officer-Commanding of the army's strategic 15-Corps Lieutenant General J S Sandhu said the militant leadership in Pakistan has, of late, been sending close relatives to Kashmir as a "motivational force to rope in more local youth into militancy."

"The militant leaders are facing questions by their own people in their own homeland. So they are under pressure to send their close relations to Kashmir. Plus, the blood relations of top militant leaders are being sent here as a motivational force to woo as many local youths as possible," General Sandhu said.

This month, nephews of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Jaish chief Moulana Masood Azhar, have been killed by security forces in two separate encounters in the north and south Kashmir.
Israeli police announced on Monday an investigation after a photoshopped picture of President Reuven Rivlin wearing a Palestinian scarf emerged amid anger over his decision to reject a soldier's pardon request.



Rivlin had on Sunday refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in March 2016.

Right-wing politicians criticised Rivlin's decision, and Culture Minister Miri Regev went as far as saying that he had "abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the pardoning institution".

Rivlin's Facebook page quickly filled with messages of support but also scathing criticism, with responders telling him he was "no longer my president," as one wrote, or accusing him of "fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends," as another said.

Populist lawmaker Oren Hazan of the ruling Likud party - the same Rivlin was a member of in Parliament and later as a minister - called on Rivlin to resign, and said pardoning authority should move from the presidency to the parliament.

The police said they had launched the probe after an image of Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media.

The badly photoshopped picture features a smiling Rivlin on the backdrop of books, with a Palestinian symbol and the words "Reuven Rivlin a traitorous Jew-boy may his name and memory be accursed" in Hebrew.

The statement did not elaborate on those being investigated nor the possible crime committed.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CEC Corecast Corporation released an announcement on November 18th, stating that the company plans to sign agreement with China Shipbuilding Industry Group Power Co. Ltd., Qingkong Tongheng New Energy and Yihai Fund and establish a new energy investment company in Xiongan New Area.

The newly built joint-venture brand would start with NEV renting business and aims to develop into a leading new energy industrial group across the nation.

Its also announced that the newly-built company, with a temporary name of Tehengtong New Energy Investment Company, has an initial capital of RMB 500 million with a respective share proportion of 25%, 25%, 35% and 15% from the above four companies in accordance with their investments.

Its learned that the joint-venture company mainly targets at NEV renting market in its initial period by purchasing 20,000 units NEVs and then handing them over to taxi companies, chauffeur-driven car companies and Yihai Renting in key cities for operation. Establishing a subsidiary company is also taken into consideration to take charge of dispatching and operation of vehicles.

The joint-venture company board consists of five directors, with two from China Shipbuilding Industry Group Power Co. Ltd and the other three from each of the remaining companies respectively. Board Chairman will be chosen among directors from China Shipbuilding Industry Group Power Co. Ltd or CEC Corecast Corporation.
The unified AIADMK today lashed out at deposed party leader V K Sasikala's brother V Divakaran for his comments on late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, saying he was not qualified to "criticise" her.



Senior party leader and fisheries minister D Jayakumar took strong exception to Divakaran's remarks that Jayalalithaa did not ensure any "protection" to Sasikala, who was her close aide. He slammed the Sasikala family as an "embodiment of opportunism".



"Divakaran has no qualification to criticise Amma...(TTV) Dhinakaran (sidelined AIADMK leader) is also reported to have made some remarks against Amma. History will not forgive them," he told reporters here.



Days after Income Tax sleuths raided premises linked to the family of the jailed Sasikala, Divakaran said on Saturday that Jayalalithaa did not ensure any "protection" to his sister.



"Amma (Jayalalithaa) utilised her fully, but went (died) without giving her any protection," he said without elaborating. "Just imagine, if someone from your family happened to be with a powerful leader and did all the things said by the leader, and was still pushed to an unsafe situation later, then that is the best example for all women. It is a lesson for all," he had told reporters while responding to queries on the I-T raids against him and others associated with Sasikala.



Divakaran said that since 1996, Sasikala has always been under a cloud of 'inquiry', an apparent reference to a spate of corruption cases filed against Jayalalithaa and his sister after the party lost the assembly elections that year.
Charles Manson, the psychopathic guru who masterminded a savage killing spree in the United States in the late 1960s that shocked the world, has died aged 83, California prison officials said.



Manson "died of natural causes at 8:13 pm (2:13 GMT Monday) on Sunday" at a hospital in Kern County, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a brief statement.

Debra Tate - the sister of Manson's most famous victim, Sharon Tate - told celebrity website TMZ that she received a call from prison officials notifying her of Manson's death.

Manson was earlier moved from the Corcoran State Prison to a hospital in the city of Bakersfield, in Kern County, to be treated for an unspecified illness, US media reported.

In the late 1960s, Manson headed an apocalyptic cult that committed random murders in upscale mostly white neighbourhoods of Los Angeles -unleashing a wave of panic in the city and beyond.

The aim was for African Americans to be blamed, in the hope of sparking what he believed to be an impending and apocalyptic race war.

His "family" disciples committed at least nine murders, but it was the horrific killing spree of seven people on August 9-10, 1969 that sealed his notoriety - and earned him life in prison.

The famous victim was 26-year-old movie actor Sharon Tate, the heavily-pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, who pleaded for the life of her unborn child before she was stabbed to death.

Manson was not present, but ordered the killings. One of his followers, Susan Atkins, carried out Tate's murder, after which she tasted the actress's blood and wrote "PIG" with it on the home's front door.

Manson, who has never shown remorse, was sentenced to death in 1971 along with four of his disciples for having led the killings of seven people.

The sentences were later commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty.
Newly-crowned Miss World Manushi Chhillar today said she is too busy enjoying her success as a beauty queen to be upset over Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's pun on her surname, which translates into "loose change" in colloquial Hindi.



Manushi's win at the Miss World pageant ended India's 17-year-long dry spell at the coveted event.

"A girl who has just won the World isn't going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. 'Chillar' talk is just small change - let's not forget the 'chill' within Chhillar,' Manushi, the sixth Indian to win the title, tweeted.

Exactly @vineetjaintimes agree with you on this. A girl who has just won the World isnt going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. Chillar talk is just small change - lets not forget the chill within Chhillar  @ShashiTharoor https://t.co/L5gqMf8hfi  Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) November 20, 2017

The Congress Member of Parliament had played on her name in a tweet yesterday.

"What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World," Tharoor had said.

The former minister's attempt to attack the Centre over demonetisation using Manushi's surname did not go down well with the social media.

READ ALSO: When social media took license... too far

However, Vineet Jain, MD, Times Group, the organisation behind the India chapter of the pageant, took to the microblogging site to say that Tharoor's comment was not offensive.

"I saw @ShashiTharoor tweet regarding @ManushiChhillar. I wasn't offended even though she is a times girl. We need to learn to be more TOLERANT towards light-hearted HUMOUR," he wrote.

Manushi seconded Jain and tweeted, "Exactly @vineetjaintimes agree with you on this".

After his comment triggered a heavy backlash, Tharoor apologised on Twitter, stressing he meant no offence to Manushi.

"Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour and the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today.

"Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer I've separately praised. Please: Chill!" he wrote.



RELATED: The winning moments of India's Miss Worlds
Members of the Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali (KJC) want the state government to pass the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill, 2017 without any dilution.



Addressing reporters here on Monday, Akhila Vasan, one of the members of KJC said that the government was bowing to the pressure of the heads of private hospitals.

"Some leaders of the Congress party are not backing the amended Bill. The government has to answer why the IT and Communication cell did not take to social media to challenge and clarify the misinformation campaign by the private hospital owners," she added.

A Narasimha Murthy from the Slum Janandolana, Karnataka said that each political party has its own agenda about the Bill.

"BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa says that he will repeal the KPME amendment if he is voted to power. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy asks why the poor should go to private hospitals," he added.

Dr Sylvia Kapagan, community health physician supporting the Bill said that like the grievance redressal committee for patients, there must be a similar committee even for doctors who are forced to give treatment in a particular manner.

"There is a need to have a whistle blower among doctors to expose some of the private hospitals," she added.
As Rahul Gandhi is expected to take over the reins of the Congress, MP Renuka Chowdhary today said that his elevation as the party's president would have a positive impact on the organisation.



The former Union minister also said that the 47-year- old's much-expected elevation, however, did not mean that the "old guard" in the party was going to be "thrown by the wayside".

"This is something that we had announced some time ago. It's a natural process that is happening organically. Obviously, there is going to be an effect for the better. There is no doubt it has galvanised the rank and file, and the youth are all excited about this," she told PTI.

Sonia Gandhi (the Congress president) would always be the party's guardian and her presence is reassuring, Chowdhary said.

"We are so reassured by Sonia Gandhiji's presence. Because she will always be our guardian who will guide us and it is under her stewardship that all this is happening. It's a very happy situation for us in the Congress," the MP said.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) today approved the schedule for the election of the next party president, paving the way for the elevation of Rahul Gandhi.

Party sources said that the process of election would start on December 1 with the issuing of the notification.

Sonia Gandhi would always be the guiding spirit of the party, she said.

"Soniaji is going to be the omnipotent and omnipresent. She will guide and keep us on the right path. She is the one who will always be the guiding spirit. It's time for action now," the MP said.

Asked if there would be any major organisational changes, she said change is "inexorable", but it was for Rahul Gandhi to take a call on the matter.

"Change is always inexorable and inevitable, it will happen. It will be the call of the new president. So, I cannot predict or preempt and say anything. This is something that Rahul Gandhi will announce."

Chowdhary felt the "old guard" in the Congress is not going to be "thrown by the wayside" and that the experienced leaders and the young crop would work together to bring back the past glory for the 132-year-old party.

"I don't think the old guard is going to be thrown by the wayside. The old guard have tremendous experience and the young guard has all the enthusiasm and energy.

"Together, it is what we will collectively deliver and that is to bring the Congress back to the common man," she said.

The "need of the hour" is to "remove dictatorship and restore democratic practices" in the country, the former Union minister claimed.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Congress-led state government has recommended to the central government that the inclusion of fishermen community should be done under ST category.



Speaking after performing foundation stone laying ceremony for 100 bedded Srimati Lakshmi Soma Bangera Maternity hospital to be built at Kundapur at a cost of Rs five crore, the chief minister said the government has already recommended twice for the inclusion of the fishermen community under ST category. But in vain. No measures are taken in that direction. Sadly, the power lies with the central government, he regretted and said that the communities which are in the proposed list include Besta, Kharvi, Koli, and Mogaveera among others.

He said he would keep compelling the central government. He assured to earmark Rs 100 crore for Ambigara Chowdaiah Development Board, which would be beneficial for fishermen community and all 39 alternative subcategories. He added Congress government started the birthday celebrations of Ambigara Chowdaiah, which was not done by any government earlier.

Asserting himself as the promoter of Ahinda ideologies, the chief minister said he is not shameful of claiming to be so. He said he would voice the troubles of poor irrespective of caste and religion. He would wholeheartedly support all who are in distress. He said he is committed to those who are victimized.

Stating that there are 2.96 lakh fishermen in the state, the chief minister said it is his government which announced 300 liters of diesel subsidy for mechanized fishing boats. He assured to release all the pending subsidy amount for the fishermen.
The Shia Waqf Board on Monday proposed a Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Complex and a mosque in Lucknow as part of its proposal for an out of court settlement of the dispute.



The Board also said that it was ready to withdraw its claim on the disputed land in Ayodhya.

Speaking to reporters, Board chairman Waseem Rizvi said that a five-point proposal to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute has been submitted to the Supreme Court, which is hearing the matter.

Flanked by All India Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri, Rizvi said that the Shia Board was ready to "withdraw its claim" from the entire land in the "interest of the country" and to allow the construction of a Ram temple.

Rizvi said that the Hindu parties in the dispute would have complete control over the site and they could construct a grand temple.

He said the Board was handing over the disputed site keeping in view the "composite culture" of Avadh region and to resolve the dispute.

Rizvi said a mosque would be built on the vacant one acre land in Hussainabad area in Lucknow. "The Board has already applied to the state government for the allotment of land," he said.

Rizvi also said that the Board would construct the mosque with its own resources and would name it 'Masjid-e-Aman' (mosque of peace) and not after any Mughal emperor as it had triggered riots in the country and claimed thousands of lives.

The draft of the five-point proposal contained the signatures of several Hindu seers, including Narendra Giri, Hanumangarhi priest Mahant Dharm Das and others.

Rizvi said that the Sunni Central Waqf Board, which was a party in the dispute, was unnecessarily trying to create obstacles in the way of resolving the dispute through negotiations.

Rizvi had earlier met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed the proposal.
Shashi Tharoor gets chided by the Twitterati for his not so 'p(h)unny' act of wordplay on Miss World Manushi Chhillar's surname to ridicule BJP's demonetisation move. Tharoor's tweet got him in trouble with the National Commission for Women, which accused him of disparaging Manushi's achievement, and demanded an apology.

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017





Nevertheless, Mr Tharoor tendered a 'chill' apology, hours later. And Manushi Chhillar, the epitome of grace on social media as well, took Tharoor's pun sportingly.

This is not the first of its kind. Here is a list of Indian celebrities whose recent tweets wholeheartedly asked for trouble.



Rishi Kapoor, Actor

Rishi Kapoor is known for stirring controversy through his opinionated tweets. This is yet another instance of Kapoor being trolled as a result of driving people to fury.

Farooq Abdhulla ji, Salaam! Totally agree with you,sir. J&K is ours, and PoK is theirs. This is the only way we can solve our problem. Accept it, I am 65 years old and I want to see Pakistan before I die. I want my children to see their roots. Bas karva Dijiye. Jai Mata Di !  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) November 11, 2017



Manish Tewari, Congress Leader

Manish Tewari's tweet that read "Ise Kehte Hain C******* Ko Bhakt Bana Na or Bhakton Ko Permanent C******* Bana Na -Jai Ho. Even Mahatma cannot teach Modi Deshbhakti (This is what we call making fools their disciples, and votaries permanent fools)," was unapologetically rebuked till he apologised.

Willing to apologise for using a 'colloquial' Hindi phraseHowever will PM promise to unfollow those who heap unmentionable abuse on women???  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) September 17, 2017



All India Bakchod, Indian comedy sketch group

An FIR was slammed against All India Bakchod for its meme that shows a Modi lookalike waiting at a railway station and using the dog filter on Snapchat, with the caption '#Wanderlust'.

Publicity theek hai yaar, lage haath thode nationalist sentiments aur hurt kar lo cuz Modi goes hand in hand. Magar joke to dhang ka ho! pic.twitter.com/sLSo4EyMHy  A La' Vile De Satara (@AdvancedMaushi) July 13, 2017

Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's act of bragging about his greatest accomplishment of letting an ambulance overtake his convoy gets brutally trolled.

BTP stood by my instructions to prioritise the movmnt of ambulances against VIP convoys; today they allowed an ambulance overtake my convoy pic.twitter.com/zRDtTAb9xK  CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 21, 2017



Karan Johar, Indian Film Director

Karan, who is known for his jibes aptly gives it back to the Twitter trolls and gets trolled in turn. Touche.

My dear Twitter Troll....there is a new product in the market...it's called a LIFE... please get one!! offer is open till stocks last!!!  Karan Johar (@karanjohar) June 17, 2017

READ ALSO: Not upset over Tharoor's quip, chill, says Manushi Chhillar (Compiled by Indu Shree, with inputs from Ajmal V)
China on Monday strongly objected President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from "complicating" the border dispute when bilateral relations are at a "crucial moment".



President Kovind visited Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

"The Chinese government never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and our position on the border issue is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told media when asked about Kovind's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet.

China routinely objects to any senior Indian officials' visit to the area.

India has dismissed Beijing's objections, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and Indian leaders are as much free to visit the state as they are to any other part of the country.

Both countries are "in the process of settling this issue through negotiation and consultation and seek to reach to a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all", Lu said.

Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquility, he said.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China stretches 3,488 km.

On November 6, China had raised objection to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Both sides held 19 round of talks by special representatives to resolve the boundary dispute.

The 20th round is expected to be held next month in New Delhi, though dates have not yet been announced.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi are the designated special representatives for the boundary talks.
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The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, to go to the United Kingdom between December 1 and 10 for his daughter's admission to a Cambridge University college.



The court, however, directed him to file an undertaking within three days that he would return by December 10 or "he shall face such consequences as may be deemed fit and proper". He was told to furnish his flight details too.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra passed the order after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, submitted that he would be allowed on certain terms and conditions.

"The respondent (Karti) must clearly understand the present order is passed as an ad interim measure... therefore, this order should not be cited in any court of law to further any kind of cause that will hinder the investigation or anything else," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

Karti is facing a lookout circular following a CBI FIR on May 16 relating to FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore during the tenure of his father as finance minister. Karti had sought court's permission to visit the UK for admission of his daughter at Selwyn College.

The court also directed Karti to file an affidavit on his return with regard to the grant or non-grant of admission. It put the matter for further consideration in the third week of January.
A Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday.



Police said the militant was killed after a joint team of army's 42-Rashtriya Rifle and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police cordoned off Chopan Mohalla area of Tral, 34 km from here, following information about the presence of militants in the area.

As the security forces intensified the searches, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter in which one local militant was killed. He has been identified as Adil Chopan, who had reportedly emerged unharmed from the debris of a house razed to the ground by security forces on May 20 when top militant commander Sabzar Bhat was killed.

Pictures of Chopan surrounded by locals at the gunfight site had gone viral on social media then.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the chief secretaries of all states to create awareness among teachers, parents and schoolchildren about the dangers posed by virtual dare games like the Blue Whale Challenge.



A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also asked the Union Human Resources Development Ministry to issue a circular to make schoolchildren aware of the perils of such games.

"The beauty of life is not to meet with the beauty of death, but to keep death away," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said, adding that "parental care, concern, love and instilling a sense of optimism in children" will keep them away from such games.

"We direct all the chief secretaries of the states to issue directions to the departments concerned to make children aware of the dangers of games like Blue Whale Challenge," the bench said, and disposed of two PILs that had sought framing of guidelines to regulate online digital games.

The court also asked the states to keep in mind the CBSE's guidelines on 'Safe and Effective Use of Internet and Digital Technologies in Schools and School Buses'.

Attorney General K K Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for the Centre, apprised the court of the interim report of a committee which was set up to enquire into the recent suicides of children who allegedly got trapped in the Blue Whale game.

Venugopal said a high-level meeting was convened at which senior scientists and police officers have taken certain decisions, including setting up a monitoring cell to keep a watch on such programmes and block those sites. A high-level committee would investigate all cases of suicides and attempted suicides, the law officer said.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aims to undertake 60-70 satellite vehicle launch programmes in the next five years including PSLV launches by private operators in order to make up the deficiency in the number of satellites, ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said.



"Currently there are 42 satellites providing various services. But we need more than double that number. In the next 5-6 years, we envisage 60-70 (rocket) launches for our requirement. For a bigger pie in the world space market, we need bigger industry participation," he said.

ISRO seeks to set up a joint venture company with a consortium of industries. "The launch of the first PSLV on behalf of this JV is likely around 2020-21," Kumar said.

PSLV or polar satellite launch vehicle is ISRO's mainstay carrier that undertook 41 missions so far with only two failures, the last one being in August 2017. Two more PSLV missions are planned in December 2017 and in the first quarter of 2018.

The PSLV has launched so far 209 international customer satellites on commercial basis from 28 countries

Now the space agency envisages handing over the PSLV programme to a bunch of private operators, replicating a practice followed in USA and Europe. While a dialogue has been initiated with the industry, ISRO is yet to obtain the government clearance to form the joint venture company.

"ISRO being a government organisation, we may take some time between airing our intention and realising it," Kumar said at a FICCI seminar on Monday.

The private sector, he continued, could make an effort to enter the "space tourism" segment, which was beyond ISRO's mandate.

Asked about the future inter-planetary missions, Kumar said that Aditya-L1 a the space probe to study the Sun a would be launched in 2019 whereas missions to the Venus, an asteroid and the second mission to the Mars were in the study phase and no decisions had been taken on their launch.

The ISRO chairman also made it clear that the human space flight programme was not a priority for the space agency.
Anguished over illegal constructions in the national capital, the Delhi High Court today suggested to the local authorities to consider "airlifting" of the 108-foot Hanuman statue in central Delhi to remove the encroachments around it.



Observing that entire skyscrapers have been relocated completely in the United States, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar gave the suggestion while hearing a PIL by an NGO seeking removal of unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the Karol Bagh area in the city.

"Consider if the statue can be airlifted. Speak to the LG. You know, in the US, entire skyscrapers are shifted as a whole," it said.

The court also said if the civic bodies could "at even one place show that the law was being enforced, "the mindset of the people of Delhi would change".

It said enough opportunities have been given to the municipal corporations to enforce the law "but no one wants to do it".

The matter came up before the bench today as the local authorities were seeking a modification with regard to the police station which would be responsible for implementing the court's November 15 direction to remove encroachments from the area.

After modifying the order, the court listed the matter for hearing on November 24.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Karnataka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) time till March 2018 to complete its probe into usurpation of the properties of world-renowned Mysuru-based taxidermist Edwin Joubert Van Ingen allegedly by a man, who claimed to be his adopted son.



A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed an application filed by advocate Joseph Aristotle on behalf of the CID for further extension of time to finish the investigation in an FIR lodged in March 2013 at Mysuru's Nazarabad police station by Van Ingen against Michael Floyd Eshwer.

"As prayed, time until end of March, 2018 is granted for completion of the inquiry/investigation," the court said.

The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, rejected a plea made by senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani for CBI probe into the matter. Jethmalani represented Eshwer, who declared himself to be the legal heir of the properties owned by Van Ingen.

In an application, Eshwer accused six persons including then Mysuru deputy police commissioner of creating a "forged record". He also expressed apprehension that the investigation under the supervision of DGP CID would not be carried in fair, transparent and impartial manner.

Van Ingen, a British national, died a bachelor at the age of 101 on March 12, 2013.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today asked citizens to click pictures of wrongly parked cars and send to authorities while proposing a 10 percent reward for them from Rs 500 fine imposed on the owner of the concerned vehicle.



Gadkari said he felt "ashamed" that absence of parking lots outside his own Ministry forced "ambassadors" and "big people" to park on road blocking the way to Parliament.

"In my Motor Vehicle Act, I am going to add one law (provision). Any car on road, you just take the photo on your mobile and send it to the department concerned or Police. There will be Rs 500 fine and 10 percent will go to the complainant," Gadkari said today.

"No parking places are available. People are using roads for that," he said.

The minister said big institutions should have their parking places.

He said, "every day it is shameful for me...the Ambassadors are coming ... the big people are coming. Infront of Parliament, my total road is blocked and for getting permission to build a parking place I needed 13 permissions."

He said it took months to take permission for constructing a single parking lot and he had raised the issue with the then Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Gadkari during the laying of foundation stone for his own Ministry's automate parking had said in May 2016 that he felt "ashamed" that his own ministry had to wait nine months to get approvals for a 'simple automated parking lot'.

Gadkari, who has been very keen on this project, had expressed anguish over this delay at its foundation laying ceremony at Transport Bhawan near Parliament, prompting Naidu to promise a one-month cap on the grant of all such permissions.

Transport Bhawan will be the first government building to have an automated multi-level car parking facility in its premises at a cost of about Rs 9 crore.

The automated parking lot project is being undertaken by NHIDCL. The facility will comprise ground plus seven floors. Spread over an area of 314 sq metres and with a height of 22 metres, the facility will be able to house 112 cars. The retrieving time for cars will be 120 seconds.

The Motor Vehicles Bill, which aims to usher in far-reaching reforms in the transport sector, was in August referred to a 24-member Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

The committee will have to submit its report to the Rajya Sabha by the first day of the next session "without extension of time, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has said.

The bill aims at bringing sweeping reforms in the transport sector, ranging from hefty fines for traffic rules violations to improving the licensing system and checking bogus licenses.
The Supreme court today refused to vacate for now its status quo order on construction of a multi-level parking near the iconic Taj Mahal, saying there was no harm in tourists walking up to the monument.



The apex court rapped the state government for not coming out with a comprehensive policy to protect and preserve the beauty of Taj Mahal, saying "we need sustainable development".

The court said it first needed to examine the comprehensive action plan to protect the historic structure.

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta issued notice to the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) authority and sought to know if there was any comprehensive action plan to protect the Taj Mahal not only from environment point of view but also with regard to other aspects and asked it to produce a vision document.

The bench also asked TTZ authority to explain as why it was not holding meeting every two months as was expected.

TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq kms spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said it had all the requisite permissions to construct a multi-level parking a kilometre away from the eastern gate of Taj Mahal and it would be difficult for the tourists if this was not allowed to be made.

"Why don't you construct the parking lot beyond 1.5 km? Tourists can walk up to the monuments," the bench said.

Mehta said if the parking area was not constructed, there would be traffic congestion which will increase the inconvenience for tourists, especially the foriegners.

To this, the bench said "don't worry about foreign tourists, they love to walk".

Mehta said the TTZ had two levels of plan -- short term and long term -- under which there was a need for construction of multi-level parking to avoid congestion as people will come with their vehicles upto the monument.

Justice Gupta said when he had visited the monument around 15-20 years ago, he was stopped 1.5 kms away. "When it could happen 15-20 years back, why can't it happen now," he asked.

Mehta said as per the plan, which is a vision document, a proposal was there to construct a visitors' centre, but now that plan has been shelved.

"If you are saying this is your vision document, then you are in for a serious problem. We want a vision document which you don't have and that's the whole problem," the bench said.

The court asked the ASG where were over one lakh trees planted under the compensatory afforestation scheme. "Your forest department says that you don't have land for plantation of trees. You can't say that you will plant one lakh tree but I will show you the land after one year," it said.

The bench said the UP government needed to have a broad perspective to preserve and protect Taj Mahal, which is only one of its kind structure in the world, and it was needed to be looked at with a larger perspective of sustainable development.

It posted the matter for further hearing on December 8.

On November 15, the apex court had directed the state to file a comprehensive policy with regard to pollution in TTZ and nearby areas to preserve the monument.

It had taken strong exception that the state had not filed the comprehensive policy before it despite assurances.

The state had said that a policy has been prepared by the TTZ, which was an independent authority.

The apex court had said that there was no urgency for construction of multi-level parking, adding that the state had stopped the construction work in May.

It had earlier stayed its order directing demolition of a multi-level car parking being built near the Taj Mahal and asked the authorities to maintain status quo there.

Environmentalist M C Mehta, who had filed a plea seeking protection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area, had earlier told the bench that the TTZ was an "ecologically sensitive area" and the government should have come out with a comprehensive policy for preservation and protection of the Taj.

The apex court, which is dealing with Mehta's petition, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The mausoleum is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday joined the chorus of politicians who are demanding a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Rs 200-crore worth film, Padmavati.



Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also sided with those protesting against the film, saying that Padmavati will not be allowed to hit the cinema halls in his state even if the Central Board of Film Certification clears its screening.



West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, came in support of the film and tweeted "The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice,".

"Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so," Punjab Chief Minister told media.



Those feeling hurt at any distortion of historical facts have "the democratic right to protest," he later tweeted.



Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, while addressing a rally in his State, called the character of 'Padmavati' as "Rajmata" and said, "The film which has distorted facts will not be released in the State. Nobody will tolerate it."

This comes a day after the producers of the 'Padmavati' deferred the release of the film on December 1, saying it was a voluntary decision and the revised date for the release of the movie will be announced "in due course" of time.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had said that the film should not be screened till objectionable scenes are deleted.



Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also from the BJP, warned the Centre of likely law and order problems in his state if the film is released.

Meanwhile, several news portals including a multi-media news agency claimed, attributing their information to unnamed sources, that the CBFC has denied the request of the makers of the film to expedite clearance process for Padmavati.

The censor board has conveyed to the producers that the film will be reviewed and certified "as per set norms by following a chronological order of all applications," the media reports claimed.



The CBFC, however, remained silent on the issue and did not come up with any official statement on this issue.




West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said leaking out of Aadhaar card details could be "dangerous" because it might lead to the disclosure of confidential information about individuals.



Banerjee told reporters here that Aadhaar details being leaked out was "alarming", and could be dangerous for individuals and society.

"We don't know why such acts are taking place. We already have the PAN card, voter ID card. But I believe what is taking place in the name of the Aadhaar card will be dangerous for any individual and society," she said.

Criticising the Centre, the Trinamool Congress chief said, "Some people act like Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and take sudden decisions such as dividing the state or the move of demonetisation. This information about Aadhaar card details leakage also shows such a mindset."

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India said recently.

"Details from head to toe of every individual talk between mother and daughter... husband and wife would be known. I have been a warning (people) about this time and again," Banerjee said.
Patidaar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel released a video on Monday, asking supporters not to oppose his move to meet Congress leaders.



The request came even as a section of leaders from PAAS were embroiled in a tug of war with the Congress.

In the 45-second video, a person says, "Our ancestors were right when they said that Patel's marriage party could travel only till village boundary. This Alpesh Thakore joined the Congress...That Jignesh Mevani, the Dalit leader, he met Rahul Gandhi...When our brother goes to meet the Congress leaders for the benefit and future of our community, many persons from our community oppose Hardik. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You are educated. You use social media. You must support Hardik Patel."

This video is accompanied by a message from Hardik: "Not for me but for the community and families of martyrs. Do not forget the martyrdom of 14 youngsters."

Hardik appeared philosophical on his social media platform, quoting a couplet by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee about the need to overcome challenges. He also appealed to his supporters to remember those who lost their lives for the cause.

Hardik was supposed to make an announcement in Rajkot about the "agreement" reached between the Congress and PAAS on Sunday.

However, the developments late on Sunday evening appear to have shaken his confidence and no word other than philosophical messages on social media were shared.

As soon as the Congress announced its first list, one of Hardik's close aides, Dinesh Bhambaniya, and his supporters barged into the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

They were protesting against the inclusion of names of some PAAS convenors in the list.

"We want to know with whose authorisation has the Congress included their names. None of them will file nominations till it is clarified," Bhambaniya said.

He even got into an altercation with the police and was later detained for some time.

PAAS members were seen barging into the Congress's offices across the state and creating a ruckus. They also burnt effigies of PAAS convenors who had been given tickets.

The situation went to such an extent that the Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad was locked and paramilitary forces had to be called in.

Several PAAS members from Halvad reached the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar to join the party, claiming that they would now ensure a victory for the BJP.

The PAAS and the Congress were trying to iron out differences till late in the evening. The Congress may include more PAAS representatives in its list.
A defiant Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore, on Monday appeared before a local court in London for his pre-trial hearing where the liquor baron's extradition hearing was confirmed for eight days starting December 4.



The 61-year-old businessman, out on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard earlier this year, was released by the Westminster Magistrates' Court judge on the same bail conditions and asked to appear in the court on December 4.

The extradition trial will last until December 14, with December 8 marked as a non-sitting day.

Speaking to reporters as he left Monday's case management hearing, Mallya said, "it will all become clear in court".

His defence team, headed by barrister Clare Montgomery, updated Judge Arbuthnot that the defence argument skeleton had been submitted last week and now "the ball is in the Indian government's court" to present a reply by next week.

She also presented the judge with a "running order" of witnesses to be deposed in the case, adding that the Indian authorities are "content with that order".

Based on the defence timetable, the judge should be ready to rule on the case by December 24. However, given the tight timeline for both sides to submit their closing arguments in writing, the judge suggested scheduling a half-day hearing in January after the oral closing submissions to conclude the trial in the new year instead.

Mallya's barrister, however, was not in favour of the delay as that could lead to the Indian government presenting new material to the case and she said the defence was keen to "draw a line under all the material - evidential and non- evidential".

The judge concurred, saying "things have a habit of popping up" and has left things open for the moment.

Aaron Watkins, appearing for the UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of the Indian government, said as he was stepping in for CPS barrister Mark Summers, he would have to confirm the exact timeline with him.

Some of the witnesses on Mallya's defence team's list include Margaret Sweeney, chief accountant at Force India Formula One team, Prof Lau as an expert on the Indian legal system, aviation expert Dr Humphreys and prison conditions expert Dr Alan Mitchell.

The case will open on December 4 with opening arguments and the witness statement of Dr Humphreys.

Mallya's trial drama will be further enhanced on December 11 when American taxi hailing company Uber's appeal against the revocation of its licence to operate in London comes up for its first hearing in the same court.

Mallya has repeatedly stressed that he has done nothing wrong and will let the evidence speak in court.

The CPS had presented additional "supplemental" charges of money laundering to the previous charges of fraud at the last hearing in the case on October 3.

The previous fraud charges relate to Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owing more than Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks.

The UB Group chief has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016.

The CPS said it was technically re-filing its extradition request in court, after the new charges "superseded" the previous ongoing case.

The judge, Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot, agreed to formally re-open a fresh case while keeping to the same time-table as set before.

However, she had concurred with Mallya's defence team that if further evidence keeps coming in, it could put the December 4 trial date at "risk" before releasing him on the same bail conditions as before.

The conditions of his bail include providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

Arbuthnot has been hearing Mallya's extradition case at Westminster Magistrates' Court on his previous arrest warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April.

If she rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallya's extradition within two months.

However, the case can go through a series of appeals before arriving at a conclusion.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place from the UK to India under the arrangement.
Taking an unrelenting stand, a large group of Rajput organisations converged at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai and declared that they would not allow Padmavati, the magnum opus of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, to be released.



Led by the Bharatiya Itihas Va Sanskriti Rakshak Manch, Rashtriya 36 Kaum Ekta Parishad and other organisations, the dharna saw addressees by a host of leaders, including Shri Rajput Karni Sena founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi.



"We will not allow the film to be released, come what may," he said amidst thunderous applause. "The film needs to be banned," Kalvi said, appreciating the move of the Madhya Pradesh government to ban it.



Veteran Rajasthani community leader Raj Purohit, who is an MLA from Mumbai, said that the film would not be allowed to be screened. "You cannot show what you want," he said.





Ban Bhansali



Another BJP MLA Ram Kadam, who is the President of Film Studio Setting and Allied Majdoor Union, said that this organisation would not allow Bhansali to make a film ever again. "Bhansali has already screened the movie for some mediapersons, why not for Rajput organisations," he said.



"The manner in which the revered Rajput Queen Padmavati is shown dancing is an insult to her and the community as a whole. Till the community's demands are met, we will continue protests all over the country," Purohit declared.



Padmavati was to be released on December 1. On Sunday, producers Viacom18 announced it would postpone the release in the wake of protests and threats to Bhansali and the actors.


A boy stood on bustling MG Road on Monday, holding a placard seeking money for an iPhone X.



A passer-by was incredulous. Is this for real or are you playing the fool? he snapped. He demanded to know why the boy needed a phone whose base model is priced at about Rs 89,000.



Mohammed Zaid (17), the boy with the Need money for an iPhone X placard, admitted, Sir, this is a prank.



Some passers-by were more sympathetic. One was even ready to buy him the phone.



He took out a was of Rs 2,000 notes, and asked if I really needed the phone. He told me to go with him to the nearest iPhone store, said Zaid, who politely declined the generosity.



Many walking by were startled and annoyed Zaid was seeking cash for a phone with snob value.



Dont you have anything better to do? You think an iPhone is a necessity? a man said.



Another muttered, These days kids do anything.



A student of Presidency College, Zaid has been pulling off pranks with his friends, who were standing across the street shooting his act.



They do it for the likes on social media. Their YouTube channel is called Kookypedia, and features videos of their pranks.



We want our channel to be famous, said Naveen, Zaids friend.



Reny Vincent, another boy in the group, disclosed their plans for another prank: one of them would go to Cantonment railway station in a white sari, dressed as a ghostly enchantress.



I am going to scare people tonight, said Shoaib Khan, who saw himself fronting the prank.



The ghost prank is lined up for uploading next.



We will put it up next week, said Naveed, a student of Brindavan College in the group. We need a week for editing.


As more groups issued threats against movie star Deepika Padukone, the Karnataka police extended security to her and her family.



Describing Deepika as a "daughter of the Kannada land," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said those threatening her must be punished.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, to take strict action against those threatening to maim and kill Deepika.

Deepika plays the lead in the Bollywood extravaganza Padmavati. Some groups are opposing the yet-to-be-released film, claiming it distorts history and shows the eponymous character, a queen, in a poor light. A man in Uttar Pradesh has offered a Rs 5-crore reward to anyone killing Deepika and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A BJP leader in Rajasthan on Sunday offered to double the bounty.

Minister's letter

The Karnataka government waded into the controversy on Monday. "Deepika and her family need protection and steps are to be taken to ensure they are caused no trouble," Reddy stated in a letter to DIG Neelamani Raju.

Siddaramaiah said he condemned the "culture of intolerance and hate perpetuated by the BJP".

"Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone. She is a globally renowned artist from our state," he tweeted, expressing shock at Haryana BJP leader Surajpal Amu announcing a reward for Deepika's head.

Groups claiming to represent the Rajput community have publicly threatened to cause bodily harm to Deepika. It began with a leader threatening to "chop her nose off".

Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar also took to Twitter in Deepika's support. He said he would write to Siddaramaiah to offer protection for Deepika.

Shivakumar said it was deplorable that a BJP office-bearer was placing a bounty on the head of Deepika, the daughter of one of India's most respected sportsmen. Deepika's father, Prakash Padukone, is an international badminton champion. "The BJP must apologise and make sure intimidation doesn't happen," he said. Shivakumar said women and artistes must "speak in one voice" against such threats.

Now working in Mumbai, Deepika grew up in Bengaluru, and her parents continue to live in this city.

Cops guarding flat

Following directions from the state government, the city police have provided security for members of Deepika's family living in Bengaluru.

Her parents Prakash and Ujwala and sister Anisha live on Nandidurg Road. The police have deployed four policemen at their apartment. Two policemen are standing guard near Deepika's grandmother's house in Malleswaram.
Rahul Gandhi moved a step closer to being elevated as Congress chief on Monday with the party's top decision-making body announcing the schedule of the presidential election, which is going to be held after seven years.



After repeated prodding by the Election Commission on holding internal polls, the Congress Working Committee approved an election schedule that may lead to 47-year-old Rahul being declared Congress president as early as on December 5, if no other leader enters the contest.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi would relinquish the post in favour of Rahul after 19 years at the helm during which she steered the party to two consecutive Lok Sabha victories.

Party polls soon

According to the schedule approved by the CWC, presidential elections will be notified on December 1.

"The last date of filing nominations is December 4, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on December 5," Mullapally Ramachandran, chairman of the Central Election Authority, told reporters after the CWC meeting.

He said the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is December 11.

"If there is more than one nomination, the elections will be held on December 16 and counting will take place on December 19," Ramachandran said.

Several Congress leaders DH spoke to said that the presidential election was expected to be unopposed and held much before the first phase of Gujarat elections on December 9.

If Rahul's is the only nomination received by the poll authority, it will be announced on December 5.
Bengaluru's long-pending hope for a separate legislation to govern its growth has been dashed as the state government wants to enact a common legislation covering all local bodies, including the BBMP.



The Urban Development Department has asked the premier National Law School of India University to draft a common act that will subsume the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act, the Karnataka Municipalities Act, the Urban Development Authorities Act, the Bangalore Development Authority Act and the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act. The BBMP functions under the KMC Act.

"The idea is codification of all legislation to ensure uniformity, which will in turn help ease of doing business," Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Mahendra Jain said. "This is a reform that will make Karnataka eligible for Central grants under the 'reforms' category," he added.

The proposed common legislation comes in the wake of the government's plan to streamline the grant of approval for development of land and buildings with faster, automated and transparent procedures through Common Zoning Regulations, which has faced stiff opposition from resident groups in Bengaluru.

For instance, the government wants to streamline the process of building plan approvals and civic bodies have been asked to put an online system in place so that submission of applications and approvals are done virtually.

Urban evangelist V Ravichandar panned the idea of a common act from Bengaluru's perspective. "It can work for cities up to a certain size - ideally for cities with 3-15 lakh population. A city like Bengaluru with 100 lakh population and an area of 709 sq km definitely needs a dedicated act to govern and administer it," he said. "The issues of ward committees, zonal administration and integration across multiple agencies is unique to Bengaluru. No other city has comparable challenges," he said.

Ravichandar is a member of the BBMP Restructuring Committee that has suggested a separate act for Bengaluru. Large cities such as Delhi and Mumbai have their own legislation governing municipal areas - Delhi has the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and Mumbai has a Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act.

The erstwhile Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development (ABIDe) Task Force had drafted a Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Governance Act.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who was ABIDe convener, said, "Planning and governance for Bengaluru must now be as a metropolitan region and not as a city. It direly needs a new legislative framework."

The BBMP, in its 2017-18 budget, pitched for a city-specific act as "it is of paramount importance for Bengaluru".
The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here recorded one of its highest monthly domestic passenger turnouts in October 2017. As many as 19,48,462 passengers passed through the KIA during the month, making it one of the highest since the airport began commercial operations in 2008.



Delhi was the top domestic destination from the KIA in October with 3,71,547 passengers, followed by Mumbai with 2,94,908 passengers. Other prominent destinations were Hyderabad (1,89,311 passengers), Kolkata (1,44,153), Pune (1,37,588), Kochi (90,945), Chennai (83,933), Goa (76,748), Ahmedabad (75,748) and Mangaluru (50,551).

For the half-year from January to June this year, Dubai and Singapore were the top international destinations from the KIA. A total of 3,81,304 people boarded flights to Dubai while 1,94,201 passengers headed to Singapore during the first half of 2017.

Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) statistics showed that a total of 16,73,508 international passengers transited through the KIA. The daily international passenger numbers between January and June averaged 9,245. The trend continued from July to September. As many as 1.96 lakh passengers headed to Dubai and 1.06 lakh boarded flights to Singapore from the KIA.
Manjunath Babu, the assistant commissioner of police (JC Nagar subdivision), misused his power by assaulting the owner of a restaurant in RT Nagar, North Bengaluru, around midnight on November 9, a departmental inquiry has found.



Rajeev Shetty, the owner of Shetty Lunch Home, Dinnur Main Road, was repeatedly caned by the officer, who was furious that the eatery remained open until late night. The CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media, forcing the City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar to order a departmental inquiry under the jurisdictional deputy commissioner of police (north), Chethan Singh Rathor.

In a three-page report submitted to the commissioner on Monday, Rathor held that Babu did make a mistake by assaulting the restaurant owner and sought disciplinary action against him.

"The report has been prepared after recording the statements of the ACP, the constable who accompanied him, the hotel owner, his staff and eyewitnesses. It has been proved that Babu assaulted the restaurant owner without any reason. The report has been submitted to the commissioner for further action," Rathor told DH.

The commissioner, for his part, said he was yet to get the report.

"Action will be initiated against the ACP after verifying the report," Kumar said.

What's there in the report?

The report states that the ACP and the constable entered the restaurant at 11.56 pm and asked Shetty to close it as it was too late. Shetty replied that the government permits that the restaurant can remain open until 1 pm.

Babu got angry at the reply and started caning him, while the constable chased customers out of the restaurant.
The police have arrested five autorickshaw drivers, who reportedly ganged up to brutally murder a 26-year-old colleague in northern Bengaluru last week.



Rakesh (22), Mani (25), Vinay (20), Rajashekhar (26) and Chandan (25) had quarrelled with Androse over parking at an autorickshaw stand. Androse is said to have assaulted two of them. The suspects vowed revenge.

In the early hours of November 14, they called him on the pretext of offering a truce and attacked him with lethal weapons. They smashed his head with a cement block.

The police found Androse's body near the metro station in Mahalakshmi Layout.

They rounded up some of the auto drivers for interrogation. The police corroborated the suspects' statements by reviewing the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in and around the crime spot.

All the five have been remanded in judicial custody.
(Bloomberg Businessweek)  James Short, a retired deputy fire chief, is the founder of an organization called Protect Our Pensions. At least thats what it says on the groups website.But ask Short about his role at Protect Our Pensions, formed last year to oppose efforts to push endowments, foundations, and pension funds to divest their holdings in fossil-fuel companies, and he has a different take.Standing in the doorway of a brick bungalow in southeast Washington, D.C., in August, a Cadillac with the license plate Short 1 parked outside, he refused to answer questions before shutting the door. A follow-up call elicited this response: That is not me. I do not know who is putting those blogs out.Protect Our Pensions isnt what it appears to be. While Shorts name and those of other coalition members show up on letters to state legislators and opinion pieces, much of the writing is actually done by public affairs firms operating in the shadows, according to documents and emails obtained by Bloomberg News. Instead of an active group of public servants and pensioners eager to discuss an important issue, most of the 41 people listed on the website didnt respond to emails and phone calls. Some said they were proud to support the cause, but a few couldnt remember signing up.The disturbing thing about this is they pretend to be organic, like its just this one firefighter who started it, said Jim Griffith, a city council member in Sunnyvale, California, who rejected a recent request to join the group. But its not.Grass-roots lobbyingthe creation of groups of ordinary citizens to advocate for causeshas been around for decades. But when corporations hide their involvement or recruit members indifferent to the issue, tactics known as astroturfing, it can provide an appearance of public support that doesnt actually exist. The internet only makes such subterfuge easier. Anyone can set up a website and launch a social-media campaign while disguising whos behind it. As Congress and federal investigators probe how such tactics helped spread disinformation during the last U.S. presidential election, Protect Our Pensions shows how similar strategies can be used to create an artificial veneer of public support for policies that stand to benefit corporations.These campaigns generate a series of problems regarding how political leaders and members of the mass public interact, said Edward Walker, a University of California at Los Angeles sociology professor who wrote a book about the grass-roots lobbying industry in 2014 [Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American Democracy]. When industry groups or wealthy donors masquerade this way, it allows policymakers to take actions that primarily support the well-heeled patrons funding the effort.Protect Our Pensions sprang to life in March 2016 as institutional investors, including university endowments and pension plans, debated cutting ties with fossil-fuel companies because of the industrys role in climate change and its decades-long efforts to cloud the publics understanding of the issue. More than 800 institutions have agreed to at least a partial divestment, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Norways sovereign wealth fund and Syracuse University. [more]
By Karen Savage

17 November 2017

(Climate Liability News)  Attorneys for the Trump administration will have to convince a judge that pre-trial discovery in a climate change lawsuit filed against the U.S. government would cause it irreparable harm.The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced on Thursday that it will hear oral arguments on Dec. 11 regarding a writ of mandamus filed by the government in Juliana v United States. In that case, 21 young people are suing the Trump administration for failing to protect their future against climate change.Attorneys for the government filed the writ of mandamus after U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken denied their request to have the case dismissed.A writ of mandamus is a rarely used and even more rarely approved legal maneuver in which a superior court is asked to order a lower court or government agency to comply with the law. It is usually granted under extraordinary circumstances and is considered a legal last resort.Appeals are normally filed after the trial is held and evidence is presented, but a mandamus appeal could allow the federal government to avoid the discovery process and have the suit dismissed. The case has been paused since July pending a decision on this and other motions.This Administration can respond to the limited discovery we seek, and put on its junk climate science at trial in a court of law, said Julia Olson, co-counsel for the plaintiffs. What it cant do is shut the courthouse doors to real constitutional injuries brought by these young people.In the suit, the young plaintiffs allege the federal government has failed to protect them, their families and future generations from the effects of climate change and say that the government must enact science-based plan to protect the planet. [more]
5 Times Shah Rukh Khan Was Just Unfortunate Not To Win The National Award For Best Actor
Padmaavat Row LIVE Update: Karni Sena Stoops To New Low By Announcing A Film On Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Mother
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PULLMAN, Whitman County  Washington State University regents last week approved moving into the design phase for two new research and laboratory buildings on the Pullman campus.

Approval for the $40 million Global Animal Health phase two and $66 million Plant Sciences buildings allows architects and engineers to prepare detailed plans required for construction.





. . .
The latest #DMUglobal trip has been launched today with Second Year undergraduate students now able to travel to Hong Kong in March next year.

This five-night trip for 350 students will run from Monday, March 19, 2018, to Sunday 25 to coincide with the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong.

The festival is a flagship event created by the UK government to help British business succeed on the global stage and will be a fabulous opportunity for DMU students.

With limited places available for this opportunity, a very high number of student applications is expected and there will be a competitive selection process. All students are encouraged to prepare their motivation questions in advance of applying.

Students will enjoy a mix of activities related to their academic studies, with trips being offered by all four Faculties. Health and Life Sciences students will be able to learn about Chinese Medicine and Health Services in Hong Kong, while Business and Law students can learn about SMEs and Branding and Advertising, to name just a few trips.

Engineering students will gain an insight into transportation in Hong Kong, while Leicester Media School students will experience cinema in the city. Art, Design & Humanities will also be offering a range of activities for students from the School of Design, Humanities and Architecture.

A new trip, #DMUworks - Become Work-Ready for Doing Business in the Far East is also being launched, which is open to students from all Faculties and focusses on developing employability skills. This special trip will include a 1.5 day visit to Shenzen in China, and is organised in co-operation with DMU's partner CRCC Asia.

While in Hong Kong, students will also have the chance to absorb the regions rich cultural heritage by taking a boat tour exploring the famous Hong Kong harbour, catching the tram up to Victoria Peak, or climbing the 268 steps to see the impressive 34 metre high Tian Tian Buddha on Lantau island.

RELATED NEWS

* Students get 'golden opportunity' in Golden Gate state thanks to #DMUglobal

* Master's students on #DMUglobal trip to Toronto learn why culture is good for business

* It's win-win for Castle students after visit to US hub of innovation

The Hong Kong trip is only open to Second Year undergraduate students from all faculties, with other mass trips scheduled throughout 2017/2018 targeted at other year groups.

The #DMUglobal team will arrange the flights and accommodation for staff and students who are selected. Direct flights will depart from London and Manchester, and students will be accommodated in one hotel within easy reach of Hong Kong island. UK and in-country transfers will be included as part of the package.

The #DMUglobal bursary of 600 will be deducted from the overall cost of the booking, and students will be required to pay the remainder of 495 via the DMU Online Store. They will also be required to pay for their own food and drink, entry fees to venues visited, and a visa (if applicable).

The deadline to apply is Monday 4 December at 9am.
Norway's Yara buys Vale's fertilizer complex in Brazil

Norwegian chemicals company Yara International ASA struck a deal to buy Brazilian mining giant Vale SA's fertilizer complex in Cubatao, Brazil, for $255 million in cash.

The move comes five years after Yara teamed up with Apache Corp, the second-largest US independent oil and gas company, to take control of Australia's Burrup Fertilisers, the ammonia company formerly controlled by the controversial Oswal family. (See: Yara, Apache take control of Oswals' Burrup Fertilisers)

The Vale deal will establish Yara as a nitrogen producer in Brazil, strengthen its production footprint and complement its existing distribution position.

The Cubatao fertilizer asset is a nitrogen and phosphate complex with an annual production capacity of approximately 200 kilotons of ammonia, 600 kilotons of nitrates and 980 kilotons of phosphate fertilizer.

The complex employs approximately 970 permanent and 930 contracted employees.

Natural gas feedstock for the ammonia production is sourced from local suppliers, while additional ammonia, phosphate rock, sulphur and other raw materials are supplied via a nearby import terminal, which is not part of the transaction.

In 2016 the Cubatao complex sold approximately 1.3 million tonnes of nitrogen and phosphate products, generating pro-forma net revenues of $413 million and an EBITDA of $30 million.

Lair Hanzen, head of Yara's Brazil unit said that the proposed acquisition will allow Yara to double its fertilizer production capacity in Brazil to 3 million tonnes per year and the company plans to spend $80 million in the next three years to upgrade equipment and systems at the Cubatao complex.

Yara has recently gone on an acquisition spree. Last year it acquired Tata Chemicals' Babrala urea plant and distribution business in Uttar Pradesh for $400 million, US oil seeds giant Bunge's fertilizer unit in 2013 and a joint venture with Galvani in 2014.
The chairperson of the St Marys Brollagh Parents Council has welcomed the decision of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) to withdraw a proposal to close the school by August 31 next year.

The CCMS made a U-turn in a letter to the Board of Governors of a school that is just over a mile from the Donegal border on Thursday, and it has resulted in claims of a victory for people power.

It had threatened to close the school which is located between Belleek and Garrision in Fermanagh by August 31 next year.

But the body gave no explanation for the dramatic U-turn. However they have apparently hinted that the proposal to close the school could be re-visited.

Parents Council Chairperson Mr Seamus Kelm said it was great news but that the parents of the children at the school would not accept short term solutions or stays of execution. He added that parents groups would  be reluctant to engage with the CCMS unless there was a clear road map planned out.

In their letter, seen by the Donegal Democrat, the Education Provision Committee of the CCMS said it had discussed the issues raised during the public objection period to the proposal to cease provision at St Marys High School Brollagh.

Having given these matters their due consideration the Committee has determined that they wish to withdraw the current development proposal.

The Committee did however emphasise their commitment to addressing the educational needs of children in the Brollagh area and so will revisit the proposal subject to exploration of a wider area solution.

CCMS would wish to convey our thanks to you, the staff and governors during this difficult period and of course we will continue to engage with you in the future as alternative proposals emerge.

In response, Mr Kelm said: The Education Provisions Committee of the CCMS state that they are committed to the education provision of the children in the Brollagh area.

Therefore they will have to be held to account and deliver. We will not accept any short term solutions as stays of execution but rather we demand proper research and consultation into establishing a sustainable school that will serve the present and next generation of young people in west Fermanagh.

Parents would be reluctant to engage with the CCMS unless there is a clear road map planned out and we see from the education providers a sincere willingness to engage meaningfully with all stakeholders to establish a school that will last for future generations. We have been here before in June 2009 and again in June 2014 when we were promised that real consultation would take place into getting a solution, but this never happened.

This time we will not accept anything less than what the children of the are deserve which is meaningful action and investment into the future of education in this area of Fermanagh which has been ignored for decades," he said.

Angry parents of the 84 pupil school had been due to go to Bangor to the headquarters of the Education Authority to hand in a series of objections to the proposal, the third of its kind since 2008 last Friday. They claimed there were legislative breaches that made a consultation process on the proposed closure invalid.

A spokesperson said they were asking the Department of Education to return the proposal to the CCMS to ensure that they comply with legislation. Former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster was also due to accompany the parents to Bangor on Friday. This trip was cancelled.
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The inclement winter weather is causing difficulties for work men carrying out road works on Tory Island, a meeting of the Glenties Municipal District has heard.

The issue was raised by meeting chairman Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Esbuig that the works were stalling on the island.

Roads engineer for the area, Brendan McFadden, said there was a contractor in place for the work but the winter weather has impacted on the progress.

He said The weather has not been kind and occasionally the work has had to be suspended.

He said the work will continue by the situation was weather dependent.

Addressing another issue Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher said she has concerns at the reinstatement works being carried by Irish water in Quay Road, Dungloe.

She said there was a lack of certainty on the works and there has been no communication with the company and it appeared there was no decision maker in the organisation to say how the works will be progressed. She said she they had been given assurance on the work what had not been followed up on.

Cllr Gallagher said they should invite representatives from Irish Water to their next meeting to discuss the matter and see what could be done to address the matter.
Holden Dunlap started performing when he was 5.

He was extremely outgoing and he said the funniest thing the first time he was on stage  he said it felt like gold was pumping through his veins, Holdens mother, Amber Dunlap, said. I have terrible stage fright so it was the strangest thing.

At 14, Holden still likes performing. Hes active with the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre  hell be the bully in the companys production of A Christmas Story. Hes performed with Spark Theater Company and will be doing technical work on the companys production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Hes been an extra in a few movies, including the upcoming Darkest Minds.

And hell be performing with 128 kids from all over the U.S. during the 91 st annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23.

I wouldnt say Im nervous at all, Holden said. I think its a cool opportunity. Im going to meet a lot of different people. Im going to be working with a professional Broadway choreographer. So, Im not really nervous.

A 6-foot tall ninth-grader at Abbeville Christian Academy, Holden submitted a video audition for the theater group Camp Broadway, which is based in New York City but hosts summer camps in cities around the country, such as Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas. Founded in 1995, the group works to make theater arts more accessible for children.

This will be Camp Broadways 10th appearance in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, and this years performance features children ages 9 to 16 who have immediate family members who are active duty military personnel and veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. The group will perform Irving Berlins This is a Great Country.

Holdens father, Jonathan Dunlap, served in the Navy. Holden is one of three performers from Alabama. He arrived in New York City a few days ago with his mom, grandmother and great-aunt to start rehearsals.

I cant really put it into words how excited I am, Holden said. Its really an unreal experience. Im still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it.

As much as he loves theater, Holden said he cant really see making a career of it. But, he thinks hell keep it as a hobby.

Its one of my favorite things to do and I love it, he said.

The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade has 3.5 million live spectators and a television audience of 50 million. The parade will be televised on NBC starting at 9 a.m. EST. The 2-mile parade is famous for its large balloon characters and elaborate floats. Participants include performance groups, marching bands, athletes and celebrities.

Amber Dunlap said she knows shell be more nervous than Holden on the day of performance.

I think its a great opportunity, she said. I know on the day of, Ill be nervous and he wont even think twice about it. Hell just do what hes supposed to do . Ive always wanted to go see the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade live, but I never imagined my child being in it. 
First aircraft to be made in the United Arab Emirates

Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE platform was used to develop a military light attack aircraft with multirole capabilities, the first developed in the United Arab Emirates.





Calidus Aircraft (Credit: Calidus)

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform enabled Calidus, an Abu Dhabi-based advanced technology company, teams to virtually design, develop and optimise two prototypes within a two-year timeframe in order to unveil the aircraft at the Dubai Air Show 2017. Its single source of data and integrated applications accelerated Calidus design process and streamlined the companys project collaboration both internally and externally with its suppliers.



We designed our first aircraft through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systemes, whose legacy in the industry was a major factor when the time came to choose what solution we would use for the project, said Hamdan AlShkeili, Chief Software Engineer, Calidus. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform enabled our teams in Abu Dhabi and Brazil to work together throughout the design process to get the aircrafts components right from the start. We successfully demonstrated that, with the right technologies, we could deliver in an industry having the highest technological standards.



In 2015, Calidus set out to create a highly complex technological product and achieved its ambition on time by relying on a holistic digital approach to innovation, said Philippe Forestier, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs and Communities, Dassault Systemes. This achievement reinforces the 3DEXPERIENCE platforms role in connecting people, ideas and data throughout a companys value chain and across all disciplines, as well as Dassault Systemes position as the technology partner of reference to the aerospace and defence industry.



The end-to-end development of the first such aircraft in the UAE is the latest in a long list of aerospace and defence industry milestones made possible by Dassault Systemes during the past 35 years - from the first digitally developed aircraft, to the first solar-powered aircraft to fly around the world without fuel, to the transformation of the manufacturing value-adding chain into a value creation chain. Dassault Systemes collaborates with companies of all sizes to harness the strategic advantages that the virtual world brings and push the limits of innovation.





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Ardee Concert Band performed at the Regional Qualifiers for the National Concert Band Festival, held on Sunday 19th November 2017 in Newman RC College, Broadway Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK.

They took part in The Community Wind Band Class. This section is classed for bands with players of all ages and all levels of ability.

The mighty 44 strong band and their supporters from the wee county travelled across the Irish Sea by ferry to take home the highest award of the competition. They placed 1st in their section and received a Platinum award for their outstanding efforts. In the words of one adjudicator; One of the finest community band performances we have had in some time. You are a credit to community banding, with 2nd and 3rd level students, as well as adults, giving a truly memorable performance today. Thank you for your patience, commitment, and fabulous musicianship!. They played two pieces under the baton of Musical Director Brendan Breslin; Four Noble Truths by Philip Spark and New York by Nigel Hess.

The band decided to travel to compete in the regional qualifiers for the UKs North West Regional Band Festival for a number of reasons. Its a chance to play in a different type of competition than our Annual Irish Nationals as it is graded rather than a points system and it is also an opportunity to get away as a group whilst still having a serious musical focus. It was also a chance to test the band and its individual abilities within a different environment against different contestants.

This is a wonderful achievement for the band, to play against bands that we dont know anything about and leave our music stamp on the UK Band Scene, said Band PRO Sinead Nutley. Honorary Band President Austin Nevin announced the win to the bands weekly Bingo goers on Sunday evening last, who met the news with rapturous applause. He thanked the patrons of the Weekly Sunday Night Bingo for their continued support as the Bingo is the Bands main income earner and its because of them that the band is in the fortunate position it is in today.
CONCERNS about air quality in Dundalk and its impact on people suffering from respiratory issues were raised at this month's Louth County Council meeting.

Cllr Mark Dearey raised the issue about the current state of Dundalk's air quality and how it might pose a risk to people with respiratory issues.

The Environmental Protection Agency website quotes the World Health Organisation which attributes 1,200 deaths in Ireland to poor air quality, he said.

Air quality is an issue particularly as it's coming into Winter now. The EPA comment on but don't monitor the air quality in Dundalk.

Cllr Dearey added: What is the EPA doing to protect us? There are also wider legal issues around the burning of coal and smoking coal being sold in town.

Louth County Council Senior Engineer Pat Finn said that the local authority actively carries out checks in relation to the burning of smoking coal.

Mr Finn also promised to provide an update about air quality issues in Dundalk at next month's meeting.
Fresh from representing Australia at the Creative Business Cup in Copenhagen this week, Ruth Stephensen  the Chief Creative Officer of Brisbane-based startup Creatively Squared  revealed her approach to captivating judges at the international creative industries pitching competition.

Founded by Stephensen and her husband Scott Thomas, Creatively Squared is a digital marketing platform that matches brands with visual creatives. Asked how the startup came into existence, Stephensen explained: I started an Instagram community as a creative outlet and was amazed by the quality of the content being produced after just a few months. Meanwhile, I had experience managing a brands social media account and knew how frustrating it was to create great content the idea for Creatively squared emerged from these two contrasting experiences.

While were still a very young company finding our way, weve had customers in multiple countries, repeat orders and fantastic feedback from our customers and a growing community of highly engaged creatives were excited to support.

Stephensen and Thomas secured a place in the Creative Business Cup (CBC), which pitted them against startups from 59 countries, after winning Creative3 Pitch in September. A pitching competition for creative tech startups, Creative3 Pitch was hosted by the Queensland University of Technologys Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA), which is the only organisation in Australia that can nominate a startup to represent the nation at the international competition.

According to Stephensen, the starting point for the pitch that saw Creatively Squared win Creative3 Pitch was focusing on the problem were solving, which is the challenge of creating great content. It was also important, she added, to highlight her startups wins (traction beats everything) and win hearts: People remember stories, so if you can tell a great story and ideally make it something your audience can relate to the battle is half won.

Commenting on the business value generated by Creative3, Stephensen said, Being a B2B business, growing our network is crucial in creating awareness about our brand. Creative3 has played a fantastic role in this regard. Plus, the feedback we received from people with relevant market and startup experience has been invaluable.

Stephensen said she and Thomas were extremely fortunate and humbled to have been able to represent Australia at the Creative Business Cup. Comparing their Creative3 pitch to the one they delivered at CBC, she said the core message (what problem are we solving, how are we solving it and what our business model is) was similar.

What changed was the focus and delivery, she said. Were pretty confident that we have something with a lot of potential that solves a real pain point for brands, and this experience will help immensely with creating awareness about what we do.

Although CellRobot, a robotics startup from China, was crowned the CBC winner, Stephensen said she hoped she and Thomas had inspired other Australians, who have an idea for a creative tech startup, to give it a go.

I feel its important to highlight the key role creativity plays in startups, she said. At their core, every startup is creative, they all start with a new idea, so when we combine creative skills with technology amazing things can happen.

Stephensen said the Creative Business Cup had helped her startup in many ways.

Weve had access to some inspiring experts and mentors who have given us a different perspective on our business, she said. Weve met some incredible teams and developed friends in markets all over the world whose advice we can lean on, which of course we can hopefully offer to them as well. Theres also some partnership opportunities were looking forward to follow up on.

Creatively Squared will now go on to London to participant in the exclusive Virgin StartUp accelerator StepUp. It was awarded a place in the program as part of the Creative3 Pitch prize.
High-profile entrepreneur Mark Bouris will head up a taskforce established by the Federal Government to encourage small businesses to adopt digital technologies that will streamline their operations.

Bouris will be joined on the Small Business Digital Taskforce by Spiro Pappas (Executive General Manager of Global Institutional Banking at NAB), Pip Marlow (former MD, Microsoft Australia), Su McCluskey (former CEO, Regional Institute & MD, Energy Renaissance) and Gerard Schenkel (Former CEO, Tyro Payments & Managing Director, BGA Digital) plus Liberal MPs David Coleman and Craig Laundy (Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science).

Treasurer Scott Morrison said Bouris (founder, Wizard Home Loans & Executive Chairman, Yellow Brick Road) was the right man for the job of chairing the taskforce. He noted Deloitte research indicating that small businesses with advanced levels of digital engagement are 1.5 times more likely to be growing revenue, 8 times more likely to be creating jobs and 14 times more likely to be innovating.

Small business is at the heart of the Australian economy  3.2 million small businesses employ around 50 per cent of Australias workforce, or around 5.6 million Australians, he said. But many are not taking advantage of the opportunities that the digital economy offers.

If we empower small businesses to digitise and streamline their operations, the economy benefits through an increase in productivity and through job creation.

Mark Bouris advised small business owners, If youre not going digital, you should be. He explained: When a business begins to digitise and use digital tools, it opens up new opportunities to grow, diversify revenue streams, find talent, access finance, work smarter and enhance the value of the business when it is time to sell.

The Small Business Digital Taskforce will conduct a series of meetings, workshops and hackathons with businesses over the coming months to explore impediments for business in engaging with digital technologies and how these impediments might be addressed.

Adopting digital practices makes small businesses more competitive and helps them take advantage of new opportunities, said Michael McCormack, the Small Business Minister.

This Government backs small businesses to help them thrive, realise their full potential and create more local jobs.

Assistant Minister Laundy added, We want more small businesses to participate and shape Australias digital economy and working with businesses on solutions that will help them is critical  we want to hear ideas from across the country, so get involved.

The Taskforce will report their findings to the Government by 28 February 2018.

To learn more, visit the website for the Small Business Digital Taskforce and view the Terms of Reference.
It wasnt enough that a candidate for the president of the United States was accused by a dozen or more women of sexual assault and harassment, assault and harassment that he actually confessed to. No, a powerful so-called Hollywood liberal, Harvey Weinstein, had to be the perpetrator before America began to really take this seriously.

Since that moment, largely thanks to social media, the #MeToo hashtag caught fire and, for the first time, America got a taste of just how common and prevalent sexual assault and harassment are in our society. Our wives. Our girlfriends. Our moms and sisters and coworkers and friends all began to share their stories. Its illustrative that the slogan Me Too was first created by Tarana Burke eleven years ago but is only now getting national and international attention.

I believe there will come a time in the future when we look back at 2017 as a turning point in America. Not because Donald Trump became president but because we as a country began a process of becoming self-aware when it comes to the lived reality of nearly all women. The truth is, nearly every woman I know has a story of being sexually assaulted or harassed by a man. This is very likely true of YOU, as well. And its not because female victims somehow gravitate toward men like me. Its because these women are all around us including in our families.

Given the disgusting prevalence of this, I have come to the sad conclusion that this is happening all around me and it cant just be a handful of shitty men who are doing it. It has to be because many, if not MOST, men are doing this. Thats a thought that has me in a deep funk these days. And it has me asking if I have ever done anything a women would describe as an unwanted advance or even assault. As a man who was raised by an ardent feminist who drilled into my impressionable brain from early on that consent must be given before anything even remotely sexual takes place, my initial thoughts were, No, I have never done anything like this.

But then I remembered back to 6th grade or 7th grade where I snapped girls bra straps or grabbed their ass in the hallway and I had to confess that, although I was a stupid kid at the time, yes, I HAVE done these things.

I have also been asking myself hard questions about standing idly by while it happened to women around me. Have I ever listened to men make sexist comments that made the women in the room feel unsafe or uncomfortable? Have I allowed this behavior to go unchallenged when I witnessed it happening? While I cant think of any specific instances of this, the sad endpoint of my thought experiment is that I very probably HAVE done this.

It is time for this to stop and it is time for men everywhere to be part of the solution. We simply MUST become part of the conversation and identify our role in this horrible element of our culture. Yes, I realize that both men and women engage in sexual commentary about each other when they are flirting. They may engage in mild physical contact as a way of signaling interest in each other. They may engage in sexualized banter and innuendo. Both men and women are socialized to do and accept these things and its certainly not always bad or harmful. But men, in particular, should, from this point on, never engage in this sort of behavior without giving serious thought about what they are doing beforehand. Men must wrap their minds around the concept of consent and understand that consent is more than just saying yes to sexual contact of any kind. Thats just the starting point of this conversation.

First and foremost, men must understand that there is a difference between flirting between two equal people and the same behavior when there is a power differential. The instant that there is any element of a power differential, playful flirting crosses a line into harassment or, in some cases, assault. That power differential can play out in many ways, sometimes in ways most men never think about.

A supervisor/subordinate relationship is a power differential. A large, strong person has power over a physically smaller person. If the person on the receiving end has the potential to experience some sort of negative consequence for not engaging in the behavior, then that behavior is inappropriate. A college boy who makes advances on a classmate who fears being ostracized because she didnt cooperate is wielding power over her. A teacher or mentor over a student, a boss over an employee, a famous person over an average non-celebrity. These are all relationships with a power differential that should be treated differently than relationships between equal players.

Does this mean that courtship and flirting and playful interactions between potential partners needs to change? Yes, in fact, it does. Nobody should feel forced into a relationship of any kind because they feel they will be harmed in some way if they dont. By being harmed, I dont just mean physically. That type of harm is obvious. Men must ask about the less obvious harm they can cause others. Is the career advancement of the person on the receiving end at risk? Is their place in the community at risk? Is their ability to pursue their life as they choose to at risk? These are questions that we must all ask ourselves when pursuing relationships. If people arent able to choose their path forward free from this risk, a power differential exists and consent is difficult, in some cases impossible, to give. It requires a deliberate conversation where both parties acknowledge the situation and move forward with mutual understanding and consent.

And we need to begin teaching our children these things NOW.

Its also long past time for men to laugh off the inappropriate behavior of other men. Im not just talking about intervening when a drunk lout gets too handsy with a girl at a party. Im talking about calling men out, even publicly, not just when the act inappropriately but also when they SAY things that are inappropriate. Not just not laughing at crude jokes but actually calling the behavior out for what it is: harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment. We need to be as offended as a woman would be in these sorts of situations. When Donald Trump confessed to Billy Bush that he assaults women, Bushs response shouldnt have been to laugh at/with him, it should have been to stop him and call him out on his grossly inappropriate behavior.

Im not saying this is easy. In fact, it can be damn hard, particularly in male-dominated environments where this sort of thing has been common since forever. But until we as men start calling out other men for these things, nothing will change. Women are almost always on the receiving end of the worst parts of a relationship with a power differential and we can use our male privilege and place of power to help change the dynamic. We can be a major force for change in our culture in this regard and be true allies to women by speaking out whenever its required.

Our daughters and our girlfriends and our wives and our aunts and grandmothers and female coworkers and neighbors and all of the other women in our lives need the good men in their lives to stand by them. If we dont, this rape culture we live in will never change.

Lets let 2017 be the year that was the beginning of the end of an American culture where women are regularly sexually harassed and assaulted as a matter of course. From now on, when another man tells you about times when he stood up to a harasser, be sure your answer can be, Me too.
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(Photo Ola Richardsson / We Effect")Guatemalan Lutheran church leader Rev. Jose Pilar Alvarez Cabrera (right) and Anneli Rogeman, We Effect, at the 2017 Lobbyist for Change prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

Guatemalan Lutheran church leader Jose Pilar Alvarez has been persecuted, arrested and threatened with death, but that did not deter his commitment to fight for the rights of the indigenous Chorti populations in Guatemala.

Rev. Jose Pilar Alvarez Cabrera, president of the Guatemala Lutheran Church (ILUGUA), received the 2017 Lobbyist for Change Award on Oct. 26 in Stockholm.

The prize recognized his and the church's struggle for the right to water and other natural resources for the indigenous people around Las Granadillas Mountains in Guatemala.

Swedish organization WeEffect awards the prize to an individual in an organization whose lobbying work has achieved results in alleviating poverty and strengthening human rights.

Alvarez received the prize in the capital Stockholm, including US$10,000, which will go toward continuing advocacy.

"The prize gives us hope," Alvarez said the Lutheran World Federation reported.

"We have never looked for a reward for our work, but obtaining it has great significance. It gives us relief, a respite.

"For a long time, all of us who work with human rights in Guatemala have become accustomed to receiving threats, being persecuted and being violated; it is part of our lives."

The WeEffect prize panel noted that for almost 15 years, Alvarez has "defended the most invisible citizens of our world, indigenous peoples, in a country where those who fight for human rights are harassed, threatened, victims of false accusations and violence, while those who are behind these criminal acts remain unpunished."

Ines Bustamante Antezana, Church of Sweden regional representative in Central America, said, "We know that Jose Pilar does not act alone in this work even though the prize is awarded to a single person.

"Nonetheless, he has brought to light the serious threats and persecutions that those who defend the environment and human rights suffer in Guatemala and Central America."

According to the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA), three out of every four murders of human rights defenders in the world in 2016 were committed in Latin America.

During the year, Guatemala itself reported 223 cases of persecution, attacks and violence, 14 murders and seven assassination attempts.
(Photo: REUTERS / Stringer)Owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles wearing Santa Claus costumes ride along a street to give presents to elders at a nursing home during a promotional event celebrating Christmas in Guangzhou, Guangdong province December 24, 2014. Christmas is not a traditional festival in officially atheist China but is growing in popularity, especially in more metropolitan areas where young people go out to celebrate, give gifts and decorate their homes.

It's already that time of the year when streets light up and shops are starting hard sales of gifts that should be given to celebrate the birth of Jesus, traditionally evoking many Christians to say, "put Christ back into Christmas."

But a priest in Northern Ireland is saying Christians should stop using the word Christmas because it has been hijacked by "Santa and reindeer," the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Father Desmond O'Donnell, who has a congregation in Cleenish Parish near Enniskillen, has urged Christians, no matter the denomination, to accept that the term 'Christmas' had been shorn of any sacred meaning.

"We've lost Christmas, just like we lost Easter, and should abandon the word completely," he argued.

"We need to let it go, it's already been hijacked and we just need to recognise and accept that."

O'Donnell, a member of the Catholic Oblate order, said in his interview he is not a Scrooge, and does not wish to deny non-believers their festive celebrations.

"I am not seeking to take anything away from anyone, I am simply asking that space be preserved for believers for whom Christmas has nothing to do with Santa and Reindeer," he noted.

"My religious experience of true Christmas, like so many others, is very deep and real - like the air I breathe.

"But non-believers deserve and need their celebration too, it's an essential human dynamic and we all need that in the toughness of life."

O'Donnell is a biblical scholar and psychologist, he even quoted from the Psalms to argue that a little bit of wine makes the heart rejoice.

"I'm all for Christians choosing to celebrate Christmas by going out for meals and enjoying a glass of wine, but the commercialisation of anything is never good," he said.

He said that, "secularisation and modern life will continue to launder the Church.

"It will start to institutionally break down, I've already seen it happening around the world in Malta, Poland and Uruguay, and it's starting to happen in Ireland.

"It's like watching the same movie over and over again - the Protestant Churches are battling too."

The priest, who is based in Dublin, added: "For many people God is just a word representing someone to blame in their calamity or a crutch to lean on in a time of distress, and the reality is that 'Christmas' no longer means Christmas."
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
Lieutenant Governor sends message to Queen and Prince Philip on 70th anniversary



Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man Sir Richard Gozney

The Queen and Prince Philip will receive a message of congratulations from the Island's Lieutenant Governor today.

The British Monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.

Sir Richard Gozney, who is the Queen's representative on the Island, sent a message of congratulations on behalf of the Manx people.

The Governor also pledges the continued loyalty of the Manx people in the message.
Miranda Lambert and Anderson East recently took aim at Garth Brooks for his decision to lip sync at the CMA Awards earlier this month but they are reportedly not teaming up on a wedding.

According to a new report, Lambert and East, who have been facing wedding rumors for months, were believed to be planning to wed just a short time ago but now, they are reportedly out of sync with each other.

She and Anderson seemed awkward. They just dont seem in sync, a source told In Touch Weekly magazine, according to a report by OK! Magazine on Nov. 15. They havent spent a lot of time together and dont really have time for each other right now.

Because of their careers in music, Lambert and East have been forced to spend time apart as they travel the country on tours. However, they have been known to come together on the red carpet and did so for the CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee last Wednesday night.

Although the report claimed the couple wasn't connecting in the way they previously had, the insider also said that they are doing their best to remain dedicated to their relationship.

They want to do some of their favorite things together-drink wine and cook, go hunting and fishing, ride horses and write songs, the insider said.

Over a year ago, a source revealed to E! News that Lambert and East were discussing their potential future marriage and plans for a family.

"She wants to get married again and have children soon," the source said. "That has been an open conversation between her and Anderson. He wants the same... Miranda is very happy with Anderson. They have gotten very close. Her friends think this is the guy for her."

Lambert and East celebrated their two-year anniversary recently and around the same time, her ex-husband, Blake Shelton, did the same with his girlfriend, Gwen Stefani.

As fans know well, Lambert and Shelton were married for four years before confirming their relationship had ended in July 2015. Weeks later, Stefani's own marriage to Gavin Rossdale was deemed over and months after that, she and Shelton went public with their romance.

While Stefani and Shelton have also been facing wedding rumors for the past several months, they have not yet revealed plans to tie the knot.
What is wrong with Europes Iran Policy? By Giulio Maria Terzi

On October 13, 2017, the Trump Administration declined to recertify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and it denounced Iran for financing terrorism, imprisoning dual-nationals, and fomenting civil wars. That decision sent a clear signal to those in Europe considering doing business with the Iranian regime: the United States will no longer tolerate Tehrans flagrant disregard for international law and norms. Despite multiple indications that Iran has been violating the letter and the spirit of the JCPOA, many European countries remain resistant to challenging the Iranian regime. In Washington, prior to the decertification deadline, the European Union, Germany, France, and Britain all launched a concerted effort to urge Congress to use its authority to maintain the status quo. Immediately following the decertification, European leaders, in a chorus, stood by the regime. Their calls came under the pretense of security, yet failed to recognize Irans destabilizing aggression in the Middle East, the refugee crisis it enabled in Syria, and its continued threat to individual, regional, and global security. At the October 3-4, 2017, Europe-Iran Forum held in Zurich, Switzerland, I witnessed first-hand European and Iranian representatives laud the possibility of increased business opportunities and investments in the Persian Gulf state. The forums official website states that it is a key venue for business diplomacy between Iran and the international community and that it offers a conversation about the challenges, opportunities, and broader social responsibilities of commercial activity in Iran. What the Forum did not cover, however, was how business investments and the tens of billions of dollars freed from crippling sanctions had aided Irans numerous human rights abuses or funded terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizbullah. Further, several of the slated speakers at the Forum had been sanctioned themselves, or formerly sanctioned by U.S. and European governments, including the Iran Mines and Mining Industry Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) and the Middle East Bank. The abundance of mainly European companies in attendance laid bare the unfortunate, yet prevalent climate, in which companies remain interested in doing business with Iran without consideration for the risks inherent in the Iranian economy. Moreover, the perils have only multiplied due to President Trumps new Iran strategyparticularly the imposition of terrorism sanctions under Executive Order 13224 on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Just ask U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who made a public appeal to the private sector last week to recognize that the IRGC permeates much of the Iranian economy and those who transact with IRGC-controlled companies do so at great risk. In fact, while the Europe- Iran Forum was attended by more than 400 officials and businessmen who were there to promote market opportunities in Iran, the conclusion went in the opposite direction. Two-third of those interviewed underlined their increasing concerns and pessimism on the way ahead. The main reasons were U.S. sanctions regimes, huge problems in carrying out reliable due diligence in the Iranian market, and the lack of compliance with international norms and standards by Iranian banks. That was probably the main reason why major international banks deserted the Forum. One company attending the forum was Air France, which last year resumed flights to Iran. Since the JCPOAs implementation, others in the airline and transportation industry have joined as well. Airbus and Boeing have signed deals that could collectively bring 300 planes worth $40 billion to Iran. However, these large-scale business deals are instrumental in Irans efforts to fuel ongoing conflicts, including the war in Syria. According to research published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the regime in Iran has been using commercial flights to fund militant groups since at least 2000. More recently, it has been ferrying troops and weapons to Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria and lending military support to Hizbullah. Another participant, Germanys Siemens, recently signed a $1.6 billion agreement to build trains and upgrade tracks in Iran. The agreement was not its first; in 2008, the company partnered with an IRGC-controlled telecom monopoly to build technological capabilities for Iran to monitor and censor the Internet. During the unrest following its 2009 election, Iran used the technology to thwart protests by blocking communications, collecting information on individual users, obstructing access to social media, and ultimately threatening bloggers and detaining journalists. Not to be left off of Irans financial deals, oil and gas ventures are among Irans and the Western worlds biggest transactions. Other major European attendees at the Forum, such as Royal Dutch Shell and Italys ENI, have each submitted applications for projects with the National Iranian Oil Company, a front group for the IRGC that has been linked to human rights violations, Irans nuclear program, and support of terrorism. Undoubtedly, these oil and gas projects could add up to $200 billion in investments and would feed the IRGCs coffers and facilitate the groups continued abuses. A Necessary American Action The Trump Administrations decision, though unpopular with those in Europe seeking to do business with Iran, was a necessary step toward curbing a regime that fails to comply with the letter and the spirit of the JCPOA. Furthermore, it should serve as a reality check to businesses seeking to engage Iran, sending a clear message that doing so aids and abets the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism and risks isolation from the American market. Given those concerns, the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) organization made demarches to Italian companies and administrations which have signed deals with Mahan Air to make them better acquainted with the risks of secondary U.S. sanctions and application of U.S. Presidential Executive Order 13224. Furthermore, UANI has drawn the attention of dozens of Italian companies reportedly active in critical sectors of the Iranian economy that expose them to investigations and sanctions. Major Italian banks were contacted by UANI; the same was done with the Bank of Italy. In most of these cases, lack of adequate information was evident at every level about legal and business risks of dealing with Iranian entities. Similar considerations apply to the Budget Law just tabled by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. The new law includes a specific clause (article 32) aimed at promoting Italian export and investment in countries classified by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with a high degree of risk. The proposal allocates to a National Agency  Invitalia  funding up to 1 billion Euros in export guarantees and insurance available for the Iranian market. The Italian Government has emphasized that the new measures are intended to boost Italian companies presence in the Iranian market. The Italian taxpayers and individual investors will bear the burden of an ill-advised policy that encourages companies to take enormous risks in an Iranian Eldorado which doesnt exist. To mention just some examples, in December 2016  as reported by the Wall Street Journal New Yorks top banking regulator fined the largest Italian Bank, Intesa San Paolo SpA and its New York branch, $235 million for violation of the states law prohibiting money laundering and bank secrecy, including the masking of transactions involving Iran. According to the New York State Department of Financial Services, the bank specifically trained certain employees to obscure money-processing activities involving Iran. Earlier, in 2014, another Italian company, Dettin S.p.A., active in the petrochemical business, was listed by the U.S. Treasury among the companies not in compliance with the sanctions regime. It would be wise for European governments and institutions to undertake an in-depth review of their approach toward Iran. Full transparency and adequate information made available to the public is an essential requirement. Giulio Terzi is a senior adviser to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). He previously served as Foreign Minister of Italy, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, and Italian Ambassador to the United States and Israel. Home
Back to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations?  Some basic truths By Amb. Alan Baker

The buzz and expectation in anticipation of the soon-to-materialize American plan for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians obviously should not be underestimated. Were working very hard on it, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said of the Middle East peace plan on November 13, 2017. Any genuine and serious peace negotiating plan should naturally be seen as a welcome alternative to the present situation of impasse in the peace process and the evident incapability or lack of bona fide willingness to return to a negotiating mode. However, the American peace plan should not be overestimated or idealized by exaggerated media hype and political manipulation. It cannot simply be naively parachuted into the Palestinian-Israeli reality without due and proper preparation of the ground. Otherwise, it is doomed to failure. To succeed, there is the necessity to correct many of the existing factors that are presently feeding an atmosphere of hatred, distrust, and suspicion among the political leaderships of the two sides, or more importantly, of mutual fear and mistrust among the respective general publics. Thus, prior to any attempt to impose upon or to proffer to the parties and the international community any peace proposal, some home truths need to be recognized and corrected to establish a genuine and serious negotiating ambiance. Truths that Are Self-Evident First and foremost, the ongoing Palestinian diplomatic offensive against Israel, both locally and internationally, is incompatible with any putative claim by the Palestinian leadership that it desires peace with Israel or that it intends to return to any type of negotiating mode. Virtually every statement by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas indicates rejection of Israel and is replete with senseless repetitions of the worn-out cliches that have no relation to reality. Abbas denial of the 1917 Balfour Declaration and demand for a British apology, as absurd as it sounds, is nothing more than demagogy, reeking of a much sadder and sinister message of denial both of the historic rights of the Jewish people as well as of the very right of Israel to exist. Even in his most recent November 2017 statement, commemorating the thirteenth anniversary of the death of his mentor Yasser Arafat, Abbas repeated the old and worn-out canards accusing Israel of being an apartheid state, of ethnic cleansing, and lamenting the impending danger to the two-state solution. He insisted on Israels accepting the Saudi Arab peace initiative, he demanded Israels withdrawal to the non-existent 1967 borders including from eastern Jerusalem, and he repeated his oft-declared mantra objecting to the presence of any Israeli in the territories. Abbas and his advisers know that venting these threats, demands, and false accusations, in addition to being unrealistic and obstructive, is incompatible with any purported readiness to return to negotiations on peace with Israel. The Palestinian leadership knows that the central issues of borders, Jerusalem, statehood, settlements, and others are among the agreed-upon subjects for the negotiations on the permanent status of the territories. The Palestinians themselves agreed to this. They cannot be dictated or prejudged. Whether there will ultimately be a one-, two-, or three-state solution  or whether there will be an autonomous entity, a federation, confederation, condominium, or co-emporium  is to be determined by agreement on the ultimate status of the territory. It cannot be prejudged by Abbas, and by the same token, not by Barack Obama, John Kerry, the European Union, the United Nations, or anyone else. Wherever a future, agreed-upon border may be located between Israel and whatever Palestinian entity will be agreed upon, it will certainly not be the 1949 Armistice Demarcation Line (the 1967 lines), which the Palestinian leadership is attempting, through repetition and indoctrination, to turn into an international boundary. This was rejected by the UN Security Council in its 1967 Resolution 242 in favor of secure and recognized boundaries. Negotiations on the border were agreed-to by the Palestinians themselves in the Oslo Accords. But Abbas and his people are still trying to rewrite history and law by dictating and prejudging the outcome of what is intended to be a central issue in a bona fide negotiation. By the same token, dictating the outcome of the Jerusalem issue before any negotiations on it have taken place is gall, presumptuous, impudent as well as insulting to those leaders who are signatories as witnesses to the Oslo Accords, in which the Palestinians and Israelis agreed that the issue of Jerusalem is a final status negotiating issue. Jerusalem was not included in UN Security Council Resolution 242, and its omission was deliberate, according to U.S. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg, one of the resolutions drafters. While Israel has frequently suggested that the Saudi peace plan draft could serve as a basis for discussion in negotiations, this does not necessarily mean that the plan is a zero-sum proposal to be imposed by the Palestinian leadership and the Arab states. Leadership Going in the Wrong Direction Mahmoud Abbas, who is naively perceived by the West  especially the Europeans, even the United States, and some Israeli politicians and media  as moderate, sincere, and genuinely seeking peace, repeats that he and the Palestinian leadership openly, officially, and formally deny the very premise and basis for Israels right to exist. They insist on preconditions to any negotiation that they know are unrealistic and unacceptable. This is nothing more than a poke in the eye for all those who continue to blindly insist on seeing him as a serious partner for negotiation. The Palestinian leadership cannot claim internationally, on the one hand, that it is willing to negotiate and live in peace with Israel, while at the same time openly denying the very right of Israel, the other party to any bona fide negotiation, to exist. They cannot pretend to be open to reestablishing a neighborly relationship with Israel while, at the same time, deliberately discouraging any existing efforts at normalization of relations with Israeli bodies and persons through undermining joint projects and intimidation and threats to both Palestinians and Israelis. Their denormalization policy is anathema to any idea of developing good neighborliness between the two peoples for their mutual benefit. Palestinian attempts to manipulate and turn the International Criminal Court into their own kangaroo tribunal for complaining against Israel and labeling Israeli leaders as war criminals are legally flawed and incompatible with the courts own founding statute. These attempts are totally incompatible with any genuine desire to get back to the negotiating table with those very same Israeli leaders whom they seek to label as criminals. Their extensive efforts to abuse one of the most serious and professional UN specialized agencies dealing in education and culture, UNESCO, for one purpose only  to undermine and falsely rewrite history by exorcizing any Jewish connection to the Holy Sites in Jerusalem, Hebron, and Bethlehem  is a further scandalous example of their utter abuse of the international community. This exploitation has irreparably prejudiced any professional credibility that UNESCO may have had. The organization has become irreparably compromised and politicized by the Palestinians. The UN Human Rights Council, theoretically and ostensibly one of the most serious organs of the UN intended to combat the most grievous human rights violations throughout the world, has been completely compromised, lost any moral stature, and become a body devoted almost exclusively to Israel-bashing. Cynically joining the international police organization, INTERPOL, with the declared aim of generating arrest warrants against Israelis, is the latest Palestinian ploy to undermine a respected, professional organization for their narrow partisan political purpose, without any compunction as to the professional credibility or reputation of the organization. The Role of the International Community The Palestinian manipulation and abuse of the international institutions to further a policy of delegitimization of Israel within the international community is not compatible with any idea of returning to a peace-negotiating mode. By the same token, the tendency of the international community to coddle the Palestinians and to submit to their every initiative against Israel, and, out of political correctness, to refrain from criticizing acts of terror and violence against Israel, not only sends the wrong signal to the Palestinians, but is perceived to be an expression of support. If the international community shares the aim of a return to negotiations, it must refrain from their habitual Israel-bashing resolutions, declarations, and criticism. The Palestinian-generated international BDS campaign aimed at harming and undermining Israel economically and culturally through boycotts and social propaganda is a further example of the very antithesis of any genuine intention to seek a peaceful mode of co-existence. Its ultimate aim is the delegitimization and isolation of Israel. The initiation and encouragement of boycotts and sanctions, as well as the international concurrence with the BDS campaign, are hostile actions that cannot co-exist with any bona fide negotiation. If Abbas and the Palestinian leadership genuinely intend to return to a negotiating mode with Israel, they cannot continue to undermine the legitimacy and integrity of Israel and its leaders. They cannot continuously and systematically alienate the Israeli public through incitement to terror and violence, false accusations, and hostile propaganda in violation of their Oslo Accord commitments. Continued misuse of international funding for payment of salaries to families of suicide bombers and convicted terrorists is tantamount to incentivizing and rewarding terror. It cannot be seen as compatible with bona fide peace negotiations. They cannot blatantly and openly violate their commitment pursuant to the Oslo Accords to resolve all outstanding issues relating to the permanent status through negotiations (Arafat letter to Rabin, September 9, 1993) by attempting to bypass negotiations and to impose a settlement through the United Nations and other organizations. Thus, the Palestinian leadership needs to show a genuine will to get back together with the Israelis and prove to the Israeli public that there exists a basis for neighborly relations that could be mutually beneficial to both sides. Such action would restore their international credibility and clout which they have irreparably lost; it would restore the trust of the Israeli public in them and place them in the position of a serious negotiating partner. Modes of Conduct for Approaching Peace To restore trust, Palestinian leaders need to commit themselves to certain basic modes of conduct that will smooth the negotiating ambiance and restore some modicum of good faith. Such modes of conduct must include the following 10 principles: The return to negotiations will be without imposition of, or demand for, preconditions of any kind. Negotiations will be conducted continuously and in a confidential manner at locations to be agreed upon. The Palestinian negotiating team must be fully and openly empowered to represent and to enter into solemn commitments vis-a-vis Israel on behalf of all Palestinians. The permanent status negotiating agenda remains as set out in the 1993-5 agreements between Israel and the PLO. Both sides will refrain from public statements relating to the negotiations and to the leadership and negotiators of the other side that may prejudice the outcome of the negotiations. Both sides will refrain from unilateral actions that might affect the issues to be negotiated and agreed. With a view to encouraging a positive negotiating ambiance between the two sides and among their respective publics, and a restoration of mutual trust, all petitions, complaints, and initiatives addressed by the Palestinian leadership to international organizations, international and national tribunals and courts, directed against Israel and its leadership will be revoked. The Palestinians will act to revoke all UNESCO and other resolutions aimed at falsifying and undermining Jewish history and the integrity and sanctity of Jewish holy sites. The Palestinians will actively cease and prevent all support, encouragement, and other actions involving boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS), whether in the economic, commercial, or cultural spheres, intended to prejudice the rights, integrity, interests, and legitimacy of Israel and its public and its institutions. Pending the outcome of the negotiation and agreed-on determination of their permanent status, the Palestinian side will suspend all requests to join international organizations and to become party to international conventions as well as all other international activities that are incompatible with their obligations in the Oslo Accords. All joint committees and related bodies established pursuant to the agreements between the parties and aimed at furthering normal, good neighborly relations will reconvene and resume their functions. The Palestinians will formally revoke their denormalization policy. The Palestinian side will act to prevent incitement, hostile propaganda and acts of violence and terror against Israel. They will adapt their education system and discourage anti-Semitism, whether in the media, or in educational and religious institutions, by political, religious, and other leaders, and will refrain from all such initiatives in the international community. They will end their policy of encouraging and rewarding terror through financially compensating families of deceased suicide bombers and convicted terrorists. Restoring good faith and demonstrating genuine willingness to resolve all the negotiating issues must be a sine qua non for any proposal to return to a negotiating mode. Without this, there would be no inclination among the Israeli general public to support any governmental decision to enter into a renewed negotiation process. The U.S. officials putting together their peace deal should take this issue very seriously if they have any hope of succeeding where others have failed. Amb. Alan Baker is Director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center and the head of the Global Law Forum. He participated in the negotiation and drafting of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians, as well as agreements and peace treaties with Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. He served as legal adviser and deputy director-general of Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Israels ambassador to Canada. Home
A protection racket wrapped in a cover-up By Dr. Robert Owens

Is the entire Mueller investigation a false flag distraction to cover the tracks of the people who really did attempt to undermine an American presidential election? Some background to this part of the plot must include the fact that the former FBI Director James Comey has admitted to illegally leaking transcripts of privileged conversations with the President to the press. Why did he do it? Comey testified before a Senate Committee that he orchestrated the leak of accounts of conversations with President Donald Trump because he thought it might lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the Russia investigation. In an interesting twist Deputy Attorney General, Rod J. Rosenstein in a memo to the President on May 9, 2017 after outlining the improper actions of James Comey with regard to the investigation of Hillarys emails stated, Although the President has the power to remove an FBI director, the decision should not be taken lightly. I agree with the nearly unanimous opinions of former Department officials. The way the Director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong. As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them. Having refused to admit his errors, the Director cannot be expected to implement the necessary corrective actions. Accepting this counsel President Trump fired FBI Director Comey. Then Deputy Attorney General, Rod J. Rosenstein appointed Mueller as Special Counsel to investigate Trump based on his firing of Comey. President Trump knows whats going on. In his famous tweet where he labeled Muellers fishing expedition a Witch Hunt he said I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Mueller, who is up to his eyeballs in Hillarys Russian scams, has weaponized criminal law in the convoluted attempt of the Progressive cult to misdirect the public. The denizens of the swamp never expected Hillary to lose. They never thought there was any chance of their nefarious and perhaps treasonous schemes to stack the deck and short circuit the electoral processes. But in a shocking twist the electoral system designed by our founders worked and the united people out here in fly-over country were able to thwart the bi-coastal fix when the fix was supposedly in. The gators, mosquitos, and apes of the swamp couldnt abide this travesty. So, the impartial Justice Department stepped in to claw back the reins of power from the great unwashed masses attempting to stage a revolution through the ballot box. According to an analysis by The Hill, of the fourteen major federal agencies whose employees personally donated to presidential politics, By the end of September 2016, about $1.9 million, or 95 percent, went to the Democratic nominees campaign. And an astounding ninety-four percent of DOJ employee donations were to Hillary. Nothing to see here, no bias there, move along. So far Mueller and his team of democrat donors have secured the indictment of Paul Manafort whose main crime may have been working in the Trump campaign. Wait a minute how can you say that! He wasnt indicted for anything to do with Trumps campaign. No, he was indicted for tax fraud and lobbying violations. Of course with the twisted and murky tax code that stretches to 73,954 pages. Then again as the old saying concerning Grand Juries goes Prosecutors could get them to indict a ham sandwich. As in any over-regulated state everyone is guilty of something they just havent decided to pick you up yet. Lets see if we give an ex-FBI chief an unlimited budget, a big Democrat donor staff, and our bewildering multitude of laws in America, theyll eventually get anyone they want to much like a policeman following you for 1,000 miles. Eventually he will find a reason to pull you over. It isnt even just a question of is this fair? It comes down to a decision. Is this the type of legal system we want in America? Do we want to have the banana-republic type of kangaroo justice that indicts, arrests, and convicts people over their politics? The information of Hillary and her minions in the State Department and the FBI regarding their lucrative dealings with Russia and their machinations to deprive Bernie of any chance to win the primaries spill out like garbage from a ruptured plastic bag. And all the while we have the spectacle of those implicated by real evidence directing an investigation that goes nowhere and proves nothing. A protection racket wrapped in a cover-up is playing out every day in the screaming headlines and impassioned screeds of the on-air teleprompter readers of the Corporations Once Known as the Mainstream Media. The only real questions left are: Will the establishment succeed in casting out the interloper? Will they reverse the 2016 election and expose that we have devolved from a representative republic operating on democratic principles into a functioning oligarchy disguised as a non-functional democracy. And there are two other questions that rattle around in my mind: Who would Putin rather have as the president a totally corrupt political hack that everyone knows is for sale or a self-made billionaire that no one can bribe, whose energy mantra is Drill Baby Drill and whose platform is America First? And if the Russians hacked the election and Hillary won the popular vote whose side were they on? Evidently even the smartest woman in the world didnt understand how the Electoral College works maybe the Russians didnt either? Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com  2017 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home
The real scandal in the Alabama senate race By Selwyn Duke

Scandals take many forms. If you could be transported back to antebellum times, for example, would you not find the desire to perpetuate the legal institution of slavery scandalous? This brings us to the Alabama special election to fill Jeff Sessions vacant Senate seat, a contest now front-and-center with the recent sex allegations made against GOP hopeful Judge Roy Moore. Moore denies the charges, but there are certain things that cant be denied. Democrat Doug Jones, Moores opponent, has some noteworthy positions. Hes pro-prenatal infanticide. Its not a stance he took 40 years ago but has since abandoned, and it doesnt mean hes accused of once having kissed an underage girl. It means he believes in the murder of underage girls  and boys. Thats beyond scandalous. Jones supports de-facto amnesty, meaning, he wouldnt even require illegal aliens to return to their home countries before being granted citizenship. This undermines the rule of law and exemplifies the treasonous attitude that subordinates the good of ones countrymen to the good of invading foreigners  and all because theyll vote Democrat after being naturalized. Selling out your culture for political power is scandal on steroids. Jones supports the regulation of carbon dioxide, otherwise known as plant food, because he pushes the dubious global-warmingclimate-change, uh, global climate disruption agenda. Since its average Americans wholl pay these regulations costs, this serves to further impoverish the struggling. Thats scandalous. Jones advocates the unscientific, socially disastrous transgender agenda. First, he said President Trump was wrong, wrong, wrong to return to the longtime status quo of banning so-called transgender people from the military; this means he supports social experimentation in the armed forces. Second, he also supports allowing boys masquerading as girls to use girls bathrooms and locker rooms. In fact, he said that Trumps rescinding of Barack Obamas school guidance to that effect was wrong, wrong, wrong! (Because, you see, when you say that way it makes the other guy three times as wrong.) By the way, here is a video of Jones expressing these sentiments just last month. Oh, yeah  the above is scandalous, too. In addition, Jones advocates using taxpayer money to fund fanciful, economically unviable energy schemes such as solar, wind and thermal energy. Apparently, hed like to repeat Obamas green energy boondoggles (e.g., Solyndra), which only turned out green in that they wasted 2.2 billion worth of Americans greenbacks. But Jones loves spending other peoples money. While he doesnt believe in cutting your taxes to spur economic growth, he thinks having government give away your tax money will do so. Lastly, despite the fact that ObamaCare is unconstitutional, has caused millions of Americans healthcare premiums to rise and created co-ops that have collapsed right and left, Jones opposes rescinding the program. Well, no matter. Hell have great healthcare through the Senate if he wins December 12. As for the last four positions, some would say calling them scandalous is a stretch, so you can apply your own adjective (stupid comes to mind). And whatever you might prefer for characterizing all his positions, old and repudiated dont fit. Current sure does, though. So killing babies, killing the rule of law, killing with regulations, killing tradition and kids right to privacy, killing our pocketbooks, killing the economy and killing healthcare (sounds like an alternate-universe Bill OReilly book series). In the scandal department, Roy Moore has a long way to go to have a chance of keeping up with the Joneses. Simply put, Doug Jones is the most scandalous of creatures: a leftist radical who is wrong, wrong, wrong on the issues. Its a wonder he isnt seeking office in California, New York, Massachusetts or North Korea. Running someone whose positions are so wholly contrary to Alabaman culture is a slap in the face to the state. Is this a political version of Punkd? If I lived in Alabama, on December 12 Id vote for Judge Roy Moore while holding my nose  but only because the stench from Doug Jones name would be rising right from the ballot. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home
Appeal for Donations to the Corpus of Sameeksha Trust

This is an appeal to the subscribers, contributors, advertisers and well-wishers of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), published by Sameeksha Trust, a public charitable trust registered with the office of the Charity Commissioner, Mumbai, India.
Italy is facing a daunting task of integrating refugees despite a slower pace of new arrivals. In five years, 150,000 people have acquired a refugee status in Italy and another 155,000 asylum applications are pending. While other European countries such as Germany and Sweden also are facing the same challenge, Italys notoriously weak economy and high joblessness coupled with state red tape often struggles to provide for native-born Italians. Moreover, many newcomers are illiterate or do not have very developed literacy or other marketable skills.

The Italian government gave a greenlight to the countrys first-ever plan for integrating refugees in early autumns. The plan sets out priorities such as providing Italian lessons, work training and housing to people who get the right to live and work in the country, but doesnt outline how Rome will attain the goals. Aid groups say that the existing efforts to assimilate migrants into the society falls short of the existing needs. Italy focused a lot on the reception and first care of refugees, forgetting about their integration, said Rev. Camillo Ripamonti, the president of Centro Astalli, a Jesuit refugee service. Now integration is the weakest link, he added.

The country did not see much immigration until the early 1990s but thousands of migrants have arrived in Italy in recently years. Yet, the number of seaborne migrants has dropped since summer. In 2017 about 114,000 have arrived compared with 180,000 for all of 2016. If we can control the numbers of people arriving, we can integrate them better, Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said. We are now looking at numbers of arrivals that are difficult but not impossible to integrate.

However, previous waves of refugees to Italy included many educated individuals with work experience, which allowed them to find employment relatively quickly. Moreover, many of the early arrivals relied on networks within their national and ethnic groups to find housing, jobs and support with minimal help from the Italian government. In contrast, only about 16% of the new migrants have a high school degree and 10% cannot read and write.


Manama, the capital of Bahrain, may not be a city that many people think about as a top expat destination but it has come top in annual ranking as the easiest place to live with Paris coming third from bottom.Paris may be a city of romance and one of the most famous capitals in the world, but when it comes to ease of settling in expats are not impressed, according to the latest findings of the Expat Insider survey.Expats said that it is easy to live in Manama with 92% stating that living in the city without speaking Arabic is not hard. Some 84% said that residents have a friendly attitude to foreigners and 65% said they had few problems making new friends.Expats have an easy time settling in Manama when it comes to housing and finances with 88% generally agreeing that it is easy to find accommodation and just 24% said they think housing is expensive.A fifth said finances was the main reason for moving to Manama and they are twice as likely to have an annual household income of over US$200,000 compared with expats elsewhere. They are also twice as likely to work in a managerial position.Prague comes second overall with expats praising its lifestyle and as an easy place to live while Madrid is third, Kuala Lumpur fourth and Amsterdam fifth in the rankings of 51 cities worldwide. Lagos is bottom and Jeddah second bottom, the only two cities to be ranked worse than Paris.In the survey almost 8,000 expats were asked to share their opinions of the city they are currently living in, rating more than 25 different aspects of urban life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasized the respondents personal satisfaction with these aspects and considered both emotional topics as well as more factual aspects with equal weight.While survey respondents reported a slightly above average quality of life in Paris, ranking it 24th out of 51 cities in the respective index, Paris is last when it comes to getting settled.Some 43% if expats in Paris consider the local population unfriendly towards foreign residents, and more than double the global average think it is very hard to live in the city without speaking the local language.Apart from the cold welcome, the survey also found it is difficult for many expats to find and afford housing in Paris. Some 62% found it hard to find a place to live and 71% found it very expensive.Over a third, some 34% of expats in Paris said that they are also dissatisfied with their financial situation in general, nearly 10% more than the global average of 25%.
Hello sir/ Madam

Please sir/Madam I have a question if you have answer, I will be very very thankful to you for your kind advice. It's me saeed frm Pakistan and my wife is a British national who's going to apply for me in the beginning of December for spousal visa. She booked her ticket of 20 days to visit Pakistan after applying for the case. She's a teacher in a government school. She's applying on the premium base service. Me and specially my wife is very stressd already about the tough procedure of the spousal visa. Please any can clear that, can she visit to Pakistan without any stress, worries after sending the documents? Thank you all for paying your kind advice and attention. Saeed
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For Resident Visa via SMC I believe you will have a condition on the visa stipulating you must provide evidence you have taken up the job within 3 months of arrival and have remained in the job for at least 3 months. Once you have provided this evidence it allows that condition to be removed. You may then do as you please, however there could be other employment conditions that tie you to the employer for 2 or 3 years which have nothing to do with immigration or the visa which is a completely different matter.
This month we will debate tax reform and upcoming tax cuts, and a logical follow-up thought to the tax-reform debate is why does the federal government cost so much to run?

Each of us will answer that question differently  possibly depending on our political persuasion  but theres overwhelming bipartisan agreement on the need to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

Which is why we should all applaud the work of internal government groups like the Special Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, dedicated to reporting on waste, fraud and abuse in our nations longest war. SIGAR makes quarterly reports to Congress on where our money went and conducts investigations on fraud and enforcement on the Afghanistan conflict, which began in 2001.

If you think like me, you might have this vague gnawing sense that pursuing a perpetual war against a shadowy non-state enemy with no end in sight is the surest way to blow our nations budget. When you read a SIGAR report, that vague gnawing becomes very specific, with cold hard numbers attached to it.

Heres just one example of $70 billion in waste. A recent report by SIGAR studied the cost of building up the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The money appears mostly wasted.

In 2005, officials estimated a $7.2 billion price tag for building up the ANDSF. Bolstering internal police and security forces is an important and logical step toward reducing the U.S. military presence there. As the SIGAR report describes in excruciating detail, 15 years and $70 billion later, our efforts at capacity-building have utterly failed. Afghanistan cannot keep its own peace, and the local security forces are wholly dependent on US support, both financially and militarily.

The devil of this failure is in the details of the report, but the waste, fraud, and abuse is nothing short of mind-boggling.

Theres the obvious, like the $500 million spent on secondhand Italian transport planes that couldnt operate in Afghanistans harsh conditions.

Or like the unspecified cost of what are believed to be thousands of ghost soldiers on the payroll of the Afghan army, basically paid for by us. One estimate in 2015 put that cost at $300 million in phantom payments.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense Headquarters, originally budgeted at $48.7 million, ended up costing $154.7 million, and took five more years to build than expected.

Oddly, given the amount of money we spent, the history of training the Afghan forces is often one of equipment shortages. In the early years of U.S. rebuilding efforts, Afghan units would attempt to seize Taliban weapons caches because they were better quality than what they could get from us.

Afghanis preferred former Soviet-era weapons because they broke down less easily than the higher-tech U.S. weaponry. We provided high-tech solutions, but we built the wrong level of military and security technology for local conditions.

An estimated 70 percent of Afghanistans population is illiterate. What that means is that after we deliver state-of-the art military electronics equipment, and then something goes wrong, the equipment cant be fixed, using local expertise. So the U.S. military ends up resuming control of the abandoned high-tech equipment. According to SIGAR, Afghan soldiers remain totally dependent on our high-tech close air support and reconnaissance technology to be effective.

This mismatched technology problem is, in fact, both a cause and a giant metaphor for wasted expenditures in Afghanistan. We continue to build expensive high-tech solutions unsustainable in the Afghan context.

SIGAR estimated in July 2017 that the U.S. has spent $714 billion on the war effort so far. An academic study by Professor Neta Crawford of Boston University, a specialist in tallying war costs, estimates an even higher cost to the Afghanistan war, at $877 billion.

That cost can only increase from here, because the ongoing problem is that we cant seem to walk away financially, without the countrys finances collapsing. The Afghanistan government, according to SIGARs July 2017 quarterly report, is on total financial life-support from the U.S. government.

How do we know about this dependency? Here are the numbers: The Afghanistan government raised $2.1 billion in total revenue in 2016. It costs around $7.3 billion a year to run the government with an estimated $4.9 billion spent on the Afghan forces alone. Who pays the difference of roughly $5 billion each year? That would be you and me, with some help from international donors.

Its as if we built a $50,000 Habitat-For-Humanity house for someone who badly needed a home, but then burdened the house with technology, utilities and taxes appropriate for a $2 million mansion. The lucky recipient now has an unsustainably expensive albatross of a house. He cant afford to live there. The Afghanistan people cannot afford the armed forces, and government, that weve built for them.

Theres no foreseeable path to fiscal sustainability for the Afghanistan government. So, were stuck there.

Theres very little to celebrate over the blown $70 billion in rebuilding Afghan security forces, or even the between $714 billion and $877 billion spent to conduct the war since 2001.

If youre worried about the rising cost of our government, check out SIGARs reports and the progress made in our perpetual war, with ill-defined goals, against a shadowy enemy that cant be defeated.
The FBI is investigating what U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling an attack on two Border Patrol agents that left one dead and the other wounded Sunday as they were on patrol in West Texas.

In a news release issued late Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials identified the agent who died as Rogelio Martinez, 36, of El Paso. The agency did not release details of what occurred.

Jeanette Harper, FBI spokeswoman for the El Paso field office, said she could not release information on what happened but that Martinez and his partner were not fired upon.

President Donald Trump said in a tweet Sunday that we will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!

Harper said authorities expect to release information today.

There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline, she said.

Cruz said in a statement that our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked.

Border Patrol officials said Martinez was on patrol with his partner in the Van Horn Station area, which is near Interstate 10 and about 120 miles southeast of El Paso, when they responded to an activity that was not explained in the release.

Martinezs partner reported that they had been injured and needed assistance, according to the agency, which did not provide a time that the incident occurred or what caused the agents injuries.

Responding agents provided medical care, and both agents were taken to a local hospital, officials said.

Big Bend Sector agents were later told that Martinez died from his injuries, according to the release. His partner remains hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said.

Culberson County sheriffs deputies helped agents in securing the scene, and members of the Border Patrols special operations group joined CBP air and marine operations in searching for potential suspects or witnesses, according to the release.

The FBI, Office of Inspector General, and CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility are investigating.

Border Patrol spokesman Douglas T. Mosier said Martinez had been an agent since 2013 and graduated with Border Patrol class No. 1018.

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, said he was praying for the full recovery of Martinezs partner.

The men and women of our Border Patrol have an incredibly dangerous and demanding job, and they are our most important resource to securing our border, Hurd said.

Cruz said the death of Martinez in the line of duty is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.

A Culberson County Sheriffs Office spokesman said deputies were still investigating and could not comment.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said in a statement that she was notified of the incident and that her office is fully supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of this tragic event.

On behalf of the quarter of a million front-line officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition, she said in the statement.

Van Horn is about 430 miles west of San Antonio.

cquinn@express-news.net | jbeltran@express-news.net
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When Sean Allen began volunteering for the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner 23 years ago, he and a small team of volunteers delivered hundreds of meals to houses around the city using only handheld maps, hoping their paper guides were up to date.

It was old school, said Allen, 47.  It look a lot of volunteer time to do that.

Now, Allen oversees the delivery of about 3,000 Thanksgiving dinners, making sure his team gets the meals  turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans and a slice of pie  to seniors and disabled people who cant leave their homes. This year, hes thankful for GPS.

The bulk of the meals for the Raul Jimenez dinner are served at the Convention Center, where on Sunday the RK Group, a catering and hospitality services firm, donated 550 turkeys for Thursdays feast.

A 4,000-person volunteer team has already begun preparing for Thanksgiving Day, when the dinner will feed about 25,000 people. Workers in the kitchen will season and debone the turkeys, prepare the green beans and yams, and make cranberry sauce.

Other volunteers will set up decorations, serve meals on Thursday and clean up after the dinner.

Now in its 38th year, the tradition started in 1979 when its namesake, restaurateur Raul Jimenez, organized the meal with his own money to feed 5,000 seniors.

That inaugural dinner grew out of a small event several years earlier, when Jimenez served 200 seniors and children. He told his daughter, Patricia Jimenez, it was the right thing to do.

Its amazing. What started out as one mans tradition is now a San Antonio tradition, Patricia Jimenez said. It touches people from all walks of life.

Raul Jimenez died in 1998, and now Patricia coordinates the dinner as its chairperson. She remembers seeing current volunteers eating meals themselves as children years ago.

Maybe they were homeless at one point and now want to pay it forward, she said. Its a community effort, and everyone coming together for one common goal is what keeps this event going.

Allen said hes noticed people are more eager to volunteer as the dinner has expanded.

Everybody has their own story for why they do this, he said. Weve come across company CEOs that volunteer to drive. Housewives, exterminators, plumbers  all kinds of people willing to donate a couple hours of their time to deliver meals.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer
Authorities investigating the mass shooting in a Sutherland Springs church this month have obtained search warrants for the alleged killer's phone and digital documents he may have kept on an iCloud server.

The San Antonio Express-News obtained court records showing a Texas Ranger obtained the warrants just a few days after the Nov. 5 church massacre that killed 26 people and wounded another 20, many of them children.
Each Sunday, the strumming of guitar and songs of praise echo beneath a stretch of highway near downtown that serves as a church without walls.

Twenty years ago, before the space was called the San Antonio Church of Hope, humanitarian Verna Mae Mama Boone led a ministry of volunteers beneath the bridge of Interstate 35/10 and Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard to tend to those who live on the streets.

As San Antonians across the city count their blessings this Thanksgiving week, there are many less fortunate members of the community who are grateful for the example set by Mama Boone and by Dorcas Rogers, who is continuing Boones work.

She believed in me, said Hugh Pitts, 71, raising his arms in the air as he sat in his wheelchair, addressing the more than 90 homeless people waiting for a hot meal and a word of grace. This is a great thing theyre doing down here.

Pitts is one of many whom the ministry has helped deliver from years of drugs and alcohol. Pitts, a Navy veteran, was among those whom Pastor Paul Rodriguez called to the front of the long tables. The pastor stood atop a wooden box as Pitts sat beside four women who testified about how faith saved them from lives of substance abuse and despair.

Pitts, speaking near the spot where he was baptized four years ago, said hes thankful for the folks who listen to his hopes and never turn their eyes away from him. He gives thanks for Rogers, president of the church, who linked him with veterans programs that arranged for him to rent a nearby apartment.

For the past 12 years, Rogers has been working with volunteers and members of local churches to carry on the legacy Boone started in the early 1990s. Theyve helped thousands, many who went on to find homes and some, like Pitts, who stayed and became parishioners of the open-air church.

There are very few places where they can feel safe, said Rogers, 59. It makes a difference. Its the little things that we take for granted that mean a lot to them.

Boone was a familiar sight beneath the bridge, rolling everywhere in her electric wheelchair, leading her helpers and ministering to her flock. She died in 2009, but Rogers and other followers were determined to carry on her work.

Rogers met her mentor while producing a television show that Boone appeared on at Trinity Broadcasting. Inspired by Boones mission, Rogers joined her in feeding and clothing the homeless in the shadows and shade of the downtown bridge.

Boone began her ministry in 1952. A mother of six, she was going to work at Fort Sam Houston and while at a bus stop saw an older woman eating from the trash. Boone tried to give the woman her sack lunch, but she wouldnt take it.

She believed that it may have been because she was African-American and the woman was white. The next day, she put her lunch down and turned away; the woman took the sack and walked to an ice house around the corner. Boone learned that a homeless community lived behind the ice house, and she started leaving two paper bags, packed with sandwiches, on a wall for them.

Her church services under the bridge went along without incident until 2005. The state began leasing the site to the University of Texas at San Antonio as a parking lot. The university notified Boone and said that it was sympathetic to her cause but that shed have to move on. She refused and went public with her denial. The university decided not to enforce the contract and allowed her to stay.

Mama Boone fought it, Rogers said. We just kind of stood our ground.

At a recent Sunday service, more than a dozen volunteers circled Rogers as she prayed for the well-being of everyone at the service. They were members of local churches, concerned residents and members of Grace House, a nonprofit organization that helps women after incarceration, drug and alcohol addiction.

Joy Simmons, 31, a volunteer from Grace House, said they just wanted to serve in any way thats needed.

Its very humbling, she said. It kind of gives you a perspective of how life could be if you dont pay attention to things.

With the service over, the aroma of beef stroganoff and green beans wafted into the air as volunteers peeled aluminum tops off the hot metal pans. Servers pulled on plastic gloves and started taking plates, loaded with food and still steaming, to the waiting diners.

Rogers helped a homeless volunteer lug a case of water bottles to a table, then guided some women to a table stacked with clothes. She gave each person her attention, just as her mentor did. After it was all over, everyone pitched in, breaking down tables and chairs and picking up any trash to leave everything cleaner than they found it, just as Mama Boone always insisted.

Before leaving, Rogers bid Pitts farewell with a warm embrace. Pastor Rodriguez said Pitts, whom he called Brother Hugh, was one of the many transformed at the worship services, including himself.

Weve seen miracles, Rodriguez said, noting that faith saved him from drug use 27 years ago. I used to be them, I know where theyre at.

Rogers said that as the nonprofit has grown, so has its needs. It has created a Go Fund Me page to help it buy a 24-foot truck to replace the 1997 U-Haul truck thats seen better days. And she can always use more volunteers and a church to help feed the homeless on the first Sunday of each month.

Anyone is welcome, Rogers said, as long as you have a heart for what were doing.

vtdavis@express-news.net
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Before Francisco arrived at Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, he grew up on the south side of Phoenix surrounded by rampant gang violence, spurred mostly by drug trade.

He later moved to San Antonio with his mom and stepmom, but ran away from home when his stepmom started mistreating him. Franciscos biological mother often took his stepmoms side.

I felt like they were just pushing me further away, said Francisco, 17.

For about a week, Francisco, whose last name is being withheld because he is still in state care, has lived at the Bridge, an emergency shelter run by Roy Maas. The nonprofit houses and counsels foster children, many of whom were removed from homes where they were abused or neglected.

Francisco was among the roughly 75 kids and young adults from Roy Maas who on Sunday attended a Thanksgiving dinner at Ruths Chris Steak House north of the Quarry. They ate turkey, green beans and macaroni and cheese. They drank apple cider and chose between apple, pecan and pumpkin pie for dessert. Many were eating their first Thanksgiving dinner.

To be honest, I never had any birthdays for myself, Francisco said. I've never felt a life where people actually care, people are actually willing to help and stuff.

On Sunday, the children from Roy Maas, along with about 50 invited guests, packed several tables around the restaurant. They ate their food while listening to Lana Duke, the event organizer and owner of Ruths Chris, recount how she became an advertising mogul and eventual restaurateur after growing up as a foster child herself.

The message, Duke said, might show the foster children they can do the same. Shes been passing on her story at the dinner since 2005, when she started the tradition.

I feel like when they come here and they have a meal with us, they walk out with a little more self-confidence, said Duke, 73. They walk a little taller, and they can forget all their worries.

One 14-year-old at the dinner said shes learning Japanese and wants to be a surgeon, with plans to attend college in San Antonio for two years before transferring to a university in Japan.

I have really precise hands, she said, explaining her interest in surgery. I dont shake.

Before coming to Roy Maas, her biological parents and stepfather harassed and beat her constantly, and she was shuffled between as many as 20 foster home locations. She eventually lost track of the exact number.

Francisco wants to work at Ruths Chris, where Duke has already hired several kids from Roy Maas. Hell still have to go through the application process, but hes hoping his experience as a busboy at the Hyatt will improve the odds.

I told him, I cant promise anything, but well give him serious consideration, Duke said.

By the end of the day, the Ruths Chris staff had served 200 pounds of turkey, 250 pounds of mashed potatoes and 15 gallons of gravy. Dessert, along with pie, consisted of 350 dollops of whipped cream.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer
Not only will we seek to expand into new products such as cheese, but we will also be better positioned to take advantage of export opportunities and promote the WA dairy industry to a much wider audience, he said.
If you go back on the history of Muresk  the early days  it was actually the diploma-level training that really hit the mark with industry and certainly from our ongoing consultation with industry, thats where the market is, Ms Jenkins said.
Under this new arrangement, Yarra Corp will provide new capital and participate in the business development of SEALS, which will retain its management team and continue trading in its existing markets under the same name.
Ethical violations in general are underreported, and sexual assault yet even more so. Various studies estimate that 40 percent to 60 percent of observed misconduct is never reported.

For cases of sexual harassment in the workplace, about 90 percent go unreported, according to a report released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2016. The same report indicates the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the workplace.

We are currently witnessing a domino effect. Some call it the Weinstein effect. When one allegation becomes public, it can trigger other accusers to step forward with similar allegations. As a result, serial harassers can be exposed and potential would-be victims spared. But it can take years, even decades for the first domino to topple.

The reluctance to be the first accuser is rational. The psychological and material costs of stepping forward are quite certain and immediate while any potential rewards are uncertain and remote. Fear of retaliation by the accused, management and co-workers is a primary reason why those who experienced or witnessed sexual harassment fail to file a complaint.

These fears are compounded when allegations would implicate individuals with significant power inside the company, e.g. because they run the place as CEO, they are company stars generating large amounts of revenue, or they own the company. Fears of retaliation are not entirely unfounded. Consecutive studies by ECI have found that more than 20 percent of those who report misconduct experienced some form of retaliation.

An accusers chances of receiving a meaningful measure of justice at the end of a tormenting process are highly uncertain. Seventy-five percent of sexual harassment claims brought before the EEOC in 2015 were either dismissed for lack of a reasonable cause or simply closed for administrative reasons. Many of the 25 percent of cases that had a positive result for the claimant often amounted to little.

Considering these odds, it is understandable that many victims of sexual harassment feel reluctant about stepping forward as the first accuser, in particular when they dont know whether other victims exist that have been harassed by the same offender and that are willing to make a supporting allegation. An uncorroborated accusation is likely to result in a he said, she said credibility contest, with a low chance of success for the accuser. Examined closely, the significant underreporting of sexual harassment is the result of reporting processes that are unfavorable to victims.

In an article by Ian Ayres and Cait Unkovic published in the Michigan Law Review in 2012, the authors refer to this as the first-mover disadvantage to making the initial accusation. As a result of this disadvantage, serial offenders may go on harassing unsuspecting victims unchallenged. To solve this problem, they propose the establishment of allegation escrows. Such an escrow would allow victims to transmit an allegation of sexual harassment to a trusted intermediary escrow agent, who would disclose this information to designated authorities only if a prespecified number of others also reported similar misconduct by the same offender.

This mechanism allows a victim of sexual harassment to place her allegation into escrow while being reassured that it will be released only if accompanied by other corroborating allegations, thereby strengthening the odds of success of her claim. The allegation escrow helps to mitigate the first mover disadvantage in making a complaint and, as a result, should increase victims willingness to come forward.

The escrow agent can take different forms. Callista is an online sexual assault reporting system implemented primarily at various university campuses. It allows users to create a time-stamped record of an assault, to report an assault electronically to campus authorities, or to place a report into escrow for release only if another survivor names the same perpetrator.

Alternatively, an external ombuds-person can function as escrow agent. As defined by the International Ombudsman Association, ombuds-persons operate based on the principles of independence, impartiality, confidentiality, and informality. This set of principles makes them particularly suited to function as escrow agents. In addition to counseling individual inquirers, they can play a useful role in aggregating incident reports with the purpose of identifying serial offenders and facilitating coordinated reporting by their victims.

Allegation escrows are useful for making reporting mechanisms friendlier to victims of sexual harassment. The movie industry can make progress in reducing sexual harassment by instituting allegation escrows, both in the form of an industry-wide and independent ombuds-office and as an online reporting system. This can give victims courage and strength in numbers, motivating them to jointly break the spell of silence and prevent instances of sexual harassment from recurring.

What do you think of allegation escrows? For example, should they become a feature of companies internal reporting mechanisms? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

___

Carsten Tams, pictured above, is founder of Emagence, a boutique consulting firm based in New York City. He partners with clients in private, public, and nonprofit sectors to develop evidence-based strategies rooted in behavioral science for solving organizational challenges. Typical areas of application include change management, culture transformation, governance, ethical systems, corporate responsibility, program assessment, learning design, and post-crisis reputation recovery. He can be contacted here.
Joe Manganiello had the "most incredible adventure" of his life in Iceland.

Joe Manganiello

The 40-year-old actor enjoyed the holiday of his dreams as he headed off to explore the European country.

Speaking about his experience, he said: "I love the outdoors and there are very few places left in the world as unspoiled as Iceland. I wanted to have an adventure. I've never seen anything like this country. These are things that you read in books as a child - you don't think they exist anywhere other than your mind.

"[It was] the most incredible adventure of my life. It started with us finding a Banksy under a bridge next to a black sand beach littered with giant chunks of ice that bent the rays of the rising sun. I suited up for a five-mile kayak across a glacier lagoon full of icebergs and curious seals. Seriously, every day was a series of adventures like that."

And the 'Magic Mike XXL' star would love to do it all again but is looking forward to going back home to see his wife Sofia Vergara.

He added to People magazine: "I'd do everything again [but now I'm going] home to spend some time with my wife."

It comes after Joe revealed he wouldn't be an actor if it didn't "pay the bills".

He explained: "If acting didn't pay the bills, I would do something else. Bottom line is that being a man and provider always came first to me. I wasn't someone who was going to waste their life chasing an unrequited dream because I needed to be seen and heard by other people. I've always believed in myself from the beginning and I've been tested in ways you can't imagine when it comes to my career but I stayed the course because I made a better living at this than anything else I could think of doing."
Paul Hollywood and his wife Alexandra have separated.

Paul and Alexandra Hollywood

The couple - who have been married for nearly 20 years - have decided to go their separate ways and they insist their "focus" will be on their teenage son Josh.

Paul and Alex said in a joint statement: "It is with sadness that we have decided to separate. Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time."

Paul and Alex had previously split back in 2013 when he admitted to having an affair with Marcela Valladolid, his co-star on the US version of 'The Great British Bake Off'. Describing the affair at the time, he said it was the "biggest mistake of his life" but the pair did reconcile.

Speaking in 2015, Paul said: "We went through a very difficult time but we're on top right now ... There was no let-up but now I feel we're in a very good place. I think this is the happiest we've ever been. Our love of food is the key to it all.

"We love going out and have done that a lot this year. We're away for Valentine's Day. That was my idea. I can be a romantic. The way to every woman's heart is through her stomach. Food is at the core of everything."

Whilst Alexandra added: "You've just got to get on with life, haven't you? I'm an eternal optimist, he's an optimist. We're having a good time. The most romantic thing he did was bake chocolate croissants on a Sunday morning. That was a lovely thing to do."
Prue Leith couldn't sleep for days after she accidentally let slip who had won the 'Great British Bake Off'.

Prue Leith

The 77-year-old show judge hit the headlines last month when she announced on Twitter that Sophie Faldo had become the new champion of the show - 12 hours before the episode had aired on television screens - because she was on holiday in Bhutan and had got confused over the time zone.

But, although most people found it funny, she was mortified over her social media blunder and felt like she had swiped the limelight away from Sophie because everyone was obsessed with her error.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, she said: "Channel 4 were great. Everyone was - Love Productions, the production company and Paul - they all emailed me and said: 'Basically it is the sort of thing I could have done, don't worry about it too much.' Everybody was wonderful but it was days before I could sleep properly. I still feel absolutely mortified by it. It was awful."

Prue realised her error almost instantly but was in such a fluster that she couldn't work her phone but, luckily, her secretary had seen her blunder and managed to delete the tweet 89 seconds later.

She explained: "I congratulated Sophie and then I thought: 'Why is no one else congratulating her? As I thought that, Emma Freud tweeted me saying; 'Eek. It's tonight. Delete, delete.' And then I was in such a panic I couldn't work my phone. I rang my secretary and she said: 'Don't worry, I have done it.' ... 89 seconds afterwards but of course it was too late. There was a huge amount of publicity but it was the wrong publicity. It was about my tweet. It should have been about who was the winner."
Nordic Technology Group Myanmar Ltd. (NGTM) recently initiated operations at a new container freight station in Dagon Seikkan in Yangon that packs garments and footwear for export to Europe and the United States, according to the logistics and warehousing company. NTGM plans new such sites in Mandalay later this year and in Yangon in March 2018.This expansion is key to the growth of small and medium enterprises in the garment sector in Myanmar as the company links smaller factories and big buyers and freight forwarding companies, giving equal market access to all players, a report in an English-language weekly magazine in Myanmar quoted managing director Thorstein Svendsen as saying.

Nordic Technology Group Myanmar Ltd. (NGTM) recently initiated operations at a new container freight station in Dagon Seikkan in Yangon that packs garments and footwear for export to Europe and the United States, according to the logistics and warehousing company. NTGM plans new such sites in Mandalay later this year and in Yangon in March 2018.#

Set up in Myanmar in 2014 to provide project logistics for the oil and gas and telecoms sectors, NGTM, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Nordic Alliance Services Pte Ltd, later expanded to warehousing and providing container freight station services. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) recently signed two agreements at the Petrochemical Investors Conclave in Bhubaneswar. The first was with the Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha (IDCO) to set up a plastic manufacturing park in Paradip and the second with purified terephthalic acid manufacturer MCPI Ltd for a textile park in Odisha state.IOCL is setting up a polypropylene unit at the Paradip Refinery with a capacity of 700 kilo tonnes per annum. To be commissioned in 2018, this will serve as a mother plant for downstream polymer or plastics ancillary units, according to a press release from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.

The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) recently signed two agreements at the Petrochemical Investors Conclave in Bhubaneswar. The first was with the Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha (IDCO) to set up a plastic manufacturing park in Paradip and the second with purified terephthalic acid manufacturer MCPI Ltd for a textile park in Odisha state.#

With the coming up of an mono ethylene glycol (MEG) unit at the Paradip Refinery and availability of purified terephthalic acid in east India, the polyester downstream industry can flourish very well in eastern region as well, said union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The proposed textile park will popularise synthetic textiles and benefit micro, small and medium enterprises by employing up to 22 lakh people, he added. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has welcomed the approval of tax reform legislation by the US Senate finance committee and urged the Senate to approve the bill. As tax reform is the key to increased prosperity that all businesses and middle-class workers desire, senators should set aside their differences, NRF president Matthew Shay said.The finance committee recently approved the Senates version of tax reform. A vote by the full Senate is expected after Thanksgiving Day on November 23. The federal corporate tax rate may be reduced to 20 per cent from the current 35 per cent and taxes for small business pass throughs and middle-class workers may come down.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has welcomed the approval of tax reform legislation by the US Senate finance committee and urged the Senate to approve the bill. As tax reform is the key to increased prosperity that all businesses and middle-class workers desire, senators should set aside their differences, NRF president Matthew Shay said.#

Both the House and Senate bills would provide the first comprehensive rewrite of the US tax code since 1986, according to an NRF press release.NRF has led the retail industrys fight for tax reform for years, urging the US Congress to eliminate tax breaks that benefit only some industries and to use the revenue saved to lower rates for all companies, including small businesses.NRF is the worlds largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, main street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The promoters of Mumbai-based Donear Group have announced the acquisition of OCM Woolen Mills. The acquisition of OCM, which manufactures a premium range of high-quality all-wool and wool-blended worsted suiting fabrics, will enable the Donear Group to expand its range of products to the Indian consumers for all weather conditions and for all occasions.

This acquisition makes Donear Group Indias largest branded menswear fabric manufacturer. In a win-win deal, OCM gets access to the management expertise of the promoters of Donear Group to expand its product range and distribution footprint within India as well as in the overseas markets. The distributors of OCM, who generally witness lower sales during non-winter seasons, will be able to sell an additional range of products, especially Giza, Supima, wrinkle-resistant cotton fabric for jackets, trousers etc. and Terry Rayon fabric for suit length.

"Donear Group started its major take-off in 1994 from Amritsar. OCM is Indias best-quality manufacturer of woolen and worsted fabrics, and thanks to their skilled manpower for ensuring best quality of fabric. OCMs tweed suiting material is extremely popular for blazer and jacket fabric across India. No other manufacturer in India has been able to match the quality of OCM blazer and jacket of Tweed fabric till date. We have charted out ambitious and aggressive plans to promote the OCM brand," Rajendra Agarwal, a promoter of the Donear Group, said.

OCM Woolen Mills is the second major acquisition by promoter of the Donear Group after it acquired GBTL Ltd. (formerly known as Grasim Bhiwani Textile Limited), the PV Suiting Fabrics business earlier in July this year. Like GBTL Ltd, OCM Woolen Mills will continue to operate as an independent unit manufacturing woolen fabric products under the guidance of Donear Group management. "There will not be any change in the day-to-day management or existing policies at the OCM unit. Post-acquisition, all entities will continue to focus on their respective brands as separate teams and the management will continue its efforts to strengthen and utilise their competencies to serve to their customers," a company press release said.

With acquisition of OCM, the Donear Group will be able to offer a complete range of fabrics under a bouquet of brands including OCM, Ferrino Mizzoni, GBTL-Grasim (license user of TM Grasim), Donear, Graviera, Royal Classico, Donear CottonsBelboni & Cotonova, iTR Terry Rayon Suiting and Bronson Shirting.

Donear Industries Limited is well-recognised in India and outside as one of the best-quality product makers and innovators, who have been in business for 40+ years. The promoters treat textiles as the Groups core business and have been putting best efforts to grow year on year. It has production capacity of around 55 million meters per annum with latest technologies and machinery at Surat. Apart from being a leader in India, Donear also has a strong presence in over 20 countries globally.

Originally a part of SK Birla Group (Birla VXL), OCM was acquired by private equity funds managed by WL Ross & Co. LLC in 2006. Since that acquisition, OCM has undergone extensive transformation across manufacturing, product development to revitalise its brand and strengthen its business. OCMs product design function is at the forefront of global styling with design office in Biella, Italy. Due to its superior product quality, institutional customers such as hospitals, airline and hospitality companies, schools and the government undertakings consider OCM as their preferred supplier of worsted fabric. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
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Uruguay wants to boost its sale of wool to China by expanding into fashion and design, its ambassador to China Fernando Lugris recently said while meeting designers from his country in Beijing. Designers Ana Livni and Fernando Escuder are trying to introduce in China the slow fashion concept with Uruguayan wool designs that last longer.This is another way of bringing wool coming from naturally-fed sheep in Uruguay to China, A Chinese daily quoted Lugris as saying.

Uruguay wants to boost its sale of wool to China by expanding into fashion and design, its ambassador to China Fernando Lugris recently said while meeting designers from his country in Beijing. Designers Ana Livni and Fernando Escuder are trying to introduce in China the 'slow fashion' concept with Uruguayan wool designs that last longer.#

Since diplomatic relations between the two nations were initiated in 1988, China has become Uruguay's biggest trading partner, as well as the largest importer of wool. China was Uruguays top export destination in 2016, accounting for 42.2 per cent of its total export volume.Livni said she wants her creations to be classic and last longer than fast-fashion brands. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 285.385 billion yen in October, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday - down 40.7 percent on year. The headline figure was shy of expectations for a surplus of 330.0 billion yen and was down from 670.17 billion yen in September. Exports climbed 14.0 percent on year to 5.870 trillion yen, also missing forecasts for 15.7 percent and down from 14.1 percent in the previous month. Exports to Asia advanced 18.9 percent on year to 3.712 trillion yen, while exports to China alone jumped an annual 26.0 percent to 1.354 trillion yen. Exports to the United States gained 7.1 percent on year to 1.281 trillion yen and exports to the European Union added an annual 15.8 percent to 753.412 billion yen. Imports jumped an annual 18.9 percent to 5.389 trillion yen versus forecasts for 20.2 percent and up from 12.0 percent a month earlier. Imports from Asia climbed 17.1 percent on year to 3.202 trillion yen, while imports from China alone gained an annual 14.3 percent to 1.619 trillion yen. Imports from the United States were up 3.1 percent to 637.040 billion yen, while imports from the European Union gained 18.1 percent to 803.733 billion yen. The adjusted trade surplus was 322.9 billion yen, beating expectations for 206.7 billion yen and up from 240.3 billion yen in September. 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.
Heading into the final days of Montanas big game general season, harvest numbers for elk and whitetail deer remain above the 10-year average on the Rocky Mountain Front, while mule deer numbers are slightly below the long-term average.

Elk harvest has slowed down, but is still 12 percent above the 10-year average, said Brent Lonner, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist. Bull elk harvest is the reason for the above average total elk harvest. Thus far, bull harvest is 34 percent above the 10-year average.

The numbers were collected at FWPs Augusta check station the departments sole Region 4 biological check station  and apply only to a handful of hunting districts on the Rocky Mountain Front.

Elk hunters so far this year have brought in 275 animals (159 bulls, 92 cows and 24 calves) compared to the 10-year average of 242 elk.

Mule deer at the check station have numbered 186 (175 bucks, 10 does and one fawn). The 10-year average is 215 animals.

Whitetail deer numbers stand at 217 (137 bucks, 64 does and 16 fawns), while the 10-year average is 196.

The general deer and elk season runs through Nov. 26.
Manila LRT Line-1 Rolling Stock (Illustration)

Manila LRT Line-1 Route Map



Mitsubishi Corporation Telephone: +81 3 3210 2171 Facsimile: +81 3 5252 7705

TOKYO, Nov 20, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is being awarded the contract to supply new rolling stock for Manila Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line-1 by the Department of Transportation of the Republic of the Philippines. The contract amount of approximately 30 billion yen is being funded under a Japanese ODA Loan Agreement signed between the governments of Japan and the Philippines. MC will supply rolling stock manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF), Spain's largest rolling stock manufacturer, while equipment installed on the rolling stock will adopt Japanese technology and products. A total of 120 cars (or 30 train sets) will be supplied over a period from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2022.LRT Line-1 is a 20-kilometer elevated metro line connecting north and south Metro Manila, with a 12-kilometer extension further South to Cavite Province now under construction. Around these areas, there has been increasing passenger traffic due to the development of the city. The rolling stock to be supplied by MC will enhance the capacity of the LRT to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, and will contribute to reducing both traffic congestion and air pollution, which are particularly severe in Metro Manila.CAF, which will manufacture the rolling stock for this project, is one of the largest rolling stock manufacturers in Europe. The company has established a credible supply record in other markets, including North, Central and South America and Asia and Oceania. MC and CAF have a longstanding relationship and have collaborated on a number of projects, including the supply of rolling stock for the Istanbul Metro in Turkey and the concession for the Canberra Light Rail Transit Project in Australia.The need to address acute traffic congestion in metro Manila and spur economic activity in other regions has led to greater demand for improved infrastructure, with plans now afoot to extend existing transit lines and construct new ones. MC sees its involvement in railway infrastructure projects in the Philippines as an opportunity to contribute to economic growth and to improving quality of life in the country, while at the same time simultaneously generating economic value environmental value and societal value through our businesses.http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ManilaLRT%20Line1RollingStock.jpgManila LRT Line-1 Rolling Stock (Illustration)http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ManilaLRTLine1RouteMap.jpgManila LRT Line-1 Route MapAbout 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.
VANCOUVER, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S./

NetCents Technology Inc.("NetCents" or the "Company") (CSE: NC), is pleased to announce an agreement with Flexepin to enable the NetCents Coin to be available through the Flexepin distribution network.

Flexepin is a pre-paid Cash Top-Up Voucher where users' top-up their accounts to make secure, hassle-free online payments. Because Flexepin Cash Top-up Vouchers are prepaid, the risk of having the users' identity and banking information exposed online is eliminated. Making it safer than conventional online payment methods. Flexepin Cash Top-Up Vouchers are available at over 7,000 locations globally, in various currencies and pre-determined amounts.

Clayton Moore, Founder and CEO of NetCents said, "This is another validation of the approach we have taken to release our NetCents Coin. The Flexepin voucher is safe, convenient and easy to use and is an excellent product for consumers who are uncomfortable with putting their personal banking information online." He closed by adding, "NetCents and Flexepin will use this agreement to leverage each other's distribution channels to grow their global reach."

About NetCents

NetCents is a next-generation online payment processing platform, offering consumers and merchants online services for managing electronic payments. The Company is focused on capturing the migration from cash to digital currency by utilizing innovative Blockchain Technology to provide payment solutions that are simple to use, secure and worry free. NetCents works with its financial partners, mobile operators, exchanges, etc., to streamline the user experience of transacting online. NetCents Technology is integrated into the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") and is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC, which ensures our consumer's security and privacy. NetCents is available for deposits from 194 Countries around the World, providing you with the freedom to choose to Pay. Your Way.'

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

NetCents Technology Inc.

"Clayton Moore"

Clayton Moore, CEO, Founder and Director

NetCents Technology Inc.

Suite 880, 505 Burrard St (Bentall 1),

Vancouver, BC, V7X 1M4

Cautionary Note Regarding 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 events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release

This news release is not for distribution or dissemination in the United States of America

please visit the corporate website at http://www.net-cents.com or contact Gordon Jessop, President / COO at: gord.jessop@net-cents.com .
SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial Intelligence is sweeping every corner ofhuman society. All kinds of robots can be seen at every exhibition at the China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) 2017, staged in the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from November 16 to 21.

Intelligent home care robots and other smart solutions appeared and became available to families that need help with caring and schooling due to various reasons.

The Home Nurse: Moln is a 24 hour non-stop temperature monitor. With its help, parents will have full awareness of the baby's body temperature and the indoor temperature. The idea of Moln is to lessen the need toworry and providebetter care with the help of innovative technology.

The Guardian: QILO is a robot capable of schooling, communication and long distance interaction. It has a huge storage of information on preschool education and can provide schooling according to the schedule preset by the parents. Its intelligent audio system enables it to conduct conversation with the children.

Underwater robots can not only step in and take on the dangerous missions underwater but add so much fun to our daily life.

The Patrol Police for Water Pollution: Little Mercury, the underwater robot can reach a depth of 50 meters. It is a 24 hour on-duty water police robot, who can monitor the waters ecological environment. It also possesses the amazing ability of underwater filming, sampling and data collecting.

The growth of intelligent manufacturing will escalate and intertwine further withinternet technology. Greener and smarter, it is the intelligent manufacturing.
FELTON, California, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global single cell analysis market was valued at USD 1,183.7 million in 2015. The heavy investments and funding by the government in R&D in the field of medical diagnostics and adoption of single cell analysis devices for the diagnosis of infectious diseases is driving the industry growth. The availability of such technically advanced products influences the market movement and product penetration.

The prevalence of life threatening diseases such as cancer, immunological and neurological diseases is rising recently and the single cell analysis is able to understand the diseases complexity and its association with cellular heterogeneity. Thus, it drives the demand for single cell analysis as a diagnostic tool.

The adoption of single cell analytical techniques is growing over in past few years due to the acceptance of stem cell therapy in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. In contrast, the high cost of devices and one-time investment in purchase due to the longer shelf life hold back the industry growth.

Browse 152 page research report with TOC on "Global Single Cell Analysis Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/single-cell-analysis-market

Based on the commercial availability the market is segmented into consumables products and instruments. The instruments are subdivided into the manual and automated segments. The consumables segment holds the maximum market shares in 2016 due to its continuous demand and repeatable purchases.

The genetic and stem cell technology augmented the growth of the industry. The wide acceptance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology is fueling the growth of the business. The long term contracts with the potential customer's result into the market sustainability for the manufacturers. The accurate and efficient product performance and easy procedures with accurate results generate the demand for advanced assay kits. Therefore, the consumables segment expected to hold the largest market share in 2016 and is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.

North America dominant the single cell analysis market followed by the Europe in 2016. The North America hold the total 37.18% market shares in 2016.The significant industry growth in this region is owing to a large number of biotechnology and biopharmaceutical company in this region. The high approval of gene based technologies by these companies and other research laboratories boosts the market growth for genomics segment.

In addition to that, the various government initiatives such as funding for various research projects and R&D activities in the field for diseases diagnosis encourages the market development. The U.S government Cell Analysis Program by the National Institute of Health, U.S. (NIH) is working in the single cell analysis by proposing the solutions in technical difficulties and try its compliance. As a result, the adoption rate increases for instruments. The program also leads the various meetings, conferences and launch the new products for the better promotion and to spread product information among the customer. Therefore, North America dominated the global marketplace.

The major players in this industry include Merck Millipore GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, Illumina Inc, Beckman Coulter Inc, Becton, Qiagen N.V, and Dickinson and Company. Very few players are making this industry very competitive by adopting the strategies such as long-term purchase, bulk purchases on discount offers for the key customer. The mergers and acquisitions help the in the portfolio expansion and broad market capture. On the other hand, the manufacturing cost of such instruments is very high due to quality and accuracy.

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Market Segment:

Single Cell Analysis Market, by Product, 2013 - 2024 (USD Billion)

 Consumables

 Beads

 Micro plates

 Reagents

 Assay Kits

 Immunoassays

 Cell-based assays

 Other Consumables

 Instruments

 Manual

 Microscopes

 Haemocytometers

 Automated

 Flow cytometers

 Next-generation sequencing (NGS) systems

 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

 Spectrophotometers

 High-content screening systems

 Cell microarrays

 Single Live-cell imaging

 Automated cell counters

Single Cell Analysis Market, By Application, 2013 - 2024 (USD Billion)

 Cancer

 Immunology

 Neurology

 Stem cell

 Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis

 In vitro fertilization

Single Cell Analysis Market, by Region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Billion)

 North America

 U.S. Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 Canada Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 U.S. Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 Canada Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 Europe

 Germany Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 France Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 Germany Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 France Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 Asia Pacific

 China Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 India Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 China Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 India Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 Latin America

 Brazil Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 Mexico Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 Brazil Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 Mexico Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

 MEA

 South Africa Single Cell Analysis Market by Product

 South Africa Single Cell Analysis Market by Application

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Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.

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PUNE, India, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report on the"Swarm Intelligence Marketby Model, Capability (Clustering, Routing, Scheduling, and Optimization), Application (Robotics, Drones, and Human Swarming), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030", published by MarketsandMarkets' , the market is expected to be valued at USD 447.2 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 40.47% from 2020 to 2030, considering the technology will get commercialized by 2020. The major factors driving the growth of the swarm intelligence market are increase in the usage of swarm intelligence for solving big data problems, the rising adoption of swarm-based drones in the military, and need for swarm intelligence in the transportation business.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse41 Market Data Tables and18 Figures spread through82Pages and in-depth TOC on"Swarm Intelligence Market - Global Forecast to 2030"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/swarm-intelligence-market-149256760.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report



Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) model would lead swarm intelligence market during forecast period

Particle Swarm Optimization is inspired by the social foraging behavior of some animals, such as the flocking behavior of birds and the schooling behavior of fish. The goal of the algorithm is to have all the particles locate the optima in a multidimensional space, initially assigned with random position and random velocity, gradually advancing toward the local optima through the exploration and exploitation of good, known positions in space. Particle Swarm Optimization has been widely used in various areas as it is easy to implement, and is based on a simple concept and fewer parameters.

Swarm intelligence market for drones to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period

The swarm intelligence market for drones is expected to grow at a CAGR of 69.80% from 2020 to 2030. Drone swarms - dozens of fixed-wing drones flying in coordinated formation-could be the future of unmanned combat. Drones can be controlled from a control center; however, there may be a number of situations where drones may need to behave autonomously, requiring a level of AI that a single drone is unlikely to have the computing capacity for. Groups of drones can cover large geographic locations and carry out various, specialized tasks concurrently. Owing to these factors, their adoption would increase in the coming years.

Download PDF Brochure : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=149256760

Optimization expected to hold largest share of swarm intelligence market by 2020

Optimization is a way to solve the problem with the best combination of solutions under given constraints. These types of problems are hard to solve because of the availability of a large number of possible solutions. Swarm intelligence algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization and Ant Colony Optimization, and proprietary algorithms are used to find the best optimal solution among different solutions. For instance, nondeterministic polynomial time-hard (NP-hard) problems are those problems that are at least as hard as the hardest problems in NP.

Swarm intelligence market in RoW likely to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period

The growth of the swarm intelligence market in this region is mainly attributed to increasing investments in the field of UAVs and the growing procurement of UAVs by the defense sector in Latin America. Further, the governments of countries such as Brazil and Argentina would be using swarm UAVs for surveillance, law enforcement, environmental monitoring, natural disaster management, and forest fire monitoring.

Inquiry Before Buy @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=149256760

The report profiles the most promising players in this market. The key players in this market are DoBots (Netherlands), Hydromea (Switzerland), Sentien Robotics (US), Unanimous A.I. (US), AxonAI (US), Swarm Technology (US), SSI Schafer - Fritz Schafer (Germany), Valutico (Austria), Enswarm (UK), and Power-Blox (Switzerland).

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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.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Yorbeau Resources Inc. (TSX: YRB) (the "Company" or "Yorbeau") is pleased to announce results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") prepared by Normand Lecuyer, P.Eng. and Jeff Sepp P.Eng. of Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. ("RPA").

Under the base case PEA the Scott mineralized material is fed to a new 2,500 tonne-per-day concentrator plant located at the mine site. Results indicate positive economics with a pre-production capital expenditure of $215 million, a net pre-tax cash flow of $516 million, an Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 16.5%, a pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of $144 million at an 8% discount rate, and a mine life of 15 years. Tables 1, 2 and 3 show summaries of LOM estimated project capital costs and operating costs for the base case scenario.

Table 1: Scott Project Preliminary Economic Assessment Highlights:

(based on US$1.30/lb Zn, US$3.50/lb Cu, US$23/oz Ag, US$1500/oz Au and Canadian dollar exchange rate of US$0.80) - all values in Canadian $'s unless noted otherwise)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Base Case: All Ramp Scenario with New Concentrator at Mine Site --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ Net Cash Flow - Pre-tax Net Cash Flow of $515.8 million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRR - Pre-tax IRR of 16.5% with a 6-year payback ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NPV - Pre-tax NPV(8%) of $144.0 million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Life of mine ("LOM") Opex Costs of $89.02/tonne mined Operating Costs (includes mining, milling, G&A and Environmental) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Pre-production capital of $215.47 million, Capex - Sustaining capital cost of $113.2 million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average peak annual payable production - Zinc (years 9 - 12): 75 million lbs. Zn in 72,405 t of Production concentrate (Payable) - Copper (years 5 - 8): 15 million lbs. Cu in 28,467 t of concentrate - Silver (years 5 - 8): 395,835 oz in Cu concentrate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Life - Planned mine life of 15 years ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Estimated Plant Feed of 12,024,000 tonnes grading 4.14% LOM Mill Feed Zn, 0.81% Cu, 26.59 g/t Ag and 0.24 g/t Au over LOM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average LOM recoveries: Zn: 87%, Cu: 85% Mill Recoveries - Ag: 45% reporting to the Cu concentrate, - Au: 63% reporting to the Cu concentrate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINING AND DEVELOPMENT

The preproduction mine development is carried out by a mining contractor and turned over to the mine crews in year one. Contractor rates were used for the preproduction period while manpower estimates were made for the owner operators commencing in year one of the mine production. Although a shaft scenario was considered, an all ramp system was selected as the most appropriate and the mineralized zones are therefore accessed via a ramp system. The Scott Project will take approximately two to three years of initial development to prepare the mine for production. Mining during the LOM will include 50% mineralized material from Longitudinal LH stopes, 26% from Transverse LH stopes, 11% from Cut and Fill stopes, and 13% from development. The Stringer type mineralization will be mined using the Longitudinal stoping method and thus represents a large portion of the production profile.

RPA has used a sublevel interval of 20 m, as no geotechnical work has been completed to sufficiently assess the ground support requirements. There is an opportunity to potentially increase the sublevel interval however only for the Transverse stopes while maintaining good control of the mineralization limits and mining dilution. Once more geotechnical work is completed, level spacings may be increased, reducing capital and operating costs. The ramp option achieves production more quickly than a shaft option, however, peak production is not achieved for 4 years, and limited to 2,350 tpd, due to the development required to establish sufficient working levels.

PROCESSING

A concentrator would have to be built on site and the mill production mirrors the mine production. The mill feed would produce copper and zinc concentrates assumed to be commercially viable. Mill recoveries for the concentrates based on early metallurgical test work are shown in Table 1. The test work is considered incomplete and values for gold recoveries in the concentrate need to be verified. In RPA's opinion, additional testing of the massive sulphide material and the stringer material independent of each other are required to adequately understand the metallurgical response and obtainable marketable concentrate products.

The recoveries used in this initial analysis and shown in Table 1 are based on the assumption of further optimization relative to metallurgical testing completed to date. The testing has indicated a high consumption of lime, required to adjust the pH values in the circuit. The limited testing will necessitate additional work to properly assess the processing cost from the point of view of reagent consumption.

Table 2: Scott Project Preliminary Economic Assessment - Operating Costs:

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost ($/t milled) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining 54.14 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Processing 27.49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- General & Administration 7.40 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 89.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Table 3: Scott Project Preliminary Economic Assessment - Pre-production Capital Costs:

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $(millions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining 52.58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Processing 60.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Infrastructure 15.78 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tailings 4.65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub Total 133.01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EPCM(i) 46.55 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Contingency 35.92 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 215.47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)EPCM: Engineering Procurement Construction Management

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Among several recommendations made by RPA, the following are of note :

-- The Study is based in part on Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them. Therefore, additional in-fill diamond drilling to bring Inferred Resources to the Indicated category is required before further economic studies are considered. Given the level of accuracy needed for the drilling, an underground exploration program may have to be considered. -- A preliminary evaluation of an all-ramp versus ramp and shaft modes of access showed that the shaft scenario would increase the daily mining rate while lowering the operating and sustaining capital costs, however, at the expense of higher pre-production capital expenses. Additional tonnage discovered at depth may give additional support to the shaft scenario and it is recommended to continue exploring the mineralized system at depth and in particular west of the Gwillim Lake fault. -- An underground exploration program, involving a ramp and drill accesses, would provide a head start on mine development, with a positive impact on project economics. -- The mine design and schedule were based on preliminary knowledge of ground conditions and rock mechanics. To support the next stage of mine design it is recommended to perform prefeasibility-level geotechnical studies, as part of the underground exploration program. -- Estimated mill recoveries for the concentrates are based on early metallurgical test work. The test work is still incomplete and additional testing of the massive sulphide mineralization and the stringer mineralization independent of each other are required to adequately understand the metallurgical response during processing of both types of mineralized material for the life of the mine and to obtain marketable concentrate products. -- Discussion with the Province of Quebec and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency should be initiated to confirm Environmental Assessment (EA), permit and approvals requirements. Environmental baseline data collection and engagement with Indigenous communities should also be initiated.

"We are very excited about the results of the PEA study on Scott, which provides a strong, initial foundation for eventual development of a new mine in the Chibougamau camp." stated Dr. Gerald Riverin, Yorbeau's President. "The ideal location of the project in an area already blessed with all necessary infrastructure has led to maintaining infrastructure capital costs to a relatively low level when compared to similar zinc projects. The horizontal widths and favorable geometry of the mineralized zones support the use of low cost long hole mining methods which had a big positive impact on the results of the study. Yorbeau is now in a position to evaluate a number of options to develop the Scott deposit."

The project has been valued using a discounted cash flow (DCF) approach. This method of valuation requires projecting yearly cash inflows, or revenues, and subtracting yearly cash outflows such as operating costs and capital costs. At this early stage of the study, royalties and provincial or federal taxes have not been included. Cash flows are taken to occur at the middle of each period. The resulting net annual cash flows are discounted back to the first year of valuation, and totaled to determine net present values (NPVs) at the selected 8 percent discount rates. The internal rate of return (IRR) is calculated as the discount rate that yields a zero NPV. The payback period is calculated as the time needed to recover the initial capital spent.

For readers to fully understand the information in this news release, they should read the Technical Report supporting the PEA in its entirety, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the PEA, which will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Yorbeau Resources website at www.yorbeauresources.com within 45 days of the date of this news release. The Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context.

The PEA is considered preliminary in nature and includes economic analysis that is based, in part, on Inferred Mineral Resources. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would allow them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the results will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves because they do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Qualified Persons

Work at Yorbeau is carried out under the supervision of Gerald Riverin, PhD, P. Geo. He is a qualified person (as defined by NI 43-101) and has reviewed and approved the content of this release. The Technical Report and PEA referred to in this press were prepared by Normand Lecuyer and Jeff Sepp. Both are employees of RPA and are independent of Yorbeau. By virtue of their education and relevant experience, they are "Qualified Persons" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. Normand Lecuyer and Jeff Sepp have read and approved the contents of this press release as it pertains to the disclosed mining, milling and cost estimate aspects.

About Yorbeau Resources Inc.

The Company's 100% controlled Rouyn Property contains four known gold deposits in the 6-km-long Augmitto-Astoria corridor situated on the western half of the property. Two of the four deposits, Astoria and Augmitto, have substantial underground infrastructure and have been the subject of NI 43-101 technical reports that include resource estimates. The Company has signed an Option Agreement with an affiliate of Kinross Gold Corporation to pursue exploration on the Rouyn Property (see press release dated October 25, 2016). In 2015, the Company expanded its exploration property portfolio by acquiring strategic base metal properties in prospective areas of the Abitibi Belt of Quebec and Ontario that also feature infrastructure favourable for mining development. The newly acquired base metal properties include Scott Lake which hosts important mineral resources.

More information on the Company may be found on the Company's website at www.yorbeauresources.com.

Forward-looking statements: Except for statement of historical fact, all statements in this news release, without limitation, regarding new projects, acquisitions, future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The results of the economic analysis represent forward-looking information, as defined under Canadian securities laws, that is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those presented in the PEA. RPA is of the opinion that the accuracy of the results is in the range of industry wide commonly accepted scoping studies.

Contacts:

Gerald Riverin, Ph D., P. Geo

President

Yorbeau Resources Inc.

griverin@yorbeauresources.com

819-279-1336



G. Bodnar Jr.

Vice President

Yorbeau Resources Inc.

gbodnar@yorbeauresources.com

514-384-2202

Toll free in North America: 1-855-384-2202




DJ PRESSEMITTEILUNG/unn | UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH/COPPER MOUNTAIN to acquire Altona Mining to form a major new Copper Producer

(DISCLAIMER: Dies ist eine Mitteilung des Emittenten unn UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH. Fur den Inhalt ist ausschlielich der Emittent verantwortlich.)

New Copper Producer with 300 Mio. $ market cap and 160 Mio. pounds annual copper production by 2020

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation ("Copper Mountain" or "CMMC") [TSX:CMMC] and Altona Mining Limited ("Altona" or "AOH") [ASX:AOH] are pleased to jointly announce that they have agreed to combine the companies by way of a Scheme of Arrangement ("Scheme") under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 pursuant to which CMMC will acquire the entire issued capital of Altona (the "Transaction").

The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a Merger Implementation Deed ("MID") under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The MID is attached at Annexure C.

Under the Transaction, each share of Altona ("Altona Share") will be exchanged for 0.0974 ("Exchange Ratio") of either a CHESS Depositary Interest of CMMC ("CMMC CDI"), which will trade on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"), or, if elected, a CMMC common share ("CMMC Share"), which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"). The total consideration offered for all of the outstanding shares of Altona is valued at approximately A$93 million and represents 17 cents per share, a 41.7% premium to A$0.12, the closing price of Altona shares on the day prior to the execution of the MID .

Altona's key asset is the 100% owned undeveloped open pit Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry") in Queensland, Australia, a mining friendly jurisdiction. Cloncurry currently has a measured and indicated mineral resource containing over 2 billion pounds (0.95 million tonnes) of copper and an inferred resource of 1.6 billion pounds (0.72 million tonnes) of copper. There is potential to add resources at depth and along strike in each of the deposits, and through exploration at numerous prospective targets within Altona's approximately 397,000 hectare (3,970 sqkm) land package.

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper . The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource that remains open laterally and at depth.

Directors and senior management of Altona have agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interest of shareholders. Directors and senior management of Altona have provided voting intention statements in favour of the Scheme.

Highlights of the Proposed Combination

 A multi-jurisdictional, mid-tier copper producer.

 Annual potential copper production of approximately 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper by 2020 .

 Combined Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.1 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes) of copper.

 Combined Measured and Indicated Resources over 4.1 billion pounds (1.8 million tonnes) of copper and an additional 3.6 billion pounds (1.5 million tonnes) of copper in Inferred Resources.

 One of the leading TSX/ASX listed copper production companies, with significant production growth and exploration potential in two tier one mining jurisdictions.

 The combined company will have approximately C$78 million in cash.

 Enhanced trading liquidity in both Canada (TSX) and Australia (ASX).

 Pro forma market cap of approximately C$300 million, with CMMC shareholders owning 71.5% and Altona shareholders owning 28.5% of the combined entity.

 The strength and complementary nature of Altona's assets, management team, regional operating experience, and exploration expertise gives CMMC a stronger platform to grow.

 CMMC's construction and operational experience are well positioned to bring Cloncurry into production.

 Offer represents a 41.7% premium to Altona's price of A$0.12 per share, being the closing price on the day prior to the execution of the MID.

 Major Altona shareholder (Matchpoint) has indicated support for the Scheme.

Management Commentary

Mr Jim O'Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer of CMMC, commented: "Our Copper Mountain Mine is an efficient, stable operation with a long life ahead of it. At current copper prices, it is generating significant cash flow. For some time, CMMC has patiently been evaluating cost competitive opportunities to achieve a step-change in copper production. Cloncurry exemplifies the criteria of low-risk, near-term and high quality for which we have been seeking. We intend to progress Cloncurry into production with the aim of doubling CMMC's copper production profile to the range of 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper per annum with significant precious metals credits. This additional copper production is timely to capitalize on the projected strong copper cycle."

Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, added: "We are delighted to join CMMC to form a new high growth copper producer. We are excited to bring CMMC's depth of experience in constructing and operating a large scale open pit copper mine to bear upon the Cloncurry Copper Project. Altona's shareholders will receive a premium and will also gain immediate exposure to copper production just as copper prices have recovered and market shortfalls are predicted over the near term. This is a great opportunity for our shareholders to participate in the creation of a leading mid-sized copper producer."

-

Merger Summary

CMMC and Altona have executed a MID under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The consideration being offered to Altona Shareholders is one CMMC share for every 10.2669 Altona shares, which represents 17 cents per share, a premium of 41.7% to Altona's last price of A$0.12 as of the close on 17 November 2017 and based on CMMC's 5 day trailing VWAP from 17 November 2017.

In conjunction with the Scheme, CMMC will seek a listing on the ASX and apply for quotation of CMMC shares in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests ("CDIs"), which would enable Altona shareholders to elect to receive the Scheme consideration in the form of CMMC CDIs.

The Scheme is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, which are set out in full in the MID. Major conditions include:

 Approval being received from the shareholders of Altona and the court in relation to the Scheme.

 Approval being received from the shareholders of CMMC and the TSX for the issue of consideration shares.

 The Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

 Approval for and quotation of CMMC CDIs on the ASX.

 Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

 Other customary regulatory and court approvals for a transaction of this nature.

The parties have agreed that unless the MID is terminated, Altona will not solicit any competing proposal or participate in any discussions or negotiations in relation to any competing proposal unless failure to do so would involve a breach of the fiduciary duties of its Directors. Altona and CMMC have agreed to pay a break fee of A$0.9 million in certain circumstances leading to the Scheme not proceeding.

Benefits to Copper Mountain Shareholders

 Acquisition of the low risk Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry"), including significant copper and gold resources and reserves, and a large mineral tenure position. The Cloncurry project is located in one of the world's most prominent base metals production regions in Queensland, Australia, host to leading mines including Mt Isa, Dugald River, Cannington and Ernest Henry.

 Development of Cloncurry has the potential to double CMMC's production profile, with the anticipated addition of over 80 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of copper and 17,000 ounces of gold per annum in concentrate based on Altona's updated Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") completed in July 2017 . The DFS states that the major required permits, including Native Title, Mining Licenses and an Environmental Authority, have been received.

 Significant increase in overall contained copper in Measured and Indicated Resources (by 104% to 4.1 billion pounds of copper) and Proven and Probable Reserves (by 87% to 2.0 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes of copper), in addition to regional discovery potential surrounding Cloncurry.

 Asset and geographical diversification, providing a lower risk profile for the combined entity.

 Exposure to Altona's large land package and their exploration success in Australia.

 Increased market prominence in combination, leading to a potential re-rating as a mid-tier copper producer.

Benefits to Altona Shareholders

 CMMC has an experienced management team with proven development and mine operation capabilities, having expertise in financing, building, commissioning and operating the 12-14 million tonnes per annum open pit Copper Mountain Mine ("Copper Mountain Mine") located in southern British Columbia, Canada. CMMC will use this operational expertise to maximise the value of Altona's Cloncurry project.

 With CMMC's annual production guidance of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper in 20172, combined with 86 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of potential copper production from Cloncurry, the combined entity has the potential to become a top 4 Australian copper producer.

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2017 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)

 Altona shareholders to receive a significant premium of 41.7% to Altona's closing share price on 17 November 2017, a 36.9% premium to Altona's trailing 10-day VWAP and a 33.2% premium to Altona's 20-day VWAP as of the close on 17 November 2017.

 Benefit of immediate cash flow from CMMC's production asset, whilst retaining ongoing exposure to Cloncurry as it progresses through development.

 Creation of a leading copper producing company with a diversified portfolio of production and development assets that will be uniquely positioned on the ASX.

Altona Board and Shareholder Support

The Altona Board are in favour of the Scheme and unanimously recommend that Altona shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Each of Altona's directors and officers has entered into a Support Deed undertaking to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Altona's major shareholder, Matchpoint Asia Fund Limited, has also indicated that it will vote in favour of the Scheme , in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

CMMC Shareholder approval

CMMC is required to obtain the approval of the TSX and its shareholders in connection with the issue of common shares under the Scheme. Each of CMMC's directors and officers have agreed to vote in favour of the required CMMC shareholder resolutions.

The CMMC Board unanimously recommends that CMMC shareholders vote in favour of the issue of CMMC common shares contemplated by the Scheme. The CMMC Board intends to vote any CMMC Shares in respect of which they have the power to direct a vote in favour of the necessary resolutions.

Management Team and Board of Directors

CMMC will continue to be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and plans to retain a regional office in Perth, Australia on implementation of the Scheme. Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, will remain in his position until the Scheme closes, after which he will be appointed to join the Board of Directors of CMMC and will continue in an executive role in Australia.

Indicative Timetable

Full particulars of the Scheme, including terms and recommendations will be provided to Altona shareholders through a Scheme Booklet which will include an Independent Expert's Report by KPMG Corporate Finance, a division of KPMG Financial Advisory Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. The indicative timetable for implementation of the Acquisition is anticipated to be as follows:

Event Indicative Date

1st Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme Booklet 6 February 2018

Scheme Booklet sent to Altona shareholders 8 February 2018

Altona Scheme meeting 15 March 2018

2nd Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme 22 March 2018

Scheme becomes effective 23 March 2018

Principal Advisors

CMMC's corporate adviser is Haywood Securities Inc., its Canadian legal advisor is Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP and its Australian legal advisor is Clayton Utz.

Altona's corporate adviser is Hartleys Limited, its Australian legal advisor is Gilbert + Tobin and its Canadian Legal advisor is Fasken Martineau LLP.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds of copper. The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource of copper that remains open laterally and at depth. This significant exploration potential is being evaluated over the next few years in order to fully appreciate the property's development potential. Additional information is available on CMMC's web page at www.cumtn.com.

About Altona Mining Limited

Altona's principal asset is the Cloncurry Copper Project in Queensland, Australia found within a dominant 3,970km2 land package in the highly prospective Mt. Isa inlier. It is envisaged that a 7 million tonnes per annum open pit copper-gold mine and concentrator will be developed. The development is

permitted with proposed annual production of 39,000 tonnes of copper and 17,200 ounces of gold for a minimum of 14 years. The Definitive Feasibility Study was refreshed in August 2017.

For further information please contact:

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Altona Mining Limited

Jim O'Rourke

President & CEO

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 223 Alistair Cowden

Managing Director

Altona Mining Limited

Phone: +61 8 9485 2929

Dan Gibbons

Investor Relations

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 238 David Ikin

Media Relations - Australia

PPR

Phone: +61 8 9388 0944

Rod Shier

Chief Financial Officer

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 222 Jochen Staiger

Swiss Resource Capital AG - Germany

Phone: +41 71 354 8501

info@resource-capital.ch

Competent Person's Statement: Cloncurry Project

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Cloncurry Project is based on information compiled by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that full JORC 2012 disclosure of Resources and Reserves is provided in the ASX release of 2 August 2017 entitled "The Cloncurry Project: JORC 2012 Disclosure" and accompanying release revised on 27 September 2017 entitled "Updated DFS Delivers Bigger and Better Cloncurry Project".

Competent Person's Statement: Copper Mountain Mine

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Copper Mountain Mine is based on information compiled from public disclosure by TSX listed Copper Mountain Limited (CMMC) by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that Canadian Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as adopted by listed entities in Canadian Securities Exchanges are classified according to the CIM Definition Standards in the manner of the JORC Code and NI 43-101 disclosure corresponds to that required by the JORC Code. Disclosure by CMMC in the most recent NI 43-101 report complies with the CIM Guidelines, which are closely related to the JORC Code in their key definitions. The CMMC resources and reserves can therefore be quoted as 'qualifying foreign estimates' according to ASX Listing rules. The most recent disclosure of resources and reserves can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The most recent disclosure by CMMC is in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated 30 March 2017.

The qualifying foreign estimates have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration word that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.

Qualified Persons

Mr Peter Holbek, P.Geo. and Vice President Exploration of CMMC, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved CMMC's mining technical information included in this news release.

Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM are full time employees of Altona in the positions of Managing Director and General Manager, Exploration for Altona, are the Qualified Persons who have reviewed and approved Altona's mining technical information included in this news release.

Cautionary Forward-Looking Statements

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2017 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)
DJ PRESSEMITTEILUNG/unn | UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH/COPPER MOUNTAIN to acquire Altona Mining to form a major new Copper Producer

(DISCLAIMER: Dies ist eine Mitteilung des Emittenten unn UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH. Fur den Inhalt ist ausschlielich der Emittent verantwortlich.)

New Copper Producer with 300 Mio. $ market cap and 160 Mio. pounds annual copper production by 2020

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation ("Copper Mountain" or "CMMC") [TSX:CMMC] and Altona Mining Limited ("Altona" or "AOH") [ASX:AOH] are pleased to jointly announce that they have agreed to combine the companies by way of a Scheme of Arrangement ("Scheme") under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 pursuant to which CMMC will acquire the entire issued capital of Altona (the "Transaction").

The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a Merger Implementation Deed ("MID") under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The MID is attached at Annexure C.

Under the Transaction, each share of Altona ("Altona Share") will be exchanged for 0.0974 ("Exchange Ratio") of either a CHESS Depositary Interest of CMMC ("CMMC CDI"), which will trade on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"), or, if elected, a CMMC common share ("CMMC Share"), which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"). The total consideration offered for all of the outstanding shares of Altona is valued at approximately A$93 million and represents 17 cents per share, a 41.7% premium to A$0.12, the closing price of Altona shares on the day prior to the execution of the MID .

Altona's key asset is the 100% owned undeveloped open pit Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry") in Queensland, Australia, a mining friendly jurisdiction. Cloncurry currently has a measured and indicated mineral resource containing over 2 billion pounds (0.95 million tonnes) of copper and an inferred resource of 1.6 billion pounds (0.72 million tonnes) of copper. There is potential to add resources at depth and along strike in each of the deposits, and through exploration at numerous prospective targets within Altona's approximately 397,000 hectare (3,970 sqkm) land package.

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper . The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource that remains open laterally and at depth.

Directors and senior management of Altona have agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interest of shareholders. Directors and senior management of Altona have provided voting intention statements in favour of the Scheme.

Highlights of the Proposed Combination

 A multi-jurisdictional, mid-tier copper producer.

 Annual potential copper production of approximately 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper by 2020 .

 Combined Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.1 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes) of copper.

 Combined Measured and Indicated Resources over 4.1 billion pounds (1.8 million tonnes) of copper and an additional 3.6 billion pounds (1.5 million tonnes) of copper in Inferred Resources.

 One of the leading TSX/ASX listed copper production companies, with significant production growth and exploration potential in two tier one mining jurisdictions.

 The combined company will have approximately C$78 million in cash.

 Enhanced trading liquidity in both Canada (TSX) and Australia (ASX).

 Pro forma market cap of approximately C$300 million, with CMMC shareholders owning 71.5% and Altona shareholders owning 28.5% of the combined entity.

 The strength and complementary nature of Altona's assets, management team, regional operating experience, and exploration expertise gives CMMC a stronger platform to grow.

 CMMC's construction and operational experience are well positioned to bring Cloncurry into production.

 Offer represents a 41.7% premium to Altona's price of A$0.12 per share, being the closing price on the day prior to the execution of the MID.

 Major Altona shareholder (Matchpoint) has indicated support for the Scheme.

Management Commentary

Mr Jim O'Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer of CMMC, commented: "Our Copper Mountain Mine is an efficient, stable operation with a long life ahead of it. At current copper prices, it is generating significant cash flow. For some time, CMMC has patiently been evaluating cost competitive opportunities to achieve a step-change in copper production. Cloncurry exemplifies the criteria of low-risk, near-term and high quality for which we have been seeking. We intend to progress Cloncurry into production with the aim of doubling CMMC's copper production profile to the range of 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper per annum with significant precious metals credits. This additional copper production is timely to capitalize on the projected strong copper cycle."

Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, added: "We are delighted to join CMMC to form a new high growth copper producer. We are excited to bring CMMC's depth of experience in constructing and operating a large scale open pit copper mine to bear upon the Cloncurry Copper Project. Altona's shareholders will receive a premium and will also gain immediate exposure to copper production just as copper prices have recovered and market shortfalls are predicted over the near term. This is a great opportunity for our shareholders to participate in the creation of a leading mid-sized copper producer."

-

Merger Summary

CMMC and Altona have executed a MID under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The consideration being offered to Altona Shareholders is one CMMC share for every 10.2669 Altona shares, which represents 17 cents per share, a premium of 41.7% to Altona's last price of A$0.12 as of the close on 17 November 2017 and based on CMMC's 5 day trailing VWAP from 17 November 2017.

In conjunction with the Scheme, CMMC will seek a listing on the ASX and apply for quotation of CMMC shares in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests ("CDIs"), which would enable Altona shareholders to elect to receive the Scheme consideration in the form of CMMC CDIs.

The Scheme is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, which are set out in full in the MID. Major conditions include:

 Approval being received from the shareholders of Altona and the court in relation to the Scheme.

 Approval being received from the shareholders of CMMC and the TSX for the issue of consideration shares.

 The Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

 Approval for and quotation of CMMC CDIs on the ASX.

 Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

 Other customary regulatory and court approvals for a transaction of this nature.

The parties have agreed that unless the MID is terminated, Altona will not solicit any competing proposal or participate in any discussions or negotiations in relation to any competing proposal unless failure to do so would involve a breach of the fiduciary duties of its Directors. Altona and CMMC have agreed to pay a break fee of A$0.9 million in certain circumstances leading to the Scheme not proceeding.

Benefits to Copper Mountain Shareholders

 Acquisition of the low risk Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry"), including significant copper and gold resources and reserves, and a large mineral tenure position. The Cloncurry project is located in one of the world's most prominent base metals production regions in Queensland, Australia, host to leading mines including Mt Isa, Dugald River, Cannington and Ernest Henry.

 Development of Cloncurry has the potential to double CMMC's production profile, with the anticipated addition of over 80 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of copper and 17,000 ounces of gold per annum in concentrate based on Altona's updated Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") completed in July 2017 . The DFS states that the major required permits, including Native Title, Mining Licenses and an Environmental Authority, have been received.

 Significant increase in overall contained copper in Measured and Indicated Resources (by 104% to 4.1 billion pounds of copper) and Proven and Probable Reserves (by 87% to 2.0 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes of copper), in addition to regional discovery potential surrounding Cloncurry.

 Asset and geographical diversification, providing a lower risk profile for the combined entity.

 Exposure to Altona's large land package and their exploration success in Australia.

 Increased market prominence in combination, leading to a potential re-rating as a mid-tier copper producer.

Benefits to Altona Shareholders

 CMMC has an experienced management team with proven development and mine operation capabilities, having expertise in financing, building, commissioning and operating the 12-14 million tonnes per annum open pit Copper Mountain Mine ("Copper Mountain Mine") located in southern British Columbia, Canada. CMMC will use this operational expertise to maximise the value of Altona's Cloncurry project.

 With CMMC's annual production guidance of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper in 20172, combined with 86 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of potential copper production from Cloncurry, the combined entity has the potential to become a top 4 Australian copper producer.

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2017 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)

DJ PRESSEMITTEILUNG/unn | UNITED NEWS NETWORK -2-

 Altona shareholders to receive a significant premium of 41.7% to Altona's closing share price on 17 November 2017, a 36.9% premium to Altona's trailing 10-day VWAP and a 33.2% premium to Altona's 20-day VWAP as of the close on 17 November 2017.

 Benefit of immediate cash flow from CMMC's production asset, whilst retaining ongoing exposure to Cloncurry as it progresses through development.

 Creation of a leading copper producing company with a diversified portfolio of production and development assets that will be uniquely positioned on the ASX.

Altona Board and Shareholder Support

The Altona Board are in favour of the Scheme and unanimously recommend that Altona shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Each of Altona's directors and officers has entered into a Support Deed undertaking to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Altona's major shareholder, Matchpoint Asia Fund Limited, has also indicated that it will vote in favour of the Scheme , in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

CMMC Shareholder approval

CMMC is required to obtain the approval of the TSX and its shareholders in connection with the issue of common shares under the Scheme. Each of CMMC's directors and officers have agreed to vote in favour of the required CMMC shareholder resolutions.

The CMMC Board unanimously recommends that CMMC shareholders vote in favour of the issue of CMMC common shares contemplated by the Scheme. The CMMC Board intends to vote any CMMC Shares in respect of which they have the power to direct a vote in favour of the necessary resolutions.

Management Team and Board of Directors

CMMC will continue to be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and plans to retain a regional office in Perth, Australia on implementation of the Scheme. Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, will remain in his position until the Scheme closes, after which he will be appointed to join the Board of Directors of CMMC and will continue in an executive role in Australia.

Indicative Timetable

Full particulars of the Scheme, including terms and recommendations will be provided to Altona shareholders through a Scheme Booklet which will include an Independent Expert's Report by KPMG Corporate Finance, a division of KPMG Financial Advisory Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. The indicative timetable for implementation of the Acquisition is anticipated to be as follows:

Event Indicative Date

1st Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme Booklet 6 February 2018

Scheme Booklet sent to Altona shareholders 8 February 2018

Altona Scheme meeting 15 March 2018

2nd Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme 22 March 2018

Scheme becomes effective 23 March 2018

Principal Advisors

CMMC's corporate adviser is Haywood Securities Inc., its Canadian legal advisor is Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP and its Australian legal advisor is Clayton Utz.

Altona's corporate adviser is Hartleys Limited, its Australian legal advisor is Gilbert + Tobin and its Canadian Legal advisor is Fasken Martineau LLP.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds of copper. The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource of copper that remains open laterally and at depth. This significant exploration potential is being evaluated over the next few years in order to fully appreciate the property's development potential. Additional information is available on CMMC's web page at www.cumtn.com.

About Altona Mining Limited

Altona's principal asset is the Cloncurry Copper Project in Queensland, Australia found within a dominant 3,970km2 land package in the highly prospective Mt. Isa inlier. It is envisaged that a 7 million tonnes per annum open pit copper-gold mine and concentrator will be developed. The development is

permitted with proposed annual production of 39,000 tonnes of copper and 17,200 ounces of gold for a minimum of 14 years. The Definitive Feasibility Study was refreshed in August 2017.

For further information please contact:

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Altona Mining Limited

Jim O'Rourke

President & CEO

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 223 Alistair Cowden

Managing Director

Altona Mining Limited

Phone: +61 8 9485 2929

Dan Gibbons

Investor Relations

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 238 David Ikin

Media Relations - Australia

PPR

Phone: +61 8 9388 0944

Rod Shier

Chief Financial Officer

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 222 Jochen Staiger

Swiss Resource Capital AG - Germany

Phone: +41 71 354 8501

info@resource-capital.ch

Competent Person's Statement: Cloncurry Project

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Cloncurry Project is based on information compiled by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that full JORC 2012 disclosure of Resources and Reserves is provided in the ASX release of 2 August 2017 entitled "The Cloncurry Project: JORC 2012 Disclosure" and accompanying release revised on 27 September 2017 entitled "Updated DFS Delivers Bigger and Better Cloncurry Project".

Competent Person's Statement: Copper Mountain Mine

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Copper Mountain Mine is based on information compiled from public disclosure by TSX listed Copper Mountain Limited (CMMC) by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that Canadian Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as adopted by listed entities in Canadian Securities Exchanges are classified according to the CIM Definition Standards in the manner of the JORC Code and NI 43-101 disclosure corresponds to that required by the JORC Code. Disclosure by CMMC in the most recent NI 43-101 report complies with the CIM Guidelines, which are closely related to the JORC Code in their key definitions. The CMMC resources and reserves can therefore be quoted as 'qualifying foreign estimates' according to ASX Listing rules. The most recent disclosure of resources and reserves can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The most recent disclosure by CMMC is in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated 30 March 2017.

The qualifying foreign estimates have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration word that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.

Qualified Persons

Mr Peter Holbek, P.Geo. and Vice President Exploration of CMMC, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved CMMC's mining technical information included in this news release.

Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM are full time employees of Altona in the positions of Managing Director and General Manager, Exploration for Altona, are the Qualified Persons who have reviewed and approved Altona's mining technical information included in this news release.

Cautionary Forward-Looking Statements

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2017 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)

This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"), which reflect management's expectations regarding CMMC's future growth, results of operations (including, without limitation, future production and capital expenditures), performance (both operational and financial) and business prospects (including the timing and development) and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "plans", "indications", "potential", "estimates", "predicts", "forecasts", "anticipate" or "does not anticipate", "believe", "intend", "ability to" and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", or are "likely" to be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify such forward looking information. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include completion of the Scheme, CMMC's listing on the ASX , projected production profile, anticipated growth in copper resources and reserves particularly at Cloncurry, re-rating of the combined entity, the completion of construction of the Cloncurry Copper Project, potential to explore other target areas close to the Cloncurry Copper Project, and the estimated combined market capitalization of CMMC and Altona. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflect management's current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, CMMC cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward looking information. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. These assumptions inc lude, among other things, the ability to obtain all requisite approvals, including that of the CMMC and Altona shareholders, the Australian court, the TSX and the Foreign Review Board, the accuracy of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, copper prices, exchange rates, energy costs, future economic conditions, anticipated future estimates of cash flow and courses of action. CMMC cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities, the actual results of reclamation activities; integration results of the CMMC and Altona management and operating teams, conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the United States dollar and the Australian dollar and vice versa; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; changes in labour costs other costs of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to environmental hazards, cave-ins, pit-wall failures, flooding, rock bursts and other acts of God or unfavourable operating conditions and losses, detrimental events that interfere with transportation of concentrate or the smelters ability t o accept concentrate, including declaration of Force Majeure events, insurrection or war; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, and the factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2017, and in other filings of CMMC with securities and regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. CMMC does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Nothing in this report should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell CMMC securities.

This press release is dated as of the date on the first page. All references to CMMC include its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this News Release.

Ansprechpartner fur diese Pressemeldung:

Name: Jochen Staiger

Zustandig: CEO

Telefon: +41 (71) 3548501

E-Mail: js@resource-capital.ch

(DISCLAIMER: Dies ist eine Mitteilung des Emittenten unn UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH. Fur den Inhalt ist ausschlielich der Emittent verantwortlich.)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2017 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Changfeng Energy Inc., (TSX VENTURE: CFY) ("Changfeng" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a memorandum of agreement with Waterloo University. According to the agreement, Waterloo Institution of Sustainable Energy ("WISE") of University of Waterloo will provide technical consultancy and on-site support for the Company's future projects in China and North America.

Huajun Lin, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Changfeng Energy states that "We are very excited to work with WISE. With the University's access to top talent in the field and our access to the Chinese market, we believe we can put leading research into action and help transform China into a low carbon, energy efficient economy."

WISE University of Waterloo

The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) is a recognized leader in promoting innovation through research in the development and deployment of advanced sustainable energy systems. More than 110 University of Waterloo faculty members from the faculties of Engineering, Science, Environment, and Mathematics are engaged in WISE undertaking leading edge research in sustainable energy.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Changfeng Energy Inc.

Corporate Investment Relations

Investor.relations@changfengenergy.cn



Changfeng Energy Inc.

Ann Siyin Lin

VP, Corporate Development

ann.lin@changfengenergy.cn




Larry Berrin is looking forward to tapping local knowledge and developing new partnerships as Montana Audubon prepares for the future.

The newly hired executive director follows Steve Hoffman to lead Montana Audubon. He has spent the past 25 years in conservation and education programs, with the bulk of his career spent in New England and Oregon. His career includes work as a park ranger, managing the Tillamook Forest Center in Oregon, and most recently working in land conservation and acquisition in Pennsylvania.

After an exhaustive search, he was our unanimous pick, Fred Weisbecker, Audubon board president, said in a statement. We all look forward to Larry leading the organization, working with staff and active Audubon chapters on bird conservation, nature education and policy work promoting birds and habitat protection.

One of Berrins favorite jobs was early in his career as state education director for National Audubon Society, and he says he is excited to be out West again and back with the organization. He took the helm in Montana in September.

The focus on birds really appealed to me as a bird watcher myself, and its a passion of mine. Its what really gets me outside, and its introduced me to a lot of things about the natural world that I enjoy, he said.

Berrin recalled leading bird watching groups as a ranger in Acadia National Park and the peacefulness of the mornings.

That was probably the spark, he said, and then it becomes more of a passion than a hobby.

Through his career, Berrin has seen the value of seeking partnerships to build support for projects. He pointed to the Golden Eagle Migration Survey near Helena as a prime example, where local and state chapters of Audubon partner with state and federal agencies.

The high tide floats all boats, and were all benefiting by working together and combing our resources and capacity to make something great happen, he said. Thats really what Im excited about with Montana Audubon.

Berrin is busy in his new job meeting with local chapters and various organizations. He says Audubon can sometimes be confusing for those outside the organization with understanding the grassroots independence of local chapters and the roles played by the state and national organizations.

Its great to have that network of chapters throughout the state and I want to learn from them and find a shared vision, he said.

This winter, Montana Audubon will tackle its strategic plan and where to prioritize its attention. That is a challenge considering various initiatives from policy to research in a large state like Montana with so many bird species and habitats, he said.

Berrin wants to see Audubon stay in our lane with birds and bird habitat, with an emphasis on science and research driving policy. He also sees a kinship among all those who enjoy the outdoors, whether birdwatchers, hunters or hikers. Birds are often a good barometer of clean air, water and habitat, he added.

I think weve probably said this before, but we see birds as the canary in the coal mine for the environment, Berrin said. If its impacting birds then its telling us a lot about the natural world.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Management of SIRIOS (TSX VENTURE: SOI) provides an update on current diamond drilling program on the Cheechoo gold property, neighboring the gold mine Eleonore of Goldcorp at Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec. As of now, twenty holes (#108 to 127) have been drilled for a total of 6,300 metres. Visible gold was observed in multiple spots in 15 out of 18 logged drill holes, confirming presence of coarse free gold, however grades will be confirmed by assay results. Core samples from the first nine holes are being assayed with results pending while the rest is being prepared and will be sent continuously to the laboratory.

Recent drill holes tested extensions of several high-grade gold intercepts in the tonalite on a 50-metre spacing pattern as well as the continuity of the gold intercept in the 2-2 mineralized trench that yielded 4 g/t Au over 21,6 metres(i). Furthermore, three deep holes were completed to test extensions of recently discovered significant gold grades at approximately 500-metre vertical depth (holes #82E and 98). (i)includes a 1.1 metre sample grading 112 g/t Au with grade cut to 50g/t Au.

Two drill rigs are currently operational on the property and Sirios plans to complete, at least, an additional 2,000 metres of diamond drilling before mid-December.

Drill cores are being sent to Rouyn-Noranda for sawing, sample preparation and assaying. The time period to receive results is longer than expected as contractors performing core sawing and samples preparation are overloaded with numerous major drilling programs by other companies. It is the same situation for assaying laboratories.

Sirios owns the Cheechoo gold property which is located at Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec, at 800 km north of Montreal and less than 10 km of the Eleonore gold mine of the producer Goldcorp, that began its production in 2015.

Dominique Doucet, Eng., Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, has prepared and verified the technical information 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.

Contacts:

Dominique Doucet, Eng.

President, CEO

(514) 510-7961

(514) 510-7964 (FAX)

ddoucet@sirios.com

www.sirios.com




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2017 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the "Company") (TSX: PCY, OTC PINK: PRPCF, FRA: 1P2N) has received an independent technical report titled "Gibellini Vanadium Project Nevada, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of November 10, 2017 (the "Report") prepared by Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. on the Gibellini vanadium project (the "Project") which has been filed under the Company's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

The Project is located in Eureka County, Nevada, about 25 miles south of the town of Eureka, and is easily accessed by a graded gravel road extending south from US Highway 50. Nevada is featured in the 2016 Fraser Institute survey of mining companies as the fourth most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment globally.

The Report describes resources according to category following the guidelines of the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

Two mineral resource estimates were prepared, one for the Gibellini deposit and the second for the Louie Hill deposit.

Gibellini Deposit

The Report has estimated 7.85 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.316% vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) in the Measured category and 14.16 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.281% V2O5 in the Indicated category leading to a total combined Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.01 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.294% V2O5. Total contained metal content of the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources is 129.28 million pounds V2O5. The Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is 9.82 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.19% V2O5. The total contained metal content of the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is 37.27 million pounds V2O5. The table below summarizes the Gibellini deposit estimate.

Gibellini Deposit Mineral Resource Statement Resource

Category Domain Cut-off V2O5

(%) Tons

(M) Grade

(%V2O5) Metal Content

(M lbs V2O5) Measured Oxide 0.116 3.90 0.253 19.74 Transition 0.105 3.95 0.379 29.88 Indicated Oxide 0.116 7.04 0.235 33.12 Transition 0.105 7.12 0.327 46.55 Total Measured and Indicated 22.01 0.294 129.28 Inferred Oxide 0.116 0.14 0.179 0.50 Transition 0.105 0.01 0.179 0.03 Reduced 0.134 9.68 0.190 36.75 Total Inferred 9.82 0.190 37.27

Notes to accompany mineral resource table for Gibellini deposit:

(1) The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. E.J.C. Orbock III, RM SME, an Amec Foster Wheeler employee. The Mineral Resource estimate has an effective date of 10 November 2017.

(2) Mineral Resources are reported at various cut-off grades for oxide, transition, and reduced material.

(3) Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual pit shell that uses the following assumptions: mineral resource V2O5 price: $10.81/lb; mining cost: $2.21/ton mined; process cost: $13.14/ton processed; general and administrative (G&A) cost: $0.99/ton processed; metallurgical recovery assumptions of 60% for oxide material, 70% for transition material and 52% for reduced material; tonnage factors of 16.86 ft3 /ton for oxide material, 16.35 ft3 /ton for transition material and 14.18 ft3 /ton for reduced material; royalty: 2.5% net smelter return (NSR); shipping and conversion costs: $0.37/lb. An overall 40 pit slope angle assumption was used.

(4) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in US units. Grades are reported in percentages.

Louie Hill Deposit

The Louie Hill deposit lies approximately 1,600 ft south of the Gibellini deposit.

The Report estimated an Inferred Mineral Resource of 7.06 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.284% vanadium pentoxide (V2O5). The oxidation domains were not modeled. The total contained metal content of the estimate is 40.16 million pounds V2O5. The table below summarizes the Louie Hill deposit estimate.

Louie Hill Deposit Mineral Resource Statement Resource

Category Domain Cut-off V2O5

(%) Tons

(M) Grade

(%V2O5) Metal Content

(M lbs V2O5) Inferred Not modeled 0.116 7.06 0.284 40.16

Notes to accompany mineral resource table for Louie Hill:

(1) The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. E.J.C. Orbock III, RM SME, an Amec Foster Wheeler employee. The Mineral Resources have an effective date of 10 November, 2017. The resource model was prepared by Mr. Mark Hertel, RM SME.

(2) Oxidation state was not modeled.

(3) Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual pit shell that uses the following assumptions: mineral resource V2O5 price: $10.81/lb; mining cost: $2.21/ton mined; process cost: $13.14/ton processed; general and administrative (G&A) cost: $0.99/ton processed; metallurgical recovery assumptions of 60% for mineralized material; tonnage factors of 16.86 ft3 /ton for mineralized material, royalty: 2.5% net smelter return (NSR); shipping and conversion costs: $0.37/lb. For the purposes of the resource estimate, an overall 40 slope angle assumption was used.

(4) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in US units. Grades are reported in percentages.

A total of 280 drill holes (about 51,265 ft) have been completed on the Project since 1946, comprising 16 core holes (4,046 ft), 169 rotary drill holes (25,077 ft; note not all drill holes have footages recorded) and 95 RC holes (22,142 ft).

The vanadium-host black shale unit ranges from 175 to over 300 ft thick and overlies gray mudstone. The shale has been oxidized to various hues of yellow and orange to a depth of 100 ft. Alteration (oxidation) of the rocks is classified as one of three oxide codes: oxidized, transitional, and reduced.

A feasibility study was commissioned in late 2010 by the previous operator, American Vanadium Corp., and was completed in 2011 (the "2011 Feasibility Study"). The 2011 Feasibility Study assumed a conventional open pit mine using a truck and shovel fleet for mining and a heap leach to produce V2O5 as a bagged product. Prophecy is not treating either the Mineral Reserves resulting from the 2011 Feasibility Study or the economic results of that study as current. No work has been conducted on the Project since 2011. Prophecy has completed no exploration or drilling activities since Project acquisition.

Metallurgy

A heap leach operation without initial roasting step was modeled and designed to produce V2O5 as a bagged product.

Metallurgical test work and associated analytical procedures were performed by recognized testing facilities during the period 1975 to 2011, and the tests performed were appropriate to the mineralization type. Samples selected for testing were representative of the various types and styles of mineralization. Samples were selected from a range of depths within the deposit. Sufficient samples were obtained to ensure that tests were performed on sufficient sample mass. For the purposes of the Mineral Resource estimate, recoveries of 60% for oxide material and 70% for transitional material were considered appropriate. No processing factors were identified from the completed metallurgical test work that would have a significant effect on extraction. The table below summarizes the projected metallurgical recoveries for the three defined oxidation-type domains.

Mill Feed Material Type Percent Recovery Oxide 60% Transition 70% Reduced 52%

Environmental and Permitting Considerations

Baseline studies conducted in 2010-2011 included studies to document the existing conditions of biological resources, cultural resources, surface water resources, ground water resources, and waste rock geochemical characterization. The baseline data collected would be subject to review and approval by the Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM") and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and other regulatory agencies.

Prior to commencing any mining operations on public lands administered by the BLM, a Plan of Operations describing how a proponent will prevent unnecessary and undue land degradation and reclaim the disturbed areas must be submitted to the BLM.

Both the baseline studies and the Plan of Operations were prepared and submitted by the Project's previous operator and deemed complete by the BLM in order to start the National Environmental Policy Act process.

John Lee, Chairman of Prophecy, states, "Gibellini is an exceptionally rare open pit, heap leach vanadium project in Nevada, with low deleterious (less than 1% Fe, Ti, and MgO) elements. In 2018, Prophecy intends to update and accelerate prior feasibility and permitting work. We believe vanadium batteries have a bright future in the United States with strong renewable energy mandates in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada and many other windy/sunshine states. Our goal is to make Gibellini the first primary vanadium operating mine in North America."

Qualified Persons

The technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, General Mining Manager of Prophecy. Mr. Kravits is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and is not independent of the Company since most of his income is derived from the Company.

Edward J.C. Orbock, III, RM SME of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. is the Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101 who supervised preparation of, and is responsible for, all sections of the Report and Mineral Resource estimates addressed in this news release.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company aims to provide exposure and leverage to rising vanadium prices by defining and adding attributable vanadium resources in the ground in politically safe jurisdictions. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

"JOHN LEE"

Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecydev.com

www.prophecydev.com

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Prophecy's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, such as due to labour disruptions; currency exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for coal, prices for and availability of fuel, parts and equipment and other key supplies remain consistent with current levels; production forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of Prophecy's current mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Prophecy's current expectations; and that any additional required financing will be available on reasonable terms. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous factors could cause Prophecy's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in Prophecy's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecy's website: Prophecy's history of net losses and lack of foreseeable cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecy's mineral properties; Prophecy not having a history of profitable mineral production; the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; the capital and operating costs required to bring Prophecy's projects into production and the resulting economic returns from its projects; foreign operations and political conditions, including the legal and political risks of operating in Bolivia, which is a developing jurisdiction; amendments to local Bolivian laws which may have an adverse impact on the Company's operations; title to Prophecy's mineral properties; environmental risks; the competitive nature of the mining business; lack of infrastructure; Prophecy's reliance on key personnel; uninsured risks; commodity price fluctuations; reliance on contractors; Prophecy's need for substantial additional funding and the risk of not securing such funding on reasonable terms or at all; foreign exchange risks; anti-corruption legislation; recent global financial conditions; the payment of dividends; and conflicts of interest.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecy's forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy 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. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Changfeng Energy Inc., (TSX VENTURE: CFY) ("Changfeng" or "the Company"), an energy provider in China, announces that on December 6-8th, 2017, the premier Sanya International Energy Forum (SIEF) co-hosted by China Association of Policy Science, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, and Changfeng will be held in Sanya, Hainan, China. The Chinese National Energy Administration, Hainan Provincial National Development and Reform Commission, and the municipal Sanya government have also given their full support in creating the Forum.

The 2017 Forum with the theme of Diversified Green Energy Development under "The Belt and Road" initiative, will cover clean energy topics such as natural gas, biomass, hydrogen energy, etc. More than 200 attendants from government, domestic and foreign enterprises and universities will congregate at the forum to share visionary perspectives on energy. Corporate and academia attendants to the Forum includes representatives from the Sinopec Group, CNPC, Mitsubishi Chemical, the EDF Group, China Overseas Holdings Limited, Shell, Tsinghua University, University of Waterloo, etc.

Huajun Lin, the Company's CEO and Chairman of the Board states that "In co-founding the Sanya International Forum, Changfeng has gained a wider access domestically and globally in terms of potential strategic partners. I look forward to the Forum and believe that this will help accelerate Changfeng's strategic shift into sustainable energy."

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Changfeng Energy Inc.

Corporate Investment Relations

Investor.relations@changfengenergy.cn



Changfeng Energy Inc.

Ann Siyin Lin

VP, Corporate Development

ann.lin@changfengenergy.cn




PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Internet of Things (IoT) software company providing bot-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) for energy, security and care solutions, People Power announces today commercial availability of Home HQ from Origin Energy (ASX: ORG), a smart home service for Australian consumers made possible with People Power's suite of IoT services.

Offered by Origin Energy initially to residents of the state of Victoria, which has a population of nearly 6 million, Home HQ is a simple and affordable connected home solution that allows customers to remotely monitor and control appliances with a mobile app and a range of smart sensors and plugs connected within their homes. Priced at AU$199, the Home HQ Starter Kit includes a gateway, temperature and humidity sensor, smart plug, smart light bulb, a motion sensor and two entry sensors.

Preliminary trials of Home HQ succeeded in providing users peace of mind and control of their homes, encouraging broader market deployment. Home HQ was developed in partnership with People Power and Origin's recently launched O hub, a Melbourne-based innovation center dedicated to rapid prototyping, trialling and commercialization of new solutions for Origin's more than 4 million customers. Origin will announce details of product availability in other states and territories in 2018.

"Delivering smart home solutions with a truly innovative partner like Origin -- who shares our commitment to develop new services that deliver comfort and control in the home -- is inspiring," said Gene Wang, CEO and co-founder of People Power. "Home HQ combines the attractiveness of a low cost, easy to install and use smart home service paired with a well-positioned consumer brand to bring peace of mind to the people of Australia."

In May 2017, Origin announced a US$1.2 million investment in People Power that strengthens the partnership between the two companies. People Power was recently named a Cool Vendor in Gartner's annual "Cool Vendors in Connected Home, 2017" report. People Power's platform introduces machine learning and true intelligence into the connected home, enabling service providers to offer unique micro services to consumers while shifting revenue models from hardware device sales to recurring service revenues.

"Origin is actively planning for a cleaner and smarter energy future where customers are more empowered and have greater transparency and control over their energy use. Our investment in People Power is part of our strategy to develop digital led solutions for our customers that are simple, personalized and effortless," said Tony Lucas, Executive General Manager, Future Energy & Business Development, Origin. "This collaboration with People Power has been critical in allowing us to rapidly prototype and trial a connected smart home solution and apply what we learnt into the product we are now launching for sale."

Home HQ's geo-location technology allows users to set rules for their connected appliances based on whether or not they are home, and sets their smart lights to come on if they are not home by a certain time. The smart plugs allow customers to remotely control electrical appliances via their mobile phone and do things like check if they left an appliance on, or schedule a fan to switch on if it's a hot day. Entry sensors and motion detectors can be used to monitor when kids get home from school, or can be set up in an elderly relative's home to provide an alert if no motion is detected by a set time in a nominated room.

About People Power

Founded in 2009, People Power Company is an award-winning software company focused on delivering white-label IoT solutions to consumers around the world. With patented industry-leading Artificial Intelligence technology, the company helps drive recurring revenues in security, energy and care services. The People Power IoT Suite enables rapid IoT device and program connection, engagement, delivery and management, from concept through commercial release. More information at www.peoplepowerco.com.

About Origin

Origin is an Australian integrated energy solutions provider with leading positions across energy retailing, power generation and natural gas production. Origin is scaling up its capabilities in digital, data and analytics to create more innovative and differentiated energy solutions for its millions of customers. More information at www.originenergy.com.au.

Media Contacts

Paige Thornton

Uproar PR for People Power

pthornton@uproarpr.com

312-878-4575 x 246



Stuart Osbourne

Media Manager

Origin Energy

Stuart.Osbourne@originenergy.com.au

+61 3 9652 5781




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 20, 2017) - Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS) (OTCQB: LDSYF) (FSE: LD6) (WKN: A14XHT) ("LDS" or the "Company") wishes to clarify the information included in the article published by CFN Media on November 17, 2017, entitled "CFN Media Exclusive Onsite CEO Interview with Lifestyle Delivery Systems: Up and Running in a $5 Billion Market". In the article, Mr. Eckenweiler, CEO of LDS, was misquoted as stating, "Only a handful of companies will be positioned to create up to $3 billion worth of medicinal and adult-use cannabis oils in 2018 and we're one of those few that are properly licensed and that can scale with organic grade quality biomass, predicated on sales".

The correct statement from Mr. Eckenweiler should have read, "Only a handful of companies will be positioned to participate in the estimated $3 billion market of medicinal and adult-use cannabis oils in 2018 and we're one of those few that are properly licensed and that can scale with organic grade quality biomass, predicated on sales".

All other details of the article dated November 17, 2017, are confirmed to be accurate.

About Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

The Company's technology produces infused strips (similar to breath strips) that are not only a safer, healthier option to smoking, but also a new way to accurately meter the dosage and assure the purity of the product. In addition, with the entering into its management services agreements with NHMC, Inc. and CSPA Group, Inc., the Company has begun its direct involvement in the growing of medicinal ingredients for, and the manufacturing of, its products. From seed to sale, the Company's products and ingredients will be tested for quality and composition throughout the formulation and production processes, resulting in a delivery system that is safe, consistent and effective.

On behalf of the board of directors of Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

Brad Eckenweiler, CEO & Director

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

investor.relations@lifestyledeliverysystems.com

1-866-347-5058

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. In particular, there is significant regulatory uncertainty with respect to the production and sale of medicinal and recreational marijuana in the United States of America. In particular, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Although Congress has prohibited the US Justice Department from spending federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws, this prohibition must be renewed each year to remain in effect and is subject to change at any time. In addition, although the State of California has adopted laws permitting the commercial cultivation, extraction and manufacturing of medicinal marijuana, final regulations with respect to the implementation of these laws have yet to be adopted. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
DUBLIN, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "High Temperature Thermoplastics Market by End-use Industry (Transportation, Electrical & Electronics, Industrial, Medical), Resin Type (High Temperature FPs, HPPA, PPS, SP, LCP, AKP, PI), Temperature Range, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The global market for High Temperature Thermoplastics (HTTs) is estimated at USD 14.38 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 21.70 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 8.57% between 2017 and 2022

The market has witnessed significant growth in the recent years, and this growth is projected to persist in the coming years. HTTs, due to their characteristic properties such as high thermal stability, greater chemical resistance, high dielectric strength, low shrinkage, and greater design flexibility, are used in a wide range of end-use industries such as transportation, medical, electrical & electronics, industrial, and others.

Different types of HTTs are also included in the report. The main types are fluoropolymers, high performance polyamides, polyphenylene sulfide, sulfone polymers, liquid crystal polymers, aromatic ketone polymers, and poly-imide. The fluoropolymers segment accounted for the largest market share in 2016 due to their suitability in several application areas. The sulfone polymers segment is expected to be the fastest-growing type segment due to their increasing acceptance in various end-use industries such as electrical & electronics and industrial.

High temperature thermoplastics are used in various end-use industries such as transportation, medical, electrical & electronics, industrial, and others. These are the main end-use industries considered in the report. In 2016, the transportation end-use industry accounted for the largest market share, in terms of volume, followed by electrical & electronics, industrial, medical and others. The medical end-use industry segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2022 among all the end-use industries considered.

North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America are the main regions considered in the report. Asia Pacific is dominant in the HTTs market. The rising demand for HTTs in this region is mainly driven by their increased use in transportation, electrical & electronics, and medical industries. North America is the second-largest consumer and manufacturer of HTTs, globally. The market in this region is mainly driven by the growing opportunities from electrical & electronics and medical industries. Transportation and electrical & electronics are the top 2 end-use industries contributing to the growing demand for HTTs globally. The Middle East & Africa is the second fastest-growing region after Asia Pacific due to the growing electrical & electronics industry in the region.

Though the HTTs market is growing at a significant rate, few factors, such as the high price of raw materials, shift of end-use markets from the developed countries to developing countries, and rising cost of production may hinder the growth of the market, globally.

Companies such as Solvay (Belgium), BASF (Germany), Evonik Industries (Germany), DowDuPont (US), Celanese Corporation (US), and Arkema (Japan) are the leading players in the global HTTs market.



Other major manufacturers of HTTs are SABIC (Saudi Arabia), Toray (Japan), Royal DSM (Netherlands), and Victrex (UK).



Market Dynamics



Drivers



Recyclability

Increasing Demand from Transportation Industry

Restraints



High Cost of High Temperature Thermoplastics

Competition from Alternative Materials

Opportunities



Superior Properties of High Temperature Thermoplastics

Collaborative Research With Component Manufacturers And End Users

Challenges



Difficulty in Processing

Companies Mentioned



Akro Plastic

Arkema S.A.

Asahi Kasei

Basf

Celanese Corporation

Dic Corporation

Dowdupont

Drake Plastics

Dyneon Fluoropolymers

Ensigner

Evonik Industries

Freudenberg

GSF Plastics Corporation

Hycomp Llc

Lehmann & Voss & Co.

Nytef Plastics

Polyone Corporation

Quadrant Plastics

Royal Dsm

RTP Company

Sabic

Solvay

Sumitomo Chemicals

Toray Industries Inc.

Victrex

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qwt2q5/high_temperature





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
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Date of purchase: 20 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 9,673 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,021 pence 13.52 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,015 pence 13.44 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,018.93 pence 13.50 USD

Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Date of purchase: 20 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 51,458 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 13.55 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 13.38 USD Average price paid per Share: 13.50 USD

PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 17.38 GBP 13.20 which was calculated as of 14 November 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has outstanding 236,601,353 Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171120006093/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings1@maitland.co.uk
CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2017 / Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX-V: EBY) (the "Company" or "Emerald Bay") is pleased to announce that the Company has completed testing operations of the Buda formation in the Kuhn 4 well. The Company stimulated the Buda formation and swabbed fluid for two days. Over the course of the two-day test, the well had inflow rates of 42 and 50 BOPD, respectively. Lifting equipment is now being put in place for the well to begin commercial production. Although drilled as an Austin Chalk target, the Company did not test the Austin Chalk in Kuhn 4 at this time but will do so at a future date, as the well showed good Austin Chalk potential during drilling.

Additionally, the Company is now in the process of selecting locations for Kuhn 5 and Kuhn 6 as Buda targets. The Company feels that results from the Buda formation may even be better as the Company identifies locations up-dip from Kuhn 4 and closer in proximity to the primary fault. Subject to financing, the Company will survey and permit Kuhn 5 and Kuhn 6 in December, with drilling to begin in January 2018.

About Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (EBY) is an energy company with oil producing properties in southwest Texas as well as non operated oil, natural gas, and electricity generation interests in Central Alberta, Canada. EBY is the operator of the Wooden Horse and Nash Creek Projects in Guadeloupe, Texas, where the Company currently now owns a 50.00% working interest in those projects. The Company also owns 75% of Production Resources Inc., a South Texas oil company.

To stay informed on Emerald Bay Energy, please join our Investor Group at https://www.8020connect.com/groups/emerald-bay-energy-inc for all upcoming news releases, articles, comments and questions.

For further information, please contact:

Emerald Bay President, Shelby D. Beattie, by telephone at (403) 262-6000

Email: info@ebyinc.com

www.ebyinc.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect," "plan," "intend," "anticipates," "projects," "potential," or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts.

Information inferred from the interpretation of drilling results may also be deemed to be forward-looking statements, as it constitutes a prediction of what might be found to be present when and if a well is actually developed. BOE's may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 Bbl is based on energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, which are considered reasonable by Emerald Bay at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved will vary from the information provided and the variations may be material. There is no representation by Emerald Bay that actual results achieved will be the same in whole or part as those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company's exploration, drilling and development plans, the Company's expectations regarding the timing and success of such programs. In particular, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: pipeline acquisitions and leasing; pipeline permits, pipeline construction, production estimates, drilling operations, completion operations, funding and development goals. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in the prices of oil and gas, uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil and gas reserves and projecting future rates of production and timing of development activities, competition, operating risks, acquisition risks, liquidity and capital requirements, the effects of governmental regulation, adverse changes in the market for the Company's oil and gas production, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the applicable securities regulators.

SOURCE: Emerald Bay Energy Inc.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 -- Electrovaya Inc. ("Electrovaya" or the "Company") (TSX: EFL)(OTCQX: EFLVF), today provided an update on recent corporate developments at the Company.

A recent matter is that a fifth U.S. Fortune 500 Company has issued a purchase order to Electrovaya for its lithium ion ceramic forklift battery. The order, which was placed through a US equipment dealer, follows on earlier announced orders from Mondelez International Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (through its Canadian subsidiary) along with two other US Fortune 500 Companies for Electrovaya's lithium ion ceramic battery system. This battery is a green tech solution that is particularly well suited to the materials handling vehicle sector.

The Electrovaya battery can improve productivity, reduce maintenance, and has the potential to reduce peak demand as well as decrease electricity usage in heavy-duty 24/7 distribution and manufacturing environments. The Electrovaya batteries include the proprietary ceramic separator, SEPARION, which provides enhanced safety and cycle life.

The Company continues to pursue opportunities with OEM manufacturers and is in various stages of business development with ongoing and potential customers in sectors that include electric delivery trucks, electric buses and energy storage.

In the forklift and Material Handling Vehicles (MHV) sector, two large corporations will be testing in their distribution warehouses, the company's batteries during the Black Friday to pre-Christmas period, the most demanding time of year in retailing and e-commerce. Electrovaya now has about 20 battery packs which are carrying out demonstration programs in multiple corporations. The focus is large sophisticated companies who can distinguish differentiating aspects of the Electrovaya battery in its logistics, warehousing or manufacturing operations.

Electrovaya is also pursuing follow-up business with companies that have placed initial orders for forklift batteries. The Company has conducted testing in multiple warehouse and other locations including both cold and room temperature distribution spaces. While the sales cycle is long and there is no guarantee that the Company's initiatives will result in significant orders, Electrovaya is pleased with the performance of its batteries in both testing and initial deployments.

About Electrovaya Inc.

Electrovaya Inc. (TSX: EFL)(OTCQX: EFLVF), designs, develops and manufactures proprietary Lithium-ion Ceramic Batteries, battery systems, and battery-related products for energy storage, clean electric transportation and other specialized applications. Electrovaya, through its fully owned subsidiary, Litarion GmbH, also produces cells, electrodes and SEPARION ceramic separators and has manufacturing capacity of about 500MWh/annum. Electrovaya is a technology focused company with extensive IP. Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, Electrovaya has production facilities in Canada and Germany with customers around the globe.

Background on Electrovaya

Electrovaya, founded in 1996, is an integrated designer and manufacturer of ceramic lithium ion batteries. Electrovaya's batteries are believed to have industry leading safety and cycle-life with excellent energy densities. They are well suited and differentiated for intensive applications, where the battery is used extensively. Such applications include electric delivery trucks, electric buses, some energy storage and many industrial applications. The immediate focus is intensive applications where the battery is used for extended periods including 24/7 operation in industrial forklifts and many Material Handling Vehicle (MHV) applications. Electrovaya can deliver full battery systems with integrated software and hardware in its Battery Management (BMS) as well as components such as electrodes, separators, cells and modules.

To view the image accompanying this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1105081.pdf

Electrovaya is working closely with multiple OEMs to ensure that its batteries interface well to the materials handling vehicles. This target industrial market can be approached through multiple channels such as direct sales, third party logistics companies (3PL) as well through MHV manufacturers and dealers.

In the MHV market, operator efficiency gains may be realized through potential cost savings related to the reduction of multiple batteries per vehicle, battery swapping, battery sheds and related logistics, battery maintenance, and inefficient recharging. The user benefits from the possibility to charge off peak, more energy efficient charging, elimination of acid and hydrogen fumes and general improvements in efficiency.

Please see websites for more information: www.electrovaya.com (please click on components and mobility); www.litarion.com (please see Litacell and Separion data sheets).

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements that relate to, among other things, the performance of the Company's battery and separator products, including with respect to potential efficiency gains as a result of OEMs switching to use of the Company's products in MHV and other high-intensity applications, the ability to drive sales through OEM channels and direct sales to customers, ability to generate and receive further purchase orders, ability to deliver on such purchase orders, revenue forecasts, technology development progress, plans for shipment using the Company's technology, production plans, the Company's markets, objectives, goals, strategies, intentions, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "can", "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "possible", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" (or the negative thereof) and words and expressions of similar import. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions (including but not limited to currency rates and creditworthiness of customers); the performance of the Company's products in business applications as compared to their performance in test conditions; Company liquidity and capital resources, including the availability of additional capital resources to fund its activities; level of competition; changes in laws and regulations; legal and regulatory proceedings; the ability to adapt products and services to the changing market; the ability to attract and retain key executives; and the ability to execute strategic plans. Additional information about material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and about material factors or assumptions applied in making forward-looking statements may be found in the Company's most recent annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis under "Risk and Uncertainties" as well as in other public disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Bay Street Communications

Peter Koven

1.647.496.7857

peterkoven@baystreetcommunications.com




TOKYO, JAPAN and SHANGHAI, CHINA --(Marketwired - November 20, 2017) - Samsung Electronics, ASE Group, eSilicon, Rambus and Northwest Logic have joined forces to offer a complete FinFET-based high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chain solution. HBM2 is a JEDEC-defined standard that utilizes 2.5D technology to interconnect an SoC with an HBM memory stack. HBM2 is being used in very high-bandwidth applications. This seminar will present a complete FinFET-based supply chain that leverages advanced IP and 2.5D technology to deliver customer designs now.

The live, in-person seminar, "14nm 2.5D/HBM2/SerDes Alliance for High-Performance Networking, Computing, Deep Learning and 5G Infrastructure," will be held in Tokyo on 11 December and in Shanghai on 14 December. The event is free, but registration is required by 18:00 on 5 December. Agenda:

10:30 Check in and networking

11:00 Samsung, HBM2 memory solution

11:30 Samsung, Foundry solution including 14nm FinFET technology

12:00 ASE, advanced 2.5D packaging

12:30 Lunch

13:30 eSilicon, ASIC and 2.5D design and implementation, HBM2 PHY, high-speed memories

14:00 Rambus, high-performance SerDes

14:30 Northwest Logic, HBM2 controller

15:00 Networking cocktail reception and lucky draws

"ASE works closely with our customers to implement HBM into their high-performance products from the early stages of development through the final product launch. We look forward to sharing our expertise in these key areas as new products come to market," said CP Hung, VP of corporate R&D, ASE Group.

"eSilicon is currently in production with HBM customer chips using its HBM2 PHY and advanced ASIC design and packaging capabilities for high-performance networking and AI," said Hugh Durdan, eSilicon's vice president of strategy and products. "We've been doing R&D in 2.5D since 2011 -- it's gratifying to have these complex ASICs become real."

"With nearly 30 years of high-speed interface design experience, Rambus develops advanced SerDes and memory IP cores that solve the power, performance and capacity challenges of communications, networking and data center markets," said Mohit Gupta, senior director product marketing at Rambus. "By working together with other leaders in the IP ecosystem to share our expertise at seminars such as these, we are excited to help our customers bring high-quality, comprehensive solutions to the market."

"Northwest Logic's highly configurable HBM2 controller is being used in a wide range of high-performance HBM2 applications. This seminar provides a great opportunity to quickly get up to speed on HBM2 and learn how it can be used to create highly differentiated products in high-performance applications," said Brian Daellenbach, president of Northwest Logic.

Registration is open and details are available on the 14nm 2.5D/HBM2/SerDes Alliance seminar page.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI and Foundry. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com

About ASE Group

The ASE Group is among the leading providers of independent semiconductor manufacturing services in assembly, test, materials and design manufacturing. As a global leader geared towards meeting the industry's ever growing needs for faster, smaller and higher performance chips, the Group develops and offers a wide portfolio of technology and solutions including IC test program design, front-end engineering test, wafer probe, wafer bump, substrate design and supply, wafer level package, flip chip, system-in-package, final test and electronic manufacturing services through USI Inc and its subsidiaries, members of the ASE Group. For more information about the ASE Group, visit www.aseglobal.com or twitter @asegroup_global.

About eSilicon

eSilicon is an independent provider of complex FinFET-class ASIC design, custom IP and advanced 2.5D packaging solutions. Our ASIC+IP synergies include complete, silicon-proven 2.5D/HBM2 and TCAM platforms for FinFET technology at 14/16nm. Supported by patented knowledge base and optimization technology, eSilicon delivers a transparent, collaborative, flexible customer experience to serve the high-bandwidth networking, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G infrastructure markets.

About Rambus

Rambus creates innovative hardware and software technologies, driving advancements from the data center to the mobile edge. Our chips, customizable IP cores, architecture licenses, tools, software, services, training and innovations improve the competitive advantage of our customers. We collaborate with the industry, partnering with leading ASIC and SoC designers, foundries, IP developers, EDA companies and validation labs. Our products are integrated into tens of billions of devices and systems, powering and securing diverse applications, including Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), mobile payments, and smart ticketing. At Rambus, we are makers of better. For more information, visit rambus.com.

About Northwest Logic

Northwest Logic, founded in 1995 and located in Beaverton, Oregon, provides high-performance, silicon-proven, easy-to-use IP cores including high-performance PCI Express Solution (PCI Express 4.0/3.0/2.1/1.1 cores, DMA cores and drivers), Memory Interface Solution (HBM2, DDR4/3, LPDDR4/3, MRAM), and MIPI Solution (CSI-2, DSI-2, DSI). These solutions support a full range of platforms including ASICs, Structured ASICs and FPGAs.

eSilicon is a registered trademark, and the eSilicon logo is a trademark, of eSilicon Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts:

Sally Slemons

eSilicon Corporation

408-635-6409

Email contact





Susan Cain

Cain Communications

408-393-4794

Email contact


A 19-year-old man was taken to St. Vincent Healthcare after he was shot in the upper chest at a private residence in Lockwood Sunday evening, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said Monday morning.

Linder declined to release the man's name and details of the investigation, but said the shooting appeared to be accidental. No arrests have been made.

"We're looking at it. The best way to put it is witnesses are indicating it was not intentional," Linder said.

The incident was called in Sunday at 7:51 p.m., according to the Lockwood Fire Department.

Sheriff's deputies obtained a search warrant and found marijuana and alcohol at the house, which is on the 1900 block of Old Hardin Road, Linder said.

"There was evidence that there was alcohol and drugs at the scene, but I couldn't tell you if that had anything to do with it or not," Linder said.

Although one person at the gathering had initially left the scene as deputies arrived, the person later returned, he said. He noted that all of the witnesses cooperated with officers.

The shooting victim was still listed in critical condition as of Monday at 3 a.m., Linder said.
SUWANEE, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/20/17 --SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (OTCQB: SNWV) reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 on November 14 2017 and will provide a business update on a conference call at 10:00AM Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 21, 2017.

Highlights of the third quarter and recent weeks:

SANUWAVE entered into a binding term sheet with MundiMed Distribuidora Hospitalar LTDA ("MundiMed") for a joint venture for the manufacture, sale and distribution of our dermaPACE device.





SANUWAVE exhibited, in conjunction with Georgia Department of Economic Development, at MEDICA in Dusseldorf, Germany on 13 - 16 November 2017. MEDICA is the world's leading trade fair for the medical industry. SANUWAVE used this occasion to further educate on our lead wound care product, dermaPACE and our industry leading device for the treatment of various orthopedic conditions, orthoPACE. Kevin Richardson, Acting CEO, Iulian Cioanta, Vice President of Research and Development, and Andre Mouton, Vice President of International Sales and Relations, attended this conference.





SANUWAVE exhibited at Wounds Canada 2017 Fall Conference in Mississauga, Ontario on 16 - 19 November 2017. Wounds Canada's fall conference is a continuing education event designed to support health-care professionals who work with patients with wounds or who are at risk for developing wounds. SANUWAVE used this occasion to introduce and educate on our lead wound care product, dermaPACE. Lisa Sundstrom, Chief Financial Advisor, attended this conference.





"We are very excited about the progress we are making in this quarter and for the year. We are still on track for FDA approval between now and early 2018. Our footprint continues to expand international with the addition of our joint venture with MundiMed Distuidora of Brazil. As you know we will be launching clinical work both domestically and internationally to further understand the uses for our wound care product dermaPACE as well as orthoPace, our orthopedic product," stated Kevin Richardson II, CEO and Chairman.

Third Quarter Financial Results

Revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $161,585, compared to $255,652 for the same period in 2016, a decrease of $94,067, or 37%. Revenues resulted primarily from sales in Europe, Asia and Asia/Pacific of our orthoPACE device and related applicators. The decrease in revenues for 2017 was due to lower sales of new orthoPACE devices and applicators in Europe and Asia/Pacific in 2017.

Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $266,837, compared to $266,473 for the same period in 2016, an increase of $364.

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $475,377, as compared to $645,863 for the same period in 2016, a decrease of $170,486, or 26%. The decrease in general and administrative expenses was due to lower legal fees, lower salary and benefits as a result of reduction in headcount and decrease in bad debt reserve.

Net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was $851,325, or ($0.01) per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1,139,810, or ($0.01) per basic and diluted share, for the same period in 2016, a decrease in the net loss of $288,485, or 25%. The decrease in the net loss for 2017 was primarily due to lower general and administrative expenses and reduction in amortization costs.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 Financial Results

Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $422,199, compared to $728,382 for the same period in 2016, a decrease of $306,183, or 42%. Revenues resulted primarily from sales in Europe, Asia and Asia/Pacific of our orthoPACE device and related applicators. The decrease in revenues for 2017 was due to lower sales of new orthoPACE devices and applicators and lower applicator refurbishments in Europe and Asia/Pacific in 2017.

Research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $965,084, compared to $1,052,595 for the same period in 2016, a decrease of $87,511, or 8%. Research and development expenses decreased in 2017 as a result of lower payments to consultants related to the de novo petition submission to the FDA in July 2016.

General and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $1,875,891, as compared to $1,734,891 for the same period in 2016, an increase of $141,000, or 8%. The increase in general and administrative expenses was due to non-cash stock compensation expense for stock options issued in June 2017, increase in bad debt reserve and was partially offset by lower legal and investor relations fees.

Net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $2,760,794, or ($0.02) per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $3,986,509, or ($0.04) per basic and diluted share, for the same period in 2016, a decrease in the net loss of $1,225,715, or 31%. The decrease in the net loss for 2017 was primarily due to a gain on the warrant valuation and lower operating expenses as noted above.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call on Tuesday, November 21, 2017, beginning at 10:00AM Eastern Time to discuss the third quarter financial results, provide a business update and answer questions. Shareholders and other interested parties can participate in the conference call by dialing 866-567-1602 (U.S.) or 404-267-0372 (international) or via webcast at http://www.investorcalendar.com/event/22346.

A replay of the conference call will be available beginning two hours after its completion through December 5, 2017, by dialing 877-481-4010 (U.S.) or 919-882-2331 (international) and entering Conference ID 22346.

About SANUWAVE Health, Inc.

SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (OTCQB: SNWV) (www.sanuwave.com) is a shock wave technology company initially focused on the development and commercialization of patented noninvasive, biological response activating devices for the repair and regeneration of skin, musculoskeletal tissue and vascular structures. SANUWAVE's portfolio of regenerative medicine products and product candidates activate biologic signaling and angiogenic responses, producing new vascularization and microcirculatory improvement, which helps restore the body's normal healing processes and regeneration. SANUWAVE applies its patented PACE technology in wound healing, orthopedic/spine, plastic/cosmetic and cardiac conditions. Its lead product candidate for the global wound care market, dermaPACE, is CE Marked throughout Europe and has device license approval for the treatment of the skin and subcutaneous soft tissue in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., dermaPACE is currently under the FDA's de novo petition review process for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. SANUWAVE researches, designs, manufactures, markets and services its products worldwide, and believes it has demonstrated that its technology is safe and effective in stimulating healing in chronic conditions of the foot (plantar fasciitis) and the elbow (lateral epicondylitis) through its U.S. Class III PMA approved OssaTron device, as well as stimulating bone and chronic tendonitis regeneration in the musculoskeletal environment through the utilization of its OssaTron, Evotron and orthoPACE devices in Europe, Asia and Asia/Pacific. In addition, there are license/partnership opportunities for SANUWAVE's shock wave technology for non-medical uses, including energy, water, food and industrial markets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers. 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 Company's ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the key risks, assumptions and factors that may affect operating results, performance and financial condition are risks associated with the regulatory approval and marketing of the Company's product candidates and products, unproven pre-clinical and clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, the Company's ability to manage its capital resource issues, competition, and the other factors discussed in detail in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

For additional information about the Company, visit www.sanuwave.com.

(FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW)

SANUWAVE HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) September 30, December 31, 2017 2016 ------------- ------------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 40,226 $ 133,571 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 172,119 460,799 Inventory, net 176,109 231,953 Prepaid expenses 103,539 87,823 ------------- ------------- TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 491,993 914,146 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, at cost, less accumulated depreciation 59,395 76,938 OTHER ASSETS 13,922 13,786 ------------- ------------- TOTAL ASSETS $ 565,310 $ 1,004,870 ============= ============= LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable $ 1,435,431 $ 712,964 Accrued expenses 459,735 375,088 Accrued employee compensation 65,154 64,860 Advances from related parties and accredited investors 751,616 - Interest payable, related parties 535,125 109,426 Short term loan, net 100,000 47,440 Warrant liability 1,058,202 1,242,120 Notes payable, related parties, net 5,183,310 5,364,572 ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 9,588,573 7,916,470 ------------- ------------- COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES A CONVERTIBLE, par value $0.001, 6,175 authorized; 6,175 shares issued and 0 shares outstanding in 2017 and 2016 - - PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES B CONVERTIBLE, par value $0.001, 293 authorized; 293 shares issued and 0 shares outstanding in 2017 and 2016, respectively - - PREFERRED STOCK - UNDESIGNATED, par value $0.001, 4,993,532 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding - - COMMON STOCK, par value $0.001, 350,000,000 shares authorized; 139,099,843 and 137,219,968 issued and outstanding in 2017 and 2016, respectively 139,100 137,220 ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL 93,077,145 92,436,697 ACCUMULATED DEFICIT (102,194,242) (99,433,448) ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (45,266) (52,069) ------------- ------------- TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT (9,023,263) (6,911,600) ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT $ 565,310 $ 1,004,870 ============= ============= SANUWAVE HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months Ended Ended Ended Ended September September September September 30, 30, 30, 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ REVENUES $ 161,585 $ 255,652 $ 422,199 $ 728,382 COST OF REVENUES (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below) 61,684 98,678 141,523 249,847 OPERATING EXPENSES Research and development 266,837 266,473 965,084 1,052,595 General and administrative 475,377 645,863 1,875,891 1,734,891 Depreciation 5,465 1,554 17,543 3,227 Amortization - 76,689 - 230,067 Gain on sale of property and equipment - - - (1,000) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 747,679 990,579 2,858,518 3,019,780 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ OPERATING LOSS (647,778) (833,605) (2,577,842) (2,541,245) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) (Loss) Gain on warrant valuation adjustment and conversion (41,681) (43,536) 316,952 (812,983) Interest expense, net (160,978) (259,302) (496,997) (623,066) Loss on foreign currency exchange (888) (3,367) (2,907) (9,215) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ TOTAL OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET (203,547) (306,205) (182,952) (1,445,264) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ NET LOSS (851,325) (1,139,810) (2,760,794) (3,986,509) OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Foreign currency translation adjustments 20,570 (2,268) 6,803 (4,980) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS $ (830,755) $ (1,142,078) $ (2,753,991) $ (3,991,489) ============ ============ ============ ============ LOSS PER SHARE: Net loss - basic and diluted $ (0.01) $ (0.01) $ (0.02) $ (0.04) ============ ============ ============ ============ Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 139,099,843 115,528,604 138,711,527 97,798,261 ============ ============ ============ ============ SANUWAVE HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) Nine Months Nine Months Ended Ended September 30, September 30, 2017 2016 ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net loss $ (2,760,794) $ (3,986,509) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by operating activities to net cash used by operating activities Depreciation 17,543 3,227 Change in allowance for doubtful accounts 87,830 15,376 Amortization - 230,067 Stock-based compensation - employees, directors and advisors 482,295 116,550 (Gain) Loss on warrant valuation adjustment (316,952) 812,982 Amortization of debt discount 71,298 18,548 Amortization of debt issuance costs - 114,522 Loss on conversion option of promissory note payable - 75,422 Loss on conversion option of convertible debenture - 50,100 Stock issued for consulting services - 43,540 Gain on sale of property and equipment - (1,000) Changes in assets - (increase)/decrease Accounts receivable - trade 200,850 (82,219) Inventory 55,844 17,922 Prepaid expenses (15,716) 755 Other (136) (2,843) Changes in liabilities - increase/(decrease) Accounts payable 722,467 (133,173) Accrued expenses 84,647 60,369 Accrued employee compensation 294 209,465 Interest payable, related parties 425,699 (239,803) Promissory notes, accrued interest - (32,271) ------------- ------------- NET CASH USED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES (944,831) (2,708,973) ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from sale of property and equipment - 1,000 Purchases of property and equipment - (7,878) ------------- ------------- NET CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES - (6,878) ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from warrant exercise 93,067 32,000 Advances from related parties and accredited investors 751,616 - Proceeds from 2016 Public Offering, net - 1,596,855 Proceeds from 2016 Private Offering, net - 1,528,200 Proceeds from convertible promissory notes, net - 106,000 Proceeds from convertible debenture, net - 175,000 Payment of convertible promissory notes - (155,750) Payment of convertible debenture - (210,000) ------------- ------------- NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES 844,683 3,072,305 EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATES ON CASH 6,803 (4,980) ------------- ------------- NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (93,345) 351,474 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD 133,571 152,930 ------------- ------------- CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD $ 40,226 $ 504,404 ============= ============= SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Cash paid for interest, related parties $ - $ 630,549 ============= ============= NONCASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES Cashless warrant conversion $ 66,966 $ - ============= =============

Contact:

Millennium Park Capital LLC

Christopher Wynne

312-724-7845

cwynne@mparkcm.com



SANUWAVE Health, Inc.

Kevin Richardson II

Chairman of the Board

978-922-2447

investorrelations@sanuwave.com




Adeptmind Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based deep learning company that aims to deliver accurate online shopping results, secured an additional seed funding round of undisclosed amount.

Fidelity Investments Canada ULC made the investment which brought total funding to $5.5m to date.

Founded in 2016 by G Wu and Jing He, Adeptmind provides e-commerce companies with a deep learning platform that delivers accurate search results in order to avoid online retails no results found search problem, bad experiences and high bounce rates, bridge the gap between offline and online conversion rate.

The company intends to use the funds to kick-off the Adeptmind Scholar Fellowship  a scholarship program granting $30k scholarships to 20 university students who are advancing the field of AI, deep learning, natural language processing, and machine learning. So far, scholarships have been awarded to students at New York University (NYU)s Center for Data Science and The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, with gifts pending internationally in the United Kingdom, Italy, and beyond.

FinSMEs

20/11/2017
Deliveroo, a London, UK-based online food delivery company, raised an additional $98m to Series F funding round.

The round, which brought the total amount raised to $482m and valuation to over $2 billion, was led by T. Rowe Price Associates and Fidelity Management & Research Company, with participation from existing investors DST Global, General Catalyst, Index Ventures, and Accel Partners and other private investors.

The company intends to use the funds to grow:

 the Deliveroos Editions programme of delivery-only kitchens which allows partner restaurants to expand without any of the traditional upfront costs, whilst increasing food selection for customers and optimizing delivery times.

 its technology team, who will focus on continuing to make improvements to Deliveroos real-time logistics algorithm and artificial intelligence systems while improving riders working experience and continuing to develop Deliveroos products for restaurants and consumers.

 into new towns, cities and countries.

Founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski, Deliveroo is a delivery service that works with over 20,000 restaurants, as well as 30,000 riders to provide their food experience.

The company, which has more than 1,000 employees in offices around the globe, operates in over 150 cities across 12 countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

FinSMEs

20/11/2017
Edmit, a Boston, MA-based college price comparison and bidding platform, raised $855k in pre-seed funding.

Backers included Bessemer Venture Partners 15 Angels Fund, Rethink Education Seed Fund, Neu VC, Bill Triant, Wan Li Zhu, Anthony Accardi, Shereen Shermak, Rob Biederman, Tuscan Management, Tom McCleary, Daniel Jacobson, Claire Vo Lawless, Dennis Yang, Peter Temes, Josh King, Tyler Willis, Eric Falcao, Jeff Shaddix, and Matt Lyons.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to develop the platform to cover every four-year college in the U.S. and to accelerate the release of its public beta.

Led by Nick Ducoff, Co-founder and CEO, Edmit provides students with price and value transparency about colleges. Students can build their profile providing basic information about their personal and academic background, see their personal net tuition estimate (including aid, scholarships, and discounts), and connect directly with top choice colleges, with the tools to secure a better price.

FinSMEs

20/11/2017
A Report about ICOs released by Funderbeam highlights Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have had a massive increase in funding.

While global funding has been decreasing slightly over the last few years, ICO funding started gaining traction in 2016, and then exploded in 2017, where it increased from $228m to $2.8 billion. The number of rounds has quadrupled and is nearly reaching 150.

According to the report, even though the U.S. and China are the most restrictive countries in the world when it comes to ICOs, so far, in 2017, North America and Asia have rounds almost twice as large in comparison to Europe. ICOs are generating significantly larger rounds when compared to early stage funding rounds  angel, seed, crowdfunding, and even A+.

The first top ten countries for ICOs are United States, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada, China, Estonia, Russia, UK, Hong Kong and Finland.

Looking at the industries that are raising funds through ICOs, the vast majority of the companies are related to financial services and cryptocurrencies.

Beyond them, gaming companies, as well as companies related to big data, AI, and media have raised funds via ICO.

North America has the most funding out of all regions raised by ICOs, almost twice as much as in Europe. The overall share of total funding raised by ICOs is almost twice as high in Europe reaching 3,83% compared to just 2% in North America. In Europe, Switzerland has seen the highest number of ICOs, with a total of 13. This is just ahead of the UK, who had 8 ICOs and a total of $71m in ICO funding. In general, mostly Western European countries have started adopting ICOs, one exception being Estonia with an impressive 4 ICOs from the tiny nation.

The most funded companies are:

Filecoin, a US data storage network and electronic currency based on Bitcoin, which raised $257m

Tezos, a US decentralized blockchain that governs itself by establishing a true digital commonwealth, with $232m

Bancor, a Swiss protocol for the creation of Smart Tokens, a new standard for cryptocurrencies convertible directly through their smart

contracts, which raised $153m

contracts, which raised $153m The DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization which works as a decentralized fund management investing in blockchain projects, which raised $152m

Kik Interactive, a Canadian maker of an app that lets users connect with friends, groups, and the world around them through chat, which raised $97,5m

Status, a Swiss based mobile ethereum OS, which raised $95m

TenX, a Singapore based service to spend cryptocurrencies, which raised $83m

PressOne, a Swiss-based decentralized content publishing platform, which raised $82m

KyberNetwork, a Singapore based system which allows the exchange & conversion of digital assets, which raised $60m.

Having a look at the average performance of ICOs to date, according to a report by Luxembourg-based venture capital firm Mangrove Capital Partners called Tokenisation: Implications for the venture capital industry, it has been nothing short of outstanding. If one had blindly invested 10k in every visible ICO, including the significant number of ICOs that failed, this would have delivered a +13.2x return.

This happens in the cryptofinance world, which combines both promise and danger, where skepticism is high due to transparency lack and regulation with hard to find good deals, with many of them resulting being scams. By doing in-depth research about team members, their tech expertise and their connections can help people make sure that ICO they are going to invest is reliable.

To this end, there are a lot of platforms that rate ICOs. But this has not avoided scams to happen. To unlock a new layer of trasparency, a Russian startup called Revain is now involved in building a service that allows people to have a look at other users experience, evaluating the progress of ICO-backed companies by taking into account:

 token exchange rate dynamics,

 taking into account the timeline and milestones,

 team work with clients and partners,

 reaction to criticism and feedback.

FinSMEs

20/11/2017
New Delhi: The government has raised Rs 14,500 crore through the Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), comprising 22 companies, a top official said on Monday.

"We have decided to retain Rs 14,500 crore of the total subscription that has come in for Bharat-22 ETF," Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Neeraj Gupta said.

The ETF saw bids of nearly Rs 32,000 crore coming in, with FIIs bidding for one-third of the money. The portion reserved for retail investors was subscribed 1.45 times; retirement funds -- 1.50 times and NIIs and QIBs -- 7 times.

With this, the government has raised Rs 52,500 crore through disinvestment in the current fiscal, including listing of insurance PSUs.

Last week the portion reserved for anchor investors was subscribed six times amounting to Rs 12,000 crore.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund managed Bharat-22 ETF's new fund offer (NFO) had an initial issue size of over Rs 8,000 crore. As much as 25 percent of total issue size, or Rs 2,000 crore, was reserved for anchor investors who put in bids worth about Rs 12,000 crore.

LIC, Bank of India, SBI Pension Fund, EPFO and HDFC Ergo Insurance are among those who have put in bids.

"During the three days reserved for non-anchor investors, we witnessed an overwhelming response from all investors, particularly retail segment. In due course, the ETF will be listed," ICICI Prudential AMC MD and CEO Nimesh Shah said.

The issue opened for subscription for retail investors from November 15-17.

This Index is a unique blend of shares of key Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as also government shares in blue chip private companies like Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Axis Bank and ITC.

The shares of the government companies represent six core sectors of the economy - Finance, Industry, Energy, Utilities, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Basic Materials, making the Index broad-based and diversified.

The government has set an ambitious target of raising Rs 72,500 crore for disinvestment in the current fiscal. Of this, Rs 46,500 crore is to be raised through minority stake sale in

PSU and Rs 15,000 crore from strategic sale. Another Rs 11,000 crore is to come from listing of insurance companies.

The state-owned companies or PSUs that are part of the new Bharat ETF 22 include ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco.

The other CPSEs on the list are Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks -- SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda -- figure in the Bharat-22 index.
Nobel laureate economist Richard Thaler has clarified that demonetisation of high value currencies per se is a good move, but the way it was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "deeply flawed".

Thaler clarified his stance to his student Swaraj Kumar in an email exchange, which both of them tweeted.

The concept was good as a move to a cashless society to impede corruption but the rollout was deeply flawed and the introduction of the Rs 2000 note makes the motivation for the entire exercise puzzling, Thaler told Kumar.

Thaler won the Nobel prize for economics this year. Soon after the announcement, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had claimed on Twitter that Thaler had supported the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes announced by Modi on 8 November, 2016. However, even then it turned out that though in principle he supported such a move towards cashless economy, he had reservations about introduction of Rs 2,000 notes.

The twitter exchange between Thaler and Kumar was brought out by Rupa Subramanya who also tagged Thaler who retweeted her tweet:

This is what @R_Thaler told @swarajkumar224 on demonetisation. Those sharing an old cherry picked tweet of Thalers do take note. pic.twitter.com/P2rNE6Um02  Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) October 15, 2017

Now, with the latest development, it is clear that Thaler never supported Modi's drive and even considered it deeply flawed.

The move had sucked out 86 percent of the currency in circulation and even resulted in deaths and depression among citizens. The slowdown in the economy has been partly attributed to the ban on notes which crippled the small-scale sector.

The introduction of Rs 2,000 notes has been criticised by many experts earlier too. A section of the economists questioned the very objective of the move asking if Rs 2,000 notes are being introduced, how would ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes be effective.

According to media reports, soon after the ban announcement, the government's note printing presses worked overtime to print the Rs 2,000 notes. The idea was to meet the demand for currencies at the earliest.

However, that did not help the people as they were stuck with the high value note as there were not enough lower denominations available.

However, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has now stopped printing Rs 2000 notes, with the focus shifting to lower denominations.
The line for a discussion called Judging the Judges had no right to be that long. One expected the lawyers to show up for this one and a few intellectuals here and there but the judiciary is really not the topic to grab eyeballs and eardrums.

In addition to that, the discussion was clashing with some of the headline acts of day 3 of the Tata Literature Live. The Experimental Theatre was playing host to Allan Sealy and Jeet Thayil talking on writing to offend while the Godrej Theatre had P Chidambaram and YV Reddy waxing eloquent on whether scams are here to stay.

Why the heavy interest in this discussion then? Chair Arghya Sengupta answered this question early on as he singled out the Supreme Courts conduct in Judges bribery case and noted that is what had made this discussion exceedingly relevant.

Power and accountability in the judiciary; where are the judges coming from?

Sengupta started off with drawing out the dichotomy of the Supreme Court which, while doing a tremendous amount of good, has also refused RTI applications on itself and passed orders like the one on the National Anthem. This point was taken further by human rights lawyer Mihir Desai, who pointed out the power of the apex court and the many forms of accountability it needs, in terms of appointment of good judges and the transparent functioning of the court.

Senior journalist, educationist and activist Teesta Setalvad gave the talk a broader perspective when she asked where the judges are coming from. This was a nod to the fact that the bar (and thereby the bench) in most of higher judiciary is dominated by a small, close-knit community of lawyers and there was a lack of diversity. She also expanded the discussion to all courts right from the Supreme Court to the district courts.

Then came the surprise package of the panel. Philippe Sands is a well-respected international lawyer but many times the foreigner on a panel on Indian law can just turn into a polite observer while the others discuss the issue. Sands was having none of that. Armed with extremely relevant examples and a world of experience, he was able to inform the debate with a tremendous international perspective.

The discussion then turned to the media and their perceived lack of coverage of the Judges bribery case. Important issues about contempt were raised and the panel seemed fairly united in arguing for getting rid of the contempt law to allow for better examination of the judiciarys actions.

The problems with judges and lawyers

Setalvad then questioned the unholy nexus between the bench (judges) and the bar (lawyers), and the conduct of the lawyers during the Judges bribery case where they resorted to sloganeering and shouted down the petitioners lawyer while the judges watched on. She asked why CCTVs couldnt be installed in the Supreme Court when they were present in the lower courts.

The appointment of judges then came to the fore as Desai mentioned how we only find out about the judges once they have been appointed and there is no public scrutiny done. Sands gave the example of the battle for an ICJ judgeship between Indias Dalveer Bhandari and Great Britains Christopher Greenwood where the process has been very transparent. He then talked about the independence of the UK judiciary which is ensured by an independent Judicial Appointments Commission.

On the issue of appointments, Sengupta bemoaned the lack of diversity on the bench and wondered how to ensure that the judiciary is more representative of the people. Setalvad took the question further as she said that the gender, caste and region all currently play a role in the appointment of judges. Pivoting to the post-appointment problems, she asserted that Gujarat was the best at treating its judges as they were known to get promotional shares in companies which could possibly be litigants before them.

Sands was visibly stunned at this piece of information as he juxtaposed it with how he once disclosed the fact that he was invited to the marriage of a lawyer representing a party in an arbitration that he was adjudicating.

The panel also waded into the controversy around the Judges bribery case and Sands gave an easily implementable idea to deal with the whole issue which is to randomise the process of assigning cases to judges thereby removing suspicions of bias. He added that the adjudicators identity will always influence a judgment and that should be factored in.

Lasting impressions

The discussion stayed on point very well despite three lawyers being on the panel. The audience questions were also intelligent ones as they raised the issues of consistency in judgments, the PIL culture and the post-retirement appointment of judges.

Sands was the star of the show because  while the others mostly talked about that the Indian scenario which might be known to someone with an interest in law  the Franco-British lawyer brought in new facts and perspective which greatly enriched the debate.

Really fine audiences and questions in #Mumbai - seriously good @tatalitlive lit fest ... world turning on its axis in discussion of #judicialindependence & #refugee/#identity issues... https://t.co/iZx0qMHu20  Philippe Sands (@philippesands) November 18, 2017

That being said, Setalvad and Desai were extremely knowledgeable as well and provided relevant examples in the Indian scenario. Sengupta chaired the discussion well and made sure that it stayed focused.

This was a discussion with coherent and knowledgeable panellists who ensured that while raising pertinent questions, they also answered as many as they could. This all added up to propel this panel to one of the best ones of the event.
New Delhi: Lower taxes and higher public expenditure could widen budget deficit in 2017-18, but steps taken by the government to broaden the tax base and improve spending efficiency would help in narrowing it going forward, US-based rating agency Moodys said.

In an interview to PTI, Moodys Investors Service VP (Sovereign Risk Group) William Foster said the agency believes that the governments commitment to fiscal consolidation remains and sustained growth would help it reduce debt burden.

Moodys had last week raised Indias sovereign rating for the first time in over 13 years, saying growth prospects have improved with continued progress on economic and institutional reforms. The rating was upgraded to Baa2 from Baa3 and rating outlook was changed to stable from positive.

Foster said the upgrade reflects the expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will enhance Indias high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt and will likely contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term.

Indias debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 68.6 percent and a government-appointed panel has recommended lowering it to 60 percent by 2023.

We forecast the general government budget deficit at 6.5 percent of GDP this fiscal year, similar to the last two fiscal years. Lower government revenues than planned in the Budget and somewhat higher government spending could lead to a deficit somewhat wider than targeted.

However, over time, measures aimed at broadening the tax base and improving the efficiency of government spending will contribute to a gradual narrowing of the deficit. Together with robust and sustained nominal GDP growth, this would be conducive to a gradual decline in the government debt burden, Foster said.

Foster, however, added that a material deterioration in fiscal metrics and the outlook for general government fiscal consolidation would put negative pressure on the rating.

General budget deficit includes expenditure incurred and revenue earned by both the Centre and States.

The rating could also face downward pressure if the health of the banking system deteriorated significantly or external vulnerability increased sharply, he added.

The central government, in Budget 2017-18, had set a target of 3.2 percent for fiscal deficit, which is the difference between the Centres revenue and expenditure, for this fiscal. It would be brought down to 3% next fiscal.

The Finance Ministry is scheduled to review the deficit target for the current financial year next month as it re- assesses revenue mop-up from the recently launched Goods and Services Tax (GST) and PSU disinvestment programme. The deficit has already touched 91.3% of the target in the first half of the fiscal.

Projecting GDP growth to moderate to 6.7 percent in the current fiscal, from 7.1 percent in 2016, Moodys said while GST and demonetisation have undermined growth over the near term, growth will rise to 7.5 percent in 2018-19 as the disruption fades.

According to Foster, the stable outlook denotes that Moodys does not expect a rating change in the foreseeable future. There are both positive and negative risks to the economy and Indias credit profile, Foster added.

His assessment is a material strengthening in fiscal metrics, combined with a strong and durable recovery of the investment cycle, probably supported by significant economic and institutional reforms would be credit positive.

In particular, greater expectation of a sizeable and sustained reduction in the general government debt burden, through increased government revenues combined with a reduction in expenditures, would put positive pressure on the rating. Implementation of key pending reforms, including land and labour reforms, could put additional upward pressure on the rating, Foster said.
Mumbai: Describing Larsen & Toubros non-executive Chairman A M Naik as a man with great vision, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Sunday he is the first and the original Make-in-India man.

My association with Naik goes back to 35 years, when I saw him as a young engineer and that was in 1983-84. At that time, he was the original Make-in-India man, Ambani said at the launch of Naiks biography titled The Nationalist here on Sunday evening.

The book, authored by Minhaz Merchant, details how Naik, in his 53 years at the nations largest engineering company, has travelled the long and arduous route to reach great heights.

During that period (1983-84), I had returned from the US and we wanted to build capacities. I was quite idealistic and wanted to build a world-class facility. So I thought we would have to import from Germany and Japan. But Naik told me the he would do it. That is the vision I saw in him in the 80s, Ambani said.

He further said the basic parameter in the 35 years of association was that we will make in India, but without compromising on the quality.

I told him that we want quality to be better than anyone else and you have the Reliance business, Ambani said.

Being a shop-floor man, Naik could understand the micro details and he was very ambitious. His curiosity and ambition is such that whenever, during our talks, I told him that foreign firms have got certain technology, he would strive to develop a much better version of it. When I told him about the CAD (computer-aided design) system, within three months, L&T had developed it.

Recently, I spoke to him about artificial intelligence and I am sure that within a few months you will tell me that your intelligence is better than the whole world, Ambani said.

He further said that the architecture of partnership between L&T and Reliance is cost-plus and a win-win.

Talking about the opportunity the country has going forward, Ambani said, In the next 10 years, India will go from a $2.26 trillion economy to $7 trillion. This will be the biggest opportunity in the world and I am sure that engineers like you and me and entrepreneurs will really take a lesson from your book and life.

Speaking at the event, Naik said, In 1965, destiny brought me to L&T. I entered the gates of Larsen & Toubro at Powai with a dream in my heart. I consider myself fortunate that I could join the company I had dreamt about, and eventually attain a position, from where I could reshape that very dream.

Naik said between 1999 and 2017, the groups revenue has grown from Rs 5,000 crore to nearly Rs 1,25,000 crore on a like-to-like basis.

During the same period, market capitalisation rose from around Rs 2,000 crore to over Rs 1,70,000 crore.

We have actively participated in national missions in nuclear power generation, aerospace, infrastructure and hydrocarbon. We are paving the way for a new future in defence, digital and smart world and getting prepared for a fast changing technology-driven environment, Naik said.

He further said the company was taking Brand India far beyond our shores by exporting high tech plants and systems to over 30 countries.
Bengaluru: Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined 'The Giving Pledge', an elite network of the worlds wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy.

The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis' letter signing up for the cause.

The letter said, "We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagwad Gita  "Karmanye Va dhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma karma phalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani."

"We have a right to do our duty,but no automatic right to the fruits from the doing. It is critical that we do not slip into inaction fearing that we may not be able to reap direct reward. It is to this ideal that we pledge," it added.

Later Bill Gates tweeted on his handle about Nilekanis' pledge on his twitter handle on Monday.

"I'm amazed by how @NandanNilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I'm delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge," Gates tweeted.

The Giving Pledge was created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in August 2010 following a series of conversations with philanthropists around the world about how they could collectively set a new standard of generosity among the ultra-wealthy.

It is an effort to help address society's most pressing problems by inviting the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will.

The Nilekanis are the fourth Indians after Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Biocon chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Sobha Developers Chairman Emeritus P N C Menon to sign up for The Giving Pledge.

Talking about their initiatives as EkStep, Nilekanis' letter said "We are excited by our initial experimentation with societal platforms in early education and see immense potential for scaling up diverse solutions.

They also said their philanthropic efforts would be directed at societal platforms, which are open, technology enabled ecosystems or nurturing networks.

"Our philanthropic journey of two decades has been led by Rohinis passion and commitment!" Nilekani tweeted.

Nilekani recently returned to Infosys as Non-Executive Chairman after the exit of Sikka as Infosys CEO.

Sikka quit following a long-standing feud between board and founders, especially N R Narayana Murthy, who had raised concern over falling corporate governance practises at Infosys.

Rohini is also founder of Arghyam, an initiative for safe and sustainable water.
It has now been some time since multiple allegations of sexual harassment and rape came out against Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, with most politicians, journalists and celebrities expressing shock and disgust.

His proximity to Democratic Party elites shines a light on how some leading feminist politicians, most notably Hillary Clinton, have been counterproductive to the cause of feminism, gender justice, sexual freedom and eradicating sexual harassment.

An interesting point to note is how it took nearly four days for Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, to react on the issue.

After denouncing Weinstein in a few sentences, Hillary used the occasion to speak against Trump and harassers in general, rather than ask women in her own party to speak up about sexism or harassment they may have faced within the party, or escalate the issue nationwide. This contradiction continued in her later social media posts.

It is indeed impossible to fathom how Hillary can jump on the #MeToo train (which she did)  without standing with Bill Clintons accusers, all of whom gave detailed accounts and none of whom are anonymous.

Why did the delay occur? Political proximity.

Weinstein has personally donated $1.3 million since 2000 to Democrats, including $300,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In addition, he donated a similar total sum of $300,000 to the Clinton Foundation. Records show that he was a top-tier donor and bundler for Hillary Clintons campaign, including the 2008 primary against Obama. Being a bundler meant procuring exponentially higher amounts of money every election cycle, making him a major financial asset. Progressive 'champions,' Senators Elizabeth Warren, Al Franken, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand have all been beneficiaries of his donations, as have centrists such as Senators Chuck Schumer, Martin Heinrich, Patrick Leahy, and Richard Blumenthal.

Many Democrats have attempted to wash their hands off the matter by donating similar amounts as they had received, to 'charitable' causes. The DNC followed suit but like many candidates, it handed the money to political organisations such as Emilys List, which finances the same candidates that the DNC endorses and finances. In short, the dirty money was funneled back into the same purposes. The Clinton Foundation, on the other hand, did nothing  it claimed it has already spent that money on charitable activities. The original sin remains  wining, dining and gladly taking money from a person who was a known harasser in elite circles.

Emails show that he frequently sought and was granted meetings with Hillary Clinton, and was on friendly enough terms to recommend her movies and share opinions on trivial matters. He also willingly used Clinton talking points and attack lines in the 2008 and 2016 primaries. One email shows his alarm at Bernie Sanders growing popularity among African-American and Latino youth, suggesting to smear him by linking one of his senate votes to the Sandy Hook issue. In interviews, he suggested that Sanders was unqualified for the post of President and that he was deluding voters.

As recently as July, he met with prospective Democratic establishment candidate for President in 2020 Kamala Harris. One of Barack Obamas daughters, Malia, interned with him in 2017, a few months after Barack Obama left office.

Historically, Clinton acted as both an enabler and apologist for the system that oppressed countless women for decades.

The Crime Bill that the Clintons campaigned for and got passed in the 1990s led to extremely high levels of criminal incarceration, disproportionately affecting minorities and devastating countless of families from communities of color. Last year, Hillary refused to condemn Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel for not resigning in the aftermath of mayoral interference in the Laquan McDonald shooting case or for shutting down schools in Chicagos poorer and more minority-inhabited districts.

Welfare Reform, which Hillary campaigned for in the '90s, led to the removal of single and divorced mothers from Social Security, something the Childrens Defence Fund disowned her for (Hillarys work with them form her only credentials of having worked for women and children," as she often touted during her 2008 and 2016 campaigns).

The 1996 Clinton Defense of Marriage Act derecognised and postponed LGBTQIA rights by nearly two decades until Obama and the Supreme Court obliged the queer community. The bottom line is  if you do not stand up for the rights of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women  you are not a feminist at all.

More recently, the moment the results were out, Hillary appropriated the victories of Democrats in the various state elections that occurred a few weeks ago, even though she had spent most of the past year promoting her last book What Happened, and her group Onwards Together had done little to help most of the victorious transgender candidates in the primaries (for whom so many feminists and progressive groups had fought for).

Further, one cannot actively push for the bombing of civilian populations as Secretary of State, denying immigration to children from Haiti and Honduras  and go on to claim to be a champion of womens and childrens rights.

Gender issues today are intersectional but the delegates from the Clinton camp voted against a $15 minimum wage with future cost of living adjustments, against a blanket ban on fracking, against free public healthcare (single-payer), against free tuition in public colleges and universities, against the pipelines that displaced thousands of families  when the time came for drafting the Party Platform for the 2016 election.

The era of taking minority and women voters for granted is over, and the current Democratic leadership, both women and men, who often sided against workers, women and minorities under Democratic rule, are unfit for representing the aspirations of most voters.

Clinton, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Neera Tanden, Dianne Feinstein, Claire McCaskill and countless other leaders of the Democratic Party are well entrenched in the SuperPAC-Lobbyist-Consultant system that runs Washington DC.

Hijacking feminism for a presidential campaign

Clinton is guilty of appropriating and monopolising feminism for her personal Presidential campaign for one and a half year, co-opting struggles, getting the Democratic Party coffers reallocated to the Hillary Victory Fund rather than to womens groups and affiliates, or for local election races. This proved tactically disastrous.

Instead of focusing on protecting womens rights in each state and ensuring no regressive candidates at the local level are able to erode the gains made over the decades by women, it became a one-seat war against a sexist, racist businessman running for President  which evidently required the money of many more racist, sexist businessmen to wage.

The DNC and the Clinton campaign disenfranchised millions of women in New York, California and other states from voting in the primary. Superdelegate after superdelegate pledged to Clinton before the primary and during the Democratic National Convention despite the polls predicting her loss to Trump in those states. Further, the rigging of the Democratic primary only served to elect Donald Trump. Democrats lost most state and local electoral races too.

The 'feminist' campaign proved rather skilled at insulting and disrespecting women voters. Gloria Steinem, already notorious for how she, along with Hillary Clinton, shamed Bill Clintons accusers in the 1990s despite the credible evidence they procured, characterised female supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders as backing him simply because the men were. Madeline Albright, during the primary, asked women voters to vote Hillary as there was a special place in hell for women who dont help each other. I have written elsewhere that there is nothing more regressive or sexist than asking women to vote blindly en masse, not based on individual choice or thinking or the issues, for a female candidate just based on gender.

Clinton also employed the man who smeared Anita Hill in the 1990s when she accused to-be Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, David Brock, as the head of her propaganda team, in addition to taking money from SuperPACs run by known misogynists and sexual offenders.

During her campaign, she lined up women accusers of Trump for a press conference, declaring her belief in the principle of supporting complainants in good faith. The same good faith was not displayed in the 1990s when several women came with accusations of sexual harassment and rape against Bill Clinton. Further, since then, neither did Hillary follow up on the issue of Trumps accusers, nor did she assist the survivors in pursuing legal action against him.

Harassment, Gender Justice and the Way Forward

Why did harassers get away with it for so long? Not just industry connections but political connections made men such as Weinstein too powerful for victims to take on individually. Decades-long sexual harassment under political cover is a damning indictment of the complacency in the Democratic Party on gender issues.

Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, Weinstein, Anthony Weiner, Kevin Spacey, Jeffrey Epstein, Howard Gutman, Mel Reynolds are only some of the people who had close proximity to Democratic Party leaders. Many of these were known harassers in their own professional or social circles or donor networks. Some are lawmakers or prospective (or former) lawmakers like Roy Moore, Al Franken and Weiner.

Further, some of the powerful offenders employ tactics previously used in the 1990s by Bill Clintons coterie including Hillary, when cases began to spill out. A report states that The Observer has gained access to a secret hitlist of almost 100 prominent individuals targeted by Harvey Weinstein in an extraordinary attempt to discover what they knew about sexual misconduct claims against him and whether they were intending to go public. Similar strategies were used by ex-Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.

In many of the accounts coming out today, a common refrain is the survivor being told by a co-worker that hes just like that, as is often being warned about the accuseds 'tendencies' beforehand  normalising such behavior and offering only caution. That such 'tendencies' are allowed to exist unpunished for years and decades, only to encourage serial offenders  tells us a lot about the scope of knowledge and abetment in elite circles. It happens in the Republican Party (Trump, Roger Ailes, and Bill OReilly are just a few examples), and in the Democratic Party as well, though the former never claimed to stand for feminism (only for family values).

A few women are in power in the world today  Hillary was one of the early ones. When those few, who broke the glass ceiling and gave women the first foothold in the corridors of power, end up being behind the times (as Clintonian apologists put it) rather than with or ahead of them  the feminist movement and the urgency of gender justice stand betrayed.

Today, the last presidential nominee of the Democratic Party was a woman, as were the last two DNC Chairs, as is the current House Minority Leader, as are the main 'progressive' Democrat senators. The main feminists in the party are hardly stepping up. It is indeed difficult to credibly switch sides once the tide has turned the other way when you were an enabler of the previous system. Co-opting feminism and feminists can never be a solution. Outrageous levels of sexual violence still occur in modern society today  the floodgates must be held open by these vanguards for authentic progressive gender rights activists to occupy legislative positions.

The author is a PhD Scholar in Modern and Contemporary History at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Both images from AP.
Even after deferring the release date of the film, the makers of Padmavati are still in hot water. According to a tweet by ANI, the Central Board of Film's Certification has rejected the plea of the makers to expedite the certification process.

The makers have been asked to come as per the sequence.

#FLASH Central Board of Film Certification turns down application by makers of #Padmavati seeking to expedite Certification process of the movie pic.twitter.com/zlRjHOwtTe  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Already mired in countless controversies, the film's future looks uncertain as Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh bans the film in the state. According to a News18 tweet, the politician has taken the decision even after the film stands deferred.

#BREAKING -- #Padmavati banned in Madhya Pradesh even before its release by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/yHrY9zWAbO  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 20, 2017

Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, too, has jumped on the bandwagon, by announcing that he will not let Padmavati release in the state until controversial scenes are snipped. The legendary queen had sacrificed her life instead of surrendering before the Mughals and made a place for herself in the history. Islamic invaders created a lot of mayhem in the country. The 'Rani' burnt herself alive in 'Jauhar' for her 'satitva' (pride) and dignity, reports News18.

Shahid Kapoor, who had maintained amid raging controversies, has finally spoken. The actor who plays Raja Rawal Ratan Singh says "I hope Padmavati will release soon." He also seeks government intervention and says, "I want authorities to help in releasing Padmavati," as per India Today TV reports. The National Commission for Women has also sent a notice to BJP, seeking action against the leader, as per News 18 TV reports.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 20 November condemned the ongoing controversy over the film, labeling it as "unfortunate" and a "calculated plan" to destroy freedom of expression. "The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency," Banerjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress supremo exhorted the film industry to protest in unison. "All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."
Hyderabad: Actress Deepika Padukone, who is at the centre of a row over Padmavati, has pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), that will have US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the inauguration on 28 November.

A senior official of the Telangana government said on 20 November that Deepika has declined to attend the event. The actress was expected to speak at a session on 'Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood: The Path to Moviemaking' on 29 November.

"Earlier Deepika Padukone was expected to be in that session but now she has declined," said Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Information Technology, Government of Telangana. He, however, said the reason for her decision is not known. The official was explaining to media persons that the list of speakers is yet to be finalised as there have been several changes.

Deepika's move comes amid a raging row over Padmavati, which was scheduled to be released on 1 December. Protest by Rajput groups forced the producer to defer the release. Some leaders of BJP and right-wing groups have threatened the actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Few have even announced rewards for killing them. A leader of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasbha (ABKMS) has announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for "burning the actress alive".

Deepika plays the role of a Rajput queen in the movie. Some Rajput groups allege that Bhansali has distorted history and portrayed the queen in poor light.

Being co-hosted by the United States and India, the GES, with the theme 'Women First, Prosperity for All', will bring together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters from around the world for two-and-a-half days of training and mentoring.
Amidst the ever-mounting controversy that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati seems to be embroiled in, more political figures have spoken out and weighed in on whether the film should be released or not, along with responding to other political leaders, and commenting on the security issue that is being faced by the film's lead actor Deepika Padukone and Bhansali.

The Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to the DGP of Karnataka directing him to ensure amped up security for Deepika Padukone and her family amidst the rising controversy surrounding Padmavati and the threats of violence against Padukone who stars as Rani Padmini in the film.

Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to DGP Karnataka directing ensuring security of Deepika Padukone and her family #Padmavati  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Devender Rana has also spoken out as he urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to ban the release of Padmavati in Jammu and Kashmir, whenever it gets the go-ahead from the CBFC. In a letter addressed to Mehbooba Mufti, Rana said: "The release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati is likely to hurt the sentiments of a particular community/religion and thus holds the potential to disrupt peace in Jammu region." He said he was all for a ban on the movie in the state as many delegations from across Jammu region had approached him on the issue in the last couple of days.

Padmavati's 1 December release was recently 'voluntarily deferred' as it hasn't received its certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) along with looking at the political unrest that the film is causing in the country.

(With inputs from agencies)
Decades from now, when our future generations read about the cinema of our times, Nov 19, 2017 will be an important date.

On Sunday, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures announced that it has voluntarily deferred the release date of Padmavati from December 1. This was done in light of the controversy against Sanjay Leela Bhansalis distortion of history that has been brewing for almost a year now. It started with members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena assaulting Bhansali on the sets of the period drama in Jaipurs Jaigarh Fort in January. Two months later, a mob torched an outdoor set of the film in Kohlapur.

The protests started gathering steam after the films trailer was launched in October. Over the past fortnight, this controversy over a film based on a fictional story has resulted in threats of not just vandalising theatres but of bodily harm.

BJPs Haryana Chief Media Coordinator Suraj Pal Amu first threatened, if you do not take back your words, we will break your legs before announcing a Rs 10 crore reward to anyone who beheads Bhansali or his principal cast of Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. The head of Shri Rajput Karni Sena has even called for Deepikas nose to be cut off (invoking the fate of Surpanakha, Ravans sister whose nose was lopped off by Lakshman in the Ramayan).

Also Read: Padmavati controversy: A timeline of the setbacks faced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film

These threats have been made on the record and, yet, there have been no legal repercussions. Regardless of whether there is any intention of carrying out these brazen threats, the fact that the government has completely ignored them is very worrying. The governments complicity, both in the state and at the center, cannot be ignored. In this fight between a film and right-wing agitators, the government has picked the side it is supporting. And, its not the largest film industry in the world.

This is not the first time that a Bollywood film has faced the ire of a section of the population. The Rajput Samaj of Ahmedabad was unhappy with Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela; the Maharastra Navnirman Sena protests against the presence of a Pakistani actor in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil; VHP and Bajrang Dal burnt posters of PK while the All India Muslim Board demanded that the film be edited in the interests of communal harmony. In comparison, the protests against Padmavati seem to have been more extreme and widespread. And, thats only because Bollywood as an industry has not used its might to come down heavily on what used to be fringe elements that have become mainstream.

Every time a film is attacked, the immediate reaction of everyone involved is to apologise. Studios spend crores to make a movie so when there is a roadblock, the easiest thing is to take the path of least resistance  apologise and appeal to politicians for support. But all thats done is to make the industry weaker.

Its hard to believe that an industry teeming with icons who sell us everything from Swacch Bharat to tiles, cant take on leaders of fringe parties. Its time for a show of strength from Bollywood. A tweet or a sound byte is not going to cut it.

The government comes to Bollywood for everything from inaugurating events to public service announcements and even to entertain foreign dignitaries. Now, imagine if Bollywoods biggest and brightest stars just refused to work with the government unless a solution is found for the bullying that their films are subjected to.

Bollywood has to take a stand as an industry that shows without a shadow of doubt that it cant be browbeaten like this. Otherwise, whats happened with Padmavati will be remembered as the first step on a very slippery slope.

The balls in your court, Bollywood.
As the Padmavati controversy intensifies with each passing moment, the Supreme Court in a hearing dismissed a PIL seeking a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film.

According to India Today TV reports, the apex court made it clear that it is "not inclined to interfere in the matter" before the certification process is completed. The court specified that it cannot take over the responsibilities of the Central Board of Certification (CBFC).

A tweet by News18 confirms the development.

#BREAKING - Supreme Court rejects plea to stay release of Padmavati, says let CBFC do its job #PadmavatiDrama #PoliticalPadmavati pic.twitter.com/p1yGkbjxGB  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 20, 2017

Interestingly, the CBFC has rejected the plea of the makers, seeking to expedite the certification process. The producers have been asked to follow the sequence and then get certification. CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi had expressed his displeasure with the makers of Padmavati, screening the film for certain sections without acquiring certification.

Several outfits have called for a ban on the film which they allege distorts historical facts by containing objectionable scenes between Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini. Many ministers have also demanded a ban on the film, while others are moving court. The latest minister to ban the film is Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who has said the film will not be screened in the state.

Following suit is Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, too, who has announced that he will not let Padmavati release in the state until controversial scenes are snipped.

The Karnataka state government had earlier sided with Padukone and has now announced that it will provide special security to the actress, as per India Today.
Mumbai: In a new twist to the Padmavati row, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has spoken to Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his upcoming film, a top party official said in Mumbai on 20 November.

Thackeray's conversation with Bhansali came during a meeting with some top Rajput community leaders who called on the Sena chief on Monday, seeking his intervention in the matter.

"We have made it clear that an amicable solution must be reached which does not harm the interests of the community. If Rajputs have objections to any scenes, then Bhansali must do the needful," Sena MP Sanjay Raut said in a briefing later.

He said that Rajput queen Padmavati was a source of pride for not only the people of Rajasthan but Hindus all over the country, who admire her valour and special place in the Indian history.

According to Raut, the Rajput community leaders apprised Thackeray of the ongoing nationwide controversy on Padmavati and sought his intervention to ensure that nothing offensive to the community was allowed to be shown through the film.

The meeting came amidst a raging row over the content of the film. Certain scenes and sequences, including a dance number by Queen Padmavati, and some other aspects of the movie have angered the Rajput community who term it as "erroneous" and "insulting" depiction.

Bhansali attempted to clear the air by screening it for a few media persons even as the film awaits Central Board for Film Certification, but this further angered the community. Community leader and Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Raj Purohit has demanded that Bhansali write to the community and arrange a special screening for them. "Only after the community is fully satisfied that there is no objectionable content in the film, they will permit its release," he stated.
The Office of Public Instruction will not create a curriculum that Montana teachers can use to address childhood sexual abuse in their classrooms.

OPI Communications Director Dylan Klapmeier said HB 298  which its sponsor later named Taras Law  doesnt recommend or require that agency create a curriculum for the school districts.

There were many versions of the bill discussed and debated and many people who wanted curriculum, but that isnt what ended up passing, Klapmeier said. Curriculum is created at the local level currently.

Instead, Klapmeier said OPI will focus on creating classes that address childhood sexual abuse for educators to take as part of their continuing education requirements.

Tara Walker Lyons said if OPI wont create the curriculum, shell look for other partners who will.

The legislation came about after Lyons went to Helena to meet with lawmakers about the need to prevent childhood sexual abuse through education. Lyons was abused when she was 12 years old by a relative and has become an outspoken advocate for the need for early education to prevent that abuse.

The legislations supporters had hoped it would provide the springboard for Montana to join the 45 other states that have already taken the step to require schools to teach young children about the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching and how to reach out to the proper adults for help.

The next legislative session wont meet until 2019, Lyons said. Sitting on our hands for two years is not an option, at least not for me.  Im not a person to sit back and say darn. I know we need to work together to create an actual outcome that accomplishes what we set out to do.

As a first step, Lyons said she will reach out to officials at Hamiltons child advocacy center, Emmas House, to see if there is a possibility of the states child advocacy centers working together to create a curriculum that could be offered to school districts for their consideration.

This is definitely a hit and it definitely sets me back a little bit, but at the same time, its not a surprise, she said. There was no money attached to the bill. I am encouraged by the fact that OPI has posted the bill on its website. I know were not being ignored. I feel like their hands are tied because of the money. We have to hope that we can come up with something in the interim. When we have that, well approach OPI and see what they think.

We just want to get everyone on the same page and get this to the schools, Lyons said.

As passed, HB 298 doesnt require OPI to really do anything. There is no mandate or funding that accompanied the legislation that encouraged OPI to increase awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse by developing policies and make them available to school districts.

Those model policies and procedures that OPI was encouraged to develop focused on awareness, prevention, response and reporting of child sexual abuse.

The bills sponsor, Rep. Ed Greef, R-Florence, said initially the bill included $1.5 million in funding. In that fiscal note, which Greef said OPI assisted in developing, the expected expense was focused on creating curriculum that could be used by school districts.

That was the heart and intent of the bill," Greef said.

He said the fiscal note was removed from the legislation after it became apparent the bill would not pass if it required funding under the fiscal constraints that the state was facing during the legislative session.

We knew it would die in the appropriations committee, he said. It would just be a dead end. After consulting with other legislators, there was a consensus that it was important to get this started. Most definitely, when you look back at the fiscal note, curriculum and application in the classroom was there.

During those discussions, Greef said OPI Superintendent Elsie Arntzen said there were already a lot of programs in place throughout the nation that school districts could use.

They could get started down this path because there was already a lot of data out there for them to tap into, Greef said. Right now, Im sensing that the school districts havent heard much at all about this. Im going to start communicating with OPI and try to get a dialogue going about that.

For OPI to create the curriculum, Klapmeier said it would have needed the funding to hire a specialist that the agency currently doesnt have on board.

We dont want there to be a misconception that curriculum is coming or that it is supposed to be coming, he said.

Its not that we are trying to disregard the intentions of the law, Klapmeier said. It was a noble law that was passed and that Rep. Greef was taking up.

OPIs health and safety division is looking at other states for potential guidance, but at this point, Klapmeier said its not clear whether the resources already in place in other states would be a fit for Montana.
In Karthis latest action drama, Theeran Adhigaram Ondru, dubbed in Telugu as Khakee, he plays DSP Dheeraj in a small town in Tamil Nadu. He comes across a shocking murder case in his area, where an entire family is brutally murdered by unidentified assailants. And as he digs deeper, he finds out that there have been more such murder cases pending all over Tamil Nadu.

Over the course of the next eight years or so, he hunts down the criminals and finally, his search ends in Rajasthan where some members of the Bawaria community are responsible for this series of murders. The story is inspired from Operation Bawaria,' led by SR Jangid, which was launched in January 2005 soon after the murder of AIADMK Gummidipoondi MLA Sudarsanam.

Theeran Adhigaram Ondru is an incredibly well-researched film which not only thrills the audience but also educates us about the history of crimes and how thugees  the assassins of medieval India  shaped the law and order in the pre-Independence era. And that makes a huge difference to the film-viewing experience. For the past two decades, we have become so habituated to watching filmy cops taking on gangsters, mafia dons and local goons that a story like the one in Karthis film comes across like a breath of fresh air in the genre.

This is not the only action crime thriller which has forced us to look at genre from a fresh perspective. Suriyas Singham series is one of the most successful franchises in South India, and starting from Singham, which released back in 2010, to the recent Singham 3, the franchise has expanded the scope of what an Indian cop can do. Leaving aside its over-the-top and loud action, the films lead actor Duraisingham (Suriya) begins his journey as a sub-inspector in a small village in Tuticorin district in Tamil Nadu. In the first part of Singham, Duraisinghams arch nemesis is an extortionist named Mayil Vaaganam (Prakash Raj). Three years later, when Singham 2 hit the screens, Duraisingham, who is now promoted as a DSP, takes on Danny, an international arms and narcotics smuggler, and the ensuing chase takes Duraisingham all the way to South Africa to hunt down the criminal. Later, in Singham 3, the plot revolves around a major international racket which addresses an environmental issue of disposing medical waste and the chase spans across Australia, Malaysia and India.

In both Theeran Adhigaram Ondru and the Singham series, the thrill lies in the chase, and not necessarily, the lead actors ability to make you empathise with his mission. And this is where the problem lies with most films in this genre. Given Telugu and Tamil film industries' obsession with cop dramas, where almost every hero worth his salt is willing to play a cop, quite often the emphasis is more on the heros body language than the mission itself. In Telugu, leaving aside films like Gabbar Singh and Temper, which changed the onscreen image of Pawan Kalyan and NTR respectively, in most cop, dramas the villain is reduced to a puppet, who is tamed by the hero mid-way, and there is nothing left to root for in the third act of the story.

So, what makes an action thriller click? The answer lies in how well any given film treats its villain. The more mysterious he or she is, the more enriching the experience of watching the film. A case in point is Thani Oruvan, where Arvind Swamys portrayal of a sophisticated villain, Siddharth Abhimanyu, was miles apart from anything that we had seen in recent times. In the film, Siddharth Abhimanyu is a highly regarded scientist; however, he has a plan of his own. In turn, Mithran (Jayam Ravi), who is an IPS officer, goes on a wild goose chase which ends at Siddharth Abhinmayus lab where he learns about the latters true colours. Talking about the film, Arvind Swamy had once said, Mohan Raja and I co-wrote significant portions of the films and I was very clear that I didnt want to play a conventional villain. Siddharth Abhimanyu had to be as sophisticated as possible and his expressions are so subtle that you have trouble believing that hes a criminal. Thats what differentiates the film and the character from others in the genre. He could not be more right.

In Theeran Adhigaram Ondru, the villain Oma, played by Abhimanyu Singh, looks as scary and uncouth as Dheeraj imagines him to be. The film almost reminded me of Ram Gopal Varmas Killing Veerappan, where a joint special investigation team from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, led by Shivarajkumar, go on a massive hunt to nab Veerappan. The jungle is his safe haven; however, as he starts losing his gang members, Veerappan becomes increasingly restless and ultimately, his failing health and political ambition lead to his downfall. While Oma is no Veerappan, his belief that he is invincible is shattered when Dheeraj tracks him down against all odds.

Action thrillers revolving around cops and criminals are a typical case of David vs Goliath. You might be rooting for David throughout the journey but the fact that he might hit a dead end or lose his patience in his endeavour to take down Goliath looms large almost till the end.

There is no dearth of stories about cops and dreaded criminals who gave various police officials and governments sleepless nights. There is Charles Shobraj, who continues to pique everyones interest even after so many years, the many dons of Mumbais underworld, and brave cops who took on each one of them. Who knows what else is hidden in the tons of files and how many untold stories are waiting to be told. For now, the writing on the wall is clear  it is the mission that makes a film unrelenting and thrilling, and it is time to cut to the chase and look beyond the borders for more fascinating stories.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Amsterdam and Paris won the right to host two EU agencies that must leave London because of Brexit after an extraordinary ministerial meeting in Brussels that left both results decided by drawing lots from a fishbowl. The European Medicines Authority (EMA), a key element in the continents healthcare industry, will go to Amsterdam, which tied with favourite Milan; the European Banking Authority (EBA) will go to Paris, winner in the lucky dip over Dublin, which won some sympathy votes due to the pain Brexit is causing Ireland. Among other big losers was Frankfurt, whose rivalry with Paris to displace London as the EUs main financial centre once Britain leaves the bloc in 2019 took a hit when it finished a distant third in the three-way, second-round vote for the EBA, which sets rules for testing the resilience of EU banks. Also licking wounds from a secret ballot that tested friends and rivals in a race for lucrative spoils were the ex-communist countries of eastern Europe, which complain they host few of the EUs 40-odd agencies due to joining late. Among winners were the EMA and its 900 staff, many of whom had said they might quit if posted to the poorer east, a threat that had raised concern about disruption in drug approvals. It was the abstention of Slovakia, piqued by its capital Bratislava being narrowly knocked out of the EMA voting in the first round, which allowed Amsterdam to pull level with early leader Milan and tie the runoff at 13-13 - a result few had expected given that all 27 member states bar Britain had a vote. Diplomats expressed astonishment that the EBA also went to a tie, obliging Matti Maasikas, the Estonian minister chairing the meeting, to dip his hand in for a second time to pick one of two balls from a fishbowl produced by officials for the day. Its like losing a final on penalties, Italys EU affairs minister Sandro Gozi told reporters, adding that it had left a bitter taste in the mouth for an EMA bid that was not behind at any stage. He rejected, however, talk of betrayal among any allies who had promised Milan support before the secret ballot. PHARMA WELCOME FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is seen in London, Britain April 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File PhotoThe outcome was welcomed by European pharmaceuticals bodies. Businesses now need certainty, said Steve Bates, CEO of Britains BioIndustry Association. We must now ensure Brexit does not disrupt the safe supply of vital medicines. Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra and French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau - who both congratulated their Estonian counterpart on his lucky hand - told reporters both agencies would be ready to open their doors in Amsterdam and Paris on Monday, April 1, 2019, following Britains formal withdrawal from the European Union at the start at the weekend. Both dismissed suggestions that the process had been a slap to hopes of healing feelings of disgruntlement with the EU among increasingly nationalistic governments in parts of the east. While regional balance had been among criteria that ministers were asked to observe in voting, so too was the ability to maintain the business continuity of agencies which already have about 1,000 employees between them in London. In all, 19 cities had bid for the prestige and economic boost that the arrival of the EMAs 900 staff and many offices for international pharmaceuticals companies will bring. Despite aggressive backroom dealmaking, the 27 EU states were keen to avoid any protracted and bruising dispute in public, hoping to preserving a sense of unity that has emerged - so far - in negotiations over Brexit with Britain. Whatever the outcome, EU summit chair Donald Tusk tweeted ahead of the votes, the real winner of todays vote is EU27. Organised and getting ready for Brexit.

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Canada and Mexico will not make counterproposals to U.S. demands for tougher NAFTA automotive content rules but instead will question and rebut them on Monday, people familiar with the talks said. Flags are pictured during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoThe move underlines how little progress negotiators have made in the fifth of seven planned rounds of talks to update the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Sources with knowledge of the talks said on Sunday that they ran the risk of grinding into a stalemate because of Canada and Mexicos unhappiness about U.S. proposals. The Trump administration last month stunned its NAFTA partners by demanding that half of the content of all North American-built autos be produced in the United States and that the regional vehicle content requirement be sharply increased to 85 percent from the current 62.5 percent. Canada will say that would cause serious damage to the United States as well as North American automotive manufacturing, a Canadian source with knowledge of the negotiations said. An official from one NAFTA nation said the United States was frustrated that Canadians had not responded to the main proposals laid down by the Trump administration. In response, the Canadian source said: Were not going to provide a counterproposal on something we think is a non-starter. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to stem the flow of U.S. car making jobs to low-wage Mexico and reverse a $64 billion U.S. trade deficit with its southern neighbor. Hanging over the talks are increasing fears that he will follow through on a promise to pull out of NAFTA and that economic damage would follow. The Canadian dollar edged lower against its U.S. counterpart on Monday, in part because of concerns about the negotiations. In San Antonio, Texas, a senior U.S. official told a Senate panel that the administration wanted to rebalance the large automotive trade deficit with Mexico. Stephen Vaughn, general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representatives office, said since autos produced in North America qualified for duty-free status under NAFTA, are we making sure that the U.S. is getting enough benefits from that production to justify those privileges? Canada and Mexico say the content proposal would not work. In terms of the automotive sector, the United States proposal is insane, a Mexican auto industry representative with knowledge of the talks said on Sunday. You cannot counterpropose such madness. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representatives office declined to comment on Monday. Flavio Volpe, president of Canadas Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said the proposals would damage North American competitiveness and lead to fewer auto assembly and parts jobs on the continent. Volpe told Reuters that even if some assembly operations return to the United States, moving parts production to Asia and other low-cost areas would more than offset those job gains. Many car manufacturers and parts makers will simply forego NAFTA free-trade benefits and pay the 2.5 percent U.S. tariff on many components, he added. Raising those tariffs would violate commitments the United States has made to the World Trade Organization. His organizations U.S. counterpart, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, last month unveiled a study showing that the United States would lose up to 24,000 auto parts manufacturing jobs from higher NAFTA content requirements and up to 50,000 if NAFTA is terminated. The Mexican auto industry representative said the countrys negotiators would probably ask more technical questions about the U.S. automotive content demands during discussions on Monday and Tuesday.

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russias VTB Capital, one of Russias biggest gold traders, aims to more than double sales of the precious metal to China next year, its global commodities chief said, after import curbs forced it to cut its target for this year. Participants attend the VTB Capital "Russia Calling!" Investment Forum in Moscow, October 1, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/FilesThe investment banking unit of Russias No.2 lender VTB, VTB Capital also trades grains, iron ore, oil and oil products and commodities head Atanas Djumaliev said it is looking at expanding to trade platinum group metals and non-ferrous metals such as zinc and cobalt, to help diversify VTB groups revenues away from banking. Russias largest gold-trading banks have been trying to increase their presence in Asian markets, especially since a stand-off between Russia and the West over Moscows involvement in Ukraine has cooled demand for Russian gold in European trading hubs since 2014. VTB Capital sold 23.3 tonnes of gold to India so far this year, up almost 86 percent compared to the whole of 2016, Djumaliev told Reuters in a recent interview. It has also sold 6.2 tonnes of gold to China via the Shanghai Gold Exchange, or a 170 percent increase from the whole of 2016, and sees that rising to about 9 tonnes by the end of 2017. Next year, it aims to sell 20 tonnes of gold to China and 35 tonnes to India, he said. Djumaliev said gold sales targets for China were adjusted for this year due to various restrictions introduced by the government. China has curbed gold imports in a move to limit yuan currency outflows. In September, its net gold imports via main conduit Hong Kong fell about 8.5 percent, month-on-month, to the lowest level in over three years. VTB has also seen its gold loans in Turkey soar 170 percent this year to 6.2 tonnes so far, as the Turkish authorities urged people to invest in gold, Djumaliev said. DIVERSIFYING VTB Capital is the biggest Russian bank to trade gold, ahead of Sberbank, Russias top bank. While Russia is the worlds third-largest gold producer, growth potential in gold trading in the domestic market is limited as there are no large consumers other than the central bank, one of the worlds largest holders of bullion. As VTB Capital looks to expand into other metals, Djumaliev said it had recently hired Gregory Frith from Standard Bank as a global head of precious metals trading based in Hong Kong. The bank aims eventually to develop platinum and palladium trading. We havent previously focused as much on the platinum group, but now we see great potential in this segment and opportunities to expand our global business, Djumaliev said, without giving a timeframe. VTB has already bought 55 tonnes of gold on the Russian market this year and plans to increase volumes to 65-70 tonnes in total in 2017 and to 70-80 tonnes next year, Djumaliev said. Its silver purchases totalled 155 tonnes so far this year and are expected to rise to 170180 tonnes in total in 2017. In 2018, they will fall to 160 tonnes, Djumaliev said. The bank also plans to sell 300 tonnes of silver to India this year, he said.

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Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said that another youth who had joined the militant ranks, gave up weapons and has returned to his family.

In a statement the state police said: "Responding to the appeal of parents, one more youth who had joined militant ranks has returned home in South Kashmir."

Monday's development comes after Majid Khan, a second year college student who had joined the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, returned to his family on 17 November after an appeal from his mother.

Security forces have said no charges would be pressed against youths who have strayed and have committed no crime.
HOUSTON/DUBAI (Reuters) - As Venezuelas dilapidated energy sector struggles to pump enough crude oil to meet the countrys OPEC output target, rival producers within the exporters group have started to plug the gap, OPEC and industry sources said. Pedestrians walk next to a gas station of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Marco BelloThe South American countrys oil output hit a 28-year low in October as state-owned oil giant PDVSA struggled to find the funds to drill wells, maintain oilfields and keep pipelines and ports working. Venezuela's oil production, which has been falling by about 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) per month since last year, is on track to fall by at least 250,000 bpd in 2017 according to numbers reported to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as U.S. sanctions and a lack of capital hobble operations. [For a graphic on Venezuelan and Iraqi oil shipments to the United States and India, click tmsnrt.rs/2A9EKCH] Some OPEC members expect the fall to accelerate in 2018, reaching at least 300,000 bpd, OPEC sources said. At a recent internal OPEC meeting, Venezuelan officials were asked to give a clearer picture of the countrys declining output. A lot of questions have been raised by Saudis and others to the Venezuelans to present a real picture on the production status and decline, one of the sources said. The topic could come up later this month at the groups next meeting. Saudi Arabia will not raise its output to compensate for this decline as OPECs de facto leader is focused on reducing global oil stocks, one OPEC source familiar with Saudi oil policy told Reuters this month. But heavy oil from OPEC member Iraq and non-OPEC producers Canada and Brazil are already replacing Venezuelan barrels to key customers the United States and India, according to the sources and Thomson Reuters data. Iraq has increased shipments of crude and condensate to India by 80,000 bpd this year as Venezuelan deliveries fell by 84,000 bpd. The second largest OPEC producer also has exported 201,000 bpd more oil to the United States this year through October as Venezuelan shipments dropped about 90,000 bpd, according to the Reuters data. Venezuelas weaker output could be good for market rebalance and we could see price stay at $60 for a slightly longer time, one OPEC source said. That doesnt mean there will be no free riders, the source added. PLUGGING THE GAP Venezuela pumped 1.863 million bpd in October, undershooting its OPEC target by 109,000 bpd, according to an assessment that OPEC uses to monitor members output. Venezuela said it had pumped 1.955 million bpd, still below its output target of 1.972 million bpd. There often are discrepancies between the assessment and official figures reported by the OPEC members. When member countries have suffered supply disruptions in the past, other OPEC members have covered the gap, often without changing official production quotas. Saudi Arabia boosted its output in 2003 to offset Iraqs falling exports after the U.S. invasion, but the agreement was never formally disclosed. OPEC discussions of Venezuelas quota is not new. Proposals to change the countrys quota have been raised and batted down several times in OPEC meetings since the South American countrys production started declining in 2012, a Venezuelan government source said. Venezuela has argued in the past, when faced with questions about falling output, that it was working to reverse declines from its sizeable proven oil reserves. But it could be difficult for Venezuelan officials to convince OPEC that an upturn is likely in the near future as the country seeks to restructure $60 billion in debt. Dependent on oil revenues, Venezuela has seen its economy contract sharply in the three years since crude prices collapsed from over $100 a barrel. Reviews of quotas and reallocation of market share can be contentious, and the group may prefer to allow market forces to fill the supply gap left by Venezuelas decline rather than make an official share revision and reallocation to other members, one senior OPEC source said. A formal change would be opening a can of worms that OPEC would not want to do, the source added. OPECs oil ministers will meet in Vienna later this month to discuss supply policy. The group is expected to extend beyond March an agreement under which its members and rival producers, including Russia, have reduced joint output by about 1.8 million bpd. We want a successful meeting on Nov. 30, re-discussing quotas will not be accepted by Venezuela and talking about it at the meeting will just open the door for others to do the same, the senior OPEC source said.

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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board has submitted before the Supreme Court a proposal for settlement of the decades-old dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site, saying a temple can be built in Ayodhya and the mosque could be raised in Lucknow.

The board has told the top court that peaceful settlement between the parties was in "national interest" and would bring about harmony between Hindus and Muslims in the country.

In an application seeking to file settlement proposal, the board has claimed that they being the rightful owner of the disputed property were ready to give up "all the rights" over the land to pave the way for construction of Ram Mandir.

The board also said that to end the dispute, the state government shall also cooperate and allot one acre of land to the Shia community to construct a new Masjid outside Ayodhya, in Lucknow.

"Respecting such faith of Hindu community, the UP Shia Central Waqf Board, in the larger interest of nation, is ready to give up its all rights over the Babri Masjid land, a shia waqf for construction of Shri Ram Mandir with a view to bring an end to the dispute," the board has said in its proposal.

It said that they had taken the initiative and held discussions with "non-Muslim stake holders" in the matter and accused the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board of "wrongly staking its claim on the Babri Masjid".

The Shia board also claimed that the mosque built on the disputed land was a Shia mosque and, on the basis of evidence, it has been established that its last 'mutawalli' (a trustee of waqf) was a Shia Muslim.

It said the Sunni board's 22 February, 1944 notification wherby they recorded the Babri mosque as Sunni Waqf has been held invalid by the court.

"Keeping in view to resolve the mandir-masjid dispute, the government of UP shall also cooperate and out of nazul land lying vacant in Mohalla Hussainabad in front of Ghantaghar, Lucknow, allot one acre land to Shia community for constructing new masjid outside the religious peripheries of Ayodhya and for that purpose UP Shia Central Waqf Board has already made a written request to the UP government," the board said.

The application said that even in Islamic countries, mosques have been removed.

"In the national interest, the peaceful settlement between the parties will bring in harmony between Hindus and Muslims and country can be saved of communal conflicts in the future," it said.

The Shia board said it had held a series of meetings and discussions with several Hindu stakeholders, including Presidents of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and All India Akhada Parishad, and a compromise has been arrived at between them.

It had sought the apex court's permission to submit the settlement proposal.

Earlier too, the Shia Board had offered a solution saying that a mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a "reasonable distance" from the disputed Ayodhya site.

However, its intervention was opposed by All India Sunni Waqf Board which had claimed that judicial adjudication between the two sects had already been done in 1946 by declaring the mosque, which was demolished on December 6, 1992, as the one which belonged to the Sunnis.

The apex court had on August 11 said it would commence the final hearing in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute from December 5, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.

The court had reached a consensus on commencing the hearing on a total of 13 appeals filed against a 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.

The high court had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acre area at Ayodhya among the parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla (deity).

A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Hourt, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had said the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
Beijing: China on Monday dismissed a top Pakistani Army General's allegation that India has established a special intelligence cell at a cost of $500 million to sabotage the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it does not have any such report.

Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat on 14 November said had accused India of stoking "chaos and anarchy" in the region.

He alleged that Indians external intelligence agency RAW has established a special cell at a cost of $500 million to sabotage the CPEC. He also accused India of fanning terrorism in the restive province of Balochistan.

"We have no such relevant reports," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about the allegation.

Chinas rebuff over the allegation against India is significant considering that Beijing and Islamabad regard themselves as "iron brothers" sharing "all-weather ties".

Also in an apparent reference to Indias objections over the CPEC traversing through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Lu said: "We hope that CPEC could win more recognition and support from regional countries and the international community".

Pakistans top officials have been accusing RAW of sabotaging the CPEC as the Pakistani security forces had to battle numerous attacks by the Balochistan nationalist forces as well as the Islamic State in Balochistan province.

The CPEC connects Chinas restive Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

Lu said the CPEC is new type cooperation framework built by China and Pakistan for long-term cooperation development.

"It is important not just to the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity," he said.

He said China believes that it can work with Pakistan to ensure the success of the CPEC and the economic cooperation in various fields between the two countries.
NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - China called for a ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine State so that Rohingya Muslim refugees can return from Bangladesh, proposing a three-stage approach to the crisis as diplomats from 51 mostly Asian and European countries gathered in Myanmar on Monday. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the 13th Asia Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEM) in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmars Rakhine State. Amid a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe, rights groups have accused the Myanmar military of atrocities, while foreign critics have blasted Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace prize winner who leads a civilian administration that is less than two years old, for failing to speak out more strongly. On Monday, Suu Kyi opened an Asia-Europe Meeting for foreign ministers that had been scheduled in Myanmar before the outbreak of the crisis. Speaking in the capital of Naypyitaw on Sunday, having arrived from Dhaka, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed Myanmar and Bangladesh could work out a mutually acceptable way to end the crisis. The first phase is to effect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order, so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Wang. With the hard work of all sides, at present, the first phases aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war. During a meeting on Sunday, the ministry said, Wang told Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, As a friend of both Myanmar and Bangladesh, China is willing to keep playing a constructive role for the appropriate handling of the Rakhine State issue. Visiting Myanmar last week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made many of the same points, but he also called for a credible investigation into reports of atrocities. REPATRIATION PROCESS Once a ceasefire is seen to be working, Wang said talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh should find a workable solution for the return of refugees, and the final phase should be to work toward a long-term solution based on poverty alleviation. Myanmar and Bangladesh officials began talks last month to settle a repatriation process for Rohingya refugees, which Bangladesh expects to take to the next level in coming days. Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEM meeting, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said, We believe that stopping the violence, the flow of refugees and guaranteeing full humanitarian access to Rakhine state, and safe, sustainable repatriation of refugees are going to be key. Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi attends the 13th Asia Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEM) in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer Mogherini, who also visited Bangladesh over the weekend, said, Theres a real possibility of Myanmar and Bangladesh reaching a memorandum of understanding and agreement for the safe repatriation of refugees to Myanmar. The European bloc was ready to help with the process, she added. It was unclear, however, whether a safe return was possible, or advisable, for the thousands of Rohingya women and children still stranded on the beaches trying to flee hunger and instability in Rakhine. Myanmar intends to resettle most refugees who return in new model villages, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps. Besides restoring peace for Rohingya to return, Myanmar also had to resolve the issue of their citizenship, having treated them as stateless for decades, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told a news conference in Tokyo. Slideshow (5 Images)The UNHCR was ready to assist both countries with repatriation, he said, adding that it could help Myanmar with the citizenship verification of the Rohingya. Until now it has not been invited to participate in either. Much as resources are needed in Bangladesh to respond to the crisis, the solutions to this crisis lie in Myanmar, Grandi said. VIOLENCE LARGELY OVER The crisis erupted after the military launched a brutal counter-insurgency operation against the militants after attacks on an army base and 30 police posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25. Myanmars military has said that all fighting against the Rohingya militants died out on Sept.5. The group behind those attacks, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), had declared a one-month ceasefire on Sept.10, which was rejected by the Myanmar government. But there have been no serious clashes since. The United States and other Western countries have become more engaged with Myanmar since it began a transition to civilian government after nearly 50 years of military rule. Myanmars generals retain autonomy over defence, internal security and border issues in the current power-sharing arrangement. China, with close ties to both Myanmar and Bangladesh, has long been a key player in lawless borderlands where rebel ethnic groups have battled Myanmars government for decades in a conflict driving thousands of refugees to seek shelter in China.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
An outside review of the Casper Police Department recommends allowing its Office of Professional Standards more time to investigate officer misconduct and dole out punishment.

The review calls for more officers to be trained to investigate allegations of officer misconduct, to extend the investigative time frame and do away with an unused disciplinary matrix that could make the department vulnerable to lawsuits.

The police department will not make any decisions regarding the review until City Manager Carter Napier names a permanent chief, a department spokesman said. Napier said he expects to name a new chief by the end of the month.

Interim Chief Steve Schulz is one of the finalists for the position.

The 155-page review is the result of work that began in March. It used data, officer interviews, a site visit and more to assess all aspects of the department, from the dispatch center to officer schedules. The review was released last month.

Lt. Shane Chaney, who heads up the office, said the recommendations in the review were expected, but the department had not been able to implement them prior to the review because of the city's tight budget.

"I don't think that there were too many surprises (in the report)," he said.

Existing process

Lower-level accusations of misconduct, such as speeding in a patrol vehicle, are typically handled by an officer's sergeant. Most patrol sergeants aren't trained to investigate serious officer misconduct, according to the report. If those complaints can be immediately addressed to the satisfaction of the person who brought them forward, they often aren't entered into the department's personnel software.

That is changing, Chaney said.

The lieutenant said long-standing policy allowed for the software to be bypassed. The department now instructs its sergeants to enter minor complaints into a secondary software system in order to keep track of such complaints when an officer changes supervisors.

The department is also in talks with a Connecticut lawyer who helps train law enforcement officers in various procedures, including internal affairs, Chaney said. The department has had difficulty making the class cost-effective due to the relatively small nature of the department and the cost of travel. There are no local experts in the field, Chaney said.

"That's the struggle we have in Wyoming," he said.

Current rules

The department's rules require internal investigations be completed within two weeks. If a longer investigation is necessary, the office must request more time to complete it. The review board wrote that the current time frame is much shorter than those of other departments.

"Requiring administrative investigations to be completed within 14 days is extremely difficult if not impossible," the report states.

Despite this, Chaney said most investigations are completed within the mandated time frame.

"I generally don't ask for too many extensions," he said.

The department established a codified disciplinary matrix under prior leadership. It mandates penalties based on the severity of the offense. But the chief, who assigns punishments, can disregard the matrix.

The matrix was never fully instituted and now is largely disregarded, Chaney said. He said the department often uses a system of graduated punishment, in which a veteran officer will be held to a higher standard than a rookie. After an officer has spent some time on the force, he or she "should know better" than a new officer, he said.

Although the matrix in question is not used, the review suggests that its very existence makes the department vulnerable to lawsuits. By formally abolishing the matrix, the department would then do away with potential legal liability that appears whenever the matrix is disregarded, the review states.

City Attorney Will Chambers said he hadn't read the report and would be unable to comment on whether he thought the city was at risk of litigation related to police discipline procedures.
Beijing: China on Monday strongly objected to President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from "complicating" the border dispute when bilateral relations are at a "crucial moment".

President Kovind visited Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

"The Chinese government never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and our position on the border issue is consistent and clear," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media when asked about Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet.

China routinely objects to any senior Indian officials' visit to the area.

India has dismissed Beijing's objections, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and Indian leaders are as much free to visit the state as they are to any other part of the country.

Both countries are "in the process of settling this issue through negotiation and consultation and seek to reach to a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all", Lu said.

Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity, he said.

"China firmly opposes the Indian leaders relevant activities in the relevant region when China-India relations are at a crucial moment," he said.

"We hope India could work in the same direction and maintain general picture of bilateral ties and refrain from complicating border issue and work to create favourable conditions for border negotiations and for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties," he said.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China stretches to 3,488 kilometres.

On 6 November, China had raised objection to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Both sides held 19 round of talks by the Special Representatives to resolve the boundary dispute. The 20th round is expected to be held next month in New Delhi, though dates have not yet been announced.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi are the designated Special Representatives for the boundary talks.
United Nations: The permanent members of the UN Security Council are 'unnerved' by the prospect of India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari winning against Britain's candidate in the election to the last seat of the World Court as it would set a precedent that may challenge their power in the future, observers in the United Nations feel.

Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the Hague-based International Court of Justice, the sources say.

The permanent members of the Security Council  the US, Russia, France and China  appeared to have rallied behind Greenwood. Britain is the fifth permanent member of the Security Council.

In the 11 rounds of elections so far, Bhandari has been receiving the support of nearly two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly, but is trailing by three votes against Greenwood in the Security Council.

The 12th round of elections has been scheduled for Monday.

Britain on Friday in an informal consultation of the UN Security Council members mooted the idea of joint conference mechanism as it feels that this could be their only face-saving exit strategy, informed sources said.

As shared with other members of the Security Council during informal consultations, Britain would prefer to stop voting on the ICJ elections after the first round as it fears that otherwise, India could well cross the two-thirds mark. In that scenario, it would be very difficult for the UN Security Council to stop India's candidate from being elected to the ICJ.

However, the prospect of India winning against a P5 member through democratic means is something that this elite club of veto-wielding countries  Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States  are unnerved with, because this would set a precedent that they do not want to be repeated.

"Today it is Britain, tomorrow it could be any one of us" is the argument which has brought all these five countries together, sources say.

"If the one (of the P5) is going to be knocked off today, the other fear that they might be knocked off tomorrow," according to a source.

Such an assessment of the UN insiders is based on informed sources, as voting for the ICJ election in both the Security Council and the General Assembly are based on secret ballots and there is no way to know who voted for whom.

In all the rounds of the election so far, Greenwood has consistently got nine votes and Bhandari five in the Security Council. It is likely that on Monday India might increase its tally.

It is understood that both New Delhi and Permanent Mission of India to the UN have been working overtime to convince the members of the Security Council on the need to go by the voice of the majority of the General Assembly.

But by Sunday evening it appeared that Britain was ready to execute its plan, as per which after the first round of voting they would call for a meeting of the Security Council and would seek a mandate to stop any further round of voting, and would call for adoption of joint conference mechanism, which was last adopted in 1921.

However, this might come as a silver lining for India, sources said.

This is because the Security Council vote to stop further rounds of the ICJ election would be open and not through a secret ballot.

As a result, countries, many of whom have been pledging friendship with India but secretly voting against its candidate would be exposed in the open of raising their hands against India. This is something that members of the Security Council would avoid.

Of the Permanent Five members, the US under President Donald Trump has just come out a 100-year plan of friendship with India and renamed Asia-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region.

Incidentally, hours before the ICJ election, Trump would be meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at the White House.

It is not sure if Trump plans to weigh in on this issue in favour of India.

Trump has repeatedly called himself as the "best friend of India and Indian Americans" in the White House.

Russia is an all-weather tested friend of India. Over the past several decades, France has emerged as a reliable friend of India. The stand of China on a lot of issues is well known including Indias membership to the Security Council and Beijing vetoing a move to designate Azhar Masood as a global terrorist by the UN.

So, it would be quite a surprise, if China favoured an Indian candidate.

"When chips are down, you always get support from developing countries," commented one India watcher at the UN.

The voting in the General Assembly which overwhelmingly favours India is reflective of the new global order, which is not pleasant to the world powers.

Despite best of the British effort, their vote tally in the General Assembly has decreased with every other round of voting.

"That's why they are trying to find a face saver to get out of this," a source said.

India has been seeking that the democratic process needs to be played its full course in both the Security Council and the General Assembly and there should not be an intervention or adoption of a process that has never been used before or the one that undermines the voice of the majority.

The British move to stop voting after the first round might create bad blood between two important wings of the world body, which could have a long-term implication. The General Assembly might think that it has been denied its right to vote.

Hours ahead of the scheduled vote the UN General Assembly president and Security Council president is likely to hold another round of consultation with the stakeholders to explore what are their options.
The defence ministry has decided to scrap the deal for Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) with Israel and has asked the Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO) to indigenously develop and produce a Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), according to reports.

Ministry sources told The Indian Express that the decision to cancel the deal was based on the consideration that importing a foreign ATGM would adversely impact the programme for indigenous development of the weapon system by DRDO.

The sources further told the newspaper that DRDO had successfully produced the Nag and Anamika ATGMs and it is confident about providing the army with an MPATGM of third generation missile technology, at par with Spike, in three to four years.

The deal for the ATGMs was cleared in 2014 by the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by then defence minister Arun Jaitley, reported The Hindu but negotiations on the contract ran into trouble over cost and technology transfer. The deal included over 8,000 missiles, 300 plus launchers and requisite technology transfer to the Indian entity Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) initially.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to clear a backlog of defence orders and boost Indias firepower amid tensions with China and Pakistan, Reuters had reported.

India's defence ministry, according to Israel Defense, completed price negotiations with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems in May last year and deliveries were expected to be completed 48-60 months thereafter.

Rafael had even entered into a joint venture with Kalyani group to produce missiles in India. the first facility opened in Hyderabad and would have been able to deliver 200 missiles in a month. Top officials of the two companies told The Times of India that if the Indian armed forces required, they can also provide hightech air defence systems such as the Iron Dome and David's Sling.

The missile, The Times of India had reported, has a range of up to 2.5 kilometres and the army had already carried out its extensive trials in plains as well as deserts. It further reported that the Spike MR is a third generation portable multi-purpose electro-optical missile weapon system which weighs around 13 kilograms.

The missile can reportedly be deployed from a tripod, vehicles, helicopters and marine vessels. It is a 'fire and forget' anti-tank missile that locks on to targets before shooting.

Sources told PTI that the proposal to acquire the missile system faced hurdles when Israeli side apparently expressed reservations in ensuring full transfer of technology as per the provisions of the 'Make in India' initiative. They said the decision to retract the RFP was taken after the DRDO expressed confidence of producing the ATGMs.

The DRDO has now been told to work on the project and has been given four years to develop the missile, the sources said.

India had a choice between America's Javelin, built by Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, and Israel's Spike. US officials have been pushing the Javelin order since 2013 as part of a broader push to deepen defence industry ties with India by increasing the share of production done in the country.

The US had initially not agreed to provide critical technologies of the missile demanded by India and shown reluctance to make the missiles available for Indian experts to evaluate, Rediff reported. However, later Washington sweetened the deal and agreed to co-produce and co-develop the missile in India and partner with the DRDO, Business Standard said in a report.

The US offered the Javelin under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, implying that it would be contracted directly between the Pentagon and India's defence ministry, the Business Standard report added.

With the ministry believing that FMS deals are clean and Javelin being considered as world's premier man-portable, anti-tank missile, it came as a surprise when India chose Israel over the US.

That deal however, is now at an end.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi/Jerusalem: The government has decided to retract the process to acquire a batch of Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) from Israel for the Army, and asked premier defence research laboratory DRDO to develop it with indigenous technology.

The government has decided to retract the Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure the Spike missiles from an Israeli firm, official sources said. The sources indicated that the proposal to acquire the missile system faced hurdles when Israeli side apparently expressed reservations in ensuring full transfer of technology as per the provisions of the 'Make in India' initiative.

They said the decision to retract the RFP was taken after the DRDO expressed confidence of producing the ATGMs. The DRDO has now been told to work on the project and has been given four years to develop the missile, the sources said.

There was no official comment from the defence ministry on the issue.

India's Kalyani group and Israel's state-run Rafael Advanced Defence Systems had commissioned a Rs 70 crore production facility near Hyderabad in August, anticipating that the Israeli firm would bag the contract.

In Jerusalem, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems said it has not received any communication from India on retraction of the RFP.

"Rafael has not been officially informed of any change in the decision to purchase Spike missiles. Spike is in use with 26 different militaries around the world, and was selected by India after a long and rigorous process, in which it successfully met all the requirements in a wide variety of combat test scenarios," Rafael's deputy spokesman Ishay David told PTI.

The defence ministry has been strongly pushing for transfer of technology in procuring various weapons and other platforms from foreign defence majors as part of its broad policy initiative to encourage domestic defence industry.

As per the original proposal, India had planned to acquire the ATGMs for the Army at a cost of $500 million.
New Delhi: The government on Monday sought to downplay Islamic State's presence in Jammu and Kashmir, but acknowledged the resurgence of a radical group in the Valley. There is no authoritative information about the presence of Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior home ministry official said.

The comment came in the wake of claims that the global terror organisation was involved in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar wherein a terrorist, identified as Mugees, was killed and a sub-inspector, Imran Tak, lost his life.

'Amaq', which is the official news agency of Islamic State, had claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Pictures of Mugees with the Islamic State flag in the background surfaced on social media. Even his body was wrapped in the flag of the banned terror group during funeral.

However, the official said it has come to light that Mugees belonged to an extremist group called Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen and was its Pulwama district commander.

The Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen was among the first few militant groups that emerged at the onset of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s, the official said.

It follows the ideology of Salafism which is ultra radical like Islamic State. However, the police have found no logistical connection between the two, another official said. The cadre strength of the group is very small and it has been facing an extreme shortage of weapons.

Officials said the Tehrik-Ul-Mujahideen was founded much before the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen came into existence.

After the killing of Mujees, Adil Ahmed has been appointed the group's commander in Pulwama district.
Umroi: Indian and Myanmar armies began their maiden joint exercise in the northeastern state of Meghalaya on Monday, an army official said.

A total of 15 officers from the Myanmar Army and 16 from the Indian Army are taking part in the six-day India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX), which is slated to last until Saturday.

General Officer Commanding, Red Horns Division, Major General PS Behl welcomed the Myanmar and Indian Army contingents at the newly-inaugurated state-of-the-art Joint Training Node at Umroi Cantonment, about 25 kilometres from Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya.

"The basic aim of the exercise is to learn bilaterally from both nations. India is a major contributor to peace keeping and we have much varied experience in different peace-keeping operations," Behl told journalists.

Noting that India and Myanmar had very good relations and the Myanmar Army and the Indian Army are the best of friends, the army officer said: "We are sure, with our experience and our infrastructure over here, we shall be able to impart adequate knowledge to them and prepare them for future peace-keeping operations."

Brigadier S Murugesan, who is leading the Indian delegation, said the exercise had been specially designed by the Indian Peace Keeping Centre, known as the Centre for UN Peace Keeping, New Delhi.

"The aim of the exercise is to train the Myanmar Army to participate in UN operations either as individuals or as members of the contingent. I hope this joint training exercise will further strengthen our defence cooperation and bilateral relations," he said.

The training curriculum will equip the participants of the Myanmar Army with the requisite knowledge and skills to meet the evolving challenges of peacekeeping operations in accordance with principles, policies and guidelines of the United Nations.

On the other hand, Colonel Aung Kyaw Htun, who is leading the Myanmarese contingent, said the joint military exercise would benefit their army.

"This is the first India-Myanmar military exercise. We will learn more from them (Indian Army) and we hope to have similar exercise with our friends from the Indian Army in Myanmar," Htun, who also heads the Department of Strategic Studies of the Myanmar Army, said.

Indian and Bangladesh armies successfully conducted Exercise SAMPRITI at Umroi Joint Training Node on 11 November.
The Islamic State's claim to a Kashmiri militant who was killed by security forces on Friday is a disturbing element in an unfolding trend. It ties in with talk on the ground about the recent arrival of a new group of pan-Islamist militants dedicated to a Caliphate and imbued with an Islamic State-type ideology.

The group is said to have entered the Valley from around Gulmarg. A senior intelligence officer confirmed this rumour in an off-the-record chat a few days ago.

The group is presumed to comprise foreigners, but Mugees Ahmed Mir, the militant who was killed at Zakura, was a local. Zakura is a suburb of Srinagar, just beyond Kashmir University. Islamic State's initial claim over Mir was disputed immediately by various sides.

The Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, which is affiliated to the Salafi Ahle-Hadith and to Pakistani handlers, made a counter-claim. Pakistan is likely to be very uneasy about a pan-Islamic movement in Kashmir, for that would undermine its claims to the contrary in the chanceries of the world and among Western opinion makers.

The Indian forces too were quick to deny any Islamic State presence in the Valley. The corps commander and the director-general of police addressed a joint press conference, where they denied Islamic State's claim and highlighted the successes enjoyed by the forces this year.

Their appearance, along with other ranking officers, on a Sunday was striking. For both officers are normally chary of the media limelight. Notwithstanding the various rebuttals, however, there is no denying that an Islamic State flag was draped over Mir's body.

The Musa factor

It's not clear how the new group relates to Zakir 'Musa' Bhat, who has been the flag-bearer of the Islamic State ideology in Kashmir over the past six months. According to one rumour heard a few days ago, Musa went to north Kashmir to welcome the militants.

Perhaps it's more pertinent that a large number of young Kashmiris had responded warmly to Musa's rhetoric about a global Caliphate and Shariat law after his audio recording went viral on 12 May. In that public message, he flayed politics and politicians, including the 'Hurriyat' groups. He also explicitly rejected all kinds of nationalism, including Kashmiri and Pakistani.

Photo-ops showing masked boys with Islamic State flags and banners near Srinagar's Jamia Masjid on Fridays a few years ago may have been no more than a propaganda tool. But if those provocative images were calculated to loosen Delhi's purse-strings, they could now be coming home to roost.

High-stakes war

While there are different views on whether Islamic State is now actually present in the Valley, there can be little doubt that the stakes have risen.

In a major crackdown on north Kashmir's Hajin area on Saturday (the day after the Zakura encounter), forces killed six foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. These included Owaid, son of Abdul Rehman Makki and nephew of Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, who is said to have masterminded the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Owaid's very presence in Kashmir indicates that strategists in Pakistan are rolling out the big guns. Dispatching Makki's son was no doubt a move meant to be a major morale-booster for LeT's cadre.

His death could lead to a spiral in violence, if those strategists push for a major retaliatory attack against a high-value target. A large number of foreign militants, perhaps three score, are said to have been lurking in the Hajin area for a long time. Predictably, they draw support from the local community which suffered terrible excesses of the 'Ikhwan' groups of mercenaries that worked with the army and BSF from 1994 to the turn of the century.

Policymakers must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past, nor to make fresh ones. The stakes are extremely high.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Monday reserved its order on a petition filed by news portal The Wire, seeking quashing of a criminal defamation case filed against it by Jay Shah, the son of BJP president Amit Shah.

Justice J B Pardiwala reserved his order after hearing detailed arguments by both sides.

Advocate Mihir Joshi, representing journalist Rohini Singh, the author of the article "The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah", and its editors, told the court that the article was not defamatory, and that the facts presented in it were based on documents which were in public domain.

The article was a piece of investigative journalism, and filing of a criminal defamation case against it curtails the freedom of press, the lawyer argued.

Rohini Singh and others moved the high court last week seeking quashing of the defamation case filed by Jay Shah in magistrate's court.

The petition came up for hearing for the first time on Monday.

Shah's lawyer S V Raju said the article was defamatory, and two witnesses examined by the lower court established that the reputation of his client was hurt by it. The article, uploaded online, was later changed to remove earlier mistakes, he said.

The high court on Monday did not allow government pleader Mitesh Amin to argue in the matter after he sought permission. Jay Shah filed a criminal defamation case after the article claimed that his company's turnover grew exponentially within a short time after the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014.
The bungling over the Maharashtra government's farm loan waiver scheme claimed its first victim on Monday, according to exclusive information with Firstpost.

VK Gautam, Principal Secretary (Information Technology) has been sent on leave after criticism over the implementation of the scheme.

Technical errors have plagued the scheme since its roll out, with farmers suffering because of glitches ranging from duplication of names in lists to incorrect Aadhaar details.

VK Gautam applied for 15-day leave on Friday, and it was approved by the General Administration Department on Monday, sources said.

SVR Srinivas, who is in charge of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, took over as additional charge as Principal Secretary (Information Technology).

Gautam had been making frantic efforts to rectify the errors in the disbursal of the farm loan waiver amounts over the past few days. A senior IAS officer said Gautam was staying in his MahaOnline office at Lower Parel in south Mumbai around the clock and had not been home for three days.

When contacted, Gautam said, "I have gone to my native place to see my ailing father, who is 93 years old."

The waiver was announced by the Maharashtra government five months ago.

But there has been inaction on the part of different agenciesincluding district cooperative central and nationalised banks, the government's information technology department, cooperation departmentdue to which confusion and uncertainty over the scheme persists.

Further, the state has not released the details of banks, districts and district-wise breakdown of farmers' names.

The confusion over the implementation of the scheme prompted the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to seek a report from senior bureaucrats on the fiasco, as Firstpost reported on 27 October.

Gautam was one of the officers from whom an explanation was sought, apart from the additional chief secretary (agriculture) and additional chief secretary (co-operation).

Opposition parties lambasted the Maharashtra government, contending that if the government had released the waiver money to banks without insisting on verification of beneficiary accounts with Aadhaar numbers, the disbursement would have been completed faster.

In an exclusive interview to Firstpost, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is 'creating a parallel body of officers that is only working for him instead of the state.' He further remarked that he had never seen a chief minister as 'childish' as Fadnavis.

Lok Sabha MP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti alleged that a private companyInnowave IT Infrastructure Private Limitedwas entrusted with executing the scheme without tenders being called for.

Responding to the allegations, however, the chief minister's office said in a statement that a high-powered committee received three tenders, of which one was chosen.

Maharashtra received 56.59 lakh applications from farmers for its loan waiver scheme. There were expected to be 89 lakh farmers who could benefit from the scheme.

However, this figure was brought down to 77.29 lakh, and a budgetary provision of Rs 20,000 crore has been made. A month after the scheme began being implemented, only about 5,000 farmers have benefitted from it.

Documents accessed by Firstpost showed that in several cases, multiple names were allocated against one Aadhaar number, while in many other cases, the same individual appeared multiple times.

There were instances where the principal and interest did not match the loan amount.

In some cases, the amount on the loan waiver certificate was greater than the loan amount stated.
On 15 November, the Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB), at the seventh central level meeting between border security forces of Myanmar and Bangladesh, urged the government of Myanmar to repatriate the 600,000 Rohingyas who have recently fled into southeastern Bangladesh in the aftermath of the aggravated violence in Northern Rakhine.

Ever since the fresh exodus reached an unprecedented peak sometime in mid-September, the Sheikh Hasina government has been constantly hammering the point of repatriation across to Myanmar, both at home, bilateral level, and at multilateral forums like the United Nations General Assembly and the recently-concluded Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Dhaka.

This is understandable given the lofty economic, social, and environmental costs of hosting close to 800,000 (including figures of pre-existing refugees) refugees in a country that falls in the lower middle-income slab.

Myanmar too has reciprocated in its own politically measured tone by stating that it would certainly take back the Rohingyas, but only according to the 1993 rules of bilateral repatriation and in line with its national verification process.

At the outset, it does seem like both Dhaka and Naypyidaw are serious about undertaking corrective measures to reverse the unprecedented humanitarian crisis. But, on closer scrutiny, the current framework of resolution appears deeply problematic and rather, unsustainable.

The rush to repatriate

Over the past three months, the discourse around the Rohingyas has rapidly titled from humanitarian relief and rehabilitation to repatriation. Early October, Dhaka and Naypyidaw reached consensus on a certain 10-point agreement over the refugee situation, ostensibly guaranteeing "repatriation of refugees at the earliest date".

Thereafter, Myanmar announced that it is already in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh, post which, according to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the repatriation process would be completed within three weeks.

Clearly, both the countries seem to be in a rush to repatriate the Rohingyas. This is despite the continued influx of refugees into Bangladesh and the lingering insecurity on the ground in ground zero ie Northern Rakhine.

On 10 November itself, according to a Reuters report, around 750 Rohingyas made their way across the Naf river using flimsy boats and rafts and reached Teknaf in Bangladeshs Cox's Bazar district. Some of them recounted tales of continued attacks by Buddhist extremists back home and desperate Rohingyas waiting to flee. Moreover, if local Rohingya community media is to be believed, then the situation on the ground in Myanmar continues to remain dismal with widespread arson and arbitrary killings still on.

In such a situation, sending half a million refugees back to Northern Rakhine would be compounding the crisis and perhaps even, firing up a fresh cycle of violence. In other words, it would be no less than throwing a large set of vulnerable people from the pot into the fire. There also seems to be no way of verifying the nature of the security situation in and around Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung  from where most of the refugees originated  given the near-total lockdown currently in place in Northern Rakhine.

What would 'repatriation' even mean in this case then? Theoretically, it denotes the voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of refugees to their countries of origin, as enshrined in various international instruments, most prominently the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. But, if the Rohingyas currently in Bangladesh are to be sent back, the conditions of return would hardly fall fit with the established mandate: there is neither any guarantee of safety nor any attestation of solid voluntarism.

However, even if safety and voluntarism are ensured, can a Rohingya refugee ever be truly repatriated? Myanmars institutional subversion of the Rohingya identity impedes any sustainability in this process.

For the stateless Rohingya, there is almost no legal reference point to look to, in terms of returning. Without full political reintegration into Myanmars mainstream, repatriation would be reduced to an oft-repeated process of sending a lump of bodies back to where they came from.

Repatriating the invisible?

The tragedy of the Rohingya condition lies in the obscurity of their collective existence. As pointed out by the recently-released report of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, the majority of Muslims in Rakhine were left stateless after 1982 when they were forced to surrender their existing citizenship cards, in exchange for no alternative document in return as promised by the government.

The military administration did begin issuing Temporary Residency Cards (TRCs) to Rohingyas in 1995. But, the Thein Sein government invalidated those as well in 2015, just prior to the national elections. Since then, the government has been forcing the Rohingyas living in Northern Rakhine to accept what is known as National Verification Cards (NVCs)  a temporary ID given to foreigners who take up Burmese quasi-citizenship for two years without full civil and political rights.

The one common feature in these special cards is the non-recognition of the Rohingya label and its replacement by the Bengali tag. The immediate meaning implicit in this is the forced denial of the existence of an entire community through legal means, by systematically and sustainably subverting the very core of the Rohingya identity.

Further, the 1993 agreement, which as Suu Kyi stated in her 19 September diplomatic address, is Naypyidaws preferred framework for repatriation, was premised on the controversial citizenship verification norms that the erstwhile military government established pursuant to the 1982 citizenship law. These norms operate along express racial parameters, wherein by-birth citizenship is granted to only the national ethnic races of the country  a loose set of ethnicities that does not include the Rohingyas.

The alternative naturalised citizen category too is manifestly discriminatory against the Rohingyas: it demands certain qualifications  like the ability to speak one of the national languages well  that make it impossible for a large section of the Muslim minority (who speak a non-scheduled Arakanese dialect) to gain and sustain its citizenship.

Hence, over the past four decades, the Rohingya community has remained largely invisible as far as Myanmars social and political mainstream is concerned.

This is not really an organic kind of invisibility, but one that was imposed through institutional coercion. The Suu Kyi administration, by harking back to the 1993 agreement rules of verification for repatriation, simply wants to preserve this toxic state practice, and in turn, the overwhelming invisibility of the community.

Add to this the longstanding anti-Rohingya pathologies of the Myanmar military and its political affiliates and allies, like the erstwhile ruling party, Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and the Rakhine States ruling party Arakan National Party (ANP). Recently, Snr Gen Hlaing Ming  the Tatmadaws commander-in-chief  wrote on his Facebook page that Rohingyas will be accepted back only when the real Myanmar citizens (read: Rakhine Buddhists) accept the process.

A senior USDP member also recently stated that the party would closely monitor the repatriation and verification process, urging the government to be particularly careful of facts that can be harmful to the sovereignty and national interests.

Thus, the pro-military and nationalist quarters in Myanmar have been coercively excluding the Rohingya from the Burmese sociopolitical mainstream since a long time now through a mix of subtle institutional measures  like keeping them in camps and creating structural conditions for deprivation  and abrasive rhetoric. These tendencies still exist in full measure and now seem to come in the way of any true Rohingya repatriation that could be.

Truth is that entitlement of full citizenship rights remains a long shot for the Rohingyas, given the extraordinary sociopolitical sensitivities around the issue and the continued dominance of the militarys nationalistic agenda within public discourse. Under such harrowing circumstances, one is ultimately compelled to wonder as to where does the Rohingya even return to, if at all. Perhaps to a homeland that does not even exist.

The author is researcher and coordinator, South East Asia Research Programme, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi.
Casper took a major hit after energy prices sank a few years ago, but a recent state report shows that the citys economy is slowly mending.

We may never get to where we used to be, just because of the trends and the pressures on the energy sector, but we are certainly making progress, said Tom Pitlick, the citys Chief Financial Officer.

The Casper Business-Cycle Index, an economic indicator that is designed to provide a current assessment of the citys economy, was registered at a value of 96.36 in September, up from 94.93 in September 2016. There are four main components that determine the Business-Cycle Index: Unemployment rates, private sector weekly wages, sales and use tax collections and median home prices.

In terms of number of jobs, Casper is improving. The total number of nonfarm payroll jobs in Casper increased by 300 from September 2016 to September 2017, according to the state-issued Casper Economic Indicators report. The greatest gains occurred in mining and education and health services. Two hundred jobs were also added in the private sector during this time period.

The report also shows that Natrona Countys collection of the 4 percent sales and use tax rose to $7.3 million in September 2017, $800,000 higher than in September 2016.

The city considers the tax figures to be the primary indicator of the citys overall economic state, said Pitlick.

Other areas didnt fare as well. The number of homes sold decreased from 104 to 85 between September 2016 to 2017. The median home price during this same time period stayed about the same, going from $198,550 in 2016 to $199,000 in 2017.

In a stable economy, home prices would annually increase more, according to Randy Hall, the principal broker and commercial director at BrokerOne Real Estate.

However, Hall said he wasnt surprised by the news.

The real estate market has been in a malaise for the past few years due to the state-wide economic downturn, said Hall.

As far as wages, an average private sector employee in Casper made $884.47 a week in September, slightly less than the $887.54 a week he or she would have earned in September 2016.

The report overall is encouraging, said Jim Robinson, a principal economist for the states Economic Analysis Division.

I think the report indicates that the Casper economy is certainly improving since the beginning of 2017, he said, primarily due to an improving, or stabilizing, energy sector.
The anguish of Rajasthans Rajputs arises from a deep complex they have about their past, manifest in the movement to have Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati banned. The movement has already received a boost  the release of the film has been postponed. Their complex will only be reinforced further.

The complex of Rajputs arises from Hindutvas perspective on history  largely influenced by British colonial historians  which teaches people that India had a glorious past until the Muslims and the British conquered it. This has unwittingly turned the past into an undeniable saga of Rajput royal families failing in their duty to protect the interests of their subjects, a duty traditionally enjoined on them because of their Kshatriya status.

The ensuing inferiority complex should have been of the erstwhile royalty alone, but such is the pull of caste identity that even ordinary Rajputs have embraced the psychological bruises of the elite as their very own. They need not have, for the elites decisions werent based on the consent of ordinary Rajputs. Forget the debate on the historicity of Padmini or Padmavati, supposedly the Queen of Mewar whom Alauddin Khalji is said to have coveted. Forget why Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated in 1192, Rana Sanga in 1527, and the many Rajput dynasties that keeled over between the two dates.

There is little doubt that for centuries, many Rajput ruling dynasties acted out of expediency, cutting deals to save their fiefdoms. Theirs were perhaps sagacious choices, but, because of the tendency to see the past as a morality play, they perennially appear to have been on the wrong side of history, right from what is called the medieval period to our contemporary times. Long before the Battle of Haldighati of 1576  that some Rajputs, against all evidence to the contrary, now insist Rana Pratap won  Raja Bihari Mal of Amber (Jaipur) submitted to the Mughals in 1562 and gave his daughter in marriage to Akbar.

In 1569, the ruler of Ranthambore surrendered the key of his fort to Akbar. A year later, it was the turn of rulers of both Bikaner and Jaisalmer to submit without a fight and entering into matrimonial alliances with the Mughals. Thus began nearly two centuries of Mughal-Rajput partnership. Their decisions to submit were pragmatic. Certain they couldnt vanquish the Mughals, they chose not to fritter away their resources in futile battles and lose their principalities as well. Becoming Mughal vassals was infinitely a better choice. From Hindutvas perspective, though, these choices enabled the foreign conquerors to consolidate their empire easily.

This explains why stray examples of Rajput recalcitrance, from Rana Prataps guerrilla tactics to Padminis lead in performing jauhar or mass self-immolation, have helped create a collective memory that echoes the Rajputs self-definition of themselves as a people who bow their head to none, who perform the duty expected of the Kshatriyas.

But they didnt oppose the British either, recognising the paramountcy of its rule. The British banded the ruling dynasties of Rajasthan under the Rajputana Agency, which was headed by a British agent. Their vanity was nurtured by creating a hierarchy of rulers according to the gun salutes they were entitled, ranging from three to 21. In return for their loyalty, the princely states could govern their subjects as they wanted. Barring a few exceptions, they were mostly models of autocratic power. The submission of Rajput dynasties to the British is why we dont read of the Anglo-Rajput war as we do of Anglo-Sikh or Anglo-Maratha wars. This is also why the Rajputs of Rajasthan didnt produce a rebel leader in 1857.

These ruling Rajput dynasties came under stress as the national movement gathered momentum and the British made it clear before their departure that the princes, for all practical purposes, had the choice of either acceding to India or Pakistan. The ruler of Bikaner was among the first princes to sign the Instrument of Accession. Not so the irrepressible Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh Rathore, who had talks with Muhammad Ali Jinnah to strike a better bargain for himself. He did ultimately accede to India, but not before taking out his revolver and threatening to shoot VP Menon when he presented the Instrument of Accession to him  an episode narrated delectably by Ramachandra Guha in India After Gandhi.

Although Rathore never fought against the British, he bristled to battle the forces of democracy to preserve the feudal order. A scintillating account of it has been provided by Lloyd I Rudolph and Susanne H Rudolph in "The 'old regime' confronts democracy", a chapter in Democratic Dynasties, a book edited by the academician Kanchan Chandra. Just how conflicted the Jodhpur ruler was about Indias Independence became evident when he appeared in black headgear to preside over the flag salutation ceremony on 15 August, 1947, in Jodhpur. He was to later explain, "When the people asked me why on this day of national rejoicing (a black headgear), I replied it might be anything for others, but it was the death anniversary of my six generations."

He then decided to rally the princes to save the old order through the ballot box. The Rudolphs note that Rathore was inspired to participate in the 1951-52 election because of his conversations with Winston Churchill. The former British prime minister warned Rathore that he would be forgotten if he were to remain politically inactive. Likewise, to Rathore, Lord Mountbatten cited his own example to point out that while he had no dukedom to rule, he commanded influence because he used his resources to have a public position.

Rathore jumped into the electoral fray of 1951, contesting against then Congress chief minister Jai Narayan Vyas in Jodhpur. He also rallied other Rajput princes, most of who though refrained from contesting directly but fielded and supported the jagirdars (nobles). However, the rulers of Bikaner and Dungarpur did decide to take the democratic test. Rajasthan was the only state where the opposition to the Congress came from the Right, more appropriately the Hindu Right, as many nobles joined the Jana Sangh, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Ram Rajya Parishad. They also fought as Independents. The nobility appealed to voters in the name of traditional, religion and caste loyalties. The Kshatriya Mahasabha, initially floated for social reforms, began to coordinate the activities of Rajput candidates.

On the eve of counting of votes, Rathore died in a plane crash, on 26 January, 1952. Days later, it was announced that he had trounced Vyas, bagging 62 percent of votes against the latters 17 percent. Vyas resigned, as did his finance minister, who too was humbled. The Hindu Right picked up 31 out of 35 Assembly seats in the Jodhpur area, and won all four Lok Sabha seats. Ultimately, though, the Congress squeezed past the majority mark, winning 82 of Rajasthans 160 Assembly seats.

The Rudolphs noted, "Had the major rulers of Jaipur, Udaipur and Bikaner, joined the fray with the same enthusiasm as Jodhpur, the feudal order would have gained an overwhelming victory Prudence too played a part: Jaipur nobles often taunted Jodhpur thakurs across the scotch glasses that nothing could be better expected of those whose ancestors gained riches and honour by joining forces with the Mughals."

No doubt, the Rajput royalty had been thwarted in its fight to preserve the old order, but their animus against the Congress never subsided. Believing the party had weakened because of the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and then Lal Bahadur Shastri, they joined the Opposition, particularly the Swatantra Party, confident that a weak Indira Gandhi would be steamrolled.

They were again wrong-footed.

The Congress lost majorities in several states, but managed to come to power at the Centre. Gandhi blamed the princes for the poor performance of the Congress. The retaliation against the Rajput royalty was swift. In 1967, the Congress passed a resolution to introduce a 10-point programme, one of which was to abolish the Privy Purse. The contemplated measure had a dark side. It implied the Indian State was willing to renege on the Constitutional guarantees given to princes. But then perhaps it is possible to argue that the princes had been engaged, most spectacularly in Rajasthan, in a bloodless counter-revolution through the democratic process. It was therefore necessary to weaken them and undermine their source of authority. After a landslide victory in 1971, the Gandhi government passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment to abolish the Privy Purse.

This was both a symbolical and substantial blow to the authority of several Rajput royal families. Although some had wisely invested their money in business, a good many Rajput royalties were left with decrepit havelis, legends of the past and fading memories of their power and wealth. As their influence waned, the manufactured glory of the past became even a greater source of identity for Rajput royals. Such a past was also their intangible asset. It lured tourists to stay in their havelis-turned-heritage hotels at exorbitant rates.

The depiction of the legend of Padmini has triggered the anxiety of Rajputs because it can challenge their self-definition in the eyes of others. Self-definition of social groups is almost always based on legends and myths. But in the case of Rajputs, it is hard to sustain these legends against the backdrop of historically documented evidence to the contrary, at least since 1562.

This is why the memory of Padmini must be protected, evident in the recent remark of Arvind Singh Mewar, one of the direct descendants of Rawal Ratan Singh, who is supposed to have been the husband of Padmini. Mewar said, "If she (Padmini) didnt exist then we have also lost our identity. I have come across some written evidence, not from the 14th Century or 15th Century, which we are trying to put together in a very researched manner.

Given that a descendant of the Mewar royalty is unsure whether Padmini existed in reality, it cant but be concluded that the Rajputs of Rajasthan seem to be on the wrong side of history all over again. It is through the stoking of caste pride that ordinary Rajputs have been rallied to protect the legend of Padmini. This technique is a throwback to how Muslim leaders rallied their ordinary brethren, many of whom were incapable of reading English, to protest against Salman Rushdies Satanic Verses. Might not ordinary Rajputs wonder how their own protest of 2017 would be remembered a decade or two later? A community out of sync with modernity.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from 1-10 December for his daughter's admission to the Cambridge University there.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud asked Karti Chidambaram to file an undertaking before it within three days, giving assurance that he will abide by the timeline and return to India on the expiry of the period.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agency's stand on Karti Chidambaram's plea seeking to go abroad.

The bench, however, made it clear that its order, permitting Karti Chidambaram to go abroad, will not be cited before any court of law as precedent.

The apex court had on 9 November asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing the request of Karti to go abroad for a few days.

The CBI FIR, lodged on 15 May, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the union finance minister.

The top court is hearing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madras High Court order staying the government's look out circular (LOC) against Karti Chidambaram.

The CBI had on 1 September told the top court that there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to an investigation in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti.
Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take "stringent action" against those threatening actress Deepika Padukone who is being targeted by fringe groups for her lead role in "Padmavati".

Coming out in support of the actress, the state government said security would be provided to the actress whenever she is in Bengaluru and her family, who hail from Karnataka, in the wake of threats issued to her by several outfits which allege the period film distorted history and hurt sentiments of their community.

Deepika is the daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone, who lives in Bengaluru.

Other crew members, including director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika's co-star Ranveer Singh, are also facing threats by fringe outfits who claim the film wrongly portrayed the legendary 13th century queen of Chittor Padmavati who is revered by them.

"Padmavati" stars Deepika Padukone in the titular role. Shahid Kapoor essays the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh plays Alauddin Khilji.

Siddaramaiah's reaction came following a reported threat by the Haryana BJP media cell in charge, Suraj Pal Amu announcing a bounty of Rs 10 crore on the actress.

The reported threat came after a fringe group Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) announced a reward of Rs one crore for those "burning Padukone alive."

Retweeting Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar's tweet, Siddaramaiah commented, "I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India. Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone."

"She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her," he said.

Shivakumar tweeted, "It is condemnable that a BJP office bearer is placing a bounty of Rs 10 crore on @deepikapadukone, who is from our state & the daughter of one of India's most respected sportsman."

"Is this BJP's culture & the way they show respect towards women? Immediate action should be taken." He said he will write to the chief minister to offer protection to Padukone.

I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India . Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone .She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ  Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 20, 2017

He demanded that the BJP apologise and make sure that intimidation doesn't happen. The minister appealed to all Indians, especially women and artistes, to speak for upholding freedom granted by the Constitution.

Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy told PTI the state will provide security to the actress and her family in the wake of the threats.

"Whenever Deepika is here in Karnataka, we will ensure that she gets adequate security. We will also provide security cover to her family staying here," Reddy said.

The makers of Padmavati have denied the charge that it distorts history and deferred its release from the slated 1 December.

They have said the film was a cinematic masterpiece capturing "Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation that allows the United States to impose additional sanctions and risks inflaming tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and missile programs. FILE PHOTOS: A combination photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump in New York, U.S. September 21, 2017 and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang, September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque, KCNA/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotosThe Republican president, who has traded personal insults with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but has not ruled out talks, said the Treasury Department will announce more sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday. The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Koreas nuclear ambitions a centerpiece of his discussions. In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil, Trump told reporters at the White House. This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime. It should have happened a long time ago, Trump said. North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan. South Koreas spy agency said on Monday the North may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States. Experts say the designation will be largely symbolic, as North Korea is already heavily sanctioned by the United States. Only three other countries - Iran, Sudan and Syria - have been designated state sponsors of terrorism by the United States. Some experts, as well as U.S. officials speaking privately, believe North Korea does not meet the criteria for the designation, which requires evidence that a state has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. MOVE COULD BACKFIRE A U.S. intelligence official who follows developments in North Korea expressed concern that the move could backfire, especially given that the basis for the designation is arguable. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kim could respond in a number of ways, including renewing missile or nuclear tests in a very volatile environment. The move also could undercut Trumps efforts to solicit greater Chinese cooperation in pressuring North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, the official said. In any case, it will do little to open the way for U.S. dialogue with North Korea, which China and others have been pushing for. In February, plans for talks in the United States between former U.S. officials and North Korea were scrapped when the State Department denied a visa for a top envoy from Pyongyang after the murder of Kims half brother, Kim Jong Nam, in Malaysia. The assassination also derailed the first meaningful opportunity for direct contacts between the two governments, a senior State Department official recently told Reuters. North Korea was put on the U.S. terrorism sponsor list for the 1987 bombing of a Korean Air flight that killed all 115 people aboard. But the administration of former President George W. Bush, a Republican, removed Pyongyang in 2008 in exchange for progress in denuclearization talks. Some members of Congress had been pushing for years for North Korea to be put back on the list, but others questioned whether the reclusive regime met the criteria of actively sponsoring international terrorism. U.S. Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, applauded the decision, saying that the assassination in Malaysia and the governments other actions justified it. This designation ... rightly exposes the Kim regimes utter disregard for human life and is an important step in our efforts to apply maximum diplomatic and financial pressure on Kim Jong Un, Royce said in a statement.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Most festivals which run over a course of a few days inevitably show signs of faltering towards the end. Not Tata Literature Live 2017. The final day of the festival hosted some of the most diverse set of sessions with some of the brightest minds of our generation at the helm.

First up was a fascinating presentation and discussion on the future of museums in the digital age. On the panel were Eike Schmidt, Director of Uffizi Gallery in Florence; Eugene Tan, Director of Singapore's National Gallery; and Tristram Hunt, Director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum. The session was chaired by Tasneem Mehta, Director of Mumbai's Bhau Daji Lad Museum.

To kick things off, the three directors, each gave a presentation introducing their museums and subsequently describing their current social media or digital strategy. From something as basic as having an Instagram account for the museum to making 3D scans of artworks available online, the museums are going out of their way to make their presence felt online and strike a chord with their visitors.

All three were of the opinion that the invent of social media or the availability of information online, rather than a hindrance in driving people to the museum, are tools which can be integrated with the working of a museums to to provide an enriching experience to the visitors, as well as, people who are experiencing artworks in front of a screen. In fact, according to the panel, since their museums ventured into the digital scene, the actual footfalls have increased.

Up next was a straight talk by Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics and Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. Marcus discussed parts of his latest book, What We Cannot Know: Explorations at the Edge of Knowledge.

The lively session saw the author demonstrate his theories regarding what we can or cannot know about our future and the workings of the universe through practical demonstrations with the help of a dice, a couple of pendulums and a box of uranium (not really).

The 52-year-old discussed a variety of topics ranging from free will to artificial intelligence to quantum physics. Marcus also responses to an excited audiences questions were also in-depth and lively, earning him perhaps the longest round of applause of the festival.

The late afternoon was dedicated to dictators, the elected one. Thats right, democratically elected dictators around the world. The panellists included columnist and writer, Mukul Kesavan, and former US Senator and diplomat, Peter Galbraith. The panel was chaired by author, public intellectual and social scientist Shiv Visvanathan.

The discussion revolved around who qualifies for being called a dictator, why do people willing vote for leaders with dictatorship tendencies and are the ramification once an elected dictator is in power.

The current political scenarios in countries like the United States, Russia, India, Turkey and Myanmar were the topic of intense debate. Although both the pluralist was quite articulate in their options, especially Kesavan, the session felt a bit fragmented at times, perhaps due to the vast scope of the topic of discussion.

The panel further discussed the tendency of a population in elevating their leaders to a god-like stature (something quite prevalent in India at this moment), and the consequence of doing the same.

The session was concluded with a notion of how a population should not just look at a leader but should try and understand the history behind his or her rise. The historical forces of a country that put them into a powerfully elected position they end up misusing.

Then it was time for the TATA Literature Live! Awards. The ceremony took place in front of a packed house as nine awards were handed out.

 Tata Trusts Big Little Book Awards, for Author in Bengali Children's Literature, went to Nabaneeta Dev Sen.

 Big Little Book Award for illustration went to Proiti Roy.

 The Publisher of the Year award went to Penguin Random House.

 Business Book of the Year award went to the book Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service, by YV Reddy.

 First book of the year, non-fiction went to Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, by Pranay Lal.

 The non-fiction for the same category went to Leila, Prayaag Akbar.

 Book of the year, non-fiction, went to Age of Anger: A History of the Present by Pankaj Mishra.

 Book of the year, fiction, went to Son of the Thundercloud, Easterine Kire.

Actor-playwright Girish Karnad was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre. In his speech, titled Playing on Twenty Tongues, 79-year-old Karnad talked about languages and the difficulties in translating plays.

The veteran actor-playwright spoke of how he moved from Konkani as his mother tongue, to studying Marathi and eventually falling in love with English during his time in college. As a Kannada playwright, I have an identity. I know my audience, my language. As an Indian playwright, immediately my identity becomes fluid. It changes from one part to another, he said during his speech.

Finally, with the release of a volume of his collected works, the evening came to a close. And with that evening, the festival.
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday launched an all out attack on the government, accusing it of sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on filmy grounds.

Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), she also accused the government of being "ill prepared" to implement the goods and services tax (GST), which she described as a "flawed" tax regime.

The Congress president also hit out at the government over demonetisation, saying the move left millions of people "suffering".

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," she told the party's highest decision-making body.

The Winter session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December

The Congress president also charged the government with "forcefully" trying to change history of modern India by "erasing contributions" made by former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
New Delhi: The BJP on Monday hit back at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for her criticism of the government over likely curtailment of Parliament's Winter Session, saying her charge was a "lie" and would rank among the "greatest hypocrisies" in recent times.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said in a statement that the Congress president was resorting to "diversionary tactics" fearing defeat in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls.

Extending the Winter Session of Parliament beyond Christmas is not unusual, he said, citing precedents.

He also referred to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's attendance in Parliament, which is "nothing to be proud of", to hit out at the party's record in Parliament.

"The barrage of accusations made by the Congress president on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks among the greatest hypocrisies of our time. These allegations are totally unsubstantiated and a lie in the realm of rhetoric over reality," Yadav said.

Congress's "newfound love" for Parliament is ironical, he said, claiming that it has in the last three years established itself as the "most destructive opposition" in Indian history.

"Their sole aim in Parliament has been to disrupt proceedings and prevent debate. Exactly a year ago, when the historic demonetisation was implemented, the Congress single-handedly disrupted Parliament and did not allow a debate on the subject, fearing their own corrupt deeds would be further exposed in front of the country," Yadav said.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, he said in the current 16th Lok Sabha, his attendance stands at 54 percent while it was 43 percent in the last Lok Sabha.

"His participation in debates, questions and private member's bills is negligible," he said.

Under various prime ministers, the Winter Session had been extended beyond Christmas, Yadav said.

In 2008, there was a break during the parliamentary session due to the state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, he said.

"Similar situations were seen in 1981, 1990, 1993 and 2011. In fact, the Winter Session in 1990 began after Christmas, on 27th December 1990 and lasted till 11th January 1991," he said.

Considering the party's performance in Parliament, that's rich for the Congress to pontificate on Parliament running smoothly, he said, asking it to walk the talk and cooperate with the government in the running Parliament instead of "stalling" it.

Sonia Gandhi's comments on corruption are also "laughable", the BJP leader said.

Starting from the jeep scandal in the 1950s, Bofors in the 1980s to the AgustaWestland chopper scam recently, the Congress has "milked" the defence sector to fill the pockets of a select few, he alleged.

"It is the NDA government under prime minister Modi that India's defence apparatus is undergoing a complete transformation with zero tolerance to corruption," he said.

It was expected that the Congress would introspect after being rejected by the people but it was yet to happen, Yadav claimed.

"India's strides in ease of doing business, the upgrade (in ratings) by Moody's, the impressive FDI figures do not matter to the Congress, which is busy devoting time and energy to more fruitful matters such as a coronation ceremony," he said in remarks laced with sarcasm, aimed at the likely elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president.
Ahmedabad: Senior BJP leader IK Jadeja had a sleepless Sunday night hoping to get a ticket to contest the December elections but come Monday, he was all set to fly off to New Delhi as his name does not figure in the third list of 28 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections, that has several drops and surprise inclusions.

The former minister is not the only one, anger has been brewing over the selection of as many as 40 names after the BJP released its candidates list in three instalments of 70, 36 and 28.

The third list, released on Monday, is different from the earlier ones in that it has a mix of experience and youth, as well as inclusion of 15 Patels among the 28. There is a surprise induction of industrialist Saurabh Patel, who was Industries and Petrochemicals Minister in the Anandiben Patel government but was subsequently dropped when Vijay Rupani became the chief minister. He is considered close to Anandiben.

Similarly, among the surprise drops are Anandiben's sister Vasuben Trivedi from Jamnagar to accommodate senior leader RC Faldu, who was angry over being dropped from Jamnagar rural constituency to field Congress defector Raghavji Patel. Curiously, protests have begun in Jamnagar over the nomination of an "imported" candidate.

Diamond merchant Nanubhai Vanani, minister of state and the most bitter critic of firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel, has been dropped in Surat. In all, five candidates have been replaced in Surat, which is a hub of the Patidar agitation.

Third list of 28 BJP candidates for ensuing general election to the legislative assembly of Gujarat 2017 finalised by BJP Central Election Committee. pic.twitter.com/1DKe4ru9WX  BJP (@BJP4India) November 20, 2017

Besides this, Jadeja is the key exclusion. In an unprecedented show of protest in the cadre-based disciplined party, scores of supporters of Jadeja had stormed the BJP headquarters on Saturday and they all gathered at the residence of the former minister till Sunday night. His first preference was the Wadhwan seat or otherwise Dhrangadhara in Surendranagar district  both have been given to new faces.

The Kodinar seat in Saurashtra reserved for the Scheduled Caste will be contested by Dr Rambhai Vadher, in place of the sitting MLA Jethabhai Solanki, who had already resigned from the party on Saturday knowing that he may be dropped. He is likely to join the Congress.

In a first, the BJP is learnt to have informed most of the candidates over the telephone before releasing the lists to avoid untoward scenes but that does not seem to have helped.
Ahmedabad: The Congress's promise to grant reservation to the Patidar community is nothing but "deception" for votes in the Gujarat polls as the Supreme Court has put a 50 percent cap on quota in education and jobs, union minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Monday said.

After opposing development, the Congress has devised a strategy to contest polls by creating a social divide, but they will not succeed, Jaitley, in-charge of the Gujarat assembly polls, said.

"The Supreme Court's judgments regarding reservations are very clear. A 50 percent limit is set by the apex court, and to breach the limit of 50 percent is to deceive yourself or others," the finance minister told reporters.

Jaitely was asked for his views on Congress leader Kapil Sibal's promise to the Hardik Patel-led group to provide reservation to the Patidars over and above the cap of 50 percent as the party does not want to disturb the existing quotas for scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes (which add up to 50 per cent in Gujarat).

"A few days ago, in a Rajasthan case, the Supreme Court said you may make whatever law you want to make but you cannot breach the 50 percent limit (for quotas)...So, we believe, if anybody is talking about giving reservation above 50 percent, then that is like deceiving the people by making false promise to gain votes in the elections," Jaitley said.

The Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and the opposition Congress have declared they have reached a compromise regarding the Patidar community's demand for quota in government jobs and educational institutions. The PAAS is spearheading the quota stir in Gujarat.

"When canvassing for this elections started, the Congress strategy and campaign was anti-development. We have not seen such a campaign in the world where a political party has fought elections by claiming itself to be anti-development," Jaitely said, making a reference to the "development has gone crazy" campaign.

"Now, I feel they have changed their strategy. They now want to win elections by creating a social divide...The BJP is a symbol of development and stability, while the forces that the Congress is attracting towards itself, will only lead to anarchy in the society," he said.

Jaitley slammed the Congress for engaging in "negative politics" and said this will be rejected by the voters.

He said the BJP's manifesto for Gujarat is ready and the party will soon announce the date for its release.
The Congress Working Committee has finally passed the resolution to elect its new president, paving way for Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress chief. However, the Gandhi scion's anointment hardly comes as a surprise when speculations around the same have been simmering for 13 years now, at least within the Congress  a party hard-wired to rely on generations of Nehru-Gandhi to lead it.

Monday's announcement comes after years of deliberation. The party delayed the announcement again, and again, and again. And each time, Rahul's new 'avatar' was repackaged and relaunched. However, his political journey so far, has swung between extreme highs and lows  from being adored as the sole heir of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to being branded as a reluctant politician at best.

Rahul Gandhi: The idealist

Rahul, unlike many other grassroots leaders who later shot to fame, never had to fight for recognition. He was representing the fourth generation of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and was perhaps destined to enter politics, the moment his mother accepted the role of Congress president, reluctantly in 1998.

When he made his electoral debut in 2004 Lok Sabha election, the family's traditional constituency Amethi  which had been represented by Sanjay, Rajiv, and Sonia Gandhi in the past  embraced him warmly. Within the party, his entry in politics was hailed as "Congress' Obama moment", NDTV reported at the time. His personal charisma, and ability to strike a chord with the people, urged many to compare him to his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Just like Rajiv, Rahul's complete disregard for his security, as he mingled with cheering crowds, or when he rode pillion on a motorbike to reach agitating farmers in Bhatta Parsaul, were a reminder of his father's ways of politics. His maiden speech as Congress vice-president, at the party's plenary session, was warm and refreshing. He was more introspective than inspiring, when he spoke of change and increasing aam aadmi's participation in politics. Sample this.

"The time has come to question the centralised, unresponsive and unaccountable systems of decision-making in governance, administration and politics. The answer is not in running these systems better. The answer is to completely transforming these systems."

For a dynast who could have easily slipped into his forefathers' shoes, it was almost a welcome change to see a grounded youth leader mingling with the masses and slightly shy of exercising the power he could have held, right from the start. Rahul, at the beginning of his career, appeared content to confine himself only to constituency affairs even as the clamour grew within the party for him to take up a larger role in party affairs and in the government at Centre. He appeared disinterested and unhurried in grabbing hold of the power his ancestry offered him.

Last night each one of you congratulated me. My mother came to my room and she sat with me and she cried... because she understands that power so many people seek is actually a poison, Rahul said in his maiden speech as Congress vice-president.

On electoral debacles too, Rahul mostly sounded idealistic and chose to look within, rather than blaming other parties.

"We are weak in those states where we stopped fighting for the people, where we failed to address their aspirations and we lost the ability to link our organization with the people, and to use our workers. We have a large number of true grassroots workers and leaders  you know the difference between leaders and netas."

Rahul's demeanour, to many veteran followers of the party, looked like "just his father was in his early years," an article in Rediff news at the time reported.

Rahul Gandhi: The reluctant politician

However, an idealist's demeanour was not the only thing Rahul inherited from his father. Rajiv was not the chosen political heir of his mother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi was. Rajiv was thrust on to the political landscape of India, rather reluctantly, after Sanjay's death in 1980.

Rahul being branded, the 'reluctant politician', is not unheard of either. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, who lauded Sonia for playing a "very critical role" in the formation of UPA, had also once said that Rahul was a reluctant politician, however, he hoped he will settle into his role eventually, according to The Times of India. His earlier lack of lust towards power was soon turned over to be termed his reluctance.

The reasons cited behind the branding were many.

Rahul kept away from politics even after completing his education for several years.

He worked for three years with consulting firm Monitor in London between June 1996 and early March 1999 after completing his education at Trinity College. He came back to India to help his mother Sonia with the 1999 general election campaign but then disappeared from the political firmament after the polls, and returned only in 2002, Firstpost reported.

His repeated sabbaticals and long vacations have also been a matter of much debate, with the Opposition's latest jibe calling him a 'part-time politician.' His mysterious absence from the political landscape have come at crucial times, the latest being just ahead of presidential elections when the Congress was trying hard to put up a 'united Opposition front.'

The other instance of him missing from the public eye was just after the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections route leaving Sonia alone on the front, urging even many within the party to question whether the Gandhi scion was being shielded of the blame. Here is what political analyst Rasheed Kidwai told News 18 on Rahul's choice of timing for a vacation.

"Rajiv Gandhi, too, had drawn criticism with his annual holidays to Kanha, Ranthambore, Andaman, and Lakshwadeep. His son's timing of holidays is worse because it coincides with his birthday on 19th June. So, many might think this holiday is more like a birthday party. But at a time when the presidential polls are around the corner and the farmer agitation is only getting worse, he'll be mocked for his time off,' Kidwai said, adding that Congress vice-president should try and club his holidays with events and functions abroad, to put opposition jibes at bay.

Then, his unexplained absence from key political events added fuel to fire. He was sharply criticised for skipping Sonia's farewell dinner for the then prime minister Manmohan Singh, NDTV reported.

The route after the 2014 general elections and Narendra Modi's corresponding rise to power, marked the lowest point in Rahul's career. Not only did the long-time dynast suffered an electoral debacle followed by successive Assembly poll defeats, his ability as an able leader were questioned by even staunch Congressmen.

The BJP, obviously played on this perception, and successfully labelled Rahul with nicknames as Pappu, Yuvraj, and shehzada. That the party had its social media army to churn out memes and trolls, is quite another matter.

"So long as Sonia remains the party president, we are around. But once Rahul is anointed party chief, there will be an exodus," a party leader known for his proximity to the Congress bosses had said.

Rahul Gandhi 2.0

Rahul's much talked about visit to the US and his well-chiseled criticism of the policies of the Narendra Modi government at UC Berkeley marked the relaunch of the Gandhi scion in politics. His crisp comments on the slide in economy and the lack of jobs followed by a makeover of his social media presence were other welcome indicators. A shy and reticent politician, often the butt of all jokes on social media for his faux pas moments, had suddenly metamorphosed into a witty politician capable of giving it back as good as it came. His recent tryst with Pidi, his pet dog, is still fresh on people's mind.

Rahul's speech at and interaction with the PHD Chamber of Commerce of India was yet another reminder of his upward trajectory since his recent trip to the US.

"His criticism of Modi, laced with humor, intellect and Modi-esque acronyms, is actually a welcome change from his own past and a lesson for the likes of Arvind Kejriwal. There was a time when the Congress and its vice-president would resort to crude criticism of the prime minister, using phrases like khoon ki dalali, maut ka saudagar... Now the attack is more nuanced, cultured, intelligent and, thus, more effective," another Firstpost article analysing Rahul's new avatar argues.

Has Rahul Gandhi finally arrived in Indian politics? No one quite knows. But he certainly rekindles hope, of at least, a credible Opposition in his new avatar as Congress' president-elect.
12:54 (ist)

Read the full statement given by Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the CWC meeting

Opening Remarks of Hon'ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi at CWC Meeting (Monday, 20th November 2017)

Colleagues,

I welcome you to this Congress Working Committee. We have before us an important agenda.

Over the last 18 months, the election process that has concluded in all but six States has elected block presidents, an equal number of delegates, primary units and party members. This has provided an opportunity for the Party to interact with lakhs of workers across the country, starting from the booth level. This reaffirms that the partys roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress Party.

The electoral process, which began in May 2016, has now come to its culmination. The schedule for the election of the Congress President will be read out by General Secretary.

On behalf of the Party, I thank the Chairman, Shri Mullapalli Ramachandran, members of the Central Election Authority and other party workers for carrying out this huge exercise with utmost diligence, integrity and impartiality.

Friends,

The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on Indias Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. The Government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections. Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked  questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defense deals. Government will be obliged to answer these questions, but in order to avoid the questions and answer ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extra ordinary step of not holding a winter session when should be held.

The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament.

Unemployment, rising inflation, falling exports and GST are causing tremendous suffering to millions of people. A year later, demonetization has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed. Yet the Prime Minister continues with greater vigor, to make announcements, false promises, and to quote facts and figures that have nothing to do with the reality on the grounds.

The Modi government is also forcefully trying to change the history of modern India by systematically erasing the contributions made by Pandit Nehruji and Indira Gandhi  be it through rewriting school text books, through malicious misinformation and propaganda, or ignoring with disdain the importance of the birth centenary of Indiraji. This vilification is blatant and for all to see.

Friends,


The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday met in New Delhi to charter roadmap for party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the party president ahead of the Gujarat Assembly election scheduled in December this year. Internal voting to chose the new Congress president will be held on 16 December, party leaders told media after concluding the CWC meeting.

The 47-year-old Rahul is expected to take over the reins in the first week of December, ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections starting 9 December, the sources said. The all-important meeting of the CWC, the highest decision making body of the Congress, approved the schedule.

Here is the schedule of Congress' organisational election

The election will be notified on 1 December, and the last date for filing nominations is 4 December.

The nominations will be scrutinised on 5 December, and last date for withdrawing nominations is 11 December.

Here is the schedule for the election of Congress President, as approved by the Congress Working Committee today. pic.twitter.com/MF43tsZYlY  Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2017

The polling, if necessary, will take place on 16 December while the counting of votes will be 19 December.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before 31 December. The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of 2017. Rahul, when elected, will be the ninth Congress president. Sonia has been the longest-serving party president, she was appointed in 1998.

The meeting was chaired by Sonia and attended by top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretaries. Rahul is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before 31 December. The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.

Decks clear for the elevation of Rahul Gandhi

The CWC meeting was held at Sonia's official residence at 10 Janpath and the committee passed a resolution to make Rahul the party chief after due internal election.

According to News18, 5 December, the last date of withdrawing nomination papers from the internal elections of the Congress Working Committee will be a crucial day as it would become clear only on this day that if anyone else is contesting Rahul Gandhi's nomination for the party chief's post.

Sonia Gandhi's opening speech at the CWC: Party chief slams Modi

Informing the attendees at CWC about the party's agenda Sonia Gandhi said that Congress's roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress party.

Slamming Narendra Modi-led government, the Congress president said that the "Centre in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds."

"The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the Assembly elections. Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked  questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defence deals, Sonia said.

Sonia's role post the announcement of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president is, however, not clear yet. According to The Financial Express report, the CWC is likely to decide on Sonia's role in another meeting later. The report added that Sonia would be a figurehead and could continue as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on the question whether Sonia will continue to have a say in the party said, "Her guidance and leadership will always be available to Rahul and Congress workers."

Challenges ahead of Rahul as Congress president

When asked whether Rahul will be Congress' prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 elections, party leader RPN Singh said, "There's no doubt about it".

According to this India Today report, Rahul has emerged as a supreme leader by making important appointments in the Congress's organisational set up. Sonia has, reportedly, not presided over the meetings of any Congress body in the last four months. The report added that all the election related decisions since Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections were taken by Rahul.

Creating new leader within the party, giving a new narrative to the grand old party and getting rid of burden of legacy are some of challenges that lie ahead of Rahul, according to The Economic Times.

"Rahul must find ways to tackle his uneasy legacy. If he wants to appear a change agent, as he tries to sound in his public speeches, he must act like one and bury his past, " said The Economic Times report.

With inputs from agencies
Lakhs of Congress members had waited endlessly to see Rahul Gandhi taking over the reins of his party from his mother Sonia Gandhi. While a section of leaders wanted it to happen for clarity, for the rest of them, it meant realisation of dreams and aspirations.

The Congresss Central Working Committee meeting held on Monday morning has only announced the schedule for the election of the party president. The nomination process will be over by 4 December, five days ahead of the first phase of polling in Gujarat. But it is more than clear who is going to be declared as the next president of Indias Grand Old Party. The buzz about Rahul Gandhi at the Congress headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, years of media reporting on the subject and celebrations outside of 10 Janpath, say it all.

Rahuls elevation as party president would mean yet another occasion of dynastic succession. For millions of Congress members and its sympathisers, dynastic rule and succession at the top is a virtue for the party, a unique glue that holds the party together, irrespective of success or failure.

One cant be a part of the Congress, directly or indirectly, if he or she does not have abiding faith in the aura and mystique of the Nehru-Gandhi family. On his part, Rahul Gandhi is undeterred by critics and political rivals who allege that he is a failed dynast. Remember his recent remark that (dynasty) is how India runs.

When the Congress makes the formal announcement of Rahul Gandhis anointment as party president, after fulfilling the procedural obligations of a democratic party, it will only be naming the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, spread over five generations in a time span of 90 years.

Rahul Gandhis great-great paternal grandfather Motilal Nehru was the first one from the family to take over the post of the Congress president in pre-Independent India, in 1928 at the Calcutta session. Rahuls great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru succeeded Motilal Nehru in 1929 at the Lahore session. In 1936, Nehru again became the Congress president. In independent India, Nehru became the prime minster and held the post of Congress president from 1951-54. Rahuls grandmother Indira Gandhi followed, becoming Congress president in 1959, and 1978-84. After Indira Gandhis assassination in 1984, Rahuls father Rajiv Gandhi followed his mother Indiras footsteps, becoming the prime minister and the Congress president. He held the Congress presidents post till his assassination in 1991. After years of seclusion, Sonia Gandhi made an entry in active politics by becoming the Congress president in 1998. She has been the Congress president for a record 19 years.

Perhaps no other democratic party in the world has such a record of an uninterrupted run as president of one of the principal national parties for about two decades. Her authority and aura had been such that she could even nominate the prime minister and keep him in office for 10 years. She had complete control over the government as an extra-constitutional super prime minister, without any responsibility.

Now, when she is all set to relinquish the party presidents post to pave the way for her 47-year-old son Rahul, she will be writing yet another important chapter in the Congresss history.

At no point in time since Grand Old Partys foundation did the Congress have this kind of a situationa mother passing on the baton to her son. Even the Nehru-Gandhi familys departed elders didnt do it, or didnt have the privilege of doing it.

Its not clear yet what role Sonia would have after Rahul formally presides over the party. But, in all likelihood, she would play role of a mentor, the chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party, or some other position through which she would be at the top without being president. It has to kept in mind that there are allies of the party like the Left, RJD and NCP, who prefer to deal with Sonia Gandhi rather than Rahul.

Rahuls takeover as Congress president ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections will further heighten interest in the media and the people. The election will, for all practical purposes, become a `Rahul versus Modi fight.

Soon after Rahul Gandhi's expected elevation, the results of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections will be declared. The former is a state where the Congress last won an election in 1985, and the latter is one where polling is over and various pre-poll surveys have predicted the BJP as clear victor. The challenges ahead of Rahul are stiff. As it is, he is taking over at a time when the Congresss stock is at its lowest ever. The partys organizational and power base has shrunk and is shrinking further.

It was incidental that on the day that the Congresss CWC announced its schedule for the 'election' to the party presidents post, ally NCP severed ties with it in Gujarat and announced that it will go solo in the elections. Patidar leader Hardik Patel is keeping the suspense alive on his alliance with Congress.

However, the Gujarat election 2017 presents an opportunity to Rahul. There are certain factors on the ground, like anger over irritants in the implementation of GST, 22 years of supposed anti-incumbency against the BJP, and Narendra Modi not being directly at the helm.
Ahmedabad: Whether or not there is a new wind in the Opposition sails for Gujarat elections will be settled on 18 December. But for the Bharatiya Janata Party, opposition from within is an immediate and worrying reality.

In a first, senior BJP leader and former minister Ranjitsinh Jhala staged a coup of sorts on Saturday night.

At the function to welcome Wadhwan (Surendranagar district) candidate Dhanji Patel, Jhala alleged the ticket was sold for Rs 9 crore and walked away from the podium, leaving behind his saffron sash.

I cant work for an imported and bought candidate and leave old timers in the lurch," Jhala told Firstpost. "I have not asked for a ticket and nor am I interested. The situation made me uncomfortable."

Asked why he chose to be part of the welcoming committee, Jhala said, "I wanted to make a point."

The BJP dropped sitting legislator Varsha Doshi for Patel, chairman of the Surendranagar-based Makson Group, which manufactures machines to make lollipops, candies and gums, and which describes itself as "Innovative Sweet Technologists".

This isn't an isolated instance. After the BJP announced its list of candidates for December's Gujarat Assembly election, there have been rumblings of disquiet from within the party and protests from supporters of candidates not granted tickets.

While Jhala did not seek a ticket for the Wadhwan seat, former minister and party spokesperson IK Jadeja did. Jadeja was angered by this move. On Saturday night, his supporters gathered at BJP headquarters and raised slogans against the party.

My supporters wanted me to be fielded from Wadhwan or Dhrangadhara. They lost all patience when an outsider was given the ticket, Jadeja said, speaking out for the first time. However, he seemed to hope that the party would consider him for the Dhrangadhra constituency.

On Saturday, Jethabhai Solanki, sitting BJP legislator from Kodinar constituency, Saurashtra, resigned after he assumed he would be denied a ticket. Solanki, a prominent Dalit face, won his seat in the 2012 Assembly election by a mind boggling margin of 63,300 votes.

Solanki, who'd been appointed Parliamentary Secretary, went to the Shri Kamalam BJP headquarters on Saturday evening. He resigned after meeting senior party leaders. "I resigned from the party and all my posts," he said. "I cant campaign for the BJP. I don't wish to go out for it among my people."

Since the BJP named its list of candidates, the party has been inundated by protests and resignations of local leaders in Vadodara, the tribal belt of South Gujarat, Navsari and Bharuch, Mahuva, Jasdan and Amreli in Saurashtra. Many of these leaders have threatened to field independent candidates against the BJP.

Curiously, the BJP has not been able to finalise candidates for the Mehsana and Bhavnagar district (except for deputy chief minister Nitin Patel and state party president Jitu Vaghani).

Any dissension on adjoining seats of state leaders would impact their prospects.

Amit Shah, who is making the final decision, cannot afford for his proteges Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Vaghani to lose.
Gandhinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday came out with its third list of 28 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Third list of 28 BJP candidates for ensuing general election to the legislative assembly of Gujarat 2017 finalised by BJP Central Election Committee. pic.twitter.com/1DKe4ru9WX  BJP (@BJP4India) November 20, 2017

The list includes the sitting MLA and Assembly Speaker Raman Vora, who will contest from the Scheduled Caste (SC) seat of Dasada, and sitting MLA and former cabinet minister Saurabh Patel, who will contest from Botad. He had earlier contested from Botad in the previous term and is the sitting MLA from Akota constituency.

Senior leader and spokesperson IK Jadeja has not been given the ticket for Dhrangadhra constituency, where he was hoping to get candidature. That seat will be contested by Jayarambhai Dhanjibhai Sonagra.

Another former minister Govindbhai Patel will be contesting from his sitting seat Rajkot (South). The Kodinar SC seat will be contested by Rambhai Vadher, replacing sitting MLA Jethabhai Solanki, who resigned from the saffron party on Saturday.
Ahmedabad: The Congress on Sunday night released its first list of 77 candidates in which sitting MLA Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot East seat has been fielded to fight against Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West seat.

However, after the list was released, PAAS members expressed anger and started protesting in many parts of the state, claiming they were not given proper representation.

Two PAAS members were given tickets in the released list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats. Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat.

In Surat, PAAS members ghearoed the city unit office late in the night and indulged in sloganeering against the Congress.

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya told reporters.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania, with his supporters reached the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki to represent their case.

"We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us," he said. However, Solanki was not present at his Ahmedabad residence.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protests against Congress tomorrow (Monday)," another PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria said.

Earlier in the day, PAAS mebers led by Bhambania and Kathiria had met Solanki and other Congress leaders. After the meeting it was declared that they had reached a compromise formula.

Sources in the party had earlier said that the PAAS was demanding around 20 seats and negotiations were on between the PAAS and Congress on seat sharing.

Meanwhile, senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil who is an MLA from Abdasa of Kutch has been fielded from Mandvi. Gohil's chance of being a chief ministerial candidate brightened after Solanki said that he would not contest polls.

Party has fielded another senior leader Arjun Modhvaida from Porbandar seat which he had lost last time in 2012.

The party has given tickets to all its sitting MLAs on the seats where names were released.

The party has fielded four former MPs in the list of 77 for the first phase of the election scheduled on 9 December, showing that it gives importance to the state assembly elections. It has fielded Kunverjai Bavaliya from Jasdan seat, Soma Patel from Limbdi, Tushar Chaudhary from Mahua ST and Virji Thummer from Lathi seats.

The Congress has also given tickets to three members of minority community in the list - Suleman Patel from Vagra, Iqubal Patel from Surat (West) and Mohammed Javed Pirzadda from Vankaner.

Eleven canidates belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category.

Of the total 182 assembly segments in the state, 89 seats will go to poll in the first phase.
Surat mehnat se nahi darta hai (People of Surat dont shirk hard work). These were the words of Nitin bhai, who owns a fabric shop along the Ring Road in the heart of central Surat. The district is a permanent home to countless packets of silk, synthetic, cotton, viscose, nylon in blue, white, green, red, black with paintings and glitters on them. The smell of cloth thickens the air as one enters a space where hundreds of buyers and sellers inhabit at once. Ask Nitin about the impact of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) on his industry and life and he says Surtis can turn the tide of misery by rowing harder. But this time, they feel let down by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

The workers here may be flawlessly skilled in various segments of textile production but haven't finished middle-school. He gives the example of Surti artisans like Karan bhai lace wala and Vimal bhai embroidery wala from Varachha (North-East Surat); Raseeq bhai from Katargam (North Surat) who applies sequins and lace on clothes and Guddu bhai who is a handiwork artisan. None of them know how to fill out basic forms.

"A saree is made after a 17-part process and manufacturers, traders and artists are dependent on each other. Do these people have the time or the money to hire accountants, and can they operate computers and smart phones? The people of Gujarat understand the basics of business but theyre not economic experts. This strange and complicated tax is certainly pressuring us at the moment and will impact the percentage of votes," says Nitin bhai who has been in the business of synthetic fabrics for the past 16 years.

The market isn't upset about the intent with which the GST was inducted, but the complete lack of empathetic communication of the government with the locals during its implementation.

Tarachand Kasar, president of the All India Textile Traders Association and the convener of the Textile GST Sangarsh Samiti, was a long-standing supporter of the BJP. However, Tarachand has recently joined the Congress. He felt reassured after Rahul Gandhis roadshow in the silk city, where the Congress vice-president slammed the Narendra Modi government over GST implementation and played around with the abbreviation of GST calling it the Gabbar Singh Tax.

However, the Congress has not given a ticket to Tarachand. We have written to the government several times. No one has addressed our queries regarding the hurried implementation. The government didnt give us a demo or take the textile associations into confidence before bringing in the tax. Yarn should be exempted from taxation, he said.

Yarn (from synthetic, artificial filament and manmade staple fibres) which was earlier under the 18 percent tax slab has been revised and reduced to 12 percent. The GST Council may have given relief to taxpayers by filing quarterly returns, provided their annual turnover is less than Rs 1.5 crore but in the textile sector, that figure is quite common.

As mentioned on the state governments Vibrant Gujrat 2017 (8th edition of the biennial summit) brochures, Surat holds the record of the largest producer of man-made fiber and filament fabric with 40 percent share in the country and a daily production of 30 million metres of raw fabric. In Surat alone, the production touches 25 million metres. "The government is clearly aware of the potential of Surat and also of the capabilities and drawbacks of the people, then why has this communication lapse happened? said a visibly-angry Tarachand. Even those who are joining hands with the Congress only speak about their frustration with the BJP and not in the positive alternatives theyre expecting from Rahul Gandhi.

Balwant Jain, another textile trader who sits in the same market at Udhna, had gone a step further and staged a shirtless anti-GST protest days shortly after it was levied. "We need to make entries again and again for the many multiple transactions we make in this largely informal sector. Imagine if I am a lace-worker and make Rs 200 per every Rs 1,000 order, then I cant afford to keep a computer or hire a business consultant," he said and added that Gandhis charkha spun the fabric of an independent nation but today, that charkha represents a mere ideology that the government might or might not agree with.

Move towards Sosyo Circle, southward from the Central Market and traders and manufacturers will tell you a slightly different story. A trader who runs the Standard Mill shares that he is a thorough bhajapa (BJP) supporter and that he is trading since many years in Gujarat for the simple reason that the state offers greater ease of doing business. Here, the labour laws are simpler than in a state like West Bengal. But, in the last few months after GST was rolled out, the market is facing complications because of implementation flaws." He shared the story of his goods being returned from the Uttar Pradesh borders just a few days ago because the buyers there failed to generate an E-way bill.

The trader tried to explain to them that the E-way bill has been deferred till 31 March because there isnt any system to initiate it.

The E-way bill is an electronic way bill for the movement of goods that can be generated on the GSTN, a common portal. A movement of goods of more than Rs 50,000 in value cannot be made by a registered person without an e-way bill.

"The person I am sending the goods to, has to issue this bill. Sometimes, people want me to log into their system and generate this bill and sometimes they tell me that their accountants are on leave. It is a tough process that people have neither the time nor the money to understand, added the Surat-based trader who feels that the Congress might now cash in on the industrys current frustration of what is traditionally a BJP vote base.

Theres also a segment that outlines the positives of GST.

Harshit Jariwala, a third-generation fabric manufacturer, welcomes GST because it is slowly taking the textile industry towards a formal economy. "The E-Way bill will enable the government to keep a track on each cargo despatch on the countrys highways and increase accountability among traders and transporters. It was quite common earlier that a trader sending goods from Mumbai to Bhiwandi will show Surat or a destination in another state. The benefit of this is that the Central Sales Tax (central govt. tax) is two percent and Value Added Tax (state govt. tax) is 5 percent. Because of a lack of coordination between the central and state government, a lot of people were such cheating was quite common," explains Harshit.

He also adds that textile has been a kuccha economy. Earlier, there was an 18 per cent duty on the yarn and we sold clothes tax free. This means that in the chain of traders-wholesaler-retailers, only the retailers paid five percent VAT. Now, everybody in the chain has to pay five percent. He believes that the supporters for the Congress from within the textile market are only those looking to align with the party politically through movements or by contesting, and not the general public.

It must be understood that the GST came in at a point when the industry was already in transition. In the last two years, the seven to eight lakh power looms in Surat have started shutting down one by one. Manufacturers are investing in imported machines like the Jacquard that are made are Italy and cost up to Rs 80 lakh. The power looms are being junked at rates as low as Rs 18,000. The industry is already grappling with a change and there is fear and anxiety among people about this change. High-value addition and decorative fabrics are becoming popular and in the last two years, over a lakh power looms have been smashed to pieces, Harshit, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from NIT Surat, said.

His classmate at NIT Rohin Dumaswala, whose family owns 96 power looms, runs a large weaving and manufacturing unit in Katargam (North Surat), said, There are more than 10,000 power looms in our area and the technical upgradation is haphazard. Earlier, the government used to offer better subsidised loans but these subsidies reduced by 15 per cent after 2015. GST has complicated the matters further because financing has become harder because people charge 18 percent GST. Any business, big or small, requires financing. Rohin also shared that even though the GST is a good move in the long run, the government must read into the mind of the textile sector and even out other issues before they proliferate.

Surat nee kamaani, Surat maa samaani (What is earned in the lanes of Surat humbly remains in those lanes). This ethic towards work and wealth stems from their culture. Any economic disruption also threatens the way of life which the Surtis have adopted over the years. The resentment towards GSTs implementation is causing unrest but not so much as to jeopardise their 22-year-long bond with the BJP. The rest will be known on 9 December, the day Surat votes for the next government of Gujarat.
11:28 (ist)

Hardik Patel's sex CD allegation seem to have little effect on Patidar leader, his supporters

Hardik Patel, the leader of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), on Saturday said the people of Gujarat want to see what the BJP has done in 23 years rather than the video of a 23-year-old youth.

Referring to a sex CD which allegedly showing the young Patidar and his sexual escapades which went viral, Patel said, "In 2007, they defamed Sanjay Joshi and now it is our turn," repeating his earlier allegations that the CDs were released at the behest of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani after spending Rs 40 crore.

He said the BJP should not have played the game of CD, as people of Gujarat wanted to see the CD of 23-year rule and not that of a 23-year-old youngster.

According to an article on Firstpost, Hardik's young supporters agree the videos have increased his popularity. "The videos have added to his popularity. More people would come to see him today," his supporters say excitedly. Others think he is doing exactly what young people are supposed to do. "Hardik 23 varsh no chhokro chhe, atyare maja nahin kare to kyare karshe? (He is a 23-year-old boy. If he doesn't have fun now, when will he?)"
Belagavi: Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Monday sought to corner the state government on development of north Karnataka region and demanded a 'white paper' on implementation of developmental works as per Nanjundappa Committee report on regional imbalance.

Questioning the government's intentions by pointing out its 'failures', he called the government "irresponsible". Initiating the special debate on issues related to north Karnataka in the legislative assembly, Shettar alleged that the "state government has not responded to the issues of north Karnataka, whether it is implementation of Nanjundappa Committee report or Article 371(J) of the Constitution, giving special status for Hyderabad-Karnataka region."

Citing differences in allocation, release and utilisation of funds during successive years, he stressed the need for evaluation or review. "When I had raised similar demand during earlier sessions, Chief Minister had agreed, but no review or evaluation has been done so far. Government seems to have no interest, it is irresponsible" Shettar said.

"If you can't do it, at least give it to professional institution like Centre for Multi-disciplinary Development Research, Dharwad to evaluate this and give their findings," he added.

Stressing the need for evaluation of Nanjundappa Committee report and implementation of developmental projects under it so far, Shettar said "it is important, it will help us in course correction if required. Government should at least now wake up from deep slumber."

"I also demand that government release a white paper regarding the implementation of Nanjundappa Committee report," he added.

Speaking on lack of developmental work being undertaken by the state government in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region which has been provided special status, Shettar spoke about issue of malnutrition that still exists in the region.

Citing non-utilization of allocated funds to the development of the region during successive years, the former chief minister termed it as "injustice" and questioned whether the government was "dead or alive?"

Also targeting government over its "apathy" towards state transport system in the northern region, he demanded that government give tax exemption to North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, so as to allow them to function efficiently in the days to come.
Maharashtra's historic farm loan waiver scheme, the 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana' (CSMSSY), is stuck in limbo, with technical errors marring its roll-out. The problems have plagued lists of farmers liable for the scheme, duplication of beneficiaries' names, incorrect Aadhaar card details, etc. These reasons have meant that over a month after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the scheme, there are still only about 5,000 farmers who are able to avail of its benefits. The other 77 lakh farmers in the state are still waiting for their waivers.

The waiver was announced by the Maharashtra state government five months ago. But different agencies  including DCC and nationalised banks, the government's information technology department, cooperation department, etc.  have all displayed tremendous lethargy and inaction, meaning confusion and uncertainty over the scheme persists to this day.

Furthermore, the state government has also failed to release details of banks, districts and district-wise breakdown of farmers' names. As revealed by Firstpost earlier, serious discrepancies have come up regarding the loan waiver process.

On 27 October, the state government released the first list of 2.39 lakh beneficiaries for whom Rs 899.12 crore was to be disbursed. It's been 25 days since that announcement. But there is no clarity on who these farmers are, and which districts they are from. Even banks' names aren't being released, neither by the cooperation department nor the IT department or the Chief Minister's Office.

It's been a month that state government officials are trying to bring out a clean, error-free list of beneficiaries. But for one reason or another, confusion still reigns supreme. There are 2.39 lakh accounts; 1.01 lakh of them are debt-ridden farmers, for whom the government is disbursing Rs 671.16 crore. The remaining 1.38 lakh farmers will get cash-back incentives of up to Rs 25,000 in order to repay their loans regularly.

Officials from the state government's cooperation department had said the total disbursement will be of Rs 899 crore, of which Rs 392 crore has already been transferred to 11 nationalised banks. After 25 days, however, the same officials aren't willing to reveal any further details  about banks, districts' names, or beneficiary farmers' names.

Cooperation minister Subhash Deshmukh had claimed the list has been verified multiple times, and is error-free. However, the minister has no proof to substantiate the claim that 2.39 lakh farmers in the state benefited from the scheme. "Till now, only Rs 370 crore has been disbursed, and 55,000 farmers have benefited from the scheme. The remaining farmers' concerns will be addressed soon. We're working round the clock," Deshmukh said.

When asked when would money actually show up in farmers' bank accounts, and when would the next list of beneficiaries be released, Deshmukh said his government is actively working towards it. "It takes time. The earlier government did this without cross-checking the list of names of farmers and other essential data. So bear with us for some more time," he added.

The first list which was released has been cross-verified multiple times, a senior official confirmed, insisting that it's completely error-free.

The state received 56.59 lakh applications from farmers for its loan waiver scheme. In all, there were expected to be 89 lakh farmers who could benefit from the scheme, but this figure was brought down to 77.29 lakh, and a budgetary provision of Rs 20,000 crore has already been made for the same.

The initial deadline for the scheme's roll-out was to be 18 October, the day before Diwali. But the first list of 8.4 lakh farmers released by the government included duplicate names and incorrect account details, while multiple accounts with the same Aadhaar number were also part of the list. These gaffes meant an "error-free" list is still from complete, and it could take the officials another month to prepare this. A senior official from the cooperation department said they were confident of completing the process before 2018, but time is running out for them.

Collectors' offices from Pune, Nanded, Sangli, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg have told Firstpost on condition of anonymity that they were reimbursing only those farmers who have managed to click pictures with the chief minister and guardian ministers.

In Pune, money was disbursed only to 26 farmers' bank accounts. The total number of supposed beneficiaries in Pune was 1,83,209. Sources close to the cooperation minister said the money has actually been deposited only into 5,000 accounts. We will first clear those names who have debt-free certificates and then move on to the others, he said.

On 18 October, the day the scheme was supposed to be rolled out formally, a list of 8,40,000 names was put up on the scheme's official website. Fadnavis, with guardian ministers of different districts, organised ceremonies where they handed out "no pending loans" certificates to some farmers. Proclamations were made about money transfers taking place the same day, but the government announced some delays. Finally, after it was revealed that there were many anomalies, the list was taken off the portal altogether.

The state government arranged supplementary provisions of Rs 20,000 crore in this year's Monsoon Session to fund the scheme. But when there were reports of a fund crunch, the government asked banks to utilise their own funds to waive off the loans, saying it would later reimburse them.

But in the face of rising challenges, Fadnavis has remained undeterred. He said that despite the many problems afflicting the scheme, they would have finished 75 percent of the work by 25 November.

One month after his earlier list with 8,40,000 farmers' names went up on the website, still only 5,000 farmers have benefitted. How the chief minister plans to finish 55 lakh more farmers in the next five days is a mystery to which only he has the answer for.
Dear Annie: For the past year, I have been working as a licensed nursing assistant, taking care of residents. I love the patients, and I've gotten very close to them. But the facility administration itself doesn't work with employees to meet their needs. I have requested to work morning shifts for months now because my man gets out at 4 p.m. and I want to be able to spend my nights with him and my family or friends. I've made multiple requests, and the administrators can't seem to work around my schedule to give me the shift I'm asking for. After a few weeks of feeling unheard and pushed aside, I started looking at other options for my career. There is a job that could pay me more and still offer benefits I need for my family and future. Should I expand my opportunities and leave or just wait till the shift I want becomes available? -- A Girl Trying to Make a Living

Dear AGTTMAL: I think the answer is in your question. You said that leaving this job would mean expanding your opportunities. If the position you're considering makes sense as a career move (beyond just the convenience of the schedule), go for it. But before you give two weeks' notice to your current employer, be sure you've secured the new job -- i.e., you have an offer letter in hand. Good luck.

Overwhelming response

Dear Readers: Recently, I printed a letter from "Overwhelmed in Michigan," who complained that his wife doesn't help enough around the house. His letter hit a nerve, it seems, as I received many responses from readers. Here are a few of my favorites.

Dear Annie: "Overwhelmed in Michigan" really hit home! I'm 67 and grateful every day for the good fortune of living to enjoy my retirement years. "Overwhelmed" appears to be a workaholic who expects others to buy into his inability to smell the roses. Maybe "Overwhelmed" should calculate how much his partner's cooking, cleaning and other services have contributed to his lifestyle over the years.

The complaint against his wife and niece relates to a scene at the end of the movie "Mary Poppins." Maybe "Overwhelmed" needs to stop the rat race he has created and say "let's go fly a kite" with his wife before it's too late. -- Enjoying Retirement

Dear Enjoying Retirement: You're not the only one who thought "Overwhelmed" should go fly a kite. Read on.

Dear Annie: I am writing to "Overwhelmed in Michigan." My wife is the same -- a bit negligent around the house but attentive in her relationships with loved ones. If her kids call and need a baby sitter, she goes instead of cleaning the house. We had a close friend who had cancer, and my wife organized all our friends to be there for her and was always ready to do whatever was needed. When our friend died, my wife was there helping with the arrangements and consoling the family.

Everyone thinks she's the most wonderful person in the world. And you know what? So do I.

Mr. Overwhelmed, if your wife wants to go fly a kite with the grandkids, put down your tools and join her. Hold off on the grumbling. You'll be so much happier. -- Happily Married in New Hampshire

Dear Happily Married: Beautifully said. Thanks for writing.
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday charged that the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression.

The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017

She urged film industry members to come out in support of Bhansali and his film.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves."

"We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," Banerjee said in a tweet.

The makers of "Padmavati" had on Sunday deferred its release from the slated 1 December date, even as protests and threats over the period drama continued unabated.

Various religious organisations, spearheaded by Shri Rajput Karni Sena, have alleged that director Bhansali has distorted facts in the film.

The film has been facing controversy since Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

The makers of Padmavati on Sunday said the proposed release date of the film, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said exposure of personal data "in the name of Aadhaar linking" is "very dangerous" for the freedom of expression of the country.

"I am in favour of a unique card (identification). There cant be different cards for a person. But in the name of Aadhar card... in the modern age... the way in which details are being exposed on websites... this is very dangerous for freedom of expression, the society, for the individual and the country.

"All the skeletons (in the cupboard) are being exposed. Why did they do this I don't know," she said in response to a query based on media reports that claimed "210 government sites made Aadhaar information public."

"Some people feel happy even after doing wrong things," Banerjee added.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday decided to contest the Gujarat Assembly elections on its own and expressed confidence it would bag the maximum number of seats in the "solo fight".

The party's decision came a day after the Congress declared its first list of 77 candidates for the first phase of the elections slated for 9 December.

"We wanted to contest in Gujarat in alliance with the Congress and had talks with them too initially, but the Congress did not seem serious and kept on delaying.

"We are already prepared to contest from all seats for the last one-and-half years. Now, we have decided to fight alone," NCP leader Praful Patel said. "We are confident that we will do even better alone and bag maximum seats in a solo fight."

Incidentally, senior party leaders from NCP, Janata Dal (United) and the Congress were closetted with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and with recently-inducted OBC community leader Alpesh Thakore in Delhi on Friday over a possible alliance ahead of the elections. Voting for the two-phase polls are scheduled for 9 and 14 December. The vote count will take place on 18 December.

"Discussion on almost all the seats is over. Since we are also talking to JD-U (faction led by Sharad Yadav) and NCP, and the fact that they have also shown interest in an alliance, so the list will be released in a day or two," AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot told reporters after Congress' central election committee meeting.

"Though we have held discussions on all 182 seats, since we are forming an alliance, we may have to leave some seats. JD-U is divided into two parts. We are talking to Sharad Yadav about Chotubhai Vasava (rebel JD-U leader). "We are also taking to NCP, we will release the list when the talks are over," he added.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for more than two decades.

Last Friday, the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) had cleared the names of 70 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls in the meeting that was presided over by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, sources said.

Congress party's Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel, along with some senior party leaders, held a meeting with PAAS leaders who are seeking reservation status for the Patidar community. The leader of the PAAS group, Hardik Patel, was not present, but Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, were in Delhi for the meeting.

The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore also attending the meeting, the sources said.

The Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat and tickets for him and his father, the sources added.

Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress after a grand show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.

Alpesh, with time has gained political maturity, and initially it was speculated that he will join the saffron party. But going on his word that he will do whatever his community decides, and after the decision he joined the grand old party, in a big boost for the Congress.

The PAAS group too has pledged that whatever happens irrespective of whether they support the Congress or not, they will be definitely opposing the BJP. Another community leader, Jignesh Mewani representing the Scheduled Caste community has also expressed his disapproval for the saffron party.

Follow live updates on Hardik Patel in Rajkot here

Follow live updates on CWC meeting here
Since Rajput organisation Karni Sena's first protests against the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie Padmavati in January, several political leaders have voiced their objections to the film and its depiction of historical facts. Mainstream political parties have either pandered to the violent fringe or stayed steadfastly silent.

In several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Jharkhand, right-wing fringe groups have been stepping up the rhetoric  and in some cases violence  without any censure from party leaders or administrators.

On Monday, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made it clear that the movie will not be released in his state. "If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji, then that movie cannot be allowed to release in the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience. "And I am saying this because people of the country and Madhya Pradesh cannot accept disrespect of their pride," the BJP leader added.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said.

#WATCH:Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says the film which has distorted facts against #Padmavati, will not be released in the state pic.twitter.com/NOBXj6WF3P  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday charged that the controversy over Padmavati was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression. She urged film industry members to come out in support of Bhansali and his film. "The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves," the chief minister said.

The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also voiced his objection to the distortion of historical facts.

In Jammu and Kashmir, senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Devender Rana urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to ban the release of "Padmavati" in the state. In a letter addressed to Mehbooba Mufti, Rana said: "The release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' is likely to hurt the sentiments of a particular community/religion and thus holds the potential to disrupt peace in Jammu region."

Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take "stringent action" against those threatening actress Deepika Padukone who is being targeted by fringe groups for her lead role in "Padmavati".

Nobody will accept distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so: Capt Amarinder Singh,Punjab CM #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/rkk7udI5Kf  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Coming out in support of the actress, the state government said security would be provided to the actress whenever she is in Bengaluru and her family, who hail from Karnataka, in the wake of threats issued to her by several outfits which allege the period film distorted history and hurt sentiments of their community.

On Sunday, as the row gathered steam, Haryana BJP's chief media coordinator SP Amu on Sunday said he will quit the party if needed and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exercise his powers to strike down film. Amu also mentioned the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections 2017 and said the people in the state will decide whom to vote based on the Centres action against the film.

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Sunday said that it wanted a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" and claimed underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's money was invested in the film. "We have heard the movie's release date (1 December) has been postponed. We will be on the streets as soon as a new release date is announced. All we want is a complete ban on the film," Sena's patron-founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi told IANS.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, had said the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed".

The controversy had also triggered a battle on social media between Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Union minister Smriti Irani. Last week, Tharoor had reportedly said the "so-called valourous maharajas" had scurried to accommodate themselves when the British "trampled" over their honour and were now after a filmmaker, claiming that prestige was at stake.

Reacting to Tharoor's remarks, Irani tweeted, "Did all the Maharajas (kings) kneel in front of the British? What will Jyotiraditya Scindia, Diggi Raja (Digvijaya Singh) and Amarinder Singh say on Shashi Tharoor's comments?"

However, amidst all this Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who leaves no opportunity these days to prick Modi, is staying curiously quiet. The Congress has managed to somehow blame the BJP for allowing the film to go through.

"I have not watched the movie as yet, but definitely the Central Board of Film Certification formulated and formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government has seen it and passed it without cuts But any movie that hurts the sentiments of any community... a film is not made to hurt any community," Congress spokesperson RPN Singh had said.

On 27 January, 2017, activists of a Rajput organisation, Shree Rajput Karni Sena, had claimed the director is "distorting" historical facts in the film, with the organisation's patron and founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi saying, "In no book is it written that Alauddin Khilji fell in love with Padmavati or he was her lover." They protested and misbehaved with the film's crew during a shoot in Jaigarh Fort.

Months later, on 2 November, BJP wrote to the Election Commission seeking a ban on the release of Padmavati till after the Gujarat Assembly elections on 9 and 14 December claiming claimed the movie would hurt the sentiments of Kshatriya and Rajput communities for its "wrong depiction of history". However, the EC refused to stall the release of Bhansali's period drama. Later on 6 November, Brahmin organisation, Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha, opposed the film's release noting they will not tolerate "distortion" of historical facts at any cost.

On 6 November, Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria said appropriate action would be taken if anyone tried to disturb law-and-order in the state during the release of Padmavati, which has courted controversy.

A week later, Karni Sena activists vandalised a theatre in Kota, Rajasthan after reports that it was showing a trailer of Padmavati. The protestors pelted stones and broke windowpanes, gates and the ticket counter and also damage some office furniture. Karni Sena leader Lokendra Singh Kalvi later threatened to cut actress Deepika Padukone's nose amid a call for "Bharat Bandh".

Two days later, Thakur Abhishek Som of Sardhana Chaubisi, who claims affiliation to the Samajwadi Party, announced a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of Bhansali and Padukone for "wrongfully portraying" queen Padmini. Union minister Uma Bharti hit out at Bhansali for not taking care of sentiments of the Rajput community while Nitin Gadkari blamed the filmmakers for not respecting cultural sensitivities and distorting history. He sermonised that freedom of speech is not absolute and pointed out that people have the right to get offended.

Mahipal Singh Makrana of Shri Rajput Karni Sena said the outfit would not hesitate in chopping off Padukone's nose just like Shurpanakha.

The same day, the Uttar Pradesh government apprised the Centre that the release of the Bollywood film on 1 December will pose a law and order problem for the state, PTI reported.

In a letter written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, UP Principal Secretary (Home), Arvind Kumar said the Censor board should be apprised about the public resentment over the alleged distortion of facts in the movie.

"The Censor Board members should take a decision after taking into account people's views. They should be apprised about it. It has come to the notice through intelligence reports that the film's producers have presented the movie for Censor Board clearance. After the release of the trailer of the movie on 9 October, various social and other organisations opposed the film," the letter said.

The letter further stated that "in view of the civic polls, polling for which is scheduled on 22 November, 26 November and 29 November and the counting on 1 December, and also the 'Barawafat' procession by Muslims on 2 December, the film's release can pose serious security issues".

On 18 November, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, urging her to ensure that Padmavati is not released without necessary changes to the film. Raje also said that the censor board should consider all possible results before certifying the film, a day after the board sent the film back to its makers because the application for the certification was "incomplete".

A delegation from Mewar region, comprising the state's Urban Development Minister Shrichand Kriplani, MLA Chittorgarh Chandrabhan, and others, met Raje at her residence and expressed gratitude for writing the letter to Irani.



With inputs from agencies
The future is not ours to see, but if Rahul Gandhi were to follow his family tradition and become Prime Minister of India, 20 November, 2017, will be fondly remembered for providing the first glimpse of his party going berserk over his impending elevation to Congress president.

The election of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president will take place only after the formalities are completed by 16 December, but the final clearing of the decks for the prince-in-waiting infused the party workers with a zeal that they had been missing since the Narendra Modi wave overtook the country a little more than three years ago.

Though the challenges that lie ahead of Rahul for resuscitating the party are monumental, for the members of the Grand Old Party who continue to hope for its revival, Monday was a red-letter day.

The moment Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting ended and it became clear that Rahul would be the next Congress president after a polling process, party workers eagerly awaiting outside Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road burst into celebration.

The atmosphere turned festive. Amidst loud chants of Rahul Gandhi Zindabad and 'Humara neta kaisa ho, Rahul Gandhi jaisa ho, Congress workers from Delhi and all over the country began setting off fireworks.

Its a big day for us. It is like a mini-Diwali, so we're celebrating with crackers and fireworks, which we couldn't do during Diwali. The long wait has come to an end. Rahul ji will finally be our president, Surinder Singh Sodhi, a Youth Congress worker told Firstpost, after which he lit an Anaar.

Visibly upbeat, Harish Kasana, a party worker belonging to Karnal in Haryana said, As president of the party, Rahul Gandhi fight for the rights of the farmers and labourers. This segment of society has been ignored for past three years. He will be our prime ministerial candidate in 2019.

Will Rahul take on PM in 2019?

Though it is clear Rahul will be the next party president after a formal polling process, senior Congress leaders are still reticent to speak about the role Sonia Gandhi will play after Rahul takes over as party chief.

Sonia ji is our most respected leader and mentor. Her guidance and leadership will always be available, not only to Rahul but to crores of Congress workers. Once the election (for party president) is over, well talk about our new presidents role, said All India Congress Committee spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Party workers outside Congress headquarters were unanimous: They wanted to see Rahul stand against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 general election.

RPN Singh, Congress leader in-charge of Jharkhand state, speaking with Firstpost after the Congress Working Committee meeting, confirmed that Rahul would be the partys prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Party workers and leaders wanted Rahul Gandhi as president. Todays development has excited and energised them. For the past three-and-a-half years, Rahul has raised his voice on several issues: Demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), farmers distress and corruption, Singh said.

Challenges facing Rahul

Once Rahul takes over as Congress chief, hes expected to face a tough challenge from Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, who are known for their connection to the grass roots and drawing up electoral strategies with surgical precision.

On the other hand, Rahul as Congress vice-president failed during the Assembly elections, be it allying with the Left in West Bengal or in Uttar Pradesh. Many times, Rahul has been accused of being an absentee politician.

When he takes over, dealing with alliances will be a major challenge. Especially given the fact that the NCP just snapped ties with the Congress in Gujarat. A rift has also emerged between the Patidars and Congress.

The second challenge would be overhauling the party cadre through internal restructuring. Third, Rahul's equations with the old guard of the Congress and how efficiently he deals with them will be watched closely. Fourth, regaining the trust of party workers across the country will be crucial.

Earlier, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who switched from Congress to the BJP in 2015 and helped the latter to win the 2016 Assam election, alleged that despite waiting for Rahul for several days, he was unable to meet him at a time when the party was in disarray in Assam.

Senior Congress leader and CWC special invitee Anil Shastri said, There are several challenges before Rahul: Revamping the organisation through restructuring. There are sets of people at different levels, senior and young. All of them need to be brought together and geared up to take on Modi and company.

Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka will be crucial and challenging. Rahul also needs to take time to meet more party workers. Sonia met party workers and people every day."

Harsh Pandey, a Congress worker, who came all the way from Madhya Pradesh, said: "With Rahul ji as president, the Congress can surely make a comeback in Madhya Pradesh. His elevation will definitely help to energise youth workers and strongly bind them.
Chandigarh: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's attempt to attack the Centre over demonetisation using the surname of new Miss World Manushi Chhillar has invited strong criticism from the NCW chief and two senior ministers in the Haryana government.

Haryana women and child development minister Kavita Jain said Tharoor "indulged in callous and reckless wordplay on new Miss World Manushi Chhillar".

She asked him to apologise and said the Haryana-born Chhillar was not just the pride of the state, but also of the entire nation.

"Tharoor has only exposed his own debased thinking by questioning the self-respect of our daughters, the pride of the country, and the brave community 'Chhillar'," Jain said in a statement in Chandigarh.

"It is tragic that leaders of the Congress party which is headed by a woman do not respect women. Such low thinking is responsible for the Congress losing its base in the country," she added.

Haryana finance minister Captain Abhimanyu also criticised Tharoor. "A shameless comment deserves to be withdrawn and Shashi must apologise for this...can't believe...he can go so low...(sic)" Abhimanyu tweeted.

A shameless comment.deserves to be withdrawn and Shashi must apologise for this ..can't believe ..he can go so low.. https://t.co/TqYkSZiTHj  Captain Abhimanyu (@CaptAbhimanyu) November 19, 2017

On Sunday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned his remarks and said, "Will he call his own daughter chillar? He must apologize immediately." News18 reported that the NCW will summon Shashi Tharoor regarding his "derogatory and degrading tweet" on Chhillar. When asked about Tharoor's second tweet apologising for the incident, NCW chief Rekha Sharma said that she accepted the apology but would summon the leader nonetheless. Tharoor apologised for his remark, which, he said, was a "light-hearted" comment and also praised Chhillar.

Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

"What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!" Tharoor had said on the micro-blogging site, apparently punning on the word 'chillar', which in Hindi means "loose change".

Several criticised the Thiruvananthapuram MP for his remarks. Here's how Twitteratti reacted to it:

Sorry @ShashiTharoor - the word play hits a sexist note. https://t.co/Nv9iX3QCDY  barkha dutt (@BDUTT) November 19, 2017

Really @ShashiTharoor ? Seriously, you wrote this ? What were you thinking ? https://t.co/5orRxnA5LJ  Anjana Om Kashyap (@anjanaomkashyap) November 19, 2017

Pls do not belittle the hard work the lady must have put in by comparing her name to a currency.@MissWorldLtd Manushi Chhillar has made India proud.

Mr @ShashiTharoor Your pain on Demonetisation is well understood.. https://t.co/jpiZeAW4HY  Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) November 19, 2017

Way to go @ShashiTharoor, What a immoral way to praise India's pride -Miss World @ManushiChhillar ! Wish politics was kept aside of this and her accomplishment was lauded instead! #TharoorInsultsMissWorld  BJYM (@BJYM) November 19, 2017

With inputs from PTI
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi are among the 40 star campaigners for the Congress party in the Gujarat Assembly elections. The grand old party released its list of star campaigners on Monday.

Congress releases a list of 40 star campaigners for upcoming #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/4P8BfZe2H5  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Among other senior leaders who are star campaigners are All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki and others. Randeep Singh Surjewala and Jyotiraditya Scindia also feature on the list. The Congress on Sunday released a list of 77 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections.

This is our 1st Candidate list of 77 Candidates for #GujaratElection2017. Congratulations & Best wishes to all the 77 Candidates.   ,   ! #NavsarjanGujarat pic.twitter.com/C8OCsbTavR  Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017

The party seems to have fielded senior leaders of the Congress state unit, however, the list came as a disappointment for the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), as only two of its members have found a place in it. The two parties had said that they had reached an agreement on reservation for Patidars, howevr, their workers clashed in Surat after Congress declared its first list of 77 candidates, leaving little room for PAAS leaders, according to Livemint.

The party has, however, given tickets to over 20 other Patel candidates.

A total of 89 assembly constituencies will go to polls in the first phases on 9 December. Party leaders say that another list will be released as well, in which perhaps more PAAS leaders can be accommodated. With just two days left for filing nominations for the first phase, the list is anticipated to be released soon.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has announced 106 candidates out of total 182 seats, by releasing three lists so far, giving tickets to as many as 15 Patidar leaders.

The Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases scheduled on 9 and 14 December. The counting of the votes will be held on 18 December.

With inputs from agencies
Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India-Marxist's district office in Thiruvananthapuram was stoned on Sunday evening, a day after city mayor VK Prasanth suffered injuries in a scuffle between CPM and BJP councillors.

Windowpanes of the CPM office were broken and other property damaged in the stone-throwing incident. Skirmishes were also reported between CPM and Bharatiya Janata Party/Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers near the Thiruvananthapuram airport and in Kannur district.

While two CPM youth wing activists were attacked near the airport, a local party leader was attacked at Iritty in Kannur.

The CPM has called for a protest in the district on Monday.

Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran and Thiruvananthapuram district CPM secretary Anavoor Nagappan blamed police of failing to act in time.

"The BJP and RSS are trying to create unrest and acting in a violent manner, especially in the state capital. It was a planned attack and the mayor was lucky to escape. It was an attack on his life. The police is yet to arrest anyone," said Surendran.

Former mayor and senior CPM leader V Sivankutty said the attack was planned by the BJP to create unrest.

Prasanth is convalescing at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and nursing an injury on the forehead, apart from having a leg in plaster.

"The attack was a planned one and it included not just BJP councillors but also others who came from outside," Prasanth claimed on Sunday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other senior Left leaders visited the mayor in the hospital.

"The RSS stage managed this attack and had the mayor not been given timely medical care, things would have been very bad," said Vijayan.

Thiruvananthapuram district BJP President S Suresh said the statements by Left leaders and police are "nothing but a joke".

"What happened in the council on Saturday was the attack unleashed by the CPM councillors and the mayor himself. There are visuals in our support. The mayor is faking injuries. If he were injured, how could he walk away from the spot where he fell. The mayor is trying to create a smoke screen by weaving baseless stories on the attack," Suresh told the media.

Police has registered a case against 20 persons for the ruckus at the council hall on Saturday.

In the 100-member Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, the BJP is the principal opposition party.
Aligarh: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that his government was committed to establishing the rule of law and claimed that there were "no communal clashes" in the state in the past eight months.

Under previous state governments, there were "riots every week" and they also failed to nab the rioters, the chief minister said addressing a public meeting in Aligarh ahead of the local body polls.

"In the past eight months, there have been no communal clashes in the state. When the BJP came to power, there was anarchy and 'gunda raj' in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

"Today, there are no Kairana-like incidents happening in the state. The exodus of people, especially traders, from Kairana started after threats from criminals and mafia. No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands. No one today can dare to threaten a trader or abduct anyone," he said.

The chief minister was referring to the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana that made headlines last year when local BJP MP Hukum Singh released a list of more than 300 families who, he claimed, fled following extortion threats and violent attacks.

"The toughness we had adopted, has shown good results. Investors from India and abroad are willing to invest in the state. Investments will create jobs, and it will increase possibilities of development. Traders who had left the state are now returning," Adityanath said.

He alleged that the "previous government" used to "eulogise" elements engaged in communal violence.

"No one today has the audacity to give shelter to any rioter. People know that the right place for rioters and criminals... (is in jail). After the BJP government came to power, criminals have been sent behind bars and those who tried to confront the law have been killed in encounters," the chief minister said.

He also claimed that his government had given a boost to Aligarh's traditional lock industry.

"One of the first decisions of the government was to promote the locks made in Aligarh. In this regard, it was decided that locks will be put on illegal abattoirs in the state... This will definitely help in rejuvenating the lock industry," the chief minister said in a lighter vein.

At another rally in Agra, he blamed previous governments of the state for obstructing development. "Past governments could not build 29,000 houses, while in just eight months we have constructed 11 lakh houses," he said.

He said his government has cleared Rs 370 crore for "a rubber check dam downstream of the Taj Mahal".

Agra is a major destination for international tourists and is visited daily by nearly 50,000 people. It is home to three world heritage monuments.

Adityanath said the Uttar Pradesh government has approved funds for a civil airport and for improving water supply in the Taj city. He said a detailed project report for the Agra Metro has also been cleared.

"Steps would be taken to promote Agra's Petha and Mathura's Peda nationally and internationally," he said.

In Mathura, he said the state government has introduced a new policy for vendors to bring them under the organised sector.

He said the state government would set up 'gaushalas' under 16 civic bodies. He said Mathura's other pilgrim centres such as Goverdhan, Gokul, Nandgaon, Baldeo would be developed to attract more tourists.
Jared Kushner's lawyer says the Senate Judiciary Committee is playing a "gotcha game" by accusing Kushner of not disclosing key documents -- including information about WikiLeaks.

Abbe Lowell, the attorney for President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior White House adviser, said in an interview with CNN that the committee has "jumped the gun" with a letter to Kushner stating that they had not been provided documents about WikiLeaks, a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite," and communications with Sergei Millian, the president of the US-based Russian American Chamber of Commerce, who The Washington Post reported could be a source in the Trump-Russia dossier.

The backdoor overture cited by the committee refers to another of a series of Russian attempts in 2016 to try to make inroads with the Trump campaign and came by way of a West Virginia man who also sought to arrange for then-candidate Donald Trump to stop by an event on the sidelines of a National Rifle Association convention.

The email chain eventually made its way to Kushner, who rejected the idea, according to Lowell and sources familiar with the exchange. Kushner also warned others in the campaign about dealing with people who he believed exaggerated their connections.

"(I)f you look at the content of these emails, he's the hero," Lowell said of Kushner. "He's the one who's saying there shouldn't be any contact with foreign officials or foreign entities. That's what the Senate Judiciary Committee should pay attention to and not create some sort of partisan gotcha game."

Lowell added that the committee's statements that the Kushner team had not disclosed documents is undermining the panel's credibility, because the team provided documents and added that they could hand over other relevant materials.

"If committees selectively leak parts of interviews or send me letters through the media, or turn Jared Kushner's very clear email that there should be no contacts with anyone in a foreign country into what they call a missing document, then they are undermining their own credibility," Lowell said.

He added: "In my communications with the Senate Judiciary Committee, I said, 'Take these documents, and let's talk about what else is relevant.' They jumped the gun to make a media event."

Lowell said Kushner would cooperate with congressional investigators but didn't make any promises about whether Kushner would give the Senate Judiciary Committee an interview or to provide any additional specific documents the panel is demanding.
Rajkot: Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who filed his nomination for the next month's polls, on Monday attacked the Congress, saying the Opposition party has "outsourced" itself to three prominent activists in the state as it has "nothing" of its own.

With the "son of Gujarat" Narendra Modi helming the central government, the state will scale new heights under the BJP, he said at a gathering here, adding "we will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt".

The BJP leader, accompanied by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, filed his nomination from Rajkot (West) Assembly seat at 12:39 pm, described as "vijay muhurat" (auspicious time) by party leaders.

Rupani is the sitting MLA from the constituency where voting will be held in the first phase on 9 December.

Rajkot BJP president Kamlesh Mirani and cooperative sector leader Jyotindrabhai Mehta along with a group of supporters accompanied Rupani to the office of the district election officer, where he submitted his papers.

Before filing his nomination, Rupani addressed the gathering where he slammed the Congress, saying the party is relying on three activists to save itself in the BJP-ruled state.

The chief minister did not name anybody, but he was apparently referring to caste and community leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani.

"The Congress is outsourcing as it has nothing of its own. Three people have come out to save the Congress, such is the condition of the party. The Congress is broken, and a Congress-mukt India means an India free of poverty, corruption and joblessness," he told the gathering.

He said if the BJP wins 150-plus seats in Gujarat, the state will achieve new peak in growth with the help from the central government.

"We will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt, and our development is stabilised. The Congress did injustice to Gujarat during 10 years of the UPA rule. Now, in Delhi, a son of Gujarat, Narendrabhai, has given a lot to Gujarat.

"Under a BJP government with 150-plus seats, Gujarat will achieve new heights of development with the help of the central government," he said.

Jaitley said the BJP has emerged as a symbol of "development and stability," while the Congress represented "anarchy".

"The BJP has emerged as a symbol of development and stability. In more than two decades of its rule in Gujarat, the party brought progress and development, and the state was put on the (investment) map of the country and the world," Jaitley told reporters.

He said the upcoming election is a battle between "growth and anarchy".

"The forces against us in this election are working to divide the state, its people and they symbolise anarchy. So this election is between stability, growth and progress represented by the BJP, and anarchy symbolised by the other side," the Union minister said.

He expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge victorious with a "huge" majority.

The election to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place in two phases  December 9 and 14  and votes will be counted on 18 December.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any order on a plea challenging the discretionary power of a returning officer to refuse counting of the paper trail from VVPAT machines.

The apex court said no "advance ruling" can be given in the matter and in case of any dispute over the result of the poll, the challenge can be made by way of a poll petition.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra refused to agree with the contention of the president of a political party 'Gujarat Jan Chetna Party' that they cannot challenge the discretionary powers of returning officer in case of any dispute over election results by way of a writ petition.

"We cannot give an advance ruling. You always have an option to file an election petition in case of dispute in the poll results," the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said while dismissing the plea.

Advocate Devadatt Kamat, who appeared for petitioner, Manubhai Chavada, opposed Rule 56(D)(2) of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, which confers discretionary power on the returning officer to refuse counting of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

He said VVPAT machines were earlier allowed by apex court to be used in the upcoming Gujarat election but the returning officer has discretionary power to refuse counting of the paper trail, which cannot be challenged in case of a dispute.

"You always have an option to file election petition if there is any dispute over the outcome of results," the bench said.

Chavada, in his plea, has contended that such a discretion was "ex-facie illegal, arbitrary and an infraction of the fundamental rights of the citizens".

The apex court on 10 November had agreed to hear the plea which also claimed that the paper used by the machine has a shelf-life of a few months after which the printed matter on it fades away or disappears.

Apart from seeking directions to the poll panel to use appropriate technology to preserve the paper of VVPAT machines for at least a period of two years from the date of election, the PIL has also sought mandatory counting of the paper slips in each assembly or parliamentary election in future.

The petition has said that the apex court in a 2013 ruling had categorically held that paper trails were an indispensable requirement in the conduct of free and fair elections and therefore, it was mandatory to count the paper slips in every election where VVPATs are used.

"The introduction of the paper trail was for the purpose of ensuring a safety valve against any defect/tampering of the electronic voting machine (EVM). The entire purpose of introduction of the VVPAT was to ensure that the electoral verdict is the true representation of votes cast by the voter," the PIL said.

It said that in the event of any discrepancy between the result shown by the EVMs and the VVPAT, "the result shown by the VVPAT was supposed to be the barometer reflecting the peoples' choice in the election."

It has contended that giving the discretion to a returning officer to refuse the application of a candidate or an election agent for counting of the paper trail would undermine the purpose behind the introduction of VVPATs and sought striking down of Rule 56(D)(2).
Rajkot: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections and claimed the Congress had done so too in the past.

On Congress president Sonia Gandhi's allegation that the government was "sabotaging" the Winter session of Parliament, Jaitley said the opposition party had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held and the Congress "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

He said the Congress had itself rescheduled Parliament sessions several times.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts until the third week of December.

"Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed," Jaitley said.

Sources said the government was considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in New Delhi today, Sonia Gandhi said, "The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds."
IANS

Microsoft Founder Bill Gates on Friday said he was really excited at meeting Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the first time over 20 years ago.

Addressing the valedictory of the three-day AP AgTech Summit 2017, the Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recalled his meeting with Naidu who was then chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

"I was told that there is someone who believes in digital technology even more than you do. It was hard to believe but when we met, he had his digital equipment  computer  and he had the vision to make government better by using advanced tools," said Gates.

He also revealed that they agreed and today they have reached a milestone as they can use dashboards for agriculture and health. He also referred to the use of Microsoft app Kaizala by the state government for its activity.

"It's been a real journey over these 20 years, making that vision a reality. I expect it to accelerate and in the years ahead will move very quickly," said Gates.

Earlier, Naidu in his speech revealed how he managed to get an appointment with Gates for 10 minutes but the latter spent 40 minutes with him. "I made a presentation through a laptop and I was the first Indian politician to do so," the chief minister claimed.

Naidu explained how he convinced Gates to set up Microsoft's development centre in Hyderabad. "Not only Microsoft opened its development centre in Hyderabad but Satya Nadella who is from our place became Microsoft CEO."

Terming Gates as a great personality, the chief minister said he was spending the money he earned to help people around the world.
IANS

In an unparalleled achievement, a commercial pilot who made a full-fledged aircraft on the terrace of his residence has been awarded a registration by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a top official said here on 20 November.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis formally handed over the DGCA certificate to Capt. Amol Yadav, presently a Deputy Chief Pilot with Jet Airways.

Working virtually single-handedely, Yadav built the six-seater aircraft on a residential building terrace in Kandivali suburb, north-west Mumbai, over the past six years and finally it has been accorded official recognition.

"Encouraging efforts... Great example of @makeinindia! Captain Amol Yadav gets certificate of registration from DGCA, meets CM @Dev_Fadnavis to thank his efforts and follow up with Hon PM @narendramodi & Government of India It is 1st Indian private company to get this certificate!," the Chief Minister's Office tweeted in a congratulatory message.

Encouraging efforts...

Great example of @makeinindia !

Captain Amol Yadav gets certificate of registration from DGCA,meets CM @Dev_Fadnavis to thank his efforts and follow up with Hon PM @narendramodi & Government of India

It is 1st Indian private company to get this certificate! pic.twitter.com/opi6TXZqZo  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) November 20, 2017

The DGCA certification implies that Yadav can now undertake further tests and fly the aircraft in the open skies.

Yadav, 41, had displayed the aircraft during the "Make In India" mega-event in Mumbai last year which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of several foreign dignitaries.

At the event in February 2016, Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Fadnavis saw his aircraft, appreciated the efforts and had assured him all help to make his venture a success.

"The terrace atop my three-BHK flat is spread over around 1,600 square feet and served as my workshop for this aircraft which I created in the past over six years," Yadav told mediapersons.

He said the inspiration to assemble a full-fledged plane came to him after he witnessed aviation buffs in the US buying phased-out aircraft and remodelling them into customised six-seater or twelve-seater flying machines.

Presently parked on an airstrip in Dhule, Yadav's aircraft Yadav can fly upto beights of 13,000 feet, climbing at 1,500 feet per minute, achieve top speeds of 185 knots with a range of 2,000 kms, and a capacity to carry six people.

The Maharashtra government plans to allot a 155-acre plot in Palghar, adjacent to Mumbai from where Yadav intends to build upto 20-seater passenger aircraft over the next few years through his venture, Thrust India Company.
IANS

Nokia on 20 November announced the launch of a cluster development programme which will digitally empower the weaver community and connect them to technology and the marketplace in the villages of Tamil Nadu.

The programme titled "KanchiLoom" and to be implemented in partnership with Delhi-based non-profit Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), will provide training and easy access to internet and wireless connectivity to 5,000 community members, including 500 weavers of three villages in Kanchipuram.

The project will enable weavers to embrace new technologies, designs, and scale-up traditional weaving methods by employing Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools and digital connectivity for marketing and sales.

"We strongly believe that digital inclusion is an important pillar for socio-economic growth. Our collaboration and support for social development programs focus on the use of technology to enable equal access to opportunities in education and training for all sections of society," Amit Marwah, head of Customer Marketing and Communications for Nokia India, said in a statement on 20 November.

"The KanchiLoom project is one such endeavour to assist the weavers and entrepreneurs in the cluster to hone their skills and to use digital knowledge and connectivity to realise their full potential," Marwah added.

As part of the initiative, an e-commerce portal will also be established to promote greater self-reliance amongst weavers through direct market access, the report said.

"We believe that KanchiLoom programme will truly transform the lives of the weavers by providing them with training and access to the internet and wireless connectivity," said Osama Manzar, Founder-Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation.

"The entrepreneurs in the region will further benefit from the e-commerce portal and specific entrepreneurship training provided as part of the initiative. The programme will help the community to learn about new opportunities and growth areas," Manzar added.
tech2 News Staff

After predicting that Apple may release two new iPhones with OLED displays, Ming-Chi Kuo, KGI analyst has now predicted that these iPhones which are predicted to be launched in 2018, would also support dual SIM slots. Apple's first iPhones with dual SIM slots would also have the dual SIM and dual standby (DSDS) facility.

According to MacRumours, the analyst said that the smartphones are expected to come with Qualcomms Snapdragon X20 modems and Intels XMM 7560. These would be an upgrade from Intel and Qualcomms previous models, which were Qualcomm's MDM 9655 and XMM 7560, respectively.

Now both the chipsets will have a higher baseband from 2x2 MIMO technology to 4X4 technology, thus increasing higher transmission of LTE or wireless connectivity.

Meanwhile, as mentioned before, the dual SIM support may support dual SIM and dual standby as well. Thereby, both the SIMs can be used actively.

Additionally, it has also been predicted that the chipset in the iPhone will support LTE connection for both the SIMs. The same LTE SIMs are expected to provide better connectivity.

According to the analysts, Intel would supply most of these chips, which account for 70 or 80 percent of them.

This can be good news for those who carry around with two phones due to lack of dual SIM facility in iPhones; this can prove to be a better alternative.

Apart from dual SIM, it has also been predicted that from now on, both the phones would support Face ID as a feature to unlock the iPhones. Previous report tells that if the Face ID becomes popular it would take over Touch ID.
IANS

A rights group on 2o November asked the Chinese government to stop building big data policing platforms to store personal information of its population, calling it a violation of privacy rights.

The Human Rights Watch's statement said the Police Cloud was designed to track and predict the activities of activists, dissidents and ethnic minorities, and does not comply with international privacy standards, reports Efe news.

"It is frightening that Chinese authorities are collecting and centralising ever more information about hundreds of millions of ordinary people, identifying persons who deviate from what they determine to be 'normal thought,' and then surveilling them," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.

The Chinese government, according to the HRW, has stored citizens' information for years, and is now exploring new technologies to gather personal information more efficiently, and to share it across departments at both the national and local levels.

Various applications used to analyse texts, videos and security camera images in real time or near real time are aimed at suppressing crimes, however, the HRW said these methods also allow police to arbitrarily obtain information about ordinary people.

International privacy standards require the collection, retention, and use of the personal data of individuals for policing purposes be allowed only if there was a genuine threat to a public interest; the laws in China did not meet these requirements, said the HRW.

"Preventing crime is a legitimate state interest, but predictive tools often point to the same old patterns, making it likely for policing to replicate old mistakes or biases such as targeting of people of lower socio-economic status.

"This throws into doubt whether the use of these predictive tools adds much new and whether they are either a necessary or proportionate intrusion on the rights of individuals," the HRW added.
AFP

German automaker Volkswagen on Friday said it planned to invest more than 34 billion euros ($40 billion) over the next five years in new technologies to advance its push to become a global leader in electric cars.

"We are reinventing the car," chief executive Matthias Mueller said after a meeting of the group's supervisory board at its Wolfsburg headquarters.

The bulk of the 2018-2022 spending spree would go on developing electric and hybrid cars, VW said in a statement, as well as self-driving cars, new mobility services such as car-sharing, and digitalisation.

Like other traditional carmakers, Volkswagen is stepping up its focus on the cleaner, smarter vehicles of the future, racing to catch up with US tech giant Tesla which has a head-start in the area.

The pivot to zero-emissions cars is particularly important for Volkswagen as it seeks to shake off a global emissions cheating scandal that shone a spotlight on polluting diesel engines.

The VW group, owner of 12 brands including Audi, Porsche and Skoda, announced in September that it planned to electrify its entire fleet by 2030  promising fully electric or hybrid versions of some 300 models.

At its meeting on Friday, the supervisory board signed off on an overall five-year spending plan totaling "more than 70 billion euros", a spokesman told AFP. "With the planning round now approved, we are laying the foundation for making Volkswagen the world's number one player in electric mobility by 2025," said Mueller.

China rises

The push into e-mobility comes as China, the world's biggest car market, is shaking up the industry by requiring automakers to produce a minimum number of e-cars from 2019.

Volkswagen on Thursday already unveiled plans to invest more than 10 billion euros in new energy cars with local partners in China by 2025, a figure that is not included in the 70 billion. Although the VW group is betting big on future technologies, Mueller said it would not be sidelining existing projects, "since this is how we will earn our money for the foreseeable future."

VW's 70-billion-euro spending plan is lower than the 2015-2019 investments announced in 2014, when the group pledged to spend nearly 86 billion. But that was before VW was hit by the "dieselgate" scandal, which has so far cost it over 25 billion euros in fines, recalls and compensation.

The crisis erupted in 2015 after the group admitted to installing cheating software in 11 million engines worldwide designed to dupe pollution tests. The scandal tarnished the reputation of the proud German behemoth and it remains mired in legal woes, especially in the United States and Europe.

But VW held onto its crown as the world's largest automaker and the group's share price recently recovered to pre-crisis levels.

As part of a wider overhaul to cut costs and improve efficiency, VW said it intends to bring its investment ratio in the automotive division down to six percent of sales by 2020, from a hefty 6.9 percent last year.

It also said that plans to cut some 23,000 jobs at its own-brand unit in Germany  without resorting to forced redundancies  were ahead of schedule with some 9,000 workers accepting early retirement.
tech2 News Staff

Update: The original headline erroneously indicated that Xiaomi was investing $ 100 bn in India. The actual figure is $1 bn. The headline has been updated to reflect the same.

Within the last week, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has made the news for a number of reasons.

According to data collected by the International Data Corporation (IDC), Xiaomi was found to be sharing the top spot with Samsung in the Indian smartphone industry with 23.5 percent market share.

In a bid to further strengthen its hold in India, Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun who recently visited India told The Mint in an interview that the company is looking to invest approximately $1 billion in as many as a 100 startups across the country. While the goal is to have this done over a period of five years, the founder of Xiaomi went on to state that the Indian market is of greater priority for the company than China.

The statement comes with a promise of around 200 new products for India in the years to come, coupled with the backing of an R&D centre with the Indian market in focus. Lei Jun stated in the interview that the company plans on introducing products which are not necessarily smartphones. "The next thing that we are to do is that forget ourselves being Number 1. We are a start-up. We need to build the coolest products and offer them at a very honest and reasonable price," the founder said in the interview.

Jun said that their current portfolio of products in India is limited to just about 20 products, while it is around the 200 mark in the Chinese market. He reasoned that this is because the Indian market requires a different, more patient and focused approach to make sure that each product launched is a success.

Speaking in the same context, the CEO said, "Most of these products that we are talking about were initially designed for the Chinese environment. We cannot just simply bring them over from China. We first need to understand the users needs and likings. We would also require a few team members to move over to India to build India-specific products, maybe products that we wont sell in China."

Referring to the boom in 4G connectivity adoption in India, Jun added that Xiaomi would want to celebrate the 4G revolution in the country, helping essentially to build an information highway. Bringing the Chinese internet evolution process into context, Jun said, "The Chinese went through the PC internet era before they went to the mobile internet era. Chinese internet has produced companies such as Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent. These are all now global juggernauts. So, this popularisation will definitely help the whole industry in India. In the next 5-10 years, India will produce 5-10 global internet companies."
Al Franken now stands accused of not only kissing and groping a woman in 2006, but also of grabbing another woman's butt while she was taking a picture with him in 2010.

What has Franken -- a high profile Democrat senator from Minnesota and someone mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential candidate -- said about these serious allegations? Not much.

In the wake of radio host Leeann Tweeden's accusation that Franken kissed her without her consent and fondled her breasts while she was asleep during a 2006 USO Tour they both were featured on, Franken told reporters this: "I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it."

That "apology" was met with universal disdain -- even in Democratic circles -- and so Franken quickly put out another, much longer statement. "I respect women," Franken said in it. "I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Then on Monday came the news -- first reported by CNN -- that Franken had allegedly grabbed the butt of a woman named Lindsay Menz at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.

Franken issued another statement to CNN to deal with this latest accusation. "I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken told CNN. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

No one has seen hide nor hair of Franken since last Thursday when the news about Tweeden broke. Aside from those handful of statements, he's said nothing else about the allegations against him. And he's taken no questions.

What Franken is doing here is obvious. He is letting the statement he released last week in the wake of the first allegations stand. He's not adding to it, re-opening it or relitigating it.

And, he's hoping that with Congress out of session this week for Thanksgiving recess -- and the country less focused on work than their turkey day plans -- that this whole thing blows over (or loses some of its heat) before next week. Franken's move to self-refer his conduct to the Senate Ethics Committee is another way of taking some of the immediacy from all of this. The ethics committee is not exactly the world's swiftest when it comes to meting out justice.

Which is a probably a smart political strategy. But, it's beyond hypocritical for Franken, who has been an outspoken critic of other men accused of sexually inappropriate behavior, to simply bunker in and hope the storm passes. And Democrats shouldn't stand for it.

If these were isolated incidents -- as Franken supporters undoubtedly hope and believe -- then the Minnesota Democrat should have no problem appearing in public and taking questions from reporters.

But, by not taking questions -- or even, really, appearing in public -- Franken is fomenting speculation about his past conduct.

The first question of any news conference will be "Did you do this to other women? When? Who? Why?" That's a question Franken absolutely needs to answer if he wants to survive politically. Nowhere in his more fulsome apology does Franken say that the incident with Tweeden was a one-off, a momentary lapse of reason and good behavior. Ditto his response to the allegations from Menz.

Remember that Franken is a sitting US Senator. His salary is paid by taxpayers. Those two facts -- coupled with the seriousness of the allegations against him -- necessitate that Franken do something much more than hide out and wait for this to pass.

In a culture rocked over the last seven weeks by near-daily reports of powerful men sexually harassing and even assaulting women, Franken's silence is deafening -- and damning.

He needs to come out -- like, yesterday -- and explain his behavior. And why it doesn't mean he needs to leave the Senate. Otherwise, events will, rightly, outrun him.
tech2 News Staff

Xiaomi's latest budget oriented smartphone for the Indian market has been the Redmi Y1 which sported a dual-lens primary camera setup. The company was recognised as the fastest growing smartphone brand in India based on Q3 data provided by IDC. However, Xiaomi may not be done for the year, just yet.

The company's vice president Manu Kumar Jain took to his Twitter account to tease the possible launch of another smartphone with an image that shows the letter "i" with dots in the Indian tricolour. Jain is also touring in the rural parts of India and has hinted at a future product launch for this market.

While this does not directly suggest the launch of a new smartphone, most fans of the brand feel that this could be a hint of the rumored Redmi Note 5.

A few others also suggest that the launch being discussed here could be a new accessory targetted towards the Indian market. With the lack of any concrete evidence as to the product being geared up for launch, a certain number of Xiaomi fans also suggested that the Mi 6C could be launched in India.

"i" is coming soon! Any guesses what is this? @XiaomiIndia pic.twitter.com/rfmXuA8dfq  Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) 18 November 2017

As per a recent report, the Redmi Note 5 was briefly spotted on Chinese e-commerce website JD.com, suggesting an imminent launch. The smartphone which is considered to be the successor to the popular Redmi Note 4, is rumored to sport a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2160 x 1080p and a size of 5.9-inch. Not much is known about the chipset powering the phone but it will have a 2.0 GHz octa-core processor.
Nay Pyi Taw: A total of 51 countries will participate in the 13th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers' Meeting, opening on Monday in Myanmar's capital city of Nay Pyi Taw.

The host country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi will inaugurate the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), in which the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union (EU) will participate, reports Efe news.

According to diplomatic sources, the Rohingya crisis will be included in the bilateral meetings, to be held on the sidelines.

The crisis has worsened since the Army launched an operation in August against the Muslim minority in the western state of Rakhine in response to attacks on police posts by Rohingya militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. At least 400 people have been killed and some 300 villages have been razed in the military operation.

The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, will participate in the meeting after a stopover on Sunday in Bangladesh, where 620,000 Rohingya refugees have fled due to the violence in Myanmar.

Mogherini visited a refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh and said the EU will help find a "sustainable solution" to the humanitarian crisis.

The 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting, an informal forum that aims to boost cooperation in every area between Asia and Europe, will conclude on Tuesday with the release of a final declaration.
Dhaka: Bangladesh is in negotiations with Myanmar aimed at a deal to repatriate displaced Rohingya and Dhakas foreign minister will address the matter at talks in Myanmar this week, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry said on Sunday.

More than 6,00,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmars Rakhine State. The Rohingyas suffering has caused an international outcry.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expect to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation, said a ministry statement, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Dhaka on Sunday.

A senior aide to Ali said he would leave for Myanmar late on Sunday to attend an Asia-Europe (ASEM) meeting on Monday and Tuesday and would stay on another couple of days for bilateral talks on the Rohingya. The official said Ali hoped for an agreement on allowing Rohingya to return to Myanmar. Both countries have almost reached an understanding on this issue and there are a few points (still) to be agreed ... We hope to reach an agreement.

There was no immediate comment from Myanmar. On 1 November, Myanmar insisted it was ready to set up a repatriation process but voiced fears Bangladesh was delaying an accord to first get international aid money. A senior Bangladesh home ministry official described the accusation as outrageous.

Allegations of ethnic cleansing

Stung by international criticism and accusations of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, Myanmars de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has said Rohingyas who can prove they were resident in Myanmar would be accepted back.

Last week a United Nations General Assembly committee called on Myanmar to end military operations that have led to the systematic violation and abuse of human rights of Rohingya. The move revived a UN resolution that was dropped in 2016 due to Myanmars progress on human rights.

However, in the past three months there has been a Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military began an operation against Rohingya militants who attacked 30 security posts and an army base in Rakhine on 25 August.

Myanmars army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rapes and killings by security forces, days after replacing the general in charge of the military operation. Top UN officials have denounced the violence as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government has denied these allegations. Rohingyas have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, where many Buddhists see them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

A US congressional delegation, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden and Japan visited Rohingya camps in Coxs Bazar at the weekend to raise awareness of their plight. We support Bangladeshs efforts towards a lasting solution, including the repatriation of displaced persons, Japans Taro Kona told Ali at their meeting, where Tokyo pledged $18.6 million in aid to ease the Rohingya crisis.

Mogherini told reporters: More than putting pressure, our approach has always been and will continue to be to offer a negotiating space, encourage the taking care of a situation that is not going to disappear.
AMMAN (Reuters) - At the British embassy to Jordan, a former rescue cat is settling into his new position as chief mouser - as a traditional well established in the ministries of London goes global. Laura Dauban, deputy ambassador of the United Kingdom to Jordan poses with Lawrence of Abdoun, the first diplo-cat to be appointed by the British Embassy in Jordan, at the embassy headquarters in Amman, Jordan, November 15, 2017. Picture taken November 15, 2017. REUTERS/Muhammad HamedLawrence of Abdoun is a fluffy black-and-white tom who, according to his Twitter feed, reports directly to the Foreign Offices Palmerston, a cat that delights his 57,000 followers with regular updates from the ministry in Whitehall via @DiploMog. Lawrence, named after T.E. Lawrence, a British military officer who fought alongside Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, has already gained 2,500 followers since being adopted from an animal shelter last month. Abdoun is the neighbourhood of Amaan where the embassy is located. Apart from his mousing duties, he reaches out to followers on Twitter. Whats quite interesting is the British public are seeing the U.K embassy in Jordan in a different light, said Deputy Ambassador Laura Dauban. Through Lawrences Twitter account were trying to show a different side to Jordan, what it is really like, a peaceful, prosperous country that British tourists should come and visit. Tweeting under the name @LawrenceDipCat, Lawrence has discovered the perils of social media, and has even been fat-shamed by trolls. Hes been a bit upset because some people have said he looked a bit fat in the last tweet he did, so hell be doing some exercises and posting to sort of rectify that situation, Dauban said.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Nay Pyi Taw: China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said.

China believed that the Rakhine issue can be addressed by a solution acceptable to both Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations between the two neighbouring countries, Wang told a joint press conference Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, Xinhua news agency reported.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should encourage such efforts by creating conditions and good atmosphere for consultations, he added.

The Chinese top diplomat said the Bangladesh government pledged to continue bilateral talks with Myanmar over the issue when he visited the country on Saturday. Myanmar also expressed the same attitude, he added.

Wang said the Rakhine issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, which calls for both an urgent and long-term solution.

Thus China proposes a three-phase solution, he said.

The first phase is to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced. Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the international community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said.

The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution. Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, the Chinese foreign minister called on the international community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

Development can lead to stability, Wang said, adding that China's proposal has been backed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Chinese foreign minister will participate in the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' meeting to be held in Nay Pyi Daw on 20-21 November.
Paris: France will be the first to welcome African refugees evacuated from Libya to Niger by the United Nations refugee agency, French officials announced Monday.

After experiencing appalling living conditions at camps in the north African country, the refugees were taken to Niger on 11 November by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where they have been looked after.

The 25 Eritreans, Ethiopians and Sudanese - including 15 women and four children - should reach France "at the latest in January," the interior ministry said.

Libya has long been a major transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe, and many of them have fallen prey to serious abuse at the hands of traffickers and others.

US television network CNN aired footage last week of an apparent live auction where black men are presented to buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400.

And the European Union's policy of helping Libyan authorities intercept migrants crossing the Mediterranean and returning them to "horrific" detention has been branded "inhuman" by UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

Pascal Brice, the director general of OFPRA (French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) told AFP that France will take in the migrants following a visit to Niger's capital Niamey.

He said the migrants - who were selected because they need protection - will be given refugee status "very quickly" when they arrive in France.

"It is above all a way of saving people who have come out of a hell, with torture, rape and abduction of children," Brice said, adding the refugees were "almost all victims of sexual violence".

"The challenge now is that other countries, Europeans, Americans, Canadians, join this process," said Brice.

A further 47 refugees who were already living in Niger will also be taken in by France.

Alessandra Morelli, head of UNHCR in Niamey, said "we have done miracles" following the evacuation.

Although the figure of 25 refugees is tiny when compared to the 44,000 registered by UNHCR in Libya, Morelli said "we are convinced that there will be other operations".
New Delhi: The government on Sunday said that it has taken up with authorities in South Africa the case of armed robbery at the Indian consul-general's residence in the city of Durban.

"Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad, and their families is a matter of highest priority for us," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a response to queries. He said that "we have taken up the matter with relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing".

In a shocking case of security lapse, the home of Consul General Shashank Vikram was on Thursday robbed by eight armed men who held his five-year-old son at gunpoint.

According to The Independent Online, the envoy's residence, India House, in the Morningside area of the city, was breached on Thursday afternoon despite protection offered by the South African Police Services' VIP Unit, a private guard company and armed response provider.

Armed response officers, who arrived 15 minutes after the alarm was activated, took away surveillance camera footage.

The robbers burst into the home around 4 p.m. after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned. "Vikram's wife, Megha Singh, and the couple's two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their five-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold," it said.

"The little boy, who had been studying in the reception room with a tutor, was carried at gunpoint and ordered to deactivate the alarm that had been set off by the family's domestic helper, who was beaten for her courageous act."

The intruders ransacked the building, smashing open a thick, solid door with crowbars, the report said. One grabbed the five-year-old and hauled him upstairs, where Singh and her 10-year-old son were watching television. The envoy's wife slammed the retractable security gate on the upstairs landing shut to call for help but the intruders forced open the gate with a crowbar all the while demanding jewellery and access to a non-existent safe.

Singh and her elder son ran to the main bedroom where she pressed the alarm and called her husband who was in a meeting at the town of Umhlanga north of Durban. According to the report, Vikram rushed home before the security officers could reach the spot.

The robbers then fled taking a cellphone and a few small items, The Independent Online report said.

Durban is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin. Kumar said on Sunday that the intruders were expected to be arrested soon.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has also spoken to Vikram and inquired about his family.
Jerusalem/Riyadh: An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, the first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.

The Saudi government had no immediate response to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitzs remarks. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as the main threat to West Asia and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together.

Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war, territory Palestinians seek for a future state.

US President Donald Trumps peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office.

In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahus security cabinet, did not characterise the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was hiding its ties with Saudi Arabia.

He replied, We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed.

Its the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other sides wish when ties are developing, whether its with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more ... (but) we keep it secret.

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, asked about reports of cooperation with Israel, cited a Saudi peace initiative, first adopted in 2002 by the Arab League, as key to forging any relationship.

We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we dont have relations with Israel, he said.

That plan makes those relations contingent on a full withdrawal by Israel from territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has expressed tentative support for parts of the initiative, but there are many caveats on the Israeli side.

Intelligence sharing

Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Steinitzs remarks, wont surprise anyone whos been paying attention to the budding courtship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is being especially pushed by the Israeli side.

Last week, the Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot, told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share intelligence information with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran.

Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group.

Ibish said that given the mutual threat perceptions shared by Israel and Gulf Arab countries, it is unlikely that covert ties arent developing.

But he said Israeli officials have tended to exaggerate such interactions in a bid to drive down the price they may have to pay, especially on Palestinian issues, to expand strategic relations and ties with Arab countries.

In public remarks in September, Netanyahu pointed to covert relationships with Arab states, saying, without mentioning any by name, that cooperation exists in various ways and different levels.

Also in September, Israel Radio reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel that month, drawing an official denial from Riyadh.

Last month, Saudi former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal shared a stage with ex-Israeli Mossad spy agency director Efraim Halevy at a debate on Iran in a New York synagogue.

In 2016, former Saudi general Anwar Eshki visited Israel, where he met Israeli legislators, to promote  as he has at various academic forums  the Saudi peace initiative.
Nairobi: Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday validated the election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta, sparking opposition protests that left two dead, according to police.

While the court decision led to celebrations in ruling party strongholds, protesters took to the street in opposition areas in the capital and the west of the country.

One protester was killed in Nairobi's Kibera slum, while a paramedic tending the injured at a demonstration in western Migori was also shot dead, according to police.

The death toll from four months of election chaos now stands at 54, with most protesters killed at the hands of police, according to rights groups.

The protests erupted after the Supreme Court dismissed two petitions seeking to overturn the victory of Kenyatta in 26 October elections, paving the way for him to be sworn in for a second five-year term on 28 November.

"The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited. As a consequence, the presidential election of 26 October is hereby upheld as is the election of the third respondent," said Chief Justice David Maraga, referring to Kenyatta.

Maraga had in September annulled an August election due to "irregularities and illegalities", a historic decision hailed across the globe as an opportunity to boost Kenyan democracy.

However, the ruling  a rare victory for Odinga  only deepened acrimony and protests, leaving the country deeply divided.

Accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to make fundamental reforms to improve the vote, Odinga withdrew from the October ballot which he urged his followers to boycott.

'Toxic environment'

In the run-up to the vote, a top election official fled the country, saying the poll would not be credible, and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati himself said he could not guarantee a free and fair election.

Election day was marred by chaos in opposition strongholds, with polling stations unable to open in 25 constituencies.

The boycott handed Kenyatta a landslide victory of 98 percent, although turnout was only 39 percent.

This time, Odinga and his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition did not go to court to challenge the second election, but a former politician and two rights activists did.

They pointed to procedural questions, the toxic democratic environment, and Chebukati's own questioning of the process.

However the six-judge bench dismissed the petitions in a matter of minutes.

'Decision under duress'

In a statement, Odinga said the ruling "did not come as a surprise", nor did it alter his opposition to a government he regards as illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathise with it," he said.

News of the court's decision sparked celebrations in Kenyatta's strongholds.

"Let NASA people now go and mourn quietly and allow us to celebrate. They were laughing last time, today it is our turn," said Jackson Mandago the governor of Uasin Gishu county.

"We are happy that we will not have another election until 2022."

But while many will be breathing a sigh of relief that the prolonged election process is drawing to an end, tensions remain high in opposition strongholds.

"Maraga has gone against our wish. They could have nullified it because that was not an election. It was just done in parts of the country," said Mercyline Akinyi in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, where protesters set a vehicle alight.

"We will wait for Baba (Odinga), to tell us the way forward."

Clashes had erupted in Nairobi's Mathare slum on Sunday after four bodies were found in the street, with outrage spreading to Kibera and protests also taking place in Kisumu.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

However, the opposition claimed the four had been shot dead, and angry residents blamed members of Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe.

Tensions had also risen on Friday when a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.
Nairobi: The Supreme Court of Kenya on Monday upheld the results of a presidential re-run held in October, which incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta won and which the opposition boycotted.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had also disputed the results of the first election held in August, reports Efe news.

The Supreme Court had invalidated the results of the 8 August poll that declared incumbent Kenyatta as the winner, after Odinga claimed the results were electronically tampered with.

The re-run was held on 26 October.

At least 37 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes during the August election.
GALESBURG  Sheri Paulson is waiting.

The Galesburg woman was elated when 64 percent of North Dakota voters approved a ballot measure legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, a move she believes will bring her relief from chronic nerve pain. But a year after the measure passed, the Department of Health says its 11 to 13 months from delivering product to patients and still has to receive public feedback and legislative approval on a set of rules guiding the new program. Paulsons patience is fading.

Im frustrated with the process, she said.

Paulson, 50, has suffered from multiple sclerosis for 16 years. Four years ago she was diagnosed with atypical trigeminal neuralgia, a rare disorder of the fifth cranial nerve that causes severe pain in the facial area.

She knows marijuana products can help. This summer Paulson went to Washington, one of eight states that has fully legalized marijuana, and tried a cannabis oil product high in CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabis component, and experienced something she hasnt in years despite dozens of medication and treatment regimens: five days without pain.

That doesnt happen, Paulson said.

But a lot must happen before patients like Paulson are able to access medical marijuana. On Nov. 6, the Department of Healths medical marijuana division released its proposed rules for the program, all 50 pages of them, and the public how has 90 days to weigh in. Public hearings will be held across the state next month, including a Dec. 14 meeting in the Grand Forks County Office Building. Once the public has commented, the North Dakota Legislatures Administrative Rules Committee will meet in March to consider finalizing the rules. The earliest date that can happen is April 1.

Only after those rules are finalized can potential compassion centers  dispensaries or manufacturing facilities  formally apply for a license. Only after those applications are accepted can a manufacturing facility be built or open. Only then can product start to be grown, a process that can take 10 to 16 weeks depending on the strain, or type, of marijuana being produced. Only after the first round of usable marijuana is ready to be distributed to dispensaries can qualified registered patients access the medicine.

I would say the timelines are all tentative at this point, said Jason Wahl, interim director of the division of medical marijuana.

The majority of the country, 29 states, have legalized medical marijuana. Eight states have fully legalized the product for recreational purposes for people over 21.

We looked at a number of different states when identifying where rules could be established in terms of implementing the program, but the first step in the process was reviewing what the 2017 Legislature passed in regard to the law for the medical marijuana program, Wahl said.

Long process

Wahl was named the interim director of the division of medical marijuana on Nov. 1. He is the third person to lead the division since the movement gathered enough signatures to become a ballot initiative in 2016.

The division of medical marijuana has just three full-time employees. Wahl said he might need to add staff to help process applications for potential dispensaries or manufacturing facilities. So far, more than 115 groups or companies have submitted letters of intent to apply to be a dispensary or manufacturer, among them a Grand Forks Compassion Center.

One local farm that was among the first in the state to grow industrial hemp has also submitted a letter of intent to grow medicinal marijuana: Adams Family Farm.

Chris Adams said his family became interested in applying because his mother and wife are both nurses who know the product could help people. Adams grows industrial hemp. Hemp comes from the same cannabis plant as marijuana but does not contain psychoactive properties. Despite that, the hemp industry remains highly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and other state and federal authorities. Adams said he hopes his experience will help his family should they apply, but there are still things to consider.

A concerning topic is the fact that the state has mentioned they will have product available by next year sometime and that doesn't give anyone who applies a lot of time to get a growing facility set up, Adams said. Do we dump capital into something that we don't even know if we will get accepted for? That is the question I cannot answer yet until I see the application and can analyze what they want and need from us.

The application packet itself has not been finalized by the department yet, and Wahl said theyre still trying to determine how long to have an application period open for potential manufacturing sites and dispensaries. Those potential dispensaries and manufacturing facilities are also required by law to have pre-approval from local zoning authorities before they submit an application. Applicants must also pay a $5,000 nonrefundable fee.

Local planning

Grand Forks Deputy Planner Ryan Brooks said dispensary and manufacturing zoning are on the citys radar. Theres two general schools of thought: Treat a dispensary like zoning treats any other pharmacy business or more like a liquor store, which would mean avoiding places such as schools, churches or parks.

Brooks said the issue was discussed at a meeting of the state planning organization and that cities will look to guidance from the state on where to place the facilities.

Grand Forks County Planner Lane Magnuson echoed Brooks sentiments and said the county is beginning to eye potential rules. He said the plan is to have an ordinance amendment addressing medical marijuana facilities before county commissioners by February.

Competition over who gets to grow and sell medical marijuana will be fierce. The law only authorized two growing facilities and eight dispensaries in the state to start, but does allow for more in the future. Wahl said the application process, not logistics, will determine where the facilities are built.

The department is aware of the maximum number of dispensaries in statute and the fact that we are a rural state, Wahl said. With that in mind the department did include in proposed rules the option for a dispensary to do deliveries.

Similarly, people who qualify as registered designated caregivers can purchase marijuana for a total of five patients, themselves included. Those people are intermediaries who can purchase marijuana on behalf of qualified patients and administer the medicine to those patients. Unlike in other states, North Dakota caregivers are not allowed to grow marijuana themselves. State law only allows for the two manufacturing facilities to produce marijuana for the program. Caregivers can be registered patients, but do not have to be.

A date for when patients can talk to their physicians about getting a prescription is also not clear. Wahl said it will be after the manufacturing facilities get up and running.

The department wouldnt register individuals without knowing when usable marijuana would be available, he said.

Registered patients must also pay a $50 annual fee to participate in the program.

Dr. Eric Johnson, an associate professor at the UND School of Medicine who specializes in diabetes care, said there are strong indicators that marijuana is beneficial for people with HIV and AIDS, who are undergoing cancer treatment, experience seizures and who suffer from chronic pain, among other issues.

I think its legitimate, Johnson said.

He said many in the medical community are open to prescribing marijuana as a supplemental treatment, but many are waiting to see how the program is implemented. He said how the program is implemented will be critical.

I dont think the state is dragging its feet, its more related to budget cuts, Johnson said.

Delayed relief

For some families, like the Renniches in Bismarck, frustration with the state is mounting.

Mary Rennich has tried everything. Her son, Sam, has suffered from epilepsy and experienced violent seizures for his entire life. Now 26, Sam Rennich has gone through endless drug cycles to combat his condition. Nothing has worked, and many of the drugs have made her son sluggish. Each week Sam Rennich has at least one day where he has a major seizure, with several smaller seizures during the week, Mary Rennich said.

Marijuana, particularly high CBD strains, have been shown to reduce seizures. Mary Rennich thinks it could work for Sam, too.

This is our big hope, and it isnt a false hope, she said. Its helping a lot of people.

Rennich said she wants the measure to be well regulated, but feels the process is taking too long because some in the state dont want medical marijuana to be a reality in North Dakota. There has to be some efforts to tamp this down and to stall it, she said.

She was relieved when the ballot initiative passed, but still had a bad feeling about getting the product in time for her son to get relief. Watching Sam deal with heavy bouts of six or more prescription drugs at a time weighs on her.

Its so hard for me to take pictures of him, and look at him and always see behind his eyes just how sedated he is, Rennich said. I just have this terrible sadness, that only if we could get him off the six meds hes on, how glad I would feel.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah said on Monday his Iran-backed group had not sent any weapons to Yemen and categorically denied that it was behind the firing of a ballistic missile that was launched at Riyadh from territory held by Yemeni Houthi rebels. A man watches Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as he speaks on television in Beirut, Lebanon November 20, 2017.REUTERS/ Jamal SaidiIn a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also urged followers to listen to recent comments by Israeli officials which he said pointed to ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Nasrallah heaped criticism on Arab foreign ministers who accused his group of terrorism at an emergency Arab League meeting convened at the behest of Saudi Arabia on Sunday. He said the accusation was unfortunate but not new and asked why Arab states were silent about what he described as the destructive war being waged by a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. I confirm to them, no ballistic missiles, no advanced weapons, and no guns...we did not send weapons to Yemen or Bahrain, or Kuwait, or Iraq, he said, adding that it had however sent anti-tank missiles to occupied Palestine. Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, whose rivalry has wrought upheaval in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia has accused the heavily armed Shiite Hezbollah of helping the Houthis in Yemen and militants in Bahrain. Riyadh accused Hezbollah of playing a role in the Nov. 4 ballistic missile attack. No man from Lebanese Hezbollah had any part in the firing of this missile or any missiles fired previously, Nasrallah said. Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Riyadh has been bogged down in the war it launched against Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2015. Nasrallah also said Hezbollah could withdraw its large number of commanders from Iraq after Islamic State was defeated there.

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africas ruling African National Congress (ANC) should get President Jacob Zuma to stand down as head of state after a party conference next month because like Zimbabwe the country urgently needs a change of leader, a senior ANC official said. FILE PHOTO: South Africa's President Jacob Zuma gestures during the last day of the six-day meeting of the African National Congress 5th National Policy Conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto, South Africa, July 5, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File PhotoThe ANC has been dogged by infighting for much of this year as a series of corruption scandals have tarnished its image ahead of the December conference at which it will elect Zumas successor. The party is split between factions backing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former minister and ex-wife of Zuma, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for the ANCs top job. ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu told Reuters that whoever the party chooses next month, the incoming leadership should tell Zuma to go to allow the ANC to clean up its act. You cant keep him there, he said. Mthembu said the ANC could learn from what was happening in Zimbabwe, where the ruling ZANU-PF party is pushing for President Robert Mugabe to leave his post. In Zimbabwe they call that bloodless corrections ... We need to make the corrections immediately after the conference. How do you effect those corrections in government when the same person who might have contributed to a better degree still sits? Mthembu asked. FILE PHOTO: South Africa's President Jacob Zuma gestures during the last day of the six-day meeting of the African National Congress 5th National Policy Conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto, South Africa, July 5, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File PhotoMthembu is in the camp that backs Ramaphosa for ANC president and said it was important for the ANC to regain the trust of South African people after news reports that the Gupta brothers, business friends close to Zuma, had influenced government appointments and secured contracts from state firms. Both Zuma and the Guptas deny any wrongdoing. Zumas second term as president expires in 2019, but he could be forced out as head of state by the ANCs new leadership before his term ends, as was the case with former president Thabo Mbeki. In May the ANC said its executive committee backed Zuma after calls for him to resign, and in August Zuma survived a no-confidence motion in parliament. Zuma still has strong support in the party, including from the influential womens and youth leagues as well as in rural areas, where several tribal chiefs back the traditionalist leader. The ANC has seen its electoral majority shrink over recent years, and some analysts predict it could lose the 2019 election. Until recently that was unthinkable for a party that has led comfortably since sweeping to power under Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994. Mthembu said if the ANC failed to emerge from its December conference with a new image it was doomed. Its us who got South Africa into this mess by electing Zuma to be president. We should have looked closely into the man. With hindsight we made a terrible error of judgement, he said.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - Efforts to form a three-way coalition government have failed, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, pitching Germany into its worse political crisis for decades, raising the prospect of new elections and casting doubt over her future. The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew from talks after more than four weeks of fruitless negotiations with Merkels conservative bloc and the environmentalist Greens, saying there was not enough common ground. With German leadership seen as crucial for a European Union grappling with governance reform and Britains impending exit, FDP leader Christian Lindners announcement that he was pulling out spooked investors and sent the euro falling. A tired-looking Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor and consult President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward. A deal had been within reach, she said. With the Social Democrats (SPD) sticking on Monday to their pledge after losses in a September election not to go back into a Merkel-led grand coalition of centre-left and centre-right, the most likely option looked to be new elections. Steinmeier, who in the ordinary course of events is meant to play a non-partisan role above the cut-and-thrust of party politics, was due to give a statement at 1330 GMT. It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany, Merkel told reporters. As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come. The failure of coalition talks is unprecedented in Germanys post-war history, and was likened by newsmagazine Der Spiegel to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britains referendum vote to leave the EU - moments when countries cast aside reputations for stability built up over decades. The collapse came as a surprise since the main sticking points - immigration and climate change policy - were not seen as FDP signature issues. Green politician Michael Kellner accused Lindner of bad theatrics, one of many who suggested the liberal, pro-business party had never been serious about negotiating. It is better not to rule than to rule the wrong way. Goodbye! Lindner said, announcing his withdrawal in the small hours, blaming the breakdown on a lack of progress on education and tax policy - areas that had been seen as less contentious. Christian Better no deal than a bad deal Lindner - Germanys Boris Johnson, wrote political commentator Max Steinbeis on Facebook, comparing Lindner to the British foreign minister and Brexit campaigner who is widely seen by Germanys political class as a dangerous and heedless loose cannon. UNAPPEALING OPTIONS German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) speaks to media after the exploratory talks about forming a new coalition government collapsed in Berlin, Germany, November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal HanschkeGermany now faces unappealing options not experienced in Germanys post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government, or the president calls a new election if no government is formed. The main parties fear that another election so soon would let the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party add to the 13 percent of votes it secured in September, when it entered parliament for the first time. Polls suggest repeat elections would return a similarly fragmented parliament. The SPD, which came second in the Sept. 24 election, said on Monday it had no wish to rejoin Merkel in a grand coalition and that voters should be given a say. We are not afraid of repeat elections. In such a situation, the ... voters must reassess what is going on, SPD leader Martin Schulz told a news conference. He added that a minority government was not a practical option in Germany. Schulz also said he would meet Steinmeier and that Merkel had yet to contact him. Slideshow (5 Images)Some still believe that the SPD could change its mind, perhaps under pressure from Steinmeier, himself a former SPD foreign minister who served under Merkel. Others felt the FDP could yet be prevailed upon to return to the negotiating table. The price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel, who for 12 years has been a symbol of German stability, leading Europe through the euro zone crisis. Greens leader Kathrin Goering-Eckardt said she expected fresh elections. Merkel was weakened by the September election as voters angry with her decision in 2015 to open the borders to more than a million asylum seekers punished her conservatives by voting for the AfD. AfD politician Beatrix von Storch called the coalition talks collapse a success for her party, saying other parties fear of the AfD had forced them to drive a hard bargain with the left-leaning Greens, who are dovish on immigration. AfD leader Alexander Gauland demanded Merkels resignation. The inability to form a government caused disquiet elsewhere in Europe, not least because of the implications for the euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron and the negotiations over Britains departure from the EU. Its not in our interests that the process freezes up, Macron told reporters in Paris, adding that he had spoken with Merkel shortly after the failure of talks. In Brussels, Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra described the collapse as bad news for Europe.

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MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (Reuters) - An Argentine military submarine reported a malfunction and was headed back to base when it went missing last week in the South Atlantic, a naval spokesman said on Monday, while storms complicated efforts to find the vessel and its 44-member crew. Federico James places a windsurfing board on a fence at the entrance of the Argentine Naval Base in support of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan submarine missing at sea, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos BrindicciHopes for a successful search for the ARA San Juan submarine, which went missing last Wednesday off the Argentine coast, waned on Monday when the navy said satellite calls detected over the weekend did not in fact come from the vessel. More than a dozen boats and aircraft from Argentina, the United States, Britain, Chile and Brazil joined the search effort. Authorities have mainly been scanning the sea from above, as storms have made it difficult for boats. Gabriel Galeazzi, a naval commander, told reporters that the submarine had surfaced and reported an electrical problem before it disappeared 268 miles (432 km) off the coast. The submarine surfaced and reported a malfunction, which is why its ground command ordered it to return to its naval base at Mar del Plata, he said. Federico James places a windsurfing board on a fence at the entrance of the Argentine Naval Base in support of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan submarine missing at sea, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos BrindicciGaleazzi said it is normal for submarines to suffer system malfunctions. A warship has a lot of backup systems, to allow it to move from one to another when there is a breakdown, he said. Crew members relatives gathered at the Mar del Plata naval base, waiting for news. Federico James drags a windsurfing board with a message to place it on a fence of an Argentine Naval Base in support of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan submarine missing at sea, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos BrindicciIntermittent satellite communications had been detected on Saturday and the navy had said they were likely to have come from the submarine. But the ARA San Juan in fact sent its last signal on Wednesday, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said. The calls that were detected did not correspond to the satellite phone of the submarine San Juan, he said on Monday. The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navys fleet. Built in Germany, it underwent maintenance in 2008 in Argentina. That maintenance included the replacement of its four diesel engines and its electric propeller engines, according to specialist publication Janes Sentinel.

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Mar del Plata, Argentina: A multinational armada of aircraft and vessels battled high winds and raging seas Sunday as they intensified their search for a missing Argentine submarine, after apparent attempted distress calls raised hopes the 44 crew members may still be alive.

There has been no contact with the ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric sub, since early Wednesday.

An air and sea search is under way with help from countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, the United States and Uruguay.

Hopes of finding survivors were revived when the navy said Saturday that its bases had received seven satellite calls attributed to the submersible.

The signals were received at 10:52 am and 3:42 pm, but they did not lock in, thus preventing a full connection.

However, the navy was unable to confirm that those calls originated from the submarine.

"The communications are so short and the signal so low," Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said, later adding the military has yet to have contact with or detect radar from the sub.

Seven-meter waves

The calls revived hopes that the submarine has surfaced, but a powerful storm that has whipped up waves reaching seven meters (23 feet) in height has made geolocation difficult, officials said.

Balbi said weather conditions were not expected to improve before Tuesday.

Despite the bad weather, "10 aircraft, both domestic and foreign, are in a search rotation 24 hours a day, each in a different area," he said.

There is a feeling of "cautious enthusiasm," naval expert Fernando Morales told C5N television.

He said the attempt to use a satellite phone indicates that "the submarine had to emerge to a depth that allowed the call."

The last regular communication with the San Juan was early Wednesday, when the submarine was 430 kilometers off Argentina's coast in the Gulf of San Jorge.

Rescuers are focusing on an ocean patch about 300 kilometers in diameter, radiating from the last point of contact.

US Southern Command has deployed a Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance plane with a crew of 21, along with a NASA P-3 research aircraft, and other equipment and personnel.

The US Navy has deployed two unmanned underwater vehicles that use a sonar system to create an image of large sections of the sea floor.

Britain's Royal Navy said it had sent the HMS Protector, and Antarctic patrol ship.

Balbi said it was following the northward course the submarine would have taken toward Mar del Plata.

Relatives of crew members unfurled a flag at the naval base that read: "Be strong Argentina, We trust in God, We wait for you."

'Got to be afloat'

"We will do what is necessary to find the submarine as soon as possible," Argentine President Mauricio Macri wrote on Twitter.

All land communications bases along the coast were ordered to scan for any follow-up signals, as family members of the missing waited nervously in the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Claudio Rodriguez, whose brother Hernan is aboard the submarine, was hopeful, saying the satellite signals suggested the vessel was still afloat and would be found.

"They've got to be afloat. Thank God," he said.

Among those on board is Argentina's first female submarine officer, 35-year-old weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk.

The navy has not ruled out any hypothesis. A spokesman said the most likely scenario given is that an electrical problem may have unexpectedly cut off the vessel's communications.

Prayers from the pope

The TR-1700 class submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southernmost tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, about 400 kilometers south of Buenos Aires.

It is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters long and seven meters wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched in 1983.

It underwent a refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its use by about 30 years.

At the Vatican, Argentine-born Pope Francis said he offered "his fervent prayer" for the safety of the submarine sailors.
REUTERS - A New Orleans City Council member who launched a political career after helping her neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina was elected as the citys first female mayor this weekend in a runoff that pitted her against another woman. LaToya Cantrell, 45, on Saturday defeated former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet in a special runoff election to replace Mitch Landrieu. Both women are African-American. Cantrell will take office as the 51st mayor of New Orleans in May 2018 as the Louisiana city celebrates the 300th anniversary of its founding by the French in 1718. Almost 300 years, my friends, and in New Orleans were still making history, Cantrell said in a victory speech to supporters on Saturday. FILE PHOTO: New Orleans mayoral candidate LaToya Cantrell participates in a news conference as Tropical Storm Nate approaches the U.S. Gulf Coast in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. on October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File PhotoWe are no longer about the haves and the have-nots, she said. Our city continues to grow and give real opportunity. That pie is getting larger so that each and every one of us can share in it, can win in our city. Cantrell and Charbonnet were the top vote-getters in a field of 18 candidates in an October general election. Both women gained political traction from their response to Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing more than 1,800 people. Cantrell was one of the leaders of a grassroots effort to fight a city advisory panels proposal to turn her Broadmoor neighborhood in a green belt after it was hit by severe hurricane-related flooding. The cause propelled her to win a City Council seat in 2012. In Katrinas aftermath, Charbonnet, then the citys elected recorder of mortgages, pressed for the office to reopen as quickly as possible so it could provide vital property records to displaced residents.

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Wellington: New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leader's partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders  who she refused to name  incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."

Large protests followed Trump's election in 2016 but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.

"He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way  he did not seem offended," she said.
GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korean women are deprived of education and job opportunities and are often subjected to violence at home and sexual assault in the workplace, a U.N. human rights panel said on Monday. FILE PHOTO: Women work at the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang textile mill during a government organised visit for foreign reporters in Pyongyang, North Korea May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File PhotoAfter a regular review of Pyongyangs record, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women also voiced concern at rape or mistreatment of women in detention especially those repatriated after fleeing abroad. North Korean women are under-represented or disadvantaged in tertiary education, the judiciary, security and police forces and leadership and managerial positions in all non-traditional areas of work, the panel of independent experts said. The main issue is first of all the lack of information. We have no access to a large part of laws, elements and information on national machinery, Nicole Ameline, panel member, told Reuters. We have asked a lot of questions. North Korea told the panel on Nov. 8 that it was working to uphold womens rights and gender equality but that sanctions imposed by major powers over its nuclear and missile programmes were taking a toll on vulnerable mothers and children. Domestic violence is prevalent and there is very limited awareness about the issue and a lack of legal services, psycho-social support and shelters available for victims, the panel said. Mun Jong Chol, counselor at the North Korea mission to the U.N. in Geneva, holds copies of a press release aside of a meeting of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoIt said economic sanctions had a disproportionate impact on women. North Korean women suffer high levels of malnutrition, with 28 percent of pregnant or lactating women affected, it said. We have called on the government to be very, very attentive to the situation of food and nutrition. Because we consider that it is a basic need and that the government has to invest and to assume its responsibilities in this field, Ameline said. Unfortunately I am not sure that the situation will improve very quickly. The report found that penalties for rape in North Korea were not commensurate with the severity of the crime, which also often goes unpunished. Legal changes in 2012 lowered the penalties for some forms of rape, including the rape of children, rape by a work supervisor and repeated rape. This has led to reducing the punishment for forcing a woman in a subordinate position to have sexual intercourse from four years to three years, the report said. It said women trafficked abroad and then returned to North Korea, are reported to be sent to labour training camps or prisons, accused of illegal border crossing, and may be exposed to further violations of their rights, including sexual violence by security officials and forced abortions.

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Islamabad: Pakistan and China on Monday discussed the new US policy in Afghanistan and South Asia and agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and closely work in various multilateral fora.

This was decided during the 8th round of strategic dialogue between the two sides in Islamabad, where Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation, while the Chinese side was led by Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

The Foreign Office said both sides held comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral ties. These included: the Belt and Road Initiative and specifically, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; bilateral trade; defence; counter-terrorism; culture and people-to-people exchanges.

"The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in all mutually relevant areas for the benefit of the two countries," it said.

Janjua and Kong also exchanged views on issues including the situation in Afghanistan, the new US policy in South Asia and matters relating to the Korean Peninsula.

US President Donald Trump announced his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August in which he had hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

He also slammed Pakistan for its support to terror groups and warned Islamabad of consequences if it continues to do so.

China had defended its all-weather ally Pakistan, saying that Islamabad is at the frontline of combating terrorism.

During the meeting, Janjua also raised the Kashmir issue.

China and Pakistan agreed to further augment cooperation in various multilateral fora including the UN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral organizations.

The two sides reiterated commitment to strengthen and enhance bilateral mutual cooperation in all fields including political, security and economic issues, and to further coordinate on issues of regional and international significance.
The African people rarely get the opportunity to govern themselves. Before the 1960s, European powers scrambled to get a piece of the African pie and divvied up the continent for its resources. After 1960  also called the Year of Africa  where no less than 17 African nations declared independence, the continent has seen a large number of dictatorships who have risen and fallen on the basis of their control over the military.

The latest ruler to lose control over his soldiers has been President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The military seized power in Zimbabwe earlier in November, claiming to target criminals in the entourage of the man who has ruled the nation since independence 37 years ago. Soldiers seized the state broadcaster and a general appeared on television to announce the takeover.

The Zimbabwe coup has (till now) been a bloodless one. Other nations are rarely as lucky. Coups involve clashes between rival factions and violence is usually present too. Africa has seen its fair share of these and Mugabe's removal is just another in line of the continent's struggles with stable governance.

Post-1960, Africa has witnessed over 200 successful or failed coups. The Atlantic listed out the reasons for the high number of coups. These include a tolerance in the region towards such movements, general instability in the region and even mosquitoes.

The first African coup

The very first African military coup took place in Togo, reports Syerramia Willoughby writing for an Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa at LSE. In 1963, Togo's first president, Sylvanus Olympio was shot by soldiers outside the US Embassy in Lome. This was not just the first successful military overthrow in sub-Saharan Africa, but was also the first assassination of a countrys leader during a coup. Olympio was replaced by Nicholas Grunitzky who was deposed in a bloodless coup in 1967. Eyadema then took over and ruled till his death in 2005.

Vanguard labels the Nigerian coup of 1966 as "Africa's bloodiest coup detat". Between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria in just a little over a year in this coup. This pogrom caused over 1.5 million Easterners to flee back to Eastern Nigeria.

As far as recent history is concerned, AFK Insider's list of 10 influential African coups includes the Mali's 2012 coup where a group of soldiers attacked the presidential palace following what was supposed to be a peaceful protest, ousting President Amadou Toumani Toure and taking control of the country. Gambia's 1994 coup too is noteworthy as a group of soldiers stormed the presidential palace and forced President Dawda Iawara into exile.

The Rwandan genocide too was ended by a coup. In 1994, current President Paul Kagame led a force of about 10,000-14,000 soldiers who retook the capital Kigali from the Hutu forces who were perpetrating the genocide. He took the position of Vice-President and Minister of Defence in the aftermath before becoming president in 2000.

In 2015, Burundi's army general Godefroid Niyombare attempted to remove then president Pierre Nkurunziza and stopped him from returning to the country. However, loyalist forces controlled the state radio and the presidential palace. After heavy fighting, Nkurunziza was able to return to Burundi and regain control of the country.

By the numbers

Expectedly, some countries are more predisposed to coups than others. Burkina Faso leads the way with ten coups. According to The Economist, it suffers from a "coup trap" i.e. every time a coup occurs, it makes another more likely. The reasons for Burkina Faso's coups vary from the country's history of public protests to high rates of muting in the army.

Quartz puts the number of African countries who have experienced coups at 40 (out of a total of 54). Out of these, Morocco, Kenya and Cameroon are the three where no coups have been successful. Twenty three African nations have witnessed at least three coups.

Downward trend in military coups in Africa

There is reason to be hopeful however. Between 1970 to 1989, sub-Saharan Africa experienced 99 coup attempts, according to a report by the African Development Bank. In the next 20 years (1990-2010), this number dropped to 67. The Huffington Post attributes this drop to the rise of a new generation of young, middle-class Africans, a changed international environment and pressure from the African Union and other regional organisations. New African adds a greater appreciation of democracy to this list of factors as well.

As Zimbabwe showed, military coups are certainly not a thing of the past. With any luck however, it is one of the last examples of a phenomenon that has no place in the modern world.
DICKINSON  It wasnt long ago that two out of every 10 people seeking group treatment in Dickinson for drug abuse a few years ago was dealing with an opioid addiction.

Now that number has risen to nearly seven out of 10.

To go from two out of 10 to seven out of 10 is quite the increase in the past year, Brad Brown, regional director of Badlands Human Service Center, said. Years ago you saw a lot of heavy drinking, maybe some marijuana use, maybe some other narcotic use, but now its almost flipped completely.

Brown said the cause of the flip is multifaceted. The high of using opioids or heroin is different from using marijuana, meth or drinking heavily, and it has become easier to get opioids, Brown said. And once people are addicted to opioids, it is difficult to break the cycle and come to grips with what their addiction has done to their life, he said.

The awareness now is out there that opioids are not good, that you can get addicted and that they are harmful, Brown said. My concern is that as that goes down, we might see something thats a little more available or a little less expensive, like heroin.

Drug-related overdoses claimed 61 lives in North Dakota in 2015. That was an increase from 43 deaths in 2014 and 20 deaths in 2013, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which identifies opioids as the main driver of overdose deaths.

First Lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum, who has been in recovery herself for more than 15 years, said she and Gov. Doug Burgum are very passionate about what they can do together to address the stigma of addiction. She said only about one in 10 people seek treatment for the chronic disease of addiction because there is a stigma surrounding the topic.

Recovery Reinvented was created by the Burgums to start a conversation about what can be done to help more people begin to recover from their addiction. Helgaas Burgum said it is important that society get to the point where addiction is treated similar to cancer, where people are constantly trying to raise money, do research or do what they can to help tackle the problem. One of the first steps in doing that is talking about addiction.

Just talking about it will remove the stigma, she said. Addiction is a chronic disease, its not a moral failing.

Helgaas Burgum said over time there has been more discussion about addiction and the stigma surrounding it. The recent and ongoing opioid crisis has especially helped propel these conversations because it affects all races, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The disease of addiction does not discriminate, she said.

Brown commended Helgaas Burgum for her work on ending the stigma surrounding addiction.

We dont shame diabetics, we dont shame our cancer patients, she said. Mental health and behavioral health, for some reason theres a stigma and a shame that gets applied to that. She said we should say, Lets just celebrate the fact that they came in for help.

Access to treatment

Pamela Sagness, director of North Dakota's Behavioral Health Division, said the state has been focusing on behavioral health, including addiction, for the last 10 years. She said strides have been made to address addiction treatment through programs like the Substance Use Disorder Voucher program, which provides funding to private providers for services to individuals who dont have insurance or who have limited income.

When it comes to opioids, Sagness said one of the biggest gaps in treatment is the lack of medication treatment providers, also known as opioid treatment providers. OTPs provide methadone to addicts. There are three locations in the state that can provide methadone: Minot, Bismarck and Fargo. While these services are available in the state, accessibility to them can be difficult.

A lot of the individuals getting methadone, they come in on a daily basis, she said. So, if youre living in Dickinson and needing to drive to Bismarck every day in order to get your medication, that still is a barrier to service.

A need for workforce

The state was awarded a $2 million grant by Congress this year to address the opioid crisis. The grant is being used, in part, to engage potential prescribers to be a part of the solution by prescribing the drug buprenorphine as part of substance abuse treatment. The grant is also being used to help prescribers become more educated through Project ECHO, a program adapted from New Mexico that aims to give rural providers the tools to treat addiction.

Sagness said one of the biggest hurdles to opioid addiction treatment is the lack of a behavioral health workforce. The Legislature set aside $500,000 in Senate bill 2015 to develop a strategic plan to address workforce issues in the state.

Thats huge for North Dakota, she said. For us not just to have the idea about what we want to do, but the funding to actually implement the strategies, thats significant.
Where exactly did Africa get its 'Dark Continent' moniker? It's possibly got to do with the continent's mysterious nature, or its violent history of colonisation and slavery.

Or maybe it's just the absolute hopelessness millions of people live in. A combination of poverty, over-population and dictatorial regimes have ensured the 1.2 billion people who call the continent their home are trapped in a seemingly endless downward spiral.

However, for all their misfortune, the people of Africa have had their worst luck with autocrats.

The machinations of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe may shock casual observers, as the 93-year-old defies party command by refusing to resign, but those who observed Mugabe's 37-year reign of authoritarian terror expected this all along.

He is, after all, a man who once famously refused to step down after losing an election, saying, "The MDC (that defeated his Zanu-PF party) will never be allowed to rule this countrynever ever. Only God, who appointed me, will remove menot the MDC, not the British. Only God will remove me!"

Mugabe has also famously claimed he will rule Zimbabwe till he is 100, and seven years short of that, not many will bet against that happening.

Biographer Martin Meredith said Mugabe is still aching for more power. "His real obsession was not with personal wealth but with power," said Meredith. "Year after year, Mugabe sustained his rule through violence and repressioncrushing political opponents, violating the courts, trampling on property rights, suppressing the independent press and rigging elections."

Constitutional amendments

And he isn't alone. A few hundred kilometres north is Uganda, where Yoweri Museveni has often said he will defeat death itself! Museveni has been President of Uganda for 32 years.

The only thing which would give Ugandans a break from Museveni, it was believed, was the constitution, which held that the president has to relinquish office when he turned 75. So what did Museveni do? He introduced an amendment to the constitution to ensure he could hold on to power.

A broad spectrum of Ugandansincluding the political Opposition, religious leaders, rights activists and some members of the ruling partyvoiced their objection to removing the age cap. But last month, such a bill was brought to parliament, and has been referred to a parliamentary committee. Even if it fails, however, you can trust Museveni to have a few more aces up his sleeve that is already rather full of cards.

A constitutional amendment was also the path chosen by Paul Kagame in Rwanda, when he removed a two-term limit for presidents, allowing the relatively young 59-year-old to remain in power till 2034. And almost nobody in a country of 12 million people had a problem with this. The amendment had the support of 98 percent voters, as reported by The Guardian. And if you thought that seemed just a wee bit suspicious, check this out: The ensuing elections held in August this year saw Kagame win 99 percent of all votes cast. No, nothing to see here.

In fact, the situation is so bleak in Africa that the Human Rights Foundation said there are only 14 countries in the land that it considers "democratic", far outnumbered by 19 "full dictatorships" and another 19 that have "authoritarian regimes", which means elections are held but other "anti-democratic abuses" also take place.

A report in Los Angeles Times mentioned that Denis Sassou-Nguesso and Sam Nujoma also amended the constitutions of the Republic of Congo and Namibia respectively, in order to seek multiple terms as president.

Furthermore, in Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade persuaded a court to allow him to seek a third term though the constitution limited presidents to just two terms, saying his first term began before the constitution was adopted.

Monarchy in democracy

But at least these are all presidents who, one must suppose, will be answerable to due democratic processes. In Swaziland, there is an actual monarch who sits atop the country's constitution. King Mswati III, the Britain educated, loin-skin wearing, husband to 14 wives and 32 children, is still insistent on "adhering to the dictates of true democracy", as per government press secretary Percy Simelane.

Okay, so you have a president who calls himself King. Can anybody do worse? Did you really need to ask?

In Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Mbasogo calls himself God. Oh, and it gets better. Mbasogo said he can kill without anybody calling him to account, and without "going to hell". As reported in BBC, the west African dictator has had it broadcast on State radio, so that everybody in the land would hear that the president was "like God in heaven" who has "all power over men and things".

"He can decide to kill without anyone calling him to account and without going to hell because it is God himself, with whom he is in permanent contact, and who gives him this strength," a presidential aide announced on the show.

Historical precedent

But lest these self-appointed guardians of African nations get too complacent about their positions of power, history has a few words of warning. From 1971 to 1979, Idi Amin oversaw a brutal regime in Uganda that, according to Amnesty International, killed about half a million people.

When accusations of him neglecting the economy were hurled against Amin, his idea was to order the immediate evacuation of Uganda's entire Asian population, a move that only further worsened the state of the country's finances.

As resentment against Amin's rule spread, the man who declared himself 'CBE: Conquerer of the British Empire'; His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal; Al Hadji; Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, and believe it or not, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas found himself cornered. He quietly fled with his five wives and about 30 children to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia, where he lived out the rest of his years.

Muammar Gaddafi, however, didn't have that rare good fortune. The Libyan dictator, who ruled with an iron fist for 42 years, was toppled by rebels in 2011. He spent his last two months on the run from a raging mob, which spurred on by Arab Spring victories in Tunisia and Egypt, finally killed him in October 2011.

With inputs from agencies
Barcelona: Catalonia's secessionist push is nothing short of a "disaster" that the Europe Union will work to impede in support of a unified Spain, the European Commission's president said in comments published on Sunday.

Spain is facing its worst institutional crisis in nearly four decades after Catalonia's regional parliament violated the Spanish Constitution by voting to declare independence 27 October.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy responded by firing its government, dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling a regional election for 21 December.

"Catalonia is an enormous concern," European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker told the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"I don't like the situation it has provoked. It is a disaster in several ways. It has charged the political atmosphere, it has fractured Spanish and Catalan society, it has caused problems inside families, between friends. It's sad."

Juncker sent a message to Carles Puigdemont, the ex-Catalan president who fled to Belgium, that Catalan secessionists "must not underestimate the wide support that Mariano Rajoy has throughout Europe."

The threat to shatter the EU's fifth-largest economy comes while the 28-nation bloc is handling its divorce with Britain and the impact it will have on the continent's economy and fragile common political project.

"I am in favor of a Europe of regions, of respecting their identity, of what makes them different," he said.

"But that does not mean that we are going to support these regions in all their adventures, which sometimes are a tremendous error, and even more so if one declares independence unilaterally based on a referendum that lacked in guarantees."

Puigdemont and Catalonia's separatists claim a mandate for independence from a referendum on secession held against the will of Spanish authorities on 1 October.

The ballot had been banned by Spain's top court, was boycotted by parties opposed to independence, and failed to meet international standards.

Less than half the electorate participated in the poll, which the separatists won in a landslide despite violent police raids. Spain's government has defended the police response, saying it was proportionate to the aggression officers met.

"The (Spanish) government and the (Catalan government) can argue about the degree of its self-rule, but Europe is a club of nations, and I cannot accept that regions go against the nations. Especially when they are outside the law," Juncker said.

Spain's Constitution deems the nation "indivisible." Puigdemont and four former regional ministers are currently fugitives from Spain and facing extradition from Belgium after they fled to Brussels almost three weeks ago.

Polls forecast a tight race for the December vote between parties in favor of secession and those who want Catalonia to remain a part of Spain.

Juncker said that Catalonia's election in December"could, should improve" the situation.
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A storm on Sunday complicated the search for an Argentine navy submarine missing in the South Atlantic, as authorities worked to verify that recent satellite calls, which raised hopes of finding the 44 crew members alive, came from the vessel. U.S. airplanes carrying subsurface search specialists arrived in Argentina to help hunt for the ARA San Juan, which was 432 km (268 miles) off Argentinas coast when its location was last known early on Wednesday, said navy Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez. More than a dozen boats and aircraft from Argentina, the United States, Britain, Chile and Brazil had joined the effort. Authorities have been scanning the sea from above as waves of up to 8 meters (26 ft) and winds of up to 40 knots made the search difficult for boats, Gonzalez told reporters. Unfortunately these conditions are expected to remain for the next 48 hours, Gonzalez said from the Mar del Plata naval base, where the submarine had been heading toward before vanishing. The defense ministry has said the submarine appeared to have tried to make contact through seven failed satellite calls on Saturday between late morning and early afternoon. On Sunday afternoon, Gonzalez said it was still not clear whether the calls were sent by or to the vessel. We are continuing to investigate, ... trying to determine with confidence that they came from the submarine, and were not calls to the submarine, Gonzalez said. Ships are seen at an Argentine Naval Base, where the missing-at-sea ARA San Juan submarine sailed from, in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 18, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos BrindicciThe government was working with Iridium Communications Inc to trace the location of the calls. The U.S.-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. A search of 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the submarine on the oceans surface, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said, but the crew should have ample supplies of food and oxygen. The navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost. Crew members relatives gathered at the Mar del Plata naval base, where the submarine had once been expected to arrive around noon on Sunday from Ushuaia. However, it would not be unusual for storms to cause delays, Balbi said. Argentine-born Pope Francis mentioned the missing vessel in his Sunday noon prayer. I also pray for the men of the crew of the Argentine military submarine which is missing, the pontiff said. The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City. The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navys fleet. Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent midlife maintenance in 2008 in Argentina.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. and Afghan forces have launched joint attacks on Taliban opium factories to try to curb the insurgent groups economic lifeline, officials from both countries said on Monday. U.S. Army General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support forces and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad IsmailU.S. Army General John Nicholson showed videos at a press conference of targeted aerial strikes against what he described as Taliban drug factories. Last night we conducted strikes in northern Helmand to hit the Taliban where it hurts, in their narcotics financing, said Nicholson, flanked by Afghan Army Lieutenant General Mohammad Sharif Yaftali. The southern province of Helmand suffers heavy fighting and is the single-largest producer of opium. Opium production in Afghanistan reached record highs this year, up 87 percent on last year, the United Nations said last week. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said output of opium made from poppy seeds in Afghanistan, the worlds main source of heroin, stands at around 9,000 metric tons this year. UNODC has warned in the past that Kabuls weakening grip on security was contributing to a collapse in eradication efforts. U.S. Army General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support forces and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad IsmailNARCOTICS TRAFFICKING Nearly half of Afghan opium is processed, or refined into morphine or heroin, before it is trafficked out of the country, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. Were determined to tackle criminal economy and narcotics trafficking with full force, said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Twitter. Nicholson said the attacks were part of U.S. President Donald Trumps new policy towards Afghanistan as he boosts troop numbers. The four-star general showed one video of an F-22 fighter jet dropping 250-pound bombs on two buildings, emphasising that a nearby third building was left unscathed. U.S. troops have long been accused of causing unnecessary collateral damage and civilian deaths. The United States says it takes every precaution to avoid civilian casualties. The United Nations said at least 10 civilians may have been killed by a strike in Kunduz earlier this month, contradicting a U.S. investigation that found no civilian deaths.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Harare: Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, in a much-expected TV address on Sunday, stressed he was still in power after his authoritarian 37-year reign was rocked by a military takeover.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said, pitching the country into further uncertainty.

Many Zimbabweans expected Mugabe to resign after the army seized power last week.

But Mugabe delivered his speech alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention.

In his address, Mugabe made no reference to the clamour for him to resign.

Instead he paid tribute to three pillars of power in Zimbabwe  the military, the ruling party and the war veterans movement  and urged national solidarity.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns," said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions real or perceived in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit," he said.

His address provoked immediate anger.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets," Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds marched and sang their way through Harare and other cities, believing Mugabe was about to step down.

The ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Saturday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.
GRAND FORKS -- Thanksgiving is the heaviest-traveled weekend of the year -- and along the Minnesota-North Dakota border, this holidays weather looks mild enough to keep dinner on time.

Vince Godon, a Grand Forks-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the weekends relatively mild weather isnt expected to interfere with holiday travels. Starting with a dusting of snow on Wednesday that could leave up to an inch in parts of Red River Valley, high temperatures are predicted to stay in the mid-20s through Thursday, reaching into the lower 30s along the North Dakota-South Dakota border.

I think if we were expecting wind, or strong winds, thats usually a higher impact, Godon said.

Godon said the weather for Sunday is still too far away to predict with high confidence, but winds should be at about 10 to 15 miles per hour, with high temperatures again in the mid-20s to 30s.

This Thanksgiving weekend is set to be slightly colder than last year in some areas, owing to snow still remaining on the ground from earlier this month. Because the suns rays reflect off the white surface -- and dont absorb into the ground -- the suns heat is reflected back into the atmosphere.

But Godon said to keep a close eye on the forecast.

Pay attention, he said. Because things can change.
[Update: Google has announced that Google Lens in the Assistant will be rolling out to all Pixel phones set to English in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, India and Singapore over the coming weeks.]

Google at the Pixel event back in October debuted the Google Lens feature in the photos app which uses the camera to scan the objects and landmarks in photos to provide more information about the same. Though it was only possible via Photos app, at the same event, Google mentioned that it would gradually roll out Lens in Assistant and it looks like the time has arrived.

The Google Lens was also shipped to first generation Pixel phones in Google Photos app without requiring an app update. Now it seems like Lens update in Assistant is finally rolling out. It was first spotted by a user on Reddit who was running on Android 8.1 Beta. He states that there was no need for him to take a photo, as tapping the Lens icon in Assistant opened up the camera viewfinder ready to scan the objects. The results and actions are displayed on the carousel of chips or cards.

However, this update seems to be a server-side roll out, and it isnt available to everyone just yet. Though many users have started reporting that they have got the Lens feature in the Assistant and it is only available for first and second generation Pixel phones. At some point in the future, Google Lens feature might be made available for a full roll out.

Source 1,2
Cargill Asia Pacific

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Only in the modern era of superhero films could a $96 million opening weekend be considered anything less than impressive. But that's the situation Warner Bros. and DC's "Justice League" is in.

The big-budget superhero mashup came in well under expectations, which had pegged it for a $110 million launch in North American theaters. If studio estimates hold, it will also have the dubious distinction of being the lowest-opening film in the DC Extended Universe.

It has been a rollercoaster for the DC Universe since "Man of Steel" kicked off the comic book franchise in 2013, with films battling high expectations, critical reviews and the impossible standard of competing against the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" may have been a critical dud in early 2016, but it still opened to $166 million and went on to net $873.3 million worldwide by the end of its run.

"Justice League" comes on the heels of the widely well-received "Wonder Woman," the first DC Extended Universe film to score with both critics and audiences. It reunites Ben Affleck's Batman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman to fight a new threat facing earth while introducing new characters like Ezra Miller's The Flash, Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ray Fisher's Cyborg.

"Justice League" didn't impress critics, but neither did "Batman v Superman" or "Suicide Squad," which still managed to earn $133.7 million out of the gates.

Warner Bros. is remaining optimistic about "Justice League's" prospects, even with the lower-than-expected launch against a production budget that's reported to be in the $250 million to $300 million range, which doesn't include marketing expenses.

"I did have a higher expectation for the three days," said Jeff Goldstein, who heads up domestic distribution for Warner Bros. "(But) this is a big vacation week, and we have an opportunity to get a big audience to see us in a different pattern."

Goldstein said he is also encouraged by a few factors including the overall B+ CinemaScore, the fact that women, who accounted for 42 percent of the audience, gave it an A- overall and that Saturday earnings were up from Friday's.

"Clearly there is interest in the movie," Goldstein said.

One film that did have a heroic showing this weekend is "Wonder," an adaptation of R.J. Palacio's novel about a child with a facial deformity that stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay. The family-friendly drama opened in second place with $27.1 million against a $20 million production budget and could be on its way to becoming a sleeper hit. Lionsgate distributed the film, which was financed and produced by Participant Media.

"Any time you have a big superhero movie opening, a movie like `Wonder' could be overshadowed, but it's one of the brightest spots of the weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for comScore. "This could be a $100 million movie as people get the word out."

Disney and Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok" fell to third place in weekend three with $21.8 million, bringing its North American total to $247.4 million. "Daddy's Home 2" took fourth with $14.8 million, and "Murder on the Orient Express" landed in fifth with $13.8 million. Both are in their second weekend in theaters.

Opening outside of the top 10, the faith-based animated film "The Star," from Sony's AFFIRM label, took sixth place with $10 million. And both "Lady Bird" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" continue to thrive in their expansions.

The Thanksgiving holiday should not be discounted either in its potential to boost a film's earnings, and the only, albeit formidable, competition will be from Disney and Pixar's latest "Coco."

"Thanksgiving is the perfect second weekend for any movie," Dergarabedian said. "Including `Justice League.' "
On Oct. 26, a politician took to Twitter to write a scathing Tweet -- and no, it wasn't Donald Trump. This time, it was Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York.

Cuomo fired off a Twitter missive commenting on the tax reform plan the GOP was rumored to be proposing. Cuomo's warning: "New York will be destroyed if the deductibility of state and local taxes is included in any final plan that passes the House."

If you haven't been following the debate over tax reform closely, you might be wondering how a federal tax plan could be so damaging to New York. We have the answer -- and it's not just New York that's likely to be affected, but also other high-tax liberal states such as California, Connecticut, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

Why is the governor worried about the GOP's tax plan?

Gov. Cuomo's Tweet was a warning about the affects that New York would feel if the GOP went forward with a proposal to end state and local tax (SALT) deductions.

Under the current rules, when you pay state income taxes, state sales taxes, and local real estate and property taxes, you can deduct the amount you pay from the income that's subject to federal taxes. It's a way of allowing you to avoid double taxation on that income. You must itemize your deductions to claim SALT deductions.

Without the deduction, you're taxed by the federal government on money you paid the state, making local taxes much more expensive. If you deduct $10,000 in state taxes and you're in the 25% tax bracket, you save roughly $2,500 on your federal tax bill. That means you have a lot to lose if SALT deductions are eliminated.

Why would this hit New York so hard?

In 2013, around 44 million taxpayers itemized their deductions, and around 43 million of them took the SALT deduction. Close to one-fifth of all tax filers claiming the SALT deduction came from New York and California, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Liberal states like New York and California tend to tax residents at higher rates to provide more social services, which means residents of these states are more likely to take big deductions from their federal taxes for all the local taxes they pay. They also have a disproportionate number of wealthy people who are more likely to itemize and take advantage of SALT deductions.

Because so many New Yorkers deduct state and local taxes from their federal returns, losing those deductions would cause a tax increase for New Yorkers across all income brackets. The average tax increase for New Yorkers would come in at around $5,298. Families making less than $50,000 would see an expected tax increase of $423, while wealthier families with incomes between $300,000 and $500,000 would see their taxes go up by $12,753 on average, according to a New York State Department of Taxation of Finance analysis of 2010 data.

Will New Yorkers take a hit?

Gov. Cuomo tweeted his concerns about the impact of the proposed GOP tax plan before the official tax plan had been released. When House Republicans' tax reform bill was presented on Nov. 2, it contained a compromise on SALT deductions. Rather than eliminating these deductions entirely, it eliminates the deduction for all state and local taxes except real estate taxes, and it caps the deduction for real estate taxes at $10,000.

However, the U.S. Senate released its own proposal for tax reform, and the Senate bill does entirely eliminate the SALT deduction -- which is the catastrophic scenario Cuomo was talking about in his tweet.

Even the compromise plan could be bad news for New Yorkers, as many New Yorkers -- and other residents of high-tax states -- are still likely to take to take a big hit. New York had the highest local tax burden of any state in the U.S. in 2017, with New Yorkers paying 12.94% of total personal income in state income taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, and sales taxes. Renters will no longer be able to deduct any portion of these taxes they pay locally under the House plan, while many property owners would lose a good portion of their deductions as well. Of course, for New Yorkers to lose their deductions entirely under the Senate plan would be much worse.

Will tax reform pass?

Although New Yorkers have legitimate reason to worry, it's unclear whether tax reform will pass in its current form -- or at all. While the House of Representatives passed its tax reform bill on Nov. 16, the fate of tax reform in the Senate is far murkier, especially as Republican Senator Ron Johnson has already indicated that he's a "no" vote on the bill in its current form. For the bill to pass along party lines, all but two Republicans must vote for it -- and no Democrats are expected to back the GOP's plans.

Compounding the GOP's problems, there is staunch opposition from powerful political interests, including the National Association of Home Builders, to reducing or eliminating SALT deductions.

The GOP may decide that keeping this source of revenue isn't worth the headache and may spare New York from the destruction that Cuomo has predicted will be forthcoming.

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You're plugging away at your desk when your manager pops over and asks how your latest project is going. It's a seemingly innocent inquiry in most cases, but if you're dealing with a micromanager, it's one that might send you over the edge.

While it's natural for managers to check in on their employees frequently and make sure things are running smoothly, there comes a point when too much oversight can be a negative thing. Not only can having a micromanaging boss make you question your performance, but it's the sort of situation that can downright drive you crazy.

The good news? You can take steps to keep your manager at bay and retain some of the on-the-job autonomy you crave. Here's what to do.

1. Figure out if you're the problem

Before you rag on your boss for constantly breathing down your neck, it pays to contemplate why it's happening. Is it merely your manager's personality, or are your actions (or inactions) to blame? Think about your performance over the past couple of months. Have your presentations been clean and error-free? Have you been completing your tasks on time? Or has your work been generally sloppy and unreliable? If it's the latter, then chances are you're the reason your boss feels the need to micromanage -- in which case the best way to get him off your back is to prove that you're capable of meeting expectations.

Not sure whether you're the problem or not? Talk to your colleagues who share a manager or observe your boss' behavior around them. If it seems like you're the only one on the team being micromanaged, then it's probably because your boss doesn't trust you specifically. And that's something you can, and should, work on.

2. Assess your manager's priorities and prove that you're capable of handling them

It's easy to forget that managers have lots of pressure, too. Remember, if you fall down on a task, there's a good chance it'll come back to not only hurt you but your boss as well. With that in mind, talk to your manager to determine which projects on his agenda are most pressing, and give those your focus and attention. If you show that you have things under control, he might manage to relax a little -- and stop looking over your shoulder.

3. Communicate regularly about the projects you're working on

Your manager's micromanaging tendencies might stem from a desire not to annoy you but to remain as updated as possible on key initiatives. So if you make a point of proactively updating your boss on the regular, he's more likely to leave you alone and let you do your own thing. The next time you're given a major assignment, ask your boss how often he'd like updates, and be sure never to miss one. Otherwise, you can count on him showing up at your desk demanding answers.

4. Confront your boss politely

If, despite your best efforts, you're unable to get your boss to ease up on the micromanagement front, it may be time to discuss the situation with him directly. Ask your boss for a meeting and respectfully bring the issue to his attention. Explain that you've tried to earn his trust and prove that you're capable of handling the assignments you're given, but that it doesn't seem to make a difference. You should also let him know that his micromanaging not only causes you to question your own abilities, but takes up valuable time that you'd rather spend actually getting things done. (After all, it's hard to power through projects when you're constantly stopping to answer questions and provide updates.) With any luck, your manager will acknowledge that flaw and agree to take steps to address it.

There's no need to resign yourself to a micromanaged existence at work. If your boss isn't giving you the space you need to do your job, it's time to address the problem -- and the sooner you do, the better.

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When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, there are certain workplace benefits that do a better job than others. And of all the perks out there, paid time off is among the most desired in the eyes of employees.

Of course, some companies are more generous than others when it comes to paid time off, and a new report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans drives home that point. Here are a few interesting statistics employers and employees alike ought to know about.

1. Nearly two-thirds of companies offer a paid-time-off policy that distinguishes between vacation time, personal time, and sick time

A big reason so many workers tend to come to work sick is that their employers don't differentiate between vacation time, personal time, and sick time. Rather, they offer up a single bucket of paid days off for employees to use as needed. The result? Those who don't want to waste those limited days on being sick drag themselves into the office and infect everyone around them. A better practice, and one that's certainly favored by employees, is to offer a paid-time-off package that keeps sick and personal days separate from actual vacation time. After all, lying in bed nursing a fever is hardly a vacation.

2. A good 83% of companies offer paid bereavement leave

The death of a loved one can be not just emotionally draining, but also time-consuming. From funeral arrangements to handling matters relating to a family member's estate, the days following the death of a loved one hardly lend themselves to productivity at the office. Thankfully, a large number of companies are acknowledging the toll the death of a loved one can take by offering paid bereavement leave, as opposed to requiring that employees use their vacation days to deal with it.

3. Only 40% of companies offer paid parental leave

The fact that more companies don't offer some type of paid parental leave is, in the eyes of many, a downright travesty. A good 29% of employers provide absolutely no paid time off for new parents, while 18% allow new parents to take time off under their general vacation policy. But again, childbirth is hardly a vacation, nor is caring for a newborn. Furthermore, many employees don't have enough vacation time accrued to allow for a full recovery from childbirth and transition into parenthood. As such, countless new parents take unpaid leave after having a child and wind up suffering financially as a result.

4. An estimated 83% of companies let employees carry unused time off to the following calendar year

Though some companies force their employees to use their paid time off, 83% allow workers to carry over at least some unused days from one calendar year to the next. And while carrying vacation days can't, and shouldn't, take the place of parental leave, it does give prospective parents more options. For example, if a woman becomes pregnant one year and carries 15 vacation days into the following year, during which time she gives birth, she can essentially buy herself an extra three weeks of maternity leave, even if her company offers no such distinct policy.

5. About one in seven companies offers a vacation sell-back option

Though some employees end up exceeding their allotted time off for the year (and therefore wind up taking time unpaid), there are also those who would rather forgo vacation time in exchange for extra cash. And while most companies don't offer this option, 16% allow hourly employees to trade in their unused paid time off for money, while 14% allow salaried workers to do the same. Of course, not taking time off has been linked to employee burnout and a decline in productivity, so it's not surprising that most companies would rather not encourage vacation day cash-outs. Still, it's good to know that the option might exist.

6. One-fifth of companies have blackout policies

Most companies have their respective busy seasons, and sometimes, that can spell trouble for employees in need of time off. A good 20% of employers impose blackout policies dictating that workers cannot take vacation time during specific periods of the year. On the one hand, it's a smart move for employers who don't want to deal with training and paying for substitute workers during busy stretches. On the other hand, it's a policy that countless workers no doubt come to resent.

7. A surprising 28% of companies allow workers to donate unused time off to those in need

It's not always the case that employees use up their paid time off by year's end, and while some companies do have a carryover policy, an estimated 28% offer a second option: allowing workers to donate unused days to other workers who need them. Furthermore, 3% of companies allow workers to donate the cash value of their unused paid time off to charity.

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Canada and Mexico plan to confront the United States over its demand for tougher NAFTA automotive content rules, people briefed on the matter said on Monday, underlining slow progress on the trade pact's most important issues.

The Canadian and Mexican negotiators are expected to rebut the U.S. autos demands on Tuesday, the final day of the latest round of negotiations to update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Everybody has more preparations to do," on the all-important automotive rules of origin, Jerry Dias, president of Canada's Unifor union, said on the sidelines of the talks after a briefing with Canadian negotiators.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to quit NAFTA, which has reshaped the continent's auto sector over the past 23 years, unless major changes can be made to return manufacturing jobs to the United States.

Vehicles and auto parts account for most of the $64 billion U.S. trade deficit with Mexico, a sore spot for Trump.

A second person briefed on the negotiations said the autos session would take place on Tuesday.

Although the talks are due to wrap up in March 2018 after the seventh and final round, progress has been slow, and there are no signs of compromise on a series of contentious demands the United States unveiled at the fourth round last month.

The Trump administration wants half of the content of all North American-built autos be produced in the United States and that the regional vehicle content requirement be sharply increased to 85 percent from the current 62.5 percent.

"There is no product made in North America that meets this rule of origin requirement," said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F) , General Motors Co (NYSE:GM) and Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU).

Blunt added that he thought the autos discussions would center on "trying to understand the U.S. objective."

Canada and Mexico dismiss the idea as unworkable and plan to respond with presentations on how such a move would damage the North American auto industry, people briefed on the talks said.

A Mexican auto industry representative with knowledge of the talks called the U.S. proposal "insane" on Sunday, adding: "You cannot counterproposal such madness."

Sources with knowledge of the talks said on Sunday that they ran the risk of grinding into a stalemate because of Canada and Mexico's unhappiness about U.S. proposals.

Hanging over the talks are increasing fears that Trump will follow through on a promise to pull out of NAFTA and that economic damage would follow.

The Canadian dollar edged lower against its U.S. counterpart on Monday, in part because of concerns about the negotiations.

PROGRESS REPORTED IN THREE AREAS

Alarmed U.S. politicians and industry groups have started to put concerted pressure on the White House not to take drastic moves they say would cause job losses.

"Support for NAFTA from the American private sector, and also members of Congress, and even Republican governors, is starting to get very vocal, which we view very positively," said Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexico's CCE business lobby.

Kalach told reporters that negotiators had made progress in three areas - telecoms, regulatory improvements and sanitary and phytosanitary measures - although it was too soon to say whether those chapters could be closed this round.

In San Antonio, Texas, a senior U.S. official told a Senate panel that the administration wanted to rebalance the large automotive trade deficit with Mexico.

Stephen Vaughn, general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative's office, said since autos produced in North America qualified for duty-free status under NAFTA, "are we making sure that the U.S. is getting enough benefits from that production to justify those privileges?"
Janet Yellen ended the suspense on Monday, announcing that she will leave the Federal Reserve entirely, rather than stay on the board as governor once her replacement is in place.

While Yellen will be replaced in February 2018, likely by President Trumps nominee Jerome Powell, her term as a member of the Board of Governors was set to expire in 2024. But Yellen has declined to stay and will leave both positions.

In her resignation letter, Yellen stated: "As I prepare to leave the Board, I am gratified that the financial system is much stronger than a decade ago, better able to withstand future bouts of instability and continue supporting the economic aspirations of American families and businesses.

Yellen has a degree in economics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University. She has also been granted honorary degrees: an honorary doctor of law degree from Brown and an honorary doctor of humane letters from Bard College in 2000.

She held a few posts with the Fed. Most recently, in 2014, Yellen became the first woman to become chair of the Federal Reserve board. She was vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 2010 to 2014. Yellen was president of the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010 and governor on the Fed Board of Governors from 1994 to 1997. She was also an economist with the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors in 1977 and 1978.

Yellen is widely considered a dove, preferring gradual rate hikes during her tenure as Fed chair. While she was Federal Reserve chair, the U.S. economy was recovering from the Great Recession, and she helped steer decisions such as unwinding the massive stimulus measures implemented by her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, to boost the economy.

She has also worked in academia, as a lecturer at the London School of Economics and Political Science, a faculty member of the University of California, Berkley, and an assistant professor at Harvard University.

Yellen has authored numerous articles, and as CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Yellen voiced concerns about high housing prices before the major housing crash.
From the mega-church municipalities of Nigeria to the private cities of India, swaths of entrepreneurial pioneers are responding to the challenges of urbanization and political disorder with new approaches to governance and community transformation.

As of now, the majority of that practical experimentation has been a privatization of necessity, occurring mostly in disrupted areas of the developing world with a focus on solving immediate economic problems. Yet those same ideas are starting to pick up steam in modernized countries as well, whether among freedom-hungry libertarians, climate-change-wary academics, or Silicon-Valley innovators and tech entrepreneurs.

Take the Seasteading Institute, a San Francisco-based organization seeking to develop autonomous floating cities that challenge the status quo of political governance. Founded nearly ten years ago by Petri Friedman  grandson of economist Milton Friedman  and funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, the institute has announced plans for what will soon be the first privatized ocean city.

If you could have a floating city, it would essentially be a start-up country, says Joe Quirk, president of the Seasteading Institute. We can create a huge diversity of governments for a huge diversity of people. The goal: to allow the next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas for government.

According to The New York Times, the government of French Polynesia agreed to let the Seasteading Institute begin testing in its waters, with estimates that a new island-city may come to fruition and be inhabitable within a few years.

The government is creating what is effectively a special economic zone for the Seasteading Institute to experiment in and has offered 100 acres of beachfront where the group can operate. Mr. Quirk and his collaborators created a new company, Blue Frontiers, which will build and operate the floating islands in French Polynesia. The goal is to build about a dozen structures by 2020, including homes, hotels, offices and restaurants, at a cost of about $60 million. To fund the construction, the team is working on an initial coin offering. If all goes as planned, the structures will feature living roofs, use local wood, bamboo and coconut fiber, and recycled metal and plastic.

While would-be seasteaders and so-called aquapreneurs have long dreamed of private cities in deeper and wider waters  untethered from any sort of formal government strings or oversight  the prospect of city-building in the high seas has proven extremely risky and expensive. Thus, even for the more principled libertarians, who are primarily seeking new degrees of civic and social freedom, the project in Polynesia is a welcome first step on a longer path to true autonomy.

Again, unlike the private cities of the developing world, such efforts are not primarily driven by material necessity. For most seasteaders, the purpose is tied to the long-term expansion of freedom and social and political flourishing. Even though the project has expanded its stakeholders beyond the libertarian and freedom movement communities, Friedman still believes that the idea of competitive governance still overarches, or undergirds, what we see as the long-term 100-year impact.

This is an important distinction. Given the mixed results of private cities like Gurgaon in India, weve seen that while improved laws, property rights, and incentives are important, they are not enough. Such cities have material and social improvements in varying degrees, but in total, remain good but not great.

If seasteading somehow leads to a more overt prioritization of freedom and virtue in such efforts  elevating spiritual and social well-being alongside the political and material  might it fare better?

Image courtesy of The Seasteading Institute
Ahead of Black Friday and the December sales season, researchers are expecting a modest 2 percent increase in Ohio holiday retail spending compared with last year, according to an annual forecast released Monday.

Retail spending over the holidays in Ohio is expected to grow by $481 million for an overall total of $24.1 billion this year.

The good news for retailers is that consumer confidence remains strong, and wages and salaries in the state still are growing, according to the annual forecast from the University of Cincinnati Economics Center.

The study's author noted that the predicted modest increase this year would put Ohio's holiday sales at 9.5 percent more than in 2015. There also has been consistent growth since 2013, said Christopher Nicak, the center's co-director of research.

"It seems the retail economy has recovered from the 2008 recession," Nicak said.

The Washington-based National Retail Federation trade group expects holiday sales to at least match the 3.6 percent growth of a year ago.

Across Ohio, sales outlooks are expected to increase most in the Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo regions. Only the Mansfield area is predicted to see a dip in holiday spending, while not much growth is expected in Columbus.

The state's three biggest metro regions  Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati  account for more than half of all retail spending in state, Nicak said.

By metro area, the growth projections are: Dayton, 3.4 percent; Cleveland, 3.1; Toledo, 2.1; Youngstown, 1.8; Cincinnati, 1.6; Akron, 1.2; Lima, 0.9 and Columbus, 0.0. Mansfield is projected to decline by 1.8 percent.

The forecast, in conjunction with the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, uses sales data, employment and wage figures, consumer confidence and a variety of other economic indicators to project spending.
The marijuana industry, and marijuana stocks for that matter, have been worth marveling at recently. A majority of marijuana stocks have doubled or tripled in value over the past year as legal weed sales in North America jumped by 34% last year to $6.9 billion, according to cannabis research firm ArcView.

But this could be just the tip of the iceberg. ArcView is also predicting North American legal sales growth of 26% per year through 2021, yielding a market worth nearly $22 billion. The possible legalization of adult-use weed in Canada, along with the recent legalization of medical cannabis in Mexico and the expectation that more U.S. states will choose to green-light recreational pot, has the industry and investors extremely excited.

The first-ever marijuana ETF was introduced in Canada

Of course, investing in pot stocks isn't without its fair share of risks. After all, marijuana is still illegal for recreational use in every country except Uruguay. Within the U.S., all it would take is for the federal government to decide to reinforce its superseding law and the 29 states that've legalized medical cannabis, and eight that voted to legalize recreational weed, could see their industries go up in smoke. In other words, buying individual marijuana stocks comes with a ton of inherent risks.

Unfortunately for U.S. investors, diversified investment options, like an exchange-traded fund (ETF), haven't really been an option. Earlier this year, the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (TSX: HMMJ) made its debut on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and has risen about 19% since inception. It seeks to replicate the performance of the North America Marijuana Index, net of expenses, and for a reasonably low management fee of 0.75%, plus applicable taxes, this ETF gives investors access to 21 different marijuana stocks.

It's worth pointing out that the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF largest holdings are in Canadian medical cannabis growers Canopy Growth Corp., Aurora Cannabis, Aphria, and MedReleaf, which make up just shy of 46% of its invested assets. Since Canada's parliament is currently reviewing a bill that'd legalize recreational pot in our neighbor to the north, this is a big reason why this ETF has done so well.

On the flipside, U.S. investors have been wondering when they might get their opportunity to invest in a marijuana-themed ETF. Well, folks, that wait is coming to an end.

Say hello to the very first marijuana ETF for the U.S.

As reported by CNBC, on Oct. 27, ETF Managers Group filed for a new ETF, the Alternative Agroscience ETF. This ETF will mimic an index as closely as possible that tracks cannabis cultivators, producers and distributors, cannabinoid drugmakers, fertilizer producers, and tobacco companies.

But there's an interesting catch behind its "inception." The Alternative Agroscience ETF won't really be a new ETF at all. ETF Managers Group is switching the focus and tracking index of an existing ETF, the Tierra XP Latin America Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT: LARE), which tracks the Solactive benchmark of real estate in Mexico and Brazil, to an ETF that predominantly follows cannabis companies.

Why make the switch? One possible theory is that the Latin American Real Estate ETF, while the only one of its kind, never quite caught on with investors. The ETF had only $6 million in assets and an average daily volume of roughly $90,000. That's not exactly going to cut it when there are countless ETFs for investors to choose from. Plus, switching to a new focus from an existing ETF, rather than bringing a new issue to market, is cheaper for ETF Managers Group.

Building on the previous point, another reason for the switch could be the first-mover advantage. Since there aren't any marijuana ETFs for U.S. investors to buy, refocusing a fund that's struggling to grow its assets would make sense. There's clearly a lot of money flowing into the weed industry, and ETF Managers Group is hoping it can capitalize on that trend by catering to this demand.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the switch to a cannabis-based index will occur on Dec. 26, so there's still a few weeks to go before investors will have an ETF that truly tracks marijuana stocks.

Should you buy this new pot ETF?

But the big question is: Should you jump on this opportunity to diversify across a broader swath of marijuana stocks on or after Dec. 26? My suggestion would be that you wait.

There are a lot of unknowns here, and it could adversely affect your hard-earned money if thrown into the Alternative Agroscience ETF. Namely, we don't what's going to happen with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who's been an ardent opponent of pot's expansion for a long time. Sessions hasn't minced words about cannabis, and in May tried to coerce a few of his fellow lawmakers on Capitol Hill to repeal the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which protects medical marijuana businesses in legal states from federal prosecution. With rumblings ongoing for months that a change or tightening in federal policy could be coming, investing in pot stocks could be downright dangerous.

This and the ongoing losses that most pot stocks are producing aside, it's also a bit unnerving, per CNBC, that neither the current ETF or Tierra Funds' website mentions this impending change in focus. It's only mentioned through a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

In other words, we don't know what sort of reaction the market will have to this sudden shift in focus, or if investors will even be aware of it at this point. We also don't know what or how many stocks will be purchased, what their weighting will be, and how high the annual expense ratio will be. About the only certainty is that stocks trading for less than $1 a share, below $50 million in market cap, and with poor liquidity, will be excluded. But that's not saying much.

For the time being, the safest place for investors is on the sidelines.

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Sri Lanka's prime minister appeared Monday before a commission that is probing alleged wrongdoing in the sale of government bonds that opposition lawmakers say led to a loss of about $1 billion.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government has "nothing to hide."

He told the commission that the government needed money to pay for projects such as road construction that the previous administration had carried out, but were never included in the official budget.

The scandal has tainted Wickremesinghe's government, which came to power promising to eradicate corruption.

The commission was appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena amid mounting criticism of former Central Bank Gov. Arjuna Mahendran by opposition lawmakers and others. Mahendran was appointed by Wickremesinghe.

Most of the bonds were sold to a company owned by Mahendran's son-in-law, who is accused of making massive profits.

The commission is to complete its report next month, and Sirisena has vowed to punish anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.

Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, who are from different political parties, formed a national unity government that took power in 2015 promising to tackle corruption and wipe out alleged financial irregularities under the previous regime.

The government has denied that $1 billion was lost in the bond sale.
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary is facing a frontal assault from U.S. financier George Soroswho is attacking the country via his non-government organizations and European Union bureaucrats, a top ruling party politician said on Monday.

Fidesz Vice Chairman Gergely Gulyas said Soros' claims that the Hungarian government lied in its campaign against him were "not substantial", adding the billionaire and the European Union pushed the same pro-migrant agenda.

He rejected charges by Soros that the government's campaign stoked anti-Muslim sentiment and employed anti-Semitic tropes.

(Reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Toby Chopra)
President Donald Trump on Monday said the White House plans to designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil," President Trump said.

According to the State Department, state sponsors of terrorism are actors who have repeatedly provided support for international terrorism. Penalties that can result from such a designation include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, a ban on defense exports and sales and other financial sanctions.

Currently, the U.S. considers three countries as state sponsors of terror: Syria, Iran and Sudan. The addition of North Korea to list comes amid escalating tensions as Pyongyang continues to carry out missile tests and escalate its nuclear program.

North Korea was delisted as a state sponsor of terrorism in 2008 under President George W. Bush, contingent on promises it would scale back its nuclear weapons program.

U.S. officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half-brother earlier this year as an act of terrorism, according to The Associated Press.

Trump told the media on Monday that the designation is something that should have happened a long time ago.

The president also said that the State Department will announce a new round of sanctions against the North Korean regime on Tuesday, which will be of the highest level.
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Following accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct from two people tied to the production of the Amazon series Transparent, Jeffrey Tambor seems like he has decided to step away from his starring role on the show.

Although vehemently denying any wrongdoing, the actor, who has won numerous awards for his role on the show, gave an ominous statement to Fox News in which he appears to claim hes leaving the show. However, it's worth noting that no official decision has been made.

Playing Maura Pfefferman on Transparent has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life, he told the outlet. What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago. Ive already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue.

Tambor continued, essentially giving his resignation from the role saying, given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I dont see how I can return to Transparent.

Tambor has won two Emmys for portraying Maura Pfefferman in the highly regarded show, which is now in its fourth season. Many interpreted his words to mean that he was leaving the show, which has not been confirmed.

As previously reported, the 73-year-old actor was accused by his former assistant, a transgender woman named Van Barnes, of inappropriate behavior. The claim was made on a private Facebook message, but prompted the studio to investigate Tambor and the circumstances surrounding the alleged misconduct.

At the time, Tambor was swift to deny the allegations completely saying he had, never engaged in any improper behavior towards this person or any other persons.

Soon after, Trace Lysette, another transgender woman who worked as a cast member on Transparent alleged that Tambor pressed his body against hers in a sexual way while on set.

Tambors status on the show, despite the statement, is unconfirmed as of now. However, previous rumors indicate that the writers have been working on building Season 5 without the shows main character.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The longest day in the history of the zombie apocalypse continues to amble on in Season 8 of The Walking Dead. This week, fans got a glimpse of the dissension in the ranks caused to the Saviors from Ricks attack in The Big Scary U.

The episode opens with what appears to be some ominous foreshadowing in which Father Gabriel prays for redemption. He makes it clear that he no longer fears death, but dying without a purpose.

Meanwhile, prior to Ricks attack, the incredibly scary Simon is convincing Gregory that he believes hes on the side of the Saviors. Sadly, the audience knows just how badly Gregory lets Simon down, leading to his cowardly romp back to The Hilltop. Hes in the middle of trying to convince Negan himself, when Rick arrives.

From there, the plot catches up to the present, with Negan and Father Gabriel surrounded by walkers in a trailer while the Saviors try to figure out how to get out of their incredibly precarious situation without their fearless leader. Gabriel suggests that he may have found his purpose, to get Negans last confession.

Inside the Sanctuary, Simon is trying to figure out what to do when Regina suggests sacrificing about 40 workers so that a few soldiers can go to check on the outposts and get supplies to bail out the compound. Eugene sheepishly tells her the plan is flawed and that not only is there an inadequate chance of success, but it might turn the workers on the soldiers. The others get upset, but Dwight sticks up for Eugene. Additionally, it doesnt take long for one of them to figure out that Rick attacking while all the outpost heads were in one place means a Savior has gone rogue.

Realizing that he is the most likely suspect to be a turncoat, Eugene privately thanks Dwight for having his back with a gift of cucumbers. Unfortunately, Dwight doesnt seem to agree to have his back permanently, only as long as hes right.

Inside the trailer where Gabriel and Negan are stuck, the former keeps trying to get a confession out of his enemy. Negan instructs him on a great many things, particularly his sense of morality. He says that theyre called the Saviors because he only kills those that need killing. Hes benevolent because he doesnt allow people to be weak, like the unknown previous leader of the group. He also confesses that, prior to the apocalypse, he worked with kids. He isnt specific but it gives fans a small glimpse into Negans character and who he used to be.

Gabriel presses, hoping to get Negan to say something meaningful. He starts to talk about his first wife, musing if she was real or like the others he keeps at the Sanctuary. Negan looks like hes about to brain Gabriel for his inquisitive nature, when the priest manages to snag the handgun Negan took off him. Sadly, he misses his shot and locks himself behind an interior door.

They put a pin in that as things cut to Rick and Daryl. Theyre still salvaging the wreck that they caused last week in order to get the big guns from the Saviors that almost all of the Kingdom lost their lives to secure. Seeing a bevy of explosives, Daryl suggests they double back, blow a hole in the walls of the Sanctuary and let the walkers flood in. He's battle-hungry and wants to end this war by sundown, which apparently will never come.

Rick is intrigued, but remembers the lesson he learned from Morales earlier in the day.

Some of the people in there arent fighters, doing this could change that, he says.

Rick seems to be making the point that workers will assimilate into the world when the war is done, but if their lives are threatened, theyll be forced to fight. Daryl disagrees, and makes his argument with a swift punch to Ricks face. The two start to tussle and end up not noticing the wreckage catch fire. While they were trading hands instead of clearing the scene, it blew up. Their fight ends as theyre both forced to sit and watch everything that so many of their ranks died for go up in smoke.

At the trailer, Negan is talking to Gabriel through the door saying that people are a resource. Therefore, he doesnt want to kill the only person that could help him make an adequate break for the safety of the Sanctuary. It seems genuine, as the episode had been showing the softer side of Negan. However, things start to feel really truthful when Negan opens up.

Gabriel confessed that he let his congregation die, prompting Negan to meet him halfway. It turns out that Negan, (surprise, surprise) wasnt a great husband to his first wife. He cheated on her a lot, but she stayed with him until she died post apocalypse. Negan confesses that his weakness was in not being able to end her after she turned. Its hard to tell if hes being honest, but it doesnt matter. Gabriel emerges and, for some unfathomable reason, tries to give Negan his gun. He doesnt accept.

Instead, they cover themselves in the guts of a walker for camouflage and open the door. Walkers flood in, but none notice them. As they slowly make their way through the crowd, its Negan who breaks rank in order to save Gabriel - people are a resource after all. However, as they fight, their situation becomes dire when zombies overrun them.

Inside, the worst has happened for the Saviors. While the generals still try to figure out a plan, the workers, and their vast numbers, realize that theyre deal to work while the soldiers protect them is feeling a bit one-sided. Simon tries to keep the peace, but its not his strong suit as he almost starts three fights. Still, his bravado starts to crack as one of the workers pulls a gun. Regina stops them, but things are about to pop off when they hear a distant whistle.

Negan strolls in with Gabriel, forcing everyone to kneel. He reminds them to keep in line because hes the all-seeing, all-hearing bad boy thats not going to die until he is good and ready. He tells everyone to fall back in line while he regroups, ready to figure out who the rat in their midst is. After all, none of the Saviors know who it is except Eugene.

When they reveal someone has been feeding the rebels guns, he puts it together that Dwight is the rat, but he doesnt reveal that information. Instead, Negan puts him to work on fixing their situation with the walkers outside.

The episode ends with Rick revealing the last part of his plan, to visit the trash people who betrayed them last season, while Father Gabriel appears to be succumbing to some kind of fever. In his addled state, he seems to reveal that Rick has a big plan for the Sanctuary thats not been revealed yet. He has reason to believe theyre all in danger.
Are you ready to see behind the design of your fixer upper?

Though the final season of Fixer Upper premiered Nov. 21, Chip and Joanna Gaines arent going away anytime soon.

Known for renovating homes in Waco, Texas, the couple is going to remain on TV and will appear in HGTV's Fixer Upper: Behind the Design, according to Scripps Networks Interactive, the network's parent.

Heres what we know about the spin-off so far.

Whats the show about?

The half-hour, behind-the-scenes companion will focus on Joannas process to create the breathtaking designs  shiplap and all  in each Fixer Upper episode, a release says.

"We have a lot of questions about the designs and what goes on on 'Fixer Upper' and how we get from point A to Z when it comes to these houses and these projects from a design standpoint," Joanna Gaines said in a March 22 Instagram video.

She added that viewers will "get a more inside scoop of how we came up with a lot of the decisions and the design elements that we got to incorporate."

'FIXER UPPER' STARS CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES: MAJOR MOMENTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

When does it air?

Not until May 2018. However, a sneak peek episode was broadcast in March which focused on The Little Shack on the Prairie, one of the homes featured in the fourth season of Fixer Upper.

If you missed out, HGTV posted a clip from the episode on Facebook.

Most of the time when its the reveal, people wonder, what about the other bedrooms? Well, this is one of the bedrooms, Joanna explained in the clip. Its finished, weve got a new light fixture in here, weve got all new trim and paint. Its really pretty, except all of my stuff is in here. So typically 2-3 of the rooms you dont see in the reveal, look just like this.

Viewers can expect more tidbits like this in the spring.

What else should I know?

You can still keep up with the couple in a number of ways, including through the Magnolia Market blog and the couple's social media accounts.

Joanna Gaines recently shared photos taken during the couple's trip to Italy.
Kathy Griffin can't stop whining.

In a new YouTube video, the comedian complained about not being able to find work after she says she was blacklisted by Hollywood for posing with a severed, bloodied head of President Trump.

"Im getting a lot of online hate from trolls who think Ive lost my mind. And I am admitting I lost my mind because its what made me a star in the first place," she said in the video titled "Kathy Griffin's State of the Union."

"I'm fully in the middle of a blacklist, a Hollywood blacklist. It is real. I'm not booked on any talk shows. I'm selling tickets worldwide which is really hard when you don't have any kind of a television platform and kind of nobody has your back," the 57-year-old lamented.

The former reality TV personality said that while many think she's crazy, others think she is on to something.

"I just want you guys to know that when I get home I don't have one single day of paid work in front of me...my legal bills are through the roof...I still say the end goal is for younger women and younger LGBT folks or disenfranchised people of any kind can watch me survive, and with a sense of humor," Griffin said.

Griffin has been plagued by a whirlwind of negative media reports after she lampooned POTUS by posing with his decapitated head in a May shot by controversial photographer Tyler Shields. She quickly apologized but then reneged on her statements saying she was "no longer sorry."
 Wheres the Coverage? Israel Offered to Help Iranian and Iraqi Earthquake Victims | Main | CAMERA Featured Letter-Writer 

November 20, 2017

NBC's Anachronism: Israel's 'Ongoing Occupation' of Gaza

Nov. 21 Update: NBC Corrects About 'Ongoing Occupation' of Gaza

NBC's Vivian Salama seems to be stuck some dozen years in the past. In her Nov. 15 news story ("'An open secret': Saudi Arabia and Israel get cozy"), she writes:

An Israeli-Saudi alliance would also be vastly unpopular on the Arab street given the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. (Emphasis added.)

In 2005, Israel withdrew every last one of its citizens, both living and dead (having exhumed remains from the cemeteries), as well as all of its soldiers, from the Gaza Strip in 2005, ending its occupation of the territory.

Following the 2005 withdrawal, then Secretary of State Rice said in a May 1, 2006 briefing:

And in fact, the Israelis do not any longer occupy Gaza; it is Palestinian territory. And that is in no small part thanks to the tireless efforts of Jim Wolfensohn, who worked day and night to make certain that that could happen. (Emphasis added).

While the United Nations and Human Rights Watch regard Gaza as still occupied, Hamas' Mahmoud Zahar disagrees, stating in 2012: "Against whom could we demonstrate in the Gaza Strip? When Gaza was occupied, that model was applicable."

In addition, a number of legal scholars disagree with the NGO position that Gaza is still occupied.

Indeed, after similarly stating that Gaza is occupied, The Los Angeles Times last year commendably published the following correction, the paper's second correction on this topic:

In addition, last month The Evening Standard also corrected this point.

CAMERA has contacted NBC to request a correction.

Posted by TS at November 20, 2017 03:21 AM

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These sandwiches really are heavenly.

A Pennsylvania man was so obsessed with a famous Philly cheesesteak, his family buried him with it, according to a report Friday.

Richard Lussi, who died at age 76 last month, sometimes joked that Pats King of Steaks was so good, he wanted to munch it in the afterlife, his grandson, Dominic Lussi, 25, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

WOMAN SUING WAWA AFTER SLIPPING ON 'HOAGIE GUTS'

He said, What do you think [I want]? Pats cheesesteak! Pats wiz  with no onions because theyll come back to haunt me, he said.

Lussi sometimes drove more than two hours from his home in Plains Township for the delightfully greasy gut-bombs, according to his son, John Lussi, 52.

After he died of heart complications on Oct. 10, his son and grandson bought two of the sandwiches  and placed them them in his coffin at his funeral the next day.

We were just going to get one but my pop always said, If youre going to Pats, you always get two, Dominic Lussi, 25, said.

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Pats was founded in 1930 and is credited with the creation of the Philly cheesesteak.

This article originally appeared in The New York Post.
UPDATE: The Chick-fil-A in Cartersville, Ga., says the case has been solved, though "details of the reward will remain anonymous to protect identities."

The Georgia Chick-fil-A restaurant originally pleaded with the public for information concerning the theft of one of their catering vans on Nov. 10. In return, the restaurant was offering something all chicken-sandwich enthusiasts can get behind: free Chick-fil-A for a year.

The chain said the crime was committed on Nov. 5 around 9:45 p.m. at the parking lot of a Chick-fil-A in Cartersville at Cherokee Place, according to a Facebook page detailing the incident.

MAN CONS CHICK-FIL-A CASHIER IN GEORGIA, WALKS AWAY WITH CASH, FREE FOOD

The van was later found in Acworth after crashing into a parked car in a homes driveway, WSB-TV2 reported.

The suspect  which Chick-fil-A uploaded photos of  was not immediately identified, leading the fast food chain to ask the public to help out with its whodunit.

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"Any information will remain anonymous," Chick-fil-A said. They had also asked anyone with details to call 770-401-1239 or the City of Cartersville Police Department.

A little over a week after posting news of the crime, however, the Chick-fil-A in Cartersville updated its Facebook post to inform followers that the case had been cracked. True to their word, the restaurant wrote that it was keeping "details of the reward" anonymous.
Yoko Ono has won a lawsuit against a small business she accused of profiting off her name.

A court in Germany has ruled that the Yoko Mono bar in Hamburg must change its name as it was sufficiently likely that an observer would surmise some kind of link between Ms. Ono and the bar, according to a court spokesperson, The Local reported.

YOKO ONO SUES SODA COMPANY FOR 'MISUSING' HUSBAND'S LEGACY

Ono, 84, had originally filed an infringement lawsuit against bar-owner Nima Garous-Pour earlier this summer. However, Garous-Pour confirmed to the press that John Lennons widow had not issued a similar infringement lawsuit against a second bar he owns in Hamburg, named John Lemon.

Regardless, Garous-Pour says he is saddened by the courts decision.

I am indeed sad about what is happening here. We hoped that we could keep the name, he told the German Press Agency.

Garous-Pour said hes unsure if he will pursue an appeal. He did cover up the first half of his establishments name shortly after the lawsuit was filed in July and its been going by Mono ever since.

Its unclear if Ono has any plans to take action against Monos sister bar, but there might be a legal precedent should she change her mind.

Earlier this year, a polish beverage company named John Lemon was forced to re-brand itself as On Lemon after Onos lawyers argued that the company was "abusing and misusing the legacy of John Lennon to sell their soda.

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As part of their settlement, the soda company was no longer allowed to sell any beverages branded with the John Lemon name as of Oct. 30, 2017.
A Disney-loving woman got a fairy-tale proposal and the wedding of her dreams all within 24 hours all thanks to her boyfriends secret planning.

Nicole Tully and Bryan Stewart from Scotland were on vacation at Disney World in Florida when Stewart popped the question in front of Cinderellas castle.

As we stood in line to get our photo taken, Bryan went down on one knee and proposed. All I could do was cry tears of joy, Tully told the Daily Record.

WHY DISNEY STAFFERS REPORTEDLY POINT WITH TWO FINGERS

After Tully said yes, Stewart sprung to action arranging a surprise wedding for the next day.

Stewart had begun planning for the wedding prior to the trip, letting Tullys family in on the secret two weeks before and getting their help to arrange the details. He came up with the idea after the coupe joked about eloping in Las Vegas, but Tully wanted their family to be there for the special day.

The idea came to me about six weeks ago. Id been planning to propose for almost six months, Stewart said. Nicole is a Disney fan and I just thought the fairy tale setting of the castle would be amazing for the proposal. I asked Nicoles mum and dad for permission and they were OK with the plan. The rest of our families and Nicoles best friend were willing to come out at short notice.

"It all fell into place," he said.

Tullys family and friends helped with the details, even tricking her into finding a wedding dress when she was dress shopping for her cousins wedding. Her mum just went in and bought it after she left, then brought it over to Florida.

The wedding guests traveled to Disney World in secret and surprised Tully the same day as the proposal. They decorated the couples villa in preparation for the big reveal. We got back at about 10 p.m., turned the lights on and everyone jumped out to surprise her. She was shell-shocked, Stewart said. Her family and best friend Robyn were there and I told Nicole we were getting married in the morning. She burst into tears and gave me a massive hug. Its been amazing.

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Tully was completely shocked by the whole thing, but said she loved every part of it.

Bryan did so well and I wouldnt have changed a thing. He organized the most perfect engagement, wedding and honeymoon. Ive enjoyed every moment and its something Ill never forget.
Last week the Trump Administration put plans in place to reverse a ban blocking the importation of elephant trophies back into the U.S. from Zimbabwe and Zambia. The true motive behind the move was cleverly disguised by its proponents as a feel-good story designed to benefit conservation efforts as new data, allegedly provided by Zimbabwean officials, indicated increased hunting would actually help the threatened species.

As someone who spends time behind the scenes supporting projects focused on protecting elephants in East Africa, I can tell you that I have been scratching my head all week wondering what idiot in our government thought this was a good idea in the first place. Who thought that they could actually sneak this one in and the American people would just whistle past it? Well we didnt.

Not only was the new plan an embarrassment to conservation programs globally and to the people who have worked for decades dedicating their lives to protecting endangered species, but with everything on our plate as Americans, its a complete waste of our time as a country that our own officials are even discussing it.

The facts of poaching are very clear: there are more elephants being killed every day in Africa than are being born. If the killing of the species continues at current rates, it wont be long until we are taking our children to see them in the Smithsonian museum and having to explain why they can no longer go see them alive in their natural habitat.

The truth is that the hunting of elephants for their ivory and tusks destroys ecosystems, disrupts local communities way of life, hurts African economies, supports terrorist groups, and is rife with government corruption along the entire illicit smuggling chain. Spend any time in conservations in Kenya and you can literally witness the degradation of certain species for yourself. So why then, when we have finally started to make some strides against poaching and the percentage of illegally killed elephants over recent years, would we now promote the demand and killing of them, reversing everything people have worked so hard to protect.

This plan had nothing to do with the greater good of wildlife conservation. This is about lining the pockets of corrupt governments and the .00001 percent of Americans who even care about traveling to Africa to hunt.

What this new decision sounds like is a bunch of bored, rich guys got together to tell hunting stories and bet each other that they could get a guy in Washington to pass a law for them that helps fill empty space on their walls. This has good old boys club written all over it. What we are seeing is an abuse of power. President Trump should have the head of whoever was behind this new policy.

What surprised me even further was that the Department of the Interior seemed to stand behind the ban reversal based on shoddy research. The unlucky U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official who was given the task of defending the decision publicly stated that new data received from Zimbabwe supported reversing the ban, that well-regulated sport hunting as part of sound management conservation program can benefit certain species.

Zimbabwe? Since when do we listen to Zimbabwe? A country that doesnt even have its own currency any longer because of mismanagement and rampant corruption. A country whose government is so corrupt and inept, that there is literally a coup taking place there as we speak. Sound management and Zimbabwe shouldnt even be in the same sentence. Weve decided to listen to a government whose corrupt officials likely #1 goal is to find out how to get money from affluent people in the U.S.

Let me be clear, this is not about bashing hunting. I am no stranger to the world myself. I grew up hunting in Texas. I spent most of my career in U.S. Army Special Ops community  you should have seen the guns I had access to. At one point in my career you could even argue that I hunted and killed people for a living. But there is a significant difference between hunting as a legal practice in the U.S. and the hunting of designated endangered species in countries that have proven track records of corrupt conservation practices. So when someone tells me that promoting the hunting of endangered species is a great way to protect them and also put money back into the cause, I have a hard time not laughing at their complete ignorance of it all.

The more I look at this, this plan had nothing to do with the greater good of wildlife conservation, endangered species, or the Zimbabwean people at all. This is about lining the pockets of corrupt governments and the .00001 percent of Americans who even care about traveling to Africa to hunt. Its about the greed of man. I mean really, how many people can even afford to go hunting in Zimbabwe? A trip over there for these hunting excursions alone costs more than the average American makes in a year. And thats not even bringing in the cost of shipping an elephant trophy brought back to the U.S. Why do we suddenly care right now about the tiny percentage of the population who can afford to travel overseas to hunt and their selfish interests in bringing home fresh kills to be displayed?

But the thing that really angers me the most about all this is the fact that, with all of the issues facing Americans today, elephant trophies from Africa is even a topic of conversation for our government in the first place. Why, with such a messed up political climate in our country, are we pouring our government agencies and lawmakers time into changing laws that effect Africa. It shouldnt even be a discussion point at all for lawmakers. We should be focused on things like tax reform, education, and national defense. The U.S. even blinking an eye at this, having it going all the way up to the presidential level for comment, is a waste of our time. If the head of the Department of the Interior is more focused on getting a law approved for hunting elephants overseas instead of dedicating time to issues right here in our own country, then that person does not belong in office.

The president did the right thing over the weekend by putting a hold on the decision and taking the time to actually review the facts personally. Lets hope thats an indicator the issue will be put to rest soon once and for all. In the meantime, Ill be heading back out the conservations in a few weeks to support those in the field who arent just talking about these issues, but are actually doing something. If you want to see it for yourself and give back to them, join me. There are many groups focused on anti-poaching that can use your help.
Charlie Manson is on deaths door, I heard Friday evening from various sources. It couldnt happen to a nicer guy, was my first reaction, followed Monday morning with grim satisfaction by the news that at 83 years old, the monster was dead. Good riddance.

Why so harsh? In 1969, he was responsible for nine of the bloodiest murders ever committed. One of them, a lovely actress named Sharon Tate, was 8 months pregnant when Mansons devoted acolytes chopped her up and hung her upside down. The other victims were similarly savaged.

Devoid of remorse, his head filled with notions of grandeur, for decades Manson enjoyed infamy among successive generations of young people seduced by the fact this murderous scum couched his crimes in environmental and anti-racist babble.

I hate the fact that despite the brutality of his crimes, or perhaps because of them, his face adorned what were some of Americas biggest selling T-shirts. More popular than Che or Mao, Charlie was a charismatic snake charmer, an articulate, eco-friendly homicidal maniac who was part Jim Jones and part Adolf Hitler.

Personally, I feel no mercy for the low-life whose enduringly perverse popularity was testimony to something dark in Americas psyche.

His twisted soul shined through that hateful swastika tattoo carved on his forehead between those glaring, piercing, beady eyes.

He told me in our epic televised 1988 face-to-face confrontation inside San Quentin that he could save our over-populated planet if he could just kill 50 million of us.

I told him he was a mass-murdering dog. He told me that if he didnt like the way our interview was presented he would have my head handed to my family in a basket.

I told him that if anything happened to me his roomies in the joint would set him on fire again, as they did in 1984.

As testament to his curious appeal, the hugely rated interview has been downloaded many millions of times.

Manson was living on borrowed time anyway. He was originally sentenced to die in the gas chamber, but was spared in 1972 when the California Supreme Court ruled that the statute under which he was condemned was unconstitutional. His sentenced commuted to life he was denied parole 12 times.

Most of his so-called "family" is either dead or still in prison.

Only one of the largely well-educated, middle-class kids he convinced to kill for him has been granted parole. Just 19 when she admittedly devolved into barbarism to please Charlie, now 69-year-old Leslie Van Houten remains behind bars awaiting Gov. Jerry Browns decision to accept or reject the Parole Boards recommendation that she be set free.

The now dead cult leader had one foot in the grave for several years, only to bounce back.

In January, Manson was admitted to Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield because of intestinal bleeding. Officials now confirm that he has died.

Personally, I feel no mercy for the low-life whose enduringly perverse popularity was testimony to something dark in Americas psyche.

Dont rest in peace, Charlie. Go instead to be with your friend, the Devil.
Imagine: even the New York Times Ross Douthat now thinks that Bill Clinton should have stepped down over the Monica Lewinsky affair. Douthats mea culpa op-ed in this past weekends paper, in which he confesses that he and others may have been wrong to dismiss Bill Clintons indefensible behavior, will serve as the official political obituary for Clinton, Inc.

Hillary Clinton is done, finished, kaput. Dogged by scandals old and new, out of step politically, her excess baggage has morphed into an entire baggage train, dragging her towards political oblivion. While it is refreshing to consider the landscape unadorned by Clintons, Republicans will miss her. Only Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have contributed as generously to GOP fund-raising efforts in recent years, or so energized voters.

Mrs. Clinton is finally being held to account, at least in the court of public opinion, where it may matter most. As charges of sexual aggression swirl around prominent figures on the left and right, Bill Clintons gross and possibly criminal behavior is getting a second look. New Yorks junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took the revisionism to a whole new level when she told the New York Times that President Clinton should have stepped down when his sexual relationship with 22-year old staffer Monica Lewinsky came to light.

Though Gillibrand later tried to soften the blow by putting her statement in a modern context, the damage was done. Bill Clintons affairs and sexual aggression are now fair game, at a time when the country is outraged over such activities. Many have long considered Hillarys defense of her husband hypocritical in the extreme. Even as she postured as a champion of womens rights, she tossed Lewinsky, Juanita Broaddrick (who accused Clinton of rape), Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones under the bus. These women accused Hillary of trying to intimidate them into silence. As recently as last year, Broaddrick broke down in tears as she recounted her 1978 ordeal. It would be hard to muster that emotion if the story were bogus.

Bill Clintons affairs and sexual aggression are now fair game, at a time when the country is outraged over such activities.

It is high time Bill Clintons misdeeds and Hillarys defense of them received bipartisan condemnation. Gillibrand broke that sound barrier. Others have piled on, including Clinton-friendly pundits and apparatchiks like David Rothkopf, MSNBCs Chris Hayes, and Michelle Goldberg. Liberal screed and former staffer at the Center for American Progress Matthew Iglesias wrote on Vox recently, I think we got it wrong, saying that defending Mr. Clinton was a mistake.

Meanwhile, there are increasing calls for a special counsel to investigate accusations that Hillary sold out the country by green-lighting the sale of Uranium One to a Russian state-linked entity, in return for cash donated to the Clinton Foundation and to Bill directly. Mrs. Clinton is in a precarious position here; as she becomes more assertive in blaming her election loss on Moscows intervention, she has called for ever-widening scrutiny of all things Russian. This is a risky gambit for Mrs. Clinton; comparisons between actual payments made to Clinton, Inc. and smoky speculation about collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia do not favor the former First Lady.

The Russia probe has also unearthed revelations that Hillarys campaign shelled out millions of dollars to finance the infamous Trump dossier, which fed speculation about the presidents ties to Russia and how Moscow might have influenced the election. In other words, the Clinton team paid for a hit job on Trump that has been widely discredited but that ultimately led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the ever-expanding investigation that Democrats hope will bring down a duly elected president. It is a shocking chain of events, and one that has been extraordinarily damaging to the country.

Nonetheless, Hillary continues to tour the country, claiming with ever-greater vehemence that Russia undermined her campaign and put Donald Trump in the White House. Thats when shes not blaming misogyny, the media, the DNC, Bernie Sanders, President Obama, James Comey and a host of others whom she considers responsible. Her tour is an embarrassment, not only for its content, but because it is yet another example of the never-ending Clinton lust for cash. She has been selling VIP tickets for nearly $1,200; you would think she might treat her loyal supporters to a freebie, after they doled out billions only to see her lose. The good news: plenty of websites are advertising tickets at 50 percent off.

Those steadfast supporters need some good news. Donna Braziles revelations that Hillary effected a clandestine takeover of the Democratic National Committee almost a year before the election, and made sure that the supposedly neutral organization pushed the nomination in her direction was salt in the wound. Aside from the shocking disclosures, Braziles break with Clinton, Inc. is a sure sign that Hillary and Bills dominance of Democratic politics, nurtured by an incomparable fundraising behemoth, is coming to an end.

Not that they have yet ceded the floor. Last May Hillary and former DNC Chair Howard Dean launched Onward Together, a PAC established to fund groups dedicated to encouraging people to organize, get involved and run for office. Presumably Hillary tapped Dean for credibility in sponsoring the progressive values the PACs website claims. The Daily Caller has reported that six months in, Onward Together seems mainly intent on fundraising, with scant evidence that its revenues are being distributed to other organizations.

With the Clintons, it has always been about the money. Onward Together will be a test. If the millions roll in, the Clintons will remain a force to be reckoned with. If not, they will fade into political obscurity. Already, monies flowing into the now-tainted Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation have tumbled  down 42 percent in 2016 on top of a 37 percent drop the year before.

Its also about the politics. Democrats have moved far to the left of Bill and Hillary. Worse for the Clintons, they are moving on.
Editor's note: This column originally appeared in the New York Post.

Memo to the Clintons: Its over.

After New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said that, in hindsight, Bill Clinton should have resigned over the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the political mafia put a hit on her. Clinton henchman Philippe Reines tweeted that Ken Starr spent $70 million on a consensual bjob. Senate voted to keep POTUS WJC. But not enough for you @SenGillibrand?

Reines called her a hypocrite for taking the Clintons money and endorsements, ending with, Interesting strategy for 2020 primaries. Best of luck.

Perhaps Reines panic blinded him to the tea leaves. Donna Braziles book signaled that the Clintons time has past and Gillibrands views are simply more proof of the new normal.

The Clintons better get used to being backbenchers.
On Sunday, Zimbabwes governing party moved to oust Robert Mugabe as its leader, four days after the military arrested him on charges of corruption and effectively ended his authoritarian rule of nearly four decades.

Although the Trump administration has taken a largely hands-off approach to Zimbabwe, President Trump now has the opportunity to exhibit leadership by denouncing Mugabes authoritarian regime and calling on Zimbabwes military and political leaders to establish a government characterized by the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Why should the American President put Zimbabwe at the forefront of his agenda?

For two reasons.

First, Mugabes regime represents one of the most brutal authoritarian regimes in modern history.

Second, Mugabes ouster in no way ensures that Zimbabwes situation will improve.

Although he began his rule as a responsible revolutionary, Mugabe morphed into a cruel dictator who was willing to slaughter his own people, including friends and associates. Mugabe was in fact so proud of his brutal record that in 2000 he boasted of having a degree in violence.

A Zimbabwe government that respects human rights and the rule of law is good for Zimbabwe and good for the world.

Martin Meredith, a renowned historian of Africa, wrote about Mugabes move from moderation to an obsession with power and control in his book Mugabe: Power, Plunder, and the Struggle for Zimbabwes Future.

Mugabes ultimate objective, Meredith writes, was to destroy all opposition to his regime. Determined to remain in power, he used all the resources of the government to attack his opponents, sanctioning murder, torture, and lawlessness of every kind. He was surrounded by sycophants and therefore knew few restraints. He attacked not only Zimbabwes whites (who he claimed were causing the downfall of the country) but also members of his own tribe, including even his lieutenants and former friends.

One of the best examples of his brutality was the formation of the 5th Brigade, a police force trained by the North Koreans and commissioned to bring terror upon his rivals that killed more than 10,000 civilians in addition to arresting, detaining, and torturing thousands of others.

Mugabe also ushered in an era of unprecedented corruption, marked by a widening gap between the rich (Mugabes party elite and cronies) and the poor (the rest of the country), a failure to manage the public sector, and the battering of any opposition. The cost of this strategy, writes Meredith, has been enormous. Zimbabwe has been reduced to a bankrupt and impoverished state, threatened by economic collapse and catastrophic food shortages.

And it doesnt look to improve even if the 93-year-old dictator steps down. As the New York Times reported Thursday, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwes vice president and former intelligence chief known as The Crocodile for his ability to strike at the appropriate time, is a leading contender to step into Mugabes shoes.

Will Mugabes deposition set the stage for a new era in which Zimbabwes leaders respect human rights? Or will the successor government perpetuate the era of authoritarian rule and human rights violations generated by Mugabe?

America should use every diplomatic and economic tool at its disposal to help influence the outcome. A Zimbabwe government that respects human rights and the rule of law is good for Zimbabwe and good for the world.

For this reason, President Trump should capitalize on this crucial opportunity. He should use every diplomatic and economic means at his disposal to influence Zimbabwes military and political leaders to establish order, hold free elections, and construct a new political arrangement that ensures individual liberties and secures human rights.

In doing so, the president has the opportunity not only to help the citizens of Zimbabwe who have suffered far too long at the hands of a brutal dictator, but also to make a clear statement about Americas continued commitment to moral leadership in the face of immoral regimes.
Steve Bannon said in an interview that aired Sunday that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand set off an "earthquake in the Democratic Party" over her comment that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

And I think you saw the first opening shot of the 2020 primary with Gillibrand, who clearly has presidential aspirations. She put a shot right across the bow of the Clintons, Bannon told John Catsimatidis on AM970s The Answer.

Gillibrands comments have ignited a debate within the party, with some cautiously urging to revisit the former presidents legacy while others criticized the senator.

Gillibrand, an anti-sexual harassment campaigner, sparked the controversy last Thursday after she told The New York Times that the appropriate response for Clinton would have been to resign following the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Yes, I think that is the appropriate response," she said. "Things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction.

Philippe Reines, a longtime Hillary Clinton aide, slammed the hypocrite Gillibrand, who took the Clintons endorsements, money, and seat" only to denounce the former president.

Interesting strategy for 2020 primaries. Best of luck, he wrote on Twitter.

Reines later doubled-down on his attack, telling Politico the idea that (Bill Clinton) got away with something in the context of whats being discussed now is a little absurd and that the former president should not be mentioned in the same breath as other men who were accused of sexual abuse recently.

Hillary Clinton, during a radio interview on Friday, said, I dont exactly know what she was trying to say," The Washington Post reported.

But some have said the debate is worth having.

I think thats a discussion that were going to have, and its a good discussion to have, Kathy Sullivan, a Democratic National committeewoman, told New Hampshire Public Radio.

Because I think theres behavior that was not acceptable ever, but was kept quiet, or people just kind of ignored, from all sorts of different people, Republicans or Democrats, and now thats changing. And thats a good thing.
President Trump has agreed to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House has confirmed.

Kim reportedly extended the invitation for the meeting, which is expected to take place by May. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump himself made the decision to accept the offer.

From promising to unleash fire [and] fury on Pyongyang to dubbing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket Man, Trumps rhetoric when it comes to the Pacific Asian nation has been anything but soft during his first year in the White House. Heres a look at how Trump and his predecessors have handled North Korea and its nuclear arsenal.

Donald Trump

Trump redesignated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism in November 2017 and promised a slew of new sanctions as part of the United States maximum pressure campaign.

In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil, Trump said from a Cabinet meeting.

And during a speech to the United Nations, Trump said the dictator was on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.

"If [the U.S. is] forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."  President Trump

The United States has great strength and patience, the president said. But if its forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.

But, in a dramatic turn of events, Trump has agreed to meet with Kim by May.

Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Trump said on social media after the White House confirmed the upcoming visit. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!

Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama asked the military in 2010 to prepare with South Korea in order to be ready to deter any aggressions from North Korea  after North Korea sank its southern neighbors naval ship.

Throughout his presidency, Obama warned and criticized North Korea for testing nuclear bombs and implored the Chinese government to help alleviate the aggression.

In one warning to North Korea against launching a long-range missile, Obama said that if it should decide to take this action, we will work with all interested partners in the international community to take appropriate steps to let North Korea know that they cannot threaten the safety and stability of other countries with impunity.

North Korea is "a pariah state that would rather starve its people than feed their hopes and dreams."  President Obama

During a press conference with then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, Obama said North Koreas actions had been extraordinarily provocative.

My preference is always to use a diplomatic approach. But diplomacy has to involve the other side engaging in a serious way in trying to solve problems, Obama said. And we have not seen that kind of reaction from North Korea.

And in a 2014 visit to South Korea, Obama said the U.S. would not hesitate to use our military might to defend allies, especially against a pariah state that would rather starve its people than feed their hopes and dreams.

North Koreas continued pursuit of nuclear weapons is a path that leads only to more isolation, Obama said.

George W. Bush

George W. Bush infamously dubbed North Korea, along with Iran and Iraq, an axis of evil during his presidency.

In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush slammed the countries as regimes that sponsor terror.

North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens, Bush said.

"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."  President Bush

During Bushs presidency, North Korea admitted that it had developed a nuclear weapons program, the New York Times reported in 2002.

Bush wasnt ready to give up that axis of evil label for North Korea when asked years later in 2008.

That has yet to be determined. The human rights abuses inside the country still exist and persist, Bush said.

The North Korean leader has yet to fully verify the extent to which he has had a highly enriched uranium program, he continued. In order to get off the list, the axis of evil list, then the North Korean leader is going to have to make certain decisions.

But the Bush administration also removed North Korea from the State Departments list of state sponsors of terror in 2008 in a bid to salvage international talks aimed at halting its nuclear efforts.

Following his presidency, Bush said we must do more to improve the human condition in North Korea.

Bill Clinton

During his presidency, Bill Clinton approved a plan which would provide more than $4 billion in energy aid to North Korea over 10 years. In return, North Korea was expected to disband and dismantle its nuclear weapons program.

At the time, Clinton heralded the program as a good deal.

The United States and international inspectors will carefully monitor North Korea to make sure it keeps its commitments, Clinton said. Only as it does so, will North Korea fully join the community of nations.

"[North Korea] would pay a price so great that the nation would probably not survive as it is known today."  President Clinton

The agreement ultimately broke down in the early 2000s.

In a press conference in November 1993, Clinton warned Pyongyang against waging war.

I know of no one who seriously believes that the United States and [South Korea] would be defeated in a war of aggression by North Korea if they were to attack, Clinton said. And I made it as clear as I could that if they were to do that, they would pay a price so great that the nation would probably not survive as it is known today.

After his presidency Clinton traveled to Pyongyang in 2009 and successfully negotiated for the release of two U.S. reporters who were jailed when they were caught filming a documentary about the trafficking of North Korean women.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Just a day after the U.S.s top nuclear commander said he would resist President Trumps order if he called for an illegal nuclear launch, a fiery debate emerged about the presidents authority to order the firing of a warhead.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a president's first recourse would be to tell the defense secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

"And then, if the commander still resisted," McKeon said as rubbed his chin, "you either get a new secretary of defense or get a new commander." The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), started the debate when he told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had thought a lot about what to say if he received such an order.

And if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr. President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated.

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life.

It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday -- the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war. No detail seems to have been overlooked. There's even a designated "safe escape" door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska, through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring U.S. nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to -- or in anticipation of -- a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.

The renewed attention on these questions reflects unease -- justified or not -- about Trump's temperament and whether he would act impulsively in a crisis.

This past week's Senate hearing was the first in Congress on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons since 1976, when a Democratic congressman from New York, Richard L. Ottinger, pushed for the U.S. to declare it would never initiate a nuclear war. Ottinger said he wanted to "eliminate the prospect that human ignorance and potential human failure in the use of nuclear materials, especially nuclear weapons, will lead to the destruction of civilization."

Forty-one years later, the U.S. hasn't ruled out first-strike nuclear options and is unlikely to do so during Trump's tenure. This troubles experts who worry about a president with the sole -- some say unchecked -- authority to initiate nuclear war.

The committee chairman, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was not targeting Trump. But he has publicly questioned whether Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward North Korea and other countries could lead the U.S. into a world war. In the end, Corker's hearing produced little impetus for legislation to alter the presidential authorities.

James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saw politics at play.

"But I think it's a genuinely important subject, and I think it's one we should be debating irrespective of who the president is," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Nebraska regulators on Monday approved an alternative route for the Keystone XL pipeline through the state, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for the project green-lighted by President Trump earlier this year.

The pipeline has long pitted oil-and-gas interests against environmentalists, who could still challenge the latest decision in court.

But the vote could allow developer TransCanda Corp. to access property of holdout landowners and proceed with the $8 billion project, which stretches from the northern U.S. border, through the countrys oil-rich western states to Gulf Coast oil refineries. More than 90 percent of Nebraska landowners along the route have agreed to let TransCanada bury the pipeline beneath their property, but those who oppose it have managed to thwart the project for years.

The five-member Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the route, after Trump earlier this year approved the project -- fulfilling a major campaign promise and reversing the Obama administration's rejection in 2015.

Environmentalists and landowners along the route have opposed the project over such concerns as spills and climate change. But businesses, unions and Republican lawmakers have largely supported the pipeline, which would move roughly 830,000 barrels of oil daily, as a jobs creator.

Opponents, meanwhile, said another federal review may be needed because the approved route would run farther north than the preferred route proposed by TransCanada Corp.

"This decision opens up a whole new bag of issues that we can raise," said Ken Winston, an attorney representing environmental groups that have long opposed the project.

Keystone XL would expand the existing Keystone pipeline, which went into service in July 2010. The current pipeline network runs south through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and extends east into Missouri and Illinois.

The commission was not allowed to take into account an oil spill on the existing Keystone pipeline last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump announced Monday that the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, something he said should have happened a long time ago.

Trump announced the designation in a Cabinet meeting at the White House, clearing the way for more sanctions on the murderous rogue regime, just days after returning from his historic 13-day trip to Asia.

We will be instituting a very critical step, Trump said. Today, the U.S. is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. [This] should have happened a long time ago -- should have happened years ago.

'[This] should have happened a long time ago -- should have happened years ago.'  President Trump

With the presidents directive, North Korea will return to the State Departments list of designated state sponsors of terrorism for the first time since its removal by the Bush administration in 2008. North Korea will be among Iran, Sudan and Syria.

North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil, Trump said Monday. ... This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons.

Trump also cited the death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was imprisoned in North Korea and died days after being returned to the U.S. in a coma.

OTTO WARMBIER DEAD ; FORMER US PRISONER OF NORTH KOREA WAS 22

Trump added that the designation supports a maximum-pressure campaign on the murderous regime.

Trump explained that sanctions would be imposed over a two-week period and would constitute the highest level of sanctions on North Korea.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson floated the idea of re-designating North Korea to the list in April.

On Monday, Tillerson told reporters at the White House press briefing that the move underscores North Koreas illicit, unlawful behaviors internationally.

But the symbolic designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, as Tillerson described it, does not mean the Trump administration is abandoning the push for peaceful negotiations.

We still hope for diplomacy, Tillerson said. This is all part of continuing to turn this pressure up and weve continued to turn the pressure up on North Korea by getting other countries to join and take actions on their own.

Tillerson said the new sanctions would tighten the pressure on Kim Jong Uns regime.

It is very symbolic on the one handit points out again what a rogue regime this is, and how brutal of a regime it is and how little they care about the value of human life, Tillerson said. That makes a strong statement. Practical effects may be limited, but hopefully were closing off a few loopholes with this.

According to the State Department, once designated, a country or nation state faces sanctions resulting in restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.

The presidents designation comes after months of fiery rhetoric toward North Koreas rogue dictator Kim Jong Un, whom Trump has warned repeatedly to cease nuclear activities.
Not one year into the Trump administration, New Hampshire already is buzzing with the anticipation of 2020 and playing host to an early screen test for a parade of potential and declared White House hopefuls.

The state Democratic Partys annual Kennedy-Clinton fall fundraising gala  held on a cold and windy November night this past Friday, in part to celebrate their 2017 victories and look ahead to the midterms  featured two headliners with an eye on the next presidential race.

Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who over the summer launched a stunningly early 2020 presidential campaign, told the audience that hyper partisan politics is tearing our country apart.

The message from the three-term congressman was what we really need a president to do is to bring us together, to restore civility in politics and respect in public service.

Eight-term Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, also a potential contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination, preached to the crowd that the Democratic Partys got to be the party that builds the new system.

We need to build systems that put people first, he added.

Both Democrats likely would fall deep into the dark-horse tier should they pursue a primary bid come 2020. Ryans biggest claim to political fame to date is having unsuccessfully challenged Nancy Pelosi last year for House Democratic leader.

But the weekend speeches and other maneuvers point to a Democratic race quietly underway in both New Hampshire, which holds the first-in-the-nation primary, and Iowa, which holds the first caucuses  while the national media are focused on the daily drama of Donald Trumps presidency and partisan battles being fought in Washington.

The trips by Delaney and Ryan to the Granite State were their second this month alone. Both journeyed to New Hampshire in the days before the November elections, in support of Democratic candidates running in municipal races.

Delaney and Ryan arent the only prominent Democrats trekking to the well-trodden presidential candidate testing ground.

Former Missouri secretary of state and 2016 U.S. Senate candidate Jason Kander, who now leads the voting rights group Let America Vote, has made a whopping six trips to the Granite State this year. Former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, who ran for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, has stopped by three times. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti flew in all the way from California.

Rep. Annie Kuster, who represents the Granite States 2nd Congressional District, said she was excited to welcome my colleagues Congressmen John Delaney and Tim Ryan. This is how we choose the next president of the United States. So welcome to New Hampshire.

But its not just the potential contenders with little name recognition.

Joe Biden headlined the state Democratic Partys major spring fundraising dinner, which sparked plenty of speculation that the former vice presidents considering another White House run. And Sen. Bernie Sanders of neighboring Vermont, who convincingly won the 2016 state primary and battled Hillary Clinton to the end of the presidential primary calendar, headlined Labor Day events in Manchester and Concord and was the main attraction last month at a Strafford County Democratic Committee gathering.

BERNIE SANDERS KEEPS 'EM GUESSING

Add them all up and you get 21 visits this year by eight potential presidential candidates.

Partially fueling these trips is the Republican in the White House.

There is a need from progressives in New Hampshire and across the country to hear from people who are of substance and character because it is very hard for a lot of folks to comprehend the presidency of Donald Trump, longtime state party Chairman Ray Buckley said.

Trumps approval ratings are far lower at this point in his presidency than any predecessor in the last 60 years other than Bill Clinton.

While 2020 is still a long way away, the possibility of facing an embattled GOP president in the next election appears enticing to a growing number of Democrats.

People think the nomination is worth having because Trumps approval numbers are so poor, University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala said.

Another factor is Hillary Clinton. With the partys 2016 nominee announcing she wont run again for public office, the Democrats may see their largest presidential field and most wide-open race in nearly a generation.

That wasnt the case four years ago, when OMalley was the only potential 2016 Democratic hopeful to pay New Hampshire a visit in 2013. The likely prospect of Clintons candidacy for the partys presidential nomination kept the field, and the very early visits, to a minimum.

Four years earlier, incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama faced only a handful of very minor candidates in his virtually uncontested re-nomination effort.

Its been a dozen years since New Hampshire has seen such a large number of potential candidates paying visits the year after a presidential election. Eight potential Democratic hopefuls traveled to the Granite State in 2005.

Twelve years is a long time in politics.

There has been a bottleneck for nearly a generation of up-and-comers to explore their future, Buckley explained. I think its a great thing that we have this entire new generation of folks that are thinking about it, exploring it.

While the rest of the potential field is merely mulling at this early date, Delaneys all in.

No cat and mouse games. Im all in and Im running for president, Delaney said in an interview as he campaigned in Manchester, N.H., earlier this month for Democratic mayoral candidate Joyce Craig.

When it was pointed out that Delaney is far from a household name in New Hampshire, the congressman quickly shot back were going to change that.

He vowed to visit the state twice a month going forward.

Ryans not ready to plunge in just yet. He said the main job for Democrats right now is to win back control of Congress in next years elections, and to concentrate on the White House when the midterms are over.

My recommendation is just focus on 2018. Stay focused, stay present in the year were in and lets make it happen. Everyone else can have that conversation afterward, he said.

But hes definitely not ruling out a run for president.

To be mentioned for these kind of things is a big honor, Ryan remarked. But Ive been around long enough to know the kind of challenges that come with those kind of decisions.

Ryan did say hed be back in New Hampshire next year to help campaign for fellow Democrats.
Days after a photo surfaced of Sen. Al Franken grabbing a womans breasts as she slept, a second woman has come forward with allegations the Minnesota Democrat inappropriately touched her in 2010.



The woman alleges Franken grabbed her buttocks while posing for a photo with her at the Minnesota State Fair, according to CNN.

The woman, Lindsay Menz, first tweeted about the alleged incident last Thursday, in response to explosive claims by Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden that Franken forcibly kissed and groped her during a 2006 USO tour.

"In August 2010, @alfranken grabbed me while taking a photo together at the Minnesota State Fair. I felt violated & embarassed. I 100% believe your account of him & his actions, @LeeannTweeden. Thank you for sharing your story," Menz tweeted.

The incident would have occurred while Franken was in the Senate, unlike the 2006 incident, which happened before he was elected.

Menz contacted CNN and provided more details on Thursday, hours after the first allegation was made public, according to the cable TV news network.

FRANKEN SPOKESMAN SAYS SENATOR WON'T RESIGN

The 33-year-old woman alleged the incident occurred at a booth at the fair where elected officials, political candidates and celebrities stopped by and had their pictures taken.

Menz told CNN that as her husband took a photo, Franken "pulled me in really close, like awkward close.  He put his hand full-fledged on my rear. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek.

The allegations come after Tweeden said Franken, over her protests, kissed her while rehearsing a sketch. And later on the tour, Franken was photographed with his hands over Tweedens breasts, grinning at the camera, as she slept wearing a flak vest onboard a military aircraft.

Franken immediately apologized, saying he felt "disgusted with myself" for the photo, though he disputed Tweeden's recollection of the skit rehearsal. He has since apologized directly to Tweeden.

Franken reportedly said this weekend, before the most recent allegation surfaced, that he wont resign.

Congress is officially on Thanksgiving break, and Frankens Capitol Hill office did not immediately return a message left Monday morning by Fox News. The phone at Frankens district office in St. Paul, Minn., gave a busy signal.

Franken said in a statement to CNN he did not remember taking the photo with Menz.

"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken reportedly said. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

Fox News' Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Democracy Alliance, a secretive left-wing dark money donor network whose members each direct hundreds of thousands in funding to progressive groups, is set to ramp up efforts to elect far-left prosecutors across the nation, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

The documents, which were gathered from the Democracy Alliance's three-day fall investment conference last week at the posh La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., show that electing ultra-progressive prosecutors in cities across the country is of high importance to the deep-pocketed donors as part of their "resistance" efforts and 2018 strategy.

Closed events were held at the summit on issues ranging from using the state of California as a progressive template to expand elsewhere, to the "importance of prosecutor races."

"Progressive prosecutors are winning -- from Florida to Pennsylvania, Texas to Illinois," a flyer for a session reads. "Bold reform candidates have been propelled by movement players and driven record voter turnout of African Americans, Latinos and Millennials -- and are shifting the political narrative."

Liberal billionaire George Soros, a co-founder of the Democracy Alliance, was listed as a host for the event, which shared an "early peek at more than 30 hot races" that overlap in key 2018 battlegrounds.

Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon.
A top California Democrat is scrapping his re-election campaign and resigning his leadership post amid growing sexual harassment allegations.

California Assembly Majority Whip Raul Bocanegra announced he plans to step down next year -- after a staffer said he put his hands inside her blouse at a nightclub in 2009 and The Los Angeles Times reportedly presented him with harassment allegations from a total of six women.

Bocanegra reportedly announced he would immediately step down from his post as majority whip, citing persistent rumors and speculation over sexual harassment claims.

The decision marks the first resignation or retirement in California tied to the wave of harassment allegations that has swept the country and implicated numerous lawmakers and candidates.

I spent my life advocating for the Northeast Valley, fighting for a fair share for our communities and residents, Bocanegra said in a statement to The Times. It is because of my deep commitment to you, residents of the 39th Assembly District, that I have made the decision to resign from the State Assembly, effective September 1, 2018, and immediately resign from my leadership position.

He added: I am also suspending my campaign and will not run for re-election.

The Times reported that it was preparing a story with the accounts of the six women and presented Bocanegra's office with those findings on Friday.

Last month, The Times reported that Bocanegra was disciplined in a human resources investigation in 2009 over the female staffer accusing him of inappropriate and unwelcome physical contact during his tenure as a chief of staff.

It was a moment that I truly regret, that I am very sorry for, and for which I have accepted responsibility for my actions, Bocanegra told the Times Monday. These news reports have since fueled persistent rumors and speculation, and I do not believe that this is in the best interest of my constituents to continue to serve next term.

The Times reported that his decision to resign at the end of his term instead of in the immediate future was in order to avoid another costly special election in Los Angeles and ensure our community is not left without any representation in the State Assembly.

When notified of the claims made by the six women, Bocanegra requested that the Assembly Rules Committee investigate the allegations, and said he was committed to full cooperation.

Bocanegras call for an investigation into the claims against him was reminiscent of U.S. Sen. Al Frankens response, when he was accused last week of groping a California TV host and radio broadcaster over a decade ago. Franken immediately called for an ethics investigation into himself.

AL FRANKEN HIT WITH GROPING ALLEGATION FROM SECOND WOMAN

A second woman, Lindsay Menz, brought forth new allegations against Franken on Monday, claiming the senator grabbed her butt while they were taking a photo together in 2010.

Franken and Bocanegra are only the most recent political figures to be caught up in sexual misconduct claims.

Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore in Alabama is battling multiple allegations. The woman whose account started the controversy spoke Monday to NBC's "Today" show, and said she was "absolutely not" paid to go public.

Leigh Corfman claims Moore initiated sexual contact when she was 14 and he was in his 30's. Moore has denied the allegations against him.

Ohio Republican state Rep. Wes Goodman also resigned amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The Independent Journal Review reported Monday that as many as 30 individuals accused Goodman of inappropriate behavior.

And in Florida, state Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel resigned last week from his post after six former staffers and consultants told Politico that he had allegedly created an unprofessional work environment for women.

One Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate and sitting state Supreme Court justice, Bill ONeill, last week sought to get ahead of any opposition research, by posting an account of his own relationships with approximately 50 very attractive females.

ONeill has since apologized for offending any of the wonderful women in his life.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Throughout the first year of his presidency  and even as he campaigned for the office  President Trumps rhetoric regarding North Korea has been harsh.

He warned earlier this year that Americas nuclear capabilities were much bigger [and] more powerful than that of the Asian nation. And at the end of 2017, Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror again  a classification that came with additional sanctions.

On the heels of a planned, historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trumps tone softened, saying great progress has been made. But Trump ultimately cancelled that meeting, citing "open hostility" from North Korea.

From agreeing to meet with Kim to dubbing him Little Rocket Man, heres a look at what Trump has said about North Korea and its leader over time.

Back together again

After meeting with a North Korean official in the White House for more than an hour, Trump announced the June summit with North Korea is back on.

We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting.

Let's call the whole thing off

Trump announced on May 24 that he has decided to pull out of the June summit with North Korea.

"We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant," Trump said in a letter to Kim. "I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting."

"You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump said.

"I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you," he added. "In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated."

Deal or no deal?

After speaking with the South Korean president amid threats from the rogue regime to cancel talks, Trump suggested the historic summit between him and Kim might not happen after all.

If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12.

Trump said he wants the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized in an all in one manner.

I can guarantee Kims safety. He will be safe. He will be happy, Trump said. His country will be rich.

Trump also said hes noticed a change in Kims attitude recently.

I cant say that Im happy about it, he added.

Save the date

Trump officially announced that he would meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12.

We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! Trump said in a tweet.

The announcement came hours after Trump and the first lady welcomed the three Americans freed from detention in North Korea at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early on May 10.

After Trump met with the three men, he publicly thanked Kim for releasing the prisoners.

Were starting off on a new footing, Trump said.

Positive gesture of goodwill

In announcing that a date and place has been set for his much-anticipated meeting with Kim, Trump also confirmed three American prisoners have been released.

The three Americans  Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song  are returning to the U.S. with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump said in a tweet. The president confirmed the three men are also in good health.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORIC SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP, KIM JONG UN

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump appreciates Kim Jong Uns action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill.

Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June 2017 after he was released back to the U.S. with severe brain damage.

Good relationship formed

Trump has confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo  his pick to lead the State Department  secretly met with Kim in April and a good relationship was formed. He said the meeting went very smoothly.

The president also disclosed that the U.S. and North Korea have held direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for the summit.

Kim will do what is right

After Kims first reported visit to China, Trump said there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.

For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility, Trump said in a March tweet, adding that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader.

He also gave North Korea the benefit of the doubt earlier that month, saying he believes the country will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests.

When Trump delivered a speech in Pennsylvania, the crowd booed the mention of Kim, but the president stopped them.

No, it's very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because let's see what happens, let's see what happens, Trump said.

Invitation accepted

Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet, the White House said. While a time and place has yet to be determined, the two leaders are expected to meet by June.

The invitation to convene was extended by Kim.

Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached, Trump said on social media. Meeting being planned!

The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined, he later said.

Possible progress

As North Korea is reportedly willing to negotiate its nuclear weapons, Trump cautiously acknowledged possible progress.

For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned, Trump said on Twitter. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!

At a later White House news conference, Trump said he believed North Korea, which has a long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles, is sincere.

We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea, Trump said. Of the possibility for peacefully resolving the nations deep differences, he said: Itd be a great thing for the world, would be great for North Korea, it would be a great thing for the peninsula.

But well see what happens, Trump said.

Spirit of the Olympics

At the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea sent the U.S. a message through South Korea, saying it has ample intentions of holding talks with America.

During a meeting with the nations governors at the White House in February, Trump said those talks will only occur under the right conditions.

The administrations position has been that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs first before any talks can take place.

Relationship status: Its complicated

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly said he probably has a very good relationship with North Korea.

Trump also suggested that he is open to diplomacy with the country hes spent years criticizing, the newspaper reported.

I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised, Trump said.

The Wall Street Journal released the audio and transcript of the interview after Trump denied making the comments.

'Success for the world'

Trump told South Korea that he would be open to talks with its northern neighbor under the right circumstances, the White House said.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korea ahead of next months Winter Olympics. At a January Cabinet meeting, Trump said it was his administrations pressure on North Korea that caused the rogue nation to negotiate with the South.

"Without our attitude that would have never happened," Trump said of the inter-Korean dialogue. "Who knows where it leads. Hopefully it will lead to success for the world  not just for our country but for the world, and we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens."

Whose button is bigger?

After Kim warned Trump about North Koreas nuclear capabilities, Trump hit back on social media, arguing that his Nuclear Button is bigger [and] more powerful.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' the president tweeted. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

Kim previously warned the U.S. should know that the button for nuclear war is on my table.

The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range, he said. The United States can never start a war against me and our country.

Good news or bad news?

Trump insinuated at the start of the new year that sanctions and additional pressures are having a big impact on North Korea.

Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea, Trump said. Kim now wants to talk to South Korea for the first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see!

In his tweet, Trump was seemingly referring to the recent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean soldiers across the heavily militarized border into the southern country He also alluded to Kims recent comments indicating he would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be hosted in South Korea.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korean leaders.

With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump said in a Jan. 4 tweet. Fools, but talks are a good thing!

'Sick puppy'

While giving a speech on tax reform at a Missouri event in November, 2017, Trump digressed from the topic to call the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

His comments drew hoots from the crowd.

State sponsor of terror

Trump re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror on Nov. 20, 2017, citing its support of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.

During a Cabinet meeting, Trump announced the designation came along with new sanctions on the murderous regime as part of the administrations maximum pressure campaign in dealing with North Korea. He said these sanctions will be the highest level of sanctions on the North.

North Korea was on the list but was taken off by the Bush administration in 2008.

Why can't we be friends?

In a series of tweets while in Vietnam, Trump said he doesn't know why the North Korean dictator would "insult" him.

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Trump said. Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!

The comment came after Kim referred to Trump's speech in South Korea as reckless remarks by an old lunatic.

'Dont try us'

In Asia, Trump issued a stern warning to North Korea, saying it would be a fatal miscalculation for the country to attack the U.S. or an ally.

This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past. Do not underestimate us. And do not try us, Trump said during an address at South Koreas National Assembly.

North Korea has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness, Trump said.

'Lets make a deal'

While on his Asia trip, Trump implored North Korea to come to the table for talks on its nuclear weapons program. Trumps request for North Korea to make a deal was in stark contrast to his previous hardline rhetoric when it comes to the rogue nation.

"It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world," Trump said during a news conference alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in in November 2017.

Trump also said hes seen a lot of progress in dealing with North Korea but still called the country a worldwide threat.

In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo the day before, Trump repeated his assertion that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was finished.

Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in the last 25 years, Trump said then.

'Rocket Man' is on a 'suicide mission'

After dubbing him Rocket Man in a tweet, Trump eventually tried out the new nickname for Kim during his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly.

During his speech, Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the country so provokes him. He also said Kim was on a suicide mission.

No more talking

After North Korea said it successfully launched a missile over Japan, a U.S. ally, and into the Pacific Ocean, Trump initially had a subdued response.

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a written statement after North Koreas missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."

The missile launch was said to be a precursor to North Koreas containment of the U.S. territory of Guam by Kim, according to state-run media.

But in a tweet, the president suggested the U.S. is finished talking to North Korea.

The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer, Trump tweeted.

The U.S. is 'locked and loaded'

Trump took to social media in August 2017 to proclaim that the U.S. military is locked and loaded in case North Korea act[s] unwisely.

'Fire [and] fury' isn't 'tough enough'

With the threat of nuclear violence growing, Trump warned North Korea on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would unleash fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.

But when tensions continued to rise and North Korea threatened to attack Guam, Trump said maybe that comment wasnt "tough enough."

"Lets see what [Kim] does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before  what will happen in North Korea," Trump said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump was "sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un can understand, because he doesnt seem to understand diplomatic language."

Kim Jong Un is 'not getting away with it'

Trump said Kim has disrespected our country greatly.

He has said things that are horrific. And with me, hes not getting away with it, Trump said. He got away with it for a long time, between him and his family. Hes not getting away with it. Its a whole new ball game.

'Strategic patience  is over'

After meeting with the South Korean president in Washington, D.C., in June 2017, Trump said that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

Frankly, that patience is over, he said.

As Trump made these comments, the U.S. was rocked with the death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who suffered extensive brain damage while being held captive in North Korea for more than a year.

There are 'worse things' than assassinating Kim Jong Un

In an interview with CBS News during the presidential campaign, Trump said he could get China to make [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly.

When asked if he was talking about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Trump shrugged.

Well, you know, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude  and dont underestimate him, Trump said. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated.

'What the hell is wrong with speaking?'

Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Atlanta that should Kim want to come to the U.S., he would be accept[ed].

I wouldnt go there, that I can tell you. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners, Trump said in June 2016.

What the hell is wrong with speaking? Trump said, referencing the criticism he received for being willing to talk with North Korea. Its called opening a dialogue.

'Maniac'

During a GOP presidential debate in September 2015, Trump railed on the maniac in North Korea while answering a question about Planned Parenthood and womens health issues.

Nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting there, and he actually has nuclear weapons and somebody better start thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places. But certainly North Korea, Trump said.

You have somebody right now in North Korea who has got nuclear weapons and who is saying almost every other week, Im ready to use them, and we dont even mention it, he continued.

China needs to solve the problem

Even before he was president, Trump urged China to step in and help alleviate problems with North Korea.

North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders, Trump tweeted in March 2013.

In April 2013, Trump continued that line of thinking, adding that North Korea cant survive, or even eat, without the help of China. He then accused China of taunting the U.S.

As president, Trump has said he is very disappointed in actions China has taken regarding North Korea, particularly allowing oil to go into the nation. He also said a Chinese envoy to North Korea had no impact on Kim.

Additionally, Trump has said hes spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping regarding the provocative actions of North Korea as well as the planned meeting between Trump and Kim.

President Xi told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative, Trump said in March 2018. China continues to be helpful!

'Wack job'

In April 2013, Trump urged then-President Barack Obama to be very careful with the 28-year-old wack job in North Korea.

At some point we may have to get very tough, he tweeted.

'Negotiate like crazy'

Trump warned that the U.S. needed to do something to stop North Korea in 1999 during an interview with the late Tim Russert on Meet the Press.

"Do you want to do it in five years when they have warheads all over the place, every one of them pointing to New York City, to Washington and every one of us, is that when you want to do it, or do you want to do something now? Trump said. You'd better do it now. And if they think you're serious  they'll negotiate and it'll never come to that.

He said then that if he ever became president, the first step he would take would be to negotiate like crazy to make sure that the country would get the best deal possible. Trump also predicted then that in three or four years, North Korea would have weapons aimed all over the world, including at the U.S.

Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump said Monday that he plans to designate North Korea as a "state sponsor of terrorism" again.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said the designation will impose even greater sanctions on North Korea amid rising nuclear threat tensions with the Asian nation. He said the label is long overdue and is part of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against North Korea.

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said.

U.S. officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother in a Malaysian airport in February as an act of terrorism.

North Korea was removed from the list  which includes three other countries  in 2008 in an effort to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development. However, since then, North Korea has made significant strides in its nuclear program.

What does the designation mean?

In order to end up on the list, countries have to repeatedly prove support for acts of international terrorism, according to the Department of State.

Trump promised the designation would impose additional penalties on North Korea.

Sanctions can include: restrictions on foreign assistance from the U.S.; ban on defense exports and sales; control over certain exports of dual use items and other financial restrictions.

FROM TRUMP TO CLINTON, HOW US PRESIDENTS HAVE DEALTH WITH NORTH KOREA

Other people and countries could also be sanctioned if they engage in certain trade with state sponsors, the State Department said.

Who else is on the list?

Iran, Sudan and Syria are the only three countries currently listed by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism.

Syria was designated in 1979, Iran in 1984 and Sudan in 1993.

How can a country be taken off the list?

There are two ways a country can be taken off the list of a state sponsor of terror, according to a 2016 State Department report.

In one instance, the president would need to submit a report to Congress which shows a fundamental change in the leadership and policies of the government of the country concerned, proof that the countrys government is not supporting international terrorism acts and the governments assurance that it will not support those types of acts in the future.

TRUMP ON NORTH KOREA, FROM ROCKET MAN TO FIRE AND FURY

The president can also submit a report to Congress at least 45 days in advance that shows the country at issue has not supported international terrorism in the last six months as well as has provided assurance that it will not do so in the future.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump is known for giving his political opponents and critics nicknames, especially on social media.

Read on for a list of Trump's most iconic nicknames.

Wacky Omarosa

Omarosa Manigault-Newman lasted one year in the White House, and her departure has been anything from cordial.

In particular, Manigault-Newman has been under fire from the Trump administration for secretly recording the chief of staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, raising national security concerns. She's since released some of the tapes.

Trump, in a series of tweets, called Manigault-Newman "wacky" and a "lowlife."

"Wacky Omarosa, who got fired 3 times on the Apprentice, now got fired for the last time. She never made it, never will. She begged me for a job, tears in her eyes, I said OK," Trump said. "People in the White House hated her. She was vicious, but not smart. I would rarely see her but heard really bad things."

"Nasty to people & would constantly miss meetings & work. When Gen. Kelly came on board he told me she was a loser & nothing but problems. I told him to try working it out, if possible, because she only said great things about me - until she got fired!" Trump said.

"While I know it's 'not presidential' to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry!" he continued.

Slippery James Comey

Trump dubbed former FBI Director James Comey the "worst" in history while blasting his new tell-all book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." In a series of tweets, Trump also nicknamed the former FBI chief "Slippery James Comey."

Slippery James Comey, a man who always ends up badly and out of whack (he is not smart!), will go down as the WORST FBI Director in history, by far! Trump tweeted.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the ex-director's handling of the FBIs investigation into Hillary Clintons email practices.

Trump also called Comey a slimeball and suggested the former FBI director deserved jail time for mishandling the Clinton email probe.

Animal Assad

In the aftermath of a suspected chemical attack in Syria, Trump blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and warned that those responsible would pay a big price. Trump also nicknamed the Syrian president Animal Assad.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world, Trump alleged in a tweet. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obamas foreign policy decisions for Animal Assad.

And in a later tweet, Trump warned Russia against shooting down any missiles the U.S. would fire at Syria in retaliation for the purported attack, saying the country shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Little Rocket Man

Trump has never really had kind things to say about North Korea leader Kim Jong Un  referring to him on Twitter as a maniac a whack job" and "rocket man"  which is a President Trump original," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News.

Trump tried out the "rocket man" nickname at the 2017 United Nations General Assembly.

He's also tried out the moniker on Twitter.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch," he tweeted.

In addition, Trump has called the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

Lamb the Sham

Ahead of a tight special House election in Pennsylvania, Trump visited the Keystone state to stump for Republican Rick Saccone  and hit Democrat Conor Lamb.

Trump accused Lamb of saying nice things in order to get elected in Trump country, but promised those at a rally that the Democrat is not going to vote for us if elected. And the president dubbed the 33-year-old Marine Lamb the Sham.

Lamb the Sham. Lamb the Sham. He is trying to act like a Republican. He won't give me one vote, Trump said.

Trump also said he is better looking than Lamb.

Sloppy Steve

Steve Bannon used to be in the presidents good graces, but the pair has had a very public falling out. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and ex-Breitbart executive, was quoted in a blistering tell-all book, painting the presidents son in a negative light.

Trump heavily rebuked Bannon in a public statement, saying Bannon lost his mind after he was fired from the White House.

Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books, Trump said.

Ahead of the release of the controversial book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Trump slammed both the author and Bannon on social media  giving Bannon his nickname.

Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve, Trump warned.

Trump reiterated the Sloppy Steve nickname in other tweets, including one which he praised the Mercer family  wealthy conservative mega-donors  for having dropped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon.

Pocahontas

The president reused one of his favorite nicknames for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., while he honored Navajo code talkers at the White House in November. At the event  held to honor the Native Americans who used their native language during World Wars I and II to help the U.S.  Trump mocked Warren as Pocahontas.

Trump has often criticized Warren, specifically over her claim to be of Native American heritage.

Shes got about as much Indian blood as I have. Her whole life was based on a fraud, Trump told The New York Times in May 2016.

Warrens potential Native American heritage was first questioned during her 2012 Senate run.

Trump also calls Warren goofy.

Dicky Durbin

Trump made waves when he referred to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Dicky Durbin online.

Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our military, said Trump in a tweet.

Durbin was part of a group of lawmakers who visited Trump at the White House in January to discuss immigration reform. After reports surfaced that Trump referred to certain nations as s---hole countries at the bilateral meeting, Durbin accused the president of saying things that were hate-filled, vile and racist.

Trump has admitted to using tough language at the meeting but denied certain remarks attributed to him.

Sneaky Dianne Feinstein

A transcript of a Fusion GPS official's August interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee was unilaterally released by the committees ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The release of the bombshell interview drew ire from some Republicans, including the president and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

In a tweet following the release, Trump blasted the 84-year-old senator and called her Sneaky Dianne Feinstein.

The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace, Trump tweeted. Must have tough Primary!

Jeff Flakey

Like Trump and Sen. Bob Corker, Trump and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake have been feuding for quite some time. In announcing his retirement from the Senate, Flake slammed both the Republican Party and Trump.

Flake was also caught on a hot mic saying if the GOP becomes the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, were toast. That comment gave Trump the opportunity to dub the Arizona senator Jeff Flakey.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast, Trump tweeted.

Al 'Frankenstien'

After Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was accused of kissing and groping Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden during a USO tour in 2006, Trump blasted the lawmaker on Twitter.

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" Trump wrote, including an apparent misspelling of "Frankenstein." "And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?"

Liddle' Bob Corker

The feud between Trump and Sen. Bob Corker has been going on for some time, but the Tennessee senator finally got a nickname.

The Failing [New York Times] set Liddle Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and thats what I am dealing with! Trump tweeted on Oct. 10.

Corker slammed Trump in an interview with the newspaper and said the president is so reckless that he might be on the path to World War III. A transcript from the interview revealed that Corker acknowledged the conversation was on the record.

Wacky Congresswoman Wilson

Trump and Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., became locked in a public feud involving a Gold Star family  earning the Florida congresswoman her nickname.

The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson (D), who was SECRETELY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content! Trump tweeted.

Wilson accused Trump of making insensitive remarks to the pregnant widow of one of the four American soldiers killed during an attack in Niger. The White House, including chief of staff John Kelly, has ardently defended the presidents comments.

Jerry Moonbeam Brown

Trump hasn't seen eye-to-eye with California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, throughout much of his time in office  but the president was especially critical after Brown pardoned 56 convicted felons, including five ex-convicts facing deportation.

Trump blasted the pardoning on Twitter, calling the governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown.

Is this really what the great people of California want? Trump said.

Trump cant take full credit for Browns nickname. The Moonbeam moniker was given to the governor first in the 1970s by a columnist who said Brown was garnering the "moonbeam vote," or the younger, more idealistic voters in his gubernatorial campaign, according to The New York Times. The nickname continued as Brown pressed for California's space programs.

Crazy Joe Biden

It all started when former Vice President Joe Biden addressed an anti-sexual assault rally in Florida and cited lewd comments Trump made about women in the infamous Access Hollywood tape more than a decade ago.

Biden, who has crusaded against sexual assault and harassment, said, If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.

A few days later, Trump lashed out on Twitter, nicknaming the former senator Crazy Joe Biden.

Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault, Trump said on March 22. He doesnt know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Dont threaten people Joe!

In the past, Trump has referred to Biden on social media as our not very bright vice president.

Little Adam Schiff

Trump accused Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking confidential information from closed committee hearings and called for him to be stopped. The president also referred to the Democrat from California as Little Adam Schiff.

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, Trump said in a tweet, comparing him to former FBI Director James Comey, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan. Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

Schiff is the ranking minority member on the House Intelligence Committee which released a controversial memo that detailed alleged improper surveillance techniques used in the Russia investigation. Schiff was critical of the memos public release  supported by Republicans  calling it misleading and undermining of the probe.

Crooked Hillary

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump would often hit his opponent, Hillary Clinton, with criticisms on social media. Trump gave her the nickname Crooked Hillary, usually when he mentioned her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

The first time Trump tweeted about Crooked Hillary was in April 2016.

Sometimes Trump switched it up and would call the former first lady Lyin Hillary.

Wild Bill Clinton

While criticizing former FBI Director James Comey's memoir, Trump referenced the now-infamous meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix airport tarmac in June 2016. The meeting was questioned because the then-attorney general was leading the investigation into Hillary Clintons email scandal.

Comey throws AG Lynch under the bus! Why cant we all find out what happened on the tarmac in the back of the plane with Wild Bill and Lynch? Trump said. Was she promised a Supreme Court seat, or AG, in order to lay off Hillary. No golf and grandkids talk (give us all a break)!

Lynch has said she and Clinton discussed only innocuous things on the tarmac but acknowledged that her speaking to the former president raised concerns in peoples minds about whether or not there was going to be any impact on the email investigation.

Cheatin Obama

Trump praised his own approval ratings on social media  while taking a jab at former President Barack Obama.

The president said the honest polling of Rasmussen shows his approval rating at 50 percent, which is higher than Cheatin Obama at the same time in his Administration.

The April 2 Rasmussen poll showed 50 percent of likely U.S. voters approved of Trump. However, 49 percent disapproved.

Little Marco

The rhetoric among the Republican presidential contenders hit a different kind of low as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went after Trump for having small hands and Trump started to call the senator Little Marco. The two also discussed the size of Trumps hands  and other things  during a GOP debate in March 2016.

Trump first tweeted the Little Marco nickname in February 2016.

Lyin Ted

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump didnt start out as enemies during the 2016 campaign, but the two Republican contenders were soon at each others throats. Trump dubbed Cruz Lyin Ted when he went after him for his immigration policies in a campaign ad in March 2016.

Low Energy Jeb

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also got a Trump nickname when he was a 2016 Republican presidential contender  Low energy Jeb Bush.

Despite the exclamation point in Bushs campaign logo, Trump started to use the nickname to criticize his opponent during the campaign. Trump told Business Insider that there wasnt a backstory to the nickname, he just seemed like a low energy person to Trump.

1 for 38

When Ohio Gov. John Kasich attempted to team up with Cruz during the Republican primary to deny Trump the partys nomination, Trump took to Twitter to dole out a new nickname. And Kasich became 1 for 38.

Trump assigned Kasich the name because he won only one state in the primary and lost the others, Trump said in a statement in August 2016. Eventually Kasich would also be referred to as 1 for 42 by the eventual president.



Crazy Bernie

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the white-haired Independent socialist who became a progressive icon during the 2016 election, earned himself the nickname Crazy Bernie from Trump.

Trump first tweeted about Crazy Bernie in May 2016 when he criticized Crooked Hillary for looking very bad against Sanders.

Crying Chuck

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., criticized Trump for firing F.B.I. Director James Comey, Trump hit him right back  with an original nickname.

Cryin Chuck Schumer stated recently, I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer. Then acts so indignant, he tweeted on May 9, 2017.

Schumer shed some tears when he discussed Trumps immigration ban earlier in 2017.

But Schumer wasnt crying after Trump agreed to the Democrats short-term debt-limit increase and Hurricane Harvey aid.

Crazy Jim Acosta

Trump had a surprising tweet of gratitude Tuesday morning for CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta  while also bestowing a nickname on his media adversary.

Even Crazy Jim Acosta of Fake News CNN agrees: Trump World and WH sources dancing in end zone: Trump wins againSchumer and Dems cavedgambled and lost. Thank you for your honesty Jim! Trump tweeted.

Trumps tweet referenced Acostas earlier social media post.

The president and his administration has often slammed Acosta and CNN for coverage they deem unfair  or fake news. Trump has also kicked Acosta out of the Oval Office.

Sleepy Eyes

Trump has thought NBC reporter Chuck Todd has looked sleepy long before the election or campaign. He first dubbed Todd sleepy in a 2001 tweet, but upgraded his nickname to Sleepy Eyes by 2012.

And in 2018, at a campaign rally for a Republican congressional candidate, Trump slammed the NBC anchor as a son of a b-----.

Trump mentioned a 1999 "Meet the Press" appearance when he discussed North Korea.

Its 1999, Im on 'Meet the Press,' a show now headed by sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, Trump said. Hes a sleeping son of a b----, Ill tell you.

Dumb as a Rock Mika

From writer Toure to National Review, Trump has called many things dumb as a rock. But Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe earned the nickname in July after she and Joe Scarborough criticized the president.

Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses, he tweeted. Too bad!

His attack on the news anchor continued, as he called her low I.Q. Crazy Mika and said she was bleeding badly from a face-lift when she came to Mar-a-Lago around New Years Eve.

Psycho Joe

In a Twitter rant about his dislike of MSNBCs Morning Joe program, Trump dubbed host Joe Scarborough Psycho Joe.

Crazy Megyn

Trumps comments about then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly were often criticized and deemed misogynistic by critics. During their feud, Trump took to calling Kelly Crazy Megyn.

Little Jeff Zucker

Trump criticized CNN in an April tweet  and called its president Little Jeff Zucker.

Check out the fact that you cant get a job at ratings challenged [CNN] unless you state that you are totally anti-Trump, the president alleged on social media. Little Jeff Zucker, whose job is in jeopardy, is not having much fun lately. They should clean up and strengthen CNN and get back to honest reporting.

Fox News' Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A NASA astronaut's wristwatch worn aboard the first Apollo mission in 1968 has been returned to the Smithsonian, nearly three decades after it was stolen from a museum in Ecuador.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph, which astronaut Donn Eisele was issued to wear on board the Apollo 7 mission into Earth orbit, is now back in the custody of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The watch was recovered with the help of space history enthusiasts, who provided the authorities with information about the chronograph's status and location.

Disclosure: As detailed below, collectSPACE editor Robert Pearlman was among the individuals who provided information that led to the watch being recovered. [Space and Time Collide in New Space Watches]

Eisele's NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster was on loan from the Smithsonian to the Instituto Geografico Militar in Quito, Ecuador, when in 1989 it was stolen from its display. The local police investigated the theft, but a culprit was never identified.

The watch remained missing for 28 years. It briefly surfaced earlier this year at a watch show in Florida, but traces of it were quickly lost. Then, a person claiming to have been offered the watch for sale began reaching out for more details about its history.

From Earth orbit to Ecuador

"Someone tried selling me a vintage Omega Speedmaster with astronaut number [sic] engraved in the back and s/n [serial number] 34. I was afraid to buy, since I thought it might be fake. Do you have an idea what mission it was?" read an email sent to collectSPACE on the evening of Sept. 29.

Donn Eisele, who died in 1987 at age 57, launched on his first and only spaceflight as command module pilot on Apollo 7, the first mission of the U.S. moon landing program. The 10 day and 20 hour flight saw Eisele and his two crewmates, Wally Schirra and Walt Cunningham, put the Apollo command module through its paces while orbiting Earth 163 times from Oct. 11 to Oct. 22, 1968.

Recognizing that its astronauts would need a chronograph to time mission events in space, NASA tested and selected the Omega Speedmaster as its flight-qualified watch beginning with the Gemini program. As the first Apollo crew to fly in space, Schirra, Cunningham and Eisele were each issued Speedmaster watches to wear with their spacesuits and other mission attire.

NASA engraved each Speedmaster with part and serial numbers, to help track its mission equipment. Eisele's NASA-issued chronograph was inscribed with the part number common to other NASA Speedmaster watches, SEB12100039-002, and a unique serial number, "34."

(Eisele also wore a personal Omega Speedmaster on Apollo 7, engraved with the serial number 38. That chronograph was sold by Sotheby's in 2007 for $204,000.)

In 1977, after the end of the Apollo program, NASA transferred the title for all of its Gemini and Apollo-flown Speedmasters to the Smithsonian. Initially, the museum offered the watches for loan back to the astronauts who had used them in space, but within a decade decided against the practice and refocused the loans to other museums.

The Instituto Geografico Militar requested the loan of space artifacts, including a chronograph, in the mid-1980s, and was provided Eisele's Apollo 7 Speedmaster. [Gallery: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum]

Serendipitous discovery

Five months ago, after hearing nothing about the Eisele watch for almost 30 years, the Smithsonian was alerted the chronograph was seen at a watch show. But prior to investigators being able to take action, it disappeared again.

Then in September, a space history and watch enthusiast signed onto eBay.

Garron DuPree, the bass guitarist for the coincidentally-named band Eisley, came across a watch seller from Texas who, after discussing various timepieces, shared the story of a friend who had bought a "vintage Omega Speedmaster with some very interesting engravings" for $5,000 while on a trip to Ecuador. The dealer said the watch was not for sale, but volunteered to share photos of it with DuPree.

"Shocked by what I was seeing while simultaneously being an extreme skeptic, I began furiously researching the subject," DuPree said in an email to collectSPACE after the Eisele watch was recovered. "It wasn't until I found information posted on collectSPACE that my suspicions began to be confirmed."

Concerned the chronograph could again disappear, DuPree held back details from the dealer, but reached out to collectSPACE for help contacting the authorities. At just about the same time, the eBay seller emailed collectSPACE with photos of the Speedmaster, seeking to authenticate the watch.

"I saw the watch in Mexico City and the owner is a [sic] worried he could have it taken away. He knew there was something special about it which is why he bought it. Weird situation," the man wrote.

collectSPACE and DuPree contacted the Smithsonian Office of Inspector General (OIG), the independent entity within the institution that oversees investigations into theft and fraud. Through the information that was shared, the OIG, working with the FBI, was able to identify the eBay dealer and confirm he was not in possession of the watch.

Within days of that happening though, another unidentified individual surrendered the watch to the FBI in Houston, Texas. The Eisele Speedmaster was then briefly held at the bureau's McAllen, Texas office, until its return to the Smithsonian.

Citing internal polices, the Smithsonian, OIG and FBI declined to comment for this article.

Back where it belongs

With the Eisele Speedmaster now back in the hands of the Smithsonian, it will, at least initially, be cared for at the Buehler Conservation Laboratory at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia. Omega technicians periodically visit the lab to help inspect the NASA chronographs in the Smithsonian collection.

The Smithsonian is now missing only five Omega Speedmasters (out of the more than 50 transferred by NASA) that were stolen while on loan to other museums in the 1990s. There are also a few other flown watches that went missing outside of museums; most famously, the first watch worn on the surface of the moon, Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 Speedmaster, went missing while in transit to the Smithsonian in 1970.

DuPree expressed his pride in having contributed to returning a chronograph to its rightful place.

"To have played any part in the recovery of this priceless piece of history is among the most humbling privileges I have experienced," he said.

Kristy Eisele, the astronaut's daughter, told collectSPACE that she too was happy with the outcome.

"Through some kind souls and great detective work, my father's watch has been recovered," she said on Wednesday (Nov. 15). "I'm absolutely thrilled that it's back at the Smithsonian where it belongs."

See more photographs of Donn Eisele's Apollo 7 Omega Speedmaster chronograph at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @ collectSPACE . Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Despite insurmountable evidence to the contrary, conspiracy theorists have claimed for years that man did not walk on the moon, that the landings were fake. That theory has surfaced again, thanks to a new "picture" posted to YouTube that alleges the last moon landing, one from Apollo 17, was staged.

The video, which shows a picture that was allegedly taken in December 1972, is named Reflection in a Visor." The person who posted it, using the user name Streetcap1, claims that there is a reflection of a stagehand on the helmet of one of the astronauts.

At 21 seconds into the video, Streetcap1 points out what this person believes is someone not wearing a spacesuit. I thought it looked a bit strange, so I took a picture of it using my software, Streetcap 1 said in the video.

CAVE DISCOVERED ON THE MOON RAISES HOPE FOR HUMAN COLONIZATION

He added that it appears to be "a figure of a human not wearing a spacesuit, circa early 70s... Apollo 17 photograph."

Streetcap1 goes on to say that he believes the object in the astronaut's helmet looks like a man with long hair.

"You can see some sort of, it looks like a man, back in the early 70s, long hair, wearing some sort of waistcoat-type thing... and a shadow of that figure presumably."

Comments appear split on the video, with many saying the object being pointed out is indeed an astronaut wearing a spacesuit. Others, however, seemed to side with Streetcap1, with one commenter writing: "Omg goodness. Congratulations Street cap1. Making world news. Amazing find xx"

Apollo 17 was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program and was launched at 12:33 a.m. ET on Dec. 7, 1972 with Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt on board.

They spent two weeks in space, returning to Earth on Dec. 19, 1972.

Apollo 17 is notable for a number of reasons, including being the last time mankind has ever gone past Earth's low-orbit. It is the first mission without a test pilot, it holds the record for longest moon landing, longest total moonwalks, largest lunar sample and the longest time spent in lunar orbit.

Conspiracy theories have continued to pop up since man first walked on the moon on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to ever set foot on the lunar surface.

This story has been updated to reflect that Apollo 17 was the last space mission where mankind has left Earth's low-orbit. It originally said it was the first time. Fox News regrets this error.
A long-lost piece of electrical wire from Thomas Edisons first underground cable for electric lighting is up for sale.

The wire is being sold by The Raab Collection, which will unveil the artifact on Tuesday. Valued at $120,000, the electrical wire is the only known artifact of its kind to have survived, says the Ardmore, Pa.-based historical document dealer.

Edisons own home in Menlo Park, a section of Edison, New Jersey, was among the homes lit in the November 1880 electrical lighting test.

SCIENTISTS HAVE A NEW THEORY ON HOW THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER UNFOLDED

The artifact paved the way for widespread deployment of electrical lighting, according to Nathan Raab, one of the owners of The Raab Collection.

There are only a handful of inventions in history that have changed the way everyone lives on a daily basis, he told Fox News. The light bulb changed everything.

Because of this test Edison was able to put lights up in New York; because of that, it went worldwide, he added.

GEORGE WASHINGTONS FAMOUS REVOLUTIONARY WAR TENT FOUND IN NEWLY-DISCOVERED PAINTING

The wire was saved by F.A. Wardlaw, a long-time Edison lab aide who was present on the night of the test. In 1933, Wardlaw dug up the wire and sent it to Paul Kruesi, the son of Edisons chief machinist, who grew up with the inventor in Menlo Park. A handwritten note from Wardlaw is attached to the piece of electrical wire.

The Kruesi family home also was one of the houses in the lighting test.

Perhaps you would like a piece of the original conductor used by Edison at Menlo Park at the now historic demonstration of the Edison System of Incandescent Electric Lighting in 1880, so am sending you one, Wardlaw wrote in a Oct. 4, 1933 letter accompanying the artifact and note. I dug it out of the bank on the east side of Christie St, Menlo Park, directly opposite your old home, last Friday. It was the first underground cable ever used for electric lighting and appears pretty good yet after being buried for 53 years.

LONG-FORGOTTEN TIME CAPSULE DISCOVERED IN SPACE NEEDLE

The Raab collection acquired the artifact from the Kruesi familys heirs for an undisclosed price.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
The Miami International Airport was briefly evacuated on Saturday night after a janitor found what appeared to be an explosive device in an unattended bag.

The Miami Herald reports that passengers and airport personnel were evacuated from Concourse J at around 8 p.m., after the employee spotted what was eventually determined to be a toy grenade inside a bag in one of the ladies restrooms.

SPIRIT AIRLINES EMPLOYEE ACCUSED OF STABBING CO-WORKER WITH SCISSORS

Yes, like the grenades you see in the cartoons, Lee Cowart, a Miami-Dade spokesperson, told the Herald. But you have to understand, when something that had the potential to end another way ends like this, you realize tonight is a good night.

In addition to Concourse J, authorities evacuated a few nearby terminals in the north side of the airport, according to CBS Miami.

GATE AGENT PENALIZED FOR 'HUMILIATING' LATE PASSENGER

The device was eventually found to be inert, and after about an hour and a half, authorities allowed passengers to re-enter the airport. In total, only around seven flights were delayed, WCBV reports.

Thank you for your patience this evening, airport officials wrote on Twitter following the incident. "Security and safety always first."

Meanwhile, police tell the Herald that its still unclear as to who put the bag and/or toy grenade in the bathroom, but authorities are currently investigating.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

It would be speculation at this point to determine whether it was a novelty item that perhaps a child left behind in the bathroom or whether someone meant something more malicious by that, said Cowart in a statement obtained by CBS Miami.
Illegal immigrants reportedly assaulted two U.S. Border Patrol agents with rocks, killing one and seriously injuring another Sunday near the southern border with Mexico.

Details around the attack remained murky Monday, however, an FBI spokesperson said Rogelio Martinez and his partner were not shot and a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM the assailants were "undocumented immigrants" who used likely used rocks to bash the agents.

"We strongly believe rocks were what was used," NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told KTSM.

The FBI had taken over the investigation into the death of Martinez, 36, and the injuring of his partner, who was not identified. The two were patrolling the Big Bend Sector of Texas when the attack occurred.

"They were not fired upon," said Jeanette Harper of the FBI's El Paso office. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."

Martinez, who was from El Paso and had worked as a border agent since August 2013, died of injuries sustained while responding to activity near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

He was on Interstate 10 near Mile Marker 151 when the incident occurred, KFOX14 reported. At some point, Martinez's partner called for help, saying he and Martinez had both been injured, investigators told KFOX14.

TRUMP'S BORDER WALL: A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

President Trump pushed the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall Sunday night following the incident, tweeting: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Sunday calling Martinezs death a tragic event.

Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured, the statement read.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also released a statement calling the attack a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.

Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked, Cruz said.

FIRST FEMALE BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS AGENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO 'ENFORCE THE LAWS' UNDER TRUMP

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.

The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.

Fox News Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An art exhibit in New York City of cell block art made by detainees at Guantanamo is raising questions about ownership of intellectual property.

Who owns the art? The government or the artist?

According to The Miami Herald, the U.S. military has decided that art made by wartime captives at Guantanamo is government property and officials have stopped releases of security-screened prisoner art to the public.

U.S. military officials declined to explain to the Herald what caused the abandonment of the years-long practice of releasing detainee art after inspection by Guantanamo workers schooled in studying material for secret messages.

Ramzi Kassem, a professor at City University of New York School of Law whose legal clinic represents many Guantanamo prisoners, told the Herald that all the artwork that has come out of Guantanamo so far has gone through rigorous censorship and contraband review.

This change  which the Herald reported was at the direction of someone not at Guantanamo  comes amid an exhibit at New Yorks John Jay College of Criminal Justice featuring paintings and other artworks by current and former captives at Guantanamo.

According to the exhibits website, the art show, which is on view through the end of January, will display some of these evocative works, made by men held without trial, some for nearly 15 years, who paint the sea again and again although they cannot reach it.

A Pentagon spokesman told the Herald that all Guantanamo detainee art is property of the U.S. government and questions remain on where the money for the sales was going.

The spokesman added in a statement: The appropriate disposition of this property has been clarified with our staff at the detention facility and will be accounted for according to applicable local procedures in the future.

Attorney Ramzi Kassem told the Herald that one captive was told art would not be allowed out of the prison. Now, the Herald said, if a captive gets to leave Guantanamo their art would not even be allowed out with them and would be incinerated instead.

Art classes were first offered to the Guantanamo captives in the later years of the Bush administration, as officials explored ways to keep detainees who had spent years in single-cell lockups occupied and preventing them from getting into fights with the guards.

Fox News previously reported that the support for Guantanamo now from the Trump administration represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close it. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didnt fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41.
An Alabama judge said last week he was stunned by the brutality seen in the murder of a 92-year-old woman who was beaten to death inside her home.

In a preliminary hearing on Friday when the suspect in the murder of Mary Lou Gedel appeared in court, Montgomery Police Detective G. Naquin testified Rodney McQueen's DNA was found throughout her home, WSFA reported.

Naquin said the 92-year-old was found two weeks ago sitting in a chair on with "massive" facial and head injuries, after she was beaten with a tall brass lamp.

The lamp was caved in on all sides and had been ripped from the wall in the living room, he told the court.

The assault was so intense, Naquin testified fragments from the broken beer bottles and plastic wrappers were embedded in Gedels skull, according to WSFA. Montgomery District Judge Troy Massey said at the hearing he was stunned by the brutality after hearing the details.

Officials said they were able to match McQueen to the crime scene after taking DNA samples from a busted window. His profile was already in a database after serving time for a prior crime with the with the Alabama Department of Corrections, according to WSFA.

McQueen is charged with capital murder-robbery and capital murder-burglary, and was denied bond on Friday.

Gedel, who went by Lou, was very active in her later years and left her mark on the community, according to WSFA.

Alice McMullan said she met Lou about 15 years ago at church, and described her as a "kind and gentle person."

It was just a good friendship, she told WSFA. She had a lot of wonderful church friends. All the people in the choir were her friends. She really enjoyed all of them. She loved to sing so the choir was a big part of her life, her retirement.
Police in Maryland announced Monday they have found new evidence in their almost week-long search for a suspect who killed a Baltimore homicide detective in the line of duty last week.

Commissioner Kevin Davis said at a press conference Monday that authorities have recovered additional significant evidence from the crime scene where 43-year-old Sean Suiter, an 18-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and former Naval officer, was shot last Wednesday.

Davis didnt elaborate on what the evidence was, but noted that a belated autopsy performed on Suiters body allowed law enforcement to gather new evidence, Fox 45 Baltimore reported.

"Based on the autopsy, it's made us think about this murder in a different way that's led us to recover evidence today that we had not yet recovered, Davis said. "There are different types of evidence that we can forensically recover from a scene. We learn things like trajectory, proximity of discharge of a firearm."

Police added they believe the suspect  described as a black male dressed in a black sweatshirt  is still in the neighborhood.

"These killers don't go far, we think he's in the city and we think he may be wounded," Davis said.

Suiter was shot after he and his partner approached a man who they believed was engaging in suspicious behavior in the Harlem Park neighborhood of the city. He later died in a hospital on Thursday.

A GoFundMe page set up for Suiters family has already received more than $32,000 in donations. Suiter was married with five children.

"We remain dedicated and committed to finding the person who ended such a beautiful life, such a wonderful detective, husband, father and friend," Davis told reporters last week after the shooting. "We will find the person responsible for this ridiculous, absurd, unnecessary loss of life."

A reward for information on the suspect or shooting has increased to $215,000. Anyone with information can call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, Baltimore Police Homicide Detectives at 410-398-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP
Illegal immigrants appeared to have ambushed two U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Texas border with Mexico and bashed their heads with blunt objects -- possibly rocks -- killing one agent and sending another to a hospital in serious condition Sunday, a National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) official told Fox News.

Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed and another agent, who has not been identified, was injured while they were patrolling the Big Bend Sector, leading authorities to scour West Texas for the attackers, officials said. Although few details about the incident have been released, Brandon Judd, the president of the NBPC, told Fox News on Monday it appeared Martinez and the second agent were ambushed by a group of illegal immigrants.

We dont know exactly what happened because we werent there. However, just from agents that were working in the area, reports are saying it was an attack and it would appear to be an ambush, Judd said.

He added: Theres a high likelihood this was an assault on the agents.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has offered a reward of up to $20,000 "for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible" for the attack.

Martinez and his partner suffered traumatic injuries to the head and other injuries such as broken bones, FBI El paso said in a news release. Judd earlier told Fox News Martinez died of blunt force trauma to the head, indicating the attackers most likely used a rock or rocks during the assault on the two agents. The area surrounding where the attack occurred also indicated rocks were likely used as weapons. An FBI official also said that, counter to initial reports, neither agent was shot.

There were no indications the agents fired their weapons, Judd said, citing accounts he received from agents who responded to the incident. He also said there were no signs of a stabbing.

Martinez was notified there was illegal immigrant traffic in the area while the agents were patrolling near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area, according to Judd. He began following footprints on a trail when the attack occurred. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release that Martinez's partner made the initial call for help and reported they were injured and needed assistance.

Theres a high likelihood this was an assault on the agents.  Brandon Judd

Judd said details remained foggy on what led to the ambush and the FBI was investigating the incident.

Judd did not further comment on the second agents condition.

Martinez was from El Paso and had worked as a border agent since August 2013, assigned to the Big Bend Sector. He was also a father and brother, KFOX14 reported.

Border Patrol records showed the agency's Big Bend sector, which includes the area where Sunday's attack took place, accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents, not including Martinez, who have died since late 2003  some attacked while working along the border and others killed in traffic accidents. Martinez is the second agent to have died this year.

President Trump tweeted Sunday night: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Alabama inmate with a ride or die tattoo has escaped custody for the second time in less than a month, this time taking off on an electric dirt bike, authorities believe.

Shane Anthony Vernon, who was being held at the Coosa County Jail outside of Montgomery on felony charges, made his getaway Sunday afternoon.

"Vernon physically circumvented the security of the jail and escaped the facility,'' Coosa County Sheriff Terry Wilson told The Birmingham News.

Police said they believe the 27-year-old stole an electric dirt bike and he was last seen in a wooded area of nearby Elmore County.

Wilson told the newspaper Vernon is considered armed and extremely dangerous and has numerous tattoos, including one of a Chinese symbol on his neck.

The 27-year-old last escaped on Oct. 29 by forcibly removing his restraints while being processed into the jail, The Birmingham News reported. He lasted one night before being captured the next morning.

Police are asking anyone with information on Vernons whereabouts to call the sheriffs office at 256-377-2211.
Are you "perplexed" by white people? Temple University sociologist Matt Wray may have the answers.

Wray, a self-proclaimed "expert on whiteness," is set to hold a forum at Dartmouth College on Feb. 2 to figure out "What's Up With White People?"

The talk will be open to the public as Wray provides a "field guide" to learn about "the different types of white people and how you can learn to spot them in their natural habitats.

Wray says the event will offer a sociological and cultural analysis of what produces and sustains certain white social types such as President Trump, transracial former NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal, white nationalist Richard Spencer and leftwing Social Justice Warriors.

Wray's presentation, first reported by the College Fix, is set to conclude with observations about the implications of white self-differentiation for social issues like immigration, mass incarceration, and the growing epidemic of self-destruction among whites.

Though the event is sponsored by the Ivy League school's Sociology Department, Dartmouth College spokesperson, Diana Lawrence told Fox News that Wray does not represent the views of the college.

Dartmouth is and will remain committed to robust debate, respectful dialogue, and discussion, with the understanding that such interactions will sometimes be difficult or disagreeable, Lawrence said. As an academic community, we are committed to free speech and open inquiry in all matters. Our students, faculty, and staff enjoy the freedom to speak, write, listen and challenge ideas in pursuit of better learning and understanding.
The death of Charles Manson, leader of a California cult whose members murdered pregnant movie star Sharon Tate and five others in 1969, leaves three of the four cult members who committed the murders still alive and two behind bars.

Manson commanded four of his followers to kill anyone they found inside the luxury home, which was on the estate of film director Roman Polanski, and to make the murder scene as grisly as possible.

Charles Tex Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel dutifully went to 10050 Cielo Drive, and killed Tate, who was weeks away from having a baby, as well as five other people who happened to be on the property on that ill-fated night. Linda Kasabian, another Manson follower, served as lookout. Polanski was out of the country on business when the murders happened.

SUSAN ATKINS

Atkins admitted to killing Tates, saying on the witness stand during the penalty phase: "I was stoned, man, stoned on acid.

"I don't know how many times I stabbed [Tate] and I don't know why I stabbed her," she said. "She kept begging and pleading and begging and pleading and I got sick of listening to it, so I stabbed her."

At the time Atkins said she felt no guilt, but later said she was sorry. Atkins was convicted of first-degree murder for her involvement in the murders at the Tate mansion as well as the murder of grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Atkins also was convicted in the 1969 murder of musician Gary Hinman.

Atkins married twice while in prison. Her first husband, Donald Lee Laisure, purported to be an eccentric Texas millionaire. They quickly divorced. James Whitehouse, her second husband, was a Harvard Law School graduate who had recently served as one of her attorneys.

She and the others involved in the murders initially were sentenced to death, but that changed to life in prison when California ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional.

Atkins died in 2009 at the age of 61of brain cancer at the Central California Women's Facility.

LINDA KASABIAN

Kasabian was said to have served as lookout on the night of the Tate mansion murders. She turned herself in and was indicted, but was given immunity in return for her testimony; she became the prosecutions key witness. She said Manson was the devil, not this wonderful man that I was led to believe, according to published reports.

Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi said that it would have been difficult to prosecute Manson without Kasabians testimony.

She was last known to have been living in a trailer park in near poverty, according to a Rolling Stone magazine article.

PATRICIA KRENWINKEL

Patricia Krenwinkel chased and murdered Abigail Folger, the heiress to the coffee company and close friend of Tate. Krenwinkel stabbed Folger numerous times. The next day, she stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and in the body of Leno she plunged a carving fork. She wrote Death to Pigs in blood on the walls of the couples home.

Krenwinkel was convicted of first-degree murder. Like Manson and other members of his group, she repeatedly has been denied parole.

CHARLES "TEX" WATSON

Watson went from being a church youth leader and honor roll student to being Mansons right-hand man after meeting the cult leader at the home of Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson. After the murders, he fled to his native Texas, fighting extradition to California. Watson was convicted of first-degree murder. In prison, he founded Abounding Love Ministries and wrote an autobiography, Will You Die For Me?

Besides Tate and Folger, their other victims on the Tate property were celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, filmmaker Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of Tate's caretaker.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A private university in New York City is hosting a panel on combating anti-Semitism -- but there's at least one glaring problem, according to critics: an avowed anti-Zionist protester is among the so-called experts.

Brooklyn-born Muslim activist Linda Sarsour is set to be a panelist at the New School's Nov. 28 event, "Anti-Semitism and the Struggle for Justice."

Sarsour has previously said nothing is creepier than Zionism, has lauded National of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and objected to the Jewish right to return to Israel.

Further, the event, which is moderated by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, appears to reject anti-Semitism while also exhibiting an anti-Israel stance.

When anti-Semitism is redefined as criticism of Israel, critics of Israeli policy become accused and targeted more than the growing far-right, the event description reads.

The New School, which says it was founded on principles of tolerance, social justice, and free intellectual exchange, told Fox News, in a statement, the school has been contacted by several individuals who have expressed their concerns about the universitys participation.

The New York Post Editorial Board labeled the event an Orwellian fake panel...meant to promote Israel-bashing.

The Jerusalem Post Editorial Board slammed it as a forum of antisemites on antisemitism that makes as much sense as a KKK forum on civil rights.

The Anti-Defamation League blasted the New Schools panel, too.

Having Linda Sarsour...leading a panel on #antisemitism is like Oscar Meyer leading a panel on vegetarianism, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. These panelists know the issue, but unfortunately, from the perspective of fomenting it rather than fighting it.

United Nations Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer compared it to another university decision.

Asking Linda Sarsour to speak on antisemitism is like Rutgers making Assad spokesman Mazen Adi a professor on war crimes, Neuer wrote. Both are insane, both are happening.

Rebecca Vilkomerson, a panelist from left wing Jewish Voice for Peace, said her presence, and the presence of voices such as Sarsour's, were "crucial."

At a time of rising anti-Semitism, this is a crucial conversation both inside and outside the Jewish community, Vilkomerson told Fox News. I am proud to be taking part with a set of panelists with proven track records of fighting antisemitism and all forms of racism.

The New School invited some of those critiquing the event to organize a separate affair because, the school said, it understands "that there are differing views on the issue of anti-Semitism.

But a Change.org petition, with more than 10,000 signatures, called on New School President Van Zandt to take action on the panel that will excuse and exacerbate anti-Semitism.

PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENT GROUP SHOUTS DOWN OPENLY GAY ISRAELI ACTIVIST, CALLS HIM FASCIST

The institutionalization of the positions espoused by these panelists  through The New Schools official sponsorship of this noxious event  is itself systemic anti-Semitism," the petition states.

Sarsour did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Two explosions and a fire at an upstate New York cosmetic factory on Monday injured up to 35 people, including seven firefighters, authorities said.

A police commander was heading to work around 10:30 a.m. when he heard an explosion at the Verla International cosmetics factory in New Windsor, News 12 Hudson Valley reported. New Windsor town Supervisor George Green told The Associated Press firefighters were caught in the building when a second explosion occurred.

Officials issued a shelter in place, but was lifted shortly after officials believed the air was safe to breathe. Officials added later they were monitoring the water to prevent contamination.

At least 26 employees and seven firefighters were injured, officials said. One employee remains unaccounted for.

One firefighter was taken to the hospital with severe burns to his face, officials said. Other people suffered broken bones, muscle tears and minor burns.

A plume of black smoke was seen billowing out of the factory as firefighters battled the blaze. Lynne Morra, who works down the street at Durants Party Rentals, told The Journal News she saw a slew of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene.

"Somebody came in and said there's a huge explosion down the street," Morra said. "I went outside, the smoke seemed to die down, then all of a sudden it started up again. It was huge."

Sasha Cheparskyy also told The Journal News the air was filled with burnt electrical wire smell.

Green said fire crews from across Orange County and from neighboring counties responded, along with hazardous materials teams.

Its unclear what caused the explosion.

Verla International was cited for nine occupational safety violations earlier this year, according to records on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) website. One was related to problems with the handling of flammable and combustible liquids.

OSHA also cited inadequacies relating to respirator protection for workers and the maintenance of exit routes. The company agreed to pay $41,000 in penalties.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state emergency response teams, including homeland security staffers, state police, environmental conservation enforcement officers and health department technicians, were dispatched to the factory.

"Following today's chemical explosion, I am directing a multi-agency investigation to get to the bottom of what happened and review compliance with state labor and environmental laws," Cuomo said in a statement.

Verla is located in New Windsor, about 55 miles north of New York City. It is about a half mile from the town hall and police station. The factory makes nail polish, lotions, perfumes and other cosmetic products, according to its website. There are nearly 400 employees working for the company, but it's unclear how many were on site when the incident occurred.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One person was found dead and another is missing after a boat was discovered spinning in circles off the California coast Sunday, officials said.

The 17-foot boat was found around 1 p.m. adrift about 8 miles south of Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, located about 24 miles south of San Francisco, the Coast Guard said in a news release.

A Coast Guard cutter is now searching for Tuan "Tom" Tran, who is believed to have been operating the vessel. Harbor personnel found one boater unresponsive earlier in the day near the adrift vessel, which was reported to have two people aboard, including Tran.

When officials originally found the fishing boat, it was spinning in circles out of control.

"Once you lose control of the helm, boats are designed to circle," Sgt. John Gonzales with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department told ABC 7. "It's a steering mechanism. It kind of pulls forward. It pulls to the right or left and it will stay in that circle."

Authorities let the boat run out of fuel before they were able to safely approach it. Officials then towed it to a nearby harbor as part of the investigation.

Gonzales said boat incident appeared to be an accident, but authorities wanted to check to make sure "everything is fine."

The Deputy Harbormaster believes neither of the two people on the boat were wearing a life jacket.

"I'm not sure if they would have survived in this situation," Cary Smith told ABC 7. "But certainly they would have had their heads above water or long enough for somebody to have seen them."

Coast Guard officials searched for Tran into Sunday night, and planned to continue the search into Monday.
Prison officials said it is "undetermined" what will happen with the remains of cult leader Charles Manson, who died Sunday night after nearly a half-century behind bars.

He was 83.

Vicky Waters, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Corrections, said he died of natural causes.

Prison officials have previously said he had no known next of kin.

State law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, it's up to the department to determine what happens with the body.

It's unclear if Manson requested funeral services of any sort.

Manson's followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969. The killings occurred on successive August nights and terrorized the city of Los Angeles.

Manson was rejected for parole 12 times and would not have been eligible to apply again until 2027.

Despite his infamous reputation as one of the 20th centurys most twisted mass murderers, Manson still managed to attract fans behind bars and nearly married a woman in her 20s in 2014. The woman, who called herself Star, applied for a marriage license with Manson, then 80, but a ceremony never took place.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
A 23-year-old Ohio high school substitute teacher charged with having sex with two male teenage students has been indicted on two counts of sexual battery, WHIO reported Friday.

The woman, Madeline Marx, had also been accused of sending nude photos to one of the teens, the report said.

Marx was arrested Nov. 8. Police physically removed her from Fairmont High School in Kettering, where she was a substitute teacher for two years, Fox 45 reported. She has been released on bond and ordered not to contact the two students.

Marx pleaded not guilty after her arrest.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, 23, PHYSICALLY REMOVED FROM CLASS OVER SEX ALLEGATIONS WITH TEEN STUDENTS

According to court documents obtained by Dayton Daily News, Marx is accused of having oral sex with a 17-year-old male student in July and sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old male student in September. Neither of the incidents happened on school property.

Police said Marx admitted to sending several nude photos to one of the students over social media.

Marx graduated last year from the University of Dayton -- and dropped out of a fall 2013 sexual ethics class, WHIO says.
U.S. military personnel in Okinawa have been restricted to base and banned from drinking alcohol after a Marine was arrested over a crash that killed a Japanese man.

The incident could fuel opposition to the U.S. military presence on Okinawa, where about 25,000 American troops are stationed and where local residents have expressed concerns in the past about military crime and crowding on the island.

Reuters, citing a Japanese official, reported that U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty expressed his condolences and apologized.

Police on the southern Japanese island arrested 21-year-old Nicholas James-McLean late Sunday on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in injury or death and driving under the influence of alcohol, said Kazuhiko Miyagi of the Okinawa police.

He confirmed that a breath test indicated James-McLean had an alcohol level that was three times the legal limit. The Marine was slightly injured, Miyagi said.

Hidemasa Taira, 61, who was driving a small truck, died in the Sunday morning crash in Naha, the main city in Okinawa.

He was making a turn when his vehicle was hit by James-McLean's truck, which was coming from the opposite direction, according to Japanese media. The reports cited witnesses as saying the Japanese driver had the right of way when the crash occurred and the Marine may have driven through a red light.

The U.S. military said "alcohol may have been a factor" in the crash.

Buying and drinking alcohol was banned for U.S. military personnel all over Japan. As well, those on Okinawa were restricted to base and their residences, until further notice.

The military said commanders across Japan will immediately lead mandatory training on responsible alcohol use and acceptable behavior.

"When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission," U.S. Forces, Japan, said in a statement posted on its website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Belarus' domestic security agency says it has arrested a Ukrainian journalist on spying charges.

The agency, which still goes under its Soviet-era name, KGB, said that Ukrainian Radio correspondent Pavel Sharoiko has been in custody since his arrest in Minsk on Oct. 25.

KGB spokesman Dmitry Pobyarzhin said Monday that Sharoiko is accused of setting up a network of agents collecting military-political information. He added the KGB found incriminating evidence during a search in Sharoiko's apartment, but wouldn't elaborate on what Belarusian secrets he was trying to obtain.

Pobyarzhin said that Sharoiko confessed that he was a Ukrainian spy agency officer working under journalistic cover.

Ukraine has refrained from commenting on the case. A Ukrainian diplomat accused of working as Sharoiko's handler has been ordered to leave Belarus.
Catholics in China arent exactly an endangered species, but their numbers are plunging as the number of Protestants in the worlds largest country soars.

Since the beginning of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, the number of Catholics has grown from only 3 million to just around 12 million today. But that number that has been falling for years. On the other hand, the number of Protestants has skyrocketed from just 1 million in 1949 to 60 million today in a country of more than 1.3 billion.

The reason for the decline in Chinese Catholicism are many  low birth rates, a failure to evangelize and an increasingly urbanized population are some. But the widespread persecution of Catholics by Chinas government and stalled negotiations over the appointment of bishops between the Holy See and the countrys Communist Party are seen as the two biggest buffers to the Churchs growth.

Protestant Christianity, in contrast to the institution-based approach to community building familiar to Catholics, has thrived on its nimble, light-footed and adaptable response to local opportunities, Michael Kelly, a Jesuit priest, wrote in ucanews.com. In China, it has grown out of small communities sharing prayer, Bible study and videos at home or in a work place.

One of Chinas biggest concerns is the Vatican itself and the perception that Catholics are more loyal to the pope than they are to the countrys communist leaders. The communist government set up the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) in 1957 and appointed bishops, too. While the Vatican has never recognized the CPCA it has in recent decades recognized most CPCA-appointed bishops.

In addition to the tension between Beijing and the Vatican, many Chinese Catholics are uncomfortable with attending church under government control. This, paired with the rigid hierarchy of the Catholic Church itself, made it difficult to evangelize.

By contrast, Protestantism is largely free of many of these handicaps.

For groups like Protestants, government control is a burden, but they are more decentralized, so they can ignore hierarchies and flexibly respond to demand, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Ian Johnson wrote in America, a Jesuit magazine. Put simply, any pious believer can form a Protestant church and declare himself or herself head of it.

Adding to the decline in Catholics is the mass migration in China from rural villages to the ever-expanding urban areas of country. As part of Chinas National New-type Urbanization Plan, the government hopes to relocate 100 million people from farming regions to cities by 2020 and 250 million by 2026.

Given that Catholicism has had to operate in near secrecy for almost seven decades, the religion has been most prominent in rural areas of the country. But as villages empty and their populations flock to cities, it appears that the religion isnt making the transition.

We do feel that in terms of expansion, we are not as ambitious and bold as Protestants, Jing Anqi, a 27-year-old Catholic who recently moved to Beijing, told America. They can preach more confidently. But what we focus on now is trying to influence people with our deeds, not with our lips.

Protestantisms encroachment on Catholicism isnt only an issue in China.

In recent decades, Catholicism has been on the decline across the globe as many people turn away from the faith amid anger over the child abuse scandals, a rise in secularism and attractive pitches by other faiths. Protestants, especially the more evangelical movements, have also been heavily influential in converting many to their faith, particularly in places like the United States and across Latin America.

In Brazil, which has the worlds largest Catholic population at about 125 million, the church lost around 9 million members between October 2014 and December 2016 and a Pew Research Center study from 2014 found that only 69 percent of Latin American adults identified as Catholic, down from an estimated 90 percent for much of the 20th century. The study also found that while just one-in-10 Latin Americans were raised in Protestant churches, nearly one-in-five now describe themselves as Protestants.

As in China, many of those across Latin America who have moved away from Catholicism have done so because of the looser format of some Protestant churches and what they say is a more personal connection.

Of the eight possible explanations offered on the survey, the most frequently cited was that they were seeking a more personal connection with God, the Pew study noted. Many former Catholics also said they became Protestants because they wanted a different style of worship or a church that helps its members more.
Turkish media reports are quoting an adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying it's time for Turkey to review its membership in the NATO military alliance.

Yalcin Topcu's comments, reported by Cumhuriyet and other media on Monday, came days after Turkey withdrew some 40 troops from a NATO drill in Norway after the country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Erdogan himself were depicted as enemies.

NATO's secretary-general and Norway's government apologized to Turkey over the incident, which Turkish officials have described as one of the "greatest scandals" in the alliance's history.

Topcu said: "This organization, which is engaged in all kinds of hostile attitudes toward a member, is not a must for us. Our presence in this institution must be addressed urgently by Parliament."

Topcu spoke in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A member of India's Hindu nationalist ruling party offered a $1.5 million bounty Sunday for anyone who beheads the lead actress and the director of a yet-to-be released Bollywood film that's sparked controversy for depicting a romance between a Hindu queen and Muslim ruler.

The film "Padmavati" was set to be in theaters on Dec. 1 and has caused a firestorm over its alleged handling of the relationship.

Suraj Pal Amu, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from the northern state of Haryana, offered the bounty against actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.The film's producers postponed the release of the movie the same day.

Speaking at a public rally, Amu also said the film would not be allowed to be released at all, local media reported.

The movie "Padmavati" is based on a 16th century Sufi epic poem, "Padmavat," a fictional account of a brave and beautiful Rajput queen who chose to kill herself rather than be captured by the Muslim sultan of Delhi, Allaudin Khilji. Over the centuries, the tale has come to be seen as history, even though there is little historical evidence to support it.

Padukone plays the role in the film of Padmini, the legendary queen who committed "jauhar," the medieval Rajput practice in which women of royal households walked into funeral fires to embrace death over the dishonor of being taken captive.

The film has been in trouble since the beginning of the year, with fringe groups in the western state of Rajasthan attacking the film's set, threatening to burn down theaters that show it and even physically attacking Bhansali in January.

Most of the anger at the film appears to stem from allegations that Bhansali distorted history by filming a romantic dream sequence between the film's main protagonists. Bhansali has denied the allegations.

Earlier this month, the head of the Rajput Karni Sena in Rajasthan said Padukone should have her nose cut  a symbol of public humiliation  for being part of a film that allegedly insulted the famed queen.

On Monday, local government officials vowed to take "stringent action" against those threatening Padukone and others involved in the movie, The Indian Express reported.

India's 1.3 billion-strong democracy is the largest in the world, but despite significant economic progress over the last few decades its politics are held hostage by a complex mix of religion and caste. Books and movies have found themselves at the receiving end of threats of violence and bans because they either offend one religious or caste group, or are deemed offensive to Indian culture in general.

In the past, India's film censor board rejected the erotic drama "Fifty Shades of Grey," and Hollywood movies that appear on Indian screens are routinely scrubbed of sex scenes. "The Da Vinci Code" was banned in the Indian state of Goa, which has a large Christian population, because religious groups objected.

On Monday, India's Supreme Court refused to ban the controversial film, saying it is not inclined in the matter and the fate of the film needs to be decided by the country's censor board, India Today reported.

In its decision, the court said: "The censor board has a role and the Supreme Court cannot assume that role. Why should the court interfere to stop the release of a movie which has not been cleared by the censor board?"

In 2014, the publishing house Penguin India pulled from shelves and destroyed all copies of American historian Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: An Alternative History" after protests and a lawsuit from a Hindu right-wing group. The group's main objection was that the book described Hindu mythological texts as fictional.

India-born writer Salman Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses" has been banned here since 1998, since many Muslims consider it blasphemous. Rushdie was forced to cancel a 2012 appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival amid protests and threats by prominent Muslim clerics.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early December to discuss threats against Israel from Hezbollah and Iran and "ideas to stabilize the situation in Lebanon."

The prime minister told his Likud party at a meeting Monday that he spoke with the French president "at length" the previous day.

Lebanon was plunged into crisis earlier this month by the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Hezbollah rival. Hariri recently traveled to France from Saudi Arabia, where he had made the announcement.

Netanyahu says he and Macron agreed to meet to "see if we can adopt similar approaches, as much as possible, concerning this threat and the nuclear agreement with Iran."
Talks to form a coalition government in Germany collapsed on Sunday, plunging the county into its worst political crisis since World War II.

In a surprise move, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew from talks after more than four weeks of negotiations with German Chancellor Angela Merkels conservative bloc and the environmentalist Greens, according to Reuters. The FDP said there was not enough common ground to continue the talks.

The collapse was shocking since the main sticking points  immigration and climate change policywere not seen as FDP signature issues.

It is better not to rule than to rule the wrong way. Goodbye! FDP leader Christian Lindner said, blaming the breakdown on a lack of progress on education and tax policy.

Failure to reach a deal was a major blow for Merkel, who was forced to consult President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward. A deal had been within reach, she said. The collapse cast doubt on her efforts to win a fourth term.

It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany, Merkel told reporters, according to Reuters. As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come.

The failure of coalition talks is unprecedented in Germanys post-war history, and was likened by some media commentators to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britains referendum vote to leave the EU.

The news spooked investors and sent the euro falling.

Green politician Michael Kellner accused Lindner of bad theatrics, one of many who suggested the liberal, pro-business party had never been serious about negotiating, reports Reuters.

GERMAN PARTIES FORGE AHEAD WITH TALKS ON NEW GOVERNMENT

Germany now faces unappealing options: Either Merkel forms a minority government or the president calls a new election, if no government is formed.

The main parties fear that another election so soon would let the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party add to the 13 percent of votes it secured in September, when it entered parliament for the first time. Polls suggest repeat elections would return a similarly fragmented parliament.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkels current coalition partners who finished second in the Sept. 24 election, have ruled out a repeat of an alliance with her conservatives, who won the most seats though fewer than before.

But some believe that the SPD could change its mind, perhaps under pressure from Steinmeier, himself a former SPD foreign minister who served under Merkel. The partys leadership was in talks on Monday morning.

The price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel, who for 12 years has been a symbol of German stability, leading Europe through the euro zone crisis.

The Green party leader said she expected fresh elections.

Merkel was weakened by the September election because many voters were angry with her decision in 2015 to open the borders to more than a million asylum seekers. And they punished her conservatives by voting for the right-wing Alternative for Germany.

Alternative for Germany politician Beatrix von Storch called the coalition talks collapse a success for her party.

In Brussels, Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra described the collapse as bad news for Europe.
South Korean spy agencies fear North Korea may fire an "array of ballistic missiles" before the year's end in a bid to show its strength and deter the United States and its allies from further interference in Pyongyang's nuke and missile programs.

South Koreas parliamentary intelligence committee was briefed by Seouls National Intelligence Service in a closed door meeting Monday where new intelligence on North Korea was discussed, Reuters reported. North Korea launched its last missile in early September, with the ICBM flying over Japan.

The agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space, but in fact to ratchet up its threats against the United States, lawmakers told reporters.

There were no signs that Kim Jong Un planned to carry out a nuclear test since North Korea's last one on Sept. 3, the agency said, though it stressed it is possible any time.

"But we forecast that depending upon North Korean leader Kim's determination, a nuclear test is possible any time," the agency said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Despite reports that the Punggye-ri test site, where North Korea conducts its nuclear tests, is on the verge of collapsing, at least one tunnel is available and prepped for a nuke test. Another tunnel is under construction and one had been left unattended, Yonhap reported.

North Korea announced in late October a five-year space plan, pushing the regime to follow the global trend for economic prosperity. But Yonhap, citing the South Korean officials, warned the so-called space program may be used as a cover-up for the tests to make them appear as a peaceful act. The regime has vehemently defended its nuclear and missile programs as a necessary deterrent against U.S. threats.

Last week, North Koreas state media lambasted old lunatic President Trump for attempting to unite world leaders against Kim during Trump's five-country Asia tour earlier this month. Trump, during a speech, warned the North Korean despot to not underestimate the U.S.

"We forecast that depending upon North Korean leader Kim's determination, a nuclear test is possible any time."  South Korean spy agency

We will not allow American cities to be threatened with destruction. We will not be intimidated, Trump said. The world cannot tolerate the menace of a rogue regime that threatens it with nuclear devastation.

The South Korean spy agency also discovered North Korea was undertaking an inspection of the military politiburo because of impure attitude toward the party leadership. This is the first inspection in 20 years, according to Reuters. Choe Ryong Hae, who led the General Political Bureau of the Korean Peoples Army before he was replaced, orchestrated the probe. Choe was promoted in October to the regimes Central Military Commission.

Hwang Pyong So and Kim Won Hong, the militarys general Political Bureaus chief and deputy chief, were removed last January and were punished, though it's unclear what exactly happened to them.
Kim Jong Un forced officials to stop reporting deaths at North Koreas notorious prison camps, according to the claims of a former prisoner, who also detailed the hard labor, bribery and torture inmates endured inside the Hermit Kingdom's detention centers.

The former prisoner told Daily NK on Friday he saw medical records at Tongrim correctional labor camp illustrated significantly fewer deaths in 2014 compared to 2011, the year Kim Jong Un was named dictator of North Korea after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

Once when I caught the flu, I was able to contact my family and have them bring medicine. While I was there, I was able to take a peek at a book detailing five years of medical records for the infirmary, the former prisoner told the news site. In 2011, 50 percent of the prisoners succumbed to their illnesses, but for some reason these numbers decreased in 2014, according to the records.

When asked why he thought there was a significant decrease, he said Kim instructed prison officials to falsify the number of deaths.

When Kim Jong Un came to power, he questioned the officials that oversaw the labor education centers and correctional labor camps about the high death rates, the prisoner claimed.

He added: The result was that prison officials were instructed not to record the deaths of overworked prisoners, so the numbers improved thereafter.

But conditions at these labor camps remain torturous and barely livable. The man, who spent a year in the labor camp, said inmates were subjected to grueling labor, such as making fake eyelashes that would be exported to China, and were assigned a daily quota. If they didnt meet the demand, their already minuscule meals would be allegedly cut in half. People often end up collapsing from overwork or malnutrition, according to the former prisoner.

I heard that there was a female guard that beat the female prisoners even more viciously than the male guards, he said. They really did not consider us as humans by the way they beat us so harshly, sometimes to death.

There was a doctor to treat ill inmates and family members were allowed to bring food to them  but with guidelines. Group leaders would only send people to the doctor if they were seriously ill or injured. Visitors had to bring additional items, such as equipment and camp needs, or theyll also be punished, according to the former prisoner. People who came from wealthier families were able to bribe their way out of a harsh initiation or to have a better position within the camp.

Disturbing details about Kims labor camps have emerged in recent months, since American student Otto Warmbier returned from North Korea to the U.S. earlier this year with severe brain damage. Warmbier, who eventually died, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a political poster from a hotel in Pyongyang.

A report by the U.S. State Department in August also detained how North Korean guards would induce starvation and inmates appeared as walking skeletons, dwarfs, and cripples in rags.

President Trump announced on Monday the U.S. was designating North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, something he said should have happened a long time ago."
New Zealand's Brancott Estate Winery in mid-October unveiled its first-ever design collaboration with New York-based artist Dror Benshetrit. The structure, erected at the site of the first Sauvignon Blanc vines planted in that region, reflects what Brancott calls its innovation-driven ethos.

Chief winemaker Patrick Materman, left, and artist Dror Benshetrit stand together at Brancott Estate Vineyard in New Zealand.

The permanent, site-specific sculpture titled, "Under/standing," was inspired by the intricate science behind Brancott's winemaking process and the vineyard's transformation from sheep farms to world-renowned wine region.

Beginning as a flat object, "Under/standing" unfolds among the vines and blossom into a 26-foot structure of aggregated triangulations, which will weather naturally to blend into the environment.

The installation was delayed last year after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook New Zealand's premium wine region, Marlborough. Brancott Estate winery was fortunate to have sustained minimal damage, but the growing season was nevertheless impacted.

Brancott is one of New Zealand's best-known wine producers, with a history that goes back to 1973 when the first Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted. By the end of the 1980s, Brancott's Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was selected from more than 1100 competitors to win the prestigious Marquis de Goulaine trophy at the 21st International Wine & Spirit Competition.

READ MORE: View from a South African winemaker: Adam Mason

Per the website, 11 years after joining as a cellar hand, Patrick Materman was named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 1998 by Winestate Magazine. In 2006, Brancott Estate planted the first Sauvignon Gris vines in Marlborough, an ancient varietal that has faded into obscurity until a few vines were found and transplanted to New Zealand. The first Sauvignon Gris wines were released in 2009.

Since then, Brancott Cellars released its Chosen Rows line - its finest age-worthy Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - and also its vintage of Flight, a fresh take on Sauvignon Blanc that's naturally lighter in alcohol. Its range of Sauvignon Blanc wines now includes sparkling, organic, oak-influenced, naturally low-alcohol, age-worthy and late-harvest wines.

Benshetrit, an Israeli designer, established his studio in New York in 2002, after working in Paris and studying art and product design in The Netherlands. His work, which spans many arenas, from product design and interior design to architecture and urban planning, focuses on what he calls "transformation and movement."

Inspired by a visit to Brancott Estate in 2014, Benshetrit's 8-metre-high installation is made up of 52 individual components that locked together once the flat matrix unfolded. The intricate piece offers multiple perspectives based on your vantage point; viewed from afar, it appears as though it has risen from the ground in the same orientation as the grapevines, whereas up close, the viewer is immersed in its beautiful complexity.

READ MORE: Views from a Napa Valley winemaker: Ana Diogo Draper, Artesa Winery

"After visiting Brancott Estate and meeting Patrick, I was struck by the level of care and detail that goes into a single bottle of wine - from cultivation of the vines and harvesting of the grapes through to the fermentation, blending and bottling," the artist says. "I wanted to encapsulate that detailed process in a design that both responded to the landscape and symbolized the vineyard's ongoing transformation."

Here's a link to details on the sculpture.

Thanks to a drone, an elevated view of the sculpture at Brancott Estate.

Materman, the longtime chief winemaker, responded in an email to PennLive's nine questions about the 2016 growing season, the new sculpture and the earthquake's impact. Thanks to Marcella Miner of the thomas collective in New York City for serving as the intermediary.

Q, What was the impetus behind the decision to create the sculpture?

A, Brancott Estate has had a long history of innovation and doing things differently. We wanted to find a way to tell our brand story in a unique way. When we discovered Dror, we felt he was someone who really aligned with the ethos of who we are. Dror's work fuses art and science, which we felt reflected our winemaking philosophy. For me, winemaking is about developing an in-depth knowledge of the science of winemaking, which our winemakers can then draw on to express their own individual personalities in the wines they create.

Q, How far away can you see this thing? Reading the materials, it appears anyone who visits the winery would be able to see it.

A, At 8m high, the installation certainly stands out and can be clearly seen from the cellar door. What I love about the design though is how well it fits into the environment and changes depending on where you are viewing it from. Up close, it impresses with its size and intricacy, but from the cellar door, it is clear how the geometry of the vineyard has influenced the design.

Q, What effects, if any, did the earthquake have on the growing/production cycle?

A, The earthquake caused some damage to our winery, but our team put a plan in place quickly to ensure we were able to complete the upcoming 2017 vintage.

Q, I supposed the earthquake, the fires in California, the rough vintage in Europe is a reminder of just how difficult this industry can be. Did you learn from the beginning of your career about this being one where you roll with the punches?

A, You learn very quickly that every season is different, and it's about building knowledge year on year and drawing on the experiences and lessons from the past. Fortunately, Marlborough weather is fairly reliable so it doesn't present too many challenges compared with some other winegrowing regions. As part of the wider Pernod Ricard Winemakers group, we also work closely with other winemakers across the world, including Kenwood in California, Jacob's Creek in Australia and Campo Viejo in Spain. This means we can share knowledge and work together to overcome challenges, which is very beneficial.

Q, How was your most recent growing seasons? And how has this new one started out?

A, The 2017 vintage was a challenging one, with cool, wet and windy conditions which lengthened the ripening period and wet weather during the harvest period. Even though it was challenging for the vineyard team, the grapes developed fantastic flavours and the wines for 2017 are excellent quality with vibrant, fruit-driven flavours. We are still very early in the 2018 vintage so while it has started out well, we still have a long way to go.

Q, How old are these vines now, or at least the oldest ones? How many different grapes are growing, and are you looking at any experimentation with anything new?

A, Our oldest vines on Brancott Vineyard date back to mid 1980s, which would be some of the oldest vines in Marlborough. The first plantings were in 1973 but with the phyloxera outbreak in the 1980s, pretty much all of the vines in the region were replanted. In terms of varieties, the main ones are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sauvignon Gris. We actually grow a lot fewer varieties than we used to. When the region first started, we planted all sorts of different varieties to see what worked best but over time we have narrowed down the number of varieties to those that not only grow well but that allow us to produce wines that are differentiated from other wines around the world.

READ MORE: View from an Italian winery owner: Marina Cvetic

As a cool climate, there is a much smaller range of varieties that will ripen in Marlborough, but the benefit is that those that do ripen will do so with intense flavours and aromatics. We still feel that Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir have enormous opportunity and we are focusing more on developing a broader range of styles among those varieties.

Another elevated view of the sculpture built within the vineyards at Brancott Estate.

Q, How has your philosophy of winemaking changed since you started?

A, The first vintage of wines from Marlborough was in 1977, so when I started in 1990, the region was still very new. Our philosophy has changed a lot over that time and probably the biggest change is becoming a lot more "hands-off" in our approach. As our understanding has grown about how different winemaking techniques and vineyard sites impact the final wine, we've become a lot less controlling and a lot more confident to use more natural techniques like wild fermentation, warmer ferment temperatures and lees contact.



With a cool climate, we naturally get an abundance of fruit flavours and vibrancy, and our focus in recent years has been on how we can increase the textural interest and complexity of the wines, and look at elements like age-ability. This comes through in wines like Brancott Estate Chosen Rows and the Limited Edition Reflection wines that were developed as part of the collaboration with Dror. Both of these ranges are age-worthy and have layers of texture and complexity while still being distinctively Marlborough wines.



Q, Do you still get much chance to experiment and, if so, in what fashion? How hands-on are you there?

The Dror design changes from simple to complex depending on where it is viewed.

A, Yes, we have a real focus on innovation and experimentation. Over time, we have become a bit more scientific in our approach, and are drawing more on research to make informed decisions. We have a dedicated research and development team internally and they work closely with the New Zealand wine industry research teams. We undertook an extensive research project on Sauvignon Blanc flavour and aroma compounds as part of the creation of our pinnacle, age-worthy Chosen Rows wine. We were then able to use these learnings to develop naturally lighter alcohol wines such as Brancott Estate Flight Song. Those learnings have also changed the way we approach our winemaking in general. We are now looking at similar research around Pinot Noir as we feel this is a varietal that still has immense potential.



We have a dedicated cellar door range that is designed to showcase new products, whether its varietals or wine styles. This helps us to gauge consumer interest and from there we can look to release these products more widely. Personally, I still try to keep my hand in the winemaking as much as possible, particularly spending time in the vineyards and in the tasting room, and driving wine style evolution. I work closely with the wider winemaking team, particularly our younger winemakers to help them to develop their own style of winemaking.

Q, Last thing, for an audience in a wine region that's still fairly new. Is there anything you've learned during your career that you'd pass along to winemakers who are just a few years into their craft?

A, Be inquisitive, ask lots of questions and draw on the knowledge of your team and your region. At the same time, be open about experimenting and be creative. Winemaking is about both science and art - you can learn the science but the art comes from the individual. And just as importantly, remember that great wine starts in the vineyard. Get out in the vineyards as much as possible, understand what they do and form good relationships with your vineyard team. Also, get to understand your consumer; get out into your markets and understand consumer trends and who your competitors are.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe ignored continued calls to step down on Sunday a stubborn defiance that could trigger impeachment proceedings as early as Monday.

Before Mugabe addressed the nation, multiple media outlets cited government sources to report that the 93-year-old despot  under house arrest following an apparent coup was going to surrender the post he has held since 1987.

But in a speech about political division, Mugabe refused to say he was resigning.

We cannot be guided by bitterness or vengefulness  both of which would not make us any better, he told the nation, seated at a table with military and political leaders around him.

The ruler promised to address his regimes shortcomings.

The government remains committed to improving the social and material conditions of the people, Mugabe said.

He vowed that he will be running an upcoming session of his partys congress.

I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public, he said.

Hours earlier, Mugabe was fired by his own party as its leader.

The central committee of his ruling party, ZANU-PF, told Mugabe to resign by noon Monday or face impeachment.

I dont see us failing to proceed with the impeachment, said ZANU-PFs chief whip Lovemore Matuke.

Mugabes failure to resign stunned Zimbabwean officials.

This dictator has absolutely no right to play pingpong with our people, tweeted former Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

Click for more from The New York Post
Some people thought it was a bird-brained idea when Lorraine Moore invented what are essentially diapers for birds.

We got a lot of nasty feedback on the internet, she said. They were so mean, saying, How could you possibly love your birds and do this to them? 

But in spite of ruffling a few feathers in those early days, the FlightSuits and other creations by Avian Fashionsthe business started in a Stafford County basement by Lorraine and her husband, Mark, in 1997have taken off in a big way, with $5.3 million in gross sales to date.

Weve actually made it so you can have a much closer relationship with your bird, Lorraine said, as her cockatoo Madeline, sporting a Santa Claus-themed flight suit, roosted comfortably on her shoulder. They can be with you all day, really be a part of your family.

A birds-eye view

Back in the early 1990s, the Moore family had a problem. Lorraine, who grew up in Falls Church, loved birds and wanted her cockatiels to be free to roam the house, especially now that their young son and daughter were starting to have an interest in caring for their winged friends.

But Mark wouldnt allow it, he didnt like the mess, Lorraine said. She and her husband met in Norfolk at the Navy base there, where Mark was serving and Lorraine was studying to be a Navy nurse.

Back then you could buy protective clothing for yourself, big overalls that could handle the kind of discharge produced by a large bird.

But that wasnt a solution for Lorraine. It just made so much more sense to go to the source, to have something on the bird that would contain the droppings, she said.

By that time, the family was living in San Diego, where Mark is from. The area is known for its bird breeding, with a high population of feathered pets.

I had a Filipino friend with parakeets, Lorraine saidCely Giron. Together the women experimented with different fabrics, tried different designs, and developed a prototype, testing the products on their own birds.

They finally settled on a tiny jumpsuit in a breathable, ultra-lightweight fabric with a special poop pouch and disposable linersisolating the birds droppings away from the bird and away from you. The liners are changed every 4-6 hours.

We started to think this might actually work, Lorraine said. Mark was so encouraging, he never thought we were wasting our time.

Mark, who has an MBA, secured a patent. They got a toll free number (888/412-POOP), and they started to advertise.

It was slow going at first, Mark said. The internet was brand new, it was back in the day of the dial-up modem.

Spreading their wings

But as time flew by, their FlightSuits started to fly off the shelves. Not only that, but the sheer uniqueness of their product began to win appearances on shows like Animal Planet, National Geographic Explorer, Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show.

When Dave Barry listed us in his holiday gift column, I thought that was the ultimate success, Mark said. The popular humor columnist featured the flight suit in his annual list of wacky and unusual gifts, appearing near Christmas of 2003.

More recently, Avian Fashions has paired up with Jokgu, the piano-playing chicken of Americas Got Talent fame in developing a diaper for chickens, to be rolled out in January with the help of Jokgus people, Shannon Myers and Seiree Arii of Germantown, Md.

Internationally, customers have flocked to the flight suit as well. A Japanese game show re-enacted how the business got started, hiring actors to play the Moore family. Avian Fashions has distributors in Australia, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, Israel, Kuwait, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand.

The companys offerings have expanded, and now include special leashes that attach to the flight suits so pets can be taken outdoors without fear, hoodies, sweaters, costumes that include tiny bird bonnets to match (birthday hats, bunny ears, Santa hats), and a complete line of feather protectors for birds who suffer from plucking their own feathers or self-mutilation. They even make suits with a red cross patch for service birds who help people with PTSD.

The birds are trained as a calming influence or to alert others if a seizure is coming on or if a person is getting too stressed in a crowd, Lorraine said.

Feathering the nest

Mark and Lorraine, who retired from the Navy as business picked up in 2002, have 12 staff, all of them part time, many of them neighbors. The business is operated out of the Moores home in Staffords Austin Ridge subdivision.

An additional 12 workers sew the suits, half of them here in Virginia. The other half are in the Philippines, friends of Lorraines flight suit co-creator Giron, whose name is also on the patent.

For their 20-year anniversary in October, Avian Fashions launched a brand-new mobile-friendly website. Most of our sales now are online, Mark said, on Amazon or through Doctors Foster and Smith, or through pet shops and wholesalers.

Its been an exciting ride, Lorraine said. Who would have thought we would do all this?

It just goes to show, Mark said, Not everything has been invented. Not everything that needs to be invented has been yet. If you have an idea, work on it, develop it.

If you think outside the cage, you can do amazing things, Lorraine added.
The unassuming, 5-foot-6-inch ninja told the group of children in Spotsylvania County that failure is inevitable when trying new things.

Brett Sims added later that hes failed a lot of obstacles in a lot of different places as a veteran competitor on NBCs American Ninja Warrior, an obstacle-course competition that originated in Japan under the name Sasuke.

I think the hardest thing about the whole show is actually your mental game, he told the audience. You get really nervous and the cameras are all on you and all your familys watchingits just a whole lot of pressure.

Sims and his wife, Grace, whos also starred on the show, dropped by Polar Fitness in Spotsylvania on Sunday for question-and-answer sessions and several workshops with kids and adults. The gym, which opened six years ago, includes a 14.5-foot warped wall modeled after the one on American Ninja Warrior and other obstacles for practicing parkour.

But the instructors kept things simple for the wannabe ninjas ages 7 through 10. The pupils took turns swinging from monkey bars and rings and tested out their balance on narrow poles.

For 7-year-old Kade Hailey, simply hanging from a bar in the presence of real-life ninjas inspired a giddy grin.

His parents, Chad and Holly Hailey of Stafford County, said their son binge watches American Ninja Warrior, all the while treating their living room like an obstacle course. The youngster developed calluses on his palms from mimicking his favorite ninjas at Widewater Elementary Schools playground, where he enjoys dangling from a spinning ring.

The show features numerous hanging obstacles over pits of water.

Hes so obsessed with the show, when I saw they were coming, Im like, Oh, we have to go,  Holly Hailey said. Her daughter, MaKayla, 8, also participated in the workshop.

Carrie and Jason Yusko, who own Polar Fitness, said one of their gym members knows the Sims couple from Ninja Warrior Playground events and helped arrange the visit. Brett Sims actually won a competition in Winchester over the weekend before making the trip to Spotsylvania.

During a Q&A, the ninjas from Greenville, S.C., said they live in an apartment that is too small for practicing obstacles. But they try to rock climb once a week and will also scale walls and other man-made obstacles in the city.

We probably look like crazy people sometimes, said Brett Sims, who has competed on the show since season one.

The couple recently went to Los Angeles to tape a new season of Ninja vs. Ninja, formerly Team Ninja Warrior, on USA Network. Ninjas go head to head with the goal of finishing an obstacle course first.

Doubt is perhaps the toughest obstacle of all, Brett Sims said.

Id say at least 75 percent of the time, when people are worried about an obstacle, they actually fail it, he said.

Grace Sims added: Youve got to learn how to just say, Well, that was fun, and keep trying.
To Whom It May Concern,

My daughter XXX is applying to attend XXX in the summer of 2018.

If I were to give a few words to say about XXX, I would say Straight, Strong, and Solid.

Whatever she undertakes she takes it seriously, be it academic studies, extra curriculum activities, or charity events. Her honesty, openness, and spirit of commitment and service won high respect from those she worked with.

She is interested in the Business program at XXX, an interest she has developed over the last few years in high school when she took related courses as well as a fun and inspiring experience last year at the XXX summer program. She wants to study finance and accounting, to follow her mom's step who had graduated from XXX with an MBA.

We have brought her to China to attend local schools for a couple of years. The experience not only gave her the ability to understand and use the language of the most populous country, but also the exposure about the importance to have an international perspective. This experience has proved to be helpful in the summer program she attended at XXX where she provided help to attending international students.

As both of us are alumni of XXX (Ph. D XXXX and MBA XXXX) we appreciate the excellent quality of education and conducive environment for personal development provided at the XXX. In such environment a young women will mature, gain skills, and set on the right track to become a pillar of the community wherever she goes. To this goal we believe she will succeed.

Sincerely,

.....
Since September I have been working on the Maltese collection at the British Library, where I am tasked with cataloguing Maltese publications. The library boasts an impressive range of material ranging from 16th century publications by the Knights of Malta to books published in 2017. Amongst these there are some of the earliest references to the Maltese language as in Jean Quintins historical and geographical survey of the islands Insul Melit descriptio (1536, BL 795.g.6.(1.)), contemporary accounts of the Great Siege of Malta from 1565, some of the earliest works on the Maltese language by Agius De Soldanis from 1750, and a complete collection of Mikiel Anton Vassallis works from 1791.



Map of the Maltese islands in Jean Quintins Insul Melit descriptio ex commentariis rerum quotidianarum (1536). (BL 795.g.6.(1.))



The turning point in the history of Maltese publications was the liberalisation of the press in 1839, which formally came into force in March of that year following a wider drive for political autonomy in the British colony throughout that decade. The earliest wave of independent newspapers to be published in Malta came on the heels of this development. These newspapers were a largely multilingual affair, with the vast majority being in Italian or English, bilingual Italian and English (Il Mediterraneo, BL NEWS8160 NPL), and even trilingual in Italian, English and French (Il Corriere Maltese, BL NEWS8160 NPL). However, a number of short lived journals in Maltese started popping up at the same time, with one issue of the English-language publication The Harlequin published on the 6th of December, 1838, under the title LArlecchin, jeu Kaulata Inglisa u Maltia, (Cassola, 2011,p. 22), being entirely in the vernacular. One month later, on the 15th of January, 1839, the first issue of the first Maltese journal Il Kaulata Maltia was published followed by two other issues. Only one copy of the first issue was thought to have survived in a private collection in Malta, and a reproduction of its frontispiece was first published by Guze Cassar Pullicino (1964). The second and third issues have thus far eluded researchers for decades until I recently discovered a copy of the full three-issue set in the British Library newspaper collection (view Kaulata pdf here).



The frontispieces of issues 1 and 3 of Il Kaulata Maltia (1839) (BL NEWS8160 NPL)



The editor of Il Kaulata Maltia was James Richardson[1], an Anglican missionary for the Church Missionary Society (CMS) who was also the editor of the aforementioned The Harlequin as well as The Phosphorous. The CMS was no stranger to publishing in Maltese in the years prior to the liberalisation of the press. In fact, the societys own press, established by William Jowett in 1822, was one of the few allowed to operate before 1839 despite stringent press laws, and serviced other non-Catholic Christian denominations such as the Methodist Wesleyan Missionary Society. Its operations were nonetheless limited in the nature of the material which could be published, and were subject to the governors approval. The British government gave the green light to Anglican and other Protestant groups to operate and publish material in Malta yet pledged to protect the local Catholic population (Zammit, 2008, p. 258). This meant that no material of a religious nature intended for local circulation was allowed, and so output was limited to religious and educational material in Arabic, Turkish, Syriac, Italian and Greek and educational material in Maltese or about the Maltese language. Most notably, the CMSs press was responsible for the publication of a number of works by Mikiel Anton Vassalli, known as The father of the Maltese language, including a revised edition of his Grammatica della Lingua Maltese (1827, BL 621.e.4), Motti, aforismi e proverbii Maltesi (1828, BL 14599.c.43), and Storja tas-Sultan Ciru (1831, BL 14599.b.58). All of these books fail to credit the CMS for their publication, instead using simply Malta or Published by the author despite their non-religious content, although this may have been done to avoid announcing Vassallis close ties with a Protestant group (Zammit, 2008, p. 259). In fact, Vassallis 1829 translation of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles (BL 14599.ee.17) was also published by the CMS, albeit in R. Watts press in London, thus circumventing the ban on religious material. Of particular note are the Wesleyan Missionary Societys Ktyb -yl-Qari Ghat-tfal (1831, BL 14599.c.3) and Ktyb yl Qari fuq bosta huejjeg mahtura myn kotba Kattolici (1832, BL 621.a.9), both written by Cleardo Naudi which despite their religious content, were allowed to be printed as they were intended for exclusive use in its Malta Charity School.





Excerpt from Cleardo Naudis Ktyb -yl-Qari Ghat-tfal (1831), which uses Mikiel Anton Vassallis original orthography before the further Latinised variety used in Il Kaulata Maltia. BL 14599.c.3)



The CMSs focus on nurturing the Maltese language was a well calculated effort. In an article in the 1831 issue of CMSs The Missionary Register, which compares the inhabitants of Malta and Syria, the linguistic situation is described thus (vol. 19, p.317):

The Maltese, in general, are not a reading people, and their language can scarcely be said to be a written language: it is only a few years since it was reduced to writing; and nearly all the books which have ever, to my knowledge, been published in it have been published within a very short time, and mostly by Mr. Jowett, or at his press [] and perhaps not twenty persons can be found, among the native population of the whole island, who are able to read them.

This may have been seen as a hindrance to the missionary efforts of the CMS which consequently undertook a role in education. It is in this context that Il Kaulata Maltia should be seen. Rather than a newspaper, it was meant to be a compilation of opinion pieces by its author George Percy Badger, together with poetry, idioms and aphorisms. The 13th December, 1838 issue of The Harlequin included an advert for it, saying (reproduced in Cassola, 2011, p. 30. My translation):

There is no need to spell out the usefulness and prestige of such a publication, these are obvious matters to everyone. Who is to say that this paper might not one day be the first to establish the Maltese language on a level and solid foundation, and produce a literature that could fill the Mediterranean with its praiseworthy and glorious revelations?



The second and third issues of the journal had scathing attacks on the Maltese educational system, in particular with regard to language instruction, perhaps acting as a precursor to Badgers own publication Sullo stato della educazione pubblica in Malta (On the state of public education in Malta) later that year.

The second issue tackled suggestions brought forward by the Royal Commission of 1836, in which the two commissioners sent to Malta, John Austin and George Cornewall-Lewis, reviewed the educational system of the islands. In their report they had suggested that all elementary school children should first learn Maltese, followed by Italian, which they deemed to be the de facto language of the educated, through the medium of the former. Consequently, English should be taught on the basis of the country being a British colony, followed by Arabic. Badger criticised the idea of teaching students four languages and rubbished the need to learn Italian except for those businessmen who required it for their trade. He declared pro-Italianism as the domain of irredentists and Carbonari wanting to secede from the British Empire, and suggested that the Maltese people as a whole wanted to be British and should thus be taught English. His article highlights the vehemently pro-British nature of the publication.

The third issue picked up the issue of linguistic education by turning the spotlight onto the Maltese language. Here Badger criticised those who had wilfully neglected the language by discouraging its use. This was no doubt an attack on the Knights of Malta who had ruled the country until 1798, and was by extension a thinly veiled attack on the Catholic Church. Despite a seemingly anti-Catholic stance, the very same issue included a poem dedicated to St. Publius by the Catholic priest Dr. Ludovico Mifsud Tommasi, who, in spite of his religious differences, showed an overlap with the CMSs support for the freedom of religion and press, and was also a pioneering translator of religious texts into Maltese.

Il Kaulata Maltia also sheds some light on another aspect of the Maltese language that was topical at the time of its publication: orthography. As written Maltese was still in its infancy there were different opinions on how it should be written, particularly in terms of the sounds that have no equivalent letters in the standard Latin alphabet, such as the gajn and the rgajn, equivalent to the Arabic  and  respectively. Some writers preferred to use the Arabic letters mixed in with the Latin alphabet, while others like Vassalli added specially designed characters to it, as can be seen from the image reproduced above from the spelling book by Cleardo Naudi. More radically, others proposed the exclusive use of the Arabic consonantal script, an example of which can be seen below.





Left: An example of the Arabic  ,  and  mixed into the Latin alphabet from Francesco Vellas Chtieb-ilkari yau dahla al ilsien Malti (1824) (BL 14599.b.1)

Right: Excerpt of a dialogue in Maltese written in Arabic script from Rev. C. F. Schlienzs Views on the improvement of the Maltese language and its use for the purposes of education and literature (1838) (BL 14599.c.4)



The CMS, however, opted for a modified version of Vassallis Latin orthography which became the basis of its Maltese publications, including Il Kaulata Maltia. In fact, it seems that the journal was intended to introduce the orthographic system to the general population, as the second page of the first issue lists the whole alphabet with a guide to its pronunciation and an explanation. Different opinons gave rise to some animosity between their respective proponents, and in this description the author taunted Rev. Giuseppe Zammit, known as Brighella, by jokingly requesting that he bless his orthography. Brighella published a response in the journal Bertoldu in January, 1839 in answer to that taunt (Cassola, 1994, pp. 59-60), and a reply to that was in turn published in the third issue.



Further reading

Cassar-Pullicino, Joseph, Kitba w Kittieba Maltin, it-tieni ktieb, l-ewwel taqsima. Malta: Universita Rjali ta' Malta, 1964.

, Il-kitba bil-Malti sa l-1870. Pieta: Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza, 2001.

Cassola, Arnold,Two Notes: Brighella and Thezan, Journal of Maltese Studies (1994): 25-26, 58-62.

, Lost Maltese newspapers of the 19th century. Malta: Tumas Fenech Foundation for Education in Journalism, 2011.

Zammit, William, Printing in Malta, 1642-1839: Its cultural role from inception to the granting of Freedom of the Press. Malta: Gutenberg Press, 2008.

I would like to thank Dr. William Zammit and Dr. Olvin Vella from the University of Malta for the help and information provided.

Karl Farrugia, Asian and African Collections



-----

[1] The final pages of each of the three issues, as well as The Phosphorus, say that they were published for the editor of The Harlequin. For this reason, I regard Richardson as the official editor and Badger as the author.
Anna Louise Dodd Roberts, 98, of Spotsylvania County, passed away Friday, November 17, 2017 at Greenfields of Fredericksburg. Ann was born on October 4, 1919 at Woodburn, Loudoun County. She was the youngest of six children born to her parents, John Dodd and Laura Downs Dodd. Ann graduated from Aldie High School, Loudoun County in 1937 and from Strayer Secretarial College, Washington, DC in 1938. On May 7, 1942 Ann married Spencer Roberts Jr. They moved to Spotsylvania County, Va. in 1946, following Spencer's discharge from the Army Air Corps at the end of World War II. Ann served as clerk of the Spotsylvania County School Board for 32 years from 1952 until her retirement in June 1984. She had served under five different school superintendents. The Spotsylvania County School Board named the library at Ni River Middle School in her honor on December 7, 2000 to commemorate her many years of service to the county's youth. Ann was a devoted member of Hillcrest United Methodist Church since joining in 1946. She served as Sunday school teacher for many years. Ann was also an honorary life member of the Spotsylvania County Woman's Club. Ann is survived by her son, Spencer Roberts III and wife Beverley of Spotsylvania; daughters Sherry Dodd Roberts Yopp and husband Milton of Pulaski and Nila Trigger and husband Charles of Spotsylvania; three grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 68 years, Spencer Roberts Jr. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Online guestbook available at covenantfuneralservice.com.
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Betsy DeVos became U.S. secretary of education in 2017. Could her brother Erik Prince become a U.S. senator in 2019? And what would or could it mean for DeVos?

In recent weeks, DeVos younger brother, has reportedly shown interest in running for the Wyoming U.S. Senate seat in 2018 thats currently held by GOP Sen. John Barrasso. Prince is the founder of Blackwater, a private security firm that drew attention and controversy during the Iraq War, and now runs Frontier Services Group, an aviation, logistics, and security firm. Barrasso was first elected in 2006 and reelected in 2012, although CNN reported last month that Steve Bannon, President Donald Trumps former chief strategist, put Barrasso on a list of Republicans he wants to defeat in the primary process. Bannon has supposedly supported Princes interest in a Senate run .

We reached out to the Education Department, which declined to comment, and to DeVos personal representatives about whether she would or could donate to Erik Princes campaign if he ran, as well as any other reaction she might have. Heres the response from Greg McNeilly, who spoke on behalf of DeVos on personal matters: Betsy does not respond to outlandish hypotheticals churned by neer-do-wells of fake news; if the question is does she love her brother, yes is the answer.

Last year, when we wrote about DeVos contributions to senators who voted on her nomination , we noted that it doesnt appear that DeVos would be legally prohibited from making political donations, although she would be barred from soliciting or discouraging such donations.

One thing to keep in mind: DeVos has said she wouldnt contribute to political campaigns during her time as secretary, although some questioned the value of DeVos pledge when her husbands donations to two Michigan political action committees this year surfaced. Recently, McNeilly told the Detroit News that in the context of DeVos promise , people should see a distinction between federal races and the rest of the world of political giving. However, both PACS did subsequently contribute to federal as well as state candidates.

DeVos fares relatively badly in opinion polls focused on Trumps cabinet members. But she might enjoy higher approval ratings in Republican-leaning Wyoming than in many other states. So Princes family tie with DeVos might help him, if anything.

Heres another question that came up for us: How unusual would it be for a cabinet secretarys close relative to run for national office?

As we do so often when were in a pickle, we turned to the Education Week Library team for help to see how often thats happened in recent years. The list below isnt exhaustive, but there are a few names you might recognize as you move along.

 First, theres Hillary Clinton. She ran for U.S. senator from New York state in 2000, when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president. So he wasnt a cabinet member, but hey, were counting her (and him) any way. She won.

 Back in 2008, David Leavitt, the brother of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, ran to be a U.S. representative from Utah. He lost. The seat eventually went to Republican Jason Chaffetz, who left Congress earlier this year.

 Christie Vilsack, the wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, challenged long-time GOP Iowa Rep. Steve King, in 2012. She lostKing retained his seat. You might remember King most recently for introducing a broad private school voucher bill in Congress that drew a fair bit of attention, even though that bill hasnt gone anywhere.

 In 1993, Henry Espy ran for a Mississippi congressional seat that previously had been occupied by his brother Mike Espy, who had been appointed agriculture secretary by Bill Clinton. The mayor of Clarksdale, Miss., at the time when he sought Mike Espys seat, Henry Espy told the New York Times back in 1993 that, A state Mississippis size with just five congressmen needs all of the clout it can get. My motto is, He who has the tools, let him use them. But Henry Espy never got the chance to tool around Congress, because he lost.

Mike Espy wouldnt stay in Clintons cabinet for long: He resigned in 1994 after allegations of getting improper favors from corporations. Henry Espy, however, served as Clarksdales mayor for 28 years and left the office in 2013.

So if you discount Hillary Clinton, the track record for cabinet secretaries relatives jumping into recent federal elections doesnt look so hot.

Princes views on education arent clear. He attended Hillsdale College, a private college in Michigan whose president, Larry Arnn, was briefly mentioned as a possible Trump nominee for education secretary before DeVos got picked. According to a Grand Rapids Press story cited by Business Insider and Newsweek, Prince said he became disillusioned with Washington while working as a White House intern under President George H.W. Bush because he saw homosexual groups being invited in.

Education Week Librarys Holly Peele and Maya Riser-Kositsky contributed to this post.

Photo of Erik Prince by Gerry Broome/AP-File

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
A dairy farmer fears his livelihood is under threat over council plans to build up to 1,000 homes on green belt land.

Charlie Wray manages a herd of 80 pedigree Jersey cows at Wayside Farm, Kings Langley, near Watford  one of only seven dairy farmers in the county of Hertfordshire.

Mr Wray, who has farmed the 63ha site for 37 years, is concerned that his county council lifetime tenancy will be ripped up after Dacorum Borough Council revealed plans to build more than 950 homes in the village.

See also: County council farms  how many are left?

I have a lifetime farm tenancy agreement, which you would have thought would be worth something, he told Farmers Weekly.

But if they (the council) want something for planning, thats it. They could just give me notice like that. The village is up in arms about it.

More than 800 villagers attended a meeting to discuss the councils plans at a local school on 14 November.

Mr Wray said he was stunned the number of people who turned up, adding that many were in support of saving his dairy farm.

There was phenomenal support from the village; a significant majority of the people came to say they wanted to save the farm and prevent building houses on green belt land.

Raw milk vending machine

Following the recent milk price plunge, which left a serious dent in farm profits, last year Mr Wray decided to install a vending machine to sell raw milk directly to the public from the farm gate.

He said the farm diversification has been a phenomenal success and people travel up to 40 miles to buy his milk.

Mr Wray installed the milk dispensing machine with the help of Jonny Crickmore, the first dairy farmer in the UK to set up a milk vending machine at the farm gate.

Most people are realistic. They know that were likely to end up with some new houses in the village, said Mr Wray.

But the farm business is doing well again. My son is back here, working his backside off and my partner is running the new farm shop.

The farm has almost become the hub of the village  so why destroy something that the village has come to enjoy? It would be a bloody shame.

Mr Wray urged the council to focus on building new homes on brownfield sites and leave farmland alone. He said the village does not have the infrastructure, including schools, roads and hospitals, to cope with the effects of building hundreds of new homes.

Back our farmers

He said the government needed to provide more support to keep farmers in business, especially dairy farmers like him who could become a thing of the past.

If they dont change their attitude, and if Brexit goes badly, very soon there wont be enough farmers left to feed the people, he added.

James Doe, Dacorum Borough Councils assistant director of planning, said: The council is at the very early stages of preparing the new Local Plan for the area and carrying out the Issues and Options consultation.

A key aspect of this consultation is to get feedback on a range of options for the number of new homes the borough should provide up to 2036, and where these should be built.

Like all councils, we are required by central government to increase the number of new homes we set land aside for in order to help address the national housing shortage.

In terms of Kings Langley, the growth proposals range from an option that would require no development in fields surrounding the village, through to an option which would require the use of land that is currently developed.

The councils consultation for its Local Plan to 2036 closes on 13 December.
No more interim, Batchler named new Blacksburg football coach Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Josh Batchler achieved one of his dreams when he was named the new Blacksburg High head football coach Monday evening. He had served as...

Indians hit growth spurt just in time Gaffney coach Dan Jones never wavered when the Indians were blown out by South Pointe in the season opener. He never wavered when the Indians struggled to beat Hammond. He...
Here are updates to stories we've been following:

Goat Yoga

The story: Lainey Morse of Albany, created a media whirlwind when she founded Goat Yoga classes in July 2016 at Hanson Country Inn (later called No Regrets Farm) in Corvallis. Goat Yoga combines a one-hour yoga session with the animal-therapy of social mini-goats that interact with the class. In the first eight months, stories about the class appeared in hundreds of media outlets around the world, including the Washington Post, Time magazine, The New York Times, CNN and ESPN. Due to high demand for the year-round session, Morse added a second location at Emerson Vineyards outside Monmouth. There is also an official line of Goat Yoga apparel.

The latest: A small story about Goat Yoga and Lainey Morse is featured in the newly released Ripley's Believe or Not book titled, "Shatter Your Senses!"

Patrick Fancher

Logging statue

The story: Sweet Home loggers/tree farmers Mike Melcher and Robin Miller wanted to do something extra special for the annual Boys & Girls Club auction last month. Miller had cut a deformed tree  which he called a school marm  on his tree farm near Crawfordsville and decided it could be made into a statue. Jessee Strack of Whidbey Island crafted two loggers and Miller fashioned two spring boards and provided a two-man saw. The work was done at Melchers shop.

The latest: The statue brought in more than $45,000 and helped propel the auction income to a record level. The Oregon Department of Transportation has approved a plan to place the statue on a concrete base sheltered by a roof on the lawn of the East Linn Musuem. The museum is at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 228 on the west side of Sweet Home. The statue will be a welcoming sign for the community. Funds from the Ford Foundation will help pay for site preparation and amenities. Melcher said families will be able to purchase engraved paving stones and the funds will be used as a perpetual fund for the Boys and Girls Club.

Alex Paul

Construction excise tax

The story: Members of the Lebanon School Board decided in August to convene a committee to explore the possibility of collecting a construction excise tax to raise money for capital projects. Construction excise taxes allow school districts to enter into intergovernmental agreements with taxing entities to collect a tax on certain new developments or on additional square footage added to certain developments. Money raised through the taxes can be used only for capital projects such as purchasing land, constructing a building or buying furnishings and other tangible property.

The latest: The committee's work is continuing, and board members heard an update on it Thursday. The next step is to gather information from Linn County and from surrounding cities to determine what systems development charges already exist and compare them to Lebanon's. The idea is to see how adding an excise tax to Lebanon fees would change the total and whether that might make the city less desirable as a building location. The committee will meet again in January.

Jennifer Moody
The superintendent of the Miami-Dade schools plans to ask Florida officials to let students who fled Hurricane Maria skip the state exams that are required for graduation.



Alberto M. Carvalho told board members at a meeting last week that he would request a testing waiver from the state of Florida. If granted, that waiver would allow about 90 11th and 12th grade students to skip the Florida Standards Assessments, which students must pass to earn diplomas.

Since Floridas tests are given only in English, activists have been concerned that high school students who fled their homes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after the Sept. 20 storm would be unable to pass the test and earn their diplomas.

Miami-Dade currently has close to 700 students from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in its schools as a result of the storm, district spokesman John Schuster said. Of those, 90 are 11th and 12th grade students who face having to take the FSA. It wasnt immediatley clear what other tests, if any, those students might take if the district wins the waiver.

Osceola County has about 1,500 Puerto Rican students displaced by the storm, more than almost any other district in Florida. About 88 percent of those students qualify as English-learners, according to Superintendent Debra Pace.

Earlier this month, the Osceola county district submitted a request to the state department of education to allow its students to take state-mandated tests in their native language. At the high school level, that would mean using a Spanish-language version of the SAT, Pace said.

Groups who advocate for English-learners see the exit-exam requirement as unfair, since refugee students havent been properly prepared for Florida exams.

These students should not have to come to the U.S.not by choiceand while theyre getting used to a new culture and new norms, take assessments they havent been prepared for, said Santiago V. Wood, the executive director of the National Association for Bilingual Education, which has been working with local activists to get the Miami-Dade school board to seek a waiver of the testing rules.

State department of education figures show that as of last week, nearly 6,600 students from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are enrolled in Florida districts due to Hurricane Maria. State officials couldnt immediately confirm that they had received the districts waiver requests, or say what action the state would take in response to such requests.

Spokeswoman Cheryl Etters noted that Gov. Rick Scott waived state rules to facilitate the enrollment of students whose families were fleeing the storm. But it is only now beginning to grapple with other issues sparked by the influx of students.

We dont have answers to all of these questions yet, she said. We made it easier for them to come here, but some of the issues now that theyre here still have to be worked out.

Orange County, which took in 2,000 students from Hurricane Maria, has been exploring the issue of how to manage the exit exam for its high school students, and is concerned about the states position, as reflected in a letter from Commissioner Pam Stewart to Julia Keleher, the secretary of education in Puerto Rico.

The Nov. 17 letter, written in response to Kelehers request for help for students displaced by the hurricane , says that those high school students are eligible to earn Florida diplomas. But Stewart said in the letter that the state would also support students in completing the requirements for Puerto Rico high school diplomas.

This will allow students the ability to graduate on time with a Puerto Rico diploma rather than risk potential delays inherent in an attempt to complete the different curriculum necessary to obtain a Florida diploma, the letter says.

Orange County schools spokesman Scott Howat said the district is concerned about the states position taken in the letter.

Our position still remains that what is best for these students is to make every effort to assist them in obtaining a Florida diploma, by offering an alternative test to the FSA, he said.

Stewarts letter does not mention the possibility of alternative exit exams.

For more on the fallout of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico schools, see:

Huge Lift Remains As Puerto Rico Schools Struggle to Reopen
Provider joins

urology teams

Urologist Sophia Drinis recently joined Samaritan Urology.

She is seeing patients at the Albany and Lebanon-based clinics.

Drinis offers a variety of urological care, with a particular interest in female and male urinary incontinence, female pelvic prolapse, pelvic floor reconstruction, urethral reconstruction and other conditions.

Drinis earned a bachelors degree from Loyola University Chicago and a medical degree from Rush University Medical Center. She completed a surgical internship and urology residency at New York Medical College and fellowship in genitourinary reconstruction at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Following medical school, Drinis was a faculty-appointed urology instructor at New York Medical College and Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine.

Prior to joining Samaritan Health Services, Drinis spent six years in private practice caring for patients in the Midwest and six years working at a health care system in the Northeast. She was drawn to Samaritan for its Pacific Northwest location, collegiality and interdisciplinary team approach to patient care.

Clinic hires

new navigator

Kathy Nepper is the new nurse navigator for The Corvallis Clinics Project H.E.R.

Nepper succeeds Joann Stutzman, who held the position for 12 years.

Nepper brings nearly four decades of nursing work to the position, as well as personal experience with severe and ultimately terminal illness in her family. She describes the role of a nurse navigator as a person who offers education and individualized assistance to patients and their families to help overcome health care system barriers.

The role speaks to the mission of Project H.E.R., whose letters stand for Help, Enlightenment and Resources. Project H.E.R. provides women in Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties with education and support from the time of cancer diagnosis through survivorship. It once was limited to breast cancer, but the program now is open to women with different forms of the disease. Project H.E.R. also has expanded to include caregivers as well as patients.

This is Neppers third position at the clinic; she was nurse manager of the oncology department from 2016 to 2017, and a registered nurse in care coordination from 2015 to 2016.

Physical

therapist

joins practice

Healing Motion Physical Therapy, Inc., in Philomath recently welcomed its newest physical therapist, Kersey Schuh.

Schuh earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her interests lie in post-surgical knee and hip rehabilitation, treatment of low back pain and throwing-related shoulder injuries.

To schedule an appointment with Schuh, call 541-929-2255.

Organization

selects board

The Assistance League of Corvallis recently announced its board members for 2017-18.

Members include Barbara Edwards, president; Carol Kamke, president-elect; Sherry Hazelton, secretary; Deborah Ball, treasurer; Susan Mukatis, education; Carroll Benton, marketing and public relations; Marilyn Marker, strategic planning; Maja Jonanovic, new member advisor; Jean Kughn, past president; Mary Ann Matzke, resource development; Marianne McNair, assistant treasurer; Connie Cash, finance; Candy Pierson-Charlton, membership; and Helen Whitaker, philanthropic programs.

The chapter has been serving the community since 1968. It is composed of more than 200 members, together volunteering more than 19,000 hours last year in support of philanthropic programs. The chapter is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff.

For fiscal year 2016-17, Assistance League members donated the equivalent of $448,000 to the community in the form of service hours (per current IRS calculations of value per hour). Money raised through the chapters fundraising activities are used for its philanthropic programs; donations are tax-deductible.

Benton County

farms honored

Mark Arkills of Holiday Tree Farms in Corvallis was awarded the 2017 Herb and Helen Plumb Award, the highest honor granted by the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association for outstanding contributions to the industry.

Stroda Brothers Farm, owned by Kirk and JoLynn Stroda of Monroe, took top honors in the Tabletop Tree classification. Winners in tree and wreath categories are eligible to compete with growers from other states at a national convention for the honor of supplying a future Christmas tree to the White House.

The PNCTA is comprised of grower, retailer and supplier members from Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and British Columbia.
Dozens of volunteers packed boxes with Thanksgiving dinner essentials Sunday morning. Others loaded boxes into cars and trucks for delivery across Benton County. Still more cleaned up stacks of cardboard and other remains involved in bringing holiday meals to 1,400 families.

Meanwhile, the longtime organizer of the Community Holiday Food Drive, Judy Gibson, was dealing with a shortage of eggs.

The Oregon Food Bank hadnt sent enough eggs. Although Gibson expected more to arrive Monday, when most of the food boxes will be distributed from the Benton County Fairgrounds, the boxes going out to rural food banks in the county Sunday would be short on the component.

So Gibson tried to send a volunteer to the store with a personal check to pick up the last 18 dozen eggs needed to complete the boxes. Despite Gibsons insistence, the volunteer decided to just buy the eggs herself and refused to take Gibsons money.

She won that one, Gibson said, but over her approximately 23 years as the food drives organizer, she has pitched in a few times herself.

Gibson said it is important to her that families dont have anything missing from their boxes, and spending her own money to fill a gap wasnt even something she questioned.

I have it to give. Im very fortunate to have it to give. Thats why I do this.

But Gibson, 66, is hoping that this is the last year shell have to run the holiday food drive, which she runs in collaboration with the Linn Benton Food Share, using its non-profit status and some of its food. Local groups, like the Boy Scout troops, also run food drives for the event, she said, and it takes about $32,000 to buy all the food necessary for low income families to have Thanksgiving meal boxes.

Gibson said she works for about ten days straight leading up to the distribution day, which this year is Monday. About 1,350 families signed up in advance to get food boxes through the drive, which is at the Benton County Fairgrounds, at 110 SW 53rd Street.

Im not getting any younger, she said.

Gibson said she has hundreds of volunteers, but shes a bad delegator, so much of the work she does herself. Although she has no one identified to run the drive next year, she is hopeful about finding a replacement, or possibly a committee to replace her.

Its one of the most rewarding things Ive ever done in my entire life, she said of running the drive. It is a lot of effort, but its only once a year. The Food Share carries on the fight the rest of the year.

She said if she cant find a replacement, she may step in again next year, but she is very serious about getting out of running the event after this year.

Gibson said it will be a challenge to give up running the event.

Ill probably be out in the parking lot looking in the windows. It will be hard to give up.

Gibson said when she first got involved with the drive in the early 1990s, it only served about 800 families, but the need in the county has grown through the years.

(Hunger) is kind of a hidden problem in Corvallis because it is a wealthy community, she said.

She said the real growth in need is among working families.

There are a lot of working families not making it on minimum wage jobs, she said.

People interested in supporting the drive financially can donate by check to Community Holiday Food Drive, care of Coldwell Banker Valley Brokers, at 1109 NW Ninth Street, Corvallis.
It's always tricky to draw sweeping conclusions from a two-year sample, but each year's new population estimates from Portland State University's Population Research Center always offer intriguing clues into mid-valley trends.

The center last week released its annual set of population estimates for Oregon, its counties and its incorporated cities. The numbers represent the center's population estimates as of July 1, 2017  and it's always interesting to compare those numbers to the figures for the previous July 1. (The online version of this editorial includes a table showing selected population numbers for the mid-valley.)

The big headline is that Oregon's population growth remains brisk, with 1.6 percent growth overall  it works out to 64,750 additional residents, according to the center's reckoning. The center's experts said most of that growth seemed to be from people moving to Oregon and not necessarily from natural growth (births exceeding deaths).

The fastest growth again is concentrated in the state's urban areas. Deschutes County, which includes Bend, is the fastest-growing county in the state, with 3.6 percent growth. Bend itself grew at close to 4 percent. Not even Portland (1.9 percent growth) could match that, but the three-county Portland metro area, with 1.8 million residents, still has nearly half of the state's population.

Those numbers are part of the reason why the economic recovery that has boosted urban areas has not offered the same benefit to the state's rural areas. (That growth in Bend also explains why Oregon State University officials are so intent on developing their Cascades campus.)

Both Benton and Linn counties grew at the same rate, 1.4 percent  slower than the state average.

If you're looking for a hotbed of growth in the mid-valley, don't look to Corvallis or Albany  both cities posted population growth of less than 1 percent. (Our guess with Corvallis is that the total population number hews closely with the slowing enrollment growth at OSU's Corvallis campus. Our hunch for Albany is that much of the growth in the area is focused around unincorporated North Albany.)

The fastest growth in the mid-valley continues to be in Millersburg, where the population grew more than 6 percent between 2016 and 2017, to 1,835 people. When you're growing faster than Bend, you know that you're in the midst of substantial growth, This is part of the reason why the City Council has taken important steps lately to hire an interim city manager and launch a search for a professional manager: With this kind of growth, you need to do what you can to bring in a steady hand at the top. It will be fascinating to watch that community deal with the growth.

Other Linn County communities also are dealing with growth that outpaces the state average: Lebanon continues its spurt, with 1.7 percent growth over the past year, to 16,270. There is growth as well in some of the county's smaller communities: Tangent (2.5 percent) Waterloo (2.2 percent) and Scio (1.7 percent) grew at rates above the state average, although the raw numbers are relatively small: Tangent added 30 residents, to grow to 1,235. Waterloo added five residents to grow to 235. And Scio added 15 residents to move to 905.

No communities in the mid-valley posted population declines, according to the center's estimates. But some mid-valley communities remained even with the previous year's estimates, notably Sweet Home (9,090), Mill City (1,860), Monroe (620) and Sodaville (335). It's likely not a coincidence that many of these communities were heavily reliant on the wood-products industry and still are coping with the huge changes there.

In fact, those issues continue to reverberate throughout all of Oregon. The new population estimates are fascinating on their own  but also serve to bring into clearer focus the continuing gap between urban and rural Oregon. (mm)
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
171117UN LEADER VISITS BOUGAINVILLE

By Aloysius Laukai



As the date of the Bougainville Referendum draws near many UNITED NATIONS leaders are visiting Bougainville to make sure Bougainville is on the right track.

And today the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, MR.MIROSLAV JENCA and delegation arrived in Buka for a two-days visit to Bougainville.

They were met at the Buka airport by UN staff and ABG Ministers including the ABG Vice President, RAYMOND MASONO.

A Nissan Cultural group performed their traditional dance for the first time to welcome the delegation which included to National members, WILLIAM NAKIN and TIMOTHY MASIU and the ABG Speaker, SIMON PENTANU.

The team then met with the ABG President Chief DR.JOHN MOMIS ,the Speaker of ABG House of Representatives, SIMON PENTANU and Ministers for Peace Agreement Implementation, ALBERT PUNGHAU and other ministers.

The delegation will meet the Bougainville women leaders tomorrow morning at the Malasang Womens resource centre and meet the Bougainville ex-combatants before returning to Port Moresby tomorrow afternoon.

Ends


*M*ake what you will of this. In the modern era of partisan polarization, which can be dated back to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, only the presid...
clarajancita at 20-11-2017 10:29 AM (4 years ago) (f)

Names of about 33,000 refugees including Nigerians who drowned while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a bid to reach Europe have been published by a German newspaper.



A German newspaper has published the names of 33,293 refugees and migrants who died trying to reach Europe.vDer Tagesspiegel listed victims' names, ages and countries of origin, as well as causes and dates of death, over 46 pages.

Names of about 33,000 refugees including Nigerians who drowned while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a bid to reach Europe have been published by a German newspaper.A German newspaper has published the names of 33,293 refugees and migrants who died trying to reach Europe.vDer Tagesspiegel listed victims' names, ages and countries of origin, as well as causes and dates of death, over 46 pages.

One entry is a 15-year-old boy who drowned on 15 November 2016 when a rubber dinghy he was on with 23 others sank while trying to travel from Libya to Europe. Another tells of Iraqi migrant Talat Abdulhamid, 36, who froze to death on 6 January after walking for 48 hours through the mountains on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.



The newspaper said it wanted to document One entry is a 15-year-old boy who drowned on 15 November 2016 when a rubber dinghy he was on with 23 others sank while trying to travel from Libya to Europe. Another tells of Iraqi migrant Talat Abdulhamid, 36, who froze to death on 6 January after walking for 48 hours through the mountains on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.The newspaper said it wanted to document Quote "the asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants who died since 1993 as a consequence of the restrictive policies of Europe on the continent's outer borders or inside Europe".



The majority of the people on the newspaper's list drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.



Last year was the deadliest for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, with at least 5,079 dying or going missing during their journey, according to the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM).



According to the body, a crackdown on the Western Balkan path and the EU-Turkey deal has forced refugees and migrants to choose more dangerous routes to Europe.

The majority of the people on the newspaper's list drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.Last year was the deadliest for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, with at least 5,079 dying or going missing during their journey, according to the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM).According to the body, a crackdown on the Western Balkan path and the EU-Turkey deal has forced refugees and migrants to choose more dangerous routes to Europe. Quote While overall numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean by the eastern route were reduced significantly in 2016 by the EU-Turkey deal, death rates have increased to 2.1 per 100 in 2017, relative to 1.2 in 2016, the IOM said in a September report.



Part of this rise is due to the greater proportion of migrants now taking the most dangerous route  that across the central Mediterranean  such that 1 in 49 migrants now died on this route in 2016.



The most recent entries on the list in Der Tagesspiegel were dated 29 May 2017 for two unidentified people, one of them a child. The entry says: The most recent entries on the list in Der Tagesspiegel were dated 29 May 2017 for two unidentified people, one of them a child. The entry says: Quote Two bodies found, 28 missing, drowned or stamped down in a panic when their boat sank off Libya.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 20-11-2017 10:29 AM (4 years ago) | Hero
Lithuanian English

Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB, identification code 304151376, registered office placed at Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Company). The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 894 630 333; ISIN code LT0000130023.



The Company informs that the pilot project launched in 2016 of smart electricity metering for private customers has been finalised.



According to the results of the pilot project Ernst & Young Baltic performed a cost-benefit analysis of the mass roll-out of smart electricity and gas metering in Lithuania which revealed that preliminary the most beneficious scenario for 4 years (period of 2019-2022) would require approx. 219 million euro investment. Taking into account the potential financial and social long-term benefits for Lithuania, the total economic benefit of the project would be 88 million Euro.



The Company continues coordinating the project with the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices. The final decision on the investment is intended to be taken after the decision of the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices. The mass roll-out of smart metering in Lithuania is included in the National Strategy of Energy.



It is noted that no specific decisions are taken. The Company will inform about any further decisions in accordance with the procedure established by law.


Includes 98.31g/t Au over 1.13m from drill hole 17GSE521

and 23.20g/t Au over 2.05m from drill hole 17GSE528

Plan map of the Goose Property. Drill holes from the summer 2017 season are labelled.



Cross section 5025N highlighting 17GSE526 and 17GSE528 drill holes intersecting the Deep Iron Formation.





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (TSX:SBB), (Sabina or the Company) is pleased to announce final assay results from the summer exploration diamond drilling program (Figure1) at its 100% owned Back River Gold Project in Nunavut Canada.

Drilling intercepts have highlighted the importance of a mineralized Deep Iron Formation (DIF) horizon approximately 40 to 100m stratigraphically below the main lower iron formation at the Llama and Umwelt deposits. Initial assay results of up to 98.31 g/t Au over 1.13m from drill hole 17GSE521 and 23.20g/t Au over 2.05m including 48.65g/t Au over 0.95m from 17GSE528 have been returned. Other significant drill results are included in the table below.

The DIF horizon is a new stratigraphic target over a distance of greater than 3km at Back River within the Llama and Umwelt deposit trends and is believed to be relatively continuous and favorably folded within the Goose project area. This new horizon is analogous to the DIF and lower sediments at the Goose Main deposit, which hosts approximately 20% of the existing Goose Main resource.

We are very encouraged by the identification of this new mineralized parallel target zone under the main gold bearing structure at Llama and Umwelt, said Bruce McLeod, President & CEO. The DIF horizon appears to be wide spread at the Goose Property and has been identified at other deposits in the Project area through drilling and surface mapping. While more exploration is warranted to test the significance of this horizon at Llama and Umwelt, these results continue to demonstrate the potential of this strong gold endowed district for diverse resource growth opportunities.

The summer drill program has now tested portions of this DIF horizon and proximal lower sediments in three key areas including:

North of the Umwelt deposit, five drill holes tested the east fold limb of the Umwelt DIF over a 250m strike length at a shallow depth level from 66 to 230m. Drill hole 17GSE521 intersected 98.31g/t Au over 1.13m from 207.0-208.13m and 3.88 g/t Au over 2.61m from 221.84-224.45m.

The central fold limbs of the Umwelt DIF was targeted immediately below the Umwelt deposit open pit resources, with two drill holes (17GSE526 and 17GSE528), at an intermediate depth level of 290m-450m (Figure 2). Drill hole 17GSE526 intersected 3.14g/t over 1.25m from 444.95-446.20m within eastern limb of the central antiform and a high grade zone running 23.20g/t Au over 2.05m including 48.65g/t Au over 0.95m from 470-472.05m within mineralized and veined lower sediments was intersected by drill hole 17GSE528.

The east fold limb of the Umwelt DIF immediately below the Umwelt deposit Vault Zone was intersected by drill hole 17GSE525 from 940.2-975.1m. This zone had minor arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite mineralization but returned no significant gold values.

Table 1.0  Table of Significant Drill Intersections

Hole Id Area Azimuth Dip Easting Northing Depth From

(m) To

(m) Length

(m) Au

(g/t) Lithology 17GSE521 LL 223 -70 429847 7271379 797 207.00 208.13 1.13 98.31 Silicate Iron Formation 221.84 224.45 2.61 3.88 Silicate Iron Formation 17GSE526 UM 224 -51 430051 7271237 602 444.95 446.20 1.25 3.14 Silicate Iron Formation 17GSE528 UM 218 -67 429911 7271144 310 366.40 367.15 0.75 1.37 Silicate Iron Formation 470.00 472.05 2.05 23.20 Greywacke inc 470.00 470.95 0.95 48.65 Greywacke True widths of the intervals are unknown at this time.

DIF Target

Mineralization within the DIF zone is focused within a folded, interbedded sequence of silicate iron formation and turbidite sediments where the units are coincident with gold bearing structures. Arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, and pyrite occur in variable concentrations within the DIF horizon where a portion of high grade mineralization is recognized to occur in association with localized quartz veining. Recognition of this broad new stratigraphic zone with structural elements common to other Goose Property deposits is a technical success. Concurrently developing the geological and mineralization framework, testing of the DIF target is considered preliminary therefore additional modelling and future exploration targeting will focus to best understand and evaluate for resource additions.

Summer Drilling Summary

Sabina completed 9,869 meters of drilling in 17 drill holes during the summer program with significant success demonstrated at the Umwelt Vault and Llama extension targets (news releases Sept 5, 2017; Oct 19, 2017; Nov 2, 2017). Exploration efforts focused on the continued advancement of key mineralization settings that are analogous to current Back River resources.

Testing of prominent gold trends at the Goose Property included drilling at the GNS and Kogoyok targets. At GNS, favourable structure and stratigraphy coincident with mineralization is interpreted to be a shallow limb expression linked to the larger Llama-Umwelt trend. Drill hole 17GSE529 was completed during the summer program, testing open plunge controls in an effort to establish orientation of the mineralizing structure. At Kogoyok two drill holes systematically and successfully tested a favourable intersection lineation of lower iron formation and a felsic intrusion within a controlled plunge orientation over a strike length of approximately 120m. The second drill hole, 17GSE527, returned no significant results.

Exploration at the GNS and Kogoyok targets continues to advance and remains fundamental in the development of the geological framework that is a key tool in vectoring towards further resource potential at the Goose property.

All additional results not previously released from the summer 2017 drill program are summarized in Table 2.

Sabina will integrate the 2017 drill results and findings to further enhance the current geological model, and together with new geophysical surveys and renewed prospecting and mapping efforts Sabina will continue to pursue and focus on high impact greenfield and resource extension opportunities through 2018.

Qualified Persons

The Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 as pertains to the Back River Project, is James Maxwell P.Geo, Exploration Manager, for the Company. All drill core samples selected within the exploration program are subject to a company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials and duplicates analysis. All samples are sent to SGS Canada Inc. located in Burnaby, British Columbia where they are processed for gold analysis by 50 gram fire assay with finish by a combination of atomic absorption and gravimetric methods. Additionally, analysis by screen metallic processes is performed on select samples.

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is a well-financed, emerging precious metals company with district scale, advanced, high grade gold assets in one of the worlds newest, politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada.

Sabina released a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned Back River Gold Project which presents a project that has been designed on a fit-for purpose basis, with the potential to produce ~200,000 ounces a year for ~11 years with a rapid payback of 2.9 years (see Technical Report for the Initial Project Feasibility Study on the Back River Gold Property, Nunavut, Canada dated October 28, 2015). At a US$1,150 gold price and a 0.80 (US$:C$) exchange rate, the Study delivers a potential after tax internal rate of return of approximately 24.2% with an initial CAPEX of $415 million.

In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a significant silver royalty on Glencores Hackett River Project. The silver royalty on Hackett Rivers silver production is comprised of 22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all silver produced thereafter.

The Company had approximately C$38 million in cash and equivalents on September 30, 2017.

For further information please contact:

All news releases and further information can be found on the Companys website at www.sabinagoldsilver.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All technical reports have been filed on www.sedar.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (the forward-looking statements), including our belief as to the extent, results and timing of exploration programs exploration results, reserves estimates, potential production from and viability of the Companys properties, production and operating costs and permitting submission, timing and receipt of necessary permits and project approvals for future operations and access to project funding. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, commodity prices, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government and regulatory authorities and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with exploration and project development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of mineral resources and reserves; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary licences and permits; environmental liability and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers or directors; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Back River Project and general risks associated with the mineral exploration and development industry described in our Annual Information Form, financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Bruce McLeod, President & CEO

1800-555 Burrard Street, Two Bentall Centre

Vancouver, BC V7X 1M7

Tel 604 998-4175 Fax 604 998-1051

http://www.sabinagoldsilver.com





Figures accompanying this announcement are available at

Figure 1: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5d037d7-b2d0-444a-883a-22adecb0d669

Figure 2: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e5793e18-a5e4-4807-8530-abbce2c5f323

Table 2.0  Table of Remaining Significant Drill Intersections

Hole Id Area Azimuth Dip Easting Northing Depth From (m) To

(m) Length

(m) Au

(g/t) Lithology 17GSE516 LL 225 -70 429801 7271428 137 Abandoned - NSV 17GSE516B LL 225 -69 429791 7271437 737 165.70 166.75 1.05 1.50 Silicate Iron Formation 178.30 179.20 0.90 1.06 Silicate Iron Formation 461.80 462.25 0.45 4.61 Silicate Iron Formation 619.60 620.90 1.30 1.05 Oxide Iron Formation 622.90 625.10 2.20 1.14 Oxide Iron Formation 653.75 654.70 0.95 1.40 Silicate Iron Formation 658.60 659.70 1.10 1.31 Silicate Iron Formation 720.75 722.25 1.50 1.74 QV in Greywacke 17GSE521 LL 223 -70 429847 7271379 797 207.00 208.13 1.13 98.31 Silicate Iron Formation 221.84 224.45 2.61 3.88 Silicate Iron Formation 17GSE522B UM 216 -72 430860 7270487 863 612.15 615.85 3.70 5.27 Mixed Greywacke & Iron Formation inc 614.70 615.85 1.15 14.94 Iron Formation 633.05 633.95 0.90 4.05 Silicate Iron Formation 17GSE523 UM 214 -73 430573 7270560 266 Abandoned - NSV 17GSE524 LL 217 -72 429770 7271350 752 66.40 66.95 0.55 2.40 Silicate Iron Formation 294.65 295.70 1.05 1.07 Silicate Iron Formation 636.30 636.90 0.60 9.53 Oxide Iron Formation 17GSE525 UM 214 -70 430850 7270580 1010 665.30 666.45 1.15 2.34 Oxide Iron Formation 721.60 723.00 1.40 1.79 Oxide Iron Formation 805.85 807.85 2.00 1.14 Oxide Iron Formation 810.00 811.00 1.00 1.18 Oxide Iron Formation 816.40 817.00 0.60 11.67 Greywacke 17GSE526 UM 224 -51 430051 7271237 602 444.95 446.20 1.25 3.14 Silicate Iron Formation 17GSE527 Kog 179 -58 431269 7269128 419 NSV 17GSE528 UM 218 -67 429911 7271144 310 231.40 232.40 1.00 1.21 Oxide Iron Formation 239.00 240.15 1.15 2.59 Oxide Iron Formation 366.40 367.15 0.75 1.37 Silicate Iron Formation 470.00 472.05 2.05 23.20 Greywacke inc 470.00 470.95 0.95 48.65 Greywacke 17GSE529 GNS 42 -60 431490 7269560 344 313.45 320.45 7.00 1.38 Oxide Iron Formation




Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Prophecy Development Corp. (Prophecy or the Company) (TSX:PCY, OTCPK:PRPCF, Frankfurt:1P2N) has received an independent technical report titled Gibellini Vanadium Project Nevada, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report with an effective date of November 10, 2017 (the Report) prepared by Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. on the Gibellini vanadium project (the Project) which has been filed under the Companys profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

The Project is located in Eureka County, Nevada, about 25 miles south of the town of Eureka, and is easily accessed by a graded gravel road extending south from US Highway 50. Nevada is featured in the 2016 Fraser Institute survey of mining companies as the fourth most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment globally.

The Report describes resources according to category following the guidelines of the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

Two mineral resource estimates were prepared, one for the Gibellini deposit and the second for the Louie Hill deposit.

Gibellini Deposit

The Report has estimated 7.85 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.316% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) in the Measured category and 14.16 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.281% V 2 O 5 in the Indicated category leading to a total combined Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.01 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.294% V 2 O 5 . Total contained metal content of the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources is 129.28 million pounds V 2 O 5 . The Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is 9.82 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.19% V 2 O 5 . The total contained metal content of the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is 37.27 million pounds V 2 O 5 . The table below summarizes the Gibellini deposit estimate.

Gibellini Deposit Mineral Resource Statement Resource

Category Domain Cut-off V 2 O 5

(%) Tons

(M) Grade

(%V 2 O 5 ) Metal Content

(M lbs V 2 O 5 ) Measured Oxide 0.116 3.90 0.253 19.74 Transition 0.105 3.95 0.379 29.88 Indicated Oxide 0.116 7.04 0.235 33.12 Transition 0.105 7.12 0.327 46.55 Total Measured and Indicated 22.01 0.294 129.28 Inferred Oxide 0.116 0.14 0.179 0.50 Transition 0.105 0.01 0.179 0.03 Reduced 0.134 9.68 0.190 36.75 Total Inferred 9.82 0.190 37.27

Notes to accompany mineral resource table for Gibellini deposit:

(1) The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. E.J.C. Orbock III, RM SME, an Amec Foster Wheeler employee. The Mineral Resource estimate has an effective date of 10 November, 2017.

(2) Mineral Resources are reported at various cut-off grades for oxide, transition, and reduced material.

(3) Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual pit shell that uses the following assumptions: mineral resource V 2 O 5 price: $10.81/lb; mining cost: $2.21/ton mined; process cost: $13.14/ton processed; general and administrative (G&A) cost: $0.99/ton processed; metallurgical recovery assumptions of 60% for oxide material, 70% for transition material and 52% for reduced material; tonnage factors of 16.86 ft3 /ton for oxide material, 16.35 ft3 /ton for transition material and 14.18 ft3 /ton for reduced material; royalty: 2.5% net smelter return (NSR); shipping and conversion costs: $0.37/lb. An overall 40 pit slope angle assumption was used.

(4) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in US units. Grades are reported in percentages.

Louie Hill Deposit

The Louie Hill deposit lies approximately 1,600 ft south of the Gibellini deposit.

The Report estimated an Inferred Mineral Resource of 7.06 million tons at a weighted average grade of 0.284% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ). The oxidation domains were not modeled. The total contained metal content of the estimate is 40.16 million pounds V 2 O 5 . The table below summarizes the Louie Hill deposit estimate.

Louie Hill Deposit Mineral Resource Statement Resource

Category Domain Cut-off V 2 O 5

(%) Tons

(M) Grade

(%V 2 O 5 ) Metal Content

(M lbs V 2 O 5 ) Inferred Not modeled 0.116 7.06 0.284 40.16

Notes to accompany mineral resource table for Louie Hill:

(1) The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. E.J.C. Orbock III, RM SME, an Amec Foster Wheeler employee. The Mineral Resources have an effective date of 10 November, 2017. The resource model was prepared by Mr. Mark Hertel, RM SME.

(2) Oxidation state was not modeled.

(3) Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual pit shell that uses the following assumptions: mineral resource V 2 O 5 price: $10.81/lb; mining cost: $2.21/ton mined; process cost: $13.14/ton processed; general and administrative (G&A) cost: $0.99/ton processed; metallurgical recovery assumptions of 60% for mineralized material; tonnage factors of 16.86 ft3 /ton for mineralized material, royalty: 2.5% net smelter return (NSR); shipping and conversion costs: $0.37/lb. For the purposes of the resource estimate, an overall 40 slope angle assumption was used.

(4) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in US units. Grades are reported in percentages.

A total of 280 drill holes (about 51,265 ft) have been completed on the Project since 1946, comprising 16 core holes (4,046 ft), 169 rotary drill holes (25,077 ft; note not all drill holes have footages recorded) and 95 RC holes (22,142 ft).

The vanadium-host black shale unit ranges from 175 to over 300 ft thick and overlies gray mudstone. The shale has been oxidized to various hues of yellow and orange to a depth of 100 ft. Alteration (oxidation) of the rocks is classified as one of three oxide codes: oxidized, transitional, and reduced.

A feasibility study was commissioned in late 2010 by the previous operator, American Vanadium Corp., and was completed in 2011 (the 2011 Feasibility Study). The 2011 Feasibility Study assumed a conventional open pit mine using a truck and shovel fleet for mining and a heap leach to produce V 2 O 5 as a bagged product. Prophecy is not treating either the Mineral Reserves resulting from the 2011 Feasibility Study or the economic results of that study as current. No work has been conducted on the Project since 2011. Prophecy has completed no exploration or drilling activities since Project acquisition.

Metallurgy

A heap leach operation without initial roasting step was modeled and designed to produce V 2 O 5 as a bagged product.

Metallurgical test work and associated analytical procedures were performed by recognized testing facilities during the period 1975 to 2011, and the tests performed were appropriate to the mineralization type. Samples selected for testing were representative of the various types and styles of mineralization. Samples were selected from a range of depths within the deposit. Sufficient samples were obtained to ensure that tests were performed on sufficient sample mass. For the purposes of the Mineral Resource estimate, recoveries of 60% for oxide material and 70% for transitional material were considered appropriate. No processing factors were identified from the completed metallurgical test work that would have a significant effect on extraction. The table below summarizes the projected metallurgical recoveries for the three defined oxidation-type domains.

Mill Feed Material Type Percent Recovery Oxide 60% Transition 70% Reduced 52%

Environmental and Permitting Considerations

Baseline studies conducted in 20102011 included studies to document the existing conditions of biological resources, cultural resources, surface water resources, ground water resources, and waste rock geochemical characterization. The baseline data collected would be subject to review and approval by the Bureau of Land Management (the BLM) and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and other regulatory agencies.

Prior to commencing any mining operations on public lands administered by the BLM, a Plan of Operations describing how a proponent will prevent unnecessary and undue land degradation and reclaim the disturbed areas must be submitted to the BLM.

Both the baseline studies and the Plan of Operations were prepared and submitted by the Projects previous operator and deemed complete by the BLM in order to start the National Environmental Policy Act process.

John Lee, Chairman of Prophecy, states:

Gibellini is an exceptionally rare open pit, heap leach vanadium project in Nevada, with low deleterious (less than 1% Fe, Ti, and MgO) elements. In 2018, Prophecy intends to update and accelerate prior feasibility and permitting work. We believe vanadium batteries have a bright future in the United States with strong renewable energy mandates in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada and many other windy/sunshine states. Our goal is to make Gibellini the first primary vanadium operating mine in North America.

Qualified Persons

The technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, General Mining Manager of Prophecy. Mr. Kravits is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and is not independent of the Company since most of his income is derived from the Company.

Edward J.C. Orbock, III, RM SME of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. is the Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101 who supervised preparation of, and is responsible for, all sections of the Report and Mineral Resource estimates addressed in this news release.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company aims to provide exposure and leverage to rising vanadium prices by defining and adding attributable vanadium resources in the ground in politically safe jurisdictions. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

Prophecy Development Corp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

JOHN LEE

Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecydev.com

www.prophecydev.com

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect managements expectations regarding Prophecys future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, such as due to labour disruptions; currency exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for coal, prices for and availability of fuel, parts and equipment and other key supplies remain consistent with current levels; production forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of Prophecys current mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Prophecys current expectations; and that any additional required financing will be available on reasonable terms. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous factors could cause Prophecys actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading Risk Factors in Prophecys most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecys website: Prophecys history of net losses and lack of foreseeable cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecys mineral properties; Prophecy not having a history of profitable mineral production; the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; the capital and operating costs required to bring Prophecys projects into production and the resulting economic returns from its projects; foreign operations and political conditions, including the legal and political risks of operating in Bolivia, which is a developing jurisdiction; amendments to local Bolivian laws which may have an adverse impact on the Companys operations; title to Prophecys mineral properties; environmental risks; the competitive nature of the mining business; lack of infrastructure; Prophecys reliance on key personnel; uninsured risks; commodity price fluctuations; reliance on contractors; Prophecys need for substantial additional funding and the risk of not securing such funding on reasonable terms or at all; foreign exchange risks; anti-corruption legislation; recent global financial conditions; the payment of dividends; and conflicts of interest.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecys forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy 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. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/Prophecy11202017.pdfSource: Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX:PCY, OTC Pink:PRPCF, FWB:1P2N)

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Copyright  2017 Filing Services Canada Inc.
WEST KELOWNA, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Damara Gold Corp. (TSX-V:DMR) (Damara or the Company) and Colorado Resources Ltd. (Colorado) (TSX-V:CXO) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a letter agreement (the Agreement) whereby Damara can acquire a 100% interest (subject to its Back-in Right (as defined below)) (the Transaction) in Colorados Kinaskan-Castle project (the K-C Property) located in the Liard Mining Division within the Golden Triangle Area of northwestern British Columbia. Completion of the Transaction is subject to the receipt of all required approvals, including the approval of Damaras shareholders and the approval of the Exchange (as defined below).



The Property

The K-C Property is comprised of 49 mineral claims (17,839ha) and is located approximately 195 km north of the town of Stewart and 75 km south of Dease Lake. The Golden Triangle area is a district which hosts several significant gold-copper mines1 including Imperial Metals Red Chris1 and mine development and mineral occurrences including GJ1, Quash1, Hank1, GT Gold1 and Spectrum1.

Historical2 Exploration

Previous work at the K-C Property focused on the western side of the property and included the completion of 21 diamond drillholes (4,805m) between 1988 and 2013. The mineralization at the K-C Property is associated with an east-west striking structural and intrusive corridor that is spatially related to a 150m x 1500m long copper and gold soil anomaly, a coincident magnetic anomaly and IP chargeability high.

Gold  copper mineralization noted to date includes both broad porphyry style and higher grade vein styles as illustrated by two intercepts in historic2 holes:

DDH CA 13-01 with 274 m of 0.102% Cu and 0.283 g/t Au

DDH CA 13-03 with 4 m of 2.14% Cu, 4.88 g/t Au, and 73.2 g/t Ag contained within a 174 m interval of 0.106% Cu and 0.466 g/t Au3

The historic data2 suggest that the gold-copper mineralization on the K-C Property is open to the east and it occurs in an alteration zone that has been traced over a distance of 4.4 km to the eastern property boundary. This area has seen the lowest density of historical drill testing.

Recent Exploration

Colorado recently initiated a preliminary exploration program which included the collection of 859 soil and 201 rock samples, 10 km2 of geological mapping, an 11-line km I.P. survey and a 150-line km airborne magnetic survey. Damara, as part of the consideration, will bear the cost of this initial program.

Transaction and Concurrent Financing Rationale

The Transaction and will provide Damara the opportunity to become an active explorer in the Golden Triangle;



The Concurrent Financing will broaden Damaras shareholder investor base and fund the exploration programs and provide working capital for the next 12 months;



The Transaction will allow for the combined exploration expertise of Colorados and Damaras board and management to advance the K-C Property;



Increased market capitalization along with the improved capital markets are expected to boost Damaras trading activity and liquidity.

William Yeomans, Director of Damara, stated: The collaboration of Damara and Colorado is a unique opportunity for Damara shareholders as it positions the Company favorably to advance the K-C Property and become an explorer in the prolific Golden Triangle Area.

Lawrence Nagy, Chairman of Colorado, stated: The Transaction will give Colorado, which currently holds a 15.7% interest in Damara, the opportunity to focus its attention on its core assets - KSP and North ROK - while providing an opportunity to share in any future success at the K-C Property.

Transaction Overview

Consideration for the Transaction includes an aggregate $250,000 in cash payments and the issuance of 10,250,000 common shares in the capital of Damara (the Consideration Shares) to Colorado, and $8,000,000 in exploration expenditures (which includes $300,000 reimbursement of the initial program within 5 business days of receipt of the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) for the Transaction) over a three year period. Colorado will have the exclusive right, within 45 days from the option exercise date, to elect to exercise its back-in right (the Back-in Right) wherein Colorado can acquire a 51% interest upon incurring $8,000,000 in exploration expenditures over a two year period with a minimum $2,000,000 in year one. In the event the Back-in Right is exercised and the terms thereof fulfilled, the parties have agreed to form a joint venture in which Damara will hold a 49% interest and Colorado will hold a 51% interest. In the event the Back-in Right is not exercised Colorado will be granted a 1% net smelter return royalty.

The Transaction is a non-arms length transaction pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101).

In accordance with Exchange policies, the Company will seek minority shareholder approval of the Transaction, including the issuance of the Consideration Shares. Further information regarding the Transaction will be contained in a management information circular that Damara will prepare and file in due course in connection with an annual general and special meeting of Damara shareholders, which is expected to be held on December 29, 2017. Closing of the Transaction is expected to occur shortly thereafter.

Damaras independent directors have determined that the proposed Transaction is fair and in the best interests of the Company and will recommend that disinterested shareholders vote in favour of resolutions supporting the Transaction. The Board will seek to engage a financial adviser to provide the required valuation of MI 61-101, subject to limitations and assumptions contained therein, and confirm that the aggregate consideration as described in the Agreement to be paid by Damara in connection with the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to Damaras shareholders.

For Colorado, the Transaction would qualify as an Exempt Transaction pursuant to the policies of the Exchange except for the fact that the Transaction involves Non-Arms Length Parties and therefor is subject to Exchange approval. Colorado is exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the Transaction.

Concurrent Financing

The Company also announces it is arranging a concurrent financing (the Concurrent Financing) wherein it intends to issue units (each a Unit) at a price of $0.15 per Unit and flow-through common shares (FTS) at a price of $0.20 per FTS. Each Unit will consist of one common share (issued on a non-flow-though basis) and one-half of one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase an additional common share at $0.30 per share for a period of 24 months. Completion of the minimum Concurrent Financing is a condition of the Transaction.

Qualified Person

William Yeomans, P. Geo., a director of the Company is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) who reviewed the preparation of the technical data in this news release for each of Damara and Colorado.

About Damara

Damara Gold Corp. is a TSX Venture listed Canadian public company with a Board of Directors seasoned in the mineral exploration industry and with a record of mineral deposit discovery worldwide.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OF DAMARA

William Yeomans

William Yeomans, Director ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OF COLORADO

Lawrence Nagy

Lawrence Nagy, Chairman of the Board For additional information visit Damaras website

at www.damaragoldcorp.com or contact: For additional information visit Colorado Resources' website

at www.coloradoresources.com or contact: Damara Gold Corp.

William Yeomans

Ph: (250-768-1168)

Colorado Resources Ltd.

Lawrence Nagy

(250)-768-1511

NR: 17-07

Cautionary Notes

1 This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which neither Damara nor Colorado has a right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Companys or Colorados properties.

2 Historical information contained in this news release, maps or figures regarding the Companys or Colorados projects or adjacent properties are reported for historical reference only and cannot be relied upon as neither the Companys QP or Colorados QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.

3 All drill intercepts are drill indicated lengths. Insufficient technical information exists to demonstrate the true widths of these intersections.

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 Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information is identified by words such as estimates, intends, expects, believes, may, will and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Colorados or the Companys plans or business operations (including plans for completing the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing, as applicable and otherwise for progressing assets), estimates regarding mineral resources, projections regarding mineralization and projected expenditures. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, risks inherent in the mining industry, financing risks, labour risks, uncertainty of mineral resource estimates, equipment and supply risks, title disputes, regulatory risks and environmental concerns. In addition, the completion of the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing is subject to the receipt of all required approvals, including the approval of the Companys shareholders and the Exchange. Most of these factors are outside the control of Colorado and the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company and Colorado expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


Last Wednesday a seemingly endless wait came to an end and the results of the Australian same sex marriage survey were announced.



The result (as expected) was a resounding YES.



The original of this gorgeous spot ran during the voting period. It was a love job (literally) from Leo Burnett and Airbag with media donated by Wrigley.



To celebrate the Yes result the film has been extended. And it's now even lovelier. Enjoy!






Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who in 2015 was the first AG to sue a pharmaceutical drug company for their role in the opioid epidemic. Since then, more than 100 states, cities and counties have filed similar lawsuits. If they win, Hood predicts the industry would owe trillions of dollars in damages.
Most states are required to pass balanced budgets. But since the Great Recession, that's gotten harder and harder to do as states have been forced to reduce and reallocate spending. According to a new report from the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to effective government, "The potential to defer or obfuscate in making these adjustments is very real."So to keep them honest, the alliance is grading all 50 states on their financial practices. In the first of what is expected to be an annual report , the findings aren't pretty: Most states skimped on at least one major area of the budget, and some earned nearly failing grades in almost every category.The report grades states in five critical areas: forecasting accuracy; oversight and use of rainy day funds and other fiscal reserves; use of one-time fixes; adequately funding employee pensions and other benefits; and disclosing budget and related financial information.The area in which states collectively performed at their worst was long-term liabilities, such as pensions and retiree health care. States face nearly $2 trillion in these unfunded liabilities. The report dinged 19 of them with a D or D-, the lowest grades possible. "Those legacy costs are the millstone hanging around a lot of states' and cities' necks right now," says William Glasgall, who helped co-author the report.States performed best when it came to avoiding one-time gimmicks to balance the budget. Nearly half (22) earned an A. Still, the report noted that over the course of the last three years, 80 percent of states relied at least once on a one-time maneuver to keep their budgets balanced.The average grade earned for nearly all five categories was a B; states averaged a C grade for managing their long-term liabilities.With the report, the Volcker Alliance joins credit ratings agencies in handing out grades to states. But while the credit rating agencies consider many of the same budget factors the alliance report does, the ratings are ultimately a measure of a government's likelihood of default, which is not the same as having one's fiscal house in order.Take Illinois. The state went two years without a budget and saw multiple downgrades from ratings agencies. But it was still able to float bonds and easily find buyers because no state in the modern era has defaulted on its debt. "There's no reasonable risk of a state actually defaulting," Matt Fabian, a principalat Municipal Market Analytics, which consulted on the report, said at the report's release. "But you had the governor and legislature acting in completely unpredictable ways that belied the understanding of almost anyone. So, the bonds of Illinois ended up trading almost like a day stock which is terrifying to anyone in the market."Not surprisingly, Illinois is one of two governments that earned a D or lower in all but one category. It and Kansas both earned Bs in the financial transparency category.The report offers several policy recommendations, including having clear policies for withdrawing money from rainy day funds and other fiscal reserves; implementing rules for replenishing those funds; tying the size of fund balances to revenue volatility ; and adopting a consensus approach to budget forecasting to reduce political influence. On that last item, the report highlights as a best practice Washington state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, which includes representatives of the legislative and executive branches, as well as the state treasurer.When it comes to budget transparency, the report found that while all but four states have a budget website, few actually contain the necessary data to help policymakers and advocacy groups make informed decisions. The report praised Colorado's website because it includes things like budget documents and instructions, budget amendments, fact sheets, archives, and information from past years. Alaska and California stood out as well for being the only two states to earn an A in the category because they are the only ones that disclose the estimated cost of replacing depreciated infrastructure.Hawaii, Idaho and Utah received the most As. They all earned an A in avoiding one-time fixes. Idaho and Utah received an A for legacy costs, while Hawaii got an A in budget forecasting. But the rest of their grades are a mix of Cs and Ds. It shows, says Glasgall, that no state is perfect. "Many are good," he says, "and some are very challenged."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office was cast into the national maelstrom surrounding sexual harassment allegations after an Erie County woman accused the governor's office in a lawsuit of ignoring her complaints about Sam Hoyt, a former administration official.The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Saturday provides salacious details that allege Hoyt, who spearheaded economic development in the western part of the state, constantly texted, emailed and called Lisa Marie Cater before and after he got her a job at the Erie County Department of Motor Vehicles in February 2016.The allegation surfaces as the nation confronts allegations of sexual assault or misconduct by a string of men, including Hollywood studio boss Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey, and Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.Cater claims that Hoyt texted her a naked picture of himself asking if he had a tan, forcibly grabbed her crotch in a public park, and that an attorney in the governor's office responded to her complaint by asking if she what she wanted was money.Cuomo's counsel, Alphonso David, lashed back Sunday, saying that the attorney mentioned in the lawsuit does not work for the governor's office, and that the governor's office first heard about the allegations in an email Cater sent to a generic communications mailbox in October 2016.Subsequently, three separate state agencies began investigating Hoyt, who resigned from his position as Empire State Development regional president in Buffalo Oct. 30, David said."Any allegation that anyone offered the complainant a bribe is divorced from reality," David said in a statement.Hoyt has acknowledged he had a relationship with Cater and paid her a settlement, but denies harassing or assaulting her."I have made many mistakes in my life. Having a consensual and inappropriate relationship with [the woman] was wrong and something I regret," Hoyt said in a statement to the Buffalo News after his resignation. "That said, what she has accused me of is categorically untrue. When I attempted to end the relationship she threatened me. At that point, over a year ago, my wife and I agreed to a settlement to avoid public embarrassment to our family."The lawsuit filed Saturday says Cater, a previous victim of domestic abuse, emailed Buffalo's economic development office about affordable housing in October 2015. Cater said she was surprised when she was contacted back directly by Hoyt.They continued email communications, with Cater alleging Hoyt said he could provide her with a state patronage job. In November 2015, Cater alleges Hoyt showed up at her residence and groped and kissed her without her permission.Cater says in the lawsuit that she went along with Hoyt's advances in order to get a job.In an earlier interview with the The Buffalo News, the victim (who has since been identified as Cater) said she met Hoyt at a clambake. She said that her initial interaction with Hoyt, which consisted of flirting and kissing, was consensual."It was fun in the beginning but went a little too far," she told the Buffalo News. "It needed to stop."Saturday's lawsuit, which alleges violations of Cater's civil rights and Constitutional protections, says soon after getting her DMV job, Hoyt allegedly texted her a nude photo of himself and asked, "Do you think I look tan?" Cater claims a fellow employee, who saw that Cater was visibly upset, also looked at the photo on Cater's phone.Cater's allegations also include that she went to the hospital once for stress-related stomach pain and that Hoyt contacted hospital staff about her visit.Cuomo's office was named in the lawsuit because Cater contends she contacted the governor's office numerous times starting in July 2016, but received no response. She said she called the governor's office, sent emails, and posted information on a Cuomo office Facebook page.In August 2016, Cater says she met Hoyt in a park during the afternoon hours to convince him to end his alleged harassment. She alleges Hoyt then grabbed her crotch, squeezing it saying, "you know this is what I want."Cater says she urged Hoyt to come clean with Cuomo's office about his behavior. Hoyt said he talked to the governor's office and "they said to make it go away," the lawsuit states.She alleges Hoyt began to offer reperations for his actions, such as creating a GoFundMe account for her under the guise of raising money for a hand injury she suffered from her cat.Cater had been out on short-term disability from her DMV job, she alleges, not just because of her hand injury but because of Hoyt's harassment. In the lawsuit, Cater said she got a cat to ease her anxiety but that "Hoyt used the cat as a means to stalk the plaintiff on a daily basis and ask her about the cat."The lawsuit states that in Oct. 2016, Hoyt "forced" her to take $50,000 "in exchange for silence," and that Cuomo's office only forwarded her case to the Inspector General's office after an attorney in the office allegedly asked if she was filing a complaint for money."We flatly deny that claim, which is contrary to demonstrable facts, including the three separate investigations launched into the initial complaint," Cuomo's counsel, David, said in an statement.Cuomo's counsel said Sunday that the attorney Cater alleged talked to, Noreen Van Doran, works for the Office of General Services. "OGS had been interacting with Ms. Cater regarding Ms. Cater's request for additional leave accruals resulting from from her cat biting her," David said, "which had been denied."The governor's office Sunday also criticized Cater for not speaking with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which is investigating her case. Cater says in the lawsuit that Hoyt found out about the investigation, and threatened her if she cooperated.Cater's lawsuit said she is seeking punitive damages and compensation for lost pay, but it did not specify an amount.The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics is continuing its investigation of Hoyt, Cuomo's office said.Hoyt, who was appointed by Cuomo to a regional senior vice president post at Empire State Development in 2011, was barred from participating in the Assembly internship and student mentoring program in 2008 after engaging in a relationship with an intern for five years.
Stephen Bittel's rocky tenure as Florida Democratic Party chairman ended in disgrace Friday after he said he would resign following accusations from women that he leered at them, made suggestive comments and created an unprofessional work environment."When my personal situation becomes distracting to our core mission of electing Democrats and making Florida better, it is time for me to step aside," Bittel said in a statement. "I am proud of what we have built as a Party and the wins we have had for Florida families, but I apologize for all who have felt uncomfortable during my tenure at the Democratic Party."Bittel will formally resign next week. Party leaders will elect his successor Dec. 9 in Orlando.Elected in January after a contentious internal campaign, Bittel lasted less than a year on the job. His departure marks the latest case of sexual impropriety shaking the state Capitol.Bittel's position became untenable after all four major Democratic candidates for Florida governor urged his ouster following a Politico Florida report late Thursday in which six women anonymously complained about Bittel's behavior. They said he was "creepy" and "demeaning." Bittel apologized, but it was not enough.Vice Chairwoman Judy Mount, the former head of the Jackson County Democratic Executive Committee, will serve as the party's interim chief and then seek the position permanently. Tampa activist Alan Clendenin, a past chairman candidate, said he will also run.The calls for Bittel's resignation from Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Orlando businessman Chris King made it impossible for Bittel to continue at the party helm."I am glad Stephen Bittel resigned -- there was no alternative," Gillum said in a statement. "The FDP must move forward quickly to rebuild their culture and create an inclusive, safe work environment. Beyond changing the culture there, we must all commit ourselves to changing the power structures that have allowed too many men to behave this way for too long. It will not happen overnight, but we cannot tolerate it any longer."The gubernatorial candidates weighed in long before the only Florida Democrat elected statewide, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, did. Nelson commented on Bittel's fate after Bittel announced his exit."As Stephen Bittel said, he's stepping aside for the good of the party," Nelson, who is running for reelection next year, said in a statement. "Sexual harassment is never acceptable."Nelson had backed the chairman bid by Bittel, a Coconut Grove developer and longtime Democratic fundraiser. So had U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, who also didn't comment Friday on the accusations against Bittel until after his resignation statement."Stephen Bittel did the right thing for the party, one that he's worked so hard for in the past," she said. "But as a party and as a society, we must learn from this."Emails released in July 2016 by WikiLeaks showed DNC staffers so disliked Bittel -- then co-chairman of the DNC's national finance committee -- that they wanted to seat him away from President Barack Obama at a Grove fundraiser.Bittel won the top Florida party post after a disputed election. He was forced to offer his apology in June after a party gala in Hollywood in which Bittel referred to some black lawmakers as "childish." They accepted his apology. In September, the party won a key special Senate election in Miami, and in November, it notched another victory in reelecting St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.No one has accused Bittel of inappropriately touching women. But the six women who spoke anonymously to Politico Florida said his inappropriate comments and penchant for keeping breast-shaped stress-squeeze balls in his office -- which Bittel said were gags -- made it uncomfortable to work with him."There was a lot of boob stuff in his office," a former fundraiser who interacted with Bittel told Politico Florida. Several women said they tried not to leave each other alone with Bittel in his office, home or private jet.In his initial apology, Bittel said he would "do better.""Every person, regardless of their gender, race, age or sexuality should be treated with respect and valued for their hard work and contributions to our community and if any of my comments or actions did not reflect that belief I am deeply sorry," he said in a statement. "I have much to learn, but my goal is and has always been to make sure every member of our party has a safe environment in which to succeed. It seems I've not been successful in that goal, and I will do better."Starting with Gillum, the gubernatorial candidates then said only Bittel's resignation would be acceptable.King noted the national wave of sexual harassment and assault allegations against powerful men in media, the movie industry and politics, including in Tallahassee's insular and male-dominated Florida Legislature."It's not right that it's taken so long, but unveiling a culture of harassment is a vital step to building the just and fair society we hope to be," King said. "It's on all of us now to hold perpetrators accountable. The breadth and depth of these allegations speak to a larger problem with the environment in Tallahassee and more generally in our politics."Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater stepped aside from his position as Senate budget chief and was placed under investigation over harassment allegations, which he has denied. Former Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Clemens of Atlantis resigned after admitting he had an affair with a lobbyist.
LaToya Cantrell soared past Desiree Charbonnet on Saturday to become the first female mayor of New Orleans, winning in a landslide after a hard-fought race that pitted the city's political establishment against grass-roots organizing and turned long-standing political traditions on their head.With all precincts reporting, Cantrell had collected 60 percent of the vote, making for one of the largest margins in an open mayor's race in the city's modern history. She will take office in May."This win tonight is not for me or my family," Cantrell said Saturday, surrounded by relatives and friends at the People's Health New Orleans Jazz Market on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. "This win tonight is for the city of New Orleans. We have work to do, and we are going to do it together."The decisive victory by Cantrell, a neighborhood organizer who served the past five years as a city councilwoman, was hardly a surprise. She took a commanding lead in the primary and her poll numbers never flagged. She also snared the endorsements of the third- and fourth-place finishers.Yet she also defied many of the commonly held assumptions about politics in New Orleans. Cantrell will be the first mayor not born in the famously insular city since Victor Schiro was elected in the 1960s, and even Schiro spent some of his childhood in the city."Whether or not you were born here, whether or not you chose to be here -- the bottom line is, we are here," Cantrell said. "And because we are here, we are going to make sure that we continue the hard work and that we focus on every aspect of our city."She succeeded without the support of most of the black political establishment. U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond and nearly all of the traditional black political organizations lined up behind Charbonnet.Cantrell won at least in part by capitalizing on her image as a community activist. She was not a native but maybe the closest thing to it -- someone devastated by the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina who helped give voice to the frustrations of recovery.It was that experience that thrust Cantrell onto the public stage, when she took the reins at the Broadmoor Improvement Association. Her fight against the so-called "green dot plan," which would have written off her neighborhood and others, and her advocacy on behalf of for returning residents drew citywide and even national attention.It also would prove to be a springboard for her 2012 run to represent District B on the New Orleans City Council, a seat she was re-elected to two years later without opposition.Cantrell has not yet said whether she plans to relinquish her council seat before being sworn in as mayor.The city and government Cantrell will inherit are drastically different from the one that confronted Mayor Mitch Landrieu eight years ago. While still beset by major problems, including crime, a lack of affordable housing and a crippled Sewerage & Water Board, the city is at least on stable financial footing.When Landrieu took office, the city faced a growing budget deficit and a stalled recovery.When she takes office, Cantrell will inherit a balanced budget, most of a $2.4 billion settlement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to spend on roadwork, a Police Department that is winding down a major court-supervised overhaul and a substantially revamped City Hall.She will have to confront major problems at the S&WB, exposed by this summer's flooding, but a new airport terminal is already rising, the old World Trade Center is set for a makeover into a luxury hotel, and a landmark deal to transform another chunk of the waterfront has been finalized.Though Cantrell has not always seen eye to eye with Landrieu, the sitting mayor has said the two "get along great" and said he has no reservations about the transition."It is a positive attribute as a mayor to be hard-headed and to be passionate about what you do," Landrieu said of Cantrell.Cantrell's campaign had been years in the making, though it appeared on shaky ground once Charbonnet entered the race. Its fundraising in the primary was anemic and sometimes barely enough to cover costs, even as Charbonnet's team racked up massive contributions from the start.But at the same time, the campaign cultivated an army of volunteers and supporters they put to work making phone calls and promoting the candidate as paid canvassers and organizers provided additional boots on the ground. And those efforts were guided by data-driven analyses to target voters who could be swayed to Cantrell's side or given the extra push needed to get them to the polls.Charbonnet, by contrast, invested most of her funds into TV and radio ads and mailers.All told, that effort would give Cantrell an unexpectedly large 9-point advantage in the primary, a lead that snowballed as the runoff took shape. It also would end the campaign's money woes: Contributions poured in, even as Charbonnet's financial backers appeared to abandon her, leaving her campaign nearly broke.A week and a half before the election, Cantrell had raised a total of $1.2 million, about half of that since the primary, while the $1.8 million Charbonnet collected had essentially all been spent.Silas Lee, a Xavier University professor and pollster for the Cantrell campaign, said the election is a sign that the landscape has changed for how elections are conducted in the city."What it does show is we have a new citizenry here, and motivating and having direct contact with voters, the retail politics of political engagement, has merged with social media," Lee said. "No longer can you just have ads -- people want to see a new form of engagement and citizen participation."Cantrell also benefited from the visibility and constituency she has as a sitting city councilwoman, something that judges like Charbonnet lack, Lee said.Throughout the race, Cantrell managed to shrug off attacks and unflattering stories about her personal finances that could have hobbled other candidates.The most damaging of those, which consumed much of the runoff, came after Charbonnet's campaign alleged Cantrell had misused her city credit card for frequent trips. Charbonnet pointed to reimbursements Cantrell had made to the city -- including a large one right after qualifying -- to suggest she regularly had been using taxpayer money for personal expenses.Cantrell's credit card use later would be revealed to be higher, but not out of line with, that of other council members.But by then, District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro -- a strong supporter and close ally of Charbonnet's -- alerted the media that he had forwarded an "anonymous complaint" about Cantrell's credit card use to Attorney General Jeff Landry, further stoking claims by Charbonnet's team that Cantrell could face criminal charges.But all that barely dinged Cantrell's standing in the race. A poll taken after the credit card controversy showed Cantrell still up by 15 percentage points, only a 3-point drop from before the news broke.The election dealt a blow to Richmond's widening stroke in New Orleans, as voters rejected the boost Charbonnet received from Richmond and his allies, who were derisively cast as a political machine by Cantrell and others. Voters also rejected Richmond's choices in two council races.The dismissal of his mayoral pick came even as operatives with strong ties to Richmond worked to amass a $1.8 million campaign stockpile for Charbonnet, as Richmond cut ads in her favor, and as two national politicians Richmond has been friendly with delivered endorsements from on high.One of them, from Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, was seen as risky by political handicappers and might have repelled more voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic city than it attracted. The other, from Democrat U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, of California, might have gone over better locally but may have seemed puzzling to some voters, given Waters' fuzzy connection to New Orleans.Perhaps no Charbonnet endorsement was as problematic as that of Cannizzaro's, however.Once popular, the district attorney's poll numbers have been dented by recent scandals, including his use of so-called material witness warrants to victims of crimes in order to force them to testify, and his issuing of what prosecutors acknowledged were "fake subpoenas" to pressure witnesses to cooperate."She really linked herself closely to the district attorney, and the last poll on him had him underwater in terms of approvals," University of New Orleans political scientist Ed Chervenak said.That poll, commissioned by The Advocate and WWL-TV, showed that less than half of the electorate approved of Cannizzaro's job performance, his lowest favorability rating in years.In the early days of the primary, it appeared that the race might split along the same lines as former Mayor Ray Nagin's 2002 election, and it mostly did. The wealthy members of the Uptown white business community who pushed him to victory lined up against Charbonnet, who drew much of her support from the political organizations and their members who had backed Richard Pennington in that contest.In the runoff, Charbonnet appeared to be attempting to re-create Nagin's second coalition, from 2006 -- appealing to conservative white voters by focusing her ads on crime, and mailers and robocalls with Scalise's endorsement, while trying to maintain a base in the black community.Cantrell's striking victory also came as she positioned herself as the "bottom-up" candidate, unbeholden to powerful backers who would expect favors in return for their support, political analyst Ron Faucheux said.That strategy successfully tapped into the city's zeitgeist, which apparently was more in line with the national mood that enabled the momentum of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' and President Donald Trump's campaigns last year than Charbonnet's camp figured."I think the (popularity) of grass-roots politics over establishment, top-down politics put Charbonnet on the wrong footing," Faucheux said.Charbonnet also struggled to craft an identity separate from that of her political patrons and allowed the narrative -- fashioned by dark-money political groups -- that the former judge was easily controlled to sink in among some voters."Charbonnet was never really able to define herself," Faucheux said.For all she is perceived publicly to be at odds with Landrieu, a Cantrell administration likely will continue much of what the sitting mayor has established over the past eight years."I've shared with our current mayor that it's not about throwing out the baby with the bathwater," Cantrell said. "We want to keep good things going and tweak things that need to be tweaking. We deserve that."For one, Cantrell supports signature components of Landrieu's economic opportunity strategy, such as the mayor's work with Strive NOLA, a program that helps the city's hardest-to-employ residents find work.She also would push for development on the French Quarter riverfront, a possibility Landrieu enabled via a landmark agreement to turn the 3-mile stretch of land now occupied by the Gov. Nicholls Street and Esplanade Avenue wharves into park space.But Cantrell wants to remove the traffic cameras Landrieu established that have "nickel-and-dimed" residents, she has said, and replace revenue lost because of that move with other funding. She also would improve upon Landrieu's jobs strategy by creating a "social impact" bond program that essentially could function as a city-led temp agency for disadvantaged residents.She'll be expected, over the next six months, to fully outline to residents how she'll achieve those and other objectives, ahead of an inauguration bolstered by celebrations of the city's 300th birthday.At her victory speech Saturday, she said she'd use that time wisely and build a well-equipped transition team.She then wrapped things up using the plain-spoken vernacular she's become known for."Let's go get 'em," Cantrell said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Mugabe's Address to the Nation:President Robert Mugabe just completed his address to the nation. Highlights:- Mugabe entered a room lined with generals, and other security leaders.- He read his speech, generals to his right, suits to his left, Father Fidelis Mukonori right next to him.- Address to the nation after meeting with security leaders.- Mugabe acknowledged the issues raised by the security forces, despite not entirely agreeing with the way that they were raised.- Acknowledged the concerns raised by the people of Zimbabwe- Mugabe does not believe the operation was a threat to him, or the constitutional order or his authority as president- A sense of collegiality and comradeship arising from today's meeting.- Government will continue to improve the economy.- Mugabe: Open public spats between high ranking officials in the party... made the criticisms levelled against us inescapable.- Mugabe: The tradition of resistance is our collective legacy.- Mugabe paid tribute to the liberation-war credentials of his generals.- Mugabe: We must all recognise that their participation in the war (veterans) exacted life-long costs.- Mugabe: In respect of the demands of the party and its leadership, they stand to be acknowledged and attended to.- Mugabe: I am aware that as a party of liberation - Zanu-PF has written elaborate rules and procedures.- Mugabe: There has to be a net return to the guiding principle of our party...The era of victimisation and arbitrary decision must be put behind.- Zanu PF is a party of tradition.- Party must have a welding of older players as well as newer entrants through a well defined sense of hierarchy. These matters will be discussed at forthcoming Congress.- Zanu-PF congress will be held in a few weeks from now. Mugabe will preside over- Mugabe: As I conclude this address, I am aware that many developments have occurred in the party, given the failings of the past, and the anger these might have triggered in some quarters.- Mugabe: We cannot be guided by bitterness or vengefulness.- We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit.- Mugabe: I am confident that from tonight our whole nation ... will put shoulder to the wheel. Let us all move forward reminding ourselves of our wartime mantra.- He thanked everyone and wished them good night.
Admitting he was wrong, William M. O'Neill wrote Sunday morning of going to church to "get right with God.""But first I have to get right with my family, my friends, and the thousands of strangers who have been hurt by my insensitive remarks. I am sorry. I have damaged the national debate on the very real subject of sexual harassment, abuse and unfortunately rape. It is not a laughing matter."The Ohio Supreme Court justice and would-be candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination seemingly turned contrite in a Facebook post on Sunday morning after his controversial remarks on Friday.In a Facebook post on Friday, O'Neill boasted of having sex with 50 "very attractive women" and decried media "hysteria" over reports of sexual misbehavior against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, and Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.In his Sunday post, O'Neill concluded with a message to the women in his life before departing for St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Chagrin Falls, where he is an usher and teaches Sunday school."To my daughters, Katie Corrin O'Neill, Tiffany O'Neill Scullen, and my sisters Patricia O'Neill Sacha and Mary Kaye O'Neill, accomplished women all, please accept my public apology for dragging you into this matter. You deserved better treatment than this. I love you, respect you, and yes. I was wrong. Thank you for loving me enough to stand up to my departure from a loving life," he wrote.Asked what prompted his new comments, O'Neill told The Dispatch he had "a sincere discussion with the women in my life and all four demanded that I apologize immediately, and those are women I listen to.""What really led me to the conclusion was the mean-spirited avalanche of comments being generated on my Facebook page ... people who clearly had no intention of addressing the issue of sexual assault and harassment. I inadvertently created a sideshow and wanted to stop it," he said.O'Neill said he will report for work at the Ohio Supreme Court on Monday despite calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats and others.The new message followed a post on Saturday, when O'Neill again took to Facebook in an attempt to make amends for his sexually charged post, which he deleted later in the day on Friday."I offended anyone, particularly the wonderful women in my life, I apologize. But if I have helped elevate the discussion on the serious issues of sexual assault, as opposed to personal indiscretions, to a new level...I make no apologies. Suggesting the admitted conduct of Senator Al Franken and the alleged conduct of Judge Roy Moore are on the same level trivializes the serious subject at hand."There are Democrats out there who are saying neither one of them pass the purity test to sit in the United States Senate. And that is sad," O'Neill wrote.O'Neill's post on Friday was met with a firestorm of criticism, but the 70-year-old said he would refuse calls for his resignation from the Ohio Supreme Court.Among those denouncing his post, and attitude, were Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor and Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper.Democratic gubernatorial candidates state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, former state Rep. Connie Pillich and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley all said O'Neill should resign from the bench.Many of O'Neill's critics were upset at what they viewed as O'Neill trivializing sexual harassment and assault in contrast with what he portrayed as consensual sexual encounters. He also was blasted for seemingly defending Franken and Moore.O'Neill has said, and repeated on Friday, that he would drop his run for governor if former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray enters the race. Cordray announced last week he will resign as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before the end of November. He is widely expected to run for governor.As governor, O'Neill said he would move to legalize recreational marijuana and reopen shuttered state mental health hospitals to treat those addicted to opioids.
When state Rep. Wes Goodman resigned this week after being confronted about a sexual interaction in his office involving a man, multiple Statehouse observers said some version of the same thing: This isn't everything.A new revelation shown in emails and documents obtained by The Washington Post depicts another sexual encounter that, unlike the one in Goodman's state office, was not consensual.An 18-year-old college student who attended an October 2015 fundraiser near Washington was invited to Goodman's hotel room, where he fell asleep, the emails said. But in the middle of the night the student woke up to find Goodman unzipping the young man's pants and fondling him, sending the student running from Goodman's room to his parents, the Post reported.The boy's stepfather wrote to Tony Perkins, president of the Council for National Policy, an evangelical activist group that hosted the event. "If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade," the stepfather wrote, according to the Post.The student said Goodman, R-Cardington, first approached him outside a Ritz-Carlton ballroom while urging young people to come to a party on Capitol Hill, the Post reported."One of the young guys didn't want to go, and Wes really made fun of him and told him he 'had a vagina' and made sarcastic remarks about him being like a woman," the teen wrote in a statement -- obtained by the newspaper -- that was sent to Perkins.When the group got back to the hotel, "Wes pushed me to come to his room" and offered to let him share his bed, he wrote.After the incident became known, Perkins urged the then-31-year-old Goodman to drop out of his 2015 bid for the Statehouse. But he did not, and the information was not widely shared in Ohio.One of those copied on at least one of Perkins' emails was longtime conservative icon Bob McEwen, a former GOP congressman from southern Ohio and executive director of the Council for National Policy."Going forward so soon, without some distance from your past behavior and a track record of recovery, carries great risk for you and for those who are supporting you," Perkins wrote on Dec. 18, 2015, to Goodman, according to the Post.Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken issued a statement Saturday regarding McEwen being copied on the email."I think every person has an obligation to say and do something about sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind when they see it. If Bob McEwen knew about this and did not say or do anything, he should resign" from the Republican state central committee, she said.McEwen did not respond to telephone calls and emails from The Washington Post. He did not immediately respond to an email from The Dispatch. A cell telephone number listed in its name would not accept a voice mail.Perkins also said he was "obligated" to disclose the situation to council members who had donated to Goodman's campaign, but it was not clear if he did. Goodman was close to the council as the managing director of the affiliated Conservative Action Project.Perkins also is president of the Family Research Council, which opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, and calls homosexuality "unnatural."Goodman was a former aide to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, whose spokesman has said was not aware of his behavior.House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, asked Goodman to resign from his House seat this week after he was informed of an incident from several weeks prior of "inappropriate behavior" in Goodman's office in the Riffe Center.After quitting, Goodman said in a statement: "We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life."The exit of Goodman, who is married, came less than a month after the resignation of Sen. Cliff Hite, R-Findlay, following a complaint of sexual harassment filed by a staffer who said he asked her repeatedly to have sex with him in his Columbus condo. On Monday, Senate Democratic chief of staff Mike Premo resigned after a complaint of inappropriate behavior by a female staffer.On his Twitter page, Goodman had described himself as "Christian. American. Conservative. Republican."Those designations have now been removed.
Jurisdiction Population 2015-16 Change Employee Increase Number of Jurisdictions Less than 25,000 0.6% 632 6683 25,000 - 100,000 0.8% 868 1129 100,000 - 200,000 0.5% 247 163 More than 200,000 1.3% 2578 102

Police Employment Data by Department

For years, the Jersey City Police Department experienced a gradual downsizing of its ranks. Staffing remained flat despite population growth, and it shuttered its police academy. But recently, the department has accelerated hiring -- adding more than 300 officers since 2013.The additional manpower has meant more resources for traffic enforcement, counterterrorism work and training. It has also allowed for the creation of the departments first dedicated officer recruiting unit.Many local police departments across the country have also been staffing up for the first time in several years, according to the latest FBI statistics . Among big-city departments, Detroit, Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia all experienced particularly large increases in total personnel between 2015 and 2016. Of larger departments with at least 500 personnel, the top 10 reported year-over-year increases between 6 and 37 percent.Like other areas of government, many police departments incurred cutbacks during and immediately following the recession. And some are still feeling the downturn's effects, which has impeded hiring efforts at these departments. In addition to lingering tight budgets, departments are also facing accelerating retirements or recruiting shortages.Police departments recorded an aggregate uptick in personnel of 1 percent when staffing totals for all agencies reporting data to the FBI in both 2015 and 2016 are compared. While thats not much, it does represent a slight increase from recent years.Departments may be able to boost their ranks for a number of reasons.Darrel Stephens, who recently retired as director of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association, says recovering finances is likely one reason."It probably has more to do with growth in cities than anything," he says. Cities experiencing spikes in crime may have allocated additional funds for police as well.Where additional hiring has occurred, many of the new employees are likely filling civilian positions cut during the recession. The Census Bureaus annual survey of employment and payroll suggests non-sworn police employees were among the hardest hit of any area of local government. Often, the cuts forced departments to pull officers from patrols to take over these administrative duties.Its sort of a shell game in some of these cities because they cant cut sworn people, Stephens says. It has an impact on officers on the street.The Detroit Police Department reported hiring about 200 civilians to free up officers to return to patrol positions last year. Civilian jobs are easier for cities to fill since they usually come with lower salaries compared to officers.It was the big-city departments with the largest budgets that generally added the most officers last year. Those serving jurisdictions with more than 200,000 residents grew by 1.3 percent, more than double the rate of the smallest departments.GoverningSome departments' hiring hasn't been limited by a lack of funding, but by an inability to recruit candidates fast enough. That's because departments are seeing large numbers of retiring baby boomers.Veteran officers and potential recruits may also be looking for opportunities in the now-healthy private sector. This is particularly true of jurisdictions where benefits were cut or where pay freezes persisted. Officials in San Diego, for instance, are nearing an agreement for a new contract with the police union that would provide pay raises up to 30 percent, in part to address the departments retention woes.And some departments are reporting that negative public perceptions of police has made it difficult to attract candidates.A litany of negative consequences might result from inadequately staffed departments. Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea says that not only are response times affected, but community relations suffer as officers are always running to calls.Just about everything suffers if you dont have enough people, he says.One way departments have both expanded and broadened their pools of applicants is by revising job qualification requirements. Jersey City allows applicants with some decades-old minor criminal offenses to remain eligible for employment, while other departments have eased college credit-hour requirements or updated entrance exams.The Jersey City Police Department has sought to make its force more diverse by focusing on working within communities and opening a recruitment office in one of the citys black neighborhoods.You cant just show up and ask people to give you their sons and daughters, Shea says.
Crossing State Lines

Chicago Area Not Receptive

Tacoma Reverses Expansion Block

Detention centers to house prisoners for deportation have become a new battleground for states and cities seeking to resist the Trump administrations push to deport more immigrants.As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement gears up for President Donald Trumps promised push to deport more unauthorized immigrants, more and more jail space will be needed to hold immigrants as they get court hearings and are processed for deportation.But as ICE starts planning the extra detention space called for by Trumps executive orders, the agency is facing more resistance from states and cities that have also pushed back against other deportation tools such as federal requests to detain inmates scheduled for release, new waves of ICE arrests, and the disclosure of inmates release dates.States and cities that want to protect immigrants face some hard choices, said Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. programs at the Migration Policy Institute, which has studied detention issues in the Midwest.Theres been a struggle or battle between ICE and some of the communities where they wanted to house detainees, Capps said. But theres also the issue of what happens when you arrest somebody and take them far across city or state borders. It becomes very difficult for family and also for attorneys to represent them properly.In October, soon after California passed a moratorium on new detention centers, the Trump administration said detainees would be the ones to suffer because ICE would have to detain individuals arrested in California in detention facilities outside of the state, far from any family they may have in California.Less than a week later, Oct. 12, ICE announced plans for more detention centers near Chicago, Detroit, Salt Lake City and St. Paul, Minnesota.No specific projects have been proposed, ICE spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez said, but its part of the agencys $1.2 billion plan to increase detention beds by 50 percent to about 51,000 by 2018.In some cases ICE has found friendlier territory across state lines when immigrant-friendly cities such as Chicago and Salt Lake City resist plans for more detention.Management & Training Corporation, a Utah-based private jail operator, has told ICE it could build a center to serve the Salt Lake City area in Uinta County, Wyoming, about 90 miles away, said Issa Arnita, spokesman for the jail operator.The county commission there already had unanimously passed a resolution in favor of the proposal. Jobs are scarce in the area, and the construction and staffing jobs, as well as property taxes, could be welcome, said Uinta County Commission Chairman Eric South.Were still in a depressed economy here, South said. We had a big boom with the oil a few years back, but now its all gone. We had a lot of businesses close up.Other areas have not been as receptive: Winnebago County, in northern Illinois, had to drop its proposal to use a county jail for immigrant detention early this year in the face of community opposition.Across the Indiana border near Chicago, the city of Hobart has been opposed to the idea of a detention center for years, Mayor Brian Snedecor said. But residents still worry that the private jail operator that owns property there will prevail in the future with promises of jobs and taxes, as it did in Wyoming.Chicago is more politically organized to resist, but we do have some strong citizen coalitions here in Indiana, said the Rev. Charles Strietelmeier, a Lutheran pastor in Hobart who has organized demonstrations against proposed detention centers in Hobart and nearby Gary.Opponents include a mix of immigrant advocates from the Indiana city of East Chicago, near the Illinois border, and other residents who object to having jails in their blue-collar, formerly industrial area.We do need the jobs, especially for people without a college degree, Strietelmeier said. But prisons are the kind of toxic development that, if you allow them, youre sending a message to the rest of the world that youre desperate, that you cant get better development.The GEO Group, an international company that operates private prisons, did not return a call seeking information on plans for its property in Hobart. But GEO already is facing trouble at its Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington.Washington state sued the facility in September, accusing GEO of violating minimum-wage laws by paying prisoners $1 a day for cleaning and maintenance work at the 1,575-bed facility. Washingtons minimum wage is $11 an hour.In March, Tacoma had voted to block expansion of the center, citing potential violations of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an Obama administration program that protected immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children, commonly referred to as Dreamers. The city reversed course in May when told it conflicted with a state law that classifies the center as an essential public facility that cant be blocked by local laws.Californias statewide moratorium, which takes effect next year, covers both new private jails commissioned by ICE and new contracts by local jails to provide space for the same purpose. The state also has budgeted money next year to audit detention centers for civil rights violations and other problems, said Michael Soller, a spokesman for Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara, who supported both efforts.California should not be siding with companies that profit from the detention of asylum-seekers and the misery of divided families, Lara said in an October statement when the Dignity Not Detention Act was signed into law. Some 65,000 immigrants are held by ICE annually in California, he said, citing estimates from Human Rights Watch.Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors more restrictions on immigration, said sanctuary city policies have made it harder for federal authorities to house prisoners awaiting deportation.In a lot of places in the country, ICE can simply lease surplus jail beds and reimburse local jails for the cost, Vaughan said. But some places like Cook County [Illinois] will not hold them at all. If local jurisdictions will not hold deportable aliens in their facilities, then ICE has to have its own.
Description

GIS 20 November, 2017: Civil servants are vested with the duty of contributing to the national wealth of the country in the performance of their duties. Civil servants are vested with the duty of contributing to the national wealth of the country in the performance of their duties. This endeavour in turn translates into Governments core mission of keeping up the dynamic development of the country that will inherently translate into the progress of the population.

This statement was made this morning by the Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms, Mr Eddy Boissezon, at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall, New Government Centre, in Port-Louis where he was addressing newly recruited Office auxiliary officers/Senior auxiliary officers.

Minister Boissezon, h ighlighted that the new 165 recruits henceforth form part of the cohort of 55 000 civil servants wherein each worker irrespective of his position has an important contribution to the smooth running of the civil service. Moreover, he observed that the ongoing recruitment by the civil service, some 15 000 new recruits since 2015, form part of Governments strategies to ensure the welfare of the citizens and to alleviate poverty. He pointed out that measures such as the Minimum Pay and the Negative Income Tax also contribute to this goal.

He emphasised that the Office Auxiliaries in the performance of their duties will be the real frontliners as they will represent the corporate image of the civil service. He added that the new recruits will help to enhance the customer service of the civil service to the public in addition of helping to advance Governments goal of bringing change.

A two- day induction programme has been designed to give the new recruits an overview of their roles and responsibilities, structures of Ministries and lines of reporting, among others. The new recruits will be posted to various departments and Ministries.
Toto Wolff has now joined Niki Lauda in saying he is worried about F1's future.

Lauda, who co-owns the Mercedes team together with Wolff and the German carmaker, recently said he is concerned about Liberty's vision of the sport's future.

He now tells Brazil's Globo: "We had to give them time to identify the DNA of the series.

"But I can already say that for Mercedes, and from what I have talked about with other teams too, there are things that worry us.

"One is that they have restructured F1, hiring a number of professionals at a cost of $70 million a year, which could mean less money for the teams. We still don't know what amount will be divided between us in 2018," Lauda said.

The F1 legend also said he is worried about Liberty's plans on the sporting side.

"Every time we talk, I get the feeling they (Liberty) want the Nascar system, where all the teams are the same so that everyone can win. But this is the opposite of F1," said Lauda.

"In our competition, we honour the best car, the best designers and the best drivers. And that's something Ross (Brawn) should know because he was a part of this F1," he added.

Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, admits he shares Lauda's concerns.

"Bernie Ecclestone invented something and made it into something great over 50 years," he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"And we now have the responsibility to keep it great. We have different opinions about how to do that, but we will continue to talk to each other," Wolff said.

(GMM)
News / National

by Farai Shawn Matiashe in Mutare

MUTARE - ZANU-PF Manicaland Province has praised Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) General Constantino Chiwenga's move to "step in" to cleanse "criminals" around President Robert Mugabe at a Provincial Coordination Committee (PPC) meeting held in the eastern border recently.The province passed a resolution for Mugabe to resign as their first secretary and to expel cabal members aligned to the G40 faction.Minister of Home Affairs Ignatius Chombo, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Jonathan Moyo, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere and First Lady Grace Mugabe were among the alleged criminals who need to be cleansed around the President.These resolutions will be sending to the Central Committee meeting to be held before the congress, slated for December.The meeting, which was held at Mutare Polytechnic, also witnessed some members who were expelled on allegations of belonging to a faction Lacoste which is believed to be led by former VP Emerson Mnangagwa, being recalled to take up their positions in the party.Mike Madiro took up his position as the party provincial chairperson which was being held by Samuel Undenge, Tawanda Mukodza was appointed youth chairperson and Happiness Nyakudwa was appointed as provincial women's league chairperson.Addressing the gathering, Member of Parliament for Buhera South constituency Joseph Chinotimba said the party cannot go to congress without provincial chairpersons."Since 2013 we had no chairpersons. We had acting chairpersons. Matabeleland South and Masvingo Province are the only provinces which have chairpersons who were elected. Business cannot continue before the appointments of these chairpersons," said Chinotimba.The meeting attendees were excited as they were singing party songs praising the army.Members were seen not wearing party regalia as they used to do when attending such meetings.
In addition to the agreement with Big Ox, UPS signed a five-year agreement earlier this year with AMP energy for 1.5 million gallon equivalents of RNG per year from the Fair Oaks dairy farm in Indiana. The RNG agreements will help UPS reach a key sustainability goal: 40% of all ground transportation fleet fuel from sources other than conventional gasoline and diesel by 2025.

UPS announced an agreement with Big Ox Energy (a wholly owned subsidiary of Environmental Energy Capital LLC) to purchase 10 million gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas (RNG) per year. This is the largest investment in RNG to date for the company, and the agreement runs through 2024. Use of RNG yields up to a 90% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional diesel.

Natural gas is a proven alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel and is a key building block for our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our ground fleet. These agreements add significantly to our investment in the use of RNG and will help put us on track to nearly triple our annual use of RNG. They are also a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment to help shape the renewable natural gas industry. Mike Casteel, UPS director of fleet procurement

UPS fueling stations in Lexington, Ky.; Louisville, Ky.; New Stanton, Pa.; Richmond, Va.; Roanoke, Va.; West Columbia, S.C.; Horsham, Pa. and Doraville, Ga. will use the Bix Ox RNG to fuel UPS delivery vehicles and tractors.

RNG, also known as biomethane, can be derived from many abundant and renewable sources, including decomposing organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment and agriculture. It is then distributed through the natural gas pipeline system, making it available for use as liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

UPS used 61 million gallons of natural gas in its ground fleet in 2016, which included 4.6 million gallons of RNG. The company is on track to use 14 million gallons of RNG in 2017.

UPS drives more than 5,200 CNG and LNG vehicles in its fleet of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. Earlier this year, UPS announced a more than $90-million investment in natural gas vehicles and infrastructure. This investment included an additional six compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations, 390 new CNG tractors and terminal trucks, and 250 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles.

Since 2009, UPS has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally. UPS deploys the more than 8,500 vehicles in its Rolling Lab to utilize technologies that work best depending on the needs of the delivery route.

Big Ox Energy converts organic waste from municipal waste water facilities, agriculture, and food processing into pipeline-grade renewable natural gas.
News / National

by Reuters

President Robert Mugabe has agreed to the terms of his resignation and a letter has been drafted, a CNN report says, citing sources with direct knowledge of negotiations.The report said that the army generals had agreed into many of Mugabe's demands.Under the agreed deal, Mugabe and his wife will be granted full immunity and he would keep his private properties.For the resignation to formally take place, however, a letter must first be sent to the speaker of Parliament, the source reportedly said.Mugabe stunned many on Sunday after he stressed that he was still in power during a much-anticipated TV address."The (ruling Zanu-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said, pitching the country into further uncertainty.Many Zimbabweans expected Mugabe to resign after the army seized power last week.But Mugabe delivered his speech alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention.In his address, Mugabe made no reference to the clamour for him to resign. Instead he paid tribute to three pillars of power in Zimbabwe - the military, the ruling party and the war veterans movement - and urged national solidarity.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe has not resigned but acknowledged issues drawn to his attention by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) command element.In a state of the nation address broadcast live on ZBC TV this evening, President Mugabe said this follows an operation mounted by the ZDF, which was triggered by the state of affairs in the country and in the ruling Zanu PF party.He said the issues drawn to his attention are out of deep concern for the nation.The President also said concerns from citizens deserve attention and a collective process to return everything to normal well into the future will be done.He commended the ZDF for maintaining peace, law and order and allowing expressing of grievances with a high level of dignity.Mugabe said the past events did not amount to a threat or challenge to his authority as the ZDF remained respectful with all arms of the state functional.He also said problems in the ruling Zanu PF were caused by lack of unity which was affecting the economy, conflicting messages from the government and Zanu PF party, adding that controversy has to stop as the government is committed to improving material resources for the people.Mugabe said he will preside over the Zanu PF Extra-Ordinary Congress in December despite the party's Special Central Committee recalling him in this Sunday's session.The President also acknowledged that the country's independence was won after a protracted struggle whose goals must drive the future.
GREENSBORO  The death of Jamison Logan Horvath came unlike any homicide before it this year.

Shots werent fired.

It wasnt at a party.

It wasnt on a weekend.

It wasnt late at night.

In short, it wasnt typical. In fact, it was truly bizarre. Well get to that in a minute.

Greensboro police said Horvath died after Jacob Montgomery Stowe, 20, allegedly backed over him with a truck after the two men got into an argument on Seminole Drive early Monday morning.

And with that, Horvath became Greensboros 39th homicide  a number reached only once before in 2007. Its a number that might be surprising to many in a city that has averaged 25 homicides a year since 2000.

If another killing occurs before the end of the year, Greensboro will surpass its record number of homicides.

And thats very likely to happen.

Not a month in 2017 has gone by without at least two homicides. June and August saw six killings each. April, July and October each had four.

Since Jan. 1, Greensboro has said goodbye to 35 men and four women  34 African-Americans, four Caucasians and an Asian.

The victims range in age from 18 to 54.

Theyve died before dawn  like Horvath, 22  and in the dead of night. And many have occurred right in broad daylight.

Arrests have been made in 16 of the 39 crimes, including the one on Monday morning.

Thing is, Greensboro police never expected to find Horvath dead.

Officers responded at 5:13 a.m. to a 911 call from a man named Jordan Clay, who reported that he was holding someone at gunpoint inside his house at 1333 Seminole Drive.

By the time police arrived, the suspect had run.

Clay gave officers a description of the man, who would later be identified as Stowe.

Police eventually caught up with Stowe and took him into custody.

Little did they know at the time that on Seminole Drive, Horvath was fighting for his life.

Greensboro police learned from witnesses that before Clay called police, Horvath and Stowe had been riding in Stowes truck when they got into an argument.

Horvath climbed out of the truck and Stowe allegedly backed over his body.

Witnesses told police Horvath staggered away from Stowes truck and collapsed in a yard where he later died.

Around that same time, Clay said that Stowe allegedly broke into his house screaming James!  Horvaths first name  repeatedly. Clay said he pointed a gun at Stowe, but he ran away.

Thats when Clay called police.

Investigators charged Stowe, of 4203 Obriant Place in Greensboro, with first-degree murder and a number of other crimes.

Officers are still trying to determine why Stowe went into Clays house.

Meanwhile, Greensboro police say they are conscious of how many homicides have occurred in the city and blame some of the violence on gangs and drugs.

Still, they say are struggling to figure out why there have been so many.
A record number of motorists in the Carolinas are facing the highest gas prices for the Thanksgiving holiday in three years, AAA Carolinas said.

The average price in the Triad for regular unleaded gas is projected to be $2.40 a gallon, up from $2.05 a year ago, and $2 in 2015. In 2014, gas was $2.71 a gallon.

AAA Carolinas projects that more than 1.4 million North Carolinians will journey 50 miles or more from home over the five-day period that begins Wednesday, along with 700,000 South Carolinians.

Combined, the projected travelers are up 3.3 percent from a year ago.

Despite higher gas prices this year, Carolinians are still planning to hit the roads in record-breaking numbers to spend time with family and friends this Thanksgiving, said Dave Parsons, AAA Carolinas president and chief executive.

In September, AAA Carolinas said there was a possibility of gas prices dropping to $2 a gallon by Christmas even with the impact of two major hurricanes, Harvey and Irma, on the nations gasoline production.

Instead, AAA Carolinas spokesperson Tiffany Wright said an unseasonably warm October led to more motorists filling up their tanks for road trips instead of spending time indoors.

Wright said motorist demand for gasoline was at its highest level in October since 2006.

That increased demand has continued into November, which has chipped away at the national inventory, resulting in a jump at the pump during a time when historically prices should be falling, Wright said.

Its hard to predict when prices will decline again and too early to predict what prices will look like for December.

According to GasBuddy.com, the lowest gas prices in Forsyth County are $2.27 at 2500 New Walkertown Road and Gerald Street, followed by $2.28 at the Citgo at 4206 Reidsville Road, the ReidCo at 4257 Reidsville Road and several convenience stores on the western end of Hanes Mall Boulevard.

Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University, said there are several reasons behind the recent uptick in gas prices, including concerns about stability in the Middle East.

There is the threat of the United States-Iran treaty termination, the removal of several Saudi leaders, political instability in Lebanon, the revival of Assads power in Syria, and uncertainty about the roles of Russia and the U.S. in Syria, Walden said.

AAA Carolinas said nearly 90 percent of N.C. holiday travelers, or 1.3 million, will drive to their destination, while 98,000 are expected to fly and 42,000 to travel by other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses.

Last year, North Carolina had 2,649 crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday resulting in 20 fatalities, while South Carolina had 1,299 crashes resulting in 16 deaths.

The agency warned that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become a big night for binge drinking, as family and friends return home to reconnect for the holiday.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections received one incident report involving a party-appointed poll observer on Election Day, and seven more during one-stop early voting. Election officials were on high alert for unruly observers after the board received reports of more than a dozen conduct violations during the May primary. Overall, the board received reports of 21 conduct violations during the general election, involving both observers and campaigners. They included 12 instances of alleged voter intimidation, one instance of possible voter interference and eight instances of potential election official intimidation. Campaigners were the most common perpetrators. Board spokesperson Patrick Gannon said there may be additional incidents that have not yet been reported.
VAN HORN, Texas  Authorities are searching Texas' Big Bend area for potential suspects and witnesses after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was fatally injured responding to activity there.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details Sunday on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them. Spokesman Carlos Diaz said the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Another spokesman, Douglas Mosier, said Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, and his partner were transported to a local hospital, where Martinez died. Martinez's partner is in serious condition. His name wasn't released. Martinez had been a border agent since August 2013 and was from El Paso.

President Donald Trump commented about the incident on Twitter Sunday night amid a series of unrelated tweets.

"We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible," Trump's tweet read. He also reiterated his call for a wall at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Border Patrol records show Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003  some attacked while working along the border and others killed in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.
RALEIGH  Former state NAACP leader Rev. William Barber will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thanksgiving Day, according to WRAL.

The two will meet as part of two-day conference of social justice advocates from around the world.

Barber was invited to the Vatican in September. He also plans to visit England and Africa to meet with labor and workers rights advocates, according to the report.
News / National

by Staff reporter

"We need a fresh start" - Zanu-PF MP Terence Mukune says it's unfair to brand Robert Mugabe's likely successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa as a dictator #r4today pic.twitter.com/zTcYnbruBf  BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 20, 2017

The British Africa minister Rory Stewart predicts that Zimbabwe's successor will be "reaching out" to Britain and to others "because he will want legitimacy and he will also want support to get Zimbabwe off the ground".An MP from the governing Zanu-PF has said "it's unfair" to call Emmerson Mnangagwa a dictator.It has been an open secret in Zimbabwe for many years that Mr Mnangagwa wanted to succeed Robert Mugabe as president.But his past has also been criticised.MP Terence Mukupe was speaking to the BBC's Today programme.Mr Mnangagwa was the spy chief during the 1980s civil war in which thousands of civilians were killed.He has however denied any role in the massacres, blaming the army.Mr Mnangagwa's sacking two weeks ago as the vice-president prompted the army to take the unprecedented move to take control of the country.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was first published on April 19, 2017. Charles Manson died in prison on Nov. 19, 2017.

Of all the notorious crimes of 20th-century America, perhaps the most sensational  as well as creepiest  were the Manson Family murders.

On Aug. 8, 1969, Charles Manson, the charismatic, Svengali-like leader of a mostly female band known as the Manson Family, sent five of his acolytes to murder the residents of 10050 Cielo Drive, the rented home of actress Sharon Tate and director Roman Polanski in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. A day later, he ordered another home-invasion murder, this one at the home of grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, near Beverly Hills.

On both nights, bloody words were scrawled on the walls.

Even today behind bars in the Central Valley, Manson remains a magnetic figure and a living symbol of evil despite his 82 years and a recent near-death health scare. None of the imprisoned young followers  now well into their '60s  involved in the murders has ever been granted parole.

Manson's purported goal was to provoke what he called "Helter Skelter," a race war between blacks and whites. Influenced by the Beatle's song "Piggies," he had his followers write "Death to Pigs" in their victims' blood. In the case of the LaBianca murders, the victims were stabbed with a fork as well as knives in a reference to the lyric "Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon."

According to one of the second-night killers, Leslie Van Houten, Manson wanted the LaBianca killings to be more gruesome than the Tate murders, which he said had not caused enough panic in the victims.

While Charles Manson's infamy has not faded over the decades he's been locked away, few are aware that his "family" got its start during the Summer of Love in San Francisco 50 years ago. Even fewer are aware that Manson's top disciple worked for some time as a stripper in North Beach.

In the above gallery, we explore the Bay Area's connections to the Manson murders as well as offer few examples of Manson's bizarre behavior:
NEW CANAAN  Mike Handler wears many different hats.

Most days, hes commuting from his New Canaan home to Stamford, where he acts as the citys chief financial officer. He comes home each night to his wife, Sarah, and four daughters ranging in age from 17 to 1. And when an emergency strikes  and even before it does  he acts as New Canaans emergency management director, a volunteer position where he leads the towns public safety agencies in a coordinated response to natural disasters and other emergencies.

Now Handler, 47, is throwing his hat in the ring in exchange for another role: governor. In July, the New Canaan resident announced his bid for the Republican nomination for the 2018 gubernatorial race.

I love the state, said the New Jersey native. My wife and four daughters were born and raised in Connecticut. I refuse to live in a state where my daughters going to grow up, go to college and not come back and raise our grandkids here. I know the issues are fixable. I know I have the experience and the ability to solve the problem and I have the confidence to say that because Ive just done the exact same thing in the city of Stamford.

Handler comes from a diverse background. He holds a bachelors in political science from Emory University and a masters in business administration from Columbia. He worked as a senior portfolio manager at SAC Capital Management and was executive vice president at Jefferies Asset Management before joining Stamford as its chief financial officer in 2012.

In addition to his financial work, Handler started working as EMT when he was in high school back in 1987 and has been riding ambulance ever since in Atlanta, New York City, and Connecticut. He began working with the New Canaan Emergency Medical Services when he moved to the town in 2000.

In 2012, then mayor of Stamford, Mike Pavia, approached Handler about a role working in public safety for Stamford. The year prior in 2011, Handler had become New Canaans Director of Emergency Management after serving as the chief of New Canaans Emergency Medical Services. However, taking the role meant Handler wouldve had to leave his new role in New Canaan which he wasnt willing to do.

I never wanted to give up the job I had here in New Canaan and both would conflict, he said. I didnt want to leave a job in New Canaan that I loved to pursue another job in Stamford.

Pavia eventually tapped Handler to serve as the citys director of administration after consulting him for help with some of the citys financial problems. When Handler took on the role, he was shocked by the state of the citys affairs.

Like most of us who have a sense taxpayer dollars are wasted by government employees, I had a very low expectation of what Id find in terms of the financial integrity in Stamford and I was pretty shocked, he said. It was pretty bad. The things theyd been doing for the past 15 years were pretty dramatic and they all seemed to be suited toward benefiting today. Every decision they were making financially were geared toward robbing tomorrow to make us look better today. Everything they were doing was really short-sighted.

Handler cited long-neglected employee contracts, unfunded employee benefits and ownership of inappropriate businesses as a few of the problems with the citys budget. He worked with David Martin, the current mayor of Stamford who at the time was the chair of the financial policy committee for the citys Board of Finance, to put policy changes in place so future leaders could not accumulate debt premiums to make up for budget deficiencies. Martin, a Democrat, kept Handler on when he became mayor of Stamford in 2013.

I made absolutely certain he and I would legislate it so you could never do this again, Handler said. If I move on tomorrow and leave the city of Stamford, someone in my spot could not come in and do the same thing Dan Malloy was doing years ago. And thats just one of several policies changed so theyd have to find more creative ways to screw the taxpayers.

Handler also re-negotiated city labor contracts to be fully funded and fair to both the employees and city taxpayers. Now about 19 percent of the citys operational budget goes toward fixed structural costs, including benefits that are actually being funded.

The success Ive had in the city of Stamford was in working with employees to appreciate what the word unsustainable actually looks like and what it means and how that affects them and their benefits the most, he said.

Handler also helped save the city money by pulling it out of businesses like the Smith House. The Smith House was one of three publicly owned nursing homes in the northeast and was costing the city $6.5 million a year due to untouched and expensive contracts. Handler helped privatize the facility while keeping a space for its Medicaid-protected residents and keeping the jobs and helped save Stamford over $5 million a year.

Handlers plan going into office is to mimic the changes he made in Stamford on a statewide level. Changing financial policies to prevent towns from getting themselves into debt, looking at where cuts can be made and seeing how funds can be used more efficiently.

Its not sexy, but weve got to make structural changes to the way we operate our government, Handler said. You cant cut your way to prosperity, but you can provide predictive taxing structure to individuals and companies looking at business in the state. The reason why companies dont want to be here is they have no idea what the tax rates going to look like in a year or two.

Handler added that people dont want to buy a home in Connecticut for two reasons: Job security and unknown tax rates.

Handler hopes he can combine his experience in the private and public sectors to help make these changes possible. With at least eight other candidates appealing for the Republican spot, Handler is expecting hell be competing for a spot in a primary before he gets the official nomination for the larger race. But he said his appeal to a range of political beliefs  only about 40 percent of donors whove given to his campaign are Republican  makes him a strong frontrunner.
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HARTFORD  Miriam Martinez Lemus did not get on a plane to Guatemala Monday as ordered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Instead, she headed home to her family in Stamford, waited for her children to get off the school bus and planned to make them dinner.

If ICE wants to come and get her, they know exactly where she is, her attorney Glenn Formica said at an impromptu press conference held in New Haven, as Martinez wears an ankle bracelet that has a GPS tracking device.

A group of advocates, headed by Building One Community, will have someone with Martinezs family at all times, if that is what they desire.

Martinez is the main caretaker for her 12-year-old daughter, Brianna Benavides, who has Type 1 juvenile diabetes, a life-threatening disease that has to be monitored 24 hours a day.

While they are deciding whether they want to take a mother from a sick child, whether they want to expose that child to that kind of risk is ICEs decision. They said she cannot stay, and I am saying, she cannot go, Formica said.

The press conference was called in response to ICEs rejection Monday of Formicas request for a stay of deportation to allow him more time to research the case, which he took pro bono late last week. Formica made the appeal to ICE earlier in the morning.

ICEs decision was condemned by a series of speakers, which included Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Formica, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Dr. Stuart Weinzimer, who heads the pediatric diabetes clinic at Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital.

She (Martinez) is being asked to go to Guatemala and abandon her child, Formica said. Miriam is not going to go into a church basement. Miriam is not going to hide from ICE. ICE knows where she is. My understanding is that bracelet has a two-way radio. ICE can listen if they want to.

It is common for undocumented immigrants to have to wear these bracelets while their cases are playing out, rather than be incarcerated.

A total of three undocumented immigrants in the state have opted to seek sanctuary in a church, rather than be deported. One of them did get some legal relief.

An ICE official issued a statement on the case on Monday afternoon.

Miriam Martinez-Lemus is citizen of Guatemala. A federal immigration judge granted her voluntary departure in 2002, but she failed to leave the U.S. as instructed and that order automatically changed to a final order of removal.

In a measure of discretion, ICE did not place her in custody, but entered her into an Alternatives to Detention program, and she has been checking in periodically at an ICE office. She was asked to provide proof she intends to leave the U.S., in compliance with the courts order, which she has done. Should she fail to depart as instructed, she will be listed as an immigration fugitive and arrested when encountered, and then ICE will carry out her removal order.

As an issue of operational security, ICE will not publicly discuss specific removal dates or times for any individual until after the removal has been completed, the official said.

Martinez, who has been in the U.S. for 25 years, said her daughter Brianna gets the proper care she needs here at the Yale clinic, something that will not be available in Guatemala.

Martinez said she wakes up in the middle of the night to check on her to make sure she is all right. I am scared that my daughter will have no one to care for her, she said.

I want to stay with my family together, Martinez said, as she teared up.

Her husband, Luis Raphael Benavides, works in New York and is not available to respond to emergencies or perform the kind of constant monitoring needed for his daughter. Formica said it requires a team of two parents.

Benavides said if he cannot work, he cannot provide for the family of four, which also includes a 10-year-old daughter. Both girls are honor students in the Stamford public schools, according to Formica.

Benavides said Briannas condition needs to be monitored on a daily basis for the rest of her life, something she will not be capable of herself until she is older. She was diagnosed when she was 10.

Mommy is the only person who has managed to get Brianna healthy, of course with our help, and the doctors. Mommy is the backbone of this operation for Brianna to have a healthy condition, he said.

Both parents and Weinzimer referred to the complicated daily routine that is required.

You want to make sure you do what we can so she will wake up and say, Daddy, good morning, Im ready to go to school, Benavides said. We cannot be torn apart. ... She is a mother, she is my wife.

Martinez came to the U.S. in 1992 at the age of 27 and immediately sought asylum. She told officials she was fleeing violence and death threats in Guatemala. Formica said he does not have all the records, but she may have had more avenues to legal status along the way. He said he is at a loss as to why a previous attorney requested voluntary departure in 1999.

Martinez did get a stay of deportation, but when she requested an extension this August, it was rejected by ICE and she was told to get a ticket to Guatemala.

Formicas office Monday said there is conflicting information in the ICE record on voluntary departure and they want a Freedom of Information request previously made by attorneys for Building One Community quickly fulfilled.

While ICE says Martinez was granted voluntary departure in 2002, attorney Sidd Sinha in the Formica office said the information they have is that it was in 1998 and the ICE Case Information Hotline suggests a different date. which parallels the 1998 date.

This is an important fact in that the voluntary departure date is central to facts of her case and the original asylum application she filed, Sinha said.

Malloy reminded everyone that Brianna and her sister, Allison, are American citizens. She needs our help and in this case, she needs the help of her mother and father as a team, he said.

If any situation cries out for additional understanding, quite frankly, expression of humanity and charity, this one does, the governor said. He said he is pleading with ICE to allow more time to explore other avenues to keep this family together as the legal issues are untangled.

Malloy said he understands it is complicated, but I also have to say the American people did not ask for what is happening here to take place.

He said the public has been clear that some people should be removed from the U.S. just as they believe some folks should be allowed to stay.

Malloy said in the last year he has been told by President Donald Trump that he was only interested in deporting bad hombres, people who have done something terribly wrong. That is not the situation here.

He said these circumstances cry out for understanding and keeping this family together. This child, in all likelihood, if she was to go with her mother, her condition would deteriorate rather rapidly.

Likewise. if only her father is in the U.S. and half of her care team is gone, she would be at serious risk, Malloy said.

The governor said these circumstances do not cry out for the exclusion of this woman.

At the very least, this woman, this family should be allowed to stay together during the pendency of any other legal filing, he said.

Malloy said if people dont buy his initial argument, they might consider the economics. He said the childs medical care could get very expensive, very quickly if her condition were to deteriorate for lack of proper monitoring.

Blumenthal called ICEs decision reprehensible and irresponsible.

Miriam is the voice and face of our resistance to a policy that is cruel, heartless and inhumane  also completely irrational. To rip apart a family, to deprive children of their mom ... and to impede the employment of Luis Raphael ... Allison and Brianna need their mom. This family should not be ripped apart, Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal said Martinez should be given a chance to fight this order. She has lacked a full fair day in court and she has been in this country peacefully and productively for 25 years. ... This policy cannot be accepted, the senator said.

Blumenthal said the policy contradicts American values ... Her fight, I hope, will become known to all Americans and we will bring this case to the highest level of Homeland Security.

Weinzimer, who had written an open letter to ICE over the weekend asking that Martinez not be deported, at the press conference explained that juvenile diabetes is much more serious than the diabetes that affects millions of adults.

For children, diabetes is a life-threatening illness, as the patient is no longer able to make insulin, he said.

Weinzimer said these patients get a steady supply of insulin by 4 to 6 injections a day or through wearing an insulin pump, which has to be checked manually for the correct dosage. In addition, they have to check their blood sugar levels 10 to 12 times a day.

Every day is a constant stream of decisions, Weinzimer said. It all has to be weighed against the physical activity of the child and any other things going on. Carbohydrates have to be monitored.

And that is on a healthy day. When the child is sick all the insulin needs, all the calculations must change. It is a very, very complicated burdensome disease for a child and for the childs family, Weinzimer said. Brianna has an insulin pulp and wears a blood sugar level monitor.

It takes months, if not years, to be able to learn to do this and her family has learned this. Her mother has born the brunt of taking care of her and she has done very well. ... It is all at risk if all of that good care-taking is put in jeopardy, the endocrinologist said.

Earlier in the day, outside ICE offices on Main Street in Hartford, several dozen supporters rallied on behalf of Martinez.

Her sister, Isaura Boytim, who came from New Jersey, spoke after the rally.

This situation is so hard, Boytim said. She said her sister constantly monitors her 12-year-old. She is always worried.

.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 201-641-2577
News / National

by Staff Reporter

A traditional cleansing ceremony was conducted this Sunday (yesterday) at Nyamakate along the Harare-Kariba highway where a King Lion bus accident claimed 43 lives in June this year.The King Lion bus tragedy prompted a spirit medium of Hurungwe popularly known as 'Svikiro Guru ReHurungwe Tateguru Mubaiwa' to conduct a cleansing ceremony to appease spirits of the dead.Nyamakate villagers expressed their gratitude on the cleansing of the road and revealed that strange events take place at the road during the night.It is hoped that the traditional cleansing will appease the spirits of those who died and help their souls to rest in peace.




Haiti - FLASH USA : Renewal of TPS decisive week





Thursday, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) after having met with Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) Elaine Duke, the cting head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, "I am pleased to have been able to meet with Acting Secretary Duke to continue advocating for temporary protection status (TPS), or Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States,' adding "I will continue to work with Senator Nelson and our colleagues from the Florida delegation to assist those currently benefiting from the TPS."



tating that a letter signed by several elected : Bill Nelson, Marco Rubio, Alcee L. Hastings, Mario Diaz-Balart, Debbi Wasserman Schultz, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lois Frankel, Ted Deutch and Federica Wilson was sent to Elaine Duke.



Recall that the DHS must render its decision before Thursday, November 23, 2017 to comply with the American law that requires the decision 60 days before the date of the expiry of the extension, set for January 22, 2018 for nearly 58,000 Haitians living under the TPS.



Extract of the letter :

"[...]



We write again to urge you to extend for a full 18 month Temporary Protected status (TPS) for Haitins currentley living in the United States. We appreciated the opportunily to with you and discuss lhe need for an extension. As swe prepare to make a determination on extension, we encourage you to consider the full range of factors permitted under the law.



The need for a full extension is clear. Haiti - the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - continues to recover from the : devastating 2010 earthquake [...]



The extensive damage caused by hurricane Mallhew in 2016 only made Haiti's reovery's more difficult. For example. Matthew a major hurricane, destroyed much of Haili's food crops, leaving millions of Hailians food insecure, according to some estimates. We believe that these persistent, dificult conditions in Haiti warrant a full extension, and that the laws allows you to consider these factors among others in making a determination



Furthermore, the Government of Haiti has requested an extension as it works fully recover and rebuild for the benefit of all it people. We owe it to the people to assist them in their efforts, espacially as tehy beginto mpake limited progress. Haiti comply cannot absorb the premature return of 60,000 people at one [...]"



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22733-haiti-flash-usa-law-to-extend-tps-adopted-by-first-senate-committee.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22732-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22623-haiti-usa-frederica-wilson-presents-a-resolution-to-extend-the-tps-to-haitians.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22614-haiti-flash-black-caucus-is-again-pressing-for-the-renewal-of-the-tps.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22604-haiti-flash-renewal-of-tps-uncertain-58-000-haitians-at-risk-of-expulsion-from-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22604-haiti-flash-renewal-of-tps-uncertain-58-000-haitians-at-risk-of-expulsion-from-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22214-haiti-tps-senators-democrats-put-pressure-on-president-trump.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21131-haiti-politics-congresswoman-mia-love-wishes-12-additional-months-to-tps.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21022-haiti-usa-tps-congresswoman-yvette-d-clarke-denounces.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21017-haiti-usa-tps-congresswoman-wilson-continues-the-fight.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21016-haiti-flash-tps-extension-for-6-months-official.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20832-haiti-flash-black-caucus-supports-tps-extension.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Environment : The Director of the North West, deplores the bad behavior of the population





The Agronomist Luckner Noel, Departmental Director of the North West (DDNO) of the Ministry of the Environment (MDE) intervened in the framework of the 7th edition of the Fridays of the Ministry to take stock of the mission of its structure, all activities undertaken, those underway as well as others in perspective.



"Since the environment is transversal, the DDNO-MDE started its activities with the organization of a Sectorial Table in order to pose the problems and define a common strategy to solve them," explained Luckner Noel, continuing "This initiative was followed by other more important ones, such as the Celebration of the Cocoa and Coffee Festival, on a background of an agro-production fair with a view to environmental rehabilitation of the Department [...]"



Stressing that other more structuring and sustainable approaches in terms of strengthening the Sector have been carried out, among which is the : Workshop on the Updating of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) and on the Restructuring of the Environmental Sector Table and the laying of the first stone of the Center of Germoplasms in the 3rd Aubert section of the municipality of Port de Paix https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22550-icihaiti-agriculture-laying-of-the-first-stone-of-the-4th-plant-propagation-center.html



He also mentioned important work done at the level of the Commune "the cleaning of 1.5 km of canals and the cleaning of 300 linear meters of the River of Port-de-Paix, obstructed by alluvium and waste causing the flooding of the city, at the slightest downpour.



Moreover, he deplored the environmental crisis in Haiti and at the department level in particular, caused by the poor behavior of the population with its living environment, insisting on the imperative need for a change of mentality, which requires that a important work of conscientization is carried out.



In office since only 5 months Agronome Noel estimates its positive balance. However, he is aware that much remains to be done and he has launched an appeal to all the forces of the Department to join forces and meet all these challenges. In this perspective, he announced that an Consultative Workshop was planned with all the Communities with a view to a concerted response to the issues, one of the highest priority being that of waste management.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - ALERT : The Minister of Economy victims of fake Facebook accounts





In a note, Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, Minister of the Economy and Finance denounces the existence of two fake Facebook accounts.



Note of denunciation by Minister Salomon :



"The Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF) notes that a fake Facebook account in the name of Jude Alix Solomon and another in the name of Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, Minister of Economy and Finance were created by unidentified individuals. In these accounts, counterfeiters spread false information and make allusions that have nothing to do with the Minister.





The Ministry informs all those interested that the Minister Jude Alix Patrick Salomon does not have any account on Facebook and disclaims any liability for information or actions emanating from these accounts.



The MEF reminds the authors of these false accounts that their act constitutes an identity theft, therefore a crime under public law punishable by both the laws of the Republic of Haiti and the international conventions on the rights to identification.



As a result, the public action was set in motion in order to prosecute these persons and bring them to justice."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - 214th Vertieres : Message from the Consul of Chicago





Sunday as part of the 214th anniversary of the Battle of Vertieres, a Mass in memory of our glorious martyrs was celebrated. In this circumstance, Lesly Conde, the Consul General of Haiti in Chicago delivered a message in front of a large assembly, message that we invite you to read.



Message from the Consul Lesly Conde :



"Distinguished compatriots,

Dear friends of Haiti,

Friends of Haiti,

Fre m ak se m yo,



I am delighted to be with you in the house of the Lord to commemorate the 214th anniversary of the famous Battle of Vertieres, the one that brought honor to the entire black race. As always, I feel good in your company and I'm sure you all appreciate the great nature of the historic event that brings us together today. I send you, with pleasure, the fraternal greetings of the Consulate General of Haiti in Chicago.



As with every occasion, I must first thank the Church of Our Lady of Peace and the Haitian Catholic Mission of the Archdiocese of Chicago, whose precious collaboration allows us to celebrate our identity by thanking the Lord.



The Battle of Vertieres, whose 214th birthday we are commemorating today, is still today one of our most powerful inspirations. It reminds us that human dignity is priceless. If the exploits of our ancestors have succeeded in inspiring the whole world in one way or another, they must, still more, guide us today and revive our confidence; especially when our troubles seem to multiply.



The pragmatism of our ancestors is one of the best lessons to be learned from this epic that the civilized world seeks to pass over in silence. In their ranks, there were men and women of all conditions. The struggle for freedom united them. They all had a single war cry 'Liberty or death'.



Freedom, they have indeed obtained it at the price of enormous sacrifices, and above all, thanks to their indomitable determination. Determination is another lesson to be learned from the victory of our ancestors in Vertieres. Disarmed, barely armed and without military training, most of these slaves who became soldiers had chosen to face a certain death by confronting the soldiers of the powerful army of Napoleon.



Those who set themselves the task of falsifying our history still could not take away this glorious moment. Vertieres means forever the victory of our ancestors and a stinging defeat of the slave system. That nobody can change it.



In closing, I thank again this church and the Catholic Mission. In addition, I urge you all to keep Haiti in your prayers because our country needs the wisdom of all its sons.



Lesly Conde

General Consul"



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22699-haiti-diaspora-battle-of-vertieres-activities-in-chicago.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Battle of Vertieres, what they said

"The celebration of Vertieres' illustrious victory, this 18 November 2017, is the demonstration of the will of Haitians, through their political leaders [...] to take the national historic destiny into their own hands" declared President Moise who took the opportunity to remobilize the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAD'H), during a speech on the boulevard of the northern metropolis, Cap-Haitien. Download the complete speech by the President of the Republic Jovenel Moise (PDF) https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/vertieres-214-discours-jovenel-moise.pdf



"The General Direction of the State Lottery, salutes the commemoration of Vertieres which challenges our fellow citizens to a real recognition of the determination of our ancestors so that born this country where we all live."



"The remobilization of the FAD'H, besides being a pledge for the internal security and the civil protection, is a testimony that Haiti wants to take back in hand," said Max Rudolph Saint-Albin the Minister of the Interior.



"Even today, Vertieres defies the rising sun and the starry night by waking up proudly under the rhythm of the boots of its reborn Armed Forces ! Long live National Sovereignty !" Senator Ralph Fethiere (PHTK).



"I wish a good patriotic return to the FADH, one of the founding institutions of our beloved Nation," . Francois Guillaume II, former Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE).



"This November 18, anniversary day of the crucial battle for the final victory. A day of glory that unites all Haitians, converging on the ideal of our fathers who have beaten to consolidate our pride as a people. A landmark day for this nation that has experienced events of setbacks. Together let us honor the courage of our predecessors and commemorate Vertieres in peace and serenity !" Senator Dieudonne Luma Etienne.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22741-haiti-vertieres-a-page-of-history-is-turned-a-new-chapter-opens-dixit-jovenel-moise.html



International Day of the Rights of the Child

his year the International Day of the Rights of the Child will be held around the theme "yon fanmi pou chak timoun". On this day, Monday, November 20, the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) will organize a ceremony to accredit new foster families to promote the rights of the child.



Two-color hoist at border crossings

Saturday by order of President Jovenel Moise, the 18 border points of the country have hoisted and floated proudly our flag, to symbolize this new era marked by the return of the Armed Forces of Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22741-haiti-vertieres-a-page-of-history-is-turned-a-new-chapter-opens-dixit-jovenel-moise.html



Terrorist threat and security in a connected world

Friday officers of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) followed a presentation on tourism, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the use of digital tools for investigation.



Compulsory military service ?

"The introduction of the obligation of military service is imperative for the consolidation of a true national army to live together in Haiti [...] NATIONAL ARMY of LIVING TOGETHER in HAITI," declared former Prime Minister Evans Paul.



Anti-army demonstration

Saturday several hundred demonstrators responding to the call of the opposition coalition protested against the remobilization of the army, shouting "Jovenel must leave, we do not need army." For political activist Andre Michel, one of the spokespersons of the opposition coalition, the Head of State "[...] is setting up a partisan army" asserting "the remobilization of the army was to be the subject of a national debate [...] We should not have set up this army unilaterally as the government is doing it."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/11/19

Film Stage lists director Hong Sang-soo's top ten foreign films, KoBiz's latest infographic tracks the country's most successful music films of all time, the 43rd edition of the Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF) has the biggest program schedule ever, and Daily NK discusses two of the top films from the recently concluded Annual North Korean Human Rights International Film Festival.

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"Hong Sang-soo's 10 Favorite Films"

In light of the recent screening of Hong Sang-soo's "On the Beach at Night Alone" (starring Kim Min-hee) in the United States, Jordan Raup, writing for The Film Stage, has pulled together a list of Hong's top ten films of all time. "The mix of films from across the world - although, curiously, none from his native land of South Korea - represent a cross-section of pioneering cinematic achievements, with most mirroring his approach of a modest production, yet poignant drama". The films listed are from Hong's most recent BFI/Sight & Sound poll.

...READ ON FILM STAGE

"Music In My Heart"

KoBiz's latest infographic charts the most successful music films in Korean cinema history. According to KoBiz writer Hwang Hee-yun, the power of music films in Korea started growing in the decade after the Irish independent film "Once" surpassed 200,000 admissions back in 2007. "Once" was actually recently re-released in Korea, and with the 200,000 admissions the film claimed ten years ago, the film is now the sixth highest-grossing music film in Korea.

...READ ON KOBIZ

"The 43rd Seoul Independent Film Festival to Offer Largest Program Schedule Ever"

The 43rd edition of the Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF) boasts the festival's largest program to date. The festival, which kicks off later this month, has become "one of Korea's most important outlets for discovering and promoting homegrown, independent filmmaking talent". In this article on KoBiz, Christopher Weatherspoon provides some details of the upcoming event's expanding lineup, including a discussion on the opening film, the Festival Competition, the Special Invitation, the New Choice, as well as the Special Screening sections. SIFF runs from November 30th to December 8th at the CGV Arthouse in Apgujeong, Indie Space, and the Seoul Art Cinema.

...READ ON KOBIZ

"Defector directors screen films at 7th Annual North Korean Human Rights International Film Festival"

The 7th Annual North Korean Human Rights International Film Festival took place earlier this month, a unique cinematic event designed specifically to showcase "the plight of defectors and reminding the world of the dire situation in the North". In this post on Daily NK, Kim Ga Young reports on two films from the festival, "Crocodiles in the Mekong" and "Why I Left Both Koreas": "Both Directors Park and Choi stressed the need for increased awareness and interest among South Koreans towards the plight of defectors", writes Kim. "These are the important first steps in healing the trauma of the past and welcoming them as vital constituents of our society. "

...READ ON DAILY NK
Published on 2017/11/19 | Source

On the latest episode of the OCN drama "Black", Wang Yeong-choon (Woo Hyun) was pinpointed as the person who murdered Kang Ha-ram's (Go Ara) father (Kim Hyung-min).

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Yoon Soo-wan (Lee El) told Kang Ha-ram that Han Moo-kang (Song Seung-heon) wasn't Kim Joon, Kang Ha-ram's first love. He is Han Moo-kang's twin brother.

Black met Han Moo-chan's mother. She said she thought Han Moo-chan had been murdered, due to the bomb shell he had possessed when he was young.

Later, Black guessed the site of the Moojin fire and the murder of Lee Mi-so had something in common; Wang Yeong-choon. Kang Ha-ram knew he was still alive and went after him.

Black found out she went after him and followed her. However, all he found was her blood. The large amount made it hard to believe she was still alive.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo on Monday said president Robert Mugabe has been formally inform that he has been recalled by the party."President Mugabe has been formally informed that he has been recalled as President as first Secretary of Zanu PF," Moyo said.It is not clear how Mugabe reacted.
Spanish give English Albarino wine the thumbs up

By Michelle Perrett

Chapel Down Winery in Kent is the only UK vineyard to make a wine from 100% Albarino  a grape associated with Galicia in northwest Spain.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) took the English Albarino to Madrid to test Spanish wine experts in a blind tasting. The wine experts admitted they were impressed with the quality of the English wine calling it full, rich and artisanal.

Two wines were pitted against each other in the tasting - Chapel Down Albarino 2014 limited edition, which retails at 25 and Paz de San Mauro 2016, Rias Baixas, Albarino from Galicia which sells in Spain for 13.40.

The top team of wine connoisseurs taking part in the blind tasting included Pau Roca, secretary general at Federacion Espanola del Vino (FEV).

Pau admitted he was sceptical that the English could produce a decent Albarino and was confident it would be clear which one was the Spanish and which one the English.

I am astounded. I really thought the English wine was the Spanish and the Spanish was the English, said Pau.

I was sceptical when I was asked to taste and English Albarino and would not have thought that the grape would adapt well to English climate but it is a very good wine. I liked both wines but the English one was rounded and full of flavour.

James Blick, who runs the Spanish food and wine tour company Devour Tours, said the English wine took them all a little by surprise and described it as tight, racy and well-balanced.

A very good wine that at once reminded you of a white from Rias Baixas and yet clearly had its own thing going on. This rather informal judgement of Madrid reconfirmed that the English have the know-how, determination and - most importantly - terroir, to make great wine, he said.

Juan Manuel Bellver, director of one of Spains leading specialist wine shops and restaurant Lavinia, agreed with the positive feedback said he was impressed with the artisanal style of the wine.

Meanwhile, Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA admitted that he didnt expect the English wine to taste better than the Spanish Albarino.

I was delighted that my fellow tasters were equally impressed by the Chapel Down Albarino. It is yet another example of how English wine makers are proving their products can compete with top quality wines across the globe, he said.

The Chapel Down wine 2014 vintage comes from Englands first Albarino vineyard in Sandhurst planted on clay.

The fruit was pressed and 30% of it was fermented and matured in old French oak barrels while the remainder was fermented in stainless steel vats. This was followed by nine months maturing on the lees.

Josh Donaghay-Spire, Chapel Down head winemaker, said: To have had the opportunity to make Englands first Albarino was incredibly exciting, for it to then receive such a positive reception in its spiritual home is truly humbling and shows the potential of the great terroir we have here in Kent.
















Marrenon returns to the UK after 7 year hiatus

By Michelle Perrett

Marrenon, the southeast France producer, is re-launching its portfolio in the UK with ambitions to become the leading Luberon and Ventoux winery.

Marrenon is introducing two distinctive lines into the market after a seven-year absence. Marrenon will target the on-trade and Amedee will focus on off-trade channels.

The flagship wines of the Marrenon range are Gardarem, Grand Marrenon, Orca and Petula while in the Amedee range includes Chemin des Ocres, Les Hautes Sentes and Lila Rose.

Marrenon said that for the past ten years, it has focused on re-positioning itself as a true champion of the terroir, building value for its brands and encouraging the best possible techniques among its wine growers.

Robert Oustric, export director, Marrenon said: Marrenon has secured the enviable position of being the leading producer of Luberon and Ventoux wines in Europe.

The UK represents a vast opportunity for us and we have big ambitions for the market. We are currently working on educating professionals about our wines and building strong relationships with partners in both the on- and off-trade.

Marrenon produces 15 million bottles of wine per year, with 55% in AOC Luberon and 15% in AOC Ventoux situated between the Rhone and Provence regions.

These include red, white, rose and sparkling wines available in various styles.

Marrenon is also well-known for its long-standing commitment to the environment and its brands have been certified by several international quality labels.

It has 4,200 hectares of vineyards located in the Regional Natural Reserve in Luberon, a UNESCO Biopshere Reserve. The setting allows for maximum exposure to the sun and the Mistral wind, making it ideal for growing Syrah and Grenache, the two main grape varieties. It also grows white Vermentino, of which Marrenon is Frances largest producer.

Oustric said: We are confident that the elegance and quality of our wines and the variety of our range will resonate with British consumers and we are looking forward to showcasing our wines in 2018.





Top photo: Luberon by Brice Toul








Ezy Accounting 123 Pty Ltd has been penalised $53,880 after the Federal Circuit Court found that it facilitated underpayments by its client, fast food operator Blue Impression Pty Ltd.



Accessorial liability laws have been used for the first time by the Fair Work Ombudsman to obtain penalties against a professional services firm for knowingly helping one of its clients exploit a worker.



Blue Impression has been penalised an additional $115,706 after admitting it underpaid two Taiwanese workers between September 2014 and April 2015 at its Hanaichi QV Japanese fast food outlet in the Melbourne CBD a total of $9549.



The Victorian accounting firm was involved in facilitating $750 of the underpayments relating to one of the workers.



Ezy Accounting 123 provided payroll services for Blue Impression and processed wage payments for one of the two underpaid Taiwanese workers at the Hanaichi QV outlet despite knowing the rates the worker was being paid were below lawful minimums.



The two employees, who were in Australia on 417 working holiday visas, were paid flat rates as low as $16.50 an hour. They were both aged in their 20s.



This was below the minimum hourly rate and not enough to cover public holiday penalty rates and weekend, night and casual loadings they were entitled to under the Fast Food Industry Award.



The workers were also not provided with a clothing allowance and their entitlements to breaks under the Award. Record-keeping and pay slip laws were also contravened.



The underpayments occurred despite the FWO having previously put both Blue Impression and Ezy Accounting 123 on notice of their obligations under workplace laws.



Blue Impression was previously audited in 2014 as part of the Fair Work Ombudsmans proactive National Hospitality Campaign and was put on notice of its workplace obligations after it was found to have underpaid 12 employees a total of $8800.



Ezy Accounting 123 was also apprised of minimum Award rates at the time of the audit, as it assisted the company to calculate and rectify the wage underpayments.



Judge John OSullivan found that the two Taiwanese employees at the Hanaichi QV outlet were vulnerable workers and had been the victim of exploitation.



In relation to the worker Ezy Accounting 123 was involved in underpaying, Ezy submitted in Court that the worker was not Ezys employee and that Ezy did not exploit (the employee) in his work.



However, Judge OSullivan said that it was a circumstance of aggravation that Ezy Accounting 123 had been knowingly involved in conduct that constitutes illegality.



Ezy was not subject to direction by (Blue Impression) as an employee, Judge OSullivan said.



Ezy was involved in a relationship with (Blue Impression) where it provided payroll services.



As such it must put compliance with the law ahead of business interests. Ezy had a responsibility to ensure there was compliance with, inter alia, the FW Act.






News / National

by Staff Reporter

As your Defence and Security Services, we are heartened by your display of composure, order and discipline during various marches which occurred at the weekend without any public violence.Meetings with His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe have gone on in an atmosphere of mutual respect and several guarantees have been made. As your Defence and Security Services, we remain seized with the operation code named "Operation Restore Legacy". We are confident to take our beloved country out of its present circumstances and set it on the desired development trajectory.Following the address to the Nation by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces last night, we have made further consultations with the President to agree on a Roadmap on the prevailing situation in the country.The Zimbabwe Defence and Security Services are encouraged by the new developments which include contact between the President and the former Vice President, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who is expected in the country shortly. Thereafter, the nation will be advised on the outcome of talks between the two. In the meantime, His Excellency and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde R.G. Mugabe has started processes towards a definitive solution and roadmap for the country.As this happens, we as the Zimbabwe Defence and Security Services urge Zimbabweans to remain calm and patient, fully observing and respecting the laws of the country for the sustenance of the precious peace we should never lose.The Zimbabwe Defence and Security Services further urge other political players, including members of the Ruling Zanu PF, the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, Opposition Groups, Students, and generality of our people to refrain from any actions or activities that would threaten the peace, life and property. Students at the country's various institutions, are encouraged to be calm and to proceed with their educational programmes as scheduled. THEY NEED TO REMEMBER THAT ONE DAY OF EDUCATION LOST IS DIFFICULT TO RECOVER.
Gender pay gap (full-time total remuneration): 22.4% (down 0.7 pp)

Employers who have conducted a gender pay gap analysis: 37.7% (up 10.8pp)

Employers with manager KPIs related to gender equality: 28.4% (up 5pp)

Appointments of women to manager roles (including promotions): 43.4% (up 0.8pp)

Employers with flexible work policies: 68.3% (up 5.3pp)

Proportion of women directors on boards and governing bodies: 24.9% (up 0.2pp)

Australia today, men still out earn women in every industry and across all occupations, said Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Director Libby Lyons.This is not about womens choices: whether you are a manager, a scientist, a butcher, a baker or even a TV presenter, there is a gender pay gap favouring men, added Lyons.The sharp increases in employer action show that the momentum for improved gender equality is building.Indeed, more employers are taking action to address pay gaps and gender imbalances that persist across the economy, according to 2016-17 workplace data released by the WGEA.The data records strong improvements in organisations conducting gender pay gap analyses, making managers accountable for gender equality outcomes, promoting women into manager roles and encouraging flexible work arrangements.It also found women are earning on average just 78% of mens full-time earnings and the average annual pay packet of full-time female employees is $26,527 less than mens, rising to $89,216 at the top level of management.Pay gaps favouring men were also identified in every occupational category, from 8.4% for Clerical and Administrative workers (worth $6,472) to 26.7% for Technicians and Trades workers (worth $28,042).Management roles continue to be heavily dominated by men with women remaining under-represented in the upper leadership echelons, holding just 16.5% of CEO roles and 29.7% of key management personnel roles.Lyons said the Agencys world-leading dataset covering over four million employees and 11,000 employers shows strong improvement in employer awareness but the pace of change needs to increase.I am very encouraged that many more employers are now analysing their pay data for gender pay gaps and hopeful this will flow through to improved pay outcomes for women in the years ahead, said Lyons.Other positive developments include an increase in managers having KPIs related to gender equality and more women are being appointed to manager roles.Unfortunately, the number of women on boards remains static and too few organisations are reporting their gender metrics up to the board. We need to see some real change. Boards must take more accountability for gender equality.Key findings include:
Continuous use of a phone and company PC for personal matters during work hours.

Failure to improve his standards of work after repeated mistakes.

Infringement of Intellectual Property (IP) by duplicating and communicating Amber Traffic IP without permission.

ormer employee of Amber Traffic Management has been awarded $10,374 after he was found to be unfairly dismissed for using office equipment to search for a new job.The graphic designer, based in Melbourne, was dismissed in May this year for using his work phone and office internet during his job search.The 24-year-old was also accused of sending work files to his private email account.On June 7, the employee lodged an unfair dismissal application with the Fair Work Commission The matters came to a head on 16 May, when the owner of the business confronted the employee at about 8 AM, after he had arrived at work and told him to stop taking his music player to the bathroom.The employees evidence is that the owner then required the employee to show him all his emails, including his personal and private emails.This apparently included examination of deleted emails, with the employee putting forward that he understood the owner did not believe he had deleted the intellectual property he had saved for his employment folio.The employees evidence is that he showed the owner all of his emails and that the owner also examined his deleted messages which showed he had deleted the files in question.The employee claimed that he then asked the owner are you happy with invading my privacy? to which Mr Carpenter said if you do not like it you can pack up and go.By about 8:30am, the employee indeed left the premises making the assumption that he had been given a choice and that he had resigned.Later that day however, the employee received a text message from the owner which included a statement that he had been dismissed and which referred to some of the reasons for dismissal.About two weeks after the employees last day of employment, on 16 May 2017, he received an email in letter form from the owner on 30 May 2017 which detailed his termination of employment.The email confirmed that the employee had been terminated effective immediately on Tuesday, 16 May 2017 at 8 AM which was as a result of serious misconduct and continuous failure to perform to expected standards, along with wilful or deliberate behaviour by you that is inconsistent with the continuation of your contract of employment.The email referred to three particular factors as being relevant to the reasons for termination, each postulated as having been the subject of previous conversations;However, the Fair Work Commissioner, Nicholas Wilson, found the employee did not intentionally breach company policies by sending work files to his private email and that there was no evidence that even if they were (sent to a third party) that their distribution would have caused significant or irreparable detriment to Amber Traffic Management.I am unable to be satisfied that there was a valid reason for (the employees) termination of employment either to the extent that the employees work performance in all the circumstances or his use of technology at work warranted his termination, or that he committed a breach of serious misconduct in the form of his copying and alleged distribution of designs he had created while employed by Amber Traffic Management, said Wilson.In this regard I note that (the employee) does not seek reinstatement and in any event I consider on the basis both of his oral evidence on the other material before me that reinstatement would, indeed, be inappropriate, he said.
(Reuters) London hedge fund giant Lansdowne Partners lost $100 million from a long-term bet against Glencore this year after the spectacular recovery of the miner took some by surprise. For Lansdowne, that bet had generated returns in 2014 and 2015, when Glencore more than other major miners was dragged down by falling commodity prices and concerns about its level of debt. But so far this year, Glencores shares have risen 29 percent, from 278 to 354 pence, making it the top-performing global miner.

To read this article:




We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here
The recent inauguration of a new U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is an appropriate moment to reflect on how well the United Nations is performing its primary responsibility  to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, in the words of the U.N. Charter  and how it might up its game.

Today, more than 100,000 soldiers and police from 125 countries are serving as blue-helmeted U.N. peacekeepers around the world. These soldiers and police are helping to keep the peace within or between more than 20 conflict-affected states and territories. Rarely do we hear about these efforts, however, because the maintenance of peace and security is hardly headline news.

Despite the achievements  and they are many  U.N. peacekeeping is facing unprecedented challenges. Since 2008, the number of major armed conflicts has almost tripled. Moreover, peacekeepers are often serving where there is no peace to keep. New threats, most notably violent extremism, are posing new risks to peace operations. And mandates continue to expand: the protection of civilians, for instance, is now an integral component of every U.N. peace operation.

Much can be done to improve the effectiveness of the U.N. To begin with, there needs to be greater emphasis on the prevention of armed conflict. The deployment of peacekeepers is often a testament to the failure to act early enough when a crisis is looming. At the World Summit in 2005, U.N. member states acknowledged the importance of a culture of prevention. But that culture has unfortunately yet to take root.

Part of the problem lies with the political goals and priorities of countries that want to avert the gaze of the international community from emerging conflicts in their own backyards. Such sensitivities should not deter the Secretary-General from bringing to the attention of the Security Council developments that may threaten international peace and security. Greater use should also be made of the preventive deployment of U.N. peacekeepers, as with UNPREDEP in 1991, which helped the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to escape the violent conflict that engulfed its neighbours.

The United Nations also needs to promote greater burden sharing and partnership with regional security organizations. The African Union (AU), in particular, is now more operational and poised to take on greater responsibility for peacekeeping on the continent where most of the worlds violent conflicts occur. However, if the AU is going to do the heavy lifting it will need financial support. AU member states have committed to covering 25 percent of the cost of AU peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations; U.N. member states need to be prepared to assist the AU by agreeing to stomp up the difference.

Financing of peace operations more broadly is a fundamental challenge. The United Nations is chronically short of resources and often has to rely on voluntary or even assessed contributions that are insufficient to underwrite the costs of its operations. A small global tax  as little as .003 percent  on currency exchange transactions would generate enough revenue to cover the costs of U.N. peacekeeping and would alleviate the burden on member states. This tax could be justified on the grounds that the international economy, now more connected than ever, depends on the absence of violent conflict to function properlysomething that U.N. peacekeeping makes a significant contribution toward.

Such a tax is unlikely to be popular with U.S. President Donald Trump, another leader to be inaugurated recently. Trump has been critical of the United Nations in the past. When do you see the United Nations solving problems? he has intoned. They don't. They cause problems. The United States is the largest contributor to the U.N. budget, funding 22 percent of the organization's annual costs and 29 percent of its peacekeeping expenditure. Keeping the United States onside  not only in support of peacekeeping  will be one of the biggest challenges that the new U.N. Secretary-General will face.

Is reform of the United Nations possible? The past two years have seen a spate of reform proposals emanating from various U.N. commissions and the Secretary-General himself. The present moment may thus offer a rare opportunity to strengthen the U.N.s capacity to meet the challenges of 21st century peacekeeping more effectively.

Richard Caplan is Professor of International Relations at Oxford University specializing in international organizations and conflict management. He is the author and editor of several books, including International Governance of War-torn Territories: Rule and Reconstruction (Oxford University Press), Exit Strategies and State Building (Oxford University Press), and The Measure of Peace (forthcoming).
ITS a film that was 10 years in the making, but the third and final instalment of Italian director Luca Guadagninos Desire trilogy has at last reached cinemas.

James Ivory of Merchant Ivory fame had originally been set to co-direct the film, which is based on Andre Acimans acclaimed 2007 novel, but ended up writing the screenplay and co-producing.

Guadagnino, who initially came on board as a location consultant, became the films sole director in 2016, having since directed 2009s I Am Love and 2015s A Bigger Splash.

Nominated for best feature at this years Berlin Film Festival, the film has been hailed by critics as a ravishing and sublime coming-of-age romance set on the sun-kissed Italian Riviera. During the shimmering summer of 1983, precocious Italian-American teenager Elio (a revelatory Timothee Chalamet) spends his days at his familys 17th century Lombardy villa studying music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel).

But when the much older Oliver (Armie Hammer) arrives to study with his historian father (Michael Stuhlbarg), Elios romantic ambitions develop in a very different direction.

Reining in the ostentatious style that characterised his earlier work, Guadagnino immerses the viewer in the stunning, seductive setting and allows Call Me by Your Name to flourish as an evocation of the universal joys and pains of first love.

The director has called this the most calm movie he has made. Despite being a literary adaptation, many scenes in the film play out wordlessly.

Words are part of whats going on, but its not necessarily whats going on underneath. I think this film celebrates the underneath, he said.

In revising Ivorys draft of the script, Guadagnino took out a considerable amount of nudity. He has characterised his version of Call Me by Your Name as a film about the beauty of the newborn idea of desire, unbiased and uncynical.

Guadagnino has also spoken of his attempt to avoid the flaws he had seen in many coming-of-age films, in which growth is often portrayed as a result of resolving certain preconceived dilemmas.

He added: I wanted the audience to completely rely on the emotional travel of these people and feel first love. The whole idea of the movie is that the other person makes you beautiful  enlightens you, elevates you.

Call Me by Your Name is showing at Henleys Regal Picturehouse cinema from today (Friday).

Matthew Wilson
WORK on a new 400,000 annexe at St Marys Church in Wargrave will start next week.

The Church of England has granted permission for the extension to the church in Station Road after considering the effect on the churchyard, where a yew tree will have to be removed and more than 50 gravestones relocated.

The project had already been given planning permission by Wokingham Borough Council and the design approved by English Heritage.

The church had originally hoped to start building work last year but the project was delayed as it was obliged to trace the families of the four people buried in this area since 1900, three dating from the Twenties and one from 1985.

The remaining headstones are all pre-1900, so the church didnt have to find the descendants. The Oxford diocese has now agreed to the work, with a copy of the necessary faculty document being delivered to architect Nick Rule on Monday.

The yew tree will be felled next week before the headstones are removed and relaid, the ground is levelled and pads supporting the foundations start to be laid.

Peter Mayes, a member of the parochial church council, said: This process will take about 10 to 12 weeks.

We are approaching Christmas so there are lots of things we would like to do but Christmas will put a block on things.

If the faculty had come a couple of months earlier we would have hoped to have part of the annexe up before Christmas but weve been waiting for six years, so we can afford to wait a few weeks longer.

In the first phase of construction, the shell of the annexe will be built together with facilities such as a disabled toilet.

This will take until around April when the building will be available for rudimentary functions such as a Sunday school.

The second phase will be to install the interior, which will take another three or four months and relies on funding being available.

The annexe will be called the St Marys Church Centre and will contain two meeting rooms, a cafe and toilets as well as access to the church via the north porch.

It will provide a meeting place for community groups such as Mill Green Womens Institute, which currently uses the nearby Hannen Room.

The annexe is the latest stage of the 21st Century Project to modernise the church and make it more appealing and useful to the community.

More than 250,000 has so far been raised, leaving another 150,000 to be found for interior work.

The church relaunched its project appeal last year and has since raised more than 70,000. Applications have also been made to various trust funds.

The appeal will receive 10 from the sale of each copy of Lost and Found in the Pulpit, the memoirs of former Wargrave vicar Rev John Ratings, who died in December 2014.

Last month, a television donated by a parishioner was auctioned to raise money and was won by churchwarden Christine Walker. A dolls house has now also been offered for auction too.
Opinion / Columnist

Wilson Chipangura norm de guerre Comrade Mazhambe is spokesperson of Pan Zimbabwe Society ( a non-partisan lobby group that advocates for extreme patriotism by all). He is also an author who writes in several tabloids.

As the nation awaits to enter another New Dawn that is however being tacitly delayed by the back peddling of President Mugabe to step down, I have decided to share one or two warning shorts with you all.My fellow countrymen, I know how much all of you have gone through in our 37 years history of independence that was never true.Memories about Gukurahundi, ill-adviced Land Seizure that led to economic collapse, the elections and political fall-outs that resulted in the death of the likes of Patrick Kombayi, Learnmore Jongwe, a number of masses in 2005 to date and the mysterious death of former General and Commander Solomon Mujuru.The Operation Murambatsvina, 2008 Hunger and Cholera Crisis that led to the death of so many relatives and friends and when all of us had to live on one light meal a day or even none.Wait! Maybe this is ain't the time for pain staking allusions as all and sundry are busy celebrating the military's work in pushing the once ferocious lion-like King out of the throne.Of course, that is a worthwhile stressing point indeed but there comes some few questions and problems that need answers and solutions.In all this clean up, will it be possible to have a non-partisan army that is going to respect democratic processes for once in our history.Is there going to be a process of Reconciliation, openness and finality to all human rights violations that will see criminals of the Gukurahundi and 2008 massacres brought to justice or forgiven depending on understanding between the then perpetrators and victims.Is there going to be decent burials of all the Gukurahundi victims and compensation of all violent victims.Are the traditional leaders going to be replaced with those who don't deny food and other handouts and also people who are apolitical.Do we need to disband all political parties and be left with one party state that respect equality and focus on economic and social prosperity.Is nepotism and corruption going to be wiped away.Who is going to lead after Robert Mugabe?Are the army generals all going to resign?With how we are desperate for change let's hope we don't go two steps backwards.Comrade exits the scene!!!! Wacha!
Opinion / Columnist

Mugabe has always managed to twist his Zanu PF cronies and thugs round his little finger at will. Hence the reason he has stayed in power all these last 37 years, regardless of his track record as a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical leader, and came within a cat's whisker of outwitting them all again to impose his wife as his successor. It was the firing of former VP Mnangagwa and was moving in to purge Lacoste faction supporters that gave fired the General Chiwenga and his posse of security top brass to stage the coup. They knew that if they failed to act, they too would be purged out of their posts in the Army and, more significantly, lose their position on the feeding trough!Even with Mugabe under house arrest, the tyrant continues to give his Zanu PF cronies and thugs alike the run-around!"A Zanu-PF minister on Sunday reportedly told a UK publication that the frail 93-year-old current president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has gone on hunger strike," reported Bulawayo24.com."According to UK Daily Mail, Mugabe has not accepted any food since Saturday."Patrick Zhuwao on Saturday told another UK newspaper that his uncle, Mugabe, was 'willing to die for what is correct'. "The old man has been trying a lot of various tricks since last night," the minister, who asked not to be named, told the publication. "Hunger strikes, making threats and refusing to talk."Mugabe a two hour speech, which everyone expected him to say "I resign!" He did not say so. Indeed, he said he will preside over the coming Zanu PF congress in a few weeks.What a circus! Even with Mugabe under house arrest, he is clearly holding the thick end of the whip and his clowns are running around like headless chickens!When the coup plotters asked Mugabe to resign and he said no; they should have anticipated that and moved swiftly to plan B - impeach him or go for the jugular vein, try him for treason. They did not have plan B and hence all this confusion! All this hoo-hah of Zanu PF provinces passing no-confidence vote in Mugabe as party leaders and the party's big wigs meeting to formerly strip the tyrant of his position as the leader of the party are all a waste of time. It is his removal as president of Zimbabwe that is important and urgent here - what Zanu PF decides to do with the dethroned Mugabe is of no consequence.The firing of Mnangagwa by Mugabe and the military coup response are all internal Zanu PF factional war matters of no consequence to the ordinary Zimbabwean. In this factional war, the people should have known that their position, as the victims of the corrupt and oppressive Zanu PF dictatorship these last 37 years, will not change regardless which faction wins. What does it matter to the goat which hyena wins the fight if its fate is to be slaughter to celebrate the victory.By joining the Lacoste victory parade yesterday and all this chatter on the social media praising the coup plotter, the people are, per se, indorsing the coup as their own, not just a Lacoste faction victory. Of course, that is a foolish move, because the coup will remove Mugabe and a few of his G40 friends including his wife Grace; heap all the blame for all the regime's evils, lootings, murders, etc. on them and throw them overboard. They have already appointed Mnangagwa as Mugabe's successor, as expected. He will then appoint his own team and present themselves to the nation as the squeaky-clean Zanu PF.The truth is nothing has really change, the corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF has traded one dictator, R G Mugabe, for another, E D Mnangagwa, the outgoing dictator's chief enforcer. Most of the people responsible for looting, vote rigging and political reign of terror and murders are still in their posts and the Zanu PF dictatorship structures and institutions have not been dismantled. Those who embrace Mnangagwa's Zanu PF as a democratic party that will implement the democratic reforms, allowed free, fair and credible elections, etc. are just naive and gullible.The firing of Mnangagwa and the coup are the final blows in the Zanu PF factional war. Mnangagwa and his cronies have emerged the victors but, make no mistake they have taken a hammering in the process. No one can ever deny that the coup itself is illegal and unconstitutional, for example. Right now, Mnangagwa and his cronies will licking their wounds, Lacoste faction is at its weakest, this is the time the ordinary Zimbabweans should be making their demands.People should refuse to accept that a Mnangagwa led Zanu PF is anything else other than the same old corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF with a new dictator. The people must demand the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms agreed in 2008 Global Political Agreement as a pre-requisite for holding the next elections.Mnangagwa is a corrupt, vote rigging and murderous tyrant in his own right. He can serve as president the remainder of Mugabe's presidential term and then the elections must go ahead as normal. He must not be allowed to extend his stay in office under the pretext of forming a Government of National Unity or some such excuse. His firing and the coup are all internal Zanu PF matters, there is no reason why national elections should be postponed just because Zanu PF members have been fighting each other.Mnangagwa must not be allowed time and space to settle down and reorganise Zanu PF.If Mnangagwa is unable to hold next year's elections, them he must say so and resign. The nation, with the assistance of SADC, UN, etc. can then decide what to do next. If next year's elections go ahead and they are judged a sham; there is no way the regime will produced verified voters' roll in the remaining time frame, for example; the nation will again step in and decide what to do.What Mnangagwa must understand here and now, is that the military coup that finally disposed of Mugabe and his ambition to create a Mugabe dynasty was a Lacoste victory that has done nothing to end the corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. He can serve the remaining 8 months Mugabe's term; he can even invite any opposition partners to join him, if he so wished. But what he cannot do is postpone the elections to extend his stay in power by even one day.Mugabe will now be impeached, finally. One only hopes that the this is not going to drag on for days! The process should proceed like clockwork, someone should have all the ducks lined up and ready to go. But the nation would be pleasantly surprised if that was to happen, knowing these corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF leaders as we all do!Anyone who thought Zanu PF would ever change had a wake-up call from Mugabe's refusal to resign. A leopard does not change its spots, it is futile to imagine a democratic Zanu PF dictatorship, even one led by Mnangagwa, it is an oxymoron!
Opinion / Columnist

Robert Mugabe's refusal to resign which was played out in front of millions of Zimbabweans on national television and millions more on international news channels exposed a reality that Zimbabweans have been living with for years and which the international community does not know.Zimbabwe is being ruled by a totally self-obsessed individual who has no normal feelings, does not know comradery, nor sympathy, and does not have basic human values.All he knows is how to manipulate people and situations to please himself; and what pleases him most is exercising power for self aggrandisement.He is a master of divide-and-rule and an expert at identifying and manipulating people's needs and their greed, thus he has kept senior civil servants and military officers, and cabinet ministers and judges, loyal to him with a range of perks that kept them in a separate world from the rest of the deprived Zimbabweans.He is also a master of rhetoric which would make the whole of the Third World believe that he is the most principled anti-imperialist leader who is leading his country to self-sustaining socialist development.He is also so cunning that despite being under house arrest he was able to make his captors believe that he was going to give a resignation speech, only to remove the relevant pages when cameras had started rolling.The generals could not do anything but allow him to finish his speech in which he made it clear that he was not about to resign.The battle has now moved to Parliament where the Mnangagwa faction of his party his expected to impeach him, but he might well brew another shocker for them, since he has already wrong-fired them.In fact ZANU PF legal secretary and secretary of the Lacoste faction of ZANU PF Patrick Chinamasa who yesterday believed that they had succeeded in getting Mugabe to resign put his foot in it when he said ZANU PF does not need the opposition for what they were about to do.When the War Veterans who were mobilising people for a mass demonstration to remove Mugabe they talked of a national non-sectarian effort, urging everyone to attend.But yesterday as soon as he felt assured that Mugabe was going to resign, Chinamasa was slagging off the opposition saying ZANU PF did not need the opposition as this was an internal cleansing of ZANU PF.It was an unfortunate statement because he exposed the same manipulative ways of the boss that he was trying to fire, and showed that all that his faction was was interested in was to remove Mugabe and replace him with Mnangagwa.But before the day was out Mugabe had performed a somersault, and the Lacoste faction now needs the opposition MPs to buttress their numbers to effect the impeachment.For the opposition it makes no difference; they can take it from where they left it before the coup-not-coup - demanding free and fair elections in an environment that is peaceful and without intimidation.But for those who attempted to remove Mugabe, if they fail, that will be the end of their careers, and possibly their lives, because Mugabe is also not forgiving.The opposition would be well within their right to leave the Lacoste faction to its own struggle, and tell it's members not to vote for the impeachment, even if it means that Mugabe does not get impeached. It will have done more damage to ZANU in the run up to the election.Or they can negotiate for concessions in exchange for their voters, e.g. that they include the MDC in a transitional administration before the election.They can also assist the international Press that is in Zimbabwe now - attention which the opposition has been seeking for years and thus far failed to receive - to shine the light on these ZANU PF officials who are trying to remove Mugabe.How clean are they in the corruption that has defined the Mugabe regime, its abuse of the opposition and violations of human rights, including murders and disappearances.Information on them and their activities is available from NGOs such as Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Electoral Resources Centre Zimbabwe and political parties such as the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and alliances such as the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance, and other alliances.
Opinion / Columnist

The JUNTA was originally made up of Seniors from the Four (4) main wings of national security.These are the Army, Police, Prisons and CIO. Their 100% mandate is to make sure that ZANU PF remains in power.Current Members of the Junta Include1. General Constantine Chiwenga - Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.2. Perence Shiri -Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe and a member of the Joint Operations Command which exerts day-by-day control over Zimbabwe's government . Cousin to Robert Mugabe3. Philip Valerio Sibanda -Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army. The Zimbabwe National Army is the land based arm of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces4. Happyton Bonyongwe is the Director General of the Zimbabwean government intelligence agency, the Central Intelligence Organisation. COINED CIO5. Paradzai Zimondi is head of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services6.Dr. Mariyawanda Nzuwa is the head Public Service Commission (PSC) which supplies ZEC with employees and helps in election Rigging.This is why we find the National Elections Command Centre being run by Dr. Mariyawanda Nzuwa the PSC boss. ( A certain DR with Cause is on PSC payroll and has been for a long time).The Junta gave Birth to JOC for Joint Operations Command meaning a joint operation by all the 4 sectors of National Security as mentioned above. The Junta control movement of power though elections and by force. In this endeavour they seek to control all sorts of mechanisms that satisfies their mandate with the ZEC being their eventual port of interest.The JUNTA buffered a major shaking when the then VP JTR Mujuru was sacked from ZANU PF because it received most of its Presidium instructions from her as she opened an official office for it in some street in Avondale.It was from here when the plan for a rerun was hatched at VP JTR Mujuru's instructions after Mugabe himself had conceded to a Tsvangirayi clear defeat. Mugabe actually was at that point willing to step down but the JUNTA said HELL NO. AND PLANS where put in motion to make sure ZANU PF retained power.Upon Mujuru's sacking the JUNTA was torn in between and the system got quite fractured. However, it regained its conscious later on as time moved.Due factional disputes JUNTA operations have become complicated due to identity problems given that, being service bosses the people are not clear enough to each other as per which faction they fall under with some even still loyal to JTR Mujuru who is now the NPP President. This is why Tsvangirai is willing to get into bed with Joice Mujuru. Tsvangirai's hope is Joice can deliver a peaceful transition of power which eluded him in 2008 with the Junta.IN ORDER TO GET A FREE ZIMBABWE THE FOLLOWING MUST HAPPEN1. Opposition Must Win An Election ( Fight every step of the rigging THAT IS discovered collectively, GET millions to the voting polls, Vote in Unity which hopefully is for one Presidential Candidate, Put as much pressure as possible on ZEC and ZANU PF as collective unit of citizens.2. Opposition Must Get support of Regional and International Bodies3. Opposition Must convince or put as much collective pressure as possible on the JUNTA to transition power peacefully if not Then WE pray and Hope Zimbabweans Rise up or the Regional or International Bodies come to the Rescue like Ecowas Did.Current JUNTA PROJECTSThe JUNTA is working closely with NIP(Nikuv lnternational Projects) and a lot of things are going on as we speak from as early as 2 years black on how to Rig the 2018 elections.FOOD FOR THOUGHTNO ONE PERSON OR ONE POLITICAL PARTY CAN DEAL WITH ZANU PF MACHINERY. IT IS GOING TO TAKE ALL CITIZENS STANDING UP AND FIGHTING FOR ZIMBABWE. ANYONE Who is telling you they can win an election on their own MUST BE asked the following1. What are your political structures ( Because ZANU PF has structures in every corner of Zimbabwe from CELLs to Ward levels. ZANU PF has been controlling most of the Sabhuku's and chiefs. What is plan for that.2. What is your plan for Rigging. ZANU PF has started already. Did you take part in the poll mapping process if you did . Did you see how many polling station are located in ZANU PF leadership homes, what is your plan to deal with these issues. What is your plan to deal with ALL the other rigging issues that other opposition has been fighting collectively together for the last two years3. You keep saying Vote splitting is not important ..Really so in 2008 we had Simba Makoni didn't that matter. Why are you more concerned about retaining for yourselves when its clear as country we have a ZANU PF problem which we need to resolve FIRST.WE ARE STRONGER AS COLLECTIVE UNIT THAN A SINGULAR UNIT ..LETS SET OUR DIFFERENCE ASIDE AND FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY FIRST.We will bring you more information .
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A weather guru is warning that Hertfordshire is facing the snowiest winter in 27 years.

David King, 78, is forecasting that the UK will see the worst blizzards since 1991 over the next few months.

He is predicting that the worst of the weather will hit in the New Year with January bringing freezing conditions.

Mr King is an amateur climatologist and claims to be able to accurately predict what the weather will be like months in advance.

And he is predicting that this winter will be the worst for snow in 27 years.

During the winter in 1991 millions of people across the country were left without power and water for days after being hit by drifts of snow up to four metres deep.

In the next couple of months there will be some snow in northern parts of the UK, he told the Evening Standard

The start of the New Year will be a different ball game. It is going to be very cold, there will be a lot of snow and there will be travel problems. In the south it will get down to -5C.

It will be the worst snow since 1991.

According to UK Weather Watch, in December 1991 many parts of the Midlands reported at least 20 CMs of snow, depths reached 60 CMs in the Derby area and on the Welsh Mountains there were drifts of up to four metres.

Some 650,000 people were left without power and about 1.2 million without water supplies for several days.

Footage from January 1991 showed freezing conditions in Bristol as several feet of snow fell on the city.

Then in February the following year huge swathes of the country were hit with sub-zero temperatures as low as 11.7C and did not exceed 5C in many areas.

Snow depths were in excess of 10 CMs across England and on higher ground levels reached two metres.

On Mr Kings own website Weather Without Technology, he wrote: "I predict a bitterly cold snowbound frosty month (in January) with blizzards too. The warnings of a long hard cold winter are now here for all to see.

The conditions akin to January 1991 are near identical. Every 15 years we get a cycle of bad winters.

"Combine this with a tried and tested saying 'a bad winter followed by a poor summer, is followed by an even harder winter,' and slowly the pieces start to fall into place.

"Such really cold 15 year winters have a habit of following very hot summers 15 years before - 1976 to 1991 being the best recent example.

"2003 was a really hot dry summer, so add 15 years to this and 2018 appears."

Mr King, who is a retired Metropolitan Police constable from Edenbridge, Kent, said he uses 1,000-year-old moon charts and studies plants, birds and animal behaviour to forecast the weather.
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East Hertfordshire residents could be paying thousands of pounds more in council tax than they need to, according to leading health charities.

A report from MoneySavingExpert.com earlier this year revealed that up to 100,000 people in the UK could be missing out on substantial council tax discounts or exemptions they may be owed on account of having a severe mental impairment" (SMI).

Those diagnosed with an SMI  a broad group of conditions that permanently affect a persons intelligence or social functioning, such as dementia, Parkinson's and severe learning difficulties  are disregarded for council tax purposes.

This means those who live alone are completely exempt, while two person households in which one is a sufferer are entitled to a 25 per cent discount.

However, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that only 326 households in East Herts are currently claiming an SMI discount or exemption.

This is despite the fact that there are over 1,600 dementia sufferers alone in East Herts, according to the Alzheimers Society.

Similarly, Parkinsons UK estimates that one in 500 people over 20 in the UK are affected by the disease.

There are over 110,000 over-20s in East Hertfordshire, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, meaning around 220 could be suffering from Parkinsons.

However, not all Parkinson's sufferers are defined as having SMI, and only those that do are entitled to an exemption.

The FOI request also revealed that in the year 2016/17, East Herts District Council had to pay back a total of 32,311.58 to households with an SMI exemption.

However, the council stressed that this was not necessarily entirely down to people back-claiming for discounts they hadnt realised they were entitled to, but rather accounted for all refunds issued to people with an SMI exemotion no matter the reason.

The figures prompted calls from leading charities for the council to do more to make sure those that are entitled to help are made aware that the discount exists.

Sally Marlow, services manager for the Alzheimers Society in Hertfordshire, said: From these figures, it would appear that families in East Herts with someone living with dementia are paying thousands of pounds in council tax that they might be exempt from.

Many people with dementia and their families are already under devastating financial strain as a result of their condition, with some forced to spend hundreds of thousands to get the essential care they need from the broken social care system.

Lack of awareness and information about council tax discounts, and other financial support out there, only makes the situation harder.

It's crucial that discounts are clearly signposted, and simple to apply for, to make sure people get the support they are entitled to.

Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK, said that many families living with dementia do not even realise they are entitled to a council tax discount.

Meanwhile a spokeswoman for Rethink Mental Illness also reported that the charity regularly heard from people through their advice service who simply didnt know (the discount) existed.

She continued: It certainly looks like many people with severe mental illness could be missing out on their council tax exemption.

This exemption can be a great support and more needs to be done to ensure people who are entitled to it are actually able to access it.

When approached for comment, a spokeswoman for EHDC said: The council provides details about the discounts and exemptions available on its website, as well as on annual bills and for all customers moving into the area on their first bill.
Opinion / Columnist

Contacts

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Whatsapp. - +27747402042

Email - konileonard606@gmail.com

Zimbabweans around the country and across the world seized the golden opportunity on Saturday 18 November 2017 morning to march against President Robert Gabriel Mugabe to peacefully step down after decades in power.The Zimbabwean war veterans declared their support for the defence forces led by General Constatino Guvheya Chiwenga to take over under after the military denied that it had carried a coup. People from across the globe celebrated in their numbers describing it as the defining moment of the Zimbawe's political history.What made it a very big day was the celebratory mood within the people who had not known the taste of a new a new leader since independence.Down in South Africa hundreds of people gathered at Union Building in the heart of Pretoria with others in different towns marching in solidarity with fellow Zimbabweans back home. Pressure kept on piling on the nonagenarian leader who has presided over the country for 37 years.I would like to critically look at this new political dispensation where all the ZANU PF provinces have passed a vote of no confidence in Mugabe, citing the fact that he was now incapacitated and could no longer fit to lead and that his time to pack his goods was up and that he must go.The funny part of it was the fact that, these are the same people who were saying Mugabe is their candidate for next year's 2018 harmonised elections and were the same people who have endorsed the ouster of Emmerson Mnangagwa some few weeks ago.These are the dynamics of Zimbabwe's politics which have recently stolen the global attention.Mugabe feared to be rejected by his own people when pressure started mounting on him to resign. He lost the opportunity to leave in dignity. Good lessons can be drawn from such events where I think are caused by politics of patronage and bootlicking of political leaders and regarding them as Messiahs. Instead political leaders should be answerable to their wrongs. Mugabe was treated as a saint to the extent of calling him "Cremora" a powederd milk mixture.African continent should be wary of such leaders who wants to overstay in power. Africa has been burdened by such kind of political behaviour which is shocking and unpredictable.It's fortunate that the Zimbabwe case study has not reported any spilling of blood. If it had occured in other African countries we could have witnessed serious bloodshed which would bring instability to the continent.The Zimbabwean scenario had also shown the lack of nolstagic intelligentsia on the part of the Central Intelligence Organisation which failed to gather intelligence on the collapse of the economy and had concentrated much on buttering the old man. It failed to advise the President the reality on the ground , that the masses have endured long suffering for time immemorial under the leadership of one person.Mugabe also lacked the foresight to see that he was aging and was supposed to have appointed a successor on time. The intervention of the army came as a blessing in disguise and became automatically the saviour of the people who could not openly tell the President that his time was up. Selfishness, greedy and oppressive conduct were some of the things which raised the anger of the army and resorted to come to the rescue of the suffering majority. Some still argue that the army is trying to protect their bosses ill gotten wealth but the majority were happy that the Mugabe regime was falling some citing the fact that Mugabe wanted to create a dynasty and it was quickly stopped by the intervention of the defences forces.The Zimbabweans have suffered too long and this hurdle became an escape route for many.Zimbabweans and the international community have welcomed the sacking of Mugabe and this is likely to take the country to another political , economic and social level as the people from different political backgrounds converged and marched in solidarity for one common cause.Any new leader who is coming has to understand that he/she had a task to rectify the problem like cash-strapped economic sector and impoverished, Zimbabwe's economy which is facing severe challenges. There is on the other side unemployment and poverty which are endemic and political strife and repression which needs to be addressed as the country look beyond Mugabe's era.Many Zimbabweans have left the country to seek for greener pastures in foreign countries are ready to come back home and rebuild this beautiful nation. Will Mugabe's legacy be ignored or erased?
For quite some time Id been wondering why I hadnt heard from Hickory artist and art teacher Jackie Mate. Years ago, she and her husband Tom annually hosted the loveliest Victorian Open Houses in their Hickory home.

Guests nibbled on homemade treats while wandering the house, looking at the Mates artwork, selecting pieces to buy not only because they were beautiful, but also because part of the proceeds went to Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley.

The Mates continued their open houses after moving to Abingdon Glen Village in Hickory.

There were other visits with Jackie because she was always coming up with unique art ideas for herself and for her students.

Then, a long pause. Tom had died. Jackie was as bereft as any widow or widower Id ever met. The passionate flame that had fueled Jackies artwork and teaching was barely a flicker. She carried on, even traveling abroad, but she lived ever so slowly, her posture and face looking as if her own spirit had departed with Toms.

The pause lengthened as Jackie experienced other losses, other blows to her already fragile heart: the deaths of good friends and the passing of her beloved dog Gemma.

The solitude of a home no longer shared with a cherished spouse is hardly bearable. Jackies pain was made even worse without the small happy life running about the house, barking, cuddling  regularly injecting love and fun into a place where all lifes pleasures seemed to have gone AWOL.

Jackie let everyone with whom she came in contact know that she wanted another dog. Then an angel in grocery store cashier garb announced to Jackie one day, I found you a dog.

Jackie met him, a Jack Russell terrier mix. Jackie wasnt sure. The terrier mix was. Jackie had thought she wanted a puppy. The older dog convinced her she was wrong. What Jackie needed, he let her know, was to be needed. Jackie doesnt recall what his name was, but she changed it. The little bundle of energy and bright-eyed delight goes by Happy these days.

The pause was over. The old Jackie was back. Pardon the pun, but I must say it: Happy days are here again.

Compared to a year ago, I am painting again, announced Jackie with a smile. I have more private art students, Im selling my work at Bottega (art gallery and gift shop on Union Square in Hickory) and Trade Alley Art (art gallery in downtown Hickory), and teaching art at Montessori at Sandy Ford (Newton).

With Happy along for the tour, Jackie and I walked around her home art studios, one large space with big tables and lots of equipment including a sewing machine for her art students and a small area where Jackie paints and a couple of her students work.

About that sewing machine. Some of Jackies students are interested in making fiber sculptures, including a teen named Ethan Honeycutt. He wants to go into robotics, said Jackie.

Sewing was my first art form, Jackie explained. My grandpa was a tailor in Hungary. He immigrated to the United States at the turn of the (19th to 20th) century.

I looked at collages, paintings, and 3-D artwork. I can have four or five students, and they can be doing a different project, Jackie shared.

Most are young people; some are adults. Jackie provides as much help and inspiration as a student wants, but shes mostly a facilitator who adapts her instruction to each students interests.

My students are encouraged to come up with what theyd like to do, she said. Together we figure out the how.

Along the way, Jackie shares with her students what she believes they all need to learn and practice, such as conferring with one another about their work, studying others art, and critiquing it. Jackie lets her students  young and adult  critique her own paintings.

Recently, 12-year-old Erika Limezes, described by Jackie as an intense young artist who works with pen and pencil, examined Jackies in-progress acrylic painting of a large flower and made a suggestion.

Erika was right! Jackie exclaimed. She suggested a need for darkness against light at one area of the painting.

Jackie, the teacher, gets her inspiration and ideas from her students and from traveling in the United States and overseas.

For example, after Jackie studied the van Goghs at the Musee dOrsay in Paris and then visited some of the locations that are depicted in van Goghs works, Jackie shared pictures of the paintings and then photos the paintings actual settings with her students. They, after examining both, came up with their own paintings, said Jackie.

Speaking about Montessori at Sandy Ford, a private school whose philosophy fits right in with the way Jackie conducts her private art lessons, Jackie said that when she first visited the school, I wanted to touch everything. They have so many interesting objects for the children to touch and feel and beautiful paintings on the walls. Soft jazz music was playing. It was a very restful atmosphere  more like walking into someones dining room or cozy kitchen. I knew I was in the perfect spot.

Jackie feels equally as pleased with Trade Alley Art, a new art gallery co-op in Hickory. She is one of 24 artists who display and sell their work at the gallery.

Wherever she goes now  out of town, to the Montessori school, or to the local grocery store, the new love of her life is waiting, tail wagging in anticipation of Jackies return.

Some say time heals all wounds. I dont think thats always true, but, whether Im wrong or not, I am certain in Jackies case that it was the emotional intelligence, vitality, and unconditional love of a small dog that reignited her pleasure in painting, teaching, and just plainly living.

After a very long pause, it was Happy who hit Jackies play button.

Share story ideas with Mary at marycanrobert@charter.net.
HICKORY  From an early age, Paula Carson admired the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

The lifelong North Carolina resident had a brush with the state-level law enforcement agency as an adolescent; a close family friend was murdered, which resulted in the SBI assisting in the case.

I remember my mom talking about SBI agents, and how good they did their job and tried to keep her informed of what was going on, Carson said.

Carson was born in Greensboro, lived in Forsyth County, was raised in Alleghany County and attended Appalachian State University before pursuing a career in law enforcement.

The show at the time was Jack Klugman and Quincy, Carson said with a laugh, crediting that and an internship in forensic anthropology at ASU for much of her interest in investigating crimes.

From there, Carson moved on to an internship with a forensic pathologist at East Tennessee State University, crossing paths with several crime scene investigators at autopsies in the process.

After briefly thinking of pursuing forensic anthropology, Carson decided she was ready to pursue a full-time position and attended basic law enforcement training at Surry Community College, meeting Rowan County Sheriff Bob Martin.

Martin was impressed, and offered her a job as a detention officer within the sheriffs office.

At that point, there werent a lot of females in law enforcement, period, Carson said. So it was a little challenging at times; but you have to be willing to work your way into what you want.

Still, Carsons passion was in crime scene investigation, a passion she traced back to puzzles, crosswords, word searches, and racing through mystery books as a child.

I started working with some SBI agents when I was at the (Rowan County) sheriffs office, Carson said, indicating she still had a passion for crime scene work. So I got to be a crime scene investigator at Rowan County for six months; the bureau asked if I would be interested in coming with the bureau, and I said yes.

Carson said at that time, in 1992, North Carolina SBI was expanding its crime scene program. The western North Carolina native had a choice to be stationed in Wilmington, Fayetteville or Franklin.

Carson chose Franklin, staying there for five years until she was able to return to her home district in Hickory.

And Ive been here ever since, Carson said.

By the time Carson arrived to the Hickory SBI office as a crime scene investigator, she had been in law enforcement almost 10 years.

I had a little more experience under my belt, Carson said. Then, when I got here I had just as many, if not more, challenging cases as a crime scene person.

In 2003, Carson was the named the NC SBI Crime Scene Coordinator, serving in that position until 2010.

That got me into a little bit of supervision; I tried to take care of the crime scene program for all of the agents across the state, Carson said.

Carson also worked to institute consistent training equipment across the entire program while also ensuring agents had all the necessary tools to work cases from respective crime scenes.

In 2010, Carson was named the Hickory SBI Special Agent in Charge, undertaking the task of serving five judicial districts, 13 counties and more than 40 police departments.

Ive tried to make sure not only the (SBI) agents get the help they need, but also the agencies (in the district) get the investigative resources that they need in order to fulfill obligations and service their community, Carson said.

When particularly violent or controversial cases have gotten difficult to deal with, Carson said she has leaned on a strong support system of her husband and two children, as well as the other agents within the SBI office.

We tend to look at each other as an extended family; Ive got 17 brothers and sisters that I did not have growing up, Carson said. So we try to discuss cases that may bother us, but then try not to take it home.

As for any grand plans she may have upon retiring at the end of November, Carson said she may do some traveling but is most looking forward to being a non-distracted mom to her two 13-year-old children.

Itll be nice to only have one phone that rings instead of two.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released the third list of its 28 candidates for the assembly elections in Gujarat, dropping as many as 15 sitting legislators, including three Patidar ministers, for the crucial polls in December.

Ministers Nanu Vanani, Jayanti Kavadiya and Vallabh Vagahsia did not find a place in the list. They represent Katargam, Dhangadhra and Savarkundla, where the politically influential Patidar communitys agitation under the leadership of Hardik Patel for reservation in education and government jobs was widespread.

Vinubhai Moradiya will fight from the Katargam seat in Surat in place of Vanani.

The BJP did not include former minister Vasuben Trivedi from Jamnagar South. She is a close aide of former chief minister Anandiben Patel, who was replaced by the party with Vijay Rupani in August 2016.

Former minister IK Jadeja, another Anandiben loyalist, was also not given a ticket despite intense protests by his supporters in the past two days.

The ruling party has allowed heavyweights, including speaker Ramanlal Vora, former energy minister Saurabh Patel and former state president RC Faldu, to change seats.

Patel, whose future appeared uncertain after he was dropped as a minister when the new cabinet was sworn in under chief minister Vijay Rupani last year, has been fielded from Botad. He represents Akota in the outgoing assembly.

Vora, a Dalit leader who represents Idar, will now fight from Dasada. Faldu, who lost the election in 2012 from Jamnagar Rural, will now contest from Jamnagar South.

The BJP has so far announced the nominees for 134 of the 182 assembly seats and dropped 30 MLAs in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state where the BJP has been in power for 22 years.

Voting to elect 182 members to the assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The results are expected on December 18.

The BJPs third list comes at a time when the alliance between the Congress and Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has come under a cloud. Serious differences emerged over the grand old partys first list of 77 candidates, announced on Sunday, accommodating just three PAAS names. It includes 20 Patidars.

Patidar supporters vandalised the Congress office in Surat hours after the party released its list and Hardik cancelled Mondays rally in Rajkot, where he was expected to make the decision about extending support to the opposition party.

The developments highlighted the unease between the Congress and PAAS camps over their long-awaited alliance that is hoping to oust the ruling BJP in the upcoming elections.

Out of power for more than two decades, the Congress has been wooing caste leaders such as Patel, whose outfit is up in arms against the BJP over the reservation in jobs and education. The PAAS, which appears to be playing hardball with the Congress, had demanded around 20 seats.

The contest in the western state will also be keenly watched for signs of voters reactions to some of the Prime Ministers radical economic policies that the opposition Congress is trying to leverage to regain political ground.

Angry protests by Patidars  who have been loyal to it for three decades  is a headache for the BJP, although most experts see the party retaining power in its citadel.

For the BJP, which has said it will win no less than 150 seats, its a prestige battle. The party has been extending its reach across the country, emboldened by a string of state election victories and consistently high public approval for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But with the economy still reeling from last years cash clampdown and the bumpy implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, the party appears to have lost, for the first time since its resounding national victory in 2014, some of its unbridled confidence.

The BJP has announced several incentives for voters in the state, including loans without interest for farmers, jobs for sanitation workers and big-ticket infrastructure projects.

(With PTI inputs)
Actor Shabana Azmi and lyricist Javed Akhtar have called members of Bollywood to refuse to be puppets in this game of electoral gain, divisive politics and polarisation as the row over Padmavati turned uglier and blamed the BJP governments at the Centre and some states of not doing enough to handle the protests against the film.

They told India Todays Rajdeep Sardesai on Sunday that the real culprits wasnt the Shri Rajput Karni Sena but the governments of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as well as the Centre for not restoring law and order and arresting those who have issued a bounty on films actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The chief ministers of the two states led by the Bharatiya Janata Party have requested the Centre to not allow the release of the film citing the Rajput communitys hurt sentiments and possible law and order issues as the reasons.

Azmi said the film industry is everybodys favourite sitting duck and it realises that it is a situation of now or never. She added that too much has happened and too repeatedly and pointed out that this was not the first time that protests against a film have turned ugly.

To me, it is a very sorry state of affairs. That it was in 2000, I think, when we were making the film Water and after I had shaved off my head, the film had to be scrapped. We couldnt make the film, nobody had read a single word of the script and they had decided that it was against Indian culture, she said about the film, which Deepa Mehta later made with Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray and John Abraham in 2005.

In 2017, we are facing the same thing with an even worse situation where there are people openly threatening to cut off Deepika Padukones nose, openly threatening that there is Rs 5-crore bounty on her head. If this is not criminal, what is? What is the government doing about it? she asked.

Azmi had earlier called for a boycott of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) organised by the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, due to begin in Goa later in November.

What can the film industry do? ... The people who are being honoured over there, whether it is Mr [Amitabh] Bachchan, or whoever it is there, should say we will not go to IFFI because until and unless you put these people who are making such statements behind bars, we are not going to come and do something which the government is doing in honour of the film industry, she said.

Azmi was asked whether the film industry is succumbing to such forces.

No, we cant rush to such conclusions ... See, its not a very easy situation. You have to understand that. There is a lot of money is riding on it. So, there is always this feeling that if a compromise is possible, then it is better.

My point to the film industry is that it is now or never. If we do not take a strong stand now, the situation will only get worse. The writing is clearly on the wall.

Akhtar said, the people who say they will eradicate terrorism, cant ensure that a film is released.

For discussions sake, even if one was to accept that somebodys feelings have been hurt, that she was indeed a historical figure, and so on, what are we doing about it? Are you going to cut somebodys nose or chop off somebodys head? Is that how a civilised country will work? asked the national award-winning writer.

He added that people should go to the court if they have a problem with any film.

Listen to the complete interview here

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal and other directors like Hansal Mehta and Anurag Kashyap also spoken against the culture of threat and intimidation.

This is a democracy. People may not agree with what I have to say but I have the right to say it, the Indian Express quoted Benegal as saying.

Will people ask for heads publicly and offer money for the lives of those who disagree with them and the state will do nothing to prevent it? The home department and the police should move in immediately and offer protection. That would be the thing to do. When chief ministers and members of government adopt such an approach, what else will the administration do? he asked.

Actors Prakash Raj, Riteish Deshmukh and Twinkle Khanna have also tweeted in support of the film.

There have been other voices too. Veteran actor Prakash Raj tweeted, Will they let #Padmavati release post election at least ..#justasking

One announced five crores... now a party spokes person announced ten crores reward for those who behead an actor and a director !!There seems to be loads of moeny to gift post demonitization... but does that includes GST... #justasking

Twinkle Khanna tweeted on, And as far as #Padmavati is concerned I wish it is the biggest hit ever as that would be the befitting rejoinder to all these loony threats!





And as far as #Padmavati is concerned I wish it is the biggest hit ever as that would be the befitting rejoinder to all these loony threats!  Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) November 19, 2017

Riteish Deshmukh tweeted: What kind of a country are we becoming???? Open death threats!!! Hope our Honorable Government takes quick action. #Padmavati #KyaMeraBharatMahaanHai?

What kind of a country are we becoming???? Open death threats!!! Hope our Honorable Government takes quick action. #Padmavati #KyaMeraBharatMahaanHai? https://t.co/LTdju1ridW  Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) November 19, 2017

On Sunday, the makers postponed the films earlier scheduled release on December 1.

We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind the period drama, said.

The Karni Sena deferred its Bharat Bandh, scheduled for December 1, hours after the studio put off the release.

Padmavati has been in the eye of the storm since January when Karni Sena attacked director Bhansali on the set of the film in Rajasthans capital Jaipur.

Led by the Karni Sena, Rajput groups have been up in arms against the film which they claim is a distortion of history and depicts an amorous relationship between Padmavati  portrayed by Padukone  and Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji  played by Singh and. has hurt feelings of the community. The makers have assiduously refuted the claim.

Historians say Rajput queen Padmini was a fictional character in Padmawat, an epic poem written by Malik Mohammad Jaisi in the 16th century, and it has no connection with history at all.

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Opinion / Columnist

It remains a fact that a lot of people have suspended their consciences and systems of consciousness, from which their principles must be firmly anchored. Looking at what is obtaining in Zimbabwe, one immediately realises that it's no longer about principles and looking at facts; it is now about short and quick fixes for the ordinary masses - especially their stomachs. It's the politics of the belly.Shockingly some of the people who have seemingly been celebrating this fraud that's aimed at rebooting Zanu-PF back to its manufacture settings are people I went to University with; people I was with when we campaigned against Zanu-PF for years. Some of them are even lawyers who should know better.But it would appear they are far too hungry to, at least, understand that we stand not to benefit anything from this. As we all agree, Mugabe is an evil man, we should also agree that all the bad things he committed he was with the same Army Generals and Mnangagwa.Are these Army Generals and Mnangagwa not the same people who have pillaged our people dating back from the Gukurahundi Genocide to the most recent violent episodes of 2008, and the Muramba Tsvina crusade?So if Mugabe ended up earning himself the title of being a 'Hitler', then it means his right-hand men; Emmerson Mnangagwa, also earned himself the title, 'Adolf Eichmann' and the Army Generals, Constantino Chiwenga and the rest are the equivalents of 'Heinrich Himmler.'We all know about the most gruesome and horrible things that that these people (Adolf Hitler, Adolf Eichmann, Heinrich Himmler and the rest) did, in particular, their role in the murder and pillaging of the Jews leading to the most painful Jewish Holocaust.To date the whole world still hasn't recovered from these evil men's actions. But we the victims of these new forms of evil that are obtaining in the Global South; the most recent violations perpetrated on us by the reincarnated pieces of Satan; Mnangagwa as Adolf Eichmann, and the Army Generals as Heinrich Himmler, are told that we should suspend our pains and brains, and focus on their enthronement so that tomorrow they turn us, again, into 'beasts of burden'. All those who have fallen for this scandal, including some of my trusted brothers and sisters are victims of the shrill of their empty stomachs. They lost their conscience a long time ago.But I for one will retain my conscience and consciousness - I will never support this path of evil, and the rebooting of Zanu-PF back to its manufacture settings. That I will never do! We should allow for our humanity and being to come first. If we really need change, we must not embrace anything that pretends to be change. It's an illusion, and we must never embrace it, no matter how tempting or charming it might be.Genuine progressive cadres with a conscience and deep consciousness are needed in a struggle like this one. Not these hungry characters in the opposition who only pretend to be fighting for change yet positioning themselves to be accepted by the pretentious status quo.We all Should know that what is likely to happen when this group of thugs takes over, is that they will withdraw the US$15 Billion that they stole. Use part of it to inject the economy in order to paint their pretentious outlook of being the new saints. And our hungry citizens, brothers and sisters who are gullible will fall for it, and celebrate it as change, and go on a political honeymoon with the new devils.Another 20 years or so will be wasted before people realise that the so called 'new independence' they celebrated was actually fluke, and that it never was an emancipatory project.The international community that never cared about the plight of the Blackman will reinvent these sons of Satan (Mnangagwa and the rest) that would have captured the state and do business with them. It must be noted that the international community has no conscience. For them it's business first and their running stencil is Global Imperial agenda. It works!This time they don't have to come and pillage us as they did in the past, all they need to do is to have thugs like Emmerson Mnangagwa and the rest, as their 'Comprador Bourgeoisie' doing the pillaging for them. It's a pity. I will never support this fraud that pretends to be change, for I know what it is - we should rightfully call it an evil scandal of the 21st Century! Removing Satan and replacing him with the Devil will never suit my conscience and consciousness.As I stand guided by the souls of my innocent folk who were brutally murdered in the Gukurahundi Genocide, I prefer to choose the path of vilification and principle. And so I refuse to celebrate
Actor Shahid Kapoor today said rather than being angry, he chooses to be optimistic about the future of Padmavati, the release of which has been postponed amid protests by various Rajput groups and political leaders.

Shahid is one of the guests from Bollywood to attend the inaugural ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.

Sometimes films of this nature.... it gets a bit complicated. I will choose to be optimistic till the due course is done. This is not the time to be angry, not the time to lose your cool. There are enough people doing that. So I would choose to say that I believe in the process, Shahid told reporters at the IFFI red carpet.

I am sure Padmavati will come out. It is a film we are very very proud of. I am sure once people see the film, all this will be forgotten.

He also condemned the violent threats against co-star Deepika Padukone, calling it shameful.

Of course, any kind of conversation which is violent is not in good taste. I think it was absolutely uncalled for. I hope we will live up to the expectation of the people. I dont want to make any comments specific to a group, he said when asked to respond to Shri Rajput Karni Senas comments.

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As the Padmavati crisis escalates, veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal questioned the behaviour of The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and certain politicians.

The filmmaker, who helmed a committee to recommend reforms in the censor boards working, has strong words of censure for the panel.

I must say the CBFC is behaving very strangely in the matter of Padmavati. If the film did not carry a disclaimer it could easily be corrected. Why send the film back? Again it seems very suspicious, said Benegal.

Benegal, who has faced furious backlash in his time for his cinema on socio-cultural equality, is baffled by the extent of the Padmavati uproar.

Demonstrators chant slogans as they protest against the release of the upcoming Bollywood movie Padmavati in Bengaluru,.

I am sorry I cant comment on Padmavati.I havent seen it, have you? No one has seen it. Yet there are hordes of people objecting to its content. Does that make any sense?I cant understand how the protest has spread across the nation when hardly anyone has seen the film. How can the protest against a film become so rampant when no one has seen the film, no one knows the content.

I am sorry, the protests make no sense, unless we judge them against the political current political climate in the country.

Benegal, whose films like Ankur, Nishant, Manthan focused on the evils of the caste system, sees a pattern of vote-bank politics in the protests against Padmavati.

This is being done to consolidate the Rajput vote. Now, you must understand that the Rajput community is not one homogenized community across the country, he said.

Rajput community activists stage a demonstration against the screening of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Padmavati. (IANS)

The Rajputs of Rajasthan possess a different mindset and cultural inclination as compared with the Rajputs in other parts of India. And even those Rajputs in different regions outside Rajasthan are diverse in their outlook.By raking up the Padmavati non-issue, the Karni Sena hopes to homogenize the Rajput country across the country, unite them over an utterly irrelevant crisis. Sadly their ploy seems to be working. If I am from a particular caste and you tell me my cultural heritage is threatened I will naturally react against the threat, he added.

Benegal urges the protesters to get reasonable.

He said: Wait for Padmavati to release then pass your verdict. What is the point in commenting over a film whose content has not been exposed to the public?

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A BJP leaders son and another man, arrested for carrying turtles, have links with smugglers dealing with aquarium species and small wild animals in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, forest officials said.

Mohit Sharma (30), son of mandal vice-president in Rekha Sharma Haridwar, was arrested on November 18 with an exotic turtle species -- Red Eared Slider. Commonly known as Singapore turtle, its sale is banned in the United Stated under the 1975 regulation of the Food and Drug Administration owing to health impacts caused by consumption of its eggs.

The other accused, Victor (50), who was arrested for carrying two tent turtles, was handed over to his family because of his illness, but Mohit is under judicial custody, officials said.

After arresting the two, forest officials searched a godown where they found another tent turtle.

Preliminary investigation shows Mohit and Victor used to trade in turtles and aquarium species. They have also links in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi from where these species are smuggled here and probably sold to people, Akash Verma, Haridwar divisional forest officer (DFO), told Hindustan Times.

Neither Rekha nor BJP state president Ajay Bhatt could be contacted for their comments despite repeated attempts.

Uttarakhand is turning into a hotspot for turtle trade. According to forest department reports, nearly 200 turtles were seized in 2014, about 120 in 2015 and 100 in 2016. In 2015, turtles were also found from people in Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Experts say turtles are caught from places along rivers and smuggled. The species are kept in homes as there is a belief that they bring prosperity.

Activists have expressed concern over trade in aquarium species. Turtle trade isnt restricted to winters. But, yes its catch could be seasonal. Turtles are believed to bring prosperity and longevity, and thats why its demand is increasing, said Abhishekh Kumar who works with TRAFFIC India.

Other activists said there should be better patrolling in forest divisions along the Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries to check the trade.

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A Dinosaur-like creatures fossil was found during an excavation in Jaspur, a small city 110 km away from Nainital, on Sunday.

The land where the fossil has been found belongs to the state electricity department, where a power house used to exist three decades ago.

An employee of the electricity department, Bali Ram, told Hindustan Times that some labourers first informed the contractor about the discovery, who, in turn, informed the police and forest department. We have also messaged to the archaeological department, Ram added.

Chances are that some small animal entered the abandoned house and died there in. We have informed the authorities are concerned departments, said Abdul Kalam, inspector of the Jaspur police station.

The hind legs of the discovered figure measure around 29cm and the tail is around 5cm long. The authorities have decided to send the remains to Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for further investigation.

Minutes after the new spread, a large number of people gathered at the site to take a look at the strange fossil. Hakeem Jafar Ali, a local resident, said that there could be more lizard-like animals. We are a bit puzzled and therefore seeking the administrations help in undertaking massive search operation in the surroundings, Ali said.
In a sensational incident, an undertrial prisoner brought to a court here for hearing regarding a murder and extortion case was killed by two unknown gunmen on Monday.

Three gunmen pumped bullets on Devpal Rana, a resident of Uttar Pradeshs Deoband and a close aide of gangster Sunil Rathi, on premises of the additional district judges court at Ramnagar area.

He was rushed to Roorkee civil hospital where he succumbed to bullet injuries, officials said.

Ranas lawyer Satish and another man identified as Amit, a resident of Roorkee, sustained injuries during the incident and are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Rana was a constable with Uttarakhand police but in 2002 he was dismissed from the service for indulging in a loot at Mangalore in Haridwar. After this, he first got in touch with Uttar Pradesh gangster Jeeva and then with Rathi.

Police personnel accompanying Rana and those of Indian Reserve Battalion deployed inside the court caught hold of the two assailants while another managed to escape.

Arrested assailants were identified as Sanju and Mohan Kumar - both residents of Jind in Haryana, a police officer said.

The assailants were already inside the court premise before Rana was brought for hearing, said Manikant Mishra, the superintendent of police (rural).

Fifteen cases were registered against Rana at various police stations in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, Mishra said.

We are still interrogating the two assailants and additional police personnel were deployed on the court premise and Roorkee prison. After interrogation, we can divulge more about the motive behind the killing, he said.

District police chief Krishan Kumar VK, who inspected the court premise, directed officials to beef up of security measures at court premise as precautionary measure during hearings at such criminals.

Senior police official said the arrested assailants tried to misguide police by giving contradictory replies when interrogated. It appears that they have been hired by western Uttar Pradesh gangster Chinu Pundit, they said.

Rana was arrested in February by a Special Task Force for allegedly being the main accused in the August 2014 Roorkee gang war in which three members of rival Chinu Pundit gang were killed outside the Roorkee prison.

Pundit was being released from prison that day when Rana along with four accomplices had fired on Pundit, who escaped unhurt.
Two years ago an idea mooted by then chief minister Harish Rawat to promote hemp farming in Uttarakhand was ridiculed by the BJP.

Now, there is a role reversal. The BJP is in power in the hill state and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat sees immense potential in the hemp farming.

The government will make policy (to legalise) hemp cultivation. Hemp has immense potential to support livelihood of the farmers, the chief minister said during his tour to Bageshwar on November 18.

The only need is to ensure its (hemp) cultivation is not misused. The seeds could be used to extract oil, stem for making paper and the fibre is of excellent quality, he said.

Chief minister Rawats statement has made the ruling party uncomfortable.

BJP state unit president Ajay Bhatt, who as the leader of opposition during the Congress tenure had opposed the move to legalise hemp cultivation preferred not to speak on the issue.

Party spokesperson Vinay Goyal, however, said: We then opposed hemp cultivation since the every single step of the Harish Rawat government was doubtful. Our vision is clear and our government wants to execute plans in the right direction.

Harish Rawat had in fact backed for the hemp farming in the state back in 2015. His government also legalised the farming but that actually did not translated into the ground as farmers were not issued licenses.

The former chief minister while talking to HT on Monday said he welcomes the chief ministers statement.

I had designed a model for the development of hills. And I am happy that sidelining his partys line chief minister TS Rawat has shown guts and wants to support hemp cultivation, he said.

He also claimed that he had assigned task to the two research institutes to develop industrial variety of hemp.

The Section 8 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, prohibits cultivation of cannabis for recreation. The Section 14 of the Act, however, allows the state government to grow it for generating fibre and seeds.

The industrial variety of the hemp carries less than 1% hydro cannabinol (THC) carries less the 1%. The cannabis which is made from those hemp plants which carries THC more than 3%. In the hills, the hemp usually grows as weed and widely used in making chutneys.

Experts say it would be a tricky situation for the authorities to keep an eye on the misuse of hemp. Padma award recipient and ecologist Anil Joshi said the government should remember hemp saplings are weed.

Why promote hemp farming when there are several other verities available that can give best quality of fibre, Joshi added.

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The dastardly attack on a passenger of Indigo airlines by its ground staff on the tarmac of Delhi airport last month has sent shock waves around the country. More so because it comes from an industry that spoke with such righteous indignation about unruly passengers.

Certainly, rude and rowdy behaviour by passengers is condemnable and needs to be put down with a firm hand and the airline industry has now been armed with the power to punish such passengers by putting them on a No Fly List. But what about the violent conduct of airline staff towards passengers? Passengers now need to know how the industry and the regulator will deal with such cases and also prevent such aggressive and violent behaviour in the future.

Ironically, the IndiGo incident comes just one and a half months after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) directed all airlines and airport operators to ensure their ground staff engaged in passenger handling extend an extremely polite and courteous behaviour towards the travelling public.

Titled Facilities/courtesies to esteemed travelling public at airports and dated August 31, 2017, the DGCA circular addressed to all airlines as well as airport operators, said, It is imperative to strengthen customer service skills at airport level , especially in areas of courtesy and behaviour by all stakeholders to mitigate passenger inconvenience and make air travel a pleasant experience.

In this regard it said : Airlines/airport operators shall ensure all the ground handling staff engaged in passenger handling undergo periodic soft skill training for sensitization, courtesy, behaviour and procedures for assisting the passengers. I wonder how many airlines conduct such sensitization training to their ground staff and how often.

The circular, which is an updated version of an earlier circular on the subject issued in 2014, reiterated that As all passengers are very important, valued and esteemed customers, any incident of misdemeanour, discourteous behaviour and harassment shall be dealt by the airline/airport operator on top priority basis and shall be reported to DGCA in a prescribed format given at Annexure II to this Circular. The circular also reminded airline/airport operators that they must acknowledge all complaints immediately and resolve them at the earliest, but not exceeding one month.

The DGCA warned the aviation industry that airlines/airport operators not complying with these directions shall be liable for penal action as per the provisions of the Aircraft Act, 1934 read in conjunction with the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal code. The DGCA said it would ensure compliance through surveillance.

I must mention that as per the DGCA data, complaints on staff behaviour constitutes the fourth largest chunk of complaints filed by passengers and the number of such complaints is increasing. In the month of September, for example, complaints on customer service constituted the largest number31.4 per cent,

followed by flight problems : 25.9 per cent, baggage issues: 16.5 per cent and staff behaviour: 9.2 per cent.

Complaints on staff behaviour was 7.8 per cent of the total number of complaints in August and 5.5 per cent in July . Even though the DGCA mandates that airlines send reports of any complaints of misdemeanour against the staff to the DGCA along with the data on the action taken against the erring employee, the information on the follow-up action by the airline is not provided on the DGCA website. Consumers have a right to this information and it must be made public.

And the DGCA must ensure that airlines follow its mandate on courteous and polite behaviour  towards passengers , in its letter and spirit.

The regulator should also inform passengers of the action taken by it against those violating these instructions.

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Delhi government is planning to build an eco-friendly industrial hub at Ranikhera by 2021, officials said. The construction on the project is expected to begin in three-four months, and once completed it is expected to give employment to over one lakh people.

The industrial estate would cater to specific needs of IT, ITeS (Information Technology-Enabled Services) industry, and research and will have 10-12 clusters of different industries. The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) will be handling the project.

The decision was announced by Delhi industry minister Satyendar Jain at a meeting with traders on Saturday.

The industrial hub will be constructed in 147 acres of land. The move is aimed at promoting ease of doing business and turn Delhi into a manufacturing hub, said an official, who wished not to be named as the policy is still under nascent stage.

At present, there are 29 industrial areas in Delhi housing over five lakh industries.

The new facility promises to be a large multilevel manufacturing hub for industries to set up or expand activities in the non-polluting manufacturing sector.

The industries in this industrial hub will be set up strictly in accordance with the pollution norms. They will also have solar panels installed to run on renewable energy. The North DMC has passed the layout plan of the project and the construction will begin within three to four months, Aam Aadmi Partys trade wing convener, Brijesh Goel, who was present in the meeting, told Hindustan Times.

After the construction starts, it will take around three years to complete the project, he added.

The industrial hub will have world class infrastructure, residential quarters for workers, jogging track, single-window clearance system, warehouses, a green belt and a lake. It will also have facility of system designing and bio-technology to boost manufacturing units of electronic components.

Leader of the opposition in North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Jayender Dabas said that its layout plan was passed last week by the House and tendering process was expected to be completed within three months before starting of the construction work.

Construction of the industrial hub will be done in three phases and is expected to be completed in three months after the tendering process. It will give employment to at least 1.5 lakhs people, Dabas told Hindustan Times.

Goel added that, at present, traders have to run pillar-to-post to obtain various kinds of clearances from DSIIDC, civic bodies, fire department, water and electricity departments but this all would become a thing of past once Ranikhera industrial hub is developed.

With this hub in place, the series of pre-requisite formalities will be done under one roof. It will certainly boost business in the national capital, Goel said.
Sumit Kumar aspired to be a judge, but a disappointing performance in the Judicial Services examination lured him into a job fraud  a con job that got him 20 lakh in just two days, investigators said.

Kumar was arrested on Saturday after an official from Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) approached police alleging that he had cheated more than 4,000 youths by offering 6,715 jobs that did not exist. Kumar allegedly charged money for examination fee for these non-existent jobs.

He is a bright LLM student and has had a good academic career so far, but he failed to crack the Judicial Services exam by just a few marks. That frustrated him, and he decided to temporarily shift his attention to making quick money, an investigator directly involved in the probe, but not authorised to speak to the media, told HT.

Confident of his abilities, the 27-year-old decided to give the exam another try even as he continues to pursue LLM from a Delhi University, from where he had also completed his BCom and LLB.

Kumar is originally from Sonepat and his father is a retired inspector from Haryana Police. He belongs to an educated family that has produced quite a few legal professionals, said the investigator.

It was sometime in March that Kumar, along with two other persons he became friends with from his LLB days, got an NGO registered in the name of Women and Child Development Organisation. WMCD officials have alleged that the NGOs website was designed to mislead job aspirants into believing it belonged to the ministry.

Kumars interrogation so far has suggested that when he and his friends had got the NGO registered, they intended to do social work. But it appears their plan never took off, after which Kumar decided to use the website for the fraud, said the investigator, adding there would be more clarity once his two friends are arrested.

According to investigators, Kumar had already earned 20 lakh in two days, but his target was much bigger. He thought the job offers would find lakhs of takers and would earn him crores. In his forms, he was accepting application till December 8, an investigator said.

BK Gupta, DCP (New Delhi), said Kumar had already withdrawn 3 lakh from the bank account he was using to collect the money.
Delhi Police is planning to deploy a new motorcycle squad consisting of mostly women to tackle street crimes and make the city safer for women, multiple officials have said.

The police have also detailed plans aimed at quickening response time and beefing up presence in the citys narrow streets and lanes.

In all, 600 motorcycles will be deployed with a rider and a pillion on each, said a source familiar with the initiative. The official, wishing not to be named since he was not authorised to disclose specifics, said the idea is based on motorcycle teams deployed in western countries.

A Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed the initiative. The bikes will patrol narrow lanes and act as the first responder in emergencies. The women-led patrolling bikes will be present in areas frequented by women, said Dependra Pathak, chief spokesperson.

The motorcycles will be equipped with windscreens and don a new livery  grey instead of the current yellow. The riders will be equipped with body cameras, helmet bullhorns, pepper sprays and Taser guns in addition to regular firearms, said the source.

PATROLLING CHALLENGE

The new squad will be called Raftaar and is the second in a series of initiatives to modernise the forces patrolling capabilities after the deployment of Parakram commando vans.

Inadequate patrolling, particularly deep inside neighbourhoods, is one of the factors behind the high rate of street crimes such as snatching and molestation. Till October 31, there have been 7,371 alleged cases of snatching, nearly 2,500 robberies, around 3,000 allegations of molestation and 553 cases of catcalling.

FOCUS ON WOMEN

Improving safety for women is a key objective, the source said, explaining the initial plan was to have all-women teams. But the problem was the lack of women in the force with driving licences. Hence, the squad will now consist of 60% women cops, the official said. Another senior police officer said 200 policewomen have already started training in high-speed motorcycle riding.

I train them for one hour each in morning and evening at a nearby stadium and on roads with light traffic. A few of them already know how to ride scooters, said Shushila, a constable from the Maurice Nagar police station.

One of the women being trained is Uma, who said that seeing Sushila ride a motorcycle inspired her to sign up for the squad.

Some of the women, like their male counterparts, will be trained in using MP-5 submachine guns and Insas rifles.

A little over 10% of Delhi Polices 80,000-strong work force is women.

THE EQUIPMENT

At least three motorcycles from each of the 191 police stations will be repainted and retrofitted with new LED flashers, windscreens, baton holders and storage boxes.

The patrolling bikes will be GPS-enabled and connected with the central as well as district control rooms. Their movement will be monitored and riders will get an alert if they go beyond designated routes or territorial jurisdiction, said spokesperson Pathak.

Once the first of the motorcycle squads hit the streets, which is expected to be by the end of this year, Delhi Police will approach the home ministry to clear acquisition of new motorcycles and gadgets, the sources said.
Opinion / Columnist

Saturday 18 November marks the end of of Robert Gabriel Mugabe who has been tormenting the children of Zimbabwe since 1980. He has been a "goblin" which haunts the whole family "Zimbabweans" while he was becoming rich and rich. Our blood was being sucked for real!!!We would like to thank the ZDF for their intervention and unwavering support to cleanse the "goblin" which has been haunting the peace loving, so innocent and very patriotic citizens.Without baton sticks, teargas, and water canons from riot police we witnessed Zimbabweans celebrating with order, peace and love. Surely Mugabe was holding us with an ion fist.On Saturday we said Go well mdhara.Thank you Zimbabweans!!!However, people of Zimbabwe still demands ZANU pf to go. All what we need is change...not the change we witnessed yesterday. People need new blood in the government for all ZANU PF comrades cannot be trusted with our future anymore. They have proved without any reasonable doubt that they cannot stand with the majority of Zimbabweans. For us to be where we are today is because of Robert Mugabe and all his cabals such as Joyce Mujuru, Emerson Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Kasukuwere, Chinamasa, Chombo just to mention a few.We will not set back because Mugabe is gone, but we need all Zanu-PF cabals to go and rest.We can not keep on be led by very old, greedy and very corrupt people.We will not forget Gukurahundi which claimed about 20 thousand Ndebele people in 1982-1987, hundreds of people who died in 2005 and property destroyed in 2005 Murambatsvina, thousands who died, crippled and their homes destroyed in 2008 rerun election.We will also not forget Itai Dzamara and Paul Chizuze who were abducted and killed by Zanu pf.Further more we will not forget our $15 billion that was stolen from Chiyadzwa diamond which Mugabe and his ZANU pf cabals used or using for personal interest.All the above was done by Mugabe and all ZANU pf, lacoste, G40 and gamatox.Hence we still demand Zanu to go. #Chakachaya 2018 #Go and register to vote now
A law student from Delhi University who failed to clear the judicial services exam started a website in an attempt to pass it off as one linked to a government ministry and managed to cheat more than 4,000 job applicants of Rs 20 lakh in just two days, police said on Sunday.

An investigator who questioned 27-year-old Sumit Kumar, who was arrested on Saturday, said the LLM student hoped to earn crores within a month as he expected at least one lakh aspirants to apply for jobs through his website.

Kumar was arrested after Delhi Police received a complaint from an undersecretary in the ministry of women and child development (MWCD), said BK Singh, DCP (New Delhi).

The complainant said an unauthorised individual or organisation had set up a fake website resembling that of the ministry and was collecting examination fee online by offering jobs for multiple posts. According to the DCP, Kumar had advertised about 6,715 vacancies, most of them for different teaching positions.

The domain name of Kumars website, wcdo.org.in, appeared similar to WMCDs original site, wcd.nic.in. It even carried the ministrys logo without permission, said the DCP. The website carried the governments helpline numbers for women and children, the officer said.

The portal (in pic) was designed to imitate the website of ministry of women and child development.

After registering a case at Parliament Street police station, the investigators took a closer look at the website to realise it was registered as an NGO, Women and Child Development Organisation. The name was allegedly intended to mislead people into believing it had something to do with the ministry.

An examination of the website provided police vital clues. The fee payments were to deposited to an ICICI account. We took the details of the account holder from the bank and nabbed the suspect. Initially he tried to mislead us, but admitted on interrogation, said the DCP.

Kumar allegedly told police he had set up an NGO by getting it registered with the sub-registrar in central Delhi in March. He then sought the help of a web-designer to create the website as per his requirement and then used the ministrys logo to give it an authentic look.

The DCP said over the past few days, Kumar started advertising the job vacancies and collecting examination fees. The fee for most of the jobs was Rs 800. To make the website appear legitimate, the fee was halved for the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories.

Kumar said his organisation ran no school where he could fill up the said vacancies. He was doing this only to earn money, said the DCP.

Police are looking out for three other persons: two who had allegedly helped him set up the organisation and a web designer who made the website.
Delhi Police have arrested a journalist for allegedly raping a former colleague at a hotel room in central Delhi.

The woman approached the police with a complaint on Friday after which the accused was booked for rape.

The woman told the police that she has known the accused since 2015 and he had allegedly sexually assaulted her several times in the past.

In her complaint, she further alleged that the man had even promised to marry her but she later learnt that he was going to get married to another woman next month.

It is further alleged that he asked her to meet him at a hotel recently, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her again and told her that he was unhappy with his impending marriage.

A police officer said that they registered a case and arrested the man from his house in Ghaziabad. Cops said that he is being questioned.
A guest teacher at a municipal school was gunned down by unidentified assailants outside the school in Swaroop Nagar on Monday evening, said the police.

The deceased, Deepak Baliyan (31) was a resident of Tajpur village and had joined the North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run primary school in July this year.

The police did not identify the attackers till late evening but sources confirmed that the names of outer Delhi gangsters Jitender alias Gogi and his rival Tillu had cropped up during investigation.

Gogi, who absconded from Delhi Police custody last year, and his rival Tillu, have been involved in a gang war in Tajpur area of outer Delhis Alipur for the past four years.

DCP north west Milind Dumbere said that around 4.30pm, they received a call about a firing near a municipal school. Upon reaching there, we found one person named Deepak lying near the gate of the school in a pool of blood with several bullet injuries on his body. Initial CCTV footage shows assailants were in a Grand i10 car. We are trying to ascertain the exact number of assailants, said Dumbere. A police team later rushed him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Sources added that eyewitnesses told the police about Deepak emerging out of the school gate and the assailants coming at that exact time. We suspect that they had called him out and then rained bullets on him, said another police officer.

As the assailants started firing, Deepak tried to run towards his own car parked outside the school but before he could reach there, over five bullets had hit him.

Crime and forensic teams later arrived at the spot and collected samples.

We are collecting further facts to establish the motive, added Dumbere.

No police verification for guest teachers

Asked if Deepak had any criminal record of his own or association with gangs based in outer Delhi, Dumbere said that no such background details had emerged till lMonday evening but they were probing the same. A North agency spokesperson said that their education department manages the appointments of ad hoc teachers and at the time of hiring, only academic credentials are checked and not police verification.

Gangs

A source said that the nature of the crime  multiple bullets shot  led them to believe the involvement of a gang as Deepak hailed from an area where Gogi and Tillu have killed several members of other gangs. Deepak is survived by his wife, also a teacher by profession, and two children.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to allot plots to applicants of its 1981 residential scheme who had bought any property in the national capital after the last date of submission of applications.

The decision was taken at a board meeting held on Monday chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal who is also the chairman of the DDA. The scheme, launched in February 1981, was closed on April 25, 1986.

It has been mired in controversy since the beginning and got exceptionally delayed for different reasons with about 14,000 allottees still waiting to get the possession.

Nearly 82,000 people had applied for plots under the scheme.

A press statement issued by the land owning agency said Mondays decision has been approved in view of principal of natural justice.

A time-frame of five years could not be adhered to and in view of principle of natural justice, any of the registrants, who had purchased any property after five years from the date of closing of the scheme would not be debarred from allotment of plot, irrespective of the size and nature of the plot/flat acquired in his/her name or dependents, said the statement.

JP Agrawal, principal commissioner, land and housing change in condition will benefit around 700 applicants.

But applicants who voluntarily withdrew from the scheme would not be entitled for the allotment, said the DDA.

The relaxation of rules would be given retrospective effect to cover cancelled cases in the past. However, these cases would be considered for allotment of plot in a developing sector through a draw of lots at current pre-determined rates (PDR), said the official.

He said all the pending show cause notices would be withdrawn and original applicants or their legatee would be considered for handing over possession. Their claim would be ensured through biometric impression matching with their Aadhar number linked biometrics, the official said.

Rahul Gupta, an allotee, who had filed a petition against the DDA, said the decision would lead to corruption and injustice to those who had withdrawn from the scheme because of this conditionowning a property.
South Delhi residents next year can hope to see some greenery in their neighbourhood parks even during the citys scorching summer.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has come up with an action plan to deal with water shortage in around 800 city parks during summer which will allow these parks to remain green.

The civic body has signed a memorandum of understanding(MOU) with Hyatt Regency Hotel and Select Citywalk Mall for take water from their sewer treatment plant and supply it to parks across the area.

The civic body said they would lay pipelines for this purpose.

The water from Select Citywalk Mall is already supplied to Jamunwala Park in south Delhi. Water from Hyatt Regency will supply 100 kilolitres of water per day to at least 10 neighbourhood parks, said Alok Kumar, director, horticulture department, south MCD.

Presently, half of the citys parks have borewells but most of them are non-functional because of the depleting ground water level. In March 2016, the SDMC has signed an MoU with Jaypee Vasant Continental for supplying water in Munirka Enclave. Depleting ground water levels and ban on digging of new bore wells have restricted the water supply to parks. To deal with the crisis, we are resorting to using treated water from sewer plants, said Kumar.

The SDMC official said that the pipeline for supplying water from sewage treatment plant at Mayapuri Industrial area to parks in west Delhi has also been completed and 20 parks will be covered through the STP plant in next two months.

Similarly, the civic body is in talks with DJB to get treated water from their plants. The water can be used in at least 270 acre of parks in south, central and west Delhi. DJB has plants in Vasant Vihar, Keshavpur, Okhla and Pappan Kalan. As soon as the MoU is signed we will start work for laying pipelines,s said the official.

Besides arranging for water supply in parks through STPs, the agency is also targeting to installing water sprinklers at 100 parks by March 2018.

Two of them have already been installed at Munirka Enclave and Madhav Park in west Delhi. The sprinklers save up to 60% of water and cover wider area in comparison to supplying bulk water through pipelines, said official from horticulture department.

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Gone are the days when the only respected career paths were either engineering or medicine or management. With the growing need to find ones passion and a job that closely aligns with their lifestyle and personality, people have started experimenting more with career options, paving way to newer avenues. India is witnessing a surge in alternate job opportunities and a range of uniquely designed courses to enable the youth to take up career options in industries that suit their aptitudes and interests. One such industry which has recently grown at an impressive rate in India is the luxury industry.

The luxury market in India is growing at a steady pace and is currently valued at US$18.5 billion and growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 % as per the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. A Euromonitor International report says the countrys luxury market is expected to grow by 86% in constant value terms between 2016 and 2019. The report also says that the luxury market has the right potential to reach more than US$100 billion in the next seven to eight years. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) projects that the total retail human resource requirement by 2022 will be approximately 17.8 million. Bearing this equation in mind, the report estimates is that by 2022, the total manpower required to handle luxury brands and services in India will be around 1.76 million head counts.

The is a huge requirement for skilled talent in the luxury industry. Find out what the hirers are looking for. (HT)

This leaves a huge requirement for skilled talent that is specially groomed and trained for the industry. Jobs in the luxury industry come with an aspirational value and offer a higher level of gratification even at an entry level. However, finding the right talent for this niche industry is a challenge, since the requirement is not just about skills but also about personality, exposure and comfort in associating with the luxe lifestyle. This has resulted in a drill down effect, where opportunities are abundant for a pool that seems to be drying up. Moreover, its never easy to be a part of a very demanding industry where the pressure to maintain the premiumness of a brand is extremely high, further resulting in a high employee turnover rate.

It is here that Mercedes-Benz as a brand recognised this skill gap and has dedicated most attention and investment on education and training of the employees, to ensure that the skilled workforce can deliver high value to the customers. Our HQ develops programmes to train the staff and also those in other worldwide markets to impart the brand values and educate the staff on the brand image and expectations. Here, our PPP model like the unique advanced diploma in automotive mechatronics (ADAM) course with various government engineering colleges and ITIs have been beneficial to the students who aspire for a career in automotive industry and also to the various organisations that have employed these pass outs. Most recently we extended the footprints of our ADAM course to Delhi by signing a MoU with Govt. of Delhi, NCT and BB Pant Institute.

Given the amount a customer invests in owning a luxury product or experience, the expectations are always around exclusivity and premium service quality, with no space for lapse in service excellence. In an industry where service is paramount, players in the luxury segment look out for new talent who have an eye for perfection, have excellent communication skills to hold engaging conversations with people and have a personality that can charm customers. The job role of the employees in this field requires knowledge and understanding of the latest trends in the industry. However, having inherent knowledge about the field is not enough, employees need to be trained to have business acumen and technical expertise as well. The workforce needs to have comprehensive technical knowledge to ensure supreme quality and value to the customers. In this industry, small details matter, from body language to communication skills, since selling luxury needs to be subtle, thus, the training is largely inclined towards soft-skill development. Luxury industry operates in a highly competitive global context where innovation is the key factor of differentiation.

A career in the luxury industry can be rewarding if supported with the correct training and grooming in specialised institutes to kick-start the journey. Pass outs from these training institutes are measured with their counterparts from around the world. The luxury industry paves way to better quality services and provides customers with superlative ownership experience. Here again, training from reputed brands aids in developing technical and social confidence and allows the employees to communicate with the high demands of customers, effectively. The luxury industry is making a social transformation in India that is beneficial to the country as a whole by taking standards higher.

The high standards of working conditions and job opportunities are, in turn, positively affecting the standards of living of the nation and there is no doubt that the luxury industry, owing to its very nature in developing skills and talent for India, is slowly becoming the sunrise sector of India.

The author is MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the admit card of candidates to appear for exam to recruit Scientific Assistant in India Meteorological Department Examination 2017 to be held from November 22 to November 25, 2017. The admit card has been released for all the regions now.

Candidates can download the admit card for the scientific assistant exam from SSCs official website. Click on the link for admit card on the top nav bar of the home page. Click on the link for the region for which the admit card has been issued. This will take you to the regional websites of SSC from where you can download your admit card. Key in the required details and your admit card will be displayed on the screen. Take a printout and keep the admit card safely.

Or

Click on the links given below to go to the login page of the regional websites for downloading the admit card:

Northern region: Admit card

Central region: Admit card

North Western region Chandigarh: Admit card

Karnataka Kerala region: Admit card

Southern region: Admit card

North Eastern region: Admit card

Eastern region (Kolkata): Admit card

Western region (Mumbai): Admit card

Madhya Pradesh region: Admit card

Scheme of examination:

The examination would comprise 200 questions carrying 200 marks for two hours duration. The question paper would have two parts, Part - I and Part - II.

Part 1 will be divided into four parts carrying 25 marks each. The four parts are: General Intelligence and Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and Comprehension, General Awareness.

Part II will carry 100 marks for 100 questions from Physics, Computer Science and Information Technology, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering.

There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer in both the Parts.

The Commission will prepare the category-wise merit list and hand it over to India Meteorological Department, which would declare the final result.

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Not finding details of the projects of their respective developers in the public domain even after two months and relevant information on notification of the RERA (Real Estate Regulation Act) rules by the Haryana government, the city homebuyers are disappointed and are seeking ways to fix the problem.

The department of town and country planning (TCP) Haryana, is the authority concerned to regulate the RERA rules notified by the government on July 28, 2017. After notification, the buyers were hoping for a drastic change in the real estate sector in terms of details of delayed projects and quantum of punishments and other implications as per the rules.

To their worry, the Haryana government has not yet updated the details of projects and names of developers on its website for buyers convenience.

Arun Kumar Gupta, principal secretary TCP Haryana said, The website of H-RERA is not yet ready that is why we have not put information of registered developers and their projects in the public domain.

We are anxious to know if our project is covered by RERA or weather the developer has applied for registration or not. I have decided to file RTI query to get details in this regard, Harinder Pal Singh, a homebuyer, said.

Homebuyers associated with group #UndilutedRERA have been filing RTI queries, seeking status update on Rera registration of their respective projects.

We are sorry to say that the government did not focus on awareness about RERA, buyers rights, their claims and procedure to file RTI queries, said Manish Suman, another homebuyer, said.

Read I Gurgaon will have its own RERA authority

Among the options that homebuyers are considering are giving representation to government, filing cases in national consumer redressal form, filing RTI applications and moving court.

Why is the government hiding details from buyers? We have learnt from the media that the government has rejected registrations of many developers for various reasons and that is why we are worried. We find the RTI or the consumer forum as suitable options for details on our delayed projects, Gaurav Prakash, a homebuyer, said.

A pan-India entity such as the Forum for Peoples Collective Efforts (FPCE) has been formed by homebuyers to fight this issue strongly.

Tens of thousands of homebuyers in Gurgaon have been waiting for possession of their dream flats that they booked in the last 5-7 years. In many cases, constructions are either incomplete or at a very early stage, while buyers have paid the majority of the amount.

Homebuyers have high hopes on H-RERA, as they see it as a way to bring all errant and defaulting builders in line.

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A traffic police assistance booth was set up by the Gurgaon police in collaboration with an automobile company on Friday in Sector 29, near Leisure Valley Park, while six more booths have been made also made operational at key points on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

According to traffic police officers, the staff at the booths that are located between Sirhaul and Kherki Daula toll plazas  Shankar Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower, Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Sirhaul and Kherki Daula  will be responsible for streamlining traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway as well as reducing the response time for reaching those in need of assistance.

The booth in Sector 29 was launched by Sandeep Khirwar, the commissioner of police, for addressing road traffic safety and improving traffic situation. The automobile company gave 25 bikes to the traffic police for patrolling.

Road safety is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Police assistance booths will prove to be a great facility for addressing this issue and reducing the road fatality number to zero. We hope to take it forward and take stern steps to reduce accidents in Gurgaon and Haryana, Khirwar said.

Read I Gurgaon: U-turn near newly opened underpass turns accident spot

According to officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), 95 accidents were reported on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway last year.

In June, NHAI and traffic police decided to install CCTV cameras at 82 points on the expressway, including Shankar Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower, Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Sirhaul and Kherki Daula toll plazas, that would be equipped for surveillance, automatic number plate recognition and speed detection.

A total of 1,201 accidents were reported in Gurgaon in 2016, according to the Gurgaon police. Compared to 2011, when 971 accidents took place, there has been a 23% jump in accidents over the five-year period.
A Gurgaon special court on Monday reserved its order on the bail plea of bus conductor Ashok Kumarthe first suspect in the murder of an eight-year-old boy at Ryan International, Bhondsi for Tuesday.

Kumar, 42, was arrested by Gurgaon Police on charges of murder and sexual assault on the victim. After the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the agency on November 7 apprehended a Class 11 student of the same school for the murder, and ruled out any sexual assault.

The CBI submitted a forensic report of the blood samples of the victim, class 2 student Pradhyumn Thakur, and Kumar, the prime suspect at that time.

The police had collected the samples and sent them for DNA analysis to check if the boys blood had spilled on the conductors body and clothes and vice versa.

Lawyers present in the court of additional district and sessions judge Rajni Yadav said the report was negative and the samples did not match.

The blood samples on the victim did not match with that of Kumar. Gurgaon police had taken blood samples of Kumar also, though there was no injury mark on his body. They had sent his samples to ensure the blood on the body of the victim was not of Kumar. His trousers and shirt were sent as there were blood stains on his clothes, which he had washed. The report said the samples did not match. The police had earlier said they had sent the semen sample of Kumar, which they found on the victims clothes, but no such sample was sent, said Verma.

The court had on November 16 sought the report from the CBI as Ashok had moved a bail application after the CBI apprehended the Class 11 student . The court had adjourned hearing on the bail plea till November 20.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Ashoks counsel Mohit Verma said there was no evidence against his client. Even CBI officials said there are no pieces of evidence against Kumar, no signs he committed the murder. The FSL and DNA reports are negative. On all these grounds, my client should be granted bail, said Verma.

Sushil Tekriwal, counsel of the victims father Barun Chandra Thakur, argued against the jurisdiction of the Gurgaon court in hearing this case and demanded transfer of the case to the special CBI court, Panchkula.

The CBI prosecutor said the Gurgaon court was specially designated under the Pocso Act and was entitled to hear the case.

Tekriwal then said the CBI ruled out sexual assault and as such the Pocso Act was not relevant in the case.

The court reserved orders on Kumars bail application till 3pm, Tuesday.

The CBI, however, did not give a clean chit to Ashok.

The CBI contended there are sufficient pieces of evidence today to establish who is the murderer but they are still investigating the case and are yet to submit the charge-sheet. Before their report is submitted, they do not want to give a clean chit to anyone, as they fear the witnesses can turn hostile and the evidence can be tampered with so granting bail at this stage can hamper investigations said Tekriwal.

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Opinion / Columnist

Last night, amongst other things, Robert Mugabe said in his remarkable address, and I quote, "the Command element (the military) remained respectful, and comported to the dictates and mores of constitutionalism". There is no doubt in my mind that Mugabe in that statement was trying to cleanse the military by stating that they had acted legally within the confines of the Constitution.Whether that was done under duress or as part of a deal in which they will protect Mugabe and his family in future I do not know. However it is of course patently false that the military has acted within the "dictates of constitutionalism".Firstly, section 213(2) of the Constitution states that Defence Forces may only be "deployed in Zimbabwe" with the authority of the President. That clearly has not happened and still is not happening. For all the ramblings in Mugabe's speech not once did he state that the military have been deployed under his instructions and it is clear to everyone that they are not acting under his instructions. So the original deployment was illegal and their continued deployment is illegal.Secondly, section 50(3) of the Constitution states that any person who has been detained "who is not brought to court within 48 hours (of such detention) must be released immediately unless their detention has earlier been extended by a competent court". We know that at the very least Chombo, Kasukuwere and Jonathan Moyo were detained in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Aside from the fact that the military had no right to detain these civilians in the first place, they have still not been brought before a court or released over 5 days since they were first detained. One might ask Mugabe what aspect of this conduct comports "to the dictates and mores of constitutionalism"?The only way the military can now respect constitutionalism is to return to their barracks, hand the criminal suspects they have in detention over to the police, and let Parliament do its job.Now that Mugabe has refused to resign the impeachment process does not have to take a long time. Section 97 of the Constitution sets out a three stage process:1. A simple majority of the total membership of Parliament must resolve that a question whether the President be removed from office be investigated;2. On the passing of this resolution a joint committee of Parliament must be established comprising all parties represented in the House with the mandate of investigating the matter, which should allow Mugabe an opportunity to respond to the allegations;3. If this committee recommends that the President be removed then a two thirds majority of the total membership of Parliament must vote to remove the President.Section 97 does not state what time frame must be adopted. Indeed if Parliament chose to, it could move with the same unseemly haste as displayed at yesterday's ZANU PF Central Committee meeting and go through these procedures within a few days. There is nothing in the Constitution which bars such speed, even though it may be argued that Parliamentarians have not adequately applied their minds to the matter. The point is that if we are concerned about constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law there is a quick way of securing the end of Mugabe's rule, lawfully.Once Mugabe has been impeached, then the provisions of section 14 of the 6th Schedule kick in to determine who becomes President. In terms of section 14(4) the moment Mugabe loses office, Vice President Mphoko becomes President until ZANU PF nominates a person in terms of section 14(5) to see out the remainder of Mugabe's original term of office. Of course ZANU PF yesterday expelled Mphoko from the party but that has no bearing on his role as Vice President because in terms of the Constitution he can only be removed from office if he is either fired by Mugabe or he himself is impeached in terms of section 97.But even that should not pose a problem for ZANU PF because section 14 says that ZANU PF can nominate someone else "within ninety days" of Mugabe's impeachment - in other words whilst there is a maximum time limit, there is no minimum time frame. So ZANU PF could literally notify the Speaker of Parliament of their nominee within minutes of the final vote taken to remove Mugabe from office, leaving Vice President Mphoko with the dubious record of holding office as President for the shortest time in history.Ironically if Mugabe had resigned last night in the presence of the Generals that would have smacked of duress and whoever took over would have been tainted with that illegality. In other words any new President emerging from that process would be hard pressed to appear legitimate in the eyes of the world, and such an ascendancy to power could in my view have been challenged in court. It is still a moot point whether even an impeachment process will be legal in the context of the military having effectively suspended the operation of the Constitution. But that is something that law professors will no doubt argue about for years to come.So much for the law. The impeachment process I have outlined above will leave Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe, which he will then have to govern. As we all know the problems are immense. Aside from anything else the Constitution has been flagrantly disregarded in many respects since it became law in 2013. If he wants to secure broad support both domestically and internationally he will have to move rapidly to observe the existing Constitution fully in letter and spirit. But that is for another day.
The revelations began with 13 women. Italian director-actor Asia Argento was one of the first to publically claim that film mogul Harvey Weinstein had raped her in 1997, when she an aspiring actress at 21.

Since the October expose by the New Yorker, more than 40 women have accused Weinstein (65) of rape or sexual harassment, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyongo and Rose McGowan.

Argento -- whose social-media avatar is a photo of herself with a fist raised high -- says of the domino effect: The consciences are waking, the 41-year-old actor told the Guardian. Every time one of these pigs fall, its a badge of honour.

What began with just a handful of women standing up against one of Hollywoods most pugnacious power players has turned into a movement of its own. From accusations against House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey to the #metoo campaign on social media, some of the silences and stigmas around sexual harassment have been shattered and the flood gates are open.

There is no turning back, Argento said on Twitter. All predators will go down.

The Italian says she was raped by Weinstein, who has denied the claims, in a hotel room at Cote dAzur. He changed into a bathrobe and asked her to give him a massage. After she reluctantly agreed, he pulled up her skirt and forcibly performed oral sex on her, Argento said, describing it as a horrible trauma and a nightmare. She said she had other consensual sexual relations with the producer until 2002 but she had felt obligated to submit to his advances.

After the rape, he won. Argento said.

Harvey Weinstein (left) and women who have alleged they were sexually abused or harassed by him -- (from left to right) Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie, Asia Argento, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, Lea Seydoux, Mira Sorvino, Rosanna Arquette, Louisette Geiss, Kate Beckinsale, Lauren Sivan, Jessica Barth, Elizabeth Karlsen, Emma De Caunes, Judith Godreche. (AFP Photo)

Weinstein was a serial predator, and he did it with hundreds of women, and if the scandal did not come out sooner, it was because he was stifling everything, newspapers and journalists, Argento said in an interview in the La Stampa daily.

But in her native Italy, the recognition of sexual harassment as a serious issue is limited, says Argento. The editor of a right-wing newspaper Libero described her trauma as a little lick... and a little lick is always pleasurable.

Here people dont understand. Theyll say, Oh its just touching tits. Well yeah, and this is a very grave thing for me. It is not normal. You cant touch me, I am not an object, she told The Guardian.

Argento has since tweeted that she was also abused in Italy, the country whose former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was popularly known to host sex parties while he was in office. An Italian director/actor pulled out his penis when I was 16 years old and was in his trailer to discuss the role, Argento said, not naming the harasser.

The Italian, who plans to move next summer, revisited the Weinstein rape in a scene of her 2000 film -- Scarlet Diva -- in which a producer asks a young actress played by Argento for a massage and then throws himself upon her. People would ask me about him because of the scene in the movie, she told the New Yorker.

Weinstein, she says, must have recognised himself in the film because he said to her after, Ha Ha, very funny. But he also said sorry for whatever happened, Argento says.

(With agency inputs)
Supermodel-actor Pamela Anderson said disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein once told her that she would never get work in Hollywood, after she refused to follow his orders.

The 50-year-old Baywatch star claimed being verbally abused by the producer, who has multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, after she disagreed to working with a real dog on a movie set, reported The Times.

He told me Id never work in this town again, because I refused to work with a dog. He wanted me to play Invisible Girl in (a) superhero movie. But they wanted me to work with an actual dog. I said, I wont work with animals in a film. And he said, Were just going to put the dog there. Whats the problem? And I said, No. Put an X on the floor. I am talking to an invisible dog. Why do we need an actual dog?

Harvey Weinstein speaks at the UBS 40th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York. (REUTERS)

And he was so mean. He called me back and shouted, Youre Pamela Anderson; youre lucky Im even putting you in a f***ing film. Youre never going to work in this f***ing industry again, you son of a f***ing bitch, Anderson recalled.

The actor added although Weinstein was intimidating, she held her ground.

Hes so intense. Ive never been talked to that way by anybody. Not even by a boyfriend. He was really intimidating.

And I did it. But I did it without the dog, she said. Anderson denied being sexually harassed by the producer, who is currently being investigated by police from around the world for sexually abusing over 80 women in a period of three decades.

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Police in Rajasthans Alwar have arrested two men, who were travelling with murdered cattle trader Umar Mohammed, on charges of smuggling cows, officials said on Monday, as their families and activists accused the force of siding with the attackers.

Tahir Khan and Javed Khan alias Jabba were transporting cows along with Mohammed through Alwar on November 10 when alleged cow vigilantes opened fire at them.

Mohammed died on the spot and his mutilated body was found dumped on railway tracks in Ramgarh area. Khan was injured in the attack after being hit by bullets on his shoulder and Javed managed to escape. All the three men are from Ghat Mika village in the westerns state Bharatpur district.

During interrogation, Khan and Javed have said that they bought the cows from members of the Rewari community near Dausa. Such purchase is illegal as mostly stray cows are herded and sold by the community members without any valid documents, Anil Beniwal, assistant superintendent of police, Alwar (south), told the Hindustan Times on Monday.

They surrendered on Sunday and have been booked under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter & Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 and Rules, 1995, said the police.

Earlier, the police arrested Bhagwan Singh Gurjar and Ramveer Gurjar in connection with the case.

The arrested men had spotted the trio driving the empty pickup in the morning and identifying them as cow smugglers, planned to rob the men when they returned in the night. Thats how the attack on the men happened, claimed Beniwal.

Four other men are absconding, said Beniwal.

The police had earlier denied that there was any connection between the killing of Mohammed and the recovery of a badly-damaged pickup van with cows found about 15km away the same day.

But after two days of investigations, Alwar superintendent of police Rahul Prakash said the two incidents were linked and that Mohammeds killers were anti-social elements. But he refused to use the so-called term cow vigilantes, who have over the past year become synonymous with a string of attacks on cattle traders across India.

The police have maintained that the three were smuggling cows and both parties opened fire on each other on November 10. They have also said that Mohammed and Khan had past cases of cow smuggling and other offences registered against them.

Mohammeds relatives, however, say cow vigilantes are responsible for his murder and alleged that the police were hand in glove with them.

Activists have strongly condemned the arrest of the two men.

I think that the police are playing politics and it is a travesty of justice that instead of arresting the four absconding people, who attacked Mohammed and the two men, they have arrested the victims themselves, said Kavita Srivastava of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Srivastava added that the incident has shown that it is unlikely that victims of lynchings in Rajasthan will ever get justice.

Mohammeds killing is reminiscent of the murder of cattle trader Pehlu Khan who was waylaid and lynched by cow vigilantes near Alwar on April 1 this year. Khan had documents to prove he wasnt smuggling cows.

Focus on cow protection, especially by vigilante groups, has risen since the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government took power three years ago, and several states ruled by the saffron organisation made laws to punish cow slaughter.

So-called cow protectors have targeted cattle and meat traders, transporters and even farmers walking their animals  violence that has killed several people, mostly in BJP-ruled states. Critics accuse the vigilantes of using cows as a pretext to target Muslims and Dalits.

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An Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer who was allegedly involved in a cash-for-jobs scam, surrendered to the police on Monday.

With the surrender of officer Rumi Saikia before a special magistrate, the total number of ACS, Assam Police Service (APS) and allied service officers in custody increased to 23, the police said, adding that two other accused officers including ACS Nishamoni Deka and APS Rakesh Gupta were still at large.

We are looking for the two other officers. They are absconding but we hope they would surrender soon.

This is not the end of the investigation. We are awaiting forensic reports of more then 400 such candidates who had appeared in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) exams.

More arrests are likely after the reports confirm their involvement, said a senior police official.

Assam Police had issued warrants against 25 of these officers after their handwriting matched with some fake answer scripts recovered from an APSC official who had conducted the examination.

The police had last year arrested APSC Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul and members of the Commission, including Samedur Rahman and Basanta Kumar Doley, and three other officials of the Commission who allegedly took money for selecting candidates for the state services.

The breakthrough in the cash-for-jobs scam took place last year after a police team in Dibrugarh led by Additional Superintendent of Police SS Panesar arrested an engineer of the Town and Country Planning Department while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.
Shrill protests and threats by Rajput groups against director Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati have left the films fate hanging in balance.

A Rs 150-crore period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapur, Padmavati was set to release on December 1. However, Rajput groups claimed the film distorts the image of the queen on whom it is based, and have ratcheted up vicious protests.

On Sunday, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the movies producer and distributor, said it had voluntarily deferred the films release date. On Monday, Madhya Pradesh too keeled to pressure from Rajput groups and banned it from release, while two other big BJP-ruled states Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have demanded removal of objectionable scenes.

The protest around the film turned ugly as Rajput groups and leaders of political parties made violent threats against the movies lead actors and director, and even announced bounties. In most cases, no action has been taken against those making the threats openly.

Heres a list of the more gory threats:

Chopping off Padukones nose

On Thursday, Mahipal Singh Makrana, a leader of the Shri Rajput Karni, openly threatened to chop off Deepika Padukones nose. While talking about the film, Makrana said Padukone was provoking them, and reminded her of the incident in the Ramayana, where Laxman, Lord Ramas brother cuts off the nose of Ravans sister Shurpanakha .

Rajput Karni Sena is fighting to protect the image of women being portrayed in the films. We never raise a hand on women but if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha for violating the rules and culture of India, Makrana said.

Rs 5 crores for Bhansali or Padukones head

On Thursday, a Meerut based Thakur leader offered Rs 5 crore as bounty to anyone who beheads Bhansali or Padukone, reported The Times of India.

Anyone who brings the head of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone will be rewarded with Rs 5 crore. Rani Ma Padmavati had sacrificed her life with 12,000 other women in mass immolation (Jauhar), and Bhansali has raised a question on her courage by showing her in bad light in his film. This is unacceptable. Either both of them should leave the country or get ready to be beheaded, Thakur Abhishek Som, national president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Yuva Mahasabha, was quoted in the TOI report.

Meanwhile, a Meerut-based group, Sarv Bhahmin Mahasabha, shot off a petition signed with blood to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to protest against the film.

Bounty doubles to Rs 10 crore, breaking Singhs legs

Suraj Pal Amu, BJPs state media coordinator for Haryana, announced a Rs 10 crore bounty for anyone beheading Padukone and Bhansali.

I want to congratulate the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, and Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their familys needs, the BJP leader said.

Addressing Ranveer Singh in Hindi, Amu berated the actor for supporting Bhansali, saying If you do not take back your words, we will break your legs.

The BJP distanced itself from Amus comments, saying it will send a show cause notice to Amu, the partys national general secretary Anil Jain told ANI.

Burning theatres

Early in November, T Raja Singh, controversial BJP leader and member of Telangana assembly asked people to boycott Padmavati, saying it denigrates the Rajput community.

Speaking at a gathering of the Rajput community in Hyderabad, Singh said, If anyone burns down the theatre which shows Padmavatiji (the fictional queen) in poor light... I will take the responsibility of bailing out that person, reported The News Minute.

Singh called Bhansali a dog who wants to demean Hindus and make money out of it. Even I vow to burn the theatres if the film shows us (Hindus) in bad light and demeans our culture, he said.

Rs 1 cr for burning Deepika alive

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Deepika Padukone at Bareillys Damodar Swarup park on Sunday, demanding a ban on the movie.

ABKMs youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. Any person burning her alive will be given Rs 1 crore. We demand that office- bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released, reported news agency PTI.

Blackening Rakhi Sawants face

Rakhi Sawant came under fire from Rajput Karni Sena for supporting Padmavati and praising the film. Sawant had shared a video where she asked viewers if they were excited for Padmavati.

The Rajput Karni Sena shared Rakhis video and wrote,  Iss Rakhi Sawant ko sabhi bhai sabak sikha aur iska mooh kaala karien jahan bhi dikhe tabhi isko pata chalega iska baap kaun hai (Let every brother teach Rakhi Sawant a lesson and blacken her face wherever they see her, so she knows who her father is), reported DNA.
The arrests of a string its leaders has embarrassed the resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party amid the saffron organisations mounted protests against chief minister Naveen Patnaik ahead of assembly election in Odisha in 2019.

The president of tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj districts Baripada unit was arrested over a fraudulent land deal on Sunday night, a month after a spokesperson of the party in the eastern state was questioned over sheltering a murder accused.

Krushna Chandra Mahapatra was arrested from Cuttack town after a city court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, Bhubaneswars deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said.

A woman had lodged a case in a local police station in 2012 alleging Mahapatra defrauded her of about Rs 1 crore in a land deal. She said Mahapatra sold the land to her using forged papers even though he had already sold it to another person.

The woman demanded her money back after she got to know about the previous deal. Mahapatra gave her a cheque but it bounced.

The partys spokesperson Golak Mahapatra was questioned twice by the police in Ganjam district earlier this month over allegations that he helped the mastermind of a murder stay in a government guesthouse in the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.

At least 17 people, including a newly-inducted BJP leader, have been arrested so far in connection with the murder of Laxmidutta Pradhan, a ruling Biju Janata Dal youth leader and councillor of Chhatrapur Notified Area Council (NAC).

Ganjams superintendent of police Ashish Kumar Singh said it was wrong on anyones part to impute a motive to the interrogation of Mahapatra.

We are strictly going by the evidence we have. We would take action based on further evidence that we get, said Singh.

Three days ago another BJP leader was arrested over illegally trading in explosive substances such as gelatin sticks, sulphur powder, and ammonium nitrate in the Maoist-infested Bolangir district.

BJPs Kantabanji Mandal president Murari Lal Agarwal and his son Mahesh Agarwal were arrested along with a trader over the illegal trading of explosives. Agarwals licence to trade in explosives expired in 2010.

The BJP expelled Agarwal from the party soon after his arrest.

Similarly, a leader of the partys youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha was arrested in Boudh district early this month over his alleged involvement in a ponzi scam.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morchas Boudh unit president Narayan Karmi was arrested over his alleged involvement in a ponzi scam. Karmi collected money from investors assuring them to double their investments in three years through a dubious company, Go Life Trading Pvt Ltd.

The cheated investors lodged a police complaint after Karmi could not pay back the invested money.

The arrests have come months after the partys impressive performance in the zila parishad elections this year as it won 197 of the 853 seats.

The BJP, which has set an ambitious target of winning 120 seats in the 147-membered Odisha assembly, has called the arrests a political witchhunt.

The arrest of Mahapatra is [in connection with] an old dispute in their family and police has selectively acted in this case. Similarly, in several other cases, the police is trying to browbeat our leaders and workers as the BJP is gaining popularity. We are not scared of Naveen Patnaiks police, said state BJP chief Basant Panda.
China on Monday strongly criticised President Ram Nath Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying Sino-India relations were at a crucial moment and that New Delhi should not complicate the dispute.

China firmly opposes the Indian leaders relevant activities in the relevant region, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a regular briefing.

The Chinese government (has) never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh, Lu said, responding to a question from the Chinese state media on Kovinds visit to the northeastern state.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of south Tibet and routinely criticises India if its leaders visit the state.

Barely two weeks ago, Beijing had criticised defence minister Nirmala Sitharamans visit to the state.

The official Xinhua news agency went on to describe Arunachal Pradesh as being illegally established in areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Kovind had said on Sunday that if the northeast is the crown of the country, Arunachal Pradesh is the jewel in the crown. The President was on a four-day tour of the northeast.

On Monday, Lu continued the tirade.

China and India and are in the process of settling this issue (border dispute) through negotiation and consultation, and seek to reach a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all. Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity, Lu said.

China firmly opposes the Indian leaders relevant activities in the relevant region, he said, adding: China and Indias relations are at a crucial moment and we hope India could work in the same direction and maintain general picture of bilateral ties and refrain from complicating border issue.

Lu also said India should work to create favourable conditions for border negotiations and for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties.

The Xinhua report said, The so-called Arunachal Pradesh was established largely on three areas of Chinas Tibet - Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul - which are currently under Indias illegal occupation.

It added, In 1914, British colonialists secretly instigated the illegal McMahon Line in an attempt to incorporate into India the above-mentioned three areas of Chinese territory. None of the successive Chinese governments have ever recognised this line.

Meanwhile, an official statement from China on last weeks border dialogue between officials of the two countries said it was in the fundamental interest of both countries to maintain the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations and this is the common expectation of both the region and the international community.

Diplomats from the two countries met in Beijing on Friday for the 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), initiated in 2012 with a focus on maintaining peace along the frontier.

It added that in the next phase, the two sides will continue to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two sides.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modis government on Monday of locking up the temple of democracy amid reports that Parliaments winter session could be shortened because of elections in Gujarat.

Her comments, made at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), came in the backdrop of a high-stakes election next month in Modis state, where an intense campaign is expected to keep many top leaders of both parties away from New Delhi.

There is no official word on a shorter winter session, but Sonia Gandhi said the government was sabotaging it on flimsy grounds. Usually, Parliament meets mid-November for a month.

The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on Indias Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds, she said.

The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat, Sonia Gandhi said.

But Union finance minister Arun Jaitley rejected the charges, saying Parliament sessions were often rescheduled in the past, even by the Congress, to ensure they did not overlap with elections.

It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening, he told reporters here. Jaitley also said the winter session would be held and the Congress totally exposed.

The principal opposition party said it will hold a news conference on the issue on Tuesday. It also plans to hit the streets against the government for eroding parliamentary democracy.

In one of her most stringent attacks on Prime Minister Modi, Sonia Gandhi also rounded off on the governments radical economic policies such as last years scrapping of high-value banknotes and a nationwide Goods and Services Tax.

She said the Prime Minister had the audacity to hold a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament.

Sonia Gandhi congratulated Rahul and his team for their efforts in Gujarat and asked them to do their best.

Let us do our best to prove that people are not fooled and that they will make the right decision and defeat the present dispensation there, she said.

The Congress chief said even after a year of note ban demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers.

The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed, she said, adding that joblessness and inflation were on the rise while exports were falling.

The Congress president accused the government of seeking to change the history of modern India by systematically erasing the contributions of first the countrys first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and later by Indira Gandhi.

This vilification is blatant and for all to see, she said.

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Rahul Gandhi is likely to be made president of the Congress party in December, taking charge of a position which was filled up by freedom fighters before independence and later became a source of great power. Here is a full list of Congress presidents.

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, Bombay (Mumbai) 1885 and Allahabad 1892

Bonnerjee, a successful lawyer in Calcutta and an anglophile, was the first president of the Indian National Congress (INC) and the first Indian to contest the election to the British Parliament. At the second session of INC in Allahabad, he denounced the notion that India must prove its worthiness for greater political powers. Banerjee settled in Britain in 1902, advocating representative and responsible government in India, helping the Congress and practising before the Privy Council.

Dadabhai Naoroji, a co-founder of the Congress party and a leading businessman.

Dadabhai Naoroji, Calcutta (Kolkata) 1886 and 1906, and Lahore 1898

Naoroji, a mathematics professor, businessman and thinker, was the first Asian to be elected to the British Parliament. Naorojis book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India accused the colonial rulers of impoverishing India and causing its utter exhaustion and destruction. Naoroji was a co-founder of the INC and a political moderate who mentored Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Budruddin Tyabji, Madras (Chennai) 1887

Tyabji was the first Muslim president of the INC, calling for self-government and Muslims to work shoulder to shoulder with their fellow-countrymen of other races and creeds, for the common benefit of all. Tyabji was the first Indian barrister of the Bombay High Court and later the chief justice, becoming the first Indian to hold that post. As a reformer, he opposed purdah and promoted womens education.

George Yule, Allahabad, 1888

Yule was a Scottish businessman who headed Kolkatas Andrew Yule company, was that citys sheriff for a while and president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce. He was the first non-Indian president of the INC, accepting the partys invitation at its Allahabad session in 1888.

Sir William Wedderburn, Bombay and Allahabad, 1889 and 1910

Wedderburn, a Scotsman, was an Indian Civil Service officer in India for 27 years and after retirement a British MP who sought to protect the countrys interests. As a civil servant and an MP, he promoted a variety of causes: from finding funds for a girls school in Mumbai to opposing military expeditions beyond Indias frontiers. He presided over the fourth Congress held in Bombay in 1889.

Pherozeshah Mehta, Calcutta, 1890

Mehta, a lawyer, drafted the Bombay Municipal Act of 1872, worked as the vice chancellor of the Bombay University and founded the newspaper Bombay Chronicle. He was the leading moderate voice in the Congress and had undoubted faith in English culture and English civilisation. He wanted self-government for India under British rule.

Panambakkam Anandacharlu, Nagpur 1891

Anandacharlu was a leading advocate of the Madras High Court, a newspaper writer who helped in the founding of The Hindu and a political organiser. At the Nagpur session of the INC, he defended the idea of India as a nation and its Hindu and Mohammedan populations being members of a single brotherhood.

Alfred Webb, an Irish nationlist and a supporter of anti-colonial movements.

Alfred Webb, Madras 1894

Webb was an Irish nationalist, a parliamentarian, a campaigner for womens rights and a supporter of anti-colonial movements outside Ireland. He was selected president of the INC at its Madras session in 1894 while on a visit to India.

Surendranath Banerjee, Poona (Pune) 1885 and Allahabad 1902

Banerjee was an early leader of Indias freedom movement and a political moderate who believed in accommodation and dialogue with the British. He started as a civil servant, a barrister and then a professor of English.

Rahimtulla M Sayani Calcutta, 1896

Sayani was a lawyer who held various positions in the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the Bombay Legislative Council and became the first Muslim sheriff of the city in 1885. When he presided over the 1896 Congress session in Calcutta, he called for promoting personal intimacy and friendship amongst all the great communities of India.

Sir Sankaran Nair, Amritsar 1897

Nair, a jurist and political moderate, held high positions in the British government despite his criticism of its policies. Nair was a member of the Viceroys Council in 1915 when he wrote a dissenting note on the ills of the British rule. In 1908, as a judge of the Madras High Court, he upheld conversion to Hinduism and ruled that such converts were not outcasts. Nair opposed Mahatma Gandhis Non-Cooperation Movement but also attacked the British for their crackdown under martial law.

Anand Mohan Bose, 1898 Madras

Bose, a lawyer, scholar, educationist and social reformer, was an early leader of Indias nationalist movement. He founded the Calcutta Students Association to organise students for political work. He and Surendranath Banerjea co-founded The Indian Association, the first national-level political organisation to campaign for citizens rights under British rule. Bose was the founder of City School and City College in Kolkata.

Romesh Chunder Dutt, Lucknow 1899

Dutt was a civil servant, economic historian, writer and translator of Indian classics. He, in 1883, became the first Indian to be appointed district magistrate, was professor of Indian history at University College, London, after his retirement and the Dewan (prime minister) of Baroda state on his return to India. Dutt, along with Major BD Basu and Dadabhai Nairoji, formulated an economic theory that emphasised how British colonial rule was causing drainage of wealth from India. Dutt wrote a number of works on history, economics and translated the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar, Lahore 1900

Chandavarkar, a lawyer and judge in the Bombay High Court, was a political moderate who supported British rule in India. In September 1885, he visited London as a member of a three-man delegation sent by the Bombay Presidency Association to inform the British Parliament and people about the situation in India. Chandavarkar was a leader of the Prarthana Samaj, a Brahminical reform organisation that fought against child marriage and untouchability.

Dinshaw Edulji Wacha, Calcutta 1901

Wacha, a financial wizard and a member of the Bombay municipality for 40 years, steered the INC in its early years as its general secretary for many years and as the president in the 1901. In 1897, he reviewed the entire financial policy of the Indian government and pointed out various defects.

Lal Mohan Ghosh, Madras 1903

Ghosh, a Calcutta barrister, was a liberal and moderate who believed in constitutional means to achieve British type of institutions and rule of law. He believed in Western education and compulsory primary education in India. In 1879, Ghose travelled to Britain to present Indias concerns during the general election there.

Sir Henry Cotton, Bombay 1904

Cotton, who was the chief secretary of Bengal and later the governor of Assam during his career as a civil servant, was a liberal who opposed British rule in India and imperialism. His books New India, or India in Transition, and India and Home Memories supported the Indian nationalist movement. As a British MP later, he formed a radical pro-Indian parliamentary group.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Benares (Varanasi) 1905

Gokhale, whom Mahatma Gandhi himself called his political guru, was a political moderate and liberal, attempting to persuade the British with morality and reason. He campaigned for the end of caste discrimination, education of women and universal, secular, free, and compulsory education for all children. Gokhales liberal ideology imagined an India supporting all-round liberties for the individual and advocating a just society free from religious and caste prejudices. Mahatma Gandhi said of Gokhale: As pure as crystal, as gentle as a lamb, as brave as a lion, and the most perfect man in the political field.

Rash Behari Ghosh, Surat 1907 and Madras 1908

Ghosh, a lawyer, social worker and philanthropist made a fortune as a lawyer in Calcutta and donated lavishly for endowment for scientific studies at Calcutta University and a National Council of Education at Jadavpur. Ghoshs leadership of the Congress was tumultuous: the moderate and extremist wings of the party were competing for control when they met at the 1907 Surat session. The party split because the extremists wanted a resolution on Swaraj and the moderates held back. Then an election for presidentship of the party was held for the first time and in between the extremists were expelled. Ghosh, a moderate, became the president of the Surat session.

Madan Mohan Malaviya, Lahore 1909, Delhi 1918 and 1932

Malaviya, a leading figure of the freedom movement, was a man of achievements: the founder of Banaras Hindu University; a lawyer who secured the release of 156 freedom fighters accused in the Chauri Chaura case; he was one of the founders of Scouting in India. He was an early leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindu nationalist party, but an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Bishan Narayan Dar, Calcutta 1911

Dar, a Lucknow lawyer, was the first Kashmiri Pandit to have gone to England for higher studies. Dars action created a controversy, for at that time foreign visit was considered sacrilegious by some Hindus. Dar had to perform purificatory rites to be readmitted by his community. Dar wrote poetry in Urdu and was a moderate who called British rule still the greatest gift of Providence to my race, but blamed the bureaucracy for being the root cause of most of our misfortunes.

Raghunath Narasinha Mudholkar, Bankipur 1912

Mudholkar, a leading lawyer of Amravati, was a follower of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and believed the national movement should be in cooperation with the British. Mudholkar advocated social reforms like female education, widow remarriage and removal of untouchability in Hinduism.

Nawab Syed Muhammad, Karachi 1913

Muhammad belonged to one of the wealthiest families in southern India and a descendant of Tipu Sultan from his mothers heritage. He was the first Muslim Sheriff of Madras, a member of the Madras Legislative Council in 1900 and the Imperial Legislative Council. A staunch Congressman, Muhammad spoke strongly for communal amity and, as a moderate, believed in British sense of justice and fair play.

Bhupendra Nath Bose, Madras 1914

Bose, the owner of a law firm in Calcutta, was a member of the Bengal legislature, an adviser to the British government and later the vice chancellor of the University of Calcutta. Bose, a moderate, supported Britain in the First World War. Whatever intrigues Germany may stir up in Turkey, Muslim and Hindu in India are alike united in their unswerving devotion and loyalty to the Empire in this crisis, he said as the Congress president.

Lord Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, Bombay 1915

Sinha, a leading lawyer of the Calcutta High Court, was the first Indian advocate general of Bengal, the first Indian to become a member of the Viceroys Council, the first Indian to become a member of the British ministry and the first Indian governor of an Indian province (then Bihar and Orissa). Sinha was a political moderate and believed Indians should campaign for political rights through constitutional means alone.

Ambica Charan Mazumdar, Lucknow 1916

Mazumdar was a successful lawyer and a leading member of the nationalist movement in Bengal. He was selected the president of the 31st session of the INC in 1916 when the Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the Muslim League was signed and the moderate and extremist wings of the party came together.

Annie Besant, a British feminist who became leading figure in Indias nationalist movement.

Annie Besant, Calcutta 1917

Besant was a British social reformer, womens rights campaigner, and a socialist who became a spiritualist. Besant first visited India in 1893 and after settling in the country, she was a key figure in the political scene. She established the Indian Home Rule League In 1916 to campaign for democracy in India and Dominion Status within the British Empire. She was elected president of the Congress in 1917. Besant was a leader of the Theosophical Society, the campaigner for a religious movement based on Hindu ideas of karma and reincarnation.

Syed Hasan Imam, Bombay, 1918

Imam, hailed as one of the finest barristers of his time, resigned a judgeship at the Calcutta High Court to set up a legal practice in Patna and take a leading role in Congress politics in Bihar. Imam, a moderate, opposed Gandhis 1920 Non-Cooperation Movement but joined the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 and campaigned for the boycott of foreign goods. Imam was elected president at the 1918 special session of the Congress in Bombay, where the party declared that the people of India were fit for responsible government.

Motilal Nehru, Amritsar 1919 and Calcutta 1928

Nehru was a prosperous Allahabad lawyer -- he owned the citys first car -- and a modernist who twice served as president of the Congress party. He chaired the Nehru Commission in 1928, a counter to the all-British Simon Commission.

Lala Lajpat Rai, Calcutta 1920

Rai was one of the leaders of the Lal Bal Pal trio, who championed a more assertive nationalism through the Swadeshi movement between 1905 and 1918, calling for the boycott of imported items and advocated the use of Indian-made goods. Rais politics was influenced by his deep faith in Hinduism and he was involved in the Arya Samaj movement. Rai was leading a protest march in Lahore on October 30, 1928 when the police attacked him and his supporters. Every blow on our bodies this afternoon is like a nail driven into the coffin of British imperialism, Rai said in a speech. He succumbed to his injuries 20 days later.

C Vijayaraghavachariar, Nagpur 1920

Vijayaraghavachariar, a lawyer, was hailed by newspapers as the The Hero of Salem or The Lion of South India after he fought and won a court case in which he had been found guilty of instigating violence that led to the demolition of a mosque. He was one of the members of the committee that drafted the INCs constitution in 1887 and was instrumental in adopting the resolution on Declaration of Rights at the Congresss Amristar session in 1919.

Hakim Ajmal Khan, Ahmedabad 1921

Khan was a distinguished physician of Unani, the Islamic system of medicine, and a founder of the Jamia Millia Islamia University, becoming its first chancellor in 1920. He is the only person to be elected the president of the Congress, the Muslim League and the All India Khilafat Committee.

Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Gaya 1923

Das, a leading politician of Bengal between 1917 and 1925, was a lawyer who successfully defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore bomb case. He led the Non-Cooperation Movement in Bengal, brought out a newspaper and when the Calcutta Municipal Corporation was formed, he became its first mayor. He resigned as the Congress president at the Gaya session after losing a resolution that called for the party to enter state legislatures to Gandhis faction. He and Motilal Nehru then founded the Swaraj Party. For his philanthropy and patriotism, Das was called Deshbandhu. Chittaranjan Das was one of the greatest men... one of the jewels among the servants of India, Gandhi said about him.

Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Cocanada 1923

Jouhar, a scholar, journalist, poet and a founder of the All India Muslim League, was the sixth Muslim to become the president of the INC in 1923 but soon began to drift away from the party after Mahatma Gandhi suspended the 1922 Non-Cooperation Movement and the Khilafat Movement failed. Many consider Jouhar to be an inspiring figure for the Pakistan movement. But he once said: Where God commands I am a Muslim first, a Muslim second, and a Muslim last, and nothing but a Muslim But where India is concerned, where Indias freedom is concerned, I am an Indian first, an Indian second, an Indian last, and nothing but an Indian.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Delhi 1923 and Ramgarh 1939-45

Azad stands along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as one of the foremost leaders of the freedom movement. He was a scholar, a journalist, an orator and the youngest Congress president at 35. Azad spent a total of 10 years in jail for his role in the freedom movement. Rajaji called him the The Great Akbar of Today. As Indias first education minister, he laid the foundations of Indias modern learning system: from setting the pattern of school textbooks to setting up IIT Kharagpur.

Mahatma Gandhi with Sarojini Naidu, on the way to England to attend the Round Table Conference as the representative of the Indian people. (Getty Images)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Belgaum 1924

Gandhi was the leader of Indias independence movement. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, in his book Mahatma Gandhi: Essays and Reflections, describes him as: Time has discredited heroes as easily it has forgotten everyone else; but the saints remain. The greatness of Gandhi is more in his holy living than in his heroic struggles, in his insistence on the creative power of the soul and its life-giving quality at a time when the destructive forces seem to be in the ascendant.

Sarojini Naidu, Cawnpore (Kanpur) 1925

Naidu, a poet, orator and progressive thinker, was among the leading freedom fighters of her time. After independence, she became the first governor of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). Her birthday, March 2, is honoured as Womens Day in India.

S Sreenivasa Iyengar, Gauhati (Guwahati) 1926

Iyengar, a lawyer, resigned as the advocate general of the Madras province in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and joined the Congress. He was the leading mind of Congress for 10 years in the Madras province in the 1920s, but in 1923 he broke away along with Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das to form the Swarajya Party.

Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, Madras 1927

Ansari, a leading physician from Uttar Pradesh, served as president of the INC and the Muslim League. He was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia University, serving as its chancellor from 1928 to 1936. Ansari led a medical mission to Turkey in December 1912 to help wounded soldiers of the Turkish army in the Balkan War.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. (Archives)

Jawaharlal Nehru, Lahore 1929, Lucknow 1936 and Faizpur 1937

Nehru was Indias first prime minister and the builder of many of its institutions. Shashi Tharoor, in his biography of the man, describes him as: For the first seveenteen years of Indias independence, the paradox-ridden Jawaharlal Nehru--a moody, idealist intellectual who felt an almost mystical empathy with the toiling peasant masses; an aristocrat, accustomed to privilege, who had passionate socialist convictions; an Anglicized product of Harrow and Cambridge who spent over ten years in British jails, an agnostic radical who became an unlikely protege of the saintly Mahatma Gandhi-- was India.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Karachi 1931

Patel was called Indias Bismarck and along with Gandhi and Nehru, he was a leading member of the triumvirate which conducted the last phase of Indias freedom struggle. B Krishna in his biography of Patel says: He was the saviour and the builder. Non-violently, he demolished the princely order Lord Wellesley had created; and in January 1946, he had nearly buried Pakistan in Karachi. Post-independence, Patel was the creator of New India just as Surendranath Banerjea was the father of political consciousness to the newly educated class of Indians in the 19th century; and Gandhi, the awareness of mass awakening pre-Independence.

Nellie Sengupta, Calcutta 1933

Sengupta (born Edith Ellen Gray) married Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, a zamindars son from Bengal, after they fell in love at Cambridge. She followed him to Calcutta where the couple were active in Congresss nationalist movement. Sengupta was elected Congress chief after president-elect Madan Mohan Malviya was arrested, becoming the third woman and the second European-born woman to hold that post.

Rajendra Prasad, Bombay 1904

Rajendra Prasad, Indias first President, took office on January 26, 1950, the day India celebrates as Republic Day, and remained in the post for 12 years till May 13, 1962. He died the next year.

Subhas Chandra Bose, 1938 and 1939, Haripura and Tripuri

Popularly known as Netaji, Bose was best known for his Azad Hind Fauj and his daring escape out of his Calcutta house, outfoxing the British police. His death in 1945 in a plane crash remains the source of enduring mystery and conspiracy theories.

JB Kripalani, Meerut 1947

Kriplani taught English and History at a college in Bihar from 1912 to 1917. He also taught at the Banaras Hindu University and was the principal of the Gujarat Vidyapeeth founded by Mahatma Gandhi. During his time at the Gujarat Vidyapeeth, he came to be called Acharya Kripalani. He was arrested in 1942 during the Quit India movement and was released in 1945. Kripalani was elected the president of the INC in November 1946.

B Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Jaipur 1948-49

Sitaramayya was a doctor by profession and in 1919, he started an English weekly, the Janmabhumi. He became a member of the All India Congress Committee in 1916. He was arrested and sent to a year in prison in 1930 after breaking the Salt Law by leading volunteers to the sea-shore near Masulipatnam and making salt. He was jailed again in 1933 for picketing a shop selling foreign cloth. He was also arrested during the Quit India Movement. In 1948, he was elected president of the Jaipur session of the INC. He was the governor of Madhya Pradesh from 1952 to 1957.

Purushottam Das Tandon, Nasik 1950

Tandon was a campaigner for Hindi to be made Indias national language. He practised law at the Allahabad high court and later organised kisan sabhas to generate support for the freedom struggle. He was arrested for participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921. He was the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh assembly from 1937 to 1950 and a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution. Tandon was also elected to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and was given the Bharat Ratna award in 1961.

Indira Gandhi, a powerful prime minister who was assassinated by her bodyguard in 1984. (Getty Images)

Indira Gandhi, Delhi 1959 and 1978-83, Calcutta 1983 & 84

Jawaharlal Nehru died in 1964 and his only child, Indira Gandhi, joined the cabinet and later became the first woman prime minister of India. Following public unrest after a high court found her guilty of electoral corruption, Gandhi declared a state of emergency in 1975. She lost the election to Janata Party in 1977. In 1980, Gandhi returned for her fourth term as the PM. She was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards after the army attacked militants holed up in Golden Temple.

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Bangalore 1960, Bhavnagar 1961, Patna 1962-63

Reddy was a prominent political leader from Andhra Pradesh. He discontinued studying at college to join the independence movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931. He was an active participant of the Quit India Movement. He was also part of the Constituent Assembly. He became the first chief minister of the new state of Andhra Pradesh. Reddy was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 1967 to 1969. He later became the sixth President of India, serving from 1977 to 1982.

K Kamaraj, Bhubaneswar 1964, Durgapur 1965, Jaipur 1966-67

Kamaraj played a leading role in shaping Indias destiny from the passing away of Jawaharlal Nehru to the Congress split in 1969, according to the partys website. He was 18 years old when he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement. In 1930, he joined the Salt Satyagraha Movement and was sentenced to two years in prison. He went to prison six times and spent more than 3,000 days in British jails. He became the chief minister of Madras in 1954. A split in the Congress in 1969 adversely impacted his political standing. He was given the Bharat Ratna award posthumously.

Siddavanalli Nijalingappa, Hyderabad 1968, Faridabad 1969

Nijalingappa was born in a Hindu Lingayat family in a village in the Bellary district. He graduated from the Central College, Bangalore in 1924, and got his law degree from the Law College, Poona in 1926. He was the first chief minister of Karnataka. When the Indian National Congress split during the time he led it, Nijalingappa sided with the organisation front against the faction led by Indira Gandhi.

Jagjivan Ram, Bombay 1970-71

In 1934, Ram founded the Akhil Bhartiya Ravidas Mahasabha in Calcutta and the All India Depressed Classes League. Through these organisations, he involved the backward classes in the freedom struggle. He was of the view that Dalit leaders should not only fight for social reforms but also demand political representation. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, he got involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement and Satyagraha.

Shankar Dayal Sharma, Calcutta 1972-74

Sharma was a lawyer by profession, and the President of India from 1992 to 1997. He was jailed for eight months for his involvement in the freedom struggle. He debuted in national politics in 1971 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha. He was the communication minister in the Congress-led government under Indira Gandhi. Sharma also served as the governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra.

Devankanta Barua, Chandigarh 1975-77

Barua is known for his remark India is Indira, Indira is India. Although he was an Indira loyalist, Barua joined the anti-Indira faction when the Congress split. He was the Speaker of the Assam assembly and education minister of the state. He later became a Union minister in the Indira government.

Rajiv Gandhi, the reluctant politician who became prime minister. (HT Photo)

Rajiv Gandhi, Bombay 198591

His brother Sanjay Gandhis death in 1980 and his mother Indira Gandhis assassination in 1984 pushed Rajiv Gandhi into politics. His career was tarred by sectarian bloodshed, and he lost the PMs post in 1989. Gandhi was assassinated while he was campaigning in May 1991. He was killed along with 17 others, including the female suicide assassin, during a rally in Tamil Nadu.

PV Narasimha Rao, Tirupati 199296

Rao was the ninth prime minister of India. He inherited an economy on the verge of an international default and a foreign policy that needed to change after the Soviet Unions collapse. He backed his finance minister Manmohan Singh to launch radical economic reforms. The destruction of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 led to riots across the country during his term.

Sitaram Kesri, Calcutta 199698

Kesri joined the freedom movement in Bihar at the age of 13. He was arrested by the British several times in 1930, 1932 and 1933. He served as a Union minister in charge of many portfolios. He presided over the INC session at Calcutta in 1997.

Sonia Gandhi, since 1998

Sonia Gandhi has been at the helm for nearly two decades now, making her the longest serving president of the party. She led the Congress to victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, but made Manmohan Singh the prime minister. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance returned to power in the 2009 general election. The Congress won 206 Lok Sabha seats, which was then the highest total by any party since 1991. The UPA government introduced landmark reforms like MNREGA and Right to Information, but corruption allegations against its ministers and Sonias son-in-law, Robert Vadra, dented her image. The Congress in 2014 suffered its worst election defeat.

(The names of some cities in this story are historical.)
A group of 15 officers from the Myanmarese army on Monday started a six-day bilateral military exercise with their counterparts from the Indian Army in Meghalaya in the first ever joint training of the troops from the two neighbouring countries.

The India-Myanmar Bilateral Military Exercise 2017 (IMBAX-2017) will take place at the recently created Joint Training Node of the Indian Army at Umroi, 30km away from Meghalaya capitals Shillong.

The exercise aims to train officers of Myanmar Army in various United Nations peacekeeping roles and tasks, said a release issued here by defence public relation officer Lt Col Suneet Newton.

The Indian Army delegation, which will have 16 officers, will train their Myanmarese counterparts with the requisite knowledge and skills to perform peacekeeping operations with principles, policies and guidelines of the UN.

The IMBAX-2017 would conclude on November 25.

The first IMBAX is a positive step in the bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations, said the release.

The joint military exercise starts three days after the conclusion of the seventh such event between Indian and Bangladeshi armies held in Meghalaya and Mizoram.

The annual exercise, called Sampriti, aimed to strengthen and broaden interoperability and cooperation between the two armies in counter insurgency and counterterrorism operations.

The exercise was a great success and has taught valuable lessons to the troops of both the countries, said an Indian Army release.

Joint exercises between armies are becoming an important aspect of bilateral relations and the Indian Army also takes part in several such operations annually.

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Opinion / Letters

The Hon Cyril RamaphosaDeputy President of the Republic of South AfricaAfrican National Congress Presidential CandidateDear Sir,The People of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) in present-day ZimbabweAs the people of Palestine marked a full one hundred (100) years yesterday (1 November 2017) under occupation of both the British and the Jews as a result of the Balfour Declaration, the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) are marking one hundred and twenty-four (124) years under the occupation of both the British and the ZANU-PF regime of Robert Gabriel Mugabe.Whereas the state of Israel was founded fifty (50) years ago as a result of the Balfour Declaration which demolished the socio-economic, political, cultural and human rights of the Palestinian people, the state of Zimbabwe was founded thirty-seven (37) years ago on the same catastrophic principle of destroying the humanity of the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi).The inalienable right to self-determination of both these peoples (the Palestinians and Matebeles) has been savagely decimated. The common denominator here is Britain. Our country (Matebeleland) was annexed by Britain during an unprovoked attack in 1893. After this n-ked and brutal annexation, it was subsequently integrated with that of Mashonaland in 1923 to form a unitary system of Rhodesia without the consent of the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi), which was inherited by Zimbabwe under the ZANU-PF regime of Robert Gabriel Mugabe.From that period until today, the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) have been exposed to the most brutal forms savagery and catastrophe  genocide ad ethnic cleansing, for no other reason other than that they are not Shona (Mugabe's ethnic group). Today the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) are all over the world as stateless and homeless people without basic freedoms, human dignity and equality.Just like Palestine, the whole of Matebeleland (Mthakazi) is an insane open prison where the Matebeles were tortured, buried alive in mass graves and disused mine shafts, raped, butchered, subjected to disappearances and all forms of slaughter. What is beyond dispute is that not even apartheid South Africa was capable of committing crimes against humanity on the scale of Robert Gabriel Mugabe's ZANU-PF regime against the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) where pregnant women were bayonetted alive to reveal the still moving foetuses of their unborn babies. Such crimes never happened under the evil apartheid regime.We have attached a dossier of Mugabe's crimes against the people of Matebeleland and two other documents, not by way of highlighting a beauty contest, but as a way of informing the ANC Presidential Candidate about the need for embracing new foreign policy objectives for South Africa, not only against the Zimbabwean regime, but similar regimes in the whole of Africa. A well-defined and well-ordered set of foreign policy objectives must as of necessity and great urgency do away with the so-called quiet diplomacy', a mechanism and instrument that has exacerbated open death and open prison conditions for the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) in present-day Zimbabwe.Until today, the foreign policy objectives of South Africa have been responsible for the acceleration of the homelessness of the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) and the continued genocide and ethnic cleansing and a multiplicity of horrors. Not only have the foreign policy objectives of South Africa resulted in unintended consequences in which millions of the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) escaping the death and open prison of Zimbabwe have been forced to flee to the neighbouring countries and elsewhere throughout the world (of which South Africa is the main host), these consequences in turn have meant that the economic needs of host countries continue to be under pressure, and therefore incapable of impacting the citizens of these countries positively.The people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) have suffered for far too long under both the brutal colonisation of the British and the draconian military occupation of the ZANU-PF regime of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, to demand without fear or favour the intervention of the Republic of South Africa under your leadership. There is no sane person who wants to live in a foreign country. There is no sane person who does not want to contribute to his/her country's development, new organisations and classes, changing values, beliefs, expectations, changing political system and changing technology. This is equally important to the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi).Furthermore, the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) would also want to become top-decision makers in their own country, run their bureaucracy, cultivate their land to increase food production and supplies for their own people and exports, participate in the development of their own health system, educational system, transportation system, immigration and border control system, security and safety system (own police, army and intelligence) infrastructural investment, development of own industrial raw materials, mining sector, tourism, investment capital, own sovereign capital, foreign and international currency markets, trade and many others.The foregoing needs are what the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) also desire, not in anybody's country (Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa or elsewhere in Europe), but in their own country, the land of their birth, Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) which was annexed by the British in 1893. That annexation can never be forgotten (not now, not yesterday and not in the future) by all the generations of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi)- this is a fact, in spite of the genocide that our people suffered under the British and the genocide and ethnic cleansing that they have continued to suffer under the ZANU-PF regime of Robert Gabriel Mugabe since 1980. As the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi), we have never celebrated anything since the annexation of our country and state (the Kingdom of Mthwakazi) in 1893, instead each and every single day since then has been our horrific and darkest.Throughout this period (spanning 124 years) we have been compelled at the pain of our extinction to become something that we are not (first, Rhodesians and today, Zimbabweans), but we have remained who we are, the Matebeles, the people of Mthwakazi, and will continue as such forever and ever. As we appeal to the Honourable ANC Presidential Candidate, we hope that your assumption to power will usher in a new foreign policy period in which the real national interests of South Africa (social, economic, political, cultural and others) will be supported by the defence of the ideals of freedom, dignity and equality (democracy) not only in South Africa, but across the African continent.Just like western democracies (which include Britain today which is singularly responsible for messing up the whole of Africa), we hereby appeal to the Presidential Candidate that the South Africa that you will lead will not even for one second tolerate dictatorship, genocide and ethnic cleaning throughout this continent. We have seen how world powers such as America, Britain, France and indeed others have refused to give a blank check to the tragedy in Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and elsewhere. If these powers are able to hold rogue states such as the ones highlighted above accountable, why is it that South Africa has continued to sleep in the same bed with Robert Gabriel Mugabe's ZANU-PF regime?It cannot be right that in our own country we cannot be employed even as cleaners, tea boys/girls, farm workers and so on. Anybody, let alone any country that would think that the people of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) are incapable of cleaning toilets, rubbish collecting, making tea and other such menial jobs must be out their minds. This is just an illustration of the deep rootedness of ethnic cleansing and marginalisation in our country that is perpetuated by foreigners (Shona people of Robert Gabriel Mugabe's ethnic group).We have been reduced to nothing in full view of the whole world, but more particularly of South Africa. Only Shona people are employed as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and at any other profession in our own country Matebeleland (Mthwakazi). In the diplomatic missions, we don't have a single person, its only Shona people. We are nowhere. Not least, since Mugabe assumed power in 1980, there is no person from our country, Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) who was ever trained as a PILOT.With all due respect to the Honourable Presidential Candidate, it is important to note that when tragedies of this magnitude are not taken seriously (but continue to be perpetuated with impunity) not only by the concerned regimes, but by neighbouring countries, and in this case, the formidable ad powerful democratic South African government, our people may be compelled to resist this catastrophic tragedy through other means. We however continue to have faith to the incoming leadership that it will indeed change course and ensure that this tragedy is brought to an end forthwith, through the use of the myriad and powerful tools at the disposal of the Republic of South Africa.Thanking you in advance for your considered attention to this submission. We look forward to hearing from your honourable person soon.Andrea SibandaSecretary General - Mthwakazi Liberation FrontCONTACTSANDREA SIBANDAMLF-SECRETARY GENERALEmail: mlf.mthwakazi@yahoo.com0027 73 027 0032 / 0027 76 349 2683CHRISPEN NYONIMLF-INFORMATION & PUBLICITYEMAIL: mlf.publicity@yahoo.com0027 78 730 7538 / 0027 62 627 3739
Indian and US agencies will throw a five-tier security ring around US President Donald Trumps daughter, Ivanka Trump, during her three-day visit to Hyderabad for a high-profile entrepreneurship conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Global Entrepreneurship Summit on November 28 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in the capital of Telangana.

Sources said the five-tier security will also be in place at the Falaknuma Palace, converted into a hotel by the Taj group, where Ivanka will attend a dinner hosted by the Telangana government.

The US Secret Service will be in charge of the first two security rings, closest to Ivanka, who is also advisor to the White House, a police source said.

Indias Special Protection Group (SPG) will take care of the third layer while the four and fifth layers will be under Telangana polices Intelligence Security Wing, trained in counter-terror operations, and Cyberabad police.

While the itinerary of Ivanka has been kept a secret in view of the threat perception, a three-km radius of the summit venue has been fortified with high-level security.

This is only the second time the organised conference is being held outside the US since the 2015 edition held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Sources in the US consulate in Hyderabad said the security arrangements for Ivanka would match that provided to US President.

Tentatively, she is expected to stay at Hotel Westin, which is closer to the GES venue. The possibility of her staying at the historic Falaknuma Palace is also not ruled out, say sources.

A US Secret Service team has made several rounds of visits to the hotels and the GES venue and reviewed security arrangements for Ivanka. They would bring their own bullet-proof vehicles for Ivanka to travel within Hyderabad, besides carrying their own specialised weapons and bringing squads of trained sniffer dogs.

The local police have been asked to stay away from the GES venue premises and confined themselves to outer layers of security. Even senior cops will not be allowed to come in uniform at the main dais, the sources said.

A modern control room with latest equipment is being set up to monitor the movement of the VVIPs, besides keeping a watch on security arrangements, they added.

At Falaknuma Palace, the police are going all out to make fool-proof security arrangements since it is located in the old city area and is closer to Rohingya settlements.

Though there are reports that Ivanka might visit the historic Golconda Fort and go to Charminar area to do some shopping on November 29, there is no confirmation about her plans yet, a source in the US consultate said.

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India has dropped plans to buy Spike anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems worth Rs 3,200 crore from Israel, defence ministry sources said on Monday. Instead, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been asked to develop the ATGMs for the armys infantry and mechanised infantry units to provide impetus to the Make in India plan, the sources said.

India was negotiating the purchase of 321 launchers and 8,356 fire-and-forget missiles with Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd.

However, a report in Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted a Rafael spokesperson as saying that the Israeli firm had not been officially informed of any change in the decision to buy Spike missiles. Rafael already began the transfer of development and manufacturing knowledge as part of the Make-in-India program. This activity will continue as planned, Rafael deputy spokesman Ishai David told Haaretz.

With the defence ministry retracting the tender to buy the ATGM systems, the armys wait to induct the weapon is likely to get longer, army sources said. The DRDO could take up to four years to develop the next-generation ATGMs.

The Spike missile can destroy armoured vehicles and bunkers from a distance of 2.5 km and the army was planning to equip more than 400 units with the third-generation ATGM systems.

The decision not to buy the missiles comes around 10 months after the defence ministry appointed a committee, headed by a major general, to examine various aspects related to the deal.

India had chosen the Israeli ATGM over US defence and aerospace firm Raytheons Javelin system nearly four years ago. The army currently uses the older Milan and Konkur ATGMs built by public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Limited under license from French and Russian firms, respectively.

Hoping that it world bag the order, Rafael had stitched up an alliance with Indias Kalyani Group to produce the missiles in Hyderabad.
India is not inclined to send Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife alone to Pakistan to meet the former naval officer sentenced to death on charges of spying, sources familiar with the development told HT.

The government is still awaiting a formal response from Pakistan to its plea that Jadhavs mother, too, be allowed to meet him. It is not a fair proposition to send his wife alone to meet him. We are awaiting a response from the Pakistan government on the plea for letting his mother meet him, which anyway was our first request, said the source.

New Delhi responded through diplomatic channels to Islamabads offer on November 10 to allow Jadhavs wife to meet him. India believes that Pakistans suggestion, sidestepping the request of Jadhavs mother, was unexpected. Another source said India was awaiting a response on getting consular access to Jadhav, whose case is now being fought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a tweet, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on November 18: Indian reply to Pakistans humanitarian offer for Commander Jadhav received & is being considered.

A military appellate court had earlier turned down Jadhavs mercy petition. The Pakistan Army chief is considering his clemency plea at present.

The Pakistan government maintains Jadhav is a serving naval commander who was working for Indias external spy agency, a charge firmly rejected by New Delhi, which says Jadhav was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar last year.

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When the UN resumes the International Court of Justice election on Monday, India will be watching the elected members of the Security Council to see if they will prevent Britain from triggering a rarely used instrument to choke off the vote.

Britain, one of the Permanent Five of the SC, is expected to call for a joint conference to select a judge to fill the fifth vacancy on the court, ending the election in which its candidate Christopher Greenwood is locked in a stalemated contest with Indias Dalveer Bhandari, both of whom are sitting judges seeking another term.

Britain needs nine votes in the council to successfully invoke the conference, which it is hoping to secure on the basis of the nine votes that Greenwood won in all of the five rounds that took place during voting last Thursday  he held a 9-5 lead over Bhandari, who had slipped from 6-8.

These members may have voted for Greenwood but could take the position now that voting to elect someone is one thing and voting to throttle a vote, an election process is another and could have implications, said a diplomat on condition of anonymity.

All but five members  the US, UK, Russia, France and China  of the 15-member Security Council are those elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years.

India has pointed to the ambiguous legal position of this conference citing a provision from the United Nations Juridical Yearbook, 1984: It is the view of the Office of Legal Affairs that to proceed to a fourth or fifth meeting is a more normal procedure than a joint conference  Moreover, the resort to a joint conference also raises a number of difficult issues on which the relevant provisions of the Statute do not provide any clear solution.

The conference will be made of three members named by the Security Council and the General Assembly each.

Its uncharted territory, said a source, adding, this was done only once before and that was decades ago.

Britain is expected to trigger the conference if the first round of voting in the Security Council and General Assembly, slated to start at 3 pm (US eastern time), does not yield a result.

India is prepared to let the voting process continue till a result, as laid down in the guidelines for elections to the ICJ, based in The Hague, to continue for as many rounds as is needed, not just on Monday but the day after, if necessary.

The winning candidate must secure an absolute majority in both the Security Council and the General Assembly that will vote at the same time but independently  8 and 97 respectively.

Bhandari has led in the General Assembly in multiple rounds of voting that took place last Monday  winning 110-79, 113-76, 111-79, 118-72 and 121-68, which was just eight short of a two-third majority.

Diplomats have said getting two-thirds of the general assembly gives Bhandari, and India, what is called the moral majority.
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday threatened legal action against superstar Kamal Haasan after the actors tweet cast aspersions on its functioning and also tried to highlight corruption.

It is a crime if the government is involved in looting. It is also a crime if it is not proved after detection. Criminals should not rule the country. The people and the government elected by them should act. The people should be the umpire. Let us all wake up and arise, the actor tweeted on Sunday.

Haasans latest tweet infuriated the government which has threatened legal action against him if the actor continued with his baseless corruption allegations. State fisheries minister D Jayakumar said Kamal Haasan is seeking cheap publicity and this was unacceptable.

The state government will take legal action against the actor if he continues leveling baseless charges against the government, Jayakumar told reporters.

Read more: Kamal Hassan cancels birthday celebrations, to visit medical camp, rain-hit people in Chennai

The minister said if Kamal Haasan was serious he could make a formal complaint against corruption.

The BJP too lashed out at the actor with its state unit chief Tamilisai Soundarrajan criticising the actor for making wild allegations. I cannot be commenting on each and every tweet of his, she told reporters.

Though Kamal Haasan did not make any reference to the recent raids by the Income tax department on the Mannargudi clan, his tweets allude to inaction by government after detection of huge sums of unaccounted money in these raids.

Chief minister Edapaddi Palaniswami had declared that neither he nor his government had anything to do with the IT raids on Sasikalas clan or on the residence of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

IT sources said a sum of Rs 1430 crore of unaccounted money was seized in raids on relatives, friends and business associates of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala.

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Madhya Pradesh banned controversial Bollywood film Padmavati on Monday, a day after waves of protests across the country and threats to the films director and lead actors forced the producers to put off the films release.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters that the film which has distorted facts about Rajput queen Padmavati and shows or says anything to disrespect her, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh.

The insult will not be tolerated, Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it wont make it to the screens in the state.

His comment followed a meeting he had with representatives of the Rajput community here on Monday morning.

#WATCH:Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says the film which has distorted facts against #Padmavati, will not be released in the state pic.twitter.com/NOBXj6WF3P  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

According to sources, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan led a group of Rajput community representatives, to discuss the Padmavati issue with Chouhan.

The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, has been mired in allegations that the distorts the history of Rajput queen Padmini  a charge the filmmakers have denied.

Other state governments, such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan , have also asked for edits in the film to remove objectionable parts that hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community.

(With IANS inputs)
Madhya Pradesh banned Bollywood film Padmavati on Monday but the Supreme Court refused to stay its release amid mounting protests against the Rs 150-crore movie mired in controversy over the depiction of a legendary Hindu queen.

The top court said the film was yet to get the censor boards clearance. According to a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the court could not stop a statutory body such as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from carrying out its duty.

The censor board returned the film to the producers, saying the application form was incomplete.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told delegations of the Rajput community, which is protesting the films depiction of Rani Padmini, or Padmavati, that his government wont tolerate any wrong portrayal of a character worshipped by the nation.

Rajasthan will not allow the movie to be screened in the state without necessary changes suggested by chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

She wrote on Saturday to Union information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani for the changes to respect the sentiments of Rajputs.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also called for cuts to remove objectionable sections from the movie, which was due to open on December 1 but its producers postponed the release amid violent protests and death threats.

As the protests mounted, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali after a Rajput delegation sought his intervention. The party said the filmmaker should edit out offending portions.

The protesters found a supporter in Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who became the first Congress leader to speak out against the film.

Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so, ANI quoted the Congress leader as saying.

The film has been embroiled in controversy since its shooting began in January, with fringe outfits alleging it distorts history. Bhansali was attacked on set in January by a Rajput organisation.

Security was increased for Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone, who plays the legendary figure, after several offers of bounty  including from a BJP leader from Haryana  for beheading them.

The BJP asked its leader Suraj Pal Amu to apologise publicly and explain why he offered a Rs10-crore reward this Sunday to behead both Padukone and Bhansali.

The protests were condemned as muzzling freedom of speech. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called the row a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against those threatening Padukone.

Despite the condemnation, the row looks set to escalate.

More fringe groups have issued threats to the films crew. A Rajput youth from Meerut has announced a Rs1-crore bounty for beheading Padukone and Bhansali, and a Hindu group in Bareilly has announced an award of Rs 1 crore to anyone who puts the actor on fire.

Padukone pulled out of a summit in Hyderabad that US President Donald Trumps daughter, Ivanka, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend on November 28.

Hardline groups called the film an insult to Rajputs and accused Bhansali of showing the Muslim aggressor as the Hindu queens lover.

The movie is based on a 16th-century poem, Padmavat, an account of a Rajput queen who chose to kill herself rather than be captured by Khilji. But historians are divided over whether the queen ever existed.

(With agency inputs)
Newly-crowned Miss World Manushi Chhillar on Monday said she is too busy enjoying her success as a beauty queen to be upset over Congress leader Shashi Tharoors pun on her surname, which translates into loose change in colloquial Hindi.

Manushis win at the Miss World pageant ended Indias 17-year-long dry spell at the coveted event.

A girl who has just won the World isnt going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. Chillar talk is just small change - lets not forget the chill within Chhillar, Manushi, the sixth Indian to win the title, tweeted.

Exactly @vineetjaintimes agree with you on this. A girl who has just won the World isnt going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. Chillar talk is just small change - lets not forget the chill within Chhillar  @ShashiTharoor https://t.co/L5gqMf8hfi  Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) November 20, 2017

The Congress Member of Parliament had played on her name in a tweet on Sunday.

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World, Tharoor had said.

The former ministers attempt to attack the Centre over demonetisation using Manushis surname did not go down well with the social media.

However, Vineet Jain, MD, Times Group, the organisation behind the India chapter of the pageant, took to the microblogging site to say that Tharoors comment was not offensive.

I saw @ShashiTharoor tweet regarding @ManushiChhillar. I wasnt offended even though she is a times girl. We need to learn to be more TOLERANT towards light hearted HUMOUR, he wrote.

Manushi seconded Jain and tweeted, Exactly @vineetjaintimes agree with you on this.

After his comment triggered a heavy backlash, Tharoor apologised on Twitter, stressing he meant no offence to Manushi.

Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, and the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today.

Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer Ive separately praised. Please: Chill! he wrote.
When he took the political plunge, Rahul Gandhis foremost ambition was to change the way Congress did its business. With his elevation as party chief barely weeks away, he will get a second chance to fulfil his goal.

A strong votary of intra-party democracy, Rahul after being appointed as the party vice-president in 2013 had vowed to end certain anomalies in its functioning. But four years later, the goal remains far from being achieved.

While the nomination culture at all levels in the Congress is yet to be eliminated, paratroopers and outsiders continue to get party tickets despite his strong resolve that loyalists will not be overlooked.

Rahul was appointed as a Congress general secretary in 2007 three years after he joined politics with a victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. He had then initiated a democratisation process in the Youth Congress to end the nomination culture and open its doors to those who may otherwise find it difficult to join politics. But young leaders with political patronage and lineage were the major beneficiaries of the internal elections in which the use of money and muscle power became rampant. Eventually, he went back to the nomination process.

Similarly, he had to scrap his another pet project of holding US-style primaries to pick party candidates due to strong opposition within.

Rahul has often faced criticism for his indecisiveness. Consultations for appointing new party chiefs in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar and Haryana have been going on for months now but he is yet to take a call. At the same time, he is known for going against the party line if unconvinced about a particular decision. His rubbishing a cabinet decision publicly in 2013 saw the UPA government withdrawing its ordinance that could have enabled the convicted lawmakers to contest polls.

Similarly in 2010, Rahul came out in support of tribals and opposed bauxite mining in Odishas Niyamgiri hills and Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district even at the cost of antagonising certain corporate entities.

Also, the recent organisational changes suggested that Rahul wants to strike a fine balance between the GenNext and the old guard. He has repeatedly reassured the anxious old guard that he would take them along in his quest to make the Congress a powerful instrument of change and more accessible to both youngsters and experienced.

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The Supreme Court on Monday denied permission for a multi-level car parking facility near the Taj Mahal and said tourists visiting the monument should walk instead of driving.

The court also pulled up the state government for not conceiving a vision document for the Taj Mahals conservation.

Police can stop people from parking around the monument. Stop the cars at a distance and let people walk. Ask them to park somewhere else. As it is Agra is such a polluted city. People must walk there more often. To protect the monument is not just our concern. It should be the states concern too, a bench led by Justice MB Lokur told additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta who had urged the court to let the state cut 11 trees to complete construction of the parking lot.

Mehta said Taj was an internationally acclaimed monument which draws lakhs of visitors. It is our responsibility to provide a methodical parking so that there is no chaos around, he submitted to the court.

But the bench was in no mood to relent. Yes there must be infrastructure. However, do not forget about the word sustainability when you talk about development. Traffic can be managed if you have the will. Foreigners love to walk more than we do, the court quipped.

Read more: Air quality around Taj Mahal stable, UP govt tells Supreme Court

When Mehta promised the state will plant equal number of trees that would be cut, the bench shot back: Tell us what happened to over one lakh trees you were supposed to plant. Over the years we have given you permission but where have you planted them. As per the forest department report 70 per cent of the ones planted are dying and also there is no land left for new plantation. Where will you plant them?

Please understand you cannot get the Taj removed. Look at the broader picture for which you must have a vision document, said the court, while issuing notice to the Taj Trapezium Authority (TTZ). Giving two weeks to the authority to be present in court, the bench said it wants to know why its members are not meeting every two months as per an earlier court direction. Also, TTZ has to present a vision document, if there is any, on the Taj Mahal.

Mehta informed the court that the administration had junked the proposal to construct a business centre. For the parking lot, he said, all necessary permissions had been granted.

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The Supreme Court rejected a plea on Monday to stop the release of Deepika Padukone starrer Padmavati, saying the Bollywood film is yet to get the censor boards clearance.

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the top court cannot stop a statutory body such as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from carrying out its duty.

Can the Supreme Court intervene to stop a movie? The CBFC has a statutory duty. Can this court injunct a statutory board from doing its duty? the Chief Justice asked the petitioner, a lawyer.

The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film has been embroiled in controversy since its shooting began in January, with fringe outfits alleging it distorts history. The film, based on an epic poem, explores the relationship of a Rajput queen and Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji. The movie was due to open on December 1 but its producers postponed the release.

Members of hardline groups and the BJP have criticised the film, accusing Bhansali of distorting history by showing the Muslim aggressor as the Hindu queens lover.

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, both ruled by the BJP, banned it outright. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday the film will not be allowed to be screened in the state if historical facts are distorted.

The Supreme Court refused to step into the censor boards domain as it rejected the lawyer-petitioners appeal for a stay on the films release and for criminal prosecution against director Bhansali.

Five members see a movie. Once they see it, they discuss among themselves and suggest cuts. Before they do anything, they give the filmmakers an opportunity to be heard to convince them not to cut the scenes in question, the bench noted.

This is the second petition against Padmavati the top court refused to accept.

The bench said: All this happens because people dont read the cinematograph act and rules.

In case of a grievance, the court suggested moving the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.

The petitioner argued that the movie indulged in character assassination of the 13th-century Rajput queen Padmavati, played by Padukone.

He objected to the release of movies songs without the CBFCs certification.

But senior advocates Harish Salve and Shyam Divan, appearing for the filmmakers, said only promos and audios were released that do not require approval.

The court order came on a day the BJP asked one of its senior members to apologise publicly after he offered a Rs10-crore reward for anyone who beheaded Padukone for her role in Padmavati.

The BJP ordered Suraj Pal Amu, a senior member from Haryana, to explain why he offered a reward on the weekend to behead both Padukone and director Bhansali.

Padukone, whose secusity was increased after the threats, pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit that US President Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend on November 28 in Hyderabad.

Bhansali was attacked on set in January by a Rajput organisation. Some Rajputs believe that the queen chose self-immolation to reject the Muslim kings advances.

(with agency inputs)
A 48-year-old tribal suffering from high fever died while he was being carried on a bed by relatives to a community health centre located nearly five kilometres away from their residence in Telanganas Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Sunday evening.

The deceaseds family had to make the arduous trek because their tribal hamlet, Regulagudem at Komatipalli village in Mangapet block, lacks road connectivity.

Madakam Jogaiah, a member of the Gothi Koya tribe, had been suffering from high viral fever for the last one week. Though local health workers of the Kamalapur sub-centre administered basic medical treatment, his condition failed to improve. Jogaiahs condition further deteriorated on Sunday, following which his sons decided to take him to the community health centre at Eturunagaram. As the lack of road connectivity would not permit an ambulance into the village, they converted Jogaiahs bed into a makeshift stretcher which they then carried on their shoulders through the dense woods.

Jogaiah, however, breathed his last midway and was declared dead on arrival at the health centre.

District medical and health officer Allem Appaiah told Hindustan Times that members of the Gothi Koya tribe, who migrated into the Eturnagaram forest from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, have been existing without basic amenities such as electricity and road connectivity. Despite our efforts, they insist on staying deep in the forest. This results in lack of timely medical attention when they are in need, he said.

Appaiah said his department conducts regular medical camps in tribal areas, and gives away medicines free of cost. However, it is difficult to provide timely treatment during emergency situations, and they are forced to walk several kilometres to reach neighbouring health centres, he added.

The migration of Gothi Koya tribals to Telangana from Chhattisgarh following the anti-Maoist Operation Greenhunt by security forces has become a major challenge for forest department officials, who allege that they cause untold damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Eturangaram wildlife sanctuary.

Recently, the eviction of 40 Gothi Koya families from Jalagalancha hamlet led to violent protests in the area.

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A grand temple to god Ram in Ayodhya and a masjid-e-aman (mosque of peace) 135km away in Lucknow is the latest proposal made by the Shia wakf board to resolve Indias most contentious religious dispute.

Uttar Pradesh Shia waqf board chairman Waseem Rizvis said the suggestion would be forwarded to the Supreme Court, which will on December 5 begin a final round of hearings to decide the ownership of 2.7-acre piece of land in Ayodhya.

After discussions with different parties we have prepared a proposal in which a Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya and a mosque can be built in Lucknow, Rizvi said on Monday.

A Mughal-era mosque, the Babri masjid, stood on the land before it was demolished by a Hindu mob on December 6, 1992. More than 3,000 people were killed in the communal violence that followed the demolition.

Rizvis formula found support among some Hindu leaders and groups including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) but was denounced by majority of Muslims.

The proposal has come under pressure (from the BJP), Shia leader Maulana Kalbe Jawad said.

The Shia board is not a litigant in the case and its position is opposite to that of the Sunni board that claims ownership of the disputed site and rejects Hindu groups claims to the spot.

Many Hindus believe that Ram was born where Babur, the first Mughal emperor, built the mosque, which Rizvi claims has a Shia origin.

Though several peace formulae have been proposed, this is the first time a suggestion has come to build a mosque so far away from Ayodhya.

The suggestion is in keeping with Shia boards another affidavit to the top court that said a mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a reasonable distance from the most revered place of birth of Ram in Ayodhya.

Rizvis move comes a few days after the Art of Living founder Ravi Shankar visited the temple town to explore the possibility of an out-of-court settlement. He failed to make much headway with both Hindu and Muslim groups questioning his locus standi.

Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas Nritya chief Gopal Das, Mahant Ram Das of Hanumangarahi, a disciple of late Mahant Bhaskar Das who was one of the main litigant, some VHP leaders are among those who backed Rizvi.

How long would people continue to fight over the issue, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishads Mahant Narendra Giri said at a press conference in Lucknow with Rizvi sitting next to him.

Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya. We will meet all religious leaders to find a peaceful solution to the issue, he said.

Giri said he would also talk to the Sunni board to give up its claim on the land, saying work on the temple could begin from 2018.

The Supreme Court is to hear challenges to an Allahabad high court order that divided the land between Ram Lalla (baby Ram), Nirmohi Akhada and the Sunni wakf board.

Opponents have accused the BJP of reviving the temple issue through the Sangh Parivar with an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha election. The promise of the Ram temple at Ayodhya has been central to the BJPs rise in national politics.

(With agency inputs)

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The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday asked universities across the country to observe the Armed Forces Flag Day on December 7 to commemorate the supreme sacrifices made by the armed forces personnel during conflicts.

In a letter sent to the heads of such institutions, the commission asked them to observe the day for the supreme sacrifices made by our valiant Armed Forces personnel for protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country and securing our lives against the threats of insurgency and terrorism and against natural calamities.

For this purpose, the universities are requested to arrange functions/ talks for the students in their colleges or institutes to generate awareness, it urged.

According to sources, the Defence ministry wants to observe the day in a big way and has asked the UGC to observe the day.

Till now, there has never been a large scale digital/ social media campaign for the AFFD to compliment the on ground efforts to mobilize public contribution to the armed forces flag day fund, said a source.

This year, from the 1 to 7 December, there will be a wide digital campaign spread across Twitter Facebook etc encouraging people to wear the armed forces flag with pride to show their support and solidarity with the military. The campaign aims to increase contributions to the fund that will used to support disabled ex-servicemen, war widows, children of martyrs and other such beneficiaries.

For the first time, the public will be able to contribute to the fund using a UPI code.

This campaign falls under one of Smt Nirmala Sitharamans main priorities of ensuring the welfare of ex-serviceman that she iterated during her first day in-charge as Raksha Mantri.
Amid preparations to invoke RAJPASA (Rajasthan Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2006) against the accused in the Barmer crude oil theft case, the Rajasthan high court on Monday granted bail to 33 of the total 36 accused. However, additional advocate general (AAG) KL Thakur protested the bail stating that oil is a precious mineral resource and its theft is against the national interest.

The court, however, granted bail to the accused mentioning that they are in jail since July 2017 and the trial is likely to take time. While granting the bail the court said that the petitioners are not required for the investigation and also no apprehension has been raised that the accused may abscond.

Earlier, after hearing the case on November 6 the decision was reserved for November 20.

On Monday, AAG Thakur stated that offence is against the state and involves precious mineral. He also informed the court that the act has been done in a well-planned manner. He told the court that the accused conspired in a manner defeating the modern techniques like GPS etc.

The AAG also referred to the high profile Vaman Narain Ghiya Vs. State of Rajasthan case, reported in (2009) 2 SCC 281, in which the bail application of the accused had been rejected on the ground that several nefarious activities of smuggling of antiques, particularly idols, had been committed.

The petitioners advocates told the court that no theft has been made out in this case. They argued that from the case diary it isnt clear what the nature of crude is and the stock register clearly pointed out that the delivery of the liquid was in order and matching with each other, which reflected that no offence has been made out. They further submitted that the petitioners were involved in crude oil transportation.

The advocates of the accused pleaded that a challan has already been filed in the case and the trial is likely to take a long time, and all the alleged offences are triable by the magistrate, therefore bail should be granted.

After hearing both the parties, the court granted bail to the accused. The court also mentioned that the precedent law cited by the AAG is not applicable to the present set of circumstances.

On July 22, the Barmer police unearthed a criminal syndicate accused of smuggling more than 50 million litres of crude oil inside water tankers from Indias largest onshore oilfield in Barmer.
A 45-year-old farmer committed suicide in Bharatpurs Jatauli Thoon village on Sunday night, the police said. His body was brought to Deeg community health centre (CHC) for a post-mortem on Monday and has been handed over to the family.

Bhagwan Singh was found hanging from an iron pole at 6 am on Monday by his wife, Hardei, who had gone there to serve him tea. He was sleeping in the cattle pen nearly 50 metre from the house.

Villagers gathered at the spot after hearing Hardeis cries. They brought the body down and informed the police. According to the villagers, Singh was upset as he had a burden of agriculture debts from the bank and village moneylenders and had also suffered crop loss due to water shortage.

Singh has two sons Jagat Singh who is pursuing graduation and Akash Singh, a class 9 student. His two daughters are married. Jagat Singh said that the family owned four acres of agriculture land in the village but it didnt harvest crops for last three-four years due to water shortage.

My father had taken 5 lakh loan from a bank and 6 lakh from the village moneylenders for the wedding of his two daughters last year. He was worried about the huge debt, Jagat Singh said.

Jogendra Singh, a villager, said that he had met Bhagwan Singh two days ago. He looked worried. He asked me for money to repay his debts, he said.

Hardei said that they had got a notice from the bank a few days ago. Village moneylenders were also pressurising us to pay the debt, she added.

Station house officer (SHO) of Deeg police Kanheya Lal said that the body has been kept at a mortuary. Villagers, including the deceaseds family, registered a complaint about the suicide due to the debt burden.

Bharatpur zila parishad member Nem Singh said that farmers in the district have been facing water crisis for a long time. We have agitated several times to demand water from the Yamuna through Gungaon canal in Haryana but in vain, he said.

Villagers, led by Nem Singh, handed over a memorandum for the Chief Minister to sub-division magistrate Dulichand Meena demanding debt waiver and compensation for the deceaseds family.

Earlier, two farmers had committed suicide over crop failure in April and June.

Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh signed a pact on May 12, 1994, to release 1,280 cusecs of Yamuna water for Bharatpur.

According to the pact between Rajasthan and Haryana governments, the district should receive 500 cusecs of water every day through the Gurgaon canal. Not only water crisis, Bharatpur farmers have been facing frequent power cuts.

The district produces 3.50 lakh tonnes of mustard on 2.10 lakh hectare of land. Nearly 3,90,313 hectare of agriculture land is affected with salinity out of the gross cropped area of 5,070,73 hectare in the district.
BIKANER:

An eye bank run by the Sardar Patel Medical College (SPMC) here has wasted 380 out of 470 donated corneas as it lacks a chemical solution used to preserve them, hospital sources said.

The eye bank has not got the preservative solution for the last five years since it has not renewed its licence. Of the 130 corneas collected during 2016-17, only 23 could be transplanted. This year, five corneas were used out of the 42 donated, the sources said.

Medical experts say a cornea can be extracted within six hours of a donors death but needs to be immediately transferred to the M-K (McCarey-Kaufman) medium, where it can remain intact for up to four days, before transplant.

The M-K medium, used to preserve the corneas, was not supplied by Hyderabads Eye Bank Association of India for the last five years. The bank cannot store the preservative without a licence, which expired in 2012, and authorities have forgot to renew it, the sources said.

It (the preservative) is not coming from our supplier. We are exploring other avenues to buy the solution. Some documents are pending and formalities are yet to be fulfilled to get the licence renewed, said Dr Jai Sri Murli Manohar, head of the ophthalmology department at Prince Bijaysingh Memorial (PBM) Hospital and the nodal officer of the eye bank.

Last wishes of some donors could not be fulfilled because of lack of the solution. This is unbelievable; an eye bank at medical college level is running without the basic solution and licence. They should honour our sentiments, said an upset Narendra Acharya who inspired his family to donate his younger brother Niranjans eyes, but his brothers last wish went unfulfilled.

NGOs creating awareness about eye donation also feel discouraged at the non-utilisation of corneas. Experts say nearly 60% of the donated eye go waste in India. Usually when the eyes are donated, they either get infected with diseases or are not stored in eye banks on time, Murli Manohar said.

Many harvested eyes are rendered useless as they are declared unfit for transplant. Every donated eye is checked for diseases like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B before it is implanted. Though there is no dearth of eye donors, more transplants cant be conducted due to a shortage of eye bank technicians and donation counsellors, experts said.
Three years after it launched direct international flights between Jaipur and Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways has decided to discontinue the flights between the two destinations from March 2018.

As part of an ongoing review of network performance, Etihad Airways is suspending its Abu Dhabi-Jaipur route effective March 1, 2018. Etihad Airways apologises for any inconvenience caused, but assures those affected by the changes that they will be provided with alternative travel options to and from Jaipur beyond March 1, an Etihad spokesperson said in reply to an e-mail query.

The airline is planning to provide connecting flights via Delhi or Mumbai after March 1. The airline will re-protect guests to and from Jaipur on flights via Delhi and Mumbai with code share partner Jet Airways, the spokesperson said.

The airline started Jaipur operations with Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration, featuring 16 business class seats and 120 economy class seats. The company took the decision to discontinue from March 1 as the route had become financially unviable due to poor passenger traffic, sources said.

At present, eight international flights operate from Jaipur. These include SpiceJet and Air Indias Dubai flights, Oman Airs Muscat flight, Etihads Abu Dhabi flight, Air Arabias Sharjah flight, Air Asia and Thai Smiles Bangkok flights and Scoot Airlines Singapore flight. Meanwhile, domestic flights from Jaipur airport have increased to 53 with Jet Airways, Spicejet and Air India launching new flights in the winter schedule.

Jaipur airport has registered 24% rise in passenger traffic in 2016-17 compared to the previous year with flight movements increasing by 28%. The operations at Jaipur airport terminal building will soon be handed over to a private player. Seven firms have bid for running the terminal building and other operations at the airport.
Kota stone traders are demanding clarification on the GST tax slab from the GST Council. The traders want the stone to have no more than 5% GST as the traders claim that its mostly used by the middle class.

The GST department has clarified that only raw Kota stone will attract 5% GST whereas processed Kota stone will be in 18% GST tax slab.

Mukesh Tyagi, general secretary of Hadoti Kota Stone Industries Association (HKSIA), Kota, said that before GST, the Value Added Tax (VAT) was 2%. In July, the Union government announced two GST tax slabs of 5% and 28% on Kota stone.

Later, it was clarified that its 5%. The then sales tax commissioner, Rajasthan, Jaipur (now state GST commissioner) Alok Gupta had written to the joint commissioners, sales tax department on August 21, 2017, in which he said that Kota Stone, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut by sawing or otherwise will fall under 5% GST while tiles will fall under 28% GST.

Before the traders could start paying 5% GST, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in October stated that GST on Kota stone has been reduced from 28% to 18%. This created confusion among traders, who had assumed it to be 5%, said HKSIA president Chuttan Lal Sharma.

He said that since Jaitleys announcement, the central and state GST officials are not giving a written statement on the tax slab. Since most of the Kota stone processing units are sawing or cutting the stone and not processing them, it should invite only 5% GST.

The Kota stone costs between 18 and 20 per square feet and is used in flooring mostly by poor and middle-class people as it is affordable compared to marble (between 40 and 1,000 per square feet), so keeping them both in same GST slab of 18% will hit business badly.

Apart from GST tax, the state government is also recovering royalty of 121 per tonne which recently has been hiked to 154 per tonne, so its like a double blow to Kota stone traders, he said.

Kota stone trade offers direct and indirect employment to over 2 lakh people in Kota region so it should be kept in the lowest tax slab of 5%, he said.

Chuttan Lal Sharma warned that traders may launch a movement if the government doesnt clarify and the stone is put it under 5% tax slab.

However, deputy commissioner, central GST, Naresh Bundel said that there is no confusion. Raw Kota stone excavated during mining will attract 5% GST while any kind of processing or change in form will attract 18% GST.
The controversy over the film Padmavati refused to die down with various groups across the state staging protests in their own way.

The Karni Sena asked the authorities on Monday to remove a stone (plaque) at Padmini Palace in Chittorgarh Fort, calling its contents objectionable.

Karni Sena district president Govind Singh Khangarot and other members submitted a memorandum to the state archaeology department officials in Chittorgarh, urging them to remove the plaque.

The plaque states, This palace is of immense historical importance in the history of Mewar associated with Rani Padmini. It is said that here Rana Ratan Singh showed a glimpse of legendary beauty of his wife Padmini to Ala-ud-Din Khilji through a mirror. After which, Ala-ud-Din Khilji went to the extent of ravaging Chittaur in order to possess her.

The memorandum said, We are giving a chance to the authorities to remove the plaque, failing which we will be forced to take action. The Karni Sena also warned the archaeology department against broadcasting distorted history at the light and sound show conducted every day on the fort premises.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanium Swamy, addressing an event in Jaipur, alleged that the film Padmavati is a conspiracy to show Hindus in a poor light.

In another development, a case has been filed in the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate against Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone for distortion of history. The court will hear the case on November 22.

Sarv Samaj Sanghthan members continued to stage protest at the road leading to entrance of the fort, a UNESCO world heritage site that houses Padminis Palace, demanding a ban on the film.

Sangathan member Ummed Singh said, The protest demanding a ban on Padmavati is continuing for the last nine days, and a relay hunger strike has also been launched.

At Semari village in Udaipur district, the villagers observed a bandh on Monday to protest against the film. Hundreds of people from Sarv Dharm took out a rally.

The protesters raised slogans against Bhansali and burnt his effigy. Later, they handed over a memorandum to the tehsildar addressed to the President of India, demanding complete ban on Padmavatis release.

Karni Sena threatens Javed Akhtar

Reacting to lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtars statement to a TV channel on Sunday that Rajputs never fought against the British but were now on the streets to protest the film Padmavati, Karni Senas Jaipur district president Narayan Singh Divrala said Akhtar should visit Rajasthan to witness the bravery of Rajputs.

Writing on Karni Senas Facebook page, he obliquely threatened Akhtar, saying the treatment will be same as that meted out to Bhansali. The filmmaker was assaulted by Karni Sena members in January this year at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur during shooting of Padmavati.
"We make war that we may live in peace."

--Aristotle

"I exhort you never to debase the moral currency or to lower the

standard of rectitude, but to try others by the final maxim that

governs your own lives, and to suffer no man and no cause to escape

the undying penalty which history has the power to inflict on wrong."

--Lord Acton

"Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the

highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all

alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a

particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern...

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

--Lord Acton

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry,

Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from

the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the

field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life

so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it,

Almighty God! I know not what course others may take;

but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

--Patrick Henry

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine

patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now,

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we

have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

--Thomas Paine

"The way to secure liberty is to place it in the people's hands, that is,

to give them the power at all times to defend it in the legislature and

in the courts of justice"

--John Adams

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will

within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I

do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often

but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights

of the individual."

--Thomas Jefferson

"No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of

another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain hima?the idea

is quite unfounded that on entering into society we give up any natural rights."

--Thomas Jefferson

"An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his

fellow citizens."

--Thomas Jefferson

"The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, require

that force should be interposed to a certain degree."

--Thomas Jefferson

"To draw around the whole nation the strength of the General Government

as a barrier against foreign foes... is [one of the] functions of the General Government on which [our citizens] have a right to call."

--Thomas Jefferson

"It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war; but if it shall actually

take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves. If our house be on fire, without

inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it."

--Thomas Jefferson

"I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as

the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these

require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are

just friends and brave enemies."

--Thomas Jefferson

"By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression is

committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another as

his enemy."

--Thomas Jefferson

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against

every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

--Thomas Jefferson

"Our duty to ourselves, to posterity, and to mankind, call on us

by every motive which is sacred or honorable, to watch over the safety of our beloved country

during the troubles which agitate and convulse the residue of the world, and to sacrifice to

that all personal and local considerations."

--Thomas Jefferson

"It is an essential attribute of the jurisdiction of every country

to preserve peace, to punish acts in breach of it, and to restore property taken by force within

its limits."

--Thomas Jefferson

"By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression

is committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another

as his enemy."

--Thomas Jefferson

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy,

and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. But the temper and folly of our enemies may

not leave this in our choice."

--Thomas Jefferson

"We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly,

we shall all hang separately."

--Benjamin Franklin

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people

by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent

and sudden usurpations."

--James Madison

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without

it nothing can succeed."

--Abraham Lincoln

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we

fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a

blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted)

in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a

track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?

I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot,

we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time,

or die by suicide."

--Abraham Lincoln

"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the

support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me."

--Abraham Lincoln

"Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive

good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement

to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor

diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall

be safe from violence when built."

--Abraham Lincoln

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean

the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and

the product of his labor; while with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they please

with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible

things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective

parties, called by two different and incompatible names -

liberty and tyranny."

--Abraham Lincoln

"If all do not join now to save the good old ship of the Union this voyage

nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage."

--Abraham Lincoln

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points

out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust

and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;

who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause;

who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst,

if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with

those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs,

even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy

much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that

knows not victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth

of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic

state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by

an individual, by a group."

--Franklin D. Roosevelt

"War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder.

This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the

timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour,

of our choosing."

--George W. Bush

"When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and true maxim that 'a drop of honey catches more flies

than a gallon of gall.' So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him

that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say

what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really

a good one."

--Abraham Lincoln

"To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge

it by the standards of his time, not ours."

--Mark Twain

"It is with trifles and when he is off guard that a man best

reveals his character."

--Arthur Schopenhauer

"When men speak ill of thee, live

so as nobody may believe them."

--Plato

"He that has light within his own clear breast may sit in the center,

and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the

mid-day sun."

--John Milton

"Character consists of what you do on the third

and fourth tries."

--James A. Michener

"We should be too big to take offense and too noble to

give it."

--Abraham Lincoln

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the

content of their character."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"A man's character is his guardian divinity."

--Heraclitus

"Character develops itself in the stream of life."

--Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"Do what you know and perception is converted into character."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so

highly prized as that of character."

--Henry Clay
A comparative study on job satisfaction level among lecturers of government and private colleges and universities in Rajasthan has revealed that around 79% lecturers of private universities lack job satisfaction against only 8% such lectures in government universities who are not satisfied with their work.

Around 79.3% lecturers of private universities and colleges working in the state lacked job satisfaction. Contrary to that, 92% government lecturers are satisfied with their job, finds a research by Anuj Williams (26), an assistant professor with a private college of Kota, who has won the National Youth Award of the Government of India.

He has been awarded a PhD degree by Career Point University (CPU) of Kota for his theses titled A comparative study on job satisfaction level of lecturers in government and private colleges and universities in Rajasthan.

Williams said that 89.3 % private lecturers claimed that their management is not concerned about their Job satisfaction level and does not have policies for their growth. The study revealed that 58.6% private lecturers got an annual salary below 1,50,000, while 100% government lecturers had an annual income above 2,00,000.

The research showed that 96.7 % private lectures were not being paid according to the UGC norms. Not only that, they also did not get regular increments, which was found to the main cause of dissatisfaction among the private lecturers. Contrary to that, 100% government lecturers were satisfied on the parameter. 90% of the private lecturers were dissatisfied with the career advancement options available to them, whereas results indicated that 80% government lecturers are satisfied with their career advancement opportunities, said Williams.

On the job stability factor, 95.3% private lecturers said they are not satisfied, while 90.7% government lecturers said they are very satisfied. Regarding social security benefit, 96.7% private lectures are not getting benefits such as pension, life insurance, health insurance and PF/GPF, while almost 100% government lecturers have been provided with the benefits. Also, 97.3% lecturers working in private universities said they are not getting leaves according to the UGC norms, but 100% government lecturers said that they are satisfied with the leave provision for them.

Although 92% government lecturers said they are satisfied with their jobs, but they expressed dissatisfied with the available facilities.

In his research, Williams found that only 20% lecturers working in the government universities and colleges are satisfied with the available facilities. They said that government colleges and universities lacked in number of lecturers, modern teaching aids, clean washrooms, safe and filtered drinking water, faculty development programme and transfer policy. On the contrary, 80% private lecturers expressed satisfaction on this front.

Williams said the main objective of his research was to find out and highlight the present condition of higher education. He said he started his research work in 2013 and concluded in October this year. He surveyed 1,000 respondents sending questionnaire to 300 of them and interacting with others.

Williams concluded that there is a need to develop a centralised online system, in which government universities should recruit private lecturers according to the UGC norms. Facilities in government universities and colleges should also be improved to enhance the employee satisfaction level, he added.
A Congress leader filed a petition seeking the removal of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Kerala high court on Monday.

The petitioner, RS Sasi Kumar, said Vijayans council of ministers has no right to continue in power after losing collective responsibility by allegedly shielding former transport minister Thomas Chandy in a land grab case. The quo warranto, which challenges an individuals right to hold office or government privilege, also noted that four CPI ministers had boycotted a cabinet meeting last week after the high court passed strictures against Chandy.

Vijayan was severely criticised last week for allegedly delaying Chandys exit from the cabinet. The beleaguered transport minister was finally forced to quit after the high court questioned his continuance in the government.

Though Chandy had moved the court to quash a damning report of the Alappuzha district collector, it instead slammed him for questioning the very government of which he was a part. It is a classic case of disqualification. The writ shows that the minister has lost confidence in the chief minister and the government, of which he is a part, the court had said, while rejecting his plea.

The high court also criticised the government for failing to take timely action against Chandy.

The issue has also created a deep wedge between the CPI(M) and CPI, two ruling partners in the state government. CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan strongly criticised the political allys decision to boycott the cabinet, stating that it had given the governments detractors a reason to celebrate.

The CPI was trying to bask in the glory of Chandys resignation, and wanted to place the blame on others. This is not how an alliance should work. You have to receive both bouquets and brickbats while in power, Balakrishnan said.
With West Bengal winning the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for rosogolla, a Kolkata-based director has launched a project to make a biopic on Nobin Chandra Das (1845-1925), the sweetmeat maker who is believed to have invented the dessert in 1868.

The film is set to hit the theatres in December next year.

Read: Meet Bengals Columbus of Rosogolla who is said to have made the spongy sweet

The producers have selected 2018 as the year of its release as it will mark the anniversary of the GI tag and also it will be the 150th birth anniversary of rosogolla, considering that this popular sweetmeat was invented by Das in 1868.

The producer of the film, also titled Rosogolla, will be Windows Production. The film will be directed by Pavel, whose low budget film in 2015, Babar Naam Gandhiji (Fathers name is Gandhiji) earned critics accolades.

Speaking to HT, one of the founder- producers of Windows Production, Nandita Roy said the film was conceptualised almost two years back.

Read: Rosogolla originated in West Bengal, rule GI authorities, rejecting Odishas claim

We felt that something needs to be done to make people aware of rosogollas inventor, Nandita told HT. She added that though basically the film will be a biopic of Nobin Chandra Das, it will also depict everything about rosogolla, including Bengalis sentiment about it.

She, however, said the proposed movie will not be a star studded one. Through this film, we will also launch new acting talents, the search for which is already on, she said.

Roy along with Shiboprosad Mukherjee directed some of the biggest hits in Bengali film industry in recent years. These are Posto (2017), Praktan (2016), Belaseshe (2015) and Icche (2011).

According to Pavel, since the beginning he was confident that ultimately Bengal would win the battle with Odisha. Rosogolla was always Bengals and it has been proved, he said.

Nobin Chandra Das invented the sweet in 1868. He was trying to come up with a new sweet for a number of years before he came up with it. He never thought of trying for a patent on the sweet but taught confectioners how to prepare it, Nobin Chandra Das great great-grandson Dhiman Das said. For years, the Das family was recognised as the first family of the states sweetmeat industry mainly due to its claim on the parentage on rosogolla.

The Mamata Banerjee administration applied for the GI authentication in 2015.

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A day before its crucial meeting with the Bengal government, the Binoy Tamang faction of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) suspended the partys founder- president Bimal Gurung and all his close associates. They were removed from all posts and Tamang took over as the new president.

Accused of creating terror, Gurung and his aides are suspected to hiding somewhere in Sikkim.

Read: Darjeeling impasse: Bengal seals GJM office building, arrests 3 for cops death

The decision to dethrone the GJM founder was taken at a meeting of the partys central committee chaired by Tamang. The meeting was however attended by only 37 of the 93 members of the committee. Gurung was removed from the post of president and Tamang took over. The fugitive general secretary Roshan Giri, was also stripped of his position and Tamangs close associate, Anit Thapa, took over. Both Tamang and Thapa enjoy the support of the administration.

Roshan Giri issued a statement from his hideout in the evening, saying his suspension was illegal since Tamang himself was expelled by the central committee two months ago. GJM supporters also claimed that during the day a court had issued an order that would protect Gurung from police action for 20 days. Nobody however could confirm the information or provide details.

Gurungs wife, Asha Gurung, was also removed from the post of president of GJM Nari (Women) Morcha. Name of the next incumbent was however not announced. Prakash Gurung was removed from the president of GJMs youth wing. GJM spokesman and central committee member, Swaraj Thapa, a former New Delhi- based journalist, was also removed from the committee.

Read: Darjeeling tea gardens reel under bandh effect, workers migrate in search of livelihood

All of them have been suspended for six months. The decision was taken by the majority present at the meeting. Vacant posts will be filled up shortly, Tamang said after the meeting.

Interestingly, Gurung had expelled Tamang, then assistant general secretary and convener, from GJM by calling an emergency meeting of the central committee on September 1. The meeting was held at an undisclosed location at the Darjeeling- Sikkim border. A decision to expel Thapa was also taken at a same meeting.

Read: Jan Andolan Party to skip Mondays bipartite meeting, questions state govts motive

Leaders of different hill parties feel that the counter-attack by Tamang on the eve of the crucial bipartite meeting could eventually lead to an end of Gurungs political career because there would be nobody in the GJM to challenge Tamang or his decisions.

Mondays development was not entirely unexpected. Thapa earlier said at a rally that some action against Gurung and his team would be taken. The feud between Gurung and Tamang started over their differences on two issues: whether to continue with the indefinite strike in the hills and whether GJM was being mislead by BJP.

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Two workers died after an alleged gas leak at the coke oven segment of the Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) in Bengals West Burdwan district early on Monday. Two others also took ill after inhaling toxic fumes, but were declared out of danger at the Durgapur Mission Hospital.

The plant, located 158 km from Kolkata, is owned by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). It was set up in the late fifties.

Samir Chakraborty and Sheikh Hafijul  both contractual workers  died after being rushed to the DSP hospital. The incident occurred around 2 am.

We are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death. A high-level committee has been formed to find out how the gas leak happened. We have sealed gas lines in the area as a precautionary measure, DSP spokesperson Chinmoy Samajdar told Hindustan Times.

Chakraborty and Hafijul, who hail from Jamgara and Arti villages respectively, were found unconscious in the resting zone located between the coke oven and the centre plant. Prabir Bose and Sheikh Fariuddin, who went there to beckon the deceased, were taken to the hospital after they complained of uneasiness.

Workers later agitated outside the plant, alleging that the safety measures in place for workers were inadequate. They cited a similar accident that reportedly occurred at the plant about two years ago to buttress their claim.

Two workers were burnt alive when molten steel fell on them at the IISCO steel unit, Burnpur, in May. That plant was also owned by SAIL.
The BJP has fielded a Muslim candidate from the twin temple towns Faizabad-Ayodhya  elevated by Chief minister Yogi Adityanath into a municipal corporation.

The BJP has settled for Zeeshan Mehndi, its district minority cell chief from Faizabad, as its lone minority representative from the Ram Prasad Bismil ward  one of the 45 wards in Faizabad against Ayodhyas 15.

While a lone Muslim candidate from the 60 wards of Faizabad-Ayodhya doesnt mean much numerically, its the symbolic takeaway that the BJP appears to be playing on through the move that experts say also fits in well with the partys sabka-saath-sabka-vikas tagline.

It was the Ayodhya temple movement of the 90s that originally powered BJPs rise and the party continues to acknowledge this.

More than two decades later, BJPs first UP chief minister in 15 years - Yogi Adityanath - chose Ayodhya to launch the civic poll campaign.

Mehndi represents the 8% Shias who have largely supported BJPs move to ban the instant divorce practice of triple talaq.

Wasim Rizvi, the chief of the Shia Wakf Board, has unequivocally supported a temple in Ayodhya and said he favoured a mosque outside the temple town  a line that has made the Vishva Hindu Parishad happy.

We are not against all Muslims. We are only against anti-nationals, said VHPs Ayodhya-based spokesman Sharad Sharma, hinting that even the staunch Hindu bodies like VHP may not have a problem with the BJP move.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and then again in the 2017 UP polls, the BJP had been criticised for not fielding a single Muslim candidate.

Its good publicity for us, a BJP leader said on being asked about the decision to field Muslims on party ticket in UP civic polls in general and from the temple town of Ayodhya in particular.

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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said exodus from western Uttar Pradesh had stopped and over 500 criminals preferred jail over bail in the eight months of BJP rule in the most populous state.

Arriving in Lucknow after whirlwind tours of Aligarh, Mathura and Agra to campaign in favour of party candidates for the month-end civic polls, Adityanath also promised to make all the 653 urban local bodies in the state will shine as bright as Ayodhya was during Diwali this year if the BJP won the elections.

Better law and order will now help create the right atmosphere and help our efforts to seek investment which, in turn, will help provide jobs, he said in his public meetings in Rajajipuram and Cantonment areas of Lucknow.

He said the state capital will be developed in such a way that it becomes a model for other cities of the state to emulate.

The alleged exodus of Hindu families from Kairana and Kandhla in western UP had become a hot political issue ahead of the 2017 UP polls. During his election rallies, Adityanath had promised to check it if a BJP government came to power. Now with BJP in power and him as chief minister, Adityanath linked the issue of return of the natives in west UP and the police drive against criminals as proof of what he called the return of rule of law in the state.

The exodus has stopped. In fact, those who had forced people to flee have fled, Adityanath said.

Checking Hindu exodus from western UP was among the BJPs election promises as was improving the poor law and order situation under the Samajwadi Party rule.

So far, over 1200 police encounters have taken place with criminals. Nearly 1100 criminals are behind bars and more than 800 have fled the state. In addition, another 500 have got their bail cancelled as they now feel that jail is better than staying outside, Adityanath said.

He also referred to the closure of illegal slaughter houses as proof of his governments commitment to carry out orders of the court in letter and spirit.

Previously, court orders werent complied with on one pretext or the other. We changed that and the closure of illegal slaughter houses, ban on illegal mining, action against those who encroached on government land is proof of this, he said. As the BJPs star campaigner, Adityanath is slated to address nearly 35 public meetings in the state in favour of party candidates  the highest ever by any BJP chief minister in urban local body polls in which the party has always done well.

We used to do well earlier as well. But earlier we never had our own government in UP and the centre. If we win, developments will happen in all the 653 urban local bodies, he said.

He said his government was coming out with a rehabilitation policy for roadside vendors.
What do you make of an RTI query seeking to know how many Muslims are there in the Army? Why should there be an objection if the government decides to rename a road named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb?

These queries by a retired army official and a BJP leader at the Lucknow Literature Festival forced counter queries by a retired high court judge and a Congress leader, who sought to know if standing for 52-odd seconds when the national anthem is being sung in cinema halls or singing Vande Mataram, are the only barometers of ones patriotism?

Despite Congress leader Salman Khurshid and Leftist Atul Anjaan not turning up, the topic of the Saturdays opening session  whose nationalism is it anyway?  ensured a lively debate though with some predictable political mudslinging.

General (retired) H Kakar was unambiguous in voicing his displeasure at the RTI query on Muslims in the army.

In the army, we dont have Muslims or Hindus. We have responsible and committed men and women ready to lay down their lives for the dignity of the flag and the country, the retired army official, said wondering why should there even be a debate on whether one should stand for the national anthem and the national flag.

Yes, we must! the retired army official said, adding for the men and women in uniform, the flag and the national anthem were the ultimate truth, the greatest worship. Justice (retd) SHA Raza, however, argued that national anthem shouldnt be belittled by allowing its singing in cinema halls as theatres screening late night film shows hardly were the place to display patriotism.

The BJPs Sudhanshu Trivedi used the occasion to nudge his partys political adversaries on the hullabaloo over Modi governments decision to rename Aurangzeb Road and then recounting how Vande Mataram used to be sung even by Muslims until politics stepped in.

We believe in cultural nationalism as even our gods unite the country. Ram believer unites the country from Ayodhya to Ram Setu just as Shiva follower does it from Amarnath to Rameswaram and a Goddess believer tracks the belief from Vaishno Devi to Kanyakumari, Trivedi said.

Congress representative Surendra Rajput seized the moment to claim that under his party nationalism prospered without the tint of ugra rashtrawad (violent nationalism) as was the case now.

From gau to gobar (cow to cow dung) look at what they have reduced the discussion to these days! Rajput snapped. The debaters hung on beyond time with Trivedis provocative take accusing Congress leaders of backing Afzal Gurus clemency plea  he said BJP prefers nationalist Muslims like APJ Abdul Kalam and forcing a counter attack that sought to nail Trivedis party for pursuing communal politics. The debaters wanted to go on until the moderator Guru Prakash finally called time, well past the deadline.

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In a major step to modernise policing with changing times and combat crime effectively, Uttar Pradesh is likely to house the fourth police university in the country.

The institution, to be set up on the lines of Raksha Shakti University in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), will offer courses in policing, crime and criminal psychology, among others.

The police university will not only cater to those who don the khaki but anyone willing to gain knowledge or build a career in related fields.

Director General (DG) of Raksha Shakti University Vikas Sahai on Saturday gave a presentation before UP director general of police (DGP) Sulkhan Singh giving details of the institution, courses related to the department, pattern of crime and police management.

After discussing various aspects with Sahai, the DGP formed a committee to study the establishment and working of the existing police universities at Ahmedabad, Ranchi and Jodhpur.

The committee will visit these universities before sending a proposal to the state government.

Crime exists in various forms in our society but it is difficult for a normal policeman or a common man to understand the reasons behind it, Sahai said.

In the last eight years, the police university has helped the Gujarat government in understanding trends and pattern of crime and deriving a viable solution to curb it. The university has also helped the common man understand criminal psychology and the nitty-gritty of cyber security and forensics, he said.

Sahai said the university had only one course related to crime when it was established in 2009. Today it offers 15 diploma, degree, post-graduate, engineering and certificate courses to nearly 600 students, he said.

The courses opened opportunities in related fields as many corporate houses and online companies require experts. The students are given preference on the basis of their performance and marks if they are willing to join police force, he said.

In a recent police recruitment drive, at least 70 university pass outs joined the force. University students pursue research in different aspects of policing and suggest new amendments in police working, he said, adding Raksha Shakti University also worked as a think-tank for Gujarat government.

He said the university was dedicated to developing skills in the fields of internal development, internal security and security personnel management.

Courses offered at Raksha Shakti University

Some of under graduates courses offered are: Diploma in Police Science, Bachelor of Arts in Security Management Bachelor of Technology (Computer Science & Engineering) (CSE) with specialization in Cyber Security). The post graduation courses include Post Graduate Diploma in Police Science, Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Security, Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Forensics, Master of Arts In Criminology, Master of Arts In Police Administration, Master in Law in Crime & Security Laws, Master of Technology In Cyber Security, Master of Philosophy in Criminology, Master of Philosophy in Police Administration. And other short term courses like certificate course in Photography, Computer Course on Police Applications, Crime Scene Management, Tourism Policing, Coastal Security Policing, Preventive & Investigative Photography and Fire Safety & Disaster Management.
A 20-year-old girl riding triple seat on a bike with two of her friends was killed after the two-wheeler hit a broken speedbreaker. The police said she was thrown off and was run over by a bus at Andheri (East) on Thursday. The bike rider was arrested on Saturday, while the bus driver is still at large.

According to the Sahar police, the incident took place at 6.35pm on Thursday. The victim, Rafiya Khan, had met her friend Mohammed Naved Khan earlier in the day at Aarey colony, Goregaon (East), the police said.

Naved called his friend Mohammad Choudhari, 23, to meet them at the spot. The trio then left from Goregaon, with Mohammad riding the bike, towards Saki Naka, the police said. Rafiya was allegedly seated at the back with both legs on one side of the bike.

The police said Mohammad was speeding and the accident took place on Sahar Airport road in front of Oberoi flight services. He saw a broken speedbreaker and tried to manoeuvre his bike, but failed, the police said. The bike skid and all three fell, but Rafiya, who was thrown the farthest, was run over by a bus.

The police said the bus driver fled from the spot. Passersby rushed to help the trio and put them in an auto-rickshaw. Naved and Mohammad left Rafiya on a wheelchair at a nearby hospital and fled on the pretext of paying the auto driver, the police said. She was declared dead on admission by the doctors, who alerted the cops.

Her mother was worried when she found out her daughter had left her phone at home. She called up Naved, who informed her about the accident. She then lodged an FIR with Sahar police station.

The Sahar police said they found eyewitnesses to the incident and arrested Mohammad on Saturday. The accused have been booked for causing death due to negligence and escaping from the spot without informing the police.
Expressing gratitude, being thankful is a quality we appreciate in others. All of us long for people to show their gratitude for the things we do. Giving thanks is commanded and commended in the Bible. Living with an attitude of thanksgiving is promoted in the Scripture also. The Old Testament Hebrew word denoting thanks is hard to translate. Various translations have sometimes rendered it thanks and sometimes praise.

The object of that thanksgiving was always God Himself. Often it was accompanied by a proclamation of Gods mighty deeds to the watching world. Thus, it seems to me that the main point is that thanks and praise are inseparably intertwined and that we ought to regularly and consistently direct it towards God, while making it widely known to others. Giving thanks in the Old Testament almost always included the idea of magnifying God. Our words and actions do not make God any larger or smaller, but they do act as a magnifying lens or reducing lens, making Godlarger or smaller to others. We ought to endeavor to always magnify the Lord. With very few exceptions, those of us who live in the United States of America have lived in relative luxury. When compared with times past and with other parts of the world, we have experienced lives filled with great and abundant provision. Almighty God, Creator of the universe and all it contains, has gone to great lengths to make abundant provision for us in every way.

The New Testament is filled with examples of thankfulness. Jesus is clearly shown giving thanks to His Father on several occasions. He gave thanks for food, for miracles, for His Father hearing Him, for the understanding granted to His disciples. Romans chapter one makes it very plain that it is the duty of all mankind to give thanks to the Creator. When Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner, he was visited by some believers. It prompted him to give thanks to God. We ought to learn from Paul and those believers. We should take care to encourage others. We should thank those who encourage us but we should also remember to thank/praise God for those who encourage us. Colossians 3:16-17 shows us how everything we do, no matter how trivial or mundane can become an act of worship if we do it in a spirit of thanksgiving to God. Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious about what we do not have, but rather to be thankful for what we do have and for what God will provide in the future. Ephesians 5:19 declares that our corporate time of prayer/worship should be characterized by thankfulness. Ephesians 5:4 tells us that when we become believers in Christ, thanksgiving must replace obscenity, foolishness, coarse jokes, etc. Scripture tells us to be thankful in all things. Paul took time to give thanks for food in the face of an imminent shipwreck.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says, Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NASU) We deserve nothing more than eternal separation from God. Everything else, air, water, food, shelter, life, eternal life is purely undeserved, the result of unmerited mercy and grace. 1 Timothy 3:2 tells us that being ungrateful is one of the identifying characteristics of apostate humanity during the end times. The great proclamations of the elders around the throne in Revelation chapters 4, 7, and 11 all turn quickly and often to thankfulness to Him who sits on the throne forever and ever. This Thanksgiving season and all year long take time to thank Him from whom all blessings flow. If you are a believer in Christ that is exactly what you will be doing for all eternity.
The Andheri police have arrested a senior citizen in connection with an extortion case dating back to 1997 involving gangster Arun Gawli.

The arrested man, Shirish Shah, 61, runs a catering businessman and is a resident of Andheri (East). A first information report (FIR) was lodged in April 2001 by the complainant, Mohamed Haroon Shaikh, a businessman who has a plastic manufacturing company.

Shaikh lives abroad and his business in Andheri is handled by his assistant Sachin Prajapati. In 1997, Prajapati allegedly received a threat call from Dilip Kulkarni alias DK, an aide of Gawli. DK demanded Rs 4 crore from Prajapati.

Prajapati informed Shaikh and they decided to ignore the threats. In the same year, a group of men barged into their Andheri office and threatened to kill Prajapati if they did not pay the extortion money, said an officer. Finally, Prajapati decided to pay Rs 8 lakh. The money was collected by two men, including Shirish Shah.

In 2001, they again started threatening the businessman in their bid to extort money. This led his assistant Shaikh to file a case in Andheri police station. The police arrested three accused and filed a charge sheet against them for extorting Rs 8 lakh from Prajapati. Shah was named a wanted accused in the charge sheet.

Sub-inspector Nagnath Bansode traced him to Andheri (East) and arrested him on Saturday. Shah has been sent to judicial custody.
In a bid to stop multiple allotment of tenements for project affected people (PAP) to a single beneficiary, the BMC is preparing a software to link Aadhaar with slums.

The software, while allotting tenement to a PAP, will notify civic officials if the person has already been allotted PAPs through BMC. The BMC has more than 16, 000 units in Mahul at Chembur to rehabilitate PAPs.

The civic body is currently working on two projects -- Tansa Pipeline and Brimstowad  for which it has to remove encroachments on the pipeline and major drains. After deciding the eligibility of the encroachments through dedicated authorities, the BMC allots PAP units to those affected.

A senior civic official said, There have been cases where a single beneficiary was allotted multiple tenements. With the new software in place, we will be able to identify the tenements allotted to PAPs through their Aadhar number.

Speaking to HT, civic chief Ajoy Mehta said, The Aadhaar is the mother-base of all data and linking it with slums is the best possible way to prevent multiple allotments and further encroachment. Also, the existing data of the slum rehabilitation authority will be displayed in the software. The work on the software is nearing completion. Once it is in place, the process of allotment of tenements to PAPs will be streamlined and expedited.

The BMC also plans to allow ward officers to allot the units. Earlier, the ward officer had to forward it to the estate department which further delayed the allotments.

Usually, slum dwellers complain that the allotted flat is on the outskirts or far from their previous residence. The software will strictly allot homes to the project-affected people in nearby tenements, depending on the availability.
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has recorded its lowest conviction rate in a decade with mere 15% convictions this year till October.

According to the information provided by the state ACB, since 2008, conviction rate graph has neither been consistently dropping nor has it risen unexpectedly. Before 2017, ACBs recorded its the lowest conviction rate in 2010  19%  and highest in 2014  29%.

However, in 2017, trials in 329 cases were completed but only in 49 cases did the ACB get conviction. An ACB official. while requesting anonymity, said: We will be studying each and every case where the accused has been acquitted to find out the reasons for the acquittal. We will then work towards ensuring that the accused tried in future are not let off owing to the same reasons.

One reason that led to several accused getting acquitted is non-acceptance of evidence owing to technical issues. We are apprising judges about the entire procedure which is undertaken to conduct a trap and the practical difficulties we face in the process. We have already begun this work and have also improved our conviction rate in Mumbai because of it, he added.

The Mumbai ACBs conviction rate, which was 7% in 2015 and 6% in 2016, rose to 22% in 2017. When asked if there will be an up gradation of technology to improve the conviction rate, the ACB official replied in the negative.

Former Maharashtra DGP and ACB chief Praveen Dixit said, We had made full proof arrangements to ensure accused do not get acquitted. The judicial officers need to appreciate the use of modern technology in furnishing evidence.

Another reason cited by ACB for the low conviction rate is long pendency of cases. In the past few years, the number of courts trying ACB cases has increased and the number of cases completing trials every year has subsequently gone up. However, in 2017 the number of cases completing trials dipped (see table). Responding to the dip, Dixit said,Despite the Bombay high court asking the special courts to complete five cases per month its not happening.
Jailers and prison staff should encourage inmates to take up creative work while serving their sentence that would help in their reform and rehabilitation after release, prison department officials have told jailers and other prison staff.

In a recent circular, a copy of which is with HT, additional director general of prisons BK Upadhyay said inmates from Nashik central prison took to making idols, which has now become a new industry.

In jails, mostly convicts work, while the undertrials can work if they want to, officials said. Inmates work at powerlooms, make furniture, bakery products, footwear, paper files and carry out farming and the department markets their products. The inmates get paid according to the rates decided by the department for undertaking various works during their sentence.

Around 95% of the inmates are first-time offenders, who committed the crime in a fit of rage. Some work just to remain busy, while others try to learn a new skill that can be practiced outside once they are released, said the official, adding the idea is to help them assimilate in society.

The jail superintendent decides the category of the inmate -- skilled, half skilled and unskilledafter reviewing his work.

Former director general of police (Maharashtra) Praveen Dixit said encouraging their creativity is a good move. Many people do not give jobs to people who have served jail time. Encouraging vocational skills is a good way to help them rehabilitate, he said.

Former IPS officer-turned-advocate YP Singh said, The initiative shows the prison department wants inmates to rehabilitate and not return to the world of crime.

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With just a day left to file nominations for the first phase of.the Gujarat Assembly elections, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to contest solo. Senior NCP leader Praful Patel announced the decision on Monday morning after discussions for an alliance with the Congress failed.

We wanted to contest the polls in Gujarat with the Congress. Talks were going on for the past 20 days, but the Congress did not seem serious, and kept delaying the decision, thus leaving us with no option but to fight on our own, Patel told HT.

Party sources said the NCP got upset after the Congress announced a candidate from Kutiyana constituency in Porbandar, which is currently with the NCP; its sitting MLA is Kandhal Jadeja.

On Sunday evening, in its first list of 70 candidates, the Congress declared Vejabhai Modedara as its candidate from Kutiyana.

By announcing a candidate for the NCP-held seat, the Congress made it clear that it is not interested in an alliance with the NCP, said a senior leader, on condition of anonymity. Tuesday is the last day for filing nominations, so we cannot wait anymore to finalise talks, he said.

The NCP has two MLAs in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly. In 2012, the party had won seven seats in a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress.

NCP sources said that on Sunday morning, Pawar had a telephonic conversation with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi about forging an alliance, wherein the NCP demanded 11 seats.

The Congress top brass is upset with the NCP for breaking ranks during the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, where one of the two NCP MLAs voted for BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput instead of its Ahmed Patel. Though the NCP said the other MLA voted for Patel, the Congress suspects that the NCP actually helped the BJP. This led to bitterness between the two parties, which in turn affected talks.

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Doctors are asking people to switch off their gadgets for a stipulated amount of time daily to prevent addiction and focus on real-time interactions

As the clock strikes seven in the evening, everyone in the Joshi household in Malad, switches off their mobiles, laptops and tablets and places it in a basket on the side table.

The family of four, now mandatorily gathers in the living room, and talks to each other for an hour. The exercise is a part of their weekly digital detox, advised to them by a psychiatrist who during a session with the family learnt about constant fights between the husband and the wife. On further prodding, he realised it was lack of real time communication between the family which fuelled the fights.

Doctors in the city are increasingly asking both children and adults to concertedly switch off their mobile phones, laptops and tablets for a stipulated amount of time, as increase in time spend on gadgets has becoming pressing concern for them.

There has certainly been a drastic increase in the amount of time both children and adults spend on online, which is taking away the real time interaction within family members, said Dr Pervin Dadachanji , child and adolescent psychiatrist, child development centre UMEED, Parel.

What is even more worrying, she added is that families are misconstruing the time they spend watching television together as family time, she added.

A 2009 research (see reference) which studied fifty one children in the age group of 12, 24, and 36 months along with a parent in a room with a television program playing in the background, for half an hour, found that both the quantity and quality of parent-child interaction decreased in the presence of the television.

Parents who find their children a handful, find it easier to give them a phone or a tablet to keep them engaged, said Dr Henal Shah, professor at the department of psychiatry at BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central.

In 2016, The American Association of Paediatrics (AAP) announced new recommendations for childrens media use. For children aged six and older, parents must place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviours essential to health, warned doctors from AAP.

However, when it comes to issues relating to children, there is a fair amount of learning and behavioural changes which parents have to implement, which they dont.

Dr Kersi Chavda, consultant psychiatrist at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, said it is always a challenge to ensure that parents become good role models if they want their childs behaviour to change. Very often while counselling a child, I learn that the parents expect the child to cut down on their digital time, while they continue to spend time on it on the pretext of work, said Dr Chavda.

In such cases it is tough to make parents understand the implications of their actions on the childs behaviour. I tell them bluntly that they have to decide what they want, he added.

Meanwhile, psychiatrists said that rise in screen time exacerbates symptoms for people who have social anxiety and mild to severe forms of autism. Dr Milan Balakrishnan, psychiatrist, Juno Clinic, Khar, recounted a case, where parents had brought their 14-year-old fourteen daughter to get treated for her phone addiction.

She spent eight to ten hours a day on the phone either on social networking sites or playing games, Dr Balakrishnan said.

On further examination, he found that the phone addition was masking a larger psychological problem of social anxiety, where she didnt want to engage in conversations with anyone at school or at home.

Spending time on the phone was a way of coping with her anxiety problems. It was escape from the real world, Dr Balakrishnan said.

Increase in social anxiety or stress in the long run can lead to neurological damage at the cellular level. Repeated stress, according to doctors, releases a hormone called adrenaline, which stimulates the hypothalamus region so more adrenaline is released. Repeated secretion of adrenaline leads to neuronal damage in the hippocampus areas of the brain which are the seats of emotion and may lead to depression, Dr Balakrishnan said.

Doctors said the process to get both children and parents hooked off the screens is a gradual process. No addiction can be reduced drastically overnight. One needs to start with reducing screen time from a few minutes to an hour, over a period of days, said Dr Chavda.
The 11 students arrested in connection with the question paper leak had circulated the PDFs for as little as Rs250 to Rs500, said police sources.

All 13, including 11 students, were produced before a magistrate court on Monday. They are out on bail.

According to the Amboli police, the mastermind Kalpesh Bagul, 31, sent the question paper from a college where he worked as computer technician to two of the arrested accused by email.

One of these accused sent it to two students through WhatsApp, while the other forwarded it to nine others on WhatsApp. Bagul made somewhere between Rs2,000 and Rs 10,000, while the students who circulated it among themselves took Rs250 to Rs500, said sources.

The police are still checking how many students got the paper.

While 10 of them were arrested on Thursday night, three were arrested on Sunday.

Apart from Bagul, the police arrested Deep Thakur, 21, Jeet Gandhi, 21, Deep Sanghvi, 20, Mitesh Parekh 21, Namit Kothari, 20, Pankaj Doshi 20, Abhishek Chandan 20, Sidharth Bhargav 21 and Abhishek Vora, 20.

The paper leak came to light on Thursday when the examination was on. One of the girl students had kept the papers copy on her Facebook messenger app stored in her I phone 6 in her compass. The examiner saw this and alerted the college authorities.

The girl who is a wanted accused in the case said she received it through WhatsApp from Abhishek Vora, who has been arrested. She deleted the WhatsApp post after sending the paper on her Facebook messenger.
The efforts of a youngster to save a girl child found abandoned in an autorickshaw in Kanjurmarg on Sunday got applause on social media.

Aman, in his twenties, was walking towards his home in Bhandup, when he heard the cries of a child in an autorickshaw parked along the road. The child was shivering, he said.

In a series of tweets, Aman sought help, tagging the Mumbai polices official handle. A police team was sent to the location and the child was later taken to hospital for treatment. The child is kept under observation at Sion hospital, said Gajanan Tapale, senior police inspector, Kanjurmarg police station.

Police said the accused knew that autos are parked at the spot regularly.

Found this 3 to 5 day old kid in closed auto. Please help me guys. Ive no idea what to do? #help (sic) Aman had first tweeted, after which many reactions started to pour in.

After the police came to take the child, Aman kept updating stating that the kid is fine and that she has stopped shivering. The girl is a year old and adequate care is being taken. We are trying to trace the accused, said Akhileshkumar Singh, deputy commissioner of police, zone 7.

The police have registered a case against unidentified accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 317 (exposure and abandonment of child under twelve years, by parent or person having care of it).

The CCTV footages in the area are being scanned. The police are also investigating if there are any eye-witnesses.
You will soon be able to learn how to manage flood situations, rescue operations, industrial safety, first aid and mitigate disasters in the city. If all goes according to plan, you can enrol for the post-graduate diploma course in disaster management, which is being launched by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in collaboration with the University of Mumbai, from next year. The first batch, which starts next month, is just for BMC staffers.

The first batch of 40 students will start the yearly part-time course in disaster management and industrial safety from December. The course includes vulnerability analysis, disaster management plan, rescue operation, industrial safety, first-aid and health care among others. From next year, it will be available to citizens for a fee of Rs50,000. In the next academic year, the BMC aims to promote and ask government offices across the city to enrol their employees for the course. The diploma will be free for civic employees. As many as 182 BMC staffers had applied and had given MAH-CET, out of which 42 were selected. The classes will be conducted every weekend on Saturday and Sunday for 4 and 6 hours. Teachers will include trainees from Mumbai fire brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and experts from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre among others.

The course would be conducted in the City Institute of Disaster Management being built by the civic body in Parel. The institute would be the first-of-its-kind in the country dedicated completely for study of disaster management. The BMC has also decided to set up a back-up disaster control room on the ground floor of the institute in an effort to augment the disaster preparedness of the city.

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The police on Monday arrested a goldsmith from Malegaon in connection with the Sanpada bank heist. This is the fifth arrest in the case.

Some of the stolen valuables, including gold jewellery, have been recovered from the arrested people. The police, however, did not disclose the amount of the recovered booty.

The goldsmith bought the stolen jewellery. We are now trying to find out if he was part of the conspiracy, said a senior crime branch official. It is not clear whether he bought part of the booty as the police were interrogating him at the time of going to press.

The police have refused to reveal the name of the goldsmith because doing so may alert other accused, said an investigating officer. Sudhakar Pathare, deputy commissioner of police (zone 1), said, There are some major developments in this case. The investigation is going on at a national level and we hope to crack it within a short span of time.

Another officer from Sanpada police station said, We have learnt that criminals from Maharashtra and other states were part of the heist. People from Maharashtra are from places such as Nalasopara, Dhuliya and Mumbai, Thane etc. Similarly, criminals from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are also involved.

Thirty lockers of Bank of Baroda were looted between November 10 and November 12 by digging a 30-foot tunnel from a nearby shop. After taking statements of all people who had lockers in the bank, the police have concluded that valuables worth Rs 3.19 crore were stolen.

Gena Bachchan Prasad, who had taken the shop on rent in May, has been missing. He had submitted fake PAN and Aadhar cards for the rent agreement, according to the police.

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Credit: Justin ReichBlack Label Society, the band fronted by Ozzy Osbourne guitarst Zakk Wylde, has shared another preview of its forthcoming album, Grimmest Hits, with a new song called "All That Once Shined." The track is available now on digital platforms.

The song also is streaming alongside a video that features the Grim Reaper holding up the lyrics on cards in the style of Bob Dylan in the famous "Subterranean Homesick Blues" clip. You can watch the new video now on YouTube.

"All That Once Shined" is the second track to be released from Grimmest Hits, following the single "Room of Nightmares." The album, Black Label Society's 10th studio effort, arrives January 19.

The bandk Label Society kicks off a North American tour in support of Grimmest Hits December 27 in Denver.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, described as "an energetic and welcoming full service restaurant known for its world class beer list full of local and regional craft beer offerings, combined with its delicious, hand crafted pizza and taproom fare," is opening its newest location at 2006 Hamilton Place Blvd.

The opening was set for Monday (Nov.

20).

This store opening will be the fifth Old Chicago in Tennessee, and the 109th location nationwide.

Guests can order three hand-crafted dough options, including Chicago Thick, a Tavern Thin, and an Ale-Infused dough that highlight the eleven specialty pizzas on the menu. Famous taproom starters such as the Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls, and the one-of-a-kind Italian Nachos will also be sure to delight guests visiting Hamilton Place.

With over 40 draft beers available, more than 90 craft beers available on the menu and a beer expert always on staff, The Craft Beer Authority has something for everyone! We are excited and proud to bring the Craft Beer Authority to Hamilton Place. We know our guests will love our Mini Tours, Explorer Series, and discovering new and unique brews, some of the best local and regional Tennessee beers around, or enjoying their local favorite! states General Manager Lauren Gholz.

To celebrate the opening, Old Chicago Hamilton Place will be offering free pizza for a year to the first 100 guests on opening day (doors open at 11 a.m. on Monday).


The developments on Monday  a half-an-hour-long closed-door meeting between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, followed by Narayan Ranes visit to CMs residence and Fadnavis heading to Ahmedabad to meet BJP chief Amit Shah -- led to speculations over the former chief ministers much-talked about entry into the state cabinet.

Last month, Fadnavis had indicated that Ranes induction along with state cabinets expansion would happen post-Diwali and before the winter session of the state legislature. A month after Diwali and three weeks ahead of the winter session, there was no news about the expansion. In fact, developments on last Friday were seen contrary to what was being expected. On Sena founder the late Bal Thackerays fifth death anniversary on Friday, Fadnavis made it a point to visit Thackerays memorial at Shivaji Park. He attended a small function organized by a government-appointed committee to develop Thackerays memorial at mayors Bungalow and later had a half-an-hour long meeting with Uddhav Thackeray.

After the meeting, Thackeray seemed a bit softened towards the BJP. He chose not to criticise the government over firing at sugarcane farmers in Ahmednagar on November 15, which was in sharp contrast to what the Sena has been doing -- leaving no opportunity to target the BJP governments in the state or at the Centre. Thackeray also indicated he was unlikely to campaign against the BJP in Gujarat, where the Sena is fielding candidates.

In political circles, these developments led to speculations whether the Sena was happy with Fadnavis for preventing or at least delaying Ranes inclusion in the state cabinet. Thackeray has been strongly opposed to his bete noire Rane entering the state cabinet.

A section in the BJP was also pointing out that the party top brass has been busy with Assembly elections in Gujarat and as such the decision on cabinet expansion in Maharashtra could be taken after the elections in the neighbouring state. Some Sena leaders, too, wanted the expansion to be postponed till the Gujarat election results were declared. Their logic was the BJPs attitude towards allies may change if it suffers a setback in Gujarat.

The developments on Monday, however, indicate there could be an expansion of the cabinet in the coming days. Does that mean Fadnavis has managed to convince Thackeray to let Rane  technically a BJP ally -- be part of the state cabinet?

In any case, several equations in Maharashtra politics are set to change if the BJP goes ahead with Ranes inclusion. Will Sena, especially Thackeray, forgive Rane or will it plan an exit from the National Democratic Alliance? The rumours about the same have been around ever since NCP chief Sharad Pawar disclosed that Thackeray met him and seemed upset with the BJP. On the other hand, if Fadnavis manages to broker peace between Thackeray and Rane, the NCP would be forced to return to the Congress-led UPA camp. Already, Pawar has started praising Gandhi familys role in Indias politics.

Countering the selfie-attack

Recently, public works minister Chandrakant Patil had to face an attack of selfies, after NCP MP Supriya Sule started a selfie with potholes campaign to highlight the issue. In response to her appeal, a large number of NCP workers clicked their selfies with potholes on roads and posted on Twitter, tagging Patil. Irked with it, Patil has now asked public works department officers to click pictures of the road repair work and post it on Twitter. He makes it a point to retweet these pics.

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Within three-and-a-half hours of arriving at her in-laws house, a newly wed 23-year-old woman had to jump off the first floor to save her life when the building caught fire because of a burst cylinder.

While the woman, Pooja Sharma, escaped with a fractured leg, three other women and two girlsfive-year-old Mallika and four-year-old Parisuffered minor burns. The women were identified as Savitri Devi, 65, Sudha Devi, 40, and

The incident took place in Biharipura, Vijay Nagar, early on Monday morning. The house has a ground and first floor, where there is one room. The LPG cylinder was kept in the kitchen on the ground floor, near the main entrance.

Family members said that at the time of the incident there were nearly 20 to 25 people inside the house to welcome the bride and groom, Vinod Sharma, home. The family was celebrating Poojas arrival around 5am. Vinod, who operates a medical pharmacy in Vijay Nagar, had married Pooja, also a native of Ghaziabad, on Sunday night.

There were nearly 20-25, including children, inside the house. After the bride had come, we were preparing tea in the kitchen and the regulator came off. As a result, the cylinder caught fire and exploded. Within 10 minutes, all the household items and doors caught fire. Some people ran downstairs while Pooja ran to the roof and jumped to save herself, Vinods brother Mukesh Gupta said.

Her husband, Vinod, had gone out when the blast took place.

Pooja ruptured a muscle and fractured her leg. As she jumped, some sharp object pierced her leg and later she hit the ground. She was taken to a hospital where she is now stable, said Mukesh.

Pooja is a student of fashion designing and was rushed to a multispecialty hospital for treatment. She was discharged by evening.

Most of the family members were sleeping. As the fire took place near the main entrance on the ground floor, only my wife, daughters, aunt and sister were evacuated through the main door. The remaining persons ran to the first floor terrace and jumped to safety. We made Pooja jump first as e wanted her to be safe. Else, her family may have raised questions, Mukesh said.

The explosion woke up the neighbours who rushed to douse the fire. The fire started from the kitchen and spread to other parts of the house, burning the wooden doors and household items.

The police reached the spot after the fire was brought under control by locals.

There was no casualty. Several persons suffered minor injuries and the bride jumped to save herself, Vijay Nagar station house officer Naresh Kumar Singh said.

Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, fire station officer, Ghanta Ghar Kotwali, said they received the alert around 10.10am. A fire tender and a mist vehicle were rushed to douse the flames.

We doused the fire within 10-15 minutes. There was no casualty, but the house and all household items were gutted, he said.

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Preparations for the local body polls are on in full swing in Ghaziabad, as the candidates have stepped up their campaigning for the November 26 elections. However, officials of Ghaziabad district administration said that they have booked different candidates in 83 instances of violation of the Model Code of Conduct till Sunday.

Those booked for violating the MCC include independents as well as candidates from various political parties. Official sources said that most of the MCC violations are related to carrying out campaigning without permission and in violation of allotted timings.

The cases will now be investigated and a final report or the charge sheet will be filed thereafter. Accordingly, those charge-sheeted will be facing cases in judicial courts, said Manish Mishra, superintendent of police (control room) and the nodal officer for the poll code violations.

The police officials from Khoda said that they booked one more independent candidate on Monday for violating the MCC.

The candidate had put up publicity material over the electricity poles. So far, we have booked five cases of MCC violation, DB Dubey, SHO, Khoda, said.

In a recent case of MCC violation, a car was stopped by the police in Kavi Nagar as the supporter had pasted stickers of one of the candidates all over the vehicles body.

Read I Ghaziabad civic polls: BJP woos voters with sops

Sources said that most of the violations were by candidates who are contesting seats for nine local bodies in Ghaziabad. The expenditure cap for candidates bidding to be councillors of Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation is 2 lakh, while it is 1.5 lakh for candidates in fray for Nagar Palikas of Modi Nagar, Murad Nagar and Khoda. The expenditure limit is 30,000 for candidates contesting from Nagar Panchayats of Dasna, Patla, Niwari and Fareed Nagar.

There have been no MCC violation cases with regard to mayoral candidates so far. For enforcing the MCC, we have formed surveillance teams and flying squads. They are carrying out round-the-clock checking to detect violations. Candidates generally violate MCC by putting up publicity material in public places. For putting campaign material on private properties, they must have permission from the owner, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, returning officer, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, said.

According to guidelines, all contesting candidates are required to file their expenditure statements with the district administration within three months after the counting date, officials added.
In October, the Government of India announced an investment of Rs 6.9 trillion ($11 billion) to build 83,677 km of roads over the next five years. After this announcement was made, infrastructure analysts said the Centre must explore a tested technology that uses plastic waste for asphalting the roads. This, they argued, will reduce costs and make roads more durable and safer.

Plastic roads will not only withstand future monsoon damage but will also solve the problem of disposing of non-recyclable plastic, Isher Judge Ahluwalia, former head of a government committee on urban infrastructure, wrote in a piece along with Almitra Patel. Each kilometre of a single-lane tar road can consume one tonne of plastic waste, and the plastic can double or even triple the life of the road.

States have also shown interest in plastic roads. A recent news report in Hindustan Times said that if all goes according to Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackerays plan, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation may soon start using confiscated plastic bags and straws for road construction and other public amenities. The state government recently announced a blanket ban on plastic bags from March next year.

More than 1,600 tonnes of plastic had been used to lay over 1,000 km length of roads in Tamil Nadu in the last five years as part of the state governments thrust on effective use of plastic waste.

PLASTIC ROADS: IS IT A WORKABLE IDEA?

The sustainable use of plastic waste for road and construction activities has environmental and economic advantages. Plastics are typically an organic polymer of high molecular mass, but they often contain other substances. Research studies indicate that the plastic granules with up to 5% content can be used for road, pavement, and sidewalk construction; if they are mixed with supplementary amounts with construction wastes.

Waste plastic materials can be a promising alternative for asphalting roads but they are similar to the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetics and health care products. The environmental consequences of using plastic microbeads in cosmetics were not thoroughly investigated until they had found their way to the ocean, harming the environment. This led the US government to pass the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, banning their usage in cosmetics.

Similarly, rigorous testing is needed to ensure the use of plastic in asphalting roads is not environmentally unsafe. There must be field-scale testing of plastic under different soil and climatic conditions (temperature and rainfall pattern), with particular attention to the release of micro-and nanoparticles from plastics and their long-term accumulation in soils and their effects on soil quality near the road and agricultural land. In addition, it is also important to explore their impact on air quality.

Prabhakar Sharma is with School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar

The views expressed are personal
A dissent in the court of last resort, wrote Justice HR Khanna, quoting the great American Judge, Charles Evan Hughes, is an appeal to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of a future day when a later decision may possibly correct the error into which the dissenting judge believes the court to have been betrayed. But this was no ordinary time, and Justice Khannas dissent no ordinary dissent. In 1976, at the peak of Indira Gandhis Emergency, four Judges of the Supreme Court had just held that even the right to life was stood suspended during a state of Emergency. The lone dissenting voice in the notorious Habeas Corpus Case was Justice Khannas. It cost him the Chief Justice-ship of India, and the rest of his judicial career.

Three months ago, a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, and in doing so, also held that Habeas Corpus had been wrongly decided, and that Justice Khanna had been correct. Forty-one years later, the intelligence of a future day had finally prevailed.

In his concurring opinion in the Privacy Judgment, Justice Rohinton Nariman spoke of the three great dissents in Indian constitutional history. Apart from Justice Khannas dissent in Habeas Corpus, there was Chief Justice Subba Raos dissent in Kharak Singh vs State of UP (1962), holding against five of his brother judges that the Constitution guaranteed a fundamental right to privacy, and that police surveillance regulations were entirely unconstitutional. The third was Justice Fazl Alis dissent in AK Gopalan vs State of Madras (1950), one of the earliest judgments of the Supreme Court. The Gopalan majority had held Article 21 of the Constitution, which stipulated that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law, provided only a narrow protection against lawless infractions of bodily integrity and personal freedom by the State. Not so, said Justice Fazl Ali, arguing instead that the phrase procedure established by law required that deprivations of life or personal liberty must conform to standards that were themselves just, fair, and reasonable.

Justice Fazl Alis dissent in AK Gopalan became law two decades later in the bank nationalisation case, while Justice Subba Raos dissent in Kharak Singh had to wait 55 years. Perhaps unsurprisingly, each of the three great dissents were on vital questions of civil rights. The majority judges ruled to preserve, entrench, and even expand State power against the individual, while the dissenting opinions sought to constrain what the State could do to the individual and to her freedom. To the judges who wrote those dissents, it must have been a lonely enterprise, disagreeing with their colleagues on the bench; and it must have carried more than a hint of futility, to write for an imagined future audience which might never exist. None of the three judges lived to see their dissents resurrected, accepted, and even celebrated.

But that is exactly why we must celebrate the tradition of dissent that matured and continues to flourish in the Supreme Court. While the majority opinion lays down the law, a dissent allows us to imagine an alternative future. A dissent is not only an appeal to a future intelligence, but a sign of what is possible: if one judge can be convinced today, then tomorrow, perhaps two, or three, or even four might be. And, in cases such as Habeas Corpus, AK Gopalan, and Kharak Singh, a dissent is a crucial reaffirmation of fundamental rights and constitutional values at the moment when the Supreme Court, the guardian of the Constitution, appears to have abandoned them.

And that is why, perhaps, even those dissents that are not resurrected nonetheless remain etched in memory, often more strikingly than the majority opinions. Chief Justice Sinhas dissent in the Dawoodi Bohra Case (1962), a passionate defence of the individuals right not to be arbitrarily excommunicated from his community, is still a tour de force, drawing together the Constitutional prohibition of untouchability and ideas of cultural pluralism. Justice Lakshmanans dissent in Acharya Avadhuta (2004), allowing the Ananda Margi sect to perform the tandav dance, is perhaps the best defence in our constitutional history of the right of individuals and communities to determine for themselves what their religion means to them, and demands of them. And so it goes.

In Jewish cultural history, there is a tradition of prophets who appear in times of desperate need, and warn their people that they are walking on a wrong path, one that will only end in ruin and devastation. Our constitutional history has had its own share of prophets, who have expressed themselves eloquently and powerfully through their dissenting opinions. The dissenting tradition, is perhaps, the most important tradition that we have, indispensable to keeping the Constitution alive, and a thing of flesh, blood, and dreams.

Gautam Bhatia is an advocate in the Supreme Court

The views expressed are personal
International commentators have asked the government of India to make major economic reforms for years. We said it would be like The Field of Dreams: If you make major reforms, international money will pour in. But the problem for politicians is that reform in the short term can be political suicide  and thats precisely why very little gets done in any country absent a crisis. You implement a controversial regulation or take a difficult vote, but you lose the next election because of it.

This political truth hamstrings politicians from all factions around the globe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be the exception. He has had the courage to take major risks  such as demonetisation to reduce corruption and digitise payments, along with the Good and Services Tax (GST), which will streamline Indias patchwork tax system and make it easier to do business between states.

And hes now being rewarded: Moodys has upgraded Indias government bond rating for the first time in 14 years, citing demonetization and the Good and Services Tax as significant contributors to the ratings change.

At first glance, the benefits of an improved rating are obvious. The upgrade will reduce borrowing costs for the government and Indian corporations, freeing up additional capital for investment. The Indian stock market is already experiencing an increase in anticipation of higher earnings.

More important, the Moodys upgrade raises the confidence level of US business leaders who are looking to invest globally and shows that Modi possesses a genuine intention to enact additional reforms.

The other gem in the Moodys upgrade is its forecast of a bounce in Indias GDP growth from 6.7% in FY 2017 to 7.5% in FY 2018  with similarly robust levels of growth from FY 2019 onward, noting that in the longer-term Indias growth potential is significantly higher than most other [similarly rated] sovereigns. This is what gets the attention of international investors: A big market that is growing faster than its competitors with a reform-minded prime minister in control.

Moodys spells out the key to additional upgrades. You guessed it, more reform: The rating could face upward pressure if there were to be a material strengthening in fiscal metrics, combined with a strong and durable recovery of the investment cycle, probably supported by significant economic and institutional reforms.

Modi has proved that he can think big and act on it. His headline-grabbing initiatives point to Indias future: Make in India is a nod to the need to employ Indias burgeoning youth; Skill India recognises that its youth will do much better if they have the education and training to fill manufacturing jobs; and Digital India recognises that connectivity is paramount in a country that has already taken the Internet by storm with its $150 billion IT services industry.

The next step is to get the bureaucracy on board with the prime ministers push for reforms. In March, the US trade representative published its 2017 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers for US exports. The report spends roughly as much ink on India as it does on Russia and China, outlining over 30 issues that US companies face in India. Some of these issues arise out of the desire to protect local stakeholders.

The report finds that India maintains very high tariff peaks on a number of other goods  India has also raised tariffs on specified telecommunication equipment (from nil to 7.5 or 10%) and on electronic-readers (from nil to 7.5%).  India also increased its duties on medical equipment and devices to a 7.5% basic customs duty, 12.5% additional duty, and a 4% special additional duty. Increasing tariffs might protect local manufacturers, but Indian consumers pay the price. Of course, the revenue-generating barriers are harder to eliminate than non-revenue ones. But plenty of tweaks can be made. One example is duplicative in-country safety testing requirements for electronic and ICT products that have already been certified by internationally accredited labs.

This is the type of low hanging fruit that can be solved overnight by the NDA government. If the prime minister can tackle enormous obstacles like the GST, he can certainly solve minor policy roadblocks.

And when he does, hell be rewarded once again with higher ratings, more investment, and additional economic growth. After all, the Moodys report drives home a point that our chairman John Chambers has made for years: If youre not investing in India right now, you may miss the bus. The prime minister is in the drivers seat, safety-belt fastened, with the keys in the ignition. We look forward to the ride.

Mukesh Aghi is president, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)

The views expressed are personal
Soon, city residents will get minute-to-minute update of the quality of air they are breathing.

The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) is installing three automatic air quality monitoring stations at Sectors 26, 50 and Panjab University. Unlike the present stations, the new ones will be fully automated and give readings round the clock, said CPCC member secretary PJS Dadhwal.

Night temperature falls 4 notches Chandigarh The mercury dipped on Sunday, with the city recording 23.8C in the day, three notches below both normal and the maximum temperature the previous day. At 10.9C, the night temperature also saw a drop of four notches. The weatherman has predicted clear sky during the next three days, with shallow fog in the morning. The day temperature will hover around 24C and at night it will be around 10C.

At the five old stations  Sector 17; Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39; Industrial Area, PEC varsity, Sector 12; and Kaimbwala village  air quality is monitored manually, on alternate days. The urgency to have automatic meters was felt earlier this month, when smog had engulfed the city.

The air quality had reached very poor level, and continued to reman so for weeks. At this level, the polluted air can cause respiratory illness to people on prolonged exposure. When on November 8, the pollution level reached 375 microgram per cubic meter, the data was released a day later and the health advisory was further delayed by another day, by when the quality had started improving.

Experts say the installation of automated monitors will give more accurate and timely readings. It will also help gauge at what time of the day pollution rises and declines.

14 trains delayed

Meanwhile, smog in the region again delayed arrival of 14 trains at the Chandigarh railway station on Sunday. The morning Shatabdi from New Delhi reached 18 minutes late, against its scheduled arrival of 11:05am.

Kalka Mail from Howrah was late by 3 hours, 20 minutes, Barmer-Kalka Express by 2 hours, 8 minutes, and Unchahar Express by 9 hours, 23 minutes. The Lalkuan-Amritsar Express, which arrives at Chandigarh at 9:25 am, was late by an hour and 20 minutes, while the train from Lucknow arrived with a delay of 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Himalayan Queen was late by 3 hours, 50 minutes, and Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express was running behind schedule by 10 hours, 8 minutes. With the airport closed on Sunday, no flight was available.
Travelling back from Dubai last year, Satinder Singh Wilkho of Pinjore was caught unawares when he was told at the airport that his flight had been cancelled.

Wilkho had booked the return journey with Inter Globe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo) for Rs 19,000. He flew off from Chandigarh on December 2, 2016, and was to return on December 8.

When Wilkho arrived at the Dubai airport at 3pm to board his flight to Chandigarh, scheduled at 5:55pm he was informed that the flight had to be cancelled and he could claim refund from IndiGo.

In case the firm fails to pay the amount, it would be liable to pay an annual interest of 9% on the amount of compensation from the date of filing of the complaint, stated the order.

However, the Pinjore resident requested the airline staff to make alternative arrangements as he had an urgent meeting in India. But to his dismay, after failing to intimate him in advance about the cancellation, the airline refused to make any alternative arrangements for his travel.

Wilkho stated in his complaint to the consumer forum that he had to shell out Rs 40,664 to book a Jet Airways flight the next day. Holding the airline guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, the district consumer disputes redressal forum, directed the firm to pay Rs 58,000 to the complainant.

The amount included Rs 11,200 as refund of the fare, Rs 29,500 as part of the money spent by him on the Jet Airways flight, Rs 10,000 as compensation for the harassment suffered by him and another Rs 7,000 as cost of litigation.

In case the firm fails to pay the amount, it would be liable to pay an annual interest of 9% on the amount of compensation from the date of filing of the complaint, stated the order.

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The fire and building collapse of a plastic manufacturing unit in Ludhiana on Monday has yet again exposed how Punjab has not learnt any lessons from past incidents. As per a preliminary report received by the industry department, the unit had no equipment to douse the fire, and the five-storey building had been constructed illegally with no emergency exits.

This mishap, in which at least seven people were killed and several reported trapped, is not the first that has exposed the poor safety standards being followed in industrial units in the state.

In 2012, Punjab faced one of its worst industrial disasters in which 23 labourers died when a building of Shital Fibres in Jalandhar collapsed. But the case was not properly followed up, and police failed to establish any charges against the owner of the factory, Sheetal Vij, and five others. Vij and others had been arrested after registration of a case that included allegations of bribing officials to get the illegal building approved for the factory.

But the case fell flat as all departments involved in giving sanctions did not put their case up properly, and all witnesses, including the kin of the deceased, turning hostile.

Experts say 70% of small and medium industrial units in Punjab are short of safety norms  be it a map of the building, use of chemicals, or fire safety norms.

Building and fire extinguisher work is passed by the local bodies department. Presence of chemicals has to be checked by the pollution control board. Inspections are made by the respective departments but everybody knows how these departments function! said a senior fire safety officer at the local bodies department. The factory owners use their money power or political influence to get all faults ignored.

Information from officials of the department of industries says Punjab has faced more than 20 incidents of small and big industrial fires in the past one year alone, witnessing at least five deaths.

The department, on paper, has a policy in place wherein all departments involved in giving go-ahead for a factory have to be responsible for any tragedy.

Director, industries, TPS Kharbanda said the department has very limited role in ensuring safety norms. Only respective departments have to check their own safety rules. However, I personally feel there should be more strict vigil to check violations independently by industry department too, he said.

Ludhiana has been battling the blaze very frequently this year

 Oct 31: A garment showroom on the first floor of a three-storey building on Mall Road gutted on the morning of October 31.

 Oct 24: Part of a building housing a private yarn factory near the Shingaar Cinema collapses after a blaze engulfs it.

 Oct 15: Material worth lakhs gutted when a major fire broke out in a hosiery unit in Gurbaksh Colony on Bahadur K Road. The unit was situated on the fourth floor of the building.

 May 11: Four firefighters sustained severe burns while control a blaze at a textile factory in Vijay Nagar near Cheema Chowk.

 May 5: Fire engulfed a factory in Ludhianas Transport Nagar. Goods worth lakhs damaged.

 April 29: A major fire broke out at a yarn factory in Gopal Nagar locality of Basti Jodhewal. Goods and machinery worth lakhs were damaged.

 April 26: Three labourers burnt alive in a fire that broke out at a cotton spinning mill situated in the industrial area.

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Punjabs rural development and panchayat minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa urged India and Pakistan to ease visa norms to facilitate the travel of people on either side of the border.

Bajwa said the language, literature and culture in the two countries were similar and with co-operation of the two peoples, tension on the borders will reduce.

Welcoming the Pakistani pilgrims, Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra said the people of the two countries have always longed to meet each other .

He was speaking after interacting with Pakistani pilgrims who have come to India to participate in Rouza Sharifs Urs in Aam Khas Bagh in Sirhind (Fatehgarh Sahib). Bajwa, who was born in Kotli Bajwa village in Sialkot district of Pakistan, said the people on either side of the border should be able to visit the other easily, without any trouble, and urged the governments in India and Pakistan to ease the visa norms.

Welcoming the Pakistani pilgrims, Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra said the people of the two countries have always longed to meet each other and whenever the citizens of Pakistan come to India, people here receive them warmly.

He said the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the visiting Pakistani pilgrims. They were providing them potable water and formed several medical teams to attend to the pilgrims, he added.
When it comes to the temperature of a room, we commonly use two devices. One is a thermometer, telling us what the temperature is. The others the thermostat, which controls what we desire the temperature to be. Similarly, for our everyday lives, we can choose to be one or the other.



We see lots of people acting like thermometers, reflecting the temperature around them, whether its beliefs, attitudes, or social behavior. Like walking into an extremely warm room, or the frigid outdoors, they soon become just like the environment surrounding them.

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But other people function more like thermostats, being influencers of their environments rather than becoming influenc-ees.This is important as we approach another Thanksgiving Day. Later this week, many of us will gather with family and friends for a lavish meal. Turkey or ham may be the featured attraction, accompanied by mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, various casseroles, bread and rolls, followed by pumpkin or pecan pie. The menu varies from home to home, but surrounded by such abundance, its easy to feel thankful in the moment. Prayers around the table before we dig in confirm that.But what about the weeks leading up to the holiday? Or the days after? How thankful are we then? This is where we can choose our role  thermometer, or thermostat.We can all think of reasons for not feeling thankful, some of us more than others. It could be a chronic, or even terminal, illness we or a loved one may be facing. Financial pressures might seem unrelenting. Personal conflicts may be resistant to resolution. You can add to the list from your own situation. The onslaught of negative news nationally and internationally tends to reduce the thankfulness quotient. Nevertheless, the Scriptures give us these challenging words: give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).This verse doesnt tell us to be thankful in some circumstances, or even most of them. Were told to give thanks in all circumstances. As a friend of mine often says, when the Bible says all, it means ALL. Even if we find theres too much month left at the end of our pay, were to be thankful. Even when the physician gives us a diagnosis we dont like, were to give thanks. Even when weve been wronged, and it appears theres been no justice against the wrongdoer, God wants us to have an attitude of thanksgiving anyway.Thousands of years ago, King Solomon recorded his quest for happiness and ultimate gratification. His findings are recorded in the Old Testament book we call Ecclesiastes. Much of what he concluded is pretty dismal: Meaningless! Meaningless! Utter meaninglessness! Everything is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:2) is how he starts off, repeating it often over the succeeding chapters.He doesnt sound very thankful, does he? Solomon was called the wisest man of all time, possessing more wealth than anyone could imagine. If he couldnt find reason to give thanks in all circumstances, how can we be expected to do so?But not everything the king wrote was discouraging. His pursuit of pleasure and prosperity did give him much-needed perspective. Because he also realized, I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil  this is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).At the end of his writings, Solomon added this summary: Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). He seemed to be saying that if we keep the Lord foremost in our lives and our thoughts, He will give us more than we need for living a thankful life.And in the New Testament, we discover an even greater gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-9 assures all who trust in Him, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith  and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God  not by works, so that no one can boast.Salvation, forgiveness for our sins, reconciliation with God  and the faith to believe we have all this  are more than enough cause for giving thanks, not only on Thanksgiving Day but also every day, regardless of our current circumstances.As we express and live out our thanksgiving despite the situations in which we must live, we can serve as thermostats for those around us, creating an environment of thankfulness for others to experience.



Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net.
Sikh organisation Damdami Taksal in a press conference on Sunday said that they would soon contact Paramjit Kaurs family and help in rescuing her from Saudi Arabia.

Kaur of Gorsiya Nihal, 46 km from the district headquarters, had gone to Saudi Arabia to work as house help on July 13. Singh said, Damdami Taksal helped Goraya resident Reena to return home on Saturday. Also Hoshiarpur based Akvinder Kaur was helped by the educational organisation to return home, he said. He said that till now no one from Paramjit Kaurs family has come forward and asked for help.

We will provide every possible assistance to help Paramjit. Now, our target is to rescue Paramjit Kaur, he said.

Few days back Jalandhar member Parliament (MP) Santokh Singh Chaudhary had sought help of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, to rescue the 39-year-old woman of Jalandhar district.

Even though Swaraj had earlier claimed that Paramjit has been rescued from her employer and will return to India on November 4.But the embassy later informed that till the time the buyers are not paid the amount they had paid to the agent under the agreement, they wont be able to rescue her. The family does not have money to arrange her return ticket.

Arabian nightmares: How women from Punjab end up in Gulf of slavery

Stayed in jail for one and half months: Reena

Goraya-based Reena ,34, who returned home after living for one year in Saudi Arabia while talking to media said she spend one and half months in the jail. After I posted a video on the social media platform seeking help to escape, my owners found out about it and complained against me in the labour court, said Reena.

I lived in an extreme condition and was tortured for one year. I was kept in custody along with other over thousand girls from different parts of the world who are trapped there, she said.
Tamil actor Trisha Krishnan was conferred the UNICEF celebrity advocate status Chennai on Monday.

Subsequently, she will voice the rights of children including adolescents and young people, a UNICEF release said.

The actor will lend support to efforts to address issues such as anaemia, child marriage, child labour and child abuse, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it said.

Chief of UNICEF office Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Job Zachariah was quoted as saying that Trisha was an icon for the adolescents and young people.

She has the power to amplify the childrens issues and address the violation of child rights in the family, community and in public spaces, he said.

She will also promote education and health of adolescents and the value of girl child in family and society, he added.

Trisha was the first film actor from South India to receive the recognition by UNICEF, the release said.

The actor assured to commit herself to create more awareness on health, education, nutrition and protection of children, especially the adolescents and young people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

I would support the efforts of government to make Tamil Nadu malnutrition-free and open defecation free, she added.

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Veteran star Sridevi is all set to inaugurate the Indian Panorama Section at the 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Sridevi, who completes 50 years in the Indian film industry this year, will open the segment on Monday.

The Indian Panorama 2017 will introduce the audiences to IFFIs official selection of feature and non-feature films.

Sridevi will be joined by her husband producer Boney Kapoor and daughter, aspiring actor Jhanvi Kapoor.

Actor @SrideviBKapoor, producer @BoneyKapoor and their daughter Jahnavi arrive in Goa airport, for the opening ceremony of #IFFI2017 pic.twitter.com/QZ0fWC1aOO  PIB India (@PIB_India) November 20, 2017

Talking about the festival, the Mom actor, I look forward to attending IFFI this year. As IFFI gets into its 48th year, I look forward to celebrating Indian and world cinema, with some of the best talent from across the world.

Sridevi will also introduce the audiences to a special AV presentation that pays homage to the legends of Indian cinema.

The IFFI opens today and will run through November 28.

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The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will take action against its northern province minister who had refused to raise the Sri Lankan national flag, the main Tamil party said on Monday.

Kandiah Sarveshwaran, education minister of the Tamil- majority northern province, had last week refused to raise the national flag at an official ceremony held in the town of Vavuniya.

We will investigate and take appropriate action, main opposition leader R Sampanthan of the Tamil National Alliance said, adding He has no reason to disrespect the national flag.

Sarveshwaran had said that the lion in the national flag only reflects the majority Sinhalese and its other features do not recognise the islands Tamil minority.

The Tamil ministers refusal to raise the national flag caused an uproar among Sinhala nationalists who demanded action against him.
Insisting that Indian allegations of multi-crore financial irregularities were baseless and fabricated, controversial businessman Vijay Mallya on Monday exuded confidence that he would win the extradition case that is set to begin in a London court on December 4.

At least four experts in different fields  including Scottish jails expert Alan Mitchell  have been lined up as witnesses on Mallyas behalf. Mitchells evidence on allegedly inhuman treatment and torture in Indian jails was most recently crucial in blocking the extradition of Sanjeev Kumar Chawla, wanted in India for his role in alleged cricket match-fixing.

A smiling Mallya told journalists while leaving the Westminster Magistrates Court that all issues would be clear during the trial, and refused to comment on specific allegations. He asked them to attend the high-profile trial that has become a test for Indias ability to present evidence and a case that holds up in a British court (none of the previous Indian extradition requests succeeded).

When asked why he didnt return home to fight the charges, the 61-year-old Mallya said, Thats none of your business.

Watch: Vijay Mallya calls himself a political victim (Video by SNTV)

Mondays last case management hearing saw chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot going over procedural matters, including the running order of witnesses who will take the stand. The main extradition trial is scheduled to begin at 10 am (UK time) on December 4, and last eight days.

A spokesperson of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is representing India in the case, told Hindustan Times: All orders complied with up to now, with the (Indian) governments skeleton argument to be served next Monday, the extradition hearing remains fixed for 4 December, 10am.

Following judgement, both sides can apply to the high court for permission to appeal.

Arbuthnot told Mallya in the court that his bail conditions will remain until the trial begins, and asked him to appear in the court at 9.30 am on December 4.

Mallya, who arrived here from India in March 2016, was first arrested and bailed on April 18, and again on October 3, when further money laundering charges were added to the earlier ones.

CPS lawyer Arron Watkins told the court that a revised position statement sent by the Indian government had been submitted, and noted that the defence had served additional material last Friday.

Besides Mitchell, Mallyas list of witnesses includes Margaret Sweeney of Force India F1 team, aviation expert B Humphreys and experts on Indian law and politics.

In Mallyas case (number 1700934281), the Indian government has assured the court through the CPS that he will not face any threat to his life if extradited and held in barrack number 12 of the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. Detailed material has been submitted on conditions in the jail.

In Chawlas case, decided on October 16, a series of reports by human rights organisations on prison conditions and some Indian court rulings were mentioned in the detailed judgement, including the allegation of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Prison conditions were also one of four issues in the case of Jatinder Angurala and Asha Rani Angurala, wanted in India for allegations of fraud, but the judge ruled against their extradition on the ground of passage of time (the case dated back to 1990)..

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Bangladesh police said on Sunday they had arrested a suspected leader of an Islamist group wanted in connection with the death in 2015 a US blogger critical of religious extremism.

Deputy police commissioner Masudur Rahman said the man, identified as Mojammel Hossain, 25, head of the intelligence wing of the al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, was suspected of taking part in the killing of writer Avijit Roy.

Roy, a US citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home with his wife from a Dhaka book fair. Roys widow, Rafida Ahmed, was seriously injured.

Rahman said Hossain, who was identified after analysing CCTV footage, was arrested on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, the counter-terrorism police unit arrested him, he told Reuters.

In the primary interrogation, he confessed his involvement in the killing of four other secular activists, Rahman said.

It was not possible to contact Hossain to comment as he was in police custody.

The arrest came after another suspected killer of Roy was detained early this month.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh of 160 million people has had a string of deadly attacks targeting bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities.

The most serious recent attack came in July 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in the diplomatic quarter of Dhaka and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners.

Police say the Ansar Ullah Bangla Team militant group is behind the murders of more than a dozen secular bloggers and gay rights activists. They believe a sacked army major, who is still at large, was the leader of the group and masterminded the killings.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have also claimed responsibility for a series of killings over the past few years, including Roys.

The government has denied the presence of such groups, blaming domestic militants instead. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe attack suggested links to a wider network.

Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since the cafe attack.
China said on Monday its three-step proposal to tackle the Rohingya crisis, beginning with a ceasefire, has been approved by Bangladesh and Myanmar.

More than 600,000 members of the Rohingya community have fled to Bangladesh since late August, when the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in Rakhine state following attacks by Rohingya militants.

The atrocities and hardships faced by the Rohingya - described by the UN human rights chief as ethnic cleansing - have triggered an international outcry.

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi had presented the three-step proposal to tackle the crisis during his trip to Bangladesh and his ongoing visit to Myanmar. On Monday, an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of foreign ministers opened in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw.

His (Wangs) initiative was approved in Bangladesh and also won approval from Myanmar. I hope the proposal will help resolve the current crisis and more importantly, fundamentally address the crisis, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

A statement from Chinas foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying that a ceasefire should be followed by bilateral dialogue to find a workable solution. It added the final phase would focus on working toward a long-term solution.

Wang was quoted by the Chinese state media as saying in Dhaka that the turbulence in Myanmar has become a burden to Bangladesh even as Bangladesh manages to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh.

He added, With the hard work of all sides, at present the first phases aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi attends the Asia Europe Foreign Ministers (ASEM) meeting at the Myanmar International Convention Centre in Naypyitaw on November 20, 2017. (AP)

The state media reported: While speaking highly of the moves taken by Bangladesh, Wang said China is willing to continue to provide emergency humanitarian aid to those in need in Bangladesh.

China holds the view that the Rohingya issue can only be solved properly through consultations between Bangladesh and Myanmar, and only in this way will a suitable agreement be accepted by all parties.

Wang said the international community, including the UN, should help create an atmosphere for consultations between the two countries.

A Reuters report from Naypyidaw quoted European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini as saying that stopping violence will be among the key steps to resolve the crisis.

We believe that stopping the violence, the flow of refugees and guaranteeing full humanitarian access to the Rakhine state, and safe, sustainable repatriation of refugees are going to be key, Mogherini said on the sidelines of the ASEM meeting.
The government says it has taken up with authorities in South Africa the case of an armed robbery at the Indian Consul Generals residence in the city of Durban.

Ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad, and their families is a matter of highest priority for us, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a response to queries on Sunday.

He said we have taken up the matter with relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing.

In a shocking case of security lapse, the home of Consul General Shashank Vikram was on Thursday robbed by eight armed men who held his five-year-old son at gunpoint.

According to the Independent Online, the envoys residence, India House, in the Morningside area of the city, was breached in the afternoon despite protection offered by the South African Police Services VIP Unit, a private guard company and armed response provider.

Armed response officers, who arrived 15 minutes after the alarm was activated, took away surveillance camera footage.

The robbers burst into the home around 4pm after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned.

Vikrams wife, Megha Singh, and the couples two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their five-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold, it said.

The little boy, who had been studying in the reception room with a tutor, was carried at gunpoint and ordered to deactivate the alarm that had been set off by the familys domestic helper, who was beaten for her courageous act.

The intruders ransacked the building, smashing open a thick, solid door with crowbars, the report said.

One grabbed the five-year-old and hauled him upstairs, where Singh and her 10-year-old son were watching television.

The envoys wife slammed the retractable security gate on the upstairs landing shut to call for help but the intruders forced open the gate with a crowbar all the while demanding jewellery and access to a non-existent safe.

Singh and her elder son ran to the main bedroom where she pressed the alarm and called her husband who was in a meeting at the town of uMhlanga north of Durban.

According to the report, Vikram rushed home before the security officers could reach the spot.

The robbers then fled taking a cellphone and a few small items, the Independent Online report said.

Durban is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin.

Kumar said on Sunday that the intruders were expected to be arrested soon.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has also spoken to Vikram and inquired about his family.
Chinas next-generation multi-nuclear warhead intercontinental ballistic missile with a proclaimed ability to hit targets anywhere in the world may be inducted into the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) early next year, a media report said on Monday.

The new missile -- the Dongfeng-41 -- also has a speed of more than Mach 10 and can use decoy devices and chaff to pierce its way through the enemys missile warning and defence systems.

The missile which underwent another test -- the eighth since it was first announced in 2012 -- could be in the People Liberation Armys line-up as early as the first half of 2018, state-run Global Times said.

The missile must have matured considerably if it is to start serving in the PLA, Xu Guangyu, a senior adviser of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association said.

The Dongfeng-41 is a three-stage solid-fuel missile with a range of at least 12,000 kms, meaning it could strike anywhere in the world from a mainland site, Xu told the Global Times, adding that, it can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads, each of which can target separately.

The South China Morning Post reported that China had possibly tested the ICBM in its Western desert area in early November, but it did not give the exact location or date of the test.

Another report on the seventh test-firing of the Dongfeng-41 came from a US satellite tracking system and appeared in the Washington Free Beacon in April 2016.

Song Zhongping, a Phoenix TV commentator and former member of the PLAs Second Artillery Corps (Rocket Force), is of the view that the Dongfeng-41 is very likely already in service, since tests and other checks of missiles can be conducted after deployment as well.

Song said that the deployment of the missile certainly demonstrates Chinas nuclear deterrence abilities..

Once the Dongfeng-41 goes into service, Chinas ability to protect its own safety and to prevent wars would greatly increase, Xu said.

Russian experts feel that the missile deployment aimed at the US as they could reach most of America and Europe.

A commentary in Global Times at that time said the deployment of the DF-41 was a strategic deterrence tool and Beijing would ready itself for pressures imposed by the new US government headed by President Donald Trump.

The Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force on Sunday showed five models of Chinas homemade conventional and nuclear missiles.

China has a range of missiles which included the Dongfeng-26 ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-21D land-based anti-ship ballistic missile described as a carrier killer, and the Dongfeng-16G conventional missile designed for precision strikes against key enemy targets.
Charles Manson, the charismatic cult leader who ordered his followers to claim their victims in 1960s Los Angeles, died on Sunday at the age of 83 after nearly half-a-century in prison.

Manson was convicted for the brutal murders of nine people in 1969, including actress Sharon Tate who was stabbed 16 times while she was 9-months pregnant even though he didnt kill them himself. According to a testimony, Manson sent his devotees out on the night of Tates murder with instructions to do something witchy.

Here are some of the things to know about him:

 Manson was born in Cincinnati on November 12, 1934, to a teenager, possibly a prostitute, and was in reform school by the time he was 8. After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, Manson was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him because he considered prison home.

 The charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of Los Angeles rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war  an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song Helter Skelter.

 Hoping to boost his music career, Manson became friends with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson and producer Terry Melcher. He later became upset with Melcher, who was the son of actress Doris Day, because he did not make a record with him. The first round of murders by Mansons followers occurred in the house where Melcher had previously lived.

Before the killings, the Beach Boys recorded a song Manson wrote, titled Never Learn Not to Love. Later, Guns N Roses recorded his Look at Your Game Girl and Marilyn Manson, whose stage name was partly inspired by the killer, used lyrics from Mansons Mechanical Man in his song My Monkey. Trent Reznor, front man for the band Nine Inch Nails, lived in the house where the Tate murders occurred.

 The Manson Family, as his followers were called, slaughtered five of its victims on August 9, 1969, at Tates home: the actress who was 8 months pregnant, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish movie director Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the estates caretaker. Tates husband, Rosemarys Baby director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time.

Convicted murderer Charles Manson looks towards the parole board in San Quentin, California. (AP File Photo)

 Manson was obsessed with Beatles music, particularly Piggies and Helter Skelter, a hard-rocking song that he interpreted as forecasting the end of the world. He told his followers that Helter Skelter is coming down and predicted a race war would destroy the planet.

 Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty. These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didnt teach them. I just tried to help them stand up, he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

 Denied his request to represent himself during his 9-1/2 month trial, Manson showed up in court with an X carved into his forehead, and would later alter it into a swastika. Co-defendants Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel cut Xs in their foreheads, shaved their scalps, sang Manson-written songs and giggled through chilling testimony.

 The powers of manipulation that Manson used on his followers were honed in prison when he took a class based on How to Win Friends and Influence People, the 1936 book by self-help guru Dale Carnegie, according to the biography Manson.

 While in prison in Washington state in the early 1960s, Manson befriended Alvin Creepy Karpis, who had been allied with the deadly Barker bank robbery gang in the 1930s. Karpis taught Manson to play guitar and in a 1980 memoir he described Little Charlie as lazy but having a pleasant voice and pleasing personality, although hes unusually meek and mild for a convict.

 Manson was anything but a model prisoner after his conviction in the Tate-LaBianca murders. He was involved in frequent fights, set his mattress on fire, was disciplined for possessing weapons and selling drugs to inmates and often refused to participate in rehabilitation programs or psychiatric evaluation. He suffered serious burns in 1984 when an inmate set him on fire.

 A Manson devotee, Lynette Squeaky Fromme, tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, but her gun jammed. She served 34 years in prison.
Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have fallen 1.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.19 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.54/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices on Sunday were 32.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 5.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on November 20 in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years:

$1.86 per gallon in 2016, $1.86 in 2015, $2.52 in 2014, $3.06 in 2013 and $3.12 in 2012.

Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate:

Knoxville- $2.32, down 5.4 cents per gallon from last week's $2.37.

Tennessee- $2.28, down 2.2 cents per gallon from last week's $2.30.

Huntsville- $2.23, down 0.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.24.

For LIVE fuel price averages, visit

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North Korea may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States, South Koreas spy agency said on Monday, adding it was monitoring developments closely.

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programmes in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the US mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan.

The reclusive state appears to have carried out a recent missile engine test while brisk movements of vehicles were spotted near known missile facilities, said Yi Wan-young, a member of South Koreas parliamentary intelligence committee that was briefed by Seouls National Intelligence Service.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, Yi noted. The third tunnel at the Punggye-ri complex remained ready for another detonation at any time, while construction had recently resumed at a fourth tunnel, making it out of use for the time being.

The agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space, but in fact to ratchet up its threats against the United States, the lawmaker told reporters after a closed-door briefing by the spy agency.

North Korea defends its weapons programmes as a necessary defence against US plans to invade. The US, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

Pyongyang is also carrying out a sweeping ideological scrutiny of the political unit of the military for the first time in 20 years, according to Kim Byung-kee, another lawmaker in the committee.

The probe was led by the ruling Workers Partys Organisation and Guidance Department and orchestrated by Choe Ryong Hae, who once headed the General Political Bureau of the Korean Peoples Army until he was replaced by Hwang Pyong So in May 2014.

As a result, Hwang and Kim Won Hong, who Seouls unification ministry said was removed from office in mid-January as minister of the Stasi-like secret police called bowibu, had been punished, the lawmaker said. He did not elaborate.

Choe, who was subjected to political re-education himself in the past, appears to be gaining more influence since he was promoted in October to the partys powerful Central Military Commission.

The National Intelligence Service indicated that Choe now heads the Organisation and Guidance Department, a secretive body that oversees appointments within North Koreas leadership.

Under Choes command, the Organisation and Guidance Department is undertaking an inspection of the military politburo for the first time in 20 years, taking issue with their impure attitude toward the party leadership, the lawmaker, Kim, said.

Separately on Monday, South Korea approved a request by a South Korean to attend an event in the North marking the anniversary of the death of his mother who formerly led the Chondoist Chongu Party, a minor North Korean political party.

The son, identified only by his surname Choi, will be the first South Korean to visit the North since liberal President Moon Jae-in took office in May.

He is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang via China on Wednesday and return on Saturday, according to Seouls unification ministry.
Turkish authorities on Sunday announced a ban on all LGBTI cultural events in Ankara province until further notice to maintain public order.

The move follows a ban on a festival of German-language gay films in the capital on Thursday, imposed on the grounds it could incite hatred and be at risk from terror attacks.

Since (Saturday) 18 November and until further notice, all film and theatre events, screenings, panels, colloquium, exhibitions, etc... have been banned, the Ankara adminstration said on its website.

It argues that LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) events are likely to provoke reactions within certain segments of society and has issued the ban to maintain public order.

But organisers of Thursdays film festival wanted authorities to instead offer greater protection, denouncing the move as a violation of their constitutional rights.

A picture taken on November 16, 2017 shows a rainbow flag hanging outside the German embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. (AFP)

The ban announcement has fuelled concern amongst LGBTI activists in Turkey that their right to freedom of expression is being curtailed under the Islamic-rooted government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Two groups Kaos GL and Pink Life denounced the latest measure as illegal, disciminatory and arbitrary which legitimises the violations of LGBTI rights.

This ban... has no place in a democratic society, they said in a joint statement.

Homosexuality has been legal since the creation of the modern Turkish republic in 1923, and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century.

However, LGBTI individuals in the country frequently complain of mistreatment including harassment, abuse and rape as well as animosity.

The annual gay pride rally in Istanbul -- once a hugely popular event --- has been blocked by authorities for three years in a row also on security grounds.

Activists accuse the government of banning such events in a bid to impose a conservative morality on the hugely diverse country. But authorities insist they are acting to protect citizens safety.

Earlier this month, Erdogan was outraged at the existence of a quota for gays on a neighbourhood committee, saying it was at odds with the nations values.
President Donald Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday, allowing the United States to impose additional sanctions and penalties against Pyongyang as it continues to pursue nuclear weapons programmes amid heightened nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The Republican president, who has traded personal barbs and insults with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the treasury department will announce the additional sanctions against the country on Tuesday.

The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Koreas nuclear ambitions a centrepiece of his discussions with world leaders.

Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, Trump told reporters at the White House. Should have happened a long time ago, should have happened years ago.

Trump called it part of the US maximum pressure campaign against the North. North Korea will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the list of state sponsors of terror.

In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil, Trump said during a cabinet meeting.

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programmes in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the US mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan.

South Koreas spy agency said on Monday North Korea may conduct additional missile tests this year to polish up its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the US.

Some experts, and US officials speaking privately, have argued that North Korea does not meet the criteria for the designation, which requires evidence that a state has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

Experts also say the move will be largely symbolic, as North Korea is already heavily sanctioned by the US.

US officials involved in the internal deliberations have also said there was no debate over whether the slaying of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns estranged half-brother Kim Jong Nam in a Malaysian airport earlier this year was an act of terrorism.

Lawyers said there had to be more than one incident, and there was disagreement over whether the treatment of American student Otto Warmbier, who died of injuries suffered in North Korean custody, constituted terrorism.

The move returns North Korea to the ignominious list for the first time since 2008, when the country was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development. In the years since, the North has made advanced leaps in both its nuclear and missile programmes, proving the capacity to reach US territories with the devastating weapons earlier this year.
How Cold War politics made the AK-47 the worlds most ubiquitous gun. PlusFidel, Saddam, and the history of automatic weapons.

One weapon alone has been a consistent presence in modern war: the infantry rifle. Tanks can rout conventional armies. GPS-guided ordnance can scatter combatants. Land mines, suicide bombers, and improvised explosives have grabbed headlines in recent years. But the rifle remains preeminent. Few weapons are as accessible or can be as readily mastered. No other weapon appears in as many conflicts year after year. None is as sure to appear in every future war. And of all the rifles used today, one stands apart as the most profuse killing tool ever made: the automatic Kalashnikov, first known as the AK-47.

Virtually everyone has seen one. Estimates suggest that as many as 100 million Kalashnikovs and AK-47 derivatives have been made to dateone for every 70 people alive. With a stubby black barrel and parallel gas tube above, a steep front sight post and distinctively curved magazine, its unmistakable profile is a constant presence in the news. It is the worlds most widely recognized weapon, one of the worlds most recognizable things. Since its design in a secret contest in Joseph Stalins Soviet Union, the Kalashnikov has flooded armories and arms bazaars and changed the experience of war.

A battlefield leveler, it can help threadbare fighters stand against, and sometimes defeat, modern conventional units backed by powerful nations. Six decades after Stalins death, and two decades after the Soviet Union unraveled, it is the most abundant firearm on earth and a primary weapon for guerrillas, terrorists, and many criminal gangs, a status it is likely to retain for at least a half century more.

Yet for all of this, few devices of our time have been as misunderstood. In the popular imagination, an unlettered sergeant of peasant stock, Mikhail Kalashnikov, conjured the AK-47 to form in an epiphany born of his innate genius and patriotic devotion. The weapons proliferation, according to most accounts, has been driven by a revolutionary design that makes it simple, rugged, and dependable. None of this is exactly the case.

The claim that the weapon sprang from the mind of a sergeant was a cheerful Communist Party parable created for the proletariat through extensive redaction and lies. Though this tale emphasized the heroic spontaneity of a single man, spontaneity, according to a close reading of available Russian records, played almost no role.

Similarly, the Kalashnikovs design is not what makes the weapon ubiquitous in combat today. Though the gun is certainly an effective infantry weaponand proved itself far superior to the M-16 in Vietnamits global spread has more to do with trends in arms development and Soviet policy that made the production and distribution of assault rifles a key to Russias Cold War courtship of allies and proxies.

Today, soldiers take automatic weapons for granted, but the pursuit of a single weapon that could produce mass musket fire confounded generations of gunsmiths and engineers. Spurred by the American Civil War, the new manufacturing capacity in the United States introduced mass production to the craft of gun making, and rapid-fire arms became the business of speculators and engineers. With improvements in metallurgy, tool making, and precision labor, a flurry of fresh designs emerged. Among them was that of Dr. Richard Gatling, a physician who made his living inventing agricultural machines.

Gatling was neither a military nor social visionary. (One interviewer noted that he professed to feel that if he could invent a gun which would do the work of 100 men, the other ninety and nine could remain at home and be saved to the country.) But he was a tinkerer and salesman, and by 1862 he gave the concept of rapid fire an effective form in the Gatling gun, the first weapon commonly known as a machine gun. He circled six rifled barrels around a central axis, a design somewhat like a revolver in reverse. This was not a true machine gun or even an automatic; a hand crank rotated each barrel through its turns firing. But Gatling had created a weapon that was a step closer to automatic fire. [See Mr. Gatlings Game-Changing Gun, Spring 2010.]

The Gatling all but missed the Civil War. But Imperial Russia soon discovered that the weapon lived up to its billing. During Americas Reconstruction, one of Tsar Alexander IIs military attaches arranged for the purchase of Gatlings and the rights to manufacture them. At the time, the tsar was expanding his authority in Central Asia, and his soldiers faced a holdout in Khiva, where the ruling khan refused to recognize Russian authority. Khiva was defended in part by the Yomud tribe, bearded steppe warriors on their home terrain. One day in 1873, a Yomud detachment came upon a Russian supply train near present-day Turkmenistans border with Uzbekistan. The Russians formed a square of wagons. At about 3 oclock the following morning, the Yomuds charged. The Russians had with them two Gatlings under the command of an officer named Litvinoff. He later wrote:

Though it was dark we perceived in front of us the galloping masses of the enemy with uplifted glittering swords. When they approached within twenty paces, I shouted the command fire. This was followed by a salvo of all the men forming the cover, and a continuous rattle of the two battery guns. In this roar the cries of the enemy at once became weak, and then ceased altogether.At some distance to the right of our square stood the 8th Battalion of the line. Between it and us, at every step, lay prostrated the dead bodies of the Yo[mu]ds.

Other designers soon marketed competing manual guns. All of these were abruptly, almost instantly, supplanted less than 20 years later by Hiram Maxim and the first truly automatic weapon. Maxim was an arrogant, self-taught inventor and businessman from backwoods Maine who claimed to have designed a light bulb before Thomas Edison. His employer, the U.S. Electric Lighting Company, transferred him to London and at an exposition in Vienna, he later said, he met an American who offered advice.

Hang your electrical machines! the American said. If you wish to make your everlasting fortune and pile up gold by the ton, invent a killing machinesomething that will enable these Europeans to cut each others throats with greater facilitythat is what they want.

Whether advice of the sort was ever dispensed is anyones guess. (Maxim was brilliant and cunning. He was also a rascal; as a businessman and raconteur he was comfortable with embellishmentand deception). What is clear is that Maxim decided to make a new weapon, and he had a different approach. He had fired a rifle before, and felt its kick. The recoil was evidence of wasted energy. Could some of this unused energy be harnessed? Maxim settled on a concept where the force of the recoil was put to mechanical use to slide the barrel backward, extract the spent cartridge, retrieve a fresh round, and fire again. This was a self-perpetuating cycle that lasted until the supply of bullets ran out.

In autumn 1898, the British brought Maxims guns into battle in Sudan, where they hoped that a conquest of Islamic forces would bolster their colonial presence from Cairo to the Cape of Good Hope. More than 8,000 British and nearly 18,000 Egyptian and African troops massed to destroy forces loyal to the Sudanese caliph. Maxims were brought along, wrapped in silk. Before dawn on September 2, Sir Herbert Kitcheners soldiers formed into order near Omdurman, anchoring one end along the Nile, the other in an arc across a plain. Winston Churchill, 23 years old, was with the British cavalry as the battle unfolded. Roughly half the caliphs warriors had no firearms. By 8 a.m. the mismatch was obvious. Thousands of the Sudanese warriors had been struck. Not one had managed to come close enough to the British lines to throw a spear. Churchill watched the Sudanese charges lose momentum, waver, and stop. The survivors tried to get away. As he wrote later, there was little chance for that:

They rose by hundreds and by fifties to fly. Instantly the hungry and attentive Maxims and the watchful infantry opened on them, sweeping them all to the groundsome in death, others in terror. Again the shells followed them to their new concealment. Again they rose, fewer than before, and ran. Again the Maxims and the rifles spluttered. Again they fell. And so on until the front of the zeriba [British defensive enclosure] was clear of unwounded men for at least half a mile.

The British force had suffered 48 dead. Contemporaneous estimates of the Sudanese dead exceeded 10,000. Three days later Churchill accompanied a British horseback patrol that toured the plain and its grisly carpet of human remains. He was shaken, unable to square these sights with his understanding of war waged by a civilized Power. Modern weapons were no longer curiosities. War had entered a new phase.

The terrible machinery of scientific war, Churchill wrote, had done its work.

By the end of World War I, scientific war was a grim norm. All the major powers had machine guns, and they had learned to use them. This marked the period of full acceptance and integration of machine guns into conventional military service.

In the first decades of production of rapid-fire arms, the weapons were produced in few places and sold or distributed almost exclusively to governments. Armies, navies, state militias, territorial prisons, and the like could acquire them not the common man. Machine guns were expensive. They were complex. They were large, often requiring draft animals to move them about. Many men were needed to operate and maintain them. Nothing about them was a consumer product. Adolf Hitlers Germany was to change all of that.

Until the 1930s, a riflemans ammunition was almost universally of high power. Armies had been bewitched by the ballistic possibilities of high velocity, which could lead to long range, flat trajectory, and, with a heavy bullet, devastating injuries. Shifting to something smaller had proven difficult. Who, after all, would propose overhauling ammunition factories to produce a cartridge that, on paper at least, was less lethal?

After World War I, however, groups of officers began asking whether fidelity to maximum velocity and stopping power was a handicap. What was the point of a rifle that could strike a man two kilometers away now that soldiers wore camouflage and moved by infiltration? There were few targets at ranges beyond a few hundred yards, and not many marksmen could be expected to hit them. To those questioning the status quo, the drawbacks of traditional cartridges were obvious. To fire them effectively, rifles had to be made heavier, which consumed more resources, drove up costs, and made weapons unwieldy. And large cartridges did not lend themselves to automatic fire in rifles, which had to be made heavy and large to handle the heat, strain, and recoil.

By 1938 the Wehrmachts Army Weapons Office had entered a contract with an ammunition firm that developed the 7.92 Kurz, a cartridge roughly midway in size and power between the common military rifle cartridge and the pistol cartridges of the era. Kurz means short, and designer Hugo Schmeisser was assigned to work up plans for a new automatic or semiautomatic rifle that would fire this shortened round. In summer 1942, the Merz gun works, working with Schmeisser, delivered 50 prototypes.

A concept with scintillating military promise had been given shape: an automatic rifle of medium power that could be handled by any man, and that used ammunition small enough that a single soldier could carry both the rifle and a few hundred rounds. Most of the prototypes were sent to the Russian front for combat trials. The Wehrmacht was clearly satisfied. By early 1944 production of an updated model had reached 5,000 pieces a month; 9,000 rifles were made in April. Production was projected to reach as many as 80,000 rifles a month by 1945nearly a million a year.

Schmeissers breakthrough weapon had only a short run in battle; Germanys defeat ensured that. But it marked a critical development: the arrival and institutional acceptance of the reduced-power automatic. The sturmgewehr (storm rifle) was not a full machine gun; it had no tripod or sled or the traversing equipment for aim that would enable it to be firmly emplaced for highly accurate, long-range fire. But it was an exceptionally versatile riflewell suited for single-shot shooting at typical combat ranges, and its automatic mode made it ferocious for close combat and effective for suppression fire.

As German units fell back, the sturmgewehr was picked up by Soviet troops. The Kremlins intelligence and research and development officers, already given to mimicry, went to work. By March 1944, they had put into production the M1943, a cartridge comparable to the 7.92 Kurz. Now weapons would have to be made to fire it.

One of the Soviet Unions most successful young designers, Aleksei Sudayev, was put on the project first. Only a few years before, Sudayev had designed a submachine gun while under siege at Leningrad, in conditions approaching starvation. The weapon had been used to turn back the Germans. He was perhaps the brightest light in Soviet small-arms design.

Sudayevs supervisors deemed his prototype assault rifle promising but too heavy. The designer fell severely ill before he could rework his weapon. In late 1945, with Sudayev fading, the Soviet militarys Main Artillery Department opened a secret contest within its constellation of designers to make a new automatic rifle for general issue. Unlike the entrepreneurial work of Gatling, Maxim, and others in the early age of rapid-fire arms design, this was a state-directed pursuitStalins will combined with Red Army administration.

Stalin liked design contests, and particularly the possibility of gathering multiple viable proposals. Mikhail Kalashnikov, a senior sergeant with limited education who had not yet designed a weapon accepted by authorities, was among those allowed to enter. He worked with a team of officers and engineers, draftsmen and draftswomen to sketch a design proposal. The Soviet Union publicly celebrated its prominent konstruktors, as arms designers were known. Success would mean security, even fame. The first submission of the Kalashnikov team was of limited potential, but after the field was winnowed by late 1947, its final prototype was still in contention.

Curiously, the test rifles that Kalashnikovs group presented to the first firing trials were very different from those submitted for the last tests. Indeed, the team came back with a new weapon altogether. At this point, the available historical record, already obscured by propaganda and conflicting statements, becomes cloudy. Many years later, Kalashnikov described his thinking as he prepared for the later round of tests: In order to achieve the best results in this run-off contest, I had to make a breakthrough in the design, not just improve it.

By this account, at Kalashnikovs insistence, he and Aleksandr Zaitsev, an engineer who assisted him, fundamentally redesigned the prototype. Kalashnikov and Zaitsev shortened the barrel and altered its main operating system, combining the bolt carrier and the gas piston into one component. This made the rifle easier to disassemble and clean. And the combined bolt carrier and gas piston were massive, giving the AK-47s operating system excess energy to push through any dirt or accumulated carbon inside the weapon. This heavy system would contribute to its legendary reputation for rarely jamming.

The team reworked other components. The trigger mechanism was overhauleda project that seems to have been led by Vladimir Deikin, a test officer assigned to work with Kalashnikov. The safety catch on the previous prototype, a selector lever, was replaced with a sheet-metal switch that would protect the area around the chamber, blocking sand, dust, and dirt.

Kalashnikov would later describe his supposed eureka moment. I came up with several new ideas that turned my life upside down. I completely altered the general structure, he said. Sasha Zaitsev, my faithful right-hand man from the start of the competition, was at this time the only person aware of my real plan.

Soviet propaganda mills repeated and glorified the inventors bold and forceful claim that he was the source of the design ideas that gave the assault rifle its final shape. But the story hasnt stood up well over time. Zaitsev recalled things differently. He said he conceived of the changes; Kalashnikov, he said, opposed them. I suggested the Kalashnikov assault rifle be entirely redesigned, Zaitsev wrote. I managed to convince him I was right.

Others on Kalashnikovs team have also challenged the rifles parentage. They alleged that Kalashnikov lifted the idea of an integrated bolt carrier and gas piston from Aleksei Bulkin, a rival designer. One former comrade asserted that Kalashnikov received inside help from a senior testing officer, Major Vasily Lyuty. In statements after the Soviet Union collapsed, Lyuty claimed to have shepherded the early Kalashnikov design through a disappointing showing at the trials. He said he overruled an evaluation from U. I. Pchelintsev, a testing engineer, which read: The system is incomplete and cannot be further developed. In all, Lyuty claimed, he recommended 18 changes to the first prototype, changes that Kalashnikov accepted:

I felt the test frustration deeply with Mikhail, because we were friends. This is why when he asked, as the chief of the testing unit, to have a look at the gun and Pchelintsevs account to outline the improvement program, I agreed of course. In fact, I took up all the subsequent business in my hands, thank God I had the knowledge and experience needed for it. Having studied the tests report scrupulously I came to the conclusion that the design had to be redone almost anew.

Lyuty added that he and Kalashnikov worked side by side with Deikin, and the trio devised the prototype that became a finalist. Lyuty fell into official disfavor and was arrested in 1951, accused of participating in a counter-revolutionary group. He served time in a labor camp. In 1954 he was rehabilitated, but not before Kalashnikov had been decorated and elevated to an official model of socialist virtue. By then, AK-47s were circulating to the Soviet Unions legions of conscripted troops, and the official version of the rifles origins was hardening into a simplistic tale: Kalashnikov, who had been wounded early in the Great Patriotic War, had set out to make automatic weapons to defend his homeland and succeeded in a flash of inspiration and resolve. The party crowed the news. One proud and wounded mans epiphany, at a time of peril, had armed his nation. Or so the story went.

The AK-47 arrived to a time and geopolitical situation like no other: the dawn of the Cold War. It was a firearm that would become the standard weapon for socialist armies of workers and peasants. The platform for a compact automatic rifle was well suited for most uses in war, and could be readily mastered by conventional conscripts and revolutionaries alike.

Yet the assault rifles practical merits do not explain its proliferation. The AK-47 did not break out globally because it was well conceived or well made, or because it pushed Soviet small-arms development ahead of rifles then in favor in the West. Rather, it became the worlds most common military weapon because the Soviet Union discovered its value not just as a weapon but also as a political tool in the Cold War.

When Stalin, the impatient dictator whose engineers developed weapons of all kinds, died in 1953, he was replaced as general secretary by Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev inherited the Kremlins foreign policy portfolio and the nations military-industrial complex, and as he learned to rule, he grasped how the two could be linked. Soviet arms became Soviet political currency, with Khrushchev emerging as an arms dealer extraordinaire. The AK-47 became his best deliverable tool in EastWest influence jockeyinga chip to secure friendships and bolster those willing to harass the West. Nations queued up to get the weapon, and Khrushchev pushed production higher.

As his arms dealing grew, the Soviet leader seized on another potential value. Circulating Soviet weapons and manufacturing specifications throughout the contested world would make interoperability with Soviet troops easier in future wars sparked as socialist revolution spread. One of Khrushchevs early challenges was to institutionalize security arrangements in the European buffer zone. In 1949, Western powers had formed NATO and sponsored the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Kremlin replied by founding the German Democratic Republic. Moves and countermoves continued. In 1955, West Germany joined NATO. The Kremlin in turn bound its satellites together in a mutual defense agreement of its own, the Warsaw Pact. The treaty was signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

Initially, its significance was retaliatory and symbolic, a tit-for-tat escalation. But the treaty stoked assault-rifle proliferation, thanks to its fifth article, in which members agreed to a unified command. In the fall of 1955, when details of the command were circulated via a top-secret memorandum, the commanders of Warsaw Pact forces were instructed that they would be responsible for supplying military items, in accordance with accepted systems of armaments. The language referred to Soviet-pattern weapons, including the most prolific weapons of all cartridges and firearms. The goal, according to one Soviet official, became the constant modernization of weapons and combat equipment and the development of new and more sophisticated prototypes of weaponry. The Soviet Union plays a leading role here.One of the important ways for coordinating military-technical policy is to standardize weapons and combat equipment.

Through such cooperation, most Eastern Bloc soldiers would carry the same weapons and fire the same ammunition, thereby streamlining production and training while reducing expenditure on research and design. This laid the political and industrial groundwork for overcapacity in assault-rifle production. Plants producing Kalashnikovs and ammunition were subsidized in Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

These countries armed their military and security services with the rifle but also became exporters. And the rules of their production, sales, and distribution had nothing to do with normal market forces. They were connected to centralized decisions and national goals. Stalins rifle was at the center of a socialist arms franchise. In time, its proliferation became an example of the law of unintended consequences viewed through the prism of the Cold War: The blocs members would provide arms for conflicts after their alliance was no more, extending the Warsaw Pacts influence outside the region in ways that persist.

Under Khrushchev, the Kremlin also distributed its arms technology beyond its vassals. Just as with Warsaw Pact standardization, there were two main arrangements: first, direct transfers of finished goods; later, the transfer of licenses to produce them. The first plant outside Russia to manufacture AK-47 clones was an urgent project for China, and had origins in a secret collaboration between Stalin and Mao Zedong. Maos victory over the Kuomintang, the party of Chiang Kai-shek, and the founding of the Peoples Republic of China had reinforced Stalins almost religious conviction in the allure of socialism and global revolution. The Chinese wanted to update their arms industry.

By August 1951, the Soviet army agreed to provide specifications for eight types of weapons, including mortars, machine guns, pistols, and Mosin-Nagant rifles (a Russian AK-47 precursor). By 1952, it provided data for manufacturing artillery and tanks. The AK-47 was still in early production runs; the Soviet Army did not share it. But by the mid-1950s, China wanted newer guns. In 1956, production of the Type 56, the first Chinese version of the AK-47, began in Factory 626, in Beian.

Khrushchev had moved quickly. At the time of Stalins funeral, a single arms plant in the Urals was making the AK-47. Three years later, the worlds two largest military forces had parallel assembly lines for standardized assault rifles. By 1958, the Kremlin would share AK-47 technology with North Korea. The Soviet Unions military aid to Egypt would expand to tool a Kalashnikov plant there.

Between such deals, and the rolling openings of assault-rifle assembly lines in the Warsaw Pact nations, the Kremlin ensured production of Kalashnikovs at a scale no other firearm had ever seen.

Herein is a commonly overlooked significance of the AK-47s development, lost to the retelling of fables: The Soviets, copying a German concept, created the circumstances for the crossover weapon, the gun that would let automatic rifle fire jump from state hands to individuals. The AK-47 was small. No mule, crew of men, or truck was required to move or operate it. Its ammunition was lightweight; a teenager could carry a few hundred rounds. Its variant with a wooden stock could be hidden beneath a blanket. Those with a folding stock could be slung under a coat. It provided flexibilityallowing whoever carried it to fire a single shot or blast out bursts.

In clinical terms, automatic arms had evolved to an eminently useful form. All of the things that might be done with bullets at the distances of typical small-arms engagements could now be done with one automatic weapon that most anyone could carry and use. And this distilled piece of firearms technology had become the output of planned economies, which could manufacture them in numbers beyond what anyone outside organized socialist police states would need or want. Industrial and political currents in the Soviet Union had lined up to make the AK-47 the worlds gun, the automatic rifle for everyman.

The impact on the latter half of the 20th century is difficult to overstate. Though born at a time when Hiroshima and Nagasaki suggested that ultimate power rested with the nations that had the nuclear bomb, the Kalashnikov tipped the scales for the underdog. In Vietnam, it gave local guerrillas a key advantage over expeditionary American forces, whose jam-prone M-16s proved a liability.

In the 1980s, Afghan rebels armed with U.S.-supplied AK-47s fought the Soviet Union to a standoff. Ugandas Idi Amin hoarded the guns, and kept a nation under heeluntil his storehouses slipped from government custody and empowered local warlords, insurgents, criminals, and Joseph Kony, the leader of an army of child soldiers who is, by any reasonable assessment, a madman.

By the 1990s, the weapon was a staple of dozens of the regional wars that plagued Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. According to the United Nations, small armsprimarily assault rifleswere the principal weapons in 46 of the 49 major conflicts in that decade. Since 2001, the United States military has become one of the largest known purchasers of Kalashnikovs, which it has handed out by the tens of thousands in Afghanistan and Iraq, where many of them have again slipped from state hands, and are turned against their purchasers.

More than a hundred years ago, at the dawn of the age of rapid-fire arms, Richard Gatling wrote President Abraham Lincoln, pitching his gun as a weapon for men of ordinary intelligence who might crush the rebellion and keep the nation together. With the creation of the AK-47 and its spread around the world, Gatlings dream became reality. Firepower was now readily available for almost any man of ordinary intelligence, whether he was in uniform or not, trained or not, legal or not, supervised or not. It could even be handled by a child. War, and the world itself, had been indelibly changed. MHQ

Adapted from The Gun, by C. J. Chivers. Copyright  2010 by C. J. Chivers. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For more about the book, see cjchivers.com.

[hr]

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2011 issue (Vol. 23, No. 2) of MHQThe Quarterly Journal of Military History with the headline: These Hideous Weapons

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Illusions of victory

WHEN I READ your magazine, I seek to learn about new subjects or aspects of the familiar that I had not considered. But Blinded by Hope [Autumn 2010], by Thomas Fleming, left me unenlightened and, frankly, angry.

The authors thesis is not truly groundbreaking. Is it surprising that the United States, or any country, has frequently gone to war without a full accounting of the possible toll? This is true in nearly every human endeavor. Just ask those Americans facing foreclosure. Its hard enough for an individual to rationally analyze the costs and benefits of an action and select the best option; how much more so for a nation of millions? This article might have been more edifying if the author also considered wars in which the United States chose not to participate based on the assumed cost. (Are there any?)

Im not a big fan of opinion pieces, especially in history magazines. They feel like they arent fully supported by the facts; otherwise, the author would have written a regular article. Too often, it seems, your Point of View story is an opportunity to take a shot at something or someone. Fleming says, New Dealers were convinced that the Japanese could neither shoot, nor sail, nor fly with the skill of white men. Was it necessary to single out the New Dealers when pretty much all of white America felt that way? And what about his analysis of the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam? His debatable claimsthat America had won the jungle war, that the South Vietnamese government was the best we could hope for, and that the Democrats in Congress undercut the Souths ability to resist the Northcome across as a stab in the back theory. Such a tack wasnt even necessary; the authors essay is about the start of wars, not their end. The article felt as though it started with a theory and then sought supporting facts.

Bill Lenoir

Centreville, Va.

Thomas Fleming responds:

Mr. Lenoir claims that it is not really a surprising idea that America has gone to war without a full accounting of the possible toll. Yet what is surprising is that we have done this in virtually every war.

I dont think the comparison to a person buying a house only to face foreclosure is apt. The two activities are too different. A president and his advisers have access to so much more information, if they are willing to use it. As to Mr. Lenoirs criticism of opinion pieces, an article in a magazine like MHQ is much more than an opinion. There is nothing in the article that is not based on fact.

Mr. Lenoir objects to my criticism of President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Dealers utterly wrong dismissal of Japans military abilities at the start of World War II, claiming that all white Americans felt that way. But FDR and his advisers were running the country, and they acted on their estimate to provoke the Japanese into attacking the United Statesa backdoor way of getting America into the war with Germany. They were convinced that the American navy could wipe the Japanese from the Pacific Ocean in six months. I tell this story at length in my book The New Dealers War. Other books Ive written on this topic are 1776: Year of Illusions, and The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I.

Perhaps I should add that I am a registered Democrat and grew up with a portrait of FDR in the vestibule of my house. However, even a great man can succumb to the illusion of an easy victory, and that has entangled us in so many wars.

The road to Khartoum

IN OUR MAN IN AFRICA [Autumn 2010], Peter Harrington writes about the British campaign in the Sudan in 1885. In January, Major General Charles Gordon and his force were surrounded and besieged at Khartoum. Harrington notes that Major General Sir Garnet Wolseley mounted a relief effort, but that Khartoum fell two days before Wolseley and his main force could arrive.

Actually, an advance force sent to relieve Khartoum and led by Colonel Sir Charles Wilson apparently reached the city on January 26, about 24 hours after the city fell and Gordon died. Wolseley would not have reached Khartoum until March 1885 at the earliest, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mike Snook in his book Into the Jaws of Death: British Military Blunders, 18791900.

Ted Rosen

Rochester, N.Y.

The editors respond:

Thanks to Mr. Rosen for catching the error, which was made in editing. While Wolseleys advance troops under Wilson arrived in Khartoum shortly after Gordons death, the general and his main force never arrived.

Axis prisoners on American soil

I ENJOY CHRISTINE AMMERS articles. However, there was an error in her Autumn 2010 story [The Lexicon of Lock Em Up]. She claimed only Japanese-Americans were interned in camps during World War II. In fact, approximately 11,000 German-Americans and 1,000 Italian-Americans were also interned, as well as a few other Americans from Axis countries, including Bulgaria and Romania.

George R. Muller

Lambertville, N.J.

Who really owns the Silver Bible?

IN THE WAR OVER PLUNDER [Summer 2010], Colin Woodard writes, After the collapse of communism, Czech president Vaclav Havel tried to persuade Sweden to return the Silver Bible and several other objects taken from Bohemia during the Thirty Years War. He was refused, leaving the Czechs despondent.

Swedens University of Uppsala, which holds the Silver Bible, cannot give it back to the Czech Republic, if only because the Czech Republic, formed in 1993, has never owned it. Theoretically, Uppsala could give it back to a descendant of someone who previously owned it or created itsay, the descendants of the Hapsburg family, from whom it was stolen in 1648. None of these have asked for it as far as I know.

Legally, the Silver Bible clearly belongs to Uppsala. The university received the bible as a donation from a man who bought it legally from a man who got it as a donation. It has taken good care of the artifact for three centuries. If that is not enough to qualify for ownership, what is?

Dag Stalhandske

Stockholm, Sweden

Originally published in the Winter 2011 issue of Military History Quarterly. To subscribe, click here.
The Macedonian formation terrified opponents and at times overwhelmed the vaunted Roman legion.

ONE DAY in late June 168 Rome and Macedon were encamped be- tween Mount Olympus and the port city BC, the armies of of Pydna in Macedonia. The two empires had been at war for three years, but campaigning of late had been largely inconclusive. The Macedonian king, Perseus, son of Philip V, led a force of 40,000 infantry and another 4,000 cavalry. Rome had recently dispatched a new commander for its 35,000 troops, the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus, an experienced soldier who had set about retraining an army that had grown lax and undisciplined.

Before Aemilius left Rome, according to Cicero, a family dog named Perseus had died, which the general took as a good omen. But when the battle at Pydna erupted, Aemilius was shaken.

The Macedonians assailed his legions with discipline and spirit, maintaining a tight formation of interlocked shields while their long pikes scattered units and shattered bodies. Aemilius later said that watching the steel bristle of the Macedonian phalanx bearing down in full charge was the most terrifying moment of his life.

The Macedonian phalanx and the Roman legion are perhaps the most famous tactical formations in antiquity. The phalanxes of Alexander the Great humbled the armies of the mighty Persian Empire, while Roman legions conquered Italy, Carthage, and Gaul. Commentators and modern military historians who compare the two formations typically conclude that the legion was far superior, particularly given several lopsided battlefield casualty counts and the ultimate victory of the Romans over the Macedonians. Yet legions won many of the clashes only by the narrowest of margins, the fighting decided by factors that had little to do with the phalanx. As Aemilius discovered that day at Pydna, the Romans often had to claw their way to victory.

The Macedonian phalanx became the premier tactical formation of the Hellenistic world after Philip II came to the Macedonian throne in 359 BC. Philip set about reforming Macedons infantry, in part to counter the dominance in the army of a cavalry force of independent-minded aristocrats. He recruited poor peasants who, because they could not afford the expensive panoply typical of the relatively wealthy Greek hoplites, were outfitted in a different kit.

Linen corselets (linothorax) replaced metal cuirasses. The costly and unwieldy hoplite shield, roughly three feet in diameter, gave way to a concave target just two feet across and lacking a bulky bronze rim. Hung from the neck to cover the left shoulder, this shield freed both hands to wield a 14- to 20-foot pike topped with a short iron head shaped like a leaf. Called a sarissa, it replaced the traditional eight-foot Greek hoplite spear and became the most important innovation of Philips reform.

He trained his infantry to move in tightly grouped formations, the front rows of men with their sarissai lowered and those further back with their pikes raised to deflect arrows. Unlike the hoplite spear, which was primarily used to stab downward in the crunch of close combat, the sarissa was thrust forward underhanded.

When thousands of soldiers with sarissai were massed tightly, the effect was a wall of pikes that was frightening and quite effective. Philip II and his son Alexander III deployed the Macedonian phalanx with such success that other Greeks imitated it. The Spartan king Cleomenes III and the Achaean general Philopoemen both issued their troops sarissai and Macedonian-style shields in the 220s BC.

The legions development, meanwhile, was influenced by various Italian tribes. The Romans borrowed chain mail and the Montefortino helmetdistinguished by its conical shape and round knob on topfrom the Gallic tribes in northern Italy. They likely adopted javelins (pila) and oblong, concave shields from the Samnites, a central Italian people.

The shield (scutum) offered protection from the shins to the sternum. Though it did not interlock like the round hoplite shields (clipei) deployed by the earliest Roman armies, its full-body protection allowed the Romans to adopt open-order formations where men clustered around a standard but were largely free to engage in individual combat. In the mid-third century, the Romans adopted a Spanish style of sword, the gladius Hispaniensis, which had a waisted blade of between 22 and 29 inches and was good for stabbing and hacking.

A standard legion consisted of 4,200 infantry, although some deployed as many as 6,200 soldiers in major campaigns. Each was paired with a wing (ala) of Italian allies using similar equipment and tactics.

The legion was divided into 120-man units called maniples, which enhanced maneuverability in rough terrain. By the early third century, the legion fought in three lines (tres, or triplex, acies), with the maniples in checkerboard formation. The first line consisted of spearmen (hastati), soldiers in their early 20s and armed with pila. Behind them were prime men (principes), fighters in their mid-20s, also armed with pila. In the rear stood third rankers (triarii) wielding pikes. These men were veterans of the army, in their late 20s and early 30s. In the worst-case scenario, the battle might come to the triarii (ad triarios redisse), which formed the legions tactical reserve. Teenage skirmishers called swift ones (velites) ranged freely in front of the battle line, conspicuously seeking individual combats and youthful glory. Cavalry guarded the legions flanks.

The initial encounters between legion and phalanx offer mixed evidence about which tactical formation was superior. These battles came between 280 and 275 BC, when Rome was consolidating control of central Italy, and the Greek colonies in southern Italy sought help. Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, invaded southern Italy and began the Pyrrhic Wars.

The Romans lost the first two major battles, at Heraclea and Asculum. Though factors beyond infantry tactics contributed to Roman defeat at Heracleain particular Pyrrhuss war elephants and Roman deficiencies in cavalrythe 40,000 Epirots and Italians at Asculum trounced an equal number of Romans in a head-to-head fight. Still, the Romans inflicted significant damage; Pyrrhus suffered nearly 4,000 dead at Heraclea and another 3,500 at Asculum.

After a four-year campaign against Carthage in Sicily, Pyrrhus returned to Italy. The legion won its first engagement against the Epirots at Beneventum in 275 BC, in part because Pyrrhuss elephants panicked and disrupted his phalanx. Afterward Pyrrhus quit the battlefield and retreated to Greece. The Romans extensive manpower reserves had allowed them to recover from repeated defeats and eventually exhaust the Macedonians. Nonetheless, the phalanx had fared wellso well that most would conclude that in the Pyrrhic Wars, it had been superior to the legion.

The next major contest of phalanx and legion came 80 years later in the Second Macedonian War (201197 BC), when Roman armies invaded Greece. Early Roman setbacksnotably the repulse of a legionary assault force from the besieged town of Atraxled the consul Titus Flamininus to doubt the quality of his soldiers and their equipment. The decisive battle, fought at Cynoscephalae in southeast Thessaly in 197 BC, pitted an army of approximately 25,500 Macedonians under King Philip Vincluding a heavy phalanx of 16,000against a consular army of 26,000.

Both sides stumbled upon each other while maneuvering in hilly terrain. Philip seized the initiative with a hasty attack, sending the phalanx on a downhill charge. The Roman left was driven back by the assault of Philips right wing. The Macedonian left, however, lost its shape due to rough terrain, command and control failures, and the deployment of Roman elephants. This created bifurcated combats, with the Roman right carving its way forward several hundred yards to the front of its beleaguered left.

The decisive moment of the battle came when a military tribune collected some 20 maniples from the right wing and led them to relieve the left, assailing the vulnerable rear of Philips forward element. Once inside the phalanx, the Romans, armed with short swords, slaughtered some 8,000 Macedonians. Philip, until then the dominant power in Greece, was forced to withdraw to his homeland and give up his fleet.

The modular form of the legion proved critical here, giving the Romans mobility over rough terrain that the phalanx did not have. But this advantage should not be overstated. The military tribune had to detach 20 disparate maniples, somehow ordering 20 head centurions to simultaneously attack in a different direction. Indeed, the commanding tribune of any legion had to control 30 maniples without any intermediate chain of command. (The cohort, consisting of three maniples, would not become a standard feature of the Roman legion until the time of Julius Caesar, roughly 140 years later.)

That the Romans turned the tide was miraculous: In the din of battle, other elements of the Roman forward line could have mistaken the maniples peeling off to counterattack as a general retreat. That could have sparked panic, and the Macedonians could have easily won.

In 191 the Seleucid Empire, which stretched from Turkey to Afghanistan and BC, ROME went to war with was ruled by Antiochus III, a descendant of Alexanders lieutenant Seleucus Nicator. Antiochus tried to fill the vacuum in Greece after Philip V withdrew, sending an army to Thrace. After the Romans crushed Seleucid incursions in Greece, a Roman army commanded by Lucius Scipio and his brother, Publius Scipio Africanus, invaded Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Antiochus raised a 72,000-man army and engaged Scipios 28,000-man expeditionary force at Magnesia ad Sipylum.

The lopsided numbers did not work to the Seleucid kings advantage. The checkerboard of Roman maniples was like an accordion. The legion could expand or contract by simply opening or closing gaps between the maniples; or it could increase or shrink the distance between the ranks. The Romans typically maintained two-foot intervals between soldiers to allow room for swordplay, with each soldier occupying a front of about six feet. The front of a 5,000-man legion could cover as much as 850 yards, or contract to less than 400 yards.

Antiochus deployed two phalanxes one with 16,000 regulars and a second that probably numbered 10,000 elite Silver Shield infantry. His remaining forces consisted of some 12,000 cavalry and 34,000 light infantry. Antiochus stacked the phalanx 32 men deeptwice the normal depth. Indeed, most of the Seleucid soldiers stood in the middle of mass formations, unable to engage or even see the enemy.

The front rank of the main phalanx consisted of 500 men, while the Silver Shield brigade probably stretched just over 312 men across. Each man occupied the three-foot width of his body, standing shoulder to shoulder in close formation, which meant Antiochuss 26,000 heavy infantry covered a mere 812 yardsa shorter front than a single Roman legion of 5,000 might present.

Antiochus had to face the rest of the Roman battle line with either cavalry or light infantry. His light infantry was no match for the legionaries, while he wasted much of his excellent heavy cavalry fixing, rather than flanking, the Roman infantry line.

Antiochus began the battle with a charge by his heavily armored cavalry (cataphracti), assisted by the vaunted Silver Shield troops. The legion and Italian ala on the Roman left were pressed back, retreating as far as their camp. The king, chasing down Roman fugitives, must have thought he was close to victory.

On the Seleucid left, the main phalanx locked in a bitter stalemate with a legion. Cavalry, not infantry, ultimately decided the battle. The Seleucid cavalry on the phalanxs left flank collapsed in the face of an aggressive charge by Roman and allied horse. Half-surrounded, the stalwart phalanx fought on, its pikes projecting from all four sides as it endured a hail of javelins.

Wayward Seleucid elephants, maddened by Roman darts, suddenly ran amok across the weary phalanx, shattering its unified front. Roman swords flooded in amidst the swirl of discombobulated phalangites, inflicting devastating losses as the phalanx disintegrated. With nearly half his force killed, wounded, or captured, Antiochus surrendered Asia Minor to Rome.

Ancient sources provide only glimpses of frontline combat. The imaginative face of battle technique, a deductive approach to military history pioneered by John Keegan, offers additional insights to distill the ground-level mechanics. This method reconstructs historical battles based upon knowledge of weapons, equipment, human physiology and psychology, and battlefield conditions.

Any clash of phalanx and legion would have begun with harassment by Roman velites, who would have sniped at the phalanx with their darts and javelins. The rear ranks holding sarissai would have deflected some of these missiles, but any soldier felled would have been trampled by his own comrades as the phalanx closed ranks.

As the phalanx made its charge, the velites would fall back, withdrawing through the gaps between the maniples. How the Romans closed these gaps (or if they even felt the need to) is one of the great mysteries of ancient military history. They may have controlled the gaps with a lethal crossfire of missiles, making it virtual suicide for any enemy to venture in. In any event, the gaps would not have been a grave liability. The phalanx could not flood into those spaces without losing its cohesion.

Cohesion was key to the effectiveness of the phalanx. Sarissai drawn together into a dense forest made a phalanx virtually invincible, whether attacking or defending. The shoulder-to-shoulder formation must have given Macedonians great psychological comfort while facing down an attack. And their steamroller assaults struck tremendous fear in the enemy, often overwhelming the legion members and driving them back. This happened to significant legionary elements even in victories such as Cynoscephalae and Magnesia.

The legions open order, meanwhile, made it vulnerable to such attacks. To try to slow the charge of the phalanx, the hastati in the front ranks would have hurled their pila. Each man carried two, and soldiers in the rear ranks would have likely passed theirs forward to resupply their comrades. Phalangites in the front must have cowered at the sight of hundreds of iron barbs raining down upon them. But as the phalanx plowed forward, there was little the legion could do besides fall back. Holding ground was an invitation to be skewered.

The Romans were fortunate that a phalanx could not charge forever. At some point its soldiers had to slow or stop. As they grew exhausted, they risked losing the cohesion that was so critical to their success. This was the moment that the legion would have seized to counterattack. Close-quarters combat would follow, a fight that played to the legions strengths. It seamlessly integrated skirmishers into the matrix of heavy infantry, while its three lines provided for built-in relief and reinforcement, easily deployed through the legions checkerboard array. The reserve force, the triarii, was particularly important, especially when Hellenistic generals consistently failed to maintain adequate reserves.

Roman soldiers were also better equipped for close combat than the Macedonians. The sarissa was designed to break up formations and impale the enemy. But if the phalanx could be flanked or disrupted, the weapon lost much of its value. The phalangites round shields were small, and their training did not emphasize swordplay or individual combat. Lengthy sarissai hindered sudden maneuvers and made it difficult to react to an attack to the flank or rear.

The Roman historian Livy records the horror of Macedonian soldiers who saw what Roman swordsmanship could do: When they viewed the mutilated bodies, with arms slashed off from the shoulder, heads hacked clean off from the body, exposed guts and other disgusting wounds, the ranks shuddered as they realized that they must stand against such weapons.

The Roman advantage in sword- play helps explain the particularly heavy losses inflicted when they pursued defeated Hellenistic armies. Roman soldiers were no more violent or brutal than their opponents. In fact, the Greek historian Polybius believed that the Macedonians possessed the most warlike personalities, delighting in war as if it were a feast. The Roman soldier simply had the tools and training to inflict heavier losses when the matter came down to individual combat.

The strengths and weaknesses of both the phalanx and the legion were on display at Pydna, the last encounter of the Roman legion and the Macedonian phalanx. Opening skirmishingpossibly sparked by fighting over a runaway mulesoon developed into a full battle. Perseus committed his 21,000-strong phalanx as Roman ranks struggled to form. The shock value of the phalanx was readily apparent. The Romans were driven back by its charge, and early attempts to counterattack failed. A desperate Italian centurion even threw his maniples standard into the impenetrable array of pikes, motivating a doomed berserker charge by allied troopers, who attempted in vain to retrieve their colors.

Had the Romans panicked while falling back under this pressure, the initial charge could have won the day for the Macedonians. Yet the phalanx began to fall apart in the pursuit, especially as it maneuvered over a rough patch of ground. Aemilius Paullus ordered his maniples to flow into gaps as they opened, relying on the initiative of centurions and common soldiers to seize opportunity where they saw it. The phalanx, once compromised, never recovered. When the Macedonians took flight, the battle devolved into an orgy of butchery, with 20,000 Macedonians killed and 11,000 taken prisoner.

The Battle of Pydna established Roman supremacy throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. Perseus surrendered shortly afterward, and Rome abolished the Macedonian monarchy.

Aemilius Paullus returned to Rome in 167 and celebrated the triumph, displaying the captive king. Yet the victorious general in private often recalled the fury of the phalanx and his own initial sense of despair when standing in its path. He clearly knew how easily the battle might have gone the other way.

Originally published in the Winter 2011 issue of Military History Quarterly. To subscribe, click here.
The Grateful Gobbler Walk is Thursday morning The Grateful Gobbler Walk is Thursday morning The Grateful Gobbler Walk is Thursday morning The Grateful Gobbler Walk is Thursday morning The Grateful Gobbler Walk is Thursday morning Previous Next

Over 4,000 people will descend on Coolidge Park to burn off some Thanksgiving pre-meal calories while celebrating a long time Chattanooga Thanksgiving tradition on Thursday at the 18th Annual Grateful Gobbler Walk presented by First Tennessee Bank.

The family fun event will begin promptly at 8 a.m., giving everyone an opportunity to be home by 10 a.m. to place the finishing touches on their Thanksgiving meal.

One hundred percent of the proceeds of the walk will benefit The Maclellan Shelter for Families. This family shelter, located onsite at the Community Kitchen on 11th Street in Chattanooga, features 13 units with 64 beds and is the first of its kind in Chattanooga, as it provides a stable environment for an intact family to remain together as they search for permanent housing solutions. Since its opening in December 2014, approximately 300 families, comprising of more than 500 men, women, and children, have benefited from the programs including meals, case management, and job training provided by the shelter.

Children, adults, church leaders and their congregants, and pets adorned in festive costumes along with current and former residents of the Maclellan Shelter for Families, community leaders and officials from the Grateful Gobbler Planning Committee are all expected to participate.

There will be onsite registration on Thanksgiving morning beginning at 6 a.m. and will continue until 7:45 a.m., just before the start of the 18th Annual Grateful Gobbler Walk.

The cost to participate is $25 for walkers/runners 13 year and older and $15 for ages 12 and under. For those who are planning to travel out of town for the holiday or sleep in on Thanksgiving morning, they may support the Grateful Gobbler Walk by registering either as a Virtual or Sleep Walker for $15.

Coolidge Park will be festive and buzzing with Grateful Gobblers beginning Wednesday as walkers will be able to pick up their registration packets, race day T-shirt and to purchase Thanksgiving festive merchandise between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Coolidge Park Pavilion.
The notorious cult leader, who has been behind bars since 1969, has died at the age of 83-years-old.

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Veterans Business Battle is accepting applications for its 2018 competition at Rice University.

The annual event began in 2015 as a partnership between Entrepreneurs' Organization of Houston and Rice Veterans in Business Association with a goal of inspiring and encouraging former military members to become entrepreneurs.

Veteran business owners pitch their companies to a panel of investors for a chance at investments, business partnerships and prize money. In the last three years, more than $2.5 million of investment offers have been extended to finalists, according to the news release.

RELATED: Investors extend $610,000 to veteran-owned businesses

Submit an application at www.vetbizbattle.com by Feb. 1. Businesses must be majority owned by an honorably discharged military veteran living in the U.S. Both early-stage businesses and existing companies needing growth capital are encouraged to apply.

Finalists will be invited to make their business pitch April 13 and April 14 at Rice University.
Marcia Smart

With the heavy carb and butter load at the Thanksgiving table, it always feels virtuous to start with a plate of greens. In this colorful salad, raw collards are mild and almost milky in flavor, while shredded Brussels sprouts soak up the tang of apple cider vinegar dressing. Pops of sweet crunch from apple and pomegranate and the toasty taste of pecans pull it all together. The best part? Once these hearty greens are tossed, they won't wilt as you set out the biscuits and pour the wine.

Chopped Collard Green and Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pecans
When Sylvester Turner took office as Mayor of Houston, he affirmed his commitment to creating an equitable city. He talked about creating "one Houston" and not a city of haves and have-nots. Now, a new set of recommendations from the mayor's equity task force provides a blueprint for the city to bridge that gap.

Though pension reform has dominated much of his tenure so far, Turner has also launched his Complete Communities initiative meant to coordinate and boost investment in five long underserved neighborhoods. But without dedicated funding, the rollout has brought questions. His administration also faces a lingering charge of fair housing violations after he effectively rejected a proposal to build a low-income housing tax credit project in a wealthy part of town that expressed vocal criticism to the idea. Now facing the daunting task of recovery after Hurricane Harvey, equity is top of mind for many advocates.

In one of the most economically segregated cities in the country, the divide between the haves and have-nots is apparent. "While Houston ranks as the second-most prosperous city in the United States and the fifth fastest-growing, it only ranks 64th on a list of most economically inclusive cities," notes a recently released report from the task force, which included researchers from the Kinder Institute.

The task force generated a list of recommendations that took into account the city's financial constraints, including two specific aims: launching a jobs program with the goal of creating 20,000 new or improved jobs with family-sustaining wages by 2022 and piloting "a scalable early childhood education program that could reach up to 40,000 children by 2025," according to the report.

The task force also offers metrics and strategies to track and coordinate investment aimed at increasing equity as well as changes to how the city raises raises and distributes funds.

Challenges

The problem is particularly pressing in Houston, argues the report, where roughly 23 percent of the population, and 35 percent of all children, live in poverty. Poverty contributes to a number of strains on individuals and the city, the report notes, estimating that evictions, unpaid taxes and utility bills cost the city $51 million to $117 million annually.

INEQUALITY: How to avoid gentrifying a neighborhood

And though the city has touted its relatively low unemployment rate, the measure climbed above the national average in 2016. A more complete measure, the report argues, would also include underemployed workers.

These burdens fall unequally on Houston's residents.

Mayoral Task Force on Equity

Compounding a lack of investment at the neighborhood level, African-American and Latino residents face additional challenges. African-American and Latino children, for example, are nearly five times more likely to live in poverty than white children in Houston, according to the report. And African-American and Latino workers are less likely than white workers to hold jobs that pay more than $45,000, according to the report. Women also earn 25 percent less than men's median wages in Houston.

Jobs

Because of state restrictions, the city is limited in its ability to raise the minimum wage. Instead, the report suggests instituting a "family-sustaining wage policy" or a roughly $15 minimum wage for the City of Houston's direct hires, contractors and subcontractors as well as companies and groups receiving funds, subsidies or preferential treatment from the City.

SOCIAL MOBILITY: Why it's harder than ever to move out of poverty

In addition, the report recommends requiring hiring policies of those same city-involved employers that advantage local residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Apprenticeships and training programs as well as expanding existing programs, like the Hire Houston Youth program, would also help connect residents to jobs.

Child care and education

In the absence of well-funded state or federal efforts to expand early childhood education, the report argues the city should take up the task with a pilot program, modeled on similar programs elsewhere. The proposed three-year program would provide scholarships to 1,500 economically disadvantaged children under the age of four in one of four Complete Communities pilot neighborhoods where the Collaborative for Children is also active.

Mayoral Task Force on Equity

Those scholarships would not only offer quality education to young children, but would allow parents to participate in the workforce by making child care affordable, the report argues.

The report also calls on the city to step up its investment in affordable housing and infrastructure and to change its own processes for addressing and tracking equity as well as raising and distributing city funds.

For more recommendations and analysis, read the report here.

Leah Binkovitz (@leahbink), formerly of the Houston Chronicle, is now a staff writer for Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. This article originally appeared on the Kinder Institute's blog, The Urban Edge.

Bookmark Gray Matters. It takes into account the city's financial constraints.
Lately, in response to the outing of bad behavior toward women at the hands of powerful men like Harvey Weinstein, many of us who have spent decades putting up with similar behavior in the workplace are reconsidering similar experiences in our own pasts. I'm now in my 40s, and digging back through those experiences is painful, but it's important that people are finally listening.

There have been many times that men who had some power over my job or career put me in a position that was sexually uncomfortable. I can think of a hundred times when I was overlooked in favor of a man who was doing the same thing I was doing or less. I wasn't raped, but I was often coerced. I wasn't physically hurt, but I was touched when I didn't want to be. I was never directly told that I couldn't do something, but I was often overlooked in favor of a man.

Every time I felt uncomfortable or discriminated against, I tried to navigate around it quietly. I knew that speaking out would get me no support from men or women. I am not famous, and I have no real power. I work in Houston, in the arts, and I'm a teacher. I had a single mother, and I'm the first person in my family to have even gone to college. There's never been anyone to bail me out if I made too much noise and got myself fired.

I knew there could be consequences, because I'd seen them. I've seen women reject sexual advances from bosses and get fired for something ridiculous and seemingly unrelated the following week. I've seen more prominent women claim sexual harassment against politicians, only to be publicly slut-shamed, left with a name that lingered as a punchline for decades, while the accused man continued on his path to success.

Until now, I just thought that was the way things were.

In only a few weeks, though, it seems that the rules have changed: The current generation of women is refusing to put up with that crap. I am in awe of them.

But I also wonder how different things will be  where the line is now for any of us, and if it is changing fast enough.

Dozens of women had spoken out for decades against Weinstein and Cosby and others like them, and it's only been recently that anyone has listened to them. I understand why they waited to be safe, why it mattered that they had an army of others with them and a societal change of attitude. And I worry that even now, the world has not changed enough.

I mean, it only took one man posting on social media about Kevin Spacey making a pass at him when he was 14, and it was taken so seriously that Spacey's career was destroyed in a matter of days. In the same month, a politician was accused of sexual contact with 14-year-old girls, and he's still running for senator; allegations from multiple women are doubted in a way that a lone man's are not, and may not be enough to destroy a man's career. Our current president was recorded bragging about groping women, and he still got elected.

BEFORE I FOUNDED my theater company in 2001, I was an actress. I also had other jobs, as most of us did then in Houston, and I was sexually harassed in some way at every job I had. It was annoying and uncomfortable, but it was normal. Those guys were in charge, and I wasn't, and I needed my job.

There was the manager at the travel agency who made a comment almost every day about what I was wearing or how short my skirt was. I was 19, and a couple of times I flirted back because I was intimidated by him and worried that he would fire me if he didn't like me. I didn't know what else to do.

He often made those comments in front of my female co-workers, who were older and more experienced, and who quickly began to resent me. Once, when we were alone in the office, he pulled me into his lap and asked if he could see my panties while he pushed his hand up my skirt. I was ashamed that I had inspired him to do that, and I never told anyone  and most certainly not my co-workers.

At another job, a male executive old enough to be my father walked by my desk, pulled the hair clip out of my hair, and fluffed up my hair with his hands. "Wear it down," he told me. "I like you better that way."

Two other women saw him do it, and nobody said anything.

In my twenties, I worked for a while in an office that sucked up to clients by taking them to lunch. About once a week, a male client 30 years my senior came to our office and "flirted" with me by telling me filthy jokes. Everyone I worked with knew this man was being sexually aggressive, and everyone joked that I needed to use that dynamic to keep his business.I was pressured to go to lunch with him.

For our lunch meeting, he took me to a strip bar, and I was forced to try to talk business while other women were taking their clothes off right in my face. Even the exotic dancers thought he was wrong for doing that. One of them told me so in the ladies room and promised to bleed him dry in tips.

She was braver than any co-worker I ever had. At least she noticed and tried to do something about it.

I NEVER REALLY felt that harassment happened to me in the arts, but now that it's been defined more specifically for me, I know it did: Incidents that made me uncomfortable might be treated differently if they happened to a young woman today.

There were a couple of directors who were creepy and made passes at me while I was working with them. There was a gropey male actor who, as there was an audience and I couldn't protest without ruining the show, ignored our rehearsed stage kiss and stuck his tongue in my mouth while grabbing my butt.

And once, after a rehearsal, a director was giving acting notes and said to me in front of the whole group, "Nice cleavage. Let's make sure to keep that in."

Everyone laughed. I was uncomfortable, but I felt that I had to play it off and laugh with them. Making a big deal about it would only make it seem like I wasn't bonding with the group. It's not like I was being raped or even groped, so what was the big deal?

The reason I remember that last incident so clearly is that a few years later, I was in another play with a younger actress, and the director of that play said something similar to her. She calmly stood up and left the theater.

I was stunned, and so was everyone else, but nobody said anything to stick up for her  not even me. She still has my utmost admiration, and I feel ashamed for not leaving with her.

In 2001, I founded my own theater with a male friend who had written a play. I was only an actress, but I learned the ropes as I went along to figure out all of the things that we needed to do to make productions happen, and I was in charge.

We needed a website. We met with a website designer twice, and he was told that I was in charge. In both meetings, all the questions and directions came from me, but he didn't once make eye contact in either meeting. I'd ask a question, and he would direct the answer to my male colleague.

After we left his office, the men who were with me said they hadn't noticed.

Then in the final meeting we set up with him, I had to meet with him alone. I sat in a chair as he explained the site to me, standing way too close behind me, breathing on the back of my neck, and even once putting his hand on my thigh as he leaned closer to the computer screen. Because I was trained to tolerate such things, I just got through it, and screamed alone when I got into my car.

I told a couple of friends about it. They rolled their eyes, and we moved on.

IN SPITE OF all these incidents, it's not the harassment that has happened to me and other women in my circle that troubles me most. It's the discrimination.

It comes from women as well as men, and I'm not sure it is conscious. The incidents are generally small, but they add up.

Even though I had co-founded the theatre and was directing, acting and running everything, most of the early press stories about our company focused on my male partner. It didn't matter whether the stories were written by a man or a woman.

Once, a few years into it, he was even mentioned prominently in a story about a play we were doing that he didn't write and had no participation in whatsoever. Everyone involved rolled their eyes, but we moved on.

Sometimes I chalked it up to his being more dynamic and interesting, and maybe that was the truth of it. It's a hard thing for me to judge, having been socially conditioned not to expect to be treated equally.

But often I found myself lashing out at my co-founder about it, because I didn't feel that I was allowed to say anything to anyone else. But he wasn't actually doing anything to solicit this attention; he just wasn't doing anything to stop it. I'm not sure that he even really noticed.

After a few years, he retired from our company. Then the attention often went to male artists who I brought in to work with us, and rarely on the female writers, directors and stars we had on board.

Once, we were producing a new play by a female playwright, with a female director and an ensemble cast of both men and women, and a reporter called me about the play and wanted to interview a male actor who was playing a fairly small role in the show. The article was about him, and his connection to the show. I let it happen because I was afraid we'd get no press otherwise, and we needed to sell tickets.

Pin Lim

I hesitated to include that last anecdote here, because I am almost positive the response will be the same as it was in all those jobs where I put up with harassment. I worry that I am just asking for someone to say, "It's not because you're a woman. It's because you aren't interesting and talented, and those men you work with are."

And who knows? Maybe that is the reason.

But it doesn't explain why I've seen it happen to other female artists who I know to be worthy of praise.

FROM THE BEGINNING, unless my partner wrote a play for us, when I chose a play to produce, I tended to choose plays by women. At a time when the theater scene was small and still developing, we premiered a few well-known female playwrights here in Houston.

A few years ago, when we needed to clarify our niche, we officially changed our mission to focus on the work of women. In a way, it wasn't a big deal: All we did was to change the official description of our theater to fit what we had been doing for a long time anyway. We aren't doing plays only meant for women, or even only plays about being women. We are producing plays about human beings who happen to be female.

But since then, several of the arts writers who used to write us regularly now rarely respond to our press releases. Maybe there is just more theater these days and we aren't as artistically relevant anymore. Maybe we just don't have enough interesting men involved. I find all kinds of ways to justify it so I don't have to allow myself to think it is because we are women.

We don't even exclude male playwrights if they have gender parity casting and a feminine focus, although one of the times we produced a play by a man, a reviewer criticized it for not being 'feminist' and lacking in 'girl power.'

Obviously my interpretation of the play didn't sit well with her. But her language has stayed with me: We aren't The Spice Girls. We're just a theater company that wants to make sure there are opportunities for women to write, direct and perform. We are simply trying to tell stories that focus on human characters who often happen to be women.

I wonder sometimes if women are just not that interesting to some people unless they're sexy, or to others only if they're screaming about how it sucks to be a woman. With both of those things, we risk negative attention.

Just being human beings hasn't been enough for women to be treated with respect and dignity, it seems. That's what many of us are angry about.

Maybe that is changing. I hope so. I am exhausted with the old ways. I'm looking forward to living with the new ones. I'm just hesitant to trust them yet.

Jennifer Decker is the founder and artistic director of Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company and on the English Faculty of Houston Community College.

Bookmark Gray Matters. In the ladies' room, it'll promise to bleed your harasser dry in tips.


A Liberty County man who has terrified women the last few years allegedly exposing himself is behind bars again.

Gilbert Charles Trahan III of FM 770 Liberty was taken into custody just moments ago.

"A Liberty County judge saw the reports of the suspect and saw there was an issue with him committing offenses while he was out on bond," said Liberty County Attorney Matt Poston.

"He believed there was enough probable cause to issue a warrant under a procedure called 'sua ponte' or on his own more or less," the county attorney said.

An Attorney General's warrant apprehension unit found Trahan in a neighborhood near Reliant Center in Houston and made the arrest within the hour.

Poston said he is currently in route to Liberty County Jail and unlikely to see a judge until next Monday.

"He will be safely locked up during the holidays and his victims can rest easy knowing he's behind bars," he said.

Poston said he will face Judge Tommy Chambers who is likely to issue another bond, but at a higher amount to keep him in custody this time.

Trahan had been out on bond with three trials pending when he was arrested again for the second time in just a week for allegedly exposing himself at a Stripes gas station in Dayton.

Police officers found him sitting in his car and detained him while they heard the victim's story.

After reviewing the surveillance tape at the gas station which showed him exposing his private parts and pleasing himself in front of the clerk, Trahan was arrested and transported to the Liberty County Jail.

According to court records, Trahan was arrested just days ago for indecent exposure.

His criminal record also shows an arrest on 6/4/2015 for indecent exposure, 10/13/2017 for disorderly conduct-indecent language. The record shows the 2015 incident was adjudicated with Trahan receiving a 6-month sentence to county jail. The other three cases on his record are pending trial.

Just last week, Poston said that he would go before the court and ask to have his bond revoked, but the judge apparently beat him to it.

More on this story as it develops.
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The man who prosecutors say watched as his ex-boyfriend was strangled in late 2015 is now facing kidnapping and tampering charges in connection with the murder of 28-year-old Marc Pourner.

Daniel Wade Kirksey, 31, was arrested Thursday at his home in the 17000 block of Gleneagle Drive South off Texas 242 by members of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office SWAT team. He is accused of helping David James Brown Jr., 24, kidnap Pourner on Nov. 11, 2015, before Pourner's death later that day.

Felony indictments also claim Kirksey burned Pourner's bag and cell phone in an effort to dupe detectives.

HORRIFIC ABUSE: Conroe couple accused of harming children indicted

Pourner's mother and father, Mark and Jolena Pourner, said they were "thrilled" to hear about Kirksey being charged. He's facing first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping and third-degree felony tampering with physical evidence charges, which could land him in prison for life if convicted.

"We were initially concerned that Daniel, in order to save himself, was going to testify against (Brown) and then walk away free," Jolena Pourner said. "He's been walking around for two years thinking he's getting away with it."

Kirksey was originally listed as a potential witness to testify against Brown during his upcoming capital murder trial set for Dec. 18 in Judge Patty Maginnis's 435th state District Court. Lead Prosecutor Vince Santini said he is unlikely to call Kirksey as a witness during trial, citing the likelihood he pleads his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination as his own criminal case is being handled.

Brown is accused of bounding, gagging and strangling Pourner after an argument between him and Pourner, Montgomery County Sheriff's detectives claim. Kirksey watched as Brown began to fight with Pourner, detectives believe, before helping Brown stuff Pourner into his own truck and taking him to a location near FM 1485 and Firetower Road.

Kirksey initially told investigators that was the last time he saw Pourner alive but later told them he was in the truck with Brown and Pourner, according to court documents. He said he saw Brown take Pourner out of the truck once they arrived at Firetower Road before hitting him again and then strangling him to death, detectives said.

Kirksey also told detectives he saw Brown light something on fire and throw it in the truck before the two left. On Nov. 13, 2015, Pourner's parents listed him as missing.

His body was found the next day feet away from the burned truck.

Brown fled to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, before he was arrested and extradited to Montgomery County on a capital murder charge, which carries an automatic life-without-parole prison sentence if he's convicted. The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office is not seeking the death penalty against Brown.

Despite recent trial date resets, Santini said Kirksey's new charges should not affect Brown's Dec. 18 trial date.

"Any evidence I have that I was using to show grand jurors (about) Daniel Kirksey we had already provided to (Brown's) defense," Santini said. "Judge Patty Maginnis made it clear that one case would not affect the other cases' trial setting."

In a previous motion filed in May, Brown's Conroe-based defense attorney, Mike Aduddell, claimed there is DNA evidence that implicated prosecutors' "star witness," claiming this person is "actually far more complicit in Mr. Pourner's death than the prosecution (has) previously acknowledged."

Aduddell's motion did not identify the "star witness," although Kirksey was the only other person present when Pourner was murdered. He could not be reached by press time but previously declined to comment on the ongoing case.

Kirksey did not have an attorney listed in court documents by press time. He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $175,000 worth of bonds.

Brown will be back for his last pre-trial hearing in Maginnis's court Nov. 27.
There are more than 3 billion men on the planet and People magazine picked Blake Shelton as the sexiest of them all?

I'm sorry, but no.

Look, I'm not here to debate physical attractiveness. And I'm well aware that Shelton is many people's cup of sweet tea. That's cool. But sexy is more than just how someone looks. There's supposed to be an element of je ne sais quoi to "sexy."

Blake Shelton is no-baked straight from the recipe book without any improvisation, though. Bland and branded, I feel like je sais everything about him - because I've seen him a million times before.

He's the guy, who in The Year Of The Woman sings the lyrics, "You find the spot and I'll find the money, You be the pretty and I'll be the funny"  presumably to Gwen Stefani, who if I'm not mistaken can find her own damn money.

Sexy should be less patronizing than that. Would John Legend ever sing that about Chrissy Teigen? No, never. And not just because she'd skewer him on Twitter, but because he prides himself on an equal partnership.

That's sexy.

"But Maggie," you say. "What about Blake's 'Everyman' quality? You can't possibly deny that there's something sexy about that, can you?"

Yes, I totally get the "Everyman" thing  known commodities and approachability. Take me to an ice cream stand, and I will order two scoops of vanilla four out of five times. But Blake Shelton is not even vanilla. He's mashed potatoes - meant to be consumed mindlessly, in much greater quantities than you originally intended.

If you're looking for a real "Everyman," why not look to George Springer? During the World Series, one commentator said Springer looks like he could be anyone's son or brother - like he could have grown up in any American family. And that's so true. He's got that boy-next-door charm down pat, but unlike Shelton, there's no "Aww shucks" in Springer. He's very clear about all the determination and focus it took to not only become the World Series MVP, but also to overcome a debilitating stutter. And now he talks to kids about his struggle in hopes of empowering them.

That's sexy.

You know what else is sexy? A sense of humor.And this is where Shelton becomes a legitimate contender. He's the goofball on "The Voice," constantly poking fun at his cast mates, especially Adam Levine a former recipient of the "Sexiest Man Alive" honor by People. When Shelton first learned he was earning the title this year, he said he couldn't wait to "shove this up Adam's" ... we'll say "butt." That's good for a cheap laugh, as many of Shelton's quips and one-liners are.

But that kind of laugh is over as soon as it's begun. It's cute, maybe. But hardly sexy. A sexy sense of humor relies on jokes that make you think. Colin Jost has a sexy sense of humor. Trevor Noah has a sexy sense of humor. Aziz Ansari has a sexy sense of humor. And Lord help me for saying this, but in 2017, Jimmy Kimmel has proven that even he has a sexy sense of humor, for how he's making Americans rethink complicated issues like healthcare.

At the end of the day, Blake Shelton feels like a guy who has carefully choreographed every move he makes and every word that comes out of his mouth. It's a great strategy to become a household name. But it just shouldn't be enough to qualify as the sexiest man alive any more.
Bobby Baker, a protege of future president Lyndon B. Johnson whose career of wealth and privilege came crashing down in an influence-peddling scandal, died Nov. 12 - his 89th birthday - in St. Augustine, Florida.

The death of Baker, once the most influential staffer in the U.S. Senate, was confirmed in an announcement by the Craig Funeral Home in St. Augustine. No cause was reported.

"Mr. Baker, I understand you know where the bodies are buried in the Senate. I'd appreciate it if you'd come to my office and talk with me," the newly elected Sen. Johnson, D-Texas, said in his first telephone conversation with Baker in late 1948.

Baker was just 20 at the time and a staffer for the Senate leadership, keeping track of legislation and when it would be coming up for a vote. His vast knowledge of the operations of the Senate and his facility in the art of accommodation - moving pet legislative projects ahead for some senators or helping fulfill the proclivities of others for drink, sex or cash - would make him an invaluable asset to Johnson.

He would come to be known as "Little Lyndon," and he became the eyes and ears in the Senate for the man he would refer to simply as "Leader." As majority leader, a post Johnson was elected to in 1955, the Texas senator never wanted to be on the wrong side of a vote, and Baker developed an uncanny knack of giving him a precise head count for any upcoming tally.

"He is the first person I talk to in the morning and the last one at night," Johnson once said.

For his part, Baker made it fairly clear he would do anything to curry favor with Johnson. He copied his mentor's clothes and mannerisms and named two of his children after the senator.

As Johnson's power grew, so did Baker's. President John F. Kennedy once referred to the young aide as the "101st senator."

Using his guile, political skill and finesse in the art of the deal, Baker amassed a fortune of more than $2 million in his moonlighting activities with holdings in cattle, insurance, vending machines, real estate and gambling operations in the Caribbean. He lived in the Spring Valley section of Washington, close to the far wealthier Johnson. He achieved all of this on an official salary of $19,600 a year.

Years later, he justified his highflying ways in his memoir, which was aptly titled: "Wheeling and Dealing: Confessions of a Capitol Hill Operator."

"Like my bosses and sponsors in the Senate, I was ambitious and eager to feather my personal nest," Baker wrote in the book, a collaboration with author Larry King.

"As they presumed their high stations to entitle them to accept gratuities or hospitalities from patrons who had special axes to grind, so did I," Baker added. "As they took advantage of privileged information to get in on the ground floor of attractive investments, so did I. As they used their powerful positions to gain loans or credit that otherwise might not have been granted, so did I."

Baker's world of privilege and political connections came crashing down in the fall of 1963. A former business associate, Ralph Hill, filed a lawsuit against him, charging that Baker had taken thousands of dollars in cash from Hill to use his influence with North American Aviation Corp. to steer a vending machine contract Hill's way. And then, Hill charged, Baker double-crossed him.

The lawsuit piqued the interest of Senate Republicans, who pressed for an investigation. And Johnson, who was then the vice president and feared that his own questionable financial dealings would come under scrutiny, went to extraordinary lengths to deny his close relationship with Baker, the man he once declared was "like a son to me because I don't have one of my own."

He basically cut his protege off without a word.

- - -

Baker soon showed up on the cover of Time magazine, and Life ran an article detailing his highflying career and pointing to his relationships with certain "party girls."

It was discovered that Baker owned a condominium where high-profile Washington figures were entertained by women who were not their wives. Time quoted one neighbor as saying: "A lot of people used to come through the back door. That struck us as strange. Most of our guests come through the front door."

It was also disclosed that Baker was the co-founder of the Quorum Club, located in the Carroll Arms, a small hotel on Capitol Hill. It was a place where lawmakers, lobbyists and other interested parties would drink, play cards and dally with young women.

The club was outfitted with a buzzer that alerted senators when measures were coming up for a vote so they could scurry across the street for a roll call. One report from the time said that the club was just "an ice cube's throw from the Capitol."

Baker thought he could control the damage from the calls for an investigation by quietly resigning his Senate post in the fall of 1963, just before a Senate panel was starting a probe.

The Democratic-controlled Senate conducted a lukewarm inquiry and offered a whitewashed report. Kennedy's assassination that November and the fact that Johnson was now president may also have dampened enthusiasm for a vigorous probe. It certainly dampened the news coverage of Baker's relationship with the new president.

But Baker's troubles were far from over.

His legal downfall came in 1967, when he was indicted on charges of tax evasion, theft and fraud. Baker had allegedly been asked by savings and loan industry officials in California to deliver a six-figure sum to Sen. Robert Kerr, D-Okla., who died in 1963. According to Baker's memoir, that money was to have been an inducement to derail a bill that would have been costly to the savings and loan industry. Baker's transgression, according to the grand jury, was that he kept nearly $50,000 for himself.

Baker denied the charges, but he was convicted and by January 1971, all of his legal challenges had been rejected. He prepared himself for federal prison, where he served 16 months of a one- to three-year sentence.

The eldest of eight children, Robert Gene Baker was born in Easley, South Carolina, on Nov. 12, 1928. His father, Ernest, was a postal worker. Years later, during the Eisenhower administration, when his son was enjoying considerable influence in the Senate, Ernest Baker was appointed postmaster of Easley.

At an early age, Bobby Baker was working at a local Rexall drugstore. He wrote in his memoir that he developed an aptitude for sizing up the wants and desires of some of the town's leading citizens: "As a delivery boy, I witnessed secret drinkers and occasionally found a strange man in another man's house. Very early I concluded that things are not always what they seem."

He was just 14 when he was offered the chance to go to Washington as a page in the Senate after the son of a local political boss turned the opportunity down. He earned a high school degree from the Capitol Page School and received a bachelor's degree from American University in 1955.

His marriage, in 1949, to Dorothy Comstock, a clerk for the Senate internal security subcommittee, ended in divorce. Their son Lyndon died at 16 in an automobile accident. Survivors include four children; several siblings; 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

After leaving prison, Baker lived in South Florida and worked for a time for a waste management firm.

A few months before Johnson's death in January 1973, the former president asked Baker to visit him at his ranch in Texas, with the understanding that the visit would be kept private before and after it occurred.

According to Baker, Johnson explained his failure to speak out in his protege's defense by saying: "Everything within me wanted to come to your aid. But they would have crucified me," Baker recalled in his memoir.

At the end of the weekend visit, Baker wrote that he passed by the guest book that Johnson and his wife had kept on a table in the hallway of their sprawling ranch house. Although Baker had signed it numerous times in the past, on this last visit the invitation to do so again was not extended to him. Johnson was still taking no chances.
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Authorities for discipline inspection in central China's Hunan Province are investigating whether there is a dereliction of duty or misconduct of civil servants following an outbreak of tuberculosis there.

The TB outbreak was reported at the Fourth Middle School of Taojiang County in August, the provincial health and family planning commission said.

As of Thursday, 29 students were confirmed to have been infected by tuberculosis, and there were five more suspected cases.

Altogether 72 students had received treatment or put under observation, including 38 students who had been given medication for prevention.

So far, 50 students have recovered and are healthy to return to school, while the rest 22 students still have to go through required regular checkups before they are fit for school, the commission said.

The Fourth Middle School of Taojiang County has 3,000 students.
BRUSSELS - California Gov. Jerry Brown's recent trip to the capital of the European Union had all the trappings of a visit by a head of state - he even got an upgraded title.

"Mr. President, welcome in Brussels," Brown, a Democrat, was told this month as he exited his Mercedes van in front of the European Parliament in the spot usually reserved for national leaders. Then he was whisked off to a day of hearings, testimony and high-level meetings in the heart of European power.

Nearly a year into the Trump presidency, countries around the world are scrambling to adapt as the White House has struggled to fill key government positions, scaled back the State Department and upended old alliances. Now some nations are finding that even if they are frustrated by President Donald Trump's Washington, they can still prosper from robust relations with the California Republic and a constellation of like-minded U.S. cities, some of which are bigger than European countries.

Brown's 10-day trip to Europe, which ended Tuesday, was just the latest in a growing transatlantic back-and-forth that bypasses the Trump-era White House. In July, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio headlined a protest in Hamburg against the Group of 20. Several European countries have stationed ambassadors in Silicon Valley to boost trade ties.

Meanwhile, state and municipal governments are expanding or building new offices to help them manage the increased interest in Europe and Asia. This year, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat, created the position of deputy mayor for international affairs to better manage relations with foreign governments.

Last week Garcetti huddled in Los Angeles with the Israeli president and Armenian defense minister. The latter stopped by on his way to a peacekeeping conference and briefly described his country's ongoing dispute with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The mayor's motives for taking the meeting were simple. "We have a big Armenian population in Los Angeles that cares about events in Armenia," said Nina Hachigian, who filled the international affairs position and previously served in the Obama administration as U.S. ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Many world leaders say they have no illusions that they can avoid the White House on critical issues at the core of global stability, especially those related to security. But they have embraced efforts by Democratic governors and mayors to present a different face of U.S. power to the world, albeit at a lower level than the White House or State Department.

"There is an impression by politicians here that President Trump in person is no longer the voice of the free Western world," said Christian Ehler, a German lawmaker who heads the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the United States and helped broker Brown's visit to Brussels. "We are much more carefully looking now to the diversity of what is being discussed in the United States, and we see that California is one of the powerhouses of the world economically."

European leaders said they have been frustrated by the Trump administration's unprecedented slowness in filling senior political jobs at the State Department and Pentagon, which has given them few policy interlocutors in Washington.

VIDEO: Schwarzenegger on pollution: "It's time we do better"

Ambassadors complain that even when they can secure meetings with administration officials, the policy is often unclear.

"The problem is that people don't know anything," said one Eastern European ambassador in Washington who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share his frank opinion. "They are quite open about it. . . . It doesn't matter what level. It is all levels."

In meetings with Trump to present their credentials, European ambassadors said the president was laser focused on two subjects. He wanted to know how much their countries were spending on defense and the size of their trade deficit with the United States, two ambassadors said.

In Europe, leaders have been especially frustrated by Trump's June decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, viewing it as a gratuitous slap at them on one of their top priorities. So they welcomed Brown's climate-change-focused trip, which was built around global-warming talks taking place in Bonn.

Ehler said that although European countries always have had robust ties with U.S. cities and states for business reasons, the center of their conversations had shifted since Trump took office.

In the past, he said, the federal government was the focus on most big issues. Now when governors and mayors come to visit, "climate change or environmental issues, or regulatory issues, are the focus. Because these issues are dropping down from the capital level to the state or community level," Ehler said.

In the United States, local governments are still figuring out how best to influence policy debates and work with international partners.

"We don't have a separate foreign policy. We have initiatives and city-to-city cooperation," said Hachigian, who leads a seven-person foreign affairs team that includes former Pentagon and State Department officials. She said she has been flooded with applications from Foreign Service officers who over the first 11 months of the Trump administration have fled the State Department.

Garcetti's discussions with foreign leaders at home and overseas often focus on disaster response, trade, water conservation, homelessness and sustainability.

"We can create ties that could be useful and some consolation given the difficulties that our foreign counterparts are having with Washington," she said.

In Brussels, Brown got all the welcome of a global leader, delivering an address in the vast European Parliament hemicycle from the same rostrum as German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she is in town. Brown commanded applause at a Vatican environment conference; joined the Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and Virginia at the Bonn climate gathering; and was feted by EU ministers for his efforts to combat rising greenhouse gases.

Brown said that he was happy to take on the role of a U.S. emissary even if he cannot negotiate treaties.

"I don't think we can confine our thinking just to federal employees," Brown told a small group of reporters.

"I have an opportunity to talk to a lot of national leaders, and so that's good," he said. Contact between U.S. states and other countries can be "helpful and important, because you have to keep talking. This business of yelling at each other across the ocean is not good."

The trip followed on the California governor's June decision to sign a joint statement with the German government on climate cooperation, an unusual move by a U.S. state and an entire nation to work together to fight rising temperatures. Next September, Brown plans to host a global climate summit in San Francisco intended to support the same Paris climate agreement that Trump plans to exit.

Top officials who met with Brown said they were delighted to encounter a friendly American voice.

"The engagement against climate change must be global," said European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as he spoke at a news conference alongside Brown and senior European officials. "In the United States, there are several governors working in the right direction, even if the Trump government decided to change the line. What they are trying to do in the government of Mr. Brown is very interesting."
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In years past, the Mar-a-Lago Club's White and Gold Ballroom hosted some of the finest events of Palm Beach's gilded winter season. $750-a-plate charity luncheons. Quartets playing Mozart. Ambassadors in white tie and tails at the Red Cross Ball.

In years past.

Last week - as a new season began at the private club in Florida owned by President Donald Trump - a speaker on the ballroom stage was talking up far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

"I'm watching Alex Jones non-stop!" Joy Villa said, according to a video she posted of the event.

Villa - a pro-Trump Internet celebrity - was speaking to a group of Young Republicans. "We are populist. We are nationalist," she said, as waiters served brunch. "We put America first and we're not afraid!"

This week, Trump returns to Mar-a-Lago for the first time since April. He will confront a changed social scene.

During the summer, 19 charities that had events scheduled this season at Mar-a-Lago abruptly quit after Trump defended participants in a violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, organized by white supremacists.

In their place, the club is turning to a different kind of customer.

Republican groups. Televangelist Pat Robertson, who started a gala in order to hold it at Mar-a-Lago. And a group called "Trumpettes USA," which is planning a dinner in January that costs $300 per person. They intend for Mar-a-Lago to keep most - or all - of the money they take in.

Once a retreat from the divisive business of politics, the Palm Beach, Florida, landmark is now a place defined by those divisions - a dynamic the club is monetizing by booking events with Trump's political allies.

Mar-a-Lago is still hosting weddings and members for meals on the dining terrace. But the center of Palm Beach's traditional social scene has shifted to The Breakers, a club that Trump once mocked for getting his "leftovers."

"People will still put on their dancing shoes, and pay big money for their tickets, and go out of the night. [But] instead of going to Mar-a-Lago, they'll be going to The Breakers," said Shannon Donnelly, the society editor for the Palm Beach Daily News.

Before now, Donnelly said, Mar-a-Lago "wasn't political."

"Now," she said, "Donald is political."

Officials with Mar-a-Lago and the Trump Organization did not respond to questions about the new season. Last month, the club's general manager told the Palm Beach Post, "we are really doing fine. It will be a good season."

The Washington Post asked the White House if Trump himself had any contact with those now flocking to hold events at Mar-a-Lago.

"We have nothing to do with coordinating events. The idea that the President has time for event planning at [Mar-a-Lago] is insulting," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in an email.

Trump has given up day-to-day control of his real estate and hotelbusinesses. But he still owns them, including Mar-a-Lago - an old estate that Trump transformed into a private club in the 1990s. Back then, Mar-a-Lago was Palm Beach's progressive club. It was open to Jewish members.

This year, in Trump's words, it became the "winter White House."

For a few months this spring, it was a splendid sort of bubble. The glamour of the presidency flowed in, but the country's curdled politics did not.

Trump visited seven times. Initiation fees doubled, according to a CNBC report. Charities held galas and couples held weddings, and Trump dropped in on both. He mixed his new job with his old job - the table-hopping host of Palm Beach's elite.

"Big night, Shannon. Big night," Trump said one evening in April, when he stopped by Donnelly's table to chat.

Donnelly didn't understand. She only knew it was Prime Rib night. Later, she learned Trump was talking about launching cruise-missile strikes against Syria.

There were some warnings this winter season could be disrupted by the presidency. Earlier this year, seven charities decided to move their events, some blaming the security delays that came with a party in the president's house.

But there were still 25 big events on the schedule.

Then: Charlottesville, and the president's comments that there were "very fine people" in the crowd. In Palm Beach and around the country, his remarks roused a backlash.

Suddenly, Trump's charity clients found themselves under pressure from donors and strangers alike. Online, anti-Trump groups asked their members to contact charities and urge them to move. Even local Palm Beach officials jumped into the fray.

"Can you honestly say having an event at Mar-a-Lago, given all that has transpired, is the best stewardship of your efforts?" Laurel Baker, executive director of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, said in August. "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." [Days later, another chamber official apologized to Mar-a-Lago for her remarks].

Some members of Mar-a-Lago found that their friends didn't want to be invited to galas there anymore.

"'If it's at Mar-a-Lago, then we're not going," one former Mar-a-Lago member said he was recently told by a friend. The member quit recently, and asked that his name not be used, to protect his friendships in Palm Beach. "It's not the charity that matters anymore. It's the venue."

Mar-a-Lago's 25 previously identified bookings fell to six, according to a Post survey of town-issued permits, public social calendars and interviews with charities. One of the groups that stuck with Trump was the Palm Beach County GOP, which has held its Lincoln Day dinner at Mar-a-Lago since 2013. Before this year, it appeared to be the club's only overtly partisan gala.

Among those that left: the Red Cross, which canceled its Palm Beach gala outright, ending a 60-year tradition.

Another charity, Leaders in Furthering Education, switched to a new date at the Breakers resort, and wound up in a fight with crooner Paul Anka, who couldn't make the new day and wouldn't return their $75,000 deposit.

"They need to eat it," Anka, who sang the 1959 hit "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," told the New York Post.

The news was better for the Bethesda Hospital Foundation, which moved its Nov. 9 luncheon to a club in Boca Raton and had room for 100 more guests than it could fit at Mar-a-Lago. The lunch raised enough to buy a new physician-training tool: the Victoria S2200, a $60,000 robot woman who gives birth to a robot baby.

At the same time, Mar-a-Lago's calendar has also begun to refill.

The Republican Attorneys General Association booked Mar-a-Lago's Teahouse dining room last weekend, for a dinner where some state attorneys general dined with top donors.

How did they choose the president's club, out of all the dining rooms in south Florida?

"It is a historic venue very close to where the AGs were staying," said spokesman Zack Roday. He said the group did not get a discount for being Republicans.

The Young Republican National Federation, which hosted Villa in the White and Gold Ballroom, had never held an event at Mar-a-Lago before. Why now? "He's the leader of the Republican Party," said Matthew Thomas Oberly, press secretary for the Young Republican National Federation.

The Christian Broadcasting Network - whose chairman is Pat Robertson, a strong supporter of Trump - decided earlier this year to hold its first Palm Beach fundraiser gala for its charity Orphan's Promise.

And not just anywhere in Palm Beach.

This event was meant for Trump's club.

"Secure event date at private, exclusive Palm Beach 'winter White House,' " the charity instructed its event planner, according to documents filed with the town of Palm Beach. This event will be one of the biggest of any season at Mar-a-Lago: The town was told to expect 700 people.

The network said "a group of major donors" chose Mar-a-Lago as a venue. Through a spokesman, Robertson declined to be interviewed.

In two other cases, individual Trump supporters have come up with their own new events for Mar-a-Lago, with an aim of benefiting Trump.

Florida conservative activist Steven M. Alembik, for instance, is planning a 700-person "Truth About Israel Gala" at Mar-a-Lago in February. He plans to charge $600 a seat. He expects Mar-a-Lago will keep most of it, and that's fine.

"We're supporting our president, who supports Israel," Alembik said.

The "Trumpettes USA" - they add the "USA" because "Trumpette" is a brand of baby socks - are led by Toni Holt Kramer, a Mar-a-Lago member who has turned part of her home into a sort of shrine to Trump.

She has planned a dinner for Jan. 18. First, it was 700 people. Now, it's 800, she says. Two ballrooms. $300 per seat.

If there's money left over, Kramer says, it will go to a police charity. But she doesn't expect to have money left over, after paying Mar-a-Lago for the room and the food. And that's fine.

"I don't think any president has ever had such a rough nine months," Kramer said. She said event, called "A Red, White, and Blue Celebration for We the People," is drawing Trump fans from around the country and the world. When they sold out the first ballroom, she posted a photo of herself hugging the group's mascot: her poodle, Caviar Deux.

In recent days, Mar-a-Lago got another bit of good news.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue - an animal charity that had canceled its Mar-a-Lago booking in August - decided to come back to the venue. One of the co-chairs of the event is Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife.

To explain its reversal, the charity published a letter in the Palm Beach Daily News. It detailed how the politicization of Mar-a-Lago had torn its members apart.

The letter was written in the voice of a dog.

"My furry companions loved . . . The Mar-a-Lago Club and said they would only support us if we returned to our favorite yard," the fake dog wrote.

The fake dog called for a return to more tranquil times at Mar-a-Lago, when charities that did business with Trump's club didn't have to answer for Trump's politics.

"Arrffturall," the fake dog wrote, "charity and politics should never be mixed."

- - -

Fahrenthold and Harwell reported from Washington and Rozsa reported from Palm Beach, Fla. The Washington Post's Zane Anthony and Kathryn Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.
Leigh Corfman, who says Alabama Senate Republican nominee Roy Moore touched her sexually when she was 14 and he was 32, rejected his claim that he has never met her, saying Monday in her first television interview, "I wonder how many 'me's' he doesn't know."

Corfman, who is 53, was interviewed on NBC's "Today" show 11 days after her account first appeared in The Washington Post. She said she met Moore, then an assistant district attorney, in early 1979 when she was sitting on a bench with her mother outside a courtroom at the Etowah County Courthouse in Gadsden, Alabama.

Days later, she said, Moore picked her up around the corner from her house, brought her to his home, and touched her over her bra and underwear and guided her hand to touch him over his underwear.

"I didn't deserve to have a 32-year-old man prey upon me," Corfman said in the television interview.

Moore told Sean Hannity of Fox News that he had never met Corfman, though he did not rule out dating teenagers when he was in his early 30s.

The Post has written about five other women who say Moore pursued them when they were between the ages of 16 and 22, several of them while they were working at the Gadsden Mall in the late '70s and early '80s.

Another woman, Beverly Young Nelson, said at a New York City news conference with attorney Gloria Allred that Moore assaulted her when she was 16 years old. Two other women have described inappropriate behavior by Moore to Al.com. Some of the women say they were inspired to come forward after Corfman spoke publicly.

The allegations have led to mounting calls from Republicans in Congress for Moore to drop out of the race, but he has denied wrongdoing and declared he will keep campaigning. Some Moore supporters have suggested the women were paid to make up stories about Moore, which Corfman denied.

"If anything this has cost me," she said in the television interview. "I've had to take leave from my job. I have no tickets to Tahiti and my bank account has not flourished."
For a journalist, Houston offers an embarrassment of riches.

Between the size of the city, its diversity, its eccentricities, the experiences it's recently endured; the fact that it's in Texas, and home to so many intriguing Texans from all over the world - you can see why I couldn't resist the chance to join the Houston Chronicle as a metro columnist and thus far, I'm very happy with that decision.

My timing, however, could have been more fortuitous. I arrived in Houston in October, to take a job that would give me the opportunity to write about anything under the sun. But the issue that has dominated our national conversation, this past month, is sexual harassment and assault.

As I mentioned in a previous column, I'm somewhat ambivalent about the #MeToo movement that sprang up on social media during the weekend I moved to town. And part of me was reluctant to write another column about it, too.

For one thing, I was looking forward to writing a column about Kim Olson, a Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner, who I met this week and want Texans to know about, because she is a genuinely impressive candidate - and many voters would not say the same about Sid Miller, the incumbent.

Plus, I already wrote a column about sexual assault and harassment, after several women reported that George H.W. Bush had goosed them during photo ops.

And part of me was reluctant to write that one, too, because the conversations we've been having are important, but I doubt they are going to lead to meaningful change.

That's cynical, to be sure. Clearly, many men, and women, didn't understand how pervasive the problem at hand is. I don't fault them for that innocence, but the problem at hand is pervasive. I don't understand how anyone didn't already know that. It always has been. It continues to be, even though I wrote a column about it.

It's so pervasive, in fact, that the avalanche of recent revelations might have a numbing effect, or even elicit a backlash. We can all agree that for a grown man to fondle a 14-year-old girl, as Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama is accused of having done, is wrong. But most of the allegations we've heard, about men in politics, media and the film industry, are not quite as black-and-white as that. And some of them are directed at men many Americans admire, respect or rely on, in some sense.

The latter cases present a quandary for the general public. We saw an illustration of that this week, when Leeann Tweeden, a broadcaster from Los Angeles, reported that during a 2006 USO tour the comedian Al Franken, now a Democratic senator from Minnesota, forcibly kissed her and posed for a photograph, while she was sleeping, in which he pretended to grope her breasts.

Given the nature of Franken's offense, Tweeden was able to provide photographic evidence. Democrats, for the most part, expressed unequivocal disapproval of his behavior itself. But there was no consensus about what should happen next. Some called for Franken to resign. Others were satisfied with his promise to cooperate fully with an ethics investigation - or resigned to it, at least.

Dangerous precedent

Kate Harding, for example, argued that Franken's resignation would set a dangerous precedent, given the risk that similar allegations will emerge about other senators, some of whom are Democrats from states where a Republican governor would have the opportunity to appoint their replacement.

"Sexual harassment and assault are simply too widespread for Democrats to respond to Franken's offense with only Franken in mind," she wrote, in a column for the Washington Post.

I understand her reasoning, but we have to expect better than that. I say that not as a woman or out of solidarity with them, but as a person and a citizen.

As Americans, we live in a representative democracy. Politicians are supposed to work for us. All too often, they do not. And in many cases, we have no one but ourselves to blame for that, because the fecklessness they display in high office is something we were warned about.

The national conversation about sexual harassment and assault is a worthwhile one. Many Americans, on both sides of the aisle, are taking it seriously. But I think we are, collectively, missing the forest for the trees.

The problem we're talking about is a systemic one; that's why so many women, and men, have had occasion to make use of the hashtag, and been moved to do so. And it's not incorrect to specify that the problem we're talking about is sexual harassment and assault.

Decency not necessary

By framing it in those terms, however, we've become focused on what are ultimately symptoms of an underlying problem that affects us all. We have, for some reason, decided that decency is a nice but not necessary quality in a candidate for high office. We have become willing to overlook glaring character flaws, in the hopes of seeing progress on our preferred policy goals. We've become wishy-washy about a fundamental precept of interpersonal ethics, as articulated by the moral philosopher Immanuel Kant: People are ends unto themselves, not means to an end.

As long as we're being realistic, how is that working out?

Not well, in my view, and there are no easy solutions to the dysfunction and mutual mistrust we've become mired in as a result.

But internalizing Kant's principle, in my view, would be a good start.

People who do so aren't perfect, and won't always get things right. People who haven't are the ones who commit harassment or assault, because they feel entitled to, or confident they can get away with it; that's the common denominator in all the allegations we've heard over the past month.

And it's a principle we should insist that our elected officials abide by and defend, because it's a foundational premise of the United States, enshrined in the Constitution, which promises equal rights and protection to us all.

And, moreover, it's just common sense. If a man has a record of mistreating women, it would be naive to think that he respects other men. And although both Democrats and Republicans might be willing to overlook such allegations, doing so is more resigned than realistic. Politicians work for us. That's the deal, and ignoring it is what sets a genuinely dangerous precedent.
Hundreds of Houston-area elementary students at campuses with staggering, double-digit retention rates each year are forced to repeat the same grade level - a red flag that experts warn could have detrimental long-term effects on children.

Roughly 75 campuses in the region held back more than 10 percent of students in at least one elementary grade level in the fall of 2015, far above the statewide averages. Some schools had retention rates above 25 percent.

Educators blamed the retentions on poor attendance, new grading systems, sub-par reading or math skills, or failure to attend summer school.

"It's a real disservice to those kids," said Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, a Houston-based advocacy group. "We're basically saying, 'You're just going to repeat it, sorry, and we're going to go ahead and doom you at the same time to a poor academic life.'"

Although high retention rates affect a wide array of schools - including some with A ratings from Children at Risk - schools with double-digit retention rates had higher percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged students, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of a decade of state education data from 10 school districts.

Research shows that students who are held back are more likely to struggle socially and drop out of high school, making retention a last resort for many educators. The Houston Independent School District decided earlier this year to stop using failing scores on the state's standardized test as a reason to hold students back.

But critics question whether schools could be retaining students to give them more time to prepare for high-stakes standardized tests.

Paul Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina, said data for the local districts analyzed appear to match a model used in other states where kids are held back in hope of raising future test scores.

Charles Apple

"There is some evidence that grade retention in the short term will boost test scores," he said. "The problem with that is that the research also shows that that disappears over time."

Trusting the teachers

More than 60 elementary schools in Houston, Pasadena, Aldine and Alief ISDs had at least one grade level with retention rates exceeding 10 percent, according to the 2015-2016 Texas Academic Performance Report, which measures students held back for the fall of 2015, the most recent year for which data is available.

"That is a tremendously high number to fail and bring back to repeat a grade level," said Houston Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo.

At Burbank, Gregg and Field elementaries in Houston ISD, for example, retention surpassed 20 percent in the third grade, a number that one expert called "astronomical." Statewide, just 2 percent of third-graders were held back that year. Districtwide, it was just 4 percent.

Burbank Elementary administrators questioned the data, saying it didn't reflect their final retention numbers, while officials at Field Elementary in the Heights said much of their retention stemmed from refusal to attend summer schools.

Whatever the numbers show, Field parent Patty McGrail said she is confident the school is making the best decisions it can. "If they feel the need to hold a kid back, I trust that," she said. "I trust my child being there because I know the teachers there."

Other schools in the district cited retention requests from parents, an influx of new teachers, reading deficits and high student mobility rates as reasons for holding students back, according to Capo.

Sarah Becker, an active parent in Houston ISD, said the high retention rates could be related to the state's under-utilization of special education, as revealed last year in a Houston Chronicle investigation.

"These are kids who should be referred for special ed, and they're not getting referred," she said. "They'll just try retention even though it's not a good intervention and there's pretty much no research to support that idea. We should be referring them to special ed, but we're not."

Closing the gaps

In Pasadena ISD, where 13 schools had double-digit retention in the latest TAPR, two principals attributed the issue to a change in grading systems.

"A lot of the retention rate changes were the year we did the first standards-based report card," said Red Bluff Elementary Principal Tammie Hinton. "It was no longer an A-B-C-D-F program. In some schools it made their retention rate go up."

At South Belt Elementary, Principal Candy Howard saw that same trend, but added that the double-digit retention at her school failed to reflect the actual number of kids held back after finishing summer school.

In some cases, she said, the high retention rates could reflect staffing weaknesses.

"If you have 20 percent of the campus being retained, that's not about the students," she said. "That's about the teachers."

Alief ISD, which also had a number of elementaries with double-digit retentions, refused multiple requests for comment.

In Aldine ISD, 19 elementary schools had double-digit retention rates in at least one grade level, according to the TAPR data. More than 27 percent of second-graders at Calvert Elementary repeated the grade level, a problem that Principal Cheryl LeFleur attributed to high rates of absenteeism.

"Those with excessive absences were found to have many skill gaps in both reading and math," she said. "Closing the skills gaps alone took almost the entire year after kindergarten and first grade.

Rather than maintaining a solid foundation and preparing students for the next grade, we needed to provide many interventions to those second-grade students in order to attempt to close the skills gaps."

First grade historically has the highest retention rate in Texas elementary schools at just over 4 percent.

Finding solutions

School officials are adamant that students are not being retained to boost test scores.

"That would be ethically wrong," said Hinton, the Pasadena principal whose school has stayed under a 10 percent retention rate across all grades in the latest data. "I don't know any person that I have worked with who would retain a child to make their test scores higher," she said. "That actually makes me sick to my stomach."

Sanborn suggested that school districts need to implement early interventions to students who are behind, including tutoring, extended school days or full-day pre-kindergarten, rather than tossing taxpayer dollars at retention.

"We spend a lot of money in the state of Texas repeating these grades when that money would significantly be better spent on full-day pre-K," Sanborn said.

In addition, struggling students should be identified in the first month of school and worked with immediately, rather than waiting and allowing them to fail at such high rates. They should be paired with tutors and given extra help.

"When we see schools that are doing this right, they identify kids pretty quickly. Immediate intervention - we know that's a best practice," he said. "When you fail a child or you retain a child, the chances of them getting back on their feet and doing well are slim. If you retain, it's like a black mark on this child."

Matt Dempsey and Jaimy Jones contributed to this report.
New Year celebrations have been proceeding as usual in the eastern part of Tibet Autonomous Region, where a strong earthquake struck before dawn Saturday.

Sunday is the first day of the Kongpo New Year in the Nyingchi area according to the Tibetan calendar. In observing New Year customs, locals would clean their homes, dress up in festive clothes, set off fireworks and have fun.

At 6:34 a.m. Saturday, however, the 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Nyingchi City. The quake was felt strongly in all of the eight counties and districts in Nyingchi. It caused three injuries. Houses of 1,453 families had damages, the city government said.

At the Lunang township, where the epicenter of the earthquake was monitored, dozens of villagers gathered to perform archery and make toast for the New Year.

For Nyima Wangyel, who lives in Puchu township, preparing a feast for his dogs is a must do for celebrating the New Year.

"The dogs ate tsamba (roasted barley flour) first, and we see this as a good omen for harvest for the next year," he said.

By Sunday afternoon, more than 4,000 rescue workers, including armed police and fire fighters, have been sent to different townships in Nyingchi for relief efforts after the strong quake. Close to 400 vehicles were also dispatched to aid the rescue.

More than 500 tents have been set up for those whose homes were damaged in the quake, the disaster relief headquarters said.

"When the earthquake happened, many of the people were scared and they cried. When they saw the government responded quickly to help them, they felt assured and their mood is back to the New Year again," said Zhu Zhenghong, deputy head of Lunang township.

"Within two hours, township officials, police officers and soldiers arrived here to check house conditions and brought relief materials," said Liao Taiwen, a restaurant owner in Baiyi district.

Trok Cering was milking cow in the yard when the earthquake happened. "It was the largest earthquake in my life. The house was shaking and I couldn't stand still. It's terrifying," he said.

"I shouted to my wife in the house to wake her up and get out to the yard, but I dared not go inside the house at all," he said.

There are several cracks on his two-story house. A tent has been set up in his yard for temporary accommodation.

Local government officials are giving guidance in the rescue work. Disrupted power supply and communications have been repaired and services have been resumed.
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Texas' two largest university systems will have to knock off the incumbent if they hope to take over the Los Alamos National Laboratory management contract.

Regents at the University of California voted last week to bid on the contract for the facility that they have managed for more than seven decades.

"We are confident that the University has the unmatched expertise that the lab needs to fulfill its mission in the years ahead," UC regent Ellen Tauscher and UC vice president for national laboratories Kimberly Budil said in a joint statement. "We are committed to assembling a proposal that upholds Los Alamos' long tradition of scientific and technological excellence and ensures the continued high quality and integrity of its critical national security missions."

In September, UT System regents approved $4.5 million in spending to put together a bid, a process that will include finding partners potentially in business and academia. The UT System hasn't formally voted to proceed on a bid to manage the facility, which is responsible for the safety and reliability of the country's nuclear weapons.

They delayed a conversation and possible vote on the bid at a meeting earlier this month, and administrators said then that the vote will likely occur in an upcoming meeting.

UC, which has managed the Los Alamos facility since World War II, reapplied for the contract in the mid-2000s in collaboration with business interests in a private limited liability company called Los Alamos National Security. LANS competed against UT that year.

LANS earned the bid in 2005, which to some observers was surprising after years of safety and security scandals, including reports of missing property, fraud and safety issues under UC's management.

Operations have remained rocky since the award, and in 2015, officials announced that LANS' contract would not be extended.

Bids are due in mid-December, and the current contract ends in September 2018. Texas A&M University regents have also expressed interest in the contract.

Los Alamos operates with a roughly $2.5 billion budget authority this fiscal year and employs more than 11,400 people. The budget includes $1.43 billion in weapons programs and $248 million in nonproliferation.

On the 39-square-mile campus are high explosives and plutonium, global security operations with nonproliferation and counter-proliferation divisions and science technology and engineering research.

UC regent Norman Pattiz said at a recent meeting that the request for proposal was in line with what the university expected.

"We've been there since the very beginning," he said. "(The National Nuclear Security Administration) is a tough, demanding customer, but the work to be done at Los Alamos is too important for the university to walk away from. I see nothing in this request for proposal that changes things so dramatically that we would think about walking away from this."
Colorful chalk scenes drawn during the annual Via Colori festival this weekend around City Hall celebrated the emotional highs and lows of 2017 in the Bayou City with tributes to the World Champion Astros and portraits of perseverance following Hurricane Harvey.

Nearly 30,000 Houstonians spent the weekend admiring the squares of sidewalk art at the fundraiser that takes in roughly $400,000 for the Center for Hearing and Speech, a nonprofit that provides health and education services for hearing-impaired children in Houston.

"It impacts these kids more than you know,"said Latoya Martin, a kindergarten teacher at the center. "It's giving them the tools they need to be successful in a hearing world, so it's definitely life changing."

The National Art Honor Society at Cypress Lakes High School voted to recreate 17-year-old D'lynn Gutierrez's drawing of hands holding the city of Houston, a sketch that took on new meaning after Hurricane Harvey.

"It's breathtaking - I feel so choked up about this - because this is only my second year doing Via Colori," Gutierrez said. "Seeing my art as being worth enough to people to come together and create something this big - a 10-by-10-foot mural that takes two whole days to do - means the world to me."

Niky Hymel, whose daughter has been involved in Via Colori for the past four years as a college student, said the diversity in artists - from children to professionals - helps make the event special.

"Everyone is enjoying the art, and it's uniting different people," Hymel said. "It's something that brings people together - something really positive."

In order to create the countless chalk murals that lined City Hall throughout the weekend, artists partnered with sponsors, said Armando Castelan, a 38-year-old muralist and digital illustrator who has participated in every Via Colori since its 2005 Houston inception.

Artists said the opportunity to support a good cause, while gaining exposure for their work, keeps them coming back.

"You get to know the people behind the scenes, and you get to know the people at the Center for Hearing and Speech," Castelan said. "Houston is very lucky to have this."

This year, he collaborated with another local artist to create a 10-by-10-foot vintage science fiction scene depicting his 5-year-old nephew and a robot in space.

Vanessa Longoria, 36, attended the festival to assist with a friend's piece showing Houstonians helping each other after the storm.

"It's important for people who don't know Houston, who are new to Houston, to come out and embrace the beauty and the art and the culture that Houston has to offer," said previous Via Colori artist Netra Sheth, who accompanied Longoria to the event. "These are talented folks out here. It is very, very tough for the streets to be canvases."
Just days after the horrific killings at a small church in Texas, Congress quietly began taking steps to assure more military veterans get mental health treatment as they transition into civilian life, even if they get a less-than-honorable discharge.

First, the U.S. House passed, without opposition, a bill that will allow more veterans, even those with "bad paper discharges," to get mental health services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Another measure - this one added to the Defense Authorization Act, which likely will get a vote before year's end - would require mental health screenings for all service members before they leave the military.

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Both measures were in the works long before Devin Patrick Kelley killed 26 people and wounded another 20 at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Kelley was removed from active duty in May 2014 and given a bad-conduct discharge from the U.S. Air Force after he was court-martialed in 2012 for assaulting his then-wife and stepson.

While the services provided by the legislation may not have been able to stop Kelley, a key advocate of both bills said what happened in Sutherland Springs is bringing new attention to the mental health needs of both current and former members of the military.

"This is not just about doing what is right for the veteran but for the country and our communities," said U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso.

Veterans' advocates for years have sought some type of mental health care for veterans who leave the service for some level of misconduct. Currently, those veterans mostly are not eligible for mental health care services though the VA, including when their conditions may have developed due to their service, such as with post-traumatic stress disorder.

A 'bipartisan effort'

The Department of Defense said last week that 187,535 people were discharged from the military in 2016. Of those, 164,318 received either honorable or general discharges. Another 23,217 received discharges in other categories.

In May, a federal report showed 62 percent of military personnel discharged for misconduct from 2011 through 2015 had been diagnosed with mental health illnesses that could have caused the behavior that led to their less-than-honorable discharges.

Under House Resolution 918, the VA would need to do an initial mental health assessment and provide services for those "at risk of suicide and/or of harming others," regardless of whether the individual has an other than honorable discharge.

"The passage of (this bill) is an important bipartisan effort to ensure that our combat veterans receive the mental health care services they need," said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colorado, who led the effort to pass the bill that included provisions advocated by O'Rourke.

A similar bill is being pushed in the Senate by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. It must pass both chambers and be signed by President Donald Trump to become law.

Adding to the discharge

O'Rourke said that currently, once those men and women are out of the service, the government is essentially leaving them on their own for mental health services. He said what is troubling about that is there are reports that soldiers with bad-paper discharges are twice as likely to die by suicide.

"Their deaths are an epidemic that we must - and can - stop," he said.

In the Defense Authorization Act, a provision was added earlier this month that would give soldiers a mental health evaluation in addition to a physical exam, which is already administered. It's another piece of legislation O'Rourke said is about helping identify issues with veterans before they separate from their service.

"Our addition makes these evaluations routine and familiarizes service members with the topic of mental health before they separate," O'Rourke said.

O'Rourke, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2018 against incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, said he's focused on veteran suicides because of how poor mental health coverage was for veterans in El Paso. He said that while the situation is improving, he's met too many mothers of soldiers who died by suicide not to try to find solutions.

Cruz, a Houston-area Republican, also has worked on veterans health care, touting a series of reforms during town-hall events last summer aimed at allowing veterans more access to private health care outside of the VA system. Cruz has argued that many of the structural problems at the VA would have a better chance of being improved if veterans had the choice to go elsewhere for service, thus creating competition for the VA.
AUSTIN -- Texas offered a $20,000 reward on Monday for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the slaying of U.S. Border Patrol agent Rogelio Martinez in the remote Interstate 10 corridor of West Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced at midday that he had authorized the reward through the state's Crime Stoppers program, a hotline for information to help solve crimes. Abbott said all tips are guaranteed to be confidential.

Martinez, 36, died Sunday after he and his Big Bend sector partner responded to "activity near Interstate 10" in the Van Horn area, about 120 miles east of El Paso, officials said.

His partner, whose name has not been released, reported that they were injured and needed assistance, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The partner was transported to a hospital in El Paso and remains in serious condition.

While union officials on Sunday reported the two agents were hit with rocks, an updated statement on Monday made no mention of what happened. Other officials including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, said the agents were attacked.

Stu Harris, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 1929 in El Paso, said he could not confirm whether the agents had been hit with rocks. "We are letting the investigation take place and seeing if they can bring these people to justice," he said.

Martinez had been a Border Patrol agent since August 2013, federal officials said.

"We owe a great deal of gratitude to the brave men and women of the United States Border Patrol who serve every day to protect our homeland," Abbott said in a statement. "As authorities continue their investigation, it is important that they receive any and all information to help apprehend and deliver swift justice to those responsible."

Abbott said that to become eligible for the cash rewards, anyone with information on fugitives can provide information three different ways:

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 here.

The Culberson County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, the Office of the Inspector General, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the incident.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident and reiterated his calls for a border wall: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Abbott tweeted out his condolences late Sunday.

"Our prayers are with the families of this Border Patrol Agent who was killed & the other who was injured in this attack in Texas. Our resources must be increased to prevent these attacks in the future," the governor's tweet said.

In a statement, Cruz called the incident "a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.

"We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe," the Republican senator said."I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation."

His Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, said on Twitter that his "thoughts are with the family of agent Rogelio Martinez & the entire Border Patrol. We will pursue investigation & justice."

Mike Ward is the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter: @ChronicleMike.
We have celebrated another Veterans Day!

This year I and American Legion Post 41 in Houston honored a local World War II veteran: Barbara Curtis. She served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1944 to 1946 as a radioman third class.

A group of about twodozen people and organizations worked to make a special plaque for Ms. Curtis. Various amateur radio operators, the Ozark Mountain Amateur Radio Club, the Fleet Reserve Association, the American Legion Post 41, Gary Parish of Pops Trophy in Houston, Robert Simpson and Jerry Wildhaber donated time, parts, money, materials and skills.

The plaque is a working code practice oscillator similar to what young aspiring radio and code operators at the time would have used to learn Morse Code, either for military service or civilian service such as Western Union before and after the war.

After hostilities ceased, Ms. Curtis worked for Phillips Chemicals as a telegraph operator until telephones became commonplace and telegraphs were edged out of daily service.

A couple of hours after the presentation, toying with the practice oscillator, Ms. Curtis was remembering long in used code. This is encouraging has Ms. Curtis suffers from stabilized dementia. We pray and hope that she continues to do better.

It is the mission of the Legion to seek out, honor and assist our veterans of all military branches, along with supporting our community.

The Legion has its weekly business meeting every Wednesday from about 9 to 11 a.m. Coffee and pastries are available. Members and anyone else are welcome to stop in.

In more recent news, online shopping at the BX/PX is available to veterans. Education benefits are available early to those who qualify. More information is available at the Legion Hall (next to Pizza Hut on South Sam Houston Blvd.).

Over the next couple of months we are having another raffle, this one for a primitive black iron cook set including the tripod, hooks, Dutch oven, skillet, and coffee boiler (the last three pieces were provided by Debos in downtown Houston). Tickets are a dollar each or six for $5. The lucky winner will be set for camping or power outages!

Our monthly meetings are the second Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. and lasting however long is needed. Also, the Fleet Reserve meets at the Legion Hall at 2:30 p.m. every fourth Sunday. We enjoy seeing new faces, so stop in and visit!

Houston resident Keith Ford is a retired infantryman and an amateur writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world. Email kf4tap@yahoo.com.
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will hold a town hall meeting at 1:30 p.m. today at Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston.

The forum will be inside the Jayson Gentry Community Safe Room.

McCaskill, who was raised as a young child in Houston, has held 46 public in-person town halls across the state this year. Her grandfather operated the towns mill.
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Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark sails into Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Nov. 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents.

The arrival of the Peace Ark, its second in seven years, was received with joy by Tanzanians.

At the welcome ceremony held at Dar es Salaam port, Task Group Commander of Peace Ark Guan Bailin said the visiting crew will carry out free medical services, humanitarian assistance, and conduct medical training to consolidate and promote friendly relations and deepen professional exchanges between China and Tanzania.

Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo thanked China for sending the Peace Ark to Tanzania again.

"China has helped Tanzania in different sectors. One of the notable areas is the construction of Tazara railway, which connects Tanzania and Zambia," said Makanzo.

In 2010-2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.

The current tour has already taken the Peace Ark to Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Mozambique.

The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.
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.
The bison advantage

Although bison meat is a small, niche market, consumer demand for the product continues to grow. National Bison Association Executive Director Dave Carter said, The market for bison meat is just on fire right now. Weve seen real steady growth through the years.

He said there are three primary reasons for this growth:

1. Bison meat tastes great.

2. Bison meat addresses the diet and health concerns of consumers.

3. Bison production fits consumers interest in natural, sustainable agriculture.

What can be more sustainable than the animal that evolved with this ecosystem to eat the grasses out there and be on this landscape? Carter said. We think the bison is a natural fit.

Ken Klemm said consumer demand fuels Beaver Creek Buffalo. The consumer has recognized that its a really good product, and they have made a direct correlation between your health and what you eat.

Klemm shared some of the advantages and challenges of raising bison.

Theyre more profitable than cattle are and they fit the land better, so you have a lower cost of production.

However, startup costs can be more because fences and corrals especially have to be better for bison.

Bison are big, wild, fast and can be aggressive. Theyre wild animals, Klemm said.

But with regard to fencing and facilities, he added, they have less trouble with bison than they do cattle. He also appreciates that they are self-sufficient, low-maintenance animals.

The production cycle for bison is longer than for cattle and other meat animals. A bison breeds at age 2, gives her first calf at age 3, and the calf isnt ready for market until its 2, he said. Beef is a much shorter cycle and beef market is much more liquid.

Carter agrees. Were also going to be governed by the biology of the animals we raise. We know we raise an animal that grows slower.

Klemm said its a slow but also steady and predictable growth.

Carter and Klemm agree a current challenge for the bison industry is that demand is greater than supply.

There is a tremendous shortage of supply, Klemm said. Demand is far outstripped of supply and thats why the price is so high.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture started tracking the carcass price of bison in June 2004, Carter said, and at that time the price on rail for a 630- to 650-pound animal was $1.60 per pound. In 2011 the price hit $4 per pound, and in September it was at $4.83.

Klemm said Beaver Creek Buffalos prime slaughter bulls (they dont steer them) are getting $4.75 per pound hot weight.

Consumers are more than willing to pay what it takes for that quality of meat, he said.

Carter said in July the NBA announced the launch of Bison One Million, a campaign to bring a million bison back to North America and help address the supply shortage.

Its going to take more than a decade to do it, Carter said, and it wont be just ranch herds in the U.S. The organization is working with partners in Canada, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, conservation groups and others to bring back more buffalo.

Carter said they have resources available at BisonCentral.com to help new producers get started, and veteran producers like the Klemms are willing to share their expertise.

Ken and Laurie are great mentors for our business, he added.
Lead with purpose and values, both internally and externally Establish values through strong an values-based leadership Ensure employees know the organizations values

ere three per cent of employees in Singapore strongly agree that their employers public persona matches what its actually like to work there, according to a recent survey by KRC Research and Weber Shandwick.The figure is a far cry from the 19 per cent global strongly agree average across 19 economies around the world. Japan (6 per cent) and Hong Kong (6 per cent) followed Singapore. In contrast, India had the highest rate of alignment at 33 per cent.An employers reputation is at risk should it fail to close its credibility gap. This is particularly important in an age of extreme transparency where job candidates make easily reputational assessments based on what an organisations employees say online or through word of mouth, said the report. Closing the gap provides an opportunity for employers to more successfully drive recruitment, engagement, and retention.Despite the less than ideal results, data also found that room for improvement is wide open. Just 7 per cent of employees around the world strongly disagree that there is any match.The largest segment  74 per cent  falls in between. These are marginally aligned employees because their employers have the opportunity to narrow the perception-and-experience gap by creating an employer brand that employees recognize, believe and promote, said the report.It suggested three actions firms can do to help build their employers brands:In this age of mega-transparency and instantaneous online reviews, employers are now accountable to who they say they are, how they treat people and live their values, and how they make a difference, said Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist of Weber Shandwick. Employees are more than reputation spectators, they are shaping employer brands for better or for worse every day.
For all the inevitable speculation about how the upcoming Budget could affect retirees or first-time buyers, there is one group that may well get overlooked: children.

Attention will of course be given to families, particularly when it comes to matters such as Working Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Tax-Free Childcare. Important as these measures unquestionably are, should we not be looking at children specifically, when considering the impact the Budget could have? Or, to put it another way, what would a child-friendly Budget look like?

In my view, Chancellor Phillip Hammond has a great opportunity on Wednesday, when he lays out his spending plans for the year, to help solidify the important work the Government, and individual families, have been doing to teach children about their finances. Taking a longer term view when setting the Budget could have a dramatic effect in increasing the life chances of young people.

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It might sound counter-intuitive, but we could start by following the example set by pensions. The noted economist Richard Thaler, as part of his 'nudge theory', argued that younger people aren't naturally inclined to start saving for their pensions, despite it being in their long-term interests, and so needed a slight nudge. As a result, the Government introduced automatic enrolment for pensions, which sees all employees automatically contribute a portion of their earnings, matched by employers, to their pension pots. Employees can opt out, but they have to make a conscious decision to do so.

But how could this apply to young children, many of whom are years away from receiving their first pay cheque? One option is to look at reviving 'child trusts', or updating the 'junior ISAs' that replaced them. Using auto-enrolment for parents to set aside a small portion of their earnings each month, which could be boosted with matched contributions from the Government, would help encourage more parents to save for their children's future. When a child reaches eighteen, they could be given the opportunity to access the money specifically to fund further education or as a deposit towards a home, or even to use it to tax efficiently kick-start their pension pots.

With a little 'nudge', not only could we help children learn the benefits of long-term saving, but we would be safeguarding their future financial interests, too.

When it comes to teaching the value of saving, we don't need to stop there. In outlining next year's education budget, the Government could introduce targeted support for financial literacy, which is already part of the national curriculum, by funding specialists to go into schools to teach kids how to spend and save. Fun, hands-on lessons by expert external speakers could be a great way of imparting financial wisdom to young people. Helping to free up teachers' time, many of whom are already struggling with hectic timetables, would be an added bonus. Ring-fenced financial support worked well with promoting the healthy eating agenda in schools - another initiative focused on long-term benefits for young people.

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Learning how to save and spend effectively is intrinsically linked to working and earning from a young age. To encourage this, the Government could consider scrapping employee and employer national insurance contributions specifically for under-18s, or, instead, using them to boost contributions to the renewed child trusts suggested above. This could incentivise the recruitment of under-18s, and encourage more young people to seek work.

With this in mind, the Government should also consider extending apprenticeships. Teaching young people a skill directly relevant to the workplace, whilst enabling them to earn an income, is a superb way of imparting key life lessons to the younger generations. What's more, it would fulfil the dual purpose of equipping the UK with the skilled workforce it needs.
How To Reach Out To Music Bloggers Like A Silicon Valley Marketer

Reaching out to music bloggers is vital for promoting your music, but with hundreds of others vying for attention, getting noticed can be hard. A few unconventional outreach strategies used by the worlds best marketers can help you get the attention you deserve.

_______________________

Guest post by Ryan Harrell of MidiaNation

Long before I was a musician, I was a Silicon Valley marketer, helping boring B2B businesses land links and mentions in prestigious publications.

When I traded in my Excel sheets for Ableton, I realized that the rules that helped me reach business influencers were equally helpful in connecting with music bloggers.

Ill share my process for reaching out to music bloggers in this post.

Start With Your Why

In the now legendary 2009 TEDx talk, Simon Sinek says people dont buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

That is, the why of any object, business or ideas existence is what motivates people to consume it.

This is as applicable for musicians as it is for businesses. The why of your music is as crucial as the what. This why tells the story of your band and your musical ideas.

Music journalists are definitely interested in this why. Remember that journalists have readers as well. They dont just want to share great music; they want to share great stories. A musician that has a strong reason (a strong why) for his music makes for a far more compelling story than one without.

So before you start pitching journalists, dig deep and answer this fundamental question: why do you make music? And why do you make it in your chosen genre?

Use this as the springboard for creating your story which you can later use in your pitches.

Perfect Your One-Sentence Pitch

Every time you bump into an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, youll hear them spout off the one-sentence pitch for their latest startup. This pitch tells anyone interested  investors, employees, users  what the product is and what problem it solves.

Musicians can benefit from crafting a similar one-sentence pitch for their songs. After all, music bloggers will read your email before they listen to your music. A short pitch keys them into what the song is about and what they can expect from it.

A strong pitch should include:

The songs name and genre

The songs subject or theme

Musicians/songs it sounds similar to

What makes the song unique

I recommend using a mad libs style approach where you simply fill in the blanks to create a pitch, like this:

Do it for every song you pitch. It will give music journalists much better contextual insight into your music.

Find Emails Like a Marketing Pro

The first rule of blogger outreach is to always contact bloggers on their personal email addresses, not the public-facing email. That is, try to send emails to JohnDoe@MusicBlog.com, not Contact@MusicBlog.com.

Finding personal email addresses, however, can be difficult. Fortunately, solutions abound.

Start by using Hunter.io to search a blogs URL for all available email addresses. You should be able to find the blog owners direct email. Else, you can at least find the pattern used on all emails associated with the blog.

If this tactic doesnt work, try to guess the bloggers email. Most sites use common naming conventions such as:

Use EmailGenerator.io to guess all these combinations with a single click. You can then verify which of these email addresses is legit by using a bulk email verification tool. Youll get a spreadsheet showing you which of the guessed emails actually works.

Do it for multiple bloggers in one go to scale email verification.

Segment Your Outreach Lists

Would you send the same email to a writer at Pitchfork as you would to a 14-year old with a two-week old EDM blog?

Probably not. Which is why it is crucial that you segment your outreach list and change your strategy accordingly.

I recommend segmenting your list of music bloggers into three categories based on their priority:

High-Touch: Popular niche-specific blogs with established audience and influence. Update several times a day. Will usually have over 20k Twitter followers.

Mid-Touch: Established and growing niche-specific blogs with several updates per week. Will usually have between 3-15k Twitter followers

Low-Touch: Newish or dormant blogs with a small but loyal audience. Usually updated 1-5 times per week. Have under 3k Twitter followers.

Change your outreach approach depending on what category the blog belongs to. For High-Touch blogs, aim to establish a relationship first. Get on the bloggers radar by sharing useful content or answering a question they asked publicly. Then send a heavily personalized pitch.

For mid-touch blogs, skip the relationship building and send a personalized pitch instead.

For low-touch blogs, send a mass email with minimum personalization (only the bloggers first name).

This will ensure that you get the most from your outreach efforts.

Track Your Email Performance

You cant improve what you cant measure.

This applies to email outreach as well. Unless you know exactly how many of your emails are being opened, read and replied to, you cant change your approach for better results.

Use a mail tracking tool such as BananaTag or Yesware to track email performance. These tools will tell you the key metrics for all your messages. Stick to the free version; the pro version is for salespeople and not very useful for musicians.

Test multiple message templates and subject lines. Once you have their performance data, analyze the results. If one subject line has a better open rate than others, use it for all future outreach.

Reaching out to music bloggers can be challenging, especially if you dont come from a marketing/PR background. However, if you get your story right, find the right email address, and track your performance, youll see spectacular results from your music blogger outreach.

Ryan is a growth hacker turned musician who helps producers with outreach at MIDINation.com"

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Vivendis Universal Music Group Valued At $40 Billion, says CEO, As IPO Speculation Mounts

Universal Music Group (UMG) is valued at $40 billion or more, Arnaud de Puyfontaine the CEO of parent corporation Vivendi said on Friday, sending shares in the French media group higher. after a mixed Q3 report that highlighted growth at the music group.

________________________________________

Asked about the value of its Universal Music Group division at the Morgan Stanley European Technology, Media and Telecoms conference in Barcelona, Vivendi CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine said that he had seen an estimate this week that valued UMG at $40 billion.

I wouldnt put a number, but I think that number is higher than the highest one that is currently expressed by the markets, said the chief executive who went on to say that he agreed with the $40 million assessment.

Spotify Could Lead The Way To A UMG IPO

Vivendi has repeated dangled the idea of a separate IPO for it music group.

Earlier this year, Vivendi General Counsel Frederic Crepin had said that some banks were proposing a listing for UMG at up to $23.5 billion USD. An analyst at independent firm Arete Research, currently values the world's largest music conglomerate at $21 billion, according to Reuters.

Much of UMG's success comes from the short to music streaming. So if market leader Spotify is successful with its expected IPO next year, expect increased investor pressure for a UMG IPO to follow.

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The Mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro exclaims, A developed city is not a place where the poor have cars. Its where the rich use the public transportation!  Indeed, this is as true as the smart city existence itself.

And, Viennas smart development principle lies on the same fact. It focuses on providing the best quality of life for each and every inhabitant at the same time reducing resource consumption with a comprehensive approach that includes social equity and citizen-based innovation.

Viennas Global Ranking

Roland Berger, the global consulting firm, released for the first time, a systematic study report on 87 major smart cities around the globe in its Smart City Index 2017. Vienna with a score of 73 tops the rankings with Chicago and Singapore on 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The assessment was developed with the comparative focus on how the 87 cities are orienting the smart city strategies.

As per the Index, Top performing cities are neither big nor rich  theyre just smart. Vienna takes the first position because of its holistically handled smart city strategies across 3 main categories including quality of life, resource effectiveness, and innovation. The Austrian capital exhibits implementation of strategies with clear comprehensive focus. One thing which is exclusive to Vienna is that most of its smart city initiatives pertaining to digital technology are very-well set to short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. Moreover, these initiatives are dynamically stimulating company sponsorships and pilot programs that strengthen the city as well as the national economy.

Another survey analysis published by Mercer, a human resource consultancy reveals that Vienna has recurrently bagged the top position for seven consecutive years in its quality-of-life rankings for cities around the world. The firm has been appreciating Vienna for having a safe city environment, excellent transport system, and public-oriented city services.

Yet another survey by Monocle magazine gives Vienna high marks with its ranking dropped to third place in 2017. Going forward, The Economists this years Liveability Ranking places Vienna at the second place.

What is the secret behind Viennas commendable progress? The government and business leaders say its the perfect combination of long-term planning, citizen participation, and social nonpartisanship. Vienna is growing with advancement in technology while holding to its traditional aspects.

Just like every other city, Vienna too has challenges to face. The city has a new challenge every year when 30,000 new residents add to the 1.8 million population of the city. Besides, it also has an enduring task to accomplish with thousands of migrants and refugees whove come to Vienna recently. And again theres the challenge where people are still driving more cars in the city. However, the facts discussed below indicate why the Austrian capital is considered the smartest.

Smart City Related Facts

Vienna believes housing is a basic human right. Approximately half of the Viennese live in government subsidised apartments. There are strict rules on rent hike. Viennese have to pay just the quarter of their household income conversely to London where tenants have to expend 72% of their income on housing. Viennas cost of living is extremely low compared to New York and London



In 2015, Vienna made provisions for 7,200 subsidised housing units to residents with 20,000 under construction. The government allocates 450 million on national funds and 150 million on municipal funds for building and renovating homes



Vienna has a peaceful balance between natural landscape and the city. It owns 90 parks and green spaces that account for half of the cities territorial area  having one of the largest green space in the world. For instance, Vienna woods is the Central Europes largest deciduous forest area. The most appreciable thing is, even the farthest green space in the city limits is accessible through public transport.

One Of The Best Mobility Systems Example

Smart Buses  Vienna accounts for 127 bus routes. Wiener Linien incorporated a fleet of electric buses running across the downtown area with zero emissions.

This project received the Austrian State Prize award for Mobility in 2013. Linien further envisions to increase the number of electric buses in the city.

Smart Ride  The city has a remarkable 1,300 km long cycle path, lanes and routes spread along low traffic zones. If you are a visitor in Vienna and would love to do sightseeing on a bicycle, CityBike is there to help you. Just sign up at a Citybike terminal with your credit card, pick a cycle and you are good to go. Vienna has 1500 bicycles with 120 stations. 1 is charged over one-off registration with the first hour free.

Smart Sharing  Citizens and visitors in Vienna are offered privately owned bicycles on a reasonable bike sharing online zone listnride.com.

This is not it. A speedy eco-friendly two-wheeler transport SCO2T offers a sharing service with an integrated app on the smartphone. Register on the app, go to the SCO2T electric scooter zone, pay the rental after you get to the scooter and enjoy the ride. The scooter comes with two helmets and disposable hoods. You can park the scooter in any official parking area and end the rental through the app.

And even if you need a four-wheeler, Vienna has the option for you. Two free-floating systems namely www.car2go.com and www.drive-now.com are currently under Viennas car sharing initiative. With the flexible car sharing alternative, no Viennese has to bother about owning a car.

Smart Public Transport  Vienna has an 850 km long and wide public transportation network. 2016 has witnessed a 954 million passengers commutation across the city. Quando a mobile app allows users to get access to real-time information on the arrival and departure timings of buses, trams and subway trains at different locations. With quando Viennese can comfortably commute picking up any transport option without any complications.

Future Of Mobility System  Vienna is all set to perform a test phase for its eco-safe mobility solution eMorail. The project emphasises on incorporating railway service with e-car sharing and e-bike sharing. The users require the Austrian Federal Railways ticket to gain access to any e-vehicle right from their residence or any other location of choice. The initiative will provide easy options through mobile app with real-time information on train delays and details such as how much distance the vehicle will be able to cover without charging and info regarding the remaining travel credit available.

The city is planning to invest more in its smart transport capability which will help them to maintain the increasing inflow of passengers in future properly.

The Smart City Within The City

A joint venture between Aspern Smart Research, Wien Energie and Wiener Netze (utility companies), Wien 3240 (project developer), Vienna Business Agency and Tech company Siemens has come up with one of the biggest smart construction plans in Europes history.

A 240-hectare deserted airfield in Aspern Urban lakeside, Vienna is being used to construct a smart city space which will comprise 10,500 residential apartments, school campus, research centre, industrial park, shopping streets which will produce 20,000 jobs within the project. The initiative aims to be fully accomplished by the end of 2028 with 2,600 houses for 6,100 people already built. The construction work has linked the Urban Lakeside with underground metro and trams which will cut down travel time to city center by 25 minutes. The place has been selected in such a way that Bratislavas central station is just 28 minutes and Vienna airport is 15 minutes far.

The innovative project was created by the Swedish architect Johannes Tovatt in association with Viennas specific departments and active role of citizens to play in. The project was guided by clear principles and goals including the contribution of stakeholders. A detailed manual on the strategic planning called Partitur des offentlichen Raums (The Public Space Score) was compiled by international experts.

The Working Plan

With this project, Vienna aims to reduce resource consumption while improving energy efficiency. It has pledged to reduce green gas emissions by 80% by 2050. For the purpose, the city plans to create a strategy with help of existing data from different energy sectors.

On the other hand, Siemens is providing a power package of new building technology:

Smart buildings power management  It will decrease energy use and amplify cost efficiency by integration and control of energy consumption, generation, and storage

Low-voltage grid solutions for individual buildings and apartments  home automation, heating system and some of the appliances will be outfitted with sensors to keep a track on energy use and efficiency

Development of city data center with the focus on providing solutions for big data management  Sensors will direct real-time energy-related data to data centre.

Aperns Urban Infrastructure will be a unique living lab that intends to generate energy locally as much as possible.

All the facts and figures in place its up to you to decide  is Vienna the smartest city on the planet?

Source: http://www.smartcity.press/viennas-smart-city-initiatives/
The internet is a fine trade route. Technology companies ship their goods over internet networks instantaneously to any location in the world. But not all believe that this openness is altogether faultless. Some government officials are acting to ensure that a free internet does not compromise national interests or citizens data privacy. Will their good intentions choke innovation and growth in Silicon Valley and beyond?

Tech companies, more than those of any other sector, rely and thrive on a global ecosystem, according to Anja Manuel (pictured), co-founder and partner at RiceHadleyGates LLC. Manuel co-founded RiceHadleyGates with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley in late 2008. The Silicon Valley-based consultancy helps tech companies expand in international markets.

Every company we work with  even the very young ones  theyre global from the very beginning, Manuel told Stu Miniman (@stu), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Medias mobile livestreaming studio, during the Nutanix .NEXT EU event taking place in Nice, France. (* Disclosure below.)

Silicon Valley-esque hubs of innovation are growing in China and elsewhere in the world, according to Manuel, who said those in the U.S. can learn much from them and vice versa, provided the lines of communication remain open. However, two governmental movements growing simultaneously may erect obstacles to sharing. One is data localization legislation  on the rise in a number of countries  that cuts off data flow across borders. Another is the globalization backlash fertilizing nationalist political parties, particularly in Europe. Both of these trends could have consequences for globally expanding technology companies.

This week, theCUBE spotlights Anja Manuel in our Women in Tech feature.

Data localization clashes with tech globalization

More than 30 countries now have data localization laws. These policies require data controllers to keep citizens data strictly within the countrys borders in an effort by lawmakers to keep data more secure, while also providing easy access for law enforcement.

China has a dozen such laws active. I worry that if that trend really continues, you will have less interaction, for example between Chinese and Americans, Manuel said. An avenue of communication between them is sorely needed with their governments increasingly frigid relations, she added.

In most instances, the efficacy of these policies for increasing security or privacy is dubious, according to Nigel Cory, a trade policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Aside from failing at their stated purpose, the laws may deal an inadvertent blow to technology companies and consumers. This presents a real risk to the global economy and innovation, Cory said at the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners in Hong Kong in September.

Europes General Data Protection Regulation, going live next May, seeks to restructure European countries data localization laws. Putting data control directly in citizens hands would allow cross-boarder transfer with consent. However, laws such as this may just replace explicit restrictions with implied ones, according to Pirate Party Member of the European Parliament Julia Reda.

This would create immense transactional costs and huge legal uncertainty for anyone creating and re-using data, such as researchers or innovative startups, Reda said. She spoke in a public consultation on an official communication from the European Commission early this year. Laws that give individuals such rights and responsibilities would protect any series of ones and zeroes like intellectual property, she explained.

Dealing with pure data, such as access logs, sensor data or measurements, would become as complex as dealing with copyrighted works is today, Reda stated.

Of course, there are many who welcome GDPR and similar legislation in what they see as an economy of data hoarders run amok. The idea that people automatically forfeit the right to their information when they turn on a computer is foolishness, according to Don Tapscott, chief executive officer of The Tapscott Group. Our data ought not to belong to anyone but us by default, he told theCUBE earlier this year.

We create it, but these data frackers, like Facebook, own it, and thats a big problem. Privacy is the foundation of freedom, said Tapscott, author of Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World.

The nation and the network

Growing anti-globalist sentiment in Europe and in the U.S. with Trumps election raises concerns for global industries, Manuel pointed out. Immigration is hotly debated in the news daily. The working classes of these nations feel that their economies are leaving them behind. This is arousing a desire to close borders  on land or otherwise  for the betterment of born-and-bred citizens, she added.

Far right parties, such as the National Front in France and Alternative fur Deutschland in Germany, won significant numbers of votes in recent elections. Theyre setting the agenda much more than you would have seen 10 years ago, Manuel said. Its something for the tech companies to consider as they keep expanding.

For now, the internet is still essentially free and open. Its main governing body  Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN  is private and free from governmental control.

The portion of ICANN that was in the hands of the U.S. Department of Commerce transferred over to a private organization last year. Im quite happy that system of internet governance still stands and it hasnt been taken over by individual governments or by the United Nations, Manuel said.

Lessons from abroad

An open internet fosters a global tech economy where countries can share the fruits of their startup scenes. There are some innovations coming out of China and India that are frankly really impressive, and we should adopt some of them, Manuel said.

Chinas web payment infrastructure is much more advanced than that in the US, she added. Lots of Chinese citizens use WeChat, not just for texting, but all types of transactions. Its a whole ecosystem, she said.

Perhaps surprisingly, China also has a greater percentage of women in tech careers, Manuel pointed out. This and other factors suggest that Silicon Valley is stifling female talent, she stated.

Venture capitalists reluctance to invest in female-founded startups is one area to be examined. This is especially timely given some recent research on the subject. For example, First Round Capital has found that companies with at least one female co-founder performed 63 percent better than those with no female co-founders, according to Manuel.

Clearly, theres some problem going on here, and Im happy that Silicon Valley is finally paying attention, Manuel concluded.

Source: https://siliconangle.com/blog/2017/11/13/what-national-border-data-protections-mean-for-global-tech-economy-nextconf/
Resident Richard Sutter, right, shows Michael Libertine of All-Points Technology images that Sutter shot of All-Points' weather balloon testing at the Williamstown site. The former Taconic Restaurant, right, at the front of a site where Verizon hopes to build a cell tower at the junction of Routes 2 and 7 in Williamstown. PreviousNext

Residents Turn Out to Question Williamstown Cell Tower Proposal



Jay Latorre discusses the sites that Verizon considered for a cell tower in Williamstown. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  About a dozen residents turned out Thursday night to hear a presentation from Verizon Wireless about its proposal to install a 100-foot monopole cellular tower near the former Taconic Restaurant on Cold Spring Road.

The telecom company has an application before the town's Zoning Board of Appeals that likely will be heard in December after months of continuations at the request of the applicant.

The company and its representatives gave a 20-minute presentation laying out their reasons for needing additional cell coverage along that stretch of Route 7 and why the location at the junctions of Routes 2 and 7 is the best available option.

But most of the residents in attendance expressed concerns about the aesthetic impact of the pole, safety issues and whether the additional tower is even needed. They also focused on the possibility that one of the sites suggested by the town as an alternative to 1161 Cold Spring Road.

In September, 55 residents co-signed a letter to the ZBA protesting the application and relying heavily on the aesthetic requirements of the town's cell tower bylaw.

"The section of the bylaw concerning approval criteria makes it explicit that those criteria include whether or not there is undue adverse impact on scenic views' and on residential property values,' " the letter read in part.

Verizon's representatives acknowledged Thursday that the tower would be visible but said the tree line would help reduce the visual impact beyond the immediate location of the facility.

"As you drive by that intersection, you can look right into the site," Michael Liebertine of Killingworth, Conn.'s, All-Points Technology said. "Obviously, as you get into that area, it opens up visibility.

"What was helpful from my perspective is the overall footprint is fairly small."

Libertine explained how he used computer modeling and photos of a test with a 4-foot diameter red weather balloon flown at a height of 100 feet to assess the aesthetic impact of the proposed tower. He said there will be some visibility from residential properties, but he could not completely assess how much because he had to conduct his study from public roads. Along those roads, he found that the tower is visible from about a quarter mile away on Route 7.

"When you're talking yearlong visibility, it's very much isolated to less than a quarter mile around that immediate area, the intersection," Libertine said. "Visibility doesn't extend much farther north from the site. Obviously, as you go up Route 2 [to the east], there's some elevation, and that adds to visibility.

"I've been doing this for 20 years, and this is a very good site from an overall standpoint. Obviously, there are places where you can see it. I encourage you to look at what's on file with the town."

Resident Dr. Richard Sutter challenged the accuracy and honesty of Libertine's analysis.

"The pictures you show  are very deceptive," Sutter said. "The tower is 100 feet. The tallest tree over there is 55 feet tall. You can't tell me you won't see that [tower] all the way above those trees. They're almost twice the height of the tallest tree right there."

Sutter brought out his own photos from the day of All-Points Technology's weather balloon test that showed the balloon towering above the tree line.

Libertine explained that during the course of the test, the balloon did reach heights above the planned 100 feet but that the photos submitted with Verizon's application to the town were taken at the 100-foot point.

"I was there personally, and we put the string to 100 feet," Libertine said. "We show it, warts and all, sir.  We're not trying to hide a thing. We recognize it's in your neighborhood. We're not trying to deceive you."

Libertine said the nearby trees were surveyed and found to reach heights ranging from 85 to 100 feet.

"I'll tell you right now, you're absolutely wrong," Sutter said.

After the meeting, Sutter said he had prior experience with a Verizon application to build a cell tower in Windsor.

"They came and swore up and down that this certain location was, 'The only location that would work,' " Sutter said. "When the town said no, they found another location."

Sutter said the telecom giant was trying to save money by choosing the easiest possible site to place the tower, on previously developed land with easy access from the road.

The idea that Verizon could find a better place for the tower was raised in Thursday's meeting and referenced in the Sept. 21 letter.

"It is a matter of public record that Mr. Walter Cooper, an outside consultant hired by the town of Williamstown to review the application, has advised in his April 6, 2017 report that the application does not clearly establish a need or demonstrate that this is the least obtrusive feasible option,' " the residents wrote to the ZBA.

On Thursday night, Verizon radio frequency engineer Jay Latorre explained that the Cold Spring Road location is the best to fill a 2-mile gap in coverage between Verizon antennae in South Williamstown and on the smokestack at Williams College to the north.

He said the town of Williamstown asked the carrier to look at several alternative sites but none were as effective and practical from an infrastructure standpoint.

"The Bee Hill Road parcels were looked at in a little more detail because, as I reviewed them from a radio frequency standpoint, I found they might be able to work and were worth a second look," Latorre said. "Verizon conducted two or three site visits to evaluate a potential solution, and there were a number of different site constraints that ultimately led Verizon to determine it's not a suitable site.

"On my end  part of the challenge was topographical. This [Bee Hill Road] parcel is several hundred feet higher in elevation. Sometimes, that's great in wireless, but sometimes it means it overshoots the signal from other facilities in the area, and that leads to degradation in service."

Other challenges at alternative sites included grades that were too steep to allow access roads and wetlands concerns. Verizon already has received an order of conditions from the Williamstown Conservation Commission for the tower, which would be built in the inner riparian zone of a nearby stream.

Karen Shepard asked the company's representatives if they would consider Bee Hill Road if its application is denied by the ZBA.

"I don't think so," said Latorre, who is based in East Hartford, Conn., and works on Verizon projects throughout Western Massachusetts. "The slopes are pretty challenging, in some places 25 or 30 percent, which makes construction of an access road difficult."

Shepard also asked why the company did not consider applying for a tower on the grounds of Mount Greylock Regional High School

Latorre said Verizon already has strong coverage in South Williamstown, and a tower on the grounds of the school likely would not fill the gap all the way to where coverage from the Williams College smokestack antenna begins.

"My understanding is  a number of years ago another carrier had a proposal on that facility, and it was rejected," Latorre said. "So even if it could work [from a frequency standpoint], it seemed to have been vetted by another company."

Again raising arguments brought out in the September letter, Shepard asked about the loss of towers in a windstorm on Florida Mountain in 2014, implying that a similar collapse could be a safety hazard with a 100-foot tower built within 85 feet of Route 2.

Architect Doug Roberts of Hudson Design Group in North Andover explained that the pole planned at this site is different from the towers lost in the 2014 windstorm.

"What we're going to be doing is ordering the tower with an engineered fault in it to fold at the 70-foot level," Roberts said. "It doesn't fall over [entirely]. It sheds its wind load."

"It will fold in on itself," added Libertine of All-Points Technology.

Sutter pointed to another safety concern: the potential that an out-of-control vehicle coming down Route 2 could swerve to the left and into the tower and the liquid propane tank on site that will fuel a backup generator for the installation.

Sutter referenced a 2011 accident involving a tractor-trailer truck.

"I appreciate the feedback," Latorre said. "We'll see what additional measures we can take with design before we go back to the ZBA. I don't know what can be done with engineering to stop an 18-wheeler, but I'll ask Mr. Roberts if, in the case of a personal vehicle, how we can provide additional protection to the facility."

Even if the objections of residents of residents could be overcome, some came to Thursday's meeting unconvinced that Verizon needs to fill that 2-mile gap in cell coverage at all.

One attendee asked why the brief coverage gap on Route 7 even matters. Sutter pointed out the number of residences in the "dead zone" is minimal.

"Clearly, it's not being placed there for the benefit of Williamstown but for the benefit of transient auto traffic in and out of the area," Sutter said. "How do you justify how that negatively impacts the Southern Gateway into Williamstown?"

Latorre responded to the concerns by saying that a two-mile absence of coverage on a U.S. highway is not insignificant, and it is his job to make sure Verizon's customers have the service they expect.

"People moving around the town on a daily basis who live in town will equally benefit," Latorre said. "As you know, one of the things wireless services provide is the ability to make 911 calls. Recent data shows that three-quarters of all 911 calls generate from a cell phone as opposed to a land line. That shows how important that service might be in a, God forbid, life or death situation.

"Whether for convenience or an emergency, there are a number of examples I shared tonight about the importance of maintaining coverage along that 2-mile route. I feel as a representative of Verizon, my obligation is to reduce coverage gaps."




iciHaiti - Economy : Opening Ceremony of Creators of Change





As part of the celebration of World Entrepreneurship Week that wrapped up yesterday, a delegation from the US Embassy attended the Opening Ceremony of the "Creators of Change", which will train 30 new young cultural entrepreneurs. "Its wonderful to see so many young people interested in starting or growing their own businesses and we are more than happy to be able to support this effort, said Cultural Attachee Adair Hamilton.



Organized by International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumna Carline Severe, this program includes business skills workshops, art market visits, networking, and consultations with experts. This initiative aims at strengthening young entrepreneurs abilities to start their own business and create sustainable economic change for Haiti.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Lebanon Says It Has Right to Fight Israeli Aggression

The Fellowship | November 20, 2017 Lebanese people wave flags as they take to the streets in Jdeideh, on the northern outskirts of the capital Beirut, to celebrate the election of former general Michel Aoun as president, on October 31, 2016. Aoun, a former general backed by the powerful Hezbollah movement as well as longtime rivals, was elected president ending a political vacuum of more than two years. / AFP / ANWAR AMRO (Photo credit should read ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images)

After last weeks surprise resignation by the Lebanese prime minister threw the Middle East into even further chaos, the terror group that now controls that nation continues to threaten Israel. The Times of Israel reports that the president of Lebanon backed Hezbollah, while also claiming the right to act against what he called Israeli aggression:

Lebanon was able to face the Israeli aggression since 1978 until the 2006 war. It was able to liberate its land. Israeli threats are still ongoing; the Lebanese have the right to fight and thwart it with all available means, Michel Aoun said.

His comments followed a harsh statement by Arab League foreign ministers condemning Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, which it accused of terrorism and of supporting terrorist groups across the region.

At the same time, Aoun, a Christian ally of Hezbollah, said Lebanon rejected any accusation that its government is a partner in terrorist attacks.

Lebanon cannot tolerate a suggestion that the Lebanese government is a partner in terrorist acts. Lebanons stance declared through its representative at the Arab League yesterday expressed a national will, he said, according to the Lebanese news website Naharnet. Lebanon is not responsible for the Arab and regional conflicts that some Arab states are witnessing. Lebanon did not carry out any aggression against anyone and it should not pay the price of these conflicts.

Hezbollah, the only Lebanese group to retain its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war, forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 and continues to portray itself as Lebanons first line of defense. Hezbollah is also a member of Lebanons coalition government.

Iran also rejected the Arab League statement, saying the tirade was full of lies and the product of Saudi pressure and propaganda
Imperial Valley News Center

Man Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Made Online Threats to Kill Sheriffs Dept. Personnel at the Inglewood Courthouse

Los Angeles, California - Federal authorities Wednesday morning arrested a South Los Angeles man who allegedly made a series of online threats to kill law enforcement personnel and others at the Los Angeles Superior Courts Inglewood Courthouse, a nearby school and a private business.

John Patrice Hale, 42, who used the online moniker Frost K Blizzard, allegedly made the threats using techniques designed to make his internet communications anonymous, which included using Tor and proxy servers.

Hale is expected to be arraigned on a 10-count indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

The indictment alleges that Hale sent the online threats over several days in May 2017 to the Los Angeles Sheriffs Departments Court Services Division website. Some of the threats invoked ISIS, but authorities have not uncovered any evidence linking Hale to international terrorism. The threats specifically alleged in the indictment are:

Our brotherhood will celebrate today when allah sets the explosives planted in Inglewood sheriff vehicles at Inglewood court, which was sent on May 12. This threat prompted the evacuation of the Inglewood Courthouse, and the LASDs Arson and Explosives Unit and the Threat Interdiction Unit responded.

Two similar threats sent on May 15, one of which read, in part: Allah willing we will be able to take out as many officers that pull out your parking structure. It will be a plus to take part of your american school across the street. ISIS will have revenge today. Law enforcement again responded to the Inglewood Courthouse, which was not evacuated after a threat assessment.

Two threats made on May 16, one of which read: Item under deputy car. Impact for half city block. 6 hours to locate it. At Inglewood sheriff station. If you have units out better call them back in. These communications again prompted a significant response by law enforcement and evacuation of the Inglewood Courthouse.

In addition to these threats, Hale allegedly sent a threat to a private business through its website on May 23 that read: All praises to Allah. Today, we will detonate an explosive at your La Brea and Arbor Vitae location if our needs arent met by your company. ISIS.

The indictment further alleges that on May 25 Hale submitted bogus information to the FBIs Tips and Public Leads webpage, despite a warning posted on that webpage that submitting a false tip could result in a fine and/or imprisonment. In the submission, Hale allegedly made the false claim that he knew a man who would supply ISIS with explosives even planting them for them and who had received instructions from ISIS to send inglewood sheriff department bomb threats via email.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 7 charges Hale with five counts of making false and misleading statements concerning terrorism, four counts of making threats to injure in interstate commerce and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If Hale were to be convicted of the charges in the indictment, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the 10 counts.

The investigation into Hale is being conducted by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and was led by special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George E. Pence of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
Imperial Valley News Center

San Diego Nursing Homes Owned by L.A.-Based Brius Management to Pay up to $6.9 Million to Resolve Kickback and Fraud Allegations

Los Angeles, California - Four San Diego-area nursing homes owned by Los Angeles-based Brius Management Co. have agreed to pay as much as $6.9 million to resolve civil allegations that their employees paid kickbacks for patient referrals and submitted fraudulent bills to government health care programs.

The settlement with the four nursing homes resolves an investigation into allegations that their employees paid kickbacks to discharge planners at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego to induce patient referrals to the nursing homes in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

The investigation examined additional allegations made in a whistleblower lawsuit that the nursing homes submitted false claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal for services provided to patients referred from Scripps Mercy Hospital. Bills submitted for patients referred as a result of illegal kickbacks would constitute fraud against the United States and the State of California.

The four nursing homes involved in the settlement are: Point Loma Convalescent Hospital, Brighton Place  San Diego, Brighton Place  Spring Valley, and Amaya Springs Health Care Center in Spring Valley.

These same four nursing homes entered into Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) with the United States Attorneys Office in San Diego in 2016. In the DPAs, the four entities admitted that nursing home employees conspired to pay kickbacks without the knowledge of Brius Management Co. The nursing homes admitted that their employees used corporate credit cards to pay for gift cards, massages, tickets to sporting events, and a cruise on the Inspiration Hornblower that were given to planners at Scripps Mercy Hospital as kickbacks.

Kickbacks for patient referrals are illegal under federal law because of the corrupting influence on our nations healthcare system, said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. This settlement demonstrates our resolve to combat fraud that compromises the care provided to patients served by a government healthcare plan. This case further shows the power of whistleblowers to shine a light on corrupt activities and obtain significant recoveries on behalf of United States taxpayers.

The settlement calls for guaranteed payments of $1,785,967 to the United States, to be paid in three annual installments, and a $240,950 lump sum payment to the State of California. The nursing homes paid the first installment to the United States on November 6, and California received its payment on November 10.

The hospitals also agreed to pay up to $4.9 million to the United States if certain operational contingencies are met, making the total settlement worth up to $6,926,917.

The four nursing homes have also entered into Corporate Integrity Agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Skilled nursing facilities that pay kickbacks in order to boost profits will be held accountable for their improper conduct, said Christian J. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. We will continue to crack down on kickback arrangements, which can corrupt medical decision-making and undermine the publics trust in the health care system.

Eric S. Birnbaum, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stated, The FBI will continue to bring our resources to bear in support of False Claims Act investigations to protect the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by a former employee of one of the nursing homes under the qui tam  or whistleblower  provisions of the federal and state False Claims Acts, which allow private citizens to file lawsuits on behalf of the United States and California and share in any recovery. The whistleblower, Viki Bell-Manako, will receive 20 percent of each settlement payment. Pursuant to the settlement, United States District Judge John F. Walter today dismissed the lawsuit, United States of America, State of California ex rel. Bell-Manako v. Brius Management Co., et al., CV11-2036-JFW.

The settlement with the four nursing homes was negotiated by the Civil Fraud Section of the United States Attorneys Office following an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Imperial Valley News Center

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival Expands to 11 Additional International Airports

Washington, DC - U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today the expansion of Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival to 11 additional international airports. Enrollment on Arrival enables conditionally-approved Global Entry applicants to complete their interview, the final step of the Global Entry enrollment process, while clearing CBP processing.

The program is currently available at nine new locations including Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), San Diego International Airport (SAN), Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), and will launch later this week at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

Global Entry continues to be one of CBPs most successful and popular programs and we have made it a priority to improve the enrollment process for those looking to join the ranks of Trusted Traveler, said Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. Last month, we launched a modernized, mobile-friendly application website making the initial step of the process more user friendly and now with these additional Enrollment on Arrival locations we have added greater flexibility for those looking to complete the enrollment process.

Since the programs launch in July, more than 5,200 conditionally-approved Global Entry applicants have completed the final step of the enrollment process at an Enrollment on Arrival location. Enrollment on Arrival is also available at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Conditionally-approved applicants looking to utilize Enrollment on Arrival do not need to schedule an interview appointment ahead of time.

Once a traveler is conditionally-approved, instead of scheduling an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center, the traveler can complete the enrollment interview during CBP primary inspection at a participating airport. Upon arrival, travelers will be directed to a primary booth designated specifically for Enrollment on Arrival. A CBP officer will conduct both the primary processing and Global Entry interview and collect the travelers biometrics to complete the enrollment. The traveler will then be cleared for entry into the United States and, if approved, will be a Global Entry member.

Currently available at 54 U.S. airports and 15 Preclearance locations, Global Entry streamlines the international arrivals process at airports for trusted travelers. The more than 4.7 million Global Entry members bypass traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are also eligible to participate in the TSA Pre expedited screening program.

U.S. citizens, U.S nationals and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may apply for Global Entry as well as passport holders from Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in NEXUS may also use the Global Entry kiosks.

Interested travelers apply through the Trusted Traveler Programs website. The non-refundable application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is $100 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at one of the more than 100 Global Entry Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Qatar or at an Enrollment on Arrival location and then make a final eligibility determination.

While the goal of Global Entry is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the programs terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and may result in the revocation of the travelers membership privileges.

Visit CBPs Global Entry website for more information on the Global Entry Program and the Enrollment on Arrival website for an updated list of available locations.
Labor Union Organizer Sentenced To Prison For Participating In Fraud Schemes

Oakland, California - Daniel Rush was sentenced Monday afternoon to 37 months in prison for breaching his fiduciary duties to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) and participating in a money laundering scheme, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge, following Rushs guilty pleas on June 22, 2017.

Rush pleaded guilty to one count of receiving an illegal payment as a union employee, in violation of 29 U.S.C.  186(b)(1); one count of honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1343, 1346; and one count of conspiracy to commit structuring and money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  371.

According to his plea agreement, between 2010 and 2015, Rush engaged in a series of schemes to enrich himself in violation of federal law and his fiduciary duties:

In 2010, he conspired with attorney Marc L. TerBeek and others to structure approximately $420,000 in illegal drug proceeds into the banking system. Although the money was a loan from someone in the cannabis industry, Rush deliberately mischaracterized monthly interest payments as consulting fees.

While serving as the Organizing Coordinator for the unofficial cannabis division at UFCW, Rush gave an employer a corrupted neutrality agreement in exchange for personal loan forgiveness. He also accepted kickbacks from TerBeek in exchange for referring cannabis businesses he encountered in his union role to TerBeeks law practice.

Rush abused his position as Executive Treasurer and Board Member at the Instituto de la Raza Laboral (Instituto) in similar fashion by demanding and accepting remuneration from TerBeek in exchange for establishing TerBeek as an approved legal provider for workers compensation cases at the Insituto.

Finally, Rush engaged in corrupt conduct as a Commissioner on the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission when he attempted to extort a business that had applied for a dispensary permit. Using TerBeek as an intermediary, Rush communicated that if the applicant did not offer him a salaried job, with benefits, he would take adverse action against its application.

In sentencing Rush, Judge Gilliam commented that the case reflects large-scale, long-lasting corruption on the defendants part.

In addition to the prison term, the Court also sentenced the Rush to a three-year term of supervised release and ordered him to pay a fine of $7500. Rushs coconspirator, attorney Marc L. TerBeek pleaded guilty on February 16, 2017, to one count of making an illegal payment to a union employee, in violation of 29 U.S.C.  186(a) and one count of willfully violating an anti-structuring regulation, in violation of 12 U.S.C.  1956. Judge Gilliam scheduled TerBeeks sentencing hearing for November 27, 2017.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
Manager of Home Health Agency Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Paying Illegal Kickbacks for Medicare Referrals

Los Angeles, California - An Inland Empire woman who ran a home health agency that paid more than $1.25 million in illegal kickbacks for referrals of Medicare patients has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

Elaine C. Lat, 47, of Fontana, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. In addition to the prison term, Judge Gutierrez ordered Lat to pay $41,930 in restitution to Medicare.

Lat pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy and four counts of paying illegal kickbacks.

Lat was the chief operating officer of Star Home Health Resources, Inc., a La Verne-based home health agency that received more than $8.5 million from Medicare after Star submitted bills for services provided to patients who were referred through the illegal kickback scheme.

According to court documents, from May 2008 through May 2016, Lat conspired with others to pay illegal kickbacks to physicians and individuals in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to Star for home health services. Lat and her co-conspirators paid kickbacks totaling at least $1,257,487 to physicians and other referral sources, including marketers. Lat paid the kickbacks with cash she withdrew from Stars bank accounts or with checks drawn from the accounts, directly to the physicians and marketers.

Five other defendants have been charged in relation to the Star kickback scheme. Four of those defendants were named in the same indictment as Elaine Lat. Elaine Lats parents  Errol Lat, 73, and Thelma Lat, 72, both of Alta Loma  also pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and four counts of paying illegal kickbacks. They are scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2018.

Corinne Chavez, 34, a resident of Rosamond in Kern County, who was a marketer for Star, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks. Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2018.

Dr. Kain Kumar, 54, of Malibu, California, one of the physicians who allegedly received kickbacks from Star, has pleaded not guilty to 19 charges contained in a second superseding indictment that accuses him of participating in the Star kickback conspiracy, as well as engaging in health care fraud and illegally prescribing controlled substances. According to the indictment in this case, Medicare paid $4,398,599 to Star after the illegal referrals by Kumar.

Kumar  who operated medical clinics in Palmdale, Rosamond and Ridgecrest  is scheduled to go on trial before Judge Gutierrez on May 8, 2018.

Another doctor who allegedly received kickbacks from Star is charged in a separate case. Dr. Kanagasabai Kanakeswaran, 65, of Lancaster, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial on January 30, also before Judge Gutierrez.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The case against Lat and the other charged defendants was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Porter of the Major Frauds Section and Trial Attorney Claire Yan of the Fraud Section in the Criminal Division of the Justice Department.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic 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

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Following allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, Quentin Tarantino abandoned the Hollywood moguls company Miramax, who produced all of the filmmakers projects.

Immediately, the esteemed director hunted for another studio to produce his upcoming ninth feature, a script being passed around every major studio (minus Disney).

At last, Tarantinos Charles Manson-linked project has a home: Sony. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company beat out Warner Bros. and Paramount by giving into Tarantinos huge demands.

Sources told the publication he wanted a $95 million production budget, final cut, and extraordinary creative controls over the project. On top of that, Tarantino reportedly asked for 25 percent of the gross and rights to the movie revet to him after 10 to 20 years.

Another insider added that the movie  working title #9  would have to make $375 million worldwide to break even, but conceded Tarantino didnt get the 25 percent.

Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Show all 7 1 /7 Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Jimmie Dimmick in Pulp Fiction (1994) Here he plays Jimmie Dimmick, who gets caught up in Vincent and Jules body disposing and panics over how on earth hes going to get rid of the bloody evidence before his wife gets home. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Mr Brown in Reservoir Dogs (1992) Tarantino opens Reservoir Dogs as Mr Brown, talking about Madonna hit Like a Virgin, before later being shot in the head, crashing his car and dying. Brief, but dramatic. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Miner in Django Unchained (2013) Tarantino's Django cameo is much maligned. His Aussie miner appeared somewhat randomly in his first Western movie, before blowing himself up with his own dynamite. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Warren in Death Proof (2007) Warrens owns the Texas Chili Parlour bar in this thriller about the murders of four women at the hands of a crazed stuntman. His own jukebox can be seen in the scene. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Pick-up guy in Desperado (1995) Not one of his own films, but Tarantino did a favour for director Robert Rodriguez and agreed to a cameo. He wrote the three-minute long wee joke that he tells before being being killed. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Elvis impersonator in The Golden Girls (1988) Not technically a cameo, but too funny not to include. Before his career kicked off, Tarantino played an Elvis impersonator on a 1988 episode of Golden Girls. Quentin Tarantino's best cameos Dead Nazi in Inglourious Basterds (2009) In this one he is a dead Nazi being scalped. Lovely.

Alongside the Sony news, plot details have emerged. According to Vanity Fair, the Manson murders will only play as a backdrop to the main story, set in 1969, which revolves around a male TV actor  with one hit series  hoping to get into the film business alongside his sidekick and stunt-double.

For the leading role, Sony and Tarantino are hoping to snag an A-list actor, the names Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio being thrown around. Margot Robbie has also been linked to the role of Sharon Tate, one of Mansons murder victims.
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Charles Manson, the man who orchestrated the horrific murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles, 1969, has died.

The 83-year-old spent nearly half a century in prison, and died of natural causes at Kern County hospital, according to a California Department of Corrections statement.

He had serious musical ambitions and befriended several prominent rock stars of the time, including Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, and Neil Young. He also met Terry Melcher, a music producer who had lived in the same house that Polanski and Tate later rented.

By the summer 1969, Manson had failed to sell his songs, and the rejection, particularly a snub by Melcher, was later seen as a trigger for the violence. Manson complained that Wilson took his song Cease to Exist, revised it into Never Learn Not to Love, recording it with the Beach Boys without giving Manson credit.

Manson was obsessed with the Beatles, particularly their songs Piggies and Helter Skelter", the latter of which he believed was a forecast for the end of the world. He told his followers that Helter Skelter is coming down and predicted a race war would destroy the planet. George Harrison, who wrote "Piggies", would later say how upsetting it was to be associated with "something so sleazy as Charles Manson".

Manson's name is still a source of horror and fascination. He, the Manson family and their crimes have been referenced in popular culture over the decades in music, film and television.

Here are some of the most memorable:

Sonic Youth - "Death Valley '69"

The no-wave band were inspired by the hiding place Manson told his followers would be used when the race war he predicted broke out.

Nine Inch Nails - "Gave Up"

The rock band's music video for this track was filmed entirely at 10050 Cielo Drive, where the Tate murders took place, with special guest Marilyn Manson. Much of the band's breakthrough record The Downward Spiral was recorded there too.

Family Guy

In an episode of Family Guy, Peter remembers that he hasn't been to California "since I lived with my other family". In a flashback, he runs into a shack where Manson is sitting and exclaims: "Guys, I've just been invited to a party at Sharon Tate's house! You guys can come, but you gotta promise not to embarrass me."

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Helter Skelter

Most film and TV interpretations of Charles Manson are based on the acclaimed non-fiction book Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It provides a detailed look at the cult leader, thanks in large part to the writer's involvement with his prosecution.

The film Helter Skelter debuted on CBS seven years after the Manson family carried out a series of murders which claimed the lives of several people, with cult actor Steve Railsback as the notorious ringleader. It was adapted again in 2009.

Neil Young - "Revolution Blues"

Young is one of the view artists willing to speak openly about his admiration for Manson before the murders took place. Before those events, Manson frequented the California music scene and Young remembered telling a record executive that he was "good... just a little out of control".

After the Manson murders took place he wrote "Revolution Blues", which includes the line "10 million dune buggies" - a reference to Manson's plan to assemble forces in the Mojave desert for his race war.

South Park

There were numerous references to Manson in the animated series, but one of the most memorable saw him depicted as an escaped convict in need of some Christmas spirit. He encounters the foul-mouthed quartet and is taught the meaning of Christmas.

Alkaline Trio - "Sadie"

The goth-punks refer to Sadie G, Ms Susan A. and "Charlie's broken .22" - two Manson cult members and the gun that Tex Watson used to beat Polish actor Wojciech Frykowski to death - on the song from their 2007 record Remains.

Aquarius (2015)

(NBC (NBC)

This NBC drama saw David Duchovny as LAPD investigator Sam Hodiak, whose latest case draws him into the twisted world of Manson and his followers. He is forced to go undercover with a young police officer to infiltrate the family, and soon begins to see the world very differently. Manson is portrayed by Gethin Anthony, who fans may have recognised as Renley Baratheon in Game of Thrones.

American Horror Story: Cult

"Charles Manson In Charge", the 10th episode of Cult, premiered on 7 November 2017. The synopsis explains: "Kai's political movement is challenged. The cult learns from the master. Ally uncovers a secret operative in the group."

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Nick Cave, the dark poet of rock, is taking a "principled stand" against activists working to ostracise the Jewish state and credited the boycotters on Sunday with his decision to act against those trying to "bully" and "silence" musicians and go ahead with his shows here.

The Australian artist whose music can be both melancholic and uplifting simultaneously is well loved in Israel and both shows were almost sold out.

At a press conference, Cave spoke about the logistical challenges of playing Israel then said musicians also endure pressure from an international movement known as BDS that seeks to ostracize Israel by lobbying corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with the Jewish state.

He said record producer Brian Eno had asked him three years ago to sign a boycott list. "On a very intuitive level I did not want to sign that list, there was something that stunk to me about that list," Cave said.

"And then it kind of occurred to me that I'm not signing the list but I'm also not playing Israel and that just felt to me cowardly really."

Cave said "it suddenly became very important to make a stand against those people that are trying to shut down musicians, to bully musicians to censor musicians and to silence musicians."

He said after much thought and consideration he decided to play Israel on his tour this year.

"So at the end of the day there are two reasons why I am here. One is that I love Israel and I love Israeli people and two is to make a principled stand against anyone who wants to censor and silence musicians," Cave said.

"So really you could say in a way that the BDS made me play Israel," he said.

The boycott movement, also called the BDS movement, advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel in what its supporters say is a nonviolent way to promote the Palestinian cause.

It has urged businesses, artists and universities to sever ties with Israel and includes thousands of volunteers around the world.

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Israel says the campaign goes beyond fighting its occupation of territory Palestinians claim for a state and often masks a more far-reaching aim to delegitimise or destroy the Jewish state.

Some BDS critics accuse the movement of anti-Semitism because it singles out Israel for boycott while overlooking the Palestinian part in the conflict and ignoring other disputes around the world.

For fans Nick Cave is rock royalty with decades of influential albums.

BDS has enlisted the support of Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters and has persuaded some performers like Elvis Costello and Lauren Hill against playing.

A long list of artists including Metallica, Madonna, Elton John, Rihanna, Ozzy Osbourne and others ignore the pressure and continue to perform in Israel.

Associated Press
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There was never any pause in global warming, new data shows, and the world is warming at a pace that scientists warn will be catastrophic.

Gaps in the data about the world temperature led people to believe that climate wasn't heating as much as suggested. But that was wrong and global warming is progressing far faster than would be expected, the new research suggests.

That's according to scientists who returned to calculate global temperatures in the years 1998-2012. It's those years that many people claim were subject to a "global warming hiatus", where the pace of climate change appeared to slow.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

But that idea was based on a mistake in the data used to calculate the temperature of the planet, the new research suggests. It builds on a range of research that shows that despite repeated claims global warming had stopped it is actually continuing at a catastrophic pace.

The idea of a hiatus had been helpful to climate change deniers and confounding to scientists, who couldn't understand why the world would stop warming even despite increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases. The solution is that the warming never happened, according to the new research carrried out by Xiangdong Zhang, an atmospheric scientist with UAF's International Arctic Research Center, who collaborated with colleagues at Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese agencies.

"We recalculated the average global temperatures from 1998-2012 and found that the rate of global warming had continued to rise at 0.112C per decade instead of slowing down to 0.05C per decade as previously thought," said Zhang who is also a professor with UAF's College of Natural Science and Mathematics.
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The iconic Victorias Secret fashion show made its debut in Shanghai today featuring some of the worlds most famous models.

Steeped in controversy following a string of problems obtaining visas for models and performers such as Gigi Hadid and Katy Perry, organisers ensured the lingerie brands runway show went ahead without fault.

An over-the-top celebration, this years show kicked off the holiday season with the brands signature angel wings, lingerie embellished with Swarovski crystals and the $2 million 2017 Champagne Night Fantasy Bra designed exclusively by Mouawad. Despite some of its stars being denied entry to the country, including Kate Grigorieva, Irina Sharipova and Gigi Hadid, a string of world-famous supermodels strutted down the runway accompanied by special musical performances from Harry Styles, Miguel, Jane Zhang and Leslie Odom Jr.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Show all 16 1 /16 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio on the catwalk Rex Features Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Adriana Lima on the catwalk Rex Features Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Lais Ribeiro wears the $2 million Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra by Mouawad AP Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Romee Strijd on the catwalk Rex Features Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Miguel sings as Leomie Anderson walks the runway Getty Images for Victoria's Secr Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Cindy Bruna presents a creation AFP/Getty Images Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Ming Xi presents a creation AFP/Getty Images Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Adriana Lima leads out of the other Victoria's Secret models AFP/Getty Images Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Maria Borges presents a creation REUTERS Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Bella Hadid walks the runway Getty Images for Victoria's Secr Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Martha Hunt walks the runway Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Harry Styles performs as Blanca Padilla walks the runway Getty Images for Victoria's Secr Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Sanne Vloet walks the runway Getty Images for Victoria's Secr Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Sara Sampaio presents a creation AFP/Getty Images Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Elsa Hosk walks the runway Rex Features Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 Victoria's Secret models on the catwalk together Rex Features

Held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, the 22nd annual show featured the likes of Adriana Lima, Alessanra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Jasmine Tookes and Bella Hadid.

Dripping in jewels, this was the first time Victorias Secret had partnered with a luxury brand to create an exclusive capsule collection called VSxBalmain.

Working with Balmains creative Director, Olivier Rousteing, the underwear giant debuted a range of modern pieces that, while high fashion, adhered to Victorias Secrets identifiable and sexy silhouette.

For this years show, Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro was bestowed the honour of wearing the eagerly anticipated $2 million Fantasy Bra.

Bella Hadid walks the runway (Getty Images for Victoria's Secr)

Designed by Mouawad, the creation weighed more than 600 carats and had been handset with diamonds, yellow sapphires and blue topaz.

Made from 18 karat gold, the Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra took nearly 350 hours to make and used nearly 6,000 gemstones.
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A 10 bottle of prosecco sold by corner shop chain Spar has been named the best own-brand Italian fizz in the UK.

The Valdobbiadene DOCG scored one per cent higher than the bottles in joint second place to take the top spot.

The rankings were decided in a blind taste test by an independent panel of experts convened by the consumer group Which?.

Experts judging the various bottles of bubbly scored Spars prosecco 78 per cent and it was praised for its pleasant balance and savoury style by one of the five judges, Charles Metcalfe, of the International Wine Challenge.

It has flavours of pear and white peach, the judges said.

Just behind Spars offering in joint second place were Asdas 6.50 Fillipo Sansovino Prosecco and Waitroses 10.99 San Leo Brut NV, both of which scored 77 per cent.

In bottom place was Aldis 7.99 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, which came out with a rating of 66 per cent.

The winning Spar prosecco

Nikki Stopford, director of research at Which?, said: It just goes to show you dont have to be a leading supermarket to achieve a Which? best buy accolade.

You can now enjoy a glass of best buy Christmas fizz from your local Spar, so get yours while stocks last.

Shoppers can be confident of getting the best quality prosecco to enjoy over the festive period, knowing it has been independently tasted by the Which? panel of experts.

The panel also conducted a champagne taste test.

Veuve Clicquots Yellow Label came out on top, which was the most expensive bottle at 39.

The expert judges commended it for its rich and opulent style, adding that it was nicely balanced and had good length of flavour.
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An artificial intelligence expert has called for countries to ban so-called killer robots before activists warnings against them become a reality.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots recently released a short film, in which autonomous weapons are used to carry out mass killings with frightening efficiency, while people struggle to work out how to combat them.

A United Nations panel discussed the issue last week, but next plans to meet next year.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Toby Walsh, Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW Sydney, says hes confident that killer robots will be banned, but is worried that the decision could take a long time to make.

[The] arms race has happened [and] is happening today, he said at the UN, reports AFP.

These will be weapons of mass destruction. I am actually quite confident that we will ban these weapons  My only concern is whether [countries] have the courage of conviction to do it now, or whether we will have to wait for people to die first.

However, Amandeep Gill, who chaired the Convention on Conventional Weapons meeting, has played down such fears.

 Film shows dangers of smart drone weapons, from Campaign to Stop Killer Robots

Ladies and gentlemen, I have news for you: the robots are not taking over the world. Humans are still in charge, he said.

The panel has agreed to proceed with talks on defining and possibly setting limits on autonomous weapons, and is weighing up the potential creation of a code of conduct.

However, Mr Gill revealed that the panel doesnt plan to meet again until 2018, the Times of Israel reports.

In response to criticism about its speed of progress, he said, I think we have to be careful in not emotionalising or dramatising this issue.

[Artificial intelligences] potential to benefit humanity is enormous, even in defense, said Stuart Russell, a professor of computer science at the University of Berkeley, who featured in the film released by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.

But allowing machines to choose to kill humans will be devastating to our security and freedom. Thousands of my fellow researchers agree. We have an opportunity to prevent the future you just saw, but the window to act is closing fast.

Earlier this month, hundreds of AI experts urged the Canadian and Australian governments to treat autonomous weapons in the same way as chemical biological and nuclear weapons, arguing that delegating life-or-death decisions to machines crosses a moral line, and must not be allowed to happen.
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An Indian medical student has been crowned Miss World 2017 making her country the joint-most successful in the beauty pageants history.

Manushi Chhillar, 20, is the sixth Indian winner of the prestigious competition, following in the footsteps of Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai.

Her win means that India is now level with Venezuela as they both hold six victories over the course of the pageants 67 years.

Trained as an Indian classical dancer, Chhillar who also enjoys painting hopes to open a chain of non-profit hospitals in rural areas, according to the Miss World website.

Following her win, Chhillar tweeted, Thank you, everyone, for your constant love, support.

This one's for India.

The young medical students success quickly became a trending topic on Twitter as people came out to congratulate her win including Manohar Lal Khattar  the minister of her home state of Haryana.

Chhillar hopes to open a chain of non-profit hospitals in rural areas (AFP/Getty Images)

Chhillar was crowned the winner by last years champion Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico, while Stephanie Hill of England and Andrea Meza of Mexico finished as runners-up.

The competition returned to Sanya, on Chinas Hainan Island for the seventh time, where the event was last held in 2015.

The medical student was crowned the winner by last years champion Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico (AFP/Getty Images)

During the previous occasion two years ago, controversy erupted as officials stopped Miss Canada, Anastasia Lin, from boarding a plane, telling her she would not receive a visa.

The 25-year old actress claimed the decision was made because of her stance on Chinas human rights record and at last years event in the United States, Lin was once again warned by pageant officials to not speak to the press about the subject.

England's Stephanie Hill finished as a runner up (AFP/Getty Images)

Interestingly, Miss Lin did not participate in this years event, instead Canada was represented by high school student Cynthia Menard.
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US financier George Soros on Monday denounced a Hungarian government campaign against him as distortions and lies designed to create a false external enemy.

Mr Soros, 86, is a Hungarian-born Jew whose long-time support for liberal and open-border values in eastern Europe have put him at odds with right-wing nationalists, in particular the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Mr Orban, who faces elections in April 2018, last month sent to voters seven statements attributed to Soros that, among other things, called for the European Union to settle a million migrants a year and pay each of them thousands of euros.

The statements... contain distortions and outright lies that deliberately mislead Hungarians about George Soross views on migrants and refugees, said a statement issued by Soross Open Society Foundations.

With Hungarys health care and education systems in distress and corruption rife, the current government has sought to create an outside enemy to distract citizens. The government selected George Soros for this purpose, it said.

It said each of the seven statements was a distortion or lie, refuting them one by one. It said Soros proposed admitting an annual 300,000 refugees to the EU only while strengthening European border controls and making migrant relocations within the bloc voluntary, not mandatory as Budapest asserted.

It said Mr Soros proposed no payments to migrants, rather EU subsidies to member states to help them cope with migration.

To three other proposals attributed to Mr Soros - that he wanted milder criminal sentences for migrants, to push national cultures and languages into the background to facilitate easier integration of migrants and sanctions against countries that oppose migration, the Open Society statement said, Nowhere has Soros made any such statement(s). This is a lie.

A Hungarian government spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the Open Society statement.

Mr Orban once received a Soros grant to study at Oxford University but later turned against the billionaire philanthropist, vilifying him as an alleged mastermind of a global agenda to weaken nation states.

The election campaign of Mr Orbans Fidesz party has built on a series of billboards warning Hungarians, Dont let Soros have the last laugh and showing a laughing Soros in black and white. Some of the billboards have had stinking Jew scrawled on them.

The billboards, along with calls from Mr Orban to preserve Hungarys ethnic homogeneity and his endorsement of a World Two Hungarian leader who allied with Nazi Germany, drew accusations of anti-Semitism earlier this year.

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.

Alluding to the billboards and to Mr Orbans rejection of immigration, especially from Muslim nations, the Open Society Foundations accused Budapest of stoking anti-Muslim sentiment and employing anti-Semitic tropes reminiscent of the 1930s.

Fidesz pulled the billboard campaign just before a July visit to Budapest by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mr Orban vowed to fight anti-Semitism.

The government has denied its campaign was anti-Semitic, and re-launched the billboards in the autumn in promoting a national consultation with voters.

Reuters
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The law must change to end the mass exploitation of workers by companies who use bogus self-employment to avoid granting basic rights like holiday pay and the minimum wage, MPs have said.

In a draft bill published on Monday the Work and Pensions select committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee said personnel should be considered workers by default, with the onus on the companies using their services to prove otherwise.

Labour MP Frank Field, who chairs the Work and Pensions Committee, said the draft bill would end the mass exploitation of ordinary, hard-working people in the gig economy and would put good business on a level playing field, not being undercut by bad business.

It is time to close the loopholes that allow irresponsible companies to underpay workers, avoid taxes and free ride on our welfare system, he said.

But the GMB Union said it was disappointed at the limited ambition of the new bill.

Today's select committee proposals are just a start in tackling the scourge of insecure work in the UK, GMB general secretary Jim Roache said.

If these plans go ahead  they may make a small difference. However the fact remains that without real investment in HMRC and a political will to get tough on rogue employers who are cheating the British taxpayer out of millions and reaping profits out of worker exploitation, then there will be no significant change.

The proposals come as gig economy firms face a series of legal battles over how they treat those that work for them.

Earlier this month, Uber lost its appeal against a landmark ruling ordering it to treat its drivers as workers. The company has vowed to launch a further appeal, insisting its drivers are self-employed and that they appreciate the flexibility that the status affords them.

Last week, takeaway service Deliveroo won a case at the Central Arbitration Committee, which ruled that the food delivery app's couriers are self-employed, rather than workers. The CAC said it made the decision because Deliveroos riders have the right to put forward a substitute to do their work in place of them.

Employment lawyers delivered a mixed reaction to the draft bill put forward on Monday.

Crowley Woodford, an employment partner at Ashurst said that, if enacted, the proposals would take a major step towards destroying the flexibility currently enjoyed by the gig economy. The current self-employed model would not survive, he said.

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.

Emma Bartlett, a partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, described the automatic presumption of worker status as a groundbreaking proposal. A flexible workforce is fundamental to many businesses to be able to respond to the fickle demands of our present economy, particularly if they want to grow and continue to offer work to those who need flexibility in their working life, she said.  However, it shouldnt come at the cost of a basic level of remuneration to those workers.

The new proposals come after a government-commissioned review carried out by Matthew Taylor earlier this year put forward its own recommendations for reforming labour laws. At the time of the reports release in July, Mr Taylor described his recommendations as the biggest reset of employment law for the most vulnerable workers that we've seen in a generation.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that the UKs flexible labour market had helped reduce unemployment, but added that the department recognised that the system is not working for everyone
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In the latest round in the war of words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, North Korea has called the US President an old lunatic and said America will regret letting such a depraved and stupid guy occupy the Oval Office.

North Korea's state-run Minju Joson newspaper ran an editorial which said: A load of rubbish spouted by the old lunatic Trump during his recent visit to South Korea was a total nonsense and paradox so far.

Mr Trump visited South Korea earlier this month as part of a 12-day trip to Asia, where he addressed the South Korean National Assembly and issued a warning to the North.

Today, I hope I speak not only for our countries, but for all civilised nations, when I say to the North: Do not underestimate us. And do not try us.

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

The North Korean commentary accused Mr Trump of committing a hideous crime against the Korean people by insulting its leader, and warning that this thrice-cursed crime can never be pardoned.

Earlier this month, another North Korean media outlet said Mr Trump was sentenced to death for his attacks on Mr Kim.

The US President had taunted the North Korean leader by saying he would never call him short and fat.

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Mr Trump wrote.

Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend  and maybe someday that will happen!

The North Korean newspaper then warned Mr Trump not to meddle in North Korean affairs following the recent escalation in tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

"Trump had better pay heed to the despicable plight of his country, the dark empire of evils under worldwide criticism, before poking his nose into others things, it said.
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A skull found in China could re-write our entire understanding of human evolution.

That's according to scientists who have examined the important, ancient head and say that it proves the existing theory of how humans came to be is wrong.

Most anthropologists believe that our species came about in Africa around 200,000 years ago  and that one group left around 80,000 years later before spreading across the world. But instead of humans purely coming out of Africa, the new research suggests that important characteristics of humans actually developed in east Asia.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

In fact there might have been times of intense intermingling as those early humans in Asia moved out of and back into Africa, with no single event when modern humans came into being. That means that modern humans are made up of the DNA of ancestors from both Asia and Africa, if the researchers are correct.

The story is a development of a theory that has been widely dismissed by mainstream academics for decades, some of whom suggest that it is being made up to emphasise the role of China. But if the new claims are true, it might prove that the long-ridiculed theory is actually true.

Recommended Fossil discovery hailed as missing link in dinosaur evolution

The important head, known as the Dali skull, was found 40 years ago in China. It was once a member of the early species  and our ancestor  the Homo erectus. It is surprisingly intact, with scientists still able to see the face and brain case as it would have been when its owner was living around 260,000 years ago.

It has strange similarities too with modern Homo sapiens. And the new research suggests that it has far more than expected in common with specimens found in morocco.

Taken together, the research suggests that humans might not have evolved in Africa and then left, as has long been thought to be the case, researchers Xinzhi Wu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Sheela Athreya of Texas A&M University told the New Scientist. The similarities suggest that the early modern humans might not have been isolated in one place as their characteristics evolved, the scientists say, instead sharing characteristics across the world.

Instead, at some times there might have been important genetic flow between those early humans in Africa and others in places like China, they write in a recent paper, "resulting in contributions being made in different capacities to different regions at different times".

The scientists now hope to do even more detailed comparisons of the Dali skull with those found in Morocco, to understand how the specimen found in China is similar to and different from other examples of early humans.
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A taxi driver who killed his two young children by smothering them with a petrol-soaked rag has been been jailed for life with a minimum term of 33 years.

Endris Mohammed was unanimously convicted last week of the murders of Saros Endris, aged eight, and his six-year-old sister Leanor, who both died of airway obstruction after suffering chemical burns to their faces.

Mohammed was also given a concurrent 10-year sentence at Birmingham Crown Court for the attempted murder of his wife, who was asleep when the 47-year-old killed their children and set fire to their home.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Gilbart rejected Mohammed's claim to have planned to end his own life before the terrible criminal enterprise designed to kill the children and their mother.

Mohammed, of Holland Road, Hamstead, Birmingham, tried to murder his wife, Penil Teklehaimanot, by tampering with a gas pipe and setting a fire near their front door in the early hours of 28 October last year.

Recommended Uber driver found guilty of murdering his two children

The former factory worker bought a fuel can and three litres of petrol around 12 hours before the killings and later suffered burns to his head after setting the passenger side of his cab alight.

A two-week trial was told Mohammed, who met his wife in 2006 in Kent after they came to Britain from East Africa as asylum seekers, killed the children during a downstairs sleepover.

After paying tribute to Saros and Leanor as happy, cheerful and engaging children of whom any parent would be justly proud, the judge told Mohammed: You have deliberately snuffed out their young lives. Their mother escaped death but she must endure that tragic loss as she rebuilds her life. They [the children] loved you, as did your partner. They trusted you implicitly and were enjoying your company even on the night of their murder. You repaid their trust in you by killing them.

The judge accepted Mohammed was suffering from a depressive illness falling short of diminished responsibility, but said a withdrawal from a cash machine hours beforehand showed he had not intended to take his own life.

As Mohammed showed no sign of emotion in the dock, the judge described the fire at the family home as an attempt to achieve the destruction of the three victims in a conflagration.

Mohammed, who appeared in court with his head heavily bandaged, remained seated as the judge said the UK had a long history of welcoming those from abroad fleeing oppression. The judge told Mohammed: Your partner had established her life here as a refugee from persecution. That safe haven she shared with you and her children was destroyed by you in the most appalling manner imaginable.

You smothered your children with a petrol-soaked cloth. You told the psychiatrists that you did so to prevent them feeling the ghastly death of being burned alive.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA 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 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 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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. 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I give that little credence, as you were prepared to see your partner thus consumed, and took steps by trying to disconnect the gas hose to make the fire greater.

Before the sentence was passed, defence barrister Timothy Raggatt QC said Mohammed himself was still struggling to understand his actions.

Here is a man of previous good character, a devoted husband, who has done something unspeakable, Mr Raggatt told the court. He is at a loss to understand it himself.

PA
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A Spanish criminologist says he has identified a woman sought by police in connection to Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

Scotland Yard investigators are reportedly looking to speak to a woman who was seen dressed in purple standing outside the family's apartment in Praia da Luz, Lagos, in 2007.

Criminologist Heriberto Gonzalez said he believed the woman to be Bulgarian waitress Luisa Todorov.

The 58-year-old and her husband were working at the Ocean Club resort in the Portuguese civil parish when the three-year-old disappeared.

The couple were interviewed days after Madeleine went missing and denied any knowledge of the case. Investigators have reportedly not spoken to them since.

Mr Gonzalez  who has investigated the case for 10 years  said reports that police were searching Bulgaria had convinced him Ms Todorov was the woman being sought.

Examining all the known statements it seems highly likely the police are seeking the Todorovs," he told the Mirror.

They are the only known people with a clear link to Bulgaria."

He said he had not been able to track the couple in Portugal and it was likely that the couple moved back to Bulgaria after a number of workers at the Ocean Club were made redundant.

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

Madeleine vanished from her familys holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on 3 May, 2007.

Her disappearance sparked one of the most high-profile police investigations of recent times.

In 2015 Scotland Yard cut the number of detectives working on the case from 29 to four, but the investigation was granted 154,000 in October to pursue "a new person of significance".
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More than 80 civic organisations join forces today to issue a save our EU rights plea, ahead of a major Commons battle over the Brexit bill.

The alliance is urging MPs to stage a revolt to prevent Theresa May stripping the Charter of Fundamental Rights from the UK statue book when Britain leaves the EU.

Individual rights to privacy, equality, freedom of expression, fair working conditions, a fair trial, access to a lawyer and the protection of personal data are all in potential jeopardy, it says.

MPs who believe in freedom, fairness and standing up for their constituents rights should vote to keep the Charter,  said Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty, on behalf of the alliance.

A Conservative revolt is expected when the Charter is debated on Tuesday  led by Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General  which makes the outcome hard to predict.

However, Brexit-backing Tory MPs mounted a fightback over the weekend, arguing only lawyers who love the extra layers of rights and the fees that they bring have an interest in retaining it.

Britain should be proud of its record as a founder member of the European Convention of Human Rights, which meant the threat was non-existent, they insisted.

The clash will come when the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to the Commons, for arguments over parts of Brussels law which will not pasted into UK law in preparation for exit day.

The key clash will come over Charter of Fundamental Rights, which placed human rights principles at the core of EU law when it came into force in 2009.

Labour has condemned the refusal to incorporate it through the Bill, a criticism echoed by Mr Grieve who said it provided essential safeguards for individuals and businesses from legal changes.

Ten Tory MPs have signed an amendment to allow the Charter of Fundamental Rights to continue to apply domestically, after Brexit.

Significantly, that is the same number that forced the Prime Minister into last weeks U-turn over separate  amendable  legislation when MPs vote on any final Brexit deal.

The 80 organisations which form the Repeal Bill Alliance include everybody from Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth and Global Justice Now to groups campaigning for the environment, childrens legal rights and better nutrition and farming.

The Alliance pointed out that the Withdrawal Bill had been justified on the grounds that EU law had to be incorporated, before parts may be junked later, yet the Charter was conspicuously excluded.

Ministers claim the Bill is about certainty  yet they have unilaterally decided to abandon the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the crucial protections it gives us, Ms Spurrier added.

If the Government wants to get on with a smooth and orderly transition, now is not the time for nakedly politicised moves and arguments over rights.

But Suella Fernandes, chairwoman of the Conservatives anti-EU European Research Group, led the call for Ms May to stand firm.

In a joint article for The Sunday Telegraph with John Penrose, a former constitution minister, the pair claimed that human rights laws were already complicated.

On the Charter, they wrote: Lawyers will love the extra layers of rights and the fees that they bring, and it's also a core part of the Brussels project.

The article added: One of the main reasons for leaving the EU was to take back control of our own laws, so we don't have to do what Brussels tells us if we think it's wrong.

Tuesday is the only day of debate on the Bill currently scheduled, with the clash over putting the precise Brexit date on the face of the legislation potentially put off until after a crunch EU summit in mid-December.
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Theresa May has cleared the way for Britain to pay the EU a hefty Brexit divorce bill of some 40bn in a bid to break the deadlock in withdrawal negotiations.

The Independent understands Ms May won the backing of key cabinet figures to almost double the amount being offered by the UK to settle its financial obligations in Brussels.

But the Prime Minister agreed with her ministers that the extra money must be conditional on securing an acceptable transition deal and a good free trade agreement.

Recommended Britain loses two major EU agencies to France and Netherlands

The move marks a key development in the UKs approach and opens the way for EU leaders to approve in December the start of talks on a trade deal that would be critical to Britains post-Brexit prosperity.

With the clock ticking until the UK drops out of the EU in March 2019, Ms May has been under intense pressure to ensure Brussels agrees to allow trade talks to begin at the summit of the European Council on 14 and 15 December.

But while the EU has been demanding more money as its price, Ms May knows Brexit-backing members of her Cabinet, like Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, and some hard-line Tory backbenchers will not forgive handing Brussels a huge pay-off.

A proposal agreed at Mondays Brexit cabinet sub-committee meeting, to be fleshed out this week, will see a something for something approach, with a bigger divorce bill accepted in return for concrete movement on trade and transition.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

Ms May will not make an open offer yet or set out a clear figure when she does. Instead it is likely to see her give more detail to EU leaders on how the UK believes the final bill for the UKs liabilities should be calculated  amounting to a further 20bn.

This comes on top of indications given in her speech in Florence in September that would see the UK pay an initial 20bn.

There were also reports that the UK Government could still allow the European Court of Justice a role in protecting the rights of three million EU citizens.

A Downing Street source underlined the importance of the EU agreeing to allow trade and transition talks at the same time as the offer from the UK being made.

 Hammond signals Britain to increase Brexit 'divorce bill' offer to Brussels: "We want to make progress in the discussions"

He said: It remains our position that nothing's agreed until everything's agreed in negotiations with the EU.

As the Prime Minister said this morning, the UK and the EU should step forward together.

Ms May is set to meet European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday and will be able to discuss the development on the divorce bill as well as the future of the Irish border and EU citizens right  the three key issues on which progress is needed.

Ms May had emphasised the need to synchronise moves forward with Brussels during a trip to Birmingham with two cabinet ministers taking a more cautious approach to Brexit, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clark.

 David Davis blames Germany and France for Brexit talks deadlock: "They are the most powerful players on the European continent"

She said: What I want to see is developing that deep and special partnership with the EU for the future and I want to see us moving together because as Ive always said, a deal thats good for the UK will be good for the European Union.

Mr Hammond underlined the urgent need to secure a post-Brexit implementation period in the next few months, acknowledging it was a wasting asset that would have less value the later it was agreed.

The Chancellor said it would be much less useful in a year's time as businesses would have started making alternative arrangements and government agencies would have begun putting in place contingency plans ahead of the expected Brexit date on 29 March 2019.

But Conservative ex-minister Robert Halfon said the public would go bananas if the UK offered 40 to 50bn at a time of constraints on public spending.

Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg urged the Government not to fall into a trap on the divorce bill, and argued the UK should use the EUs need to fill holes in its budget as leverage.
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The Home Office may have to recruit workers from the European Union to help with Brexit preparations as reported staffing problems cast doubt on its ability to cope with plans to register EU nationals.

Immigration lawyers questioned whether the Home Office has the resources to deliver Theresa May's plan to register the three million EU nationals living in Britain, which would leave caseworkers responsible for 1,500 cases each, according to The Guardian.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has previously told MPs that 700 additional immigration caseworkers have been recruited to work on EU cases and another 500 will be in place by April to cope with the volume of applications from EU nationals.

However the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA), in written evidence to the Home Affairs select committee, said visa and immigration officials had admitted to "problems with growing its staffing capacity" as well as issues "enticing staff to move to Sheffield", a major hub for visa processing.

The Home Office said European work was carried out at its hub in Liverpool, rather than Sheffield, where it had no issues with recruitment, but acknowledged the jobs were not 'UK-restricted' so open to European workers.

Describing a meeting at the Home Office, ILPA said: "During this meeting, ILPA learnt that an additional 200 staff had been recruited to the area of the department that deals with applications by EEA nationals.

"It was acknowledged by the Home Office representatives, however, that this phase of upscaling was a reaction to the dramatic increase in the number of permanent residence (PR) applications made following the EU referendum.

"Thus, it was reactionary rather than preparatory, with the Home Office representatives noting that there will need to be significant further investment to deal with post-Brexit registration of EEA nationals currently living in the UK."

ILPA also warned that the Border Force would need significantly higher staffing levels if EU nationals had to join 'rest of the world' queues after Brexit, to avoid unprecedented hold-ups that could damage the UKs reputation on a global level.

It comes as Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis was due to appear before the Commons committee on Tuesday, where he will face a grilling on the impact of Brexit on the border and future immigration plans.

The committee previously heard warnings from a senior immigration enforcement boss, who said MPs that officials would struggle to cope without more resources, resulting in backlogs or the need to bring in staff from other departments.

David Wood, who was director general of immigration enforcement at the Home Office until 2015, said: I dont think they can cope with it.

"Right across the immigration system - I dont think its ever been greatly well resourced - its becoming tighter and tighter and budgets are getting reduced and reduced.

So I dont think under current resources that that challenge of Brexit can be met and certainly not met smoothly. Theres no doubt in my mind of that.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

A Home Office spokesperson said: UK Visas and Immigration continues to perform efficiently and to high standards despite increasing demand for visas and immigration documents thanks to the increased digitisation of our processes.

The Home Office recruits on merit, not nationality, and we strive to have a workforce that is reflective of the public we serve.

"Weve been clear that we want EU citizens living in the UK to stay and to continue playing their important part in our culture, communities and companies, including here at the Home Office.

Applying for settled status will be a streamlined, low-cost, digital process and we will have the workforce required to continue delivering a high-quality service for customers.
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A Brexit minister has been forced to apologise for incorrectly stating in the Lords that the Supreme Court had ruled Article 50 was irreversible.

Lord Callanan, who joined David Daviss department last month, told peers his comments were incorrect and a misunderstanding of the question on my part.

He had been asked by a Conservative colleague whether he could confirm that the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case brought by Gina Miller had in precise terms ruled on the revocability of Article 50.

"I can confirm that," said Lord Callanan. "It is also stated by the European Commission that Article 50, once invoked, is irrevocable unless there is political agreement on it.

While the UKs highest court had ruled that Theresa May was required to seek approval to trigger the mechanism - kickstarting Britains departure from the EU  it had not made a judgement on whether the process could be reversed.

Correcting his comments seven days later the Brexit minister conceded that the Supreme Court did not opine on the revocability of Article 50.

Recommended EU makes case for Northern Ireland staying in customs union

He continued: I would like to take this further opportunity to clarify the Governments understanding on the Supreme Court case.

To reiterate, for the avoidance of any doubt, the Supreme Court proceeded in the Miller case on the basis that Article 50 would not be revoked but did not rule on the legal position regarding its revocability.

Once again, I am grateful to this House for the opportunity to make a statement. I recognise that my comments have caused confusion and I apologise to the House.

Baroness Hayter, Labours Shadow Brexit minister in the Lords said: I welcome Lord Callanans statement but in future he shouldnt allow his well-known, hard Brexit bias to cloud his ministerial responsibility to give accurate advice to Parliament.

James McGrory, the executive director of Open Britain, added: That a Minister should be forced to clarify his comments for a second time shows both how wrong this Governments interpretation of the revocability of Article 50 is and how determined they are that the public should be left in the dark about it.

The truth, as the author of Article 50 has confirmed, is that the Government can withdraw its notification and stop the process at any time. Brexit does not need to mean Brexit if the British people dont want it to. This process is not inevitable unless we want it to be.

Following his comments last week the Labour peer Lord Adonis, said Lord Callanans comments in the upper chamber amounted to a serious breach of ministerial code.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

He added: I have tabled Lords motion referring Brexit minister Lord Callanan to privileges committee for falsely claiming Supreme Court said Article 50 notice could be withdrawn & refusing to correct this.

The row comes after the former diplomat Lord Kerr, the legal expert who wrote Article 50, said during a speech that the country still has a free choice about whether to proceed with Brexit.

As new facts emerge, people are entitled to take a different view. And theres nothing in Article 50 to stop them, he said.

I think the British people have the right to know this  they should not be misled.
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Brussels' chief Brexit negotiator has made the case for Northern Ireland remaining in the European Union customs union after Britain leaves the EU, to solve a deadlock in talks over the Irish border.

Michel Barnier said there were already over 100 areas where Northern Ireland implemented special rules to harmonise with the Republic and argued that Brexit called for a "specific solution" to "unique circumstances".

Speaking at a think-tank in Brussels the senior EU official said "those who wanted Brexit" must come up with solutions to solve the conundrums it had created.

Recommended Irish border joins divorce bill on pile of reasons for Brexit deadlock

"We need to preserve stability and dialogue on the island of Ireland. We need to avoid a hard border. I know that this point is politically sensitive in the UK, it is not less sensitive in Ireland," he told an audience at the Centre for European Reform.

"Some in the UK say that specific rules in Northern Ireland would endanger the integrity of the UK single market. But Northern Ireland already has specific rules, in many areas that are different to the rest of the UK.

"Think of the all-Ireland electricity markets think of rules that prevent and hinder animal disease. There are over 100 areas of cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland and such cooperation depends in many cases on the application of common rule and common regulatory space."

 Failure to introduce new customs system in time for Brexit would be catastrophic

Theresa May has committed to taking the UK out of the single market and customs union, but the decision means new difficulties on the Irish border.

Ireland will be staying in the EU, Britain will be leaving, but neither side wants to tear up the Good Friday agreement and put a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar has expressed concern over the Brexit border arrangements (AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty)

The EU however says that its must still have a border on its frontiers, and has suggested in leaked internal documents that customs checks instead be carried out at ports between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has however ruled out a new border in the UK, arguing that such a solution would risk the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom.

The Conservatives also have no majority in the House of Commons and would likely rely on votes of the Northern Ireland unionists DUP to pass any Brexit deal, limiting the Governments freedom of action on the subject.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Barnier called for clarity from the UK over the issue of the Irish border.

"The UK said it would continue to apply some EU rules on its territory, but not all rules," he told the audience. "What is therefore unclear is what rules will apply in Northern Ireland after Brexit and what the UK is willing to commit to avoid a hard border. I expect the UK as a good guarantor of the Good Friday agreement to come forward with proposals.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

"The Islands of Ireland is faced with many challenges, those who wanted Brexit must come up with solutions."

On Friday Irish PM Leo Varadkar said he wanted a promise in writing from the UK that there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland, while European Council president Donald Tusk said "much more progress" was needed on the issue, along with that of the financial settlement, before trade talks could begin.
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David Davis has been accused of wasting tens of thousands of pounds after demanding use of a private RAF plane for Brexit talks.

The Brexit Secretary has declined to take commercial flights to carry out his intensive negotiations in both Brussels and various European capitals, it has emerged.

No 10 gave the go-ahead to the use of private planes after Mr Davis threatened not to undertake the trips otherwise, a new political book claims.

 David Davis blames Germany and France for Brexit talks deadlock: "They are the most powerful players on the European continent"

The episode is said to have triggered his falling out with his most senior civil servant, Oliver Robbins, after he kept blocking Mr Davis flight requests.

Mr Robbins, the government's chief Brexit negotiator, then raised eyebrows when he left the Brexit department to work for Theresa May in a new Cabinet Office unit.

Since No 10 gave way, Mr Davis has repeatedly used RAF planes to fly to EU capitals, which are said to cost up to five times as much.

The details are revealed in Fall Out, by Tim Shipman, the political editor of The Sunday Times, which has just been published.

 David Davis announces final Brexit bill will be a seperate act of parliament

The practice was condemned by Lord Adonis, the former Labour Cabinet minister, who said Mr Davis was wasting tens of thousands of pounds despite excellent commercial flights.

I never took a private plane as Transport Sec doing intensive international negotiations and no excuse for him doing so, Lord Adonis tweeted.

A source close to Mr Davis acknowledged that he was using RAF planes, but told The Independent that the account in the book was based on gossip rather than fact.

Published records show that Mr Davis took an RAF flight to Finland and Sweden, in February, at a cost of 5,243. But he was accompanied by four officials  and their costs are not listed.

In March, he partly used a military plane to visit Denmark, Germany and Slovakia, with five officials, running up a personal bill of 4,298.

No foreign flights were undertaken between April and June, according to the published information. No details have been released for the last four-and-a-half months.

The book also sets out how Mr Robbins cut Mr Davis out of key talks with European officials, suggesting he has been marginalised further since he moved to Downing Street.
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Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has been warned that attempts to cut the armed forces will provoke a backbench rebellion significant enough to the defeat the Government in a Commons vote.

The threat comes as former Conservative defence chiefs have demanded that the Chancellor Philip Hammond boost spending for the armed forces in the Budget in order to combat the threat posed by North Korea, Russia and the uncertainty in Iran.

According to The Times, 21 Tory MPs have written to the newly-appointed Defence Secretary, who took over after the resignation of Michael Fallon three weeks ago.

In a letter to Mr Williamson, Conservative MP Johnny Mercer, who sits on the Commons Defence Select Committee, said: At some point you have to make a stand for what you believe in.

Referring to a suggested cut to the Royal Marines by 1,000, Mr Mercer added: I am simply not prepared to see the degradation of the UKs armed forces any further in this national security review.

But the threat is not considered imminent as The Ministry of Defence is not expected to conclude the major review until 2018.

Meanwhile, Mr Hammond faces considerable political pressure to increase funding for Britains armed forces. General Sir Richard Barrons, the former commander of Joint Forces Command, told the Commons Defence Committee there were currently existential risks to the UK homeland which the armed forces were unable to deal with and called for 2 billion a year for the military or it could simply fall over.

Mark Francois, who served as a defence minister from 2012 to 2015, told the Daily Mirror: General Barrons made a powerful case for why we should spend more money on defence.

I have always believed we should never take living in a free country for granted and I believe the international situation, including Russia and North Korea, now justifies an increase in our defence expenditure.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA 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 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who was Defence Secretary between 1992 and 1995, warned: The United States is getting worried as to whether we would be able to meet all our existing Nato commitments - I don't mean in cash terms but in military capability.

My message would be that if you want Britain to punch above its weight - which we all believe it should - then you have to provide the resources to deliver that.

Former international security strategy minister Sir Gerald Howarth said: The world is in a very critical condition.

It's not just North Korea, the Chinese are basically colonising the whole of the South China Sea - with potential risks to our trading operations - we have got great uncertainty in Iran where they are completely immune to any concern about human rights and seeking to destabilise much of the Middle East, (and) we have Russia doing its level best to disrupt us through cyber and sabre-rattling on the borders of the Baltic states.

This is no time for Britain to be engaging in further defence cutbacks, it's a time to be building up our defences.

Sir Gerald, who served under Mr Hammond when he was Defence Secretary: You and I both were defence ministers together.

As part of the deficit reduction programme, we put the department on a sound footing, but always with the view that as the economy grew we would be putting more money into defence - and that is not happening.
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A Home Office minister has been ridiculed for claiming immigrants do not face indefinite detention  because they are held for no longer than is necessary.

Brandon Lewis sparked protests in the Commons when he made the claim, as he also ducked a plea to meet campaigners pushing for strict limits on time in custody.

In fact, Britain has been repeatedly criticised for being the only EU country without a statutory time limit for immigration detention, including by the UN Human Rights Council.

Only last month, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in a stern letter to the Home Secretary, condemned the stark evidence of the harmful impact on detainees mental health.

But, quizzed in the Commons, Mr Lewis insisted: We do not have indefinite detention in this country

In our policies is always a presumption of liberty. Individuals are detained for no longer than is necessary.

The immigration minister said 93 per cent of immigrants left detention within four months  although that would still leave many thousands held for longer.

The comments were condemned by Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, who said he would be writing to Mr Lewis to point out the facts.

It is absolutely ludicrous for the Government to suggest that it does not detain people indefinitely for immigration purposes," Mr Davey said.

By June 2017 the longest length of time a person had been detained was 1,514 days, in excess of four years.

Being locked up with no way of knowing when you will be released is incredibly distressing and frankly inhumane.

Dan Carden, a Labour MP also criticised the minister, saying: Its completely wrong to say that we dont have indefinite detention.

If you are locked up without being given a timeframe for when you are going to be released that is indefinite detention.

Mr Carden said Labour backed independent experts and Amnesty International - and the Liberal Democrats - who are calling for a 28-day limit.

The Independent revealed last month that the EHRC had given the Home Secretary just weeks to launch an inquiry into the regime at UK detention centres.

The probe should focus on both indefinite custody and the exposure of abhorrent abuse allegedly suffered by immigrants at one privately-run centre, Brook House, near Gatwick Airport.

The watchdogs letter to Amber Rudd, also highlighting the prospect of legal action, or a forced investigation, was viewed as more muscular approach from the organisation.

The letter said: We repeat our previous calls for the Government to use immigration detention only as a last resort, and to introduce a statutory time limit of 28 days for immigration detention.

During Home Office questions, Mr Davey urged Mr Lewis to meet with a group called Detention Action, which had put together a report into alternatives.

He said half of immigrants leaving detention centres ended up being released into the community  rather than deported - where monitoring them cost 80 per cent less.

The minister should listen to the evidence of the sheer inhumanity of Britains immigration detention regime, Mr Davey said.
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Labour MP Paul Farrelly has denied reports he squared up to a colleague in the House of Commons following a late night row about Brexit.

The Mail on Sunday reported that passionate Remain campaigner Mr Farrelly, the member for Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, went berserk and launched into a drunken, foul-mouthed tirade at his Labour colleague James Frith.

The Labour Party said it is launching an internal investigation following a number of complaints about the alleged rumpus said to have taken place in the voting lobby following a Commons debate that lasted late into the evening.

Mr Farrelly would only confirm he had brief, cross words with two Labour MPs in a Commons bar, and claimed he was the victim of a dirty tricks campaign.

The alleged confrontation with Bury North MP Mr Frith is said to have taken place following a separate row with two other Labour MPs, Ruth Smeeth and Gareth Snell, whose Stoke constituencies border Mr Farrellys.

Former journalist Mr Farrelly voted against triggering Article 50 to begin the process of leaving the EU in March. Both Mr Snell and Ms Smeeth are pro-EU but represent seats in 'Brexit country', with Stoke voters being more pro-Leave than any other are of the UK. He saw his majority reduced to just 30 in the June general election.

Both Stoke MPs backed the "name the date" amendments put forward by Brexit-backing Labour MP Frank Field.

Mr Farrelly said the Mail on Sunday story seems to boil down to something about queue-pushing in a Commons vote last week, and I have no idea what thats about.

He added: Last Tuesday, in the corridors of the House of Commons, I had brief, cross words with my Labour next door neighbours Ruth Smeeth and Gareth Snell about their surprise, opportunistic backing for hardline 'name the Brexit date' amendments tabled by Frank Field MP."

Mr Farrelly added: "Last week, Frank eventually withdrew his amendment, which was also opposed by the Labour front bench.

That was the context for my brief remark to my Stoke colleagues last week, namely: I bet youre rather glad that Frank withdrew that amendment you signed, arent you? This seems to have upset my Stoke colleagues.

Mr Farrelly said he would be speaking to the Labour Chief Whip about the matter as it was the right thing to do.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA 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 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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

He admitted it was an open secret he does not get on with the two Stoke MPs, who have both proposed amendments to the Brexit bill regarding the official enshrining of its date into law.

Mr Snell has admitted he was among those to lodge a complaint about Mr Farrelly.

He said: "I and a number of other MPs complained about Paul Farrellys conduct that night and we are now awaiting the results of the investigation.

Ms Smeeth has not yet commented.
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has lost the support of the people, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday, while urging a peaceful and swift resolution to the uncertain political situation there.

"We don't yet know how developments in Zimbabwe are going to play out but what does appear clear is that Mugabe has lost the support of the people and of his party," the spokesman said.

The comments were the first time that Ms May or the UK government has commented on the ongoing crisis in the former British colony.

Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Show all 9 1 /9 Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives at student graduation ceremony AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe prepares to speak at a student graduation Ap Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Members of the Presidential Guard EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe arrives at his first public appearance at a graduation ceremony in Harare AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe confers awards for the students with the leading theses AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Robert Mugabe makes his first public appearance EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Soldiers stand guard as President Robert Mugabe attends a university graduation ceremony REUTERS Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe AP

The prime minister's spokesman didn't explicitly call for Mr Mugabe to step down. But she didn't give her support to the president continuing his role either.

Recommended Latest updates as Robert Mugabe likely to be impeached

Mr Mugabe's embattled presidency was expected to come to an end over the weekend, when he appeared on TV to give an address that was expected to be his final one as leader. But in a shock move, he failed to resign, and suggested that he would cling on to power.

But people including his own party, Zanu PF, have suggested they may pursue legal means to have Mr Mugabe removed from power.
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Liam Fox's Department for International Trade successfully lobbied the Brazilian government over environmental regulations on behalf of three major oil companies, an official document has revealed.

Greg Hands, the international trade minister, reportedly made representations on behalf of BP, Shell and Premier Oil during a trip to Brazil in March.

He asked the Brazilian government to help British companies secure deals to drill in the pre-salt region of Brazilian waters, according to a British diplomatic cable obtained by Greenpeace.

Pre-salt drilling involves looking for oil deep under the sea bed. Environmental campaigners have warned that it risks accelerating climate change.

The cable says Mr Hands used a private breakfast in Rio de Janeiro to listen to the oil companies concerns around taxation and environmental licensing in Brazil.

He then raised the issue directly with Paulo Pedrosa, Brazils deputy minister for mining and energy.

Mr Pedrosa confirmed that his ministry is already lobbying its relevant counterparts within the Brazil government.

Brazil later granted three oil licenses to Shell and two to a consortium including BP. It also offered up to $300bn (227bn) in tax relief to oil and gas companies in the country.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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The diplomatic cable also reveals that the UK Government welcomed Brazils decision to reduce local content requirements  regulations that force companies to hire local workers and use local goods in an attempt to boost the economy of developing countries and regions.

Mr Hands also opened an event showcasing UK energy companies, at which hydrocarbons were a heavy focus.

Details revealed in the cable were apparently released by mistake. Following a freedom of information request, the DIT sent Greenpeace the full cable, with sensitive passages highlighted instead of redacted. It later released a second version with the same passages blacked out.

Rebecca Newsom, senior political adviser at Greenpeace, said: This is a double embarrassment for the UK Government. Liam Foxs trade minister has been lobbying the Brazilian government over a huge oil project that would undermine the climate efforts Britain made at the UN summit in Bonn.

If that wasnt bad enough, Foxs department tried to cover it up and hide its actions from the public, but failed comically.

A DIT spokesperson said: DIT is responsible for encouraging international investment opportunities for UK businesses, whilst respecting fully local and international environmental standards. The UK oil and gas industry and supply chain supports thousands of jobs and provides 19bn in goods exports alone.

However, it is absolutely not true that our ministers lobbied to loosen environmental restrictions in Brazil  the meeting was about improving the environmental licensing process, ensuring a level playing field for both domestic and foreign companies, and in particular helping to speed up the licensing process and make it more transparent, which in turn will protect environmental standards.
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The UK has withdrawn its candidate from election to the UN International Court of Justice.

It will be the first time Britain will not have a judge on the UNs most powerful court for the first time in its history.

The UK is one of the founding members of the United Nations and has had a representative on the bench since its inception in 1946.

The move comes after the UK suffered a humiliating blow to its diplomatic prestige last week when after five rounds of simultaneous voting by the Security Council and the General Assembly in New York, four judges from Brazil, Lebanon, France and Somalia were chosen for the bench ahead of the UK's candidate Sir Christopher Greenwood.

The UK and India were set to go head to head in a run-off vote for the last seat available on the bench in a second vote on Monday evening.

In a statement, UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: "The UK has concluded that it is wrong to continue to take up the valuable time of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly with further rounds of elections.

"We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates."

Sir Christopher had already served one nine-year term on the court, which is based in The Hague, and had been seeking a second.

The election is believed to have ended up in a stalemate between Sir Christopher, who was the Security Council's choice, and the Indian candidate Dalveer Bhandari, who won the vote in the General Assembly.

How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nations favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafe The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafe Original at Sainsburys has gone up 40p from 2.75 to 3.15  a 14 per cent risesince the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterlings slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons customers 2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the lighter way to enjoy chocolate, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto

In order to win a candidate needs to win a majority in both bodies.

The UK's failure to guarantee a place on the court of an organisation it helped to found has been interpreted as a sign of its increasingly irrelevance on the world stage following the decision to leave the European Union.

Britain has held a place on the UN Security Council, alongside the US, France, Russia and China, since its inception in 1945 which has made it a world leader.

But now there are fears that as the country turns inwards following the vote by vowing to leave the customs union and placing heavy controls on immigration it will no longer be able to command the respect it once did.

In contrast India, with its status as the world's biggest democracy and with a growing economy, is seen as in the ascendancy.
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Kenyas Supreme Court has upheld President Uhuru Kenyattas re-election, in a repeat vote that the opposition boycotted while saying electoral reforms had not been made. The decision appeared to put an end to the months-long political drama of the kind never before seen in Africa, that has left dozens dead.

In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed challenges by human rights activists, and a politician who argued that last months election was not conducted according to the law.

Though the opposition called for calm, at least two people were killed in protests. Kibra police chief Enoch Maloba confirmed that one protester was shot dead by anti-riot police in that part of the capital, Nairobi. And in western Kenya, Migori county police chief Joseph Nthenge said one person was killed by anti-riot police battling with protesters blocking a highway.

Recommended Three shot dead by police in Kenya protests

Anger remained. We will not respect (Kenyatta) even after the court verdict. That was not an election and we will continue opposing him, said one resident of the opposition stronghold of Kisumu city, Wycliffe Onyango.

Live television footage showed Kenyatta supporters bursting into song. There was no immediate public comment from the President.

There is no perfect election; there will always be errors in elections, but you cannot invalidate an election unless those errors affect the outcome, said the countrys attorney general, Githu Muigai.

In September, the court nullified the August presidential election over irregularities and ordered a new vote, held last month. It was the first time a court in Africa had overturned a presidential election, and it kicked off months of uncertainty in East Africas economic hub.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose legal challenge led to the nullification, then boycotted the repeat election and rejected Kenyattas overwhelming win. In some opposition strongholds, the repeat vote could not be carried out due to unrest.

Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Show all 6 1 /6 Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Raila Odinga is welcomed by his supporters REUTERS Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Policemen spray water to disperse supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga REUTERS Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Anti-riot police fire tear gas to disperse supporters REUTERS Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya Supporters Raila Odinga throw stones at police REUTERS Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya An injured protester receives assistance REUTERS Police clash with Raila Odinga supporters upon his return to Kenya A man lies dead after being shot during clashes with police and supporters of Raila Odinga REUTERS

Odinga called Mondays court decision no surprise.

We ... had repeatedly declared before this Supreme Court ruling today that we consider this government to be illegitimate and do not recognise it. This position has not been changed by the court ruling, Odinga said.

The opposition leader said the courts decision was taken under duress: We do not condemn the court; we sympathise with it.

He did not give details. There had been concerns about intimidation of the justices, who failed to muster a quorum to decide on a last-minute petition that sought to postpone last months election. One justices bodyguard was shot and seriously wounded hours before the expected judgement.

Odinga is now asking for international intervention, as violent protests continue. Kenya was being pushed to the precipice, he said Sunday.

Dozens of people have been killed in clashes since the August vote. With this weekends death toll, nearly 100 people have died in the political unrest, the majority opposition demonstrators shot by police during protests.

AP
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The leader of Zimbabwe's war veterans has said they will initiate legal action in the country's high court to remove President Robert Mugabe.

Chris Mutsvangwa said the court action will argue the military takeover in Zimbabwe was legal because Mr Mugabe was derelict in his duties.

He went on to call on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its chairperson, South African President Jacob Zuma, to assist in removing the 93-year-old president.

Mr Mugabe defied expectations he would resign in a national address on Sunday night, during which he was flanked by military generals.

 Mugabe fails to resign in state broadcast

Mr Mugabe has reportedly agreed to stand down and his resignation letter has been drafted, CNN said, citing a source familiar with his negotiations with the generals who seized power in Harare last week.

Under the terms of the deal, Mr Mugabe and his wife Grace would be granted full immunity, CNN said.

Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Show all 9 1 /9 Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives at student graduation ceremony AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe prepares to speak at a student graduation Ap Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Members of the Presidential Guard EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe arrives at his first public appearance at a graduation ceremony in Harare AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe confers awards for the students with the leading theses AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Robert Mugabe makes his first public appearance EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Soldiers stand guard as President Robert Mugabe attends a university graduation ceremony REUTERS Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe AP

Mr Mugabe was dismissed as head of the ruling Zanu-PF party and replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked earlier this month.

Members of the ruling party's Central Committee danced, cheered and sang as Mr Mugabe was recalled.

Grace Mugabe, the country's unpopular first lady nicknamed "Gucci Grace," was also expelled from the party and recalled as head of the women's league.

Without the military's intervention, Ms Mugabe was expected to have replaced Mr Mnangawa as vice president, putting her in a position to succeed her husband.
Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF will discuss the impeachment of President Robert Mugabe on Monday, its chief whip said, after a noon deadline expired for the 93-year-old to resign and bring the curtain down on nearly four decades in power.Impeachment could see Mugabe kicked out by a vote in parliament in under a day and would represent an ignominious end to the career of the "Grand Old Man" of African politics, who was once lauded across the continent as an anti-colonial hero.Chief whip Lovemore Matuke told Reuters ZANU-PF members of parliament would meet at 1230 GMT to start mapping out Mugabe's impeachment.In the draft motion, the party accused Mugabe of being a "source of instability", flouting the rule of law and presiding over an "unprecedented economic tailspin" in the last 15 years.It also said he had abrogated his constitutional mandate to his hot-headed and unpopular 52-year-old wife Grace, whose tilt at power triggered the backlash from the army that saw it put tanks on the streets of the capital last week.On paper, the process is relatively long-winded, involving a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly, then a nine-member committee of senators, then another joint sitting to confirm his dismissal with a two-thirds majority.However, constitutional experts said ZANU-PF had the numbers and could push it through in as little as 24 hours."They can fast-track it. It can be done in a matter of a day," said John Makamure, executive director of the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust, an NGO that works with the parliament in Harare.Mugabe's demise, now almost inevitable, is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila are facing mounting pressure to step aside.Mugabe was once admired, even in the West, as the "Thinking Man's Guerrilla", a world away from his image in his latter years as the stereotypical African dictator proudly declaring he held a "degree in violence".As the economy crumbled and opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe tightened his grip around the southern African country, seizing white-owned farms, unleashing security forces to crush dissent and speaking of ruling until he was 100.SANITISED COUPZANU-PF's action follows a weekend of high drama in Harare that culminated in reports Mugabe had agreed to stand down -- only for him to dash the hopes of millions of his countrymen in a bizarre and rambling national address on Sunday night.Flanked by the generals who sent in troops last week to seize the state broadcaster, Mugabe spoke of the need for national unity and farming reform, but made no mention of his fate, leaving the nation of 16 million people dumbstruck."I am baffled. It's not just me, it's the whole nation," shocked opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai told Reuters. "He's playing a game."Two senior government sources told Reuters Mugabe had agreed on Sunday to step aside and CNN said on Monday his resignation letter had been drawn up, with terms that included immunity for him and Grace.Two other political sources told Reuters on Monday Mugabe had indeed agreed to resign but ZANU-PF did not want him to quit in front of the military, an act that would have made its mid-week intervention look like a coup."It would have looked extremely bad if he had resigned in front of those generals. It would have created a huge amount of mess," one senior source within ZANU-PF said.Another political source said the speech was meant to "sanitise" the military's action, which has paved the way for Mnangagwa, a former security chief known as The Crocodile, to take over.
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A concerted drive by parliament and the people, with the backing of the military, is due to take place on Tuesday to try and force Robert Mugabe to resign. MPs will start impeachment proceedings against the President while hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to march on his mansion vowing to put it under siege until he leaves.

But there were also reports that Mr Mugabe has called for a cabinet meeting on Tuesday as well to show that he is still in charge. A notice from his chief secretary has instructed all members to attend at 9am. The President is nonetheless still under house arrest and many of his ministers have been detained following last weeks military coup. The place where cabinet meetings are held, Munhumutapa Building in the centre of the capital, is now shut and guarded by soldiers and an armoured personnel carrier.

The moves come after an extraordinary and chaotic 24 hours in which Mr Mugabe apparently agreed to resign on state television but instead used the broadcast, sitting next to military commanders who are his captors, to vow that he will stay on in office to unify the nation and supervise reforms.

Mr Mugabe then ignored an ultimatum from his own party, Zanu-PF, which had stripped him of leadership, to resign by midday Monday or face impeachment. There are differing accounts of how long it will take to remove the President from office through the process, ranging from one day to more than a week.

Separately, the organisation of veterans who fought in the war against white minority rule has announced that it will take legal action at the High Court to force Mr Mugabes resignation. Its head, Christopher Mutsvangwa, charged that the President had condemned himself out of his own mouth when making his speech on which he admitted failures by his government.

He admitted to dereliction of duty during that non-event announcement of his on national television. As a result, we are going to file court papers seeking his removal, said Mr Mutsvangwa.

Various reasons have been offered as to why Mr Mugabe didnt resign during the speech on Sunday evening, ranging from claims that he swapped the agreed script for another, to suggestions that the ruling Zanu-PF party did not want the resignation to take place in the presence of army chiefs because that would look like a military takeover.

There has been widespread anger at what transpired but also trepidation among some that the longer Mr Mugabe stays in office, the more chance he will have to organise a counter coup. Around 100 MPs who support him did not turn up for the Zanu-PF meeting in which he was removed as leader and his wife Grace sacked as head of the partys womens section. There is also the recognition that the President retains support in some of rural areas.

The draft impeachment motion to be laid before parliament accuses Mr Mugabe of being a source of instability and of exhibiting a disrespect for the law. He is blamed for the economic failure of the past 15 years and also of abrogating the mandate of his office to promote Grace Mugabe who, opponents claim, is guilty of abuse and corruption.

In theory, impeachment would need the joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly, a sitting of a nine-member Senate committee, then another joint sitting to confirm the verdict with a two-thirds majority.

Some Zanu-PF officials have said it will take a week for the impeachment process to be completed. Secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangawana thought it would take a maximum of two days, the charges are so clear. The organisation Veritas, which provides legal and parliamentary information in Zimbabwe, said it will take at least several days to complete. But the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust maintained they can fast-track it. It can be done in a matter of a day.

Zanu-PF MPs say they have the required numbers to get to the two-thirds for impeachment. However, talks are being held with opposition parties to send an unanimous and unified message to Mugabe: your time is up.

A massive rally took place against Mr Mugabe on Saturday. Activists say they are expecting an even bigger turnout for Tuesdays march to the Mugabe mansion, the Blue Roof, which will take place while the MPs debate the impeachment motion.

Mr Mutsvangwa, who had called for the crowds to turn out on Saturday, declared: This time we will not leave Harare and the streets until we see the back of Mugabe. Tomorrow is the day, while parliament is doing its business and dispensing with him, we call upon Zimbabweans to come in numbers to send the message to Mugabe.

The protesters had gathered outside Mr Mugabes official home in the capital, State House, on Saturday but dispersed after being asked to do so by the army. This time it will be a sit-in. It will be a sit-in, surround the place, until he is gone.

Activists had called on the business community, trade unions and students to form a united front against Mr Mugabe. At the University of Zimbabwe students boycotted exams and demanded that a Phd awarded to Grace Mugabe should be revoked. The Presidents wife is said to have received her doctorate in two months when the minimum time to acquire one is normally four years.

At the campus, Innocent Kagodora, 23, said: There has, of course, been much more serious abuse than Grace and her doctorate, but it is an example of how laws and regulations were so easily broken by these people. We want Mugabe to go. It was disgraceful that he didnt resign last night, so he will have to be forced.

Makoni Tinotenda, reading business studies and computer studies, said: We want to see Grace Mugabe prosecuted, like any other criminal. But the first thing would be to get Mugabe to accept he is not wanted. We will be marching tomorrow, itll be one of the best days of our lives.
Beijing and Zimbabwe's relations remains a mystery to most people; however, the trip to Beijing by Zimbabwe's military chief was a "normal military exchange", China's foreign ministry said after the army seized power in Harare. But the question is, how deep are the relations between China and Zimbabwe?

News has been circulating that General Constantino Chiwenga had visited China only a few days before the military takeover in Zimbabwe; however, noting it as merely a coincidence cannot be done.

Speculations arise after China said it was closely watching developments, but stopped short of condemning President Mugabe's apparent removal from power.

Keep in mind that China has investments worth billions of pounds in Zimbabwe, in everything from agriculture to construction.

However, the truth is that it is Zimbabwe which is the dependent partner - with China providing the largest market for its exports and much needed support to its fragile economy.

In retrospect, China's relations with Zimbabwe are deep, starting during the Rhodesian Bush War.

In 1979, Robert Mugabe failed to get a backing from the Soviet Union, and as a result, it turned to China, which provided his guerrilla fighters with weapons and training.

Both countries formally established diplomatic relations after the Zimbabwean independence in 1980 and Robert Mugabe visited Beijing as prime minister the following year.

"Since Mugabe took power he has been consistently supported by the Chinese government. China has become the second largest trading partner with Zimbabwe and has invested very largely in the country," said Wang Xinsong, associate professor at Beijing Normal University School of Social Development and Public Policy. China would be very reluctant to see Zimbabwe fall into a period of social instability and political turmoil, he added.

Now, the reality is that the interest of Chinese and Western relations has been rapidly growing- particularly those of the UK - have become aligned.

Not far from each other in the outer suburbs of Harare, two of the biggest embassies in Zimbabwe are the British and Chinese embassies.

Furthermore, British diplomats were well connected with business, civil society and opposition figures, the Chinese invested in "technical support" of the party of government Zanu-PF, including state security and the presidency.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Zimbabwe in 2015 and President Mugabe visited Beijing in January 2017. Xi even stated in his visit that his country is willing to encourage capable companies to invest in Zimbabwe. However, it is possible China would reassess its investments and wait until Zimbabwe is stable before reinvesting in the country.
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A group of atheists have banded together in South Carolina to help the homeless, claiming they did not need religion to "give back" to their community.

The Atheist Alliance in Spartanburg collects items for the homeless throughout the month.

They meet on the third Saturday of every month and donate what they have collected to about 100 homeless people.

Its just our way of trying to give back as well, director Shane Hammac told the Spartanburg Herald Journal at the fourth giveaway. And not necessarily doing it under a religious title.

The alliance created an Amazon wish list, allowing potential donors to buy required items.

Items include hand warmers for winter, sachets of soap, plastic rain ponchos, tents and underwear.

The causes of homelessness Show all 7 1 /7 The causes of homelessness The causes of homelessness Family Breakdown Relationship breakdown, usually between young people and their parents or step-parents, is a major cause of youth homelessness. Around six in ten young people who come to Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Many have experienced long-term problems at home, often involving violence, leaving them without the family support networks that most of us take for granted The causes of homelessness Complex needs Young people who come to Centrepoint face a range of different and complex problems. More than a third have a mental health issue, such as depression and anxiety, another third need to tackle issues with substance misuse. A similar proportion also need to improve their physical health. These problems often overlap, making it more difficult for young people to access help and increasing the chances of them becoming homeless Getty/iStock The causes of homelessness Deprivation Young people's chances of having to leave home are higher in areas of high deprivation and poor prospects for employment and education. Many of those who experience long spells of poverty can get into problem debt, which makes it harder for them to access housing Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Gang Crime Homeless young people are often affected by gang-related problems. In some cases, it becomes too dangerous to stay in their local area meaning they can end up homeless. One in six young people at Centrepoint have been involved in or affected by gang crime Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Exclusion From School Not being in education can make it much more difficult for young people to access help with problems at home or health problems. Missing out on formal education can also make it more difficult for them to move into work Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Leaving Care Almost a quarter of young people at Centrepoint have been in care. They often have little choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age. Traumas faced in their early lives make care leavers some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities, with higher chances of poor outcomes in education, employment and housing. Their additional needs mean they require a higher level of support to maintain their accommodation Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Refugees Around 13 per cent of young people at Centrepoint are refugees or have leave to remain, meaning it isn't safe to return home. This includes young people who come to the UK as unaccompanied minors, fleeing violence or persecution in their own country. After being granted asylum, young people sometimes find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up homeless Getty Images/iStockphoto

The group has written how urgently they need each item on the list, and how many they require.

One man who has benefited from the group is 41-year-old Randy Turner, who has been homeless along with his wife since January.

Its really hard to get the stuff you need all the time, like soap and clothes, he told the local paper.

He added: This is extremely important because it helps me get and keep employment, and I need to work to get out of this situation.

Volunteers reportedly include religious people, including Christians, who told the newspaper they just want to help.



The journal reported that atheist volunteers were turned away from a soup kitchen in the same town in 2013 and were called a "disservice to the community".
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The family of a five-year-old boy who was crushed to death after he became trapped by a rotating restaurant floor is suing the restaurant and hotel chain.

Charles Holt was killed in April after he became trapped between a wall and a wooden booth at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotels Sun Dial restaurant in Atlanta.

His familys lawsuit alleges the restaurant, its staff and owners were negligent in failing to fix a longstanding safety hazard regarding the so-called pinch point where children could be trapped, with no emergency stop button for the moving floor.

Marriott International, which owns the hotel, did not immediately respond to The Independent for comment.

Lawyer Joseph Fried filed the suit on behalf of the childs parents, Rebecca and Michael Holt, from North Carolina. The lawsuit disputes the police reports, which claim the child wandered off while the family was eating.

His parents said they had finished eating and were leaving the restaurant together when their son, who was a few steps ahead of them, became trapped between a booth and stationary wall.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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His parents attempts to rescue him did not work.

Rebecca grabbed his arm but could not move him. Michael could not free him, the document read, as reported by CNN. The Holts screamed for help, for someone to stop the movement.

The rotating floor allegedly did not stop until a restaurant employee went into the adjoining room to reach the control box.

Several men were reportedly needed to lift the boy out. He was taken to a nearby hospital and died a few hours later.

Charles parents are seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.

"The family has filed this lawsuit to set the record straight about what happened and to make sure, to the best of their abilities, that no other family ever has to suffer the same fate," the statement added.

The restaurant reopened in June.
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Horrifying images have captured the moment a bullfighter was gored in the groin area during a fight.

Luis David Adame can be seen grimacing in pain after the bull's horn penetrated his skin.

Photos show blood seeping from the wound as he was helped off the bullring. He tried to cover the injury with his own hands.

Recommended Boris Johnson backs bullfighting in Spain

He was then rushed to hospital.

The attack from the injured animal, which can be seen with several banderillas - harpoon-pointed sticks - in its back, took place in the Santa Maria de Queretaro in Mexico during the first round of the festival.

Mr Adame had been using the traditional red cape to dazzle and confuse the animal when the bull quickly changed direction.

Catalonia votes to ban all forms of bullfighting in nationalist move Show all 3 1 /3 Catalonia votes to ban all forms of bullfighting in nationalist move Catalonia votes to ban all forms of bullfighting in nationalist move 421993.bin AP Catalonia votes to ban all forms of bullfighting in nationalist move 421992.bin EPA Catalonia votes to ban all forms of bullfighting in nationalist move 421991.bin AFP/ GETTY IMAGES

Unable to get out of the way, Mr Adame was injured and tossed into the air.

He then fell to the ground and his colleagues ran to help him.

Dr Rafael Vazquez Bayod told local reporters: "Luis David Adame has suffered a large goring in the scrotum that has torn the skin across 10cm, including injury to the testicles."

The bullfighter tweeted a message as he lay in hospital, thanking his supporters for their good wishes.

Mr Adame is reportedly in a stable condition and is expected to recover.
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Neo-Nazis are hailing Charles Manson as a visionary leader and actively trying to resurrect a revolutionary fascist movement created on the serial killers orders.

While the rest of the world regards Mansons death as the end of a murderous cult leader, admirers on the website of the US-based AtomWaffen Division (AWD) group are calling Manson a great revolutionary, a warrior of truth, and a hero.

Their tributes appear to support both Manson and AWD, which this summer started trying to recreate the Universal Order movement set up in the 1980s by National Socialist revolutionary James Mason, who had claimed to be acting on the suggestions of the killer himself.

Mr Mason had faded into obscurity, but earlier this year AWD members made contact with him and created a new Universal Order website, which now tells visitors: Those of you who are in here, perhaps, will create history. That is our intention.

Recommended Notorious serial killer Charles Manson dies aged 83

The recreation of Universal Order represents a fresh attempt at a revolutionary fascist movement allegedly suggested by Manson to his admirer Mr Mason, who wrote about the killer as if he were a living prophet.

Ironmarch user 'Blackshirt' paid tribute to Manson and linked to the new Universal Order website

Mr Mason called the serial killer who carved a Swastika into his forehead a man whom I revere, [whose] words came to me as an honour, and who offered very coherent meaning behind his apparent facade of madness.

In a rambling, quasi-mystical tribute first composed in 1984, Mr Mason wrote: There is a great leader/philosopher in our midst, alive and involved today, with a name and a reputation world-renowned and a following of his own.

His actions have been mightier, his ideas loftier, his eloquence greater, his philosophy superior and his impact ten thousand times that of anything the Movement can offer as its closest runner-up.

The day will never come when this man will cease to be The Leader as long as he is alive. He is aware of all this himself and is in total humility about it, just as was Hitler  He is Charles Manson.

Describing how Manson had effectively suggested the Universal Order movement and its name in the early 1980s, Mr Mason wrote: As far as Manson is concerned, I was advised to forget what I was doing in the National Socialist Liberation Front and start over fresh.

The decision was made to start UNIVERSAL ORDER, a name suggested to me by the highest authority. (Manson himself.)

 Serial killer Charles Manson dies aged 83

In newsletter posts later collected together in his 1992 book Siege, Mr Mason called Universal Order everything National Socialism is and much, much more, geared to the present conditions, as dynamic as - maybe more so than - National Socialism because its true leader [Manson] is alive, a contemporary of all of us.

In his book, Mr Mason also praised the Manson Family killings of Sharon Tate and others as revolutionary direct action, denying the victims innocence with the comparison that it was indeed a damnable shame that Hitler did not, in fact, kill at least six million Jews during the War.

He wrote approvingly of Mansons Family, whose members had seen themselves as preparing for an apocalyptic race war, urging: It must be done again in hundreds of thousands of locations across the country  tribes of White Warriors, bands of White Men with their Women and Children who have drawn together and then pulled away from the System to allow it to fall without taking them with it.

Earlier this year members of AWD republished Siege as an online book, as well as creating the new Universal Order website.

The moves came after AWD members managed to track Mr Mason down, having spent years trying to find him.

An AWD representative interviewed Mr Mason in March, and quoted him as saying: My views on Manson have not changed. We had a society post-WW2 that was disintegrating, a mile a minute. We had a hippie generation, a country that was heading headlong into national suicide. Mansons commune was solidly, solidly white.

Then, after the arrests took place, the Left, the Jewish left, tried to make him a symbol. And, as a reaction to that, he carved a big Swastika into his forehead. My opinion of Manson has not changed. All of the institutions of our system have been changed, theyre being used against us.

He also appeared to suggest the ban on UK neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action wouldnt work, and declared himself mildly encouraged by the Trump phenomenon.

The article contained a link to the online version of Mr Masons book Siege, and was enthusiastically received by neo-Nazis.

One website visitor asked whether it would be possible to write to Mr Mason and another said: Amazing! Cant wait to read more and see the docs. Congratulations on tracking this legend down. Hail Mason!

The Universal Order website appears to have been created in the summer.

The neo-Nazi tributes started almost as soon as news emerged that Manson was seriously ill

At least one ironmarch visitor paying tribute to Manson has now linked to the Universal Order site, where as recently as Sunday, Mr Mason seemed to be writing in praise of the Nazi eugenics programme.

An ironmarch user calling himself Blackshirt, who appeared to have ties to Britain, declaring himself interested in Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists and Cornish Nationalism, posted the link along with the quote The Truth is One, attributed to Manson.

Others have also paid tribute to Manson on the ironmarch website, which is billed as a global fascist fraternity and carries the slogan Gas the k***s, race war now.

Praising the rebel known as Manson, another user, Virgil wrote: Now that he's passed the world really does feel a little emptier.

You know, that old wish as a kid to talk to Charles is gone now, I'll never get that opportunity to just sit with him face to face and really listen to him. Wherever he is now I hope to meet him there one day.

The legend lives on and the martyr was born.

A Finnish user wrote a poem in tribute, calling Manson a warrior of truth whose soul had ascended to Valhalla, posting a picture of Manson alongside the insignia of Nazi Germanys SS.
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The sister of Charles Manson's victim Sharon Tate said a prayer for his soul after she was told of the notorious cult leader's death at the age of 83 on Sunday.

Debra Tate, whose pregnant sister was among those killed by the Manson Family cult, told US broadcaster CBS that she was called shortly after his death by the prison where he had been incarcerated.

She said she was still processing the news, but added she had said a prayer for Manson's soul and has forgiven the family but refuses to forget what they did.

Recommended Notorious serial killer Charles Manson dies aged 83

Newspapers restarted the presses to update their front pages, with The New York Post's reading: Evil dead: Make room, Satan, Charles Manson is finally going to hell.

Burn in hell, splashed The New York Daily News on the death of the bloodthirsty cult leader.

PA
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Charles Manson, the cult leader who orchestrated a string of gruesome murders by his "family" of young followers in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969 has died aged 83.

Manson died of natural causes at a Kern County hospital according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. No further details were given about the circumstances surrounding his death.

He had been serving a life sentence at the nearby Corcoran State Prison for ordering the murders of nine people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant at the time.

Who was he?

 Serial killer Charles Manson dies aged 83

Born Charles Milles Maddox on 12 November, 1934, in Cincinnati to a 16-year-old girl, Manson spent much of his youth shuttled between relatives and juvenile detention halls. By age 13, he had been convicted of armed robbery.

In the 1960s, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of LA's rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war  an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter."

The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California's Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty.

"These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

How did he gain notoriety?

The Manson Family, as his followers were called, slaughtered five of its victims on 9 August, 1969, at Tate's home: the actress, who was 8 months pregnant, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish movie director Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the estate's caretaker. Tate's husband, Rosemary's Baby director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time.

The next night, a wealthy grocer and his wife, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were stabbed to death in their home across town.

The killers scrawled phrases such as "Pigs" and "Healter Skelter" [sic] in blood at the crime scenes.

Three months later, a Manson follower was jailed on an unrelated charge and told a cellmate about the bloodbath, leading to the cult leader's arrest.

Manson was also later convicted of the slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea.

Why did he carve an "X" into his forehead?

Charles Manson pictured in 2009, his face still bearing the scar of a swastika he carved into his forehead decades earlier (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via Getty Image)

Denied his request to represent himself during his 9-1/2 month trial, Manson showed up in court with an "X" carved into his forehead, and would later alter it into a swastika.

Co-defendants Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel cut "X"s in their foreheads, shaved their scalps, sang Manson-written songs and giggled through chilling testimony.

His trial was nearly scuttled when President Richard Nixon said Manson was "guilty, directly or indirectly." Manson grabbed a newspaper and held up the front-page headline for jurors to read: "Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares." Attorneys demanded a mistrial but were turned down.

At one point, Manson tried to leap over the defence table at the judge, snarling: "In the name of Christian justice, someone should cut your head off." The judge began carrying a gun afterward.

How long was he in prison?

After a trial that lasted nearly a year, Manson and three followers  Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten  were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Another defendant, Charles "Tex" Watson, was convicted later. All were spared execution and given life sentences after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

Over the decades, Manson and his followers appeared sporadically at parole hearings, where their bids for freedom were repeatedly rejected. The women suggested they had been rehabilitated, but Manson himself stopped attending after 1997, saying prison had become his home.

What are some of his most chilling quotes?

Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Show all 10 1 /10 Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I'm nobody. I'm a tramp, a bum, a hobo. I'm a boxcar and a jug of wine, and a straight razor if you get too close to me." - Interview, 1989 Getty Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "Maybe I should have killed four, five hundred people. Then I would have felt better. Then I would have felt like I really offered society something." - NBC interview with Heidi Schulman, 1987 Granger/REX Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "Do you feel blame? Are you mad? Uh, do you feel like wolf kabob Roth vantage? Gefrannis booj pooch boo jujube; bear-ramage. Jigiji geeji geeja geeble Google. Begep flagaggle vaggle veditch-waggle bagga?" - NBC interview with Heidi Schulman, 1987 Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I've been 15 years in the nut ward, for trying to stop the trees from being cut down, from trying to rearrange the lifestyle of a bunch of people who don't want to change. But they're gonna change because a cold wind is blowing. You're gonna change or else there's going to be no life left on the planet Earth." - Interview with Penny Daniels in San Quentin Prison, California, 1989 Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "We use the word God. God hooks all the other words up. I'm the pope. I'm ten times the pope. I'm sixty times the pope. But I'm the pope in the hills and in the mountains." - Interview by Penny Daniels, 1989 Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Will of God.. whatever you wanna call it.. you call it Jesus, call it Mohammed, call it goobybob, call it nuclear mind, call it blow the world up, call it your heart. Whatever you wanna call it, it's still music to me. It's there. It's the will of life. - Interview with Geraldo Rivera (1981) Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Believe me, if I started murdering people, there'd be none of you left. - Interview, Rolling Stone (1970) Getty Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy. - Interview by Diane Sawyer (1994) AP Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy. - Interview by Diane Sawyer (1994) AP Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I was so smart when I was a kid that I learnt that I was dumb fast." - Interview on the album 'All the Way Alive' (2003) Rex

One of Manson's most chilling quotes comes from an interview in which he was asked to describe himself in one sentence.

Recommended Charles Manson describes himself in one sentence

Leaping forward in his chair, the cult leader giggled, raised his eyebrows and pulled faces before responding: "Nobody."

After taking a pause for dramatic effect, he continued: "I'm nobody. I'm a tramp, a bum, a hobo. I'm a boxcar and jug o' wine. And a straight razor, if you get too close to me."

After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, he was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him, because he considered prison home.

"My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system," he would later say in a monologue on the witness stand. "I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you."

Was he any relation to Marilyn Manson?

Marilyn Manson formed his name by juxtaposing two American pop culture icons (Getty Images)

Brian Hugh Warner, the musician better known for his controversial stage personality under the name Marilyn Manson, formed his name by juxtaposing two American pop culture icons: Charles Manson and Marilyn Monroe.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Three hunters shot and wounded themselves on the opening day of Wisconsin's gun deer season.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recreational Safety Warden Mark Little says the first happened in Brown County about 5.30am on Saturday. A 49-year-old man was working on his firearm when it discharged into his right ankle.

The second happened after 9am in Forest County. A 49-year-old Crandon man was sitting in the cab of his truck when he saw a deer. When the hunter went to move his rifle, it went off, sending a bullet through his legs and then the truck's seat and door.

WSAW-TV reports the third incident happened in Shawano County. A 51-year-old man bent over and his holstered handgun fired, hitting his leg.

The season runs through to Sunday 26 November.

AP
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A Donald Trump voter has said he would believe the US president over Jesus Christ, amid the Russia collusion claims, even if the Messiah got off the cross and said the allegations were true.

Pest control company owner Mark Lee threw his support behind the White House chief, whom he said stood up for the little guy, as he took part as a panellist in a CNN debate on the matter.

Mr Trump has been fighting off claims that officials in his election campaign had reached out to Moscow to dig up dirt on Hillary Clinton, his then rival last year for the Oval Office job.

The pressure piled on Mr Trump over the supposed collusion has deepened after campaign member George Papadopoulos admitted that he had lied to an investigation into the Russia links.

Mr Lee, a supporter of Mr Trump, weighed in behind the US president while speaking as a panellist in a CNN debate  titled Pulse of the People  Trump Voters One Year After Election.

When the presenter put the issue of the claims of ties between the tycoons campaign and the Kremlin, Mr Lee showed his apparent blind faith in belief for the White House chief.

The pest company owner said he had voted for Mr Trump over one of his pledges to drain the swamp that is Washington.

Mr Lee said: The swamp is horrible, and Trump is there, hes there for the small guy, hes there for people like myself.

Pressed to clarify what he meant by the swamp, he said: For me its the mainstream, its the elites that look down upon a small guy like myself."

He added: Let me tell you, if Jesus Christ gets down off the Christ and told me Trump is with Russia, I would tell him hold on a second, I need to check with the president if its true", adding: "I love the guy.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is leading the investigation into the supposed links between Mr Trumps election campaign and Russia.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In the latest twist, he has reportedly requested that the Justice Department turn over a range of documents, including some about the dismissal of former FBI director James Comey.

A lawyer who represents Mr Trump said the campaign was in total cooperation with the special counsels investigation and had already begun handing over material.

The presidents personal attorney Michael Cohen said in a statement last month that both he and Mr Trump had nothing to do with any Russian involvement in our electoral process.
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A church in Florida has put up a sign warning those who might to enter with an eye to do harm that the congregation is heavily armed.

With churches across the country being forced to think deeply about security following the recent assault on a church in Texas that killed 26 people and the 2015 attack on a church in Charleston, the River at Tampa Bay Church has a sign posted on the front door that reads: Welcome to The River at Tampa Bay Church - right of admission reserved - this is private property.

The message, signed The Pastors, adds: Please know this is not a gun free zone - we are heavily armed - any attempt will be dealt with deadly force - yes we are a church and will protect our people.

Associate Pastor Allen Hawes told the Tampa Bay Times the sign had actually been in place for more than a year at the non-denominational church, which frequently live streams its services. However, it earned national attention after another pastor, Rodney Howard-Browne, posted it on his Instagram account.

Mr Hawes has his own concealed-carry weapons permit, and said those armed during services that draw over 1,000 could include parishioners with concealed-carry permits, private plainclothes guards, or uniformed deputies hired for security.

 First wife of Texas church shooter says he put a gun to her head over speeding ticket

If you think you are going to come here and do that, this is a deterrent for you because it is everywhere, it's not like we hide these signs, said Mr Hawes. They're big signs, and it's going to tell these people, we will protect our people.

He claimed the church officials were fulfilling a biblical teaching to look after those in their care.

Texas church shooting Show all 9 1 /9 Texas church shooting Texas church shooting The site of the mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas Reuters Texas church shooting First responders are at the scene of shooting at the First Baptist Church Reuters Texas church shooting Enrique and Gabby Garcia watch investigators at the scene of the mass shooting AP Texas church shooting Law enforcement officials investigate the scene at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas Reuters Texas church shooting Carrie Matula embraces a woman after a fatal shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs Associated Press Texas church shooting Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church Getty Images Texas church shooting Community members come together for a candlelight vigil for the victims of the deadly church shooting in Sutherland Springs Laura Skelding/AP Texas church shooting Mourners participate in the candlelight vigil held for the victims Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP Texas church shooting A vehicle is hauled onto a flatbed truck where the suspect in a deadly church shooting was found dead in Guadalupe County William Luther/Austin American-Statesman via AP

I believe, if you look at the teachings of Jesus, Matthew, and different places in the scriptures, we see it will get increasingly darker, wars, rumours of wars, and people with not good intentions are going to look for a way to make a statement, he said.

A total of 26 people were killed and 20 more injured in a church shooting earlier this month in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The gunman, 26-year-old Devin Kelley, was later found dead after being shot at and pursued by members of the church.

In June 2015, nine African Americans were shot and killed by 21-year white supremacist, Dylan Roof, at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.


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A lawyer has submitted a scathing response to a Fox News request to book one of Roy Moore's accusers for an interview with Sean Hannity.

In the wake of multiple allegations of child sex abuse against Alabama senate candidate Mr Moore, Fox News producer Alyssa Moni asked to interview alleged victim Gloria Deason on Mr Hannity's prime time Fox show.

Ms Deasons lawyer, Paula Cobia, emailed back to decline the request.

Please tell Sean Hannity that I would never submit a survivor of abuse to the inevitable on-camera bullying and persecution by him, she wrote to Ms Moni.

Mr Moore invited Ms Deason for drinks in 1979 when he was 32 and she was 18, below the legal drinking age. He was also accused of making advances on younger teenagers.

Ms Cobia added that Mr Hannity had chosen to support Mr Moore, and gave him a softball interview.

Mr Hannity has belitted, defamed and engaged in an on-air intimidation campaign against the victims of Mr Moore, the lawyer wrote.

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

She added: It is laughable to assume that Mr Hannity is capable of conducting a fair and balanced interview. He is not known for journalistic integrity.

He is merely seeking an opportunity to publicly attack and further defame Mr Moores vulnerable victims. Well thats not happening. Not on my watch.

The email has gone viral, racking up more than 75,000 retweets and likes on Twitter.

Mr Hannity prompted a backlash when he said on his radio show that Mr Moores sexual advances towards a 14-year-old girl, when he was in his 30s, was consensual.

 Fox News host Sean Hannity on Roy Moore: "For me, the judge has 24 hours"

Mr Hannity has been faced with a significant slowdown in advertisers willing to place their cash with his prime time slot following a boycott campaign led by Media Matters.

The presenter apologised this week after he encouraged viewers to break their Keurig coffee machines after the company decided to stop working with the show.

His former colleague Bill OReilly was forced to resign after it was revealed Fox News had paid millions of dollars to settle at least six claims against him of sexual harassment, with one claim amounting to $32 million alone. The latter claim was settled one month before former employee Mr OReilly managed to renegotiate a new contract with the network, increasing his pay from $19 to $25 million per year.

Roger Ailes, Mr Hannitys former boss and the late chairman of Fox News, also paid millions to settle similar claims, with $20 million alone paid to former anchor Gretchen Carlson.

The allegations of a sexist workplace culture was followed by an exodus of female anchors on the network including Megyn Kelly, Andrea Tantaros and Greta Van Susteren.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and pressing ahead with reform.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which he heads.

"In studying and implementing the spirit of the Party congress, we should focus on its essence, arrangements and requirements on reform," said Xi.

Senior officials Li Keqiang, Zhang Gaoli, Wang Yang and Wang Huning attended the meeting.

METHODOLOGY OF REFORM

Reform since the 18th CPC National Congress has made a series of theoretical, institutional and practical achievements, and established a framework for reform in major fields, said a statement issued after the meeting.

They are a solid foundation for future reform in deeper layers, which must rely on the thorough study and implementation of the spirit of the 19th Party congress and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

It also outlined three key points that should not be altered: CPC centralized, unified leadership of reform; the general goal of "improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance"; and the people-centered reform philosophy.

The leading group called for systematic, unified and coordinated action in pushing forward the tasks set at the 19th CPC National Congress, as well as continued efforts in ongoing projects.

In addition, it ordered early planning of reform for 2018 -- the 40th anniversary of the beginning of reform and opening up.

Revisions to the leading group's working rules and a report on supervising the implementation of reform were also adopted at the meeting.

REFORM IN VARIOUS FIELDS

A guideline stipulating that the State Council should report management of state-owned assets to the National People's Congress Standing Committee was adopted at the meeting.

It is aimed at ensuring that management of state-owned assets is open and transparent, to enable resources to better serve development and benefit the people.

A guideline on the selection and management of officials working in poverty-stricken regions was passed at the meeting, to help select officials able to promote poverty relief and deal with slack management and undesirable work practices.

A three-year action plan on rural environment was approved at the meeting, primarily focusing on garbage and sewage disposal while preserving the landscape.

A guideline on establishing a "lake chief" system was approved and lake chiefs will be appointed with responsibilities including resource protection, pollution prevention and control, and ecological restoration. China began to appoint "river chiefs" nationwide in December last year.

The leading group also agreed to fully implement educational policy and adhere to socialist educational orientation. Great importance will be attached in cultivating rural teaching staff.

The leading group asked for expansion of a pilot project to reform rural residential land, protecting public ownership of land, farmer's interests and arable land.

Farmers should not trade their residential land or abandon their rights to use the land in exchange for becoming urban residents, according to the statement.

The meeting called for improving the recruitment of general medical practitioners, especially in impoverished areas.

A reform plan for Central School of Communist Youth League of China was adopted at the meeting. Participants agreed that the school should make innovation in school running and place emphasis on political training to provide talent support for the Party's work on youth and the Communist Youth League of China.

The meeting passed a regulation on legislation, which requires consultation and third-party evaluation before making laws involving major adjustment of interests or those arousing wide controversies.

Legislative organs should play a better role in expressing, balancing and adjusting social interests and ensure each legislation conforms to the spirit of the Constitution and the people's will and win public support, said the statement.

The leading group also passed a guideline on deepening reform in trials of intellectual property cases, urging efforts to improve the intellectual property litigation system, expanding the establishment of courts dedicated to intellectual property trials, and improve judges' professional quality to encourage innovation in science and technology.




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Kellyanne Conway has appeared to voice her support for senate candidate Roy Moore after he was accused by multiple women of child sexual abuse and harassment.

The Alabama candidate has been accused of making sexual advances on women as young as 14 when he was in his 30s, but has resisted calls to give up public office.

But Ms Conway, counsellor to the Donald Trump, told Fox News that voting for Mr Moores Democratic opponent Doug Jones would have weak and terrible results.

She instead continued to challenge the network on the lack of coverage about Democratic senators Al Franken, who has been accused of sexual assault, and Bob Menendez, who was accused of corruption. The confrontational exchange appeared unusual for a cable network that has increasingly become an advocate for her administration.

When asked directly on Fox & Friends if she would encourage people to vote for Mr Moore, she replied: Im telling you that we want the votes in the  in the Senate to get this tax  this tax bill through and the media  if the media were really concerned about all these allegations and thats what this is truly about and the Democrats, Al Franken would be on th ash heap of bygone, half-funny comedians.

"He [Franken] wouldnt be here in Capitol Hill. He still has his job.

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

Whats Bob Menendez doing back here? Thats the best my state of New Jersey can do?

She was then asked if Donald Trump would return to Alabama to campaign for Mr Moore. She replied: "Theres no plan to do that. The President is going to continue to travel around the country on tax cuts and other issues, yes."

The avoiding of answering direct questions comes just one week after Ms Conway said on the same show "that there is no Senate seat worth more than a child".

 Fox News host Sean Hannity on Roy Moore: "For me, the judge has 24 hours"

She also declared, however, that the mainstream media want to talk about this issue more than almost anything else. Then were not telling Americans whats in the tax plan for them.

Ms Conway added she did not want to "get ahead" of the President before he made a statement.

The President has yet to comment on Mr Moore, although he has posted tweets mocking Senator Franken.

Asked on NBC why the President had stayed silent, Mick Mulvaney, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said Mr Trump "doesnt know who to believe".
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Nebraska has announced its approval of the controversial Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, which is set to run through part of the state.

The states Public Service Commission vote was only three to two in favour after a series of hearings and taking into consideration half a million public comments on the matter.

The approval is the last major regulatory hurdle before TransCanada, the company building the pipeline, can begin construction on the project that is supposed to take oil sands from Alberta, Canada, to the American Gulf Coast.

In a twist to the decision, seen as a blow to the efforts of thousands of protesters opposing the pipeline, the commission did not approve TransCanadas 275-mile (443 km) preferred route through the state but an alternate, longer one.

Called the mainline alternative, the approved route runs through Montana, South Dakota, and down the centre of Nebraska  almost following along the existing Keystone pipeline on the Kansas-Nebraska border.

The whole pipeline project  meant to augment the existing pipeline system  is nearly 1,200 miles long, valued at $8bn (6.5bn), expected to transport 830,000 barrels of oil a day, and is set to end in Steele City, Nebraska.

The Keystone XL pipeline has been on hold since 2015, when previous President Barack Obama rejected a presidential permit required because the pipeline would cross over the international border, over concerns of carbon emissions and pollution.

 Keystone XL pipeline explained

However, in March 2017 President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restart the project.

The Nebraska decision comes on the heels of TransCanadas existing Keystone system spilling 200,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.

Though the decision is open to appeal, the last steps are for the Trump administration to approve the permits for the project as well as dealing with a host of lawsuits from environmental advocacy groups and Native American tribes who say their land and water resources would be polluted.

Montana and South Dakota  where the pipeline would also pass through  have already approved TransCanadas request.

As The Hill reported: Crystal Rhoades, an Omaha-area commissioner, questioned the economic impact of the pipeline on Nebraska and warned that a spill from the pipeline would impact environmentally sensitive areas of the state. She also said it could violate the rights of landowners in the state.

With the alternative mainline, approximately 40 landowners in the state would be impacted whose property would not have previously included pipeline construction.

Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline Show all 21 1 /21 Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Despite blizzard conditions, military veterans march in support of the "water protectors" at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Fireworks fill the night sky above Oceti Sakowin Camp as activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline near the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Despite blizzard conditions, military veterans march in support of the "water protectors" at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Fireworks fill the night sky above Oceti Sakowin Camp as activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline near the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Despite blizzard conditions, military veterans march in support of the "water protectors" at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Native American and other activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Chief Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nation listens to speakers during an interfaith ceremony at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country have been gathering at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Today the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending the months-long standoff. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: An Native American activist rides down fom a ridge which overlooks Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country have been gathering at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Despite blizzard conditions, military veterans march in support of the "water protectors" at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Political activist Cornel West listen to speakers during an interfaith ceremony at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country have been gathering at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Today the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending the months-long standoff. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline Activists hold hands during a prayer circle as they try to surround the entire camp at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country gather at the camp trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline Activists celebrate at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota, after hearing that the Army Corps of Engineers has denied the current route for the Dakota Access pipeline. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Chief Arvol Looking Horse (L) of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nation listens as political activist Cornel West speaks during an interfaith ceremony at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country have been gathering at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Today the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending the months-long standoff. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Military veterans from Southern California collect firewood for their campsite at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Despite blizzard conditions, military veterans march in support of the "water protectors" at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 03: Activists participate in an art project conceived by Cannupa Hunska Luger, from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 3, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Native Americans and activists from around the country have been gathering at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 05: Military veterans are briefed on cold-weather safety issues and their overall role at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 5, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Over the weekend a large group of military veterans joined native Americans and activists from around the country who have been at the camp for several months trying to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Yesterday the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation. The proposed 1,172-mile-long pipeline would transport oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Native American and other activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Native American activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline CANNON BALL, ND - DECEMBER 04: Native American and other activists celebrate after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Sioux from Standing Rock claim victory over Dakota Pipeline Activists celebrate at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota, after hearing that the Army Corps of Engineers has denied the current route for the Dakota Access pipeline. The US Army Corps of Engineers on Sunday announced they will no longer allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under a lake on the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, marking a huge win for Native Americans and protesters who had long opposed the construction. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images

According to the Lincoln Journal Star, the majority of the owners are in Madison County, Nebraska. The original Keystone pipeline does not run through their property, nor was that land included in TransCanadas preferred route.

The company has not yet shared publicly whether the landowners along the approved route have been contacted.

Michael Brune, the executive director of the Sierra Club, said: It is disappointing that the Public Service Commission sided with a foreign oil company over the interests of American communities who would be threatened by this pipeline, but we remain confident that Keystone XL will never be built.

A larger issue is also whether TransCanada has decided whether the project, after years of protests and legal battles, is even still financially viable.

The company said it would make a decision within the next few months, said to be dependent on the Nebraska decision as well as how interested their customers  oil companies  would be in using the pipeline.

TransCanada president Russ Girling was confident the permits and lawsuit issues could be resolved, saying the company executives expect support for the project to be substantially similar to that which existed when we first applied for the Keystone pipeline permit... To be clear, production of Canadian heavy oil continues to grow, and the need for new pipeline transportation capacity remains high.

Zachary Rogers, a Houston-based analyst for energy research and consulting firm Woods Mackenzie, told CNBC that Canadian companies have been shipping their product via rail, adding to their overall costs.

Western Canada has been held captive by geography and hasnt been able to cheaply access the markets, Mr Rogers said.
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An elderly couple in Pennsylvania is suing their insurance company and their local police after they were allegedly arrested and mistreated after their hibiscus plants were wrongly reported as marijuana plants.

Edward Cramer, 69, and his wife Audrey, 66, from Buffalo Township, allege they were handcuffed and forced to sit in a hot police car for hours last month aft arrived looking for drugs.

The couple are suing the Buffalo Township police and the Nationwide Insurance Company over the incident, claiming excessive force, false arrest, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional stress over the incident, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The incident occurred after a neighbours tree fell onto the couples property in September. When a member of the insurance company came to assess the damage on the property, he took photos of the hibiscus plant and, believing them to be marijuana plants, sent them to police.

Days later officers arrived at the couples home with a search warrant. Ms Cramer was half dressed when she answered the door and claims she was handcuffed and forced into a police car without being allowed to put on a pair of trousers.

Mr Cramer repeatedly told the police the plants were hibiscus plants, indicating the blooming flowers on them, according to the complaint, FoxNews reported.

The couple allege in the suit that sergeant Scott Hess, who was at their home, did not himself believe the plants were illegal but bagged them up with a label reading: tall, green, leafy, suspected marijuana plants.

Speaking to Channel 11, Ms Cramer said through tears: I was not treated as though I was a human being.

Describing being forced outside of her home in her underwear, she said: And thats when I asked them again if I could put pants on. And he told me no, I had to stand out on the porch, she added.

Sometimes I think they look for crime where it doesnt exist in order to justify their existence, Mr Cramer told the channel.

Ms Cramer said she has been suffering from emotional trauma since the incident, claiming that she does not sleep at night and she does not want to be left alone in her house.
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New Zealand's new prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said she regrets sharing a story from her introductory meeting with Donald Trump which led to the accusation the US President mistook her for Justin Trudeaus wife.

Entertainer Tom Sainsbury told a radio station in Auckland Ms Ardern had confided to him that Mr Trump had assumed she was Mr Trudeaus partner when the Canadian President introduced the pair to each other at the Apec trade summit in Vietnam.

Mr Sainsbury also said Ms Ardern told him Mr Trump was not as orange in real life after meeting him in person at the conference earlier this month in Da Nang.

Ms Ardern was subsequently forced to rebut the claim of mistaken identity, and would only say she told a yarn that subsequently spiralled out of control.

Her trip to the trade summit was seen as a test of her skills in representing her country abroad after becoming prime minister last month at the age of 37.

Mr Sainsbury shared the gossip in an interview on The Tea for Two show on Auckland-based RadioLive.

He told presenter Ryan Bridge: "I'm not sure if I should be saying this, but she said that Donald Trump was confused for a good amount of time, thinking that she was Justin Trudeau's wife."

He then recounted the claim she had said the US President was "not as orange in real life".

The PM immediately denied the claim the US president hadnt realised who she was.

"Someone thought the President had confused us, but in all of the conversations we had it was clear to me he hadn't," she said in a statement to Auckland news website Newshub.

Ms Ardern later said that she had shared the full story of her meeting with two friends  including Mr Sainsbury  when pressed on the issue by a local news channel.

Im in a circle, I am with someone else, I did not hear the full conversation, they observed what they believe to be mistaken identity, I didnt pick that up, she told TVNZ host Jack Tame.

I then had an interaction that suggested he [Donald Trump] knew who I was, that was at the point where I was properly introduced which probably cleared it up.

Toms a mate of mine. I shared a story with him, he shared it with someone else, I can see how that then spirals ... it is a trifling matter.

It was a bit of a funny yarn, something that I dont want to cause a diplomatic incident over.

I think I should never have recounted the story, Ms Ardern added.
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The US Navy has grounded one of its air crew after they used their advanced fighter jet to draw a penis in the sky.

The Navy E/A-18 Growler warplane flew in an unusual air pattern in the skies over Okanogan County in Washington state last week, using the condensed air trail from its exhaust to draw the giant phallic image.

Pictures of the reproductive organ suspended in the sky immediately went viral on social media.

The penis drawn by a US Navy air crew with the exhaust of an advanced fighter jet is seen in the skies over Okanogan County in Washington state (INSTAGRAM @RREED.69/via REUTERS)

The Navy, which is trying to crack down on sexual assault in its ranks, issued a formal apology for what it called an "irresponsible and immature act."

"Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today," Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker, the commander of Naval Air Forces, said in a statement.

"We will investigate this incident to get all the facts and act accordingly."
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The anti-LGBTQ politician from Ohio who resigned after being outed as a gay man reportedly looked for sex on Craigslist.

Wes Goodman was known for pushing anti-LGBT legislation and described himself as a Christian conservative with family values.

In private he was reportedly sending and responding to online meet-up adverts, using the alias "Brady Murphey".

As reported by Cleveland.com, the married politician sent sexually suggestive messages to conservative colleagues he met on Capitol Hill.

"It became a running joke between me and my gay friends on Capitol Hill," Chris Donnelly, a former GOP congressional staffer, told the publication. "It's not like it was some one-off thing."

He resigned after Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Cliff Rosenberger, was informed of Mr Goodman's "inappropriate behaviour" after he was caught having sex with a man in his Columbus office.

In 2015, Mr Goodman was accused of inviting a teenage boy, the son of a Republican donor, to his hotel room. As reported by the Washington Post, the teenager reportedly awoke around 4am to find Mr Goodman pulling down the zip on his trousers and the boy then ran away.

Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP

After the incident, Mr Goodman left a conservative group called the Council for National Policy.

The group's president, Tony Perkins, known for heading up the anti-LGBT. anti-choice and anti-Obamacare group Family Research Council, reportedly urged Mr Goodman not to run for public office.

"We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life," Mr Goodman said when he resigned.

"That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, Im sorry."
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A second woman has accused Senator Al Franken of touching her inappropriately  this time, while he was a sitting senator.

Lindsay Menz, a 33-year-old resident of Frisco, Texas, told CNN that Mr Franken grabbed her rear end while posing for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. The allegation comes days after radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden accused the Senator of kissing her and groping her without her consent in 2006, when he was working as a comedian.

Mr Franken has apologised to Ms Tweeden for the incident. He told CNN he did not remember taking the photo with Ms Menz, but said he felt badly that Ms Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.

Recommended Al Franken accused of sexual assault by female presenter

Ms Menz said the incident occurred in the summer of 2010, nearly two years after Mr Franken was elected senator. She was spending the day at a local radio booth sponsored by her father and taking pictures with public figures who stopped by.

Ms Menz said she and her husband recognised Mr Franken right away. After a cordial exchange, Ms Menzs husband moved to take a picture of his wife with the Senator. Thats when Ms Menz said Mr Franken pulled her in close  like awkward close  and put his hand on her rear.

"It wasn't around my waist. It wasn't around my hip or side. It was definitely on my butt," she told CNN. "I was like, oh my God, what's happening."

Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? Show all 7 1 /7 Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33757.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33758.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33759.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33760.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33761.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33762.bin Al Franken's time: Can a comedian conquer the US senate? 33765.bin

Ms Menz said she confided in her husband afterward that the Senator totally grabbed my butt. Mr Menz confirmed this. Ms Menz's mother, Jodi Brown, also said she remembered talking with her daughter about the incident after it happened.

Ms Menz posted the photo to Facebook at the time. In comments visible to Ms Menzs Facebook friends, her sister wrote: "Sorry, but you two aren't Bibles (sic) width apart"  a reference to how close the two are in the photo.

"Dude  Al Franken TOTALLY molested me! Creeper!" Ms Menz responded.

In a statement, Mr Franken said: "I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

 Democrat Senator Al Franken: Senate Republicans are worried Donald Trump is mentally ill

Mr Franken is already facing a Senate ethics investigation for the allegations made by Ms Tweeden. The radio host claimed last week that Mr Franken had kissed her without her consent while the two were rehearsing a skit for their USO Tour of the Middle East. She also claimed he had touched her breasts while she was sleeping on the flight home, and provided a picture of that appears to show Mr Franken reaching for her chest while she sleeps.

Mr Franken said he remembered the kiss differently, but apologised to Ms Tweeden and said he would fully cooperate with an ethics investigation into the incident.

Mr Franken is not the only politician to have been accused of inappropriate touching during a photo op. Six women have accused former President George HW Bush of grabbing their buttocks while posing for photos  including one woman who says she was only 16 at the time.

George Bush simply does not have it in his heart to knowingly cause anyone harm or distress, and he again apologizes to anyone he may have offended during a photo op, Bush spokesperson Jim McGrath said.
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Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person to be elected to Virginias House of Delegates, has a message for President Donald Trump: Get your s*** together and actually focus on infrastructure instead of discrimination.

Ms Roem made history this month when she ousted one of Virginias longest serving and most socially conservative lawmakers  a man who once labelled himself the commonwealths chief homophobe.

When she takes office in January, Ms Roem will be the only openly transgender person in a state legislature anywhere in the US. But despite her unique situation, when asked how she intends to balance social issues with the issues she primarily campaigned on  solving traffic  she said her number one priority is still to fix the horrible congestion on Route 28 in Fairfax County.

Thats why I got in the race  to replace the traffic lights on the overpasses because they were backing up traffic 25 years ago. Theyre still backing up traffic all through Manassas and Centreville, she told The Independent, referring to the two suburbs of Washington DC.

A former newspaper reporter, Ms Roem also said she has no desire to stay in politics for the long-term.

When Route 28 is fixed, then Im done with politics, the 33-year-old said. Peace out. Ill have a life again.

If you want to do a good job in government, then you need to start by taking care of infrastructure. Public infrastructure is the very basic core function of government, she added. It shouldnt be a partisan wedge issue.

Ive made infrastructure my number one priority because to me, when youre spending time building up our infrastructure instead of tearing down each other, then were able to focus on the issues that unite us and deal with our core quality of life issues. Theres not a Democratic or Republican way to build a bridge, and theres not a Democratic or Republican way to install a water pipe.

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. 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A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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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

She pointed out that even Mr Trump during his campaign pledged to dedicate $1 trillion to improving the nations infrastructure.

Where is that bill? 10 months later, he hasnt done it, Ms Roem said.

Democratic members of the US Congress in May criticised the Presidents proposal to set aside $200bn (154bn) over 10 years for infrastructure, saying it was not the big spending he had promised.

According to the Presidents budget request, the funds would be used to encourage companies, as well as state and local governments, to invest at least $800bn in US infrastructure projects. This proposal has yet to be approved.

And whats he done instead? Ms Roem asked. Hes focused on discriminatory social issues that single out and stigmatise people instead of focusing on infrastructure. The same stuff I talk about at the local issue applies at the federal level.

During her campaign, Ms Roem asserted that the incumbent candidate, Republican Bob Marshall who had served in Virginias House of Delegates for a quarter of a century, spent too much time on social policy.

Last January, Mr Marshall had proposed legislation for a bathroom bill, similar to what passed with great controversy in North Carolina in 2016. His bill would have required people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender on their original birth certificates.



He later toned down the language on the bill, to remove the word original  but blasted the Republican committee that stuck the revised bill down as disgusting.

Even though Ms Roem has emphasised that fixing her districts infrastructure will be her biggest priority, the historical significance of her situation is not lost on her.

In the opening words of her victory speech on 7 November, Ms Roem dedicated her win to every person whos ever been singled out, whos ever been stigmatised, whos ever been the misfit, whos ever been the kid in the corner.

In an interview with The Independent, Ms Roem said she will also work to make Virginia a more inclusive commonwealth.

And that no matter what you look like, or where you come from, how you worship or who you love, you feel welcomed, celebrated and respected in Virginia because of who you are and not despite it, she said. And that means we need to update our non-discrimination policies to include gender identity, sexual orientation and to take care of any other disenfranchised group.

She continued: Particularly right now in Virginia, you can deny housing, employment and health insurance to people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. Obviously that needs to change. We also have discriminatory laws that are still in effect and outdated that need to be repealed.
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In years past, the Mar-a-Lago Club's White and Gold Ballroom hosted some of the finest events of Palm Beach's gilded winter season. $750-a-plate (566) charity luncheons. Quartets playing Mozart. Ambassadors in white tie and tails at the Red Cross Ball.

In years past.

Last week - as a new season began at the private club in Florida owned by President Donald Trump - a speaker on the ballroom stage was talking up far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

"I'm watching Alex Jones non-stop!" Joy Villa said, according to a video she posted of the event.

Ms Villa - a pro-Trump internet celebrity - was speaking to a group of Young Republicans. "We are populist. We are nationalist," she said, as waiters served brunch. "We put America first and we're not afraid!"

This week, Mr Trump returns to Mar-a-Lago for the first time since April. He will confront a changed social scene.

During the summer, 19 charities that had events scheduled this season at Mar-a-Lago abruptly quit after Mr Trump defended participants in a violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, organised by white supremacists.

In their place, the club is turning to a different kind of customer.

Republican groups. Televangelist Pat Robertson, who started a gala in order to hold it at Mar-a-Lago. And a group called "Trumpettes USA", which is planning a dinner in January that costs $300 per person. They intend for Mar-a-Lago to keep most - or all - of the money they take in.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

Once a retreat from the divisive business of politics, the Palm Beach, Florida, landmark is now a place defined by those divisions - a dynamic the club is monetising by booking events with Mr Trump's political allies.

Mar-a-Lago is still hosting weddings and members for meals on the dining terrace. But the centre of Palm Beach's traditional social scene has shifted to The Breakers, a club that Mr Trump once mocked for getting his "leftovers".

"People will still put on their dancing shoes, and pay big money for their tickets, and go out of the night. [But] instead of going to Mar-a-Lago, they'll be going to The Breakers," said Shannon Donnelly, the society editor for the Palm Beach Daily News.

Before now, Ms Donnelly said, Mar-a-Lago "wasn't political".

"Now," she said, "Donald is political."

Officials with Mar-a-Lago and the Trump Organisation did not respond to questions about the new season. Last month, the club's general manager told the Palm Beach Post: "We are really doing fine. It will be a good season."

The Washington Post asked the White House if Mr Trump himself had any contact with those now flocking to hold events at Mar-a-Lago.

"We have nothing to do with coordinating events. The idea that the President has time for event planning at [Mar-a-Lago] is insulting," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in an email.

Mr Trump has given up day-to-day control of his real estate and hotel businesses. But he still owns them, including Mar-a-Lago - an old estate that Mr Trump transformed into a private club in the 1990s. Back then, Mar-a-Lago was Palm Beach's progressive club. It was open to Jewish members.

This year, in Mr Trump's words, it became the "winter White House".

For a few months this spring, it was a splendid sort of bubble. The glamour of the presidency flowed in, but the country's curdled politics did not.

Mr Trump visited seven times. Initiation fees doubled, according to a CNBC report. Charities held galas and couples held weddings, and Mr Trump dropped in on both. He mixed his new job with his old job - the table-hopping host of Palm Beach's elite.

"Big night, Shannon. Big night," Mr Trump said one evening in April, when he stopped by Ms Donnelly's table to chat.

Ms Donnelly didn't understand. She only knew it was prime rib night. Later, she learned Mr Trump was talking about launching cruise-missile strikes against Syria.

There were some warnings this winter season could be disrupted by the presidency. Earlier this year, seven charities decided to move their events, some blaming the security delays that came with a party in the President's house.

But there were still 25 big events on the schedule.

Then: Charlottesville, and the President's comments that there were "very fine people" in the crowd. In Palm Beach and around the country, his remarks roused a backlash.

Suddenly, Mr Trump's charity clients found themselves under pressure from donors and strangers alike. Online, anti-Trump groups asked their members to contact charities and urge them to move. Even local Palm Beach officials jumped into the fray.

"Can you honestly say having an event at Mar-a-Lago, given all that has transpired, is the best stewardship of your efforts?" Laurel Baker, executive director of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, said in August. "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." [Days later, another chamber official apologised to Mar-a-Lago for her remarks].

Some members of Mar-a-Lago found that their friends didn't want to be invited to galas there anymore.

"'If it's at Mar-a-Lago, then we're not going," one former Mar-a-Lago member said he was recently told by a friend. The member quit recently, and asked that his name not be used, to protect his friendships in Palm Beach. "It's not the charity that matters anymore. It's the venue."

Mar-a-Lago's 25 previously identified bookings fell to six, according to a Post survey of town-issued permits, public social calendars and interviews with charities. One of the groups that stuck with Mr Trump was the Palm Beach County GOP, which has held its Lincoln Day dinner at Mar-a-Lago since 2013. Before this year, it appeared to be the club's only overtly partisan gala.

Among those that left: the Red Cross, which cancelled its Palm Beach gala outright, ending a 60-year tradition.

Another charity, Leaders in Furthering Education, switched to a new date at the Breakers resort, and wound up in a fight with crooner Paul Anka, who couldn't make the new day and wouldn't return their $75,000 deposit.

"They need to eat it," Mr Anka, who sang the 1959 hit "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", told the New York Post.

The news was better for the Bethesda Hospital Foundation, which moved its 9 November luncheon to a club in Boca Raton and had room for 100 more guests than it could fit at Mar-a-Lago. The lunch raised enough to buy a new physician-training tool: the Victoria S2200, a $60,000 robot woman who gives birth to a robot baby.

At the same time, Mar-a-Lago's calendar has also begun to refill.

The Republican Attorneys General Association booked Mar-a-Lago's Teahouse dining room last weekend, for a dinner where some state attorneys general dined with top donors.

How did they choose the President's club, out of all the dining rooms in south Florida?

"It is a historic venue very close to where the AGs were staying," said spokesman Zack Roday. He said the group did not get a discount for being Republicans.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

The Young Republican National Federation, which hosted Villa in the White and Gold Ballroom, had never held an event at Mar-a-Lago before. Why now? "He's the leader of the Republican Party," said Matthew Thomas Oberly, press secretary for the Young Republican National Federation.

The Christian Broadcasting Network - whose chairman is Pat Robertson, a strong supporter of Mr Trump - decided earlier this year to hold its first Palm Beach fundraiser gala for its charity Orphan's Promise.

And not just anywhere in Palm Beach. This event was meant for Trump's club.

"Secure event date at private, exclusive Palm Beach 'winter White House'," the charity instructed its event planner, according to documents filed with the town of Palm Beach. This event will be one of the biggest of any season at Mar-a-Lago: The town was told to expect 700 people.

The network said "a group of major donors" chose Mar-a-Lago as a venue. Through a spokesman, Mr Robertson declined to be interviewed.

In two other cases, individual Trump supporters have come up with their own new events for Mar-a-Lago, with an aim of benefiting Mr Trump.

Florida conservative activist Steven M Alembik, for instance, is planning a 700-person "Truth About Israel Gala" at Mar-a-Lago in February. He plans to charge $600 a seat. He expects Mar-a-Lago will keep most of it, and that's fine.

"We're supporting our President, who supports Israel," Mr Alembik said.

 Trump 'feels great' about Mar-a-Lago trips

The "Trumpettes USA" - they add the "USA" because "Trumpette" is a brand of baby socks - are led by Toni Holt Kramer, a Mar-a-Lago member who has turned part of her home into a sort of shrine to Mr Trump.

She has planned a dinner for 18 January. First, it was 700 people. Now, it's 800, she says. Two ballrooms. $300 per seat.

If there's money left over, Ms Kramer says, it will go to a police charity. But she doesn't expect to have money left over, after paying Mar-a-Lago for the room and the food. And that's fine.

"I don't think any president has ever had such a rough nine months," Ms Kramer said. She said the event, called "A Red, White, and Blue Celebration for We the People", is drawing Trump fans from around the country and the world. When they sold out the first ballroom, she posted a photo of herself hugging the group's mascot: her poodle, Caviar Deux.

In recent days, Mar-a-Lago got another bit of good news.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue - an animal charity that had cancelled its Mar-a-Lago booking in August - decided to come back to the venue. One of the co-chairs of the event is Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife.

To explain its reversal, the charity published a letter in the Palm Beach Daily News. It detailed how the politicisation of Mar-a-Lago had torn its members apart.

The letter was written in the voice of a dog.

"My furry companions loved . . . The Mar-a-Lago Club and said they would only support us if we returned to our favorite yard," the fake dog wrote.

The fake dog called for a return to more tranquil times at Mar-a-Lago, when charities that did business with Mr Trump's club didn't have to answer for Mr Trump's politics.

"Arrffturall," the fake dog wrote, "charity and politics should never be mixed."

(c) The Washington Post
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Donald Trump has announced he will declare North Korea a state sponsor of terror, amid rising tensions with Pyongyangs isolated regime.

The US President said the designation will impose further penalties on Kim Jong-uns regime, saying it was a long-overdue step and part of a maximum pressure campaign against the North.

North Korea will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on a list of countries that have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. The designation triggers sanctions including restrictions on US foreign assistance and a ban on defence exports and sales.

Mr Trump told reporters on Monday that the decision should have happened years ago, and called Pyongyang a murderous regime. He added that North Korea must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, as well as its support for international terrorism.

US officials said the action was partly motivated by the killing of Mr Kims estranged half brother in a Malaysian airport this year, which was defined as an act of terrorism.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson referred to the move as part of the "peaceful pressure" campaign, noting it was in line with Mr Trump's "maximum pressure" programme to get countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, and South Sudan to cut off Pyongyang financially as well. All countries have agreed to do so in recent weeks.

He said: "we still hope for diplomacy."

Mr Tillerson called the designation as "very symbolic...practical effects may be limited but hopefully clos[es] off loopholes" in existing sanctions for "dual use" product exports that can be used by civilian and military end-users within North Korea.

Those products require separate licenses to sell under US export regulations.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

North Korea was last on the state-sponsored terror list in 2008, under the George W Bush administration. It was removed that year in a bid to salvage a deal halting its nuclear development.

Mr Tillerson said that attempt at negotiations "obviously failed."

Syria was added to the list in 1979, with Iran following five years later. Sudan was defined as such in 1993.

The administration debated the decision for months before the announcement, US officials told the Associated Press. State Department officials reportedly disagreed on whether the country met the legal requirements to be deemed a state sponsor of terror.

There must be more than one incident of state-sponsored terrorism for a country to be added to the list. The killing of Mr Kims half-brother counted as one incident, but officials were divided over whether the treatment of American student Otto Warmbier constituted terrorism. Mr Warmbier was returned to the US in a coma after 17 months in North Korean custody, and died shortly thereafter.

 North Korea 'sentences Donald Trump to death' in state newspaper editorial

Mr Tillerson noted that North Korea's fuel supply "is already quite constrained" as shown by "anecdotal evidence" and US intelligence sources which show cars lined up at petrol stations or certain stations closing that would normally have fuel.

The issue there is that the country only has one refinery that operates internally so they are heavily reliant on finished fuel imports, Mr Tillerson explained during a rare press briefing for the camera-shy diplomat.

Those finished fuel products are covered under the United Nations' latest round of strict sanctions though he said China, in control of the main fuel pipeline into the hermit kingdom, can cut off supplies "unilaterally," should they choose to do so.

Tensions have risen between North Korea and the US this year, as Pyongyang progressed rapidly with its nuclear missile and bomb testing. The country tested its most powerful nuclear weapon yet in September, and is said to have developed missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the US mainland.

In August, after Pyongyang threatened to launch missiles into the water around the US territory of Guam, Mr Trump said the country would be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. The remarks sparked concern in the American public, and aggressive comments from the North Korean regime.

American diplomats have attempted to soothe North Korea with dialogue, while also working to cut off funds for the countrys nuclear programme with sanctions. In September, the United Nations passed its most stringent sanctions yet against the country. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, vowed to pursue the strongest possible sanctions to deter North Koreas nuclear programme.

Today, we are saying the world will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea, she said. And today the Security Council is saying if North Korea does not halt its nuclear programme, we will act to stop it ourselves.

Mr Tillerson said the Treasury Department will be announcing further sanctions as part of the designation soon.
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Special counsel Robert Mueller has requested the Justice Department turn over a range of documents, including some about the dismissal of former FBI director James Comey, it has been reported.

Mr Mueller is currently leading an investigation into whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin, and is also reportedly examining whether Mr Trump himself obstructed justice by asking Mr Comey to drop an investigation into then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Investigators are apparently keen to obtain the emails regarding Mr Comeys sacking and the decision of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the matter.

Mr Muellers investigative team is interested in exchanges between officials at the Justice Department and the White House, a source told ABC News.

The request was issued in the past month and indicates that Mr Mueller is now demanding documents from the department that is overseeing his investigation.

The special counsel has been examining Russia's influence in the 2016 presidential election and also looking into whether the Trump campaign in particular colluded with the Russians.

Mr Trumps campaign had begun handing over documents to Mr Mueller in September and a lawyer that represents Mr Trump said the campaign was in total cooperation with the special counsels investigation.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Muellers Russia probe has heated up in recent months. In October, five months after he was appointed to lead the inquiry, he announced 12 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US, against former campaign manager Paul Manafort and associate Rick Gates.
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A man has reportedly been arrested after he allegedly punched a woman in the face for complaining about him "manspreading".

Derek Smith, a 56-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, was charged with assaulting Sam Saia while on a train.

Ms Saia said the incident occurred after she asked Smith for room as he was sitting beside her on a train with his legs wide apart.

The assault was apparently so severe that Ms Saia said she felt blood after hitting her head.

"I sat down and I existed, and I think this guy had a problem with that. He just started manspreading me extra and pushing me into the wall," Ms Saia told CBS News.

"I just looked at him and said, 'Alright, just calm down, just relax.

Ms Saia said telling Smith to relax and ignoring him only made the situation worse, and that he started to shout at her before punching her in the face.

"He just started looking at me and said, 'B***h, don't ignore me,' and he started elbowing me. So I looked at him and [he punched me], and I banged my head into the wall. After that, I just felt blood," she said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Video footage has emerged showing Victor Conde, a 29-year-old who was on the train, coming to Ms Saias rescue.

He confronted Smith, held his arms down and forced him to get off the train.

"The slogan is, 'See something, say something.' Who are you going to say it to at that moment? I had to do something," Mr Conde said.
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Toxic smog in some of Indias most populated cities is forcing workers to flee to the countryside in an unexpected demographic shift that could reverse a decades-old trend of urbanisation.

In the capital, Delhi, poisonous microscopic particles have spiked to 75 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The pollution  equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes a day  has triggered a public health crisis which is now pushing some to migrate away from urban areas.

Recommended Flights to New Delhi cancelled over toxic smog

Delhi is now considered the most polluted city in the world, according to the Brookings Institute, while at least two-and-a-half million premature deaths are blamed on poor air quality across the country as a whole.

Meanwhile, the pace of urbanisation in India is growing twice as fast as China, with more than 10 million people migrating to cities and towns each year.

By 2030, around half of Indias population  or 590 million people  are expected to have moved to urban areas.

But the mounting public health crisis suggests there could be a small but significant number of people bucking that trend.

One high profile departure from Delhi is Costa Ricas ambassador, Mariela Cruz Alvarez, who has moved to the southern Indian state of Karnataka to avoid the smog.

Others are following suit, including rural farmers who had moved to the city to take up domestic work including driving and cleaning.

Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Show all 10 1 /10 Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city A battery run tricylce rickshaw passes by the Red Fort amid heavy smog in New Delhi AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian visitors walking through the courtyard of Jama Masjid amid heavy smog AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city An Indian policeman wearing a protection mask as he works near India Gate AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city New Delhi during heavy smog REUTERS Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian commuters wait for transport amid thick blanket of smog on the outskirts of New Delhi AP Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Prince Charles and Camilla arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport surrounded by smog on November 8 Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Prince Charles and Camilla depart their plane in New Delhi to smog Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city The morning sun is enveloped by a blanket of smog on the outskirts of New Delhi AP Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city Indian residents walking along a road amid heavy smog AFP/Getty Images Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city A woman drives a scooter through the morning fog to drop off a child at school AP

India's current pollution crisis will barely dent the huge number of urbanising Indians, but Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, said Indias template for urbanisation needs changing.

"Air pollution is a huge issue, but it is a myth that only big cities are polluted; pollution levels are rising in smaller cities, too. So where can you run away to?" she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Vinod Kumar, who moved to Chennai from a village in southern Tamil Nadu, said he planned to return to take up organic farming on the family land.

"It's only now that I realise how lucky we were in the village to have clean air and clean water, and not be ill from pollution all the time," he said.

According to WHO measures in 2016, based on PM2.5 levels 9 Indian cities are among the world's 20 most polluted cities.

Dr Ruth Kattumuri, co-director of the India Observatory at the London School of Economics, told The Independent congested air in cities was forcing some to relocate.

But she added that there were other push and pull factors, including "not being able to access adequate economic opportunities in cities due to any limitations based on their skill levels; not having access to the quality of life they expected; and social and familial ties and commitments".

Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has touted urbanisation as an opportunity not a problem for Indias rural communities.

If anything has the potential to mitigate poverty it is our cities, he said last year. That is why people from poor places migrate to cities, as they find opportunities there.

But there has been criticism of the government for failing to tackle the pollution problem, which has been worsened by a combination of crop burning, construction dust and exhaust fumes.

Authorities have been taking measures to mitigate the immediate crisis, including temporarily closing schools, stopping most trucks from entering Delhi and banning crop burning in and around the capital.

But the government put off a decision for rationing car usage and the limited measures currently employed don't address the root causes.

Ms Roychowdhury said the city's pollution had been trapped this week by a lack of wind at ground level, colliding winds in the upper atmosphere, and cooling temperatures.

Air quality typically gets worse at this time of year as nearby farmers burn fields and people build street fires to keep warm.

India bans diesel taxis in New Delhi to clean up air

The conditions this week prompted the capital's top elected official, Arvind Kejriwal, to describe Delhi as a "gas chamber.

Even a slight slowdown in migration to cities could ease pressure on housing, public services and infrastructure such as electricity, internet and transport.

It could also prompt authorities to reassess India's demographics as it prepares to overtake China as the most populous country.

Additional reporting Thomson Reuters Foundation
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Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has insisted his administration has no intention of loosening the countrys strict immigration policy despite warnings about its fast shrinking  and ageing  population.

On Monday during a debate in Japan's parliament, Mr Abe suggested there was justification for accepting foreign workers where they are truly needed to keep Japans economy and infrastructure sustainable.

But he was also steadfast in his opposition to any moves to reform the countrys strict border policy.

Recommended Japan accepted just three refugees in the first half of 2017

His reluctance to relax the rules for migrant workers is facing mounting criticism in Japan, where less than 2 per cent of the population are foreign born. That compares with more than 20 per cent in the UK.

Around one in five people in Japan is over 65 and the birth rate is at a record low.

The east Asian economic powerhouse has seen its workforce shrink by around two million since the 1990s  to 65 million  and the government has warned about the potential for a catastrophic collapse by 2050 to just over 40 million.

A points-based system was introduced five years ago to promote entry of highly-skilled foreign professionals.

And Japanese authorities have been clear about exactly who falls into this category.

Shinzo Abe answers questions during a session of the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on 20 November (Getty)

Those involved in academic research, business management or specialised/technical activities will be given preferential immigration treatment and are most likely to be granted access to the jobs market, the guidelines say.

Other factors that work in an applicants favour are youth, a high income and ability to speak Japanese.

But when it comes to refugees, Japan is even less welcoming.

In the first half of 2017 it accepted just three asylum seekers. For the previous year, just 28 settled there.

 Japanese firm gives non-smokers extra six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

The UNs refugee agency has urged the country  one of the worlds richest  to resettle more asylum seekers at a time when its donations to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have also slipped.

Japan's reluctance to accept foreigners mirrors a wider caution towards immigration in a nation where many pride themselves on cultural and ethnic homogeneity.

The government says that many people claim asylum in Japan to find work, encouraged by access to renewable work permits for people applying for refugee status.

The Justice Ministry, which oversees refugee recognition, is considering steps including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers to curb what it deems "abusive" applications.
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South Korea's spy agency has said it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North's Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation at any time, the agency told lawmakers.

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.

Reuters
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North Korean women are deprived of education and job opportunities and are often subjected to violence at home and sexual assault in the workplace, a United Nations (UN) human rights panel said on Monday.

After a regular review of Pyongyang's record, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women voiced concern at rape or mistreatment of women in detention especially those repatriated after fleeing abroad.

North Korean women are under-represented or disadvantaged in tertiary education, the judiciary, security and police forces and leadership and managerial positions in all non-traditional areas of work, the panel of experts said.

Domestic violence is prevalent and there is very limited awareness about the issue and a lack of legal services, psycho-social support and shelters available to victims, it said.

North Korea told the panel on 8 November that it was working to uphold women's rights and gender equality but that sanctions imposed by major powers over its nuclear and missile programmes were taking a toll on vulnerable mothers and children.

The panel said economic sanctions had a disproportionate impact on women.

North Korean women suffer high levels of malnutrition, with 28 percent of pregnant or lactating women affected, it said.

The report also found that penalties for rape in North Korea are not commensurate with the severity of the crime, which often goes unpunished. Legal changes in 2012 lowered the penalties for some forms of rape, including the rape of children, rape by a work supervisor and repeated rape.

The revised legal code had led to reducing the punishment for forcing a woman in a subordinate position to have sexual intercourse from four years to three years, the report said.

Women trafficked abroad and then returned to North Korea, are reportedly sent to labour training camps or prisons, accused of an "illegal border crossing", and may be exposed to further violations of their human rights, including sexual violence by security officials and forced abortions, it said.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

North Korean women living in China can transmit their nationality to their children, but many are believed not to register them for fear of being forcibly repatriated, it said.

Reuters
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A man has been arrested for killing his wife after she refused to have sex with him, it has been reported.

Sanjiv Kumar, 35, allegedly strangled wife Suman, 30, after they had a fight in their home in the Indian state of Haryana.

Police were called and Mr Kumar, a painter, apparently confessed to the crime soon afterward.

"She had been refusing sex for a while. On Tuesday, she refused again, which irritated him and he strangled her. We have arrested him," police officer Ramesh Jaglan told the BBC.

Suman had reportedly avoided having sex with Mr Kumar as he was not well, and had been diagnosed with symptoms of dengue fever.

Station house officer Ramesh Kumar said that the accused had tried to force himself on his wife.

"She [Suman] scolded the accused for trying to force himself on her, Sanjiv lost his cool and strangled her, leading to her death," Mr Kumar told the Times of India.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The couple had been married for a decade and have two children together.

A murder investigation has now been launched against Mr Kumar and six members of his family.
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The European Union has decided to relocate one of its agencies to Amsterdam by drawing the name of the new city out of a hat at random, after a tie in the official vote on where to move it.

EU ministers meeting in Brussels voted on where to move the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which currently employs over 900 people in London, but after a tie between Amsterdam and Milan, a game of chance was used to decide the new location.

The drawing of lots led to Amsterdam being crowned the winner and the new host of the agency, which will move after Britain leaves the EU.

The EMA coordinates the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of treatments by national agencies before they can be used across the EU.

Sources familiar with the meeting told the Reuters news agency that Milan was two votes short of outright victory in a second round of voting, with 12 votes  ahead of 9 for Amsterdam and 5 for Copenhagen.

After the Danish capital was knocked out, its votes mostly went to Amsterdam, producing a 13-13 tie, however.

Under the rules of the selection process, the Estonian minister chairing the meeting stepped in and drew lots to decide the winner.

The agency is currently based in Canary Wharf in London (Thomson Reuters) (Reuters)

Slovakian capital Bratislava was also a contender, coming in fourth place.

19 cities had bid for the economic boost and prestige of the EMAs relocation, which will also likely bring offices of major pharmaceutical companies and lobbyists with it.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

The UK will also be losing the European Banking Authority, currently based in London, after Brexit. Its host city will be decided later on Monday evening.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said in April that London could keep the two EU agencies after it left the bloc, but turned out to be wrong.
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A French politician has tabled the idea of banning smoking in films, it has been reported.

Senator Nadine Grelet-Certenais has accused film-makers of advertising for the tobacco industries and has reignited the debate about whether smoking should appear on the big screen.

The comments were made in the Senat, the upper house of parliament, and some senior ministers agreed with Ms Grelet-Certenaiss call.

"Seventy per cent of new French films have at least one person in the process of smoking," Ms Grelet-Certenais said, the Local reported.

"It participates in more or less trivialising it, if not in promoting it, with children and adolescents who are now the main consumers of series and film especially on the internet.

Frances health minister Agnes Buzyn agreed with Ms Grelet-Certenais and said smoking on screen was denormalising the image of tobacco in society".

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The proposal has been greeted with a degree of disbelief and ridicule, as smoking has often played a central role in French cinema.

One twitter user mocked the idea and said if the ban goes through, crime and driving above the speed limit should also be banned from films.
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No one will ever know what went through the mind of Afghan Police Lieutenant Sayed Basam Pacha in those moments when he came face to face with a man he suspected of being a suicide bomber on Thursday afternoon, but whatever it was, he did not hesitate to act.

At his back was a crowd of civilians, many of them dignitaries, leaving the hall he was guarding. Around him were officers from the police company he commanded. The suspect had just approached their heavily guarded gate, the only way in or out of the compound around the hall.

Broad-shouldered and heavily muscled, Pacha shouted at the suspect to halt, but instead the man started running. The officer stopped him, throwing his arms around him in a bear hug.

A second later the bomber detonated the explosive vest hidden under his coat. Fourteen people, including Pacha and seven other police officers as well as six civilians, were killed; 18 others were wounded, seven police and 11 civilians, said Basir Mujahed, a police spokesman.

There was little doubt the death toll would have been far higher without the lieutenants body blunting the blast, Mujahed said.

Recommended Nine dead in bomb attack on wedding hall in Kabul

Hes a hero; he saved many lives, he said. All seven of those policemen are heroes but especially him. Just think if that suicide attacker got past the gate, what would have happened - you cannot even imagine.

Pachas father, General Sayed Nizam Agha, is also a police commander.

My son sacrificed himself to save other people, Agha said, proud but tearful when reached by telephone. He wept as he recounted his sons story.

He had two bachelor degrees, one in political science and another one at the police academy, the father said. He studied five years in Turkey. He came back from Turkey a year and a half ago. He was 25 years old and he was single. He has three brothers and one sister. He and I are the only police in our family. He was a very sporty guy.

Weight lifting was his sport, his friends said.

The general apologised and said he could not keep talking any longer; he was too overcome with emotion. He had one last thing to say though.

I lost my bodyguard in this incident as well, the general said.

He had assigned the bodyguard to assist his son at the event, which many high-profile political figures were attending. He was my bodyguard for the last 15 years, he was like my son, Agha said. His name was Noor Agha, he left three children behind.

Two journalists for Rah-e-Farda Radio and Television were also caught up in the attack, said an anchorman at the station, Ramazan Abdullahzada. A reporter, Taqi Sadid, was in critical condition and a cameraman, Hussain Nazari, was missing, he said.

We checked all the private hospitals and public hospitals, but couldnt find him, Abdullahzada said. Now we are in front of the police hospital. I hope he will be here.

Although only on police duty in Kabul for a year and a half, Pacha had already received a commendation from his superiors, which he displayed proudly on his Facebook page. His current post was commander of the Second Company, Police District 4 in Kabul, which includes the Khairkhana area where the attack took place.

The lieutenant never expected to die, friends said, although the profession of Afghan police officer has become increasingly perilous. Dozens of officers were killed in five Taliban attacks Monday and Tuesday.

He was always worried about victims, but he never thought that one day he would get killed, said his longtime friend, Sayed Najib Asil, a producer at Tolo Television.

Pacha was not someone who would have faced death fatalistically, as his friends told it.

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

He had very big dreams for himself, Asil said. He wanted to be a general like his father, and maybe one day a high ministry official.

The characteristic his friends most noted, though, was his cheerfulness. Every week or two he and his friends had a party together. He was always the cheeriest guy in the party, making everyone else happy, Asil said.

Isis in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a post on Twitter by the Terror Monitor organization. It was the latest in a series of suicide attacks by the group in Kabul. A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, said his group did not carry it out.

The New York Times
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Eliahu Pietruszka shuffled his 102-year-old body through the lobby of his retirement home toward a stranger he had never met and collapsed into him in a teary embrace. Then he kissed both cheeks of his visitor and in a frail, squeaky voice began blurting out greetings in Russian, a language he hadn't spoken in decades.

Only days earlier, the Holocaust survivor who fled Poland at the beginning of the Second World War and thought his entire family had perished learned that a younger brother had also survived, and his brother's son, 66-year-old Alexandre, was flying in from a remote part of Russia to see him.

The emotional meeting was made possible by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial's comprehensive online database of Holocaust victims.

It makes me so happy that at least one remnant remains from my brother, and that is his son, said Pietruszka, tears welling in his eyes. After so many years I have been granted the privilege to meet him.

Pietruszka was 24 when he fled Warsaw in 1939 as the Second World War erupted, heading to the Soviet Union and leaving behind his parents and twin brothers Volf and Zelig, who were nine years younger. His parents and Zelig were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and killed in a Nazi death camp, but Volf also managed to escape. The brothers briefly corresponded before Volf was sent by the Russians to a Siberian work camp, where Pietruszka assumed he had died.

Recommended Auschwitz survivor still selling poppies aged 100

In my heart, I thought he was no longer alive, Pietruszka said. He married in Russia and, thinking he had no family left, migrated to Israel in 1949 to start a new one.

Then two weeks ago, his grandson, Shakhar Smorodinsky, received an email from a cousin in Canada who was working on her family tree. She said she had uncovered a Yad Vashem page of testimony filled out in 2005 by Volf Pietruszka for his older brother Eliahu, who he thought had died.

Volf, it turned out, had survived and settled in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Ural Mountains. Smorodinsky tracked down an address and reached out to discover that Volf, who had spent his life as a construction worker, had died in 2011 but that Alexandre, his only child, still lived there. After Smorodinsky arranged a brief Skype chat, Alexandre decided to come see the uncle he never knew he had.

Image: Israeli Holocaust survivor Eliahu Pietruszka, center, looks at a picture with Alexandre Pietruszka and family in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba on Nov. 16, 2017.

Smorodinsky, a 47-year-old professor from Ben-Gurion University in southern Israel, invited The Associated Press to record Thursday evening's reunion at his grandfather's retirement home in central Israel.

Upon meeting, the two men clutched each other tightly and chatted in Russian as they examined each other's similar facial features.

You are a copy of your father, said a shaking Pietruszka, who has a hearing aid and gets around in a rolling walker. I haven't slept in two nights waiting for you.

Throughout the meeting, Alexandre swallowed hard to hold back years, repeatedly shaking his head in disbelief.

It's a miracle. I never thought this would happen, Alexandre, himself a retired construction worker, kept saying.

It did, thanks to the Yad Vasham database of pages of testimony, whose goal is to gather and commemorate the names of all of the estimated 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide. The Names Recovery Project has been Yad Vashem's flagship mission in recent years. The memorials very name  Yad Vashem is Hebrew for a memorial and a name  alludes to its central mission of commemorating the dead as individuals, rather than mere numbers like the Nazis did.

It hasn't been an easy task. The project began in 1954, but over the following half century, fewer than 3 million names were collected, mostly because the project was not widely known and many survivors refrained from reopening wounds, or clung to hopes that their relatives might still be alive.

The names collected are commemorated in the museum's Hall of Names, a cone-shaped room whose walls are lined with bookshelves containing folders upon folders of testimonies. Still, until 2004, more than half of the allotted folders remained empty.

That year, the database went online and provided immediate easy access to information in English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and German. Thanks to a high-profile campaign, and the efforts of Yad Vashem officials who have gone door-to-door to interview elderly survivors, the number has surged to 4.7 million names.

Another rewarding byproduct has been that of tech-savvy grandchildren using it to research their families, leading to emotional reunions between various degrees of relatives from around the world.

The rate of reunions has trickled significantly in recent years as elderly survivors have passed away, making each one increasingly significant, said Alexander Avram, the director of the database.

It is not too late to fill out pages of testimony. We need to document each and every victim of the Holocaust, he said. But such a reunion is a very special moment because we are not going to see a lot more of them in the future.

Debbie Berman, a Yad Vashem official at the reunion, said it was incredibly moving to be there for the end of an era.

Remembering the Holocaust Show all 16 1 /16 Remembering the Holocaust Remembering the Holocaust 119165.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119169.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119229.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119167.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119162.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119166.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119163.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119224.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119168.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119228.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119152.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119226.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119150.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119151.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119147.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119231.bin Hannah Bills

This is one of the last opportunities that we will have to witness something like this. I feel like we are kind of touching a piece of history, she said.

For Pietruszka, a retired microbiologist and great-grandfather of 10, it was a fulfilling coda to a long, eventful life.

I am overjoyed, he said. This shows it is never too late. People can always find what they are looking for if they try hard enough. I succeeded.

AP
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Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin has refused to pardon a soldier who was given 18 months in jail on manslaughter charges for shooting a wounded Palestinian assailant in the head at point-blank range.

Then 19-year-old Elor Azaria, an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) medic, shot 21-year-old Abdel Fattah al-Sharif when he lay wounded on the ground in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron after he and an accomplice attacked two soldiers in March 2016.

Azaria was given 18 months in jail, a sentence which was reduced to 14 months following an intervention in September by Israel Defence Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot.

 Palestinian man shot by Israeli soldier as he lies on the ground

The landmark case  the first manslaughter prosecution for a serving member of the IDF in more than a decade  split public opinion in Israel. There is widespread support for the IDF in Israel, where at least two years of military service is compulsory.

There have been several fundraisers and protests in support of the soldier, as well as high-profile calls for the young recruit to be given a pardon by the government, including from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Palestinians and human rights activists, however, have widely criticised Azarias punishment as not harsh enough for the severity of his crime.

Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum

The deceased mans father noted that while manslaughter is punishable under Israeli law by up to 20 years in prison, Azarias sentence was less harsh than the mandatory minimum penalty of four years in prison some Palestinian children have faced for throwing stones.

Azaria submitted a formal pardon request last month.

President Reuven Rivlin today took the decision to deny the request for a pardon filed by Elor Azaria, the president's office said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Mr Rivlin had taken into account both the offences committed by Azaria and their circumstances, his office said.
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An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.

The Saudi government had no immediate response to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's remarks. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together.

Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war, territory Palestinians seek for a future state.

US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office.

Recommended Saudi Arabia and Iran are jostling for control over the Middle East

In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, did not characterise the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was hiding its ties with Saudi Arabia.

He replied: We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed.

It's the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other side's wish, when ties are developing, whether it's with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more... (but) we keep it secret.

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, asked about reports of cooperation with Israel, cited a Saudi peace initiative, first adopted in 2002 by the Arab League, as key to forging any relationship.

We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we don't have relations with Israel, he said.

That plan makes those relations contingent on a full withdrawal by Israel from territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has expressed tentative support for parts of the initiative, but there are many caveats on the Israeli side.

Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Steinitz's remarks won't surprise anyone who's been paying attention to the budding courtship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is being especially pushed by the Israeli side.

Last week, the Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot, told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share intelligence information with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran.

Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group.

Ibish said that given the mutual threat perceptions shared by Israel and Gulf Arab countries, it is unlikely that covert ties aren't developing.

But he said Israeli officials have tended to exaggerate such interactions in a bid to drive down the price they may have to pay, especially on Palestinian issues, to expand strategic relations and ties with Arab countries.

In public remarks in September, Netanyahu pointed to covert relationships with Arab states, saying, without mentioning any by name, that cooperation exists in various ways and different levels.

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

Also in September, Israel Radio reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel that month, drawing an official denial from Riyadh.

Last month, Saudi former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal shared a stage with ex-Israeli Mossad spy agency director Efraim Halevy at a debate on Iran in a New York synagogue.

In 2016, former Saudi general Anwar Eshki visited Israel, where he met Israeli legislators, to promote - as he has at various academic forums - the Saudi peace initiative.

Reuters
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Fifteen women have died and at least five more taken to hospital with injuries after a stampede broke out during food aid distribution in the Moroccan village of Sidi Boulaalam, local authorities and eyewitnesses have confirmed.

Flour was being handed out as part of an annual food drive by a wealthy local businessman at the market in the southwestern town, a statement from the interior ministry said on Sunday.

Several hundred people were present when the crush was triggered, a local doctor said.

 Protests in Morocco after fishmonger crushed to death

The local authorities on the spot were overwhelmed. Even when there were people on the ground, people kept fighting for food, he told AFP news agency, putting the number of dead at ten women, with ten more injured.

The annual distribution has seen several stampedes in the past, local teacher and activist Manar Khouda said, adding that only four police officers had been on hand to supervise the delivery and movement of people.

According to local news website Medias 24, Sidi Boulaalam, 35 miles (69 kilometres) from the southwestern coastal resort town of Essouria, is one of the poorest villages in Morocco, and has been suffering from drought in recent months.

King of Morocco unveils constitutional reforms Show all 2 1 /2 King of Morocco unveils constitutional reforms King of Morocco unveils constitutional reforms 615904.bin GETTY King of Morocco unveils constitutional reforms 615905.bin GETTY

King Mohammed VI has said that the victims families will be given any assistance they need, the interior ministry said, and would personally cover medical bills, funeral and burial costs.

A criminal investigation into the incident has been opened.

Last year, a fishmonger in the northern town of Al-Hoceima was accidentally crushed to death by a rubbish truck after an altercation with police. He became the figurehead for protests against widespread government corruption and delays in development projects.
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One of the Yazidi women abducted and raped by Isis has told of her harrowing experience in a new book.

Nadia Murad, recounted how she was one of approximately 7,000 Yazidi women and girls abducted from their villages in northern Iraq during the groups advance in 2014.

The terrorists stormed the Yazidi stronghold of Sinjar where they ordered the men to convert or die and took the women to be sold into sex slavery.

Isis, who follow a brutal, distorted version of Sunni Islam, believe the Yazidis are devil worshippers because they worship a peacock deity.

The then 20-year-old, who was captured from her village of Kocho, was forced to watch as members of her family were driven away in trucks and heard loud bursts of gunfire for over an hour.

Six of her brothers and her mother were killed in the massacre  though two of her family survived with serious wounds  and she was forced to get on a bus to be taken to Mosul.

Writing in her memoir, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State, she described how the sexual violence began the moment she got on the bus as one militant reached out to grope her breast.

It felt like fire. I had never been touched like that before . . . my tears fell on his hand, but still he didnt stop, she wrote.

She was then taken to a slave market where she was lead away by a judge who said she was his going to be his fourth sabiya (sex slave) and repeatedly raped, The Times reported.

Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Show all 10 1 /10 Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith The temple complex at Lalish as seen from the hillside Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Conical structures signify tombs throughout the village Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith In Lalish, travellers walk barefoot along stone streets and stairways Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Visitors to Lalish pay their respects at the tomb of Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Lush, green hills driving from Erbil to Lalish Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith Lalish is full of stone arches and hidden walkways Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith A fine arts teacher picnics with his students in Lalish a few days before Yazidi New Year Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith While visiting Lalish a group of students invited Rebecca to have cake as part of their early New Year's celebration Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith In the spring, Lalish is green and lush Rebecca Holland Inside Lalish, the holiest site for the Yazidi faith The main temple at Lalish is the holiest site for Yazidis Rebecca Holland

Ms Murad said while she was held captive in the judges house she was treated with horrific cruelty  being subjected to rape and beatings every day.

She described how she was ordered to epilate, wear make up and put on a party dress to serve tea to guests.

At other times he would hit her if she shut her eyes while being raped and he forced her to lick honey from his toes.

After a few days she attempted to escape but was caught and was gang-raped by six of his guards as punishment.

Recommended Escaped Yazidi Isis sex slaves win Sakharov prize

She was then to subjected to more abuse as she was past around to other militants: You dont know who will open the door next to attack you, just that it will happen and that tomorrow might be worse.

Ms Murad was eventually able to escape when her captors left the house unlocked while he was out. She was then taken in by a neighbouring family who managed to smuggle her out of Isis territory.

From there she went to a refugee camp in Duhok in northern Iraq where she first met Western journalists and was eventually one of 1,000 women selected for a refugee programme run by the regional government of Baden-Wuttemberg in south west Germany in 2016.

From there she began an activist and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.

Writing in the book, she said: I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine.
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As a location to await a miracle, Lourdes looks promising. Since 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1858, thousands of divine events are said to have taken place in the town in the south west of France.

The latest arrival at the local airport in need of a marvel weighs more than 200 tonnes and a decade ago was briefly in the spotlight itself: the Airbus A380, code 9V-SKA, which launched the passenger service of the Superjumbo.

Singapore Airlines leased the jet from the German company Dr Peters Group for 10 years, and duly handed it back in the summer. The pioneering plane is now being stored on the ground at Tarbes Lourdes Pyrenees airport while a buyer is sought. Three more end-of-lease aircraft will soon join it.

The planes maker, Airbus, and anyone with a financial interest in A380s desperately need something unprecedented to appear: a secondhand market for the double-deck jet. If a customer can be found for the one-careful-owner, impeccably maintained plane, then the future of the worlds biggest passenger aircraft looks brighter.

The lifespan of a typical plane involves several identities. To illustrate this point, I picked a Boeing 767 at random from Planespotters.net. C-FMWP was delivered in 1993 to Air Canada, but swiftly loaned to Polynesian Airlines and christened Manu Samoa. After a South Pacific sojourn, the 767 flew back to its Canadian owner. Three years ago it was densified with an extra 69 economy seats and transferred to the budget brand, Air Canada Rouge, where it is working very hard: last Sunday alone the twin-jet flew from Trinidad to Toronto and then made two round-trips to Florida and back.

If it looked like the Airbus A380 could still be earning its keep in its mid-twenties, the fortunes of the slow-selling model would improve dramatically. Leasing companies would be more inclined to order new editions. With a steady stream of orders, Airbus could promise Emirates  by far the biggest customer of the A380  that the production line will continue for a decade or more, and thereby pick up an order for several dozen more from the Dubai-based carrier.

So how likely is the pioneering plane to be sold? Jamie Bullen, European finance editor for FlightGlobal, says a deal could be close. Anselm Gehling, Dr Peterss chief executive, told him: "We are in discussion with a number of potential buyers, including British Airways and a number of other European flag carriers as well as Asian low-cost airlines.

BA declined to comment on speculation, but a deal looks compelling. The airline already has a dozen A380s of its own, and plenty of experienced Airbus pilots who could be trained on the plane. The bigger plane would help extract maximum value from those most precious of aviation assets, slots at Heathrow, by flying 36 per cent more passengers than BAs next-biggest aircraft, the Boeing 747. And as BAs Jumbo fleet (average age 21-plus) is slowly retired, the A380 could gradually replace it. From Heathrow to Miami and Johannesburg, one of the two daily BA flights is a 747 and the other an A380. It makes sense to make them all Airbus, and on these busy routes the extra 124 seats each way should be fairly easy to fill; the A380 is very popular among passengers.

Similar logic applies for Air France and Lufthansa, which have 10 and 14 Superjumbos respectively.

Asian low-cost airlines, based in India, China or South East Asia, would be taking much more of a risk on a used A380. When they strip out all the lie-flat beds and install 800-plus economy seats, will there be a viable market to fill them between Bangkok and Singapore or Guangzhou and Shanghai? Any buyer wont want to pay too much to find out.

With no previous transactions to assist calibration, no one knows the right price for a 10-year-old Superjumbo. No doubt British Airways believes it can negotiate a bargain. But the owner has an alternative: cannibalising the aircraft for parts, to keep other A380s flying.

Part-out is still a serious option we are considering, Anselm Gehling told FlightGlobal. It would be sad for the aircraft, and the manufacturer I think, if this was the case, but of course we must consider it.

Is the A380 a dead plane walking, or the best-loved aircraft in the skies? Quite possibly both.
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I have always found it helpful to view the Brexit negotiations through the prism of the hotel room drug deal scene at the end of Trainspotting, and never more so than now.

It is not merely because Begbie, Renton, Spud and Sick Boy so accurately mimic the intellectual deficiency, generalised psychopathy and jaw-dropping untrustworthiness of our current political leaders  though it does all those things very well.

It is simply the utterly hopeless mismatch between the two parties, and the panicked arrival of reality, which may very well finally have happened today.

If you want to imagine the scene at Theresa Mays newly formed Brexit War Cabinet which met on Monday morning, you only really need to re-watch those short few minutes. When a gang of chancers who think theyve hit the big time suddenly realise, as the professionals sweep in, how hopelessly out of their depth they really are, and how utterly non-existent any leverage they imagined they might have had.

In the style of Begbies panicked climbdown twenty grand, nineteen grand, alright f*cking sixteen, then  Theresa May now appears ready to start shouting ever bigger numbers at Brussels, arriving finally at the certain knowledge she has no alternative.

 Hammond signals Britain to increase Brexit 'divorce bill' offer to Brussels: "We want to make progress in the discussions"

But the similarity is not total. At least, in the end, this small gang of drop-out smack addicts are capable of grasping reality, which is where they differ from certain sections of the Conservative party.

Even as Theresa May and the rest appear braced to do what they were always going to do and double the offer to Brussels, from 20bn to 40bn (and, in the end, no doubt more), Tory voices still seem determined to stampede toward the cliff edge.

Today, Conservative MP Robert Halfon, a Remainer and former party deputy chairman, warns that the public will go bananas if vast sums are handed to Brussels.

We need money for our schools, our hospitals, our housing and many other things, he says in The Sun. If we start saying that were going to give 40-50bn to the EU, I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare.

Is it too much to ask, even at this late stage, the worst of the damage already done, for a bit of political leadership? To explain the actual, real life consequences of leaving the EU without a deal, the damage it would do our schools, hospitals and housing, all of which are already substantially worse off than they would have been had the vote gone the other way, and even in a best case scenario, will continue to be so for many years to come.

Is it not time, for example, for Nigel Evans not to say that the UK is not going to be the EUs Father Christmas and to, frankly, grow up, and stop talking such unimaginable garbage?

In the end, we will pay almost whatever Brussels demands of us. The alternative, tedious though it is to again point this out, is for the country to set itself up as an apparent beacon of free trade by walking out of the worlds largest free trade area, erecting barriers, devastating its own economy yet further, and knowing full well it is utterly incapable of replicating the benefits of single-market membership through bilateral free trade deals elsewhere.

Certain sections of the public, it is clear to see, are still not even slightly ready for the shock that will be leaving the EU: an act of seismic national damage which has already been made significantly worse by the unprecedented political clown show in charge of it.

That said, some of the more destructive and fantastical outer reaches of the Conservative party appear to be taking their first furtive glances through the telescope that points toward reality. Boris Johnson, for one, appears ready to accept the higher offer  though he, of course, is very much the Renton of the operation.

As they do so, the likes of Robert Halfon should frankly know better than to pander to grievances that he knows to be utterly self-destructive, and may not even be real.

The professionals have arrived. That much has been clear for well over a year. Whatever the protestations, whatever the anger, the deal will be done on their terms or not at all.

And if it is not, then the public really will go bananas.
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Charles Manson found an unsettling but lasting place in the cultural discourse of modern America.

The brutal crimes committed by his Family, on Mansons orders in 1969, shocked the nation and the world. In the years that followed, the actions of his cult came to be seen as a violent denouement to the decade of free love, hippies and mind-bending drugs.

Mansons link to the Beach Boys, via a fairly brief friendship with drummer Dennis Wilson, helped to round out the narrative  the criminal and cult on the one hand, the all-American close harmony group on the other: both very different products of the same counter-cultural revolution.

By all accounts Manson had an extraordinary hold over his followers, which was not solely the consequence of heavy LSD use. Despite his own modest education and a background rooted in poverty and unhappiness, he convinced dozens of people to join his Family and to buy into his beliefs about a coming race war that would end with his leadership of a new world order.

His disciples  many of them young, middle-class women  likened him to Jesus Christ and ultimately did his bidding in the most appalling way, murdering at least nine innocent people at Mansons request.

 Charles Manson delivers strange answer when asked by journalist who he is

Throughout the nearly five decades since those frenzied killings, Manson was arguably the most notorious prisoner in the world. Answers have been sought to the way he was able to influence his followers to carry out such horrors. Tomes have been written on the way his group was inspired by the popular culture of the times; and how the Familys desecration of the Sixties golden era changed America for good.

Mansons daily life in prison has been the subject of enduring interest too  especially the romances with women seemingly entranced by this would-be Messiah, even from behind bars. His death, perhaps inevitably, has dominated the news agenda.

At times, the fascination with Manson has leaned towards fetishisation. Marilyn Manson borrowed the cult leaders surname; Kasabian were named after Linda Kasabian, a former member of the Manson Family. The media has thirsted for details of his life both before and after his incarceration.

To some Manson embodied evil, while to others he simply showed up 1960s hippiedom for what it was  a drug and ego-fuelled sham. But for a few who saw themselves being drowned in the mainstream, Manson could be regarded as something of a hero  an icon for the outsider, a rebel against the establishment.

Arguably the endless theorising was a self-fulfilling prophecy: Manson became a pop-cultural star because journalists asked how he became one. Yet that does not explain on its own the degree to which he got under the skin of America; how he forced many Americans to question themselves and their society.

Indeed, one imagines that was precisely what Manson had always hoped to achieve. His oft-quoted words, given in evidence during his trial, seem cliched now and yet there is a resonance in spite of everything: My father is your system ... I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you. It is the soundbite that every rebel dreamt of delivering.

Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Show all 10 1 /10 Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I'm nobody. I'm a tramp, a bum, a hobo. I'm a boxcar and a jug of wine, and a straight razor if you get too close to me." - Interview, 1989 Getty Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "Maybe I should have killed four, five hundred people. Then I would have felt better. Then I would have felt like I really offered society something." - NBC interview with Heidi Schulman, 1987 Granger/REX Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "Do you feel blame? Are you mad? Uh, do you feel like wolf kabob Roth vantage? Gefrannis booj pooch boo jujube; bear-ramage. Jigiji geeji geeja geeble Google. Begep flagaggle vaggle veditch-waggle bagga?" - NBC interview with Heidi Schulman, 1987 Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I've been 15 years in the nut ward, for trying to stop the trees from being cut down, from trying to rearrange the lifestyle of a bunch of people who don't want to change. But they're gonna change because a cold wind is blowing. You're gonna change or else there's going to be no life left on the planet Earth." - Interview with Penny Daniels in San Quentin Prison, California, 1989 Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "We use the word God. God hooks all the other words up. I'm the pope. I'm ten times the pope. I'm sixty times the pope. But I'm the pope in the hills and in the mountains." - Interview by Penny Daniels, 1989 Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Will of God.. whatever you wanna call it.. you call it Jesus, call it Mohammed, call it goobybob, call it nuclear mind, call it blow the world up, call it your heart. Whatever you wanna call it, it's still music to me. It's there. It's the will of life. - Interview with Geraldo Rivera (1981) Rex Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes Believe me, if I started murdering people, there'd be none of you left. - Interview, Rolling Stone (1970) Getty Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy. - Interview by Diane Sawyer (1994) AP Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy. - Interview by Diane Sawyer (1994) AP Charles Manson's 10 most bizarre quotes "I was so smart when I was a kid that I learnt that I was dumb fast." - Interview on the album 'All the Way Alive' (2003) Rex

The paradox today is that America is in the grip of another kind dissident in Donald Trump, who came to power precisely on the back of the feelings of disenchantment and disengagement that echo through Mansons statements. It would be a stretch to make a direct comparison between these two charismatic men, whose backgrounds could not be more different. Yet just as Manson won the loyalty of his followers and brought freewheeling Sixties America to a juddering halt, so Trump, by inspiring millions of voters, has had the same effect on the political consensus that had dominated the US for a lifetime.

The difference is that Trump had the money, and now has the position, to make a lawful  if controversial  difference. Mansons attempt to change the world was manifested in a handful of grisly murders.

Mansons death will not bring an end to the debates about his life and crimes. Nor should it stop the questions about the way in which American society forces too many people to the metaphorical margins, turning them either towards active dissent or into the arms of those who offer to represent or guide them.

After all, when individuals like Stephen Paddock can pour thousands of rounds of ammunition into a crowd in Las Vegas  and when a divisive, egotistical businessman can decry politics yet still win the keys to the White House  it appears that a diagnosis for Americas condition is still required.
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The departure of mutti, or mummy, as the Germans like to call their head of government, would, youd imagine, be bad for Europe, and for Germany itself. We have all, after all, come to value Angela Merkels calm, rational, near-maternal presence which has seen her country and continent through some traumatic times  successive euro crises, the arrival of one million refugees in Europe and, most recently, Brexit.

And yet her departure may actually be good for Britain, in the narrow sense of opening up the possibility  youd put it no higher  of a better, more generous deal on Brexit, or, quite conceivably, reforms to the EU that would make Brexit unnecessary (so no Brexit at all). There is also, though, some risk that it could simply make Brexit even worse.

First, the optimistic case. If, as seems increasingly likely, Angela Merkel has to quit as leader of her party in fresh elections, then her successor might just come to take a different view on Brexit than she does. Thus far, she has been true to her European faith, and allowed Michel Barnier and the European Commission to make most of the running in these talks; British hopes for a cosy May-Merkel stitch-up with Berlin over the coffee and petit fours has been thwarted by Merkels respect for European institutions, and her adamantine belief that the four freedoms of the EU  of capital, services, goods and labour  are, like the Holy Trinity, indivisible.

But what if there were a new leader of her Christian Democrat movement with a more sceptical view of the value of freedom of labour  one who might indeed want to see it reviewed across the whole of the EU? That is after all, what the new German business organisation that wants to keep the UK in the EU is campaigning for, and it was something Tony Blair mysteriously hinted that European leaders were thinking about at a few months ago. If it were ever to happen, then the principal reason for Brexit would be removed at a stroke  and there would be much support for it in other countries too.

 David Davis blames Germany and France for Brexit talks deadlock: "They are the most powerful players on the European continent"

If there are to be fresh elections in Germany, then the various parties and groups who are sceptical about migration, and perhaps more sympathetic to the British case, could gain votes and seats, and be a louder voice in any new parliament. The Free Democrats, a pro-business centrist liberal party, could find itself in the position of being the only respectable (ie non AfD) and credible (non-Social Democrat or Green) opposition to the Christian Democrats. They could pick up enough seats to be able to govern with the Christian Democrats and without the cranky Greens.

Within the Christian Democrat movement, the Bavarian party, the Christian Social Union, could also gain support in their province, and become a relatively larger component within Merkels national grouping if the CDU loses ground elsewhere. If so then we might well see the balance of power within German Christian Democracy shift to the right, again pushing at a reform of EU freedom of movement. That in turn might make the German authorities more sympathetic to the British case, or, more likely, conscious of the effect of losing such a large market for the Bavarian Motor Works (BMW). Munich, not Berlin, is where the engine of politics could really be.

Angela Merkel, it should always be remembered, was the political daughter of Helmut Kohl, the most Europhile of all Germanys chancellors, symbolised by his decision in the 1990s to sacrifice his countrys cherished hard currency, the Mark, on the altar of European integration and the euro single currency project. Merkels successor, from a younger generation, and/or the CDUs newly revived FDP partners might well be more flexible about Brexit, and more anxious to put the German economic interest ahead of the European political one.

Less palatable would be further progress by the AfD; this might well be good for Brexit, in terms of reaching a deal, but would be bad for civilisation. They would not be part of any government, such is their pariah status, but their euroscepticism would be difficult to entirely ignore or discount politically.

And yet there is another possibility, also perfectly credible: that the next German general election is more or less a rerun of the last one, and that the same arithmetic problems are thrown up once again. A little bumpiness in the support for the various parties would not alter the fundamentals, and the German proportional representation system would faithfully reproduce that mess in the Bundestag.

You see, the voting system that served Germany very well for the first seven decades or so of the Federal Republics existence, with two large parties usually alternating after lengthy spells in coalition with a small centre party, is struggling to cope with the fragmentation of its politics. Today Germans are faced with a kaleidoscope of choices  Ex-Communists, Greens, Social Democrats, two brands of Christian Democrats, Free Democrats, plus the neo-fascistic AfD. A renewed deadlock is all too conceivable; and now even the option of a grand coalition between Social Democrats and Christian Democrats might not command a majority. The German political system has pretty much gone kaput.

At the conclusion of fresh elections could be further deadlock, and a further delay to any meaningful resolution of the Brexit talks stalemate, which will certainly not be to Britains advantage. Nor will the ascendancy of Emmanuel Macron, once again taking on the traditional role of French political leadership in Europe at a time of unusual German weakness  this (and the effective absence of Spain and Italy with their own political vacuums) merely creates the space for Macron, Barnier, Juncker and their allies to push on with their demands, and maintain a certain insouciance about hard Brexit.

If Merkel manages to survive, or even make some sort of comeback in new elections, then the course of Brexit will have been delayed but not significantly diverted. If she falls, then the uncertainties businesses complain about so much, and which are vexing so many here and across the EU, will merely intensify, in the short run  but it also offers a ray of hope for a brighter future for the UK, inside or outside the EU. In the end, it may be the vagaries of German politics that drive the fate of the British economy and nation as much as what happens in Westminster.
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Grace Mugabe, Gucci Grace or DisGrace is accused of being the Lady Macbeth of this affair. G 40, or Generation 40, are ambitious, unscrupulous men who had hitched their stars to her rise. Her part in the sacking of Emmerson The Crocodile Mnangagwa as Vice President directly triggered the current turmoil in the land.

His supporters, Team Lacoste, should now be in ascendance. And today we have High Noon: the time by which the President, Robert Mugabe, should resign or face impeachment.

Zimbabwes power-struggle has been stylised, with an element of glitz, and the drama unfolding now certainly contains its share of suspense and surprises. That reached its apogee last night when Robert Mugabe was supposed to make his resignation on State TV, bringing to an end his reign as the longest-serving ruler in Africa.

Except, as we know, he did nothing of the kind. The 93-year-old President stumbled through his words, got his pages mixed up, apologised for repeating himself, agreed reforms were necessary and then vowed to carry on. Surrounded by respectful military commanders, his captors, he declared that he would preside over his partys emergency meeting next month.

That should, in theory, be impossible, as he had earlier been stripped of leadership and replaced by Mnangagwa. But nothing is quite certain in the current state of affairs. There were rumours this morning that Mugabe may resign after all, but rumours are all they are at the moment.

What we do know is that Mugabe, deposed and put under house arrest six days ago, made a presidential address on TV and, two days earlier, attended a university graduation ceremony with ceremonial escort.

 Mugabe fails to resign in state broadcast

There is no sign of Mnangagwa, the new leader of the party and President-in-waiting. He had fled to South Africa saying he feared for his life after being sacked by Mugabe, supposedly at the insistence of Grace. He is now said to be back from exile, but was conspicuous by his absence at what was his anointment in the Zanu-PF meeting.

Meanwhile, the sense of euphoria which saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets on Saturday, chanting, dancing and singing to celebrate their deliverance from 37 years of Mugabe rule, has been replaced by a sense of uncertainty and unease.

Tanks are back at intersections, people are more guarded about talking to outsiders. Jordan Vushe echoed the sense of apprehension among many. He had been driving around with a placard saying Mugabe Just Go on Saturday. He has now taken it out of his car: I am not burning it or anything. I am just being careful and seeing what happens, he said.

Mugabe, according to a number of officials, had agreed to resign after the military had met a number of his conditions, including immunity from prosecution for himself, his wife and their family including her son from a previous marriage. But he apparently backtracked on the agreement to write the resignation speech together with senior officers and, at the end, refused to show them what he had written.

Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Show all 9 1 /9 Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives at student graduation ceremony AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe prepares to speak at a student graduation Ap Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Members of the Presidential Guard EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe arrives at his first public appearance at a graduation ceremony in Harare AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe confers awards for the students with the leading theses AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Robert Mugabe makes his first public appearance EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Soldiers stand guard as President Robert Mugabe attends a university graduation ceremony REUTERS Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe AP

What came out of Mugabes garbled speech last night led to furious reactions. The head of the powerful organisation of war veterans accused the President of being deaf and blind to the wishes of the people. Christopher Mutsvangwa, who had called Saturdays rally, threatened to call out the crowds again to do their business.

He had warned earlier of the risk of violence if there was no resignation. We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people trying to defend him. The choice is really his; he cannot avoid it.

Mutsvangwa was still angry this morning, but now he was talking in terms of court action by his organisation to force out the President. After stressing in the past that foreign states should not intervene, he called on the South African Development Community (SADC) and South African President Jacob Zuma to persuade Mugabe to leave.

Legal action at the High Court will take weeks and impeachment proceedings due to begin in Parliament tomorrow will not be a quick affair, either. The military, still insisting that they had not carried out a coup, are unlikely to remove the President by force.

The SADC and the African Union have strictures against the armed forces removing civilian governments and the high command is wary of doing anything which may provoke intervention. In any event, the army may no longer be totally united: some middle ranking officers are said to be muttering that the chief, General Constantino Chiwenga, had sold out to Mugabe.

So the situation remains fluid. We cannot say that Mugabe is coming back, its not quite The Return of the Living Dead. Both Gucci Grace and The Crocodile remain out of sight, but one feels there will be a few more twists and turns yet in this extraordinary episode of Zimbabwes history.
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In February 2003, Elliott Abrams, a US official convicted of lying to Congress over the Iran-Contra affair but pardoned by President George HW Bush, spoke to the media about the impending invasion of Iraq, ordered by Bushs son.

Abrams claimed in his remarks about humanitarian reconstruction that six priorities had driven the planning. The first is to try to minimise the displacement and the damage to the infrastructure and the disruption of services, he said. And the military campaign planning has had  has been tailored to try to do that, to try to minimise the impact on civilian populations.

It didnt turn out that way. Sixteen years after Bush launched his so-called war on terror, millions of peoples lives have been turned upside down, Isis has been allowed to fester and spread, and Iraq is a nation at risk of fracturing apart. Moreover, an untold number of innocent civilians have been killed  by disease, illness, in gruesome tortures performed by local and foreign insurgents, and by the US and UK-led military campaign that Abrams and others vowed would be surgical.

In recent days, the US has been again forced to address the painful issue of civilian casualties following the publication of a investigation by the New York Times, which found that, contrary to the claims of the Pentagon, as many as one-in-five coalition air strikes on Isis targets in Iraq in 2014, resulted in civilians deaths. That figure was 31 times higher than what the US has acknowledged.

The Pentagon has hit back at the report; it insists it takes great care in preparing for and carrying out military strikes, and investigates all claims of civilian casualties. It says it believes 786 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes since the operations against Isis started in June 2014.

The unfortunate death of civilians is a fact of war that weighs heavy on our hearts, said Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon.

Asked about the total of civilians killed since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Pahon told The Independent he doubted he could provide such a figure. He referred inquiries to the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the name of the operation against Isis. There was no immediate response.

 Former Isis 'sex slave' returns home to northern Iraq take revenge on the group

The truth is that nobody knows how many civilians have been killed in Iraq since George W Bush and Tony Blair launched an invasion that was sold to the world, not as a means to simply topple Saddam Hussein, but to seize the weapons of mass destruction they claimed he had. That is one of its many enduring tragedies.

The militaries of both the US and Britain kept painstaking records of its soldiers killed in both Afghanistan and Iraq  2,280 and 4,491 for the US, and 455 and 179 for Britain. Yet, they have never tried to make an overall tally of Iraqi civilian deaths or those killed in other theatres.

Over the years, there have been various attempts to come up with a figure. One of the first was the Iraq Body Count (IBC), a British project that maintained a tally of casualties based on media reports. Yet as the IBC has admitted, its figures are based on reports in the media, which were themselves limited in scope and detail.

Two reports conducted by the Johns Hopkins Universitys Bloomberg School of Public Health, used extrapolation based on epidemiology, and were published in The Lancet. The first, published in 2004, estimated that at least 100,000 Iraqis had been killed as a result of the war.

The second, published in 2006, suggested the figure had risen to near 650,000. The British and US governments criticised the findings but those involved defended the methodology. In 2015, a report by Physicians for Social Responsibility suggested the total may have passed one million.

The truth of the matter is that nobody knows. The figure could be one million, it could be two million.

And when you add the civilian casualties in Afghanistan and other places where the war on terror has played out  Yemen, Pakistan, Mali, Niger, Somalia and the Philippines  it becomes even more of a guessing game. In many of these places, there are not even the rudimentary efforts, such as that attempted by the IBC.

One thing that is so striking about what was said in 2003 and what is being said now, is the language employed by US officials. Pahon, the Pentagon spokesman, stressed how everything was done to limit harm to non-combatants and civilian infrastructure.

Back in 2003, Abrams had vowed: We hope to discourage population displacement through  partly through an information campaign, and partly by efforts to provide aid rapidly and restore public services rapidly.

War has always been a dirty, dangerous business. People should not pretend otherwise.
SALISBURY  The first class of the new occupational therapy assistant program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is now in session.

The new occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program is the latest program to be launched at Rowan-Cabarrus and members of the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board of Directors, leaders from The Leon Levine Foundation, elected officials and community leaders recently attended a tour of the new programs space.

Occupational therapy assistants help patients of all ages and with all different types of disabilities and challenges to participate in everyday life activities. They are patient, reliable and compassionate individuals, said Amy Mahle, chair of the new OTA program.

The college recognized the need for certified Occupational Therapy Assistants in the region as it explored health occupations and workforce opportunities several years ago. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, occupational therapy assistant positions are projected to increase by 43 percent between 2014-2024. The average annual salary in Rowan and Cabarrus counties is $52,000-$53,800, respectively.

We are pleased to be one of only seven community colleges in North Carolina that offer the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus.

The new program resides in the newly renovated Health and Sciences Building (Building 600) which faces Interstate 85, funded in part by the 2010 Rowan County bond and a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerces Economic Development Administration (EDA).

I hope that youll see how the new facility and equipment lends itself to innovative teaching and learning approaches that will help enhance the overall student experience by supporting student engagement, persistence, and success, said Dr. Wendy Barnhardt, dean of health and education programs. Occupational therapy is a vibrant, growing profession, and students can look forward to dynamic careers working in multiple settings with people of all ages.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant curriculum prepares individuals to work under the supervision of a registered/licensed occupational therapist in screening, assessing, planning and implementing treatment and documenting progress for clients receiving occupational therapy services.

Healthcare in our region will be enhanced as our students train on state-of-the-art equipment, graduate and enter the workforce as Occupational Therapy Assistants, said Dr. Michael Quillen, vice president of academic programs.

Graduates of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term/extended care facilities, sheltered workshops, schools, home health programs, and community programs.

We are so excited that the program began this fall and are excited that they will be working in our community throughout their clinical work and after graduation, said Spalding.

Under the supervision of an occupational therapist, this health care professional focuses on providing treatments that will assist disabled people to function independently in their homes and their communities, and help people regain skills lost due to injury.

We are excited to show you the new space for this program and allow you to see a few examples of how our students are using problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, compassion, a desire to work with patients and teamwork to achieve their goals, said Mahle.

The students will be trained as generalists so that they are qualified to work in any setting after graduation. After completing their coursework, they will sit for a national exam to become board certified and then apply to individual states for licensure.

Earlier this year, the colleges foundation exceeded its first ever multi-million dollar fundraising campaign, raising a total of $8,087,387. Part of the campaigns success included a $300,000 challenge grant from The Leon Levine Foundation for the support of healthcare education.

I cant thank The Leon Levine Foundation enough for their confidence in our ability to meet this challenge and secure the funds we need for healthcare education, said Spalding.

The Leon Levine Foundation offered $300,000 to the colleges foundation for healthcare education if the healthcare education gifts within the Foundations Building a More Prosperous Community major gifts campaign reached $1.2 million for healthcare education by May 31, 2016. The Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation reached its $1.2 million healthcare education goal with the generous support of numerous community members and organizations like Novant Health and the Rowan County Commission, whose recent donations helped the campaign meet the challenge grants goals.

Being able to purchase the latest medical equipment, on which our students are trained, is an important factor in their ability to gain employment and our commitment to deliver a skilled healthcare workforce currently in demand by our local healthcare providers, said Carl M. Short, chair of the Rowan-Cabarrus Board of Trustees.

Additionally, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners generously allocated $65,000 to the college for healthcare lab facilities.

The program, with more than 60 qualified applicants, accepted a class of 20 students. The average age is 31, with a range of students from 19-51 years of age.

Students told us that they chose this program for many reasons  from wanting to be successful and becoming someone who can help others to knowing that they have an end goal as an occupational therapy assistant in only two short years, said Mahle.

Occupational therapy focuses on functioning in the daily occupations of life. Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people of all ages who are recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

We are excited to start this new program and are so pleased that these students are here, ready to make a difference within our institution and within the community, said Short. We cant wait to see them be successful!

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, please visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-RCCC (7222). The college is accepting applications for the spring term with classes beginning January 8, 2018.
CONCORD- U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson stopped by for a visit to R. Brown McAllister STEM Elementary School this week.

Hudson participated in a question and answer session with fourth and fifth grade students. He talked about what he does as a congressman, the branches of government, being on Capitol Hill, his family and visiting the White House.

He visited the school to pick up Thanksgiving cards students made for soldiers.

Before he left, Hudson asked all of the students to get together and take a selfie.
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Israels Ploy Selling a Syrian Nuke Strike



Exclusive: The Iraq WMD fiasco wasnt the only time political pressure twisted U.S. intelligence judgments. In 2007, Israel sold the CIA on a dubious claim about a North Korean nuclear reactor in the Syrian desert, reports Gareth Porter.

By Gareth Porter

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - In September 2007, Israeli warplanes bombed a building in eastern Syria that the Israelis claimed held a covert nuclear reactor that had been built with North Korean assistance. Seven months later, the CIA released an extraordinary 11-minute video and mounted press and Congressional briefings that supported that claim.

But nothing about that alleged reactor in the Syrian desert turns out to be what it appeared at the time. The evidence now available shows that there was no such nuclear reactor, and that the Israelis had misled George W. Bushs administration into believing that it was in order to draw the United States into bombing missile storage sites in Syria. Other evidence now suggests, moreover, that the Syrian government had led the Israelis to believe wrongly that it was a key storage site for Hezbollah missiles and rockets.

The International Atomic Agencys top specialist on North Korean reactors, Egyptian national Yousry Abushady, warned top IAEA officials in 2008 that the published CIA claims about the alleged reactor in the Syrian desert could not possibly have been true. In a series of interviews in Vienna and by phone and e-mail exchanges over several months Abushady detailed the technical evidence that led him to issue that warning and to be even more confident about that judgment later on. And a retired nuclear engineer and research scientist with many years of experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed a crucial element of that technical evidence.

Published revelations by senior Bush administration officials show, moreover, that principal U.S. figures in the story all had their own political motives for supporting the Israeli claim of a Syrian reactor being built with North Korean help.

Vice President Dick Cheney hoped to use the alleged reactor to get President George W. Bush to initiate U.S. airstrikes in Syria in the hope of shaking the Syrian-Iranian alliance. And both Cheney and then CIA Director Michael Hayden also hoped to use the story of a North Korean-built nuclear reactor in Syria to kill a deal that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was negotiating with North Korea on its nuclear weapons program in 2007-08.

Mossad Chiefs Dramatic Evidence

In April 2007 the chief of Israels Mossad foreign intelligence agency, Meir Dagan, presented Cheney, Hayden and National Security Adviser Steven Hadley with evidence of what he said was a nuclear reactor being constructed in eastern Syria with the help of the North Koreans. Dagan showed them nearly a hundred hand-held photographs of the site revealing what he described as the preparation for the installation of a North Korean reactor and claimed that it was only a few months from being operational.

The Israelis made no secret of their desire to have a U.S. airstrike destroy the alleged nuclear facility. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called President Bush immediately after that briefing and said, George, Im asking you to bomb the compound, according to the account in Bushs memoirs.

Cheney, who was known to be a personal friend of Olmert, wanted to go further. At White House meetings in subsequent weeks, Cheney argued forcefully for a U.S. attack not only on the purported reactor building but on Hezbollah weapons storage depots in Syria. Then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who participated in those meetings, recalled in his own memoirs that Cheney, who was also looking for an opportunity to provoke a war with Iran, hoped to rattle Assad sufficiently so as to end his close relationship with Iran and send a powerful warning to the Iranians to abandon their nuclear ambitions.

CIA Director Hayden aligned the agency clearly with Cheney on the issue, not because of Syria or Iran but because of North Korea. In his book, Playing to the Edge, published last year, Hayden recalls that, at a White House meeting to brief President Bush the day after Dagans visit, he whispered in Cheneys ear, You were right, Mr. Vice-President.

Hayden was referring to the fierce political struggle within the Bush administration over North Korea policy that had been underway ever since Condoleezza Rice had become Secretary of State in early 2005. Rice had argued that diplomacy was the only realistic way to get Pyongyang to retreat from its nuclear weapons program. But Cheney and his administration allies John Bolton and Robert Joseph (who succeeded Bolton as the key State Department policymaker on North Korea after Bolton become U.N. Ambassador in 2005) were determined to end the diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.

Cheney was still maneuvering to find a way to prevent the successful completion of the negotiations, and he saw the story of a Syrian nuclear reactor built secretly in the desert with help from the North Koreans as bolstering his case. Cheney reveals in his own memoirs that in January 2008, he sought to sandbag Rices North Korea nuclear deal by getting her to agree that a failure by North Korea to admit theyve proliferating to the Syrians would be a deal killer.

Three months later, the CIA released its unprecedented 11-minute video supporting the entire Israeli case for a North-Korean-style nuclear reactor that was nearly completed. Hayden recalls that his decision to release the video on the alleged Syrian nuclear reactor in April 2008 was to avoid a North Korean nuclear deal being sold to a Congress and a public ignorant of this very pertinent and very recent episode.

The video, complete with computer reconstructions of the building and photographs from the Israelis made a big splash in the news media. But one specialist on nuclear reactors who examined the video closely found abundant reason to conclude that the CIAs case was not based on real evidence.

Technical Evidence against a Reactor

Egyptian national Yousry Abushady was a PhD in nuclear engineering and 23-year veteran of the IAEA who had been promoted to section head for Western Europe in the operations division of agencys Safeguards Department, meaning that he was in charge of all inspections of nuclear facilities in the region. He had been a trusted adviser to Bruno Pellaud, IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards from 1993 to 1999, who told this writer in an interview that he had relied on Abushady frequently.

Abushady recalled in an interview that, after spending many hours reviewing the video released by the CIA in April 2008 frame by frame, he was certain that the CIA case for a nuclear reactor at al-Kibar in the desert in eastern Syria was not plausible for multiple technical reasons. The Israelis and the CIA had claimed the alleged reactor was modeled on the type of reactor the North Koreans had installed at Yongbyon called a gas-cooled graphite-moderated (GCGM) reactor.

But Abushady knew that kind of reactor better than anyone else at the IAEA. He had designed a GCGM reactor for his doctoral student in nuclear engineering, had begun evaluating the Yongbyon reactor in 1993, and from 1999 to 2003 had headed the Safeguards Department unit responsible for North Korea.

Abushady had traveled to North Korea 15 times and conducted extensive technical discussions with the North Korean nuclear engineers who had designed and operated the Yongbyon reactor. And the evidence he saw in the video convinced him that no such reactor could have been under construction at al-Kibar.

On April 26, 2008, Abushady sent a preliminary technical assessment of the video to IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards Olli Heinonen, with a copy to Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. Abushady observed in his memorandum that the person responsible for assembling the CIA video was obviously unfamiliar with either the North Korean reactor or with GCGM reactors in general.

The first thing that struck Abushady about the CIAs claims was that the building was too short to hold a reactor like the one in Yongbyon, North Korea.

It is obvious, he wrote in his technical assessment memo to Heinonen, that the Syrian building with no UG [underground] construction, can not hold a [reactor] similar [to] NK GCR [North Korean gas-cooled reactor].

Abushady estimated the height of the North Korean reactor building in Yongbyon at a 50 meters (165 feet) and estimated that the building at al-Kibar at a little more than a third as tall.

Abushady also found the observable characteristics of the al-Kibar site inconsistent with the most basic technical requirements for a GCGM reactor. He pointed out that the Yongbyon reactor had no less than 20 supporting buildings on the site, whereas the satellite imagery shows that the Syrian site did not have a single significant supporting structure.

The most telling indication of all for Abushady that the building could not have been a GCGM reactor was the absence of a cooling tower to reduce the temperature of the carbon dioxide gas coolant in such a reactor.

How can you work a gas-cooled reactor in a desert without a cooling tower? Abushady asked in an interview.

IAEA Deputy Director Heinonen claimed in an IAEA report that the site had sufficient pumping power to get river water from a pump house on the nearby Euphrates River to the site. But Abushady recalls asking Heinonen, How could this water be transferred for about 1,000 meters and continue to the heat exchangers for cooling with the same power?

Robert Kelley, a former head of the U.S. Department of Energys Remote Sensing Laboratory and former senior IAEA inspector in Iraq, noticed another fundamental problem with Heinonens claim: the site had no facility for treating the river water before it reached the alleged reactor building.

That river water would have been carrying debris and silt into the reactor heat exchangers, Kelley said in an interview, making it highly questionable that a reactor could have operated there.

Yet another critical piece that Abushady found missing from the site was a cooling pond facility for spent fuel. The CIA had theorized that the reactor building itself contained a spent fuel pond, based on nothing more than an ambiguous shape in an aerial photograph of the bombed building.

But the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon and all 28 other GCGM reactors that had been built in the world all have the spent fuel pond in a separate building, Abushady said. The reason, he explained, was that the magnox cladding surrounding the fuel rods would react to any contact with moisture to produce hydrogen that could explode.

But the definitive and irrefutable proof that no GCGM reactor had been present at al-Kibar came from the environmental samples taken by the IAEA at the site in June 2008. Such a reactor would have contained nuclear-grade graphite, Abushady explained, and if the Israelis had actually bombed a GCGM reactor, it would have spread particles of nuclear-grade graphite all over the site.

Behrad Nakhai, a nuclear engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for many years, confirmed Abshuadys observation in an interview. You would have had hundreds of tons of nuclear-grade graphite scattered around the site, he said, and it would have been impossible to clean it up.

IAEA reports remained silent for more than two years about what the samples showed about nuclear-grade graphite, then claimed in a May 2011 report that the graphite particles were too small to permit an analysis of the purity compared to that normally required for use in a reactor. But given the tools available to laboratories, the IAEA claim that they couldnt determine whether the particles were nuclear grade or not doesnt make sense, Nakhai said.

Hayden acknowledged in his 2016 account that key components of a nuclear reactor site for nuclear weapons were still missing. The CIA had tried to find evidence of a reprocessing facility in Syria that could be used to obtain the plutonium for a nuclear bomb but had been unable to find any trace of one.

The CIA also had found no evidence of a fuel fabrication facility, without which a reactor could not have gotten the fuel rods to be reprocessed. Syria could not have gotten them from North Korea, because the fuel fabrication plant at Yongbyon had produced no fuel rods since 1994 and was known to have fallen into serious disrepair after the regime had agreed to scrap its own plutonium reactor program.

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Manipulated and Misleading Photographs

Haydens account shows that he was ready to give the CIAs stamp of approval to the Israeli photographs even before the agencys analysts had even begun analyzing them. He admits that when he met Dagan face-to-face he didnt ask how and when Mossad had obtained the photographs, citing espionage protocol among cooperating intelligence partners. Such a protocol would hardly apply, however, to a government sharing intelligence in order to get the United States to carry out an act of war on its behalf.

The CIA video relied heavily on the photographs that Mossad had given to Bush administration in making its case. Hayden writes that it was pretty convincing stuff, if we could be confident that the pictures hadnt been altered.

But by his own account Hayden knew Mossad had engaged in at least one deception. He writes that when CIA experts reviewed the photographs from Mossad, they found that one of them had been photo-shopped to remove the writing on the side of a truck.

Hayden professes to have had no concern about that photo-shopped picture. But after this writer asked how CIA analysts interpreted Mossads photo shopping of the picture as one of the questions his staff requested in advance of a possible interview with Hayden, he declined the interview.

Abushady points out that the main issues with the photographs the CIA released publicly are whether they were actually taken at the al-Kibar site and whether they were consistent with a GCGM reactor. One of the photographs showed what the CIA video called the steel liner for the reinforced-concrete reactor vessel before it was installed. Abushady noticed immediately, however, that nothing in the picture links the steel liner to the al-Kibar site.

Both the video and CIAs press briefing explained that the network of small pipes on the outside of the structure was for cooling water to protect the concrete against the reactors intense heat and radiation.

But Abushady, who specializes in such technology, pointed out that the structure in the picture bore no resemblance to a Gas-Cooled Reactor vessel. This vessel cannot be for a Gas-Cooled Reactor, Abushady explained, based on its dimensions, it thickness and the pipes shown on the side of the vessel.

The CIA videos explanation that the network of pipes was necessary for cooling water made no sense, Abushady said, because gas-cooled reactors use only carbon dioxide gas  not water  as a coolant. Any contact between water and the Magnox-cladding used in that type of reactor, Abushady explained, could cause an explosion.

A second Mossad photograph showed what the CIA said were the exit points for the reactors control rods and fuel rods. The CIA juxtaposed that photograph with a photograph of the tops of the control rods and fuel rods of the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon and claimed a very close resemblance between the two.

Abushady found major differences between the two pictures, however. The North Korean reactor had a total of 97 ports, but the picture allegedly taken at al-Kibar shows only 52 ports. Abushady was certain that the reactor shown in the photograph could not have been based on the Yongbyon reactor. He also noted that the picture had a pronounced sepia tone, suggesting that it was taken quite a few years earlier.

Abushady warned Heinonen and ElBaradei in his initial assessment that the photo presented as taken from inside the reactor building appeared to an old photo of a small gas-cooled reactor, most likely an early such reactor built in the U.K.

A Double Deception

Many observers have suggested that Syrias failure to protest the strike in the desert loudly suggests that it was indeed a reactor. Information provided by a former Syrian air force major who defected to an anti-Assad military command in Aleppo and by the head of Syrias atomic energy program helps unlock the mystery of what was really in the building at al-Kibar.

The Syrian major, Abu Mohammed, told The Guardian in February 2013 that he was serving in the air defense station at Deir Azzor, the city nearest to al-Kibar, when he got a phone call from a Brigadier General at the Strategic Air Command in Damascus just after midnight on Sept. 6, 2007. Enemy planes were approaching his area, the general said, but you are to do nothing.

The major was confused. He wondered why the Syrian command would want to let Israeli fighter planes approach Deir Azzor unhindered. The only logical reason for such an otherwise inexplicable order would be that, instead of wanting to keep the Israelis away from the building at al-Kibar, the Syrian government actually wanted the Israelis to attack it. In the aftermath of the strike, the Damascus issued only an opaque statement claiming that the Israeli jets had been driven away and remaining silent on the airstrike at al-Kibar.

Abushady told this writer he learned from meetings with Syrian officials during his final year at the IAEA that the Syrian government had indeed originally built the structure at al-Kibar for the storage of missiles as well as for a fixed firing position for them. And he said Ibrahim Othman, the head of Syrias Atomic Energy Commission, had confirmed that point in a private meeting with him in Vienna in September 2015.

Othman also confirmed Abushadys suspicion from viewing satellite photographs that the roof over the central room in the building had been made with two movable light plates that could be opened to allow the firing of a missile. And he told Abushady that he had been correct in believing that what had appeared in a satellite image immediately after the bombing to be two semi-circular shapes was what had remained of the original concrete launching silo for missiles.

In the wake of the Israels 2006 invasion of Southern Lebanon, the Israelis were searching intensively for Hezbollah missiles and rockets that could reach Israel and they believed many of those Hezbollah weapons were being stored in Syria. If they wished to draw the attention of the Israelis away from actual missile storage sites, the Syrians would have had good reason to want to convince the Israelis that this was one of their major storage sites.

Othman told Abushady that the building had been abandoned in 2002, after the construction had been completed. The Israelis had acquired ground-level pictures from 2001-02 showing the construction of outer walls that would hide the central hall of the building. The Israelis and the CIA both insisted in 2007-08 that this new construction indicated that it had to be a reactor building, but it is equally consistent with a building designed to hide missile storage and a missile-firing position.

Although Mossad went to great lengths to convince the Bush administration that the site was a nuclear reactor, what the Israelis really wanted was for the Bush administration to launch U.S. airstrikes against Hezbollah and Syrian missile storage sites. Senior officials of the Bush administration didnt buy the Israeli bid to get the United States do the bombing, but none of them ever raised questions about the Israeli ruse.

So both the Assad regime and the Israeli government appear to have succeeded in carrying out their own parts in a double deception in the Syrian desert.

Part II

How Syrian-Nuke Evidence Was Faked



Exclusive: In joining Israel and the White House selling military intervention in Syria, the CIA and international inspectors hid key evidence that would undermine the case, says Gareth Porter in a second part of a two-part series.



By Gareth Porter



When Yousry Abushady studied the highly unusual May 2008 CIA video on a Syrian nuclear reactor that was allegedly under construction when Israeli jet destroyed it seven months earlier, the senior specialist on North Korean nuclear reactors on the International Atomic Energy Agencys staff knew that something was very wrong.

Abushady quickly determined that the CIA had been seriously misled by Israeli intelligence and immediately informed the two highest officials of the Vienna-based IAEA, Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and Deputy Director for Safeguards, Olli Heinonen, that the CIAs conclusions were not consistent with the most basic technical requirements for such a reactor.

But it did not take long for Abushady to realize that the top IAEA officials were not interested in drawing on his expertise in regard to the alleged Syrian reactor. In fact, the IAEA cited nonexistent evidence linking the site to a Syrian nuclear program while covering up real evidence that would have clearly refuted such a claim, according to Abushady and other former senior IAEA officials.

When Abudhsady met with Heinonen to discuss his analysis of the CIAs case in May 2008, Abushady asked to be included on the team for the anticipated inspection of the al-Kibar site because of his unique knowledge of that type reactor.

But Heinonen refused his request, citing an unwritten IAEA rule that inspectors are not allowed to carry out inspections in their countries of origin. Abushady objected, pointing out that he is Egyptian, not Syrian, to which Heinonen responded, But you are an Arab and a Muslim! according to Abushady. Heinonen declined a request for his comment on Abushadys account of the conversation.

A Curious Inspection

In June 2008, an IAEA team consisting of Heinonen and two other inspectors took environmental samples at the al-Kibar site. In November 2008, the IAEA issued a report saying that laboratory analysis of a number of natural uranium particles collected at the site indicates that the uranium is anthropogenic, meaning that it had been processed by humans.

The implication was clearly that this was a reason to believe that the site had been connected with a nuclear program. But former IAEA officials have raised serious questions about Heinonens handling of the physical evidence gathered from the Syrian site as well as his characterization of the evidence in that and other IAEA reports.

Tariq Rauf who headed the IAEAs Verification and Security Policy Coordination Office until 2011, has pointed out that one of the IAEA protocols applicable to these environmental samples is that the results from all three or four labs to have analyzed the sample must match to give a positive or negative finding on the presence and isotopics or uranium and/or plutonium.

However, in the Syrian case the laboratories to which the samples had been sent had found no evidence of such man-made uranium in the samples they had tested. ElBaradei himself had announced in late September, three months after the samples had originally been taken but weeks before the report was issued, So far, we have found no indication of any nuclear material. So the November 2008 IAEA report claiming a positive finding was not consistent with its protocols.

But the samples had been sent to yet another laboratory, which had come up with a positive test result for a sample, which had then touted as evidence that the site had held a nuclear reactor. That in itself is an indication that a fundamental IAEA protocol had been violated in the handling of the samples from Syria.

One of the inspectors involved in the IAEA inspection at al-Kibar later revealed to a fellow IAEA inspector what actually happened in the sample collection there. Former senior IAEA inspector Robert Kelley recalled in an interview that, after the last results of the samples from the al-Kibar inspection had come back from all the laboratories, the inspector, Mongolian national Orlokh Dorjkhaidav, came to see him because he was troubled by the results and wanted to tell someone he trusted.

Negative Results

Dorjkhaidav told Kelley that all the samples taken from the ground in the vicinity of the bombed building had tested negative for man-made uranium and that the only sample that had tested positive had been taken in the toilet of the support building.

Dorjkhaidav later left the IAEA and returned to Mongolia, where he died in December 2015. A video obituary for Dorjkhaidav confirmed his participation in the inspection in Syria. Kelley revealed the former inspectors account to this writer only after Dorjkhaidavs death.

In an e-mail response to a request for his comment on Kelleys account of the Syrian environmental samples, Heinonen would neither confirm nor deny that the swipe sample described by Dorjkhaidav had been taken inside the support building. But in January 2013, David Albright , Director of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, D.C., who has co-authored several articles with Heinonen, acknowledged in a commentary on his think tanks website that the al-Kibar uranium particles had been found in a changing room in a building associated with the reactor.

Given the dispersal of any nuclear material around the site by the Israeli bombing, if man-made uranium was present at the site, it should not have shown up only inside the support facility but should have been present in the samples taken from the ground outside.

Former IAEA senior inspector Kelley said in an e-mail that a very likely explanation for this anomaly is that it was a case of cross contamination from the inspectors own clothing. Such cross contamination had occurred in IAEA inspections on a number of occasions, according to both Kelley and Rauf.

Kelley, who had been in charge of inspections in Iraq in the early 1990s, recalled that a set of environmental swipes taken from nuclear facilities that the United States had bombed in Iraq had appeared to show that that Iraq had enriched uranium to 90 percent. But it turned out that they had been taken with swipe paper that had been contaminated accidentally by particles from the IAEA laboratory.

But what bothered Abushady the most was that the IAEA report on Syria had remained silent on the crucial fact that none of the sample results had shown any trace of nuclear-grade graphite.

Abushady recalled that when he challenged Heinonen on the absence of any mention of the nuclear graphite issue in the draft report in a Nov. 13, 2008 meeting, Heinonen said the inspectors had found evidence of graphite but added, We havent confirmed that it was nuclear-grade.

Abushady retorted, Do you know what nuclear-grade graphite is? If you found it you would know it immediately.

Heinonen was invited to comment on Abushadys account of that meeting for this article but declined to do so.

After learning that the report scheduled to be released in November would be silent on the absence of nuclear graphite, Abushady sent a letter to ElBaradei asking him not to release the report on Syria as it was currently written. Abushady protested the reports presentation of the environmental sampling results, especially in regard to nuclear-grade graphite.

In my technical view, Abushady wrote, these results are the basis to confirm the contrary, that the site cannot [have been] actually a nuclear reactor.

But the report was published anyway, and a few days later, ElBaradeis Special Assistant Graham Andrew responded to Abushadys message by ordering him to stop sending e-mails on this subject and to respect established lines of responsibility, management and communication.

A Clear Message

The message was clear: the agency was not interested in his information despite the fact that he knew more about the issue than anyone else in the organization.

At a briefing for Member States on the Syria reactor issue on Feb. 26, 2009, the Egyptian representative to the IAEA confronted Heinonen on the absence of nuclear-grade graphite in the environmental samples. This time, Heinonen had a different explanation for the failure to find any such graphite. He responded that it was not known whether the graphite was in the building at the time of the destruction, according to the diplomatic cable reporting on the briefing that was later released by WikiLeaks.

But that response, too, was disingenuous, according to Abushady. Graphite is a structural part of the reactor core in the gas-cooled reactor, he explained. It is not something you add at the end .

The IAEA remained silent on the question of graphite in nine more reports issued over more than two years. When the IAEA finally mentioned the issue for the first time officially in a May 2011 report, it claimed that the graphite particles were too small to permit an analysis of the purity compared to that normally required for use in a reactor.

But American nuclear engineer Behrad Nakhai, who worked at Oak National Laboratories for many years, said an interview that the laboratories definitely have the ability to determine whether the particles were nuclear grade or not, so the claim doesnt make sense.

News outlets have never reported on the IAEAs role in helping to cover up the false CIA claim of a North-Korean-style nuclear reactor in the desert by a misleading portrayal of the physical evidence collected in Syria and suppressing the evidence that would have made that role clear.

Heinonen, who was directly responsible for the IAEAs role in the Syria cover-up, left the IAEA in August 2010 and within a month was given a position at Harvard Universitys Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He has continued to take positions on the Iran nuclear negotiations that were indistinguishable from those of the Netanyahu government. And he is now senior adviser on science and non-proliferation at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a think tank whose positions on the Iran nuclear issues have closely followed those of the Likud governments in Israel.

Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist and historian on U.S. national security policy and the recipient of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism. His most recent book is Manufactured Crisis: the Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare, published in 2014.

Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist and historian on U.S. national security policy and the recipient of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism. His most recent book is Manufactured Crisis: the Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare, published in 2014

This article was originally published by Consortium News -

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Have Israelis Forgotten How To Be Jews?



Israel has never made clear whether its Jewish identity is a matter of national or religious identity. But that will change once we achieve equality



By Gideon Levy

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - What if Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay is right and we really have forgotten how to be Jews? Would that be so terrible? Maybe it would even be better?

Gabbay directed the worst possible accusation against his own political camp: We have forgotten our Jewish identity, which is maybe even worse than forgetting how to be Zionists. Its the end of the world. But you can be a great person and even an outstanding Israeli while forgetting a little Jewish identity.

When no one has any idea what's the significance of being a Jew in the Israel of 2017, just which Jewish values is Gabbay is talking about? (Its doubtful he knows.) Whats so essential to remember and what cant we forget? Such a discussion is meaningless.

If being Jewish means a sense of belonging to a chosen people thats allowed to do anything it wishes, liberals must forget this aspect of their Jewish identities. If being Jewish means keeping religious customs, secular Jews must forget their Jewishness. If being Jewish means being a perpetual victim and thinking your people isnt only historys biggest victim but also the one and only victim, and as a result can do whatever it wants, we must free ourselves from such a Jewish identity.

If being Jewish means thinking that Hebron is yours, that Abraham your patriarch wandered around there in ancient times and bought a cave there, the left wing isnt only entitled but is required to forget about being Jewish. If being Jewish means feeling an automatic affinity to an unenlightened Brooklyn rabbi or a corrupt L.A. millionaire just because theyre Jewish  over a non-Jewish Israeli from Kafr Qasem  a bit of Jewish identity can be ignored. If being Jewish means allowing the offspring of a possibly Jewish grandmother the right to Israeli citizenship but not someone whose family has been in the country for generations, its immoral to cling to such an identity.

When people talk about a Jewish state, its impossible to know what they mean. Is its character determined by a statistical majority in the population registry? A state governed by Jewish religious law? Is it Jewish if theres no public transportation on Shabbat and no grocery stores are open then, and not if theres civil marriage and burial? Is it Jewish if maintenance of the railway system is done on Shabbat by non-Jews, but not if it's done by Jews?

Israel has never made clear whether its Jewish identity is a matter of national or religious identity. If its a religion, what do secular Israelis have to do with it, and if its a nationality, what's Israeli identity?

Secular Israelis can forget a bit about their Jewish identities, particularly if its significance is fuzzy. They can find their values from the storehouse of universal values, just as people in other countries do. And they can find their identities at a clearer address: being Israeli.

Im an Israeli, sometimes proud, sometimes ashamed, but always Israeli. Im a son of Jewish refugees who fled here for their lives, and its reasonable to assume that were it not for the dangers they faced in Europe, they probably would have stayed there and assimilated. Theres no need to sever oneself from ones roots and wipe out the past, but the present and future are a lot more important.

When a society knows so little about its present and even less about its future, divorced from reality and living in dumbfounding denial, studying the past is secondary. Before Israeli students learn about Joshuas conquest of the Land of Israel, they should learn a little more about the Israeli armys conquests. But they and their parents have chosen not to know.

The slogan we are all Jews needs to be updated. There is a Jewish world that is dealing with its own issues, largely divorced from the issues that we in Israel are concerned with. The controversy over egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall interests very few Israelis, as does the issue of conversion. On the other hand, the submarine affair that the police are investigating interests very few Jews abroad.

This gap will only grow. As long as its system of government isnt changed, Israel will remain open to any Jew who wishes to immigrate here. This person will gradually become an Israeli, a process that happens to immigrants in every country. That will be the case until the day when the members of both peoples, Hebrew and Arab, Jewish and Palestinian, live here in equality  when they above all will be Israelis, or whatever their country is called then.

Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist and author. Levy writes opinion pieces and a weekly column for the newspaper Haaretz that often focus on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

This article was originally published by Haaretz -

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U.S. is Disqualifying Itself as a "Peace Broker" in the Region

By Dr. Ashrawi

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - In response to media inquiries concerning the U.S. administrations refusal to extend the waiver of statutory restrictions on the General Delegation of the PLO to the United States in Washington D.C., PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi condemned such a move and said:

Instead of holding Israel liable for its persistent violations of international law and conventions, the U.S. administration and Congress are threatening to punish the Palestinian people because of statements made by President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations and other leaders pertaining to ICC accountability for Israel and for its war crimes in Palestine.

It is ironic that the U.S. is taking steps to punish the victim (the occupied) and not the perpetrator of the crime (the occupier).

Conditioning the renewal of the waiver on the Palestinians sticking to direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel is actually superfluous since negotiations are nonexistent, and the current U.S. administration has yet to present any kind of peace initiative.

After decades of negotiations, contacts and cooperation, it is unfathomable why American relations with the PLO have not been legally normalized and why the PLO, which is the highest political body in Palestine representing all Palestinians, continues to be subject to that statute, hence to blackmail and coercion.

The Palestinian leadership has been negotiating with Israel for decades and has consistently abided by international law and signed agreements while Israel persisted in violating them without accountability or constraints.

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Yet, it is the PLO that continues to be placed on probation and unfairly judged while Israel is given preferential treatment and license to act with full impunity.

If President Donald Trump decides not to renew the waiver after ninety days, the U.S. will embolden Israel even further and provide it with greater cover for its lack of compliance and unilateral actions.

Such a measure will also disqualify the U.S. from taking any part in peacemaking and undermine its standing in the region and beyond.

If it wants to be evenhanded and play any constructive role, the U.S. government should first break its deafening silence on the illegal settlements and maintain longstanding American policy on the two-state solution and the 1967 boundaries.

Recognition of Palestine would go a long way towards proving that the U.S. holds all people equal before the law.

This article was originally published by Palestine News Network -

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Strategy to suffocate Gaza strip revealed in Israeli govt docs from Six Day War

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Dissent Under Attack By Government & Corporations



By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - It is often hard to tell how close popular movements are to success or whether they are even a threat to the status quo power structure. Despite vigorous protests, it is common to worry whether or not movements are having an impact. One tell-tale sign is when government and big business interests take action to stop or silence a movement.

These days, there is a lot of push back against resistance movements in the United States. While it may be riskier for us when they fight back, it is a positive sign and means that the movement needs to escalate, build power and increase its pressure.

One absurd example of suppression came from Los Angeles where police are enforcing an ordinance that makes it a crime to speak longer than your allotted time when testifying before the city council. When someone goes 20 seconds more than the time they are allowed, police arrest the citizen.

Escalating Punishment for Protesters

This week, the trial of nearly 200 people arrested at the inauguration of Donald Trump began . Each person going to trial is facing 60 years in prison. Their collective sentence, if convicted, would total 12,000 years.

Those going to trial were kettled by police during the J20 protest. The US Attorney for Washington, DC (since DC is not a state, it does not have a district attorney, but is prosecuted by the federal government) is prosecuting everyone, even if they were a legal observer, medic or reporter, in a collective punishment conspiracy.

A registered nurse, who came from Pittsburg to use her medical skills to support people, now finds herself facing 60 years in prison for being part of an alleged riot conspiracy. Press freedom groups have called on the prosecutor to drop charges against journalists.

The police response against the J20 black bloc protests was extreme violence. The DC police deployed weapons on 191 occassions during the Trump inauguration, including 74 sting-ball grenades (explosive rubber-ball style grenades), firing six 40 mm Stinger rubber bullets, five foam batons, and one 40 mm Exact impact round and spraying large amounts of pepper spray. Even after protesters were captured in a kettling operation, body cam footage showed the police continued to fire tear gas at them.

A video obtained by Democracy in Crisis shows officers tossing grenades into the crowd. Some of the more than 70 grenades thrown hit people. Those arrested also described sexual assault by police.

The ACLU and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund have filed civil suits against the DC police. The DC City Council hired the Police Foundation, a group of police criticized as having a bias in favor of police , and even they found that the DC police may have violated their own rules. The Police Foundation has been criticized for its reports on police violence and abuse in Ferguson, MO and Charlotte, NC.

We urge readers to support the #J20 Resistance by donating to their legal fund .

In another example, Standing Rock Sioux tribal member Chase Iron Eyes is being prosecuted in South Dakota for his role in the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He is being charged with starting a riot. Iron Eyes is lead counsel at the Lakota Peoples Law Project ( you can donate to their defense of #NoDAPL resisters at the Lakota Peoples Law Project website .) He and others charged in the protests plan to use a necessity defense because of the imminent threat to their only source of water and the ways the pipeline and actions of the Trump administration undermine the law. It was necessary for them to protest because there was no alternative.

It is not only criminal prosecution that protesters face, the #NoDAPL protest is also facing a civil case alleging racketeering and filed by the law firm founded by Marc Kasowitz, Donald Trumps personal attorney. Energy Transfer Partners hired a security firm that also gathered information for a massive conspiracy lawsuit that was filed later against environmental groups. The suit alleges that defendants like Greenpeace and others objective was not to protect the environment or Native Americans but to produce as sensational and public a dispute as possible, and to use that publicity and emotion to drive fundraising.

The DC #J20 protest and #NoDAPL prosecutions are two egregious examples of many. As protests increase and impact business interests and government policies, the people in power will use whatever tools they can to try and stop the resistance movement. This should not stop activists, but it is something to consider when developing protest tactics so that we are positioned to defend ourselves while still protesting effectively.

Attacks on the Media and Internet

Critical to the success of movement actions is drawing public attention to them. A goal of popular movements is to grow by attracting more people to the movement, and especially to divide power holders (e.g. political parties, elected officials, business people, the media) and bring them to support the movement. A key ingredient to accomplish these goals is the public knowing about the protest, which requires media attention.

The corporate mass media has always been a problem for movements seeking transformational change. At times, movements have been able to break through corporate media blockades and get their message out, but this is becoming increasingly difficult as mass media is further concentrated and controlled by government and big business. The Internet has been the great equalizer allowing people to create their own media through video, websites, and live stream and share them through social media. Now, that is under attack.

The founder of the Internet, Tim Berners-Lees vision for an open platform [ is one] that allows anyone to share information, access opportunities and collaborate across geographical boundaries. Today he sees the Internet going into some nasty storms, including the erosion of Net Neutrality, which will allow Internet providers to be gatekeepers and determine where people can go, what they can see and how quickly they can see it. He also notes the use of algorithms to control what people can find in web searches and he worries about click-bait advertising pushing fake news, which is sometimes done by artificial intelligence.

Berners-Lee writes that  Net neutrality , which some have described as the first amendment of the internet, is being threatened by Verizon employee Ajit Pai who President Trump nominated to be FCC chairman. Pai just announced the FCC plans to vote on December 14 to remove Net Neutrality rules that were won in 2015.

Join our Protect The Internet campaign and take action at this critical time. Sign up here if you can come to DC to protest the vote.

Berners-Lee believes the internet should remain a permissionless space for creativity, innovation and free expression. ISPs should not be able to pick winners and losers or throttle services that they oppose or who do not pay enough money, rather they should be treated like public utilities that provide equal service to everyone.

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In addition to mass media being more concentrated, Russiagate is being used as an excuse to weaken alternative media, like Russia Today (RT), the US-based Russian network. Chris Hedges describes RT being required to register as a foreign agent as a horrendous blow to press freedom. Hedges puts it into the context of the clamp down on dissent, writing it is driven by RT Americas decision to provide a platform to critics of American capitalism and imperialism, critics who lambast a system of government that can no longer be called democratic. And it is accompanied by the installation of algorithms by Google, Facebook and Twitter that divert readers away from left-wing, progressive and anti-war websites . . .

Congress is playing its role in heightening fear in order to quiet criticism of the government on social media. At a recent hearing, Clint Watts, a retired Army officer who purports to be an expert on Russiagate , testified that there needs to be a government-imposed censorship of the media. He demanded that government news inquisitors drive dissident media off the internet. No elected official responded negatively to his call for censorship.

In fact, Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate used hearings focused on social media outlets to call for censorship. They used extreme language to describe social media with Senator Feinstein calling it cyber warfare. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, after describing Russian influence in the media, went on to say its not just foreign accusing Facebook and Twitter algorithms as having the consequence of widening divisions among our society.

Google testified that they fact check labels to spot fake news testifying, at Google search, we have updated our quality guidelines and evaluations to help surface more authoritative content from the web. He was describing the new Google search algorithms that result in sites like ours being undermined by suppressing our articles when people search terms.

The fake news meme is being used to curtail foreign media, independent media and social media even though we know that the most common source of false news comes from the corporate mass media. They put foward the news from the perspective of the government and big corporations to support the concentration of wealth and militarism, among other issues. Part of our job as activists is to point out their lies and falsehoods. Responding to the attack on RT, peace activist and former Green Party vice presidential candidate Ajamu Baraka wrote that CNN, the New York Times and Washington Post should be required to register as agents of capitalism.

Responsibility of the Movement

These attacks on dissent in court and in the media are reasons for the movement to escalate. The popular movement is having an impact and both government and businesses are noticing it. While they continue their policies of concentration of wealth, as well as environmental destruction and war, they know people are organizing, responding and resisting. The conflict must continue to be heightened and we must stand clearly for equal justice under the law, freedom of speech for all, and continue to urge economic, racial and environmental justice as well as peace.

Now that we know that government and business are concerned about movement actions, we must expect infiltration where they try to build legal cases against movements. Infiltration has been a common tool used against movements . When we plan our actions, we must expect criminal or civil prosecution and use tactics that protect us while still allowing the movement to proceed with aggressive, strategic and sustained actions.

When fellow activists are under attack, the movement must come to their aide, which is why we provided links to support #J20 and #NoDAPL protesters facing prosecution. Everyone in the movement should know that they will not be alone when the power holders go after them.

And, with the attacks on the media, it becomes an important political act to re-post an article from Popular Resistance and other sites. It becomes a political act to tweet or forward social media posts. Our job has always been to spread the word and actions of the movement, now that becomes even more important.

Let these attacks by government and big business become reasons to grow and unify the movement. There are people in the government, including in law enforcement, as well as people who work for corporate interests, including corporate media, who will recognize these actions as going too far and defect. We must pull these people into the movement, urge them to join us and to use their position as an insider to expose what is occurring.

Every attack on the popular movement is more reason for us to join together, grow and mobilize. Every attack must be turned into an opportunity for us to build the strength of people power. We do not know how close we are to victory, but there is no question if we use political judo to turn their abuse of power against them, the movement will be stronger.

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers co-direct Popular Resistance . This article first appeared as the weekly newsletter of the organization.

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Is a Military Coup Against Trump in the Cards? By Finian Cunningham November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - In an extraordinary US Senate hearing this week, lawmakers and military officials rounded on President Trump as being a danger to world peace due to his Commander-in-Chief powers for launching nuclear weapons. The highlight came when the hearing was told military officers have the constitutional right to disobey the president. This was, in effect, an open call to mutiny against the presidents authority. The Senate hearing surely counts as an outstanding moment in a year of topsy-turvy politics since Donald Trump was elected 45th President of the United States on November 8 last year. Yet that moment of potential sedition seemed to pass off as a rather humdrum event. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its hearings Tuesday on the legalities surrounding the presumed executive power of the president to launch nuclear missiles. It was the first time in over 40 years since such a debate was convened on Capitol Hill, not since 1976 when Richard Nixon was about to be ousted. That reference alone speaks volumes as to what lies at stake for Trump.

Time magazine ran the headline : Should President Trump Have the Sole Power to Launch Nuclear Missiles?

Senator Chris Murphy (D) set the tone and purpose of the hearing by saying: We are concerned the President of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, and has a decision-making process that is so quixotic that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with US security interests.

Hinting at the severe constitutional implication, Murphy added: So lets just recognize the exceptional nature of this moment, of this discussion were having today.

Its hard to imagine a more demeaning way to refer to the head of state. Basically, Trump is being painted as a nutcase with his finger on a button for Armageddon. How is the president supposed to retain authority after that?

These broadsides against Trump have been rammed by political opponents, pro-Democrat media and the US intelligence community for the past year and more. Recall when Democrat rival Hillary Clinton berated Trump during a televised debate as a security danger because of his volatile temperament and would-be access to the nuclear codes.

Even members of Trumps own Republican Party have cast him as a threat to national security. Last month, Republican Senator Bob Corker blasted his fiery rhetoric toward North Korea as putting the US on a path to World War Three.

Capping his first year in office, Trump returned last week from a 12-day Asian tour claiming it a major success in terms of promoting American business interests. But former intelligence chiefs soon rained on Trumps parade by calling him a national security threat in high-profile media interviews . Former CIA boss John Brennan, and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were referring to Trumps conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the APEC summit in Vietnam. Both former spooks, who presumably still retain close contacts within the security-military establishment, denounced Trump for accepting Putins assurances that Russia did not interfere in the US elections. Trump, they said, was being played by Putin and was thereby endangering the security of the US.

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These comments were echoed again this week by Brian Hook, a senior State Department official, who told a conference in Washington that Russia is a clear and present threat to the West. As Radio Free Europe reported : Hooks tough line on Moscow appears to be in contrast to stated attempts by the administration of President Donald Trump to improve relations with Russia as a means to solve global crises.

Again, it is hard to imagine how more derogatory the slurs against a sitting president could be expressed. The tenuous Russia-Gate accusations of collusion between Trump and Russia purportedly to get him elected have marked him down as a Kremlin stooge. On top of that, Trump is allegedly a national security threat; and now this week, a crazy buffoon who must be wrestled from the nuclear button.

One US military official giving evidence to the Senate hearings questioning Trumps authority described him as having God-like power to end the world.

Bruce Blair, formerly a nuclear launch commander, said in a later media interview: The power to destroy human civilization is unilaterally wielded by one man, who happens to be a career con artist and reality TV star known for his impulsive petulance, short temper and even shorter attention span.

Perhaps the most significant comment came from General Robert Kehler, who commanded US Strategic Command overseeing the nations nuclear arsenal between 2011-2013. He told the Senate committee: If there is an illegal order presented to the military, the military is obligated to refuse to follow it.

Kehler said this obligation to refuse orders applies to all presidents. However, in the context of the unique and relentless media attacks on Trump over the past year, the call for disobedience takes a special significance. It is an open challenge to Trumps ultimate authority.

Lets be clear. Trumps personality and behavior are suspect. He is impetuous and reckless in his rhetoric. His threats to unleash fire and fury like the world has never seen on North Korea are deeply disturbing. So too was his bragging at the UN General Assembly in September of totally destroying the Asian nation due to its nuclear weapons program. Trumps cheap Twitter shots at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as Little Rocket Man, and more recently as short and fat, are gratuitously provocative and have escalated fears that a nuclear war could break out.

Nevertheless, there seems to be an ulterior agenda of opportunism going on among the American political class which has never accepted Trumps election as valid.

Portraying Trump as a Russian stooge, a traitor and a national security danger are all par for the course in the ongoing campaign to take him down and to overturn last years election result.

But heres the intriguing thing. The Senators this week in their hearings on Trumps nuclear powers did not contemplate amending legislation to curb those powers. Senator Bob Corker told reporters: I dont see it happening.

Brian McKeon, who served as acting undersecretary for policy at the Defense Department during the Obama administration, said : If we were to change the decision-making process because of a distrust of this president, that would be an unfortunate decision for the next president.

So, there you have it. US lawmakers and military officials seem to have no problem with the fact that a president could launch pre-emptive nuclear strikes against some perceived enemy state. If they did object, then they would be pushing through legislation to widen authority and consultation to restrict the use of nuclear weapons.

The real issue here should be about how any American president has been given the authority to launch a nuclear war, not just Trump.

What Trumps opponents within the political and military-security establishment are really aiming at is to find some pretext for undermining his office, and ultimately to challenge his presidential authority on the grounds that he is unfit.

The public call this week for the US military to disobey Trumps orders is a shot across his bow that a coup is not unthinkable.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

This article was originally published by RT -

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Chomsky: Trump is a Distraction, Used by the Deep State to Systematically Destroy America

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Western Elites Find New China Threat Theory

By Jiang Feng

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The world has been keeping an eye on China for the past 40 years, with adulation and anxiety. Last month, Western mainstream media outlets including the US' TIME, France's Le Monde and Germany's Der Spiegel chose Chinese characters or pinyin for their cover headlines, showing the world that "China won;" China, a rising power; and "China: The Awakening Giant."



Der Spiegel used "xing lai" (wake up in English) as its cover headline to echo its article "The Awakening Giant." On the one hand, it declared that China had become an awakening giant and US President Donald Trump's visit to the country this month was a "kowtow" to China, or even a farewell tour to hand over the leadership of the world.



On the other hand, Der Spiegel urged the West to wake up as soon as possible and unitedly respond to a rising China. Unlike in the past, the German magazine admitted that China had made noticeable achievements on many fronts. However, these achievements were interpreted as threats of value and system to the West, another version of the "China threat" theory.



When the Western media used the "China threat" theory in its propaganda, they thought China would not rise so quickly. But now, they see an increasingly powerful China that has crossed the threshold of a superpower and is outpacing the West on many fronts including politics, economy, technology and culture. Der Spiegel displays a mind-set that believes China and the West will always confront each other.



Some Western elites shuttle between the "China collapse" theory and the "China threat" theory to choose a perspective to observe China's development, leading to creative titles and themes: as for the economy, Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, posed a question in 1995 - "Who Will Feed China?", claiming growing Chinese demand will "place new strains on world food supply already stretched to the limit." The reality is that China not only fed its huge population, but also fed the world with over 30 percent contribution to current global economic growth.

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As for the system, there were once arguments on who will rescue China that has an "unsustainable economy." Moreover, it was said that only by following the Western political system can China actually become a developed country. But it turned out that hardly any country which undertook reforms urged by Western elites could develop well. Instead, such countries suffered setbacks or even came to the brink of collapse. Even the West has realized that its system is not only unable to save China but is itself under scrutiny.



The West is reluctant to see an increasingly confident China unwaveringly pursue its own path. As a result, the voice of "who will fight against China" is getting increasingly louder among the Western media. All hopes are placed on the US and its president.



However, Trump, with his "America First" thinking, seems to have no interest in the ideological preferences of Western elites. Hence, angry Western elites portrayed Trump as a president "kowtowing" to woo China.



In order to bring Trump back to the fight against China, they portrayed China's development and mightiness as a threat to the West, naturally to the US, attributing new meanings and intentions to the upgraded the "China threat" theory.



It's normal for the West to misunderstand China as they have different values. The Western elites berating China may need to seek wisdom from their predecessors.



If history has it right, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte once predicted China's rise and warned British envoys not to conquer the country but seek mutual benefit. Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt also warned that the West did not have the right to accuse China of going its own way. Instead, it should show respect for this ancient civilization and its modern reforms and development, and never mistake China.



The error in judging China puts the West in an ideological trap. Instead of drawing wisdom from its reform and development program, the Western elite have a confrontational mind-set and try to hinder China's development. It may be a temporary setback for China's development, but cannot affect the general direction of the development.



The new version of the "China threat" theory is meant to stir up trouble, especially to provoke China and the US to go on a confrontational course. If the conspiracy succeeds, the world will be immersed in chaos. China doesn't need to care about the new threat theory or collapse theory. Development is of overriding importance.



The author is a scholar with Shanghai International Studies University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

This article was originally published by Global Times -

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Fake News Is Only The Beginning

By SUE WILSON

The FCC is about to let monopolies decide what local news you see

November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - What would happen if the politician you love to hate were indicted, but your local news didnt report it? No newspaper stories, no TV news, no radio news on the hour, nothing.

Couldnt happen? Think again.

The Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission will vote Nov. 16 to allow just one corporation to own the local newspaper plus nearly every commercial TV station in your town. Nifty way to reduce down to just one newsroom then dictate whatever information that corporation does  and does not  want you to know in this democracy.

Its exactly whats happened with radio. Back in the day when lots of companies owned 40 radio stations, the broadcast industry made big promises that local information would be much more diverse if they could simply own many more stations. The 1996 Telecommunications Act resulted in a handful of corporations owning thousands of stations  and force feeding conservative programming down our countrys throats ever since, no debate, no opposing opinions allowed.

The Media Action Center showed during the Scott Walker recall in Wisconsin that conservative radio giants there gave millions of dollars in free airtime to the GOP candidate  while refusing to allow a single Democrat on the air at all. GOP operatives there still gloat about radio winning elections for them. After 21 years of this kind of divisive public policy, 60 million people listen to conservative radio, about the same number that voted for Donald Trump.

Now the FCC is quietly trying to do the same thing to our local TV stations. In 2003, when they just tried to allow TV stations to own newspapers, 3 million people rose up and said No! Now they want to allow the newspapers plus all the TV stations in one town to have the same owner, and theyre not even asking for public comment.

Meanwhile, FCC Commissioners are in a PR frenzy to have us believe TV is dying. Chair Ajit V. Pai tweeted Among Americans aged 18-29, online streaming is primary means of watching TV.

Commissioner Michael ORielly, citing Pew Research, writes: By 2016, only 46 percent of respondents viewed broadcast TV as a source of news and 38 percent got news yesterday from an online source, then talks about people getting news from Google and Facebook.

But what matters is not whether we stream on a device or watch on a big screen. What matters is the integrity and diversity of our information.

Google and Facebook dont produce news or hire reporters to ferret out whats going on at City Hall or the state Capitol or White House. Thats the terrain of newspapers and TV broadcasters.

Independent online news organizations are growing, but their influence is negligible: According to August 2017 Pew studies, about 52 million people watch local TV news, compared to about 23 million who access digitally produced news, but those 23 million people may visit the online news sites just once a month  for an average of just 2.4 minutes. The FCCs argument doesnt hold up.

So why does the broadcast industry want the FCC to consolidate to such an alarming degree? Its not money. Fortune Magazine cites record industry profits, with BIA/Kelsey reporting that local television station revenue reached $28.4 billion in 2016. Theyre rolling in the dough, so why the sudden push to change things?

We know why. We know why Sinclair Broadcasting, renowned for its alt-right editorializing over our public airwaves, wants to reach 72 percent of U.S. homes with its propaganda. We know this

White Houses agenda. We know what happens when we allow just a few companies to control everything we read, see and hear. We know. Media reform group Free Press President Craig Aaron says if the FCC doesnt abandon this plan, theyll find themselves back in court for failing to study the issue, take public input, and address the fact that so few stations are owned by women and people of color. Weve won this fight before, and we can prevail again. They won this fight before because 3 million Americans stood up for free speech. Stand up. You can email the FCC, call your representatives in Congress and support Free Press legal case. Find links at www.MediaActionCenter.net . This is a watershed moment. Ten years from now, people could look at their local news reporting and wonder how it ever went so wrong. Youve heard of fake news? You aint seen nothing yet. Sue Wilson is the Emmy-winning director of the documentary Broadcast Blues, editor of suewilsonreports.com and founder of the Media Action Center.

2017 The Sacramento Bee -

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Hariri Does Paris

By Pepe Escobar



November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Its not that Saad Hariri was itching for a shopping spree at Avenue Montaigne.



French MSM is spicing up the steak tartare to oblivion trying to spin a foreign policy victory. Nonsense.



The true story starts in Abu Dhabi when Sun King Macron was having dinner with all-powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) during the inauguration of the Louvre in the Sands (doesnt it sound like a casino?)



What happened is that MBZ grabbed his mobile and secured a meeting between Macron and MBS for the day after. Easy; after all MBZ is MBSs mentor  and de facto chief strategist.



Macrons people had been trying FOR WEEKS to get a meeting with MBS. Zayed did it with one single phone call.



Afterwards, MBS threw a breadcrumb to the begging Macron; OK, you can meet Hariri and even take him away. But under certain conditions; French Minister Le Drian had to publicly scold Iran  which he did; and on top of it Le Drian cancelled his trip to Tehran next week to prepare the terrain for Macrons own visit.



Talk about French power.



Additionally, Hariri WAS indeed kidnapped and under house arrest in Riyadh  as many of us reported.



He even begged for asylum in Amman, Jordan. Denied  because the Jordanians are essentially Saudi vassals.

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The New York Times BURIED the info at the end of this piece :

Mr. Hariri reached out to Jordan with a request to go to Amman as a safe haven, a Western official said. The request was denied, the official said, because the Saudis had pressured Jordan not to accept him. A spokeswoman at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington denied that such a request had been made.



Who the hell wants exile in the land of King Playstation? Hariri at least is drinking good Margaux.



And the MBS Lebanon power play is an absolute, resounding fiasco.

Pepe Escobar is an independent geopolitical analyst. https://www.facebook.com/pepe.escobar.77377?

Saad Hariri and his family meet France's Macron at Elysee

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Home Israel, Saudi Arabia Setting Preconditions for War with Hezbollah The Saker November 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - SouthFront has just released a very interesting video analysis warning about the possibility of a war involving Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and, possibility, Syria, Iran, and Israel. That, of course, also means that Russia and the US would be involved. First, please see the video here: https://southfront.org/israel-saudi-arabia-setting-preconditions-for-war-with-hezbollah/ What I propose to do is go over the implications of such a scenario. The context: a total AngloZionist failure on all fronts To understand the context for these developments we first need to quickly summarize what has taken place in Syria and the rest of the Middle-East in the past few years. The initial AngloZionist plan was to overthrow Assad and replace him with the Takfiri crazies (Daesh, al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, ISIS  call them whatever you want). Doing this would achieve the following goals: Bring down a strong secular Arab state along with its political structure, armed forces and security services. Create total chaos and horror in Syria justifying the creation of a security zone by Israel not only in the Golan, but further north. Trigger a civil war in Lebanon by unleashing the Takfiri crazies against Hezbollah. Let the Takfiris and Hezbollah bleed each other to death, then create a security zone, but this time in Lebanon. Prevent the creation of a Shia axis Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon. Breakup Syria along ethnic and religious lines. Create a Kurdistan which could then be used against Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Make it possible for Israel to become the uncontested power broker in the Middle-East and forces the KSA, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and all others to have to go to Israel for any gas or oil pipeline project. Gradually isolate, threaten, subvert and eventually attack Iran with a wide regional coalition of forces. Eliminate all center of Shia power in the Middle-East. That was an ambitious plan, but the Israelis felt pretty confident that their US vassal-state would provide the resources needed to achieve it. And now this entire plan has collapsed due to the very high effectiveness of an informal but yet formidable alliance between Russia, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. To say that the Israelis are seething with rage and in a state of total panic would be an understatement. You think I am exaggerating? Then look at it from the Israeli point of view: The Syrian state has survived and its armed and security forces are now far more capable than they were before the war started (remember how they *almost* lost the war initially? The Syrians had to bounce back, learn some very hard lessons, but by all reports they have made tremendous improvements and while at a critical moment Iran and Hezbollah were literally plugging holes in the Syrian frontlines and extinguishing fires on local flashpoints, now the Syrians are doing a very good job of liberating large chunks of their country, including every single city in Syria). Not only is Syria stronger, but the Iranians and Hezbollah are all over the country now which is driving the Israelis into a state of panic and rage. Lebanon is rock solid, even the latest Saudi attempt to kidnap Hariri is backfiring. Syria will remain unitary and Kurdistan is not happening. Millions of displaced refugees are returning home. Israel and the US look like total idiots and, even worse, as losers with no credibility left. This is all a disaster for the AngloZionists who now are falling back to their typical attitude when met with resistance: if we cant control it, then lets destroy it. The plan: force the US to attack Iran The following is only my speculation and nothing more. I have no way of knowing what the Axis of Kindness (US-Israel-KSA) has come up with, but I feel that I can take an educated guess. For one thing, this is nothing new. The Saudis and the other Gulf states have in the past made noises about intervening in Syria and we know that the Saudis have intervened in Bahrain and Yemen. As for the Israelis, their record of (completely illegal) military interventions is so long that we can safely assume that the Israelis will be involved in *any* ugly or evil plan to lay the region to waste. The main problem for the Saudis and the Israelis is that they have bad armies. Expensive ones  yes. High-tech ones  yes. But their problem is that their only true area of expertise is massacring defenseless civilians, that they are real experts at. But in terms of real warfare, especially against truly formidable adversaries like the Iranians or Hezbollah, the ZioWahabis (what a combo!) dont stand a chance and they know it (even if they never admit it). Imagine how frustrating that must be: you basically control the US which you have turned into a vassal-state, you spent billions and billions of dollars in equipping and training your bloated armed forces, but at the end of the day the Shias are just laughing in your face. And, for some reason you cannot fathom, every time you try to teach them a lesson, it is you who has to crawl back home in total shame to lick our wounds and try to hush up the magnitude of your defeat. That hurts, badly. So a plan to make the Shias pay for it had to be concocted. Here is what I think it will be. First, the goal will not be to defeat Hezbollah or Iran anywhere. For all their racist rhetoric and hubris, the Israelis know that neither they nor, even less so, the Saudis have what it would take to seriously threaten Iran, or even Hezbollah. But their plan is, I think, much cruder: to trigger a serious conflict and then force the US to intervene. I have written many articles explaining that the US military does not have the means to win a war against Iran. And that might be the problem here: the US commanders know full well that and they are therefore doing whatever it takes to tell the Neocons cant do, so sorry! (that is the only reason why a US attack on Iran has not happened yet). From an Israeli point of view, this is totally unacceptable and the solution is simple: simple force the US into a war they really dont want. After all, who cares how many US goyim will die? As for the Iranians, the goal of a Israeli-triggered US attack on Iran would not be to defeat Iran, but only to hurt it, very very badly. That is the real goal. As far as the Israelis are concerned, not only dont they give a damn about how many non-Jews will die ( Judaic ethics teach that all non-Jews are most likely deserving to die anyway) as long as their Master Race benefits from it. Simply put: to them we are only tools, tools capable of thought, but tools nonetheless. That is also how Neocons view us, of course. In fact, I can just about imagine the glee of the Israelis seeing that the Shia and Sunni Muslims are killing each other. Throwing in a few Christians only makes it even better. So its all simple: have the Saudis attack Lebanon and/or Iran, observe how they lose, then switch on the propaganda machine at full power and explain to the average TV-watching goy that Iran is a threat to the region and the aggressor here, that the Saudis are only defending themselves from Iranian aggression. And if that is not enough, they scream oy gevalt! in the US Congress and have the prostitutes on the Hill explain to the American people that the US must lead the Free World to defend the only democracy in the Middle-East against Iranian aggression and that the US have a responsibility to prevent the Iranians of seizing the Saudi oil fields etc. etc. etc. Never Miss Another Story Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Its a win-win situation for the Israelis as long as there are not caught red-handed manipulating it all. But we can count on our beloved Ziomedia to make sure that no such anti-Semitic accusations are ever made, even if Israeli fingerprints are all over the place. Moon of Alabama has just posted an interesting article entitled  Revealed  Saudis Plan To Give Up Palestine  For War On Iran  which seems plausible to me and which further corroborates my thesis that the goal is to get the US to attack Iran. Of course, the very notion that the Saudis could give up Palestine implies two outright outlandish notions: first, that the KSA has not already sold out the Palestinians many times over and, second, that the Saudis could somehow deliver Palestine to the Zionist Entity. Still, I recommend the reading of this article which contains a lot of very interesting revelations about the true nature and intentions of the Saudis regime. As for the Israelis, they are offering to share intelligence (read: targeting data) with the Saudis . How touching it is to see these two medieval, backward and generally evil regimes are so willing to work together. At least they are both now showing their true, ugly, faces! The counter-plan The Iranians really have no good options here. The least bad option is to do what Putin is doing in the Donbass: remain externally passive at the risk of having the not too gifted accuse you of caving in. Regardless, if your enemys plan is not to win, but to lose, then refusing to engage him makes perfectly good sense, at least on the strategic level and temporarily. I am not suggesting that the Iranians not fight back on a tactical level. Even the Russian Task Force in Syria has official orders to defend itself if attacked. I am talking at a strategic level. Basically, tempting as it might be, the Iranians have to refrain from striking back at Saudi Arabia or itself. Ditto for Israel. In a paradoxical way, Iran cannot do what Hezbollah did in 2006 and the reason for that is very simple: by the time the first Hezbollah missiles began raining down on Israel the Israelis had already reached their highest level of escalation (their usual vicious campaign to make civilians pay). But in the case of Iran, the AngloZionist Empire could step up the level of violence way beyond what the Israelis and the Saudis could ever do by themselves. The combined power of Israel and the Saudis is dwarfed by the kind of firepower the US (CENTCOM+NATO) could unleash against Iran and it is therefore crucial that the Iranians not give the US Americans any pretext to officially join the attack. Instead of destroying the regime in Riyadh the Iranians should let, or even help, the regime in Riyadh destroy itself. I think that the Saudis have even less staying power than the US or the Israelis, so there is no need to force a rapid outcome of any war between Iran and the KSA. Needless to say, if the AngloZionist Empire joins in and unleashes its full military might against Iran, something which I consider a very real possibility, then all bets are off and Iran should, and will, retaliate with a full set of symmetrical and asymmetrical responses, including strikes against Israel and the Saudis, and even strikes against CENTCOM bases in the entire region. However, such a situation would have catastrophic consequences for Iran and should therefore be avoided if at all possible. At the end of the day the best hope the world has is that a US American patriot will see through this rather obvious plot to wag the dog and tell the ZioWahabis not on my watch like Admiral Fallon did in 2007 (will that honorable man ever get the historical recognition he deserves, say a Nobel Peace Prize? Possibly never in this world, but in the judgment of God he shall be called a son of God (Matt 5:9)). By themselves the Israelis and the Saudi are just a gang of medieval thugs which even Hezbollah can terrify and force to run. Their only real power is the power they have in Congress and the US Ziomedia: the power of corruption, the ability to lie, deceive and betray. I know for a fact that there are many US officers on all levels in the US armed forces which see straight through these Zionist smokescreen and whose loyalty is to the United State and not to the nasty little Zionist Entity in Palestine. I have studied and worked with such patriots and there are plenty of them in the Saker Community today. I am not suggesting that we should count on top US commanders refusing to execute a Presidential order (like this article is suggesting). The truth is that anybody who has served in the military, especially at a high command level (Pentagon, CENTCOM), knows that there are all sorts of creative ways to make sure that something does not happen. Finally, I have not lost all hope that Trump could do the right thing. Yes, he is a weak man, yes, he is now cornered and has no allies left, but when faced with the horrendous consequences of a attack on Iran he still might say no and order his staff to come up with some other plan. Trump might also realize that refusing to wage war on Iran would be his best revenge against those who have smeared him and who are now apparently trying to impeach him . Conclusion: will the attack happen? In short, probably yes. The simple truth is that the nutcase regimes in power in Israel and Saudi Arabia are cornered and desperate. The rise in power of Iran over the past decade has been immense and irresistible. The recent failure of the ZioWahabis to bring even tiny Qatar to heel is indicative of the tremendous erosion in power and credibility these wacko regimes have suffered. I believe that the recent trips by Bibi Netanyahu and even the Saudi King to Moscow are all part of an effort on the part of the ZioWhabis to gauge the Russian response to an attack on Iran. [Sidebar: While we will never know what was said behind closed doors, my guess is that Putin indicated in clear terms to the ZioWahabis that Russia will not step aside and let them strike at Iran. In truth, Russia has very limited options. Unless Russian personnel are directly attacked, Russia cannot just go to war in a overt and formal way, that would be way too dangerous, especially against the US. But Russia could immensely (and very rapidly) strengthen Iranian air defense capabilities by deploying her aircraft (A-50, MiG-31s, in Iran or even by flying them in from Russia to conduct surveillance flights. Russia can provide the Iranians with intelligence far beyond anything the Iranians could collect themselves. Likewise, the Russians could quietly deploy some of their electronic warfare systems to key locations in Iran. The US Americans would rapidly detect all this, but Russia would still have a plausible deniability on a political level. Finally, the Russians could do for Iran what they have done for Syria and integrate all the Iranian and Russian air defense capabilities into a single network thereby immensely improving the capabilities of the currently rather modest, but rapidly improving, Iranian air defense capabilities.] At this moment in time it is pretty clear that an attack on Iran is being prepared and such an attack is possible or even likely. But it is not a done deal yet. For one thing the Saudis and

Israelis have a long history of empty threats and both regimes love posturing and grandstanding. And for all their bravado they do realize that Iran is a formidable and very sophisticated adversary. They probably also remember what happened when the Iraqis, with the full help and support from the US, the Soviet Union, France, Britain and pretty much everybody else attacked Iran when Iran was at its weakest. Following a long and horrible war, the Iranians are now stronger than ever, Saddam is dead and the Iranians are more or less in control of Iraq. Iran is simply not a good country to attack, especially with a lack of a clear vision of what victory constitutes. So you ought to be crazy to attack Iran. The problem is, of course, that the Saudis and the Israelis are crazy, they have proved that many times over. So our best hopes is that they might be just crazy, but not that crazy. Not much of a hope, but thats the best we got. This article was originally published by Unz Review - ==== Note regarding comments You spoke and we listened. It is no longer necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. This website encourages readers to use the "Report" link found at the base of each comment. When a predetermined number of ICH readers click on the "Report" link, the comment will be automatically sent to "moderation". This would appear to be the most logical way to allow open comments, where you the reader/supporter, can determine what is acceptable speech. Please don't use the report feature simply because you disagree with the author point of view. Treat others with respect, remembering that "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."- Benjamin Franklin. Please read our Comment Policy before posting - Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
The All Progressives Congress has appealed to all candidates and political parties who participated in Saturdays governorship poll in Anambra to accept the outcome in good faith.

The party made the appeal in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday in Abuja.

It urged all those who participated in the exercise to see it as a true reflection of the will of the people of the state.

As a party, we believe the smooth conduct of the election, irrespective of its outcome, is a testimony to our party and President Muhammadu Buharis commitment to free, fair and transparent polls.

We appeal to other candidates and parties who participated in the election to accept its outcome as a true reflection of the will of the Anambra people.

It congratulated Gov. Willie Obiano for his victory, and the APC candidate, Mr Tony Nwoye, for his impressive performance at the election and his gracious conceding of defeat.

The statement commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for conducting what was regarded as a credible election, which passed the integrity test.

Similarly, we praise the high level of dedication and professionalism displayed by the security agencies and other ad hoc staff mobilised for the election, it said.

Obiano, the incumbent governor, a member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, polled 234, 071 votes to defeat Nwoye, his closest rival, who scored 98, 752 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr Oseloka Obaze, came third with 70,293 votes.

Source : (NAN)
Unlike the usual accolades that came his way when he celebrated his 54th birthday while in power, a major difference has been noticed as former President Goodluck Jonathan celebrated his 60th birthday today.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan reached a milestone of 60 years today in his earths journey, with congratulatory messages from President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and notably, former senate president David Mark.

Although it is unclear whether there will be a ball to mark the day, what was conspicuously missing today are the usual adulatory newspaper advertisements from the large army of contractors, politicians, public officials and others.

They seemed to have abandoned Jonathan to his fate as they failed to sing his praises the way they did when Jonathan marked his 57th birthday in 2014. Jonathan had spent four years in the saddle and was preparing to run for re-election few months after.

Only ThisDay newspaper published six advertisements. They were from a forum of Jonathans former ministers, Governor Nyesom Wike, His Royal Highness A.J. Turner, Architect Reuben Okoya and Engineer David Omonibeke and President Azikel Group,

There was no advert in The Punch, arguably Nigerias largest selling newspaper.

The Vanguard published one advert from Governor Seriake Dickson. The Guardian published none.

The Nation also published an advert from Azikel Group, whose chairman, Dr Eruani Azibapu Godbless prayed in his birthday message for Gods infinite mercies and blessings to Jonathan.

He also prayed for Jonathans continuous strength, good health and wisdom all the days of his life.

Azikels showering of praises on Jonathan is understandable. The company is based in Bayelsa, Jonathans home state. It started business just nine years ago with an ambition to be a fast-growing indigenous conglomerate. Its main business is dredging. On its website it says it has as subsidiaries, Azikel Air, Azikel Dredging, Azikel Construction, Azikel Petroleum and Azikel Farms. It is not clear yet whether the subsidiaries are truly functional

Jonathans abandonment by his friends was noticeable as far back as November 2015, the first birthday Jonathan marked out of office since 2010, when he succeeded former President Umaru YarAdua.

In 2015, Jonathan was 58, a few months after he was ousted by President Muhammadu Buhari, in the election of that year.

And what played out today also occurred then: the reticence of the friends of power : the politicians, hangers on, business barons, social and political groups.

Jonathan actually saw all this coming when he told the world, just some days before he handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari that he had been abandoned by all those he perceived to be his friends, as the phones stopped ringing.

The lesson of power has always been that those people, who usually strike romance with those in authority are not true friends, but fiends, mere fair weather friends.
A couple who attacked a restaurant owner and her daughter have landed in trouble after they were arrested and charged to court.

A Florida couple has pleaded guilty to beating the owner of a chicken restaurant and her teenage daughter over complaints that their chicken was cold and they didnt get enough fries in their order.

Nathaniel Eric Smith, 45, and Latasha Denise Smith, 28, pleaded guilty in Camden County Superior Court to aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the beating, officials said.

The June incident outside the Baxley restaurant was captured on surveillance video and aired on several television networks.

It showed Latasha Denise Smith beating Jeanette Norris, Qwik Chicks owner.

When Norris 15-year-old daughter left a vehicle to assist her mother, Nathaniel Smith punched her in the face, knocking her down.

Norris had a broken nose and her daughter was treated for a concussion, reports the Florida Times-Union.

After the complaints about cold chicken and not enough food, the restaurant refunded the Smiths money, but the woman persisted in cursing Norris and beating on the restaurants takeout windows, reports the Florida Times-Union.

The couple was recognised on the video and warrants were issued for their arrests.

There were at large for days but surrendered to the Bryan County sheriff and were taken to Appling County for booking, according to the publication.

Superior Court Judge Robert Guy accepted the Smiths guilty pleas and will sentence them at a later date.
So yesterday, we were hit with report of the death of ex-PDP chairmans son, Bilyamin Bello, who was reportedly stabbed to death by his wife for cheating, Maryam Sanda. Eyewitnesses who confirmed the incident, claimed that Sanda, daughter of embattled former Aso Savings Bank boss, Hajia Maimuna Aliyu, launched the attack on her husband over a text message on his phone.

Sanda allegedly stabbed her husband in the neck and chest while he slept in the bedroom of their home in Maitama, Abuja, and rushed him to hospital where he gave up the ghost. The eyewitness further disclosed that the suspect who has a daughter with her husband, had before the incident bitten off part of Bilyamins ear who treated it in a hospital before returning home.

Punch reports that Bilyamin, a real estate developer and businessman, who was planning to divorce his wife before he was allegedly murdered, had complained several times about his wifes violent tendency to some family members and friends, and was reportedly advised to leave the house for some time but he refused.

Maryam had attacked Bilyamin before the latest incident, which unfortunately led to his death. The two got married about two years ago when the former PDP chairman persuaded his son to marry Maryam. Everyone was shocked by Bilyamins death; it was sudden, unexpected and tragic, a source said.

While the deceased have been buried, the case had been taken from the Maitama Divisional Police Station by the state command, as the Federal Capital Territory Police Command spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, confirmed the arrest of a female suspect, adding that investigation had commenced into the homicide.

Here are photos of their wedding 2 years before his death;
Queen of Pop, Madonna took some nude photos when she was just 18 years old and theyre about to be auctioned off now that she is 59. Read TMZs report.

Gotta Have Rock and Roll  the same guys that had Tupacs confession letter to M  will auction off a bunch of Madges earliest known original nude pics with original negatives and copyrights.

To be exact  108 images and each with an opening bid between $8k and $12k.

The pics show Madonna at the Art World Institute of Creative Arts where photographer Cecil I. Taylor got behind the lens. Madonna met the photographer when she lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A statement issued on Monday in Oko community in Anambra State, has revealed that former Nigerias Vice-President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme has died.

Nigerias Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, has passed on.

The elder statesmans death was disclosed in a statement released in the early hours of Monday by the Ekwueme family of Oko, in Anambra State.

According to PUNCH, the statement, signed by the former vice presidents brother, and the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, explained that he passed on around 10:00 pm on Sunday, in a London hospital.

The statement read, Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, GCON.

The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday, 19th November, 2017.

Recall that Ekwueme was hospitalised in Memfys Neurosurgery Hospital, Enugu, for about two weeks before he was flown abroad for medical treatment on November 12.

The elder statesman was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at his residence in the Independence Layout area of Enugu on October 28.

It was learnt that the elder statesman was in a coma at the time he was admitted to the hospital.

Ekwueme, who celebrated his 85th birthday on October 10, reportedly suffered from a chest infection, according to his family members.
The Zamfara State Police Command has confirmed fresh attacks by arm bandits on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for the command, Muhammad Shehu, made the confirmation to News Agency of Nigeria in Gusau on Sunday.

Mr. Shehu said the attackers had on November 16 and 17 invaded Gidan maidawa, Wari and Tungar baure, Mallamawa villages in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas, killing many people.

He said the command was still gathering data of the victims of the attack, from the affected communities.

The police image maker promised that the command would disclose to the public accurate figure of the deceased and injured persons, after the exercise.

So far in the record we have, three people were killed in Maradun Local Government Area, we are still compiling comprehensive figures of the victims from other villages attacked and make them available to the pubic later, he said.

He said command had deployed its personnel to the affected areas, in collaboration with other security agencies.

So based on the report we have now, peace has been restored in the area.

Mr. Shehu urged members of the public in the state to continue to support the police and other security agencies with vital information from that could lead to the arrest of criminals.

Source :(NAN)
Unknown gunmen who were suspected hired assassins, on Sunday stormed the residence of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Udoh Ekpenyong, in Ikot Oku Usung village, in the Ukanafun Local Government Area of the state, killing his younger sister and two others.

According to eye witness reports, the gunmen went into the village compound of Ekpenyong and shot dead his younger sister, whose name had yet to be ascertained.

According to the source, a barber and one other person were killed by stray bullets while the gunmen were fleeing the community.

After the gunmen left the commissioners house, they went to the residence of a former Commissioner of Education, Mr. Matthew Akpan. But they did not find anybody in the compound, so they left, he added.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed the attack, he also added that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zubairu Muazu, was in the area to forestall further killings.

Four armed men on motorcycles attacked the house of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and shot his sister dead. When they were leaving, they started shooting continuously.

In the process, stray bullets killed two other persons. But in the commissioners compound, only the woman died. We will get to the root of the case, he said.

Meanwhile, a policeman and two others were also killed by some hoodlums in the Ukanafun area of the state.

It was gathered that the cop was in a vehicle when he was shot at close range, while a co-passenger, who was also hit by bullets, died as well.

The police spokesperson, Elkana, who confirmed that the incident happened on Friday, said the third victim was killed by a stray bullet.

Going by the circumstances, we believe the officer was their target. Just as the other assailants went to the commissioners house, killed the woman and moved out, the hoodlums got into the vehicle the police officer was in and shot him dead. We have banned the use of motorcycles in the Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo LGAs.

These hoodlums have been using motorcycles to carry out criminal activities in the areas and this must stop, he added.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Dr. Emeka Ogah, and the Director of Finance as well as the Director of Administration, Mr. Sylvester Ugama and Mr. Christopher Ogbu, respectively have regained their freedom from kidnappers den.

The trio were kidnapped last Wednesday by unknown gunmen in Ajaokuta, Kogi State while returning from Abuja.

Details of how the adducted medical workers regained their freedom were sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

But the Chief Press Secretary to Governor David Umahi, Mr. Emmanuel Uzor, confirmed their freedom.

He said that the trio regained their freedom in the early hours of Sunday.

Uzor commended security agencies for the release of the victims, stressing that the CMD and other principal officers of the hospital were hale and hearty after their release.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ebonyi State chapter, Dr. Austin Ikwudinma, appreciated the Ebonyi State Government for facilitating the release of the victims.

Meanwhile, the fate of the driver to the freed Chief Medical Director, who was allegedly shot by the kidnappers, was still not known.

The Chief Medical Director and the two other management staff members were abducted in Ajaokuta by unknown gunmen while returning from Abuja on official assignment.

The kidnapping prompted members of the NMA in Ebonyi State to besiege the entrance of the Government House on Friday to register their grievances over the abduction of their colleagues.

The governor had while receiving the protesting medical practitioners assured them that he would do all within his ability to ensure the release of the victims.
According to Mr Ogundana, the kidnappers pictured here were caught while trying to kidnap his wife in Lagos.

They were nabbed and beaten by community members. He took to social media to thank God and those around for saving his wife from the kidnappers.

Source: Naijaloaded
A 24-year-old man, Pakute Oseni, was on Monday docked before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, for allegedly stealing a vehicle worth N4.5million.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oseni of no fixed address was in court on charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Folake Ewe told the court that Oseni and others now at large, allegedly conspired to steal the vehicle.

Ewe said Oseni was alleged to have stolen one Lexus Jeep with registration number AGL 553 DX valued at N4.5million.

She said, The offences were committed on January 23, 2016, at 8 p.m., at Alarere Area, along new Ife Road, Ibadan, where the car was parked.

Ewe said the offences were contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390 (9) (10A) of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State, 2,000.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offences when they were read to him in court.

The chief magistrate, Mrs Jejelola Ogunbona, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She, thereafter, adjourned the case until January 31, for hearing.

Source: (NAN )
Ailing Nigerian actor and broadcaster, Sadiq Daba has been given a massive sum of N10 million to support his medical bills.

One Max Collins who has been following the treatment process of veteran actor Sadiq Baba has revealed that a Good Samaritan gifted him a sum of N10 million to support his medical treatment.

He penned down this note below with a photo of Sadiq Daba in high spirits:

I just met with Sadiq Daba in his home. Very high in hope and spirit. Thanking Nigerians for their concern and support. I spoke from there to Soni Irabor, who is coordinating this donation drive.

My friend on a family visit to USA called Sadiq and committed to 10million Naira to make up the fund drive that has reached almost half way its target.

Sadiq has never talked to any newspaper, never disowned his own plight/need.
Names of about 33,000 refugees including Nigerians who drowned while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a bid to reach Europe have been published by a German newspaper.

A German newspaper has published the names of 33,293 refugees and migrants who died trying to reach Europe.

Der Tagesspiegel listed victims names, ages and countries of origin, as well as causes and dates of death, over 46 pages.

One entry is a 15-year-old boy who drowned on 15 November 2016 when a rubber dinghy he was on with 23 others sank while trying to travel from Libya to Europe.

Another tells of Iraqi migrant Talat Abdulhamid, 36, who froze to death on 6 January after walking for 48 hours through the mountains on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

The newspaper said it wanted to document the asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants who died since 1993 as a consequence of the restrictive policies of Europe on the continents outer borders or inside Europe.

The majority of the people on the newspapers list drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

Last year was the deadliest for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, with at least 5,079 dying or going missing during their journey, according to the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

According to the body, a crackdown on the Western Balkan path and the EU-Turkey deal has forced refugees and migrants to choose more dangerous routes to Europe.

While overall numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean by the eastern route were reduced significantly in 2016 by the EU-Turkey deal, death rates have increased to 2.1 per 100 in 2017, relative to 1.2 in 2016, the IOM said in a September report.

Part of this rise is due to the greater proportion of migrants now taking the most dangerous route  that across the central Mediterranean  such that 1 in 49 migrants now died on this route in 2016.

The most recent entries on the list in Der Tagesspiegel were dated 29 May 2017 for two unidentified people, one of them a child.

The entry says: Two bodies found, 28 missing, drowned or stamped down in a panic when their boat sank off Libya.
A Nigerian lady, Omosefe Woghiren who claims she is the granddaughter of the Obamedo of Benin took to Twitter to outline things she felt didnt go right traditionally during Banky W and Adesuas traditional marriage yesterday.

According to her, the bride price was not supposed to be in an event centre, Adesuas friends werent supposed to come and with her, Banky W was supposed to dress in an Edo attire, and that Adesuas mum wasnt supposed to be present at the bride price payment.

See her tweets below
An aggrieved Nigerian man took to social media pen down an open letter to Nigerian girls in Italy, who he claimed are the only blacks prostituting in Italy.

Akpoka Desmond Akpoka who said these girls should be ashamed of themselves, wrote;

NIGERIA GIRLS IN ITALY

Every Nigeria girl in italy has the best opportunity so far in life to transform from worst to best while living in italy.One thing i dont understand is, if they are not ashamed being the only black prostituting in italy.

Italy is not a country which the only means of surviving is not prostitution,you can work and you can go to school,all of these cost you nothing but only 4 hours of your 24 hours.

Nigeria girls hear this,assuming you are a saloonist,a fashionista,an interior designer, a school dropout or you never engage in any of the above mentioned,you have a better chance of becoming a professional within the period of six months.

Our parents back home have a role to play over this by encouraging them to start doing something is never too later and our parents should try to know what their children are doing in italy,this will help to strengthen the child.

Prostitution is not a pensionable job and is not acceptable by anyone.Is very disheartening and disgusting our Nigerians dont want to do anything but want to be rich and famous,but how possible is that?

A situation at which 200 people live in a place and only 5 of these people are working and the rest are prostituting,what will be the easy name to identify them?Please lets work together to redeem our image here in italy. Nigeria girls in italy on my mind.
The was unrest in some residents of Isheri, Lagos State, on Saturday went on the rampage at the Isheri Divisional Police Station after the corpse of a 37-year-old tricycle rider, Adama Onikoyi, was recovered from a river in the community.

A team of policemen from the station had reportedly raided the neighbourhood around 10pm on Thursday during which they chased the father of four into the river, where he drowned.

But the Lagos State Police Command said the indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State was a traffic robber, adding that he jumped into the river to evade arrest.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Adama was accosted by one of the cops on Wilma Street, where he lived, shortly after he returned from work.

It was gathered that he declined following them to the station on the grounds that he did not commit any offence.

He was said to have managed to escape and flee towards the river.

His widow, Biliki Onikoyi, said he had gone to buy food for one of their children, Zainab, after he returned from work.

She said she became apprehensive when he did not return after an hour.

She said, When I called his phone number, it indicated that it was switched off. I was in fear throughout the night. While I was searching for him the following morning, someone said policemen raided the community the previous day and chased a man to the riverside.

The person said he saw some policemen beating one man and that they tore the mans clothes when he insisted that he would not follow them. I went there and found my husbands clothes at the bank.

I went to the station to know if he was among those arrested during the raid. A policeman I met said he was not arrested. While he was attending to me, another policeman came and said they pushed a stubborn man inside the water.

Biliki said Adamas corpse floated around 8am on Saturday with injuries on his head and face.

She said her husband was killed for no just cause and demanded that justice must be done.

One of his hands was also broken. He was not a thief and nothing incriminating was found on him. I dont have any job. He was the one catering to the family. All our children are still in school, she added.

A friend of the deceased, John Eze, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said one of the policemen shot into the river after Adama drowned.

He said, The man was my close friend and he was a commercial tricycle rider, shuttling between Ojodu-Berger and Isheri. Some minutes after he left the park at Ojodu-Berger, I passed through the police station and saw some policemen in a van heading towards Wilma Street.

I parked my tricycle and hid somewhere to know what was happening. I saw a policeman hold him by the waist of his trousers. He struggled with the policeman and later escaped. The policeman chased him until he fell into the river. The policeman also shot into the water.

Some people were with me that evening, but we were afraid to go to the riverside. It was the following day I learnt that he was missing. He was not a thug. Everybody knows he was an easy-going person. He was very friendly.

Another friend of the deceased, Taofiq Oladejo, said some youths had protested at the police station on Friday, alleging that operatives of the division drowned Adama.

He said some community elders intervened, stopped the protest and had a meeting with the police.

The police denied that he was beaten and drowned. The elders told them that they would not be happy if they found injuries on Adamas body. Unfortunately, there were injuries on his body.

The youths took his corpse to the station on Saturday. The police fired tear gas canisters into them and they also threw stones, he added.

However, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said Adama was a hoodlum who had been disturbing the peace of the community.

He said the police had swooped on him based on complaints by residents.

He said, The person that jumped into that water was a known hoodlum, a drug addict and a traffic robber. Residents of the area have complained about him and other people. While the police were trying to arrest him, he jumped from one building into another to escape the police. He later jumped into the river and got drowned.

The police called the community leaders and members of the community and told them what happened. Some people were not happy and they wanted to capitalise on the incident. We drafted policemen from the Area Command and men of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Corps to fortify the division. Normalcy has returned to the area.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday sent condolences to Nigerians, and to the Government and people of Anambra State, on the death of a former vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, on Sunday.

This was confirmed in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President commiserated with the entire Oko Kingdom, the Aguata Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Ekwueme family, over the loss of the familys patriarch.

He said the deceaseds regular counsels on national issues and mediations for peaceful co-existence would be sorely missed.

The statement read in part, The President affirms that Dr Ekwuemes unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria had been a major encouragement to many governments, recalling the personal sacrifices he made in helping to lay the foundation for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

President Buhari believes Dr. Ekwueme worked assiduously to improve the livelihood of many poor and underprivileged people through the Alex Ekwueme Foundation, describing him as a man who served his country and humanity.

The President prays that the almighty God will receive the soul of the former Vice President, and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

I mourn the death of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a patriot and statesman. His life was marked by an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria; and his personal sacrifices helped lay the foundation for our democracy.  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) November 20, 2017

Dr. Ekwueme lived a worthy life, excelled in professional practice, in business, in politics, in philanthropy. He served Nigeria and humanity. We will miss his counsel and wisdom on national issues. May his soul rest in peace.  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) November 20, 2017
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has revealed the only condition that can stop him from contesting the 2019 Presidential election.

According to him, if President Muhammadu Buhari decides to re-contest, then he (Saraki) will not contest.

He said this yesterday on a weekly Hausa Programme aired on Alheri Radio, Kaduna.

The Senate Presidents Chief of Staff, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made Sarakis position known, said: There is no way Senator Bukola Saraki will contest for president in 2019 as long as President Buhari will contest.

This I know very well because I work with him and I should know that.

But if President Buhari says he will not re-contest the position, that is a different case.

The Senate President will not contest against President Buhari because he sees and respected him as a father.

The same thing happened in 2011 and 2015 if you remember. Saraki declined to contest against him; instead, he joined others to work for the success of the President in the 2015 elections. he said.

Source  Naijaloaded
A serving senator, Eyinnaya Abaribe, who is one of the three persons standing as sureties for the bail granted the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has appeared in court ahead of the Mondays hearing in the trial of the IPOBs leader.

The senator was seated in the courtroom on the fourth floor of the court building where the Mondays proceedings are to take place.

The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had on October 17, 2017, ordered Abaribe, and two others standing as sureties to appear in court to explain the IPOB leaders whereabouts.

Kanu who was granted bail by the judge on April 24, 2017, was absent from court at the previous proceedings when the trial was billed to commence.

His three co-defendants  the National Coordinator of IPOB, Mr Chidiebere Onwudiwe; an IPOB member, Benjamin Madubugwu; and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the MTN, David Nwawuisi  were produced in court by prison officials.

But Bright Chimezie, who became a co-defendant in the case following an amendment of the charges was also absent.

The new co-defendant was said to be in the custody of the Department of State Service.

Kanus lawyer, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the judge on October 17 that Kanu had been missing after soldiers allegedly invaded the IPOB leaders home on September 14, 2017, adding that the Nigerian Army was in the best position to produce the defendant.

A lawyer, Mr Ogechi Ogunna, appeared for Abaribe informing the judge that his client had filed a motion seeking to be discharged as Kanus surety.



The two other sureties, Immanuel Shalum Okabenmabu and Tochukwu Uchendu, were absent from court and not represented by any lawyer on Tuesday.



But Justice Nyako said Abaribes motion could not be heard until Kanu was produced in court.

After lawyers representing parties to the case announced their appearances on October 17, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuabu Labaran, who was led by Mr Saleh Barkum, noted that Kanu was absent from court.

He urged the court to order the arrest of the IPOB leader for being absent from court on Tuesday.

But Kanus lawyer, Ejiofor, told the judge that Kanu was ready to face trial until the military invasion after which he had become missing.
The South-East Governors forum on Monday, joined millions of Nigerians to mourn the death of former Nigerias Vice-President, Dr Alex Ekwueme.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi and Chairman of the forum described Ekwuemes death as the end of an era, in a statement in Abakalilki.

The elder statesman died at a London clinic at about 10 p.m. on Sunday, according to his brother, Igwe Laz Ekwueme.

Ekwueme, who turned 85 years in October, was reported to have collapsed in his residence in Enugu a few weeks ago.

He was immediately taken to Memfys Neurosurgery Hospital in Enugu from where he was moved to London for further medical attention on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ekwueme was the Vice President of Alhaji Shehu Shagari between 1979 and 1984.

According to the forum, the death is a rude shock and a great loss to Ndigbo in particular and Nigeria as a whole.

I commiserate with the Anambra Government and the entire Ekwueme family of Uga in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state over the loss, the chairman said.

He prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest in His bosom.

The death of our father and leader is devastating, especially during this period that his advice is needed most.

He was a great Nigerian who believed in the unity of the country and we have learnt a lot from his deep political sagacity, as his children.

We have lost a gem, gentleman, decent politician and academia as the South-East through, its governors would soon map programmes to pay its last respect to the fallen iroko tree.

Source : ( NAN )
A teacher with the University of Abuja staff school has relocated into the bush on hunger strike as he protests emotional trauma in the institution.

Mr. Solo Anuli Obiagwu, a teacher with the University of Abuja Secondary School, was on hunger strike for five days over the plight of staff school teachers in the university.

According to Vanguard, Obiagwu, who claimed he was being owed for 11 months by the university, said teachers in the staff school have been subjected to serious emotional trauma so he protested victimisation of secondary school teachers at the University of Abuja Secondary School.

Also on the list of reasons are impunity and insensitivity, emotional stabbing of teachers and students, silencing of unions and attempt by UniAbuja management to cripple me11 months without salary.

The teacher, who sat in a bush within the duration of the exercise, refused to talk to anybody as he placed a board by his side, listing reasons for his action.

According to him, the hunger strike, 6a.m. to 4p.m. daily, began on November 13 and ended November 17.

Recall that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, had dragged the Federal Government to the National Industrial Court, NIC, for directing Vice Chancellors of universities to delete names of teachers in staff schools from the payroll, contrary to the 2009 agreement government entered into with the union.

However, in December last year, after a prolonged legal tussle, the Industrial Court gave judgement against the Federal Government and ordered that the teachers, who were disengaged by the Vice Chancellors, be reinstated.
The son of a former Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Haliru Bello has been stabbed to death by his wife.

Bilyamin Bello, the son of a former Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Haliru Bello, was on Saturday allegedly stabbed to death by his wife, Maryam Sanda, according to a report by Punch.

Sanda is the daughter of embattled former Aso Savings Bank boss, Hajia Maimuna Aliyu. It was gathered that the incident happened due to alleged infidelity against Bilyamin by his wife after she saw a text message on his phone.

Sanda reportedly stabbed her husband in the neck and chest while he slept in the bedroom at their home in Maitama, Abuja. After stabbing him, she was said to have taken him to a hospital where he gave up the ghost.

The couple had a daughter together. A friend of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said before the tragedy, Maryam had bit off part of Bilyamins ear, adding that he was treated at a hospital and later returned home.

He was reportedly advised to leave the house for some time, but he refused. It was further gathered that the deceased was planning to divorce his wife before he was allegedly murdered.

Bilyamin, a real estate developer and businessman, was said to have complained several times about his wifes violent tendency to some family members and friends.

Maryam had attacked Bilyamin before the latest incident, which unfortunately led to his death. The two got married about two years ago when the former PDP chairman persuaded his son to marry Maryam. Everyone was shocked by Bilyamins death; it was sudden, unexpected and tragic, a source said.

It was learnt that the deceased had been buried on Sunday. The Federal Capital Territory Police Command spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, confirmed the incident, adding that a female suspect was in custody.

He added that the case had been taken from the Maitama Divisional Police Station by the state command, noting that investigation had commenced into the homicide.
Greg Standridge, an Arkansas state senator and self-storage owner, died Nov. 16 after a battle with cancer. Standridge was a Russellville, Ark., native who owned Access Mini Storage and co-owned Coffman Standridge Inc. insurance agency in his hometown. He was 50.

The Republican had served in the senate since 2015, when he filled the seat vacated by Michael Lamoureux, who resigned to become Gov. Asa Hutchinsons chief of staff and transition director, according to the source. Standridge won the seat in a special election.

I am saddened by the passing of Sen. Greg Standridgea friend and dedicated public servant, Hutchinson said in a released statement. I recently visited with Greg in his home, and even with his illness, he was a source of encouragement and strength. Greg served his community with distinction, and he loved his family most of all. Gregs passing is a great loss for our state, and he will be missed.

On the morning of Standridges death, a subcommittee of the state highway commission observed a moment of silence in his honor. Several civic and state leaders also issued public statements of support including Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Sec. of State Mark Martin.

Our hearts are broken to hear of the passing of Greg Standridge. This is a great loss to both the city of Russellville and our state, said U.S. Rep. Steve Womack.

In addition to his business interests and serving in the state legislature, Standridge was a volunteer firefighter and a member of the Pope County, Ark., Emergency Medical Services Squad. He was a member of the Russellville Lions Club and the Russellville & London Masonic Lodge. He attended Arkansas Tech University.

Standridge is survived by his wife, Karen, and four children.
Youd think the UKs infrastructure is top-notch  yet in a study by insurer QBE , its among the factors that have pulled the country down in terms of supply chain security.A report by the Financial Times said out of the 15 European nations assessed by the insurance firm, the UK ranked 12th overall. According to QBE, the results highlight which markets had the fewest and most threats for those managing a business supply chain, underlining the level of potential exposure to business interruption.The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden topped the list, while the bottom three  after the UK  were Spain, Italy, and Greece. The UK had a poor showing when it came to infrastructure risks, offsetting its better scores for cyber, environmental, and economic factors.The UKs infrastructure lags behind many European peers which is unacceptable for a country of our economic aspirations, said Richard Pryce, chief executive of QBEs European operations, as quoted by the Financial Times.Pryce added: With Brexit fast approaching, it is more important than ever that the country is able to move components and goods in and out of the UK. The survey shows just how far behind the UK is with our northern European neighbours.Aside from infrastructure, the UK also has political risks to zero in on. While it did well in terms of political stability and the rule of law, the threat of terrorist attacks dragged down its overall political risks performance.
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. has been slapped with a $2 million fine for allegedly violating state insurance law.The state of New York claimed that Cigna illegally sold stop-loss insurance and unapproved health insurance policies.Stop-loss insurance limits claim coverage to protect against numerous catastrophic claims, according to a report by the Watertown Daily Times. Stop-loss insurance can only be sold to large-group employers that self-fund medical expenses in order to limit liability in case of an unusually high number of claims.Cigna allegedly sold 38 stop-loss policies to small-group employers in violation of state law, the Daily Times reported.By deliberately choosing to write New York risks outside of New York, Cignas actions harmed New Yorks community-rating program for small-group employers, said Maria T. Vullo, the states financial services superintendent. Cigna cherry-picks risks, which may have improperly induced forum shopping in the New York small-group market.The New York Department of Financial Services said that it had received complaints about Cigna and had moved to investigate. The department said that it requested that Cigna stop selling illegal stop-loss policies pending an inquiry, according to the Daily Times. While Cigna initially agreed, the department claimed that it later resumed selling the policies.Cigna told the Daily Times in an emailed statement that it had agreed to resolve the issue.
According to an affidavit filed by Floridas Bureau of Insurance Fraud, a Key Largo insurance agent has been arrested on charges of falsifying a roof inspection.A-Rated Insurance Agency owner Richard J. Girard, 38, was arrested on four felony counts.Girard admitted that it was a bad judgment call when he used old photos of a policyholders roof and filed an inspection report while forging the signature of an inspector who had never seen the roof, said the affidavit filed October 16.Due to the fraud, Citizens Property Insurance accepted an insurance application that otherwise would have been denied and [paid a policy] commission to defendant Ricard Girard in excess of $1,500, the affidavit stated.FL Keys News reported that the counts listed by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office last week include grand theft, insurance fraud of less than $20,000, forgery and altering a public document.Girard is accused of cropping out dates from outdated roof photos and copying the electronic signature of a roof inspector. The inspector whose signature was counterfeited told the state inspector that he had never done an inspection at that home and that the inspection report bearing his signature was forged.The insurance agent was released last Monday, pending court action. No bond information was made available.
It may be one of the most difficult markets for overseas insurers to crack, but that isnt stopping UK insurance giant Legal & General from setting its sights on the USA.



In an interview with the Financial Times this weekend, the companys chief executive Nigel Wilson outlined that he wanted to replicate the UK model of investing in infrastructure in order to match the long-term products it sells to consumers.

In direct investments we may need to do a bolt-on acquisition in the US, he told the publication.



Succeeding in the US market has been problematic for a host of UK insurers over the years. For example, Aviva launched in the market back in 2006 but sold its US business just six years later, reportedly taking a 2.3 billion (US$3.03 billion) writedown in the process. Meanwhile, French insurance giant AXA recently announced plans to list part of its US operations with other markets looking more promising. As such, Wilson told the publication that his firm will be taking a cautious approach.



We have taken a softly, softly strategy in the US, which is a market where so many British companies have failed, he explained. We are modest in the US, but we are growing quickly.



The firm will use two of its existing businesses as a launchpad for the country  the first being Legal & General Investment Management, which is already well-established in the country with more than 300 clients and 127 billion (US$167 billion) of US assets. Wilson told the Financial Times that he wants LGIM to be top 10 in the US.



Meanwhile, its second already established business targets life insurance in Maryland and enjoyed 85 million (US$112 million) in profits last year. Legal & General has owned the firm for the last 30 years.



By combining the knowledge it has acquired from the two firms, Legal & General hopes to launch a third business in the area of corporate risk transfer with the target being liabilities based around company pension schemes. It is a market the business knows well from the UK.



It is a US$3 trillion market opportunity, Bernie Hickman, chief executive of Legal & General Insurance, told the Financial Times. The pension risk transfer market started late in the US but it is likely to overtake the UK.


Operations outsourcing is becoming more and more important in the insurance industry. New technology and automation is relieving the pressures of tedious administrative tasks and allowing organizations to focus on a heightened value proposition.One company offering outsourcing opportunities and growth strategies is Resource Pro. The company helps insurance organizations align their operations to their business strategy , so that theyre better equipped to achieve present and future goals.Theres a growing interest [in outsourcing] among insurance organizations, said Peggy Hansen, regional executive, business development, Resource Pro. More and more organizations are looking to leverage the resources of companies like Resource Pro. Our evidence shows this is attributable to a few factors.Competition is rife, the markets soft and theres a general need for efficiency. Organizations need to be as efficient as they can (and the insurance industry hasnt always been strong in that department). Theres also the changing talent pool to consider. Around 50-60% of insurance professionals are due to retire in the next seven-10 years, and millennials are not finding this industry sexy at all.Outsourcing through companies like Resource Pro allows insurance organizations to hand over the administrative work associated with processing insurance transactions so that they can elevate staff to a higher-value contribution.This value proposition is key when addressing the concept of the talent pool and the insurance workforce gap, according to Hansen. Outsourcing administrative tasks gives organizations the ability to tailor jobs and processes that are attractive to younger people in the industry, she explained.Successful business operations and a lucrative multi-generational workforce will soon come hand-in-hand with technology and automation. Resource Pro, like the organizations it helps, is investing in innovation and technology in order to better solve industry-wide challenges to do with customer experience, process automation and data insights.In our rapidly changing environment, you really cant afford to be intimidated by technology or automation , Hansen told Insurance Business. In order to be viable in the future, you must embrace technology and use it to your competitive advantage.That said, organizations need to be comfortable starting small as some of them have nearly no automation at present. One starter tip is for organizations to gain insights from data already within their organization that can help drive operations excellence and opportunity.
Fitch Ratings has announced that no US reinsurance companies it rates are expected to be downgraded solely as a result of losses from the California wildfires. However, a number of companies will see wildfire losses added to already substantial losses from other third-quarter catastrophes.Adding the California wildfires to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria will make 2017 one of the costliest catastrophe loss years in US history, with insured losses reaching $70 billion-$100 billion, according to variousestimates, Fitch said in a commentary. In some instances, insurers could ultimately report aggregate 2017 catastrophe losses at levels that strain capital and pressure ratings.The October California wildfires will be the most expensive wildfires in US history, Fitch said. The fires spread across 245,000 acres and have caused at least 43 deaths and 185 injuries. About 8,560 structures were destroyed. The latest insured loss estimate is $8 billion, but Fitch estimated that the overall economic losses were considerably greater.Fitch expects the majority of insured losses from the fires to be retained by primary insurers. The percentage of losses ceded to the reinsurance market will likely be considerably less than the portion ceded from recent hurricane events, the rating agency said.
The employee health insurance fund of St. Joseph County in Indiana is in severe deficit, and city officials believe the countys health insurance broker is partly to blame.According to officials, a communications blunder led to the countys employee health insurance fund sinking into the red by $5.8 million.South Bend Tribune reported that the error could be traced back to the countys auditor. The auditor failed to consider the cost of retirees when calculating the budget for health benefits, accounting only for current employees. This oversight began a few years ago, and only came to light recently  and too late.The self-funded insurance plan provides coverage for roughly 1,070 county employees and 200 retirees. R&R Benefits, the countys health insurance broker, manages the plan.Due to its role in managing the countys health insurance fund, some officials have argued that R&R should have stepped in the moment it caught wind of the oversight.County Auditor Mike Hamann, who took office in 2015, acknowledged that his office somehow missed the budget mistake, but maintained that R&R should have warned him of the funds depletion.When asked for an official response on the matter, R&R COO Bob Frick told South Bend Tribune in an email that the company will not comment on clients business.Typically, benefits firms work alongside their clients to come up with sustainable health insurance budgets.There is sometimes a disconnect between the major branches of government, and we try to bridge those gaps and help counties come up with budget numbers that are accurate, Apex Benefits adviser Bill Sylvester said.Preparing budgets for clients is a part of our normal job duties, on top of providing monthly reports on spending, explained USI Insurance Services consultant Jenny Noel-Brandt.This is not the first time R&R has been entangled in controversy. Earlier this year, several county council members pushed to hire a different broker, reasoning that the county could get a better service at lower prices. The proposal, however, was rebuffed by the county Board of Commissioners.The commissioners reasoned that the cost of the countys insurance plan remains low (about $12,800 annually per participant) compared to what other local governments in the region pay. By switching brokers, they argued, the county risks paying for more.Despite this, some county council members are perplexed by the decision to stick with R&R.If we were getting proper monitoring and reports from our healthcare broker, maybe we would have caught this problem earlier, commented county council member Robert Kruszynski Jr.Mark Catanzarite, another county council member, pointed out that since fall 2015, the commissioners have opposed the county councils efforts to study whether another broker could save the county money.Weve just gone on the good faith and the word of the county commissioners, Catanzarite remarked. Im not happy with the advice we were getting.
Lloyds is collaborating with marine technology company Windward to find out whether the market would benefit from a new smart data analytics platform used to manage an insured vessel fleet.What the platform does is enable underwriters to identify when vessels are exposed to high-risk situations such as war zones. In addition, it provides tools that incorporate context and allow detailed analysis of claims.We have had a lot of market interest in this new approach to analysing vessel navigational behaviour, said Lloyds head of data innovation Craig Civil. There is a vast amount of real-time data being processed but the key is to unlock the business value for the market that a smart data analytics platform can provide, and that is what we are evaluating right now with our market colleagues.Windward co-founder and chief executive Ami Daniel commented: Were delighted to be partnering with the worlds leading insurance market, and to be sharing with Lloyds Members the technology weve developed while working with the worlds leading intelligence agencies for the last seven years.Among those trialling the new platform is managing agent Talbot Underwriting Ltd, whose head of digital underwriting strategy Jamie Garratt said they believe in innovation and embracing new technologies to enhance service. We are excited to work with Windwards technology and data-driven approach to the marine insurance market.Lloyds has always taken pride in being at the forefront of innovation in insurance, added Civil.
Does billionaire Warren Buffett have a blind spot when it comes to the disruptive possibilities of driverless cars and alternative fuels?Thats the fear of one analyst who says Buffett could be ignoring those emerging technologies at his peril.One of the largest subsidiaries of Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway is auto insurer GEICO . The insurers underwriting profit for 2016 was $462 million, and its growth accelerated dramatically in the second half of last year.Loss costs throughout the auto-insurance industry had been increasing at an unexpected pace and some competitors lost their enthusiasm for taking on new customers, Buffett wrote in an investor letter. GEICOs reaction to the profit squeeze, however, was to accelerate its new-business efforts. We like to make hay while the sun sets, knowing that it will surely rise again.But The Motley Fools Jason Hall, writing for Business Insider, said he worried that Buffett wasnt considering how emerging technology could transform the auto insurance space.The sun setting is the wrong analogy in the case of autonomous vehicles, Hall wrote. It will likely change much about how auto insurance is priced. GEICOs scale should help it remain a dominant insurer, but fewer accidents and lower premiums seem destined to make it a smaller, less-profitable industry going forward, cutting premiums and reducing the amount of float Berkshire has to invest.
Oklahoma is planning to deploy new technology to read license plate numbers and send drivers notices if they dont have auto insurance.The Oklahoma District Attorneys Council said that the state hasnt nailed down a start date for the program, which will involve placingbetween 12 and 24 automated license-plate readers in high-traffic areas around the state.The cameras will take thousands of pictures a day, according to a report by News9.com. If they spot a vehicle with no insurance, a letter will be sent to the owner telling him or her to take care of the issue.The letter isnt a traffic citation, News9.com reported; the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council said that the point of the program is to give drivers a chance to resolve their insurance problems without facing charges or having traffic citations put on their records. Those without insurance will be given a $184 fee, however.The new program is meant to reduce Oklahomas number of uninsured drivers. A 2015 survey found that the state was number one in the country for the ratio of frequency of uninsured driver claims to frequency of bodily injury claims, News9.com reported.
The need to change the Brazilian tax system is unquestionable: its enormous complexity, the numerous taxes existing in the country, the undesirable concentration of taxation on consumption and production and high administrative costs, both for taxpayers and for tax authorities, are the main drivers of the tax reform bill.

Indeed, the current Brazilian tax system excessively burdens production and consumption and, as a result, jeopardises the economic growth of Brazil in a time of crisis and low employment.

The bill of law indicates that the mere simplification of the system would be enough to guarantee a GDP growth of 1% per year during the next 10 years, which could lead Brazil to surpass some of the great economies of the developed countries.

Besides the desired simplification, the tax reform seeks to loosen the tax on consumption and production, being tax neutral, that is to say, by preserving the collection of tax while not increasing the tax burden.

In general terms, these are the premises and motivations indicated upon the presentation of the bill. However, there are some challenges that require an in-depth analysis of the bill.

The bill proposes to eliminate several taxes, specifically the tax on industrial products (IPI), the tax on financial transactions (IOF), the social contribution on net income (CSLL), the PIS contribution, the Pasep contribution, the COFINS contribution, the contribution to an education salary, and the CIDE contribution on fuels. All of these taxes are collected by the federal government, except for the tax on circulation of goods and services (ICMS) and the tax on services (ISS), which are collected by the states and cities, respectively.

Pursuant to the new bill, the federal government will collect the following taxes, some of which are already under its responsibility: tax on foreign trade (imports and exports), income tax (IR) for individuals and entities, rural property tax (ITR), tax on conveyance of property mortis causa and gifts (ITCMD) and, eventually, the new tax on great fortunes (IGF), as well as social security contributions by employers (collected on the payroll) and employees (collected on their salaries).

The federal government will also be responsible for the so-called selective tax (IS): a tax on consumption of specific products, such as cigarettes, beverages, electric power, telecommunications services, and fuels, which was created to allow the tax on goods and services (IBS), under the responsibility of the states, to have its rate adjusted to the average rate practiced in developed countries. In other words, taxes that are lower than the tax rate usually charged under the ICMS regime.

With respect to the states and the federal district, the main tax shall be the tax on goods and services (IBS), which should be governed by a single national law, with centralised collection and inspected at the state level. This tax will not be cumulative, so that all the financial credits may be considered, with an external calculation (avoiding the charge of tax on the tax amount itself) and the collection of which will be done by the federal government for subsequent distributions to the states. The acquisition of fixed assets and of products to be exported shall not be subject to this tax.

The states and the federal district would also be responsible for the taxation on ownership of vehicles, the IPVA tax, to which boats and aircrafts were added. The revenue obtained from such tax, however, shall be destined to the cities, following the premise that property tax must be for the benefit of the local taxation system.

A single rate, as suggested by the new tax bill, shall cause a significant increase on service taxes, which are subject to the cumulative system of taxation and, by its own nature, accumulate few credits. This is not very different to what happened when the non-cumulative system for PIS/COFINS contributions was implemented.

The revenue obtained from the collection of ITCMD and IPVA, which would be collected by the federal government and the states, respectively, will be allocated to municipalities, which would collect property taxes by means of the IPTU tax and the tax on conveyance of real property Inter Vivos (ITBI).

These are the main topics discussed in the tax reform bill submitted to the Congress, which will entail further countless discussions by tax authorities and taxpayers.

As said above, it is remarkable that we have this matter included in the agenda of priorities in Brazil. As tax practitioners and scholars, we welcome the opportunity to submit our opinions on the matter in order to collaborate, in a sense, with the rationalisation and simplification of the Brazilian tax system.

Some sceptics fear that, despite all discussions, we have no political conditions and time for the analysis of the tax reform bill and its vote by the end of 2018 when the current House of Representatives will end its term in office. And, we cannot deny that this is a strong possibility.

Despite the favourable political circumstances, which are essential for the approval of all and any change of this size, it is fundamental that the matters in the bill of law are exhaustively debated, including the legal and constitutional aspects.

In other words, we must be mature and address relevant matters raised by the tax reform, promote its debate and face head-on the issues in place for many years, so that, if and when the tax reform is approved by Congress, we have already discussed a good share of its aspects.

This article was written by Glaucia Maria Lauletta Frascino, partner at Mattos Filho.
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In response to a possible trend of governments seeking to escape the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) by withdrawing from the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the ICC has confirmed that it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed during the time when a state is party to the Rome Statute.





The judges of the ICCs Pre-Trial Chamber III were responding to a request filed by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda prior to the October 27, 2017 withdrawal of Burundi from the Rome Statute. In their ruling, which came as a surprise move for everyone, including the government of Burundi, the judges confirmed that the ICC retained jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed while Burundi was a state party to the ICC Rome Statute, and more generally that the jurisdiction of the ICC remains unaffected by a withdrawal of a State Party from the Statute.





With the new ruling, the ICC has raised its investigation of alleged crimes against humanity in Burundi from a preliminary examination to a formal investigation which could lead to indictments and arrest warrants being issued. The ICC ruling also confirmed that Burundi remains obliged to cooperate with the ICC despite its withdrawal. If it fails do so, the UN Security Council could in theory impose sanctions.





The Burundian government had withdrawn from the ICC in the expectation of avoiding the ICCs investigation into human rights abuses committed by the state following the April 2015 antigovernment street protests against President Pierre Nkurunzizas decision to run for a third term in office. The violent government crackdown on the political opposition following these protests allegedly involved extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and enforced disappearances, and human rights investigators have estimated that at least 1,200 persons were allegedly killed, thousands illegally detained, thousands reportedly tortured and hundreds disappeared.





In September, a month before Burundis withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi released the findings of its investigation into the alleged human rights abuses in Burundi, which included interviews with more than 500 witnesses. The Commission found that crimes against humanity have been committed and continue to be committed, with the perpetrators being members, including high level officials, of the National Intelligence Services and the national police force, military officials, and members of the youth league of the ruling party.





Given the position of the alleged perpetrators in the structure of government, the Commission made it a point to note the lack of will on the part of the Burundian authorities to fight against impunity and guarantee the independence of the judiciary, and the strong likelihood that the perpetrators of these crimes will remain unpunished. The Commission also highlighted the climate of pervasive fear in Burundi. Victims have been threatened, even in exile.





Not surprisingly, the Burundian government has denounced the ICC decision and pledged its refusal to cooperate with the investigation. Burundian Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana argued that Burundi was not bound by the ICC decision as it had not been notified of the ICCs decision to investigate Burundi before its effective departure, and the minister further described the ICC decision as an act that exemplified the ICCs politicisation of human rights and international justice, as well as the attempt to destabilise African countries.





The ICC decision to investigate Burundi has drawn criticism from Tanzania and Uganda, whose leaders are leading a separate initiative by the East African Community to help resolve the crisis.



Kanyana also warned that if the ICC investigators did come to Burundi, Burundians will defend themselves as Ntare Rugamba did. Ntare Rugamba, a famous historical figure in Burundi, was a 19th century king who battled neighbouring states to double the size of the country. The refusal of the Burundian government to cooperate with the ICC could doom the investigation, as is shown by the parallel ICC cases in Kenya and Sudan: The collapse of ICC cases against prominent Kenyans, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, and the moribund state of the case against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, illustrate how hard it is to prosecute incumbent leaders.





As Gladstone and Simons recall: It was Mr. Bashir who began a campaign in the African Union to undermine the court, which was joined several years later by other presidents: Mr. Kenyatta of Kenya, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia. Their efforts to organize a mass walkout from the ICC have so far failed. Kenya has so far not acted on its plans to leave. Gambia reversed course after Mr. Jammeh was voted out of office. South Africa remains a member because its high court ruled that the nations Parliament, not Mr. Zuma, had the last word.





In addition, Uganda has also threatened to leave, but not acted on it yet, while Zambia has held public consultations, with an overwhelming 93% of those who participated opting to stay within the court.





The ICC decision to investigate Burundi has drawn criticism from Tanzania and Uganda, whose leaders are leading a separate initiative by the East African Community (EAC) to help resolve the Burundi crisis. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is the current EAC chairman, said the ICC is interfering in EAC affairs without consulting regional leaders, which is a wrong move that undermines previous peacemaking efforts in Burundi. However, the EACs own diplomatic efforts at peacemaking in Burundi have themselves seen little progress.





Tanzanian president John Magufuli, whose country is currently hosting thousands of Burundian refugees, has argued that security concerns in Burundi have been exaggerated, citing a recent voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from Tanzania. However, human rights monitors have criticized the governments of Tanzania and Uganda for ending their automatic granting of refugee status to Burundian asylum seekers, and for assisting the Burundian government in pressuring Burundian refugees into returning to Burundi despite the risk of torture and killings there. These human rights monitors have called on the governments of Tanzania and Uganda to continue to provide a safe haven for Burundian refugees in line with international law, and have also called on the international community to provide adequate funding to the seriously underfunded Burundi refugee response.





Tragically, the situation for Burundian refugees elsewhere can be far worse. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is hosting 44,000 Burundian refugees, 39 refugees, including 15 women and a 10-year-old girl, were killed when Congolese security forces fired live fire indiscriminately into a crowd of peaceful protestors. The incident highlights the desperate plight of the refugees, as the violent insecurity within the DRC makes their search for safe haven there akin to jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. Indeed, the UN estimates that a violent rebellion in the DRCs Kasai region will eventually lead to 50,000 Congolese refugees seeking safe haven in neighboring Angola by the end of the year. The intersecting human toll of these crises highlights the urgent need for instruments of international justice like the ICC to help restore order in dangerously disordered regions.





References





Burundi becomes first nation to leave international criminal court. (2017, October 28). AFP.





Burundi: Commission of inquiry calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity. (2017, September 4). Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.





Burundi says it will never collaborate with ICC probe. (2017, November 11). AFP.





Burundi: Thousands of refugees under pressure to return despite risk of torture and killings. (2017, September 29). Amnesty International.





Essa, A. and Wembi, S. (2017, September 19). Why were 39 Burundian refugees shot dead in the DRC? Al Jazeera.





Gladstone, R., and Simons, M. (2017, November 9). Were not done yet, Hague court tells Burundis leaders. New York Times.





Lim, A. C. H. (2017, August 7). The Kasai crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. IPP Review.





Morland, A. (2017, November 10). A shot across the bows from The Hague as ICC investigates Burundi. IRIN.





Ngwanakilala, F. (2017, November 12). Head of East Africas regional bloc condemns ICC Burundi investigation. Reuters.
West Cork native Dr Susan Steele, has been a multitasker all her life  from voluntarily cleaning fish tanks as an eager youngster to being a busy mother of seven today.

Hard work and getting on with the job has never been an issue for Ms Steele, having been born into one of the best-known food-producing families in West Cork.

The Steele family is behind the Milleens brand, and fond childhood memories include milking the cows and delivering Irelands first farmhouse brand of cheese.

Ms Steele developed a love for the marine at a young age, beginning a love affair with an industry she says can be one of the fulcrums of the regional economy for generations to come.

I dont know where it came from  I was just attracted to the sea. I took a mad notion as a youngster that I wanted to be a marine biologist. I used [to] clean fish tanks and used to stay for days on end at Sherkin station with Matt Murphy. My whole life has been the sea. Even off work, I am swimming in the sea every morning, or out on boats. Its more than a job, its an obsession. Its an honourable job and I think its making a difference.

A support network that began with her parents has been passed down to her own children, according to Ms Steele  her seven children make her dual roles as mother and formidable marine protector that much easier.

Im so lucky because I have the most amazing children. You just have to plan, you have to have a good team around you, and you have to have amazing children. The way I was brought up on the farm and in the cheese-making business helped. Touring around the country, they used to come with me so they have been very integrated into the career. Its been fun and Ive been very lucky, to be able to work and enjoy them, she said.

Studying under one of the great female trailblazers of Irish academia, the legendary UCC zoology professor Maire Mulcahy, also left an indelible mark, said Ms Steele.

Maire Mulcahy is one of the most incredible academics in the country, and I actually dont think she realised how brilliant she was for so many people. I really count her as one of the great influences in my career, a truly phenomenal person.

That life experience made the role as chair of the SFPA a natural progression, and ahead of World Fisheries Day tomorrow, Ms Steele is adamant about fishings potential for Ireland. The SFPA is Irelands authority for seafood safety and sea-fisheries protection.

Its something that people arent always aware of  that for every one acre of land that Ireland has as a State, there are 10 acres under the sea. Unlike other countries, Ireland has a very big continental shelf, the richest fishing ground in Europe. We have phenomenal natural resources out there. It is prime real estate in comparison with other countries.

There is more that we can do with the sea. We are just on the start of a learning journey with it, and we are developing all the time. There is lots of lots of great work being done and we are always looking at what more we can do. Our vision is coasts full of jobs and seas full of fish.

The statistics are impressive. Irelands seafood sector is experiencing a period of sustained growth. Markets for seafood are growing rapidly, offering enormous opportunities to the Irish sea-fisheries and seafood sectors. It currently supports approximately 11,000 jobs. In 2016, the industry contributed 1.1bn in GDP. Globally people are eating more fish per person  approximately 20kg a year  and this is expected to increase by 50% by 2030.

There is huge work being done by Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine  we are exporting to 46 countries outside the EU. Trade missions are happening all the time. Our fish is coming from clean, unpolluted, rich waters. It really is a good product we are selling, said Ms Steele.

The key is sustainability and that it where the SFPA comes in, she said.

When people ask what do regulators do, its wanting to keep the vibrancy going. We dont want what happened to Newfoundland in Canada to happen to us. Newfoundland had a big collapse of its cod stock, it wasnt managed properly and it was heartbreaking to see.

By contrast, in Norway, their recovery and sustainability plan worked so well that the cod grew incredibly large. Their fishing industry is so vibrant. It really is a balancing act  to take action now to plan for the future, she said.

If done right, the possibilities for regional economic balance are tantalising, said Ms Steele.

The vision of the SFPA is jobs in coastal communities in Castletownbere, in Dingle, in Galway, in Killybegs, in the Aran Islands, all around the country. We want these communities to be vibrant communities, with schools and hospitals and thriving industry.

It gives people a wonderful lifestyle, visiting coasts and making a good living. I firmly believe we can make it happen.
Update - 12.52pm: A 17-year-old boy is being questioned by gardai after a man was stabbed to death in Co Offaly.

It is being treated as a domestic incident.

A 54-year-old man, believed to be Italian, had been stabbed a number of times and despite the best efforts of the paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is understood the mans partner and her two sons were inside the house at the time.

Technical officers have been examining the scene this morning while the State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy has carried out a preliminary post mortem on the body at the house.

Gardai also removed a dog from the house and have given it to neighbours to look after.

Earlier: Gardai arrest youth after man 'with serious stab wounds' dies in Co. Offaly

Gardai are investigating the death of a man in his 50s in County Offaly last night.

The man's body was found by Gardai who were called to a house at 7.48pm last night on Green Road in the Ballyfore area near Edenderry.

It is believed there were three other people in the house at the time.

The emergency services tried to give the man, who had serious stab wounds, medical attention at the scene, but he was pronounced dead.

The area has been sealed off and the State Pathologist has been requested.

Gardai at the scene of the stabbing in Edenderry this morning.

Gardai have arrested a youth and a garda spokesman described the death as "tragic".

He said they are not looking to speak with anyone else in relation to the matter.

An incident room has been set up at Tullamore Garda Station.
An RTE employee is to appear in a UK court tomorrow to face charges of attempting to engage or incite sexual activity with a girl under 16.

It is understood that the man travelled to Leeds yesterday, where he was confronted by a group of men who had created a fake online profile appearing to be that of a 13-year-old girl.
Update 4.12pm: A television sports producer allegedly sent messages of a sexual nature to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Kieran Creaven (aged 55) is accused of attempting to meet a child following grooming for a sexual purpose and of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, namely kissing and cuddling.

Creaven, who works for RTE, allegedly flew from Ireland to Leeds to meet up at The Queens Hotel with the "girl", who was, in fact, a fake online identity created by a group of so-called paedophile hunters.

The offences were said to have taken place from July 1 - when the defendant allegedly first contacted the "girl" online - to November 18 when he arrived at the hotel in the city.

Today, prosecutor Jill Seddon told Leeds Magistrates Court that Creaven said in one message he "felt horny" and that he also sent a photograph of an erect penis.

No indication to pleas was given as Creaven, of Dublin, was bailed to next appear at Leeds Crown Court on December 12.

His bail conditions are that he resides at an address in Ireland given to the court, has no unsupervised contact with any child aged under 16 and, if requested by police, supplies any device that is internet-enabled.

Appearing in the dock, married Creaven spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

The chairman of the bench, Rosemary Heslop, ruled that the address of the defendant should not be published for the safety of the defendant, following an application from Creaven's solicitor, Mr Pritchard, who refused to give his full name to reporters.

The Crown had partly opposed bail on the grounds that Creaven should be remanded in custody for his own protection.

Update - 11.42am: A RTE television sports producer has appeared in court accused of grooming a child for sexual activity in the UK.

Kieran Creaven is said to have flown from Dublin to Leeds to meet up at The Queens Hotel with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but in fact was a fake online identity created by so-called paedophile hunters.

Married Creaven, 55, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court today where he was charged with attempting to meet a child following grooming and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, namely kissing and cuddling.

The court heard the offences were said to have taken place from July 1 - when the defendant first contacted the "girl" - to November 18 when he arrived at the hotel.

No indication to pleas was given as Creaven, of Dublin, was bailed to appear at Leeds Crown Court on December 12.

His bail conditions are that he resides at an address in Ireland given to the court, has no unsupervised contact with any child aged under 16 and, if requested by police, to supply any device that is internet-enabled.

Earlier: RTE employee due in court in UK accused of attempting to engage in sexual activity with girl, 13

An Irish man will appear in court in the UK this morning charged with attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

The man, who is an employee of RTE, is due before Leeds Magistrates Court later today.

His arrest was filmed by a vigilante group, who claim they lured him to Britain after creating a fake Facebook profile of a 13-year-old girl.

The group called 'Predator Exposure' featured on an RTE programme in October.

Police in Leeds have confirmed they were called on Saturday to deal with reports of a man attempting to engage or incite sexual activity with a child in Leeds.

RTE issued a statement this evening, which read: "RTE has been made aware of this matter, which is being dealt with by the Yorkshire Police Force in the United Kingdom."

RTE said that it will not be commenting further.
Yesterday, The Sunday Times published the claims of an unnamed student in his mid-20s who told the newspaper that, while he was a patient in a Dublin mental health a hospital in 2015, he was kissed and groped by Mr Porter.

It comes after on Saturday, four men told the Ireland edition of The Times that Mr Porter groped them without their consent.

The hospital incident is alleged to have taken place while Mr Porter was visiting St Patricks Mental Health Services while engaging in an awareness-raising event. Yesterday, the hospital said it was unaware of any incident until the media reports.

Mr Porter yesterday said he cannot comment on specific allegations at the present time due to legal advice, but that he was taken aback by the news reports, social media comments, and by the scale and tone of the vitriol.

Conor OToole, a comedian who was one of the men to make an allegation against Porter, was critical of his comments on the tone of the coverage.

My apologies to Al Porter for calmly and accurately describing my experience. Wow. Sorry I was a bad victim bud, Mr OToole tweeted.

'The tone of the vitriol.' That's amazing. My apologies to Al Porter for calmly and accurately describing my experience. Wow. Sorry I was a bad victim bud https://t.co/ztHNadzV9w https://t.co/ztHNadzV9w  Conor OToole (@ConorOToole) November 19, 2017

Mr Porter began hosting the weekday lunchtime show on Today FM earlier this year, a job for which he reportedly earned a 140,000 salary.

On Saturday, the station said it agreed that Mr Porter would take some personal time away from the show in light of recent events.

However, last night, Today FM issued a two-line statement to confirm it had accepted Mr Porters resignation, and said it would not comment further on the matter.

Today FM this afternoon accepted the resignation of our lunch time presenter, Al Porter.https://t.co/pyO7KhpXES  Today FM (@TodayFM) November 19, 2017

Mr Porter recently hosted TV3s version of Blind Date. The station pulled a scheduled repeat of the series finale on Saturday, saying it would be inappropriate to broadcast the episode in light of the allegations.

Mr Porter has co-written and is cast to star in the Olympia Theatres annual pantomime Polly & The Beanstalk, with the production scheduled to run for a month, encompassing 43 performances.

The Irish Examiner has contacted the Olympia in Dublin with queries as to the status of the pantomime in light of the allegations against Mr Porter, but has yet to receive a reply.

In a statement, St Patricks Mental Health Services said it was unaware of any incident until the allegations were published in the media.

No allegations, complaints or concerns have been made to St Patricks Mental Health Services by service users or staff in relation to these matters, it said. The organisation would encourage the people making these allegations to report them directly to the Garda Siochana and to the organisation itself so that they can be thoroughly investigated.
It is understood the man flew to the city on Saturday and was arrested that evening.

It is understood he was confronted in Leeds by a group that had created a fake online profile for the girl.
Once upon a time there was a bull called Benjy who lived on a farm in Co Mayo where he was expected to make the girl cows happy. There was a problem though. Benjy was gay.

Benjy became an internet sensation when he was rescued from imminent slaughter by a hefty donation from one of the creators of The Simpsons. The wider public joined the Hollywood mogul in taking Benjy into their hearts. A fundit campaign, to assist in his happy retirement at a UK animal sanctuary, raised thousands.

Benjys fundit campaign didnt cross my radar at the time, but I might well have been daft/soft/ caring enough to throw a few quid in the pot. Animals can make many of us otherwise sensible souls go gooey. A Facebook post featuring a picture of my dog is generally more likely to get feedback, than posts or shares of, say, more worthy human issues.

Im a good mother, but when my son asked recently if I loved the family dog more than him, while I was categorical  No, of course not  it did get me thinking. My son was referring to Ollie, our labrador. I love my three children much, much more than I love Ollie, but I do, most definitely, love that dog.

So what is it about pets and (some) other animals that melts our hearts? A straw pole featuring myself and Ollie reckons its his ever-cheerful nature; the fact that he doesnt leave a trail of laundry in his wake; the way he gives me a boost every time we set off on a walk.

Its that he never, ever answers back and is happy to be seen in my company, even if Im wearing crocs. Of course, my personal theories are nothing but a doggy-bores hunches, but the science behind our love of pets has been gaining ground in the realms of academia and popular psychology.

Limerick-born Eimear McLoughlin has an MA in anthrozoology, the emerging scientific study of human-animal relations. One of her areas of study is homosexual behaviour in animals, which led her to write a paper on the public reaction to Benjy the bull.

I think the driving force behind his popularity was the impending same-sex marriage referendum. His plight captured the zeitgeist of burgeoning public sentiment in Ireland. He became a symbol for sexual freedom.

There are many perspectives that seek to answer why we love animals so much.

"Industrialisation saw rural populations converge into densely populated urban centres where they were distanced from animals they ate.

"The companion animal was invited into the home and into the family, becoming part of the tapestry of our lives. We love our pets so much simply because we allow ourselves to, despite the risks of getting hurt when they leave us.

In his book, Animals and Us, John Bradshaw debunks some of the myths around the benefits of animal-human bonds. If walking the dog makes us feel good, he writes. Its because were walking, the dog is incidental. The roots of our affection for animals lies in the past.

Bradshaws research delves back into prehistoric times, when survival hinged on prowess as a hunter-gather and it was advantageous to try to figure out what prey might be thinking. It also helped as humans moved to pastoral lifestyles and set out to domesticate animals.

As time went on, the woman who cared for a young animal would be seen as one who had good mothering potential and was more attractive as a mate. Bonding with animals gave evolutionary advantages.

In his book Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat, psychologist Hal Herzog explores the subject of humanitys divergent attitudes towards animals.

He asks questions like who enjoyed a better quality of life  the chicken on a dinner plate or the rooster who died in a Saturday-night cockfight? Why is it wrong to eat the family dog?

I wont be putting my four-legged fella in a stir-fry any time soon, but it gives food for thought when you consider that while a puppy can be regarded as one of the family in this part of the world, in other countries a puppy would be regarded as something of a pariah, and in yet others a perfectly good meal.

We might coo over a cute little pink-nosed white mouse, or feel sympathetic towards a laboratory mouse, but who would feel anything other than horror hearing those little footsteps scurrying around their attic?

Our moral stance on animals is inconsistent, concludes Herzog, who asks: How can 60% of Americans believe simultaneously that animals have the right to live and that people have the right to eat them?

If Herzog is right in another assertion of his  that keeping pets is a self-perpetuating trend that feeds on its own popularity, then its a trend that wont be going away soon.

In a study, 40% of pet owners in Ireland admitted to buying their pets Christmas presents.

Im not one of the club on that statistic, but count myself in with the 91% who recognise their dogs and cats as members of the family. Its nice to know Im not alone.
When Donald Trump was elected US president a year ago, some said the end of the Paris climate agreement was nigh.

Yet, as the latest round of global climate talks in Bonn, Germany, has shown, the worlds political leaders are more committed to the deal than ever.

This is good news, but the fact remains that countries commitments do not yet add up to enough to turn the tide  and our window of opportunity to act effectively on climate change is rapidly closing.

Trumps decision to withdraw the United States  the worlds largest historical carbon dioxide emitter  from the Paris agreement dealt the accord a major blow.

Many of Americas closest allies were deeply disappointed by the move, which was shortsighted, for both America and the world.

But it is hard not to take heart from the fresh wave of global resolve Trumps decision has unleashed, both globally and within the US itself. Almost every major US state, city, and company has now pledged to do more to ensure that their country can meet its commitments, despite the Trump administrations opposition.

The fact that climate action is now the worlds biggest economic opportunity has certainly helped.

According to the Trump administrations own analysis, more than twice as many Americans are now working in the solar industry than in coal, oil, and gas combined.

And earlier this year, the OECD indicated that we could boost global growth by 5% per year by 2050, simply by linking the climate and growth agendas.

There is no time to waste; climate change has already arrived. This years record-breaking drought in the Marshall Islands, apocalyptic storms in the Caribbean, and devastating floods in Bangladesh and the US demonstrate this.

As the United Nations Environment Programme recently reminded us, even if every country hits its existing 2030 emissions-reduction targets, we will be unable to limit warming to below 1.5C above preindustrial levels  the threshold, recognised in the Paris agreement, beyond which the impact of climate change becomes far greater.

Our chances even of staying within the more conservative  and dangerous  2C limit will be slim.

To ignore this reality is to gamble with the existential future of many island countries, not to mention the prosperity of the global economy.

Without a sharp rise in global ambition for emissions reductions by 2020, we will be unable to save the worlds most vulnerable countries.

And if runaway climate change takes hold, no country will be immune to its effects.

Unfortunately, things will get a lot worse before they get better. That is why we must step up our efforts to boost our resilience to the climate effects we wont be able to avoid, and address the associated security consequences.

In the meantime, we must urgently increase the ambition of our climate commitments. Fortunately, several upcoming events offer an opportunity to do just that. We need to seize that opportunity with both hands.

Next month, French President Emmanuel Macron will host a conference to mark the two-year anniversary of the Paris agreement.

And next September, California Governor Jerry Brown will host his own summit to galvanize greater action by cities, companies, and other non-state actors.

The biggest opportunity, however, will come in 2019, when UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres convenes world leaders in New York for the biggest climate gathering since the Paris talks.

We need to build an arc of ambition across these events that can, in the words of our friend Tony de Brum, the late Marshallese foreign minister and untiring climate warrior at the Paris conference, deliver a pathway to survival for the most vulnerable.

Some significant players are already going above and beyond their pledges. A number of others, including the Marshall Islands, are set to bring forward new targets by 2020, to augment their current targets, which reach only as far as 2025.

Still others  including France, India, and New Zealand  have said informally that they are eager to do more.

The truth is that almost all countries have the capacity to do more, especially if the support is there and the opportunities are identified.

The imperative now is to create the right political conditions both to motivate and facilitate action. As more countries signal their ability to increase the ambition of their commitments, still more will follow.

At the same time, we must ensure that every sector, as well as every country, does its fair share. This includes, for example, international shipping, which, if it were a country, would be the worlds sixth-largest emitter.

Next years Talanoa Dialogue  to be convened by Fiji, which last week became the first island state to chair UN climate talks  will help countries identify exactly how they can achieve the goals set in the Paris agreement.

That dialogue, which countries should approach in good faith, must be a springboard for further action.

To that end, the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report laying out pathways for keeping the temperature rise below the 1.5C threshold will be crucial. The science remains key.

The Paris talks proved that political success is possible, if leaders are given the right platform, if civil society mobilizes behind them, and if the world acts in unison.

To get the rest of the way to a sustainable future, we must apply this lesson again. The catchphrase at the Bonn conference was further, faster, and together.

Our collective challenge is to translate a nice-sounding slogan into reality.

Hilda Heine is President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Kevin Rudd, the 26th prime minister of Australia, is currently president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.
With abundant displays of general dysfunction and specific allegations of sexual assault and harassment becoming pervasive in Washington, it is worth remembering that there are good examples of decency and leadership that we can point to. Republicans need to look no further than Vice President Pence.

As with all vice presidents, much of Pences contributions are under-reported. He is dignified and cool at a time when the media craves salacious and hot.

Much of the medias recent attention has focused on the wave of Roy Moore, and now Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and perhaps major revelations about U.S. taxpayer money being used to settle sexual harassment claims in the House of Representatives. Put it this way: The word wholesome doesnt come up much these days when talking about the American political condition. A look at the work and style of the vice president, however, supplies much needed reassurance and relief.

Despite all the noise, Pence has successfully stuck to the message that Republicans are working on issues that matter. Specifically, tax reform  which passed the House last week  and health care and infrastructure; which he reminds us are still alive.

Most recently at the Republican Governors Association annual conference, Pences reassuring presentation gave attendees hope that Washington might not be spiraling out of control. While he was in Texas, Pence was able to hold forth with authority on everything from hurricane relief in Puerto Rico and in the mainland, to a detailed discussion about tax policy and the presidents visit to Asia.

Pence and his office have been thought of as the pod of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic White House. Pence is confident in his role. His staff people understand what their jobs are, they dont covet their neighbors job and they have reputations as being experienced and savvy. And now, thanks to Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, they arent as walled-off as they once were. Believe it or not, the ranks of the rational and well-adjusted are growing inside the White House. In fact, a greater sense of organization and discipline is coming over the entire Trump administration  with much of it originating from the vice presidents office. We are still unlikely to experience a full pivot, but things in Trump-world are getting better.

While the likes of Kelly, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and a few others are considered guardians of the galaxy who act as guard rails that could keep the administration from plunging into a disastrous calamity, Pence is able to play some offense on the White Houses behalf. Everyone knows he has authority, but they dont blame him for the confusion. He is welcomed on Capitol Hill as someone who knows and understands the details, governors claim him as a member in good standing within their informal club and Republicans everywhere are proud of him. The very things the media want to ridicule are the very things that make Pence stronger during these tumultuous times. It is a good thing we have Mike Pence.

Ed Rogers is a political consultant and a veteran of the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush White Houses and several national campaigns.
Local activists are rightly keeping the dream alive and in the public spotlight.

About 100 of them, students and city residents, demonstrated at Wake Forest University recently to demand that Congress pass a clean Dream Act that would provide citizenship for DACA participants, the Journals John Hinton reported. Outside WFUs Wait Chapel, they held signs and chanted to draw attention to this issue, which has been left in limbo by President Trumps decision in September to end DACA and leave it in the hands of Congress to resolve legislatively.

We have been fighting for humane immigration reform, Maria Cortez-Perez, a WFU sophomore and DACA recipient, told the demonstrators.

At the same time, college students were visiting the Washington offices of congressional members, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr as well as U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, demanding that the legislators vote for a Dream Act, the Journal reported.

Nearly two dozen House Republicans have pressed Speaker Paul Ryan to act quickly on legislation to protect the DACA participants, the Journal reported.

These efforts are well-organized, highly motivated and heartfelt.

Tillis introduced the Solution for Undocumented Children through Careers, Employment, Education and Defending the country (SUCCEED) Act in September. Its not perfect, but its a start.

DACA  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  allowed the Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. when they were young and had no choice in the matter, to register with the government and remain here while contributing significantly to our society, either by working, attending college or serving in the military. Theyve all been thoroughly vetted and keep their noses out of trouble. There are an estimated 800,000 such young people, about 27,000 in North Carolina.

It serves no purpose to remove these fine young people. They contribute to the economy, to our tax base and to putting America at the forefront in terms of technology and so many other fields.

We hope that keeping the issue in the public and legislative eye will finally, after long years, lead to a solution that will benefit the DACA recipients and the rest of us.
Almost two years of preparation involving over 200 meetings, 30 subcommittees, and so on. Thats just a quick look at Joyce Rabins work as Chair of Together in Israel: Our Pride, Our Purpose. Hadassahs 100th National Convention. (Hadassah, which was founded in 1912, held its first conventi Read moreS'ville resident helps organize 100th national of Hadassah, The Womens Zionist Organization of America
Ahead of the judgement Wednesday of Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic, here is a timeline of the 1990s Balkans conflicts that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

- Bickering after Tito dies -

Communist Yugoslavia, which emerged shortly after the end of World War II, was made up of six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

Following the death of its autocratic leader Josip Broz Tito in 1980, the Yugoslav federation found itself in crisis, with bickering between ethnic groups and surging nationalist sentiments.

By the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, inter-ethnic relations in Yugoslavia were at breaking point. The first multiparty elections in the republics in 1990 were won mostly by nationalists.

The most prosperous republics, Slovenia and Croatia, started advocating a greater decentralisation of Yugoslavia's government.

But the largest republic, Serbia, led by Slobodan Milosevic, rallied fellow Serbs throughout Yugoslavia in a push for centralised control.

- Slovenia and Croatia declare independence -

On June 25, 1991, the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, which led to the deployment of the Belgrade-controlled Yugoslav army (JNA) towards affected borders and airports.

After a 10-day conflict, the JNA withdrew from ethnically homogeneous Slovenia.

But in Croatia, Serbian troops sided with ethnic Serb rebels who opposed independence, launching what would become a four-year war.

The eastern town of Vukovar was razed to the ground during a siege by Yugoslav forces in autumn 1991, while the medieval Adriatic town of Dubrovnik was severely damaged.

- Bosnian referendum -

In Bosnia, the most ethnically and religiously diverse republic and home to four million people, Muslims and Croats organised an independence referendum.

The move was fiercely opposed by Belgrade-backed Bosnian Serbs, who made up more than 30 percent of the population.

While Serbs boycotted the vote, 60 percent of Bosnia's citizens voted for independence.

- Bosnian war -

In April 1992 war broke out between Bosnia's Muslims and Croats, who were on one side, and Bosnian Serbs. Bosnia won international recognition a day later.

Led by Radovan Karadzic and armed by the JNA, the Serbs declared that territories under their control belonged to an entity called Republika Srpska.

Soon after, Bosnian Croats turned against the republic's Muslims.

- Siege of Sarajevo -

Bosnian Serb troops immediately started a siege of the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo which would last 44 months.

The city's 350,000 residents struggled to get basic necessities and at least 10,000 were killed by sniping and shelling by Serbs.

By May 1992 Bosnian Serbs controlled two-thirds of Bosnia.

- Ethnic cleansing -

In August the first images of skeletal prisoners in camps awoke the world to the campaign of ethnic cleansing by Serb forces.

An estimated 20,000 women, mostly Muslims, were raped.

- Srebrenica massacre -

In July 1995 Bosnian Serb forces took over the UN-protected "safe area" of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and massacred up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Described by two international courts as genocide, the massacre was the worst mass killing in Europe since the end of World War II.

- NATO airstrikes, Dayton agreement -

In August 1995, after the fall of Srebrenica and the bombing of a Sarajevo market in which 41 people were killed, NATO unleashed airstrikes on Bosnian Serb positions.

On November 21, 1995, following three weeks of talks in the US city of Dayton, Ohio, the leaders of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia agreed to a peace deal.

In December 1995 a NATO peacekeeping force was deployed in Bosnia, which had been divided into a Muslim-Croat Federation, covering 51 percent of the territory, and a Serb entity, the Republika Srpska.

- The Kosovo conflict -

War then broke out in 1998 in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo between ethnic Albanian rebels seeking independence and Serbia's armed forces.

The fighting ended in 1999 after an 11-week bombing campaign by NATO, by which time about 13,000 people had been killed and hundreds of thousands had fled their homes.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move Serbia refuses to recognise.

- Legal postscript -

The International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia, established in 1993, has continued prosecuting those responsible for war crimes since the end of the conflicts.

It has indicted 161 people, convicted 83 and acquitted 19. Among those sentenced is Bosnian Serb wartime leader Karadzic, while Milosevic died in prison before being judged.

The court is scheduled to close down on December 31, and a separate tribunal has been set up to handle remaining appeals and other issues.
Ratko Mladic, who faces judgement Wednesday for alleged genocide, believed himself a crusading defender of the Serbs but was dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia" for mass slaughter at the hands of his forces.

The ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb troops in the 1990s civil war, Mladic came to symbolise a barbaric plan to rid swathes of Bosnian territory of Croats and Muslims and carve out a Serb-only state.

Captured in 2011 after 16 years on the run, Europe's most wanted man was by then an ailing shadow of his former stocky self.

But the general's defiance appeared undimmed during his trial at The Hague, although he was dogged by ill health, and the 74-year-old remains a hero to many Serbs to this day.

To the families of war victims, he will forever be associated with the bloody 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica.

Mladic presented the sacking of the eastern Bosnian enclave as retribution against "the Turks" for a massacre of Serbs under the Ottoman Empire, wrote journalist Julian Borger in his book "The Butcher's Trail", published last year.

"He reassured panicked Muslim women captives that their loved ones would be safe at the same time his soldiers were rounding up and slaughtering eight thousand of their husbands and sons," Borger wrote.

Mladic is charged with genocide over the killings, considered the worst atrocities on European soil since the end of World War II.

He will learn his fate on Wednesday from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 11 counts arising from the conflict, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mladic denies all the charges, describing them as "obnoxious" at his first court appearance in 2011.

"I defended my country and my people," he said.

- Military path -

Born in the village of Bozinovici in eastern Bosnia, Mladic's life was struck by bloodshed and tragedy as a toddler, when his father was killed in battle by the Ustasha, Croatia's fascist World War II regime.

Mladic followed his parent's military path and was a colonel in the Yugoslav army when the federation began to crumble in June 1991.

He was sent to organise the Serb-dominated army in Croatia, and the following May he was made commander of Bosnian Serb forces, tasked with seizing land across Bosnia for Serbs.

Former Yugoslav army spokesman Ljubodrag Stojadinovic once described Mladic as "narcissistic, conceited, vain and arrogant".

In 1994, at the height of the war, Mladic's only daughter Ana committed suicide in Belgrade, aged 23, with her father's favourite pistol.

Those close to the general were reported as saying that he was pushed over the edge by her death, which came a year before the Srebrenica massacre took place.

Prosecutors also hold Mladic responsible for the interminable siege of Sarajevo, which claimed an estimated 10,000 lives and deprived the city of food, water and electricity with a barrage of shells and sniper fire.

At the trial's end, prosecutor Alan Tieger dismissed defence claims that the general's role in the conflict was limited, maintaining he was the man who "called the shots".

- 'Coward's war' -

Although Mladic was revered by his men, "his war was a coward's war", according to veteran Balkans journalist Tim Judah.

"He fought few pitched battles but managed to drive hundreds of thousands of unarmed people out of their homes," Judah wrote in his book "The Serbs".

Mladic was indicted by the ICTY in 1995 and dismissed from his post the following year. But he initially enjoyed a luxurious and protected life as a fugitive, staying in Serbian military resorts with an entourage of staff, according to Borger.

He later went underground in Belgrade after the fall of strongman Slobodan Milosevic -- who died while on trial at The Hague in 2006 -- and as Serbia came under growing pressure from the West to capture Mladic.

The general was finally arrested in May 2011 at his cousin's house in bucolic northern Serbia.

His last request before his transfer to the court was to visit his daughter's grave.
The UN court dealing with crimes committed during the wars that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia hands down its penultimate ruling on Wednesday, having delivered 83 convictions.

Ahead of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) judgement of Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic, here is a rundown of the fate of other key players in the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

- Milosevic, Serbian president: charged -

Slobodan Milosevic was accused of fuelling ethnic conflict and mass murder in the former Yugoslavia during his 13 years of iron rule, defying international sanctions and NATO bombs.

Elected Serbian president in 1990, he played a key role in supporting the Serb cause during the Croatian and Bosnian wars, and in the later Kosovo conflict when he was Yugoslav president.

He died in his cell in 2006 aged 64 while awaiting a verdict on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

- Karadzic, Bosnian Serb leader: guilty -

Radovan Karadzic was found guilty in 2016 of genocide and nine other charges including extermination, deportations and hostage-taking. He was sentenced to 40 years in jail.

The genocide conviction arose from the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered.

Karadzic, 72, has appealed. He evaded capture for 13 years until he was arrested in 2008 on a Belgrade bus, masquerading behind a bushy beard as a New Age healer.

- Seselj, radical Serb: acquitted -

A Milosevic ally, Vojislav Seselj was accused of being behind the murder of many Croats, Muslims and other non-Serbs, as well as the forced deportation of "tens of thousands".

The ICTY court acquitted the hardline Serbian Radical Party leader on all charges, saying he did not have "hierarchial" responsibility for his paramilitary forces after they came under Serbian army control.

The court's chief prosecutor has appealed, denouncing "errors".

Now aged 63, the Serbian Radical Party leader is a member of parliament.

- Izetbegovic, Bosnian president: not indicted -

Bosnia's first president, Alija Izetbegovic, was a Muslim who led the country to independence, a move that was followed by the bloody 1992-1995 war between Muslims, Serbs and Croats.

After his death in 2000, the ICTY said it had been investigating Serb allegations that he committed war crimes, but no charges were ever brought.

- Tudjman, Croatia president: escaped charges -

Franjo Tudjman took the Croatian republic out of the Yugoslav federation. The subsequent independence war left about 20,000 people dead.

After Tudjman died in 1999, aged 77, the ICTY said he would have been indicted for war crimes had he lived.

- Plavsic, Bosnian Serb president: guilty -

Vice-president of the Serbs' self-declared Republika Srpska during the Bosnian war, Biljana Plavsic -- the only woman to be convicted by the ICTY -- pleaded guilty to crimes against humanity and was sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2003.

She was found to have played a leading role in a campaign of persecution against Croats and Muslims.

Now 87, she was granted release in 2009.

- Gotovina, Croatian general: acquitted -

An army general considered a war hero by many Croats, Ante Gotovina, now 62, was initially sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

He was acquitted on appeal in 2012.

- Krajisnik, Serb leader: guilty -

Momcilo Krajisnik, 72, a wartime Bosnian Serb leader, was released in August 2013 -- to a hero's welcome at home -- after serving two-thirds of a 20-year sentence for crimes against humanity.

- Thaci, Kosovo president: faces court? -

Hashim Thaci, Kosovo's president since 2016, was once the political leader of the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that fought for independence from Serbia.

A 2010 Council of Europe report alleged he headed a mafia-style network involved in assassinations, unlawful detentions and trafficking captives' organs during and after the conflict. He has denied the charges.

He was not investigated by the ICTY but could face a special court recently established at The Hague to try crimes allegedly committed by KLA figures.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by The International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes related to the Darfur conflict, will visit Russia on Thursday, the Kremlin said.

The visit will be the long-time Sudanese leader's first official trip to Moscow.

"We can confirm that (a meeting will take place) on Thursday," news agencies quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying.

He did not say whether the Sudanese leader would be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin or another senior official.

Bashir has denied charges against him and continues to travel to various countries with impunity, despite being wanted by the Hague-based court.

Sudan's deadly conflict in Darfur broke out in 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, which launched a brutal counter-insurgency.

The UN says at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced as a result of the conflict.

Top Sudanese officials including Bashir now claim that the conflict has ended, but the region continues to see regular fighting between myriad ethnic and tribal groups.
More than 5,000 victims of atrocities committed by troops commanded by former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba are calling for individual reparations, rights activists said Monday.

International judges sentenced Bemba in June 2016 to 18 years in jail on five charges of war crimes committed when his troops went on a murderous and violent rampage in neighbouring Central African Republic between October 2002 to March 2003.

Most of the victims "have lost everything, and continue to live with the physical and psychological consequences of the crimes, horrors and traumas they have experienced," said a rights NGO.

Although Bemba has appealed his sentence, the ICC is already preparing the ground for what reparations should be awarded to the 5,229 victims.

It would be the tribunal's third such award since it opened in 2002 as the world's only permanent war crimes court to prosecute the worst of crimes.

According to a survey by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in June, most victims want to see individual damages rather than a collective award for communities ravaged by Bemba's private militia.

"They insist that their compensation be paid to them individually and be accompanied by awareness-raising sessions to make people more sensitive to the problem of stigmatisation," FIDH added.

- A commander's responsibility -

Bemba, now 55, sent in 1,500 troops from his Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) to quash a coup in CAR.

But they unleashed a five-month reign of terror, with the court handed down its toughest penalty for what it denounced as a wave of "sadistic, cruel" rapes and murders.

Bemba's case was the first at the ICC to focus on rape as a weapon of war and the first to highlight a military commander's responsibility for the conduct of the troops under his control.

Even if the reparations come late they "are still an exception in a country that is ravaged by impunity and that continues to be the target of violent conflicts and sexual crimes committed by militias and armed groups," FIDH added.

The victims also want to see the formerly rich businessman forced to pay damages from his own pocket.

In its two previous reparations awards, war crimes judges said in August that a Malian jihadist was liable for 2.7 million euros for destroying Timbuktu's fabled shrines in 2012.

But it recognised he was penniless.

And in March, the ICC awarded symbolic damages of $250 (212 euros) to each of the 297 victims of former Congolese warlord Germain Katanga, serving 12 years for a 2003 attack on a village.

Reparations are also still due to be finalised in the case of Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, serving 14 years for conscripting child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he was horrified by video footage showing migrants sold as slaves in Libya and that these auctions should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity.

US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live auction in Libya where black men were presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400.

"Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity," Guterres told reporters.

"I am horrified at news reports and video footage showing African migrants in Libya reportedly being sold as slaves," he said, adding: "I abhor these appalling acts."

Guterres called on "all competent authorities" to investigate the slave auctions without delay, adding he had asked the "relevant United Nations actors to actively pursue this matter."

Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would investigate the allegations, in a statement posted Sunday on the Facebook page of the GNA's press office.

The images have triggered outrage from African leaders and calls for an inquiry.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a "despicable trade... from another era".

Senegal's government expressed "outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil" that constituted a "blight on the conscience of humanity".

Niger's president Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him "deeply angry" and urged Libyan authorities and international organizations to do "everything possible to stop this practice".
Amnesty International and 34 other humanitarian groups on Monday called for the UN Human Rights Council to hold a special session on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.

We "strongly support calls for a UN Human Rights Council special session on the deteriorating human rights situation in Myanmar and urge your delegations to support holding such a session as soon as possible", an open letter addressed to the council said.

"In light of serious reports of human rights violations... we believe that a special session is imperative to launch decisive action and ensure international scrutiny and monitoring of the situation."

The groups said the council should adopt a resolution that would call on the Myanmar government to "immediately cease all human rights violations, including crimes against humanity" and allow human rights groups "full and unfettered access to all parts of the country".

The 47-member council rarely convenes for a special session. In all, the UN group has held 26 since its inception in 2006.

A special session may be held at the request of at least a third of the member states, or 16 countries.

Earlier this month the UN Security Council dropped plans to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the violence in Myanmar in the face of strong opposition from China.

More than 600,000 Rohingya are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in late August.

There have given chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces.

The UN has said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in northern Rakhine state, amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has faced intense criticism outside Myanmar for her perceived failure to speak up for the Rohingya.

On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini joined a stream of diplomats to meet Suu Kyi in recent days as efforts intensify in hopes of resolving the crisis.
An early evening mobile home fire in Leadwood is being investigated by local police and the Missouri State Fire Marshals office.

Leadwood Assistant Fire Chief Charlie Lewis said they were called at 5 p.m. for a fire at an abandoned mobile home.

It was an unoccupied home and there were no utilities connected to it, said Lewis. Its being investigated by the fire marshal and police right now. When we got there it was fully involved. Its still standing, but not by much.

Lewis said it was a 1970s model mobile home and, fortunately, it happened earlier in the evening, otherwise it would have likely completely burned down if it had happened over night.

We had the fire under control within 10 minutes and were only there for a couple of hours, said Lewis. The fire marshal will be out in the morning to look at the mobile home and handle his part of the investigation.

Lewis said there was another home approximately 35 feet away from the mobile but it wasnt affected by the fire.

Firefighters from Desloge, Irondale, Terre Du Lac, Park Hills and Leadington assisted Leadwood with the fire.
DEAR ABBY: Our organization, No Greater Love, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that honors America's fallen and their families, and promotes peace. I am reaching out to you and your millions of readers about an important event we are planning. NGL invites you and your readers to become links in our Chain of Prayer for Peace.

As you gather together at Thanksgiving, please consider adding a special prayer for peace. Our goal is to link children and adults of all religions by praying on that day -- and every day possible -- for peace in the world.

We have invited the five major world religions -- Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism -- all of which regard peace as a universal concept. While our specific beliefs may differ, we are all one through our quest for love and peace. -- CARMELLA LaSPADA

DEAR CARMELLA: I am sure my readers will agree that your idea is one worth trying. I'm reminded of the adage that when a stone is tossed into a pond, the ripple effect spreads much farther than the point of impact. It's my prayer that when readers of all faiths focus their positive energy on such an important outcome, something similar will happen.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Mark," and I have been dating for three months but have been friends for about eight years. Neither of us have it together (career-wise) at the moment. Mark is two years older than me.

For some reason, he's hesitant about getting his driver's license. When I brought it up when he was a senior in high school -- we were just friends then -- he said he was going to get it before graduation. That was seven years ago. Now he's my boyfriend, and I feel weird picking him up and dropping him off.

His excuse is he wants to perfectly parallel park. When I got my driver's license, I did just OK with parallel parking, but I passed the driving test. How do I approach him about getting his driver's license? -- GETTING NOWHERE IN GEORGIA

DEAR GETTING NOWHERE: For whatever reason, I suspect that Mark hasn't been completely honest about why he hasn't gotten his driver's license. Approach him directly, and tell him you are uncomfortable providing all the transportation. And if his excuse is he wants to perfect his parallel parking, suggest he take a driver's education course.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I recently moved to Florida. We are meeting people but are confused regarding social activities. We have been invited to get-togethers several times only to be instructed to bring our own drinks and an appetizer to share. When we entertain, we don't expect our guests to bring anything. Is this the norm? -- CONFUSED IN FLORIDA

DEAR CONFUSED: It may be the norm in the community where you are now living, but it's news to me. I have heard of a BYOB party, and I have heard of a potluck party, but never a "Bring Your Own EVERYTHING" party.

DEAR ABBY: My husband had a medical event that left him unable to drive. He is very isolated despite my efforts to keep him connected. His children live an hour away, and it's up to me to drive him to them. They rarely call him. He has a stepdaughter who lives only a few miles from us. We reach out to her, but she also doesn't have time for him. It's ironic because she regularly ministers to strangers through her church while her stepfather languishes in loneliness.

How deeply appreciated an offer to take this lonely old gentleman shopping, for a drive, or giving him a visit or a weekly phone call would be. What else can I do about this? -- FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA

DEAR FRUSTRATED: I am sorry you didn't mention how close your husband was to his children before the medical event. If they were close and have abandoned him, then shame on them.

I see no way for you to force them to make more of an effort to give their father the emotional support he needs. You can, however, depending upon how impaired he is, try to involve him in activities that don't require being driven an hour away. If there's a senior center near you, you might have more luck in keeping him less isolated if you reach out to them.

DEAR ABBY: A group of friends and I go out for dinner. When the check arrives, we all have cash except for one woman who wants to pay her share with a credit card. She claims she "doesn't know how much she owes" and tells the waiter to use her credit card to pay her share. Abby, she then pays only for her food and beverage, no tax and no tip! I have told her in the past to bring cash, but she won't.

I think it is unfair to the waiter to have to figure out how much she owes. When we tried to talk to her about it, she reacted like she was being attacked and went to other friends and got them to agree with "her side." If anyone disagrees with her, she goes on and on until she either loses a friend or the person gives in and tells her she's right. How do we deal with someone like this? Should we just give up on her and end the friendship? -- CHECK, PLEASE

DEAR CHECK, PLEASE: I see no reason to give up on the friendship. Just stop having dinner with her if her behavior bothers you.

DEAR ABBY: I'm 12 and I'm depressed. I have been depressed for a year now. I have not told my mom that I cry in the shower. Please guide me on what to do and help get me out of this dark hole. -- SAD IN SAN DIEGO

DEAR SAD: I'm so glad you wrote. It's very important that you tell your mother or some other trusted adult that you are depressed, and how long this has been going on. You may need counseling or the intervention of some other adult to fix this problem. Please don't wait, and please DO write again and let me know how you're doing. I care.

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating my boyfriend for three years. We have lived together for the last two. We have a great life together, but there is a problem I don't know how to solve. "Jeremy" hates his job.

We met in the education department of our college, and after graduation, we both took jobs in the public school system. I enjoy my career, but he loathes his. He complains constantly without seeming to take action on the issue. I know he's miserable, but he hasn't looked for other jobs or enrolled in a new school program.

I have bad days, too, but I've reached the end of listening to the constant griping. I am usually a positive person, but he is dragging my mood down because of this. He says I need to guide him and give him some direction, but I don't know what to say. I don't think it's my responsibility to tell another adult what he should or shouldn't do with his life. I don't mind helping him talk through his choices, but he wants more from me.

This is the man I want to marry. Is there a way to get past this issue and make it work? -- UNCERTAIN AND LOST

DEAR UNCERTAIN: Until your boyfriend has settled this uncertainty about his work life, any discussion about marriage should be put on hold. I agree you are not qualified to give him career advice. However, you might ask him to tell you what exactly it is that he hates about his job, and what he would rather be doing. His answers may give both of you insight into what he may be better suited for emotionally, and stimulate him to do something positive about his future. Once he has more clarity, there may be places he can go for career counseling that can help him decide what his next steps should be.

DEAR ABBY: You have mentioned in the past that you have a booklet on writing letters, including thank-you notes. Where do I send for it? I'll need four because my grandkids are lacking in that area.

It's truly a shame that younger generations haven't been taught about the importance of such notes. A simple "thank you" can not only open doors of opportunity both socially and in employment, but also help grandparents feel appreciated after their heartfelt gift-giving. -- NANCY IN NEVADA

DEAR NANCY: If there is one subject that crops up repeatedly in my mail, it's thank-you notes -- or rather, the lack of them. I print letters about it because of the number of complaints I receive. When a gift or a check isn't acknowledged, the (unwritten) message it sends is that the item wasn't appreciated, which is insulting and hurtful.

Chief among the reasons that thank-you notes are unwritten is that many people don't know what to say. They think the message has to be long and flowery when, in fact, keeping it short and to the point is more effective. My booklet, "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," contains samples of thank-you letters for birthday gifts, shower gifts and wedding gifts, as well as those that arrive around holiday time. It also includes letters of congratulations and ones regarding difficult subjects, such as the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child. It can be ordered by sending your name, mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby Letters Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) With the holiday season approaching, this is the perfect time to reply with a handwritten letter, note or well-written email.

Because the composition of letters is not always effectively taught in the schools, my booklet can serve as a helpful tutorial, one that is valuable for parents as a way to teach their children to write using proper etiquette.

DEAR ABBY: My 8-year-old daughter keeps asking me for a smartphone. I'm at a loss about who she would call besides me and her dad. She points out these different kids her age who have phones. They are the same kids I view as ones who will have no curfew, boyfriends at 12 and parents who aren't as involved as we are. At what age do you feel kids should have smartphones? -- INVOLVED PARENT

DEAR INVOLVED PARENT: I don't think there is a magic number, but your daughter is definitely too young to have one. Smartphones can be dangerous when they are used irresponsibly. A flip phone, perhaps, for her to contact you in case of emergencies, might be appropriate.

Because her friends have smartphones is not a valid reason for her to have one. Before that happens, you must be confident that it will be used responsibly, and that you and her father will be able to review its history.

DEAR ABBY: Could you help all of us guys named Shelby spread the word that Shelby is not just for the female gender? Many boys and men like me have the handle and are proud of it. -- SHELBY FROM TEXAS

DEAR SHELBY: So do some automobiles! I'm glad to relay your message. Today many women have names that were once associated only with the masculine gender -- Cameron, Bailey, Logan, Morgan, to name a few -- and turnabout is fair play. I'm reminded of the song "A Boy Named Sue."

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 17-year-old girl and a junior in high school. I have a crush on a guy who's 14 and a freshman. I know age gaps don't matter as much later on, but the difference between 17 and 14 can be drastic. "Jake" is really sweet, and he's as interested in me as I am in him (unlike the boys in my grade).

I'm friends with Jake's sister "Julie," who's a year older than me and a senior. Julie has made it clear she doesn't like the idea of a romantic relationship between Jake and me because Jake is only 14.

What can I do? Should I ignore this crush? I have judged people who have dated despite age gaps. (For example, a senior boy dating a sophomore girl.) But now I understand it. If the girl is older, does that complicate things?

I don't want to be seen as creepy or gross, but, to be honest, I'm not that experienced romantically or socially myself. (I have never even been to a real party.) Must I forget my feelings and move on, or do I talk to Julie and try to pursue this? -- TEEN CRUSH

DEAR TEEN CRUSH: Julie has already given you her answer. As you have pointed out, there is a bias against dating someone so much younger, and it could cause you problems not only with your peers, but also with the law if your relationship were to become sexual when you turn 18. That's why I'm suggesting you turn your romantic interests elsewhere. When you're BOTH adults, if you're still interested, you can pursue a romantic relationship then.

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I are being married in a few days. We are expecting our first child a few days after that. The problem is my mother. We decided on a small ceremony, but my mother is opposed to the marriage because she doesn't like the idea of me marrying -- not just my fiance, but anyone. She has always told me a man will leave me destitute, pregnant with too many kids, and I won't be able to take care of myself. She has repeated it since I was about 10.

Because she has threatened to object at the ceremony, we decided not to invite her. We have invited his parents and my father and stepmother. Mom has said she will not allow my child to see her grandfather because "he is a bad person." She may have good intentions, but dictating who can be around my child is not her choice, considering she has had little to no contact with him in 25 years.

I wish she could be at our wedding, but she has now distanced herself from me and my fiance. Should I let her cool off and hope she comes around, or accept that this is the path she has chosen? Please advise, Abby. -- PROBLEM MOTHER IN KENTUCKY

DEAR PROBLEM MOTHER: Your mother may be anti-marriage because hers failed spectacularly. She appears to be a troubled woman. By all means, let her cool off, but do not allow her to dictate your life. If she does, her anger and bitterness could negatively affect your marriage.

DEAR ABBY: The winter months are hard for me. They remind me that another year has gone by without my father and my younger sister.

Dad had been a smoker since his teens and died from pancreatic cancer at 39. I was 13, and my siblings were younger. In those days, we didn't know that smoking was a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

My sister smoked from the time she was 13. She died from lung cancer at 44, leaving behind two young sons.

Neither my father nor my sister got to experience the wonderful family milestones and celebrations we have had. Their grandchildren will never know them. Each year during the holidays, I feel a sadness in my heart.

I urge every smoker to make a vow to quit and carry it through, not only for their own sake but also their family's. Stay determined to quit so you won't cause your loved ones sadness and won't miss out on their futures. With all my heart, I wish smokers the best of luck in quitting. -- MISSING DAD AND SIS IN SACRAMENTO

DEAR MISSING: I'm glad you wrote because the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout will be held on Nov. 16. It's a day when millions of smokers put down their cigarettes -- just for one day -- with the conviction that if they can go 24 hours without one, then they can do it for 48 hours, 72 hours, and stop smoking for good. The idea grew out of a 1970 event in Randolph, Massachusetts, and became a national event in 1977.

Readers, I'm not going to harangue you with death threats. We are all aware of the grim statistics associated with cancer-related deaths caused by tobacco. If you're interested in quitting, this is a perfect opportunity. Call (800) 227-2345 to be connected with counseling services in your community, provided with self-help materials offering information and strategies on quitting for good, and to receive information about medications available to help you quit. This service is free and provided 24/7. Or go online to cancer.org.

DEAR ABBY: I need your help. Over the past few weeks, I have been vacationing at my mother-in-law's home. The other day I was browsing on her computer and accidentally opened her browsing history. It turns out that she regularly looks at and responds to Craigslist personals.

I was shocked when I read some of the perverted requests she has responded to. The language she used would make a sailor blush. Keep in mind, my mother-in-law is a married woman.

I don't know how to react. Should I tell my wife? Keep it to myself? Make a fake Craigslist post and catch her in the act? -- KINKS IN THE FAMILY

DEAR KINKS: If you disclose this to your wife, it could damage her relationship with her mother. If she tells her mother what you found, it will create a breach in the family. If you trap the woman by creating a fake Craigslist post and she realizes she has been made a fool of, it will not -- to put it mildly -- endear you to her. Let it lie.

DEAR ABBY: Help! I'm a 67-year-old man being relentlessly chased by a 68-year-old woman. I have told her I want to date other women and will be moving out of the country at the end of the year. Despite this, she is constantly trying to maneuver me into an exclusive relationship, probably ending in living together. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm at a loss as to how to get her to back off. -- HAPPILY UNCOMMITTED

DEAR UNCOMMITTED: Here's how. Tell her you can't handle the pressure she's putting on you and end the relationship NOW.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
KEARNEY  Comments from the audience, not just panelists, stirred thoughts at a panel discussion Saturday on how people of faith view the immigration dilemmas that have erupted since President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January.

Those issues include a clamping down on immigration, the proposed wall on the border with Mexico, DACA and deportation of illegal immigrants, among others.

But a thorny question raised by an attendee  how to welcome unlimited immigrants without straining Americas limited resources  was left unanswered in the 90-minute debate.

So was this comment: Illegal immigrants are here, but nobody wants to say illegal.

And this: Where is the grace for foreigners who have been waiting in line and following all the rules to immigrate to America?

The forum was organized by Kearney Indivisible, an ad hoc group founded in early 2017.

Facilitated by Will Aviles, a UNK political science professor, the panel included Ben Malczyk, a UNK assistant professor in social work and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Tom Barnes, pastor at the Minden eFree Church; Stephen Price-Gibson, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church, and Jim Rohrer, a history professor at UNK and an ordained United Church of Christ minister who is not currently leading a congregation.

Refugee issues are not new in the U.S., Malczyk said. The first LDS believers fled to Utah because of persecution from New York westward. He said the immigration issue is, therefore, near and dear to church leaders, but the church takes no position on this or any political issue.

Barnes said, We all are refugees. We are all without homes. Were all broken. He said, however, that his family was a host for a Rotary International exchange student from Spain last year, and He had to abide by U.S. law and Rotary expectations. He flourished best under those agreements. This is also the heart of what I see as biblical Christianity.

Repeatedly, panelists echoed Rohrers comment that Christ calls his people into a new kind of community not defined by ethnic or national boundaries. Our allegiance has to be toward that. If you believe God is calling you to work for justice, peace and reconciliation, you must do it, even if you do it alone.

Price-Gibson said the Presbyterian Church believes its members should be well-informed, especially about justice issues. The alien, the exile, the sojourner, the immigrant are at the heart of what it is to be human, he said.

He said his church has talked about immigration, and he has seen an uptick in political activism in recent months, but we have so much more to learn.

He noted that his congregation at a Presbyterian church in Richmond, where he once worked, welcomed an influx of French-speaking people from west Africa. He was a bit surprised, but the congregation had all begun in modest circumstances, too. They recognized that same spirit in these African immigrants, he said.

At that, Aviles opened the floor to the audience. One woman said, The United States is a nation of laws, so as we discuss illegal immigration, how do you put those two together?

She said President Trump is trying to follow the law and make new laws that will help the nation. We can have compassion for immigrants and the conflict theyve fled, but we cant just say All are welcome. Were not a nation of resources for the world. Can you address that?

Panelists had no specific solutions, but Barnes was sympathetic. I love the idea of immigration, but we still need to address illegal immigration issues, he said.

Price-Gibson added, The role of faith is to make us pose uncomfortable questions.

Rohrer called for an examination of laws and working to change laws that are not just, but he said that people who break laws for moral reasons must also accept the consequences, including jail terms.

As the programs conclusion, both panelists and the audience said they are saddened by the discordant partisanship in U.S. society.

I dont agree with all of you, one attendee said, but I am so much richer as a result of having heard all these opinions.
KEARNEY  STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney will bring together each of those disciplines in a $30 million classroom building that will open in fall 2019.

We could have built four big silos, but this is going to bring everyone together, UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen told a Monday afternoon gathering in which students, faculty and community members took a first look at plans for the new 80,000-square-foot STEM Building to be built on West Campus.

Among community members at the gathering in the atrium of UNKs West Center was state Sen. John Lowe of Kearney.

He described his excitement about the new structure in two words: long-term.

This will be here in 30 to 40 years in greater Nebraska, Lowe said about how the states investment in the STEM structure will help supply this part of Nebraska with trained professionals.

The building has been on the drawing board for almost 20 years and will replace the 1955 Otto Olsen Building that is closer to the east end of the UNK campus. The STEM building will be paid for by using renewal bonds.

Tim Burkink, dean of the College of Business and Technology, said there are many reasons hes excited about the STEM Building. He said students will be exposed to a variety of disciplines because of the classes that will be taught there. The opportunity for faculty from different colleges to collaborate also is exciting, Burkink said. Who knows what will come of bringing the different departments together? Its breaking down the silos.

Charles Bicak, senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, echoed Burkinks comments about teaching various disciplines under the same roof. He said the Health Science Education Complex built by the University of Nebraska Medical Center on the west end of UNKs campus brings together a variety of medical and health care disciplines, and students and faculty say its working.

Kristensen said students, faculty and staff all contributed to the STEM structures design.

Burkink said interior classroom walls will be clear glass so students passing in the hall will see whats being taught on the inside.

Kristensen served as a state senator in the Nebraska Legislature in 1998 when UNK officials initially asked for state support to replace the aging Otto Olsen business and technology building.

In 1998, the chancellor came to me and said, Weve got to get Otto Olsen replaced. Its been worth the wait, Kristensen said.

The new building will stand south of the Ockinga Center and northeast of the West Center.

Final plans for the 80,000-square-foot building have been in the works since January and are nearly ready for bid, UNK architect Alan Wedige said. He called the building dynamic.

This is an exciting building with collaborative space, blended space and shared space. It will definitely be a building buzzing with activity, Wedige said.
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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Message to the president: Dear Donald: If you really believe me, if you think us Russians didnt try to tilt the election in your favor, then I have a bridge Id like to sell you. Its in Brooklyn. Yours faithfully, Vlad.

That note could well have been waiting for President Trump as he returned from his lengthy trip to Asia, where he continued to pursue his deranged and dangerous attempts to deny Russian involvement in last years election. His statements reveal a man deeply committed to a post-truth world  a place where facts and fact-finders dont matter, and he alone, the Twitter King, gets to define reality.

Even worse, his attempts at denial are profoundly un-American, rejecting the consensus view of his own intelligence agencies while swallowing the disinformation spread by the Russian ruler, a tyrant who has repeatedly demonstrated his disdain for democratic values and exceeds even Trump in assaulting his media and political critics.

Putin lies. Trump believes. And the world laughs. On what planet does this Make America Great Again?

As Sen. John McCain said: Theres nothing America First about taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community. ... Vladimir Putin does not have Americas interests at heart. To believe otherwise is not only naive but also places our national security at risk.

Last January, Americas intelligence agencies issued a joint report concluding that Moscow had tried to influence the U.S. election. Special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to probe those influences more deeply.

The president was given clear and indisputable evidence of Russias role, says James R. Clapper Jr., the former director of national intelligence, and yet Trump continues to reject that evidence, fearing it could undermine the legitimacy of his election. He fired FBI director James Comey in a failed attempt to sidetrack ongoing investigations, and during his Asia trip, returned yet again to a topic that clearly burns him to the core.

That clear and indisputable evidence is really an artificial Democratic hit job, he told reporters, adding that the intelligence chiefs who produced the report are political hacks. His critics are all haters and fools who dont understand the importance of refurbishing relations with Russia. Putin vehemently denies any knowledge of election meddling, and Trump believes his denials.

The reaction was so negative that Trump backtracked slightly, saying he accepted the findings of the intelligence agencies, but he clearly doesnt. His ego is so huge and so fragile that he denies any fact that contradicts his worldview.

Putin knows and exploits this character flaw. The former KGB officer is a trained liar and manipulator, said former deputy CIA director Michael Morell to the Washington Post, and Trump is swallowing his propaganda hook, line and sinker.

Trump knows Putin helped him and is grateful for the boost in defeating crooked Hillary.

The presidents refusal to confront Putin, while eagerly embracing the Russian leaders lies, demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and to try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint, Brennan said.

So Donald, about that bridge ...
This week we celebrated the 42nd Great American Smokeout, a day established by the American Cancer Society to encourage people who use tobacco to make a plan to quit.

Its a special day for me. My organization, which is the advocacy affiliate for the American Cancer Society, is preparing to challenge Nebraska lawmakers to pass a law in the next session that would encourage more people to quit, discourage more people from starting and reduce health care costs.

What is this magic legislation? Its raising the tobacco tax by $1.50 per pack of cigarettes and a similar amount for other tobacco products.

The Cancer Action Network is an organization that bases its policy recommendations on strong evidence. Making tobacco significantly more expensive is proven to reduce use and thereby decrease the number of tobacco-related cancer deaths.

In Nebraskas case, a tax increase of $1.50 per pack of cigarettes would lead an estimated 12,400 people to quit smoking and keep 11,300 youths from starting.

Whats more, a $1.50-per-pack cigarette tax increase and an equivalent increase in the tax on other tobacco products would benefit fiscal health. Tobacco use is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the world, and right here in Nebraska, a fact that has both an emotional and a financial toll.

Increasing the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack would save an estimated $493.31 million in health care costs and generate $80.95 million in revenue for Nebraska.

Health care costs in Nebraska directly related to smoking total $795 million annually, including $162.3 million in costs to the Medicaid program. Additionally, the state experiences $605.5 million in productivity losses every year.

Thats the science, and it drives me. But my true motivator is twofold. It might surprise you to learn that I have had to quit smoking. I developed the habit as a college student. Quitting was hard. I needed support. I understand why some people need more encouragement, because nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug.

I know that the numbers cited above represent the impact on people like me: people who wish they could quit and people who wish they had never started. A tobacco tax increase is one of the best tools we have to reduce use.

More than that, Im motivated by the deep love I have for my children and the desire to be the best parent that I can. Im raising them to make smart, healthy choices.

Nebraska was a leader when it enacted its smoke-free law in 2008. There is so much potential for Nebraska to continue leading on tobacco control.

But Nebraska, with its 64-cent-per-pack cigarette tax, has fallen behind 39 other states and the District of Columbia. That has dangerous consequences for the physical and fiscal health of our community. We can fix that.

If you use tobacco, I encourage you to get the support you need to break free of this deadly addiction.

It is worth doing. And I ask all Nebraskans to support an increase in the tobacco tax to help our family, friends and neighbors quit using tobacco or, better yet, never start in the first place. For our children and our community, lets pass a higher tobacco tax in Nebraska.
A Telus sign is pictured at company's annual meeting in Vancouver on May 8, 2014. Telus has joined Rogers in saying it can't meet a Dec. 1 deadline for completing changes to the way customers are billed for extra data usage and international roaming charges. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the Women Deliver kickoff event in Vancouver on November 16, 2017. Trudeau confirmed on Twitter he will offer the apology to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited people who were forced out of the military or public service and some who were even prosecuted criminally for "gross indecency." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
New Brunswick says it has become the first province to fully secure its supply of recreational marijuana. Marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn.in a June 17, 2015 file photo.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Jim Mone
FILE - In this April 13, 2017 file photo, Hwang Pyong So, left, stands near North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, and Pak Pong Ju, right, during the opening ceremony of the Ryomyong residential area, a collection of more than a dozen apartment buildings in Pyongyang, North Korea. South Korea's spy agency says North Korea has punished two top military officers during a highly unusual inspection of the military's powerful political bureau. The spy agency told lawmakers the head of the bureau, Hwang Pyong So, and his top deputy were punished. It was unclear whether they were verbally warned, dismissed or banished to a rural area. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)
FILE - In this April, 13, 2017 file photo, Yemenis present documents in order to receive food rations provided by a local charity, in Sanaa, Yemen. Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone from Sanaa, the head of the World Food Program, Stephen Anderson, warned Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, that millions of Yemenis are at risk and will face more deaths as the humanitarian situation deteriorates and deliveries remain blocked from getting to those most needy. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. The International Criminal Court prosecutor Bensouda has asked judges to authorize an investigation into various allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, asserted against the U.S. military, CIA, the Taliban and by Afghan security forces. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, FILE)
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2017 file photo, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, left, gestures to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as they prepare for their bilateral meeting following a welcome ceremony at Malacanang Palace grounds in Manila, Philippines. President Duterte has offered to China an opportunity to operate a new, third telecommunications carrier in the country, his spokesman said Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The move is aimed at breaking a telecoms duopoly in a country that is said to have the slowest internet speed in the Asia Pacific. It is unclear if China or any Chinese companies would be keen to take Duterte up on his offer. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte made the offer to Chinese Premier Li during their bilateral meeting in Manila last week.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)
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..with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizensa wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities. Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address


A Kilkenny woman's work in Farm Relief Services features on this week's episode of Ear to the Ground, which airs on RTE One on Thursday at 8.30pm.

The rapid expansion of Irelands dairy industry in the past few years has led to an acute shortage of skilled milkers, Helen Carroll discovers this week. Farm Relief Services, a co-op in conjunction with Teagasc, is recruiting people in the south-east and training them to help out local farmers.

Jennifer Matthews (29) returned to Kilkenny from the UK to help care for her father and was seeking part-time work. She was among the first to graduate from the course, training in Kilkenny with farmer James O' Brien, milking 120 cows.

There is a lot of flexibility, I can work whenever it suits me and have milked on a number of different farms since qualifying," she says.

Jennifer with one of the herd

"Before the course I found cows a little intimidating - they are so big compared to sheep I was used to. But the training has taught me that they are very docile if handled well."

Teagasc estimates that there will be 5,000 extra trained staff needed to milk the country's cows over the next ten years.

The episode on Thursday evening also features segments on Coolattin Wood in Wicklow, and on energy in agriculture.
David Ljunggren, Anthony Esposito

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Negotiations in Mexico to update NAFTA have not made much progress on tough U.S. demands that could sink the 1994 trade pact, but the current round of talks are progressing with civility, some participants said on Saturday.

Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico are meeting in Mexico City for the fifth of seven planned rounds to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, from which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw.

Time is running short to seal a deal by the deadline of end-March 2018. Officials say next years Mexican presidential election means talks after that date will not be possible.

The U.S. administration has made demands that the other members say are unacceptable, such as a five-year sunset clause and tightening so-called rules of origin to boost the North American content of autos.

It is very slow moving but there are no fireworks, said a Canadian source with knowledge of the talks, adding there had not been much conversation at all on the more contentious U.S. proposals.

Within hours of the latest round of talks formally starting on Friday, Canada was complaining about inflexibility by the United States.

Officials have so far discussed other issues such as labor, gender, intellectual property, energy and telecommunications but it is too soon to say whether there will be any breakthroughs this round, added a source familiar with the talks.

The work is moving forward, Mexican deputy economy minister Juan Carlos Baker told reporters, adding that the three countries had prioritized technical work in Mexico City.

But he said negotiators were aware that much work lay ahead and we have to double our efforts.

The atmosphere is good, the atmosphere is one of work, Baker added.

The mood was calmer than the tense scenes during last months round in Arlington, Virginia, where tough U.S. demands were revealed. Still, the negotiations have passed the halfway point of an initial schedule with few clear signs of process.

Mexican officials hope chapters on telecommunications and e-commerce will be concluded by the end of business on Tuesday, but there has been no indication of this yet.

Although negotiators are scheduled to discuss rules of origin every day, the source said detailed talks on boosting North American content would not be held before the end of the round on Tuesday.

Canada and Mexico say the new rules of origin are unworkable and would damage the highly-integrated auto industry.

I hope the United States understands there are things ... that Mexico wont accept, and (I hope) the negotiating process becomes more rational, Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexicos CCE business lobby, told Reuters.

On Friday, the U.S. Trade Representatives office revised its official objectives to conform to its current demands.

The move prompted U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, to remove a hold he had put in place to block confirmation of two Trump administration nominees for deputy USTR positions, a Wyden aide said.

Wyden had complained the trade office was keeping members of Congress in the dark.

Additional reporting by David Lawder, Dave Graham, Adriana Barrera and Noe Torres in Mexico City; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio
Image Courtesy of Flickr User Giorgio Monteforti

(Kitco News) - Russia and the Netherlands are in a row over ancient Scythian gold treasure after a Dutch museum chose not to return gold artifacts back to Crimea.

The Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam did not return the collection of 2,111 pieces of ancient gold artifacts following a Dutch court ruling, which said that the rightful owner of the ancient treasure was Ukraine, citing Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The exhibition, titled Crimea - Gold and Mysteries of the Black Sea, was on loan in Amsterdam from four Crimean museums.

The gold collection in question dates back to the Scythian era in the fourth century B.C., which is known for its nomadic horse warriors who ruled the Eurasian steppe.

Russia warned that it will cut off all museum exchanges with the Netherlands if it returns the artifacts to Ukraine instead of Crimean museums.

In the latest set of comments from officials, Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said that the Dutch court decision sets the most dangerous precedent and compared it to Nazi aggression.

If this ruling comes into force, I would have no right to sanction any exhibitions in the territory of the country that creates the most dangerous precedent regarding the confiscation of cultural treasures, Medinsky told RIA Novosti.

We are talking about an unprecedented alienation of museum values. This can only be compared to lootings dating back to Napoleons Italian campaigns, or to those during the times of Nazi aggression. I think that the Dutch court ruling was absolutely politicized. It destroys the very system of exhibition exchange, he added.

The exhibition first arrived to Amsterdam in February 2014. Almost three years later, in December 2016, a Dutch court ruled that the artifacts should be returned to Ukraine and not the Crimean museums that loaned the artifacts.

After the ruling, Crimean museums filed an appeal and new proceedings were expected to begin this fall.

Some of the main highlights from the invaluable collection are: a fourth century BC gold helmet engraved with warriors, a spiraling gold bracelet with animals, a statue of a sea goddess, and a Chinese lacquer box from the first century.

The insurance estimate of the entire collection was about $2 million, but Crimean museums said that some artifacts are very unique and would cost much more if auctioned off.
Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Robert Mugabe agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabwes president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired him as its leader following 37 years in charge, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto coup.

The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by Mugabe, without giving details.

Zimbabwes state broadcaster ZBC said Mugabe would address the nation shortly. Earlier on Sunday, the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of him meeting top generals at his State House offices.

Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month in a move that triggered the mid-week intervention by the army.

In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PFs Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.

Mugabe was given until noon (5.00 a.m. ET) on Monday to resign or face impeachment, an ignominious end to the career of the Grand Old Man of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.

Even in the West, he was renowned in his early years as the Thinking Mans Guerrilla, an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare he held a degree in violence.

As the economy crumbled and political opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe seized thousands of white-owned farms, detained opponents and unleashed security forces to crush dissent.

When the vote was announced, war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa, who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a dictator, embraced colleagues and shouted: The President is gone. Long live the new President.

Mugabes 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harbored ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from ZANU-PF, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her G40 political faction.

Speaking before the meeting, Mutsvangwa said Mugabe, who has so far resisted calls to quit, was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could. Hes trying to bargain for a dignified exit, he said.

If Mugabe refused to go, we will bring back the crowds and they will do their business, Mutsvangwa told reporters.

Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as The Crocodile, is expected to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilizing an economy in freefall.

The next presidential election is due in 2018.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabes expected overthrow.

His stunning downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Ugandas Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step down.

READY TO DIE

On Saturday, men, women and children ran alongside the armored cars and troops who stepped in to target what the army called criminals in Mugabes inner circle.

Meanwhile, the man himself remained under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof compound, watching the support from his party, security services and people evaporate.

Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, told Reuters Mugabe and his wife were ready to die for what is correct rather than step down in order to legitimize what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday. However, Mugabes son Chatunga railed against those who had pushed out his father.

You cant fire a Revolutionary leader! he wrote on this Facebook page. ZANU-PF is nothing without President Mugabe.

SECOND LIBERATION

On Harares streets, few seemed to care about the legal niceties as they heralded a second liberation and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

More than 3 million Zimbabweans - around 20 percent of the population - have emigrated to neighboring South Africa in search of a better life.

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the armys intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would risk a diplomatic backlash.

Despite the euphoria, some Mugabe opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

The real danger of the current situation is that having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills, former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a longtime Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighboring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

Besides changing its leadership, ZANU-PF said it wanted to change the constitution to reduce the power of the president, a possible sign of its desire to move towards a more pluralistic and inclusive political system.

However, Mnangagwas history as state security chief during the so-called Gukurahundi crackdown, when an estimated 20,000 people were killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the early 1980s, suggested that quick, sweeping change was unlikely.

The deep state that engineered this change of leadership will remain, thwarting any real democratic reform, said Miles Tendi, a Zimbabwean academic at Oxford University.

Additional reporting and writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Mark Heinrich
BERLIN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Germany's would-be coalition partners have not agreed to abolish a tax imposed after reunification to help poorer eastern states, a conservative politician told Reuters on Sunday, retracting his previous remarks that a deal on the issue had been reached.

Hans Michelbach, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc, said earlier that an agreement had been reached with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) to abolish the "solidarity tax" by 2021.

The FDP had made abolishing the tax, which was due to expire in 2019, an election promise.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Peter Cooney)
MANILA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has not lifted a ban on open pit mining, his spokesman said on Monday, amid plans by a government panel to seek the removal of the policy.

"I assure you that this is one of the instances when I personally asked the President if there's been a change in policy. And he says that's there's still no new policy on this, there's still a ban on new open pit mining," Harry Roque told a media briefing.

The Mining Industry Coordinating Council last month recommended the lifting of the ban on open pit mining and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has said he was hopeful that the restriction would be removed before year-end. (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.)
Lucia Mutikani, Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump would not insist on including repeal of an Obama-era health insurance mandate in a bill intended to enact the biggest overhaul of the tax code since the 1980s, a senior White House aide said on Sunday.

The version of tax legislation put forward by Senate Republican leaders would remove a requirement in former President Barack Obamas signature healthcare law that taxes Americans who decline to buy health insurance.

If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill ... that can pass, thats great, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday.

If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we are O.K. with taking it out, Mulvaney said.

Getting rid of the so-called individual mandate is one of Republican Trumps main goals. He campaigned for president last year on a promise to repeal and replace his Democratic predecessors 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, but Congress has so far not agreed on how to do that.

Another top Trump administration official, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, said the individual mandate was not a bargaining chip but said the White House would work with the Senate to get a tax bill passed this year.

This is all about getting this passed in the Senate. This isnt a bargaining chip, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday. The president thinks we should get rid of it and I think we should get rid of it.

Mnuchin said the objective right now was to keep repeal of the mandate in the bill. We are going to work with the Senate as we go through this. We are going got get something to the president to sign this year, he said.

The House of Representatives last week passed its tax bill. Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, consider a tax bill critical to their partys prospects in the 2018 U.S. congressional elections.

SENATE VOTE AFTER THANKSGIVING

Trump had urged lawmakers to add repeal of the mandate to the tax bill, writing on Twitter last week that the provision was unfair and highly unpopular. The next day, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did just that.

Republican senators who have been critical of the plan said that some middle-income taxpayers could see any benefits of the tax cuts wiped out by higher health insurance premiums if the repeal of the Affordable Care Acts mandate goes through.

Among them was Senator Susan Collins, one of a handful of Republicans who voted in July to block a broader Republican attempt to dismantle Obamacare.

I dont think that provision should be in the bill. I hope the Senate will follow the lead of the House and strike it, Collins said on CNNs State of the Union.

Republican Senator Roy Blunt said he thinks the Senate bill will pass with or without the individual mandate repeal. It depends on where the votes are, he told NBCs Meet the Press.

Collins also wants the Senate to send more relief to middle income taxpayers by keeping the top tax rate of 39.6 percent for people who make 1 million or more a year, as the House does.

Collins has emerged as a pivotal lawmaker in the tax debate, along with Republican senators John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Ron Johnson, all of whom are also on the fence about it.

The Senate bill needs work, Collins told ABCs This Week.

I want to see changes in that bill, she said. And I think there will be changes.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani and Valerie Volcovici; Additional reporting by Caren Bohan and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Grant McCool
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. nuclear commander said on Saturday that he would resist President Donald Trump if he ordered an illegal launch of nuclear weapons.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order.

I think some people think were stupid, Hyten said in response to a question about such a scenario. Were not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?

Hyten, who is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, explained the process that would follow such a command.

As head of STRATCOM I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do, he said in his remarks, retransmitted in a video posted on the forums Facebook page.

And if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im going to say, Mr. President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated.

Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hytens remarks.

They came after questions by U.S. senators, including Democrats and Trumps fellow Republicans, about Trumps authority to wage war, use nuclear weapons and enter into or end international agreements, amid concern that tensions over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs could lead to hostilities.

Trump has traded insults and threats with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and threatened in his maiden United Nations address to totally destroy the country of 26 million people if it threatened the United States.

Some senators want legislation to alter the nuclear authority of the U.S. president and a Senate committee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing in more than four decades on the presidents authority to launch a nuclear strike.

Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Mike Stone; Editing by Mary Milliken
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
(Adds latest vote count, comment from Pinera's campaign chief)

By Felipe Iturrieta and Dave Sherwood

SANTIAGO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Chileans voted for a successor to President Michelle Bachelet on Sunday, with billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera leading in preliminary results, though he will almost certainly face a December runoff against a left-of-center candidate.

With around 70 percent of votes counted, Pinera, who was president between 2010 and 2014 and leads the Chile Vamos bloc, had won 37 percent of support, electoral agency Servel said.

Pinera needs 50 percent for an outright win.

The early results showed weaker-than-expected support for Pinera, whom pollster CEP forecast receiving 42 percent of votes late last month.

"We have a lead which is good, and we're going to have a very competitive second round," Pinera's campaign chief Andres Chadwick told journalists as the results came in.

Former TV anchorman, Senator Alejandro Guillier, the flagbearer for Bachelet's fractured center-left Nueva Mayoria coalition, was coming in second with 23 percent.

Leftist Beatriz Sanchez was snapping at his heels with 20 percent, closer than opinions polls had suggested.

The election is the latest in South America to pit left-leaning politicians against the conservatives increasingly taking their places.

Pinera has pitched himself as a vote for a brighter future, tapping into widespread discontent with Bachelet's government, which coincided with an economic downturn in the top copper exporter.

"Today we're going to make a decision that will impact our lives for many decades," Pinera told journalists after voting at a school in Santiago on Sunday. "I know we're going to pick the right path, the one that takes us to better times."

The vote is a turning point for Chile's coalition of center-left parties, previously known as the Concertacion. The pact, which for decades has dominated Chilean politics, fissured under Bachelet, riven by disagreements over policies such as loosening Chile's strict abortion laws and strengthening unions.

Bachelet, who is barred from running in this election by term limits, will step down with approval ratings near 30 percent and the legacy of her social and economic policies uncertain.

Many Chileans view the election as a referendum on her second term, which focused on reducing inequality by expanding access to free education and overhauling the tax code.

Pinera, the market favorite, has campaigned on a platform of scaling back and "perfecting" her tax and labor laws, seen by many in the business community as having crimped investment at a time when slumping copper prices were already driving down economic growth.

"Pinera's the best candidate. Plus, he already governed. We know who he is," said Fresia Jara, a 73-year-old retiree as she left a polling station in the capital Santiago.

Pinera garnered international attention and domestic praise for his handling of the dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners during his prior term in 2010, and is seen as a safe pair of hands by investors.

But his administration was marred by massive student protests seeking an education overhaul. His responses were often seen as out of touch and grassroots groups still oppose him.

Guillier, who is ideologically aligned with Bachelet, has promised to deepen her reforms and has tapped support from Chileans who view Pinera as a setback for gains made for students, women and workers.

"I voted for Guillier because I think we have to continue to provide free education. It's a social right," said unemployed voter Mario Giannetti, 53.

Sanchez had criticized Guillier on the campaign as too similar to Pinera, and proposed a deeper departure from the country's business-friendly policies, including much higher taxes on mining companies.

Sanchez, who represents the leftist Frente Amplio party, sought to tap the energy of student and protest groups who seek better health and education and are frustrated with Chile's longstanding free-market model.

Juan Pablo Maldonado, a 30-year old electrical engineer from Santiago, said he'd planned to vote for Sanchez because her coalition represented a break from business as usual.

(Reporting by Dave Sherwood, Felipe Iturrieta and Antonio de la Jara, writing by Mitra Taj; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Grant McCool)
* Merkel to tell president she could not form coalition

* President could call new election

* Euro falls against yen

* German businesses warn of uncertainty

(Rewrites throughout)

By Joseph Nasr and Andreas Rinke

BERLIN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday her efforts to form a three-way coalition government had failed, thrusting Germany into a political crisis and pushing Europe's largest economy closer to a possible new election.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) unexpectedly pulled out of more than four weeks of negotiations with Merkel's conservative bloc and the ecologist Greens, citing irreconcilable differences.

The euro hit a two-month low against the yen soon after FDP leader Christian Lindner said on Sunday that his party was withdrawing from the talks as the three would-be partners could not find common ground on key issues. A tired looking Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor and would consult with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward, adding that a deal had been within reach.

"It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany," Merkel told reporters. "As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come."

It was a sobering moment in the career of a woman who during 12 years in power became a symbol of stability, leading the euro zone during the debt crisis and seeking compromise within the European Union on a deal with Turkey to stem migrant arrivals.

Merkel was weakened after a September election as voters angry with her decision in 2015 to open Germany's borders to more than a million asylum seekers punished her conservatives by voting for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party.

The break down of the talks leaves Germany with two unprecedented options in the post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government, or the president calls a new election if no government is formed.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's current coalition partners who were the second-biggest party in the election, have ruled out a repeat of an alliance with her conservatives, who won the vote but were left with fewer seats.

There is little appetite for a new election, especially as the main parties fear that the AfD would win more than the almost 13 percent of votes it secured to enter parliament for the first time as the third-biggest party.

'DIFFICULT FOR ECONOMY'

Failure to form a government in Europe's largest economy could have implications for everything from euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron to the shape of relations with Britain after it leaves the EU.

While campaigning for a fourth term, Merkel cited the strong performance of an economy that has been growing since 2010 and a record low unemployment rate as reasons for voters to back her conservatives.

Economists have accused her of complacency on the economy, saying she should overhaul the tax system to make it more growth-friendly and boost investment on digital infrastructure - demands also made by the FDP.

The DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce said a prolonged period of uncertainty would be bad for the economy.

"There is the danger that work on major issues for the future of our country will be delayed for a prolonged period of time," DIHK President Eric Schweitzer wrote in an email. "German companies must now prepare for a possibly long period of uncertainty. This is always difficult for the economy."

The break down of the talks came as a surprise, especially as it was announced by the resurgent FDP, Merkel's preferred coalition partners who had dropped out of parliament four years ago and had ruled with her conservatives 2009-2013.

Immigration was the main sticking point in the negotiations. Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Christian Social Union (CSU) Bavarian allies had demanded a yearly cap on the number of asylum seeker that Germany accepts each year, a measure rejected by the Greens.

There was also discord over conservative proposals to limit the right of some accepted asylum seekers to bring in immediate family members. Merkel said a compromise with the Greens on immigration had also been possible.

Government spending, tax cuts and climate policy had also been sticking points.

"Today there was no progress but rather there were setbacks because specific compromises were questioned," the FDP's Lindner said. "It is better not to rule than to rule the wrong way. Goodbye!"

(Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Peter Cooney and Michael Perry)
By Davide Barbuscia, Stanley Carvalho and Tom Arnold

DUBAI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) plans to raise a $2.25 billion loan for its distribution unit prior to selling a stake of up to 20 percent in the unit in an initial public offering (IPO), sources familiar with the matter said.

The loan is the latest of a number of fundraisings that state-owned ADNOC, which manages almost all of the proven oil reserves in the United Arab Emirates, is carrying out as part of an overhaul of its capital structure.

On Monday, ADNOC said it might sell as much as a 20 percent stake in ADNOC Distribution, its fuel distribution unit, potentially raising up to $2.8 billion. Analysts value the unit between $11 billion and $14 billion, sources have told Reuters.

The $2.25 billion loan, which includes a $1.5 billion term loan and a $750 million revolving credit facility, is aimed at "establishing a well-structured balance sheet for the company" ahead of its IPO, said a source close to the deal.

ADNOC started discussions with banks about the loan and other financing facilities earlier this year.

The plan comes after ADNOC received commitments earlier this month for a $6 billion club loan from a group of 13 banks, according to sources close to the situation. One source said that deal was signed last week.

The oil major also recently sold its first public debt bond, a $3 billion issue raised by Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, one of its subsidiaries.

(Editing by Mark Potter)
By Marianna Parraga and Rania El Gamal

HOUSTON/DUBAI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - As Venezuela's dilapidated energy sector struggles to pump enough crude oil to meet the country's OPEC output target, rival producers within the exporters group have started to plug the gap, OPEC and industry sources said.

The South American country's oil output hit a 28-year low in October as state-owned oil giant PDVSA struggled to find the funds to drill wells, maintain oilfields and keep pipelines and ports working. Venezuela's oil production, which has been falling by about 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) per month since last year, is on track to fall by at least 250,000 bpd in 2017 according to numbers reported to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as U.S. sanctions and a lack of capital hobble operations. [For a graphic on Venezuelan and Iraqi oil shipments to the United States and India, click ]

Some OPEC members expect the fall to accelerate in 2018, reaching at least 300,000 bpd, OPEC sources said. At a recent internal OPEC meeting, Venezuelan officials were asked to give a clearer picture of the country's declining output.

"A lot of questions have been raised by Saudis and others to the Venezuelans to present a real picture on the production status and decline," one of the sources said. The topic could come up later this month at the group's next meeting.

Saudi Arabia will not raise its output to compensate for this decline as OPEC's defector leader is focused on reducing global oil stocks, one OPEC source familiar with Saudi oil policy told Reuters this month. But heavy oil from OPEC member Iraq and non-OPEC producers Canada and Brazil are already replacing Venezuelan barrels to key customers the United States and India, according to the sources and Thomson Reuters data.

Iraq has increased shipments of crude and condensate to India by 80,000 bpd this year as Venezuelan deliveries fell by 84,000 bpd. The second largest OPEC producer also has exported 201,000 bpd more oil to the United States this year through October as Venezuelan shipments dropped about 90,000 bpd, according to the Reuters data. Venezuela's weaker output "could be good for market rebalance and we could see price stay at $60 for a slightly longer time," one OPEC source said. "That doesn't mean there will be no free riders," the source added.

PLUGGING THE GAP

Venezuela pumped 1.863 million bpd in October, undershooting its OPEC target by 109,000 bpd, according to an assessment that OPEC uses to monitor members' output. Venezuela said it had pumped 1.955 million bpd, still below its output target of 1.972 million bpd.

There often are discrepancies between the assessment and official figures reported by the OPEC members.

When member countries have suffered supply disruptions in the past, other OPEC members have covered the gap, often without changing official production quotas.

Saudi Arabia boosted its output in 2003 to offset Iraq's falling exports after the U.S. invasion, but the agreement was never formally disclosed.

OPEC discussions of Venezuela's quota is not new. Proposals to change the country's quota have been raised and batted down several times in OPEC meetings since the South American country's production started declining in 2012, a Venezuelan government source said.

Venezuela has argued in the past, when faced with questions about falling output, that it was working to reverse declines from its sizeable proven oil reserves.

But it could be difficult for Venezuelan officials to convince OPEC that an upturn is likely in the near future as the country seeks to restructure $60 billion in debt. Dependent on oil revenues, Venezuela has seen its economy contract sharply in the three years since crude prices collapsed from over $100 a barrel.

Reviews of quotas and reallocation of market share can be contentious, and the group may prefer to allow market forces to fill the supply gap left by Venezuela's decline rather than make an official share revision and reallocation to other members, one senior OPEC source said. A formal change would be opening a "can of worms" that OPEC would not want to do, the source added.

OPEC's oil ministers will meet in Vienna later this month to discuss supply policy. The group is expected to extend beyond March an agreement under which its members and rival producers, including Russia, have reduced joint output by about 1.8 million bpd. "We want a successful meeting on Nov. 30, re-discussing quotas will not be accepted by Venezuela and talking about it at the meeting will just open the door for others to do the same," the senior OPEC source said.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As Venezuela oil shipments to India, United States drop, Iraq steps up ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Rania El Gamal in Dubai and Marianna Parraga in Houston; Editing by Simon Webb and Marguerita Choy)
FRANKFURT, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The adoption of digital currencies in the euro zone and their impact on its economy are limited, meaning they do not pose a threat to the European Central Bank's hold on the money supply, the ECB's President said on Monday. "We think that all this is pretty limited," Mario Draghi told the European Parliament. "So it's not yet something that could constitute a risk for central banks."

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa; editing by John Stonestreet)

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.
DUBAI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Selling of Saudi Arabian equities by foreign investors eased last week after increasing sharply early this month in response to the kingdom's sweeping crackdown on corruption, exchange data released on Monday showed.

Immediately after the purge was announced, foreign investors were heavy net sellers of Saudi stocks. In the week to Nov. 9, they sold 2.00 billion riyals ($533 million) and bought 917 million riyals.

In the latest week to Nov. 16, they remained net sellers but by a much smaller margin, of 748 million riyals to 439 million riyals.

Many investors have been alarmed by the arrest of dozens of senior officials and businessmen, including major shareholders in several listed firms such as Kingdom Holding and Al Tayyar Travel . Over 2,000 bank accounts have been frozen in the investigation, threatening to slow the economy.

The exchange data showed Saudi individual investors remained net sellers of stocks in the latest week by a margin of 14.29 billion riyals to 11.89 billion riyals. Some individuals have been pulling money out of the market for fear it could be seized in the probe, according to local fund managers.

Saudi institutions - mostly mutual funds and corporations - were once again heavy net buyers in the latest week; they bought 4.04 billion riyals and sold 1.17 billion riyals.

Regional asset managers said they believed much of the Saudi institutional buying was by state-linked funds staging a deliberate support operation for the market in order to avert a panic.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are modestly lower in early U.S. trading Monday, on a normal downside correction after good gains Friday pushed prices to a four-week high and also produced a technically bullish weekly high close. December Comex gold was last down $3.30 an ounce at $1,293.10. December Comex silver was last down $0.163 at $17.205 an ounce.

In overnight news, efforts by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to form a coalition government have failed. This has created some uncertainty, especially in the European markets, as the European Unions largest economy now appears to be in somewhat of a temporary leadership crisis. This news has limited selling interest in safe-haven gold.

The important outside markets on Monday morning see the U.S. dollar index slightly higher. The greenback was supported and the Euro currency pressured on the German political news.

Meantime, Nymex crude oil futures prices are lower and are trading just above $56.00 a barrel. Oil bulls still have the overall near-term technical advantage, but stiff chart resistance layers lie just above the market. Traders are looking ahead to next weeks OPEC meeting.

U.S. economic data due for release Monday is light and includes the leading economic indicators report. It will likely be a lower-volume trading week this week, what with the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday.

Technically, December gold futures bulls have the slight overall near-term technical advantage. Bulls next upside technical objective is pushing and closing prices above chart resistance at $1,300.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at the October low of $1,262.80. First support is seen at $1,285.00 and then at 1,280.00. First resistance is seen at last weeks high of 1,297.50 and then at $1,300.00. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 5.6

December silver bulls also have the slight overall near-term technical advantage after prices Friday hit a four-week high and closed at a bullish weekly high close. The next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at $17.50 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the October low of $16.345. First resistance is seen at last weeks high of $17.385 and then at $17.50. Next support is seen at $17.00 and then at last weeks low of $16.82. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.5.
Gold got an earlier boost in euro terms and could draw safe-haven buying due to political uncertainty in Germany, says Commerzbank. According to news reports, efforts to form a three-way coalition government have failed, raising prospects for new elections. As a result, gold in euro terms has climbed back above the 1,100 per troy ounce mark, Commerzbank says, although adding that the metal did not get a boost in U.S. dollars since the euro weakened due to the failed talks. There has rarely been such political uncertainty in Germany at any time in the countrys post-war history, Commerzbank says. So far, it is not clear what effects this will have on future politics in Germany, or on European politics. Gold is therefore likely to remain in good demand as a safe haven.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

BBH: Tax Reform May Be Challenge, Leaving Stocks Vulnerable

Passage of any new tax-reform law in the U.S. may have trouble gaining congressional approval, and if so, the stock market could be vulnerable, says Brown Brothers Harriman. U.S. tax reform made important progress last week, BBH says. The House of Representative approved its version, and the Senate Finance Committee approved another. The next step is a vote on the Senate floor, which could come after the Thanksgiving break. However, we are skeptical that the bill can pass in its current form, BBH says. The regressive nature of the proposals and the divisive inclusion of the repeal of the individual mandate for the Affordable Care Act will produce at least three defections from the Republican Party. In fact, BBH points out that nearly two-thirds of economists polled by Reuters last week doubted tax reform would pass this year. Many who think it might be passed next year seem to expect a scaled-down version that may rely on temporary cuts more than reform per se, BBH says. If the tax bill falters on the floor of the Senate, as we think likely, the stock market may be vulnerable to disappointment and volatility would likely increase.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

MKS: Gold Faces Resistance At $1,300/Oz

Gold could stall around $1,300 an ounce in the near term but draw support around its 50-day moving average, says MKS (Switzerland) S.A. Gold initially ticked higher in Asia-Pacific trade before later easing back. Sizeable open interest in December gold around $1,300 coupled with Thanksgiving holidays this week is likely to see the market capped around the figure, while initial supportive price action sits around the 50-DMA at $1,287, MKS says. Gold is also above the 20-day average around $1,278, the 100-day near $1,278 and the 200-day around $1,265. As of 8:19 a.m. EDT, spot gold was down 65 cents for the day at $1,293.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Efforts to form a three-way coalition government have failed, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, pitching Germany into its worse political crisis for decades, raising the prospect of fresh elections and casting doubt over her future.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew from talks after more than four weeks of fruitless negotiations with Merkels conservative bloc and the environmentalist Greens, saying there was not enough common ground.

With German leadership seen as crucial for a European Union grappling with governance reform and Britains impending exit, FDP leader Christian Lindners announcement that he was pulling out spooked investors and sent the euro falling.

A tired-looking Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor and consult President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward. A deal had been within reach, she said.

Steinmeier, who in the ordinary course of events is meant to play a non-partisan role above the cut-and-thrust of party politics, was due to give a statement at 1330 GMT.

It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany, Merkel told reporters. As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come.

The failure of coalition talks is unprecedented in Germanys post-war history, and was likened by newsmagazine Der Spiegel to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britains referendum vote to leave the EU - moments when countries cast aside reputations for stability built up over decades.

The collapse came as a surprise since the main sticking points - immigration and climate change policy - were not seen as FDP signature issues.

Green politician Michael Kellner accused Lindner of bad theatrics, one of many who suggested the liberal, pro-business party had never been serious about negotiating.

It is better not to rule than to rule the wrong way. Goodbye! Lindner said, announcing his withdrawal in the small hours, blaming the breakdown on a lack of progress on education and tax policy - areas that had been seen as less contentious.

Christian Better no deal than a bad deal Lindner - Germanys Boris Johnson, wrote political commentator Max Steinbeis on Facebook, comparing Lindner to the British foreign minister and Brexit campaigner who is widely seen by Germanys political class as a dangerous and heedless loose cannon.

UNAPPEALING OPTIONS

Germany now faces unappealing options not experienced in Germanys post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government, or the president calls a new election if no government is formed.

The main parties fear that another election so soon would let the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party add to the 13 percent of votes it secured in September, when it entered parliament for the first time. Polls suggest repeat elections would return a similarly fragmented parliament.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkels current coalition partners who finished second in the Sept. 24 election, have ruled out a repeat of an alliance with her conservatives, who won the most seats though fewer than before.

But some believe that the SPD could change its mind, perhaps under pressure from Steinmeier, himself a former SPD foreign minister who served under Merkel. The partys leadership was in talks on Monday morning.

Others felt the FDP could yet be prevailed upon to return to the negotiating table. The price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel, who for 12 years has been a symbol of German stability, leading Europe through the euro zone crisis.

Greens leader Kathrin Goering-Eckardt said she expected fresh elections.

Merkel was weakened by the September election as voters angry with her decision in 2015 to open the borders to more than a million asylum seekers punished her conservatives by voting for the AfD.

AfD politician Beatrix von Storch called the coalition talks collapse a success for her party, saying other parties fear of the AfD had forced them to drive a hard bargain with the left-leaning Greens, who are dovish on immigration.

AfD leader Alexander Gauland demanded Merkels resignation.

The inability to form a government caused disquiet elsewhere in Europe, not least because of the implications for the euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron and the negotiations over Britains departure from the EU.

Its not in our interests that the process freezes up, Macron told reporters in Paris, adding that he had spoken with Merkel shortly after the failure of talks.

In Brussels, Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra described the collapse as bad news for Europe.
FRANKFURT, Nov 20 (Reuters) - There is no consensus among global regulators on how to limit banks' holdings of government bonds, the head of the European Central Bank said on Monday, adding the European Union should be wary of ruling unilaterally on the issue. "There is no consensus for having a global agreement on this issue," Mario Draghi told the European Parliament. "If the European Union decides to go its own way, it should be aware that measures like this could put European banks at a competitive disadvantage."

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa; editing by John Stonestreet)

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.
MOSCOW, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Russian food retailer Dixy Group said its board would discuss the de-listing of its shares from the Moscow Exchange at a meeting this week.

Dixy, controlled by its chairman Igor Kesayev, has struggled to grow sales since a drop in the rouble and recession hit consumers' wallets in 2014. The company is in the middle of a turnaround programme aimed at financial stabilisation.

The share de-listing and the price of a share buyback are on the agenda of the board meeting on Nov. 22, Dixy said in a disclosure document. The company declined further comments.

Dixy has bought back 20 percent of its shares from the market, spending 4.5 billion roubles ($75.95 million) and fuelling speculation it planned to de-list. Shares in Dixy lost 2.7 percent in early trade on Monday, while the broader market index was up 0.3 percent.

The retailer, which had around 2,700 mostly small neighbourhood stores by the end of September, reported last month a 9.8 percent drop in third-quarter like-for-like sales, while total revenue was down 8.3 percent. In a bid to reverse declining sales, it has been reviewing assortment, pricing strategy and store positioning to lure consumers, which it said were still highly price-sensitive.

The company's 2016 revenue stood at 311 billion roubles, putting it third among home-grown Russian retailers, behind Magnit and X5 , which last year turned over more than 1 trillion roubles each. ($1 = 59.2525 roubles)

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova, editing by Louise Heavens)
HANOI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0503 GMT.

November 20 USD/VND mid-point 22,442 USD/VND interbank 22,712/22,713 USD/VND unofficial 22,735/22,750 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.39/36.61

Interbank offered rates Overnight 1.1-1.7

1 week 1.2-1.7

1 month 1.9-2.2

3 months 4.2-4.8

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
ZURICH, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.3 percent higher at 9,211 points on Monday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer .

Here are some of the main factors that may affect Swiss stocks:

ROCHE A late-stage trial of immuno-oncology medicine Tecentriq with other cancer drugs as an initial therapy for lung cancer met its goal of significantly reducing the risk of disease worsening or death, the Swiss drugmaker said. With lung cancer easily the largest oncology market, Roche's Impower 150 study of Tecentriq, Avastin and chemotherapy has been closely watched by investors and analysts as the company seeks to catch up with rival Merck in cancer immunotherapy. Roche's newly approved haemophilia drug Hemlibra significantly cut the risk of treated bleeds in patients without resistance to standard therapy compared to those receiving no prophylaxis, it said. For more news see JULIUS BAER Assets under management rose 17 percent in the first 10 months to a record 393 billion Swiss francs ($397.3 billion).

For more news see CLARIANT Large Swiss shareholders are increasingly in favour of activist shareholder White Tale's restructuring plans for Clariant, Sonntagszeitung said on Sunday, referring to an asset fund and a pension fund manager.

White Tale, which prevented a planned merger with Huntsman , wants Clariant to sell its plastics and coatings business and reinvest the proceeds in higher-margin areas.

Clariant management had to "obey or give way", a White Tale representative said according to the paper. RAIFFEISEN

Raiffeisen President Johannes Ruegg-Sturm will appoint Pascal Gantenbein as an independent lead director of the bank on Dec. 1, Sonntagszeitung said, citing a letter to staff.

Ruegg-Sturm will withdraw from all issues related to a Swiss watchdog probe into the bank, according to the paper.

SWATCH After a three-year downturn, the Swiss watch industry sees demand growing significantly, Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek told NZZ am Sonntag. "The upswing is remarkable," Hayek said. Swatch's October sales growth exceeded the more than 10 percent increase in September, he said.

COMPANY STATEMENTS * Novartis's Tasigna (nilotinib) secures EU approval for first and second-line treatment of Ph+ CML-CP in children

* Sulzer AG appoints Jill Lee as chief financial officer, effective on april 5, 2018 * DormaKaba said it is making management changes, including the departure of Chief Integration Officer Beat Malacarne on June 30, 2018. Stefano Zocca will take over leadership of combined segments key systems and movable walls. * Panalpina Welttransport Holding says Chief Operating Officer Andy Weber to leave for personal reasons

* SIX Group says Juerg Weber, Division CEO Payment Services, has decided to leave SIX. Marc Schluep, currently Head Organizational Development at SIX Payment Services, will take over his duties.

ECONOMY The Swiss National Bank is due to release data on sight deposits at 0900 GMT.

(Reporting by Zurich newsroom)

Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: ))

Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/
TAIPEI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders for October, released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Monday. The data is an indication of the strength of Asian exports and of global demand for technology. OCTOBER REUTERS POLL SEPTEMBER Export orders (y/y pct) +9.2 +7.95 +6.9 Export orders from China +13.2 +14.6 Export orders from U.S. +6.5 +2.2 Export orders from Europe +13.8 +2.9 Export orders from Japan +22.9 +26.6 The ministry's website is /

(Reporting by Emily Chan; Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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.
ISTANBUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Monday.

The lira stood at 3.8620 against the U.S. dollar at 0528 GMT, firming from a close of 3.8741 on Friday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 12.48 percent in spot trade on Friday and rose to 12.57 percent in Monday-dated trade.

The main BIST 100 share index fell 0.69 percent to 106,239.46 points on Friday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares eased on Monday, with investor sentiment hurt by a retreat on Wall Street and sliding Chinese stocks, while the euro skidded after German coalition talks hit an impasse. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan extended losses and was down 0.2 percent. CABINET MEETING

President Tayyip Erdogan will chair a meeting of the cabinet of ministers (0800 GMT).

ZARRAB TRIAL

Turkish authorities have opened an investigation into the U.S. prosecutors who brought charges against a Turkish gold trader facing trial in New York, state media said on Saturday, after Ankara said the case was based on fabricated documents. CENTRAL BANK MOVE

Turkey's central bank said on Saturday it had set the maximum forex sale position for its new non-deliverable forward programme (NDF) at $3 billion until the end of 2017. The first auction in the programme is scheduled for Nov.20, it said in a statement, adding that the auctions will be of maturities of one, three and six months. MOODY'S

Ratings agency Moody's said on Friday Turkey's credit profile balances resilient growth and relatively strong public finances against political risk and external vulnerability. SIMSEK

Turkey's central bank should keep monetary policy tight, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Sunday, in contrast to President Tayyip Erdogan's repeated calls for loose policy to stimulate borrowing to boost the economy.

NATO ROW

President Erdogan on Saturday batted back an apology from the NATO military alliance after his name appeared on an "enemy poster" at a drill, saying such disrespectful behaviour could not be so easily forgiven. BUDGET TALKS

Parliament's planning and budget commission will debate the energy ministry's draft budget for next year (0800 GMT).

ECONOMY MINISTER

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci will attend a ceremony regarding a behavioural public policies project (0630 GMT).

DEBT STOCK The Treasury will announce central government debt stock data for October (1430 GMT).

For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Writing by Daren Butler)
(Adds details of results, share movement)

By Sanjeeban Sarkar

Nov 20 (Reuters) - British industrial component distributor Diploma Plc reported a 19 percent rise in full-year adjusted pretax profit as its controls unit saw new project activity and recovery in some end-user markets.

Diploma shares rose as much as 8.4 percent to 1160 pence in a muted London market . The stock was trading at the top of the FTSE midcap index by 0945 GMT.

Underlying revenue at the company's controls unit rose 14 percent, while its seals unit saw a 4 percent growth.

Recovery in the North American heavy construction and industrial sectors in calendar year 2017 boosted revenue, CEO Bruce Thompson told Reuters.

The company, which supplies products ranging from hydraulic seals to engine-repair gadgets for Formula 1 cars, would also be looking to spend about 30 million pounds for acquisitions in North America and Europe, he added.

Acquisitions in 2018 would augment earnings growth, Jefferies analysts said in a note, and reiterated a "buy" rating.

Diploma reported an adjusted pretax profit of 77.5 million pounds ($102.5 million)for the year ended Sept. 30.

Revenue rose 18 percent to 451.9 million pounds for the year, Diploma said. ($1 = 0.7559 pounds)

(Reporting by Sanjeeban Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
(Changes slug, adds quote, details, context)

BEIRUT, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday his Iran-backed group had not sent any weapons to Yemen and categorically denied that it was behind the firing of a ballistic missile that was launched at Riyadh from territory held by Yemeni Houthi rebels.

In a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also urged followers to listen to recent comments by Israeli officials which he said pointed to ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Nasrallah heaped criticism on Arab foreign ministers who accused his group of terrorism at an emergency Arab League meeting convened at the behest of Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

He said the accusation was unfortunate but not new and asked why Arab states were silent about what he described as the destructive war being waged by a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

"I confirm to them, no ballistic missiles, no advanced weapons, and no guns...we did not send weapons to Yemen" or Bahrain, or Kuwait, or Iraq, he said, adding that it had however sent anti-tank missiles to "occupied Palestine".

Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, whose rivalry has wrought upheaval in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia has accused the heavily armed Shi'ite Hezbollah of helping the Houthis in Yemen and militants in Bahrain. Riyadh accused Hezbollah of playing a role in the Nov. 4 ballistic missile attack.

"No man from Lebanese Hezbollah had any part in the firing of this missile or any missiles fired previously," Nasrallah said.

Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Riyadh has been bogged down in the war it launched against Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2015.

Nasrallah also said Hezbollah could withdraw its large number of commanders from Iraq after Islamic State was defeated there.

(Reporting by Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam; Editing by Tom Perry and William Maclean) Keywords: LEBANON POLITICS/HEZBOLLAH
(Adds background)

LAGOS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Nigeria's economy grew 1.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, the statistics office said on Monday, extending its slow climb out of its first recession in a generation.

Africa's largest economy returned to growth in the second quarter of 2017 but the recovery has been fragile due to the continuation of depressed oil revenues and a shortage of hard currency. The National Bureau of Statistics said oil production, on which the OPEC member state's economy largely relies, stood at 2.03 million barrels per day in the third quarter.

President Muhammadu Buhari's 2017 budget outlines record levels of spending, especially on infrastructure, to try to kick-start growth, but the plan has faltered.

The budget was delayed as lawmakers withheld approval, and even when passed, planned capital spending has been slow to happen.

Despite these problems, Buhari's government is proposing record spending of 8.6 trillion naira ($27.30 billion) for 2018, although economists have questioned whether that goal is realistic. (Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by James Macharia)
* Rand on the backfoot as bearish mood grows

* South Africa expects rating downgrades on Friday

* Stocks rise, led by retailer Mr Price

(Adds latest figures, analyst quote)

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 20 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand weakened on Monday, bowing to a firming dollar and growing concerns over possible credit downgrades of the country's local-currency bonds to 'subinvestment' at the end of the week.

Stocks rose, led by retailer Mr Price which reported a jump in interim profits.

At 1445 GMT the rand had weakened 0.45 percent to 14.0350 per dollar compared to last Friday's close at 13.9725 in New York, with traders opting to unwind long positions on the local currency and to buy dollars while they remained cheap.

Risks are focused on Friday's expected ratings announcements by S&P Global and Moody's.

Both currently have South Africa's local bond rating a notch above "junk". Downgrades are likely to trigger outflows of up to 180 billion rand ($12.83 billion), the central bank says.

"If by some miracle the agencies decide not to downgrade us, the level of euphoria will certainly be felt and this could see the rand retrace all the way to its medium-term support level at 13.10/15 over the next few weeks," said Standard Bank chief trader Warrick Butler in a note.

Bonds were weaker, with the benchmark government issue due in 2026 adding 8.5 basis points to 9.425 percent, as a combination of ratings fears and bets of a hawkish policy stance by the Reserve Bank when its decides on rates on Thursday.

On the bourse, the benchmark Top-40 index rose 0.78 percent to 54,327 points, while the All-Share index nudged up 0.62 percent to 60,501 points.

Retailer Mr Price rose 3.68 percent to 201.99 rand after reported a 24 percent rise in half-year profit. The biggest gainer on the bourse was heavyweight Naspers, which holds a 33 percent stake in Hong Kong-listed Tencent . It gained 3.90 percent to 3995.01 rand, buoyed by gains for the Chinese gaming giant.

Further gains were curbed by private healthcare operator Netcare , which fell 2.78 percent to 22.36 rand after it said it would restructure its operations in Britain following a drop in annual profit. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by Gareth Jones)
A shot heard round the world? (source)

But one of the unique ways of disrupting supply is to disrupt (degrade, destroy) the financial health of the companies doing the extraction, for example, Exxon. Divestment campaigns  making the holding of Exxon stock morally toxic for institutional buyers like universities  are a form of disrupting supply by disrupting corporate financing. Unfortunately, though divestment campaigns do work  witness the divestment campaign against South African apartheid  they can be slow and spotty, not broad enough to effect an entire industry.



Enter the "magic of the market." If the price of oil is so cheap that it's not profitable to dig it, because it's so plentiful relative to demand, companies will collapse, go bankrupt. We've already seen that with small and mid-size U.S. fracking companies, many of which are so highly leveraged that they can't make a profit on sales and they can't finance their debt.

Norways proposal to sell off $35 billion in oil and natural gas stocks brings sudden and unparalleled heft to a once-grassroots movement to enlist investors in the fight against climate change.



The Nordic nations $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund said Thursday that its considering unloading its shares of Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and other oil giants to diversify its holdings and guard against drops in crude prices. European oil stocks fell.



Norges Bank Investment Management would not be the first institutional investor to back away from fossil fuels. But until now, most have been state pension funds, universities and other smaller players that have limited their divestments to coal, tar sands or some of the other dirtiest fossil fuels.



Norways fund is the worlds largest equity investor, controlling about 1.5 percent of global stocks. If it follows through on its proposal, it would be the first to abandon the sector altogether.



This is an enormous change, said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a non-profit that advocates for sustainable investing. Its a shot heard around the world. [emphasis added]

Two broad points before the specifics of this story., the Divest from Oil and Gas movement is a real threat to Big Oil as an industry in the same way the Divest from South Africa movement was a threat to South African apartheid  it hits them where the money sits, in the wallet and not in the reputation, the latter of which can always be papered over with expensive ad campaigns telling us how wonderful the industry is It's a real advantage having more money than any of your enemies, isn't it.The Divest from Oil and Gas movement is as threatening to the industry as lawsuits, which are also going on. A divestment movement essentially threatens to collapse the price of oil and gas company stocks, which impoverishes the investing class and, more particularly, the industry's CEO class, since a good part of their pay is in stock.Once stock prices fall below 50% of their value, it takes forever to build them back up, if indeed they ever recover., a collapse of oil and gas stock prices is, at some point, inevitable. Consider: If most or all of current in-the-ground fossil fuel reserves  a major basis of valuation of these companies  will stay in the ground as " stranded assets ," at some point the value of Exxon, Conoco and Shell will and should be nearly zero.The only questions are when that will occur and what will be the triggering event. I've written before about the precariousness of Big Oil as an industry  see " Big Oil In Trouble, Enters "No Mans Land" of Collapsing Balance Sheets "  and that reasoning still holds. Big Oil faces either death by government intervention (the world of power grows an aggressive conscience) or death by market (a permanent fossil fuel glut keeps prices unprofitably low).Death by global panic as chaos overtakes our shiny, smart-phone world is also on the table. Death of the industry by one of those three forces will certainly occur, and sooner rather than later.In the earlier piece I wrote:I don't see the price of oil and gas recovering anytime soon, not with (a) the present market oversupply, and (b) a race to monetize remaining in-the-ground assets by frightened companies, large and small, a race that will guarantee the glut will continue indefinitely.All we're waiting for is a trigger. Will this be it? Bloomberg (h/t Hunter Cutting via Twitter ):The fact that it's Bloomberg reporters covering this, the nation's business best, all with concerned looks on their faces, and not just the good people at Friends of the Small County News, is itself convincing evidence that the Norwegian move to divest, if it occurs, will indeed be an industry problem.Norway as a nation is in a unique position. A great deal of its wealth  more than 20% of its GDP  is already tied up in oil and gas production. This by itself represents a large exposure to industry pricing shocks. For that country's sovereign wealth fund to also be owners of oil and gas stock makes no investment sense at all. Thus their discussion about divesting from that sector and diversifying, or even hedging by investing in the renewables sector.But Norway's problem is a general problem for other investors as well. At some point no investor will want to hold those stocks, given the "poised to fall" nature of the entire fossil fuel industry. An industry doesn't have to falter before its stock prices falter; a price collapse could easily precede an unstoppable and escalating worldwide transition to renewables. After all, investors want either future growth or future dividends, or both, from their investments. "No growth on the horizon" plus "poised to collapse" is not a happy prescription for the price of any stock.Call it "the magic of the market," working for you for a change.Feel free to accelerate that magic. If youris still invested in fossil fuel, consider asking them to follow Norway's lead  and remind them that their money too could be vulnerable to a future "price shock."If youris invested in fossil fuel, at Vanguard, say, or Fidelity, say the same thing to their customer representatives.And ifare invested in fossil fuel, directly or indirectly, give some thought to transferring your investment elsewhere. After all, that would not only make good financial sense, but good moral sense as well.GP

Labels: Big Oil, climate, Gaius Publius, Norway
The list of 10 firms owing land rent and use charges includes World Gems Company Limited with the debt owned on land use charge of more than VND97 billion (US$4.28 million). The location is at AZ SKY tower, Dinh Cong new urban, Dinh Cong ward, Hoang Mai district.

CT Vietnam International Joint Stock Company owes over VND95.5 billion (US$4.2 million).

My Son Investment and Import-Export JSC owes VND49.3 billion (US$2.17 million).

Dong Thap Joint Stock Company owes VND 31.5 billion (US$1.39 million). The location is in the house construction project for sale at 129 Truong Dinh street, Hoang Mai district.

Ha Dong Paper and Wood Joint - Stock Company (in cooperation with Sunrise Development Investment JSC and Vietnam Financial Investment Services Joint Stock Company) owes more than VND29.5 billion (US$1.3 million). The location is in investment and construction project of Thanh Binh housing block at 114 Thanh Binh street, Mo Lao ward, Ha Dong district.

Thang Long Bridge No.1 One Member Limited Liability Company owes nearly VND 27.5 billion (US$1.21 million). The location is in the investment and construction project of high-rise building, office and low-rise residential building at 89 Thinh Liet street, Hoang Mai district.

Nam Thanh Co., Ltd. owes more than VND26 billion (US$1.15 million). The location is in the low-rise building construction project at 49 Trung Kinh street, Yen Hoa ward, Cau Giay district.

Transport Engineering and Development Investment Joint Stock Company No.208 owes nearly VND9 billion (US$396,913). The location is in the construction project of low-rise residential building at Dai Tu street, Hoang Mai district.

Dong Da Industrial Cooperative owes more than VND8.8 billion (US$388,092). The locations are at No. 98 Thai Thinh and No. 308 Tay Son, Dong Da district.

Tien Phong Co. Ltd owes VND906 million (US$39,956). The location is at No. 42, Alley No. 156, Lac Trung street, Hai Ba Trung district.
Closed door can save lives, property during an emergency says State Fire Marshal





NASHVILLE  As peak fire season approaches, the Tennessee State Fire Marshals Office (SFMO) urges Tennesseans to remember that a closed door is one of the fastest ways to stop the spread of fire during an emergency.



When escaping a fire, Tennesseans should remember that a door can be an important piece of firefighting equipment in the home, said Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. Closing a door can prevent devastating fire loss and could help give your loved ones more time to get out of a burning house.



A closed door hinders flames and smoke from spreading to other rooms and can help deprive a fire of the oxygen it needs to grow, limiting the structural damage a fire can cause and, most importantly, saving lives.



As part of its Close the Door campaign, the SFMO encourages people to close the door whenever possiblewhether they are going to bed at night or leaving the room in the event of a fire. Closing the door can stop the spread of fire in a home for hours at a time, allowing time to find alternate escape routes or shelter in place until help arrives. The campaign works in conjunction with inter-connected smoke alarms, which are required in all new construction.



The SFMO encourages Tennesseans to remember:



 Close the bedroom door when sleeping, if possible. (Dont forget to install smoke alarms inside and outside the bedroom. For the best protection, make sure all smoke alarms are interconnected. When one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.)

 Close doors behind you when escaping a room/building thats on fire.

 If you are unable to escape a building that is on fire, close all doors between you and the fire. Use towels or sheets to seal the door cracks and cover air vents. Call the fire department to report your exact location.

 Keep fire doors closed. These specialized doors are used to compartmentalize a building and prevent the spread of smoke and flames. Never wedge, disable, or prop open fire doors in apartments or other buildings.



For more information about Close the Door and other crucial fire safety measures, visit www.tn.gov/fire.

Published November 20, 2017
Officials break ground on corporate headquarters for Summit



KNOXVILLE -- Summit Medical Group and Summit Strategic Solutions officials recently broke ground on a new facility at the Middlebrook Pike medical corridor in Knoxville.



The two-story, 50,000-square-foot building project is being constructed on an 8-acre site at 1275 Dick Lonas Road and is slated to be completed by December 2018.



Summit Medical Group CEO Ed Curtis, Summit Strategic Solutions CEO Jack Thompson and other company leaders break ground on Nov. 10 for a facility which will serve as the corporate headquarters for both organizations. Located at 1275 Dick Lonas Road at the Middlebrook Pike medical corridor in Knoxville, the building is slated to be completed by December 2018. Pictured from left: Dr. Eric Penniman, Dr. Scott Gardner, Ed Curtis, Dr. Wes Dean, Dr. Nick Thornton, Jack Thompson, Dr. Jeff Stevens, Jack Kam, Dr. Luke Chesney, Dr. Amy Rosine, Susan Loveday, Dr. Glenn Hall, Ranee Guard, Dr. Gerald Mancebo and Joe Ortiz.



It will be built to suit the current corporate office needs of both Summit Strategic Solutions and Summit Medical Group, as well as accommodate future growth. The construction project was initiated by Healthcaring Ventures (HCV), the parent company of Summit Strategic Solutions. HCV, being the holding company launched by Summit Medical Group in 2015 for the identification and implementation of new investment and partnership opportunities, recently has formed a new series LLC company, HCV Realty Investment, to head the development of this and future realty investment projects.



As our companies continue to grow to meet the needs of patients, clients and the healthcare industry, this new facility will provide the necessary infrastructure to support our current teams and future development, HCV Chairman Dr. Wesley Dean said.



Summit Medical Group is the largest primary care group in East Tennessee, serving more than 260,000 patients and averaging over one million encounters annually. Summit Strategic Solutions provides managed services, value-based care solutions and other support to physician practices, including Summit Medical Group, as well as health insurance plans and self-insured employers.



The current reach and potential growth of these companies serving the healthcare industry is significant  from the primary care needs at the community level to the efficiency and quality results at an organization level, Dean said. Through this building project and other strategic plans, we continue to invest in the resources that enable us to serve our patients and clients.



The groundbreaking ceremony included physicians and staff, including Summit Medical Group CEO Ed Curtis and Summit Strategic Solutions CEO Jack Thompson, as well as construction partners. BarberMcMurry is the architect, and Blaine Construction is the general contractor. The project is financed by First Tennessee Bank, and the project consultant is Mackey Brownlee of Brownlee Realty.



Summit Strategic Solutions and Summit Medical Group currently are headquartered at The Atrium Building at 1225 E. Weisgarber Road in Knoxville.



Summit Medical Group is East Tennessees largest primary care organization with more than 300 providers at 55 practice locations in 14 counties. Summit also consists of four diagnostic centers, mobile diagnostic services, eight physical therapy centers, three express clinics, central laboratory and sleep services center, as well as Summit Inpatient Services, which delivers superior care for hospitalized patients. Summit provides healthcare services to more than 260,000 patients, averaging over one million encounters annually. For more information about Summit Medical Group, visit www.summitmedical.com.



Summit Strategic Solutions specializes in providing customized, consumer-focused services that deliver value and efficiency for health care organizations, while improving outcomes and quality of life. Focusing on innovation and integration, Summit Strategic Solutions brings experience and proven systems to help physician practices, health providers and other organizations succeed in the transformation of healthcare from traditional fee-for-service care to value-based care. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Summit Strategic Solutions includes a Management Services Organization, providing business, and operational, financial and legal services. To learn more about Summit Strategic Solutions, visit www.summitstrategicsolutions.com.


LAS VEGAS  Preliminary data indicates the Nevada Promise Scholarship Program received 12,193 applications from Nevada high school seniors across the state before the application period closed Oct. 31.

Im thrilled to see such an incredible response to the Nevada Promise Scholarship and the increased access it will provide to so many young Nevadans, said Dr. Thom Reilly, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The Nevada Legislatures investment in this program will create an incredible domino effect that will not only improve the lives of these students, but future generations as well.

Great Basin College had 361 applicants, according to the report. College of Southern Nevada had 9,386; Truckee Meadows Community College had 1,798; and Western Nevada Community College had 648 applicants.

Established by the Nevada Legislature earlier this year, the Nevada Promise Scholarship provides last-dollar funding to eligible students. The scholarship will cover the cost of the registration fee and mandatory fees (tuition is not charged to residents of Nevada) not covered by other gift aid.

While the scholarship does not cover some smaller fees, the intent of the program is to cover nearly all of the costs of going to a community college in Nevada.

In addition, students will be required to meet with a mentor who will help them on their journey into and through college. Students must complete 20 hours of community service by the end of April to remain eligible.


Korea's fundamentals strong; weak growth potential remains as challenge



By Kang Seung-woo



Since the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, the nation's economy has shown resilience.



Economic indicators assuring its fiscal soundness have shown strong performances for two decades.



The nation's foreign exchange reserves jumped more than 18-fold and its record-breaking benchmark KOSPI index also witnessed an almost seven-fold rise during the span.



However, market watchers also warn of a few fear factors remaining, which can hurt the economic vitality of the nation and throw Asia's fourth-largest economy into another crisis.



On Nov. 21, 1997, Korea had no choice but to ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $58 billion (63.5 trillion won) bailout package as exploding foreign debts led to a sudden dive of the value of the national currency. In 2001, Korea paid off its debt to the IMF in the shortest time in that organization's history.



Improvements in economic fundamentals








By Kim In-cheol





The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) was the first in Korea. Founded under the goal of reinforcing national competitiveness in 2013, the IFEZ Authority (IFEZA) has been promoting its efforts and enthusiasm to join the world's top three free economic zones.



IFEZA is assessed to have created successful results from scratch over the last 14 years.



As a representative free economic zone in Korea, IFEZ has been turned into a renowned global city that leads the regional and national economy.



Accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) in IFEZ reached $10.3 billion by Aug, 2017, accounting for 66 percent of the total FDI in eight FEZs in Korea. A total of 15 international organizations including the Green Climate Fund, World Bank Korea Office and Association of World Election Bodies moved into IFEZ, turning it into a central city for the international community.



IFEZ has also become a global educational hub as SUNY Korea, George Mason University, the University of Utah and the Fashion Institute of Technology have campuses there.



When the third Samsung BioLogics factory capable of producing about 180,000 liters of biomedicines annually is completed this year, IFEZ will also be a leader in the industry.



Biomedicine productivity is expected to soar even more, reaching 510,000 liters by next year, which is the largest productive capacity in the world.



All these fruitful results came from the assistance, encouragement and support from many people, but advertising promotion also contributed a lot to our success too. Started from rough ground, IFEZ has been able to publicize its importance and make advancements.



IFEZ will continue its efforts to attract more FDI and introduce its strengths through various, accurate and objective advertisements





Director of Public Relations Division of IFEZA
The National Agency for Administrative City Construction is looking to build a foreign investment zone inside Sejong TECH Valley (in red) in the autonomous city of Sejong. / Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan

The autonomous city of Sejong plans to open a special investment zone for foreign firms and researchers, with economic incentives to lure them here.

South Korea's National Agency for Administrative City Construction under the land, infrastructure and transport ministry revealed the plan on Monday.

The zone will be inside Sejong Tech Valley  a 751,533 square-meter special industry complex that is being built.

With Samjong KPMG leading consultations with foreign entities, the zone will provide free rent for 50 years, reduced corporate tax, local tax and tariffs for seven, five and 15 years respectively.

Subsidies for employee training will also be available.

The zone, once approved and erected, will be part of a scientific research belt in the center of South Korea. Osong Life Science Cluster, the country's only bio industrial cluster, is a few kilometers north of the investment zone and Daedeok Innopolis (also known as Daedeok Science Town) south.





Overview of Sejong TECH Valley



The city has been wooing firms and researchers abroad, signing contracts and sending an investment proposal to Ireland's Tyndall National Institute, neuroscience researchers at Cornell University in the U.S.,, the Christian Doppler Research Association and five other companies/organizations.

"The investment zone proposal will be proposed to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy during the first half of 2018," said city construction administrator Lee Won-jae.

"It will be another growth-driving force for Sejong Tech Valley."

In line with the nation's Act of Foreigner Investment Promotion, foreign investment zones offer special incentives to encourage overseas companies and researchers to settle and invest.
By Lee Hyo-sik



The government plans to penalize chicken and other poultry farms infected with avian influenza if they are found to have been negligent in preventing the outbreak of the highly infectious virus, the top agriculture policymaker said Monday.



At a press briefing in Sejong, an administrative city 130 kilometers south of Seoul, Agriculture Minister Kim Young-rok said the government will consider taking legal action against Charmfre. The local poultry breeding and processing company is accused of being responsible for the latest bird flu outbreak that hit one of its affiliated farms in Gochang, North Jeolla Province.



"The infected duck farm was saddled with outdated breeding facilities and disregarded necessary quarantine precautions," Kim said. "We will carefully consider what steps to take against Charmfre. The farm will also be held accountable for the outbreak."



His remarks came a day after a highly pathogenic strain of H5N6 flu was discovered at a poultry farm with 12,000 ducks in Gochang, some 300 kilometers southwest of Seoul. This was the first confirmed case in six months.



Following the confirmation, the agriculture ministry issued a nationwide ban on poultry, farm vehicles and workers starting Monday for 48 hours to contain further outbreaks. The measures will be in place for seven days in Gochang and nearby areas. Shops that sell live chickens and ducks have been closed.



The ministry also elevated its avian influenza alert status to the highest level to prevent the spread of the highly-contagious virus.



"During the 48-hour standstill, quarantine officials will visit all the integrated poultry farms to check whether they are adequately prepared to prevent the bird flu outbreak during the coming winter season," Kim said.



"If problems are discovered, the government will take nationwide measures against them. The officials will also oversee the disinfection of vehicles and facilities."



The minister said the government will ban the movement of chickens and ducks to Gangwon Province from other parts of the country ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February.



"The Gangwon Provincial Government has been buying all the chicken and ducks from small poultry farms near the Olympic Game sites. We will follow due legal process to prohibit the flow of chickens and ducks into the province," Kim said.



"All the poultry farms should remain on high alert for the possible avian influenza outbreak. They must constantly disinfect breeding facilities, stop vehicles from entering their farms and refrain from visiting habitats for migratory birds."



In 2016, Korea suffered the worst bird flu outbreak, which lasted nearly eight months, with tens of millions of chickens and ducks being culled.


Applicants leave Kyungbock High School in Seoul after taking the grade 9 public official exam this April. A record number of more than 220,000 people applied to take the test this year amid the desire for stable jobs. / Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



More than half of the public here still remember the 1997 Asian financial crisis as one of the toughest economic downfalls that brought a dramatic shift in people's way of life.



Twenty years ago today, the country was forced to ask for a bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after undergoing an unprecedented currency slump and stock devaluation.



According to a recent survey from the Korea Development Institute (KDI), 57 percent of 1,000 surveyed adults said the 1997 crisis is the toughest economic hardship that hit the nation during the past five decades.



The crisis caused a number of small- and medium-sized enterprises and conglomerates here to go bankrupt, leaving the nation in a state of financial chaos. Those who did not file for bankruptcy, however, also had to carry out large-scale layoffs and major restructuring to survive the nightmarish economic crisis.



With one after another companies asking for bankruptcy during the time, the government had no choice but to seek a bailout worth $20 billion (21.99 trillion won) from the IMF.



Two decades have passed since the economic turmoil gripped the country, but people still have negative and traumatic images of the crisis. More than 40 percent of the respondents named a nationwide gold-collecting campaign as the most memorable and symbolic event to represent the crisis.



The public joined hands to collect gold, seeking to play a part in getting the nation back on the right track. This shows how serious the sense of economic crisis had been during the period.



Paradigm shift in employment



A quarter of the people surveyed also chose the massive payroll cuts as a representative image when remembering the crisis.



Four out of the respondents noted that at least one of themselves, their parents or siblings lost their jobs by the time the government received a rescue fund from the IMF. A sense of uncertainty has since prevailed in the local job market.



This was in contrast to the period before the financial crisis. Driven by rapid industrial growth, most college graduates were easily able to get jobs back in the early to mid-1990s. But as renowned conglomerates such as Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo pushed for comprehensive restructuring to overcome the crisis, uncertainty has become a new catchword to describe the local job market.



Young people have since preferred stable jobs that guarantee lifetime employment, rather than opting for those with merit-based and higher-paying jobs at conglomerates.



"I am often frustrated when hearing those in our parents' generation easily got jobs from leading conglomerates," said a 27-year-old employee at a Japanese shipbuilder. He said he decided to join the company simply because most Japan-based companies guarantee job security.



"The job market today is so tough and competitive. The only thing I can do is apply to as many companies as I can and select the one that guarantees stability," he said.



The KDI statistics also noted that 88.8 percent of respondents said the worst social problem following the financial crisis is the rise of irregular workers.



"Most college graduates are reluctant to work at potential-laden startups. They simply want to be employed at stable companies such as those run by the government," the employee said. "I have spent almost half of my lifetime in the United States, which is home to innovative venture firms and state-of-the-art technologies. But in Korea, only a few collegians seem to dream of running their own companies. The reason is simple; the social atmosphere that says stable jobs are the best jobs."




By Rha Hae-sung, Park Si-soo

Seoul city will host a seminar for foreign investors about business trends here and successful cases.

Seoul Global Center, a city-funded information center for foreign residents and travelers, will organize the event at COEX Convention Center in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov 30.

John Lee, representative director of WaHome, an online-to-offline home cleaning services provider, will host a session titled "Tips for Successful Pitching to Investors."

Jason Minhee Kim, former senior associate at ActnerLab, will host another session titled "VC/Angel Investment Trends and Strategies."


By Nam Hyun-woo







Former Deputy Prime Minister Lim Chang-yuel said Korea's economy is suffering from a "creeping cancer," issuing a warning it may face a serious crisis unless solutions to revitalize its key industries pop up.





"If the 1997 bailout was an acute illness, the Korean economy is now suffering from creeping cancer," Lim said in an interview with local media. "Among its key industries, China now has the global lead in shipbuilding and the good expectancy of electronics is wearing out."





Lim was deputy prime minister for the economy from 1997 to 1998 when Korea was under the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) bailout program. On Nov. 21, 1997, just three days after his appointment, Lim announced the government had "accepted the advice from the IMF and decided to ask for the IMF loans."





Lim accepted the job of top economic policymaker to draw up blueprints for rescuing the economy from the brink of collapse.





Just three years and eight months after the bailout, Korea repaid the last $19.5 billon installment of the $58 billion rescue package, becoming a lender country nearly three years ahead of schedule.





In the process, Korea pursued a wide range of restructuring across all industrial sectors, but Lim described those efforts as "incomplete" and unfinished tasks still remain as economic obstacles.





"The early repayment also had a bad side," Lim said. "Korea forgot about the pains and lessons of that time too early."









Lim cited reforms for labor flexibility and eased regulations as unfinished tasks. Those were mentioned in this year's IMF mission to Korea on Nov. 14 that Korea should adopt flexible labor policies and ease regulations that hold back innovation.





The IMF recommended Korea protect workers rather than jobs so it could create a new labor market structure. It asked all of Korea's social partners to have trust and ownership by inviting all stakeholders into the social dialogue, including non-union workers, small enterprises and the self-employed.





"It is right that the quality of employees' work should be improved, but wage demand that is surpassing workers' productivity will drive out companies and harm the economy," Lim said. "The government should start a dialogue with union workers and come up with a social agreement of labor flexibility."





Regarding key industries losing their competitiveness, Lim stressed efforts to promote corporate investments. "In order to draw investments, there should be incentives such as tax cuts, but the government is threatening companies with a corporate tax hike," he said.





Lim said the failure of the government's economic policies brought on the financial crisis 20 years ago, adding that the President's office should not intervene too much in economic affairs.


By Park Hyong-ki



Twenty years ago today, Korea went hat in hand to request a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the face of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.



The $20 billion lifeline came with a price  a loss of economic sovereignty  following the country's mismanagement of conglomerates, banks and public finances.



Strict conditions had to be met under the reins of the IMF  then, the Asian economy had to reform internally on par with global standards to improve its governance and transparency.



The grueling years of what locals call the "IMF era" saw more than 160 manufacturers either shut down or go through debt-workout programs.



The number of banks also had to be shut down, sold or merged. The Korean currency was in panic, depreciating toward 1,700 won per dollar.



But the result  the transformation  turned out to be positive, the foreign business community here has said.



The crisis offered an opportunity for private enterprises to become globally competitive and for government to strengthen its policy and risk management, introducing social safety nets for the labor sector.



"Korea has made a terrific transformation since the Asian currency crisis. The economy has been transformed and the changes in business and society are outstanding," said Steven Craig, managing director of JLL Korea, a local unit of the global real estate investment advisory firm.






ELKO  In the year since an American Medflight plane crashed in the Barrick parking lot off Mountain City Highway and killed four people there is still no word from the National Transportation and Safety Board on how the accident occurred, but there has been scrutiny of Piper PA-31T planes by federal flight officials.

Within a nine-month period there were three fatal crashes of that make and model of plane  one in California on July 29, 2016; the one in Elko on Nov. 18, 2016; and one in Portugal on April 17, 2017. The accident in Portugal happened shortly after take-off, killing all on board and one person on the ground.

The Piper PA-31T was the subject of an urgent safety recommendation by the NTSB in January that asked the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an airworthiness directive to correct unsafe wiring found after the California crash, which also involved a medical transport plane.

In that recommendation, the NTSB referred to the preliminary report on the crash of Piper PA-31T that took off from Crescent City and went down near the Oregon border, killing four, including the pilot, patient, paramedic and flight nurse. Authorities said the pilot had reported smoke from the cockpit and decided to turn back.

The FAA issued the airworthiness directive Feb. 22, stating it was to correct the unsafe conditions on these products and was prompted by a fatal accident where evidence of thermal damage in this area was found.

This condition, if not corrected, could lead to electrical arcing and a possible inflight fire in an area that is not accessible by the crew, the FFA said.

Patient Edward Clohesey, pilot Yuji Irie, paramedic Jacob Shepherd and flight nurse Tiffany Urresti died Nov. 18 when their medical transport plane went down shortly after taking off from Elko Regional Airport.

A preliminary NTSB report filed Nov. 30, 2016 said a witness at the airport noticed that [d]uring the initial climb  the airplane made an initial left turn about 30 degrees from the runway heading, then stopped climbing and made an abrupt left bank and descended out of his line of sight.

The report noted that there were clear skies, a temperature of 33 degrees Fahrenheit and wind direction of 110 degrees at 7 knots.

The crash is still undergoing investigation, an NTSB spokesman said last week. On its website, the NTSB states the cause may not be determined 12 to 18 months after the accident.

After the accident, Capt. Irie was praised by Elko Police Lt. Rich Genseal for maneuvering the plane toward the parking lot and avoiding populated areas and businesses.

The plane came down in a parking lot thats probably only several hundred feet from the apartment complex, multiple dwellings, Genseal said at the time.

City Manager Curtis Calder agreed that Iries actions prevented a greater tragedy that night.

Although the City of Elko has not seen a final report from the NTSB, we believe the heroic actions of the pilot and crew members saved numerous lives on the ground, Calder said this week.

He said the accident also highlighted the importance of emergency first responders and medical aviation services in the area.

Emergency air medical transport services are not only an important part of our local healthcare system, but a critical aviation source, Calder said. As such our community was greatly impacted by last years American Medflight crash and the resulting loss of life.

We are grateful to our emergency first responders and federal officials who perform difficult work under adverse conditions, he added.
By Yun Suh-young



A team of chefs from Korea won the gold medal at the 19th FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition, according to the Korean Food Promotion Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Monday.



The culinary competition is the largest in China, attracting 70,000 people from 60 countries annually. The competition was held Nov. 14 to 16 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.



The Korean team won the gold medal at the team competition section which was held for the first time at the FHC. Only six teams were given the privilege to compete and were assigned the mission to prepare their country's food in buffet style as well as create a gala lunch for VIP guests. Only one team was awarded the gold medal.



The Korean team consisted of members from the Young Chef Union, a nonprofit organization of 30 chefs and culinary students between the ages of 19 and 27. The team presented nine courses for the buffet with 16 dishes. The nine courses were bread, salad, tapas, appetizer, fish platter, meat platter, soup, cake and dessert.



"It's a meaningful achievement for Korean chefs to win the culinary competition in China which is a major player in the food industry. We will continue to support Korean chefs to succeed overseas," said Kim Dae-keun, acting president of the Korean Food Promotion Institute.



The institute, formerly the Korean Food Foundation, began supporting Korean chefs entering foreign culinary competitions, but this was the first time the institute extended its support to a team.




By Jun Ji-hye



The North Korean military's winter drills that will begin next month are drawing keen attention because Pyongyang has not conducted any provocations for more than 60 days.



Military officials here said Monday how the North will behave during the exercises may be a barometer of its future course of action _ to continue its provocations or to come to the table for dialogue _ as it will take place after the visit of Chinese and Russian delegations to Pyongyang.



The North's last provocation was conducted Sept. 15 when it launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan. The suspension of the provocations has raised cautious optimism about a possible change in the North's attitude.



According to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), signs have been recently detected that the North's military is preparing for its months-long winter exercises.



Last year, the repressive state carried out a massive artillery drill to mark the beginning of the exercises, raising military tension on the Korean Peninsula.



"The South Korean military is keeping a full readiness posture against the possibility of provocations," a JCS official said on condition of anonymity.



Chinese diplomats including Song Tao, the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, arrived in Pyongyang, Friday, and met with senior officials including Choe Ryong-hae, the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party.



The visit was designed to brief the North of the outcome of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held last month, but Xi's special envoy was also believed to have delivered a report on the recent U.S.-China summit to the North's officials.



During the Nov. 9 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Xi to take more action to rein in North Korea.



The Russian delegation is also scheduled to visit Pyongyang next week.



Experts say the level of the provocations during the drills, if the North conducts any, will define the level of tension around the peninsula.



Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Seoul's Dongguk University, said it seemed rare for the North to have stopped its provocations for more than 60 days, saying the North has been probably taking a wait-and-see attitude.



"North Korea may have waited to see how the U.S. dealt with North Korean issues as Trump conducted his Asian tour during which time South Korea-U.S. and China-U.S. summits took place," Kim said during his cable TV appearance.



On the other hand, Park Hwee-rhak, dean of the Graduate School of Politics and Leadership at Kookmin University, said the North is believed to have suspended its provocations due to technical problems in developing an operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



The experts cited the beginning of next year when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will deliver his New Year address, and his birthday, Jan. 8, as other possible times for provocations to be resumed.


By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea media outlets have not reported as of Monday whether their leader Kim Jong-un met Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, until Song's fourth day of his visit to Pyongyang.



The sources said they remain clueless as to whether Kim and Song have met already or if Kim refused to meet Song for private reasons.



Diplomatic sources initially speculated that Song, who arrived in North Korea, Friday, was scheduled to wrap up his trip, Monday, after meeting Kim and delivering Xi's message, Sunday.



They also speculated that Pyongyang's state-controlled media will report on the meeting in detail by Monday morning.



Regarding Song's activities, Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Korean Central Television (KCTV) only reported that he paid his respects at the mausoleum of the two late North Korean leaders _ Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.



They also reported that Song, accompanied by the Chinese ambassador to North Korea, laid flowers at a tower that symbolizes the North Korea-China friendship in Pyongyang before moving to Pyongan Province and visiting the site of former Chinese military forces headquarters during the 1950-53 Korean War.



The possible meeting between Kim and Song was much-touted internationally, as Xi's special envoy's visit to Pyongyang raised hope that it will ease heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula, and help bring the Kim regime back to the negotiating table on denuclearization.



The sources speculated that restoring the Pyongyang-Beijing ties will be at risk if the meeting did not take place because it will be seen as a snub of Xi, who just began his second five-year term and is working to consolidate his leadership.



"The possible meeting was seen as critical for the relations between North Korea and China. If it turns out that Kim decided not to meet Song, it will be interpreted that Kim is dissatisfied with China joining the international sanctions against his regime," a South Korean government official said on condition of anonymity.



Government officials said Kim may have decided to call off the meeting with Song, as the Chinese envoy met the young tyrant's right-hand man, Choe Ryong-hae, Friday.



"It's possible Song and Choe fully discussed bilateral relations and there was no need for Kim to hear from Song about the related topics," an official said.



Song also met North Korean Foreign Minster Ri Su-yong, Saturday.



According to the KCNA, the two "exchanged ideas on common interests of the two countries as well as security of the region."



Song, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, was Xi's first envoy sent to North Korea after Xi extended his tenure for another five years during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.



In 2012, Kim met Li Jianguo, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. Li then visited as Xi's special envoy and explained the 18th party congress to Kim.




Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Chairman Moon Hyun-jin speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15. / Courtesy of GPF



By Kim Hyo-jin



WASHINGTON, D.C.  The Moon Jae-in government is not doing enough to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue, its foreign policy lacking clarity, says one NGO director.

"The leadership of South Korea is not doing its people any favors by having a willy-nilly position in North Korea policy," Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Chairman Moon Hyun-jin said in an interview with The Korea Times, Nov. 15.



He claimed Seoul has to position itself as a major partner with the U.S. and push its agenda forward in close coordination with the alliance.



Dismissing Seoul's so-called "balance diplomacy" between the U.S. and China as naive, he stressed his view is purely based on the acknowledgement of Northeast Asia's current geopolitical shift.



"American leadership is defining the region right now," he said. "America wants to hold hands with South Korea more so than ever  for South Korea to be coy about it is very foolish. South Koreans need to wake up and realize the severity of the situation here."

He pointed out the Trump administration made the Korean Peninsula issue a top priority, for the first time in U.S. foreign policy history.



The American initiative in dealing with North Korea is natural, as the U.S. has legitimate concern over the belligerent country posing a nuclear threat toward it, Chairman Moon said.



What South Korea does not realize is that the regional stakeholders, he claimed, China and Russia, now respect the U.S. position and are actually tied to it, mindful of their future national interest.



"America is sending the signal to China and Russia if the nuclear program the Kim Jong-un regime is developing is not halted, it will not tolerate it and do something about it," he said. "Under such circumstances, China and Russia are all going to change their calculus."



In this changing dynamic, he advises the Moon Jae-in government to strengthen the alliance with the U.S. and Japan, and more importantly, put forward reunification of the peninsula as its national end game.



Promoting unification may be difficult to have empathy for at this point, but Chairman Moon believes it is important for South Korea to provide the global community an idea of what should be the long-term agenda on the peninsula.



"U.S. is still developing its North Korea policy. In the short term, it is saying it absolutely needs to stop the nuclear program but what's going to happen thereafter?" he asked.



"South Korea should take it as an opportunity to explain the best way to deal with (the peninsula issue), not only in the short term but also in the long term, is through the unification process."



He claimed this time the global community will be on board with the unification movement once the South Korean government takes the initiative.



"We have to do everything to make sure there is no military confrontation so that is why the objective of unification is so important at this time," he said. "If South Korea makes unification its national agenda, the world community will start to galvanize around South Korea."



For a decade, Chairman Moon has campaigned globally on the need to unify the two Koreas.



This year, with the message that the current security crisis can be an opportunity that brings about peaceful resolution, the NGO director held a two-day international forum at the heart of American political power  Washington, D.C.

Dozens of U.S.-based North Korea experts, civic leaders and South Korean politicians gathered to discuss solutions for the North's nuclear threat. The event will continue in Seoul between Dec. 7 and 8.



Chairman Moon organized an alliance of over 850 NGOs, Action for Korea United (AKU) in 2012 and mounted various campaigns including one to encourage South Koreans to donate 1,000 won, equal to the cost of three meals for one North Korean. The AKU grew into South Korea's largest NGO for unification.



The AKU launched the One-K Global Campaign Organizing Committee for its long term and expanded unification campaign in 2015.



The committee released a song that promotes Korean unification made by Grammy-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in March 2017, first at the One-K global concert in Manila with K-pop idol groups participating.



His multifaceted campaigns for unification have no boundaries, varying from cultural sector, civic society to academia. Chairman Moon said his next plan is to establish new media that has a "politically balanced perspective," expressing discontent on the existing ones courting to the biggest shareholder's interest.



Moon is the third son of the late leader of the Unification Church, Moon Sun-myung, who opened the door to North Korea in the 1990s with multiple North Korean businesses.



Moon's father established the international company Mt. Geumgang in 1994, started offering tours of Mt. Geumgang in 1998, and the following year established Pyeonghwa Motors  a joint car venture between South and North Korea.
By Kim Rahn



Expanding trade and exchanges with Southeast Asian countries is important to reduce the South Korean economy's dependence on China, President Moon Jae-in said Monday.



He made the remark in his first meeting with secretaries since his visit to three Southeast Asian countries from Nov. 8 to 15. During the visit, he announced his New Southern Policy which focuses on more economic cooperation with the nations in the region.



It also came after Seoul and Beijing recently agreed to move forward despite a conflict over the former's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, which had caused the latter's economic retaliation.



"ASEAN is taking a larger and larger portion in the global economy, as well as in the South Korean economy," Moon said. "So accelerating exchanges with ASEAN is important for us in terms of diversifying export markets and thus reducing economic dependence on China and preparing for a post-China era."



Moon said the ASEAN members highly recognized his New Southern Policy, which highlighted the importance of the region as a new production and consumer market for South Korea.



"The New Southern Policy, pairing with the New Northern Policy I announced in Vladivostok in September, will form a mainstay for prosperity and contribute to South Korea expanding diplomatic and economic horizons," he said.



He said other achievements during his trip include agreements with ASEAN nations on expanding defense industry cooperation and for Korean small- and medium-sized firms' business there, as well as a pledge to increase trade volume to $200 billion by 2020 from the current $135 billion.



Moon's remark on less dependence on China came after South Korean companies operating in China and companies here mainly targeting Chinese tourists have suffered huge financial losses for nearly one year after Beijing unofficially took economic retaliatory measures in protest of Seoul's THAAD deployment as a deterrence against North Korea's missile threats.



But a Cheong Wa Dae official said Moon did not come up with the New Southern Policy in line with China's economic retaliation, adding he had developed the idea before such retaliation began.


Sogang University Professor Kim Jae-chun speaks during the Korea Foundation Special Lectures on Korea 2017 at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, Nov. 15. /Courtesy of Korea Foundation





By Rachel Lee

In line with the Moon Jae-in government's moves to diversify diplomacy, the Korea Foundation sent two Korea experts to India to broaden awareness of the country and advance Korea-India relations.

At the Korea Foundation (KF) Special Lectures on Korea 2017, Nov. 15-16, about 350 students and teachers from three universities in New Delhi _ Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and the University of Delhi _ were present.

Sogang University Professor Kim Jae-chun and Hanyang University Professor Ha Joon-kyung gave lectures on "The Inauguration of the Moon Jae-in Government, Korean Democracy, and Foreign Policy Challenges" and "Korea's Growth Strategies: Implications for India's Economic Development," respectively.

"Recently, heightened interest in Korea and its culture has dramatically increased the demand for Korean studies programs worldwide," KF President Lee Si-hyung said. "Accordingly, this special lecture program is intended to provide local students with an opportunity to learn more about Korea and to stimulate academic curiosity about Korean studies through the presentation of selected topics by specialists in the field."

The KF was founded in 1992 for international exchange and public diplomacy initiatives.

The program, part of the KF Special Lecture Series, features sessions by prominent Korean professors and specialists to broaden awareness of Korea and Korean studies. They also share their expertise with local figures and students in countries around the world. Since its establishment, the Korea Foundation has implemented a wide variety of cooperative programs with the international community to nurture mutual understanding and friendship between Korea and people from around the globe.

Professor Kim, who previously worked at Yale University as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science and the Yale Center for the International and Area Studies, pointed out the Moon government' two security challenges _ growing rivalry between the major stakeholder countries in the region and North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles program.

To deal with the Asia paradox, Kim suggests the government put in efforts to establish multilateral security institutions in the region. The government will increase deterrent and defense capabilities against the North, but at the same time it is expected to work on nuclear diplomacy with the North Koreans.

Professor Ha discussed how Korea's growth strategies have been formed and evolved over the period of dynamic development, which has been so fast that the average person has experienced a tenfold increase in personal income in a generation. The lecture covered the prerequisites of effective strategies for massive investment, education, R&D and the formation of the middle class, as well as various crises Korea has faced and overcome.

Ha stressed that growth strategies should change over time to adjust the economy to a new environment, but it is never easy to shift gears.

Earlier this month, the KF invited 11 people aged under 45 from India for the 2017 Indian Next-Generation Leaders Visit Korea program as part of efforts to boost exchanges with India. This is in line with the government's moves to improve diplomatic and economic ties with Southeast Asian countries.

The program provided participants, including Indian actress Anaswara Kumar, University of Delhi Assistant Professor Netrananda Sahu and Jawaharlal Nehru University PhD scholar Shyam Sunder with a platform for discussions with their Korean counterparts to enhance Indian-Korean cooperation. They also had an opportunity to learn about the historical, cultural, economic and socio-political aspects of Korea through an extended tour.
Oman Ambassador Mohamed Alharthy, third from right in front row, attends an open house program at the chancery in Seoul, Nov 10. / Courtesy of Embassy of Oman





By Rachel Lee

In collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Oman Embassy held an open house program at the chancery, Nov 10.

Students and teachers from Sangam High School and officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education attended the program, "Welcome to Oman." It aimed to familiarize Korean students with the history, culture and civilization of Oman, the embassy said.

Oman Ambassador Mohamed Alharthy briefed participants on his country's heritage, culture and modern life, including tourist attractions and Oman-Korea relations.

"The program focused on historical and cultural aspects of Oman and Oman-Korea relations and cooperation," the embassy said. "It also aimed to promote and enhance bilateral relations and cooperation."

The audience also viewed a documentary film about Oman and a cultural display at a museum inside the embassy. The program concluded with a Q&A contest and souvenirs.
Prosecutors said Monday they have raided the residence and office of Rep. Choi Kyoung-hwan of the Liberty Korea Party over allegations that he received kickbacks from the state spy agency in 2014.



Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office searched his office in the National Assembly as well as his house to confiscate evidence, its office said.



Choi is suspected of taking 100 million won ($91,200) in bribes from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) when he was finance minister under the Park Geun-hye administration in return for favors for the NIS' budget.



Prosecutors said they plan to summon him for questioning as soon as they finish analyzing the seized evidence. (Yonhap)




Busan Family Court annulled the marriage and divorce status of a man who registered his marital situation without the woman's agreement in order to extend his U.S. visa. /



By Ko Dong-hwan

A South Korean man who needed to extend his American visa had filed for marriage, and for divorce a year after, both without his partner's agreement.

A Korean court has ruled that his matrimonial escapades are legally ineffective.

The man, in his 30s, was living in the U.S. in February 2014 when he met a South Korean woman, also in her 30s, at a casual get-together for the Korean nationals. The two started going out.

The man at the time needed to extend the visa and decided to register his status as married. He then asked her for documents required to file for marriage. The woman provided the documents, but told the man "never to proceed with marriage."












By Kim Se-jeong



Prosecutors searched the office and home of Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), Monday, over an allegation he accepted a bribe from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 2014 in return for pushing budgetary favors for the spy agency.



Choi was then the minister of strategy and finance and deputy prime minister for economic affairs and well-connected with lawmakers at the National Assembly.



Ten officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office confiscated documents, computer files and hard disks from the four-term lawmaker's National Assembly office and Seoul residence.



Choi faces allegations that he received 100 million won ($91,000) in cash in 2014 in exchange for exerting influence to increase the NIS's annual budget. The finance ministry is responsible for reviewing the annual budget plan for the spy agency and approving it before sending it to the Assembly.



While Rep. Choi denies the allegation, the prosecution suspects the former minister broke the Anti-Graft Law.



A crucial piece of evidence for the prosecution is the testimony of former NIS chief Lee Byung-kee who said he had given the bribe to Choi.



Lee was arrested last week on suspicions of bribing high-ranking officials at the presidential office. The prosecutors also obtained more testimony from a former high-profile NIS official who testified that he had handed the money to Choi himself.



The prosecution said it will soon summon him for questioning but didn't specify when.



Many viewed the search as only a prelude to a bribery investigation into former and incumbent lawmakers.



Speculation is running high among politicians that other lawmakers, especially conservative ones with close ties to former President Park Geun-hye, might have received money from the NIS for favors.



The widening investigation into lawmakers, if it happens, will also bring additional charges against Park who is on trial for corruption and influence peddling involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil.



The probe into the NIS started with allegations that the agency mobilized its resources to manipulate public opinion under former President Lee Myung-bak.



The prosecution obtained evidence that the NIS recruited young soldiers and paid people to wage online activities that were geared toward shaping positive public opinion about Lee.



The LKP issued a statement, defending Choi.



"The prosecutors had better make sure the investigation into a member of the legislature is fair, without any bias. We already suspect bias and will keep a close eye on developments," Rep. Chang Je-won, the party's chief spokesman, said.



Monday's search is also expected to rekindle a debate about the NIS's clandestine fund which is not required to make public. With mandates to maintain national security from North Korean threats, the agency is supposed to spend the secret budget to achieve this goal.


By Kim Rahn





Hong Jong-haak
By Jun Ji-hye



The Moon Jae-in government is determined to create a separate body to investigate and indict high-level public officials and their family members involved in corruption cases, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk said Monday.



Cho said the creation of such a body with independent investigative power will be the symbol of the reform of the prosecution that is long accused of being swayed by politics.



"It is time to finalize a plan to set up the new investigation body," Cho said during his appearance at a three-way meeting between Cheong Wa Dae, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the government, held at the National Assembly.



"Reforming the prosecution is the first among a pile of tasks facing the Moon government to eradicate deep-rooted evils," Cho said.



It is rare for the presidential secretary for civil affairs to attend the three-way meeting, the party officials said, noting that it reflected the Moon administration's strong determination to establish the new body and overhaul the state prosecution.



Justice Minister Park Sang-ki and DPK floor leader Rep. Woo Won-shik as well as Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, the DPK's chief policymaker, were present at the meeting.



After the meeting, Rep. Kim told reporters that Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling party reached an agreement to do its best to pass relevant bills to create the new body.



"We will carefully listen to concerns raised by some over the political neutrality and independence of the new investigative body," Kim said. "In-depth discussions will be conducted during the Assembly's examination of the bills."



During his presidential campaign, Moon vowed to stamp out irregularities in ranking public servants and their family members.



The pledge received support following the massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and high-ranking government officials who were previously lawmakers or prosecutors. Park was removed from office due to the scandal in March and is currently standing trial.



Among those involved in the scandal was Woo Byung-woo, former prosecutor who later served as Park's secretary for civil affairs. The prosecution at the time was under fire for allegedly being politicized in favor of the government in its investigation into the scandal.



Cho mentioned this, saying that "politically motivated" prosecutors obtained high posts through connection under the Park government.



"President Moon has called for the creation of the body and declared people surrounding him and even himself could be the subject of the investigation of such a body," Cho said.



The former Roh Moo-hyun government also sought to create the independent investigative body to reform the prosecution, but to no avail due to strong protest from prosecutors at the time. President Moon was chief of staff for the late Roh.



To push for the establishment of the body, the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee plans to discuss pending bills Tuesday, including one submitted by Rep. Park Beom-kye, a DPK Supreme Council member.



Park's bill calls for creating a body comprised of up to 20 special prosecutors who have authority to investigate former presidents, a Supreme Court chief justice, a prosecutor general and lawmakers.



Rep. Park said the committee will examine four bills to see if they can be combined.



"The main opposition Liberty Korea Party should cooperate in creating a proper body," Park said during the party meeting.




By Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu





The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway was opened Oct. 30 in a ceremony in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey and the prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia, as well as delegates from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, attended the ceremony. This inauguration was described as a historical event because of the importance of the project's mission  the BTK Railway is called the "Iron Silk Road" in the region.

The BTK Railway was planned during the ending process of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the construction began in 2007. The 846 kilometers of the railway connects Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish railways and links to European and Asian railways. Due to the technical and geographical difficulties, the process took ten years to complete. It provides the shortest link from China to Europe for the transportation of goods and people. From the beginning, up to 6 million tons of cargo and 1 million passengers will be carried every year. It is projected that the level will gradually increase to 17 million tons of cargo and 3 million passengers in the coming years.

Currently, the contribution of China to this railway is expected because of the high-level transportation necessities in the region. Here, mutual interest appears for China. The country is linked to Europe via Russia so the BTK Railway would help to reduce the load of goods travelling via that route. Chinese cargo can reach Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea port first and it will be ferried to the port of Azerbaijan. The cargo will then be freighted on the BTK Railway to reach Europe in 15 days.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called the BTK Railway a "historic project" and described the new period by saying, "It will increase the geopolitical importance of our countries and open up new opportunities for us."

The project will improve economic relations between the countries and create regional integration. It has significant meaning because, after the collapse of Soviet Union, the Caucasus region suffered from economic troubles, political chaos, and ethnic-regional conflicts. In the 1990s, the local conflicts in the Northern Caucasus and the accompanying terrorism threatened investments. In the Southern Caucasus, the Armenian occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Russo-Georgian War changed the trust environment for upcoming projects.

Today some of the problems have been solved with the help of natural resources and economic opportunities. Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey worked to realize admirable regional projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Gas Pipeline.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We hereby announce the establishment of an uninterrupted railway line from London to China," and then declared upcoming projects will also contribute to the regional and global economy.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also called other countries to be part of new projects, saying, "BTK is a new Eurasian Bridge. The geostrategic position of our countries endows us with the unique opportunity to be a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia. The new railroad line will considerably alter the existing economic reality and create totally new conditions for development."

The presidents are showing the reality of global interests, because this is an age of cooperation to gain economic benefits from everywhere and everything. Thus, we are witnessing other initiatives by Russia and Iran for the construction of the North-South Transport Corridor as one of the most important regional projects which will create a connection by rail, ship and land from India to Europe via passing through the Caucasus region.

The Caucasus was called "the region full of potential conflicts" until today. But from now, we are called, "the region full of potential cooperation."





Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu (oztarsu@gmail. com) is a Turkish analyst in Seoul.
By Tong Kim





In the wake of Trump's Asia trip and following a two-month pause of North Korea's kinetic provocations, the Korean peninsula appears to have been relieved from the risk of an imminent military conflict, although high tensions continue. A clear path to the resolution of the nuclear/missile issue is still missing.

Trump's trip was focused on the North Korean nuclear threat, U.S. trade imbalances, and on a new, broader U.S. Asia policy  for trade and security interests  for the Indo-Pacific region. Throughout his trip, Trump did well, by sticking to the scripts, away from his usual bombastic rhetoric on twitter or off the teleprompter.

Trump's position remains unchanged: apply maximum pressure and sanctions of worldwide unity against Kim Jong Un until he gives up his nuclear weapons, which few believe will happen. Military options remain on the table, which increasingly become more unrealistic and less credible for implementation.

In Seoul, Trump warned North Korea "not to underestimate or try us," underscoring the unparalleled U.S. military might. He denounced the North Korean leadership as "the murderous regime," calling the North "not the paradise" that Kim Jong Un's grandfather had envisioned but "a hell." Trump said he would still offer "a path to a much better future" for North Korea, if they would come out for "a complete, verifiable, and total denuclearization."

In Beijing, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agreed to work together for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The two major powers will not accept the North as a nuclear weapons state. But Xi did not promise any new additional measures of pressure, beyond China's commitment to fully implement UN sanction resolutions.

Some of Trump's successes were seen in the area of trade. Japan and South Korea announced huge investments in the U.S. worth tens of billions of dollars. The two U.S. allies will spend billions of dollars to buy U.S. military platforms. And, they will renegotiate their trade relations in the context of a "fair, open and reciprocal trade" in the coming months. China offered a super business deal worth $250 billion with the United States.

For the past two months, Pyongyang, while continuing nasty rhetoric, did not launch a new nuclear or missile test. Three possible reasons: (1) they are concentrating on finding ways to survive the impact of the new sanctions that started affecting their economy; (2) they are conserving the resources for future tests of weapons; (3) they are still working on the technology to complete an operational ICBM,

However, they will continue to advance their nuclear-tipped missiles capable of striking the U.S. homeland, using whatever resources are available before the sanctions could paralyze their economy. Pyongyang shows no interest in dialogue now, maybe not until after they acquire an ICBM.

In Washington, reporting on his Asia trip, Trump said Xi and he "agreed that we would not accept a so-called freeze for freeze' agreement like those that have consistently failed in the past." In 12 hours, Beijing's foreign ministry denied Trump's claim, saying that China sticks to its double freeze proposal  freeze on the DPRK's nuclear and missile tests in return for suspension of U.S.-ROK joint military drills, as "the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan."

Also in Washington last week, the Senate foreign relations committee held a hearing on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons, fearing that the "unstable and impulsive" President Trump might really start a catastrophic nuclear war in Korea, given his dangerous statements such as "fire and fury the world has never seen," or "total destruction of North Korea."

Witnesses included the former commander of the Strategic Command that oversees the U.S. nuclear deterrent. He said if he had been ordered to fire nuclear weapons, he would first decide its legality in terms of proportionality and context, and if he determines it is illegal, he would not carry it out. In this case, the President may fire the Secretary of Defense or the combat commander.

The witnesses agreed that North Korea's mere possession of nuclear weapons does not constitute the threat of an imminent attack, while it poses a serious threat to the U.S. and its allies. If the North attempts to use its nuclear weapons, it will justify a preemptive strike, and President Trump could order a nuclear strike. But, a preventive strike would require a Congressional approval if not a Congressional declaration of war. However, if the North keeps their weapons only for deterrent and survival, there would be no nuclear strike by the U.S. What's your take?





Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies.
By John J. Metzler





UNITED NATIONS  A key UN Committee has condemned Iran's widespread use of the death penalty and has urged the Islamic Republic to eliminate "all discrimination and rights violations against women and girls." In a separate resolution, the Third Committee roundly chastised North Korea's grave human rights situation and the communist country's consistent use of torture and prison camps to control its population.



The resolutions capped a day of political high drama and heated debate as countries such as Venezuela representing the non Aligned Movement decreed the use of "country specific" resolutions which "created barriers" to resolving problems.



Canada introduced a draft resolution, "Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran." Given the "scope and gravity of human rights violations in Iran remained high, with a number of executions being particularly concerning," the text outlining a path of Tehran's negligence in human rights compliance.



Both the representatives of Venezuela and Russia shot back calling "country specific resolutions counterproductive."



An Iranian diplomat went so far as to lambast Canada's "Hypocrisy and double standards" as "mind-boggling." Syria went on to say the resolution "sought to ruin Iran's reputation." (sic)



A vote was taken with 83 in favor, 30 against and 68 abstentions. The resolution was adopted with support from Canada, the U.S., the European Union countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia among many others. Opposition predictably came from Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Belarus and China. Abstentions included Brazil and Mexico among others.



Another landmark draft resolution sponsored by Canada, Argentina, all members of the European Union, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. among others addressed the pressing and urgent,

"Situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," aka North Korea.

A tough ten-page document "condemns the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," such as

"Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment."



The resolution specifies, "The existence of an extensive system of political prison camps, where a vast number of persons are deprived of their liberty, and subjected to deplorable conditions, including forced labor." It decries, "violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities."



Estonia's representative conceded the human rights issues in North Korea are overlooked given the "headline-grabbing nuclear issue."



The resolution also outlined severe restrictions on the "freedoms of thought, conscience, religion and belief," as well as lack of media freedoms.



The resolution "strongly urges the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to respectfully all human rights, and fundamental freedomsto immediately close the political prison camps and to release all political prisoners unconditionally and without delay."



Japan's delegate conceded that in North Korea "more than half the population lacked food and medical care, while many others had been deprived water and sanitation.rather than meeting the needs of its people, the Government continued to divert resources to nuclear weapons and ballistic equipment."



The Committee approved the draft resolution without a vote. There were two other contentious issues debated; human rights in Syria and the "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine." While both resolutions passed, it was not without a withering rhetorical counterattack by Russia and its allies.



Moscow's delegate slammed the proceedings as the "theatre of the absurd" while Syria took offense at the process being "politicized" and "debating propaganda."



Interestingly, the Crimea vote saw the resolution pass with 71 Yes votes to 25 No and 77 abstentions. The USA, European Union, Israel, Costa Rica, and Turkey were among the Yes. But this gets really interesting; among the No votes beyond Russia, China, Cuba included Eritrea, India, Iran, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Abstentions included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.



There's a growing political pushback from Moscow and friends to counter "country specific" human rights resolutions. Why? Consider the countries and the issues. Iran, North Korea, Syria.



This seems all the more reason to keep the beacon of human rights transparency on those very places that urgently need the human rights attention for a population that can't say so. Not to cover these issues would indeed create the theatre of the absurd.





John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."


President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan will visit Korea starting Wednesday at the invitation of President Moon Jae-in to enhance bilateral cooperation.



President Mirziyoyev is the second head of state after U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Korea since Moon assumed office. This shows Moon's focus on Central Asia to diversify Korea's diplomacy beyond the four powers of the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.



The two countries have built strong ties in various sectors since the establishment of bilateral relations in 1992.



In particular, the two countries have been expanding bilateral economic cooperation, with Uzbekistan providing raw materials and labor, while Korea has been active in transferring information technology and investing in the country.



Uzbekistan, as the center of the Silk Road, has huge economic potential with a population of 30 million, the 44th largest in the world, and also has a geographical advantage close to Europe as a good bridgehead for Korea to advance into the West.



The Uzbek president's state visit is expected to help Korea expand its economic influence in Central Asia and gain cooperation for the resolution of North Korea problems on the Korean Peninsula



During his stay, the Uzbek leader will make a rare speech at the National Assembly.



We look forward to hearing about his vision for sustainable development of bilateral relations and deepening the friendship of the peoples of the two countries.








Western media outlets use wrong lens on THAAD row





Two old British-influenced English-language publications recently put South Korea, figuratively, in the doghouse to explain how it surrendered to Chinese pressure over its deployment of the anti-missile U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery on its soil.



The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post dubbed it as China's victory without firing a shot, while the Economist called it a successful case of Beijing's "doghouse" diplomacy. In a twist, both apparently referred to Korea's anti-Japanese sentiment, dating back to its colonial occupation and before, as a factor that enabled Korea to prefer Beijing over Tokyo.



First, the term sounds as ill placed as it is wrong. Maybe, the two reflect a colonial tint in the tradition of a simplistic zero-sum game of a bygone era.



True, there is a big difference in the respective scale of economies but it is not just Korea that has suffered from Beijing-imposed boycotts but China has suffered as well. Beijing's one-man dictatorial structure of governance may have masked much of its damage. More specifically, the disappearance of Chinese tourists from Seoul streets and harassment of Lotte were government-orchestrated but drops in Hyundai Motor sales were attributable to Chinese products' rise in value for money as well.



Seoul's move was political for a different reason  resolution of the North Korean problem.



China is seen as being pivotal but punching below its weight in supporting President Moon Jae-in's goal of separating nuclear arms from the North and introducing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. That has left Moon backing the risky U.S. policy of maximum pressure tactics. He has been trying to bring China on board. It was no secret that Beijing was sending Seoul the message that once China's 19th Party Congress was over, the stronger Xi Jinping could try and put their bilateral relationship back on track. An olive branch was offered from Beijing, although it looked awkward after Seoul uttered three nos  no to an additional THAAD battery, no to a U.S.-led Missile Defense (MD) initiative and no to a Korea-U.S.-Japan military alliance. But it was worth checking the deal from Beijing's end. Has Seoul decided to send the THAAD battery back to the U.S.? Has it ever said it wants to be part of the U.S.'s global missile shield? Has it ever wanted to form a trilateral alliance?



The three nos should be seen not as an act of kowtowing to China but confirmation of Korea's basic principles of diplomacy. Xi got kudos but not much else.



Finally, the Economist and the South China Morning Post commonly touched on the Japan factor. The latter argued that Moon's left-leaning government has a greater problem with Japan than with China. Wrong. It was the mother, more exactly father, of all liberal presidents in Korea  Kim Dae-jung  who made a real earnest effort to reconcile with Japan. But Korea's real problem is with the U.S.  about gaining a sense of independence with its bigger ally and growing into the role of balancer in the region. China and Japan remain on the sidelines.




By Casey Lartigue Jr.





People who say there is no such thing as a bad question apparently haven't attended forums featuring North Korean refugees. The questioners may mean well, but some people ignorant about North Korea ask ridiculous questions that are only topped by those of experts.



Probably the second worst question was from a South Korean high school student who asked in all seriousness why, if North Koreans were starving, they didn't just call Pizza Hut to have some food delivered.



I've heard experts ask inane curiosity questions, such as, "What's better, North or South Korean beer?" Others ignore the context of North Korea, such as Western sympathizers of the NK regime extolling North Korean airplanes but ignoring that most North Koreans rarely ride on an airplane until they are flown to South Korea after risking their lives to escape.



There are some other questions that I have considered banning at events with North Korean refugee speakers. One is when questioners want to ask about a refugee's family. Some questioners seem to be hanging on the edge of the seats, watching the cliffhanger of their favorite soap opera, waiting to see if the family of this North Korean refugee is okay. They get the answer, then move on after the session as if nothing had happened. Some refugees start to cry as they discuss specifics about their families, reliving painful memories, others say people don't realize how much such questions hurt them.



I don't get angry, I remember that Q&A is like having a picnic and getting shocked when ants show up. Some people don't like it when I discourage questions about families. They don't like my explanation, either: Some refugees lie when people ask specifics in a public forum about their family members still in North Korea who may be in danger if too much truth gets told. Their lives aren't soap operas with the only consequences being low ratings. Many refugees have ongoing situations, with real lives at stake that don't get to return the next TV season when a mistake is made.



Refugees unskilled at telling reporters to buzz off stumble about as they try not to reveal details about their families. I tell refugees before they have interviews: To a reporter, there is no such thing as a bad question, so you need to know responses such as "no comment" or "telling you that can put my family in danger."



Earlier this year when a North Korean refugee returned to North Korea, there was a sudden flood of sophomoric analysis about why a North Korean refugee would ever want to return to North Korea. Some of the people talking sounded as informed as the high school student wondering why North Koreans don't call Pizza Hut to get food.



I was quoted by CNN and numerous websites telling people to be slow in coming to conclusions about refugees returning to North Korea. One, North Koreans with family still in North Korea are in hostage situations, so their actions should be viewed within that context. Two, not everyone who escapes from North Korea wanted to do so. Many follow parents, a spouse, or other loved ones.



That goes against simplistic media narratives about refugees, but it is also part of the story. I got a painful reminder of this last week when I was on a Skype call with a North Korean refugee (he's using the alias "Lee") whose wife and son were captured in China on November 4. His family was trying to escape to South Korea along with eight other North Korean escapees.



Lee escaped first in 2015, saying he was prepared to take poison rather than be returned to North Korea. His wife, reluctant to try to escape, finally agreed to come earlier this year. He broke down crying several times during the interview, reluctantly talking to media because he doesn't want his family to be quietly returned to North Korea where they face torture and/or execution. His captured family was trying to join him in South Korea, making them enemies of the regime. China knows this, but North Korean refugees are insects on the Chinese government's car windshield, to be wiped away as if they never existed.



A few years from now, Lee might want to talk about the reality of North Korea, at which point he might be asked the worst question of all that is so common at events and discussions with North Korean refugees: "What do you miss about North Korea?" What can a man who has been robbed of his family say? Or other North Korean refugees who have lost family members and loved ones to the regime's killing machine? "What do you miss about North Korea?" is the point at which both the ignorant and overeducated experts prove there really is such a thing as a bad question.





Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu.) is co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center (TNKR).


By Andrew Salmon





In recent days, South Koreans have been transfixed by a gruesome and unusual drama: The fate of an unnamed hospital patient fighting for his life.



A desperately wounded North Korean soldier lies unconscious, hooked up to an artificial respirator in South Korea's Ajou Medical Center. Shot five times while he escaped across the border in the truce village of Panmunjeom on the DMZ, his condition is generating much speculation regarding what it might tell us about the wider conditions affecting the North Korea's People's Army (KPA), overall.



That his erstwhile comrades hit a moving target five times, from 40 bullets fired, suggests decent marksmanship (albeit, they were not facing return fire). However, given that the soldier was shot five times with both handguns and a rifle  the presence of a rifle on the JSA is a possible armistice violation; JSA personnel are, in fact, only permitted to carry side-arms  and yet survived, may indicate substandard munitions.



At 1.7 meters tall and 60kg in weight, the soldier is a small man. While starvation appears to have been largely overcome in North Korea, malnutrition is apparently common.



Adding a horror movie element to the story, surgery revealed an infestation of intestinal worms. These revolting creatures  some over 10 inches long  complicated the procedures, as they were reportedly feasting on his wounds. The presence of such vile parasites suggests that the soldier had been eating unclean food grown using human feces ("night soil") as fertilizer. The issue of the food not being cleaned suggests he may have stolen it from peasants, or direct from the fields.



Some observers note that parasitical infestations are common in the third world. This overlooks the fact that North Korea is not located in a poverty-struck part of the globe, it lies slap-bang in the midst of thriving Northeast Asia  which, along with Western Europe and North America, is one of the three most prosperous geographical zones on earth. All things being equal, there is one reason why North Korea is so backward: governance. The surgeon who operated noted that he had never seen parasites like that in a South Korean; such infestations were eradicated four decades ago.



The man's woeful condition suggests that the health of the soldiery is low on the priorities of the regime, which, hell bent on producing strategic weapons, is allocating massive amounts of scarce resources for these programs. The wider context  that the regime is led by a young man who is one of the most overweight leaders on the global stage  is impossible to overlook. Granted, the contrast between the suffering of the "poor bloody infantry" and the luxuries enjoyed by political leaders has been a feature of military-civil interaction through the ages, but is not a feature of other nations around the region today.



One must hope that the nameless soldier pulls through and is finally able to speak. He may be able to confirm or deny much of the speculation that relates his personal condition to that of the KPA as a whole. However, his survival, after five gunshots and two surgeries, on top of an already debilitated physical condition, is not guaranteed.



Still, what we know is grim enough. If underweight, worm-infested soldiers are willing to risk all dashing to freedom through a barrage of gunfire, it speaks volumes about conditions north of the DMZ. It also backs up some of the worst information we have been hearing from defectors. In recent years, discrepancies have been discovered in the testimonies of some defectors, which have cast a shadow over the veracity of their statements as a whole.



Some persons have expressed distaste at the ghoulish babble surrounding the young man's fate. I beg to differ. At a time when the media and punditry are focused on big-picture strategic issues, this re-focus on a very small, human story of life and survival in the world's most opaque dictatorship  however grim  is welcome. It should give us all pause for sober thought.





Andrew Salmon (andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk) is a Seoul-based reporter and author.


By Han Woong-hyun





It's a great honor for LG's Signature OLED TV printed advertisement to win the grandprize in The Korea Times Advertisements Award.



I sincerely appreciate consumers who love LG Electronics, readers of The Korea Times and the panel of judges.



Under the slogan of "Innovation for a Better Life," LG Electronics has always been devoted to delivering customer values through innovative products and distinguishing technology.



The LG Signature OLED TV, equipped with the cutting-edge technology, stands at the center of LG's Signature series, a set of high-end appliances.



Accordingly, the product reflects the company's strong will to combine the main theme of the LG Signature series, artistic features with state-of-the-art technology.





This is the outcome of LG Electronics's efforts to propose guidelines for its future products.



Through the advertisement for the LG Signature OLED TV, LG aimed to convey the aesthetic value of the product, not to mention its technology and function as an appliance.



To underscore both the ultra-thinness and the artistic features of the product, a Korean dual-meaning word "Bo Da," which means "try" and "watch," was utilized inthe printed advertisement. It also presented the company's motivation to melt its product's aesthetic features into users' daily lives.



LG Electronics will continue to develop products with innovative and distinguished technology, a new sense of design and utility to enhance the lives of users.





Vice President of Korea Brand Communication Function Division at LG Electronics
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Debra Tate, the sister of the late actress Sharon Tate, received a call Sunday night from California prison officials informing her that Charles Manson died at 8:13 p.m. "I said a prayer for his passing," Tate said. "One could say I've forgiven them, which is quite different then forgetting what they (were) are capable of."

Manson lived to 83, his original death sentence vacated when the California death penalty was struck down in 1972.

Tonight's call came 48 years after the August, 1969 murders of Sharon Tate and five others at her rented home on Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon. Manson was not there that night: the gruesome torture-murders were carried out by followers he sent from the Spahn Ranch movie location where Manson and his "family" squatted in Santa Susana Pass, near Chatsworth. Manson knew the house; it was formerly occupied by Terry Melcher, a record producer who had spurned Manson's musical stylings.

The next night, Manson did accompany a few followers to a home in Los Feliz where they stabbed and killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson left early to plant the victims' wallets at a gas station in Sylmar, hoping this would somehow help incite a race war. The killers themselves hitchhiked across the Valley back to the ranch.

The following Sunday, the Los Angeles Times ran a short news item about the arrests of a car theft ring at the Spahn Ranch with an odd fact: many of the thieves were young women. It took months for police to link two of the most notorious murder scenes ever in Los Angeles to the Spahn Ranch women and their leader, a lifelong petty criminal in his mid 30s who was born in Ohio.

By then, Manson and his followers had fled with their dune buggies to the desert near Death Valley, planning to sit out the coming race war. Or so that's what Manson told the girls. He was arrested in isolated Inyo County that December after a jailhouse conversation put detectives on Manson's trail.

The details of the murders, revealed in a trial in the old Hall of Justice and the book "Helter Skelter" by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, made household names of Manson and followers Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Linda Kasabian and Tex Watkins. Atkins died in prison in 2009 and Kasabian received immunity to testify. Van Houten has been recommended for parole by state officials but the final decision is pending from Gov. Jerry Brown; he denied her parole last year. Ever since the death sentences of the others were overturned, Debra Tate and representatives of the Los Angeles County DA's office have actively opposed parole for any Manson followers. Manson himself was denied parole a dozen times.

Many if not most Angelenos who lived through the period also remember the names of the other murder victims who died on Cielo Drive. Jay Sebring, a Hollywood hairstylist and Tate's ex-boyfriend. Abigail Folger, a volunteer social worker and heiress to the Folger's Coffee fortune. Her boyfriend Voytek Frykowski, a friend of Tate's husband, the director Roman Polanski, who was not at home. Steven Parent, who was visiting a tenant in the guest house in the property.

The details were impossible to ignore. Tate's body was found sprawled beside a sofa, a rope looped around her neck. She had been stabbed 16 times in the chest and back. Eight months pregnant, her unborn child was also dead. Sebring lay near Tate in the living room. Outside on the lawn were Folger and Frykowski; they had been chased down and knifed dozens of times. Parent was killed in his car.

A housekeeper arriving at work in the morning discovered the scene. On the front door of the house, the word PIG was scrawled in Tate's blood. Across town at the LaBianca home the next night, the misspelled Beatles lyric Helter-Skealter was written in blood.

The gory details seized many in Los Angeles with fear. It was worst in the Hollywood colonies, where stars went into hiding or started buying guns. Polanski was the hot young director of the previous year's sensation, "Rosemary's Baby." Tate had a recurring part in the TV hit "The Beverly Hillbillies," had posed in Playboy and had gotten her movie break as a starlet in "Valley of the Dolls." Joan Didion wrote in "The White Album," her book on the era, that "many people I know in Los Angeles believed the '60s ended abruptly on Aug. 9, 1969."

During the trial, Manson and his followers actively disrupted the proceedings, and after Manson carved a swastika into his forehead, the female defendants did as well. Outside, young Manson followers such as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme sang and danced and engaged with the crowds. Fromme later served 34 years in prison for trying to kill President Gerald Ford. One of the family's attorneys, Ron Hughes, vanished during the Manson trial and turned up dead.

"For the band of journalists who covered the Manson trial, those 10 months felt like a plunge into horror beyond comparison," former Associated Press trial reporter Linda Deutsch writes for AP. "If the story had been put forward as a Hollywood script, no one would have bought it. It was just too unbelievable."

Though Manson went to prison, he never left the public consciousness and became a pop culture icon to some. Media reported on followers who continued to live near the prison, on his plans to marry, on his music, on his violations of prison rules banning cellphones.

Manson sites around the LA areas continue to attract interest. The Spahn Ranch burned down in a wildfire shortly after the murders, but it's easy to find out where it was, alongside Santa Susana Pass Road. The murder scene on Cielo Drive has been razed and the property given a new address. There's residual interest among Manson aficionados in the Sunset Boulevard home where Manson and some of the followers stayed for a time with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, and in the Van Nuys recording studio where Manson cut a demo record. For those who care, the Sylmar gas station where Manson dumped the LaBiancas' wallets is still there, and the Denny's where he grabbed a milk shake before heading back to the ranch.

The Association of Deputy District Attorneys in Los Angeles released a statement: "Vincent Bugliosi, the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson provided the most accurate summation: 'Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values.' Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death."



News: AP story, TMZ, Los Angeles Times, New York Times.

Rolling Stone has posted a piece it ran in 1970 by David Felton (a former LA Times reporter) and David Dalton. Here's a more recent oral history piece by Steve Oney for Los Angeles Magazine.

More:

The Day the Sixties Died

Vincent Bugliosi, Manson prosecutor and author, was 80

Manson nabbed with another cellphone

Manson at 77: new picture from prison




PRESS RELEASE

Saad Hariri Was Exfiltrated Out of Saudi Arabia and Into Paris

PARIS, Nov. 18, 2017 (Nouvelle Solidarite)Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in Paris this morning with part of his family. He is expected to stay until Nov. 22, and then return to Lebanon.

The French media is explicit about what happened. Le Monde reported that "Hariri was exfiltrated from Saudi Arabia." The term "exfiltrate" is used only when a prisoner, or somebody who is in danger, is removed to safety by an operation carried out by secret services.

Clearly French President Emmanuel Macron acted properly in this situation. First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had tried the equivalent of a putsch against Lebanon, by forcing Lebanons Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign while Hariri was in Riyadh. Prince Mohammed wanted to provoke chaos and civil war, but Lebanese President Michel Aoun, by calmly denouncing the fact that Hariri was being blackmailed or held by the Saudi authorities, who were threatening to destroy the Lebanese unity just regained a a year year or so ago, managed to rally most of Lebanons people to defend the countrys sovereignty.

A big problem with Macron, however, is his relationship to Iran. In a speech given in Dubai just prior to his impromptu trip to Riyadh on Nov. 9 to meet with Prince Mohammed about Saad Hariris situation, he lashed out at Iran. Without any evidence, he accused Iran of firing the missile from Yemen aimed at Riyadh on Nov. 1. He also charged that Iran has "hegemonist views" respecting the entire Middle East following its successes in the war against ISIS. Macron is not proposing to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Tehran, but he is proposing that two "pillars" be added to that agreement: 1) sanctions to constrain Irans ballistic missile development; and 2) stopping Irans "hegemonist" actions in the Middle East.

Clearly he will have to choose in the coming period between defending Lebanon, whose security is today ensured by the Christian/Hezbollah alliance including Hezbollahs special role in defense against Israel, and playing into the British-orchestrated Saudi hostility against Iran, which could lead to a new war.
PRESS RELEASE

Infrastructure Plan Coming? Not without National Credit, Belt and Road

Nov. 18, 2017 (EIRNS)The Trump administration has begun, after much delay, to exchange memos with Republican Members of Congress about infrastructure legislation, with the primary discussions and feedback being with members and Highway/Transit sub-committee chairmen of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Congress is expecting a long infrastructure outline memo before the end of November.

Yesterday's Bloomberg News interviewed Scott Rechler, CEO of RXR Realty Corp. in New York and board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, on the subject. Rechler said infrastructure in the New York area is "in a dire state, from decades of neglect." Thinking within the confines of simple "funding" in a Congressional operating budget, rather than national credit. He called it wrong for the Congressional Republicans to have tried to enact tax reform rather than legislation to create new infrastructure.

"That really is an investment in our future," Rechler said.

"That $1.5 trillion in deficit space given to lower tax rates for corporations, could have been invested in infrastructure. Thats something thats going to help us drive our economy."

Rechler went further:

"If tax reform is passed, its very unlikely that there will be infrastructure legislation, because of the $1.5 trillion being used [for tax cuts], and that money overseas which was going to come back and go into infrastructure, that wont happen."

Thinking more broadly, David Firestein of the China Public Policy Center at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Government at the University of Texas in Austin put out yet another article, this one in the Nov. 16 Fortune, "Why America Cant Rebuild without China." China capital, in the form of loansnot ownership of corporationshas to put American labor to work building the new infrastructure that Trump promised, Firestein says. He focuses particularly on Texas infrastructure needs exposed by Hurricane Harvey. Fortune includes a video clip from Trumps Address to Congress in January, in which the President said: "I will be asking Congress to pass legislation that will create a $1 trillion infrastructure bank."

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has opened in Houston as the first Chinese bank providing lending in the South of the United States, the Houston Chronicle reported Nov. 17. On the occasion, Chinese Consul-General Li Qiangmin, according to Xinhua, said

"I hope China will work with the U.S. side to jointly promote greater progress in China-U.S. economic and trade relations and open up greater prospects for cooperation between the two countries."

Houstons Mayor Sylvester Turner is leading a delegation to China at the beginning of December.
A fleet of self-driving Volvo vehicles operated by Uber Technologies Inc. could be ready for the road as early as 2019, marking the ride-hailing firms biggest push yet to roll out autonomous cars.

Volvo said Monday that it would sell Uber tens of thousands of luxury sport utility vehicles between 2019 and 2021 outfitted with the Swedish automakers safety, redundancy and core autonomous driving technologies. Uber will then add its own self-driving technology to the autonomous taxi fleet.



For the record: An earlier version of this article misstated the first name of a former Waymo employee who was accused of downloading sensitive files before he left the company. His name is Anthony Levandowski, not Andrew Levandowski.

Jeff Miller, head of auto alliances at Uber, said in a statement that the agreement put Uber on a path toward mass produced self-driving vehicles at scale.

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The Wall Street Journal reported that the fleet described in the agreement would number 24,000 vehicles, though an Uber spokesperson said the figure is a general framework and not necessarily the actual number of cars that will be purchased. Its unclear when exactly the vehicles will hit the road.

Uber could benefit from Volvos reputation for safety, particularly since the San Francisco firms reputation has suffered amid accusations of bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination at the company.

Uber was also hit in February with an intellectual property lawsuit filed by Waymo, the self-driving car company founded by Google, in a case that goes to jury selection this month.

Waymo accuses Uber of unlawfully obtaining trade secrets around its laser-based sensing system after the ride-hailing firm bought Otto, a driverless trucking technology company founded by Anthony Levandowski. Waymo alleges Levandowski downloaded thousands of sensitive files when he left the company and brought them to Uber.

Those controversies, among others, culminated in Ubers ousting of company Chief Executive Travis Kalanick and a blow to the companys reputation.

For autonomy to really work, you have to have trust, said Grayson Brulte, co-founder and president of Brulte & Co. Right now, Uber does not have a very trusting relationship with the public.

The Volvo deal marks one of Ubers first major business initiatives under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the former chief of travel-booking firm Expedia. Uber, which is privately held and valued at just below $70 billion, is moving toward an anticipated 2019 initial public offering.

The framework agreement, which Volvo said was nonexclusive, builds on an earlier agreement from 2016 in which the two companies said they would co-develop autonomous vehicles. Volvo, which was acquired by Chinese automaker Geely Holding in 2010, said it also plans to use the base vehicle in the development of its own independent autonomous car strategy.

Volvo said it plans to release its own fully autonomous car in 2021.

It also plans to begin importing a new line of technology-laden Chinese cars under the Lynk & Co. brand into Volvo U.S. showrooms by the end of 2019. Geely, meanwhile, has technology partnerships throughout China.

This complicated alliance is typical of the nascent autonomous vehicle industry, in which automakers, tech companies and ride-hailing firms alike are trying to figure out the best combination of partnerships to reach the market first.

Earlier this year, Uber signed an agreement with Daimler in which the German automaker planned to introduce self-driving vehicles into Ubers ride-hailing network. That deal, unlike the Volvo one, did not mention any vehicle purchase agreements.

Last year, Uber started offering rides in self-driving Ford Fusions to passengers in Pittsburgh as part of a test of Ubers self-driving technology, though human operators still sit in the drivers seat.

Ford has said it will start testing self-driving cars on the ride-hailing network of Ubers rival, Lyft. And Lyft has signed partnerships with General Motors and Waymo.

Everyone is hedging their bets so they dont get left behind, Brulte said. Theres no real indicator of whos going to win.

Its unclear how far along Ubers driverless technology is at this point. While both Volvo and Ford have said they planned to have autonomous vehicles on the road by 2021, Uber has not disclosed when its cars will drive without human safety operators.

In March, a self-driving Uber SUV rolled onto its side after it was struck by a vehicle making a left turn at an intersection in Tempe, Ariz. Local police said the Uber SUV was obeying the law at the time, and that the driver in the other vehicle did not yield.

Maybe theyre not the leader, but theyre near the front, said Alain Kornhauser, an autonomous vehicle expert at Princeton University.

As part of the agreement, Volvo will supply the advanced XC90 SUVs over two years. In its current version, which includes some limited autonomous driving features, the car has a starting list price of about $47,000.

Its another example of how the [carmakers] are orienting themselves into an ecosystem, rather than having to be at the center, said Alexandre Marian of AlixPartners, a consulting firm.

Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader, said she expected to see more of these kinds of partnerships between Silicon Valley companies and traditional automakers.

Its pretty clear that autonomous vehicles and sharing go hand in hand, she said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

russ.mitchell@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga | @russ1mitchell

UPDATES:

4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

9:25 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from analyst Michelle Krebs, Princeton professor Alain Kornhauser and additional background on Ubers autonomous vehicle program.

7:25 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information about Ubers and Lyfts self-driving technology development.

6:50 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details by Los Angeles Times staff.

This article was originally published at 6:15 a.m.
Los Angeles-based business leader Maria Contreras-Sweet has launched companies, boosted Latino and female entrepreneurs, and run the U.S. Small Business Administration under President Obama.

This week, in a surprise Hollywood plot twist, she emerged as potentially the best hope yet to save troubled movie and television studio Weinstein Co.

In a Nov. 8 letter obtained by The Times on Sunday, Contreras-Sweet made a bold proposition to acquire the company, rename it, keep it whole, and install a majority-female board of directors.

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If successful, her takeover would mark a major transformation for a studio that is reeling from dozens of sexual harassment and assault allegations against its co-founder and former co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. The current board is all-male, including Weinsteins brother, Bob. Recent lawsuits have accused Weinstein of negligence, and its financial struggles have threatened to push it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Contreras-Sweet, in her letter, said she felt compelled to take action to help women who have suffered indignities and employees who may otherwise lose their jobs.

I believe we have now reached a crossroads where it is imperative that a woman-led board acquire control of the company and create content that continues to inspire audiences around the world, especially our young girls and boys, Contreras-Sweet said in the letter.

Contreras-Sweet declined to comment beyond the letter.

Weinstein Co. representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Its unclear how the board will respond to the proposal, which would also require a fund to compensate women whove accused Weinstein of misconduct and result in Bob Weinsteins ouster from the company. One banker familiar with the company who was not authorized to comment was skeptical of the bid.

Harvey Weinstein has acknowledged some past bad behavior toward women, but has categorically denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Financial details of Contreras-Sweets offer were not revealed in the cover letter, but people familiar with the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said her bid has significant financial backing from women in industries including private equity, venture capital and entertainment.

Company executives have said the studio would fetch close to $300 million, but people familiar with the firms finances say those estimates are inflated.

The bid from Contreras-Sweet surprised some industry insiders, who noted her lack of experience running entertainment companies.

But Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Gary Toebben, who has known Contreras-Sweet for more than a decade, said her experience in politics and business would be an asset.

She has always had a keen interest not just in business, but in helping women both in business and in politics and helping women develop a voice in the community, Toebben said. If you want to flip a reputation on its side, they would be hiring the right person.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Contreras-Sweet came to America with her mother and five siblings when she was 5, settling in Baldwin Park.

She ascended the ranks of public service and private enterprise. She started her political career by volunteering for Jimmy Carters 1976 presidential campaign, and later worked for Assemblyman Joe Montoya and the U.S. Census Bureau. She then spent 15 years at 7Up-RC Bottling Co., where she became vice president of public affairs.

Under California Gov. Gray Davis, Contreras-Sweet was secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, managing a $14-billion budget.

After leaving public office, she co-founded the private equity firm Fortius Holdings, which backed small Latino enterprises in Calfornia. She also founded ProAmerica Bank, catering to small and medium-sized businesses in the Latino community that she believed were underserved.

Most recently, she led the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2014 to 2017, where she created a program to encourage inventions for women and families, and expanded funding for womens business centers.

I remember just trying to work off the credit cards and how hard it was to manage my own business, she told the Times in a 2015 interview. You spend all day long getting the business and then all night long getting the business done. So I learned about the struggles an entrepreneur faces.

Under Contreras-Sweets proposal, Weinstein Co. would keep its roughly 150 employees and its remaining film and TV projects. The company also would have to set up a mediation process and litigation fund to compensate alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein. Contreras-Sweet would become executive chairwoman of the board.

Contreras-Sweet discussed the proposal with attorney Gloria Allred, who suggested including the mediation fund for alleged victims as part of the bid. Allred is representing multiple women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Last week, an anonymous actress represented by Allred sued Weinstein and the company for battery and assault.

Separately, the company was hit with a class-action lawsuit on behalf of dozens of women accusing Weinstein of sexual assault, battery and lewd conduct.

I would like to see her and her team acquire the company, and I think that is the only way that TWC can be saved, Allred said. Saving the company will benefit employees, shareholders, vendors and if her proposal is accepted, it will be very important to victims.

Last week, Weinstein Co. got a much-needed financial lifeline when it sold its North American distribution rights for Paddington 2 to Warner Bros.

Previous attempts to secure financing from Thomas Barracks Colony Capital and New York fund manager Fortress Investment Group fell through. Others who have considered buying all or pieces of the company have included Lionsgate, talent agency Endeavor and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

ryan.faughnder@latimes.com

@rfaughnder

UPDATES:

6:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction to Contreras-Sweets bid for Weinstein Co.

This article was originally published on Nov. 19 at 8.35 p.m.
In the wake of the exciting news that UC Irvine plans to build a Museum and Institute of California Art, two thoughts have been rumbling around inside my head.

One concerns art, the other, architecture. Both have to do with the epochal transformation in Californias artistic fortunes over the last two generations or so.

Lets start with the art.

The history of art in California remains shockingly understudied. Even now, when artists working here rank among the worlds top tier, there is no place to go to see even a thumbnail history laid out in paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works of art.

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L.A. is a global powerhouse for new art and, thanks to the Getty, for art scholarship. But no museum, including the art section of the multidisciplinary Oakland Museum of California, tells the backstory.

The excellent mission of MICA, encapsulated in the name, is to change that.

L.A. is a global powerhouse for new art and, thanks to the Getty, for art scholarship.

Its acquisition of the collection assembled over 30 years by Orange County developer Gerald E. Buck is an incomparable start, a leap forward on a long journey. I was struck by what the museum could mean when I visited the late collectors private viewing space in Laguna Beach.

In the front room, the big, chromatically lush painting People and Eye Trees in the Park in Madrid by Joan Brown (1938-1990) is a riveting example of what we can look forward to. A wunderkind, Brown painted it in 1961 when she was just 23.

She had studied with Elmer Bischoff, whose blazing domestic interior, Late Afternoon, hangs next to her big, 6-by-8-foot canvas. Brown had come up as part of Bischoffs gifted circle of older Bay Area painters, which also included David Park and Richard Diebenkorn. With brilliant painterly skill  plus a cheeky dose of wit  her picture embodies what was then at stake.

The work is a nature scene with a couple of figures who appear to be setting out blankets in a wooded park. The luxurious genre descends from the celebrated French tradition of young men and women shown disporting themselves amorously in parkland settings.

Browns composition is also startling. She divided the canvas right down the middle, creating two roughly equal zones.

In the left zone, a gauzy female figure in red emerges from a grove of trees, a ghostly aura behind her and each trunk incongruously spotted with staring eyes. All gaze upon the pictures right half.

This zone of the picture is dominated by wide slathers of color. They start at the top in a big, brushy patch of sky-blue and pink, then are layered in strips of yellow, crimson and, across the bottom, earthy brown. If the left half is figurative, the right half is mostly abstract, painted with sweeps of a loaded brush.

The right half is virtually an Abstract Expressionist painting  a skillful example of the kind of gestural art that had dominated American painting for more than a decade. The exception is a female nude, arts quintessential classical subject, seen down in the very lowest register of the right-hand side.

The nude is on her hands and knees, as if bowing to the abstract painting before her in a gesture of respect for what was then hailed as the modern triumph of American art.

As she genuflects, though, her pose also does something impudent: Head and torso disappearing behind the fleshy pink amplitude of her derriere, she blithely moons the viewer. Shes razzing us.

Smart, sassy and very funny, Browns great painting is her Luncheon on the Grass. Edouard Manets similarly sized 1863 masterpiece was a keystone in the revolution of Modern art. Invoking that, Browns palpable ambition is thrilling.

She lays out the genuine struggle underway between abstract and figurative painting  especially but not only in Northern California, a birthplace of the Abstract Expressionist movement and home to the contrary Bay Area Figurative style. She is fully versed in the exertions of the skirmish between them, while asserting  not just with vigor but with lacerating humor  that, in the face of it, she intends to do as she darn well pleases.

Thats avant-garde arts birthright. Her painting stakes out territory.

Brown sees arts forest for the trees. Before last week I hadnt seen this picture in the flesh, but now Im convinced that its a touchstone for a vital moment in California art.

The marvelous canvas also needs to have its bombastic carved and gilded picture frame removed and replaced. This isnt just a taste issue. Buck, the collector, seems to have erroneously thought such gaudy Old Master framing would signal the actual importance of under-recognized California art, since he used it repeatedly to frame paintings in his collection.

Instead it smacks of nouveau riche insecurity. To have the work available on a public museum wall in perpetuity will accomplish what a showy picture frame cannot.

MICA will rise or fall on questions like this  on the number of times it can make California art history come into similarly sharp and illuminating focus. Which brings us to the architecture.

New museum buildings are an exercise typically fraught, tough to pull off on a budget that doesnt impinge on success with the artistic mission. For them I often recommend, only half-jokingly, hiring an engineer to build an industrial warehouse, then engaging an architect to retrofit that for museum purposes.

Who doesnt love the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, the Tate Modern in London, Mass MOCA in the Berkshire Hills or DIA Beacon in Upstate New York? All of them are museums carved out of just such industrial spaces. Imagine how cool that would be at the carefully clipped and blandly corporate main entrance to UC Irvine.

An added bonus: Think of the bundle of money it would save.

Since a rejiggered warehouse is unlikely to happen, consider Plan B. Shelve the current scheme, which a museum spokesman described as an international search for prominent design talent for the high-profile job. Thats the wrong way to go.

In fact, its another version of the gaudy picture-frame problem. Browns painting doesnt require such desperate validation, and neither does MICA need to be framed by it.

MICA and the Buck Collection are important precisely because they keep their confident eye on the prize  understanding and valuing the extraordinary art of California. Shouldnt that extend to the staggering wealth of talent among California architects?

Frederick Fisher and Partners have designed two well-received additions for the Colby College Museum of Art, plus a large extension of the Huntington Librarys Scott Galleries. Elements of the latter even nod to 1960s California Light & Space art by Larry Bell and James Turrell.

Johnston Marklee has designed the eagerly anticipated Menil Drawing Institute for Houston, opening soon. The firms Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee break ground shortly on UCLAs Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios in Culver City.

Michael Maltzan Architecture recently finished the Moody Center for the Arts at Houstons Rice University and is expanding UCLAs Hammer Museum. Fifteen years ago, Maltzan designed the renovation of a Queens factory to become a temporary outpost of New Yorks Museum of Modern Art.

wHY Architecture has had great success with Michigans Grand Rapids Art Museum and the new Speed Art Museum, next door to the University of Kentucky in Louisville. Founding principal Kulapat Yantrasast was a lead architect on Tadao Andos lauded Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

All four architecture firms, based in Los Angeles, have worked on other museum and gallery plans, large and small, and have dealt in educational projects (including within the UC system). No doubt other designers should be considered  not least Prtizker Prize-winners Frank O. Gehry and Thom Mayne.

Any one of these gifted California architects would easily be a credible choice to design a museum whose mission is understanding and celebrating the exceptional, globally influential evolution of California art. (Heck, they could even reliably retrofit a warehouse in honor of The New Industrial Parks Near Irvine, the 1974 masterpiece of Minimalist photography by Lewis Baltz.) Searching for an international superstar to confer promotional credibility is just an insecure architectural equivalent to those flashy Old Master picture frames, undercutting the reason for MICA to exist  not to mention hobbling its chance for success.

christopher.knight@latimes.com

Twitter: @KnightLAT

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Here are the 2018 SAG Awards nominees reactions to their nods

The on-camera talent recognized during the 24th Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Wednesday shared their excitement and gratitude for the special honor bestowed upon them by the acting community.

The SAG Awards serve up laurels for actors and ensemble casts working in television and film as voted by their peers. The awards show, hosted by The Good Place star Kristen Bell, will take place on Jan. 21.

LIST: The 2018 SAG Award nominees

In statements to the Los Angeles Times, several nominees repeatedly thanked their drama families, particularly the casts and crews of their respective projects. Heres what some of them had to say about the recognition:

Alison Brie. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Alison Brie, GLOW

It is such a great honor to be recognized by my fellow actors with this nomination. I am so proud to be part of a show that celebrates the craft of acting, with all its pitfalls and glories, and to be able to work with such a diverse group of insanely talented women. GLOW has meant the world to me and Im deeply thankful for this recognition for me and the cast. Thank you SAG-AFTRA!!

Millie Bobby Brown. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things

Screen Actors Guild! Thank you SO much for recognizing me and our cast for the second year in a row! This means the world coming from you, our peers. I am so lucky and honored to have the privilege of playing Eleven  a strong, powerful, badass, strange, wonderful character! Cant wait to celebrate with my Stranger Things family!

Timothee Chalamet. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

What an incredible morning! This nomination is very close to my heart because its from the actor. When we made Call Me By Your Name, we had no idea what it would turn into. The experience in making the film with Armie [Hammer] was so special, and yet, we just didnt know. Simply put, Ive been blown away by the response this film has received. And, to be included in ensemble along with my Lady Bird family (congrats, Saoirse [Ronan]!) makes this recognition that much more special.

David Harbour. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

David Harbour, Stranger Things

If it isnt wildly apparent by now, Ill say it directly  I love actors! To be recognized by my peers in such distinguished company gives me a special joy. And Millie [Bobby Brown] and the show! Beyond.

When I act, when I create, I feel alive, full to bursting, and I feel of service to the mysterious goodness that firmly exists in this world. I have been rewarded with a life that indulges in the primacy of self, but at its core and at its purest and its best, it is a life of service. A service to audiences. To prod and poke when necessary, to comfort and entertain when times seem dark, to ever expand the human experience, to offer a reason to live, to celebrate to the gods the great gift and scourge that is consciousness. Sometimes it means expressing iron intellect and rigorous truth that bonds us all in the achingly profound wisdom of no escape. Sometimes it means revealing the intimate moments of endurance, of unexpected kindness, unasked for love. And sometimes it simply means making a fierce and joyful noise, to spin, to twirl, to throw your hands up with the relentless dips and climb aboard this roller coaster of life. Ya know, to dance. *insert Hopper dancing gif*

Thank you for recognizing me, as it might mean itll be easier to get more jobs doing it.

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

I am beyond thrilled to have received the honor of this nomination. And to receive it from fellow colleagues is huge to me. Guillermo [del Toro], this film and the entire cast and crew hold a very special place in my heart and always will. Each and every one of them made me better. I am truly delighted more than I can really express in words but my heart is fit to burst with pride for us all. Thank you dearest SAG members. Thank you for your embrace.

Sean Hayes. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Sean Hayes, Will & Grace

I am so honored to be recognized in this category with these extraordinary actors. I love acting because I love actors. I also like to bake sometimes.

Richard Jenkins. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

I am thrilled and humbled to be nominated by my peers for a SAG Award. This union is very close to my heart. Well, the SAG card is in my wallet, so its a little further south.

Zoe Kazan. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick

Thank you to SAG for honoring The Big Sick ensemble with a nomination. It means so much to us, especially from our acting peers. I am deeply proud to be a part of this film and to have brought Kumail [Nanjiani] and Emily [V. Gordon]s story into the world, especially at this time. We are particularly moved to have been recognized as an ensemble, as this was such an extraordinary collaborative experience Im excited to be reunited once more with my movie family, and to share this with Kumail, Holly [Hunter], Ray [Romano], Zenobia [Shroff], Anupam [Kher], and Adeel [Akhtar] and everyone else who helped bring The Big Sick to life.

Nicole Kidman. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

What an amazing morning! Thank you to SAG-AFTRA for recognizing Big Little Lies in such a significant way. Ive been acting since I was 14 and have dedicated an enormous amount of my life to my craft so to be acknowledged by my acting family is the most incredible honor.

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Linney, Ozark

I am so proud to be included in a list of such wonderful actresses who have raised the bar so high. What an amazing year for women in television. And I am especially proud to be representing Ozark with my TV spouse, the ever deserving Jason Bateman! Thank you SAG-AFTRA!

Marc Maron. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Marc Maron, GLOW

I am stunned and excited to be recognized by other actors in this way. I really never thought this was possible in my life. It helps to be surrounded by amazing actors and to have such a defined and well written character as Sam Sylvia and to be on a show as unique as GLOW. I am just a small part. So, thanks SAG for recognizing me and the mind-blowing ensemble that is GLOW.

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick

We are so lucky to have been graced with the enormous talents of every single member of our cast. They each put a piece of themselves into our story and we are thrilled at being recognized. Thank you. And a special shout out to Holly Hunters individual nomination!

Now we have to go tell our real parents that they arent actually nominated.

Bob Odenkirk. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

I am thrilled to get this nomination from my fellow actors! At Better Call Saul I am surrounded by an ensemble of excellence  Michael McKean, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, everybody raises my game. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA.

Gary Oldman. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour

No actor could ever deny the special satisfaction that comes from being recognized by your fellow artists  we all share the same challenges, insecurities, and uncertainties, chief among them, the question am I any good? this nomination, and in the wonderful company of the other nominees, is so very satisfying.

Margot Robbie. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Im so incredibly moved and excited to be nominated by my fellow actors. I feel very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to bring Tonyas story to the big screen. Thank you to Steven [Rogers] for his brilliant and unique script, to Allison [Janney] and Sebastian [Stan] for being such incredible screen partners and to Craig [Gillespie] for his amazing direction and perfectly capturing the tone and essence of the film. Im so honored to be recognized among the truly powerful and wonderful women in the category. I cant wait to celebrate with everyone.

Sam Rockwell. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is such an honor to be nominated by your fellow actors, I have been a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild for as long as I can remember. To share it with this wonderful ensemble whom I have had the pleasure to work with over the years and others I got to collaborate with for the first time is truly special. I want to thank Martin McDonagh, our director and writer, for crafting these characters, as well as Woody [Harrelson], Fran [McDormand] and the rest of the cast who brought the town of Ebbing to life on screen. I am thrilled.

Ray Romano. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Ray Romano, The Big Sick

This is awesome but I wont believe it till the recount.
From Carolina pulled pork to Texas-style beef ribs, Southern barbecue comprises many variations in the flavorful symphony of smoke, spice and fat. And craft beers diversity makes it an ideal accompaniment to whatever style of cue youre into.

Beachwood BBQ and Brewing founder Gabriel Gordon has spent a lot of time obsessing over both barbecue and beer, and he says the many regional styles and intense flavors of wood-smoked meats allow for various approaches to pairings.

The golden rule of matching a beer with a dish is to consider the relative intensity of flavor between pint and plate. The more flavorful a dishs ingredients and cooking techniques, the more assertive a beer needs to be to match. Barbecue is rarely subtle; the key notes get played loud. Even in simple preparations like a dry-rubbed brisket the chord of punchy black pepper and unctuous fat resonates on the palate. Whether its harmonizing or playing counterpoint with those flavors, a beer needs to be equally fortissimo. (Though this rule has exceptions as well soon see.)

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American stout

Gordon likes a complex brew, something well-hopped and featuring darkly roasted malts, as an all-purpose match for barbeque. An American stout such as Beachwoods own Kilgore Stout fits the bill. Stouts feature barley malt roasted like coffee beans, and the flavors created in the process  chocolate, coffee and even smokey char  mirror many flavors present in barbecue. These flavor bridges create a pleasing harmony that can elevate both the food and the brew and even reveal subtle flavors in one (or both) that are easy to miss on their own.

West Coast IPA

A beers flavor can also interact with food in interesting ways, and beers inherent bitterness is a common example. Bitterness is powerful asset because it cuts through fatty richness and reinvigorates the palate. Barbecue can use brown sugar and molasses in rubs and sauces, and hop bitterness also pleasantly contrasts with this sweetness. The firm bitter finish of a West Coast IPA makes the style an easy fit with barbecue.

Mexican lager

Carbonation is another essential aspect of beer that provides a useful interaction with food: it literally scrubs lingering flavors off your palate. This is especially true with tongue-coating fats and persistent sweetness, the scrubbing bubbles effect of effervescence is powerful enough that even otherwise mildly flavored beers  like industrial light lagers  can be effective pairings for rich, sweet foods. Try a darker Mexican lager  Dos Equis Amber or Negra Modelo  with your next rack of ribs.

Stay away from sweet beers! Gordon implores. He says a sweet-on-sweet match mutes more subtle flavors found in both the beer and the meat. Smoke is another flavor that can become overpowering when its present in both the food and the beer, but Gordon does suggest if youre a real lover of smoke flavors, a smoked beer (such as a traditional German rauchbier) can create some interesting interactions. Most smoked beers use malt thats smoked over beechwood, which can actually contrast subtly with the oak and fruitwoods more commonly used in southern barbecue.

Sour beers

You can use beer to fill-in elements missing in the dish, Gordon says, creating balance where there are lopsided flavors. Gordons go-to beer styles for matching with barbecue are sours. Vinegar is a key ingredient in many barbecue sauces, and where wine pairings are challenged by vinegar, beer excels. Old world-style sour ales  Belgian lambics and Flanders red ales  often contain a touch of acetic acid, and this builds a flavor-bridge with vinegar-based barbecue sauces while the brighter lactic acid present in the beer helps balance the rich and umami-loaded meats.

Where to test out your beer and barbecue pairings

Barbecue is, after perhaps the cheeseburger or pizza, the American culinary tradition most closely linked with beer, and this means there are no shortage of local restaurants offering a wide selection of craft brews to go with their smoky cue. From Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach, and its original location in Seal Beach, which both serve up the best of American craft beer alongside excellent house-brewed styles; to Rosies BBQ in Northridge whose limited tap list leans toward the up-and-coming breweries in the San Fernando Valley, there are many opportunities to explore how beer and barbecue are built for each other. Also try: Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, Barrel & Ashes in Studio City, Horse Thief Barbecue at Grand Central Market downtown, or find Bartz Barbeque, which often sets up at local taprooms (El Segundo Brewing Co. and Los Angeles Ale Works in Hawthorne are regular stops).

Barrel and Ashes  11801 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 623-8883, barrelandashes.com.

Beachwood BBQ  131  Main St. Seal Beach, (562) 493-4500, beachwoodbbq.com.

Beachwood BBQ and Brewing  210 E 3rd St., Long Beach, (562) 436-4020, beachwoodbbq.com.

Boneyard Bistro  13539 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 906-7427, boneyardbistro.com.

Horse Thief BBQ  324 S Hill St., Los Angeles, (213) 625-0341, www.horsethiefbbq.com.

Rosies BBQ  8930 Corbin Ave., Northridge, (818) 349-3055, www.rosiesbbq.com.

food@latimes.com

@latimesfood

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Selena Rosa Mexicana restaurant in Manhattan is serving a Thanksgiving turkey infused with 160- and 151-proof vodka before and after roasting. The Mexican restaurant is bringing their roasted Devils Spring vodka-infused 20-pound turkeys tableside to diners, who then get to choose what Georgi vodka flavors they would like injected into their bird. They have the option of pineapple, apple cider, green apple, French vanilla, or coconut.

We like doing fun and creative things, Sam Musovic, a bartender at Selena Rosa, told the New York Daily News. The drunken turkey was an off-the-wall idea that stuck. The creative move was clearly a success, as the restaurant revealed to The Daily Meal that as of today they have sold 50 turkeys. And with the festive fowl scheduled to remain on the menu until November 26, that number will continue to increase even after the holiday.

Besides offering two-sides with their $39.99 turkey, the restaurant is providing a free taxi ride home to any of the five boroughs for anyone who orders this liquor-laced affair. Prefer a teetotaling turkey? Here are 25 ways to cook a turkey, and most of them dont include booze!
He could have been just another grifter.

When Charles Manson rolled into California from Appalachia in 1955 in a stolen Mercury, his big ambition was to be a pimp.

In prison at Terminal Island for trying to cash a forged $43 check, he talked tradecraft with the veteran pimps inside, dabbled in Scientology and read Dale Carnegies How to Win Friends and Influence People, waiting to get out and try what he learned on vulnerable women.

Sprung in 1967, he visited a parolee he knew who happened to be living in Berkeley. If the convict had resided in Fresno or Barstow, Manson might have seen his modest criminal ambitions come to be, and the world at large would never have heard his name.

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But Manson landed dead center in the countrys countercultural carnival, just a couple months before the Summer of Love. The moment he saw the sidewalk gurus in Haight-Ashbury luring young flocks of believers, he found a new calling, the perfect gig for a conniver desperate for attention.

The ensuing free-for-all of sex, drugs and dumpster-diving lasted less than two years. As Mansons family started to sputter like its converted school bus, he kept it running on a fuel of doomsday prophesies, persuading his followers that an apocalyptic race war called Helter Skelter was coming.

He masterminded a killing rampage to serve his most insectile needs.

He had to get a killer who was likely to snitch on him released from jail, by making it appear as if the real culprit were still at large. And he needed to keep his believers from realizing he was a fraud, by making his own prophesy come true. He orchestrated the murders to look as if they were committed by black militants.

The wretched motive behind the murders was a simple con job.

But the fact that he and his family looked like hippies and did lots of LSD gave a new breed of magazine journalists just what they wanted to seethe dark side to the youth movement theyd helped invent.

Manson became the first of many people and events to end the 60s.

To stay in the limelight, he played the madman role to epic effect.

But he didnt have preternatural brainwashing powers.

He didnt turn California into the Paradise Lost that so many writers had been waiting for.

He didnt even terrify the state in the way a true sadist, Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, would 15 years later.

He was a scab mite who bit at the perfect time and place to be enshrined in Baby Boomer lore.

***

1 / 6 The five victims slain the night of Aug. 9, 1969 at the Benedict Canyon Estate of Roman Polanski. From left, Voityck Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, Jay Sebring, and Abigail Folger. The next night, it happened again. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, a wealthy couple who lived across town, were stabbed to death in their home. (Associated Press) 2 / 6 Charles Manson is led back to his cell after court appearance in 1970. (Bill Murphy / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 6 Four young female members of the Charles Manson family kneel outside the Los Angeles Hall of Justice on March 29, 1971, with their heads shaved. The women kept a vigil at the building throughout the long trial in which Manson and three others were convicted of murdering actress Sharon Tate and six others. (Wally Fong / Associated Press) 4 / 6 Charles Manson is escorted to court for preliminary hearing in 1969. (Bill Murphy / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 6 Charles Manson receives the news that he was denied parole in 1997, for the ninth time in March, 1997. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) 6 / 6 Charles Mansion in the high security area of the Corcoran State Prison in 1998. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Manson grew up without a father, with an alcoholic mother in and out of prison. He was shoplifting by age 9 and relentlessly acting out for attention. Pinwheeling in and out of institutions, he never lasted long on the streets. As a slight-built young man in reform schools and then prison, he learned to spook predators by acting insane.

Before he was released the final time in 1967, Manson had become enthralled with the Beatles and the worship they evoked in young people. He decided he was going to be even more famous than the Fab Four, and this quest  the archetypal Hollywood story  is what turned so evil.

He used the hippie-guru role as an entree into showbiz circles.

In San Francisco, at 32, Manson looked for those women who were broken and alone -- anyone with a bad or missing father was a key target. He listened to them, told plain-looking women they were beautiful, acted as if he understood their depths and filled the role of father.

They called him Jesus Christ and took off in an old black school bus to claim his stardom in Los Angeles, where the scab mite, like so many others, crawled around looking for hosts.

They found a place to crash with hippies in Topanga Canyon, a house called the Spiral Staircase. They scooped up new girls willing to submit themselves to Mansons sexual initiation.

His biggest break came when Dennis Wilson, drummer for the Beach Boys, picked up two of Mansons girls hitchhiking on Sunset Boulevard. He took them back to his house, an old hunting lodge in Pacific Palisades that was once part of Will Rogers old ranch. They left without recognizing his name. But Manson knew who he was.

Later that night, when Wilson pulled into his driveway in his Ferrari, the house lights were on. Manson emerged from the house, according to biographer Jeff Guinn, smiling and waving as if he were the host greeting a guest.

The family moved in, and lived off Wilsons wealth for months, while Manson relentlessly worked him and his friends, Gregg Jacobson, a songwriting partner, and Terry Melcher, a wunderkind producer, for a record deal. He ordered his girls to have sex with them whenever the men wanted, wrote Guinn in Manson: His Life and Times.

Manson talked his way into jam sessions with Neil Young, the Mamas and the Papas and others.

Young recalled him being a little uptight, a little too intense, according to Youngs biography, yet he and Wilson saw potential in Mansons singing. The ones who could actually give him a record deal did not. They strung him along, enjoying the girls, avoiding confrontation.

Wilson got tired of Manson leeching off him and moved out of the rented house instead of confronting him. The Family took up residence at the Spahn Ranch near Chatsworth, where many of Hollywoods Westerns  Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, Zorro  had been filmed. The girls made their stay worthwhile to the old, half-blind owner.

Every night, Manson gave his children LSD before his daily sermons, so that his banal and incoherent ramblings would be received as the word of God. He said his record would tell the world about the war to come.

Manson was quickly reaching a turning point in the cult game. The prospect of a record deal was slipping away, and some of the children were getting antsy, even dubious.

The constant danger for gurus is that they must keep producing new wonders for their followers, wrote Guinn. They cant let the act get stale or seem to be wrong about something or, worst of all, to fail publicly.

So he doubled down on Helter Skelter. They needed to start preparing.

They found an isolated compound in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley, and his followers began earnestly looking for the opening to a bottomless pit where they would hide.

At the same time, Manson was still desperately trying to get an audition with Melcher.

When Melcher agreed to watch him perform at Spahn Ranch in May of 1969, Manson stopped all preparations for Helter Skelter. He still just wanted to be famous.

But Melcher left unimpressed.

Events spiraled quickly after that.

Manson started shaking down anyone he could for money to get the dune buggies and supplies they needed for the desert. He had an associate, Bobby Beausoleil, go to Topanga and hold the owner of the Spiral Staircase hostage until he gave up all his money.

When the owner threatened to go to police, Manson told Beausoleil, You know what to do. Beausoleil stabbed him to death and wrote POLITICAL PIGGY in blood, with a paw print, the symbol of the Black Panthers, to put the murder on black militants.

Beausoleil was arrested near San Luis Obispo with the victims Fiat and the bloody knife in the tire well. Manson panicked, knowing police would pressure him to talk. Feeling caged, he sent his followers out to kill more people on two hot August nights, scrawling similar notes, so it looked as if the true killer was still stalking prey and police would be forced to release Beausoleil. And this would foment Helter Skelter, and his children would see that he truly was God.

But most importantly, Manson didnt commit the murders himself, so in his mind, he wouldnt go to prison for them.

Nine people died in the carnage, including the actress Sharon Tate. The lurid details of the first nights murders at the Tate house -- PIGS scrawled in blood on a wall; speed, pot and LSD found in the Porsche of one of the slain -- set off wild rumors and paranoia around Los Angeles.

The murder was still etched across every conversation three months after the event, with the killers still at large to make nightmares of the city, wrote Barry Farrell in Life magazine.

Speculation ran rampant about the sexual and drug proclivities of Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski, and Hollywood in general.

Every story promotes the murders into assassinations, crimes of logical consequence in which some vision of the victims way of living makes them accomplices in their own deaths, wrote Farrell. It is as if no one is satisfied with the crime until it can be perceived as a political act  the murder of a lifestyle.

Joan Didion described the sense that drugs and open sex had upended the old traditions so swiftly that anything could happen.

Everything was unmentionable but nothing was unimaginable, she wrote in The White Album. This mystical flirtation with the idea of sin  this sense that it was possible to go too far, and that many people were doing it  was very much with us in Los Angeles in 1968 and 1969.  The jitters were setting in.

The morning Los Angeles woke to hear of five people murdered on Cielo Drive, the tension broke, wrote Didion. The paranoia was fulfilled.

But when the Manson family was arrested for the crimes four months later, the critical gaze shifted from the sins of Hollywood to the sins of Americas youth  the fear that any flower child from Sioux City or Peoria could be brainwashed into becoming a sex-crazed killer.

The Dark Edge of the Hippie Life, Life magazine proclaimed on its cover about the Manson family.

The Los Angeles killings struck innumerable Americans as an inexplicable controversion of everything they wanted to believe about the society and their children, wrote the magazines Paul ONeill, and made Charlie Manson seem to be the very encapsulation of truth about revolt and violence by the young.

Speed, needles and the violent ethos of hard drugs had already taken over in Haight-Ashbury.

Just five days after Manson hit the news, the Altamont Free Concert opened, billed as Woodstock West. But fights erupted in the crowd, and the Hells Angels, hired for security, brawled with spectators, fatally stabbing a man who pulled a gun.

In psychedelic terms, the end of 1969 turned into the sour acid trip that had you lockjawed in terror, clenching to keep your molecules from flying into space.

In that one week that December, the 60s died twice. And so began the sense of a cultural skid-out, tracking from the Spahn Ranch to the drug deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin to the kidnapping of Patty Hearst and buckets of cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in Jonestown.

Manson went to trial with three followers involved in the murders. The trial was a freak-show like America would not see until the Jerry Springer era. Manson, a fresh X gouged in his forehead, relished the crowds that had come to see him. He ranted and made threats and crazy demands. His main soldier, Susan Atkins, fell into histrionic cries of stomach pain at one point. Other female family members converged outside the Hall of Justice  copycat Xs in their foreheads  posing for pictures with gawkers, playing patty-cake on the sidewalk.

Manson and the three others were sentenced to die in the gas chamber, but when the death penalty was abolished in 1972, he would get his regular parole hearings and TV interviews, and the public was sentenced to never forget him.

He embellished his X into a swastika, and kept up the insane act he learned as a kid  telegraphing the reality stars to come  a tabloid mainstay, a scab mite itching our consciousness to the very end.

joe.mozingo@latimes.com

@joemozingo
Every day, Mike Thompson hears a new story about how last months fires in Northern California have affected peoples lives. Insurance is being denied. Tourism is down. Some companies have laid off workers.

Block after block of homes are wiped out and cars are melted down to their skeletal remains, the Napa Valley congressman said of his travels in Santa Rosa over the weekend.

And yet none of the $44 billion that the White House requested of Congress on Friday for supplemental disaster aid includes funding to rebuild California after the fires  which killed 43 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 structures  a move thats sparked an outcry from Thompson and his fellow lawmakers.

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I think its very disappointing. Folks throughout California were ravaged by this fire, and we should ensure they get the help and support they need, Thompson said Sunday.

He and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) said in a joint statement that it was mind-boggling the Trump administration did not include any funds for California in its latest request, most of which will go to hurricane relief in Texas and Florida.

California lawmakers had asked the White House for $7.4 billion to help residents recover from the wildfires that began in early October, calling it one of the deadliest and most destructive fire events in the states history. None of that money was included in the Trump administrations package.

Its appalling the White House is choosing to ignore the victims of Californias wildfires. The latest disaster supplemental request is a completely inadequate response to all of the recent natural disasters, but its particularly egregious that no money was included to help Californians rebuild, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris said in a shared statement.

Lawmakers in other states also criticized the supplemental disaster funding request, saying it was not enough to address the devastation left from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the $44-billion figure, saying it was not a low amount.

And my guess is if you ask any average citizen across this country, they wouldnt feel like its low either, she said.

The White Houses proposal addresses Californias wildfires by calling for tax relief for those affected.

The funds requested by California lawmakers would go toward direct assistance to victims, rebuilding public infrastructure, restoring lost homes and wineries, and cleaning up debris and waste.

The money would also replenish Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief funds to allow victims to apply for temporary housing, rebuild homes and small businesses, receive crop insurance, and access basic needs including medical care.

Last month, Congress approved a $36.5-billion disaster aid package, which included $576.5 million for wildfire suppression in California and the West.

Thompson said the federal response to the fire emergency was great  with help also pouring in from places as far away as Australia, which sent firefighters  but the rebuilding phase still needs more attention.

He and his colleagues will continue to ask for supplemental federal disaster aid funds.

Im not done fighting, he said.

maya.lau@latimes.com

Twitter: @mayalau
The sister of slain actress Sharon Tate said the death of convicted murderer Charles Manson brought her no solace.

People are saying that this should be some kind of relief, but oddly enough it really isnt, Debra Tate told ABC News. While Charlie may be gone, its the ones that are still alive that perpetrate everything, and it was up to their imaginations for what brutal things were going to be done.

In an odd way, I see them as much more dangerous individuals.

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As news of Mansons death spread, many said this should be a time to mourn his victims.

Mia Farrow, a friend of Sharon Tate, tweeted photographs of the slain actress, who was 26 years old and 8 months pregnant when she was stabbed 16 times by one of Mansons followers, Susan Atkins in 1969. The word PIG was written in Tates blood on her front door.

Charlie Manson is dead  good riddance, Farrow tweeted.

Farrow, who starred in the 1968 horror film Rosemarys Baby directed by Tates husband, Roman Polanski, also tweeted a photo of Tate in cutoff shorts, holding a dog.

Thoughts with my sweet, beautiful friend, Sharon Tate and with each of Mansons victims, Farrow wrote.

Thoughts with my sweet, beautiful friend, Sharon Tate and with each of Mansons victims pic.twitter.com/JUgH7bNXdl  Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) November 20, 2017

Manson, the mastermind behind a string of Los Angeles murders, died of natural causes at a Kern County Hospital at 8:13 p.m. Sunday, according to Vicky Waters, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was 83.

Sentenced to death for the killings, Manson escaped execution when the state Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional at the time. He spent decades behind bars and was cited for behavioral issues  including obtaining illegal cellphones  more than 100 times.

On Sunday night, Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys, said in a statement that Vincent Bugliosi, the Los Angeles County prosecutor who put Manson behind bars, provided the most accurate summation: Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values. Bugliosi died in 2015.

Today, Mansons victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death, Hanisee said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch OFarrell on Twitter called Manson a pathetic, cowardly con man and said his victims stories deserved to be told.

Good riddance to this wretched soul. Anyone who recalls what he and his followers did in August of 69 are probably still traumatized by their horrific actions, ritualistically murdering innocent people. I know their surviving family members are. Thats who we should remember.  Mitch O'Farrell (@MitchOFarrell) November 20, 2017

Good riddance to this wretched soul, OFarrell wrote. Anyone who recalls what he and his followers did in August of 69 are probably still traumatized by their horrific actions, ritualistically murdering innocent people. I know their surviving family members are. Thats who we should remember.

Debra Tate said she worried about Mansons acolytes involved in the slayings and that she had prayed for Mansons soul.

Charles Tex Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel have each been denied parole several times. Susan Atkins, who was denied parole 13 times, died in prison in 2009.

Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, 68, was granted parole in September by a panel of state commissioners in Chino. Gov. Jerry Brown must decide whether to release her. He rejected her parole last year, concluding that Van Houten, the youngest member of Mansons so-called family, posed an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison.

Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted #CharlesManson said it best: "Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values." Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death. said @michele_hanisee ADDA Pres.  LAADDA (@LACountyADDA) November 20, 2017

Debra Tate mentioned Van Houtens parole to ABC.

Its important for people to know that these are individuals that are still brutal monsters capable of committing heinous crimes, she said. Although Ive forgiven, I have not forgotten, and I feel its very important that they stay exactly where they are until they die.

Linda Deutsch, who covered high-profile trials for the Associated Press for more than four decades, wrote that Mansons trial was a surreal spectacle in which the diminutive cult leader and his followers constantly disrupted proceedings, jumping to their feet and singing songs to mock the judge.

At one point, Deutsch wrote, he propelled himself across the counsel table, brandishing a pencil and shouting at the judge: Someone should cut your head off, old man.

It was such a frenzy that photo crews rushed so quickly through the hallway to get a photo of him that they knocked a water fountain off the wall, flooding the corridor.

Outside on the sidewalk, a ragtag band of women camped on the sidewalk day and night  They became a tourist attraction and were always available for media interviews.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

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A 15-month-old boy who authorities said was abducted by his father from Boyle Heights last week has been found in Mexico, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Noe Reyna, the subject of an Amber Alert, was found safe and sound, said LAPD Capt. Ruby Flores.

Noes uncle brought him to a border crossing in San Diego, where the child was taken into custody by U.S. federal officials, Flores said. The LAPD was informed by Border Patrol officials that Noe was safe.

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Noe was reported missing on Nov. 14, the same day social workers with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services were set to take him into protective custody. Both of his parents had been notified of the court order, according to the LAPD.

DCFS was at the residence to take the child away due to narcotics issues, Det. Steven Juarez told reporters last week.

Authorities said they believed the boys father, Carlos Ivan Reyna, took the child across the border.

Noe will be taken into protective custody by DCFS and will receive medical treatment as a standard protocol, but appears to be healthy, Flores said.

Carlos Reyna was still in Mexico. Authorities plan to file for his extradition to the United States, where he could face charges, Flores said.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

UPDATES:

12:20 p.m. This article was updated with Noes uncle bringing him to a border crossing in San Diego.

This article was originally published at 6:30 a.m.
A 46-year-old man died Monday morning when he tried to save two dogs from a burning recreational vehicle in Rancho Park, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

An RV that was parked in an alley at 2734 S. Westwood Blvd. was reported to be ablaze at 11:16 a.m., said Margaret Stewart, a fire department spokeswoman.

The victim, who was not identified, lived in the RV with his wife and their two dogs, Stewart said. The couple were not inside the RV when the fire occurred, but their dogs were.

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The man entered the RV in an attempt to rescue the animals, but did not make it out alive, Stewart said.

This serves as a stark reminder to GET OUT AND STAY OUT of a fire, Stewart wrote in a prepared release. Never re-enter a fire because you may very well not make it out.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Stewart said nothing else caught fire and that the blaze in the RV was extinguished quickly.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

UPDATES:

1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with new details about the victim and his dogs.

This article was originally published at 12:15 p.m.
A single-engine plane crashed into a home in San Jose on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The Cessna 172 crashed about 300 yards northwest of the Reid-Hillview Airport, a small general aviation airport, right after departing around 3 p.m., said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Three people were on board, but Gregor did not have information on their conditions. Its unclear if anyone was inside the home.

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The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.

A plane has crashed into a home in San Jose. Tommy Brimer has passed along this photo to me. #developing 2 injured @KTVU #rescue on Evelyn pic.twitter.com/w4LdrQtgwP  Randee Deason (@2hip4tv) November 19, 2017

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

4:45 p.m.: This article was updated with the type of plane and location of crash.

This article was originally published at 4:20 p.m.
In the dearly five decades since the notorious murders stunned Los Angeles, there has been endless fascination and revulsion surrounding Charles Manson and his cult family.

And Manson did not fade quietly during his decades behind bars, but continued to make headlines with interviews, bad conduct in prison and, more recently, health issues.

Mansons victims have sometimes gotten lost in the shadows of the mass killers attention.

Heres who they were:

Sharon Tate in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. (Twentieth Century Fox)

Benedict Canyon murders

Aug. 9, 1969: The nighttime quiet of Benedict Canyon is broken by screams and gunshots. Police find a chilling scene: On the lawn lies a man's body, stabbed, bludgeoned and shot. Nearby is the body of a woman. "PIG" is written in blood on the front door. Inside are the bodies of Sharon Tate, the pregnant actress who rents the house with husband Roman Polanski, and hairstylist Jay Sebring. A fifth body is found outside.

The victims:

Sharon Tate, 26: An actress best known for her role in "Valley of the Dolls," she was married to film director Polanski. She pleaded with the killers to spare the life of her unborn child, due in two weeks.

Jay Sebring, 35: A Hollywood hairdresser and former boyfriend of Tates. Among his clients was David Geffen, head of Geffen Records, which recently released a Guns N' Roses album with a song written by Manson.

Voytek Frykowski, 32: A friend of Polanskis, he came from a wealthy Polish family and was staying with Polanski and Tate.

Abigail Folger, 25: The heir to the Folger coffee fortune, she was romantically involved with Frykowski.

Steven Parent, 18: Visiting the resident of a guest house on the estate, he was just leaving as the murderers arrived and became their first victim.

Rosemary La Bianca (Associated Press)

Los Feliz murders

Aug. 10, 1969: At a Los Feliz house the next night, another nauseating murder scene. Leno and Rosemary LaBianca have been stabbed. "DEATH TO PIGS" is scrawled in blood; on the refrigerator is the misspelled title of a Beatles song: "HEALTER SKELTER." The writings eventually help police link the murders.

The victims:

Leno LaBianca, 44, and Rosemary LaBianca, 38: Owners of a chain of Los Angeles grocery stores. Their house was chosen by Manson, who tied them up, then left the killing to others.

Te body of actress Sharon Tate is taken from her Benedict Canyon estate (FILE / AP)

Other murders

July 31, 1969: Musician Gary Hinman is found stabbed to death in his Old Topanga Road home. The phrase "POLITICAL PIGGY" is scrawled in blood on his wall. Manson follower Bobby Beausoleil is arrested driving Hinman's Volkswagen bus.

Gary Hinman, 34: A musician who befriended the Manson group. Family members tortured him for two days at his Topanga home before killing him in a dispute over money.

Aug. 25, 1969: Donald Shorty Shea, a horse wrangler at the Spahn Movie Ranch near Chatsworth, is killed. Its believed Mansons followers killed him for fear he was a police informant.

Donald Shorty Shea, 35: An aspiring actor and a ranch hand. His dismembered body was found eight years later.

Aftermath

October 1969: Raids on the remote Barker Ranch near Death Valley link some of the killings to a band of young, hippie-looking petty criminals. Manson, a fledgling songwriter who knew Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, had been to the Benedict Canyon house when the group's producer lived there.

June 15, 1970  Jan. 25, 1971: Following their arrests in 1969, Manson, Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel are tried for murder. All are found guilty and sentenced to death.

October 1971: Charles Tex Watson, tried separately, is found guilty and sentenced to death.

Feb. 18, 1972: The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment when the state Supreme Court abolished the death penalty. Now the convicts eligible for parole hearings.

The killers: Where are they now?

Patricia Krenwinkel was a secretary when she met Manson at a party. She quit her job the next day and joined Mansons family.

She was found guilty of seven counts of murder in the killings, including stabbing the LaBiancas to death and writing DEATH TO PIGS on the wall in the victims blood.

Krenwinkel, along with Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten, later condemned Manson and urged young people not to think of him as a hero.

After Atkins death, Krenwinkel, now 69, became Californias longest-serving female inmate. According to state prison officials, Krenwinkel is a model inmate involved in rehabilitative programs at the prison.

She is being housed at the California Institution for Women in Corona. Late last year, state parole officials postponed a decision on setting Krenwinkel free after her attorney made new claims that she had been abused by Manson or another person. The inquiry into the allegations took nearly six months. On June 22, parole commissioners again denied parole for Krenwinkel.

Leslie Van Houten: A jury found that the former homecoming princess was guilty of holding down Rosemary LaBianca in her Los Feliz home while an accomplice stabbed her. She was convicted of murder and conspiracy in 1978 at her third trial for the crimes, just months after shed been released on bail following a hung jury verdict.

Van Houten said she was introduced to Manson by a boyfriend and came to view him as Jesus Christ, believing in his bizarre plan to commit murders and spark a race war.

She is serving her life sentence at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif., prison officials say, and has been disciplinary-free her entire sentence.

Van Houten, 68, told a parole board in 2002 that she was deeply ashamed of her role in the killings. "I take very seriously not just the murders but what made me make myself available to someone like Manson."

A state review board recommended parole for her in April, but Gov. Jerry Brown reversed that decision. She had previously been denied parole 19 times.

In September, the board again recommended parole.

Charles "Tex" Watson, Mansons self-described right-hand man, was sentenced to death for his part in the killings but was later given life in prison after the death penalty was overturned. In prison, Watson married, divorced, fathered four children and became an ordained minister.

Watson, 71, is housed at the Mule Creek Prison in Ione, Calif., about 40 miles outside Sacramento, where he works as a janitor and attends Bible studies and services in the prison chapel, according to the ministrys website. He has been denied parole 17 times. His most recent parole hearing was held Oct. 27, when a panel once again found him unsuitable for release from prison for at least five more years.

Susan Atkins, a former topless dancer who became one of Mansons closest disciples, died in prison in 2009 at age 61.

Atkins, called the scariest of the Manson girls by a former prosecutor, confessed to killing actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times as she pleaded with the killers to spare her unborn son and then hanged. At sentencing, where Atkins was condemned to death, she taunted the court, saying, Youd best lock your doors, and watch your own kids.

Her sentence was later converted to life in prison.

In prison, Atkins embraced Christianity and apologized for her role in the crimes, and the prison staff advocated unsuccessfully for her release in 2005. She was denied parole 13 times.

Bruce Davis, 75, was convicted in 1972 for taking part in the killings of Gary Hinman, an aspiring musician, and Donald "Shorty" Shea, a stuntman and a ranch hand at the Chatsworth ranch where Manson and his followers lived. Both murders occurred before the Tate-LaBianca killings, in which Davis did not participate.

Hinmans body was found in his home, with the words political piggy drawn on the wall with his blood.

In January 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown rejected his parole, the third time a governor has done so, saying that Davis remains a danger to public safety. In his decision, Brown said that the horror of the murders committed by the Manson Family in 1969 and the fear they instilled in the public will never be forgotten.

Davis has been denied parole 30 times.

The Final Word

People are saying that this should be some kind of relief, but oddly enough it really isnt. While Charlie may be gone, its the ones that are still alive that perpetrate everything, and it was up to their imaginations for what brutal things were going to be done. In an odd way, I see them as much more dangerous individuals.
Following years of political controversy that demanded the attention of two presidents, the Nebraska Public Service Commission on Monday declared that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline was in the public interest but the 275-mile route it approved through the state was not the one preferred by TransCanada, the pipeline developer.

By a vote of 3 to 2, the five-member commission cleared the final regulatory hurdle for the proposed 1,179-mile pipeline from Hardisty, Canada, to Steele City, Neb., adding to routes already approved by Montana and South Dakota. President Trump overturned President Obamas earlier rejection of the pipeline, and in March approved the federal permit for it to cross the U.S. border.

Despite a long series of delays and a slump in world oil prices, TransCanada this month expressed confidence that the $8-billion project will be able to move forward. Yet Mondays action endorsing an alternative route may have made the path to success more difficult.

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The pipeline company told the Nebraska commission this year that the route approved Monday was much more problematic than the one the firm preferred. The company will need to secure land from more farmers, a process that has already proved difficult. Of the 275 landowners the company needed for its preferred route, 100 have refused to sign leases for the Keystone XL pathway.

The new route is but one of many dimensions of the pipelines business plan that are markedly different from the one TransCanada wrote nine years ago when it introduced the Keystone XL project.

Oil prices are less than half what they were a decade ago. Tar sands production in Canada has leveled off. And legal challenges remain formidable: Opponents have vowed to appeal the commissions decision and battle additional eminent domain procedures to secure new right-of-way. The legal processes for both strategies could make the Keystone XL battle an issue in the 2020 presidential election.

Russ Girling, TransCanadas chief executive, said he is confident about the pipelines prospects. During a third-quarter conference call with investors this month, Girling said the company needs to secure commitments to transport 500,000 barrels of oil a day to start construction. TransCanada, he said, is close to reaching that goal.

Overall, we expect support for the project to be substantially similar to that which existed when we first applied for the Keystone pipeline permit, Girling said. To be clear, production of Canadian heavy oil continues to grow, and the need for new pipeline transportation capacity remains high.

The pipelines opponents vowed to carry on. Its not over. We will appeal, said Jane Kleeb, the founder and president of Bold Nebraska, the activist group leading the opposition to the Keystone XL project. There will be lawsuits to fight TransCanadas eminent domain claims. It could be another two years before this is decided.

Suncor Energy and Cenovus Energy, two of the biggest tar sands oil producers, have said they are committed to long-term Keystone XL transport contracts, a promising signal that Keystone XL ultimately will succeed, according to some financial analysts.

Other authorities note, though, that oil production in northern Alberta, the pipelines source, has leveled off at 2.5 million barrels per day as prices have plummeted from historic highs a decade ago. TransCanadas competitors have proposed other tar sands pipelines. Banks and international financiers, moreover, are withdrawing from potential capital markets to pay for other multibillion-dollar fossil fuel projects. And the cost of construction and civic opposition to massive fossil fuel infrastructure projects has increased.

A number of analysts predict that even with the Nebraska go-ahead, the pipeline will not be built.

There is no economic rationale, no validity to the investment calculation, no positive bottom line, said Tom Sanzillo, director of finance for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a Cleveland-based think tank, and former deputy controller responsible for managing New Yorks $168-billion retirement fund. Our view is that TransCanada is unlikely to build it.

The Keystone XL pipeline was supposed to be the final phase of a 3,863-mile oil transport system designed to move 1.4 million barrels of oil daily from northern Alberta to refineries in Illinois and Texas, and to a mammoth storage terminal in Oklahoma. TransCanada marketed the $15-billion Keystone project as a signature piece of mega-industrial infrastructure vital to serving the sand and shale fossil fuel boom that erupted in North America around 2008.

The initial $5-billion, 1,853-mile Keystone pipeline, Keystone XLs older sister, was permitted without conflict by President George W. Bush in 2008 and began moving oil in 2010. The Keystone XL was meant to transport 830,000 additional barrels of oil daily from Alberta.

When TransCanada introduced the project in 2008, two factors appeared to assure its economic viability: Oil prices had soared past $100 a barrel; and $10 billion in annual investment in tar sands mining and processing equipment had caused tar sands oil production to start climbing by 200,000 barrels a year.

Many of the worlds largest energy companies  Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron among them  bought leases in Albertas northern forests, which emerged as one of the largest oilfields in the world. Their refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast were eager for the fuel. The path from Canada through the Great Plains seemed cleared by the existing Keystone line.

The company did not anticipate the political and market turmoil around fossil fuels that quickly unfolded in the United States and around the world. Within two years of its introduction, opponents in Nebraska and across the U.S. turned the Keystone XL into one of the most visible global symbols of climate change risks and pipeline safety. Also, new technologies coming on the market were pivoting nations away from fossil fuels and toward less polluting alternatives.

Climate activists seized on the Keystone XL as a source of huge new carbon emissions from tar sands oil, which scientists identified as much dirtier than conventional oil, and widespread protests convinced Obama to reject TransCanadas international permit to build the pipeline in early November 2015.

In Nebraska, opponents focused on a foreign company they felt was bullying the state, and the risks of an oil spill to the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies much of Nebraskas water. Their concerns were not unfounded: On Friday, the Keystone line, which is similar in design to the Keystone XL, leaked and poured 210,000 gallons of tar sands oil onto a South Dakota field. It was one of the largest inland oil spills in the U.S. since July 2010, when a tar sands pipeline operated by Enbridge Inc. ruptured and spilled a million gallons into Michigans Kalamazoo River.

Republican politicians across the Great Plains have consistently supported the project, as have business leaders.

Opposition, though, is deep and committed. Most of the 500,000 comments the Nebraska commission received expressed opposition to Keystone XL.

Similar pipeline opposition campaigns also developed in other states to spotlight spills, leaks, ruptures, and explosions that are becoming more numerous, dangerous and costly, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a unit of the Department of Transportation. Since 2010, the federal safety agency has documented 4,398 serious pipeline incidents that killed 107 people and caused $3.8 billion in damages.

A national pipeline protest movement has developed. Over the weekend, 300 pipeline opponents from more than 30 states and Washington, D.C., attended the People vs. Oil and Gas Summit, an organizing conference in Pittsburgh.

There are a ton of groups that have formed to fight pipelines, in the West and Midwest, the South, up and down the East Coast, said David Turnbull, the director of Strategic Communications for Oil Change International, a research and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. In Nebraska, what we found is that there is no need for a new pipeline coming out of Canada. There is existing capacity and not much more production.

The decline in oil prices has also affected production  and presumably, the need for new pipelines. In the last year, according to Alberta figures, more than 2.6 million acres of tar sands leases have been abandoned. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Chevron, and Norways Statoil have either sold or written down their tar sands investments.

Oil production, which was expected by grow to 4 million barrels a day by 2024, reached 2.4 million barrels a day last year and is projected to stay at roughly the same level this year. The new oil that Keystone was projected to move from Canada to the U.S. is not likely to be produced anytime soon, if at all, say analysts.

Those kinds of numbers are likely to make financing the project difficult. Major banks and international funds are withdrawing from fossil fuel investments. The $1 trillion Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, one of the largest pools of investment capital in the world, last week downgraded its oil and gas portfolio and announced it was retreating from the fossil fuel market.

Another hurdle for TransCanada is a lawsuit in Montana filed by environmental groups against the Trump administration in March. The plaintiffs assert that the president violated federal environmental law by approving the Keystone XL construction permit without updating the projects five-year-old environmental impact report. Luther Hajek, an attorney in the Natural Resources Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, told U.S. District Judge Brian Morris that the president had full authority to issue the permit, which did not require a new review. Its a presidential action, therefore its not reviewable, said Hajek.

The government and the company filed a motion to dismiss the case, which was heard last month in Morris court. A ruling is expected soon.

UPDATES:

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional background on the pipeline and analysis of its future prospects.

11:20 a.m.: This article was updated with reaction to the commissions decision.

10:05 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the pipeline.

This article was originally published at 8:40 a.m.
President Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism Monday, a largely symbolic move that administration officials said will increase pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Trump said the designation will be followed Tuesday by a new round of sanctions against Pyongyang and that other penalties will be announced in coming weeks.

North Korea must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism  which it is not doing, Trump said at the start of a Cabinet meeting.

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Trump administration officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns estranged half brother with a nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia last February as an act of terrorism.

President George H.W. Bush first put North Korea on the State Departments list in 1988, and his son President George W. Bush removed it 20 years later in a failed bid to convince Pyongyang to stop its nuclear program.

The Obama and Trump administrations both slapped economic sanctions on North Korea and, increasingly, on governments that do business with it. But Pyongyang has continued to conduct both ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests, stepping up the program significantly in the last year.

Its not clear why new sanctions would change that dynamic. Most of the punishments Trump can impose under the state-sponsor legislation already are in place, or would involve suspending aid programs that dont exist.

But administration officials said the designation carries symbolic weight and will add pressure on countries that still do business with North Korea, including those that buy its weapons or employ its workers. China is Pyongyangs largest trading partner.

We are continuing to turn the pressure up, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at the White House. It may disrupt and dissuade some third parties from undertaking activities with North Korea.

Tillerson said he still hopes diplomacy can resolve the impasse, but said he believed the campaign of pressure was helping, citing reports of oil shortages in the secretive state.

I dont want to suggest to you that the designation is suddenly going to put a whole new layer of sanctions on them, Tillerson said. He said it would close loopholes in previous penalties.

Officials said the Treasury Department could impose heftier fines on companies working with North Korea that also use U.S. banks. Treasury has imposed $12 billion in fines on European banks that do business in Iran, for example.

The Treasury Department also could add new entities or individuals to its sanctions list or use authority from an executive order to deny entities that do business in North Korea the ability to operate in the United States.

North Korea joins only three other countries on the State Departments list of state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Sudan and Syria. Discussions to put North Korea back on the list began last year under the Obama administration.

Richard Nephew, a sanctions expert, said the goal now is to increase pressure on those who do business with North Korea, such as Chinese banks or Russian oil companies. Adding North Korea to the terrorism list would otherwise have no impact.

I dont think [the list] changes their views regarding nuclear weapons [and] missiles one iota, nor their readiness to use targeted assassinations, he said.

Bruce Klingner, a former CIA deputy division chief for Korea now at the Heritage Foundation, said the state-sponsor designation was a powerful label that helps build a moral case to persuade even companies doing legitimate business with North Korea to go elsewhere.

Its upholding U.S. law, he said. Its identifying the nature of the North Korean regime.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
National security officials are urging President Trump to approve the sale of nearly $50 million worth of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, which has confronted what it sees as military aggression from Russia and pro-Russian separatists for years.

It was unclear whether Trump, who has been reluctant to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin, will approve the plan.

Congressional and State Department officials said Monday the weapons proposal had gained traction in the National Security Council. The officials asked not to be named discussing internal deliberations.

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At the urging of Trumps then-campaign manager, Paul Manafort, the GOP platform was watered down at the Republican National Convention in 2016 to remove a call to sell lethal weapons to Ukraine  a position long favored by the Republican establishment and ultimately by the Obama administration.

It was later revealed that Manafort had worked for pro-Russian Ukrainian leaders opposed to U.S. support for the government in Kiev. Manafort was indicted last month on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent, money laundering and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty.

The weapons sale under discussion would likely include Javelin anti-tank missiles and other high-tech weapons that go beyond defensive arms, a State Department official said. Some details of the package were first reported by ABC News.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has repeatedly urged the Trump administration to supply Ukraine with weapons. Doing so would garner bipartisan support on Capitol Hill.

It is long past time for the United States to provide Ukraine the defensive lethal assistance it needs to deter and defend against further Russian aggression, McCain said in a statement. As long as the status quo remains, Russia has no reason to change its behavior, and we should only expect more violence and more death.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), another member of the Armed Services Committee, wrote Trump last week to urge stronger support for Ukraine.

The military land-grab Russia has launched in Ukraine is unprecedented in modern European history, he wrote. Our response should include lethal military hardware as part of a broader effort to help Ukrainians defend themselves and deter future aggression.

Congress has already approved up to $500 million in assistance for Ukraine and its defense, though not specifically for lethal weapons.

Ukraines pro-West government has been battling pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine since forces loyal to Putin annexed Crimea in 2014.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson

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One of the broken promises of the criminal justice system is that a person who completes felony time in prison or jail will leave with a clean slate and a chance to start over. It doesnt work that way. Liberty once lost is rarely fully restored.

At criminal justice reform rallies, advocates have made a ritual of unrolling a lengthy scroll that lists thousands of collateral consequences of felony convictions  punishments that were never part of the judges sentence but are nevertheless quite real and continue pummeling former inmates for the rest of their lives. A few of those restrictions make sense, like barring convicted child molesters from working with children. Some are just spiteful and stupid, like those that make it nearly impossible for former inmates to get jobs, housing, education or anything else that could make it easier for them to responsibly reenter law-abiding society.

Many states dont even restore a former inmates right to vote  ever. Thankfully, thats not the case in California, where voting rights are automatically restored after an offender completes his or her sentence.

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Jury rights and voting rights must go hand in hand.

But not the right to serve on a jury. It is ironic that while thousands of Californians who have managed to keep their records clean are trying their best to weasel out of jury service, thousands more with long-ago felonies would like to fully participate in this most essential and emblematic marker of citizenship, but cant. Theyre permanently banned.

Proponents of the status quo offer several arguments that have some surface appeal but, on examination, simply dont hold up.

For example, wont ex-prisoners hold grudges against the criminal justice system that deprived them of their liberty and therefore be automatic votes to acquit?

Nonsense. First, jurors are needed every day not just for criminal cases but for all variety of lawsuits  personal injury cases, for example, or medical malpractice, breach of contract, workers compensation and the like. A prospective juror who lost a workers comp case isnt barred from sitting on a civil jury because of any suspected grudge against the legal system. It makes no more sense to bar a convicted felon who has done his time from a civil jury.

It doesnt make any sense to bar such a person from a criminal jury either. There is a process for examining members of the jury pool for prejudice and fitness to serve, and for excusing those who are less likely to be fair. Thats the way it works with prospective jurors who are crime victims, lawyers, insurance adjusters, human resource managers, elected officials  any of whom might harbor some kind of prejudice based on their experiences or outlooks, and all of whom are subject to examination and dismissal where appropriate. They are not subject to blanket bans against being even considered for jury service, nor should they be. Neither should convicted felons who have done their time.

Meanwhile, research suggests that former prisoners who had their voting rights restored were less likely to offend again, presumably because enfranchisement made them feel more closely bound to society. It stands to reason that restoration of jury rights would have a similar effect.

Some argue that the other jurors would be scared of a former felon in their midst, but that ignores the fact that we encounter former felons every day, working alongside us, driving next to us, living across the street. Its hard to imagine a safer place than a courthouse, notwithstanding the vigorous debates that can take place in the jury room.

Others might claim that people who have committed felonies have broken the rules of society and can no longer responsibly carry out the duties of citizens, nor can they be reliable judges of character. But California voters partially disposed of that argument in 1974 when they restored voting rights, and besides, once a sentence is completed a citizen should be able to fully return to the fold, with all rights  and duties  returned, consistent with public safety.

A bill is pending on the Assembly floor that would restore jury rights to people with felony records. AB 535 by Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) has until the end of January to be voted on and sent to the Senate but faces opposition from a number of Democrats who appear more concerned with currying favor with law enforcement and prosecutorial groups than the ability of their constituents to fully reenter society. Its time they see that jury rights and voting rights must go hand in hand.

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With Southern California confronting a deadly epidemic of hepatitis A, a highly contagious ailment that spreads through contact with the feces of an infected person, urban centers ought to be doing everything possible to improve sanitation. Thats especially true in enclaves frequented by the homeless.

Los Angeles leaders are well aware that skid rows nearly 2,000 homeless people have less access to bathrooms than Syrian refugees living in a United Nations camp overseas, as advocates for the unhoused complained last summer while calling for scores of additional portable toilets. Orange County faces a similar challenge with homeless people who camp by the Santa Ana River near Angel Stadium.

In comparison, Venice Beach, another hub of homelessness, has a key infrastructural advantage: Because the beach and the boardwalk are among the most visited tourist destinations in the state, there are public restrooms built to accommodate crowds on summer days. That means plenty of restrooms for the homeless, at least during the off-season and at night.

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There the matter would rest in a well-run city.

Venices public bathrooms are closed every night at midnight, and kept locked until 5 a.m. The predictable result is more people defecating on the beach.

But rather than exploit those bathrooms to help protect residents and visitors from biohazards, the powers that be close the beachside bathrooms every night at midnight, and keep them locked until 5 a.m. The predictable result is more people defecating during those hours on the beach, where barefoot tourists walk and children play. That outcome would be idiotic even absent a hepatitis epidemic. In the midst of one, it veers closer to insane. And needlessly depriving a population of available toilets on a nightly basis is flagrantly inhumane.

We provide better for death row inmates, and rightly so. Venice bathroom policy dates back to 1988, and it was originally implemented as an anti-crime measure at a time when the area was much less safe. Last week, the news site Yo Venice reported that the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering approved a Coastal Development Permit which will keep the beach bathrooms in Venice closed at night. If appeals are not filed, or fail, the application will be sent to the state Coastal Commission. Councilman Mike Bonin has already voiced his disagreement. As he put it this fall, the current situation is not tolerable, and it poses a clear risk to public health.

Alas, advocates for bathroom access are up against a perennial obstacle best described in 1949 by journalist Carey McWilliams. Californians ambivalence toward population growth induces a suspension of the thinking faculty, a form of civic hypnosis. This paralysis undercuts any attempt to plan for the well-being of Californians, present and future. Its almost as if people believe that failing to plan for a population  especially a population deemed undesirable  will make it go away.

Almost two years ago, during a bygone push to open the bathrooms in Venice Beach at night, Mark Ryavec, president of Venice Stakeholders Assn., told The Times that he opposed doing so. Pointing to overnight restroom closures in Santa Monica, he argued that opening up bathrooms in either place would ensconce folks exactly where they are. Well, 19 months later, homeless folks are still ensconced in Venice and Santa Monica anyway.

And while taxpayers may have saved a bit on maintenance and nighttime security costs, theyre likely to spend many times more on medical care for the destitute, who will contract serious diseases at higher rates due to bad policy.

Perhaps one day, Venice Beachs homeless population will be successfully housed, or relocated to a place better able to serve their needs. Until then, the practice of keeping public restrooms locked will continue to cause fellow humans discomfort and shame every single night of the week.

Conor Friedersdorf is a contributing writer to Opinion, a staff writer at the Atlantic and founding editor of the Best of Journalism, a newsletter that curates exceptional nonfiction.

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Charles Manson died on Sunday night after being admitted to a hospital in Bakersfield on Wednesday. The infamous cult leader, who was convicted along with three of his followers in 1971 of the murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others, was 83 years old.

How do we assess Manson? If early reports are any indication, it is with the same lack of nuance, the same hyperbole on which weve long relied. The Associated Press described him on Thursday as a demonic presence, the living embodiment of evil and quoted former special correspondent Linda Deutsch, who covered his trial: In addition to killing seven people, he killed a whole counterculture.

The temptation to see Manson in apocalyptic terms is understandable. In her 1978 essay The White Album, Joan Didion wrote, On August 9, 1969, I was sitting in the shallow end of my sister-in-laws swimming pool in Beverly Hills when she received a phone call from a friend who had just heard about the murders at Sharon Tate Polanskis house on Cielo Drive.  There were twenty dead, no, twelve, ten, eighteen. Black masses were imagined, and bad trips blamed.

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Charles Manson was no devil but a human being, as his death makes clear.

In a nation now grappling with mass killings one after another, the actual number of Mansons victims seems almost minimal, even quaint. But its worth remembering the terror stirred by the murders, the chaos they implied. Tate was 8 months pregnant when she died; the killers wrote Pig across the front door in her blood. The following night, the Manson family killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca at their home in Los Feliz, scrawling Healter Skelter (sic) on the refrigerator, also using the victims blood.

I was a child on the other side of the country, and I recall my own fear in the wake of the killings, the disturbing satanic details, the violation of the safety of home. That my children now take such realities for granted suggests something of how desensitized we as a culture have become.

Manson, though, was no devil but a human being, as his death makes clear. I dont say that to soften or absolve him. But I dont believe in demons; people are frightening enough. Indeed, to accept Manson as a person, to see him through the filter of his humanity, is to acknowledge what we resist: that he was perhaps not so utterly different from the rest of us.

Mansons history was horrific; his mother did time in prison for armed robbery when he was young and he lived with relatives who tormented him in the name of making him tough. In the 2013 biography Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson, Jeff Guinn traced one such incident, in which his uncle made him go to first grade in a dress as punishment for having cried in class.

A quarter-century later, after his release from the federal penitentiary at Terminal Island in San Pedro, Manson moved to San Francisco and began to collect the drifters and young women who would become his so-called family.

One of Mansons inspirations was Dale Carnegie, whose 1936 book How to Win Friends and Influence People offered him tips on manipulating others to his ends. Among his successful strategies? Convincing his acolytes to commit the murders he planned, then claiming innocence since he did not actually kill anyone.

This is, of course, horrific, venal  and recognizably human at the same time. Just look at the news; evasion of responsibility is our new national pastime. You might say Manson was ahead of his time, spinning out a series of false narratives about race war and his own messianic status that ensnared his followers.

Although much has been made of his efforts to join the Southern California music scene (he befriended Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, among others), its a stretch to suggest Mansons turn to murder was a reaction to his failed rock star fantasies.

And those who blame it all on the counterculture are equally misguided. The hippies had their dark side  just look at all the people who got lost in drugs and dissolution  but Manson did not so much reflect that as prey upon it. All he really had in common with the peace and love ethos were its trappings: sex, drugs, long hair and an obsessive fascination with the Beatles, whose lyrics he interpreted as a series of coded messages.

For those who have faith in an afterlife, I suppose theres some solace in imagining he will get his karmic comeuppance. But it makes more sense to me to see him as an agent of the hells we create on Earth.

Manson was a killer, yes, and he was a psychopath, but he was never otherworldly. The violence and the hatred he embodied may be his most human attribute.

David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon on Monday called recently published accusations of sexual harassment against Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra extremely disturbing, and said he would move to expel Bocanegra should an investigation affirm the allegations.

Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) announced Monday that he would resign effective Sept. 1, 2018, citing persistent rumors and speculation regarding sexual harassment claims.

The Times published a story soon after detailing allegations from six women who said they faced unwanted sexual advances or unwelcome communication from Bocanegra. The alleged incidents were said to have occurred when Bocanegra, 46, was a legislative staffer, a candidate and a legislator.

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California Assemblyman was disciplined after woman claimed he groped her 

Rendon (D-Paramount) said in a statement he was removing Bocanegra from his position on the speakers leadership team and stripping him of committee assignments while an independent investigation of all six allegations moves forward.

The decision to deny constituents the representation of their elected official can be a difficult one, but make no mistake: If the investigation affirms the allegations, I will move to immediately expel Mr. Bocanegra from the Assembly, Rendon said.

Under the state Constitution, the Assembly may move to expel a member accused of wrongdoing by a two-thirds vote of the house.

Eric Bauman, chairman of the California Democratic Party, said Bocanegra made the right decision to step down next year.

When the original story broke, I said Assemblyman Bocanegra needed to look into his heart and decide what he needed to do for the benefit of the victims, Bauman said. I just hope that the women who have felt disrespected and abused will begin to be able to feel healthy again and to heal.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla said he was deeply disappointed by the allegations. Bocanegra worked as a top aide to Padilla when the latter was on the L.A. City Council.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again, sexual harassment has no place anywhere in our society, Padilla said in a statement. The allegations reported by The Times are disturbing and serve as the most recent reminder that we must change the culture in the state Capitol and in many, many places around the country. I urge the state Legislature to proceed with the independent investigations as quickly as possible and to act decisively based on the findings.

Other lawmakers said Bocanegras decision to resign effective more than 10 months from now was unsatisfactory.

Why does he get to set the timeline? I find it too convenient, said Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), chair of the Legislative Womens Caucus. If he cant represent his constituents properly, why is that in September  why isnt it now?

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez, who called Bocanegra a friend and ally, called for him to resign immediately.

For too long, women and men have been subjected to sexual harassment and assault by people in power, and they have felt powerless to stop it. That has to end, she said in a statement. Once and for all, its time to say this behavior is unacceptable.

@AsmBocanegra you are not the victim, you are the perpetrator who's victimized untold #'s of women & girls & brought shame to the people you purported to represent. Don't wait till 2018. Leave now. #WeSaidEnough #MeToo #IBelieveYou https://t.co/KrNmAYl0w0  Cristina Garcia (@AsmGarcia) November 20, 2017

Is it really a "resignation" when it's effective September 1, 2018, over 9 months away and after the end of the legislative session? #CALEG  Matthew Harper (@AsmHarper) November 20, 2017

At least two formal complaints have been filed in the Legislature against Bocanegra by woman who say theyve been harassed by him. The first was filed in 2009 by Elise Flynn Gyore, a fellow staffer who said Bocanegra, then chief of staff to Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, reached into her blouse and followed her in a manner she found threatening at an after-hours work event. The second was filed recently by Jennifer Borobia, a former Fuentes staffer, who said Bocanegra regularly asked her out via email and text message  invitations she said she repeatedly declined  while he was chief of staff.

Efforts to learn more about formal complaints filed against Bocanegra, either as a legislative staffer or an elected lawmaker, were rejected by the Assemblys top officials. A Nov. 13 letter from Debra Gravert, the chief administrative officer of the Assembly, invoked provisions of the Legislative Open Records Act in denying a request for information filed by The Times last month.

The law expressly exempts records concerning complaints and investigations from production, Gravert wrote in the letter.

The Times asked only for aggregate data  numbers of complaints filed and investigations conducted of allegations against Bocanegra  but the Assembly said responding to the request would require officials to create a new record not covered under the Legislative Open Records Act. The law does not compel the creation of a new record for the purpose of conveying information, Gravert wrote.

The allegations against Bocanegra come as women in Hollywood, the political world and various other industries are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. In the California Senate, Bocanegras Democratic colleague, Sen. Tony Mendoza, is under investigation over allegations of improper conduct toward a young female legislative fellow assigned to his office.

At a California Democratic Party executive board meeting over the weekend, Bauman and Christine Pelosi, chair of the partys Womens Caucus, introduced a resolution making clear that sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of abuse are grounds to lose endorsements and be stripped of party membership.

The resolution also called for the creation of a private hotline to report complaints, independent investigations, crisis services for victims, whistleblower protections and the disclosure of settlement payouts.

Party leaders want to end the use of nondisclosure agreements. They are now working to incorporate the reforms into their policies.

Pelosi called the latest Assembly actions against Bocanegra a total sham.

It seems like they are using this to buy him time to unduly influence the investigations, she said. He has power, and he has friendships, and he has staff and he has people who can influence the process.

Garcia said she hoped legislative leaders in Sacramento did not lose sight of the need for broader cultural change.

I have concerns that we are going to get rid of this one person and pressure him to resign, and we are going to have a false sense that we have accomplished the goal, she said.

Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.

jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com

Twitter: @jazmineulloa

California Assemblyman was disciplined after woman claimed he groped her

In her own words: Women of California politics tell their stories of sexual harassment and unwanted touching

Assemblywoman: I dont feel respected by Democratic colleagues as some help her rival

Updates from Sacramento

UPDATES:

6:05 p.m.: This article was updated to include comment from L.A.. City Councilwoman Nury Martinez.

4:35 p.m.: This article was updated to include additional comments from state leaders and legislators.

This article was originally published at 1:30 p.m.
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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
Wait  did the president really say, Mission Accomplished? By Marc Olson Some are recalling the last time a president declared Mission accomplished, in May 2003 when George W. Bush was talking about Iraq. (Stephen Jaffe / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump on Saturday morning thanked his allies in a tweet that declared the airstrikes on Syria perfectly executed, but he might have wished hed stopped there. Instead, he ended his message with the phrase, Mission Accomplished! Thats a line that might have a previous president shaking his head. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq under a Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. That war, which began in March 2003, grew into a prolonged conflict that didnt end until 2011. In 2008, the White House said it had paid a price for the backdrop. A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 Facebook

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Auditor says Pentagon is censoring key data on the war in Afghanistan By Shashank Bengali The Pentagon is blocking the release of data showing how much of Afghanistans territory lies outside government control, censoring a key metric used to gauge progress in the 16-year war, a watchdog agency said Tuesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an auditing agency established by Congress, said in its latest report that the Pentagon instructed it not to release unclassified data on how many districts and people are controlled or influenced by insurgent groups. This is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked unclassified to the American taxpayer, the head of the agency, John F. Sopko, wrote in a letter. Sopko also said the U.S.-led military coalition, for the first time since 2009, classified information about the size and attrition rates of the Afghan security forces, important indicators of progress in building up army and police forces on which the U.S. already has spent $70 billion since 2002. The decision to withhold more information from congressional oversight and the public comes amid growing violence in Afghanistan and an intensifying combat mission involving a greater number of American troops. Following a series of bombings in Kabul that left at least 136 people dead in 10 days, President Trump signaled on Monday that he was focused on trying to win the conflict militarily, saying, We dont want to talk with the Taliban. But data released by SIGAR since 2015 have shown how the insurgents have gained ground against Afghan security forces. In its previous quarterly report, the watchdog said that only 57% of Afghanistans 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of August 2017, the lowest level of control since it began tracking the statistic in December 2015. The steady decline in government control should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion, Sopko wrote. The watchdog also accused the Pentagon of overstating the impact of its efforts to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, among the Talibans main sources of revenue. The Pentagon touted airstrikes that destroyed 25 drug labs in November and December, saying it eliminated nearly $100 million of Taliban revenue. The labs being destroyed are cheap and easy to replace, SIGAR said. According to some estimates, they only take three or four days to replace. Facebook

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Women journalists shunted to rear for Pences visit to Western Wall By Noga Tarnopolsky The view from the womens section. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles Times) Vice-President Mike Pences 48-hour visit to Israel stumbled into a public storm Tuesday when female reporters covering his final stop at Jerusalems Western Wall were penned behind four rows of their male colleagues. White House officials told stunned journalists that the arrangement emanated from a request made by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and followed Western Wall rules. Some women journalists said they could not recall such treatment in the past. In a statement to Israels Channel 10 news, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said it was exactly as it was during the visit of the U.S. president to the Western Wall last May. Later in the day, in a statement to the newspaper Haaretz, the foundation blamed the United States embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli security officials for the segregation, and announced they would reexamine the way they handle such events. Women who covered previous VIP visits said the Pence arrangements were significantly more onerous than previous visits, when male and female journalists were separated but not offered substantially different work conditions. LIVE coverage of our male colleagues granted access to cover VP at Western Wall as we are penned into #PenceFence pic.twitter.com/k3svkxfQsa  Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 23, 2018 The arrangement reflected procedures at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site, where on regular days, men have access to two thirds of the area available for prayer. Tal Schneider, the diplomatic analyst for Globes, a financial newspaper, protested that the separation of men and women may be valid for the requirements of Orthodox prayer, but no one is praying here. We are here to work. I dont appreciate being restricted in my ability to work because I am a woman, she said. The discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and is unbefitting of a modern country. Yael Freidson, the Jerusalem affairs correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, Israels widest circulation newspaper, said she worried that her editors could choose male colleagues for the next assignment, knowing they would have better access. Before Pence arrived, journalists were herded onto a specially constructed platform in the middle of the Western Walls esplanade, with women guided to the right behind a white fence, and men, many carrying cameras, directed to the left, where they had more than double the space. Towards the end of the vice presidents 10-minute visit, male journalists were permitted into the VIP tent where he received a gift from Rabinowitz, while the women remained in their enclosure. None of the men publicly protested the treatment of their female colleagues. Israels Association of Women Journalists filed a formal complaint with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, herself a woman. Facebook

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Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after his pardon from Trump, says hell run for Senate in Arizona By Kurtis Lee (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who last year was pardoned by President Trump in a case stemming from his enforcement tactics aimed at immigrants, announced Tuesday he will run for the open Senate seat in his home state. I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again, Arpaio, 85, said on Twitter. Hell enter a Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Last summer, Trump pardoned Arpaio, who was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court rulings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. In the early 1990s, Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for immigration detainees, a measure he said was intended both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures. But it was open to the burning Arizona sun, and drew widespread criticism. After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2016 and frequently spoke out on behalf of Trumps campaign. Facebook

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President Trump ends controversial voter fraud commission By Kurtis Lee President Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday ending the voter fraud commission he launched last year as the panel faces a flurry of lawsuits and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump signed the order disbanding the commission rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by executive order in May with the stated goal of restoring confidence and integrity in the electoral process, has faced a barrage of lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns, as the commission sought personal data on voters across the country. Read More Facebook

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Congress returns to work with slimmer GOP majority to accomplish Trumps agenda By Lisa Mascaro Congress returns to work this week with unfinished business on spending, immigration and other crucial issues, but with an even narrower GOP majority that will make it tougher to move on President Trumps agenda. The House and Senate will convene Wednesday, swearing in the newly elected Democratic senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, and Minnesotas Tina Smith to replace a fellow Democrat, Sen. Al Franken, who is resigning as the latest high-profile public figure sidelined by allegations of sexual misconduct. The change gives Republicans only a one-seat margin in the Senate. Trump, fresh off passage of the GOP tax cuts bill, is pushing lawmakers to pivot quickly on his new year priorities of infrastructure investment and immigration, as well as his foreign policy agenda. But another legislative victory seems far off. Republicans have struggled to hold their majority together and Congress first must tackle critical stalled agenda items that leaders punted to 2018. Read More Facebook

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Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump on Tuesday angrily threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians as punishment for what he called their failure to show appreciation or respect to the United States. Writing on Twitter, the president compared the Palestinians to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed ally that abruptly drew his ire this week and a similar threat to drastically curtail aid. He accused the Palestinians of recalcitrance in what he described as their refusal to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. Palestinian officials have said they can no longer use Washington as a broker to restart peace talks with Israel following Trumps Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy and recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ultimately to move the U.S. Embassy there. The Palestinians also claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual independent state. Until now, the United States and most of the world agreed the citys political status was a matter to settle in final peace talks. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned any effort to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the Palestinian leadership said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who had planned a trip to the region. That trip is on hold. [W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED [sic] OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, Trump wrote on Twitter. [W]ith the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? In response to Trumps tweet, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, issued a statement saying: Palestinian rights are not for sale. By recognizing Occupied Jerusalem as Israels capital Donald Trump has not only violated international law, but he has also singlehandedly destroyed the very foundations of peace and condoned Israels illegal annexation of the city. We will not be blackmailed, she said. President Trump has sabotaged our search for peace, freedom and justice. Now he dares to blame the Palestinians for the consequences of his own irresponsible actions! The United States does not pay large amounts of money directly to the Palestinian Authority, the government that rules over parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Instead, most money goes to the U.N., refugee or aid agencies and even Israel to pay for roads, welfare, schools, security and other Palestinian projects. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Tuesday that the administration was planning to cut off one of those organizations, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, until the Palestinians return to the negotiating table. UNRWA, which receives around $300 million annually from the U.S., for years has been the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if Haley was threatening to cut all U.S. support for the agency. Special correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Facebook

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The White House stops short of calling for government overthrow in Iran By Brian Bennett President Trump wants Iran to give its citizens basic human rights and stop being a state sponsor of terror, his top spokeswoman said, but the White House stopped short of calling for a change of government in Tehran. If they want to do that through current leadership, if thats possible, OK, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Sanders praised the organic popular uprising, which she said the widespread protests in Iran represented. The protests grew out of years of years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian peoples trust in their leaders, she said. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called Irans government brutal and corrupt and wrote in a tweet: The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Trump also blamed President Obama for foolishly giving Iran money that he said went to fund terrorism. The money he referred to were funds belonging to Iran that had been frozen by the U.S. and were released as part of the deal in 2015, which blocked Irans development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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Retirement of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch clears the way for a Mitt Romney revival By David Lauter The retirement of Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch, opens the way for a widely expected Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the Republicans 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of President Trump. Although Romney previously served for two terms as governor of Massachusetts (and was raised in Michigan, where his father was governor and his mother ran for the Senate), he comes from a prominent Mormon family with strong ties to Utah. He also served as chief executive of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hes viewed as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. Romneys criticisms of Trump, however, could prompt a challenge in a Republican primary. Trump was widely reported to have tried to convince Hatch to run for a seventh term, in part to head off a Romney candidacy. Last month, Romney and Trump were on opposite sides of one of the biggest political fights of the fall  the battle over the Senate seat from Alabama. The president strongly supported Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Romney called Moore a stain on the GOP. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity.  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017 On Tuesday, Romney tweeted praise for Hatch, but did not immediately reveal his own plans. I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. Read my full statement: https://t.co/YwjUpjez5y  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. calls on Iran to unblock social media sites amid protests By The Associated Press The Trump administration is calling on Irans government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the U.S. wants Iran to open these sites. He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are legitimate avenues for communication. The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites. Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Persian through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for whats right. Goldstein says the U.S. has an obligation not to stand by. Read More Facebook

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Trump blasts Democrats in advance of immigration meeting By Brian Bennett The day before a meeting of administration officials and congressional leaders on outstanding legislative business, President Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing to hammer out an immigration deal to protect from deportation people brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA  just interested in politics, Trump wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by its acronym. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer along with the Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Trumps legislative director, Marc Short, and budget director, Mick Mulvaney. The White House on Tuesday said the meeting is to discuss separate spending caps on military and domestic programs. Yet the Democrats insist the discussion also must include a variety of legislative issues that Trump and Congress punted into the new year  on immigration, the budget, healthcare and more. That stance reflects Democrats leverage: Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a government-funding bill and avert a federal shutdown when the current funding expires Jan. 19. Democrats especially want separate legislation replacing the Obama-era DACA program; Trump in September ordered a phase-out of the program, beginning March 6, and called on Congress to act before then on an alternative way to address the plight of the group. However, Trump has demanded that any alternative must be part of a package including both money for a border wall and immigration limits. Democrats are opposed. Facebook

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Pakistan hits back after Trump accuses its leaders of lies and deceit By Aoun Sahi Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies and deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Read More Facebook

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Trump again cheers on Iran protests By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size --- were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 The presidents earlier hailing of the protests drew condemnation from Irans government. A Foreign Ministry spokesman called his comments deceitful and opportunistic. Following an overnight report of the first two fatalities stemming from the protests, Trump raised some eyebrows by expressing concern over human rights violations as authorities move to crack down on the demonstrations. During his first year in office, the president has shown scant inclination to press foreign governments to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens. The USA is watching closely for human rights violations! Trump said in his tweet Sunday. Some domestic critics have pointed to the presidents inclusion of Iranian nationals in his travel ban, suggesting he was more interested in bashing the Tehran government than in supporting freedom of speech in Iran. Even some of the presidents allies said that supporting the protesters on social media did not amount to making policy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he had urged Trump to give a national address laying out his Iran strategy. President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation. But you just cant tweet here. You have to lay out a plan. Facebook

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Australian diplomats tip a factor in FBIs Russia inquiry By Associated Press Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) An Australian diplomats tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, the New York Times reported Saturday. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australias top diplomat in Britain. Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to the Times, which cited four current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians role. The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016, the newspaper said. White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to cooperate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller to help complete their inquiry expeditiously. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. Court documents unsealed two months ago show he met in April 2016 with Joseph Mifsud, a professor in London who told him about Russias cache of emails. This was before the Democratic National Committee became aware of the scope of the intrusion into its email systems by hackers later linked to the Russian government. The Times said Papadopoulos shared this information with Downer, but it was unclear whether he also shared it with anyone in the Trump campaign. Facebook

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Trump offers fresh support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue By Lisa Mascaro Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 President Trump again offered support Saturday for anti-government protesters in Iran, where a third day of demonstrations, the largest in years, spilled across the country amid fears of a crackdown. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump took a break from playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to tweet clips from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September when he called for Iranian democratic reforms. Iranian authorities warned of potential violence as the street demonstrations, which began over economic conditions, swelled into frustrations with the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump has maintained a hawkish stance toward Iran, sharply criticizing the landmark nuclear disarmament accord that Tehran reached with then-President Obama and five other nations in 2015. In October, Trump declined to certify the accord to Congress although the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is complying with it. Several conservative GOP senators signaled their support for Trumps position and backed the protesters in Iran. Others in Congress did not immediately respond, however, amid conflicting reports over who had organized the demonstrations. Even after the billions in sanctions relief they secured through the nuclear deal, the ayatollahs still cant provide for the basic needs of their own people, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a Trump ally and opponent of the nuclear deal. We should support the Iranian people who are willing to risk their lives to speak out against it, he added. Trump initially tweeted his support on Friday night. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement at that time as protests spread. There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regimes corruption and its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, Sanders said. The Iranian government should respect their peoples rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching. Facebook

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When it comes to U.S.-Russia relations, it takes two to tango, Kremlin says By Sabra Ayres The deteriorating relationship between the United States and Russia is one of the biggest disappointments of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman told reporters today. Russia would like to rebuild relations between the two adversaries, but it takes two to tango, Dmitry Peskov said today during a conference call with the press. We want and are looking for good mutually beneficial relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust with all countries, primarily with European ones, including the United States, but it is necessary to dance tango, as they say. Peskov blamed the ongoing anti-Russian Russophobia in Washington for playing a major role in blocking the two countries from moving forward in their relationship. U.S. investigations into the Trump presidential campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 U.S. election and accusations that the Kremlin tried to interfere with the electoral process continue to cast a dark shadow over the relationship, he said. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was perplexed by the investigations. The Kremlin has continued to deny having any involvement with the Trump campaign or doing anything to interfere with the American election. This is definitely a U.S. domestic affair, but in this case it naturally hurts our bilateral relations, which is regrettable, Peskov said. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been categorized as the worst theyve been since the end of the Cold War. This year, Washington and Moscow have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat in which both sides have been forced to reduce diplomatic staff, embassy properties have been repossessed by the hosting countries and visa services have been interrupted. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia shrank from 1,200 personnel, including some Russian local staff, to just over 450 across all its three consulates and embassy in Moscow. In the U.S., Russia was forced to vacate its San Francisco consulate. Moscow has also blamed anti-Russian sentiments on the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian teams from wearing their tricolor uniforms or flags during the upcoming games in South Korea. The international body accused some of the Russian national teams of doping. Facebook

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U.S. and Turkey resume reciprocal issuing of visas but frictions remain By Tracy Wilkinson The United States and Turkey began issuing reciprocal visas again on Thursday, more than two months after normal visa service was suspended in a dispute over the arrest of two U.S. diplomatic staffers in Istanbul  the latest friction between the two nominal allies. The State Department said it was lifting the visa restrictions after it was assured by the Turkish government that U.S. Embassy employees would not be arrested when performing their official duties. But the Turkish Embassy in Washington denied assurances were offered concerning the ongoing judicial processes, and suggested that the arrests were legal and justified. It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, the embassy said in a statement. The dispute has aggravated the already tense relationship between the United States and Turkey, which is a member of the NATO military alliance. The two countries have clashed over U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and over Turkeys demands that the U.S. extradite a Turkish cleric who lives in rural Pennsylvania. After a failed coup attempt killed more than 250 people in July 2016, Turkeys autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a harsh crackdown on his political opponents, arresting or firing tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists, military officers and others. Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic educator and former political ally, of orchestrating the coup. Gulen, who has lived in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, has denied any involvement. The Justice Department has so far denied Turkeys repeated demands to extradite Gulen. Erdogan raised the issue again at the White House in May, but his visit ended in a public relations disaster when his security guards brutally beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Two Turkish employees of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested this fall for alleged ties to the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. responded by suspending most visa services at its missions in Turkey in October. The Turkish government reciprocated in November. State Department officials said they have repeatedly demanded more information about any formal charges against the two employees. They reiterated on Thursday that serious concerns about the allegations remained. Facebook

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Trump: China caught RED HANDED allowing oil to reach North Korea By Brian Bennett (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Trump isnt taking a holiday vacation from Twitter. In one of three tweets early on Thursday from his West Palm Beach golf club, he charged that China was caught RED HANDED allowing oil shipments to reach North Korean ports. Pronouncing himself very disappointed, Trump in effect was acknowledging the failure of his months-long effort to convince China to clamp down further on energy shipments going to the isolated country, which relies heavily on Beijing, as a way to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 Trumps tweet came after a South Korean newspaper published what it said were U.S. spy satellite images of Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean ships. The United Nations Security Council, which includes China, has voted repeatedly to restrict fuel shipments to North Korea. Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to cut off North Koreas oil supply entirely, the American ambassador to the U.N., Nikki R. Haley, said at the time. It is unclear if Trumps admonishment of China was based on news reports or classified information he received from U.S. intelligence officials. There was no daily intelligence briefing on Trumps public schedule Thursday. He is expected to return to Washington next week after spending the Christmas holiday and New Years Eve at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Facebook

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President Trump again falsely claims hes signed more bills than any president By Brian Bennett President Trump visits a firehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP) After another morning at his Florida golf club, President Trump visited firefighters and paramedics at a West Palm Beach firehouse and praised his own performance as president, including with a false boast. Trump touted his administrations work to roll back government regulations and cut taxes and claimed credit for the stock market hitting record highs. He also said hes signed more bills into law than any other president, which isnt true. We have signed more legislation than anybody, Trump said, standing in front of a rescue vehicle inside the fire station. We have more legislation passed, including  the record was Harry Truman a long time ago, and we broke that record, so we got a lot done, Trump said. An analysis by GovTrack, a website that tracks bills in Congress, shows that Trump has signed the fewest bills into law at this point than any president in more than 60 years, back to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Facebook

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Trump administration urges Russia to reinstate monitors in Ukraine, lower violence By Tracy Wilkinson Sergei Lavrov (AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia on Wednesday to reinstate its military personnel at a monitoring station in eastern Ukraine intended to quell escalating bloodshed. In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Tillerson also urged Russia to lower the level of violence and underscored the Trump administrations concern over increased fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement. Russia last week withdrew its monitors from the Joint Center on Coordination and Control, which is tasked with verifying a much-violated ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Moscow cited what it called restrictions and provocations from Ukrainian authorities that made it impossible for the observers to do their jobs. Washington has accused the pro-Russia forces of being responsible for many of the truce violations. Late last week, the State Department also announced plans to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, a decision that angered Moscow. The State Department statement did not say whether the weapons deal came up in Tillersons conversation with Lavrov. The two also discussed North Korea, its destabilizing nuclear program and the need for a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula, the statement said. Russia has offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, but direct talks do not seem likely at this point. Facebook

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U.S. sanctions two more North Korean officials for ballistic missile program By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday against two more North Korean officials for their alleged role in Pyongyangs expanding ballistic missiles program. The Treasury Department is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The nuclear-armed country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that U.S. officials said appeared capable of reaching New York or Washington, a significant milestone in the countrys growing arsenal. The Treasury Department identified the two North Korean officials as Kim Jong Sik, who reportedly is a key figure in the ballistic missile program and led efforts to switch missiles from liquid to solid fuel (which makes them easier to hide before launch), and Ri Pyong Chol, who was reported to be a key official in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sanctions block banks, companies and individuals from doing any business with the targeted officials. It also allows the U.S. government to freeze any American assets owned by the officials. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to add more sanctions on North Korea, its third round this year. The new measures order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years, and ban nearly 90% of refined petroleum exports to the country. In a statement published Sunday by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, the foreign ministry denounced the new U.N. sanctions as an act of war. We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, it said. Facebook

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Salt Lake Tribune calls on Sen. Orrin Hatch to not seek reelection in scathing editorial Perhaps the most significant move of Hatchs career is the one that should, if there is any justice, end it. The last time the senator was up for reelection, in 2012, he promised that it would be his last campaign. That was enough for many likely successors, of both parties, to stand down, to let the elder statesman have his victory tour and to prepare to run for an open seat in 2018. Clearly, it was a lie. Read the editorial>> Facebook

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Christmas Eve, Trump on Twitter: New attacks on FBI official, decrying Fake News By Laura King President Trump launched a Christmas Eve attack on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whom he accuses of favoritism toward his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, and also returned to a longtime favored theme, excoriating the news media for failing to sufficiently extol his accomplishments. .@FoxNews-FBIs Andrew McCabe, in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Thank you President TRUMP!! pic.twitter.com/LKdkT0FL99  oregon4TRUMP (@shawgerald4) December 23, 2017 The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Trump, who is spending the holidays at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, also sent Christmas greetings to deployed military personnel, praising them for success in the fight against terrorism. The early-morning swipe at McCabe followed a flurry of tweets attacking the deputy FBI chief on Saturday. McCabe, who has been a lightning rod for Republican attacks on the FBI, is expected to retire early in the new year. How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wifes campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 Critics say the president and his allies are in the midst of a systematic campaign to denigrate the FBI and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into potential collusion by the Trump campaign in Russias attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election. In a pair of statements on Twitter, Trump again expressed scorn regarding news coverage of his administration. For months, the president has been particularly critical of reports regarding the Russia investigation and more recently has repeatedly complained he does not receive enough credit for a booming stock market. In his video conference message to troops overseas, the president made apparent reference to the fight against the militants of Islamic State, who over the last year have lost most of the territory they previously controlled in Iraq and Syria, including former strongholds in Mosul and Raqqah. Were winning, Trump told military personnel deployed in Qatar, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay and aboard the guided missile destroyer Sampson. Reporters traveling with the president heard his address, but were ushered from the room before he took questions from the troops. The president often breaks with longtime custom and makes politically charged statements at events in which he addresses military personnel. Facebook

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Trumps Wells Fargo tweet cited in court hearing as reason to remove Mulvaney as CFPB acting chief By Jim Puzzanghera A recent tweet by President Trump about possible penalties against Wells Fargo & Co. was cited during a court hearing Friday as a reason for removing White House official Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The attorney for Leandra English  the bureaus deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head  said Trumps tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog. I think that [tweet] shows you this isnt just some hypothetical concern, the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during a nearly two-hour hearing. Read More Facebook

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Trump administration recognizes Honduran presidents reelection By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration on Friday formally recognized the incumbent president of Honduras, conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez, as the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election held last month. In a statement, the State Department congratulated Hernandez while also acknowledging widespread irregularities in the Nov. 26 vote and calling for a robust national dialogue to overcome political discord in the Central American country, a close ally of the administration. The Organization of American States, which monitored the election, said it was so flawed that only a new round of voting could establish a fair and transparent outcome. But the U.S. rejected that determination. Uproar over the contest led to demonstrations in Honduras that left numerous civilians dead after state security forces opened fire on the protests. Activists and others voiced criticism Friday of the administrations decision. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a leading Democratic voice on Central American issues, said he was angry and deeply disturbed by the State Department decision. The recent elections in Honduras were deeply flawed, chaotic and marred by numerous irregularities, McGovern said. U.S.-Honduran cooperation on matters such as drug-trafficking, violence and immigration requires a credible, legitimate government that has the support of its people, in Honduras, McGovern said. Hernandezs victory also was controversial because it was the first time a sitting president was allowed to run for re-election, barred until now by the Honduran Constitution. Facebook

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Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says fixing DACA is no emergency until March By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday hes committed to allowing a vote on a bill for so-called Dreamers in January, but sees no rush to resolve the deportation threat posed by President Trumps decision to end a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. There isnt that much of an emergency there, he said. There is no emergency until March. Well keep talking about it. Trump called for phasing out by March the Obama-era program that allows the young immigrants, many of them longtime residents, to get two-year deferrals of any deportation threat so they can legally attend school or work. Beneficiaries must be vetted for security purposes. Trump told Congress to come up with a legislative alternative for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Obama created by executive order, to protect those currently eligible. A bipartisan Senate group has been working with the White House, but talks stalled this week amid administration demands for curbs on legal immigration flows in exchange for protecting the DACA recipients. Meanwhile, Dreamers and immigrant advocates stormed the Capitol in recent days pressing for the help promised by Trump and Democratic congressional leaders that failed to materialize in the years final legislation. Advocacy groups say more than 120 immigrants each day are falling out of compliance without DACA renewals, putting them at risk of deportation. The number that is projected to swell to more than 1,000 a day in March. Weve been gridlocked on this issue for years, McConnell said. We want to have a signature. We dont just want to spin our wheels and have nothing to show for it. Facebook

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President Trump signs tax bill By Noah Bierman (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure  his first major legislative achievement  before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla. The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January. The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy. Critics point to nonpartisan analyses showing that the package, including changes greatly reducing the number of estates subject to taxes, steers the bulk of tax benefits to top earners and the wealthy, including Trump, despite his repeated claims that hell take a hit. Trump signed the bill quietly Friday, but held a public ceremony with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday after the bills passage; he also tweeted about the measure extensively. He is expected to hold another public ceremony after the New Years holiday. Facebook

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Pelosi urges Ryan to prevent Republicans from curtailing Houses Russia probe By Chris Megerian House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin greets House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Friday urging him to ensure the Houses investigation into Russian interference with last years presidential campaign is not cut short. The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russias attacks, wrote Pelosi, of San Francisco, in her letter. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. The House Intelligence Committee has been probing the issue since March 1, and Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republicans are trying to wrap up its work prematurely. Pelosi said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, should take urgent action to ensure this investigation can continue. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said Pelosi simply wants to see this investigation go on forever in order to suit her political agenda. Whether it concludes next month, next year, or in three years, she will say it is too soon, Strong said in a statement. She added, The investigation will conclude when the committee has reached a conclusion. The committees work is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas). His spokeswoman, Emily Hytha, said he remains committed to conducting this investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible. With more interviews scheduled, the investigation shows signs of extending into next year, Bloomberg reported Friday. BREAKING: Steve Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been sent letters requesting they testify to House Intel panel in early January, per @HouseInSession  Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Congress votes to avert government shutdown, but Senate fails to pass disaster aid package By Lisa Mascaro ( (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Congress approved a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, but failed to complete work on an $81-billion disaster aid package to help California, Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico recover from wildfires and hurricanes, as lawmakers scrambled Thursday to wrap up business before a Christmas break. The stopgap measure continues federal operations for a few more weeks, setting up another deadline for Jan. 19. But it left undone a long list of priorities that members of both parties had hoped to finish this year. Read More Facebook

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Wells Fargo says raises were not linked to tax bill passage  then backtracks By James Rufus Koren Wells Fargo & Co.s move to raise its minimum pay to $15 an hour was part of a long-term plan and not related to the passage of the Republican tax overhaul as the company implied, said a bank spokesman, who later backtracked and stated the hikes were a result of the bills approval. The bank was among several large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments immediately following the final House vote in an apparent public relations offensive to boost the popularity of the tax bill The San Francisco bank had implied the direct linkage to the tax legislation in a news release Wednesday, shortly after Congress passed the tax overhaul, which slashes the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% starting Jan. 1. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare signups beat expectations, despite Trump administrations opposition By Noam N. Levey President Trump with Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Despite Trump administration efforts to discourage people from signing up, the number of people enrolling for Affordable Care Act coverage nearly hit last years level, the government revealed Thursday. Exchange open enrollment for 2018 coverage ended w/ approx 8.8M people enrolling in coverage. Great job to the @CMSGov team for the work you did to make this the smoothest experience for consumers to date. We take pride in providing great customer service.  Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2017 The 8.8 million people who enrolled in the 36 states that use the federal governments healthcare.gov system significantly exceeded most forecasts. The Trump administration stopped most outreach and other efforts this year aimed at getting people to sign up. The president also repeatedly said publicly that Obamacare was dead. Open enrollment continues in California and several other states that run their own healthcare marketplaces. The figures from the federal government indicate that when those states wrap up for the year, the number of people covered by Obamacare will be nearly the same as in 2017. Read More Facebook

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U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns U.S. policy change on Jerusalem despite Trumps threats By Tracy Wilkinson The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Thursday to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Trumps threats to punish countries that voted against the U.S. position. The resolution passed in an emergency session at U.N. headquarters in New York with 128 in favor, nine opposed and 35 abstentions. The nonbinding resolution demands that Washington rescind its declaration, which included a plan to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in coming years. The resolution value is mostly symbolic, showing how isolated the U.S. is in the move. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., warned this week that she would be taking names of countries that opposed the U.S., and Trump on Wednesday suggested he might cut U.S. aid to governments that voted in favor of the resolution. Let them vote against us, Trump said. Well save a lot. We dont care. The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem reversed decades of international consensus on the political status of the divided city. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital in a future independent state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the U.N. was facing an unprecedented test and that history would remember those who stand by what is right. Facebook

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Democrats defend Robert Mueller, saying Russia investigation must be allowed to continue By Chris Megerian Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) speaking during a committee hearing earlier this year. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) House Democrats said they will fight Republican attempts to discredit and undermine the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating whether President Trumps associates helped Russian meddling in last years election. There is an organized effort by Republicans, in concert with Fox News, to spin a false narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse special counsel Mueller of being biased, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said. Trump has said he has no plan to fire Mueller, but Democrats are alarmed by escalating criticism of the special counsels work. Why is the president afraid of the facts and the truth? Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said. He added, No matter what the facts are, were satisfied if the investigation is complete. A letter of support signed by 171 Democratic members of Congress will be sent to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, and oversees his investigation. Rosenstein has defended Mueller in the face of Republican criticisms. Facebook

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U.S. blacklists Myanmar army general who it says oversaw atrocities against Rohingya Muslims By Shashank Bengali The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted a Myanmar army general who it said oversaw human rights abuses committed by security forces against Rohingya Muslims. Imposing economic sanctions against the general, Maung Maung Soe, was the toughest action the United States has taken in response to a brutal army offensive that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soes activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority of about 1 million people in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United Nations says that more than 640,000 Rohingya have fled the country since August, after the army launched clearance operations in response to attacks carried out by a Rohingya insurgent group against security forces. Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh have described horrific violence by Myanmar forces, including mass rapes, summary executions and children being burned alive. The aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates that 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the operation. Myanmar authorities deny committing atrocities and say that only a few hundred fighters were killed. Maung Maung Soe was chief of the armys Western Command, which carried out the offensive. He was transferred from his position last month, according to news reports. He was one of 13 individuals worldwide who were blacklisted Thursday under a new U.S. law that gives the Treasury Department authority to target officials for human rights abuses and corruption. Others included former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbekistan dictator Islam Karimov; and Artem Chaika, son of Russias prosecutor-general. Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. The sanctions freeze any assets Maung Maung Soe holds in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. It is also a sign of how quickly U.S. relations with Myanmar have soured. Under the Obama administration, the United States forged closer ties with the former military dictatorship and eased economic and political sanctions as the country began implementing democratic reforms. But Myanmar, which does not regard the Rohingya as citizens, has lashed out at the international community over the current crisis. It has jailed journalists, blocked access to affected areas in the western state of Rakhine and this week barred a U.N. human rights investigator from entering the country. Rohingya activists said the U.S. action would not have much effect on a country that survived under economic sanctions for years. It is the whole military institution that has a policy to persecute these people, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger in Germany. According to the U.S.s own definition, the army is carrying out ethnic cleansing. They have a responsibility to protect these people. Sanctions on one person are really not enough. Facebook

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Dreamers will have to wait until next year for Congress long-promised protections By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)) A promised year-end deal to protect the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation collapsed Wednesday as Republicans in Congress  fresh off passage of their tax plan  prepared to punt nearly all remaining must-do agenda items into the new year. Congressional leaders still hope that before leaving town this week they can pass an $81-billion disaster relief package with recovery funds for California wildfires and Gulf Coast states hit during the devastating hurricane season. But passage even of that relatively popular measure remained in doubt as conservatives balked at the price tag. Rather than finish the year wrapping up the legislative agenda, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate struggled over their next steps. Read More Facebook

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Chants of protest drown out any caroling this holiday season at the Capitol By Lisa Mascaro U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man wearing a Santa Claus hat during a protest against the Republican tax bill. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Image) Outside the U.S. Capitol, the lights on a towering Christmas tree are flipped on each evening, giving the Engelmann spruce a festive twinkle; inside the marble halls, wreaths and garlands decorate doorways and alcoves ahead of the holidays. But the spirit of the season has been punctuated by other sights: a Jumbotron parked across from the Capitol reflecting pool broadcasts images of young immigrants who face deportation; Little Lobbyists, children with complex medical needs, were featured in a recent news conference; protesters filed into the visitor galleries to shout against the Republican tax plan. While its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Capitol, its also shaping up to be a holiday season of protest. Read More Facebook

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Tax bill simplifies filing for some but complicates it for others  and dont count on that postcard By Jim Puzzanghera A priority of the Republicans tax overhaul was simplification, and they drove home the point this fall with an omnipresent prop: a red-white-and-blue postcard. Were making things so simple that you can do your taxes on a form the size of a postcard, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said last month, pulling one from his jacket pocket as he and Republican leaders unveiled their bill. They gave a couple of the cards to President Trump at a White House meeting a few hours later and flashed them often during news conferences and TV interviews in the coming days. Read More Facebook

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Top U.N. human rights official reportedly wont seek reelection The top United Nations official for human rights, who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, has reportedly decided not to seek a second term, saying his work had become untenable. Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, notified his staff in an email that was obtained by several news outlets, including Agence France-Presse. Staying when his four-year term is up for renewal at the end of August might involve bending a knee in supplication, AFP quoted Husseins email as saying. Hussein is a Jordanian prince who has criticized, among other things, President Trumps attempts to ban visitors or refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The news comes a day before the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on a nonbinding resolution condemning the Trump administrations formal declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that went against international consensus. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned she will be taking names of those who vote against the United States on Thursday. Trump echoed that sentiment Wednesday, voiced support for Haley and implying to reporters that he would consider cutting off U.S. aid to countries that vote against the U.S. Well, were watching those votes, Trump said. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. On Monday, the United States lost a Security Council vote 14-1 on a binding resolution that would have required Washington to rescind its declaration. Haley then vetoed the resolution. Facebook

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Top Democrat warns Trump not to fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation By Chris Megerian Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, one of the top Democrats involved in the congressional inquiries into Russian interference in last years election, said Wednesday that any attempt by President Trump to interfere with the separate criminal investigation would be a gross abuse of power. Warner, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered his warning from the Senate floor as Republicans escalate their criticism of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and FBI agents. Some Democrats believe Trump is laying the groundwork to fire Mueller even though the president has publicly denied it. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. In the United States of America, no one, no one is above the law, not even the president, Warner said. Congress must make clear to the president that firing the special counsel or interfering with his investigation by issuing pardons of essential witnesses is unacceptable and would have immediate and significant consequences. Some Democrats say the White House may try to in effect short-circuit the Mueller investigation by replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is the only official empowered to fire Mueller. Rosenstein recently told Congress that the special counsel is acting appropriately and that he would not dismiss Mueller without just cause. Facebook

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We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump says after tax bill passes By Brian Bennett President Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images) President Trump is celebrating Republicans passage of the tax overhaul bill as a two-fer: On Wednesday, in addition to tax cuts, he checked off his promise to repeal Obamacare, pointing to a provision in the bill to end the penalty on Americans who dont get health insurance. We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are still in place, and Trump and congressional Republicans failed completely on the replace half of their vow to repeal and replace the program. In Trumps view, however, stripping away the laws individual mandate to get insurance or else pay a tax penalty amounts to repeal of the whole law. Congressional analysts have said that millions of people would lose insurance as a result, either by choice or because they cannot afford it without subsidies, and that premiums would increase for others as younger, healthy people drop coverage. We will come up with something much better, Trump said, adding that block grants to states could be one approach. By his comments, Trump tacitly acknowledged that repeal of the mandate is likely the best he can do following Republicans failure this year to agree on a repeal-and-replace bill. Looking back on his first year, Trump also boasted of his administrations efforts against the Islamic State and increased immigration enforcement. He said he had not given up on funding a border wall or tightening immigration law to limit citizens ability to resettle foreign relatives in the country. He said he would very shortly visit the border with Mexico near San Diego to see wall prototypes that have been built. He didnt answer a reporters shouted question about how he would personally benefit from the tax bill. Facebook

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House gives final OK to GOP tax plan, sending it to Trump By Lisa Mascaro Congress gave final approval to the GOP tax plan Wednesday, 224-201, after the House took an unusual do-over vote to clear up differences with the Senate-passed bill. The $1.5-trillion package now heads to President Trump, who plans to sign it into law. The House had approved the tax bill on Tuesday but was forced to take another vote Wednesday because a couple of provisions in the version it approved were found to be in violation of Senate procedures. Those provisions were dropped before the Senate gave its approval early Wednesday. Critics complained the Republicans rushed to pass the sweeping tax plan to deliver Trump a year-end legislative victory, but supporters shrugged off the problems as minor. The tax plan dramatically cuts corporate rates and provides some individual rate reductions, overhauling the tax code for the first time in 30 years. Facebook

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Trump administration effort to block immigrant from having an abortion fails By David Savage Scott Lloyd is director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President Trumps lawyers rushed to the Supreme Court and U.S. appeals court in Washington on Monday evening to file emergency appeals seeking to prevent an immigrant in detention, dubbed Jane Roe in court, from having an abortion. That set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the administration can block pregnant minors in custody from choosing to have an abortion. But the legal clash, which the administration has seemed eager to have, fizzled out Tuesday when the governments lawyers admitted the 17-year-old unaccompanied minor in their custody was actually 19. They said they had obtained her birth certificate and realized she was not a minor after all. As a result, Roe, who is 10 weeks pregnant, will no longer be held in a detention center for immigrant minors, and will not be subject to an administration policy that tries to prevent minors in immigration detention from having abortions. Administration lawyers told appeals court judges Tuesday night that Roe was being sent to a facility for adults and likely would be released until her immigration status can be resolved. In a brief order, the D.C. Circuit Court agreed to put the case on hold, but told government attorneys to confirm that she will be permitted to obtain an abortion. The administration had earlier tried to delay another young woman, referred to in court as Jane Poe, from having an abortion, but officials relented on Monday because she was 22 weeks pregnant and nearing the time limit for a legal abortion. Facebook

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Senate panel rejects Trumps pick to lead Export-Import Bank, a leader in the effort to shut it down By Jim Puzzanghera A Senate committee on Tuesday rejected President Trumps nominee to lead the Export-Import Bank, extending the chaos at the embattled agency whose job is to help U.S. companies sell their goods abroad. Two Republicans joined all Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee in voting against former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to be the banks president. Garrett had been a vocal critic of the Ex-Im Bank and a leader of a conservative effort that shut the bank down for five months in 2015 by blocking its congressional authorization. He and other bank opponents branded the banks aid as crony capitalism. Read More Facebook

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Congress proposes $81-billion disaster aid package, including funds for California wildfires By Lisa Mascaro Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery money for California and other Western states as well as hurricane relief with a price tag reflecting a year of record-setting natural calamities. The legislation, the text of which was released late Monday, would provide almost twice as much as the $44 billion the White House sought last month to cover relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean. Republican congressional leaders added more money after California lawmakers objected that the administration had failed to include help for areas damaged by wildfires and Democrats protested that the overall amount President Trump asked for was insufficient. Read More Facebook

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White House blames North Korea for worldwide WannaCry cyber attack By Noah Bierman The Royal London Hospital, a victim of the unprecedented global cyberattack in May. (Niklas Hallen / AFP/Getty Images) The White House officially blamed North Korea on Tuesday for the cyberattack in May known as WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, affecting healthcare, financial services and vital infrastructure. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter-terrorism, noted in a briefing with reporters that the consequences were beyond economic. He warned that North Koreas malicious behavior is growing more egregious. Bossert did not specify what evidence American officials have to blame North Korea, citing security issues, but he cited the countrys prior attacks as revealing hallmarks of how Pyongyang and its network of hackers operates. He said other allied countries had joined the United States in making the determination. The administration did not announce any penalties on the regime, which is already subject to severe sanctions over its nuclear program. They want to hold the entire world at risk, Bossert said of North Koreas rulers, referring to the nations nuclear and missile provocations as well as its alleged cyberattack. Given its isolation and international sanctions, North Korea is desperate for funds. Bossert said the country did not appear to make much money on the ransom attack, as word spread that paying a ransom did not result in getting computers unlocked. Its primary goal, he said, was spreading chaos. Bossert and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communication, said the United States, through a combination of preparation and luck, escaped the worst of the attack, as a patch to the malware was found before U.S. companies and other interests were severely crippled. However, Manfra said, We cannot be complacent. Bossert added, Next time were not going to get so lucky. Manfra praised Microsoft and Facebook for their efforts to combat WannaCry and to block more recent attempts to hack U.S. systems. She and Bossert urged more cooperation and information-sharing from American and multinational companies, arguing a united front is vital to protecting against bad actors who do not differentiate between government and business. Bossert rejected criticism that the the Trump administration has more aggressively called out North Korean cyberattacks than it has Russias meddling in the 2016 election. He said the administration has continued the national emergency initiated by President Obama. Facebook

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GOP lures some mountain bike groups in its push to roll back protections for public land By Evan Halper When their vision of creating a scenic cycling trail through a protected alpine backcountry hit a snag, San Diego area mountain bikers turned to an unlikely ally: congressional Republicans aiming to dilute conservation laws. The frustrations of the San Diego cycling group and a handful of similar organizations are providing tailwind to the GOP movement to lift restrictions on the countrys most ecologically fragile and pristine landscapes, officially designated wilderness. Resentment of these cyclists over the longstanding ban on mechanized transportation in that fraction of the nations public lands presents a political opportunity for Republicans eager to drill fissures in the broad coalition of conservation-minded groups united against the GOP environmental agenda. Read More Facebook

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Vice president postpones Israel trip a second time in case his vote is needed to pass tax cut bill By Noah Bierman (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week. Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to to protests in the region over the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays. He wants to see it through the finish line, said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. We dont want to leave anything to chance. The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset, a high-profile venue to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular. Facebook

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Trump judicial pick who drew ridicule at hearing withdraws By Associated Press A White House official says the Trump judicial nominee whose qualifications were questioned by a Republican senator has withdrawn his nomination. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by President Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been the subject of widespread ridicule since he was unable to define basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. A White House official says Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and that Trump has accepted the withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the development publicly. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy pressed Petersen, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who testified he had never tried a case, on his qualifications to the bench. Facebook

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Trump says McCain will return to Washington if needed for tax vote By Laura King President Trump said Sunday that Sen. John McCain, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, was returning home to Arizona for the holidays but would come back to Washington if needed to cast a vote on the Republicans tax overhaul bill. The Arizona Republicans office announced last week that McCain was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington for complications from his cancer treatment. McCains daughter Meghan tweeted earlier Sunday that her 81-year-old father would be spending Christmas in Arizona. The Senate is expected to vote early this week on the tax cut legislation, but the GOP appeared to have secured sufficient support without McCains vote. John will come back if we need his vote, Trump told reporters as he returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Hes going through a very tough time. Facebook

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Putin calls Trump to thank him for U.S. help foiling terrorist strike By Laura King Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for what the Russian president said was CIA help in foiling a terrorist attack, the Kremlin said on Sunday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the two leaders conversation to reporters. It was the second time that the two leaders had talked in four days; Trump called Putin on Thursday to thank the Russian leader for lauding the U.S. economy. Putin, in his annual year-end news conference, had praised Trump for a strong performance by the U.S. stock market. Perhaps ironically, given his credit to the CIAs recent help, Putin at that news event dismissed as hysteria the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign. In reporting Putins call to Trump on Sunday, the official Russian news agency Tass said Putin thanked his American counterpart for information shared by the US Central Intelligence Agency that had helped break up a plot to set off explosives in St. Petersburgs landmark Kazan Cathedral and elsewhere in the city, which is Russias second-largest. Russian authorities last week had credited their countrys counter-intelligence service, the FSB, for foiling the attacks. They reported that seven people affiliated with Islamic State had been detained in St. Petersburg in connection with the plot. The FSB, the successor organization to the KGB, announced Friday that the group had planned to carry out the attacks on Saturday, and that one of those in custody had confessed to the cathedral bomb plot. Facebook

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Mnuchin: Government shutdown unlikely but could happen By Laura King Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said on Sunday that a government shutdown this week was unlikely but possible. A two-week stopgap spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month provided enough funding to keep the government running through Friday. A deadlock on another temporary funding measure would open the door to a possible shutdown. I cant rule it out, but I cant imagine it occurring, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday, suggesting everyone had an interest in avoiding the government grinding to a halt and federal workers going unpaid, especially in the holiday season. I would expect that both the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, understand if they cant agree on this, they need to have another short-term extension to move this to January, the Treasury secretary said. We cant have a government shutdown in front of Christmas. In May, irate over concessions made to Democrats in hammering out a spending measure, President Trump tweeted that a good shutdown might help matters. While both parties agree that a government shutdown involves a degree of disruption that is not beneficial to either side, shutdowns in 1995-96 and in 2013 mainly caused a backlash against Republicans. The latest funding measure is to be taken up after a vote on a massive GOP tax overhaul, expected by midweek. Facebook

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Trump transition team says sensitive emails should not have been shared with Robert Mueller By Chris Megerian (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Trumps transition team is crying foul over how special counsel Robert S. Mueller III obtained emails for his investigation into Russian meddling in last years campaign and possible Trump campaign complicity. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the transition team, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday saying there was an unauthorized disclosure of emails. While the Trump transition is long over, the transition team remains a nonprofit organization. Its emails were hosted by the General Services Administration, a federal agency. Mueller reportedly obtained the emails directly from the agency. There are attorney-client communications, Langhofer said in an interview. There are executive-privileged communications. He added, What were asking Congress to do is to take some legislative action to make sure this never happens again. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office, defended the process for obtaining emails. When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process, he said. The letter was first reported by Fox News. A request for comment from the General Services Administration was not immediately answered. This story has been updated with a comment from the special counsels office. Facebook

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Virginia house arrest is ending for Paul Manafort By Chris Megerian (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) A federal judge agreed Friday to end Paul Manaforts house arrest in Virginia, allowing President Trumps former campaign manager to return to Florida while awaiting trial. The decision followed a dispute between Manaforts legal team and prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who accused Manafort of violating a court order restricting public statements about the case. Under the terms of the judges order, Manafort will be allowed to live at his home in Florida as long as he stays within Palm Beach and Broward counties and obeys a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. If he misses a court appearance, he would forfeit four properties valued at $10 million total. The deal, which includes GPS monitoring, is not as permissive as Manafort originally sought. He had asked to be able to travel freely among Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington. Manafort faces criminal charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. Facebook

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GOP negotiators enhance child tax credit to win over Sen. Rubio By Lisa Mascaro Republican negotiators slightly increased the refundable portion of the expanded child tax credit in their tax plan, raising it to $1,400 in hopes of winning back Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) support ahead of next weeks vote. Rubio announced Thursday he was withholding support after negotiators ignored his push to make the expanded tax credit, which increases from the current $1,000 to $2,000 in the proposed bill, fully refundable for lower- and moderate-income filers. The refundable portion in the original bill was $1,100. The Florida senator argued that was not enough to help working-class Americans, many of whom already view the GOP plan as tilted toward the wealthy. Rubios office was waiting to see the final text before commenting on whether the change was enough to win him over. We have not seen the bill text, and until we see if the percentage of the refundable credit is significantly higher, then our position remains the same, Rubios spokeswoman said. Negotiators meeting Friday before unveiling the bill said they thought they had the support they needed from Rubio and other holdouts. Im confident both chambers will pass it next week, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Facebook

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Sen. Marco Rubio opposes GOP tax bill, depriving leaders of crucial support By Lisa Mascaro 20.94% Corp. rate to pay for tax cut for working family making $40k was anti-growth but 21% to cut tax for couples making $1million is fine?  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2017 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he is currently opposed to the GOP tax plan because it fails to include his proposed enhancements to the child tax credit, leaving leaders without crucial support ahead of next weeks expected vote. Republicans can only lose two GOP senators from their slim 52-48 majority as they push the plan forward under special budget rules to prevent a Democratic filibuster. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday altered his planned Israel trip so he could be on hand, if needed, to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have fought to increase the child tax credit, doubling it to $2,000 in the GOP plan, but they also want to increase its refundability. They argue it will lower taxes on middle-income families at a time when the tax plan is being criticized as tilted to the wealthy. Sen. Rubio has consistently communicated to the Senate tax negotiators that his vote on final passage would depend on whether the refundability of the Child Tax Credit was increased in a meaningful way, Rubios spokeswoman said. Lee stopped short of opposing the bill, but his spokesman said Wednesday he is undecided. GOP leaders, though, have said they believe they have the support for passage. Facebook

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White House gives Roy Moore a unsubtle shove: Time to concede By David Lauter (Alex Wong / Getty Images) The White House sent a clear signal Thursday to the defeated Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama: Its time to concede. Roy Moore refused to concede the race on Tuesday night when Doug Jones, the Democrat, was declared the winner. Election night results show Jones winning by about 1.5 percentage points, three times more than the states standard for a recount. Although a few absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, theres no indication they would change the result. On Wednesday, Moore notably did not call to congratulate Jones  even as President Trump and other leading Republicans did. Instead, he released a video declaring the battle rages on. Asked at the daily news briefing whether the White House thinks Moore should concede today, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, It probably sounds like it maybe should have already taken place. Sanders also dismissed the idea, pushed by some Moore supporters, that Jones victory was tainted in some fashion. Asked if the Democrat had won fair and square, she said, I think the numbers reflect that. The states Republican senator, Richard Shelby, offered a similar comment in an interview with MSNBC in which he said he was willing to work with Jones. If I was 25,000 votes behind, its not going to change much, Shelby said. Facebook

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House Speaker Paul Ryan says hes not leaving anytime soon By Lisa Mascaro House Speaker Paul D. Ryan shot down suggestions Thursday that he might soon be retiring. Stories often circulate that party leaders, especially the House speaker, are stepping aside. Ryans tenure has been as rocky as that of his predecessor, Rep. John Boehner, who abruptly resigned in 2015 amid GOP infighting. Asked Thursday if he would be leaving, Ryan answered a simple no, as he left his weekly press conference in the Capitol. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who reluctantly took over the speakers gavel after Boehners departure, had just finished talking up the GOP tax plan, which leaders hope to pass next week. He also outlined his sweeping agenda for his longtime goal of entitlement reform of welfare benefits next year. Two stories published Thursday suggested Ryan may soon be out. This is pure speculation, said spokeswoman AshLee Strong. As the speaker himself said today, hes not going anywhere anytime soon. Facebook

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GOP leaders reach tax deal, cutting corporate rate to 21% and top individual rate to 37% By Lisa Mascaro Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed on a revised plan to cut taxes that would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 21% and drop the top individual rate for the richest Americans to 37%, according to GOP senators and others briefed on the deal. The tentative accord marked a significant step in the Republican push to have a tax bill on President Trumps desk by Christmas. Leaders did not release details of the compromise or the text of a final bill as negotiations continued. Its critically important for Congress to quickly pass these historic tax cuts, Trump said Wednesday, promising that Americans could begin to reap the benefits of the plan as early as February, if passed. Critics, however, said the latest changes  particularly the lowering of the top individual rate from the current 39.6%  only reaffirmed several independent analyses that show the bulk of the savings from the Republican plan would go to businesses and the wealthy. Read More Facebook

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Farenthold to retire from House amid harassment accusations By Associated Press Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wont seek reelection next year, two Republicans said Thursday, adding his name to the list of lawmakers leaving Congress amid sexual harassment allegations that have cost powerful men their jobs in politics, the arts and other fields. The accusations against Farenthold surfaced in 2014, when a former aide sued him alleging sexually suggestive comments and behavior and said shed been fired after she complained. The lawmaker said he engaged in no wrongdoing and the case was settled in 2015. But the House Ethics Committee said last week that it would investigate Farenthold after congressional sources said hed paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayers money. Though Farenthold said hed reimburse the Treasury Department, such payments have drawn public criticism from people saying lawmakers should use their own money for such settlements. A House official said Farenthold spoke twice Wednesday to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), while another official said the congressman spoke once with Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) who heads the GOPs House campaign committee. Those discussions suggested that Farenthold may have come under pressure from leaders to step aside. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Last week, three lawmakers facing accusations of sexual harassment announced their resignations. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have already left Congress while Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has said he will step aside soon. Mike Bergsma, Republican county chairman in Farentholds home county of Nueces, Texas, said Fare
The past two years have been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster ride for Mickey Schrader.

In May 2016, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer about a year after he decided to kick his 47-year tobacco habit. However, after undergoing new medical screenings and procedures at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, his diagnosis was downgraded to stage 1, and Schrader, 65, a Lake Balboa resident, is now in remission.

The whole thing worked out for me for the better, Schrader said on Wednesday. Ive had two subsequent PET scans that have both looked pretty good, but I dont get cocky about it.

Schrader was treated for his lung cancer at the medical centers Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center. Oncologists at the facility were able to accurately diagnose Schrader after giving him a lung cancer screening, which is a relatively new test for patients, said Susan Scott, an oncology nurse navigator at the cancer center.

She said normal chest X-rays are not extremely precise in picking up lesions in the lungs. By the time an X-ray finds a lesion, it is already too big and will likely require chemotherapy to remove.

Now, they do a low-dose CT scan and its only for people that are 55 to 77 years old who have been heavy smokers, Scott said. There is a little more radiation with CT scans  the equivalent of about two to three chest X-rays  but this is yearly scan, like a mammogram, Pap smear or colonoscopy.

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and its cancer facility are teaming up with Schrader to promote the Great American Smokeout, the American Cancer Societys annual challenge to smokers to help them quit the habit.

Schrader chose to quit smoking in February 2015 after noticing he was becoming easily winded and started seeing lesions on his gums.

In April 2016, Schrader went in for a routine physical, and his doctor recommended he undergo a CT scan just to make sure he was in the clear. However, after getting scanned, his doctor told him shed found a suspicious node in his upper right lung about a centimeter in diameter.

Soon after, Schrader had a PET scan and the results showed he had additional lesions in his bottom right lung and left lung.

An oncologist at the Disney Family Cancer Center initially told Schrader and his family that he had stage 4 cancer and to prepare for the worst. Not willing to accept the initial diagnosis, Schrader said he took his test results to another oncologist outside of the Providence system and they, too, said he had stage 4 cancer.

He tried the Disney Family Cancer Center again, this time talking to Dr. Rex Hoffman, the medical director at the facility, who recommended Schrader go in for a lung cancer screening, which is more precise.

He told me that it might be some scar tissue or some noise in the picture, Schrader said.

Though a biopsy on the initial node came back positive, Schrader said every other scan and test he underwent after Hoffmans recommendation came back negative.

My wife and son are very bitter at the first oncologist who made that blanket statement, Schrader said. I consider it a blessing because I got the worst first, and I was ready for it  but every subsequent test got better and better.

Hoffman downgraded Schraders cancer to stage 1, and he received five treatments of stereotactic radiosurgery, which specifically targets the areas of concern in his lungs.

As a Catholic, Schrader said he is blessed the tests he underwent were able to catch the lesions before they became worse.

I didnt have any symptoms then, and I dont have any symptoms now, Schrader said. I could have went undetected.

To learn more about lung cancer screenings, call the Disney Family Cancer Center at (844) 586-4543.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
A Huntington Beach man has been sentenced to six years in state prison for beating an on-duty police officer last year, according to the Orange County district attorneys office.

Darryl Keith Headrick, 60, pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of aggravated assault on a peace officer and one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing an officer.

His son Bryce Headrick, 25, also of Huntington Beach, is serving a seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the same charges last year.

In both cases, the charges carried a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

According to authorities, a Huntington Beach police officer stopped Bryce Headrick for a traffic violation while he was riding a bicycle near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Clay Avenue at about 11:20 p.m. Feb. 9, 2016.

As the two talked, Darryl Headrick approached and hit the officer on the head from behind, according to police.

The father and son knocked the officer to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him until he lost consciousness, authorities said.

They then fled on bicycles.

Huntington Beach officers arrested Darryl Headrick near the scene. Bryce Headrick was arrested hours later near his home.

The officer, whose name was not disclosed, was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, including a concussion, authorities said.

At Darryl Headricks sentencing Friday, the officer said the crime has had a tremendous effect on him and his family. According to the district attorneys office, the officers daughter was on a ride-along with him that night and saw the attack.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney
(Associated Press) (AP)

From left: Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten are shown en route to court in Los Angeles in August 1970. The three women, displaying the symbol X on their foreheads as followers of the Manson cult family, were convicted for killings that included actress Sharon Tate.

The 500-acre Spahn Movie Ranch in the Santa Susana Mountains is where Charles Manson and his "family" lived at the time of the Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969.

Members of Charles Manson's "family" are shown outside the courtroom in the Los Angeles Hall of Justice after a hearing on Jan. 27, 1970. Identifiable are Lynette Fromme, foreground left, and Catherine "Gypsy" Share, far right.

Filmmaker Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate, are seen after their London wedding in 1968.

(Associated Press) (Associated Press )

The body of actress Sharon Tate is taken from her Benedict Canyon estate where she and four other people were killed the night of Aug. 9, 1969, in Los Angeles.

Charles Manson walks into the courtroom in Santa Monica on Oct. 13, 1970. Susan Atkins, seated, a member of Manson's "family" of followers, pleaded guilty to charges of murdering Malibu musician Gary Hinman.

Four young female members of the Charles Manson "family" kneel outside the Los Angeles Hall of Justice on March 29, 1971, with their heads shaved. The women kept a vigil at the building throughout the long trial in which Manson and three others were convicted of murdering actress Sharon Tate and six others.

When asked by a newsman, "Are you insane, Charlie?" during a March 19, 1970, interview in Los Angeles, Manson answered: "It all depends on your point of view."

An original booking mug, left, shows Charles Manson at the Ventura County Sheriff's Department in 1968. The most recent California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation photo shows Manson on Aug. 14, 2017.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she would rather face another election than try to muddle through with a minority government if further negotiations did not yield coalition partners.

Merkels comments came after talks to form a new government unexpectedly collapsed late Sunday, eight weeks after the Sept. 24 election that left Merkels conservative party with the largest share of voters but far short of a majority in parliament.

One of the parties Merkel was in talks with to form a government, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), bailed out of the tense talks.

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Faced with the possible end of her run as chancellor, Merkel said it might be possible to cobble together a new government in the days ahead after President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the estranged parties to keep trying.

Merkel, who has been the countrys leader since 2005, nevertheless pointedly began referring to herself Monday as a caretaker chancellor.

Because political instability in the early 1930s contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, Germans have a deeply entrenched fear of political turbulence and a sharp aversion to any kind of a minority government even though they are not uncommon in other countries.

I dont have any plans to lead a minority government but well have to wait and see what happens in the days ahead, Merkel told German television. One possible path is new elections and another path -- a minority government  is one that we have to be extremely careful about. I dont want to say never but Im doubtful about that and think the new elections path is the better way to go.

The September election produced a stalemate when Merkels conservative Christian Democrats and their arch conservative Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, failed to win enough for a center-right majority with their preferred FDP partners.

Merkels current partners, the badly beaten center-left Social Democrats (SPD), refused to sign on for another four years. Merkel and her conservatives have spent the last two months making overtures and concessions to the pro-ecology and left-leaning Greens but that led to the pro-business FDP abandoning the talks.

The ideological gulf between the Greens, who have helped make Germany one of the worlds leaders in renewable energy, and the conservatives, was already vast but appeared to be suddenly bridgeable during the arduous exploratory talks that were only the precursor for another month or two of full-scale talks. But the gap between the Greens and FDP at least for now turned out to be too large.

We did not leave a stone unturned in trying to find a solution, Merkel said, and promised to do everything possible to ensure that this country is well-governed through these difficult weeks ahead.

The turmoil in Germany, Europes biggest economy, comes at an awkward time for the European Union. The bloc has come to rely on Merkels leadership for issues ranging from the euro zone, Britains decision to leave the union known as Brexit and the tensions with the United States since President Trumps election.

In her TV interview Monday evening, Merkel held out hope that there could still be a solution to avert new elections  which would likely be held in early 2018. She said she would wait until Steinmeier had talked to the leaders of the Social Democrats to see if the party that he once ruled could be persuaded to join forces with Merkel after serving as junior partners for the last four years.

After that, Merkel could make another attempt to bring the FDP and Greens together albeit in an awkward coalition.

The situation has become a lot more difficult for Merkel, said Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist at Berlins Free University. And its going to be really difficult for her if she goes out there and tries to win another election when voters are forced back to the polls just because she wouldnt accept demands from other parties  not because there was some major reason.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

2:25 p.m.: This article was updated with Times reporting.

This article was originally published at 4:55 a.m.
Argentinas navy said Sunday that there was no clear evidence that satellite communications initially believed to have come from a submarine with 44 crew members missing in the Atlantic were from the vessel.

Officials said they were analyzing whether seven brief satellite calls the Defense Ministry reported were received the day before were from the San Juan, a diesel-powered sub missing since Wednesday in icy waters off Argentinas southern coast.

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Thirteen ships and seven aircraft from seven countries continued the search in stormy conditions Sunday. A headquarters for search operations has been established at Comodoro Rivadavia, a city in Patagonia on Argentinas Atlantic coast about 900 miles south of Buenos Aires, the capital, said Adm. Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar de Plata naval base.

The U.S. Navys Southern Command announced Sunday that it was deploying special undersea rescue assets to aid in the search-and-rescue operation. Those assets consist of a manned Submarine Rescue Chamber, or SRC, and a robotic underwater intervention system known as PRM.

In a statement, the Southern Command said the SRC can accommodate up to six persons at a time and reach a bottomed submarine at depths of 850 feet. The PRM can submerge up to 2,000 feet for docking and can rescue up to 16 people at a time.

The U.S. Navy also said it was dispatching a second P-8A search aircraft to Argentina to assist in the operation, where it will join an P-8A already there as well as a P-3 research aircraft lent by NASA. The aircraft are outfitted with instruments that detect anomalies above and below the ocean surface.

Also, the British navy vessel Protector began a voyage Sunday to retrace the path that the San Juan was to have followed from Ushuaia, where it departed Monday, to the Mar de Plata naval base, its expected destination Sunday.

The Argentine navy has three contingency plans for a possible rescue of the sub, depending on the weather and sea conditions, according to local news reports. One includes a midsize rescue submarine, two diving bells and an underwater crane.

Relatives continued to arrive at the Mar de Plata naval base to join in the vigil for the crew members. Among them was Ester Alfaro, mother of crew member Cristian Ibanez. She told a TV interviewer that she spoke to her son minutes before the submarine left Ushuaia on Monday.

God grant that they are found. Ive come here because I wanted to know more, to get the latest news, she said.

Special correspondents DAlessandro reported from Buenos Aires and Kraul from Bogota, Colombia, respectively.
Businessman Sebastian Pinera, who was Chiles president from 2010 to 2014, appeared headed for a victory in presidential elections Sunday, though a runoff was expected with the second-place finisher, according to partial returns.

Pinera and the other candidates seemed likely to fall short of the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff Dec. 17. The winner will take office in March.

As of late Sunday, Pinera had 36.6% of votes cast, and former TV news anchor Alejandro Guillier had 22.6%. In third place was radio and television journalist Beatriz Sanchez, with 20.3%, according to preliminary returns.

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Pinera campaigned on promises to boost economic growth, reform the tax code and eliminate unnecessary state spending programs. Voter preference polls have shown him a prohibitive favorite to win the countrys highest office for a second time.

I know my compatriots very well; I know that we will choose the right path, one that will lead us to better times, Pinera said, exuding confidence after voting Sunday morning at a school in downtown Santiago, Chiles capital.

His confidence and front-runner status stemmed partly from the erosion of support for outgoing President Michelle Bachelets center-left government. The main reason was an anemic economy growing at just 2% in recent years, due partly to lower prices of commodities, including copper, Chiles main export.

Several Bachelet social reforms were met with strong opposition from the business community.

There was a certain gap between President Bachelets discourse of promising big changes, with what Chileans want, said Mireya Davila, a political science professor at the University of Chile. They want changes but not radical changes.

Isidora Undurraga, a Chilean entrepreneur and a precinct election official in Santiago, said: Businessmen felt threatened during Bachelets government. They saw a program that didnt match with theirs.

Another issue was a corruption scandal that involved alleged influence-peddling by Bachelets daughter-in-law, Natalia Compagnon. She has been charged with malfeasance in her real estate dealings, but her case has not yet gone to trial.

Pineras center-right campaign also was boosted by infighting in the center-left coalition and its failure to unite behind a single candidate. Guiller competed against candidates Sanchez and Carolina Goic for the support of left-leaning voters.

Pinera also promised to be tough on crime, particularly drug trafficking. He has linked these issues with the immigration wave toward Chile by saying that we will close our borders to those who come to commit crimes.

Roman Catholic Bishop Cristian Contreras of Melipilla, a city 44 miles southwest of Santiago, said in a telephone interview after voting Sunday that that one of the elections biggest issues was drug trafficking and the micro-trafficking.

Special correspondents Poblete reported from Santiago, Chile, and Kraul from Bogota, Colombia.
An Allentown attorney stands accused of failing to pay taxes on behalf of his employees for more than three years.

A criminal information filed Friday in federal court accuses Douglas M. Marinos of failing to file tax paperwork from Oct. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2015.

The court document says he failed to forward payroll tax funds withheld from his employees' paychecks during that period.

The criminal information doesn't say how much Marinos failed to pay.

"We expect to work this out with the IRS shortly," said attorney Scott Godshall, who represents Marinos. "We're very sorry that this happened but we're taking every step we can to minimize the impact on the employees and the IRS."

Marinos' law firm's website says he attended Moravian College and went to law school in Delaware.

According to his website, Marinos "will work day and night to achieve the best solution(s) for your business problem(s)" and touts his "bull-dogged, conscientious attention to detail."

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A Berks County domestic incident on Sunday afternoon left a woman dead and a man with a gunshot would to the neck, Kutztown police report.

Officers were called at 2:30 p.m. to East Main and Kemp streets in the borough for a report of a domestic incident with possible shots fired, Kutztown police Chief Craig Summers said in a news release.

Catherine Kriebel, 39, was found dead on the side porch of her home, Summers said. An autopsy will determine what caused her death, but she was shot, Summers said.

@KutztownPD are investigating a shooting in the 500 block of E. Main St. There is no threat to the public.  Kutztown PD (@KutztownPD) November 19, 2017

Gerald Fusner, 50, was found across the street with a gunshot wound to his neck, Summers said. Fusner was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township and is expected to survive his wounds, Summers said.

Records show Fusner lived at 501 E. Main St. in Kutztown.

Fusner and Kriebel were involved in the domestic incident, but the nature of their relationship remains under investigation, Summers said. How and why shots were fired remains part of the probe, Summers said.

There is no continuing threat to the public, police tweeted on Sunday.

Borough police were assisted by the Kutztown University Department of Public Safety, the borough fire department, the Forensics Services Unit of the county district attorney's office and the county coroner's office.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Portlaoise hospital is facing more bad press in this week as a doctor is facing an inquiry in relation to the death of a baby in 2012.

A Medical Council Fitness to Practise public inquiry is set to start this week. The Leinster Express understands a junior or non-consultant hospital doctor is the subject of the inquiry arising from practise during a delivery.

The Medical Council's website lists a hearing as commencing in public on Tuesday, November 21 at 9.30am and is scheduled to continue on November 21, 27, 28 and 30. It does not name the doctor or complainant.

Fitness to Practise inquiries are held in public unless a successful application is made by a complainant, the doctor, or a witness for the hearing to be held in private or partly in private.

A Medical Council spokesperson said no details of a Fitness to Practise inquiry in relation to the doctor or complainants are supplied in advance of the commencement.

The spokesperson told the Leinster Express that this is due to the fact that any inquiry may be subject to a privacy application at any stage up to the commencement of the inquiry.

However, a statement said that an inquiry beginning on Tuesday, November 21 is currently scheduled to be heard in public, so members of the public and the media are welcome to attend.

Two senior doctors from Portlaoise are due to give evidence towards the end of the inquiry.

The maternity unit is now under the management of the Coombe Hospital in Dublin.

The Medical Council is the regulatory body for doctors. It has a statutory role in protecting the public by promoting the highest professional standards amongst doctors practising medicine in the Republic of Ireland.

The Medical Council is also where the public may make a complaint against a doctor. An outcome of a Fitness to Practise inquiry can culminate in a strike off or lesser sanctions.
Digiweb Electric Broadband  Powered by SIRO is now available to 65,000 premises in fourteen locations and your home could be one of the first to get it.

Powered by light, this 100% fibre optic internet service delivers speeds up to an incredible 1 Gigabit per second (thats 1,000 Megabits per second).

SIROs differentiator is that it is a 100% fibre-optic internet connection, making it better than any other broadband infrastructure in Ireland.

Three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average speed in Ireland.* This technology, known as FTTH uses the existing ESB electricity network to deliver fibre optic cables all the way to the building or home and has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network.

This life changing broadband enables streaming video from multiple devices, online gaming without any lag and instantaneous uploads and downloads.

Digiweb have continued to improve telecommunication services year on year and are delighted to provide this new Electric Broadband service in Carlow, Limerick, Letterkenny, Dundalk, Drogheda, Laytown, Mornington, Bettystown, Newbridge, Portlaoise, Tralee, Castlebar, Westport and Carrigaline. Launching soon in Portlaoise. Packages are available for both residential and SME businesses from as little as 45 per month.

Since launching in 1997, Digiweb have been connecting customers nationwide to the future with the latest technology. The vision of Digiweb has always been simple: provide customers with a superfast, reliable, internet connection and telephone service at a reasonable price which is supported by customer focused staff. From the beginning, the positive experience of customers has driven everything we do.

Weve attributed our success to being customer centric. This is clearly evident on consumer review site Trustpilot with customer testimonials such as best broadband provider by far and top class service and reliability.
Woodstock in upstate New York is a grand place nestled in the Catskills mountains, well known for the iconic 1969 festival, and not the worst place to be when your flight gets cancelled a few hours before youre due home.

Ive missed two flights in my time, one due to a rail strike in Paris, and the other of my own making in Malta.

Both experiences, though nearly 20 years apart, are etched in my memory.

This time, however, it was a new, albeit familiar sense of complete helplessness as technical difficulties were cited as to why we were not going home.

The next available flight was in three days time, I was informed when I ring up Norwegian airline. The service was described as a 'no frills' flight to Stewart airport in New York state. I now see what they mean.

My travelling companion is my 10-year-old, who broke her big toe a week before our trip to see my sister for Hallowe'en. Conscious of the fact that we were both missing work and school due to the cancellation, it then dawned on me that we have a hospital follow up the morning we fly into Dublin.

But I was told we were lucky to be getting out at all this week, and to have a nice flight. Its a strange feeling to be stranded in another country. We checked other airlines and get quotes as high as 4,000 for the one-way trip. Like I said  stranded.

Anyhow, we now had the chance to see a bit more of Woodstock and its surrounds before heading back to sleep on a couch in New Jersey for two nights.

Home to the original hippies, I noticed the pensioners there all seem to have a pep in their step.

They dress in jeans and waistcoats and have pink and blue hair. They seem to run the town and all the shops we went into.

My 10- year-old was naturally drawn to them and after each conversation, I felt compelled to ask so were you there?

The closest I get is one lady who runs an antiques and gift shop. She was only 15 at the time of the legendary music festival in 1969, and was actually on her way there when it started to rain so she turned back. Who knew? she laughed.

Im not sure what I was expecting to hear ... perhaps just one or two to say they were there, dancing wildly in the mud with tall tales about Jimi or Janis.

To be fair, the site of the festival that staged performances from Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Neil Young is actually 50 miles away and not in Woodstock at all.

Still, the place retains some of its magic and folklore.

Fresh energy

The air is fresh and the energy feels good. The mountains are beautiful, as is Lake Cooper, which is two kilometres out of the town.

A short drive in any direction and the road opens up to hidden gems such as diners, flea markets, vintage shops, river walks and beautiful scenery.

The mountain folk are friendly too. We met one lady in her late 70s who was planning a 14 hour drive to Ohio to see her son.

She likes to drive herself and pulls over when she feels sleepy, or when it rains, so beside her in the front seat sits a stuffed doberman pinscher she called Fluffy.

I call her my watch dog when Im asleep plus they dont know shes stuffed, she told me. Only in Amercia.

Life is definitely slower and there is a quaint quality to the houses which are mostly barns or log cabins surrounded by woodlands.

I can certainly recommend the area, and if you have to be stranded somewhere, it might as well be here, but not for too long!
The 9th Earl of Kildare's Stone Table is to be restored and returned to Kildare after a successful High Court order last month returned it to the care of KCC.

The Kilkea Castle Stone Table or Rent Table is an undated artefact attributed to Silken Thomas, 9th Earl of Kildare.

Here is what we know about the long lost table that was once used to collect rent.



It was the property of the Earl of Kildare and in 1948 it was moved from Maynooth to the grounds of Kilkea Castle at the behest of the then Duke of Leinster. Kilkea Castle was sold in 1960 or 1961 and according to the Duke of Leinster the able was reserved from the sale at the time.

In 1987 an attempt was made to recover the table from the grounds of the castle. This attempt was frustrated and the table was seized by the Gardai acting on behalf of the State. The table has since been transferred to the National Museum of Ireland pending the resolution of outstanding issues under a court order.

In 2009 the council took a want or prosecution case against the hotel owners to determine ownership.

The owners did not contest the case and the council then believed ownership of the table reverted to the council.

However according to Kildare Heritage Officer Brigid Loughlin, it transpired that while the matter was concluded in the High Court by an Order made by Miss Justice Laffoy - it was done so without the issue of ownership of the table being resolved. On 23 October 2017 the National Museum sought

to have the Court order, under which the table was entrusted to the care of the Museum,

removed. The National Museum was successful, the court order was removed and the table will be returned to County Kildare in the care of the council.

It is in need of substantial restoration prior to display. And the Heritage Officer will meet the National Museum this month to establish the conservation requirements of the table.



"Once this has been established it will be necessary to repair the table prior to returning it to Kildare.

According to the council there are some funds available for the restoration of the table but it is unlikely that they will be adequate. Once restored the table will be exhibited in a proper manner and available to be viewed by the public in Kildare," she said.
The Monasterevin Youth Action group held a very successful integration evening with the members of the Reception Centre at the former Hazel Hotel on Friday, November 17 last.

There was a great turn out at the event which had both Irish and Syrian dancing, music and poetry.

It was fantastic, said Pat Balfe from Monasterevin Youth Action.

As a group we accessed a community grant from the integration fund to host the event.

We will run two events overall with the grant, one last Friday and another one on December 1 next. Both events will be run with the reception integration centre at the Hazel.

According to Pat there were over 100 people from the reception centre there as well as around 40 locals from Monasterevin.

We organised it to show both a mix of two cultures with music and dance from both the Syrians and the Irish. There was over a 100 from the Reception Centre there and anything from 40 to 50 residents from Monasterevin, he added.

WATCH:

It was supported by the community integration fund and member of Monasterevin Youth Action as well as support from St Paul's secondary school and staff from the Reception Centre.

The local dancers were from the Michelle Mary Morrissey School of Dance.

WATCH:

See this week's Leader out tomorrow (Tuesday) for full picture page.
The sentencing of a man, who was cleared of the manslaughter of Patsy (Bud) Kelly, but pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, was adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, November 20.

Paul Gill, of Sarto Road, Naas appeared before the court, however the case was adjourned due to concerns about the content of the victim impact statement on behalf of the Kelly family.

Last month, the Kildare father was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Kelly in August 2015.

The court previously heard that Mr Kelly died following an incident near Mr Gills home at Sarto Road after being assaulted by the defendant.

It followed complaints about late night drinking and anti-social behaviour at a nearby house for several years.

Gill, also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a friend of Mr Kelly's during the same incident.

Today, the matter was adjourned to December 11 after Mr Gill's defence team took issue with an element of the victim impact statement.

It's understood there has been a change in the law regarding these statements.

There was an initial short adjournment to see if the family would consent to changing the statement.

Agreement could not be reached, it came back before the judge, and the matter was adjourned.

Judge Melanie Greally said she hoped the Kelly family did not feel that justice was not being done but said she had to stay within the law as it stands.

We will do our best to accommodate the Kelly family in so far as the law permits because of the particular circumstances of the case, she said.
Sinn Fein TD for Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal Martin Kenny, speaking after the partys historic Ard Fheis this weekend, has said it is clear from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that they want to keep their cosy arrangement going after the next election.

Deputy Kenny said, Sinn Fein are ready for government and are prepared to offer the electorate an alternative to the school yard game of switching places that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have being engaged in for over ninety years in the Dail.

Times are changing and they can no longer act out the charade of one being in government while the other pretends to object from the opposition bench. Now, they are forced to back each other up in government in order to cling to power.

While both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have clearly indicated that they will not enter coalition with us in Sinn Fein they are sending a clear message to their voters and grass roots members that after the next election they will keep the status quo with a Fianna Fail and Fine Gael coalition.

This must be very disappointing for their grass roots members who believe there is stark contrast between the ideologies of both parties.

Sinn Fein is ready for government and it is not up to either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael to decide who is fit for government. We live in a democracy and it is the people who will decide who is fit for government.
Telecoms company Fastcom has revealed it is in the process of an upgrade of all its wireless network  increasing speeds for its customers.

To date, the company has upgraded its facilities at eight of its transmission sites across the North West, six in Sligo, one in Leitrim and one in Donegal.

And in a climate of increasing price hikes by phone and broadband providers, the company has repeated its guarantee that customers will not have their monthly fee increased during a contract term.

The companys focus has always been on delivering high speed broadband to the island of Ireland, in particular to its surrounding areas in the North West. With ongoing changes in the National Broadband Plan and its rollout, Fastcoms commitment to its customers remains undeterred, says Lorraine Gribbons, Managing Director of Fastcom.

Something that we are proud of and that resonates very well with our customers, is that we operate our Fastcom Price Promise which means we will not be increasing your monthly fee during your contract term. Customer service is something that we like to think we do differently to other providers. Our customers are at the forefront of our business and we are continuously looking at better ways to facilitate them.

Meanwhile the upgrading project is almost 70 per cent complete and it is planned that the remaining transmission sites will be upgraded within the coming months.

We are constantly investing in upgrading our telecoms network in order to deliver higher speeds for our customers. Over the past two years, we have invested 100,000 on the physical upgrading of the wireless networks, installing more powerful equipment on our transmitter sites. It is a constant process, as our aim is always to provide the best and fastest services for our customers  as well as the best customer service in the market, she adds.

The upgrades will increase speeds available on Fastcoms basic broadband package from up to 6MB to up to 12MB and those who were on the package offering up to 12MB will now be able to access up to 20MB.

The availability of the upgrades is based on signal strength and distance from the transmission site. All existing customers can be upgraded automatically, if they are eligible for the faster speeds.

The company operates a no fee increase policy for its existing customers who are eligible for the new speeds.

As always with broadband, it is impossible to guarantee higher speeds for all customers as it does depend on the area they are located in and the distance from the transmission site. However, if anyone wants to check if their home is covered by the upgrade, they can contact us at our offices and we can investigate it for them, says Ms Gribbons.

Meanwhile, Fastcom Fibre continues to be rolled out across the country. Introduced in 2016, Fastcom Fibre is allowing the company to build a larger national presence, providing speeds of up to 1GB to customers.

We have seen significant growth in our national fibre offering over the past 12 months. We believe this is down to a combination of our unlimited data usage and ongoing commitment to our customers. In recent months, we have seen 25% of our new sign ups from outside the North West and this is something we are planning on growing consistently in the future. We see it that there is no reason why we cannot have customers all over the country, she says.

Headquartered in Sligo, Fastcom is one of Irelands largest independently-owned telecoms providers. It serves customers across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the US.

Its customers range in size from the personal, residential user to large indigenous and multinational organisations and across all sectors including government, healthcare, retail, logistics, and education.
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What would "Transparent" look like without Jeffrey Tambor?

Imagining it seems like an impossible task for a show that relies so deeply on its main character and star. As Amazon investigates complaints that Tambor, 73, sexually harassed a colleague on the set during the show's second season, the actor announced Sunday that he won't return to the series. He disputes the allegations made against him, but, he said in a statement, "Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return to 'Transparent.' "

For four seasons (the most recent of which was released on Amazon Prime in September) "Transparent" has brilliantly and beautifully followed Tambor's character, Maura Pfefferman, as she transitioned to life as a woman.

The show, of course, was never only about her. Maura's adult children -_ Sarah (Amy Landecker), Josh (Jay Duplass) and Ali (Gaby Hoffman) - quickly accepted their father Mort as their "moppa" Maura, but are mostly absorbed with their own personal and relationship issues and hang-ups. Maura's ex-wife Shelly (Judith Light) is a study in masked pain and self-delusion, arguably the most complex and entertaining character on the show.

But before we go further, the question is should "Transparent" go further? Amazon (which is owned by Jeffrey P. Bezos, owner of The Washington Post) announced plans for Season 5 several weeks ago. It can still pull the plug, if it decides to, and the obvious solution (kill Maura off) seems harsh. For creator Jill Soloway and the show's crop of talented, sensitive writers, there's plenty of opportunity here, especially because they've already lifted "Transparent" into an intellectual space that transcends the usual narrative of the transgender process.

With great thought and arftful execution, "Transparent" has become a master class on gender and sexuality as experienced by just about anyone, but especially by those in the Pfefferman orbit. Although the show has focused on Maura's discoveries from Maura's point of view, it has diligently chronicled all sorts of awakenings and self-awareness in other characters, with story lines that track, metaphorically, with Maura's change.

Along the way, "Transparent" became one of the finest works (including novels) on the experience of being Jewish in modern America. One way to reboot "Transparent" might be to delve into the Pfefferman family's complicated past, which we've seen glimpses of in flashbacks and which include examples of gender questioning and persecution, with the Holocaust as a backdrop. An entire prequel series is possible in the Pfefferman ancestry, which could occasionally flash-forward to the present day.

Another option: Make it a show about Ali Pfefferman. Season 4 already laid the groundwork for the idea that Ali is finally finding her truer self - and Hoffman's performance is more than strong enough to become a focal point.

In an unforgettable recent scene, Ali and Maura go through security at Los Angeles International Airport on their way to Israel. As her daughter moved ahead of her through the checkpoint, Maura has a vision (to the soundtrack of "Jesus Christ Superstar" running through her head) of her daughter being lifted to glory by a group of men in Orthodox garb. Ali was briefly bathed in an ethereal light, a conscious passing-through to a new level.

Is she "Transparent's" messiah, so to speak? Will she be the one to work through and beyond the generations of family hurt? Will she transition, in both a gender and spiritual sense?

Or maybe "Transparent" could just find someone else to play Maura. It's not as crazy as it sounds - soap operas used to do it all the time when actors or actresses moved on ("The role of Maura will now be played by . . ."). There's an even better reason to try this: Accepting his second consecutive Emmy in 2016 for "Transparent," Tambor said he hoped he would be the last cisgender actor to play the role of a transgender person. In hindsight, it almost sounds like prophecy - why not recast Maura with a transgender actress of a certain age? What could more affirm the show's core value?

Whether a show dies of natural causes or from unseemly personnel problems, it usually doesn't faze the TV critic, who has a ruthless attitude about show business and plenty else to watch. Netflix's "House of Cards" is in a similar state of limbo, attempting one final season sans Kevin Spacey, but why bother? That was always a deliberately dark show that turned corruption into an unhealthy fetish and stopped being interesting somewhere in its second season. The only message in "House of Cards" was that everyone is worse than they seem.

"Transparent's" message is that we can all become someone better. It is full of empathy and love and new information. It teaches me things I didn't know. Surely it is too soon to say goodbye to a show like that.
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Former Charlies Angels star Cheryl Ladd has never before attended the annual Ford Holiday River Parade, which takes place Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But this year shell ride the lead barge as the parade grand marshal.

Everyone Ive talked to tells me the parades just magical, she said. They say it really puts you in the holiday spirit, and Im so looking forward to it.

With this years parade themed Christmas at the Movies, Ladd is a natural to serve in the honorary role. In addition to playing private detective Kris Munroe on Charlies Angels from 1977 to 1981, she has appeared in numerous TV and theatrical films during her more than four-decade career. This includes playing Mrs. Claus in Disneys 2012 talking-dogs tale Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.

The 37th edition of the annual river parade, featuring 28 Christmas movie-themed barges, launches at 6 p.m., although when you see the first float depends on where youre sitting along the 2- mile route. Tickets are available online at thesanantonioriverwalk.com. The parade will be televised locally on KCWX, CW35.

We recently caught up with Ladd, who has lived in Boerne with her husband, music producer Brian Russell, for several years now, first to discuss the more serious side of Christmas  traditions, giving presents  and then to have a little fun.

She was an angel throughout.

Now Playing: The Texas Hill Country town has a new star in its midst. Cheryl Ladd, who burst onto the scene almost 40 years ago as quip-witted private detective Kris Munroe in Charlies Angels, and her husband of 35 years, Brian Russell, are full-time residents of the growing Hill Country town. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Q: Other than leading a river parade that will be viewed by an estimated 50,000 people, do you have any other favorite Christmas traditions?

A: Growing up (in Huron, South Dakota) we generally always had a white Christmas. Sometimes it would be a dusting, other times youd wake up and thered be 2 feet on the ground.

But wed usually have what Id call a traditional family Christmas, with plenty of family, singing carols, prayer and one of my favorites, oyster stew.

And then Christmas morning wed run downstairs to the tree to open our presents. Except when my dad (a railroad engineer) had to work. Then wed open presents on Christmas Eve.

This year were going to have the whole family in town, and my mom is thrilled because shes going to have all her little chickadees with her.

Q: What your favorite Christmas present that youve received and given?

A: When I was little I wanted an Easy-Bake Oven so much. When I got it I was so excited. But then I played with it maybe three times. It was not everything I thought it would be. Later I realized that I mostly loved the TV commercial for it.

But my mom could sew and she made us the best presents. One year she made me a nurses outfit. She did the whole thing: the white dress, the cape the little nurses cap. I had so much fun playing nurse.

Another year when I was probably 6, she made my sister and me ballerina outfits and she also made little ballerina outfits for our barbie dolls.

I think the favorite present I ever gave was the year I gave my husband Bruce a Patek Philippe wristwatch. Its made in Switzerland, and its a beautiful piece of jewelry.

Q: OK, ready for the Christmas-themed lightning round?

A: Go ahead.

Q: Are you a shop-ahead or a last-minute Christmas Eve kind of gal?

A: Hmm. I do like to shop ahead of time, but it really depends on how busy Ive been in terms of working. Ill usually start shopping in early December.

But this year I was making a TV movie for Hallmark called A Royal New Years Eve. Its sort of a Cinderella-meets-The Devil Wears Prada where I play a magazine editor whose a real tough cookie. So I may be a little late in my shopping this year.

Q:Die Hard: Christmas movie or not?

A: It takes place at Christmastime, but I dont consider it a Christmas movie. I prefer more traditional Christmas films. My favorite is Its a Wonderful Life. We watch it every year. Jimmy Stewart is amazing and Donna Reed is fabulous. Its magical.

Q: Fruitcake: Yay or nay?

A: Definitely a nay. And there are no exceptions. Ive never tasted a fruitcake I liked. I subscribe to the theory that theres only one fruitcake in the world and it keeps getting passed around from person to person. I prefer apple and pumpkin pies.

Q: Favorite Christmas song?

A: I love them all but my favorite is Oh, Holy Night. When its well played and well sung, it reminds me of what the holiday is all about.

Q: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or A Christmas Story?

A: A Christmas Story. I was never a big Grinch fan.

Q: Say youve been named the Queen of the World. Whats the earliest day that you decree that radio stations and department stores can start playing Christmas songs?

A: I just said I love all Christmas music, but you can have too much of a good thing. So Id say Dec.1. Or maybe the day after Thanksgiving if Im in a particularly generous mood.

Q: Have you ever been guilty of regifting?

A: I cannot tell a lie. I have. But who hasnt regifted? Theres that moment of desperation when you realize youve forgotten to get someone something, so you grab something you were given and wrap it up quickly.

rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini
Two weeks ago, the Virginia state delegate race made national headlines when Danica Roem became the country's first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature. And the news made its way to Hollywood, as pop star Demi Lovato took Roem as her date to the American Music Awards on Sunday night.

Lovato, a former Disney star who said she was "just completely inspired" by Roem's story, attended the AMAs to sing "Sorry Not Sorry," a song directed to the people who severely bullied her in school.

"I wanted to have her in the audience with me tonight because I feel like we have been through some of the same things and now we get to share this experience together," Lovato told E!

According to Roem, her appearance at the show in Los Angeles was a "super last-minute request."

"So I'm on a plane for a super last-minute request to talk about inclusion & bullying prevention at the AMAs. I spent 16 months working to make our schools more inclusive, so I'm happy to take it up," she wrote on Twitter, adding that she would be back in Virginia in time for a school board meeting at 7:30 a.m. Monday.

ALSO READ: Best- and worst-dressed celebs at the American Music Awards

Lovato said that she and Roem met briefly in a hotel room right before they walked the red carpet together - and that although Roem joked that she's more of a heavy-metal fan, she appreciates Lovato's advocacy for inclusion and anti-bullying.

"She's really able to give a lot of voice to people who need a champion, who need someone to basically publicly say on a national stage what it is that they're feeling," Roem said on the red carpet. "My campaign, I talked a lot about the idea of making Virginia a more inclusive commonwealth. So no matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship or who you love, you are welcome, celebrated and respected in Virginia because of who you are, not despite it."

Roem was also shown sitting next to Lovato in the audience. At the beginning of her "Sorry Not Sorry" performance, Lovato stayed in her seat looking straight ahead while nasty tweets ("you're ugly," "piece of trash") flashed on a screen on stage. Then she stood up and strolled to the stage.

"There's so much hate in this world. We have to rise above, and never say sorry for who you are," she said, before beginning the song.
The role of Cyborg in "Justice League" is Ray Fisher's first performance in a major motion picture, but he does have experience playing legendary characters.

Before filming his first movie, Fisher was a theater actor, performing as the Duke of Burgundy in an Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of "King Lear," and as Muhammad Ali in New York Theater Workshop's "Fetch Clay, Make Man."

Soon after his performance as Ali, Fisher acquired an agent and a manager and took his first trip to Los Angeles. He met with Warner Bros. right around the time they were looking to cast the role of the living computer Cyborg/Victor Stone, whose attempts to reckon with his fading humanity help give "Justice League" some emotion.

He landed the role of a character he admits he was only familiar with from the original "Teen Titans" cartoon of the early 2000s. But he became a quick study of all things Cyborg by diving into comic books.

"I didn't know too much about his comic book history. I know that in 'Teen Titans' he's much more the comedic relief," Fisher told the Washington Post's Comic Riffs. "But after reading the comic book iteration of Cyborg in 'The New Teen Titans' from the 1980s that Marv Wolfman and George Perez had worked on, I saw that there was a lot of texture to the character. [Cyborg is] much, much deeper than I had anticipated."

Fisher does know that the current animated version of his "Justice League" character is one of DC's hottest properties, appearing on Cartoon Networks' extremely popular "Teen Titans Go!" animated series. Fisher did manage to utter that animated version's trademark "booyah" in "Justice League," pointing out that it was fun to add slivers of the lighter animated version to the depth he pulled from the 1980s comic.

"That's the thing, you can pull bits and pieces of every version of each of these characters and bring them to life," Fisher said. "I don't watch ["Teen Titans Go!"]. It doesn't mean primarily as much to me as it will to [kids now], but I hope it resonates in whatever way they need to receive that message."

Unlike his "Justice League' co-stars, Fisher spent most of his production time in a "onesie," because of the high-tech, metal look of Cyborg that required lots of post-production CGI, while the rest of the cast wore slickly-designed, comic book-inspired super-suits. But Fisher's faith in the visual style of "Justice League" director Zack Snyder, which he came to admire in Snyder's previous works such as "300," "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," kept him confident.

"It was sort of like my birthday when I finally got to see the final product of what the suit would be. I feel like it actually helped me play the character a little bit more truer to life because he's the only person in the JL who can't take off his suit and it makes him feel like an outsider," Fisher said. "So when I'm standing there and I see everyone else in their practical costumes and I feel like an outsider because I don't have a practical costume, it actually helps play into that just a little bit more."

Filming "Justice League" provided Fisher with lots of acting firsts, including not finishing with the director you started with, as Snyder had to leave "Justice League" due to the death of his daughter and Joss Whedon came in to do reshoots and post-production.

"Having things unfold the way that they did was a bit of a doosy for me. Obviously, the circumstances for Zack having to step away were horrific," Fisher said. "You continue on for the people who can't continue on for themselves. You sort of dedicate your [performance], saying, 'Listen, I'm going to do the best job I can possibly do for Zach, for [producer] Debbie [Snyder], and making sure that the vision is realized.'"

Fisher was surprised at the calm and camaraderie of the "Justice League" set - the actors felt they were "working on something much larger than ourselves." He says Jason Momoa, who stars as Aquaman in the film, came into his trailer while he was getting makeup applied and reached over with a huge bear-hug to say hello the first time they met.

"I felt this sense of calm because everybody was welcoming in a way that I didn't expect," Fisher said. "And that was something that trickled down with Zack and Debbie Snyder in the way that they run their sets.Zach gives the same level of respect to everyone he encounters on his set."

Fisher hopes to be able to visit the role of Cyborg again, either in a guest-appearance in another solo-DC hero movie or future "Justice League" films.

"I think we've only just scratched the surface. [Cyborg] definitely [has] miles to go with respect to repairing the relationship with his father (played by Joe Morton), discovering his powers and discovering who he is," Fisher said. "And hopefully we get the opportunity to explore all of those avenues."
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It's Friday afternoon and 94-year-old Anibal Canales is sitting in a classroom. In front of him are notes illustrating a smartphone surrounded by arrows pointing at its various buttons.

At 94 years old, Canales believes it's never too late to learn more and so he attends a weekly course on technology at Texas A&M International University. From maintaining ties with family members to accessing personal health records, technology has become an essential component of today's world and one worth learning.

This is sometimes difficult for an older generation, one that didn't grow up alongside smartphones, to grasp.

A group of TAMIU students noticed the digital divide, so they started mentoring sessions on technology. The courses, offered through TAMIU's Office Of Continuing Education, were created to teach senior citizens how to navigate the modern world.

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Anyone facing a technology challenge can attend the class, where student volunteers offer their insights about cybersecurity and creating a strong password. Canales is among the intergenerational group that meets every Friday. But for Canales, he said these sessions provide more than beneficial knowledge about technology. They keep him mentally active.

His eagerness to learn brought him to the sessions where he was paired with TAMIU student volunteer Angelica Montiel.

"She was very interested in teaching me," Canales said. "And I'm very grateful for that."

Montiel has mentored Canales one-on-one. She's taught Canales about the functions of the Samsung Galaxy SX's buttons and how to stay in touch with his 11 children via video chats.

"I even made a little graph for him and I drew the phone," she said. "It's a good thing to have technology, you know, and he has 11 kids so how will he communicate with them? It's either through a cell phone, through Whatsapp messenger and video calls, which are very useful. I know that would be very useful for him because (it's nice) to maintain communication with your loved ones (and) ... see their (faces)."

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Montiel helped her grandparents learn how to use their cellphones so becoming a volunteer for these courses felt like the natural thing to do, she said. While the mentoring sessions are geared toward teaching an older generation about technology, students have gained insight from volunteering.

As Montiel sits beside Canales and shares her tech knowledge, he lends his wisdom to her.

"He has this really strong drive to learn and the passion to learn. Not a lot of people are like that," Montiel said. "And that to me inspires me. If he can be like that, anyone could be like that."

The high-tech seniors mentoring sessions are set to continue through Dec. 8 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Friday in the TAMIU Student Center. Course fees are $5 per one-hour session or $25 for six one-hour sessions.
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Four Laredoans have been ordered to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic drugs from Laredo to the Dallas area via the use of tractor trailers.

Javier Mota-Villanueva, 34, Armando Javier Picazo Jimenez, 43, Armando Eloy Gutierrez, 38, and Leopoldo Rodriguez III, 26, each had previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Mota-Villanueva to serve a total of 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. The other three were sentenced last month. Picazo and Gutierrez each received 120 months in prison, while Rodriguez was sentenced to a 24-month term of imprisonment.

Picazo led a drug trafficking organization responsible for the transportation and distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of marijuana from Laredo to the Dallas area. He used his ties to the Nuevo Laredo source of supply to illegally import the bulk marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. via Laredo.He recruited the co-conspirators to assist in storing and transporting the marijuana from Laredo to the Dallas area.

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Gutierrez was in charge of finding warehouses for the organization to use and then soliciting shipping companies to transport trailers with marijuana and cover with loads of merchandise. Gutierrez also acted as a scout by following drivers transporting the drug loads through Border Patrol checkpoints. After passing the checkpoints, Gutierrez would drive to the Dallas area to assist in receiving and unloading the drugs.

Mota-Villanueva worked in the organization's warehouses, where he wrapped the marijuana, moved pallets and loaded the drugs onto trailers.

Rodriguez was tasked with wrapping marijuana and assisting with loading of narcotics onto trailers at the organization's warehouses.

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The investigation revealed three warehouses in Laredo that the organization used at different periods from September 2013 to July 31, 2014. They were located in the 1800 block of Aduanales, the 200 block of Corpus Christi Street and the 1600 block of West Calton. During the investigation, law enforcement agents seized three loads of marijuana with a combined weight of more than 1,600 kilograms originating from these warehouses.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of task force members from the Webb County District Attorney's Office and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Mike Eaton are prosecuting the case.
Christmas movies thrive on the sense that were all in this together, fellow passengers to the grave as Charles Dickens put it. That sense was common in the 1940s and 50s, an era that produced some of our best Christmas movies. Thats in stark contrast to today, an era so steeped in self-glorification that the most popular genre is the superhero movie, which is all about expressing the self at all costs, even if it means the routine destruction of entire city blocks.

So, coming when it does, The Man Who Invented Christmas is not just a good movie but a welcome relief. If youre waiting for that nice Christmas feeling, this movie brings it on. It tells the story of Charles Dickens creation of A Christmas Carol, which becomes a way for us to experience that classic once again, but from a different angle. Were transported back to the early Victorian period and get to see the various key moments from that story play out as if in Dickens imagination.

The movie is based on the nonfiction book by Les Standiford, which deals with the creation of A Christmas Carol and with its importance in Christmas iconography. That novella, which Dickens wrote very quickly in the fall of 1843, defined the holiday forever as the calendars biggest celebration. It also defined the way we think of Christmas. If youve ever dreamed of how nice it might be to visit London during Christmas week, youre probably responding to A Christmas Carol.

Apparently, when Dickens wrote the novella, he was coming off of two flops and was in danger of being regarded as a flash in the pan. He was 31 and didnt start writing until October, for a book that needed to be in the stores by Christmas week. Actually, if you go back and read A Christmas Carol, you can tell it was written quickly. The writing is much more expansive in the beginning, and the last chapter is remarkably condensed.

Dan Stevens plays Dickens as a big personality, someone exhausting to live with, whose wife complains that she has to walk on eggshells, never knowing what mood he might be in. Hes an emotional man but a man of compassion, with a tortured history, and hes facing pressure from all sides  financial pressure, pressure from the characters in his head wanting to come out and pressure to produce and live up to his already exalted reputation.

Screenwriter Susan Coyne takes Standifords book and layers it with appealing fictional conceits. (Coyne is best known as one of the creators of the TV series Slings and Arrows, a Canadian show about life inside a Shakespearean theater, in which Coyne also played the office manager.) Here, Ebenezer Scrooge is called forth into Dickens writing room as soon as Dickens finds the perfect name for him. For most of what follows, Dickens and Scrooge, who is played with sneering relish by Christopher Plummer, argue about where to take the story.

Coyne also has fun putting lines from A Christmas Carol into the mouths of various characters, as Dickens takes inspiration from the life around him.

Rarely has a movie ever captured the importance of a writers having unbroken concentration in order to work. On repeated occasions in The Man Who Invented Christmas, Dickens is interrupted by his family while he is in midst of conversation with his various characters, and this produces an effect of impatience within the audience. We want him to work  nothing seems more important.

The Man Who Invented Christmas ends up hitting most of the notes Dickens sounded so memorably in his classic: forgiveness, forbearance, generosity, charity, family feeling. Just as we worry, in A Christmas Carol, over the health of Tiny Tim, the movie makes us worry over Dickens decision as to Tiny Tims fate  even though we know already what it will be. Like the Victorians, we need to believe that gentleness and goodness can survive in our world, and movies like this help.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Drama. Starring Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer. Directed by Bharat Nalluri. (PG. 104 minutes.)
If Roman J. Israel, Esq. is remembered for anything, it will be for the chance it gives Denzel Washington to do a pure character role. Here hes nerdy and socially maladroit and has weird hair; and for the first 10 minutes, you might assume the movie is set in the 1990s or even the 70s: He wears huge glasses, his ties are fat and his lapels are enormous.

But, no, this is a modern-day story about a man out of his time, a lawyer who had his formative experiences in the 1970s and has never really changed. Its interesting to see Washington play someone out of touch and unaware, someone who doesnt know how hes going over, someone, essentially, without charm. That is, its interesting ... without being entirely satisfying.

Washingtons charm is half his arsenal. Roman J. Israel may prove that he can play a role with one hand tied behind his back, but we like that hand. So having proved his point, he doesnt really need to do this again.

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, whose directorial debut was the brilliant Nightcrawler, Roman J. Israel is presented, from its first moments, as the story of a good and valuable lawyers slide into moral compromise. Interestingly, the scenario is like a mirror image of Michael Clayton, about a compromised lawyers path to redemption, which was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, Dans brother.

In such a movie, whether it depicts the journey from compromise to virtue or from virtue to compromise, we have to believe in the characters specialness and moral importance; otherwise, who cares and why bother making the movie? Unfortunately, it is precisely this part of the equation that Roman J. Israel fails to get right.

Roman starts the movie as the silent partner in a two-man law firm specializing in human rights cases. His partner litigates, and Roman sits at a desk, doing the paperwork and figuring out the legal angles. But two minutes into the film, his partner has a debilitating heart attack, and Roman is left with the full case load. He also finds himself out of a job, because he owns no interest in the law firm.

The movie has an investment in the audiences believing that Roman is some kind of great guy. But what happens? In every single legal maneuver, Roman screws up. In every single contact with another person, Roman annoys and alienates. Watching Roman J. Israel, Esq. is like watching a very long episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, only without the laughs, and without a lead character who even knows that hes annoying. Roman has no self-awareness at all  just anguish that he cant connect.

Actually, he does make one contact, with a social justice lawyer, Maya, played by Carmen Ejogo. Maya is an important role, because she is the only person who sees Romans hidden virtues, but, as written, Mayas admiration is mixed with pity. Still, the sympathy and intensity of Ejogos gaze is almost enough to move the audience toward Mayas point of view.

Like Maya, we would like Roman to be great, if only because it would make for a better movie. But Roman is bad at doing good, so when he starts showing promise in the other moral direction, it hardly seems like a tragedy. It seems like a smart career move. Plus, he gets to wear decent suits and finally starts looking like Denzel Washington.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Mick LaSalle

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Drama. Starring Denzel Washington and Carmen Ejogo. Directed by Dan Gilroy. (PG-13. 129 minutes.)
A Texas City actress is helping premiere a new musical, "Soulful Sounds of Christmas," through Dec. 30 at the Ensemble Theatre in Houston.

"It is really exciting to be the first person to play Camilla," said Eboni Williams. "We are the original cast. It's never been done or seen before."

The show takes place in "real time," November through December 2017, with Williams' Puerto Rican character, Camilla, whisked by Hurricane Irma into a soul food restaurant in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"I find a lot of love and good food," said Williams, 28, a 2007 graduate of La Marque High School.

As a teenager, Williams was fixated on theater, dance and cosmetology, and she developed her skills in those interests with a bachelor of fine arts in motion pictures and television at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Calif.

"I did a lot of makeup and special effects work in California," said Williams. "I can make a head bald. I can make a character look old. I can a depict a gunshot wound."

After returning to Texas, Williams has worked onstage as Gabriella, the sultry Italian stewardess in Marc Camoletti's Tony Award-winning farce "Boeing-Boeing" at College of the Mainland Community Theatre, and in the ensemble/chorus of a production of the musical "9 to 5."

Williams actual "9-to-5" job is as a customer service representative ("A teller," she said) at a Bank of America location in west Galveston.

In "Soulful Sounds of Christmas," she shares the stage with two pre-teenaged performers from Pearland, Kyle Anthony Mosley and Kai Tregre.

The original songs "One Wish" and "Pray" are Williams' favorite numbers to perform. She also dances a salsa to a song called "Good Time."

"Soulful Sounds of Christmas" was directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, who lives in Atlanta, Ga., but first worked at the Ensemble in 1999.

"I came as an assistant director," he said.

His first name was configured from "Patrick" and "Pedro," said Harris, who graduated from Alabama State University with a bachelor of arts degree.

One of his crowning achievements was choreographing movement for Sean Combs in the 2004 Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," which starred Houston native Phylicia Rashad.

The show's book, music and lyrics were created by Chika Kaba Ma'atunde, who said, "It is an honor to have been afforded the opportunity to create this new musical based on strong family traditions. This experience allowed me to tap into music compositions based on R&B that I have never used before. I pray this will be a rewarding experience that is enriching, enlightening, and entertaining."

For tickets and further information, call 713-520-0055 or visit www.ensemblehouston.com.

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net
It was a night that will not soon be forgotten as some of Houston's finest came out to support Halo House Foundation's "007" gala.

Held Nov. 11 at The Ballroom at Bayou Place, Anne and Dr. John Mendelsohn, former President of MD Anderson Cancer Center, were honored for their decades of community leadership in the fight against cancer. Michael Morgan, chairman of the Morgan Group, was presented with the 2017 HALO Award for his dedication to making the new building a reality.
Authorities were searching southwest Texas for suspects or witnesses after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner injured Sunday while on patrol in the state's Big Bend area, officials said.

Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were "responding to activity" near Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Texas, when both were seriously injured, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Martinez's partner called for help. Other agents arrived, provided medical care and took them to a hospital.

The 36-year-old agent died of his injuries, and his partner, who was not identified, remained in the hospital in serious condition, officials said. Martinez, who is from El Paso, had been a border agent since August 2013.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson declined to offer any further details about what happened.

President Donald Trump appeared to connect Martinez's death to border security and plugged his plans for a border wall in a tweet Sunday night. "We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible," Trump tweeted. "We will, and must, build the Wall!"

On Twitter, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asserted, without explanation, that Martinez and his partner were "attacked" and also linked the incident to security on the border with Mexico.

"This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them," Cruz said. "I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation."

The FBI in El Paso is leading an investigation into the incident, along with the Culberson County Sheriff's Department, and Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that she learned of Martinez's death Sunday morning and offered her agency's full support to "determine the cause of this tragic event."

"On behalf of the quarter of a million front line officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition," she said.

The area where the agents were injured is a dusty stretch of highway about 100 miles east of El Paso. It is part of Customs and Border Protection's vast Big Bend Sector, which covers 135,000 square miles in Texas and Oklahoma and 510 miles of river border. The sector's Van Horn Station, near where Martinez died, covers 15 miles of the Mexico border.

The Big Bend Sector accounted for one percent of the roughly 61,000 apprehensions Border Patrol agents made along Texas's southwest border between fall 2016 and spring 2017, as the Associated Press reported.

Local media photos from the scene show Border Patrol trucks and about a dozen other unmarked vehicles parked along the side of the road, and a group of law enforcement agents huddled together.

Thirty-eight Customs and Border Protection agents have died in the line of duty since 2003, according to the agency's memorial page. Before Martinez, the only other agent to die in 2017 was Isaac Morales, who was stabbed in a bar parking lot in El Paso. Three agents died in 2016, two of them in car accidents, one of a heart attack while on bike patrol.
On the morning of Sept. 9, 2016, the inbox of the superintendent of the Flagstaff Interagency Hotshot Crew pinged with a new email. The subject line read: "Your Hotshot Crew Behavior."

The superintendent, the head of an elite corp of firefighters deployed by the Forest Service and National Park Service to battle wild blazes across the country, had been alerted that morning his team was needed to help with the Soberanes Fire, which was eating through more than 130,000 acres in central California near Mount Diablo. But by the time the crew's boss finished the email, according to details laid out in a recently filed criminal affidavit, the Flagstaff crew was grounded.

"I am disgusted by the behavior of your hotshot crew when they passed through my town," the email read. "Several weeks ago your guys were on the way to a fire in Wyoming. I intercepted messages between your crewmembers and my UNDERAGE 15 year old daughter. She won't tell me which website they met on but I did read that they invited her back to their hotel, gave her alcohol and had sex with her. This is statutory rape and I want these men charged."

The woman, who identified herself as Cathy McCarthy, listed the names of three Flagstaff firefighters whom she claimed assaulted her daughter. "I will contact your local papers if I don't hear back," she warned.

The superintendent immediately contacted his superiors. The Flagstaff crew was taken off active service until the allegations were investigated. That same day, Sophia Fong, a special agent with the U.S. Forest Service, was assigned the case and sent a message to McCarthy at the gmail address she used to contact the superintendent. Fong stressed the Forest Service took the allegations seriously.

When Fong did not hear a reply within three days, the investigator followed up with another email. This time, however, the message bounced back as undeliverable. The account was no longer working. There was no such user, Google confirmed.

And there was no "Cathy McCarthy," Fong soon established. The allegations of the firefighters having sex with a 15-year-old in Wyoming were also phony, Fong determined. Instead, both the name and email were part of a bizarre skein of threats, fake names and social media accounts allegedly controlled by Melissa Ann Santana, a married, 36-year-old on the interior design faculty at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, according to the criminal complaint.

The professor was arrested on Oct. 30 at the NAU campus on federal charges of stalking and making false statements. Federal prosecutors said Santana unleashed a merciless campaign of harassment and intimidation against at least six individuals, including three firefighters, their family members, and even a NAU student. She allegedly wielded as many as 19 fake social media accounts. The harassment reached such a fever pitch her alleged victims were not just deactivating their social media accounts but buying guns for protection and hiring extra security for a wedding.

Santana is currently in federal custody, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 29. "We will defend against these charges vigorously," Santana's attorney, Stephen Wallin, told The Washington Post on Sunday.

Santana had worked at NAU since August 2012. Last year, Santana led nine students on the school's first study abroad trip to Cuba. "It's really cool going into a building from the 1800s and it's a restaurant or a hotel now," Santana told the Arizona Daily Sun last year. "I love the concept of keeping old buildings with new uses. It keeps the cultural heritage with architecture."

The Sun now reports she is no longer employed by the university.

During the investigation into the Sept. 29 allegations, the Forest Service investigator Fong stumbled upon three members of wildfire crews who had previous contact with Santana, an affidavit filed in federal court said. All are only identified by initials. All met her on Tinder, a dating app.

N.L., a member of the Flagstaff crew, admitted to recently ending a sexual relationship with Santana. The two were matched on Tinder in November 2015. Santana used the name "Ann" and stated she was "looking for friends for daytime fun." They began exchanging messages and meeting up. N.L., however, "became increasingly uncomfortable with the relationship and ended it in June, 2016," the affidavit said. Santana, however, "did not react well to the termination of the relationship," and continued to message the firefighter.

That same month, N.L. was matched with another "Ann" on Twitter who was later determined to be Santana. She became insulting, telling N.L. "why not be like the granite mountain hotshots and go die in the fire, like the other dumba- losers there," in reference to the 19 members of a firefighter crew killed in 2013.

N.L. also found, on separate occasions in August 2016, the back of his car spraypainted and an obscenity keyed into the a car door. In addition, someone posted his phone number to the Las Vegas Craigslist's casual encounters section with a picture of a woman; N.L.'s phone was bombarded with 20-30 test messages and three to four calls from random "men looking to meet up for sex." N.L. also continued to field angry messages from Santana, the affidavit said.

A second firefighter, S.M., also told Jong he was matched with a woman named "Amanda" via Tinder in September 2016, who made a big scene while he was eating with his crew at a restaurant. The woman, it turns out, was Santana, according to the affidavit.

Soon after, a supervisor on S.M.'s crew received a text message from a number he didn't know, asking the supervisor to have S.M. contact her. "He won't return my phone calls, I'm pregnant, it's his," the bogus message read. "He needs to take responsibility." S.M. told his supervisor he did not know what the messenger was talking about. Fong traced the number back to Santana, according to court documents.

The investigator continued to find Santana's online fingerprints on other harassing aliases and online personalities.

M.G., a Northern Arizona University student, told Fong he received "harassing calls from various unknown numbers, emails and posts on his personal Facebook page and on the Yelp website," the federal complaint said. "Some of the cyber harassment includes a 'smear campaign' against him, such as posting falsely that he has STDs." M.G. told the investigator he had met Santana in December 2014 and that the harassment "began about a week later."

Like N.L. and S.M., a third crew member, K.T., was also match with an "Ann" in Flagstaff in August 2016. Before the two met, K.T. learned "Ann" was the same person harassing his co-worker, N.L., he broke off communication. But K.T. continued to receive harassing messages from users under different names, including: "Be a success like the granite guys and die at your next fire. "K.T.'s supervisor also received a random text from woman claiming she was pregnant with K.T.'s baby in September 2016.

A year later, K.T.'s fiance began getting Facebook messages from a woman claiming she was sleeping with K.T. That, too, was Santana, the affidavit said.

The investigator Jong also was contacted by the brother - C.S. - of a man who had connected with "Ann" on Tinder in January 2017. After the brother stood up his Tinder match on a date, she threatened to get revenge on the family. Sure enough, after C.S. and his wife lost a baby due to miscarriage, and unknown user posted on his wife's Instagram account: "I'm so happy your wife's disgusting body aborted that bastard child. You two are so superficial that you got exactly what you deserve. A dead baby."

In the court affidavit. Forest Service investigator Jong describes how through search warrants for Facebook, comparing IP addresses, and pinging GPS coordinates, she was able to determine "all of the accounts" involved in the above situations "belong to Santana."
Sharon Tate begged for more time. She was due to give birth to a son in two weeks and pleaded, "Please don't kill me. I just want to have my baby." One of Charles Manson's followers then stabbed the actress 16 times, and with a towel dipped in her blood, wrote "PIG" on her front door.

Fifteen years after her daughter's death, Doris Tate conjured that futile plea as she sat across from a Manson Family member convicted of killing Tate and four others at the star's home on Aug. 9, 1969.

"What mercy, sir, did you show my daughter when she was begging for her life?" Doris Tate asked Charles "Tex" Watson during his 1984 parole hearing. "When will I come up for parole? Can you tell me that? Will the seven victims and possibly more walk out of their graves if you get parole?"

The moment was powerful not only because of the words Tate chose, but because of what they represented: The first victim impact statement in California.

Manson, who died Monday, will be remembered for many things: his ability to manipulate, his failed musical aspirations and his capacity for evil.

But his legacy will also include an unintended, positive consequence that has benefited countless people in the decades since Tate's death. Because of the work her mother began and her sisters continued, victims' voices carry a weight in nation's legal system and none of Manson's minions, including Watson, have seen freedom.

Doris Tate helped get the Victim's Rights Bill, which allowed for victim impact statements, passed in California in 1982. All 50 states now allow victims to speak either written or orally at certain phases of the legal process, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.

"Victim impact statements are often the victims' only opportunity to participate in the criminal justice process or to confront the offenders who have harmed them," the National Center's website reads. "Many victims report that making such statements improves their satisfaction with the criminal justice process and helps them recover from the crime."

Doris Tate wasn't a natural activist. She spent more than a decade after her oldest daughter's brutal death devastated by her grief. She came forward publicly only after she learned that one of Mason's devotees, Leslie Van Houten, had gathered 900 signatures in support of her obtaining parole. Tate, working with the National Enquirer, which printed coupons for people to sign and mail, made sure that didn't happen. She gathered 350,000 signatures against Houten's parole.

Tate later founded the Coalition on Victim's Equal Rights and worked the rests of her life toward victims' rights. In 1992, before her death that year at 68, President George H. W. Bush honored her as one of his "thousand points of light."

"You can't make sense out of the innocent slaughter of Sharon and the other victims," Tate once said. "The most that I, or any person touched by violence, can hope for is acceptance of the pain. You never forget it, not even with the passage of time. But, if, in my work, I can help transform Sharon's legacy from murder victim to a symbol for victims' rights, I will have accomplished what I set out to do."

Sharon Tate was the oldest daughter of Doris and Paul Tate. She was only six months old when her beauty first gained her recognition. She was named a Miss Tiny Tot of Texas. Later, when she was a teenager, as the daughter of an Army colonel, she appeared in a bathing suit on the cover of the military publication Stars and Stripes.

As an actress, even when she appeared in poorly reviewed films, critics noted how striking she looked. Hollywood embraced her and she counted among her close friends Mia Farrow and Tony Curtis.

She met director Roman Polanski while filing "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and she wore a white mini dress when she married him on Jan. 20, 1968. Later that year, she became pregnant and the two started looking for a larger home. They found one in 10050 Cielo Drive.

Manson knew the address. He had been there before. Record producer Terry Melcher had lived there, and Manson had hoped Melcher, who had auditioned him, was going to sign him to a record deal. But he didn't.

"Manson was mad about that," Michael McGann, a detective at the time, recalled in a Los Angeles Magazine oral history. "It's no accident he sent his group to Cielo."

"Now is the time for Helter Skelter," Manson told a group of his followers the afternoon before the murders, referring to the race wars he hoped to start, Prosecuter Vincent Bugliosi told the magazine. "Go to the former home of Terry Melcher and kill everyone on the premises."

Bulgliosi said Watson, who was later confronted by Tate's mother, then gathered Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian to help with the task. Killed alongside Tate were Jay Sebrig, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger, Steven Parent. Polanksi was out of town at the time.

The next night, Manson followers killed two more people - Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and wrote "Healter Skelter" in blood on a refrigerator.

The murders left Hollywood shaken. Stars reportedly moved, and in two days, a Beverly Hills sporting goods store sold 200 firearms, according to media reports.

Manson and the others were convicted and sentenced to death in 1971. Because the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972, their sentences were changed to life in prison.

After her mother's death, Tate's sister, Patti Tate continued to fight for victims and to keep the Manson family in prison. When Patti died of breast cancer in 2000, her sister, Debra Tate, took on that role.

She wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Time earlier this year that ran under the headline, "Why members of the Manson family still don't deserve parole after murdering my sister." Tate wrote the piece after attending the 14th parole hearing of Krenwinkel, for which she had gathered 98,000 signatures in 13 days opposing the release. More than 10,000 people also wrote letters.

"Look up the word 'sociopath,'" Tate wrote. "You will see there is no cure for this affliction. There is no medication, no programming that can relieve it. . .Krenwinkel - and all the members of the Manson family - should never be granted parole."

---

Part of a continuing series about facets of the past that remain relevant.
BERLIN - The sudden collapse of talks to form a coalition government left German politics in turmoil Monday, as Chancellor Angela Merkel reckoned with one of the worst crises of her 12-year tenure and signaled that a new election is likely.

The unexpected failure triggered a flurry of activity in the normally predictable world of German politics, putting financial markets on edge, setting off speculation over a new election and upping the volume on previously whispered conversations about how much longer Merkel can last.

Following a midday meeting with the chancellor, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attempted to calm the choppy waters with a speech in which he called on parties to come back to the negotiating table and avoid another vote after an inconclusive September election.

"The responsibility given to the parties remains," said Steinmeier, noting that Monday's impasse was unprecedented in Germany's post-war history. "One can't just return that responsibility to the voters."

But despite his plea, a fresh vote looked increasingly likely - a fact that Merkel herself acknowledged Monday evening in an interview with broadcaster ZDF.

While Merkel insisted she would not step down, she also suggested that calling a new election would be preferable to leading a government that must survive vote-to-vote without a majority in the German parliament, the Bundestag.

"Germany needs a stable government," she said.

Her comments indicated that without a change of heart from the center-left Social Democrats, who have resisted joining a new coalition, Germany is probably headed for a new election.

The possibility was met with enthusiasm by the German far right and with apprehension across Europe, where German stability has long been taken for granted.

"After Brexit and Trump, Germans are now facing the prospect of something out of the ordinary happening in their own country," said Sudha David-Wilp, deputy director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund. "Something that was beyond their borders is a spectacle that they will now have to deal with, too."

The breakdown of the talks ends the assumption that Europe's largest economy will be governed by a previously untried coalition among Merkel's conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats and the environmentalist Greens.

That awkward alliance - dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colors are the same as the island nation's flag - was considered the only viable path to a stable government.

But after weeks of contentious negotiations over asylum, tax and environmental policies, the Free Democrats unexpectedly pulled out late Sunday, leaving Merkel with few options - none of them attractive.

One is to form a minority government, perhaps with the Greens. But that has never been attempted at the federal level in Germany, and it could prolong the country's instability while hastening Merkel's exit.

Another is for Merkel to persuade her partners from the last government, the Social Democrats, to join her in another "grand coalition" between Germany's two biggest parties.

But the Social Democrats continued to resist that idea Monday. The party "will not shy away from new elections," Social Democratic leader Martin Schulz said. "In fact, we welcome them."

The possibility of an election early next year that could open the way to more gains for the far-right Alternative for Democracy Party (AfD) - and further unsettle the politics of a country that has been Europe's rock of stability - sent the euro sliding in early trading before it rebounded.

AfD leaders on Monday celebrated the breakdown in the talks.

"Merkel failed," tweeted prominent AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch. "An AfD success!"

At the least, a new vote would lead to months of uncertainty in German politics at a time when Europe has much on the line and other countries across the continent are looking to Berlin for leadership.

Among the outstanding issues are Britain's departure from the European Union. Britain is due to get out by March 2019, but instability in Berlin could make the negotiations - already fraught - even more difficult.

French President Emmanuel Macron, too, has a lot at stake in the German talks.

He has advocated sweeping reforms for the E.U. and the euro, including a "multispeed" Europe that would create a separate euro-zone budget and finance minister. But his initiatives rest on a strong Franco-German axis, a condition that was largely assumed as a given after Macron's election victory in May.

Macron told reporters Monday that he called Merkel late Sunday as her plans to form a governing coalition collapsed.

"It's not in our interests that the process freezes up," Macron said.

It is Merkel herself, however, who has the most to lose if the talks are not revived. After three terms in office, her fourth was expected to be the one that would cement her legacy. But now her ability to serve another four years is in jeopardy.

The major German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called the impasse "the most difficult crisis of her 12 years in office."

It comes after a September election in which Merkel's CDU - and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union - topped the polls, but fell well below expectations with 33 percent of the vote.

The election left Merkel weakened, and with diminished leverage heading into coalition talks that were always expected to be difficult, but which most analysts had thought would ultimately yield a government.

Although the parties were considered far apart on key issues, most observers had predicted that they would put aside differences to avoid another election that could enhance support for the anti-immigrant AfD, which won parliamentary seats for the first time this year after gaining nearly 13 percent of the vote.

But the parties' stances on asylum rules and German reliance on coal proved to be the sticking points.

The breakdown came when Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner announced that his party was pulling out of the talks, saying there was no "basis of trust."

"It is better not to govern than to govern wrongly," said Lindner, whose party won nearly 11 percent in the September vote.

The Greens and the CDU accused the Free Democrats of political grandstanding.

Greens co-leader Katrin Goring-Eckardt, whose party won nearly 9 percent in September, said the parties had been headed toward a deal when the FDP suddenly pulled out.

"I'm convinced it wouldn't have taken much more time to come to agreement," she said.

- - -

The Post's Luisa Beck in Berlin, James McAuley in Paris and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.
HURON COUNTY  A total of four drug-related arrests were made over the weekend by the Huron County Sheriff's Office.

In the early morning hours Saturday, and again later that night, deputies followed up on two unrelated ongoing drug investigations. Both eventually led to traffic stops.

The first stop took place in Kinde and resulted in the arrest of a 30-year-old Detroit man and a 25-year-old Sebewaing man on charges of felony delivery of heroin.

A further charge of possession of marijuana was also added to the Detroit man. He was also wanted by the Michigan Department of Corrections for absconding parole from a conviction of assault to commit murder and felony firearms.

More than $600 in cash was seized during the stop.

A 31-year-old Grand Blanc woman was questioned and released, with possible charges on her being sought at a later date.

Both men remain lodged in Huron County Jail, with bond denied on the Detroit man and $5,000 cash needed for release of the Sebewaing man.

Deputies were assisted at that scene by the Port Austin Police Department.

The second stop took place in Sebewaing late Saturday. It led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man and 26-year-old man  both from Saginaw.

The 21-year-old was arrested on charges of felony delivery of heroin and crack cocaine and the 26-year-old on a felony charge of maintaining a drug house.

Other charges may also follow pending review.

Seized during this stop was around $2,100 worth of heroin, as well as over $800 in cash and a 1998 Buick car.

Bond was set at $10,000 cash for the 21-year-old man and $1,000 cash for the 26-year-old. Both men remain lodged in Huron County Jail.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Sebewaing Police Department.

The sheriff's office encourages illegal drug tips by individuals calling their local police department or by calling the sheriff's office during regular business hours at 989-269-6500, or Huron Central Dispatch's non-emergency number anytime at 989-269-6421. Confidential callers can use the sheriff's office TIPS Line at 989-269-2861.

The sheriff's office is also available on Facebook through its drug task force page.
This week, as American families carve into an estimated 45 million turkeys, a very, very small fraction with very, very expensive tastes will share a rare and much-praised heritage turkey.

Unlike the commercial breed-the Broad Breasted White, selectively bred for an extremely ample bosom-heritage birds are smaller, grow slower, and boast more robust flavor. Their lineage dates to the 1800s, and unlike their industrially farmed cousins, they can and do reproduce naturally.

Gourmands are seeking out and spending $10 per pound and up for pedigreed turkeys even as choices in the turkey aisle seem to expand every year, from the Butterball to antibiotic-free, to free-range, to organic-all of which are the Broad Breasted Whites. Shoppers cite better animal welfare enjoyed by breeds not hobbled by giant breasts, the need for biodiversity and (not least) flavor.

Experts pose a warning: Beware of impostors.

"We're faced with the issue that we knew was coming-fake heritage turkeys," said Roger Mastrude, founder of the Heritage Turkey Foundation. Allegations of fakery range from partial - probably heritage birds that lack proper American Poultry Association (APA) certification -- to intentionally misleading marketing ploys such as the term "heirloom."

Two years ago the APA, the country's oldest livestock organization, started certifying breeder flocks as "standard bred" if they met the body's standards of perfection for any of its eight recognized breeds, including Standard Bronze and Narragansett. Licensed flock inspectors check for physical requirements, such as weight, and ascertain that no more than 2 percent of the birds have such growth defects as a deformed back or crooked keel bone that would affect market value. Only two farmers have passed muster.

"APA is the only organization in America whose endorsement means anything," said Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods USA, which sells meats from old breeds of livestock in an effort to conserve them. He buys every bird that Frank Reese of Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch in Lindsborg, Kansas, will sell him, which Reese estimates will be about 7,000 this year. The second APA-certified flock is raised by Michelle Oswald of Old Time Farm, who sold 30 birds this year in Pittsburgh farmers markets.

"We only buy from Frank because he's the only one we're sure has 100 percent heritage genetics," Martins said. The largest option, 20 to 22 pounds, is currently selling online for $219. Last Thanksgiving, the average turkey cost $1.42 per pound.

Use of the word "heritage," however, has been popular for more than a decade, and many retailers sell birds under the label. Neither Martins nor the APA assert that only APA-certified birds are heritage, just that it's the only way to know for sure.

For example, D'Artagnan, a purveyor of high-end and rare meats, sells the Standard Bronze and Bourbon Red breeds, with the larger, 12-pound birds listed at $214.99. Chief Executive Officer Ariane Daguin said the turkeys are not APA-certified but come through "privileged partnerships" with farmers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She agreed that the term is misappropriated at times but said APA certification is unnecessary: The Agriculture Department, which requires documentation for heritage poultry claims, "has done a pretty good job there-and I don't say that often."

But the word "heritage" has meaning only if it comes right before the word "turkey," Daguin said. "There are some people who sell turkeys from 'heritage farmers,' and that doesn't mean anything."

Whole Foods sells non-APA certified heritage turkeys, bought from two well-known and respected farms, White Oak Pastures and Pitman Family Farms, for around $6 per pound. More controversially, it also sells "heirloom" turkeys ($3 per pound) that are a mix of several breeds from the 1900s, including the non-APA-recognized American Bronze, a predecessor to the Broad Breasted White.

The American Bronze is "not as extreme in form as modern Frankenturkeys," the Heritage Turkey Foundation's Mastrude said, "but it was the first move toward them."

"It's all marketing techniques," APA President John Monaco said of the term "heirloom."

Diestel Farms, a Whole Foods heirloom supplier, says its birds taste better than heritage and are purposely labeled differently.

"If customers want a true heritage turkey, they've got to buy something that says heritage on the label," farmer Heidi Diestel said. "But we do think our American Heirloom Collection birds are really unique and delicious."

Theo Weening, global meat coordinator and buyer at Whole Foods, defends the artificially inseminated heirlooms, saying they meet customer demand, are more active than Broad Breasted Whites and, like all Whole Foods meat, have Global Animal Partnership welfare ratings.

"With the heritage," Weening said, "customers cook it, see black spots [from the feathers] and that there isn't a lot of white meat, and, in many cases, get disappointed."

For customers seeking a true heritage turkey, even without the APA certification, experts offer several tips: Look for a bony breast and big, meaty legs on a small bird. If you're buying at a farmers market or from a small butcher that can name its supplier, ask the farmer how long it took to grow: Heritage birds take about six months, compared to three to four months for commercial varieties. And accept that the bird might not be 100 percent heritage-and that that's all right, too.

"Ten percent is still better than zero percent," Martins says. "It's a move in the right direction."

Non-heritage breeds reproduce only through artificial insemination. For Broad Breasted Whites, natural reproduction is physically impossible because the male's large breasts prevent it from mounting females.
TOKYO - The government is considering developing a cruise missile capable of striking targets on the ground.

The Defense Ministry plans to start research on antiship missiles from fiscal 2018, and it is considering adding land-attack capabilities to the missiles. If realized, it will be the first time for Japan to develop land-attack cruise missiles on a full scale.

The key aim of the plan is to regain control of remote islands occupied by enemies, but the new cruise missile will be technically able to attack enemy bases, which is expected to heighten deterrence of North Korea.

Cruise missiles are precision guided weapons that head for targets using on-board radar and other equipment. Compared to ballistic missiles that fly on a parabolic curve and come from above, cruise missiles fly level using wings and jet engines, just like aircraft. Since the envisaged cruise missiles have much in common with the U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, officials of the Defense Ministry position the planned cruise missiles as a "Japanese version of the Tomahawk."

The Defense Ministry asked for 7.7 billion yen (about $68,551,098) in its budget request for fiscal 2018 for research on a new antiship guided missile to defend remote islands. The ministry announced that it would start research on new antiship missiles, and it is considering incorporating land-attack missile functions that have many technical commonalities. The ministry aims to build a test model by fiscal 2022.

In the planning stage, the envisaged antiship cruise missile will have a range of over 300 kilometers (about 186 miles), and be capable of being launched from special vehicles, destroyers, P1 patrol aircraft, fighter jets and other places. The missile will fly low using GPS and other devices, switch to on-board radar just before reaching a target, and destroy it.

With a shape that enhances its stealth capability, the new missile will be better able than U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles of escaping enemies' radar nets. In addition, the ministry also will consider introducing functions to enable the new missile to avoid interceptions more easily, such as changing directions during flight.

The government is considering developing land-attack, antiship cruise missiles due to a sense of urgency over the Chinese military, which is pushing to modernize itself in tandem with its maritime advancement. If the missiles are deployed, Japan's ability to attack vessels approaching remote islands or ground forces landing on such islands will significantly increase. If vessels or aircraft equipped with the missile are deployed near enemy bases, they can be used to attack bases.

However, the government takes the stance that Japan is allowed to have the capability to attack enemy bases under the Constitution, but will not possess the capability as a policy decision from the perspective of the country's exclusively defense-oriented policy. Within the government and the Liberal Democratic Party, there is the opinion that Japan should have the capability to attack enemy bases given the situation surrounding North Korea. But the government will promote the development of the new cruise missile focusing on the defense of remote islands.

Among defense equipment developed by the Japanese government in the past, its antiship missiles can be categorized as cruise missiles, such as vehicle-mounted Type 88 surface-to-ship guided missiles; Type 90 ship-to-ship guided missiles, which are an improved version of the Type 88 missile; and Type 93 air-to-ship guided missiles.
Bunker Hill

11/13/17 at 1130 Hours. 100 Block of Amberton Lane. Victim reported that unknown suspects attempted to open 4 credit cards at various banks using his personal information. All accounts were declined by the banks involved and a credit watch placed on the victim's accounts. Information was provided to detectives for follow-up investigation.

11/13/17 at 0930 Hours. 200 Block of Warrenton. Victim reported that she had been notified of a fraudulent account to include a credit account being opened using her identification for a mail order business. Information about the account was obtained and provided to detectives who are investigating.

Piney Point

11/11/17 at 2200 Hours. 500 Block of Lanecrest. Family Violence. Victim reported that she had become involved in an argument with her husband over family matters at which time he grabbed her by the neck causing injury. The wife did not wish to pursue charges and only for her husband to leave. The DA was contacted and declined to file any charges at this time. The husband left the property on his own accord and without incident. The victim was provided Texas and Harris County information about Family Violence and other available services.

11/15/17 at 1515 Hours. 11300 Block of Greenbay. Injury Accident/Medical Event. Officers were dispatched to a single vehicle accident where the vehicle had left the roadway and struck a street sign. Upon arrival, the driver was suffering from a non-accident medical event and became combative with the officer. VFD personnel assisted in restraining the subject and removed him from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle officers located a syringe and an unidentified powdery substance in a plastic baggie. The baggie was collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis while the subject was transported to an area hospital.

Hunters Creek

11/15/17 at 0830 Hours. 11000 Block of Huntwyck Court. Burglary of a Motor Vehicle. At approximately 0332 hours on this date a black male wearing a mid-length jacket and short cropped hair and a beard entered the victim's unlocked car and removed items from the center console and glovebox. One of the items included a credit card that was later used at a gas station. Detectives are following up on the incident and are attempting to obtain information from the gas station video surveillance system to help ID the suspect.

11/12/17 at 1700 Hours. 8525 Katy Freeway. Aggravated Robbery. The Shell Station was robbed by a single black male suspect who was wearing a white cap pulled down to his eyes, a red cloth covering the lower area of his face, a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He was armed with a knife and threatened the clerk with the knife demanding money. The clerk opened the cash register at which time the suspect grabbed money and fled on foot. The clerk failed to notify the MVPD for approximately 10 minutes resulting in a delayed response. The area was checked by officers but the suspect was not found. Detectives were notified and responded to the location. Investigation is on-going.

11/17/17 at 0045 Hours. 10900 Block of Beinhorn. Possession of a Controlled Substance. Officer was on patrol when he observed a traffic violation. Upon stopping the vehicle the driver was found to be in possession Marijuana and Ecstasy. The 21 year-old female driver was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail.
President Donald Trump's lawyer says the criminal investigation into possible collusion with Russia in last year's election could be over by December, but Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe is expected to continue well into next year, according to a U.S. official.

Mueller continues to gather evidence and pursue investigative leads, as shown by steps like a subpoena he sent to more than a dozen Trump campaign operatives in October, according to the official with knowledge of the investigation, who requested anonymity to speak about sensitive matters.

Ty Cobb, the top White House lawyer handling the probe, has been consistently optimistic about Mueller's probe and its likely outcome, predicting the investigative cloud hanging over Trump and the White House should clear by early next year. "The office of special counsel is working diligently to complete its interviews" and the White House has been cooperating with the investigation to expedite its conclusion, Cobb said in an interview.

But the official with knowledge of the investigation, as well as outside legal experts, made clear that months of work still lie ahead for Mueller. For one thing, Mueller indicted Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, last month, as well as another campaign aide, Rick Gates, for money laundering and other crimes. Manafort and Gates have said they aren't guilty, and Mueller's litigation against them is expected to continue well into 2018, the official said.

Mueller was given a broad mandate when he was appointed by the Justice Department in May to investigate whether Trump or any of his associates colluded with Russia as well as any other matters arising from that inquiry.

To build his case, Mueller has had to pursue multiple investigate angles beyond the White House, a second U.S. official said. Those include potential obstruction of justice related to Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, financial dealings in the U.S. and abroad by Trump family members and associates, and Moscow's efforts to manipulate Facebook and other social-media platforms, the official said.

"This investigation will continue through 2018," said Jeffery Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who is now managing director for Berkeley Research Group.

"It seems like the White House is setting up a straw man and groundless expectations," Cramer said. "The only running clock is the statute of limitations on any potential charges."

Cobb has said he expects interviews with White House staff to wrap up shortly after Thanksgiving and that the vast majority of documents requested from the White House by Mueller were handed over last month.

The first official said it's possible that Mueller's team of more than two dozen prosecutors and FBI agents will complete an opening round of interviews with key Trump aides who worked in the White House by the end of the year, but additional interviews could be scheduled later.

Among those who have been interviewed are former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, former spokesman Sean Spicer and National Security Council chief of staff Keith Kellogg, according to people familiar with the investigation. Mueller has also indicated he wants to speak with White House Counsel Don McGahn and communications director Hope Hicks, said another person close to the inquiry.

The recent subpoena was intended to ensure that Mueller receives all the documents he's seeking, the first official said. Mueller's next step is to review the materials to determine whether additional subpoenas are needed or new lines of investigation need to be opened, the official said.

The indictment against Manafort and Gates demonstrates that Mueller is methodically building cases that take time, said the second U.S. official, who also asked to remain anonymous.

Others whose activity is under investigation include Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the second official said.

Mueller also revealed last month that he secured a cooperating witness -- George Papadopoulos, a junior foreign-policy adviser to the Trump campaign who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the timing of his contacts with Russian operatives.

"Did Papadopoulos record any conversations after he pleaded guilty?" Cramer, the former prosecutor, asked. "Will Manafort cooperate to spare himself some potential prison time?"

Mueller has staffed his team "with some of the best investigators, former prosecutors, and an individual from the solicitor general's office who has argued more Supreme Court cases than most anyone," Cramer said. "This team was not established to take an easy plea on lying to the FBI and Manafort's money laundering, tax evasion, and lack of proper filings."
The U.S. and Afghan air forces launched a series of strikes on narcotics laboratories in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, marking the beginning of what could be a long, expanded air war there under President Donald Trump.

The strikes marked the "first significant use" of legal authorities granted Aug. 21 by the Trump administration that will allow the Pentagon to target Taliban revenue streams, said Army Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Previously, the U.S. military carried out strikes only when facing imminent threat or working directly with Afghan forces.

Nicholson, speaking Monday from Kabul to reporters at the Pentagon, said that the strikes - carried out by B-52 bombers, highly advanced F-22 Raptor fighters, unmanned aircraft and Marine Corps rocket fire - were still ongoing. The Afghan air force began the strikes by dropping bombs from A-29 aircraft, and the United States continued the bombing campaign afterward.

"There are many, many targets that have been identified," Nicholson said. "We are striking some, and we will continue to strike these targets as we further refine them."

Nicholson said that the strikes were not carried out until now, nearly three months after Trump approved his new strategy, because it took extensive preparation and observation by surveillance aircraft to assess the targeted sites. The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that there are 400 to 500 opium laboratories across Afghanistan, and about 10 of them have been bombed so far, the general said.

"These strikes required the mapping of their revenue streams, and mapping of their infrastructure in areas where we had not done this before," Nicholson said.

Hundreds of intelligence analysts have been involved, along with hundreds of hours of aerial surveillance, he added. He indicated that the tempo of airstrikes in coming days will be roughly the same.

The strikes have been concentrated in northern Helmand province, an area where the Taliban have long held sway. More than 20,000 Marines were based there during the Obama administration, rooting out the Taliban while training Afghan forces to fight the militants. The Taliban swiftly reclaimed large swaths of territory after the Marines withdrew in 2014.

The strikes Sunday hit seven Taliban drug laboratories and a headquarters in three districts across northern Helmand that have long been volatile. Three strikes occurred in Kajaki district, four in Musa Qala and one in Sangin - all areas controlled by the U.S. military at the height of the Obama administration's troop surge.

Nicholson highlighted several of the strikes as the Pentagon played video of them Monday. In the largest one, a B-52 struck a opium-processing facility where 50 barrels of drugs were cooking at the time, he said.

The general said that the new strategy does not focus on regular Afghans who farm poppy, which is ubiquitous across Afghanistan and Helmand in particular. Rather, it will target Taliban drug processing hubs, with the hope that if the Afghan government can expand the area it controls, it can encourage the growth of other legal crops.

The United States has sought ways to encourage the growth of pomegranates, wheat and other crops in the past, but those efforts rarely took hold. Nicholson said that one difference now is that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has sought ways to open trade with India, and send legal Afghan crops there.

Ghani expressed support for the new bombing campaign Monday. The U.S. and Afghan governments, are determined to tackle his country's "criminal economy and narcotics trafficking with full force," he said on Twitter, adding that it is the main economic source for terrorism.

The strikes are not expected to have a a significant effect on the supply of U.S. heroin or other illegal opium-based products. Nicholson said that about 4 percent of heroin in the United States comes from Afghanistan. The majority of it comes from Mexico.

The aircraft used in the strikes came from U.S. bases both in and outside of Afghanistan - a reflection, in part, of how much the air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has slowed down.

The F-22 - which cost about $340 million each to make - was used for the first time ever in Afghanistan on Sunday. Nicholson said it was deployed because of its ability to carry precise, 250-pound small-diameter bombs, but other U.S. aircraft also carry those. The jet also has advanced sensors, and is sometimes used at the top of a "stack" of strike aircraft to oversee the airspace.

Even prior to the new strikes, U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan were up significantly since Trump announced his new strategy in August. The Air Force alone dropped 503 weapons in August and 414 in September, up from 108 and 162 in those same months in 2016, according to statistics released by the service. The Air Force had dropped 2,901 weapons in Afghanistan in 2017 through the end of September, up from 1,337 in all of 2017 and 947 in all of 2015.
A 33-year-old old Dallas-area man was sentenced Monday to eight years in federal prison after he was caught with more than 2,600 images and 800 videos of child pornography, according to the Department of Justice.

William Sonak landed himself in legal hotwater in 2015 after he brought his laptop to a Houston-area Computer Hospital - and a technician stumbled across a trove of child porn.
During the past legislative session, Texas lawmakers canceled funding for the Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement, or OMHSE, beyond Sept. 1, 2018. In effect, this means Texas could soon become the first state in the nation without an office of minority health. This is a bad decision by lawmakers because Texas institutions continue to operate inequitably.

It may seem that inequity only impacts people of color, but remember that what affects one part of our state has an effect on all of us. Legislators need to ensure all Texans have access to programs and services that strengthen opportunity, and they should support programs that get people to work together to solve social problems.

The Legislatures earlier commitment to understanding the systemic drivers of disparities in state institutions was historic and signified a promise to all Texans to provide equitable and, ultimately, better services. Cutting this program without a replacement and leaving Texas without an office of minority health amounts to a broken promise.

The OMHSE came to be in 2005 after it was shown that the child welfare crisis in Texas hit children and families of color hardest. The program provided cultural competency training and consultative services to state and private institutions, and it developed partnerships with community groups across Texas.

Texas maternity mortality rate is the highest not just in the nation but in the developed world, and black women in Texas bear the greatest risk for maternal death. Though just 11.4 percent of births in Texas are to black mothers, they account for nearly 30 percent of all maternal deaths. In an effort to reduce pregnancy-related deaths, the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force recommended the state take steps toward increasing provider and community awareness of health inequities.

Essentially, the task force outlined that programs such as the soon-to-be-unfunded OMHSE are key to combating the pervasive disparities in Texas health systems.

When asked why funding for the program was zeroed out, Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson said in the spring of 2016 that she was unconvinced the program needed 26 staff members. The House Appropriations Committee seemed to disagree, leaving the programs budget intact through the next legislative session, in 2019.

Along the road toward a unified budget, a proverbial splitting of the baby took place: The OMHSE was able to keep its full budget for one last year. The compromise also included a name change for the program, sanitizing it of the implication that state institutions dont serve all Texans equitably, and hinting at the decision-making process behind the programs impending defunding.

Until recently, Texas was reactionary on issues such as maternal mortality, giving already serious problems the opportunity to worsen. When Texas invests in innovative programs such as the OMHSE that seek to identify the root of the problem and get ahead of it, the state saves money.

Today, inequity exists in nearly every state institution. Black students in Texas are 31 percent more likely to receive school discretionary discipline action, compared with white and Latino students. Youths of color are further overrepresented in school campus ticketing, arrests, juvenile probation referrals and use-of-force incidents compared with their peers. And other inequities plague Texas criminal justice and child welfare systems.

The Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement is still needed in Texas. If the state doesnt invest in proactive programs such as the OMHSE now, Texans will bear the cost later. For some, the burden will be financial, but others  mothers, students and families moving through the child welfare system  will experience the weight of lawmakers decision through dimmer futures and shorter lives.

Lauren Lluveras is a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Sinn Fein MEP for the Midlands/North West Matt Carthy, has welcomed a report commissioned by IFA on the increased price of fertiliser.

The local MEP has called on the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, to take action to protect the interests of Irish farmers on this issue.

I would like to welcome the report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, commissioned by the IFA, in relation to the EU fertilizer market, said Mr Carthy MEP.

The price of fertilizer is an issue of great concern to Irish farmers  the price of fertiliser in western European states has increased by 123% while prices in other countries have fallen by 65%.

Fertiliser represents the second highest expenditure item after feed and the combination of rising import costs, allied with falling commodity prices has decimated the incomes of farmers.

The local MEP went on to say that the steep fall in energy prices over the last two years had not been reflected in retail fertiliser prices to farmers and this was an issue of huge concern.

He also pointed to the questions on the impact of protectionist measures that it raised.

I am calling for this issue to feature on the Agenda of the meeting of the European Council of Ministers on March 14 so that consideration can be given to any potential solutions, which may relieve the pressures on Irish farmers, Mr Carthy MEP said.

I have also submitted a priority question to the Commissioner for Agriculture, who has received this report, to ascertain what consideration he has given to its findings and what action he intends to take on the issue.

In my view, it is not good enough for the Commission to repeatedly refer potential breaches of competition law back to those who highlight such issues.

There is a duty on the Commission to act on these concerns and use the resources at its disposal to initiate investigations where there are serious and genuine concerns expressed and the current approach of the Commission abdicates that responsibility.

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Connie Gerety Quinn has this evening pulled out of the race to succeed former Fianna Fail councillor Padraig Loughrey on Longford County Council.

Connie Gerety Quinn has this evening pulled out of the race to succeed former Fianna Fail councillor Padraig Loughrey on Longford County Council.

In a lengthy and carefully worded statement, Ms Gerety Quinn alluded to how such a role might impinge on her job as manager of County Longford Citizens Information Service.

"Following the recent resignation of a Fianna Fail Councillor, two nominations were put forward for the co-option to Longford County Council of which I was one.

"As with any prospective appointment to a position which requires much time and commitment I have taken the required time to research and reflect on same.

"Having considered all the implications but most especially how this might impact on my current position, to which I already commit a huge number of voluntary hours, I feel that it would be unfair to the people of Longford not to be in a position to fully commit to representing them in this role."

Ms Gerety Quinn's decision to pull out of the race now paves the way for Iconic News managing director Joe Flaherty to fill the void brought about by Mr Loughrey's resignation last month.

Ms Gerety Quinn, nonetheless, insisted there were other ways in which to uphold the future interests of Longford outside of becoming a local councillor, something she pledged to continue to do going forward.

"I am confident that there are other ways to support people without being a Public Representative and that it is very possible to get many things done efficiently and independently.

"This is the approach I intend to take going forward."

Ms Gerety Quinn signed off by expressing her gratitude to those who backed her candidacy as a nominee to contest this Friday's scheduled convention.

For more on this developing story, see this week's Longford Leader.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN READING:

Connie Gerety Quinn and Joe Flaherty to fight it out for vacant Longford Fianna Fail council seat
In an exclusive interview with LUXUO, Peh talks about how blockchain technology can be used to bridge gaps between luxury merchants and those wealthy with crypto assets. He also shares how security developments are improving the way luxury technology is being made and used.

LUXUO: So what exactly is Aditus?

Aditus is the worlds first luxury access platform for crypto-affluents. Aditus is a platform where crypto-affluents can access Smart Invitations from luxury merchants to enjoy their products, services or establishments.

These Smart Invitations are based on Ethereum smart contracts, which on the Aditus platform allow users to receive offers and information that match both their personal preferences as well as the targeting requirements of luxury merchants. These Smart Invitations also offer reward tokens to users for engaging with the merchant before purchase.

Aditus also offers VIP Memberships, in which crypto-currency users may enjoy a suite of exclusive privileges and rewards previously only found on premium credit cards.

Through a seamless integration of both blockchain technology and a platform that takes into account the needs of both users and merchants, Aditus unlocks the luxury lifestyle of crypto-currency users.

LUXUO: How did the ADITUS project come about and what makes it unique?

We first noticed increasing numbers of crypto-affluents at our luxury events, all desiring better access to the luxury lifestyle they desire.

We quickly discovered that this group of wealthy individuals have distinct needs (e.g. privacy, ease of transactions). We also discovered that our clients within the trillion dollar luxury lifestyle industry were very keen on serving this new group of customers but did not know how to.

Aditus is unique in that it blends both a strong grasp of the technology, strong domain knowledge of and connections within the luxury space, as a track record in platform roll-out.

LUXUO: You coined the term crypto-affluents. Can you define better who they are, and what potential they represent for luxury merchants?

The total market capitalisation of all crypto-currencies have increased from USD 12 billion just 12 months ago, to USD 200 billion today. It is probably the best performing asset class in the last 2 years. This huge increase has minted a significant new group of affluent people who hold a lot of their new wealth in crypto-currencies.

Contrary to popular opinion, not all crypto-affluent are programmers! The space is extremely vibrant and fast-moving and has drawn many new participants from bankers to professionals etc. And there are many different ways in which crypto-affluents created their crypto-wealth, from holding to trading to ICOs.

What is clear is that with the continued influx of capital into crypto-currencies, crypto-currency values and the numbers of crypto-affluents will continue to increase. This is a new community of possible customers luxury merchants simply cannot afford to ignore.

LUXUO: Are luxury merchants sensitive to this new surge of wealth or is it too early in the development cycle?

Luxury merchants definitely recognise the huge growth opportunity in serving crypto-affluents. They do need some hand-holding of course, as well as more solutions that are customised to their needs, and that is the exact role Aditus serves.

In the past ten years we have seen inflection points in luxury marketing brought about by technological shifts, whether it was online advertising, or mobile marketing, or social media.

And at every one of these inflection points, there has been savvy brands who seized the opportunity to seize market share over their competitors by being first to build up their capabilities in the new medium.

With the advent of the crypto-affluents, we are at such a point again today.

LUXUO: What previous experience you have had that is proving useful in you driving the ADITUS project?

I am a lawyer by training but the bulk of my experience has been in tech entrepreneurship, with my first internet startup being back in 1998.

My team and I have been at the forefront of luxury tech since 2005. We were the first to sign luxury brands as online advertisers through our website Luxury-Insider.com, the first to sign luxury brands as mobile marketers through our Luxury Locator series of apps, and a pioneer in retail marketing solutions through our Visa-linked mobile rewards program SERA in China.

Starting from 2008, I was also a luxury consultant for banks and credit card companies, helping them package premium and exclusive rewards for their top end credit cards. The experiences I had was in tech, luxury marketing and premium rewards are all being put together for the betterment and long term development of Aditus.

LUXUO: How do you address the important issue of members privacy which is important to so many crypto-currency users?

In traditional luxury marketing, a centralised third party (bank, online marketing platform etc) constantly tracks user data, and matches them with targeting requirements by luxury merchants.

On Aditus, we are pioneering the twin concept of firstly: User Controlled Data, and secondly, Decentralised Matching.

User data, which is necessary for merchants to make customised offers, is stored and encrypted on the users device, and never leaves the device without the users express permission.

In order that merchants are still able to target-market despite there being no centralised 3rd party, we use Ethereum powered Smart Invitations to carry out decentralised matching on the user device instead.

In this way, user privacy and merchant targeting can both be satisfied.

LUXUO: How key are the Tech components in the development of ADITUS? How are you ensuring maximum security of the ADITUS overall architecture & wallet?

Aditus is at heart, a decentralised lead-generation and marketing platform for luxury merchants, and for users, a privacy-centric access and transaction platform.

To ensure stability and security for both users and merchants, we code and integrate only the most tried and tested components within the platform, from the wallet to the payment gateways.

While as a business Aditus is innovative, our tech will be developed for stability and security in order to give peace of mind for both users and merchants. We are also working with innovative companies in this space like PundiX who have components that add value to our ecosystem.

LUXUO: Tell us about the partnership you have already established for ADITUS and why they are key to the success of your Token and business model?

In any business it is ultimately the number of users (i.e. customers) and the soundness of the business model that determines success. As such, Aditus has a detailed road-map for user and merchant acquisition.

On the user acquisition end, we have signed partnerships with notable blockchain companies like Kyber Networks, Digix in which we create special access to our rewards programs to their token holders. This gives us a effective marketing channel to existing communities of crypto-affluents, while providing unique value for our partners.

On the merchant acquisition side, the founders of Aditus can draw on decades of experience and relationships in the luxury space, so we are quite confident here. We will work with large luxury shows that we own (e.g. The RendezVous series of events) as well as partners shows around the world to roll-out Aditus.

LUXUO: What are the reasons driving your choice to anchor ADITUS in Singapore?

Singapore is a major global hub for blockchain related companies. Indeed it is one of the top 3 jurisdictions for ICOs in the world along with the US and Switzerland. The talent in the blockchain space in Singapore now is vibrant and the interest is rising. From a business perspective, being based in Singapore made complete sense.

Although I have been based in China for the past 8 years, I am a born and bred Singaporean, and my luxury-related business all began in Singapore, and it was my HQ until it was acquired. Thus, basing Aditus out of Singapore was an easy choice from a personal perspective as well.

LUXUO: You having started your career as a lawyer, what are your view on upcoming cryptocurrency regulations? What potential impact on the ADITUS token?

Regulations will inevitably come, and we welcome them. We view this as extremely positive for the community because they weed out bad apples and increase protection for everyone involved. We believe regulations can only be positive for companies with a proper business plan like Aditus.

LUXUO: Why are you confident ADITUS will be a success?

The blockchain and crypto-currency space is still in its early stages and there are a lot of technical innovation and developments happening daily.

Yet the rise in market cap of crypto-currencies, and the accompanying rise in numbers in crypto-affluents, is an almost certainty.

Aditus is first in the market to serve crypto-affluents and is well-placed to ride the rising trend upwards.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops gathered for the recent annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, with Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, a former auxiliary bishop there, among those in attendance.

Catholic bishops have been increasingly vocal about religious liberty, opposition to federal health care legislation on employer mandated insurance coverage for contraception, as well as the fact abortion remains legal in the country, and some of the nation's more conservative bishops were elected during this month's conference to fill the chairs of key committees.

The bishops voted as well to create a pastoral plan on marriage - Pope Francis issued his in the 2016 "Amoris Laetitia" ("Joy of Love"). The Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth will oversee the plan's creation that is expected to take a year.

The committee is chaired by Archbishop Charles Chaput, of Philadelphia, who last year released his own diocesan guidelines for clergy on implementing "Amoris Laetitia," saying it "is best understood when read within the tradition of the Church's teaching and life."

Rozanski was asked about the meeting, which also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the USCCB.

Q.

Why did the bishops vote on a pastoral plan for marriage?

A.

Over the past decade, the bishops have been emphasizing the critical and foundational role of marriage as a basis for a sound society. We realize that the biblical teaching of marriage of husband and wife as spouses to each other and as parents to children build up a solid society.

We have seen the results of the breakdown of marriage and family over these past decades since the 1960's: crime, drug abuse, teen suicides, lack of purpose in so many young people's lives. In response to Pope Francis' beautiful reflection on marriage in "Amoris Laetitia," the bishops want to underscore the beauty of marriage and its fundamental role in civil society.

Q.

What are some of the Church's teachings that you hope will serve as a foundation for it? What are some of the points in Pope Francis' "Amoris Laetita" that you would like to see incorporated into it?

A.

First of all, Pope Francis reflects on the beauty of marriage that is based in Sacred Scripture. Drawing from both the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Gospels and New Testament letters, Pope Francis reflects on love between husband and wife, the role of parents for their children and the call that God gives to husband and wife in mirroring divine love in our world.

At the marriage ceremony, we are all reminded that the love of husband and wife is held in such high regard that it reflects the love of Christ for His Church. The love that is lived in marriage is one of self-giving and self-sacrifice: love is rooted in the sacrificial love of marriage and parenting. I would like to see a "recapturing" of the notion of sacrificial love that is so needed on our world today. Many enter marriage thinking "what's in it for me?" but true sacrificial love looks out for the other. Our society today is so much in need of true sacrificial love.

Q.

Archbishop Joseph F. Nauman of Kansas City, Kansas, was voted to chair the pro-life activities committee, succeeding New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan in that position. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, was voted to head the committee on Doctrine and the ad hoc committee on religious liberty has now been made a standing committee headed by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville. All three have been very vocal against same-sex marriage, elected public officials who are pro-choice and the health care mandate. What does their election say about what is important to the USCCB?

A.

Over these past 20 years, we have seen a disregard for religious liberty through government mandates such as HHS and contraceptives as well as Catholic politicians who use "double-speak" to justify their pro-abortion stance. The bishops are acutely aware that there is no liberty if one does not have the right to live -

from the pre-born to the elderly - and that right to life eroded in any way adversely affects all society.

The "right to die movement" is dangerous because it presents a slippery slope when frail human judgment is used to determine who can "choose" to end life - either in the womb or in the hospital bed. Any compromise on these critical life issues means that we are not being faithful to the call of Christ in the Gospel and the beauty of human creation. The bishops do not compromise on the life issues, because our theology is rooted in the Scriptures themselves.

Q.

What feedback do you get on these issues on your diocese and their importance to Catholics here?

A.

Whenever the bishops take a strong stand, there is always criticism that we are being too harsh or too easy in our teachings. But most practicing Catholics understand why the bishops take the stands we do and that we are being faithful to what is taught in the Scriptures.

I believe that in standing up for what is true to Scriptural values, bishops, priests, religious and the lay faithful are going against the culture of the day.

To take these stands is never easy, but it is necessary to speak for the voiceless (pre-born), the elderly, youth and those husbands and wives, mothers and fathers who are striving to live out their commitment to marriage. Bishops owe all of these groups and our people the support needed to live an authentic Christian life.

I remember being at a meeting for immigrants when a Protestant minister said to me, "Bishop, we need the Catholic voice because we recognize that Catholicism is viewed as consistent in all issues of life." I felt that was a recognition of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Q.

What sense did you get in the bishops' various discussions on what is important to Catholics across the country in terms of their faith?



A.

From marriage, to immigration to youth, to issues of life, I found the bishops to be very united in being faithful teachers of our Catholic Faith. I believe that is our fundamental role as bishops of the Church. We have to be consistent and clear in teaching the Gospel. In grappling with the issues of our day, we realize that there are some who would like us to highlight some issues over others. But we are called to be teachers of the Faith in all matters as they apply to our society.

Jesus did not ask his followers to pick and choose which teachings they wanted to apply to themselves. Jesus asked that His followers embrace the Gospel message and even the cross. As Jesus' disciples in the 21st century, the message has not changed. It is a Gospel for all time, until Jesus returns, in season and out of season. I believe Catholics are looking for guidance, clarity and challenge in living out our Faith in today's world.
CHICOPEE - The lottery terminal that spit out the largest ever winning Powerball ticket is now going on tour for the holidays.

The machine was located in the Pride Station at 27 Montgomery St. when it printed out the ticket on Aug. 23 that city resident Mavis L. Wanczyk bought when the Powerball pot. Wanczyk herself picked the numbers to win the record setting $758.7 million.

Since Wanczyk collected the largest jackpot prize ever won on a single ticket in U.S. lottery history, the machine has become a little bit of a celebrity, state lottery officials said.

The Massachusetts Lottery took the machine out of service for maintenance shortly after it printed the ticket and then decided it would move it to the division's headquarters in Braintree and put it on display.

It anthropomorphized the machine, giving it the name "Lucky" and attached large googly eyes, a black mustache, red lips and a white tie. It comes with a sign that says "Hello my name is Lucky. I sold the largest jackpot ever claimed by a single winner!"

The machine will now be brought on a five-community tour between Thanksgiving and Christmas "hoping to spread some joy," Lottery officials said.

"Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Lucky and take their photo with the budding celebrity at a selfie station complete with a holiday backdrop and handheld props," Lottery officials said.

Tour dates are:
SPRINGFIELD -- A federal judge sentenced a Dominican man to one year in federal prison for illegally re-entering the country for the third time.

Reynaldo Rodriguez, 50, has been behind bars since June and will be deported soon after concluding his sentence.

U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni told Rodriguez that, as a person who has spent much of his time in this country committing crimes, he tests the American way of promoting "inclusivity as opposed to exclusivity."

"Mr. Rodriguez unfortunately challenges that theory. This is a situation where deterrence is the primary motivation for the court," Mastroianni said from the bench.

Rodriguez had been deported from the United States on June 14, 2007.

His case is among an avalanche of illegal immigration-driven prosecutions under President Donald J. Trump's administration and under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
SPRINGFIELD - An electrical malfunction was the cause of a Saturday night rooftop fire that caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to the former Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at Main and State streets, now part of MGM Springfield project.

Firefighters were called to 101 State St. around 7:30 p.m., Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

The blaze broke out in an HVAC unit that a contractor had been working on earlier in the day, Leger said.

The blaze destroyed the unit and the roofing material around it. There was some water damage to the 8th floor area immediately below the HVAC unit.

MGM Springfield plans to use the building, which also has a Main Street address of 1200, for operations.

The property, owned by Blue Tarp Development, LLC, has an assessed value of $2,836,600, according to city records.

Built in 1908-09, it was Springfield's first steel skyscraper. Former owners C&W Realty Inc. sold the building and the adjacent office buildings at 85-95 State Street for $8.4 million in 2014.

The $960 million MGM Springfield casino complex is scheduled to open in September of 2018.
LUDLOW - Trees crashed down on Fuller Street, downing electrical wires and closing the street Sunday.

Currently about 169 homes and businesses are without power, according to Eversource.

High winds brought trees and power lines down at about 5:30 p.m., forcing police to close the road between Nash Hill Road and West Street, Sgt. Brian Shameklis said.

Eversource is on the scene repairing wires but it is not known when power will be restored, the trees can be removed and the road reopened, he said.

"It is going to take a little while, the wires are tangled in the trees," Shameklis said.

People are asked to avoid the area.

The high winds are causing a variety of other outages across Western Massachusetts. Most of the other outages are impacting fewer than 50 homes and businesses.
The Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper (BBRK) is dedicated to the protection and preservation of one of the most beautiful rivers in America  western Montanas Big Blackfoot River.

Check out our new website at http://www.bigblackfootriverkeeper.org (and feel free to test the "Donate to the cause" button!)
Republicans were in Helena last week with a strong message: we will not raise taxes on hardworking Montanans. When faced with the budget challenge before us, the Legislature could have simply voted down the governors tax hikes to get out of town  forcing him to make deeper and wider cuts to state agencies.

But our resolve to not raise taxes on Montanans and our determination to find a better solution meant that we couldnt take the easy way out.

AUSTIN KNUDSEN, RON EHLI and GREG HERTZ

http://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/montana-house-majority-leaders-offer-special-session-wrap-up/article_6b723d06-1217-5d5b-9300-dd79fc67e1a4.html
A state budget disaster has been averted, but Montanans must now brace ourselves for the drastic cuts to come.

Make no mistake: These reductions are going to hurt. They shift the states financial burden squarely onto some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Combined with other poor decisions made by some of Montanas legislators during the special session that adjourned shortly after 1 a.m. last Thursday, Montanans will be paying the price for legislators refusal to consider new sources of revenue far into the future.

And when we do, Montanans ought to talk to these same legislators who are now bragging about shrinking state government and not raising taxes.

http://missoulian.com/opinion/editorial/legislators-should-hear-about-effects-of-their-refusal-to-raise/article_e7a1ab90-d751-5a26-ae5d-5d8d9f3d4183.html

***

Ravalli County legislators call special session a success

Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas, House Majority Leader Ron Ehli and House Appropriations Chair Nancy Ballance  all Republicans from Ravalli County  said they were proud of their partys efforts to shrink the government in Helena while protecting vital services for needy Montanans.

EVE BYRON [email protected]

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_539d43f4-6eb9-56f6-be00-830b4579ef3a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2
Part-time

Prospera Business Network is the lead non-profit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. Our focus is helping people start and grow their businesses  in turn strengthening our regions economy and communities. Our services are individualized and client-focused, offering entrepreneurs and business owners a comprehensive pathway to success. At Prospera, we provide confidential business counseling, specialized professional trainings, small business loans, business development grants and timely economic research.

Position Summary:

The Business Development Grants Manager, is a new position at Prospera and plays an important role working directly with business clients to plan, develop, write and submit business development grants to state and federal funding agencies. This position will serve as the primary point-of-contact that will be assisting, servicing and managing all facets of the grant management process, and overseeing grant applications and reporting for grant funded business projects. This grant manager liaison role will engage directly with Prospera program staff, company representatives, local officials, and funding agencies to lead program success.

Prospera business clients are a diverse group. Business grant clients can vary from being 1-2 person operations to fast growing tech companies or manufacturers who are expanding. The government grant programs we use most often include State of Montana Big Sky Trust Fund Grants, Growth Through Agriculture, Worker Training Grants / Incumbent Worker Grants, and (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and Rural Business Development Grants.

This position works closely with the Finance and Accounting Manager on all grant management and reporting requirements, and builds client relationships with the Montana Womens Business Center (MWBC) Program Director, and Executive Director to manage the pipeline of business clients that we determine are well aligned with grant funding programs. The Grants Manager will be highly organized and disciplined, and will be able to manage a portfolio of business clients during the grant submission, management and close-out phases of a project meeting all the requirements and deadlines.

Working at Prospera is fun and dynamic because our programs (including business development grants) directly benefit businesses and communities in southwestern Montana and WBC clients throughout the state. Prospera is a growing organization, and this position will have an active role in continuing to increase Prosperas capacity to serve our clients and communities.

Skills and Abilities:

We are seeking a positive, energetic, and highly organized grants administrator to lead our Business Development Grants program who will take over our current business grants portfolio. This position will take over about 10 client companys grants, and work with Prospera staff to grow, expand, and develop a new pipeline of grant clients for business development. Prospera program revenue and grant fees are important, and the Grants Manager will play an important role to oversee and administer this revenue. Our ideal candidate has these important skills and abilities;

1. Highly organized and systematic managing a pipeline of grant submittals and reporting.

2. Motivated to lead and grow the program with minimal supervision.

3. Loves administrative details and creating systems for following numerous grant requirements.

4. Has a background in helping clients with business financials.

5. Ability to professionally represent Prospera, the MWBC and all of our services.

6. Competent and professional managing and securing commitments from business clients, and government agency staff on all phases of grant funded projects.

7. Trusted and competent to follow-through and deliver grant program offerings to diverse clients.

Required Qualifications:

 A four-year college degree in business, education, communications, marketing, non-profit management or other related field is preferred.

 Three years of direct work experience in grants management and/or a high-level executive administration experience is ideal. Experience with government grant programs is a plus.

 Background and understanding in accounting and bookkeeping a plus.

Client Relationships and Communications

 Work with Prospera staff and business clients to determine the grant program and readiness of specific companys proposal. Manage Prospera membership grant application requirement.

 Work with current grant clients to follow all of the grant program and contract requirements, and ensure timely and accurate reporting to government agencies.

 Ensure local government partners have the records, and all the information they need to comply with grant requirements.

 Maintain and develop positive communications among all parties in the grant management process and ensure that all contract commitments, reporting and financial reports are created.

 Be the single-point of contact for all grant communications for companys and funding agencies.

Grant Submittal and Management

 Manage and organize all grant documents for applicant/grantee communications.

 Help improve and streamline grant-making processes, including receiving and processing requests, and tracking grant commitments.

 Coordinate with program staff and perform research on all programs and evaluate all budgets for grant proposals.

 Prepare and maintain "document retention" recordkeeping and prepare files for all grant activities.

 Evaluate all grant proposals and administer all terms and conditions and ensure compliance to all applicable standards.

 Coordinate collections of grant administration fees and prepare appropriate invoices and collect balances from grant agencies.

 Maintain project records and prepare all modifications to resolve various application issues for grant funds.

 Prepare grant contracts and commitment documents needed for all funders, governments, and companies to ensure compliance with all grants requirements.

 Collaborate with the Accounting and Finance Manager to document and record financial records in adherence to all federal and state rules.

 Monitor and track our grant clients in the Neoserra client database and ensure grant awards and client communications are recorded.

 Improve the grant management operational systems, processes and policies to improve the ease and efficiencies of management reporting, information flow, grant process and organizational planning.

 Plan for the long-term success of the grant program and take the initiative to prepare for expanding the program.

Work Conditions: This position will be based at the Prospera office, with some flexibility to achieve work related goals, outside the office.

Compensation:

This is a part-time position, but could grow depending on the success of the position and work flow. We anticipate 10-20 hours per week which is likely to vary during a given month, depending on work commitments and grant deadlines. Starting pay is $20 to $22/hour, DOE. Simple IRA eligibility with a 3% match.

To Apply:

Apply by sending a cover letter detailing your experience, resume, and three professional references. Your cover letter will be considered a writing sample in addition to serving as a personal introduction.

E-mail complete applications with "Business Development Grants Manager" in the subject line to; [email protected].

Initial application reviews will begin, Monday, December 4, 2017. Applications will be accepted past this date as the position is open until filled.
Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa speaking at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the exchange, Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa emphasized that the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands organized the first exchange in the Netherlands in order to strengthen the special solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos, especially among diplomatic officials and staff of the two Embassies. The Ambassador also believed that in the coming time, the bilateral relations will further develop.

Lao Ambassador Khamkheuang Bounteum also reviewed the history of the struggle for independence and the process of building and developing the Lao People's Democratic Republic; emphasized the solidarity, the Vietnam-Laos fighting alliance and the impartial coordination and assistance between the two countries as important factors in the success of the revolution of each country, to win full victory in 1975.

After a ping-pong diplomacy event, the officials, staff and families of the two Embassies enjoyed traditional dishes of Vietnam and an art program praising the Vietnam - Lao friendship./.
Delegates at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

The meeting was attended by Vietnamese and German teachers, who are involved in managing and teaching Vietnamese language at universities in Germany, Vietnamese language schools and centres in Berlin and other cities.

Ms. Duong Thi Viet Thang, First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany and in charge of student activities, reviewed the glorious tradition of the educational sector and acknowledged the efforts and contributions of teachers teaching Vietnamese language in Germany.

Speaking at the meeting, the teachers shared many experiences in teaching, difficulties they face when teaching mother tounge to Vietnamese children, Vietnamese origin and German people. One of the concerns is that there is no set of Vietnamese language teaching materials suitable with the customs and culture of the host country, as well as the level and ages of learners.

The teachers must always seek the most suitable materials and teaching methods to bring knowledge and passion to learners. In addition to traditional teaching method, the teachers also tend to use multimedia teaching methods, based on social network media platforms to help learners enjoy and study better.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany, Counselor Bui Ha Nam acknowledged and appreciated contributions of teachers in preserving and promoting Vietnamese language in Germany, contributing to raising the position of the overseas Vietnamese community in Germany, as well as strengthening the good development of the Vietnam-Germany relations.

Through programs and projects of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and other relationships, the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany has continued to assist the teachers with materials, books and curriculum teaching Vietnamese language, helping teachers as well as learners to remove difficulties in teaching and learning./.
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
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The focus of the study were blood samples from Ebola patients that were obtained during the outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2014. The Wisconsin team obtained 29 blood samples from 11 patients who ultimately survived and nine blood samples from nine patients who died from the virus.The Wisconsin team inactivated the virus according to approved protocols, developed in part at PNNL, and then shipped the samples to PNNL and other institutions for analysis.The team looked at activity levels of genes and proteins as well as the amounts of lipids and byproducts of metabolism.The team found 11 biomarkers that distinguish fatal infections from non-fatal ones and two that, when screened for early upon symptom onset, accurately predict which patients are likely to die."Our team studied thousands of molecular clues in each of these samples, sifting through extensive data on the activity of genes, proteins, and other molecules to identify those of most interest," said Katrina Waters, the leader of the PNNL team and a corresponding author of the paper."This may be the most thorough analysis yet of blood samples of patients infected with the Ebola virus."The team found that survivors had higher levels of some immune-related molecules and lower levels of others compared to those who died. Plasma cytokines, which are involved in immunity and stress response, were higher in the blood of people who perished.Fatal cases had unique metabolic responses compared to survivors, higher levels of virus, changes to plasma lipids involved in processes like blood coagulation, and more pronounced activation of some types of immune cells.Pancreatic enzymes also leaked into the blood of patients who died, suggesting that damage from these enzymes contributes to the tissue damage characteristic of fatal Ebola virus disease.The scientists found that levels of two biomarkers, known as L-threonine (an amino acid) and vitamin-D-binding-protein, may accurately predict which patients live and which die. Both were present at lower levels at the time of admission in the patients who ultimately perished.The team found that many of the molecular signals present in the blood of sick, infected patients overlap with sepsis, a condition in which the body in response to infection by bacteria or other pathogens - mounts a damaging inflammatory reaction.Fifteen PNNL scientists contributed to the study. Among the corresponding authors of the study are three PNNL scientists: Waters, Thomas Metz and Richard D. Smith. Three additional PNNL scientists Jason P. Wendler, Jennifer E. Kyle and Kristin E. Burnum-Johnson are among six scientists who share "first author" honors.Source: Eurekalert


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In the context of his participation in the EU General Affairs Council, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Katrougalos, underscored the need to deepen the european integration process, stressing that it would be wrong to see the crisis of european ccitizens confidence in the European Union as having been overcome.



While a number of steps have been taken since the height of the crisis in 2016, Mr. Katrougalos added, the structural problems that led to the crisis, including the imbalance between the social and economic dimensions of integration and the democratic deficit in economic governance, remain unresolved. For this reason, he welcomed the establishment of the new Social Rights Pillar at the Gothenburg Summit, making the observation that it is vital we see its real implementation and the establishment of binding social rights for all.



Mr. Katrougalos welcomed the launch of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), calling it an important step towards strengthening the autonomy of the Common European Defence Policy for the protection of european citizens against external threats, and towards the enhancement of the Unions global role.



Finally, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to strengthen the European Unions cultural actions for the promotion of the common European values. For this reason, he underscored the need to boost funding for the Erasmus+ programme and to promote new actions aimed at helping vulnerable groups and young people to gain easier access to culture.



Also discussed in the General Affairs Council was the progress in the Brexit talks and, during the luncheon, the Unions budget.



In the afternoon there will be a vote on the relocation of the European Organizations based in the United Kingdom. Athens is a candidate city for hosting the relocated European Medicines Agency.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Amanatidis, is travelling to Myanmar to participate in the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting, which is taking place on 20 and 21 November, in Nye Pyi Taw, on the subject of Strengthening Partnership for Peace and Sustainable Development.

The Asia-Europe Meeting is an unofficial platform for cooperation and dialogue between Europe and Asia, aimed at dealing with the modern challenges of our constantly evolving world; namely, connectivity, trade and investment, environmental problems and climate change, terrorism and migration flows, and new forms of global threats, such as cyber-crime.

ASEMs main aim is to create a framework that can contribute, on the one hand, to the promotion of political dialogue among the parties and, on the other hand, to the strengthening of economic cooperation. It is the most important multilateral platform linking Europe with Asia, as ASEM partners account for 60% of global GDP, global population and global trade.

ASEM was founded in March 1996, when the first Summit Meeting was held, in Bangkok, with the participation of the European Commission and 15 EU member states, and the then seven ASEAN members, as well as China, Japan and Korea. Fifty-one countries are now ASEM members. More specifically, the participating countries are the 28 member states of the EU, Norway and Switzerland, and the 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand) and the following states: Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Russia. There are also two institutional partners: the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat.
Now Playing: Stuart Russell and the Future of Life Institute created this eerie video that depicts a future in which humanity develops lethal drones. Video: Future of Life Institute

UC Berkeley professor Stuart Russell and the Future of Life Institute have created an eerie viral video titled "Slaughterbots" that depicts a future in which humans develop small, hand-sized drones that are programmed to identify and eliminate designated targets.

In the video above, the technology is initially developed with the intention of combating crime and terrorism, but the drones are taken over by an unknown forces who use the powerful weapons to murder a group of senators and college students. The video does contain some graphic content, and was originally uploaded to YouTube.
Middletown police reported the following arrests:

LARCENY: Jose Rivera, 41, of Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, was arrested Nov. 13 and issued a misdemeanor summons for fifth-degree larceny for reportedly stealing $1,353 worth of items from Marshalls, most of which were North Face jackets. He was issued a court date of Nov. 22.

LARCENY: Janet Ferguson, 54, of Church Street, was arrested Nov. 15 and issued a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny for reportedly attempting to stealing $66 worth of items from a store and hiding them under a blanket in a baby carriage. She was issued a court date of Nov. 17.

LARCENY: Claudia Trudell, 44, of Hillside Avenue, was arrested Nov. 13 and issued a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny for reportedly stealing $161 worth of groceries. She was issued a court date of Nov. 22.

ASSAULT: John Brady, 59, of Nutmeg Court, was arrested Nov. 16 and charged with assault on a police officer, interfering with a police officer and breach of peace. He was held in lieu of $25,000 bail and issued a court date for the same day.

BREACH OF PEACE: Alexander Chandler, 21, of High Street, was arrested Nov. 16 and issued a misdemeanor summons for breach of peace for reportedly standing completely naked in the middle of an intersection. He was issued a court date of Nov. 20.

FUGITIVE: Darren Sanders, 49, of Orchard Chest Street, Shelby Township, Michigan, was arrested Nov. 17 on an extraditable warrant for the charge of fugitive from justice. He was held in lieu of $100,000 bail and issued a court date for the same day.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Tyron Conley, 36, of Thomas Street, was arrested Nov. 18 and issued a misdemeanor summons for disorderly conduct. He is accused of engaging in a verbal argument with a woman that escalated to him reportedly slapping her in the face in the presence of a juvenile. He was issued a court date of Nov. 20.

BREACH OF PEACE: Avril Leslie, 42, of Inverness Lane, was arrested Nov. 17 and issued a misdemeanor summons for breach of peace. She is accused of preventing a man from leaving a home, scratching his face and causing injury to his lip during an argument. She was issued a court date of Nov. 20.

VIOLATION: Thomas Freeman Sr., 52, of Silver Street, was arrested Nov. 19 on an active warrant and charged with violation of probation. He was held in lieu of $1,500 bail and issued a court date for the following day.

THREATENING: Raymond Comas, 29, of Washington Street, was arrested Nov. 20 on an active warrant and charged with threatening and breach of peace. He was released on $7,500 bail and issued a court date of Nov. 30.

FAILURE TO APPEAR: Rogers Askew, 35, of Main Street, Portland, was arrested Nov. 20 on an active warrant and charged with failure to appear. He was held in lieu of $10,000 bail and issued a court date for the same day.
PORTLAND - Police are seeking the operator and/or passengers in a second vehicle that was crossing the Arrigoni Bridge earlier this month when a moped rider was killed.

Officer Paul Liseo, who is heading the investigation into the Nov. 4 fatal accident said police are looking at the people in that car as witnesses who may be able to provide additional information about the late-night crash.

A 22-year-old Middletown man, Daquan Moore, was killed when he was struck from behind as he rode his moped east toward Portland.

Earlier this month, police were presented with the car they believe struck Moore. The car, a 1999 Audi, was delivered to police by a lawyer retained by the cars owner.

Were pretty positive that is the car, Liseo said Monday morning.

So far, however, police have not been able to identify the driver of the Audi who, they say, continued across the bridge after striking Moore, then turned around and headed back toward Middletown.

Police also believe there was a woman, so far unidentified as well, riding in the front passenger seat of the Audi.

We believe there are other witnesses to the accident that were in another vehicle that was on the bridge at the time of the accident, Liseo said in a statement issued Friday. We believe the vehicle is a 1999-2001 Chrysler LHS four-door sedan, color silver or champagne with a Connecticut registration and, possibly, tinted windows.

Like the Audi, Liseo said the Chrysler also crossed over the bridge and then, upon entering Portland, turned around and headed back to Middletown.

We believe there was a male driving the car and that there was a front-seat female passenger, Liseo said. We would like to speak to (the occupants of the Chrysler) as witnesses.

To date in their investigation, police have relied upon a pedestrian who, they say, was an eyewitness to the accident, as well as surveillance videos from cameras on the bridge.

We would like to speak to any witnesses that were in the vehicle, Liseo said.

Beyond the occupants of the Chrysler sedan, Liseo renewed his request that anyone with information regarding the accident contact the Portland Police Department at 860-342-6780 or Middletown Central Dispatch at 860-347-2541.

The Middletown Police Traffic Division/Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting their colleagues in Portland with the continuing investigation.
One hundred lawmakers are urging the U.S. Army not to award Bowe Bergdahl any back pay -- potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars -- for his time in Taliban captivity.

Led by Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican from Arkansas and a former soldier, the lawmakers in a Nov. 15 letter to Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that, while they are "happy" Bergdahl was returned, they remain concerned about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

"At the very least, we know Private Bergdahl's actions, by his desertion admissions in court, jeopardized the lives of his comrades," they wrote. "Despite being given a dishonorable discharge and demotion from sergeant to private, he remains eligible for significant back pay."

Bergdahl, 31, who earlier this month dodged a prison sentence for voluntarily walking off his post in 2009 in Afghanistan, could be eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay for his nearly five years in Taliban captivity even though he was also sentenced to forfeit his pay of $1,000 per month for 10 months.

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President Donald Trump called the ruling, which included a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private, "a complete and total disgrace."

In a press release, Crawford said captive soldiers normally receive special compensation worth around $150,000, in addition to hostile-fire pay and the basic pay they accumulated during captivity. Bergdahl could be eligible for about $13,500 in hostile-fire pay and about $84,000 in basic pay at the rank of private, according to military pay tables.

"I don't believe the pay is deserved," said Crawford, a former sergeant who served as an explosive ordnance disposal technician. "While we should always do everything in our power to bring home prisoners of war, given the circumstances of Bergdahl's capture and his admission of desertion, I don't think it is appropriate to award that pay."

While the letter references "those killed in action who were trying to locate him," Command Sgt. Maj. Ken Wolf, the top enlisted leader in Bergdahl's brigade -- Bergdahl served in Blackfoot Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division -- has said no troops died while searching for him.

But Bergdahl's trial included testimony from survivors who were wounded during missions to find him. Bergdahl, who was held in a cramped cage and beaten by his captors, also testified that he was sorry for the wounds suffered by searchers.

It's not clear when the Army may decide on the issue of Bergdahl's back pay. An email request for comment to a spokesperson wasn't immediately returned.

The congressman hasn't yet heard back from McCarthy, who will soon be leaving his post as the Army's top civilian. The Senate last week confirmed Mark Esper, defense giant Raytheon Co.'s top lobbyist, for Army secretary.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
ANN ARBOR, MI - An independent review of the Ann Arbor Police department's operations recommends Ann Arbor pilot a new citizen's committee to oversee the department's policing practices.

But some city officials and members of the public don't think the proposed structure of the committee would give it enough authority to hold police accountable for how they handle complaints and conduct internal reviews.

The Ann Arbor city council and human rights commission held a joint work session on Thursday, Nov. 16, to review the findings of an independent assessment of police department operations conducted by Hillard Heintze, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in risk management and improving law enforcement programs.

About 40 people attended the work session, including a couple of members of the police department and a handful of people representing Transforming Justice Washtenaw.

"Ann Arbor is a community that wants to know its police and wants to engage with its police," said Debra Kirby, an attorney who worked in law enforcement before joining Hillard Heintze, where she is a senior vice president for law enforcement consulting. "The Ann Arbor Police Department is one that believes it is supporting the needs of community and is focused on its daily mission in addressing those needs.

"What we identified, surprisingly, was that the (citizens and police) rarely interacted in a way that is appropriate and positive for all the community," Kirby continued. "Those community members who truly support the police felt that they didn't see the police. Those community members who had issues with the police didn't see the police."

Some of that lack of visibility is due to reduction in the size of the police department, city officials noted, and Hillard Heintze believes intentional community policing efforts would provide more positive interactions between police and citizens.

Hillard Heintze's report offers more than 60 recommendations, though most of Thursday's discussion centered on two: to form a Co-Produced Policing Committee (CPPC) and for officers to engage in more community policing practices.

The CPPC, as envisioned by Hillard Heintze, would consist of 15 people, including one resident from each of the city's five wards, one student representative, one youth representative, two business representatives, one clergy representative, two citywide representatives, one council representative, one Human Rights Commission representative and a chairperson.

Transforming Justice Washtenaw recommended instead the police oversight committee include mental health experts, people of color, people who have been incarcerated and professionals who work in mediation or conflict resolution, housing, homelessness services, anti-racism organizing and transformative justice, with no police representation on the committee.

Transforming Justice Washtenaw, a group that advocates for restorative alternatives to policing and incarceration, also asked the city to redirect resources to alternatives to policing, like the Dispute Resolution Center and mental health services.

Per Hillard Heintze's recommendation, the CPPC's role would be to act as liaisons between the police department and the community, asking the police department to report certain agreed upon metrics on a regular basis and relaying any community concerns about police practices.

The CPPC approach is different from citizen review boards, explained Kenneth Bouche, chief operating officer for Hillard Heintze, who also has a background in law enforcement with expertise in homeland security and information sharing.

The intent of the CPPC model is for community members to provide input that would result in more long-term changes in policing practices, rather than doling out discipline for individual officers based on specific incidences, Bouche said.

"This is the path that may be one of the more difficult things your police department has ever done," he said. "It is a fundamental shift in the way we think about policing. ... What co-produced policing is designed to do is to return that voice to the community in the strategy of policing."

Is Co-Produced Policing the right approach for Ann Arbor?

The CPPC model is largely untested. Hillard Heintze representatives said it is currently being piloted in three cities across the country, and there is little data available at this point on how effective it is.

"What they're suggesting is something that hasn't been done. It's scary and would require a lot of negotiations with the community, with the police, with council. On the other hand, we have not seen anything work very well anywhere else," said Leslie Krauz Stambaugh, chair of the human rights commission.

In instances where there is a question of police using excessive force, the CPPC could ask police about the policies and procedures that informed their actions. If the committee is unhappy with how police handled the situation, they could suggest changes in policy or additional training in de-escalation tactics, for example.

Two examples of potentially questionable use of force that came up numerous times at Thursday's meeting were a Sept. 26 incident at the Blake Transit Center that resulted in an officer bringing a 16-year-old boy to the ground, pointing a stun gun at him and putting handcuffs on him, and the 2014 fatal shooting of Aura Rosser by a police officer.

The mother of the boy who detained at the transit center, Tria Moore, was one of the people who spoke during public comment, outlining why she thought the officer's treatment of her son was inappropriate.

"Your report is clear garbage, just like what happened to my son is clear garbage," Moore said.

Some members of city council and the human rights commission worried the proposed CPPC model would still leave police with the bulk of the responsibility to investigate complaints against their own department.

As part of a checks and balances system, people need a place to voice complaints about police other than the police department, said Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy, 1st Ward, and the public deserves more transparency in how the complaint is investigated and resolved. Kailasapathy also serves on the human rights commission.

Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski, 5th Ward, asked what additional tools or authority a citizen review board typically has compared to what is envisioned for the CPPC.

The CPPC would not have subpoena power, and members of the committee would not be formally trained in conducting independent investigations, Bouche and Kirby said.

Attorney Vivian Chang, who is a member of the human rights commission, asked what legal obligation the police department would have to comply with the CPPC's requests.

Bouche replied that the committee could start by publishing an annual report on policing practices as a way to publicly hold the department accountable. If that does not result in a satisfactory response, the committee could try to negotiate some authority in the police chief's performance review or continued employment based on how well the department meets the standards set by the CPPC.

How did we get here?

Rosser's death prompted Ann Arbor to more seriously consider the relationship between its police and citizens.

In November 2015, the human rights commission released a report recommending ways to improve police-community relations in Ann Arbor, including forming a civilian review board to investigate complaints against police and hiring an outside auditor to conduct an independent review of AAPD policies and practices.

As a result, the city hired Hillard Heintze for $200,000 to conduct the review, asking the firm to make recommendations on six main areas: civilian review; citizen complaints and discipline; accreditation implementation and policy review; personnel management practices; and training.

Representatives from Hillard Heintze gathered community input in a variety of ways, including listening sessions, an online survey and interviews with members of the public, police and city officials.

Although Chang asked for specifics on their methodology, Hillard Heintze representatives could not provide details on the number of participants and the demographics of those who gave input that informed the report.

An appendix in the full Hillard Heintze report summarizes the type of "community voices" that guided their recommendations.

Transforming Washtenaw Justice criticized Hillard Heintze's methods of collecting input from the community, including: the online survey limited participation to those with internet access who can read English; the listening sessions were not recorded, so there's less transparency about what was said at those meetings; and people who distrust police would not feel comfortable participating in interviews with former law enforcement officers.

"It is insulting that the members of city council could hire a for-profit, pro-police, private security consulting firm ... -- founded by former law enforcement officers -- to conduct an 'independent' review and actually believe that Hillard Heintze would 'objectively' enter community, establish trust, collect stories and experiences of trauma by those community members most directly impacted by policing. And then, further, to critically assess the harm being caused by police in our community," states the Transforming Washtenaw Justice statement, which was read in parts by six people during the public comment portion of Thursday's work session.

Other comments from the public on Thursday evidenced the deep mistrust and lack of faith in police many Ann Arbor residents feel, particularly people of color.

"You all are ex-cops. ... So I don't expect you to give us, the community, any kind of credence," Ann Arbor resident Shirley Beckley said to the Hillard Heintze representatives.

"I hope that our city council has some kind of heart about them - and not use all your brainpower, but some of your heart - to know that we do need this citizens police oversight committee," she continued.

High school student Amory Zhou-Kourvo said he recognizes that his personal experience with Ann Arbor police is different than the experience of his black classmates, who he said are more likely to be confronted by officers for issues like curfew violations.

"The issue is urgent and its solution cannot come out of police policing themselves. It has to come from a powerful body of people. Better yet, it can come with community-based alternatives to policing," Zhou-Kourvo said.

Representatives from Hillard Heintz think the CPPC is the best way to rebuild trust between police and the community. It would increase transparency and give citizens a voice in policing practices.

"We are not dismissing the fact that there is a significant portion of the community - that we heard tonight and other people - who have spoken of distrust in the police capacity to do their own investigation," Bouche said. "I am not saying that that is not an issue, and moving forward is not ignoring that issue."

If Hillard Heintz thought the police internal review process was the most pressing issue facing AAPD, their final recommendations would have been different, he added.

"In examining the internal affairs and processes that we've seen, that's not your most significant problem," Bouche said. "It's perception and trust and lack of community engagement, which we think this (CPPC) model will bring forward. ... If you can rebuild the trust and you can build transparency, you begin to solve the other problems too."
ANN ARBOR, MI - This year's recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship include students from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

At UM, senior Nadine Jawad was named one of 32 recipients of the scholarship, which has fully funded 2 to 3 years of graduate study at Oxford University in any field since 1902. Scholars pursue either a taught or research-based master's or doctoral degree.

Jawad is pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in Public Policy and Biology, and is a Truman Scholar. She is the vice president of UM's Central Student Government and has been responsible for helping implement policy and initiatives related to under-representation in STEM fields, support for students with disabilities, campus affordability and scholarship opportunities and housing access.

She also oversees campus-wide nonpartisan efforts to expand voter registration. As the Co-Founder of Books for a Benefit, Jawad has helped provide supplementary programs and resources in literacy to students in southeastern Michigan to advance more equitable opportunities in education.

At Oxford, she plans a master of science in International Health and Tropical Medicine.

Jawad said she was shocked to learn she had been accepted as a Rhodes Scholar, sharing the special moment with her mother and father

"I was shaking before the news was announced, and when I heard my name being read I started crying," Jawad said. "My mom was waiting in the lobby downstairs so I ran down to tell her in person. We both started crying a lot - many, many happy tears - but then we called my dad and he was crying too.

"I owe my life to my parents and all the sacrifices they have made for me, so it was very emotional to receive this honor as I view it as an honor for my family and my community," she added.

There have been 25 UM alumni selected for the scholarship throughout its history.

At MSU, Clara Lepard, an Honors College alumna who earned a degree in zoology in 2017 from the College of Natural Science, received the scholarship.

According to her bio, she currently is working as a research assistant in the Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Lab at MSU, where she studies the behavioral ecology of lions and ungulates in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda.

She earned the Outstanding Academic Achievement and Promise in Zoology Award from the College of Natural Science at MSU. She also served as a sexual assault and relationship violence prevention peer educator, leading workshops for incoming Michigan State University students. She will pursue a doctorate of philosophy in Zoology at Oxford.

MSU has produced 18 Rhodes Scholars to date.

Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. First, applicants must be endorsed by their college or university. This year more than 2,500 students sought their institution's endorsement and 866 were endorsed by 299 different colleges and universities. Selection committees in each of 16 U.S. districts then invite the strongest applicants to appear before them for an interview.

The total value of the Scholarship averages approximately $68,000 per year and up to as much as $250,000 for scholars who remain at Oxford for four years in certain departments.

A complete list of winners can be found online.
GREENLEAF TWP, MI -- Police are continuing to piece together the fallout of a gunfight in a rural Sanilac County home that left two intruders dead, two more in jail, and a resident wounded.

"It's scary," said one neighbor who lives on the same dirt road but refused to be identified. "It's too close to home for comfort, something like this."

A Times reporter who visited the scene was met by a man who aggressively told him he did not want to talk about the incident. The reporter left the site pursued by two pit bulls.

The shootout occurred at 4375 Holbrook Road in Greenleaf Township about 5 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Biniecki said. Two male residents were present at the time up to four men invaded their house, with one shot in the leg by the intruders.

The other man living there returned fire, hitting at least two of them. One was dead at the scene by the time police arrived, while his cohorts had fled.

The residents told deputies they saw three men enter their home, but deputies came to believe four suspects were involved.

Deputies found a vehicle less than a mile away with a Flint-area man dead inside from an apparent gunshot wound. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Flint in October.

Deputies located and arrested two additional suspects, Biniecki said.

The wounded resident was taken to an area hospital for treatment, but had been discharged as of Monday afternoon, the sheriff said.

Biniecki could not disclose the would-be burglars' motive or if they were known to the residents. He also could not disclose the names of anyone involved.

The sheriff said he did not expect the two arrested suspects to be arraigned Monday.
The Detroit Police Department will receive $1.85 million in federal grant funds to support the salaries of 15 officers over the next three years.

The Department of Justice on Monday announced the 179 police agencies nationwide selected to split nearly $98 million in Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program funds distributed by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' office.

The Michigan recipients:

Detroit Police Department, $1,848,067, 15 officers

Harper Woods Police Department, $295,462, 2 officers

Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, $1,375,000, 11 officers

Taylor Police Department, $500,000, 4 officers

Albion Department of Public Safety, $125,000, 1 officer

Officers hired with the federal grant funds must be employed for at least three years.

The Department of Justice said agencies that agreed to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts were given greater funding priority.

"Cooperation may include providing access to detention facilities for an interview of aliens in the jurisdiction's custody and providing advance notice of an alien's release from custody upon request," the Department of Justice said.

According to a Department of Justice spokesperson, Taylor, Albion, Kalamazoo and Harper Woods were awarded "additional points" for their willingness to cooperate with federal immigration efforts.

Detroit was not.

Full list of recipients

"Cities and states that cooperate with federal law enforcement make all of us safer by helping remove dangerous criminals from our communities," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Today, the Justice Department announced that 80 percent of this year's COPS Hiring Program grantees have agreed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in their detention facilities. I applaud their commitment to the rule of law and to ending violent crime, including violent crime stemming from illegal immigration. I continue to encourage every jurisdiction in America to collaborate with federal law enforcement and help us make this country safer."

As of October, Detroit had 2,478 sworn officers, the most since before the city entered bankruptcy in 2013.
MT. MORRIS TWP, MI - The Westwood Heights Board of Education has selected two new members to fill open seats on the governing body.

Tyra Coburn Muldrew and Jessie Cloman Sr. were appointed at the school board's November meeting, occupying the spots vacated following the resignations of Lisa Stone in October and Gwendolyn P. Holmes earlier this month.

Cloman retired from the Department of Community Development in Flint, according to the district, and served as secretary and treasurer on the AFSCME Local 1600 board as well as vice president of the Michigan Association of Housing Officers.

Muldrew, a University of Michigan-Flint graduate working on her master's degree, previously served on the Westwood Heights school board and is a licensed social worker in the state of Michigan.

Board president Dewayn Allen said commitment to student success and the unique skills they possess were some of the reasons offered for the appointments.

Muldrew and Cloman each have children attending Westwood Heights schools.

The pair will step onto a board that has experienced some division in recent times, with Stone previously stating part of the reason behind stepping down after nearly three years into a four-year term was due to "the dysfunction of the board."

She claimed other board members "have a personal agenda" and are not acting on behalf of the best interests of the district's students.

"My vote doesn't count," she said. "My vote isn't heard."

Stone said the problem was illustrated by her vote to retain long-time superintendent Salli Stevens, who was let go after her contract expired at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

Allen said the district is going "through a period of growth," including the addition of new programs, and he hopes to get the backing from those in the district.

"We will need the support of the entire community to ensure our success," he said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- World Vision executive Chris Palusky will take the helm of Bethany Christian Services in January after longtime CEO Bill Blacquiere retires.

The Grand Rapids-based organization has grown into one of the world's largest global Christian social services organization. Bethany has 120 locations in 38 states.

In Michigan, Bethany has offices in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, Traverse City, Holland, Grand Haven, Fremont, Paw Paw and Cadillac.

Blacquiere is credited with playing an instrumental role in Bethany's evolution as a global organization. During his tenure, Bethany developed child welfare programs in Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Haiti, Zambia, Liberia and Canada.

"Under Bill's guidance, Bethany has expanded its influence on countries hoping to enable children to remain in their home country with loving families," said Garth Deur, retired banker and the organization's current board chairman.

Bethany provides many services from placing children in foster homes to resettling refugees in West Michigan.

Founded in 1944, Bethany's mission is to find a loving, permanent home for every child, working to reunite children with their biological families or place children in permanent adoptive homes. The agency serves over 100,000 children annually.

As Bethany's new president and CEO, Palusky will be responsible for developing long term strategy and direction for the organization.

"Bethany has been making tremendous strides to improve the well-being of children throughout the world," said Palusky. "The organization will continue to grow as we further our efforts domestically and internationally to uphold and encourage family preservation and assist vulnerable children who need it most."

Palusky began his 20-year career at World Relief and most recently served as U.S. vice president of private funding and humanitarian and emergency affairs at World Vision, a global Christian humanitarian organization.

Bill Blacquiere has led Bethany for 14 of his 31 years with the organization. (Courtesy | Bethany Christian Services)

"Having supported children and families in crisis for nearly 75 years, Bethany is one of the most well-respected organizations throughout the world, so I'm honored by the opportunity to join an exceptional staff of caring professionals committed to aiding vulnerable children," Palusky said.

Palusky, was selected out of 50 candidates, for his track record of success with nonprofit organizations dedicated to humanitarian efforts, the organization said.

To help with a smooth leadership transition, Blacquiere will remain with Bethany through the first part of 2018, providing counsel to Palusky as he settles into his new position.

Blacquiere has led Bethany for 12 of his 31 years with the organization. Over the decades, Blacquiere says he watched many change within the field of child welfare services.

"I have seen the shift to open adoption and a better understanding for the importance of the adoption triad - consisting of the child, birth parents and adoptive parents," Blacquiere said.

Bethany has come under fire for refusing to work with gay couples who want to adopt or provide foster care.

Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, for contracting with Bethany and Catholic Charities. Both faith-based organizations, which find foster homes for children who become wards of the state, screen out same-sex couples.

Michigan is one of seven states with a law that allows faith-based child-placement agencies to screen out same-sex couples. The other states are Alabama, Texas, Virginia, Mississippi and North and South Dakota.
HUDSONVILLE, MI - For the second time this month, Hudsonville Public Schools is investigating allegations a teacher is holding Bible talks with students, after complaints from a civil rights group.

Last week, the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists (MACRA) contacted the district after parents at Baldwin Street Middle School raised concerns about sixth-grade teacher Jeffrey Henderson. He allegedly has Bible study in class prior to school and engages in faith discussions during the school hour.

On Nov. 6, the district terminated faith-based discussions a fifth-grade Alward Elementary teacher was having with students during lunchtime, after MACRA complained about the violation of the U.S. Constitution.

"Hudsonville has a problem understanding that there is a line between church and state that public schools cannot cross," said Mitch Kahle, a member of the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists.

"This is the third school violation in less than two years and it appears pervasive. If the district doesn't take some type of proactive measures, the trend is for more parents to come forward.''

District attorney Catherine Tracey informed Kahle on Thursday, Nov. 16, the complaints are being investigated. This is Henderson's 30th year in the district.

Assistant Superintendent Scott Smith said Monday, Nov. 20, the district will take the necessary time to conduct a thorough investigation into the MACRA allegations.

"We certainly want to know if any of our students and parents have concerns about religious activity at school. We will investigate whether any of the latest information brought forward by Mr. Kahle is inconsistent with the law or Board policy, and take remedial action as we deem appropriate,'' according to Smith.

In addition to a formal policy about engaging in religious activities with students, MACRA is calling for Henderson to be fired or suspended.

Kahle said when someone is found to be acting improperly and the school takes no disciplinary action or gives them a slap on the risk, it sends the wrong message. He pointed out that Alward teacher Christopher Karel was not disciplined.

Nelson Miller, professor and associate dean of the Cooley Law School's Grand Rapids Campus, said the younger the student the greater concern about schools violating the First Amendment. He said the teacher and school are perceived as endorsing religion, so there is an "entanglement'' concern.

"While there is some gray area about engaging in Bible discussions on campus before or after school, the courts have generally discouraged that practice.''

In his Nov. 16 letter to the district, Kahle cited comments on the rate my teacher website about Henderson that refer to him talking about religion too much and being very or overly religious.

In addition to his position at Hudsonville, Henderson cites being a youth minister on his Facebook page.

The 2015 practice Hudsonville discontinued involved Bible Club Ministries International-Western Michigan. Georgetown Elementary students were attending a Bible Club in a recreational vehicle in the parking lot during lunch hour.

Last week, Smith said each year the district shares information with their teachers and administrators to help clarify the boundaries that public schools must follow in regard to religion.

"The district is either not clarifying the law or teachers are turning a blind eye," Kahle said. "It looks like Mr. Henderson is repeatedly breaking the rules and there should be consequences.''

In its letter, MACRA informs the district that if it does not take immediate action to ensure district-wide compliance with the law, the group will begin discussions about legal action.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- State officials have hired a new administrator of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Tracey Nelson will take the reins of the veteran's home Dec. 4, officials announced Monday, Nov. 20.

Nelson is the administrator of MediLodge of Capital Area in Lansing, a facility that serves 120 short-term and long-term residents

Nelson fills a role left vacant by the September resignation of former administrator Scott Blakeney. The Grand Rapids home has been under the interim direction of Michigan Veteran Health System COO Steve Rolston since Blakeney's departure.

"Tracey has more than a decade of experience working in skilled nursing environments, including the past five as an administrator. She comes to GRHV at an exciting time as we look to the future of providing the best possible care for our state's veterans," said Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director James Robert Redford in a statement. "All of us at MVAA and the Michigan Veterans Health System look forward to Tracey's arrival."

Nelson has worked for the MediLodge facility in Lansing as its administrator since 2012. Prior to that, she has worked for Lutheran Homes of Michigan, Nexcare HealthSystems and Shoreline Health Care.

"It is such an honor to be placed in a position to serve our veterans, and I look forward to having the opportunity to work with the veteran community on a daily basis," Nelson said in a statement. "It is an exciting and rapidly progressive time in the health care system. I am impressed by the vision and direction the Michigan Veteran Heath System is headed."

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is pursuing plans to build a new Grand Rapids veterans home.

Care provided to the 300 residents at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans has been scrutinized in the past several years, after a scathing 2016 audit found a number of issues with how the residents were treated.

Subsequent audits show conditions have improved.

Eleven former workers of the former staffing contractor were charged with falsifying medical records by Attorney General Bill Schuette this summer. A judge dismissed charges against eight of the 11 workers in early November due to insufficient evidence.
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We are pleased to inform all the stakeholders that the Company has received the Purchase Order ('PO') worth Rs. 128 crore approx. from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, New Delhi for supply of Packet Microwave Radio Systems on pan India basis for BSNL Mobile Network vide its letter dated 17th November, 2017. This equipment PO is part of a turnkey project and the balance PO for Installation and AMC support services will be issued separately by BSNL.Source : BSE

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Board Meeting to be held on November 27 2017 to consider inter alia the un-audited Standalone & Consolidated Financial Results.Further, pursuant to provisions of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015, and as per the terms of "Code of Conduct of Prevention of Insider Trading" of the Company, the trading window shall remain closed from Monday 20th November 2017 to Wednesday 29th November 2017 (both days inclusive) for every person as defined in the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015Source : BSE

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and claimed the Congress had done so too in the past.

On Congress president Sonia Gandhi's allegation that the government was "sabotaging" the Winter session of Parliament, Jaitley said the opposition party had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters here.

He also said the session would be held and the Congress "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

He said the Congress had itself rescheduled Parliament sessions several times.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

"Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed," Jaitley said.

Sources said the government was considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in New Delhi today, Sonia Gandhi said, "The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds.
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said on Monday that the organisation has a robust succession plan in place with a "food court" of leadership at its disposal.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Mahindra said the board already knows his choice of successor. As for other top roles at the company, he said the visibility into the next rung of leadership at the company is clearer than at most other corporates.

"If you look at our group executive board, all of them are potential leaders," said Mahindra. "There is no doubt that should the succession need arise (for new leaders), there will be plenty of resources to fill the gaps... there is always an alternative."

Mahindra was speaking on the sidelines of an event to inaugurate M&M's manufacturing plant in Detroit, the company's first in the US. The unit will make off-road vehicles targeted only at the American market.

Mahindra, 62, has been at the company for nearly three decades. His tenure as chief has seen the group expand domestically and internationally into a range of major industrial sectors from automobiles and agriculture to IT and aerospace.

Mahindra had earlier said that the company should a succession plan "just in case Im hit by a bus". He appears to be taking a leaf out of L&T's book, where former CEO AM Naik's succession plan was put in place at least two years before his retirement in July this year.

While Mahindra has been a stable force at the USD 19 billion conglomerate for years, recent upheavals at top Indian companies perhaps serve as a reminder that it's better to be safe than sorry.

As witnessed at Infosys & Tata Sons, abrupt top-deck changes can leave a company unstable. While the IT bellwether went through a tumultuous year before Vishal Sikka stepped down as CEO and co-founder Nandan Nilekani took the reins as interim chief, the salt-to-software conglomerate had seen a bitter boardroom battle which led to the ouster of Cyrus Mistry.

Below is the transcript of the interview.

Q: I am told this is the first automobile manufacturing plant set up in Detroit in the last 25 years.

A: By an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) auto major, yes.

Q: So, what does this really mean? Why is it important for Mahindra to be present in Detroit?

A: We first came here when we were really trying to enhance the competence of our research and development (R&D) people. The thing about India is, we have a huge reservoir of fresh and raw talent, a lot of talented young people. But in the auto industry, to top that up, you also need a lot of experience. One of the reasons why large global auto companies have a lead on us technology was because of their engineering database, their experience over the years.

So what happened very fortuitously was that during the recession in the US, a number of engineers in Detroit were laid off and so, suddenly you had a supply meets demand situation where what we had in insight about was that there is now a reservoir of experienced talent in Detroit which we can tap into. So most people who were looking at Detroit as a city in decline, quite to that contrary, we saw that as an opportunity. And to the credit of our R&D people, Rajan Wadhera was in R&D at that time, Rajan and Pawan requested Rick Haas who had worked with us in Chennai in Mahindra Research Valley and had gone home, he said why don't you set up something here.

And so, he went to work, rolled up his sleeves and located a number of people and got about 100 engineers to create Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC). So we started by offshoring and what I love about that story is India outsourcing to America.

Q: So what does this mean now for you? Because you have said that you want to come in with an off-roader and this also gels in with what you have often said that the future of mobility is such that the mass cars will become commoditised and people will use cars more for recreational purposes. So, therefore, it gels in with that. But do we see Mahindra from there even entering the mass market going forward?

A: Let us not call it the mass market. What the off-roader here could lead to is our presence in that lifestyle, recreational SUV segment. We have had our sights on it. That is not something that is on the anvil right now, but we have been quite open to say that we might in fact look at Ssangyong as a point of entry.

So there are three points of entry potentially for Mahindra in the US. One is of course, our core SUV off-road base and very diligently, we have built on the Mahindra brand here with a solid awareness of our tractor brand. The tractor company then introduced the retriever brand of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) which you see outside. On top of that, we will be building this off-roader which frankly is going to be highly differentiated and way beyond its competition in the field.

So the next logical step could be certainly to go onto on-road SUVs. As far as what you call the mass market, I call the fleet or the commute market. I did say in India that Mahindra is participating in that as well and you might recall I said very confidently that that is going to be all-electric very soon. So being in the electric mobility market, there is no reason why Mahindra cannot enter into the electric vehicle in the US market too.

Q: I asked you that question also because very recently you have stitched an alliance, a global pact of sorts, with Ford Motor Company and I am guessing you could also leverage that to make inroads. Is that also part of your thinking when you say that you will be entering the US market?

A: Let me be very frank. When we started the dialogue with Ford, the prime focus really was India and emerging markets and to see how Mahindra and Ford can work together in a better manner to cope with the unpredictability of the world of mobility, how do we strengthen both our product offerings in India and emerging markets. So that is really the current focus of the alliance in the talk. However, we have introduced as well the topic of shared mobility and of electrification and if the alliance gets stronger, there is no reason why two companies cannot explore what other synergies there are for each other around the globe.

Q: As somebody who has been tracking the Mahindra Group for many years now and when I speak with many of your company executives, they often wonder where will the next rung of leaders come from, how will Mahindra Group replace a Pawan Goenka, will replace a Rajeev Dubey and maybe at some point even Mr Anand Mahindra. What is the thinking around that?

A: I have been very hopeful about that and I would argue that as a group, the visibility into our next rung of leadership, our bench of leadership is clearer than in most other organisations. We have created the Group Executive Board and my submission to our own board which follows a very robust succession planning procedure, here is a foodcourt of leadership and all of them are potential leaders for any of our businesses that we have. So if you just take a look at our Group Executive Board, you will get a very good idea of what leadership we have and then if you look at the second rung as well, the succession planning we have been following has been providing a tremendous resource for the main board for succession planning. So I do not think there should be any doubt that as the succession needs arise, there will be plenty of resources to fill the gaps.

Q: You had very famously said right to your board that if you get hit, God forbid, by a bus, then they should be ready to pick your successor. Have you started thinking on those lines?

A: Absolutely. You are right. Since the time I talked to you, we changed the expression. We found it very macabre. We called it the contingency choice.

Q: A euphemism.

A: Yes, we needed a euphemism because the board was saying this hit by a bus is rather macabre. So yes, as I have always said the board already knows my option or choices to replace me.

Q: So you have already given them an option.

A: Absolutely.

Q: Because you are a man of many interests from books to old maps to wine to yachts. So therefore, would you want to continue in executive capacity after your tenure just to ensure that the group remains steady because as I said, the group is becoming wide, diverse. It is already USD 19 billion now. So, it will be quite the tough act to find a replacement for Anand Mahindra.

A: What is that old thing they say in politics, the TINA factor, that there is no alternative. And there is always an alternative. Frankly I think that applies even more to the corporate sector than to politics. There is always an alternative to all of us. The biggest mistake any leader can make whether it is a political leader or a business leader, to presume that he or she is indispensable.

Q: What are your investment plans going forward?

A: Cumulatively, if you look at the money we have put into Detroit both in the former MNATC and Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) as it is called now, it is about USD 230 million odd. And by 2020, we expect to add another USD 400 million to that. So we will be looking really at USD 600-800 million of investment in a very short order.

Q: Can tell us about the order for the postal trucks that your company has been shortlisted for?

A: It is a very large order, it is 1,80,000 vehicles that they are looking for, but we are not allowed to talk much more about it than to say that we are amongst the short-listed five. It is clearly very exciting. All I can tell you is that why Mahindra? I did not know until the team here started bidding for the order that postal trucks in the US are right hand drive and they are diesel, but beyond that, I am not really at liberty to say any more about where the contract is at this point of time.

Q: How do you plan to expand your market share?

A: A: We can also take comfort in the fact that we have been shouting from the rooftops for a long time that SUVs are the future. So at least, one should give us credit for having seen that future coming. The reason for our market share decline also has a lot to do with the definition of SUVs. If you look at the products that are included in SUVs today, a lot of them which are not chassis based would not have been called SUVs in the old days. They are crossovers. But crossovers have been included in SUVs and suddenly the definition has expanded.

So we have been predicting that our perception, the perception of our market share declining was inevitable. As more people began to understand the very attractive nature of the market in which we play. We are concerned about the pie growing, not about the share of the pie so much. As long as the pie keeps growing, people shift to SUVs and crossovers, which is happening apace as you know, we are very happy.

As to whether we need a renaissance, car companies, sometimes we have winners, sometimes we have losers, sometimes we have blockbusters, it is a lot like the movie business. So, if you ask this question at the launch of the XUV 500, keep in mind, we had to shut off bookings because there lines forming around the block. That can happen overnight. So we have a number of products ourselves and so just keep watching the box-office.

Q: What is your message then to the team, to your passenger vehicle business led by Pawan and his team?

A: They are a very self-driven team and as far as they are concerned, they always believe they have the next blockbuster down the corner and that is what they are working towards and in fact, our pipeline is a fairly robust one.

Keep in mind that we are one of the few companies that knows how to build products and brands and models which survive and have longevity. The Bolero is still going strong as you and it is more than 18 years old. It is still one of the largest selling SUVs in India. You look at the Scorpio, 15 years old and we had record monthly sales just in the last quarter.

So the thing about Mahindra you have to recognise is, like for example, the Jeep brand overseas, I think our brand has entered the consumer's consciousness. So we are capable of producing and creating brands that are durable, just as rugged as our products are mechanically, I think our brands are just as durable even perceptually. So I am very optimistic about our future.
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Robbery of about Rs 1 crore worth of jewellery and other valuables from a Mumbai branch has led government-owned Bank of Baroda to step up its alert systems. The bank has now decided to install electronic surveillance systems at its branches and ATMs.

We are initiating process of installing E-Surveillance at our Branches and ATMs. These will generate alert based alarms which will be a big boost to the Safety and Security of the Bank, a Bank of Baroda spokesperson told Moneycontrol in an emailed response.

Security of bank safes and safety deposit lockers came under scrutiny when one of the biggest, most brazen heists in recent times grabbed headlines last week. A group of robbers were found to have dug a 25-feet deep tunnel into a Bank of Baroda branch in Navi Mumbai, broke open 30 lockers and escaped with valuables worth over Rs 1 crore.

Bank of Baroda CEO and Managing Director PS Jayakumar last week told reporters, It does raise questions and issues, not so much about us (the bank) but the sophistication in which it is taking place. Therefore, we have to rework the kind of mechanics we have, the kind of alarm systems and upgrade all of them. The investigation is on now. But banks are insured when it comes to lockers and it is not a financial loss to the bank.

The public sector bank said it is co-operating with the police by providing all relevant information, assistance in carrying out the investigation, and helping the customers.

Bankers are now worried that with the increasing level of new technology and more creative techniques including cyber-crime will need to be looked at again with an aim to strengthen the safety and the security standards at financial institutions dealing with public money and wealth.

Also Read: Worried about valuables in safety lockers? Here's what RBI norms say and what you should do

Neeraj Vyas, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at State Bank of India said, "Bank safes are usually well secured, have the highest security standards and the walls and even the floorings are RCC (reinforced cement concrete) which are difficult to break in. But ultimately technology is changing and the cutters that these thieves use have also become sharper and quicker to use. We follow the prescribed security standards and keep reviewing our security policy based on threat perception."

Experts on lockers safety: Are bank safes....well...safe? Only cutting-edge security systems could save the day

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also pressed the need to have active Board involvement and quarterly updates by banks and financial institutions to keep a check on cyber security threats, which is gaining momentum across the world.

The banking regulator has already imposed a fine of Rs 6 crore on private sector lender Yes Bank for failing to report a cyber security breach of its ATM network.
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Cairn, the oil and gas vertical of Vedanta Ltd, today announced the appointment of Nitin Banerjee as General Counsel.

"Banerjee will be a member of Cairn Business Executive Committee (EXCO) and will help drive the company's vision to contribute to 50 per cent of India's crude oil & gas production," Vedanta said in a statement.

"He will also be an integral member of the Group Legal Council and play a key role in driving the overall legal vision and charter for the legal function across the group," it added.

Banerjee joins Cairn from Vodafone India, where he was working as the Senior Vice President, Legal Transactions and heading the legal operations for Vodafone's Enterprise Business, Technology, IT and Networks, Strategy and Wholesale Mobility businesses.
Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC), a part of US Chamber of Commerce, the trade lobby group of US which advocates for implementation of strong intellectual property (IP) standards globally, recently said it sees a protectionist mindset among Indian political leadership and inadequate enforcement of which hampers the growth of Indo-US trade.

Patrick Kilbride, Vice-President, International Intellectual Property at GIPC, who oversees the centers multilateral and international programmes promoting the protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights in an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol said countries with effective IP protection both produce more innovative output and enjoy faster access to innovation from elsewhere. He also asked India to take a leaf from China's recent efforts to strengthen IP protections, including patent linkage mechanisms and regulatory data protection. Edited excerpts:

What are the barriers you think that are hampering trade and investment between US and India?

The main obstacle hindering American companies in India is a political mindset that appears to see global trade and investment as a threat to local manufacturers rather than as a source of growth. This protective mindset translates into restrictive import policies, redundant regulatory measures, forced localization, and discriminatory treatment of imports or foreign-owned productive capacity.

By the way, this same mindset seems to be taking root at home in the United States; we are fighting back by illustrating how foreign trade and investment boost economic growth through competition, enhance consumer value through choice and quality, and make America more competitive by safeguarding industrial inputs and optimizing supply chains.

India is on the priority watch list of US Trade Representative (USTR) for sometime - what it can do to come out of that list?

As long as USTR believes that Indias IP laws and enforcement mechanisms are inadequate to protect US intellectual property, India is likely to remain on the watch list. This includes statutes that restrict patent eligibility, such as Section 3(d); measures that delay patent protection, including pre-grant opposition; and, economic conditions such as rampant copyright piracy, where civil and criminal penalties may be insufficient to provide a deterrent effect.

Indian policy makers constantly grapple with the challenge of creating jobs, improving living standards like providing access to life-saving medicines/devices for over 1.2 billion people - but some of the concerns raised by USTR such as asking for restrictions on technology transfer and stronger IP standards at times lead to a conflicting situation. How can India and US resolve this?

The evidence is clear  and the US Chamber IP Index contributes to the factual record in this regard. Countries with effective IP protection both produce more innovative output and enjoy faster access to innovation from elsewhere. Investment in innovative and creative activity  at least on a socially-transformative scale  is dependent on strong, reliable property rights that enable financing and commercialization of new products, services, and technologies.

When India protects IP creation at an adequate level, local investment and domestic start-ups will flourish and before long India will be advocating for more countries to take the same steps to protect Indian IP.

How can India address the problem of access versus compliance?

In the United States, the worlds most innovative bio-pharmaceutical industry operates in a market where 90 percent of all medicines purchased are generics  a great many of them from India. IP and generic access can go hand-in-hand.

What are the other areas of concern and things to watch for?

Watch China. The Chinese government is investing in strengthened IP protections, including patent linkage mechanisms and regulatory data protection, in order to stimulate domestic pharmaceutical innovation. India has been way ahead of China in pharmaceutical manufacturing, but could lose out quickly if China makes a surge in innovation. Indias recent draft Pharmaceutical Policy seems to recognize this risk and urges steps (also known as IPRs) to secure incentives for innovative R&D.
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Paragon Partners today announced the completion of fundraise for its maiden private equity fund and said it has raised USD 120 million from domestic and global investors.

Paragon Partners, founded by Siddharth Parekh and Sumeet Nindrajog, is a mid-market focused private equity firm, and targets growth capital opportunities in India across consumer discretionary, financial services, infrastructure services, manufacturing and industrials and healthcare services.

The fund secured commitments of around USD 120 million from a diverse mix of domestic and global investors, a company release said.

The limited partners of Paragon Partners Growth Fund - I include a large sovereign wealth fund, a development financial institution, funds of funds, insurance companies, family offices and high net worth individuals, it added.

"Achieving our final close on our first fund is an important and exciting milestone for us. We are today very well positioned to pursue the opportunity we have identified in the mid-market in India," Parekh said.

Paragon Partners typically makes investments ranging in ticket size from USD 10-15 million per transaction, targeting significant minority ownership stakes.

The fund has already made four investments aggregating around USD 45 million. In September 2017, one of the fund's early portfolio companies, Capacit'e Infraprojects Limited, undertook a USD 62 million initial public offering.

"We will continue partnering talented management teams to propel their businesses," said Nindrajog.
In a bid to add healthier packaging options to their products, PepsiCo India has introduced glass bottles that need not be returned, according to a report by Mint.

PepsiCo India has introduced non-returnable glass bottles which have a 'twist-and-turn' cap, similar to the plastic bottles, for the zero-calorie carbonated Pepsi Black.

The company will initially introduce the bottles in metro cities and then sell them in other towns. The price of the product will not change even as the cost of packaging for non-returnable glass bottles is higher than polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, which are currently being used.

The new form of packaging will only be for Pepsi Black initially.

According to the report, Pepsi's foray into non-returnable glass bottle packaging is a first for any carbonated beverage maker.

Even though the bottle is non-returnable, it can still be reused by consumers.

Raj Rishi Singh, director (marketing for Pepsi), PepsiCo India told the newspaper, "Cola is best enjoyed chilled and from a glass bottle. Non-returnable glass bottles also make on-the-go consumption possible. And these bottles can be re-used at home. This is an experience driven packaging disruption".

Pepsi is also selling the sparkling version of its water brand Himalayan in glass bottles. Himalayan is a joint venture between Tata Global Beverages and Pepsi.

Pepsi's main rival Coca Cola has non-returnable glass bottles in its United States and Maldives markets for different products, but has not introduced the technology in India yet.
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The Congress tonight released its first list of 77 candidates in which sitting MLA Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot East seat has veen fielded to fight against BJP Chief Minister Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West seat.

However, after the list was released, PAAS members expressed anger and started protesting in many parts of the state, claiming they were not given proper representation.

Two PAAS members were given tickets in the released list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats. Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat.

In Surat, PAAS members ghearoed the city unit office late in the night and indulged in sloganeering against the Congress.

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya told reporters.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania, with his supporters reached the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki to represent their case.

"We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us," he said. However, Solanki was not present at his Ahmedabad residence.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protests against Congress tomorrow," another PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria said.

Earlier in the day, PAAS mebers led by Bhambania and Kahiria had met Solanki and other Congress leaders. After the meeting it was declared that they had reached a compromise formula.

Sources in the party had earlier said that the PAAS was demanding around 20 seats and negotiations were on between the PAAS and Congress on seat sharing.

Meanwhile, senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil who is MLA from Abdasa of Kutch has been fielded from Mandvi. Gohil's chance of being a chief ministerial candidate brightened after Solanki said that he would not contest polls.

Party has fielded another senior leader Arjun Modhvaida from Porbandar seat which he had lost last time in 2012.

The party has given tickets to all its sitting MLAs on the seats where names were released.

The party has fielded four former MPs in the list of 77 for the first phase of the election scheduled on December 9, showing that it gives importance to the state assembly elections. It has fielded Kunverjai Bavaliya from Jasdan seat, Soma Patel from Limbdi, Tushar Chaudhary from Mahua ST and Virji Thummer from Lathi seats.

The Congress has also given tickets to three members of minority community in the list--Suleman Patel from Vagra, Iqubal Patel from Surat (West) and Mohammed Javed Pirzadda from Vankaner.

Eleven canidates belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category.

Of the total 182 assembly segments in the state, 89 seats will go to poll in the first phase.
BJP's youth wing in Tamil Nadu on Monday began a state-wide exercise to inspect whether hotels have revised prices after the GST council brought all hotels in the five percent bracket without Input Tax Credit.

The GST Council recently reduced the tax rate on 178 items from 28 percent to 18 percent and also brought all AC and non-AC restaurants in the five percent GST bracket without the Input Tax Credit (ITC).

Kicking off the state-wide campaign here, BJP Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan visited a top hotel in Thiyagaraya Nagar area to inspect whether GST rates were reduced and also visited some shops.

She also tweeted about her inspection on Twitter and shared some pictures of her having food with party cadres. She said it was 'condemnable' that hotels had increased prices despite reduction in GST rates.

"As per the request by people, the GST rates were reduced for food items. This government will function as per the wishes of the people, she tweeted. BJP Yuva Morcha, Tamil Nadu President, Vinoj P Selvam said.

"Today BJYM Tamil Nadu inspected restaurants in Chennai to check whether this reduction in tax is being implemented".

Several customers had slammed hotels for not reducing prices after the new revised GST structure, with many taking to the social media alleging that they had, in fact, increased the rates following a reduction in GST.
IndiGo has suspended two staffers for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger at Guwahati airport.

The incident involving lawyer Krishna Sarma happened on Sunday wherein her mobile phone was allegedly snatched by a staff to delete certain pictures clicked by her.

Regretting the "unpleasant experience" of Sarma with its airport staff, IndiGo said, "based on her complaint, has suspended the two employees involved in the incident pending investigation".

When contacted, Sarma told PTI, "I am satisfied that IndiGo responded with such alacrity". But, she refused to talk further about the incident.

In its statement, IndiGo said the airline has been in touch with Sarma and regretted the inconvenience caused to her.

"In fact, we have kept her informed of the immediate steps that IndiGo has taken following her complaint," the statement said.

Also Read: IndiGo sacks staffer who shot video of passenger being manhandled

According to a message circulating on social media, Sarma clicked some pictures when her luggage was being screened again and again. After checking her bag, one of the staff allegedly said she had to delete the pictures.

Despite the passenger saying that the pictures have been deleted, the staff forcibly snatched her phone and proceeded to delete the same from 'recently deleted' folder in the phone, as per the message purportedly attributed to Sarma.

Following the incident, she complained to the airline. Earlier this month, a video clip of IndiGo staff assaulting a passenger at the airport in the national capital had gone viral. Later, the airline apologised for the incident while a probe by aviation regulator DGCA is on.
The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that its records show a bungalow on Jantar Mantar Road in the heart of the national capital was allotted to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Smarak Trust and was not allocated to either activist Swami Agnivesh or his NGO.

The response of the Ministry of Urban Development to a query under the Right to Information Act said the records suggested that as on April 30, 1977, bungalow number 7 at the Jantar Mantar Road was in the name of the trust.

"As per records the property is not allocated to Bandhua Mukti Morcha at any point of time. As per the records, the property was not allocated to Swami Agnivesh in the past," the ministry said.

The RTI response said that there was no complaint with regard to the property during the 2010-2015 period.

"No such complaint indicating illegal possession and misuse is found in the records of property no. 7, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi," it said.

The RTI reply was referred to before a bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru which was hearing a plea filed by activist Ajay Gautam against an October 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

The CIC had denied him the information sought on the ground he was not a lessee of the property.

Agnivesh, however, said that his NGO Bandhua Mukti Morcha is operating from the bungalow.

The court considered the response of the Centre and disposed of the plea of Gautam.

Gautam, in an RTI application, had sought information whether the bungalow was ever alloted to Bandhua Mukti Morcha or its national president Agnivesh.

The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Land and Development of Delhi had failed to provide the information, according to him.
Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Odisha and Chhattisgarh should resolve the Mahanadi river water issue amicably and try to arrive at a consensus through discussion.

"It will be good if the Mahanadi river water issue is sorted out by the two states through discussion in a friendly and amicable manner. The issue should not become a matter of dispute," Prasad said.

If it is not possible to resolve the issue through dialogue, the legal process can be followed, the Law Minister told reporters on the sidelines of function in Cuttack.

Prasad said the two states should follow the necessary legal process for the formation of a tribunal to resolve the issue instead of blaming earh other.

The minister said he would find out the latest position on the issue once he is back in Delhi.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is also from Odisha and he would also try to see that the issue is resolved, he said.

The BJD government has been demanding the formation of a water dispute tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi river water row with Chhattisgarh. BJD has lashed out at the Centre for the delay in constitution of tribunal for the purpose.

BJD spokesperson has accused the BJP-led NDA government at the centre of deliberately delaying formation constitute tribunal to enable Chhattisgarh to construct dams and barrages on the upper reaches of Mahanadi.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday again demanded that the Centre immediately set up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

Patnaik wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded the setting up of the tribunal. He had earlier written a letter to the prime minister on November 7 in this regard.

"I would earnestly seek your personal intervention in the matter for issuing appropriate directives for constituting the tribunal within the stipulated timeline for an early adjudication of the concerns of the people of my state," Patnaik said in the letter.
A majority of Indians, 53 percent, support military rule, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. The American think tank said India is one of only four countries that has a majority supporting the idea of a military government. Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Africa are the other three.

India, the world's largest democracy, is showing an appetite for military rule  a potential indicator that the country's nationalist politics are evolving.

A majority of Indians, 53 percent, support military rule, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. The American think tank said India is one of only four countries that has a majority supporting the idea of a military government. Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Africa are the other three.

At least 55 percent of Indians also back a governing system "in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference from parliament or the courts," the survey added, noting that support for autocratic rule is higher in India than in any other nation surveyed.

Since its first election in 1952 following the end of British colonial rule, the South Asian nation has become a multiparty government with a parliamentary system and a commitment to free elections. But like many democracies around the world, its citizens are increasingly leaning toward a leader with authoritarian tendencies.

From President Donald Trump to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the revival of the strongman leader has been a defining trend of global politics in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who remains immensely popular at home, is no different with his hard-line stance on corruption and security.

Supporters of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and urban dwellers "are significantly more likely" to support military rule than backers of the opposition Congress party and rural residents, the Pew Research Center survey showed.

Given India's high levels of corruption, there's a public perception that recent tough measures such as demonetization have made sense, so the public now wants a stronger hand on hot-button issues such as economic inequality as well as law and order, explained Tony Nash, founder and CEO of data analytics firm Complete Intelligence.

The survey's results weren't surprising, Nash said. "Now that we're deeper into the nationalistic wave that started with leaders such as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, people are seeing that centralized decisions make progress so they're not opposed to something more dramatic."

Modi's critics often accuse his government of autocratic rule. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is the founder of the All India Trinamool Congress political party, alleged last month that the BJP was hurting media freedom by harassing news agencies critical of New Delhi. Another common complaint directed at the BJP is its use of central agencies to interfere in provincial governments.

"In the embrace of strong leaders who promise both economic growth and stability, Asia risks a return to authoritarian rule if institutional checks and balances are not also in place," said Curtis Chin, former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank and Asia fellow at the Milken Institute.

"There is no question that these are troubling times for democracy in Asia, but long-suffering citizens want results not rhetoric. The latest Pew data may well underscore that," he said.
Suresh Prabhu

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has called the legal community to increase the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism for promoting ease of doing business, an official statement said today.

His views came while addressing Bar Leadership Summit recently through a video message. The summit aimed at deliberating upon issues and concerns surrounding liberalisation of the Indian legal services sector.

Emphasising on the growing importance of ADR, he encouraged the legal community to increasingly use the mechanism for enhancing ease of doing business, it said.

Speaking at the event, Indian National Bar Association (INBA) Secretary General Kaviraj Singh said the three major areas that need focus are - conduct of arbitration in India; reforms in the legal regulatory sector and liberalisation of Indian legal services.

Law Secretary Suresh Chandra said the country has huge potential to increase the size of the legal market, which is about USD 9 billion.

The INBA in collaboration with Department of Commerce and the Centre for Trade and Investment Law, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade organised the 'Bar Leadership Summit on Reforms in the Indian Legal Sector' here recently.
Onlookers and Indian policemen stand at the site of a road accident in Jodhpur in India's desert state of Rajasthan October 14, 2013. More than 30 French tourists were injured in an accident on Monday after a bus carrying them collided with a truck and overturned, local media reported. REUTERS/Stringer (INDIA - Tags: DISASTER TRANSPORT TRAVEL CRIME LAW)

At least 14 people were killed and 35 injured when the bus they were traveling in plunged down a ravine in rural northwestern Colombia, officials said today.

The bus skidded off the road when the driver swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting a motorcycle rider, Sabanalarga Mayor Cesar Cuadros told reporters.

The Sabanalarga hospital could not cope with the sudden influx of victims, most of whom were local farmers, so many of the survivors were rushed to nearby towns for treatment.

"We are going through a cold period and it has rained heavily," Cuadros said.

"We are not clear how many people traveled aboard the bus, but we know that there were a lot," he said.

Sabanalarga is located in the department of Antioquia, some 500 kilometers northwest of the capital Bogota.
The government has raised Rs 14,500 crore through the Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), comprising 22 companies, a top official said today.

"We have decided to retain Rs 14,500 crore of the total subscription that has come in for Bharat-22 ETF," Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Neeraj Gupta said.

The ETF saw bids of nearly Rs 32,000 crore coming in, with FIIs bidding for one-third of the money. The portion reserved for retail investors was subscribed 1.45 times; retirement funds  1.50 times and NIIs and QIBs  7 times.

With this, the government has raised Rs 52,500 crore through disinvestment in the current fiscal, including listing of insurance PSUs. Last week the portion reserved for anchor investors was subscribed six times amounting to Rs 12,000 crore.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund managed Bharat-22 ETF's new fund offer (NFO) had an initial issue size of over Rs 8,000 crore. As much as 25 per cent of total issue size, or Rs 2,000 crore, was reserved for anchor investors who put in bids worth about Rs 12,000 crore.

LIC, Bank of India, SBI Pension Fund, EPFO and HDFC Ergo Insurance are among those who have put in bids.

"During the three days reserved for non-anchor investors, we witnessed an overwhelming response from all investors, particularly retail segment. In due course, the ETF will be listed," ICICI Prudential AMC MD and CEO Nimesh Shah said.

The issue opened for subscription for retail investors from November 15-17. This Index is a unique blend of shares of key Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as also government shares in blue chip private companies like Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Axis Bank and ITC.

The shares of the government companies represent six core sectors of the economy - Finance, Industry, Energy, Utilities, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Basic Materials, making the Index broad-based and diversified.

The government has set an ambitious target of raising Rs 72,500 crore for disinvestment in the current fiscal. Of this, Rs 46,500 crore is to be raised through minority stake sale in PSU and Rs 15,000 crore from strategic sale.

Another Rs 11,000 crore is to come from listing of insurance companies. The state-owned companies or PSUs that are part of the new Bharat ETF 22 include ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco.

The other CPSEs on the list are Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks  SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda  figure in the Bharat-22 index.
The Income Tax Department and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have intensified the crackdown on penny stocks after the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) sent details of 80 scrips earlier this month.

The governments two-pronged approach  investigation and regulation  involves action against tax evaders and tightening of norms for scrips prone to price manipulation. The PMO had sent a detailed list of penny stocks to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

The Income Tax Department has begun taking action against 18 of the Maharashtra-based penny stock companies. In fact, some of these firms were already under the I-T Departments lens in investigations pertaining to the Income Declaration Scheme, sources told Moneycontrol.

The SEBI, on the other hand, is drawing up stringent rules for companies prone to price manipulation and widening the scope of Graded Surveillance Measures.

Graded Surveillance Measures (GSM) are applied to securities which witness an abnormal price rise not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals.

These measures, aimed at enhancing market integrity, include reduction in price band, periodic call auction and transfer of securities to Trade to Trade category from time to time.

The regulator also plans to write to the Finance Ministry seeking withdrawal of long-term capital gains tax benefit for trades under GSM category. The SEBI wants penny stocks companies with market cap lesser than Rs 10 crore and free float market cap under 1 percent to be placed under the GSM category. This mechanism will help identifying those companies which have been prone to manipulation, another person privy to the developments told Moneycontrol.

As per my knowledge, about 95 percent of the top 500 scrips trade on the NSE and 90 percent on BSE, another source said.

There are around 1,300 companies on BSE with free float market cap under Rs 10 crore and about 100 on NSE. So, trades in these 1,400 companies may come under GSM. And around 10 companies have been suspended by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the source added.

Besides, another person aware of the developments said: There are less than 100 unique PANs that have traded in scrips of the 1,000 companies. About 650 companies have a price to equity ratio less than zero.

The market regulator and the taxman have in the past came down strongly on penny stocks. The Income Tax Department is cracking down on entities that have used capital market for tax evasion via long-term capital gains tax. The SEBI is tightening norms for listing and continuous listing.
Even as doubts emerge over the short term prospects for emerging markets like India, Sukumar Rajah, MD & CIO, Franklin Local Asset Management told CNBC-TV18 that on a long term basis, investors prefer exposure to India.

In the near term though, it may not be the case. India lacks earnings momentum and we are not looking at stocks on a PE basis, he added. The parameters include a combination of discounted cash flow and implied growth rate.

Speaking on financials, he believes that we are still in a sweet spot with respect to private banks. The market is expecting 15-20 percent growth for private banks over next 10 years and currently have 30 percent market share, he told the channel.

Meanwhile, in case of PSU banks, he said that they could lose market share despite recapitalisation. He also highlighted that neither do they have competitive advantage nor solid analytics. Having said that, he expects corporate facing banks like SBI to hold on due to their deep relationships.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview:

Q: How are things right now? We have had a good year for Asian equities, for Indian equities. Do you worry about valuations or are you constructive as we at end of the year?

A: Valuation for a broad market is not a big issue. There are pockets of overvaluation in different markets. It can be different category. As far as emerging markets are concerned, they have more headroom; they have still been underperforming compared to the developed markets. The current PE multiples are lower compared to the long-term average which is not the case for the developed market necessarily. So I think emerging markets have more headroom to go and beyond that there is an opportunity for bottom up stock pickers. The market themselves might not give great returns but there is a lot of opportunity for bottom up stock pickers, they can still generate good returns even after the valuation gap is bridged.

Q: What do you hear from large global investors now because a couple of year back, in 2014-15 when we spoke to global investors, there seem a lot of scepticism about whole emerging market theme but this year we have seen quite a bit of inflows. I think USD 70-75 billion has come into emerging markets. Do you think that impression has changed that emerging markets will flatter to deceive; they will not generate the returns we are looking for?

A: The biggest change is the outlook on China. There was a lot of scepticism on China, a lot of US portfolio managers were betting that China would implode. That comes from not very deep understanding of how China works because the Chinese model is different from the rest of the world and so they were excessively pessimistic on China and when China didn't implode then there was a huge change in outlook towards China and consequently to emerging markets because China is the driver of emerging markets.

So my view is that the outlook of Western portfolio managers on China fluctuates; it goes from highly optimistic view to a very pessimistic view but the reality is always somewhere in between and to understand that is very important if you are an emerging market portfolio manager or an investor. So China, I think now there is stability but stability should not be confused with great economic outlook. I think the economic growth is still going to decelerate but it is not going to create collateral damage to the rest of the world but China stabilising changes emerging market outlook. If China was going to go down, obviously the risk associated with emerging markets was going to be high. Now with stability coming in China, the perceived risk of emerging markets is going to be much lower and even within Latin America some of the markets where there was a lot of concern; things have proved to be much better than what people were expecting.

Q: What does that mean for the commodity complex because that is one space which has done remarkably well from stock market perspective. Do you expect that to continue, the whole global material space?

A: The demand will continue to decelerate because China is the biggest consumer of most of the commodities and the Chinese demand for metals and generally materials is going to decrease because the capex as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is very high and that will decrease over a period of time as they rebalance the economy. However, the positive news is that there has been more supply discipline in China which was lacking till 2015 and because of supply discipline the profitability of the commodity producers is going to be better than the pessimistic expectations but I would warn that people shouldn't become too optimistic because the demand environment is still going to be weak and they are not going to cut supply more than what is required if the profitability is not too bad. I do not think there are going to be further supply cuts but demand might continue to decelerate for a longer period of time.

Q: To takeoff from the point that you made about interest coming back to China. What about India because the anecdotal evidence seems to be that maybe a year-year-and-a-half back global investors were overweight on India and that overweight stance seems to have diminished through the course of this year, of course stock markets have done well because of local money. How do you explain that and what do you hear when you talk to people about India?

A: There are different types of investors. People would take a very long-term view. I think they continue to have a lot of exposure to India because that still seen to be the best long-term story and on bottom up basis there are a lot of companies which have delivered from a long-term point of view and sustained growth and profitability. On a more tactical basis, obviously India lacks earnings momentum whereas China and Korea, there has been very good earnings momentum which has forced people to shift to some of these markets in the recent past and when that changes you can expect some of them will shift back to India but when you look at the numbers that are coming on in terms of flows, people cannot differentiate between what is the motivation for the shift. So I do not think there is any change in view of people who are looking at the very long-term and their investment process is oriented towards buy and hold from long-term point of view.

Q: You, for many years, have seen domestic money and the interplay of that through mutual funds and you now sit in Singapore but Franklin Templeton Asset Management Company in India must have been the beneficiary of lots of flows this year like most of the asset management companies. In your eyes is this a cyclical shift that we are seeing of the likes that you have seen in the past or is there something structural as people are making it out this time?

A: We are seeing a structural increase in allocation towards equities. We are still, if you are looking at percentage of total savings, it's still in single digits and there is no reason why it cannot be 15 percent or 20 percent over a period of time and the savings pool itself was increasing. So I would expect that equity assets with mutual funds would triple every cycle and that cycle would typically be anywhere between five to seven years. So the domestic assets should continue to grow though. It might not be entirely smooth but it is also becoming less volatile compared to before because the systematic investment plan (SIP) has got on whereas earlier most people did not invest through SIPs, so the volatility was higher because of higher usage of SIPs the volatility is going to be lower.

Q: When you look at your India portfolio of the mutual funds there and when you see it as an important part of your Asian exposure, how do you gauge valuations relative to your earnings growth expectations?

A: We are not necessarily looking at stocks on a PE basis. When we are looking at structural growth companies we are looking at a combination of discounted cash flow (DCF) and market implied growth rate. So we do a reverse analysis based on the current price what type of growth has been imputed by the market and so we make up our mind as to whether that is achievable, whether it is pessimistic, it's realistic or optimistic. So that gives us good indication at many points of time.

Q: What does it say to such analysis about the growth that the market is pricing in?

A: It varies from sector to sector, for example information technology sector, we were one of the earliest investors there and we were one of the earliest to decrease our exposure. So we were looking at market implied growth rate; when the market was implying in double digit growth rate, we thought it was unsustainable three or four years ago because there are two major drivers of excess growth of Indian information technology sector compared to the IT spending. One is, higher amount of IT spending goes into outsourcing companies and within the outsourcing companies Indian companies gain market share. So there were two levers which were helping Indian companies to grow much faster compared to the spending on IT and we thought both the levers were going to weaken and so there was excessive optimism there. In the case of private sector banks we are still in a sweet spot. The market is expecting anywhere between 15-20 percent for the next ten years.

Q: It will come through, you think?

A: Yes because if you look at the market share of the private sector banks, it is still 30 percent and within private sector banks we have the higher quality ones and we have the lower equality ones. So the higher quality ones, there is no reason why they cannot grow at 15-20 percent because credit growth itself should have reached 10 percent. So compared to the system they are growing 5-10 percent faster which should be easily achievable considering that the market share is so low and the state owned banks especially are going to give up market share.

Q: You think still after getting capital as well?

A: Yes.

Q: That doesn't change anything?

A: Not from a medium to long-term point of view.

Q: Why do you say that? It is a subject of debate back in India on whether public sector banks now get back into the game and whether private sector banking growth will slow down because now they will have competition which they did not have for two-three years?

A: When you look at their lending, for the retail they do not have the same use of technology and they are not attracting the type of retail clients especially the mass affluent etc, were going to the private sector banks. So they do not have any competitive advantages in the retail lending and nor do they have very solid analytics and information technology big data and so on.

Q: On the corporate side?

A: When you are looking at the corporate, there are some banks like State Bank of India (SBI) who can hold on because they have very deep relationships and they are a very big part of the consortium but if you look at the average state owned banks, they do not have either deep relationships because there has been so much of change of senior management of these banks and many of the companies which used to borrow from these banks' traditional clientele, they are not worth lending to; their family businesses which were not well run and they are all going down the tube. So from corporate lending point of view they do not have any competitive advantage, so if they speedup their lending, they might end up in a mess.

Q: So you won't be optimistic on public sector banks. Would you?

A: No. Except for State Bank of India; I think there is some rerating potential. So, on the average public sector undertaking (PSU) banks - no, not at all.

Q: The imputed growth point that you are talking about which you say that is sustainable for private banks, what the market is pricing in today, would you say the same of the expensive NBFCs where the market might be imputing 30-40 percent growth in some cases for the next 8-10 years?

A: There is a bubble there because many of them dont have a differentiated processes and so they have been benefiting from the lack of lending by the state-owned banks and they are willing to take high risk but at some point of time some of them are going to implode. I am not saying all, some of them might be in niches where they have strengths in terms of it might be something to do with consumer durable lending where they have deep relationships with the dealers or things like that.

But for those exceptions, the average NBFC  there is no reason why they will be able to sustain these type of margins and credit quality.

Q: Where do you stand on this affordable housing theme, which has become very popular one in India with - lots of sectors have been rerated on the back of that, do you buy it?

A: There is a huge opportunity but to get it going is not that simple because we didnt have large developers. If you look at China, there are so many large developers, each of them can develop so many times more space than our biggest developers. They are used to that. The land procurement mechanism is very rare, the provinces allocate land. So in India I think procurement of large tracks of land is a challenge. The ability of the builders to scale up is a challenge and then the pricing to be right is a challenge but I am sure the government is working on resolving some of those issues.

I do expect progress but I think the momentum to build up is going to take at least two-three years.

Q: One question on the capex cycle and how to approach industrials back in India now, what would you say is the right approach?

A: This is the problem I have with most of the people who have been complaining about capex. One thing they dont understand is the basket of spending is changing. You and I  if we get more money, we are not going to spend on the same thing that we are buying 10 years ago. If we have automobile, we are still going to have an automobile, it is a slightly better quality automobile but I think the biggest change is in things like electronics. I just counted the number of Apple products I had at home and then in a family of three, we had 10 Apple products. There is going to be demand for that. If we can manufacture in India, there is going to be a huge capex opportunity and this is exactly what I was pointing out to the Finance Minister as well.

We need to have a programme, the Make in India programme, that should focus on what people need and electronics is something which people are going to need more and more. Both he consumers as well as the corporates. There is going to be more automation in every factory, it is not just the cement plants that we need, yes, we do need a little more of them, we do need a little more of the steel plants but I think the biggest opportunity is going to be in areas like these.

For these we have to solve many problems to have capex in these type of areas and when we solve them, there is going to be a big opportunity otherwise there is going to be some pickup but it is not going to be that big unless we get into areas like these.

Q: You spoke about a contrarian call in IT a few years back. What is your highest conviction contrarian call today in Indian stocks, either on the expensive side or where you were betting against or the ones which people do not like but you are happy to go out on?

A: At this point of time, it obviously depends on the price of the stocks. So the way the market is pricing in stocks in our India portfolios, our portfolio managers are underweight IT because when we look at the services companies, we do not think that the current market price is still overestimating the growth potential for most of the companies.

So we have made some beginning in property. We think it is going to be a big opportunity over a period of time, but traditionally, the corporate governance of the property companies was pretty low. Now there are a few companies which are trying to differentiate themselves. They should see a lot of opportunity. That is a space that we would like to watch out and invest more if more viable business models emerge. Retailing can be a big opportunity. There were a few failed retailing companies because they were too optimistic and they did not have very robust models but there are more companies which are going to try and test various models and some of them have successful formats which are pretty profitable and they are expanding. I think there is going to be good opportunity in retailing. There is going to be good opportunity in healthcare, but not necessarily selling the same type of medicines. It is going to be in terms of services, differentiated products, etc. So, these are areas that we are watching. Yes, private sector banks are among the large sectors.

Q: What about telecom? Are you willing to take a contrarian approach to that?

A: We took a view that there will be consolidation. For a while, we were right and then it did not work because one large corporate stepped into that field and then everything changed. Yes, there is going to be consolidation. Now it is going to become a three-player market, clearly. But, the extent of pain can continue for quite some time because when we look at Reliance which has entered, they are not going to be satisfied with the current market share. So they are going to play for higher market share and as long as they are playing for that, I am not sure whether the pricing can allow good return on capital. So I think there is a longer term opportunity, but it comes with a lot of risk and pain.

Q: For people who are buying stocks today, you mentioned in passing that maybe return expectations need to be moderated. Do you think it is a given that when people walk into mutual funds today expecting that the long-term return would be close to 15 percent a year, do you think that is being optimistic from this kind of entry point or should one set one's sights a little lower?

A: When we are looking at the world and India, equities are still very attractively priced compared to other alternative investments. So we are looking at the implied equity risk premium. In the long-term the equity risk premium is about 5 percent that means equity investors, to come into the equities, they were looking at 5 percent extra returns compared to fixed income. In most parts of the world, now it is 7 percent and India is also close to 7 percent at this point of time compared to the long term average of about 5 percent.

Q: The risk premium is 7 percent, so we should be expecting 7 plus 7 fixed income, 14 percent?

A: 7 plus 6 or whatever, so I think the implied cost of equity in India is about 12-13 percent. So, I think there is enough margin of safety in the current valuation in relation to debt, so if the cost of debt keeps going down, equities will become even more attractive compared to debt which means that there has to be a higher allocation towards equities. So I think equities are still globally and in India, very attractively priced in relation to debt and probably much better than real estate in any case.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries, the parent company of Reliance Jio, owns Network 18 that publishes Moneycontrol.com.
People worship Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth on this day. (Image: Reuters)

The Securities and Exchange Board of India is looking to expedite the process of finalising norms for a universal exchangean exchange that can offer both securities and commodities trading. Such exchanges will not have to set up a different entity to offer a platform for commodities trading or equities trading, as is the case at present.

Sources told Moneycontrol that SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi met the top management of all exchanges last week to know their views on the concept of a universal exchange.

A source who attended the meeting told Moneycontrol: SEBI Chairman patiently listened to views of both the sides  commodities and stock exchanges.

While commodities exchanges need 2-3 years time to adapt to universal exchange platform, stock exchanges are ready.

Another source who attended the meeting told Moneycontrol: MCX and NCDEX wanted 2-3 years time before implementing universal exchange regulations. They have said we are not ready as of now and require more time for competing with stock exchanges.

SEBI had indicated earlier also that it wants to implement the universal exchange platform soon and is working rigorously on the regulations for the same.

Exchanges have a free hand for equity trading and have more facilities, for example, co-location facility and market making  both are allowed for equity markets but not for commodities trading, said a market expert who did not wish to be named.

Also, at the time of the merger of SEBI and Forward Market Commission in 2015, commodity exchanges were given three years time to set up clearing corporations, the deadline for which is next year.

Commodity exchanges have also given SEBI the rationale that there are very few economies globally that have embraced the concept of a universal exchange.

If the regulator allows a universal exchange platform and stock exchanges start with non-agri segment, where MCX is the market leader, it may hit MCXs business. MCX is the market leader and accounts for more than 90 percent market share in commodities trading, another market expert told Moneycontrol.

On the other hand, MCX will also launch currency trading, which they had already announced. That could hit businesses of NSE and BSE. However, currency trading accounts for a small portion of total earnings of NSE and BSE, the expert said.

NSE and BSE have already started commodity trading in International Finance Center Gandhinagar where domestic investors are not allowed to trade.

Once the regulator gives a nod for setting up universal exchanges, it might trigger a price war among the exchanges in the commodity space, said Amit Chandra, Senior Analyst of HDFC Securities.

Currently, MCXs transaction charges are at Rs 2.9 on Rs 1 lakh of trade, while NSE charges Rs 1.9 on Rs 1 lakh of trade. Once universal exchanges are set up, exchanges will give discounts to traders to attract volumes. Since stock exchanges do not incur any extra cost for setting up commodity trading platform they might give freebies to traders, Chandra said.

Stock exchanges are ready to start commodity trading. National Stock Exchange Managing Director Vikram Limaye had recently told Moneycontrol: We will take less than 3 months time period for starting a commodity exchange.

Similarly BSE Managing Director and CEO Ashish Chauhan told Moneycontrol: Our infrastructure is ready for launching commodity exchange and we are just waiting for regulations on universal exchange.

A market source close to the development told Moneycontrol that both the exchanges will start with non-agri segment in the commodity space.

I expect that exchanges will start earning at least after one year of launch of universal exchange. We are already seeing pressure on MCX since the last one month, said Chandra.

Commodity exchanges have also sought from the regulator exclusivity period for products they launch after implementation of universal exchanges.

A senior official of SEBI confirmed to Moneycontrol that they have recently met officials from exchanges. Lets see how much time to give to commodity exchanges for implementing a universal exchange, the official said.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 1: (RUSSIA OUT) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) at the Konstantin Palace on June 1, 2017 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. President Vladimir Putin has arrived to Saint Petersburg for a three-day visit to attend the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Derek O'Brien believes he has found a way to take the BJP on. The next national election, he says, should not be treated as a battle between Narendra Modi and a single candidate, but as 29 contests in the states.

The opposition should fight the BJP from 29 different regional platforms over diverse issues, O'Brien writes in his new book 'Inside Parliament: Views From The Front Row'.

"The election should be fought in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of individual states," he elaborated to PTI today.

A united opposition needs to chalk out its poll strategy by pitching all opposition leaders against Modi, he added.

"Make this a national election that is a sum of state elections. Make Modi and the BJP fight 29 different regional elections in the idiom and language and with the issues and themes of the individual states," O'Brien said.

O'Brien chalked out the opposition strategy for 2019 in the new publication, which he described as the "real book" out of the 53 that he had written.

"Dont let the BJP make it a contest around polarising issues  beef, pseudo-nationalism or some such prime-time, made-for-TV-and-Twitter agenda," O' Brien said.

In an essay titled "The BJP is beatable in 2019", O'Brien suggested that the opposition consider where the BJP juggernaut was stopped in 2014 -- "in Bengal by Mamata Banerjee, in Odisha by Naveen Patnaik, in Tamil Nadu by Jayalalithaa and also where the Congress has beaten the BJP in recent times  in Punjab, led by Amarinder Singh".

To win the 2019 general polls, the opposition should counter allegations of corruptions by raising the issue of competence, he said.

"I am convinced that they (the BJP) are beatable," he writes.

The government is trying to pen "a false narrative around a ten-letter word -- corruption -- which the opposition must counter with another ten-letter word -- competence -- to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as BJP cannot win on any competence quotient", he said.

The leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha has set up a "common constructive agenda" for opposition unity.

"The BJP is trying to use this ten-letter word, corruption, since demonetisation. The opposition needs to use another ten letter word, competence, to counter the BJP. You have to ask questions about their competence about jobs, competence about the economy, competence about handling the situation after demonetisation, competence about how GST has been rolled out," O'Brien suggests in his book.

Opposition parties should not get distracted by "polarisation narratives" such as food habits and religion.

"All these will benefit the BJP... This is an agreement all opposition parties need to have. Either inside Parliament or outside," he told PTI.

O'Brien also had some specific advice for the Congress. It urged the party not to give too much heed to the Left.

"Too much of listening to the Left will put the Congress in trouble," he said.

To cite a case, he said the TMC had got the sense the Congress was ready to march with it after ten days of demonetisation.

"The Left bullied them in delaying that march. Because they thought the TMC will take the lead so they were looking at it in a very narrow way. (Sitaram) Yechury in Parliament and the Left were trying to slow them down. So I am glad that they stopped listening to the Left," he said.

He recalled the time when demonetisation was announced last year.

"We marched with Mamata Banerjee. But we were wondering what's going on. Only two parties marched with us: Shiv Sena and Omar Abdulla's NC. Hardly one month later, every one was marching down to Rashtrapati Bhavan," he said.

Hinting at political equations between Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, O'Brien stated that Gandhi was the cementing factor of opposition unity, while Banerjee was the acceptable leader who could bridge gaps between conflicting parties within the opposition.

The book, with 50 essays, has been published by HarperCollins and will be launched on November 23 in Delhi.
RPT---New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi during a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (unseen) in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI Photo by Shahbaz Khan(PTI10_5_2016_000036B)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today launched an all out attack on the government, accusing it of sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on filmy grounds.

Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), she also accused the government of being "ill prepared" to implement the goods and services tax (GST), which she described as a "flawed" tax regime.

The Congress president also hit out at the government over demonetisation, saying the move left millions of people "suffering".

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," she told the party's highest decision-making body.

The Winter session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December

The Congress president also charged the government with "forcefully" trying to change history of modern India by "erasing contributions" made by former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
Gurgaon based GSF Accelerator announced the launch of its 6th iteration and will fund USD 200,000 each in five startups.

Additionally, it will further invest USD 1 million as co-investments in seed, series A rounds at the end of the program.

The accelerator typically picks up 15% stake in lieu of the USD 200,000 investment.

For this batch, GSF is looking for innovative tech startups using technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, sharing economy etc. to solve significant problems in the areas of healthcare, fin-tech, ed-tech, media-tech, B2B SaaS, and analytics.

Selected tech startups will- get access to not only the Indian tech community but will also get access to GSFs global community to over 300 mentors and startup founders.

GSF 6.0 is designed as a life transformational experience for the 5 selected startups with a program spanning Bangalore, San Francisco, Tokyo, and China, said Rajesh Sawhney, founder of GSF Accelerator and co-founder of InnerChef.

He added, Each startup will be assigned a chief mentor from amongst the 6 founders that have come together this time.

Selected startups will spend the first three months in Bangalore to refine their products, followed by trips to San Francisco, Tokyo, and China for a deep immersion in the global tech ecosystem. Applications for GSF 6.0 batch close on Nov 30.
Niti Aayog

NITI Aayog has launched Shuruaat Bus, a moving vehicle as an initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India as part of its Road to Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017.

The Shuruaat Bus will have a booth where entrepreneurs and innovators can showcase and pitch their ideas as part of a national pitch competition which will be held in Hyderabad at the GES 2017 Summit. The winners of this competition would be rewarded and supported by the NITI Aayog and the US State Department.

Also Read: Hyderabad to host India-US startup summit in November; Ivanka Trump to attend

The bus will be traveling through the country, creating buzz and momentum at road to GES Summit 2017 events, and encouraging incubators, start-up hubs, and colleges to participate before arriving in Hyderabad for GES 2017.

India's very first Global Entrepreneurship Summit is scheduled to take place during the last week of November at Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana. The summit, which will be co-hosted by India and the US will also include an American delegation that will be led by Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US President Donald Trump.

The Telangana government is leaving no stones unturned to ensure that the event goes on smoothly. And in anticipation of the arrival of Ivanka Trump, a five-tier security ring is being placed in Hyderabad.
CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Ashish Kyal, Sameet Chavan and Sumeet Jain battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Ashish Kyal of Waves Strategy Advisors

Buy Tata Global Beverage with a stoploss at Rs 248 and target of Rs 275

Buy Jubilant Foodworks with a stoploss at Rs 1716 and target of Rs 1850

Buy United Spirits with a stoploss at Rs 3100 and target of Rs 3350

Buy Minda Corp with a stoploss at Rs 176 and target of Rs 200

Sameet Chavan of Angel Broking

Buy Ajanta Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 1228 and target of Rs 1385

Buy Mindtree with a stoploss at Rs 506 and target of Rs 545

Buy Indo Count with a stoploss at Rs 123 and target of Rs 141

Sell Indraprastha Gas with a stoploss at Rs 307.25 and target of Rs 284

Sumeet Jain of Destimoney Securities

Buy Polaris Consulting with a stoploss at Rs 340 and target of Rs 384

Buy Eveready Industries with a stoploss at Rs 387 and target of Rs 434

Buy Gati with a stoploss at Rs 124 and target of Rs 147

Buy Minda Corp with a stoploss at Rs 173 and target of Rs 196
Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com told CNBC-TV18, "Indo Count Industries has completed its bear market, it has built a very attractive base and is now breaking out. Apart from the fact that it is a swing trading buy, you could also hold positions in it for a few weeks. This is a time when we want to build positions in anticipation of a two month rally."

"Ajanta Pharma has come in my buy list earlier. It is building a very attractive base. On Friday, that base breakout eventually took place. So, there is another opportunity to buy this stock. Much higher levels should be coming."

"Reliance Industries, the old favourite, is coming after a big decline and what may be a V-shaped rally. That is a buy."

"RBL Bank is not in the F&O segment, so, you have to actually pay cash to buy it. A lot of IPOs go up and then go into a huddle for months altogether. That is exactly what RBL Bank is doing. It is going into a trading range and that range should eventually break on the upside and be a very attractive trade. However, that is not F&O."

"Just to balance it out, Tata Motors is a short sell. There is nothing in that chart, we probably sell it anyway," he added.

"Biocon is a buy and it has been in my list repeatedly even after it gaps up and opens higher. Once it is stabilises, it is a buying opportunity for investor, for position traders; dont miss it."

"NBFCs are not my favourite stocks still, but I have talked about RBL Bank. Even ICICI Prudential which is bottoming out, is a better opportunity here for me."

"Coal India, inspite of the early morning weakness, there is a buying opportunity there."

: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd
Representative image.

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Shares of Divis Laboratories rose 2.6 percent intraday Monday as its Visakhapatnam unit received EIR from USFDA.

The company has received an establishment inspection report (EIR) from United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Unit-II at Visakhapatnam.

With this there is a closure of audit by FDA.

The company's Unit-II at Visakhapatnam was inspected by USFDA in September, 2017 wherein a Form-483 was issued with 6 observations.

The company has posted 7.62 percent decline in its net profit to Rs 206.78 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2017 against Rs 223.85 crore in the same period of previous fiscal.

The share price has increased by 59.5 percent in the last 3 months.

At 11:22 hrs Divis Laboratories was quoting at Rs 1,029.75, up Rs 11.45, or 1.12 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
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Maruti Suzuki closed over a percent intraday on Monday as investors cheered its announcements on electric vehicles.

Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor agreed to cooperate in selling electric vehicles in India from around 2020, they said on Friday, aiming to give each other a leg up in emerging markets and low-emission technology.

The announcement comes after the Japanese companies agreed in February to trade expertise in parts supplies and research and development.

The partnership could help Toyota to expand in India's massive car market, where drivers prefer the type of affordable compact vehicles in which Suzuki excels.

Suzuki, in turn, is expected to gain from Toyota's innovations in automated driving, artificial intelligence and low-emission vehicles.

Brokerages are upbeat about the development.

Brokerage: Nomura | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 9,843

The brokerage said that Maruti-Toyota MoU for EVs is a positive for OEMs as they would have a head-start over other OEMs in India.

Brokerage: Goldman Sachs | Rating: buy | Target: Rs 9,135

The brokerage said that intention of EV launch in India was ahead of expectation.

Brokerage: Citi | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 9,400

The bank said that Suzuki will do the manufacturing, Maruti could be relegated as marketer. Further, a development is positive for Maruti as it will help rapidly close the first-mover advantage of M&M.
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The S&P BSE Sensex closed flat with a slight positive bias for the week ended November 17 even after a big booster provided by Moodys Investors Service on Friday. But, there was plenty of action seen in small and midcap stocks.

Although, bears remained in control of D-Street for the most part of the week, back-to-back rallies on Thursday and Friday helped pare losses. The S&P BSE Sensex hit a low of 32,683.59 on Wednesday before closing the week at 33,342.80, up 659 points.

The index closed on a flat note but there plenty of action seen in the S&P BSE 500 index. Ten stocks rose in the range of 10-22 percent in just 5 trading days which include names like Radico Khaitan which rallied 22 percent, followed by Hatsun Agro which surged 15 percent, and Religare Enterprises was up by 15.5 percent in the same period.

The last time Moodys upgraded India was in 2004 to Baa3, moving India to an Investment Grade Destination. Ratings Below BBB(-)/ Baa3 are indicative of Junk status.

After Moodys upgrade of Indias sovereign debt rating, all eyes are on other global rating agencies such as Fitch as S&P.

But, experts feel that they are unlikely to make a move in the near term and wait until fiscal deficit situations get into a comfortable situation which is why it is said that rating changes move with a lag.

The Nifty came closer to its crucial resistance level of 10,300 after slipping below 10,100 last week in intraday trade. Investors are advised to tread with caution and build aggressive longs only when Nifty50 is able to take out 10350-10411 on closing basis.

Among the Nifty50 names, SBI led the rally from the front, rallying 7.6 percent, followed by ICICI Bank which rose 4.4 percent, M&M rallied 4.1 percent, HUL & Bajaj Finance gained 2 percent each for the week ended November 17.

On the sectoral front, Realty, Banks, Financial Services emerged as winners while pharma, metals, infrastructure, media, and IT closed with losses in the range of 2.9 percent.

Technically speaking, the current price action on the Nifty weekly chart has formed a candlestick pattern that resembles a Bullish Hammer which suggests that momentum on the upside is likely to continue.

In the coming week if Nifty trades and close above 10336 level then it is likely to test 10409  10481 - 10566 levels. However, if Nifty trades and close below 10231 level then it can test 10158  10085 - 10000 levels, Arpit Jain, AVP at Arihant Capital Markets told Moneycontrol.

Broadly, the undertone in the market has turned positive and any pullback in the range of 10255  10204  10123 should be used to go long, with a stop loss of 10066 for a target 10400 - 10600 levels in a couple of weeks, he said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who filed his nomination for the next month's polls, today attacked the Congress, saying the opposition party has "outsourced" itself to three prominent activists in the state as it has "nothing" of its own.

With the "son of Gujarat" Narendra Modi helming the central government, the state will scale new heights under the BJP, he said at a gathering here, adding "we will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt".

The BJP leader, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, filed his nomination from Rajkot (West) Assembly seat at 12:39 pm, described as "vijay muhurat" (auspicious time) by party leaders.

Rupani is the sitting MLA from the constituency where voting will be held in the first phase on December 9.

Rajkot BJP president Kamlesh Mirani and cooperative sector leader Jyotindrabhai Mehta along with a group of supporters accompanied Rupani to the office of the district election officer, where he submitted his papers.

Before filing his nomination, Rupani addressed the gathering where he slammed the Congress, saying the party is relying on three activists to save itself in the BJP-ruled state.

The chief minister did not name anybody, but he was apparently referring to caste and community leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani.

"The Congress is outsourcing as it has nothing of its own. Three people have come out to save the Congress, such is the condition of the party. The Congress is broken, and a Congress-mukt India means an India free of poverty, corruption and joblessness," he told the gathering.

He said if the BJP wins 150-plus seats in Gujarat, the state will achieve new peak in growth with the help from the central government.

"We will have to ensure that our pride is not hurt, and our development is stabilised. The Congress did injustice to Gujarat during 10 years of the UPA rule. Now, in Delhi, a son of Gujarat, Narendrabhai, has given a lot to Gujarat.

"Under a BJP government with 150-plus seats, Gujarat will achieve new heights of development with the help of the central government," he said.

Jaitley said the BJP has emerged as a symbol of "development and stability," while the Congress represented "anarchy".

"The BJP has emerged as a symbol of development and stability. In more than two decades of its rule in Gujarat, the party brought progress and development, and the state was put on the (investment) map of the country and the world," Jaitley told reporters.

He said the upcoming election is a battle between "growth and anarchy".

"The forces against us in this election are working to divide the state, its people and they symbolise anarchy. So this election is between stability, growth and progress represented by the BJP, and anarchy symbolised by the other side," the Union minister said.

He expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge victorious with a "huge" majority.

The election to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place in two phases -- December 9 and 14 -- and votes will be counted on December 18.
But amid Tesla's launch of the Model 3 vehicle in July, the company's chief executive officer revealed he was going through a breakup. In an interview for Rolling Stone's latest cover story with reporter and bestselling author Neil Strauss, Musk admitted, "If I'm not in love, if I'm not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy."

Self-made billionaire and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk is best known for his pioneering work in the tech and science space. One of the main keys to his success is his emotional intelligence, as he displays with his family, employees and even upset Tesla customers.

But amid Tesla's launch of the Model 3 vehicle in July, the company's chief executive officer revealed he was going through a breakup. In an interview for Rolling Stone's latest cover story with reporter and bestselling author Neil Strauss, Musk admitted, "If I'm not in love, if I'm not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy."

Musk, 46, had been publicly dating Australian actress Amber Heard for about a year when the pair amicably broke up.

"It took every ounce of will to be able to do the Model 3 event and not look like the most depressed guy around," Musk said. "For most of that day, I was morbid. And then I had to psych myself up: drink a couple of Red Bulls, hang out with positive people and then, like, tell myself: 'I have all these people depending on me. All right, do it!'"

"I was really in love, and it hurt bad," Musk said, adding, "Well, she broke up with me more than I broke up with her, I think."

Leading up to the new Tesla launch, he said he had been in "severe emotional pain" for several weeks.

Strauss added that leading up to the event, Musk meditated "for pretty much the first time in his life to get centered."

Musk has been married twice before: first to writer Justine Musk for eight years, who is the mother of their five children, and later to actress Talulah Riley, which was on and off for roughly four years.

In 2012, between a divorce and his re-marriage to Riley, Musk told Bloomberg BusinessWeek about his balance between his work life and love life.

"I think the time allocated to the businesses and the kids is going fine," Musk told Bloomberg BusinessWeek reporter Ashlee Vance. "I would like to allocate more time to dating, though. I need to find a girlfriend. How much time does a woman want a week? Maybe 10 hours?"

Given that Musk splits his time between four companies, reportedly works between 80 to 90 hours a week, gets about six hours of sleep a night and even works while relaxing, Musk doesn't seem to get much time to himself.

When Musk and Heard ended their relationship last summer, Musk attributed the breakup to this very time constraint over social media.

"Long distance relationships when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds," Musk commented on one of Heard's Instagram photos.

Musk told Strauss that from the time he was a child, he has never liked being alone. And he's onto something: The world's longest study on adult life and happiness has found that good relationships keep us happier and healthier for longer. Even business magnate Warren Buffett argues that "its much more fun achieving things in life with a partner."

There's even scientific research to back up Buffett's advice. A study published by Carnegie Mellon University found that people with supportive spouses are "more likely to give themselves the chance to succeed."

As for Musk's future companion?

"I'm looking for a long-term relationship. I'm not looking for a one-night stand. I'm looking for a serious companion or soulmate, that kind of thing," he said.
trends Farmers protest at Ramlila Maidan; seek fair price & one-time complete loan waiver Thousands of farmers gathered at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi today. What brought them together were some common demands -- a one-time complete waiver of farmer loans and fair prices for their produce, reports CNBC-TV18's Rituparna Bhuyan.
With global credit ratings agency Moody's Investor Service expecting India's GDP to moderate at 6.7 percent during 2017-18 (April-March), Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg hopes the growth rate to touch 7 percent by the end of fiscal year.

Moody's has credible ways to make assessment. Their judgement is 6.7 percent growth...Our wish and expectation and the way we are working is that we may end up closer to 7 percent growth," Garg told Moneycontrol.

On Friday, after a gap of 13 years, Moodys upgraded Indias sovereign ratings to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade (Baa3) giving credit to the Narendra Modi governments reforms initiatives. The agency has now changed the outlook for Indias rating to stable from positive.

It said that the decision to upgrade the ratings is underpinned by Moodys expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance Indias high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt, and will likely contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term.

I think they (Moody's) assessed in an emphatic way India's growth potential, which is secure, based on structural reforms taken, institutional reforms taken in the last couple of years and a very credible fiscal management story. I think that is what underpins Moody's assessment, Garg said.

Garg called the current financial year a 'transitional' one, bearing the impact of major reforms like such as the demonetisation and the implementation the new indirect tax system-Goods and Services Tax (GST).

While there has been talks doing round of strained government finances, led by a possible shortfall of revenue collection, Garg said that the government will make a 'reasonably credible assessment' of the fiscal situation--includes possibility of increasing government borrowing, thereby breaching the fiscal deficit target-- by the end of December.

The government had fixed a fiscal deficit target--difference between expenditure and revenue--3.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2017-18 and 3 percent for 2018-19, the lowest in the last seven years. Fiscal deficit of was 4.5 percent of GDP when Modi government took over.

The government's finances have seemingly come under strain as India's fiscal deficit during April-September was Rs 4.99 trillion or 91.3 percent of the budget estimate owing to increased spending. While India met deficit target of 3.5 percent of GDP last year, it was 83.9 percent of the target during the first six months.

Garg also said that the finance ministry has asked the Reserve Bank of India to transfer the surplus amount of Rs 13,000 crore to the government.

While the government had budgeted for Rs 58,000 crore dividend from the apex bank, in August the later paid only Rs 30,659 crore. This was less than half of the Rs 65,876 crore that was transferred to the Centre in financial year 2015-16.

While no official statement has been provided about the fall in dividends so far, analysts speculate that it is because of the additional costs incurred due to the printing of new currency notes, and also in managing the excess liquidity generated due to the sudden inflow of deposits into the banking system post demonetisation.
Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi case

Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board on Monday proposed relinquishing its right over the disputed land in Ayodhya and building a 'masjid-e-aman" in Lucknow to resolve the Ram janmabhoomi-Babri masjid tangle, a move rejected by the Muslim protagonists involved in the protracted legal fued.

The board, which is the 'mutawalli' (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque, has proposed giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya, and a draft for resolving the issue, prepared by the Shia Waqf Board, has been submitted in the Supreme Court on November 18, its chairman Wasim Rizvi told reporters here.

Claiming that the formula for resolving the matter proposed by the Shia Waqf Board was the best, Rizvi said it is of the view that instead of Ayodhya, a 'masjid-e-aman' (the mosque of peace) be constructed in Lucknow's Hussainabad area.

The Board, he said, has requested the government to provide a one-acre plot for it.

The proposal, however, did not go down well with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"On whose behalf has he brought this draft proposal? He (Rizvi) does not enjoy the confidence or recognition of either the Sunni sector the Shia sect," AIMPLB counsel in the case and its senior member Zafaryab Jilani said.

Jilani, who is also the convenor of Babri Masjid Action committee, referred to some legal shortcomings in the draft proposal. "The Shia Board has no authority over the disputed land as the Allahabad High Court, in 2010, had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre area at Ayodhya among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla...the Shia board has no right over any part of the land," he said.

Moreover, Jilani said since the Shia Waqf Board did not appeal against the high court's decision, it meant that the ruling, which was binding on all till the Supreme Court announced its judgement, was acceptable to them. Rizvi, however, rejected the claim of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board over the disputed site, saying that the Allahabd High court had given the land to Muslims and not to Sunni Waqf Board.

Chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board Zafar Farooqui said any claim can be accepted or rejected only by the court "...our involvement has been since 1961 and it is being rejected by the Shia Board now...he (Rizvi) does not have the authority to do so..." Rizvi, he said, has been chairman of the board since 2006-07, and could have spoken on the subject even when the case was being heard by the Lucknow bench, which came up with its verdict in 2010, or in the Supreme Court where the hearing is going on for the last seven years.

"It is absurd. He has been silent on it ever since and has become active only now. The case is going on in the highest court of the country. Whatever he has to say, he should do it in the court. What's the relevance of releasing his formula to the media?" he said.

Jilani alleged that Rizvi was "working overtime to please certain forces in order to serve his personal motives". Rizvi, who addressed the press conference along with Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the All India Akhara Parishad, alleged that the Shia Board's views on the matter were never put forward in a forceful manner because the lawyers deployed for the purpose were "fake".

Referring to the criticism of his recent actions, Rizvi said it was because the board was never given any court copy and that it was not aware that lawyers were pleading on its behalf.

It was only on March 21, 2017, when the apex court said that talks could be initiated for mutual agreement to end the dispute that the Shia Waqf Board looked into the files in detail only to find that though it is a party in the case it never gave 'wakalatnama' to the counsel appearing on its behalf, Rizvi said.

"It is a matter of probe that the case is being pursued by overlooking the actual claimant which is the Shia Board...I have requested the central and state governments to get it enquired as to who had fielded the lawyers on our behalf," he said.

On Rizvi's allegations regarding fake counsel, Jilani said that it should be probed by the Shia board itself. Jilani, however, said that he had never seen any counsel pleading on behalf of the Shia Board in the court.

On the role of AIMPLB, Rizvi said it (board) should have come forward for a dialogue but since it did not take the initiative, Shia board had to come forward. Giri said a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed and that an amicable settlement should be reached on the issue by talking to all the parties concerned.
16:40 Thank you for staying tuned. That's all from our side. For the latest news and updates keep following Moneycontrol.com.

14:51

13:49 PM Modi govt sabotaging Winter session of Parliament: Sonia Gandhi

Congress president Sonia

Gandhi today launched an all out attack on the government, accusing it of sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on filmy grounds.

Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), she also accused the government of being "ill prepared" to implement the goods and services tax (GST), which she described as a "flawed" tax regime.

Read the full story here.

13:15 Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi: Who reigns supreme in the Twitter war?

The war of words on Twitter between Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has either got Twitterati bring out a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the show or take a stand on their political beliefs.

With the political spat between the parties open to retweets, data shows that Rahul Gandhi (RaGa) has in the recent times gained more popularity than PM Modi on the social media platform.

Read the full story here.



A year later, demonetization has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed.: Sonia Gandhi in Congress CWC

 ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

12:38



Here is the schedule for the election of Congress President, as approved by the Congress Working Committee today. pic.twitter.com/MF43tsZYlY  Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2017



12:32 Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has said that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) prepared the election schedule and Congress' Central Election Authority (CEA) has approved the schedule.

12:24 Congress declares party's presidential election dates

Mullappally Ramachandran, Chairman of the CWC has announced dates for the much-awaited Congress party's presidential election:

> Notification for the election will be issued on December 1, 2017.> The last date to file nominations will be December 4 (3 pm).> Scrutiny of nominations will happen on December 5 and the list of valid nominations will be published by 3:30 pm on December 5.> The last date to withdraw nominations will be December 11.> The final list of valid nominations will also be publication on December 11.> If necessary, the election will be held on December 16.

> If the poll happens, the votes will be counted and the result will be declared on December 19.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) held a meeting at 10, Janpath this morning. pic.twitter.com/ksNEpU04ab Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2017

12:16 December 5: Crucial day for Rahul Gandhi

As December 5 is the last day to withdraw nomination papers from the race to become the Congress President, it will become clear on this day if anyone is contesting against Rahul Gandhi in the party's internal poll, according to News18.

12:12



CWC approves poll schedule for #Congress president's election, process to start with issue of notification on December 1: Party sources.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 20, 2017



In case there is no candidate apart from Rahul Gandhi, Congress will announce his candidature on the last date of scrutiny. ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

12:06 Congress has charted Rahul Gandhi's elevation path

Notification for Congress presidential election will be issued on December 1. Nominations will be accepted till December 4 while December 5 will be last date to withdraw nominations, according to media reports.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate, however, if required, the voting will happen on December 15. In that case, the counting will happen on December 19.

If no candidate other than Rahul Gandhi files nominations, Rahul Gandhi could take control of the party as early as December 4.

11:53

11:48 Election must happen before year ends; Rahul Gandhi expected to be the only candidate

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, sources have told PTI.

With the completion of the election process, 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi is likely to take over the reins of the party before the Gujarat Assembly elections, which start on December 9.

The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.

I condemn this violence, Hardik Patel and his workers should show patience,issues can be sorted out by talking. Also,Gujarat CM should worry about the fights over ticket distribution in his party and not comment on us: Ashok Gehlot,Congress pic.twitter.com/1dUdUMvPBh ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

11:22 PAAS, Congress workers trade blows over ticket distribution, Hardik Patel to spell out stand today

Angered at being given just three tickets for upcoming Gujarat elections, members of Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) clashed with Congress workers outside the partys Surat office late on Sunday, dealing a blow to their fragile partnership.

Following the clashes, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said the party will hold talks and clear misunderstandings that the Patidar leaders may have.

Read the full story here.

11:19 Follow News Live for key global and local developments impacting business and markets as well as important political developments, through the day.

11:11 Congress released their first candidate list for Gujarat polls yesterday

The Congress tonight released its first list of 77 candidates in which sitting MLA Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot East seat has been fielded to fight against BJP Chief Minister Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West seat, according to the PTI.

However, after the list was released, PAAS members expressed anger and started protesting in many parts of the state, claiming they were not given proper representation.

Two PAAS members were given tickets in the released list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats. Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

11:05 Veerappa Moily praises Rahul Gandhi

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily has praised Rahul Gandhi for his role in Gujarat assembly elections.

We are very happy with Rahul Gandhis elevation. His performance in Gujarat is outstanding," the former Union minister said, according to media reports.



Delhi: Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting underway at 10, Janpath pic.twitter.com/pBjydJoqij

 ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

11:03 Congress presidential election schedule to be approved?

According to the procedure, once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the party's Central Election Authority (CEA) will notify the same.

The election process is likely to be completed before the Gujarat Assembly polls, the first phase of which will be held on December 9, media reports have suggested.

11:00 Decks being cleared for Rahul Gandhi?

Decks will be cleared for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the next party chief when the Congress Working Committee meets today, to approve the schedule for the party president's election.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, PTI quoted sources as saying.

10:59 The CWC has now started. It is happening at Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence.

The all-important Congress Working Committee meeting is currently happening at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence in New Delhi. The CWC is expected to discuss key issues and fix a date for Congress presidential election which could see elevation of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as the chief of one of India's oldest political parties.
The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested two arms suppliers, seizing from them 1,300 live cartridges, which is also its biggest ammunition catch in 2017 so far.

The bounty of bullets, used in 315 and .32 bore firearms, which happened to be government-manufactured, were backtracked to an arms shop in Aligarh whose owner had rigged the registers to show the sales as genuine, reported Hindustan Times.

The arrested men were identified as Mahipal and Sandeep Yadav. Sandeeps brother Sanjeev is the owner of Yadav Gun Shop in Aligarh from where the bullets were smuggled.

Sanjeev is also being investigated by the police regarding his role in previous cases.

DCP Special Cell P S Kushwah said that they received the information about large quantities of ammunition being smuggled into Delhi for several other clients including a prominent gangster.

Mahipal was arrested on Thursday while he was delivering a consignment near Wazirabad where he was caught with 360 live cartridges.

The bullet supplies go out easily in the black market because of ease of rigging registers, which are manual even at licensed gun shops.

While being caught red-handed he told the Delhi police that it was his task to carry the ammunition and deliver it to gangsters in Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh after sourcing it from Sandeep.

Based on this intel, the police arrested Sandeep from Aligarh on Friday with 950 live cartridges.

As per a statement from DCP Special Cell P S Kushwah to Hindustan Times, this was the biggest arrest with combined bounty catch of 1,310 bullets caught in one go.

Bullets are only made in government-owned ordinance factories and their supply to registered gun shops such as Yadav Gun Shop is rationed by the government and as the process is manual it is easy to sell to local gangsters through rigging registers.
Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala was killed on Saturday in an encounter with terrorists at Hajin in Bandipora area of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the encounter, security forces also killed the alleged nephew of Mumbai terror attacks plotter Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and six other terrorists, including two Lashkar-e Taiba commanders, reported The Times of India.

Apart from Corporal Nirala's death what's more worrying is that this was the third such death of an Air Force Commando in 38 days.

In an October shooting earlier, two IAF commandos, Sergeant K Milind Kishor, 33, and Corporal Nilesh Kumar Nayan, 31, were killed in the same area after terrorists had opened fire on them.

A senior IAF official of 12-Wing IAF station told the Times of India that although it is not routine for Garud commandos to be involved in CI operations, a few from Chandigarh have been picked to be attached with the Army for operational experience and training in the valley.

The main objective of Garud forces is to protect airbases in event of a terrorist attack.

Nirala, 31, who is a native of the Badiladih village in Rohtas district of Bihar is survived by wife Sushma Nand and three and a half-year-old daughter, Jigyasa Kumari.

Also Read: IAF capable of confronting Pak, China at same time: Dhanoa



The mortal remains were airlifted from Srinagar to Chandigarh and then towards his native place for last rites with full military honours, reported The Tribune



In the Pathankot terror attack, the Garud force was under attack for the first time when Corporal Gursewak, a native of Ambala, lost his life and Corporal Shailabh Gaur suffered multiple bullet injuries but survived.
Nirmala Sitharaman

The defence ministry will launch a mega campaign on social media from December 1-7 to encourage people to wear the armed forces' flag to show their support and solidarity with the military.

Official sources said the main objective of the campaign will be to encourage citizens to make financial contributions to the 'Armed Forces Flag Day Fund' (AFFD) which is used for the welfare of disabled ex-servicemen, war widows and children of martyrs.

There will be a wide digital campaign spread across Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to encourage people to wear the armed forces' flag with pride to show their support and solidarity with the military, the sources said.

They said the campaign aims to increase contributions to the AFFD which will be used to support disabled ex-servicemen, war widows, children of martyrs and other such beneficiaries.

After taking charge as defence minister on September 7, Nirmala Sitharaman had listed ensuring welfare of ex- servicemen as one of her priority areas.

The sources said the campaign is in sync with Sitharaman's resolve to ensure welfare of the ex-servicemen.
Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is one of the most trusted governments in the world, according to a report by the OECD.

The Government at a Glance 2017 report suggests that almost three quarters, or 74 percent, Indians claim to have confidence in the Centre. India has been ranked third in the list.



A question of confidence: the countries with the most trusted governments https://t.co/7uxffqvXTE pic.twitter.com/1PA8nJeMo2

 World Economic Forum (@wef) November 19, 2017

With 82 percent of its people showing support towards its government, Switzerland and tops the list. Joko Widodo's government in Indonesia comes second after Switzerland.

The report, which studies people's confidence in their respective Central governments, is based on factors like the economy, political upheaval and headline-grabbing events such as major corruption cases.

European countries such as Luxembourg and Norway have finished fourth and fifth in the list, respectively, with 68 percent and 66 percent people showing confidence in their respective governments.

Australia, which has seen five prime ministerial changes in the last 10 years, has fared poorly with only 42 percent people expressing confidence in the government.

Owing to its economic problems and the government's handling of the situation, Greece has also performed poorly. Only one in 10 Greeks expressed confidence in the government.
Nandan Nilekani

Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined 'The Giving Pledge', an elite network of the worlds wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy.

The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis' letter signing up for the cause. The letter said, "We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagwad Gita  "Karmanye Va dhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma karma phalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani."

"We have a right to do our duty,but no automatic right to the fruits from the doing. It is critical that we do not slip into inaction fearing that we may not be able to reap direct reward. It is to this ideal that we pledge," it added.



Thanks, Bill! Our philanthropic journey of two decades has been led by Rohinis passion and commitment! https://t.co/7dYGUB7kcY

 Nandan Nilekani (@NandanNilekani) November 20, 2017

Later, Bill Gates tweeted on his handle about Nilekanis' pledge.

"I'm amazed by how @NandanNilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I'm delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge," Gates tweeted.

The Giving Pledge was created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in August 2010 following a series of conversations with philanthropists around the world about how they could collectively set a new standard of generosity among the ultra-wealthy.

It is an effort to help address society's most pressing problems by inviting the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will.

Nilekani is the fourth Indian after Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Biocon chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Sobha Developers Chairman Emeritus PNC Menon to sign up for The Giving Pledge.

Talking about their initiatives as EkStep, Nilekanis' letter said "We are excited by our initial experimentation with societal platforms in early education and see immense potential for scaling up diverse solutions. They also said their philanthropic efforts would be directed at societal platforms, which are open, technology enabled ecosystems or nurturing networks.

"Our philanthropic journey of two decades has been led by Rohinis passion and commitment!" Nilekani tweeted. Nilekani recently returned to Infosys as Non-Executive Chairman after the exit of Sikka as Infosys CEO.

Sikka quit following a long-standing feud between board and founders, especially NR Narayana Murthy, who had raised concern over falling corporate governance practises at Infosys. Rohini is also founder of Arghyam, an initiative for safe and sustainable water.
The political parties in West Bengal on Monday lashed out at the Centre over the leakage of Aadhaar card details and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately resign over the lapse.

"We have been saying this for the last few years that the way the government was pursuing this Aadhaar card system could pose a serious risk. But the government didn't pay any heed to it. We demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take moral responsibility and immediately resign," Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Manan said.

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India has said.

The Aadhaar issuing body said, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister and TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said, "Mamata Banerjee has been saying it for the last few years that this Aadhaar system can cause serious problems and there are chances of leakage of information. Now we are seeing that the same thing has happened. The central government has to take responsibility for it."

Like demonetisation and hurried implementation of GST, the implementation of Aadhaar system was also flawed, he added.

Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Ashok Bhattacharya also echoed the views of TMC.

State BJP president and MLA Dilip Ghosh defended the central government. "In a country like India when a new system is being implemented there can be problems. We should not try to play politics over it."
New Delhi: A view of Parliament in New Delhi on Sunday, a day ahead of the monsoon session. PTI Photo by Kamal Singh (PTI7_16_2017_000213B)

Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley on Monday clashed over the delay in convening the Winter session of Parliament with the Congress chief accusing the Modi government of sabotaging it on "flimsy grounds" and the union minister saying Congress had done so too in the past.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaitley also said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14. The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India' Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," Gandhi said in her address at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi.

Refuting Gandhi's charge, Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times. Jaitley said the opposition party when in power had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held for sure and that the Congress will be "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said, adding, "Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed.
As talks about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, the most-advanced yet heat up, a report about Apple working with Intel on the new generation 5G iPhone of the future has surfaced.

As per a report by Fast Company, Apple and Intel engineers have started working on 5G technology as Apples dialogue with Qualcomm has been limited post-their legal spat.

Intel, as per a report in the tech blog BGR, has an entire army working on 5G, with thousands of engineers engaged in the process.

The iPhone is a must-win for Intel, which has bigger plans in mind than just replacing Qualcomm on all iPhones. Right now, Apple uses both Qualcomm and Intel modems that allow the iPhone to connect to wireless networks.

After a lot of R&D investment, Qualcomm came up with the first 5G modem in October 2016.





Also Read: This is how Apple makes money apart from iPhone sales





Intel first announced its 5G modem at CES 2017 and announced recently that it completed a full end-to-end 5G call based on its early 5G silicon.





The idea itself seems revolutionary. With 5G incorporation, an iPhone in theory, will be capable of connection speeds of one gigabyte per second or more. However, it has to be considered that the industry will still need time to adjust to the transition of a 5G connection.

The Fast Company report suggests that Intel could supply a 5G modem for an iPhone debuting in 2019 or in 2020.

Post-Qualcomm spat, is Apple an Intel loyalist?

Apple started using Intel chips in iPhone 7 and 7 plus and in its latest iPhone 8 and 8 plus it is using a combination of Qualcomm and Intel chips.

Apple and Qualcomm, meanwhile, have been in a dispute since the beginning of the year.

Earlier Apple had accused Qualcomm of charging high rates for its services. Apple also sued Qualcomm for over Rs 100 crore and had stopped paying the royalty charges, an act the latter termed as a tactic to exert pressure in order to decrease the charges.

Earlier, a report in MarketWatch said that Intel was working on an XMMM 8000-series of 5G capable modems that will introduce next-generation wireless connectivity for PCs, smartphones and infrastructure devices, with an expected launch date in 2019.



The MarketWatch report also suggests that Intel could offer Apple its modem technology directly onto the SoC (system-on-chip) integrating it with the rest of Apples custom silicon design. This is an area that Qualcomm would never concede as it values intellectual property too much, says the report.



Mobile chip technology is an area where Qualcomm's expertise has remained unmatched so far, and it is to be seen whether Intel's past experience with some push from Apple will help it break through big time in the 5G realm and be a part of history with the next iPhones.
A teenager in Vietnam has died after being electrocuted while charging her iPhone 6. The 14-year-old was found lying unconscious by her parents with the device alongside her.

The victim, Le Thi Xoan was immediately rushed to the hospital, but the staff was unable to revive the girl stated a report that published in The Mirror. The police, who are investigating the case indicated that the tragedy took place after the victim, who had plugged the device for charging on her bed went to sleep.

However, it seems that the girl, while asleep accidentally rolled towards the device and got electrocuted through a tear on the charging cable.

Besides the smartphone, the authorities have also found a charging brick and a cable from the location. It is not yet clear whether the charging cable was an original product from Apple or a cheaper imitation available in the market.

Though Apple has not yet responded to the accident, the tragedy will raise questions about the safety of iPhones, particularly the iPhone 6 variant. The model has already been in the news after reports emerged around the globe about the variant catching fire and exploding.

Most people are pointing at the usage of a cheap counterfeit cable with one person stating that the lack of proper isolation between the input and the output in the counterfeit product may have been the cause for the tragedy.

Earlier in July this year, a woman sued Apple of $75,000 for damages as her iPhone 4s that she bought in 2o14 caught fire.
The worlds second youngest billionaire has been handed a fine of approximately Rs 20 lakh for driving under the influence of alcohol. Besides the fine, Katharina Andresen has also been sentenced to 18 days of imprisonment along with a ban on driving for 13 months.

As per a report in the Norwegian media outlet Hegnar, Andresen, who is the heiress to the Norwegian firm Ferd, was found drunk while driving by the police near Hafjell a few months back. The 22-year-old, who as per Forbes, owns a fortune of approximately Rs 8000 crore was reportedly found with a blood alcohol content that was three times above the legal limit.

However, Andresen should consider herself lucky as she could have paid a larger amount as fine. As per the Norwegian law, the penalties are based on the income of the offender. While most are handed a fine that is 150 percent of their monthly income, in some cases judges have fined wealthy people based on their overall wealth.

This, in turn, could have led to a fine of up to Rs 32 crore. But even though she holds 42 percent share in her family firm, Andresen doesnt have any fixed income. This ultimately saved her from spending a fortune as fine.

Speaking of the incident, Andresen said that she had thought that her alcohol level was within the legal limit before driving.

While the fine handed to her does grab eyeballs, there have been higher amounts of fines that have been handed to other individuals in the Scandinavian country. In 2004 another woman was fined, as reported by Daily Mail , approximately Rs 34 lakh for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The designation "should have happened a long time ago," Trump said at the start of a Cabinet meeting.

President Donald Trump on Monday said the US is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The designation "should have happened a long time ago," the president said at the start of a Cabinet meeting. He cited the regime's nuclear weapons program, acts of international terrorism, and the death of 22-year-old student Otto Warmbier of Cincinnati.

The designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on Kim Jong Un's regime. Trump said the Treasury Department will announce additional sanctions on North Korea on Tuesday.

The move returns North Korea to the list of countries the US views as state sponsors of terror for the first time since 2008. That's when the North was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development.

U.S. officials cited the killing of Kim's estranged half brother Kim Jong Nam in a Malaysian airport this year as an act of terrorism.

Warmbier died after being returned to the United States from North Korea in an unconscious state. He had been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor after confessing to attempting to steal a banner while visiting North Korea.

North Korea joins Iran, Sudan and Syria on the US list of state sponsors of terror.
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,
State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland
Community Life  as seen on social media
November 20, 2017 The Saudi System And Why Its Change May Fail The Saudi clown prince Mohammad Bin Salman is an impulsive tyrant. But what accounts for his urge to purge the country of any potential competing power center Why does he run a such an activist foreign policy? The answer might be Iran. Not Iran the country, but Iran the system. Since the U.S. war on Iraq the sclerotic Saudi Arabia continuously lost standing in its region. The Iranian model gained ground. A decade later the authoritarian Arab systems were challenged by the so called "Arab spring". While the movements in the various countries -as far as they were genuine- have failed, they were a warning sign for things to come. Saudi Arabia reacted to the challenges by moving away from a sedate, consensual run family business towards a centrally controlled, supercharged tyranny. The move allows for more flexible and faster reactions to any future challenge. But it also increases the chance of making mistakes. To understand why this endeavor is likely to fail one needs look at the traditional economic and social system that is the fabric of the country. The fate of the Hariri dynasty is an example for it. Since Salman climbed the throne he has moved to eliminate all competition to his rule. The religious establishment was purged of any opposition. Its police arm was reigned in. First crown prince Murqrin was removed and then crown prince Nayef. They were replaced with Salman's inexperienced son. Economic and military powers were concentrated in his hands. During the recent night of the long knives powerful family members and business people were detained. The Wall Street Journal reports of a second arrest wave. More higher ups have been incarcerated. This round includes senior military commanders and very wealthy business people. As the prison for the arrested VIPs, the Ritz-Carlton hotel, is fully booked, the next door Mariott is now put to use. Qualified staff was hired to handle the prisoners: As many as 17 people detained in the anti-corruption campaign have required medical treatment for abuse by their captors, according to a doctor from the nearest hospital and an American official tracking the situation.

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The former Egyptian security chief, Habib el-Adli, said by one of his advisers and a former Egyptian interior minister to be advising Prince Mohammed, earned a reputation for brutality and torture under President Hosni Mubarak. After the torture reports spread due to employees of local hospitals, a medical unit was established in the Ritz itself. My assertion in earlier pieces, that one motive of the arrest wave was to fleece the prisoners, has been confirmed. The arrested rich people are pressed into "plea deals" in which they give up their assets in exchange for better treatment and some restricted kind of freedom. The aim is to "recover" up to $800 billion in so called "corruption" money. Thousands of domestic and international accounts have been blocked by the central bank of Saudi Arabia. They will eventually be confiscated. But Saudi billionaires have long been looking for ways to park their money outside of the country. The accounts which were blocked are likely small change compared to their total holdings in this or that tax haven. Historically the recoveries of such assets is problematic: Asset recovery programs never really go quite to plan. They are beset by obstacles -- most often in the form of wealth squirreled away offshore and political infighting over wealth seized onshore. Most likely, Saudi Arabia will obtain a sliver of these assets -- say in the tens of billions of dollars -- a useful, but temporary, gain. What happens after that depends on how Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman re-sets relations with business. The financial success of the MbS raids will be small. The financial damage he causes with his jihad against his own family members will be significant. It ruins his plans for attracting foreign investment: Half my Rolodex is in the Ritz right now. And they want me to invest there now? No way, said one senior investor. The wall of money that was going to deploy into the kingdom is falling apart. One can not steal money from some people and then expect other people to trust assurances that such could never happen to them. MbS's big plans for Neom, a $500 billion artificial city financed by foreign investors, will fall apart. To accuse princes and high officials of "corruption" is a fancy excuse. "Corruption" is how business is done in Saudi Arabia. It is tightly connected to the traditional ruling system. The king and his son are trying to change both: Foreign investors tend to enter the Saudi market via partnerships with established business franchises or princes as they seek to exploit their domestic clout to navigate a complicated bureaucratic landscape. The same goes for any state tender. To contract for building a road or public housing a company will have to find a prince or high official with the necessary clout. To get a tender signed it will have to promise, or pay upfront, a share of the expected profits. When the job is finishes it will need to come back to its protector to get its bill paid. No money will flow for the delivered work unless another bribe is handed over. Contracts are calculated with 40% on top to compensate for these necessary lubricants. The systems works. The Saudi State has enough money to compensate for such distribution. The system is only problematic when a contractor delivers shoddy work, but can still bribe his patron into accepting it. Drainage man-hole covers in Saudi streets without the necessary drainage tunnels below them are a well known and despised phenomenon. Rafic Hariri, the father of the Lebanese premier minister Saad Hariri, built a construction empire in Saudi Arabia by paying the right people. He knew how to work within the system. He was also a capable manager who ran his business, Saudi Oger, well. He was also the Saudis man in Lebanon and did his best to fulfill that role. His son Saad never got a grip on the business site. By 2012, seven years after Rafic Hariri had been assassinated, the family business in Saudi Arabia ran into trouble: Almost a year ago, the Saudis began keeping an eye on Hariris company, which reeked of corruption. Several high-ranking officials  some close to Saad Hariri  were accused of theft and extortion. But Hariri could not find a solution to the crisis, nor was he able to restore the confidence that the company lost in the market. So he began a major pruning operation, laying off lower-level employees without any indication of objections to their job performance. The dismissals did not even spare Saudi nationals, leading to widespread dissent.

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The Saudis once treated the company with care, providing it with contracts in the regions biggest oil economy. Now, the company is suffering from internal disputes and theft. It became closer to a scrapyard for the Kingdom. Saad Hariri had the wrong contacts, bribed the wrong people and delivered shoddy work which made his company an easy target. He also failed to be a reliable Saudi asset in Lebanon. There the Shia Hizbullah gained in standing while the Sunnis, led by Hariri, lost political ground. The Hariri company took up large loans to finance its giant construction projects for the Saudi government. But by 2014 oil prices had fallen and the Kingdom simply stopped paying its bills. It is said to own $9 billion to the Hariri enterprises. Other Saudi constructions companies, like the Bin Laden group, also had troublesome times. But they were bailed out by the Saudi government with fresh loans and new contracts. No new contracts were issued to Hariri. No new bank loans were available to him and his bills were not paid. The Saudis demanded control over Lebanon but Hariri could not deliver. In July, after 39 mostly successful years, Saudi Oger went out of business. The Hariri family is practically bankrupt. Hariri's two youngest children, 16 and 12 years old, are kept hostage in Saudi Arabia. After the recent trip to Paris his wife also returned to Riyadh. The French President Macron had intervened and Hariri was allowed to leave Saudi Arabia. But Macron failed (intentionally?) to free him from Saudi influence. Hariri's financial means and his family are under control of the Saudi tyrant. He is not free in any of his political, business and personal decisions. Hariri is pressed to now drive a political hardline against Hizbullah in Lebanon. He knows that this can not be successful but his mischievous Saudi minder, the Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer, does not understand this. His boss, MbS, believes that the whole world can and should be run the same way he wants to run his country. Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker has long observed how business is done in Saudi Arabia. He had portrait the Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. His recent observations at a nightly desert picnic explains how the wider al Saud family used to run the country: It was almost midnight when the prince held a Majlis, a traditional Bedouin ceremony in which tribesmen come to pay their respects and ask for charity. A line of men in white robes and red-and-white Arab headdresses stretched into the darkness. One by one they approached, removing their sandals, bowing and handing him pieces of paper. Some recited poetry. The prince scribbled on each cover sheet and put the papers on a stack. Saudi Arabia used to run on such patronage: Saudi society is divided by tribe, region, sect, degree (or nature of religiosity), and class. Although these various groups are only rarely organized in formal structures outside of the state, many developed special connections with specific state bodies, turning the sprawling state apparatus into constituencies of sorts.

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Middle East expert Steffen Hertog has aptly described how the Saudi state emerged in the oil era: leading princes carved out structures they could dominate; state institutions worked in silos and coordinated poorly; and networks of beneficiaries, contractors, and influence brokers populated various bureaucracies. The Saudi state expanded rapidly into an uncoordinated group of what Hertog goes so far as to call fiefdoms. High up princes take care of lower ranking ones. Each has common folks, clans or whole tribes he is supposed to take care of. Obedience is bought by controlling the "social" spending that trickles down through this pyramid. The princes make their money by having their fingers in, or "taxing", all kind of state businesses. It is this money that sponsors their luxurious life as well as the benefits they distribute to lower folks. This was never seen as corruption as it is understood in the west. For decades these tribute payments were simply owned to the princes. They had a birth-right to them. MbS "corruption" ride is destroying that system without him having a replacement. Saudi Arabia has been run as a family business. Decisions in recent decades were taken by consensus. Every part of the family was allowed to have its cash generating fiefdom and patronage network. The rule of King Salman and his activist son are trying to change that. They want to concentrate all business and all decisions in one hand. But what will replace the old system? Mohammad bin Salman's view of the world is that of Louis XIV - "L'etat, c'est moi" - I am the state. In his own view MbS is not just a crown prince or the future king of the state of Saudi Arabia. He, and he alone, is Saudi Arabia. He is the state. He let this view known in an interview with the Economist in January 2016: [W]e have clear programmes over the next five years. We announced some of them, and the rest we will announce in the near future. In addition to this, my debt-to-GDP is only 5%. So I have all points of strength, and I have the opportunities to increase our non-oil revenues in many sectors, and I have a global economic network. As I remarked at that time: The young dude not only thinks he owns the country, he actually thinks he is the country. He has debt-to-GDP, he has ten million jobs in reserve, he has all women of Saudi Arabia as productive factor and he has scary population growth. Does the guy understand that such an attitude guarantees that he personally will be held responsible for everything that will inevitably go wrong with his country? Saudi Arabia and its state apparatus have for decades been build on an informal but elaborate system of personal relations and patronage. MbS expects that he can take out one part of the system, the princes and businessmen, and the rest will follow from that. That he will be the one to control it all. That is a doubtful endeavor. The ministries and local administrations are used to do their business under tutelage. Eliminating the leadership caste that controlled them will not turn them into corruption free technocracies. Seeing the exemplary punishments MbS hands out at the Ritz the bureaucracies will stop working. They will delay any decisions out of fear until they have the okay from the very top. Ten-thousands of tribal and clan leaders are bound to and depend on the patronage system. The hundreds of people who sought audience with Alwaleed bin Talal at the desert picnic will turn whereto? Who will take up their issues with higher authorities? Who will provide them with hand outs and the "trickle down" money they depend on? Another target of Mohammed bin Salman's activities have been the religious authorities. Some critical sheiks have been incarcerated, others are held incommunicado. The Salman "revolution from the top" extends into their judiciary role: Historically, Saudi leaders have propounded the view that the sharia is the countrys highest law and the overall legal system operates within its bounds.

...

the domination of the religious establishment in law is ending. The king and crown prince are clearly favoring (and fostering) religious figures who repudiate some long-standing official views. Bin Salman is purging the religious establishment, the military, the competing members of the families, the business people and the bureaucracy. He wants to run the state on his own. He demands the right to review any decision in the legal, business and foreign policy realm. He has authority to punish people responsible for decisions he dislikes. Under his system any personal initiatives will become extinct. The country is too big for one person to control. MbS can not take all decisions by himself. No large system can work like that. The people will soon become unhappy with his centralized and unresponsive control. That centralization does not work well is already visible in his failing foreign policy. MbS wants to be seen as the indisputable "leader of the Islamic world". His hate for everything Iran originates there. The Iranian system of a participatory and democratic Islamic state is a living alternative to the autocratic model he wants to implement in Saudi Arabia. The western model of a "liberal democracy" does not adapt well to the historic social models that are prevalent in the Middle East. But the Iranian system is genuine and fits the local culture. It is the sole competition he fears. It must be destroyed by any means. But all his attempts to counter Iran (even where it was not involved) have been unsuccessful. Saudi interventions in Yemen, Qatar, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon have been disastrous. Over the weekend the Arab League delivered the usual criticism of Iran but decided on nothing else. Half of the Arab League states, including the powerful Egypt, are not willing to follow the aggressive Saudi course. Mohammed bin Salman's grand scheme of using Israel and the U.S. to fight Iran in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran itself is unraveling. The Saudi response to the competition of the Iranian system is a move towards more authoritarian rule. This is hoped to allow for more agile policies and responses. But the move breaks the traditional ruling system. It removes the sensible impediments to impulsive foreign policies. It creates the conditions for its very failure. Posted by b on November 20, 2017 at 19:33 UTC | Permalink Comments
Several students within Burke County have taken a look through the lens of a camera to uncover different health challenges and promote the positives.

Burke Recovery, a nonprofit organization that provides preventative and treatment services for substance abuse disorders, started the Burke Recovery Youth Coalition earlier this year to find students who were interested in being change agents in the community. The coalition is compromised of six students who have dedicated their time to invest in promoting and working on solutions to local substance abuse issues.

These students came up with the idea to hold a photography contest called Vocal Lens to bring to light the positive and negative aspects of health and wellness. The contest was then connected to the Arts in Medicine program within Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge in Morganton and opened to the public.

Those students who were interested went out into the community to photograph different aspects that promote and inhibit health and wellness. The photos were then submitted into two different categories, reviewed by a panel of community judges and are now hanging in the lower lobby area of the hospital for all to see.

One photograph depicted a local park that had trash thrown around the playground area, others pictured a rainbow, fruit, flowers, people exercising and playing different sports.

We are aware of the health care issues that are facing this community and we try to use this space as we reflect those issues, said David Pope, vice president of clinical services for CHCSBR. This exhibit, as well as the outcomes of some of the issues raised today is a great example of how we can come together as a community, looking through the lens of the next generation, and start to celebrate, and solve for some of these issues.

During the awards ceremony, Kim James, executive director of Burke Recovery, said that this county needs recovery, but she wasnt just talking just about substance abuse.

She quoted an author who once said that recovery is about healing the brain, making good decisions, becoming a person who can engage in healthy relationships and being able to accept help from others and daring to be honest.

The only way we can achieve this recovery is by working together to promote awareness, develop action plans and create out-of-the-box solutions, James said. One of those solutions is to put the image right in front of us.

The students used their cameras to lend a voice to what is being observed in the community, she said.

Not only do they (the Burke Recovery Youth Coalition) identify the problems, but they take action and they do something about it, said Bryan Austin, an education specialist with Burke Recovery.

Students within the coalition wanted to create the exhibit because they saw some of the challenges within the community that most adults are, figuratively, blind to seeing, he said.

When creating this project, our main inspiration was to make a collaborative way for people to join our cause through the art of photography, said Gillian Abee-Freeze.

They hope to continue the contest in the years to come.

In the category of promoting health and wellness, Judah Lanphere, from Freedom High School, was given first place for his piece titled A Light Breakfast.

In the category of promoting health and wellness, Morgan Hall, from East Burke High School, was given second place for her piece titled Not all Athletes Wear Shoes.

In the category depicting challenges to health and wellness, Ali Henry, from Draughn High School, was given first place for her piece titled Tunnel Vision.

In the category depicting challenges to health and wellness, Keely Tipton, from Draughn High School, was given second place for her piece titled Tunnel Vision.

Best in show was awarded to Annika Kilbo for her piece titled Jumping for Joy.

Students that submitted photos were as follows:

 Madison Clay from Middle School

 Bentley Fraley fromEast Burke High School

 Natalie Ollisfrom Burke Middle College

 Annika Kilbo from Home School

 Ezra Lanphere from Walter Johnson Middle School

 Judah Lanphere from Freedom High School

 Keeley Tipton fromDraughn High School

 Gillian Abee-Freezefrom Draughn High School

 Morgan Hallfrom East Burke High School

 Destiny Merring from Patton High School

 Alli Henry from Draughn High School

 Candence Davis from Draughn High School

Community judges included Kathy Bailey, president and CEO of CHCSBR; Rebecca McCleod, director of Burke County Health Department; Sally Sandy, Morganton city manager; Larry Putnam, Burke County Public Schools superintendent; Jack Moss, Valdese chief of police; Steve Whisenant, Burke County sheriff ; and James.

For more information about the Burke Recovery Youth Coalition, contact Austin at bcacdbryan@gmail.com or 828-433-1221.

Staff Writer Jonelle Bobak can be reached at jbobak@morganton.com or 828-432-8907.
Income seekers were given a boost in the third quarter of 2017, as global dividends payments saw their fastest headline growth rate in three years, data from Janus Henderson shows.

Dividends paid by companies around the globe in Q3 stood at $328 billion (248 billion), up 14.5% from the previous three months, according to the recently merged asset managers Global Dividend Index. The index reached its highest level ever of 168.2.

It means full-year dividends are now forecast to be just shy of $1.25 trillion, a new yearly record and up 7.4% on a headline basis. All regions saw dividends increase in underlying terms, something Ben Lofthouse, manager of Henderson International Income Trust (HINT), says is rare.

As the global economy continues its long-awaited post-crisis normalisation, confidence is improving, and company profits are rising, he adds. Income investors are enjoying the benefits of this growth, as it feeds through into higher dividends.

Once again, North American companies accounted for a large proportion  around 40% - of the dividends paid in Q3. Every sector in the US raised payouts, with the biggest increase coming from the aerospace and defence sector. Banks are also becoming much larger dividend payers as they continue to improve their capital reserves.

The UK has lagged over the past year, but shot back to form in the three months just gone, delivering the fastest underlying growth rate at 17.5%. Miners helped, with Rio Tinto (RIO) doubling its payout and BHP Billiton (BLT) tripling its dividend. Anglo American (AAL), meanwhile, restored its dividend earlier than expected. Compasss special also boosted the total.

There are three companies in our universe that Morningstar analysts believe are undervalued and yield more than 4.5%.

Centrica (CNA) tops that list, with a yield in excess of 5%. The British Gas owner has had a patchy dividend history but is back on track with a new chief executive. Morningstar analyst Charles Fishman has a fair value of 250p, suggesting potential share price upside of 50% from current levels.

General Electric (GE) also has a payout ratio above 5%. The conglomerate, which works in areas as diverse as oil and gas, healthcare and aviation, is embarking on a multi-year restructuring that will help make it more efficient. Barbara Noverini thinks the share price, currently at $18.25, is worth $26.

Victorias Secret owner L Brands (LB) is currently reaching an inflection point in terms of revenue and margins, according to Bridget Weishaar. While her fair value estimate has been reduced to $69, theres still plenty of juice in the firms current $49 share price, which provides an attractive entry point.

Elsewhere, Murray International (MYI) has been given a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Gold and has a four-star performance rating. Managed by Bruce Stout, the investment trust yields 3.9% alongside preserving capital. It has a skew towards emerging markets and counts Taiwan Semiconductor (2330) and Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario de Sureste (ASUR) as its two top holdings.

JPMorgan Global Growth & Income (JPGI) has a five-star performance rating and Bronze Morningstar Analyst Rating. It yields 3.75% and aims to also provide superior capital growth. Managed by Jeroen Huysinga, the trusts top holdings are Alphabet (GOOG), Googles parent company; Finnish stainless steel producer Outokumpu (OUT1V); and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), a US shale producer.

Managed by Jacob de Tusch-Lec, Artemis Global Income is also five-star and Bronze rated. Morningstars analyst Jeffrey Schumacher sees it as a core holding for income seekers. The funds top holding is General Electric, with Norwegian life insurer Storebrand (STB) and US bank Citigroup (C) next in line.
Felipe Massa's retirement from F1 at the end of the year will create a void of Brazilian drivers in the sport, but it is one Pietro Fittipaldi hopes to fill in the coming years.

The 21-year-old grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi secured the Formula V8 3.5 title last week in Bahrain, a conclusive step towards his ambition of bringing the family name back to F1.

Fittipaldi also took part in yesterday's WEC rookie test in Bahrain, driving Porsche's 919 Hybrid LMP1 car, but his plans for 2018 have yet to be determined.

"Formula 2 is a possibility," said Fittipaldi.

"My eyes are also set on F1. At the moment Im focussed on single-seaters. Winning the World Series [F3.5] means I qualify for a superlicence, that helps me a lot for the future as well."

Next season will mark the first time since his famous grand-father's debut in 1970 that the F1 grid will lack a full-time representative from Brazil.

"Unfortunately there are no Brazilian drivers [set to be competing in 2018]," said Fittipaldi.

"Since my grandfather started racing in the early 70s, there has always been a Brazilian.

"Well be pushing hard to make it there. Hopefully Ill not only make it to F1 but bring the Brazilian flag to the podium."

The young charger enjoyed his day of testing for Porsche yesterday at Sakhir, clocking in faster than fellow LMP1 Toyota rookies Fernando Alonso and Thomas Laurent, and approximately two seconds off a benchmark time set by Porsche's Timo Bernhard.

"The car is amazing," said Fittipaldi of his ride of the day.

"A lot of people told me about this car, how the four-wheel drive and the acceleration was going to be amazing, and it definitely was.

"The first run was just to get familiarised with everything, and second and third run I was able to push the limits of the car and I really enjoyed it."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The value of the top 100 most expensive brands of Ukraine totals $5.4 billion, according to a study conducted by the Novoye Vremia publication jointly with MMP Consulting.

According to the study, the top three most expensive brands are Morshinska estimated at $507 million, Sandora ($312 million) and Roshen ($274 million).

The valuation methodology is based on the financial results of the companies owning the brands, as well as the factors that may affect the brand value: geographical coverage of sales, technological component, manufactured products and investment attractiveness of the industry.

The brand of the alcohol producer Nemiroff was estimated by experts at $255 million, Nova Poshta at $218 million, PrivatBank at $211 million and Khortytsa at $203 million.

The top ten also included Rozetka ($179 million), Kyivstar, the largest Ukrainian mobile communications operator ($168 million) and Obolon ($162 million).

The largest number of brands in the rating represents food products, retail, beer and non-alcoholic and alcoholic sectors, as well as confectionery.
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To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
President Donald Trump is considering Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after Richard Cordray steps down by the end of November, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.Mulvaney, who once called the CFPB a sad, sick joke, is expected to appoint another person or a team for the day-to-day operations of the CFPB, according to one of the sources.Trump has also considered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for the temporary post, said one source.Federal law allows the president to designate an officer who has already won Senate approval to temporarily replace an outgoing director.According to people familiar with the matter, the White House has already compiled a list of possible successors to Cordray in anticipation of his departure. The people said Mulvaney has been heavily involved in discussions about a plan to revamp the CFPB.For a permanent appointment to the CFPB post, the Trump administration is considering Todd Zwyicki from George Mason Universitys Mercatus Center; former congressman Randy Neugebauer; former Fannie Mae general counsel Brian Brooks; and Keith Noreika, the acting head of the Office Comptroller of the Currency.Sources said Brooks and Noreika have previously indicated that they are not interested in the post, according to Bloomberg.The Trump administration is also looking at Republicans who previously served as state attorneys general or those with finance industry experience for the role.Bloomberg said it could take months before Trump nominates a replacement, which is subject to Senate confirmation.
Wells Fargo fired its head of consumer lending Friday for inappropriate communication with a former employee.The scandal-plagued banking giant has fired Franklin Codel because of disparaging remarks he made about the regulatory system to a previously fired senior employee, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The remarks were reportedly relayed to so-called golden parachute payments.The former employee reported Codels remarks to the bank, which in turn reported them to its regulators, the Journal reported. While many bankers may trash regulators in private conversation, a source told the Journal that with multiple investigations and ongoing scandal impacting its public image, Wells Fargo wasnt taking any chances.Wells has to be very thoughtful and careful here, and what others may do, they cant the source told the Journal.Wells Fargo said in a statement that Codel, who oversaw all of the banks consumer lending, including mortgage lending, wasnt fired for anything related to the division or the banks controversial sales practices. Rather, he was fired for acting in a manner that was contrary to the companys policies and expectations of its senior leaders.Codel had been with Wells Fargo since 1993.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan has said that there is a good progress in negotiations with Ireland's low cost airline Ryanair regarding its entrance the Ukrainian market, but the issue has been removed from the public discussion.

"Now the issue of Ryanair has been removed from the public discussion. However, the work is going on. Progress is good. I believe that they will fly to Ukraine," the minister said on Channel 5 TV.

Omelyan said that he expects that several more airlines will appear in Ukraine in the coming year.

As reported, Ryanair on July 10, 2017 cancelled its planned entry into Ukraine following Kyiv airport's failure to honor a growth agreement reached at the Ministry of Infrastructure with airport officials.

On July 12, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman ordered National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) involvement in assessing the negotiation process with Ryanair about flights to Ukraine and stated the need to resume these talks.
HS FOOTBALL: Forsan faces New Deal in area round rematch Forsan takes on New Deal in a rematch of last year's Class 2A Division I area round playoff game.

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LHS REPORT: Offenses highlight Rebels vs. Keller playoff showdown Two talented offenses will be on display when Legacy hosts Keller for a Class 6A Division I area...

Diamondback to acquire Lario Permian for $1.55 billion A month after Diamondback Energy heated up the Permian Basin merger and acquisition market with...

Midland Moments: 18th annual Show of Support event on Tuesday The 18th annual Show of Support banquet took place Tuesday at Bush Convention Center with speaker...

USGS reports 5.4-magnitude earthquake in West Texas The US Geological Survey reported that a 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook the West Texas region...
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Danyliuk to meet with European commissioners Dombrovskis, Moscovici in Brussels on Nov 23  EC

Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk will hold a series of meetings with European commissioners in Brussels on November 23.

Danyliuk is scheduled to meet with European Commission Vice President for Financial Stability and Financial Services Valdis Dombrovskis, as well as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici, the website of the European Commission reported on Monday.
As the I-4 Ultimate Project continues to take shape, new structures are going up all the time along the corridor.

Large tower being build near I-4 and John Young Parkway

Not part of I-4 Ultimate Project

Carvana filed documents to build a facility in Orlando

One of Spectrum News 13's viewers, Esther Davis, wrote in this week:

"Is that strange circular building off of I-4 near John Young Parkway part of the I-4 Ultimate Project? If so, what is its purpose?"

In the recent months, as drivers head between John Young Parkway and Conroy Road, many may have noticed a large, white, round building going up. I've heard several theories, most of them projecting it to be some sort of tower to hold new cameras and traffic sensors.

When I asked I-4 Ultimate officials earlier in the week, they confessed they had no idea what that building was going to be and said it was privately-owned.

So when using Google Maps, I noticed a name already comes up associated with the lot: Carvana.

Traffic Inbox: What is that tower building near John Young Parkway?

https://t.co/iHOQbA9ZVF via @RyanMHarper13 pic.twitter.com/lIiYtj5d4L  News 13 (@MyNews13) November 20, 2017

Rumors have been swirling for several months that the car dealer was looking for a location for a vehicle-vending machine.

When I contacted Carvana, the company released this statement: "At this time, we aren't able to comment on the potential of a Vending Machine coming to the area."

However, documents have already been filed with the city of Orlando for an 8,000-plus square foot facility and Carvana provided me some video and information with what to expect should a car vending machine be installed.

Carvana is an online dealer, where after purchasing their car online you can actually choose to pick up your car at the Vending Machine where your vehicle actually moves through the machine into the delivery bay.

Thanks for your question, Esther.

View our Real Time Traffic Map and check cameras on Central Florida's major roads.

If you have a traffic question, Ryan Harper can answer it. Send him your question.
A Plainview tradition since 1992, the Plainview Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade of Lights returns on Thursday, Dec. 7 and this years theme is A Gingerbread Christmas.

Registration for float entries are being accepted now until Dec. 6, and there is no cost to participate in the parade. According to Plainview Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Linda Morris, the parade has gotten bigger every year, last year there over 90 floats.

The parade is open to businesses, schools, churches, civic organizations and individuals. According to Morris, participants do not have to be members of the chamber, they just have to follow a few simple rules.

Since the parade is a parade of lights, all participants will need to have lights on their float entry. This requirement is also so that those attending the parade can see the participants floats. One of the other important rules is that while you can decorate your float as you see fit, no Santas are allowed. This is because the parade traditionally has only one Santa, according to Morris, who acts as the grand marshall of the parade and rides on the final float of the parade.

Guidelines require that if participants intend to hand out candy, they must have two adult walkers on each side of their float handing out candy. This is to protect children and make for a safe parade.

All floats and vehicles will be required to enter Broadway Park from Date Street or Southeast 4th Street, the parade will continue up Broadway to the old train depot.

There are five float awards which will be given out prior to the parade. For those who want their entry judged, the judging portion of the parade will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 7, just prior to the parade. Awards will be given out for: best representation of theme; best large entry; judges choice; best small entry; and best decorated vehicle.

Morris said that the Chamber has already received over 20 entries as of Friday afternoon. One of the entries is what is expected to be a large float from Amarillo that local veterans will be able to ride in.

Morris also said that West Texas A&M has signed up to bring its buffalo mascot as part of the parade.

This is one of those parades where everyone participates, Morris said. We have really good partnerships with our local businesses, churches, schools, and the city, which helps with blocking off the roads and ensuring the safety of the parade.

Morris recommended that participants to the parade make sure to meet prior to the parade to prepare their floats. She said no vehicles, except those involved in the parade will be allowed in Broadway Park.

Entry forms for the parade can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce office located at 1906 W Fifth St., and can be returned there or faxed to 806-296-0819.
The unemployment rate in Hale County broke a 10-year low in October, falling to 4.1 percent, which is a half percentage point drop from Septembers 4.6 percent. The figure is also the lowest monthly unemployment rate in nearly 10 years and is the lowest monthly unemployment rate since April 2008 when the jobless rate was 3.7 percent.

The jobless rate declined significantly from September to October for the other five counties in the Heralds circulation area.

Briscoe County improved from 4.5 percent to 3.2 percent; Castro went from 3.2 to 2.7 percent; Floyd went from 4.9 to 4.3 percent; Lamb improved from 4.9 to 4.0; and Swisher saw an improvement from 3.9 to 3.5 percent.

Plainview/Hale County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Mike Fox said the numbers were very encouraging.

We are seeing activity picking up with the wind sector, he said. Retailers are also gearing up for Christmas sales. At this point, based on those numbers, we are at almost a 10-year low.

Just two months ago, in August, the jobless rate in Hale County was at 5.6 percent with 11,559 employed in the county. Octobers numbers show 11,642 people being employed, which means 83 more people have jobs in the county than two months prior.

The total labor force in Hale County is 12,136, with 494 still seeking employment in the county.

The overall Texas economy added 71,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in October. Annual employment growth for Texas was 2.6 percent in October, marking 90 consecutive months of annual growth. Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, setting a record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in four decades.

By adding an impressive 71,500 jobs over the past month and 316,100 jobs over the year, Texas employers have once again demonstrated their unmatched innovation and ability to achieve success in our countrys premier place to do business, said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. This economy provides valuable opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce to also achieve success.

Leisure and Hospitality employment rebounded by adding 34,700 jobs in October after experiencing its largest monthly decline in September due to hurricane-affected business closures. Over the year, this industry has gained 41,000 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employment grew by 10,300 jobs, and Professional and Business Services expanded by 6,300 jobs.

Private-sector employers added 64,100 jobs in October and have accounted for the addition of 279,300 positions in Texas over the past year as the state has continued to expand its employment, said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. I invite Texas employers to participate in the We Hire Vets recognition program to recognize them for their commitment to hiring our nations heroes.

The Amarillo and Midland Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the months lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.4 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with a rate of 2.5 percent. The Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock MSAs registered a rate of 2.6 percent for October.

Several Goods Producing industries are showing strength in Texas, including Construction, which expanded by 4,500 jobs in October said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. In recognition of Texas Apprenticeship Week this week, I encourage our labor force to tap into TWCs apprenticeship training program that can help prepare them for a well-paying career.
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- A U.S. Border Patrol agent died and his partner suffered serious injuries while on patrol in southwest Texas on Sunday morning, according to a release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity while on patrol near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area," the release said. "Agent Martinezs partner reported that they were both injured and in need of assistance. Responding agents provided immediate medical care, and transported both agents to a local hospital.

"Big Bend Sector was later told that Agent Martinez expired from his injuries. His partner remains in the local hospital in serious condition."

CBP did not mention the cause of the agents' serious injuries, but said the scene was secure and the Border Patrol's Special Operations Group was conducting a search of the area with CBP's Air and Marine Operations "for potential suspects or witnesses."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Agent Martinez and his family, and with the agent who was injured," CBP said in the release.

President Donald Trump responded to the agent's death in a tweet: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and we must, build the Wall!"

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Sixty-two percent of Ukrainians support Ukraine's membership of NATO, and 57% want the country to join the European Union, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, she stated this as part of a working visit to Paris during a meeting with French presidential adviser on European affairs Clement Beaune.

Beaune asked about the moods of Ukrainians regarding the state's course for European integration.

Klympush-Tsintsadze said that recent studies show the growing support for European integration by Ukrainian citizens. The latest survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows that 57% of Ukrainians support Ukraine's joining the EU. In February 2017, 49% of respondents were ready to vote for Ukraine's accession to the EU, and in May this year it was 53%. The share of opponents of the country's joining the EU over this period shrank from 28% to 17%.

The deputy prime minister suggested that the reason for the increased readiness of the population to vote for membership of the EU was the introduction of a visa-free regime, which could positively influence the attitude and confidence in the EU. She also added that the share of people ready to vote for joining NATO, which currently stands at 62%, was also growing.

The sides also discussed preparations for the Eastern Partnership summit, which will be held next week. Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that Ukraine was interested in the effective holding of the EaP summit and finding solutions that would be mutually beneficial for the partner countries and the EU. Beaune said that France was paying great attention to the summit and understood its importance for Ukraine.

"We hope that France will continue to take the position of respect for international law and the EU's unity in opposing the behavior of countries that destroy the principles of peace established in Europe after the Second World War," she said.

Klympush-Tsintsadze briefed Beaune about the progress of reforms in Ukraine and the situation in the country's eastern regions. Thanked Paris for support Kyiv in issues related to the preservation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
OSCE to respect UNSC decisions concerning peacekeepers in Ukraine

The OSCE welcomes all efforts to stabilize eastern Ukraine, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger told Interfax in an interview.

Interfax asked him to comment on Ukraine's proposal that UN peacekeepers be deployed on the eastern borders, including the stretches uncontrolled by Kyiv.

"All efforts that contribute to stabilizing the tense security situation in eastern Ukraine as well as creating a more conducive environment for implementation of the Minsk agreements are welcome and worth a careful assessment," Greminger said.

"There is no agreed mandate for a UN mission and it is not for the OSCE to speculate on modalities of any such mission," he added.

"We remain ready to engage should a decision be reached by the UN Security Council," he said.

The full interview will be posted on www.interfax.com.
An Air Canada Flight that left San Francisco International Airport for Toronto Monday morning was diverted to Denver due to a disruptive passenger, the airline said in a statement.

The FBI is investigating the incident, Amy Sanders of the bureaus Denver field office confirmed. She declined to comment further, or to say whether anyone had been injured on the plane.
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Nebraska utility regulators approved the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline through their state Monday morning.

At the forefront of President Donald Trump's push to expand U.S. energy infrastructure, Canadian pipeline company TransCanada's application was approved by a 3-2 vote by the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

With most regulatory reviews already complete, Nebraska had served as the last major hurdle for TransCanada in completing a pipeline project that will run more than 1,100 miles from tar sands fields in Western Canada to Steele City, Nebraska, where it will connect to existing pipelines running to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

RELATED STORY: Day of reckoning for Keystone XL pipeline

At the center of the building debate around climate change, the Keystone had attracted significant opposition from environmental groups in Nebraska, forcing TransCanada to build along an alternative route that largely avoided Nebraska's Sand Hills region.

At Monday's meeting in Nebraska's capitol of Lincoln, Commissioner Crystal Rhoades said she opposed the decision because even after rerouting the project "several miles of fragile soils" would still be impacted. She also questioned whether land owners had been granted ample opportunity to voice their opinion and what "economic benefit" the project would bring to Nebraska.

Whether TransCanada, which maintains a large office in Houston, will ultimately build the Keystone XL is still awaiting a final decision by the company.

"As a result of today's decision, we will conduct a careful review of the Public Service Commission's ruling while assessing how the decision would impact the cost and schedule of the project," said Russ Girling, CEO of TransCanada.

In a recent earnings call, executives expressed satisfaction with the latest commitments from customers in the pipeline, said Zachary Rogers, refining and oil markets research analyst at research firm Wood Mackenzie.

"The pipeline's commercial viability is strengthened as declining heavy oil production in Mexico and ongoing Venezuelan risk has recently tightened the heavy-crude market in the Gulf Coast," he said.

The decision marked a victory for the oil and gas industry, which had watched with dismay in recent years as a number of pipeline projects were delayed amidst what oil and gas lobbyists dubbed "the Keystone effect," including the controversial Dakota Access project in North Dakota.

TransCanada first filed application for the $5.2 billion Keystone XL in 2008, but following intense opposition from environmentalists approval from the U.S. State Department was delayed until former President Barack Obama ultimately rejected the project in 2015. Trump made that decision a focal point of his presidential campaign, arguing doing so had hurt the U.S. economy.

"The Nebraska Public Service Commission set an example for how to carefully evaluate critical energy infrastructure projects, even in the face of strongly held views and opinions," American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard said Monday. "It's been a long path to today's approval."
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STAMFORD  Miriam Martinez Lemus did not get on a plane to Guatemala Monday as ordered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Instead, she headed home to her family in Stamford, waited for her children to get off the school bus and planned to make them dinner.

Her family was together Monday night at their Seaton Road apartment with several relatives, including Martinezs sister, niece and mother-in-law, waiting for the moment ICE officers would come knocking on their door.

If ICE wants to come and get her, they know exactly where she is, her attorney Glenn Formica said at an impromptu press conference held earlier in New Haven, as Martinez wears an ankle bracelet that has a GPS tracking device.

Martinez is the main caretaker for her 12-year-old daughter, Brianna Benavides, who has Type 1 juvenile diabetes, a life-threatening disease that has to be monitored 24 hours a day. She also has a 10-year-old daughter, Allison.

She needs me, Martinez said, referring to Brianna. They both need me.

A group of advocates, headed by Stamfords Building One Community, will have someone with Martinezs family at all times, if that is what they desire.

The press conference was called in response to ICEs rejection Monday of Formicas request for a stay of deportation to allow him more time to research the case, which he took pro bono late last week. Formica made the appeal to ICE earlier in the morning.

While they are deciding whether they want to take a mother from a sick child, whether they want to expose that child to that kind of risk is ICEs decision. They said she cannot stay, and I am saying, she cannot go, Formica said.

ICEs decision was condemned by a series of speakers, which included Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Formica, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Dr. Stuart Weinzimer, who heads the pediatric diabetes clinic at Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital.

She (Martinez) is being asked to go to Guatemala and abandon her child, Formica said. Miriam is not going to go into a church basement. Miriam is not going to hide from ICE. ICE knows where she is. My understanding is that bracelet has a two-way radio. ICE can listen if they want to.

It is common for undocumented immigrants to have to wear these bracelets while their cases are playing out, rather than be incarcerated.

A total of three undocumented immigrants in the state have opted to seek sanctuary in a church, rather than be deported. One of them did get some legal relief.

An ICE official issued a statement on the case on Monday afternoon.

Miriam Martinez-Lemus is citizen of Guatemala. A federal immigration judge granted her voluntary departure in 2002, but she failed to leave the U.S. as instructed and that order automatically changed to a final order of removal.

In a measure of discretion, ICE did not place her in custody, but entered her into an Alternatives to Detention program, and she has been checking in periodically at an ICE office. She was asked to provide proof she intends to leave the U.S., in compliance with the courts order, which she has done. Should she fail to depart as instructed, she will be listed as an immigration fugitive and arrested when encountered, and then ICE will carry out her removal order.

As an issue of operational security, ICE will not publicly discuss specific removal dates or times for any individual until after the removal has been completed, the official said.

Martinez, who has been in the U.S. for 25 years, said her daughter Brianna gets the proper care she needs here at the Yale clinic, something that will not be available in Guatemala.

Martinez said she wakes up in the middle of the night to check on her to make sure she is alright. I am scared that my daughter will have no one to care for her, she said.

I want to stay with my family together, Martinez said, as she teared up.

Her husband, Luis Raphael Benavides, works in New York and is not available to respond to emergencies or perform the kind of constant monitoring needed for his daughter. Formica said it requires a team of two parents.

Benavides said if he cannot work, he cannot provide for the family of four, which also includes a 10-year-old daughter. Both girls are honor students in the Stamford public schools, according to Formica.

Benavides said Briannas condition needs to be monitored on a daily basis for the rest of her life, something she will not be capable of herself until she is older. She was diagnosed when she was 10.

Mommy is the only person who has managed to get Brianna healthy, of course with our help, and the doctors. Mommy is the backbone of this operation for Brianna to have a healthy condition, he said.

Both parents and Weinzimer referred to the complicated daily routine that is required.

You want to make sure you do what we can so she will wake up and say Daddy, good morning, Im ready to go to school, Benavides said.  ... we cannot be torn apart. ... she is a mother, she is my wife.

Martinez came to the U.S. in 1992 at the age of 27 and immediately sought asylum. She told officials she was fleeing violence and death threats in Guatemala. Formica said he does not have all the records, but she may have had more avenues to legal status along the way. He said he is at a loss as to why a previous attorney requested voluntary departure in 1999.

Martinez did get a stay of deportation, but when she requested an extension this August, it was rejected by ICE and she was told to get a ticket to Guatemala.

Formicas office later this afternoon said there is conflicting information in the ICE record on voluntary departure and they want a Freedom of Information request previously made by attorneys for Building One Community quickly fulfilled.

While ICE says Martinez was granted voluntary departure in 2002, attorney Sidd Sinha in the Formica office, said the information they have is that it was in 1998 and the ICE Case Information Hotline suggests a different date. which parallels the 1998 date.

This is an important fact in that the voluntary departure date is central to facts of her case and the original asylum application she filed, Sinha said.

Malloy reminded everyone that Brianna, and her sister, Allison, are American citizens. She needs our help and in this case, she needs the help of her mother and father as a team, he said.

If any situation cries out for additional understanding, quite frankly, expression of humanity and charity, this one does, the governor said. He said he is pleading with ICE to allow more time to explore other avenues to keep this family together as the legal issues are untangled.

Malloy said he understands it is complicated, but I also have to say the American people did not ask for what is happening here to take place.

He said the public has been clear that some people should be removed from the U.S. just as they believe some folks should be allowed to stay.

Malloy said in the last year he has been told by President Donald Trump that he was only interested in deporting bad hombres, people who have done something terribly wrong. That is not the situation here.

He said these circumstances cry out for understanding and keeping this family together. This child, in all likelihood, if she was to go with her mother, her condition would deteriorate rather rapidly.

Likewise. if only her father is in the U.S. and half of her care team is gone, she would be at serious risk, Malloy said.

The governor said these circumstances do not cry out for the exclusion of this woman.

At the very least, this woman, this family should be allowed to stay together during the pendency of any other legal filing, he said.

Malloy said if people dont buy his initial argument, they might consider the economics. He said the childs medical care could get very expensive, very quickly if her condition were to deteriorate for lack of proper monitoring.

Blumenthal called ICEs decision reprehensible and irresponsible.

Miriam is the voice and face of our resistance to a policy that is cruel, heartless and inhumane  also completely irrational. To rip apart a family, to deprive children of their mom ... and to impede the employment of Luis Raphael ... Allison and Breanna need their mom. This family should not be ripped apart, Blumenthal.

Blumenthal said Martinez should be given a chance to fight this order. She has lacked a full fair day in court and she has been in this country peacefully and productively for 25 years ... This policy cannot be accepted, the senator said.

Blumenthal said the policy contradicts American values ... Her fight, I hope, will become known to all Americans and we will bring this case to the highest level of Homeland Security.

Weinzimer, who had written an open letter to ICE over the weekend asking that Martinez not be deported, at the press conference explained that juvenile diabetes is much more serious than the diabetes that affects millions of adults.

For children, diabetes is a life-threatening illness, as the patient is no longer able to make insulin, he said.

Weinzimer said these patients get a steady supply of insulin by 4 to 6 injections a day or through wearing an insulin pump, which has to be checked manually for the correct dosage. In addition, they have to check their blood sugar levels 10 to 12 times a day.

Every day is a constant stream of decisions, Weinzimer said. It all has to be weighed against the physical activity of the child and any other things going on. Carbohydrates have to be monitored.

And that is on a healthy day. When the child is sick all the insulin needs, all the calculations must change. It is a very, very complicated burdensome disease for a child and for the childs family, Weinzimer said. Breanna has an insulin pulp and wears a blood sugar level monitor.

It takes months, if not years, to be able to learn to do this and her family has learned this. Her mother has born the brunt of taking care of her and she has done very well ... It is all at risk if all of that good care-taking is put in jeopardy, the endocrinologist said.

Earlier in the day, outside ICE offices on Main Street in Hartford, several dozen supporters rallied on behalf of Martinez.

Her sister, Isaura Boytim, who came from New Jersey, spoke after the rally.

This situation is so hard, Boytim said. She said her sister constantly monitors her 12-year-old. She is always worried.

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mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com Call 201-641-2577
The Webb County Sheriff's Office arrested 20 more during the month of November as part of its continued 'Operation GOTCHA' warrant round-up effort.

The focus of 'Operation GOTCHA,' which started in January 2017, has been to safely apprehend fugitives in Webb County who have been evading authorities, a news release states. The criminal offenses ranged from felony theft, burglary, aggravated assault, possession of a controlled substance, failure to pay child support, along with other charges.
Nov. 5

At 2:23 a.m., Officer Proctor was dispatched to 6639 Ferris Street (Bellaire Motor Inn) in reference to public indecency. Officer Proctor arrived and met with the reportee who stated he observed a female running around on the second story of the hotel naked. The reportee stated he asked the female what she was doing, and the female replied she was hiding from her boyfriend. Officer Proctor arrived and made contact with the female suspect and her boyfriend. After further investigation, Officer Proctor found the male suspect had assaulted the female. Officer Proctor also discovered multiple sources of methamphetamine inside the hotel room. At 3:28 a.m., Officer Proctor placed the male suspect into custody for possession of a controlled substance and assault with bodily injury to a family member. At 3:35 a.m., Officer Proctor placed the female suspect into custody for possession of a controlled substance. Both subjects were transported to the Bellaire Jail for booking.

At 6:51 a.m., officers were dispatched to 5200 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a major accident. Upon arrival, they spoke to the witness who stated the silver vehicle traveling east on Bissonnet Street, lost control, ran the red light, and struck the front of the Metro bus. After further investigation the driver of the vehicle was placed into custody and transported to the city of Bellaire for booking. The Harris County District Attorney's Office was notified and given the details of the case they accepted the charge of intoxication assault on the driver of the vehicle.

At 9:08 p.m., D. Clawson was dispatched to the area of 6000 IH 610 West Service Road for a one vehicle crash. During the course of the traffic investigation it was determined the defendant was in fact operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged with the class A misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated.

Nov. 6

At 1:27 a.m., Sgt. D. Hollie observed a vehicle bearing an expired Texas temporary tag, driving northbound in the 7500 block of Chimney Rock Road. Sgt. Hollie initiated a traffic stop. Sgt. Hollie had the driver step out of the vehicle. Sgt. Hollie looked inside the driver window of the suspect's vehicle and saw a white, rectangular pill bearing the engravings of (G3722) in the front left driver seat. Upon further investigation this driver was found to be in possession of a controlled substance (Xanax).

At 8:07 a.m., Officers Schwausch and Guerra were dispatched to 100 block of Pamelia Drive in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that occurred between 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5 and 7:40 a.m. Nov. 6. The vehicle was left unsecured in the driveway and multiple items were taken from the vehicle.

At 10:05 a.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department Lobby in reference to an identity theft in the 4800 block of Florence. Officer Andrade met with the victim who stated sometime on 03/21/2016, her personal identifying information was used by an unknown suspect to open a Cash Central quick cash loan.

At 5:21 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 4600 block of Beech Street in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. The unknown suspect opened the driver side door and rummaged through the vehicle. It is unknown at this time what was taken due to the primary driver of the vehicle being out of town.

At 11:46 a.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to the 900 block of Mulberry Lane in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Unknown suspect (s) entered the victim's unlocked vehicle and removed items from the vehicle.

At 12:13 p.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to 5909 West Loop South to meet with the victim in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Upon arrival, Officer Vorhees spoke with victim who stated he had several items stolen from his vehicle while inside 5909 business center.

Nov. 7

At 10:01 a.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in the 7200 block of IH 610 N/B. One of the drivers was found to have a suspended driver's license and no insurance on the vehicle he is driving. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest for driving while license suspended enhanced / class B.

At 4:57 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to the 6700 block of IH 610 West Loop South in reference to burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon arrival Officer Delgado made contact with the victim who stated an unknown suspect(s) broke out the rear driver side window of her vehicle and stole her purse.

At 12:13 p.m., Officers Guerra and Schwausch were dispatched to 5909 West Loop South to meet with the victim in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Upon arrival Officer Schwausch spoke with victim who stated he had several items stolen from his vehicle while inside 5909 business center.

Nov. 8

At 10:57 a.m., Officer D.Rocha conducted a traffic stop on a black Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle in the 5000 block of Bellaire Boulevard westbound. This vehicle displayed a Texas temporary paper tag, and the generated number on the temporary tag did not return any type of vehicle or owner information. The driver was identified by her Texas Identification card. The driver was also found to be operating a motor vehicle while her Texas Driver's License was currently suspended. The driver had previous convictions for Driving While License Invalid / Enhanced. Driver was arrested for Driving While License Invalid / Enh with previous conviction. After the vehicle's identification number was checked, this vehicle showed to be stolen. No charges were file for this offense on the driver per owner's request.

At 12:54 p.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to 5910 West Loop South to meet with the victim in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Upon arrival Officer Vorhees spoke with victim who stated she had her purse stolen from her vehicle while fueling her vehicle.

Nov. 9

At 11:36 a.m., Officer D.Rocha initiated a traffic stop on a white two door Honda vehicle in the 7000 block of South Rice. This vehicle displayed an expired motor vehicle registration sticker and did not display a Texas front license plate on the vehicle. The driver was identified by his Texas driver's license and he was subsequently found to be operating a motor vehicle while his license was currently suspended. The driver was subsequently arrested and taken to the Bellaire Jail where he was booked for the charge of driving while license invalid / enhanced.

At 3:50 p.m., Corporal D. Clawson observed the defendant make an improper right hand turn in the 5100 block of Bellaire Boulevard within the city limits of Bellaire. During the traffic investigation it was determined the defendant was operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while his driver's license was suspended and with previous convictions of driving while license suspended. The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged with driving while license suspended - enhanced, a class B misdemeanor.

Nov. 10

At 8:42 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to 6330 West Loop South. At 2:05 p.m. Nov. 6, an unknown suspect went up to the 4th floor of the location. The suspect went into the victim's office and stole her wristlet that was hanging in the coat hanger stand.

At 4:17 p.m., Officer Marcotte was dispatched to a reckless conduct event where a driver was observed to be driving on the grass and ran over a street sign in the 6800 block of Avenue B. Officer Marcotte located the driver who was at home and was visibly impaired but would not speak to officers. He wanted to know if officers had a warrant to look at the vehicle. Officer Marcotte obtained a warrant for failure to stop and give information (FSGI) due to the evidence and damage.

Nov. 11

At 5:10 a.m., Officer Bellard was on patrol in the 6000 block of Chimney Rock when he observed a silver Mazda failed to turn into the immediate left lane while turning. Officer Bellard initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. After further investigation the driver of the vehicle was arrested for driving while intoxicated. One of the passengers was arrested for an active warrant out of Harris County.

At 4:19 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 4400 block of Vivian Street in reference to an aggravated robbery. The victims were working at a house when two black males approached them. Both suspects were armed with handguns and struck each victim in the head. The suspects then fled on foot and got into a vehicle and fled the scene. One victim got into his vehicle and pursued but was unable to follow the suspects due to heavy traffic.

At 7:42 p.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop in the 4700 block of Holly Street on 2003 Mercury for displaying the wrong license plates. Officer Marcotte found the driver to be a convicted felon who had a loaded firearm in his possession as well as ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine, codeine and marijuana. The driver was arrested and charged with 2 counts of felony possession of a controlled substance and 1 count of felon in possession of a firearm.

At 7:14 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to the 5700 block of IH610 northbound in regards to three vehicle minor accident. Officer Younger's accident investigation found the driver of unit 1 placed into custody for driving while license suspended with no proof of financial responsibility.

At 10:34 p.m., officers Salinas, Bellard and Clisham responded to Bellaire High School, in reference to suspicious activity, where the reportee heard banging near the doors of Bellaire High School. The reportee observed a male walking away from the same door of the school, and never lost sight of him until Bellaire Police officers made contact with him. During the course of the investigation, the suspect provided a false name and date of birth to Officer Salinas. Officer Salinas subsequently charged the suspect with Failure to Identify.

Nov. 12

At 1:31 a.m., Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 4300 block of Bellaire Boulevard for having a defective rear license plate light and an expired registration. After making contact with the driver, the driver was placed into custody and charged with driving while license invalid.

At 4:06 a.m., Officer Bellard and Officer Ortega were on patrol in the 5200 block of Spruce Street when they observed a silver GMC pickup run a stop sign and stop in the middle of the intersection after appearing to notice a marked police unit. Officer Bellard and Officer Ortega initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and after further investigation a female passenger was arrested for failure to identify fugitive from justice.
Houston BCycle is expanding and offering college students more opportunities.

With bike share stations at Rice University, HCC and UHD, and more coming to University of Houston and TSU, Houston BCycle now offers $25 per semester Student Memberships.

Houston Bike Share, city of Houston Planning & Development and Rice University have partnered together to bring bike share to the Rice University Campus. In late October, Houston BCycle stations were installed at Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, West Lot and Greenbriar Lot.

Five additional stations will be added to the Rice University campus in the coming months, along with stations at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. With so many new campus stations, Houston BCycle has rolled out Student Memberships for $25 per semester.

Student memberships allow unlimited access to Houston BCycle's 400 bikes across 51 stations, 24 hours a day. Whether moving across campus or commuting from home to school, the BCycle network will provide convenient transportation for students and faculty members at Rice University and all other local campuses.

"Our vision is that Rice is able to offer its students access to enough high-quality mobility services that they will not need nor want to own a car when they come to Rice," said Richard Johnson, director of Rice's Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management. "BCycle is a key component of that vision. It's mobility on demand, without having to own the bike itself. We're excited to be part of the bicycle-sharing network in Houston and believe that it will only deepen our engagement with the city, and vice versa."

Lisa Lin, program manager of the Transportation Demand Management Department at Rice, said: "As we work to encourage our employees to choose more sustainable commutes to campus, Houston BCycle comes at a perfect time, adding to the list of active transportation choices we have at Rice University. These bikes are a great option to use to get to a meeting or even use as a wellness activity for our faculty and staff. It's wonderful to see the growing connectivity and excitement of the BCycle program, and we're proud to promote it to our Rice community."
The UK continues helping Ukraine, but the issue of possible lethal weapons delivery is not being considered, British Deputy Ambassador to Ukraine Helen Fazey has said.

We preserve our military assistance to Ukraine. We are constantly looking for ways to strengthen this assistance. But we are not considering the issue of lethal weapons, Fazey said during a conference in Kyiv on Monday.

At the same time, she noted that official London intends to preserve aid to Ukraine in the future. By training the Ukrainian military, by supporting the ongoing reforms in the country, but there is no issue of lethal weapons on the agenda, she said.
Have you noticed that 2017 is nearing its end?

Are you stressed with the many tasks in front of you before we begin a new year?

Were you or someone close to you affected by Harvey?

How have things improved for you in 2017? Have your relationships flourished? Has your relationship with Christ deepened? Are ready for something new?

What if you didn't have to wait for 2018 to begin to have a new beginning?

The prophet Jeremiah says in Ch 33:14-16, "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

"In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety."

This was exciting news to Jeremiah's community and they should be exciting for us as well.

This coming week begins the season of Advent.

Much of our world will be focusing on special sales and finding our way through the holiday season to the end of this year, but Christians begin this week to again, look forward to the birth of Christ. In the midst of a chaotic world Christ will come into our lives.

We have the opportunity to refocus and place our hearts and minds on the coming of the one that can save us and through our changed hearts, ultimately change the world.

Christians live with hope that seeks new life and realizes that with endings are the gateways to new beginnings.

Beginning with Thanksgiving and the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas we are able to realize that we and our world need something new.

Letting go of fear and embracing life in Christ is likely to change our outlook on life in general, but especially on the holiday season.

Advent comes to remind us that the world Jesus was born into was in turmoil as well. Shortly after his birth, Jesus became a refugee and had to leave his birthplace to avoid tyranny and injustice. The life and ministry of Jesus remind us that God shows up in the most unlikely places and that his vision of peace was unlike that of the world. Family and holiday celebrations are a big part of the upcoming season, but we need to remember the reason behind the parties. Anticipating the coming of Christ can build our enthusiasm to welcome him into our lives and in to a hurting world.

Are you ready for Christ to come again? Do you believe that the coming of Christ will be different this year? Will your focus be on how to end 2017 or on the new beginnings offered through Christ's entrance into your life and the whole world?

Will remembering the stories of Mary and Joseph remind you of the uncertainty of our world?

Will you see the celebration of his birth and a party or as the new beginning for the saving of God's creation?

What difference will it make to you as we enter this season to remember that Jesus Christ is coming?
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Fort Bend County will be giving out a limited number of car booster seats for those in need.

From 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, AgriLife Extension personnel will be giving away the booster seats and inspecting those already installed. Children must be at least 4 years old and 40 pounds. Those wishing to get a car seat must have an appointment. The office is located at 1402 Band Road, Suite 100, in Rosenberg. For an appointment contact the Family & Consumer Science Department at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office at 281-342-3034.

Seat belts do not come in one-size-fits-all. In fact, the seat belt that is designed to save an adult's life in a crash does not fit a young child. And, the poor fit of the seat belt can actually cause serious injuries or even death during a crash. Many parents are under the impression that a child can be moved to the vehicle seat belt system when they have outgrown the weight limits of their child safety seat. Most conventional forward-facing child safety seats have a 5-point harness system that can be used until 40 pounds. However, most children weigh 40 pounds long before they are tall enough to fit in the vehicle lap/shoulder belt.

Children do not fit well in the vehicle lap/shoulder belts that were designed for adults who are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Instead of fitting properly over the lower hips, the lap belt rides over the soft tissues of the abdomen and can cause severe injury or death. The shoulder portion of the belt hits the child's neck or face instead of lying flat across the chest. This causes many children to place the shoulder belt behind their back, leaving them with no upper body protection. A booster seat 'boosts' the child up so the lap/shoulder belt will fit correctly and provide protection in a crash.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent, Fort Bend County reminds parents that correctly using a booster seat can protect a child from being thrown around the vehicle or being totally ejected in a crash. In a crash, children who are incorrectly restrained by a lap/shoulder belt are likely to sustain serious injuries to internal organs as well as the head and spinal cord. In fact, these abdominal and spinal injuries are medically referred to as "Seat Belt Syndrome."

The law in Texas requires children under age 8, unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches to be in a child restraint system according to the manufacturer's instructions. According to the law, an 8-year-old can legally ride in the seat belt, but only a small percentage of 8-year-olds are 4 feet 9 inches. The average child reaches 4 feet 9 inches at age 11.

More Information When is your child ready for the seat belt? Take the Five Step Test 1.Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? 2.Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle? 3.Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm? 4.Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? 5.Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? If you answered 'no' to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection. Your child will be more comfortable, too! Source: SafetyBeltSafe,U.S.A, www.carseat.org See More Collapse

The injury rate and high costs associated with medical care and lost productivity for families is huge. Booster seats are an affordable solution to protecting children in the 4-8& age group. The cost of booster seats is lowgenerally between $13-$50. It is estimated by Safe Kids Worldwide that a $30 booster seat generates $2,000 in benefit to society from reduced health-care expenses. Booster seats offer a low-cost solution to a high-cost problem.

Call Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office at 281-342-3034 to book an appointment on Nov. 30 for a free child safety seat inspection, or visit http://buckleup.tamu.edu to find a certified child passenger safety technician in your area.
Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls believes comprehensive immigration reform is crucial for Texas tax payers. On Thursday (Nov. 16), he shared his knowledge and opinions with county residents at a community chat held at the Gus George Law Enforcement Academy.

Nehls answered questions and led a discussion on Senate Bill 4 (SB4), also called the Anti-Sanctuary Cities Bill, which recently went into effect.

"I agree with 90 percent of what Senate Bill 4 (SB4) says. I am against Sanctuary Cities, no question about it. What I am against in SB4 is what is called the Schaffer Amendment, which talks about asking about immigrations status during a traffic stop. That I can't agree with," he said.

SB4 creates new risks for law enforcement officers when they are called to question the immigration status of an undocumented worker desperate to avoid going to jail and being deported, Nehls said.

"Senate Bill 4 is actually dangerous for law enforcement in my opinion because when you make that traffic stop you don't know what this person is thinking," he said. "I think we will see more confrontation on the side of the road. I'm also very concerned about vehicles fleeing."

Sheriff Nehls said he opposed the county's participation in the 287g program directed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"Does the program have some merit? Yes. But, we just don't need it here in Fort Bend County," he said.

Last July, ICE officials signed the 18 so-called 287(g) agreements to foster a partnership with 18 Texas counties. The agreement allows local law enforcement agencies to team up with ICE to enforce federal immigration rules. The agreements require a specific number of jail officers to be trained how to question people who have been arrested to determine their immigration status. Officers are also trained to access and utilize the Department of Homeland Security's database to process undocumented immigrants and alert ICE officials to come pick them up.

"Under both the Republican and Democratic leadership in Washington, D.C., Congress has done very little to secure our southern border in years past," he said. "Now we are going to spend about $500 million of our tax dollars year to augment the federal government's job to help keep Texas safe. That's a lot of money and I think it's just throwing our funds out the window."

Nehls said if Fort Bend County officials committed to the 287g program, it would require training and salaries for six full-time deputies at an estimated cost of half a million dollars.

"I think I know how we could help solve some of the immigration problems in this country. Number one is you build that wall, and you build it big with beautiful gates, because this isn't about legal immigration; it's about illegal immigration," he said.

Nehls said next he and other Americans would then work together to "round up the bad hombres and get them out of here," he said.
Eleven members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, including eight bikers in the Sonoma County chapter, are accused of running a racketeering enterprise that included murder, assault, maiming, robbery, extortion and witness intimidation, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.

Six members of the biker gang were arrested over the weekend when federal agents and local law enforcement officials stormed a gathering outside the Wagon Wheel Saloon on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, FBI officials said.

Dozens of bikers were set to take off from the small bar around noon for the Red and White Sonoma County End of Summer Run, a biker rally that had been postponed because of the Wine Country wildfires last month.

Law enforcement officials conducted raids at 15 other locations, including in San Francisco, Fresno and Boston, said Jack Bennett, special agent in charge of the FBIs San Francisco field office.

This investigation has uncovered significant criminal activity, and its not over yet, Bennett said at a news conference Monday in San Francisco. This activity was designed to instill fear in the parts of Santa Rosa that are around these motorcycle gangs. The victims have lost their lives (and) their property, and their neighbors, their sense of safety.

Agents seized more than a dozen weapons, including several firearms, at least 10 motorcycles, drugs and bloody clothes during the weekend raids, officials said.

Several of the defendants appeared before a federal judge in San Francisco on Monday morning, Assistant United States Attorney Alex Tse said.

Four of the defendants  Brian Wendt, 40, Jonathan Jon Jon Nelson, 41, Russell Rusty Ott, 64, and Christopher Rain Man Ranieri, 49  face murder conspiracy charges in connection with a July 2014 killing in Fresno. Prosecutors say Wendt killed the victim after the other three defendants lured the person to a Hells Angels clubhouse. The victims name is not in the indictment.

The other seven defendants face charges including assault, witness intimidation, maiming and weapons violations in connection with several crimes in California and beyond. They are Raymond Ray Ray Foakes, 54, Russell J.R. Lyles Jr., 36, Jeremy Greer, 37, Damien Cesena, 36, Brian Bucky Burke, 37, Jason Agro Cliff, 50, and David Diaz III, 45.

The 11 defendants were indicted Oct. 10 after a three-year investigation by the FBI that revealed crimes dating back to the summer of 2007, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

Foakes, a former president of the Hells Angels Sonoma County chapter, was arrested in November 2016 on suspicion of sexually assaulting another members wife, prosecutors said. He was not charged at the time while detectives continued to investigate the case, but he remained in custody.

Foakes did a three-year stint in federal prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme in which he purchased homes for marijuana grow sites.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
In September, the Edwardsville District 7 administration, in coordination with the Edwardsville Police Department, introduced the P3 Campus Text-A-Tip mobile app for students at Edwardsville High School, EHS South as well as Lincoln and Liberty Middle Schools.

The P3 Campus Text-A-Tip program uses technology to open communication among students, school administration and law enforcement and is designed to keep schools safe through empowering students to speak up.

Students and parents can use P3 Campus Text-A-Tip to report suicide concerns, sexting, stealing, threats, abuse, dating and domestic violence, fights, drugs, alcohol, weapons or other types of dangerous situations that threaten their safety or the safety of others for the purpose of prevention and intervention.

Edwardsville High School Principal Dr. Dennis Cramsey explained that this new communication tool was a continuation of the long-standing partnership between Edwardsville Community School District and the Edwardsville Police Department. Its a partnership that dates back to the mid-1980s and focuses on ensuring that District 7 schools maintain safe, secure and orderly learning environments.

An important offshoot of this partnership is the School Resource Officer (SRO) program that places an experienced law enforcement professional in each of the districts secondary schools, Cramsey noted. SROs are assigned to Edwardsville High School, EHS South, Liberty Middle School and Lincoln Middle School.

Cramsey elaborated about the mission of the new P3 Campus Text-A-Tip program.

The program seeks to create and maintain safe, secure and orderly learning environments for students, teachers and staff, establish a trusted channel of communication with students, parents and teachers, and serve as a positive role model to instill in students good moral standards, good judgment and discretion, respect for other students and a sincere concern for the school community, he said.

Its goal is also to promote citizen awareness of the law to enable students to become better informed and effective citizens, while empowering students with the knowledge of law enforcement efforts and obligations regarding law enforcement as well as consequences for violations of the law.

Lastly this program serves as a confidential source of counseling for students and parents concerning problems they face as well as providing information on community resources available to them, Cramsey said.

He then introduced Edwardsville Police Department Officer Matt Breihan, coordinator of the SRO program at District 7, who pointed out that they introduced the app to the students because they realize that communication has moved more to the technical side.

In September we started introducing it to the students. I went around to EHS South and the EHS main campus and gave presentations throughout the schools. Parents also received notification through a letter in the mail with information regarding the program.

During the presentations and in the introductory period, students were asked to download the app to their cell phones. And if they wished to use it, they could. If not, they were more than welcome to delete it, Breihan said.

The P3 Campus Text-A-Tip app is also available to all parents and guardians for free through Apple or Google Play. The app can also be accessed at www.p3campus.com

Breihan estimated that they reached about 80 percent of the students during the introduction phase and that they received about 400 text messages during that time period.

Our P3 Campus Text-A-Tip program utilizes technology that the kids use today, Breihan pointed out. We can use cell phones, tablets, computers  any method of communication can be used in this program. They can include pictures, video, audio  anything that they want  to submit it while all the while remaining anonymous.

Its not just for students, Breihan added. Weve had those who have identified themselves as parents using it. Its not specifically for school related materials. We invite the public  for more of the criminal aspect of it  to help make our schools a safer place. If somebody brings something to school that we need to know about, thats what it is for.

He emphasized that while they would like to see tips about police related matters to ensure safety, they also welcome mental health concerns and will set up students with counselors or resources to assist them.

All the tips are reviewed by myself as well as Officer Arendell, and we review them for accuracy and truthfulness, Breihan said. Its blatantly obvious when a fake tip comes through. So we want to ensure that all of these tips are not acted upon. In fact, a very small percentage are acted upon.

A lot of these tips are for informational purposes only, Breihan added. So we gather information and then tailor the schools environment to make sure that it is safer. The ones that are acted upon immediately are those that jeopardize the safety of the students including self harm and that is both in school and outside of school.

Breihan said that the P3 Campus Text-A-Tip app is used by approximately 2,600 schools across the country, and that the Edwardsville program is being piloted this year as the result of a grant from a local businessman.

While the app can also be used to report crime throughout the city, Breihan stressed that they are focusing on EHS and EHS South for now primarily due to the manpower that would be involved to cover the entire city. However, the Edwardsville Police Department still offers a Tip (phone) Line to Edwardsville residents which is a confidential avenue for reporting information to police on criminal or suspected criminal activity while allowing the caller to remain completely anonymous. The Tip Line number is 692-7552.

The board and administration asks that parents encourage their children to utilize this potentially life-saving technology to improve the quality of life in our schools and community, Cramsey said.
What do Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew have in common? If you're thinking they each created a better future through their remarkable leadership in business and society, you would be correct. If you're also thinking their leadership style was more autocratic than democratic, that would be correct too.

Related: 22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader

What? Autocratic leadership creates a better future? Could it really be true? As I reflected a bit more, almost all leaders I could think of who had changed the course of history, were indeed autocratic. But, if you pick up any assortment of books on leadership, chances are most will sing the virtues of a democratic, all-inclusive leadership style. The contrast between my own observations and the vast array of leadership literature confused me. I decided to dig deeper.

For my recently published book Open Source Leadership (McGraw-Hill 2017), my colleagues and I designed a survey that asked 16,000 executives in 28 countries what they thought. One of the questions required respondents to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement: In order to drive unprecedented success for the organization in today's fast paced environment, a significant amount of top-down leadership is required.

Without exception, an overwhelming majority of respondents in each of our 28 countries agreed or strongly agreed.

What does the data imply? Should we now stop overglorifying democratic leadership? Some of the most powerful dictators of the past century have also been successful leaders. And Vivek Wadhwa, director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at the Pratt School of Engineering, argues in this article that the best companies in the world are run by "enlightened dictators."

Related: 50 Rules for Being a Great Leader

Does it mean we can now justify dictatorial, autocratic or top-down leadership? Not so fast. In today's social media-enabled age, ordinary people are more empowered than ever before. Leaders, on the other hand, are totally exposed, even naked. The 2011 Arab Spring is a stunning reminder of the fact that using position power and force to control people is not even an option any more. And the 2016 U.S. presidential election is perhaps the best recent proof of the fact that leaders are completely exposed and naked today. So, even though history and our data show that you need to be autocratic to drive breakthrough success, you cannot forge ahead recklessly, because the empowered workforce of today won't let you. This, in effect, is the 21st-century leadership dilemma.

So, what's the way forward? Benevolent autocracy! Try incorporating the following authentic practices in your leadership behavior:

1. People must have no doubt in their minds about who you are and what you stand for. Only if you build a solid reputation of being a better future creator using the right values, will you earn the trust and respect of your people. So, showcase your values with your actions rather than with your words, and make clear (again and again) what your purpose is.

Related: 15 Ways to Lead With Effective Communication

2. Being a benevolent autocrat is not easy in the open source era. Since every word and action of a leader is in full and open view these days, she needs to be autocratic about her values and purpose, and at the same time, be humble and respectful with people. It is a delicate dance of seemingly opposing ideas, but she must master it.

3. Allow people to make values based decisions, and not box them into bureaucratic rules and policies. As long as people earnestly pursue the common purpose of the organization while living the values, they ought to be free to make whatever decisions they think are required. Imagine if United Airlines had followed company values instead of company procedure during the recent incident of physically dragging a passenger out of the aircraft. Would they still have dragged Dr. Dao out the way they did?

4. The work of leadership is intricate. On the one hand leaders need to be autocratic about their values, purpose, and vision. On the other hand, the speed of change renders a lot of ideas and concepts obsolete in no time. Given the backdrop, leaders today must listen, learn, empathize, and reflect regularly to ensure that their values and purpose are still relevant. As everything is getting automated, empathy will be a core leadership skill in the open source era. It is one of the things computers and robots will not be able to do anytime soon, and will therefore be at a premium.

Related: Inspirational Quotes From 100 Famous Business Leaders (Infographic)

5. In the age of speed, innovating quickly and more frequently is key. If the leader is not forgiving, no one will take risk. If no one takes risk, there will be no innovation. So, leaders today need to celebrate failure as much as success. Develop a private equity investor's mindset. Try investing in multiple initiatives fully expecting most them to fail. Even if one turns out to be a major breakthrough, it ought to be enough. So, build a culture of forgiveness.

The above tips will enable leaders to earn the right to be autocratic -- and this right must be re-earned every day -- business and societal leaders can better navigate the challenging yet exiting times we find ourselves in today. Benevolent autocracy is perhaps the only way to solve the 21st-century leadership dilemma.

Related Video: Do You Have the 7 Qualities of a Great Leader?

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Kyiv intends to seek from the U.S. the recognition of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian ambassador to Washington Valeriy Chaly has said.

"Traditionally, at the end of November, thousands of indifferent people gather in New York in St. Patrick's Cathedral to honor the memory of the innocent victims of the Holodomor (Famine) artificially created by the Stalin regime in 1932-1933. Now we know that it was Ukrainians who rose up against this crime in defense of their own families, and were deliberately destroyed. Today, in my speech with the surviving witnesses of those tragic events, I stressed: it's time to officially recognize the Holodomor against the Ukrainian people as genocide, "the Ukrainian ambassador to U.S. Valeriy Chaly wrote on his Facebook page.

He recalled that the previous attempt was unsuccessful. "But we will again go to the U.S. Congress to elicit truth and justice and the adoption of the relevant resolution next year," the ambassador said.
The U.S. government redesignated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday. The move, announced by President Donald Trump during a brief photo op at a Cabinet meeting, was designed to put pressure on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

"It should have happened a long time ago," Trump told reporters. "It should have happened years ago."

This isn't North Korea's first time on the list. The country was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1988 and stayed on the list until it was removed in 2008.

Q: What is a state sponsor of terrorism?

A: Since 1979, the State Department has kept a list of countries that are alleged to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism." The designation results in a variety of unilateral sanctions, including a ban on arms-related exports and sales, prohibitions on economic assistance, and other punitive measures.

The list is determined by three laws: Section 6j of the Export Administration Act, Section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act and Section 620 of the Foreign Assistance Act.

Exactly what makes a country a sponsor of terrorism is kept relatively vague: Joseph DeThomas, a former State Department official who focused on North Korea and Iran and is a professor of international affairs at Pennsylvania State University, has called it "more of an art than a science" and noted that "political and diplomatic context plays a considerable role in such designations."

When first released in 1979, the list included only four nations: Libya, Iraq, South Yemen and Syria. Over the years, a number of countries have been added to the list and some removed. Until North Korea was added this week, only Iran, Syria and Sudan remained on the list.

Q: Why was North Korea first added to the list in 1988?

A: Before 1988, North Korea had been implicated in a number of international plots, including hijackings, abductions, bombings and assassination attempts.

However, it was the bombing of Korean Air Flight 858 in 1987 that sealed North Korea's place on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. In this attack, later linked to North Korean agents, a plane flying between Baghdad and Seoul was blown up over the Andaman Sea. All 115 people on board were killed.

The bombing of Flight 858, as well as a 1983 attack in Rangoon, Burma, that killed 17 South Koreans and four Burmese that was linked to Kim Jong Il, prompted the Ronald Reagan administration to decide that North Korea should be added to the list.

Q: Why was North Korea removed from the list in 2008?

A: Two decades after being designated a state sponsor of terrorism, North Korea was removed from the list in 2008 by the administration of President George W. Bush. It was a controversial move; then-Sen. Barack Obama was among those who supported it, calling the decision "an appropriate response."

For a nation to be removed from the list of state sponsors, Bush had to certify to Congress that its government had either fundamentally changed its stance on providing support to terrorism or had not provided support for international terrorism for six months and had given assurances to the United States that it would not support international terrorism in the future.

16.North Korea was able to meet these criteria relatively simply: The State Department's 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism had noted that North Korea was not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since 1987, and the U.S. government later announced that Pyongyang had issued "an authoritative and direct public statement affirming that it does not support international terrorism now and will not support international terrorism in the future."16.North Korea was able to meet those criteria relatively simply: The State Department's 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism had noted that North Korea was not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since 1987, and the U.S. government later announced that Pyongyang had issued "an authoritative and direct public statement affirming that it does not support international terrorism now and will not support international terrorism in the future."

Another major important factor in the move to drop North Korea from the list were faltering talks over nuclear disarmament with Pyongyang that the Bush administration hoped could be salvaged by the delisting move. Notably, U.S. officials said North Korea had agreed to not restart the partially disabled Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which had been producing fissile material for weapons tests.

Q: Why is the Trump administration redesignating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism?

A: The 2008 decision to delist North Korea has long divided experts, some of whom have called for the country to be redesignated.

One key bone of contention is whether North Korea has committed acts of terrorism in recent years. For example, in 2015, Joshua Stanton of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea issued a report that argued that although it was commonly thought that North Korea had not been directly linked to high-profile terrorism plots since 1987, Pyongyang had been actively involved in suspected arms transfers to terrorists as well as other threats and assassination plots that met the legal definitions of "international terrorism" and terrorism "support."

21.These arguments were bolstered in recent years by the alleged hack of Sony Pictures in 2014 and the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, brother to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in 2017 - the latter of which was called an "act of terrorism" by South Korea soon afterward.21.These arguments were bolstered in recent years by the alleged hack of Sony Pictures in 2014 and the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, brother to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in 2017 - the latter of which was called an "act of terrorism" by South Korea soon afterward.
The giraffes, rhinos and cheetah that live at Safari West near Santa Rosa craned their necks and stomped their hooves and paws on Monday, apparently happy to hear the oohs and aahs of visitors for the first time since the Tubbs Fire burned part of the 400-acre wildlife preserve six weeks ago.

Safari West tour guide Robert Stern led a group of eight Girl Scouts down a muddy trail to the cheetah habitat, where the normally fast cats lazily rested on the grass, purring and unfazed by steady rain. Stern asked the girls if they knew how fast a cheetah could run.

Up to 70 mph, faster than his car could go, Stern answered.

The cheetahs now plush habitat had been blackened from spot fires that occurred in early October when the Tubbs Fire, the most destructive wildland blaze in modern California history, leveled 4,655 surrounding structures, killed 23 people and would have destroyed the preserve had it not been for the heroics of its founder, Peter Lang.

Im very happy to be here doing a tour in the rain, Stern said as he led his group to the snack bar area. This is my first day back in six weeks.

Lang, 77, worked to save the animals and grounds when the blaze broke out Oct. 8 near Calistoga in Napa County and quickly spread into Sonoma County. As the fire headed toward the preserve and surrounding residents evacuated, Lang refused to abandon his beloved animals.

While his own home burned to the ground, Lang spent hours racing around the preserve in his truck, putting out spot fires, stomping out some of the flames with his boots. He used a large water hose to spray hot spots that had ignited on the side of the cheetah barn and burned grass in the hyena pen.

The next day, Lang was joined by 12 Safari West employees who deployed the on-site fire truck and continued working to put out small flare-ups for the next several days, said Keo Hornbostel, executive director of Safari West.

When the smoke subsided, 200 of the preserves 400 acres were burned.

The luxury tents that house guests for overnight stays at the habitat were still out of commission Monday because of smoke damage and wont be up and running until March.

A home belonging to one of the Safari West employees that bordered the hyena compound was completely leveled, except for a brick chimney that stood among a pile of debris.

Hidden among the hyena, cheetah and monkey habitats were dead trees, destroyed school buses and other vehicles that belong to the preserve. Fences surrounding the hyenas and cheetahs had been demolished in the inferno, but have since been rebuilt. A mountain near the giraffe habitat remains singed.

Our hillsides are all green, but it wasnt that color three or four weeks ago, Hornbostel said. We are still making repairs. It couldve been a lot worse.

Although 11 of their staff members lost their homes in the conflagrations that sprouted throughout the North Bay, Hornbostel said that most of them had been working nonstop to ensure that the wildlife preserve could reopen in time for Thanksgiving.

Hornbostel said he coordinated with the California Highway Patrol to ensure that vans carrying the preserves staff could get through fire barricades during the thick of the disaster to care for the animals.

OK, we survived, but now we have 1,000 animals to take care of every day, Hornbostel said.

No staff members were injured in the fires, nor were any animals.

Its all working? Hornbostel asked a crew member pacing the grounds Monday.

Everything so far, the worker answered Hornbostel with a smile.

Operations seemed to be running smoothly just in time for the 110 anticipated guests on the parks reopening day  a slow day for the preserve that can typically accommodate up to 500 visitors a day.

Nonetheless, the excitement was evident as children aimed iPhones to snap photos of flamingos, ducks and monkeys.

Why isnt it climbing? said one of the Girl Scouts, who had come from Vacaville, staring at one of the black-and-white Colobus monkeys nuzzling with two others.

The Girl Scouts decided to spend the money they made from cookie sales to come to Safari West, said Renee Protich, 42, a parent chaperone.

Her daughter, Ava Haven, 10, was most excited to catch a glimpse of the rhinos.

I have a big interest in animals, Ava said. Theyre really cool. They have personalities like humans. Theyre joyful and playful and curious just like us.

The girls unanimously decided the giraffes and their calves were their favorite animals encountered on the walking tour.

The giraffes look like theyre having fun and they love their food, said Lacey Mayeux, 11, of Vacaville.

And walking through the bird sanctuary, Alana Darby, 11, of Vacaville, chimed in about another one of her favorite stops on the tour.

The walking tour with Stern through the various habitats lasted about 45 minutes, but that wasnt the end for the Girl Scouts. They put on plastic ponchos, decorated with wild animals, as Stern brought over a safari truck to take them to see the zebras, antelopes and, of course, the rhinos.

Haven and her friends ran to the car and settled into their seats.

Ive got enough blankets for everyone, Stern announced, handing one to Ava.

Before long, the girls sat cozily with their blankets and they were off on their safari.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., on Monday faced new allegations of inappropriately touching women, but there are no signs he plans to step down amid the swirl of controversy now surrounding him.

The latest accusation surfaced when Lindsay Menz, 33, of Frisco, Texas, told CNN that Franken, 66, grabbed her when they posed for a photo together at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. Franken, a second-term senator, already faces a Senate ethics investigation into allegations that he inappropriately touched a fellow performer on a USO tour in 2006.

He is the first sitting lawmaker to face accusations by women of inappropriate behavior in the wake of an ongoing wave of allegations against powerful men across American society.

Menz said she attended the fair with her husband and father and met the senator at a local radio booth sponsored by her father's business. As her husband held up a phone to take the photo, Franken "pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear," Menz told CNN. "It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek."

"It wasn't around my waist. It wasn't around my hip or side. It was definitely on my butt," she told the news channel. "I was like, oh my God, what's happening."

In a statement to CNN, Franken did not deny the incident took place.

"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected," Franken said in a statement to CNN.

Franken's office did not return a separate request for comment. Over the weekend, an aide told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Franken planned to spend the Thanksgiving holiday week with his family in Washington, "and he's doing a lot of reflecting."

Multiple senior Democrats on Monday said Franken is not expected to resign over the latest allegations, nor is he expected to face calls for his ouster from Democratic congressional colleagues. These Democrats, who were granted anonymity to speak frankly about the matter, said they see no reason for Franken to step down as long as he agrees to participate in an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.

Last week Republicans and Democrats quickly denounced Franken after Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio news anchor and former model, accused the senator of forcibly kissing her and later grabbing her breasts while she slept on the flight home during an overseas USO tour in 2006. She offered photographic proof of the latter accusation.

In response, Franken apologized and agreed to face an ethics investigation. He also contacted Tweeden, apologized and asked to meet with her. She said on a national television program that she would do so.

The growing accusations against Franken come as Alabama Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore faces calls to drop out of a special election amid accusations first reported by The Washington Post that he pursued or assaulted underage women in the 1970s and 1980s.

While senior congressional Republicans have called on Moore to exit the race, he has so far refused to do so.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Sunday called elephant hunting a "horror show" and strongly suggested he will permanently block imports of elephant trophies from two African nations despite his administration's earlier approval of the practice.

Following strong bipartisan criticism of the administration's decision to allow imports of trophy carcasses for the first time since the practice was halted under the Obama administration, Trump had moved Friday to put the imports on hold. On Sunday, Trump said on Twitter that he would announce a final decision this week. He suggested that he does not buy the argument advanced by pro-hunting advocates within his Interior Department that the imports help protect endangered African elephants.
Poroshenko thanks Lynch for opening office of his foundation in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has thanked U.S. film director David Keith Lynch for opening a representative office of his charitable foundation in Ukraine, which helps war veterans, refugees, and victims of domestic violence.

"I have met with legendary American filmmaker David Lynch, who arrived in Ukraine to open a charitable foundation, Lynch Foundation is engaged in transcendental meditation, helps war veterans, refugees, and victims of domestic violence. I thanked him for the decision to open this foundation in Ukraine. This is an important and symbolic mission," Poroshenko wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday, November 18.

He noted that assistance to the military was a very urgent and important issue for Ukraine, which "suffers from Russian aggression."

"Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are returning from the war and need psychological rehabilitation. People should get help in overcoming stress, because suffering from this are not only servicemen who are directly involved in the fighting, but also civilians," Poroshenko added.
Converse police arrested a man roughly 12 hours after they say he shot a 16-year-old boy in the head.

David Louis Martinez, 30, was brought into custody around 2:42 a.m. Monday on suspicion of murder, according to jail records.

Police responded to the shooting around 1 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Town Square Apartments, 301 Converse Center St.

RELATED: Two children rescued by firefighters in Sunday morning blaze on the Northwest Side

They found the victim, identified as 16-year-old Reginald Jerome Adams, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived.

Witnesses reported seeing a car speeding out of the parking lot after the gunshots were heard.

According to Martinez's arrest warrant affidavit, a concerned person spotted a car matching the description covered by a tarp at a home in the 6800 block of Barton Rock Lane in San Antonio.

The witness told police that the owners planned to move it after dark. Police then set up surveillance on the area and spotted Martinez removing the tarp and driving away from the home, according to the affidavit. Officers trailed Martinez until they pulled him over with the help of another police agency along the Interstate 35 corridor.

Police said Adams lived at the complex where he was shot and that Martinez said he was trying to sell him narcotics. He then admitted to shooting Adams twice in the head and stashing the murder weapon and a second weapon in a tree near the scene, according to the affidavit.

"We get normal calls for loud music," Capt. Robert Avella said. "It's been a while since we've been there for anything major."

Martinez has a lengthy criminal history, according to public records. Among his most serious offense is a 2006 aggravated robbery he pleaded guilty to in Dallas.

Bexar County court records show Martinez had also finished serving probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm on Nov. 6, 2017.

Martinez was in the process of being released via a GPS monitoring device Monday evening, according to the Bexar County Central Magistrate's website.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
In October, authorities arrested a man they said was behind four armed robberies.

Over the weekend, detectives increased that number to five.
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A San Antonio resident opened his door to a friend he knew from childhood. That friend robbed him at gunpoint and stole his car, police said.

Jose Carrizales, 26, was arrested over the weekend and charged with aggravated robbery.

On Aug. 10, the victim called police and told him he heard a knock on his bedroom window around 2 a.m. The man recognized the visitor as Carrizales, who he hadn't seen in years, according to an arrest affidavit.

RELATED: Converse police find suspect accused of fatally shooting 16-year-old boy

Now Playing: David Louis Martinez, 30, is accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy in a Converse apartment complex parking lot on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Carrizales allegedly asked the man to give him and a woman a ride and the man agreed.

During the drive, Carrizales pulled a gun out and told the man to get out of the car, according to the affidavit.

The man ran out of the car and Carrizales and the women drove off, police said.

Police found the car the next day, and pulled it over after a short pursuit. The man driving the car at the time was not Carrizales, authorities said.

Police continued their investigation and arrested Carrizales several months later.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
The last meeting of 2017 between Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov and United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker will take place in December, an informed source told Interfax.

"The next meeting, the last meeting of this year, is scheduled for December; preliminary preparations are underway in an EU member country," the source said.
Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Why are Muslims from Post-Soviet Countries Discriminated Against When They Want to Come to Ukraine?'

On Monday, November 20, at 12.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press entitled "Why are Muslims from Post-Soviet Countries Discriminated When They Want to Come to Ukraine? Asylum-seekers are Forced to Unite to Protect Themselves from Arbitrary Actions by Officials." The participants include co-founders of the association, journalists Tagir Minibaev (Ufa, Bashkortostan) and Anvar Derkach (Ukraine) (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. Details by phone: (073) 154 9136.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhyehVdQfQE&feature=youtu.be




Despite a constitutional provision which makes her eligible for former vice presidents pension Joice Mujuru said she is not getting any benefits that are supposed to be accorded to her.

Mujuru was in government for more than 30 years and held various ministerial portfolios and later because a vice president for 10 years under former president Robert Mugabe.

She said when she was fired from government and Zanu PF, Mugabe withdrew all state funded benefits including her security staff.

The government is even refusing to clear ZESA arrears that accrued when I was VP at this house, said the National Peoples Party (NPP) leader.

 New Zimbabwe

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The decision to ban Secretary of the State Interagency Commission for the Commemoration of Victims of War and Political Repressions Sviatoslav Sheremeta from entering Poland contradicts the agreements reached in Krakow on November 17 by the Consultative Committee of the Presidents of Ukraine and Poland, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported.

This was announced to Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Saturday, November 18.

"During the meeting it was noted that the ban on entry into Poland for Sheremeta contradicts the logic of constructive agreements reached by the co-chairs of the Consultative Committee of the Presidents of Ukraine and Poland in Krakow on November 17, 2017," the report says.

"In this regard, the [Ukrainian side] expressed hope that bilateral agreements reached the day before will help resolve the unfortunate situation with Sheremeta without delay," the ministry added.

In early November 2017, Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, referring to its sources, reported that the Foreign Ministry of Poland had been drawing up a list of Ukrainians who will be refused entry to Poland. According to the newspaper, the list could include Sheremeta, who this summer decided to ban exhumation works in the village of Kostiukhnivka, Manevychi district, Volyn region, as part of the work of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance to search for members of the Polish Legions in 1915-1916.
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HONOLULU  The Hawaii Department of Health has a new partner its Choose Healthy Now campaign with the 7-Eleven chain joining the initiative, according to the agencys newsletter, Ola Lokahi. Other convenience stores participating in the campaign include Aloha Island Mart and KTA Superstores.

Retailers participating in Choose Healthy Now highlight healthy snacks and beverages within their stores with signage and labels. With the addition of 7-Elevens important commitment to health, Choose Healthy Now is in grocery and convenience stores, hospital cafeterias and snack shops at more than 145 locations across our state, said Lola Irvin, chronic disease prevention and health promotion division administrator. Partnering with retail locations allows us to reach Hawaii residents where they make their everyday food choices.

Items labeled Choose Healthy Now have to meet strict nutrition guidelines, such as under 200 calories; and low in saturated fat, sodium and sugar. Items included in the program are lightly salted nuts, plain yogurt, fresh salads, fresh fruit and unsweetened tea.

Hawaiis First Lady, Mrs. Dawn Ige, launched the campaign at 7-Elevens Moanalua location in September by unveiling her namesake Mrs. Iges Cilantro Chicken Sandwich. Ige has been a proponent of the campaign since its inception in 2014.
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People.
Secondary school students across Co Tipperary are invited to celebrate College Awareness Week by attending Waterford Institute of Technologys (WIT) first College Awareness Day which gives secondary school students a taste of college life.

WIT, in conjunction with the national College Awareness Week campaign will support students of all ages to become college ready by raising awareness of the benefits of going to college. There will be an hourly talk/workshop on how to become college ready (including presentations on college life), an expo area, and a chance to explore the campus.

Claire Holden from WITs outreach team said, We are delighted to be part of a nationwide campaign to promote the importance of post-secondary education. There are lots of options out there and College Awareness Week encourages people of all ages to consider further education as part of their future.

College Awareness Day is a good introduction to campus life as Wednesday, 22 November 2017 is a teaching day for WIT and our students will be attending classes as normal. It is also an opportunity to hear about our new common entry courses, which give students time to choose what they would like to specialise in, she continues.

Overall College Awareness Week aims to inspire and inform all students about the importance of having a post-secondary education plan. It advocates for students to have the choice to pursue the course best suited to their interests, abilities and dreams.

Schools can book online at www.wit.ie/caw2017.

WITs traditional Schools Open Day takes place on Friday 19 January, followed by a Saturday Open Day for all. One-hour campus tours are bookable online at www.wit.ie/campustours year round. Try events such as Try Nursing, Try Business, and Try Sport are also run to help prospective students discover if a certain discipline is for them.

The difference between College Awareness Day and our Schools Open Day is that College Awareness Day gives people a taste of college life, and helps overcome fears they may have, whereas Open Day, which is closer to the CAOs 1 February deadline gives prospective students a chance to ask questions about courses theyre interested in.
Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Ukraine Judith Gough has paid a working visit to the cities of Slaviansk and Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.

According to the press center of the ATO headquarters, during the meeting the ambassador met with servicemen of one of the units of the Air Assault of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who defended and held positions in these cities at the beginning of the invasion of the occupation forces in Ukraine in 2014. "The defenders of Ukraine informed Gough about the events they participated in during the liberation of Ukrainian cities from the invaders in 2014, in particular, Slaviansk," the report said.

The Ukrainian side expressed its gratitude for the support provided by the UK to the development of the system for training the servicemen of the Armed Forces through training, especially in tactical medicine, which significantly increased the capabilities of the units that perform the assignment in the ATO area.

In turn, Gough noted that every working visit to the east of Ukraine "provides an opportunity to better see and understand the processes and situation in Donbas."
The theft of personal data of participants in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) following the hacking of a computer of the State Service for War Veterans and ATO Participants is seen as an attempt by intruders to worsen Ukrainian-Polish relations, since information about the hacking was originally spread from Polish hackers, Ukrainian National Police spokesperson Yaroslav Trakalo has said.

"We see this as another attempt to worsen our relations with Poland, because the information was originally placed in the account allegedly from Polish hackers who acted under the guise of a group of hackers BellingCat, but Polish hackers and the BellingCat group immediately denied their involvement in hacking," he said live on the 112 Ukraine television channel on Saturday, November 18.

Earlier, the cyber police department of the National Police of Ukraine said that following the hacking of a computer of an employee of the regional branch of the State Service for War Veterans and ATO Participants, hackers got access to the archives and personal data of the ATO soldiers. At the same time, the department denied reports about the hacking of the Interior Ministry servers.

After the hacking, cybercriminals proposed downloading the archives containing personal data of ATO fighters on the Internet.

Activists of the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, in turn, said that the information about the hacking was first spread by a Russian account on Twitter.

"A sleeping account 'Anonymous Poland' (actually Russia) woke up on Twitter the other day and posted a selection of personal data of ATO participants, volunteers, telephone directories of officials of Chernihiv region," the organization's press secretary, Sean Townsend, said.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the controversial film Padmavati, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, wont be allowed to screen in the state.

Addressing a gathering of Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said, It is being told that historical facts have been distorted and the exalted persona of Queen Padmavati maligned. The film will not be allowed to screen in Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan, terming the alleged distortion of historical facts pertaining to Rani Padmavati as disrespect to the nation, said it will not be tolerated.

Etihaisik tathyon se khilwaad kar agar #Padmavati ji ke samman ke khilaaf film mein drishya dikhaye gaye hain, uss Film ka pradharshan Madhya Pradesh ki dharti par nahi hoga: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/vaVOxBmrUM

 ANI (@ANI) 20 November 2017

Members of Rajput Karni Sena thanked the CM for what they called was a complete ban on the movies screening in the state. We will felicitate the CM for his bold decision to safeguard our rich heritage and history. We will now protest to ensure governments in other states follow MPs example too, said Kiran Suryavanshi Rathore, Karni Sena Bhopal district leader.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the states that have been witnessing widespread protests against the film, which was earlier slated to release on December 1, 2017.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress termed the announcement as another example of Chouhans political gimmicks. How can he announce a ban on the film, when it is yet to be cleared by the censor board and the makers have involuntarily deferred its release? If the CM was so serious about the film hurting peoples sentiments, why was he silent all these days, even as protests were being witnessed all across the state including in Ratlam bordering Rajasthan? asked Pankaj Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson.

A group of more than 50 ruling BJP MLAs had on Friday requested the CM to ban Padmavati in the state. On November 6, Chintamani Malviya, the partys Lok Sabha member from Ujjain, had put up a Facebook post calling for social boycott of the film. In the post, Malviya had written that filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali who understand jooton ki bhasha (language of shoes) cannot understand the greatness of Rani Padmavatis jauhar, as female members in the family of such filmmakers change their husbands daily.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the controversial film Padmavati, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, wont be allowed to screen in the state. Addressing a gathering of Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said, It is being told that historical facts have been distorted and the exalted persona of Queen Padmavati maligned. The film will not be allowed to screen in Madhya Pradesh. Chouhan, terming the alleged distortion of historical facts pertaining to Rani Padmavati as disrespect to the nation, said it will not be tolerated. Etihaisik tathyon se khilwaad kar agar #Padmavati ji ke samman ke khilaaf film mein drishya dikhaye gaye hain, uss Film ka pradharshan Madhya Pradesh ki dharti par nahi hoga: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/vaVOxBmrUM  ANI (@ANI) 20 November 2017 Members of Rajput Karni Sena thanked the CM for what they called was a complete ban on the movies screening in the state. We will felicitate the CM for his bold decision to safeguard our rich heritage and history. We will now protest to ensure governments in other states follow MPs example too, said Kiran Suryavanshi Rathore, Karni Sena Bhopal district leader. Madhya Pradesh is one of the states that have been witnessing widespread protests against the film, which was earlier slated to release on December 1, 2017. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress termed the announcement as another example of Chouhans political gimmicks. How can he announce a ban on the film, when it is yet to be cleared by the censor board and the makers have involuntarily deferred its release? If the CM was so serious about the film hurting peoples sentiments, why was he silent all these days, even as protests were being witnessed all across the state including in Ratlam bordering Rajasthan? asked Pankaj Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson. A group of more than 50 ruling BJP MLAs had on Friday requested the CM to ban Padmavati in the state. On November 6, Chintamani Malviya, the partys Lok Sabha member from Ujjain, had put up a Facebook post calling for social boycott of the film. In the post, Malviya had written that filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali who understand jooton ki bhasha (language of shoes) cannot understand the greatness of Rani Padmavatis jauhar, as female members in the family of such filmmakers change their husbands daily.
By ANI

AHMEDABAD: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers in the late hours of Sunday protested against Congress Party in Ahmedabad and Surat, expressing dismay over ticket distribution ahead of assembly polls in the state.

Following the release of Congress list of candidates which includes only three PAAS candidates, angry leaders of the community staged protest.

The agitated protestors also allegedly vandalised Congress office in Surat.

Speaking to ANI, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel said, Well protest against Congress tomorrow, and will rethink about extending our support to them, who are shirking their responsibility. Well also ask public to rethink about Congress, because they are not answering a simple question. How can we expect to be heard when our questions are also not being answered by Congress? and added,

Well ask our party candidates to not file a nomination. If they still do, well protest against them also, he added.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

A clash also broke out between Patel and a police personnel outside the residence of Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

Patel informed that PAAS members had to wait for hours outside after they were called to Solankis residence for a meeting.

All we want to ask him is why he declared our members names, he told reporters.

Thereafter, Patel alleged that the concerned police personnel abused and threatened to arrest him.

The Patidar leader also alleged that the Police has been targeting the community, and posing a threat to their lives.

Police personnel are arresting us under the influence and out of uniform too. They want to kill us. Our life is under threat, he added.

AHMEDABAD: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers in the late hours of Sunday protested against Congress Party in Ahmedabad and Surat, expressing dismay over ticket distribution ahead of assembly polls in the state. Following the release of Congress list of candidates which includes only three PAAS candidates, angry leaders of the community staged protest. The agitated protestors also allegedly vandalised Congress office in Surat. Speaking to ANI, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel said, Well protest against Congress tomorrow, and will rethink about extending our support to them, who are shirking their responsibility. Well also ask public to rethink about Congress, because they are not answering a simple question. How can we expect to be heard when our questions are also not being answered by Congress? and added, Well ask our party candidates to not file a nomination. If they still do, well protest against them also, he added. #WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017 A clash also broke out between Patel and a police personnel outside the residence of Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki. Patel informed that PAAS members had to wait for hours outside after they were called to Solankis residence for a meeting. All we want to ask him is why he declared our members names, he told reporters. Thereafter, Patel alleged that the concerned police personnel abused and threatened to arrest him. The Patidar leader also alleged that the Police has been targeting the community, and posing a threat to their lives. Police personnel are arresting us under the influence and out of uniform too. They want to kill us. Our life is under threat, he added.
Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: The Dipnakheda Police Station in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh turned into a dance floor basking in shimmer of colourful lights amid the resonance of oomphy music played by a disk jockey (DJ) on Friday evening.

The cops skipped their duties and joined villagers in gyrating to the electrifying tunes of Hindi music near the main entry of the police station (150 km from Bhopal), ostensibly to celebrate the engagement of a police constable.

However, according to informed sources, the dance party was organised to celebrate the deferring of the transfer of the Dipnakheda Police Station in-charge Yogendra Parmar to Ganj Basoda Police Station.

Only two days back, Parmar was transferred from Dipnakheda to Ganj Basoda in, but the transfer was deferred as a departmental enquiry was already pending against the Dipnakheda police station in-charge.

Coming to know about the dance party inside the police station premises, the Vidisha district superintendent of police Vineet Kapoor took stock of the matter and acted immediately against the cops involved in getting the party organised.

#WATCH: Cops dance at Deepnakheda Police Station,celebrate after SHO Yogendra Parmar allegedly managed to stop his transfer order #MP(17.11) pic.twitter.com/5HBnyp8JKu  ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017

The police station in-charge Yogendra Parmar has been suspended in the matter, while three head constable and constables have been removed from Dipnakheda Police Station and attached to Vidisha district police lines, the Vidisha SP Vineet Kapoor told the New Indian Express on Sunday.

According to Kapoor, as per primary probe into the entire episode, the dance party was organised by villagers to celebrate the engagement of a constable posted at the same police station.

Weve zero tolerance for such acts of indiscipline, which bring bad name to our police force. Owing to this immediate action has been initiated in the matter, said Kapoor.

He, however, said that he had no knowledge of the party being thrown to celebrate the deferring of the Dipnakheda police station in-charges transfer to another police station.

BHOPAL: The Dipnakheda Police Station in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh turned into a dance floor basking in shimmer of colourful lights amid the resonance of oomphy music played by a disk jockey (DJ) on Friday evening. The cops skipped their duties and joined villagers in gyrating to the electrifying tunes of Hindi music near the main entry of the police station (150 km from Bhopal), ostensibly to celebrate the engagement of a police constable. However, according to informed sources, the dance party was organised to celebrate the deferring of the transfer of the Dipnakheda Police Station in-charge Yogendra Parmar to Ganj Basoda Police Station. Only two days back, Parmar was transferred from Dipnakheda to Ganj Basoda in, but the transfer was deferred as a departmental enquiry was already pending against the Dipnakheda police station in-charge. Coming to know about the dance party inside the police station premises, the Vidisha district superintendent of police Vineet Kapoor took stock of the matter and acted immediately against the cops involved in getting the party organised. #WATCH: Cops dance at Deepnakheda Police Station,celebrate after SHO Yogendra Parmar allegedly managed to stop his transfer order #MP(17.11) pic.twitter.com/5HBnyp8JKu  ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 The police station in-charge Yogendra Parmar has been suspended in the matter, while three head constable and constables have been removed from Dipnakheda Police Station and attached to Vidisha district police lines, the Vidisha SP Vineet Kapoor told the New Indian Express on Sunday. According to Kapoor, as per primary probe into the entire episode, the dance party was organised by villagers to celebrate the engagement of a constable posted at the same police station. Weve zero tolerance for such acts of indiscipline, which bring bad name to our police force. Owing to this immediate action has been initiated in the matter, said Kapoor. He, however, said that he had no knowledge of the party being thrown to celebrate the deferring of the Dipnakheda police station in-charges transfer to another police station.
The Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) has detained Ukrainian national Pavlo Sharoiko in Minsk on suspicion of "creating an agent network in the country" and Sharoiko has admitted that he is a Ukrainian intelligence officer, Belarusian KGB spokesman Dmitry Pobyarzhin said.

"On October 25, the KGB carried out an agent action and caught Pavlo Sharoiko, staff officer of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's main intelligence department, red-handed. Given his record as head of the press service at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's main intelligence department, he was appointed for cover as a correspondent of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine," Pobyarzhin said at a press briefing in Minsk on Monday.

Sharoiko "created an intelligence network of Belarusian nationals who acted for money to fulfill his orders and collect intelligence in the military-political sphere," Pobyarzhin said.

A criminal case on espionage charges was filed against Sharoiko. He was taken into custody.

"Convincing evidence has been provided of Sharoiko's [engaging in] illegal activities detrimental to the national interest of the Republic of Belarus," he said.

"Copies of reports earlier sent by the detainee to the center were found when searching him," he said.

Sharoiko has admitted to working undercover as an army intelligence officer. "He said his military rank is colonel," Pobyarzhin added.

"The detainee has confirmed that the officer of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's main intelligence department Ihor Skvortsov, acting under the cover of the position of councilor at the Ukrainian embassy to Belarus, coordinated his intelligence activities," he said. "For activity that is incompatible with his diplomatic status, Skvortsov has been declared persona non grata," Pobyarzhin said.
Russia and Syria have taken a position of promoting propaganda on the issue of making recommendations to Ukraine on human rights as part of the Periodic Review of the United Nations Council for Human Rights (UNCHR), Deputy Ukrainian Justice Minister in charge of European integration Serhiy Petukhov has said.

"Unfortunately, sometimes states use this mechanism not for assisting in human rights protection in Ukraine, but for political purposes. This is what we have run across with the rather propagandistic declaration of Russia. Syria has not joined in," Petukhov said during a press conference hosted by the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

"For example, Syria was very concerned about the rights of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Russia did not have time to worry about this issue  But Syria did. Venezuela joined in," he added.

According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press release provided at the press conference, recommendations are given to delegations of 70 UN member states participating in the UNCHR's interactive dialogue in Geneva on November 15. Each UN member state is involved in the Periodic Review of Human Rights procedure, which takes place once every four and a half years.
Biden: Deadly missile that hit Poland 'unlikely' to have come from Russia
European Council President Donald Tusk has accused the ruling "Law and Justice" party in Poland of isolating the country in the European Union, noting also the deterioration of relations between Warsaw and Kyiv.

Tusk suggested on Twitter that this party strategy can be part of the "Kremlin plan."

"Alarm! Sharp quarrels with Ukraine, isolation in the European Union, departure from the rule of law and independence of the courts, attacks on the non-state sector and free media - all this is the strategy of "Law and Justice" or the Kremlin's plan? Too much in common to sleep peacefully," Tusk was quoted on Monday by the German Deutsche Welle radio station.

It notes that tense relations between the Polish authorities and Tusk have been running on for several years. Warsaw did not hide its irritation with the re-election of Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council in March 2017.

"There is an attack on Poland under the banner of the European Union," said then the leader of the Polish Conservatives, the head of the ruling party in the country, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Tusk, in particular, is accused of making mistakes in organizing the investigation of the plane crash of President Lech Kaczynski near Smolensk in the spring of 2010. In August, Tusk in Warsaw spent eight hours testifying on this case, which he considers "a propagandist campaign" and "an instrument for achieving political goals."

Relations between Poland and Ukraine deteriorated significantly in 2017, including, due to the different interpretations of historical events.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

A few snow showers scattered about the area this evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low 24F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

A few snow showers scattered about the area this evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low 24F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Hyderabad: Ten people were arrested on Monday for allegedly converting children from poor families to Islam after luring them under the pretext of free food and education at an orphanage-cum-school in Hyderabad.

According to police, 17 children between the ages of four and 15, including seven girls, were rescued from Peace Orphan Home in Mouli Ali area after a complaint by the district child welfare officials.

There was reliable input regarding conversion of Hindu kids to Islam. During the raids, it was established that in guise of an orphan home, the group was brainwashing minors and converting them to Islam, an investigating official said.

Investigations revealed that the group lured children lure children from poor families, especially those from tribal areas in Bhadrachalam, Mahabubnagar, Khammam and Warangal, by assuring free education, food, and shelter.

Rachakonda police commissioner, Mahesh Bhagwat, said the orphanage was also illegal. All members of the gang have been arrested and further investigations are on, he said, adding that all the accused, including group leader Siddique, have been sent to judicial remand.

All the accused have been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 363 (kidnapping), 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC and relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Juvenile Justice Act.

The Telangana wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded strict action by the government. We are shocked with the expose of a conversion racket in Hyderabad. Is the government sleeping? This shows how groups actively pursue young minds and brainwash them, party spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao said.
New Delhi/Washington: The UN General Assembly and the Security Council will meet on Monday for a new round of voting for the last seat at the International Court of Justice as the battle between India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood remained deadlocked.

Bhandari and Greenwood, who are seeking re-election at the Hague-based ICJ, are locked in a major battle as 11 rounds of elections held in both the UNGA and UNSC have failed to yield results.

Under the election procedures, the balloting would be held simultaneously by the Assembly and the Council.

In the successive rounds of elections spread over two days in the last two weeks, Bhandari, 70, enjoyed nearly two-third majority in the 193-member Assembly.

Greenwood, 62, received nine votes as against five by Bhandari in the Security Council. As per ICJ rules, the candidates need to gain majority in both the General assembly and Security Council to be declared elected.

A day before the election, PTI quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the UK is trying to "misuse" its UN Security Council membership by pushing for a joint conference mechanism, which was last used 96 years ago and against which there exists an unequivocal legal opinion.

The "dirty politics" being played by India's former colonial ruler, as one UN insider put it, has sent a sense of "uneasiness" among other members of the powerful UN Security Council, many of whom are aware of the long-term implications of a move to ignore the voice of the majority of the United Nations General Assembly.

In all previous incidents, the candidate getting majority in the General Assembly has eventually been elected a judge of the ICJ.

Observing that there is a deadlock situation on the ICJ election, Britain is learnt to have proposed that voting in the Security Council be stopped after first round tomorrow and they go for joint conference mechanism. It is understood that this was opposed by some members of the Security Council.

However, the British diplomats on Friday appeared confident to push its agenda through on Monday. Britain needs nine votes for the voting be stopped. Their calculation is based on the fact that in multiple rounds of the elections in UNSC, Britain has been getting nine votes for its candidate. But it is yet to be seen if the same countries support such an undemocratic move to stop voting.

The British proposal is against all legal advices, which basically says that this option has never been used in the entire history of seven decades of the ICJ, the sources said.

The only time it was used was prior to the establishment of the UN in 1921, when Deputy Judges for the Permanent Court of International Justice were selected, they said.

A point in this regard was made by Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, at the ICJ reception at the UN headquarters.

He had strongly opposed the joint conference mechanism. "Those who talk of bringing the UN and updating it to the 21st Century world cannot look back to the toolkit of 100 years ago and try to take out a tool which has never been used in the history of the UN and perhaps for valid reasons," he had told the diplomats from more than 160 countries.

"Because it opens a can of worms. We will forget about the electoral process and go after a can of worms? You are diplomats, you are sagacious people. Diplomacy is the solution. Voting is the way that diplomats resolve their differences, rather than through convoluted, cabalistic solutions of a bygone era," Akbaruddin had said.

On Monday, the election would be presided over by the General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak, his spokesperson Brendan Varma said at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

The ICJ has a bench of 15 judges, five of whom are elected every three years for a nine-year term, elections for which are held separately but simultaneously in the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council in New York.

Last week, four of the six candidates in the fray were elected as they got absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

They are Ronny Abraham of France, Antnio Augusto Canado Trindade of Brazil and Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia and Nawaf Salam of Lebanon.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: It all started with the fringe outfit Karni Sena assaulting ace Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and vandalizing the sets of Padmavati in January. This was the first time people were hearing of the now famous Karni Sena and their idea of Rajput history. Ten months on, Bhansali, Deepika Padukone and Karni Sena have come a long way, with new threats of maiming and beheading actors and directors being discussed publicly.

As the movie approached its release date, which has now been deferred, the intensity of such attacks and threats went up and started coming from political leaders too, apart from different religious outfits.

While producer Viacom 18 has decided to voluntarily defer the release of the movie, News18 tries to piece together the threats and attacks the movie has faced and if at all the Indian law can be of any help.

Threat 1: Threat to Mutilate the Lead Actress

President of Rajasthans Karni Sena, Mahipal Singh Makrana, while referring to the episode of Surpanakha in Ramayana, where Laxman had chopped off the nose of Surpanakha, said that his outfit would not hesitate to do the same with Deepika Padukone, the actress playing the role of the Rajput Queen in the movie.

In Legal Terms  The act of threatening to chop off the nose of a person amounts to the offence of grievous hurt if not causing death. Under IPC Section 506, it is a criminal offence. The section states that whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

The section further mentions that if the threat causes grievous hurt, then the accused may be imprisoned for a term extending up to seven years or fine or both.

The above offence is dealt under criminal law, however, it can also be dealt as per civil law. Assault is defined as, the apprehension of infliction of battery. This precisely means that if the accused has done something which makes the victim reasonably afraid of infliction of battery on him/her, then the accused can be sued as battery qualifies as a direct threat of force.

Attack 2: Reward For Beheading Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali

The intensity of vitriol against the yet to be released movie scaled new heights when a BJP office bearer from Haryana said he would double the bounty on the heads of actor Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Rs 10 crore. Earlier, a Meerut-based businessman had announced a reward of Rs 5 crore.

Surajpal Amu, the party's chief media coordinator also threatened to "break the legs" of Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Alauddin Khilji, the legendary Delhi Sultan.

In Legal Terms  The comment attracts a series of penal provisions, firstly, under Section 506 of IPC. Issuing such threats is a criminal offence as the section states that whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

The threat of beheading someone tantamount to murder threat and can be dealt accordingly. Since the statement was made to a jeering crowd, there is also a palpable threat of ensuing riots. Here, Section 155 of IPC comes into play, where liability of a person for whose benefit the riot is committed, is chalked out.

The comment also attracts a case of criminal intimidation under Section 503 of IPC. The Section states that whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, with intent to cause harm to that person, commits criminal intimidation. This has a penalty of imprisonment which runs up to seven years, fine, or both. Along with these, even the section dealing with grievous hurt can be levelled against the one issuing such a threat.

Attack 3: Derogatory Remarks Against Deepika Padukone

After threats, attacks and raging protests by different communities alleging the movie to be a wrongful depiction of Queen Padminis life, Deepika Padukone had taken to Twitter to say that India has regressed as a nation. Soon, it was reported that Karni Sena convenor Lokendra Singh Kalvi had referred to Padukone as a naachnewali (courtesan), for her comment on India regressing.

"The country is not regressing, you are making it so. With folded hands, I beg Deepika not to insult women... Deepika is dancing in the film. Yes, dance, but why are you dancing with less clothing? How are you trying to portray Indian women?" Kalvi reportedly asked.

In Legal Terms  There is no doubt that a reference to a woman as a naachnewali or a courtesan has an element of attracting provisions of sexual harassment as defined under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Under Section 354 of IPC, the provision defines sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment. This section defines that a man may be guilty of committing an offence of sexual harassment if he makes sexually coloured remarks.

Anyone guilty of such an offence can be punished with an imprisonment of over a year, or fine, or both.

Though the Supreme Court had once ruled that this section applies to only penetrative assault, but recent legal jurisprudence suggests that even remarks or comments may come under the umbrella of this section.

Attack 4: Film Sets Vandalised, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Physically Assaulted

When Padmavati was being shot in Rajasthan, Karni Sena members physically assaulted director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and tore his clothes on the movie sets. A Rajput leader later said that Bhansali they had slapped Bhansali and would soon beat him up with shoes. The film sets and expensive equipments were also destroyed in the attack.

A similar incident was repeated after Karni Sena attacked the palace of Rani Padmini in Chittorgarh and smashed the mirrors in which Alauddin Khilji allegedly saw Padmini for the first time.

In Legal Terms  For the act of physically assaulting the director, it is prima facie an offence of battery. The act of slapping the director is not assault, but battery and is accordingly punishable under civil law.

However, since his short was torn, there was a pending threat of further physical violence, which attracts the provisions of assault. Under Section 352 of IPC, whoever assaults or uses criminal force on any person, shall be punished with imprisonment up to three months, fine, or both.

Moreover, since there was some destruction of property, the accused also becomes guilty of mischief under Section 425 of IPC. The section is meant for someone with the intent to cause loss or damage to a person causes destruction of a property or diminishes the value or utility of a project. It involves imprisonment for three months, fine, or both.

The court, however, reserves the right to take suo moto cognisance of the above on the basis of outraging a woman's modesty, or infringement of a person's Fundamental Right to Profession.

(Please note that no legal action has been initiated in any of the incidents mentioned above till the time of publication.)
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Police on Monday ordered an inquiry against five officers and a show cause notice to the city Superintendent of Police for their laxity in the case involving the gangrape of a 19-year-old IAS aspirant in Bhopal.

A Special Investigation Team was formed to look into the role of police, who were accused of delaying the procedure of filing an FIR in the case.

DIG Sudhir Laad, head of the SIT, had handed over his report to ADG Aruna Mohan Rao. The Police Headquarters (PHQ) framed charges against for their lethargy.

City SP Kulwant Singh, three police inspectors, and two sub-inspectors have been found guilty of negligence, the report mentioned. The CSP was removed after the incident, while the five officers named in the SIT report were already in suspension.

CSP Kulwant Singh would be served a show cause notice while a joint Departmental Enquiry would be initiated against three TIs and two SIs, IG Law and Order, Makrand Deuskar, told the media.

The senior officer, however, claimed that no FIR would be lodged against anyone in the case. Referring to an earlier Supreme Court verdict, several volunteer activists had sought an FIR against policemen, guilty of denying FIR in an incident of gangrape.

The PHQ had constituted an SIT after a raging furor and the subsequent police botch-up in the gangrape case.

The victim and her family ran pillar to post to get an FIR registered but to no avail. The first complaint in the case was lodged after 12 hours at the at Habibganj police station.

Then SHO (TI) GRP station Habibganj Mohit Saxena was charged with terming victims story as filmy while others were accused of delaying the registration of FIR.

Bhopal IG Yogesh Chaudhary and SP Rail Anita Malviya were transferred by PHQ amid charges of police negligence.
Kolkata-based Project Life Force (PLF) offers a ray of hope for dengue patients at a time when dengue cases are on the rise in West Bengal and relatives of the patients are facing problems in procuring blood bags to save the lives of their loved ones. Project Life Force, which is on a mission to make West Bengal a ZERO Blood deficit state, connects the blood donor to the recipient for free and helps them like a Good Samaritan.

What the 'recipient' needs to do is just to call the organization's helpline number and the PLF volunteers do the rest. PLF searches for potential 'donors' (basically youngsters) in the vicinity, provides required instruction to the donor within and identifies the venue where the blood bag needs to be delivered within a few minutes. Here, everything comes for free. Neither the organization nor the 'donors' charge any fee for this noble service.

According to data, 70% of the blood bags collected in West Bengal hospitals come from blood donation camps organized by different political parties. The downside is that many donors are reluctant to donate blood for free and it becomes the PLF's responsibility to motivate them. And the problem doesn't end here.

The problem with blood transfusion, say doctors, is with anyone having a blood group which is negative as compared to the probability of finding more donors with positive blood groups. Also Single Platelet Donors are few in number and that can be a challenge for recipient patient parties. Dr. Devashish Desai, Transfusion Medicine, says, "There was a shortage of blood in the last 2-3 months with the festival and dengue season coinciding. Blood banks can store blood when there no shortage as blood has a shelf life.'

However, doctors in Kolkata say the motivation to donate blood is more among the people in West Bengal compared to other parts of the country.

Pranab Bedi of Project Life Force says, "If more young people get into the system, the problem will be weeded out. Everyone has a super hero inside and many students voluntarily agree to donate blood after we speak to them in schools and colleges."

Though the state government has been maintaining that there is no major outbreak of dengue and had initially put the number at 13 and even 34 at one time, PLF used to receive at least five calls a day on the helpline asking for blood and platelets. The Calcutta High Court asked the state government to verify its figures after an affidavit submitted in the HC, in response to 10 writ petitions, mentioned about 19 cases of dengue deaths which touched 38 on Thursday. However, the government figures say out of the 38 deaths, only 23 patients died in government-run hospitals.

Opposition parties including the BJP, the Left and the Congress have been protesting against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government's apathy to control the dengue menace. Doctors have come out in protest too. Dr. Aunanchal Dutta Chowdhury from Barasat in North 24 Parganas district was suspended following a Facebook post which highlighted the plight of the dengue patients in government hospitals. After this revelation, doctors in Kolkata also held a protest march on Tuesday and questioned the motives of the state government.

The blame game between Bengal Government and Opposition parties is still on as the sudden rise in dengue cases has become a worrying sign for the authorities. While the people in West Bengal suffer from dengue and the call for platelets is an urgent requirement, it is Samaritans like the youth and welfare organizations that come forward to do their bit to save lives.
New Delhi: Several farmers are gathering at Parliament Street here on Monday to demand better prices for their produce and complete freedom from debt.

The protest which is being organized under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), with farmers from over 180 organizations.

They are protesting against the cost versus income imbalance presently being faced by the farmers in the country, leading to suicides and indebtedness.

The farmers will walk from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street and hold a meeting there to highlight farm distress and farmer suicides. The AIKSCC has put forth two chief demands to the Centre  50% profit margin over the cost of production and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

According to the AIKSCC, steady rise in input costs, like fuel, pesticides and fertilisers and even water, and slashing of subsidies by the government were the key factors behind cost versus income imbalance presently been faced by the farmers. This massive injustice in prices is pushing farmers into debt, forcing them to commit suicide and ignite repeated protests across the country.

To address their plight we are congregating in large numbers in Delhi on November 20 in a Kisan Mukti Sansad, an All India Kisan Sabha leader said.

One of the highlights of the protest will be the preparation of a draft bill, encompassing the two key demands that will be debated by a farmers parliament.

Farmers from Tamil Nadu said they were deliberating over beginning a third round of protest in the national capital. We might continue the protest in Delhi once again after consulting farmers from other parts of the country, media coordinator of the agitating farmers Prem Kumar said.
New Delhi: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday asked citizens to click picture of wrongly parked cars and send to authorities, while proposing a 10 percent reward for them from Rs 500 fine imposed on the owner of the concerned vehicle.

Gadkari said he felt "ashamed" that absence of parking lots outside his own Ministry forced "ambassadors" and "big people" to park on road blocking the way to Parliament.

"In my Motor Vehicle Act, I am going to add one law (provision). Any car on road, you just take the photo on your mobile and send it to the department concerned or Police. There will be Rs 500 fine and 10 per cent will go to the complainant," Gadkari said on Monday.

"No parking places are available. People are using roads for that," he said.

The minister said big institutions should have their parking places.

He said, "every day it is shameful for me...the Ambassadors are coming ... the big people are coming. Infront of Parliament, my total road is blocked and for getting permission to build a parking place I needed 13 permissions."

He said it took months to take permission for constructing a single parking lot and he had raised the issue with the then Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu. Gadkari during the laying of foundation stone for his own Ministry's automated parking had said in May 2016 that he felt "ashamed" that his own ministry had to wait nine months to get approvals for a 'simple automated parking lot'.

Gadkari, who has been very keen on this project, had expressed anguish over this delay at its foundation laying ceremony at Transport Bhawan near Parliament, prompting Naidu to promise a one-month cap on grant of all such permissions. Transport Bhawan will be the first government building to have an automated multi level car parking facility in its premises at a cost of about Rs 9 crore.

The automated parking lot project is being undertaken by NHIDCL. The facility will comprise ground plus seven floors. Spread over an area of 314 sq metres and with a height of 22 metres, the facility will be able to house 112 cars. The retrieving time for cars will be 120 seconds.

The Motor Vehicles Bill, which aims to usher in far-reaching reforms in the transport sector, was in August referred to a 24-member Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. The committee will have to submit its report to the Rajya Sabha by the first day of the next session "without extension of time, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has said.

The bill aims at bringing sweeping reforms in the transport sector, ranging from hefty fines for traffic rules violations to improving the licensing system and checking bogus licenses.
New Delhi: The parents of a seven-year-old dengue patient were billed Rs 16 lakh for a 15-day stay by Fortis Hospital in Gurugram. At the end of the stay, the girl, Adya, died.

The itemised bill, which runs 19 pages long, shows that Fortis Hospital charged the parents for 661 syringes and 2,700 gloves, among other things, that were supposedly used during the treatment.

The father, Jayant Singh, who lives in Dwarka, had paid the amount upfront but accused the hospital of inflating the bill and imposing arbitrary costs. Despite the high cost, he said, the doctors paid little attention to Adyas health.

Union health minister JP Nadda has taken note of the incident and tweeted to offer his support to the family. Please provide me details on hfwminister@gov.in. We will take all the necessary action, he tweeted.

Fortis denied any wrongdoing and said it had followed the standard medical procedure. In a statement, it said that the girl was brought in a critical condition and all clinical guidelines were adhered to while treating the patient.

Hellish stay

Speaking to News18, the girls father said the stay at Fortis was hellish from the beginning. The girl was shifted to Fortis on August 31 after she was diagnosed with Dengue Type IV and doctors at Rockland Hospital in Dwarka asked him to shift her to a hospital with a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

He said that immediately upon arrival, Adya was sedated heavily and admitted to the PICU. She was jabbed with over 40 injections every day, often with the expensive variety of drugs even when much cheaper options were available.

Images of the bill tweeted by Jayant Singh's friend.

Giving an example, Singh said that the doctors gave Adya an intravenous anti-bacterial drug, Meropenem, which costs around Rs 500 per vial. But later they opted for a branded version of the same drug that cost Rs 3,100. At the end, he ended up paying over Rs 4 lakh for the drugs and Rs 2.7 lakhs for consumables like gloves.

Despite the high bills, he alleged, there were no doctors to take care of his daughter on weekends. Once their insurance limit ran out, the hospital started demanding the bill amount at the end of the day, over a lakh per day.

On October 14, the doctors told the parents that the girl had 70-80 per cent brain damage and would never recover completely. They still pushed for a plasma treatment that costs over Rs 15 lakh, Singh said.

It was then that he decided to take Adya to another hospital. Singh said he was not even provided an ambulance by Fortis. He said he suspects that Adya had already died by then and the hospital was just looking to make more money.

Adyas mother said they couldnt even cry because they had to pay bills, arrange an ambulance and search for another hospital to certify that she is dead. The girl was ultimately pronounced dead by Rockland Hospital.

The parents of the girl are contemplating whether to sue the hospital and have taken to social media platforms to talk about the incident. We want the government to at least take out corruption from the medical field. People actually die because of it, the mother said.

Fortis Statement

Fortis hospital, however, said that Adya had suffered from Dengue shock syndrome and had to be put on life support as her condition kept deteriorating.

The family was kept informed of the critical condition of the child and the poor prognosis in these situations. As a process, we counselled the family daily on the condition of the child, it said in a statement.

On 14th September, 17, family decided to take her away from the hospital against medical advice (LAMA - Leave Against Medical Advice) and she succumbed the same day, it added.

The hospital also said that the girl was critical right from the time of admission, requiring Intensive monitoring. Treatment during these 15 days included mechanical ventilation, high frequency ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy, intravenous antibiotics, inotropes, sedation and analgesia.

Care of ventilated patients in ICU requires a high number of consumables as per globally accepted infection control protocols. All consumables are transparently reflected in records and charged as per actuals, it said.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has announced his intention to deepen the liberalization of visa-free regime with the European Union by signing an association with the Schengen zone.

"We will do everything to make Ukraine back to Europe faster and better, and therefore we proposed another format of our relations for the future - the signing of an association with the Schengen zone, that is, the deepening of visa-free travel," he said during his trip to Dnipro on Monday.

According to the president, another position is a reference point for the customs union with the EU, "so that there won't be any customs checks, and we will be able to create a single customs space with the European Union."

"And I am extremely pleased that it is precisely these ideas that I voiced at the Ukraine-EU summit that have now found their full reflection in the resolution of the European Parliament," Poroshenko said.
Johannesburg: The family of India's consul-general in the South African city of Durban was targeted by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence.

The family of consul-general Shashank Vikram, members of their domestic staff and a visiting teacher were held up at their residence on Innes Road, on Sunday. Among them were two children, aged five and 10.

"They are OK but they were obviously traumatised," said consul S K Pandey. Nobody suffered physical harm," he said, adding they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident, the Independent Online reported.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban.

Following the incident, India has reminded South Africa of its duty to protect diplomatic staff and property, under the Vienna Convention.
New Delhi: As thousands of farmers affiliated to over 180 organisations participated in an an open parliament to voice grievances under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), two bills were proposed to tackle farmer debts and give women equal rights.

The farmers' parliamnent passed two bills. Hannan, leader of AIKSCC presented the Kisan Karj Mukti Bill, 2017 (Farmers Freedom from Debt Bill, 2017), and The Farmers Right to Assured Prices for Agricultural Produce Bill, 2017'' was presented by Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathan.

The protest gathering made sure that each and every provision of the bill was discusses so that consent could be sought from all the participants present by raising their hands.

The key feature of Molla's bill are the definitions of agriculture and farmers. Agriculture has been defined to include people who indulge in horticulture, harvest to the ones gathering minor forest produce. It also includes farmers who indulge in bee keeping, rearing of poultry, silkworms etc.

It further defines farmers as a person who works for economic reasons on a land, and also is a cultivator. Even tenant peasants or the ones working in jungles or is a part of self help group is a farmer. Whoever works on land is a farmer according to the bill.

Regarding the waiver of loans, the bill states that all loans of farmers up to November 20, 2017, shall be waived off by the government. If the loans include private loans, then such loans be converted into public loans and then be waived off.

"If a farmer takes a new loans, then it will have no relation to the old loan. All fresh loans would be given without link to old loan and this vicious cycle of debt will come to an end," said Molla.

The provision which would supervise such actions have been referred to as the formation of the Farmers Debt Relief Commission.

This commission that is proposed to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge would function for five years and would have a status equivalent to courts and the decisions of the commission cannot be challenged in the court of law.

With regard to budget allocation, the bill aims that the Union Budget every year must have a separate provision for waiving off farmer loans. The bill also states that in case there is a natural calamity, the government will keep a provision for rehabilitating and compensating farmers in the budget.

The bill has requested the centre to set up a model law which would allow the states to follow suit.

Another bill that was discussed and passed was the The Farmers Right to Assured Prices for Agricultural Produce Bill, 2017'' presented by Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathan.

Speaking to News18, Shetty said, "The bill should have been presented by Radha Mohan Ji. Modi in 2014 had promised that if he becomes a PM then farmers will have 1.5 times more than Minimum support price. Hence we voted for him. We told everyone that Congress should be defeated as NDA promises development. Now it's been three and a half years that we realise that Modi lied," said Shetty.

Apart from this, the protest also saw a separate women parliament function. This parliament presided by social activist Medha Patkar, had women from across the country demanding separate land rights as that of men and recognition while compensation is being decided for the farmers.

The bill drafted post discussion of the women parliament had a key demand to grant equal rights of land to woman. It also sought to waive off farmer loans and compensation to the families where the men have committed suicide due to crop failure or low prices.

Further the women demanded that "fraud in the name of crop insurance schemes need to end" as after crop failures or floods, the " government merely deposits Rupees hundred or two hundred" in their accounts after showing the farmer credit cards.
In case you missed it

Apparently, the students of our country needs education on love jihad. The education department of Rajasthan government has asked all schools to take students to a fair organised by Hindu Spirituality and Service Foundation where booklets on "love jihad, Christian conspiracies" are being distributed by right-wing groups. One of the stalls at the fair, by a group of Bajrang Dal leaders has books expounding how girls can save themselves from "love jihad", citing actors Aamir and Saif Ali Khan's case in which the men "abandoned their Hindu wives to marry other Hindu women."

The Miss World crown has returned to India after 17 years. Miss India Manushi Chhillar has become the sixth Indian to win the coveted Miss World crown.

This year's Nobel Economics prize winner Richard Thaler thinks that the concept of demonetisation is good but the Narendra Modi governments rollout of the note ban was deeply flawed. We are hoping Mr Modi is listening.

A day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje urged the Centre to ensure that the controversial movie Padmavati is not released without necessary changes, Viacom18 has deferred the release date.

Vidya Balan bowls you over with an endearing performance in Tumhari Sulu. There's much to love and little to complain about the film that runs like a slice of life narrative and balances the laughs and weeps well. Havent watched it yet? Our verdict: You should.

Agree or disagree?

What Cheteshwar Pujara does have in common with Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Dravid is enormous patience. He doesnt mind ushering the ball through to the keeper, time after time. It might grate for those watching, many of whom are now used to more frenetic batting rhythms, but the man himself remains utterly unflustered. Dileep Premachandran writes Pujara is a batsman well left; alone.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is set to meet on Monday and officially start the process of elections for the post of party president, clearing the decks for the coronation of Rahul Gandhi. The belief or at least the hope is that with him taking over, the party would see new vigour. But would that translate to votes?

On reel

Bollylicious Vs Badsha: When Belgian Artists Met Funky Freestyle

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New Delhi: Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Sunday said he would reward Rs 10 crore to those who behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone, the director and lead actor of the controversial movie Padmavati.

With the threat, Amu joins a long list of politicians and leaders who have resorted to death threats over raging controversies, vying for a pie of the publicity.

Heres a look at the others:

Defending Charlie Hebdo attack

Right after gunmen attacked the office of French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo in Paris that killed a dozen people, BSP leader Haji Yakub Qureshi had allegedly defended the attack saying whoever showed disrespect to the Prophet will invite death. The leader had, however, denied the statement.

Bounty on Danish cartoonist

Yakub Qureshi, had, in 2006, stoked a controversy after he announced a reward of Rs 51 crore to anyone who would kill Danish cartoonist for a controversial cartoon on Prophet Mohammad. Qureshi had made the bounty offer at a public rally in Meerut.

51 buffalos for killing film director

Just before the release of Bollywood movie, Miss Tanakpur Hazir Ho, director Vinod Kapri was allegedly cornered at his studio in Mumbai. He sought police protection after a council of elders in Muzaffarnagar offered a bounty of 51 buffaloes to anyone who beheaded him for mocking them in the movie.

Bounty on Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

A RSS activist Kundan Chandrawat was arrested in Ujjain after he was seen announcing a bounty of Rs 1 crore for beheading Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, whom he held responsible for the political murders in the state.

Money on Mamata Banerjees head

A youth leader of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who would kill West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Yogesh Varshney made the announcement in Aligarh and a non-bailable warrant was issues against him.

Bounty on BYJM leader

Just a day after Varshney offered money for killing Mamata Banerjee, the shahi imam of Bengals Tipu Sultan Mosque announced a bounty of Rs 22 lakh to behead Varshney. The imam has previously issued fatwa against PM Narendra Modi and also offered Rs 25 lakh for anyone who would cut Modis beard, shave his head and also smear him with black ink.

Bounty on Azam Khan

Bajrang Dal announced a reward of Rs 51 lakh for anyone who would behead Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who was booked for sedition on a complaint given by a VHP leader in Uttar Pradesh. Khan had allegedly said that some women terrorists took away private parts of Indian soldiers, something, he said, was being widely reported in the media with reference to a Maoist attack in Jharkhand.

Million dollar bounty on Salman Rushdie

Hardline Iranian news media outlets raised close to $4 million to anyone for killing India-born author Salman Rushdie last year. The bounty came almost 27 years after a death fatwa was issued by Irans former supremo Ayatollah Khemeini over Rushdies controversial novel, The Satanic Verses. Much before the release of the book, India banned the import of it, though possessing it is still not a crime.

Boycotting Taslima Nasrin

The author has faced severe backlash in India, especially in West Bengal. In March 200, when she visited Mumbai, many threatened to burn her alive. In 2006, the shahi imam of Tipu Sultan mosque in Kolkata yet again raked up a controversy after he offered money to anyone who was willing to blacken Nasrins face.

In 2007, while she was in Hyderabad, she was attacked by three members of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, and later that year again in Kolkata, allegedly by members of the same group. Nasrin was forced to leave her adopted city Kolkata post the protests.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from December 1-10 for his daughter's admission in the Cambridge University.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud asked Karti Chidambaram to file an undertaking before it within three days, giving assurance that he will abide by the timeline and return to India on the expiry of the period.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agency's stand on Karti Chidambaram's plea seeking to go abroad.

The bench, however, made it clear that its order, permitting Karti Chidambaram to go abroad, will not be cited before any court of law as precedent.

The apex court had on November 9 asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing the request of Karti to go abroad for a few days.

The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union Finance Minister.

The top court is hearing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madras High Court order staying the government's look out circular (LOC) against Karti Chidambaram.

The CBI had on September 1 told the top court that there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC. Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to investigation in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti.
Lucknow: Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi on Monday presented a draft for the construction of Ram mandir in Ayodhya on the disputed Babri Masjid land, despite not being a party to the case. President of All India Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, who is also not a party to the dispute, was also present on the occasion.

Rizvi, once a close aide of Samajwadi leader Azam Khan, briefed the media saying, There is no meaning of building a mosque now at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Instead, a Mosque dedicated to peace and brotherhood should be built in Lucknow.

We have made a draft in which it has been clearly said that now Shia Waqf Board will not claim the disputed land, and now the land belongs to the side favouring construction of Ram Mandir. We have already submitted this draft to the Supreme Court on November 18, he added.

Main points of Shia Waqf Board draft:

1) The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board is ready to take back the claim on the entire disputed land in the interest of the nation.

2) The Hindu society should construct a grand Ram Mandir. There will be no objection from the board in future.

3) The UP Government should allocate 1-acre Nazul land in front of Hussainabad Clock Tower in Lucknow to Shia Muslims. For this, the board has also filed the application in writing to the UP government.

4) If the land is allocated by the government, Shia Board will set up a committee for the construction of a new mosque and the expenses will be borne by the board itself.

5) The Board believes that the name of the mosque being built in Lucknow will not be named after any Mughal Emperor or descendants. The name of this mosque will be kept by the Masjid-e-Aman, in order to spread the message of brotherhood and peace across the country.
Hyderabad: In a shocking case, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Srinivas Reddy was caught on camera abusing and mercilessly beating his wife after she raised questions about Reddy's marriage to another girl, without seeking a divorce.

Sangeetha, along with other family members, went to Srinivas' house on Sunday and demanded justice. Reddy beat and dragged her out of the house.

"Since the last few months, my in-laws have been torturing me for dowry. My husband would also misbehave with me and treat me like a servant. Things got worse after I gave birth to a girl child. He would say this child is not mine. I was thrown out of the house. Now, he has got married without my knowledge. I came here with my parents to demand justice," Sangeetha told media.

The couple got married in 2013, and it was Reddy's second marriage. Sangeetha had, in June, lodged a complaint against Reddy and his family for physical and mental harassment. In August, Srinivas married another girl.

"The victim, when she went to her husband's house, was abused and beaten. According to the complaint and video evidence, we have registered a case under Sections 307, 290 and 506 against the family members," said the investigating police officer.
United Nations: The permanent members of the UN Security Council are 'unnerved' by the prospect of India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari winning against Britain's candidate in the election to the last seat of the World Court as it would set a precedent that may challenge their power in the future, observers here feel.

Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the Hague-based International Court of Justice, the sources say.

The permanent members of the Security Council -- the US, Russia, France and China -- appeared to have rallied behind Greenwood. Britain is the fifth permanent member of the Security Council.

In the 11 rounds of election so far, Bhandari has been receiving support of nearly two-third of the members of the General Assembly, but is trailing by three votes against Greenwood in the Security Council.

The 12th round of elections has been scheduled for today. Britain on Friday in an informal consultation of the UN Security Council members mooted the idea of joint conference mechanism as it feels that this could be their only face saving exit strategy, informed sources said.

As shared with other members of the Security Council during informal consultations, Britain would prefer to stop voting on the ICJ elections after the first round as it fears that otherwise India could well cross the two-third mark. In that scenario it would be very difficult for the UN Security Council to stop India's candidate from being elected to the ICJ.

However, the prospect of India winning against a P5 member through democratic means is something that this elite club of veto-wielding countries Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are unnerved with, because this would set a precedent that they do not want to be repeated.

"Today it is Britain, tomorrow it could be any one of us" is the argument which has brought all these five countries together, sources say.

"If the one (of the P5) is going to be knocked off today, the other fear that they might be knocked off tomorrow," according to a source.

Such an assessment of the UN insiders is based on informed sources, as voting for the ICJ election in both the Security Council and the General Assembly are based on secret ballots and there is no way to know who voted for whom.

In all the rounds of the election so far, Greenwood has consistently got nine votes and Bhandari five in the Security Council. It is likely that on Monday India might increase its tally.

It is understood that both New Delhi and Permanent Mission of India to the UN have been working overtime to convince the members of the Security Council on the need to go by the voice of the majority of the General Assembly.

But by Sunday evening it appeared that Britain was ready to execute its plan, as per which after the first round of voting they would call for a meeting of the Security Council and would seek a mandate to stop any further round of voting, and would call for adoption of joint conference mechanism, which was last adopted in 1921.

However, this might come as a silver lining for India, sources said.

This is because the Security Council vote to stop further rounds of the ICJ election would be open and not through a secret ballot.

As a result, countries, many of whom have been pledging friendship with India but secretly voting against its candidate would be exposed in the open of raising their hands against India. This is something that members of the Security Council would avoid.

Of the Permanent Five members, the US under President Donald Trump has just come out a 100-year plan of friendship with India and renamed Asia-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region.

Incidentally, hours before the ICJ election, Trump would be meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at the White House.

It is not sure, if Trump plans to weigh in on this issue in favour of India.

Trump has repeatedly called himself as the "best friend of India and Indian Americans" in the White House.

Russia is an all-weather tested friend of India. Over the past several decades, France has emerged as a reliable friend of India. The stand of China on a lot of issues is well known including Indias membership to the Security Council and Beijing vetoing a move to designate Azhar Masood as a global terrorist by the UN.

So, it would be quite a surprise, if China favoured an Indian candidate.

"When chips are down, you always get support from developing countries," commented one India watcher at the UN. The voting in the General Assembly which overwhelmingly favours India is reflective of the new global order, which is not pleasant to the world powers.

Despite best of the British effort, their vote tally in the General Assembly has decreased with every other round of voting.

"That's why they are trying to find a face saver to get out of this," a source said.

India has been seeking that the democratic process need to be played its full course in both the Security Council and the General Assembly and there should not be an intervention

or adoption of a process that has never been used before or the one that undermines the voice of the majority.

The British move to stop voting after the first round might create bad blood between two important wings of the world body, which could have a long-term implication. The General Assembly might think that it has been denied its right to vote.

Hours ahead of the scheduled vote the UN General Assembly president and Security Council president is likely to hold another round of consultation with the stakeholders to explore what are their options.
Thiruvananthapuram: Police at Sabarimala stopped a 31-year-old woman just a few yards away from entering the sanctum sanctorum after she got through the checkpoint downhill and trekked up to the shrine.

This helped the temple authorities in Kerala avoid another controversy when the shrine's traditional ban on the entry of women in the age-group 10-50 is in the national spotlight.

Police said the woman from Andhra Pradesh, along with her husband and two children, went past the Devaswom check post at Pampa and took a less frequented route to climb to the "sannidhanam" without anyone noticing. She said they were unaware of the restrictions at the temple.

Over the years, entry of women in the menstruating age was not allowed at Sabarimala because of the tradition that the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is an eternal celibate. This has been challenged by women's groups, especially after the recent entry of similar restrictions at Shani Shingnapur and Trimbakeshwar shrines in Maharashtra, and a case is pending before a Supreme Court constitution bench.

If the woman had climbed the steps to the sanctorum, it would have forced the temple authorities to conduct purificatory rituals thus attracting further public debate when passions on both sides are high. Bhumata Brigade leader Trupti Desai, who spearheaded the campaign in Maharashtra, had said she would enter Sabarimala this pilgrimage season defying the restrictions.

The woman and her family were sent back to their native village in Andhra Pradesh after questioning.
In an iconic and proud moment for India, model and beauty pageant holder Manushi Chhillar gave the country what it had been yearning for seventeen long years -- the beautiful blue crystal encrusted Miss World crown.

Stephanie Hill of England and Andrea Meza of Mexico finished as runners-up.

The Haryana girl, who became the sixth Indian to have won the coveted title in Sanya, is also the first one to have won the crown after global icon Priyanka Chopra in 2000.

Dressed in an elegant yet glamorous soft pink beaded gown, Manushi was all smiles as she was handed the crown by last year's winner, Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico. Of course, it was Manushi's consistent performance at the contest, the constant hard work, her heartfelt and intelligent answer in the final round and the efforts of her entire team that helped her clinch the title. And it was also the amazingly stunning gown, courtesy Falguni and Shane Peacock, which made her look surreal and contributed in her win.

We spoke exclusively to Falguni, one-half of the 'Falguni and Shane' designer duo, to know what went behind designing the iconic garment for Manushi, the brief they were given and more.

"It's like an epic moment for us. In my heart I always knew. I was officially stalking her, checking all her stories and updates to see how she was faring because we all had hopes. She (Manushi) was groomed extremely well, she spoke very well and even generally she is a very kind-hearted person. All these factors led towards her getting the blue, crystal encrusted crown," said Falguni in an exclusive interview with News18.com. "Also, the belief that everyone had in her and the amazing answer that she gave, made it all happen. Everything was just right," Falguni added.

Credit: @ Falguni Shane Peacock India

Speaking about designing the 'perfect' designer ensemble for Manushi to wear for the final round at the pageant, Falguni said that since Manushi wanted a pink outfit and they wanted to go for gold, they designed two outfits for her, something they had never done for anyone before. "We had made two options for her - gold and pink. She was really keen on wearing the pink gown while we wanted to go for gold, so, we decided to go for both. This extra effort (of designing two options) was put in her because we all believed that she had the capability and she was complete winner material," said an excited Falguni.

(Photo: Manushi Chhillar being crowned Miss World 2017/Reuters)

"We wanted to make something in the peach, pink, gold range. Manushi said that she knew she wanted a pink but refrained from discussing any design since she said she totally trusted our vision. So, pink was the color we worked on eventually and somehow she was very sure it was the color that would work for her because it's also about how you stand out in front of the five girls. And her outfit, even though it had a kind of subtlety, there still was a glamour factor to it," Falguni added.

Elaborating on the outfit's design and the embellishments used in it, Falguni told News18.com, "It was an off-shoulder, bodycon gown made out of soft pink tulle and it had a pink lace underlining to it. The outfit was crystallized, so there were small Swarovski crystals all over the gown. The gown was cut in such a way that it enhanced her body type, the cinched waist, the lines on the gown going across shaped the body really well. There was also a long trail attached to the gown which had lots of tulle coming out of it to give her a more glamorized look. Manushi removed that after her walk was done, so during the crowning you don't see it."

(Photo: Manushi Chhillar crowned Miss World 2017/Reuters)

Talking about the 'outfit brief' given at the Miss World pageant, Falguni said that it always has to be soft, it can't be sexy because it is 'beauty with a purpose', and the Miss World must look like that, people must be able to relate with her. "At Miss World, you have to be very careful. You can't go extremely sexy with it, you have to keep it soft. You can't make the constant look sexy because there is much more to it. It's beauty with a purpose and she needs to look like that. People need to be able to relate to her. This is the Miss World brief that is always given to us and we have studied it for last 4-5 years. We have been making the top model as well as the finale gown for all the girls," said the designer.

While speaking about how ecstatic and proud she feels about Manushi winning the crown, Falguni revealed that she would cherish the outfit forever and it will certainly be her window outfit. She also added that the winning garment will go down in her archives alongside other outfits worn by international stars, as her legacy.
There are currently no grounds to restore the voting rights of the Russian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), because over the past three years Russia has not demonstrated any progress in the implementation of PACE resolutions on military aggression against Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, she stated this as part of a working visit to Paris during meetings with Head of the France-Ukraine Friendship Group of the National Assembly of France Valeria Faure Muntian and Vice Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly of France Mireille Clapot.

The parties discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine. Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed the need to strengthen cooperation as part of the Normandy format and noted that in the near future the most important thing was to make Russia work on a road map and fulfill the Minsk agreements.

She also proposed that the French parliament consider recognizing the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as a crime of the genocide of the Ukrainian people, since this matter of historical memory is very important to Ukraine.

Faure Muntian, as a member of the delegation of the National Assembly of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation, will stay in Ukraine at the beginning of the next year and plans, along with her colleagues, to visit the east of Ukraine and Odesa region.
From January 1, 2018, travellers from all countries heading to Rwanda will be able to obtain a visa upon arrival with no prior formalities, reports Action-visas.com.

The Republic of Rwanda is aiming to develop its tourism sector by facilitating entry to the country for visitors from around the world. According to the country's Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, visitors will be granted a 30-day visa upon arrival. This applies to citizens of all countries, but the cost of the visa will vary in relation to nationality. For citizens of the USA, Germany and the UK, the visa will cost $30.

Previously, the Land of a Thousand Hills had above all facilitated entry for African passport holders, although the formalities required to obtain a visa were relatively straightforward for citizens of other countries.

Each year, Rwanda welcomes 1.2 million visitors. While neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, with the island of Zanzibar, have developed various luxury services aimed at honeymooners, Rwanda could enjoy broader appeal thanks to its mountain gorillas and national parks.
Shah Rukh Khan is inaugurating the 48th International film festival of India at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim, Goa. Over the next nine days the festival will screen 200 films besides paying homage to the greats who passed this year - actors Om Puri, Vinod Khanna, Tom Alter, Reema Lago and directors Abdul Majid, Kundan Shah and Dasari Narayana Rao.

The opening films is Iranian director Majid Majidis Beyond the Clouds, which has Shahid Kapoors brother Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan in the lead roles.

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Los Angeles Members of the rock band Linkin Park dedicated their Favourite Artist - Alternative Rock win at the American Music Awards (AMAs) to late frontman Chester Bennington.

The "What I've Done" hitmakers bagged the award at the ceremony here on Sunday, and paid tribute to Bennington, who took his own life in July 2017, aged 41, reports dailymirror.co.uk.

Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda said: "We want to dedicate this award to him, to his memory, to his talent, to his sense of humour, to his joy. And remember you guys, all of you tonight, whether you're a fan or an artist - I want you guys to take a moment to appreciate what you've got. And make Chester proud."

"We want to dedicate this award to Chester, to his memory, to his talent" Favorite Artist - Alternative Rock goes to @linkinpark!  #AMAs pic.twitter.com/KB0vKXdTJ5 AMAs (@AMAs) November 20, 2017

The band members also took to their Twitter account to thank their fans for voting for them in the category.

They wrote: "Thank you to our fans for all of your support and for voting for us at this year's AMAs. We took home Favourite Artist - Alternative Rock."

Thank you to all the fans who voted. We love you so much. Take a moment to appreciate the people you love and #MakeChesterProud #AMAs @AMAs Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) November 20, 2017

"Thank you to all the fans who voted. We love you so much. Take a moment to appreciate the people you love and make Chester proud AMAs," the tweet read.

Last week, Linkin Park, which includes Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell and Joe Hahn, dedicated their upcoming live album, One more light live, to Bennington.
While most of the government is staying silent on the Padmavati row, the fires of which have been engulfing news feeds and social media for several days now, Bollywood has also erred on the side of caution as well. However, there have been celebrities making their voices heard in support of the film, including the likes of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, Hansal Mehta, Anurag Basu, and Twinkle Khanna, among others. Now Aditi Rao Hyadri, last seen in Sanjay Dutt's comeback film, Bhoomi, has just tweeted her opinion on the issue.

Addressing the latest development of the Harayna BJP chief media coordinator offering a bounty of 10 crores for the "heads of Deepika and Bhansali, Hyadri spoke about the embarrassment for India as its politicians sound like gangsters and the government stays silent. Alluding to the mob mentality of certain sections of social media, she also added a post-script surmising that she would be trolled and abuse for her Tweet, as her name includes 'Hyadri'. We'll have to wait and see if her prediction comes true. Stay tuned for updates. Till then you can check out Aditi's Tweet below.
Hollywood star Will Smith, along with co-stars Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace and director David Ayer, will be flying to Mumbai next month as part of a world tour to promote his latest Netflix film Bright.

Netflix is set to create the Bright experience exclusively for fans in Mumbai, with the A-list team set to tour the city on December 18, a statement said. "Mumbai's fans can participate in the 'Bright' madness and catch Will and the cast up-close on this one-of-a-kind legendary Monday night at the Bright stage performance, red carpet and fan premiere at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, days before the Netflix debut," the statement read further.

Bright is an action-thriller that takes place in an alternate present-day South Los Angeles.

The action-thriller, which will launch around the world on December 22, is about two LAPD officers, played by Smith and Edgerton, who work to keep the streets of an alternate-reality Los Angeles safe from a sinister, dark underworld.

Earlier this year, Netflix had brought Brad Pitt to India too to promote his film War Machine.
New Delhi: The first list of candidates released by the Congress for the Gujarat assembly polls has resulted in a headache for the grand old party.

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) activists have been protesting against the Congress, apparently upset over its leaders not getting enough tickets.

Reacting to the news, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the Congress had never been in such a bad state as it is now.

When asked if the tensions between Congress and PAAS leaderships was a political opportunity for the BJP, Rupani told Network18, We have nothing to do with (PAAS leader) Hardik Patel. But I will say this, that the Congresss position is so bad that they have had to outsource their leadership to three people. If the people are, indeed, with Congress, then why do they need these people? It (Congress) is a 125-year-old party but I have never seen them in such a miserable state.

The CM added that the BJP was on course to winning 150+ seats in the upcoming assembly polls. We will get 150+ seats in the Gujarat elections. BJP will do better than it has ever done before. This is because of the way Narendra Modi Ji has developed Gujarat and is now continuing the same work across India from New Delhi.

The Prime Minister, Rupani added, would hit the campaign trail in Gujarat by either November 27 or 28.

When asked if there was internal strife within the BJP over ticket distribution, Rupani played down any possible discord. BJP is a party with a mass-base. For every seat, we had over 50 contenders but the ticket can only go to one person. It is natural for some people to get upset and voice opposition but I think within a day or two, things will go back to normal.
New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday announced the schedule for election of the next party president, paving the way for the elevation of Rahul Gandhi.

On paper, the process will stretch from December 1 to December 19, but Rahuls election as party chief to take over from his mother Sonia has been a foregone conclusion.

The election will be notified on December 1, and the last date for filing nominations is December 4. The nominations will be scrutinised on December 5, and last date for withdrawing nominations is December 11.

A statement announcing the dates said the date of poll would be December 16 "if necessary". If an election is held, the counting of votes will take place on December 19, a day after results of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

The all-important meeting of the CWC was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretaries.

Following the CWC meeting, Congress leader RPN Singh said the Rahul Gandhi would also be the partys PM candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting came amid mounting troubles for the party in Gujarat where workers of Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) went on a rampage outside the partys Surat office. They were reportedly angry at being given just three tickets in the first list despite asking for 10.

Its other ally, the NCP, too, said it would go solo in the Assembly elections after the Congress announced a candidate from Kutiyana, which is considered an NCP bastion. We will be more successful by going alone, Patel said.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Centre and the West Bengal government to file in a sealed cover their responses on a plea by BJP leader Mukul Roy alleging that his phones were being tapped by the state police.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru asked the Centre, state government and Roy's telecom service providers -- MTNL and Vodafone to file their affidavits stating whether Roy is being monitored or his calls are intercepted by any of the agencies. The court said if this is being done, then also file the reason in sealed cover.

The court asked them to file their affidavit in two weeks and listed the matter for December 7.

During the hearing, counsel for the Centre and the West Bengal government opposed the petition saying if at all any cause of action arises, it should be at the court in West Bengal.

The former Trinamool Congress MP had alleged on November 17 that while he was in West Bengal, he had always found that the local police were monitoring his movements.

Speaking to News18, Mukul Roy had said, For the last two months, I am suspecting that my four mobile phones and one landline are being tapped. My movements were constantly tracked during my stay in Kolkata, Delhi and in Gujarat. Mobile phones of my friends and other political leaders who are close to me are also tapped.

Hinting at Kolkata Police, he said, Even Trinamool Congress leaders are also under scanner and state agencies are tapping their phones.

Roy, who left his old party to join the BJP earlier this month, had sought direction to his telecom service providers to produce before the court orders, if any, issued by the Centre or the state government to intercept telegraphic messages originating from or received by the leader or any of his relatives.

(With PTI inputs)
Ahmedabad: Hardik Patel was on Monday supposed to cement his pact with the Congress but cancelled his rally in Rajkot after a split in the ranks. The two sides have been unable to come at a decision on the seat sharing formula for the Gujarat assembly election next month.

The Hardik-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had struck a deal with the Congress on its quota demand and seat allocation on Sunday, but it soon turned sour as only two members of the Patidar committee found their names in the Congress list of 77 candidates.

The 24-year-old was not present in the meeting with Congress. Sources said that talks with the Congress are still on and Hardik may hold a press conference on Tuesday.

PAAS had demanded 20 seats. Around 18 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, found mention in the list. The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat.

Members of the group expressed anger and started protesting in many parts of the state, claiming that they were not given proper representation. They also vandalized Congress offices in two places and clashed with party workers.

The division in the Patidar group, however, became evident when Vasoya filed his nomination papers as a Congress candidate despite PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania announcing that none of the leaders would do so. Vasoya claimed he was only following the directions of their leader, Hardik.

Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya said the group would not allow any Congress office to function in the state. Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared, he said.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania, with his supporters reached the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki to represent their case. "We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us," he said.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protests against Congress tomorrow," another PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria said.
Ahmedabad: With its much-awaited first list of candidates for Gujarat elections, the Congress seems to have managed to anger both the NCP and the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

The party list of 77 candidates had 22 Patidar community leaders, including three from PAAS, and none from the NCP.

NCP leader Praful Patel hinted on Monday that the party may fight Gujarat polls alone after the Congress fielded a candidate from Kutiyana, which is considered an NCP bastion. We will be more successful by going alone, Patel said.

Hardik Patels PAAS, too, was unhappy with just three seats instead of the 10 it had asked for. Sources said there were division within the Patidar outfit on whether to extend support to the Congress.

Late on Sunday, Congress workers exchanged blows with PAAS members who were protesting outside the partys Surat office.

Following the clashes, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said the party will hold talks and clear misunderstandings that the Patidar leaders may have. "We will talk to them and clear whatever misunderstandings they may have. We are yet to announce several other seats in Saurashtra North Gujarat and other places," he said.

The three PAAS leaders given tickets included Saurashtra convener Lalit Vasoya who has been given a ticket from Dhoraji, Amit Thummar who will contest from Junagadh and Ravi Ambaliya who has been fielded from Jetpur.

The BJP, on the other hand, has included 19 Patidar leaders among the 106 candidates it has announced so far.

All eyes are now on PAAS leader Hardik Patel who is likely to spell out his outfits stand on Monday.

Of the total 182 assembly segments in Gujarat, 89 seats will go to the polls in the first phase to be held on December 9. The process of nomination for the phase has already started with the issue of notification on November 14. The last date for filing nominations is November 21. The remaining 93 segments will go to poll on December 14.

The result of the election will be announced on December 18 along with that of Himachal Pradesh.

The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP after a hiatus over two decades in Gujarat.
Head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office's (PGO) department for special investigations Serhiy Horbatiuk has said a month ago Interpol took former Ukrainian Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko and his ex-deputy Viktor Ratushniak off its wanted list. Both men were wanted in Ukraine for embezzlement.

"Interpol categorically refuses to put any ex-official involved in combating Maidan on its wanted list. They say these crimes committed during the change of power show signs of political persecution," Horbatiuk said in an interview published by the Kyiv-based Focus magazine.

"They put 'goons' ('titushki') on the wanted list, but not anyone connected with the authorities, from a regular riot policeman (Berkutovets) to former high-ranking officials. Moreover, a month ago, Zakharchenko and his deputy were taken off Interpol's wanted list," the official said.

Horbatiuk said Ukrainian prosecutors have for months tried to solve the problem, without success.

"Our requests are always refused," he said.

Horabtiuk said Interpol recently refused to issue a "Blue Notice" on the fugitive.

"A Red Notice means all Interpol country measures must arrest the person. A Blue Notice means Interpol must report his or her whereabouts. We have bilateral agreements with many European countries about extradition. When we learn that a fugitive has entered a country, we ask the authorities there to detain him, providing the necessary documents. But our requests were turned down in Ukraine's Interpol office, not even Interpol's main office," Horbatiuk said.
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi will file the nomination for the post of Congress president on Monday amid the din of dynasty created by party leader Shehzad Poonawalla. The latter has alleged that the internal elections are rigged, earning praise from PM Narendra Modi in the run-up to Gujarat elections.

The Election Commission (EC) of India lays a lot of emphasis on intra-party democracy. Political parties are asked to conduct transparent and foolproof elections according to their respective constitution.

While the Election Commission  the constitutionally mandated independent body  is in-charge of holding elections to the state and central legislatures, political parties hold their own elections and inform the poll panel of the same.

The most important election in any political party is that of the president. The party constitutions in India are drafted in a way that the president is vested with the power to nominate other office bearers.

The president also holds the authority to sign B-form by dint of which a candidate is allocated the official symbol of the party.

Thus, political parties take great care in conducting their internal election process. Stakes are high and one wrong step can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The selection of the presiding officer, for one, is the critical first step towards a hassle-free election. Loyalty and trust are the two primary virtues sought out in the election officer. Nothing more, nothing less.

As a senior political journalist once remarked in a lighter vein, parties monitor the blood-pressure and temperature of potential election officer for undue and un-necessary fluctuations before nominating him or her to the task.

For the elections to the post of the Congress chief, the election schedule was announced by Mullapally Ramachandran, the party MP from Kerala.

The five-time Lok Sabha MP has stood by the party through thick and thin, beginning his political career as the Youth Congress President of the District Congress Party in Calicut.

Be it the Emergency, PV Narsimha Raos tenure or the turf war in Kerala Congress, Ramachandran has remained loyal to the party and the family in the last four decades. Ramachandran has won his spurs through sheer perseverance.

Earlier this month, Lalu Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal also held its elections. The indomitable Mandalite was elected party president for a record 10th term. Though there was no challenge to Lalus leadership, the RJD chief was careful in choosing the election officer for the polls.

In the case of RJD, former minister Jagdanand Singh was the chosen one. Singh has passed many a test by fire in proving his loyalty to Lalu, including his decision to oppose and ensure his sons defeat in 2010 Assembly polls. The son had dared to contest elections on BJP symbol against official RJD nominee.

Similarly, almost a decade ago, a high stakes political drama unfolded in Patna when Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav came together to replace George Fernandes as the party president. Comprehensively outnumbered in the national council, George loyalists Anil Hegde, the returning officer for the elections, sought to postpone the process by three months.

Hegde was removed from the post and elections were conducted by one Subhash Chandra Srivastav, a national council member.

Hegde, though, later patched up with the new dispensation to return to the party post.

Ironically, this year, when Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar fought a similar battle for control over the party, Hegde as the chief electoral officer of the party stood rock solid behind Nitish Kumar.

In the protracted Samajwadi Party family feud, Akhilesh Yadav was elected president at a party conclave in Agra last month. The constitution was amended to give Akhilesh an extended five-year term.

Ram Gopal Yadav, a close Akhilesh aide, as the chief general secretary of the party, presided over the entire election process.

Nitin Gadkaris election for a second term as party chief in 2013 went down to the wire. Written endorsements and papers duly signed by state units had been submitted to the election officer and current Social Justice Minister Thawar Chandra Gehlot.

As allegations of a layered investment by a company linked to the then party president emerged, it was decided overnight to give Rajnath Singh another term.

Gahlot and his team burnt the midnight oil and made liberal use of whitener to replace Gadkaris name with that of Rajnath Singh in the nomination papers and supporting documents.

In politics, especially when it comes to inner party elections, there has always been a premium on trust and loyalty.
Indore: In a setback to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh, Indore bench of state high court declared election of party MLA from Dhar null and void, in response to a petition which accused Neena Verma of offering incomplete information in her nomination during 2013 election.

Interestingly, it's the second instance when the court has nullified election of Neena Verma, wife of former union minister and once a BJP stalwart Vikram Verma.

In 2013, Suresh Chandra Bhandari had filed a petition against Neena accusing her of concealing information leaving 21 columns blank including about her family, liabilities, assets and so on in her nomination paper.

The single judge bench of justice Alok Verma, who retires a week later, had reserved the verdict on September 21 and on Monday, pronouncing the decision annulled her election.

Earlier, the HC had in 2012 nullified her election she won against Balmukund Singh Gautam of Congress by a solitary vote during recounting process in 2008. Gautam later had challenged the election over alleged violation of recounting rules. The 57-year-old BJP lawmaker is expected to move SC against the HC verdict shortly.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned personal attacks on the makers and actors of Padmavati and called the whole controversy as unfortunate.

In a twitter post, Banerjee said, The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves.

While urging the entire film industries to stand together against such violent forces, she said, We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice.

Banerjees stand in favour of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati came as an organisation of Kshatriyas in West Bengal wrote to her, demanding the removal of the ghoomar dance and some other scenes from the film, saying they are objectionable.

The Bharat Kshastriya Samaj Trust in Bengal also claimed the film has a scene of the invader Alauddin Khalji romancing the Rajput queen, a claim that has been denied by director Bhansali, and journalists privy to a private screening have already reported that there is not a single scene of the two together.

This is not for the first time when Mamata stand beside Bollywood actors. In May 3, 2017, Mamata came out in support of Bollywood Actress Kajol who was trolled for uploading a Beef video on a social networking site.
Naypyidaw: China has proposed a three-phase plan for resolving the Rohingya crisis, starting with a ceasefire in Myanmar's Rakhine State so that refugees can return from Bangladesh, China's Foreign Ministry said ahead of meeting of European and Asian officials in Myanmar on Monday.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State.

The refugees' suffering has caused an international outcry.

The foreign ministers Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, opening in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw is an important multilateral diplomatic gathering which happens once every two years and is designed to discuss issues between Asia and Europe. The meeting was scheduled to take place in Myanmar before the outbreak of the current crisis.

Speaking in Naypyidaw on Sunday having arrived from Dhaka, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed that the Rohingya crisis could be addressed by a solution acceptable to neighbours Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations.

"The first phase it to effect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order, so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee," China's foreign ministry said in a statement citing Wang.

"With the hard work of all sides, at present the first phase's aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war."

After a ceasefire is seen to be working, Wang said bilateral dialogue should follow to find a workable solution, and the third and final phase should be to work toward a long-term solution based on poverty alleviation.

Wang said poverty was the root cause of the conflict.

Myanmar's military has said that all fighting against the Rohingya Islamist militants died out on Sept.5, but it remains on guard against incursions by fighters who had fled to Bangladesh with the refugees.

The refugee crisis erupted after the military launched a brutal counter-insurgency operations against the militants after attacks on an army base and dozens of police security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25.

The group behind those attacks, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), had declared a one-month ceasefire on Sept.10, which was rejected by the government. But there have been no serious clashes since.

Visiting Myanmar last week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson condemned ARSA's attacks, and voiced support for Myanmar's transition to democracy under the civilian administration led by Nobel peace price winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

But Tillerson also called for a credible investigation into reports of human rights abuses against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's security forces, whose generals retain autonomy over defence, internal security and border issues.

INCREASED ENGAGEMENT

The United States and other Western countries have become more engaged with Myanmar in recent years, since it began a transition to civilian government after nearly 50 years of military rule.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, was expected to address the ASEM gathering, having also visited Bangladesh over the weekend.

Myanmar state media said the meeting was being attended by senior officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, 28 member countries of the EU, two non-EU member countries, 10 member countries of ASEAN, 11 countries of northeast and south Asia totalling 51 countries.

China has close relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh, and has long been a key player in lawless borderlands where rebel ethnic groups have fought Myanmar's government for decades. The conflict in those border regions have occasionally pushed thousands of refugees to seek shelter in China.

Since the Rohingya crisis, China has repeatedly expressed support for what it calls the Myanmar government's efforts to protect stability.

Myanmar and Bangladesh officials began talks last month to settle a repatriation process for refugees, and Bangladesh's foreign minister expects to take those talks to the next level in coming days.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should give encouragement and support to both countries "to create the necessary conditions and a good environment", the ministry's statement quoted Wang as saying at a joint press conference with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader.
Jerusalem: An Israeli cabinet minister said on Monday that Israel had covert ties with "many" Arab and Muslim states but was obliged not to name them at the other sides' request.

A rare interview given by the head of Israel's armed forces to a Saudi-owned news site was published on Thursday, further fuelling talk of close links.

It followed previous broad hints by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusations by Hezbollah that Saudi Arabia was pushing Israel to attack the Lebanese Shiite group. "We have ties, some of them secret, with many Arab and Muslim states," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli army radio on Monday.

"Usually the one who wants those ties to be discreet is the other side," he said in response to a question about ties with Riyadh.

"We respect the wishes of the other side when contacts are developing, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or other Arab or Muslim countries."

Although Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, they share a common enemy in Iran, with both seeking to limit the Islamic republic's expanding influence in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has also spoken repeatedly and with pride about growing rapprochement with "moderate Arab states" without naming them, although he is assumed to be referring to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with countries of the moderate camp in the Arab world, in the face of radical Islam," he told Israel's parliament last week.

"I think that this growing closeness and consultation is first and foremost good for security and ultimately for peace," he added.

Tensions between the Saudis and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Riyadh-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying he is stepping down over what he called Iran's grip on his country.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is dominant in Lebanon, is also a great enemy of Israel with which it fought a war in 2006.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on November 10 that he had "information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon".

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani last week echoed the allegation.
Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leader's partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders -- who she refused to name -- incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."

Large protests followed Trump's election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.

"He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way -- he did not seem offended," she said.
Sydney: A powerful magnitude 7 undersea earthquake struck east of New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific on Monday, sending small tsunamis towards New Caledonia and neighbouring Vanuatu, where authorities ordered evacuations.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii issued a tsunami warning for coastlines within 300 kms (186 mile) of the epicentre, but later said the danger had largely passed.

Monday's quake, initially reported as magnitude 7.3, struck at a shallow depth of 10 km (six miles) about 82 kms (51 miles) east of New Caledonia. It was the second major tremor in the same area in just over 12 hours and the third in the past month.

"We are a little bit scared, we have had an earthquake last night and today it was quite a big one," said Wayan Rigault, communications manager at Hotel Nengone Village on the island of Mare, which is the closest landmass to the epicentre.

Rigault said there was no immediate damage, but guests were on alert for a formal evacuation warning.

Small tsunamis were detected and waves may have reached up to one metre (three feet) above the high tide level in parts of New Caledonia and smaller in Vanuatu, the PTWC said.

"Minor sea level fluctuations...may continue over the next few hours," a statement from the agency said.

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office advised people in southern provinces to evacuate coastal areas for higher ground..

New Caledonia's civil security agency made no plans to evacuate coastal places immediately.

Authorities in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii said there were no tsunami threats to the coastlines of those countries.
Harare: Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe has agreed to resign in return for the army promising him and his wife full immunity after last week's takevover, CNN reported on Monday quoting unnamed official sources.

The report said generals had agreed to many of Mugabe's demands, including full immunity for himself and his wife Grace and permission to keep his private properties.

It also quoting the source who has direct knowledge of the negotiations as saying the generals' aim with Sunday's television address was to get Mugabe to declare the military's actions constitutional.

The report said Mugabe's resignation was already drafted and that it would be sent to the speaker of Parliament.

Robert Mugabe had been facing the threat of impeachment by his own party, after his shock insistence that he still holds power despite a military takeover and a noon deadline to end his 37-year autocratic rule.

In a televised address late Sunday, the 93-year-old had defied expectations that he would bring the curtain down on his reign, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

The speech provoked anger and disbelief among crowds who had gathered in bars and cafes to watch, and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political tensions.

His once-loyal ZANU-PF party  who has already sacked him and told him to resign as head of state  had warned it would seek to impeach him if he fails to quit by midday on Monday (3:30pm IST).

The speech capped an extraordinary weekend that saw Zimbabweans jubilant at the prospect of his demise and venting their anger in ways that, just a week earlier, would have been brutally punished.
The intersection of U.S. 29 and Virginia 151 in Amherst County is in the running to receive $3.3 million in improvements, according to the Vir
Ukrainian consuls have met with Pavlo Hryb, a Ukrainian citizen being held in Krasnodar (Russia), and his health is deteriorating, the detainee's father, Ihor Hryb, has said.

"Seven minutes. This time was given to Ukrainian consuls for a meeting with Pavlo. It's forbidden to speak Ukrainian, and medicines are forbidden," he wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, there are ulcers on Pavlo's body, and his health is deteriorating.

At the same time, Hryb hopes for the speedy return of his son to Ukraine.

Ex-Ukrainian State Border Guard Service official Ihor Hryb said on August 28 that Russian special services had abducted his 19-year-old son Pavlo during a visit to Gomel, Belarus, where he went on August 24 to meet a girl whom he had met and talked to only on social-networking sites. It was agreed that Pavlo would return the same day. After he failed to return the next day, Ihor Hryb travelled to Gomel to look for him.

He said that in Belarus he had learned that Pavlo was on a Russian list of wanted persons in connection with a terrorist attack, and that a search had been initiated by the Russian Federal Security Service's Directorate for the Krasnodar region in Sochi.

It was reported on September 7 that Hryb was in a detention facility in Krasnodar, Russia.

On September 15, Pavlo Hryb's sister Olha Hryb said her brother was transferred from jail to hospital. According to her, neither Ukrainian consuls, nor Ukrainian doctors were allowed to see the detainee.

Ukrainian doctors arrived in Russia on October 12 to examine Hryb, who is being held in a pretrial detention center in Krasnodar and does not receive the necessary medical care, but the Russian side didn't allow them to examine the Ukrainian.

On October 18, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar (Russia) extended detention term for Ukrainian Pavlo Hryb until January 4, 2018.

The next hearing of the Krasnodar court is scheduled for December 24.
A couple at the center of an incident at a Madison Heights shopping center last week that led to an attempted-murder charge had a lengthy history of police response at their home, according to the Amherst County Sheriffs Office.

Angel Louise Crews, 26, of Madison Heights, is accused of attempted second-degree murder after state police said she ran over her husband, 23-year-old Tyler Connelly, while driving a minivan following a domestic dispute. Connelly was seriously injured and airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center, state police have said.

Amherst County Sheriffs Office Capt. John Grieser said the sheriffs office has had approximately 50 calls for various issues at their residence. Crews was charged in June 2016 in a similar incident, Grieser said. A felony hit-and-run charge was reduced to a misdemeanor after Connelly refused to testify, Grieser said.

Connelly had some cuts and abrasions in the 2016 incident, in which he tried to prevent her from leaving in a vehicle, according to Grieser.

Crews also is charged with one count each of reckless driving, malicious intent to cause bodily harm, assault and battery of a family member and child endangerment in connection with the Nov. 16 incident, according to Virginia State Police.

Crews and Connelly were in the parking lot of Amelon Square Plaza in Madison Heights when Crews got into the drivers seat of a 2016 Chrysler minivan and drove into Connelly, Virginia State Police Spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Crews struck and ran over Connelly, stopped her vehicle and remained on scene until a trooper arrived, Geller said.

Crews was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the Amherst Adult Detention Center. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 10 in Amherst County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
As the holiday season known for chestnuts roasting on an open fire approaches, a Shipman orchard is offering up its chestnut crop for peoples palates.

Virginia Chestnuts owner David Bryant and his wife bought the land in Shipman in 2003.

When we bought the place, we were looking for a sustainable crop that we could put on the land that would be good for many years, that we have an interest in and was native to the area. Chestnuts really lends itself to that, Bryant said.

The Bryants chose to grow chestnuts to bring them back to the area after the chestnut tree was virtually wiped out in the early 1900s. Virginia Chestnut trees are a hybrid of American and Chinese chestnut, which Bryant says gives the trees its blight resistance.

Its a natural fit. It feels right. Im not trying to introduce an odd species that wasnt native to the area, Bryant said.

In 2008, they experimented with 200 trees, but didnt see much success because they didnt know what they were doing, Bryant said.

We were just winging it. There was no one to call like, Chestnut hotline, how can we help you? Yeah, were planting some chestnut trees. It was exciting, challenging and frustrating all wrapped together, he said.

After another attempt at growing trees with more success the following year, the Bryants reached out to friends and convinced them to start growing chestnut trees as well and created an informal cooperative, Bryant said. Virginia Chestnuts is one of five farms in Nelson County.

Everyones orchards are quite young. Ours is the oldest at nine, 10 years now which is still quite young in the lifecycles of the trees. I think everyone is starting to see nuts fall so thats a good thing, Bryant said.

Virginia Chestnuts now has 1,600 trees that are nine years old and produce on average five pounds. Theyll be heavy producers for about 45 years, producing up to a total of 50,000 pounds in the future.

Theyre definitely passionate about what theyre doing, and theyre certainly knowledgeable about the growing and harvesting of chestnuts, said John Bruguiere, a close friend of Bryants and owner of Dickie Brothers Orchard.

This year, Virginia Chestnuts finished harvesting around Oct. 20. Harvesting usually takes five weeks, and they usually pick up chestnuts two or three times per week.

The nuts fall to the ground and we have a machine that comes along and gets them up. We sort through them and throw out bad ones. They go through a process where theyre graded, washed and sanitized, and then theyre dried and put in cold storage, Bryant said.

Every Saturday, Bryant goes to Dickie Brothers Orchard to roast chestnuts and pass out samples as a way of reintroducing the nut. Theyll be selling chestnuts until around Dec. 5.

Its a wonderful thing for me to have something different for my customers and I cant think of a better way to have something different and help another local business get the exposure they need, Bruguiere said.

A vast majority of chestnuts arent consumed fresh, Bryant said.

Soups, dressings, ice cream, beer, you can do anything with them. Its a very versatile crop, Bryant said. Everybody needs a new taste to their palate and chestnuts are old but yet completely new to the palate.

As for the future of the orchard, Bryant said he hopes to have healthy orchards with high production.

As far as marketers of chestnuts, our goal is to really build up brand awareness and drive up domestic consumption of chestnuts, Bryant said.

Bryant also said he hopes to participate in Farm to School Week, a program that links schools with local farms to provide fresh, healthy food items in cafeterias, as well as get kids involved in the harvesting process.

We want to be able to get the kids out and see the orchards and see what were doing. If the youngsters are saying lets get some chestnuts and roast them, thats a lot of fun, Bryant said.
The battle for control of Virginia's House of Delegates turned even more messy Monday after the state's top election official said a significant election problem occurred in the Fredericksburg area that may have affected the outcome of one of a handful of extremely tight House races.

Commissioner of Elections Edgardo Cortes said at least 83 voters were incorrectly assigned to the wrong House district in Fredericksburg, prompting the State Board of Elections to delay certifying election results for two house districts. The board certified results for the statewide races and 98 other House races, but left the 28th and 88th District contests open in light of possible legal action.

Depending on the scope of the error, the issue could potentially trigger special elections as Republicans try to hold onto a slim 51-49 majority after getting hammered Nov. 7 in a wave election that saw Democrats pick up at least 15 House seats. In the 28th District, currently represented by retiring House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, Republican Bob Thomas leads Democrat Joshua Cole by 82 votes. If that district's outcome were to flip, the House would have a 50-50 party split.

The exact cause and scope of the ballot problems - which centered on Fredericksburg's Charles and Charlotte streets - were not immediately clear. The former Fredericksburg registrar who apparently oversaw the erroneous changes in 2016 died earlier this year.

"In this instance, because of the exceptionally close margin and what appears to be a pretty significant error at the local level by a registrar, this is a problem," Cortes said.

Cortes said the state is currently working to determine how many of the 83 identified voters actually cast a ballot in this year's elections.

Monday's certification vote means two other close House races that showed Democrats coming up short can proceed to recounts if Democrats request them. Democrats are expected to seek a recount in the 94th District in Newport News, where Republican Del. David Yancey leads Democrat Shelley Simonds by just 10 votes. A recount is also possible in Northern Virginia's 40th District, where Republican Del. Tim Hugo leads Democrat Donte Tanner by 106 votes.

Democratic superlawyer Marc E. Elias, the former general counsel to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign who has been brought in to oversee Democratic recount efforts in Virginia, had asked the elections board not to certify the 28th District results due to possible issues with split precincts, where voters who live in different House districts cast ballots at the same location.

Elias sent a letter to the elections board inquiring about the issue, but Democrats have not yet filed a lawsuit contesting the 28th District results on the grounds that voters were assigned to the wrong districts.

Nevertheless, Elections Board Chairman James Alcorn said delaying the certification could potentially allow a court to sort out the problem.

"Because there is an open question, my preference would be let the court and the lawyers have that conversation," Alcorn said.

Republican Party of Virginia Executive Director John Findlay blasted the board, which has a 2-1 Democratic majority, accusing officials of finding a new way to gum up the works after two earlier Democratic-aligned lawsuits in the 28th District had failed.

"Let's call it what it is," Findlay said. "A thinly veiled attempt to overturn results of the election."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm just going to disagree with that assessment," Alcorn replied, insisting that the board was acting in a nonpartisan, objective manner. "I understand that you work for a political party."

"You were appointed by a Democrat," Findlay shot back. "We get it."

Though the 28th District is competitive, the adjoining 88th District leans Republican. Del. Mark. L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania, who chairs the House elections committee, defeated Democratic challenger Steve Aycock by more than 15 points.

Two Fredericksburg residents addressed the board during the meeting, saying the problems may be broader than the state understands.

Mitzi Brown, a resident of Charlotte Street, said the problem went both ways, with voters in each district being wrongly assigned to the other.

"Everybody on my street got ballots for the 28th. According to the lines, we are in the 88th," Brown said. "There are probably 45 to 50 houses."

Though the elections board didn't get to the bottom of what went wrong Monday, Cortes and the three board members were planning to reconvene at a second meeting Wednesday to revisit the issue.

"I don't know how this could happen," said board member Clara Belle Wheeler. "I don't have an answer."
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has said claims by the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) concerning Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko's spying in this country, as well as reports about his membership of the Main Intelligence Directorate are not true.

"On November 20, the Belarusian media circulated a statement of a spokesman of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus about the involvement of Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko in the formation of an intelligence network and holding intelligence activities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. This statement also says that Sharoiko admitted that he is an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate Ministry of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. The Public Relations Service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has been authorized to state that ... this information is not true," the Main Intelligence Directorate said in a statement.
Dana Carson Ray, 47, of Forest, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 18, 2017. She was preceded in death by her brother, David Anderson Ray; and her grandparents, Crantford V. Anderson, Sr. and Ossie Anderson, and Bernice A. and Mary D. Ray. Born on October 14, 1970, she was a daughter of Terry and Diana Ray of Forest. Dana graduated from Brookville High School, she went on to attend Mary Washington College where she received a Bachelor's Degree in English. She was a member of Madison Heights Baptist Church and worked for Areva. Dana dearly loved all of God's creatures especially horses, cats, and dogs. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her brother, Kendall and wife, Melissa, of Forest; her sister, Karen Nelms of Campbell County; and four nieces, Carrie Johnson and husband, Dion, Katelyn Ray, Haley Epperson, and Megan Ray. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Meals on Wheels or the Lynchburg Humane Society. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7 A private graveside service will be held. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences please visit tharpfuneralhome.com.
No Charges for Cops

in Killing of Man Who

Was 'Biking While Black'
President Trump repeated his call for a border wall Sunday night after a Border Patrol agent was fatally injured and another seriously hurt while on duty in west Texas. US Customs and Border Protection says Rogelio Martinez, 36, and his partner were injured after responding to activity in the Big Bend Sector while on patrol near Interstate 10 early Sunday, CNN reports. Both agents were transported to a local hospital, where Martinez died from his injuries later Sunday. Details on what happened are sketchy, though National Border Patrol Council officials tell KTSM that they believe both agents were attacked, probably with rocks.

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt," Trump tweeted. "We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!" Authorities say Culberson County Sheriff's Office deputies helped secure the scene while the Border Patrol's Special Operations Group searched for suspects or witnesses. The FBI has now taken over the investigation and Jeanette Harper of the agency's El Paso office says a more detailed account of the incident will be released Monday, the Houston Chronicle reports. She says contrary to earlier reports, the agents were not fired upon. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted his condolences, saying resources must be increased to prevent other attacks. (Read more Border Patrol stories.)
Meghan Markle's family tree has shown that beau Prince Harry is a distant cousin (they share an ancestor dating back to the 15th century), but there's a darker revelation: One of her ancestors was beheaded on the orders of Henry VIII. Lord John Hussey was born around 1465, reports the Telegraph, and quickly became a favorite during Henry VIII's reign. Hussey, whose descendants eventually spawned Markle about 15 generations later, served as a king's ambassador, worked as a chamberlain to one of the king's daughters, and was knighted for his battlefield prowess.

But that all changed after a 1536 rebellion against Henry, after which Hussey was found guilty of treason, thrown in prison, and, eventually sent to his death. Another discovery of note: that Markle's great-great-great-grandfather on her mom's side was a slave in Georgia. Interest in Markle has been on the upswing since she and Harry made their first official public debut together in September, fueling rumors that Markle may soon be moving to the UK for good. A recent farewell from her Suits body double has only added to those whispers. (Read more Meghan Markle stories.)
A 60-year-old with more than four decades of experience as a sailor was killed during the UK's Clipper Round the World yacht race Saturday. Simon Speirs, a crew member on the Great Britain yacht since the race began on Aug. 20, was helping to change its sails amid gale-force winds when he was swept overboard. The yacht, which was in sixth place at the time, was in the Southern Ocean between South Africa and Australia on day 18 of the third race in the 13-stage competition, the Guardian reports. Speirs was wearing a life jacket and was clipped on with a safety tether but somehow became separated. He was pulled back on board 36 minutes later and given CPR but was pronounced dead. His death is the third in the race's 21-year history, the BBC reports. Just days before Speirs' death, he wrote in a blog that he "never had any doubts" about his safety, the Telegraph reports.

Race co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said something went wrong with a new type of tether the race was using. "Whether it is a type failure or a one-off failurewe wont know that until it has been examined," he said. Competitors have since been asked to use both clips on their tethers as an additional safety feature. Speirs was given a burial at sea Sunday, race organizers said in a statement. "As requested by Simons family, who were fully aware and came together to follow it at the same time back home, it was a Christian service, and the rest of the Clipper Race fleet also joined them in solidarity as it was carried out," the statement said. The Great Britain yacht is currently around 1,500 miles off Fremantle, Australia; when it reaches Fremantle, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch will meet it as part of its investigation into the incident. (Read more accidental death stories.)
Typically, one would be unhappy to find rat in his or her soup. But caldo de rata, or rat soup, has been eaten in the Mexican state of Zacatecas since colonial times, and now a local politician is trying to promote it so it regains its popularity. It's currently eaten mostly by older people who may harbor the belief that it has healing powers, but other than being sold in some cantinas as a hangover cure, it's not often found in restaurants. Guadalupe Flores, a member of the state legislature, is looking to change that, the Guardian reports. She recently hosted a festival on the state legislature's steps celebrating the dish.

As Flores explains, she wants to "demystify the consumption of field rats, a clean animal, which is not related in any way to the species in the sewers." She says she wants to keep the tradition alive, destigmatize rodents as food, and possibly draw culinary tourists. Other than field rat, the soup typically contains corn, zucchini, and other vegetables and is flavored with oregano. Flores insists even skeptics who give in and try it typically end up liking it, explaining that rat meat is similar to rabbit meat but more flavorful. "It has a very high protein content and a very high vitamin content, too," adds a university professor who has studied field rats. (Read more strange stuff stories.)
Charles Manson, the cult leader whose hippie followers terrorized Los Angeles with seven gruesome murders in 1969, has died after almost 50 years behind bars. He was 83. The California Department of Corrections says Manson, whose death sentence for orchestrating the killings was commuted to life imprisonment in 1972, died of natural causes Sunday night at a hospital in Kern County, the AP reports. On Aug. 9, 1969, some of his followers, known as the "Manson Family," murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others at her home. The victims were stabbed a total of more than 100 times. The next night, his followers murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, and scrawled words including "PIGS" on the walls in their blood.

Manson, who was born in Cincinnati, had a troubled childhood and ended up in reform school when he was 8. He spent much of his early life in prison for various crimes and started the cult after being released in San Francisco in 1967. Months after the LA killings, Manson and three female followers were arrested and sentenced to death after what was then the longest trial in American history. Tex Watson, his "right-hand man," was arrested later. Prosecutors said Manson, whose name became a byword for evil, hoped his disciples would, with the murders, trigger a race war he called "Helter Skelter." After being found guilty, he shaved his head, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. "I am the devil," he said. "And the devil always has a bald head." He was later convicted of two other murders. In prison, Manson carved a swastika on his forehead and was cited for breaking the rules scores of times. He was denied parole a dozen times, most recently in 2012.

(Read more Charles Manson stories.)
Minivans aren't exactly known for inspiring fear, but that's what's happening among Chrysler Pacifica owners, with more than 50 federal complaints filed about the vehicles suddenly stalling out while in use, leading to dangerous situations in which, luckily, no one has yet been injured. Dealers are scratching their headsthe minivans seem to work just fine when they're brought inand consumer advocacy groups are calling for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall, reports the New York Times. "I understand you have to find the source of the problem before you can fix it, but there's still a safety issue here," says a Virginia attorney whose 2017 Pacifica has petered out two times while his wife was behind the wheel.

Fiat Chrysler is also baffled as to what could be causing the minivans to stall out, and it has a sensitive landscape to navigate regarding the topic. The company was fined $105 million just two years ago for recall and repair issues for 11 million of its vehicles, and it also had a recent high-profile death on its watch: Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin, who died last year after his Jeep Grand Cherokee, made by Fiat Chrysler, malfunctioned due to what a lawsuit says was a design flaw. It could also be concerning for the company on another front: Waymo's autonomous vehicle fleet is made up of Pacificas. A company spokesman, meanwhile, assures customers that the vehicle's airbags will still deploy even if the power diesan important feature to note, as the Times points out that GM's faulty ignition switch rendered its own airbags useless, possibly contributing to more than 120 deaths. (Read more Chrysler stories.)
Eliahu Pietruszka shuffled his 102-year-old body through the lobby of his retirement home Thursday toward a stranger he had never met and collapsed into him in a teary embrace. Only days earlier, the Holocaust survivor who thought his entire family had perished in WWII learned that a younger brother had also survived, and his brother's son, 66-year-old Alexandre, was flying in from a remote part of Russia to see him. Pietruszka was 24 when he fled Warsaw in 1939, heading to the Soviet Union and leaving behind his parents and twin brothers Volf and Zelig, who were nine years younger. His parents and Zelig were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and killed in a Nazi death camp, but Volf managed to escape. The brothers briefly corresponded before Volf was sent by the Russians to a Siberian work camp, where Pietruszka assumed he had died, reports the AP.

Then two weeks ago, his grandson, Shakhar Smorodinsky, received an email from a cousin in Canada who was working on her family tree. She said she had uncovered a page of testimony collected by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in 2005 by Volf Pietruszka about his older brother Eliahu, who he thought had died. Volf, it turned out, had survived and settled in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Ural Mountains. Smorodinsky ultimately discovered that Volf, who had spent his life as a construction worker, had died in 2011 but that Alexandre, his only child, still lived there. After Smorodinsky arranged a brief Skype chat, Alexandre decided to come see the uncle he never knew he had. "You are a copy of your father," said a shaking Pietruszka. "I haven't slept in two nights waiting for you."

(Read more Holocaust stories.)
The University of Missouri says it will continue to use live pigs to train emergency room doctors, despite protests. Last week, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine organized a rally outside University Hospital to advocate ending the use of swine in physician training. The demonstration came after the university's Animal Care and Use Committee voted earlier this month to continue the practice through November 2020. The protocol used by the university says the eight residents accepted each year for the three-year program need six pigs for every six-month session to complete the training. Each pig is anesthetized before training begins and then subjected to eight procedures, which include opening the chest to reach the heart and cutting an airway into the throat.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported in July the pigs either die during the course of the procedures or are killed before the last part by the residents, who perform a post-mortem technique in which fluid is drained from the sac around the animal's heart. But retired ER physician Kerry Foley said none of the training requires a pig. She said it would be more helpful for students to learn on clinical anatomy models. "You can now obtain things called perfused cadavers, which are very lifelike and true to the experience of working on real patients," Foley said as she picketed outside the hospital. In a statement to the Tribune, Missouri officials said it isn't possible to complete training only with simulations. A survey conducted by the physicians committee found only 16 of 211 emergency residency programs in the US and Canada use pigs to train doctors, reports the AP.

(Read more pigs stories.)
She went by the names Ann, Amanda, and Kendall on Tinderand some Arizona firefighters apparently swiped the wrong way. The Washington Post has the bizarre story of former Northern Arizona University professor Melissa Ann Santana, who was arrested Oct. 30 on charges of felony stalking and making false statements. She allegedly stalked and harassed three members of the Flagstaff and Globe "Hotshot" firefighting crews, one of their fiancees, and an NAU student. The firefighters are identified only by their initials: Like SM and KT, NL reportedly met the married interior design associate professorwho went by "Ann" and was seeking "daytime fun"on Tinder. That was in November 2015; NL ended their relationship in June.

He says Santana took it badly and believes she was the one who began harassing him under other aliases, saying at one point, "why not be like the granite mountain hotshots and go die in the fire, like the other dumba-- losers there" (a reference to the 19 firefighters who died in 2013). On Sept. 9, 2016, the superintendent of the Flagstaff Interagency Hotshot Crew got an email from "Cathy McCarthy" alleging that three firefighters traveling to a blaze in Wyoming plied the woman's 15-year-old daughter with booze and had sex with her. Except a special agent with the US Forest Service determined there was no McCarthy, or daughterper the criminal complaint, it was Santana. She was no longer employed by the university as of Nov. 1, reports KPNX. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted, per the Daily Sun. (Read more harassment stories.)
President Trump said Monday that he intends to declare North Korea a state sponsor of terror. Trump called the move a long overdue step and part of the US "maximum pressure campaign" against Pyongyang, per the AP. North Korea was last on the US list of state sponsors of terror in 2008, when the country was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development. Iran, Sudan, and Syria are also designated by the US as state sponsors of terror. US officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half brother in a Malaysian airport earlier this year as an act of terrorism.



The designation had been debated for months inside the administration, with some officials at the State Department arguing that North Korea didn't meet the legal standard to be relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism. Officials said there was no debate over whether the slaying of half brother Kim Jong Nam was a terrorist act. However, lawyers said there had to be more than one incident, and there was disagreement over whether the treatment of American student Otto Warmbier, who died of injuries suffered in North Korean custody, constituted terrorism.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
The American hostage mom who was freed five years after being captured by the Taliban-related Haqqani network is detailing the abuse she suffered to ABC News in hopes that those responsible will see some measure of justice for the "human rights violations" committed against the family. Caitlan Coleman Boyle, 31, accuses the guards of forcing an abortion by putting an additive in her food in 2014 that caused a miscarriage. She says she and husband Joshua Boyle named the child Martyr Boyle, and that they tried to get news of what happened to higher-ups but says she was raped by two guards in retribution. "And afterwards, the animals wouldn't even give me back my clothes," she says. Coleman Boyle says she and her husband hid the pregnancies of her two subsequent children, and delivered the infants themselves.

The Pennsylvania woman was more than six months pregnant with their eldest son when they were captured in Afghanistan in 2012, and in the interview, she says the boy "certainly knew" that a beheading was possible. So they made up a game using the story about the 1649 execution of Charles I to try to dispel some of the fear. "He had great fun pretending to be Oliver Cromwell chasing Charles I around and trying to behead him. So we made it a game so that he wasn't afraid because there was, you know, there was nothing we could do if it came to that except try to make him less afraid." Joshua Boyle also appears in the interview and says his wife broke her hand while punching a guard in defense of her children. He would not elaborate on why they were in Afghanistan; he previously says he was helping "neglected" villagers. (Read more hostage stories.)
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New Delhi:

Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) activists on Sunday got involved in clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution in Surat.

The PAAS workers were alleging that they did not get proper representation as it was promised. Congress and PASS reached an agreement over quota on Sunday which was later announced by Bharat Singh Solanki, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President.

Miffed over ticket distribution, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel said that they will oppose Congress if their concerns are not addressed.

Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/UWaCfyNZ3F a ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

To PAAS members were given tickets in the released list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats. Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc a ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat. In Surat, A PAAS members ghearoed the city unit office late in the night and indulged in sloganeering against the Congress.

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya told reporters.
New Delhi:

The BJP on Monday released its third list of 28 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls. With this, the party has announced 134 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

BJP releases third list of 28 candidates for #GujaratElections. pic.twitter.com/vLBlY9UQHl a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) November 20, 2017

The BJP on Saturday released its second list of 36 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls. With this, the party has announced 106 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) November 18, 2017

a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) November 18, 2017

In the list, there are 13 ST candidates and two SC candidates. On Friday, the party had released its first list of 70 candidates to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The first list comprises 70 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The party has named Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West. Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HomeA Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.
New Delhi:

In our country, a large number of people are unaware of their rights. One such right is the "right to free legal aid".



Everybody in our country has the right to justice under the Constitution, and to ensure that, there is a provision to free legal aid to everyone who cannot afford expensive and quality lawyers services for conducting the legal proceedings for or against them.



The Article 39A of Indian Constitution has a provision which ensures free of cost legal services to poor and marginalised section of our society.



Article 14 of the Constitution clearly states that no person should be denied equality before the law within the Indian territory.



However, the Article 14 is meaningless if a citizen can't get justice because of his poverty.



So there is Article 39 A in place which makes it clear to that the "states should provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or scheme or in any other way to ensure justice" is not denied to anybody by reason of poverty or illiteracy.



In State of Maharashtra vs Manubhai Pragaji Vashi, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that failure to provide free legal aid to accused will vitiate the trial.



In another case of M.H Hoskot vs State Of Maharashtra, Justice KrishnaIyer made it clear that providing free legal services is a state's duty and not govt charity.



The section 304 of the Criminal Procedure Code also says that if a court of law finds any accused not able to a pleader, it shall assign one at the cost of state.
New Delhi:

While the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming period drama 'Padmavati' has been deferred amidst ongoing protests and controversies, the Bharat Bandh call of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) also stands deferred.

Talking about their latest decision regarding 'Padmavati', founder patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, "The formal announcement for withdrawal for Bharat Bandh on December 1 by SRKS though will be made on Monday after an all-community meeting," reported Times of India.

"Once the new release date is announced, we will again apply our full strength and force to stop the release of Padmavati, we will sit with members of our community and others to think about it on Monday. During then we will also announce our future strategy," Kalvi was quoted while interacting with Times of India.

"We will not allow the release of the movie, be it December 1 or any other date. The film will never be released," he added.

Also Read | Padmavati row: Deepika Padukone receives support from Hollywood

Padmavati, which is happened to be one of the much-anticipated movies of the year, has been mired in controversy since inception. From vandalisation of film sets to protests across the country, the movie has managed to be in the headlines till the time.

Earlier this year, fringe group Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the sets of the film in Jaipur and roughed up the director, while in a fresh event, members of Hindu fringe group Karni Sena have vandalised Akash mall in Kota, Rajasthan.

The miscreants entered Akash mall and broke the glass doors after receiving the information that Padmavati trailer is being played in the theatres inside the mall.

Karni Sena also destroyed the sets in Kolhapur and set costumes on fire.

They have allegedly threatened to burn the theatres if the film is played in cinema halls before it is shown to them.In the absence of the crew, around 50 protesters appeared with petrol bombs and destroyed the whole set thereby injuring several animals.

Also Read: Ranveer Singh TROLLED for comparing himself with Heath Ledger

Protests have even reached right to the doorsteps of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Juhu office and Karni Sena members have threatened to chop off Deepika Padukones nose for violating Indian culture. Police have further tightened securities outside Bhansali and Deepika's Padukone's house.

The protestors allege that Bhansali has distorted historical facts to sell the film. Sources say that the character of Padmavati has been shown dancing and there is a sequence that shows Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji in intimate moments which is severely objected by Rajput organisations.

Meanwhile, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has also sent the magnum opus back to its makers on November 17 and has cited some technical issues.

However, several members in and outside the industry have come forward to back the Deepika Padukone-starrer. From Salman Khan to Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, celebrities have requested people to watch films as films and not judge it before its release.

Also Read | Padmavati: Television stars show support for Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Also starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in key roles, the period drama is yet to get a new release date.

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New Delhi:

In a new twist to the age old Ayodhya Ram Mandir controversy the Chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board have come up with a new formula in which the Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya and a mosque at Lucknow.

According to Syed Waseem Rizvi this will ensure peace and brotherhood in the country. The board have come up with this proposal after discussing with various stakeholders, said Rizvi.

This proposal of building mosque at Lucknow is a diversion from its earlier recomendation of constructing the same in a Muslim dominated area in Ayodhya nearby the location of the Ram Temple.

The Sunni Waqf Board had earlier said that it will accept whatever is the decision of the Supreme Court. The apex court had also suggested an out of court settlement for the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

The final hearing will commence of December 5, which will be a day before the 25 th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.

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Bhopal:

The Madhya Pradesh Police has chargesheeted three inspector rank officers and two sub-inspector rank officers for dereliction of duty in investigating and lodging FIR in Bhopal Indian Administrative Service (IAS) aspirant gang-rape incident on Monday.

Makrand Deuskar, inspector general of police (IG) law and order, confirmed the development. He said, A show case notice has been issued to the Bhopal superintendent of police and A charge-sheet has been filed against three inspectors and two sub-inspectors.

A 19-year-old girl was tied up and gang-raped for more than three hours on November 3. The sexual assault had occurred near the Habibganj Railway station, and hardly a few metres from a railway police post.

On the unfateful day, the victim took a shorter route to her home around 7pm, when she was grabbed by one of the accused. She tried to rescue herself but her perpetrators overpowered her, tied her and then raped her.

The victim and her family members then had told the media that the police officials on duty allegedly did not give ear to her complaint and had refused to investigate.

They also had said that the police officials accused them of making up a filmy story. The police had only started investigating after the victim and her family members dragged two of the victims to the police station.

On intervention of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan five police were suspended and a case was registered.

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New Delhi:

China on Monday strongly criticised President Ram Nath Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh saying that the Sino-Indian relations is going through crucial moments and New Delhi should refrain from complicating issues.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in a press briefing said, Lu Kang added, China firmly opposes the Indian leaders activities in the relevant region. Relations between China and India are at a crucial moment. We hope India could work in the same direction and maintain general picture of bilateral ties and refrain from complicating border issue.

He added that the Chinese government has never acknowledged Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese finance ministry spokesperson further said, The two countries are in the process of settling border dispute through negotiation and consultation. Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity.

He also said India should work to create favourable conditions for border negotiations and for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of south Tibet and routinely criticises India if its leaders visit the state.

The countrys official news agency Xinhua describes Arunachal Pradesh as being illegally established in areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Kovind during his four day tour of the northeast had said, Northeast is crown of the country and Arunachal Pradesh is the jewel in the crown.

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New Delhi:

A teacher with a municipal corporation-run primary school in northwest Delhi was shot dead by some unidentified criminals on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Deepak. Police said he had joined the school as an ad-hoc teacher earlier this year.

According to police, Deepak was found lying in pool of blood near the gate of the primary school in Swaroop Nagar around 5 pm. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Police said in their initial investigation they have learnt that the teachers killers were known to him. The CCTV footage shows that the murderers came to school in a car. They called the teacher and shot him from a point blank range, said Milind Dumbree, deputy commissioner of police northwest Delhi.

The Delhi Police have formed a team to nab the criminals.

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Tuberculosis at school is under control, officials say

Twenty-nine students had been diagnosed with tuberculosis by Thursday in an outbreak at a middle school in Taojiang county, Hunan province, local health authorities said on Friday.

Five other students are suspected of having the disease, and another 38 students are taking medication for disease prevention, according to a release from the Hunan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.

The 72 students, from Taojiang No 4 Middle School, are now being treated and are under healthcare management, the release said.

After the outbreak in August, health authorities in Hunan expedited treatment and the outbreak is under control, the commission said.

Students and parents became aware of the outbreak in mid-August, when the school organized health tests at the school, according to the Beijing News.

The outbreak was first confirmed on Thursday by Taojiang county, which said the outbreak occurred at the school on Aug 19.

In a statement released on Friday evening, the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the country's top health authority, said its minister, Li Bin, had urged authorities in Hunan province to verify and release information and do their best to provide treatment to students after media reports of the outbreak this week.

Staff and experts dispatched by the national commission arrived in Taojiang on Friday afternoon to supervise handling of the outbreak, the statement said.

TB is curable and preventable, and schools must report confirmed or suspected cases immediately to local centers of disease control for screening and tests, the statement said.

"Many of our experts are dispatched to Taojiang to handle the incident," a staff member from Hunan CDC, who declined to be named, told China Daily on Friday.

People diagnosed can return to daily life with a document from a certified hospital showing they have recovered or treatment has been successful so they are no longer contagious, said Tang Yi, director of the Hunan Institute for Tuberculosis Control's department of prevention and control.
New Delhi:

In a video, which has gone viral across the internet, two drunk men allegedly misbehaving with the IndiGo staff member are seen apologizing to the latter by touching her feet.

In the video, the woman is seen confronting the men and asking them to apologize to her by touching her feet after they tried to harass her in an inebriated condition.

Bend completely and touch my feet, the woman is heard telling the men

Read Also: Chennai-Doha IndiGo flight suffers bird hit after takeoff, passengers accommodated on different plane

The incident took place on Saturday, The student duo was booked for creating a nuisance. Sub-inspector at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport police station Ramesh Naik informed that the crew member did not lodge any complaint against the duo.

Read Also: Indigo staff assault: Know this Twitter users witty take on airlines

The airline recently grabbed eyeballs for all the wrong reasons, when a passenger was manhandled by IndiGo Airline staff at the Delhi Airport. The video that surfaced the internet on October 15 showed that how staff members forcing a passenger to the ground and starting a fist fight with him.

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New Delhi :

India has refused to send Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife alone to Pakistan to visit the former naval officer. Further, the Indian government has requested Islamabad to grant travel permit to his mother also.

Pakistan's Foreign Office recently said that Jadhav would be allowed to meet his wife. The move came months after New Delhi requested Islamabad to allow Jadhav's mother to meet him on humanitarian grounds.

New Delhi responded through diplomatic channels to Islamabads offer on November 10 to allow Jadhavs wife to meet him. India believes that Pakistans suggestion, sidestepping the request of Jadhavs mother, was unexpected.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer has been accused of being an agent of India foreign intelligence service, Research and Analysis Wing. He has been sentenced to death for alleged espionage by Pakistan court and is currently in Pakistan prison.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies. Jadhav has filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending.

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New Delhi:

The Intelligence agencies decoded terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Toibas plan to strike a fidayeen attack on the Security Force camp near Jammu and Kashmir's Sharifabad Leh Airport on Monday. The airport security is on high alert after receiving the intelligence report.

According to sources, L-e-T could use Aeronautical Engineering students for the execution of this plan. As per the intelligence inputs, some handlers of Lashkar had met Aeronautical Engineering students in Srinagar in September. The Army and the DGP of the state had also announced in a press conference on Sunday that no action would be taken against them.

On Saturday, the army launched a major operation in Bandipora area and had stamped up 6 terrorists, including the nephew of Zakir Ur Rehman Lakhvi, accused of the Mumbai terror attack.

It was also informed by the army that of the 190 terrorists killed in 2017, 110 are terrorists while 80 are locals.

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New Delhi:

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday met to discuss the elevation of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the partys president. The meeting kicked off at 10 am at Sonia Gandhis official resident 10 Janpath.

Here are the Live updates-

# Notification for Congress President poll to be issued on 1st December, nomination 4th December, Voting on 16th December and Counting on 19th December.

#In case there is no candidate apart from Rahul Gandhi, Congress will announce his candidature on the last date of scrutiny.

# Congress CWC passes resolution to make Rahul Gandhi party President

# The electoral process will start next week

# CWC meet concluded

# Most of the leaders proposed Rahul's name as party president

# The announcemnet of new president will take place on December 1

# Filing of nomination to take place on November 24

# Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting underway at 10, Janpath

# Delhi: Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting to begin shortly, leaders arrive at 10 Janpath

It is said that the party will make all formalities to crown him as the next top leader in the party.

The party leaders said Congress president Sonia Gandhi called a CWC meet despite it was not necessary for her to convene such meet to declare the internal poll date.

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New Delhi:

A farmer committed suicide in Ganjam district allegedly due to crop failure after pest attack and unseasonal rains, making him the 10th farmer to take the extreme step since October in Odisha.

The opposition BJP lashed out at the BJD government for the farmer deaths and alleged that the state agriculture and labour ministers had ridiculed distressed peasants instead of mitigating their plight.

The farmer, who was identified as Rajendra Bhuyan of Baulajholi village under Kukudakhnadi block, died after consuming pesticide. He was a share-cropper and had cultivated paddy in over four acres, district officials said.

His death follows the alleged suicide by another farmer in coastal Kendrapara district yesterday due to crop loss in the unseasonal rain since November 13.

Confirming Bhuyans death, Berhampur Sub Collector Sidharth Shankar Swain said the tehsildar, agriculture officer and police rushed to the spot and were inquiring into the reasons behind it.

The farmers family members alleged that he had taken loans from different people in the village amounting to Rs two lakh, promising them to repay after harvest.

He was under severe mental pressure following the crop loss due to the pest attack and incessant rainfall in the district, his son Laxman told reporters.

Laxman said last night his father consumed pesticide which was in the house and he was found dead this morning.

"We have provided Rs 10,000 to his family members from the Red Cross for immediate expenditure and to perform the last rites," Swain said.

The post-mortem was conducted at the MKCG Medical College here and the cause of the farmer's death would be ascertained after getting the report, said inspector in-charge of Berhampur Sadara Police Station, S S Mohapatra.

BJP state secretary Bibhuti Jena said "The government should now accept that the farmer committed suicide due to the crop failure. His family should be provided with Rs 20 lakh as compensation."

BJP general secretary Arun Singh, who is the partys Odisha in-charge, attacked the BJD government, alleging that some state ministers had ridiculed distressed peasants.

"It is unfortunate that Chief MinisterA Naveen PatnaikA has remained silent all along and no action was taken against the ministers who made irresponsible remarks about the crisis faced by the farmers in the state," Singh told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

The state government is instead trying to blame others for the farmers suicides in order to hide its failure and inefficiency, he alleged.

Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout had said he did not want to visit the family of Bargarh farmer Brunda Sahu, who had taken his life after setting fire to his crop which suffered a pest attack, as they did not belong to the BJD.

His comment came after Union Minister of State for Agriculture G S Shekhawat and other BJP leaders visited Sahus house.

Rout had also said that farmers who had burnt their paddy crops would not be given compensation.

Labour Minister Sushant Singh had claimed the farmer had committed suicide after being instigated by the BJP.

The BJP leader said the party was trying to alert the BJD government about the problems of the farmers. "But the state government refuses to wake up and act," he claimed.

Referring to the suicide by the Bargarh farmer, Singh said he had approached the authorities for help but no official or minister came forward and the man was driven to commit suicide.

The Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh governments were providing bonus to farmers and concession on agricultural loans but the Odisha government had not taken any such step to help the distressed farmers, he added.

Reacting to Singhs statement, Rout said the BJP leader should realise that agriculture is a state subject in which central leaders have no role. Under the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the state government to deal with issues of agriculture and farmers.

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Pune:

At least nine labourers died after an elevator box carrying them collapsed at a construction site for an underground tunnel linking Neera and Bhima rivers in Maharashtra's Pune district on Monday evening.

According to police, an elevator box carrying workers collapsed after its cable got snapped. The incident took place at Akole village under Bhigwan police station jurisdictions, around 100 kilometers from Pune city.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Tejaswini Satpute said, The number of deceased may go up. Search operations are going on.

An officer of Bhigwan police station said, According to preliminary investigations we have learnt that the elevator collapsed into the shaft. It is said that the depth is almost 100 feet. We have so far recovered nine bodies.

He added that the bodies were pulled out by other labourers with help of villagers. All the deceased are migrant workers, added the police officer.

The deceased have been identified as, Sabinga Samanand Naidu, Mukesh Kumar Maurya, Surendra Bachchan Yada, Avinash Reddi,, Balram Suan, Sushant Pandhi, Chhotu Gole, Rahul Sugreev Narute and Mukesh Kumar.

Also read: Maharasthra: Youth torches self at a sub-divisional police officers office in Virar



Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for the close kins of the deceased. While, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan has ordered an inquiry to find the reasons behind the incident.

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New Delhi:

Sonia Gandhi on Monday lashed out at Modi government, saying the latter has cast dark shadow on Indiaas Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds.

aIt's mistaken ifA the government thinks by locking temple of democracy; it'll escape constitutional accountability ahead of elections,a Sonia Gandhi said during CWC meet which was held at her official residence.

Earlier, Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal had clarified over delay of announcemnet of Winter Session, saying that the government is not running away from the Parliament and will soon take a decision on dates.

Responding to a question on the winter session of Parliament, Goyal had said many MPs had requested that they want to focus on the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.A aI donat think there is any such situation where we have to run away from facing Parliament. The government will soon take a decision on parliament dates,a the minister had said.

The winter session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh decides the dates of the parliament sessions.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

Sonia Gandhi said,a The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament.aA

The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament.: Sonia Gandhi in Congress CWC a ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

The Congress president further added,"A A year later, demonetization has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers.A The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed." (With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi:

The news of the arrest of liquor baron Vijay Mallya in London on Tuesday for his alleged role in money laundering case created a sense of hope among the authorities in India who are trying their best to extradite him since he fled India on March 2, 2016, and since then has been staying in the United Kingdom.



Mallya owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks and erstwhile employees of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.



Before Tuesday, Mallya was arrested in London earlier in April by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant. However, he was granted bail hours after his arrest by the local magistrates court.



Mallya has continuously evaded the notices sent by different agencies and courts to appear for hearings prompting the court to issue an arrest warrant against him.

Also read: Vijay Mallya gets bail in money laundering case in London: Reports



To make it easier for you, here is a timeline of how Vijay Mallya case progressed since 2005:



2005: Vijay Mallya, Chairman of United Breweries (Holdings) Limited starts a luxury airlineKingfisher Airlines.



2006: Kingfisher Airlines applies for a loan with IDBI bank to buy aircraft. Mallya allegedly didnt share the history with the bank related to his Mangalore Chemicals and Fertiliser Acquisitions in the past that led to the rejection of his proposal.



2007: Success of Kingfisher Airlines encouraged Mallya to take over Air Deccan.



2008: The official process of acquiring Air Deccan is finalized and United Breweries paid a markup of Rs 550 crore for their 26% stake in the entity, the deal that ultimately led to claims of bankruptcy filed by United Breweries.



2008: Kingfisher got a debt of Rs 934 crores due to rising oil prices, spiking working cost stress of a premium and a deteriorating airline.



2009: The consolidated debt of the airline accumulated to a whopping Rs 5,665 crore that further went up to Rs 7,000 crore. IDBI finally approved the loan request of Kingfisher and provided a loan of Rs 900 crore to the airline.



2010: Mallya became the Rajya Sabha MP but banks were mounting pressure on him and gave his airline an ultimatum of 9 months to pay back the entire loan amount.



2011: Mallya took a salary of Rs 33.46 crore from Kingfisher Airlines annually. Meanwhile, the license of the Kingfisher airlines had been revoked due to which it stopped paying salaries to its employees.



Until March 2016, the total owed amount to employees for Kingfisher Airlines was Rs 3000 crore payable to 3000 employees. It owed an amount close to a billion dollars to IDBI and the State Bank of India (SBI) as a loan.



2013: The Kingfisher airlines valued in negative at Rs 12,919 crore due to massive liabilities.



Led by SBI, a consortium of banks approached United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL) for the payback of a loan amounting to Rs 6,493 crore on behalf of Kingfisher Airlines. Mallya gave an assurance that the larger sum of the amount owed to the banks would be settled at the earliest.



2014: Vijay Mallya had been branded as a willful defaulter by United Bank of India. SBI and Punjab National Bank also joined the chorus.



2015: The total amount owed by Kingfisher rises to Rs 9,091.40 crore.



April 2015: To recover the funds, Mumbai International Airport sold Vijay Mallya's personal aircraft for Rs 22 lakh.



The airline held accountable for non-payment of loans of Rs 115 crore by the Service Tax Department. The Department then took the complaint to Bombay High Court that ordered the seizure of Mallyas passport.



March 2016: A consortium of banks sought to move Supreme Court to stop Mallya from escaping from the country. Mallya had, meanwhile, left the country on March 3 for the UK and took refuge in London.



November 2016: PMLA special court declared Vijay Mallya an absconder.



February 2017: India sent an extradition request to the UK that got cleared after the interference from the Ministry of External Affairs and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.



April 2017: Mallya got arrested by Scotland Yard in the UK. However, he was granted bail hours after his arrest.



September 2017: Reports emerged that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate could be a step closer to make Vijay Mallya's extradition a success. The two organisations had been preparing a charge sheet against him that could strengthen India's case in the UK court.

Also read: Indian government submits Mallya's extradition paperwork before UK court

Mallya allegedly diverted a large chunk of funds from the Rs 6,027-crore loan he took for his now- defunct Kingfisher Airlines from a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India.



The money was then diverted to shell companies in seven countries, including the US, UK, France, and Ireland, the report stated, citing the sources.



A UK court fixed November 20 as the date for the pre-trial hearing in the extradition case of Vijay Mallya.



India had given a formal extradition request for Vijay Mallya as per the Extradition Treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale on February 8.

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New Delhi:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Monday, announced that his Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ community for past injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality and inclusion.

"On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion," Trudeau said on Twitter.

a Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 19, 2017

Canadian prime minister's announcement came at a time when Australia after a two-month national postal survey came out "overwhelmingly" in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage, while the Turkish capital Ankara has banned all gay rights functions.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Nov. 15 named Randy Boissonnault as Special Advisor on LGBTQ2 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited) Issues. The MP from Edmonton Center will develop and coordinate the Canadian governmentas LGBT agenda.

aIt is an honour and a privilege to be named to this role,a said Boissonnault in a statement. aI will work hard with the prime minister and the LGBTQ2 community to advance and protect their rights and address historical injustices they have endured.a

He was appointed just a day after the Liberal government announced its intentions to repeal Section 159 of the Criminal Code. At present, anal sex is illegal below the age of 18, unless it is between a man and his wife. With the age of consent for sexual activity is 16, many see this law as discriminatory.

Boissonnault will be working with LGBT organizations, including Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, to promote equality for the LGBT community.

aWe have made great strides in securing legal rights for the LGBTQ2 community in Canada a from enshrining equality rights in the Charter to the passage of the Civil Marriage Act,a Trudeau said in a statement.

With Input from ANI

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Washington:

US President Donald Trump on Monday re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, nine years after it was removed from the list. This move allows the Trump administration to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea had been removed from the list of state sponsor of terrorism under the George W Bush administration.The announcement was made by Trump during his Cabinet meeting.

Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. It should have happened a long time ago. It should have happened years ago, Trump said in his address to the Cabinet.

In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil, he said.

As we take this action today, our thoughts to turn to Otto Warmbier, a wonderful young man, and the countless others so brutally affected by the North Korean oppression, he said.

This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons, and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime that youve all been reading about and, in some cases, writing about, Trump added.

Tomorrow, the Treasury Department will be announcing an additional round of sanctions, and a very large one, on North Korea, he said.

This will be going on over the next two weeks. It will be the highest level of sanctions by the time its finished over a two-week period. The North Korean regime must be lawful. It must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, and cease all support for international terrorism -- which it is not doing, Trump said.

The House Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the move.I applaud the administration for relisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Over the past year alone, Kim Jong-Un and his regime brazenly assassinated his brother with a chemical weapon and brutally tortured Otto Warmbier, leading directly to his tragic death, said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

These are not isolated incidents, but are examples of a consistent pattern of terror, he said. The regime also continues its push to develop nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, threatening global security, Trump said.

This designation endorsed by a high-ranking North Korean defector who recently testified before the committee rightly exposes the Kim regimes utter disregard for human life and is an important step in our efforts to apply maximum diplomatic and financial pressure on Kim Jong-Un, Royce said.

Congresswoman Ileana Ro-Lehtinen, chairman Emeritus of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, commended the decision.Redesignating North Korea provides the administration with important tools to increase pressure on the Kim regime and I commend the decision to put it back on the list where it belongs, she said.

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on 29 August in a major escalation of tensions by Pyongyang. Five days later, it carried out a sixth nuclear test, sending tensions soaring over its weapons ambitions and causing global concern.

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China plans to grow into a global leader in space technology by 2045, according to a route map drawn up by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the major contractor of the country's space programs.

The following are the milestones China is expected to achieve in the following three decades.

-2020: Long March 8 carrier rocket, a medium-size launch vehicle, will make its debut. The application of the new rocket will significantly lower the cost of sending a satellite into low-medium orbit, boosting the country's ability to provide commercial launch services.

-2025: Suborbital spaceflight will be realized. Suborbital spaceflight reaches an altitude between 20 and 100 kilometers, often described as between the highest altitude an airplane can reach and the lowest level a satellite operates.

A suborbital carrier vehicle is able to fly in suborbit, allowing common people to go into space, Lu Yu, a senior rocket engineer from CAST, was quoted as saying by China News Service.

-2030: The 100-ton heavy-lift carrier rocket will be launched. According to the plan, the heavy carrier rocket will have a carrying capacity of 100 tons, compared with the 20-ton-level rocket used currently.

Lu said the heav-lift carrier rocket will provide strong support for the country's manned lunar-landing mission and the Mars probe's return journey. He said China will by then join the ranks of world-leading countries in space transport capabilities.

-2035: The reusable carrier rocket will be developed. The route map shows an intelligent carrier rocket equipped with advanced power will be widely used in space transport by 2035.

By then, common people will be able to take reusable carrier vehicles to travel in space, Tang Yagang, the director of carrier rocket development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, was quoted as saying by China News Service.

-2040: The nuclear-powered space shuttle will be built. It will enable large-scale resource exploration in space and mining on asteroids, as well as the building of space solar-power stations. Lu said between 2040 and 2045, a future generation of carrier rockets will be used in longer-term and multiple space trips.

-2045: China will become an all-round world-leading country in space equipment and technology. By then, it will be able to carry out man-computer coordinated space exploration on a large scale, Wang Liheng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told China News Service.

Lu Yu forecast that by 2045, with advanced space transport capabilities, China will be able to carry out large-scale exploration on planets, asteroids and comets in the solar system, as space exploration enters a stage of rapid development.
New Delhi:

Talks between Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) has failled to yield any result to form coallition government.

Germany has been under leadership vaccum eversince the elections that concluded in September 24, resulted in a hung parliament.

The talks have also missed deadlines as it has in the past in many occasions.

A poll conducted by Welt online found that as much as 61.4 per cent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 per cent thought otherwise.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," said Lindner, adding that "we cannot and will not answer for the spirit of the exploratory papers".

Meanwhile Angela Merkel and her CDU has refused to be a part of the minority government which means if the leadership crisis persists then Germany would have to face another election.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasise the need to protect industry and jobs.

(With PTI inputs)

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Harare:

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe clung to the vestiges of office on Monday, using a TV address to maintain he was still in power despite a military takeover and a mounting clamour for his autocratic 37-year rule to end.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes", Mugabe said, pitching the country into deep uncertainty.

Many Zimbabweans had expected Mugabe, 93, to announce his resignation after the army seized power, opened the flood gates of citizen protest and his once-loyal party told him to quit.

But Mugabe, sitting alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention, delivered a speech that conveyed he was unruffled by the turmoil.

Speaking slowly and occasionally stumbling as he read from the pages, Mugabe talked of the need for solidarity to resolve national problems -- business-as-usual rhetoric tha the has deployed over decades.

Read more: UK: Sikh MP threatened for not addressing community's issuses

He made no reference to the chorus for him to resign and shrugged off last week's dramatic military intervention.

"The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander in chief", he said.

Instead he urged harmony and comradeship. "Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I... do acknowledge their concerns", said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit."

His address provoked immediate anger, and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political turmoil.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets", Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP.

It was not immediately clear from his remarks when and where the protests would take place.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds had marched and sang their way through Harare, believing Mugabe was about to step down.

Highlighting the contradictions in Zimbabwean politics, the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Sunday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.

The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe -- the world's oldest head of state -- during a reign defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

Sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit and to secure a deal guaranteeing future protection for him and his family.

"What you saw yesterday, it shows that the people have spoken", Mordecai Makore, 71, a retired teacher told AFP about Saturday's marches.

"All we want is peace, a good life with a working economy that creates jobs for our people. We will continue praying for that. I want my children and grandchildren to live a normal good life.

The factional succession race that triggered Zimbabwe's sudden crisis was between party hardliner Mnangagwa -- known as the Crocodile -- and a group called "Generation 40", or "G40", because its members are generally younger, which campaigned for Grace's cause.

The president, who is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader, is in fragile health.

But he previously said he would stand in elections next year that would see him remain in power until he was nearly 100 years old.

He became prime minister on Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980 and then president in 1987.

Zimbabwe's economic output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.

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New Delhi:

Takahiro Shiraishi, a 27-year-old man from Japan, and dubbed as "Twitter killer" for allegedly murdering and dismembering nine people he met on social media, has been charged with his first count of homicide on Monday.



He lured mostly female victims in the age group of 15 and 26 to his apartment near Tokyo, where he killed them and cut up their bodies, said reports.



Shiraishi has admitted to murdering all nine and was charged with the killing of 23-year-old Aiko Tamura.



Shiraishi, who allegedly stashed bits of bodies in coolers around his small apartment, is believed to have made contact with suicidal victims on Twitter and offered to help them die.



Tamura went missing in October and then her brother succeeded to break into her Twitter account when he noticed a suspicious handle.



He then assisted the police to locate and follow Shiraishi who was arrested last month when investigators found him in his apartment with the rotten remains of nine people.



Police say Shiraishi choked Tamura on October 23 and then hanged her body inside his apartment "to murder her."



"He has told investigators that none of (his victims) truly wished to die. They merely wanted someone to talk to," a spokesman said.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya who was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in London appeared in London's Westminster Court on Monday.A



Mallya's side argued that he fears for his life in India and the prosecution is now preparing a submission by the Indian government outlining the security measures that will be in place for him.A



London's Westminster Court will further hear Vijay Mallya's case on 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of December.A A



Mallya said, aWe all very diligently come to Courta after the appearance.A



He was arrested on extradition request made by the government of India based on money laundering charges against him.



Mallya is wanted in India for defaulting on loans worth Rs 9,000 crore. The liquor baron has repeatedly refused to appear before courts and investigators in India.

#WATCH Vijay Mallya says, 'we all very diligently come to Court' after appearing in London's Westminster Court today. pic.twitter.com/JJRlmA2cOQ a ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have said that the funds were allegedly laundered to shell companies in more than six countries.

Mallya had secretly fled to Britain in March 2016, after defaulting on loan payments to state-owned banks and allegedly misusing the funds. He has been staying in London for over a year now evading arrest.

Mallya was arrested and granted bail in London by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18.

India in February had made an extradition request to Britain to send back the liquor tycoon to face trial.

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(Xinhua) 07:21, November 20, 2017

HARARE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told his countrymen on live television on Sunday evening that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December to resolve problems afflicting the ZANU-PF.

Mugabe's address on national television came after the ZANU-PF's decision earlier Sunday to recall him from the position of party leader and give him until noon Monday to resign as president or face impeachment proceedings.

In his address from the State House, Mugabe, flanked by army generals, acknowledged the presence of ills afflicting his party and said he would chair the ZANU-PF's congress next month to resolve the problems once and for all.

He said he was in agreement with the concern raised by the army generals in a meeting at State House that the infighting in the party was hurting the economy.

"Among the issues discussed (with the army generals) is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. Of greater concern to our commanders are the well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness of purpose in both party and government was translating into perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy.

"Public spates between high ranking officials in the party and government, exacerbated by multiple conflicting messages from both the party and government, made the criticisms leveled against us inescapable," Mugabe said.

He said some of the conflicts in the party were being caused by inter-generational conflict which he said must be resolved and harmonized through merging of old established players as they embrace and welcome new rules.

"Indeed all these matters will be discussed and settled at the forthcoming congress within the framework of a clear radioman that seeks to resolve once and for all any omissions or contradictions that have affected our party negatively," Mugabe said.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now and I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

Mugabe said the military operation last Wednesday was triggered by concerns arising from their reading of the state of affairs in the country and the party.

"Whatever the pros and cons of the way they went about registering those concerns, I as the president of Zimbabwe and their commander -in-chief do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to and I do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern of the stability of our nation and for the welfare of our people."

Mugabe said in his meeting with the commanders they underscored the need for the party to collectively start process that return the nation to normalcy.

Mugabe said the military operation did not amount to a threat to the country's constitutional order nor was it a challenge to his authority as head of state and government and commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

"The command element remained respectful, and computed within the dictates and mores of constitutionalism. True, a few incidents may have occurred here and there but these are being corrected," Mugabe said.

He said he was happy that throughout the short period of the military intervention the pillars of state remained functioning.

Mugabe said the infighting in his party was affecting government projects and said this should now stop as the party inaugurates a new work culture which shows a strong sense of purpose and commitment to turning around the fortunes of the economy.

Mugabe also acknowledged the role played by liberation war fighters and said the party will strive to cater for their welfare and ensure their participation in strategic party and government positions.

He said the party has to return to its guiding principles as enshrined in the constitution, which must apply fairly and equitably in all situations.

"The era of victimization and arbitrary decisions must be put behind as we all embrace a new ethos predicated on the supreme law of our party," he said.
(Xinhua) 07:25, November 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- If a prediction by two U.S. scientists were true, then the world could see an increase in the number of strong earthquakes in 2018 and the next few years.

Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado and Rebecca Bendick of the University of Montana, who presented their research at the annual conference of the Geological Society of America recently, argued that there is a clear correlation between the speed of Earth's rotation and global earthquake activity.

"On five occasions in the past century a 25-30 percent increase in annual numbers of (earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater) has coincided with a slowing in the mean rotation velocity of the Earth, with a corresponding decrease at times when the length-of-day (LoD) is short," the duo said in a research abstract.

"The correlation ... can be shown to precede seismicity by 5-6 years, permitting societies at risk from earthquakes an unexpected glimpse of future seismic hazard."

Fluctuations in Earth's rotation are tiny, changing the length of the day by several milliseconds, but these minute changes could be enough to release vast amounts of underground energy, the two scientists said.

Bilham and Bendick could not explain exactly what happened but they suspected that slight changes in the behavior of Earth's core may be responsible for this effect.

They also said the observed relationship is unable to indicate precisely when and where these future earthquakes will occur, but most of the additional strong earthquakes have historically occurred near the equator in the West and East Indies.

"Whatever the mechanism, the 5-6 year advanced warning of increased seismic hazards afforded by the first derivative of the LoD is fortuitous, and has utility in disaster planning," they wrote.

"The year 2017 marks six years following a deceleration episode that commenced in 2011, suggesting that the world has now entered a period of enhanced global seismic productivity with a duration of at least five years."

Currently, most seismologists agreed that accurately predicting earthquakes is still simply not possible. Whether what Bilham and Bendick have put forth was true may be easily known in the next five years.
(Xinhua) 07:26, November 20, 2017

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. At the press conference, Wang Yi expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has proposed building an economic corridor with Myanmar to further enhance bilateral pragmatic cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Sunday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi following their talks held earlier, Wang stressed that China and Myanmar have great potential for cooperation as they are highly complementary in economy.

To further enhance China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, China has proposed building the China-Myanmar economic corridor so as to form a large cooperation pattern between the two countries, Wang said.

The economic corridor, in consideration of Myanmar's national development plan and its actual needs, will start in north from China's Yunnan Province, go down south to the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, and further extend east to the new city of Yangon and west to the Kyaukpyu special economic zone, forming a three-pillar giant cooperation pattern, he explained.

Such a design is supposed to boost connectivity among large projects along the routes to have an integrated effect, and at the same time to boost balanced development across Myanmar, he said.

The proposal is a further development of China-Myanmar cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said, adding that the plan should take into consideration Myanmar's most urgent needs and start from projects that Myanmar needs most and gradually achieve mutual benefit.

At the press conference, the Chinese top diplomat also expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country.

China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are friendly neighbors and a community of common destiny, he said, adding that China hopes the Myanmar government follows the ""Panglong" spirit and realizes lasting peace in the country.
"Volunteer firefighters are part of the fabric of our communities," explains Karen Sterling, Vice President, Marketing, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. "Across the entire country, in virtually every community, men and women volunteer their time, their energy and their expertise to keep us safe. This has been particularly apparent this year with the many wildfires that have brought together volunteer firefighters from multiple communities. As a proud Canadian retailer, it is our commitment to communities and the spirit of community, which sets us apart from the competition."

"Giant Tiger stores are in communities across the country," explains Troy Mutch, Vice President of the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association. "Each location is locally owned or operated by members of the community. Their commitment to the community mirrors that of Canada's Volunteer Firefighters. They're local. They're friendly. They care. And they're there when you need them."

To complement the commercials, a social media campaign will be launched to thank community volunteers and help celebrate the spirit of volunteerism that is the fabric of Canadian communities. Giant Tiger's proudly Canadian stores support over 1,200 charities and association across Canada.

The commercials will air on national specialty TV stations as well as Tim's TV and will have geo-targeted placement on the Weather Network.

About Giant Tiger

Giant Tiger is the leading Canadian owned family discount store, committed to providing on trend family fashions, groceries and everyday household needs. Known as Canada's best kept secret, the privately held company has over 240 locations across Canada and employs over 8,000 team members. You can also shop online at gianttiger.com. All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. The friendly stores with the iconic yellow logo are not only where Canadians shop more and spend less, but also are proud to be known as retailer of choice. #foryouforless #GTcommunityproud #GTCanadaproud

Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news:

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For further information: For media inquiries contact: Alison Scarlett, Manager, Brand Communications, [email protected]; To contact the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association; Troy Mutch, Vice President, [email protected]

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"From championing eco-friendly programs, advocating for social justice and mental health initiatives, to supporting diversity and inclusion in their schools and communities, these seven amazing young people are making Canada a better place," said Larry Tomei , Executive Vice-President, and Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, HSBC Bank Canada. "As Canada's leading international bank, we share their passion for excellence and community and it's with great pleasure that we recognize them as HSBC Future Leaders in partnership with the Breakfast Club of Canada!"

Without further ado, the HSBC Future Leaders are:

Angelo  age 10, grade 5 student in Montreal, QC

Future ambition: Chef



Cedonna  age 17, grade 12 student in Toronto, ON

Future Ambition: Optometrist



Hayeden  age 9, grade 4 student in Calgary, AB

Future Ambition: Firefighter



Elizabeth  age 11, grade 7 student in Vancouver, BC

Future Ambition: Mechanic or Prime Minister of Canada



Ethan  age 12, grade 7 student in Vancouver, BC

Future Ambition: City Planner



Holly  age 18, grade 12 student in Toronto , ON

Future Ambition: Forensic psychologist or behaviour analyst



Kayla  age 17, grade 12 in Saskatoon, SK

Future Ambition: Nurse

The final seven HSBC Future Leaders were selected from a total of 21 students in grades four to 12  nominated by school administrators from schools across Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Saskatoon  with the final seven selected by a panel of judges who considered the nominations based on four areas: inspiration, impact, sustainability and collaboration.

In addition to a trip to Toronto to attend today's recognition event and honourees' luncheon, each student will receive a $1,000 High Rate Savings Account (HRSA) from HSBC Bank Canada to help them plan and save for their future educational goals.1

HSBC's partnership with Breakfast Club of Canada:

In honour of Canada's 150th anniversary this year, HSBC Bank Canada is donating $1m to the Breakfast Club of Canada to provide 4,500 youth each year in Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Toronto and Montreal with access to healthy breakfasts, over the next three years (2017-19).

"Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live and work, so it can be hard to believe that one in five Canadian children currently live in poverty, therefore at risk of going to school hungry," said Daniel Germain, Founding President of Breakfast Club of Canada. "Our kids deserve better. With the help from partners like HSBC, we can help youth access healthy breakfasts so they can fuel their minds, bodies and dreams for the future."

HSBC's support will also see 50 school kitchens equipped to prepare healthy breakfasts, and HSBC employees across the country will continue to participate in Breakfast Club of Canada's 'Adopt a School' volunteer program.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Breakfast Club of Canada is a non-profit organization that provides funding, equipment, training and support to school breakfast programs across the country. We are dedicated to making sure every child starts their day with a meal, helping them thrive at school, and in their community. Founded in Quebec in 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada began to fund and support school breakfast programs nationwide in 2005.

About HSBC Bank Canada

HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in the country. We help companies and individuals across Canada to do business and manage their finances internationally through three global business lines: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Retail Banking and Wealth Management. HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 3,900 offices in 67 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,526bn at 30 September 2017.For more information visit www.hsbc.ca or follow us on Twitter @HSBC_CA or Facebook @HSBCCanada.

Note to Editors:

The HSBC CAD High Rate Savings Account must be open and in good standing at the time the credit is applied. If the "Student" does not already have an HSBC CAD High Rate Savings Account, in order to receive the credit he or she will need to open the account in accordance with standard account opening procedures of HSBC Bank Canada. The use of the HSBC CAD High Rate Savings Account is subject to terms and conditions. Visit www.hsbc.ca and click "Today's Rates" for current posted rates for the HSBC High Rate Savings Account (CAD). Account fees will be waived for one year from the day the account is opened, or if an existing customer, the day the student has been selected. For full details regarding fees which will apply to the High Rate Savings account after the one year period, please refer to the Personal Service Charges / Statement of Disclosure available at any HSBC Bank Canada branch or online at www.hsbc.ca/servicecharge.

SOURCE HSBC Bank Canada

For further information: Media enquiries: Aurora Bonin, (604) 641-1905, [email protected]; Caroline Creighton, (416) 868-8282, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/personal


ZUG, Switzerland, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Katanga Mining Limited (TSX: KAT) ("Katanga" or the "Company") today announces that it has: (i) completed the previously announced internal review by the independent directors of the Company of certain of the Company's past accounting, (ii) completed the restatement of certain historical financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), (iii) filed its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 (and accompanying MD&A), (iv) filed its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (and accompanying MD&A), (v) made changes to its Board and management, and (vi) been cooperating with the Ontario Securities Commission ("OSC") in the course of an on-going OSC Enforcement Staff investigation (the "OSC Investigation", as described below).

BACKGROUND OF THE REVIEW

Following the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2017, in the course of the OSC Investigation, information drawing into question the appropriateness of certain of the Company's accounting practices came to the attention of the independent directors of the Company. This information led the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company to request the independent directors of the Board, being Robert G. Wardell, Terry Robinson and Hugh Stoyell (the "Independent Directors"), to conduct a review of these practices. At the direction of the Independent Directors, an internal review (the "Review") was undertaken. The Independent Directors engaged Canadian legal counsel, and a multinational accounting firm, to assist the Independent Directors in conducting the Review. The Review identified accounting practices that, among other things, incorrectly recorded the total tonnage of finished copper cathode production which resulted in an overstatement of finished product inventories and incorrectly recorded the valuation of copper concentrate included in work in progress inventories, the valuation of ore in stockpile inventories and the amounts of property, plant and equipment during 2016, 2015 and prior periods, which practices were not appropriate and required adjustment.

The restatement adjustments related to the following items and are described below and in the tables attached as Schedule "A" to this press release:

Receivables;

Inventories;

Property, plant and equipment;

Non-current inventories;

Deferred income tax assets;

Amended loan facilities - related parties;

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities;

Accumulated deficit;

Non-controlling interests;

Loss and comprehensive loss;

Cost of sales;

Operating expenses;

Depreciation; and

Income tax.

All dollar amounts are in US currency unless otherwise indicated.

DETAILS OF ACCOUNTING RESTATEMENTS

The following is a more detailed description of the restatement adjustments.

Overstatement of Copper Cathode Production in Fiscal 2014

The Review identified that in December 2014, the Company overstated copper cathode production by 6,650 tonnes. This material was provisionally invoiced to Glencore plc ("Glencore") for $41.9 million after a year-end marked- to-market adjustment of $1.0 million. In addition, over-reporting of cathode production in prior months in fiscal 2014 overstated cathode production by a further 1,266 tonnes resulting in a cumulative overstatement as at December 31, 2014 of 7,916 tonnes. As a consequence of the cathode production overstatement, finished product inventories in the Company's consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2014 were overstated by $41.8 million and costs of sales for the year ended December 31, 2014 were understated by an equivalent amount. Furthermore, the Review identified that the provisional invoicing to Glencore in December 2014 resulted in an overstatement of receivables of $41.9 million in the Company's consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2014. Since no revenue was recognized with respect to this invoicing, deferred revenue, which was reported in the amended loan facilities  related parties line item in the Company's consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2014, was also overstated by $41.9 million.

The Review found that the cathode inventory overstatement was written off through a series of journal entries in fiscal 2015, thereby eliminating the overstatement and charging 2015 cost of sales with the $41.8 million of costs that should have been recognized in 2014. The provisional invoicing was also reversed in 2015 via credit notes to eliminate the overstatement of receivable and amended loan facilities reported in the Company's consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2014.

As a result of these 2015 entries, the December 2014 and prior cathode production overstatement and resultant finished product inventory overstatement had no impact on the Company's December 31, 2015 and 2016 consolidated statements of financial position or the Company's 2016 reported results of operations or cash flows.

Overvaluation of Concentrate Inventories

Due to large volumes, recurring spillages, the continual power interruptions and plant modifications between 2010 to 2013, operating conditions around the Company's Kamoto Concentrator facility ("KTC") were not optimal. This resulted in unrecorded material containing copper being discharged at various stages of the KTC operations in varying qualities and some material ending up in locations other than those designated for concentrate storage. In July, 2017, the Independent Directors were advised by management that in April 2014 management quantified the physical concentrate production in the concentrate storage locations. This quantification identified an overvaluation of sulphide and oxide concentrate inventories of $28 million and $79 million, respectively, due to the fact that concentrate reported as produced was not physically present in concentrate storage locations in which it had been recorded. The overstatement of concentrate arose from:

operating conditions experienced at KTC as described above;

inadequate plant housekeeping and material being transferred and not recorded; and

improper measurement of historical concentrate production over a number of years due to inadequate controls, instrumentation and an ineffective metal accounting system.

The overstatement of concentrate was not detected on a timely basis due to:

failure to reconcile or resolve differences between tonnes of concentrate reported as produced by the KTC facility and tonnes reported as received by the Luilu processing facility;

improper adjustments to volume, density and moisture factors used to derive tonnage reported to be contained in the concentrate storage locations; and

failure to adjust recorded amounts of concentrate on hand based on periodic quantity surveys and other measurement procedures.

Following quantification of the concentrate inventory overstatements, $28 million of the sulphide concentrate costs was written off over the remainder of fiscal 2014 and a portion of the oxide concentrate inventory overstatement was expensed. However, $66.5 million of the oxide concentrate costs were not written off but improperly transferred from inventories to property, plant and equipment in June 2014 and depreciated using the unit of production method.

The restated consolidated statement of financial position as at January 1, 2015 reflects the write off of $66.5 million of costs improperly included in property, plant and equipment, net of depreciation recorded thereon of $1.4 million.

Valuation of Ore in Stockpiles

In July, 2017, the Independent Directors were advised by management that a review in April 2014 of the valuation of ore in stockpiles identified that the recorded cost of such inventory exceeded its net realizable value. Subsequent movement in copper and cobalt prices reduced the initially identified shortfall to $55.7 million. This $55.7 million was improperly transferred to property, plant and equipment in June 2014 and depreciated using the unit of production method.

The Company's restated consolidated statement of financial position as at January 1, 2015 reflects a reclassification of $55.7 million from property, plant and equipment back to the ore in stockpile inventories, net of depreciation recorded thereon of $2.6 million and also reflects a write down of the cost of such inventories of $26.0 million, being the excess of cost over net realizable value on January 1, 2015 based on prevailing metal prices at that date.

The Company's restated consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2015 and the consolidated statement of loss and comprehensive loss for the year then ended reflect the reversal of the $26.0 million 2014 write down due to subsequent further improvements in copper and cobalt prices in 2015 as well as expected improved recoveries when this material is processed using the Whole Ore Leach ("WOL") plant, such that $55.7 million of costs remain in the carrying value of the ore in stockpile inventories as at December 31, 2015 and 2016.

Impairment of heap leach assets

The Review determined that in 2015 the revised and optimized life of mine plan no longer included the use of the heap leach assets with a cost of $14.7 million and accumulated depreciation of $2.3 million. The assets were determined to be impaired and have been written off in the Company's restated 2015 consolidated financial statements.

Other Adjustments

As a result of the Review, two additional adjustments were identified:

Additional capital costs totalling $3.1 million relating to heap leach assets contained in property, plant and equipment were determined to be impaired and have been written off in the Company's restated consolidated statement of loss for the year ended December 31, 2015 .



An accrual with respect to the liability for the cost of concentrate purchased from a related party, Mutanda Mining SARL, in the amount of $10.4 million was incorrectly reversed in 2015 prior to finalization of the amount owing. Accordingly, in the consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2015 , accounts payable and accrued liabilities have been increased by $10.4 million with a corresponding increase in cost of sales in 2015 and reduction of $10.4 million in operating costs in 2016, the year in which the purchase invoice from Mutanda Mining SARL was finalized.

Tax Adjustments

The restated consolidated financial statements also reflect the tax effects of the adjustments described above.

RESTATEMENT

As noted above, as a result of the Review, the Board is restating the following documents (collectively, the "Restated Filings"):

a) audited restated consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the audited restated consolidated statement of financial position as at January 1, 2015, together with the related notes and audit report; and



b) MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015;



c) unaudited restated interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, together with the related notes thereto;



d) MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016; and



e) executed certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company in accordance with National Instrument 51-109  Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings ("NI 52-109") for the foregoing filings.

The impact of the restatement adjustments on the Company's previously reported consolidated financial statements as at and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, as well as the impact on the restated consolidated statement of financial position as at January 1, 2015, and the unaudited interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 are set forth in Schedule "A".

As disclosed in the Company's August 14, 2017 press release, the Company's previously filed consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and related MD&A and all interim consolidated financial statements and interim MD&A since December 31, 2014 should not be relied upon.

ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

During the course of the Review, it came to the attention of the Independent Directors that certain members of management of the Company had received additional compensation not previously disclosed directly from the Company's controlling shareholder, Glencore. The compensation was paid both in cash and in equity of Glencore. The Review concluded that such payments should have been disclosed in the Company's executive compensation disclosure in the Company's management information circular for the affected years. As a result, the amounts included in the Summary Compensation Table in the Company's management information circular for the affected years and related disclosures were understated and should not be relied upon. Details of the additional compensation payments made by Glencore to members of Katanga's management who were, in the applicable years, "Named Executive Officers" of the Company as such term is defined in National Instrument 51-102  Continuous Disclosure Requirements are set out in Schedule "B". The Company will include such payments in its executive compensation disclosure as required in future management information circulars.

INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

The Review concluded that the accounting practices that resulted in the restatements described above demonstrated the following material weaknesses in the Company's internal control over financial reporting ("ICFR"):

Control environment material weaknesses  The control environment is the responsibility of senior management, sets the tone of the organization, influences the control consciousness of its employees, and is the foundation of the other components of ICFR. The Company has concluded that it did not adequately establish and enforce a strong culture of compliance and controls which includes the adherence to policies, procedures and controls necessary to present financial statements in accordance with IFRS.

Management override material weakness  The Company did not maintain effective controls to prevent or detect the circumvention or override of controls. Certain of the accounting adjustments identified in the Review are a result of senior management and executive directors in office at that time overriding the Company's control processes.

Monitoring material weaknesses  Monitoring ensures that the entire system of internal control is monitored continuously and problems are addressed timely. The Company has determined that certain of the accounting adjustments identified in the Review were not identified earlier due to inadequate monitoring controls, including inadequate controls and procedures to properly quantify and verify the value of in-process concentrate inventories, inadequate controls with respect to quarter-end and year-end sales cut-off procedures, insufficient involvement of internal audit in the testing of the accuracy of external financial reporting and inadequate procedures to ensure the effective implementation of internal audit recommendations on high risk areas, particularly with respect to metal accounting.

Each of these material weaknesses created a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company's annual financial statements or interim financial reports would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

The advisors to the Independent Directors have recommended various remediation measures to strengthen the Company's corporate governance, compliance and control processes. The Board will consider these recommendations with a view to (a) enhancing the Company's internal control monitoring function to allow for a higher level of independent assurance from this function, (b) increasing organizational awareness and understanding of the importance of internal controls to significantly decrease the risk of errors in the Company's financial statements, and (c) reinforcing related accounting policies through enhanced formalization of documentation requirements and additional training and procedures across the Company to better ensure compliance with Company standards by emphasizing adherence to these policies on an on-going basis.

The material weaknesses cannot be considered remediated until the applicable remedial controls are implemented and operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are operating effectively. No assurance can be provided at this time that the actions and remediation efforts the Company has taken or will implement will effectively remediate the material weaknesses described above or prevent the incidence of other significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Company's ICFR in the future. The Company does not expect that disclosure controls or ICFR will prevent all errors, even as the remediation measures are implemented and further improved to address the material weaknesses and significant deficiency. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving our stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Notwithstanding the material weaknesses outlined above, based on the work performed during the Review by Independent Directors, management, external auditors, outside legal counsel and outside accounting advisors, management and the Board of Directors have concluded that the restated consolidated financial statements are fairly stated in all material respects in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

CHANGES TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT

The Independent Directors, having received and considered the findings made in the Review, have concluded that a recomposition of the Board is in the best interests of the Company. Liam Gallagher, Aristotelis Mistakidis and Tim Henderson have all cooperated fully with the Review and have offered to step down from the Board. Each of these directors has tendered his resignation from the Board, effective immediately. The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Ciricillo, Steve Kalmin and Tony Moser to the Board. The biographies of each of these new directors are provided as Schedule "C" to this press release.

In addition, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, Jacques Lubbe, who had previously indicated an intention to resign from the Company but committed to stay in his current position until the restatement was completed, has tendered his resignation to the Board, effective immediately. The Board has appointed Grant Sboros as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective November 20, 2017. The biography of Grant Sboros is provided as Schedule "C" to this press release

REGULATORY MATTERS

(a) Status Update

This status update is provided pursuant to the alternative information guidelines in National Policy 12-203 ("NP 12-203"), which require the Company to provide bi-weekly updates on its affairs until such time as the Company is current with its filing obligations under Canadian securities laws. In accordance with those requirements, the Company advises that: except as previously disclosed and as disclosed herein, there have not been any material changes to the information contained in our July 31, August 14, August 16, August 29, September 12, September 26, October 11, October 25, 2017 and November 16, 2017 news releases; except for the delay in issuing its November 8, 2017 default status report, there has not been any failure by the Company to fulfill its publicly disclosed intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines of NP 12-203; except as previously disclosed, there are no subsequent specified defaults (actual or anticipated) within the meaning of NP 12-203; and there is no other material information concerning the Company and its affairs that has not been generally disclosed as of the date of this update.

As previously disclosed, the OSC issued a Management Cease Trade Order ("MCTO") on August 16, 2017 that prohibits the directors and executive officers of the Company from trading in or purchasing securities of the Company, subject to certain limited circumstances. The MCTO has not and does not affect the ability of other persons to trade in the common shares of the Company. The Company is in discussions with staff of the OSC to have the MCTO revoked upon the completion of the Restatement and the issuance of the Company's second and third quarter interim filings.

(b) OSC Staff Investigation

Katanga has been advised that OSC enforcement staff are investigating, among other things, whether Katanga's previously filed annual and interim financial statements, MD&A and/or annual information form contain statements that are misleading in a material respect. OSC enforcement staff are also investigating the adequacy of Katanga's corporate governance practices and compliance with those practices and the related conduct of certain directors and officers of Katanga. Katanga has also been advised that OSC enforcement staff are reviewing Katanga's risk disclosure in connection with applicable requirements under certain international bribery, government payment and anti-corruption laws.

SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS













Three months ended Six months ended



Jun 30, Mar 31, Jun 30, Jun 30,



2017 2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial











Total sales* $'000 11,723 (2) (615) 11,721 (28,498) - including repricing* $'000 5 (2) (615) 3 (29,224) EBITDA** $'000 (73,604) (52,466) (42,919) (126,070) (119,064) Net loss attributable to shareholders $'000 (126,555) (100,923) (96,058) (227,478) (207,168) Cash flows used in operating activities $'000 (26,569) (17,330) (42,007) (43,899) (120,849)

THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS













Three months ended Nine months ended



Sep 30, Jun 30, Sep 30, Sep 30,



2017 2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial











Total sales* $'000 5 875 11 723 (1 632) 17 596 (30 130) - including repricing* $'000 (169) 5 (1 632) (166) (30 856) EBITDA** $'000 (69 091) (73 604) (55 213) (195 161) (174 277) Net loss attributable to shareholders $'000 (115 362) (126 555) (99 499) (342 840) (306 667) Cash flows used in operating activities $'000 (56 745) (26 569) (33 141) (100 643) (153 990)

KITD Reserve and Resource Estimate

Due to the continual power interruptions, recurring spillages and plant modifications completed over the period of 2010 to 2013, concentrate quality material containing valuable amounts of copper and cobalt ("Material") was discharged along with the operational waste to the Kamoto Interim Tailings Dam ("KITD"), a large tailings facility located in proximity to the KTC facility. The Material was not stored in the concentrate stockpiles due to quantities and operational issues. For this reason, the KITD extraction plant was approved in 2012, installed in 2013 and an initial drilling program was undertaken in late 2014 and early 2015. In August 2017, the Company resumed an exploration drilling program to profile the mineral contents of KITD.

This drilling activity identified anticipated mineralization in KITD. Though, as a tailings facility, KITD does not have a geological profile and its mineral "deposits" are technogenetic in nature as they are the product of previous mining activities, the Company has been aware of the potential for a significant copper resource within KITD since waste and material was discharged into the facility until 2013. The mineralization contained in KITD is the end product of KTC which processed the original ore from the mines. The Company began hydraulic mining of KITD in January 2017.

Following the completion of the exploration drilling program and related work on profiling the KITD described above, the Company commissioned a pre-feasibility study. The results of these efforts were newly-defined mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates at KITD, which estimates have been independently peer reviewed and signed off by Golder Associates Africa Pty Ltd.

The KITD Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates are set out below:

KITD Mineral Resources estimate as at September 30, 2017 1-8

Classification Mt TCu (%) TCo (%) Measured 0.0 0.00 0.00 Indicated 8.34 1.48 0.16 Measured + Indicated 8.34 1.48 0.16 Inferred 0.0 0.00 0.00

1) Mineral Resources for KITD have been reported in accordance with the definitions and classification standards adopted in NI 43-101;



2) Mineral Resources for KITD are reported using cut-off grades 0.20% TCu and 0.07% TCo;



3) Grade measurements reported as percent (%), tonnage measurements are in metric units;



4) Tonnages are reported as million tonnes (Mt) rounded to one decimal place; grades are rounded to two decimal place;



5) Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves;



6) Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability;



7) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes (t), grade and contained metal content; and



8) The Mineral Resource estimates are for KCC's entire interest, whereas the KML owns 75% of KCC.

KITD Mineral Reserve estimate as at September 30, 2017 1-7

Mining operation Proven Probable Total Mt TCu (%) TCo (%) Mt TCu (%) TCo (%) Mt TCu (%) TCo (%) KITD 0 0 0 7.9 1.48 0.16 7.9 1.48 0.16 Total 0 0 0 7.9 1.48 0.16 7.9 1.48 0.16

1) The Mineral Reserve estimates have been prepared in accordance with the classification criteria of NI 43-101;



2) Mineral Reserves are reported using cut-off grades 0.20% TCu and 0.07% TCo;



3) The Mineral Reserves are reported as at September 30, 2017;



4) Grade measurements reported as percent (%), tonnage measurements are in metric units;



5) Tonnages are reported as Mt rounded to one decimal place; grades are rounded to two decimal place;



6) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between t, grade and contained metal content; and



7) The Mineral Reserve estimates are for KCC's entire interest, whereas the KML owns 75% of KCC.

The summary noted above of the KITD Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates was prepared under the supervision of Tim Henderson, Technical Consultant and Director of Katanga, and a "qualified person" as such term is defined in NI 43-101.

About Katanga Mining Limited

Katanga Mining Limited operates a major mine complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo producing refined copper and cobalt. The Company has the potential to become Africa's largest copper producer and the world's largest cobalt producer. Katanga is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol KAT.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from those predicted in these forward-looking statements. All of the Company's forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions listed below. Although the Company believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list is not exhaustive of factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements. The key assumptions that have been made in connection with the forward-looking statements include the following: the effect of the recomposition of the Board and management on the Company's internal control environment; the ongoing consideration by the Board of the results of the Review, the implementation and effectiveness of the remedial measures recommended by the advisors to the Independent Directors, the maintenance by the Ontario Securities Commission of the management cease trade order, any other action that may be taken by securities regulatory authorities in light of the Review, the operations of the Company during the production suspension and timeline for the recommencement of operations remaining consistent with management's expectations, there being no significant disruptions affecting the operations of the Company whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, rollout of new equipment, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at the Project being consistent with the Company's current expectations; continued recognition of the Company's mining concessions and other assets, rights, titles and interests in the DRC; political and legal developments in the DRC being consistent with its current expectations; the continued provision or procurement of additional funding from Glencore for operations, the completion of the T17 Underground Mine, the WOL Project and the Power Project (as defined in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016 dated March 31, 2017); new equipment performs to expectations; the exchange rate between the US dollar, South African rand, British pounds, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc, Congolese franc and Euro being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for copper and cobalt; prices for diesel, natural gas, fuel oil, electricity and other key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production, operating expenses and cost of sales forecasts for the Company meeting expectations; the accuracy of the current ore reserve and mineral resource estimates of the Company (including but not limited to ore tonnage and ore grade estimates); and labour and material costs increasing on a basis consistent with the Company's current expectations.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the failure of the personnel changes or recommended remedial measures to have their intended effect; unforeseen action taken by the Ontario Securities Commission or other securities regulatory authorities; unforeseen delays or changes to the WOL Project; difficulty in implementing the recommended remedial measures proposed by the Independent Directors as a result of the Review, actual results of current exploration activities; actual results and interpretation of current reclamation activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of copper and cobalt; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, development or construction activities, delays due to strikes or other work stoppage, both internal and external to the Company as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's current annual information form and other publicly filed documents. Although Katanga has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SCHEDULE "A"  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION



As previously

reported Adjustments As

restated As previously

reported Adjustments As

restated

December 31, 2015 January 1, 2015

$ $ $ $ $ $ ASSETS











Current











Cash and cash equivalents 37,740 - 37,740 9,862 - 9,862 Receivables 201,900 - 201,900 188,025 (41,936) 146,088 Inventories 126,177 - 126,177 485,668 (41,763) 443,905 Prepayments and other current assets 274,704 - 274,704 129,270 - 129,270

640,521 - 640,521 812,825 (83,699) 729,125 Non-current











Mineral interests 1,834,128 - 1,834,128 1,738,385 - 1,738,385 Property, plant and equipment 2,294,618 (133,858) 2,160,760 2,051,340 (118,317) 1,933,023 Non-current inventories 494,340 55,747 550,087 57,673 29,747 87,420 Other non-current assets 108,897 - 108,897 91,222 - 91,222 Deferred income tax assets 406,181 18,093 424,274 294,193 39,100 333,293

5,138,164 (60,018) 5,078,146 4,232,813 (49,471) 4,183,343 Total assets 5,778,685 (60,018) 5,718,667 5,045,638 (133,170) 4,912,468 LIABILITIES











Current











Bank overdrafts - - - 20,381 - 20,381 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 303,717 10,395 314,112 357,183 - 357,183 Provisions 14,936 - 14,936 27,904 - 27,904 Customer prepayments  related parties 1,208,243 - 1,208,243 2,385 - 2,385 Current portion of other non-current liabilities 1,409 - 1,409 16,163 - 16,163

1,528,305 10,395 1,538,700 424,016 - 424,016 Non-current











Amended loan facilities - related parties 3,057,760 - 3,057,760 2,770,863 (41,936) 2,728,927 Other non-current liabilities - - - 15,368 - 15,368 Decommissioning and environmental provisions 12,445 - 12,445 24,518 - 24,518

3,070,205 - 3,070,205 2,810,749 (41,936) 2,768,813 Total liabilities 4,598,510 10,395 4,608,905 3,234,765 (41,936) 3,192,829 EQUITY











Share capital 190,750 - 190,750 190,750 - 190,750 Reserves 2,540,635 - 2,540,635 2,541,816 - 2,541,816 Accumulated deficit (1,150,997) (52,810) (1,203,807) (726,933) (68,425) (795,358) Equity attributable to shareholders of the Company 1,580,388 (52,810) 1,527,578 2,005,633 (68,425) 1,937,208 Non-controlling interests (400,213) (17,603) (417,816) (194,760) (22,808) (217,569) Total equity 1,180,175 (70,413) 1,109,762 1,810,873 (91,233) 1,719,639 Total liabilities and equity 5,778,685 (60,018) 5,718,667 5,045,638 (133,170) 4,912,468

SCHEDULE "A" (continued)  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION















As previously

reported Adjustments As

restated As previously

reported Adjustments As

restated

March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016

$ $ $ $ $ $ ASSETS











Current











Cash and cash equivalents 17,890 - 17,890 1,518 - 1,518 Receivables 235,355 - 235,355 236,634 - 236,634 Inventories 187,356 - 187,356 146,066 - 146,066 Prepayments and other current assets 118,409 - 118,409 113,107 - 113,107

559,010 - 559,010 497,325 - 497,325 Non-current











Mineral interests 1,889,573 - 1,889,573 1,869,706 - 1,869,706 Property, plant and equipment 2,422,033 (133,858) 2,288,175 2,404,302 (133,858) 2,270,444 Non-current inventories 328,861 55,747 384,608 365,271 55,747 421,018 Other non-current assets 220,874 - 220,874 226,241 - 226,241 Deferred income tax assets 402,801 18,093 420,894 403,212 18,093 421,305

5,264,142 (60,018) 5,204,124 5,268,732 (60,018) 5,208,714 Total assets 5,823,152 (60,018) 5,763,134 5,766,057 (60,018) 5,706,039 LIABILITIES











Current











Bank overdrafts - - - - - - Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 258,443 - 258,443 249,358 - 249,358 Provisions 8,188 - 8,188 7,220 - 7,220 Customer prepayments  related parties 1,721,840 - 1,721,840 1,592,761 - 1,592,761 Current portion of other non-current liabilities - - - - - -

1,988,471 - 1,988,471 1,849,339 - 1,849,339 Non-current











Amended loan facilities - related parties 3,441,603 - 3,441,603 3,363,267 - 3,363,267 Other non-current liabilities - - - - - - Decommissioning and environmental provisions 15,581 - 15,581 15,134 - 15,134

3,457,184 - 3,457,184 3,378,401 - 3,378,401 Total liabilities 5,445,655 - 5,445,655 5,227,740 - 5,227,740 EQUITY











Share capital 190,750 - 190,750 190,750 - 190,750 Reserves 2,540,024 - 2,540,024 2,540,024 - 2,540,024 Accumulated deficit (1,679,603) (45,014) (1,724,617) (1,578,680) (45,014) (1,623,694) Equity attributable to shareholders of the Company 1,051,171 (45,014) 1,006,157 1,152,094 (45,014) 1,107,080 Non-controlling interests (673,674) (15,004) (688,678) (613,777) (15,004) (628,781) Total equity 377,497 (60,018) 317,479 538,317 (60,018) 478,299 Total liabilities and equity 5,823,152 (60,018) 5,763,134 5,766,057 (60,018) 5,706,039

SCHEDULE "A" (continued)  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS





















As previously reported Adjustments As

restated As previously reported Adjustments As

restated As previously reported Adjustments As

restated

Year ended December 31, 2016 Year Ended December 31, 2015 Three months ended March 31, 2016

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Sales (30,127) - (30,127) 669,701 - 669,701 (27,884) - (27,884) Cost of sales - - - (1,126,290) 41,827 (1,084,463)





Gross loss (30,127) - (30,127) (456,589) 41,827 (414,762) (27,884) - (27,884)



















Other (expense) income

















Operating expenses (246,794) 10,395 (236,399) - - - (63,694) 10,395 (53,299) General and administrative expense (2,283) - (2,283) (2,715) - (2,715) (705) - (705) Release of SX/EW provision - - - 17,422 - 17,422





Restructuring cost recovery (expenses) 600 - 600 (36,304) - (36,304) (3,065) - (3,065) Facilities interest (305,504) - (305,504) (240,098) - (240,098) (74,238) - (74,238) Customer prepayments interest (43,526) - (43,526) (19,395) - (19,395) (9,994) - (9,994) Interest income 7,001 - 7,001 7,233 - 7,233 2,798 - 2,798 Interest expense (12,935) - (12,935) (16,227) - (16,227) (3,408) - (3,408) Foreign exchange gain 1,338 - 1,338 5,888 - 5,888 1,106 - 1,106 Loss before income taxes (632,230) 10,395 (621,835) (740,785) 41,827 (698,958) (179,084) 10,395 (168,690)



















Income tax (expense) recovery (9,017) - (9,017) 111,269 (21,007) 90,262 (70) - (70) Net loss and comprehensive loss (641,247) 10,395 (630,852) (629,516) 20,820 (608,696) (179,154) 10,395 (168,759)



















Attributable to



















Non-controlling interests (213,564) 2,599 (210,965) (205,452) 5,204 (200,248) (60,248) 2,599 (57,649)

Shareholders of the Company (427,683) 7,796 (419,887) (424,064) 15,616 (408,448) (118,906) 7,796 (111,110)



















Basic and diluted loss per common share ($0.22) - ($0.22) ($0.22) $0.01 ($0.21) ($0.06) - ($0.06) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 1,907,380,413 - 1,907,380,413 1,907,380,413 - 1,907,380,413 1,907,380,413 - 1,907,380,413

SCHEDULE "A" (continued)  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY





















Reserves Accumulated deficit Equity attributable to shareholders of the Company Non-controlling interests Total

Number of common shares Share capital Contri-buted surplus Share option reserve As previously reported Adjustments As

restated As previously reported Adjustments As

restated As previously reported Adjustments As

restated As previously reported Adjustments As

restated



$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Balance at January 1, 2015 1,907,380,413 190,750 2,498,068 43,748 (726,933) (68,426) (795,359) 2,005,633 (68,426) 1,937,207 (194,761) (22,807) (217,568) 1,810,872 (91,233) 1,719,639 Options forfeited and expired - - - (1,181) - - - (1,181) - (1,181) - - - (1,181) - (1,181) Comprehensive loss - - - - (424,064) 15,616 (408,448) (424,064) 15,616 (408,448) (205,452) 5,204 (200,248) (629,516) 20,820 (608,696) Balance at December 31, 2015 1,907,380,413 190,750 2,498,068 42,567 (1,150,997) (52,810) (1,203,807) 1,580,388 (52,810) 1,527,578 (400,213) (17,603) (417,816) 1,180,175 (70,413) 1,109,762 Options forfeited and expired - - - (611) - - - (611) - (611) - - - (611) - (611) Comprehensive loss - - - - (427,683) 7,796 (419,887) (427,683) 7,796 (419,887) (213,564) 2,599 (210,965) (641,247) 10,395 (630,852) Balance at December 31, 2016 1,907,380,413 190,750 2,498,068 41,956 (1,578,680) (45,014) (1,623,694) 1,152,094 (45,014) 1,107,080 (613,777) (15,004) (628,781) 538,317 (60,018) 478,299 Comprehensive loss - - - - (100,923) - (100,923) (100,923) - (100,923) (59,897) - (59,897) (160,820) - (160,820) Balance at March 31, 2017 1,907,380,413 190,750 2,498,068 41,956) (1,679,603) (45,014) (1,724,617) 1,051,171 (45,014) 1,006,157 (673,674) (15,004) (688,678) 377,497 (60,018) 317,479

SCHEDULE "A" (continued)  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS















As

previously

reported Adjustments As

restated As

previously

reported Adjustments As

restated

Year ended December 31, 2016 Year ended December 31, 2015

$ $ $ $ $ $ Operating activities











Net loss and comprehensive loss for the year (641,248) 10,395 (630,852) (629,516) 20,820 (608,696) Adjusted for non-cash items:













Depreciation and amortization 28,126 - 28,126 186,601 (2,260) 184,341

Restructuring cost (recovery) expenses (600) - (600) 36,304 - 36,304

Release of SX/EW provision - - - (17,422) - (17,422)

Share-based compensation recovery (611) - (611) (1,181) - (1,181)

Net finance cost 5,934 - 5,934 8,994 - 8,994

Income tax expense (recovery) 9,017 - 9,017 (111,269) 21,007 (90,262)

Facilities and customer prepayments interest 349,030 - 349,030 259,493 - 259,493

Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain) 675 - 675 (89) - (89)

Decommissioning and environmental provision accretion 1,599 - 1,599 2,093 - 2,093

Expense on issue of capital spares to production 19,311 - 19,311 18,792 - 18,792

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment (550) - (550) (468) - (468) Interest received 7,001 - 7,001 7,233 - 7,233 Interest paid (12,935) - (12,935) (16,227) - (16,227) Income taxes paid (3,950) - (3,950) (7,654) - (7,654) Changes in working capital (excluding non-cash movements):

-









Increase in receivables (34,734) - (34,734) (13,875) (41,936) (55,812)

Decrease (increase) in current prepayments and other current and non-current assets 34,934 - 34,934 (129,860) - (129,860)

Decrease (increase) in inventories 115,031 - 115,031 (91,614) (67,763) (159,377)

Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (29,445) (10,395) (39,840) (102,508) 10,395 (92,113)

Decrease (increase) in provisions (7,716) - (7,716) 4,454 - 4,454

Increase (decrease) in operating customer prepayments 50 - 50 (2,365) - (2,365) Cash flows used in operating activities (161,080) - (161,080) (600,084) (59,737) (659,821)













Investing activities











Additions to mineral interests and property, plant and equipment (222,513) - (222,513) (542,166) 17,801 (524,365) Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment 9,416 - 9,416 511 - 511 Cash flows used in investing activities (213,097) - (213,097) (541,655) 17,801 (523,854)













Financing activities











Proceeds from customer prepayments  related parties 337,975 - 337,975 1,188,207 41,936 1,230,143 Proceeds from amended loan facilities  related parties - - - 1,800 - 1,800 Cash flows from financing activities 337,975 - 337,975 1,190,007 (41,936) 1,231,943













(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (36,202) - (36,202) 48,268 - 48,268 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 37,740 - 37,740 (10,519) - (10,519) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash held in foreign currencies (20) - (20) (9) - (9) Cash and cash equivalents, end of year 1,518 - 1,518 37,740 - 37,740

SCHEDULE "A" (continued)  EFFECT ON THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS









As previously

reported Adjustments As

restated

Three months ended March 31, 2016

$ $ $ Operating activities





Net loss and comprehensive loss for the period (179,154) 10,395 (168,759) Adjusted for non-cash items:







Depreciation and amortization 7,704 - 7,704

Restructuring cost expenses 3,065 - 3,065

Share-based compensation expense 38 - 38

Net finance cost 610 - 610

Income tax expense 70 - 70

Facilities and customer prepayments interest 84,231 - 84,231

Unrealized foreign exchange loss 39 - 39

Decommissioning and environmental provision accretion 384 - 384

Expense on issue of capital spares to production 7,806 - 7,806

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment (695) - (695) Interest received 2,798 - 2,798 Interest paid (3,408) - (3,408) Changes in working capital (excluding non-cash movements):

-



Increase in receivables (23,759) - (23,759)

Decrease in current prepayments and other current and non-current assets 13,306 - 13,306

Decrease in inventories 40,439 - 40,439

Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (28,776) (10,395) (39,171)

Decrease in provisions (3,590) - (3,590)

Increase in operating customer prepayments 50 - 50 Cash flows used in operating activities (78,842) - (78,842)







Investing activities





Additions to mineral interests and property, plant and equipment (54,504) - (54,504) Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment 1,730 - 1,730 Cash flows used in investing activities (52,774) - (52,774)







Financing activities





Proceeds from customer prepayments  related parties 95,795 - 95,795 Cash flows from financing activities 95,795 - 95,795







Decrease in cash and cash equivalents (35,821) - (35,821) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 37,740 - 37,740 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash held in foreign currencies 4 - 4 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 1,923 - 1,923

SCHEDULE "B"

The following sets out the total cash payments and equity awards made by Glencore to those members of Katanga's management that were Named Executive Officers for the identified years. All amounts expressed in USD.

Incentive Program Beneficiaries Year Undisclosed amounts

awarded during KML

employment LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

VESTING OVER 5 YEARS

Annual cash bonus award payable in 5 equal

instalments over 5 years Jeff Best 2011 $625 000 2012 $375 000 2013 $375 000 2014 $250 000 2015 $0 Jacques Lubbe 2014 $250 000 Edgar Canta 2013 $250 000 2014 $125 000 Johnny Blizzard 2014 $500 000 Bernard Cyr 2011 $500 000 2012 $250 000 2013 $125 000 2014 $0 Peter Wentzel 2013 $250 000 2014 $125 000 Don Peterson 2014 $250 000 2015 $250 000 2016 $0 Richmond Fenn 2013 $50 000 2014 $125 000 GLENCORE PSP

Annual Share Award ("PSP") is awarded in

year N as bonus for year N-1 and vesting

over 3 years in N+1, N+2, N+3 Johnny Blizzard 2016 $150 000 2017 $150 000 Matt Colwill 2016 $100 000 Selwyn Green 2016 $100 000 2017 $90 000 Alan Keeley 2016 $75 000 2017 $90 000 OTHER CASH AWARDS

IMMEDIATELY PAYABLE Edgar Canta 2015 $35 376

SCHEDULE "C"



Mike Ciricillo

Mr. Ciricillo began his career at INCO Ltd in Ontario Canada, later joining Phelps Dodge Mining Company, which was subsequently acquired by Freeport-McMoRan, where he served in various operations positions of increasing responsibility in the U.S., Chile, The Netherlands and Democratic Republic of Congo. He served as director of project development (Africa), general manager of Miami Operations (Arizona), and president of Freeport McMoRan Africa before joining Glencore in 2014 as head of copper operations in Peru. He is currently responsible for Glencore's copper smelting and refining operations. Mr. Ciricillo holds a bachelor of engineering degree from McGill University (Quebec) and an MBA from Western New Mexico University.

Mr. Ciricillo is a Non-Executive Director of PolyMet Mining and serves on the Technical Steering, and Health, Safety, Environment and Communities committees.

Steve Kalmin

Steven Kalmin has been Glencore's Chief Financial Officer since June 2005. Steven Kalmin joined Glencore in September 1999 as general manager of finance and treasury functions at Glencore's coal industrial unit (which became part of Xstrata). Mr Kalmin moved to Glencore's Baar head office in October 2003 to oversee Glencore's accounting and reporting functions, becoming Chief Financial Officer in June 2005. Mr Kalmin holds a Bachelor of Business (with distinction) from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. Before joining Glencore, Mr Kalmin worked for nine years at Horwath Chartered Accountants in Sydney, leaving the firm as a director.

Mr Kalmin served as an a Executive Director of Glencore Plc from March 14, 2011 to May 2, 2013 and a Non-Executive Director of Century Aluminum Co. from 2011 to September 08, 2014

Tony Moser

Mr Moser joined the Glencore Finance department in Baar in 2013. He previously worked for Xstrata Coal in Business Development in Sydney for 2 years, and prior to that for Goldman Sachs in Investment Banking in Sydney for 3 years. Mr Moser holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia.

Grant Sboros

Mr. Sboros has been Deputy Chief Financial officer of Mopani Copper Mines PLC since 2013. From 2007 until 2013, Mr. Sboros was head of auditing as a Deloitte partner in Mozambique. Mr. Sboros is a Chartered Accountant and holds an Honors degree in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa

SOURCE Katanga Mining Limited

For further information: Longview Communications Inc.: Joel Shaffer (Toronto), (416) 649-8006, [email protected]; Alan Bayless (Vancouver), (604) 694-6035, [email protected]

Related Links

www.katangamining.com


Monday

The Valley Shore Toastmasters: meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Madison Senior Center (cafe), 29 Bradley Road. Email valleyshoretm@yahoo.com or visit http://valleyshore.toastmastersclubs.org.

Tuesday

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.

The Rotary Club of Hamden: meets each Tuesday. For meeting time and location please visit the calendar section of their website at www.hamdenctrotary.org.

The Nutmeg Chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 7 p.m. at The Willows Care and Rehab Center, 225 Amity Road, Woodbridge. Visit http://764.toastmastersclubs.org.

The Rotary Club of New Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm St. Call 203-624-3197.

The Rotary Club of North Haven: meets at 7:15 a.m. at the Breakfast Nook, 448 Washington Ave. Visit www.nhrotary.org.

Wednesday

The Rotary Club of Branford: meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Parthenon Diner, 374 E. Main St., Branford. Call 203-315-2444, ext. 450.

The Devon Rotary: meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford. Visit www.devonrotary.org.

The Greater New Haven chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 6:30 p.m. at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. Call 203-287-0037.

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.

The Rotary Club of Guilford: meets at 12:15 p.m. at The Maritime Grille, 2548 Boston Post Road, Guilford. Call 203-453-0774.

The Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association: meets at 11 a.m. at 192 Dixwell Ave. Call 203-562-2193.

The Rotary Club of Wallingford: meets at 12:10 p.m. at Il Monticello, 577 S. Broad St., Meriden. Call 203-235-3816.

North Branford Rotary: meets at 6 p.m. at Nataz, 2025 Foxon Road. Call 203-484-7707.

The Greater New Haven Breakfast Club: meets at 8 a.m. at Clarks Pizza & Restaurant, 68 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Email info@rosnerdoherty.com.

The Rotary Club of West Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Apps Ristorante, 283 Captain Thomas Blvd.

Thursday

The Middlesex County Toastmasters: meets from 7-8:30 p.m., Wesleyan University, Exley Science Center (Woodhead Lounge), 265 Church St., Middletown, http://middlesex.toastmastersclubs.org.

The Madison Rotary Club: meets at 8 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road. Call Robert Anderson, 203-907-9032.

The Clinton Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Country Club, Old Westbrook Road. Call Dee Tully at 860-388-7013.

The East Haven Rotary Club: meets at 5:45 p.m. at Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, 34 Main St., East Haven.

The Milford Rotary Club meets: from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at Gusto Restaurant, 255 Boston Post Road. Visit www.milfordrotary.org.

Friday

The Orange Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Racebrook Country Club, 246 Derby Ave. Call 203-799-2327.

The Woodbridge Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. for a luncheon meeting at Woodbridge Social, 12 Selden St., Woodbridge. For more information, call Mary Ellen LaRocca at 203-389-3429.

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Friday Morning Leads Group: meets at 11 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.

Send notices of business events to Business Datebook, New Haven Register, 100 Gando Drive, New Haven 06513 or email to business@nhregister.com, at least a week before the event.
This time of year, theatergoers require a program to distinguish one production of A Christmas Carol from the myriad of others. Goodspeed Musicals seasons its current version of the Charles Dickens classic, A Connecticut Christmas Carol, with a heaping spoonful of nutmeg.

Written by L.J. Fecho (book) and Goodspeeds resident musical director Michael OFlaherty (lyrics and music), and running through Dec. 24 at The Terris Theatre in Chester, A Connecticut Christmas Carol casts such Connecticut legends as Mark Twain, J.P. Morgan, Harriet Beecher Stowe and P.T. Barnum. References to The Colts, the Bushnells and Sage Allen abound.

Most notably, Fecho and OFlaherty have cast William Gillette as Ebenezer Scrooge, who, the conceit holds, performs the play on the stage of the Goodspeed Opera House in 1925, a dozen years before Gillettes death and the year that that the landmark building closed. This is the same William Gillette of Gillette Castle in Hadlyme, where the popular actor-manager, playwright and stagecraft inventor put up his feet when not performing his signature role, Sherlock Holmes.

Originally, we wrote this for Pennsylvania Dutch Country, said Fecho, who met OFlaherty in 1971 at Genesius Theater in Reading, Pennsylvania, where they both grew up.

Thats where the idea originated with writing a localized version of this story, The Belsnickel Scrooge, Fecho said, referencing a curmudgeonly gift-giving figure in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. We did that for three years at Genesius back in 2007 through 2009, I think it was.

Then, when Michael said that Goodspeed was looking for Christmas production of some kind, I said why dont we take the Belsnickle Scrooge and rewrite it for Connecticut, and see what happens? Fecho said. It wrote itself quite nicely.

More Information Norma Terris Theatre, 33 N Main St, Chester, through Dec. 24, Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (select dates at 2 p.m.), Fridays at 8, Saturdays at 3 and 8 and Sundays at 2 (select dates at 6:30). $54, 860.873.8668, online at goodspeed.org. See More Collapse

A Connecticut Christmas Carol, directed by Hunter Foster and starring Broadway veteran Lenny Wolpe as Gillett/Scrooge, hues close to Dickens original story of a miserly misanthrope who one spirited Christmas Eve encounters four ghosts charged with transforming the stinking, old tightwad into the personification of the Christmas spirit. Fecho and OFlaherty deliver the four ghosts in the guises of Morgan, Barnum, Stowe and Twain.

Michael Thomas Holmes plays the ghosts, joined by Matt Gibson as Bob Cratchit and Robert Berson as Tiny Tim. The ensemble includes Samantha Bruce, Mark DiConzo, Patrick Graver, Lee Harrington, Celeste Rose, Jeff Sears and Daisy Wright.

Heres a problem with A Christmas Carol, said OFlaherty, whose 26-year tenure at Goodspeed is certainly among the longest of any resident musical director in regional theater history. Its a double-edged sword. Everybody knows the story and its a horrible thing that everybody knows it because youre stuck with it. Everyone knows that there are four ghosts, who come, and youre ticking them off, and everyone knows whats coming.

So the trick of this is to keep everything surprising, he said. And, obviously, these ghosts are different than all other ghosts have ever been, and those are the surprises. But making sure the story never bogs down is the trick here. They say you never want the audience to get ahead of you, and the audience, walking in the door, is already ahead of us.

Connecticut boasts more famous and infamous personalities from industry and the arts than Fecho and OFlaherty could possibly use, as OFlaherty explained.

Whats interesting is, as Larry discovered, said OFlaherty, referring to Fecho by his informal first name, is that these four people  J.P. Morgan, Barnum, Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe  actually all had some connection to William Gillette. They all knew him in some way. They were all in the same orbit, if not exactly contemporaries.

Fecho and OFlaherty, on the other hand, are contemporaries, though not exactly in the same orbit. OFlaherty lives nearby his steady gig at Goodspeed while Fecho lives in Adamstown, Pennsylvania, close to his steady gig as artistic director of Genesius Theatre. Their collaboration transpired remotely.

I sort of come up with an idea and outline it for when we either meet up or talk on the phone, or meet electronically, Fecho said. Or I actually write the script and from there, we whittle away at it, figure out where the songs would go. But mostly on the phone and email.

While the story is set primarily in 1925, with Scrooge being spirited back to his past as far back as 50 years or so, OFlaherty chose not to compose his score strictly in the period of its setting.

I didnt want to get stuck in that period, he said. I didnt want to write a 20s musical. I wanted to write a more eclectic score and make it feel more holiday. Then we go back in time to 1867 and 1878, in Gillettes earlier years. And, again, I didnt really want to write music from that period. Its a musical theater score.

Though OFlaherty said he dreams of hearing his score performed by a 20-plus piece orchestra, he takes special delight in hearing Dan DeLanges orchestration for a five-piece band tailored for the intimate Terris Theatre: a piano, upright bass, harp, a reed player who doubles on a lot of things, and drums.

Its really a thrill, said OFlaherty, who first heard his score fully arranged the day before. I was just in heaven hearing that for the first time. Dan made it very full and lush.

Meanwhile, both Fecho and OFlaherty said, their script continues to evolve on a daily basis.

We just made more changes today, OFlaherty said. Once you get the actors saying the lines, they get their own ideas. The director certainly has a lot of input. The choreographer has input. Every single day of rehearsals we make changes.

We felt there was a lot cutting that could happen, so we did some on our own. He said. You know, tweaking it, streamlining it. Then in rehearsal, a lot of things come up where we could just get to the story faster if we just go there.

Its all about streamlining it, making it fun and fast moving.
MILFORD  A woman arrested Friday is accused of waving around a box cutter as she tried on clothes, according to a release.

Brianna Harris, 18, of Lawrence Street, New Haven, was charged with breach of peace, the release said.
NEW HAVEN  A pediatric endocrinologist at Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital is asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement not deport the mother of a child with a life-threatening condition who is being treated at its diabetes clinic.

We are urging you to reconsider deporting Ms. Miriam Martinez, which we would consider to be a significant and realistic threat to Brianna (Benavides) health, Dr. Stuart A. Weinzimer, professor of pediatrics and medical director of the clinic, wrote in an open letter.

Miriam Martinez, 53, is scheduled to be on a 3 p.m. plane to Guatemala on Monday after ICE refused to extend a stay of deportation she had been granted last year.

Martinez is expected to visit the ICE office in Hartford, where her attorney, Glenn Formica, will try to convince officers to reconsider the deportation while he pursues her case, which he only took up pro bono last week.

He realizes there is the possibility that Martinez could be detained by ICE.

Martinez came to the United States at the age of 27 in 1992 to escape the violence in Guatemala and has been in Stamford since then, working as a housekeeper and raising two American daughters, Brianna, 12 and Alison, 10, with her husband, Luis Raphael Benavides.

Weinzimer confirmed Brianna suffers from type 1 juvenile diabetes, a life-threatening medical condition that requires extremely close attention on a daily basis to ensure her safety.

He explained that the middle school child requires the administration of insulin, either by multiple injections daily or the use of a continuous insulin infusion pump, in order to survive. Without reliable and timely administration of her medication, she is at risk for life-threatening episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis, an acute complication of diabetes in which dangerously high levels of acids accumulate in the body.

In addition, Weinzimer said the childs treatment requires that her blood sugar levels be tested 10 to 12 times a day and that she also wear a continuous blood sugar monitoring device.

If Miriam (Martinez) is separated from her child, there is nobody else who could step in to oversee her care, as her father works long hours outside of the home to support the family. Sending Brianna away with Martina would clearly be disastrous, as she would not have access to the life- and health-sustaining treatments and providers that she has here in Connecticut, Weinzimer said.

Supporters are expected to accompany Martinez on Monday to visit the ICE offices, while others will gather outside to await a decision.
NEW HAVEN  For the better part of a year, members of the Board of Education had sniped at one another over whether the ongoing process to hire a superintendent of schools has included sufficient feedback from the community, extending the process by months. After word leaked to the public last Thursday that a majority of the Board of Education was leaning toward candidate Carol Birks, a slice of the community rose up to say they are being ignored after all.

At a rally Sunday afternoon called #NotMySuperintendent  a hashtag appended to make it adaptable to social media conversation  more than 50 parents, educators, students and elected officials spoke against Birks, citing her as the weakest and most troubling of the three finalists who met with the public last week.

Multiple speakers said they took to the passion and authenticity of Gary Highsmith, a product of the citys schools, and the poise and experience of Pamela Brown, a bilingual educator with superintendency experience.

One of the most prominent voices to emerge is Jacob Spell, a senior at Creed High School and a nonvoting student member of the school board. Spell was one of 17 people on an advisory committee that interviewed the final seven candidates to whittle them down to three.

There has been an attempt to stifle our voices, he said at Sundays rally. I refuse to let our futures be compromised for things that have nothing to do with our education.

Spell said he was introduced to the Greek tragedy of Antigone by his English teacher, which he has thought of during the process. From the myth, he said, he learned the value of conscientious objection. Although school board members have called the process democratic, he said, he believes its a corrupt oligarchy.

Henry Seyue, Metropolitan Business Academys student government president, said Spells sentiments reflect those of the wider student community. Following a superintendent finalist forum with leaders of student government, Seyue said there was the most enthusiasm around Highsmith, although many acknowledged positive feelings about Brown. ESUMS freshman James Maciel-Andrews said he found Birkss responses often condescending in that student forum and that she received an aggregate score of 6 out of 10 from the students, while the other two candidates received 8s.

We should demand a redress of our grievances, Seyue said. Spell and fellow student board member Makayla Dawkins, he said, should have the ability to vote on the new superintendent of schools.

Following the knowledge that Birks was in heavy consideration for the position, members of the community set up an online petition. On Sunday afternoon, the petition was nearly at 700 signatures, with some of them coming from outside the city.

One of those signees, Maria Pereira, is a former classmate of Birks at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. In 2009, as a recently elected member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Pereira visited Harding School, where Birks was principal.

I like her as a person, Pareira said when reached by phone. She said she recalled Birks as standing out for her intelligence as a student. When Birks was a principal, however, Pareira was stunned by what (she) discovered.

During her first visit of eight, she said she counted 187 students wandering the halls, cutting class.

It was flagrant, Pareira wrote in a statement, read aloud at the rally.

Pareira said Birks did not have control of the building. She said Harding did not improve in a single key metric during Birkss tenure, before she was replaced in 2011 so the low-performing school could receive a $2 million federal turnaround grant.

If she was a candidate for superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools, I would be extremely concerned for the well-being of our students, staff and the district as a whole, Pareira wrote.

At the forefront of the rally was parent Fatima Rojas, who translated the speakers speeches into Spanish for the crowd. Another parent, Yury Maciel-Andrews, said the late school board president Daisy Gonzalez is undoubtedly here with us in spirit. When Gonzalez died this summer, it tipped the balance of the school board from one faction to another. Gonzalezs allies on the school board  Ed Joyner, Carlos Torre and Che Dawson  are reportedly the members in the opposition, supporting Brown.

Teacher Nataliya Braginsky, a core member of the New Haven Educators Collective, said when the pro-public education group released an open letter in June calling for a superintendent that meets five priorities, it was not expected that the letter would be entirely disregarded.

Carol Birks falls short of every single one of those priorities, she said.

Most critically, she said, Birks told the public she was in favor of data and shared she was on the board of a charter management organization.

We know we are swimming in data already, Braginsky said, but there was no indication there would be any interpretation or intention for that data from a Birks administration.

She said Birkss career shows a closeness with reform-minded groups and very little classroom experience. One of those connections is to SUPES Academy, which was embroiled in a scandal when the CEO of Chicago Public Schools pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks from the group.

ESUMS social studies teacher Kirsten Hopes-McFadden, also a parent, said she is concerned with the system being swallowed up by charter school vampires.

Literature provided at the rally raised questions about Birkss political connections and the quality of her references. MOST IMPORTANT: a banner read over one item: Student and parent opinion is being ignored.

In arguing that Birks is least qualified, organizers wrote Hartford consistently underperforms New Haven on state measures of achievement.

According to the states data portal, in the last two years New Havens rate of chronic absenteeism was between three and four points lower than that of Hartford. The percent of students in New Haven who demonstrated proficiency in English on the most recent round of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium exams was about 10 points higher than Hartford; New Haven was about 5 points higher than Hartford in math. For five years, the graduation rate in Hartford Public Schools has hovered around 70 percent, whereas in New Haven the rate has exceeded 75 percent for the last three years.

A call to Birks Sunday afternoon was unsuccessful.

The school board is expected to take a vote to approve one of the three superintendent finalists Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Beecher School. A public participation element is on the agenda before the scheduled vote.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
HAMDEN  A man arrested Friday is accused of inappropriately touching a college student while he gave her and her friends a ride, according to a press release.

Elsadiq Eltigani, 52, of Third Avenue, West Haven, was charged with third-degree sexual assault and unlawful restraint, the release said.
Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo inspects Chinese navy soldiers on the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark at Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Nov. 19, 2017. Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents.

The arrival of the Peace Ark, its second in seven years, was received with joy by Tanzanians.

At the welcome ceremony held at Dar es Salaam port, Task Group Commander of Peace Ark Guan Bailin said the visiting crew will carry out free medical services, humanitarian assistance, and conduct medical training to consolidate and promote friendly relations and deepen professional exchanges between China and Tanzania.

Tanzania Navy Commander Richard Mutayoba Makanzo thanked China for sending the Peace Ark to Tanzania again.

"China has helped Tanzania in different sectors. One of the notable areas is the construction of Tazara railway, which connects Tanzania and Zambia," said Makanzo.

In 2010-2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.

The current tour has already taken the Peace Ark to Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Mozambique.

The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.

Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark sails into Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Nov. 19, 2017. Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived on Sunday morning in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam, starting an eight-day humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents. (Xinhua/Li Sibo)
URUMQI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese section of a transcontinental expressway project set to link western China with Western Europe has opened to traffic.

A key part of the project, a 10-km section of road in the border city of Horgos in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which connects a quarantine area with the Lianyungang-Horgos expressway, came into use on Saturday, marking the across-the-board opening of the expressway in China.

The project, with a total length of 8,445 km, links Lianyungang city in east China's Jiangsu Province to St. Petersburg in Russia. China and Kazakhstan in 2006 jointly proposed building a Western Europe-Western China transport corridor. Construction of the expressway began in 2008.

Li Zhinong, deputy head of the regional transport department, said the opening of the Horgos section of the expressway will help further open up China to the West and facilitate the economic and social development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Wang Haijiang, deputy mayor of Horgos, said the annual freight volume exported through the Horgos port will increase to 3.5 million tonnes with the opening of the section.

He said the quarantine area on the expressway is now under construction. Cargo sent from Lianyungang to Europe will have its journey shortened from 45 days to 10 days when road transport replaces sea freight.

According to the World Bank, the expressway project will help increase the road freight volume between China and Western Europe by 2.5 times. New companies and supporting facilities along the roads will benefit local people by offering more jobs.

Transport company Huaxin Co., Ltd. in Horgos has been sending Chinese products for daily use and machinery to Kazakhstan by truck.

"The old roads are in poor condition. The 370-km trip from Horgos to Almaty usually takes a whole day," company official Wang Yong said, stressing that the new expressway would help the company save time and lower costs.
Oseloka Obaze, candidate of the PDP, has reacted to the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano in Saturdays election.This is contained in a statement his media team made available to DAILY POST on Monday.Obaze, who congratulated Obano on his victory, also hailed other candidates.His remarks in full: Good Afternoon. I wish to congratulate HE Gov. Willie M. Obiano and his running mate Dr. Nkem Okeke on their victory at the 18 November elections. I wish both of them well.I salute my other fellow contestants for their valiant efforts and the decorum during the campaigning. Thank you for promoting peace.Before now, I have expressed concerns about the contradicting variables that led to the electoral outcome. In that context, INEC needs to undertake an introspective reappraisal of its in-house processes, more so those relating to its ICT operations.Beyond these remarks, I have closed the chapter on this particular election. We must now move on and return to the task of promoting good governance and the wellbeing of Anambra people.I salute my wife and children, my personal and campaign staff, our National and State party leadership, especially the PDP governors for their support. God bless them all.I thank in a very special way former Gov. Peter Obi and his dear wife Margaret Obi for their unfettered support. I also thank my running mate Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe and her husband Okey Onyemelukwe for their joint role, warmth and added value to our efforts.Finally, and on a sad note, I close by paying tribute to a father figure, my fathers friend, my mentor, and the father of my running mate, Dr. Alex Ifeanyi Ekwueme, who passed last night. May his soul find eternal rest; and may his family, friends and Nigeria find the fortitude to bear this huge loss.Thank you and God bless us. Bless Anambra and Bless Nigeria.Meanwhile, the APC Youths Renaissance has blamed South-east leaders for defeat the party.The group said the abysmal performance of the party was shameful, despite the assurances by leaders and members in the Southeast region.It also urged President Buhari to raise new leaders from the zone who will handle his re-election project in the Southeast region come 2019.


Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR GCON (born 20 November 1957) is a former President of Nigeria, having served from 2010 to 2015. He served as Vice-President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 and as Governor of Bayelsa State from 2005 to 2007.



He contested and lost the 2015 presidential election, upon which he conceded defeat and became the first sitting Nigerian president to do so. Jonathan's term as President of Nigeria ended on 29 May 2015, with Muhammadu Buhari becoming the new president.



Early life and education



Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe makers. Jonathan holds a B.Sc. degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Hydrobiology and Fisheries biology, and a PhD degree in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. Before he entered politics in 1998, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer.



Personal life



Jonathan and his wife Patience have two children. He is a Christian, and he comes from the Ijaw ethnic group.



In 2007, President Jonathan declared his assets worth a total of  295,304,420 Naira ($1,845,652 USD). However, on 9 October 2014, the richestlifestyle.com website ranked Mr Jonathan sixth on its list, claiming his net worth was about $100m (62m). He threatened to sue the website, claiming it "was an attempt to portray him as corrupt." The page was removed, but was then published by another website which estimated Jonathan's net wealth at $10 million



Governor

Deputy Governor of Bayelsa



On 29 May 1999, Jonathan was sworn in as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa alongside Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who named in as the governor of the state on the platform of PDP. Jonathan served as Deputy Governor until December 2005.



Governor of Bayelsa



On 9 December 2005, Jonathan, who was Deputy Governor at the time, was sworn in as Governor of Bayelsa State upon the impeachment of the current Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha by the Bayelsa State Assembly after being charged with money laundering in the United Kingdom. In September 2006, Jonathan was marred by reports released by Wikileaks claiming his wife was indicted for money-laundering by Nigerias anti-crime agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The report proved to be false. The head of the EFCC stated that "Mrs. Jonathan was not in any way involved in any case of money laundering investigated by the EFCC".



Vice-presidency



As Vice-President, Jonathan took a very low profile. While recognising the constitutional limits of the Vice-President's office, he participated in cabinet meetings and, by statute, was a member of the National Security Council, the National Defence Council, the Federal Executive Council, and was the Chairman of National Economic Council.



Vice-President Jonathan was instrumental in negotiating an agreement with many of the major militant groups in the Niger Delta, who were mostly his fellow Ijaws, to lay down their weapons and stop fighting as part of a government amnesty.



Presidency



Acting president



On 9 February 2010, a motion from the Nigerian Senate invested Goodluck Jonathan as acting President of the Federation because President Yar'Adua went to Saudi Arabia in November 2009 for medical treatment.[18] On 10 February 2010, during his first day as acting president, Jonathan announced a minor cabinet reshuffle. Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, who was the Labour Minister, was named Minister of Justice, to replace Mr Mike Aondoakaa. Aondoakaa was named as the Minister of Special Duties, and his counterpart Ibrahim Kazaure was named Minister of Labour.



Acting President Jonathan also promised to continue implementing the Seven-point agenda policy framework of President Umaru Musa Yaradua.



Order of succession



President Jonathan posing with other world leaders at the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit. (second row, second from the left behind Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva)



In accordance with the order of succession in the Nigerian constitution following President Umaru Yar'Adua's death on 5 May 2010, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 6 May 2010, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State. He cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reforms as focuses of his administration. He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances".



On 18 May 2010, the National Assembly approved Jonathan's nomination of former Kaduna State governor, Namadi Sambo, for the position of Vice-President.



2011 presidential campaign and elections



On 15 September 2010, Jonathan announced on Facebook that he had decided to run for public office on his own for the first time, in the race for the presidency of Nigeria in 2011.



In the contest for the Peoples Democratic Party nomination, Goodluck Jonathan was up against the former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and Mrs. Sarah Jubril. On 13 January 2011 the primary election results were announced in Eagle Square, Abuja. Jonathan was declared winner with a victory in two-thirds of the states of the Federation counted.



For the general election in 2011, Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo attended political events and travelled the country to campaign for the nation's highest office. Jonathan won the general election against General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate Pastor Tunde Bakare with 59% of the votes. On 18 April, Jonathan was declared the winner of the election.

Major initiatives



Roadmap for Power Sector Reform



On 2 August 2010, Jonathan launched his 'Roadmap for Power Sector Reform. Its primary goal was to achieve stable electricity supply in Nigeria.



Historically, the Nigerian Power Sector has been plagued by blackouts. Economists estimate that power outages have cost Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy, billions of dollars in imported diesel for generators and lost output. In a study conducted by the World Bank, a lack of access to financing and electricity were cited as Nigeria's main obstacles to development, surpassing corruption. President Jonathan has overseen the privatisation of Nigeria's power sector with the end goal being the establishment of an efficient and reliable power supply infrastructure for the Nigerian population. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria, which acted as the nation's electricity provider, has been broken up into 15 firms, with Nigeria handing over control of state electricity assets to 15 private bidding companies. The Nigerian government contracted for the services of CPCS Transcom Limited, a Canada-based consulting firm specialising in transportation and energy infrastructure projects, to act as the transaction adviser for the handover of state electricity assets.



Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria



On 11 October 2011, President Jonathan launched the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) Initiative which he stated would be an innovative business plan competition that harnesses the creative energies of young people between the ages of 18 and 35. The YOUWIN Initiative is expected to create between 40,000 and 50,000 sustainable jobs by 2014.



Lead poisoning incident



In January 2013, Jonathan reportedly promised $4 million to assist in cleaning up villages that have been affected by a lead poisoning incident. Over 400 children have died and Human Rights Watch said that releasing the funds "could be lifesaving for countless children."

Transformation Agenda



In 2011, President Jonathan launched the Transformation Agenda. The Agenda is based on a summary of how the Federal Government hopes to deliver projects, programmes, and key priority policies from 2011 to 2015, coordinated by the National Planning Commission (NPC).



On 11 September 2013, President Jonathan sacked the creator and coordinator of the Transformation Agenda, Shamsudeen Usman, the Minister of National Planning, along with eight other cabinet ministers amid a rift in the People's Democratic Party (PDP).



Foreign policy



According to President Jonathan, Nigeria's foreign policy was reviewed to reflect a "citizen-focused" approach, designed to "accord this vision of defending the dignity of humanity the highest priority" and connect foreign policy to domestic policy, while placing a greater emphasis on economic diplomacy.



2015 presidential campaign and elections



On 31 March 2015, Jonathan conceded the election to challenger Muhammadu Buhari, who was sworn in to succeed him on 29 May 2015. Jonathan said in a statement he issued on 31 March 2015 that "Nobodys ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian."
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme is dead.Ekwueme, who was Nigerias Vice President between 1979 and 198, died on Sunday in a London clinic, United Kingdom.Ekwueme had slumped in his Enugu residence after which he was flown to London in an air ambulance last week A statement from his family signed by his brother and the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Igwe Laz Ekwueme said that he died by10:00pm in a London clinic, Sunday.The statement read: Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of theFederal Republic of Nigeria Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON.The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.
An Israeli tank fired a warning shot Sunday for the second time in 24 hours at a Syrian army post in a buffer zone on the Golan Heights, the army said.Although the post was on the Syrian-controlled side of the strategic plateau it was undergoing construction work forbidden by a separation of forces agreement between the sides, a military statement said.It said Syrias armed forces violated the 1974 ceasefire agreement by conducting construction work in order to strengthen a military post in the northern part of the demilitarised zone.In response, the Israel Defence Forces fired a warning shot towards the area using a tank.The agreement prohibits the entry of heavy construction tools or military vehicles into the demilitarised zone, it said, without giving the precise location of the incident.On Saturday a tank also fired a warning shot, and the army issued an almost identical statement.But it also said it had filed a complaint with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which monitors the line between the Syrian and Israeli-held sectors.Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.Israeli media said Saturdays tank fire hit near the Syrian government-controlled Druze village of Hader, which was targeted by rebel forces two weeks ago.The attack on Hader, which began with a suicide bomber blowing up a car and killing nine people, raised concern among Golan Druze over the fate of their co-religionists at the hands of Sunni extremists of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.It also prompted the Israeli army to issue a rare statement pledging to prevent Hader from being harmed or occupied.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leaders partner Sophie.It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trumps part.She said a third party at the meeting of world leaders  who she refused to name  incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I dont want to cause a diplomatic incident over I think I should never have recounted the story, she told TVNZ.It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the events gala dinner.Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, This lady caused a lot of upset in her country, talking about the election, she told newsroom.co.nz.I said, Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent, then he said it again and I said, You know, laughing, no-one marched when I was elected.Large protests followed Trumps election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way  he did not seem offended, she said.
Nemitari Ajienka

A 24-year-old Nigerian man, identified as Nemitari Ajienka has expressed gratitude after becoming the youngest lecturer in a prestigious university in the United Kingdom.

Ajienka revealed on Twitter that he in now the youngest lecturer at the Edge Hill University, UK.

He wrote: Immensely Grateful. BSc & MSc distinctions & PhD. A new journey now begins at 24; youngest lecturer at Edge Hill University, UK. #PhD #brunel #MDX #Bham #nigeria #proudlynigerian #PortHarcourt.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Ejike Njeze, has President Muhammadu Buhari had been vindicated by the outcome of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra state which was won by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) incumbent governor, Willie Obiano.Njeze, a close ally of President Buhari and a member of his delegation when he visited the South East recently, said the fact that Obiano won with a landslide showed that the Presidents promise and commitment to free and fair elections across the country were in good faith.The APC chieftain said this in Abuja on Monday while reacting to the outcome of the recently concluded gubernatorial polls in Anambra.Recall that prior to the election, a group of Anambra state elders under the aegis of Concerned Anambra State Leaders wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari alleging plans by his party  the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise the outcome of the states election.Information at our disposal show that the APC has perfected plans to use the security agencies like the police, DSS, army and civil defence to submit double results sheets in place of the original and authentic result sheets collated from the polling booths at the ward levels to the INEC, which in turn will accept them, and discredit the duly certified copies from their officers in the field, the letter stated.President Buhari pushed back against the comments, when he assured the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership last Wednesday in Enugu that the Anambra Election would be free and fair.Njeze said that President Buhari has shown once again that he is a defender of democracy and the rule of law.He said: The outcome of the Anambra election shows that President Buhari is committed to the statement he made during his inauguration in 2015 in which he told Nigerians he belongs to everybody and belongs nobody.Obianos landslide victory clearly shows that the President has been vindicated. He is not a partial, parochial, and unfair leader as insinuated in some quarters.From the results of the election, it can be seen that if President Buhari wanted to interfere in the outcome of the election, all it would have taken was for him, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of State, to issue instructions to certain individuals and the APC candidate, Tony Nwoye, would have been returned winner and governor-elect as was the norm in previous administrations.But, the President provided a level playing ground for all the candidates and political parties and also charged INEC and the security agencies to be as neutral as possible in the conduct of the election. That< I think he deserves kudos for.Speaking on the Presidents visit to the Southeast, Njeze said it was a positive development for the country in all ramifications.According to him, the visit speaks volume as it practically demonstrated that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable and that the President remains the father of all Nigerians and not just an ethnic group or members of a particular political party.
Mr Issa Aremu, the Vice President, Industrial Global Union, says the anti-corruption campaign of the present administration has restored Nigerias integrity in the comity of nations.Aremu made the assertion on Friday in Abuja at the opening of the 2017 Africa Industrialisation Day (AID) Policy Dialogue.The theme of the dialogue is African Industrial Development: A PreCondition for Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area.The programme was organised by Industrial Global Union, Nigeria Council, in conjunction with Fredrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).Aremu said that the present administration operated on a three-point agenda of war against corruption, insecurity and economic recovery.The political resolution of Global Industrialisation adopted last year at the second Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, encourages the fight against corruption.Therefore, we commend the recent sacking of Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, a notorious pension predator.We also welcome the ordered probe into how he got dubiously reinstated into the civil service after he had long been declared wanted by the EFCC on corruption charges.Aremu also commended the EFCC for its performance and urged the federal government to quickly reconstitute the board of National Pension Commission, to safeguard pension assets.He charged the acting chief executive of Pencom to be alive to his responsibilities and to engage stakeholders through more openness and accountability.Commenting on Nigerias economy, the former Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), decried the continued export of raw materials and importation of finished goods.Manufacturing, scandalously contributes less than three per cent of GDP compared to the 70s when manufacturing contributed as much as 30 per cent.This is no thanks to massive factory closure caused by energy cost and prohibitive production costs.With almost 200 million people, a quarter of Africas population (every third African is a Nigerian and by look every African is a Nigerian!).The fate of Africa with respect to development depends on Nigerias economic performance or lack of it.This explains why our campaign for beneficiation takes root here. Industrial Global Union tasks us to struggle for strong industrial policies that advance social, economic and environmental sustainability, he said.Also, Mr Jean Bakole, UNIDO Regional Director to Nigeria Office, said the theme of the 2017 AID was apt as it would encourage African countries to sign a free trade agreement to reduce barriers such as import quota and tariffs, among others.According to Bakole, a Continental Free Trade Area is aimed at promoting inter-Africa trade, which is a very essential for sustainable economic development of the continent.He, however, said that African countries needed to build industries infrastructures such as industrial parks, special economic zones, industrial clusters and energy infrastructure, among others.Africa has no choice than to accept that innovation drives industrialization today, Bakole added.Reports said that the Policy Round table was organised as part of events to commemorate the celebration of the AID.The objective of the Policy Dialogue is to critically examine the opportunities for Africa to diversify its economy, promote mass decent employment with respect to workers rights, among others.The AID is celebrated nationwide on Nov. 20 of every year.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured the Judicial community that the recent investigations involving some judicial staff was not aimed at intimidating the Judiciary as wrongly portrayed in some sections of the media.The President, who stated this while declaring open the 2017 All Nigerian Judges conference held at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, further maintained that the action was in no way a prelude to usurping the powers of the National Judicial Council.He said, he was of the belief that the majority of judicial officers are learned and incorruptible and day in day out acting in the best spirit of their oath of office.My lords, earlier this year the Judiciary came under investigation. Let me again assure the judicial community, this action taken by the Executive was in no way a prelude to usurping the powers of the National Judicial Council or aimed at intimidating the Judiciary as wrongly portrayed in some sections of the media. Executive and legislative officials were also investigatedI am aware that the majority of judicial officers are learned and incorruptible and day in day out acting in the best spirit of their oath of office.According to the president, his administrations commitment is to accord the Judiciary its constitutional rights.He, therefore, commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for his recent decision to ask all judges at lower courts to provide him with a comprehensive list of all corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special courts to handle them.I support your action and the public is awaiting the results of this initiative, he said.He, however, stressed the need for fairness, impartiality and speed in the administration of justice by the judiciary.The president noted that there were huge backlogs of cases waiting to be dispensed especially at the appellate levels.He said the reform of the judiciary should start at eliminating these seemingly endless delays in settling what to the layman are apparently simple cases.He lamented that court cases could drag on for years and sometimes decades without resolution.I need only mention land cases in Lagos to illustrate my point.He added that, again, litigants expect that higher courts should endeavour to harmonize their rulings.There are contradictory decisions of superior courts on the same subject matter in cases where facts are substantially the same without a clear attempt in subsequent cases to distinguish the earlier cases.This lack of clarity leads to serious confusion to the lower courts.The knock-on efforts of these delays and dis-continuities range from loss of confidence in the judicial system to over-crowding of prisons.President Buhari, therefore, urged the leadership of the judiciary to pay close attention to these challenges in its efforts at reforming the system.He revealed that he had already wrote to all state governors urging them to make special visit to prisons in company with Chief Judges and release prisoners unnecessarily detained without due process.President Buhari expressed the readiness of his administration to continue to address problems besetting the Judiciary including under-funding, inadequate personnel and absence of modern technological aids.He observed that the Federal Government had increased allocation to the Judiciary from N70 billion to N100 billion in the 2017 budget, saying that a similar figure had been proposed for 2018.In his remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, said prison congestion was a worrisome phenomenon in the nations justice delivery system which he said had become an embarrassment.He, therefore, stressed the need for the judiciary to partner with the executive arm of the government to curb this menace.Again, close supervision, and frequent visits by heads of courts to prisons within their jurisdictions, and synergizing with Attorneys General of States are veritable steps to a lasting solution.In addition, the executive should consider expansion of the present prison facilities to ease the situation, he added.Onnoghen advocated for full financial independence for the state judiciary so as to continuously strive to achieve their constitutional mandates.He said the conference was intended to serve as a forum to give judges the opportunity to come together every two years to discuss common problems and exchange ideas and experiences for the enrichment of the nations judicial system.
Boko Haram fighters killed six farmers outside Maiduguri, the civilian militia and the brother of one of the victims said on Monday.Sundays attack in Lawanti village, in the Jere area of Borno state, again underlined the threat posed by the group to people outside heavily-fortified towns and cities.Mohammed Asheik, from the Civilian Joint Task Force assisting the military with security in the northeast, said: Our people went to the farm to work.Seven Boko Haram on two motorbikes met them and slaughtered two, then killed the other four. They killed six people in all.Asheiks account was supported by Jidda Ahmed, who said his elder brother, Musa Jidda, was shot and beheaded as he tried to flee.Boko Haram rarely claims attacks but the method is in keeping with tactics seen elsewhere in the long-running conflict.Attacks on isolated rural communities have been a feature of Boko Harams Islamist insurgency in the remote region in recent months after the end of the annual rainy season.Nigerias military, with help from regional allies, have succeeded in pushing the jihadists out of territory captured in 2014 and 2015.But farmers have been forced to try to resume their work to help alleviate chronic food shortages that have left hundreds of thousands starving and dependent on food aid.Fields and farms have been blighted by eight years of conflict, with locals unable to sow or cultivate crops.At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless since the fighting began in 2009.
(Xinhua) 07:47, November 20, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 70 countries and international organizations worldwide have been confirmed to participate in the International Horticulture Exhibition 2019, to be held in Beijing.

The organizing committee said that since August 2016, countries including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, India, Singapore and Thailand, along with international organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and International Network for Bamboo and Rattan have been confirmed as participants.

It is estimated that about 100 countries and international organizations will join the 162-day expo when it opens on April 29, 2019, in Beijing's Yanqing District.

The international portion of the exhibition will consist of areas for Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania, as well as an area for International Organizations.

During the expo, all countries will have the chance to hold activities such as national days, cultural exhibitions, business communications, and professional forums.

More than 4,000 construction workers are building the exhibition park. Landscape construction and infrastructure such as water and electricity supply facilities have been partially completed.
Former Nigerian vice president in the Second Republic Dr Alex Ekwueme has died in the United Kingdom where he was receiving treatment, his family said.Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON, his brother Professor Laz Ekwueme said in a statement.The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.Ekwueme, who celebrated his 85th birthday on October 21, was reported to have collapsed at his home on October 29 and was rushed to Memfys Hospital of Neurosurgery, Enugu, where he was treated for a chest infection.He was later flown to London in an air ambulance on November 12 on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.Ekwueme was elected as Nigerias vice president in 1979, a position he held until December 1983 when the Shehu Shagari government was overthrown in a military coup in December 1983.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Monday, tackled President Muhammadu Buhari at the opening session of the 2017 All Nigeria Judges conference, saying there was need for the Executive arm of government to learn to obey court judgements and orders.The CJN who spoke the event that was personally attended by President Buhari, maintained that obedience to court orders ought to be considered by other arms of government, especially the Executive, as a strong motivation for the fight against corruption and the entrenchment of the Rule of Law in our country.Justice Onnoghen said Nigeria should learn from countries like Kenya and the United States where he said there is Rule of Law in practice, with their Presidents and government agencies, respecting court decisions that are against the interest of the government in power.The CJN further demanded total independence of the judiciary from any form of external pressure from other arms of government in the discharge of its duties.He said: Closely linked to the independence of the Judiciary is the need for governments and institutions to obey court orders and judgments.Today, Nigerians easily refer to the recent Supreme Court judgment in Kenya and sone Court Orders in the United States of America and conclude that the judiciaries in those countries are doing better than ours.They, however, forget to mention that President Uhuru Kenyatta promptly accepted the judgment annulling his victory in the August 8, 2017 Presidential election and agreed to a re-run against his opponent.In similar fashion, the United States Department of Immigration did not wait for a presidential directive to allow immigrants from seven Muslim countries continued access to the US as soon as a court struck down President Donald Trumps Executive Order banning citizens of these countries from entering America.That is the Rule of Law in practice and I urge the other arms of governement, especially the Executive, to consider the obedience of court judgments and orders as a strong motivation for the fight against corruption and the entrenchment of the Rule of Law in our country.It will be recalled that the Peesident Buhari-led government had since refused to obey some court directives, including orders that granted bail to the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd, as well a judgment that ordered immediate release of detained leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh Ibrahimm El-Zakzaky and his wife.The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, had on May 29 when the country marked its democracy day, also scored President Buharis administration low on respect of the rule of law, saying it was appalled at the continued detention of certain individuals in blatant disobedience to court orders.Meantime, in his keynote address at the commencement of the All Judges conference taking place at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in Abuja, the CJN, said there was need for a holistic reform of the present justice system in the country.He decried that the judiciary had been in the eye of the storm in recent times owing to activities of some corrupt elements on the bench.He said the only way to check excesses of the bad eggs in the justice sector, was by FG ensuring that corrupt judges were not merely disgraced, but are effectively prosecuted and convicted.The CJN said the Corruption and Financial Crimes Cases Trial Monitoring Committee, COTRIMCO, which was recently inaugurated by the National Judicial Council has kick-started the process that would expose more corrupt judges.Your Excellencies, Brother Judges, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you will all agree with me that a corrupt judge is not only a disgrace to the Bench and the noble profession, but also a disaster to the course of justice and the nation.I must not fail to emphasise here that my definition of corruption is not limited to bribe-taking, but includes the giving of judgments or orders based on any consideration other than legal merit.I am confident that in due course our efforts to rid the judiciary of questionable persons shall yield results. We all owe a duty to join hands together not merely to disgrace these misfits out of this exalted office, but also to ensure their prosecition and conviction.The designation of courts to handle corruption cases is also a step in the right direction as lingering corruption cases will be expeditiously dispensed with.It should no longer be business as usual. I believe the stream of justice must be kept pure and free at all times from poisonous contamination, the CJN added.Meanwhile, when it was his turn to declare the conference open, President Buhari who listened to the CJN with rapt attention, also tackled the Judiciary for allowing cases in court to drag for sometimes decades without resolution.He said the public expects fairness, impartiality and speed in the administration of justice.Regrettably court cases can drag on for years and years, sometimes decades without resolution. I need only mention land cases in Lagos to illustrate my point.Furthermore, there are huge backlogs of cases waiting to be dispensed especially at the Appellate levels. Reform of the judiciary should start at eliminating these seemingly endless delays in settling what to the layman are apparently simple cases, President Buhari stated.He stressed that litigants expect that higher courts should endeavour to harmonize their rulings, noting however that there are contradictory decisions of superior courts on the same subject matter in cases where facts are substantially the same without a clear attempt in subsequent cases to distinguish the earlier cases.According to President Buhari, lack of clarity from the superior courts lead to serious confusion to the lower courts.The knock-on efforts of these delays and dis-continuities range from loss of confidence in the judicial system to over-crowding of prisons. This is an area Your Lordships should pay close attention to in your efforts at reforming the systemLast month I wrote to all State Governors urging them to make special visit to prisons in company with State Chief Judges and release prisoners unnecessarily detained without due process.The President said the anti-graft drive of his administration would require close cooperation of other arms of government.He said the recent arrest of some alleged corrupt Judges was not aimed at intimidating the judiciary.My lords, earlier this year the Judiciary came under investigation. Let me again assure the judicial community, this action taken by the Executive was in no way a prelude to usurping the powers of the National Judicial Council or aimed at intimidating the Judiciary as wrongly portrayed in some sections of the media. Executive and legislative officials were also investigatedI am aware that the majority of judicial officers are learned and incorruptible and day in day out acting in the best spirit of their oath of office.At the same time, I am quite aware of the problems besetting the Judiciary including under-funding, inadequate personnel and absence of modern technological aids.Bearing these in mind, this Administration increased allocation to the Judiciary from N70 billion to N100 billion in the 2017 Budget. A similar figure has been proposed for 2018.Mr. Chief Justice, our Administrations commitment is to accord the Judiciary its constitutional rights.I therefore commend your recent decision to ask all judges at lower courts to provide you with a comprehensive list of all corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special courts to handle them. I support your action and the public is awaiting the results of this initiative, President Buhari added.In her welcome address, the Administrator of the NJI, Justice R.P.I. Bozimo, said the conference which has the theme, Strenghtening Judicial Integrity and the Rule of Law, is a biennial event that allows Judges of Superior Courts of Record from all over the country to converge and reflect upon the activities of the judiciary vis-a-vis its achievements and challenges.The Conference also provides a platform for Judges to strategise on the means of adopting global best practices to meet critical challenges in the dispensation of justice to all in our great country, Justice Bozimo added.
Governor Nyesom Wike has described the late former Vice President of the country, Dr Alex Ekweme as an outstanding democrat and an exemplary leader.Wike in a statement by his media aide, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu yesterday expressed his profound condolence to the family of the late Ekweme, the nation and people of his Anambra state for the death.The governor said true lovers of democracy would miss him.Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has commiserated with Nigerians, the government and people of Anambra State and the family of the Former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme over his passage.Former Vice President Alex Ekwueme was an outstanding democrat, compassionate leader, true patriot and exemplary statesman. He would be missed by all lovers of democracy and development. , he said.The governor said he was deeply pained by the death, praying that God would grant the family of late Ekweme the strength to bear the loss.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday mourned the death of elder statesman and former Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme.He said Dr Ekwuemes unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria had been a major encouragement to many governments.The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, described the 85-year-old who died on Sunday in a London hospital as one whose regular counsels on national issues and mediations for peaceful co-existence would be sorely missed.He condoled with Nigerians, the government and people of Anambra State, the entire Oko Kingdom, the Aguata Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Ekwueme family, over the loss of the familys patriarch.President Buhari recalled the personal sacrifices he made in helping to lay the foundation for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.He said the former Vice President worked assiduously to improve the livelihood of many poor and underprivileged people through the Alex Ekwueme Foundation, describing him as a man who served his country and humanity.The President prayed that the Almighty God would receive the soul of the departed, and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.The death of the Second Republic Vice President was announced on Monday in a statement signed by his younger brother and traditional ruler of the Oko Kingdom, Professor Laz Ekwueme.The Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, GCON, the statement read.The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday, 19th November 2017.The late former Vice-president was flown to London for medical treatment after he was reported to have suffered a chest infection which left him in a coma in a hospital for two weeks.Born October 21, 1932, Ekwueme started his career as an architect after earning a bachelors degree in architecture and city planning, as an awardee of the Fulbright Scholarship, from the University of Washington in the United States.Over the years, he has played several roles domestically and internationally, cementing his status as a statesman.Until his death, he was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Institute of Architects; a member of the Board of Directors of Canada-based Forum of Federations; and a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Elders, among several other positions.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has urged Christians to be more involved in politics, saying that it would help in developing the nation.The governor, who spoke, weekend, at a regional programme of Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship at Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, stressed that Christians should no longer be docile on political issues.The Church must begin to talk about development, social, political and economic challenges facing the country. The Church must be involved in governance. The time has come for the Church to rise. If you keep quiet and anything happens, even Christ will not be happy. If you talk, you will die. If you dont talk, you will die one day. So talk for the revival of the country, he said.National President of the body, Mr. Ifeanyi Odedo, later conferred life membership of the body on the governor and his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Banigo.
The incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance coasted h...

Obiano, who won in all the 21 local government areas of the state, floored his arch rivals, Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (Anambra East) and Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party (Ogbaru) in their hometowns.The Independent National Electoral Commission through the Returning Officer, Prof. Zanna Akpago, had declared Obiano the winner of the November 18, 2017 governorship election at the commissions office in Awka on Sunday.A native of Uga in the Aguata Local Government Area, Obiano polled 234,071 votes to beat Nwoye (APC), who came a distant second with 98,752 votes.The PDP governorship candidate (Obaze), who lost in Ogbaru, his local government area to Obiano, came third in the November 18 contest with 70,293 votes.The candidate of the United Progressive Party and former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka, came fourth with 7,903 votes.While Obiano polled 6,615 votes in Ogbaru LGA, Obaze garnered 4,416 votes with Nwoye of the APC getting 3,415 votes.In Aguata, where a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Soludo, hails from, Obiano got 13,167 as against Nwoyes 5,807 and Obazes 4,073, a result that reflected Soludos support for the incumbent governor.Obiano surprisingly won in former governor Peter Obis local government area, Anaocha as he (Obiano) garnered 11,237 votes, while the PDP (Obis party) with Obaze polled 6,554. APCs Nwoye got 5,297.It was, however, in Anambra East, Nwoyes local government area, that the incumbent governors prediction of a landslide victory for himself and his party manifested as he took a large chunk of the votes in the area.Obiano got 20,510 votes in Anambra East, where a son of the soil, Nwoye, polled 5,248 votes and Obaze got 1,132 votes.But the candidate of the PDP in the Anambra State governorship election, Obaze, has rejected the result of the poll.Obaze, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone, described the outcome of the election as pre-determined.According to him, the results of the local governments did not reflect the voting pattern.When asked if he was satisfied with the exercise, the PDP candidate said, No, not quite. This seems to be a pre-determined result because it is not consistent with the voters turnout and the pattern.It has never happened in Anambra politics that the winner wins 21 local governments. So, we need to look closely at what happened, why the incumbent governor is coming out top consistently.That questions whether the other candidates have no stronghold as individuals and their respective parties. There is a certain dubious consistency that, just on the face of it, is an aberration.Obaze said that the electoral commission had a case to answer in explaining how it arrived at the decision bordering on over-voting in some areas when accreditation and voting were done simultaneously.He said, INEC has to give an account on why there was over-voting, why there was inconsistency between what was uploaded and what was actually voted. If you have a higher number on the chart and there were no issues where people were fully accredited and left, then how did you have higher figures in the card readers than the voting itself?He also expressed concern over the delay in the announcement of the local government results.Because we did not do consecutive accreditation and voting, it was simultaneous, it should have saved an enormous amount of time. If you do accreditation and then voting later, it consumes more time. But that was not the case.When one of our correspondents asked if he would challenge the result at the tribunal, Obaze stated, Well, I am still consulting my people and I am still waiting.Obiano says victory belongs to Anambra people, thanks BuhariMeanwhile, Obiano has said that his electoral victory does not belong to him or his party but to the people of the state.The governor, who made this remark in his acceptance speech, which he personally signed, added that the victory belonged to farmers, commercial motorcycle riders and wheelbarrow pushers and others, who now believed that agriculture remained the future of the country.He said, With utmost humility, I stand before you to accept the historic mandate you have bestowed on me today. Umu nnem (my brothers and sisters), the victory we savour today belongs neither to Willie Obiano nor to our great party, APGA. No! This sweet victory belongs to Ndi Anambra.It (victory) belongs to the wheelbarrow pushers and the Okada riders who have clearly seen in our recent political experience, a glimmer of light in the horizon. It belongs to the farmers in Ayamelum, Onono, Ogbaru, Omasi, Omor and Ufuma who have now realized that Agriculture is the future of Nigeria.It belongs to the teachers and civil servants, who have seen that a motivated workforce is the greatest asset of any government and have rewarded our faith in them with an overwhelming verdict at the poll.It belongs to the illustrious sons and daughters of Anambra State, who have seen the star of this great state rise in the eastern skies and have answered our call for Aku luo uno; bringing home their naira and dollars to put our dear state on the investment map!This victory belongs to all of us! Umu nnem, this victory is not a winner-takes-it-all; for in the New Anambra of my dream, everyone is a winner.The governor called on other candidates in the election, including Obaze and Nwoye to join hands with him and build a better place for Anambra people, adding that the state was bigger than any individuals ambition.He stressed, So, I reach out a hand of brotherhood to my fellow contestantsOseloka, Tony, Osita, Godwin and others whose names I cannot easily recall here. And I say to you; my brothers, we have all fought a good fight.But Anambra State is the winner! The interest of Anambra State is bigger than the private ambitions of anyone of us. Therefore, I pray you to join hands with me and build a better place for Ndi Anambra! Our beloved state needs our talent and our time. The time to build a better place is now!Indeed, this victory is a referendum on the solid resolve of Ndi Anambra to rise above average in all we do. We have demonstrated that we are indeed capable of taking charge of our lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten the future of our children. I have no doubt in my mind that we shall continue to lay the building blocks for a prosperous tomorrow for all.Ndi Anambra, this mandate is dear to my heart. I see it as a historic call to inspire my people to greatness. I see it as a call to deny myself sleep that my people may sleep better. Umu nnem, I will not give myself rest until our beloved state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. This is my promise to you all.He, however, expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for proving to Ndi Anambra that under his watch, democracy would sink deeper roots in the Nigerian soil.Mr. President promised us a free and fair election. Today, we can all see that he has kept his promise. Thank you so much Mr. President!I must also thank the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what has been widely adjudged a transparent election in Anambra State. With this election, INEC has shown that it has fully braced itself for the 2019 elections. Thank you so much.
The Igbo socio-political and Cultural Organisation, the Ohanaeze has described the former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, as an outstanding patriot whose contributions to the countrys socio-political evolution would be indelible.The President General of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nwodo, said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that with the demise of the first elected Vice President of Nigeria, the country has lost one of the foremost advocates of a restructured federation.According to him,  Dr Ekwueme was intellectually forthright, engaging, loyal and outstandingly patriotic.As a politician, he was courageous and original in his ideas. Ndigbo have lost a genius, a father and an intellectual giant.The Ohanaeze, boss commiserated with his immediate family, friends and associates and Nigeria for the huge loss while urging Nigeria government to immortalise him.Chief John Nwodo also charged the newly-elected Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano to be magnanimous in victory, put campaign rhetorics apart and extend the hand of fellowship to his opponents.The Ohanaeze boss in a congratulatory message to the governor saluted the opponents for what he described as a healthy and competitive encounter.Nwodo, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said, the fact that all the people of Anambra State came out to vote was also commendable.He added that the security personnel deserved to be congratulated for the secure atmosphere in which he said the elections were conducted.The former minister of information also noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission appeared transparent and must be given a pat on the back.I congratulate Governor Obiano for his decisive victory. I congratulate his opponents for a healthy and competitive encounter, I also congratulate Mr President for keeping to his words to ensure a free, fair and credible election, Nwodo saidHe noted that the rest of Ndigbo must copy the Anambra example and see politics as a healthy game.
Prominent Nigerians and non-governmental organisations have expressed satisfaction with the electioneering processes of last Saturdays governorship election in Anambra.Senator representing Anambra Central constituency, Annie Okonkwo, reckoned that the election was free, fair and a true reflection of the peoples aspiration for continuity.The Senator who is also a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliances, APGA, applauded the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano, saying the act depicts the end of godfatherism and politics of pressure in Anambra state.He added that the re-election will usher in a new dawn of continued development and social consolidation in Anambra state.Similarly, a non-governmental organization, NGO, United for Zero Election Violence Foundation, congratulated the residents of Anambra on their social conduct during the governorship election. It also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders for their role in the conduct of a peaceful election in Anambra state.Joining the train of accolades, Anambra State Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, lauded the people of the Anambra state on voting to support the re-election bid of the sitting Governor, Willie Obiano. He promised continued progress in the state
Snippets of what transpired after the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election are now coming to t...

Snippets of what transpired after the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election are now coming to the open, with his wife accused of calling Mohammed Bello Adoke, then-attorney-general of the federation, a useless man for not helping to disqualify candidate Muhammadu Buhari.

In his upcoming book, On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria, Bolaji Abdullahi  who served as minister under Jonathan from 2011-2014  alleged that Olusegun Mimiko, then-governor of Ondo state, wanted Buhari, the APC candidate, prosecuted for certificate forgery and disqualified from contesting in the election.





But Adoke, who was considered one of the most powerful ministers under Jonathan, argued against it, maintaining that there was no legal basis to prosecute Buhari.





The APC candidate went on to win the historic election which saw the defeat of an incumbent president for the first time in Nigeria, but Patience Jonathan gave a piece of her mind to Adoke two days after the poll.





In an advance copy of the book, Abdullahi described Jonathan as a man who had a distinct aversion for taking any action that could be regarded as unlawful or illegal.





This, he said, made the attorney-general central to most of the decisions the former president had to make.





Abdullahi wrote: Two days after the election, Adoke had gone to see the president in respect of the appointment of a new chief judge for the FCT. While waiting in the outer room, the First Lady walked in. He rose to greet her. But she took one long look at him and hissed: Useless man. You betrayed my husband. Now that he has lost the election, you are happy. It was the same Attorney General that Bayo Ojo used to disqualify Atiku for Obasanjo (in 2007). It was the same office that (Mike) Aondoakaa used to make dead man (Umaru Musa YarAdua) to rule Nigeria. But when it comes to my husband, you will be shouting, constitution, constitution.'





CONSTITUTIONAL PURIST

Abdullahi said Mimiko was at the forefront of the agitation to have Adoke issue a fiat that would have given the power to a private citizen to prosecute Buhari for certificate forgery which could have led to his disqualification from the election, or at the very least, disrupt the electoral process.





Buhari had said his secondary school certificate was with the military authorities, but after they denied having it, he got a replacement from his alma mater, Government College, Katsina.





Adoke stood his ground as pressure grew for him to kick-start the process of disqualifying Buhari  a situation that made Jonathans supporters, including his wife, blame the attorney-general for the loss.





There were a number of other issues that led many in the presidents immediate political circle to conclude that Adoke was the reason that President Jonathan failed to act with the required toughness on some issues, Abdullahi wrote.





When in May 2013 the president declared a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, some of the presidents men, led by Ijaw leader Edwin Clark, had asked him to sack the governors of those states as part of the emergency measures. Adoke, on the other hand, counselled the president against sacking the governors, insisting that such action had no constitutional backing. Clark fired back, asking the president to sack Adoke himself.





Prominent lawyers and civil society groups promptly weighed in on the side of the minister, and commended him for being a constitutional purist. They noted that he could easily have allowed the president to act differently, if he were so minded, relying on the precedent set by President Obasanjo in the case of Plateau State and Governor Joshua Dariye in 2004  a matter concerning which the Supreme Court had declined to make a definite ruling.





GOVERNORS REVOLT

Abdullahi said a similar situation arose after five governors left the PDP to join APC in November 2013.





Some PDP governors had gone to the president and asked that their decamped (defected) colleagues be removed and be replaced by their deputies. Their argument was that those governors did not contest the elections by themselves but on behalf of the party. They pointed out that this had been determined in the case of Amaechi vs. INEC (in 2007), in which the Supreme Court ruled that it is the party that contests election and not an individual, he wrote.





The mandates held by those governors were therefore held in trust for the PDP and could not be transferred to another party. If a governor left the party, as the five governors had done, they ought to leave their mandate behind. Where their deputies did not follow them to APC, those deputies should be sworn in as governors without delay. Whereas, where the deputy governors had also decamped, a sole administrator should be appointed. Failure to take these steps would amount to robbing Peter to pay Paul.





The president summoned the Attorney General and asked for his opinion. In line with his established character, Adoke told the president that the position being canvassed by the governors could not withstand the test of the law. The constitution did not grant the president such powers and had spelt out clearly how a governor could be removed from office. If Jonathan were to act as the governors were canvassing for, it would amount to an impeachable offence. And that was the end of the matter.





The book will go on sale nationwide from November 30, 2017 after the launch.





Abdullahi was fired as minister of sport in March 2014 by Jonathan allegedly on account of his godfather, Bukola Saraki, who had joined other party rebels in defecting to the APC.




Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe has gone on hunger strike in protest against his confinement.

Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe has gone on hunger strike in protest against his confinement.

According to DailyMail UK, the 93-year-old has not accepted any food since Saturday.





Mugabe is under house arrest at his Blue Roof mansion.





His nephew Patrick Zhuwao said on Saturday that Mugabe was willing to die for what is correct.





A Zanu-PF minister confirmed to the newspaper that Mugabe is also refusing to speak as part of his days-long protest.





The old man has been trying a lot of various tricks since last night, the minister, who asked not to be named said, adding, Hunger strikes, making threats and refusing to talk.





Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party held a special meeting on its central committee on Sunday where Mugabe was removed as its leader, with former Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over.





The 93-year-old is also expected to discuss his expected exit with army commander, Constantino Chiwenga, who put him under the house arrest.





Mugabes wife, Grace, has also been removed as head of the Zanu-PF Womens League.





Head of power liberation war, Chris Mutsvangwa said We are going all the way, as he headed into the meeting, adding that Mugabe should just resign and leave the country.








(Xinhua) 07:48, November 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday denounced allegations of Hillary Clinton who questioned the legitimacy of his victory in last year's presidential election.

Calling his Democratic presidential rival the "worst of biggest loser of all time," Trump tweeted that "She just can't stop, which is so good for the Republican Party."

"Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years," he added.

Trump made the remarks a day after Clinton told media that the "Russian meddling" in the 2016 presidential campaign creates questions over the "legitimacy" of his victory.

Also on Friday in another media interview, Clinton lashed out at Trump and Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore for not taking responsibilities for sexual assault allegations made against them.

She said in an interview with WABC radio that by contrast Senator Al Franken, who was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a female broadcaster, had accepted "responsibility" and apologized to the victim.

But the White House argued that there is a clear difference between Franken's case and that of the president.

"I think in one case specifically, Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasn't," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told a press briefing Friday. "I think that's a very clear distinction."

In last year's presidential election, Clinton won the popular vote but Trump prevailed in the Electoral College as a result of narrow wins in U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Former President Shehu Shagari has condoled with the family of the late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme who died on Sunday night.In a statement on Monday in Sokoto, Shagari said that Ekwuemes death was a huge loss to the entire nation.Shagari described him as a brother and a humble Nigerian who contributed in various capacities to the nations development.It is with a deep sense of loss that I learned about the demise of my brother and former vice president.On behalf of my family, I sincerely commiserate with Nigerians on his death.May his soul rest in peace, he said.Also, Senate President Bukola Saraki expressed grief over Ekwuemes death.Saraki in a statement in Abuja that Ekwueme was a rare personality and an exceptional leader who dedicated himself to the development of the country.The statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu.Saraki prayed God to grant Ekwueme eternal rest and give his family and the nation the grace to bear the loss. I join the entire nation to mourn the passing of one of Nigerias most illustrious sons, Dr Alex Ekwueme, our first elected Vice-President. As we mourn his death, we celebrate his dedication and service to the development of our country.We remember his exemplary courage in the face of overwhelming odds  when he stood up to past military regimes in the struggle for the restoration of democracy and his dexterity in his personal pursuits as a successful architect, lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.He will be sorely missed, Saraki said.Immediate past Senate President David Mark described Ekwueme as a quintessential leader and a hero of democracy.In a statement, signed by his Media Assistant, Mr Paul Mumeh. Mark said that the elder statesman was unique in character and leadership.He noted that Ekwueme was among the leading indigenous architects who designed the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.He also noted that Ekwueme relentlessly struggled for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria when he led the famous G34 that later metamorphosed into the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.He listed Ekwuemes exploits in politics and leadership to include the conception of the segmentation of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones for administrative and political convenience during the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference.Interestingly, the six geopolitical zonal structure (North-West, North-East, South-East, South-West, North-Central and South-South ) has remained the roadmap for the power-sharing arrangement in Nigeria.According to Mark, Nigeria and the entire Africa has lost a visionary leader.He was a forefront politician who brought intellectualism into governance.His quest for excellence, due process and rule of law in Nigeria will remain a reference point in politics and leadership in many years to come, he said.Mark urged the Federal Government to immortalise Ekwueme for his contributions to national development.
The police are probing the stabbing to death of Bilyamin Muhammed Bello by his wife, Maryam, in Abuja.

Bilyamin is a son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one-time minister, Dr. Haliru Bello.His wife, who is the suspect, is a daughter of former Aso Savings boss Hajia Maimuna Aliyu.Hajia Aliyu was recently nominated into the board of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).The couple before the weekend tragic incident had a one-year old daughter.The FCT Police Command has commenced investigation into the matter.The case has been transferred to the Homicide Section for discreet investigation, spokesman Anjuguri Manzah stated in a text message last night.The suspect is being detained by the police while the deceased was buried yesterday after the Janazar prayer at the Central Mosque in Abuja.Maryam was taken to her residence by homicide detectives for a search, fingerprints and forensic investigation.She was saved from being mobbed by angry siblings and relatives of the deceased husband.Clinging to her seven-month old baby girl, Maryam, who looked remorseful, burst into tears after being led into the flat where she allegedly killed her husband.According to sources, the jealous wife was uncomfortable with the text messages her late husband had been receiving from some women.It was gathered that a particular message from a banker made the wife to attack her husband.The source added: They were at home when the wife became berserk over some text messages, including one allegedly suspected to be from a female banker.After engaging in a shouting match, the wife was embroiled in fighting with her husband before heading to the kitchen where she picked a knife to stab Bilyamin three times, including on his private parts.Drenched with blood, Bilyamin fought hard by crawling out of the couples flat to ask for help from neighbours.Upon hearing his distress call, neighbours, who had heard the exchange of words and banging of doors at the flat, ferried Bilyamin to a hospital.Unfortunately, the husband died in the hospital. The incident was reported to the police and Maryam was arrested by homicide detectives.Maryam is a graduate with two degrees from British university.In a Whatsapp message yesterday afternoon, her mother Hajia Aliyu expressed shock and feeling of loss over the sad development.It is with a heavy heart but with total submission to the will of Allah that I announce the death of my son in-law, Bilyamin Bello Haliru, which sad event took place in the early hours of today.Prayers will be held at the Central MosqueMay Allah grant his soul Aljannah Firdaus as his permanent place of abode, the grieving mother in-law stated.There had been whispers of a rocky relationship in a marriage meant to bring two prominent families together but allegations of infidelity and plans to marry another wife might have caused the insecurity in Bilyamins Maitama home.The patriarch of the family, Bello, is said to be away in the United States for medical attention.We were all sad, it was just too heavy for us to break the news to our father, a family source added.
A retired cop convicted of stealing $105,000 from his police union won't serve any time in jail.

John Campbell

John Campbell, 49, of Cape May, was sentenced to six months of home confinement and also received five years of probation, the state attorney general's office said Friday.

The former president and state delegate of PBA Local 59 in Cape May will also have to perform 300 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine.

On Friday, he paid back the $105,000 he took, officials said.

Prosecutors had asked Cape May County Superior Court Judge John Porto to sentence Campbell to 364 days in county jail.

While investigating Campbell, authorities learned that a second PBA Local 59 official also stole money, authorities said.

Former treasurer Kyle Grossman, 39, of Lower Township, was charged with third-degree theft. He was accepted into a pretrial program for first-time offenders on Oct. 12. The charge will be dismissed if he completes the program.

He re-paid the $5,000 he stole, forfeited his job and is banned from future public employment. Grossman, 14-year veteran of the Cape May police was making $100,396 a year, according to public records.

Campbell, a police officer in Cape May for more than 27 years, used a union-issued credit card to make unauthorized purchases and withdrawals between 2012 and 2016, when he retired. The unauthorized charges were discovered during an audit after a leadership change for the union, authorities said.

Attorney General Chris Porrino called Campbell's actions, "a crass betrayal by a man who took an oath to uphold the law."

Campbell made the following purchases:

$30,000 for time shares in Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico

$16,000 on gas and utility bills

$9,700 in ATM withdrawals and unauthorized checks

$7,500 on electronics and home improvements

$5,000 on clothing and jewelry

$500 on a "designer Christmas tree"

Campbell was arrested July 13 and convicted of theft Aug. 10.

Campbell was making $102,847.33 when he retired last year, according to public records. His monthly pension is $5,756.58.

The pension board for the Police and Firemen's Retirement System was notified of the conviction and will determine whether there is an impact on his pension, a spokesman for the attorney general's office said in an email to NJ Advance Media.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Three New Jersey residents have been chosen as Rhodes Scholars.

From left, Jasmine Brown, of Hillsborough, Jordan Thomas, of South Plainfield, and Christopher D'Urso, of Colts Neck.

Christopher D'Urso, a Colts Neck resident who attends the University of Pennsylvania; Jordan Thomas, a Princeton University student who lives in South Plainfield, and Jasmine Brown, a Hillsborough resident who attends Washington University in St. Louis, were among the 32 American recipients announced Sunday.

The 2017 scholars were chosen from a group of 866 applicants who were endorsed by 299 colleges and universities for post-graduate studies at Oxford University in England. The scholarships cover all expenses for two or three years of study starting next October. In some cases, the scholarships may allow funding for four years.

The scholarships are worth about $68,000 per year, according to the Rhodes Trust.

D'Urso is a senior who will receive a bachelor's degree in international relations and a master's degree in public administration through the University's Fels Institute of Government. He has a perfect grade point average in both programs.

D'Urso is interested in consumer protection and testified before Congress in 2014 on revamping country of origin labeling laws. He also is the founding president of "Penn CASE," a community service organization that provides consumer assistance, support and education to Philadelphia residents and Penn students. He will study for a master of science in criminology and criminal justice at Oxford.

Thomas is a senior at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He's also studying Portuguese language and culture and African-American studies. He was a Fulbright Summer Institute Fellow at the University of Bristol where he studied the culture, heritage and history of the United Kingdom.

Thomas also interned at the Office for Civil Rights' Program Legal Group at the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative. He plans to seek a master's degree in philosophy in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation at Oxford.

Brown is a senior majoring in biology with a focus in neuroscience. She also has done cancer research at the Broad Institute, pulmonary research at Johns Hopkins and behavioral science at the University of Miami.

She has done extensive research on genetics and the West Nile virus. She also founded the Minority Association of Rising Scientists that works to help minority students in science and technology. She also has tutored high school students and danced in a theater production.

Brown will seek a doctor of philosophy degree in physiology, anatomy and genetics at Oxford.
NEWARK -- The Essex County Sheriff's Office has been awarded more than $1.8 million in federal Community Oriented Policing Services grants, enabling the hiring of 15 additional officers, the Justice Department said Monday.

The sheriff's office was one of six agencies in New Jersey awarded the funds as part of $98 million in grants awarded nationwide. The New Jersey agencies alone were awarded more than $4.1 million in grants.

The funds, awarded through the COPS Hiring Program, are intended to support "hiring additional law enforcement officers for three years to address specific crime problems through community policing strategies," according to a Justice Department statement.

The other five departments include:

Long Branch Police Department, 5 officers ($625,000)

Paramus Police Department, 5 officers ($625,000)

Nutley Police Department, 4 officers ($500,000)

West Orange Police Department, 4 officer ($500,000)

Moonachie Police Department, 1 officer, ($125,000)

The Justice Department said agencies applying for the grants had been told their applications could receive additional points in the scoring process "by certifying their willingness to cooperate with federal immigration authorities within their detention facilities."

Of the agencies that applied for the fiscal year 2017 grants, officials said, 80 percent indicated they intended to cooperate with federal immigration officials "within their detention facilities."

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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By Luis Liu and He Shusi in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province (China Daily) 07:57, November 20, 2017

Workers are finishing up construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the world's longest bridge-tunnel complex. It stretches a total of 55 kilometers. [Roy Liu/China Daily]

The world's longest bridge-tunnel complex, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, is "95 percent complete", according to the chief engineer for the bridge's island and tunnel project.

Lin Ming, also the project's general manager, discussed the bridge's status in an exclusive interview Thursday with China Daily at a bridge construction site in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Lin said the bridge will be finished by year's end. It is a key infrastructure project in the blueprint for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

With the bridge project nearing completion, delegations from different countries have visited and expressed their interest in inviting Lin's team to build similar infrastructures.

A group from Spain, among the most recent visitors, approached Lin about the possibility of applying Chinese technology to a potential bridge-tunnel link across one of the world's most famous channels, the Strait of Gibraltar, Lin said.

He said that shows that after the construction of the HZMB, China is being recognized as one of the world's leading countries in offshore undersea tunnel technology.

The project stretches for 55 kilometers, 20 times the length of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, and it will shorten the four-hour drive from Hong Kong to Zhuhai to half an hour. Construction started in 2009. It is designed to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, a super typhoon with wind speeds of 184 to 202 kilometers per hour or a strike by a cargo vessel weighing 300,000 metric tons.

The tunnel and artificial island project is seen as the most difficult task and an area using the latest technology and design. The 6.7-kilometer tunnel is the country's first offshore immersed tube tunnel and the world's longest, deepest embedded project of such kind. In an immersed tube tunnel, parts are sunk at the construction site and water is pumped out after they are joined.

The island-tunnel-island structure was designed to allow easy movement of shipping at one of the world's busiest deep-water passages, the Lingding West Channel, the middle channel of the Pearl River estuary, Lin said. As many as 4,000 ships a day navigate waters above the tunnel, serving ports around the estuary, officials said.
(Global Times) 07:58, November 20, 2017

Move to clean cyberspace, avoid leaking info: experts

The Central Military Commission (CMC) has announced the opening of an online report site on Sunday that the public can use to report or provide information on illegal behavior related to the military, either anonymously or by real name.

The system is operated by 81.cn, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) news website, under the guidance of the CMC network public opinion bureau.

Illicit behavior include falsifying a military unit or membership; publishing information that is harmful or insulting to the military; attacking the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over the PLA; and using online accounts without approval or revealing a soldier's personal identity, according to the PLA Daily.

There are actually very few cases of leaking military information since most officers and enlisted personnel are aware of the need to keep secrets, Li Daguang, a professor at the PLA's National Defense University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"The troops have very strict rules on the use of communications, and some soldiers are restricted in the use of their cell phones," said Li, who added that no doubt the public will most likely protect any military secrets that are vital to national defense and should be strictly confidential.

The purpose of the new platform is also to convey the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, create a better network management system, and maintain a clean cyberspace that is relevant to the military, the PLA Daily newspaper reported on Sunday.

The CMC report platform has the tip-offs classified in four categories - websites, new media, information that is harmful to the army and irregular online behavior of military members.

"As communications technology matures and gets more diverse, it gets easier for people to release information on the military, especially on the new media and social media, which are poorly regulated," Wang Sixin, a Communications University of China law professor, explained to the Global Times.

Military information is most often leaked through news reports on research and meetings because of improper screening, Li noted, adding that occasionally some people will pretend to be military personnel and try to trick people, which damages the military's image.

One Sina Weibo user named "junhuo hanmeimei" was investigated by authorities in December 2016, when she posted photos of herself in a military uniform, claiming that she was an officer, reported 81.cn.
(Global Times) 08:01, November 20, 2017

Record number shows growing trade ties

The number of freight trains traveling between China and Europe hit record levels, data from China's rail operator showed on Saturday, signaling growing economic ties between China and economies participating in the Belt and Road(B&R) initiative where the trains are purring along.

Nevertheless, market observers still call for sober minds to address concerns over the actual benefits of the rail routes for B&R economies that have yet to make full use of the trains to ship their products into the booming Chinese market.

The number of the trains hit a new annual record this year after initially being put into operation in 2011, according to the Xinhua News Agency, citing China Railway Corporation (CRC).

This year, over 3,000 freight trains have traveled on 57 lines from China to European cities, topping the combined numbers reached in 2011-16 and pushing the aggregate to more than 6,000, per the CRC data.

The cargo service, considered a significant component of the B&R, now serves as a bridge between 35 Chinese cities and 34 cities in 12 European countries.

The freight rail routes help cut logistics costs and improve trade efficiency between China and Europe - its largest trading partner - and more importantly serve to prove the viability of the B&R initiative as an enabler of trade connectivity, experts said.

In the first 10 months of the year, trade between China and Europe denominated in the Chinese currency grew 16.2 percent year-on-year, according to Chinese customs data.

There are other projects such as the yet-to-be-finished transcontinental expressway linking Lianyungang in East China's Jiangsu Province and St. Petersburg in Russia that are envisioned to build closer economic ties between China and B&R countries.

China has been making particular headway to create a more efficient transport network. The Chinese section of the transcontinental expressway recently opened to traffic.

But along with applause for the growing trade connectivity have come concerns that the cargo trains and expressways might aggravate imbalances of trade between China and some B&R economies.

The volume of cargo is still unbalanced with still a significant number of China-bound cargo trains carrying empty or partially loaded containers on the return journey, observers pointed out.

Ma Bin, an assistant researcher at the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies, Fudan University, told the Global Times that to address bottlenecks for the development of China-Europe railway service, resources and networks need to be optimized to save costs and achieve efficiency.

"It is particularly urgent to create domestic distribution centers and regional ones along the route to coordinate the flow of goods,"

Since the Harbin-Europe line was launched in June 2015, now there are four lines from Harbin to European cities, with 642 trains carrying a total of 37,268 containers.

Among the trains, 311 were Europe bound and 331 China bound, according to Yan Hong, deputy general manager of Hao International Logistics Co, which operates a direct train between Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and several European cities .

Europe bound trains mostly carry vehicles and components, machinery, electronics and daily necessities. China bound trains mostly carry autos and components and paper pulp, Yan told the Global Times on Sunday.

A total of 264 cargo trains have traveled through the Yixin'ou cargo line, carrying 21,536 containers by the end of October, Yixin'ou (Yiwu-Xinjiang-Madrid) service line said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

Yan noted that the biggest challenge facing the China-Europe railway service is high transportation cost as well as vicious competition among different lines.

Furthermore, as Ma put it, to strike a balance of cargo flows between China and Europe is not the only benchmark to assess the success of the China-Europe railway service. To achieve long-term sustainable development of the China-Europe express service, a transnational coordination platform should be established to optimize efficiency of the services and bond countries and regions along the route and allow them to share the mutual benefits, he suggested.

Chen Qingqing contributed to this story
(Xinhua) 08:16, November 20, 2017

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 19, 2017. At the press conference, Wang Yi expressed support for Myanmar's peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

China believed that the Rakhine issue can be addressed by a solution acceptable to both Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations between the two neighboring countries, Wang told a joint press conference with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

The international community and the United NationsSecurity Council should encourage such efforts by creating conditions and good atmosphere for the consultations, he added.

The Chinese top diplomat said the Bangladesh government pledged to continue bilateral talks with Myanmar over the issue when he visited the country Saturday. Myanmar also expressed the same attitude, he said.

Wang said the Rakhine issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, which calls for both an urgent and long-term solution.

Thus China proposes a three-phase solution, he said.

The first phase is to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced. Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the international community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said. The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution. Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, the Chinese foreign minister called on the international community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

Development can lead to stability, Wang said, adding that China's proposal has been backed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Chinese foreign minister will participate in the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Nay Pyi Daw on Nov. 20-21. He also visited Bangladesh and Myanmar.
A Denver man who is charged with armed robbery and intimidation in a federal arrest warrant was captured Saturday in Council Bluffs on the Veterans Memorial Highway.

Blake A. Newton, 23, was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail as a fugitive from justice. He was captured in a parking lot, according to a statement from the Council Bluffs Police Department.

The capture occurred about 2:30 p.m. after FBI agents told Bluffs police that they were tracking a violent felony suspect who was in the area of 3200 Manawa Center Drive near a Target store. Officers stood by in the area until the suspect drove to the parking lot on the side of a Qdoba restaurant.

When officers approached Newton, he was able to get back into his vehicle and lead police on a short pursuit. A Pottawattamie County sheriffs deputy performed a pursuit intervention maneuver that caused the vehicle Newton was driving to come to rest on top of the median.

Newton left the vehicle and ran but was taken into custody by officers a short time later as he tried to steal another vehicle in the parking lot of 429 Veterans Memorial Highway, police said. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle that Newton used to elude them and found a loaded 9 mm handgun along with a small amount of marijuana.
File Photo

Before iPhoneXs Animoji feature went viral with its cute and vivid expressions, a less entertaining but more practical facial recognition had been widely used in China.

China has been reportedly one of the worlds most popular destinations for investment in facial recognition, and the record-breaking amount of $460 million total investment in AI technology also fell on Chinese company Megvii, which claimed the world title in the computer vision competition in October.

Human faces, both unique and irreplaceable, are turning into keys at an increasing number of public facilities. In Shenzhen, facial recognition is used at a 24/7 unmanned store to unlock doors for items after identity is confirmed and payment is made via We Chat, while in Guangzhou, a high school library allows students to borrow books using facial recognition technology.

As an early and high-profile case, Alipay, one of Chinas biggest online payment platforms, began to promote its facial recognition technology in 2015. Two years later, a KFC restaurant in Hangzhou started using Alipays facial recognition technology to allow people to pay for their food.

But the high-tech trick goes beyond recreation to serve on a wider basis.

(Photo courtesy of Dahua Technology)

Blessed with advanced facial recognition technology, China is also estimated to have the largest video surveillance market in the world. The market value reportedly topped $6.4 billion in 2016 in China, where some 176 million surveillance cameras have been installed, according to the latest report from IHS Markit. The market is expected to continue to grow at an annual growth rate of 12.4 percent through 2021.

In comparison, the same market in the US was valued at $2.9 billion in 2016 and the estimated annual growth rate is a mere 0.7 percent.

Earlier in 2017, a video that showed surveillance video footage detecting faces on an unidentified street with detailed descriptive information of each person stunned many netizens around the world and even in China. Many marveled at how human beings can now be immediately digitalized into strings of data.

The days of surveillance cameras as mere data collectors are over. Today, security systems are responsible for real-time data collection, analysis, and application, according to Wang Jianfeng, a product engineer with Dahua Technology, one of Chinas leading video surveillance companies.

While some feel threatened by a technology that puts almost everyone under the spotlight, many more feel safer when such technology is in good hands.

Facial recognition plays a crucial role in this process, as it saves time and manpower for public security authorities to more precisely identify suspects via a real-time data pool. The technology is not for commercial use or simple head counting. It will play a more active role in proactive security defense in the future, Wang told Peoples Daily Online.

Dahuas facial recognition system is now widely used in public security in China, including a warning system in Beijing that can detect major suspects and a monitoring system to monitor pedestrians at traffic lights in Fuzhou, Fujian province. The companys product is also used in East and Southeast Asia, including Japan and Thailand, for facial recognition and warning from customs inspection to park surveillance, according to Wang.

Hikvision, another leader in video surveillance technology in China, reportedly helped capture five criminal suspects with a database of 973,661 facial images created during the 2017 South-Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair held in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province in June.

Currently, facial recognition algorithms are mainly based on deep learning, which uses big data to train the system. China has a huge database of facial data, which is a natural advantage in training over Western countries, Wang explained.

However, Wang admitted that some commercial facial recognition systems may be relatively weaker in recognizing non-Asian faces.

In the future, different recognition technologies will be integrated to identify a person and not just his or her face. Every biometric technology has its own limits. We need to combine them together to pinpoint each individual, Wang said.
UPDATE: The teens have been found, according to authorities.

----

An Amber Alert was issued Monday afternoon for a 12-year-old Denison girl.

Authorities are reporting Beyonce Carrasco is missing. Shes 5-foot-2 and 85 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a dark gray Monarch shirt and gray Under Armour shorts. She has a mole on her nose.

The Denison Police Department issued the alert.

Authorities believe the girl was abducted by Rodolfo Penaflor Jr., a 13-year-old white boy who is 5-foot-4 and 110 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Clothing information wasn't reported.

They are believed to be in a white 2016 Nissan Sentra with Iowa license plate EYB 982.

Anyone with information should call 911 or the Denison Police Department at 712-263-3195. The alert was issued at 1:19 p.m. by the Dension police through the Department of Public Safety.
The Omaha VA hospital system used unauthorized waiting lists to track psychotherapy patients for much longer and far more extensively than VA officials previously acknowledged, according to documents The World-Herald obtained.

An internal VA investigation dated Sept. 30, 2015, documented the use of the unofficial lists as far back as 2006. They continued to be used after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs prohibited them in 2010, and after a scandal at the Phoenix VA four years later revealed that veterans there had died while languishing on hidden waiting lists.

The World-Herald revealed last month the discovery of a separate unauthorized list earlier this year. At the time, Omaha VA officials declined to answer the newspapers questions. But in subsequent letters to three U.S. senators, they said the waiting list violations at the outpatient mental health clinic occurred during the Spring 2017 timeframe and resulted in delayed care to 87 veterans.

The management of these psychotherapy referrals ... was handled poorly and did not meet the standards of our VA Health Care System, the VA wrote in an unsigned response to Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.

The earlier wait lists, however, had been in use for years. They distorted wait-time data sent to the national VA, the 2015 investigation concluded.

After surveying a sampling of 104 veterans on the list, investigators determined that 47 percent of those referred for psychotherapy had their care delayed. At the time, VA officials were under intense pressure to cut wait times because of bad publicity over the huge backlog of veterans waiting for care.

After the Phoenix scandal, the use of unauthorized wait lists turned out to be widespread in the VA. In 2016, USA Today documented such lists at 40 different VA health care systems in 19 states.

Last week the VA inspector general released a report documenting the recent use of inappropriate wait lists in the Eastern Colorado Health Care System (based in Colorado Springs) for mental health group therapy and in a PTSD clinic.

The 2015 investigation was mailed anonymously to The World-Herald, and its authenticity was confirmed by Omaha VA officials. On Friday, Omaha VA Director Don Burman and Chief of Staff David Williams agreed to answer questions about what happened in 2015 and why the wait list problem recurred in 2017.

Burman said he learned of the wait lists soon after taking the helm of the Omaha-based VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System in the spring of 2015. Internal investigations verified the problem, and he called an administrative investigation board, bringing in two outsiders from other VA systems to conduct it.

I wanted to make sure there was immediate action, Burman said. I didnt want to be classified as another Phoenix.

Burman said the VA made numerous changes after the investigation. But some problems didnt get fixed properly, allowing the wait list to recur in 2017.

Burman acknowledged the shortcomings of the earlier repair effort in an interview Friday.

I learned a lot from 2015 that helped me to be a better administrator in 2017, he said.

Burman omitted mention of the earlier wait list problem in a World-Herald opinion page article this month. In the article he praised his own proactive approach to problem solving in Omaha.

The phrase VA does the right thing may not make for a great headline, Burman wrote. But in this instance, thats exactly what happened.

The 2015 investigation was also not mentioned in the VAs responses to senators. Burman said Friday that he considered the two investigations and wait-list problems to be largely separate matters.

Burman and Williams said that although some veterans had to wait longer than the VAs 30-day standard for psychotherapy treatment, all of them were receiving other mental health care. About 85 percent, Williams said, were referred by VA psychiatrists who were already treating them.

This population was very much on our radar screen, he said.

The Omaha VA prides itself on getting same-day mental health treatment for most veterans.

The 2015 investigative board collected testimony from 18 witnesses and submitted its report three months later. Among the findings:

 The unofficial list  kept in an Excel spreadsheet on a shared computer drive  had been in use since at least 2006, perhaps longer. At the time, it was the only way the clinic tracked psychotherapy appointments.

 Use of the list continued even after a 2010 VA directive that barred the use of any list other than the VAs approved Electronic Wait List.

 The departments four social workers became alarmed after the Phoenix wait-list scandal in 2014. One of them told investigators the group thought their list  was similar to what happened in Phoenix and that they should get rid of it, the report said. Use of the list was stopped in March 2015.

 An antagonistic relationship between the social workers and the mental health department managers, Dr. Subhash Bhatia and Dr. Praveen Fernandes, stymied any significant efforts to come up with a coherent scheduling policy.

The social workers believed the managers were focused on performance measures and bonuses and became suspicious that meeting the measure was the product of malfeasance, the report said. Williams said Friday theres no indication Bhatia, Fernandes or any other mental health providers were paid bonuses based on those measures.

 The clinic also scheduled new patients referred for psychotherapy consults into a non-therapeutic orientation group during 2014 and 2015 in order to make it appear they had gotten treatment when they had not, the report said. As a result, the hospital could claim shorter average wait times for appointments.

Fernandes, director of the outpatient mental health clinic, told social workers to cancel the consults and place the veterans on the unofficial waiting list. Auditors couldnt tell whether those veterans ever received treatment.

The board, which was led by a VA administrator from California, made 12 recommendations that included a complete overhaul of the scheduling system, referral of any patients who have waited more than 30 days to treatment outside the VA, the use of routine scheduling audits, and a full review of all veterans referred since April 2014 to ensure patients hadnt been lost without receiving care.

The board further recommended that Bhatia, chief of patient care service mental health, and Fernandes be disciplined for poor management. It said Fernandes should also be disciplined for not complying with VA scheduling policies and that he should be removed from supervision of the psychotherapy social workers.

Burman declined to discuss disciplinary action against individual employees. In an interview, Bhatia said he was not disciplined. Fernandes, who still works at the Omaha VA, could not be reached for comment.

By Burmans account, most of the boards recommendations were implemented and scheduling procedures were overhauled.

Burman said the official electronic waiting list has been used since 2015, and the primary work of scheduling appointments was shifted from the social workers to the mental health schedulers.

But then last June, Williams said, anomalies in the list made him suspect that a second list was being used again. He discovered that some of the schedulers were using a separate spreadsheet, because it made appointments easier to track. They also failed to offer veterans left waiting for care more than 30 days the option of receiving care at a civilian clinic through the Veterans Choice program.

Burman said he pounded home his point at a staff meeting.

I made it clear we would not tolerate the use of any unauthorized spreadsheets and there would be disciplinary action, Burman said. Were much more aggressive in making sure they know.

Bhatia acknowledged he is one of two people who left after the second wait list was revealed but said he had planned to retire this year anyway, after 27 years with the VA. One of his deputies also resigned. He said he was not told any details about the most recent report.

Nobody forced me to retire, but I chose to, Bhatia said. I took responsibility, and I decided that another leader could deal with it more objectively.

He remains on the faculty at the Creighton University Medical School as a distinguished professor.

Williams said an investigation has recently been completed into whether other employees were culpable. He said no decisions have been made yet. But Williams said the mental health department has been overhauled.

We brought in new leadership, he said. Turning the department upside down.
BEIJING - China plans to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020 in an effort to remove a major nuisance for travelers and develop domestic tourism.

The three-year project should be able to provide good, clean toilets that are reasonably distributed and effectively managed, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Sunday.

It came on the heels of a three-year "toilet revolution" launched in 2015, which saw over 20 billion yuan (about $3 billion) invested in installing or renovating 68,000 toilets at tourist sites, exceeding the target of 57,000 toilets.

Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said the "toilet revolution" is an imperative for upgrading tourism.

"Compared with the rapid growth of the tourism industry and people's increasing demand for better lives, the development [of toilets] is unbalanced and inadequate. Another three-year program is urgently needed," Li said.

For the coming three years, authorities aim to add 47,000 toilets and renovate 17,000, according to the plan.

Toilets at China's tourist sites have a bad reputation, with visitors often angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers.
Police said Monday they're searching for more women who may have been victimized by a 32-year-old man accused of ensnaring at least four women in "sweetheart" scams before swindling them out of money, kidnapping them and intimidating them.

In one case, Lenard A. Adams, of Merrillville, also is accused of raping a woman.

Adams is known to have operated in Las Vegas, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, said Lt. James Gonzales, of the Hobart Police Department.

Police in Hobart, Merrillville and Highland have worked with Lake County prosecutors to secure charges against Adams, he said.

Gonzales planned to announce more details regarding the cases against Adams at a news conference Tuesday.

Victims may be hesitant to report Adams because they feel embarrassed, fearful or ashamed, Gonzales said.

"We really want them to come forward and speak with law enforcement," he said.

Adams was in custody at the Lake County Jail, he said.

Possible victims should call police in the community where crimes occurred or detectives in Hobart, Merrillville or Highland.

In Hobart, Gonzales can be reached at 219-942-4405 or jgonzales@cityofhobart.org and Detective Scott Shaginaw at 219-942-4654 or shaginaw@cityofhobart.org.

In Merrillville, Detective Jim Bogner is investigating and can be reached at 219-769-3531, ext. 347.

In Highland, Detective Brian Stanley is investigating. Call the department at 219-838-3184.
INDIANAPOLIS  The nine Democrats serving in the 50-member Indiana Senate are few in number, but united behind policies they believe will make the state work better for all Hoosiers.

Last week, the Senate Democratic caucus, including state Sens. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond; Eddie Melton, D-Merrillville; Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago; and Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, vowed to fight in the upcoming legislative session for long-sought changes to Indiana law concerning voting, employment, health care and bias crimes.

"We've accomplished some things in the General Assembly, but we've dropped the ball on several important issues," said Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson.

Redistricting reform

Lanane declared the Democrats' top priority is taking the redistricting process out of the General Assembly's control and instead having a nonpartisan commission redraw legislative district boundaries following the 2020 U.S. Census.

He said it's wrong for legislators to be able to draw districts that contain those voters who are most likely to keep them in office, when it's supposed to be the voters deciding who should represent them at the Statehouse and in Congress.

"The public is fed up with that," Lanane said. "It's discouraged voter turnout and it's made people feel like their votes don't count."

The Democrats also aim to make voting easier for Hoosiers in general by changing the closing time for polling places to 7 p.m. from 6 p.m., allowing any voter to cast a ballot by mail with no excuse required and permitting college students to use their university identification card to comply with Indiana's voter ID requirement.

"We will have bills to enact every one of these reforms," Lanane said.

Employment issues

Mrvan promised come January he once again will file legislation seeking to gradually increase the state's minimum wage beyond the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, a rate that has not changed since 2009.

"Minimum wage is no longer a teenager in a temporary job," Mrvan said. "With the loss of manufacturing and the further economic decline of rural areas in Indiana, more and more families depend on the minimum wage just to make ends meet."

"No person should work 40 hours a week and still not be able to put food on the table, pay their electricity bill, afford child care or put gas in their car," he added.

A second employment issue that Tallian and the other Democrats plan to push is encouraging companies to voluntarily offer paid family leave to their workers; a benefit Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb already plans to extend next year to state employees.

"This is an economic and it is an emotional issue that our families face too often: having to do what's right for their family and not being able to pay the bills; or go to work and leave behind a sick family member  it's an impossible choice," said state Sen. David Niezgodski, D-South Bend.

Other key priorities

Senate Democrats said they also are closely monitoring pending changes to federal health care laws and will be prepared to file state legislation to preserve essential health benefits and other popular features of the Affordable Care Act, should that be necessary.

"No one should lose access to Medicaid coverage just so we can propose tax breaks for millionaires," said state Sen. Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis. "We will do all we can to make sure that in Indiana, Hoosiers that want access to health care will have some form of health care coverage."

In addition, state Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, plans to try again to enact a sentencing enhancement for bias-motivated crimes, as Indiana is among just five states in the nation without a hate crime statute on its books.

"We need to demonstrate to the rest of the country that Indiana is a place that welcomes all people," he said.

Hoosier lawmakers convene Tuesday at the Statehouse for Organization Day. The one-day meeting ceremonially opens the 2018 General Assembly.

Daily legislative sessions are scheduled to begin Jan. 3, and continue until next year's mandatory adjournment date of March 14.

House and Senate Republicans, as well as the House Democrats, are expected to announce their legislative agendas prior to year's end.
Dr. Xiaoping Ren (File photo)

A Chinese surgeon leading the worlds first human head transplant carried out on a corpse in China has defended the controversial operation.

The procedure was carried out by a team led by Dr. Xiaoping Ren from Harbin Medical University in northeastern China, according to Italian professor Sergio Canavero.

During the 18-hour operation, experts successfully reconnected the spine, nerves, and blood vessels of a severed head, Ren said, adding that a full report about his teams procedure and a timeframe for the live transplant are expected within the next few days.

There has never been such a procedure in surgery. We completed the design of the operation, including how to cut and how to deal with the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles. Those are our achievements, Ren said.

The test run helped the doctors explore various technical options with the surgery and ways to repair tissue, the doctor added.

But critics in the medical community say it is premature to perform such a transplant on humans and a test run on cadavers is no guarantee of success.

Hu Yongsheng, a professor at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University in Beijing, said the operation cannot be technically called surgery, because Rens operation on a corpse was about gaining an understanding of anatomy.

Hu suggests that scientists fully test the procedure on animals before carrying out such a surgery on a living human. Head transplants might eventually become a reality, but not right now.

The operation can be regarded as an early-stage practice of a real experimental head transplant, Hu said. It is the first step forward toward a very long distance.

Ren defended the surgery by saying that all medical progress is achieved amid debates, citing that similar attacks had been leveled against pioneering kidney transplants more than 60 years ago.

When something new emerges, we should regulate and discuss it, but not to stop it, because history has proven that new things are unstoppable, Ren said.
VALPARAISO  That turkey aroma will be wafting in families' kitchens in Lake and Porter counties this Thanksgiving holiday, thanks to a donation by attorney Kenneth J. Allen and partnerships with local United Way organizations and other community groups.

Allen donated 1,000 holiday meals that were distributed Saturday at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Porter County South Haven Club and the Wicker Park Social Center in Highland.

Good people in difficult times deserve help, Allen said. Its always a pleasure to give back to the community. We all have a responsibility to share our blessings.

Each meal included a turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetable, and choice of apple or pecan pie.

This is amazing, Maria Perez, one of 350 recipients at South Haven, said Saturday. Im very grateful to have this.

This helps a lot of people in the community who can use it, fellow recipient Jason Frigo said.

Assisting at South Haven were clubs from Chesterton High School, United Way of Porter County and Portage police.

Rachel Fredenburg, a member of the Natural Helpers, a Chesterton High School service organization, said the group is "very thankful to be part of something like this."

We have a very giving community, said United Way of Porter County Executive Director Kim Olesker*, and were glad to be part of it.

'A wonderful thing'

At Wicker Park in Highland, Raven Wilson, of Gary, picked up her holiday meal package with her 4-year-old daughter, Alani. Wilson's grandmother, who recently suffered a stroke, can no longer be the family's host for Thanskgiving, Wilson said, so this will be Wilson's first.

"And with my own little family. This is a wonderful thing," Wilson said.

Angie Williams, of Lake County United Way, said the park's Social Center was packed in the morning as a rush of families arrived to pick up their Thanksgiving care packages.

Williams, now vice president of community impact and resources development for the local United Way, said the event is "an emotional one" for her, coming from a low-income family herself.

"It's very humbling, to see these families being treated with kindness and respect. This is what it means to be united," she said.

Leroy Fassett, a United Way volunteer from Highland from since 1975, said the holiday giveaway events came together with a small number of volunteers.

"It amazes me, what goes on behind the scenes, to pull off a day like this," he said. "It's a good way to live, to do what you can to help others."

Times staff writer Lauren Cross contributed to this report.

*This story has been changed from the original.
Officials from numerous townships throughout LaPorte County gathered Saturday at Purdue University Northwest in Westville to discuss the future role and outlook of township government.

The meeting was sponsored by the LaPorte County League of Women Voters and the LaPorte County Better Government Study Group.

Deborah Driskell, Indiana Township Government Associations executive director and keynote speaker, explained the current role of township government and essential services it offers.

The primary topic of discussion was township mergers. With more than 1,000 townships in the state, lawmakers have encouraged townships to merge, but there is no mandate to do so.

While some attending trustees spoke out against mergers saying property taxes will inevitably go up, others agreed with merging townships where it made sense in order to provide smaller townships with fire service, for example.

The ITA (Indiana Township Association) has been a proponent of townships merging where it makes sense and not merging at the hands of the state but rather voluntarily merging, Driskell said.

According to Driskell, if townships are unable to find a reasonable merger plan, the county may step in and assume control of the township areas as regular unincorporated county property.

Driskell explained that in order to prevent county control, townships must work together to come to an agreement on how mergers will take place and what standards they be held to.

If youre going to encourage people to consider that (merging) as an option and move in that direction, then you need to have at least some criteria and that is what this discussion is on  what should be that criteria that are given even for voluntarily merging, Driskell said.

Township trustees and board members expressed concern not only about rising property taxes but the loss of trustee positions. While others said merging can help townships which do not generate enough money to provide the needed assistance to their constituents.

Driskell said there have been instances where a township office had been forced to close its doors due to lack of funds for the needy. There are other instances, she said, where townships have fire departments operating with a budget too low to effectively provide quality fire service.
Sandra Hudson said she has spent a good part of each Thanksgiving and Christmas days for the last 25 years helping to serve food to the needy and lonely as part of the Michigan City Holiday Meals program.

"My family understands what I do," she said.

Now that her children are grown and scattered throughout the country, her efforts have taken on a new meaning.

"It stops me from being lonely," she said.

Hudson said she enjoys spending time with and listening to the stories of those she is serving.

She is among a special group of people, who voluntarily forgo at least part of their traditional holiday celebrations with families and friends to spend time with those in need during what can be a difficult time of the year.

Various churches, community groups and some restaurants across the Region are serving free meals on Thanksgiving day. A few of these still are looking for volunteers, including Michigan City Holiday Meals.

The group, which has been hosting the meals for 30 years, serves 800 people on Thanksgiving and Christmas combined, Hudson said. The sit-down Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are served at 11 a.m. at the Michigan City H.O.P.E Community Center at 222 McClelland Ave.

An Easter meal is being started next year.

Those wanting to lend a hand should call 219-229-1505.

Helping out in Portage

The nonprofit group Our Community in Portage also is seeking volunteers to help out with its eighth annual Thanksgiving Day meal, Director Staci Pearman said.

The group served 900 meals last year, of which 60 percent were delivered to homes, she said.

"We do a lot of delivery," Pearman said.

The sit-down portion of the meals are served at Willowcreek Middle School, 5962 Central Ave.

"It's not usually financial need," she said of those who come to the school to eat.

Many of the people coming out for a meal are seeking the company of others, Pearman said. The same is true with some volunteers.

One man volunteered last year after his wife died.

"He couldn't do the family thing," she said. "It was a little too much for him at the holidays."

Pearman said part of what she enjoys about volunteering on the holidays is meeting people with different lives.

"I just find pure enjoyment being with other people -- serving other people," she said.

Anyone wanting to help should register at oneportage.com under the "more" tab or call 219-805-1659.

The group also needs donations for its Christmas Box program that is aimed at providing food to local students during the long holiday break, who otherwise receive assistance through the backpack program during the school year, Pearman said.

Lake County holiday meals

Help also is needed on Thanksgiving Day to serve food to up to 500 people taking part in the 12th annual meal served by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorrority in Gary, said President Arlene Mitchell-Pearson.

The meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gary campus of Ivy Tech Community College at 1440 E. 35th Ave., as well as delivered to nursing homes and the sites of first responders.

"We've always been about public service to the community of Northwest Indiana," Mitchell-Pearson said.

Volunteers are needed to greet and visit with diners, serve food, clean up and deliver meals, she said. Volunteers can sign up online at garyalumnaechapterdst.org and scroll down to the event flier.

"We have a Community (Soup) Kitchen, too," Mitchell-Pearson said of the ongoing need for volunteers.

Meals are served to the homeless and underprivileged from noon to 2 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at the New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 1917 Carolina St. in Gary.

To volunteer for the Community Soup Kitchen, email the group at garyalumnaedst@gmail.com.
VALPARAISO  On Sunday afternoon at Long Lake, conservation officers recovered the body of a 20-year-old Valparaiso man missing since late last month.

The remains of Keegan Whaling were recovered at around 2:30 p.m., said Tyler Brock, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

A boat could be seen removing the body from the lakes north end before the body was transported by the Porter County Coroners Office. The remains were found about 60 yards from shore in 8 to 9 feet of water.

Whaling and a friend were reportedly canoeing when their boat capsized shortly before 7 a.m. Oct. 29. The 21-year-old man with Whaling made it back to shore and told authorities the last time he saw Whaling was in the water.

The body was discovered Sunday afternoon by Minnesota-based Crossmon Consulting, a private search firm hired by Whaling's family after local rescue crews were unable to locate him.

The consulting firm started searching for Whaling on Saturday morning but had to stop later that afternoon because of the heavy winds, said the firm's owner, Tom Crossmon. Still, he and his colleague, Dave Phillips, were able to use sonar to rule out large portions of the lake.

On Sunday, the two men focused on the remaining area, near where the canoe had reportedly overturned and was found. They used small underwater robots with sonar to locate the body.

Crossmon said it was a difficult search because of all the weeds in the lake.

"Dave and I did a drowning victim recovery in Lake Superior in 280 feet of water last October. It was much easier than this, and this is in eight feet of water," he said. "In the last 15 years, he and I have probably done 60 or 70 drowning victims together, and this will go down as probably one of the more difficult ones because of the weeds."

"It's like looking for someone in the woods with a flare," Phillips explained. "The flare can't see through the trees. The person might be behind a clump of trees. You'll never see them. Same with the sonar underwater. Wow, the weeds are way thick in this place."

The Porter County Coroners Office said it will be performing an autopsy and toxicology on Monday morning to determine the cause and manner of death.

Check back at nwi.com for updates on this story.
The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee is marking up the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, bringing pro-growth tax cuts one step closer to long-awaited passage. Its certainly long-awaited among small business owners like myself.

According to the most recent CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey, paying taxes is the top concern among small-business owners. Tax filing ranks above even regulation, employee health care costs and customer demand. In other words, many job creators worry more about paying their taxes than making sales.

But to understand the virtues of tax cuts, its important to recognize the pitfalls of the current tax code. As it stands now, almost all small businesses (95 percent) are taxed not at the corporate rate but rather the top individual rate. This federal rate currently stands at 39.6 percent. State and local taxes can increase the small business tax burden to 50 percent.

I speak from experience. As the president and CEO of Josephs Lite Cookies in Florida, I run a family-owned, sugar-free cookie business. We bake more than 12 million sugar-free cookies a day, in addition to supplying other diabetic-friendly products. For each $1 of income my business earns selling cookies and other products, I pay almost 50 cents of it to the government  federal, state and local.

This is money not being reinvested back into Josephs Lite Cookies and our local community of Sebastian, a small town near Orlando. I would gladly use a part of our taxed business income to hire new employees and raise wages for my current workers, who diligently serve our hungry customers.

But the current tax code, which has not been updated since President Ronald Reagans tax overhaul in the 1980s, discourages me from the reinvestment our employees and their families desperately need.

Im not alone. Recent polling shows a majority of small-business owners would use savings from tax cuts to hire employees, raise wages or open a new location  if not all of the above.

Fortunately, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act incentivizes them to do so. It creates a new 25 percent top marginal tax bracket for those small businesses that earn more than $260,000 a year in profit ($200,000 for an unmarried individual). Small businesses  excluding law firms and other professional service providers  could allocate 30 percent of their marginal income to this new lower rate.

The bill also would allow for immediate expensing, ensuring small-business owners can write off the total cost of business expense in a given tax year instead of spreading tax savings out over numerous years with a depreciation schedule. In real terms, immediate expensing would allow small businesses to save money on investments in a new oven or more delivery vehicles. This leads to business expansion and job creation down the road.

House Republicans understand the importance of small businesses  and their sustained growth. America is home to nearly 30 million small businesses, employing 60 million workers  half of the U.S. workforce. Small business generates more than $470 billion in exports every year.

From your local bookstore to mom-and-pop diners, small business is undoubtedly the backbone of the economy.

The American people are on the side of small business too. Seven in 10 Americans view small businesses favorably. And theyre on the side of a small-business tax cut. According to a Morning Consult/Politico poll, a majority of Americans believe small businesses pay too much in taxes. An even more recent poll shows two-thirds of Americans support a lower small-business tax rate.
When hunting was the major source of food, hunters often used stalking horses as a means of sneaking up on their prey. They would synchronize their steps on the side of the horse away from their prey until they were close enough for a good shot.

A stalking horse had a double benefit if the prey was an armed person. If the stalkers were discovered, it would be the horse that took the first shot. That's what blacks are to liberals and progressives in their efforts to transform America  stalking horses.

Let's look at it.

I'll just list a few pieces of the leftist agenda that would be unachievable without black political support.

Black people are the major victims of the grossly rotten education in our big-city schools. The average black 12th-grader can read, write and compute no better than a white seventh- or eighth-grader. Many black parents want better and safer schools for their children. According to a 2015 survey of black parents, 72 percent "favor public charter schools, and 70 percent favor a system that would create vouchers parents could use to cover tuition for those who want to enroll their children in a private or parochial school."

Black politicians and civil rights organizations fight tooth and nail against charter schools and education vouchers.

Why? The National Education Association sees charters and vouchers as a threat to its education monopoly. It is able to use black politicians and civil rights organizations as stalking horses in its fight to protect its education monopoly.

The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 was the nation's first federally mandated minimum wage law. Its explicit intent was to discriminate against black construction workers.

During the legislative debate on the Davis-Bacon Act, quite a few congressmen, along with union leaders, expressed their racist intentions.

Rep. Miles Allgood, D-Alabama, said: "Reference has been made to a contractor from Alabama who went to New York with bootleg labor. This is a fact. That contractor has cheap colored labor that he transports, and he puts them in cabins, and it is labor of that sort that is in competition with white labor throughout the country."

American Federation of Labor President William Green said, "Colored labor is being sought to demoralize wage rates."

The Davis-Bacon Act is still law today. Supporters do not use the 1931 racist language to support it. Plus, nearly every black member of Congress supports the Davis-Bacon Act. But that does not change its racially discriminatory effects.

In recent decades, the Davis-Bacon Act has been challenged, and it has prevailed. That would not be the case without unions' political and financial support to black members of Congress to secure their votes.

Crime is a major problem in many black neighborhoods. In 2016, there were close to 8,000 blacks murdered, mostly by other blacks.

In that year, 233 blacks were killed by police. Which deaths receive the most attention from politicians, civil rights groups and white liberals and bring out marches, demonstrations and political pontification? It's the blacks killed by police.

There's little protest against the horrible and dangerous conditions under which many poor and law-abiding black people must live. Political hustlers blame their condition on poverty and racism  ignoring that poverty and racism were much greater yesteryear when there was not nearly the same amount of chaos.

Also ignored is that the dangerous living conditions worsened under a black president's administration.

There are several recommendations that I might make. The first and most important is that black Americans stop being useful tools for the leftist hate-America agenda.

Finally, many black problems are exacerbated by white liberal guilt. White liberals ought to stop feeling guilty so they can be more respectful in their relationships with black Americans.
As I read Messers complaint, two things came to mind. First of all, each religion has its own list of beliefs and prohibitions. While a judge is entitled to those personal religious beliefs, the candidate must be willing to judge according to the law, not according to those beliefs. As senators try to evaluate a candidate, they want to make sure each person will do his or her job in a just and lawful way.
Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela (1st R) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L) inaugurate the Panamanian Embassy in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Monday reiterates Panamas stance on the One China policy, noting that the two countries newly established diplomatic ties were based on mutual understanding and agreement.

I decided to establish diplomatic ties with China a decade ago, and the promise has finally come true. The decision of establishing mutual ties has nothing to do with our trade and economic cooperation, but because of a mutual understanding that both nations deem correct. I think the two nations will have better relations in the future, Varela told Peoples Daily Online.

Varela also reiterated that Panama will stick to the One China Policy, promoting Chinas successful experience with other nations in Latin America, as well as serving as a role model when it comes to diplomatic relations with China.

The remarks were made during the Panamanian Presidents visit to China from Nov.16 to 22. This marks the first trip by a Panamanian leader to China since the two nations established diplomatic ties on June 13.

According to Varela, authorities from both nations have confirmed 12 major cooperation areas, including judicial cooperation, maritime logistics, and transportation. He also noted that the two nations bilateral ties and trade have entered a new era, with 19 agreements being signed in the last five months.

The president noted that due to Panamas unique and convenient geographic position, the two nations will have more cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, especially in infrastructure and transportation construction.

Simon Bolivar, a famous politician of the Great Republic of Colombia, has proposed to build a railway that runs from Panama to the border of Costa Rica, in a final effort to connect Central America. We want to make it happen in 2026, and we hope China could use its technologies and investment to help us build it, said Varela.

In addition to infrastructure and transportation, Valera also attached great importance on the two nations tourism cooperation, noting that two consulates will soon be built in Shanghai and Guangzhou, while a favorable visa policy for Chinese citizens has already been put into effect.

Chinese citizens used to wait for 6 months to get their Panamanian visa, but now the time has been reduced to 28 to 48 hours. A new airline from Beijing to Panama city will be established in March 2018, while Panama and China plan to build cruise ports along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts so that Chinese tourists can enjoy our cruise programs, said Valera.

Good relations between China and Panama will not only benefit the two nations but will also promote world peace, helping China to expand its influence in Latin America and Caribbean areas, Valera added.
Auburn University student Matthew Rogers was named a Rhodes Scholar, one of only 32 U.S. students to receive the honor to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Rogers, a senior majoring in software engineering, will pursue a doctorate in cyber security.

This is a great honor for Matthew and Auburn University, said Auburn University President Steven Leath. He has excelled throughout his academic career and he epitomizes the Auburn Creed through his commitment to academic studies, dedication to leadership activities and hard work.

As a student in Auburns Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the Honors College, Rogers maintains a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is an undergraduate research fellow working with IBM on a Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, crypto-processor to create secure exchanges of information.

Rogers grew up as the son of an Army officer and for much of his life lived on Army posts throughout the country. Since his fathers retirement, Rogers has called Huntsville his home.

He worked three summers as an undergraduate research intern at the Huntsville-based Dynetics Inc., where he helped develop malware analysis tools.

He has given numerous presentations on malware analysis at professional conferences and is a co-author for several internal reports. He has appeared on the CBS Sunday Morning News as well as National Public Radios All Tech Considered.

At Auburn, Rogers is an Honors College Ambassador, Undergraduate Research Ambassador, co-founder of the Auburn Ethical Hacking Club, past treasurer for the Auburn chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery and a volunteer assisting Cyber Patriot teams in their preparation for competition.

We are so excited for Matthew, said Paul Harris, Auburn University professor of political science and associate director of the Honors College. He is such an accomplished young scholar, servant-leader and friend, and we wish him well in his studies at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Our entire Auburn Family can take great pride in his accomplishments."

Rogers is Auburns fifth Rhodes Scholar, following Hugh Long in 1949, Ed Gentle in 1978, Susan Karamanian in 1980 and Jordan Anderson in 2009.

The Rhodes Scholarship, one of the oldest in the world, is awarded to students with proven intellectual and academic achievement, integrity of character, qualities of leadership and proven respect for their fellow humankind.

Founded in 1904, the scholarship is one of the oldest international fellowships and is administered by the Rhodes Trust, a British charity established to honor the will and bequest of Cecil J. Rhodes.

Charles Martin is an employee at Auburn University.
Prof Venansius Baryamureeba, a former presidential candidate, appeared before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee currently processing the Constitution Amendment (No. 2) Bill, 2017.

He gave his opinions on the bill as a former presidential candidate and a senior citizen, OLIVE EYOTARU and JOSEPHINE NAMULOKI followed the proceedings.



Committee chairperson Oboth-Oboth: Professor, we welcome you. You are here as a former presidential candidate and we are considering, among other things, the presidential elections petition filing then qualifications to be a presidential candidate.

We shall ask you to introduce yourself in detail and let us know what we dont know about you. We know you as one of the youngest leaders in this country who became a professor and got a PhD at a tender age. Thank you very much, please we invite you.

Prof Venansius Baryamureeba

Baryamureeba: My name is Prof Venansius Baryamureeba, I come from Ibanda, my home district and I am here as you have stated to appear before you as a former presidential candidate.

I was invited to appear before this committee and share views on the Constitution Amendment (No2) Bill in my personal capacity as a senior citizen and former presidential candidate. Therefore, the views, opinions, perspectives and recommendations presented before this committee should be attributed to me only in those capacities.

Let me commend President Museveni and the National Resistance Army / Movement for liberating Ugandans from the forces of tyranny, oppression and exploitation in 1986, 31 years ago. In the same vein, allow me to commend President Robert Mugabe for having liberated Zimbabwe from the claws of colonialism and exploitation 37 years ago.

The Zimbabwe Independence was considered a victory for the entire African continent and, indeed, celebrated across the globe. But President Mugabe overstayed in power, outlived his usefulness and reversed his economic achievements. It is my hope and prayer that Ugandas Parliament will learn from the Zimbabwe experience and legislate appropriately.



On Repeal of Article 102(b) from the Constitution

The 1995 Uganda Constitution as per its preamble was meant to be popular, durable and for posterity. Is this still the case? I will attempt to answer this question and the key issues in the Constitution Amendment (No. 2) Bill, 2017.

Since Independence, all presidents elected and unelected have been above 35 years and below the age of 75 at the time of assuming office.

Prime Minister Apollo Milton Obote was hardly 37 years. Dr Milton Obote (1925-2005) died at the age of 79 years and he last contested for the presidency of Uganda in 1980 at the age of 55 years.

President Sir Edward Mutesa 11 was 39 years old, Idi Amin Dada was 46 years old and subsequent presidents including Yusuf Lule 57, Godfrey Binanisa 59 years and Tito Okello Lutwa 71.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was born in 1944, first became president of Uganda in 1986 at the age of 42 through a military coup and all the presidential contestants have also been above 35 years and below 75 years.

Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogere (1932) who is currently 85 years old last contested for the presidency n 1996 when he was aged 64.

John Ssebaana Kizito (1934-2017) died aged 82 and he first and last contested for the presidency of Uganda in 2006 when he was aged 72.

Beyond the presidency, very few Members of Parliament, save for youth MPs, join parliament below the age of 35 years.

With the exception of youth leagues, all major political parties/ organisations including NRM-O do not have persons below the age of 35 in key party positions like vice chairperson, vice president or secretary general. So, who is going to benefit from lowering the age limit to become president?

People aged 65 and above are prone to attack by several chronic conditions/ diseases which include Alzheimers disease, dementia, depression, arthritis, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, to mention but a few.

Japan National Police Agency (NPA) has reviewed the drivers license system to help prevent traffic accidents by elderly drivers. A revision of the Road Traffic Law, which took effect in March 2017 stipulates that people of 75 years or older risk suffering from senile dementia and are therefore required to take a cognitive function test before renewing their drivers license.

Across the globe, young people and the elderly are not allowed to drive. Also young people and the elderly cannot be allowed to work as pilots. It is only in a monarchy where very young persons and the elderly may serve as kings/ queens. This is because their role is ceremonial.

An Executive president cannot be very young or very old, given the executive powers bestowed on him or her. Some Executive president s have access to nuclear codes; authorize wars against other countries etc. What would happen if such a president suffered from dementia or depression? The result could be catastrophic.

Our motto is for God and My Country; we are a God-fearing nation. In the Catholic Church, canon law requires that for one to be appointed Bishop, he must be at least 35 years old and must vacate office at 75. In the Anglian Church, a bishop is required to vacate office at 65. Other faiths provide age limit for their leaders.

Even the rules of the Conclave were changed in 1975 to exclude all cardinals over the age of 80 from papal elections.

For the same reasons, age limit is set for bishops in the church; we should have age limits for the presidency of Uganda; this is because they all hold executive powers on behalf of the people. The chief justice and justices of the Supreme court are also required to vacate office at 70, while other judicial officers retire at 65 years. In the case of permanent secretaries, 60 is the retirement age.

I can authoritatively state that there is no evidence that the youth and elderly want article 102 (b) of the Constitution repealed to allow those below 35 and above 75 to be nominated for the presidency of Uganda.

I am not aware of any petition from either the youth or the elderly demanding for removal of the presidential age limit. Even the inter party forum, which came up with Constitution al and electoral reforms in 2015 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda did not find it necessary to remove age limits for the presidency, which is why they did not recommend that it be repealed.

Other than enabling President Museveni to run for president in 2021, there is no evidence to justify the repeal of article 102(b) from the Constitution.

It is not only illegal, but also immoral to amend the Constitution to accommodate one persons interest, who happens to be a sitting president that will have served the country for thirty-five (35) years at the end of his current term, which ends in 2021.

There is hardly a single senior Ugandan politician who was politically very active in his/ her 60s and 70s and lived beyond 90 years. Politicians, including President Museveni, should enjoy at least 10 years after retirement from active politics and provide their much needed wisdom and guidance to the new leadership.

Framers of the 1995 Constitution put terms limits in the Constitution well aware that President Museveni would be the first president to test the presidential term limit i.e. vacate office after serving two terms under this Constitution.

But before presidential term limits were tested, they were repealed from the Constitution by the 2005 referendum. This paved way for president Museveni to remain eligible until he is barred by article 102(b) of the Constitution , which provides that a person is not qualified for election as pesident unless that person is not less than thirty-five years and not more than seventy-five years of age.

Before Uganda can test article 102(b) on the sitting president , President Museveni, there is a bill that wants to repeal it. If Parliament succeeds in repealing article 102(b), President Museveni will be free to offer himself for the presidency until death, which amounts to a life presidency.

This is possible because as the incumbent, he will explore government machinery, resources and structures to win elections at any cost, risking to transform into a tyrant, some signs of which are already evident.

Life presidency projects failed in Egypt under Hosni Mubarak, In Libya under Muammar Gadaffi, and in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe to mention but a few. Will it succeed in Uganda under Museveni?

It is important to note that in the 1995 Constitution, the people of Uganda chose a democracy/ republic form of governance as opposed to other forms of governance such as federalism, monarchy, dictatorship, authoritarian, autocracy or tyranny.

The main purpose of the 1995 Constitution was to arrest political and Constitution al instability and breeding of tyrant leaders.

We need to be reminded that a preamble is an introductory and expressionary statement in a document that explains the documents purpose and underlying philosophy. In law, its the introductory part of a statute, deed or law stating its purpose, aims, and justification.

Now Parliament, under article 79(3), has a duty to protect the Constitution and promote democratic governance of Uganda. So Parliament must be seen to take its Constitution al function as laid down in article 79 of the Constitution seriously.

From the research I have undertaken and what I have had from NRM MPs, most of them are behaving like the 12 disciples and so president should do to the NRM MPs what Jesus did to the 12 disciples.

The Bible,in John 16: 7, quotes Jesus as having said that but very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. Alternatively put, Its better that I go away; if I dont go away you wont be great.

Great leaders step aside to give room for other great leaders to emerge. Unless President Museveni accepts to retire there will not be transition in NRM-O and the presidency during his lifetime.

Has President Museveni ever imagined what will happen in his absence? He needs to mentor whoever becomes president after him to carry forward his good works. Jesus handed over the Church to Peter when Peter needed him most and President Museveni should emulate Jesus.



Observations

We should be aware of the consequences of having young and inexperienced leaders with no temperament and experience and old leaders who are highly prone to chronic ailments like dementia, depression etc. in senior executive positions of leadership such as the presidency.

In addition to the academic qualifications (a minimum formal education of Advanced Level standard or its equivalent), persons aspiring to be president should have years of learning on the job either in the public or private sector (working experience) which they can bring to the presidency.

It is researched practice, that all chief executive positions in the public and private sectors require working experience.

Appointment of cabinet ministers is the prerogative of the president and a serious president should appoint energetic and experienced ministers; so the argument of having in cabinet senile elders or young and inexperienced persons should not be used as justification for repealing article 102(b).

It is scientifically proven that its dangerous to put (senile) elderly people in positions that have immense executive power like the presidency.

Article 102(b) gives a range of 45 years i.e. From 35 to 80 years for one to serve as president and, so, any body interested in serving as president has from 35 years up to 75 years (40 years range) to offer himself or herself as a president ial candidate.

Since Independence in 1962, If Uganda had had president s who served only one term of five years, by now Uganda would have had 11 president s. So, being president is not for everybody and should also not be monopolized by a few individuals.



Recommendations

Considering that President Museveni is now 73 years old, all MPs who are 55 years old and below can be put in the category of his children.

In the African culture, parents take decisions for their children below 18 years and likewise children take decisions on behalf of the parents who are very old. So, this parliament should demand that President Museveni retires in 2021 by ensuring that article 102(b) is not repealed.

If Uganda was a private family business limited by shares, President Museveni would by now have handed over the chief executive officer (CEO) role to one of his children and concentrated on being Chairman Board of Directors; thus its about time President Museveni considers handing over the presidency to another Ugandan and concentrates on being Chairman of NRM-O.

I recommend that the Constitution should be amended to provide for two (2) consecutive presidential term limits for the president where each term is of five (5) years.



Constitutional Review Commission

I strongly recommend that the successor to President Museveni should put in place a Constitution al review commission to address the gaps in the Constitution . Under President Museveni Uganda cannot have a meaningful Constitution al review process.

Extension of the term of the current president and parliament, in a situation where we find ourselves on the verge of repealing article 102(b) from the Constitution, then I urge parliament before the 3rd reading to negotiate with President Museveni on this exit strategy.

Article 102(b) allows one to serve a Presidential term of five (5) years as long as that person is nominated before he is 75 years old.

For purposes of transition if its considered as an option, I recommend to Parliament to extend the current term of the president and Parliament by three years so that President Museveni can prepare to vacate office in May 2024. This should be on condition that Parliament doesnt repeal article 102(b) from the Constitution .

The framers of the 1995 Constitution did not realise that by allowing a speaker/ deputy speaker to just be removed by 2/3 of members of parliament without putting in safe guards like those for the president and chief justice that include putting in place a tribunal comprised of the justices of the Supreme court, it was weakening the legislature.

Separation of powers is a political doctrine of Constitutional law under which the three arms of government (Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary) are kept separate to prevent abuse of power.

Also known as the system of checks and balances, each arm is given certain powers so as to check and balance the other arms of government. The Separation of Powers aims at doing one primary thing: to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist.

To appreciate the dilemma facing the three arms of government in Uganda today, I will quote James Madison, the 4th president of United States (US) .

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny (James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788).

This is because the founding fathers of US were well-acquainted with a long-held tenet of government: the accumulation of power by a single person or body of government is the greatest threat to liberty.

Since the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by the whole parliament/ house and not by a party caucus, I strongly recommend that Article 82(7)(e) on the Removal of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, be amended to provide for a Chief Justice constituting a tribunal comprising three justices of the Supreme Court to investigate the allegation in the resolution of parliament for the removal of the Speaker/ Deputy Speaker and report its findings to Parliament stating whether or not there is a prima facie case for the removal of the Speaker/ Deputy Speaker. This will strengthen the legislature and enhance independence of the three arms of government.

As I end my submission, permit me to share with you a word of God from the book of Genesis 18:14 is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son. Indeed, it came to pass; when Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90, she gave birth to Isaac. With God nothing is impossible.



Oboth-Oboth: We want to thank you professor for coming and making history, we thank you very much.

eyotaru@gmail.com

namuloki16@gmail.com
Presentations before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee indicate nearly equal divided opinion on the presidential age limit bill.

According to the Committee's consultation meeting road map, a total of 50 people and institutions were invited to appear to give opinions on the Constitutional Amendment Bill No.2 of 2017, between October 31 and November 21.

Afterwards, the Committee will embark on upcountry consultative meetings and bench marking trips abroad.

Mover of the age limit bill Raphael Magyezi (R) before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee

URN has also learnt that at least 20 people invited by the Committee have declined to appear to give their stand. Nine more witnesses are scheduled to appear this week. So far, seven witnesses are in support of the removal of the age limits, nine are against while five have no position.



The private member's bill tabled by the Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi seeks among other things to amend Article 102(b), which bars people below 35 and those above 75 years from standing for president. The proposed amendment of Article 102(b) became a source of controversy way before Magyezi formally tabled the bill before Parliament.



The age limit bill is strongly opposed by the opposition, a section of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party MPs, law dons, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and some religious leaders among others.

In support



Those who have so far approved the lifting of the presidential age limits are seven including the mover of the bill, MP Raphael Magyezi, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda among others.



The others in support of the amendment are historian Dr Tanga Odoi who is the NRM electoral commissioner, Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere and a youth pressure group dubbed the Kick Age Limitations Out of the Constitution (KALOC).



These criticised the presence of Article 102(b) of the Constitution saying that it is discriminatory and that someone's leadership capacity should not be limited by fixing age limits.



Besides the criticism, deputy NRM secretary general Richard Todwong claimed that Article 102(b) that provides for a lower and upper presidential age caps was smuggled into the Constitution in 1995. The Committee then directed Todwong to submit a copy of the Hansard he was referring to so that the committee analyses it.



Meanwhile, a copy of the Hansard dated Monday March 13, 1995 indicates how the Constituent Assembly (CA) chaired by the late James Wapakhabulo considered the draft Constitution. The Hansard specifically indicates the debate that preceded the insertion of Article 102 in the 1995 Constitution.

Committee chairperson Jacob Oboth-Oboth (R)

Opposed to amendment



Those opposed to the lifting of the presidential age limits include opposition political parties such as the Conservative Party (CP), Democratic Party (DP), and Justice Forum (JEEMA) among others.



Also opposed to the removal of age limits are Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza, political historian Mwambutsya Ndebeesa, Constitutional lawyer Prof Fredrick Ssempebwa, former Supreme court judge Prof. George Kanyeihamba, former presidential candidate Venansius Baryamureeba and former East African Community (EAC) secretary general, Nuwe Amanya Mushega.



Their opinion before the committee is that the proposed amendment is meant to favour an individual - President Yoweri Museveni - yet a law is meant to be blind.

They also demand the establishment of a Constitutional Review Commission to handle all amendments as promised by government. Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza demanded that the bill be returned to the government to await widespread consultations under the Constitutional Review Commission.



Not far from her submission, Prof Ssempebwa, the former chairman of a Constitutional Review Commission, noted that the Constitution had lost almost all its original checks and balances and now requires an entirely new review process or national dialogue to generate countrywide consensus.



"We are at a stage where the Constitution has changed drastically, not through legislative fear but mostly through practices of government, which has led to erosion of its checks and balances," said Prof. Ssempebwa adding that; "The Constitution should not be amended based on party loyalties; we now distrust you (MPs) because your positions have hardened."



No position



Those with no position on the bill are so far five including constitutional lawyer Peter Mulira, Equal Opportunity Commission, Uganda Law Reform Commission, Electoral Commission and Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA).





Mulira challenged the legality of the process saying that Parliament cannot use its legislative powers to amend the Constitution. He urged MPs to approach the bill with an open mind.



"If I were to approach this problem in a constitutional manner, it means that I don't come with preconceived ideas that Article 102(b) is bad, I come to listen....and as a thinking person I decide where to fall," he argued.



No show



Meanwhile, those who have declined to appear before the committee include Uganda Law Society, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), People's Development Party (PDP), Uganda People's Congress (UPC), Makerere Law dos, Uganda Management Institute's Dr Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, political scientists Dr Yasin Olum, Dr. Sali Simba Kayunga, former premier Apolo Nsibambi, and Inter Religious Council of Uganda.



The others are East Africa Centre for Constitutional Development (Kituo Cha Katiba), lawyer Godfrey Lule, former Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki, Women's Democracy Network, Uganda Elder's Forum, Women's Council, former presidential candidates John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye, Maureen Kyalya and Abed Bwanika.



Some of these have written to the committee giving different reasons for not appearing while others expressed their opposition to the proposed amendment in the different media report.



"We had an extra ordinary general meeting on the 9th November 2017 and the meeting resolved that Uganda Law Society should distance itself from the process of amending the Constitution under the proposed Constitution (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2017.' reads part of the letter dated 10th November 2017 signed by ULS president Francis Gimara.



For FDC, the process of introducing the bill was flawed from the start and any process in the committee purporting to process what they described as an illegitimate Bill is in its self-illegitimate.



"We noted with dismay the way the legislative environment was destroyed by the invasion of the the Chamber. We are still nursing your own colleagues. We therefore decline to appear before the committee." reads part of the letter signed by FDC acting president Alice Alaso, in reference to September 27 military raid on Parliament.



Yet to appear



According to the Committee's road map of the invited people and institutions, nine are expected this week. These include Uganda Medical Association, Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF), National Youth Council, People's Progressive Party (PPP), Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA), FRONASA Veterans' Association, Platform for Alternative Leadership, Members of Parliament and the Business Community.



Some of these requested for more time to come up with positions on the Bill.



More requests to appear



With more requests coming in from ordinary Ugandans and different groups seeking to appear before the committee, Oboth-Oboth told URN that his committee will entertain written submissions from these groups and individuals to save time.



"They are mainly in clusters and we are likely to give each 1 to 5 minutes to make their submissions since there are many who want to appear," said Oboth-Oboth.
Chinas economic growth is expected to exceed 6.5% in 2018, said Fan Hengshan, vice secretary general of the countrys National Development and Reform Commission.

Thanks to market and government factors, the Chinese economy will maintain a sound momentum for the next several years, Fan added.

Fan made the remarks at a forum on city development held on Nov. 18 in Beijing. If Chinas 2017 economic growth could reach 6.8 or 6.9 percent, the growth rate for 2018 will not be lower than 6.5 percent. he noted.

He believes that China will finally become a developed country as long as it finds a solution to imbalanced development. In addition, he said that the function of government should never be underestimated for a nations development.
A poor dog has reportedly died of a broken heart after being abandoned by her owner at an airport in Colombia. She spent the last month of her life wandering around the airport in search of her master and eventually stopped eating as a result of severe depression.

The distressed dog, named Nube Viajera (Traveling Cloud) by the veterinarians who rescued her from Palonegro airport, near Bucaramanga, and looked after her until the very end, was only about two years old, but after a month of wandering around sniffing passengers and refusing to accept food and water, she had become so weak that she was barely able to stand. Witnesses said that in the last days of her life, the animal gave up her daily search and crawled into an isolated corner, refusing to accept any food that passengers and airport staff offered her. She was finally taken to a veterinarian clinic after someone alerted the Friends of Animals and Nature Foundation of Bucaramanga, but despite their best efforts, she died within 48 hours of being rescued.

Photo: Alejandro Sotomonte/Facebook

Dr Alejandro Sotomonte, who tried to nurse Nube Viajera back to health, told Noticias RCN that he was convinced the animal died from a broken heart after being abandoned. She was young and showed no signs of serious illness, except for the severe depression. Although she did not have a collar, the spotted dog did not have the behavior of a stray, either.

Photo: Alejandro Sotomonte/Facebook

Stray dogs have a strong survival instinct and can easily move around from one place to another without falling into depression, Sotomonte said. The stray has no master, but at the same time everyone can be its owner. We presume that Nube Viajera had a master and a home, because she never left the airport, and kept sniffing people as if she was searching for someone.

Photo: Facebook

Despite being administered food and medicine intravenously by veterinarians, Nube Viajeras health deteriorated rapidly in the last 48 hours of her life, as her sadness and depression intensified. Dr. Sotomonte told local reporters that studies have shown that dogs can choose to die when going through severe depression, and that he believes that was the case with this abandoned dog.
Groups that oppose the spread of Wi-Fi and cellphone hardware are trying to stop bills before Congress that would block control of transmitters by cities.

Petitions.moveon.org is seeking signatures on a petition that will be sent to members of Congress opposing S.19, The Mobile Now Act, and S.1988, The SPEED Act. They are backed by Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

Americans for Responsible Technology says the wireless industry has been "secretly" introducing such legislation.

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 15 vetoed Senate Bill 649 that would have removed local control of cellphone tower creation. It would have created a state mandated system of cell towers every couple of hundred feet apart in California.

Opposing it were 300 cities, 47 counties and more than 100 community, planning, health, environment and justice organizations.

EMF Safety Network and Ecological Options Network said cell towers emit harmful radiation. The bill would have allowed unlimited refrigerator-size cell equipment on utility poles, streetlights, sidewalks, in parks, on schools and public buildings with no safety oversight.

Health Advocate Presses View

Sarah Aminoff, M.D., a pediatric neurologist, created the petition, and accompanied it with the following statement.

I dont want a cell tower installed on a street lamp outside my home! The FCC is streamlining the deployment of thousands of 4G small cell towers now on an unprecedented scale and paving the way for hundreds of thousands more 5G antennas in the future.T his could be happening in your neighborhood if you dont act now and contact your member of Congress!

These industry bills will allow powerful wireless transmitters to be installed (along with their noisy and large power equipment) to any utility pole or street lamp in any public right of way in America. Most utility poles or street lamps will become cell towers on every block leaving the public with no input or legal recourse, and vulnerable to privacy and security risks.

The public has not agreed to cell towers in their front yards! Real estate values will significantly decline near base stations and antennas. All of us, as taxpayers, will be footing the bill while the telecom companies profit hugely.

Safety Not Proven

Contrary to assurances by AT&T and Verizon, the safety of wireless exposure has never been proven and there is growing science showing increased health risks, especially for children and pregnant women. I worry about the science showing health risks. Do you? Safety limits have not been updated since the 1990s and the FCCs guidelines were derived from industry, and there is no monitoring or compliance testing of cell towers.

A recent $25 million study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health found increased incidences of brain cancer, malignant tumors of the heart and DNA damage in laboratory animals from microwave wireless exposure levels the FCC considers safe!

Please sign this petition with your full legal name as it will be sent to Congressional leaders in Washington D.C, urging them to oppose S.19, and S.1988 and put a stop to the massive deployment of cell towers.


Marion Buller





Canadas National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has tapped Hill+Knowlton for strategic communications duties for a program in the $230K range.

Rob Mariani, senior VP at H+K, told the Canandian Broadcasting Corp. that the WPP unit is still sorting out its communications role and scope of work for the Inquiry.

An official start date has not been set.

In its tender offer, Public Works and Government Services Canada called for PR, PA, crisis management, strategic guidance and social media support.

Established in 2016, the Inquiry is charged with examining the high level of homicides, violence and abuse directed against the countrys aboriginal and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer women and girls.

Indigenous people make up 4.3 percent of Canadas overall population. They account for nearly a quarter of the countrys homicides and are 12x times more likely to go missing than other Canadian females.

Critics of the Inquiry fault it for a lack of communications directed at native women and grassroots organizations.

In its interim report issued Nov. 1, Marion Buller, chief commissioner of the Inquiry called for increased financial and counseling support for families and survivors.

"The National Inquiry will continue to focus on what matters most: providing a safe space and enough time for families and survivors to tell their truths. It is these truths that will inform our recommendations to address the widespread systemic violence that Indigenous woman, girls and two-spirited people face, every day in Canada," said Buller.
The Legal Marketing Assn., which has more than 4,200 members and representatives in 90 percent of the biggest 200 law firms, is looking for a PR firm to help it become a more vocal advocate for the profession.
A sense of belonging has become one of the major reasons for foreigners affection for China, together with other factors such as a convenient life and friendly people.

The term has been frequently used by foreigners in China to explain their liking for the country on the zhihu.com, a question-and-answer site.

Chinese are the most reliable people, said a German surnamed Wolfrun who has been engaged in the import business from the Far East for over 50 years. A freelancer surnamed Teresa from Seattle, United States, who currently works in China, also found familiarity with her hometown in the Chinese city of Changzhou. Topics related to China, such as miraculous infrastructure projects and Chinese TV dramas, have always drawn attention of the world.

These all prove Chinas close interaction with the world and its unique attraction.

Chinese President Xi Jinpings remarks in his speech delivered at the 19th CPC National Congress were a precise summary of Chinas historical changes in its international image and status over the last 5 years.

Xi said that with this we have seen a further rise in Chinas international influence, ability to inspire, and power to shape; and China has made great new contributions to global peace and development.

China has become a prioritized destination of tourism and residence for more and more foreigners because of its natural beauty, profound culture, delicious food, and convenient transportation.

Foreigners are also inspired by Chinese ideas, values, and wisdom reflected in the countrys development. Xis speeches delivered at major international events have been broadly recognized, and his proposals widely accepted. His book Xi Jinping: the Governance of China has been sold in more than 160 countries and regions in 24 languages.

The liking also comes from the countrys peaceful and sincere conducts in overseas countries. A journalist from Myanmar said at the 2017 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road held two months ago in Dunhuang, Gansu, that the Belt and Road Initiative is hope for his country. A media practitioner from Kenyan attributed Chinas reputation to its assistance and sincerity for other countries.

China is attracting the world with its unique charm, and will definitely embrace the future and the world with confidence.
An 11-year-old boy took an unloaded gun to Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School on Monday, police said.

Principal Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek sent an email to families to alert them about the incident.

School staff members learned that a student may have had a gun with him at school. They found the boy and the gun. Police responded, and the boy was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a handgun by a person under 18 and possession of a firearm on school grounds, according to Officer Michael Pecha, a police spokesman.

The student was booked into the Douglas County Youth Center.

Please be assured that this was an isolated incident, and no students or staff were in danger during this incident, Clark-Kaczmarek wrote. We are working with the family of the student involved, and the appropriate disciplinary action is being taken.

Staff members are working with the districts safety office, on-site security and police to keep the school safe, he said.

We appreciate your continued help in guiding our students in the use of good judgment in their actions for their safety and the safety of others, he wrote.

The districts code of conduct calls for a one-year expulsion if a student possesses a gun on school grounds. Having other weapons at school is a serious disciplinary offense that can result in a long-term suspension or reassignment.
Convenience and price were the twin engines powering early Thanksgiving arrivals at Omahas Eppley Airfield on Sunday.

The long trip from Calgary, Alberta, went smoothly for the Rennard family of four, including two young children. The first of their two flights was only about one-third full, Dave Rennard said.

For us, this was more about time with family, although we price-shopped for a few weeks, Rennard said. The options of coming in Wednesday or Thursday seemed like (travel) would be more intense. It was really easy to fly today, and we didnt have to worry about the little ones bothering people.

Rennard said one of his siblings came in Saturday and others were on their way. It will be the first time that the whole family has gotten together in Omaha for Thanksgiving in three years.

AAA projects that 50.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3 percent increase over last year. The 2017 holiday weekend is expected to see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005, with 1.6 million more people taking to the nations roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year.

Cheaper fares will lure many of the expected 3.95 million airline travelers. According to AAA, consumers will pay the cheapest average airfare since 2013.

Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more ... Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year, said Bill Sutherland, an AAA senior vice president. A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.

Maclaine Sorden of Eugene, Oregon, was greeted warmly by his mother, Merri Sorden of Creston, Iowa. He arrived Sunday because he is transitioning between jobs and has some extra time to spend with family.

Its nice to avoid the Thanksgiving rush, Sorden said. It was a good trip because I was able to sleep on both planes. I left (Eugene) at 3:45 a.m.

Ann Small, daughter Ashley Bosserman and 3-year-old granddaughter Lily Bosserman arrived Sunday from Baltimore to get a jump on the holidays. Mother and daughter wore festive Thanksgiving hats they purchased for the trip.

We came in to see my mother, Small said. Were having Thanksgiving dinner (Monday), Christmas on Tuesday and then flying home Wednesday so that I can cook another Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.
Sen. Ben Sasse says the Republican Party is unpersuasive and doesnt have clarity of any long-term vision.

Those two sides of the Republican Party  you can call it a Wall Street-K Street continuum and a Bannonite populism  both of them are unpersuasive to moms and dads in Iowa and Nebraska who are thinking about what kind of country they want to give their kids in 10 and 20 years, the Nebraska Republican told the Des Moines Register on Saturday.

He made the comments after speaking at a fundraiser in Des Moines for the Iowa Family Leader, an evangelical conservative group.

Sasse said he likes the tax bill moving forward in the Senate. And yet to pretend this tax bill is world-changing is the way politicians in Washington, D.C., regularly pretend that every bill being debated every day is the thing that will usher in heaven, he said.

Though Sasse wouldnt say if enactment of tax cuts would lift Republicans in next years elections, he did say former White House strategist Steve Bannons crusade to challenge virtually all Republican senators seeking re-election was not helping the party. Bannon is trying to run to the front of the parade of conservative anger at Congress, said Sasse.

The party Im in is going through a split between two sides, he said, describing veteran leadership characterized by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Bannon, who has vowed to topple McConnell.

Addressing the fundraising banquet of 500 Christian conservative donors and activists, Sasse steered clear of criticism that he has regularly lobbed at President Donald Trump this year. Instead, Sasse took pains to describe himself as an outsider despite his partys lock on Congress.

I think that the Republican Party doesnt have clarity of any long-term vision that it communicates to the American people. Thats why in the 2016 presidential election you saw it ripe for a pretty fundamental attack on its platform, Sasse said.

This article includes material from the Associated Press and CQ Roll Call.
LINCOLN  Nine years after it was first proposed, the Keystone XL pipeline was granted a route across Nebraska on Monday.

But it was not immediately clear whether the pathway  an alternative route not preferred by TransCanada  will prompt construction of the controversial project.

Instead of celebrating the approval, the Canadian pipeline developer issued a short statement that it was still evaluating Mondays approval, which promises to increase the expense and delay for the $8 billion project.

As a result of todays decision, we will conduct a careful review of the (Nebraska) Public Service Commissions ruling while assessing how the decision would impact the cost and schedule of the project, said Russ Girling, TransCanadas president and chief executive officer.

A longtime backer of the pipeline, State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, put it more succinctly.

This creates unnecessary uncertainty, Smith wrote in a tweet. Too bad.

On a 3-2 vote, the Public Service Commission approved a 280-mile-long route across the state, but it was the mainline alternative route and not the preferred route that TransCanada had proposed.

The new path takes a 63-mile detour from the preferred route and would parallel, for about 100 miles, the existing Keystone pipeline that TransCanada put into operation in 2010.

The decision, while giving the Canadian company a route across Nebraska, raises many questions. The detour will require new right of way contracts with at least 40 landowners, some of whom may not have realized that their land was on a pipeline route.

It throws the project into a complete question mark, said Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska, the grass-roots group that has led opposition to the Keystone XL.

TransCanada officials have said that they wont know until December whether they have enough contracts with shippers to make the project financially feasible.

The company did not respond Monday to emailed questions about how the route change might affect that decision.

Opponents of the project, who have promised to file lawsuits to block the project, called the decision mostly a victory because the PSC rejected TransCanadas preferred route.

This decision opens up a whole new bag of (legal) issues that we can raise, said Ken Winston, an attorney for the Sierra Club, which has opposed the pipeline.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, during his monthly radio call-in show, told callers that the pipeline will be on balance good for the state, due to the increased taxes and jobs it will generate. But there are more steps in the process, he said.

So well have to wait and see how that all plays out, Ricketts said.

Some groups, including Americans for Prosperity and the Consumer Energy Alliance, applauded the decision, saying the Keystone XL would provide a stable and reliable supply of oil for the U.S.

Voting to approve the route were PSC Commissioners Tim Schram of Gretna, Frank Landis of Lincoln and Rod Johnson of Sutton. Voting no were Commissioners Crystal Rhoades of Omaha and Mary Ridder of Callaway.

The order to approve the route said there were many benefits to having the 36-inch Keystone XL parallel, as much as possible, the 30-inch Keystone pipeline.

Among the benefits, the order said, were better monitoring of the pipeline and quicker response to any problems. The new route also crosses fewer miles of the migration route of the endangered whooping crane.

Commissioners said they could not twin the two pipelines across all of Nebraska because that was not among the routes submitted by TransCanada. To do that, they said, also risked upsetting neighboring South Dakota, which established an exit point from that state at Keya Paha County, far west of where the Keystone pipeline enters the state.

By law, the PSC was charged with deciding whether the pipeline route was in the public interest.

Safety and the possibility of leaks were not to be considered, including a 210,000-gallon oil leak last week from the Keystone pipeline in northeastern South Dakota. Also not to be considered was whether the project was financially feasible.

The PSCs Johnson, a farmer and a yes vote for the pipeline, sternly reminded TransCanada in his written comments that the company had made many promises. Those, he said, included that farmland disturbed by pipeline construction would be fully restored and that the Keystone XL would be the safest pipeline in history.

Nebraskans are counting on that, Johnson wrote.

The Keystone XL, proposed in 2008, ignited a firestorm of opposition in part because the first planned route crossed the fragile and groundwater-rich Sand Hills region of Nebraska.

In response, TransCanada agreed to reroute its pipeline, and that route was approved by another state agency, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, in 2013.

But in 2015, President Barack Obama rejected the entire project.

After Donald Trump took office this January, he resurrected the Keystone XL. In March, TransCanada applied for approval of the route approved in 2013, though it provided two alternatives, including the one chosen Monday.

The new portion of the alternative route runs from near Neligh, Nebraska, in Antelope County, diagonally across Madison County, and then hooks up with the path of the Keystone pipeline in southwest Stanton County, near Leigh, Nebraska.

One landowner who lives in that area, Van Neidig of Battle Creek, said he was quite sure no one in his area had been told they might be on the pipeline route.

But Neidig added he expected few landowners to oppose it. We farm around pipelines (already). Its part of our lives, he said.

Rhoades, the PSC commissioner from Omaha, said in her written dissent that the due process rights of landowners on the new route were violated because they werent informed about it by the state or TransCanada, and thus had no opportunity to comment on the routing process.

Ridder, who was elected to the PSC last year, said that the three routes proposed by TransCanada crossed too much fragile soil and that the best route  alongside the existing Keystone pipeline across the entire state  was not offered.

Mondays meeting lasted seven minutes.

When the vote was complete, a gasp was heard from among the roughly 25 people crammed into the PSCs meeting room. More than 60 people listened in an overflow room, including labor union members clad in orange T-shirts, who have supported the pipeline, and Native Americans and Bold Nebraska members, who have fought it.

Some opponents cried after the decision was announced. One small boy held a sign reading, I cant drink oil. Water is life.

The Keystone XL is designed to carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the tar sands region of northern Alberta to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Much has changed in the oil business since the project was proposed, casting doubt on whether the Keystone XL is still needed.

In 2008, crude oil was trading at nearly $150 a barrel, about three times the current price. The Keystone XL was proposed before fracking took off in the U.S., which created an oil boom in North Dakota and Texas, and pushed domestic production to a new record.

Some major oil companies have pulled out of the tar sands region in recent months due to the depressed prices and worldwide glut of oil, plus the higher cost of turning the tar sands into synthetic crude. And other pipeline projects have been completed to ship crude oil.

World-Herald staff writers Joe Duggan and Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.

* * * * *

Correction: A map previously used with this story misidentified Alberta, Canada.
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the sixth meeting of heads of government of China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries during his official visit to Hungary, and attend the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Russian city of Sochi from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the announcement on Monday, saying the tour is being made at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Concerning China-CEE cooperation, Lu said the meeting in Hungary coincides with the fifth anniversary of the establishment of China's cooperation with the 16 CEE countries. During these five years, cooperation between the countries have achieved tangible progress in connectivity, trade, economy, finance, industrial capacity and cultural exchanges.

Lu said that China expects the upcoming China-CEE meeting to map out the future cooperation direction and steps on the basis of previous experience, and to advance China-Europe ties.
An impressive consensus is bringing many conservatives and liberals together in Nebraska to support practical-focused changes in the states licensing requirements for occupations.

Serious discussions on the issue  to identify possible occupations for delicensing, or other licensing revamps  began at the Legislature last spring, and the issue is expected to receive attention during the 2018 session.

Licensing is clearly needed in some professions, of course, to safeguard public health and safety. But over the decades, the portion of jobs in Nebraska and nationwide requiring a license has steadily increased.

At present, state-issued licenses are required in about 200 occupations in Nebraska involving 24 percent of Nebraska workers, a figure just below the national average.

The result, three analysts with the Federal Trade Commission recently wrote, is that licensing requirements for many occupations are unmoored from legitimate health, safety or similar public policy objectives.

Excessive licensing ill serves the public interest in various ways: People face unfair job barriers. Opportunities for innovation and economic growth are undercut. Prices for goods and services are needlessly inflated in many cases (by 3 percent to 16 percent, according to a 2015 federal report).

Specific population groups are especially vulnerable, as the Federal Trade Commission analysts explained:

Recent studies strongly suggest that the burdens of excessive occupational licensing fall disproportionately on the most economically disadvantaged citizens. Another group particularly impacted . . . (is) the spouses of U.S. military personnel. Because members of the military move to new states frequently, their spouses must repeatedly meet new and often different licensing requirements as they move from state to state.

The Obama administration encouraged state governments to consider practical reforms of their licensing requirements, and the Trump administration is sending the same message. Similarly, in Nebraska, leaders with the Platte Institute and ACLU Nebraska are reaching across philosophical boundaries to jointly support changes in licensing policy.

The Platte Institute focuses on how reform can boost jobs and entrepreneurship. ACLU Nebraska points to how such changes can end barriers often facing minorities, the disadvantaged and those with a criminal record.

Through careful deliberation and reform, Nebraska lawmakers ought to be able to strike a balance that removes needless barriers while safeguarding the public.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of China has explained that the contents of ASEAN Chairmans statement on the South China Sea reflects the real situation in the disputed territory.

MFA spokesperson Geng Shuang said the situation in the South China Sea has been cooling down and moving towards a "stable and positive direction."

"Therefore, what is written in the statement matches the real case in the South China Sea," Geng said in a regular press conference Thursday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as rotating chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) issued the ASEAN Chairmans statement last Thursday, a day after the closing of the successful 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila.

Some media reports, however, put emphasis on ASEANs soft stance on Chinas activities in the South China Sea.

"It goes without saying that the contents regarding the South China Sea in the Chairman's statement of the ASEAN Summit need to faithfully reflect the real situation in the South China Sea," Geng explained.

In the Chairmans statement, the ASEAN has expressed elation over the improving relations between ASEAN and China particularly the adoption of the framework of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

"We reaffirmed our commitment to the full and effective implementation of the DOC (Declaration of the Conduct) in its entirety, and the importance of undertaking confidence building and preventive measures to enhance, among others, trust and confidence amongst parties," said the statement.

ASEAN has also reaffirmed "the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, maritime safety and security, rules-based order and freedom of navigation in and over flight above the South China Sea."

"In this regard, we further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, emphasized the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the DOC that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea, and stressed the need to adhere to the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," the statement said.

Last August, ASEAN and China foreign ministers adopted the COC framework which aims to improve the relations among countries amid overlapping claims by China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

In his address during the 20th China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting last Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang encouraged the parties to work hard to finish the COC on the basis of consensus "at an early date to make it an anchor of peace and stability in the South China Sea."

"China's commitment to the goal of upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea will not change, nor will we change our policy of peacefully resolving disputes over territory and maritime rights and interests through consultation and negotiation with countries directly concerned," Li said.

He said China looks forward to working with ASEAN countries in the constructive spirit of friendly consultation to continue to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
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Seal and sea lion populations rebounded during the past 40 years, and now the protected animals snack on millions of Chinook salmon throughout the West each year, potentially eating into any progress from conservation projects.

That's one major takeaway from a study by Oregon State University, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and tribal scientists published Monday in Scientific Reports.

The "dramatic" increase in salmon consumption, an estimate based on models, comes as the overall harvest from commercial and recreational fisheries has dropped more than 40 percent since 1975, the study found. Several salmon runs are threatened or endangered and are carefully managed to prevent overfishing and to help boost recovery. The increase in activity from the marine predators could be "masking the success of coast wide conservation efforts," the study found.

Scientists said the pinniped population boom may also explain why endangered killer whales in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and Washington state are struggling to recover. The study pointed at competition with seals and sea lions  not humans  as a "more important factor" explaining killer whales' populations issues.

"We have been successful at restoring and improving the population status of protected marine mammals," Brandon Chasco, an Oregon State University Ph.D. candidate and lead author of the study said in a statement. "But now we have the potential for protected seals and sea lions to be competing with protected killer whales, and all of which consume protected chinook salmon."

Salmon migrate thousands of miles in some cases during their lifetime to return to breeding grounds in rivers across the west.

The report comes as Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife officials continue to push for more authority to kill the protected marine mammals, particularly California sea lions. U.S. Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington and Kurt Schrader of Oregon introduced a bill this year that they say is intended to protect threatened salmon species in the Columbia River basin. The bill would allow officials to dramatically increase the number of pinnipeds killed each year.

According to the study, pinnipeds and killer whales ate roughly 5 million Chinook salmon in 1975 but are now estimated to consume 31.5 million individual fish each year.

Killer whales as a species eat more fish than either of the pinnipeds.

The study found during the same period that commercial and recreational fisheries dropped from harvesting 3.6 million individual salmon to 2.1 million in 2015. The area ranges from central California to Alaska.

Isaac Kaplan, a research fishery biologist at NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center and a coauthor on the study, said in a statement that the researchers attempted to look at just one challenge of many facing salmon recovery.

"The better we understand the different obstacles to salmon recovery, the better we can account for them as we plan and carry out recovery programs," Kaplan said. "Recovery efforts must account for all of these challenges, and we're providing more details about one important part of that picture."

Sharon Young, marine mammal expert with the Humane Society of the United States, said the study was interesting because it looked at salmon consumption from three different marine mammals -- killer whales, harbor seals and California sea lions. "It clearly concludes what is widely acknowledged  predation creates a challenge to fish recovery, compounding effects of dams, habitat degradation, harvest and hatchery and non-native fish," Young said.

She also lauded the report's authors for examining whether hatchery fish, deployed to augment the fisheries and take pressure off of wild fish stocks, may be inducing more salmon consumption by marine mammals.

The landmark 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act is key to bringing those predators back from the brink after decades of hunting. California sea lions once numbered as little as 10,000, but now boast a population greater than 300,000.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
BY ALEX Z. PETTIT

The people of Oregon entrust public and private institutions with their most sensitive personal and financial information. Oregonians' expectations of privacy shouldn't hinge on the agency or business with whom they are transacting. However, increasingly sophisticated and coordinated cyber attacks put this information at ever-greater risk. Individual and isolated interventions are no longer sufficient to defend our businesses, our communities or our people.

The traditional castle and moat approach to cybersecurity may provide protection to a lucky few but leaves most of us vulnerable - and even then, such protections may not be enough. Given our growing interdependence, the vulnerabilities of smaller and under-resourced entities increasingly put the public and private-sector at risk. In 2016, a breach at the relatively obscure Construction Contractors Board compromised the log-in credentials for the Oregon Department of Transportation and several local governments, including Multnomah County, the state's most populous county. The incident reaffirmed the well-known adage, that "we are only as strong as our weakest link."

As each us becomes more and more dependent on technology, a growing and more sophisticated cyber threat landscape should be a major cause for concern. Cyber crime is far more pervasive than even headline-grabbing data breaches like the 143 million records stolen from Equifax earlier this year. In Oregon, 108 companies of all sizes have reported data breaches since the Oregon Consumer Identity Theft Protect Act went into effect on Jan 1, 2016.

Research shows that four out of 10 U.S. citizens, including Oregonians, have experienced some sort of cyber crime, including identity theft, extortion schemes, harassment and cyber bullying. Compounding the problem is a critical shortage of trained cybersecurity professions. According to cyberseek.org, Oregon has nearly 3,500 unfilled cybersecurity job openings.

State agencies, local governments, educational institution and Oregon's private sector can't afford to go it alone. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among both the public and private-sector, woven into the fabric of trust that supports our public institutions and commerce. While community institutions may fall outside the traditional ambit of state cybersecurity policy, cyber threats neither respect nor acknowledge such jurisdictional boundaries.

In order to confront the threat, Oregon requires a long-term, multi-sector and collaborative approach to information security that leverages the expertise of Oregon's cyber-related industries. Since taking office, Gov. Kate Brown has led on the issue of IT security, signing Executive Order 16-13, "Unifying Cyber Security in Oregon." The governor ensured the passage of Senate Bill 90 (2017), which permanently extended IT security within Oregon's Executive Branch, established the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council and enabled the launch of the Cyber Oregon initiative in partnership with the Technology Association of Oregon.

Governor Brown marked the official launch of the Cyber Oregon initiative with a proclamation declaring today, Monday, Nov. 20th, the "Oregon Day of Cyber." The Cyber Oregon initiative brings together Technology Association of Oregon, the state's cyber-related industries, state agencies, local governments and higher education institutions. The new Cyber Oregon website, Cyberoregon.com, will provide a one-stop resource for all things cyber in Oregon, including news, threat alerts, event announcements, education materials and resources for cybersecurity job seekers. Furthermore, the website will provide updates on the work of the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council, which is establishing a public-private Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Oregon.

I urge you to get involved and take advantage of resources we're making available through the Cyber Oregon initiative. By working together, we can continue to make progress on Cyber Oregon's mission to build tangible solutions to protect the digital lives of all Oregonians.

Alex Z. Pettit is the state's chief information officer.

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Governor Brown's re-election website says she is "Oregon's Progressive Champion" and "she is standing up to anyone who would take our rights away, threaten our access to affordable health care, or pollute our air and water." Yet she refuses to speak out against the Jordan Cove fracked gas pipeline.

This proposed pipeline and export terminal would become one of the largest polluters in Oregon, use eminent domain to take property rights from private land owners so a Canadian company could sell cheap fracked gas to Asian markets, disturb Native American territories and burial grounds, endanger 400 waterways, estuaries, and salmon habitat. And that's the best case scenario; if there are accidents or mishaps which are the rule not the exception with pipelines, the damage could be catastrophic. The Democratic Party of Oregon's platform already says it is a legislative priority to keep this fracked gas pipeline from being built, yet our Democratic governor refuses to stand with her party on this issue.

Governor Brown, you cannot claim to be a "progressive champion" for Oregon and remain silent on Jordan Cove. Will you defend the rights of Native Americans and the health of our environment for current and future generations?

Sandy Krebs, Southeast Portland
Remains of the Cameroon National Assembly building after the ravaging fire. Photo by Cameroon Tribune

The Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon, Wei Wenhua, on November 17, 2017, visited Cameroons National Assembly building in the capital city of Yaounde, after fire completely destroyed five of the seven storeys the night before. The building houses the Lower House of Parliament, the National Assembly. The incident occurred barely two days after the house reopened for the third and last session of the year, which discusses and votes the following years national Appropriation Bill.

Wei, who joined other Cameroonian cabinet ministers and senior government officials in commiserating with officers of the National Assembly, said his government was ready to entertain any request for assistance made by Cameroon following the incident. The Ambassador met Deputy Speaker, Hilarion Etong, whose office was also destroyed by the inferno.

The fire, which started on the seventh and last floor at about 10 pm local time on November 16, 2017, soon spread right down to the third floor, destroying everything in its way as firemen spent three hours before containing it. Amongst the offices consumed were those of Deputy Speakers, Parliamentary Group Leaders, Members of Parliament, Finance and Administration and other senior parliamentary officials. However, the House Chambers on the ground floor was not touched by the fire.

This latest fire outbreak in the National Assembly building, which was constructed in the mid-sixties, was the third and most damaging. The first was in 1995, while the second came in 2013. Meanwhile, plans to construct a new National Assembly building have been on the drawing board for years now. On November 14, 2016, an agreement was reached with the Chinese government to construct a 13-storey facility complete with offices for all Members of Parliament.

The fire destroyed almost half of Cameroon's National Assembly building. Photo by Cameroon Tribune

On September 22, 2017, two framework agreements and an economic and technical cooperation deal worth 973 million RMB were signed in the Cameroonian capital by the countrys Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze, and Ambassador Wei Wenhua.

One of the deals worth 99 million RMB was an economic and technical cooperation accord for carrying out feasibility studies on the construction of a new National Assembly building for Cameroon. "The amount is a gift from the Chinese government without any counterpart contribution from Cameroon," Ambassador Wei Wenhua clarified. "The agreements demonstrate the willingness of China to strengthen economic and technical cooperation with Cameroon," Minister Motaze noted at the time.

Kimeng Hilton Ndukong, a contributor to Peoples Daily Online, is Sub-Editor for World News with Cameroon Tribune bilingual daily newspaper in Cameroon. He is currently a 2017 China-Africa Press Centre, CAPC fellow.
Camels are at home in the desert  even, apparently, the high desert of Central Oregon.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office responded Sunday morning to a report of a desert critter wandering in a pasture near Sisters. It seemed implausible, said Sgt. William Bailey, but that's just what deputies found when they arrived at the scene.

The camel's owner, Bailey said, lives near Bend and had brought the camel along to visit a friend near Sisters.

"He untied himself and went on a walkabout," Bailey said. "A neighbor down the street saw him in a pasture and called it in."

Deputies were initially unsure how the camel would respond when they approached, but Bailey said the camel proved quite cooperative.

"Oddly enough, another person happened to be in the area who had some experience with the camel and helped halter it," he said. The owner turned up a short while later to take custody of the animal.

The sheriff's office posted a short video of the events on Twitter, with a deadpan note that the camel was returned to its owner "After confirming it was actually a camel."

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699
A Portland judge has ruled that aggravated murder suspect Jeremy Christian, accused of fatally stabbing two MAX train passengers in the neck last May and wounding a third man, must remain in jail pending trial.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrech said it appears prosecutors have a strong case that Christian committed aggravated murder in fatally stabbing 23-year-old Taliesin Namkai-Meche and 53-year-old Ricky Best on the train as it pulled into the Hollywood Transit Center on May 26.

Christian also is charged with intentionally trying to kill a third passenger, Micah Fletcher, 23, who survived a serious knife wound to the neck.

Prosecutors appear to have the evidence they need to disprove any defense offered by Christian that he was defending himself against others, Albrecht wrote in a four-page decision made public Monday.

Prosecutors say Christian made anti-Muslim and xenophobic remarks and directed a hateful diatribe at two black teenage girls, one who was wearing a hijab, before the three men intervened.

Albrecht wrote that besides Christian, "there is no evidence that anyone possessed or used any weapons" and no evidence that anyone touched him beside Fletcher, who shoved Christian.

The judge also noted that a mental health professional's report on Christian doesn't provide evidence that Christian was suffering from a mental illness that would have prevented him from understanding that what he was doing was criminal.

"Viewing the evidence in its totality, the court finds the state has met its burden that evidence likely admissible at trial establishes that the presumption is strong and the proof evident that the defendant committed the offense of aggravated murder," Albrecht wrote. "As such, the court does not set bail in this case."

The ruling was dated Friday, and not entered into the electronic court document filing system until now. It followed a hearing last week when Christian asked the judge to allow him to post bail so he could be released from jail.

A trial date has not been set yet.

-- Aimee Green
Authorities are searching for witnesses and potential suspects after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed Sunday while on patrol in southwest Texas.

Officials with Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol said in a statement that Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were "responding to activity" near Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Texas, when both were seriously injured. Martinez's partner called for help, and other agents provided medical care and took them to a hospital.

Martinez, 36, died from his injuries, officials said. The El Paso native had been a border agent since August 2013.

His partner, who was not identified by authorities, remains in the hospital in serious condition, officials said.

Jeannette Harper of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's El Paso office, which is leading an investigation into the incident, told the San Antonio Express-News that authorities are still gathering evidence. She said a full account of what happened would not be released until Monday, but said reports that the agents were shot were not true.

"They were not fired upon," she told the newspaper.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesman declined to provide any further details about the incident.

But a National Border Patrol Council labor union official said Martinez may have been killed in a rock attack.

Art Del Cueto, the union's vice president, said he has heard from other Border Patrol agents that Martinez and his partner were believed to be responding to an electronic sensor that had been activated.

Del Cueto said he was told that Martinez and his partner apparently did not suffer bullet or stab wounds - so he suspects the pair may have been attacked with rocks, which are commonly thrown at agents working in that area.

"It's heartbreaking; it's truly heartbreaking," he told The Washington Post on Monday in a phone interview.

By Monday afternoon, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for what he called the "murder" of a Border Patrol agent.

"We owe a great deal of gratitude to the brave men and women of the United States Border Patrol who serve every day to protect our homeland," Abbott said in a statement. "Cecilia and I offer our deepest condolences to the families of the agents killed and seriously injured in this attack. As authorities continue their investigation, it is important that they receive any and all information to help apprehend and deliver swift justice to those responsible."

Following news that an agent had been killed, President Donald Trump appeared to connect Martinez's death to border security and plugged his plans for a border wall on Twitter on Sunday night, tweeting:

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on Twitter, without any further explanation, that Martinez and his partner were "attacked" and he also linked the incident to security on the border with Mexico.

"This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them," Cruz tweeted. "I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation."

And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) offered his condolences to Martinez's family.

"I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family of Agent Rogelio Martinez killed in the line of duty yesterday in Texas," he said in a statement. "He served our country faithfully and will forever be remembered as a heroic officer. Angela and I are praying for his family and his colleagues as they mourn his loss."

Carla Provost, acting chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, shared similar sentiments, tweeting:

"Agent Rogelio Martinez, your service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to your family."

The FBI in El Paso is leading the investigation with help from the Culberson County Sheriff's Department and Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility.

The acting secretary of homeland security, Elaine Duke, has promised her agency's full support to "determine the cause of this tragic event."

"On behalf of the quarter of a million front line officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition," she said in the statement.

After the incident Sunday, a longtime friend of Martinez told ABC affiliate KVIA that Martinez was "the type of guy to give the shirt off his back and wouldn't ask for anything in response."

" . . . All he wanted to do was just help people and help the world and try to make a difference," his friend, Emory Crawford, told the news station.

"He's going to be missed by a lot of people," he added. "I just wish him the best, that he rest in peace. I love him."

The area where the two U.S. Border Patrol agents were harmed is a dusty stretch of highway about 100 miles east of El Paso.

It is part of Customs and Border Protection's vast Big Bend Sector, which covers 135,000 square miles in Texas and Oklahoma and 510 miles of river border. The sector's Van Horn Station, near where Martinez died, covers 15 miles of the Mexico border.

The Big Bend Sector accounted for 1 percent of the roughly 61,000 apprehensions Border Patrol agents made along Texas's southwest border between fall 2016 and spring 2017, according to the Associated Press.

Thirty-eight Customs and Border Protection agents have died in the line of duty since 2003, according to the agency's memorial page.

Isaac Morales, who was stabbed in a bar parking lot in El Paso, was the only agent besides Martinez to die in 2017. Three agents died in 2016; two of them in car accidents, one of a heart attack while on bike patrol.

--The Washington Post
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Longines celebrated its 185th Anniversary in Beijing, commemorating a legacy of tradition, elegance and performance at a grand gala evening in the capitals historic Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao). Timepieces from the Record collection are exhibited alongside a selection of vintage mementos in the Longines 185th Anniversary Exhibition hosted at Taimiao which closed its doors yesterday.

Imperial Ancestral Temple (Beijing)  Longines

The exhibition featured some of Longines modern timepieces as well as a curated selection of vintage pocket watches, timing devices, early wristwatches directly sourced from the Longines museum in Saint-Imier. With collections of archived photographs, achievements, advertisements and films on display, visitors were offered a glimpse into the companys decorated past.

Longines 185th Anniversary Exhibition  Longines

Guests also witnessed the launch of Longines through Time, a historical book, written by Longines International Brand Heritage Manager Ms Stephanie Lachat. Retracing the evolution of Longines since its establishment in 1832, the book delivers an insightful account of the its centuries-long devotion to elegance and performance. It serves as a tribute to the brands renowned approach to watchmaking and timekeeping, seamlessly embracing both heritage and innovation in the creation of all its timepieces.

Record collection

Announced at Baselworld 2017, the Record collection was the highlight of the celebrations. With a powerful profile and advanced technical innovation, this landmark collection is symbolic of the brands commitment to timeless excellence. The entire series of automatic timepieces has been awarded a chronometer distinction by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The models feature a single-crystal silicon balance spring with unique properties, ensuring the highest calibre of performance that can be achieved in a quality timepiece of today. The technical innovation of the Record collection will secure its place among Longines most classic timepieces.

A model of the new Record collection  Longines

New Chinese brand ambassador

To cap the evening, Longines introduced its new Ambassador of Elegance, Zhao Liying. Adored by the audience for her pretty look and admirable professional acting skills, the Chinese actress already has an impressive list of successes despite her young age. Ranked fourth in Forbes 2017 Top 100 Chinese Celebrities, Ms Liying is the newest addition to the Saint-Imier companys star-studded circle of Ambassadors that includes Kate Winslet, Simon Baker and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, among others.
The New Zealand Asian Studies Society (NZASIA) is a wholly independent body that since its establishment in 1974 has sought to encourage the spread of knowledge about Asia, its history, its culture and its role in international affairs. In line with NZASIA's key objectives, our biennial conference is multidisciplinary and aims at bringing together scholars working in the broader, open, and contested site of Asian studies. As this years' host, the Otago University's organising committee has particularly sought contributions from emerging scholars and postgraduate students and a number of events are specifically targeted to support the new generation of researchers (Pre-conference Postgraduate Workshop and the NZASIA Postgraduate Prizes ).

Keynote speakers

Dr Jane Ferguson, Australian National University

Professor Subrata K Mitra, Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS)

Professor Manami YASUI, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)

Date Monday, 27 November 2017 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017 Time 8:30am - 6:30pm Audience All University,Public Event Category Research Events Event Type Academic

Conference

Campus Dunedin Department Languages and Cultures, Religious Studies Contact Phone Tel +64 3 479 9032 Contact Email nzasia2017@otago.ac.nz

Website http://www.otago.ac.nz/nzasia-2017

Save this event
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A Santa suit was something Kenzie King had been wanting for years, and finally "Santa" made her wish come true.

The Midland 6-year-old buckled the suit and secured her fake beard with help from her mom and sister to complete the look. "Ho, ho, ho!" said the tiny Santa look-alike.

The suit was a present from "Santa himself" that Kenzie asked him for two years ago. She was gifted the outift just after Christmas last year.

When hundreds of "Santa's friends" were in town for the Charles W. Howard Santa School a few weeks ago, Kenzie and her family ran into some of the jolly old fellows at Applebees. The Santa-obsessed Kenzie told them about the Santa suit and her dream to someday take over for Santa when he becomes too old to deliver presents to everyone.

Kenzie's story of Christmas spirit moved the old men to tears, said her mother, Farrah Hollenbeck.

The Santa School students organized a way for Kenzie to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus shortly after their Applebees encounter to gift her a Santa Claus watch and a $1 million dollar bill in "North Pole" money.

"They said they recognized the same Christmas spirit and love for Santa that they had at her age," Hollenbeck said. "It's so neat that at all times, she stuck out that much and made an impression."

Tom Valent, dean of the Charles W. Howard Santa House, said one of the most important things he's learned after imitating Santa for the past 42 years is that children hang on to childhood memories of sitting on Santa's lap.

"When you visit with that child, they're probably going to remember that for the rest of their lives," Valent said. "You have to be a giving person. It's a privilege to portray the image of Santa, it's not a job. There's lots of things you need to understand and do to be a good Santa."

The 2017 Santa School graduated 240 Santas-in-training for the school's 80th year. The growing popularity of the Midland school has caused students to get turned down due to space for about the last decade.

For the first time this year, students took part in a Santa Walk on Oct. 26 in downtown Midland. Students traveled to Midland from almost every state including Hawaii and Texas, as well as from other countries including Australia, Norway, Denmark and Germany.

The school was founded in 1937 by Charles W. Howard in New York, and moved to Bay City, and finally to Midland in 1987 under the leadership of Valent. Before taking over, Valent was a student at the school since 1975.

Howard was a Macy's Day Parade Santa and technical director for the Santa character on the original "Miracle on 34th Street." He also happens to be the Santa that Valent's wife, Holly, saw when she was younger growing up in New York.

"I remember sitting on his lap, but I didn't know at the time we'd be running his school 50 years later," Holly said.

Even for non-believers, the Valents are about as authentic as it gets to the classic "Santa Claus" couple. Together, every year they maintain the Santa School and Midland's Santa House, which Tom helped build and design alongside other Gerace Construction workers. They even have two pet reindeer, Comet and Blitzen, that occasionally tag along and can be seen at the Santa House in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

"We can't go to parties because we're busy at the Santa House, but it's all worth it," Holly said.

The Santa House, located on the corner of Main Street and M-20 next to the Midland County Courthouse, opens Nov. 28 this year. The long line of children waiting to see Santa Claus with their parents usually stretches far down the street, Holly said.

"We're old enough to have seen generational effects of Santa on children," Holly said. "And it's been good, it's always been a good effect on children for as many years as we've been doing it for generation after generation."

For lots of families, visiting the Midland Santa House is an important part of a holiday tradition.

For Kenzie King, her belief in Santa from visiting him in the community has had an effect on their entire family, Hollenbeck said.

"She wants to be like Santa, and do good for people," Hollenbeck said.

Hollenbeck is using the opportunity to teach her kids about the power of giving by having them all pick a tag from the United Way Sharing Tree program.

The Valents have seen three generations of children in the same family that have sat on Santa's lap at the Santa House in Midland.

Besides learning proper hygiene, proper dress, dance and voice lessons, one of the important lessons they try to teach in Santa School is "being the best Santa for every child," Holly said.

"It's a good feeling," Tom said. "It's one of those things you give something out and you get more back. It's just been really rewarding getting to know people, making friends, and knowing you made someone's Christmas joyful."

The Santa House is a nonprofit funded through the Midland Area Community Foundation. The schedule for children who want to visit Santa can be found at the Midland Community Foundation's website. There is no charge or donation requirement for children to visit Santa, and pictures can be taken sitting on Santa's lap at no charge.
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The opening of the automaton exhibition, which is the only one of its kind, was celebrated in the well-known Shin Kong Place shopping mall, dedicated to the most prestigious international brands in fashion and luxury, including the Jaquet Droz boutique. At the heart of such an elegant and exotic setting, the most demanding watch lovers encountered the unveiling of the Tropical Bird Repeater: a piece of art truly brought to life, enhanced by hand with engravings and miniature paintings. David Lu, Vice President of Jaquet Droz in China, attended the ribbon cutting alongside Christian Lattmann, CEO of Jaquet Droz.

 Jaquet Droz

Guests also had the opportunity to discover more about the richness of Jaquet Droz's mastery, and to discover a selection of the House's most iconic models, combining craftsmanship and mechanical expertise. The Bird Repeater, the Charming Bird, the Loving Butterfly Automaton and the Lady 8 Flower as well as three exceptional automaton androids stored in China, showcase the strength of the tradition that Jaquet Droz has shared with the country for centuries. The founder of Jaquet Droz was the first western watchmaker to seduce the Qianlong Emperor and the court of the mysterious Forbidden City in the 18th century. Visitors were also able to learn about miniature painting techniques on enamel dials, thanks to one of the brand's artists who made the trip especially from Switzerland.

Tropical Bird Repeater  Jaquet Droz

With a limited edition of only 8 pieces, the Tropical Bird Repeater combines the best of the Ateliers de Haute Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A mesmerizing model that enchants the eyes just as much as the ears, thanks to the minute repeater striking the hours, quarters and minutes in synchrony with the seven automaton animations.
Dear Abby: Our organization, No Greater Love, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that honors America's fallen and their families, and promotes peace. I am reaching out to you and your millions of readers about an important event we are planning. NGL invites you and your readers to become links in our Chain of Prayer for Peace.

As you gather together at Thanksgiving, please consider adding a special prayer for peace. Our goal is to link children and adults of all religions by praying on that day  and every day possible  for peace in the world.

We have invited the five major world religions  Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism  all of which regard peace as a universal concept. While our specific beliefs may differ, we are all one through our quest for love and peace.  CARMELLA LaSPADA

Dear Carmella: I am sure my readers will agree that your idea is one worth trying. I'm reminded of the adage that when a stone is tossed into a pond, the ripple effect spreads much farther than the point of impact. It's my prayer that when readers of all faiths focus their positive energy on such an important outcome, something similar will happen.

Dear Abby: My boyfriend, "Mark," and I have been dating for three months but have been friends for about eight years. Neither of us have it together (career-wise) at the moment. Mark is two years older than me.

For some reason, he's hesitant about getting his driver's license. When I brought it up when he was a senior in high school  we were just friends then  he said he was going to get it before graduation. That was seven years ago. Now he's my boyfriend, and I feel weird picking him up and dropping him off.

His excuse is he wants to perfect parallel parking. When I got my driver's license, I did just OK with parallel parking, but I passed the driving test. How do I approach him about getting his driver's license?  GETTING NOWHERE IN GEORGIA

Dear Getting Nowhere: For whatever reason, I suspect that Mark hasn't been completely honest about why he hasn't gotten his driver's license. Approach him directly, and tell him you are uncomfortable providing all the transportation. And if his excuse is he wants to perfect his parallel parking, suggest he take a driver's education course.
BLOOMINGTON  The former director of operations for the city-owned arena is facing a reduced theft charge because the amount he allegedly stole is less than originally thought.

The plea hearing set for Curtis Webb was postponed Monday to Dec. 27 as lawyers for the state and the defense continue to work out details of restitution the 46-year-old defendant may be liable for as part resolving the case filed in December 2016.

Defense lawyer Stephanie Wong told Judge Casey Costigan she is waiting on some documents from Webb to complete the plea negotiations.

The newly-filed theft count is a Class 3 felony, a step below the initial charge of theft of government property. Webb could receive a sentence ranging from probation to two to five years in prison if he pleads guilty to the new, lesser charge.

Webb pleaded not guilty to the new charge on Monday.

It is common for the state, in cases resolved by a guilty plea, to dismiss the more serious charges when a new, less serious charge is filed.

State's Attorney Jason Chambers said Monday that the lesser charge is based on additional police investigation into the alleged theft.

"Subsequent investigation has shown that a lesser amount than was initially thought was (allegedly) taken," by Webb, said Chambers.

Charges accuse Webb of improperly using VenuWorks credit cards for personal expenses and travel.

VenuWorks reimbursed the city $16,666 for Webb's expenses charged to the credit card without permission. The firm that manages what was then called U.S. Cellular Coliseum later paid the city an additional $8,011 in moving expenses and $16,358 in authorized travel costs related to Webb.

In October, VenuWorks said it was making arrangements to pay more than $100,000 to the city of Bemidji, Minn. for Webb's alleged misappropriation of money when he held a similar role in that community.

Webb has not been charged in Minnesota.

More than 100 criminal charges unrelated to the Webb theft case are pending against five former management officials who worked for Central Illinois Arena Management, the firm that managed the facility before VenuWorks took over in April 2016.

Former CIAM president John Y. Butler is accused of taking more than $1 million in city money between May 2010 and March 2016 as well as money laundering, wire fraud and tax related charges. Bart Rogers, former general manager of CIAM, is accused of theft of government funds; Kelly Klein, assistant manager of finance, faces theft and money laundering charges; Paul Grazar, former CIAM food and beverage director is charged with theft, money laundering and tax evasion and Jay C. Laesch, ex-finance director, is charged with theft, wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
BLOOMINGTON  U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood hopes the Senate will back off one of its bigger proposed changes to the House tax reform bill approved last week.

"I don't think health care should be part of this," said LaHood, a Dunlap Republican who spoke at Monday's monthly McLean County Republican Party Meeting at DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington. "These are separate issues that should be dealt with separately."

The Senate's tax reform bill includes repealing the individual mandate, a provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty, but that could change before the bill is passed.

If the Senate passes tax reform, the House and Senate will need to hash out their differences and approve a final compromise proposal, which Republican leadership hopes to accomplish before the end of the year.

This spring, the House passed a bill that would have overhauled the Affordable Care Act, also called "Obamacare," including repealing the individual mandate, but the Senate failed to pass a matching proposal.

President Donald Trump's budget director, Mick Mulvaney, said Monday the White House supports ACA repeal but doesn't want to scuttle the tax bill over it. Tax reform would be the first major legislative achievement of Trump's term.

As Republicans, it has been a little frustrating we have the House, the Senate and the presidency, and we havent gotten more done, LaHood said. I have a lot more optimism when it comes to tax reform.

Both congressional tax reform plans cut rates broadly, including for corporations and the middle class, LaHood said, in an attempt to spur economic growth.

The House version includes a provision allowing taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in local property taxes from their federal tax bill that LaHood has championed but the Senate bill would end deductions for all state and local taxes. That provision is especially important for states like Illinois that have higher property taxes than their neighbors.

LaHood also is pushing for the Senate to follow the House's lead and include ending the estate tax. LaHood said the tax, which charges heirs when they receive large estates, hurts family farms across his 18th District, which ranges from McLean County to the Quad Cities.

Despite Democratic gains in elections this month, including in Virginia and New Jersey, LaHood said Republicans could have a successful 2018 election if they pass tax reform.

LaHood faces challenges from two Democrats, Morton teacher Brian Deters and Eureka College professor Junius Rodriguez, who lost to LaHood in a landslide last fall.

He acknowledged that Trump presents problems for Republicans in Congress.

I like the presidents actions. I dont always like his words. I think he could be a little bit better. I wish he wouldnt tweet as much, LaHood said. I heard him described the other day as one-third Teddy Roosevelt, one-third Andrew Jackson and one-third Barnum and Bailey. I thought that was a pretty good description.
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Since its creation in 1960, Grand Seiko has made a distinct and innovative contribution to the luxury watch market, with hand-made timepieces of the very highest levels of precision and refinement. Today, the world of Grand Seiko comes to Beverly Hills. The first Grand Seiko boutique in the world opens its doors on Rodeo Drive.

For the first time in the Americas, the Grand Seiko Boutique offers the full international collection, incorporating the proprietary 9 Series mechanical, quartz and Spring Drive movements that are exclusive to the brand. Grand Seiko watches are hand made in two studios in Japan dedicated to the art of fine watchmaking. Each watch is crafted by skilled men and women who ensure the highest precision, legibility and durability for which Grand Seiko is renowned.

Mr. Chiba, Mr. Takahashi, Ms. Bosse and Mr. Naito (from left)  Grand Seiko

The timing of the boutiques opening is propitious. Earlier this year, Grand Seiko was given complete independence and is now an entirely separate brand with its own appeal, distinct design and exclusive technologies. To symbolize this transformation, the Grand Seiko logo is now presented at the twelve oclock position on the dial of every new watch presented at the boutique.

The uniqueness of Grand Seiko is also now expressed in a new color scheme in which the traditional Grand Seiko blue is combined with silver, expressing the fusion of innovation and luxury that every Grand Seiko watch offers. These colors welcome visitors to the boutique and introduce the rich and fascinating world of Grand Seiko. The boutique is designed to allow watch aficionados to explore and experience every aspect of the Grand Seiko world, from its heritage to its design and craftsmanship.

Mr. Takahashi, Ms. Bosse and Mr. Chiba  Grand Seiko

The inauguration ceremony, hosted by the President and COO of Seiko Watch Corporation, Shuji Takahashi, was held in the presence of the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles, Mr. Akira Chiba, and the Mayor of Beverly Hills, Ms. Lili Bosse.

Grand Seiko Boutique Beverly Hills

439 1/2 N. Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills

California 90210, USA

Contact
NORMAL  The Jan. 26 Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner at Illinois State University, featuring former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is sold out but people can be placed on a waiting list for tickets.

Lynch was attorney general during the latter part of the Obama administration from April 2015 to January 2016. She succeeded Eric Holder.

During her nearly 21 months in the post, she concentrated on improving police-community relations, transgender rights and criminal justice reform.

Before becoming attorney general, she led the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, N.Y., having earlier worked for 11 years as a federal prosecutor. As a prosecutor, she handled narcotics, white collar crime and political corruption cases.

The 1984 Harvard Law School graduate also worked in private practice.

The dinner in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center will begin at 6 p.m. A cash bar will open at 5 p.m.

Those interested in being placed on the a wait list can contact Presidential and Trustee Events at (309) 439-8790 or email UniversityEvents@IllinoisState.edu. The cost is $35.

The event is sponsored by the ISU president's office, University Housing Services, the ISU Student Chapter of the NAACP and the Association of Residence Halls.
A fairly unknown analytical firm called Propeller Insights has published a survey that magically propels Samsung's S8 as the winning smartphone for U.S. adults this Christmas. It's based on a sampling of 1,034 adults and 507 teens. The make up is important to visualize as it slants the statistics to make Samsung's S8 a champion.

The analysis wasn't done on 1,034 adults and 1,034 teens to make the survey fair and square. No, it was 2 to 1 in favor of adults. It matters when a company, or in this case Forbes, is trying to prove that Samsung's S8 is far more popular with adults than the iPhone is to teens.

With more teens in the survey, the percentage of teens would have likely shown a statistic of 65% slanting towards teens over adults. But that would have shown the largest stat wasn't in favor of Samsung. As you could see in the survey below, the number figure is adults at 38%, a clear statistical win for Samsung. How convenient.

In reality, more teens will buy iPhones than adults in any given year which is why Apple continues to win in the market. But on paper, the survey is to show the winning stat as the one belonging to Samsung's Galaxy S8.

In early November Patently Apple posted a report titled "The Launch of the iPhone X is going down as the Largest Single Product Launch in Apple's History hands down," which showed crowds around the world and around the block to get their hands on the new iPhone X with Adults and teens alike as you could see in our cover graphic. Crowds lined up fo the Samsung S8? Zero. Now there's a free survey that you can trust and take to the bank.

While the Forbes report was published back on November 13th, two South Korean websites fell over themselves today playing up that little survey as if it meant their home team Samsung was really the King of smartphones in the U.S and kicking Apple's ass.

Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "South Korea Authorities are Close to pushing the 'Recall' button on Apple's iPhone 8 if another Problem arises in their Country." South Korean tech writers understandably cheer on their home team Samsung, but truly to a fault. They'll fall off a cliff with nonsensical anger flying at Apple or in this case relying on a tiny survey to bolster Samsung even in the face of reality and real statistics.

Fact, Apple bounced back in Q3 in the U.S. overtaking Samsung; Fact, six out of the top ten smartphones in Q3 2017 were iPhones, way ahead of the Galaxy S8 and the iPhone X is likely to crush these stats in Q4. There's no way for the Galaxy S8 to be the big winner here if the iPhone 8 in just weeks crippled the Galaxy S8.

One of Korean reports published today covering the survey for eBates was the BusinessKorea who stated: "US media outlets paid attention to the fact that Samsung Electronics launched a "Growing up with an upgrade to Galaxy" ad campaign that makes a mockery of the iPhone's 10-year history in line with the launch of the iPhone X, saying that preferred smartphone models will vary depending on age groups.

A one-minute advertisement released on YouTube shows that a boy using the iPhone had trouble using it for 10 years and changes his smartphone to the Galaxy Note 8 by following his girlfriend who uses a Samsung smartphone. The ad suggests that Galaxy smartphones are for adults."

The ad that BusinessKorea is referring to in their report today was one posted in our November 6th report titled "Apple's iPhone X sets new Launch Record while Samsung Obsesses with making new Apple Fan Mockery Ad."

This is BusinessKorea's big proof that the survey done for eBates showing that adults prefer the Galaxy S8 is for real. They're mixing a weak survey with a Samsung promotional video and concluding that this combination is proof of something we're to pay attention to? Well, I guess they expect Korean tech fans to swallow it.

Then again, even Apple fans in South Korea laugh off such nonsense from their local press as the iPhone X pre-orders sold in under five minutes last week.

In the end, the Korean tech press championing the survey for eBates as being meaningful is delusion on wheels. It dwarfs the lunacy of Woody Allan's earlier movies. At least those were supposed to be comedies. Will the Galaxy S8 really outsell Apple iPhones with adults this Christmas? No  end of story.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Patna: Police in Patna were investigating the murder of a local shop owner who apparently died of a bullet wound at his home in Samanpura under Shastri Nagar police station on early Sunday morning.

As reported, 50-year old Assi Ahmed was sleeping in the bedroom of his house when someone knocked his door at around 5:00 am Sunday morning. Ahmed got up and removed the curtain of the window to see who was at the door when someone shot him in his head killing him instantly.

Police recovered an empty cartridge shell from the crime scene.

The victim's brother Wasi Alam, in an FIR lodged with the Shastri Nagar police station, said that his sister-in-law Soni Khatoon had eloped with someone a few weeks ago but had returned to his brother last week.

Police have detained Soni for further interrogation.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Iranian IRGC Commander Killed In Syria

11/20/17

Source: RFE/RL

Iranian media have reported that a commander in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has been killed in fighting against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. The IRGC has been fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Tehran, in the country's six-year civil war in Syria.



Khairollah Samadi (L) with Qassem Soleimani, head of IRGC's elite Quds force



The state-run Fars news agency reported on November 19 that Khairollah Samadi, an IRGC commander in charge of a unit in Syria, was killed in fighting on November 16 in the town of Abu Kamal, which has since been recaptured by Syrian government forces.

Iran's Defa Press website, which is close to the Iranian military, said Samadi was wounded and later died in Abu Kamal.

Defa Press described Samadi as a "defender of the shrine," a term used to describe Iranian and other Shi'ite forces trained and deployed in Syria by the IRGC and the Basij force.

Samadi died of shrapnel wounds from a mortar explosion, Fars said. Iranian news sites posted photos on November 19 of Samadi with Qassem Soleimani, the head of IRGC's elite overseas Quds force.

The head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs said in November 2016 that more than 1,000 fighters, including Iranians, Afghans, and Pakistanis, deployed by Iran to Syria had been killed. Senior members of the IRGC have been among those killed.

Iran has provided military support to Assad's forces since at least 2012 in the form of military advisers and volunteers, but it denies sending its own troops.

Even so, Iranian media have reported the death of a handful of Iranian commanders along with hundreds of Iranian fighters.

The IRGC was created after the 1979 revolution to protect Iran's Islamic establishment against internal and external threats and to preserve revolutionary ideals.

It answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In an unprecedented move, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration added the IRGC to its counterterrorism sanctions list in October.

The IRGC is a powerful security and military organization that also controls an estimated 40 percent of the Iranian economy.



With reporting by Defa Press, Fars, and Reuters
In Nicosia today President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will pursue a closer engagement with two of his best Mediterranean partners: Cyprus and Greece

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is expected to arrive Monday afternoon in Cyprus' capital Nicosia for talks with his counterpart Nicos Anastasiades.

During his visit to Egypts northern Mediterranean neighbour, El-Sisi is also expected to meet with Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister of Greece, considered in Egyptian diplomacy circles as one of the closest possible allies of Egypt in the European Union and in the Mediterranean zone.

The three leaders of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece were expected to hold a three-way summit to discuss their planned two-path cooperation: energy and security.

A top issue for the Egyptian president in Nicosia is the conclusion of a process to define maritime borders between Egypt and Greece. According to Egyptian and Greek sources, this process was launched a few years ago with firm support form both El-Sisi and Tsipras, who both wish to see this demarcation as a beginning for the full exploitation of the eastern Mediterranean's natural gas reserves.

We cannot be exploring the potential fields without reaching an agreement on the demarcation with Greece, explained an Egyptian official.

Egypt already reached a demarcation deal with Cyprus in 2004.

Iinformed European and Egyptian diplomats say that Cairo will go ahead with negotiating a three-way cooperation with an eye on two things: the first, to explore the potentially wide and generous natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, and the second, to consider the construction of a gas pipeline to allow for potential gas finds to be imported to markets around the Mediterranean and across Europe.

This ambitious project is something that the three governments are hoping would allow for a significant economic advancement which they desire.

I guess one could say that there is a firm political will in the three capitals to move forward, but that the actual implementation requires the completion of the work of the legal and technical teams, according to the same Egyptian official.

Meanwhile, during his talks in Nicosia, President El-Sisi will express Egypts appreciation for the political "support" Cairo has found from both its Mediterranean neighbours during the early phase of political transition in Egypt in the summer of 2013 and until now.

Informed Egyptian and European sources say that Greece and Cyprus have been instrumental in lobbying support for Cairo in the EU.

Moreover, the Egyptian president will discuss his counterparts from Cyprus and Greece matters related to the security of the Mediterranean with an eye on the fluid situation in Libya that allows for the transition of arms and militants through Mediterranean borders, as well as the commitment taken upon themselves by the three countries to curb illegal migration.

Another Egyptian official said that the three countries have worked very well together, especially this year, to serve these targets.

He added that the three countries are currently working on a framework to upgrade this cooperation, potentially in collaboration with other Mediterranean partners."

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Iran, EU hold high-level talks in Tehran amid Trump's threats

11/20/17

Report by Press TV; photos by Abdollah Jafari, Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran and the EU have started their third round of high-level talks following the 2016 implementation of a nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world countries. Helga Schmid, the EU's deputy political director, met Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran Monday to discuss issues of mutual interest, the state news agency IRNA reported.



Left: Helga Schmid, the EU's deputy political director

Right: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi



Iran and the EU have already held two rounds of high-level negotiations in Tehran and Brussels, addressing economy and commerce, energy, environment, transportation, human rights, higher education, research and technology, culture, and regional developments.

In her visit to Tehran, Schmid is accompanied by EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Commission's Director General for International Cooperation and Development Stefano Manservisi, and the Commission's Director General for Energy Dominique Ristori.



As part of the third round, the two sides will attend a seminar titled, International Nuclear Cooperation: Expectations and Responsibilities, in Isfahan on Tuesday.

The talks come amid efforts in the US Congress to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the international nuclear deal with Iran is officially called. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the US from the accord unless it is revised.



So far, the Europeans have stood by the accord which they have described as a triumph for diplomacy and a contributor to regional and international security.

Trump refused to "certify" Iran's commitment to the deal last month and gave Congress 60 days to decide whether the country would re-impose sanctions against Tehran.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry "Invites" Rouhani Campaign Manager to Stop Advocating for Kurdish Rights

11/20/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

President Hassan Rouhani's chief campaign manager in Iran's Kurdistan Province was subjected to intimidation tactics while being questioned by Intelligence Ministry agents about his peaceful efforts to include Sunni Muslims in the government.



Jalal Jalalizadeh (R) shaking hands with President Hassan Rouhani

A source close to Jalal Jalalizadeh told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) that the former member of Iran's Parliament was summoned to a meeting at a hotel in Tehran on November 8, 2017, and questioned for hours.

"They told him he was invited, not summoned, to meet them at Hotel Laleh," said the source, who asked not to be identified for security reasons. "But Mr. Jalalizadeh was treated in a rough and humiliating way and told to be quiet and take care of his family now that the elections have ended."

A central committee member of the reformist Islamic Solidarity Party of Iran, Jalalizadeh headed Rouhani's campaign headquarters in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, during the May 2017 presidential election. A Sunni Muslim ethnic Kurd, he represented the people of Sanandaj in the 2000-04 parliamentary session.

"Since 2004, Mr. Jalalizadeh has been summoned every so often by the Intelligence Ministry, but he never publicly spoke about it," said the source. "After the [2017] elections, he was a member of a committee that followed up on Mr. Rouhani's campaign promises; many active Kurdish groups are represented in the committee. The Intelligence Ministry summoned him several times and told him to shut it down."

The source continued: "They accused him of writing articles and making speeches full of poisonous, destructive criticism. They are very angry with his writings and interviews about Kurdish affairs, especially his insistence on appointing Sunni officials to top government positions, such as provincial governors and ministers."

"Specifically, Mr. Jalalizadeh, along with a group of Kurdish politicians, went to Qom and met with [senior Shia theologian] Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi to discuss their demands," added the source.

In an interview with CHRI in September 2017, Jalalizadeh criticized Rouhani for not appointing Sunnis to his second-term cabinet.

"The Sunnis have taken part in these elections without any expectations, but it is unfortunate that reformists forget them after winning," he said.

"A quarter of the people who voted for Mr. Rouhani were Sunnis, but no one appreciated the significance," added Jalalizadeh. "He could have at least appointed a Sunni to head one of the ministries. Or named a few Sunni ambassadors or deputy ministers."
New Crisis Looms Over Iran's Earthquake-Hit Areas

11/20/17

Source: Radio Farda

More than a week after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit western Iran, icy rains are expected as many survivors still face a shortage of aid supplies such as heating appliances, tents, and plastic covers. "The situation in earthquake-hit areas needs attention; otherwise, we are going to face a disaster worse that the earthquake itself," Farhad Tajari, a member of parliament for Ghasr Shireen, was quoted by Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) as saying.



Some of the tents setup for those who have lost their homes in the quake

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)



Referring to other problems in the area, including power outages and a lack of sanitary facilities, Tajari said, "Unfortunately, because of the poor distribution of relief packages, some areas have enough food but not enough clothes and other districts have the opposite."

"The relief packages should be distributed according to the pre-measured needs of each area," he added.

Tajari's colleague, Sonqor and Kolyaei MP Javad Hosseini Kia, also criticized the disorganized aid distribution.

"The government has no high capacity for financial aid. Therefore, it is only offering 50 million rials (roughly $1,250) in gratuitous financial aid for villagers and 60 million rials (roughly $1,500) for city dwellers," Hosseini Kia said. "With such minimal grants, people cannot get essential goods, let alone repair their damaged houses."

Hosseini Kia noted that those who lived in houses built through the Mehr Housing Project were already struggling to pay their mortgages and now with the added expense of damages they would likely never be able to repay the loans.

Nevertheless, the government's official news agency, IRNA, cited the head of the Planning and Budget Organization, Mohammad Baqir Nobakht, as saying, "The government will allocate roughly $160 million in loans and approximately $75 million as grants to households in quake-stricken Kermanshah Province."

"Households in rural areas will receive [$6,200] in loans and [$1,250] as grants, while residents of urban areas will get loans to the tune of [$8,700] and grants worth [1,500]," IRNA quoted Nobakht as saying.

Meanwhile, Hosseini Kia insisted the number of the victims of the natural disaster is expected to significantly rise.

"The number could even surpass 1,000 since many areas have not yet been cleared of rubble," he said.

Moreover, according to Tasnim, a news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, "A week after the earthquake hit Kermanshah Province, garbage and debris have built up in the streets, parks, and passages and around tents where survivors are sheltering."

Ebrahim Shakiba, at the Medical Science University of Kermanshah, warned that the lack of hygiene in disaster areas could lead to the spread of disease.

"The trash in quake-hit areas is not being properly collected, and the danger of a cholera outbreak looms over those districts," he said.

However, the Mehr Housing Project remains at the center of the criticism, described as a project teemed with corruption.





Related report by Ghanoon daily on the Mehr Housing disastour



Most of the project was built during former president Mahmoud Ahmadineja's presidency, when Iran has a high oil income.

Evidence seen from the earthquake areas shows that most of the Mehr apartment buildings sustained heavy damaged and contributed to the high casualty rate.

While the Rouhani government has singled out corruption in the building of these public housing units, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni's representatives have defended the soundness of the project.
The President of Group Ideal, Dr Nii Kotei Dzani, has cautioned chiefs and politicians not to meddle in the administrative affairs of rural and community banks in the country. According to him, such interferences affect the effectiveness and efficiency of operations of the sector and hinder the growth of the rural banking sector.



He made this assertion at the just-ended sixth Rural and Community Banking Week celebration, under the theme Rural Banking, Key to National Development.



According to him, when chiefs push for funds, it is normally not rejected because they are the custodians of the land. However, recovering the funds becomes a major challenge. This does not help in meeting customer demands.



Speaking on the theme, Dr Nii Kotei Dzani noted that ensuring a rural banking system devoid of political and chieftaincy interferences will go a long way to expedite governments rural banking industrialisation agenda.



Dr Kotei Dzani also urged the Bank of Ghana to reconsider the capital requirement and the timelines for meeting the requirement for indigenous commercial banks, compared to that of the foreign commercial banks. These foreign banks oftentimes have more financial muscle than the indigenous banks. He stressed, It is important that we grow our own.



Rural and community banks play a pivotal role in the rural industrialisation of our country. Government after 40 years may have to reconsider the concept of the rural bank so we provide them with the necessary assistance in order to take off with the government policy of the rural industrialisation," Dr Dzani said.



He further stated that a lot of these commercial banks also operated branches in these rural settings, thus giving the rural banks unfair competition. He, therefore, urged that the financial and banking needs of the rural dwellers be made to rest mostly with the rural banks, hence his plea for more push of funds into this sector to ensure its expansion and growth.



The banking week celebration is an opportunity for the rural banks in the country to assess their activities and challenges over the period and to deliberate on the way forward and how rural banks should improve upon rendering good services to its clients in the region.



Dr Kotei Dzani was given a special recognition award at the event for his excellence and illustrious service as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a statesman.



The Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was the keynote guest speaker of the event, was also awarded at the same event.





Source: The Finder









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Government says it has successfully reduced Ghanas debt-to-GDP ratio from 73 percent at the end of December 2016 to 68.3 percent as at September 2017.



Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, who stated this in Parliament Wednesday, said Ghanas debt to GDP ratio increased from 32 percent in 2008 to 73 percent by the end of 2016.



This, according to him, resulted in an increasing interest burden, with interest payments alone consuming 45 percent of tax revenue and 6.8 percent of GDP in 2016.



The interest burden of Ghanas debt has also been reduced. Interest payments have reduced from 45 percent of tax revenue to 43.8 percent in September 2017 with a projected 41.9 percent reduction at the end of 2017.



Mr Speaker, its important to note that the annual average rate of debt accumulation of 36 percent over the last four years, has declined over the last nine months to about 13.58 percent. This is the lowest annual increase in the public debt over the last decade.



He revealed that the current administrations prudent debt management had improved the debt outlook and debt sustainability for Ghana.



We will continue to keep the public debt in check and move purposefully away from the unbridled borrow and spend culture of the previous eight years.



Energy sector levies



Mr Ofori-Atta said almost two-years into the implementation of the Energy Sector Levies Act, 2015 (Act 899), government was successfully executing mechanisms to streamline the operations of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and make them financially viable.



The ESLA has contributed to paying VRA and TORs debt owed to banks and trade creditors to the tune of GH1.9 billion. Government transferred an amount of GH484.3 million to partially settle foreign exchange under-recoveries owed the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs), support the Strategic Stock Reserve Programme of Government, and to subsidise premix and residual fuel oil.



Government also sponsored the issuance of Cedi-denominated medium-to-long-term bonds (7 and 10 year bonds) on the back of the ESLA receivables to facilitate the clearance of the sectors legacy debts.



He furthermore noted that government was determined to stop the mismangement of the energy sector in the past, which led to the accumulation of billions of debts by entities, such as BOST and manage the startegic entities with integrity and efficiency.



In addition to such debt clearance measures, he said government had embarked on a vigorous restructuring exercise to make the SOEs more viable.

Source: Daily Guide









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MTN Ghana Foundation has cut sod for the construction of an ultra-modern library and ICT center for students of New Juaben Senior High School in the Eastern region.



The construction of the library, which is expected to be completed within the next six months, will be fully furnished with modern computers and books to aid teaching and learning.



The project comes at a cost of GH602,150.00 and will benefit more than 2,124 students of New Juaben SHS.



The facility will provide students with a secured and conducive learning environment when completed.



The sod cutting for the ultra-modern library and ICT center at New Juaben Senior High School forms part of the MTN Ghana Foundations 10th Anniversary activities.



The Foundation is celebrating its anniversary under the theme Celebrating Ten years of brightening lives, inspiring a brighter future.



Speaking at the ceremony, the Ag. Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Mr. Samuel Koranteng said, the MTN Ghana Foundation accepted to embark on this project because we understand the importance of an integrated library as a source for providing comprehensive information needed by students to positively influence academic performance.



He further mentioned that, as an organization with the vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, we understand that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is very critical in a world where a full range of electronic technologies and techniques are used to manage information and knowledge.



The headmaster of New Juaben Senior High School, Mr. Frank Obeng Wilson who was present at the sod-cutting ceremony said, this library which is about to be constructed holds good promise for this school. Since the inception of the school 64 years ago, the major challenge has always been the absence of a well-stocked library.



This intervention by the MTN Ghana Foundation will bring relief in this area and grant our students a better chance at excelling academically.



The MTN Ghana Foundation launched its 10th Anniversary Celebration on 30th October 2017.



The celebration will span a five month period from October 2017 to March 2018. As part of activities to mark the 10th Anniversary, the Foundation presented equipment to the Assistive Technology Unit of the University of Ghana.

In addition, the Foundation will commission a 40 bed maternity ward for Tema General Hospital, a Palm Oil Processing plant for over 200 women at Juaso in the Ashanti Region, construction of a six classroom block at Nhyiaeso Basic School, offer scholarships to 300 brilliant students across the country.



The Foundation will also organize a Thought Leadership event on CSR, and organize a Social Media Campaign dubbed the Ten Good deeds.



The MTN Ghana Foundation was established and launched on 23rd November 2007.



Since its inception, the MTN Ghana Foundation has implemented over 142 major projects in areas of health, education and economic empowerment at a total cost USD 13 million.



These projects are estimated to have impacted over 4 million people directly and several others indirectly.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The tyrants wife Grace is being held in secret detention facilities by the rebels she had threatened to crush, it was revealed last night.



Grace Mugabes whereabouts had been shrouded in mystery since the coup  from reports that she had fled to neighbouring Namibia, to claims she had been living with her husband.



But Grace was taken away not long after her husbands generals wrested power from him. Since then, she has been held alone at detention facilities at military bases dotted around the country  torture centres created by her husband to enable his feared state security to disappear people.



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THE NEW Patriotic Party (NPP) government has started a massive construction programme in some selected Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country.



Quite a number of schools would witness massive improvement in their present infrastructural status.



The selected schools are expected to benefit from projects such as new dormitories, classroom blocks and dining halls, among others.



Deputy Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum, said his outfit is anticipating an upsurge in student intake next year due to the free SHS programme.



We know that definitely due to the free SHS the student population in the schools will increase next year, with its attendant congestion problems.



And in order to avert a possibility of congestion in the schools, government has decided to construct dormitories, classroom blocks and dining halls in the schools.



The move is to help provide the needed infrastructure to contain the expectant rising student population, the deputy minister disclosed on Hello Fm in Kumasi.



According to Mr. Osei Adutwum, the government awarded contracts for the building projects three weeks ago, and was hoping that they would be completed on schedule.



The deputy minister hinted that the new projects were expected to be completed before the next academic begins.

Source: Daily Guide









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Ghana has scored 65.0 (out of 100.0) in Overall Governance, ranking 8th out of 54 African Countries in the 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance.



Ghana achieved its highest category score in Participation & Human Rights (72.0), and its lowest category score in Sustainable Economic Opportunity (51.1).



According to a statement released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, over the last five years, Ghana has shown signs of 'Increasing Deterioration' in Overall Governance.



Ghanas Overall Governance decline over the decade has been attributed to Safety & Rule of Law (annual average trend of -0.23), Participation & Human Rights (annual average trend of -0.16), Sustainable Economic Opportunity (annual average trend of -0.22) and Human Development (annual average trend of -0.10).



Find the full statement of the 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance below



Positive outlook for African governance, but some warning signs



 Mo Ibrahim Foundation calls for vigilance as a number of countries struggle to build on recent progress



 Ghana scores 65.0 (out of 100.0) in Overall Governance, ranking 8th (out of 54) in Africa.



 Ghana scores higher than the African average (50.8) and higher than the regional average for West Africa (53.8).



 Ghana achieves its highest category score in Participation & Human Rights (72.0), and its lowest category score in Sustainable Economic Opportunity (51.1).



 Ghana achieves its highest sub-category score in Rule of Law (88.7), and its lowest sub-category score in Infrastructure (40.1).



 Over the last five years, Ghana shows signs of 'Increasing Deterioration' in Overall Governance.



 Ghana registers an Overall Governance deterioration over the decade at an annual average trend of -0.17, with the pace of decline quickening in the last five years at an annual average trend of -0.70.



 Ghanas Overall Governance decline over the decade is driven by all of the four categories: Safety & Rule of Law (annual average trend of -0.23), Participation & Human Rights (annual average trend of -0.16), Sustainable Economic Opportunity (annual average trend of -0.22) and Human Development (annual average trend of -0.10).



The 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), launched today by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, reveals that the continents Overall Governance trajectory remains positive on average, but in recent years has moved at a slower pace. As many countries struggle to build on recent progress or to reverse negative trends, and as concerns emerge in some key sectors, the Foundation is calling for vigilance on the continents future.



The eleventh edition of the IIAG looks at both country and indicator trends over the last five years (2012-2016), within the context of the last decade (2007-2016). By evaluating more recent progress on governance alongside long-term performance, the 2017 IIAG provides the most nuanced assessment to date of the evolution and direction that countries, regions and specific dimensions of governance are taking.



Over the last ten years, 40 African countries have improved in Overall Governance. In the last five years, 18 of these  a third of the continents countries and home to 58% of African citizens  including Cote dIvoire, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal, have even managed to accelerate their progress. In 2016, the continent achieved its highest Overall Governance score to date (50.8 out of 100.0).



However, over the same period, Africas annual average rate of improvement in Overall Governance has slowed. Of the 40 countries improving in Overall Governance during the last decade, more than half (22) have either done so at a slower pace in the last five years (i.e. Rwanda and Ethiopia) or show decline (i.e. Mauritius, Cameroon and Angola). Furthermore, eight of the 12 countries registering decline in Overall Governance over the past decade are showing no signs of turning things around, with scores decreasing at an even faster rate over the second half of the decade. This group includes Botswana, Ghana, Libya and Mozambique.



The best performing category of the IIAG, Human Development, reaches its highest average score to date in 2016 (56.1 out of 100.0), with all three underlying governance dimensions  Welfare, Education and Health  improving over the last ten years. However, all register slowing progress over the second half of the decade. Worryingly, in a continent where 41% of the population is under 15 years old, progress in Education has nearly ground to halt. Africans are particularly dissatisfied with how governments are addressing changing educational needs, as reflected by the accelerated pace of decline in the Education Provision indicator over the last five years.



Despite being the slowest improving category over the past decade and within the past five years, Sustainable Economic Opportunity has recorded progress since 2014. While the African average improvement has slowed over the last five years, 16 countries, representing 51% of the continents population and 54% of its GDP, have managed to accelerate their rate of improvement in this period. For 22 countries, however, progress is slackening (i.e. Mauritius and Rwanda) or even reversing to decline, as in Angola. The sub-category Infrastructure is a major driver of the continents overall performance in Sustainable Economic Opportunity, picking up momentum over the last five years, even if Electricity Infrastructure continues to register average decline. The deterioration in Africas Rural Sector over the last five years, which could threaten recent progress in this key area for the continents sustainable growth and wealth-creating potential, is a particular cause for concern.



Participation & Human Rights is the only category picking up speed in the last five years, with the greatest number of countries (17) improving at an accelerated rate across all four categories of the IIAG. However, this masks some concerning trends in certain countries and dimensions. 18 countries show either a slower pace (i.e. Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo and Uganda) or even display warning signs, declining in the second half of the decade (i.e. Egypt). The average positive trend is in fact mainly driven by the accelerated progress in Participation, led by a majority of countries improving in Free & Fair Elections. Worryingly, however, Political Participation shows a slight average decline over the last five years, which could threaten the progress made over the decade, while average deterioration in Civil Society Participation appears to worsen over the last five years.



On a more positive note, the pace of deterioration in Safety & Rule of Law seen over the decade has slowed in the last five years. This is mainly driven by slowing decline in Personal Safety  although indicators such as Crime and Political Violence remain on concerning negative trajectories  and by progress appearing over the last five years in Rule of law. However, Accountability, already the lowest-scoring sub-category in the IIAG, is lately registering even slower progress. Another concerning trend shows National Security deteriorating at an even faster pace over the second half of the decade, more than doubling its annual average decline. At category level, deterioration worsens over the second half of the decade for 15 countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Libya, and Mozambique, while some countries, such as Angola and Mauritius, register a recent downturn despite improvement over ten years.



Mo Ibrahim, Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said: As the index shows us, overall governance in Africa is improving. This is good news. However, the slowing and in some cases even reversing trends in a large number of countries, and in some key dimensions of governance, means that we must be vigilant. Without vigilance and sustained efforts, the progress of recent years could be in danger of vanishing.



To watch Mo Ibrahim comments on the IIAG 2017 results and to explore the findings please visit http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/.

Source: http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/Mo Ibrahim Foundation









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Egypt denied late on Sunday that Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanese prime minister from Saudi Arabia on 4 November, will visit Cairo in the next couple of days to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.



Hariri's office said earlier in the day that the Lebanese premier would meet with Sisi on Tuesday, according to Reuters.



Sisi is set to fly to Cyprus on Monday to participate in a tripartite summit between the two states and Greece.



"Reports that Hariri would meet the president tomorrow are impractical and unrealistic because the president will be in Cyprus tomorrow for two days," Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said in a phone interview with satellite channel ONTV.



"I officially deny that there is a visit or a meeting with the president tomorrow."



However, the spokesman said arrangements are being made for a visit by Hariri to Egypt but that no specific date has been decided yet.



"We will soon release a statement ... and clarify all things," he added.

Hariri has been in Paris since Saturday, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, and has said he will return to Lebanon by Wednesday.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has said he will not accept Hariri's resignation until it is delivered in person and all sides in Beirut have called for his speedy return.

The resignation sparked a political crisis in Lebanon and put it on the front line of a regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Hariri criticised Iran and its ally Hezbollah, a heavily armed grouping that is part of the Lebanese government, in his resignation statement, and said he feared assassination. Apart from a brief trip to Abu Dhabi, he remained in Saudi Arabia until he flew to France.

His stay in the kingdom led to accusations from Lebanese officials and politicians that Saudi Arabia had coerced him to resign, which he and Riyadh denied.

On Friday, Hariri tweeted that his presence there was for "consultations on the future of the situation in Lebanon and its relations with the surrounding Arab region".

On Sunday, Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo, requested by Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not attend.

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The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, states that the virtues of hard work and discipline must be instilled in Ghanas school-going children to ensure that they become useful and valuable citizens of our nation.



To guarantee this, the President noted that, it is essential that key players in the education sector, school authorities, teaching staff, and students, are all determined, disciplined and hardworking.



Delivering his address at the 80th Anniversary of the Abuakwa State College, on the theme Providing Quality Education through Discipline and Hard Work for Academic Excellence, president Akufo-Addo stated that it is clear that the provision of quality, accessible education is the fastest and most effective way to changing the fortunes of our country, and joining the group of developed nations.



President Akufo-Addo being presented with an award by ABUSCO

President Akufo-Addo being presented with an award by ABUSCO

Stressing that Nana Ofori Atta 1, the man through whose vision ABUSCO was founded, could not have established the school without hard work and discipline, the President noted that the supervision of teaching and learning, checks on absenteeism of both teachers and students, and the development of innovative and practical strategies to supervise and monitor effectively school activities, must be undertaken by the authorities of Abuakwa State College.



Authorities at ABUSCO have the obvious duty to uphold discipline. It is their responsibility, and they must not hold back, but should be firm and reasonable in the process, he added.



Additionally, the President noted that the commitment of teachers to the attainment of quality education at any level is critical, stating that teacher absenteeism is one of the factors that lead to students recording not too encouraging results in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Education examinations.



He, thus, urged Heads of institutions to root out the canker of absenteeism, stressing that our teachers must bear in mind that they are role models to students, and they set the bar for excellence, and must, therefore, project excellence to their students. Discipline and academic excellence go hand- in-hand, so our teachers should not compromise on the rules and regulations of the School.



President Akufo-Addo stated that his government recognises that a well-trained, confident and contented teacher is at the heart of the delivery of quality education.



To this end, he stressed that the views of teachers will be sought on education policy, innovation and implementation.



Their professional development and needs will be treated with respect, and we shall ensure that teachers salaries and allowances are paid regularly and on time. My administration will also concentrate on the provision of incentives that will motivate teachers, and reward their hard work in the classroom, he assured.



To the students of ABUSCO, President Akufo-Addo urged them to be minded by the fact that that indiscipline undermines academic work and progress, adding that self-discipline and the effective use of their time are some of the key ingredients to their success.



A disciplined student is focused and hardworking, and always seeks to challenge himself or herself beyond mediocrity. I, thus, urge all of you to abide by the rules and regulations of the School, and set the highest standard of discipline to enable you complete your education successfully, he said.



The President continued, You have been brought here by your parents and guardians to be trained to become useful, dignified and responsible citizens in the country. Do not disappoint them, study hard and refrain from anything that can hinder your prospects of a bright future. But also enjoy and make the best use of your recreation and leisure time. The society demands well-rounded individuals.



President Akufo-Addo assured ABUSCO and all other senior high schools across the country of his governments determination to deliver quality education.



We intend to ensure that the challenges of logistics and infrastructure, associated with the introduction of the Free SHS policy, are satisfactorily addressed. The policy is here to stay. An education that will produce dedicated, disciplined and responsible students, who will be eager and willing to participate in developing our beloved Ghana, and to become her patriotic future citizens and leaders, remains our objective, he added.

Source: the publisher









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President John Agyekum Kufuor says it is sad for a promising journalist to be taken away by death at his prime time.



The former president however expressed shock and sorrow at the sudden death of Multimedia presenter, Kojo Asare Baffuor Acheampong aka KABA, last Saturday after a short illness.



In a statement issued on Monday, Ex-President Kufuor described the late KABA as a young promising talent whose life has been cut short at its prime.



According to the statement, the host of Asempa FMs flagship afternoon programme, Ekosi Sen brought balance to bear in his interviews and captured the attention of his audience with his incisive questions.



Mr. John Kufuor in the statement noted that KABA was like family to him and recalled, that he introduced his wife to him before their wedding, which he attended.



Nothing could have prepared us for such a sudden loss. I pray for strength and forbearance for his wife, child, family and close ones. Ghana has lost a great potential. Journalism has lost an even greater prospect, Former President Kufuor said.



KABA was 37 years. He left behind his wife, Valentina Ofori Agyei, also a broadcaster with Accra-based Class FM and a 7-month old daughter, Nana Yaa.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The former Consul to Dubai, Daniel Osei, has said that the decision by former President John Dramani Mahama to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 general elections is tearing the opposition party apart.



This issue of former President Mahamas return is currently the most divisive factor in NDC politics, he noted in one of his dispatches following what he termed the skewing of party activities in favour of the former president at the expense of all those NDC stalwarts, who had declared their intentions to lead the party in 2020.



Mr. Osei, a former Consul General at Ghanas mission in Dubai under President Mahama, said The Kwesi Botchwey (KB) report, apology tour, appointees, ill-conceived chairmen endorsements, and all the other factors combined dont come close to how divisive his return is.



According to Mr. Osei, The last election was a verdict on how well (or not) we lived up to our core values. The deep cut of the humiliating defeat we suffered at the 2016 polls and the historical margin of defeat reflects a total rejection we cannot sweep under the rug.



He said that the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was able to mount a very effective campaign while the NDC displayed opulence and obscene use of money, insisting that in the 2016 campaign we were grossly out-campaigned by the opposition on all fronts. Our messaging was off in many areas and sometimes simply, absent.



I am particularly shocked by those executives who pretend as if we run a winning campaign and lost. Maybe they just dont know any better. We did not run a winning campaign. Opulence and money was not enough and in many instances, very harmful to our cause.



Our organizing did not exist and certainly our GOTV was very poor. Almost absent. Over-reliance on the president has won already made us bankrupt of thinking. Its time to put on our thinking caps. Its time for a paradigm shift.



He said the Cape Coast unity walk was an opportunity to finally unite the rank and file of the NDC, but the Mahama camp blew that chance.



Sadly, neither of these camps is helping us in terms of steps to improve our votes. The JM at all cost camp cant see beyond the former president. They are not even willing to entertain any suggestion that he did or said anything wrong, he pointed out.



According to Mr. Osei, who once contested and lost the Asante Akyem North seat on the ticket of the NDC, I dont blame the JM by force group. At the base level, its very understandable. He is a very calm mannered and pleasant person. Its easy to love him. At the appointees level, you cant blame them because many had their major life-changing experience, as his appointees and did well for themselves and their families.



Debate



He said there was the need for honest debate over whether or not former President John Mahama should be made the NDCs flag bearer for the 2020 elections.



It is not enough to be for or against the former president or any particular person. For those who want his return, it is important for their voices to be heard and their reasons discussed and analysed for substance. Equally, for those who dont want him, there must be good reasons and those reasons must be put through serious thinking and analysis to help digest them for substance.



The idea is for us to strengthen our debate to help make the best decision for the party. I dont believe either side is totally wrong or totally right, but an honest discussion will help us reach a good consensus. There must be a civil and intelligent analysis to help us make the right decision.



We cant keep doing the same things and expect different results. It is unpardonable that a party in power will sit and allow the opposition to feed us election results. This was possible because the party, seemingly strong, was rather very weak with clueless persons given important responsibilities.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says the late Asempa FM presenter, Kwadwo Asare Barfour Acheampong (KABA) always pushed him to reveal secrets.



According to General Mosquito, as he is widely known, the late broadcaster had a unique way of making his guests reveal "hidden truths" to his audience.



KABA always pushed me to reveal details I would have otherwise not have done in interviewshe always pushed us to reveal serious details, he disclosed on Asempa FM hours after KABA's death was announced, Saturday.



Until his sudden death, KABA was the host of popular late afternoon political talk show, Ekosii Sen on Asempa 94.7 FM.



The General Secretary of the largest opposition party was among the numerous personalities who interviewed by the late broadcaster on late afternoon talk show, Ekosii sen on Asempa FM.



I met KABA recently and he complained that there were times when he was accused of either being an NPP or NDC, I told him that was a sign that he was doing wellthe fact that you received criticisms from those two sides meant you are doing things right, General Mosquito disclosed.



KABA was married to Valentina Ofori Afriyie who is also a broadcaster with Accra-based Class FM, having worked many years with Radio Gold and Spirit Fm in Kumasi.



He left behind a daughter.

Source: Joynews









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Once the turkey has been carved, it's Christmastime in Philadelphia.

The Christmas Village at LOVE Park opens to the public on Nov. 23, even though it won't have it's official grand opening ceremony until Nov. 26.

The village is actually a German-style Christmas market filled with festive decorations and lights. There will be live music, kids activities and opportunities to hang out with Santa.

It's also a great place to snag gifts, offering a mix of traditional Christmas gifts (think ornaments and wooden toys) and artisanal works (jewelry, artwork). There will be more than 80 merchants selling their wares in the village.

You'll want to come hungry as well, as there is a plethora of food and drinks sold at the village, including crepes, waffles, schnitzel, hot chocolate and mulled wine.

This is the 10th anniversary season for the Christmas Village, which is free to visit. Its last day will be on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). It is open Sundays-Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Thanksgiving, the village will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Christmas Eve it will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on the village, visit philachristmas.com.

DETAILS: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Nov. 24-Dec. 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 24 at LOVE Park, 1500 Arch St., Philadelphia. Cost: Free. philachristmas.com.

Want more news and entertainment on Philadelphia? Click here for all our coverage on the City of Brotherly Love.
Former Oklahoma state Sen. Ralph Shortey has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors months after investigators uncovered a secret life that they say involved child pornography and a rendezvous with a 17-year-old boy he had met through Craigslist's personal ads.

Shortey, a Republican who resigned last spring amid allegations that he had solicited sex from the teen, will plead guilty to a child sex trafficking charge, his attorney, Ed Blau, said. Prosecutors will drop three child pornography charges as part of the plea deal.

"After looking at all the evidence and case law and statues and everything else, we just felt that this would give him the best opportunity to come out with the best outcome possible," Blau told The Washington Post. "It would've been an extraordinarily difficult case to win a trial."

Had Shortey gone to trial and lost, he would've been looking at a 30-year prison sentence at the very least, Blau said. The sex trafficking charge is punishable by at least 10 years in prison. Federal law requires defendants to serve at least 75 percent of their sentence. In Shortey's case, that would be 8 1/2 years, but a judge will ultimately decide on what his sentence would be.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Oklahoma City said he can't comment on the plea agreement but pointed out that Shortey is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 30 for a plea hearing.

Shortey, who represented a portion of Oklahoma City, was first charged in Cleveland County in March, after police officers found him and the underage teenager in a motel room. Authorities said the two had been talking since they met on Craigslist the year before and later agreed to go to a Super 8 motel in Moore, Okla., just south of Oklahoma City.

Investigators also found messages the two had exchanged on a messaging app called Kik.

According to an affidavit, the teen told Shortey that he needed money for spring break, and the two talked about meeting for sex.

"I don't really have any legitimate things I need help with right now," Shortey wrote, the affidavit said. "Would you be interested in sex stuff."

"Yes," the teen responded.

Shortey was charged with engaging in child prostitution, transporting a minor for prostitution and engaging in prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church. The motel was near First Christian Church. Those charges were dismissed in September, when state officials turned over the case to federal prosecutors. Shortey was indicted in federal court on child pornography and sex trafficking charges that same month.

Blau said a double-jeopardy statute in Oklahoma does not allow someone to be prosecuted in federal and state courts at the same time for the same crimes.

According to a federal indictment, Shortey had been using the email addresses brinokc4u@aol.com and brinokc4u@gmail.com since 2010. In 2012, he created Craigslist and Facebook accounts using the AOL email address and used false names such as Brian Tilley and Jamie Tilley.

Shortey posted several ads on Craigslist in 2016, the indictment said. He asked people to message him on Kik, where he uses the username "Brinokc4u." He also used the AOL address and his smartphone to send sexually explicit videos of young girls and boys, authorities said.

Shortey and the teen began talking on Kik in March 2016. A year later, on March 9, he picked up the teen from his home, and the two drove to the motel. Less than an hour later, the teen's father called police and told them that his son had been seen going into a motel room with a man, according to the indictment.

The Oklahoman reported that the teen's girlfriend saw Shortey pick him up. She then followed them to the motel and alerted the teen's father.

Authorities found an open box of condoms and a laptop computer inside the room.

The explosive allegations prompted Republican leaders in Oklahoma, including Gov. Mary Fallin, R, to call for the two-term senator's resignation. Shortey did so shortly afterward.

Shortey was first elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2010. His Senate biography, which is still online, describes him as a "longtime political volunteer" who worked in the oil and gas industry as a production consultant before entering public office.

He is married to his "high school sweetheart" and attended Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City, his biography said.

Blau said Shortey and his wife are still together. They have four children.

Shortey, an early supporter of President Trump, is known for his strong stance against illegal immigration and gun control. He also routinely voted in favor of bills targeting members of the LGBT community, the AP reported.

Recently, he proposed a bill that would ban sanctuary cities in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 573 was introduced last month, and Shortey's name was removed as author last week.

In 2012, he stirred controversy by authoring an ill-fated bill to prohibit "the manufacture or sale of food products which use aborted human fetuses."
About two dozen more animals have been removed from a midstate business that once was the controversial home of Ricki the Bear.

The creatures, including llamas, alpacas and emus were taken from Jim Mack's Ice Cream Shop in York County on Saturday, the Animal Legal Defense Fund announced Monday.

They said the removals came after the owner of the Hellam Township business was threatened with a lawsuit for breaching an agreement that resulted in Ricki's removal to an animal sanctuary in 2015.

That deal barred Mack's from bringing in any other exotic animals. The owner agreed to the latest removals as an alternative to being sued, defense fund officials said.

All of the animals have remained in Pennsylvania, said defense fund spokeswoman Natalia Lima. She said Chenoa Manor took two alpacas, a llama, and two emus; Indraloka Sanctuary took four peacocks; and the York SPCA took seven rabbits, five chickens, three goats, and a goose.
A new Veterans Affairs clinic will be opening next year in Upper Allen Township to replace the existing community clinic in Camp Hill.

The new clinic at 5070 Ritter Road will be approximately 25,000 square feet, and is being created in existing space in the Rossmoyne commercial development area. It is projected to serve more than 9,300 enrolled Veterans within the first year.

The Lebanon VA Medical Center held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the new Cumberland County VA Community Clinic, which will provide a full range of primary care and telehealth services for veterans in Cumberland and surrounding counties.

Services will include mental and behavioral health, laboratory and women's health services, said Douglas Etter, VA spokesman. The project is estimated to cost about $2.8 million.
Both Foreign Minister Shoukry and US Secretary of State Tillerson agreed on a full commitment to the 2015 Declaration of Principles over the Ethiopian dam

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry informed Sunday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of a deadlock in the process of carrying out studies on the effects of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) on downstream countries.



In an official statement, Egypts foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry had received a phone call from Tillerson, where the Egyptian foreign minister spoke about the strained technical path related to preparing studies on the effect of the dam on downstream countries, as well as ways to avoid them.

Shoukry expressed "extreme concern" to his US counterpart, citing Egypts full dependence on Nile water as its sole source of water.

According to the statement, the two spoke further about the matter, agreeing on the importance of full commitment from all sides to the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Other developments in the region were also brought up in the phone call, including the Lebanese crisis and its impact, Iranian interference shaking the stability of several Arab countries and the security and humanitarian repercussions of the Yemeni crisis.

Sundays phone call comes one day after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke of the GERD impasse for the first time since negotiations between the involved countries stalled last week.

El-Sisi said that while he understands the developmental goals behind GERD, Egypts share of the Nile water is a "a matter of life or death for the nation".

Last week, negotiations between the three countries broke down over how to conduct technical studies of the dam's potential impact on downstream countries.

The dam, situated near Ethiopia's border with Sudan, is slated for completion this year and expected to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Ethiopia hopes to be able to export electricity generated by the dam, which will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa.

Egypt, however, has expressed concerns that the dam might reduce its share of Nile water.

Ethiopia maintains that the dam will not have any negative impact on Egypt or Sudan.



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By Dick Polman

Left-leaning Americans who are rightfully repulsed by Roy Moore, and who were similarly steamed in 2016 about Donald Trump's gropey braggadocio, need to acknowledge that Bill Clinton also rates a place in that Hall of Infamy.

Dick Polman (PennLive file)

I'm down with that.



Lest we forget, feminists and Democratic activists in the late 1990s mostly stayed mute, defended, or excused Bill's notorious workplace behavior. Monica Lewinsky was derided as a stalker (Bill himself pushed that line), Kathleen Willey (who accused Bill of Oval Office groping) was ignored or disbelieved, and Paula Jones (who says gubernatorial Bill dropped his pants) was denounced as trailer trash.

What Bill's liberal and feminist defenders did way back then - standing by "their" guy in order to thwart the ideological opposition - is precisely what they're condemning the Moore and Trump camps for doing now.



I find myself agreeing with the conservative columnist John Podhoretz, who writes in the New York Post that Bill, buoyed during the 1998 Lewinsky scandal by Hillary, "signaled to their supporters and the entire Democratic liberal-left that any crack in their defense of him would allow a puritanical right-wing flood to engulf the country ... Moore is saying exactly the same thing to conservatives: Allow yourselves to believe in the truth of these claims and you are going to surrender this country to godlessness and transgenderism."



So. Wouldn't this be a better world if partisans on both sides of the ideological divide lowered their rhetorical weapons and simply agreed that sexually harassing women is bad regardless of who does it?



My own conscience is clear about Bill. In the Philadelphia Inquirer back in 1998, I denounced his "deception and recklessness," and "his willingness to conduct secret trysts with Lewinsky while (Paula Jones') sexual harassment lawsuit was hanging over his head." I also cited grand jury testimony about Bill's behavior right after the Lewinsky trysts were exposed in January 1998. He had to decide whether to come clean with the public or lie, and he decided to lie, telling one of his former aides, "We'll just have to win, won't we?"



Most Democratic partisans and prominent feminists - who claimed to champion the empowerment of women - were far more forgiving than I. They made all kinds of excuses for Bill's exercise of power over a lowly intern, because they feared that his downfall would clear the decks for Newt Gingrich and the rabid right. Their reasoning was dumb, because if Bill had been compelled to resign, his replacement - Al Gore - would've sustained the liberal policy agenda. Alas, they decided instead that Bill's disempowered women were acceptable collateral damage.



Back then, one of the few Washington journalists to excoriate that feminist silence was the late, great Marjorie Williams, who wrote about it in Vanity Fair magazine. Williams quoted the feminist writer Anne Roiphe, who said that when she heard the evidence against Bill, "I just wanted to close my eyes, and wished it would go away." And Williams quoted the legendary Betty Friedan, who dismissed the Lewinsky evidence this way: "Whether it's fantasy, a set-up or true, I simply don't care."



Williams was one of the few voices on the liberal side to map Bill's track record for her reluctant brethren:



"We have good evidence ... that Clinton, as governor of Arkansas, had a state trooper escort Paula Jones to his suite at Little Rock's Excelsior Hotel during her work hours, and we know that she gave contemporaneous accounts of the meeting to several witnesses which closely track the allegations in her lawsuit. We know that there is extensive evidence of a relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky that has not been challenged by the administration. We know that Arkansas state troopers have said under oath that Clinton used them to enable his sexual escapades in Little Rock..."



Williams also stated: "I am a feminist and a registered Democrat. Many of the feminist activists in Washington are women I've known for years as sources; I feel an open sympathy for much of the work they do. Yet I also feel something close to fury over their failure to call Clinton to account for his actions."



Well, better late than never. Kathleen Willey said on Thursday, "It's about time." As for the liberals and feminists who were silent back in the day, "They're hypocrites. They worship at the altar of all things Clinton. They're all over Roy Moore, but they had nothing to say about Bill Clinton when he was accused of (wrongdoing)." Which prompts me to ask: Why shouldn't it be possible to condemn Roy Moore and acknowledge that Bill warranted the same?



And hey, if Republicans want to play "ButWhatAbout" and condemn Bill, shouldn't they also be willing to condemn Trump for much the same reasons? I ask this in the spirit of non-partisanship that will never be.



Dick Polman is the national political columnist at NewsWorks/WHYY in Philadelphia (newsworks.org/polman) and a "Writer in Residence" at the University of Pennsylvania. Email him at dickpolman7@gmail.com.
Photo by Dan Gleiter

A dozen solutions to various aspects of a deadly epidemic

PennLive visited six Pennsylvania counties hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. All were battling back against the crisis in various way. Here are 12 of the most effect tactics Pa.'s addicted town are using to stop the dying, redeem addicts, punish dealers and halt others from getting hooked.

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Dan Gleiter

12. Narcan is not enough

Perhaps there is no single substance in the ongoing opioid epidemic more controversial than the overdose antidote drug, Narcan.

Yes, it saves lives, effectively bringing back an opioid overdose patient from what appears to be the brink of death. Yet, the drug cannot save the souls of these addicts, many of home refuse ambulance transport to the hospital. In fact, the drug is so effective, it crashes the addicts high, putting them in instant withdraw. Their first impulse is to use again.

The complete Addicted Towns of Pa. series can be found here.

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Mark Pynes

Narcan as addiction enabler

The fact that Narcan is being used to bring back overdosing addicts multiple times has soured some on the drug. Leaders in some of the worst addicted towns see it as enabling addicts to cheat death and keep right on using.

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Dan Gleiter

No fan of Narcan

"I'm not a big fan of Narcan," admitted Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger. "You can overdose and be saved. But there's not a lot of accountability. The caller has immunity. The person overdosing has immunity. That has to change. It's not that we want to arrest everybody. But there has to be some accountability."

Goldinger stopped short of saying Narcan use should be curtailed. But he said it certainly should be changed.

The community is outraged with it at this point, Goldinger said. They ask me, why are the police saving junkies just to go out and rob from us? I am getting a lot of frustration about why aren't we doing anything. I told them, because we can't.

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Dan Gleiter

Narcan's true believer

By contrast, Breanne Bowman, who assembles Narcan kits in Washington County, is a true believer in its life-saving properties.

I am an advocate, without a doubt, Breanne proudly declared. I know each kit I put together is going to save a life, she said. It is going to give someone a second chance. I never wanted just a job; I wanted to make a difference.

Through August 2017, her kits had saved 107 lives. The full year before, it was 215. Only 25 people have died after being administered Narcan since the program began.

The belief here is so long as addicts remain alive, recovery is possible.

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Dan Gleiter

Overdose outreach

Montgomery County has gone all-in on Narcan as a life-saver, as well. But Abington Township Police Chief John A. Livingood is collaborating with other community organizations to provide necessary outreach and follow-up after the drug is used to save a life.

He does this through a community group called The Hub, a collection of local representatives from healthcare organizations, behavioral health, social work and faith-based organizations.

Thanks to the Hub, many overdose victims revived by Abington police are receiving personal phone calls or knocks at their doors with offers of addiction treatment and other assistance.

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Dan Gleiter

11. Protecting the epidemic's innocent victims

Butler's Children and Youth agency no longer trusts even the opinion of police when it comes to the safety of children of overdose victims. They want to see for themselves  in real time.

The agencys new practice is to immediately dispatch a staffer to the scene of any overdose where children are present, regardless of the hour or day of the week. This major policy shift means sweeping staffing changes -- including talk of a second shift  so case workers can respond right along with police and EMS when children are present.

We need to assess the crisis in real time, as the overdose is occurring, insisted the countys children and youth director, Charlie Johns.

Childrens lives are literally at stake.

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Dan Gleiter

10. Continuum of Care for Addiction

Experts insist a so-called continuum of care for opioid addiction is often necessary to avoid all-too-common relapses.

Many treatment models call for 28 days of detox and rehab, followed by halfway house stays or out-patient treatment and recovery support that can include residential sober living accommodations.

Experts believe -- and the data show  that the more treatment and services a recovering addict receives, the better his or her odds of success.

Funding all that recovery support is another matter, however. Many private insurance plans authorize in-patient rehab stays of just seven days.

Medicaid, which expanded in Pennsylvania under Obamacare, provides the best funding for prolonged and progressive treatments for opioid addiction.

Many addicted towns are still trying to resolve this dilemma.

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Dan Gleiter

9. Peer-to-peer is powerful

Washington, Pa.  a.k.a. Recovery Town -- is a campus-like community where there are a growing number of halfway and three-quarter houses, along with other recovery spaces and numerous venues for 12-step meetings  all providing powerful peer-to-peer support for recovering addicts by recovering addicts.

A good number of addicts who get clean in Washington end up staying. This creates the true recovery community. Theres even a coffee shop run by people in recovery.

Ex-addicts hold deeply personal conversations over steaming cups of black coffee. But they also laugh, trade jokes and keep care of one another. Some play music during happy hour  a substance-free happy hour, save for the caffeine and cigarettes, which people must smoke outside.

When the struggle to stay sober is minute-to-minute, it helps to have place filled with others trying to hold on, too.

Don't Edit

Dan Gleiter

Staying accountable

Ashlee McHenry oversees 10 other women at this three-quarter house, which resembles a college sorority in one of the stately old homes of Washington. Most of the women are in their mid-20s to early 30s. The average stay is nine months. Its the final step before transitioning back to real life.

The 33-year-old recovering heroin addict says minding the newer recoveries of the young women of Trinity House helps hold her accountable. Among addicts, known for their lives, words are cheap. In recovery houses, it is do as a do. Ashlee must model what recovery looks like for the others.

It is a good thing for me to help other women, Ashlee said. It helps hold me accountable. I lead by example.

This is the positive feedback loop of a recovery community.

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James Robinson

8. Prevention as an epidemic firewall

Treatment is not enough. Preventing others  especially young people from becoming addicted  is paramount to defeating the epidemic.

Cambria County is attempting to build such a firewall around its future with a two-pronged prevention effort aimed at the areas next generation.

The countys Nurse-Family Partnership Program intervenes in the lives of children in poverty before they are even born. And Cambria is rolling out comprehensive, evidence-based anti-addiction curriculum in all its schools beginning as early as the third grade.

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James Robinson

Good Start

Visiting RN Lisa Miller (right) instructs new mom Ta-Niyia Johnson, 22, on all the tactics that will aid the healthy development and proper socialization of her 21/2-week old daughter, Carter.

Nurse Millers regular visits also provide rate insight into the home for anything that could threaten Carter. This includes any kind of illegal drugs, right down to pot.

Miller is a mandatory reporter when it comes to any sign of child endangerment, abuse or neglect. And she is one of the few such people who will have regular insight and access to Carters life until the little girl begins preschool. This provides enormous protection during young childrens most vulnerable time, especially given the dangers of the opioid epidemic.

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James Robinson

Armor against addiction

The goal of the Botvin LifeSkills Training curriculum is nothing short of arming young people with tools, training and insight to diagnose, analyze and neutralize everything coming at them in todays high-speed, social media society.

Its all about building resiliency to the messages, influences and uncontrolled impulses that can do young people so much harm.

The concept is to change attitudes of risky behavior around alcohol, tobacco and drugs, said Gerald L. Zahorchak, a former Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania who recently retired as superintendent of the Greater Johnstown School District.

Human development should be 60 percent of what we do as educators, he said.

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Dan Gleiter

7. Misery's company

Silence is suffering for family members with loved ones lost to addiction. That's why Charlene Eckert (center) founded the support group, Hope for Broken Hearts, in Butler, Pa.

Addiction is a battle for the whole family, Charlene said. It costs money. It costs emotional and physical havoc and pain. No one wants to live like this. No one wants to have these problems.

But they do. And it helps to talk about it.

All her members accept that only the addict can say when it is time to stop. Until then, a loved ones only choice is to hang on  or let go.

Despite their broken hearts, these women choose to hold on.

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Dan Gleiter

6. Turning jail into treatment

Statics show that addicts just released from prison are among the greatest risk for opioid overdose and death. Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone wants to change this.

Prison already provides a forced detox for heroin addicts, who are often locked up for ancillary crimes such as theft or parole violations. Up until now, little or no treatment was being offered, especially for county jail inmates whose cases were still grinding through the system.

Vittone is changing this with a pilot program that partners with drug treatment providers to offer services to inmates. And just before the inmate is released, he or she will get a parting shot -- literally.

The shot is an injection of Vivitrol, a relatively new drug that provides up to 28-days of protection against opioid cravings.

Best of all, a single injection can help block an opioid overdose for up to a month, providing some protection for just-released prisoners at precisely the moment theyre most vulnerable to overdose.

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James Robinson

5. Methadone matters

Methadone, a synthetic opioid maintenance drug that gained prominence in the 1960s and 70s, stands as a time-tested and relatively successful answer to heroin addiction.

Yet, others in the recovery community see it as trading one drug dependency for another. They insist true recovery means the person is substance-free.

That this stigma exists at the height of the opioid epidemic, when any approach that rescues people lost to addiction should be welcomed, is surprising.

Given the success rates of medically-assisted opioid addiction treatment, it is downright shocking.

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James Robinson

More than methadone

In addition to methadone, recovering opioid addicts are being successfully treated with Suboxone, which contains a morphine-like synthetic as well as the opioid-blocker naloxone, the same drug found in Narcan.

Finally, there is Vivitrol, a monthly injection that is an opioid-blocker and can help prevent a patient from getting high and overdosing.

At a treatment clinic in Johnstown, Pa., up to 93 percent of the patients on methadone or other medicine-assisted treatments test negative for opioids in random checks, which are conducted monthly but often far more frequently.

In other words, its working.

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Courtesy Montgomery County DA

4. Make drug dealers pay in every respect

The war against those dealing death in the opioid epidemic has become personal for many district attorneys in the hardest-hit counties. Some are hitting back.

Several make drug dealers pay for opioid carnage by tapping drug forfeiture money to fund the widespread distribution of overdose-reversing Narcan.

Others are seeking maximum penalties for opioid dealers. A few are doing all of the above -- and more.

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Dan Gleiter

Montgomery's message

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele begins building a potential prosecution for drug delivery resulting in death -- a charge that carries a 40-year prison sentence  form the very moment of the 911 call for a fatal overdose.

His office has successfully prosecuted seven such cases so far this year, by far the highest success rate in Pennsylvania.

Moreover, Steele is going have big-time heroin and fentanyl dealers and distributors. But building drug cases that deliver a message or make a dent in the epidemic takes painstaking work, along with lots of time and money.

It's a matter of working up the ladder, Steele described. This is about impact. These are the kinds of cases you have to build if you are dedicated to stopping the flow of this into your community.

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Dan Gleiter

3. Treating opioid addiction's traumatic roots

Could original, underlying trauma could be the key driver of opioid addiction?

Elizabeth Gotwals, administer and owner of Fulton Behavioral Health Services, sees a definitive link between her clients suffering from deep-seated traumas and other mental or emotional issues, and those with opioid addictions.

In fact, a full 70 to 75 percent of opioid addicts now being treated by Fulton Behavioral Health also have an underlying trauma or mental health issues, Gotwals said.

These people have depression, anxiety and other issues that compel them to self-medicate, she said.

As a result, Gotwals is now convinced treating opioid addiction also must involve treating these underlying traumas and issues. This can include dealing with the effects of physical, emotional and sexual abuse; fractured families; alcoholism; lack of education; and physical and mental pain.

All of the problems are here, Gotwals said.

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Dan Gleiter

2. Work with dignity

Returning to meaningful work  not just a job  is seen as one of the last and most important steps in a recovering addicts journey back. Unfortunately, this can be the most difficult step of all.

Hiring someone with an admitted addiction problem and the possibility of a criminal record related to that addiction is a gamble most businesses simply will not take.

But in Fulton County, an addiction treatment and behavioral health services provider is currently working with a local manufacturing company on a pilot program to provide its recovering addiction clients with a path to family-sustaining employment  a bridge back to a full life.

Under the employment partnership, Fulton Behavioral Health Services would provide support and monitoring for their recovering addiction clients as the return to work for the local company, thus mitigating the potential risks for the business providing this second shot at work with dignity.

The program could become a much-needed model for both employers in need of workers and recovering substance abusers seeking to rebuild their lives by holding down decent jobs.

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Dan Gleiter

1. Winning takes resources, lots of them

The biggest take-away from one of the biggest counties in the state is that battling the opioid epidemic means going all-in.

Since sounding the alarm over opioid overdose deaths in the fall of 2014, Montgomery County, with a $409.5 million annual budget, has operated at virtually all levels with a single goal in mind  reducing the epidemics death toll.

County Commission Chairwoman Dr. Val Arkoosh described the all-out effort as having the full support of virtually every public official, first responder, human services social worker and law enforcement officer across the county.

It has taken an absolute all-hands-on-deck approach just to get a handle on this thing, Arkoosh said, referring to the countys recent announcement that Montgomerys overdose death rates for the first half of 2017 have leveled off. This comes after last years death rate spiked 50 percent, in route to the countys staggering 230 deaths in 2016.

It's not one thing; it's 40 things that the county is doing, she added. I hope people would look at our numbers and see a ray of hope in the fight.

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Read the full Addicted Towns of Pa. series:

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Chapter One: 'Old people and addicts'

The opioid epidemic intensifies as deadly China-made synthetic fentanyl begins claiming lives in shocking numbers, causing this once-proud coal region to sink to a new low.

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Chapter Two: 'More drug dealers than cops'

A community outraged by a four-year-olds horrific opioid-related death launches an all-out effort to protect innocents from the secondary dangers of the epidemic.

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Chapter Three: 'I fell in love with the drugs'

Seduced by opioids and an older boyfriend, one young woman travels a hard 10-year road to that finally leads to Recovery Town.

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Chapter Four: 'This time around it's everybody'

After a devastating tragedy, a down-on-its-luck steel town vows to do everything possible to protect the next generation from becoming addicted to opioids.

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Chapter Five: 'Disgusting is a mild word for this'

The epidemic extends to the rural reaches of Pennsylvania farm country, where everyone knows everyone else and proud families try to keep addiction a secret  with deadly results.

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Chapter Six: 'I couldn't believe I was doing it'

A resource-rich county goes all-in against the opioid epidemic after a suffering a shocking number of overdose deaths in the once-safe suburbs.

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John Luciew | jluciew@pennlive.com

Anatomy of opioid addiction

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Courtesy Montgomery County DA

Deadly doses

Fatal doses of heroin and fentanyl set side-by-side to show the deadly difference.
FILE - In this Nov. 27, 2015, file photo, shoppers carry bags as they cross a pedestrian walkway near Macy's in Herald Square, in New York. At Macy's flagship store in New York, a chance to sit on Santa Claus' lap is by appointment only in 2017, for the first time ever. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
Corporal Nolan Caribou is shown in this undated handout photo. The Canadian military has launched an investigation after a reservist died during a training accident in Manitoba on Saturday. Cpl. Nolan Caribou, who was an infantryman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group, was found dead at Canadian Forces Base Shilo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Department of National Defence *MANDATORY CREDIT*
El-Namnam said the Ministry of Cultures strategy is currently focused on fighting religious extremism in rural areas and containing radicalism among university students

Egyptian Minister of Culture Helmi El-Namnam told MPs in a plenary session Monday that Egypt has been largely able to reduce the amount of religious extremism and radicalism in the country.

Yes, it is true that Egypt still has some flashpoints of extremism and terrorism in different parts of the country, but we were largely able to stem the tide of extremist thoughts which prevailed in the last few years and we now have a long-term strategy to continue this fight, particularly in villages in upper Egypt and among university students, El-Namnam said.

He said the Ministry of Cultures strategy mainly aims to safeguard university students against extremist and radical ideologies.

You know what happened when we ignored these universities for a long time, they became hotbeds of extremist ideas and breeding grounds for radical activists. We now have activities and cultural convoys in the universities of Cairo, Ain Shams, Assiut, Tanta, etc, in order to stand against any new infiltration of extremist ideas, El-Namnam said.

The Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Al-Azhar did a good job in recent years, largely ridding Egyptian universities of religious extremism.

The army and police forces can fight terrorists, but it is only the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with other institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Al-Azhar that can defeat extremism and radicalism, he said.

The Ministry of Culture is currently implementing a number of cultural activities in universities, such as organising theatrical activities and music concerts, and periodical book exhibitions, the minister said.

These activities help a lot in making universities immune to invasion of extremist thoughts, El-Namnam argued.

He also deplored the fact that 25 million Egyptians are illiterate.

It is very important for us to protect this big number of people from falling prey to extremist ideas, and so we focus in this respect on organising audio-visual cultural activities, El-Namnam said.

In this respect, we organise cultural activities in 36 villages in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya, which has been for a long time a breeding ground for extremist groups."

El-Namnam, however, complained that the annual budget of Egypts Ministry of Culture is still very low.

In last years budget, we asked parliament to allocate EGP 274 million to renovate 17 cultural palaces [centres], but all we got was just EGP 66 million, he said.

The Ministry of Culture is in a desperate need for as much as EGP 10 billion in budgetary allocations to build more than 200 cultural palaces in the next few years, the minister said.

These palaces are necessary to cover all of Egypt, in addition to the old 594 palaces already in place now, he said.

El-Namnam warned that as many as 17 million students in schools, three million students in universities, and 25 million illiterates need cultural activities all the time.

We should cover all of these with cultural campaigns all the time in order not to let extremist ideas infiltrate Egypts future generations, the minister said.

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The Uber app is displayed on an iPhone as taxi drivers wait for passengers at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Uber Canada has launched a new policy on how its drivers deal with customers who have service animals, but some disability rights advocates say exemptions built into the rules could still lead to discrimination. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A Police officer salutes the funeral procession carrying the body of Abbotsford Police Const. John Davidson, who was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 6, to a memorial in Abbotsford, B.C., on Sunday November 19, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ben Nelms
A woman is caught in tear gas during running battles with police in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. Kenyan opposition leaders say police are using gunfire and tear gas to disperse residents of a city slum protesting the overnight murder of four people in a suspected ethnic attack. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
FILE - A Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 file photo of an activist holding a banner reading: "For him impunity, for her a life sentence" during a protest in Paris. Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet provoked consternation by suggesting a legal minimum age of 13 for sexual consent "is worth considering." Activists protested in Paris to demand that the age of consent be set at 15. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
The Egyptian President is set to attend a tripartite summit with Cypriot president Anastasiades and Greek PM Tsipras on Tuesday

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke of his support for Cyprian reunification and of growing bilateral cooperation in Nicosia on Monday, at the start of a two-day visit to the Mediterranean island.

El-Sisi and Cypruss President Nicos Anastasiades signed several MOUs in the fields of security, communication, medicine and business, and in subsequent addresses to reporters, Anastasiades welcomed his Egyptian counterpart and said the two countries are bound by strong historic ties.

He described Egypt as a strategic partner for Cyprus and the European Union, affirming his country's support for Cairo's efforts to curb irregular migration and terrorism.

El-Sisi said that his country stands by the reunification of Cypriot territories in accordance with international law and legitimacy. He also said cooperation between his country and Cyprus in the field of energy production would enhance peace and stability in the region.

The Cypriot president informed El-Sisi of the latest developments in negotiations to reach a peaceful resolution to the Cypriot territorial dispute following the failure of reunification talks in Switzerland, describing the Turkish presence on his soil as a sort of occupation.

El-Sisi said the growing military cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus in light of a 2015 agreement enhances ties between the armies of both countries.

El-Sisi also gave an address to the Cypriot House of Representatives, where he praised the efforts of Cypriot MPs to safeguard democracy in their country, reaffirming Egypt's support for the unification efforts of the Mediterranean island.

"I am sure that your efforts and determination will result in resolving the issue of unifying Cypriot territories, which is not only essential for your country but for the Middle East as well," he said.

"Egypt has been and will always be a second home country for Cypriot citizens since President Nasser established ties with late leader Makarios III."

Demetris Syllouris, the parliaments president, praised Egypt's historical stances toward Cyprus, noting that Egypt was one of the first countries to recognise its independence from Great Britain in 1960.

The Egyptian president arrived in Nicosia on Monday accompanied by a delegation which includes the ministers of foreign affairs, trade and industry, communication and petroleum.

He is set to attend a tripartite summit between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece on Tuesday, the fifth such meeting since 2014, which President Alexis Tsipras of Greece will also attend.

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FILE - In this June 21, 2017 file photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., listens at a committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington. A second woman has accused Minnesota Sen. Al Franken of inappropriate touching, saying Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 that he put his hand on her bottom as they posed for a picture at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010, after he had begun his career in the Senate. Menz's allegation comes days after a Los Angeles broadcaster, Leeann Tweeden, accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite File)
Members of India's Rajput community hold placards as they protest against the release of Bollywood film "Padmavati" in Mumbai, India, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The film has been in trouble since the beginning of the year, with fringe groups in the western state of Rajasthan attacking the film's set, threatening to burn down theaters that show it and even physically attacking the director in January. A member of India's Hindu nationalist ruling party has offered a 100 million rupee ($1.5 million) reward to anyone who beheads the lead actress and the director of the yet-to-be released film over its alleged handling of the relationship between a Hindu queen and a Muslim ruler. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
TransCanada's $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline got the go-ahead from the Nebraska Public Service Commission on Monday, clearing the last regulatory hurdle in a nine-year effort to build a line needed the carry thick crude oil from Alberta's tar sands region to refineries on the Texas gulf coast.

But the five-member commission rejected TransCanada's preferred route and voted to approve an alternative route that would move the pipeline further east. The new pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels a day of crude.

The 3-2 decision comes just four days after a rupture in the existing Keystone pipeline also owned by TransCanada leaked an estimated 5,000 barrels of crude oil in a rural part of northeast South Dakota. The spill, the latest in a series of leaks on the existing pipeline, raised concerns about other potential spills, economic impact, and climate change.

The independent commission had come under pressure from the Nebraska state legislature and labor unions to approve the pipeline while environmental groups and prairie populists have vowed to appeal, if necessary, to the courts and follow that up with civil disobedience.

The commission includes Frank Landis, a lawyer first elected in 1988; newly elected Mary Ridder, a cattle rancher from the state's ecologically sensitive Sandhills region; Rod Johnson, a former Republican state legislator; Tim Schram, a former county commissioner; and Chrystal Rhoades, who has worked with a variety of community organizations.

In her dissent, Rhoades said she opposed the pipeline regardless of the route. She said that the pipeline was not in the state's public interest, that jobs would not go to Nebraskans, that it would create "significant burdens" on landowners whose use of the pipeline corridor would be limited, and that she was still worried about the environmental impact.

"All human-made infrastructure degrades and fails over time," she wrote. "No infrastructure ever designed has lasted for eternity and there is no reason to believe this pipeline will be an exception." Rhoades acknowledged that the commission was not supposed to weigh the risks of spills, but she said the state's Department of Environmental Quality had included it in the record.

While TransCanada has promoted the pipeline project as a jobs creator, Rhoades said that "there was no evidence provided that any jobs created by the construction of this project would be given to Nebraska residents."

She also said that TransCanada had failed to consult Nebraska's Native American tribes. She noted that the company said it had consulted with the Southern Ponca Tribe, but Rhoades said that resides in Oklahoma. "This is the equivalent of asking a distant relative for permission to do a major construction in your backyard," she wrote.
A rendering of the proposed Apple Lofts residential project at 780 S. 52nd St. in West Philadelphia. Read more

Philadelphia's Post Bros. property group has acquired the seven-story warehouse redevelopment project in West Philadelphia known as Apple Lofts, with plans for some 150 apartments in the 115,000-square-foot building.

Post Bros. purchased the property on 52nd Street south of Baltimore Avenue last week for $2.41 million from Iron Stone Strategic Capital Partners, also of Philadelphia, Ken Wellar, a managing partner at Rittenhouse Realty Advisors, which marketed the property, said in an email Monday.

"We really like the neighborhood and look forward to more projects there," Post Bros. president Matthew Pestronk said in a separate email. "We are especially excited to resurrect a vacant eyesore that had no other use.
With tuitions ever rising and student debt exploding to $1.45 trillion, there has been increased pressure on schools to demonstrate their value based on their success in placing graduates in good-paying jobs.

A for-profit computer-coding boot camp in Philadelphia, the local branch of the New York Code and Design Academy, has taken the bull by the horns. In October, it began offering students a you-can't-lose financing promise called an income share agreement.

"An ISA puts the burden back on the school to do its job, to turn out skilled graduates who can apply what they've learned to actually make a living," said school founder and CEO Jeremy Snepar. "When, and only when, you start to make a minimum salary of $40,000, you start to pay us back  with 8 percent taken out of your salary."

The payback clock continues to run for 48 months maximum, or until the student has returned just what was borrowed with no interest, whichever comes first. "We're saying, if you don't get a fair return on your investment, then we haven't done our job and you shouldn't owe us anything," Snepar said.

Clearly, the odds are running in Snepar's favor and those of his backing group, Strayer Education, which acquired all six outposts (New York, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Washington, Salt Lake City, and Amsterdam) of New York Code and Design Academy in January 2016 and hosts the Philly branch at 1601 Cherry St.

The ISA is being offered to students enrolled in the Philadelphia and Salt Lake City branches of NYCDA's web development intensive program  a 12-week, early morning-to-late night deep dive into coding languages, "Full Stack" website construction, and UI (User Interface) design that carries a $15,000 price tag.

All 25 students currently in the Philadelphia program went for the can't-lose financing deal.

It "works out to $1,250 a week, $31.25 an hour," Pramod Abicandani, an electronics and computer-technology professor until recently based at Drexel University, said when asked to assess the program. "If they do all the things mentioned on their website  the weekly programmatic breakdown  then this is a good deal on all counts."

A onetime investment analyst for Lehman Bros., Snepar said he first saw the need for specialty schools "when I was helping start-ups raise capital, largely so they could hire more developers."

And with the average starting salary for a coder in the $60,000 to $65,000 range, "there's a lot of incentive to take this crash course, which taught me a lot more about coding than I did studying electrical engineering in college and grad school, and then graphic design in an associate degree program," said boot camp grad Chuong Nguyen of South Philadelphia. Now a front-end web designer for New Hope's Vantage Lab, the Vietnam-born, Paris-raised Nguyen said he was hired "two weeks after finishing the NYCDA course."

On the other hand, Erin Mahon didn't connect with a job (at digital-marketing agency Brolik) for more than a year after first matriculating in the program. "Honestly, I didn't feel all that satisfied about my abilities after the course sessions. So I shared that with the school administrators, and they were wonderful, said I could retake the whole course, plus separate, specialized evening classes, for no additional charges."

Creative coding is largely a mind-set and self-confidence game, said former NYCDA instructor Jonathan Wexler, now a senior software engineer for Bloomberg Law. "The school puts a lot of emphasis on team building, feedback, and collaboration, the community aspects of development, which are often missing when you take coding courses online at a Cousera, Udacity or Team Treehouse."

The ISA program functions as a great equalizer for potential attendees, said Snepar: An applicant's past achievements, native talent, and potential (judged in pre-entry screenings) rule objectively; credit history is not a factor at all. ISA also functions as a serious marketing differentiator for NYCDA.

Launch Academy set up shop in February, and Trilogy Education Services now runs a 24-week Coding Boot Camp under the auspices of Penn Arts and Sciences. Likewise on the scene are Coded by U and branches of Apprentice.io, American Graphics Institute and Horizons Academy.

Industry consolidation is being felt. Dev Bootcamp (backed by test-prep company Kaplan Inc.) and the Iron Yard (backed by the University of Phoenix's parent) are shutting down this year. New York's Flatiron School was recently bought by WeWorks.

Deploying an ISA-style solution for responsible education funding has earned attention at Purdue University and MissionU, a San Francisco-based one-year feeder program for tech industries that takes 15 percent of a grad's salary for three years as long as she makes more than $50,000 annually.

Earlier this year, Indiana Rep. Todd Young and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio proposed (for naught) the "Investing in Student Success Act of 2017" that would have designated an ISA as a "qualified education loan," with payments tax-deductible, like student-loan payments. The latter are now on the chopping block in the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" passed last week by the House.
Hampton Behavioral Health Center in Westhampton, Burlington County, will add 48 beds under a plan announced Friday by the Christie administration. Read more

Universal Health Services Inc. was the big winner in New Jersey's largest expansion of its inpatient psychiatric capacity in 20 years, securing the right to add 336 beds, 41 percent of the 811 approved by the state's Department of Health.

The King of Prussia company, which is the largest U.S. operator of behavioral health facilities and which has long been dogged by federal investigations of potential billing fraud, told the state it planned to open two new 120-bed facilities, in Passaic and Monmouth Counties. It also said it would expand hospitals in Burlington and Union Counties by 48 beds each.

Plans for the psychiatric beds came in response to a call by Gov. Christie in January for the addition of 864 adult inpatient psychiatric beds in 14 counties for the treatment of individuals with behavioral-health and substance-abuse disorders. That push was made in conjunction with a new law that required insurers to pay for up to six months of addiction treatment.

"There is an immediate need for inpatient care so people can get the treatment they need to get better and return to their communities," Christie said in a news release Friday. He said the 811 approved beds amount to a 40 percent increase in the number of inpatient psychiatric beds in the state.

Providers have two years to open and license the beds.

The new beds are needed, said Phil Lubitz, associate director of the New Jersey chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, but he wondered whether the expansion, which is aimed at people who have insurance, will meet a major area of need.

"The state is seeing that 50 percent of the people who are coming into state services with a substance-abuse disorder are on Medicaid," he said. Only 10 percent of the new capacity is devoted to the indigent and people on Medicaid, he said.

In Southern Jersey  outside of Camden and Burlington Counties, where there is a surplus  state officials identified a deficit of 269 beds. Applicants could also apply for beds that would count toward the total for contiguous counties.

To help fill the gap in South Jersey, Inspira Health Network received approvals to add 86 psychiatric beds at three sites in Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties, though Inspira got the nod for only 54 beds at Inspira-Woodbury, not the 75 it sought.

Memorial Hospital of Salem County was approved for 26 beds.

A subsidiary of Acadia Healthcare, a major national competitor to UHS, applied to enter the New Jersey market with a 96-bed facility in Vineland. Regulators approved a facility half that size.

As to the fraud investigations against UHS, the state said it found nothing disqualifying at the company. "Psychiatric hospitals run in New Jersey by Universal Health Services are currently compliant with department licensing requirements," the health department said.

Late last month UHS's chief financial officer, Steve Filton, told investors that the earliest the investigations, dating to 2008, could be closed would be "well into the middle of next year."
This is the second of five planned weekly columns, each dealing with one area that, if reformed, would make state government and politics better.

If you're a state lawmaker or member of Congress seeking reelection, odds are with you.

In fact, odds suggest you can stay in office as long as you want.

Just look at Pennsylvania.

During the last 30 years, over 15 election cycles, the average reelection rate for state House and Senate incumbents is 97.5 percent.

Why so high?

Three choices: first, voters are wildly appreciative of their elected lawmakers; second, voters don't know or care about their elected lawmakers; third, there are powerful advantages to incumbency.

Let me suggest there's little of the first, lots of the second and tons of the third.

This column focuses on the third.

It links to last week's column on campaign finance that noted there are no limits on what's raised or spent in Pennsylvania  one of only 11 such states, and the lone Northeastern state.

This gives incumbents, who constantly raise money, an edge. And because incumbents win at such high rates, why would anyone give to a challenger?

It's democracy with an asterisk.

But more than money keeps the playing field uneven, limits civic participation, and leaves the state stuck in a hamster wheel of sameness.

There are reasons voters in seven consecutive Franklin and Marshall College polls since October 2015 say Pennsylvania's biggest problem is government and politicians.

There are reasons why in five of those seven polls, nothing else  not education, not taxes, not the economy  comes close.

The reasons are flawed fundamentals, one of which is incumbent protections.

You know about gerrymandering  politicians drawing their own districts to ensure their reelections, especially in congressional races. You may know we're a national leader. New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice says the "most extreme levels" of gerrymandering are in Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

It's calculated diminution of competition. And it perpetuates partisanship.

The grassroots Fair Districts PA is educating voters on the issue. Its website updates anti-gerrymandering legislation, suggesting action that citizens can take. And pending litigation offers hope for reform.

But there are other factors (and lack of factors) protecting incumbents.

We've got no provision for recall elections. Unlike in 19 other states, citizens can't chuck poor performers.

We have no term limits. Unlike in 15 other states, our lawmakers can stay forever, amassing massive pensions. Former Philadelphia state Rep. Mark Cohen, a Democrat, stayed 42 years. (He was just elected to a 10-year term on Common Pleas Court.)

There are no provisions for initiative and/or referendum. Unlike in 26 other states, citizens can't petition for a law or constitutional amendment, or petition to get a popular vote on any new law passed by the legislature.

"A good way to get people more involved and more interested in political issues is initiative and referendum," says Robert Speel, a Penn State political science associate professor with a focus on state politics. "It would interest voters and make lawmakers more responsive."

So, of course, we don't have that.

Lack of such tools leaves average folks small recourse.

I constantly hear from readers about lawmakers' lack of action and accountability over pick-your-issue who ask, "What can we do?"

(Don't tell me about the ballot box. I'll deal with that in an upcoming column.)

The point is, the deck is stacked. And not in favor of public interest.

Remember, lawmakers have lots of reasons to maintain a quiet status quo.

Base pay is $86,479 with annual automatic raises (sixth largest state, second highest pay); 14 legislative leaders get more, $116,000 to $135,000. There's great health care, generous pensions and expenses, no receipts required.

All for a "full-time" body that this year scheduled just 72 voting days, displayed deep dysfunction, and enacted a late budget with big borrowing and greatly expanded gambling.

So it goes. And will continue until voters get informed, organize, press their lawmakers, especially leadership (all of whom are found at legis.state.pa.us) to address fundamentals of a system badly in need of reforms.
Hazim Hardeman is Temple Universitys first Rhodes Scholar ever. He is photographed on campus November 19, 2017, where he graduated in May with a degree in strategic communication. Before Temple, he attended Community College of Philadelphia. TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer Read more

Hazim Hardeman's mother wanted a better school than the family's North Philadelphia neighborhood could offer her son.

So she falsified the family's address and sent him to Shawmont in Roxborough.

"For her, it was a life-and-death situation," said Hardeman, now 23. "She understood that having access to this education at such an early age would really be formative and could shape or even determine the trajectory that my brother and I would be on."

For Hardeman, a 2017 magna cum laude graduate of Temple University, her choice might have been life-altering.

This weekend, Hardeman was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship  the first student in Temple's history to receive the honor. He will pursue his studies in sociology or political theory next fall at Oxford University in England.

Hardeman told the story of his mother's fateful decision to send him to Shawmont in his Rhodes application.

Hardeman, who transferred to Temple after getting his associate's degree at the Community College of Philadelphia, perfectly represents the kind of student that Temple founder Russell Conwell hoped to educate, said Ruth Ost, senior director of Temple's honors program.

"We talk about acres of diamonds in our own neighborhood," she said. "Here is Hazim, born and raised in North Philly. If we had to choose someone who represents the values of Temple and what Temple really cares about, this is the man who does that."

Hardeman, who is working as a adjunct professor at Temple this year, is one of 10 African American scholars out of a total of 32 to get the award, the most in a single class.

"It's awesome," said Hardeman, as he sat at a table Sunday at Temple's Annenberg Hall, where he had taken classes as a strategic communication major. "What I surmise is that we will all bring experiences to bear on that institution and subject it to transformation in whatever little way."

Several other scholars with local ties also were among the 32 named Rhodes Scholars. They include Christopher J. D'Urso, a University of Pennsylvania student from Colts Neck, N.J.; Jordan D. Thomas, a Princeton student from South Plainfield, N.J.; and Alan Yang, a Harvard student from Dresher, Montgomery County.

Hardeman grew up at 23rd and Diamond, just blocks from Temple's campus. The university always seemed like "another world." He dreamed of crossing the barrier.

"I thought it was a chance for me to show that it is a possibility," he said.

After attending several schools in his neighborhood that were starved for resources and where many students struggled, he transferred to Shawmont in third grade.

"They really pushed you to achieve academically but they also had programs to cultivate students," he said.

His experience at Shawmont didn't leave him immune to other issues that can derail a student's education. When he was in high school at Murrell Dobbins Vocational School in North Philadelphia, his mother, struggling with personal issues, moved to her hometown of Atlanta for a year and a half.

"From there, things sort of got off track," said Hardeman, who stayed in Philadelphia and lived with his older sister. "It became easy to lose sight of what was important."

He began failing his classes. His GPA plummeted. His dream of attending Temple dimmed.

Then his mother returned, and the look on her face when she learned he was failing galvanized him. She paid for him to take extra courses and graduate on time from the now-closed Hope Charter School, where he had transferred.

Hardeman finished with a 2.3 GPA, not good enough to get into Temple. So he went to community college, and his life as a scholar took off. He got into the honors program, for which he had high praise, and served as vice president of the student body.

At Temple, he sat front row in class and met professors who helped to shape his scholarly goals. He also had a research stint at Cornell University and worked in the Philadelphia mayor's office, preparing a report on how better playgrounds could improve the city's child-care facilities.

Hardeman wants to be a professor and a researcher. He has an interest in prison reform.

"One of the desires I have is to teach in prisons," he said.

That desire developed after taking a class in Temple "Inside-Out" exchange program, through which undergraduates learn alongside prison inmates.

"It really changed what I think justice should look like," he said. "It moved from who did what and how can we punish them to who was hurt and can you restore the humanity of each person involved."

Ost heard Hardeman give eloquent closing remarks when the class ended.

"She came up to me and said we finally got one," Hardeman recalled. He didn't know what she meant. Ost explained: He could be Temple's first Rhodes scholar.

"It was absolutely true," Ost said Sunday, recalling that moment. "I've rarely met anyone who had the level of erudition, eloquence, and authenticity that this man does."

When he learned he won, a range of emotions hit, including a hint of sadness.

"This doesn't happen for people like me and where I'm from," he said. "You almost think, 'Why me?' "

His mother, he said, was proud and for a moment speechless, even more so when he showed her the distance between Philadelphia and Oxford on a map  nearly 3,500 miles.

Temple president Richard M. Englert called Hardeman's win a "historic moment."

"We could not be more proud of him," the president said, "and wish him the best as he leaves North Broad Street for Oxford and the next phase of his remarkable life."
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged the United Nations on Sunday to prevent Iran from pushing the region to the edge of an abyss, saying that the missile recently fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia represents an act of hostility against all Arab countries.

"Iran has adopted a sectarian policy and empowered itself with the nuclear deal [signed in 2015 between Tehran and several world powers]," said Aboul Gheit during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo convened after a request made last week by Saudi Arabia.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed Cairo's rejection of any kind of foreign intervention or attempts to destabilise the security of Arab countries.

The Egyptian FM also called for strong and clear actions to defuse tensions in the region.

"Egypt rejects any form of foreign presence on Arab soil, whether in the form of military bases, local parties with foreign loyalties, or support for terrorist organisations," Shoukry added.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that his country will not stand idle or hesitate in defending its people and national security.

"Any leniency in dealing with [Tehrans] policies would only encourage Iran towards more aggressions, so we must stand together," Jubeir said.

"Iran's aggressive policies have pushed the international community to classify it as the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world," the Saudi foreign minister added.

Al-Jubier also called on all Arab countries to adopt firm stances to preserve Arab national security, safety and prosperity.

The Arab League meeting comes amid rising tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran over accusations that Tehran interferes in the internal affairs of some Arab countries.

On 4 November, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri resigned while in Riyadh over what he described as Iranian interference in his country and direct threats to his life.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has accused Iran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemeni rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Saudi Arabia has also accused Hezbollah involvement in the attack on Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, Drake performs on stage in Toronto, Canada. Read more

Meek Mill's rap rival Drake has thrown his support behind the imprisoned Philadelphia emcee, telling a crowd at a recent tour stop in Australia that the justice system ought to "Free Meek Mill" to avoid a 2 to 4-year prison sentence recently handed down by a Philadelphia judge for probation violations.

Drake was in Melbourne on Sunday as part of his ongoing Boy Meets World tour when, as Pitchfork reports, he spotted a fan wearing a "Free Meek Mill" t-shirt.

"Free Meek Mill," Drake said. "You right." A video posted to Twitter captured the exchange:

That's quite the dip in animosity between the two. Back in 2015, the pair entered into a bitter beef after Mill accused Drake of using a ghostwriter on the pair's track "R.I.C.O.," off of Mill's Dreams Worth More Than Money. A number of diss tracks followed, including Drake hits "Charged Up" and "Back to Back."

The feud has since been solved. Drake told Pitchfork earlier this year that the situation was "not something that I'm proud of."

"It took just as much of an emotional toll on me," Drake said.

Mill, meanwhile, has garnered support from other mainstream artists and celebrities, including rap mogul Jay-Z, who called the sentence from Judge Genece Brinkley "unjust and heavy-handed" in a Facebook posting following Mill's sentencing. Last week, supporters rallied in Philly to draw awareness to Mill's case.

Mill's camp, meanwhile, has been working to get the rapper out of prison and is currently appealing his sentence. The rapper has also filed a legal motion to recuse Judge Brinkley from the case.
The Delaney family posed on Monday at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia before they left for their North Carolina home. Read more

Erin and Abby Delaney, the twins born conjoined at their heads who were successfully separated in June at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, left with their parents Heather and Riley Delaney Monday to spend Thanksgiving at home in North Carolina.

Though Abby was just discharged from the hospital on Monday, Erin has been staying with their mom at the Ronald McDonald House, and receiving daily therapy at the hospital with her sister. Dad Riley has been traveling between work in Mooresville, N.C. and Philadelphia.

"Riley and I are so grateful for the care our girls have received here and so excited to take them home  just in time for the holidays," said Heather Delaney, in a statement issued by the hospital.

Erin and Abby were born on July 24, 2016, at CHOP's Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit. The sisters arrived 10 weeks premature and were joined at the top of their heads. Their parents learned during an ultrasound 11 weeks into Heather's pregnancy that the twins were conjoined. She moved into CHOP's special maternity unit at 27 weeks so she could be closely monitored.

On June 6 this year, a multidisciplinary team of about 30 members led by neurosurgeon Gregory Heuer and plastic surgeon Jesse Taylor successfully completed the separation surgery. The operation lasted about 11 hours. It was the 24th time CHOP surgeons had separated a pair of conjoined twins, but it was hospital's first craniopagus  joined at the head  pair.

The hospital team, which Heather said "has become like family," will continue to monitor the twins as they grow. They will require additional surgeries as they mature, but their care team is optimistic about their progress and their long-term potential.

"The girls are inspiring," said Heather. "As their parents, it is very neat for Riley and me to have a front-row seat to this and watch them overcome these incredible obstacles. We cannot wait to see what their future holds!"
Ursinus College researcher and firefighter Deborah Feairheller, left, measured the blood pressures of her fellow firefighters, such as Limericks Sean McCarraher. Read more

Sean McCarraher hits the gym or does yoga several times a week, and he lays off fatty and sugary foods. At 5'11" and 194 pounds, he is technically a bit overweight, but it is mainly muscle. The 44-year-old has hereditary high blood pressure but keeps it under control with medicine. All good for his heart.

Yet there is one constant presence in his life that may have the opposite effect: The pager on his belt.

McCarraher is a volunteer firefighter with Limerick Fire Co., one of two dozen emergency responders who took part in an unusual Ursinus College study this year, wearing a cuff that automatically measured blood pressure every 30 minutes while on call. When their pagers went off, the participants' blood pressure readings spiked  a result of that well known "fight-or-flight" response that happens to anyone confronting danger.

But for firefighters, who face the added stresses of breathing hot, smoky air and lugging heavy gear, these adrenaline-fueled spikes in blood pressure can be cause for concern. Half of all on-the-job firefighter deaths are caused by a heart problem, in most cases a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Ursinus study was unusual for another reason. It was conducted by one of McCarraher's fellow Limerick firefighters: Deborah Feairheller, an assistant professor of health and exercise physiology at the liberal-arts school in Collegeville.

A firefighter for five years, Feairheller likes to remind her peers that the heart is a pump, which needs care and maintenance just like the pumps on Limerick's signature green fire trucks with the shamrock logo.

"And our blood vessels are the fire hose," she said.

Her goals are to identify risk factors that may make certain firefighters prone to higher blood-pressure spikes, and to recommend exercise programs and other lifestyle changes to keep them healthy and fit for duty.

Blood pressure is in the spotlight lately, with the announcement this month of stricter national guidelines that mean millions of additional Americans are now defined as having hypertension. Readings of at least 130 for systolic pressure or above 80 for diastolic pressure are considered to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Pennsylvania's Auditor General is asking the IRS to look into some of the $1 million in bonuses spread among staff and volunteers who helped manage the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In a report released Monday, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale urged the IRS to review the controversial bonuses because the DNC Host Committee was registered as a nonprofit under the federal tax exemption code. He said bonuses given to board members Kevin Washo and Eliza Rose, who were also paid staff, might have violated IRS regulations that bar any "private shareholder or individual" of a nonprofit from benefiting from its earnings.

Determining whether Washo and Rose were paid bonuses as employees  as the committee's lawyers contend  or board members "was confusing enough that we forwarded it to the IRS for them to make a determination," DePasquale said at a news conference in Harrisburg.

Resolving another lingering question, DePasquale said that his months-long review of spending by the convention's Host Committee didn't find that it had misused any of the $10 million it got from the state to manage the convention.

But, he said, "the agreement was too loosely drafted and it would've been almost impossible to not meet the grant requirements." He chided the state for not including a claw-back provision on the $10 million grant, that would enable it to recoup funds that weren't needed or spent. "The reality is there should be [a] provision that says if you have enough private money, don't use the state money."

The report marks yet another blow to the host committee that by all other accounts put on a successful convention that cast Philadelphia in a positive national spotlight.

The bonuses, which were first reported by the Inquirer and Daily News in May, have stirred criticism from Gov. Wolf, state Republicans and even Democratic powerbrokers such as David L. Cohen.

Monday's report immediately generated a fresh call for a deeper investigation from Senate Republican leaders in Harrisburg.

"As we pointed out in May, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should also be looking into this matter, given the Host Committee's tax exempt status and limits placed on tax exempt organizations regarding 'cash awards.' It is imperative that the issue be further examined. As the Auditor General has passed all information regarding the DNC audit on to the IRS, we now await their findings," they said in a statement.

Bonuses Paid to DNC Host Committee Staff From Nov. 21 to Dec. 23, 2016, the Democratic National Convention Host Committee paid over $1 million in bonuses to its staff members, volunteers, and interns. Here are the amounts paid to the 12 staff members listed on the host committee's website. Staff Graphic

Washo, a Scranton native and onetime executive director of the state Democratic Party, was paid $13,000 monthly as executive director of the nonprofit host committee and received a $310,000 bonus. He also served as treasurer of the board, according to the committee's nonprofit filings. Washo declined to comment Monday. He has previously defended the bonus as appropriate.

Rose did not return a call Monday seeking comment. A former campaign worker for Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), she was paid between $9,000 and $10,000 monthly as the host committee's chief operating officer and received a post-tax bonus of $43,238 last year. She served as secretary of the board.

Washo's and Rose's bonuses, along with the bonuses of about a dozen other staffers and several volunteers, ranged from $500  for interns and volunteers  to $310,000. The rewards were paid four months after the convention. The amounts were listed in a year-end report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Jan. 31.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell served as chairman of the host committee and has consistently defended the bonuses, calling them "deferred compensation" for the time some of the staffers worked without getting paid and for receiving what he called low salaries.

"The Auditor General's report confirms what we knew all along: that the Host Committee fully complied with the stipulations in the DCED contract and spent those funds completely appropriately and in accordance with legislators' parameters," he said in a statement released Monday.

As to the concerns about the tax-exempt status, Rendell said: "The compensation of all host committee employees was demonstrably reasonable and fully complied with IRS regulations. We have complied with official reviews to date and are available to do so again."

The host committee was tasked with fund-raising and organizing the events surrounding the July 25 to 28 Democratic National Convention. The committee raised $86 million, of which $10 million, the largest amount, came from Pennsylvania taxpayers. It wasn't until September, when the committee filed its financial reports with the Federal Election Commission, that it reported exceeding its fund-raising goal.

The committee used its surplus to pay the city more than $500,000 for municipal services incurred during the convention, make $1.2 million in grants to the Philadelphia School District and local nonprofits, including the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement, and provide the bonuses.

DePasquale said that if the state had a claw-back provision in its grant agreement, all of the surplus would've gone back to the state. He asked that the state immediately start adding such provisions to all of its grants.

The only requirement the state grant had was that the money be spent "to pay for infrastructure necessary for the City of Philadelphia to host the Convention including rental and build out of the Convention arena and other facilities, transportation, communications and technology systems, necessary office space and event security."

DePasquale said the $10 million was spent on three major items: $5.8 million went to rental of the Spectrum Arena; $2.5 went to Kirshner Events, which handled production and technology to televise the event; and $1.76 million to Hargrove Inc., the convention's general contractor. All three were allowed under the grant agreement.

"We see no legal recourse for the state to get any of that money back," DePasquale said.

Liz Navratil of the Harrisburg bureau contributed to this report.
Student Edilson Almeida outside the Dunkin Donuts where he has worked to learn English with a tutor from the Volunteer English Program of Chester County. Read more

The American dream of Edilson Almeida took root under the glaring lights of a Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop in the tiny Pennsylvania town of Oaks.

There, week by week and word by word, he set aside the Portuguese of his native Brazil and learned to speak English. He did it by working one-on-one with a tutor from the Volunteer English Program, a suburban initiative to help adults learn the language and the culture.

Knowing English enables Almeida to converse with employers  he cleans houses for a living  and to find additional work, to engage with neighbors, to more fully participate in society.

"It helped me with my clients," he said, "and my whole life."

It has also helped Almeida, 44, navigate his way along the rim of a cultural volcano.

Today, in the fierce national debate over immigration, language has become the intersection where demands for diversity and conformity collide.

Groups such as ProEnglish, a conservative, Washington-based nonprofit, insist on English as the official language of the land, the only one that should be permitted on government documents. Donald Trump has been outspoken as president and as a candidate, lecturing other GOP contenders, "This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish."

To some, new immigrants' lack of fluency shows an unwillingness to assimilate. Past generations of arrivals learned English, the argument goes, so why not them? But immigrant-rights groups say those assertions deliberately ignore the fact that Americans have always come in all colors, religions and ancestries  and speaking different languages.

"This idea that you need to only speak English is a furtherance of the white supremacist idea that default Americans are white, northern-European English speakers," said Sundrop Carter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, which supports immigrants and refugees.

The dispute can be particularly sensitive in Philadelphia, where population and business growth have long been fueled by immigrants who speak foreign tongues, and where nasty divisions erupted over a cheesesteak king who insisted his customers order in English.

The infamous red, white and blue sign at Geno's Steaks came down last year, a decade after its posting made then-owner Joey Vento a national celebrity.

The turmoil can seem ceaseless. Just last month in Cliffside Park, N.J., dozens of high-schoolers walked out of class to protest a teacher who told Spanish-speaking students to "speak American." She later apologized.

Outside the scrutiny of the news media, many businesses and agencies work hard to make sure people who don't speak English have the same access to programs and services as everyone else.

This month, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Health Literacy Coalition convened what they hope will become an annual language summit, gathering interpreters, doctors and community leaders to discuss ways to ensure that patients and families have reliable translators at hand when interacting with care-providers.

CHOP employs 30 staff interpreters, offers services in 80 tongues, and sees 100,000 cases a year that require language assistance. Other hospitals are coming on board, despite the expense.

Why? For one, dependable translation increases patient safety, which is good for everyone. It can help save money by avoiding unnecessary re-admissions and tests. And it's a lot cheaper than paying a big settlement if something goes wrong.

Discussed at the conference  as a warning example  was the huge payout that resulted from a Florida hospital case. In 1980, family members were pressed into service as translators for 18-year-old Cuban-American Willie Ramirez, whom they described as "intoxicado," meaning nauseous or poisoned, perhaps from a bad hamburger. Doctors treated Ramirez for a drug overdose  not for the bleeding in his brain that left him a quadriplegic. Depending on his lifespan, his settlement could reach $71 million.

"Money speaks, unfortunately," said Gabriela Jenicek, who manages language services at CHOP.

Beyond emergency-room doors, language directly impacts how people view one another, how they decide who belongs and who does not.

When the Pew Research Center explored what traits are vital for people to be considered "one of us" in the United States and elsewhere, it found that majorities in every country believed speaking the dominant language was "very important." By comparison, having been born in the country didn't much matter.

"It's so central to our identity  how other people see us comes from when we open our mouths," said Susan Mackey-Kallis, who teaches communication at Villanova University.

In the U.S., 21 percent of the population speak a language other than English at home, and 62 percent of those residents speak Spanish, Census figures show.

But the assertion that Spanish-speaking immigrants never learn, or don't want to learn, English is simply wrong, the libertarian Cato Institute found. Some may stick to Spanish longer than others, but English eventually becomes the primary language. Among second-generation Latin immigrant children, 91 percent said they speak English pretty well or very well, and among the third generation the figure was even higher, 97 percent, the Pew Hispanic Center found.

Almeida, who came here in 2002 and now is in the process of becoming a permanent resident, first tried to learn English on his own. Then he took classes at a community college, where it seemed every student was at a different level and few made progress.

He got by with basic words  coffee and water  and he felt society's judgment, such as when he took his car to a mechanic.

"He said, 'If you can't speak English, what are you doing here?' " Almeida recalled. "I never forgot that."

Nothing worked until he found Chester County's Volunteer English Program, or VEP, which matches trained tutors with students who may be immigrants or refugees. It's free. Clients aren't asked whether they are documented or undocumented, only if they want to learn.

The tutors meet students at public places close to their home or workplace, and at hours suitable to those who may be holding down two jobs to pay the bills. For Almeida, who lives in Chester County, Oaks, in Montgomery County, worked best.

Along with tutoring comes empathy and encouragement.

"I can't imagine, if I were dropped into Brazil and expected to speak Portuguese," said Donna Dello Buono, who started as a tutor and now is the program outreach coordinator.

Founded in 1986, the agency currently has 250 pairs of students and tutors and a waiting list of 150. Almeida, close to completing his second year in the program, has become a VEP evangelist, recruiting Brazilian friends who live in Chester County.

He and his wife labor 10 to 12 hours a day, and both are glad to do it, he said, because it enables their son to go to West Chester University.

"In this country, we can do that," he said. "This country changed my life. Every single day I ask God, 'Bless this country.' "
Three and a half years after it was conceived, Keen has opened at 1708 Lombard St., the long-ago site of Philly restaurant classic Astral Plane and, later, a series of flops: the (misspelled) Astral Plane Millenium, Fish, and Brick American Eatery.

The bistro's owners are Chris and Caitlin Rorer, who met at the Restaurant School after he had left his IT job in New York City. (This created a mild scandal since she was already enrolled and serving as a T.A.). Two years later, they were married.

The original Astral Plane, a work in progress over its two-decade life, exuded hippie charm from dead-celeb photos, old-time kitsch, and a parachute-covered ceiling that initially had kept crumbling plaster from falling on your head.

The Rorers  who did extensive renovations to the rowhouse building, which they bought in February 2016  were more deliberate in their design.

But no less whimsical.

They're billing Keen  a play on Caitlin's maiden name of Keeney  as neighborhood tavern and art space.

You'll see it as you walk through the door. The front bar is done up a style that Caitlin Rorer dubs "sexy rainstorm." Glass artist Jockimo executed an electric blue glass bar top that is topped with a white chandelier installation from Michael McHale Designs that evokes falling rain.

The adjoining dining room is more a traditional American country style, and its Pio Diaz chandelier produces what appears to be a shadow forest of trees.

A few tables sit behind a gauzy curtain.

Following a long tradition of naughtiness in restaurant men's rooms (the Follies Bergere photos at Parc, the nude female samurai at Raw), the Rorers added an antique condom dispenser, which offers comp Keen-branded prophylactics, to the second-floor W.C.

The custom staircase upstairs is lined with railings and details made of reclaimed Chinese sumac.

Upstairs, there's a brighter 12-seat second bar, a communal table, and off to the side  behind sliding barn doors  a lounge that could serve as the neighborhood's living room.

There's also a dumbwaiter, used to haul dishes between the floors, whose "works" are visible behind clear plastic.

As for the dishes:

Chef Antonella Biundo, a Restaurant School classmate of the Rorers, is going comfort food all the way. Her abbreviated opening menu includes apps, sandwiches, and just a few mains priced in the $20s (chai-poached chicken, beef short rib, pork chop, fish). Caitlin Rorer's brother Liam Keeney is sous chef.

Don't miss the Pig Candy ($10), a glass with slices of thick-cut, brined and candied bacon with spicy maple syrup, served with an optional 1-ounce pour of Old Grandad Bourbon for $5.

Bar manager Tom Danks, who met the couple while he was bartending at the old Artful Dodger in Society Hill, counts Morton's on his resume. He also helped to open The Gaslight in Old City.

They're going for "fast craft"  that is, drinks made with five ingredients or fewer.

Six rotating tap lines have Pennsylvania beer and two draft wines including an organic Italian rose for $7 all day.

Hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 2 a.m. Sunday.

 READ MORE: Photos of Keen here
Upper Merion police respond to a parking garage at the King of Prussia Mall after officers shot an armed carjacking suspect who tried to mow them down in a stolen vehicle on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017. Read more

Upper Merion police officers have been cleared in the fatal shooting of an armed robbery suspect in a crowded King of Prussia Mall parking garage on Oct. 29, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Monday.

Kalin Jackson, 23, of New Castle, Del., was shot when he tried to escape by ramming a stolen car into police and civilian vehicles and then aiming the car at officers, officials said.

"Our investigation determined the facts of this case supported the use of deadly force," District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement.

Police said Jackson had been on a crime spree before he was fatally wounded during the confrontation in the mall garage.

Before he arrived in King of Prussia, Jackson was wanted in Delaware in connection with a domestic shooting on Oct. 26 and a carjacking and kidnapping of an elderly man on Oct. 27 in New Castle County, court records showed.

On Oct 28, he jumped into the backseat of a woman's car in the mall garage, held a gun to her head, and demanded her purse around 3:30 p.m., officials said. Jackson fled in a maroon 2012 Kia Sorento he stole during the carjacking and which police were attempting to track electronically.

Nearly 24 hours later, police in Delaware alerted their counterparts in Upper Merion that the car was in the mall garage in the same location as the robbery the day before.

After police shot Jackson, they found a 9mm black-and-pink Glock handgun, and the garage robbery victim's credit cards and driver's license in the car, officials said.

While he was in the hospital, Jackson, who had been shot in the head, was charged with 19 counts, including five felonies for robbery and possession of a firearm without a license. He died Nov. 7 at Paoli Hospital.

Jackson had a lengthy criminal history in Delaware, beginning when he was 16, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

King of Prussia, a 400-plus store complex, contains more retail space than any other mall in the country and attracts more than 20 million shoppers each year.

Staff writer Erin McCarthy contributed to this article.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless has been sidelined the past six games due to a bruised left wrist. Read more

Jerryd Bayless is expected to return from a bruised left wrist against the Utah Jazz Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

The 76ers reserve combo guard has been sidelined the past six games with the injury. However, he is expected to resume action after participating in Sunday's practice.

His presence will be a welcomed addition to a squad overcome with injuries to the guard and swingman positions.

Justin Anderson (shin splints in left leg), Markelle Fultz (scapular muscle imbalance and soreness in right shoulder) and Nik Stauskas (sprained right ankle) are all sidelined.

Bayless is fifth on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game.
Three assaults and a robbery by two rowdy crowds were reported Saturday night near Rittenhouse Square. JESSICA GRIFFIN/Staff Read more

Two flash mobs  one of them comprising more than 100 juveniles  caused pandemonium Saturday night near Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, assaulting at least three people and committing a robbery, police said. Two teenagers were arrested by SEPTA police.

The melee began around 7 p.m. Saturday on the 1700 block of Walnut Street and spread to nearby streets, said Philadelphia police, who provided few details Sunday.

In a brief statement, police said one group emerged from a club and assaulted a couple walking on Walnut Street. The club was not identified and police did not provide the age of the couple, the manner of the alleged assault, or whether there were any injuries.

The other group, the juveniles, were "acting rowdy and harassing citizens" in the same block of Walnut Street, according to the police statement.

A SEPTA police officer who was helping Philadelphia police disperse the crowds was punched and kicked by a 16-year-old girl, according to SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch. He did not release her name, saying only that she is from West Philadelphia and has been charged with assault on police, simple assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses at 15th and Market Streets. It was not clear whether that officer was the third assault victim or a fourth. He was not injured, Busch said.

Also arrested was a 14-year-old boy from Southwest Philadelphia. Busch said a SEPTA officer saw him punching a person in the crowd around 15th and Market. When the officer intervened, the teenager resisted, Busch said. He has been charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses, Busch said.

Both teens were handed over to the Philadelphia Police Department for processing, Busch said. It could not be determined whether they remained in custody.

No details were provided by Philadelphia police on the reported robbery.
Lebanon cannot accept suggestions that its government is a partner in acts of terrorism, President Michel Aoun said on Monday, after the Arab League held Hezbollah responsible for terrorism and noted that the movement was part of Lebanon's government.

After meeting Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Beirut on Monday, Aoun appeared to defend Hezbollah, saying on the Twitter account of Lebanon's presidency that Lebanon had the right to defend itself against what he called continual Israeli targeting of Lebanon.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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Sexual harassment is serious and claims made by victims have to be taken seriously. We know that.

But that does not mean they should short-circuit the American presumption of innocence. When Mayor Kenney suggested accused sexual harasser Sheriff Jewell Williams should resign, he was acting from emotion. Innocent until proven guilty is more than a bumper sticker.

Sexual predators are in the spotlight now, and that attention is long overdue. The way the powerful, usually men, treat subordinates, usually women, needs both an airing and a reformation.

Even with that in mind, we cannot forget that false claims of sexual abuse have been made, and more than once, for a variety of motives.

Rolling Stone ruined its reputation with a long report on a University of Virginia rape that was a fraud. Criminal charges were levied against the Duke lacrosse team as the result of a lie. False charges are sometimes made, but they are a small minority.

In the last few days comedian-turned-senator Al Franken found himself in the public dock, with some (although not the victim) demanding he resign his U.S. Senate seat. Unlike Williams, Franken 'fessed up and turned his case over to the Senate Ethics Committee.

Not only is Williams not admitting anything, he is denying everything.

Objectively, it looks bad for him because there are two accusers and the record contains a $30,000 settlement in 2012 to an earlier alleged victim.

But does it look so bad that Williams, and people in his predicament, should be forced to resign? That's what I asked law professor emeritus Eleanor Myers of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

"No, but there are a lot of qualifications," says Myers, who for a decade was the ombudsman for sexual harassment issues at the law school.

There could be grounds for someone to be removed from office, but that would come after a full investigation.

"I can't say every allegation would result in removal," Myers said. The most important thing, in her view, is that victims have a safe place to come forward, where they will be protected against "recrimination and retaliation."

That seems to be what's happening today. The sheer numbers of women coming forward present protection. As in the Bill Cosby case, one or two women could be written off as cranks and screwballs, but not 50.

Before finishing up with Jewell Williams, let's look back to another Williams  former Philly D.A. Seth, who didn't resign even when he was indicted and brought to trial.

In that case, Myers says, Seth Williams should have resigned because he was unable to run his office (or properly teach his Temple law class) as he prepared his defense.

That doesn't seem to be the case with the sheriff. He should be allowed to carry out the duties the people elected him to do. There's time enough to dump him if he's found guilty.

In dealing with people who look like gold-plated creeps, I feel I must hold my nose and believe the presumption of innocence must prevail.

But  as Myers reminds me of recent words by Mitt Romney  presumption of innocence is hardly the standard for public office.
Strath Haven High School grad Zinzi Clemmons has called on "women of color  to divest from Lena Dunham" as a result of the Girls star's alleged "hipster racism." Clemmons also announced that she will no longer write for Dunham's weekly newsletter, Lenny Letter.

"She cannot have our words if she cannot respect us," Clemmons, who was raised in Swarthmore, wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Sunday.

Clemmons released her first critically acclaimed novel, What We Lose, earlier this year.

In that statement, Clemmons wrote that she "ran in the same circles" as Dunham and fellow Girls star Jemima Kirke while the author was a student at Brown University. At that time, Kirke attended Rhode Island School of Design, which is nearby Brown, and Dunham, who is a longtime friend of Kirke's, went to Oberlin College in Ohio.

Read more: Swarthmore native Zinzi Clemmons on her debut novel about 'sex and death'

Clemmons claims that Dunham and her friends were known for "their well-known racism" at the time, which caused her to avoid "those people like the plague." In one example, Clemmons wrote that one friend "in Lena's circle" used "the N word in conversation in order to be provocative," and claimed she was joking when called on it.

"I'd call their strain 'hipster racism,' which typically uses sarcasm as a cover, and in the end, it looks a lot like gaslighting," Clemmons wrote. "'It's a joke. Why are you overreacting?' is a common response to these kind of statements."

Clemmons, however, wrote that she ultimately decided to leave Dunham's Lenny Letter after the Dunham threw her support behind Girls writer Murray Miller, who actress Aurora Perrineau recently accused of sexual assault stemming from an incident in 2012 when she was 17-years-old.

"One of my best friends was victimized in almost the exact same way by someone in Lena's circle," Clemmons wrote. "It was never addressed, and he continues to move in those circles and has a powerful job  Let's hold Lena accountable, and to me that means sacrificing some comfort and a little bit of cash, in this moment."

Dunham had issued a message of support for Miller on Friday, writing that "during every time of change there are also incidents of the culture  taking down the wrong targets. We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller."

Dunham was heavily criticized for her statement of support, which prompted her to issue an apology on Saturday. In it, Dunham writes that she "naively believed it was important to share" her perspective on the situation.

"I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry," Dunham wrote. She has not, however, responded to Clemmons' statement.
NAIROBI  Kenya's Supreme Court rejected bids Monday to invalidate last month's rerun presidential election, closing one front in the country's deepening political battles but touching off fresh unrest among opponents of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The court's chief justice, David Maraga, said there was no legal merits to support the challenges against the outcome of the Oct. 26 election in which Kenyatta coasted to victory amid a boycott by his main rival, Raila Odinga.

The vote was forced after the same high court stunned Kenya in September by nullifying the results of the original August presidential election won by Kenyatta, citing voting irregularities.

The latest decision cleared the way for Kenyatta's inauguration next week. But it also highlighted the volatile mix of tribal and political fissures that threaten further instability in a country that has been anchor of relative stability and economic growth in East Africa.

Shortly after the court decision, violence broke out in Nairobi slum Kibera, one of Odinga's strongholds. At least one boy was killed by a stray bullet, according to witnesses.

In sharp contrast, celebrations immediately broke out outside the court where supporters of Kenyatta's Jubilee Party had gathered, decked out in the party colors and waving Kenyan flags.

Odinga dismissed Monday's court decision, saying it was made under coercion and insisted that the government and the election remained illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it," said the statement.

Last month, Odinga pulled out of the rerun at the last minute, saying the new elections would be flawed as well since the commission overseeing the contest had not been reformed.

But supporters of Kenyatta were joyous.

"It is time to move forward  he is the best leader compared to Odinga that can lead us into prosperity," said Josphat Ngumi in Nairobi's city center. "Leaders should now work on healing the ethnic divide that they have created to access their various political mileage."

The roughly even division between Kenyatta and Odinga supporters is based largely on ethnic lines, between the Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe and Odinga's Luo, raising the fears of ethnic clashes.

In the Kibera slum, the scene of many clashes between police and opposition supporters, merchants began removing their wares from their shops out of fears of unrest.

Dozens have been killed during demonstrations since the August election and police have been accused of using excessive force with Odinga supporters.

On Friday, local media said at least five people were killed when police fired tear gas and then bullets at Odinga supporters seeking to welcome him home. Odinga's motorcade was then blocked by police from attending a rally at Uhuru Park.

George Owino, a Kibera resident, said the planned inauguration of Kenyatta next week should not go forward.

"If they swear in Kenyatta, we hope to swear in Odinga," he said.
An 85-year-old woman. A 93-year-old woman. A married couple, the wife, 89; the husband, 92.

This was all that was revealed Monday about the four people who were missing and presumed dead after a five-alarm fire ripped through West Chester's Barclay Friends nursing home Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

Officials "are sifting through the wreckage and the rubble of that building, looking for those people," District Attorney Tom Hogan said. "We are not expecting good news."

The grim announcement came nearly four days after the blaze of unknown origin erupted, burning rapidly through the two-story building and sending 137 residents and 15 staff members scrambling for safety and into 40-degree temperatures. Aside from the four people unaccounted for, 27 residents were injured, eight of whom remained in the hospital for observation Monday afternoon.

Hogan would not identify the missing residents or take any questions about the investigation.

But on Friday, Kenneth McGill of West Chester told the Inquirer and Daily News that he and his wife, Kathy, were waiting for word about Kathy's parents, residents of a unit for those with memory impairment. Police said they believe the fire started in such a unit.

McGill, who declined to identify the couple, said then that he and his wife were waiting for a phone call. At the time, he had hoped it would be with good news, perhaps that they were being treated somewhere that Barclay Friends administrators hadn't called yet, he said. The McGills could not be reached Monday.

West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn said he met with families of the missing on Friday and again Monday morning.

The Monday afternoon news conference not only provided a count of the missing, it also marked the first time since Friday that authorities discussed any details of the massive blaze.

"Most of these 137 senior citizens were in bed when a fire started in the back of the building," Hogan said. "In moments, it ripped through the building, getting all the way up into the ceiling, creating a raging inferno."

Volunteers from the West Chester Fire Department quickly arrived at the sprawling campus at 700 N. Franklin St. and realized the scope of the tragedy. They found two floors full of elderly residents, many bedridden or in wheelchairs, West Chester Chief Fire Marshal Jack Weir said.

Some firefighters ran in without face masks or breathing apparatus, Weir said; others went as far as they could until they felt their helmets began to melt. They had to turn back.

A video from outside the building shows a snippet of the fire's first moments. A woman, dressed only in a robe or night gown, shuffles toward a firefighter as smoke and flames billow behind her. The man  who authorities said was the driver of a fire truck and not in full gear  lifts her off the ground and carries her away as another firefighter wheels out a resident behind her.

"We would've expected to lose 40 to 50 people in a fire like this," Hogan said. "It is only the heroic actions of the first responders [that] prevented it."

"It is a small miracle that we only have four people missing," Bohn said.

In total, 400 emergency service providers responded to the Barclay Friends facility, Bohn said.

Some displaced residents were transported to temporary shelters. But by Monday, 102 of them had been placed in other senior living communities and 31 were at the homes of family members, Bohn said.

With reporters not permitted to ask questions, much still remained unclear, including possible causes of the blaze, the effectiveness and upkeep of the facility's fire-suppression system, and why authorities waited nearly four days to release information about those who were missing.

At a Friday news conference, authorities indicated they had not accounted for all residents but also said no one had reached out to them to say they didn't know the location of their relatives.

At the charred scene Monday afternoon, it was quiet, with officials mostly huddling outside. A towering yellow crane was positioned in front of the building, occasionally moving debris.

About 30 investigators from a special team of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were beginning their work there, said Dave March, a firefighter and spokesman for West Chester Borough.

The origin of the fire cannot be determined until these investigators can enter and inspect the ruins. Over the weekend, the site remained too dangerous for anyone to go inside.

The agency expects to work through the Thanksgiving holiday, said special agent in charge Donald Robinson.

"We will be here as long as it takes," he said, "to get some answers for the families" of the missing.

Charlene Hennessy, an ATF spokeswoman, said the team's heavy machinery was brought in Monday morning. Many of the walls had been compromised, Hennessy said, so one of Monday's tasks was to shore up those areas.

On Sunday, officials had been able to enter the site, but only the lobby area, because of safety concerns, she said. Investigators were expected to enter more heavily affected areas on Monday.

Residents who were evacuated were saved not only by quick-acting firefighters, police, and Barclay Friends staff but also neighbors who converged on the scene. Neighbors said they heard a boom and scrambled to help.

By Saturday, displaced residents were forced to adjust to new environments. A local fire station collected canes, walkers, and clothing for those affected by the fire. The response was overwhelming.

Said Hogan: "These victims are everyone's parents and grandparents."
A third-grade teacher at Shawmont School in Philadelphia died in a house fire early Sunday morning in the city's Roxborough section, according to school officials.

Shelia J. Taylor Hawkins, 62, had taught at the school about 10 years, said Rob McGrogan, principal of Shawmont, which also is in Roxborough.

"We're shaken. We're shaken as a community," McGrogan said. "She's not only a member of the staff, she's a member of the community. She has family that attend the school, so she's part of our fabric in a number of ways."

Police said Hawkins was found unresponsive inside the house in the 600 block of Renz Street shortly before 8 a.m. She was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, police said.

No further information about the cause of the fire was available.

A post on the Facebook page of the Shawmont Home & School Association called Hawkins "one of our beloved teachers" and said her grandchildren are students at Shawmont.

Shawmont enrolls just over 500 students and has a full-time teaching staff of 28.

"It is a very familial community," McGrogan said. "When I was talking to parents this evening, it was certainly emotional."
The State Capitol building stands in Harrisburg, where some state lawmakers are pushing for property tax reform. Read more

The earliest known property tax records were kept on clay tablets.

Now some Pennsylvania lawmakers and grassroots groups  along with a majority of voters who approved a constitutional amendment on Election Day  want to go against about 8,000 years of history and eliminate a tax that today is a primary means of paying for schools and local government.

But if history is any indication, property taxes are here to stay in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania's constitutional amendment grew out of the efforts of homeowners who organized groups and attracted attention from lawmakers in Harrisburg.

Keystone State residents are hardly the first to rally against the wildly unpopular real estate levy. Yet it remains a staple in all 50 states.

It is a predictable source of revenue, less susceptible to the caprices of the economy than sales or income taxes. And efforts to move away from it bump into a reality, said Isaac Martin, a sociology professor at the University of California San Diego.

"The reason that no one has gone whole hog to get rid of the tax," he said, "is that we need the things the tax pays for."

The Pennsylvania referendum result has no immediate impact on taxes but it opened the door to property tax elimination, or at least an overhaul of the system. The legislature could pass a law that allows individual governments  school districts, municipalities, and counties  to exempt property owners from paying levies on their primary residences. But such a move would require further legislation to provide replacement revenue, such as increasing those sales and income taxes.

"When people are upset about property taxes, politicians tend to listen more," said Martin, who has studied and written about revolts against the real estate levy. "Because they're taxes on owner-occupied homes,  they hit people who happen to be especially likely voters, and happen to be concentrated in the same electoral districts."

Other states have seen movements to abolish property levies, but they ended up either failing or leading to changes that simply limited their use. North Dakota voters rejected a 2012 ballot measure that would have outlawed them. California lawmakers dealt with the issue with a 1978 law  the so-called Proposition 13 "mad as hell" tax revolt  that restricted increases in property assessments. Since California adopted those limits, several other states have followed with similar mixtures of limitations to protect homeowners.

Sebastien Bradley, an assistant professor of economics at Drexel University, said states have addressed property taxes by limiting tax rates, the amount of revenue that property taxes can raise, or the amount by which assessments can change. But property taxation is likely here to stay, he said.

"Virtually every state relies on property taxes to some degree," he said. "Nobody likes taxes, but as far as taxes go, property taxes are a pretty efficient way to raise revenue."

Michigan confronted the issue in a dramatic manner in the 1990s, when state lawmakers eliminated the school property tax without having any replacement revenue in place.

"We jumped out of the plane without a parachute and knitted it on the way down," said Doug Roberts, who served as the state treasurer at the time under then-Gov. John Engler.

Michigan today still uses the solution that lawmakers found and voters approved  but it does still involve some property taxes.

The state funded schools by raising the sales tax and enacting a smaller, statewide property tax that was distributed to local school districts. But districts that already had been spending more per pupil than the new state allotment were allowed to continue taxing property to make up the difference. In addition, school districts can still levy taxes  with voter approval  for capital improvement projects such as constructing new buildings.

Michigan property owners also still pay taxes to local and county governments. And despite a massive overhaul of the school-funding system, the state ranks 15th out of 50 for its reliance on property taxes, according to a report by the Tax Foundation. Michigan raises 35 percent of its total state and local revenue from property taxes, while Pennsylvania, which ranks 27th, gets nearly 30 percent of its revenue from taxes on property, according to the report.

As for Pennsylvania, Robert Strauss, a professor of economic and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, said the state has too many other issues  an aging population, potential federal tax changes, and persistent problems agreeing on how to fund the annual state budget  to enact property-tax reform based on the new constitutional amendment.

"The real world of state and local government is filled with a lot of problems and issues," he said. "The initiative, in my judgement, went to the wrong goal line. It was kind of wishful thinking."
There is a famous legend in the Philadelphia criminal justice system about a defendant with a long record of thefts who was sentenced to prison and responded by cursing the judge. Her attorney, a crusty old veteran of the courtroom, urged her to stop cursing at the judge and informed her that (I am paraphrasing the legend) "of course you are going to prison. You are a criminal, that's where they send criminals!"

I was reminded of this story the other day when I saw billboards and bus placards urging the release of Meek Mill from prison. Lost in the hysterical effort to portray Mill as a latter-day Nelson Mandela is the fact that Mill also was convicted of a crime.

Mill was on probation after being found guilty of possessing an illegal firearm and an illegal drug offense. (He was originally charged with felony aggravated assault.) You may have heard that illegal guns and drugs are a scourge in the city. The thousands of people who are either killed or maimed each year are almost always killed or maimed with an illegal gun and often drugs are involved.

Many defendants convicted of possessing an illegal gun and drug crimes go directly to state prison. That was not the case for Mill. He received a county sentence and was allowed out on probation and to travel throughout the United States for most of the 10 years since his arrest in 2007. Probation is a pretty basic concept; you can stay out of jail but you have to obey a few basic rules. The most basic rule: Don't get arrested again! At least not while you are on probation. Mill apparently found this too difficult to observe and was arrested again  twice.

The point here is not that Mill is not capable of redemption. He is. Apparently, just not yet. The real point is that yes, the criminal justice system is in need of dramatic reform, but Mill is not the poster child for that reform.

One area of reform needed is the system of life without parole, which denies many redeemed, productive citizens from returning to society and contributing to their communities. To continue to imprison those who have so completely transformed their lives when they are 60, 70, and 80 years old, at a cost of millions of dollars to taxpayers, is illogical, wasteful, and contrary to the historical values of our commonwealth.

I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact of ex-offenders as participants in strategies such as the "Focused Deterrence" strategy now used in Philadelphia. During the execution of that strategy, ex-offenders mentor and assist some of the city's most at-risk youth and have a stunning impact in improving public safety. There are lifers in our state prison system who are ready, willing, and uniquely able to make this same priceless contribution to improving public safety. These strategies need money to fund job training and job opportunities for at-risk youth in communities with almost 50 percent unemployment among young African American males.

Making a martyr of an offender like Mill does not help the cause of criminal justice reform. It hurts it by overshadowing those in the system who can and should benefit from reform. How about a bus placard for them?

Bryan R. Lentz is a lawyer in Philadelphia. blentz@bochettoandlentz.com
Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Monday Lebanon should be "spared" from spiralling regional tensions, during a visit to Beirut a day after Arab diplomats condemned Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

The Arab League held an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday in Cairo at the request of Saudi Arabia, which called the ministerial-level session to discuss "violations" by its rival Iran.

Despite the meeting's strongly worded concluding statement, Abul Gheit said Arab nations sought to keep Lebanon insulated from harm.

"No one can accept, or want, any harm to happen to Lebanon," Abul Gheit said after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Baabda.

"Lebanon has a special character, a particular and special structure. The League recognises this," he told reporters.

Earlier Abul Gheit told Lebanon's National News Agency that "Arab countries understand and take into account the situation in Lebanon and want to spare it... from any dispute."

Abul Gheit also met parliament speaker Nabih Berri and will attend a conference organised by the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

In statements posted on Twitter, Aoun said Lebanon could not be held "responsible" for regional conflicts.

"It did not attack anyone, and it therefore shouldn't pay the price for these conflicts with its political stability or security," he said.

"Lebanon cannot accept the suggestion that its government is a partner in terrorist acts. The position that Lebanon's delegate to the Arab League took expresses a universal, national will," Aoun added.

On Sunday, Arab foreign ministers strongly criticised Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.

In the meeting's concluding statement, they pledged to hold Hezbollah "responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

They also demanded Hezbollah stop intervening in regional conflicts and spreading extremism and sectarianism.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not attend the meeting, leaving permanent representative to the Arab League Antoine Azzam to represent the country.

Abul Gheit said Sunday that Lebanon's delegation had expressed reservations on the statement, "specifically on the points related to Hezbollah's role".

Lebanon has been gripped by a political crisis since Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his surprise resignation earlier this month while in Saudi Arabia, lambasting Iran and Hezbollah for destabilising his country.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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On Oct. 11, the Cook County (Ill.) Board of Commissioners voted, 15-2, to repeal the county's unfair, excessive, and overreaching penny-per-ounce sweetened beverage tax. To make the repeal possible, seven commissioners who had previously supported the tax changed their votes after hearing the outrage from angry residents in their districts.

Polls had shown that more than 85 percent of county residents opposed the tax and supported its repeal. In fact, opposition was so strong that nearly 79 percent of residents said they would be less likely to reelect a commissioner who voted for the beverage tax. As you can imagine, commissioners who supported the repeal have been near-universally celebrated.

The repeal of Cook County's beverage tax targeting working families and small businesses was the sixth time since the beginning of 2017 that elected officials or voters rejected a beverage tax in the United States. Two other cities in Washington initially considered a beverage tax but abandoned the effort after businesses and residents expressed overwhelming opposition. Clearly, there is growing opposition to beverage taxes in the United States, and elected officials are taking notice.

There are many similarities between Cook County and Philadelphia when it comes to the impact of the beverage tax.

Higher costs for residents: People in Philadelphia and Cook County were both forced to pay higher costs on hundreds of everyday beverages  though Philadelphia's beverage tax is 50 percent greater than Cook County (1.5-cents an ounce compared to 1-cent an ounce).

Consumer flight and declining retail sales: Similar to what has occurred in Philadelphia, higher costs have driven residents and consumers out of Cook County, and retailers were reporting beverage sales declines nearing 50 percent less than six weeks after the tax went into effect over the summer.

Job loss: As beverage and overall sales declined, many retailers in Cook County were forced to cut hours and lay off their employees.

Tax revenue shortfalls: Just like in Philadelphia, Cook County was estimated to come up 28 percent to 55 percent short of the county's projected revenue.

Do these things sound familiar? They should.

In Cook County, we're grateful our elected officials changed their minds. They rejected more than $13 million in false and misleading advertisements from New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg and chose to stand with county residents, restaurants, and retailers in support of repeal. They also saw the pain the tax has caused in Philadelphia and chose to protect Cook County citizens and businesses from similar damage to jobs, sales, and family budgets before it was too late.

Cook County's beverage tax will end on Dec. 1, and we already are anticipating the return of residents and consumers to stores and restaurants.

Retailers, restaurants, and residents have seen in Cook County and Philadelphia that beverage taxes don't work. They harm families and local businesses and economies  and do not change what people drink, just where they buy the product.

Similar to Philadelphia, Cook County is made up of blue-collar, working-class families. They were tired of being nickel and dimed and having to balance the county's budget on their backs. We stood up and our elected officials listened. We know Philadelphia residents, retailers, restaurants, and businesses are doing the same  and hope their elected officials, too, will soon listen and repeal Philadelphia's devastating beverage tax.

Brian Jordan is president of the Illinois Food Retailers Association. bjordan@ilfood.org
Having served as chief deputy sheriff for five years, I find that the Inquirer's Nov. 14 editorial does not accurately describe the operations of the office we've spent so much time working to improve.

Many of the problems you cite date back 30 years, to other sheriffs' administrations. Yes, we did inherit an office with serious problems, including carryover of an ongoing federal investigation. Our full cooperation with that investigation to root out any taint of financial or operational illegalities consumed much of our focus in the early years of the Williams administration. Your editorial completely dismisses the significant reforms and operational improvements that have moved the office forward under Sheriff Jewell Williams.

A few facts that you ignored:

In an era of increasingly serious domestic threats, we enhanced protection of the court system with additional staffing at the new Family Court. We are now in the process of putting deputies in City Hall, which has been underprotected for decades.

Each year we transport 94,000 prisoners to court without a single escape. In 2016 we took over the service of criminal warrants to ensure warrant servers had proper training and experience. As a result, 4,400 felons have been arrested, including some wanted for murder.

The increased staff and equipment required for this additional security was paid for with millions of dollars of new fee revenues that were generated by Williams' initiatives, with the permission and agreement of the city Finance Department.

Apart from this revenue, the sheriff has increased tax receipts to the city's general fund. When Williams became sheriff in 2012, the office collected only $27 million in delinquent taxes and fees. For the last three years we have provided more than $60 million each year in delinquent tax monies. At the city's request, we have added additional tax sales to the property auction calendar. At the same time, we instituted procedures to preserve the rights of property owners. We also conduct seminars to teach prospective buyers how to buy at a sheriff sale so they are aware of the potential risks.

When Williams took office, the average time a new buyer had to wait for a deed ranged from 60 to 120 days from the sale of a property. Today, virtually all deeds are available within 30 days.

Operations were so dysfunctional in 2012 that the First Judicial District ordered the city and the sheriff to hire additional people needed to achieve that 30-day deadline. When the Nutter administration refused to hire additional clerical support, we complied with the order by using personnel service contracts. Having proven their value to the city, these people have been moved to city civil service positions, whose salaries and benefits are paid for by sheriff fees, not taxes.

Part of the problem in the past was due to understaffing on both the law enforcement and civil side. The office was also working with an archaic Management Information System. Under Williams, the office has installed a state-of-the-art MIS that allows us to efficiently track the millions of dollars in transactions associated with the sale of more than 7,000 properties annually, process thousands of warrants each year, manage human resource systems for 371 employees, and document our responsibility for the citizens who use our court buildings and City Hall.

Your editorial also misrepresents other controller audits done of our office. Yes, we have been criticized once for failing to account for petty cash, but you failed to mention we no longer accept cash at the office or the sale, and we have never been cited under the Williams administration regarding the use of sick time.

Meanwhile, Williams has aggressively sought to find people who were victims of foreclosure and owed excess money from the proceeds of the sale. To date, a record $12 million has been paid to these people. And finally, above and beyond the call of duty, the office has distributed more than 4,500 free gun locks to families who want to keep their children safe from life-threatening firearm accidents.

The Inquirer ignores the fact that the Sheriff's Office is not a department of the city. We are not mentioned in the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, but fully comply with city procedures when city tax dollars are spent. However, like many other sheriffs in Pennsylvania we are an independent elected office governed by state laws and the court's rules of civil procedure.

There is a very good reason for the sheriff to be independent. We must be agents of the court, not the government. It would be prejudicial to defendants if courtrooms and the courthouse were secured by the same police force that made the initial arrest. In addition, we are the neutral broker in foreclosure sales rather than having the taxing authority  the agency seeking to take a property  conduct the sale of homes.

Kevin Lamb is chief deputy sheriff.
Authorities are searching southwest Texas for suspects or witnesses after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner seriously injured Sunday while on patrol in the states Big Bend area, officials said.

Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were responding to activity near Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Tex., when both were seriously injured, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release.

Martinez died of his injuries; his partner, who was not identified, remained in the hospital in serious condition, officials said.

Martinez, a 36-year-old from El Paso, had been a border agent since August 2013.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesman declined to offer any further details about what happened. But a National Border Patrol Council labor union official said Martinez may have been killed in a rock attack.

Del Cueto said he was told that Martinez and his partner apparently did not sustain bullet or stab wounds  so he suspects the pair may have been attacked with rocks, which are commonly thrown at agents working in that area, the Washington Post reports.
The Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan was designed for police operations that do not require pursuit-rated vehicles. It can be driven up to 21 miles with no fuel. (Photo: Ford)

Ford revealed today the first plug-in hybrid vehicle designed for American law enforcement service. The company says the new vehicle is capable of driving up to 21 miles on no fuel.

The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, the first plug-in hybrid police vehicle from Ford, is designed for police and fire chiefs, detectives, and other government personnel whose jobs dont require a pursuit-rated vehicle.

This is the first Ford police vehicle that can potentially get through an entire shift using no gasoline whatsoever, said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager. Anyone can plug this into any wall outlet to run gas- and emissions-free on battery-only operation.

The vehicles 3.3-kilowatt onboard charger allows agencies to fully charge the 7.6-kilowatt-hour battery in just 2.5 hours on a 240-volt level-two charger. But Ford says it is confident most agencies wont need anything more than a regular 120-volt wall outlet to recharge. The lithium-ion battery can move the vehicle up to 21 miles on a single charge and up to 85 mph on battery power alone. Once the battery runs down, the vehicle is powered by its gasoline-electric hybrid powerplantwith a range surpassing 500 mileseliminating any concerns of range anxiety typically associated with battery-only electrics.

The custom interior features heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters, for officer comfort, and rear anti-stab plates, plus vinyl rear seating and flooring. Other highlights include a reinforced top tray for mounting equipment, metal console mounting plate, red and white task lighting in the overhead console, police engine-idle feature, alloy wheels and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.

Several options are available for the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, trunk ventilation system, and a rear door control-disabling feature. A special dark-car feature turns off interior lighting and allows the dash cluster to be dimmed 100 percent for surveillance, and several emergency lighting packages like those found on other Ford police vehicles are also available.

The new Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan joins two other Ford police vehicles revealed this year  Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan and F-150 Police Responder. Recently, both successfully completed rigorous testing conducted by Michigan State Police at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan, and Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Customers will be able to order the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan in December with sales starting next summer.
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Loyalty in most cases is a noble and endearing quality when given to those who have earned it by embodying righteousness, fairness, and truth. However, loyalty blindly imparted in politics is a dangerous and deadly cancer within the body of democracy. Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey, is a prime example of a misguided and twisted loyalty that has lasting pervasive ramifications in a country deep in the throes of turmoil.

America is in the midst of a revolution of sorts. While the President of the United States proves on a daily basis that hes an unfit leader and despicable human, investigations, and scandal haunts the American government. Our so-called leaders are the subject of protest almost daily, as one dark cloud after another descends over Washington. Women are finding their voices and speaking out against abusers, harassers, and rapists. Men of no moral fiber, from all walks of life, are being called out for their boorish behavior. Americans everywhere are resisting against foul play, abuse of power, sexism, and misogyny.

Roy Moore is an example of the worst of our government, party affiliation aside. He has been accused of engaging in pedophilia at worst and egregious judgment at best when it comes to his sexual appetite. Officials on both sides of the aisle have asked him to bow out of the Alabama senate race, and Moore has steadfastly refused to do so. Numerous accusations against Moore have emerged painting him as a sexual deviant. His most ardent supporters amazingly are so-called men and women of faith. Evangelicals all across the state of Alabama have come to his defense espousing Moores lifelong dedication to Christianity.

Citizens of Alabama seem to have forgotten that some of the worst crimes, committed by some of the vilest human beings, were perpetrated by supposed Christians. The benefit of the doubt cannot be extended based on a public face. Every human being has multiple facets to their personality. What you see in public may very well be the exact opposite of what transpires behind closed doors. Pastors, priests, and parishioners of all faiths are prone to perversion and criminal impulses. Reading the bible and attending church does not exempt anyone from suspicion or proper prosecution.

Kay Ivey has committed herself to supporting the election of Roy Moore solely for one reason and one reason only. Governor Ivey has said that she has no reason to doubt Moores accusers but she will vote for him anyway because hes a Republican and the U.S. Senate needs Republicans to get things done, such as voting for Supreme Court judges. Would you want Governor Ivey or Roy Moore making decisions that impact our justice system for decades to come? Havent their own lack of good judgment recused them from having such authority? Governor Iveys position is ludicrous. Lets examine this abhorrent stance from different angles.

The governor says she has no reason to not to believe Moores accusers. That in of itself is mindboggling. By giving credence to the allegations and insisting on voting for Moore due to partisanship, she is basically excusing his behavior. Ivey is telling these women that their life-altering experiences dont matter. Her choice to turn a blind eye towards Moores alleged sexual predation validates the fears of thousands and thousands of victims in America. Far too may times a woman is reluctant to report sexual misconduct by men because of fear. Fear of being shamed, fear of humiliation, fear of reliving the incident in court, fear of not being believed and fear of no proper punishment being brought forth onto the perpetrator.

Women are less likely to speak out when assaulted or taken advantage of by men in positions of power. If Roy Moore is allowed to stay in the race for senate and ultimately wins, with the support of the Governor of Alabama, that would be an injustice to victims rights and an affront to women everywhere. Her unwavering support is an extension of abuse.

Supporting Moore because of his affiliation further erodes the publics trust, which is currently at an all-time low. It opens Pandoras Box and nourishes the seeds of deceit and dishonesty in government. There would be no reason for pause by officials, with the knowledge that they would garner partisan support come Hell or high water. The atmosphere surrounding the Trump regime is already rife with conceit, corruption, and malfeasance.

Donald Trump himself is an admitted predator who relies on his position to force himself on women. Hes been accused by no less than 17 women of sexual predation. He hasnt spoken a word about Roy Moore for two very obvious reasons. Moore is a member of the GOP and evangelical congregation that Trump has skillfully conned. Trump also realizes that by speaking against Moore he would, in fact, be speaking against himself and the accusations that hes successfully dodged paying the price for thus far.

The GOP is making it easier and easier every day to plan, plot and executes their demise at the hands of voters. The idea that a governor would have the audacity to support a child molester for the sake of party is a sure sign to voters that she doesnt have their best interest at heart. She and all those who support Roy Moore are writing their own political death certificates.

The kind of archaic ideology displayed by certain members of the GOP is no longer acceptable in todays society. Suggesting that new rights were created in 1965, Moore gives the feeling that he longs for the days of oppression and segregation. Moore is, and old and outdated politician who was reared in the south when oppression and backward thinking was the norm. As Americans, we have all the information and motivation available to remove him and supporters like Kay Ivey. When these people show you who they really are, we must believe them. #RESIST and remove all enablers and perpetrators of corruption and sexual predation from the American government, no matter which side of the aisle they reside.
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By Kevin OHanlon and Valerie Volcovici

LINCOLN, Nebraska/WASHINGTON (Reuters)  Nebraska regulators will announce their decision on Monday on whether to approve TransCanada Corps Keystone XL pipeline route through the state, the last big hurdle for the long-delayed project.

Just days ago, TransCanadas existing Keystone system spilled 5,000 barrels in South Dakota and pipeline opponents said the spill highlighted the risks posed by the proposed XL expansion.

The stakes are big. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has made Keystone XLs success a plank in his effort to boost the U.S. energy industry. Environmentalists have made the project a symbol of their broader fight against fossil fuels and global warming.

The proposed 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline linking Canadas oil sands to U.S. refineries has been a lightning rod of controversy since it was proposed nearly a decade ago. The administration of former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, considered the line for years before rejecting it in 2015 on environmental grounds.

Trump swiftly reversed that decision, handing TransCanada a federal permit for the pipeline in March and arguing the project will lower fuel prices, boost national security, and bring jobs.

The decision placed the pipelines fate into the hands of an obscure regulatory body in Nebraska, the only state that had yet to approve the pipelines route. Nebraskas Public Service Commission is charged with assessing whether the route is in the states best interests, but cannot consider the risk of spills since the project already has an environmental permit.

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Opposition to the line in Nebraska has been driven mainly by a group of around 90 landowners whose farms lie along the proposed route. They have said they are worried spills could pollute water critical for grazing cattle, and that tax revenue will be short-lived and jobs will be temporary.

The spill (in South Dakota) only confirms all our fears, said Jeanne Crummly, a rancher in Page, Nebraska.

TransCanada and its supporters have responded by saying the project would bring economic benefits, and could be operated safely. The company said last weeks spill near Amherst, South Dakota, was contained and being cleaned up.

Nationwide, Trump has said Keystone XL would create 28,000 jobs. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs.

The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to bring its vast oil reserves to market. But there are questions about demand for the pipeline after a surge in drilling activity in the United States.

Considering the growth of oil output in the U.S.  the economics of importing the heavy crude from Canada is not fully justified, said Chirag Rathi, director at business consultancy Frost & Sullivan in Texas.

TransCanada has said it has received adequate support to make the pipeline viable. But it has yet to announce results of its open season to gauge interest among shippers, which closed at the end of October.

(Additional reporting by Nia Williams and Ethan Lou in Calgary; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; editing by Grant McCool)
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Kellyanne Conway has been hitting the airways to stump for accused pedophile Roy Moore without coming out and saying that shes stomping for Roy Moore. She appeared on Fox News and said that Republicans need another yes vote in the Senate to push through Trumps Ponzi Scheme or what he refers to as a tax cut.

That is quite a bit different than the statement White Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short gave last Sunday when he said, If he did not believe that the womens accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore. It isnt surprising that the Trump administration is talking out both sides of its mouth. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refused to articulate a White House position on Roy Moore despite being grilled by reporters at the most recent White House press briefing.

Trump appears to be trying to have it both ways. He cant come out and publicly support Roy Moore because then Trumps own background of sexual assault allegations once again becomes a topic of conversation. At the same time, Trump knows that Doug Jones will be a no vote on his tax bill. Trump needs Moores yes vote. Jones is also in favor womens reproductive rights and marriage equality. Neither of which are things that evangelic conservatives support.

One would think that a sitting US president supporting the election of sexual predator would be unthinkable. Trump has his own record of sexual assault allegations. This puts the Republican Party between a rock and a hard place. How can they remain the party of family values yet elevate men with histories of predatory sexual behavior?

This is in stark contrast to the reaction on the left regarding the actions of Senator Al Franken, who has been accused of groping two women. Justice Democrats, a group of former Sanders campaign staffers and other prominent voices on the left, have started a petition asking Franken to resign. Representative Keith Ellison is one of the leading voices calling for Frankens resignation.

Franken must go. We do not tolerate those who abuse their power, said Justice Democrats PAC executive director Saikat Chakrabarti in a statement. Representative Keith Ellison has a proven track record of integrity and fighting for progressive principles. Justice Democrats believe that the left must hold their own accountable in addition to those on the right.

It remains to be seen how the allegations against Roy Moore will affect the race for one of Alabamas US Senate seats. According to the poll average reported by Real Clear Politics, Doug Jones leads Roy Moore by 0.2%. This race is really about the heart and soul of this nation. Will enough people put their country over party and refuse to vote for an accused rapist? Will partisanship override morality? These are the questions before us.
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A heavily scripted Donald Trump could barely read the words placed in front of him as he tried to tout his tax cuts for the rich before a cabinet meeting.

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The White House has become so concerned about Trumps declining mental state that they have taken to not sending him out in front of cameras unscripted. However, the script doesnt help when the President is barely able to read it. Trump is having difficulty reading the words that are placed in front of him.

One has to wonder how bad this situation has to get before the mainstream media starts mentioning it. The words that Trump tried to read were more of the same lies about the Republican tax cut plan for the wealthy. Trump promised that the cuts would be a Christmas gift with all the enthusiasm of Scrooge in the first act of A Christmas Carol. Trump whined about Democrats not voting for a plan that cuts taxes for the rich, takes healthcare away from 13 million people, and raises taxes on the middle-class.

There is no leadership coming from the White House because it is becoming clear that Donald Trump cant carry out the basic functions and duties of the presidency without a great deal of strain. The man who claimed that Hillary Clinton didnt enough energy and stamina to be president has to have all of his words scripted and can barely read what other people are writing for him.

Trump shouldnt be worried about a second term because he is showing signs of not making it through his first.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday to discuss regional security, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

The two discussed "ways to combat terrorism" and "coordination of efforts to reinforce security and the stability of the region," according to the report.

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Charleston, SC (29403)

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Parts of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station are shown uncovered in October. Utility watchdogs and legislators want the two unfinished reactors to be maintained in case a buyer steps up, but majority owner SCANA Corp. says they're more valuable as a tax write-off. The deduction can't be claimed, it says, if the site is preserved. File/High Flyer/Provided
The new Berkeley County school board wasted no time in its first meeting to leave its mark on the district. Just after being sworn in, the board fired superintendent Deon Jackson and banned the teaching of critical race theory. Read moreNew Berkeley County school board fires superintendent, bans critical race theory in first meeting
The leader of Zimbabwe's war veterans Chris Mutsvangwa said on Monday he would initiate court action to legalise the military action against President Robert Mugabe after the army seized power on Wednesday.

The 93-year-old president defied expectations that he would resign in a national address on Sunday night during which he was flanked by military generals.

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Protecting the health and safety of our students has always been my top priority as your state superintendent of education. Our commitment to safety begins when the school bus arrives each morning and ends when it drops students off. Read moreSpearman: Electric vehicle investments help transform SC's once-ancient school bus fleet
There was a combination of superlative hysteria and political opportunism behind the warnings about the end of democracy leading up to last weeks elections, but it wasnt inconceivable that wed have flare-ups of violence and intimidation, that people who embrace the fantasy that the 2020 e Read moreEditorial: Election 2022 gave everybody something to celebrate
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Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill.
State Circuit Judge DeAndrea Benjamin appears poised to join a powerful federal appeals court bench following a U.S. Senate hearing in which Republicans repeatedly questioned her handling of two cases out of thousands she'd handled in South Carolina over two decades. Read moreSC Judge Benjamin praised by Clyburn, questioned by Republicans during US Senate hearing
Egypt's environment minister Khaled Fahmy has said that the toxic practice of burning rice straw at the end of the harvest season has reduced this year by 13-15 percent, Ahram Al-Arabic news website reported.

The government has collected 79 percent of all rice straw from farmers after the harvest in 2017, Fahmy said.

Complaints against farmers who burn their rice straw has decreased from 12,040 last year to 10,070 this year, Fahmy added.

The minister's announcements came during the end-of-year conference at the Ministry of Environment to discuss the ministry's efforts to counter pollution.

Burning rice straw after harvest season in the autumn results in the emission of toxic fumes that accumulate in black clouds in the sky.

The cloud remains in the atmosphere for two to three months, potentially causing health complications for respiratory and heart disease patients, and could also trigger allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Fahmy said that his ministry has been able to raise awareness about the issue through workshops for farmers in several governorates, and has used satellite technology to locate the sources of fires.

The minister said that 2017 has seen the most success in four years in combating black clouds.

The government is planning on supplying farmers with equipment to help them recycle rice straw, converting it into fertiliser and animal fodder to combat the rising costs of these goods, the minister added.

On Friday, the ministry organised a two-day festival in Obour City east of Cairo to mark the end of the rice harvest season. The festival featured displays of animal dummies made of rice straw, as well as other artistic performances.

Rice is one of the largest crops grown by farmers in Egypt and is a key staple food for the vast majority of the country's population.

The country's annual production of rice is around 5.1 million tonnes, much higher than the annual consumption estimated at about 3.95 million tonnes, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report.

The land area used for rice production in 2017 was 704,500 feddans.

The black cloud first appeared over the Nile Delta and Cairo in 1997, but did not become visible to the naked eye until two years later.

Experts and environmentalists have blamed the cloud on straw burning during the rice harvest.

Egyptians are sometimes forced to seek shelter indoors in the fall to hide from the negative health impact of black clouds.

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Dr. Halena Gazelka admits to being nervous last summer before her colleagues published an unflattering report that revealed Mayo Clinic had been overprescribing pain-relieving opioids. Given the current climate, in which thousands of people have died in the U.S. due to addiction and overdose, she worried about holding a mirror up in front of her employer.

Months later, the veteran Mayo anesthesiologist says the hate mail never came and her team is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Gazelka, chairwoman of Mayo's new Opioid Stewardship Program, and her team are roughly 18 months into an exhaustive process that seeks to overhaul acute and chronic prescription rates for opioids. After the July study found 80 percent of opioid prescriptions at Mayo exceeded the recommended guidelines, it's likely Mayo will roll out new guidelines by the middle of 2018 that will significantly scale down dosages.

"When we really started looking at our numbers, it was astounding what we were prescribing post-operation," Gazelka said. "But if we have a problem at Mayo with prescribing, everyone has a problem."

President Donald Trump recently declared opioids a "public health emergency" after about 59,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. That number includes more than 600 from Minnesota  about 400 of which have been attributed to opioids.

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Risk begins early

Mayo started its opioid stewardship program after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inquired about Mayo's opioid guidelines in March 2016, which uncovered a haphazard approach. A recent CDC report shows that patients who use opioids for 7-10 days have a "very high risk of addiction," adding some urgency to Mayo's push to create guidelines that can be implemented throughout the system.

Mayo physician Casey Clements touted Mayo's new approach while meeting Wednesday with Sen. Amy Klobuchar's staff at a public forum on opioids hosted in Rochester. Almost exactly a year ago, he admonished the medical community for its role in the opioid epidemic.

"We're working very hard at Mayo to help patients and providers set appropriate expectations," Clements said, while also urging Klobuchar's office to provide additional funding and programs to combat the epidemic. "You have an incredibly engaged community here that is working together. If you give us legs, we can run with these initiatives."

Two specific pilot programs are currently being tested at Mayo. First, pharmacists have been meeting with patients to share a brief opioid education before medication is distributed, then following up with phone calls. That testing wraps up this week before the results will be compiled and shared with administration, which will decide whether it's worth continuing.

Additionally, Mayo's orthopedic surgery department  which had the highest opioid prescription rates in the aforementioned study  is currently the testing ground for the new program. Gazelka has implemented four levels of opioid prescription, depending on the type of surgery. The goal, Mayo says, is to "provide the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time, decreasing the risk of opioid dependence or diversion."

'Doing what's right'

Gazelka says her Mayo colleagues have been receptive to her suggestions for change and rallied around the cause  even if it's called into question past opioid practices.

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"It would be a rare, rare person who doesn't see this in the news and doesn't think this is terrible and we've contributed to this," Gazelka said. "I think people are really interested in doing what's right for patients."

That includes an ongoing dialogue with other healthcare organizations in Minnesota, facilitated by Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Those discussions began in April 2017 and Gazelka says they're expected to wrap up in the spring or summer of 2018.

Those coordinated efforts coincide with the Minnesota Opioid Prescribing Work Group proposing new limits on opioid prescriptions just last week; the state's human services commissioner must approve them before they take effect. The task force was formed in 2015 in response to increasing death rates related to opioid use. According to the new rule, the Star Tribune reports that doctors participating in Medicaid could be removed from the program that covers about 20 percent of the state's population.

Gazelka is cautiously optimistic about making progress in the months and years ahead.

"We're talking about what we're doing at our own institutions, and we're hoping we can standardize our approach for throughout Minnesota," Gazelka said. "That way patients can know what they expect when they come in, which reduces doctor shopping. It's been really fun to be able to share what we've looked at  and figure out where we go from here."
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health concern, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

About 2 million Americans develop antibiotic-resistant infections each year and more than 20,000 of those people die.

But there's hope  the MDH also recently shared its list of hospitals on the Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll. And Olmsted Medical Center, in Rochester, made the list .

Specifically, OMC's penicillin allergy stewardship program helped it earn a Silver spot on the honor roll.

Penicillin, one of the first medications discovered to effective against many types of bacterial infections, is a front-line treatment, usually offering better outcomes than second-line antibacterial treatments, according to Amy Pu, a clinical pharmacist at OMC. Second-line treatments are more prone to fail to eradicate an infection; such infections often return stronger, with higher resistance to antibiotics.

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About 10 percent of patients report an allergy to penicillin, Pu said. But about 90 percent of them are able to undergo treatments with derivative drugs.

A real penicillin allergy is "huge baggage" for a patient, Pu said, because other antibiotics may have more adverse side effects or damage the kidney and liver.

"This is always a concern  that if you have an allergy to penicillin, you'll have a reaction to another treatment," she said. The penicillin family includes more than 15 related drugs, like amoxicillin, and is frequently used.

The penicillin stewardship program takes another look at patients' past reactions and family history to determine whether a patient is actually allergic to the drugs. If they are not, they can proceed with the recommended antibiotic.

Plenty of parents tell their children that they have an allergy to penicillin or a similar drug, said Anna Baldwin, OMC's pharmacy director, but sometimes their past reaction to the drug  even if it involved itching  wasn't an allergy at all.

"It is important that we clarify with a patient what a side effect is, versus a real allergy," Baldwin said.

There's increasing evidence that most people who had a reaction to penicillin or a similar antibiotic should still be able to use "front-line" drugs from that family, Pu said, instead of settling for "second-line" treatments that may be both costlier and less effective.

The 90 percent of patients who are able to tolerate penicillin treatments tend to have better outcomes, she said.

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If the hospital is unsure whether a patient has an allergy, they can get a test before administering any treatment.

Pu and Baldwin also credit the interdisciplinary team at OMC  everyone from nurses, who administer medications and check in with the patient, to pharmacists and physicians  for helping the hospital figure out "what's best for the bug."

OMC's interdisciplinary team meets every month to review how antibiotics are being used within the hospital and ensure that they're meeting the MDH's guidelines.

The practice of holding monthly meetings is only about two years old, Baldwin said  too short a time to be able to quantify a change in the hospital's infection rate.

However, she and Pu can "feel the difference" in patient attitudes and a low post-operative infection rate. The penicillin allergy stewardship program should also help speed patients through treatment in the future, once they've been cleared to receive first-line drugs once.

Patient education is also a huge part of the mission. An incomplete course of antibiotics may not completely eradicate an infection, and when the bacteria returns, it will be stronger. Educating patients at discharge can help ensure that they finish out the treatment, Baldwin said.

Patients may also expect an antibiotic prescription for things like upper respiratory infections, Pu said.

Most upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses, Pu said, which won't be fixed with an antibiotic.

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"I know some patients will come in here to demand antibiotics for anything," Pu said. "But if you don't need it, please don't take it  Ask the questions, that's the best way to improve the practice between patients and the hospital."

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Learn more

The Minnesota Department of Health suggests that patients follow these guidelines to practice good antibiotic stewardship.

 Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when coughing to avoid spreading illness to begin with.

 Do not ask for antibiotics if your health provider does not recommend taking them.

 Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Do not stop taking a course of antibiotics until the prescription is finished.

 Only take antibiotics that are prescribed to you. Do not save any left-over medication if any remains after the prescribed course of treatment is complete.
A poor student who nearly flunked out of high school, Scott Kelly seems an unlikely astronaut. His childhood years in New Jersey were rough; he didn't apply himself to any subject that bored him; by early adulthood, he was drifting aimlessly as an EMT, enjoying the fast pace but wondering what he should do with the rest of his life. Not exactly the image of the crew-cut, straight-arrow military men like the ones who brought back Apollo 13 with their slide rules.

What he did have was a determination to make something of himself, and the good fortune to pick up a book that changed his life: Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff," about the Mercury astronauts and the dangerous, wondrous first years of the U.S. space program. Eager to join their ranks, he taught himself to study and to persist, and soon he was successfully completing rigorous academic work and making night landings on an aircraft carrier.

Decades later, he became the first American to spend nearly an entire year  340 days, to be exact  on the International Space Station. He came home in March 2016, and the long-term space habitation's effects on his body are being studied now as we contemplate a Mars mission. Handily, Kelly has a convenient control subject, who is genetically identical to him but stayed on Earth: his identical twin, Mark Kelly, an astronaut and husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. (Scott Kelly was in space when Giffords was shot, and in the book he details how he spent agonizing hours waiting, not knowing if she had survived.)

Kelly's new book, "Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery," is a rollicking tale, well-told, about his journey to make the trip of a lifetime. He shares the big-picture stuff ("I've learned that grass smells great and wind feels amazing and rain is a miracle. I will try to remember how magical these things are for the rest of my life"); the entertaining (in preparation for Mars: "Can a pair of underwear be worn four days instead of two? Can a pair of socks last a month?"); and the frightening (cerebral fluid doesn't drain properly in zero gravity, and it "may squish our eyeballs out of shape").

The best parts of the book are those in which Kelly answers the burning questions all of us have. How do you sleep in space? How do you brush your teeth, eat breakfast, drink coffee, call your family, work out?

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Loss of bone mass, one of the factors NASA is observing, is a real concern, Kelly writes. He was required to run on a treadmill two hours a day, six days a week  which was often painful  to slow the loss. "Our bodies are smart about getting rid of what's not needed, and my body has started to notice that my bones are not needed in zero gravity." As for those well-worn exercise clothes, "there is no laundry up here, so we wear clothes as long as we can stand, then throw them out."

As for working for a year in space with astronauts from other countries, some he may have met only a time or two, Kelly notes, matter-of-factly, "We have agreed to carry out this huge and challenging project together, so we work to understand and see the best in one another." He's been asked many times about what it's like spending so much time with Russians; he concludes, "I've learned that Russian has a more complex vocabulary for cursing than English does, and also a more complex vocabulary for friendship."

Such cooperation will serve us well when we go to Mars  a feat that Kelly is sure we'll achieve. After all, the space station is "the work of fifteen different nations over eighteen years, thousands of people speaking different languages and using different engineering methods and standards," he writes. "In some cases, the station's modules never touched one another while on Earth, but they all fit together perfectly in space."

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Book notes

"Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery" by Scott Kelly is available at bookstores, online and at the Rochester Public Library.
"Scaredy cat" entered the American lexicon in 1948 because of the popularity of a cartoon that featured a feline that turned tail and ran when confronted by an angry dog. One might think on the flight or fight scale, the cat showed remarkably good judgment.

Scaredy cat remained popular as an insult, particularly with children, well into the 1960s. I know because I spent most of that decade scared of my own shadow, convinced danger lurked in the darkness. It didn't help that niece Mary was a rabid reader of the supermarket tabloids her mother purchased. She became a self-proclaimed expert in regard to murder, mayhem and alien abductions and generously shared her expertise.

Ed Gein  the Butcher of Plainfield, so named because he came from that Wisconsin community  became a tabloid star. Mary might have exaggerated just a little, but she insisted Gein kept murder victims in the freezer, and because he was certified insane, he wouldn't be kept in jail long.

It was easy enough to imagine the Butcher of Plainfield might start over in our neighborhood.

Mary had other ideas that were troubling. Alien spaceships frequently landed in our pasture. I had never seen them, but Mary said that was understandable because only people with sufficient intelligence could.

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Mary loved to watch horror movies. "Rosemary's Baby,'' "Night of the Living Dead, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane'' and anything starring Vincent Price were among her favorites. Because I lived up to my scaredy cat status, I watched those and other horror flicks with intense trepidation.

I did watch "Night of the Lepus'' with my eyes wide open. It is classified as a horror movie. The premise is a bit out of the ordinary  harmless rabbits were injected with an experimental drug that caused them to grow into giants with human-eating habits. The rabbits, though kind of cute and multicolored, terrorized a rural community while overacting actors Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun and DeForest Kelley struggled to find an antidote. The movie, so bad when it was in first run, since has been elevated to cult status.

Mother dismissed all that was Ed Gein, kidnapping aliens and the like. She insisted there were more than enough real-life things to defend against with prayer. There sure enough seemed to be, with drills at school that involved cowering beneath our desks should nuclear war break out. The Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 made nuclear holocaust seem a real possibility.

Mother insisted 10 Our Father's said before bedtime would be sufficient to stave off disaster and if not, ensure an appropriate place in heaven.

I continued to run as fast as I could in the shadowy darkness from house to barn and back again when chores were done. My speed did not go unnoticed in the neighborhood. Leo  an older man who rented herd bulls to other farmers  stopped by to discuss something that seemed important with Dad. After about 10 minutes, he waved me over.

"Leo wants to ask you a question."

It seemed Leo had rented a bull that was so mean it had to be returned, but it also was so wild that it couldn't be caught. Leo said because I was such a fast runner, I could sneak up to the animal, lasso it and run with the end of the rope to safety before the beast caught me.

Dad insisted I could and would do it. It occurred to me that my father might not have my best interest in mind. Then again, if I accomplished the feat, Mary never could call me scaredy cat again.

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I reached the fence with rope in tow with the mad bull only a hoof or two behind.

Mary still called me scaredy cat, mostly because the nearby outdoor theater had taken to showing an awful lot of new, and even bloodier, horror flicks that I refused to see.
GRAND MEADOW  Two trains collided Saturday afternoon in Grand Meadow, prompting a frenzy of activity and a bevy of gawkers.

Thankfully, they were just model trains, and the commotion prompted squeals of delight during the annual open house hosted by the Railrunners Model Railroad Club.

Gary Austin, a club member who used to work at Mayo Clinic, was among those who calmly walked to the scene and joked with about a dozen people who strained to get a glimpse of the pint-sized derailment at the Grand Meadow Business Center.

Turns out, Austin's train had been running too slow and been rear-ended by a faster engine that slowly had caught up after a couple hours of entertaining the public.

"No biggie," Austin said, smiling after he removed two damaged rail cars and restarted his train. "These cars have all been involved in accidents before."

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The moment provided some levity at the club's annual open house, which attracted hundreds to rural Mower County. More than 50 people showed up within the first two hours on Saturday, including LeRoy's Barry Reburn and his 10-year-old grandson, Max.

Reburn had never attended the club's event during its 13-year history but used the chilly Saturday afternoon to explore a new hobby.

"He's never seen anything like this, so I'm going to educate him," Barry said.

Max openly gawked at the trains, weaving between bodies and straining to see the elevated exhibit throughout the room. He was among those who rushed to examine the crash.

"It's cool," Max said.

The club meets every Wednesday and boasts 11 members, most of whom are retired and living in Rochester or Austin. The annual open house serves multiple functions  showing off their meticulous work, attracting new members and gathering to enjoy their niche hobby.

The club was formed in 2004 but almost had to shut down a few years ago after dipping to just seven members. Recent additions, such as Austin's George Brophy, have renewed hope for the club moving forward.

Brophy said it's important that the region offer unique exhibits such as the model train setup, which is claimed to be the largest in Southeast Minnesota, particularly as the $6.5 billion Destination Medical Center project unfolds.

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"What a reprieve this kind of thing is for people going through Mayo Clinic," Brophy said.

Austin said he was heartened by the strong attendance and enthusiasm from youngsters such as Max. However, he knows many believe model railroads are a dying hobby. While the average age within the Railrunners Club even might support that feeling  the national average age of these hobbyists is about 60  Austin remains hopeful.

"I can't keep track of all the millennials or the Gen X'ers, but the train manufacturers keep cranking these things out, and people keep buying them," Austin said.

"It's fun to see people enjoy it here. They keep saying model railroading is a dying hobby, but hopefully these younger kids will come back in 20, 30, 40 years."
WINONA  On Friday afternoon, District Court Judge Mary Leahy handed down a ruling that looks like a thorough victory for Winona County and its ban against frac sand mining.

Leahy dismissed with prejudice all claims against the county brought by Minnesota Sands LLC, Southeast Minnesota Property Owners and Roger Dabelstein.

"I think she did a thorough job of analyzing their legal claim," said Jay Squires, the Twin Cities attorney who represented the county in the Third Judicial District Court case in Winona. "She recognized the great discretion the county board has in adopting ordinances."

Included in her dismissal of claims, Squires noted, is the claim by the plaintiffs on taking, which is the claim that the ban has prevented them the opportunity to profit from their assets, meaning the frac sand.

The plaintiffs have 60 days to appeal the decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

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Johanna Rupprecht, policy organizer for the Land Stewardship Project, the organization that worked to help craft and pass the ban that was passed last November, said the ruling confirms the fact the county board acted how government should, responding to the public call to action and protecting the land for the common good.

"The hills, bluffs, farms and waters of Winona County are safe from industrial frac sand mining thanks to the bold leadership of the people who love them," she said.

In the end, the ruling supports not only the legislative rights of the county board but recognizes the board's unique position to craft legislation tailored to its area, said Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman, who wrote the ban for the county. For example, Winona County's unique karst geography is something best addressed by the county board rather than other legislative bodies.

"Her decision was across the board in support of what the county board has done and their legislative powers," Sonneman said. "What was interesting about her order on the takings part is the plaintiffs; because it's a conditional use, they did not have an absolute right to them."

While the ruling  provided it stands any potential appeal  is a victory for the county in terms of protecting it against monetary claims, there is a downside to the ruling, said commissioner Marcia Ward.

"I was always a proponent of regulation instead of a total denial of the operation," Ward said. "Zoning is supposed to help people do what they want to do."

Ward said she doubts Friday's ruling will be the end of this case. "They'll go to the next level," she said, referring to the appeals process for the plaintiffs.

In the end, she said many of her constituents in her rural district are opposed to the ban because it creates a slippery slope of banning legitimate land-use options. "They didn't necessarily look at it as one issue of land use but a bigger issue of land use," she said.

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A fire at an apartment building displaced two individuals and took the life of a dog Sunday.

Rochester Fire Department crews responded to a reported kitchen fire at about 4:20 p.m. Sunday in the 2000 block of 41st Street Northwest at The Gates of Rochester apartment complex. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from an eight-unit building, according to a report by Battalion Commander Eric Kerska.

One woman, who appeared to be trapped by smoke, was leaning out of a second-story window in one of the units adjoining the unit where the fire was reported. The woman was rescued by members of Truck Company 42 while Engine 4 worked on the blaze in the apartment.

All residents from the unit where the fire was reported made it out of the building. A dog was reported missing, and was later found to have perished in the fire, Kerska said. In total, 14 adults, three infants and one child were safely evacuated.

One adult and one juvenile female were being housed by the American Red Cross, Kerska said.

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Crews ventilated the building extensively. Smoke had migrated through a common attic to the building to the south as well as other apartments in the building where the blaze occurred, Kerska said.

Rochester police, Gold Cross Ambulance and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene.

Extensive fire and smoke damage was reported in the apartment where the fire started, and six other apartments in the building received some smoke damage. The estimate for the damage, Kerska said, is $50,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Calls are growing among some area lawmakers to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot that would prohibit a governor from vetoing the legislature's funding.

The push comes after DFL Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the Legislature's $130 million operating budget in May. Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the governor's veto, arguing the Legislature could tap into enough money to keep operating until at least Feb. 20  the start of the 2018 session. Dayton vetoed the money in an attempt to pressure GOP legislative leaders to return to the negotiating table. He wanted to get rid of several provisions he reluctantly signed into law  including a number of costly tax breaks.

Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, said the court's ruling sets a dangerous precedent for the future because it opens the door to other governors vetoing the Legislature's funding over disagreements.

"We're not co-equal anymore because I believe the precedent has been set that yes, it's OK for a governor to veto legislative appropriations, and there are no consequences, and I think that puts the Legislature in almost a subservient position," Senjem said.

He wants lawmakers to pass a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit future governors from vetoing funding for the legislative or judicial branches of government. It would then be up to Minnesota voters to decide whether to approve it.

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Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, agrees. He also wants to see the Legislature pass a constitutional amendment to protect legislative funding. On top of that, he is moving ahead with other bills aimed at protecting the Legislature's funding. One bill would allow funding for the Minnesota Supreme Court to be used by the Legislature if its funding runs out. Another would assess executive agencies a fee that would help fund the Legislature.

"The governor's office has let us down, and the courts have let us down. Now there's two equal branches of government and one that's not worth funding  according to the governor," Davids said.

Where did Nelson stand on Trump before election?

During last week's 1st District Republican debate, Sen. Carla Nelson repeatedly vowed to stand by President Donald Trump if she's sent to Washington, D.C. Her rival, Blue Earth Republican Jim Hagedorn, attacked Nelson for not supporting the president prior to November 2016. He told the crowd of conservatives gathered in Albert Lea that he never has wavered in his support for Trump. Nelson responded by calling Hagedorn's attack "desperate."

So what was the Rochester senator's position on Trump prior to the election? I wrote a n article that ran Oct. 12, 2016, asking area politicians about their support for Trump. At the time, Nelson told me Trump was not her first choice, and she condemned his behavior in a Hollywood Access tape where he bragged in lewd terms about groping and kissing women. She declined to say at that time whether or not she would vote for Trump.

"I know this is politically expedient for Democrats to try and drive this type of wedge, but I don't think that's their place, and it certainly isn't my place to tell other people how to vote on other races. I'm focused on this race for the Minnesota Senate," she said.

I also interviewed Hagedorn about Trump for the article. Hagedorn was vocal in his support for the Republican presidential nominee.

He said, "I certainly support him. I'm going to vote for him and would encourage other people to vote for him."
St. Cloud State University assistant professor Bel Kambach felt a kick to the stomach 11 days before a life-saving liver transplant.

She learned that her donor had pulled out.

Kambach's sister Joan Taveras gave her the news on Thursday. Taveras got word a week earlier but withheld the news while Kambach was in Germany for a medical treatment.

"She didn't want me to hear it in a hospital room all alone," Kambach said in her St. Cloud home. "It's as devastating as it can be."

Kambach teaches travel and tourism at St. Cloud State. She has primary biliary cholangitis, or PBC. It's an autoimmune disease like lupus; the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body. PBC causes scarring, or cirrhosis, of the liver, which leads to other complications. Kambach has lost weight and struggles to eat and sleep. She has suffered extreme itching and pain.

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The wait list is long for a liver from a deceased donor. So Kambach and her family have sought a live donor for years. Livers regenerate, so a donated piece can regrow in the recipient and the donor's liver can recover.

'Overwhelmed with fear'

Abraham Rivera, a 27-year-old from Puerto Rico, found Kambach when he was looking for someone with whom to share his liver. He'd lost a good friend to liver disease and wanted to help someone else.

Rivera and Kambach shared the same blood type  O-positive  and he liked that she was Latin like him. Kambach comes from the Dominican Republic.

But Rivera began to feel fearful about the transplant and was having sleepless nights, Taveras said.

"He said: 'Tell her I was overwhelmed with fear,' " Taveras said. She shared the news with her family before telling Kambach.

"We were in shock. Everybody was devastated. Everybody was crying. My mother was inconsolable," Taveras said. "You have to be understanding at the same time, as to his reasoning, which was fear."

Live liver donors face a 1/300 risk of death, said Dr. Charles Rosen, transplant surgeon and director of the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center. The risk of death for live kidney donors is one in 2,000 or 3,000, for comparison.

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"It's truly the most generous act of human kindness I could imagine, to put your own life at risk," Rosen said of live liver donors.

He prefers to transplant donations from deceased donors, but there aren't enough of those livers to meet the demand. Mayo Clinic has transplanted nearly 250 livers from live donors since 2000, Rosen said.

A rigorous process

People who volunteer to donate part of their liver go through a rigorous process to make sure they're a good fit for the recipient and to make sure they understand the risks and can handle the recovery.

"If anyone is uneasy about going ahead, we don't go ahead," Rosen said of the team of specialists and the donor himself.

Thursday was a day for crying over the setback, Taveras said. And now they renew the search for a liver donor.

Kambach had two more potential donors in the pipeline when Rivera agreed to the transplant. So those two, her cousin and a St. Cloud State professor, can continue through the process.

It's a multi-step process involving blood draws, interviews, scans and meetings with a psychiatrist and liver expert. More than 10 people who volunteered to donate to Kambach were turned away.

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Kambach took to Facebook to share her bad news and her fears.

"It takes sooooooooo long to get tested and approved that, I'm not sure anymore if I'll make it," Kambach wrote. "I just needed all of you to know, these will be hard times for me and my little family."

Kambach is a single mother of a teenager.

'A vibrant woman'

Seven years into her diagnosis, Kambach wants more than a liver to prolong her life. She wants people to learn about her illness, to understand the sweeping need for organ donors and the possibility of live donations.

Kambach wants U.S. laws to require everyone be registered for organ donation unless they opt out.

She wants liver dialysis to become an affordable treatment for other PBC patients. That dialysis is not covered by Kambach's insurance, she said. She travels to Germany for it.

Kambach also wants people to know that they can make some life-saving donations while they're alive. Humans can donate one of their kidneys and live a normal life. People can donate bone marrow and parts of their liver to help save others.

Time's not up for Kambach, but she is in the end stage of her illness -- stage four. She weighs under 100 pounds. Her PBC symptoms have greatly diminished Kambach's quality of life.

She prays everyday, she said, and she's grateful that she can still get up. But some days she has to stay in bed.

"My sister can tell you I was a vibrant woman," Kambach said as tears pooled in her eyes. "It's like a 20-year-old trapped in a 92-year-old body. And I can't get out."
Egypt's parliament approved on Sunday a financing program worth 290 million euros provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to pay for upgrades and fleet expansion of the country's national railway system, state-owned MENA news agency reported.

According to MENA, the program's approval was discussed by the House during its general assembly following a report presented by its transportation and economic affairs committees.

The deal, originally signed in June 2017, allocates the financing to Egyptian National Railways (ENR) to be used for the acquisition of up to 100 new diesel locomotives.

During Sunday's assembly, Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that "loans were the bitter medicine for the building up of the economy," adding that the agreement signed between Egypt and the EBRD was not as bitter as MPs initially perceived.

Egypt signed the deal with the European bank last June in an attempt to boost the ailing railway system.

Some 300 million Egyptian riders use trains annually. In the last two decades, mass-casualty train accidents became common in Egypt. Thousands of passengers have been killed or injured in fatal accidents caused by derailment of outdated carriages, fires due to poor industrial safeguards, malfunctions, or human error at manually operated signal-crossings. The government has also started to digitalise the archaic signal-crossing system, which has been the cause of many deadly collisions.

According to a statement by the EBRD, the bank will finance the acquisition of up to 100 new diesel locomotives under a supply-and-maintenance contract outsourced to the private sector in accordance with the EBRDs procurement policy.

The EBRD will also provide "technical assistance support to ENR to develop and implement a comprehensive freight reform programme and a commercialisation plan for the freight sector."

Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD and has been receiving funding since 2012, with the bank investing 2.3 billion euros in 47 projects in the country to date.

Egypt has recently signed various agreements and MOUs with a number of countries, including Hungary, Romania and china, to modernize its train carriages fleet and safety procedured.

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WASHINGTON -- I spent part of my convalescence from a recent illness reading some of the comprehensive timelines of the Russia investigation (which indicates, I suppose, a sickness of another sort). One, compiled by Politico, runs to nearly 12,000 words -- an almost book-length account of stupidity, cynicism, hubris and corruption at the highest levels of American politics.

The cumulative effect on the reader is a kind of nausea no pill can cure. Most recently, we learned about Donald Trump Jr.'s direct communications with WikiLeaks -- which CIA Director Mike Pompeo has called a "hostile intelligence service helped by Russia" -- during its efforts to produce incriminating material on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.

But this is one sentence in an epic of corruption. There is the narrative of a campaign in which high-level operatives believed that Russian espionage could help secure the American presidency, and acted on that belief. There is the narrative of deception to conceal the nature and extent of Russian ties. And there is the narrative of a president attempting to prevent or shut down the investigation of those ties, and soliciting others for help in that task.

In all of this, there is a spectacular accumulation of lies. Lies on disclosure forms. Lies at confirmation hearings. Lies on Twitter. Lies in the White House briefing room. Lies to the FBI. Self-protective lies by the attorney general. Blocking and tackling lies by Vice President Pence. This is, with a few exceptions, a group of people for whom truth, political honor, ethics and integrity mean nothing.

What are the implications? Trump and others in his administration are about to be hit by a legal tidal wave. We look at the Russia scandal and see lies. A skilled prosecutor sees leverage. People caught in criminal violations make more cooperative witnesses. Robert Mueller and his A-team of investigators have plenty of stupidity and venality to work with. They are investigating an administration riven by internal hatreds -- also the prosecutor's friend. And Trump has already alienated many potential allies in a public contest between himself and Mueller. A number of elected Republicans, particularly in the Senate, would watch this showdown with popcorn.

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But the implications of all this are not only legal and political. We are witnessing what happens when right-wing politics becomes untethered from morality and religion.

What does public life look like without the constraining internal force of character -- without the firm ethical commitments often (though not exclusively) rooted in faith? It looks like a presidential campaign unable to determine right from wrong and loyalty from disloyalty. It looks like an administration engaged in a daily assault on truth and convinced that might makes right. It looks like the residual scum left from retreating political principle -- the worship of money, power and self-promoted fame. The Trumpian trinity.

But also: Power without character looks like the environment for women at Fox News during the reigns of Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly -- what former network host Andrea Tantaros called "a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny." It looks like Breitbart's racial transgressiveness, providing permission and legitimacy to the alt-right. It looks like the cruelty and dehumanization practiced by Dinesh D'Souza, dismissing the tears and trauma of one Roy Moore accuser as a "performance." And it looks like the Christian defense of Moore, which has ceased to be recognizably Christian.

This may be the greatest shame of a shameful time. What institution, of all institutions, should be providing the leaven of principle to political life? What institution is specifically called on to oppose the oppression of children, women and minorities, to engage the world with civility and kindness, to prepare its members for honorable service to the common good?

A hint: It is the institution that is currently -- in some visible expressions -- overlooking, for political reasons, credible accusations of child molestation. Some religious leaders are willing to call good evil, and evil good in service to a different faith -- a faith defined by their political identity. This is heresy at best; idolatry at worst.

Most Christians, of course, are not actively supporting Moore. But how many Americans would identify evangelical Christianity as a prophetic voice for human dignity and moral character on the political right? Very few. And they would be wrong.

Many of the people who should be supplying the moral values required by self-government have corrupted themselves. The Trump administration will be remembered for many things. The widespread, infectious corruption of institutions and individuals may be its most damning legacy.
Sean Suiter, an 18 year veteran of the Baltimore police force, joined its homicide unit two years ago to help combat the murder spree plaguing the city. Suiter thus bucked a trend. The Baltimore police force was shrinking due to the resignation of officers in response to lack of support from the mayor and the local prosecutor following the accidental death of Freddy Gray while in police custody.

Last week, Suiter became Baltimores 309th murder victim this year. 2017 is the third consecutive year in which Baltimores rate exceeds 300. That level hadnt been reached since the 1990s.

The murder rate surged following the shameful performance of the mayor and the city prosecutor in response to Grays death and the subsequent rioting in April 2015. Acknowledging the obvious, Baltimores new mayor says that violent crime in the city is out of control.

Suiter was shot in a notoriously violent section of the Harlem Park neighborhood of West Baltimore. The father of five was in the neighborhood investigating a triple killing from last year and saw a man acting suspiciously. When Suiter, wearing a suit and tie like all homicide detectives, attempted to speak to the man, the suspect shot him.

More than a dozen people have been shot or killed in the same area in recent years. One resident, a 26 year-old man, told the Baltimore Sun, Its getting crazy  almost as if death and murder is the norm today. To another resident it seemed like we experience these killing every single day.

Thats how it looks to residents. To the Obama Justice department, it looked like a racist police force was over-policing a largely African-American neighborhood.

How does it look to CNN? We dont know. It largely ignored the murder of Sean Suiter. Brad Wilmouth of NewsBusters has the details (or lack thereof).
In the years since feminists excused Bill Clintons misdeeds, sexual harassment by powerful men has too often gone unreported and, when reported, has not been taken seriously enough. Now, the pendulum may be swinging the other way. We may be headed for an over-correction, at least for a while.

If so, Im going to dissent now, while a Senator I abhor is in the dock.

Al Franken should not be expelled from the Senate based on the evidence that has come out so far. We know that Franken touched, with multiple fingers of both hands, the breast of Leeann Tweeden while she was asleep. We can be pretty confident that, in addition, he forced his tongue into her mouth when they were rehearsing a skit. (Franken has issued a vague denial, but hasnt presented a conflicting account of what happened.) We also know that Franken did these things to Tweeden before he was elected to the Senate.

As a starting point of our analysis, lets ask what punishment likely would be handed out to an employee who did these things to a co-worker at, say, a company retreat (fertile ground for harassment and harassment claims). I dont know the answer as of today because I have been out of the employment law business for a while.

However, five or ten years ago, companies conscientious about protecting women from sexual harassment and following best practices were unlikely to fire a first time offender for this conduct. That was especially true if the victim did not seek this remedy. Tweeden says shes is not calling for Frankens expulsion.

What punishment would the harasser suffer? He probably would be warned that any further harassment would (or could) result in being fired. He might be suspended for a short time without pay. If the victim requested, he probably would be placed in a position where the two no longer had regular contact. But he wouldnt be fired.

Al Franken is a U.S. Senator, not a sales manager. We have the right (however unrealistic) to hold members of Congress to a higher standard. But remember, Franken was not a Senator when he improperly touched Leeann Tweeden.

Remember too that Franken is not an employee of the Senate. Congress didnt hire Franken, the people of Minnesota did. Its true (though irrelevant, I think, for purposes of this discussion) that the hiring was the product of voting fraud. But Minnesotans rehired Franken in 2014 by a substantial margin.

Expelling Franken would overturn the will of Minnesota voters. I dont believe this should happen where the harassment in question likely would not get an ordinary employee fired. This seems especially true because Franken wasnt a Senator when he committed his misdeeds against Tweeden.

A second consideration also militates against expelling Franken. Doing so would create a precedent that could lead to mass expulsions and blackmail. I dont know what percentage of current U.S. Senators have, at some time in their adult life, touched a womans breast against her will, but Id be surprised if the number is small.

Do we want to set a precedent whereby all of these Senators can be subject to expulsion or expulsion proceedings? I dont.

And what about Senators who have never engaged in sexual harassment? They can be accused too, and might well be by, or at the behest of, their political enemies. Do we want them to be subject to expulsion proceedings and to the risk of expulsion if the evidence is not correctly evaluated? I dont.

Expulsion for sexual harassment also presents the risk of blackmail. Senators can be threatened with the disclosure of misdeeds and told to take a certain action or vote a certain way, or else. Our intelligence agencies may have information about a Senator or Representatives past sexual behavior that they could threaten him with.

For these reasons, I dont believe the Senate should even consider expelling Franken. I should add that I doubt the Senate is seriously considering this. I believe that talk of expulsion in the Senate represents posturing and positioning (with Roy Moore in mind). Thats probably also true of much of what feminists are saying.

Finally, to be clear, Im not saying there is no pre-Senate sexual misconduct that would justify expelling a Senator. A rape, even if committed before election to the Senate, would present a strong case for expulsion. So would sexual abuse of a child. But Frankens conduct doesnt come close to this level.

Andy McCarthy says the picture of Franken touching Tweedens covered (by a jacket) breasts depicts a felony sexual assault under federal law. I dont question Andys legal analysis. But has anyone every been convicted of a felony under federal law merely for intentionally touching (with no evidence of more) a covered female breast?

I hope not. Such a conviction would be a travesty. The Senates handling of Frankens case should not be informed by this blatant example of over-criminalization.

Lets leave it to the people of Minnesota to expel Franken (or not) in the next election.
The climatistas and their toadies in the media cant stop scratching their heads and asking/demanding why conservatives/Republicans refuse to credit the science about climate change. Maybe because of articles like the one in the New York Times today, which makes clear that the left sees climate change as an excuse for a massive political power grab:

The Climate Crisis: Its Capitalism, Stupid By Benjamin Y. Fong . . . The real culprit of the climate crisis is not any particular form of consumption, production or regulation but rather the very way in which we globally produce, which is for profit rather than for sustainability. So long as this order is in place, the crisis will continue and, given its progressive nature, worsen. This is a hard fact to confront. But averting our eyes from a seemingly intractable problem does not make it any less a problem. It should be stated plainly: Its capitalism that is at fault. . . As an increasing number of environmental groups are emphasizing, its systemic change or bust. From a political standpoint, something interesting has occurred here: Climate change has made anticapitalist struggle, for the first time in history, a non-class-based issue.

It will not surprise you to learn that the author, Benjamin Fong, iswait for itan academic. He is a faculty fellow at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, the author of Death and Mastery: Psychoanalytic Drive Theory and the Subject of Late Capitalism, and an editor at Damage Magazine.

I assume Damage magazine is printed on recycled paper. It certainly is an appropriately named journal from the sound of things, given the damage leftism inflicts on the world. (I cant seem to find it onlinejust some old Bay Area punk music magazine.)

Whats remarkable is how unoriginal this line of argument is. I wonder if Naomi Klein is going to sue Fong for plagiarism. Weve covered how Klein says climate change requires smashing capitalism before here, here, here, and here. Klein is a special kind of hypocrite, as her view reduces to: I hate capitalism, except for my $10,000 per appearance college lecture tour.*

The point is simple: As long as leading, celebrated climatistas talk about it as a reason to smash capitalism without any rebuke from the media, from Democratic politicians, or the climate science community, there is every reason for conservatives to reject the whole racket as a hustle for political power.

* I cant find reliable information about Kleins lecture fee, which might well be higher than $10,000. I welcome accurate information from her. Shes represented by the Lavin Agency, and agencies like this tend to market their roster for as high a fee as they can. Klein is evidently sensitive about the subject, offering this wimpering apologia for how Oh poor meI just have to charge high fees to speak because of the huge demand for my talks! And his helps pay for all of the good I do! Nevertheless, she doesnt say what her average speaking fee is.

Actually, if I didnt know any better, Id suspect shes secretly on the payroll of the Koch brothers, for she and people like Fong are the best thing climate skeptics have going for them.
The Federalist Society held its 2017 National Lawyers Convention this past Thursday through Saturday. The topic of this years convention was Administrative Agencies and the Regulatory State. Most of the proceedings were streamed online and uploaded to YouTube. Senator Cotton gave the opening remarks. Attorney General Sessions formally addressed the convention.

The heart of the convention consisted of panel discussions offering an intellectual feast on the threat of the administrative state and how it bears on the preservation of our liberty under the Constitution. I hope to draw attention to one or two of the videos this week.

White House counsel Don McGahn gave this years Barbara K. Olson lecture. By any accounting it must be reckoned one of the highlights of this years convention. Brad Richardson quotes from McGahns lecture here in todays Washington Times:

White House counsel Donald F. McGahn said the ever-expanding regulatory state is the greatest threat to the rule of law in our modern society. Reforming the regulatory process and selecting judges who will enforce the separation of powers are the two greatest legal issues facing the administration, he said. The president is making fundamental changes to how the regulatory state interacts with the people, and he is selecting judges who will enforce the law as written and respect the separation of powers, Mr. McGahn said in his remarks on Friday.

The text of the lecture is outstanding. It reflects McGahns understanding that the administrative state poses a fundamental challenge to our constitutional order. It impresses on me how far we have come in our understanding of the administrative state  how much intellectual progress we have made against the chief instrument of progressivism. Witness altogether the Federalist Society proceedings this year. They make for a remarkable exhibit in their own right.

McGahns lecture is an important companion to Steve Haywards post Trump versus the administrative state highlighting Chris DeMuths outstanding Wall Street Journal column Trump versus the deep regulatory state.

Video of McGahns lecture is below. His opening remarks begin at about 17:00. He doesnt get to the text of his lecture until about 28:00, but you wont want to miss his opening remarks.
This morning I was quoted in the New York Post on President Trumps addition of five more names to his list of potential Supreme Court nominees. Given the blizzard of news in recent days, Trumps latest Supreme Court list has been somewhat lost in the shuffle. But it is actually quite interesting. Some observations:

1) Some have suggested that the point of releasing this list is to support Roy Moore by reminding Alabama voters of the importance of keeping the Senate in Republican hands, particularly since one of those on the list is an Alabaman. I dont put much credence in this theory; releasing an addendum to the presidents already-long list of potential nominees is an awfully subtle way to make this fundamental point.

So then, why did Trump release the list? Maybe because he has information about a likely resignation from the Court, and leans toward appointing someoneor at least wants to seriously consider someonewho wasnt on his initial lists.

2) One of the five is Amy Coney Barrett, the Notre Dame law professor who was confirmed to the 7th Circuit only a few weeks ago. Judiciary Committee Democrats attacked Barrett for being a Catholic, and got considerable criticism for doing so. It is the Democrats position, apparently, that only atheists are qualified to sit on the Court. Perhaps President Trump will dare them to make this argument before a broader public than the one that follows Judiciary Committee hearings.

3) Another of the possible nominees is Brett Kavanaugh, now of the D.C. Circuit. Those with long memories will recall that in 2006, Kavanaugh was one of a number of nominees who were blockaded by Senate Democrats. We covered the battle over Kavanaughs nomination extensively, e.g. here. After a long delay, Kavanaugh was finally confirmed. No doubt his nomination to the Supreme Court would give Democrats palpitations.

4) Two of the judges on Trumps new list are shockingly young. Georgias Britt Grant is 39young enough to have clerked for Judge Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuitand Oklahomas Patrick Wyrick is only 36. Both have served on their respective states supreme courts for less than a year. I see Trumps inclusion of these names as an implicit threat to the Democrats. Whoever gets the next nomination (assuming a vacancy occurs during the remainder of Trumps term) will be anathema to Democrats. But I think Trump is saying, if you dont like my nominee and somehow succeed in blocking him or her, keep in mind that I just might nominate someone who could be a thorn in your side for 40 years or more.
Egypt's Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr signed two agreements worth 17.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars ($57 million) in Kuwait on Sunday with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) for development projects in North Sinai, according to a statement issued by the ministry on Monday.

The first agreement, worth 12.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars ($41 million), will fund sustainable water infrastructure projects in Al-Arish city.

The fund will help finance the governments $900 million three-year financing planned projects for the Sinai Development Programme, Nasr said.

The government has been financing the Sinai Development Programme through various funding agreements with the Saudi Fund for Development and other funds to establish water desalination plants and electricity projects, build schools and health units, and develop agricultural lands.

The second agreement signed on Sunday with the KFAED, worth 5 millionn Kuwaiti Dinars ($16.5 million), will finance a 400 thousand-feddan reclamation project in North Sinai. This fund would increase the area of cultivated land in North Sinai in order to offer job opportunities and establish a residential community as a way to achieve sustainable development.

This is in addition to helping farmers by facilitating the movement of their crops to markets, facilitating access of fertilizers and pesticides and increasing livestock, besides providing more than 5000 individuals with job opportunities and encouraging investments in the area, the statement read.

KFAED has so far provided $2.763 billion in financing to 44 projects in Egypt, in addition to $52 million in the form of 15 technical grants, according to Abdul-Wahab Al-Badr, director general of the KFAED.

On Monday, Nasr met with the Egyptian-Kuwaiti economic cooperation council to discuss the incentives offered to investors by the new investment law, including tax breaks of 50% on investments costs for projects in underdeveloped areas such as Upper Egypt and Sinai, according to another statement from the ministry.

The minister also presented to the council investment opportunities in the new administrative capital, the Suez Canal Economic Zone, and New El-Alamein City.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified the country's new investment law in June and its executive regulations were approved by the Cabinet last month.

The Egyptian-Kuwaiti economic cooperation council was established in November 2015 to boost economic ties between Egypt and Kuwait.

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S. J. absentee rates among states highest

{child_byline}CLAIRE LOWE

Staff Writer

{/child_byline}

Experts agree being in school is a key component to being successful in school, but more than 120,000 New Jersey students are missing too much class time, a new report shows.

The bottom line is if students arent in school, theyre not learning, said Peter Chen, policy counsel for Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), who co-authored the report.

The third annual chronic absenteeism report from ACNJ, released this week, shows while chronic absenteeism is on the decline statewide, southern New Jersey students fare worse than their North Jersey counterparts when it comes to missing school.

Cumberland, Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties have four of the six highest absenteeism rates among the states 21 counties, according to the data compiled from the New Jersey Department of Education, with more than 19,000 students chronically absent in the 2015-16 school year.

Chen said national research has shown students who are chronically absent have worse academic outcomes.

Fewer students are going to be able to read by third grade. In high school, we see absenteeism strongly predicts graduation rates, Chen said.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the total enrolled school days regardless of them being excused, unexcused or suspensions  equal to 18 days. Statewide, the number of students identified as chronically absent has dropped by 8,000 from 2014-15 to 2015-16, according to the report, Showing up Matters: The State of Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey.

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution to addressing chronic absenteeism, the report suggests.

A school district may have a low rate of absenteeism among the entire student population, but when you take a closer look, you may see pockets of high absences among certain groups which require different solutions and interventions to improve attendance, said Cynthia Rice, ACNJ senior policy analyst and another report co-author.

Brian D. McGuire, school leader and principal at Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts in Somers Point, said the school has been addressing its chronic absenteeism with a tiered intervention system. McGuire said the system is for both conduct and attendance because suspensions count toward absenteeism.

Both systems have monitoring and counseling built into each level along with SMART goals to help struggling artists decrease behavior issues that might lead to suspensions and decrease attendance, he said, adding that there are also incentives to encourage attendance.

Chartertech also rewrote its attendance policy to lower the threshold for excused absences from 18 to 14.

Currently, with our new measures, our chronic absenteeism rate is 16.9% based on the number of days we have been enrolled in school for the 2017-2018 school year. Clearly, our current programs are having a direct positive effect on our Artists, McGuire said.

While two schools may have the same rate of chronic absenteeism, there might be very different driving factors to why that is, Chen said.

Financial insecurity is a common factor among students who miss too much school, with low-income students being twice as likely to be chronically absent, the report says. Homelessness was a risk factor among those with chronic absences, too.

Children with special needs had one of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, at 17 percent, more than double that of other students. The report links the high rate of absenteeism among students with special needs to a higher instance of out-of-school suspension for those students.

Other common factors include race and limited proficiency in English. Black and Hispanic children were more likely to be absent than white or Asian children, the report shows. In the 2015-16 school year, 17 percent of students who are black and 13 percent who are Hispanic were chronically absent, compared with 8 percent of students who are white and 5 percent who are Asian.

Drilling down data to find out why students are absent will help the districts come up with a plan to address their specific needs, Chen said.

The first step is for each school to take a look at its chronically absent students and really dig in and see what are the issues that are causing that, he said.

Chen suggested schools can use surveys, focus groups or interviews to come up with the reasons for absences. He said districts can use messaging strategies to promote the importance of attendance to parents. He also suggested schools may already have resources in place to help parents who are struggling economically or whose children need special medical attention.

You cant just bring in some program and magically fix attendance. This is something that requires a school district and a community to come together and start digging into the reason in their community for the reasons why absences are so high, Chen said.

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{child_related_content}{child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_style}Bio Box{/child_related_content_style}{child_related_content_title}Facts about absenteeism{/child_related_content_title}{child_related_content_content}

About 8,000 fewer New Jersey students were chronically absent in the 2015-16 school year than in 2014-15.

The number of K-12 students missing too much school fell from 136,000 to 129,000 in total, moving the statewide chronic absenteeism rate from 10.3 to 9.7 percent.

More than one in every four preschoolers was chronically absent during the 2015-16 school year.

ACNJ saw a decrease in the number of high-absentee school districts, from 216 to 192 school districts.

Poor attendance in New Jersey was highest in the very early grades and in high school; 11.4 percent of kindergartners and 16.4 percent of high school juniors and seniors were chronically absent.

Source: Advocates for Children of New Jersey

{/child_related_content_content}{/child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_style}More Coverage{/child_related_content_style}{child_related_content_title}How N.J. is combating chronic absenteeism{/child_related_content_title}{child_related_content_content}

Absenteeism in New Jersey is improving thanks to the efforts of local school districts, the report by Advocates for Children of New Jersey states.

In addition, New Jerseys Every Student Succeeds Act plan  the federal replacement for No Child Left Behind  now uses absenteeism as a factor to measure school quality.

A bill in the Legislature, already passed by the Senate, aims to remedy chronic absenteeism by requiring schools to include its absenteeism rate in its school-performance report. Schools that are identified as having a problem must to come up with a plan to fix it. The bill has until the end of the year to pass before having to be reintroduced in the Legislature.

{/child_related_content_content}{/child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_style}Bio Box{/child_related_content_style}{child_related_content_title}South Jersey counties show high percentage of chronically absent students{/child_related_content_title}{child_related_content_content}

In Cumberland County, where 15.9 percent of students were chronically absent  the highest in the state  98 percent of students at Fairfield Township schools were absent more than 10 percent of the school year. Cumberland County Vocational School had 30 percent of students with chronic absenteeism, but Superintendent Dina Elliott said the information is misleading. Elliott said that at the time the data was taken, the district was operating part-time for most students except for a handful of special-needs students.

In Atlantic County, CharterTech High School in Somers Point had chronic absenteeism of nearly 30 percent of its students. Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School Districts chronic absenteeism affected about 19 percent of students.

In Cape May County, Ocean City had nearly 22 percent of its student body chronically absent, and Stone Harbor had almost 16 percent.

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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  John Charlton lived to skate.

The Mays Landing man was a nationally known figure skater who earned many awards in competitions over his lifetime, family members said.

He once told me that he would rather skate than eat, Youngs Skating Center proprietor Jim Link said.

Family said the 54-year-old had recently lamented he did not have much time to pursue his passion anymore, as his job in information technology marketing kept him busy seven days a week serving clients in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Charlton was driving to work Nov. 2 when he witnessed a woman being assaulted at a bus stop along Route 40. According to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office, Charlton stopped to defuse the situation. As a result, authorities said, Calvin Wiggins punched Charlton, causing Charlton to fall backward and injure his head.

Charlton died 10 days later at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City.

A Celebration of Life event has been scheduled for Dec. 4 at Youngs Skating Center. The event will include a brief service, followed by exhibitions by skaters from throughout the country.

Friends, family and those who wish to pay tribute to a man who gave his life trying to protect another are invited to attend.

Charlton grew up in Ocean City and later moved to Mays Landing. Sister Sandra Charlton, of Mays Landing, said their father, John Pastore, also was a world-class skater.

Charlton started skating at age 10 and was a New Jersey state champion in the 1970s. He placed second in the USA Figure Skating competition in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the couples competition in 1990.

Hamilton Township committee approves proposed Eagle Scout project HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Local 14-year-old Jake Burnett has a goal of becoming an Eagle Scout in the very near future. On Monday, Nov. 13, the scout from Troop 55 in Somers Point sought approval from the Township Committee to create his Eagle Scout project on a property owned by the township.

He started skating at Youngs in 2009.

He participated in our skating shows and always encouraged other skaters to skate with grace and skill, co-owner Judy Link said. It takes years to develop the skills that he had.

Three years ago, Charlton relocated his parents to Mays Landing from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, to help care for his father, who had dementia.

He would carry him to the car regularly to take him to the doctors office, said Charltons mother, Charlotte White. Five months later, his father passed away, and he said he would continue to care for me. That was very typical of the type of person he was. He loved to teach and loved to learn. His smile could light up a room.

With a smile, she added, He also loved the ladies.

His brother, Christopher, has set up a GoFundMe page to cover Charltons burial expenses.

Sandra Charlton said the family holds no hard feelings against Wiggins, 24, who was ordered detained Friday on aggravated manslaughter charges in Charltons death. The charge was upgraded from aggravated assault after Charlton died.

We stand by our faith, Sandra Charlton said. Hating him wont bring John back. We hope he gets the help he needs.

Hamilton Mall welcomes Santa and Mrs. Claus for the holidays HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer led a parade through Hamilton Mall Saturday that also included the Hammonton High School Band, Egg Harbor Township cheerleaders and Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Sister Kim Spivey said even in death, her brother brought life to others.

He donated all of his organs through Gift of Life, she said. In doing so, he changed many peoples lives. Through them he will live on in spirit.
A former police union president and retired Cape May police officer who pleaded guilty to embezzling about $105,000 in union funds was sentenced Friday to home confinement and probation and ordered to pay fines.

John Campbell, 49, of Cape May, will serve six months of home detention, including electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet, and five years of probation under the sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge John Porto, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced in a statement.

He also must serve 300 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine and $105,000 in restitution to New Jersey Policemans Benevolent Association Local 59 in Cape May, Porrino said. Campbell has already made restitution in full, Porrino said.

Campbell pleaded guilty Aug. 10 to third-degree theft by unlawful taking.

While serving as the local PBAs state delegate from 2012 to 2016, Campbell made more than $70,000 in unauthorized personal expenditures through an American Express account, paid for with union funds, including more than $30,000 for timeshares in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean, and more than $5,000 for clothing and jewelry, the state Attorney Generals Office said.

Campbell was entrusted with access to the credit and checking accounts of his PBA local, but rather than living up to his duties as a police officer and leader of this union, he corruptly chose to embezzle over $100,000, Porrino said. This was a crass betrayal by a man who took an oath to uphold the law.

Campbells state pension will be under review.

The Pension Board for the Police and Firemans Retirement System was notified of the conviction, said Peter Aseltine, spokesman for the state Attorney Generals Office. The Pension Board will determine whether there is an impact on his pension.

As a result of the investigation, officials discovered additional thefts that led to charges against a second Cape May police officer and former treasurer of PBA Local 59, the state Attorney Generals office said.

Kyle Grossman, 39, of Lower Township, was charged Oct. 12 by accusation with third-degree theft by unlawful taking for allegedly stealing about $5,000 in union funds for personal use, Porrino said. He waived indictment, agreed to pay $5,000 in restitution and forfeited his job as a police officer.

Porto admitted Grossman into the Pre-Trial Intervention Program. His charge will be dismissed if he completes the program. Grossman agreed to a consent order permanently banning him from public employment, the state Attorney Generals Office said.

The New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau and Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau worked on the investigation.
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The event is organised by Egypt's FACE for Children in Need charity organization

On Friday 1 December, Egypt's renowned composer and pianist Omar Khairat will give a concert at St. John's Smith Square in London, marking the musician's first appearance in UK's capital.

Organised by FACE for Children in Need, and under the patronage of the Egyptian Embassy in London, the concert is expected to gather an audience of over one thousand.

Khairat, 69, is a reputed composer and pianist, whose original compositions, which bridge contemporary Arab music and western tunes, have earned him a large following in Egypt and the region.

Khairat composed the musical scores of over 50 Egyptian films, including The Sixth Day (1984), The Terrorist (1993), Mafia (2002), Girl's Love (2003), The Embassy in the Building (2005) and Deer's Blood (2006). In television, his memorable works include Lailat El Qabd Ala Fatma (1984) and Dameer Abla Hekmat (1991).

He also composes music for theatre and special occasions, such as the opening ceremonies of important Egyptian cultural and regional festivals.

Khairat has also arranged compositions by celebrated Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, releasing them as "Wahabiat" 1 and 2. His arrangement of the well-known songs of Um Kulthoum brought him additional acclaim.

He is particularly known to audiences in the Arab world for his frequent performances with his Omar Khairat Group, which continues to fill concert halls to the brim.

"Although I re-recorded my music in London, this will be the first time I will be performing to an audience in England, and I hope it will be a successful concert and achieve the noble goal for which it was organised," Khairat commented in the press release for the London event.

The event aims to raise funds and increase awareness of the problem of street children and orphans in Egypt, of whom up to 2,500 are cared for by the FACE charity every year.

Founded in 2003 in Egypt by a mother of three young children, today FACE has grown into a prominent organization with several projects underway.



Supported by Egypt's Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior, FACE's mission is to assist and protect orphans, street children, their families and communities, and to equip these children for a better life. The group aims to instil self-esteem and hope in the children by providing them with the means to become strong adults in society.

The association currently operates four shelters for orphans and two centers for street children with plans to expand in other areas inside Egypt.

Programme:

Friday, 1 December at 7pm

St John's Smith Square, London

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



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NEW YORK, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Canadian government's commitment to legalize recreational cannabis in July 2018 is touted as an opportunity for investors to profit from the ongoing green blitz. Gearing up for the anticipated spike in consumer demand, cannabis-related businesses are lining up steady sources of supply from the country's licensed producers (LPs). The alcohol and tobacco industries are also preparing to get their hands on the plush opportunities of legalized recreational cannabis. One of Canada's earliest licensed cannabis producers, ABcann Global Corp. (OTC: ABCCF) (TSX.V: ABCN) (ABCCF Profile), is well-positioned to capitalize on the market's expansion with its computer-controlled growing platform that helps it produce more than 250 grams of cannabis per square foot each year, placing it among the highest yields within the Canadian sector. Other licensed producers such as Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (OTC: ACBFF) (TSX: ACB), Canopy Growth Corp. (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX: WEED), Aphria, Inc. (OTC: APHQF) (TSX: APH) and Delta 9 Cannabis, Inc. (TSX.V: NINE), are also gearing up for what all agree will test the industry's ability to keep up with demand.



ABcann Global (OTCQB: ABCCF) (TSX.V: ABCN), a manufacturer and distributor of medical cannabis within Canada, creates a consistent, organically grown, pesticide-free, standardized product that keeps costs down and its physician/patient base coming back. ABcann's approach to growing cannabis centers on replicating the natural environment of any geographical location for a product that is both superior in quality and sustainable from batch to batch. The company's yield per square foot is significant - 100 percent over the industry average - and the quality of its cannabis is a key factor in bringing customers back 94.7 percent of the time. Expansion plans are funded with some $43 million in working capital raised through multiple financings and ground has already been broken on two facilities that will drastically increase production capacity in 2018.



"ABcann's first quarter as a publicly traded issuer was a successful one, leading to the company having over $40 million in current working capital," the company stated in a news release (http://nnw.fm/0B2pW). "With our strong cash position, ABcann expects to significantly increase production capacity in 2018 while pursuing our aggressive construction and expansion timelines at both Vanluven and Kimmett."



One of the biggest shakeups in Canada's cannabis space at the moment, however, is coming from outside the regular circles of cultivation, processing and dispensing. In a move that was anticipated, a leading alcoholic beverage company - Constellation Brands - invested CDN $245 million in Canopy Growth (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX: WEED) in exchange for nearly 10 percent equity in the company (http://nnw.fm/MD9nU). Industry titans like Constellation, which has stated it plans to develop and sell cannabis-infused drinks, were fully expected to take a hard look at the booming legal marijuana market. Buying into an already established asset such as Canopy Growth gives this major player a fast toehold into the cannabis sector. Anticipation is growing that more asset acquisitions will soon follow by other leaders in the tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical industries (http://nnw.fm/1pt6W).



In order to take advantage of Canada's projected $9 billion cannabis market, companies like ABcann must keep an eye on the future while taking care of the present. The company's announcement last month that Paul Lucas will be its new independent chairman following founder Ken Clement's decision to step down shows a keen eye for continuity of leadership and historical knowledge of the industry (http://nnw.fm/n3fU0). Lucas, former president and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Canada, brings decades of pharmaceutical industry experience to his new role at ABcann Global. That kind of global experience will serve the company well as it looks to expand its footprint in the legal cannabis industry. ABcann's vision includes becoming a global presence in the legalized marijuana markets of Canada, Germany, all of Western Europe and South America (http://nnw.fm/Z60nx).



Another key Canadian LP focused on ramping up its production is Aurora Cannabis (OTCQX: ACBFF) (TSX: ACB), a licensed medical marijuana company engaged in producing and distributing cannabis to registered patients with a physician's prescription. Aurora operates a 55,200-square-foot production facility in Mountain View County, Alberta, a second 40,000-square-foot production facility in Pointe-Claire, Quebec on Montreal's West Island, and is currently constructing an 800,000-square-foot production facility at the Edmonton International Airport. Earlier this week Aurora announced it plans to accelerate the expiry date of common share purchase warrants for potential proceeds of $50 million-plus (http://nnw.fm/Ohdg8), which the company says it plans to use for expansion initiatives.



"The ability to accelerate the expiry of these warrants is an indicator of Aurora's powerful growth and increase in shareholder value," company CEO Terry Booth stated in the news release. "It adds significant additional capital to our exceptional cash position, with which we intend to continue our aggressive domestic and international expansion strategy."



Aphria (OTCQB: APHQF) (TSX: APH), another 100 percent greenhouse-grown medical cannabis company, prides itself on growing cannabis in natural sunlight in state-of-the-art facilities. Through a strategic investment agreement into DFMMJ Investment Ltd., a special purpose private company, the company is seeking expansion targets that meet its stringent criteria in key U.S. states that have approved medical use of marijuana (http://nnw.fm/Jb4d4).



Aphria recently announced (http://nnw.fm/alzQ3) the sale of nearly 13 million common shares for gross proceeds of $92 million, which the company says it will use in connection with the construction or acquisition of domestic production facilities.



Medical marijuana dispensary Delta 9 Cannabis, Inc. (TSX.V: NINE), headquartered in Ontario, Canada, has stated its intent to work collaboratively with Canopy Growth in the Manitoba cannabis market, including cannabis production and distribution functions as each company pursues privately owned and operated retail shops. Expanding its physical locations is key to Delta Nine ' s future success , said Delta 9 co-founder and CEO John Arbuthnot (http://nnw.fm/sWPe6).



Since 2013, Health Canada, which issues the coveted medical marijuana commercial license, has approved fewer than 2 percent of the 1,600 companies seeking a license to grow cannabis. The rigorous process of becoming a licensed producer of marijuana in Canada imposes significant barriers to companies with plans of entering the market.



ABcann already owns and operates a fully functioning 14,500-square-foot facility in Napanee, Ontario, and owns another 65 acres of real estate with proper zoning and existing infrastructure in place to support another facility of up to 1 million square feet. The company's global potential can clearly be seen through its partnership with Israel's Syqe Medical, producer of one of the world's first selective-dose pharmaceutical-grade medicinal plant inhalers. Scaling operations to achieve optimal growth isn't a second thought - it's been in the planning stages all along. For ABcann, it's fair to say that the company's five-year track record in Canada upon legalization next July is giving it a distinct head start (http://nnw.fm/8GGEu).



For more information on ABcann Global, visit: ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF).



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NEW YORK, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

After running a poor second to the internal combustion automobile for a century, the electric vehicle (EV) now looks very likely to win the race. At the beginning of the twentieth century, EVs were on track but they lost position to gasoline automobiles. Now in America, in China and in Europe, EVs are taking to the roads once again. And in response to a more environmentally aware citizenry and government mandates, many car manufacturers plan to phase out fossil-fueled vehicles and increase output of EVs over the next two decades. The increasing adoption of EVs is already beginning to raise demand for the metals that comprise the batteries under their hoods. Chief of these is lithium, naturally, since lithium-ion is the leading EV battery technology. However, equally necessary, is the cobalt used in lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) electrodes, one of the most common lithium ion (Li-ion) technologies. As search for this rare metal intensifies, cobalt miners like Quantum Cobalt Corp. (CSE: QBOT) (FRA: 23B) (QBOT Profile), eCobalt Solutions (OTC: ECSIF) (TSX: ECS), First Cobalt Corporation (OTCQB: FTSSF) (TSX-V: FCC), Fortune Minerals Limited (OTC: FTMDF) (TSX: FT) and Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) are likely to see their share prices rise. In the coming months, cobalt looks set to make fortunes.

One of the factors driving the shift to EVs has been the Paris Climate Accord, an international effort to slow global warming by reducing carbon emissions, which became effective on November 4, 2016. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that transportation is responsible for fourteen percent (14 percent) of global greenhouse gas emissions (http://nnw.fm/4G0m7). On November 7, Syria announced it would sign the agreement, following Nicaragua, which said in October it would join the Accord (http://nnw.fm/S0uWY). The Central American nation had, initially, refused to sign because it wanted the Agreement to go further. This leaves the U.S. as the only country rejecting the pact. However, under its terms, which the White House said it will respect, the soonest any country can withdraw from the landmark agreement is November 4, 2020.

The Accord has prompted a series of initiatives across the globe. Recently, China, France, Germany, India, Norway, the Netherlands and the U.K. all announced measures intended to curb carbon emissions. China, which has the world's largest vehicle market, is in the lead. With air pollution at crisis levels in Beijing and other major cities, the Chinese government wants to see vehicles using gasoline and diesel phased out. It also, it seems, plans to dominate the global EV market, according to the LA Times (http://nnw.fm/sWsE3). The government in India is facing similar problems. India's carbon emissions are rising: they rose almost 5 percent in 2016. But now there's hope that trend will be reversed by replacing fossil fuel cars with EVs by 2030. European nations are also in the vanguard of this battle against global warming. The Norwegian government has said, that after 2025, it will only allow sales of vehicles that are 100 percent electric. And Germany is following suit, albeit with a less rigorous schedule. It plans a total ban on all internal combustion engines by 2030. In Britain, a deadline has been set for 2040, after which time no cars powered by petrol (gasoline) or diesel will be allowed. The Netherlands is also considering similar plans, while France, the host of the Accord, wants all petrol and diesel cars off its roads by 2040.

The big car manufacturers are already making plans to ramp up EV production. Volkswagen, now the largest global automaker by sales, is planning 30 new EV models by 2025. It hopes to garner annual sales of between two and three million units by then. The company has announced it will invest around $84 billion in batteries and electric cars. In addition, No. 2 Toyota has formed a joint venture with Mazda and Denso, the Japanese auto parts manufacturer, to develop EV technologies for the future. The new company, called EV Common Architecture Spirit Co. Ltd., will be 90 percent owned by Toyota, with Mazda and Denso sharing the remaining 10 percent equally. The joint venture will produce models based on Toyota's Prius and 2018 Camry. And Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, told an investor conference on November 15 that the company plans to launch a new EV platform in 2021 (http://nnw.fm/XP8zF). The modular EV stereotype will be the basis for at least 20 new battery-powered vehicles by 2023 and will be flexible enough to accommodate nine different body styles in multiple sizes, segments and brands in the U.S., China and elsewhere. Meanwhile in July, when Tesla delivered the first Model 3s off the line, its CEO Elon Musk revealed the company had 'over half a million advance reservations'. The EV revolution seems unstoppable.

Bloomberg has estimated (http://nnw.fm/M3iGb) that EVs will enjoy a 2 percent share of the auto market by 2020. This is expected to rise to 8 percent by 2025, to 20 percent by 2030, and to at least 35 percent by 2040. These statistics have fueled a great deal of anxiety in some corners, with automakers scrambling to secure supplies. They have also given rise to a very tight global cobalt market. Recently, Volkswagen announced it had failed to secure a long-term supplier for cobalt. In September, the German carmaker put out a tender seeking a five-year supply of the strategic metal at a fixed price but there were no takers at the offer price. Demand for cobalt is expected to surge from 2k tonnes in 2017 to over 300k tonnes by 2030, a stupendous 14,900 percent increase that will see prices reach record levels. With the battery industry currently uses 42 percent of global cobalt production, the question arises: where is all this cobalt going to come from?

At present, about 97 percent of the world's supply of cobalt is a by-product of nickel or copper mining, mostly out of Africa. A lot comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), home to the largest cobalt asset in the world, the Tenke Fungurume mine. However, political instability and charges that child labor is used in the mines is putting pressure on producers to seek less controversial sources. As a result, exploration companies are turning to North America, and particularly Canada, in what must seem like deja vu, particularly in places like Cobalt, Ontario, so named over a century ago after the mineral was discovered there.

One such exploration outfit is Quantum Cobalt Corp. (CSE: QBOT) (FRA: 23B), which has interests in past producing mines with historic assays of 8.76 percent cobalt. Its Nipissing Lorrain Cobalt Project has produced over 16,500 tons of cobalt, as well as 5,500 tons of silver, in the past. The asset consists of 29 claim units covering approximately 464 hectares. Quantum is also working the Rabbit Cobalt property, located 14 km southeast of the town of Temagami near the eastern border of Ontario. The property has in the past produced cobalt assayed at 8.76 percent. A third project is the Kahuna Cobalt-Silver mine, which comprises 77 claims over an area of around 1,200 hectares, and is located 37 km south of Cobalt. These are encouraging metrics considering that cobalt projects with assays as low as 0.05 percent are considered viable. Quantum also has gold projects underway at Grew Creek in the Yukon, Canada and Musgrove Creek in Lemhi County, Idaho.

Driven by an experienced team, Quantum Cobalt expects more than quantum success. The company's CEO is Greg Burns, who is also the Director of Mergers and Acquisitions for Capital Investment Partners, a Western Australian investment bank. Mr. Burns was previously Managing Director of Xenolith, subsequently Coalspur Mines Ltd., acquired by the Cline Group in 2015. He was also a director of White Canyon Uranium before that company's acquisition by Denison Mines in 2010. The rest of Board Members include Ken Tollstam, CPA, formerly of Deloitte Touche, Jerry Huang, CPA, MBA, who has worked in wealth management and in mining, Von Torres, who brings experience in corporate management services, and Quinn Field-Dyte, who comes with a financial services background. Quantum Cobalt was previously Bravura Ventures Corporation. Its name change became effective in November 2017.

eCobalt Solutions (OTCQB: ECSIF) (TSX: ECS) has its primary asset in Idaho. The company claims its Idaho Cobalt Project is the only advanced-stage, near term, environmentally permitted, primary cobalt deposit in the United States. The Idaho Cobalt Project is comprised of the Mine/Mill (M/M) site located in Lemhi County, Idaho, near the town of Salmon, Idaho and the Cobalt Production Facility (CPF), a stand-alone hydrometallurgical facility located in Southern Idaho near the city of Blackfoot. The CPF will process concentrates from the M/M into cobalt, copper and gold end products. The project is slated to produce the equivalent of 1,500 tons of high purity cobalt sulfate annually over a projected mine life of 12.5 years.

Back in Canada, First Cobalt Corporation (OTCQB: FTSSF) (TSX-V: FCC) is currently advancing its 2,100-hectare Silver Centre, Ontario property, which includes the former producing Keely-Frontier mine, a high-grade mine that has produced over 3.3 million pounds of cobalt and 19.1 million ounces of silver. First Cobalt, which pulled out of the DRC just months after signing a copper and cobalt deal with the government, has past-producing assets and a market capitalization of CAD$39 million, expected to reach CAD$156 million pending an acquisition.

Meanwhile, Fortune Minerals Limited (OTCQX: FTMDF) (TSX: FT) is ploughing ahead with its NICO Cobalt-Gold-Bismuth-Copper Project in Canada's Northwest Territories, which the company is positioning as a dedicated North American cobalt asset. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) is also in hot pursuit of the hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal. Together with Lundin Mining Corporation and La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines), it has formed Freeport Cobalt, which will operate the world's largest cobalt refinery, located in Kokkola, Finland. This will link its global sales and marketing distribution network with output from the Tenke Fungurume Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The attention cobalt is enjoying at present is pushing up share prices. eCobalt (ECSIF) trading at around $0.40 a year ago has appreciated by over 100 percent and is now at $0.84. First Cobalt (FCC), down at $0.25 a year ago has gone up by 180 percent and currently trades at $0.70. Fortune Minerals (FTMDF) has risen by 67 percent over the past twelve months, from $0.09 to $0.15. It seems like Quantum Cobalt, may be undervalued.Quantum Cobalt is "One to Watch"

Other players to keep your eye on:

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) traded 15,328,018 shares and closed at $ 13.86 on Friday.

eCobalt Solutions (OTCQB: ECSIF) traded 166,456 shares and closed at $ 0.83 on Friday.

First Cobalt Corporation (CVE: FCC) traded 169,405 shares and closed at $ 0.72 on Friday.

Fortune Minerals Limited (OTCQX: FTMDF) traded 401,789 shares and closed at $ 0.15 on Friday.

For more information about the Quantum Cobalt please visit: Quantum Cobalt (CSE: QBOT)

Other Quantum Cobalt Articles: Quantum Cobalt is "One to Watch"

Cobalt Perfectly Positioned As Global Cobalt Demand Surges

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Coimbatore, Nov 15 : Tamil Nadu's new Governor Banwarilal Purohit has stoked a major controversy by convening a meeting of officials here to review development works, an action that has come under all round attack from opposition parties.

Unfazed, Purohit said he will carry out similar inspections in all districts of the state in the coming days.

Purohit, who took over as Governor last month, made his maiden visit outside Chennai to first participate in the convocation ceremony of Bharatiyar University on Tuesday.

Later, he undertook a review meeting in which the Coimbatore Collector, Police Commissioner and Corporation Commissioner and other top officials participated.

The Governor's action touched a raw nerve in the opposition parties, which accused him of stepping on the toes of the elected government, harming state autonomy.

DMK leader M.K. Stalin said the Governor's action would erode the autonomy of the state. Instead, he should attend to his duties by ordering a floor test in the state Assembly for the AIADMK government headed by E. Palaniswamy, Stalin said.

Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanaswamy, who is fighting a turf war with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, said the "disease" has spread to Tamil Nadu from the Union Territory.

He said a Governor had no business convening a meeting of officials to review works and giving instructions to them. This should be put an end to, he added.

Leaders of the CPI-M, Viduthalai Chiruttaigal Katchi (VCK) and AIADMK (Amma) headed by T.T.V. Dinakaran also flayed the Governor saying his action would erode the powers of the elected government in the state.

Anwar Raja, an AIADMK MP, said had Jayalalithaa been alive, such a development would not have taken place.

However, Purohit made it clear he would not be affected by criticism.

Along with Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani, he visited the solid waste management plant installed in a residential society in the industrial city.

He also held discussions with NGOs and resident welfare associations working on solid waste management.

Earlier, he inspected the Gandhipuram bus stand and took part in a cleaning drive there as part of the Swachch Bharat initiative.

"I have been carrying out inspections from yesterday. A few are trying to create controversies over my visit. Only when I visit places I will know about the works that are being carried out and give feedback to the government.

"Till now I thought Maharashtra was better in cleanliness but now I have changed my mind as Tamil Nadu is far better. I have no hesitation in saying this," Purohit said.

Echoing similar views, Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamil Isai Soundararajan said there was nothing wrong in a Governor undertaking review meetings and this cannot be called interference in the working of the state government.

"Even Minister Velumani has welcomed it. Why are the opposition parties apprehensive of the Governor's action?" she said.
New Delhi, Nov 16 : A court here has said that it will record former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala's statement as an accused in a disproportionate assets case on December 11 after concluding prosecution evidence in the case.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Manoj Jain has in his order on November 9 fixed December 11 for recording Chautala's statement in the case.

In the order, released on Thursday, the court has allowed the CBI plea to close the prosecution evidence in the case.

The court has also ordered to take Chautala into custody after he withdrew his personal bond. The court also noted that Chautala's surety is not willing to continue the bond further.

The court cancelled the bond and sent Chautala to judicial custody till December 11, the next date fixed for hearing.

The agency had registered three separate disproportionate assets cases against Chautala and his two sons Ajay and Abhay on a complaint by Haryana Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala.

On March 26, 2010, the CBI chargesheeted Chautala for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore, far exceeding his legal income between 1993 and 2006.

Chautala's wealth was 189 per cent more than his income of Rs 3.22 crore during the period, the CBI alleged.

In another case, relating to the recruitment of 3,206 junior basic teachers in Haryana in 2000, Chautala was awarded 10 years in jail. He is currently lodged in prison.
New Delhi, Nov 16 : BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday asked Hindus to "wake up" since Muslim leaders were "refusing to give up" on the mosque in the Ayodhya dispute.

"Hindus wake up! Muslims leaders are refusing to give up on a masjid, that is shiftable, to restore the holiest temple on the birthplace of Ram," Swamy said on Twitter.

Swamy's tweet came amid efforts by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to try to thrash out a mutually acceptable formula to the long-simmering Ayodha dispute.

Ravi Shankar on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here and discussed the Ayodhya dispute.

He briefed the Chief Minister about his initiative to try and work out a mutually acceptable formula.

Last month, Ravi Shankar had expressed his willingness to mediate in the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute.
Ankara, Nov 20 : The Turkish capital has announced a ban on cultural events related to LGBT issues over "public sensitivities", the Ankara Governor's office said.

"Since November 18 and until further notice, the ban will be force in all films, theatre performances, screenings, panels, exhibitions in order to provide peace and security," Xinhua news agency quoted the Ankara Governor's office as saying in a statement on its website.

The move came after a ban on a two-day festival of German-language gay films, which was organised with the Germany embassy in the capital on Thursday, due to "public safety and terrorism risks".

The annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride marches have been forbidden for three years in a row in Turkey, as per local media.
Mumbai, Nov 20 : Disappointed that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" was screened to selected individuals, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi has said this "sets an opportunistic precedent" and attempts "to subvert the existing norm of film certification".

"It is disappointing that the film 'Padmavati' is being screened for the media and getting reviewed on national channels without the CBFC having seen or certified the film. This compromises the role of systems and balances that are part of a functioning industry," said Joshi.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief feels such a move compromises the system of censor certification.

"It's myopic to treat the certification process haphazardly to suit convenience. On one hand, holding the CBFC responsible and pressurising to accelerate the process. And on the other hand, attempt to subvert the very process, sets an opportunistic precedent."

About the CBFC returning "Padmavati" to the producers without certification, Prasoon explains, "In this specific case, the film's application came up this week only for review. The makers know and admit that the paperwork is not complete."

"The very disclaimer whether the film is work of fiction or historical was left blank and not stated - and on simply and legitimately being asked to provide documents, target the CBFC for looking the other way and delay."

Taken aback by the above allegation, Joshi says "this is truly surprising".

"The CBFC is a responsible body and has the best interests of the industry and society in mind. Let not convenient casual methods be brought into practice.We all must have a responsible, mutually respectful and balanced approach."

On Friday, Arnab Goswami shocked the nation by declaring he had seen "Padmavati" and found nothing objectionable in it.

(Subhash K Jha can be contacted at jhasubh@gmail.com)
Buenos Aires, Nov 20 : The Argentine Navy continues to coordinate with international allies in the search for its submarine, a media report said.

The submarine disappeared last Wednesday along the country's Atlantic coast with 44 crewmen on board.

Helping to search for the ARA San Juan are Chile, Brazil, the US, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Uruguay and Peru, although other countries have offered their cooperation in the search and rescue operation, Argentine Defence Minister Oscar Aguad confirmed on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The last time the submarine reported was on Wednesday morning and when it continually missed the deadline for establishing communications again the search was launched on Thursday morning and is still underway.

The US Southern Command on Sunday sent a second aircraft to assist in the operation, a P-8A Poseidon with a crew of 21 from Jacksonville, Florida, which is expected to arrive in Argentina in the coming hours.

The Southern Command earlier had sent a P-3 surveillance plane belonging to NASA.

The German-built diesel-powered vessel set sail on Monday from the southern port of Ushuaia enroute to its base in Mar del Plata, farther north in Buenos Aires province.

All terrestrial communications stations along the Argentine coast have been ordered to search for communications and listen to all possible frequencies of transmission by the submarine to try and make contact with the vessel.

Weather conditions in the region have made the search difficult, spokesmen said, with 6-8 meter (20-26 foot) waves prevailing there in recent days.
Bhopal, Nov 20 : Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama "Padmavati", which is mired in controversy, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh for "distorting facts", Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday.

Chouhan said that a film which has "distorted facts" about Rajput queen Padmavati and shows or says anything to disrespect her, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

His comment followed a meeting he had with representatives of the Rajput community here on Monday morning.

According to sources, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Nandkumar Singh Chauhan led a group of Rajput community representatives, to discuss the "Padmavati" issue with Chouhan.
Hyderabad, Nov 20 : Actress Deepika Padukone, who is at the centre of a row over "Padmavati", has pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), that will have US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the inauguration on November 28.

A senior official of Telangana government said on Monday that Deepika has withdrawn her name from the event.

She had earlier confirmed her participation, the official said.

He, however, said the reason for her pulling out of the event is not known.

The actress was one of the speakers at a session on 'Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood: The Path to Moviemaking'.

The Nigerian film industry is popularly referred as Nollywood.

Deepika's move comes amid a raging row over "Padmavati", which was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Protest by Rajput groups forced the producer to defer the release.

Some leaders of BJP and right-wing groups have threatened the actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Few have even announced rewards for killing them.

Being co-hosted by the US and India, the GES, with the theme 'Women First, Prosperity for All', will bring together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters from around the world for two-and-a-half days of training and mentoring.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session on November 28.
Imphal, Nov 20 : Local newspapers in Manipur hit the stands on Monday with their editorial columns blank -- in protest against the burning of some copies of the "Poknapham", a Manipuri language newspaper, by BJP youth activists on Saturday.

On its Saturday edition, the newspaper carried a regular satire column casting aspersions on the BJP, one of the ruling parties in Manipur, over the question of territorial integrity in the light of the imminent implementation of the framework agreement that was signed between the Centre and the armed Naga group, the NSCN-IM on August 3. Both parties are refusing to disclose the details of the agreement.

Miffed over the satirical write-up, some Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists burned copies of the newspaper in the party office.

The President of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union, Wangkhemcha Shyamjai said, "There is a system in Manipur over such issues. The aggrieved party should hold talks with the publisher and editor of a particular publication to thrash out the differences. The party could go to a law court if its grievances are not settled. The burning of the newspaper copies is unacceptable".

P. Labango Mangang, editor of 'Kangla Pao', told IANS that as a mark of protest all editors were requested not to publish editorials on Monday.

There is no statement from the BJYM as yet over the incident of burning of the newspaper copies, which is regarded as an "infringement of the right to freedom of expression".
Singapore, Nov 20 : An Indian-origin former army Warrant Officer was sentenced to four months and three weeks in jail on Monday for abusing and beating her Indian maid.

K. Rajakumari, 57, repeatedly abused her maid in 2012, and once, even hit the latter with a plastic hanger until it broke. Rajakumari, who retired after 35 years of service, apologised to Indian national Sargunam Jeeva in Tamil and told her not to tell anyone about her ordeal.

But a police officer attending the case understood the language and Rajakumari was caught, the Strait Times reported.

After a 14-day trial, District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid convicted Rajakumari on September 5 on five counts of causing hurt to Jeeva, then 35, in a Canberra Drive condominium near Sembawang Road between February and March 2012.

Jeeva first came to Singapore in late January 2012. Rajakumari had picked the maid up and she was to be paid 350 Singapore dollars a month without any days off. She could not speak English.

By the second week of February 2012, Jeeva was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by her employer. The abuse soon became physical.

On March 3, 2012, after Jeeva ironed Rajakumari's uniform, the employer threw it onto a dresser and chided the maid for not knowing how to do a proper job of ironing. Rajakumari then hit Jeeva with a plastic hanger until it broke.

Two days later, Jeeva was scolded and slapped hard on the face over stale food. She was pulled by her hair and was pushed against window grills. Jeeva was also kicked in the waist by her employer, the report said.

Jeeva told Rajakumari that she could not "withstand the torture any more" and requested to send her back to the agent's house.

The maid later sought help in a neighbouring home and the latter called the police.

A policeman later heard Rajakumari tell Jeeva in Tamil: "Please forgive me... please don't tell anyone about the abuse."

Unknown to Rajakumari, the police officer could understand the language. Rajakumari later admitted that she had hit the maid.

For each count of maid abuse, Rajakumari could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to 7,500 Singapore dollars.
Srinagar, Nov 20 : A local militant was killed on Monday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

Security forces laid a cordon around Chopan Mohalla in Tral area following information about the presence of militants.

"As the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, they fired at the surrounding security forces triggering an encounter in which one militant identified as Adil Chopan was killed", police said, adding that the operation was still going on.
Kolkata, Nov 20 : Cutting across party lines, politicians in West Bengal on Monday paid glowing tributes to veteran Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi who passed away earlier in the day in New Delhi.

Condolences poured in from Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee as also senior Ministers like Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee, and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.

Former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dasmunsi, who was in coma since 2008, died on Monday at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, doctors said. He was 72.

"I feel as if I have been orphaned. It is painful to think that he is no more. He was my political friend, philosopher, and guide. I used to reach out to him both for political reasons as also personal. Everyone addressed us as Priya-Subrata," Mukherjee said.

Rajya Sabha MP and former Bengal Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya recalled Dasmunsi's qualities.

"He never used to be stressed or overwhelmed when the party was in a crisis. He was such a powerful speaker that everyone would believe everything he said. We have had debates, but never fights. The Bengal Congress' decline started the day he fell ill," Bhattacharya said, adding that the Congress in Bengal was incomplete without him.

State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Dasmunsi was a national asset.

"His demise is the country's loss. We have decided that our party flags will be flown at half mast for three days," Chowdhury said.

"His debates were based on logic and data and that era has ended with his demise," said Communist Party of India-Marxist MP and politburo member Mohammed Salim.

CPI-M State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also expressed grief over Dasmunsi's death.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 20 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday said India and China have no option except to live peacefully and help each other.

On to the strained ties between the two countries in the wake of the Doklam standoff, the Nobel Peace laureate said that is not an important issue.

"Both the countries across the border have more than two billion people together. So, they need each other. India needs China and China needs India. There is no other way except live peacefully and helping each other," said the Dalai Lama after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He said even though small problems keep happening between the two countries, it was nothing serious.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, after arriving at the airport here, said: "War is not a solution. Solve the problem amicably as no country eventually wins a war."

He said modern India should pay more attention to learn ancient knowledge about how to tackle emotion.

The Chief Minister said they discussed several issues of contemporary importance.

Honoured to receive Dalai Lama at "my residence... Discussed many issues of contemporary importance and sought his blessings and guidance for working towards our state's development and welfare of the people", tweeted Patnaik.

The prime preacher of Buddhism is scheduled to visit Chandragiri in Gajapati district where a sizeable population of Tibetans resides after their banishment from Tibet by China years ago.

The Dalai Lama will receive the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences Humanitarian Award for the year 2017. The award will be conferred on him on Tuesday at a special function at the institute.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the murder of Kanpur-based retired junior high school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla, who was killed by unidentified persons last year, an official said on Monday.

The anti-terror agency filed an FIR on Sunday and took over the case from the Uttar Pradesh Police following the Home Ministry's November 17 order, almost a year after the murder.

The agency re-registered the case which was earlier registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 24, 2016 under sections of murder of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Shukla, a retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed on October 24, 2016 by unidentified persons at around 12.30 p.m near village Piwadi in Kanpur while returning home on a bicycle.

The state government had also recommended the NIA probe after it emerged that Shukla might have been killed by four accused in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast case.

An NIA official confirmed the registration of FIR at the agency's Lucknow unit and said the train blast accused had admitted to their involvement in the murder.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Atif Muzaffar and Mohammad Danish, after Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast earlier this year. Their associate Faisal Khan was with them at the time of murder.

Muzaffar, according to police, told them that Danish, Faisal and he were testing a .30 calibre pistol when they accidentally fired a bullet that hit Shukla.

A ballistic test report later corroborated this evidence, police had said. The NIA, which investigated the train blast, chargesheeted Muzaffar and Danish and also alleged that Muzaffar and Danish had killed Shukla.
Kolkata, Nov 20 : Cutting across party lines, politicians in West Bengal on Monday paid glowing tributes to veteran Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi who passed away earlier in the day in New Delhi.

Condolences poured in from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior Ministers like Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee, and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.

Former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dasmunsi, who was in coma since 2008, died on Monday at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, doctors said. He was 72.

"I feel as if I have been orphaned. It is painful to think that he is no more. He was my political friend, philosopher, and guide. I used to reach out to him both for political reasons as also personal. Everyone addressed us as Priya-Subrata," Mukherjee said.

Recalling Dasmunshi's role in students' politics, West Bengal Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said: "We are extremely saddened by the demise of Dasmunshi... he used to teach us dos and dont's. In order to honour him, we would appeal to the Speaker to adjourn the Assembly session on Tuesday after 12 noon, so that members of the Assembly can attend his last rites."

Rajya Sabha MP and former Bengal Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya recalled Dasmunsi's qualities.

"He never used to be stressed or overwhelmed when the party was in a crisis. He was such a powerful speaker that everyone would believe everything he said. We have had debates, but never fights. The Bengal Congress' decline started the day he fell ill," Bhattacharya said, adding that the Congress in Bengal was incomplete without him.

State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Dasmunsi was a national asset.

"His demise is the country's loss. We have decided that our party flags will be flown at half mast for three days," Chowdhury said.

"His debates were based on logic and data and that era has ended with his demise," said Communist Party of India-Marxist MP and politburo member Mohammed Salim.

Expressing grief over Dasmunsi's death, CPI-M State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also said he had "immense contribution" to Parliamentary democracy.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : Even as the release of "Padmavati" has been deferred, three Chief Ministers on Monday jumped into the controversy with Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan announcing a ban on the film in his state, while his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh backed the Rajput community in its protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama that is mired in controversy.

However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the controversy as "unfortunate" and a "calculated plan" to destroy freedom of expression.

In Jammu and Kashmir, senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Devender Rana urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to ban the release of "Padmavati" in the state.

The three chief minister's waded into the controversy after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath and his Rajasthan counterpart opposed the release of the film citing threat of serious law and order problem.

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Chouhan announced in Bhopal after a meeting with Rajput groups that the film has "distorted history" and thus cannot be allowed for "release" in his state.

"If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji, then that movie cannot be allowed to release in the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

"And I am saying this because people of the country and Madhya Pradesh cannot accept disrespect of their pride," the BJP leader added.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

Amarinder Singh, in his comments said: "Anything that is historical event... no one will object. But here they are distorting history," Singh told reporters.

"I have also gone to Chittor and returned and seen all things there... So, this is distortion of history and no one will accept it."

"And if communities are objecting to it then it is their right to object," the Punjab Chief Minister added.

National Conference (NC) MLA Devender Rana urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to ban the release of 'Padmavati' in Jammu and Kashmir, whenever it gets the go-ahead from the CBFC.

In a letter addressed to Mehbooba Mufti, Rana said: "The release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' is likely to hurt the sentiments of a particular community/religion and thus holds the potential to disrupt peace in Jammu region."

He said he was for a ban on the movie in the state as many delegations from across Jammu region had approached him on the issue in the last couple of days.

The comments come a day after the release of "Padmavati" was "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, had said the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed".

Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that "Padmavati" is not released without necessary changes.

But, Mamata Banerjee condemned the ongoing controversy, labelling it as "unfortunate" and a "calculated plan" to destroy freedom of expression.

"The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency," Banerjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress supremo exhorted the film industry to protest in unison. "All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."

Some Hindu groups, mainly the Karni Sena of Rajasthan, have been vigorously protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

"Padmavati" features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
Hyderabad, Nov 20 : Over 5,000 delegates from around the world, including the Who's Who of the Information Technology industry, are expected to participate in the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) here next February.

This is for the first time that India is hosting the prestigious event, which will bring together businesses, government, regulatory bodies and academia to discuss the future and the direction in which the global IT industry is heading.

With the theme 'amplify digital', WCIT will be held parallel to India Leadership Forum (NILF), the annual leadership event of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), the apex body of Indian IT industry.

This is the first time that NASSCOM will be holding its flagship event outside Mumbai.

NASSCOM's core committee held its meeting here on Monday to discuss the arrangements for the WCIT and NILF, scheduled to be held from February 18 to 21.

C.P. Gurnani, CEO and Managing Director, Tech Mahindra, told reporters that NASSCOM will spend $3 million for organising the event at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

The Telangana government has paid Rs 5 crore as royalty fee to WCIT to get the event.

WCIT is the apex organisation of IT industry associations of 80 countries.

Gurnani said about 20 Fortune A500 CEOs, 100 CXOs from various parts of world and more than 10 ministers from various countries were expected to participate in the World Congress, which will have 150 sessions.

The Congress will discuss discus technological disruptions, their impact on all verticals, the challenges faced by the world, the skill requirements and also whether the disruption will create more jobs or take away the jobs.

B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, founder and Executive Chairman, Cyient, said there would also be discussion on the how the Indian IT industry will response to technology changes.

Jayesh Ranjan, secretary, IT, Government of Telangana said as the countries would share their experiences and the best practices, the state would get the opportunity to learn from them.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : The CPI-M on Monday condemned the "communalsiation" of education in Rajasthan and urged the Central government to stop states from fairs such as the "Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair" being held in Jaipur.

"The CPI-M strongly condemns the outrageous directions issued by the Rajasthan Minister for Primary and Secondary Education according to which the students of all government and private schools in Jaipur have been asked to get their students to attend the five-day 'Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair' being held in the state capital," the party said.

"This fair has stalls like that of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which are distributing pamphlets against 'love jehad', accusing Muslim men of 'ensnaring' Hindu women, describing places where such 'ensnaring may take place'," it added.

According to media reports, the VHP's stall has been giving away pamphlets on "love jihad" which talk of actors Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan divorcing their Hindu wives and then again "ensnaring" Hindu women.

The pamphlets point out places where "love jihad" takes place such as beauty parlours, mobile recharge shops, ladies' tailors and Muslim hawkers. They say offering a seat on the bus to Hindu women by Muslim men is "one of the tactics used by jihadis".

Another pamphlet deals with the alleged "controversial" activities of Christian missionaries.

It says three lakh propagators, who receive thousands of crores from Europe and the US, have helped make Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh Christian-majority states.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said that "the fact that a constitutional government has given permission for holding such a fair" is in itself "highly objectionable".

"That it is actually making it mandatory for school children to attend the fair and be exposed to the propagation of hatred for minority communities is completely unacceptable.

"The CPI-M demands that the central and state governments must not permit the holding of such fairs," the Left party said.
Shillong, Nov 20 : Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad has sought the Election Commission's views on the disqualification of 17 state legislators who resigned as Parliamentary Secretaries after an adverse High Court verdict, official sources said on Monday.

A Raj Bhavan communique said Prasad referred the matter to the Election Commission, as required under Article 192 (2) of the Constitution, on November 16 after the Meghalaya High Court held as invalid the state law providing for the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries.

The court, on November 9, left it to the Governor to determine if those who held the post should be disqualified from the assembly or not.

The verdict by a division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Ved Prakash Vaish came on a public interest litigation by state resident Madal Sumer, challenging the "extraconstitutional and illegal" appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries.

Following the court's verdict, Sumer submitted a representation to Governor Prasad for the disqualification of the legislators named in the PIL, citing that "they are no longer legislators for holding the office of profit".

Sumer urged the Governor to exercise his powers under Article 192 and to take a decision on the disqualification.

However, 10 of the 17 legislators who quit as Parliamentary Secretaries following the High Court verdict, have said that there is no ground for their disqualification as MLAs.

Sujit Dey, counsel for the 10 legislators, said the issue of disqualification has become "infructuous" since the post of Parliamentary Secretary itself has ceased to exist, and all Parliamentary Secretaries had immediately resigned after the High Court verdict.

Hours after the November 9 verdict, these 17 Parliamentary Secretaries quit their posts.

On March 12, 2013, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had administered oath of office to 18 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries to assist the 12 Ministers after the Congress retained power in assembly elections.

Independent legislator Lamboklang Mylliem resigned from the post on March 29 last year, citing legal grounds.

Parliamentary Secretaries Celestine Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon were subsequently made Cabinet Ministers.

Elections to the 60-member assembly are scheduled for February-March 2018.
Hyderabad, Nov 20 : Actress Deepika Padukone, who is at the centre of a row over "Padmavati", has pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), that will have US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the inauguration on November 28.

A senior official of the Telangana government said on Monday that Deepika has declined to attend the event.

The actress was expected to speak at a session on 'Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood: The Path to Moviemaking' on November 29.

"Earlier Deepika Padukona was expected to be in that session but now she has declined," said Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Information Technology, Government of Telangana.

He, however, said the reason for her decision is not known.

The official was explaining to media persons that the list of speakers is yet to be finalised as there have been several changes.

Deepika's move comes amid a raging row over "Padmavati", which was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Protest by Rajput groups forced the producer to defer the release.

Some leaders of BJP and right-wing groups have threatened the actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Few have even announced rewards for killing them.

A leader of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasbha (ABKMS) has announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for "burning the actress alive".

Deepika plays the role of a Rajput queen in the movie. Some Rajput groups allege that Bhansali has distorted history and portrayed the queen in poor light.

Being co-hosted by the US and India, the GES, with the theme 'Women First, Prosperity for All', will bring together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters from around the world for two-and-a-half days of training and mentoring.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session on November 28.
Harare, Nov 20 : Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party has summoned its MPs to plan a course of action after the deadline set for the country's President Robert Mugabe to resign passed on Monday.

Mugabe was dismissed on Sunday as leader of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union -- Patriotic Front party and given an ultimatum to resign by 12 p.m. next day or face impeachment proceedings in Parliament.

The embattled leader surprised Zimbabweans on Sunday, declaring on TV that he planned to remain as President. Zanu-PF said it backs impeachment and proceedings could begin as soon as Tuesday when Parliament meets, the BBC reported.

The war veterans claimed that Mugabe swapped speeches to avoid resigning during the address to the nation.

A draft impeachment motion published by Zanu-PF after the deadline passed said Mugabe was a "source of instability" who had shown disrespect for the rule of law and is to blame for an unprecedented economic tailspin.

The public poured on to the streets in protest in recent days calling for the end to Mugabe's 37-year presidency. His grip on power has weakened considerably since the country's Army intervened on Wednesday in a row over who should succeed him.

The crisis began two weeks ago when the 93-year-old leader sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, angering Army commanders who saw it as an attempt to position his wife Grace as next President.

Zimbabwe has since then seen huge street rallies demanding his immediate resignation. The protests have been backed by the influential war veterans -- who fought in the conflict that led to independence from Britain in 1980.

The group's leader, Chris Mutsvangwa, on Monday called for more demonstrations against the President's attempt to cling on to power.

"We want to see his back now," Mutsvangwa said. "Mugabe, your rule is over. The emperor has no clothes. Thank you very much."

The city was swirling with rumours that Mugabe was planning his resignation and that he may go back on television to announce it at any stage, and that Sunday's speech was simply about giving carte blanche to the military for what they've done.

Mugabe said in his speech that he planned to preside over the Zanu-PF congress next month, a statement people found baffling after the party voted to strip him of his leadership and kick out his wife.

He made no mention of the pressure from his party and the public to quit. Instead, he declared that the military had done nothing wrong by seizing power and placing him under house arrest.

Before Mugabe's speech, Mnangagwa was named as Zanu-PF's new leader and candidate for the 2018 general elections. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he was "baffled" by the President's address.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : A guest teacher was on Monday shot dead by four to five unidentified assailants in north Delhi, police said.

Police said Deepak, 31, a resident of Tajpur Kalan in west Delhi, was found lying in a pool of blood near the MCD primary school in Swaroop Nagar.

Prima facie, it appears to be a case of personal animosity, police said, adding that all possible angles to the crime were being probed.

The armed assailants riding a car called Deepak near to school around 4.30 p.m. and fired at him following an argument. Deepak was shot half a dozen times.

Deepak died on the spot while his assailants fled the spot.

"We are examining closed-circuit television footage from nearby areas to ascertain the identities of the accused," a senior police officer said.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : Indian sugar production touched 13.73 lakh tonnes (LT) till November 15 of the ongoing 2017-18 season beginning October, which was 79 per cent higher than the 7.67 LT produced in the same from the same period a year ago, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said.

The millers' body said the higher output this season was on account of early start to crushing operations.

"As on 15th November 2017, 313 sugar mills were already crushing as compared to 222 sugar mills which were crushing sugarcane last year on November 15. Early start of crushing has resulted in higher sugar production upto 15th November 2017, as compared to same time last year, " an ISMA release said here.

"The main contributors to the higher production of sugar are the sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra," it said.

The association has demanded that the government withdraw the stock holding limits on sugar traders with immediate effect.

"With surplus sugar availability and lower sugar offtake than expected, continuance of stock holding limit on traders at this stage is affecting buying interests. This will affect cash flows, which may very soon may impact the sugar producers' paying capacity to the sugarcane farmers," ISMA said.

"The ex-mill sugar prices have seen a fall of Rs 100-200 per quintal in various parts of the country," it added.

The government has extended the stock holding limit on traders by two months till December 31.

Sugar offtake from mills during last two months was lower, the association said.

"With higher production in 2017-18 season, the sugar sales need to improve to ensure better cash flows and a stable sugar prices," it added.
Guwahati, Nov 20 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said that the geographical location of the Barak Valley here gives it the potential to become a hub for inter-state and international trade.

Several connectivity-related initiatives have been taken to achieve this potential, said Kovind at the closing ceremony of the Namami Barak river festival.

"The northeastern part of the 'East West Corridor' - which runs from Cachar in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat - starts from Silchar. A broad-gauge railway line, connecting Agartala to Delhi, passes through the Barak valley. All this will benefit business and tourism," said Kovind.

On cross-border initiatives, the President said trade with Bangladesh is being promoted through the Border Trade Centre located in Karimganj district.

India is being connected to Southeast Asia under the Act East Policy, taking advantage of the geographical location of the northeast, including Assam.

The President emphasised that there is tremendous potential for growth of business and trade links between Southeast Asia and the northeast region of India.

He expressed confidence that with the development of infrastructure by Union and state governments, this region would become a driver of international trade and commerce.

Later in the day, the President attended a civic reception hosted at the Guwahati University.

Addressing the gathering, the President said Assam is the gateway to the northeast region of India and commended the state's rich geographical, social and cultural diversity.

"Assam has developed industries such as oil and natural gas, tea, and silk. By building modern infrastructure, the prospects for Assam and the entire northeast will be even greater," he said.

Stressing that tourism industry has immense scope in Assam, the President said this state is already an important part of the tourist map due to the Kaziranga and Manas National Parks.

He was confident that by facilitating the right ecosystem for tourism, the state government could multiply the economic and social benefits of the tourism industry.
Buenos Aires, Nov 20 : A US Navy rescue crew has joined the international search effort for an Argentine submarine and its 44 crew members missing for several days beneath the stormy southern Atlantic Ocean.

The submarine vanished last Wednesday 430 km off the Argentine coast. US Navy sailors with Undersea Rescue Command (URC) departed Miramar with a Submarine Rescue Chamber and four aircraft, en route to where the ARA San Juan lost contact with the Argentine Navy.

As heav winds and waves of up to 20 feet complicated the search, authorities spent Sunday analysing data from possible satellite calls that were thought to have been made from the vessel, NBC News reported on Monday.

"We analysed these signals, which as we know were intermittent and weak," said Commander Gabriel Galeazzi. "They could not help determine a point on the map to help the search."

US satellite communications company Iridium Communications Inc said the signals did not originate with its device aboard the vessel and may have been from another satellite communications company's equipment.

URC sailors will join the Navy's P-8A Poseidon maritime aircraft and a NASA research aircraft, both already aiding in the ongoing search efforts near the submarine's last known location.

The US Navy has deployed its sailors and is also contributing unmanned underwater vehicles. More rescue equipment is scheduled to arrive in Argentina early next week.

Argentine Navy spokesman Capt Enrique Balbi said 11 boats and 10 planes from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay, the UK and the US were currently taking part in the search.

The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aires. Its last contact with Navy command was on Wednesday morning.

It is thought that the submarine may have had communication difficulties caused by a power cut.
Darjeeling, Nov 20 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached north Bengal on Monday where she is scheduled to hold an all-party meeting on November 21 to discuss the situation in Darjeeling hills, a state minister said.

Banerjee would conduct the all-party meeting in the presence of Chief Secretary Malay De, state Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha and representatives of the local administrative bodies and representatives of the state government, in Darjeeling district's Pintail village on Tuesday afternoon.

"The Chief Minister has reached north Bengal. She would hold the all-party meeting tomorrow (Tuesday). All major hill political parties including Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Jana Andolan Party (JAP) and Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) are expected to be present in the meeting," state Tourism Minister and Trinamool Congress leader from north Bengal Gautam Deb told IANS.

Claiming the situation to be normal in the hills, Deb said they were expecting a "good and fruitful" meeting.

"The situation here is normal. The security arrangement for chief minister in the hills is as usual. No additional measures have been taken," he said.

The Chief Minister would also hold administrative meetings for Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar -- the three north Bengal districts -- the next day at "Uttar-Kanya", state's administrative headquarters in north Bengal, the minister said.

This would be the fourth all-party meeting between the state and the hill parties since the discord over the demand that a separate state of Gorkhaland be curved out of the northern Bengal hills.

The government have so far rejected the demand of separate Gorkhaland but released Rs 500 crore and Rs 174 crore packages of in two tranches for the development of the region.

The northern West Bengal hills, including the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and a section of the Terai-Dooars region at the foothills of Darjeeling, had been on the boil for nearly four months over the statehood demand of Gorkhaland.

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha spearheaded the agitation and conducted a 104-day shutdown in the hills that was eventually withdrawn on September 26 following an appeal from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom for the admission of his daughter to Cambridge University.

Karti Chidambaram had sought the court's permission to visit Cambridge on December 1, assuring that he will come back on December 10.

The apex court directed Karti Chidambaram to file an undertaking within three days on his flight details and that he will come back by December 10.

"Needless to say, if the undertaking is not complied with, the first respondent (Karti Chidambram) shall face such consequences as may be deemed fit and proper," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said.

The court also said that upon his return to India, "he shall file an affidavit with regard to grant or non-grant of admission" before this the apex court.

Earlier, as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation, sought to put Karti Chidambram under strict conditions for his visit abroad, senior counsel Kapil Sibal pointed out that his client (Karti) had returned voluntarily the last time he went abroad and was not a common criminal.

Mehta said it was their experience that whoever did not return after getting permission to go abroad was not a common criminal.

The court order came after the CBI, investigating his alleged role in facilitating the 2007 Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance for INX Media Ltd when his father was the Union Finance Minister, put up certain conditions to be imposed if the court permitted Karti to go abroad.

Pointing out that the Monday's order on permission to travel abroad was passed after the CBI's consent, the court said it will in no way "reflect upon the legality or otherwise of the lookout circular" and without prejudice to the contentions to be advanced by both the parties when the case is heard.

The court said the order should not be cited before any court of law to "further any kind of cause that will hinder the investigation or anything else".

The court directed for further hearing in the third week of January 2018.
Hyderabad, Nov 20 : The threat perception to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, who is visiting India this month, is very high and the US government has requested the authorities not to disclose even the slightest piece of information about her schedule, a senior official said on Monday.

Ivanka Trump, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be addressing the inaugural session of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) here on November 28. The three-day event is being co-hosted by the US and India.

Ivanka Trump, who is also the advisor to the White House, will be making her first trip to Asia and "that too completely on her own" and the US feels that the threat perception to her is "very high", said the official.

Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Information Technology and Commerce, Telangana government, told reporters that if US officials feel that too much information about her movements has gone out and her security is threatened, they may even cancel the visit.

"We ourselves don't have complete information about her visit," said the official while terming as "rumours" reports in a section of media about the time of her arrival and the places she will visit.

He said when he contacted US officials to inquire whether somebody from the state government has to be at the airport to receive Ivanka Trump, they made it clear that no one was required to be there as they would have to disclose time of arrival and other details.

He confirmed that Ivanka Trump will attend the inaugural ceremony from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will be the other two speakers at the inaugural plenary. There will also be an audio-visual presentation highlighting great innovations from India.

Before the inaugural plenary, she, along with Modi, will walk through HICC corridor where exhibits highlighting the achievements of India will be displayed.

They will also visit a hall named "Innovation Village" where audiovisual presentations will be made about India, its achievements in various sectors and women entrepreneurs.

Ivanka Trump is expected to attend the dinner being hosted by the Prime Minister at Taj Falaknuma, a palace hotel.

The next day, she will speak at a session on "women first, prosperity for all" which is also the theme of the summit.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie Blair, ICICI Bank's CEO Chanda Kochhar and Telangana's IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao will be the other speakers at the session.
Chennai, Nov 20 : Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Monday said that his recent review meeting with officials of Coimbatore district was within the framework of the Constitution and he would continue to hold such meetings.

Responding to criticism that the meeting was political agenda and an action at the behest of the Central government, a statement by the Governor's Principal Secretary said that Purohit had sought legal opinion to have a proper examination of his action from legal and Constitutional perspectives.

"Equipped with the detailed opinion, Thiru Purohit asserts that none of his actions in seeking a meeting with the District officials in Coimbatore amounts to any illegality or unconstitutionality.

"There was no attempt to short-circuit the official channels or force a meeting," the statement said.

The statement added that Purohit, when he was the Governor of Assam, had similar meetings with the officials of various districts there which were appreciated.

"While conducting such meetings, the Governor never violated any law or the Constitution," the Raj Bhavan statement said.

Such meetings enabled Purohit to get first-hand knowledge of the development needs and the problems faced by people at the grass root level which in turn facilitated him to reflect the same to the Central government in getting additional funds to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people, the statement said.

"Thiru Purohit will continue such efforts in Tamil Nadu and also to fulfil his responsibilities as envisaged in the Oath he had taken to devote himself in the service and well-being of the people of Tamil Nadu," statement said.

According to the statement, the Constitution at no place stop the Governor from seeking such meetings with district officials.

"In our Constitution, there is no bar on the Governor's action in seeking an appropriate connect with the people of the State to be in their service and enhance their well-being," the statement said.

During his maiden visit to Coimbatore last week, Purohit undertook a review meeting in which the Coimbatore Collector, Police Commissioner and Corporation Commissioner and other top officials participated.

The meeting had triggered controversy with opposition parties accusing him of stepping on the toes of the elected government, harming state autonomy.
Mumbai, Nov 20 : In an unparalleled achievement, a commercial pilot who made a full-fledged aircraft on the terrace of his residence has been awarded a registration by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a top official said here on Monday.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis formally handed over the DGCA certificate to Capt. Amol Yadav, presently a Deputy Chief Pilot with Jet Airways.

Working virtually single-handedely, Yadav built the six-seater aircraft on a residential building terrace in Kandivali suburb, north-west Mumbai, over the past six years and finally it has been accorded official recognition.

"Encouraging efforts... Great example of @makeinindia! Captain Amol Yadav gets certificate of registration from DGCA, meets CM @Dev_Fadnavis to thank his efforts and follow up with Hon PM @narendramodi & Government of India It is 1st Indian private company to get this certificate!," the Chief Minister's Office tweeted in a congratulatory message.

The DGCA certification implies that Yadav can now undertake further tests and fly the aircraft in the open skies.

Yadav, 41, had displayed the aircraft during the "Make In India" mega-event in Mumbai last year which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of several foreign dignitaries.

At the event in February 2016, Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Fadnavis saw his aircraft, appreciated the efforts and had assured him all help to make his venture a success.

"The terrace atop my three-BHK flat is spread over around 1,600 square feet and served as my workshop for this aircraft which I created in the past over six years," Yadav told mediapersons.

He said the inspiration to assemble a full-fledged plane came to him after he witnessed aviation buffs in the US buying phased-out aircraft and remodelling them into customised six-seater or twelve-seater flying machines.

Presently parked on an airstrip in Dhule, Yadav's aircraft Yadav can fly upto beights of 13,000 feet, climbing at 1,500 feet per minute, achieve top speeds of 185 knots with a range of 2,000 kms, and a capacity to carry six people.

The Maharashtra government plans to allot a 155-acre plot in Palghar, adjacent to Mumbai from where Yadav intends to build upto 20-seater passenger aircraft over the next few years through his venture, Thrust India Company.
Pune (Maharashtra), Nov 20 : At least nine workers were killed when a crane crashed on a tunnel on the Neera-Bhima rivers linking project here on Monday evening.

According to Pune Rural Police Control, the tragedy occurred around 6 p.m. when the workers were emerging from the tunnel at the end of the day's shift.

Suddenly, the crane parked nearby crashed onto the tunnel, burying at least nine workers under the debris.

Details on the injured are not yet known.

Water Resources Minister of State Vijay Shivtare and other senior police and civil officials as well as rescue teams rushed to the remote site but rescue operation was hampered due to poor light.

Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan announced compensation of Rs 200,000 to each of the bereaved families.

According to locals, on an average, around 300 persons are working on this central government project wherein the 150-metre tunnel is being dug to link the two rivers.
Tehran, Nov 20 : The economy ministers of Iran, Qatar and Turkey will hold a meeting soon to discuss the expansion of trilateral trade, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.

The meeting between Iran's Massoud Karbasian, Turkey's Nihat Zeybekci and Qatar's Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani will be held in the near future, the report said without giving further details.

The three ministers are expected to coordinate plans for closer trade ties, particularly after imposition of sanctions against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and some other Arab countries.

In August, the economy ministers of Turkey and Qatar visited Tehran for talks on the expansion of trade interaction and export of Turkish goods to Qatar through Iran.

Iran and Turkey became the two major suppliers of Qatar's needs for food after Saudi-led bloc severed ties with Qatar and suspended air, sea and land transport with Qatar in June.
Panaji, Nov 20 : Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Monday said that a minister who can a take a joke on herself is an example that the current government is tolerant.

The minister, who was an actor before she started her political career, was referring to the joke that actor Rajkummar Rao -- who hosted the opening ceremony of the 48th International Film Festival of India with a fractured leg -- made on her surname by drawing a connection with Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's home country.

She said she was referring to the joke because she doesn't want people to point fingers at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and accuse its workers of breaking his (Rao's) leg.

"Rajkummar, I would like the whole country to know that you made fun of Irani -- a minister -- which shows what a tolerant government we are," Irani said in her speech at the event.

"And I am also expressing this, because I don't want anyone to say that 'BJP walon ne actor ki taang todh di' (BJP workers broke the actor's leg)."

The minister was taking a jibe at the claims from many sections that the government is not tolerant and is stifling creative voice. The clamour is a reaction to the postponement of the "Padmavati" release, and the exclusion of "S Durga" and "Nude" from IFFI's Indian Panorama section.

Despite actors like Shabana Azmi and Hansal Mehta asking people to boycott the festival as a sign of protest, the film gala, which will go on till November 28, was opened by superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Indian cinema icons like Sridevi, A.R. Rahman, Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj were also present.

Irani said: "On behalf of the Government of India, I would like to welcome you to the 48th IFFI.

"We speak almost 1,600 dialects to tell stories, and today's gathering is unique because it has a five-year-old Pihu, King Khan of romance, Nana Patekar and the ethereal Sridevi.

"I would like to thank each one of us. Like Shahid Kapoor said that this country is all about celebration, utsav and young energy... It is our endeavour on behalf of the Government of India and the Government of Goa, that we invite filmmakers from around the world."

She also praised hosts Rajkummar and actress Radhika Apte, saying they are a "pride of not only to the industry or the creative industry but also India per se".

Irani concluded the evening by inviting everyone to come and join the ride of knowing cinema better with the festival.

(Sugandha Rawal's trip to Goa is at the invitation of the organisers. She can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in
New Delhi, Nov 20 : Thousands of farmers from across the country held a protest march here on Monday and also began a two-day 'Kisan Mukti Sansad' or a mock Parliament session where "two Bills" were tabled, on crop loans waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce, to highlight government apathy towards the farming community.

These Bills now will be "passed" on Tuesday as the debate by farmers, activists and political leaders could not be completed on Monday.

Once these Bills are "passed", they will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the government has "failed" to draft such Bills aiming at providing relief and support to farmers.

The protest march organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) -- an umbrella body of 184 farmers organisations -- started from the Ramlila Maidan and ended on Parliament Street near Jantar Mantar.

The AIKSCC alleged that Modi had made a promise to farmers of 50 per cent profit margin during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, which he had "forgotten". It also said the government had failed to address issues such as rising prices of pesticides, fertilisers, fuel.

Owing to the huge participation of farmers across the country, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh should hear them, the farmers said.

"We want Agriculture Minister to visit the Kisan Sansad and hold discussion with farmers," said Kirankumar Vissa, a farmer activist from Telangana.

Around 15,000-17,000 farmers from 19 states of the country participated in the protest march.

All members in the mock parliamentary session were women, who spoke about their sufferings due to the "wrong and anti-farmer policies" of the government.

Lok Sabha member and farmer leader Raju Shetti "tabled the Bills", which were then discussed.

"We held a discussion on these Bills today but many are yet to speak. So we will continue it tomorrow. Once the Bills are passed, they will be sent to the Prime Minister," Shetti said.

Social activist Medha Patkar was designated house Speaker during the mock session.

Criticising the NDA government for "failing" to fulfil its promises, the farmers warned it of repercussions during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Pooja More, a farmer from Maharashtra, said thousands of farmers had committed suicide as the government had no concern for them.

"There are leaders who make tall claims, but do nothing. The current system is not beneficial to farmers."

Among the women farmers were about 50 widows from Maharashtra, who said their husbands had to take their own lives owing to crop failure and government apathy in giving any kind of support.

Prabhavati from Karnataka's Bidar said her brother committed suicide as crop prices fell drastically.

"We grow pulses, grains, and sugar cane on our 10 acres. Despite good yield, we could not even recover the production cost. So, my brother committed suicide," she said.

Many farmers said they were under tremendous financial burden due to the fall in prices and lack of government help.

There were some farmers who had come with other issues.

Bhim Mangli from Jharkhand's Dumka said his three acres land was grabbed illegally by a landlord in his village.

"I followed the matter with local authorities but they did not take any action against the powerful landlord. I have come here to attract Centre's attention," he said.

Explaining the poor state of farmers' lives, Ramadevi from Andhra's Pradesh Anantapur said as many as 30 women from her village were kidnapped and forced to do labour work in Bhiwandi for two years.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : India and the World Bank on Monday signed a $100-million loan and grant agreement to help the country increase its solar power generation capacity, an official statement said.

The loan for "Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project" would go towards financing solar parks in the country, a Finance Ministry release said here.

The funding has two components: a $75-million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which has a five-year grace period and a maturity of 19 years, and a $23-million loan from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) with a 10-year grace period, and a maturity of 40 years.

The second component of $2 million is an interest-free CTF grant.

"The project will help establish large-scale solar parks and support the government's plan to install 100 gigawatt (GW) of solar power out of a total renewable energy target of 175GW by 2022," the statement said.

According to a World Bank statement, the first two solar parks are in Rewa and Mandsaur districts of Madhya Pradesh with targeted installed capacities of 750MW and 250MW.

Other states where potential solar parks could be supported under this project are in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Haryana.
Kolkata, Nov 20 : Amid controversy about the ownership of Biswa Bangla logo, some miscreants allegedly put coal tar on it and also on photographs of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, printed on banners along both sides of the VIP road in the northeastern outskirts of the city.

"Some unknown persons put coal tar on the Biswa Bangla logo and on the photographs of the Chief Minister printed on the banners. These were placed along both sides of VIP road," South Dum Dum Municipali ty Chairman Panchu Gopal Roy said.

He accused the BJP of indulging in the "unlawful and uncivilised act" and said the Trinamool Congress "hates this kind of politics".

"We lodged a complaint with the Lake Town police station and police assured us action would be taken after reviewing the CCTV footage," Roy said, adding the local municipality has already planned to replace the existing banners with new ones within 48 hours.

Recently, BJP's new entrant Mukul Roy had alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "Biswa Bangla" logo and the Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation were owned by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Subsequently, state government refuted his allegations and said Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation was owned by the government.

Denying all the allegations, Trinamool Congress MP and party's yout h wing Chief served legal notice to Roy.

Roy, too, replied to Banerjee's legal notice.
Tehran, Nov 20 : Two vessels of the Pakistani Navy berthed at Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday for a friendly visit, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Pakistani vessels, a frigate and a sail training ship, docked for a five-day visit that will also include joint military exercises, Commander of Iran's First Naval Zone Admiral Hossein Azad was quoted as saying.

The commander of the Pakistani vessels, Captain Khalid Pervez, said his forces convey the message of peace and friendship, and seek to exchange experiences with the Iranian Navy.

He hailed the navies of Iran and Pakistan as two of the most powerful in the region, expressing the hope that such visits would strengthen ties between the two neighbors.

According to the report, Iranian and Pakistani naval groups have made several reciprocal visits in recent years. They have also staged a number of joint military war games in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

In March, a Pakistani flotilla comprising navy ships Tippu Sultan and PNS Jurrat and a chopper visited Iran and participated in a joint drill with Iranian forces at the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : The government is working tirelessly to tackle critical shortages in the armed forces and designing policies in a manner to make procurements fast and transparent, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said on Monday.

Bhamre was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 2nd annual conclave of foreign defence attaches here.

Quoting a 2015 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the government was spending tens of billions of dollars on acquisitions from abroad and that 20 to 25 per cent reduction in imports could directly create additional jobs in India, Bhamre said: "This is why defence is at the heart of our Make in India programme."

"We have reformed our defence procurement policies and procedures. There is now clear preference for equipment manufactured in India. Our procurement procedures will ensure simplicity, accountability, and speedy decision-making," he said.

He said the Make in India initiative provides a huge opportunity and the government would like to invite global defence companies to take advantage of India's position as a huge market while simultaneously sharing technology.

The Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 and its Chapter on Strategic Partnership provides the necessary methodology for such partnerships to flourish, he said.

Defence attaches of around 70 countries, strategic experts, captains of indigenous defence industry and Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers attended the event, organised by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and defence portal BharatShakti.in.
New Delhi, Nov 20 : Minister for Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on Monday said he will meet the Mayor of London to boost the government's efforts to adopt the London transport system, including electric double-decker buses.

Addressing a two-day conference on "Smart Mobility" here, Gadkari said the meeting was scheduled for next month in Delhi and its outcome would be a huge transformation in terms of transportation design, cost effectiveness and solution to the traffic congestion.

"The London Mayor is coming here next month. We will sign a pact to adopt the London transport system. The electric double-decker buses and many other things have to be adopted from them," said Gadkari.

Smart Mobility conference will focus on various topics such as smart transportation and multi-modal integration to develop an efficient public transport, among others.

He further mentioned that there was a lot of potential in the London transport model to enhance e-mobility in India and his ministry was engaging with them to scope out synergies in implementing the same model in various cities like Varanasi, Nagpur and Pune.

Emphasising on the use of green fuels, Gadkari said that India was an electric-surplus and coal-surplus country and the nation could capitalize on this advantage to become an all-electric vehicle hub in the world.

"At present, there are 200 electric taxis in Nagpur with 200 charging stations and by next month, the charging capacity for more than 10,000 cars would be created. The government is planning to increase the number of electric taxis from 200 to 2,000 in Nagpur.

"Increasing production will also reduce the cost of lithium-ion battery over time, which almost makes up for 40 per cent of the total cost of an electric vehicle," said Gadkari.

The minister also called for the need to use pollution-free methanol as fuel in vehicles.

"Sweden is a perfect example, where an efficient system has been developed for substituting diesel by methanol as fuel. Research in converting carbon dioxide to methanol is promising and can be a game changer for the economy," said Gadkari.

The minister said his ministry was also working on plans to widen roads from Dhaula Kuan to Teen Murti Road.

"This road from Dhaula Kuan to Teen Murti Road has major problems. The entire road will soon be widened," said Gadkari.
Jaipur, Nov 20 : The Rajasthan government is considering a ban on 'Padmavati' movie within the legal framework and seeking legal advice on the issue, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday.

He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.

"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.

"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the Minister said.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday wrote to the Centre to seek "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".

In the letter, she also requested the Central Board of Film Certification to consider all possible outcomes of the controversy and its effect before certifying the film.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has been protesting against the movie for the last few months and now they want a ban on 'Padmavati'.
Jaipur, Nov 20 : Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday said that 'Padmavati' will not be released in Rajasthan till necessary changes as per the suggestions given to the Centre were incorporated in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie.

Earlier in the day, the state Home Minister said the state is considering a ban on the movie within the state as per the legal framework and is seeking legal advice.

Raje, in a letter to Union information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday, had sought "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".

The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large.

Raje said maintaining law and order in Rajasthan was the highest priority and it will be maintained at all cost.

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan's Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that the Rajasthan government is considering a ban on 'Padmavati' movie within the legal framework and is seeking legal advice on the issue.

He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.

"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.

"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the Minister said.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has been protesting against the movie for the last few months and now wants a ban on "Padmavati".
Bengaluru, Nov 20 : Infosys co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have pledged to donate half of their wealth to philanthropy.

The Nilekanis had announced their decision to donate their wealth through a letter on November 8 that was put up on the website of 'The Giving Pledge'.

Nandan Nilekani, who was also the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the world's largest digital identity project launched by India in 2009, has his net worth pegged at about $1.7 billion as of 2017.

The Giving Pledge is a campaign founded in 2010 by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, his wife Melinda Gates, along with American business magnate and investor Warren Buffett that invites the billionaires to donate a majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

"Wealth comes with huge responsibility and is best deployed for the larger public interest," Nilekanis had written in the letter.

Inequality was increasing "sharply" in most countries and the politics of polarisation was "growing", they wrote.

"We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity for so many people to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagavad Gita - "Karmanye va dhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana, ma karma phalaheturbhurma the sangostvakarmani (You have the right to work but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction)," they wrote.

Gates responded to the Nilekanis' pledge saying he was "amazed" by their passion to philanthropy.

"I'm amazed by how Nandan Nilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I'm delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to The Giving Pledge," Gates had tweeted.

Rohini, the founder and chairperson of Arghyam, a city-based charitable foundation that works for sustainable water management, has been working on several social development-related projects.

Nilekanis had together also founded EkStep Foundation to make education accessible to every child in India.

With Nilekanis, the campaign currently has a total of 171 pledgers from 21 countries, including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Saudi Arabian billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud.

The campaign also has other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Limited Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw pledging to donate part of their wealth towards philanthropic causes.
Washington, Nov 21 : US President Donald Trump has said that he intended to designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terror.

Trump on Monday said the step is long overdue and part of the US "maximum pressure campaign" against Pyongyang, Xinhua news agency reported.

White House officials previously blamed the Asian nation for killing a man at an airport in Malaysia and murdering US citizen Otto Warmbier, both denied by Pyongyang.

North Korea , which was removed from the list of state sponsors of terror in 2008, was expected to join again with Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Nay Pyi Taw, Nov 21 : China is ready to further boost cooperation with the ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Wang said on Monday that Beijing has appreciated positive response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to China's proposal to formulate a vision for strategic partnership between China and the ASEAN by 2030, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese Foreign Minister's remarks came during the meeting with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on the sidelines of the 13th Foreign Ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Myanmar capital.

Wang also expressed appreciation for the important role of Singapore, as a coordinator of China-ASEAN ties, in deepening China-ASEAN cooperation and properly handling the South China Sea issue as well as its efforts for a successful ASEAN summit and related meetings in the Philippines last week.

The 10-member ASEAN groups include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

China will support Singapore, which holds ASEAN's rotating chair in 2018, in fulfilling its duties as the host country, Wang said.

China is willing to work with the ASEAN countries for substantive consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea based on mutual respect and equal footing so as to continue promoting mutual trust and safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea, he said.

For his part, Balakrishnan said Singapore is ready to work with China to bring the all-around pragmatic cooperation between the two countries to a new high and consolidate the positive momentum in the South China Sea.
Gurugram : Gurugram , Nov 21 (IANS) In a shocking case, the parents of a seven-year-old girl, who died of dengue after undergoing treatment at the Fortis Hospital here, were allowed to take their daughter's dead body after paying the exorbitant bill of Rs 18 lakh.

Residents of West Delhi's Dwarka, the parents of the deceased have alleged that the hospital staff kept their daughter on ventilator for three days despite she had stopped responding to the treatment.

The child died on September 14, 2017.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda later called for details of the case and assured to look into the matter.

"Please provide me details on hfwminister@gov.in .We will take all the necessary action," said Nadda in a tweet.

As the information about this case went viral, the hospital immediately issued a statement regarding the patient.

According to the hospital, Adya was brought to Gurgaon's Fortis Memorial Research Institute from another private hospital on the morning of August 31, 2017.

"She was admitted with severe dengue which progressed to dengue shock syndrome and was managed on IV fluids and supportive treatment as there was a progressive fall in platelet count and hemoconcentration," said the hospital in a statement.

As her condition deteriorated, she had to be put on ventilator support within 48 hours.

"The family was kept informed of the critical condition of the child and the poor prognosis in these situations. As a process, we counselled the family daily on the condition of the child. On 14th September, 2017, the family decided to take her away from the hospital against medical advice (LAMA - Leave Against Medical Advice) and she succumbed the same day," said the statement.

Stating that there was nothing wrong at their end, Fortis said that all standard medical protocols were followed in treating the patient and all clinical guidelines were adhered to.

"An itemized bill spread over 20 pages was explained and handed over to the family at the time of their departure from the hospital. Patient was treated in the Paediatric ICU (PICU) for 15 days and was critical right from the time of admission requiring Intensive monitoring," said the statement.

"Treatment during these 15 days included mechanical ventilation, high frequency ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy, intravenous antibiotics, inotropes, sedation and analgesia.A Care of ventilated patients in ICU requires a high number of consumables as per globally accepted infection control protocols. All consumables are transparently reflected in records and charged as per actuals."

Fortis Hospital also said that they have been in touch with the family to address their concerns and remain available for any further support required.

"We understand the grief of the bereaved family and our heartfelt condolences go out to them."
United Nations, Nov 21 : Britain withdrew on Monday the candidature of its candidate for the International Court of Justice, paving the way for the election of India's Dalveer Bhandari.

In letters to the Presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly, Britain's Permanent Representative announced the withdrawal of Christopher Greenwood's candidacy citing the "close relations" between the United Kingdom and India.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Ticklestick The Jazz Network Worldwide is a great place to meet other professional musicians, producers, djs, radio personalities and music industry executives. I see many old friends at TJNW as well as having made many new friends. Some have discovered me here and now air my music regularly

This charismatic performer has shared the stage with some of the world's finest guitarists. Formerly a drummer and touring companion with legendary guitarists Les Paul and Nokie Edwards (The Ventures), Wayne has also shared the stage with Mason Williams, George Benson, Bucky Pizzarelli, BB King, Scotty Moore, Howard Roberts, Larry Carlton, Chet Atkins, Thom Bresh (Son of the legendary guitarist Merle Travis), Tom Doyle, Ruben Romero, Antonio Mendoza, Tommy Emmanuel, Seymour Duncan, Stephen Bennett, Stephen King, Richard Smith, Anthony Smith, Tim Farrell, Edgar Cruz, Lou Pallo (The Les Paul Trio), Jon Paris, and more.

His current single,Ticklestick" is a tune written many years ago but only recorded recently. Wayne is joined by guitarists, Edgar Cruz & Lou Pallo (Les Paul Trio), bassist, Jon Gagan (Ottmar Liebert's Luna Negra Band), and drummer KC Morris on this track. "Ticklestick" represents a fusion of guitar stylings by Wayne, a fusion of driving rhythm guitar (Lou Pallo), and a memorable melodic theme performed by Wayne and harmonized by his friend, Edgar Cruz of Oklahoma. "Ticklestick" has already enjoyed several months a #1 on the charts at KJazzRadioUK.com and was a finalist in Best Jazz and Best Instrumental Categories at the New Mexico Music Awards. Wayne invites you to enjoy this newly remastered version of "Ticklestick" available at CDBaby.com and from digital music providers.

Though initially released as a single, the tune is one of the bonus tracks in the upcoming Wayne Wesley Johnson and friends "Jazzamenco" double album a compilation of Wayne's finest and recently remastered recordings to date which features his guitar mastery and pioneering jazz/nuevo flamenco fusion stylings supported by various guest artists including the late classical/flamenco guitarist, Ruben Romero. "Ticklestick" will also be on the soon to follow "Summertime in Santa Fe" Project produced by Wayne, which also includes in addition to WWJ, Edgar Cruz and Lou Pallo, performances by other guitar greats, Thom Bresh (Son of the late Merle Travis), Tom Doyle (Les Paul), Tim Farrell and Anthony "Guitar St" Smith.

The Jazz Network Worldwide is a great place to meet other professional musicians, producers, djs, radio personalities and music industry executives. I see many old friends at TJNW as well as having made many new friends. Some have discovered me here and now air my music regularly on their radio stations. Jaijai, thank you for providing this great meeting place and opportunities for musicians." -Wayne Wesley Johnson

"Wayne Wesley Johnson and I have been friends for about a million years...we've travelled all over the world together...Wayne's a fine guitarist and fine drummer, too." -Guitar Legend, Les Paul at The Iridium, NYC

I have had the pleasure to work with many artists throughout the years by way of The Jazz Network Worldwide. I pride myself on finding artistry that deserves to be heard, recognized and honored for the artistry they possess. Wayne Wesley Johnson is a focused hard-working musician who finds another layer of his musicianship each time he plays, such a vast musical landscape he encompasses. His business acumen is top draw and his vision is endless. I so much enjoyed not only listening to his music and designing his website for him, but listening to the story of his life. This man tells his story through his fingertips directly to your hearts. -Jaijai Jackson, The Jazz Network Worldwide.

In addition to his concert, corporate and private performances, Wayne is New Mexico's Premier Wedding Guitarist, in high demand for both ceremonies and receptions, as well as special events around the city. Branching out, Johnson is seeking worldwide stages that compliment his style of performance from smooth jazz, jazzmenco, and jazz standards. He is currently serving as a Member of the Board of Directors - New Mexico Jazz Workshop.

Wayne now spends his time touring, performing, songwriting, recording and producing music for his own artist owned Wannadu record label.

Be sure to check out his new website at http://www.waynewesleyjohnson.com and his feature at http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com.

Ticklestick is available through cdbaby.com/cd/waynewesleyjohnson3

as well as his new website.

Follow Wayne Wesley Johnson at:

Reverbnation

http://www.reverbnation.com/waynewesleyjohnson

Linkedin

http://www.linkedin.com/in/waynewesleyjohnson

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/waynewesjohnson

Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/waynewesjohnson

http://www.twitter.com/wjguitar
For 25 years Faulkner Design Group has been a leader in interior architecture and design, embracing new technology and services to relentlessly cater to our clients. We are proud to be recognized in our wonderful city for our growth and innovation

Faulkner Design Group, a leading national interior architecture and design firm has been recognized by being awarded a place in this years Dallas 100TM. Sponsored by Southern Methodist Universitys Cox School of Business, the Dallas 100TM ranks entrepreneurial companies annually based on percentage growth and absolute dollar growth over the previous three years. A winner in 2013 and 2009, Faulkner Design Group is honored to be a part of this prestigious group again in 2017. The ranking of the top 100 fastest-growing companies will be revealed at the awards ceremony.

The Cox Schools Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, working with the accounting firm BKD LLP CPA and Advisors examined sales from hundreds of companies for 2014 to 2016. The winners represent a broad spectrum of Dallas-area businesses. Dallas 100 honors the ingenuity, commitment and perseverance of the fastest-growing privately held entrepreneurial businesses in the Dallas area. According to Caruth Institute data, this years winning companies collectively generated billions of dollars in sales over just the past three years.

It is truly an honor to be recognized again by SMUs Cox School of Business. For 25 years Faulkner Design Group has been a leader in interior architecture and design, embracing new technology and services to relentlessly cater to our clients. We are proud to be recognized in our wonderful city for our growth and innovation, says Adrienne Faulkner, CEO and Chief Creative Officer.

According to Jerry White, the Linda A. and Kenneth R. Morris Endowed Director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, The entrepreneurial spirit that drives these companies helps make Dallas a dynamic city for business. We feel its only right to shine the spotlight on their hard work and the contributions they make to our economy. Headquartered in Dallas for 25 years, Faulkner Design Group has established a growing reputation nationwide and is pleased to be recognized locally.

The event recognizes fast-growing privately held corporations, proprietorships or partnerships headquartered in the Dallas area that often dont get attention, but which have created jobs and generated wealth for their founders and employees and dramatically enhanced the area economy.

About Faulkner Design Group

Faulkner Design Group, Inc., is a fully integrated interior architecture and design firm specializing in multifamily housing and senior living environments, completing over 650,000 residential units in more than 2,000 communities across 37 states, from Hawaii to New York, and Canada, working with the largest developers, contractors, real estate investment groups, and management firms in the country. These communities are surpassing the industry standard for creativity and quality, earning a reputation as the most highly sought after properties on the market. Faulkner Design Group offers comprehensive design services during the architectural development and construction planning phases of projects, approaching each design solution as a fingerprint in which no two are alike.

http://www.faulknerdesign.com

info(at)faulknerdesign(dot)com
Easy Money with Elisabeth Leamy "1 out of every 10 of us has unclaimed money out there."

It takes just two websites and ten minutes to find out if there is unclaimed money waiting for you. The 50 states plus the District of Columbia are holding at least $42 billion worth of this missing money for their citizens. Roughly 1 out of every 10 Americans has unclaimed money out there. The money comes from things like tax refunds that were mis-routed, stock dividends people never cashed, utility deposits that werent returned, and life insurance policies set up by deceased relatives. The average claim is $892, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

Spencer Hathaway of Washington, DC found accounts in three different jurisdictions: un-cashed health insurance refunds in the District of Columbia and life insurance dividends in both California and Iowa. Hathaway learned how to search for unclaimed money from Elisabeth Leamy, host of the Easy Money Podcast, which covers one unclaimed money topic each week plus offers an accompanying blog. "Part of the fun of this is that you go back and revisit parts of your life that you don't think about, said Hathaway. I feel like this moneys just rolling in like manna from heaven or something. Hathaway was able to recover more than $1,800 in all.

So how does one search? Its simple and free. First go to MissingMoney.com, fill in first and last name, and then enter the state of residence. The site will automatically check with all 40 of its state partners. So a single search covers the majority of states.

There are ten states that dont participate with MissingMoney: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, South Carolina and Wyoming. For those who have lived, worked, or done business with a company in any of those states, it's important to search them individually. To do that, head to another free website, Unclaimed.org. (Important note: the free website ends in .org. not .com.) Click on any state to access its own unclaimed property page.

For those who find unclaimed money accounts in their name, claiming them is fairly easy. The state may ask for proof of a business relationship with the bank in question or proof of having lived at an address. One easy way to gather that proof is to pull a free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. Credit reports typically list old accounts and addresses. Some states also require application forms to be notarized. I was pleasantly surprised, said Hathaway. It wasnt difficult. Just had to do a little bit of paperwork and copy some documents.

13-time Emmy-winner Elisabeth Leamy started covering unclaimed money when she was the consumer correspondent at Good Morning America. After my first unclaimed money story, our viewers nearly crashed the ABC News server, said Leamy. Thats when I knew we had hit on a hot topic that people didnt know much about. Leamy has helped reunite people with nearly $2 million worth of unclaimed money, first at GMA and now on the Easy Money Podcast.

A third of every Easy Money podcast episode is devoted to unclaimed money and so far theres no shortage of topics. On her podcast and blog Leamy talks about how to find unclaimed money held by the feds like lost savings bonds, pensions and tax refunds. She tells listeners why its urgent to claim the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes as soon as possible. She looks for unclaimed money for small businesses, churches, charities and schools. And she talks about how to tap into unclaimed money held by courts, such as unpaid child support. There are even advanced strategies for finding missing money if the two free websites above don't yield anything. This is your money, not the states money, said Leamy. People need to claim whats rightfully theirs.

ABOUT THE EASY MONEY PODCAST AND HOST ELISABETH LEAMY

Every week on Easy Money, 13-Time Emmy-winner Elisabeth Leamy (Washington Post, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz) uncovers clever, creative ways to make more money, save more money and find unclaimed money. Her goal is to make understanding money easy not hard. By utilizing this story idea, outlets will be getting quality FREE content, while helping an ad-free, educational podcast. Download all story materials at: EasyMoneyShow.com/press-kit.

EASY MONEY PODCAST LINKS: (Please include these links on website in exchange for use)

Easy Money Podcast on iTunes: http://apple.co/2tpUY6v

Easy Money Podcast Website: EasyMoneyShow.com
Its a sign of cultural evolution that the authorities can now differentiate between superstition and a psychologically sound method that is a native way of accessing intuition.

Paul OBrien, author of The Visionary I Ching: A Book of Changes for Intuitive Decision Making, announces that Huaxia Publishing House, a state-owned publisher in Beijing, China will print and distribute a Chinese translation of his modern version of the Taoist classic. The contract was signed September 2017. The projected date of the Chinese books launch is Spring 2018.

The Visionary I Ching is a modern and elegantly illustrated adaptation of the ancient Taoist divination system known as the I Ching, or Book of Changes. More than a book, it is a system to stimulate the intuition around problems that logic cant handle, to help leaders and individuals think outside the box to manage change, make strategic decisions, improve timing and reduce stress. The Visionary I Ching is a masterful adaption that includes original evocative paintings by Joan Larimore for each of the 64 chapters, or hexagrams. The text is a modernized upgrade of the archaic patriarchal language, while preserving the essence of the Taoist classics timeless wisdom and advice.

Paul OBrien has a distinguished career consulting and teaching the principles of the I Ching. OBrien created the first I Ching software program in 1989, which was named Synchronicity after Carl Jungs famous principle that describes how it works. That was followed by the Oracle of Changes I Ching CD-ROM in 1997, and the I-ching.com website featuring an online interactive I Ching. The site evolved to include Astrology and Tarot and adopted an addition domain name, Tarot.com. The Visionary I Ching intersects high-tech, Jungian psychology, and Americas own cultural revolution stemming from the 1960s.

After spending decades using and developing the I Ching as an intuitive decision-making aid, Paul OBrien was honored to have been invited to China for the past two years to speak at conferences and even explore the principles of the I Ching with PhD students studying Taoism at the China Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

Like OBriens speeches, the publishing of a western I Ching book by a Communist-owned publishing house is emblematic of an emerging movement in Chinese culture. After nearly 70 years of suppressing all spiritual and religious viewpoints, Chinese society is opening up to Taoism and its great classics, including the Book of Changes.

On a recent trip to China, I observed a rapidly growing appetite for personal growth and spiritual awareness. It makes sense that the Chinese people would finally look to their own spiritual heritage  especially the I Ching  as a non-superstitious way to provide insights and inform better decision-making, observes Paul OBrien. Its a sign of cultural evolution that the authorities can now differentiate between superstition and a psychologically sound method that is a native way of accessing intuition.

OBriens more recent book Great Decisions, Perfect TimingCultivating Intuitive Intelligence illustrates the authors quest for better decision-making and good timing with his own amazing success story. This book, which includes a chapter on the I Ching, shows how nothing affects the probability of our success and happiness more than the quality of the decisions we make. The philosophy and practices in this book provide a catalyst for manifesting success in all areas of life, ultimately achieving a synchronistic lifestyle marked by abundance and joyby means of a discriminating intuition and the sublime development of a superior sense of timing.

For media contact Diane Dennis at info@inspiredmc.com

About Paul OBrien

Paul OBrien is known for inventing the divination software category with the development of the Synchronicity I Ching program for Macintosh in 1989. This evolved to eventually turn into the worlds largest astrology and divination website (Tarot.com), which was acquired by a large media company in 2007. He is the author of three books: The Visionary I Ching; Great Decisions, Perfect Timing; and Divination. Paul has been the host of Pathways, a radio/podcast interview program focused on personal and cultural transformation for over 30 years. For more information about his groundbreaking works visit http://www.Divination.com.
Inside the new Southington, CT lighting showroom It's going to be a completely different concept than our Hartford, CT showroom. Everything will be floor displays, so there will be no walls put up.

Connecticut Lighting Centers, family-owned and operated for 45 years, is moving its Southington, CT showroom down the road from its current location. In December 2017, the Queen Street showrooms new address will be 50 Graham Place. The re-imagined lighting store will be double the size of the former showroom with even more inventory, from light fixtures, table and floor lamps to ceiling fans, decorative hardware, window shades, home automation products and home accessories.

Similar to their main showroom in Hartford, CT the new Southington showroom will be virtually identical in size and vast product assortment. The larger space was designed with their valued customers in mind to enhance your shopping experience.

The new location will make Connecticut Lighting Centers the best family of lighting showrooms in New England. With the latest and greatest ways to show beautiful, energy-savings products, consumers will be able to view of over 180 ceiling fans, 100 mirrors, home accents, window shades and thousands of light fixtures on display in a more open and welcoming space.

The new Southington lighting showroom will have state-of-the-art features and an expert staff to help customers make informed lighting decisions within their budget. The innovative Design Room will have different product displays for customers to imagine how their purchases will look and function outside the showroom, including:



Lighting Controls

Home Automation

Kitchen Undercabinet Lighting

Dimmers

Recessed Lighting

Track Lighting

LED Bulbs

Window Shades

LED Flat Panels & Troffers

Niche mini-recessed lights

Electric Mirror

LED Tape Lighting

Keyless Entry Door Locks

The redesigned Southington store will also have a TV lounge for when your spouse is shopping, and you dont want to miss the big game!

Conveniently located next to Pilgrim Furniture and Connecticut Appliance & Fireplace Distributors in Southington, CT the new Connecticut Lighting Centers showroom will offer a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, unmatched by any other lighting store in New England.
At Villa, we pride ourselves on making people betterfrom our residents to our team members..." -David Devereaux, COO at Villa

Villa at River Parkway outlines relocation plan as it announces that the center is currently evaluating other options, including transitioning to a Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF). The center is located at 8534 West Mill Road, Milwaukee, WI 53225, and in May of 2012, Villa at Millway, LLC d/b/a Villa at River Parkway became the facility licensee.

All Villa affiliated centers strive to provide the best possible care and service to its residents, and for the past five years, Villa at River Parkway has welcomed the opportunity to support all of its guests and staff. However, based on the needs of the center, the physical limitations resulting from the size and structure of the Villa at River Parkway location, and financial realities, Villa has determined that continued operations at this location are not feasible in the long-term.

The decision to close the River Parkway center was not one we made lightly, said David Devereaux, Chief Operating Officer at Villa Healthcare. At Villa, we pride ourselves on making people betterfrom our residents to our team membersand we intend to live these values throughout the duration of the relocation process.

Villa at River Parkway is fortunate to have Villa at Bradley Estates, located at 6735 W Bradley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53223, within four miles of River Parkway, as well as other skilled care providers in the area who will help to facilitate the transfer of its guests to alternative locations. The center will also create a centralized resource center to provide relocation information and center transfer options. The resource center will also assist in directing residents, legal representatives and families to the appropriate department within the center to address their questions and concerns.

Jonathan Ollmann, Vice President of Operations at Villa Healthcare, will be leading the relocation efforts for all guests and staff members at Villas River Parkway center. Our goal is to, of course, make the transition for all parties as smooth and stress-free as possible, said Ollmann.

He continued, We have a clear plan in place and are committed to providing timely and relevant information updates to employees, guests and their families. Our Villa at River Parkway staff will also be trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of resident relocation stress syndrome and transfer trauma, while team leaders will be trained to provide staff with pertinent information and ongoing support.

Working closely with the state of Wisconsin throughout the entire process, Villa at River Parkway carefully crafted and submitted a relocation plan to the state. After an in-depth review process, Villa obtained the consent and approval of the state in regards to closing the River Parkway center. The company continues to maintain close communication with the state of Wisconsin to ensure fluidity and effectiveness.

The Villa at River Parkway employees will be provided with a personalized employee retention plan and information on staff relocation efforts to other Villa locations that are within the same geographic market area. Additionally, Villas efforts to retain staff members will have the dual benefit of providing consistency for center residents who choose to accept relocation placement at Villa at Bradley Estates.

As our guests transition to their new homes, we want to take the time to acknowledge their time with us and to wish them well in their new adventureswhether it is with going away parties, housewarming gifts for their new home, or follow-up visits to check in and say hello, Villa will send them to their new home with warm wishes, said Devereaux.

It has been Villa at River Parkways pleasure to provide services and support to its guests and employees and we are committed to providing continued support through the relocation process.

For any questions related to the Villa at River Parkway relocation efforts, please contact Jonathan Ollmann at VRPResidentRelocation(at)villahc(dot)com or 847.440.2660 ext.132.

Villa Healthcare

Collectively, the healthcare consultants with Villa have decades of experience in nursing facility ownership and operation. Currently, Villa provides health care consulting and support services to 21 centers throughout the Midwest. Villas goal, and that shared by each of its affiliated centers, is to improve the lives of all stakeholdersresidents, their families, Villa staff, and hospital personnel. Villa goes beyond simply providing resident-focused care; it aspires to make people better.

To learn more about Villa Healthcare, please visit villahc.com or call 847.440.2660.

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Farmer Sim 2018 available now for iPhone, iPad and Android

Back in 2015, a brilliant new 3D simulation app called Farmer Sim invited people around the world to put on a pair of overalls and grab a pitchfork, and experience the challenges, risks, opportunities and rewards of being a real farmer. Fast forward a few years, and the apps creator Ovilex Soft has taken the experience and fun to a whole new level with the release of Farmer Sim 2018 for iOS and Android.

First of all: if the name Ovilex Soft rings familiar, its because this is the same talented crew behind some of the worlds most successful and popular ultra-realistic 3D simulation apps, including Driving School 2017, Bus Simulator 2017, Construction Sim, the astonishing first-person shooter release Counter Assault Force, and dozens of other top-rated titles. The companys apps have been downloaded more than 100 million times, and their Facebook page has received over 850,000 likes from legions of dedicated fans around the world.

Given this success, its not surprising that expectations for eagerly-anticipated Farmer Sim 2018 were extremely high  and as usual, Ovilex Soft doesnt disappoint. Within minutes of downloading the app, users head out of the city and into the countryside, where theyre in charge of harvesting crops (wheat, corn, etc.), managing livestock (turkeys, cows, etc.), and transporting various goods (wood, hay, etc.).

Plus, since farming in the 21st century is a high-tech endeavor, there are plenty of vehicles to operate such as seeders, harvesters, sprayers, tractors, plows and trailers  all of which feature realistic touch-control and tilt steering, functional dashboard controls (odometer, fuel gauge, horn, headlights, windshield wipers, etc.). Clearly, Ovilex Soft has done their research on how each vehicle functions and performs in the real world, and even the most experienced career farmers will be impressed by the level of realism and detail.

Other Farmer Sim 2018 special features that have already earned rave 5-star reviews and generated more than 1 million downloads in less than a week include:



Multiple playing options, including a fun and challenging career mode.

Astonishing next-generation 3D graphics and ultra-realistic sound effects.

Day and night cycles, and a realistic weather system.

Uses can also challenge their friends by sharing statistics and achievements online, and request new vehicles and features on Ovilex Softs social pages.

Farmer Sim 2018 is one of the most enjoyably, fun and creative apps on our roster, because farming is something that so many people only know about in a very limited way  usually based on what they see on TV and movies, commented Marusac Alexandru of Ovilex Soft. Farmer Sim 2018 immerses people into a new world, full of tasks, challenges, schedules, deadlines, risks and rewards. And who knows? Maybe after playing, some people will be inspired to do some more research, and eventually head out to the open countryside to run a real farm!

Farmer Sim 2018 is available now for iOS devices from the App Store at https://itunes.apple.com/app/farmer-sim-2018/id1273216352

and for Android Devices from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ovilex.farmersim2018.

Addition app information, including a video trailer and screenshots, is available at: http://www.ovilex.com/app/farmer-sim-2018.

For all other information or media inquiries, contact Mark Johnson on behalf of Ovilex Soft at +1 408 757 0156 or press (at)appshout(dot)com.

View the full Press Release in the appshout! Newsroom at: http://appshout.d.pr/tXFGOx

About Ovilex Soft

Ovilex Soft is a new games company that focuses on making the best simulators on Google Play and the App Store. With a variety of planned future projects and continuous attention to quality control, the company will become an important developer within the simulator/racing game market.

Olivex Soft also helps ensure the quality of their products by keeping contact directly with their large audience of games players via the companys site forum at: http://www.ovilex.com/forum/
With over eight decades of open air engineering experience designing convertible and sunroof solutions for OEM worldwide, Webasto understands the sense of freedom the Jeep Wrangler provides its owners.  Mark Denny Past News Releases RSS Optronics Unveils Family of...

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Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, a global tier-one automotive and aftermarket equipment manufacturer with more than 80 years of open-air vehicle accessory engineering, unveiled several unique aftermarket products for the Jeep Wrangler. New to SEMA this year, Black Forest Gear by Webasto is designed for passionate Jeep enthusiasts, by passionate Jeep enthusiasts and presented for the first time in the Black Forest section of Webastos booth at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Designed to meet the needs of a trail-tested segment of the Jeep Wrangler aftermarket, the Black Forest product line-up already includes the ThrowBack one-piece folding fabric roof, the Fridge Freezer 31 mobile refrigerator/freezer, a Cargo Storage System and multi-purpose Cargo Slides. Moreover, Webasto is expanding the color selection on its ThrowBack one-piece folding roof to include black, white and tan, the brand is introducing a Trail Oven Warmer and is offering a convenient new Tire Jack Relocation kit.

With over eight decades of open air engineering experience designing convertible and sunroof solutions for OEM worldwide, Webasto understands the sense of freedom the Jeep Wrangler provides its owners, Mark Denny, president and CEO of Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, said. Our Black Forest aftermarket accessories are designed and manufactured to the same exacting standards that have made us and keep us a tier-one supplier to the global automotive industry.

New ThrowBack Color Selection

The Black Forest ThrowBack one-piece folding roof will be offered in the trail friendly colors of black, white and tan. The addition of white and tan color choices gives users more style latitude and the less heat-absorbent colors offer a cooler alternative for those frequenting more sun-drenched trails.

The Black Forest ThrowBack roof is easier to install than the original Freedom Panels it replaces, requiring only the Jeep Wranglers factory tool kit. It has a patented, rivetless design and features a unique fabric folding, retention and linkage design. The ThrowBack has been offroad trail tested for more than four years on the Rubicon, in Moab, and on trails throughout the USA.

New Fully integrated Trail Oven Warmer

A warm meal can be hard to come by for those on the move, and stopping to build a fire takes up valuable drive time and daylight. Enter the new Black Forest Trail Oven Warmer. Repurposing the thermal dynamics of the Jeeps manifold, the all aluminum Trail Oven Warmer efficiently reheats previously prepared and precooked foods like burritos, tortillas, sandwiches and virtually anything else after the lid closes on its large heating compartment. The Trail Oven Warmer installs in less than 10 minutes and can be easily removed for cleaning. The product is compatible with all JK models with 3.6L engines.

New Tire Jack Relocation Bracket

Having to unload otherwise carefully stowed cargo to access a tire jack can only add to the frustration of a trailside tire repair. Aftermarket customization can also sometimes make tool access cumbersome. By relocating the tire jack and tools behind seating, the Black Forest Tire Jack Relocation Bracket is a convenient and practical solution to a problem that is bound to happen sooner or later.

The Black Forest Tire Jack Relocation Bracket effortlessly mounts behind the rear bench and maintains a low profile. The kit includes simple instructions and uses durable nylon straps with hook and loop fasteners to safely secure, but maintain easy access to the Jeeps factory scissor jack, crank arms, lug wrench and tire iron tools.

Black Forest by Webasto directly compliments our vast array of vehicle-enhancing products in both the consumer and commercial arenas, Denny said. Webasto remains committed to taking vehicle safety, comfort, utility and adventure to the next level.

To access more content about Black Forest by Webasto, please visit:

https://www.blackforestgear.com

About Webasto:

The Webasto Group is a global innovative systems partner to almost all automobile manufacturers and among the top 100 suppliers in this industry sector. In its core business areas the company develops and produces sunroofs, panorama roofs and convertible roofs as well as thermo systems for all drive types. In addition, with battery systems and charging solutions Webasto is building up a product portfolio for electromobility. In 2016 the Webasto Group generated sales of 3.2 billion euros and has more than 12,000 employees at more than 50 locations (with over 30 of these being manufacturing plants). The headquarters of the company, founded in 1901, is located in Stockdorf near Munich (Germany). For more information please visit http://www.webasto-group.com

Media Contact:

Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, Inc.

Kate Vander Meulen

Marketing Communications Manager

Telephone: 810-593-6062

E-Mail: Kate.VanderMeulen(at)webasto(dot)com
Africa Bridge Starts New Project in Tanzania - Three Villages in Kambasegela Ward to Benefit from Unique Sustainable Development Program.

Non-profit Africa Bridge today announced it has initiated work in the three villages with a population of 5600 people in the Kambasegela Ward of the Rungwe District in the rural southern highlands of Tanzania. Africa Bridge implements a unique five-year community-driven sustainable development program to assist vulnerable children and their caregivers with a goal of lifting then out of dire poverty. Results from other villages where the program has been implemented show measurable improvements in the lives of children, their caretakers, and whole villages.

The Africa Bridge program has proven successful to date in 34 villages in Tanzania, breaking the poverty cycle for thousands and bringing hope to a region that is among the poorest in the world. The area is very remote from the countrys coastal commercial center in Dar es Salaam or tourist areas near Arusha and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Africa Bridge provides very little direct aid. Instead, the organization teaches the villagers to help themselves to create African solutions to African problems.

The people of Kambasegela are among the poorest in the world, with many families living on the equivalent of one dollar a day, said Deborah Saunders, executive director, Africa Bridge. The area has one of the highest rates in the world for HIV/AIDS infection with little access to health care. We have started our program in the villages there to provide assistance to the most vulnerable children and their households with a goal of breaking the cycle of poverty.

The five-year Africa Bridge program begins with Future Search meetings involving villagers including adults and children and Africa Bridge consultants. During these meetings, village issues are discussed and solutions designed beginning with economic development. Within Kambasegela, major concerns addressed by participants included the increasing number of deaths of parents and guardians due to HIV, impacts of other diseases such as cholera, few children being able to attend school, ever-present poverty, child labor, divorces, domestic violence, illiteracy of community members particularly women, lack of food and school education materials. All of these issues affect the psychological, economic and mental well-being of children in the Ward.

Fortunately, a relatively small amount of money and know-how appropriately applied goes a long way in rural Tanzania. This is achieved by providing start-up capital for support committees and agricultural co-ops, but mostly through extensive training. Some of this is basic farming, some is beginning business and some is entrepreneurial. Africa Bridge also delivers support and training in care-taking and social services, as well as access to health care and education. The Africa Bridge program will be conducted over a five-year period. The program will lead to measurable improvements in vulnerable childrens lives, the lives of their caretakers, and whole villages. More information about the Africa Bridge program is available at http://www.africabridge.org.

About Africa Bridge

Africa Bridge is a nonprofit, rural economic development organization that creates sustainable improvement in vulnerable childrens lives by providing start-up capital, education and training resources to families. Africa Bridge is currently working in 12 villages in Tanzania. Utilizing a holistic, integrated development model, our self-sustaining programs have improved the lives of thousands of children and their families, and helped lift 28 villages out of the poverty cycle. See http://www.africabridge.org for more information or to donate. Become a follower of Africa Bridge on Facebook.
David Drake We're looking to make healthcare and benefit programs work better for everyone

Solve.Care Foundation, a company that aims to revolutionize healthcare delivery globally, and what is being called a blue chip token sale, has announced that David Drake will be joining them as an Advisor.

David Drake has made his name as one of the foremost authorities in crowdfunding and as an experienced investor who has managed more than a trillion dollars. Drake's success lies in making equity investments at an early stage, allowing him and his clients to profit from cutting-edge business ventures. This includes investing more than USD $100 million in Palantir and Alibaba. He is also regarded as a crowdfunding expert, with particular insight into how this form of financing fits into the modern regulatory landscape.

The fact of David joining Solve.Care as an advisor is one more confirmation of the huge potential of the Solve.Care project. Solve.Care platform market opportunity is the global healthcare market estimated at over $7Trillion, with US alone representing almost 50% of the annual healthcare costs. Solve.Care is addressing a universal market problem and their platform has created a blue ocean opportunity by redefining coordination, administration and payments in healthcare on a relationship centric model using Blockchain technology.

Solve.Care platform will reduce the inefficiency and waste in healthcare programs while improving care results and the potential to save $100B-150B annually in the US alone.

About David Drake

David Drake is a managing partner at LDJ Capital, an asset management and financial services company based in New York City. In this position, he has made and managed investments in a wide range of different ventures, including realty funds, hedge funds, venture capital funds, and fund-of-funds. He has invested in North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, and is currently looking to expand into Africa and Australia. He currently has more than fifty directors managing USD $1.5 trillion across the globe. David Drakes expertise in crowdfunding and regulation has made him a choice speaker for governing and regulatory bodies, both in the United States and across the globe. In April of 2012, he organized a meeting on crowdfunding to address the effects of the recently-signed Jumpstart Our Business Startup, or JOBS, legislation; the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) both participated in this meeting. Drake has also participated in the White House Champions of Change ceremony. He has spoken on behalf of the United States Department of Commerce before both the UK Parliament and the EU Commission.

About Solve.Care

Solve.Care Foundation was established with the goal to revolutionize administration of healthcare and other benefit programs globally. The stated mission of Solve.Care is to Make healthcare and benefit programs work better for everyone." The platform brings a relationship centric approach to care coordination, administration and payments that addresses all three pillars of healthcare; clinical, administrative and financial.

Solve.Care platform is designed to enable insurance companies, government agencies, hospitals and providers, pharmacies and businesses to build care coordination and delivery networks and engage their stakeholders. Solve.Care is launching a number of ground breaking innovations such as Care.Wallet, Care.Cards, Care.Coins, Care.Vault and Care.Protocol through their platform. Solve.Care is implementing the relationship centric approach by using distributed ledger technology and Blockchain.

CEO of the company Pradeep Goel has built several healthcare IT companies before and has been at the top of INC500 fastest growing companies lists multiple times. He is also on the 100 most promising entrepreneurs worldwide complied by Goldman Sachs CEO. In 2011 appointed by Governor of North Dakota to HITAC council to help direct state-wide health records initiatives for insurers and consumers.

Mr. Goel was involved with several government projects related to healthcare including Medicare, Health Savings Accounts, Health exchanges, Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF and Child Welfare programs.

Solve.Care Advisory Board comprises of highly experienced public figures such as Congressman James Moran, Director Karen Bowling, Secretary Donald Upson and other experts who are inspired by Solve.Care global mission.

For more information about the company, please go to http://www.solve.care or contact us via email at info(at)solve(dot)care.

Media Relations:

Mariya Ozadovskaya Mariya.Ozadovskaya(at)solve(dot)care
The combination of EliteProNet with PlanHub will expand PlanHubs product offering and service capabilities. In addition, the acquisition instantly makes PlanHub a nationwide company with over 200,000 registered contractors. The technological tools available through the PlanHub application will provide our users more information, at faster speeds, more efficiently and less expensive than any other competitor in the industry," said Kevin Priddy, President and CEO of PlanHub. We are now on pace for half a million registered contractors by 2020," continued Priddy. Through the EliteProNet acquisition, PlanHub adds several thousand additional general contractor relationships and a large network of premium subcontractors.

"PlanHub has changed the way we go through our bid solicitation process," said Kara Huett with Paragon Construction. "We used to scramble to get bids together on bid day, but now we have a good understanding of who is bidding our jobs through PlanHub. The quality of the bid coverage is great and the customer service we receive is even better."

About PlanHub

PlanHub is a cloud based software that allows general contractors to share project files and information with subcontractors and vendors along with project tracking and bid management tools. The acquisition of EliteProNet will expand PlanHubs service offerings and customer base, in addition to the wealth of experience and talent the EliteProNet team brings. EliteProNets President and CEO, Kevin Priddy, will retain that role as the new CEO of PlanHub. Kyle Conlan, will become the new Vice President and Chief Operations Officer and PlanHub will move its corporate headquarters from Tallahassee to West Palm Beach along with all operational support. PlanHub will continue to maintain regional offices in Tallahassee, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and the suburbs of New York City.

To learn more about PlanHub, the acquisition, expansion plans, or interview requests, please contact Denise Stokes, Marketing and Communications Manager, at 561.921.8762 or email, dstokes(at)planhub(dot)com, or visit http://www.PlanHub.com.
Many of our clients and friends in this area are landowners, so issues involving the succession of a family farm or property in general are fairly typical.

Emens & Wolper Law Firm, a Central Ohio-based law firm known for its legal expertise in the oil and gas arena, estate planning, and family business planning, has opened a second office in Belmont County to serve clients in Eastern Ohio. Attorney Heidi Kemp, a native of the area, will head the new St. Clairsville office and will provide the same legal services as are available at Emens & Wolpers Columbus office.

Many of our clients and friends in this area are landowners, so issues involving the succession of a family farm or property in general are fairly typical,  explained Bea Wolper, Emens & Wolper founder. In addition, many landowners in this region need legal assistance with oil and gas issues and other matters related to leasing or selling their minerals. These are our areas of expertise and we are ready to help.

The office is located at 250 West Main Street, a half-mile west of the Belmont County Courthouse. It has joint telecommunication capabilities with Emens & Wolpers Columbus office, as well as free parking. The firm expects to draw clients from the following Ohio counties: Belmont, Jefferson, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey, Harrison, Carroll and Columbiana. In addition, attorneys Dick Emens, Bea Wolper, Sean Jacobs, Kelly Jasin and Cody Smith will also be in the St. Clairsville Office on a regular basis.

Tweet This: Emens & Wolper Law Firm open second office in Belmont County to serve regional landowners.

About Emens & Wolper Law Firm

Our goal is to provide the finest legal counsel to our clients, on a timely and cost-effective basis. This means having relationships with our clients that extend beyond professional responsibility which includes personal attention and caring. Our firm knows our clients business, helps our clients pursue their goals and dreams, recommends solutions to problems including preventive actions and adds value to their efforts. All of our personnel are committed to serving the needs of our valued clients, their businesses and personal and family interests. To learn more visit http://www.emenswolperlaw.com.
SCFHP 20th Anniversary Logo

Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP), a local, public, not-for-profit health plan serving over 270,000 Santa Clara County residents, announced today that it received the 2017 award for Greatest Improvement in Quality Strategy Focus Areas from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). The annual DHCS quality awards recognize Medi-Cal managed care plans that have excelled in improving health care quality for beneficiaries.

Improving quality of care is no small feat. We work with more than 4,000 health care providers to deliver services to more than 270,000 members. It is truly an honor to receive this recognition from DHCS for demonstrating our commitment to quality improvement, working in partnership with our provider network, said SCFHP CEO Christine M. Tomcala. SCFHP is proud to have served the residents of Santa Clara County for twenty years, while continually improving the accessibility, quality, and cost-effectiveness of the healthcare coverage we provide.

Award rankings are determined by performance in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), a national set of measures for clinical care delivered to health plan members, developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). SCFHP was selected as the most improved Medi-Cal health plan in California for performance in four focus areas: Comprehensive Diabetes Care; Controlling High Blood Pressure; Childhood Immunizations Status; and Prenatal and Postpartum Care.

Last year, working with our provider network, SCFHP introduced new performance measures that shifted the focus of our monitoring from quantity to quality. In the first year of this new approach, overall quality scores across the population increased by 4.5%, which is a significant achievement, said Chief Medical Officer Jeff Robertson, MD. And to be recognized for that work by DHCS makes us extremely grateful for the partnership we have with the providers who are part of the SCFHP network.

About Santa Clara Family Health Plan

SCFHP is a local, public, not-for-profit health plan that provides high-quality health coverage to residents of Santa Clara County, California. Through a dedicated partnership with an expansive network of doctors and other professionals, SCFHP acts as a bridge between the health care system and those who do not have access to or cannot afford health care. SCFHP is the local plan for Medi-Cal, Cal MediConnect and Healthy Kids in Santa Clara County, California. SCFHP began offering coverage in 1997 and is now proud to provide services to over 270,000 residents of Santa Clara County. Through devotion to outstanding service and care for the community, SCFHP is committed to providing quality, affordable health insurance to the underserved in Santa Clara Countys diverse population. For more information, visit http://www.scfhp.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Watkins

Director, Marketing, Outreach & Enrollment

408-874-1824

lwatkins at scfhp . com
It's a love story begging to be told. Fifteen years ago, U.S. Army Captain Leslie Nicole Smith was placed on what the United States military calls, "imminent death status" as she fought for her life at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Her massive infection was so severe, that her family was told to get her affairs in order and make her funeral arrangements. Little did Leslie know at the time that a golden Labrador mix, named Issac, was waiting to die in an animal shelter. Because of Isaac's behavior problems, he was scheduled to be euthanized; his death was imminent, as well.

Leslie Nicole Smith is one of hundreds of thousands of veterans across the U.S., who have suffered both the physical and invisible wounds of war, and who, because of adopting shelter dogs and cats, have literally turned their lives around. For the veteran, these wounded animals become their lifelines, and for the shelter dogs and cats, they escape their own imminent death status and find a forever home.

Beth Zimmerman, founder and executive director of the nonprofit, Pets for Patriots, knows first-hand the power of the human/animal bond. She left a financially rewarding career as a business strategist because she wanted to do something to help veterans, and at the same time, save shelter cats and dogs from a life of death or prolonged homelessness. "I wanted to find ways to overcome the obstacles of bringing shelter animals and veterans together," Zimmerman said. "Across the country there are veterans who need a new pet friend, and there are millions of animals who are overlooked, undervalued and facing death if they are not adopted. I had to do something to help."

In the new book, "Vets and Pets: Wounded Warriors and the Animals That Help Them Heal," (Skyhorse Publishing, September 2017), authors Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris, with help from Zimmerman, told fifteen stories about the power of the bonds between veterans and their shelter cats and dogs as well as horses, pot belly pigs and even birds of prey. "It was enlightening to learn how many animals have medical and other issues, and are almost forgotten as they live out their lives in sanctuaries or shelters. But, when you pair them with wounded veterans, there is a special bond that in indescribable. It is a bond that changes both the animals' and the veterans' lives forever," said Guerin.

Take, for example, veterinarian and Army and Air Force veteran, Dr. Shawn Dunn, who through Pets for Patriots was able to adopt, Crixus. She read about this puppy's plight in a Detroit newspaper and had to help. Crixus is a German Shepard pit bull-mix, who was violently shot and left for dead on a Detroit street. Because of the shooting, he had his leg amputated leg, and suffered from major health issues. Dunn knew she would be the perfect adoptive parent. She contacted the Humane Society of Detroit, applied for Crixus's adoption through Pets for Patriots, and today Crixus is healthy, and happily living with Dunn and her family on a sprawling farm in Michigan. "God sent him to me when I needed him the most," Dunn said.

Zimmerman added that there are currently millions of animals waiting to be adopted in shelters across the country. "This holiday season, I hope everyone, not just veterans, will consider adopting a shelter dog or cat. Not only will they be giving an animal a forever home, but they will experience a love like no other," said Zimmerman.

For more information on Pets for Patriots, visit: http://www.petsforpatriots.org. A portion of the proceeds from Vets and Pets will be donated to Pets for Patriots. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie books and in retail outlets across the country.

Contact: Mike Campbell, Skyhorse Publishing (212) 643-6816
Empowering employees and implementing the right systems freed the company up to focus on speed, innovation and operational excellence.

Rhythm Systems CEO, Patrick Thean announced the release of his newest co-authored book Predictable Results  How Successful Companies Tackle Growth Challenges and Win on November 14th debuting on Amazons #1 Best Seller list.

Including insights from privately-held middle market companies on how to tackle the 10 most common growth challenges, EMC is highlighted in Chapter 4  Empowering Teams to Drive Innovation. EMC Precisions CEO, Jeff Ohlemacher and his team share their formula for success. Ohlemacher shared that EMCs chapter focuses on how empowering employees and implementing the right systems freed the company up to focus on speed, innovation, and operational excellence to gain a competitive advantage. EMC Precisions constant pursuit of excellence in manufacturing precision machined parts is grounded in values of integrity, teamwork, and service to all stake holders. EMC honors the principles behind 4 generations of success pursued with a steady eye on the future.

Authored by a team of highly-regarded business leaders, including Patrick Thean, Barry Pruitt, Cathy McCullough, Melissa Enriquez, Alan Gehringer, Chris Cosper, Liz McBride, Tiffany Chepul and Ted Skinner, the authors have experience as mid-market consultants, entrepreneurs, CEOs, presidents and managing partners. Each chapter story will provide you with patterns of success and direct you to practical tools and business guides that show you how to build focus, alignment and accountability in your organization. Youll soon be on your way to the predictable results every leader wants.

About EMC Precision

Headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, EMC Precision provides complex parts in low to mid volume quantities, expertly machined since 1925. EMC provides a turn-on-a-dime response to customers urgent needs. EMC Precision's constant pursuit of excellence in precision machined parts is grounded in values of integrity, teamwork, and service to all stakeholders. For more information, visit http://www.emcprecision.com

About Rhythm Systems

Rhythm Systems is a provider of the industrys only solution that combines a complete, cloud-based strategy execution software platform with the best practices of management consulting to help mid-market companies drive airtight execution and accountability, empowering their teams to grow smarter. Rhythm Systems solution is equipped with step-by-step embedded methodologies and workflows that are proven to get executive teams and departments focused, aligned and executing as a team to achieve business objectives and long-term success. In addition, Rhythm users have access to all the tools, analytics, materials, and even one-on-one consulting to help facilitate execution and reach objectives with frequency, discipline and predictability. Founded in 2006, Rhythm Systems has helped hundreds of companies build and maintain strong habits to think, plan and do the work necessary to drive execution, accelerate growth and achieve measurable success. For more information, visit http://www.rhythmsystems.com
With the new DuPont SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System, ethanol producers can now expect up to 4 percent higher ethanol yields in dry grind fuel alcohol facilities, when compared to conventional systems. Past News Releases RSS DuPont Industrial Biosciences...

DuPont Industrial Biosciences...

DuPont and Bock Announce Strategic...

DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) has announced the launch of SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System, the newest innovation in the companys synergistic fermentation system technologies. The new fermentation system will deliver higher ethanol yields, incomparable robustness during thermal excursions and improved performance.

With the new DuPont SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System, ethanol producers can now expect up to 4 percent higher ethanol yields in dry grind fuel alcohol facilities, when compared to conventional systems, said Joseph DeSalvo, North America regional industry leader, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. SYNERXIA THRIVE is the result of a multiyear investment in yeast technologies focused on improving performance in ethanol fermentation to deliver increased value to our customers.

DuPont SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System consists of a new active dry yeast (ADY), SYNERXIA THRIVE ADY and SYNERXIA THRIVE LC, a glucoamylase liquid complement. The new system blends the right combination of yeast and enzymes to deliver up to 4 percent additional ethanol versus a conventional yeast and glucoamylase combination.

SYNERXIA THRIVE ADY incorporates a patent pending, carbon-efficient pathway that redirects a portion of the carbon that would go into CO2 and glycerol into ethanol production. In lab and plant results, the SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System outperformed conventional yeasts during thermal excursions and demonstrated increased robustness in the presence of organic acids.

The launch of SYNERXIA THRIVE Fermentation System gives ethanol producers the opportunity to integrate an unparalleled fermentation system into their business, DeSalvo added. We are thrilled to bring the technology to commercial scale to revolutionize the industry with our current and future partners.

About DuPont Industrial Biosciences

DuPont Industrial Biosciences, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products, works with customers across a wide range of industries to make products and industrial processes more efficient and sustainable. Through a unique combination of agriculture, biotechnology, chemistry and material science capabilities, we advance market-driven, bio-based solutions to meet the needs of a growing population, while protecting our environment for future generations. For updates about how DuPont Industrial Biosciences is helping customers deliver cost-effective products with superior performance and sustainability, follow @DuPontBiobase d on Twitter or visit our website at http://biosciences.dupont.com.

About DowDuPont Specialty Products

DowDuPont Specialty Products, a division of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, building and construction, health and wellness, food and worker safety. DowDuPont intends to separate the Specialty Products division into an independent, publicly traded company. More information can be found http://www.dow-dupont.com. .

# # #

11/20/17

The DuPont Oval logo, DuPont and all products, unless otherwise noted, denoted with , or  are trademarks or registered trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
BJG Signs Strategic Distribution Agreement With ODU-USA The ODU product set is extremely well-suited to our military & aerospace customer needs.

BJG Electronics, Inc., a leading supplier of electronic interconnect products, has signed a distribution agreement with ODU-USA. BJG is now a fully authorized distributor for ODU-USA. As a stocking distributor for North America, BJG is authorized to offer ODUs full line of over 80,000 products including the ODU AMC advanced high density connector solutions.

ODU-USA offers a diverse high-performance connector portfolio, complimenting BJGs goal of offering the most advanced interconnect solutions to market. Glenn Davidson, Executive Chairman of the Board, BJG Electronics, states, We are excited to introduce BJG customers to the ODU-USA product offering. The ODU product set is extremely well-suited to our military & aerospace customer needs.

BJG is widely recognized for delivering its customers best value interconnect solutions which include both product and cost-reducing value-added services. BJG is an award-winning supplier to many of the worlds leading military and aerospace OEMs and was recently awarded Sikorsky-Lockheeds prestigious Supplier Gold Award for the 7th year in a row.

About BJG Electronics, Inc.

Based in Ronkonkoma, NY, BJG Electronics, Inc. is a value-added distributor and light manufacturer of high reliability electronic components. The company serves the defense, commercial and business aviation markets. BJG is certified now certified to ISO 9001:2015 & AS9100:2016. For more information, visit http://www.bjgelectronics.com.

ODU Group: global representation with perfect connections

The ODU Group is one of the worlds leading suppliers of connector systems, employing 1,850 people around the world. In addition to its company headquarters in Muhldorf am Inn (Germany), ODU also has an international distribution network and production sites in Sibiu/Romania, Camarillo/USA, Shanghai/China and Tijuana/Mexico. ODU combines all relevant areas of expertise and key technologies including design and development, machine tooling 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.
One in three Canadians dont fully understand consent, much less how to talk about it with their kids. This year, by giving dads the script they need to have this conversation with their sons, the campaign is poised for even greater impact. - Humberto Carolo, Executive Director at White Ribbon

White Ribbon has launched 20minutes4change.org. The website is a continuation of the 2016 initiative which aims to end sexual assault by empowering dads to teach their sons how to be agents of positive change.

While the first year of #20minutes4change (originally launched as #20minutesofaction4change in 2016) urged dads to pledge to take 20 minutes to talk to their sons about consent and respect for women, the second year takes the initiative one step further by providing dads with the Consent Script. The Consent Script is a script dads can use to teach their sons what consent is.

Humberto Carolo, Executive Director at White Ribbon said: One in three Canadians dont fully understand consent, much less how to talk about it with their kids. This year, by giving dads the script they need to have this conversation with their sons, the campaign is poised for even greater impact.

Working with creative agency J. Walter Thompson Canada, the Consent Script will be everywhere dad is on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Out of home and digital out of home ads featuring the Consent Script will be live all around Toronto. Take home versions of the Consent Script will also be made available as coasters at restaurants in the city.

Additionally, media companies, influencers, politicians and organizations across Canada will donate their media space on November 25 to raise awareness for #20minutes4change.

Susan Kim-Kirkland, President and CEO at J. Walter Thompson Canada said: It was incredible to see the outpouring of support for the initiatives inaugural year. Im excited to see #20minutes4change mobilize more dads to raise a respectful generation of men.

As the father of a young boy, I have a responsibility to shape him into a respectful, kind human being. With that comes conversations that arent always easy. Im proud to be a part of something that breaks down the barriers for fathers to have the critical conversation with their sons about sexual consent and respect for women, says Josh Budd, Chief Creative Officer, J. Walter Thompson Canada.

For more information on #20minutes4change, the Consent Script or downloadable assets to share on social media, please visit 20minutes4change.org.

ABOUT WHITE RIBBON

White Ribbon is the worlds largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. The organization works to examine the root causes of gender-based violence and create a cultural shift that helps bring us to a future without violence. It envisions a masculinity that embodies the best qualities of being human. We believe that men are part of the solution and part of a future that is safe and equitable for all people.

ABOUT J. WALTER THOMPSON WORLDWIDE

J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, the worlds best-known marketing communications brand, has been making pioneering solutions that build enduring brands and business for more than 150 years. Headquartered in New York, J. Walter Thompson is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. The agency consistently ranks among the top networks in the world and continues a dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edgefrom hiring the industry's first female copywriter to developing award-winning branded content today. For more information, please visit http://www.jwt.com and follow us @JWT_Worldwide.

ABOUT 20MINUTES4CHANGE.ORG

20minutes4change.org (#20minutes4change) is an initiative dedicated to ending sexual assault by empowering dads to educate their sons about consent and respect for women.

Originally launched on November 25, 2016 as 20minutesofaction4change.org (#20minutesofaction4change), the initiative was created in response to Dan Turner and the deplorable euphemism, 20 minutes of action, he used to describe the rape his son Brock Turner committed on campus. Now in its second year of operation, the initiative has evolved to focus on helping dads educate their sons about one of the main causes of sexual assault: lack of consent.

2016s Impact:



100K+ pledges

100+ companies and media partners

170MM media impressions

50MM social media impressions

o Out-trended everything, including #BlackFriday, on November 25, 2016
The First and Largest Master Agency/Broker for Sourcing Data Center and Cloud Services This conference is addressing some key issues facing companies who are trying to sell or integrate cloud services.

COLOTRAQ, the foremost global sourcing advisory firm and master agency for data center infrastructure and cloud services, announced today that its CEO, Dany Bouchedid, was selected to participate in a panel discussion at Channelnomics Conference Cloud, New York. Focusing on the challenges and opportunities cloud brings, the importance of strategic planning when growing your business, cloud security, how to differentiate from your competitors and other key topics impacting the data center and cloud industry.

The conference will be held in Midtown Manhattan on November 29th and will feature executives of the most prominent cloud providers and subject matter experts. Topics this year will include the evolution of cloud computing, the challenges and opportunities the cloud has created, how to capitalize on selling cloud services and the future of cloud computing and the indirect channel among several others.

This event is unique in the way it combines the cloud industry with the indirect channel model said Bouchedid. This conference is addressing some key issues facing companies who are trying to sell or integrate cloud services," continued Bouchedid.

For more information on this event, click here

About COLOTRAQ

COLOTRAQ is the foremost global sourcing advisory firm and master agency for colocation, managed hosting, cloud and related network services. Since 1999, COLOTRAQ has been helping find data center infrastructure solutions for businesses and institutions worldwide through its unrivaled network of over 400 service providers, 200 of which provide cloud services, in over 1,300 cities across 140 countries and territories. COLOTRAQ can instantly match customer requirements from a single rack to thousands of square feet of data center space along with managed hosting, cloud-based infrastructure and network services.
Based on the results of this study, its clear that there is a great need among HCPs for evidence-based and balanced guidance to manage the unique toxicities associated with ICIs. - Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD

Data presented at the 2017 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) annual conference from an online tool developed by Clinical Care Options (CCO) in consultation with Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, suggest that healthcare providers (HCPs) are often uncertain about how to manage unique immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Prompt recognition and proper management of irAEs in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are critical to receiving optimal benefit and mitigating serious complications from ICI treatment. Due to the increasingly more common use of ICIs in oncology and the unique safety profile associated with them, the tool was developed to provide patient-specific guidance and management of these irAEs.

Tool users were surveyed about the impact that the tool had on their practice, and more than 90% indicated that the recommendations provided by the tool either changed or confirmed their management plan. Data presented at SITC showed the most frequently searched irAEs, the areas of greatest and least concordance with expert recommendation, and a comparison of US HCPs vs non-US HCPs in terms of variance from expert recommendation.

Based on the results of this study, its clear that there is a great need among HCPs for evidence-based and balanced guidance to manage the unique toxicities associated with ICIs, said Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD. This tool meets that need and we have received tremendous positive feedback from the CCO members. We hope to continually improve and fine-tune our tool based on user input, expert guidance, and current literature, added Tina Stacy, PharmD, BCOP, CHCP, Senior Vice President, Educational Strategy and General Manager, Oncology at CCO.

A detailed analysis of the tool, including case entries and planned management vs best practice recommendations for each irAE and grade was presented at SITC on November 11, 2017. Future iterations of this tool will include a panel of 5 faculty members and may address tumor-specific and agent-specific irAE profiles. The most recent version of this tool can be found at http://www.clinicaloptions.com/immuneAEtool

Marcello K, Obholz K, Quill T, Weber J. Variance from evidence-based management of immune-related adverse events among healthcare providers: analysis of an online management decision tool. Program and abstracts of the 32nd annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy in Cancer; November 10-12, 2017; National Harbor, Maryland.

About Clinical Care Options

Clinical Care Options, LLC, is a global leader in the development of innovative educational programs and technology platforms. CCOs team has been a pioneer in the creation of continuing education and decision support resources for healthcare professionals both in the United States and around the world for more than 2 decades. For more information, visit clinicaloptions.com.

Contact:

Tradd Sanderson | Director of Marketing

Clinical Care Options

Telephone: 855.224.2241

Email: tsanderson(at)clinicaloptions(dot)com
We put together this series as a resource for those planning for ERP in 2018 to help executives and business leaders start the new year off on the right foot, educated and armed with information on how to move forward with ERP.

For those considering an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project in 2018, a new educational web series aims to help you prepare. The series is hosted by Terillium, an ERP consulting company, and includes six informational online sessions.

The ERP Comparison Web Series is taking place December 12-14, with two sessions each day. The series will cover how to start the search and selection process for an ERP software solution, the value of ERP to businesses in 2018, live demos of Oracle ERP software, and how to approach an ERP project successfully. Learn more and see the schedule.

To say there is a lot thats involved in implementing or changing ERP systems is an understatement. We put together this series as a resource for those planning for ERP in 2018 to help executives and business leaders start the new year off on the right foot, educated and armed with information on how to move forward with ERP, said Steve May, Vice President at Terillium.

Session presenters include David Woodworth, President of Terillium, and Jeff Carr, CEO and Founder of Ultra Consultants.

Woodworth is presenting on ERP Success Factors, a topic he is well versed in after being involved in over 150 ERP projects throughout his career. Woodworth now oversees a team of more than 160 employees across the United States, with an average of 16 years of consulting experience. In addition to his role as President at Terillium, Woodworth also leads Terillium University  a program that trains new college graduates in ERP.

Carr is presenting on the best approach to prepare for ERP in 2018. As Founder and CEO of Ultra Consulting, Carr is a leading independent voice in enterprise system technology. His organizations have helped over 1,200 manufacturing companies transform their business operations. Carrs results-focused career spans four decades serving manufacturers.

To register for the series, visit the event page.

About Terillium

Terillium is an award-winning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) consulting company and Oracle Platinum Partner specialized in Oracle ERP, including JD Edwards, ERP Cloud, and NetSuite. The Terillium consulting team has unsurpassed ERP software knowledge and is straightforward in their project approach. Terillium has helped over 500 businesses with: on-premise and ERP Cloud implementations, upgrades, support services, custom development, cloud services, software licensing, and special projects.
Off Kilta Matilda "I wanted to create a book that blended the STEM topics and taught girls that math can be fun and to be proud of their image and accomplishments, says Sarah Shipley, CEO of Shipley Communications, LLC.

Off-Kilta Matilda is a series of fun and exciting educational resources including books and videos to get kids, especially girls excited and confident about math, science and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects. It is one aspect of a STEM campaign launched by Sarah Shipley of Shipley Communications LLC, who carries a vision to empower girls in the fields of math and science.

Statistics reveal that there is a gender disparity in STEM fields. The gender disparity in science and math is one of the many reasons for gender wage gap among men and women when it comes to employment.

According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, the gender disparities are more prominent in STEM careers- in engineering, the physical sciences and computer science. Though women constitute half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, they make up only 29% of the science and engineering workforce, according to the Project. Thus, making STEM careers more lopsided.

Myths and societal stereotypes play a significant role in deterring girls and women from choosing Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) careers (nbcnews.com). Girls and women suffer the most from stereotypical thinking that blocks societys ability to think beyond such myths. It is this false belief that math ability is genetic that has led to the gender gap in STEM careers.

Economic Policy Institutes study on gender pay gap points out that part of this problem may be because of choosing a college major. The study states that women tend to choose humanities over STEM majors. And humanities often lead to lower-salaried jobs as compared to STEM fields that have higher-salaried jobs.

I wanted to create a book that blended the STEM topics and taught girls that math can be fun and to be proud of their image and accomplishments, says Sarah Shipley, CEO of Shipley Communications, LLC.

Shipley started this project a little more than 10 years ago, after her daughter was born. Her husband was stationed in Afghanistan and wrote stories for his daughter. She wanted to bring one of such stories to life and thus, Off-Kilta Matilda was born.

As a mother, Shipley had overheard conversations like math is hard or  I am not good at math. She wants to offer a positive vocabulary and inculcate confidence in girls about math and science because she believes that what you say becomes reality.

The book and other educational resources seek to bring an end to societys myths and false beliefs about learning STEM subjects, especially when it comes to young girls. So girls can have a much better future, so they can become economically strong and the society can benefit from it in multifarious ways. There is no such thing as genetic ability in math, as many would agree.

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About Shipley Communications LLC

Shipley Communications specializes in you. It's your company, your brand and your market. We understand branding, events, public relations, logo design, verbal identity, web design, fundraising and crisis communication. At Shipley Communications, we believe that good communication is simple, honest and can change the world. We build relationships with the words we write and love to do good work for good people.
Join Qadree El-Amin, former manager of superstars like Boyz II Men, Vanessa Williams, Janet Jackson, and manager of the all female Pop sister band The GG's, who members include, Lauren Taneil, the Bassist for mega-star, Beyonce' and her sisters Chyna Garriel and English Simone, in Bermuda from December 7-10 2017 at the One Love Weekend hosted by the City of Hamilton, the Jackson Family Foundation and the Emperial Group of Companies as he assumes responsibility for his new title as the International Chairman of Pop, dedicated to the humanitarian music legacies of Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and John Lennon.

In the aftermath of the most devastating hurricane season in recorded history, Qadree is undertaking the formidable task of mobilizing the Millennial Generation to support the Caribbean Islands that are at risk of being overlooked and forgotten by the global media.

Some islanders are still waiting for water, food, energy, and shelter. Resident experts - like the industrialist Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands - estimate that it will take billions of dollars for these fragile communities to be restored to their former state of operations, let alone to be fortified against the future effects of climate change.

The newly stamped Chairman of Pop will harness nearly five decades of experience to host a One Night Only Triangle Telethon to be filmed in Bermuda on December 9 featuring celebrity testimonials, hurricane analysis and musical tributes from around the world. The Triangle Telethon is focused on the triple play bottom line of sustainable development - people, profit and planet. The Chairman is inviting the celebrity world to come together in unity and join the fight by giving their voice to the voiceless. We need your help to bring and keep awareness alive so the Caribbean victims of the 2017 hurricane season can put their lives back together again. All celebrities who participate will be provided with airfare to Bermuda and hotel accommodation.
Tracey Nero joins Thinkwrap as Chief Revenue Officer Traceys proven track record of accelerating growth into new markets was very impressive, but it really was the cultural fabric she exuded that sealed the deal for us. We are very happy to have her on the team! --Steve Byrne, Thinkwrap CEO

Thinkwrap Commerce is pleased to announce the recent hire of Tracey Nero as Chief Revenue Officer, adding to the quickly growing executive team.

Nero brings with her over 25 years of experience, most recently in a Sales Director position where she led business development, focusing on a variety of industry verticals, including wholesale distribution, consumer products, and automotive.

In this newly created position, Nero will focus on driving revenue growth and strategy while developing a strong sales, marketing, and channel management organization.

Our recruitment process for this role was incredibly rigorous, evaluating a number of executive level candidates from across Canada and the US, said Thinkwrap CEO, Steve Byrne. Traceys proven track record of accelerating growth into new markets was very impressive, but it really was the cultural fabric she exuded that sealed the deal for us. We are very happy to have her on the team!

Nero will be based in St. Louis, Missouri, establishing Thinkwraps first US office. The executive leadership Nero brings will prove to be an asset as Thinkwrap focuses on expanding its North American presence.

Some of Thinkwraps notable US customers include American Tire Distributors, Benefit Cosmetics, Sportsmans Warehouse, Woolrich and restaurant chain TGI Fridays, which is recognized as a leader in the restaurant industry after undergoing a complete digital transformation.

Thinkwraps thought leadership in the traditional and eCommerce space is unparalleled, said Tracey Nero. This team clearly demonstrates quantifiable success, creating momentum with forward-looking solutions. The diversity in service offerings, from digital transformation to intellectual property development, leads the market. Additionally, its strong collaboration with customers has inspired new ways to approach the creation of innovative digital services. These solutions enhance customer revenue by redefining end-user experiences. It is for these reasons, Im truly excited to join this team.

Last week, Thinkwrap was recognized as the Kanata North Company of the Year by the Best Ottawa Business Awards for displaying outstanding business and thought leadership, demonstrating excellence in innovation, giving back to the community, and demonstrating sound business fundamentals. Thinkwrap continues to grow at an average of 30 per cent year over year, achieving increased profitability, while doubling headcount since 2014. Todays announcement comes just weeks after the news that retail veteran, Serge Rose, joined Thinkwrap Commerce to lead its Digital Transformation service offering.

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About Thinkwrap Commerce

Well-known brands turn to Thinkwrap Commerce to create strategic digital engagements when they want to grow revenue, increase online traffic, improve customer experience, grow a loyal customer base, achieve operational efficiencies and higher profits. From long-term strategic planning and well-architected design through robust development and ongoing optimization, we use the best available technologies to ensure our customers online success. We connect the online, in-store, mobile, social, call-center and warehouse; delivering a seamless omni-channel eCommerce experience. Thinkwrap Commerce is 100% employee-owned, giving us a vested interest in every client engagement. To learn more, visit http://www.thinkwrap.com.
Great Lakes Management Services Organization (MSO) is pleased to announce the addition of Walker Surgical Center, located on the northwest side of Grand Rapids, to its growing commitment to providing patients unsurpassed surgical care. Walker Surgical Center began in 2007 and employs 40 full- and part-time staff. There are three operating rooms where nearly 5,000 surgical procedures are performed every year by the 23 surgeons who utilize the facility.

The quality of the surgical care and the outstanding customer service provided at Walker Surgical Center were the key things that made us want to pursue partnership, said Bill Hughson, CEO of Great Lakes MSO. Outpatient surgical centers offer many benefits to patients, including convenience, accessibility, and quality of care.

Walker Surgical Center is fully accredited by both AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care) and CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Walker Surgical Center serves pediatrics and adults with eye, plastic, hand, and upper and lower extremity surgical procedures. There are nine board-certified foot and ankle surgeons; six board-certified orthopaedic and plastic surgeons who perform hand, upper, and lower extremity surgical procedures; seven ophthalmic surgeons who perform procedures such as oculoplastics, eye muscle and glaucoma surgery; and one credentialed specialist performing vein surgery.

"We have been involved with Walker Surgical Center from the beginning 11 years ago," said Dr. Patrick Meyer of Foot & Ankle Specialists and Walker Surgical Centers Medical Director. "It is the premier location for lower extremity surgery in the West Michigan area. Offering safe, cost-effective surgical treatment for our patients. My partners and I welcome this new relationship with Great Lakes MSO to assist us in providing the highest level of care to our patients."

About Great Lakes Management Services Organization

Sterling Partners formed Great Lakes Management Services Organization (MSO) in February 2017 as a practice management services organization. Grand Rapids Ophthalmology partnered with the MSO to pursue growth opportunities, evolve clinical capabilities to better serve its patients, and to form strategic partnerships within industries related to eye care. If you are interested in learning more about a partnership with Great Lakes MSO, contact Dan Hosler at dhosler@seeitclear.com.

About Grand Rapids Ophthalmology

Founded in 1982, Grand Rapids Ophthalmology (GRO) is the largest fully-integrated eye care medical group in West Michigan. It offers a full suite of eye care services from routine eye exams, contact lenses and glasses, to the most advanced medical and surgical treatments such as LASIK, cataract, cornea, retina, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatric, and both cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid surgery. GRO employs the largest number of eye care specialists and professionals in the region: 11 ophthalmologists, 19 optometrists, and 40 certified opticians. GRO has a total of 400 employees at 12 locations throughout West Michigan. For more information, visit: http://www.seeitclear.com.

About Foot & Ankle Specialists of West Michigan

Since our formation in 1999, we have worked to make a difference in the lives of our patients and in the field of podiatry. Foot and Ankle Specialists provide excellent podiatric services to patients of any age. We believe in the importance of delivering expert medical and surgical care with integrity and compassion. Each of our patients is highly valued, receiving the professional, personalized care they need. Our physicians diagnose and treat all foot and ankle diseases and injuries. They perform multiple surgical procedures at Walker Surgical Center and at the various hospitals in the West Michigan area. For more information, visit: http://www.footandankledoctors.com.

About Sterling Partners

Sterling Partners is a private equity firm with a distinct point of view on how to build great companies. Founded in 1983, Sterling is guided by its stated purpose, INSPIRED GROWTH, which describes Sterlings approach to investing in differentiated businesses and growing them in inspired ways. Sterling focuses on investing growth capital in middle-market companies in the healthcare services and business services industries. Sterling provides valuable support to the management teams of the companies in which the firm invests through a deep and dedicated team of professionals, including a strong network of outside directors and advisors. The people at Sterling believe in ideas and ideals, in people and in partnerships that drive long-term success. For more information, visit: http://www.sterlingpartners.com.
"These awards demonstrate how our Consumer Experience Platform enables healthcare providers to deliver best-in-class experiences, similar to what consumers expect from major retailers like Amazon and Starbucks.

Influence Health, the healthcare industrys leading consumer experience solution provider, congratulates four of its client organizations for receiving prestigious eHealthcare Leadership Awards at the annual Healthcare Internet Conference held last month in Austin, Texas. For more than 20 years, the awards program has recognized the very best healthcare websites and digital communications, as well as the work that has gone into creating outstanding health websites and digital initiatives.

Influence Health clients including, South Carolina-based Beaufort Memorial Hospital, New Jersey-based Hackensack Meridian Health, and California-based UCLA Health were honored for a range of best-in-class digital communications programs and projects. Illinois-based Presence Health received top honors, granted the coveted eHealthcare Organizational Commitment Award.

Our goal is to help healthcare providers create highly personalized and interactive digital consumer experiences that build brand loyalty. These awards demonstrate how our Consumer Experience Platform enables healthcare providers to deliver best-in-class experiences, similar to what consumers expect from major retailers like Amazon and Starbucks, said Mike Nolte, CEO of Influence Health. We congratulate all the winners, particularly Presence Health. Throughout our 12-year partnership, Presence has been a pioneer in creating value for consumers throughout their entire healthcare journey."

"While we are proud of all the awards, we are especially honored by the eHealthcare Organizational Commitment award. This award reflects our strategic decision made with vendor/partner Influence Health to focus on reaching customers with relevant messaging where they are and when they are ready to receive it, said Presence Health Systems Director of Marketing Communications Operations, Theresa Olson. This was accomplished by changing marketing operations to ensure we take a holistic approach in keeping the patient journey top of mind."

Below is a list of all six awards received by Influence Health customers:



Mark Gothenberg Healthcare Organizational Commitment Award Winner: Presence Health

Best Healthcare Content - Silver: Presence Health

Best Patient Access & Convenience - Gold: Beaufort Memorial Hospital

Best Rich Media - Platinum: UCLA Health

Best Internet Home Page - Gold: Presence Health

Best Marketing Campaign - Silver: Hackensack Meridian Health

To learn more about how Presence Health partnered with Influence Health to take control of its digital presence and engage more consumers in moments of truth related to its strategic service lines, listen to this webinar.

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About Influence Health

Influence Health provides the healthcare industrys most comprehensive suite of healthcare consumer experience solutions. The Influence Health platform enables provider organizations to positively influence consumer decision making and health behaviors well beyond the physical care setting through personalized and interactive multi-channel engagement. Since 1996, the Birmingham, Ala.-based company has helped more than 1,100 provider organizations positively influence consumer relationships, ultimately transforming financial and quality outcomes. For more information visit InfluenceHealth.com and follow @InfluenceHlth.
Ranger Health, the innovative on-demand healthcare and technology service company based in San Antonio, is officially changing the name of its popular on-call service to FetchMD Just like earlier generations used to "fetch" a doctor for a house call, we have modernized that concept for the digital age and now one can "fetch" a Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner on our mobile app for everything from strep throat to stitches." - Michael C. Zucker

Ranger Health, the innovative on-demand healthcare and technology service company based in San Antonio, is officially changing the name of its popular on-call service to FetchMD and expanding into Austin and several other markets in 2018.

According to Michael C. Zucker, FACHE, Ranger Health Founder and CEO, the branding evolution and name change reflect the companys expansion of its direct to consumer offering and the overwhelmingly positive response to their house call service.

FetchMD is both figurative and literal in meaning, while also being an easy way describe our on-call service. Just like earlier generations used to fetch a doctor for a house call, we have modernized that concept for the digital age and now one can fetch a Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner on our mobile app for everything from strep throat to stiches.

The FetchMD logo will replace the Ranger Health logo on all of the companys branded vehicles that can currently be seen on highways and neighborhood streets across San Antonio and the surrounding five county region. All social and digital assets including website, the app itself, and the companys Facebook page will also reflect the new FetchMD brand.

We are truly redefining the healthcare experience from one that was complicated and inconvenient to one that is simple, fast and affordable. Most importantly, it gives the consumer more control  when someone is sick or has a minor injury, FetchMD comes to them when and where they want to be seen. The customer experience and convenience factor are what have led to a loyal and highly engaged customer following that uses our services repeatedly, said Zucker.

Our on-demand house call service has grown significantly this past year along the burgeoning I-35 corridor, and were seeing increasing numbers of requests from consumers in the Austin region. The company will begin Austin operations in January 2018.

Following FetchMDs launch in the Austin market, users will experience robust technology enhancements to the app that will leverage the shared economy of healthcare professionals in the region, and that will further enhance the consumer experience.

FetchMD will transform the way people will access care. It will also allow healthcare professionals to engage directly with consumers in a way that allows them to have more control of their schedules. Our innovative FetchMD technology platform will enable us to aggressively expand across Texas and the Southwest region of the United States, said Zucker.

Ranger Health was founded in 2015 by former health system executive Michael C. Zucker, FACHE and a successful group of serial entrepreneurs who previously co-founded AirStrip, WellAware, Splice and other innovative software companies. Ranger Health delivers on-demand, personal care and allows individuals to experience the convenience and affordability of face-to-face healthcare for minor injuries and illnesses in the comfort of their home or office via a user-friendly app. It allows the consumer to immerse themselves in the shared economy for healthcare in an entirely new way. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.RangerHealth.com.
Since 2012, Firefighters for Operation Warm have provided brand-new winter coats to low-income children across the country. "The sheer joy and excitement on a child's face when they get to pick out their very own coat in their favorite color, there is nothing quite like it."

Since 1998, national nonprofit Operation Warm has turned the concept of a "coat drive" on its head. With nearly 14 million children living in poverty within the U.S., the need for winter clothing during this time of year is a widespread issue throughout the country. But instead of collecting used coats for kids, Operation Warm works directly with manufacturers to provide their very own line of brand-new, colorful winter coats.

"We believe every child deserves a gift around the holidays. The gift of a new coat not only keeps a child warm, but provides a boost in self-esteem, school attendance and outdoor play," explains Dick Sanford, Operation Warm Founder & CEO. "The sheer joy and excitement on a child's face when they get to pick out their very own coat in their favorite color; there is nothing quite like it."

An important milestone in Operation Warm's mission came in 2012, when they were honored to begin a partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a group whose members are deeply committed to keeping their communities safe. Since that time, hundreds of firehouses have answered the call to become Firefighters for Operation Warm, pledging their resources to providing new winter coats to low-income children in the neighborhoods they serve.

"Our firefighter partners often sacrifice days off, weekends, and time away from home to help fundraise for Operation Warm projects in their own communities," Sanford continues. "Were proud to report that since this partnership began, Firefighters for Operation Warm has provided a quarter million brand-new coats to kids in need across the United States.

Over the past two years, Operation Warm has dedicated #GivingTuesday to help the firefighters reach more children in need of warm clothing. #GivingTuesday is the Tuesday following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, an online movement to create an international day of giving at the beginning of the holiday season.

Operation Warm announced today that their 2017 #GivingTuesday campaign is launching a week early, with the goal of raising $100,000. The funding would help to provide thousands of brand-new, colorful winter coats to kids in need. Now through November 28th, online donations to the Firefighters #GivingTuesday campaign will be doubled up to $50,000.

I believe its our personal responsibility to help others, Sanford expands. No child should be left out in the cold or be forced to walk to school in freezing temperatures without a coat. This campaign will truly impact the lives of thousands of children just in time for the holidays.

To learn more or to donate, visit http://www.operationwarm.org/givingtuesday

About Operation Warm: Since 1998, Operation Warm has inspired hope and empowered communities by manufacturing and distributing high-quality, new winter coats to over 2 million children in need. The nonprofit works with organizations at a community-level, assisting local advocates to help children receive coats in their own neighborhoods. Operation Warms vision is that every child wearing a new winter coat is warm, feels valued, and is empowered to get to school and gain an education.
New York Institute of Career Development Students in the New York Institute of Career Developments Pharmacy Technician Course will benefit from one-to-one mentorship from Mr. Frisco

The New York Institute of Career Development is excited to introduce Thomas Frisco to their team of mentors. In addition to being an educator and licensed pharmacy technician himself, Frisco sits on many pharmacy technician school advisory boards in the state of New York. In that role he is responsible for ensuring all proper protocol is followed to provide comprehensive, quality education to pharmacy tech students statewide.

It is the responsibility of a pharmacist to ensure that all patients are receiving the proper medications, says Frisco. With the help of an educated, certified pharmacy technician, that process of delivering medications to those patients can be seamless. I believe that a nationally certified technician, with the proper education, will become detail-orientated enough to help effectively deliver those medications safely.

Students in the New York Institute of Career Developments Pharmacy Technician Course will benefit from one-to-one mentorship from Mr. Frisco. Mentorship is the key to NYICDs online career courses, ensuring that students get professional guidance from experts in the field.

Every student in the course will be given a comprehensive overview of how to accurately perform the standard techniques and procedures required in the pharmacy setting  including medication transcriptions, drug dispensation, and recordkeeping. In addition, through a partnership with national pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, every student will get to complete a hands-on externship, bringing the course lessons to life.

Part of our mission here at NYICD has always been to ensure students graduate with the confidence and skills necessary to get hired and start working in a rewarding new field, says Keith Gallagher, Program Director. I believe that Toms experience and participation in the pharmacy community will provide our students with invaluable leadership in doing so.

For more information on the New York Institute of Career Development, visit http://www.nyicd.edu.

About the New York Institute of Career Development

The New York Institute of Career Development is part of the Distance Education Company (DEC) cadre of schools. DEC strives to be the leading non-traditional academic institution, educating people motivated to improve their lives and empowering students to achieve that self-improvement through flexible and affordable educational programs. DEC has been providing best-in-class education for more than 100 years via NYICDs sister schools, the New York Institute of Photography and the New York Institute of Art and Design. The New York Institute of Career Development proudly continues that tradition, making online career education as simple and stress-free as it can be.
Kim Chapin of the Central Valley American Heart Association Presents the Award for Top Fund Raising Team to Shelle Hartman of Tesoro Viejo. We are pleased to support the American Heart Association and commend the efforts of our team who demonstrated commitment to serving our community and the importance of giving back - Brent McCaffrey, president, Tesoro Viejo Development

A team from Tesoro Viejo, an upcoming master-planned community in southeast Madera County, Calif., has raised more than $13,000 for the American Heart Association.

The Tesoro Viejo team raised $13,375, receiving the top team fundraising award for the Central Valley American Heart Associations 25th Annual Heart Walk. More than 2,500 area residents participated in the 2017 Heart Walk on Oct. 21, the largest local event for the association.

We are pleased to support the American Heart Association and commend the efforts of our team who demonstrated commitment to serving our community and the importance of giving back, said Brent McCaffrey, president of Tesoro Viejo Development.

People of all ages participated in this year's Central Valley Heart Walk, which included the Lawyers Have Heart Run, a 5K run, and the Central Valley Heart & Stroke Walk, a two-mile walk. The event also included a health expo with booths on wellness, a kids zone with family-fun activities and healthy snacks.

The level of participation and support from the Tesoro Viejo team was so valuable to our fundraising efforts this year, said Kim Chapin, Business Development Director, Central Valley Heart Walk. Its an honor to work with a company so committed to improving the health of our community  every year they continue to recruit more participants to join our Heart Walk, which has made them our top fundraising team.

Presented by Tesoro Viejo, the event exceeded last years record-breaking total of $280,501 raised this year. All proceeds will go toward the American Heart Associations overall goal of funding research to find better ways to treat and prevent cardiovascular diseases and stroke while providing educational health resources to the local region.

It is only fitting that Tesoro Viejo hosts the Heart Walk, as it has been thoughtfully planned as a healthy, sustainable community where residents can enjoy an enhanced quality of life focusing on health, wellness and vitality, McCaffrey said.

According to the American Heart Association, walking is the simplest positive change individuals can make to effectively improve their heart health because its free, easy and has the lowest dropout rate of any exercise. Research has shown walking is the single most effective form of exercise to achieve heart health. The benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for as little as 30 minutes each day can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke  the No. 1 and No. 5 killers of Americans, respectively.

Tesoro Viejo is being developed in partnership by The McCaffrey Group and Lyles Diversified, two long-standing family organizations.

Situated at the foot of Little Table Mountain, Tesoro Viejo is an upcoming 1,600-acre master-planned community located off Highway 41 in Madera. A model of innovative design and sustainable living, the community will be a vibrant hub for southeast Madera County  where residents can live, work and play with housing and business opportunities, a walkable town center, green living, thriving industry and neighborhood parks and schools.

Overall grading and site improvements are under way at Tesoro Viejo in preparation for the start of home construction in spring 2018. For more information on Tesoro Viejo Development, visit http://www.tesoroviejo.com.
Patty Hurwitz accepts Heritage Training and Shooting Center's Donation of $835 from Brandon Dunn, Retail Manager and Lakisha Curry, Safety Officer.

Heritage Training and Shooting Center is a gun range with a cause. This year they have raised money for the Wounded Warrior Project, The Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund, and are currently holding a food drive for the Frederick Food Bank as part of their Shoot For A Cause initiative.

Heritage Training and Shooting Center raised $831 for The Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund during October. Participants purchased targets and were required to complete a specific course of fire to be entered in the drawing for a pink-detailed Colt AR-15.

Saeed Roberts, Heritage Sales Representative, said The course of fire for this raffle was more challenging than the last one, but people seemed to get excited about winning the firearm and helping a great cause.

All proceeds from the raffle have been donated to help women in Frederick, MD gain access to technology that will aid in early detection and prevention of breast cancer.

Through the Holidays, Heritage is holding a Fill The Truck campaign to benefit the Frederick Food Bank which helps 600-800 families monthly. The Frederick Food Bank will accept any canned or non-perishable food items, along with hats, gloves, scarves and hygiene products.

All customers who bring in donations will receive a free Heritage drawstring bag as well as a 5% discount coupon on ammunition in the retail center. Donations will be accepted at the front desk any time from 9am to 9pm.

Heritage Training and Shooting Center will hold a shooting raffle or benefit event quarterly to help a local non-profit. They hope to give back to the Frederick community which supports Heritages business year round.

About Heritage Training and Shooting Center:

Heritage Training and Shooting Center is located at 4537 Metropolitan Court in Frederick, Maryland and is open from 9am to 9pm, 7 days a week. With state-of-the art shooting ranges, technologically advanced classrooms, TI Simulator, a firearms retail store, and over 140 rental firearms. Heritage has everything needed to meet your personal protection goals.

For more information, visit their website: http://www.heritagetrainingcenter.com or call 240-341-4006  S. Gordon, Press Contact.

Defense is Personal
Reviewing novel advancements in biochemistry for technology transfer, commercialisation and marketing

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This strong policy statement is great news for hypertension patients, and for healthcare providers trying to properly diagnose and treat hypertension  the silent killer.

PharmaSmart applauds the new American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology Guideline, which states "If self-monitoring is used, it is important to ensure that the blood pressure (BP) measurement device used has been validated with an internationally accepted protocol and the results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal. (page 29)" This consensus national guideline is endorsed by 9 other national healthcare professional organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association. This device accuracy guidance follows on the heels of a 2017 CDC/AMA/APhA published Resource Guide for Pharmacists which called for the use of only clinically-validated blood pressure kiosks, and a 2017 APhA House of Delegates Policy Adoption stating that the APhA supports peer-reviewed clinical validation testing, and promotes public awareness of accuracy of BP devices.

Josh Sarkis, PharmaSmart Chief Strategy Officer, stated It has been a breakthrough year for awareness of BP kiosk accuracy. The CDC, AHA, AMA, APhA, and many other leading organizations now acknowledge many BP devices have never been validated through peer-reviewed clinical testing, cannot be trusted for clinical decision-making, and should not be integrated with EMR systems. Sarkis continued This strong policy statement is great news for hypertension patients, and for healthcare providers trying to properly diagnose and treat hypertension  the silent killer.

The same guideline document lowers the hypertension classification threshold from 140/90 to 130/80, meaning that overnight approximately 50 million more Americans were classified with hypertension. PharmaSmart Chief Operating Officer Ashton Maaraba added, The new AHA/ACC guidelines will drive increased investment by government, health plans and care organizations into High BP prevention and control. Pharmacies can and should benefit from these investments, but can only do so if they invest in guideline-compliant, interoperable BP measurement solutions. Without such solutions, it will be impossible to build the trust and respect that underpins managed care, and collaborative care contracts.

Maaraba continued, Physicians need to know that BP values reported from the pharmacy are as good, or better than the values they are taking in the clinic. It is critical that pharmacy bridges this trust gap. PharmaSmart has strong published evidence, and national brand recognition among key opinion leaders, which are crucial in earning the support of local physicians, and local and national payers. Our value proposition and points of difference are resonating across pharmacy and we look forward to an extremely busy 2018.
Pariveda Solutions, a leading management consulting firm that specializes in improving clients' performance, is pleased to announce that our organization ranked #8 in the Houston Business Journals inaugural Corporate Philanthropy Awards.

Pariveda maintains a focus on developing employees to their highest potential, and the company recognizes that contributing to the local community is a vital part of connecting personal goals with philanthropic action. Servant leadership is one of the five core values at Pariveda and is supported by a culture that promotes connectedness and community service as an essential development component of the individual and entire organization.

Pariveda restructured our summer college internship program to be fully philanthropic. Our interns partner with a local nonprofit during an eleven-week project and deliver incredible impact for the nonprofit organization and the community it serves. Through the philanthropic internship program alone, our Houston office contributes over 7,000 volunteer hours with the community.

Throughout its 11-week internship program this past summer, Pariveda welcomed five interns who participated in developing pro-bono technology solutions for BARC Foundation, the nonprofit foundation supporting Houstons Animal Shelter & Adoption Facility whose mission is to improve the quality of life for animals in Houston. The highlight of the BARC Foundation program is rescuing at-risk animals and promoting adoption through branded materials.

Pariveda and its intern team built BARCly, an innovative approach to showcasing shelter animals for adoption. This collaborative effort resulted in a comprehensive platform that promotes shelter pets and helps pet owners locate lost animals through an accessible and interactive mobile-friendly website.

We owe a huge thanks to the Pariveda team for making it easier than ever for Houstonians to view and learn about adoptable animals at BARC, said Ashtyn Rivet, BARC Deputy Assistant Director. The teams expertise and insight helped make the dream of having a BARC mobile website into a reality. This interactive website will help connect potential adopters with their perfect furry companion, giving more of Houstons homeless pets a second chance at the life they deserve.

Before the Houston Business Journal revealed Pariveda as a Corporate Philanthropy honoree, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area, affecting people across the city. The Houston Fin family rallied together and spent countless hours demolishing flooded homes, donating and distributing supplies, and offering aid in every capacity possible. Harvey was telling for what it means to be a Fin. Pariveda immediately took action through our connected mentor trees to ensure the safety of every Fin. We made a commitment to each of the displaced families to remain with them through the entire process  until we were celebrating their move back home! It is estimated that nearly every Houston Fin participated in relief efforts and gave in excess of 1,500 hours in just a few weeks.

Houston Office Managing Vice President Sean McCall commented, Fins helping Fins is a reflection of the integrity and resolve of people in our firm. Its incredible to see the way we take care of each other and our community. Investing in our community and individuals cultivates lifelong relationships to identify needs and create meaningful solutions.

Allison Esenkova, Houston Vice President, also praised employees commitment to Houston in its time of need, saying, The powerful sense of community we have at Pariveda is evident in the actions of our Fins following Hurricane Harvey. I am proud to be part of this exceptional team, and of the contributions we made within our Houston community.

More information about Pariveda Solutions is available on the company's website, http://www.parivedasolutions.com/.

About Pariveda Solutions

Pariveda is a leading management consulting firm with nine national offices and over 100 consultants in Houston. We hire exceptional talent and invest fully to achieve excellence at the intersection of business, product, and technology. Clients partner with us for our high-caliber combination of business problem-solving and technology expertise, and value our commitment to building lifelong relationships.

Pariveda Solutions and The Business of IT are trademarks of Pariveda Solutions, Inc., Dallas, Texas, USA.
If children or pets are forgotten in unintended vehicles, their health can be endangered, or even fatality can result. "In the interest of saving lives, I decided to develop reliable prevention of such a tragedy," said an inventor from Phoenix, Ariz.

The patent-pending CAR TEMP keeps temperatures in a vehicle interior from becoming too hot or too cold. It helps prevent serious injury or even fatality of a child or pet that has been left behind by accident. As a result, it promotes safety and peace of mind.

Reliable and easy to use, the system can be added to an existing vehicle or premanufactured in a new vehicle.

The original design was submitted to the Phoenix office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 16-PHO-2342, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. - https://www.youtube.com/user/inventhelp
A Green Belize vacation at Chaa Creek is the perfect antidote to the Winter Blues it makes a Belizean jungle lodge vacation incredibly affordable this winter

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is joining Southwest Airlines and other carriers in offering travellers an early Christmas present  the most affordable Belize winter vacations yet, according to The Lodge at Chaa Creeks reservations administrator

Its a match made in heaven for travellers," Elsie Pacheco said.

When we heard that Southwest Airlines were offering heavily discounted fares to Belize, and in light of an increasing number of flights from other airlines, we felt we should respond with some specials of our own, so were offering, for limited times, a twenty percent discount off accommodation, including a full breakfast and range of complimentary activities.

When you look at the savings in travel and lodging, it makes a Belizean jungle lodge vacation incredibly affordable this winter, she said.

The Chaa Creek Travel Blog lists flights from Ft Lauderdale to Belize for as low as US$69.00 from 7 December to 14 December 2017, with Chaa Creek offering their own 20 percent discounts from 1 December to 14 December 2017, and 2 January to 15 January 2018.

Canadian travellers are also enjoying easier, more affordable travel to Belize this winter with WestJet initiating a new non-stop direct service from Calgary and Toronto to Belize beginning November 2017, according to the blog.

Ms Pacheco said increased international service, enhanced domestic air travel and Chaa Creeks infrastructure and nationwide network of travel affiliates are helping visitors get the most out of their Belize vacations this winter.

Over the years Chaa Creek has earned the reputation among travel agents as Belizes Destination Within a Destination due to the wide range of accommodation, amenities and activities on offer within our 400-acre private nature reserve, and for our extensive menu of tours, expeditions, and all-inclusive Belize vacation packages, she explained.

Ms Pacheco said that, with an onsite restaurant and lounge, Hilltop Spa, infinity pool, Belize Natural History Museum, Butterfly farm, canoeing, horseback riding and guided nature hikes though miles of well-maintained trails, Chaa Creek guests can design their own unique Belize vacations and choose to do as much, or as little, as they wish.

And with our all-inclusive Belize vacation packages catering to a variety of interests and covering the country from the Belize Great Barrier Reef and Caribbean coast to the ancient Maya metropolis of Tikal in Guatemala, guests can explore all of Belize in one seamless and surprisingly affordable vacation, she said.

Airfare discounts and winter vacation specials have now made those Belize tropical holidays even more affordable, she added.

With more extensive and less expensive air service, and Chaa Creeks winter vacation promotional offers, theres really no reason to endure a long cold winter when sunshine, swimming, excellent dining and exciting activities are just a few hours away and can cost less than a domestic holiday up north.

In addition to saving time and money, visitors are also helping to save Belizes pristine environment and support local communities through the Chaa Creek Cares i nitiative, which has ten percent of all room revenue going directly into environmental and social projects, Ms Pacheco explained.

Our guests tell us they actually sleep better knowing that one out of every ten dollars they spend on their lodging goes towards protecting the land and helping the people of Belize. Combine that with significant savings, and you have a vacation that leaves you feeling great.

Ms Pacheco cautioned that airfares and Chaa Creek discounts are offered on a limited time, first come, first served basis.

We encourage travellers to search the internet or check with their travel agents for the best airfares to Belize, and then visit our website and use the winter discount code to enjoy a twenty percent discount on accommodation with a full breakfast in the Mariposa Restaurant and a wealth of complimentary activities.

Belize just saw another year of increased tourist arrivals, and Im sure anyone taking advantage of these winter vacation offers will see why; and why so many people return to Chaa Creek year after year, Ms Pacheco said.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is a multi-award winning eco resort set within a 400-acre private nature reserve along the banks of the Macal River in Belize. It was recognised by National Geographic with first place honours at the 2017 World Legacy Awards held in Berlin.
Officials with The Creativity Workshop announced today that it will host a workshop March 20  24, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugals hilly, coastal capital city.

Ceci Glusman, spokesperson for The Creativity Workshop, said the workshop will meet for five days, three and a half hours per day, from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.

Class will take place at Hotel Eurostars Das Letras. The hotel is surrounded by excellent restaurants and boutiques, such as Hugo Boss, Louis Vuiton or Cartier and is easily accessible from the airport, Santa Apolonia station and other places in the city, like the Belem district or the Parque das Nacoes.

Glusman explained that The Creativity Workshop in Lisbon will help participants become more creative in their personal and professional life.

The creativity training that instructors provide uses the tools of creative writing, memoir, art, photography, storytelling, mapmaking, and guided visualization.

Participants from past workshops, according to Glusman, have come from many different countries and professional fields, including business, education, psychology, the sciences, and the arts.

Many people who have taken the workshop say that it was a transformative experience, helping them to write their books, start new companies, complete long overdue projects, transition to rewarding retirements, and change the way they look at life, Glusman said.

Glusman went on to point out that Lisbon is undergoing an exciting renaissance and is now known by many as the coolest city in Europe.

It is a small, friendly city of enormous contrasts, making it a perfect place for creative regeneration. You will find beaches and castles, world class art, ceramics and history museums, picturesque old neighborhoods and cutting edge new design, a relaxed day-time cafe culture and a vibrant night life, and great cuisine, added Glusman.

Glusman said. The techniques we explore in this course will sharpen participants appreciation of Lisbon. Our exercises and instructors talks focus on helping the participants learn practical techniques to stimulate their imagination and innovative thinking.

Glusman highlighted that those registering before November 30 will get $100 off their registration fee.

For more information, please visit: creativityworkshop.com/creativity-workshop-in-lisbon

About The Creativity Workshop

The Creativity Workshop is based in New York City and is taught around the world.

The Creativity Workshop was established in 1993 by educator and writer Shelley Berc and multimedia artist Alejandro Fogel. The organization is dedicated to teaching individuals and groups about creative processes.

Contact Details:

The Creativity Workshop

One Columbus Place

40th Floor Suite N40F

New York, NY 10019

Tel: (212) 203-3252

Email: questions@creativityworkshop.com

Source: The Creativity Workshop

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"Introducing Haldor's ORLocate system at our hospitals in Cambridge and Everett will greatly enhance patient safety, optimize process efficiency and reduce costs" said Roger Conant, Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Cambridge Health Alliance.

The ORLocate Sponge System by Haldor Advanced Technologies (Haldor), the only RFID enabled system that counts and locates surgical sponges and instruments in operating rooms, is enhancing patient safety and quality of care throughout Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), an academic community health system in Massachusetts. The ORLocate Sponge System was recently deployed at both the Operating Room and L&D departments at Cambridge and Everett Hospitals.

The ORLocate Sponge adjunct technology allows a growing number of U.S. hospital users to eliminate the risk of retained sponges and instruments. Empowered by RFID, ORLocate is the only solution that can both COUNT and LOCATE multiple surgical items in one scan confirming that there are no surgical items left behind.

The ORLocate Sponge dedicated Roll-Stand is mounted with a medical grade wireless tablet, a small form factor Reader-Box that generates an autonomous dedicated wireless network, and at least one or more of Haldors proprietary RFID devices such as the patent pending HoveRead and/or the Locator.

"At CHA, we continuously look for ways to improve patient safety and the quality of care through innovation, said Roger Conant, Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Cambridge Health Alliance. "Introducing Haldor's ORLocate system at our hospitals in Cambridge and Everett will greatly enhance patient safety, optimize process efficiency and reduce costs by improving surgical sponge management and identification in our procedural areas. We are committed to keeping our patients safe at CHA and this product is helping us achieve that goal."

ORLocate generic adapter facilitates seamless integration with hospital information systems such as EMR, Operating Room Management, Surgical Scheduling and Decontamination and Sterilization machines.

The ORLocate View server provides unparalleled reporting and analytic capabilities, tailored to each clients needs.

CHA is a highly recognized healthcare provider in the Boston, MA, area and one of our first strategic North American customers. It was both a pleasure and an honor to work with such a hospital that puts patient safety as its first priority, said Ilan Kadosh-Tamari, CEO of Haldor Advanced Technologies. "We are seeing tremendous growth and adoption of our ORLocate Sponge system throughout leading U.S. hospitals and are encouraged by the growing number of hospital staff calling out for their need to adopt adjunct RFID technology in their facility that can help them to both count and locate surgical items as part of their OR workflow. We realize that in todays healthcare ecosystem, where regulations and regulators are becoming more and more demanding, hospitals are looking for a greater level of patient safety, means to update their operating processes, and the ability to reduce costs. We believe that our ORLocate Sponge RFID enabling technology is the only technology that can comply with these demands, and we shall continue to provide our current and growing costumers with the best in class technology so they can provide best in class care for their patients and communities, added Kadosh-Tamari.

The ORLocate platform holistic approach and modular architecture can be easily adopted to support every hospital growth strategy and budget constraints at both hospital domains: Sterile Processing Department (SPD) and the Surgical Suites. A hospital may select to start with an adoption of the ORLocate Sponge Solution and expand to SPD Management and\or intraoperative instrument tracking at a later stage.

About Haldor Advanced Technologies

Haldor Advanced Technologies is a privately held company that specializes in developing solutions for the healthcare industry. The company's flagship product, ORLocate, is an automated RFID based system that is designed to help hospitals improve patient safety and improve operational efficiency in both the operating room and the sterile processing department. The ORLocate suite of products is the only commercially available solution that monitors and tracks surgical instruments and consumables, including sponges, on an individual basis before, during, and at the conclusion of a surgical procedure. ORLocate products offer an advanced solution for inventory tracking and asset and life-cycle management of surgical instruments and sponges. Haldor operates directly in North America through its wholly owned US and Canadian subsidiaries. Haldor is

headquartered in Hod-Hasharon, Israel, through its state of the art research & development and manufacturing facility, alongside a network of distribution partners in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

For more information, visit our web site

About Cambridge Health Alliance

Cambridge Health Alliance is an academic community health system committed to providing high quality care in Cambridge, Somerville and Bostons metro-north communities. CHA has expertise in primary care, specialty care and mental health/substance use services, as well as caring for diverse and complex populations. It includes three hospital campuses, a network of primary care and specialty practices and the Cambridge Public Health Dept. CHA patients have seamless access to advanced care through the systems affiliation with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. CHA is a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate and is also affiliated with Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, visit the CHA web site

To schedule your facilitys clinical demo please contact:

Pete Koste, VP Strategic Accounts

Tel: 856-254-3567, Email: Pete.Koste@haldor-tech.com
Both companies are well positioned to capture vast earth-based market opportunities within a timeframe that makes them prime investable opportunities.

The Center for Space Commerce and Finance is excited to announce the 2017 Austin Rregional NewSpace Business Plan Competition had not one, but two winners: Multisensor Diagnostics and Pipeline2Space. The panel of judges were so impressed with the teams that they contributed additional prize money to recognize a second winner.

Competition host and judge, Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, managing partner of Global Space Ventures, explained the judging panels decision: The judges felt there were two strong frontrunners today and because it is a confluence of innovations which will allow for this space revolution to be complete, the judges have joined in and contributed additional prize money to honor two winners today. In addition to being companies that have a clear vision and plan for how they will become key players of the space revolution, the jury believes both companies are well positioned to capture vast earth-based market opportunities within a timeframe that makes them prime investable opportunities.

Austin Dula of the Heinlein Prize Trust, Richard Garriott, private astronaut, video game developer and author, and Dylan Taylor, founder of Space for Humanity, and founding partner of Space Angels Network, rounded out the judging panel. They, and the attendees of the New Worlds Conference heard seven early stage business plan pitches from a wide range of space-scalable companies.

The Center for Space Commerce and Finance hosts several business plan competitions each year, in conjunction with space conferences around the country. Early stage businesses that have a technology or service that is useful to the commercial development of the space industry are invited to present their business idea to a panel of space investors in a Shark Tank style pitch competition. The Center for Space Commerce and Finance provides education, training, and networking opportunities for the competitors, helping teams perfect their business idea and connect with investors.

The 2017 Austin regional event took place on Saturday, November 11 at the Renaissance Hotel. The competition is sponsored by the Heinlein Prize Trust, who provide a cash prize of $2,500 for each regional winner. In this case, the judges contributed an additional $2,500, allowing the Heinlein Prize Trust to offer a double prize for this event.

The Heinlein Prize Trust honors the memory of renowned American author, Robert A. Heinlein. The purpose of the Heinlein Prize is to encourage and reward progress in commercial space activities that advance Robert and his wife Virginias dream of humanitys future in space.

The Center for Space Commerce and Finances mission is to utilize personalized education and engineered financial tools for both entrepreneurs and investors, and to catalyze space commerce for industrialization, exploration, and settlement. For more information on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition and the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, please visit http://CSCF.space

Competition Winners:

Pipeline2Space (P2S) is a new smallsat space launch service provider. Test-flying now at Spaceport America and led by former Blue Origin team, Pipeline2Space eliminates the first stage of rockets with essentially an underground "gas-powered" railgun, funded and tested with Shell, using technology licensed from the University of Washington.

Multisensor Diagnostics (MDx) is a diversified health and wellness management company enabled by an innovative device and supported by proprietary software. Their rapid medical assessment device, MouthLabTM, was inspired by the Star Trek tricorder and rapidly and noninvasively measures respiratory-rate and pattern, pulse-rate, ECG, SpO2, temperature, blood pressure, dehydration and spirometric lung functions in 30 seconds. Their AI-powered software supports seamless connectivity with providers, payers, patients and caregivers, and unifies all aspects of patient's health in a single place.

Additional Competitors:

Intergalactic Education

(Med)X,space

Skycom Corporation

Space Resources Extraction Technology, Inc.

Ion Biotech
Dana K. Bezerra will assume the role of President at Heron as of December 31, 2017, the Heron Foundation announced today.

Bezerra offers a breadth of experience that spans the philanthropic and for-profit sectors. She joined Heron in 2006 and has been responsible for deal-sourcing, identifying and developing relationships across a spectrum of investors, syndicating capital when possible, and cultivating opportunities to deploy the full range of Herons toolbox (including grants, program related investments, and market-rate mission related investments). Prior to joining Heron, Bezerra was with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith.

Bezerra has been active in the leadership of several national and local philanthropic organizations over the last two decades, including the Board of Capital Impact Partners, the steering committee for Mission Investors Exchange, and as a reviewer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of its Grand Challenge Exploration Program. Bezerra is a native Californian and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Public Policy from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Arthur Buzz Schmidt, chair of Herons board, said, Heron's board is thrilled that Dana will be taking the helm. Her selection is not only a tribute to her, it also reflects the board's regard for Clara Miller's leadership over the past several years and Heron's strategic direction. Under Dana's leadership, Heron will lever the lessons it has learned over the past 25 years  both on the ground in communities and within the capital markets.

Heron President Clara Miller echoed that sentiment, adding, Ive had the joy and privilege of working with Dana both before I came to Heron and during my tenure. Her exceptional ability to connect people and ideas, her diverse experience, and her inclusive working style make her uniquely well-equipped to lead the next phase of Herons evolution. Miller will assume the role of President Emerita starting on December 31, 2017.

###

About Heron: Established in 1992, Herons mission is to help people and communities help themselves out of poverty. The foundation works with a diverse set of investment strategies focused on fostering economic innovations and practices that lead to long-term economic opportunity and prosperity for all. Our operating model aims to ensure that every dollar, staff member, and resource at our disposal is dedicated to helping people help themselves out of poverty.
Cover Image I never imagined how charged the atmosphere for my story might become

A high school intern facing deportationa plot to bribe a Supreme Court Justicea case that could ignite a nation? Through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Kasie Cervantesan exceptionally gifted high school studentauthor Bill Gourgey captures the growing fear that haunts the United States more than eleven million undocumented immigrants. The story centers on an explosive new Supreme Court case that, while fictional, could easily pass for headline newsits based on a mass shooting at the Mexican border. Between her unique abilities and awful timing, Kasie is swept into the case and finds herself having to choose between her own future and the future of the only country shes ever called home.

I never imagined how charged the atmosphere for my story might become, Gourgey says. Now that the Trump Administration has suspended DACA, implemented a multi-nation immigration ban, and ratcheted back visa programs fact has begun to imitate fiction, he adds. When I completed my first draft shortly before the 2016 election, we lived in a very different climate.

Court Kasie is the third in Gourgeys Cap City Kids series of standalone novels that follow the lives of talented, hard-luck teens who take on Washington, DCs elite institutions.

Gourgey masterfully conveys not only the angst of being a teenager but also the courage and resourcefulness that a talented, impassioned young person can muster, writes Karen Lyon Literary Editor of The Hill Rag in her September 2017 review of Attic Ward, the second book in the series. BookLife called Capitol Kid, the first book, a well-constructed game of wits.

In addition to his Cap City Kids young adult mystery-thriller series, Bill Gourgey is the author of the Glide Trilogy, which won the 2014 Beverly Hills Book Award in Science Fiction and has been praised by critics and readers for its entertaining and thought-provoking projections of modern science and technology. A former IT consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Gourgey is also a science writer and Managing Editor of Delmarva Review.
We believe its essential that people have high-quality health care choices regardless of where they live, and we will continue to invest in resources that allow us to deliver on that promise for those who reside or work in Westmoreland County.

People residing in Westmoreland County now have even more access to the health care professionals of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), a Highmark Health company, as AHN continues to expand its presence in the county.

AHNs growth in Westmoreland County includes a new walk-in clinic located in the lower level of Premier Medical Associates building at 4044 State Route 130 in Irwin. The clinic features the providers of the Allegheny Family Medicine East practice  Katherine Neely, MD; Steven L. Romiti, MD; Jan Pesci, PA; and Erin Aganad, PA  and offers appointment-free care for a variety of conditions and health needs. The clinic is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Patients are also able to schedule appointments with the providers.

Additionally, AHN recently hired six physicians with established practices across the county. Those doctors include:



David Anto, MD, a primary care physician practicing in Ligonier

Bruce Bradley, DO, a gastroenterologist who sees patients and will perform procedures at AHNs Outpatient CenterWestmoreland in Hempfield Township

Robert Fetchero, DO, a family practitioner in Jeannette

Louis Izzo, DPM, a podiatrist with offices in Jeannette, Irwin, and West Newton

Scott Milstein, DO, a family medicine physician in Greensburg

Robert Tymoczko, MD, who specializes in internal medicine with offices in Greensburg as well as Melcroft in Fayette County

For more details and office locations for any of these doctors, call 412-DOCTORS.

Opening a walk-in clinic with extended hours that make it easier to get in to see a provider, along with the addition of these six physicians who are well-known and respected in Westmoreland County, speaks volumes about our commitment to this market, said Brian M. Parker, MD, Chief Medical Officer, AHN. We believe its essential that people have high-quality health care choices regardless of where they live, and we will continue to invest in resources that allow us to deliver on that promise for those who reside or work in Westmoreland County.

These expanded offerings come on the heels of the June opening of the AHN Outpatient CenterWestmoreland, located on Nature Park Road in Hempfield Township. The 23,000-square-foot multispecialty facility provides access to a range of medical specialists as well as a state-of-the-art endoscopy center where Dr. Bradley and his team will perform gastrointestinal procedures. The site offers access to specialists in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, esophageal and lung disease, cardiology, colon and rectal surgery, and bariatric surgery. The facility also features physical and occupational therapy services, a lab for blood draws, a radiography room for X-ray imaging, and an onsite mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) service.

Last November, AHN expanded its presence at 660 Pellis Road in Greensburg. AHN Westmoreland OBGYN, a busy obstetrical practice that joined AHN in 2015, started seeing patients five days a week at the Pellis Road medical building last year. The womens health practice joined a handful of additional AHN specialists at the site, including physicians specializing in arthritis and rheumatic disease.

With 355,458 residents according to the 2016 U.S. Census, Westmoreland County has the largest population of any county in southwestern Pennsylvania outside of Allegheny County. The countys population, however, is spread out over an area of land nearly 20 percent larger than any other county in the region.

About the Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes and more. It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people, has more than 2,800 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Jim Morlock

Haute Residence welcomes acclaimed real estate broker Jim Morlock to its invitation-only real estate network. As a Haute Residence partner, Morlock exclusively represents the high-end market of Manalapan, Florida.

Known by his friends and clients as "Waterfront Jim," Morlocks name means business when it comes to the luxury waterfront market in South Florida.

Morlock has more than 25 years of experience, including over 500 successfully closed real estate transactions. He has personally sold over 8 miles of waterfront, two miles in Harbor Beach and Las Olas. In the last decade, he has sold more waterfront mileage than any independent realtor.

Morlock earned degrees at the Michigan State University School of Business in Marketing and Finance and a Masters in Economics at the University of Wisconsin. He obtained his law degree at the University of Maryland School of Law with emphases on Real Estate Law, Urban Planning and Development Law and Labor Law.

Before forging his successful real estate career, Morlock worked for two Baltimore City Mayors from 1970 to 1980, participating in the citys urban renaissance. He then joined the private sector in an executive position providing organizational planning support to Senior Management and the Board of Directors during the merger of the Chessie System and the Family Lines to form the CSX Railroad. He was later recruited to head recruitment and organizational planning for an international telecommunications organization, INTELSAT, in Washington D.C.

Later moving to Annapolis, Maryland, Morlock satisfied his passions for the water and real estate and began a real estate business in luxury waterfront sales. He set sales records for over 10 years in Maryland before moving to Florida to earn his Florida real estate broker's license.

Morlock founded and is Broker/Owner of Fidelity Real Estate, LLC with offices on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He has assembled a team of experts in financing, real estate law, insurance, property inspection and interior design to help make their clients' transactions smooth, enjoyable and problem free.

Morlock is among the most qualified and successful real estate professionals in the South Florida market and has represented and negotiated important real estate transactions for many notable clients. With his corporate executive and boardroom experience plus advanced degrees in business, economics and law, he offers his sophisticated buyers and sellers the counsel needed to make critical real estate decisions.

Morlock and his team of Realty Advisors pride themselves on their commitment. Their hallmarks are knowledge, integrity, service and success.

About Haute Residence:

Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and experienced real estate partners.

The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts.

HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end residential developments, celebrity real estate, and more.

Access all of this information and more by visiting: http://www.hauteresidence.com
Most funeral homes today include a photo slide show or video celebrating the life of the deceased with the services they provide. Thanks to the creativity of an inventor from San Marino, Calif., that presentation can now be revisited over and over again to keep those memories it reflects alive.

He developed the patent-pending MEMOIR VIDEO TOMBSTONE to provide an audiovisual display commemorating a departed loved one. As such, it brings comfort to family members and friends of the deceased and preserves historical data for future generations. Furthermore, it enhances visits to cemeteries because it helps visitors to grave sites recall memories of happier times. It also encourages family members and friends to pay their respects at graves more often. In addition, it is easy to operate, weather proof and affordably priced.

The inventors personal experience inspired the idea. While I was at a family gathering at a tombstone, he said, I thought it would be nice to be able to watch a video like a home movie about the deceased while visiting the grave.

The original design was submitted to the Los Angeles office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 16-LAX-820, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. - https://www.youtube.com/user/inventhelp
Susan Wilgus-Murphy, owner of Wilgus Insurance Agency We are involved in the community because we want to give back to those that support us and to help the community grow and get better. Past News Releases RSS

[Wilgus Insurance Agency, Inc is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Our goal is to continue to grow and serve the community with its changing needs, said Susan Wilgus-Murphy, owner of Wilgus Insurance Agency. Insurance is an ever-changing industry, so as an insurance agency we have to adapt and change as well in order to provide optimal service for our clients.

Wilgus Insurance Agency was founded in 1977. Today, the second-generation agency strives to be a sales organization with a focus on service excellence. Its staff is comprised of people who live in and care about the community, and are dedicated to providing the best possible service.

We are involved in the community because we want to give back to those that support us and to help the community grow and get better, added Susan.

Susan is on the board of directors for the Peninsula Regional Medical Center Foundation, a director for Hebron Savings Bank, and a director for the YMCA of the Chesapeake. She has also been a member of the Greater Salisbury Committee, which has been actively seeking sustainable solutions to Salisburys problems for nearly 50 years, for 30 years and has been a Junior Achievement volunteer.

About Wilgus Insurance Agency, Inc, Nationwide

Wilgus Insurance Agency offers auto, homeowners, life and business insurance products. The agency also offers insurance products in Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. For more information, please call (410) 742-8240, or visit http://www.wilgusinsurance.org. Wilgus Insurance Agency is located at 1203 Pemberton Drive, Salisbury, MD 21801.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Oppenheim Law Website

Oppenheim Law, a leading boutique Florida law firm located in Weston, Florida and serving South Florida since 1989, has launched a newly revamped website, http://www.Oppenheimlaw.com. The new website went live in October, and is more modern, comprehensive, and mobile-friendly.

At the heart of the redesigned website are images of knots, which serve as a metaphor for the work that Oppenheim Law has done, and continues to do for its clients and the legal community. According to firm co-founder and senior partner Roy Oppenheim, the knots represent the wide-ranging issues and challenges that the firm regularly tackles. Like knots, legal questions and problems need to be unraveled. At Oppenheim Law, we untangle the most complex of legal problems and issues for individuals and companies, says Oppenheim.

Oppenheim explains that the knot motif was conceived many years ago. Early on in the firms practice, I came up with the idea of using knots because when you think about it, knots need to be undone, and at the end of the day, that is exactly what we do; we figure things out, Oppenheim says. For instance, when the mortgage foreclosure crisis started almost ten years ago, it was not clear at the outset how to help people with their underwater mortgages. It was a knot unlike all the others, but we have unraveled it, over and over again.

The new website showcases Oppenheim Laws wide-ranging areas of practice, including business and commercial litigation, real estate development and transactions, foreclosure defense, and health law. It also highlights the firms practice of corporate law, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency law, as well as its outsourced in-house counsel, and international civil law notary services.

Oppenheim Laws diversified civil practice consists of 80+ years of collective experience. The firm has garnered the highest rating from the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory, the most respected directory of lawyers and law firms in the United States. The firm also commands, through attorney Roy Oppenheim, the highest rating of 10.0 from AVVO, which is the largest internet attorney directory service in the United States.

To learn more about Oppenheim Law, contact the firm at (954) 384-6114 or visit http://www.oppenheimlaw.com.

About Oppenheim Law

Since 1989, Oppenheim Law has been serving South Florida and has practice areas in real estate, corporate law, commercial litigation, and health care. Backed by 80+ years of collective legal experience, Oppenheim Law has Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and German speaking staff to serve its diverse clientele.
NFP, a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides employee benefits, property & casualty (P&C), retirement and individual private client solutions, today announced that it has acquired Financial Benefit Services, LLC (FBS). FBS will be rebranding to NFP by January 1, 2018.

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, FBS is a full-service benefits broker specializing in the implementation of sophisticated employee benefits strategies for middle-market and large employer groups. Principals of the firm Pat Dunn, Heidi OBrien, Bill Minturn and Armando DiFerdinando will join NFP as senior vice presidents and report to Ethan Foxman, Managing Director, NFP.

Were excited to welcome the entire FBS team to the NFP family, including their talented leadership group and sophisticated service team, said Foxman. The teams employee benefits expertise and client-centered approach will prove invaluable in enhancing NFPs employee benefits consulting capabilities to middle-market clients.

Pat Dunn commented, FBS possesses a breadth of strong client relationships in the Mid-Atlantic region, with rising national and international service offerings as well. Were thrilled to join NFP to extend benefits strategies to a growing portfolio of valued clients across the globe.

About NFP

At NFP Corp., our solutions and expertise are matched only by our personal commitment to each client's goals. Were a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides employee benefits, property & casualty, retirement and individual private client solutions through our licensed subsidiaries and affiliates.

NFP has more than 3,800 employees and global capabilities. Our expansive reach gives us access to highly rated insurers, vendors and financial institutions in the industry, while our locally based employees tailor each solution to meet our clients' needs. Weve become one of the largest insurance brokerage, consulting and wealth management firms by building enduring relationships with our clients and helping them realize their goals.

Recently NFP was ranked the 4th largest U.S.-based privately owned broker and the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue by Business Insurance, the 9th largest property & casualty agency by total 2016 P&C revenue by Insurance Journal, the 11th largest global insurance broker by Bests Review and the 12th largest broker of U.S. business by Business Insurance.

For more information, visit NFP.com.

CONTACT

Peppercomm for NFP

nfp(at)peppercomm.com

212-931-6171
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Saving money is notoriously harder than it seems. Things pop up  car repairs, wedding gifts, invitations to concerts  and suddenly our good intentions go straight out the window.

So if you're trying to save more and spend less, you'd do well to stop telling yourself how important it is for your future well-being. Instead, you've got to trick yourself.

"Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter" is a new book by Duke University behavioral economist Dan Ariely and lawyer-turned-comedian Jeff Kreisler. The authors outline several ways in which people tend to approach their finances irrationally, and offer a series of creative strategies for becoming better money managers.

Below, Business Insider has rounded up five of the simplest and most compelling insights from the book.

We don't consider where else our money could go

Scientists use the term "opportunity costs" to describe alternatives: If you spend money on one thing, you can't spend it on another. And if you take the time to think about all the things you're necessarily giving up when you spend a sum of money, you might be less inclined to spend it. It's not easy, but it works.

This advice goes back to what Jesse Mecham observes in his forthcoming book "You Need a Budget." If you earmark specific sums of money for specific needs  say, $100 a month for car trouble  you'll be less likely to dip into those funds than if you simply designate the money as a general "emergency fund."

We think of money as relative, not absolute

There's a hypothetical story in "Dollars and Sense" that illustrates perfectly how we justify certain expenses. Here's a summary:

You go to buy a pair of $60 sneakers and find out the same pair is on sale for $40 at a store five minutes away. Most people would travel five minutes to save the $20.

Then you go to buy patio furniture for $1,060 and find out the same set is on sale for $1,040 at a store five minutes away. In this case, most people would not travel five minutes to save the $20.

That's because we see every expenditure as relative  the first is a 33% savings and the second is a 1.9% savings, even though we're saving $20 in both cases.

The authors write: "When relativity comes into play, we can find ourselves making quick decisions about large purchases and slow decisions about small ones, all because we think about the percentage of total spending, not the actual amount."

We mistakenly think our possessions are worth as much to someone else

The "endowment effect" describes our tendency to overvalue the things we own.

The authors use another hypothetical story to explain how the endowment effect can work against us.

A couple is selling their longtime family home and thinks it's worth $1.3 million. The real estate suggests they list it at $1.1 million, noting that the house needs a lot of work. The sellers and the agent go back and forth about how much the house is really worth.

If the couple had held their ground and refused to list the house at the suggested price, they might never have sold it. Their emotional attachment to their home would have effectively blinded them to the home's objective value.

We value the past over the future

People often fall prey to the "sunk cost effect." As the authors write, "Once we've invested in something, we have a hard time giving up on that investment."

Consider the example the authors provide.

Imagine you're the CEO of a car company and you have a plan for a new car that will cost $100 million. You've already invested $90 million, and suddenly you learn that your competitor is nearly finished with a better car. Most people would spend the final $10 million anyway.

Now imagine the same scenario, except the total cost of development is just $10 million and you've only invested $1. In this case, most people would not spend the rest of the money.

In other words, we let our emotions  and our hopes and dreams for how the investment was supposed to pan out  cloud our judgment. But the authors write: "We should think about where we are now and what will happen going forward, not where we came from."

We decide on spending and saving in the moment, instead of in advance

The authors use the term "Ulysses contracts" to describe binding self-control agreements. (The term comes from "The Odyssey," in which Ulysses asked to have himself tied to the mast of the boat so he wouldn't be tempted by the Sirens' call.)

For example, enrolling in a 401(k) means that a set portion of your monthly income is automatically placed into your retirement account. If you've already set up your 401(k)  well done, you!  you're acknowledging the limits of your own self-control.

As the authors write, "We only have to overcome temptation once, rather than 12 times a year." And you can use the same strategy for college savings, health-care accounts, and any other kind of savings account.
Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen will be stepping down from the central bank's powerful board of governors after President Donald Trump refused to reappoint her to a second term as the central bank's first female leader.

Yellen is the first Fed chair in recent memory not to be reappointed by the president despite a solid four-year term. Trump announced earlier this month that he was replacing her with Fed governor and former Carlyle Group executive Jerome Powell.

Trump now has four remaining seats on the central bank's seven-member board to appoint. The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee may be on track for its biggest year of turnover since 1936.

The announcement ends some speculation  and for some, hope  that Yellen might stay on as a Fed board governor, which she was entitled to do under Fed rules.

"Yellen submitted her resignation Monday as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, effective upon the swearing in of her successor as Chair," the Fed said in a statement.

The Fed Up coalition, a group of community organizations who have pressured the central bank to pay more attention to low-income communities, bemoaned Yellen's loss in a statement.

"Janet Yellens retirement is a loss for working people across the country," Shawn Sebastain, the group's codirector, said in a statement.

"Yellen showed remarkable leadership and spoke out about economic inequality, racial disparities in the economy, the role of women in the workplace, and the need for more diversity at the Fed," he added, urging her to stay engaged in the public debate over the economy even after returning to private life.

Fed board governors have terms that can last up to 14 years. While few complete their terms, the appointments could have a long-lasting impact on an institution that plays a key role in US economic policy.

The Fed not only sets interest-rate policy for the worlds largest economy but also plays a dominant role in the regulation of big Wall Street banks.

With so much attention focused on the top job, Fed watchers have paid little mind to other potential nominees. But the shortlists are likely to be filled with many of the same names, including ex-Fed governor and Morgan Stanley banker Kevin Warsh, Stanford professor and former Treasury official John Taylor, and perhaps Glenn Hubbard, a Columbia University professor and a former adviser to President George W. Bush.
In 2007, the Airbus A380 entered service with great fanfare. The gargantuan jet, dubbed the superjumbo, was designed to take everything that made the Boeing 747 an icon and push it to the limits of modern engineering.

A decade later, things are very different for the A380. What was supposed to be a game-changing aircraft is now fighting to survive. With a price tag of $436 million, the A380 is one of the most expensive and lavish airplanes ever built. With room for as many as 800 passengers, the double-decker's sheer size means it's an occasion whenever a superjumbo arrives.

But in a cost-conscious market and with fluctuating fuel prices, the very attributes that made it stand out is also what may have doomed the plane. Some say the A380 came along two decades too late, while others believe with increasing airport congestion, the plane is actually ahead of its time.

Regardless, no one can deny the engineering marvel of the A380. Here's a look at the topsy-turvy history of the Airbus A380 superjumbo.

On April 27, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. local time, the first Airbus A380 prototype opened up the throttles of its four massive turbofan engines.

As the superjumbo took off from Airbus' facility in Toulouse, France, the largest commercial airliner around was actually flying.

But the A380's story starts decades earlier.

During the 1970s, Airbus and its A300B was the new kid in the world of commercial airliners.

It spent the decade trying to break into a market dominated by the Boeing 747 jumbo jet.

The 747's size, performance, and efficiency helped lower operating costs for airlines enough to make air travel affordable for the masses.

By the early 1990s, Airbus was in a much different position. Its A320, that helped pioneer civilian fly-by-wire technology, was well on its way to becoming the second best selling jetliner in history.

At the same time, the company unveiled its new A330...

...A340 family wide-body jets. Now, Airbus set its sights on a bigger target,...

...The Boeing 747-400. Airbus wanted to produce an aircraft even bigger than Boeing's jumbo jet and with lower operating costs.

The result was a double-decker concept called the A3XX.

The A3XX would eventually morph into the A380 superjumbo we know now.

The A380 is built in a 1.6 million square feet assembly plant at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.

At 239 feet long, 79 feet tall, and 262 feet from wing tip to wing tip  it's a big boy!

According to Airbus, in a typical four-class seating arrangement, the superjumbo can carry as many as 544 passengers, with a range of more than 9,400 miles.

Power for the A380 comes from of quartet of engines from Rolls-Royce or Engine Alliance.

The A380's flight crew operates from a state-of-the-art glass cockpit. Like all modern Airbus jets, the aircraft is flown using a side stick, with a fly-by-wire control system.

After its maiden flight, the A380 completed a flight test program before entering commercial service in 2007.

As an airliner, the A380 promised luxury and comfort on an unprecedented scale.

The Airbus delivered. Premium features such as walk-up bars, ...

.... Private lounges, and ...

... Bathrooms with showers set the superjumbo apart from its rivals.

And then there are the first class suites.

The even larger first class suites.

And finally there's Etihad's The Residence.

It's a 125 square foot flying home.

On October 15, 2007, Singapore Airlines took delivery of the first production A380. Soon, other global airlines such as ...

... Korean Air, ...

... Lufthansa, ...

... Qantas, ...

... British Airways, ...

... Malaysia Airlines, ...

... Thai Airways, ...

... Air France, ...

... Qatar, ...

... Asiana,...

... China Southern, and ...

... Etihad took delivery of the plane.

But no customer is more important than Shiekh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Emirates.

Of the 317 jets ordered, 142 have been by the Dubai-based carrier.

In fact, Emirates just celebrated its 100th A380. No other airline operates more than 19 of the double deckers.

Why does Emirates love the A380 so much, while most of the airlines in the world have stayed away?

Emirates is a long-haul-only international airline. All of its flights are routed into or out of its palatial hub in Dubai.

As a result, Emirates needs an aircraft that can carry a lot of passengers for very long distances. A perfect job for the A380.

But few airlines in the world use Emirates' strategy. These days, the trend in the industry is to offer direct flights using smaller long-range aircraft.

Instead of the hub-and-spoke route model, airlines have moved towards more point-to-point flying. This has allowed smaller, more efficient twin-jets like the Boeing 777 and ...

.... The Airbus A330 to become the dominant force in long-haul flying.

Smaller, next-generation composite wide-bodies like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers airlines more flexibility and less risk. According to Qantas CEO Alan, it costs less to operate two Dreamliners than it does to fly a single A380.

As a result, the A380 never developed into a true workhorse like the 747. Instead, it's been relegated to a niche aircraft economically feasible only on routes with heavy airport congestion.

Thus, new orders have been hard to come by. Making things worse, early production A380s will soon be coming off lease. This means Airbus will have to compete against its own second-hand planes.

The Boeing 747 is also struggling to survive with sales of its passenger version all but dried up. In fact, only the freighter version remains in production at a rate of just one plane every two months.

For years, Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark has pushed Airbus for a more cost-effective version of the plane with upgraded aerodynamics and new fuel-efficient engines called the A380neo.

Thus far, Airbus has been reluctant to invest the kind of money needed to develop a whole new version of the A380. But in 2017, Airbus did offer its customers moderately updated version of the plane called the A380 Plus with room for 80 more people and new winglets for better fuel economy. So far there have been no takers.

The future of the A380 remains murky. It's unclear if Airbus is willing to commit to the plane for another decade.

Unlike the Boeing 747, the A380 freighter never came to fruition. So it won't be able to subsist on sales of cargo planes while it waits for passenger plane sales to rebound.
Nigerian interior designer Ehi Ogbebor married her oil and gas tycoon partner Kenneth Oboku in an extremely lavish affair in Benin City, Nigeria on Saturday.

While the wedding appears to have come complete with a huge, multi-layer cake and a ritual that saw guests spray the newlyweds with money, the most extravagant features were easily the souvenirs given to guests.

The couple reportedly gave away two brand new Toyota cars in a raffle draw.

Congrats to the two lucky w... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

For those that weren't lucky enough to win a car in the raffle draw, other gifts were apparently handed out, including these microwave ovens.

I can't thank you all enou... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

Ogbebor is a mother of two and CEO of Sayaveth Interiors and Hotel.

... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

Meanwhile, Kenneth Oboku reportedly holds a senior position in Italian oil and gas company Saipem, according to The Nation. Some sites have even reported that he is a billionaire.

Ehi Ogbebor, the CEO of Say... @ moleblogspot

Their big day took place at the Esteem Event Centre in Benin City, Edo State at 2 p.m. on Saturday November 18.

24 hours to go.... And we s... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

The bride, along with plenty of other guests, shared photos of the lavish ceremony on Instagram with the hashtag #ehiken2017.

God bless you all my darlin... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

There was a very elaborate wedding cake with multiple tiers made by Lagos-based Doodles Cakes.

@doodlescake you got me mes... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

The wedding reportedly also involved the African tradition of "spraying" the newlywed bride and groom with dollar bills...

I had to be drinking water ... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel

...Leaving $100 notes everywhere.

I am overwhelmed with LOVE.... @ ceosayavethinteriors_and_hotel
A report from Politico this week, which found that the special counsel Robert Mueller is gearing up to interview the White House communications director, Hope Hicks, indicates that one of the many threads of the Russia investigation is probably moving into its final stages.

Hicks has long been one of President Donald Trump's most trusted advisers, and she was present during some events that are key to the special counsel's investigation.

Mueller's investigation includes multiple components. In addition to looking into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favor, the special counsel is also investigating Trump on suspicion of obstruction of justice related to his decision to fire James Comey as FBI director.

As part of that investigation, ABC News reported on Sunday, Mueller has asked the Department of Justice for all emails connected to Comey's firing.

Mueller has also requested documents related to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal from the Russia investigation. Sessions announced his recusal in March after it emerged that he had failed to disclose contacts with Sergey Kislyak, then Russia's ambassador to the US, in his Senate confirmation hearing in January.

Despite his recusal, Sessions played a prominent role in Comey's firing, as did Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Hicks was also a key presence during several critical moments leading up to Comey's dismissal.

Comey was spearheading the FBI's Russia investigation when he was terminated as FBI director in May. At first, the White House said he was fired because of his handling of the bureau's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct government business as secretary of state. But Trump later told NBC's Lester Holt that "this Russia thing" had been a factor in his decision.

The biggest challenge a prosecutor faces in an obstruction-of-justice case is proving corrupt intent, which is almost always difficult to establish. But Trump's public statements bashing Comey and the investigation, as well as a draft letter he put together with his adviser Stephen Miller in early May laying out his reasons for firing Comey, could work against him.

"The best way to prove someone's intent is through their own words and actions,"Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, told Business Insider in an earlier interview. "Here, you have a letter that was written by Miller, at the direction of the president, that contains what the president's thoughts were at that time."

Hicks was with Trump the weekend he and Miller drafted the letter. She was also with Trump in the Oval Office for a meeting on May 8, the day before Trump fired Comey. During the meeting, Trump described the letter that he and Miller had composed.

Though its full contents remain unclear, The Washington Post reported that it focused on what was perhaps Trump's greatest frustration with Comey: that the FBI director did not publicly announce, when he was leading the bureau's investigation, that Trump was not personally under investigation.

Muellers obstruction-of-justice case is probably coming to a close

Mueller's document requests to the DOJ and the fact that he is preparing to interview Hicks signal that he is close to concluding the obstruction-of-justice case he has been building against Trump.

"When you're interviewing people in a large-scale investigation like this, you generally start at the bottom and move towards the top," Mariotti said. "As you interview lower-level advisers, sometimes they give you information that makes you realize there are additional documents you need to obtain or interviews you need to conduct, before working your way up."

Adam Goldberg, who served as a White House lawyer in President Bill Clinton's administration, echoed that point.

"Any time you can get someone who is the right-hand person or who's been around the primary target of an investigation, under oath, answering detailed questions, means you've progressed very far along in the investigation," Goldberg told Politico.

Though the president's defense attorneys, like the White House lawyer Ty Cobb, have expressed confidence that the Russia investigation will conclude by as soon as the end of the calendar year, sources close to the investigation told The Washington Post on Sunday that they expected the investigation to continue deep into 2018 and possibly beyond that.

Mueller's team took over the FBI's investigation in May, when he was appointed special counsel following Comey's firing. Prosecutors have so far extracted a guilty plea from the former Trump campaign foreign-policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who was charged with one count of lying to federal agents about his contacts with people who claimed to be linked to the Russian government.

Hicks' testimony could be useful for other parts of the investigation as well. In addition to being privy to Trump's thoughts leading up to his decision to fire Comey, Hicks was also with the president on Air Force One when he "dictated" an initially misleading statement that his son Donald Trump Jr. issued in response to reports that he met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016.

The statement had to be amended several times after it emerged that Trump Jr. took the meeting when he was offered dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump."

Hicks was among the advisers who believed the White House should release a truthful statement that could not be repudiated if more details surfaced later, The Post reported. They were ultimately overruled, and the special counsel is now scrutinizing Trump's response to determine what he knew about the meeting and whether he acted to conceal its purpose.

She was also one of the campaign officials who was notified that Trump Jr. was in contact with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign.

"People shouldn't think of this investigation as one big indictment that's going to come out charging everyone who's involved," Mariotti said. "There are going to be pieces of it that come out bit by bit."
A report by Ghanacelebrities.com last week revealed the Cocoa Brown star has become a weed smoker and her family and fellow actors are very worried about her.

Ahuofe Patri smokes too much and everyone around her who really cares is now worried. She sometimes even becomes unstable and her mother who she takes care of is deeply distressed about this, the source told GhanaCelebrities.Com.

READ ALSO:Yvonne Nelson talks about how she hid her pregnancy from paparazzi

Another actress who has worked with Ahuofe Patri on a movie but prefers to remain anonymous confirmed to GhanaCelebrities.Com that, "indeed Ahuofe Patri smokes weed like helland that, most industry players who have worked with her are aware of the path she has taken".

It continued that she was badly influenced by Kwabena Kwabena, Afia Schwarzenegger, and songstress Efya.

Afia Schwarzenegger, actress and TV host denied influencing her to smoke weed in her Instagram post.

On Sunday, November 19, 2017, Ahoufe Patri shared a stunning photo of herself in a monochrome, showing off flawless skin captioned.

So this me on a Sunday. Filter kakra . Tried to tuck my tummy but looks like I need to try harder next time. What else? Feel free to judge away. Also, I would like you to know that Im still working on myself. My coverup is from @tanefabrics. Check her out. Cool stuff. Ok, have a lovely Sunday.
Mr. Mugabe has been the Zimbabwean president since 1980 and pressure is now mounting on him to resign after it became clear that he had wanted to position his 52-year-old Grace Mugabe to succeed him.

READ MORE: University students boycott exams until Robert Mugabe resigns

He sacked his vice president about two weeks ago for no tangible reason, and many have thought it was a clandestine move to deny his vice president the opportunity to succeed him as per the countrys political structure.

The military then took over the state in a bloodless coup, leading to calls on Mr. Mugabe to step down.

A grace period of up to 10 am Monday that was given the president by the ZANU-PF party on whose ticket Mr. Mugabe is a president has elapsed. The party has also initiated steps in the countrys parliament to impeach Mr. Mugabe.

While all those moves are underway, the citizens have decided to ask God to touch the heart of Mr. Mugabe to exit power peacefully.

The war veterans of the country have also hinted of protesting on Wednesday if Mr. Mugabe remains defiant.

According to Africafeeds.com, one of the organizers of the prayer event, Doug Coltart, and the organiser of #ThisFlag, campaign said We want Mugabe to step down. We want him to go peacefully.
He had been on police wanted list for some time following some of his robbery incidents which were captured on CCTV cameras, but his name was obviously missing from the footages.

READ MORE: MP resigns after he was caught having sex with a man in his office

However, police said they were taken aback when they saw him in the interview confidently mention his name as if he had nothing to fear.

The law enforcers then contacted the news reporter who interviewed Rivers and he was subsequently apprehended.
The Zimbabwean leader and renowned pan Africanist has been in the news for the past few days after he sacked his vice president who per the political structure of the country, was supposed to succeed the 93-year-old leader, and the subsequent bloodless coup by the countrys military.

Mr. Mugabe was highly expected to announce his resignation on Sunday when he delivered a speech, but to everybodys amazement, he did not make any mention of his decision, leaving the entire country in a state of suspense.

Reports making the rounds on social media suggest that students "locked up their lecturers in exam hall/venue refusing to write exams before Mugabe goes."
We are now all Christians. Why? Because Jesus came, was crucified and he was buried but he resurrected. When he resurrected, he gave all us of hope that we shall also resurrect, Mr Museveni told Christians at Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira Town on Saturday.
"A sad day for us all. I received the shocking news of the passing of KABA. My condolences to the family, MMG [Multimedia Group] and the media fraternity," he posted.

KABA, as he is passionately called by his admirers, petered out last Saturday, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, following a short illness.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a tweet said he is grieving with the family of the late broadcaster.

He expressed condolences to the family, lamenting that the news came as a shock to him.

Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, described KABAs departure as a "painful loss".

In a short tribute on Facebook, Dr Bawumia expressed shock over the sudden death of popular Ghanaian broadcaster host of late afternoon political show, 'Ekosii Sen.'

General Secretary of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, eulogising the late broadcaster, said KABA always pushed him to reveal secrets.

According to him, the late broadcaster had a unique way of making his guests reveal "hidden truths" to his audience.

"KABA always pushed me to reveal details I would have otherwise not done in interviewshe always pushed us to reveal serious details," he said.
The app, known as Flash Flood Forecaster uses satellite data and a new generation of flood-modelling techniques to accurately predict the area and extent of possible flooding some hours before they occur, allowing residents to take appropriate actions.

President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), Mrs Carlien Bou-Chedid, said the app was a good early warning system.

Delivering the 48th presidential address in Accra, she said "Urbanisation tends to increase the proportion of impervious areas and, thus the likelihood of flooding, especially when urbanisation is unplanned and there are inadequate or non-existent drainage systems.

"In Ghana, the problems are often compounded by poor waste management practices, leading to the few drains being blocked by waste."

READ ALSO: EPA shuts down four filling stations in Accra

She said activities that led to flooding from rainfall in the country included poor land use planning and control, encroachment on waterways and flood plains, undersized drains, debris and silt in drains and buildings in waterways.

Graphiconline reports poor drainage system and a poor waste management challenge leads to residents turning drains into refuse dumps.

The app can be downloaded from Google play store.

Accra noted for floods

According to her, Accra, which is sited on a low-lying area, experiences flooding annually mainly because of the haphazard construction of houses, especially on water courses, the poor drainage system.

The heaviest rain ever recorded in the city fell in June 1959, when a volume of 7.56 inches was registered, according to reports.

The rain nearly brought normal life in the city to a standstill, with offices and shops closed and schoolchildren.

July 5, 1995Flood havocRains which started at midnight caused flooding by morning in low areas of the Accra metropolis. The flood not only affected commuters and vehicles but also the Achimota VRA substation, resulting in power cuts.

June 13, 1997Accra floodsHours of intermittent downpour for two days in Accra caused floods which threatened to cut communication in various parts of the city. Some roads in the metropolis were affected, making it difficult for motorists to ply them.

Major rivers such as the Odaw and Onyasia appeared on the brink of breaking their banks, forcing some residents to desert their homes for higher and safer grounds.

The water in these rivers rose steadily when the rain started about 3 p.m., raising fears of a possible flood disaster as happened on July 4, 1995 and claimed lives and property.

June 28, 2001Floods Again

It is the worst in Accra since July 4, 1995. An early morning downpour submerged portions of the city, with many houses and structures at Madina, Achimota, Dzorwulu, Avenor, Santa Maria and Adabraka Official Town being affected. Residents of the affected areas who were trapped by the flood waters had to climb to safety on trees and rooftops until they were rescued or the flood waters subsided.

May 5, 2010

Rains caused havoc in Central Accra, Ofankor and other parts of Accra.

The countrys capital citys vulnerability to floods manifested when parts of the city and its streets were deeply submerged in water after two hours of stormy rains.

June 22, 2010Nations worst flood disaster, death toll 35

Thirty-five bodies were retrieved from flood waters across the country by volunteers and rescue workers who described the havoc after the rains as the worst flood disaster in Ghanas recent history.

February 24, 2011Heavy rains cause havoc in Accra

A downpour wreaked extensive havoc on property in most parts of Accra and some of its surrounding communities.

The property of residents of areas such as Adabraka, Kisseman, Alajo Junction, A-Lang at Santa Maria, Oyarifa, Haatso, Adenta and the Tema Timber Market were either submerged or washed away.

According to an official of the Meteorological Services Agency, Ms Felicity Ahasianyo, the rainfall, which began from 9.30 p.m. to almost 3 a.m., measured 71.5 mm, which she described as quite heavy.

November 1, 201143,000 displaced by Accra floods...14 deaths recorded

The death toll in Accra rose to 14, while 43,087 people were said to have been affected by the downpour, officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said.

May 31, 2013Downpour causes floods in AccraHeavy rains caused flooding in some parts of Accra. The rains, which started in some areas around 4.30 a.m., flooded areas such as the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Darkuman Kokompe, the Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and portions of the Graphic Road, Santa Maria and the Dansoman Roundabout.

June 6, 2014Deluge hits AccraAccras poor planning was exposed when a deluge hit the national capital after more than10 hours of downpour.

The heavy rains caused flooding in the city and its environs, including Adabraka, Awoshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Mallam, North Kaneshie, Abeka, Dansoman and Odorkor.

July 4, 2014

Heavy rains leave havoc in trailHeavy rains resulted in havoc, with the worst hit areas in Accra such as Anyaa, Taifa, Dome, Nii Boi Town, Dansoman, some parts of Kaneshie, Adabraka, Awoshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Mallam, Abeka, Dansoman and Odorkor submerged.

June 3, 2015

Twin disaster

Ghana experienced its worst disaster in the countrys history. Tagged as the June 3 twin disaster.
According to Accra-based Citi FM, the alleged culprit Monica Derry had a quarrel with the deceased who is her boyfriend Emmanuel Asante.

Emmanuel Asante was a second-year building and construction student at the Takoradi Technical Institute.

READ ALSO: Police launch urgent hunt for 6 Major Mahama killers

The two had a quarrel on Saturday night, November 18, at Fijai in the Western Region around 8:30 pm.

As the argument got heated the girlfriend reportedly pulled a kitchen knife and stabbed him.

The deceased was pronounced dead shortly on arrival at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.

The father of the deceased, Osei Kojo, who spoke to Accra-based Citi FM, said he was against the romantic relationship between the two.

He said this was because he believed the two were too young and needed to focus on their education.

According to the father, when news got to him that his first son had been stabbed, he could not believe it, because to the best of his knowledge, he had called off the relationship between the two.
He is said to have died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra when he rushed there after his blood sugar level shot up.

After hearing news of his death, many Ghanaians who are in shock and dismay have taken to various social media platforms to share their grief and extend their heartfelt condolences to his wife and family.

According to sources close to the radio journalist, KABA reported to work last week but complained of uneasiness due to an illness.

He was then told to return home due to his inability to work on that day.
In statement signed by GJA General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, the umbrella body for Ghanaian journalists said KABAs death was big blow.

"Indeed, the death of KABA is a big blow to the Multimedia Group, the GJA and Ghana as a whole. It is in such sense of irredeemable loss that the GJA expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, especially his wife, Valentina Ofori Afriyie and little daughter, Nana Yaa, as well as the entire Multimedia family," he said.

The statement, issued on Sunday in Accra said he has paid his dues to journalism in Ghana and served his country well.

The GJA believes his death is only divine. And so in this grieving moment, and in utmost solemnity and sobriety, the GJA calls on all friends, families and loved ones to reflect on the good works of KABA in order to take a cue from them, rather than allow the pain of loss to overwhelm their thoughts and utterances," it further noted.

KABA died Saturday morning at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital aged 37.
The passionate Juliet Ibrahim is the founder of the Juliet Ibrahim Foundation; a non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on creating awareness on diseases such as autism and other diseases at large. She was recently named an ambassador of autism in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Run Energy Drink to treat Ghanaians to a free concert

The company treated autistic children with the vision of being models to a special photo shoot on Saturday 18, Nov 2017.

Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder, which usually affects children at the early stages and presents among other things, great communication and emotional challenges for them.

Speaking at the event Juliet Ibrahim said it is imperative for Ghanaians to be educated about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to stop the stigmatisation that is usually associated with autism".

It is sad that in Ghana, some people attribute autism to witchcraft, and in the process, ostracise the affected persons instead of providing an enabling environment for them to be able to gain crucial therapy which will give them the independence to assimilate into conventional society, she added.

READ ALSO: Twellium Industrial Company honour Asamoah Gyan with new product

Naa Ashokor also raised concerns about the need to care for one another.

Other celebrities and models who graced the occasion to support the course include Deborah Vanessa, Afi Antonio, Anita Akuffo, Victoria Lebene and Charlotte Debrah.

The highly successful event also saw the re-branding of the bottle of Verna drinking water to a more stylish one.

Twellium Industrial Company Ghana Limited also have a foundation to manage social projects aimed at enhancing lives of the poor and disadvantaged in society.

Key areas the manufacturers of Rush Energy Drink,Run,Verna bottled water among others would focus on include; health, scholarships for brilliant but needy students for pupils across the 10 regions of Ghana as well as business development for rural women.

Twellium Industrial Company begun operation in Ghana on February 28 2014. Twellium is a proudly Ghanaian registered producing company with a multinational management team.

READ ALSO: Otumfuo Osei Tutu shows support for Verna Changing Lives at Kumasi launch

It brings to the Ghanaian market beverages that have been on the American and European markets for over 30 years as a franchise from the Monarch Beverage Company of Atlanta, USA.

The company has the franchise to produce and market the products in the West African Sub-region.
According to reports, Yusuf Danjumah and three members of the partys regional communicators were suspended by the Northern Regional Communication Directorate of the NPP for taking sides in the school feeding programme in the region.

READ MORE: Confusion hits NPP as former Chairman slaps Bugri Naabu

His suspension came after he was invited to meet a committee to answer questions on why he took it upon himself to organize a meeting for communicators without informing the communication directorate.

Yusuf Danjumah, organised a meeting with some communicators in the region to find a lasting solution to the stand-off that surrounds the school feeding program in the Northern region.

The suspended communicator is said to be faithful supporter of the Minister of Gender and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, who has been on the wrong books of the Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu.
I believe, nevertheless, that this crisis offers a unique opening for democratic renewal based on the freely expressed will of the people of Zimbabwe. They must be a full partner in the resolution of this profound crisis. The enthusiastic crowds who marched in the streets of Zimbabwes major cities on the weekend were demanding freedom, not just a change of leadership, Mr Annan said in a statement.

According to him, the general elections in Zimbabwe which are already scheduled for 2018 will give voters the chance to choose their leaders in a manner that confers full legitimacy on the winning candidate.

That vital goal will only be achieved by safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. This requires that all political parties and candidates are allowed to campaign openly and freely without intimidation, that the media is permitted to provide impartial coverage of the elections and the Zimbabwe voters are empowered and encouraged to vote for whomever they wish without fear or favour.

READ ALSO: AU calls for calm in Zimbabwe

We have seen how other African countries have suffered grave disappointments and violent setbacks during periods of political transition. I therefore urge the leadership of Zimbabwe  political and military - to promote and facilitate a transition to genuine democracy.
"The EEAS (European External Action Service), the European Commission and the EU Delegation in Kabul... became aware of these allegations end of August," an EU spokesman told AFP.

He said they "immediately informed the European Anti-Fraud Office on the alleged fraudulent activities referred to by the press".

The possession and consumption of alcohol by Afghans is prohibited in the majority-Muslim country but bootleggers can be found throughout the city.

Diplomatic missions and international organisations in Afghanistan are allowed to import alcohol for their foreign staff only.

OLAF is assessing the claims before deciding whether to launch an investigation, the spokesman said.

"The European External Action Service and the European Commission take any allegations of wrongdoing extremely seriously."
According to The Guardian, The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued a statement saying: Inmate Charles Manson, 83, died of natural causes at 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, November 19, 2017, at a Kern County hospital.

Reports say though Manson did not kill anyone himself, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 1971.

He was accused of allegedly masterminding the killing of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and six others in two attacks in 1969, The Guardian reports.

His death sentence was however converted to a life sentence, following the Californias ban on the death penalty.
Celebrating the event in Rome at a mass attended by about 7,000 poor people at St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope urged people not to ignore poverty by believing that "it's not my business, it's the fault of society".

"We have the talents, we are talented in the eyes of God. Consequently, no one can think that he or she is useless, so poor as to be incapable of giving something to others," he said.

He added that a lifetime of "doing nothing wrong isn't enough. Because God isn't an inspector looking for unstamped tickets".

To mark the day, Francis had lunch with about 1,500 destitute people inside the immense Paul VI Hall, which adjoins the Vatican Basilica and usually hosts papal audiences and conferences, while another 2,500 were fed elsewhere.

"I'm not ashamed to be poor, I'm even proud of it when I see the solidarity and generosity that I saw today, with all those arms stretching out to take care of our little ones," said Maria Lorena, who has nine children, and was among the guests.

"We are materially poor but rich in our faith and dignity," she added.

A chef in charge of official Vatican meals prepared the meals including gnocchi, veal bites with vegetables and tiramisu.

"I am happy seeing all these people here but we must not just help them for a day, but throughout the year," said Francesco, in his 50s, from Sardinia.

"A day like this gives a little hope, we hope for good things for the future."

The guests came from Italy, but also from France, Poland, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, with similar initiatives held in other dioceses across Italy and elsewhere in the world.
Myanmar's civilian leader has been facing mounting global outrage over an army crackdown that has driven an estimated 620,000 Rohingya Muslims from the mainly Buddhist country's western state of Rakhine and into Bangladesh.

Myanmar's military insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels following deadly attacks on police posts in late August.

But refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have given chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces.

Mogherini said the delegation's two-day visit to Yangon and meeting with Suu Kyi offered a chance to talk.

"That will be also an occasion to exchange views with Aung San Suu Kyi and the government of Myanmar (about) how to solve this crisis," she told reporters in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar border district.

"(Rather) than putting pressure, our approach is always and will be to offer a negotiation space."

She said the Rohingya living in squalid camps in Bangladesh were "carrying with them terrible stories".

"As a mother, seeing so many very young children taking care of even younger children is what strikes me the most," she added.

The EU diplomatic chief toured the refugee camps with the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden and Germany before the delegation's visit to Myanmar for an Asia-Europe (ASEM) ministerial meeting there on Monday and Tuesday.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are tussling over the details.

Dhaka has stepped up efforts to pressure Myanmar diplomatically into taking back the Rohingya, hosting not just Mogherini and the foreign ministers but a US Congressional delegation and China's top envoy since Saturday.

Bangladesh, which already accommodated more than 200,000 Rohingya before the current exodus, is keen to enlist help from China, a staunch ally of Myanmar, in arranging for the refugees' return.

Mogherini said it was vital to support repatriation efforts.
Buy stocks. Enjoy improving earnings growth. Profit. Rinse, repeat.

That's basically Brian Belski's 2018 outlook in a nutshell. If it sounds familiar, that's because it's largely the same view the BMO Capital Markets chief investment officer put forth a year ago. Except this time, profit expansion is supposed to be even better.

That's emboldened Belski to slap a 2018 year-end price target of 2,950 onto the S&P 500  a roughly 14% surge from current levels  making him the most bullish strategist on Wall Street.

"We believe there is no reason to expect that a dramatic reversal in longer-term fundamentals is imminent,"Rather, the slope of our long standing secular bull market call remains positive."

What's more, BMO's earnings growth forecast doesn't factor in any expectations for tax reform. Although the passage of a GOP tax plan is frequently cited as something that could underpin further gains in the stock market, Belski sees the S&P 500 standing on its own two legs even without it.

Still, progress on the tax front certainly couldn't hurt. Belski has an even more optimistic "bull case" scenario that calls for the S&P 500 to end 2018 at 3,250, spurred by corporate reinvestment and an acceleration in consumer spending. A lower corporate rate and a one-time repatriation tax holiday  both of which are expected to be part of a successful tax plan  could ultimately drive that reinvestment.

Belski also highlights an interesting wrinkle to the 8 1/2-year bull rally, which is that investors haven't trusted its stability throughout basically its entire run. He thinks it's time to shed those negative thoughts and embrace the positive factors leading the market higher.

"Investors have been climbing the wall of worry for nine years and counting," said Belski. "Doubt, fear and rushes to judgment have been trying to diagnose the end of the bull market since it began. We believe it is time to accept fundamentals and turn off the rhetoric."
According to the report released on November 20, 2017, in Dakar, Senegal, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation highlighted that Nigeria has shown a significant improvement in the last five years. More so, the 35th position for 2017 is a rank better than its position in 2016 (36th).

Over the last ten years, 40 African countries have improved in Overall Governance. In the last five years, 18 of these  a third of the continents countries and home to 58% of African citizens  including Cote dIvoire, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal, have even managed to accelerate their progress. In 2016, the continent achieved its highest Overall Governance score to date (50.8 out of 100.0), the report says.

Mauritius was ranked the best country on governance index in the continent. It scored 81.4 percent in the overall governance index. Seychelles (73.4), Botswana (72.7), Cabo Verde (72.2) and Namibia (71.2) joined Mauritius in the first five top countries in the index.

Of the 40 countries that improved in Overall Governance in the last ten years, 18 are picking up pace over the last five years. In the last five years, their annual average increase in score is greater than that of the last ten years. This includes only four of the top ten highest scoring countries in Overall Governance in 2016: Seychelles (2nd), Namibia (5th), Tunisia (7th) and Senegal (10th).

Nigeria achieves its highest category score in Participation & Human Rights (52.5), and its lowest category score in Sustainable Economic Opportunity (42.3). Also, the country achieved more in the sub-category score of Rule of Law (63.1), and its lowest sub-category score was Accountability (32.7).

The foundation expressed optimism about the increasing number of strong institutions, and more governments in Africa have started paying attention to key dimensions of good governance.
Glenn Thrush, a prominent White House correspondent for The New York Times, has been suspended and is facing an investigation after four women accused him of sexual misconduct in a Vox report published Monday.

Laura McGann, the author of Vox's article, said Thrush put his hand on her thigh and suddenly started kissing her when the two were at a bar in Washington, DC, five years ago. At the time, both worked for Politico.

McGann said she rejected his advances and left the bar. She said a male Politico colleague recently told her about a conversation he had with Thrush the next day in which Thrush said McGann had come onto him at the bar and that he had "gently shut it down."

The colleague told McGann, she said, that Thrush often told that same story with different female colleagues as the subject and that Thrush painted himself as the "grown-up" who stopped things from escalating.

Thrush told Vox in a statement that the encounter with McGann was "consensual, brief, and ended by" him.

Another woman who also worked at Politico told Vox that sometime in late 2012 or early 2013, she and Thrush ended up at her home after they'd had a lot to drink.

The woman said that Thrush abruptly left when she rejected his advances and, at one point, told him, "Wait, you're married."

"I remember that by the time he left, I didn't have much clothes on," the woman said, adding that she does not feel as though Thrush pressured her into anything.

One of the woman's friends told Vox that "she kept reemphasizing that they were both really drunk, that it was consensual."

"And she did not believe it was an assault," the woman's friend said. "But I do remember she was very rattled and upset and ashamed of what she saw as her role in it."

A third woman told Vox that she had an awkward encounter with Thrush at a Politico party in 2013. Thrush went up to talk to her, the woman said, and then gave her a wet kiss on her ear.

"It all happened very quickly, and he leaned in very quickly" the woman recalled. "At the time, I remember thinking ... adults sometimes kiss each other on the cheek. Then sometimes they miss and slobber on your ear. It was my way of thinking this wasn't as weird as I thought."

A fourth woman told Vox that she was left in tears one night in June after rebuffing Thrush's advances.

She said she and Thrush were at a bar when he suggested they leave and go to another. The woman then texted two of her friends and said she was "nervous about this Glenn situation," Vox reported, citing screenshots of the messages.

Her friends told her to take an Uber home, but the woman left the bar with Thrush after he suggested they get some fresh air, she told Vox.

Once they were outside, the woman said, Thrush tried to hold her hand several times as she kept pulling away. She also recalled that she panicked when Thrush kissed her but that it was interrupted when one of her friends, a journalist named Bianca Padro Ocasio, called her to check up on her.

The woman then called an Uber, and Thrush started kissing her again while she waited, she said. When she started crying, he walked away "waving his hand flippantly," the Vox report said.

I dont lure anybody ever

Padro Ocasio contacted Thrush afterward to confront him about his behavior, screenshots she provided to Vox show.

"I want to make sure you don't lure young aspiring women journalists into those situations ever again," she texted him, according to the screenshots. "So help me out here. How can I do that?"

"I don't lure anybody ever," Thrush responded, the screenshots show. "I got drunk because I got some shitty health news. And I am acutely aware of the hurdles that young women face in this business and have spent the better part of 20 years advocating for women journalists."

According to the screenshots, he added that he needed to "be more understanding of the power dynamics in casual situations" because he wasn't "25 and just starting out anymore." He also said that he felt "like a jerk" and that he would make it up to Padro Ocasio's friend.

"I feel really strongly about not creating a toxic environment," he wrote, the screenshots show.

Before speaking to Padro Ocasio, Thrush sent the woman an email apologizing for his actions, the Vox report says. The woman told the news outlet that she accepted his apology because she felt pressured to remain on good terms with Thrush, given his reputation in Washington media circles.

In a statement to Vox on Sunday, Thrush apologized to "any woman who felt uncomfortable in my presence, and for any situation where I behaved inappropriately."

"Any behavior that makes a woman feel disrespected or uncomfortable is unacceptable," he said.

He said the incident with the woman in June was a "life-changing event" for which he was "deeply sorry." He added that he had been to counseling and was seeking treatment for alcoholism.

The Times said in a statement to Vox that the allegations against Thrush were "very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times."

"We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended," the statement said. "We support his decision to enter a substance abuse program. In the meantime, we will not be commenting further."

Politico CEO Patrick Steel called the allegations "serious and disturbing" and said the kind of behavior described in the Vox report was unacceptable and "will not be tolerated, period," at Politico.
In just two weeks, Republicans in the House were able to introduce their massive tax bill, get it through the tax-writing committee, and pass it through the full chamber.

Similarly, the Senate has moved its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act out of the Finance Committee just a week after its introduction.

The unusual speed of this legislative push is raising expectations among analysts and Wall Street economists for the bill's chances of passing. It is also creating distinct fault lines on Capitol Hill.

Republicans say that the speed is the culmination of years of effort and is necessary to ensure tax cuts come as quickly as possible. Democrats argue that the speed is being pursued by the GOP to get a legislative win on a bill they believe doesn't meet muster.

Need for speed

The simplest explanation for the GOP's speed on the legislation: Republicans have promised to get it done by the end of the year. President Donald Trump has been adamant that the bill be on his desk "by Christmas." Republicans are following a pace that meets that self-imposed deadline.

Chris Krueger, an analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group, said the sudden speed of the tax bill also had a political necessity: Republicans need a win. After a series of electoral missteps and concerns over the special Senate election in Alabama, the party  and Trump  needs a victory it can point to ahead of the 2018 midterms.

Writing in a note to clients, Krueger said that since the Alabama Senate chaos and the recent Democratic electoral gains in Virginia and New Jersey, congressional Republicans were "in a full-blown hurry-up offense" he said was characterized by "no amendments, closed rules, rigid party discipline, and very little understanding of the legislation."

Things are looking up for the tax bill

The fast-track effort and its relative success over the past few weeks have analysts starting to believe the GOP can get a tax bill to Trump's desk.

Alec Phillips, a political economist at Goldman Sachs, recently raised his chances of a tax bill passing soon because of how quickly the bill had advanced through the House and Senate committees.

"The tax reform debate is moving forward faster than we or most other observers expected," Phillips wrote Tuesday. "While there are a number of issues that could still slow it down, or stop it altogether, we believe the odds that tax reform will be enacted by early 2018  already our base case  have risen to 80% (from 65% previously)."

Krueger echoed that sentiment, saying the speed and relative ease with which the legislation had moved left the GOP in a better position.

"The tax process is much further down field than we ever anticipated  particularly on the Senate-side," the analyst said. "This has probably been the best 10-day policy stretch for Congressional Republicans all year."

Fast track or years in the making?

Democrats have complained throughout the markups in both the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees that they were not allowed enough time to study the bill and the potential impact of various provisions.

"Reforming the entire tax code in a matter of weeks is insanity," a senior Democratic aide told Business Insider on Wednesday. "Today in the Finance Committee, Democrats are considering a bill that was released last night. Last night. Tomorrow, the Committee will vote yes or no, less than 48 hours after the bill came out."

While Democrats have grumbled about the lack of hearings, Republicans have argued that the bill has emerged from years of hearings on various proposed changes to the tax code.

"These policies have been debated and vetted for quite some time now," a GOP aide told Business Insider. "The current effort in Congress is simply taking the groundwork that was laid and turning it into action."

Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch and other GOP leaders have pointed to numerous hearings on general tax proposals that studied how various types of cuts would affect the economy. Democrats note that those hearings did not pertain to the particular legislation at hand.

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said Democratic objections were mostly designed to slow down the pace of the bill and delay any tax reform until 2018.

"Of course it's an attempt to delay tax relief for next year," Stewart told Business Insider. "If 70 hearings aren't enough, I'm not sure what to say."

Comparisons to Obamacare and the Reagan tax cuts

But to Democrats, the speedy process stands in direct contrast to tax cuts enacted under President Ronald Reagan. Republicans point to the age of that 1986 legislation  the most recent major overhaul of the federal tax code  as a reason new reforms need to be enacted. But Democrats say today's process in nothing like those negotiations.

"President Reagan's 1986 reform took two years, but Republicans know that their bill can't withstand that much public scrutiny so theyve got to rush it though," one senior Democratic aide said.

Republicans say their tactics on tax reform are at the very least no worse than the debate over the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which passed through a Democratic-controlled Congress in 2010.

"We've heard criticisms from a former majority in this very room moved through the Affordable Care Act and then Speaker Pelosi said, 'This is the bill we have to pass so you know what's in it,'" GOP Rep. Peter Roskam said during the markup of the tax bill in the Ways and Means Committee. "So the sanctimonious, self-righteous, retroactive nostalgia about process, I think we can dismiss."

Democrats counter that the ACA was debated for more than three months after the initial text of the legislation was released before it got its first House vote, and amendments offered by Republicans were added to the bill.

A Senate slowdown

It appears that the only thing that could slow down the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's progress is the Republican Party itself. Based on recent developments in the Senate, that could happen.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin came out Wednesday as the first party member to publicly defect on the tax bill. At least five other members have concerns on various aspects of the bill.

Trying to address all of these concerns while still ensuring that the bill qualifies under Senate rules could be difficult, particularly because one of Johnson's major concerns was the speed of the process.

"I don't like that process," Johnson told The Wall Street Journal. "I find it pretty offensive, personally."

Slowing the bill down, even a little, to satisfy some members could hamper its chances, given the looming deadlines ahead for Congress over government funding, immigration legislation, and more.
LONDON  Theresa May is today set to receive the backing of senior members of her Cabinet to make a financial offer of 40 billion to the European Union in an attempt to break the deadlock in Brexit negotiations.

The prime minister will lay out plans at a meeting of her Brexit Cabinet committee to add around 20 billion to the 20 billion she offered in her Florence speech in September, the Times reports. The EU is thought to estimate Britain's financial obligations at around 53 billion.

May's full cabinet will then rubber-stamp the decision on Wednesday, before it is made formally to

Last week it was reported that Cabinet Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox were unhappy with the financial offer being doubled because they believed Britain would be handing over large amounts of taxpayers' money without knowing what the EU would offer in return, specifically in regards to future trade arrangements.

However, the Cabinet's leading Brexiteers are now ready to sign up to the increased financial offer, or "divorce bill" as it's sometimes known, as long as there is a "greater degree of clarity over how the EU was going to respond to it," a government source told The Times.

The source added that Johnson and co are keen for a "mutually agreed plan for what happens in the next phase of the talks."

The UK government is determined for Brexit negotiations to move onto the next phase before New Year so both sides have as much time as possible to discuss future trade arrangements and a possible transition deal.

However, the EU has been insistent that talks cannot move on until "sufficient progress" is made on citizens' rights, the Irish border, and the size of Britain's financial settlement.

A former senior EU official has told Business Insider that figures in Brussels expected the British side to make a formal proposal on the so-called divorce bill immediately following May Florence warmly-received speech, and were shocked when a proposal did not follow.

Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested on Sunday that Britain was on the brink of making an offer that could be the key to unlocking talks.

"Were now, I think, on the brink of making some serious movement forward... and starting to unlock that logjam so that people can start to see clarity about the future," Hammond told the BBC's Andrew Marr.

Any acceptance of a significantly increased Brexit bill would mark a significant surrender by hardline Brexiteers in the Conservative party. The foreign secretary Boris Johnson said in July that the EU could "go whistle" if they expected Britain to pay up.
That means it's gobbler season at Wawa.

For everyone who doesn't live in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, Wawa is a beloved East Coast convenience store chain. And the gobbler is pretty much the sandwich version of a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

I attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, which is conveniently located right next to a cheery, 24/7 Wawa. I've spent many a night making delicious but poor nutritional decisions in said Wawa, but I'd never sampled this particular sandwich.

I decided to change that during a recent trip down to Williamsburg.

Here's what I thought of the turkey gobbler:

The cost of the sandwich came to $5.19. On the store's touch screen menu, I selected a smaller "Shorti" roll. I also requested that the sandwich be toasted.

Next, I wandered around trying to find a spot where I could eat the hefty sandwich without looking too much like a dazed, hungover casualty of William and Mary's homecoming celebrations. I ended up hunkering down at a deserted picnic table with two jolly jack-o-lanterns.

On first glance, the gobbler looks like a lot to handle. I was worried it'd be too rich for my taste. Plus, I had already eaten pancakes for breakfast, so I was reluctant to chow down on anything too heavy.

I was pleasantly surprised, though. The gobbler wasn't quite what I expected.

The four main components of the sandwich  fresh-tasting cranberry sauce, savory gravy, spicy stuffing, thick turkey slices, and sweet wheat bread  balanced out each other nicely.

I was shocked how much I liked the cranberry sauce, in particular. I don't even touch the stuff on Thanksgiving, but the unexpected sweetness complimented the taste of the stuffing and turkey. Plus, it wasn't sugary, red paste. There were actually whole cranberries in this sandwich.

If I had one quibble, eating the gobbler was a bit of a messy process. The gravy dripped everywhere  although that was probably compounded by the fact I was trying to eat and photograph the food at the same time.

Otherwise, however, the gobbler was a great seasonal meal. I particularly loved how the turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy didn't taste like someone had just thrown everything but the kitchen sink into the sandwich  the flavors all really complimented one another.
Obiagwu who is said to be protesting against victimisation teachers at the University of Abuja Secondary School'' said the university is owing him 11 months salary.

Stating other reasons for going on hunger strike, impunity and insensitivity, emotional stabbing of teachers and students, silencing of unions'' are UNIABUJA management's attempt to cripple him.

ALSO READ:

The teacher who started his self-imposed hunger strike campaign on November 13 and ended November 17 was seen in a bush with a placard stating the reason for his action.

The teacher also refused to talk to people as he used a white handkerchief to gag himself.
According to blogger, Linda Ikeji, a guy named Joel, said to be Burnaboy's road manager, was the last person to leave Mr 2Kay's hotel room. Pulse reached out to Burna Boy's Publicist,who confirmed that he was invited by the police.

"Yes he has been invited, but very nicely, there was a letter to that effect, no questioning, no arrested", she said told Pulse.

Linda Ikeji later released a screen shot of a chat conversation between Mr. 2kay and Burna Boy where the dancehall threatened to deal with Mr. 2kay over his comments on his tweet about beating up pastors. The convo between the two acts allegedly happened 10 days before the Eko Hotel robbery.

ALSO READ:

In a sudden twist of events, the Nigerian Police Force has reportedly declared Burna Boy wanted for questioning over the robbery of Mr. 2Kay at Eko Hotel. This new piece of information contradicts what Mr. 2Kay's manager had earlier said about Burna Boy's whereabouts.

"Four armed robbers carried out the attack and detectives were able to arrest one of their girlfriends who is identified as '' which led to the capture of the others. During interrogation, the robbers confessed that they were hired by Burna Boy through his manager, who was arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State.

ALSO READ: Mr 2Kay speaks on Eko Hotel robbery

"They confessed to receiving a part payment of 50,000 Naira before the job and another 50,000 was paid to the robbers directly by Burna Boy when the job was done. At the moment, efforts to apprehend Burna Boy is proving futile but we count on him to make himself available for questioning immediately" said Lagos State Police commissioner, Edgal Imohimi reportedly said in a press conference today, Monday, November 20, 2017.

Pulse reached out to the Lagos state police command for clarification but the Public Relations Officer was not available for comments.

Burna Boy's manager Joel Kantiock did not respond to any of our messages to comment on this story. We also reached out to Buki HQ about the police declaring Burna Boy wanted and she gave up no new information.

Tonye Ibiama of CEO of Grafton Records, 2Kay's record label confirmed to Pulse that Burna Boy was called for questioning yesterday but he did not honour the invitation and that's why he is now wanted.

It would be recalled that on October 22, 2017, Mr. 2kay was robbed and assaulted in his hotel room at the Eko Hotel and Suites after the Buckwyld 'n' Breathless concert where he also performed.

After the incident, PR consultant, Sakpaide Ogaga, said Mr 2Kay was in the room with a friend and struggled with one of the robbers, as the others punched and hit him with a gun, repeatedly warning that they will shoot if he didn't calm down.

The Duty Manager of the Eko Hotels & Suites who gave her name as just Funmi told Pulse back in October that the incident was under investigation by the police.

"Since yesterday, the police and the security officials of the hotel have been working round the clock to investigate what really happened," she said.

However, Mr. 2kay has reportedly sued the management of Eko Hotel and Suites with a N500M lawsuit.
He has over the short period of time which he has been in the industry create a big name for himself. He is not just a very talented actor but is also a voice over artist and show host.

Joseph Benjamin was born on November 9, 1976, to a Kogi State indigene father and an Anambra State mother. He attended primary school in Benue State and completed his secondary education in Lagos State. He attended University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he earned a diploma in Computer Literacy.

He made his movie debut in 1995 when he starred in the movie "Crossroads" alongside Ramsey Noah and Sandra Achums. He has since gone on to star in a number of movies including, Dark Side, Married but Living Single, and Mr. and Mrs which was one of his biggest movies ever.

Joseph Benjamin has been the co-host of MTN Project Fame West Africa since 2009 with the beautiful AdaoraOleh until recently when she was replaced by T.V personality, Bolanle Olukanni.
Currently, colleagues and close friends of sick veteran broadcaster and actor, Sadiq Daba, are rallying round to raise N20 million required to fly him abroad to treat leukaemia and prostrate cancer.

"I am hopeful in compassionate Nigerians and confident that they will help me beat these illnesses with their support to help me get well," he appealed to Nigerians.

Crowdfunding, the actors United Bank for Africa (UBA) current account No. 1005382276 was disclosed.

Baba Sala and Daba are just one of the many veteran actors, who, after years of advancing the society through film, theatre and television, cannot afford to take care of their health in old age.

Other actors who had taken the crowdfunding route include Ngozi Nwosu, Enebeli Enebuwa, Ashley Nwosu, Bruno Iwuoha and Prince James Uche.

All the above-mentioned actors, except Nwosu, were unable to raise the required amount of money for their treatment before they eventually passed away.

In 2012, the then Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, on behalf of the Lagos State Government, donated the sum of N4.5m to complete the money needed for the actress' operation.

The question is: Who will help our veterans? The Actor's Guild of Nigeria? Nigerians who have been entertained by these actors? Or the Government?

When an actor passes away from a medical condition that probably could have been averted, the first set of people that are blamed are the seemingly "rich colleagues."

Recently, Asuzuwho was down with stroke for a while accused Nollywood and Actors Guild of Nigeria of abandoning him. AGN responded to his claim, admitting that the body is indeed obligated to check up on sick actors, and apologised for any sort of negligence on their part.

ALSO READ: CHALLENGES HINDERING GROWTH IN NOLLYWOOD

In 2015, after the AGN claimed to have paid off Prince James Uche's hospital bills and house rent, the actor told Pulse Nigeria that he didn't receive any help from the body.

Following Enebeli's death, Stella Damasus had serious misgivings about Nollywood's treatment of its ailing members. She accused her fellow actors of visiting the sick actors, taking photos and posting on social media just to come off as philanthropists.

Individually, Nollywood actors such as Rita Dominic and Desmond Elliot have rallied around to raise funds for their ailing colleagues. But there's only so much these actors can do individually, as they also have their personal needs to cater to.

Over the years, Nigerians have done their best to support ailing actors. However, in most cases, the total money realized doesn't get to save the patient.

Nigerians have, on several occasions, played a role in making sure some ailing entertainers get quality treatment.

Just two days after crowdfunding for Sadiq Daba kicked off, over 10 million naira was realized.

The only party who should be blamed for the penury and difficulty veterans go through to get quality treatment is the government.

The circumstances these actors find themselves in is simply a reflection of a government which has failed to provide quality health care for the people.

It is a reflection of a government which is insensitive to the plight of its citizen, irrespective of their contribution to the society.

In May 2017, Saidi Balogun said the inability of his colleagues to afford health insurance has been the major cause of their deaths.

He added that the situation has been compounded by the Government's soft stance against piracy, which has prevented actors from making enough money which could be channelled towards health insurance.

Recently, President MuhammaduBuhari approved the medical treatment of the now late former Vice-President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme, outside the country.

If our politicians deserve quality medical treatments abroad, why aren't veteran actors who developed Nollywood - an industry that contributes to the country's GDP - getting the same treatment?

While the AGN, several other bodies and Nigerians continue to save lives, it's time to truly hold the government accountable.
Call it old age and bad ears but it seems Robert Mugabe isn't hearing very well. After 37 years, the 93-year-old dictator is holding on to power like a 5-year-old who wants to still be breastfed.

We have a saying for people like Mugabe in Nigeria, 'Oya come and be going'. Mugabe has ruled long enough for him to see himself become a hero and turn into a villain. His stubbornness killed the economy of his country.

ALSO READ: Mugabe, hero who turned to a despot

Mugabe might be sleeping during public functions but he still has what it takes to troll his countrymen and the world.

I seriously doubt that there are Christians in Zimbabwe. If there are then they should be applying the Bible verse that says "the Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force."

I don't know what the fuss is about a 93-year-old leader who doesn't want to go away? He is really old. They should just carry him, put him in a car and place him under house arrest in a remote village in Zimbabwe. He can't put up a fight literally.

There are signs however he is ready to step down after his epic trolling last night, Sunday, November 19, 2017.

ALSO READ: T

It might be a new dawn for Zimbabwe (or false hope) but there are many Mugabes around. And I am not talking about leaders. Old people are still sticking around at the helm of affairs in many companies and organizations. They don't just want to retire. They want to carry the business to their graves.

Don't you feel sad when you find out that the Editor-In-Chief of a big media company is in his or her 20s? Mark Zuckerberg is 31 and he has accomplished what many young Nigerians won't achieve in their lifetime.

If given the same opportunities, Nigeria would be producing world-famous CEOs and thinkers easily. What is holding us back are old people like Mugabe. Wisdom does not come with old age but how you apply yourself.
According to Nnedi, the beginning of stories are important to her as they set the pace. On speculative fiction, Nnedi said, I would expect speculative fiction to come out of Africa and not just the diaspora. The word Afrofuturism will become mainstream when the Black Panther movie comes out, so it will be a good idea to define what it really is now.

The moderator describes Who fears death as a tribute to Lagos while Nnedi says, Lagos is the first place that popped into my head when I wanted to write about chaos. In Lagos things are different, if aliens were to come to Lagos, the people of the city would come out to meet the aliens.

On writing, Diane says, You write the things you want to read. Generalizing is one of the hardest things in writing. Write the thing you want to write because there are different reasons to write. Commercial success is lovely, but writing for yourself is what's most rewarding.

On her genre of writing, Afrofuturism and science fiction, "My professors told me not to write sci-fi because they didn't consider it real literature but I am hard headed, I will write what I want to write, I can't control it, that's just how it comes." Ironically, although Nnedi had just taught a writing workshop at the Ake Festival, she said she does not believe in mentorship for young writers.

"I don't believe in mentoring young writers, new writers need to find their way and voice. Having a mentor will not grow you, mentors will fashion you in a way that fits them. I don't believe in mentoring writers. Writers have to develop the strength to write and the way to develop this strength is to go out and do it instead of depending on others to tell you what to do.
Dr Ekwueme was Nigeria's first elected Vice President who served as former President Shehu Shagari's deputy on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1979 and 1983.

Dr Ekwueme was widely regarded as a dutiful public servant and a man of peace throughout his years in politics and out of it.

Here are some of his most important quotes during his lifetime:

1. Igbo importance

While speaking at a traders' summit in his native Anambra in 2016, Dr Ekwueme praised the industriousness of the Igbo tribe as an attribute that has made them very important to the human race.

He said, "Igbo people were so industrious that Northerners were saying that after the white man, the next most important person created by God was Igbo."

2. Igbos' problem

At that same summit, Dr Ekwueme revealed what he believes the Igbos have to do to be better.

"The main problem of the Igbo today is lack of trust. If we can rebuild the trust among ourselves, our people will be better for it," he said.

3. Plot against Igbo presidency

During an interview with Premium Times in 2013, Dr Ekwueme suggested that there was an active effort to prevent an Igbo presidency.

He said, "It appears that there is a concerted effort to prevent a particular zone from achieving that purpose and it's not going to be a very healthy development for the country."

4. Ghana better than Nigeria

In 2016, while speaking to Channels Television during the 56th independence anniversary of Nigeria, Dr Ekwueme said the country has failed to achieve nationhood like its neighbour.

He said, "Nigeria as we speak now is not a nation. Our neighbour, Ghana is a nation. There is a very big difference between a nation and a country.

"In a nation, you have a sense of nationhood; in a country, you just have a sense of geographical space without a sense of nationhood."

5. On Nigeria's unity

Dr Ekwueme said the government has the most important job in ensuring absolute unity in the country.

He said, "It is the role of the government to promote national integration. National integration will not fall from the sky, it has to be worked very hard to have national integration. We have to work very hard at it. It won't come as a gift."

6. How to get rid of corruption

In the 2013 interview with Premium Times, Dr Ekwueme revealed why he thinks corruption is pervasive in Nigeria and how to put an end to it.

He said, "Corruption exists in every country and most human beings have the tendency of being corrupt if they think they will get away with it. Corruption is low in America because it is difficult to get away with it. They will track you down.

"A slight change in our jurisprudencial norms and promulgation of a Whistle-blowers Act will bring down corruption."

7. Selfless service

Years before his death, Dr Ekwueme revealed how he'd like to be remembered.

"I will like to be remembered as someone who came into public office to render service and rendered that service selflessly," he said.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Justice Reforms, Juliet Ibekaku, disclosed this on Monday, November 20, 2017, at the Conversation on Anti-corruption Campaign organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in Abuja.

She said that before now, Nigeria had no agreement or Memoranda of Understanding with foreign countries for the return of looted money.

The development, she said, explains why it took Nigeria a while to initiate the process of discussion and recovery at the international level.

"So far, we have recovered part of the Malabu fund held by the UK courts.

"We are also working to finalise the process for the return of $321 million and by December, we are going to sign the MoU for the return of the money held in Switzerland.

"I am happy to also note here that some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in the area of asset recovery were involved in the negotiation of the MOU and will be involved in monitoring the assets.

"This is to ensure that the returned funds are managed in a transparent manner as other recovery plans continue in countries like UK, Island of Jersey and France," she said.

Ibekaku said that the federal government has also opened up discussion with the US government for the return of the money that left that country for two or three years from 2013.

The presidential aide said that an example of such money was that of late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha's, adding that different fronts were being opened up for the recovery of the money.

She said the money recovery mission was hinged on the Open Government Partnership Initiative, which was committed to four thematic areas: Transparency, Anti-corruption, Access to Information, Citizen Engagement and Empowerment.

Ibekaku said government has set up one asset recovery account which would make it easy for anybody that wants to track recovered money to know where the money is going to.

According to her, this put to rest worry by Nigerians over the whereabouts of the recovered money, thinking the money were not being accounted for or managed properly.

Ibekaku said that over the years, it was found that there was a problem with the management of recovered money both domestically and internationally because there was no way to account for it.

She said when the Buhari administration came to power, the president set up a presidential assets recovery committee to monitor what was going on with recovered assets from the agencies.

The aide said the presidential committee, in turn, set the Assets Tracing subcommittee, adding that work is ongoing to determine where these moneys went as from 2012.

She said the administration also created a central account in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), called the Asset Recovery Account.

ALSO READ: 20 things you should know about Diezani's latest looting allegation

The presidential aide said the president also directed all the law enforcement agencies to put all recovered money in the central account.

Ibekaku said the president also directed that asset recovery should now be ploughed into the budget to fund part of it, starting from 2017 "so that is what the money is being used for."

She said all the money being recovered by anti-corruption agencies would go into such to fund part of the budget.

The Executive Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, said that the event was organised with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa and the Department for International Development, DFID.

According to her, the event is to get answers to some questions on the recovered money.

Hassan said that it is obvious that tackling corruption remains one of Buhari's main priorities.

She said it is in line with the presidents' vision that the event was organised, to provide a platform for constructive review and interrogate governments approach to anti-graft campaign.

The executive director said the platform also sought to proffer alternative opinions for robust, effective and sustained interventions in the anti-corruption fight and effective usage of the recovered money.
Dr Ekwueme was Nigeria's first elected Vice President who served as former President Shehu Shagari's deputy on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1979 and 1983.

Since his brother, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, broke the sad news, encomiums have been showered on the popular public servant from all levels of government.

Here are some of the reactions:

President Muhammadu Buhari

"I mourn the death of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a patriot and statesman. His life was marked by an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria; and his personal sacrifices helped lay the foundation for our democracy.

"Dr. Ekwueme lived a worthy life, excelled in professional practice, in business, in politics, in philanthropy. He served Nigeria and humanity. We will miss his counsel and wisdom on national issues. May his soul rest in peace.

"My condolences go to his family, friends, the Government and people of Anambra State, Ndigbo, and to the entire nation. May God grant his family the fortitude to bear this loss."

Former President, Shehu Shagari

"It is with deep sense of loss that I learned about the demise of my brother and former vice president. On behalf of my family, I sincerely commiserate with Nigerians on his death. May his soul rest in peace."

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

"Today, I join Ndigbo and the entire nation to mourn the passing of one of Nigeria's most illustrious sons, H.E. Dr. Alex Ekwueme, our first elected Vice-President. As we mourn his death, we celebrate his dedication and service to the development of our country.

"I will always remember Dr. Alex Ekwueme for his exemplary courage in the face of overwhelming odds - when he stood up to past military regimes, and his dexterity in his personal pursuits as a successful architect, lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.

"I pray for God's strength for Dr. Alex Ekwueme's family at this difficult time. May the Almighty in His infinite wisdom and grace continue to guide the family and the nation that he has left behind. He was a rare man and a great leader, as such, he will be missed."

Speaker, House of Representatives

"In times as these, elderly wisdom, experience and guidance of Dr. Ekwueme is needed by leaders at all levels so as to enable us surmount the daunting challenges confronting us as a country and as Africans.

"Dr. Ekwueme was a philanthropist, a famous professional architect, lawyer, brilliant politician and a man of peace whose efforts in building bridges of friendship amongst the various peoples of Nigeria is legendary.

"He played politics of ideas, principle and purpose and helped bring stability as Vice President in the Second Republic.

"The late elder statesman was credited with the introduction of the famous proposals for a just and equitable power sharing in Nigeria based on the six geopolitical zones which ensures a fair, just equitable and stable polity.

"His contributions in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in 1999 when he mobilised the famous group of 34 eminent Nigerians who risked their lives and stood up against military dictatorship are still fresh in our minds.

"Indeed, he lived a life worthy of emulation and left an indelible mark in the annals of the history of Nigeria. He was truly a political collosus and giant whose shoes will be difficult to fill.

"As it was said of all the saints and sages, we take solace in the fact that he has gone to rest having emptied himself while he walked the earth and served humanity even in his final hours.

"I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the Ekwueme family, the government and people of Anambra state over this huge and irreparable loss. May His gentle soul rest in perfect peace."

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

"Saddened by the passing of Dr Alex Ekweme, our former Vice President. He was a man of character and never faltered in his belief in Nigeria.

"Dr Alex and I were part of the 1995 Constitutional Conference, which recommended that Nigeria be restructured along six geo-political zones. We will miss his focused guidance."

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha

"Dr. Ekwueme launched the Igbo into national politics since the second Republic and refused to be cajoled into playing tribal politics, and until his death, Dr. Ekwueme remained in the mainstream of Nigerian politics because of his firm believe in oneness of the nation.

"The only regret about Dr. Ekwueme at the moment is that he has died at a time his wealth of experience and his wise advice would have been most needed and most useful to all Nigerians of goodwill.

"Nigerians and of course, Ndi-Igbo in particular would greatly miss Dr. Ekwueme and prays that the good LORD should grant his soul eternal rest."

Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal

"For us in Sokoto, Dr. Ekwueme's death comes with extra pain because he was Vice President to one of our distinguished sons, Turakin Sokoto, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

"The deceased proved himself an able lieutenant who together with other members of their team, gave their best for the unity, progress and stability of the Nigerian federation in the Second Republic and beyond.

"His death has therefore closed a chapter in the life of one Nigerias most respected voices who made his mark in both public and private sectors."

The South-East Governors Forum

"The death of our father and leader, Dr. Ekwueme is so devastating especially now that his fatherly advice is needed most. He was a great Nigerian and great believer in the unity of the country. As his children, we have learnt a lot from his deep political sagacity.

"As the Vice President of Nigeria, Ekwueme was a great rallying factor of Igbo socio-political integration. He was a voice of reason and a man who toiled to place Ndigbo at the centre of mainstream politics. Indeed, we have lost a rare gem, a gentleman and a decent politician and academia."

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili

"Really pained that former Vice President Alex Ekwueme did not make it back home to us and has now gone the way of all flesh. We remember him with fondness for his strides in the Land. May our Gracious God comfort Aunt Beatti, Chidi and all the Ekwueme clan."

The President General of Ohanaeze, John Nwodo

"As Vice President, Dr Ekwueme was intellectually forthright, engaging, loyal and outstandingly patriotic. As a politician, he was courageous and original in his ideas. Ndigbo have lost a genius, a father and an intellectual giant."

Senator Gbenga Ashafa

"I commiserate with the Ekwueme family, the entire Ndigbo and our dear Country Nigeria, over the death of our Late Vice President, Elder States Man and Nationalist, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON, who passed on to glory yesterday, 19 November, 2017.

"I would always remember Dr. Ekwueme as an elder-gentleman who displayed a brilliant appreciation of National issues and always maintained a high command of reason and temperance in the face of issues that stirred passion among many others. He was also an advocate of a well balanced Nigeria where the rule of law and equity prevails.

"Nigeria would surely miss his wealth of experience, knowledge and influence which he made readily available at every moment same any of these were required of him.

"May his gentle soul Rest in Perfect Peace."

Festus Keyamo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)

"It was just about two months ago that I last saw Dr. Alex Ekwueme. He was physically present at the Supreme Court for the induction of the new SANs. Such a fine gentleman. His passage is a big loss to the country as a whole. Deep commiseration to the Ekwueme family."

The All Progressives' Congress (APC)

"Truly, the nation has lost a fine gentleman and a true patriot who demonstrated that politics and integrity are not incompatible.

"The APC will remember the late Ekwueme as a stabilizing voice in Nigerian politics over the years. Many will attest that the late Ekwueme's political ideas and interventions greatly and positively shaped the country's political fabric.

"As a Party, while the death of the late Ekwueme is a sad and painful loss, we should take solace in the fact that he lived a long, accomplished and impactful life. The task before us is to, therefore, keep his legacies aglow.

"The Party offers its heartfelt condolences to the late Ekwueme's family, the President of the country, the people and government of Anambra State over the sad loss. We pray the Almighty God grant his deserving soul eternal rest and the family the strength to bear the loss."
The agreement, signed in London, is also expected to achieve an incremental peak production of about 283mmscfd of gas, NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday.

The statement was issued by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of NNPC.

Baru said the increment to be achieved by the agreement would spread over the remaining life of the asset ( 2045).

According to him, the project, which is about 92 per cent completed, will cost 1.7 billion dollars, with 780 million dollars and is expected to be funded by third-party.

He said it would produce natural gas liquids and condensate extracted from the Sonam and Okan fields located in OML 90 and 91 in the Niger Delta.

Baru described the deal as a step in the right direction which would grow the nations daily production and support the Federal Governments strategic domestic gas-to-power aspirations.

He said the project would include the completion of the Sonam non-associated gas (NAG) well platform and Sonam living quarters platform; drilling of seven wells in the Sonam field and the Okan 30E NAG well.

It will also include the completion of the 20 x 32Km Sonam pipeline and Okan pig receiver platform and development of the associated facilities, Baru added.

As we speak now, the facilities are 100 per cent completed while wells are 40 per cent executed, he said.

In carrying out the project, the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture (JV) adopted a two-stage financing approach: Stage 1 which provided 400 million dollars sourced from Nigerian Commercial Banks achieved financial close on Aug. 1, 2017.

Stage 2, (signed on Nov. 17), is set to provide 380 million dollars from International Commercial Banks (ICBs).

Out of the 780 million dollars total financing for both stages, Chevrons co-lending totals 312 million dollars while NNPCs portion of the total facility stands at is 468 million dollars.

Speaking further on the Alternative Financing approach, Baru explained that it was aimed at plugging NNPCs shortfall in funding JV cash call obligations including settlement of pre-2016 cash call arrears.

It will also enable full funding of NNPCs JV obligations to restore investors confidence and stimulate further Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) as we are beginning to witness, he noted.

The Managing Director of CNL, Mr Jeff Ewing, said his company supported the Federal Governments aspirations to sustain oil and gas production.

We know the important role gas supply to the domestic market plays in growing power generation.

We also understand governments need to seek alternative sources to fund profitable and bankable JV Projects, Ewing added.

In August, two sets of alternative financing agreements on JV projects were executed between the NNPC/CNL JV (project Falcon) and the NNPC/SPDC JV (Project Santolina).
The 85-year-old, who was Nigeria's first elected Vice President, died in the late hours of Sunday, November 19, 2017, at a London clinic.

In a press statement signed by the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Monday, November 20, he mourned Dr Ekwueme's death, describing him as a patriot who made personal sacrifices for the country's democracy.

He said, "I mourn the death of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a patriot and statesman. His life was marked by an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria; and his personal sacrifices helped lay the foundation for our democracy.

"Dr. Ekwueme lived a worthy life, excelled in professional practice, in business, in politics, in philanthropy. He served Nigeria and humanity. We will miss his counsel and wisdom on national issues. May his soul rest in peace.

"My condolences go to his family, friends, the Government and people of Anambra State, Ndigbo, and to the entire nation. May God grant his family the fortitude to bear this loss."
Dr Ekwueme was Nigeria's first elected Vice President who served as former President Shehu Shagari's deputy on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1979 and 1983.

Dr Ekwueme was widely regarded as a dutiful public servant and a man of peace throughout his years in politics and out of it.

Here are a few photos of him through his long years in Nigerian politics:

As Vice President of Nigeria in 1982, Dr Ekwueme delivered the keynote address at the AAM's 'Southern Africa: The Time to Choose' conference.

Dr Ekwueme married his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Chigozili Ekwueme, on December 19, 1959 and they were together till his death.

Dr Ekwueme also met with many top government officials decades after his time in office.
According to Dickson, the Niger-Delta should not be marginalised because it makes a huge contribution to Nigeria.

Dickson said Our country left our region behind and we feel it more in this state even within the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State is more deltaic than Delta State and more riverine than Rivers State and yet we are left to solely fend for our development such that today, we cant get to Brass, Koluama, Ekeremor, Agge and Oporoma.

It is very clear that the Federal Government is not aware of the developmental challenges in this region. Bayelsa is embarking on a revolution in the areas of education, economy, health care and tourism. The state is the most peaceful among the Niger Delta states and is at peace with itself and with the rest of the country, he added.

ALSO READ: Governor Dickson congratulates Goodluck Jonathan at 60

Dickson criticises GEJ

Seriake Dickson had earlier alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathans tenuredid not benefit the Ijaws.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Willie Obiano, who is the incumbent, was declared the winner of the election by INEC.

The President of NUF, Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation while speaking to NAN in Enugu shortly after INEC declared the result on Sunday .

NUF is commending President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring free and fair Governorship Election in Anambra State.

President Buhari ensured that no one rigged the election and the conduct of the exercise was highly transparent and peaceful.

This shows the Change the All Progressive Congress (APC) stands for."

According to him, NUF also appreciates the work of security agencies who provided security before, during and after the election.
Ekwueme died in London on Sunday, November 19, 2017.

In a statement on Monday, November 20, 2017, Ekweremadu described the death as a sad event for Nigeria and her democracy.

The deputy Senate president noted that Ekwueme was a pillar of the nations democracy and the struggle for a restructured, just, equitable, and prosperous Nigeria.

The statement reads:

Dr. Ekwueme combined the uncommon toughness and courage of Heracles with the wits of Odysseus and Nestor. His fearless battle against military rule as the convener of the Group of 34 eminent Nigerians (G-34) can be likened to Heracles heroic encounter with the hydra-headed chthonic monsters.

Ekwueme was a fine gentleman and an epitome of politics without bitterness. Although he lost the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an offshoot of the G34 and pan-Nigerian political platform he built from the scratch, he remained faithful to the party in thick and thin until his death.

He will be remembered as a public administrator per excellence and a soldier of conscience. He stood by his people during their most challenging and difficult time, knowing that politics has a local flavor most of the time. He offered his undiluted professional service in the design and development of access to the air for Ndigbo during the civil war 1967 to 1970.

As the Head of Planning of the Biafra Airports Board, the late prodigy built two functional airports in Ulli and Uga, while the airport projects at Mbaise, Ntigha Ngwa, Umuleri, and Arochukwu were at various completion stages before the end of hostilities.

Yet, as a detribalized and pan-Nigerian, he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) rather than the Dr Nnamdi Azikiwes Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in the journey to the Second Republic. He also did Ndigbo a great honour by facilitating the state pardon and eventual return from exile, and reunion of late Ezeigbo Gburugbu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, with Ndigbo and Nigeria, Ekweremadu stated.

ALSO READ: The nation reacts to former Vice President's death

Similarly, the senator representing Anambra south senatorial district, Andy Uba also expressed shock over the death of Nigerias second republic vice president, Alex Ekwueme.

Uba in a statement on Monday, described Ekwuemes exit as a great loss to Anambra and Nigeria at large.

"I want to sincerely condole with the family of Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (GCON) and the people of Anambra South Senatorial Zone, Anambra State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the loss of this great Iconic figure and former vice President of Nigeria.

"Dr. Ekwueme's selfless contributions to Nigeria's democracy cannot be overemphasized.

"I therefore honour his legacy and mourn his loss alongside his family and the people of Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obiano polled 234, 071 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 98,752 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr Oseloka Obaze came third with 70,293 votes.

Oye said he had earlier predicted that APGA would win seven states in the 2019 general election.

In his reaction, Chief Victor Umeh, the Director-General of the Obiano Campaign Oganisation, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring that the electoral process was not manipulated.

Umeh, a former national chairman of the party, described the election as the best election ever conducted in the state.

He said that the outcome of the election showed a great beginning for the nations democracy.

There was palpable tension that the result will be manipulated, but today, all the results at the Local Government Areas were declared at the INEC headquarters.

This is what we wish for the country, an electoral process where the people are allowed to choose their leaders, he said.

Umeh urged the commission to deploy the model used in the state to reform the electoral process in the country and rid the process off fraud.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the reports of ballot box snatching and other irregularities raised eyebrows in the Saturdays election.

Certainly, we will look at these issues from the objective point of view, analyse them and come up with our position later, Mr Chuks Agufugo, the state Secretary of the party, said.

Mr Sam Oraegbulam, the state Chairman of Hope Democratic Party, said there was an improvement from the other elections conducted by INEC in the state.

We do not have any argument with the results, even though, there are areas in the electoral process that need to be improved on.

The vote was a reflection of the wishes of the people and it will be unfortunate for anyone to complain about the outcome, Oraegulam said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission`s returning officer, Mr Zanna Akpagu said Obiano, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 234,071 votes to win the governorship election

Mr Henry Onyekumnaru, its chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone from Durban, South Africa on Monday, that Obiano`s victory was overwhelming.

 It was a very good one. I led an APGA delegation from South Africa to join Anambra people in ensuring that the party won the election."

 Its a very happy development and we are overwhelmed with the support Anambra people gave to our party, he said.

Onyekumnaru, however, called on candidates of the other parties to join Gov. Obiano`s administration in the task of developing the state.

He said  to the contestants, it was a great fight. Now that we have known who owns the grassroots, I call on them to join APGA to ensure that policies put in place to make Anambra great are well implemented,

The chairman urged the governor to carry along everybody, especially opposition candidates by giving them a sense of belonging.
"The vessel surfaced and it reported a breakdown. It was therefore asked to change course and go to Mar del Plata," said Gabriel Galeazzi, the head of the naval base in the northeastern city, located 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Buenos Aires.

Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the navy, meanwhile told a press conference in the capital that seven signals received by naval bases over the weekend were not attempted distress calls from the submarine, as had been previously hoped.

"We've received the report from the company that analyzed the signals -- the seven attempted calls did not come from the submarine's satellite phone," he said, adding: "We have still been unable to contact them."

The ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric sub, made its last contact on Wednesday.

A multinational air and sea search is under way with help from countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, the United States and Uruguay.

The CNN news channel reported Monday that Argentina's navy had detected noises that could be distress signals from the crew of the missing submarine.

The noises sounded like tools being banged on the hull of a submarine, CNN cited a senior official in the US navy familiar with the search as saying.

False hope?

Monday's revelations were a blow to relatives of sailors aboard the sub, around 100 of whom are being housed at the Mar del Plata naval base as they await news of the crew.

"They have a lot of hope. The hours go by and the worry rate goes up. The best tranquilizer is accurate information," said Enrique Stein, a member of a psychological support cell set up for the families.

"We don't know anything. We are waiting with a great deal of anxiety," said Andrea Ali, wife of Franco Ali, an electrician aboard the San Juan.

The submarine's fate has gripped the nation, and President Mauricio Macri visited the relatives and prayed with them on Monday. Macri was briefed on the search by Vice Admiral Miguel Angel Mascolo during his visit to the base.

The navy said Saturday it had received seven calls that day but they did not lock in, an announcement that left many cautiously optimistic they were signs of life from the vessel's crew.

On Sunday, a flag was unfurled at the naval base that read: "Be strong Argentina, We trust in God, We wait for you."

At the Vatican, Argentine-born Pope Francis said he offered "his fervent prayer" for the safety of the submarine sailors.

Multinational rescue efforts

Search efforts meanwhile have been hampered by inclement weather, including a powerful storm that has whipped up waves reaching seven meters (23 feet) in height.

Rescuers are focusing on an ocean patch about 300 kilometers in diameter, radiating from the last point of contact.

US Southern Command has deployed a Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance plane with a crew of 21, along with a NASA P-3 research aircraft, and other equipment and personnel.

The US Navy has deployed two unmanned underwater vehicles that use a sonar system to create an image of large sections of the sea floor.

Britain's Royal Navy said it had sent the HMS Protector, an Antarctic patrol ship.

The TR-1700 class submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southernmost tip of South America, to Mar del Plata.

It is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters long and seven meters wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched in 1983.
According to the state statistics office, only about five percent of management jobs are held by non-whites, who account for 54 percent of the population, according to the latest census.

Among the richest 10 percent of Brazilians, 70 percent are white. Among the poorest 10 percent, 74 percent are black. Blacks are also hard to find in prominent media jobs or in fashion.

These inequalities are highlighted in a video called "White Privilege Game" published by the anti-racism group ID_BR that has received 1.2 million views so far on Facebook and been aired on several television programs.

Based on an original version created by BuzzFeed in the United States, the video shows a contest where participants have to take steps back or forward from the starting line depending on how they answer questions about their color or wealth -- or if they have been the target of racist remarks about their hair.

In highly graphic form, the process shows how people get a head start, or are held back. Inevitably it's blacks who end up at the back of the line.

Affirmative action

"White privilege means getting a whole range of advantages over others without even realizing," said Giovana Freitas, a historian at Rio Federal State University.

A survey from the Institut Locomotiva, which studies poverty, found that black men with university degrees in Brazil earn about 29 percent less than white men with the same qualification, while the figure was 27 percent for black women.

"If blacks earned the same salaries as whites, there'd be 808 million reais ($247 million) injected into the economy," said Locomotiva president Renato Meirelles.

There have been positive changes over the last decade and a half as the effects of racial quotas at universities, introduced by the leftist government at the time, take effect.

The proportion of non-whites entering higher education has risen from eight percent to 27 percent.

"All these policies of affirmative action have started to produce results," said Esteban Cipriano, who manages education programs at ID_BR.

The problem is what happens after.

"These people with degrees then have a really hard time on the jobs market," Cipriano said.

Changing tastes

ID_BR lobbies companies to open doors to non-whites.

It has worked especially closely with the fashion brand Maria Filo, which last year prompted a scandal with a line of clothing that reproduced scenes from artworks depicting slavery.

"Thanks to dialogue, our views have changed. Now, everyone is more aware," said Maria Filo's marketing director Isabel Beaklin.

Each month, she joins a dozen or so employees from different departments in the company to discuss racial issues with ID_BR.

"During some of these meetings, we ourselves have suggested ditching campaigns that might be seen as offensive" to non-whites, Beaklin said.

Product development manager Catia Fernandes, one of the two blacks in the group, said she appreciated the chance to air sensitive issues.

"These are themes I've always wanted to discuss," she said. "When the group was created, I felt emotional because I could finally express myself."

Still, racist attitudes persist in the marketing world here. A brand of toilet paper, colored black, was recently sold under the slogan "Black is Beautiful."

After a wave of protests in social media, the campaign was withdrawn and the white actress who appears in the ad, wrapped in the paper, apologized on Twitter.
On July 30, a military court turned down Azaria's appeal against his conviction for manslaughter and upheld an 18-month prison sentence, which he began serving on August 9.

In September, Israel's Chief of Staff General Gadi Eisenkot reduced the term by four months.

He will therefore complete his term in October 2018 unless the routine parole board considers him for earlier release when it reviews his case early next year.

Rights group Amnesty International has said Azaria's sentence does "not reflect the gravity of the offence".

The UN human rights office said it was an "unacceptable" punishment for "an apparent extra-judicial killing".

However, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman have supported a full pardon.

The written reply to the pardon application, quoted in Sunday's statement, says that Rivlin noted Eisenkot's clemency and the court's "lenient" sentence.

"The President learned that in passing sentence, the military court took into account the circumstances raised by you... as consideration of leniency, and he noted it took them into account in passing a lighter sentence," it said.

Lieberman 'saddened'

Lieberman said in response that he respected Rivlin but was saddened at his ruling.

"I regret his decision to reject the request for a pardon of the soldier Elor Azaria," he said in a statement.

"President Rivlin had an opportunity to put an end to this affair, which has shaken Israeli society," he added.

Lieberman said he believed it would have been in the public interest "to weigh the need to heal the rifts in society" opened by the case.

Last year's shooting deeply divided Israel and led to an extraordinary rift between right-wing politicians who wanted to see Azaria released and top military brass, who harshly condemned his actions.

Rivlin's decision stressed the potential damage done by the incident to the Israeli military's moral code.

"An additional lightening of your sentence would damage the Israel Defence Forces and the state of Israel," it said, adding that Azaria was expected to come before the parole board "in approximately three months" where his release under licence would be considered.

The March 2016 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he had feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up -- a claim judges rejected.
Celebrations erupted in ruling party strongholds, but tensions remained high in areas loyal to veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, which have been rocked by protests during the dramatic four-month election process.

The ruling paves the way for Kenyatta to be sworn in on November 28.

"The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited. As a consequence, the presidential election of 26 October is hereby upheld as is the election of the third respondent," said Chief Justice David Maraga, referring to Kenyatta.

Maraga had in September annulled an August election due to "irregularities and illegalities", a historic decision hailed across the globe as an opportunity to boost Kenyan democracy.

However, the ruling -- a rare victory for Odinga -- only deepened acrimony and protests that have left 52 people dead -- mostly at the hands of police -- since the first election.

Accusing the IEBC elections commission of failing to make fundamental reforms to improve the vote, Odinga withdrew from the October ballot which he urged his followers to boycott.

'Toxic environment'

In the run-up to the vote, a top election official fled the country, saying the poll would not be credible, and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati himself said he could not guarantee a free and fair election.

Election day was marred by chaos in opposition strongholds, with polling stations unable to open in 25 constituencies.

The boycott handed Kenyatta a landslide victory of 98 percent, although turnout was only 39 percent.

This time, Odinga and his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition did not go to court to challenge the second election, but a former politician and two rights activists did.

They pointed to procedural questions, the toxic democratic environment, and Chebukati's own questioning of the process.

However the six-judge bench dismissed the petitions in a matter of minutes.

'Decision under duress'

In a statement, Odinga said the ruling "did not come as a surprise", nor did it alter his opposition to a government he regards as illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathise with it," he said.

News of the court's decision sparked celebrations in Kenyatta's strongholds.

"Let NASA people now go and mourn quietly and allow us to celebrate. They were laughing last time, today it is our turn," said Jackson Mandago the governor of Uasin Gishu county.

"We are happy that we will not have another election until 2022."

But while many will be breathing a sigh of relief that the prolonged election process is drawing to an end, tensions remain high and it was unclear how Odinga's supporters would react to Kenyatta being sworn in.

Protesters began gathering in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, where they set a vehicle alight, an AFP correspondent said.

"Maraga has gone against our wish. They could have nullified it because that was not an election. It was just done in parts of the country," said Mercyline Akinyi.

"We will wait for Baba (Odinga), to tell us the way forward."

Clashes had erupted in Nairobi's Mathare slum on Sunday after four bodies were found in the street, with outrage spreading to Kibera and protests also taking place in Kisumu.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

However, the opposition claimed the four had been shot dead, and angry residents blamed members of Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe.
The officer's life was not in danger, the source said, without providing further details on the skirmishes between "extremists" and the police.

Two other men were injured in the clashes, one of whom said he was "beaten by the police" in the Ntarikon neighbourhood where he was to meet with opposition leader John Fru Ndi, whose power base is Bamenda.

The other man and a woman suffered gunshot wounds.

"There were shots all night long," a resident said at the Food Market, where police began taking up positions at several entrances at 8:00 am (0700 GMT) on Sunday, prompting businesses to close up shop.

"That's it for today, I won't open again," a fishmonger said.

"Here, the police fired off several shots. I picked up a shell casing. They hit several shopowners right in front of me," the manager of a cafeteria in the market said of the overnight clashes.

The authorities imposed the 10:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew for Bamenda on November 8 after three paramilitary police were murdered, and it is set to remain in place until November 23.

Police have been carrying out nightly patrols to enforce the controls, sometimes making arrests, but it was the first night of violence since the curfew was put in place.

But tensions have been building since last Saturday, when a fourth gendarme was killed, and after four homemade bombs exploded around the city at the start of the week, though nobody was hurt, in attacks the government has attributed to anglophone separatists.

"The situation is worrying. We ourselves are threatened," a police officer in Bamenda told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They are targeting gendarmes in particular because they do not consider the gendarmerie a recognise force in the anglo-saxon system. They say the gendarmerie shouldn't exist in their 'territory'," he said.

Calls for greater autonomy in Cameroon's two English-speaking areas, the Northwest and Southwest Regions, have been rejected by President Paul Biya and followed by a government crackdown on the separatist drive.
But the 93-year-old's decades-long grip on power was slipping Sunday after his own party told him to resign or face impeachment.

First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony Rhodesia of white minority rule, Robert Gabriel Mugabe was soon cast in the role of a despot who crushed political dissent and ruined the national economy.

After years behind bars as a political prisoner, Mugabe then led a bloody liberation war, which coupled with sanctions, forced the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table. The country finally won independence as Zimbabwe in 1980.

In elections that year, Mugabe swept to power as prime minister, initially winning international plaudits for his policy of racial reconciliation and for extending improved education and health services to the black majority.

But his lustre faded quickly.

Stamping out dissent

After his release from prison in 1974, Mugabe took over as head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) which joined forces in the liberation struggle with Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).

Nkomo was one of the early casualties of Mugabe's crackdown on dissent.

In 1982, he was dismissed from government, where he held the home affairs portfolio, after the discovery of an arms cache in his Matabeleland stronghold.

Mugabe, whose party drew most of its support from the ethnic Shona majority, then unleashed his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade on Nkomo's Ndebele people in a campaign that left an estimated 20,000 people dead.

It was the seizure of white-owned farms nearly two decades later that would complete Mugabe's transformation from darling of the West into international pariah -- though his status as a liberation hero still resonates in many parts of Africa.

Aimed largely at placating angry war veterans who threatened to destabilise his rule, the land reform policy wrecked the crucial agricultural sector, caused foreign investors to flee and helped plunge the country into economic misery.

At the same time, critics say, Mugabe clung to power through human rights abuses and by rigging elections.

'A reptilian quality'

"He was a great leader whose leadership degenerated to a level where he really brought Zimbabwe to its knees," said University of South Africa professor Shadrack Gutto.

Britain's former foreign secretary Peter Carrington knew Mugabe well, having mediated the Lancaster House talks that paved the way for Zimbabwe's independence.

"Mugabe wasn't human at all," Carrington told biographer Heidi Holland.

"There was a sort of reptilian quality about him.

"You could admire his skills and intellect... but he was an awfully slippery sort of person."

In the final decades of his rule, Mugabe -- one of the world's most recognisable leaders with his thin stripe of moustache and thick-rimmed spectacles -- has embraced his new role as the antagonist of the West.

He used blistering rhetoric to blame his country's downward spiral on Western sanctions, though they were targeted personally at Mugabe and his henchmen rather than at Zimbabwe's economy.

Pre-dawn workouts?

"If people say you are a dictator... you know they are saying this merely to tarnish and demean your status, then you don't pay much attention," he said in a 2013 documentary.

After decades in which the subject of succession was virtually taboo, a vicious struggle to take over after his death became apparent among the party elite as he reached his 90s and became visibly frail.

He had been rumoured for years to have prostate cancer, but according to the official account, his frequent trips to Singapore were for treatment related to his cataracts.

Mugabe's second wife Grace -- his former secretary who is 41 years his junior and had been seen as a potential successor -- boasted that even in his 80s he would rise before dawn to work out.

"It's true I was dead. I resurrected as I always do once I get back to my country. I am real again," he joked in 2016 after returning from a foreign trip, mocking rumours that he had died.

But in his later years, he has stumbled and fallen more than once and delivered the wrong speech at the opening of parliament in 2015.

The Catholic Marxist

Born on February 21, 1924 into a Catholic family at Kutama Mission northwest of Harare, Mugabe was described as a loner, and a studious child known to carry a book even while tending cattle in the bush.

After his carpenter father walked out on the family when he was 10, the young Mugabe concentrated on his studies, qualifying as a schoolteacher at the age of 17.

An intellectual who initially embraced Marxism, he enrolled at Fort Hare University in South Africa, meeting many of southern Africa's future black nationalist leaders.

After teaching in Ghana, where he was influenced by founder-president Kwame Nkrumah, Mugabe returned to Rhodesia where he was detained for his nationalist activities in 1964. He spent the next 10 years in prison camps or jail.

During his incarceration, he gained three degrees through correspondence, but the years in prison left their mark.

His four-year-old son by his first wife, Ghanaian-born Sally Francesca Hayfron, died while he was behind bars. Rhodesian leader Ian Smith denied him leave to attend the funeral.

Years later, Mugabe had two sons and a daughter by second wife Grace.

The ambition of the First Lady, who had been viewed as a front-runner to replace her husband, is widely seen by analysts as the catalyst for the military takeover as the army refused to accept her as Mugabe's potential successor.

"His real obsession was not with personal wealth but with power," said biographer Martin Meredith.

"Year after year Mugabe sustained his rule through violence and repression -- crushing political opponents, violating the courts, trampling on property rights, suppressing the independent press and rigging elections."
The discovery came just two days after three people were shot dead in a nearby suburb during clashes with police which erupted as thousands of opposition supporters turned out for their leader, Raila Odinga.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

However, the opposition claimed the group had been shot dead.

"Investigations are going on into the killings of the four people in Mathare Area 1," Koome said.

"The people were found dead and we want to establish how they were killed," he said.

When the bodies were found, angry residents clashed with police, setting fire to two buses and another vehicle.

In a bid to head off any further unrest, police immediately brought in reinforcements and several water cannon, AFP correspondents at the scene said.

The outrage spread to Kibera, another slum in Nairobi, where people also protested in anger at events in Mathare.

What is happening is completely wrong," said Odinga, head of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, during a visit to the slum Sunday.

"This is state sponsored violence to intimidate NASA supporters.

"The church and the international community should intervene before the situation gets worse. They are killing innocent people."

Ethnically motivated?

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police official told AFP that angry residents believed the murders were ethnically motivated, blaming the violence on the Mungiki, a feared criminal gang known for running protection rackets and violently defending tribal business interests.

Drawing its members from Kenya's largest tribe -- the Kikuyu, to which President Uhuru Kenyatta belongs -- the Mungiki were responsible for much of the deadly ethnic violence which swept the country in the months after the 2007 election.

Today, the term is widely used in reference to groups of armed Kikuyu men.

But the police chief was quick to rule out any ethnic factors in Mathare, where many Kikuyu live alongside ethnic Luo or Luhya, who largely back Odinga.

"It is not about ethnic clashes," Koome said, insisting that it was a criminal matter, but without giving details.

Since Friday, Kenya has been on edge following a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.

Angry protesters hurled stones at police who hit back with tear gas and water cannon in running street battles which lasted all day.

The violence soured a gathering to mark Odinga's return from a 10-day trip to the United States where he was trying to rally support for the holding of new elections.

Key ruling looms

Tensions are also high ahead of a key Supreme Court ruling on Monday over whether Kenyatta can be sworn in for a second term or if there must be another presidential re-run.

Although Kenyatta won the October 26 vote with 98 percent of the votes cast, the ballot was boycotted by Odinga and his supporters who clashed violently with police in his strongholds in the west and in several Nairobi slums.

It was also marred by low turnout.

The vote was the chaotic climax of two months of political drama sparked by an earlier Supreme Court ruling on September 1 which overturned Kenyatta's victory in an initial August election over widespread irregularities and mismanagement by the IEBC electoral commission.
It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders -- who she refused to name -- incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."

Large protests followed Trump's election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.
MOLINE  A palpable energy moved through the TaxSlayer Center like a current Sunday as hundreds of people gathered for the second day of the fourth annual Quad Cities Psychic and Paranormal Expo.

The gentle scent of incense and essential oils wafted through the aisles of vendor booths as the lulling sounds of a didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument, filled the silence in the background. All around, folks were receiving Reiki treatments, tarot card readings and more. Some expo-goers sat silently with their eyes closed, holding hands with various healers and readers, while others visited and animatedly chatted.

After a psychic reading, best friends Sonia Gillen, of Iowa City, and Sarah Summers, of Eldridge, were moved to tears.

Ms. Gillen had a reading with psychic medium and channeler Kim Weaver, out of Algona, Iowa, and Ms. Summers sat with her. "She was crying at the end; I was crying at the end. I got goosebumps when they told her some things about her life, which I already knew were true," Ms. Summers said.

"It was amazing," Ms. Gillen said. "Literally the best one I've ever had."

While it was Ms. Summers' idea to visit the expo, Ms. Gillen was the friend who truly was interested in what it had to offer.

"She's kind of a skeptic," Ms. Gillen said, "but that's OK."

Ms. Summers had a tarot card reading with another vendor, and was readying for a reading with Ms. Weaver.

"It was OK," she said, of the tarot card reading. "A little confusing, but they told you some things that I guess I wasn't expecting to hear that you would see from a card, so that was cool to see," she said.

There was much to see and learn at the expo. "It's things that really make you think. There's so much that you don't know," Ms. Gillen said. "It's just interesting to learn about something that not everybody can really see."

Kelly McCarville and Pat Kraft, of the Cedar Rapids area, organized the event. The mother-daughter duo also host other events throughout the region.

"We had attended shows like this in the past ... and there just wasn't very many of them out there," Ms. McCarville said.

There seemed to be an interest, her mother added. "We thought that we had enough contacts that we could probably get some people together to come and put on a show."

The weekend expo featured crystals, oils, rocks, jewelry and more throughout the vendor area, as well as numerous speakers in a couple of presentation rooms, covering topics such as reincarnation, intuition, hauntings, runes, psychics and more.

There were psychic, tarot, astrology and aura readings, Reiki and shamanic healing, paranormal teams and more. "There's a little bit of everything," Ms. Kraft said.

The two have been interested in these topics for years. Ms. McCarville is a psychic medium.

"We tend to try to be skeptical and not just believe everything that's out there, but when you can't discount it any other way, then at some point you have to come to the conclusion that there is something to this. Keep an open mind," Ms. Kraft said.

The two said this year's expo drew 53 vendors and a crowd of about 1,500 people throughout the weekend.

People are interested in the psychic and paranormal realms for many reasons. "I think sometimes, for the mediumship, (people) need closure for somebody that has passed. Sometimes it's just because they want another source of guidance for things that are going on in their own personal lives," Ms. Kraft said.

"It's just interesting and fun to learn."
ROCK ISLAND  Quarters One on Arsenal Island will open for a Christmas Tea & Tour on Sunday, Dec. 10, hosted by the Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation. There will be two seatings, one at noon and one at 3 p.m.

Attendees of the Christmas Tea will enjoy savory and sweet delights, several types of teas, and a guided tour of the historic Quarters One mansion decorated for the holidays.

Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased online at www.davenporthouse.org or by calling Judy Tumbleson at 309-786-5980. Please indicate which time youd like to attend. Only paid attendees of the Christmas Tea will be able to tour Quarters One.

The Rock Island Arsenal is an active military installation. This tour has been declared a Special Event, so guests may enter Arsenal Island with their U.S. picture ID at any gate. Simply tell the guard you are going to Quarters One.

For more information, visit their website at www.davenporthouse.org.
The Story of Refugees dates back thousands of years. Novembers presenter, Amy Rowell, the Director of World Relief, in Moline, will give the lecture on refugee resettlement in the Quad-Cities, and their journey through the Refugee Resettlement Agency in the the Quad Cities.
An Oregon parent wanted details about school employees getting paid to stay home. A retired educator sought data about student performance in Louisiana. And college journalists in Kentucky requested documents about the investigations of employees accused of sexual misconduct.

Instead, they got something else: sued by the agencies they had asked for public records.

Government bodies are increasingly turning the tables on citizens who seek public records that might be embarrassing or legally sensitive. Instead of granting or denying their requests, a growing number of school districts, municipalities and state agencies have filed lawsuits against people making the requests  taxpayers, government watchdogs and journalists who must then pursue the records in court at their own expense.

The lawsuits generally ask judges to rule that the records being sought do not have to be divulged. They name the requesters as defendants but do not seek damage awards. Still, the recent trend has alarmed freedom-of-information advocates, who say it's becoming a new way for governments to hide information, delay disclosure and intimidate critics.

"This practice essentially says to a records requester, 'File a request at your peril,'" said University of Kansas journalism professor Jonathan Peters, who wrote about the issue for the Columbia Journalism Review in 2015, before several more cases were filed. "These lawsuits are an absurd practice and noxious to open government."

Government officials who have employed the tactic insist they are acting in good faith. They say it's best to have courts determine whether records should be released when legal obligations are unclear  for instance, when the documents may be shielded by an exemption or privacy laws.

State freedom-of-information laws generally allow requesters who believe they are wrongly denied records to file lawsuits seeking to force their release. If they succeed, government agencies can be ordered to pay their legal fees and court costs.

Suing the requesters flips the script: Even if agencies are ultimately required to make the records public, they typically will not have to pay the other side's legal bills.

"You can lose even when you win," said Mike Deshotels, an education watchdog who was sued by the Louisiana Department of Education after filing requests for school district enrollment data last year. "I'm stuck with my legal fees just for defending my right to try to get these records."

The lawsuits have been denounced by some courts and policymakers. A New Jersey judge in 2015 said they were the "antithesis" of open-records policies and dismissed a case filed by a township against a person who requested police department surveillance video footage.

In Michigan, the state House voted 108-0 earlier this year in favor of a bill that would make it illegal for agencies to sue public records requesters. The proposal came in response to a county's lawsuit against a local newspaper that had sought the personnel files of two employees running for sheriff. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the county had to approve or deny the request.

The documents, ultimately released days before the election, showed that one of the candidates had been disciplined for carrying on an affair while on-duty in 2011. That candidate lost.

The Michigan bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Klint Kesto, called the tactic "a backdoor channel to delay and put pressure on the requester" that circumvents the state's Freedom of Information Act.

The University of Kentucky prevailed in January when a judge blocked the release of records sought by its student newspaper detailing the investigation of a professor who resigned after being accused of groping students.

The judge agreed with the university that the records would violate the privacy rights of students who were victims even if their names were redacted.

While that ruling is on appeal, Western Kentucky University filed a similar lawsuit against its paper, the College Heights Herald, which sought records related to allegations of sexual harassment and assault involving employees. Several other state universities released similar documents to the newspaper, and the state attorney general has ruled that they are public records.

"It's not a good feeling knowing that we are being sued," said Herald editor-in-chief Andrew Henderson, whose publication has been raising money to pay legal fees. "I just hope that something beneficial comes out of all of this for everyone involved."
The grant will be drawn from the governments new 1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to improve transport links and promote local growth within city regions.

The 11.2km line will branch off Midland Metros existing Birmingham - Wolverhampton line at Wednesbury, serving Great Bridge, Horseley Heath, Dudley Port, Dudley town centre, and Merry Hill shopping centre. Much of the route will use the alignment of a disused freight line.

Construction is due to begin in 2019 and the line will open in 2023. Services will operate at six-minute headways during the peak and every 10 minutes at other times with a journey time of 24 minutes between Wednesbury and the terminus at Brierley Hill Town Centre.

In September the Department for Transport agreed to contribute 59.8m towards Midland Metros 149m Edgbaston extension.
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Moscow riots activist Belousov complains to Committee of Ministers of CoE

MOSCOW, November 20 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul)  Yaroslav Belousov, who had been convicted of participation in Moscow's 2012 Bolotnaya riots, turned to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe claiming Russia failed to comply with a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), his attorney Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI on Monday.

According to Agranovsky, the Committee of Ministers is asked to take measures aimed to make Russia comply with the ECHR decision, since Russias Supreme Court, which reconsidered Belousovs case this October, has changed nothing.

On October 4, The Supreme Courts Presidium upheld the sentence in Belousov case; however, it abolished decisions extending his detention.

This March, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights dismissed an application filed by Russia seeking to review the case of Belousov. Therefore, the ECHR ruling on two Belousovs complaints took effect.

In October 2016, ECHR awarded 12,500 in compensation to Belousov. The court held that four articles of the European Convention on Human Rights including Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association), had been violated by Russian authorities in his case.

Public protests erupted on Bolotnaya Square in May 2012. The rally culminated in clashes between protesters and the police. Over 400 people were arrested and scores were injured when protesters briefly broke through police lines.

Belousov, a student of the Moscow State University, was arrested in June 2012, charged with participation in mass disorder and using violence against officials and put in detention. He claimed that mass disorder had not taken place, insisting that there had only been isolated clashes between protestors and police. He also maintained that the object he had thrown struck nobody.

Belousov spent over 20 months in pretrial detention. His motions to vary the preventive measure have been repeatedly dismissed by court.

In February 2014, Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Court found Belousov guilty along with seven other opposition activists and sentenced him to 30 months in prison. Later, his prison term was reduced to 27 months. He was released on September 8, 2014.

Belousov lodged the first application with ECHR in December 2012. The second complaint was brought into the court in September 2014.
Investigator sues Nemtsov murder case convict, demands $1,600 in compensation

MOSCOW, November 20 (RAPSI)  An investigator has filed a lawsuit against Temirlan Eskerkhanov, convicted of the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, demanding 100,000 rubles (about $1,600) in compensation as part of a case over insulting an officer of Russias Investigative Committee, lawyer Anna Byurchieva told RAPSI on Monday.

Eskerkhanov is charged with contempt of court expressed in an insult to the parties to the litigation.

The lawyer has noted that the investigation is closing completion. According to Byurchieva, the case was initiated because of Eskerkhanovs words heard by the jury. One of the words insulted the investigator; however, an expert evaluation has found no insult in the convicts speech.

In October, the sentence passed on murderers of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov took effect. The Moscow District Military Court sentenced murderers of Nemtsov to prison terms varying from 11 to 20 years on July 13. The court ruled in accordance with the will of the jury panel founding all defendants guilty. Zaur Dadayev, Nemtsovs first-hand killer was sentenced to 20 years. Anzor Gubashev was sentenced to 19 years, Shadid Gubashev to 16 years, Temirlan Eskerkhanov to 14 years and Khamzat Bakhayev to 11 years. All defendants will serve their time in a high-security penal colony. The court fined defendants 100,000 rubles (about $1,700). Shadid and Anzor Gubashev, Eskerkhanov and Bakhayev were also subjected to additional restriction of freedom for two years.

In late June, jurors found all the defendants guilty of involvement in the politicians murder and illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition. According to the verdict, they did not deserve leniency.

The jury panel stated that one of defendants, Dadayev, conspired with others, was stalking and collecting data on Nemtsov, prepared murder and killed the politician himself, shooting his victim at least six times from an unidentified gun.

Boris Nemtsov, 55, a prominent opposition politician, who held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian government in the 1990s and in the 2000s joined the opposition, was shot down in the center of Moscow as he walked across a bridge near the Kremlin on the night of February 28, 2015.

Investigators believe that the conspirators had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime and spied on the victim.

Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be a mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list in November 2015. Beslan Shavanov, who allegedly was also implicated in the crime, reportedly killed himself when police tried to arrest him.

Criminal prosecution of Shavanov was dismissed because of his death. Investigation into Mukhudinov is underway.




Russian senator proposes ban on criminal subculture propaganda

MOSCOW, November 20 (RAPSI)  Russias senator Anton Belyakov wrote on his Facebook page on Monday that he had submitted a bill prohibiting criminal subculture propaganda in media and on the Internet to the State Duma.

Under the bill, the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor would be authorized to block resources popularizing values of the criminal world.

Currently, there is a ban on suicide, drugs, and extremism propaganda, as negative and socially dangerous phenomena. However, popularization of criminal pursuits is not officially prohibited in Russia despite the fact that criminal subculture is also dangerous and directly related to extremism, racket and other crimes, the Federation Council member says.

The draft law is aimed to prevent the further spread of this dangerous tendency, according to Belyakov. Amendments are proposed to laws On mass media and On protection of children from information doing harm to their health and development.
The Guardian, November 4, 2017

By Sune Engel Rasmussen

US airstrikes have killed scores of civilians in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz, according to officials and residents in the area, a fierce battleground that has been hit by several errant US airstrikes in recent years.

A US soldier was killed on Saturday after sustaining injuries on an operation in Logar in the eastern part of the country, the US military said.

The airstrikes in Kunduz on Friday night targeted three villages in Chardara, a district west of the provincial capital where Taliban fighters have long maintained a strong presence.

Afghan security forces prevented access to the bomb sites in Essa Khil, Qatl-e Aam and Uzbek Bazaar, barring relatives from picking up bodies and hindering a precise assessment of the toll. Afghan forces claimed no civilians had been killed in the strikes.

A provincial council member, Khosh Mohammad Nasratyar, estimated that around 55 civilians had been killed while an Afghan aid worker in the area, who asked not to be named, said at least 40 had been killed, including multiple women and children. The New York Times, citing residents and officials in the area, said at least 13 were dead.

An Afghan security official, who also asked not to be named, said the Taliban had forced locals to carry bodies of insurgents killed the night before, just as the bombers struck.

A spokesman for the US military in Afghanistan, Capt Tom Gresback, said US forces were looking into the allegations of civilian casualties but declined to say more about the operation, which he said was ongoing.

American and Afghan forces had been carrying out operations in the area for several days, but residents said aerial attacks intensified on Friday night with jets, bombers and drones crossing the sky incessantly.

Residents said the bombings shook windows in the provincial capital and seemed worse than similar strikes in 2015, when coalition and Afghan forces battled the Taliban for two weeks inside the city.

US airstrikes have surged dramatically since Donald Trump announced his Afghanistan strategy. More than 900 munitions were released in August and September, bringing this years total to nearly 3,000, more than twice the expended munitions last year.

The growing air campaign is a result of greater autonomy bestowed by Trump on his generals, and a possible sign of the direction of US involvement in Afghanistan. The CIA is reportedly seeking authority to conduct its own drone strikes in Afghanistan, a first if approved, according to the New York Times.

Kunduz has long been one of the most tormented Afghan provinces, especially since 2015 when the Taliban captured and held the provincial capital. During the fight to retake the city, Afghan special forces called in a US airstrike which hit a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres, killing 42 people in one of the most spectacular mistakes of the war.

The Taliban stormed the city again last year, albeit briefly, but fighting persisted. A month later, another US airstrike killed 33 civilians.

The deadliest errant strike in Kunduz occurred in 2009, when an American war plane responded to a call from German forces and struck two fuel tankers captured by Taliban, killing more than 90 civilians who had gathered to siphon petrol from the trucks.

In a separate incident on Saturday, a US soldier succumbed to wounds sustained on an operation in the eastern province of Logar, where another US airstrike in August killed 11 civilians.

Gen John Nicholson, the top US commander in the country, offered our deepest condolences to the family of our fallen brother.

The soldier, whose identity has yet to be publicised, was the 15th coalition soldier killed in 2017, of whom 13 have been Americans.

Additional reporting by Ehsan Ehsanullah in Kunduz
1TV, November 9, 2017

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said at least 10 civilians may have been killed in an airstrike in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province last Saturday.

This comes as U.S. military said that its investigation had found no evidence of civilian deaths in the airstrike which happened in Chardara, a district west of the provincial capital city.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that its interviews with multiple survivors, medics, elders and others give strong reason to believe civilians were among victims in the raid.

Credible reports that at least 10 civilians killed in Kunduz, Afghanistan airstrike 4 Nov, UNAMA initial findings show, it said on Twitter.

The mission said that accounts indicate victims were civilians forced by anti-government elements to retrieve bodies from earlier fighting.

The latest report of civilian casualties comes as U.S. has stepped up its air campaign in Afghanistan.

According to the most recent U.N. report, 205 civilians were killed while 261 more wounded in airstrikes in the first nine months of 2017 which marks a 52 percent increase.
Complaints against rooftop solar companies have skyrocketed in recent years as more Americans have installed solar panels on their rooftops. The complaints, filed by angry customers, reveal how rooftop solar companies exploit consumers  especially low-income and elderly homeowners. Federal regulators have taken notice: The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether rooftop solar companies are playing by the rules.

These problems dont mean Americans should discount solar altogether, just that home rooftop panels may not be the best delivery system. But thanks to the Department of Energys Solar in Your Community initiative, other ways for consumers to benefit from solar energy are in development.

The program, part of President Barack Obamas Sunshot Initiative, provides millions of dollars in seed funding to nonprofits and communities that are installing solar panels that benefit low- and middle-income residents. The Energy Department is betting that these grants will uncover a sustainable business model that can then be expanded.

The department is currently evaluating proposals submitted by 170 different entities. In January 2019, the department will reward organizations that have the most scalable, replicable solar business models with $1 million in prizes, including a $500,000 grand prize.

One promising proposal is the bid submitted by the town of Brunswick, Georgia, which received $15,000 from the Energy Department to build a solar array on a city-owned lot. The town will use the money generated by the sale of energy created by the solar panels to subsidize the energy costs of low-income residents.

Another promising project is the Rays the Valley initiative in Florence, Massachusetts. Co-op Power, a network of local energy cooperatives, partnered with local nonprofits to compete for government grants and received $60,000 to build large-scale solar arrays and sell ownership to low- and middle-income households.

The arrangement allows those who cant afford solar panels to reap the benefits of solar without spending tens of thousands of dollars installing their own panels. Rays the Valley plans to build several large solar installations, placing panels on such diverse spots as a large municipal building and a property owned by a nonprofit.

Some members of Congress have raised questions about the Sunshot Initiative. Last August, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform questioned whether funds from the program were being used to lobby for state subsidies for rooftop solar projects, which could violate a federal anti-lobbying law.

But it appears most Sunshot projects dont involve rooftop panels, which is a positive development for low-income consumers.

My organization, Campaign for Accountability (CfA), has been documenting how rooftop solar companies exploit vulnerable populations by reviewing consumer complaints filed against rooftop solar companies with state attorney generals as well as the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Consumers detailed how companies deceived them about the true costs of installing solar panels, lured them in with low price quotes that later proved to be false, required them to sign confusing contracts and promised energy savings that failed to materialize. These tactics appear to violate state and federal consumer protection laws, and weve asked state and federal authorities to investigate.

CfA isnt alone in raising the alarm. Watchdog group Public Citizen criticized the arbitration clauses in rooftop solar contracts, noting that solar leasing arrangements pose significant financial risks for families. Similarly, the National Consumer Law Center urged the CFPB to take action to protect low-income consumers citing, among other things, extensive complaints of false claims as to the savings with such panels and the terms of the leases. And attorneys general from Mississippi to Massachusetts have warned consumers to tread carefully when purchasing rooftop solar panels.

By bypassing rooftop solar companies, programs funded by the Sunshot Initiative help low-income Americans receive the benefits of solar energy and avoid becoming victims of shady business practices. This is a win for consumers and the environment.

Daniel Stevens is the executive director of Campaign for Accountability, a government watchdog based in Washington.
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INVEST IN THE WEST! We are constantly adding to our inventory of quality, cheap vacant land in the Western U.S. We take pride in offering you properties priced well under the competition. We offer prompt, professional and friendly customer service, easy and flexible payment terms, and we never charge you any processing fees or interest. It's time to invest in the west! You're bidding on the down payment for 1 acre of land in Meadview (Mohave County), Arizona. The photos used in this listing are ...

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Residential Parcel in La Grange vicinity Hayward, Ca. Mariposa COUNTY This land is in a small town called Hayward; it is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County. It is located 8.5 miles southwest of Penon Blanco Peak, at an elevation of 643 feet. Hayward is part of the vicinity of La Grange, Ca. just a 10 minute-drive from this town This property lays between La Grange and Barret Cove recreation area and Lake McClure; Lake McClure, which is shaped like a giant H, with its lake arms provid...

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'We need translational research for incubating companies.'

'You need industry to be co-located within research institutions.'

India needs to invest a lot more money in science research and translate this research into products and solutions for its people, says trustee at the Infosys Science Foundation and co-founder at Infosys Kris Gopalakrishnan.

In an interview with Raghu Krishnan, Gopalakrishnan says, surprisingly, the private sector is funding projects in places like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and Stanford. Excerpts:

What is the status of science funding in India?

We have very good researchers. Rankings say it is not bad in terms of publications.

Where we do miss out is quality. Also, the structure of research in India is in small groups - a professor with two or three students.

They seek funding of Rs 1-5 lakh. But there is a need for larger funding and larger groups have to work on research.

LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) was a 30-year project that got billions of dollars in funding.

For 30 years, scientists did not get any results. Of the 1,000 people, around 30 from India contributed to this project. So it is possible to do good work in India.

We spend 0.8 per cent of the GDP in research, of which 0.6 per cent is from the government and the rest from the private sector.

US spends 2 per cent, Korea 4 per cent and China 3 per cent. We need to spend significantly more; we need to increase private funding.

Globally, alumni contribute to institutes for research. What is happening in India?

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, is leading. It has taken them 15-20 years to get where they are. They get Rs 30-50 crore every year.

They are targeting Rs 100 crore over the next two years, primarily from alumni and the industry.

What more needs to be done?

We need to look at how we can become even more ambitious in our research programmes, which I believe, requires private support.

We also need to look at how we can convert research into start-ups and that requires significant risk-funding.

If you go to any major research university in the US or UK, you will have a department for translational research.

They look at ideas and projects, take it to the industry. It is starting to happen in India, it is still a trickle.

Will we see this change happening soon?

The positive virtuous cycle has not begun. That is founders, whose start-ups do well, contribute to their alma mater.

Alumni are the largest contributors to Stanford. IIT alumni do extremely well.

If you look at a third of the new start-ups in the Silicon Valley, they have founders of Indian origin, but the ideas they got were from the work they did elsewhere.

They are not based on the work they did at IITs. That is the thing that we need to change.

It also requires us to set up incubators within research institutions.

We need translational research for incubating these companies, grant funding, you need industry to be co-located within research institutions.

The only such example is the IIT Madras Research Park.

The government has promised funding for six more such research parks.

We are seeing a number of start-ups emerging using fundamental research in defence, both in the US and Israel. Do you see that happening here?

There is one key difference here. Our research institutions, especially the government ones, are pure research institutions, without student communities.

There may be some PhD students, but no undergraduate or postgraduate students.

If you look at the US or Israel, they are primarily research and educational institutions.

Thats why we need to look at IISc, IIT-Madras, etc, as the ones that collaborate with defence, or with the government.

I think the CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) labs have a particular purpose, but they need to be part of the university system.

We need to have at least a few mission-mode programmes, have enough funding, with help from the private sector and philanthropy, create translational departments that take research and convert them to products or businesses.

Creation of start-ups within these institutions will see improvements.

Is the private sector being risk-averse in investing in research?

They are disconnected. The private sector is surprisingly funding projects in places like the MIT, Harvard and Stanford.

The large companies have their own R&D; its the mid-sized companies that are doing a lot of sponsored research.

The defence sector also does a lot of sponsored research with IITs, etc.

But we want support for basic research, support for pushing the frontiers of science.

What has been the success of the Infosys Science Foundation, which awards the Infosys Prize to recognise scientific research every year?

It is again showing the way in certain things. By recognising people, we are creating icons, inspiration for youngsters.

We are interacting with some and hoping they will make a career in science.

Are you seeing any changes now?

We are seeing that the quality of people we are getting in some fields is improving.

These awardees are getting further recognition, bigger recognition.

That is encouraging for us, because we are picking the right people and the jury is continuing to work with us because they see the value of continuing to work with us.

It is by and large an international jury and they are spending time to select these people as well.

Photograph: Fred Prouser/Reuters
'You have to move from one skill to another skill.'

'An employee can't say this job is my right and even if you train me, I refuse to get trained.'

'Those who participate in re-skilling will remain in the industry.'

'Those who refuse to get re-skilled will have to go.'



Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Nasscom Chairman Raman Roy -- who is also the CEO and MD, Quatrro Global Services -- tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier why it is so important for techies to reskill themselves.

From the IT sector's point of view, how has the last year been?

The Nasscom guidance was for 8% for the full year and we are pretty pleased with the results of all our listed companies as everybody has come out with results that are better than the guidance. Naturally, the future looks quite bright.

Are you not worried about the sluggishness in the Indian economy?

Only 20% of our business comes from the domestic economy and 80% of our $150 billion business comes from outside India.

With a business of $150 billion, we are the largest industry now.

While there is sluggishness in the global economy, their need for technology is paramount right now.

Everybody is digitising, everybody is moving to newer technologies, everybody is into using apps, and we are the global providers.

That's why our guidance says, we will grow at 8%.

On the 20% part of the domestic industry, the sluggishness of which you are talking about, we are going to play a greater role in the Digital India initiative, in helping digitise India.

All the retail companies, all the e-commerce companies, digitisation of payments, digitisation of banks, digitisation of cities.. it's our industry that is going to play a role in the digitisation business.

That's why we are very bullish about all that is happening in India. That's why we have given a guidance of 8% for growth.

The other day, (former Infosys CEO) Kris Gopalakrishnan said the Indian IT industry could hope for a 10% to 15% growth...

That happened during our heyday, but Nasscom now is aiming at 7% to 8%. You must understand that 8% growth on a business of $150 billion is a whole lot of money.

When we were a $50 billion to $60 billion industry, 10% growth would have been possible. Today, we are talking about a $150 billion industry and a growth of 8% is $12 billion!

Also, this $12 billion growth will have a multiplier effect on the Indian economy.

Our estimation is that one direct job creates four indirect jobs.

If we can create even 100 jobs, many more people are going to be employed indirectly.

This has a more multiplier effect too in various sectors in the market like the retail sector, housing, etc etc.

If you look at the entire economy of Gurgaon, in terms of infrastructure, like office and residential buildings, the catalyst has been the IT and the BPO industry.

Do you feel the IT sector can be a driver of the Indian economy at a difficult time like this?

We are already the single largest exporter in this country. 6% of the GDP comes from this industry.

It was reported that the days of the IT industry hiring fresh engineering graduates in the thousands is over. Is it true?

In our guidance, we have said that our industry would hire 200,000 people.

We are the only industry that hires people in such large numbers. If we are going to do $15 billion digital business, it is going to create jobs.

It created panic among many youngsters when a lot of people in the IT sector lost their jobs.

As the industry moves to new technology areas, how important is it for employees to re-skill themselves?

Just because a few companies asked some employees to go, you cannot describe it as a situation that created panic.

Nobody is running a charitable organisation. Despite giving opportunities to train in new skills and improve, if an employee does not perform, s/he has no right to be in the company.

Just because a large company that has 50,000 to 60,000 people working got rid of 1% or 2%, you cannot say the IT industry is asking thousands of people to go.

Remember 1% to 2% of 50,000 to 60,000 will come to 1,000 people. The media blew it up by saying thousands of people lost their jobs.

If the journalists had done their work properly, they would have found out that those employees were first put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) for 9 months.

And if their performance did not improve even after that, what would the employer do but ask her/him to leave?

Even when we were asking people to leave, we are also hiring people.

Look at the prices of IT companies in the stock market, it is at a 1 year high.

Why? Because the revenue is coming from them.

You mean there is no cause for panic?

Cause for panic is for those who are not willing to reskill themselves.

I would say that you have to move from one skill to another skill. An employee can't say this job is my right and even if you train me, I refuse to get trained.

It is absolutely essential for her/him to reskill herself/himself in new technology. And the industry supports re-skilling.

At Nasscom, we have made a statement that over a three-year period, we have employed 4 million people directly. But 30% to 40% of this work force will have to be re-trained.

Those who participate in re-skilling will remain in the industry. Those who refuse to get re-skilled will have to go.

My grandfather was in one job all his life. My father might have changed his job twice or thrice in his life, but my daughter in her twenties has already changed four jobs.

This is the new reality. This is the new world. And it is different.

Last year, the revenue of the IT industry grew by 8.3% and jobs grew by 5.4% which means the rate of growth of revenue was higher than the rate of growth of the people hired.

This means per head revenue of the 8.3% revenue that came in is higher than the revenue before.

This also means the growth is non-linear where the growth of revenue will not be in tandem with the growth of people.

It also means there is higher salary per head.

The employees who are re-skilled and those who have absorbed newer technologies are more in demand as they are the biggest contributors to this industry.

They are the biggest gainers and get more salary now.

IIT Madras and IIM Lucknow witnessed a 56% and 50% rise in tpre-placement offers this year. Does that mean good times are ahead for new jobseekers?

I would say there are good times for job creators and also job-seekers.

We also reported that there is a significant increase of 1,000 new start-ups last year.

What is more exciting is there is a shift from job seekers to job creators.

Is the Start Up India initiative the reason for the increase in these numbers?

That has definitely helped. Yes, there is an increase in angel funding and venture funding unlike the times when I launched my start up 20 years ago when none of these facilities were available.

In those days, society also did not look at launching a start-up favourably. Today, it is socially acceptable and youngsters are proud to be entrepreneurs.

There is a social revolution that is happening and the number of job creators has increased tremendously.

It is not that every student in a university is becoming a job creator, but a large part of top students is looking at how to be a job creator and a very large part of top students wants to join such start-ups than big companies.

That is a huge shift, a welcome one, in the attitude of students.

If you go to an IIT and see who accepted what, you will see that some of the brightest students rejected offers from big multinational companies and accepted subdued offers from start-ups.

That is because they want to be a part of this new revolution.

This fundamental shift in the attitude augurs well for our country, for our society, and the industry.

Recently, Nasscom recognised the top 50 emerging companies and it was so exciting to talk to the young entrepreneurs and listened to their ideas.

Just like the IT revolution that happened earlier, what you see now is an entrepreneurial revolution.

The Nasscom report says India is the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Do you foresee India becoming the start-up hub of the world?

Hub is an enabler. Maybe we become the best enabler. As long as we are able to create new start-ups, it is a great achievement.

Our challenge is a geographic expansion. Nasscom has listed 10,000 start-ups, but all are in the metros.

We have to spread this idea across the country, from metros to Tier 2 and 3 cities. It doesn't matter where you have your start-up in this world of the Internet.

India jumped 30 places in the World Bank ranking on the ease of doing business. Do you feel we have to do a lot in this field to have a real entrepreneurial revolution?

We have to understand that this is a race in which the finish line keeps changing.

It is great to be in the top 100 as it is because of the hard work done by the government.

Yes, there is a lot of work and lot of learning to be done to the new goal set, that is to be in the Top 50.

You have to aim for the sky to reach the top of the mountain.

So, you see good times ahead for the IT sector?

We are very bullish about the future as our industry is doing very well globally and domestically.

We are making ourselves globally competitive.

We are also excited because we would be helping the Indian economy by creating new direct and indirect employment.
With the new Verna, Hyundai takes on Honda. Beating the Honda City is something the countrys second-largest car maker has taken upon itself with its new launch. Will it succeed?

Four years after losing its leadership position in the mid-sized sedan market to Honda, car maker Hyundai Motor India has mounted a significant challenge with the 2017 Verna.

It has completely overhauled the brand, going in for a full model change.





The move comes as the 2011 variant of the Verna, the last time the brand was given a makeover, completes its product life cycle (Product life cycle: from the time the product was first thought of until it finally is removed from the market).

Since that launch, the brand has been through minor changes and refurbishments twice, to bring excitement in the marketplace. It did not work, with the Honda City continuing its reign over its rival. In calendar year 2016, Honda City sold 57,619 units vs Vernas 16,461 units, according to industry sources.



The latest version of the Verna, however, holds promise like never before for the countrys second-largest car maker to take on the might of the Honda City.





The reason, say experts, is because the Verna remains one of the key products in Hyundais portfolio. It has sold over 300,000 units since it was first launched in India a decade ago and was an important brand along with the Santro earlier to help Hyundai emerge a significant challenger to Maruti Suzuki in the small and mid-sized car market in the country.



These segments still remain key to Indias growing car market. They constitute around 60 to 65 per cent of the overall car market here.



Hyundai has spent Rs 1,040 crores in revamping the Verna, company executives said, as it looks to stage a comeback in the segment.

But is toppling the Honda City or fighting the Maruti Ciaz, which has recently emerged the second-largest selling model in the mid-sized sedan market, easy?

Initial numbers seem to suggest so. In September, which was a month after launch, the 2017 Verna became the segment leader with 6,053 unit sales against Honda Citys 6,010 units and Maruti Ciazs 5,603 units, data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said.



While the question is whether the new Verna can maintain this lead in the forthcoming months, the company seems to have gone all out to ensure it can keep consumers engaged for now.





Analysts said the new Verna offers a lot more than its competition and is priced competitively at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) in keeping with these features. The Maruti Ciaz and Honda City, for the record, are priced between Rs 7.65 and Rs 13.43 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), sector experts said.



The next generation Verna is engineered to deliver excellence in all core areas of styling, performance, technology, safety, ride and handling, creating a new benchmark in the sedan segment, said YK Koo, managing director and CEO, Hyundai Motor India.





The latest model comes with 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines, with both manual and automatic transmission variants. The 2017 Verna is based on a newly developed K2 platform, Koo said, with features such as sun-roof, rear curtain, six airbags, eco-coating for air-conditioner vents and rear parking sensors to increase comfort and convenience for consumers.



Koo also said that the new Verna had been put through a number of product trials and tests to ensure it can meet Indian driving and terrain standards. The research and development on the 2017 Verna was undertaken jointly by the firms R&D centres located in Chennai, Hyderabad and South Korea.





While the introductory price of Rs 7.99 lakhs would be applicable only to the first 20,000 customers of the brand, sector experts said the move would aid penetration. Hyundai is expected to raise the price of the Verna once it settles down in the marketplace, industry sources said.



Hyundai has also pushed the pedal on marketing with the new Verna, backing the brand with a 360-degree campaign. With an equal focus on television, print, out-of-home, digital and social, the idea is to reach aspirational consumers while creating a big impact across all platforms, Koo said.





The pre-launch phase saw Hyundai come out with a teaser campaign, stepping into a full-blown launch campaign closer to roll-out. The post-launch phase has seen Hyundai engage with its dealers and consumers on a one-on-one basis, encouraging test-drives and having an open door policy to see and understand the Verna closely.



India will be the fourth production hub for the Verna, following South Korea, China and Russia. These countries will continue to manufacture for the domestic market, company executives said.



The plan is to produce around 130,000 units per annum of the Verna including 50,000 units for the domestic market and another 80,000 units for global markets. This includes Africa, West Asia and other Asian countries. Exports of the Verna are expected to start by next year.

The battle for leadership has begun.
According to the NIPFP, there is the possibility that even if the banking system matures over time, some transactions could bypass the system so as not to pay the BTT.



Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

A banking transaction tax (BTT) replacing the current tax systems (direct and indirect taxes, except for Customs duty) is not a superior system on all parameters, say economists at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in their assessment of Arthkrantis proposal which is being made public when the Budget process for 2018-19 is on.

Arthakranti is a Pune-based think tank that claims to have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes last year.

'It (BTT) fails to achieve the extent of equity that we have in the current system.

'It promises a broader base for taxes in its design but ends up advocating some exemptions, which ultimately shrink the tax base and takes the shine of BTT away,' says the report, titled Evaluation of Arthkranti Proposal.

While the report says that BTT scores better in terms of easy implementation and monitoring through the banks, it cautions that multiple objectives that policymakers seek to achieve through taxation would not be possible through the original and appealing version of the BTT.

According to the NIPFP, there is also the possibility that even if the banking system matures over time, some transactions could bypass the system so as not to pay the tax.

Thus, BTT may not be evasion-proof.

Further unlike the Goods and Services Tax (GST), BTT is a cascading tax, where the tax rate can build from 2 per cent to over 6 per cent in some cases.

The Arthakranti proposal entails a BTT on all credits, receipts at an appropriate rate, which it suggests could be 2 per cent.

Revenues from the tax would be divided between the Centre, states, and local bodies and the transacting bank.

Arthakranti suggests a ratio of 0.7 per cent to the Centre, 0.6 per cent to states, and 0.35 per cent each for local bodies and the transacting bank.

The NIPFPs evaluation reveals that a BTT of 2 per cent would increase the effective tax liability considerably.

In organised manufacturing alone, it estimates that the effective tax rates will come to around 14.3 per cent.

The study also finds that the cascading tax would come out to be 43 per cent of the total tax incidence, and 75 per cent of the direct tax incidence.

This means for every 1 per cent tax on turnover, there will be an additional 0.75 per cent tax through cascading, it said.

Further, it says that a tax rate of 2 per cent is unlikely to be revenue neutral for the government if it does not include a range of financial transactions.

For it to be revenue neutral, it will have to be higher at around 4 per cent.

This, in turn, will have a larger cascading effect.

In early 2016, the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Haryana had approached the NIPFP to evaluate Arthakrantis proposals, which included the withdrawal of high denomination notes from circulation and to introduce the BTT in place of existing taxes.

The report also studied the impact of two kinds of demonetisation -- one where the demonetised high-value currency would be replaced by low-value currency to the extent the same is demanded by the people and the other where the demonetised high-value currency is replaced by an equivalent addition to bank deposits.

The study calls the first one milder demonetisation and the second as the aggressive one.

When asked which one the Narendra Modi government's demonetisation would be categorised, Kavita Rao of the NIPFP, one of the authors of the report, said 'none, but it was closer to the milder one.'

The milder model of demonetisation, the study says, would have fewer consequences for the economy since economic activities are not disrupted.

'With time, as and when people perceive that there is a cost or inconvenience associated with transacting in low denomination currency, they would gradually shift to non-cash forms,' it says.

This gradual transition would bring more people into the banking channels as well as allow the service providers the time to upgrade their facilities to accommodate the changing levels of transactions, the study says.

The report says there could be two impacts if milder demonetisation is associated with the BTT at 4 per cent.

One set of players can perceive it as low tax rate and choose to come within the fold of banking transactions, while another set might want to step out of the banking system since effective tax rate would remain high.

With the availability of cash, the latter might be feasible.

'In other words, the black money as in incomes on which taxes have not been made can still persist in this economy.

'In addition, there would remain mechanisms to finance corruption as well,' NIPFP says.
'GST had to come close on the heels of demonetisation as part of the same package,' Shaktikanta Das tells Subhomoy Bhattacharjee.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Though I had asked him for a meeting in June, just days after he retired as secretary, department of economic affairs in the finance ministry, Shaktikanta Das took his time.

With good reason. The past two years have seen a rash of policies, many of which are still playing out.

"I want some time to pass before commenting," he kept telling me. It turned out to be better that way, as we meet shortly before the first anniversary of demonetisation.

As he arrives at the refurbished The Deck at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Das is clearly aware of the timing. "Look, this shouldn't be all about demonetisation, again." It is a fair request though I hope he brings it up himself as we get talking.

He tells me there have been quite a few lecture requests, but he has to turn them down as it is still close to his term at the DEA.

"Not just demonetisation but GST (goods and services tax), insolvency, bank recapitalisation and then there will be the ease of doing business bit (we spoke before the report came out). These are still playing out," he says.

The Deck looks roomy -- there are only a few people on this weekday afternoon. That impression is soon turned upside down.

As we sit with the bread basket, I see that agreeing on what to eat will not be a problem. A Bengali and an Odia would have similar tastes, so we order chicken pita pockets to munch on.

I pick the theme of the conversation: DEA secretaries often have to do a lot of speaking on camera as part of their job. How did he like that part?

"See, the finance ministry does not speak off the cuff. What has to be said is thought through, but no one goes into a huddle to decide all of it beforehand. If it is a critical issue, I will talk to the finance minister for advice before the cameras are switched on. Again, there have been cases when the minister himself has advised that a piece of news needs to be rebutted or contextualised."

It could now even be a tweet. "Once there was a report that the government was planning on a stake sale in SUUTI. I immediately tweeted to deny having any such idea."

Such communication is vital in economic affairs, he argues.

I have to bring up the 'D' word now. The communication must have peaked after November 8 last year, I let it slip.

Das chews meditatively before answering. "Demonetisation was a hugely difficult exercise. In terms of scale, it was one of the biggest challenges any Indian government has mounted. Once it was announced, I did have to take on a larger speaking role with the media. My aim was simple. The government had to give out the facts and make the public confident that things were in control and we would return to normalcy soon."

"Demonetisation, naturally, had impacted everyone in the country, so this constant communication was important to put the measures we were taking in perspective. For instance, we introduced indelible ink for those coming to exchange cash."

"We had evidence that a large number of people were being employed by those with unaccounted-for cash to make repeated trips to banks. As soon as we implemented the measure (ink marking on fingers), the queues became considerably shorter."

"We had to explain those things. And it wasn't as if I was the only one within the government doing the job of talking to the press."

Did the prime minister make any suggestions? Das makes it clear he will not take more questions on the topic.

In the past few years there have been a series of measures brought in by the government to address issues on the economic front. Was there any discussion about the sequencing of those steps?

"Let me give you an example from my stint as revenue secretary. We knew that we wanted to rework the double taxation agreements with countries from where a large amount of money comes to India or have been a favourable destination to fly out. But we had to take them up with Switzerland, with Mauritius or Singapore depending on the schedules on which these negotiations emerged."

"It was a combination of timing and opportunity. We might have wanted to order them differently but it wasn't possible."

The big bang steps for the domestic economy are broadly similar, he says. The government has to push in several directions to make the most impact.

Reforms cannot be linear, but sure enough, on some fronts the progress is faster.

"Their sequence may not appear clear from the outside, but every decision the government makes has a context and, of course, a follow through. You have to continuously evaluate if the economy needs it now or later."

During his time in the revenue department, there was plenty of clamour to make public the list of alleged tax evaders the Indian government had obtained from Switzerland. What pulled his hands back, I ask him.

"The terms are very clear. If we break the confidentiality clause, it is the end of our cooperation with those countries on sharing of information."

He says the details are to be used only for taxation purposes. Once the government has established there are valid reasons to chargesheet someone, it will become public since there will be a prosecution.

The Supreme Court and the special investigation team, too, bought this logic. They, too, have the list the names, he says.

I return to the topic of sequencing of policies.

Why was it necessary to bring in GST so close on the heels of demonetisation?

Does the economy need a larger breathing space to avoid the consequent slowdown?

"The sequencing was absolutely fine." A larger gap between the launch of GST and demonetisation would have hurt. Does it mean demonetisation was planned when the dates for GST were set?

Das carefully considers his response. "Any further delay in GST would have derailed it and GST had to come close on the heels of demonetisation as part of the same package. I would not like to say there was a grand plan."

"But a delay in GST meant the economy would pay a price."

But business has talked of hardships the government has glossed over, I add.

"It is a temporary dip and should smoothen out soon. When the going is good if we take any steps we risk being accused of interference (by business), but when things turn difficult there is a shout for us to come in."

Every retired secretary speaks about some part of his work with particular pleasure. Is there any one of these big bang measures that he is most pleased with?

Das looks at the now empty plate and decides he has had a heavy lunch. "No sweet dish," he announces as he nurses the lime juice. "It is difficult to recall any one, but let me tell you about a proud moment."

That proud moment took place at one of the annual Asian Development Bank meetings that happen every May.

"Often, the timing of the sessions collides with our Parliament schedule. So I had spoken on behalf of the finance minister at one of them. While the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and others spoke on the need for reforms and flagged several of those, I could reel off several from those grand checklists as already underway in India," he beams with pleasure.

One of those, he says, is the establishment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. "You will notice that even though we piloted the Bill, I got the minister (Arun Jaitley) to agree that its administration should be run by the ministry of corporate affairs."

"DEA should handle mostly policy issues, leaving sectors to be run by ministries, I feel," he says as he gets up to leave.

I figure we have not got around to discussing his stint as industry secretary in Tamil Nadu. He assures me that stuff is for another adda.
Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley on Monday clashed over the delay in convening the winter session of Parliament with the Congress chief accusing the Modi government of sabotaging it on "flimsy grounds" and the union minister saying Congress had done so too in the past.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaitley also said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December. According to sources, the government is considering a truncated winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

"The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds," Gandhi said in her address at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Delhi.

Refuting Gandhi's charge, Jaitley said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself done so several times.

Jaitley said the opposition party when in power had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters in Rajkot.

He also said the session would be held for sure and that the Congress will be "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said, adding, "Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed."

IMAGE: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi with other leaders at the Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: Courtesy @INCIndia/Twitter
The Congress on Sunday night released its first list of 77 candidates in which sitting MLA Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot East seat has been fielded to fight against Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West seat.

However, after the list was released, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti members expressed anger and started protesting in many parts of the state, claiming they were not given proper representation.

Two PAAS members were given tickets in the released list, while the Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats.

Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list.

The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat.

In Surat, PAAS members ghearoed the city unit office late on Sunday night and indulged in sloganeering against the Congress.

Some agitated protesters clashed with Congress workers, and allegedly vandalised the party's office.

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya told reporters.

In Ahmedabad, PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania, with his supporters reached the house of state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki to represent their case.

"We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us," he said.

However, Solanki was not present at his Ahmedabad residence.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protests against Congress tomorrow (Monday)," another PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria said.

Earlier in the day, PAAS mebers led by Bhambania and Kahiria had met Solanki and other Congress leaders.

After the meeting it was declared that they had reached a compromise formula.

Sources in the party had earlier said that the PAAS was demanding around 20 seats and negotiations were on between the PAAS and Congress on seat sharing.

Meanwhile, senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil who is MLA from Abdasa of Kutch has been fielded from Mandvi.

Gohil's chance of being a chief ministerial candidate brightened after Solanki said that he would not contest polls.

Party has fielded another senior leader Arjun Modhvaida from Porbandar seat which he had lost last time in 2012.

The party has given tickets to all its sitting MLAs on the seats where names were released.

The party has fielded four former MPs in the list of 77 for the first phase of the election scheduled on December 9, showing that it gives importance to the state assembly elections.

It has fielded Kunverjai Bavaliya from Jasdan seat, Soma Patel from Limbdi, Tushar Chaudhary from Mahua ST and Virji Thummer from Lathi seats.

The Congress has also given tickets to three members of minority community in the list--Suleman Patel from Vagra, Iqubal Patel from Surat (West) and Mohammed Javed Pirzadda from Vankaner.

Eleven canidates belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category.

Of the total 182 assembly segments in the state, 89 seats will go to poll in the first phase.
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from December 1-10 for his daughter's admission at the Cambridge University there.

The apex court imposed certain conditions on Karti and directed him to furnish an undertaking in three days that he would abide by the conditions and timeline of his visit.

The Central Bureau of Investigation FIR, lodged on May 15, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union finance minister.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Mishra said since the investigation was in progress, Karti will not cite the present order of allowing him to go abroad as a precedent in any court.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked Karti to furnish documents of grant or non-grant of admission to his daughter in the university on his return from UK.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agency's stand on Karti's plea seeking to go abroad.

He said that contempt action be initiated against Karti if he does not return to India after the completion of period of his visit abroad.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said he has agreed to furnish an undertaking and contempt action is a natural consequence which may follow if he does not return and hence it should not be mentioned in the order of the court.

The bench while taking the note filed by the CBI on record said that legality of government's Look Out Circular against Karti will be deliberated at the later stage.

It posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

In his application, Karti has sought court's permission to visit abroad for his daughter's admission at a college of the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

The apex court had on November 9 asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing Karti's request to go abroad.

The top court is hearing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madras high court order staying the government's LOC against Karti Chidambaram. The CBI had on September 1 said there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to probe in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti.
We are gathering evidence, says Bareilly SP; We will definitely take action, says Haryana DGP.

Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar reports.

Padmavati has created a dubious record before the film released, garnering protests and death threats like no other film has done so far.

Rajputs headed by the Karni Sena and obscure right-wing Hindu group has jumped into the fray in condemning the film, with individuals issuing violent threats against director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone.

Even as the Madhya Pradesh government banned the film's release in the state and the producers announced a postponement in its release date, members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha burnt effigies of Bhansali and Padukone in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

The worst of the remarks came from ABKM leader Bhuvneshwar Singh who was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying, 'Deepika Padukone should know how it feels to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of queen Padmavati. Any person burning her alive will be given Rs 1 crore.'

Strangely, despite such a clear call for violence, no police action has been initiated against Singh.

Singh's speech clearly falls under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (criminal intimidation) which prescribes a jail term of two years and fine, or, death or life imprisonment when threatened with causing death or grievous hurt.

Asked about Singh's incitement to violence, Superintendent of Police, Bareilly city, Rohit Singh Sahjawan told this correspondent: "We have not received any complaint in this regard. Even then we are gathering evidence."

When told that news television channels have been playing Singh's speech in a loop, Sahjawan said, "We know that, we have asked the media houses for the tape, but we have yet not received it," adding, "It has come to our notice that some persons have also recorded it on their mobile phones. We are tracing such individuals and will collect evidence from them."

Politicians have not lagged behind in issuing threats against Bhansali and Padukone.

Surajpal Amu, the Bharatiya Janata Party's chief media coordinator in Haryana, offered Rs 10 crore for the heads of the director and actress and promised to break the legs of Ranveer Singh who plays Delhi sultan Alauddin Khilji in the film.

Haryana Director General of Police B S Sandhu laughed when this correspondent called to ask what action he would take against Amu.

"Of course, we are taking action, we will definitely take action," Sandhu said before disconnecting the call.

IMAGE: Rajput Karni Sena members protest against Padmavati, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, November 12, 2017. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo
Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab on Monday joined the chorus of protests against Padmavati with Shivraj Singh Chouhan warning the film will not be screened in his state if it distorts history and Capt. Amarinder Singh saying cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, criticised the protests over the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, alleging there was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression, calling it "super emergency". The Trinamoll Congress supremo did not name any party.

Earlier, the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, both Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states, had also raised concern over the proposed release of the period drama in which actor Deepika Padukone plays the legendary Rajput queen.

The makers of Padmavati on Sunday said the release date of the film, which also featured Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred. The film was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said the film would not be allowed to be screened in MP if it contains scenes "breaching the honour" of the Rajput queen or portrays "distorted facts".

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted (in the movie)," he said.

If there are scenes breaching the honour of Queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said.

The Congress alleged that Chouhan's announcement against the screening of the film was a "propaganda" for polarisation of votes in the next month's Gujarat elections.

"This is ridiculous. Chouhan made this announcement even before the movie was cleared by the censor board. This is a propaganda being staged in the view of ensuing Gujarat polls with an aim to polarise voters in that state," alleged Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh.

The Punjab chief minister said nobody had the right to distort history as he told reporters in Chandigarh that he himself has studied history and even been to Chittor.

"Cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts...Those, whose feeling are hurt by distortion of facts, have the right to protest," he said when asked to comment on the controversy over the movie.

Protests are a justified recourse in a democratic system, said Singh, who leads the Congress government in Punjab.

Banerjee while describing the controversy over Padmavati as unfortunate urged the film industry to come out in support of Bhansali and his film.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves.

"We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," Banerjee said in a tweet.

Various religious organisations, spearheaded by Shri Rajput Karni Sena, have alleged that director Bhansali has distorted facts in the film.

The film has been facing controversy since Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

Take action against those threatening Deepika: K'taka CM to Khattar

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take "stringent action" against those threatening actress Deepika Padukone who is being targeted by fringe groups for her lead role in Padmavati.

Coming out in support of the actress, the state government said security would be provided to the actress whenever she is in Bengaluru and her family, who hail from Karnataka, in the wake of threats issued to her by several outfits which allege the period film distorted history and hurt sentiments of their community.

Deepika is the daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone, who lives in Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah's reaction came following a reported threat by the Haryana BJP media cell in charge, Suraj Pal Amu announcing a bounty of Rs 10 crore on the actress.

The reported threat came after a fringe group Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for those "burning Padukone alive."

Retweeting Karnataka energy minister D K Shivakumar's tweet, Siddaramaiah commented, "I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India. Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone."

"She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her," he said.

Shivakumar tweeted, "It is condemnable that a BJP office bearer is placing a bounty of Rs 10 crore on @deepikapadukone, who is from our state & the daughter of one of India's most respected sportsman."

"Is this BJP's culture & the way they show respect towards women? Immediate action should be taken."

He said he will write to the chief minister to offer protection to Padukone.

He demanded that the BJP apologise and make sure that intimidation doesn't happen. The minister appealed to all Indians, especially women and artistes, to speak for upholding freedom granted by the Constitution.

Karnataka Home minister Ramalinga Reddy told PTI the state will provide security to the actress and her family in the wake of the threats.

"Whenever Deepika is here in Karnataka, we will ensure that she gets adequate security. We will also provide security cover to her family staying here," Reddy said.
US - RSF joins letter denouncing attempt to deport Mexican journalist

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, US - RSF joins letter denouncing attempt to deport Mexican journalist, 18 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1289914.html [accessed 17 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) joined multiple press freedom groups in the following letter today denouncing attempts to deport Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto from the United States.

The National Press Club, its Journalism Institute and other advocates for press freedom and immigration justice urge U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to suspend efforts to deport Emilio Gutierrez, a winner of the club's Press Freedom Award.

Late on Friday, an immigration judge in El Paso, Texas, refused to stay the deportation of Gutierrez from the United States - where and his son fled after his investigative reporting led to threats against himself and his family. Gutierrez requested asylum in the United States; it took eight years for him to get a hearing, which took place last year.

"Gutierrez fled his country because his reporting jeopardized him and his family and then faced years of bureaucratic indifference before now being threatened with removal," said NPC President Jeff Ballou. "He deserves better from a country that has enshrined protections for the press in the First Amendment of its Constitution."

Gutierrez has been in the midst of an appeal process over his asylum case. On Thursday Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials summoned him for a meeting. They told his lawyer they wanted to deport him that day. This meeting took place exactly six weeks after he appeared at the National Press Club to accept a Freedom of the Press award, one of the club's highest honors, on behalf of his country's beleaguered press corps.

At the NPC's request, Gutierrez represented all of his Mexican colleagues, as an exemplar of their tenacity and courage as reporters are killed, kidnapped and forced into hiding in retaliation for their reporting on drug cartels and government corruption.

He and his Mexican associates "find ourselves immersed in a great darkness," Gutierrez said through a translator.

"Our hope is that U.S. officials will provide a beacon in that darkness, in keeping with the country's long tradition of advancing press freedom, by granting Gutierrez the asylum he has requested in the United States," said Barbara Cochran, president of the board for the non-profit National Press Club Journalism Institute. "Sending him back to a country that is the most dangerous in the western hemisphere for journalists could amount to a death sentence."

The National Press Club, the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the undersigned organizations appeal to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to reconsider this deportation order. We also ask the Trump administration and all members of Congress to let the Department know that this case not only puts an individual reporter in danger, but also could have a chilling effect on truth-telling everywhere.

Jeff Ballou, president

The National Press Club

Barbara Cochran, board president

NPC Journalism Institute

Sandy Johnson, president and COO

National Press Foundation

Margaux Ewen, Advocacy and Communications Director

Reporters Without Borders, North America

Dan Shelley, executive director

Radio Television Digital News Association

Bruce Brown, executive director

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Suzanne Nossel, executive director

PEN America

Joshua Hatch, president

Online News Association

John Donnelly, president

Military Reporters and Editors

Sarah Glover, president

National Association of Black Journalists

Yvonne Leow, national president

Asian American Journalists Association

Melissa Lytle, president

National Press Photographers Association

Mark Hamrick, president

Society of American Business Editors and Writers

Alberto B. Mendoza, executive director

National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Beau Willimon, president

Writers Guild of America East
An Unfinished Love Story

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Hala al-Abdullah Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, An Unfinished Love Story, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a128a044.html [accessed 17 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.

I was sitting drinking coffee with my sister-in-law one day during a family visit when she mentioned that a relative of hers was looking for a bride. She suggested that he might be a good match for our daughter Samaher.

I asked my husband if he would allow Samaher to get married. She was 17 years old at the time and had been unable to finish her studies because of the war. My husband didn't rule it out and suggested that the potential groom come to visit us with his family.

Two days later, my sister-in-law called me and told me when the groom - named Khaled - and his family would come. On the day they were due to arrive, Samaher cleaned the house to welcome our guests. Like other girls, she wanted to get married and have a family. That evening, the groom and his family came along with my husband's relatives. We all sat down and my daughter served food before joining us.

After my husband, Khaled and his family had chatted a little, my husband asked about his potential son-in-law's work. They told us that Khaled was a military commander in the Free Army, that his financial situation was good and that he had his own house. He was also from al-Madiq village, which was not far away from us.

The groom's proposal was accepted and Khaled and Samaher got engaged. They seemed meant for each other. I was very happy that my daughter was now betrothed and that her life would be better than ours. She had always wanted to buy so many things that we had to refuse because we were too poor.

Khaled was 14 years older than my daughter but he was a good, honourable man and Samaher grew very attached to him. She would frequently call her fiance to talk about their future life. He used to visit us often as he also was very fond of Samaher and grew to love her. I was so happy about that. We sat with Khaled for many hours and I felt as if he was one of my own children.

Every time he went into battle, Samaher cried bitterly; she was scared for him. I tried to calm her and remind her that many young people were doing the same to protect us and free us from the Assad regime.

Eventually, Khaled's parents set the wedding date for their son and my beautiful Samaher. The marriage was to take place in spring. Samaher began preparing herself and bought clothes and other items. She was very happy, she loved Khaled so much even though they hadn't been engaged for long.

On the week of the wedding, as Samaher, her sisters and I were arranging her trousseau, Khaled called and told her that he was going to fight in the Aleppo countryside for the next two days.

"I won't be late," he said. "On Tuesday I will be back and our wedding will be on Thursday, as we planned."

Sobbing, Samaher begged him not to go.

He told her, "Forgive me, dear, I can't neglect my duty."

Samaher began beseeching me, "Please mother, call him and convince him not to go!"

I tried to calm her down, telling her I was sure he would be safe and that we could not prevent him from going. She knew that he was a fighter and it was pointless trying to stop him from doing his job, either now or after they got married, especially since it was heroic and for the sake of our country. My words soothed her a little and she went back to organising her things.

The next day, Khaled's mother came to visit and check on the wedding arrangements. She told Samaher, "In just a few days, you will be my son's wife". Samaher smiled shyly. After Khaled's mother left, we had dinner.

Then the evening came, and a great sadness came with it. A relative called and told my husband that Khaled had been killed during the fighting. He was shot and died.

My husband began weeping silently.

I was standing next to him and asked, "What's wrong? This is the first time I've ever seen you cry."

"Khaled was martyred in Aleppo," he replied.

What could I say to Samaher, who was preparing to marry the man she loved? I went to her room and asked her, "Samaher, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to call Khaled, but he's not answering," she responded.

I cried and hugged her tightly. I told her, "My daughter, don't be sad."

She pushed me away and said, "Mother, what's wrong with you? Did anything happen to Khaled?"

I was silent and couldn't answer.

She ran to her father and asked him, "Father, what happened to Khaled?"

Her father told her the sad news. Samaher collapsed on the ground.

She cried and said, "I said goodbye to him and I knew that it was our last goodbye. Why did this happen?"

My husband said, "Your mother and I are going to visit his parents, do you want to come with us?"

She said, "How can they bury him without me seeing him first?"

We entered Khaled's family home and his mother hugged Samaher and they cried together.

Khaled's mother asked her, "Samaher, will the groom come?"

My daughter answered, "Yes, he will come and fulfil his promise."

They wept so much.

Amid the shouting and crying, they carried the martyr in and set him down in the middle of the room. His family looked at him for the last time, but Samaher could only watch from a distance; she didn't want to see him in such a condition. She hugged me tight and we cried together.

They took Khaled and buried him. It was a bitter spring that year, tainted with the unfinished story of Khaled and Samaher.

Hala al-Abdullah, 48, is married with seven children. Originally from Hazarin village in Jabal al-Zawiyeh, she currently lives in Maar Tahroma.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Kenya: Police must not use lethal force against opposition supporters

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Kenya: Police must not use lethal force against opposition supporters, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a128a384.html [accessed 17 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.

Kenyan police must stop firing live ammunition during opposition protests and instead protect all people gathering in public, said Amnesty International today amid running battles in which three opposition supporters are feared to have been shot dead.

"We have received reports of at least three deaths, and live TV footage shows another man being shot in the leg. Firearms can only be used when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life," said Abdullahi Halakhe, Amnesty International's East Africa Researcher.

"The indiscriminate use of live ammunition is totally unacceptable. Firearms must never be used to disperse crowds."

According to Amnesty International research, at least 66 people have been killed by police in election-related violence since August. At least 33 of them died in the aftermath of the 8 August elections and another three were killed during the October re-run.

The opposition supporters were trying to get to Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi, where they expected Raila Odinga to address them, just hours after he had returned from an eight-day trip to the US.

Odinga boycotted October's presidential election re-run describing it as a sham and has since launched a civil disobedience campaign to push for electoral reforms and a repeat election early next year. Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the poll, but the Supreme Court is due to rule on the validity of his victory on 20 November.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
China: Police 'Big Data' Systems Violate Privacy, Target Dissent

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 19 November 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, China: Police 'Big Data' Systems Violate Privacy, Target Dissent, 19 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a128ad34.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Chinese government should stop building big data policing platforms that aggregate and analyze massive amounts of citizens' personal information, Human Rights Watch said today. This abusive "Police Cloud" system is designed to track and predict the activities of activists, dissidents, and ethnic minorities, including those authorities say have "extreme thoughts," among other functions.

China has no enforceable protections for privacy rights against state surveillance.

"It is frightening that Chinese authorities are collecting and centralizing ever more information about hundreds of millions of ordinary people, identifying persons who deviate from what they determine to be 'normal thought,' and then surveilling them," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "Until China has meaningful privacy rights and an accountable police force, the government should immediately cease these efforts."

The Chinese government has a long track record of amassing large amounts of information about citizens, and it is now actively exploring new technologies, such as big data analytics and cloud computing-based systems, to more efficiently aggregate and mine personal information. Authorities aspire to connect disparate databases to better enable data sharing and analysis across government departments, national and local levels, and from private sources.

Chinese police are using various applications to analyze large volumes and varieties of data, including text, video, and pictures. These applications can deliver useful analytics in real or near-real time, such as monitoring traffic patterns. Chinese police have said the use of big data will improve the police force's ability to search for suspects, predict crime, and respond efficiently.

But some of these systems also enable the police to arbitrarily gain unprecedented information about the lives of ordinary people, including those who have no connection to wrongdoing.

One of the Ministry of Public Security's (MPS) most ambitious and privacy-violating big data projects is the "Police Cloud" () system. The system scoops up information from people's medical history, to their supermarket membership, to delivery records, much of which is linked to people's unique national identification numbers. This allows the Police Cloud system to track where the individuals have been, who they are with, and what they have been doing, as well as make predictions about their future activities. It is designed to uncover relationships between events and people "hidden" to the police by analyzing, for example, who has been staying in a hotel or travelling together. It can also alert the police to activity that might seem unusual - such as when someone who has a local residence frequently stays in a local hotel.

The fact that these systems are designed in part to track groups the authorities deem politically or socially threatening raises serious concerns about social and racial profiling. Through predictive policing, these platforms vow to analyze their past pattern of activities to "alert and warn" the police about their future activities so as to "more effectively intercept" them. Meng Jianzhu - the former Minister of Public Security and the current Secretary of the Communist Party Political and Legal Committee - which oversees the Party-state's police, procuratorate, and the courts - said in 2015 that big data is important to "find order in fragmented information" and "to pinpoint a person's identity."

Human Rights Watch has analyzed a number of tender documents from police bureaus in Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces, and Tianjin Municipality, as well as academic and press reports. Human Rights Watch has primarily focused on these three regions because these documents are publicly available; Shandong and Jiangsu Province also claim to have some of the most established Police Clouds in the country. The tender documents reviewed for Shandong include those published by police bureau in the major cities of Jinan, Tai'an, and Weihai; for Jiangsu, Yancheng City; for Tianjin, the document was published by the Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau.

These tender documents were published between 2015 and September 2017. The Tianjin Police Cloud - at around US$4 million (27 million RMB) - is the most expensive.

The Police Cloud system appears to be a national project. In 2015, the MPS issued a regulation on information sharing (), ordering aggregation of data and the construction of provincial-level Police Clouds, which form the basis of a national Police Cloud database.

"As the Police Cloud soaks up ever more data about citizens, a perfect storm is on the horizon," said Richardson. "With authorities increasingly able to track everyone's every move, what's at stake across China isn't just people's privacy - it's also many of the rights they hold."

Aggregation of citizens' data from government and business sources

The Police Cloud system aims to integrate different types of information, including data routinely gathered by China's police, such as residential addresses, family relations, birth control methods, and religious affiliations. The cloud platforms will also integrate hotel, flight and train records, biometrics, CCTV footage, and information from other government departments and even private companies.

In Weihai City, Shandong Province, the Police Cloud aims to integrate 63 types of police data and 115 types of data from 43 other government departments and industries (click here for the list). Among the data government collects are patient records - including names and illnesses - obtained from the National Health and Family Planning Commission; names and causes of petitioners - individuals who complain to the government, usually for official abuses - from the State Bureau of Letter and Visits; and the names and addresses of individuals convicted of crimes from the Bureau of Justice. The Police Cloud will also aggregate company data, including user names and their IP addresses from telecoms companies; usernames of their social media accounts (wechat, weibo, QQ, and email) from internet forums; and senders' and receivers' names, phone numbers, and declared package content from delivery companies.

In Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, a state press article explained that the police purchase company data from third parties. The information purchased includes "navigation data on the internet, [and] the logistical, purchase and transaction records of major e-commerce companies." Some of this data is collected in real-time, according to the article: "In the past police officers would go door to door to collect data, and at most they could collect information from 40 to 50 households; now every day the machines collect data continuously." This data includes MAC addresses (a unique hardware identifier of a computer or other networked device) and router information of Internet users.

Big data systems with intrusive 'insights' and predictive policing

The Police Cloud system aims to enable police to "visualize" () hidden trends and relationships between people in the sea of data. They provide interfaces called "Police Qiandu" (, a play on China's popular search engine, "Baidu") in Shandong, and "Sky and Earth E-Search" in Tianjin, which allow officers to search for and monitor individuals, vehicles, and cases of concern. The system can also be trained to alert police of people, relationships, and events of interest based on the data and patterns it analyzes. For example, the Jinan system will alert the police of what seems to them like unusual activity - such as when someone who has a local residence frequently stays in a local hotel - analyzing collected data of hotel and hostel lodging, vehicle movements, and express delivery.

A key feature of these systems is to discover relationships not otherwise apparent to the authorities. The big data system in Jinan will allow police to search for those who "are closely related to persons of concern." This means, for example, finding out who "has gone to internet cafes together more than twice, or has travelled together twice" with the persons of interest. Once these relationships are found, police "can further mine and analyze [information about] this related individual," and the system can also display this data as relationship maps. Similarly, the Tai'an Police Cloud allows the police to visualize relationships by analyzing those "who travel, who live, who work together; who go on the internet; who share the same hukou [China's household registration system]; who share the same family members; and who are involved in the same case."

The Police Cloud system is also designed for surveilling groups of people the police are most concerned about, such as those the government considers to be most threatening to regime stability. The MPS defines these "seven categories of 'focus personnel'": petitioners, those who "undermine stability," those who are involved in terrorism, major criminals, those involved with drugs, wanted persons, and those with mental health problems who "tend to cause disturbances."

In effect, local police can decide that virtually anyone is a threat and requires greater surveillance, especially if they are seen to be undermining stability. There are no legal avenues for people to be notified of this designation, or contest it. A tender document from Tianjin describes its Police Cloud as capable of monitoring "people of certain ethnicity," "people who have extreme thoughts," "petitioners who are extremely [persistent]," and "Uyghurs from South Xinjiang." Xinjiang is a region with 11 million minority Muslims called Uyghurs, most of whom live in the south of the region and whose rights are heavily repressed. The Tianjin system says it can pinpoint the residences of these individuals and track their movements on maps. In Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, the Police Cloud can "give rapid feedback" on the trajectory of "vehicles driven by focus personnel, by those involved in drugs and vehicles [registered in] Xinjiang" on a map.

Another feature of these systems is so-called "predictive policing." Analyzing past crime data, behaviors, and movements, the system purports to predict future criminal activities. Police may want to use these systems, for example, to target certain locations at certain times at which the behaviors of interest most likely will take place.

The tender document of the Jinan Police Cloud says it will "analyze the focus personnel who have come to Jinan and their caseswatch them and warn [the police] of [their presence] according to combinations of characteristics including ethnicity, criminal offense records, and others." On the basis of such analysis, this system will generate and send analytics to handheld devices of police officers on a daily or weekly basis.

The officers are reported receive some of these analytics from a Shandong Police Cloud every morning at 8:00 a.m. According to an article on Shandong Legal Daily:

"The 'Morning at 8' system aggregates information from the area from the day before, including information about cases, ethnicity, hometowns, as well as information from police intelligence, hotel and hostel [registration], Internet cafes, civil aviation and other systems. The cloud system then analyzes this information for abnormality and trends and sends them to the police officers' mobile phones at every morning at eight o'clock."

This system is designed to catch "focus personnel." The article quotes an officer as saying:

"Every day at eight o'clock based on our location and subscription options, the system sends us targeted messages; in particular, it alerts us to individuals who are involved in terrorism and in [undermining] social stability who've entered our jurisdictions."

The article illustrates such predictive policing with one example:

"At 12:54 on September 17, 2015, a drug user named Mai () went to stay at a hotel in Dongying District, and officers from the Yellow River Police Station went to check on him after receiving an SMS alert from the 'Morning at 8' system. After investigation, [the police discovered] that Mai's sister, named A (), has been punished for 'endangering state security.' According to the relevant mechanism, police then subject Mai to key [personnel] monitoring."

The system seems to have alerted the police because Mai had been listed as having a record of drug use. The article goes on to say that the system can "find out where ethnic minorities and those with a criminal record gather and stay for the long term," information which guides police patrols.

The predictive policing programs also purport to track people involved in terrorism. Human Rights Watch has criticized the Chinese authorities for using terrorism allegations to justify the suppression of peaceful dissent, particularly against Uyghurs.

As the Chinese police continue to build these systems, there are many challenges to their efficacy and functionality. According to academics, the police have encountered resistance from other government agencies when collecting information; frontline officers have not been diligent enough in collecting useful or complete information; the information collected under various programs is inconsistent and difficult to reconcile; and few officers have the skills to conduct big data analysis for their work.

Two big data experts who reviewed this press release also suggest that China's police may not yet have enough data points to track large numbers of people in real time. Chinese police have access to all hotel, flight, and train records. China is developing facial recognition and automatic number plate recognition on CCTV footage to improve the ability to track people, according to available evidence. The police also have access to stored location data held by telecom, mobile, and internet providers, but it is less clear whether they have access to ongoing data streams. An added challenge is that this kind of tracking can exact heavy requirements in terms of data storage, computing and analytical resources.

Big data policing in Chinese law and international law

In recent years, the Chinese government and the Communist Party have issued a number of directives and regulations on the collection, integration, and sharing of data to improve "social stability" - a euphemism that concerns creating an outward appearance of calm through suppressing crime as well as political dissent. In 2014, the MPS issued a notice ("") about the construction of a smart personal data collection system between 2016 and 2020 that can "strengthen the ability to issue early warning concerning the abnormal behavior of key personnel." In 2015, an MPS leadership meeting adopted a set of principles on "Strengthening the Collection of Basic [Policing] Information" (), and vowed to increase the use of big data and cloud computing in policing. Also in 2015, the Office of the Central Committee of the CCP and the General Office of the State Council issued an "Opinion on the Strengthening of the Construction of Social Security Prevention and Control Systems ()," which includes using technological means including cloud computing and big data to achieve "social stability." There are also provincial-level directives; Shandong police issued several directives in 2014 on integrating data and building a Police Cloud.

Current Chinese laws also do not meet international privacy standards enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has signed but not ratified. Those require that the collection, retention, and use of the personal data of individuals for policing purposes must be both a necessary and proportionate means to handle a genuine threat to a public interest such as national security or public order, in the sense that it is the least intrusive measure to accomplish that end.

China does not have a unified privacy or data protection law to protect personally identifying information from misuse, especially by the government. The police do not have to obtain any sort of court order to conduct surveillance, or provide any evidence that the people whose data they are collecting are associated with or involved in criminal activity. Police bureaus are not required to report surveillance activities to any other government agency or to publicly disclose this information. In practice, there are no effective privacy protections against government surveillance. It is very difficult for citizens to know what personal information the government collects, and how the government uses, shares, or stores their data. There is no way for citizens to know if they are being classified as "focus personnel," much less to challenge their treatment if so classified, or if associated with people designated "focus personnel." Those who try to investigate government surveillance are vulnerable to being charged with crimes including "stealing state secrets."

The government, however, has a number of laws that empower state agencies and private companies to collect and use information concerning citizens, and government departments as well as local governments have issued numerous directives, rules, and regulations to collect and use miscellaneous information. State security-related legislation, such as the State Security Law, invests police and other state security agents with the broad power "to collect intelligence involving state security." The Cybersecurity Law, while imposing requirements on network operators to keep user data confidential and to get consent before collecting it, also compels internet companies to store user data in China and provide undefined "technical support" to security agencies to aid in investigations.

The government's use of big data and predictive policing exacerbates already widespread violations of the right to privacy in China. Policing algorithms and big data analytics rely on large datasets. As more police departments build cloud-based policing systems, they collect more and more personal data, including through their own increased surveillance activities and through cooperation with the private sector. As conceived, the Police Cloud system will lead to enormous national and regional databases containing sensitive information on broad swaths of the population, which could be kept indefinitely and used for unforeseen future purposes. Such disproportionate practices will intrude on the privacy of hundreds of millions of people - the vast majority of whom will not be suspected of crime.

Also directly at risk are the rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and freedom of association. By the government's own description, these systems are designed to track, monitor, and potentially detain and prosecute "focus personnel" and anyone who may travel, meet, or communicate with them. Such predictive policing systems will thus place individuals under suspicion and surveillance merely because they have associated with "persons of concern."

Big data analytics that rely on social media monitoring and the aggregation of online activity can also further chill freedom of expression. If users fear that their every weibo post or chat will be used to determine whether they are a threat to security, it may increase self-censorship online.

These systems are also likely to have a discriminatory impact on ethnic minorities and other groups. This is in part by design: the government severely represses the ethnic minority Uyghur population as part of its counterterrorism campaign. Tender documents show that the Police Cloud system is in part specifically designed to monitor Uyghurs and "people of certain ethnicities."

In addition to the human rights concerns mentioned above, serious questions remain as to whether predictive policing tools can reliably direct police attention to areas at highest risk for crime. In the US, for example, various police departments have begun using predictive policing systems to locate crime "hotspots" or individuals who are most likely to become involved in crime. But these systems train on data of past police reports, which may not reflect the pattern of actual risks. What results is prediction simply of the targets at which police enforcement actions are typically directed, not the places or people that actually are most involved in crime.

Preventing crime is a legitimate state interest, but predictive tools often point to the same old patterns, making it likely for policing to replicate old mistakes or biases such as targeting of people of lower socioeconomic status. This throws into doubt whether the use of these predictive tools adds much new, and whether they are either a necessary or proportionate intrusion on the rights of individuals.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
China: Release Gravely Ill Critics

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, China: Release Gravely Ill Critics, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a128bf14.html [accessed 17 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.

Draft legislation pending in the Russian parliament to impose restrictions on foreign media would further undermine media freedom in Russia, Human Rights Watch said today. Parliament should reject the law as incompatible with fundamental standards on free speech, which are at the heart of a democratic society.

On November 15, 2017, the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, adopted, with record speed, a draft law that stipulates that the government may designate any media organization or information distributors of foreign origin that receive any funding from foreign sources as "foreign media performing the functions of a foreign agent." The State Duma chairman, Viacheslav Volodin, stated bluntly that the bill aims to retaliate against a US Department of Justice' September request that the Russian state-funded television channel, RT, comply with registration requirements under the US Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).

"The US government's misguided decision to request for RT to register under FARA gave the Kremlin a platform to retaliate, and they have done so with a full throttle attack on media freedom," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But sadly, the bill will not simply hurt foreign media, but worse, unjustifiably limit Russian citizens' right to access information and ideas."

The November amendments define the term "media outlets" broadly to include any foreign entity that distributes "to unlimited audience, print, audio, audiovisual and other messages and materials." The definition appears to be broad enough in theory to be applied to a wide range of groups and people, not just media outlets or individual bloggers, but academic or nongovernmental organizations and social media platforms.

On November 15, the draft was sent for approval to the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament.

The bill further stipulates that should a foreign media outlet be designated a foreign agent, it must comply with the requirements of Russia's "foreign agents' law." The draft however fails to explain the basis on which the Russian government will choose which foreign media it designates foreign agents, nor does it describe the registration procedure. The law also fails to identify which government agency would be tasked with overseeing its implementation.

While a motivation behind the amendments may be the application of FARA to RT, the November bill imposes asymmetrical measures. RT is not the first, nor only, media outlet connected to a foreign government subject to US registration requirements - Chinese, Japanese, and Korean media entities are also current registrants. FARA, first enacted in 1938 and reformed in the 1960s to identify and regulate lobbyists working for foreign governments, applies to organizations and individuals that operate under direction and control of a foreign principal. But the US law does not equate receiving foreign funding, in part or in whole, with being under the direction and control of a foreign principal.

On November 15, following the adoption of the draft law by the State Duma, Russia's Ministry of Justice sent notices to several US-government-funded media operating in Russia under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, such as the television network Nastoyashee Vremya (Current Time) and Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty, the Russian language service of RFE/RL), informing them that the authorities might designate them "foreign agent" media. The notices did not elaborate on specific restrictions that would be applied.

Adopted in 2012 and amended in 2014 and 2016, the "foreign agents' law" requires Russian independent groups to register as "foreign agents" if they receive any foreign funding and engage in broadly defined "political activity." The law requires such organizations to clearly mark all publications "foreign agent," and to file extensive reports on their funding and activities, in addition to the extensive reporting they already file to the tax, Justice Ministry, and other agencies. The penalties for violating the law range from administrative fines for entities to criminal sanctions, including imprisonment, for individuals.

"The text of the media bill may be vague, but the Russian authorities' intentions could not be clearer," Williamson said. "This legislation is tailor-made to be selectively and politically enforced, and to silence voices they do not want Russian people to hear."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
UNHCR concerned over Israel's refugee relocation proposals

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR concerned over Israel's refugee relocation proposals, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a128d054.html [accessed 17 November 2022]

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seriously concerned by proposals announced yesterday by Israel's Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. Under these proposals, Eritreans and Sudanese asylum-seekers and refugees would be compelled to accept relocation to countries in Africa or face imprisonment in Israel. The closure of the Holot facility housing many of the Eritreans and Sudanese, will also be decided in the next three months.

This plan follows a ruling by Israel's High Court of Justice in August which sanctioned the controversial forced relocation policy introduced by the Israeli Government in March 2015, provided that certain safeguards were put in place in third countries.

From the start of this programme in December 2013 until June 2017, some 4,000 Eritrean and Sudanese were relocated under the Government's 'voluntary departure programme' to two African countries, named in media reports as Rwanda and Uganda.

Due to the secrecy surrounding this policy and the lack of transparency concerning its implementation, it has been very difficult for UNHCR to follow up and systematically monitor the situation of people relocated to these African countries. UNHCR, however, is concerned that these persons have not found adequate safety or a durable solution to their plight and that many have subsequently attempted dangerous onward movements within Africa or to Europe.

"As party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Israel has legal obligations to protect refugees and other persons in need of international protection," said UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Volker Turk. "UNHCR and the international community have been assisting Israel to meet its international obligations, including by resettling or finding other durable solutions for 2,400 refugees who have departed from Israel in the last couple of years."

There are some 27,500 Eritreans and 7,800 Sudanese in Israel. Since Israel took over refugee status determination from UNHCR in 2009, only eight Eritreans and two Sudanese have been recognized as refugees by the authorities. Another 200 Sudanese, all from Darfur, were recently granted humanitarian status in Israel.
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.
Cambodia Signs Controversial Amendment Into Law

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 28 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Signs Controversial Amendment Into Law, 28 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12d2b04.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia Signs Controversial Amendment Into Law

2017-07-28

Cambodia's acting head of state signed into effect a controversial new amendment to the country's Law on Political Parties Friday, as international and domestic nongovernmental organizations slammed the legislation they said will undermine the democratic process ahead of general elections set for next year.



The amendment-proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and adopted on July 10 by its members of parliament amid a boycott by opposition lawmakers-bans parties from associating with or using the voice, image, or written documents of anyone convicted of a criminal offense.



Political parties found in violation of the amendment could be banned from political activities for up to five years and prohibited from competing in elections, or even dissolved.



It was approved by Cambodia's Constitutional Council earlier this week and signed into effect on Friday in a state of "urgency" by Senate President Say Chhum, the acting head of state in the absence of King Norodom Sihamoni, who is in China for a health checkup.



The changes to the law effectively cut off ties between the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and its former president Sam Rainsy, who has been living in self-imposed exile in France since November 2015 to avoid jail time for convictions widely seen as politically motivated and delivered by courts beholden to Hun Sen's government.



The ex-CNRP chief's image appears on CNRP billboards throughout Cambodia and he regularly speaks at opposition events via Skype.



King Sihamoni was also out of the country in March, when an earlier CPP-proposed amendment to the Law on Political Parties was approved amid a boycott of parliament by opposition lawmakers, banning convicted criminals from holding a leadership position in a party and forcing Sam Rainsy to resign as president of the CNRP. The opposition leadership was taken up by his deputy Kem Sokha.



The former CNRP chief earlier this month condemned the adoption of the "Anti-Sam Rainsy Law" by a "rubber-stamp parliament" and called the move to eliminate him from Cambodia's political arena "useless, futile and counterproductive."



Following the enactment of the new amendment on Friday, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan dismissed CNRP claims that the law was intended to handicap the opposition ahead of a general election scheduled for July next year.



"They can say whatever they want, but it isn't true that the government is doing this to pressure any political party," he said.



CSO concerns



Ahead of the amendment's signing into effect, a group of Cambodian civil society organizations (CSOs) issued a statement Friday expressing "serious concerns" about the law amid what they called a "typically rushed legislative process."



The CSOs-which included the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ADHOC, and the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (COMFREL)-condemned the amendment for being rushed into law "without any meaningful consultation," denying the public the right to participate.



"We are deeply concerned that the exceptionally broad and overreaching powers granted to the Royal Government of Cambodia under the proposed amendment would subvert Cambodian democracy, and violate multiple provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, as well as Cambodia's binding international human rights obligations," the statement said.



The CSOs said that attempts to raise their concerns with both the Senate and the Constitutional Council over the past week were rejected on procedural grounds, which they termed "an affront to the principle of inclusive, transparent and participatory democracy" that further highlighted deficiencies in the legislative process.



They called the legislation a "fundamental threat" to Cambodia's liberal multi-party democracy as envisioned in the country's constitution and said that, alongside the earlier amendment to the Law on Political Parties, it would significantly expand the government's power to dissolve any political party "on the basis of exceptionally vague and subjective criteria."



"In essence, the proposed amendment would provide the ruling party with the power and pretext to suspend democracy itself," the statement said, adding that the CSOs were "gravely concerned" about the future of the country's political situation.



"If these amendments are adopted and its provisions implemented, they would represent an existential threat to multi-party democracy in Cambodia; would have a severe chilling effect on the ability of all political parties to campaign freely and on an equal footing; and as a result would seriously call into question whether the July 2018 national elections could be considered free, fair and legitimate."



'Simply resign'



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service on Friday, Brad Adams, executive director of HRW's Asian division called on "every member of the Constitutional Council who voted to approve this law [to] resign immediately," saying they had failed to uphold the constitution, which guarantees Cambodians the right to freedom of expression and association.



"The constitution itself says that Cambodia is a liberal democracy," he said.



"A liberal democracy does not ban the leader of the opposition from participating in an election. So the constitutional council members who voted for this should have the courage and self-respect to simply resign, instead of participating in this kind of charade."



Adams said he knew of no law in any country that bans individuals from participating in an election, being spoken about, and having their images put on poster.



"So Cambodia is setting a new world precedent," he said.



"Hun Sen should be very proud to be the least democratic leader in the world by banning every reference to Sam Rainsy. And it just shows that he's scared."



He suggested that if the CNRP was in power and had Hun Sen banned, the CPP "would be screaming that it was anti-democratic."



Adams anticipated that the international community will "react very strongly" to the new legislation, including with sanctions that would "hurt Cambodia's economy significantly" through loss of investment and decreases in foreign aid.



He said that the CNRP essentially has two choices ahead of next year's ballot-both of which carry political risk.



"They defy Hun Sen and he will use this new law to make their party illegal and dissolve it, and therefore they won't be able to participate in the next election, or they follow the law believing that Hun Sen is so unpopular that even while following the law they will win the next election," he said.



"One thing I would predict though is that, if they do go along with the law, there is still a risk Hun Sen will find some other reason to get rid of the party or to get rid of the leader of the party, who is now Kem Sokha," he added.



"So it would not surprise me if, before next July, Kem Sokha is charged with some kind of crime, or a law is passed to ban him, or the CPP finds some kind of excuse to ban the CNRP in spite of the fact that the CNRP is complying with this illegal law."



Reported by Savi Khorn for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia's Hun Sen Expels Charity Rescuing Child Sex Slaves

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia's Hun Sen Expels Charity Rescuing Child Sex Slaves, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12d3fd4.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia's Hun Sen Expels Charity Rescuing Child Sex Slaves

2017-08-01

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday ordered the expulsion of an American-led Christian organization that rescues child sex slaves, saying comments the founder made in a recent media report amounted to a "serious insult" against the country.



On July 25, CNN broadcast a follow up to a report it ran four years ago, interviewing three girls from Svay Pak-a suburb on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh-who had reportedly been sold into the sex trade by their mothers and later rescued by Agape International Missions (AIM), a charity operated in Cambodia by American pastor Don Brewster since 1988.



According to Brewster, Svay Pak had at one point been the center of child sex trafficking in Cambodia, but had improved dramatically in recent years. Child prostitution continues in the area, he said, although not as openly as it once did.



On Tuesday, while addressing a commencement ceremony at Koh Pich Island in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said that AIM's contribution to a report which said that mothers in Cambodia had sold their daughters into prostitution was a "serious insult against Cambodian women" and ordered the organization closed.



"This kind of organization will be investigated," he said.



"I order the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs to scrutinize this case and promptly shut down [the organization]. Such an act cannot be tolerated."



Hun Sen also demanded that the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh investigate AIM's activities, which he said would lead to the shutdown of "other NGOs involved in this case."



Under Cambodia's controversial Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations (LANGO), pushed through parliament by the ruling party in 2015, authorities have the right to close down any group that poses a threat to national security or defames the country's "traditions and culture."



Hun Sen's order followed a July 27 statement from president of the Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia Huy Vannak to CNN that implied AIM had made efforts to "inflate certain issues  to acquire funding from Western donors at the cost of [the] Cambodian image."



Huy Vannak, who is undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Interior and news chief for the government-aligned Cambodian Television Network (CTN) and Cambodian News Channel (CNC), also took issue with CNN's headline, "The Cambodian Girls Sold For Sex by Their Mothers," saying the girls in the report were ethnic Vietnamese. CNN later removed the word "Cambodian" from the title.



CNN stood by its reporting, however, in a comment to the Phnom Penh Post on Monday, saying its stories "revisit our original investigation from 2013 and clearly highlight the progress that has been made since by the authorities in Cambodia."



While many of the residents of Svay Pak are Vietnamese immigrants, reports by NGOs and arrest records suggest that the children of impoverished majority ethnic Khmer are also at risk of sex trafficking.



Ongoing investigation



On Tuesday, in response to Hun Sen's order, secretary of state for the Ministry of the Interior Pol Lim refused to provide details about AIM's situation, saying an investigation into the organization is ongoing.



"[I can't elaborate] until we review everything-we must first look into the legality of [the organization], including whether they registered [as an NGO] or not, and second determine whether the organization has breached any law," he said.



Calls to Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Chum Sunry went unanswered Tuesday.



Representatives of AIM said Tuesday that they were unable to discuss the situation with RFA's Khmer Service, as the organization is awaiting the results of the Ministry of the Interior's investigation.



The U.S. embassy's spokesperson in Phnom Penh, Arend Zwartjes, referred questions about AIM's activities to the organization.



He commended Cambodia's "impressive strides [in] countering child sex trafficking," citing recent reports by the U.S. Department of State, but acknowledged that "challenges remain."



"We believe that committed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), working closely with the Government and the international community, are a very important part of the solution," he said.



Cambodia received a Tier 2 ranking in the U.S. State Department's 2017 Trafficking in Persons report-a classification assigned to "governments of countries that do not fully meet the minimum standards [set by U.S. law to eliminate human trafficking] but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards."



Am Sam Ath, the head of domestic civil society group LICADHO's investigations section, said Tuesday that his organization does not support any entity found to be in breach of the law, but urged the government to conduct its investigation of AIM independently and transparently.



He said that the public has the right to know whether AIM was involved in any illegal operations or if its activities affected Cambodia's image, adding that shutting the organization down without presenting evidence could been seen as a threat to all NGOs in the country.



"Our country abides by law and the expertise of the authorities," he said.



"Nevertheless, there must be an investigation prior to any shutdown decision. There must be a proper investigation that produces evidence of any offenses committed or how the organization acted against the NGO law, so as to avoid confusing the domestic and international community."



Reported by Thai Tha for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia Arrests Facebook User For False Vietnamese Kidnapper Claims

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Arrests Facebook User For False Vietnamese Kidnapper Claims, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12d5cc4.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia Arrests Facebook User For False Vietnamese Kidnapper Claims

2017-08-01

Authorities in Cambodia's Takeo province have arrested a man who falsely claimed on Facebook that Vietnamese men kidnapped Cambodian children and removed their organs, prompting Prime Minister Hun Sen to warn against using social media to spread rumors on Tuesday.



On Monday, police arrested Ly Chhaya after his claims that Vietnamese men had cut out the kidneys and eyeballs of a young girl in Khvav commune's Svay Torng village, in Takeo's Samraong district, went viral on social media, and charged him with "falsifying documents and inciting unrest."



An investigation by authorities into Ly Chhaya's allegations determined that his claims were false and on Tuesday, he was sent to the Takeo Provincial Court to face prosecution.



Takeo provincial deputy police commissioner Chhun Sareth told RFA's Khmer Service that an investigation is underway to determine who may have instructed Ly Chhaya to spread the rumors.



"If there were people masterminding this act, [Ly Chhaya] did not admit to it, so we must investigate further," he said.



Similar claims have spread online in recent weeks, according to deputy police commissioner Kiet Chantharith, who told RFA's Khmer Service that other social media posts said Vietnamese men had been kidnapping children and harvesting their organs in 10 different provinces and cities, many of them including racist undertones.



On July 29, police arrested teacher and opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activist Nay Sineng after he wrote online that three Vietnamese men had removed the kidneys and eyeballs of children in Prey Veng province, and that a mob had captured two of them.



"Please be careful with your children since they are very wild," he wrote, according to a report by the Phnom Penh Post, adding the "disclaimer" that "we are not racist, but we hate this activity that these guys have committed against innocent children."



The Post cited Kampong Thom police chief Ouk Kosal as saying that the captured men-who he said were from Prey Veng province's Kampong Trabek district-were not Vietnamese or kidnappers. He said monks had reported them as suspicious to police, who had begun to question them when they tried to flee and were beaten by an angry mob.



Nay Sineng was charged Sunday by Kampong Thom Provincial Court investigating Judge Heng Sokchea with "the communication or disclosure of any false information with a view to inducing a belief that a destruction, defacement or damage dangerous to other persons will be carried out" and sent to pre-trial detention.



Vietnam and Cambodia have had a fraught relationship for centuries, and much of the recent animosity in Cambodia stems from the 1979-89 Vietnamese occupation that ended the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge and installed Hun Sen as prime minister.



Social media warning



During a commencement speech on Koh Pich Island in the capital Phnom Penh on Tuesday, Hun Sen urged Facebook users to refrain from posting "fake news," calling such acts a form of "social pollution." Earlier, authorities had warned that legal measures would be taken against anyone posting or sharing false reports online.



Hun Sen also warned the CNRP against spreading false claims about his death on social media and urged the party's leaders to "better manage" their activists and supporters.



"[They have said that] Hun Sen is already dead as the result of a plane crash while he is traveling to Vietnam," he said.



"Such cases always come from the opposition party's members. So if the opposition party's leaders fail to cope with it, they will be putting themselves in danger."



RFA was unable to reach CNRP spokesperson Yim Sovann Tuesday for comment in response to Hun Sen's warning.



But the Phnom Penh Post quoted him as saying he hoped authorities would conduct an "independent investigation" into the case of Nay Sineng and distanced the opposition party from any racial rhetoric.



Authorities have arrested several people recently in connection with social media posts that insult or threaten the life of Hun Sen.



On June 25, a Facebook user calling himself "Kamvithy Lob Lob Te Sabay" (Stupid But Happy) posted a photo of a flaming airplane with a comment saying that Hun Sen had died in an air accident while traveling to Vietnam.



Late last month, a court in the capital charged two people in one week with making a "death threat" under Article 233 of Cambodia's Criminal Code for allegedly threatening the life of Hun Sen on his Facebook page.



According to government-aligned media group Fresh News, Rom Chamroeurn had posted a photo of himself posing with a pistol alongside text that said, "Hun Sen, somehow I will kill you" and claiming that Cambodia would not have peace until the strongman was dead.



A week earlier, police in Sihanoukville detained a young man named Pich Ratha, also for allegedly threatening to kill Hun Sen in a comment posted to the prime minister's Facebook page.



Targeting others



Observers have warned against the erosion of freedom of speech online and suggested that the government refrain from broad threats of legal action.



Local political commentator Lao Mong Hay told RFA that clearer guidelines are needed to deal with the proliferation of false reports online.



"A general law should be created to punish only those [involved in posting the fake news] or its dissemination," he said.



"Such claims should not be used to target other [innocent persons]. A general order or regulation should be issued."



Yang Kim Eng, director of the Center for Civic Development and Peace, called for authorities to educate would-be fake news proliferators instead of dragging offenders to court.



"The government or the General Commissioner of the National Police or the Minister of the Interior should warn [those who posted fake news on Facebook] so that these people can apologize in public," he said.



Other civil society groups have also accused the authorities of practicing a double standard by arresting those who have allegedly threatened members of Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), when several people who have made death threats against members of the CNRP remain at large.



Reported by Vanndeth Van and Moniroth Morm for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia Social Affairs Minister Demands Civil Servants Back Ruling Party

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 2 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Social Affairs Minister Demands Civil Servants Back Ruling Party, 2 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12d7839.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia Social Affairs Minister Demands Civil Servants Back Ruling Party

2017-08-02

Cambodia's social affairs minister has ordered all civil servants to support the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in next year's general election or resign, and threatened anyone who protests the ballot's results with violence, prompting a rights group on Wednesday to demand that he be sacked.



Speaking at a promotion ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh on Monday, Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Vong Sauth slammed what he called a bid by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to "poison" society and undermine Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to local media reports.



"The opposition says that the CPP, and especially Hun Sen, just does whatever he wants to do," the Phnom Penh Post quoted Vong Sauth as saying, before proceeding to suggest that doing so is the prime minister's right.



"He does whatever he wants to do-in compliance with the law, and the law gives him that power. And everyone who breaks the law will be arrested and put in prison."



The minister went on to remind civil servants that their salaries are paid by a state built by the CPP, and that they are obligated to support the ruling party.



"Officials eat the state's salary, and are asked to be neutral, but do not forget that the state was born from the party, and I think all of our officials must have the clear character of firmly supporting the party," Vong Sauth said, according to the Post.



"If anybody does not support the CPP, submit applications of resignation, and I can help you [with that], but if you are loyal to the CPP you must vote for the CPP, and then you can stay," he said, adding that a win for the party in next year's national elections was crucial.



According to a report by the government-aligned Koh Santepheap Daily, the minister then said that protests against the results of the general election set for July 29, 2018 would be met with a crackdown in which protesters' heads would be "hit with the bottom end of bamboo poles."



Such a response would be entirely within the rights of the authorities, he said, because the CPP can create the laws to allow it.



The heavy ends of bamboo poles were regularly used by Khmer Rouge soldiers to execute Cambodians deemed enemies of the state during the 1975-1979 rule of the murderous regime.



Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has warned repeatedly that electoral wins by the CNRP in local elections held on June 4 and next year's general ballot would bring instability and war to the country.



And in May, defense minister Tea Banh said that Cambodia's party-controlled military would "smash the teeth" of anyone protesting a CPP win.



Results from the June vote saw substantial gains in commune leadership by the opposition, in what many observers say may be a bellwether for 2018.



Call for sacking



On Wednesday, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, called for Vong Sauth to be immediately removed from his position for his "outrageous remarks that demonstrate he knows nothing about either human rights or democracy."



"He is clearly unfit for a job promoting social welfare when he thinks it's alright to threaten to beat people with bamboo poles if they dare voice opinions different from the government, or peacefully protest to air their grievances," he said in a statement.



"And he shows his ignorance of modern democratic principles when he fails to recognize that in a democracy, it is politicians who are elected to make decisions on law and policy, but the civil servants have different duties, such as carrying out the day to day functions of government in an impartial and professional way."



Threatening civil servants who don't back the ruling party and groups that comment on electoral politics "is a dictator's logic" that coerces the public into following orders, Robertson said, and violates Cambodia's international obligations to protect rights such as freedom of speech, association and peaceful public assembly.



"Clearly, [Vong Sauth] is trying to prove his loyalty to his political master, Prime Minister Hun Sen," he said.



"But in the process, [Vong Sauth] has made himself looked ignorant, besmirched Cambodia's already poor international reputation, and confirmed what many people are saying-that Cambodia has already slid well into dictatorship even before the votes are cast in 2018."



Reported by Maly Leng and Nareth Muong for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia Arrests KNUP Chief Nhek Bun Chhay

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Arrests KNUP Chief Nhek Bun Chhay, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12d8a64.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia Arrests KNUP Chief Nhek Bun Chhay

2017-08-03

UPDATED at 9:11 A.M. on 2017-08-06



Authorities in Cambodia on Thursday detained former government advisor and Khmer National United Party (KNUP) President Nhek Bun Chhay in connection with 10-year-old allegations of drug production, according to the Ministry of the Interior.



"He was arrested today for the Kampong Speu [province] drug production case from 2007," ministry spokesperson Khieu Sopheak told RFA's Khmer Service in the capital Phnom Penh, adding that the KNUP chief was being held at the National Police Headquarters for questioning.



The Associated Press cited National Police Deputy Chief Gen. Mok Chito as saying that Nhek Bun Chhay had been arrested at his home on the outskirts of Phnom Penh on Thursday.



It was not immediately clear why the allegations against Nhek Bun Chhay, who is also a former commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, were being revisited 10 years later.



Nhek Bun Chhay was removed from his role as adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP)-led government following Cambodia's June 4 commune election for allegedly pledging his support to the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).



According to the allegations, he had been recorded in a phone call with CNRP Deputy President Eng Chhay Eang saying he could deliver votes from his supporters in communes his party did not contest. The KNUP won one seat in the local elections-the only one not taken by the CPP or CNRP.



Despite denying that he had conspired with the CNRP, Nhek Bun Chhay was sacked as a government adviser-a position he had held for nearly five years-along with more than a dozen other party members in the weeks that followed.



In 1997, while a member of the royalist FUNCINPEC party, Nhek Bun Chhay led a failed armed resistance against a coup by Hun Sen. His party later formed a coalition with the CPP and he was named deputy prime minister in 2004.



An adviser to Nhek Bun Chhay was arrested in Kampong Speu along with 17 other people in 2007 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug production.



No legal action was taken against Nhek Bun Chhay at the time, but police said Thursday that the allegation was related to the bust in Kampong Speu.



Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has been accused of using the country's court system to jail his opponents on what observers say are politically motivated charges.



Last week, Cambodia signed into effect a controversial new amendment to the country's Law on Political Parties, as international and domestic nongovernmental organizations slammed the legislation they said will undermine the democratic process ahead of general elections set for July next year.



The amendment-proposed by the CPP and adopted on July 10 by its members of parliament amid a boycott by opposition lawmakers-bans parties from associating with or using the voice, image, or written documents of anyone convicted of a criminal offense.



Political parties found in violation of the amendment could be banned from political activities for up to five years and prohibited from competing in elections, or even dissolved.



Reported by Moniroth Morm for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.



CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the allegations against Nhek Bun Chhay's stemmed from a 2012 drug case.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia Court Rejects Jailed Land Activist's Appeal

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 8 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Court Rejects Jailed Land Activist's Appeal, 8 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12dab24.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodia Court Rejects Jailed Land Activist's Appeal

2017-08-08

UPDATED at 10:30 A.M. on 2017-08-09



A court in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh on Tuesday rejected an appeal by land activist and rights campaigner Tep Vanny of her conviction on charges of "aggravated intentional violence," drawing condemnation from rights groups who demanded she be freed.



On Feb. 23, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Tep Vanny to two years and six months in prison on charges of "aggravated intentional violence" in connection with a 2013 protest she held in front of Hun Sen's home that ended in violence.



While the protest occurred in 2013, the court prosecutor reactivated the case and charged Tep Vanny in August last year after she was arrested for participating in another demonstration.



On Tuesday, Cambodia's Appeals Court upheld the Municipal Court's ruling, which was issued following a trial in which the prosecution failed to produce any witnesses-preventing cross-examination by the defense-and which is widely seen as politically motivated.



Defense witnesses maintain that security forces launched an attack against Tep Vanny's group in 2013, leaving some protesters wounded, knocked unconscious, or with lost teeth, while others suffered broken arms. Tep Vanny was also injured in the confrontation.



Around 50 people affected by forced eviction had gathered outside the courthouse ahead of the decision, calling for Tep Vanny's release.



The Phnom Penh Post quoted Presiding Judge Pol Sam Oeun as saying that he found no fault in the lower court's decision.



"The council sees that there was violence that happened and complied with the charge of 'violence with aggravating circumstances,' and that decision of the municipal court was correct," he said, referring to the three-judge panel.



As she was led from the court, Tep Vanny condemned the decision as "unjust," according to the Post.



"Put me in jail if you think this would bring benefit to the nation  Today, I am in jail, but tomorrow it will be your turn," she yelled, as she was shoved into a prison van.



After the Appeals Court ruled, Kong Chantha from Phnom Penh's Boeung Kak Lake community told RFA's Khmer Service that Cambodia's judiciary caters to the whims of the wealthy and politically powerful.



"The courts lack professionalism and court officials are operated by remote control," she said.



"No witness was heard [in her February trial]."



The term "remote-control court" is regularly used by the public to refer to what they say are biased courts operated by those in power.



Rights groups react



The ruling was met with frustration from Soeng Senkarona, a senior investigator with local rights group ADHOC, who said he was "saddened" that the Appeals Court sided with the original verdict without providing any evidence to support its decision.



"I consider the Appeal Court's decision unfair," he told RFA's Khmer Service.



In a statement, New York-based Human Rights Watch urged Cambodia to release Tep Vanny, who has been in the capital's Prey Sar Prison since Aug. 15, 2016, and slammed the government, which it said "routinely misuses the courts  to target members of the political opposition and civil society activists.



"The case against Tep Vanny is a blatant misuse of prosecutorial power to punish her for her peaceful activism," said Phil Robertson, the group's deputy Asia director.



"This prosecution is intended to silence Tep Vanny and intimidate other Cambodian activists."



Robertson also urged Cambodia's international donors to pressure the government to end "the politically motivated and unsubstantiated charges" against Tep Vanny and other detained activists.



Tep Vanny came to prominence as an activist fighting the Boeung Kak Lake land grab, when some 3,500 families were evicted from a neighborhood surrounding the urban lake in Phnom Penh. The lake was later filled with sand to make way for a development project with close ties to Hun Sen and the CPP.



She has also been active in urging an independent investigation into the July 10, 2016 shooting death of Kem Ley, a popular social commentator and frequent government critic.



Concerns over rights



Tep Vanny's appeal verdict came as Rhona Smith, the U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia met with Keo Remy, the head of the government-run Cambodian Human Rights Committee, in the capital as she began an 10-day visit to Cambodia.



Following their discussion, Keo Remy told reporters that he acknowledged Smith's concerns over the human rights situation in Cambodia, referring specifically to comments made recently by Social Affairs Minister Vong Sauth, who threatened to beat anyone that protests the results of general elections set for July next year with bamboo poles.



"The most important thing to remember is that his remarks are not threats-they are just part of a message to educate people on the legal grounds [of the government's potential reaction to protests]," he said.



"Such remarks may raise some concerns regarding human rights. However, the minister is a gentle person and people shouldn't be intimidated by his words."



Speaking at a promotion ceremony in the capital last week, Vong Sauth slammed what he called a bid by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to "poison" society and undermine Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to local media reports.



"The opposition says that the CPP, and especially Hun Sen, just does whatever he wants to do," the Phnom Penh Post quoted Vong Sauth as saying, before proceeding to suggest that doing so is the prime minister's right.



"He does whatever he wants to do-in compliance with the law, and the law gives him that power. And everyone who breaks the law will be arrested and put in prison."



Smith told reporters after her meeting with Keo Remy that she had specifically brought up Vong Sauth's comments during their discussion on Tuesday, adding that the rights committee chairman had agreed the statement "wasn't helpful before the [2018] elections."



Smith's visit, which was organized by the U.N.'s local human rights office, will help her take the pulse of the human rights situation in Cambodia, with a special emphasis on the rights of children-part of her focus on discrimination and marginalized groups.



She is also set to meet with Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana on Thursday, a ministry spokesman told the Cambodia Daily.



Reported by Vuthy Tha and Maly Leng for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.



CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Smith had not raised the issue of Vong Sauth's comments during her meeting with Keo Remy.



Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodian Analyst Kim Sok Handed Prison Term And Fines in Defamation Case

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 10 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodian Analyst Kim Sok Handed Prison Term And Fines in Defamation Case, 10 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12e3b44a.html [accessed 17 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.

Cambodian Analyst Kim Sok Handed Prison Term And Fines in Defamation Case

2017-08-10

A Cambodian court on Thursday sentenced social and political commentator Kim Sok to 18 months in prison on charges of defamation and incitement to cause social disorder while ordering him to pay hefty fines both to Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen and to the country's government, sources said.

Kim Sok refused to stand as the verdict was read and denounced the court, prompting the trial judge to order guards to force him to his feet.

In addition to serving his prison term, Kim Sok must pay 800 million riels (U.S. $200,000) to Hun Sen and 8 million riels (U.S. $2,000) to the state, sums that his brother said his family will be unable to pay.

"After hearing the news of Kim Sok's conviction, my mother was shocked," Kim Sok's brother Kim Seng told RFA's Khmer Service on Thursday.

"She said she has nothing she can use to help pay her son's fines, since she only possesses a small parcel of rice paddy land. And Kim Sok himself has no assets that he can use to pay the compensation. He has only two iPhones and an iPad," he said.

Cambodian society at present is not ruled by law, but by the wishes of Hun Sen, Kim Seng said, adding, "My brother's reaction during his trial shows that he is not afraid of the pressures being used against him. I really admire his bravery!"

Prosecuting attorney Ky Tech meanwhile applauded the court's verdict, calling it fair in view of Kim Sok's open defiance of the court and his sentence.

Kim Sok's lawyer Choung Choungy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Accusations of involvement

Kim Sok was jailed on Feb. 17 after Hun Sen accused him of implying that his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had orchestrated the July 2016 murder of popular political pundit Kem Ley, though Kim Sok said that he had only been repeating what many Cambodians believe.

Kem Ley was shot dead in broad daylight on July 10, 2016, when he stopped in a convenience store beside a gas station in Phnom Penh.

Though authorities charged a former soldier with the murder, many in Cambodia don't believe the government's story that Kem Ley was killed by the man over a debt.

Just days before he was gunned down, Kem Ley had discussed on an RFA Khmer Service call-in show a report by London-based Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 31 years.

Rights groups accuse Cambodia's judiciary of lacking independence and say the government seeks to limit freedom of expression by using the courts to level defamation charges at reporters and critics of the ruling party.

Reported by Samnang Rann and Vuthy Huot for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Hun Sen Threatens Laos Over Troops in Cambodia

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 11 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hun Sen Threatens Laos Over Troops in Cambodia, 11 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12e42b4.html [accessed 17 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.

Hun Sen Threatens Laos Over Troops in Cambodia

2017-08-11

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called on Laos on Friday to withdraw troops he said have been present in Cambodia since April, threatening military action against the neighboring country if its soldiers are not pulled out by Aug. 17, Cambodian media and other sources said.



Speaking at a ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said that he has ordered a temporary halt to road construction in northeastern Cambodia's Stung Treng province challenged by Laos to give its soldiers a chance to leave.



Residents of Stung Treng should not be alarmed, though, if they see Cambodian troops mass in the area to take back the disputed land, Hun Sen said.



"I can't let anyone take an inch of Cambodian land, and Cambodia won't take anyone else's land either," the prime minister said.



"I urge Laos to withdraw its troops from Cambodia unconditionally," he said.



The Lao government should complain to the International Court of Justice in The Hague if it truly believes the land to which it has sent troops belongs to Laos, Hun Sen said, adding, "We should go to court together in order to avoid bloodshed."



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service, Cambodian political analyst Meas Nee said that war between Cambodia and Laos would harm both countries, and that Hun Sen's warning may now lead to talks.



"Most world leaders would issue warnings like this," he said. "And negotiations can sometimes result from this."



Comments on Cambodian social media meanwhile called Hun Sen's warning of military action a ploy to gain popularity ahead of national elections next year, positioning him as a "leader who dares to protect his country from invasion."



A Lao official in the country's Champasak province near Cambodia said he had received no notice of a Cambodian threat of war against his country.



"We have not been informed, we have not received any notice, and the Cambodian consulate here has not said anything," the official told RFA's Lao Service on condition of anonymity.



"Everything seems normal [here]."



Reported by Sonorng Kher for RFA's Khmer Service and by RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Sarada Taing and Bounchanh Mouangkham. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Troops Pull Back From Disputed Areas After Lao, Cambodian Prime Ministers Meet

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 14 August 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Troops Pull Back From Disputed Areas After Lao, Cambodian Prime Ministers Meet, 14 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12e5394.html [accessed 17 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.

Troops Pull Back From Disputed Areas After Lao, Cambodian Prime Ministers Meet

2017-08-14

Lao soldiers occupying an area south of the Sekong River claimed by both Laos and Cambodia have pulled back from the disputed zone following a meeting Saturday in which the prime ministers of both countries promised to work to reduce tensions, Cambodian media and other sources said.



The Aug. 12 meeting between Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen and Lao prime minister Thongloun Sisolith came after Hun Sen on Friday threatened military action against the neighboring country if its troops were not withdrawn by Aug. 17.



The contested area between Cambodia's Stung Treng province and Attapeu province in Laos is part of a small stretch of border still not clearly marked, and tensions flared earlier this year after Lao troops crossed the river to block Cambodian construction of a road through the area.



Laos agreed to withdraw the dozens of troops remaining after Hun Sen pledged to stop construction of the road, Lao prime minister Thongloun Sisolith said in a press conference following their meeting in the Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday.



"Samdech [honorific] Hun Sen and I have agreed that the Lao side will pull back all troops remaining in the area following his promise to stop building the road through the [conflict zone], and I have ordered the relevant officials to withdraw by no later than tomorrow morning, " Thongloun said.



"Secondly, Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered the withdrawal of all [Cambodian] troops being deployed to that area so that the situation can be returned to normal, and so that the people of both our countries can be assured that unwanted incidents will not occur," he said.



Both Laos and Cambodia will now move forward to resolve outstanding border issues "as soon as possible," Thongloun said.



Troops from both sides have now pulled back from the Huay Thanau area of Phouvong district in Attapeu province in Laos, and from Ratanakiri province in Cambodia, a senior military and public security official in Laos's Champassak province told RFA's Lao Service on Monday.



"[We] coordinated yesterday evening," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



'Not a negotiation'



Speaking on Monday to students at a commencement ceremony in Cambodia, Hun Sen said that he had gone to Vientiane "not to bow to Laos while being subject to their aggression" but only to ask that their forces be withdrawn, calling the meeting normal diplomatic practice and "not a negotiation."



Political commentators calling Hun Sen's threat of war against Laos a political move aimed at gaining votes "will not be tolerated," the prime minister said, adding that one critic-Khmer Power Party president (KPP) Sourn Serey Ratha-has already been arrested for insulting Cambodia's army in an Aug. 12 Facebook post.



A Cambodian war with Laos would be a war fought "to build up the face and status of those thieves who disguise themselves as heroes to mislead us," the opposition party politician wrote.



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service, KPP spokesperson Tep Virak said that Sourn Serey Ratha had not intended to attack the country's army in his post.



"He just wanted to say that the real victims [in a war] are the rank-and-file soldiers," he said.



"He was referring only to the commanders, who are the children of society's higher ranks and are powerful individuals who assume power and enjoy benefits because of personal connections and patronage."



Sorn Chey--executive director of the Cambodia-based Affiliated Network for Social Accountability-East Asia and the Pacific-meanwhile dismissed Hun Sen's warnings, saying that the voicing of political opinions in a democratic country should not affect military morale.



"The government should pay more attention to providing resources and better pay. These are the things that motivate the military," he said.



"Points raised by political commentators will not affect the army's reputation or morale," he said.



Reported by Thai Tha and Savi Khorn for RFA's Khmer Service and by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham for RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo and Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Richard Finney.





Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Security Council fails at fresh attempt to renew panel investigating chemical weapons use in Syria

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council fails at fresh attempt to renew panel investigating chemical weapons use in Syria, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f74a4.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

For the third time in two days, the United Nations Security Council on Friday failed to adopt a resolution on the mandate of an international panel investigating use of chemical weapons in Syria due to a negative vote by permanent member, Russia.

The mandate of the joint Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-UN panel, the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) expires today.

Had the Japanese-penned resolution been adopted, the mandate of the JIM would have been renewed for a period of 30 days, with a possibility of further extension by the Security Council if it deems necessary.

In addition to Russia, Bolivia voted against the draft. Another permanent member China abstained.

A negative vote  or veto  from one of the Council's five permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States) means a resolution cannot be adopted.

Yesterday, two draft resolutions on the joint OPCWUN panel  one sponsored by the United States and another by Bolivia  were defeated in the 15-member Security Council.

The JIM was established by the Council, unanimously, in 2015 to identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups or Governments perpetrating, organizing, sponsoring or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons in Syria.
At Security Council, UN chief urges cooperation to tackle security challenges in Mediterranean

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, At Security Council, UN chief urges cooperation to tackle security challenges in Mediterranean, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f7854.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Mediterranean  a confluence of civilizations, cultures, religions, trade and migration  is facing multiple security challenges, such as terrorism, illicit trade in narcotics, environmental degradation and forced displacement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday.

The Mediterranean is a global junction of mutually enriching cultures, societies and economies. Yet violence and hatred are threatening that dynamism, to the detriment of the entire world, Mr. Guterres told a meeting of the UN Security Council chaired by Angelino Alfano, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, which holds the 15-member body's presidency this month.

Challenges facing the region include illicit trade in narcotics, weapons and petroleum products, large movements of refugees and migrants, regrettably managed by human smugglers and traffickers, and maritime piracy.

The Mediterranean Sea provides immense economic resources  such as hydrocarbons and fish stocks  and invaluable trade routes. However, its benefits depend on stability and cooperation, the UN chief stressed.

Mr. Guterres went on to highlight difficulties in various parts of the region.

Libya's stability is vital for the region, but after years of prolonged transition, the country's institutions are deeply divided.

Instability in the Sahel region has contributed to an increase in irregular migration towards Europe.

Egypt continues to face several security challenges, including from irregular migration and from the cross-border transit of weapons and fighters along its desert borders with Libya and Sudan and in the Sinai Peninsula bordering the Gaza Strip.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) will continue to thrive unless the deep political roots of the Syrian conflict are resolved through a credible and comprehensive political process.

Turning to the movement of refugees and migrants, Mr. Guterres said that so far this year, at least 2,800 refugees and migrants have perished in the Mediterranean, while countless others died on their way across the Sahel desert.

There is a clear need to create more regular and safe ways to protect those fleeing persecution, and address the drivers of displacement. We must also address the worrisome increase in xenophobia and discrimination against refugees, migrants and minorities, the Secretary-General said, stressing the need to re-establish the integrity of the refugee protection regime on both sides of the Mediterranean.

All too often, responses to security challenges in the Mediterranean are undertaken largely or solely through traditional security arrangements or ad hoc solutions, he noted.

Such approaches carry the risk of prolonging unacceptable status quos or worsening situations if not backed by efforts to address the underlying root causes, he said, noting that efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have there an important role to play.

The Mediterranean is a global junction of mutually enriching cultures, societies and economies. Yet violence and hatred are threatening that dynamism, to the detriment of the entire world, the UN chief explained.

We should do our utmost to resolve the worst of the region so that it can continue to contribute its best, he said, adding: I count on countries in the Mediterranean and beyond to reaffirm their proud tradition of openness and solidarity.
Desperate Rohingya refugees use home-made rafts to get to Bangladesh  UN

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Desperate Rohingya refugees use home-made rafts to get to Bangladesh  UN, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f7db4.html [accessed 17 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.

Over the past 10 days, dozens of makeshift rafts carrying more than a thousand people have floated into Bangladesh, proof that Rohingya refugees are resorting to increasingly desperate means to flee to Myanmar, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.

Unable to pay for the crossing, refugees are building rafts from whatever material they can get their hands on  mostly bamboo poles and empty jerry cans tied together with rope and covered with plastic sheets, William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters at the regular press briefing in Geneva.

Using paddles made of bamboo and plastic debris some of these rafts made it to Shahporir Dwip in Bangladesh, a journey of about four hours, he added, pointing out that the Naf river estuary between the two countries is about three kilometres wide at this point.

According to Mr. Spindler, more than 100 Rohingya refugees are known to have drowned in shipwrecks and boat incidents since the start of the crisis on 25 August, and recent arrivals said they had been waiting for more than a month in desperate conditions on Myanmar' shores with food and water running low.

An estimated 620,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August, the UNHCR spokesperson explained. The Kutupalong Extension site alone, which was set up soon after the influx began, is now highly congested sheltering some 335,000 new arrivals  more than half of the influx so far.

Citing UN Habitat data that Dhaka's population density is 44,500 people per square kilometre, UNHCR said 13 out of 20 blocks in the Kutupalong Extension area are more densely populated than parts of the Bangladesh capital city, with an area known as Block CC sheltering more than 95,000 people per square kilometre.

Despite concerted efforts to deliver more aid and services, the overcrowding and difficult living conditions in the camps and makeshift sites increase health, sanitation and fire risks as well as violence and trafficking, stressed Mr. Spindler.

Additional land and more space for shelters and infrastructure are needed urgently to provide life-saving services and aid, including water points, latrines and spaces for women and girls.

As high population density also escalates risks, particularly for sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), UNHCR is engaging all segments of the refugee communities to raise awareness.

Together with our partners, we are working to put in place referral pathways for women, survivors of SGBV, as well as safe spaces for women and girls, said Mr. Spindler.

Solar-powered healthcare

Meanwhile, the UN International Organization for (IOM) is using solar energy to power its health posts in Kutupalong and Balukali makeshift settlements  now home to an estimated 440,000 Rohingya refugees.

As the demand for our healthcare services increases, solar-powered lighting means we can provide round the clock emergency consultations and medicine distributions, said Mariam Abdelkerim-Spijkerman, the IOM Emergency Health Officer in Cox's Bazar.

Prior to the latest refugee influx, in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, IOM had been coordinating aid work in the health sector.

As people continue to flood into the settlements, pressure on the health sector has steadily risen.

The health needs of the refugees are immense - providing 24-hour lighting helps save lives, explained Ms. Abdelkerim-Spijkerman.
Wrapping up visit, UN rights chief urges El Salvador to address femicide and abortion ban

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Wrapping up visit, UN rights chief urges El Salvador to address femicide and abortion ban, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f84e4.html [accessed 17 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.

At the end of his first visit to El Salvador, the United Nations human rights chief on Friday highlighted the Government's stated commitment to human rights, as well as several issues facing the Central American country, including the highest rate of femicide in the region and the abortion ban that punishes women for apparent miscarriages and obstetric emergencies.

Twenty-five years after the end of the civil war, El Salvador has proven itself to be a functioning democracy that honours freedom of expression and where the political discourse is vibrant, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in his end-of-mission statement.

In my meetings with President Sanchez Ceren and his ministers, I was told how the fight against violence, in particular gang violence, is a priority for the State, Mr. Zeid added.

Despite the introduction of the 'Safe El Salvador' Plan that aims to curb and prevent violence, the level of violence in the country remains shockingly high, he said, citing reported deaths of more than a thousand civilians and 45 police officers in armed confrontations between the police and alleged gang members from January 2015 to February 2017.

There are also alarming reports of extrajudicial killings and the return of death squads.

Regarding the extraordinary security measures, which since April 2016 have placed thousands of people in prolonged and isolated detention under inhumane conditions, Mr. Zeid called on the President to end these measures and grant international independent organizations, including his Office (OHCHR), access to these detention centres.

The vulnerability of these inmates is highlighted by an outbreak of tuberculosis, affecting more than a thousand inmates, with several hundred also said to be suffering from malnutrition, he noted.

El Salvador has the awful distinction of having the highest rate of gender-based killings of women and girls in Central America  a region where femicide is already regrettably high, as is impunity for these crimes, Mr. Zeid pointed out, noting that investigation, prosecution and punishment of such crimes can help to counter the perception that violence against women is tolerated.

As for the country's absolute prohibition on abortion, Mr. Zeid said that some women were convicted of aggravated homicide in connection with obstetric emergencies and, as a result, are serving 30 years in prison.

He went on to call upon El Salvador to launch a moratorium on the abortion ban and review all cases where women have been detained for abortion-related offences. Such a review could be established by presidential decree.
UN rights chief voices concern about Cambodia election after opposition ban

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN rights chief voices concern about Cambodia election after opposition ban, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f8d24.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations human rights chief voiced grave concerns Friday about the conduct of credible, free and fair elections in Cambodia next year following the decision by the Supreme Court to dissolve the main opposition party.

An effective multi-party democracy requires an opposition that can operate freely without intimidation and threats  and the same goes for a credible, free and fair election, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release.

The court dissolved the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), the main opposition party, on Thursday after the Ministry of Interior complained that the opposition was plotting a so-called colour revolution against the Government. A total of 118 CNRP members were banned from political activity for five years.

People need to be able to debate and discuss freely the political affairs of their country, and the decision to dissolve the CNRP has deprived over three million voters of their representation, Mr. Zeid said.

The party's dissolution follows the arrest on 3 September of CNRP president Kem Sokha on charges of 'treason' related to comments made in 2013 about his grassroots political strategy to challenge the current Government.

The use of law against the CNRP and its members is a smokescreen  it is the rule by law, and not the rule of law. The accusations against the CNRP and its members were vague, as were the legal provisions supporting the complaint to dissolve it, Mr. Zeid said, adding the dissolution of the CNRP was based on alleged criminal acts by Kem Sokha which had not been proved in a court of law.

Mr. Zeid said the party's dissolution and the ban on its members was all the more worrying, given other measures by the Government in recent months, including closure and suspension of civil society groups as well several media companies. It has also been targeting individual journalists and members of non-governmental organizations.

An essential component of all democracies is a vibrant civil society, including NGOs and press that may sometimes be critical of the Government, said Mr. Zeid. Imposing limits on civil society and shrinking their space serves only to stymie the creativity, innovation and ingenuity necessary for Cambodia to continue to develop, and to maintain peace.

Similarly, he stressed, a free press is essential to ensure that the public is properly informed of political and other issues so that people can be responsible and engaged actors.
UN envoy urges greater support for Rohingya victims of sexual violence

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy urges greater support for Rohingya victims of sexual violence, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f92b4.html [accessed 17 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.

Following a visit to Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have settled in makeshift camps, a United Nations envoy has called for enhanced measures to protect and assist victims of sexual violence among the displaced population.

My observations point to a pattern of widespread atrocities, including rape, gang-rape by multiple soldiers, forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity directed against Rohingya women and girls, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten said Thursday.

The humanitarian crisis caused by escalating violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state is causing catastrophic suffering. Over 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled across the border to Bangladesh since 25 August. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates Bangladesh now hosts more than 800,000 Rohingya refugees.

Ms. Patten's visit, mainly to Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and to Cox's Bazar, from 5 to 13 November, was to better understand the nature, patterns and trends of sexual violence related to the conflict in Myanmar and also to assess options for providing support to the Government of Bangladesh, the UN system and other partners to ensure that the rights of conflict-affected women and girls are respected and upheld in the settlements.

A clear picture is also emerging of the alleged perpetrators of these atrocities and their modus operandi. Sexual violence is allegedly being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar, otherwise known as the Tatmadaw, she said.

Other actors allegedly involved include the Myanmar Border Guard Police and militias composed of Rakhine state Buddhists and other ethnic groups, she added.

Her Office has agreed with the Government of Bangladesh to develop a framework of cooperation, focusing particularly on the documentation, training, capacity-building, and strengthening of sexual and gender-based violence services and programmes.

Bangladesh is also in the process of developing a national action plan on women, peace and security, which is an important entry-point for action to address conflict-related sexual violence and other human rights violations against Rohingya women and girls.

However, national institutions and communities in the settlement areas are stretched to the limits of their capacity, to provide the basics of shelter, food, water and primary health care.

In terms of sexual and gender-based violence programmes, there is an acute funding shortfall of more than $10 million for the next three months to deliver essential services, including clinical case management, community outreach, awareness-raising and the distribution of dignity kits, which contain clothing and sanitary items.

The international community must come together to support the Government of Bangladesh to address this vast humanitarian and protection crisis, she urged.

All of the women she spoke with wanted the perpetrators to be brought to justice, and to ensure that these atrocities would never repeat, she said.

Such words must serve as our moral compass as we chart the way towards a durable solution that respects the human rights and human dignity of a community that has been called 'the most persecuted people on earth,' she said.
In Colombia, UN political chief urges parties to 'stay the course' set out in peace accord

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Colombia, UN political chief urges parties to 'stay the course' set out in peace accord, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f9834.html [accessed 17 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.

More must be done to ensure that the remarkable gains of the first phase of Colombia's peace process are maintained, the top United Nations political official has said, wrapping up a visit to the country with an appeal to all Colombians to rally behind the accord, especially to ensure that former combatants are reintegrated into civilian life.

"I arrived this week, at the request of the Secretary-General, to convey a sense of growing concern about how the peace process has been evolving over the past several months," the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, told reporters there on Wednesday.

Despite a range of commendable activities under way by the Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the international community, Mr. Feltman highlighted three concerns, beginning with the lack of an overall strategy for reintegration, concrete plans and resources to enable its success.

"The drifting of a number of FARC members out of the zones, for a range of reasons that include joining the so-called 'dissidents' is a troubling sign of what could be the result on a wider scale if reintegration efforts are not very substantially accelerated," Mr. Feltman stated.

Secondly, he underscored his apprehension over the security situation in former conflict zones, particularly areas in which FARC vacated while their laying down their arms to convert to an unarmed political movement.

"We share the deep concern about the reported vacuums of authority in many of these areas and the resultant insecurity for communities as other illegal groups move in to fill the void," he underscored.

Mr. Feltman's final concern was about legal uncertainties, predominantly affecting FARC members, which have resulted in delays in approving key legislation.

Citing Monday's decision by the Constitutional Court on the Tribunal, he expressed hope that Congress would quickly adopt the implementing legislation, asserting, that: "This would only be consistent, in our view, with the decision of the same Parliament to ratify the peace agreement one year ago."

On the ceasefire between the Government and the National Liberation Army, the Under Secretary-General said: "We hope that the parties can come to a timely decision on its extension past 9 January, and to communicate that as soon as possible to the Security Council."

While recognizing that the peace process is subject to legitimate debate, Mr. Feltman appealed to all of Colombia's institutions, parties and to the public at large, saying that despite differing views, "all surely can also see the national interest in ensuring that regions which for more than five decades have been besieged by lawlessness, violence and under-development are now stabilized and integrated fully into the economy and governance."

"It is our strong view that this can be achieved by the robust implementation of the Peace Agreement," he added.
UN plan for post-conflict transition in Libya makes headway, Security Council told

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN plan for post-conflict transition in Libya makes headway, Security Council told, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12f9bc4.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The political process for a successful post-conflict transition in Libya has made significant headway over the past two months, the United Nations envoy for the North African country said Thursday.

"The re-launch of the political process has created a new momentum," Ghassan Salame, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the Security Council.

"I am pleased to see many constructive and peaceful debates on the future of the country," he added.

The Action Plan for Libya was launched two months ago. The Plan is made of various ingredients, including amending the Libyan Political Agreement, organizing a National Conference, preparing for elections and providing humanitarian assistance, he explained.

Libya is a nation without stark ethnic or sectarian divides, but with good education and a wealth of natural resources. Many challenges faced elsewhere are not there.

"But what might be mistaken for a homogenous nation, is actually a country divided at an atomic level," Mr. Salame said, noting that in the wake of the 2011 conflict, the national polity has been replaced by competing individual agendas.

"Reconstituting the Libyan national polity is a must," he said.

Based on the Action Plan, the UN convened two sessions of the Joint Drafting Committee, composed of members from both the House of Representatives and of the High Council of State, to agree on a set of amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement.

He welcomed the mutual recognition of the two assemblies, and their acknowledgment of the Libyan political agreement as the sole available framework to end the crisis in Libya.

Any mechanism to select a new Presidency Council and Government must be transparent and fair.

UNSMIL is currently exploring the possibility of hosting the National Conference inside Libya. The National Conference, slated for February 2018, will give Libyans from all across the country the opportunity to come together in one place, renew their common national narrative, and agree on the tangible steps required to end the transition.

As for elections, the High National Election Commission is working to initiate a voter registration update before the end of the year, which will be the first such exercise since 2014. The international community stands fully ready to support the process.

The Constitutional Drafting Assembly was elected and mandated to produce a new constitution and they have completed their draft. The constitutional process must now move forward, he said.

Serious challenges ahead

Beyond the Action Plan, there are three very serious challenges on UNSMIL's agenda; impunity for grave crimes, the economy of predation and the erosion of frozen assets, he said.

First, impunity and lawlessness continue to prevail across the country in face of increasingly heinous crimes committed every day.

Second, politics in Libya is strongly shaped by economic predation. In an environment of protracted insecurity and lack of accountability, the shadow economy has been flourishing. Billions of dollars are lost every year in illicit money transfers.

Thirdly, beyond predation, hundreds of millions more are being silently lost due to poor management of Libya's frozen assets. Freezing the assets is one thing, however, their mismanagement is another. There is a need to revisit how Libya's external wealth and investments are taken care of, so that they are not silently and gradually lost for future generations.

Drawing attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Libya, he said: "In the past, the country has been a donor to much of Africa, now 25 per cent of the population have humanitarian needs."
Hong Kong Broadcaster Under Fire For "Anti-China" Sentiment on Handover Anniversary

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 12 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hong Kong Broadcaster Under Fire For "Anti-China" Sentiment on Handover Anniversary, 12 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12fdf74.html [accessed 17 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.

Hong Kong Broadcaster Under Fire For "Anti-China" Sentiment on Handover Anniversary

2017-07-12

A flagship political discussion show run for decades by government broadcaster RTHK has been accused of peddling an anti-Beijing agenda in Hong Kong amid reports the city's government is planning a political campaign against "hostile overseas forces" feared by Beijing.



The round-table format Sunday politics show, featuring newsmakers, politicians and questions from the audience, has been broadcasting live to the people of Hong Kong from Victoria Park since its inception in 1980.



But the edition of RTHK's City Forum that marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule was slated by pro-Beijing voices for its title: "One country, two systems: a 20-year sham?"



The "one country, two systems" approach was offered by Beijing as part of its formal handover treaty with the U.K., promising the maintenance of Hong Kong's existing freedoms and a "high degree of autonomy" on the internal running of the city.



But repeated interventions by China's parliament in sensitive political cases, including the appointment of lawmakers and the conduct of elections, as well as the cross border detention of five Hong Kong booksellers over the sale of "banned" books in China, have left many feeling that those promises were empty.



Meanwhile, the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper quoted a pro-Beijing journalists' association as calling for the "malicious" producers of the show to be disciplined for damaging anti-handover sentiment.



"There have long been a handful of producers at RTHK who have nursed hostility towards their country, and have used their control of the airwaves to pour poisonous, vulgar speech and exaggerated satire of national leaders in aid of their anti-China political aims," the paper quoted the Association of Veteran Hong Kong Journalists as saying.



"Journalists should show some responsibility to society, not spread rumors and slander, sow discord, polarity and social conflict," it said.



The group called on RTHK to "discipline" those responsible.



"This department has long harbored a cancerous tumor, that will only continue to grow bigger and bigger if it is ignored," the group told the Wen Wei Po. "It can only return to health if it makes a concerted effort to deal with it."



Association chairman and adviser to Beijing Chang Wan-Fung brushed aside concerns that Beijing has interfered repeatedly in Hong Kong's promised autonomy in recent years.



"This phrase, a 20-year con, is rumor-mongering and slander," Chang said. "RTHK is a government broadcaster of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government of the People's Republic of China."



"Its staff are civil servants, and at the very least shouldn't be aligning themselves with opposition factions, or with anti-China or anti-Hong Kong forces," he said.



Topic for debate

But the head of RTHK's television arm, Amen Ng, said the provocative phrase had been used in the form of a question, to provoke debate on the show.



"On the day the show went out, the topic was the July 1 demonstrations, and the show quoted a slogan used by [march organizers] the Civil Human Rights Front," she told RFA.



"There was a question mark added to the phrase to show that it was a topic for debate, rather than a fixed point of view," Ng said.



She said RTHK has a duty as a public broadcaster to reflect different views across the whole of Hong Kong society, and that the station was collecting opinions from all quarters on the controversy for further study.



Chris Yeung, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA), which warned in a report this month that the influx of money from mainland China risks compromising the city's press freedom, agreed with Ng.



"The show's title merely raised a question, which showed careful journalism on their part," Yeung said. "They were trying to ensure that the show didn't have a fixed opinion."



"But a small number of people in the media are perhaps a little oversensitive," he said.



The row over the show comes as officials from China's liaison office in Hong Kong have been accused of trying to influence lawmakers' votes on sensitive issues in recent weeks.



Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Secretary Patrick Nip on Wednesday denied allegations from Democratic Party lawmaker James To, who said there was "a lot of evidence to show mainland interference in Hong Kong affairs."

However, news site www.hk01.com reported that newly sworn-in chief executive Carrie Lam may come under pressure to set up a "political unit" charged with countering pro-independence and localist rhetoric in the city.



It said a recent two-year research program commissioned by Beijing's central policy unit had found the city's executive-led government weakened by recent divisions over political reforms, leaving it on the back foot.



The report suggested setting up a "political unit" to track, deter and contain opposition voices, the website said.



Beijing turns the screws

Professor Chung Kim-wah, director of the PolyU Centre for Social Policy, told RFA that such reports were not surprising, but could backfire.



"It's not a big surprise to me, especially in the last few years, when central government policy has played a very different role [in Hong Kong] compared with before," Chung said.



"In the decade between 2001 and 2012, all [the central policy unit] did was some public opinion surveys and research, but they have given the impression of actually telling the government, and in particular the chief executive, how to promote and implement policy in recent years," he said.



Current affairs commentator Liu Ruishao, who appeared on the controversial episode of City Forum, said Beijing should back off and let Lam get on with managing the economy and social welfare for the next couple of years, however.



"They don't need to start thinking about any political reform package for 2022 until 2020, so the best thing would be for them to back off and let Carrie Lam have some time to get to grips with the economy, social issues, and social welfare," Liu said.



Meanwhile, the HKJA said incoming investment by mainland Chinese businesses in Hong Kong media outlets could worsen the problem of self-censorship among the city's newspapers and TV stations.



Eight out of 26 mainstream media outlets in Hong Kong are effectively controlled by Chinese money, the HKJA said in its report earlier this month titled "Two systems under siege: Beijing turns the screws on Hong Kong media."



By the end of the year, i-Cable will join the list of entities relying on Chinese capital, raising the proportion to more than one third, the report said.



"After President Xi Jinping came to power and the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy movement in Hong Kong, Beijing moved into the driver's seat," it said, calling on Lam's administration to take immediate action to defend the city's autonomy.



The HKJA has also called on Lam to enact freedom of information and archives laws, to stop using informal blog posts to announce major policies, and to end government refusal to accredit journalists from online-only news outlets.



Reported by Goh Fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Ding Wenqi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China in 'Whitewash Campaign' Ahead of Liu Xiaobo's Death

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 13 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China in 'Whitewash Campaign' Ahead of Liu Xiaobo's Death, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12ff274.html [accessed 17 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.

China in 'Whitewash Campaign' Ahead of Liu Xiaobo's Death

2017-07-13

The death China's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo on Thursday aged 61 after being hospitalized with terminal liver cancer from prison just over a month ago sparked an all-out government propaganda effort to counter domestic and international criticism.



His death was confirmed by a statement from the legal bureau of the municipal government in Shenyang, provincial capital of northeastern Liaoning province.



"Liu suffered multiple organ failure, and efforts to save him failed," the bureau said.



Official media immediately swung into action to counteract a recent chorus of criticism from rights activists and concern from the international community over the ruling Chinese Communist Party's refusal to allow Liu to seek medical attention overseas and end his days free from official control.



"Top-notch medical teams had been assigned to treat him with advanced drugs and therapies at the First Hospital of China Medical University [in Shenyang]," the party-controlled Global Times said, reporting Liu's death, aged 61.



It quoted German and American doctors as saying that "they could not think of a better alternative, and that the Chinese medical team was doing a great job."



The paper said Liu had received regular health checks and cancer screening since 2012 after he entered prison with hepatitis B, which can lead to liver cancer.



Propaganda blitz



Sources said Beijing's propaganda machine had kicked into high gear shortly ahead of Liu's death.



"Right now all the officials are taking a high-pressure hose and trying to wash everything down, to whitewash everything, bit by bit," a retired former official from Liaoning's provincial capital Shenyang said in an interview on Thursday that was recorded shortly before Liu died.



"They are launching a public relations campaign to make themselves look squeaky-clean, that's their game," the former official said.



He said Liu's treatment has been a public relations disaster for the communist party, however.



"First, they managed to turn the guy into a Nobel prize-winner, and now they are turning him into a martyr, whose spirit can't be locked up," he said. "This is a joke that's not funny."



Broken promises



A retired Beijing-based academic said he was also very angry at the treatment meted out by the authorities to Liu at the end of his life.



"Liu Xiaobo's liver cancer was allowed to develop until it became incurable, and I am so angry about that," the academic, who asked to remain anonymous, said.



"The Communist Party promised us so much at the start of its rule, and now the situation has gotten this bad, it will need several generations to change it."



Sources close to the family said the authorities had earlier stepped up the state security police presence around Liu's ward in the Shenyang No. 1 Medical University Hospital, in preparation for Liu's death.



"They have sent more personnel to the 23rd floor," the source said, alluding to the location of Liu's hospital room. "There are also more than 20 people standing guard on the ground floor of the hospital, and an operation team leader."



Other reactions



In Hong Kong, as Liu's death was announced, a 24-hour silent vigil outside China's liaison office in the city entered its fourth day.



A participant surnamed Wong said she had come along in spite of believing that it would have little effect on the communist party.



"I know it won't have any effect, because the communist party is a dictatorship, and they pay no attention to us whatsoever," Wong said. "They paid no attention to our Occupy movement for more than 70 days, and they didn't give way an inch, so they will care even less about our vigil."



"But I had to do it anyway, because I wanted them to see how determined we are."



Germany-based writer Liao Yiwu, who was once jailed for writing a poem commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, said Chancellor Angela Merkel's government had done everything it could to save Liu and his family, amid international calls for him to be treated overseas.



"I understand the difficulties Merkel has had trying to deal with the Chinese government," Liao said. "But if Liu Xiaobo dies in China, and his wife isn't allowed to leave China after that, then she may not live long either."



"That's why she asked an intermediary to request Merkel's help."



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing and Lam Kwok-lap for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Activists in 'Pain And Grief' Over Death of Liu Xiaobo Call For Wife's Release

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 13 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Activists in 'Pain And Grief' Over Death of Liu Xiaobo Call For Wife's Release, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a12ffb64.html [accessed 17 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.

Activists in 'Pain And Grief' Over Death of Liu Xiaobo Call For Wife's Release

2017-07-13 Liu Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia (L) and Former top Communist Party official Bao Tong (R), in recent photos. RFA

UPDATED at 5:40 P.M. on 2017-07-13

Rights activists around the world mourned the death of Chinese dissident and Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo on Thursday, following an official announcement that he had died from multiple organ failure while being treated for terminal liver cancer.



Liu's death at 61 came amid mounting anger at the ruling Chinese Communist Party over its refusal to allow him to seek treatment overseas and his late diagnosis in May by prison doctors, which many have said is suspicious.



"Liu Xiaobo has died. His love, courage and strength will never die," U.S.-based legal scholar Teng Biao said via Twitter, while other activists called on Beijing to free his wife Liu Xia, who has been under house arrest since his Nobel peace award was announced in October 2010.



Former top Communist Party official Bao Tong said the government had it within its power to treat Liu Xiaobo sooner, and to allow him to seek medical treatment overseas, but didn't.



"They govern a huge country; how hard could it be for them to decide to act to save a single life?" a clearly upset Bao told RFA shortly after Liu's death was announced. "Nobody was asking them to pick up Mount Tai and jump over the East Sea with it."



"They were just asking for them to show a little compassion, a little humanity," he said. "They weren't even asking for justice, just some morality and compassion."



London-based rights group Amnesty International launched a petition on Thursday calling for an end to Liu Xia's illegal house arrest, heavy surveillance and harassment by the authorities.



"Liu Xia has been kept in isolation since October 2010, and she has suffered from psychological stress, anxiety and depression as a result," the group said on its petition page.



"It's time the Chinese authorities stop cruelly punishing Liu Xia," the group said. "Our greatest tribute to [Liu Xiaobo] will be to ensure that Liu Xia is free [to travel wherever she wishes]."



Veteran U.S.-based dissident Yang Jianli said that while many were expecting the news at any time in China's overseas dissident community, that hadn't lessened their grief.



"We were in extreme pain and grief when the news came out, even though we knew Liu Xiaobo didn't have long," Yang told RFA. "We had continued to press for him to be allowed to die in freedom in spite of this, but we didn't succeed, and we are full of regret over that."



"The regime couldn't even honor the wishes of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia in allowing them the freedom to be alone together," he said.

Mourning in China will be difficult



Liu's supporters in China said they will likely be unable to carry out any kind of memorial activities for Liu.



"I have wanted all along for the Chinese Communist Party to allow Liu Xiaobo overseas to receive medical treatment, for the last few weeks of his life," Harbin resident Chi Jinchun told RFA.



"But people [like us] will only be able to show any mourning for Liu Xiaobo online," Chi said. "I think any other, more concrete, actions will just be too difficult."



Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia, who was a close friend of Liu's, said security has already been tightened around the No. 1 Medical University Hospital in Shenyang, where Liu was being treated.



"There was a hearse that arrived, which was very unusual," Hu said. "There were a large number of police around, and they had implemented traffic controls, and it drove away with a police escort, which was pretty unusual."



"I think this likely had something to do with Liu Xiaobo," he said.



He said activists around China are now expecting a clampdown on their activities.



"We're not ruling out a stability maintenance operation," Hu said. "It looks likely."



In Hong Kong, rights activists met in a public vigil to mark Liu's passing, hitting out at his treatment at the hands of the authorities.



"Liu Xiaobo may have died of cancer, but the Chinese Communist Party bears a huge amount of the responsibility," Albert Ho, who heads the Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, told journalists on Thursday.



"They can be accused of treating human life with contempt, by not acting to carry out proper medical checks on someone who had been in an unhealthy prison environment for a long time," Ho said.



"Somebody wanted him gone, and while they may not have murdered him directly, they definitely made sure he died," he said.

Widow, lawyers incommunicado



Meanwhile questions began to emerge early on Friday over Liu's death, which sparked a massive security operation in Shenyang, with police

driving away and detaining bystanders and possible supporters who gathered outside the hospital where he died.



Liu Xia, her brother Liu Hui and other relatives were incommunicado, along with Liu's former defense attorneys.



Liu Xia is being prevented from contacting other relatives, due to fears she might overturn the official narrative that she and other family members had agreed to Liu being treated in China, rather than overseas, sources said.



Repeated calls to Liu's former lawyers Mo Shaoping and Shang Baojun resulted in a "switched off" message late on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday.



And calls to Bao Tong failed to connect after Bao penned an essay on Liu's political thought to mark his passing.



Sources said Liu Xia, Liu Hui and other family members were being housed in a holiday villa after their arrival in Shenyang, with a police guard on the door.



Any shopping trips or visits to the hospital were made under police escort, they said.



And now that Liu Xiaobo has died, Liu Xia's friends are beginning to worry about her personal safety.



"She has very serious sleep deprivation and suffers from extreme fluctuations in her mood," Hao Jian, a Beijing-based film professor and friend of the Lius told RFA. "I have spoken to her by phone a number of times in May and June, but I haven't met her in person."



"Sometimes she called me when her mood was very low, and would talk to me about literature, or read me a poem, and I knew that her psychological state was very poor," he said. "Both Liu Xia and Liu Hui have been under huge physical and psychological pressure, and Liu Xia herself very much wants to go overseas to seek medical treatment."



An academic following the family's plight said their treatment at the hands of the government was "unacceptable."



"The Chinese government has behaved in a cruel and unacceptable manner, and will be condemned internationally for it," the academic said. "I am very angry, too ... and sad at the way the Chinese government has behaved, which will go down in history and be condemned by public opinion."



Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service and Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Late Liu Xiaobo Joins a Long Line of Victims of Harsh Chinese Prison Life

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 13 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Late Liu Xiaobo Joins a Long Line of Victims of Harsh Chinese Prison Life, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1301424.html [accessed 17 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.

Late Liu Xiaobo Joins a Long Line of Victims of Harsh Chinese Prison Life

2017-07-13

Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, who received international attention for his role in the Tiananmen Square protests and was serving an 11-year sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" died of liver cancer on Thursday. The 61-year-old is merely the latest example of the life-shortening effect of time spent in Chinese prison.

Liu was granted medical parole, but the Chinese government refused to fully release him from custody. Human rights advocates say Liu's case fits a deliberate pattern in Chinese prisons, where dissidents are routinely denied health care and forced to endure harsh prison conditions that aggravate their illnesses.

"They give people medical parole when they are under political pressure to do so, meaning that they don't particularly want people to die on their watch," China director of the Human Rights Campaign Sophie Richardson told RFA.

"There are cases where people are let out because they are so sick they couldn't be treated properly in detention. But there are certainly cases where that is not true," she said.

Liu, who received a late diagnosis and was suffering respiratory failure as his condition worsened, was offered the best possible treatment by Germany and the United States, but Chinese doctors ruled against the late activist's travel amidst international outcry aimed at the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

This is not the first time Chinese authorities have withheld medical treatment from prisoners. Former winner of the European Union's Sakharov human rights prize Hu Jia had five applications for medical parole turned down, despite warnings from his wife that his health was rapidly deteriorating.

Lawyers tortured

Hu told the New York Times that doctors had repeatedly misdiagnosed his abdominal pain as a side stitch. It was not until he was released from prison that he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis.

"His cirrhosis of the liver and now this acute pancreatitis are related to his time in jail," Beijing rights lawyer Sui Muqing told RFA in an earlier report.

The deteriorating health of Chinese women's rights activist Su Changlan, who was found guilty of "incitement to subvert state power" by the Foshan Intermediate People's Court in southern Guangdong Province, also received international attention last month after a medical parole request made earlier this year by her husband was denied.

Speaking to RFA in mid-May, Jin Bianling, the wife of lawyer Jiang Tianyong, who went missing in November 2016, said she was kept in the dark about his whereabouts and condition for months.

"We have recently learned from a sympathetic official source in Changsha that Jiang Tianyong has been tortured. There is a problem with his feet. They are so swollen that he can't stand up. He may be crippled for life," Jin told RFA.

"I was extremely concerned and worried when I heard about this," she said. "I fear for Jiang Tianyong's life and his well-being, because I have seen that other lawyers, Xie Yang, Li Chunfu, and Li Heping released recently had been detained and tortured too."

All of those lawyers were caught up in a sweeping crackdown on human rights lawyers launched by Beijing in July 2016.

"I worry that Jiang Tianyong won't be able to bear it," Jin added.

Let nature do the killing

In Tibet, meanwhile, prisoners abused in Chinese custody are frequently left untreated, and are released in poor health only to die soon after.

Former top Communist Party aide Bao Tong told RFA in an earlier report inhumane treatment of Chinese citizens dates back to the 1949-76 Mao Zedong era.

"They have never treated people like people," Bao said in an earlier report. "They see them as targets for political struggle, oppression, and dictatorship; even their emphasis on a 'harmonious society' today means they don't recognize people as human."

The Chinese government has a history of human rights abuses that long predates the tenure of current President Xi Jinping, whose predecessor Hu Jintao jailed Liu Xiaobo.

Arrested twice and jailed for a total of 18 years for his role in the 1980 "Democracy Wall" movement, pro-democracy campaigner Wei Jingsheng spent the first 16 years of those 18 years in solitary confinement.

He was charged with having passed "secret" information concerning the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese war to a foreigner and engaging in "counterrevolutionary propaganda and agitation."

Diagnosed with a heart illness in 1984, Wei applied for medical parole for many years without approval, allowing his illness to worsen.

"After learning that I was diagnosed with heart illness, [then Supreme Leader] Deng Xiaoping personally ordered that I and several other political prisoners be sent to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and ordered that the labor camp we stayed in must be higher than 3,000 meters above sea level," Wei told RFA.

"Qinghai prisons were afraid to accept us because they knew [the government] was using nature to kill, and they did not want to be a scapegoat," he said.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China Orders Xinjiang's Android Users to Install App That Deletes 'Terrorist' Content

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 14 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China Orders Xinjiang's Android Users to Install App That Deletes 'Terrorist' Content, 14 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1301dc4.html [accessed 17 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.

China Orders Xinjiang's Android Users to Install App That Deletes 'Terrorist' Content

2017-07-14



Authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have ordered local residents to install an app on their cell phones that will monitor their activity for "terrorist" content, local sources told RFA on Thursday.

"In order to achieve city-wide coverage in the antiterrorist video and audio clean-up, and to target people, materials and thinking for clean-up work, management and crackdowns, a technology company affiliated with the municipal police department has developed an app for Android smartphones that can filter out terrorist video and audio content," the Tianshan district government in the regional capital Urumqi said in a directive issued July 10.

The app, called CleanWebGuard, is to be installed by all Android smartphone users in the city, regardless of ethnic group, in order to carry out "self-surveillance," the directive said.

The app is designed to be installed on Android smartphones with the use of a QR code.

"Once operational, it will automatically pinpoint the location of video or audio containing terrorist content or illegal religious content, images, e-books or documents, and delete them automatically,"

the Tianshan notice said.

It warned that anyone declining to delete or trying to save such content "will be pursued according to law."

Local residential neighborhood committees and places of work were also ordered to post notices requiring people to use CleanWebGuard, it said.

Notices must also be placed in audiovisual retailers, residential communities, institutes of higher education and public places where people gather in numbers, providing the local population with the QR to install the app, it said.

"Antiterrorism task-force leaders" across the city must provide full statistics and report back on their implementation of the measures, it said.

The QR code instructions order smartphone users to open up the popular social media app WeChat and download the CleanWebGuard app from within the app.

The app's website advertises it as a family-friendly filter aimed at protecting internet users from porn sites, online fraud, viruses and malware, and phishing sites.

However, it also offers "mobile phone remote control and other security services," the website said.

'Targeted for persecution'

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile group World Uyghur Congress, said the Chinese authorities are targeting Muslims generally, which includes many Kazakhs in China.

"The plight of Uyghurs is already in the international eye, but it's not just Uyghurs who are suffering oppression in Xinjiang," Raxit said. "There are also Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Turkic ethnic groups who are being increasingly targeted by China for persecution."

"The international community shouldn't ignore the treatment of these groups, but should be concerned about any ethnic minority groups under threat with the borders of Xinjiang," he said.

An ethnic minority Kazakh resident of Xinjiang said police are already using the app to monitor users' digital activity, resulting in the detention of 10 Kazakh women in Xinjiang's Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture on Tuesday.

"They detained 10 Kazakh women on charges of using WeChat to discuss content that shouldn't be discussed," a Kazakh source in the region told RFA on Thursday.

"One of the women was named as Jamila," he said. "They are all ordinary citizens, with no connection to anything political or religious."

Another Kazakh source said the Xinjiang authorities are now requiring ethnic minority communities to demonstrate their loyalty to Beijing by attending daily morning flag-raising ceremonies.

A video of one of the ceremonies seen by RFA showed a number of people lined up in front of a building in a remote, mountainous region, listening to the Chinese national anthem.

And authorities in Xinjiang's Chapchal county also recently detained an ethnic Kazakh woman after her husband became a Kazakh citizen, amid a regionwide crackdown on Kazakhs relocating across the shared border.

"She is a Chinese national, but they wanted to know why her husband had applied for Kazakstan citizenship," the source said.

Growing anger

The detentions come amid growing anger among Kazakhs with relatives in China over the Chinese Communist Party's widening crackdown on the minority ethnic group within its borders.

Last month, a group of state scientists and other scholars hit out at the "persecution" of ethnic Kazakhs by Chinese authorities, and called on Astana to put pressure on Beijing.

Residents of Kazakhstan have complained they are being prevented from seeing their families after Chinese authorities began confiscating the passports and residence permits of ethnic minority Kazakhs whose family members live across the border.

Some 200,000 Kazakhs who hold Chinese passports and permanent residence cards for Kazakhstan were told to hand in their Kazakhstan-issued residency cards to Chinese police "for safekeeping," although sources later said officials in some parts of Xinjiang were rapidly backpedaling on the policy and working round the clock to send Kazakh green cards and passports back to their owners.

Reported by Qiao Long and Xi Wang for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
BRIDGEPORT  Six letters emblazoned on the back of a jacket could be a matter of life and death for the men and women who safeguard Connecticuts largest city.

That is how Sgt. Chris Robinson feels about having POLICE printed on outerwear worn by Bridgeports Finest.

Robinson was suspended with pay last week for publicly criticizing Police Chief Armando A.J. Perezs Nov. 13 memorandum forbidding cops from advertising their profession on their clothing.

We are the police, are we not? Yet then why are we now attempting to disguise or even go to such measures and means to hide it now? wrote Robinson in a email rebuttal circulated throughout the department. His email, along with Perezs order, were obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Members of Service (officers) are reminded that any wearing of POLICE on department uniforms other than road job outerwear is prohibited, Perez had written. Supervisors will be held accountable for failing to enforce and abide by this directive.

More for you Cop suspended in uniform dispute

This order compromises everyones safety!!!! Robinson said in his email. It is an order that can get an officer hurt or killed!

It is certainly an order that has stirred up even more controversy for the acting top cop. Perez was already dealing with a spike in homicides, allegations of use of excessive force by some officers, angry community leaders demanding uniform cameras and training reforms, and pressure from City Hall to reduce overtime.

It does make me worry about his leadership, said City Councilman-elect Marcus Brown. The police are there to protect and serve. People need to be able to ID who police officers are when outside of the vehicle. If they want to remove POLICE from the jackets, whats next? From police cars? It doesnt make sense to me.

In Bridgeport, cops are paid an annual uniform allowance but responsible for selecting and purchasing the clothing. Sgt. Chuck Paris, the police union president, said he is aware of a few members who opted to have POLICE printed on some of their clothing, in reflective material, Not figuring it would be an issue. ... They feel safer with that on their jackets.

Perez on Monday told Hearst that putting POLICE on uniforms is not authorized in current policy, which is established by the chief, the citys law department and the police commission,

Uniformity and discipline are necessary for the efficient operation of a police organization, Perez said in a statement. We are an organization of rules and laws and the rules must be adhered to. A uniform professional appearance is the image this organization wishes to convey.

The chief noted that officers are readily identifiable by their uniforms, badges, name tags, hats, and police patches.

Perez also said that Robinson was not suspended for raising concerns but for not expressing them through proper protocol.

Robinson in the email that got him suspended offered four scenarios where officers could benefit from clothing with reflective letters, all occurring at night: Working at the scene of a motor vehicle accident; chasing a suspect; responding to a burglary; and trying to breakup a street fight.

In all four cases, Robinson said, having POLICE on a jacket or other outerwear would ensure that the wearer is recognized by fellow officers and the public. Robinson also argued that having POLICE on clothing could make a difference in court cases.

I myself have been drilled on the stand before in trials that that they repeatedly asked me, Well, is it possible that maybe they didnt know you were a police officer? recalled Robinson.

Perez on Monday said he has not been provided any studies demonstrating such advantages. And John DeCarlo, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, agreed the issue has not been researched.

DeCarlo said Robinsons arguments made sense, but added that in some cases such outerwear could make police targets.

I recall first becoming a cop and having the interior lights of the cars divested of bulbs because officers did not want the lights going on when they got out of the car so as not to be easy targets for someone looking to do them harm, DeCarlo said.

And Hartford officials recently accused federal immigration enforcement agents in that city of wearing jackets emblazoned with POLICE to fool immigrants in the community who work with and trust local cops.

Paris said the union hoped to intervene with Perez on Robinsons behalf and to further research the clothing issue to see if it current policy should be changed.
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There is no Cheech and Chong moment for Dan Drew.

Not even a Bill Clinton, I ... didnt inhale.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate said hes never tried marijuana, but supports legalizing recreational pot in Connecticut and will appear at a Nov. 28 Yale gubernatorial debate sponsored by the state chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The only other notable gubernatorial hopeful to commit to the event, which is also being organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, is Connecticuts former Consumer Protection Commissioner, Jonathan Harris.

Nobody believes me when I say this, but I have never smoked marijuana, Drew told Hearst Connecticut Media. I have never used cannabis in any form.

The mayor of Middletown, home to Wesleyan University, which is consistently ranked as one of the most liberal campuses in the country, Drew said legalizing recreational marijuana would raise up to $250 million in annual revenue for the cash-strapped state and shift the focus onto opioid abuse.

We treat marijuana in this country with more severity than we treat opioid narcotics, which are killing people every single day, Drew said.

Everything but the kitchen sink

Mark Boughton has lost another running mate to the competition  but its not Heather Somers, who unceremoniously bailed on the Danbury mayor during the 2014 governors race.

Boughtons ex-wife, Phyllis Boughton, gave $100 Sept. 30 to Boughtons potential rival for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Tim Herbst.

Its been 20 months since the mayors longtime spouse, who owns a kitchen and bath remodeling business, filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

The mayor, who is exploring his third run for governor in 2018, downplayed the significance of her giving to Herbst.

Listen, I know Tim purchased a number of kitchens from Connecticut Kitchen & Bath, Boughton said.

Boughton estimated that Herbst and his parents spent between $30,000 and $35,000 having their kitchens remodeled by his ex-wifes business.

Its probably smart business for her to donate, Boughton said. Its a business decision on her part and shes free to donate to whoever she wants.

Bookmarks

There is no seven-second delay in Rosa DeLauros world.

Nope, the elder stateswoman of Connecticuts congressional delegation is the first to admit her proclivity for four-letter words.

I compete with Rahm Emanuel on the use of the F-word, DeLauro writes in her book released earlier this year, The Least Among Us: Waging the Battle for the Vulnerable. (He trails me because I am older than he is.) You could say that I swear because I care, or because Im passionate about good policy, or because a colorful vocabulary helps one command attention in a town that is still getting used to strong women.

The daughter of an Italian immigrant and garment worker who worked in a New Haven sweatshop, both of whom went on to serve on the Board of Aldermen, DeLauro opens up about her upbringing and liberal ideology in the 276-page memoir. Shes traveled to Chicago, Denver, Miami and the West Coast to promote the book, the proceeds from which will go to the Connecticut Food Bank and the Clifford Beers Clinic.

The book lays out the battles that I have fought over the years and won some of them and lost some of them to strengthen the social safety net, DeLauro said.

DeLauro said her advocacy for preserving food stamps, free school lunches, the earned income and child tax credits are particularly salient with Republicans controlling Congress and Donald Trump in the White House.

Its about standing up and fighting back as well, said DeLauro, a 27-year incumbent who is known for her hipster wardrobe.

If youre looking for a more nonpartisan reading material on Cyber Monday, Sacred Heart Universitys resident political guru, Gary Rose, is also out with a new book, Haywire: A Chronology of the 2016 Presidential Contest.

Rose, chairman of the Department of Government, Politics and Global Studies at SHU, is also doing a book tour. But hes not dwelling too much on the past.

Im doing a first year assessment of the Trump presidency, Rose said. Now Im talking about governing.

Putting the visible in Indivisible

From Greenwich to Fairfield and from Trumbull to Ridgefield, the anti-Trump group known as Indivisible contributed to the Democratic surge in this months municipal elections.

Now, the group is engaging U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist group of lawmakers.

Himes is scheduled to speak to Indivisible Connecticut District 4, the Fairfield County arm of the organization, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Unitarian Church of Westport and hold a question-and-answer session. More than 200 people have signed up for the event, organizers say.

http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436
Ma Jiantang, former director of China's National Bureau of Statistics, discusses the country's GDP at a press conference in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2012.

China's government plans to introduce a new "unified" system of reporting economic data to eliminate falsification, three years after the process was previously expected to take effect.

On Oct. 30, the deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Li Xiaochao, said the agency will take control of data collection from local authorities to measure China's gross domestic product, state media reported.

The unified process slated for 2019 will replace the current practice "in which national GDP and regional data are calculated separately by the NBS and regional offices," the official Xinhua news agency said.

Over the years, the sum of local and regional GDP figures has frequently exceeded national estimates, raising credibility questions.

In one reported case from 2014, provincial-level GDP reports topped national estimates by more than 12 percent. In 2015, Xinhua reported that some counties in the industrialized northeast had claimed GDP higher than that of Hong Kong.

The new system will "narrow the gap between national and regional GDP data," Li said.

The unified system is one of several reforms that the NBS has announced in recent years to improve the accuracy of economic reporting.

The problem with the latest announcement is that it is almost identical to one issued nearly three years ago.

In December 2014, the agency also said it was launching "a new unified system" for GDP calculations.

"The move is aimed at preventing inflated local figures contradicting central government calculations," the official English-language China Daily reported, citing then-director of the NBS, Ma Jiantang.

The initiative was part of a crackdown on local data fraud, often perpetrated by officials seeking promotions by exaggerating claims of production and economic growth.

"The central government will have the sole right to evaluate the GDP and growth rates of every province and municipality," Ma said in 2014.

The draft reform was expected to be approved by the cabinet-level State Council in the first half of 2015 for implementation in 2016 at the start of the 13th Five-Year Plan, China Daily reported at the time.

Years later, data fraud is still a problem.

"The government has promised zero tolerance for fabrication of economic data," Xinhua said last month, without referring to the earlier schedule for the reform.

Widespread fabrication of data

The report noted that officials in China's northeast Liaoning province had admitted falsifying economic data from 2011 to 2014. In 2015, Xinhua also cited widespread fabrication in the neighboring provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang.

The unified process is one of several reforms for data gathering that the NBS has either announced or attempted over the past decade.

In 2012, the agency instituted a direct reporting system for 700,000 enterprises to avoid local pressure on enterprises for pumped-up production results.

In 2014, the NBS said it would end all reliance on provincial and municipal estimates in calculating national GDP after a government investigation uncovered massive fraud.

Doubts about China's GDP claims date back at least as far as 2007, when Premier Li Keqiang called the figures "manmade" and "for reference only," according to a leaked memo quoting his comments when he was Communist Party secretary in Liaoning.

The latest report on the NBS reform offers no explanation for the three-year delay.

Derek Scissors, an Asia economist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said the slowdown is likely related to the investigation of the former NBS director Wang Baoan for "severe disciplinary violation," first disclosed in January 2016.

"They said they were going to do this before, but they didn't," Scissors said. "I think they can effectively blame corruption."

After taking over at the NBS in April 2015, Wang became one of the highest-profile casualties of President Xi Jinping's anticorruption campaign.

Accused of being "morally bankrupt" and trading power and money for sex, he was removed from office and expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) in August 2016, according to state media. Wang was given a life sentence for accepting bribes in May 2017.

How much Wang's downfall had to do with the delay and economic policy may never be known. But among other things, he was accused by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of making "speeches that went against the CPC Central Committee on key issues," suggesting that his ouster was about more than the salacious details.

Whatever the causes, the unified system would have needed to go through a long and complicated process before implementation.

Scissors said that revisions of local accounting are more than simply a matter of going in and making major or sudden corrections to economic reports that have been inflated for years.

The process for each series of data is more likely to require "smoothing" or "convergence" of results to avoid exposing huge faults in reporting that both begin and end with charges of corruption.

One interpretation is that the delay of the unified system was caused by local officials with something to hide.

"This is not a trivial exercise," said Scissors. "That has very big political implications. You don't just do that," he said, referring to the risk of abrupt revisions.

"You don't want to go out to a major province and find out that things are a lot worse than the province said, because that's a very awkward adjustment that has to take place," Scissors said.

Wedded to a commitment

Political consequences may help explain why the new target for the unified system was quietly announced after the recent CPC 19th National Congress rather than during the session or before, and without any reference to the three-year delay.

The CPC remains wedded to its commitment to double both GDP and per capita GDP in the decade ending in 2020. Any adjustments to the numbers starting in 2019 would not interfere with those goals.

Even with the post-congress timing, the new announcement of the unified system is likely to raise doubts about the government's claims that GDP has continued to grow at a 6.9-percent pace in the first three quarters of this year.

Although GDP figures in China remain highly politicized, they are likely to be less divergent from actual growth rates now than they were two years ago when the economy slumped.

Many economists believe that GDP growth may have slipped as low as 3 percent in 2015 while the NBS reported the rate as 6.9 percent.

This year with recovery, the gap between actual growth and the NBS third-quarter figure of 6.8 percent has probably narrowed.

"The 2017 numbers are much closer to being real because there was a bounce-back," said Scissors, who estimated that growth now is somewhere in the five-percent range.
Three opposition members of Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) resigned from their posts Monday in protest of a court ruling to dissolve their party and recently adopted laws that will see its parliamentary seats and commune councilor positions reassigned to government-aligned parties.



Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members Kuoy Bunroeun, Rong Chhun, and Te Manirong submitted letters of resignation to National Assembly president Heng Samrin expressing concern over the Supreme Courts Nov. 16 decision to ban the party for its part in plotting a coup against the government, eliminating Prime Minister Hun Sens main competition ahead of an election next year.



CNRP President Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 for allegedly collaborating with the U.S. to overthrow the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), and the court ruling found the opposition party guilty of involvement in the conspiracy.



The three NEC members also voiced frustration over recently amended electoral laws that will see the CNRPs 55 seats in the National Assembly and more than 5,000 commune councilor positions won in local elections in June distributed to other minor political parties.



We feel obliged to resign, for we would have betrayed our wisdom and conscience and acted against the will of the voters had we continued working with the NEC, given the recent developments, the letters read.



We do not wish to have a bad name in history.



Since last weeks decision, the CNRPs elected officials have been prevented from continuing their work, while authorities have removed billboards, flags and other opposition paraphernalia around the country.



The court ruling has drawn condemnation from governments and NGOs across the globe, who say it has compromised the legitimacy of general elections set for July 2018 and have urged Cambodias government to reverse an ongoing crackdown on the opposition, media, and civil society groups.



Kuoy Bunroeun, Rong Chhun, and Te Manirong had been nominated by the CNRP to the NEC as part of a post-election agreement between the opposition and CPP in 2014. With their departure, the body is left with six members: four nominees from the CPP, neutral member Hang Puthea, and CNRP nominee Hing Thirith, who has given no indication he intends to leave.



The Phnom Penh Post cited legal officer for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) Yoeurng Sotheara as saying that the departures had left the NEC without legitimacy, and calling into question the process of appointing new members to the electoral body.



Defiant leader



In the face of criticism over his governments actions in recent months, Hun Sen remained defiant, telling around 5,000 workers in Phnom Penhs Koh Pich township Friday that he welcomed threats of sanctions and the withdrawal of aidparticularly from the U.S.



The prime minister said Cambodia is more than capable of surviving with assistance from Chinaone of the few countries to support his Southeast Asian nation following last weeks court rulingand suggested that only those NGOs relying on U.S. funding would be affected by any punitive measures.



I wholeheartedly welcome the U.S. to cut off its aid to the NECI really welcome that, he said.



You talk about democracy, yet you will cut aid to the NEC. You have not just failed to defeat me, but you have also involved yourself in killing democracy in Cambodia.



Hun Sen went on to propose that the U.S. cut off all aid to Cambodia entirely, which he said would result in the death of all local NGOs.



Go ahead and kill your own offspring  those who die first will be the NGOs that are plotting against us, he said.



We need to be defiant. We used to eat banana stumps and fought Pol Pot [during the Khmer Rouge regime], so we are not intimidated by such threats.



The prime minister said that all NGOs in the country will be audited soon to determine how their funding is used, and that those found to be spending money in Cambodia to destroy us  will not be spared.



He also lashed out at CNRP supporters who held peaceful protests against election results in late 2013 and early 2014, accusing them of involvement in a plot to overthrow the government and saying he had only recently seen a video of the demonstrations that would have driven him to execute them, had he seen the clip at the time they were staged.



You [protesters] are lucky [to be alive] because I didn't see the video clip back then, he said.



If I had seen it at that point, I would have order the killing of all of you in just a few hours. I would not have allowed you to protest. I view that as a moment of life or death, because you declared war.



Irresponsible and dangerous



Political analyst Lao Mong Hay told RFAs Khmer Service that Hun Sens comments were brutal and unbefitting of a leader.



On top of that, they were against the military code of conduct and our constitution. There is no provision for capital punishment in Cambodias constitution.



Brad Adams, deputy director for New York-based Human Rights Watchs Asia division, told RFA the prime ministers remarks amounted to a crime under Cambodian and international law, and were meant to incite violence.



This is really an incredible thing for the head of a government, a prime minister, to say that he wants to murder his own citizens on the streets of Cambodia, Adams said.



It just goes to show that Hun Sen is not fit to be in office, hes not fit to lead a countryhes irresponsible and dangerous.



Adams said that many people within Hun Sens own party, and among the police and military, dont like him and do not want to be associated with the prime ministers comments and actions.



Theres a huge amount of resentment inside the CPP and I believe one day it is going to boil over, he said.



Hes not allowing the public to make the decisions, and therefore it may turn out to be a decision made within the CPP against him.



Richard Rogers, a partner at the London-based law firm Global Diligence who filed a 2014 complaint with the International Criminal Court in The Hague on behalf of Cambodian victims of land grabs, told RFA Hun Sen appears willing to kill as many of his own people as it takes to crush opposition to his one-man rule.



These are not the words of a modern leader fit for the 21st centurythese are the words of a despot dictator from last century, Rogers said.



These are the words of a leader who knows he must rule from fear because his people no longer like or respect him and he knows that, given the chance, the people will choose a new leader, he added.



Rogers said that Hun Sen is caught in a spiral of paranoia and will soon be targeting his own supporters.



We all know where this story ends up  Once hes murdered enough opposition, once hes silenced the democratic space, then he will start to kill his own people, and maybe his own family.



Opposition in exile



Since Kem Sokhas arrest, more than half of CNRP lawmakers, along with deputy presidents Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang and a number of party activists, have fled Cambodia fearing retaliation by the CPP following important electoral gains by the opposition in Junes commune ballot, which are seen as pointing to a strong showing in next years vote.



On Monday, Cheav Chiv, the head of the CNRP in Cambodias Battambang province, told RFA that around 40 party members had left the country since the Nov. 16 Supreme Court decision because local authorities were harassing them about defecting to the CPP.



They had to flee in order to be avoid persecution and harassment by ruling party members, he said.



Everyone knows that there is no justice in Cambodia under Hun Sen. The courts are entirely influenced by the ruling party.



Chak Butha, the CNRP chief of Prek Chik commune, in Battambangs Rukhak Kiri district, said he had been repeatedly targeted by CPP members and local authorities as part of a bid to get him to defect.



The ruling party people continue to try to lure me into joining them, saying I am a good man, he said.



I have told them that as long as I can still breathe, I will never join them.



Meanwhile, around 400 Cambodians joined former CNRP President Sam Rainsy, who has been living in self-imposed exile since 2015 to avoid convictions many see as politically motivated, and exiled party lawmakers in Lowell, Massachusetts on Monday in protest of Hun Sens crackdown and to discuss the next steps for the opposition.



Sam Rainsy resigned in February in order to preserve the CNRP in the face of a law that bars anyone convicted of a crime from holding the top offices in a political party.



Also on Monday, members of the Cambodian diaspora in Europe delivered petitions signed by more than 1,600 people to the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, calling for the EU to level sanctions against Hun Sens government unless he frees Kem Sokha and ends restrictions on the opposition, media, and NGOs, in order to ensure free and fair elections next year.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
UPDATED at 9:46 A.M. EST on 2017-11-21

One hundred days after prominent rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng went missing from house arrest, police in the northern province of Shaanxi have denied claims from ruling Chinese Communist Party village officials that they are holding him.



A police officer who answered the phone at the Jia county police department on Monday was unable to answer questions on Gao's whereabouts when contacted by RFA on Monday.



"Ah yes, right, I don't really know, because it's not our case," the officer said, when asked to confirm Gao's whereabouts. "This isn't a criminal police matter."



Asked who is overseeing Gao's detention, the officer replied: "The state security police."



Asked if Gao is in the custody of state security police, the officer said: "Uh-huh," before hanging up the phone.



Gao, 56, has been incommunicado after disappearing on Aug. 13 from his previous house arrest in a cave dwelling in Jia county's Xiaoshibanqiao village.



Last week, a rights group monitoring Gao's case said he is being held in secret police custody in a darkened room with no access to the outside, but without specifying which branch of China's police are holding him.



An official from nearby Jiahu township told RFA at the time that Gao is being held by the county police department, which could include the county branch of the state security police, and that he is "fine."



An official who answered the phone at the Jia County Detention Center said Gao isn't an inmate there.



"Gao Zhisheng. There's no one by that name here," the official said. Asked if Gao had ever been an inmate, the official replied: "No, I've never seen him before."



But he couldn't rule out the possibility that Gao is being held under a prisoner number only, with no name on the public record.



"I couldn't tell you that," the official said.



Rights activist Ai Ming, who heads the Gao Zhisheng Lawyers' Concern Group, said she and other supporters had made repeated calls to try to confirm Gao's whereabouts, to no avail.



"Today is the 100th day of lawyer Gao Zhisheng's disappearance," Ai said. "I call on any online activist who cares about Gao to retweet news about him, and to call the Jia county police department to inquire about what happened to him."



Targeted lawyer



Gao, once a prominent lawyer feted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, began to be targeted by the authorities after he defended some of Chinas most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.



In a published memoir, Gao details the torture he later endured at the hands of the authorities during his time in prison, as well as three years of solitary confinement, during which he said he was sustained by his Christian faith and his hopes for China.



Activists say his continuing house arrest even after being "released" from jail mirrors the treatment meted out to fellow rights lawyers and activists detained in a nationwide police operation since July 2015.



Gao's wife Geng He fled to the U.S. with the couple's two children after Gao's last disappearance in 2009, where she has continued to speak out on his behalf.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Liu Xia, widow of late Nobel peace laureate and political prisoner Liu Xiaobo, is at risk of a potential attempt on her own life, a close friend and fellow activist has said.



Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia said the accumulated stress of being under continual house arrest and surveillance by state security police has left Liu in a state of long-term depression.



Recent health problems may have exacerbated her low mood, Hu said.



"During the past few months, she has had surgery to remove uterine fibroids," he said. "I'm sure you can imagine the effect of long-term incarceration at home for more than two years, plus the loss of both parents and a loving husband must have had on her."



"If Liu Xia were to seek to end this state of affairs through suicide, I wouldn't be at all surprised."



Hu said he previously limited opportunity to visit or talk with Liu while Liu Xiaobo was still alive.



"Back then, when I would go to see her, all her words were words of despair and emotional collapse," he said. "She has been dependent on medication for a long time now; that is the only way they can stabilize her mood."



Hu said the best solution for Liu, who has never been charged with any crime, would be for her to be allowed to seek medical treatment overseas.



"The only way she will be able to escape the curse she is living under is if she is able to leave the country and go to Germany or the U.S.," Hu said. "I have been in touch with the relevant diplomats lately, and they all say they have been in talks with the state security apparatus since August, September on this very subject."



"This is the only way out of misery left for Liu Xia now," he said.



Emotional pain

Reports have also emerged on overseas social media accounts that Liu's depression is "extremely severe" now.



A Chinese journalist who asked to remain anonymous told RFA on that Liu is basically confined to an apartment, where she reads books previously bought by Liu Xiaobo, alone.



"She is in the midst of huge emotional pain," the journalist said. "When she was forced to leave Beijing [during the 19th party congress in October], Liu Xia said that she felt like she was being shoved around like a parcel."



Earlier this month, dozens of writers and artists have called on Chinese president Xi Jinping to end all restrictions and surveillance imposed on Liu Xia, who was last seen in photographs on at the sea burial of her husband's ashes, but has been incommunicado since then, with a security guard hanging around her Beijing home.



Rights groups say Liu Xia remains in a state of de facto incommunicado detention, cut off from the outside world and barred from making her own free decisions about where to go, or whom to associate with.



Liu Xiaobo died weeks after being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, and repeated requests from his family to seek medical treatment overseas were ignored.



Police have since detained a number of activists who staged memorials in Liu's honor, and his name is still a banned search term on China's tightly controlled internet.



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A North Korean farmer pulls her daughter in a cart on the way to a weekly market in a file photo.

Condoms are in increasingly high demand in North Korea, which bans most forms of birth control, as a gift item brought back by business executives returning from China, sources in the politically isolated country say.

Widely available in other countries around the world, condoms are prohibited for manufacture or sale in North Korea, and are blocked from entry at customs posts, a Chinese-North Korean merchant who travels between China and Pyongyang told RFAs Korean Service.

Condoms are very popular with both men and women in North Korea, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. North Korean officials bring them back home when returning from business trips in China.

Traders like us run a high risk if we bring condoms into the country for sale, though, he added.

There is a high demand for condoms in North Korea, so we could make a lot of money, but they are officially considered indecent items, so the North Korean customs people wont let them in, he said.

Also speaking to RFA, a Chinese businessman living in Pyongyang said that widespread prostitution in North Korea has made the use of condoms even more necessary than before.

North Korean executives are aware of this reality, but the North Korean government insists there is no prostitution in the country, the source said, also speaking on condition he not be named.

North Korean national leader Kim Jong Un has strongly encouraged a higher birthrate in the country so that it will have more socialist workers, the source said, adding, So there is no place for condoms.

Many North Korean executives feel that condoms need to be made available to North Koreans for birth control and to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Someone should raise this issue with Kim Jong Un to get his approval, but no one wants to take this on for fear of being killed over such a sensitive issue, the source said.

Most married couples now deliberately have only one child because of the high costs of education and child rearing, sources told RFA in earlier reports, and North Korean authorities have issued directives banning medical professionals from performing birth control procedures and abortions in an effort to reverse the countrys falling birth rate.

Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A Lao woman has died in childbirth at a hospital in western Laoss Savannakhet province after her doctor ignored her pleas for an emergency C-section, insisting that she would be able to deliver her child normally, the womans sister said.



Khounkham Souliyvong, 41, died on her way to the hospitals operating room at around 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 9 after laboring in pain for hours, Douangchanh Souliyavong told RFAs Lao Service this week.



My older sister began to have contractions at around 9:00 p.m. the night before, and by 3:00 a.m. on Nov. 9 she was in severe pain, she said.



She asked her doctor for a C-section, saying she would die if one was not performed, but the doctor checked her condition and said her womb had opened to 6 centimeters and that her babys heartbeat was normal.



He told her she would be able to deliver safely, she said.



After Khounkham had labored for hours in agony, doctors finally agreed to perform a C-section, but she and her baby both died on the way to the operating room, Douangchanh said.



At 8:00 a.m., they prepared paperwork to be signed by the doctors, and my brother-in-law then signed to give his permission, and 20 minutes later they took her to the operating room.



But she died before she got there, she said.



'Entirely preventable'



Also speaking to RFA, a midwife with long experience in maternal health and work in a childrens hospital in the capital Vientiane angrily criticized the failure of hospital authorities to provide Khounkham with decent care.



[This womans] death was entirely preventable, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



This happened in a provincial hospital with good equipment, and not in some hospital out in a rural district.



Her doctor should never have let her get to such a critical state that she couldnt even speak, and only then take her to surgery, she said. This is completely unacceptable.



Speaking later to local media, hospital director Kongsy Bangsitthideth outlined several possible factors leading to death in childbirth.



Causes could include pregnancy at an older age, a high-risk pregnancy, weakness, complications due to ruptured amniotic fluid, and anxiety due to hunger, Kongsy, a medical doctor, said.



Called on Nov. 16 by RFA, Kongsy refused to discuss details of the case, however, calling it inappropriate for a news story.



Asked why no action had been taken by the hospital against Khounkhams doctor after her death, Kongsy said that information surrounding the case was still unclear.



We cant say anything about this yet. Thats all.



Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
US Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel delivers an address on US-Myanmar relations in Yangon, May 10, 2016.

The U.S. ambassador to Myanmar met with NGOs and Rakhine states dominant ethnic political party to discuss recent violence that has wracked the region, as more than 50 foreign ministers from various countries and regional groups gathered for a meeting in the capital Naypyidaw on Monday.

American Ambassador Scot Marciel and visiting U.S. congressmen on a fact-finding mission met with leaders of the Arakan National Party (ANP) in Rakhines capital Sittwe, days after U.S. secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited the country and met with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to discuss the crisis in Rakhine.

More than 615,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to southeastern Bangladesh from northern Rakhine state during a brutal crackdown by Myanmar security forces following deadly Aug. 25 attacks on police outposts by the Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

Many of the refugees have accused soldiers of indiscriminate killings, arson, torture, and rape, though both the military and Myanmars civilian-led government have consistently denied the allegations without allowing independent observers into the region.

During a visit to Myanmar on Nov. 15, Tillerson expressed concern over credible reports of atrocities committed by Myanmar military forces, but said that new sanctions against the Southeast Asian country would not resolve the crisis.

Marciel and the others said they had found evidence of ethnic cleansing during a visit to Bangladesh which they would present to the White House upon their return to the U.S., according to those who attended the meetings.

The ANP, which represents the interests of ethnic Rakhine people who live in the state and in the Yangon region, told Marciel and the congressmen that Muslims fled en masse to Bangladesh in order to use international pressure on Myanmar to their advantage to establish a new territory on Rakhine soil, which ethnic Rakhine people, most of whom are Buddhists, find unacceptable.

ANP General Secretary Tun Aung Gyaw said political party members cautioned the Americans that use of the term Rohingya would make the situation in northern Rakhine worse.

Myanmar views the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and refers to them as Bengalis.

The term Rohingya is not accepted by people in Myanmar, he said. We told them that using the term that is disliked by Rakhines and other ethnics would exacerbate the situation there, that Western nations and international groups alike should understand this and use a neutral term. However, they did not accept our explanation.

Tun Aung Gyaw said ANP members told Marciel and the American politicians that they should think about Myanmars Constitution and acknowledge that there are issues other than human rights in Rakhine.

There has been a lot of violence in our state, and many of us Rakhines have suffered greatly, he said. But when authorities tried to find solutions, we never had a chance to take part or have a say. Its important the authorities come down to meet people to understand their situations and sentiments."

A question of numbers

Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of the REC Rakhine Ethnics Organization in Sittwe who attended the meetings, told RFAs Myanmar Service he had raised questions with Marciel about the accuracy of the number of Rohingya who have fled northern Rakhine.

International groups and countries who focus on human rights are now putting pressure on our government because they believe 600,000 Muslims have fled to the other side, he said. But we dont know if the numbers really are 600,000 or not.

He said there are many things to consider because Muslims from Buthidaung and Rathidaung townships in northern Rakhine, which he asserted were not affected by the violence, are still fleeing to Bangladesh.

Northern Rakhines Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung townships were at the epicenter of the recent military crackdown and violence in the region.

Muslims in these areas are getting fake news that they will be targeted and that they have no security here and will have better lives on the other side, Zaw Zaw Tun said without elaborating.

We also pointed out that the victims included many Rakhines, Hindus, and other ethnics, he said. They [the ethnic peoples] said they could not accept any kind of violence or killings, and that they are always ready to help all those who have suffered.

Earlier, Marciel and the U.S. Congressmen had separate talks with representatives from local NGOs and members of the Muslim community in Sittwe.



Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi (front, C) and high-ranking diplomats from other countries and regional groups pose for a photo during the opening ceremony of the AsiaEurope Meetings (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, Nov. 20, 2017. Credit: Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Facebook A sign of encouragement

Marciels visit came as Myanmar opened a meeting for foreign ministers from 51 countries and regional organizations, including representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Commission, in the capital Naypyidaw.

Federica Mogherini, the EUs chief of foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission, told the media that talks with de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi over the planned repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled to Bangladesh were encouraging.

I am very much encouraged by the possibility of Myanmar and Bangladesh reaching an agreement on the return of Rohingya refugees. Though the two countries have agreed in principle to the repatriation of the Rohngya, they are still negotiating an actual deal.

Her comment comes as a rare vote of confidence in Myanmars willingness to remedy the Rohingya crisis, despite widespread international criticism and condemnations of Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to address the issue.

On Monday, Agence France-Presse reported that China said that Myanmar and Bangladesh are backing a three-phase plan it recently proposed to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi presented the plan, which involves a cease-fire, the repatriation of refugees, and long-term poverty alleviation measures, during visits to Bangladesh last week and Myanmar this weekend. It isnt clear, however, what role China would play.

Myanmars largest trading partner and foreign investor, China has invested billions of dollars in dual oil and natural gas pipelines and a deep-sea port project in the town of Kyaukphyu in western Rakhine state.

Earlier this month China spared Myanmar from a U.N. Security Council resolution that, if passed, would have condemned the violence in Myanmars northern Rakhine. Instead, the Council issued a statement calling on the government to end the use of excessive military force and the intercommunal violence that has devastated the Rohingya community in northern Rakhine.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Thai authorities are looking for 20 Uyghurs who escaped from an immigration detention center near the Malaysian border before dawn on Monday by digging two holes and using blankets as ladders to escape, officials said.

The Uyghurs, who had been held for two years at the center in Sadao, a district of southern Songkhla province, escaped from their cells at about 2 a.m. and could have crossed into Malaysia, said police Capt. Surasak Siripan, the facilitys deputy director.

There were 20 Uyghurs who managed to escape, Surasak said. Five others were intercepted before they could flee.

Authorities searched with dogs through a rubber plantation where the detainees could have crossed to reach Malaysia, about a mile away from the detention center, he said.

We could not find their footprints because it rained last night and the rain wiped off their footprints, Surasak told reporters.

Without elaborating, he said the Uyghurs had tried to escape once before but authorities had recaptured them.

This time around they were successful and walked toward Malaysia through a rubber plantation, he said.

Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the Thai civil society group Peoples Empowerment, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, that Uyghurs were believed to be in detention centers throughout Thailand.

There were about 60 Uyghurs around various centers, but we do not know for sure because the authorities do not let us see them, Chalida said following the escape.

Earlier, a high-ranking security source who requested anonymity told BenarNews that Thailand had been in an awkward position after Bangkok turned over 173 Uyghurs to Turkey on June 30, 2015. A week later, Thailand deported 109 Uyghurs to China.

It is a hard position for us to either keep them or let them go somewhere, said the source, referring to the Uyghurs at the Sadao immigration facility.

Human rights groups condemned Bangkoks decision to deport the group to China, warning that the Uyghurs, who are Muslims, could face persecution and abuse.

China branded the deportees as terrorists and broadcast photos of them being flown back with hoods over their heads.

That forced repatriation may have precipitated a bomb blast in August 2015 that killed 20 people at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkoks Rajprasong tourist district, according to security sources. Two Uyghur men, who were arrested by Thai authorities as suspects in that case, went on trial in late 2016.

Uyghurs flee to Thailand

Hundreds of Uyghurs who speak a Turkic language have passed through Thailand fleeing what they described as persecution in the Xinjiang region in China, where they are one of 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. China has accused Uyghurs of involvement in attacks on ethnic Han Chinese.

Surasak said the 20 escapees were among a large group of Uyghurs who were detained in 2015 after they were found at the Tone Nga Chang waterfall in Songkhla.

The Uyghurs, who claimed they were Turkish and demanded that they be allowed to travel to Turkey, were kept at the detention center as authorities tried to verify their citizenship, officials said.

On Monday, a senior Islamic official expressed confidence that the escape would bode well for the Thai government.

The escape would help free Thailand of pressure from China to deport the Uyghurs, according to Wisut Binlateh, director of the coordination center for southern provinces of the Office of the Chularajmontri, Thailands Islamic spiritual leader.

Wisut told The Nation newspaper that the Uyghurs had tried to escape to join their wives and children. He said the minority Muslim community in Thailand had been calling on the Thai government to allow the Uyghurs to move to a third country, preferably Turkey.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
UrbanCore Construction burst onto the Richmond scene a few years ago and is helping transform the city, from Scotts Addition to Church Hill and from downtown to south of the river in the Manchester area and the Hull Street corridor.

The roots to this Richmond development and construction company didnt even exist until 2009, when two former colleagues saw opportunities to buy and renovate residential fixer-upper properties in Church Hill and Fulton Hill.

Andy Beach and Jeff Bunch, co-principals of UrbanCore Construction, still own and lease those residential properties, about 70 in all.

They also own 15 commercial buildings in Richmond, including 10 in Scotts Addition and five between downtown and Church Hill.

We care about Richmond, not just the bottom dollar, Beach said. Obviously, we care about making money. What drives us is doing the right projects for the city. We enjoy doing what we do to make the city better.

They try to keep their projects true to the character of Richmond and not push guidelines, as some developers do, for historic districts.

The business partners, both in their 30s, currently have 10 projects underway, including construction of an apartment and yoga studio at 300 E. Grace St. and three historic renovations in the Manchester section for business owner and entrepreneur Michael Hild.

One of the fastest growing companies in Richmond, UrbanCore has grown revenue 555 percent over a three-year period through 2016, Beach said.

Its been fun to watch Andy and Jeff grow UrbanCore, said Hild, who has snatched up 30 properties in Manchester in the past couple of years through his Church Hill Ventures LLC.

They focus on a particular niche of development that has been underserved for quite some time, Hild said. Preserving old historic buildings comes with special challenges.

UrbanCore is renovating the following buildings for Hild: 1213 Hull St. (Jones-Green Shoe Co. building), 1209 Hull St. (Baldwin building, also known as the former Manchester Thalhimers) and 1204/06 Hull St. (A.A. Adkins Furniture Co. building). All will have first-floor commercial spaces and upper floor apartments.

The company is building storefronts for Hilds commercial ventures  The Butterbean Market & Cafe at 1204/1206 Hull St. and Hot Diggity Donuts at 1213 Hull St.  and it is helping him with a concept for a brewpub concept at 1209 Hull St.

We chose UrbanCore because some of the larger commercial contractors dont want to fuss with historic properties because they are too complicated, they take too long or the projects are too small in size, said Hild, owner of Live Well Financial, a mortgage lending and serving company in Chesterfield County, and Andersons Neck Oyster Co. in Shacklefords.

These smaller, adaptive reuse projects are Urban Cores sweet spot, he said.

***

The business duo cut their building teeth at Ryan Homes, working as project managers for one of the leading single-family home builders in the Richmond area.

Beach, 38, who was reared in Salem, came to Richmond after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2002. Bunch, 36, who went to high school in Northern Virginia, came here as a 2005 graduate of Radford University. Both arrived as trainees for Ryan Homes.

We saw a lot of facets of a well-run business, a company that is systems- and process-oriented and focuses on strong training, Beach said about their years at Ryan Homes, which has mastered the mass production of quality homes. With those values, you can make most any business successful.

Beach left Ryan Homes in 2008 to sell medical devices; Bunch parted ways in 2009 to work part-time as a real estate agent. Meantime, they dabbled in investing in residential real estate.

We knew Richmond was on a trajectory of growth; we didnt know how fast it would take off, Beach said.

In 2009 and 2010, the real estate market had tanked and everything was on sale, he recalled. Church Hill isnt what it is now. There was no Roosevelt (restaurant), Sub Rosa or Proper Pie (bakeries) or Dutch & Co. (restaurant). Everything just started to get going. ... Everybody today wants to be in Church Hill.

Even though they could find good deals, the challenge was getting loans. You get told no a lot, Bunch said.

By 2012, the year UrbanCore Construction was founded, they went full-time into real estate development and construction. We have a good way of working together, Bunch said. Thats not to say they dont disagree, but they dont take it personally, he said. We focus on getting the best results.

In 2013, they took on their first commercial project at Fifth and Main streets in a joint development venture with Duke Dodson. The 22,000-square-foot office building at 409 E. Main St. is home base for UrbanCore Construction and Dodson Property Management.

They are very smart, hardworking and honest, Dodson said about Beach and Bunch. They have a very good group of guys and girls. Dodson has known Beach since high school and Bunch for the past eight or so years.

The name of their company was not a mistake, Dodson said. They specialize in projects in the city.

Projects underway include renovating space for Steam Bell Beer Works second brewery at 1529 W. Main St. in Richmonds Fan District, building a town house on O Street in Church Hill, and converting buildings at 20/22 E. Broad St. in a joint venture into 16 apartments and two commercial spaces.

Its harder to find deals. Its gotten more competitive, Bunch said about the market now. Looking back, I wish we had invested in more properties when prices were low.

On some projects, UrbanCore is the owner/developer and contractor. On others, its the construction contractor.

As developer and contractor, it recently finished converting an industrial warehouse into office space at 1408 Roseneath Road in Scotts Addition. The Barber Martin Agency moved into the angular, creative space with high-bay ceilings and polished concrete floors  far removed from the likes of a high-rise office.

UrbanCore does new construction, including multifamily projects at 320 N. 32nd St. and 718 N. 23rd St. in Church Hill.

But its core is historic renovations, taking old and vacant buildings and finding new uses for them. The principals say they worry about the future of historic tax credits, which are on proposed chopping blocks at both state and federal levels.

Tax credits are the reason you dont bulldoze these old buildings, Bunch said. Without tax credits, the buildings that we have done would be much harder, more challenging and much more expensive.

***

Beach credits his father-in-law, Larry Savage, a former Chesterfield County developer and home builder, for helping him and Bunch understand how to structure deals and put together financing for projects.

Howard Kellman with The Edison Co. helped them evaluate development areas in the city, he said, and Mark J. Hourigan of Hourigan Construction advised them how to grow their company the right way.

Hes a superstar, Savage said about his son-in-law. I gave him some help, and he took the ball and ran away. He and Jeff are doing it all the right way.

They study everything thoroughly before they proceed, Savage said.

I dont know too many people who have done what they have in a five- to six-year period, he said. The two of them have just gone after it. They are helping redevelop Richmond. I cant say as I could be any prouder.

Their focus, they say, is growing the construction company and hiring good employees. Having good people is the key, Bunch said.

Kurt Yartz joined the team as a project manager in January 2016, when UrbanCores commercial construction was taking off. Andy and Jeff are very innovative and forward thinking. They read a lot and go to a lot of seminars.

Their goal, Yartz said, is to make the workplace enjoyable and as stress free as possible in the construction business.

Its interesting to see how much the company has grown in the last two years  its bloomed, Yartz said. The company started with historic renovations, now were doing tenant up-fits and all sorts of neat things  all very cool and modern.

Our people and our clients are very central to us, Beach said. We have worked with great clients who have been very visionary, pioneering and pushing the city forward.

They include developers Birck Turnbull, Charles Bice and Justin Paley in addition to Dodson and Hild.

All these guys have been a huge part of helping us achieve the success that we have, and Jeff and I now try to mentor others who reach out and ask us for our advice, Beach said.
Hanover elementary earns national distinction

MECHANICSVILLE  A Hanover County elementary school has been named a 2017-19 National PTA School of Excellence.

Battlefield Park Elementary School is one of 143 schools in the U.S. to earn the distinction, it was announced Friday. The award recognizes the school and the PTA for its effective family-school partnership.

UR ranked for number of students studying abroad

RICHMOND  The University of Richmond has been ranked second for the number of students studying abroad in the Institute of International Educations Open Door Report. The college was ranked second last year as well.

About 70 percent of UR undergraduate students participate in a study abroad program.

James Madison officials approve higher tuition

HARRISONBURG  James Madison University officials have approved a tuition hike of $1,000 per year.

The universitys board of visitors approved a plan that calls for the increase to take effect for the freshman class of 2018, the Daily News-Record reported. This years tuition and mandatory fees total $7,250 for in-state students, and $23,650 for out-of-state students.

The proposal would guarantee that in-state students in the next two freshman classes would not have a tuition increase of more than 3 percent per year for the rest of their college careers, but that is dependent on stable state funding.

N.Va. student says teacher pulled hijab off her head

BURKE  A high school student in Northern Virginia says a teacher pulled her hijab from her head, prompting the school system to put the teacher on leave.

The student posted on Twitter that she was infuriated by the actions of the teacher Wednesday at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke.

Fairfax County Public Schools said in a statement Thursday that the teachers action was inappropriate and unacceptable.

Owners of Goddard School in Chesterfield win award

CHESTERFIELD  The owners of The Goddard School in Chesterfield have been presented with the Education Excellence Award by the preschools franchiser.

Jim and Debbie Womack were recognized last week. The award is given to those who bring high-quality and consistent programs into each classroom.
Following the gain of at least 15 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, Democrats are making government transparency their hallmark issue in the first legislative proposals the party is backing for the 2018 session.

They outlined proposals to ban personal use of campaign money, end gerrymandering of legislative districts and make public a database held by the state Supreme Courts executive secretary  information that is only searchable now by making a request to every circuit court clerk in the commonwealth.

Transparency has been a priority for years and there will be other priorities, said Del. David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, the partys leader in the House. Other delegates and delegates-elect joined Toscano on a conference call Monday to outline some of the legislative proposals.

The stunning extent of the Democratic pickup on Nov. 7 shrank the Republican House majority from 66-34 to 51-49, but some races may be subject to recounts or legal challenges. Even if Democrats dont end up tied or in control of the chamber, the closeness of its split gives them a stronger chance to pass legislation. Republicans control the state Senate 21-19.

Heres a look at some of the Democrats proposals:

A ban on personal use of campaign funds.

Virginia lawmakers can use money from their campaign committees for anything except when theyre closing out an account. Lawmaker spending on hotels, gasoline and restaurants is all covered.

Ending personal use of campaign money was among recommendations made in December 2015 by the bipartisan Commission on Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government. Gov. Terry McAuliffe created the commission after the gifts scandal involving former Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Del. Marcus B. Simon, D-Fairfax, has introduced legislation each year since 2014 to ban personal use of campaign money, but Republicans have fought it. Earlier this year, however, GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie called for a ban on personal use of campaign money and House Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said he supported the move.

Simon said that indicates the plan, laid out in House Bill 5 and House Bill 7, has bipartisan support. Del.-elect Kelly Fowler, a Democrat from Virginia Beach, said the idea that lawmakers can spend campaign money on anything essentially makes a campaign donation a bribe.

I campaigned on the idea of cleaning up Virginias weak ethics laws and getting the money out of politics, Fowler said.

Redistricting reform.

Del. Richard C. Rip Sullivan Jr., D-Fairfax, said he will introduce two bills along with Del.-elect Wendy Gooditis, D-Clarke. One would stop lawmakers from favoring a political party or incumbent when drawing district lines. The second would create an independent redistricting commission to draw legislative district lines.

Such proposals have received bipartisan support in the state Senate but have been blocked by Republican leaders in the House.

Gooditis said she hopes a changed makeup in the House will allow the legislature to change the system. Gerrymandering happens to be the first issue that got me up and running back in February, she said.

State crime data.

The office of the executive secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court has a database on criminal court records. The Daily Press newspaper in Newport News filed a lawsuit after being denied access to it; the newspaper wanted to use the database to determine whether race plays a part in plea agreements in Virginias courts.

In a decision that dismayed open-government proponents, the Supreme Court in June ruled that the database was not a public record, saying the General Assembly made each circuit court clerk the guardian of court records.

Del. Michael P. Mullin, D-Newport News, an assistant commonwealths attorney in Suffolk, said his House Bill 4 would make the Supreme Courts database searchable statewide. Del.-elect Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, will co-sponsor the bill.

Mullin sponsored the bill this year, but it was put on hold because the lawsuit was pending.

This is a transparency issue, so that we can be assured that judges, prosecutors and all those in the criminal justice system are working fairly to make sure that communities of color, those who are disenfranchised and those just entering the criminal justice system are being protected, and all rights are being preserved, Mullin said.

Democrats also promoted a bill that would ban credit-reporting agencies from charging fees to people who freeze their credit report.

House Republicans issued a news release Monday about some of the initial legislation theyre filing. Their bills include a proposal to amend the states Freedom of Information Act to prohibit release of student information from college and university directories without a students permission.

House Bill 1, sponsored by Del. Tony O. Wilt, R-Rockingham, comes in response to a campaign tactic used by Democratic-aligned groups and candidates this year  including Attorney General Mark Herring  that consisted of sending text messages about the elections to cellphones.

Radford University and Virginia Tech turned over student names, addresses and cellphone numbers to progressive political group NextGen Virginia, the Roanoke Times reported.

When students and parents provide colleges and universities with their personal information, they should not have to worry that that information will be made public and used inappropriately, Wilt said in a news release.
When Britain's 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth married 26-year-old Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in 1947, the wedding sparked joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II. Seven decades on, the couple who would become Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, both now in their 90s, are still going strong, their marriage a bedrock in British public life amid a world of change.



Britain's Princess Elizabeth heir to the British throne, and her fiance, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on July 10, 1947, announce their engagement in London. /AP

On Monday, they mark their 70th wedding anniversary, though officials say the milestone will be celebrated privately and no public events are planned. The royal family is reportedly marking the date with a gathering at Windsor Castle. The queen is the first monarch in British history to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in early November. They celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary on Nov. 20, 2017. /Reuters

At their 50th wedding anniversary, Elizabeth praised her husband as "quite simply... my strength and stay all these years." Elizabeth first met Philip, a naval officer and the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, as they attended the wedding of Philip's cousin in 1934. The pair wed at Westminster Abbey in London on Nov. 20, 1947. It would be nearly another six years before Elizabeth would be crowned as monarch, also at Westminster Abbey. In the decades that followed, Philip, who also holds the title Duke of Edinburgh, spent almost the entire duration of their marriage supporting his wife in her role as head of state. Both have cut back on their public engagements in recent years, and Philip retired from official duties earlier this year. The royal couple has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
By Robert M. McNab and James V. Koch

The third annual State of the Commonwealth Report reveals that Virginias economy is not booming, but it is improving. After six consecutive years of relatively slow or even negative real economic growth (spanning two governors), we estimate that the economy of the commonwealth will grow at a 1.8 percent real rate in 2017. This is good news, though we must recognize we continue to grow more slowly than the nation.

When we talk about economic growth in Virginia, there is a two-ton gorilla standing in the corner of the room whom we literally cannot ignore. The name of this huge gorilla is the Budget Control Act of 2011, commonly known as federal budget sequestration, which places caps on discretionary federal spending.

Over 30 percent of economic activity in the commonwealth is tied to federal spending. Virginia was the first among states in per capita total federal spending and per capita defense spending in Fiscal Year 2015. Almost 15 percent of economic activity in the commonwealth comes from federal salaries and wages and federal contracts. This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road because when the federal spending faucet is turned off, our economy quickly slows down. Thus, in 2016, Virginia scored $50.57 billion in federal contracts, but this was down from $60 billion in 2011.

This dependence means that the outcome of current negotiations in our nations capital concerning tax cuts and spending  especially those relating to defense spending  will largely determine how the Virginia economy performs in 2018. If federal discretionary spending caps are not removed, then Virginias economy will do no better than put-put along.

There is not much we can do about it, either. Reality is that even the most aggressive Virginia governors and the most concerned legislators exercise only a minor influence upon federal spending levels. Likewise, we are rather powerless with respect to other external determinants of Virginias economic growth  including our own national trade and immigration policies, the manipulation of currency values by China, Brexit, and the peregrinations of Vladimir Putin.

The irony in Virginia is that it is the next governor who usually takes credit for the improvements implemented by the previous governor. Major infrastructure and transportation projects provide excellent examples. Improvements to Interstate 66, dredging the Port of Virginia, or investments in university research and development each generate economic growth, but acceleration does not occur immediately. Patience is required. Both blame and credit must be shared by governors and elected officials across multiple administrations.

The best news is that we can report that the current upswing in economic growth in Virginia spans nearly all major economic sectors  including agriculture, housing, the Port, and tourism. This has resulted in healthy job growth. Total nonfarm employment in Virginia is now the largest in history. Interestingly, our agriculture sector has thrived recently, and this past year contributed more to Virginias economic growth than any other sector.

Economic growth, however, has not been evenly distributed across the commonwealth. Over the past six years, every metropolitan region in Virginia grew more slowly than the nation, though Richmond performed the best with a 2.0 percent real growth rate, followed by the two college towns of Blacksburg and Charlottesville. Hampton Roads and Roanoke stood still, while Northern Virginia was in the middle of the pack. Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, and Staunton contracted during this period.

In this years report, we devote considerable attention to the rise of Airbnb in Virginia, whose revenues now equal almost 5 percent of conventional hotel revenues (but 21.8 percent in Charlottesville). Airbnb listings in Virginia have grown five-fold since 2014. Airbnb is a classic disruptive innovator that is not going to disappear despite the ill-advised attempts of some to legislate it out of existence.

On a negative note, we also detail the rising scourge of opioids in Virginia. In 2016, more than 1,400 Virginians died from drug overdoses, double that of 2010. A troubling recent national study by Princeton economist Alan Krueger reported that 43.5 percent of men not in the labor force took some kind of pain killer the previous day. We estimate the cost of this type of behavior in Virginia ranges between $4.5 billion and $7.6 billion annually.

No, 2017 has not been a great economic year for the commonwealth, but it will be the best year we have had since the Great Recession, and better days appear to be on the horizon.
Following up on his campaign promise to file legislation restricting access to students publicly available data, Harrisonburg-area Del. Tony Wilt prefiled the first bill of the 2018 General Assembly session.

Wilts bill limits access to student directory information like phone numbers and addresses unless college students opt-in for their information to be publicly available. Parents would have to opt-in for students under age 18.

Currently, students can opt-out of the directory by telling university officials not to publish their information.

Wilts bill would reverse the situation and require student to opt-in to the directory. If passed, Virginia would be the first state to adopt an opt-in policy

The legislation follows successful attempts by progressive political group NextGen Virginia to obtain student cellphone numbers ahead of the November election.

NextGen, which focused on increasing turnout among Virginia college students, played a pivotal role in a New River Valley race by encouraging students at Virginia Tech and Radford University to vote for Democrat Chris Hurst, which helped the former Roanoke TV news anchor win by nearly nine points over Del. Joseph Yost, R-Pearisburg. Before the election, Yost planned to co-sponsor Wilts legislation.

NextGen used the Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain student directories from 18 of Virginias public colleges and universities. Political campaigns used the information to text students to inquire about their voter registration status and encourage them to vote.

A NextGen political action committee supported Wilts Democratic opponent this election cycle and provided $33,843 in in-kind donations to Brent Finnegan.

While NextGens actions are what alerted Wilt to this practice of obtaining student data, he said the legislation is not a retaliation against that specific group because numerous entities use FOIA for personal gain. Property groups, businesses, credit card companies and others have used similar practices for years.

To me, the whole idea of FOIA is for you or me to be able to gather public information, but for transparency, for accountability, that type of thing, not to use the information for a personal interest, said Wilt, R-Rockingham, whose district includes James Madison University.

Megan Rhyne, the executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said while the implications of Wilts legislation are not immediately clear, she has concerns. Rhyne said she would discuss the bill with members of VCOGs board of directors.

Federal law, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, says student directory information can be released, which does provide leeway for states to make their own rules on how and when they release that information, she said. But college directory information has long been publicly available in one way or another, Rhyne said.

This is information that has been available for decades and it is something that has been allowed by federal law to be disclosed, she said. Advocacy groups, commercial interests, educational opportunities and yes, even political organizations have used this information to contact students about all kinds of products, services and opportunities and that would be my concern is whether that puts those opportunities out of reach now.

Some Virginia colleges post the directory, including cellphone numbers and addresses, on their websites.

Obtaining a persons cellphone number seems more personal and invasive than getting a home phone number or address, Rhyne said. But lawmakers and colleges could look at simply restricting cellphone numbers instead of a swath of student information, she said.

Wilts bill stipulates that student directory information, all of which students would have to opt-in to be public, includes contact information, major, place of birth, height and weight, participation in sports, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received.

Hurst previously said he would be willing to co-sponsor a similar bill, but Wilt said he didnt consider reaching out to him.

Del. Yost and I, from the very beginning were in concert on this, Wilt said. Unfortunately, he wasnt able to win re-election so the next obvious choice for me was to carry it on my own.

Hurst, who says Wilts HB 1 casts too wide of a net, will file his own bill to limit access to student data. The Democrats campaign accepted $53,946 in in-kind donations from NextGens political action committee, but Hurst said his campaign did not use student data obtained by the group.

Because of the way Wilts legislation is written, students may not be able to send academic information or transcripts to graduate schools or other higher education institutions, Hurst said. Even publishing the names of students performing in a campus play or musical in a program could be construed as providing directory information under this legislation, he said.

Students were mostly concerned about their private email addresses and cellphone numbers being public, Hurst said. His legislation will focus on those specific concerns, he said.

As of now, I would still like to work in a bipartisan manner to address issues brought up on the campaign trail, but HB 1 is not something I could support as is, Hurst said.
Brexit is still well over year away but two European cities on Monday will already be celebrating Britain's departure from the European Union.

Two major EU agencies now in London -- the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority -- must move to a new EU city because Britain is leaving the bloc. The two prizes are being hotly fought over by most of the EU's other 27 nations.

Despite all the rigid rules and conditions the bloc imposed to try to make it a fair, objective decision, the process has turned into a deeply political beauty contest -- part Olympic host city bidding, part Eurovision Song Contest.

It will culminate in a secret vote Monday at EU headquarters in Brussels that some say could be tainted by vote trading.

The move involves tens of millions in annual funding, about 1,000 top jobs with many more indirectly linked, prestige around the world and plenty of bragging rights for whichever leader can bring home the agencies.

"I will throw my full weight behind this," French President Emmanuel Macron said when he visited Lille, which is seeking to host the EMA once Britain leaves in the EU in March 2019. "Now is the final rush."

At an EU summit Friday in Goteborg, Sweden, leaders were lobbying each other to get support for their bids.
Japan is considering building a temporary shelter for North Korean refugees in Kyushu in case of a war on the Korean Peninsula, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported last week.

The Japanese government also plans to step up patrols along the coasts to prevent North Korean agents from entering and to take North Korean boat people to port before determining if they are genuine refugees.

"Kyushu is the most likely location for the facility," the daily wrote.

Tokyo believes that if the U.S. launches military strikes on North Korea, "tens of thousands of evacuees could reach the Japanese coast by wooden boats and other means," the daily said.

"If North Korean agents or terrorists successfully enter the country disguised as evacuees, it is feared they could target vital facilities such as those of U.S. Forces Japan, the Self-Defense Forces and nuclear power plants," it added.

In April, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told lawmakers that Tokyo is preparing for the eventuality.

Japanese leaders are also talking about how to evacuate Japanese people living in South Korea. On Nov. 9, Shigeru Ishiba, a former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, mentioned the possibility of dispatching Japanese troops, saying, "We aren't going to let the U.S. military alone help Japanese expats evacuate from South Korea."

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera agreed with Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, in Tokyo last Wednesday to cooperate in evacuating both Japanese and American nationals from South Korea in a war.


John Malmin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Notorious murderer and cult leader Charles Manson died at 83 of natural causes on Sunday evening, according to prison officials in California.



Manson shocked the world with a series of brutal murders and his face became a symbol of evil for many as he displayed seemingly no remorse and made dark, menacing statements.



He was deemed responsible for a two-day murderous rampage through southern California in August 1969 that left seven people dead.



Pregnant actress Sharon Tate, hairstylist Jay Sebring, heiress Abigail Folger, writer Wojciech Frykowski and teenager Steven Parent, were killed at Tate's rental home on Aug. 9.



The five were murdered in the California home Tate rented with her husband, Hollywood director Roman Polanski, in the secluded neighborhood of Benedict Canyon.



The next day, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were killed at their home.



While Manson didn't commit the killings himself, he commanded others to do so.



Prosecutors said he handed out knives and told his followers to commit savage murders of high-profile people around Los Angeles in a bid to start a race war. All seven victims were brutally stabbed.



The Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys released a statement quoting Vincent Bugliosi, the attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson.



"Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values," the statement quoted Bugliosi. "Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death," the statement concludes.



Manson's followers recounted the gory details of the stabbings "with a certain amount of glee" after the August 1969 murders, Diane Lake, a teenager who was in love with Manson at the time, told ABC News.



Manson's apparent lack of remorse for the horrific murders added to the public outrage. He declared "I don't have any guilt," to the press ahead of his trial.



Manson and three of his followers were convicted in 1971 and sentenced to death, but the death sentences were commuted to life sentences when a California Supreme Court ruling abolished capital punishment in 1972.



Manson was later convicted of two additional murders and spent nearly five decades behind bars since his 1971 conviction. He was housed in a protective unit at a California state prison in Corcoran prior to his death on Sunday. He died in a Kern County hospital.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Pre-orders for Apple's latest iPhone X were closed less than a day after being made available on Friday through Korea's three major mobile carriers.

Amid a delay in global supply, some 150,000 handsets were allocated for the Korean market as the first batch of shipments. They sold out on Friday, the first day of pre-orders ahead of the device's launch later this week.
Three words with a melodious ring for any businessman are these: growing your profits.

Given the states biggest business is agriculture, plenty of profits are there for the harvesting.

Its nice to know that folks from town can help in the effort without ever laying hands on so much as a hoe.

Down on the farm, theyre raising crops and livestock. Every now and then, a question is raised about that good work that demands we dig deeper.

Q: I know that the city of Roanoke has to dispose of the sewage treatment sludge  biosolids, as they are called  produced at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control facility. I live in the Stewartsville area and there have been so many 18-wheel tanker trucks coming through here from the plant that it has me questioning whether that is a safe thing to do.

Bob Layman,

Stewartsville

A: That liquid cargo is solid gold for select big farms in Bedford and Franklin counties.

It comes from the plant at a Roanoke River bend near the confluence with Tinker Creek in southeast Roanoke. That facility treats a daily average of 37 million gallons of wastewater from every Roanoke Valley jurisdiction , according to the Western Virginia Water Authority. The regional authority, not the city of Roanoke, runs the plant.

Of that, the heavier materials known in the vernacular as sludge become a byproduct of the approximately 19-hour multistep purification process. The action is interesting all the way through, as Michael McEvoy explained it.

The water authoritys wastewater czar and one of two executive directors, McEvoy has a big job. Hes tickled to death to have the local agricultural community as a partner.

Contract drivers of 6,000-gallon tanker trucks haul goopy 12-percent solid fertilizer  Its about the consistency of cake batter, McEvoy said  for non-food crops in Bedford and Franklin counties. On average, individual farms are fortified once every couple of years.

The larger operations receive more frequent deliveries.

The nutrient-loaded program runs through the growing season into early December, assuming it stays warm, as it has been. Deliveries resume around April.

Back to the question, applications are concentrating in Bedford County this round. Hello, Franklin County next cycle.

Believe it, these agribusinessmen love to see this stuff rolling down the country lane en route to nourish cropland used for feed corn, as pasture or as hayfields.

We have about a three-year waiting list, McEvoy said.

Did we mention this is free?

Truth is, its a bacteria-rich bonanza going both ways.

Helps us to keep our costs low, he added.

Localities nearer to large urban areas such as Northern Virginia may truck these materials 100 miles out of town. Other municipalities just dump it into the landfill.

We see that as kind of a waste because it has nutrient value for the farmer, McEvoy said.

Not to mention cash value  about $350 per acre.

The sludge contains nitrogen and phosphorous in amounts that meet state Department of Environmental Quality and federal Environmental Protection Agency standards.

The production process is gauged by some 3,000 lab tests that also involve liquids treatment, aeration, coagulation, filtration, disinfection and digestion.

In that last stage, primary and secondary clarifiers are heated and mixed to lively up the hard-working bacteria, which then happily cannibalize its neighbors.

The resulting methane goes through a brace of grant-funded 500-kilowatt generators that cleans it and turns it into thermal and electric energy. That in turn offsets overhead at the wastewater plant.

The slurry is pumped to long rectangular lagoons behind the facility where it seasons for nine months, as anaerobic and aerobic bacteria devour the last remaining organic matter.

Next, the tanker trucks transfer the material at the farm to specialized big-wheel farm machinery that, depending on conditions, may spread the fresh fertilizer on the surface or inject it straight into the soil.

All tests have established the process as safe for man, beast, fish and fowl, according to the literature. Plus, it adds carbon to and builds up the texture of the soil so that it better retains moisture and battles erosion.

You can find more details of a recent state watchdog agency study of the practice online at the Virginia Biosolids Council Magazine.

Face it, friends. If you can bring good cheer to both the taxpayer and tiller of the soil simultaneously, youve done a good days work.

If youve been wondering about something, call Whats on Your Mind? at 777-6476 or send an email to whatsonyourmind@roanoke.com. Dont forget to provide your full name (and its proper spelling) and hometown.
South Africas Ruzow Diamonds in discussions to launch diamond cutting operation in Vladivostok

20 november 2017 News

(INTERFAX) - Ruzow Diamonds, a diamond trader and diamond manufacturer based in South Africa is in discussions to open a diamond cutting facility in Vladivostok, as it follows from the materials available to Interfax regarding the meeting between Ruzow Diamonds and Russian officials held last week.

During the visit of a Russian delegation to South Africa led by Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary Envoy of the Russian Federation President to the Far Eastern Federal District, Manfred Ruzow, the founder and owner of Ruzow Diamonds, met with Alexander Galushka, Minister for the Development of the Far East, as well as with the officials of Russias Far East Agency for Attracting Investments and Supporting Exports.

The information about the ongoing negotiations with Ruzow Diamonds was confirmed to journalists by Yury Trutnev. He did not give details saying that this discussion was in its initial stage.

The deputy prime minister noted that after Indias KGK opened a diamond-cutting factory in Vladivostok many diamond market stakeholders expressed their readiness to follow the suit, looking to similar conditions. "We said that the conditions for all were the same and they would [be offered] exactly the same conditions," Yury Trutnev said.

Ruzow Diamonds was founded in 1973 as a company engaged in the sale of diamonds specialized mainly in large stones of fancy colors. The company became a De Beers sightholder in 1987-1988 and then in 2004 created its own broad international network trading in retail and wholesale jewelry under its own trademark of Gorgeous Cut.

Last September, ALROSA (ALRS) - as part of its policy to strengthen the companys presence in the Asia-Pacific markets and increase diamond manufacturing in Russia - opened the Eurasian Diamond Center (EAC) in Vladivostok, which received the status of a free port. The first resident of the EAC was the Indian KGK Group, which announced its readiness to invest about 500 million rubles in a diamond-cutting factory in Primorye. The factory able to produce 3 800 carats of polished diamonds per month was launched in September this year. KGK is one of the largest consumers of rough produced by ALROSA and a long-term client of ALROSA both directly and through two subsidiaries registered in Yakutia, DDK and SD Diamonds.

The development of the KGK factory can be partially financed by the Development Fund of the Far East and Baikal Region (VEB Group), which may provide KGK with a loan of up to 600 million rubles. According to market players, KGK asked ALROSA for certain preferential terms to buy rough diamonds, although the provisions of the ALROSA Alliance (the association of long-term clients of ALROSA) guarantee equal access for all its participants. Earlier, Yury Trutnev said that foreign diamond manufacturers from among ALROSA's customers, who were launching diamond cutting operations in Russia, should receive preferences in purchasing rough diamonds from the Russian diamond miner.

KGK also applied for additional supplies of rough diamonds necessary for training its personnel, as the company ran into shortages of skilled manpower in the Far East. Yury Trutnev said that he had asked ALROSA to embrace the needs of the Indian company in this matter.

Besides KGK, Indias M. Suresh announced its intention to open a diamond processing enterprise in Vladivostok. So far, it did not disclose the capacity, approximate terms and investments regarding this project. M. Suresh is a sightholder of De Beers and does not yet have a similar status with ALROSA. In addition to diamond cutting, the company also manufactures and exports jewelry.




Fraudsters forged a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) inscription on a synthetic diamond to make it appear that the stone was the true bearer of a natural-diamond grading report, the institute said.

The engraving on the polished diamonds girdle contained a genuine GIA report number for a mined diamond the institute had graded in 2015, the laboratory explained. However, while the real diamond with that code was a round brilliant-cut, 1.74-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity stone, gemologists at the GIAs lab in Carlsbad, California, found the submitted diamond to be 1.76 carats, with F color and VS1 clarity.

The graders referred the stone for additional testing, which confirmed it as a synthetic diamond created through High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT). The growth structure and phosphorescence  or light emission  visible via DiamondView technology betrayed this fact.

The discrepancies between the stone and the 2015 report gave the gemologists a good indication that the diamond they were looking at was not the same one. In addition, a test using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed it was type IIb, while the stone the original report described was type Ia.

Even the attempt at forging the number did not get past the lab staff: Careful examination revealed the font was different from the GIAs usual one, confirming it was a fake.

The person who submitted the stone had probably noticed the inconsistencies with the GIA grading report and sent it to the lab for an updated report, senior research scientist Christopher Breeding and senior staff gemologist Troy Ardon wrote in the lab note.

Rarely do we encounter the type of blatant fraud described here, the authors explained, urging traders to send suspicious-looking diamonds to a gemological laboratory for verification.

It is important for the industry and public to exercise caution, because these types of misleading practices do occur, they warned.




Steven Del Duca/Twitter

The new Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway extension from Downsview Park Station in Toronto to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre in York Region is set to make its debut on Dec. 17.

The new extension will offer subway service beyond regional boundaries in Ontario for the first time, officials said.

Government members and representatives celebrated the 30-day countdown to the launch by touring the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Downsview Park stations.

Those in attendance included: Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament Vaughan-Woodbridge, Michael Levitt, Member of Parliament York Centre, John Tory, mayor of Toronto, Josh Colle, chair of TTC and Wayne Emmerson, chairman and CEO of York Region.

The Toronto-York Spadina Subway (TYSSE), is an 8.6-kilometer (5.3-mile) extension of the TTC Line 1 from Downsview Park Station to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre at Highway 7 in York Region.

Crews added six new subway stations, three new commuter parking lots and TTC, York Region and GO bus terminals.

Officials said commuters will now be able to travel from Sheppard West Station to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station in 14 minutes.

The TYSSE project is jointly funded by the government of Canada, the province of Ontario, the city of Toronto and the regional municipality of York.

The government of Canada has committed up to CA$697 million (US$544.6 million) to the project. The province of Ontario allocated CA$870 million (US$679.8 million) through the Move Ontario Trust, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

The city of Torontos funding will total CA$904 million (US$706.3 million) and total regional municipality of York funding will be CA$604 million (US$471.9 million).

The new Line 1 extension/TYSSE project stations include: Downsview Park, Finch West, York University, Pioneer Village, Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

Officials estimate that the Line 1 Extension/TYSSE project created about 20,000 jobs during construction.
REMSA

On Nov. 17, Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS-4) joined representatives from Budde Enterprises Inc. and the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad for a tour at Budde's Newton, Kan., facility.

Budde Enterprises began operating out of Newton in 1965, when owner Bill Budde bought a local farm. Budde has since grown to be a leading supply, repair and custom fabrication shop serving the transportation and agricultural industries.

Budde Enterprises handles various rail related repair and fabrication work including hi-rail vehicles and on track equipment.

Erin Mosiman, Budde Enterprises administration executive, led the tour. The group viewed a new expansion of the facility, which is designed to improve efficiency and accommodate a recent merger.

It was a privilege hosting Congressman Estes, the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad and our state and local partners today, Mosiman said. Our family and company has been focused on a single mission since beginning in Newton: providing high quality services and supporting our employees and community. Smart federal policies that encourage investments in our rail network and infrastructure support jobs here in Newton and across our state. We were pleased to the share the importance of rail to our state and community with the Congressman.

Also in attendance were Carrie Budde, owner of Budde Enterprises; Casey Harbour, commercial manager of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad; Rusty Krehbiel, general manager at Budde Enterprises; Davonna Moore, assistant bureau chief of Transportation Planning, Kansas Department of Transportation; Jennifer Mueller, retention & expansion manager at Harvey County Economic Development; Beth Shelton, executive director of Harvey County Economic Development and; Sean Winkler, director of advocacy for the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA).

Rep. Estes was elected to serve Kansas 4th Congressional District in April 2017 and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

A strong transportation network is crucial to the wellbeing of our diverse manufacturing base around Wichita and for Kansas world class agriculture products, Rep. Estes said. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet today to talk through policies that will help foster economic growth in Kansas.

Officials said the group discussed the unique nature of the U.S. freight railroad network which, does not rely on federal support for the expansion or maintenance of its network.

The group also advocated for support of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act (BRACE), which could allow local freight railroads to increase their reinvestments to upgrade and expand the first and last mile of transportation infrastructure, benefitting shippers who rely on affordable freight access. REMSA coordinated the event.
A long-anticipated project to replace a 136-year-old bridge over the Fox River on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 17.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Elgin Mayor David Kaptain joined Metra officials at the ceremony.

The project, also referred to as Z-100, will replace the 500-foot single track bridge with a double track bridge, to help alleviate a choke point on a line that sees 54 Metra trains and up to eight Canadian Pacific freight trains each weekday.

Replacing this bridge will improve the reliability, performance and operational flexibility of the Milwaukee District West Line, said Metra CEO/Executive Director Don Orseno. Without the support weve received from our delegation in Washington to secure the funding, this long-planned project would not be coming to fruition. We are extremely grateful for their help.

Metra credits the efforts of U.S. Sens. Duckworth and Dick Durbin (D-IL) in helping to secure a $14-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which was awarded in 2015 following six unsuccessful TIGER grant applications. In addition to the TIGER grant, Metra is contributing $14 million and CP is contributing $6 million toward the $34 million project.

Investing in our states infrastructure is one of the most important things we can do to move Illinois forward, Sen. Duckworth said. This project, which will use a significant infusion of federal TIGER funds to replace the 136-year-old Fox River bridge, will improve safety and relieve congestion. Commuters deserve reliable transit to get them to and from work, which lowers commute times and gives Illinoisans more time to spend with their families. I will continue working to protect programs like TIGER from proposed cuts and to secure additional federal funding for improvements like this that spur economic development and create good-paying jobs for Illinoisans.

In September, the Metra Board awarded a $21.6 million contract to Elburn-based Illinois Constructors Corporation (ICC) to build the new bridge. The contract covers the bridge structure. Metra forces will build and install the track and signal elements. Metra says that service impacts for Milwaukee District West Line riders during the three-year project will be minimal.

The bridge, located about 35 miles from downtown Chicago, was originally constructed in 1881 and Metra explains that while the structure has been regularly maintained, many components are significantly deteriorated and can no longer be economically repaired.

The new bridge will see one track rebuilt on the existing bridges alignment with the second track built immediately west. The new bridge will have a ballasted deck and of the five stone masonry piers, two will be eliminated and three will be rebuilt using concrete, which will garner greater resistance to longitudinal forces and improved water flow in the river below.

Additionally, all signal components near the bridge will be replaced including wayside signal devices, highway crossing system, switch machines, snow melters and a backup generator. The modern equipment will be more automated, as well as compliant with positive train control standards.
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MRVL) and Cavium, Inc. (CAVM) announced a definitive agreement, under which Marvell will acquire all outstanding shares of Cavium common stock in exchange for consideration of $40.00 per share in cash and 2.1757 Marvell common shares for each Cavium share. This represents a transaction value of approximately $6 billion. Cavium shareholders are expected to own approximately 25% of the combined company on a pro forma basis. Marvell intends to fund the cash consideration with a combination of cash on hand from the combined companies and $1.75 billion in debt financing.

The transaction is expected to generate at least $150 to $175 million of annual run-rate synergies within 18 months post close and to be significantly accretive to revenue growth, margins and non-GAAP EPS.

Matt Murphy will lead the combined company, and the leadership team will have representation from both companies, including Marvell's current CFO Jean Hu, Cavium's Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Raghib Hussain and Cavium's Vice President of IC Engineering Anil Jain. Cavium's Co-founder and CEO, Syed Ali, will continue with the combined company as a strategic advisor and will join Marvell's Board, along with two additional board members from Cavium's Board.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canadian stocks were poised for a quiet open Monday morning as focus shifted to political uncertainties in Europe.

Commodity prices were a bit lower as the U.S. dollar gained on the euro when German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coaltion talks broke down over the weekend.

The TSX Composite Index tumbled back below 16,000 last week, lacking fresh catalysts to sustain big gains in the previous month.

Nebraska will decide on the fate of TransCanada's Keystone pipeline today, according to reports.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. will still pursue an all-stock takeover offer for CanniMed Therapeutics Inc. after failing to reach an agreement with the company's board.

Meanwhile, CanniMed is snapping up smaller Newstrike Resource.

Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. both say they can't meet a Dec. 1 deadline to extend wireless code.

Bombardier said they will hire 1,000 workers for their jet production.

On Friday, it was reported that BlackBerry COO Marty Beard will resign to deal with family matters.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., has joined a growing list of Republican lawmakers calling on Roy Moore to drop out of the Alabama Senate race.

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Scott suggested the allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore are more credible than the former state Supreme Court Chief Justice's denials.

"What I have said in the past, I want to be very clear, is the allegations are stronger than the denial, and Roy Moore should find something else to do, which is my way of suggesting that he should not be in the race," Scott said.

Scott argued it is in the best interest of the country and the state of Alabama for Moore to step aside, suggesting a new Republican candidate could still win the race.

"I think that there's a strong possibility with a new candidate, a new Republican candidate, a proven conservative, that we can win that race in Alabama," Scott said.

Scott dismissed Moore's claims that the allegations are part of an effort by the Republican establishment to steal the election.

"This controversy is over the necessity of respecting women, period," Scott said. "This has nothing to do with establishment Republicans or . This has to do with the character that we want displayed in the United States of America and especially in our leadership realm."

Moore is running against Democrat Doug Jones in the race to fill the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The election is scheduled for December 12th.

Scott also commented on allegations of sexual misconduct against Democratic Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., saying an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee is "absolutely the right starting point."

"All sexual harassment is inexcusable, and everyone should be punished at the same level," Scott said.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Germany is in a political turmoil as the talks for a coalition to form next government failed. This will push either Angela Merkel to form a minority government or the country to go for a fresh polls. The political deadlock in Germany has raised many concerns and stocks across the globe are reacting to the situation.

After the collapse of the talks, Merkel met the German President Frank Walter Steinmeier. She said, "As the Chancellor, I will do everything to come out of this difficult time."

After meeting with the Chancellor, Steinmeier said that the country's parties had responsibility to try to form a government.

The Liberal Free Democratic Party or FDP decided to end the talks with the Merkel's Christian Democratic Union or CDU, the largest party in the parliament on disagreements on policy issues. The main difference between the parties is immigration policies.

Merkel has been welcoming Syrian refugees and she was for any number of immigrants to the country. While other parties were looking for a cap on immigrants. The discussions have been going on for more than four weeks. Political observers think that Merkel might initiate another round of talks with the FDP.

Of the 709 seats in the German Parliament, CDU and its sister party Christian Democratic Union have got 246 seats together, SPD has 153 seats, AfD 94 seat, Left 69, Green 67 and FDP 80 seats.

CDU and CSU have won 32.5 percent of votes in the September election. SPD won 20 percent while the Alternative For Germany or AfD got 13.5 percent and FDP 10.5 percent. Left parties got 9.5 percent of votes, while Greens party got 9.5 percent votes.

Merkel has been serving as the Chancellor of Germany for the last 12 years. The latest win would have offered her the fourth term as the Chancellor.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
A second woman has accused Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., of sexual misconduct, telling CNN the former comedian inappropriately touched her while taking a photo at the Minnesota State Fair.

Lindsay Menz claims Franken grabbed her buttocks at the event in the summer of 2010, when the Democrat was a sitting senator.

Menz reached out to CNN just days after Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden alleged that Franken forcibly kissed and groped her in 2006.

"[Franken] pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear," Menz told CNN. "It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek."

"It wasn't around my waist. It wasn't around my hip or side. It was definitely on my butt," she added. "I was like, oh my God, what's happening."

Responding to the latest allegation, Franken told CNN he did not remember taking the photo with Menz and that he felt "badly" that she felt disrespected.

"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken said. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

Franken, who issued an apology to Tweeden, has previously indicated he supports a Senate Ethics Committee investigation of his actions.

The allegations against Franken come as Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is facing accusations he made sexual advances toward women when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

(Photo: Lorie Shaull)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Apple has been served with a search warrant for access to digital photos, emails and other documents on an iPhone SE that was used by the gunman who killed 27 people in a Texas church mass shooting.

On November 5, Devin Patrick Kelley walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs and opened fire. He later killed himself. According to reports, Texas Rangers seek data on Kelley's iPhone SE with access to both local and iCloud information.

In 2015, Apple had similar spat with FBI after the authorities asked the tech giant to decrypt an iPhone used by the San Bernadino shooter. The company had refused the agency's request to help it unlock the phones of the attacker despite a court order.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook had said the court order sought and obtained by the FBI would pose a serious threat to data security.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama "Padmavati", which is mired in controversy, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh for "distorting facts", Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday.

Chouhan said that a film which has "distorted facts" about Rajput queen Padmavati and shows or says anything to disrespect her, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

His comment followed a meeting he had with representatives of the Rajput community here on Monday morning.

According to sources, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Nandkumar Singh Chauhan led a group of Rajput community representatives, to discuss the "Padmavati" issue with Chouhan.
In more trouble for "Padmavati", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the film will not be released in his state even if it clears the Censor Board, while his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh backed the Rajput community for objecting to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama that is mired in controversy.

While Chouhan announced in Bhopal at an event that the film has "distorted history" and thus cannot be allowed for "release" in his state, the Punjab Chief Minister said it was the right of Rajput people to protest as the film is a "distortion of history which no one will accept".

"If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji, then that movie cannot be allowed to release in the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said, eliciting a rousing applause from the audience.

"And I am saying this because people of the country and Madhya Pradesh cannot accept disrespect of their pride," the BJP leader added.

"The insult will not be tolerated," Chouhan said.

He said even if the movie is passed by the Censor Board for release in the country, it won't make it to the screens in the state.

His comment followed a meeting he had with representatives of the Rajput community on Monday morning.

Amarinder Singh, in his comments said: "Anything that is historical event... no one will object. But here they are distorting history," Singh told reporters.

"I have also gone to Chittor and returned and seen all things there... So, this is distortion of history and no one will accept it."

"And if communities are objecting to it then it is their right to object," the Punjab Chief Minister added.

The comments come a day after the release of "Padmavati" was "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, had said the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed".

Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that "Padmavati" is not released without necessary changes.

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Some Hindu groups, mainly the Karni Sena of Rajasthan, have been vigorously protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday began a meeting here to chart out a schedule for the election of the Congress President which will see the elevation of Vice President Rahul Gandhi to the party's top post.

The meeting was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, P. Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushilkumar Shinde and Karan Singh.

The CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, will decide on the dates for filing of nominations and the election.

On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files against Rahul Gandhi, then he will be declared President unopposed.

The party has time till December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.

The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.
Charles Manson, the fiery-eyed 1960s cult leader whose followers committed heinous murders that terrorised Los Angeles and shocked the US, has died at 83. He had been behind bars for 48 years.

He died of natural causes at 8.13 p.m. on Sunday at a hospital in Kern County, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a news release.

The news of his death was confirmed by Debra Tate, the sister of his most famous victim, actress Sharon Tate, who was heavily pregnant with film director Roman Polanski's baby when she was stabbed to death by his followers.

"This could be the end of an era or just the beginning," she declared, adding: "I said a prayer for his soul."

Prison officials said it's "undetermined" what will happen to Manson's corpse as he has no next of kin, the US media reported.

The diminutive and charismatic Manson orchestrated a wave of violence in August 1969 that took the lives of seven people, spawned headlines worldwide and landed him and his "Manson Family" of followers in prison for most of the remainder of their lives.

Manson served nine life terms in California prisons and was denied parole 12 times. His notoriety made him a cult figure to those fascinated by his dark apocalyptic visions. With a Swastika tattooed on his forehead, Manson was the very embodiment of evil.

The brutal killings began on August 9, 1969, at the home of Tate and Polanski, while he was out of the country at the time. The first set of victims were Tate; a celebrity hairstylist named Jay Sebring; coffee fortune heiress Abigail Folger; writer Wojciech Frykowski; and Steven Parent, a friend of the family's caretaker.

The next evening, another set of murders took place. Supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were killed at their home. Over the course of two nights, the killers took the lives of seven people, inflicting 169 stab wounds and seven .22-caliber gunshot wounds.

The killings collectively were known as the Tate-LaBianca murders. Manson was not at the scene of either slayings, but was nonetheless convicted of murder for directing his followers.

He was sentenced to death in 1971. But before the death sentence could be carried out, California outlawed capital punishment and his sentence was reduced to life.

His "Manson Family" was made up mostly of disaffected young women, some of whom became killers under his tutelage. It occupied a dark, persistent place in American culture and American commerce.

It inspired, among other things, pop songs, an opera, films, a host of internet fan sites, T-shirts, children's wear and half the stage name of the rock musician Marilyn Manson.

Gathering young followers around him in the late 1960s, Manson claimed to believe in a coming race war in America. He planned to hasten the war and emerge as the leader of a new social order -- a vision he nicknamed "Helter Skelter", after a Beatles song Manson became obsessed with.

Prosecutors argued that Manson hoped African-Americans would be blamed for the Tate-LaBianca killings, heightening racial tensions.

Manson convinced a number of his followers that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

He was born on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, to an unmarried 16-year-old girl who supported herself on petty crime. Mason never knew his father and ended up in a series of foster homes and reformatories.

He was married twice but both marriages ended in divorce. Manson spent most of his teens and 20s in and out of prison for crimes that started with robbing liquor and grocery stores before he stole cars, pimped women, and committed forgery. He ended up orchestrating cold-blooded murders.

In prison, Manson became obsessed with music and learned to play the steel guitar. He attempted to ingratiate himself with the Hollywood glitterati, using his guitar and songwriting as a wedge. He managed to get one song on the Beach Boys' album "20/20" in 1968. It was titled "Cease to Exist" but revised and retitled "Never Learn Not to Love".
People may see Apia as a bustling, commercial centre, but it is better than life in Savaii.

Meet Ieti Siniua who, having moved to Apia, says there is a big difference between Upolu and Savaii.

He said the cost of living is expensive in Apia but nothing compared with Savaii.

In Apia you can find almost anything that you are looking for in the stores.

Although we have delivery trucks coming from Apia, Savaii does not have everything that we need on a daily basis, he said.

The 27-year-old said the goods in Savaii may be expensive because of the distance of delivering goods to them.

He added not only are they expensive in Savaii, you cannot always find everything you need in stores.

The goods here are expensive but they do not have everything that we need. It is hard to find some of the stuff that we are looking for, he said.

Ieti also said there were not many stores in rural areas of Savaii.

There are barely any shops in the rural areas in Savaii compared to how it is here. In Apia you come across shop after shops in Upolu.

He said he feels sorry for families who are living far from town in Savaii because you need to go to Salelologa to get what you need.

The only place that you will find everything that you need in Savaii is Salelologa and if you are living in the rural areas, you will need to come all the way to get what you want there, he said.

Ieti said it is a struggle living in Savaii because of transportation problems.

I get discouraged waiting for the bus at times because sometimes its packed and there are not many buses that are driving around.

Ieti is from Savaii but he has moved to Apia to look for better opportunities and an easier life.
A fellowship programme which focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity for the Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.) and the Least Developed Countries (L.D.C.s) to respond to the challenges arising from climate change was established yesterday.

This was made possible by the Government of Italy, U.N. Climate Change and was endorsed through a memorandum of understanding at the C.O.P. 23 in Bonn, Germany.

The new program titled Capacity Award Programme to Advance Capabilities and Institutional Training in one Year (C.A.P.A.C.I.T.Y.) will contribute to developing local professional expertise in the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change.

At the M.O.U. signing ceremony, U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa expressed her deep appreciation to the government of Italy for supporting the launch.

It marks an important step forward in our endeavor to ensure widest possible support to S.I.D.S. and L.D.C. countries to combat climate change and help them build institutional capacity to build resilience to climate impacts.

Speaking on behalf of Italy Government, the Minister of the Environment of Land and Sea, Gian Luca Galletti said: The Italian government firmly believes that enhancing the ability of individuals, organizations and institutions in developing countries to identify, plan and implement ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change is crucial to enabling developing countries to pursue our common objectives for sustainable development in a climate-friendly manner.

According to the programme of the event, the fellowship programme will provide support of innovative analytical work on climate change in the context of sustainable development.

It will also assist in promoting a network of experts who can bring creating and innovative options to bear on questions of climate change and encouraging the leadership potential young and promising professionals in the fields.

The programme is specifically targeted at mid-career professionals in S.I.D.S. and L.D.C. who are working in a broad range of national, regional, and local governmental organizations, ranging from educational institutions, research institutes and ministries.

Italy has agreed to provide a funding of 2,500,000 euros (T$7.5 million) for the fellowship programme, which will initially be launched for a period for five years.

Annually, up to five one year fellowships will be awarded that can be further extended by one year.

Selected fellows will have the opportunity to gain exposure to a wide range of opportunities available the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. They will be able to work on projects relating to the Paris Agreement, including Nationally Determined Contributions (N.D.C.s), global climate action agenda, finance, legal, regulatory and institutional framework.
Dear Editor,

Re: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God the things that are Gods. Matthew 22:21.

Section 40 of the Audit Act 2013 (Samoa) requires audits every year. Section 42 of the Act says these are to become public documents.

This is not happening in Samoa, as borrowing grows and where the money goes, nobody but Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi knows.

This is destroying any possibility of economic progress, as the agenda of the Human Rights Protection Party is plunder not the good of all citizens.

40. Audit reports of public bodies-(1) The Controller and Auditor General must, in each year, prepare and submit to the Speaker an audit report of any audit of public bodies, related entities or audited subsidiaries of public bodies conducted under this Act or any Act or law.

(2) The Controller may include in the audit report under subsection (1):

(a) a list of public bodies, related entities or subsidiaries of public bodies that are not audited by the Controller for that particular year; and

(b) any deficiency or function that is not properly performed under generally accepted accounting principles and practices which the Controller considers to be significant; and

(c) any significant change in the Controllers auditing approach from the previous years audit.

(3) The Controller must:

(a) notify the Prime Minister and the relevant Minister responsible of the contents of the audit report; and

(b) invite the, public body, related entity or subsidiary, statutory or local authority or other body to whom the audit report relates to make submissions or comments on the content of the audit report before a specified date; and

(c) within sixty days from the date to be specified in paragraph

(b), forward the audit report with any comment received to the Speaker who must present it to the Legislative Assembly under section 42.

42. Tabling of audit reports-

(1) Upon receipt of an audit, the Speaker must present the audit report to the Legislative Assembly under its Standing Orders.

(2) An audit report:

(a) is a confidential document; and

(b) becomes a public document on the date it is tabled in the Legislative Assembly pursuant to its Standing Orders.

(3) A person who discloses to another person an audit report or part of the audit report of the Controller before it becomes a public document commits an offence.

(4) Subsection (3) does not apply to disclosure of the audit report authorised under this Act or any other Act or law.

The theologian and Trappist monk Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915December 10, 1968) says: It is now the most vitally important thing for all of us, however we may be concerned with our society, to try to arrive at a clear, cogent statement of our ills, so that we may begin to correct them. Otherwise, our efforts will be directed to purely superficial symptoms only, and perhaps not even at things related directly to the illness. On the contrary, it seems that our remedies are instinctively those which aggravate the sickness: the remedies are expressions of the sickness itself.

I would almost dare to say that the sickness is perhaps a very real and very dreadful hatred of life as such, of course subconscious, buried under our pitiful and superficial optimism about ourselves and our affluent society.

But I think that the very thought processes of materialistic affluence (and here the same things are found in all the different economic systems that seek affluence for its own sake) are ultimately self-defeating.

They contain so many built-in frustrations that they inevitably lead us to despair in the midst of plenty and happiness and the awful fruit of this despair is indiscriminate, irresponsible destructiveness, hatred of life, carried on in the name of life itself. In order to survive we instinctively destroy that on which our survival depends.

Samoas professional classes integrity is called into question. Where are the guardians of the law and the accountants of the nation? The lack of accountability is destroying the lives of the people?

F.S.M. Taua
The Chief Executive Officer of Samoa Airways, Seiuli Alvin Tuala, has assured the travelling public it is totally safe to fly with the nations new flag carrier.

Seiuli issued the assurance in Sydney Australia where the airline was officially launched during the weekend.

Seiuli also confirmed that the Airline has signed a US$1billion* (T$2.4billion) insurance policy. He did not say who they had signed the policy with.

So how safe is the new Airline?

Seiuli said it is safe enough he will allow his family, wife and children to travel on it and expect them to reach their destination safely.

As an aviation professional having being involved in aviation law, safety and security for many years, I am well aware of the concerns of the travelling public when it comes to airline safety, he said.

I ask myself the question every time I go out to the airport or when I am on-board. Would I take my family on our aircraft. The answer is always yes because I know the work that is being done by the engineers and the maintenance teams in New Zealand and Australia including the pilots, to ensure that safety and security is paramount at all times and will never be compromised.

Aviation is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Compliance is expensive but has to be done at all times without fail.

The first Apia-Sydney flight was last week, reviving a flight that had been absent for 12 years.

According to Seiuli, the insurance coverage reflects the commitment by Samoa Airways to accomplish affordable airfares compared to her giant competitors.

Their goal is to increase traffic to Samoa which will translate to more tourism revenues.

I also welcome the constructive criticisms voiced virally in the infant days of the airline because its just the beginning and the more the critics voice their say it serves as a constant reminder for the resurrected national carrier to fly away from mistakes of the past, he said.

It also gives me and management strategies on how best to remedy and alleviate the constructive and not so constructive feedback.

At the end of the day, Samoa Airways is about our identity as Samoans worldwide.

Our commitment will not be defeated by the obsession of a few whose ultimate mission is to criticize for the sake of criticizing for personal recognition and of course making headlines for a financial gain.

Seiuli noted that while the positive encouragements is greatly appreciated; there is always room for improvements.

Getting Samoa Airways off the ground in six months is a miracle to say the least, he admits.

But there is more to a book than its cover. For a single aircraft airline to be competitive, it needs time to mature, to crawl before it walks.

Then there is the zero no tolerance no credit policy which is also enforced to the letter including all airline staff, says Seiuli.

The no credit policy without exceptions is endorsed by the Prime Minister. It is real and not a promotional policy. And forget the F.O.C policy because its cash up front from now on.

If you are truly a Samoa Airways patriot please dont bother asking for credit.

He does not want to make promises of where Samoa Airways will be in a year from now saying that the airlines have set targets to chase, which includes more aircrafts and new destinations.

At the end of the day, Samoa Airways survival depends on the support of Samoans here and abroad, added Seiuli.

Like our Manu Samoa, Samoa Airways is about survival against all odds.

*The story has been adjusted from the print version, which said the insurance was US$2billion. Samoa Airways has corrected this to say it is US$1billion. The print version also had a quote, which has been corrected here. Both the figure and the quotes were provided in a statement from the Press Secretary issued last night.




The Acting President of the Journalists Association of Western Samoa (J.A.W.S.), Rudy Bartley, is calling on the government to find a more realistic solution to track ghost writers who use fake social media pages to attack members of the public.

He believes the move to reintroduce the Criminal libel law, which had been removed in 2013, is not the best way forward for Samoa.

As President, I believe the re-introduction of the Criminal Libel law is a serious concern and it will have a negative impact on the work of the media in Samoa, said Mr. Bartley.

Freedom of the media (to do its work) is fundamental to any democracy and laws which hinder this is not acceptable.

Mr. Bartley made the comments in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.

Last month, the government announced that the Attorney Generals Office had been tasked to look into reintroducing the Criminal Libel law, as part of efforts to address the growing number of ghost writers who use fake social media pages to attack members of the public.

One such page is known as Ole Palemia.

According to Mr. Bartley, J.A.W.S. exists to help, develop and protect the work of the media and its practitioners in Samoa.

We are also concerned about the use of social media as a platform for slander and malicious attacks, Mr. Bartley pointed out.

I assume this is the reason why the government is reintroducing this law.

Those behind these attacks have tarnished the work and integrity of the media as a source of knowledge and information for our people.

He also told the Samoa Observer the government should find a more realistic - practical solution other than reintroducing this law.

He explained the reason J.A.W.S. has not made any public comment about the issue until now is that they wanted to discuss this further with their membership at their upcoming A.G.M. scheduled for 27 November 2017.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi earlier this month denied suggestions that his governments decision to revive the Criminal Libel law, which had been abolished in 2013, is part of a move to restrict freedom of speech.

In hindsight, Tuilaepa said he regrets the decision to remove Criminal Libel from the law books in the first place.

I shouldve never abolished this law which caters to protect victims of defamation, he said.

There have been writings that accuse me of being a dictator (in relation to the Criminal Libel). But it is not my law. They (writers) are in favor of those doing the damage. What about those who are victims of defamation?

This is a Christian move to protect the victims who are being defamed. This law is designed as a refuge to people whose names and reputations have been ruined.

Tuilaepa added that Commission has been set up to help reinstate the Criminal Libel law. Tuilaepa said this law was for people who had been defamed online by faceless bloggers and social media commentators.

This law will target only those who defame individuals and tarnish their good names. This is their safe haven.

Looking back, Tuilaepa said: In the small time the said law was abolished, defamation has increased significantly here in Samoa.

Tuilaepa said this law was put in place by previous Members of Parliament.

When it was my time; maybe I was a bit too kind, he said. With confidence that those who defamed others were no longer in existence, it is why I abolished that law.

But now I know, the previous Members of Parliament knew what they were doing.
The L.D.S. Charities recently partnered with the womens committee of the Church of the Nazarene, called Showers of Blessings, to provide an area and equipment where women and young women in Salelesi village can learn to sew.

While attending a meeting at the Samoa Council of Churches, Mauga Reupena, wife of the Pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, met Elder O. Vincent Haleck of the Seventy and President of the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mauga asked Elder Haleck what could be done to help the women in her church and village improve the lives of their families.

Elder Haleck suggested that she make a request to the Churchs welfare office in Apia to see if L.D.S. Charities (the charitable arm of the Church) could help.

Mauga submitted a request to Elder Meliula Fata, Area Seventy and Samoa Welfare Manager, seeking help for the women by providing sewing machines and overlock machines for the women of her village and church.

Latter-day Saint senior missionaries, Elder Cliff and Sister Kathleen Vellinga, met with Mauga Reupena and other members of the womens committee.

They noted that after adding some electrical outlets, the womens committee house in the village would be appropriate for the sewing classroom. They also learned that Mauga had the skills to teach the other women how to sew.

The womens committee wanted to help the families of the village be able to sew clothing and other items, so they could save money for other basic needs such as food, electricity and school fees.

They also wanted to help the young women of the village learn a skill that could help them in their future lives. Due to financial difficulties some young women in the village had dropped out of school.

L.D.S. Charities provided 13 sewing machines and one overlock machine and the Womens Committee provided the space for the classroom and prepared it by adding more electrical outlets, tables and chairs, and sewing tools.

Thus far this year LDS Charities has donated to 18 projects like this one to help the people of Samoa to be more self-reliant in their families and communities.
Employers have commonly requested salary histories from job applicants as part of the hiring process. It is always one of the hardest questions to answer during the interview process. You dont want your answer to price you out of the market, but you also dont want to leave any money on the table. This practice of employers asking will soon become illegal in the state of California. The goal is to balance out the gender wage gap. Historically females have been paid lower wages, and any new wage would therefore be based on a lower starting point.

So now how do you bring up the expected salary?

Prospective employers can now provide a pay scale for your consideration. You can also provide your salary history voluntarily, without prompting. But remember, the employer may use it to determine the salary for you. So, more than ever, I want to talk about how to give real answers and feel confident about it.

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The very first step: Dont be caught unprepared. Do your homework before you walk in the door for your interview. Bounce figures off of other people in your field. Check with professional organizations in your industry, talk with recruiters and other people in your field. Research salary web sites such as salary.com, glassdoor.com, payscale.com, salaryexpert.com and more. They are often ball park numbers and not as accurate as talking to your network of people in the industry in your geographic location. Know that geography also makes a huge difference. The exact same job will pay much more in Palo Alto than in El Cajon. By doing your homework, you should have a fairly good idea of the typical salary range for someone with your level of experience in the kind of position youre seeking within your job market. Be sure to go into the discussion with reasonable salary requests and if you feel you deserve the top rates then have the ammunition to back it up.

How to figure out what you want. Its important to ask for just a little more than you expect to be offered-usually 10-15% above what you really want to make. If it is an hourly wage, then calculate exactly how much you need to make per hour to know your bottom rate. No reason to put the effort into a position that will not pay you your minimum rate. Too often, people come up with their desired salary by thinking about what theyd like to earn, rather than looking at hard data about their market value. This will make you come across as naive to employers.

Is the rate annual? It is essential that you come in even more prepared. Now the rate is very subjective depending on your education, experience, your potential and attitude. You need to convince the decision maker you are the absolute best person for this job and they cant live without youand at the pay rate you want. Most initial offers are 10 percent to 15 percent below the maximum they are willing to pay. Negotiations have begun. Do some research on negotiation skills, know what you are worth, ask for more and be willing to back down if they hold firm, and keep the door open.

Practice your answer out loud. Your resume and cover letter have piqued the interest of the potential employer. You might think you know how youre going to answer the question in the interview, but many choke up when it comes to actually talking about money. Know what wording youre going to use and practice, so when youre doing it for real, you feel comfortable and it sounds natural.

Six-month review? If you agree to the posted pay scale rate, and it is less than you feel you are worth, ask for another review in six months. Are you open to discussing my compensation again after I have been on the job for six months and proved my value? If they say yes, then jump on it and prove your value. If they say no, then think hard about the opportunity and your willingness to wait a year for a salary review. If acceptable, go for it and know that you tried your best with another opportunity in a year.

Contact: pblair@manpowersd.com

Twitter: @PhilManpowerSD

FB: @Phil.Blair www.manpowersd.com
An eccentric San Diego County landmark is now up for sale.

The Desert View Tower site in Jacumba, totaling 90 acres, is on the market for $1.25 million.

Built in the 1920s, the location is a popular spot for roadtrippers and has gathered more prominence in the digital age, popping up in articles in The Wall Street Journal and online publications. In recent years, it has doubled as a yoga retreat.

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The site is best known for its circular four-story tower built in the 1920s that has expansive views of the Anza-Borrego Desert and serves as a landmark for travelers on Interstate 8. The site also has nearly 40 animals and objects carved into boulders, including a ceremonial fertility rock owners have said was made by Native Americans.

Real estate agent Lanz Correia said the site gets more than 25,000 visitors a year and the current owner, who wants to retire, wants to sell it to someone who will keep it open to the public.

Its got a bit of a cult following, he said.

The tower was built in the 1920s by Jacumba developer and former San Diego mayor Bert Vaughn. With its 4-feet-thick, steel-reinforced walls, it has survived everything weather and seismic activity could throw at it.

It sort of depends on who you ask, but the official story on a state historical plaque is that Vaughn built the tower to commemorate the pioneers and road and railroad builders who opened the area. Others say it was built to advertise a bar on site and his son, Tyrone, told the Union-Tribune in 1985 that it was just an example of his father trying to stay busy.

Vaughn bought 320 acres in Jacumba in 1918 and his history developing the region are fairly well-documented. But, stories about the Desert View site are frustratingly sparse (or sometimes inconsistent). Folk artist Merle Ratcliff, an unemployed engineer, is said to have carved much of the sculptures but why he did it is up in the air.

The property changed hands many times over the years, eventually ending up with the current owner Ben Schultz, a San Diegan who had visited the tower when he was a child.

On the market for 40 days, it might be a difficult sell for a traditional buyer. The tower is a California registered historical landmark, as is a store on the site that served ox-pulled wagons in the 1860s, so even minor development could get difficult.

Its never going to be a big residential development, Correia said.

However, the property has become popular as a yoga retreat, has one concert a year, occasionally rents out a home on Airbnb and charges $6.50 for adults and $3.50 for children to climb the tower and explore the boulder park. Shultz told The Wall Street Journal in April the site generates $120,000 in gross revenue a year.

There are three homes on the site, all with two bedrooms and one bathroom, at an average 800-square-feet.

The Union-Tribune digital archive contributed to this article.

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

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Tower trip: Strange and quirky roadside attraction in Jacumba a fun stop
For well over a decade, Qualcomm has been the research and development engine driving advances in cellular wireless. By making big bets on technologies years ahead of time, it created inventions that now enable streaming video, street-by-street directions, photo sharing, longer battery life and a host of other features found on nearly every smartphone on the planet.

If Broadcom succeeds with its bold $103 billion takeover bid to acquire Qualcomm, would it continue the practice of pursuing long-term research on the next big innovation that pushes the mobile technologies forward?

An increasing number of analysts dont think so. It is not the way Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan has run his companies over the years.

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He optimizes everything around efficiencies, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst with Tirias Research. He is an investor. The philosophy he is taking is: We dont invest in research and development. We buy it.

Broadcoms effort to acquire Qualcomm  which could be headed for a hostile proxy fight for control of Qualcomms board of directors  would attempt to meld it to very different business models and cultures around innovation, say analysts.

You have the risk takers, and then you have the ones that let the market play out and then go in, added McGregor. Its a more conservative approach. Im not saying its bad. It just doesnt help with innovation. It doesnt drive the market.

Making that marriage work without destroying what makes Qualcomm valuable could be difficult. It would be like attempting to build a clock with two completely different sets of parts -- one geared toward turning the hands clockwise and the other designed to spin the hands in the opposite direction, said Olivier Blanchard, senior analyst at Futurum, a technology strategy and research firm.

Qualcomm invests in stuff that doesnt have to be profitable for a while, he said. Theyre not going quarter by quarter. They have a bigger strategy.

Whereas Broadcom is super good at cutting costs and being a financially driven company, he continued. That is great for investors quarter to quarter but doesnt necessarily have the focus to want to build things for the long term.

While the companies may not be a perfect cultural or business model match, they certainly make a compelling pair financially.

After cost cutting and assuming completion of Qualcomms $38 billion pending acquisition of Dutch chip maker NXP Semiconductors, the combined companies would create a juggernaut with $51 billion in revenue and a $22 billion annual operating profit  trailing only Intel and Samsung in the semiconductor industry.

The conglomerate would own a leading market position in nearly every high-value chip inside smartphones.

Earlier this month, Broadcom offered $70 a share for Qualcomm in cash and stock, representing a 28 percent premium in its share price the day before rumors of the offer made headlines.

Qualcomms shares were trading at low levels because of its fierce legal battle with Apple and global antitrust regulators over patent fees. Qualcomm executives have preached patience  noting that it has favorably resolved patent licensing battles with Nokia and others before.

With its stock price down 18 percent over the past year, patience from hedge funds, mutual funds and other institutional investors that make up 78 percent of Qualcomms investor base may be wearing thin.

Broadcoms takeover offer is far from a done deal, however. Theres considerable risk that global regulators would block the sale. Qualcomm rejected Broadcoms offer Monday as dramatically undervaluing the company.

But Broadcoms bid is serious. It could pursue a proxy battle to win board seats to push the deal through. It also could to boost the offer price into the high $70s to low $80s per share range, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani in a research note.

Such a move would force Qualcomms shareholders to decide can Qualcomms management, which has overseen severe underperformance and been unable to resolve key disputes, turn the ship; or should shareholders put faith in Hock Tan and take the exit? wrote Daryanani. We think status quo isnt a feasible option anymore, especially if Broadcom were to raise the offer heading into a proxy battle.

Tan has been very successful at growing his core company, Avago Technologies, through a series of acquisitions. His largest to date was Irvine-based Broadcom, which Avago bought for $37 billion in 2016 and took the Broadcom name.

The company is strong in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, broadband infrastructure and data center networking chips. Tan has been a master at absorbing the companies he acquires  delivering strong financial performance. Broadcoms share price has surged nearly 61 percent over the past 12 months.

In an interview with the U-T, Tan contends Broadcom is a technology company that invests in research and development. He views the firm as a portfolio of market leading product lines, which he calls sustainable franchises.

We identify the strong businesses in the companies we acquire, and in the case of Qualcomm, undoubtedly its their roots, said Tan. Their roots trace back to cellular wireless. That is what attracts and excites me about the company. It is the leader  engineering, technology and market leader  in cellular wireless. We see that as a very sustainable franchise.

When Avago bought Broadcom, it began to sell off product lines that it didnt see as sustainable franchises. They included its Internet of Things business and wireless infrastructure backhaul division, among others.

Lets say Broadcom acquired Qualcomm tomorrow  putting aside regulatory hurdles and all that, said Blanchard of Futurum. I think Broadcom would have a tendency to get rid of all the business units and projects that arent going to be very quickly profitable.

Qualcomm, on the other hand, invests in technologies that are years from producing a return on investment. It has been working on 5G, which aims to deliver fiber-optic like speeds to mobile devices, for a decade, even though 5G technology isnt expected to start generating a return on investment until 2019.

While start-ups are good innovators, you still need companies that have the staying power, the investment capabilities and everything else to build a market, build an ecosystem, said McGregor of Tirias Research. That is why you need companies that are risk takers and have that investment capability like a Google, an Intel, a Qualcomm, etc.

This strategy, however, can create tension between the company and shareholders  particularly when operating expenses rise and the stock price lags peers.

In an interview last week, retired Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, said the balancing act of making long-term investments while keeping shareholders happy is not easy.

Perhaps whats a little bit different than when I was running Qualcomm is there is a lot more institutional ownership, said Jacobs, 84, who is no longer actively involved with the company. Sometimes the institutions might not look at things quite the same way as you do on different business issues.

While Broadcom has amassed an impressive technology portfolio, its lack of cellular chips is a big hole in its product line-up, said Geoff Blaber of industry research firm CCS Insight.

It is clear Broadcom needs Qualcomm far more than Qualcomm would benefit from the tie-up, said Blaber. This underlines the strength of Qualcomms position. The gap in Broadcoms portfolio will become a mounting problem as more far-flung gadgets are equipped with high-speed cellular connectivity and computing power.

Qualcomm launched a smartwatch design about five years ago to seed the market for the devices. (Howard Lipin / UT San Diego/Zuma Press )

For its part, Qualcomm sees future growth potential with the upcoming roll out of ultra-fast 5G networks  where it is believed to have a technology lead -- and the expansion of cellular technologies into cars, health care devices, the Internet of Things gadgets and other industries.

The company has been expanding smartphone products to include radio frequency chips used near antennas. Moreover, the acquisition of NXP, which makes automotive and security chips, would help ease Qualcomms reliance on the slowing smartphone market.

During its 2017 fiscal year ending in September, the company took in $3 billion of its $22.3 billion in revenue from non-smartphone customers. That is a 25 percent increase from the prior year.

In addition, its chip making division  which pulls in most of its revenue -- has boosted profit margins for six straight quarters. Its patent licensing business, which accounts for most of its profits, struggled as Apple and another large smartphone maker stopped paying royalties for using Qualcomms patented cellular technologies.

Its not like Qualcomm is bad at making money, said Blanchard of Futurum. They understood how to monetize 3G. They understood how to build and monetize 4G. Now they are doing it with 5G and already working on technology beyond that. They are a long bet company.

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mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
Chula Vista has been selected for a nationwide initiative to make city data more readily available to the public and help the city provide better services by using the information.

The What Works Cities program is aimed at helping local governments seek out data and evidence as tools to identify solutions and further invest in what works. In Chula Vista, the focus will be on public safety data and transparency.

It will allow us to get information out there for residents to look under the hood  and see how the city is performing, said Dennis Gakunga, chief sustainability officer for the citys Economic Development Department.

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As citizens and city officials look through the data, he said, the hope is that they will use it to help us improve our services and increase our ability to engage in outreach and solicit feedback.

What Works Cities is aimed at helping cities make better use of data and evidence in the public sector. It was launched in 2015 by New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies, a foundation created by billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Sharman Stein of Results for America, a partner organization in the program, said it also aims to make government more accountable for its goals.

The main part of the initiative, including the direct technical assistance to Chula Vista from the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, is expected to take about four to six months, ending in the selection of complete data sets for public release.

We hope to have a comprehensive inventory of the citys public safety data resources in a format that is understandable and easily available, Gakunga said.

Chula Vista applied for inclusion in the competitive program in 2015. Following visits, cities have been added on a rolling basis since then; Chula Vista was one of five new communities announced on Oct. 31, raising the total to 95. It is the only city in San Diego County to be part of the program; the 11 other California cities include San Francisco, San Jose and Riverside.

Chula Vista chose to focus on public safety. Other cities in the program are zeroing in on such subjects as economic prosperity (Athens, Ga.) and recreation and culture (Palmdale).

Stein said cities have to demonstrate an interest and commitment to the program from their political and administrative leadership, and the capacity to work with us on a continuing basis.

The program is designed to make governments more accountable for their goals and projects, she said.

What Works Cities begins, Stein said, by looking at the basic level of data available to a city, how they share it between departments and how it is made available to the public.

For instance, cities know where fire alarm and ambulance calls are coming from, she said. The problem is, are you using that information to make things better? Theres all kinds of things you can do (with the data).

After receiving direct assistance on its use of data, Stein said Chula Vista will remain part of a network of up to 100 cities that will continue to share information and best practices and hold workshops.

The initiative also will selectively issue a What Works Cities Certification to recognize and celebrate the most effective U.S. local governments leading the nation in the use of data and evidence to improve opportunities for residents. Results for America likens the national standard to a Good Housekeeping Seal or ENERGY STAR rating, in this case a sign that cities use practices that ensure public dollars are well-spent and decisions are made based on facts, not special interests.
Make no bones about it, San Diego is one of the pooch-friendliest places in the country.

And those lucky dogs are getting a treat in 2015 with a new state law in effect as of Jan. 1 that officially allows Fido on restaurant patios throughout California.

Not that San Diego canines have been stuck at home waiting for a doggie bag  theyve been joining their best friends in outdoor seating areas around the region for years. And because the new law doesnt require eateries to accommodate dogs, dont expect a wave of doggy cafes to be unleashed.

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It just validates a long-standing practice here, said Wendy Patrick, an attorney and business ethics lecturer at San Diego State University.

Its a recognition of the fact that dogs are part of our family. If businesses want customers, they have to consider that. But for all the naysayers, dont worry, it doesnt permit a candlelit dinner for three inside.

In fact, the law, which was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last summer, sets conditions for how and where dogs can be and still makes allowances for local ordinances that ban the practice.

Among the laws conditions are that pet owners must keeps their dogs on a leash or in a carrier and cant let them sit on chairs or tables. Restaurants will be required to have separate outdoor entrances to the patio so the critters wont be marched through indoor dining rooms.

Sponsors of the original bill, AB 1965, argued that while outdated state laws made it illegal to do so, many restaurants already chose to allow dogs on their patios. A number of county health departments around California had also approved rules allowing individual restaurants to decide whether or not to allow dogs on patios.

David Cohn, president of the Cohn Restaurant Group, said many of the chains eateries with patios already provide water bowls for dogs and he doesnt expect the new law to have much impact.

We think its wonderful, he said. We do find that in our neighborhood restaurants, we get a lot of people who want to sit on the patio with their dogs and were fine with that  we encourage it.

Cohn said dog-lovers are usually more passionate about their pets than people are passionate about not having pets in restaurants, so we err on the side of people with their pets and 99.9 percent of them use good judgment.

He and other restaurant owners interviewed said its rare that a customer howls about sitting near a dog but when it does happen, one of the tables is moved.

Johan Engman, owner of the Fig Tree Cafe, with locations in Pacific Beach, Hillcrest and Liberty Station, said he tries to seat people with dogs on the perimeter of the patio.

Not to put people in the corner, but if a dog is in the middle of the patio, waiters can fall over them. In one instance, a waiter accidentally stepped on a dogs tail and that wasnt good, he said.

Engman said he has had to draw the line a few times when customers wanted to seat their teacup pups next to, well, teacups, on the table. And when he opens his new Breakfast Republic in North Park in March, hell have allocated patio space for pets, but thats as far as hell go.

North Park and San Diego in general are extremely dog friendly, he said.

I dont really plan on going to the extent of having a doggy door, to tell you the truth.
What have you got to write about thats so important all the time?, one of Anne Franks fellow refugees asks her a little dismissively in the stage version of her story.

Now we know the answer to that question  and its hard not to wish that after all these years, The Diary of Anne Frank wasnt still quite so important.

The Dutch schoolgirls account of the two years she spent in hiding from the Nazis with her family and several others has long been an enduring testament to humanity in the face of evil, and the 1955 play adaptation (later made into a film) has been produced regularly for decades.

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But in a year that has seen a surge in nationalist sentiment, and such events as the deadly August demonstrations in Virginia by neo-Nazis and other agents of hate, Moxie Theatres powerful revival of the piece by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett couldnt be more timely.

Moxie and director Kym Pappas are staging Wendy Kesselmans 1997 adaptation of the play, which adds more candid material from Annes diary.

Pappas cast is excellent all around, but she has found a naturally adept Anne in Katelyn Katz, an accomplished young San Diego actress who gives a vivid and impressively self-assured performance as the 13-year-old aspiring writer.

Katz lends the character the same kind of irrepressible energy that bursts forth from Annes diary, but her dealings with the others holed up in the upstairs annex in Amsterdam still come off as entirely authentic rather than as props for her star turn.

The story begins as Annes family files into their makeshift new home  a dreary, attic-like space designed to meticulous effect by Sean Fanning  along with their former neighbors the Van Daans.

Germany has occupied the Netherlands, and the persecution of Jews has reached the point where any who havent fled or managed to hide are being shipped off to the concentration camps.

But one of the first defiant actions by Anne and the Van Daans teen-age son, Peter (Nick Lux), is to tear off the yellow stars theyve been required to wear.

Pappas and her cast capture the quirks and incipient tensions that are destined to flare up as the groups time in the annex drags on. Anne is frequently at odds with her late-arriving roommate, the dentist Mr. Dussel, played with a tangible sense of fear and loss by Joe Paulson.

The somewhat fussy Mrs. Van Daan (a sharp and funny Holly Stephenson) and her more peacemaking husband (Jonathan Sachs, with a strong sense of the world-weary) spark their own conflicts, while Annes sister Margo (a staid and soulful Amy Perkins) becomes a focus of calm, and Anne and Peter fumble through stirrings of adolescent romance.

Eddie Yaroch conveys a sense of gentle moral authority as Annes father, Otto; and Wendy Waddell is wonderfully expressive in subtle but savvy ways as the quiet Edith Frank, who agonizes over keeping her daughters safe.

Lily Voons sound design and Chris Rendas lighting capture the claustrophobic feel of the place (although some voiceover by Anne gets drowned out late in the play), and Jennifer Brawn Gittings costumes look period-perfect.

One of the most poignant scenes in the show involves the characters simple recitations of what they miss most about the outside world, which they cant even glimpse out a window: Fresh coffee, a hot bath, dancing, a picnic by the sea and  in Mr. Dussels poignant case  a fiancee left behind.

The group is aided by Miep Gies (Jamie Channell Guzman) and Mr. Kraler (Austin Wright), heroes who are seen here relatively briefly but played huge real-life roles in trying to save the refugees lives.

When the seemingly inevitable happens and the Gestapo bursts in  agonizingly close to the Allies liberation of Europe  whats striking is how young a couple of the Nazi thugs look.

Like Anne, theyre still kids  forced to face too much too fast.

The Diary of Anne Frank

When: 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 17.

Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Rolando District.

Tickets: $20-$30 (discounts available)

Phone: (858) 598-7620

Online: moxietheatre.com

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebert
In the summer of 1969, Charles Manson and his murderous family went on a rampage in Los Angeles that left nine people dead. Victims of the so-called Tate-LaBianca murders included actress Sharon Tate (wife of director Roman Polanski) and Los Feliz residents Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Heres where the key players in the Manson saga are today:

Charles Manson (Los Angeles Times / California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Charles Manson: Dies at age 83

Manson, who ordered the Tate-LaBianca killings but was not present for any of them, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

After the California Supreme Court overturned capital punishment in 1972, Mansons sentence was reduced to life in prison.

Manson had "hundreds" of rules violations, prison officials say, and had gotten in trouble for having a cellphone and homemade weapon while incarcerated. Manson was denied parole 12 times. His next parole hearing was scheduled for 2027. He had been in prison since 1971 and was serving his time at Corcoran State Prison.

In 2014, Manson and Afton Elaine Burton, a 27-year-old Manson devotee, were granted a marriage license, but it expired before the two could marry.

On Jan. 3, Manson was taken from prison to a hospital for an undisclosed medical issue. One source said he was seriously ill but couldnt provide specific information.

Patricia Krenwinkel (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation / Associated Press)

Patricia Krenwinkel: Imprisoned in Corona, Calif.

Patricia Krenwinkel was a secretary when she met Manson at a party. She quit her job the next day and joined Mansons family.

She was found guilty of seven counts of murder in the killings, including stabbing the LaBiancas to death and writing DEATH TO PIGS on the wall in the victims blood.

Krenwinkel, along with Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten, later condemned Manson and urged young people not to think of him as a hero.

What a coward that I found myself to be when I look at the situation, Krenwinkel said in a 2014 interview with the New York Times. The thing I try to remember sometimes is that what I am today is not what I was at 19.

After Atkins death, Krenwinkel, now 69, became Californias longest-serving female inmate. According to state prison officials, Krenwinkel is a model inmate involved in rehabilitative programs at the prison.

She is being housed at the California Institution for Women in Corona. Late last year, state parole officials postponed a decision on setting Krenwinkel free after her attorney made new claims that she had been abused by Manson or another person. The inquiry into the allegations took nearly six months. On June 22, parole commissioners again denied parole for Krenwinkel.

Leslie Van Houten (Los Angeles Times / Associated Press)

Leslie Van Houten: Imprisoned in Corona, Calif.

A jury found that former homecoming princess Leslie Van Houten was guilty of holding down Rosemary LaBianca in her Los Feliz home while an accomplice stabbed her. She was convicted of murder and conspiracy in 1978 at her third trial for the crimes, just months after shed been released on bail following a hung jury verdict.

Van Houten said she was introduced to Manson by a boyfriend and came to view him as Jesus Christ, believing in his bizarre plan to commit murders and spark a race war.

She is serving her life sentence at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif., prison officials say, and has been disciplinary-free her entire sentence.

Van Houten, 68, told a parole board in 2002 that she was deeply ashamed of her role in the killings. "I take very seriously not just the murders but what made me make myself available to someone like Manson."

A state review board recommended parole for her in April, but Gov. Jerry Brown reversed that decision. She had previously been denied parole 19 times.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan issued an 18-page ruling upholding the governors reversal.

He said there is some evidence that Van Houten still presents an unreasonable threat to society.

In September, the board again recommended parole.

Vincent Bugliosi (Associated Press)

Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi: Died in 2015

Vincent Bugliosi was asked in 2009  near the 40th anniversary of the infamous Manson murders  why the case has endured for so long.

The very name Manson has become a metaphor for evil, and evil has its allure, said Bugliosi, the prosecutor who got guilty verdicts in the mass murder case.

Bugliosi died of cancer June 6, 2015, at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 80.

After winning the convictions of Manson and the followers who carried out the killings, he used his celebrity to launch a career as a bestselling author, beginning with Helter Skelter, his account of the Manson case that has sold more than 7 million copies.

Aaron Stovitz (UPI)

Prosecutor Aaron Stovitz: Died in 2010

The original prosecutor in the Tate-LaBianca murders, Aaron Stovitz was removed from the trial after making comments about the case to the media.

After that, Bugliosi took the helm. Stovitz worked for the district attorneys office until 1981, prosecuting more than 500 jury trials, including 100 murder cases, according to his family. His other trials included prosecuting Freeway Killer William Bonin, who was executed in 1996. Stovitz died in 2010.

Charles Tex Watson (Associated Press / California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Charles 'Tex' Watson: Imprisoned and an ordained minister in Ione, Calif.

Charles "Tex" Watson, Mansons self-described right-hand man, was sentenced to death for his part in the killings but was later given life in prison after the death penalty was overturned. In prison, Watson married, divorced, fathered four children and became an ordained minister.

A website for Watsons ministry, which claims to be written by Watson through letters from prison, says he believed Manson offered a utopia but in reality he had a destructive worldview that Charles ended up believing in and acting upon. His participation in the 1969 Manson murders is a part of history that he deeply regrets. He hasnt had any disciplinary actions taken against him since 1973, corrections officials say.

Watson, 71, is housed at the Mule Creek Prison in Ione, Calif., about 40 miles outside Sacramento, where he works as a janitor and attends Bible studies and services in the prison chapel, according to the ministrys website. He has been denied parole 17 times. His most recent parole hearing was held Oct. 27, when a panel once again found him unsuitable for release from prison for at least five more years.

Susan Atkins (Associated Press)

Susan Atkins: Died in prison in 2009

Susan Atkins, a former topless dancer who became one of Mansons closest disciples, died in prison in 2009 at age 61.

Atkins, called the scariest of the Manson girls by a former prosecutor, confessed to killing actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times as she pleaded with the killers to spare her unborn son and then hanged.

At sentencing, where Atkins was condemned to death, she taunted the court, saying, Youd best lock your doors, and watch your own kids.

Her sentence was later converted to life in prison.

In prison, Atkins embraced Christianity and apologized for her role in the crimes, and the prison staff advocated unsuccessfully for her release in 2005. She was denied parole 13 times.

She married twice while in prison. Atkins was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008 and appealed to prison and parole officials for compassionate release, but the state parole board denied the request.

Roman Polanski (AFP/Getty Images)

Roman Polanski: Fighting extradition in Poland, wanted in the U.S.

Roman Polanski was in Europe when his wife, Sharon Tate, and several friends were murdered by Mansons followers in the summer of 1969. Tate was 8 months pregnant at the time.

Polanski went on to direct such movies as "Chinatown" and "The Pianist." Polanski fled Los Angeles for Paris in 1978 after being convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old.

U.S. officials attempted to have Polish authorities arrest Polanski, who now lives in France, as he attended the opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw last year. U.S. officials asked Poland to extradite Polanski, but in October 2015 a Polish judge turned down the request, the New York Times reports.

In December 2014, a Los Angeles County judge rejected his attorneys bid to have all sexual assault charges in the case dismissed.

In June, Polanskis accuser, Samantha Geimer, pleaded with a judge to sentence Polanski, 84 , to time served. Geimer said bringing an end to the media spectacle she has lived with for decades would be an act of mercy to myself and my family.

Lynette Squeaky Fromme (Associated Press)

Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme: Released from prison in 2009

Manson follower Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was convicted in 1975 of pointing a gun at President Ford in Sacramento in an attempted assassination. The gun didnt go off, and Secret Service agents wrestled Fromme to the ground.

She was sentenced to life in prison.

Fromme escaped from a federal prison in West Virginia in 1987 and was captured two days later while roaming the countryside about two miles away. She continued to correspond with Manson while she was in prison, officials said.

She was released on parole from federal prison in August 2009 at age 60 after serving 34 years.

According to reports at the time, Fromme planned to move to upstate New York.

Bruce Davis (Associated Press)

Bruce Davis: Imprisoned in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Bruce Davis, 75, was convicted in 1972 for taking part in the killings of Gary Hinman, an aspiring musician, and Donald "Shorty" Shea, a stuntman and a ranch hand at the Chatsworth ranch where Manson and his followers lived. Both murders occurred before the Tate-LaBianca killings, in which Davis did not participate.

Hinmans body was found in his home, with the words political piggy drawn on the wall with his blood.

In January 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown rejected his parole, the third time a governor has done so, saying that Davis remains a danger to public safety. In his decision, Brown said that the horror of the murders committed by the Manson Family in 1969 and the fear they instilled in the public will never be forgotten.

Davis has been denied parole 30 times. A California parole panel again recommended his release on Feb. 1.

Brown again rejected parole for Davis on June 23, according to the Associated Press.

Davis is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery. He became a born-again Christian behind bars, earned a doctoral degree in philosophy of religion, and ministers to other inmates.

Linda Kasabian (Ben Olender / Los Angeles Times)

Linda Kasabian: Granted immunity for testifying against Manson family

Linda Kasabian drove the killers to where the Tate and LaBianca murders occurred, and went along because she was the only one with a valid drivers license. She turned against the others and received immunity for testifying during the trial.

As of 1994, Kasabian was a mother of four and believed to be living on the East Coast.

Robert Beausoleil (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Robert Beausoleil: Imprisoned in California

Bobby Beausoleil was convicted of Hinmans murder in 1970 and sentenced to death.

He later had his sentence commuted to life in prison, where he joined the Aryan Brotherhood gang and suffered a broken jaw and other injuries in various fights.

Beausoleil was in jail for the Hinman killing when the Tate-LaBianca murders occurred.

He was transferred to an Oregon state prison in 1994 as part of an interstate compact to house certain inmates, and had no disciplinary reports since 2008, state prison officials said. He was then moved to California Medical Facility in Vacaville in 2015. Beausoleil, now 70, has been denied parole at least 18 times. He was most recently denied parole again on Oct. 14.

ALSO

'Although I've forgiven, I have not forgotten,' says sister of Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate

Susan Atkins dies at 61; imprisoned Charles Manson follower

There was much more to Vincent Bugliosi than the Charles Manson case

For the third time, Brown rejects parole of Manson follower Bruce Davis, 73

'Helter Skelter' by Vincent Bugliosi: Read the 1974 L.A. Times book review
In the barrage of news reports announcing the death of Charles Manson on Sunday, Manson was called many things. The Face of Evil. A Cult Mastermind. The Most Notorious Murderer of the 20th Century.

There is no doubt that he was all of those things. But for me  and for legions of Southern California kids like me  Charles Manson will always be the Man Who Stole My Childhood.

I was 10 years old in the summer of 1969, and the news of the brutal killings of actress Sharon Tate and four others in a Benedict Canyon home and the slayings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the following night came into our Inland Empire home courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

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I was a voracious reader of everything from Nancy Drew mysteries to cereal boxes, so of course, I read every blood-soaked word. Thanks to my Dads news-junkie habits, I also got an ear- and eye-full of every horrific detail from the Los Angeles TV news broadcasts that blared from our den on a deafening daily basis.

It was summer and my friends and I had oodles of time on our hands. And thanks to free-range 1960s parenting, we didnt have much supervision, either. We read all of the stories and watched all of the news reports, and it was the scariest thing we had ever heard about in our whole young lives.

Scary and absolutely inescapable.

Everyone knew every terrible detail about what happened in those houses that were just a brief freeway ride away, but no one knew why. And the randomness of it was terrifying. If it could happen there  in the upscale neighborhoods of Benedict Canyon and Los Feliz  surely it could happen on our peaceful cul de sac.

In the months it took for the seven horrific murders to be solved, we slept with our windows closed and our stuffed animals clutched to our sweaty chests. As the police searched for the killers, our parents bought deadbolts, guns and guard dogs.

In the fall of 1969, the Los Angeles police finally rounded up Charles Manson and his murderous family. Once Manson came into the picture, the horror show had a face. And the frightened kids of Southern California would have a real-life monster that would haunt our nightmares for years to come.

If you were young, impressionable and lucky enough to have only seen villains in comic books, Charles Manson was your first introduction to real, human evil and the terror that comes with it. With his mass of bad hippie hair and eyes that managed to be both empty and furious, he looked like the demon he was. And once you saw that face, there was no forgetting it.

He and his followers  mostly young hippie girls who could have been our older sisters, neighbors or cousins  showed us that people could be deeply and irredeemably bad. They could do the most awful things to innocent people for no reason.

Just because they could.

Just because they felt like it.

That is an awful thing to wrap your mind around when you are 10 years old. If you cannot feel safe in your quiet neighborhood, in your family house, in your warm bed, where can you feel safe?

After Manson, the answer for me was, Nowhere. And once that cold realization crept into my childhood room, I was no longer the kid I used to be.

So when I saw the headline in my morning newspaper telling me that Charles Manson was dead at the age of 83, I didnt read the story right away. Instead, I looked out the window at my quiet suburban San Diego street and let myself enjoy the light of a new day. A day that would be better because there was one less evil man living in it.

Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.com
El Cajon activists handed out 100 brown lunch bags Sunday, in defiance of a municipal ordinance that prohibits distributing food to the homeless on city property.

In October, the El Cajon City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting food distribution on any city-owned property, as a way to protect the public from hepatitis A.

Its a punitive measure to dehumanize and criminalize the homeless, said activist Mark Lane, who organized Sundays event.

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The hepatitis A virus is spread through human feces and is transmitted when a person accidentally consumes a small amount of fecal matter left on food, drinks, drugs or other materials. It causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea, but hand-washing can prevent infection.

El Cajon officials said that prohibiting public distribution of food will help keep residents safe from the virus, which has killed 20 people in San Diego County and sickened hundreds in the recent outbreak. Activists say the ban unfairly targets the homeless, noting that the ordinance allows people to serve food during social events such as birthdays at public parks.

In an event that was part charity, part protest, about 50 volunteers gathered at Wells Park, handing out food and personal items, while holding signs with slogans such as Helping those in need is not a crime.

A group of activists holding signs at Wells Park in El Cajon in defiance of a city ordinance that bans serving food on city property because of the recent hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego County. (Nancee E. Lewis / The San Diego Union-Tribune )

Shane Parmely, who also helped plan the event, said that the organizers mean to warn surrounding cities against adopting similar laws.

Its important that we shut this down now, before it spreads to other communities, where they treat people like garbage, she said.

The group also has an online petition regarding the food sharing ordinance that can be found here.

People who received the food on Sunday said they appreciate and count on the assistance.

I think its awesome, said Donna Garland, who has been homeless for three years, and participates in the citys homeless task force. She said continued food distribution is important, because the pressures of homelessness increase without access to fresh food.

Its difficult to get meals without a place to cook it or even a microwave, she said. Its hard to cook it, and produce goes bad.

Traci Deek, who has lived on the street for three years, said cleaning up the park and providing hand-washing facilities would be a more effective way to prevent the spread of hepatitis A than banning food distribution.

I think they should get more Porta-Potties, and clean them more often, she said.

Attorneys say First Amendment rights and equal protection are at the center of legal issues surrounding the food distribution.

Attorney Kath Rogers, a research fellow and adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, said the law turns charity into a crime, and singles out people who are poor and unsheltered.

Rich Collins, who is homeless and visually impaired, said the volunteers who bring food are a bright spot amid the struggle to survive on the street.

Every day, the struggle is real for us he said. We really do look forward to those who come every week.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan
Most of San Diegos pot farms and marijuana manufacturing sites will be concentrated in three areas of the city: Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa and near the Mexican border.

More than 85 percent of such businesses proposed last week during an initial wave of applications are in one of those three areas. Thats primarily because of strict zoning regulations that sharply limit eligible properties across the city.

San Diego is one of the few cities in the state to legalize an entire marijuana supply chain, which will be fully regulated and taxed.

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The battle to open marijuana cultivation and manufacturing businesses is expected to be intense because San Diego has set a citywide cap of 40, roughly half of the 78 applicants who requested appointments to submit initial paperwork.

Gina Austin, a local attorney representing marijuana businesses, said by telephone that only about 65 of those 78 followed through last week, softening the competition a bit.

Of the 78 initial applicants, 67 proposed to locate their businesses in either Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa or near the border.

Councilman Chris Cate, whose district includes both Mira Mesa and Kearny Mesa, said Monday by telephone that hes worried about having so many similar businesses clustered together, particularly whether they will be a threat to public safety.

We have concerns regarding saturation, he said.

Cate said it was predictable that the businesses would cluster in his district because there is an abundance of industrial zoning. That prompted him in August to request some restrictions on the businesses that would go beyond state law.

The final city regulations included many of his requests, but left out his proposal to make each business have a neighborhood liaison and a community outreach plan.

Cate said he hasnt studied whether clusters of such businesses might provide an economic boost to his district that could outweigh his public safety concerns.

Austin, the marijuana attorney, praised the city for handling the cultivation and manufacturing applications in a way that avoided a repeat of opening day in the battle to open legal medical marijuana dispensaries in 2014.

Three years ago, people lined up like fans of a rock group trying to be first in line for concert tickets.

This time around the city held a lottery instead to determine who could submit applications first, which could mean a leg up in the lengthy and complex approval process for indoor pot farms and marijuana manufacturing sites.

There were zero surprises  it was so smooth and easy, said Austin, who represents 10 of the applicants. Nobody sleeping on the sidewalks, nothing. I think the city did a great job.

Applicants had to submit comprehensive site plans and other information to the city, including a document indicating they either own the site or have gotten express permission from the owner to operate a marijuana business there.

They also had to write checks for nearly $9,000 to cover initial administrative costs, which rose to an average of $25,000 total for applicants who successfully opened dispensaries.

The process includes multiple public hearings, site visits by city planning staff and other hurdles.

The first dispensary didnt get final approval until nine months after the city began accepting applications, and only four were approved within the first year.

Austin said she expects approvals to come a bit more quickly this time around because city officials and many of the applicants have learned from past mistakes and hiccups.

But she also predicted the cultivation and manufacturing businesses would take longer to actually open than dispensaries because they are more complex businesses logistically.

My gut feeling is these will be faster in the processing and longer in the build-out, Austin said.

One reason is standards set by the National Fire Protection Association for manufacturing of hemp and liquid forms of marijuana. The standards aim to help prevent explosions and fires.

Because this wave of applicants is dealing with product creation, they must focus more on factors like electricity, ventilation and temperature, Austin said.

When you were building a dispensary, you were just throwing up walls, she said. All of this other stuff takes time.

Austin said another source of delay is new state regulations released last week that will force many San Diego applicants to re-design their proposed site plans.

Many of the local proposals envision manufacturing, cultivation and distribution businesses all at one site under one application. But the state rules require separate license holders for each, with separate entrances and exits even if the businesses share the same site.

State officials also recently announced what qualifications pot farm applicants must meet to accelerate environmental approval of their projects by participating in a universal or programmatic state environmental impact report for such businesses.

San Diego applicants will need both a state and city permit to operate legally, but the city is allowing them to start the process of securing a city permit before the state begins its approval process in January.

San Diego has also legalized marijuana testing facilities, but they are not subject to the citywide cap of 40.

Roughly 40 businesses already engaged in cultivation and manufacturing without formal city approval will be allowed to continue operating for two years, but they havent been given a leg up on obtaining permits that would give them the right to legally operate long term.

The City Treasurers Office, which issued business licenses to them, said last week in an email that it hadnt yet cross-checked its list of licensees against those who submitted applications for new pot farms and marijuana manufacturing businesses.

The ZIP code with the most proposed cultivation and manufacturing businesses is 92121, with 25. It covers western Mira Mesa and Sorrento Valley.

In second place is 92154, which includes Otay Mesa and communities near the border. It has 19 applicants.

In third place with 11 applicants is 92111 in Kearny Mesa.

Next up are 92123, also in Kearny Mesa, and 92126, in eastern Mira Mesa, with six applicants each.

More details on the approval process can be found at sandiego.gov/marijuanainfo.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
A masked man robbed a bank in Rancho Penasquitos Monday afternoon, making off with an undetermined amount of money, police said.

The robbery was reported shortly before 12:15 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank on Highlands Village Place near Camino del Sur.

The thief did not display a gun or use a demand note, said San Diego police Officer Billy Hernandez.

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The robber was described as being in his 20s, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a black mask over his face, sunglasses, a hooded sweater and camouflaged pants, police said.

karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com
A fire erupted at Naval Medical Center San Diego on Monday morning, seriously injuring a patient and three staffers.

Federal firefighters responded to the alarm at around 10:30 a.m. and confined the blaze to a single second floor room at the Dental Clinic in Building 1 of the sprawling Navy medical complex. It was extinguished by 11 a.m., according to Navy spokesman Miguel A. Alvarez.

Although initially treated in the Medical Centers emergency room, rescuers transported the four victims to the burn unit at UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest for continued care.

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The UCSD burn unit is a Level 1 pediatric and adult facility and often treats military patients.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Fire and the Naval Medical Center San Diego are probing the cause of the blaze and authorities do not know the extent of the damage, Alvarez said.

The Medical Center is also called Balboa Naval Hospital.

The dental clinic is slated to resume appointments at 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday and it remained staffed on Monday for emergency care.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
Ten years ago, the average gram of meth available in the U.S. was 39 percent pure. Today, it is being sold in a nearly pure state, manufactured in Mexican superlabs and smuggled across the border to feed an epidemic of addiction.

The drug is being peddled alongside fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, and carfentanil, a derivative so powerful that it is used as an elephant tranquilizer and can kill a human with just a speck or two.

The purity and potency of the illegal  and in some cases legal  drug market has seemed to reach new levels. It is a trend that is particularly alarming to authorities as it unfolds against the backdrop of an emerging opioid crisis that has taken an unprecedented number of lives and touches all walks of life.

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Drug poisoning deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., surpassing car crashes, suicide, homicide and guns.

It begs the question: Just how much stronger can drugs get?

That could depend on how the opioid crisis pans out, as there are indications that the craving for prescription highs and the introduction of fentanyl into the illegal market have changed appetites.

Ive got to believe that the higher potency is to compete with the higher potency of other drugs available on the market, said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, director of BING Center for Health Economics and a drug policy expert with the RAND Corporation.

That shift has hit many users by surprise, as fentanyl is increasingly being cut into traditional drugs of abuse like heroin and meth.

People are not choosing these substances, Pacula said. (Fentanyl and carfentanil) have infiltrated our supply chain and pose a serious public health risk because users arent aware.

With the stakes higher than ever, Amy Roderick, spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego, hopes the public is taking notice.

Hopefully people are educating themselves and realize its safer to stay away. It is devastating when someone in your family is addicted to these drugs, she said. We cant lay our heads down and have society be the walking dead.

Heres a look at drug purity levels over time and the current marketplace.

Methamphetamine

When U.S. laws restricted the sale of precursor chemicals needed to make methamphetamine, its production moved from domestic home labs to massive labs in Mexico run by cartels. But consumption of the drug has kept a strong foothold in the nation and San Diego County.

The drug is being sold in nearly pure form these days. Purity in 2016 was around 93 to 96 percent with prices low and stable, indicating an oversupply, according to the DEAs 2017 National Drug Threat Assessment. A 93 percent pure gram was going for $58 in 2016.

To counteract the falling prices, organizations are trying to market more to the East Coast and hook new users, authorities said. The Mexican labs are also coming up with new methods to make the drug so they dont have to rely on getting precursor chemicals from China, a supply chain that is being heavily scrutinized, the DEA reported.

Survey and treatment data shows demand for meth may be increasing. In San Diego County, deaths, reported usage and reported availability all rose over the past five years, according to the Methamphetamine Strike Force 2016 Report Card.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl, a prescription drug that has been around for decades, has been used as a painkiller and anesthetic in clinical settings.

Most of the fentanyl in the U.S. illegal market is either being made in Mexican cartel labs or is being mailed in much smaller quantities from China. It is not complicated to cut fentanyl into other drugs or make into pills, which can be especially deadly to users in the hands of an amateur mixologist. It is cheaper and easier to produce than heroin, which is produced from poppy crops, and is often deceptively marketed on the street as heroin or oxycodone pills to opioid addicts.

The fentanyl being seized coming across the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego is typically 4 to 6 percent pure, already diluted considerably by the cartels, said Roderick. The smaller quantities being mailed from China are much more pure, often 90 percent or higher, according to the DEA.

A wholesale kilogram of fentanyl in San Diego County goes for about $31,000, Roderick said. The prices increase the farther from the border.

Were seeing more fentanyl than any other DEA lab in the country due to the fact we are at the border, said Roderick.

Heroin

Heroin in San Diego County comes exclusively from Mexico, and with boosts in farming production there, the country is now the primary source of heroin for the U.S.

Lab tests show Mexican powder heroin is extremely pure, especially on the East Coast, more than the typical 40 to 50 percent dilution in that market, the DEA reported.

In San Diego in 2015 heroin was testing 35 percent pure, continuing an upward trend over the past few years.

Mexican black tar heroin, which has traditionally been the heroin of choice in San Diego, has also been increasingly replaced by refined white or brown powder heroin  another result of the opioid epidemic.

Prescription drug users dont want black tar heroin, Roderick said. That looks nasty; they want something nice and pretty.

A designer drug marketed as China White, a name that used to mean heroin now means fentanyl or perhaps an even stronger fentanyl derivative.

The illicit fentanyl and heroin markets are so intertwined it is difficult to gauge how much heroin market share fentanyl has gained, the DEA stated in its 2017 assessment.

Cocaine

Cocaine appears to coming back into fashion after its 1970s and 80s heyday.

Cocaine is really coming back with a bang, Roderick said. I expect purity to go up and prices to start back up.

Opioid addicts have been drawn to the drug recently, she said, and speedballing  mixing heroin and cocaine to balance the stimulant and depressant effects of the drugs  is becoming more popular again.

Coca production has been increasing in Colombia in recent years with the end to aerial fumigation and a financial incentive program promising to pay farmers for their illicit crops if they turn to legal ones.

While the average purity of a gram of cocaine in the U.S. has remained relatively stable in the past several years  around 45 to 49 percent  it increased to 56 percent last year. The price has dropped since then, to $165 per gram.

Since 2007, average annual cocaine purity in the United States has had a relatively strong relationship with Colombian cocaine production, although the relationship between cocaine production and domestic prices is weak, the DEA reports. This may mean other factors, including competition within drug markets, and changes in the user population, have more influence on domestic prices than previously recognized.

Marijuana

This isnt your parents pot. Marijuana has gotten increasingly stronger over the decades as the demand for designer crops has grown, the drug is decriminalized around the country and innovation flourishes.

Its a phenomenon tracked in part by the University of Mississippis Potency Monitoring Program, which tests law enforcement seizures from around the nation.

Mexico is the primary foreign source for marijuana, although marijuana is being grown increasingly in the U.S. as it is legalized in many states. While Mexican marijuana is thought to be lower grade, law enforcement reporting indicates cartels are increasing the quality to stay competitive, according to the DEA.

Traditional marijuana, the leafy kind, averaged a THC potency of 11 percent in 2015  three times the amount in 1995, according to the seizure data. (Potency is the dosage needed to affect a person, versus purity, which is the amount of drug in a sample.) The highest level of THC  the component that creates a high  tested was 37 percent.

Concentrated marijuana, known as hash oil, is incredibly more potent, with a national average of 56 percent purity in 2015, according to the universitys seizure data. Concentrated marijuana is found in vaporizers, edibles, tablets and lotions, and is how many new or experimental users might experience legalized recreational marijuana.

Some hash oil seizures tested above 90 percent potency, the university reported.

The legal market shows even higher typical potency levels  20 percent in traditional marijuana and 60 percent in concentrate being commonplace in Washington state, according to a 2017 study by RAND.

Potential users in legal states need to remember that this isnt the same weed they smoked in college, experts say.

The purity is so much higher and you run the risk of ending up hurting yourself, Roderick said.

Pacula at RAND is part of a group of experts working to identify standard doses of marijuana that can be recommended in its various forms  an area of research lacking in the U.S. due to marijuana still being illegal under federal law.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
On Spotafriend, a cellphone app marketed to teens, Logan was a 17-year-old boy looking to meet other young people in San Diego County.

In reality, police say, he was a 21-year-old man who used the app to start an unlawful sexual relationship with an underage girl.

Spotafriend, which boasts more than a million users, is touted on its website as a new way for teenagers to make friends, but many observers have described it as Tinder for Teens, likening it to the popular dating app for adults.

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The similarities are fairly obvious.

On Spotafriend, young people between the ages of 13 and 19 are invited to swipe through the profiles of others in their vicinity, just like adults do on the Tinder app. If the users on both ends swipe right, its a match  allowing them to send messages to one another.

Thats what makes Spotafriend, and other social apps that are marketed to teens, potentially dangerous, according to law enforcement officials and parent groups. Despite the companies attempts to safeguard against misuse, app users cant really be sure the people theyre trading messages with are who they say they are  or if theyre even teens at all.

Any app that encourages kids to form connections with strangers is dangerous, said Kristen Amicone, director of education and technology at the San Diego Police Foundation. She runs a program that educates youth and parents about internet safety.

Kids connecting with each other on these apps is a beautiful thing, she continued. Its (a problem) when adults come in and ruin things.

In mid-September, the person who called himself Logan on Spotafriend matched with a 14-year-old girl from Oceanside. The two chatted on the app, then began exchanging text messages. It wasnt long before the conversation turned sexual.

A day after he went to the girls home, she reported that she had been sexually assaulted.

Oceanside police arrested a suspect in that case, Isaiah Smallwood-Jackson of Vista. He now faces sex crime charges in Superior Court in North County. He also has been charged in federal court with attempted enticement of a minor.

He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

The potential danger that exists when strangers interact with children and teens on the internet is nothing new, but it has moved beyond desktop computers to smartphones, which may be harder for parents to monitor.

In a 2015 survey, the Pew Research Center found that nearly 75 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 owned or had access to a smartphone.

Another cause for concern, experts say, is that many mobile apps use the phones location technology to connect people based on their proximity to one another.

One of those apps is Yellow, which allows users to match with girls and boys who are nearby (to create a profile, you need a Snapchat account). A description on Apples iTunes reads: Yellow is a social app to meet new friends and have fun with them. Friendship is going to the next level! Its like being in a party and meeting cool people every 10 seconds.

Omegle isnt an app, but a website that can be accessed on mobile devices. A chat room of sorts, it, too, is a way to connect strangers online.

When you use Omegle, we pick someone else at random and let you talk one-on-one, a message on the website reads. To help you stay safe, chats are anonymous unless you tell someone who you are (not suggested!), and you can stop a chat at any time. Predators have been known to use Omegle, so please be careful.

A disclaimer on the site warns: Do not use Omegle if you are under 13. If you are under 18, use it only with a parent/guardians permission. Although the video chat is moderated, the site says, you may still encounter people who misbehave. They are solely responsible for their own behavior.

Investigators with the San Diego-based Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which works to identify and arrest online predators, said adults on teens apps use various ploys to lure their victims, including lying about their age on a profile or posing as the opposite sex, using fictitious personal information and photos.

Most of the apps, experts say, lack effective security measures to keep predators  or people outside their marketed age group  away.

Spotafriends verification process to vet individuals older than 19 requires new users to take and submit a selfie in a specific pose  holding up three fingers, for example. In a previous statement to the Union-Tribune, Spotafriends technical support team said, in part, that the apps verification process relies on age-recognition software that has successfully blocked 99% of unwanted users.

But investigators say no security measures are foolproof.

In the case involving the man posing as Logan, the suspect listed his age as 17 on Spotafriend, but the description included in his profile noted: (must be open minded) Im actually 21, according to the federal complaint.

Some of the apps are trying, but theres always a way around, said San Diego police Sgt. Dale Flamand, a member of the task force.

More than 130 investigators from 34 agencies serve on the task force, which investigates internet crimes in three counties: San Diego, Imperial and Riverside. There are 60 other regional task forces across the country that focus on investigating internet crimes against children.

At any given time, each local investigator on the task force has 40 to 50 open cases, many of them involving making or sharing child pornography. Perhaps the most time-consuming  and important  task is skimming through a suspects electronics, including cellphones, which can be seized after investigators obtain and serve a search warrant.

Investigators said about 95 percent of the sexual predators are men, with gender being the only common characteristic. They vary widely in age, race and socioeconomic status.

As for the victims, investigators said, boys and girls are represented fairly evenly in the cases theyve investigated. Its not uncommon for victims to be 11 or 12 years old, with the youngest being around 8 or 9 years old.

Experts agree that parents have to be diligent in monitoring childrens cellphones and their interactions on the devices.

Its on the parents, said Flamand. Theyre giving their child a gateway into the world when they give them that phone or that tablet. The good, the bad, the ugly.

He noted a recent case in which a San Diego mother helped foil a 24-year-old mans attempt to meet up with her 11-year-old daughter.

Their first encounter was on Candid, a now defunct mobile app that allowed people of any age to discuss topics while remaining anonymous.

Within days, the man engaged in sexually-explicit conversations with the girl, sent her nude photos of himself and urged her to do the same, authorities said.

When the girls mother found those conversations on an iPad, she called police.

An officer with the task force took over the chats, posing as the girl, and set up a meeting with the suspect, later identified as Miguel Cervantes. On March 30, Cervantes drove to a McDonalds restaurant close to the girls house, thinking he was meeting her.

Instead, he met police.

Cervantes pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted enticement of a minor. He was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
A person was hit and killed by an Amtrak train struck n in Oceanside Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Sheriffs deputies received the call shortly before 3 p.m. that someone had been struck on Cassidy Street, just past Broadway, where the street crosses the railroad tracks, Lt. Matthew Glisson said.

A southbound train was traveling approximately 50 to 60 mph when the train operator saw a male pedestrian standing on the tracks.

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The train operator applied the emergency brakes but was not able to stop in time.

No further details about the pedestrian were immediately available.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriffs Department at (858) 565-5200.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan
In 2016, the U.S. economy served as a punching bag for then-candidate Donald Trump. Today, it has become a lifeline for an otherwise embattled presidency.

Trump has increasingly grabbed for that line, touting low unemployment, record high stock market values and healthy economic growth rates in speeches and his ubiquitous tweets.

Great numbers on Stocks and the Economy. If we get Tax Cuts and Reform, we'll really see some great results!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

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Reactions from voters, even some who are otherwise skeptical of the president, show how the economys strong performance has bolstered Trumps standing.

At a recent focus group that Peter Hart, a longtime Democratic pollster, conducted in Wilmington, N.C., for Emory University, even participants who voted for Trump last year sharply criticized his administration, calling it chaotic embarrassing and disappointing.

Of the five Trump voters among the dozen participants, only one still strongly supported the president. The harsh critiques from the other four followed a pattern that Hart found earlier this year, illustrating how a segment of Trump voters, mostly college-educated and middle- to upper-income whites, has turned against him because of his behavior.

But when the subject turned to the economy, opinions of Trump noticeably warmed.

Trump wants to bring the economy jobs  infrastructure, construction, said Katrina Harrell, a 38-year-old black self-employed businesswoman who voted for Hillary Clinton last year. Harrell was extremely critical of almost all other aspects of the administration, but on the economy she gave Trump credit.

I think those are good moves, she said. I mean, thats what he knows  business.

Another Clinton voter, Jacob Eubank, a 35-year-old, white administrator at the University of North Carolina campus in Wilmington, shared a similar view.

I think hes good just for the stock market, he said.

Michael Leimone, a 41-year-old cook who voted for Trump last year but now finds him disappointing, praised his economic record.

I think hes turning it in the right direction, he said.

Comments like that exasperate Democratic officials, who say that theres little evidence to back Trumps claim that his election has worked a turnaround in the U.S. economy.

The unemployment rate, for example, has dropped steadily for more than eight years. It was at 5% or below throughout 2016  at a time when Trump sometimes said official unemployment statistics were fake  and the downward trend continued this year. Unemployment now sits at just over 4%.

Similarly, the stock market was on the rise for almost all of President Obamas eight years in office and has continued to tick upward since Trumps election.

Moreover, few of Trumps economic policies have actually been adopted.

His trade policies mostly remain as rhetoric. He withdrew from a proposed 12-nation trade agreement in Asia, but it had not yet taken effect. Other deals that he had lambasted remain intact.

The tax cut bill making its way through Congress would be the first major piece of economic legislation to pass in his tenure.

The biggest policy steps from his administration have mostly involved efforts to roll back federal environmental regulations, but even on that front, many of the largest efforts remain works in progress.

Trump would not be the first president to gain politically from a good economy that he didnt fully bring about  or suffer from a bad one that wasnt his fault.

Presidential popularity typically rises and falls with economic performance even though economists generally agree that presidents have limited ability to affect the short-term ups and downs of the business cycle.

Right now, Trump is clearly on the winning side of the economic statistics.

Polling by numerous organizations shows that the sentiments expressed in Harts focus group are widespread: While some Americans support Trump all the way and others loathe everything about him, a significant segment expresses different views depending on which aspect of the president theyre focused on.

His behavior  his tweets, his public quarrels, his racial divisiveness  all draw sharply negative responses. So, too, does his handling of healthcare.

But on the economy, Americans tend to give Trump higher marks. In Gallups surveys, for example, the share of voters who approve of Trumps handling of the economy has run about 8 percentage points ahead of the share who approve of his overall job performance.

White House aides do what they can to bolster the message that Trump should get credit for good economic times.

In a tweet on Saturday, for example, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declared that if you thought 2017 economy was surprisingly good, just wait for 2018, linking to a report on a forecast by Goldman Sachs, the New York-based investment and securities firm.

Ironically, one of the major risks that the firm included in the forecast was Trumps trade policy, particularly his threat to end the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. If negotiations now underway dont succeed in keeping the deal largely intact, it could significantly hurt economic growth next year, the forecast said.

That possibility points to a potential downside for Trump: Sooner or later, the economy, which has been growing for nearly nine years, will sour.

If the political prop of a good economy disappears, its hard to know how much lower Trumps standing with voters might drop. Already, despite the good economic statistics, his job approval sits at a historically low level for a president in his first year.

If a downturn happens on his watch, Trump would have trouble persuading voters to blame the problems on his predecessors, having so forcefully claimed credit for the economys positive performance.

For now, thats a problem for the future. Faced with a multitude of challenges elsewhere, Trump is happy to proclaim what he recently called the great American comeback.

And the economic boost has helped prompt at least some voters to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I expected a lot out of him, said Leimone, one of the focus group participants, when asked about his tough criticisms of Trump. But, he added, Im still optimistic. He still has a lot of time to prove something.

David.Lauter@latimes.com

For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter
Trei oficiali americani spun ca evaluarile preliminare au sugerat ca racheta care a ajuns in Polonia a fost lansata de fortele ucrainene asupra uneia rusesti - AP
Charles Manson died Sunday after having spent nearly 50 years behind bars for orchestrating the gruesome murders of pregnant Hollywood actress Sharon Tate and others in Los Angeles over the course of two days in the summer of 1969.

As has been documented, Manson manipulated his followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten and Charles Tex Watson, to commit one of the most notorious mass murders in history.

One night in August 1969, the four broke into the home where Tate and film director Roman Polanski lived on a street named Cielo Drive. There they awoke Tate and four other victims in the middle of the night, rounded them up and stabbed and shot them to death. Their bodies were discovered the following morning on Aug. 9.

Who they were before the infamous incident has been chronicled over the years. And with the death of Manson, their memory has become once again a big part of the conversation. Their names are worth remembering today as everyone discusses Manson, too.

Gary Hinman

Gary Hinman, 34, was the first victim in a series of killings by the Manson family in July 1969. Hinman was a musician and had apparently sold some bad mescaline to one of Mansons followers, Bobby Beausoleil.

Over the course of three days, Manson followers tortured him and then stabbed him to death.

Sharon Tate

The Texas-born Hollywood actress was known for her role in the film Valley of the Dolls. She was 26 and was 8 1/2 months pregnant the night Mansons followers entered the home where she and Polanski lived in Los Angeles.

There, Tate was stabbed 16 times as she pleaded for her life and that of her unborn child. Her body as well as that of four other victims were found the following morning.

Steven Parent

At 18, Steven Parent was the first and the youngest victim of the group killed that night. He was a recent graduate from Arroyo High School and worked two jobs, one as a delivery boy for a plumbing company and the other as a salesman for a stereo company.

Parent had an interest in electronics and, on the night he was killed, he was on the Cielo Drive property trying to sell a clock radio to another young man, William Garretson. As Parent left that night, he was confronted by Watson who slashed his hand with a knife and then shot him multiple times.

Jay Sebring

Jay Sebring had served in the U.S. Navy where he developed a sense of style cutting mens hair before he became a renowned Hollywood hairdresser for celebrities like Marlon Brando, Milton Berle, and even Jim Morrison.

Before she met and married Polanski, Tate and Sebring had previously dated. The night of their murder, Sebring reportedly protested the assailants treatment of Tate, who was pregnant. He was then shot and stabbed multiple times. He was 35.

Voytek Frykowski

At the time, Voytek Frykowski was a friend of Polanski and Tate. The 32-year-old, and his girlfriend Abigail Folger, had been housesitting at the home where the murders happened. The night of the murder, Frykowski freed himself from a towel wrapped around his hands and wrestled with Atkins.

Watson tackled him from behind, beat him in the head and then shot him twice before stabbing him several more times.

Abigail Folger

Abigail Folger, 25, was the heir of the Folger Coffee Company. Folger and her boyfriend Frykowski had been the designated housesitters of the home where the murders happened while Polanski and Tate traveled for work.

After a brief struggle with one of the assailants, Folger tried to escape and ran outside the home where eventually she was stabbed to death.

Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca

The couple was killed the following day in their home, selected at random, by Manson and several of his followers. Leno, 44, was an executive for Gateway Ranch Markets and Rosemary, 38, was a dress shop co-owner, and the two lived in a home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The couple had just returned to Los Angeles from a trip to Lake Isabella on the night of Aug. 10 when the Manson family entered their home under the pretense of robbing the couple. They were stabbed to death that night.

Leno LaBiancas four children, who were not in the home the night the murders happened, later testified against Manson follower Leslie Van Houten as she came up for a parole hearing last year. Van Houten had been convicted for her role in the killing of Rosemary LaBianca, but was denied parole by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Donald Shorty Shea

Donald Shea, 35, was an aspiring Hollywood actor who worked wrangling horses at a ranch called Sahns Movie Ranch where Manson and some of his followers had lived at one point.

Police raided the ranch to arrest Mansons family on auto theft charges, which led Manson to suspect Shea had led authorities to their arrest. Manson then led his followers to kill Shea on Aug. 28, 1969. Sheas body wasnt found until 1977 when one of the Manson followers, Steve Grogan, told police where it was located.

On Monday, the death of Manson resurfaced stories and memories about them.

Some people noted that instead of commenting about Manson, people should remember his victims.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
The surprising faces of hunger and how you can help

Hunger is pervasive, what with 1 in 8 people in the United States struggling with it. In San Diego County alone, almost half a million residents face food insecurity.

What you may not realize is many who need help are employed, working to support spouses, children or other family members. Indeed, the faces of hunger may surprise you.

Families with jobs

Perhaps the most surprising faces of hunger are people with jobs, especially in dual-income households. However, the high cost of living means even those who are employed may still struggle to feed their families. More than half of people who rely on food assistance live in working households, and they need food banks for more than just emergencies.

"Most report depending on the local food pantry as part of their regular survival strategy," according to Oxfam, an organization that fights poverty. "Most face wrenching choices between paying for food or heating their home, buying medicine for a family member, or making the mortgage."

This is particularly problematic in San Diego, where the cost of living is more than 40 percent above the national average.

Military families

Nationally, about 30 percent of households that use food banks include someone who has served or is serving in the military, according to a Hunger in America report.

"Many people find it surprising that the Food Bank serves low-income military families, but military families experience the same financial difficulties that other low-income families face," according to a report for the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

Military families have many of the same struggles as other people, including having to pay for housing, utilities and food. Additionally, military spouses have a high unemployment rate, partially because of how frequently their families have to move.

Did you know that a lot of the food in your fridge or pantry is edible beyond the printed expiration date? 

College students

The image of the poor college student is a common one, but there is a difference between having to watch movies at home instead of going to the theater and struggling to afford food that will give a student enough energy to focus on studies.

"For college students from impoverished backgrounds, attending college can be an exercise in basic survival," according to the San Diego Food Bank. "This is because students from low-income backgrounds suffer financial hardship and many face a daily struggle with food insecurity which is the inability to access adequate food."

Most students who are food insecure say they do not perform well academically because of it, and some have to miss or drop classes.

Seniors

Because many seniors live on fixed incomes, they have little leeway in how they spend their money. The costs associated with daily living, including paying for medication, leave them financially insecure.

"These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss," according to the National Council on Aging. "For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change todays realities into tomorrows troubles."

Seniors with pets will also go hungry to ensure their furry companions eat. Along with pet food, the needs are not elaborate  a typical senior offering includes canned meats, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, cheese, rice, pasta, fruit juice, shelf-stable milk, cereal and fresh produce.

How you can help

From helping college students and seniors to giving hungry school children food on the weekends, and running many programs between, the local food bank serves an array of people. It also has many opportunities for you to help:
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had said Thushar was behind an alleged BJP bid to poach TRS MLAs.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/20/2017 -- Market Research Hub has included a new report in its repository titled 'Brexit - One Year Later - Ireland - October 2017'. In this report, the effect of Brexit on Northern Ireland, Rest of Ireland and United Kingdom is discussed. It has been discussed in the report that tourism will be one of the main sectors to have an impact of Brexit as the downward fall in the value of pound sterling will make Irish holidays dearer for the visitors from the United Kingdom. In addition, due to economic uncertainty, British people will be more cautious about discretionary spending and this may adversely affect the number of visitors from the United Kingdom. However, assuming that the pound sterling remains weak, it will become cheaper for the people of Ireland to visit the United Kingdom and especially holidays in North Ireland will become cheaper for the tourists.



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Effect of Brexit on Ireland



It is being reported that the economy of Ireland will be adversely impacted due to Brexit and if a deal is not reached between Ireland and the United Kingdom, it will further harm the Irish economy. Ireland represents the fifth-largest market for goods from the United Kingdom and is a significant partner of Northern Ireland's exports and a deal that safeguards the interests of both the parties is badly needed. In addition, a hard border between Ireland and United Kingdom will give rise to new tariffs and paperwork, and this will result in slowing down of the trade between the two countries and also lead to added costs to consumers and business establishments. Meanwhile, there have been only vague reassurances from the British government to streamline the trade between the two countries.



Report Inclusions



The report starts with an overview and covers important issues that have been included in the report. The report also gives an executive summary in which market factors are discussed. It is being stated in the report that Northern Ireland, Rest of Ireland and United Kingdom are dependent on trade with each other. Also, it has been stated in the report that farmers expect Brexit to impact their businesses. Also, it has been mentioned in the report that the business confidence in the United Kingdom will suffer a significant fall due to the adverse impact of Brexit. Also, the report states the description of the consumer finances compared to a year ago, in Northern Ireland and Rest of Ireland, September 2017. In addition, data has been stated which talks about how consumers feel Brexit will impact their future personal situation. This data is regarding NI and RoI, September 2017. It has also been stated in the report that consumers are uncertain about the Brexit impact on the economy. Moreover, it has been stated in the report that Brexit impact on sterling has a potential to benefit Northern Ireland. Also, the report states that Dublin is seeking to benefit from the departure of United Kingdom from the European Union.



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Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/20/2017 -- The World Menopause Treatment Market drivers are rise in population, increasing awareness regarding women health, development of healthcare and gynaecology centres, and development in drugs especially the advancements in hormonal drugs etc. The market restraints are the complications of drug treatment such as osteoporosis, bleeding, high cost of treatment, etc. The Global Menopause Treatment Market is expected to reach USD 3.3 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 4.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023. Menopause is termed as the stage of the end of the fertile phase in women which generally occurs at the age of 40 in almost 85% of women.



Menopause results in reduced estrogen production and increased gonadotropin, resulting in the cessation of their menstrual cycle and menstrual flow. These physiological changes result in vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms are transition between two phases which are peri-menopause and menopause. The major symptoms associated with menopause are as follows



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Hot flashes - Hot flash is the most frequent symptoms of menopause which causes feeling of intensity of heat and excessive sweating. Formication - Formication in an abnormal skin sensation, itchiness, tingling or burning on the skin and other.



Migraine - Migraine is intense headache which can last from few hours up to many days generally affecting one side of the head. Migraine is a direct effect of hormonal fluctuations of menstrual cycle. Psychological symptoms associated with menopause are fatigue, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, insomnia etc. Other symptoms of menopause are dysfunctional uterine bleeding, disturbed sleep pattern and others.



Some of the key players profiled in the report are Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Novo Nordisk A/S, Pfizer, Inc., Allergan plc, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Cipla Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and others.



Regional Analysis:



The Americas account for a significant market share owing to high expenditure on the healthcare. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new products in the US drives the menopause treatment market. Furthermore, concentration of the major healthcare companies in the developed countries of this region coupled with large insurance penetration is adding fuel to the market growth. Moreover, the US expend high amount on its healthcare, which accounts for 16% of total GDP, that also increases the sale in menopause treatment market.



Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and strong healthcare penetration. The European market growth is led by countries such as Germany and France. The UK is expected to be the fastest growing market over the assessment period. The strong pharmaceutical industry in Germany is a strong driver behind the dominance of this country in Europe.



Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly; China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing healthcare sector and large unmet needs over the forecast period. South East Asian countries such as China, India, and Malaysia are projected to contribute highly to the market growth. The growing penetration of healthcare insurance in the Asia Pacific region is expected to drive the future menopause treatment market in the region.



Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. Other Middle East nations to watch out for are Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Iran. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions, and poor healthcare development.



Major TOC for Menopause Treatment Market:



Report Prologue



2. Market Introduction



2.1 Definition



2.2 Scope of the Study



2.2.1 Research Objective



2.2.2 Assumptions



2.2.3 Limitations



3. Research Methodology



3.1 Introduction



3.2 Primary Research



3.3 Secondary research



3.4 Market Size Estimation



4. Market Dynamics



4.1 Drivers



4.2 Restrains



4.3 Opportunities



4.4 Challenges



4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators



4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment



5. Market Factor Analysis



5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis



5.2 Value Chain Analysis



5.3 Investment Feasibility Analysis



5.4 Pricing Analysis



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Thierry Zomahoun is the president and chief executive officer of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), and founder and chairman of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF), which helps foster collaboration among young African scientists.

In an effort to raise Africas profile in how science and mathematics can address development challenges, Zomahoun is promoting NEFs scientific programme as a platform to connect science, society and policy.

He believes Africa is in a good position to lead the quantum tech revolution  which relies on computing that is based on quantum mechanics to advance data processing and technological breakthroughs  by harnessing its scientific talent to define solutions that address problems peculiar to Africa and the developing world.

Zomahoun talked with SciDev.Net during the 10th World Conference of Science Journalists (October 26-30) in San Francisco, United States.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.



What role can Africa play in the quantum revolution?

I believe that Africa will play a big role. We are working on it and we want to make it possible for Africa to lead this technological revolution. If you look back, we missed the analogue and digital revolution. We are still trying to catch up with the digital revolution.

We want to lead in the quantum revolution because we have the talent, the young Africans  when we take populations from other parts of the world where most people are ageing, this is a disadvantage. [This is] the second thing that made me say Africa will lead the quantum revolution.

The third reason that makes the African continent a good candidate to lead the quantum revolution has to do with political will. Our leaders are determined to provide the legal and policy framework we need to make it possible for researchers worldwide to come to Africa.

How will the quantum revolution benefit Africa, what difference will it make?

The first area that will benefit African researchers is collaboration for research. When Africa starts investing in quantum research and technology development, we will be drawing researchers from Central America to Europe and Asia. This can help build skills, strengthen research infrastructure and add value to the efforts of young African scientists.

Another benefit will [be] the increase of overall data analytical capacity building [in the region]. We have enormous data on the continent, generated since the 1960s. They have not been used yet. Positioning Africa to lead the quantum revolution will imply you have trained people in data analysis and processing data in real time.

The last area in which the continent can benefit is on the policy level. [The] quantum revolution will require another set of regulations and policies. For instance, the banking sector is talking about the confidentiality of customer and client banking data  how do you continue to keep things confidential in the age of the quantum revolution and artificial intelligence?

This change would take three generations, or within 45 years. The benefits can be measured by the small industries that would benefit from it. If you look at what we have achieved in industries we have created, thanks to the digital revolution, you can tell [how quantum revolution will benefit us].

What are the challenges in terms of using the results of scientific breakthroughs from developing regions such as Africa [considering that 1% of global research comes from Africa]

You hear the mention that Africas contribution to global research is less than 1%, but let us not forget there is a huge hidden reality in that 1%. Twenty years ago, nobody was talking about research coming out from Africa. We were talking about scientists from Africa who are living and doing research abroad.

If you take the past 12-15 years, Africas research has more than tripledthis is something that people are not talking about. Yes, at 1% this [level of contribution] raises concerns. But when you realise that no other region has even tripled its research output in just one decade, it tells you a couple of things  that first, we are not hiding the challenge we are facing; and second, if you see the quality in that 1%, there has been a paradigm shift. If Africa can maintain and quadruple its research output every decade, you can imagine in three to four or five decades from now where we are headed.
Last week Pearl Mist arrived in Havana. The ship's 11-day 'Cuban Cultural Voyages' circumnavigate the island and are scheduled through December, then resuming in 2018 February to April and November through December.

In January this year, Pearl Seas became one of the first cruise lines granted approval by the US and Cuban governments to sail to Cuba. Its program focuses on immersive people-to-people cultural exchange and plenty of direct engagment with Cubans.

Pearl Mist sails round-trip Port Everglades and visits Cienfuegos, Trinidad, El Cobre and Santiago de Cuba in addition to Havana.

Experiences include meeting local musicians, historians and artists. exploring Havana in a classic American car, a pottery demonstration in Trinidad and a guided visit to Cojimar, the fishing village that inspired Ernest Hemingways 'The Old Man and the Sea.'

A free, one-night pre-cruise hotel package including transportation to the ship is currently available on all new bookings for the spring 2018 Cuba sailings.
SEGUMAR Houston -Texas is to focus on giving Panama Ship Registry users specialised information and attention related to the thriving industry of offshore support vessels.

These offshore units not only include offshore drilling units (MODUS) but also platforms, barges and barge units.

Services will include Letters of authorisation (required for technical certificates on board, exemptions and any other required by the ship); Approvals, endorsement and exemption of international tonnage certificates (CCI-69); Minimum safety crew certificates; Certificates of exemption referring to all codes and agreements approved by Panama; Bunker Certificates (BCC); Certificates of Shipwreck Removal (WRC); Certificates of the Athens Convention (PAL); Certificate of responsibility for damages due to oil pollution, 1992 (CLC92); ISM statements for the company and the Declaration of the designated person endorsement

It is also to offer advice and coordination regarding issues related to accident investigation, Annual Safety Inspection (ASI), Flag State Control, Port State Control (PSC), as well as any other service that is required.

The Gulf of Mexico has the worlds largest number of offshore units which is why the largest providers of services and products dedicated to the technological and optimal evaluation of oil wells, have their headquarters in Houston.

The global service network of SEGUMAR is one of the major projects launched by the Panama Ship Registry, which has opened four new Technical Offices in London, Manila, Dubai, and now in Texas.

In addition, the SEGUMAR-New York Office was moved to Miami, in Florida joining Piraeus, Istanbul, Singapore, Busan, Imabari, Seoul, Tokyo and the one located at the main headquarters in Panama City.
Sokhna World Zone is to be an integrated industrial and residential zone covering some 95 sq km, owned 51% by SCZone and 49% by DP World, an audience of investors and businesses in Dubai was told.

As many as 400,000 jobs could be created by development of the new zone, said Adm. Mamish, who added that further details of the plan would be released by the Egyptian authorities in coming months.

The zone will be managed by DP World, which already operates the port of DP World Sokhna, The Dubai-based group will bring its experience of having successfully creating and run the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), as well as its expertise in global ports and logistics.

Jafza currently has over 7,300 companies on site and will act as is a model for the Sokhna World Zone that will similarly target small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and be 1.5 times bigger, said Bin Sulayem.

The new zone will transform the Suez Canal and establish a trade and business hub, changing the lives of thousands and those of future generations, he added, in just the same way that DP World has been able to diversify the Dubai and UAE economy.
Drilon: Martial law extension should be based on evidence

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should present evidence that will justify the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Drilon made the statement in a radio interview on Sunday amidst talks of possible extension of Martial Law in Mindanao, which will lapse by December 31, 2017.

"Let us decide on the basis of the evidence. They said the problem has already been addressed, but now they're asking for an extension," Drilon said.

"Hihingin natin kung ano ang kanilang basehan bakit papahabain na naman itong martial law," he added.

He stressed that talks of possible extension of martial law in Mindanao would only create fear among Mindanaoans most especially the people of Marawi, who are struggling to bring their lives back to normal.

Drilon is among the four senators who voted against the extension or martial law last July, which included Senators Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan.

The minority leader also stressed that under the Constitution, it is Congress which will approve any possible extension of martial law.

He cited Section 18, Article VII of the Constitution, which provides that "upon the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in the same manner, extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by the Congress, if the invasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it."

"Sa Saligang Batas ay dapat ay hilingin nila formally sa kongreso at ang kongreso ang may kapangyarihan na i-extend iyan," he said.

"Kaya ang palagay ko naman, yung 'deemed accepted' is it is deemed accepted by the President. Hindi naman siguro gagawin ng pangulo na i-extend, on his own account. Alam ng pangulo ang ating saligang batas, na ang dapat mag-authorize sa extension ay ang kongreso," Drilon said.
Drilon bats for transparency in budget amendments

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Sunday expressed confidence that his colleagues will support his proposal that will require every amendment to the proposed 2018 national budget to be presented and scrutinized in open session.

"We should discuss every amendment to the budget in open session," Drilon said in an interview with DZBB on Sunday.

Unlike past practices where amendments were submitted through the committee, Drilon explained that each senator, who wants to submit an amendment, would now have to present it on the floor for the chamber's consideration.

"We will discuss and scrutinize them item-for-item in the spirit transparency," he said.

According to Drilon, the budget, considered the most important piece of legislation that Congress makes every year, "should be discussed in an open and transparent manner."

"It is about time that we provide some light into the budget process," Drilon said.

His proposal, Drilon added, will ease fears about legislators trying to hide "pork barrel" in the budget.

"Every year legislators are accused of hiding pork barrel elsewhere. We can easily disprove and bury that accusation by making the budget process more transparent," Drilon said.

Drilon said that he, too, would propose various amendments to the budget, including the re-alignment of about P1.4 billion in anti-illegal drug campaign budget to support the housing program for personnel of the Philippine National Police.

The senator said that there is no reason for legislators to be ashamed of proposing amendments in the open if it is for the best interest of the people.
Press Release

November 20, 2017 De Lima optimistic Aquino can defend self over Mamasapano charges Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed belief that former President Benigno Aquino III will be able to defend himself before the court and prove his innocence over the controversial Mamasapano clash in January 2015. De Lima, who stands by former president Aquino as he faces trial over his role in the anti-terrorist operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, said she is confident that truth and justice will prevail in the end. "President Aquino, as Citizen Noynoy, will now have the opportunity to present his case before our tribunals, of how he, as President, made the difficult choice of ordering the capture of a most wanted terrorist, but with the possibility of casualties on the government side, as what eventually happened," she said in a Dispatch from Crame No. 195. "I have no doubt that, armed with a firm conviction as to the merits or soundness of his judgment call in the light of then available information supplied to him and honorable as he is, PNoy is capable of defending himself, not only before the tribunals of justice, but more importantly, before the judgment of history and the people he so faithfully served," she added. The Senator from Bicol made the statement after the Ombudsman charged Aquino with graft and usurpation of authority in relation with the Mamasapano massacre in 2015. Aquino is facing one count each for violation of Section 3(a) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and usurpation of official function as defined under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code. The Ombudsman reportedly accused Aquino of allowing Director General Alan Purisima, then suspended chief of the Philippine National Police, to participate in planning the operation of the anti-terrorist raid. De Lima, who was justice secretary at the time of the incident, maintained that Aquino only did what he believed was best during the situation and for the people he served. "The Mamasapano Tragedy is one of those 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' decisions a President makes. It was a choice between letting a terrorist bomber slip away once again to wreak more destruction on civilians, or capture him with the concomitant risks an operation such as his capture in hostile territory entails," she said. "Do we even care how many hundreds of civilian lives were saved, at the cost of 44 of our bravest and noblest? Whether we like it or not, that is how our government asks our soldiers and our policemen to put their lives at risk, and if need be, to be the first to die, in order for us to live in peace," she added. De Lima, who herself is awaiting her vindication over the trumped-up drug charges filed against her by the Duterte administration, said she only wishes vindication for Aquino.
Press Release

November 20, 2017 GATCHALIAN STATEMENT ON DISMISSAL OF ESBI-LWUA CASE The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the dismissal of all charges against me concerning the allegedly anomalous acquisition of the Express Savings Bank, Inc. (ESBI) by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). All charges filed against members of my family in connection to the same case have also been dropped. Integrity is the most meaningful measure of a person's worth as a public servant. Knowing this, I have tried my best to wield the powers of government vested in me with honor, transparency, and accountability during my 17-year career in public service. Unfortunately, I have learned that some people will do anything to damage your reputation for political purposes, no matter how carefully you conduct yourself in public affairs. Hopefully, the triumph of truth over the baseless allegations unfairly thrown against me and family will redeem our reputations in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people. I am grateful to the honorable Sandiganbayan for its fair and objective treatment of our case. I hope that this resolution will finally put the issue to rest, once and for all.
Press Release

November 20, 2017 No Need to Involve PNP in Drug War For Now - Gatchalian Senator Win Gatchalian sees no immediate need to involve the Philippine National Police once more in the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs, citing the record-breaking performance of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during its first month at the helm of the drug war. The senator's comments came after President Rodrigo Duterte had brought up the possibility of re-authorizing the PNP to conduct anti-illegal drug operations. "PDEA's performance as the sole agency in-charge of the government's campaign against illegal drugs has been nothing short of spectacular. We should give PDEA more time to fulfill this mandate on its own," said Gatchalian on Monday. PDEA reported a record high of 1,341 anti-illegal drug operations for the period October 10 to November 10, resulting in the arrest of 404 drug personalities and the seizure of almost P54 million worth of banned substances. Meanwhile, there were only two reported casualties during these operations: one PDEA agent and one drug suspect. "PDEA operatives have been arresting drug personalities and seizing drugs at record pace with almost zero loss of life as a result. In essence, PDEA has instituted the reforms needed to restore public confidence in the integrity of the government's war on drugs. They deserve the continuing confidence of the President as the undisputed leader of the national crusade against drugs," Gatchalian said. To further enhance the government's anti-drug efforts the senator said the government should work to double the manpower complement of PDEA, which has less than 2,000 drug enforcement officers (DEOs). He also said the anti-drug agency should continue to train its sights primarily on high-level drug personalities. "Targeting high-level drug dealers will result in high-impact operations which will cut the supply of illegal drugs straight at the source," Gatchalian said. Meanwhile, the senator said the national police force could still make significant contributions to the improvement of the country's peace and order situation: "Illegal drugs is only one of many public order problems which require the attention of law enforcement authorities. The PNP should take this opportunity to make our streets safer by flexing its muscles against other forms of crime."
GATCHALIAN'S CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECH ON THE STUDENT FARE DISCOUNT ACT

Mr. President, dear colleagues, it is with great honour and privilege that I stand to sponsor Senate Bill No. 1597 or the Student Fare Discount Act, Alongside my hardworking seatmate, Sen. Sonny Angara.

With the passage of the Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act", education is now accessible from kindergarten to tertiary level.

However, in spite of the implementation of the tuition fee, many of today's youth are still unable to finish school due to expense associated with attending classes in schools, such as transportation costs and increasing prices of basic neccesities.

The Student Fare Discount Act seeks to minimize the burden of other incidental education-related expenditures that our students have to hurdle on a daily basis--by institutionalizing student fare discounts.

All children deserves access to the tools necessary for a good education. In the same vein that we provide relief to our senior citizens and PWDs, the fare discount to students will afford both students and their parents the assistance and encouragement to believe that education is the primordial goal of the government and as such, a learning environment that best meets his or her needs will always find support in our present system.

Thank you Mr. President.
Press Release

November 20, 2017 LET US NOT FAIL OUR CHILDREN

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros Speech on the Celebration of National Children's Month and the United Nations' Universal Children's Day Mr. President, I rise on a point of personal and collective privilege. Today, we celebrate the United Nation's Universal Children's Day. The month of November also marks the celebration of National Children's Month in accordance with Republic Act No. 10661 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. This declaration commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989, and seeks to instill its significance in the Filipino consciousness. The Senate is not only called upon to celebrate this important event, but to maximize its powers of oversight to safeguard and protect the rights of all Filipino children, regardless of gender, status, background and circumstances. Mr. President, bukod sa pagdiriwang, ngayon ay araw ng dakilang pag-gunita para sa mga batang inabuso, pinagkaitan ng magandang kinabukasan at ninakawan ng buhay. Today, we remember 4-year old Althea Fhem Barbon who died from a gunshot wound as she went out to buy popcorn with her father who was a target of a buy-bust operation. Today, we remember 5-year old Danica Mae Garcia who was preparing to go to school when two motorcycle-riding men barged into their home and opened-fire at her grandfather hitting her in the head. Today, we remember 5-year old Francis Manosca who was sleeping with his mother and other siblings when a bullet intended for his father was fired through a closed window, killing him instead. Today, we remember 17-year old Kian Delos Santos who was captured on CCTV being dragged by the police and later found dead in a nearby vacant lot with several bullet wounds piercing his body. Today, we remember them and all the children and the youth who fell victims to extra judicial killings. May this remembrance come with a commitment to honor them by seeking justice for the violence that took them away from their loved ones, and robbed them of what may have been a fulfilling life. Mr. President, today is a good day to be reminded of the state's responsibility to "provide special protection to children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty exploitation and discrimination and other conditions, prejudicial to their development." The numbers yielded by the 2016 National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children conducted by the Council for the Welfare of Children, UNICEF, and other government and CSO partners paint a disturbing picture. Three in 5 Filipino children experience physical violence, with more than half of this happening where children should feel the safest, in their homes. Sexual violence is experienced by 1 in every 5 Filipino children below the age of 18. As it victimizes both girls and boys, sexual violence chooses no gender. The age of sexual consent and the age of statutory rape in our country is a related concern. At 12 years old, ours is among the lowest in the world. This low level of legal protection presents greater risks to children for sexual exploitation and abuse. The vulnerability of our LGBT children to all forms of violence should likewise be underscored. Not only are they subjected to physical and psychological violence, but almost one-third suffer from sexual violence. We also need to expand our understanding of the definition of child pornography to include, for instance livestreaming of sexual acts. Rapid technological advancements have abetted the rise of online violence. While we can take comfort that we have laws like the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, the Anti-Trafficking Act of 2003, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 lack of public awareness and the weak enforcement of these laws have rendered our children more vulnerable to sexual violence and cyber-bullying. Mr. President, with these alarming realities of violence against children in our country, we need to ensure the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence against Children which seeks to address socio-economic risks by ensuring that economic policies have clear connections to reducing violence against children, promote a safe environment for our children, ensure that child protection systems are functional by exercising oversight powers and strengthen our justice system particularly our family courts so that victims of severe cases of violence are swiftly resolved in the best interest of the child. Mr. President, and esteemed colleagues in the Senate, violence against children is all around us, happening in all spheres of their young life - at home, in school and the community, the workplace, in the digital environment, and in institutions. This exposure to violence is without regard to a child's gender, status, background and circumstances in our country. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse and online violence create lasting emotional and psychological scars, and victims may themselves later on become perpetrators of violence as a result of their experiences. The burden of violence to society comes at an immense cost in the form of additional expenses on health care, child welfare support services, as well as the increased costs to the criminal justice system when child victims are at an increased risk of becoming children in conflict with the law, among others. Our country loses when abused children are less able to contribute, and become unproductive members of their community. Mr. President and honorable members of the Senate, let us act now, let us address these challenges, let us protect and empower all children to allow them to thrive as individuals who have rights and have the enormous potential as human beings. Let us not fail our children by protecting their welfare and well-being. Let us not fail the future of this nation. Thank you.
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With the crush of holiday season looming just days away, 39-year-old Lisa Cresson hoisted her spandex bicycle leggings up her thighs, filled her water bottle and clipped her helmet securely in place: Time for the Sanity Ride.

Any children with you? Oh my God, no, Cresson exclaimed, as she joined the approximately 2,000 other cyclists, joggers, skaters and strollers who set out from the area surrounding a 2.5-mile stretch of Canada Road overlooking Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir while it was closed to car traffic for six hours during the weekly Bicycle Sunday.

Far from iPhones, freeway congestion, bills and the relentless churn of political news, Cresson and others sought release in the dramatic expanse of San Mateo County wilderness. The sun-soaked 61-degree day boasted 10-mile visibility and just the slightest graze of a 5 mph wind.

With the Pacific Ocean tantalizingly nearby, a thick tangle of oaks, madrones, coyote brush, yellow star thistle and honeysuckle flanked the roadway before her. Above soared the red-tailed hawks, black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, oak titmice and California scrub jays.

It was just the setting she needed. Cresson, the owner of the Half Moon Bay specialty toy store Fog Town Toys and a Skyline College psychology instructor, had just spent an hour and a half finishing her to-do list. Now was her rev-up time to complete it all  90 papers to grade; a slew of store merchandising, a holiday parade to prep for, and shopping and cooking for not one but two Thanksgiving dinners this coming week.

OK, the Friendsgiving on Wednesday was really a pretty stupid idea  I dont know what I was thinking, Cresson conceded with a chuckle. But I do want to see the people who are coming.

After her ride, once shes shopped for the turkey, two separate sets of mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, pumpkin pie and boatloads of wine, shell be well on her way to getting it all done, she noted.

How bad does she need this morning ride before it all begins?

Like a 12 out of 10, Cresson said, before hopping on her black Specialized bike and heading farther south to La Honda.

Steve Woods, another bicycle enthusiast whose customized Trek Project One featured his engraved nickname Woodsy, also ducked out before the Thanksgiving crush. The 66-year-old who manages property had just returned from a nice hours-long ride, but knew he was pushing it a bit as midday quickly approached.

I might catch a little guff for being out a little too long, he said, noting that his wife was home readying for visitors, and he had been out riding the day before as well.

Woods had every intention of making it up to her though, by way of some setup support, he said. And I know theres some yard work that has to be done.

Fellow bikers Bruce Paris and partner Jenny Young, Redwood Shores residents who both work in real estate, said their routine Sunday excursion is all about the physical exertion and mental release. And they said Thanksgiving week is no special exception.

Some people might tell you they want to ride so they can eat more turkey, Paris said, describing the bird he plans to smoke on a Weber grill. But we are turkey-holics, and we will eat turkey regardless.

Karen de Sa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kdesa@sfchronicle.com
Despite years of sending the bill to an out-of-date address, San Francisco Treasurer-Tax Collector Jose Cisneros says in a new report that his office did everything by the book when it auctioned off the exclusive Presidio Terraces street and sidewalks for nonpayment of property taxes.

The homeowners who live in the gated enclave say they were denied due process when the street was auctioned out from under them two years ago  in large part because the city was sending the property tax bill to the address of a bookkeeper who had retired in the 1980s.

The homeowners contend that the city should have known it was the wrong address when the bills and auction notice were returned by certified mail as undeliverable.

Cisneros, however, said it was up to to the homeowners association to make sure the city had the right address.

While it is regrettable that the address apparently had not been updated, the responsibility for doing so rests with the owner, Cisneros said in a six-page letter to the Board of Supervisors. The board is set to consider revoking the auction sale later this month.

Cisneros also said state law makes it clear that property owners are responsible for paying their taxes, regardless of whether they receive a bill.

Tax collectors in San Mateo and Monterey counties told us Cisneros is right.

We do what we can to reach our taxpayers, said San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandie Arnott, president of the statewide tax collectors association. That being said, it is the responsibility of the property owner to keep our office updated on address changes.

Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector Mary Zeeb, president-elect of the same state association, told us that about half of the bills for delinquent properties auctioned off in her county are returned as undeliverable.

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 San Francisco, Cisneros says, its worse. In 2015, the year the Presidio Terrace common areas were sold to a South Bay couple, 58 percent of auction notices came back as undeliverable.

Bottom line, according to Amanda Fried, spokeswoman for the treasurer-tax collector: While the Board of Supervisors has the authority to decide whether the homeowners were treated unjustly, state law makes it clear that a tax bill sent to an address that the homeowners association failed to update is not a reason for the treasurer to undo the sale.
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San Franciscos Municipal Railway, citing public complaints and uncertainty over future regulations, is proposing to ban both medical and recreational pot advertising on city buses, streetcars, cable cars and transit shelters.

The Municipal Transportation Agency began allowing advertising of medical marijuana in 2014, years after it became legal in the state. And it now faces a potential wave of new advertising when sales of recreational pot become legal statewide Jan. 1.

But according to a staff report last week to the agencys governing board, the agency has received a number of complaints from customers and others about cannabis-related advertising.

The proposed ban, which would be revisited in six months, is intended to respond to those complaints, and to provide an opportunity for the regulatory environment to clarify, the report said. The agencys board could vote on the ban as soon as this week.

Transportation agency Director Ed Reiskin tells us that complaints are coming from parents and others upset about advertising marijuana when there are kids on our buses.

Another issue is the citys still up-in-the-air regulations on the sale of recreational marijuana. The Board of Supervisors is

deadlocked over rules for licensing those businesses, but once thats resolved, the license holders are likely to flood the zone with advertising.

There are strong feelings on lots of sides, and a feeling that incumbent (medical marijuana clubs) have some benefits over others, Reiskin said. So its good to halt the advertising until that settles out.

Transportation agency board member Art Torres, who supports the ban, also has concerns about Muni promoting marijuana.

We have an opioid crisis in this country, and now we need to consider whether drugs should be advertised on public transit, which could lead to a lot of overdoses and abuses, Torres said.

Marijuana wouldnt be the first product to get the heave-ho from Muni. Over the years, the agency has banned alcohol, tobacco and gun ads, and it reserves the right to reject ads it finds overly political, violent, profane, misleading or directly adverse to Muni.

Three of the the citys 46 licensed medical cannabis dispensary and delivery services  Eaze, Urban Pharm and the Green Cross  now advertise on Muni, contributing a slice of the $19.6 million that the transit system earns every year from advertising.

Reiskin, however, said he doesnt foresee any real fiscal impact to Muni from a marijuana ban.

If marijuana businesses dont take the slot, someone else will, he said.

Taxing: Despite sending the bill to an out-of-date address for years, San Francisco Treasurer-Tax Collector Jose Cisneros says in a new report that his office did everything by the book when it auctioned off the exclusive Presidio Terraces street and sidewalks for nonpayment of property taxes.

The homeowners who live in the gated enclave say they were denied due process when the street was auctioned out from under them two years ago  in large part because the city was sending the property tax bill to the address of a bookkeeper who had retired in the 1980s.

The homeowners contend that the city should have known it was the wrong address when the bills and auction notice were returned by certified mail as undeliverable.

Cisneros, however, said it was up to to the homeowners association to make sure the city had the right address.

While it is regrettable that the address apparently had not been updated, the responsibility for doing so rests with the owner, Cisneros said in a six-page letter to the Board of Supervisors. The board is set to consider revoking the auction sale this month.

Cisneros also said state law makes it clear that property owners are responsible for paying their taxes, regardless of whether they receive a bill.

Tax collectors in San Mateo and Monterey counties told us that Cisneros is right.

We do what we can to reach our taxpayers, said San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandie Arnott, president of the statewide tax collectors association. That being said, it is the responsibility of the property owner to keep our office updated on address changes.

Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector Mary Zeeb, president-elect of the state association, told us that about half of the bills for delinquent properties auctioned off in her county are returned as undeliverable.

In San Francisco, Cisneros said, its worse. In 2015, the year the Presidio Terrace common areas were sold to a South Bay couple, 58 percent of auction notices came back as undeliverable.

Bottom line, according to Amanda Fried, spokeswoman for the treasurer-tax collector: While the Board of Supervisors has the authority to decide whether the homeowners were treated unjustly, state law makes it clear that a tax bill sent to an address that the homeowners association failed to update is not a reason for the treasurer to undo the sale.

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
The passing rate on the California bar exam rose to 49.6 percent in July, ending a three-year decline and making 4,236 applicants eligible to join the ranks of the states 189,000 practicing lawyers.

The results, announced by the State Bar on Friday, came a year after the passing rate had dropped to 43 percent, the lowest in 32 years. It was 55.8 percent in July 2013 and had dropped every year since then  until now. A similar trend has occurred in bar exam results nationwide.

Some law school deans and other leaders in the legal profession have called for California to reduce its passing score, the second-highest of any state. They argue that the high barrier disproportionately affects minorities and the poor and has little relationship to competence or effectiveness as a lawyer. But the state Supreme Court, which oversees the State Bar, refused to lower the passing score last month and called instead for the bar to work with law schools on improving legal education.

The exam is given twice a year, in February and July. The July test has nearly twice as many participants, a majority of them recent graduates taking the exam for the first time.

The passing rate was 62 percent for first-time test-takers and 28 percent for those who had failed the exam at least once before, the State Bar said. It was 70 percent for first-timers from California law schools accredited by the American Bar Association.

Prospective lawyers must also pass a separate professional responsibility exam on legal ethics. That exam was instituted nationwide in 1980 in response to the involvement of numerous lawyers in the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon.

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The California bar exam was reduced from three days to two this July, for the first time in 25 years. The so-called performance test, which is designed to measure on-the-job skills, was cut from six hours to 90 minutes. The remainder of the test consists of essays on hypothetical legal cases and a daylong multiple-choice exam that is given nationwide.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko
For 10 days in October of 2007, wildfires riding hot Santa Ana winds swept across Southern California, forcing nearly 1 million people to flee and killing 10. When the ashes cooled, investigators found that many of the blazes had been caused by electrical lines swaying or falling in the wind.

So state regulators resolved to tighten fire safety rules for electric utilities. They quickly passed new regulations for Southern California and began developing rules for the rest of the state.

It would take 10 years.

On Nov. 8 of this year, exactly a month after the most destructive wildfire event in California history began sweeping across the Wine Country, the California Public Utilities Commission finally released its proposal. It would require utilities to prioritize safety repairs in high fire risk zones, follow new timetables for inspecting equipment in the field and keep tree limbs farther away from many power lines.

The proposal, which could go before the commissions five voting members for approval as soon as December, comes as state investigators try to determine whether power lines owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. may have played a role in sparking last months catastrophic fires. Those fires charred 210,000 acres, destroyed 8,900 structures and killed at least 43 people.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, has not announced a cause for any of the fires, and the investigation could take months. No evidence has surfaced that indicates whether tougher regulations on power lines and utility poles could have prevented them.

State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, suspects the Wine Country fires prodded the commission to move forward with its proposed rules, so long in the making. Its a slow process because its bureaucratic, and perhaps it allows more utility involvement and influence than appropriate, he said.

A PG&E spokesman, in response, said the company fully backs the idea of drafting new fire regulations and has been actively involved in doing so.

We absolutely agree with and support the goal of this proceeding to further reduce the threat of wildfires while addressing the potential impact of the proposed regulations on our customers, said spokesman Donald Cutler.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, shared Hills frustration with the slow process.

The PUC certainly has a lot of authority, but what weve seen is that sometimes the legislature needs to give the PUC a push, he said.

A commission spokesman said the proposed regulations were released in accordance with a previously established schedule.

Critics see the fires as a major test for the commission.

The 2010 explosion of a PG&E pipeline beneath San Bruno exposed within the agency a culture of close relationships between the regulators and the companies they were supposed to oversee. Several of the agencys leaders, including its longtime president, were ultimately forced out. New laws handed some of the commissions lesser-known responsibilities  over moving vans, private motor carriers, and commercial air services  to other agencies, to allow it to focus on its core task of regulating utilities.

The commissions current president, Michael Picker, speaks often about improving the agencys attention to safety. With the commission now conducting its own investigation into the fires  ordering PG&E and telecommunications companies to preserve any damaged equipment they find in the burn zones  the reformed agency will face fresh scrutiny.

Well be watching very carefully, to make sure theyre doing what they claim, said Hill, who authored legislation to reform the commission. Im hoping theres a real change in their culture of safety.

By design, the commissions process for creating or changing regulations takes time. It includes input from industry, labor, consumer advocates and technical experts. But the fire regulations were also slowed by how the commission approached the task.

The regulations were to be tied to a new map showing which parts of California were most prone to destructive wildfires. Tougher safety rules would apply in high-risk areas than in low-risk locales.

Assembling the map, however, quickly grew complicated, as experts brought in by Cal Fire delved into wind speeds, temperatures, seasonal patterns, vegetation types and the ways different plants burn under different conditions. It didnt help that an early draft of the map did not mark as high-risk a swath of the Sierra foothills that had already suffered a huge and deadly fire.

It was quite the laborious process, said Elizaveta Malashenko, head of the commissions safety and enforcement division, which worked with Cal Fire on the map. She added, I dont know of any states that are doing anything similar.

Deadlines to finalize the work kept getting pushed back, even as the administrative law judges shepherding the process expressed concern over the delays. The latest schedule extension  issued at the request of PG&E, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. and a Cal Fire official leading an independent review team of experts  came on Oct. 6, two days before the Wine Country wildfires began.

The latest version of the map, approved by the independent review team, was filed with the commission on Friday. Notably, the map now labels much more of the North Bay as facing an extreme fire threat than did earlier versions. Although participants in the process can suggest further changes, the commission could vote to adopt the map early next year.

As the proposed rules were formulated, energy and telecommunications companies often objected.

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One proposal, for example, would have forced utilities to trim tree branches farther back from their power lines in many parts of the state. PG&E objected, arguing that while the proposal would protect against trees growing toward power lines, it would do nothing about hazard trees that can topple into lines during high winds.

It is these hazard trees, many of which stand 50 to 100 feet away from the lines, which represent the greatest risk, the utility argued, according to a commission report from a June workshop on proposed rules.

Despite PG&Es critique, the proposed regulations issued this month do include new tree-trimming requirements.

Under current rules, electric utilities have to ensure a minimum distance between tree branches and power lines, with the distance based on the voltage of the line. For many rural distribution lines, the distance is 4 feet. The proposed rules, however, would increase that distance to 12 feet in areas considered to have a high risk of fire. The commission does not require cable and telephone companies, which also own wires on the same poles as electrical equipment, to keep tree branches even 4 feet away from their equipment, because the voltage on communications lines is so low. Of course, if a tree falls on a lower wire, it could bring down the entire pole.

Other measures in the proposals released this month would establish timetables for electric and telecommunications companies to inspect and repair their field equipment.

Electric utilities, for example, would need to inspect all of their lines in areas of elevated or extreme fire risk every year, although PG&E already does so. Safety-related problems found in high fire risk zones would need to be fixed first, before problems found in lower-risk areas. In places considered to be most at risk from fires, those repairs could take no longer than six months.

Hill said he wished the proposed regulations took a harder look at technology. The commission, he said, may need to impose rules on the use of reclosers, devices that automatically try to restart power lines that switch off, even if those lines are damaged or lying on the ground.

Still, Its a strong first step, he said. For years, the commission seemed disinterested in the urgent threat of fires. I think this (the Wine Country fires) pushed it to the top.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
Mark Wineman / Getty Images

A Daly City police officer was injured while chasing two males Sunday on a freeway when their vehicles collided in San Francisco, authorities said.

The crash occurred around noon on northbound Interstate 280 near Alemany Boulevard, said Officer Vu Williams of the California Highway Patrol.
On the eve of the opening of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules retrospective, supporters gathered at the museum to pay homage to the art, to the artist and to the woman instrumental in bringing some of the major works to the museum, which owns about 90 Rauschenbergs. In honor of her generosity, museum director Neal Benezra said of Phyllis Wattis, we dedicate this exhibit to her memory.

In an onstage conversation with co-curators Gary Garrels and Sarah Roberts, Benezra observed that before the word disruption was so widely used, Rauschenberg was a disrupter. The artists 1953 work, Erased de Kooning Drawing, was made with a drawing Willem de Kooning had given him for that purpose. Benezra described Rauschenbergs erasing of the work as an audacious act ... a seedbed for so much of what other artists have done. (In an interview on SFMOMAs website, the artist describes buying a bottle of Jack Daniels and approaching de Kooning to ask him for a work. De Kooning didnt like the project at first, but finally gave in, saying hed make it as hard as he could for Rauschenberg to erase it. It took me about a month, said Rauschenberg, who used so many erasers he couldnt recall the number.

When Garrels learned that Rauschenberg might be willing to sell the Erased work, I went to see Phyllis and told her. Her eyes lit up, and she said, Now thatd be worth a detour. ... She was interested in what was new.

Onstage, the three stressed that Rauschenberg was collaborative, and it was a way he went out into the world, said Benezra. The director seemed excited to confide that hed just received word from staff members who had X-rayed one of his paintings; there is a possibility it was painted on top of a painting by his friend, Cy Twombly.

Rauschenberg had other means of absorbing the world outside the studio. Always, he was a night person, said his son, photographer Christopher Rauschenberg, He would get up in the late morning or early afternoon, look at his correspondence, turn on the TV and sit in front of it. He didnt watch. But it was an electronic window for him. Early afternoon, he watched soap operas. On weekends, he would switch over to the Food Network. He was a foodie before everyone else. ... He didnt want to go into solitary confinement. He had a voracious appetite for the whole world.

Roberts confirmed that the TV was always on when Rauschenberg was making art.

He would be working, and people would be having a party, and drinking and talking in his studio. And despite all that commotion, and all that talk, she said, the next morning, he would remember everything everyone had said.

Mark Simon forwarded Will Dursts Facebook notice: ... Need some help. The Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show XXV (Dec. 26-Jan. 7) lost a venue because we told some politically incorrect jokes last year in a city who shall not be named (Berkeley). So this year, were putting up a board to greet audiences as they enter each of our (13) tour theaters that lists the trigger warnings our show may induce. Got any ideas? Funny is always good. Among the suggestions, this from K.D.: If offended easily, please just shut up and look pretty.

Durst says that the complainers at the Berkeley venue were volunteers there. This 25th anniversary tour wont have a stop in Berkeley.

Responding to the North Bay fires, The Chronicles Lois Kazakoff commissioned Benicia videographer John Beck to make a short video about the effects of the fires on farmworkers. Forgotten Fire Victims, a 6-minute film, was shown on The Chronicle website and Facebook page. A North Bay owner of theaters saw it and asked if he could run it before movie showings, and that spread to an array of North Bay venues. The filmmaker has added a notice at the end inviting viewers to contribute to http://undocufund.org.

Along the Embarcadero, Peter Drachsler saw a German shepherd carrying a skateboard in its mouth, accompanying a young man. Every few feet the dog would drop the board and the young man would jump on it and ride ... then get off and the dog would pick it up, and so on and so on.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

I dont yell that much anymore.

Woman yelling into cell phone, overheard at 22nd and Valencia by Ted Weinstein
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In a special moment Monday, 6,000 juvenile coho salmon are being released in a coastal creek in Sonoma County.

It is part of the release of 140,000 coho salmon this fall in a public-private partnership to restore coho, or silver salmon, in 10 tributaries that feed into the Russian River.

The result of restoration efforts in the Bay Area and beyond has turned salmon watching into a spectator sport.

With fall rains, the prospects are promising in the coming six weeks to see returning coho salmon at Lagunitas Creek in Marin. Some years, 450 salmon are counted.

The best spots include the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area near Shafter Bridge and the small waterfalls at the Ink Wells, located along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Other good spots in the Lagunitas Creek watershed include Roys Pool in San Geronimo and Devils Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

About 25 streams and creeks attract coho salmon on the Bay Area coast.

Coho are the smaller genetic brother of chinook, or king salmon. When they enter freshwater and migrate upstream to spawn, they turn crimson, and can be sighted in the shallow-water tributaries, where they spawn, that feed coastal rivers.

Mondays fish release is the result of cooperation between farmers, conservationists and the government. The Gallo Winery and MacMurray Estate, both of which are supporting the project and providing access, are working with conservationist volunteers, with oversight by scientists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The juvenile coho are about 9 inches long, provided by the Warm Springs Hatchery near Lake Sonoma. Once trucked to the site, the fish are netted and placed in water-filled glass jugs in backpacks, and volunteers then transport the fish to creeks edge for release.

About 25 percent of the fish are implanted with transponders. That will allow scientists to monitor their progress as the fish pass 80 antenna arrays in the river, similar to the chip system used by FasTrak.

I have taken part in several coho releases. As far as fishery conservation, the only thing more satisfying is to watch the adults return in the same places you let them go, three years later, to spawn.

Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicles outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @stienstratom
One man was dead and another missing after an unmanned speedboat was discovered spinning in circles about a quarter mile from the Half Moon Bay harbor, according to authorities.

A 17-foot Boston Whaler was spotted off of Martins Beach around 1:49 p.m.
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Two BART Police officers who shot and wounded an armed 21-year-old man near the Richmond BART station last week will not face charges after an investigation determined they acted in self defense, officials said Monday.

The decision by the Contra Costa County district attorneys office follows a preliminary investigation that began immediately after the man was shot on Nov. 16, said deputy district attorney Barry Grove.

Grove said the wounded man, whose name has not been released, was exiting the Richmond BART Station just before 1 a.m. when a station agent noticed he was carrying a full-length shotgun, partially obscured by his pants. The station agent alerted authorities.

About 100 yards from the station, two officers recognized the man fitting the description, and at gunpoint they demanded he stop and show his hands, Grove said. He refused to cooperate and began to take the shotgun out of his pants, and as he was taking the shotgun out of his pants he was shot.

ALSO Man rescued from under train at Montgomery BART Station in SF

Grove said both officers fired their handguns. Medical assistance was called to the scene and the man was transported to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where he underwent surgery and was still being treated on Monday.

Hes going to live, Grove said, but he said he was not yet clear on the extent of the mans injuries.

Grove said investigators reviewed video of the incident, along with physical evidence and interviewed witnesses, officers, the wounded suspect and his family members. Grove said the man had a criminal history that included violent crime, but he declined to elaborate.

The man who was shot will face charges from the Contra Costa County District Attorneys office, Grove said, but he did not know which charges at this point. My guess is that we will file charges within the next couple weeks, Grove said.

Grove declined to release the names of the officers involved.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended a search for a person believed to be missing in a boating incident that left one man dead Sunday near Half Moon Bay, officials said.

Theyve been searching all night, and all morning as well, said Cody Staneart, chief marine science technician with the Coast Guards Incident Management Division. At this point they havent had any positive results.

The search began around 1:49 p.m. on Sunday, when authorities received reports of an an unoccupied vessel doing doughnuts in the water, Staneart said. The Coast Guard allowed the 17-foot Boston Whaler to spin off Martins Beach until it ran out of fuel, and then began the search for the people apparently went overboard.

More for you 1 boater dead, another missing in Half Moon Bay

Around 5 p.m., a Coast Guard crew pulled a body out of the water. The San Mateo County Coroners office identified the deceased individual as Dung Duc Nguyen, 74, of Fremont. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and the circumstances of how Nguyen ended up in the water without a life jacket remain unclear.

At this point, the Coast Guard has not released the name of the other person believed to have been on the boat. The San Mateo County Sheriffs Office said that the San Mateo County Harbor District is investigating the incident because it occurred in open water.

Though the search is suspended, Staneart said officials area still seeking information on the incident.

We never truly stop the search if someone can give us more information, he said.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
With no eyewitnesses or surveillance video providing a clear picture of the shooting of Kate Steinle on San Francisco Pier 14, the trial of the stranger accused of murdering her could hinge on how jurors regard circumstantial evidence that the killing was intentional and not, as the defense asserts, an accident.

The jury in the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a 45-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico, could be deliberating by Monday afternoon after hearing closing arguments in a case that intensified the national debate over immigration enforcement. Theyll be asked to consider three possible charges in Steinles death on July 1, 2015: first-degree murder, second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

The attorneys summations of the evidence could be critical, along with the instructions that Superior Court Judge Samuel K. Feng will give jurors on assessing circumstantial evidence. Garcia Zarate has admitted handling the gun that killed Steinle, but the defense says the weapon  stolen four days earlier from a federal rangers nearby parked car  went off in his hands.

In California, prosecutors who present circumstantial evidence of a conclusion must prove each fact essential to the conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt. Jurors will be instructed that if they can draw two or more reasonable conclusions from the circumstantial evidence, and one of those reasonable conclusions points to innocence and another to guilt, you must accept the one that points to innocence.

To prove murder, Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia must convince jurors of Garcia Zarates intention  that he deliberately fired a gun at or toward Steinle, 32, as she strolled with her father on the waterfront, shooting a single bullet that bounced off the concrete ground after 12 to 15 feet before traveling 78 more feet to strike Steinle in the back.

Prosecutors offered evidence that the pistol that killed Steinle will fire only with a firm pull of the trigger. They showed that Garcia Zarate tossed the firearm in San Francisco Bay after Steinle fell. And a crime scene inspector testified that he believed Garcia Zarate had to have aimed the gun toward Steinle for the bullet to have followed the path that it did.

Garcia Zarates attorneys countered by calling an expert who testified it was unlikely that such a ricochet shot was intentional. They contend that the homeless Garcia Zarate  who has spent much of his adult life behind bars over drug and immigration violations, but has no known history of violence  accidentally discharged the firearm when he found it wrapped in cloth under his seat at the pier, and tossed it in the bay because he was frightened.

The defenses burden here is not to prove that its an accident. Its to make the jury believe its reasonable, said attorney Jim Hammer, a former city prosecutor. This is what the case is about. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence, and thats a pretty steep curve for the prosecution. If you think the prosecution said something that might be right, and you think the defense said something that could also be right, you have to throw out what the prosecution said. You have to go with the theory that rejects guilt.

Statements made by Garcia Zarate during a four-hour police interrogation the night of the killing could be considered direct evidence of his intent on the pier. But jurors heard the defendant make a variety of statements, some in conflict with each other and physical evidence. He said at one point he aimed at a sea animal, and at another that the gun went off when he stepped on it.

Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez of the public defenders office said prosecutors seem to be proceeding with this idea that as long as they have a theory, they should get a conviction. But I dont think they have given serious consideration to the fact that they do not have a theory that undermines a reasonable defense theory.

Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the district attorneys office, said, The key word is reasonable.

When considering circumstantial evidence, jurors must accept only reasonable conclusions and reject unreasonable ones, he said. At the end of the day, it is up to a jury to decide what they deem is reasonable.

The prosecution has focused on proving second-degree murder, in which the jury would have to find that Garcia Zarate acted with malice, meaning he either intended to kill Steinle or intentionally committed a dangerous act with conscious disregard for human life.

But Garcia, the prosecutor, requested that the jury also be allowed to consider first-degree, or premeditated, murder.

Theyre going for it all, Hammer said. Thats typical in a murder case. If theres evidence, you give the jury the option.

Judge Feng granted the request, and the jury will also be asked to consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, which would require a finding that Garcia Zarates actions dont rise to the level of murder but that Steinles death was caused by his negligence. Defense attorneys are pushing for an outright acquittal.

Jury Instructions are given based on facts presented at trial, Bastian said. In this case, the facts support instruction on multiple theories of homicide.

Presenting multiple theories could complicate the decision for the jury, underscoring the importance of Garcias closing argument, Hammer said.

Theres a temptation to think that if you present too many theories, you lose credibility, he said. You have to do it subtly. She has some big decisions to make. I think its going to be very interesting.

The case before the jury has nothing to do with immigration, despite the politics around the case.

Before the shooting, Garcia Zarate had been on track for a sixth deportation after serving 46 months in prison for felony re-entry into the country. But he was transferred from federal custody to San Francisco on an old warrant, and when prosecutors discharged the case, the Sheriffs Department released Garcia Zarate despite a federal request to hold him for deportation, relying on the citys sanctuary policies that restrict cooperation with immigration agents.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors amended the citys sanctuary policies after the shooting. If Garcia Zarate is fully acquitted, however, those policies will still dictate that the city not honor a federal request to hold him for deportation.

But there appears to be little chance the controversy over Garcia Zarates release, which fueled the campaign of President Trump, will be revisited. San Francisco officials have long said they will turn over undocumented immigrants to federal authorities if they obtain a warrant, and records show Garcia Zarate is being held on a U.S. Marshals Service warrant in addition to the charges in the Pier 14 case.
A woman was found dead Sunday night inside a hotel room in Concord after police received a 911 call that she may have been assaulted, officials said.

Officers received reports about 10:25 p.m. from a potential suspect that somebody had possibly been assaulted and for police to go immediately to the Best Western Heritage Inn at 4600 Clayton Road, said Lt. Nick Gartner of the Concord Police Department.
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Actor Jeffrey Tambor has apparently quit his Amazon show "Transparent" following recent allegations of sexual harassment on the set, Deadline reported Sunday.

The actor told the website that the role is "no longer the job I signed up for four years ago":

"Playing Maura Pfefferman on Transparent has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life. What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago. I've already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue. Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return to Transparent."

Tambor has denied allegations that he sexually harassed "Transparent" actress Trace Lysette. The actress said Tambor made inappropriate comments on the set of the show and also physically pressed his body against hers in a "sexually aggressive manner."

Now Playing: Another woman who worked on 'Transparent' made allegations against star Jeffery Tambor Video: Entertainment Weekly

An investigation by Amazon into Tambor's behavior first began after apparent allegations by a former assistant, a transgender woman, according to Deadline.

In a statement issued about the accusation from Lysette, Tambor said, in part, "I know I haven't always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator  ever. I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone."

READ ALSO: Jeffrey Tambor accused of sexual harassment by his 'Transparent' co-star

Lysette, also a transgender woman, has urged that the show "remove the problem and let the show go on," Deadline reported Thursday.

Tambor won two Emmy awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Transparent" in 2015 and 2016, and was nominated again in the same category in 2017. He was also selected as Alumnus of the Year in 2009 by San Francisco State University, where he graduated with a degree in Drama in 1965.

It is currently unclear what will happen to "Transparent" following the announcement from Tambor on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Actor Terry Crews shared a purported email from producer Russell Simmons on Twitter, which asked him to give the agent who allegedly sexually assaulted Crews "a pass" and to "ask that he be reinstated."

Crews posted a screenshot of the email Sunday. Crews said it was from Simmons, who first asked whether the agent apologized.

"Give the agent a pass," the letter reads. "Ask that he be reinstated." The note ended by stating, "With great love, all things are possible."

In his tweet, Crews replied to Simmons, writing, "NO ONE GETS A PASS."

ALSO READ: 'I will not be shamed': Actor Terry Crews details his alleged sexual assault

Now Playing: Amid the slew of allegations of sexual harassment and assault charges in Hollywood, Terry Crews is speaking out about his own traumatic experience Video: People

Crews previously alleged that a high-powered exec, who Crews did not name at first, groped him at a party in 2016, according to the Washington Post. Crews told his story over Twitter following sexual assault and rape allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, claiming those allegations gave him PTSD about his own experience.

On Wednesday, Crews named the man from his story as Adam Venit, an executive at talent agency William Morris Endeavor. Venit is on leave from the agency, the Los Angeles Times reported. The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor has since filed a police report about the incident.

"I will not be shamed. I did nothing wrong," Crews told "Good Morning America" in an interview about Venit.

Crews posted the email screenshot on Twitter the same day that sexual misconduct allegations against Simmons were made known. A report on Sunday from the Los Angeles Times claimed Simmons coerced model Keri Claussen Khalighi to perform a sex act on Simmons in 1991, while director Brett Ratner stood by as she asked him for help.

Khalighi was 17 years old at the time.

ALSO READ: Model accuses Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct

Simmons denied Kahlighi's claims and said that everything between the two was "completely consensual" and with her "full participation." Ratner has faced his own sexual misconduct allegations in the past few weeks, with the Los Angeles Times surfacing four more accusations in the report about Simmons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco has been sold out of tickets for a while, but soon, it will drop a small number of surprise passes in honor of Small Business Saturday, on November 25.

Tickets will be distributed for two events, both taking place on that day. The first batch of passes, priced at $38 each, are for the "full museum experience" between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., plus a scoop of ice cream. American Express, has pledged to donate the proceeds to a local, so far unannounced, nonprofit.
Since landing in San Francisco in April, beloved Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw has commanded long lines at its Pacific Heights location with its inventive, eyebrow-raising flavors (see: bone marrow smoked cherry ice cream).

We were intrigued by Salt & Straw's Thanksgiving menu and decided to try it, so we headed to the chain's newly-opened outpost in Hayes Valley.

The Thanksgiving menu, available every November, is designed as a five-part meal, with three sides (sweet potato casserole with maple pecans, buttered mashed potatoes and gravy, and persimmon walnut stuffing), a main course (salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey, made with turkey stock and candied pieces of turkey skin) and a dessert (spiced goat cheese and pumpkin pie).

It inspired some strong responses. SFGATE staff opinions on the flavors follow, ordered from most to least controversial.

Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey:

This ice cream does not shy away from meaty flavor, with turkey stock flavoring the base and candy-coated skins studded throughout. Tasting it was a deeply polarizing experience for our office.

If the turkey flavor were advertised on a movie poster, it would be like that one for Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" with one side all raves ("DARKLY EXHILARATING") and the other, snippets of merciless pannings ("A CIRCUS OF GROTESQUE DEBAUCHERY").

"The turkey ruined my day," a producer said.

"The damn meat sneaks up on you and when it does, you wish it hadn't," said another staffer.

One editor, the first to try the flavor, bellowed an expletive, following it with the observation, "Oh man, it is weird."

But the turkey had its defenders: Four people thought it was one of the best flavors, praising the umami notes of the ice cream base and distinctive finish of the crunchy skin pieces. "The skin was yum and creative," said one such contrarian.

Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Gravy:

This was the second flavor with a meat component (the potato-based ice cream is mixed with a gravy fudge that includes both chocolate and chicken stock). Responses ranged from "Weirdly good" to "Why?" with the latter camp outnumbering the former.

Many were not on board with the concept itself.

"On a good bite, it tasted like almost nothing," one producer said. "On a bad bite, it tasted like potatoes."

Spiced Goat Cheese and Pumpkin Pie:

Some felt the pungent goat cheese flavor overwhelmed the taste of the pumpkin pie, but again, there was discord. Takes included, "Cruel," "The best, but also the easiest to slam dunk," "Like eating cold Band Aids," and "Good alternative [to pie]."

Persimmon Walnut Stuffing:

One person found this flavor "disturbing," but she seemed to be in the minority. Most people said they thought it was a pleasant mix of fall flavors, with bourbon-soaked raisins and chopped-up pieces of toasted stuffing laden with spices.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Maple Pecans:

The sweet potato flavor, dotted with caramelized pecans and laced with ribbons of maple marshmallow fluff, was the closest thing to a consensus pick we had, deemed "different without being weird," although most agreed it was a little too sweet, and one person completely forgot she had tasted it.

It seemed like everyone had at least one flavor they loved and one they passionately hated. Luckily, Salt & Straw offers a tasting flight so you can try the meal for yourself without committing to full-sized scoops. And if you buy a pint of one of the Thanksgiving flavors, they'll donate one to Food Runners, a local nonprofit.

Filipa Ioannou and Alix Martichoux are SFGATE staff writers. Email them at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and amartichoux@sfchronicle.com
The largest animal on planet Earth, blue whales, and the second-largest animal, fin whales, are swimming in the Monterey Bay in large numbers.

Beginning Monday, up to 50 blue whales have been sighted off the coast of Monterey.

Professional photographer Slater Moore shot mesmerizing video of the gentle giants from a Discovery Whale Watch boat Nov. 13. Watch it above.

"In the past eight years, I have never seen that happen in the month of November," said Keith Stemler with Chris' Fishing and Whale Watching.

There are also many humpbacks in the bay.

Blue whales are most commonly spotted in Monterey during the summer, but by fall, they head south to their breeding grounds in warmer waters.

"Wednesday we had like 15 - 20 within a couple hundred yards of the boat. Then more huge geyser blows out to the west," said Katlyn Taylor with Discovery Whale Watch.

Blue whales can weigh up to 200 tons and grow to 105 feet long.

"Its heart is larger than a Volkswagen Beetle, its tongue alone weighs more than an elephant, and it is a spectacular thing when you see it," Stemler said.

Because of their size, they eat four tons of krill a day, and that may be why the whales are here so late in the year.

"There's lots of krill out in the bay we can see on the depth sounder," Taylor said.

Thursday's stormy weather caused whale watching boats to stay in the harbor, but Friday tours went on as scheduled.
Anyone who missed the San Francisco Operas season-opening production of Turandot in September can now officially quit bawling about it. Puccinis grand, chilly exercise in bloodthirsty pageantry returned to the War Memorial Opera House on Saturday, Nov. 18, for one more burst of performances, and it sounded better than ever.

The ostensible main draw of this late-season revival was the chance to hear the great Swedish soprano Nina Stemme  whose Brunnhilde unforgettably anchored the companys 2011 Ring Cycle  in the title role, and she did not disappoint.

But Stemme-mania was only one aspect of a performance that shone with appropriately steely luster throughout the entire evening, with familiar artists upping their game and new ones making strong first impressions. In all, this was an event to reinforce all the old verities about Turandot.

In other words, nothing will fully alleviate the lingering feelings of unease about the composers unfinished final opus, with its queasy blend of dramatic insensitivity  this is an opera in which loves final triumph takes place atop a heap of dead and discarded bodies  and creepy racial and sexual politics.

But until those issues find some resolution, we can still savor the instrumental and harmonic brilliance of Puccinis score, and  in San Francisco, even after all these years  the vertiginous sweep and eerie crimson-and-green palette of David Hockneys nightmarish and recently refurbished sets.

On Saturday, those virtues shone forth with particular clarity in a performance led with finesse, if a bit stolidly, by debuting conductor Christopher Franklin. This was a rendition that emphasized just how close to the edge all of the characters in this drama are operating.

It was Stemme above all who brought a fearless musical and theatrical vitality to the proceedings  just as she does in Wagner, but here with an additional trace of Italianate suavity. Her portrayal of the icy Chinese princess with a three-riddle obstacle course designed to ward off any and all suitors boasted a fascinating combination of hauteur and emotional vulnerability right from the start.

Her towering opening aria, In questa reggia, was not only thrillingly secure and shapely from a musical perspective, but it already contained, in the velvety sheath of Stemmes vocal tone, a hint of the softening that was to come. With this in the background, Turandots ultimate concession to the power of love played as more motivated and less arbitrary than it often can.

That plot development, in turn, was helped along by the ringing ardor of tenor Brian Jagdes performance as Calaf. Jagde undertook the role in promising fashion for the first time in September, but since then his command of the assignment has only grown more assured and polished.

His interactions with the other characters in the first act were dramatically generous, and he rose to heroic heights in the enigmatic showdown of Act 2. But best of all was his Nessun dorma in Act 3, a grand and glorious rendition that combined huge reserves of sound with phrasing of untrammeled eloquence.

The rest of the cast was no less impressive, including soprano Leah Crocetto in a full-voiced, expressive return to the role of the slave girl Liu, and bass Soloman Howard in a robust and weighty company debut as Timur. Tenor Robert Brubaker was a sonorous Emperor, and Ian Robertsons Opera Chorus filled the crowd scenes with a vivid musical presence.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman

San Francisco Opera: Turandot. Through Dec. 9. $26-$397. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. (415) 864-3330. www.sfopera.com.
SANTA ANA  Authorities clearing homeless encampments along a Southern California river have found at least two makeshift underground bunkers, including one that contained more than a thousand bicycles.

Officials in Orange County said the bikes found in the tunnel system under a concrete flood-control channel could suggest a large-scale theft ring, the Orange County Register reported.
The countdown to launch creeps closer and theres still plenty for self-taught rocket scientist Mad Mike Hughes to do: Last-second modifications to his vessel. Pick up his flight suit. Leave enough food for his four cats  just in case anything happens.

Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who has spent the past few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage. His project has cost him $20,000, which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp.

His first test of the rocket will also be the launch date  Saturday, when he straps into his homemade contraption and attempts to streak over the ghost town of Amboy (San Bernardino County). He will travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph.

If youre not scared to death, youre an idiot, Hughes said. Its scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket. ... Im a walking reality show.

The daredevil/limo driver has been called a little bit of everything over his career  eccentric, quirky, foolhardy. Doesnt bother him. He believes what he believes, including that the Earth is flat. He knows this thought is a conundrum, given that hes about to launch himself into the atmosphere.

Down the road, hes intending to build a rocket that takes him to space, so he can snap a picture and see with his own eyes.

I dont believe in science, said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth. I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But thats not science, thats just a formula. Theres no difference between science and science fiction.

Hughes constructed his rocket at the Rocket Ranch in Apple Valley. Its a 5-acre property he leases from Waldo Stakes, the CEO of Land Speed Research Vehicles who is currently working on a project to make a car travel 2,000 mph.

Their relationship formed a few years ago when Hughes approached Stakes about building a rocket. Stakes receives plenty of these sorts of requests, but this one stood out because Hughes was building it himself.

Nothing is out of reach, Stakes said. Anything can be done. You just have to put enough money, time and thought into it.

Pat Graham is an Associated Press writer.
VAN HORN, Texas  Along the shoulder of Interstate 10, where drug runners sometimes hide in drainage culverts, U.S. Border Patrol agent Rogelio Martinez came to a stop late Saturday and got out of his vehicle.

Martinez scrambled down an embankment. Then, according to Border Patrol union officials, attackers struck him from behind.

Martinez, 36, was found dying moments later, apparently bludgeoned with rocks, the union officials say. Nearby was another agent who arrived with Martinez or soon after, badly beaten but alive, the officials say.

The attack described by officials would be the first killing of an on-duty Border Patrol agent since the 2010 murder of Brian Terry in Arizona. That event was a catalyzing moment in the push for tougher border enforcement, and President Donald Trump has cited Martinezs death to boost his case for a wall along the boundary with Mexico.

We will, and must, build the Wall! he tweeted, saying Martinez had been killed.

But the FBI, which is leading the investigation of Martinezs death, released a statement late Monday that did not confirm the agents were attacked. The two men were found at 11:20 p.m. Saturday in a culvert area about 12 miles east of Van Horn, the statement said, with traumatic head injuries along with other miscellaneous physical injuries such as broken bones.

Both agents were airlifted to El Paso, where Martinez died from his injuries early Sunday, according to the FBI statement. The results of an autopsy are pending, the statement said, adding that the second agent remains in intensive care but in stable condition.

The local sheriff expressed skepticism about how the incident was described by union officials and said the agents may have fallen.

The evidence is not obvious as to what happened out there, Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo said in an interview at his office in Van Horn, population 2,500.

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the agencys union, said in an interview Monday that Martinez died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Robert Moore, Lindsey Bever, Derek Hawkins and Nick Miroff are Washington Post writers.
WASHINGTON  President Trump doesnt know who to believe about sexual misconduct allegations involving Roy Moore, but isnt campaigning for his partys Senate candidate in Alabama because of discomfort with the claims made by women, aides said Sunday.

One Republican senator urged Alabama voters to reject Moore in the Dec. 12 election even if that could mean ceding the seat to a Democrat and narrowing the GOPs 52-48 Senate edge.

I hope that the voters of Alabama choose not to elect him, said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. I dont know Doug Jones at all, but Ive never supported Roy Moore. And I hope that he does not end up being in the United States Senate.

Moore, a former state Supreme Court justice twice removed from office, has denied the accusations that have surfaced recently about incidents said to have occurred decades ago, and pledged to remain in the race.

The special election will determine who fills the remainder of Attorney General Jeff Sessions term, until January 2020.

White House aides said Trump had serious concerns about Moore, but that Alabamans should decide Moores fate against Democrat Doug Jones, a former prosecutor.

I think thats probably the most common sense way to look at it. He doesnt know who to believe. I think a lot of folks dont, budget director Mick Mulvaney said.

Legislative director Marc Short said that obviously if he did not believe that the womens accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore.

Still, Short said Trump also had questions about allegations that were 38 years old and virtually unprovable. Roy Moore has been a public servant for decades in Alabama. He has run multiple times. The people of Alabama know best what to do and the right decision to make here, he said.

Short, pressed repeatedly about whether Trump still supported Moore, said: I dont think you have seen him issue an endorsement. Short added, I think you can infer by the fact that he has not gone down to support Roy Moore his discomfort in doing so.

Short appeared on ABCs This Week, Mulvaney spoke on NBCs Meet the Press, and Collins was on ABC and CNNs State of the Union.

Hope Yen is an Associated Press writer.
NEW WINDSOR, N.Y.  Two explosions and a fire at a cosmetics factory about an hours drive north of New York City left as many as 35 people injured, including seven firefighters caught in the second blast, authorities said Monday.

The first explosion occurred around 10:15 a.m. Monday at the Verla International cosmetics factory, New Windsor police said. Firefighters who responded were inside when the second explosion struck around 10:40 a.m.

Up to 35 people were being treated for injuries, including seven firefighters, most of them from the nearby city of Newburgh, Town Supervisor George Green said. Two of the firefighters were taken to the burn unit at Westchester Medical Center, he said. None of the injuries appear to be life threatening, officials said.

One employee remained unaccounted for, Green said.

Crews battled the blaze into late Monday afternoon.

Its still an active fire scene, Green said.

A man who answered the phone at one of the responding fire departments called the blaze a five-alarm chemical fire with multiple counties helping.

Hazardous materials teams also responded, Green said.

Video obtained by WABC-TV in New York City showed thick, black smoke spewing from a section of the roof of the sprawling facility, which includes manufacturing and warehouse buildings. Workers milled about a parking lot while fire crews scrambled to battle the blaze.

There was no word on a cause of the explosions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state emergency response teams were deployed to the factory. State personnel dispatched included homeland security staffers, state police, environmental conservation enforcement officers and health department technicians, Cuomo said.

The factory is about a half-mile from the town hall and police station in New Windsor, on the Hudson Rivers west bank, 55 miles north of New York City. The companys website says the products it makes include nail polish, perfumes, lotions and other goods.

The companys phone number wasnt working. An email sent to the company wasnt answered.
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Reynolds has released a recipe that promises a tongue-burning explosion in your mouth this Thanksgiving holiday: a turkey coated in "hot puffed cheese sticks," AKA Flamin Hot Cheetos.

An online recipe for "Hot Turkey in an Oven Bag" suggests that you toss a bag of the spicy puffs in a food processor and cover your bird in the fiery bits.

As you would expect, social media has a lot to say about this unconventional idea.

"Nope..doesn't even look remotely appetizing," writes one on Twitter.

"I wouldn't eat the whole Flamin' Hot Cheetos Turkey," tweeted another. "But I'd definitely have one or two pieces to see what that be like."

Flamin' Hot Cheetos are widely known as a popular snack among teens and tweens  so popular that some schools have gone as far to ban the junk food that's high in fat and salt and has no nutritional value. Many parents joked on Twitter that their kids would actually eat turkey if it was smothered in the Cheetos.

Some also threw out quips about Donald Trump as the president's hair and skin color have been likened to the orange color of a Cheeto.

"In Trump's America, everything is cheeto orange, including the turkeys #MAGA #MakeThanksgivingGreatAgain," tweeted Christopher A. Baker.
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The holidays come early and often in The Christmas Ballet.  Now in its 23rd year, the annual and abundant offering from Smuin Contemporary American Ballet opened the weekend before Thanksgiving in Walnut Creek. The company makes a circuit from Carmel to Mountain View to San Francisco in December.

With 30 short works on the bill, only the crankiest audience member could come away without finding something to like in this cheery collection from multiple choreographers. Seen at the evening performance on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts, Christmas Ballet comes in contrasting color-coded halves.

With the company of 16 dancers wearing designer Sandra Woodalls white-and-cream costumes, and backed by cinched white swags that fly in and out, a classical ballet style prevails in the first section. The women spend a lot of time on pointe. The men are kept busy with jumps, spins, partnering chores and some solo turns. The feel is rather formal and decorous at first, beginning with a company court dance to Bachs Magnificat.

The women, light-footed and with lofted port de bras, outshone their male peers in the first half of Saturday nights program. Linked by held hands and a delicately regal bearing, their heads gently rolling, they flowed across the stage in gratifying accord in Veni, Veni Emmanuel. Erica Felsch spun out a lyrically elegant if slightly tentative Ave Maria. Erin Yarbrough-Powell was especially fine in Licht Benshn (Candle Blessing), self-possessed and slyly unattainable as she tossed off one eager male after another. It turned out she was waiting for the right guy (an imposing Jonathan Powell) to show up for a intimately inspired starry night pas de deux in Dobra Notsch (Sleep Well).

The stage lit up with energy in choreographer Amy Seiwerts Christmas Concerto, set to some ebullient Vivaldi, one of three premieres on the bill. The dancers bolted on and off the stage with a vitality that seemed to enlarge the playing space exponentially.

Pleasant if sometimes studied as the classical work was, this Christmas had more drive and style when the dancers donned red costumes and let loose in assorted, blended styles after intermission. There were jitterbug and jazz dance, a mambo for three puckishly self-delighted male show-offs (Mengjun Chen, Oliver-Paul Adams and Jonathan Powell), a trio of imperfectly clog-dancing Christmas trees, and some tap as well.

That was despite a slow start, with a turgid Christmas in New Orleans, all fluttering fans and Southern straw boaters. Some of the sight gags, like an enormous feather boa and assorted other toys, delivered limited payoff. With Drummer Boy, in a fiercely energetic solo of tightly coiled strength and circus jumps by Ben Needham-Wood, the act took off.

The estimable Yarbrough-Powell partnered with Robert Kretz feelingly in Joni Mitchells River. Felschs new The Christmas Song was a kind of Nutcracker gloss, as a pair of pajama-clad children (Terez Dean and Rex Wheeler) fell asleep in front of a fireplace and dreamed up a fancifully graceful ballet. Nicole Haskins and Kretz contributed some nice character dancing in Baby, Its Cold Outside.

No matter what the calendar says, Christmas Ballet puts you in the holiday mood  many moods  by the time the inevitable snowy blizzard breaks out in White Christmas.

Steven Winn is The San Francisco Chronicles former arts and culture critic.

The Christmas Ballet: Smuin Contemporary America Ballet. Carmel: Dec. 1-2. Sunset Center, San Carlos St. $63-$79. (831) 620-2048. Mountain View: Dec. 6-10. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. $25-$84. (650) 903-6000. San Francisco: Dec. 14-24. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St. $25-$89. (415) 912-1899. www.smuinballet.org
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This winter, airlines are making it easy to escape from San Francisco.

As travel booking site Expedia reveals, a slew of popular airline carriers are offering killer round-trip deals out of San Francisco to mostly domestic destinations, including some taking off as soon as Tuesday, November 21.

The airlines partaking in the fare sale include budget airlines like Frontier as well as major carriers like American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country, Virgin and United.

Because of the number of the airline companies involved, the destination options are varied, with some routes taking off from San Francisco and landing in Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Austin, Orlando, Houston, Chicago and Minneapolis.

In an odd twist, there are also routes from San Francisco to both San Jose and Oakland  if you'd prefer to be dramatic about your holiday travel.

Now Playing: Delighted travelers are usually those who manage to get a window seat, with access to movies, wifi and of course with no kids in the surrounding areas. Buzz60's Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has more. Video: Buzz 60

Here's a sample of some of the deals we found:

Alaska Airlines: SFO to Puerto Vallarta for $199 RT

Alaska Airlines: SFO to Austin for $196 RT

American Airlines: SFO to San Antonio for $108 RT

American Airlines: SFO to Miami for $196 RT

Delta Airlines: SFO to Los Angeles for $78 RT

United Airlines: SFO to Ontario for $160 RT

United Airlines: SFO to Chicago (ORD) for $198 RT

Sun Country Airlines: SFO to Boston for $198 RT

Sun Country Airlines: SFO to New York (JFK) for $178 RT

Virgin Airlines: SFO to Los Angeles for $78 RT

Virgin Airlines: SFO to Orlando for $194 RT

For now, these flights don't take off at odd hours, either. As of this writing, travelers can fly early to mid-morning with minimal layovers to Dallas, Seattle, Miami, Austin, and elsewhere, all for under $200.

As with all flight deals, the best ones sell out fast. See all promotions on Expedia's website.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


A one-year-old French low-cost airline called French Blue  which currently flies from Paris Orly to the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean  plans to add another long-haul route next year: Paris to Papeete, Tahiti via a stop in San Francisco.

The carrier plans to use an Airbus A350-900 on the route, which will begin in May 2018 with two flights a week, eventually increasing to three.

Currently, the only non-stop service to Tahiti from the U.S. mainland is out of Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui and Air France with economy fares in the $1,300 roundtrip range.

The airline has a website at www.frenchblue.com, although currently it is only in French. Flights are not yet for sale on the website, and we've been unable to contact the airline for confirmation. However, we did find this interview with French Blue CEO Marc Rochet on a Tahitian news site. In the interview, he states that the carrier has not yet received authorization by the US Dept of Transportation, which means it cannot yet promote its flights-- and probably why flights and fares are not yet loaded on its website. An SFO spokesperson we contracted could not confirm the service at this time, either.

More Information Chris McGinnis tracks fares and travel news on the TravelSkills.com blog. Sign up for email alerts or follow him on Twitter @cjmcginnis See More Collapse

Keep in mind that not only will French Blue offer seats to Tahiti, it will also be offering seats on SFO-Paris, a market already covered by United, Air France and XL Airlines. Also, Norwegian Air will offer nonstops to Paris from Oakland in April 2018. French Blue will be the only carrier flying to Paris-Orly airport from SFO.

Fare war to Paris in the works? Maybe! Sign up for TravelSkills email alerts for details and updates.

In addition to this, there are now rumors that United may introduce its own nonstop from SFO to Tahiti, according to these reports. United is being coy about the rumors, telling TravelSkills: "United Airlines continuously monitors supply and demand in the United States and in markets around the world to grow our global network and connect our customers to the places they want to travel."

Chris McGinnis is a travel blogger and editor of TravelSkills.com. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
CAIRO  The head of the World Food Program in Yemen said on Monday that millions of Yemenis face the risk of more deaths as aid deliveries cannot get to those in need because of the continuing blockade of the war-ravaged country by the Saudi-led coalition.

Speaking by telephone from Sanaa, Stephen Anderson said it is heartbreaking that millions in Yemen depended on sustained access to humanitarian aid. Of a population of 26 million, some 17 million Yemenis do not know where their next meal is coming from and 7 million are totally dependent on food assistance.
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina  Sounds detected by probes deep in the South Atlantic on Monday did not come from an Argentine submarine that has been lost for five days, the countrys navy said Monday, dashing hopes of families of the 44 sailors aboard.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters that the noise was analyzed and experts determined it was likely biological. He said the sounds did not come from tools being banged against the hull of a submarine as was previously reported by some media.

The noise was heard by two Argentine navy ships about 220 miles from the Argentine coast and at a depth of about 650 feet. A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft was sent to help in the effort to isolate the source of the sounds.

The ARA San Juan went missing Wednesday as it sailed from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata. More than a dozen international vessels and aircraft have joined the search, which has been hindered by stormy weather that has caused waves up to 20 feet.

In the first confirmation of a malfunction, an Argentine navy official said Monday that the submarine reported a battery failure Wednesday and was returning to base when it went missing.

Brief satellite calls over the weekend had originally been thought to indicate the crew was trying to re-establish contact, prompting emotional celebrations by family members and officials. But Balbi said earlier Monday that officials analyzed the seven low-frequency satellite signals and determined they were not received from the submarine.

Although the German-built diesel-electric vessel carried enough food, oxygen and fuel for the crew to survive about 90 days on the seas surface, the sub had only enough oxygen to last seven days submerged, Balbi said.

The U.S. Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command based in San Diego to deploy to Argentina to support the search for the submarine. The command includes a remotely operated vehicle and vessels capable of rescuing people from bottomed submarines.

The submarine was originally scheduled to arrive Monday at the navys base in Mar del Plata, which is about 250 miles southeast of Buenos Aires.

Paul Byrne and Luis Andres Henao are Associated Press writers.
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NEW DELHI  A member of Indias Hindu nationalist ruling party has offered a 100 million rupee ($1.5 million) reward to anyone who beheads the lead actress and the director of the yet-to-be released Bollywood film Padmavati over its alleged handling of the relationship between a Hindu queen and a Muslim ruler.

Suraj Pal Amu, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from the northern state of Haryana, offered the bounty against actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Sunday. The films producers postponed the release of the film, which was set to be in theaters Dec. 1, the same day. Speaking at a rally that was covered by several local news outlets, Amu said the films release would be permanently blocked.

Padmavati is based on a 16th century Sufi epic poem, Padmavat, a fictional account of a brave and beautiful Rajput queen who chose to kill herself rather than be captured by the Muslim sultan of Delhi, Allaudin Khilji. Over centuries of its retelling, the epic has come to be seen as history, even though there is little historical evidence.

Padukone plays the role of Padmini, the legendary queen who committed jauhar, the medieval Rajput practice in which women of royal households walked into funeral fires to embrace death over the dishonor of being taken captive.

Padmavati has been in trouble since the beginning of the year, with fringe groups in the western state of Rajasthan attacking the films set, threatening to burn down theaters that show it and even physically attacking Bhansali in January.

Most of the anger at the film appears to stem from allegations that Bhansali has distorted history by filming a romantic dream sequence between the main protagonists of the film. Bhansali has denied the allegations.

Indias 1.3 billion-strong democracy is the largest in the world, but despite significant economic progress over the last few decades its politics are held hostage by a complex mix of religion and caste. Books and movies have found themselves at the receiving end of threats of violence and bans because they either offend one religious or caste group, or are deemed offensive to Indian culture in general.

In the past, Indias film censor board rejected the erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey, and Hollywood movies that appear on Indian screens are routinely scrubbed of sex scenes. The Da Vinci Code was banned in the Indian state of Goa, which has a large Christian population, because religious groups objected.

Muneeza Naqvi is an Associated Press writer.
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SANTIAGO, Chile  Billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera held a big lead late Sunday in returns from Chiles presidential election, buoyed by support from Chileans who hope the former president can resuscitate a flagging economy, though he didnt get enough votes to avoid a runoff.

With just under 92 percent of ballots counted, Pinera had nearly 37 percent of the vote, against almost 23 percent for Sen. Alejandro Guillier, an independent center-left candidate, and 20 percent for Beatriz Sanchez, who ran for the leftist Broad Front coalition. Five other candidates shared the remainder.

Pinera needed to get 50 percent of the votes to win outright. He will face the No. 2 finisher, which seemed likely to be Guillier, in a runoff election Dec. 17. Officials said late Sunday that further results would not come until Monday.

Opinion polls had made the conservative Pinera, 67, a strong favorite going into Sundays election.

After struggling with large protests over inequality and education during his 2010-14 presidency, Pinera ended his term with low popularity ratings. But the economic slump and overall disenchantment with the current center-left government of President Michelle Bachelet gave him a boost in this election.

Chile is the worlds top copper producing country and has been hurt by a drop-off in international demand and prices for the metal that is the backbone of its economy.

Pinera, a Harvard-educated entrepreneur, has proposed cutting taxes on businesses to promote growth and promises to launch a $14 billion, four-year spending plan that includes fresh investments in infrastructure.

Bachelet was Chiles most popular president during her first 2006-10 term, but she is ending her 2014-18 presidency as the least popular. In addition to economic problems, her image was hurt by a real estate scandal involving her family, though no charges were brought. Many Chileans feel she wavered in her promises of profound social changes in labor and education.

Eva Vergara is an Associated Press writer.
KFAR SABA, Israel  Eliahu Pietruszka shuffled his 102-year-old body through the lobby of his retirement home toward a stranger he had never met and collapsed into him in a teary embrace. Then he kissed both cheeks of his visitor and in a frail voice began blurting out greetings in Russian, a language he hadnt spoken in decades.

Only days earlier, the Holocaust survivor who fled Poland at the beginning of World War II and thought his entire family had perished learned that a younger brother had also survived, and his brothers son, 66-year-old Alexandre, was flying in from a remote part of Russia to see him.

The emotional meeting was made possible by Israels Yad Vashem Holocaust memorials comprehensive online database of Holocaust victims, a powerful genealogy tool that has reunited hundreds of long-lost relatives. But given the dwindling number of survivors and their advanced ages, Thursdays event seemed likely to be among the last of its kind.

It makes me so happy that at least one remnant remains from my brother, and that is his son, said Pietruszka, tears welling in his eyes. After so many years I have been granted the privilege to meet him.

Pietruszka was 24 when he fled Warsaw in 1939 as World War II erupted, heading to the Soviet Union and leaving behind his parents and twin brothers Volf and Zelig, who were nine years younger. His parents and Zelig were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and killed in a Nazi death camp, but Volf also managed to escape. The brothers briefly corresponded before Volf was sent by the Russians to a Siberian work camp, where Pietruszka assumed he had died.

In my heart, I thought he was no longer alive, Pietruszka said. He married in Russia and, thinking he had no family left, migrated to Israel in 1949 to start a new one.

Then two weeks ago, his grandson, Shakhar Smorodinsky, received an email from a cousin in Canada who was working on her family tree. She said she had uncovered a Yad Vashem page of testimony filled out in 2005 by Volf Pietruszka for his older brother Eliahu, who he thought had died.

Volf, it turned out, had survived and settled in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Ural Mountains. Smorodinsky tracked down an address and reached out to discover that Volf had died in 2011 but that Alexandre, his only child, still lived there. Alexandre decided to come see the uncle he never knew he had.

Aron Heller is an Associated Press writer.
NAIROBI  Kenyas Supreme Court rejected bids Monday to invalidate last months rerun presidential election, closing one front in the countrys deepening political battles but touching off fresh unrest among opponents of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The courts chief justice, David Maraga, said there was no legal merit to support the challenges against the outcome of the Oct. 26 election in which Kenyatta coasted to victory amid a boycott by his main rival, Raila Odinga.

The vote was forced after the same high court stunned Kenya in September by nullifying the results of the original August presidential election won by Kenyatta, citing voting irregularities.

The latest decision cleared the way for Kenyattas inauguration next week. But it also highlighted the volatile mix of tribal and political fissures that threaten further unrest in a country that has been anchor of relative stability and economic growth in East Africa.

Shortly after the court decision, violence broke out in the Nairobi district of Kibera, one of Odingas strongholds. At least one boy was killed by a stray bullet, according to witnesses.

Odinga dismissed Mondays court decision, saying it was made under coercion and insisted that the government and the election remained illegitimate.

It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it, he said.

The roughly even division between Kenyatta and Odinga supporters is based largely on ethnic lines, between the Kenyattas Kikuyu tribe and Odingas Luo, raising fears of ethnic clashes.

Dozens have been killed during demonstrations since the August election and police have been accused of using excessive force with Odinga supporters.

Rael Ombuor is a Washington Post writer.
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NAIROBI, Kenya  Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Sunday for international intervention in the countrys election crisis, saying at least 31 supporters have been killed by police and militia since his return from an overseas trip on Friday.

Odinga said Kenya was being pushed to the precipice after residents of a Nairobi slum protested the killing of at least 13 people in an overnight attack by unknown gunmen. This is state-sponsored thuggery, Odinga said. An area lawmaker was shot in the leg during protests that followed the killings, Odinga said.
BEIRUT  Pro-government forces defeated the Islamic State group in its last major stronghold in Syria, state media and a monitoring group reported Sunday, leaving the militants to defend just strips of desert territory in the country and a besieged pocket outside the capital, Damascus.

Also Sunday, more than two dozen civilians were killed as government forces and rebels traded fire across fronts in Damascus and Homs, Syrias third largest city.
TEHRAN  Iran on Monday rejected a harsh statement by Arab League foreign ministers condemning the Islamic Republic and its proxy Hezbollah, saying the tirade was full of lies and the product of Saudi pressure and propaganda.

State media quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as calling on Saudi Arabia to stop its barbaric attacks on Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been at war with Tehran-backed rebels since March 2015. He also called on Saudi Arabia to drop its boycott of the gulf Arab nation of Qatar, which has warm ties with Iran.

Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday lashed out at Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, accusing them of destabilizing the region and vowing to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Christian ally of Hezbollah, also rejected the Arab League statement, which had accused the militant group of terrorism and of supporting terrorist groups across the region.

Aoun said Lebanon had been subjected to Israeli aggression for decades and had the right to defend itself. Hezbollah, the only Lebanese group to retain its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war, forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 and continues to portray itself as Lebanons first line of defense. Hezbollah is also a member of Lebanons coalition government.

Aoun said Lebanon rejects any accusation that its government is a partner in terrorist attacks.

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who visited Lebanon and met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday, said Lebanon cannot be an arena for any Arab-Iranian confrontation.

He added that naming Hezbollah a terrorist organization is not new as it happened during last years Arab summit. He also clarified that the accusations of terrorism were leveled at one of the ruling partners in the Lebanese government, and not the government as a whole.

Tensions spiked between Saudi Arabia and Iran after the Yemen rebels, known as Houthis, fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted outside Riyadh earlier this month. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran and Hezbollah of arming the rebels, charges denied by both.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran have long vied for regional supremacy.
New Zealand shares rose, led by Kathmandu Holdings ahead of its annual meeting while Metro Performance Glass gained on its first-half earnings.

The S&P/NZX50 Index gained 27.82 points, or 0.3 percent, to 8,089.8. Within the index, 30 stocks rose, 14 fell and six were unchanged. Turnover was $128 million.

"There's not a lot going on, volumes are pretty light and there are no major leads from offshore, it's just one of those treading water days really," said James Smalley, senior advisor at Hamilton Hindin Greene. "We're in the middle of a mini reporting season at the moment, and results out later this week from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Ryman Healthcare should give the market a bit more to get its teeth into. There's just an absence of macro or micro events to drive the market today."

Fisher & Paykel rose 2.4 percent to $13.88, ahead of its first-half earnings tomorrow. Ryman gained 0.3 percent to $9.25; its first-half results are due on Thursday.

Kathmandu Holdings led the index higher, up 5.3 percent to $2.60. The company's annual meeting is due to be held in Melbourne on Friday morning. The stock has gained 27 percent this year.

Metro Performance Glass rose 4.6 percent to 92 cents. The company posted a 2.6 percent gain in first-half profit to $11.8 million, in line with its guidance last month, and gave a forecast for a little changed full-year result. Sales jumped 22 percent to $141.7 million, helped by a full six-month contribution from Australian Glass Group, acquired last year for A$43.1 million. Its shares have dropped 54 percent this year.

"It's kind of the opposite of the usual 'buy the rumour, sell the fact' - people had obviously sold them down after they come out with a number of negative announcements in a row, but the result is within the most recent guidance," Smalley said. "After hitting an all-time low on Wednesday perhaps that was investors getting a little too negative on the stock. The result is not as bad as what the market had expected at all."

Synlait Milk rose 4.1 percent to $7.39, while A2 Milk Co, which Synlait supplies and whose share price movements it usually follows, dropped 1 percent to $7.84. A2's annual meeting will be held tomorrow morning in Auckland.

Xero rose 2.4 percent to $33.80, continuing to bounce back from a recent sell-off which came after it announced its planned de-listing from the NZX.

Kiwi Property Group advanced 1.1 percent to $1.36. The country's biggest listed property investor lifted first-half profit 5 percent as its rental portfolio benefited from new tenants coming on stream, even as the value of its portfolio was flat.

Contact Energy was the worst performer, down 2.5 percent to $5.41. Genesis Energy dropped 2.1 percent to $2.37 and Fletcher Building fell 1.2 percent to $6.90.

Outside the benchmark index, Evolve Education fell 1.3 percent to 77 cents. It said first-half profit more than halved as occupancy rates dropped and it took a $3 million GST impairment. The early childhood education centre operator maintained its forecasts for the full year.

Blis Technologies dropped 10 percent to 1.8 cents. It reported a $1.2 million net loss in the first half as trading revenue tumbled, in particular in its North American market, but is optimistic of an improvement in the second half as sales normalise.

(BusinessDesk)

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Motor Trade Finance's underlying annual earnings dropped 7.6 percent, despite increasing both sales and its market share, and the lender says it's adapting its brand to face upcoming change in the vehicle market.

Net profit rose to $7.5 million in the year ended Sept. 30, from $7.2 million a year earlier, but underlying profit after tax, which removes the volatility of unrealised fair value movements, fell to $7.3 million from $7.9 million in 2016.

Sales jumped 36 percent to $567.4 million, which the company said was due to a "very buoyant year" in the industry along with initiatives such as its release of a non-recourse lending option. It announced the non-recourse lending partnership with Turners Automotive Group last November. The offering allows MTF franchisees and dealers to sell vehicles to people with higher credit risk. A pilot was launched in early December with a progressive roll out from January.

The company said its market share - as measured by the government's Personal Property Securities Register registrations - rose to 13.6 percent in the year from 11.6 percent in the prior period, and non-recourse lending contributed $58.6 million in sales in the year. Non-recourse receivables are not included on the company's balance sheet as they are funded by Turners, but the company included them in its sales and market share figures because they are generated through its business channel, it said.

Assets under management rose to $721 million in the year, from $596.6 million a year earlier.

MTF will drop references to vehicles in its branding "to reflect and encourage broader asset lending," it said. The vehicle industry is changing with the advent of car-sharing, autonomous vehicles and new technologies, and digitisation is expected to drive changes in financial services, it said.

"The worldwide speculation surrounding disruption in the areas where we operate, being the automotive and financial markets, has intensified over the past year," the company said. "What we do know is that our markets are set for change, and while the extent and pace of this change remains unclear, we know we must position ourselves to adapt early and not wait to react. The board and management are confident that because we are agile, adaptive and put the customer at the centre of everything we do, we can look for new opportunities to support sustainable growth and profitability."

The board declared a 7.37 cent dividend, payable on Nov. 30. That brings the annual payout to 13.37 cents per share, down from 13.96 cents per share in 2016.

(BusinessDesk)

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The New Zealand dollar gained against the euro after German coalition talks broke down, raising concerns about Chancellor Angela Merkel's political future and the ramifications on the wider regional economy.

The kiwi rose to 58.03 euro cents as at 5pm in Wellington from 57.64 euro cents as at 8am and 57.81 cents last week. It traded at 68.11 US cents from 68.06 cents as at 8am, having touched a 17-month low 67.79 cents in New York on Friday.

The euro came under pressure in Asian trading and is likely to fall further when Europe opens after German leader Merkel said efforts to form a three-way coalition government had failed. The pro-business Free Democrats unexpectedly pulled out after more than four weeks of negotiations with Merkels conservative bloc and the Greens, citing irreconcilable differences, according to Reuters. Germany is the Europe's biggest economy and internal political instability typically weighs on investor sentiment towards the regional bloc.

Martin Rudings, senior dealer foreign exchange at OMF in Wellington, said the kiwi dollar gains against the euro during the Asian trading session may be short-lived if risk aversion spreads and that the local currency will likely stay under pressure against the greenback.

"Tonight there is a chance the euro could go a bit lower and it might drag the kiwi with it," he said. The kiwi has presented itself as a "pretty weak currency and it won't take much - even if it is someone else's problems - for it to follow."

Rudings said he is now targeting 67.40 US cents as the currency remains technically weak after breaking through solid support at 68.20 cents. There may be some offshore hedge funds that are of the view the "kiwi trade has matured," and are opting to sell, he said. Also, the rate differential is narrowing now the US is lifting rates and "that's taken away a lot of support for the kiwi dollar."

The trade-weighted index rose to 72.27 from 71.90 on Friday in New York. The kiwi traded at 90.15 Australian cents from 90.11 cents on Friday in New York and was unchanged at 51.59 British pence from Friday. The local currency increased to 4.5186 yuan from 4.5153 yuan and traded at 76.29 yen from 76.39 yen.

New Zealand's two-year swap rate was unchanged at 2.15 percent while 10-year swaps fell 1 basis point to 3.11 percent.

(BusinessDesk)

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Blis Technologies reported a net loss in the first half as trading revenue tumbled, in particular in its North American market, but is optimistic of an improvement in the second half as sales normalise.

Blis reported a deficit of $1.2 million in the six months ended Sept. 30, from a profit of $428,000 a year earlier. Sales at the Dunedin-based company fell 46 percent to $2.1 million as several customers opted to run down stock levels through northern hemisphere summer months and because of long lead times with new customer initiatives, delays in regulatory approval and limited resources for targeting accelerated growth opportunities, Blis said in a statement.

Blis, set up to commercialise probiotic bacteria for use in consumer products for oral health, colds and flu, operates in Australasia, Asia, Europe and North America. Its Australasian sales of $484,000 were $193,000 lower on the year while sales in Europe were $33,000 higher at $1 million. Sales in Asia fell $716,000 to $220,000 on the year, largely due to a run-down of stock following a pipeline build for a new product launch in Japan in the first half of the prior year, it said.

However, "North American ingredients sales is where the greatest impact is seen" with an $863,000 decrease in sales during the first half of the current financial year to $310,000 due to a change in buying patterns and the rundown of stock levels over the northern hemisphere summer, it said. In that market, however, "we have seen recent confirmation of new product launch plans which are indicative of a recovery in the second half of the current financial year," it said.

In July it said it was expecting to report a maiden profit in the current financial year. It offered no full-year guidance in today's report but said while the first half was below expectations "the board anticipates an improvement in the second half of the financial year ending March 31, 2018." It said contributors include a move into the peak sales period for its BLIS K12-based products over the northern hemisphere winter, new market and new customer launches in several markets and a return to normal ordering patterns following a correction in stock holding within the supply chain.

The stock last traded at 2 cents and is down 57 percent over the past 12 months.

(BusinessDesk)

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Red Stag Timber, New Zealand's largest sawmill operator, is taking legal action against its Japanese-owned rival Juken New Zealand, alleging Juken mislabelled its engineered laminated veneer lumber product J-Frame.

Rotorua-based Red Stag said it has filed proceedings in the Auckland High Court alleging Juken breached the Fair Trading Act 1986 and said in a statement the issue was important because it relates to the treatment of framing timber following the 'leaky homes' crisis. Red Stag manufactures and produces solid wood products, including framing timber for construction in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Juken, owned by WoodOne in Japan, produces both engineered products and solid wood products.

"Red Stag Timber claims that by labelling J-Frame 'H1.2' and failing to make it clear that J-Frame is envelope treated, Juken New Zealand Limited failed to comply with the building code and misled purchasers," Red Stag said in a statement.

Red Stag has previously complained to the Commerce Commission about the way Juken labelled J-Frame. The regulator responded by issuing a compliance advice letter to Juken earlier this year regarding J-Frame labelling, saying it did not meet the requirements of NZ Standard 3640, was incorrectly labelled as H1.2, and may not have complied with AS/NZ Standard 1604.4 because it doesn't carry an 'E' label signifying envelope treatment.

At the heart of the stoush is the treatment of timber framing used in New Zealand homes, typically known as H1.2. The industry's Standard 3640 requires full sapwood penetration of timber framing using treatment chemicals. Companies such as Red Stag are concerned that a more basic envelope treatment process isn't sufficient to protect timber framing. The standard, on the chemical preservation of timber, is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

"Following the leaky home crisis, New Zealanders want certainty and assurance around treated timber," said Red Stag group chief executive Marty Verry. "Despite the compliance letter issued by the Commerce Commission, we consider proceedings are necessary to ensure that companies such as Juken comply with the building code and relevant standards when labelling their timber products."

Red Stag said it wouldn't comment further as the matter is now before the court. However, the company said it is continuing to raise additional concerns relating to Juken New Zealand's treatment, codemark and labelling of its products with the appropriate regulatory bodies. A Juken spokesperson wasn't immediately available to comment.

(BusinessDesk)

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Metro Performance Glass, whose shares have tumbled 57 percent in the past 12 months, says it could have communicated better as sales growth slowed and its full-year guidance is conservative as befits a stock that has fallen out of favour.

The Auckland-based company's shares rose 5.7 percent to 93 cents on the NZX today after the company posted a 2.6 percent gain in first-half profit to $11.8 million as sales jumped 22 percent to $141.7 million.The earnings gain was driven by a full six-month contribution from Australian Glass Group, acquired last year for A$43.1 million.

New Zealand sales edged up 0.4 percent to $112 million while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 10 percent to $21.4 million. Australian sales were $29.6 million, compared with $4.6 million for a single month contribution a year earlier and ebitda rose to $3.9 million from $800,000.

In the first half of 2016, sales climbed 23 percent on New Zealand trading alone but as the company said today, in the latest six months anticipated growth in NZ residential and commercial construction activity "did not eventuate, contributing to a disappointing financial result in NZ." The construction sector faced constraints because of reduced housing affordability and availability of credit, a difficult winter, capacity constraints and uncertainty over the elections, it said.

MetroGlass has about 55 percent of New Zealand's glass market but says competition and weaker-than-expected construction activity meant the company was "entering a period of more moderate growth". As a result, last month it announced a strategic review assisted by First NZ Capital, which is expected to be completed by March 2018. MetroGlass had geared up for stronger growth "but now in recognition of softer than expected conditions, steps have been taken to improve efficiency and capital expenditure plans have been revised," it said today.

Capex for 2018 is now expected to be $20 million, down from a previous estimate of $25 million, and annual capex over the next two years is expected to slow to a range of $10 million to $12 million.

"Planned capex over the next quarter will set MetroGlass up well for FY19 and this is in line with the board's commitment to prudent capital management," said chair Peter Griffiths, who took over from retiring chair John Goulter today.

Chief executive Nigel Rigby said much of this year's $20 million capex will be spent over December and January, typically a slow time for the construction industry. Among investments will be an expansion of its double glazing plant in Auckland to allow for panels as large as 6x3 metres, anticipating greater uptake of double glazing in commercial projects, and also allowing "exotic, high-performance glass".

MetroGlass kept its full-year profit forecast broadly unchanged in a range of $18.5 million to $20 million, from $19.4 million last year. Rigby said when a company's stock has fallen out of favour with the market "you have to make sure your guidance is conservative." The company had taken "some learning about how well we have communicated our growth strategy," Rigby said.

The company will pay an interim dividend of 3.6 cents a share, unchanged from a year earlier, on Jan. 23 with a record date of Jan. 9.

(BusinessDesk)

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Shaw Joins HBCUs from Around the Country

Shaw University administrators and staff attended the HBCUgrow 2017 Lead Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Raleigh. The conference drew dozens of attendees from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) from all over the country.

HBCUgrow is an organization that helps historically black colleges and universities make the most of their brand, website, and marketing campaigns. The annual Lead conference provides opportunities for HBCU leaders to come together to learn from one another and discuss relevant issues.

This years conference included educational sessions on topics such as community college partnerships, enrollment, and marketing. The Presidential Panel included Shaw University interim president Dr. Paulette Dillard, Grambling State University president Rick Gallot, and Bennett College Trustee Andrea Harris. The panel addressed subjects such as challenges and opportunities HBCUs face in the current political and social environment.

During the panel, Dr. Dillard was asked about her role as interim president and providing leadership during a transitional period for the University. She stressed the efficacy of the Shaws five-year strategic plan and the continuity and stability it has provided.

The University must function regardless of if you have a permanent or an interim president. Its about the ability of an interim president to make decisions and move the university forward, said Dillard. I have been fortunate in that we are in the second year of a five year strategic plan. I have used that plan to stay on course and to make the university continue on our current trajectory. At any point when the Board of Trustees makes a decision about a permanent president, it will be just a matter of coming and taking over what we already have in place. Because our strategic plan is a functioning document, I have a pretty good roadmap of what the university needs to accomplish over the next three years. As long as I keep my eyes focused and my efforts on that, I think Shaw University is in a good place.

Dillard also addressed many of the challenges, including the uncertain future of Title III funding, a crucial source of tuition dollars for students attending Shaw and other HBCUs. She said that while this is a challenge, she credited organizations like the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for stepping up. She also credited some political leaders for fighting for HBCUs.

I dont know what we would do in North Carolina without Representative Alma Adams. She has been a major advocate for North Carolina HBCUs and we are grateful to have her, said Dillard of the Congresswoman who represents North Carolinas 12th district.

Dillard said that while there are many challenges facing HBCUs, there are a lot of advantages universities like Shaw have over larger institutions, including the more personal touch that Shaw can give its students.

When you come to Shaw you do have that traditional HBCU experience, said Dillard. We dont have a lot of the fancy buildings, but what we do have is a legacy of caring for the individual student. The faculty student ratio is very low. We have the ability to walk across our campus and call our students by their first names and we also know your mother and your aunt and everybody else. We have that ability to provide that extra level of care that you cant get at a larger institution. All of those things matter when it comes to the student of color, and so we continue to make students aware that we offer that ability to get to know you as individuals.

The conference concluded with an award ceremony for the 2017 LEAD Awards. Shaw University took home the bronze medal in the Marketing category.

This award is a testament to the hard work and creative spirit of the Shaw University staff, said Dr. Dillard. Their efforts to tell our story to the next generation of college students will increase our enrollment numbers and help secure the future of this great university.
Page Content

~ Valya Lake-Pantophlet is Chairperson ~





Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher on Thursday appointed the first full board of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) foundation and immediately tasked the group to formulate a plan that would eventually result in the incorporation of an independent governing body (Zelfstandig Bestuursorgaan, ZBO).





Finalizing a process that started months ago and stressing country above politics, the Minister appointed seven local professionals to the board whom she described as energetic, knowledgeable, forward and creative thinkers with vast knowledge over various sectors.





Valya Lake-Pantophlet was appointed as Chairperson of the board by the Minister. Lake-Pantophlet is the Current Head of the Department of Economic Licenses and former Executive Director of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA).





Anastacio Baker, current Executive Director of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce, was appointed Vice Chairperson and Treasurer, Law Consultant Eunicio Martina was appointed Legal Council on the board, local commercial airline executive Jeff Oliver was appointed Assistant Treasurer, local entrepreneur in the hospitality field and current Executive Secretary to the Minister Martina Browne was appointed as Secretary to the board, Cherinah Franken of the Product Development section at the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau was appointed a board member and Cecil Nicholas expert in the field of transportation and logistics was also appointed as a board member.





Together with the Head of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau Rolando Brison, the new board of the STA were given several tasks including setting up their operational structure, presenting an action plan to government for 2018 and ensuring that tourism partners and stakeholders are consulted and apprised of the role of the STA moving forward.





The purpose of the STA foundation currently will be to assist the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau in carrying out the tourism policy of the Government of St. Maarten as a tourist destination; to support the growth of St. Maartens land- and sea-based tourism by providing the public and private sectors with focused, sustainable and productive marketing; and the enhancement of the visitor experience. STA will also assist and guide in, and direct all matters related to tourism, whether upon initiative from the public sector or the private sector.





The Minister said eventually incorporating the ZBO is the priority. Immediately upon its incorporation, she explained, the ZBO will be solely responsible for and solely authorized to execute the aforementioned tasks. The Minister met with the board on Thursday to congratulate them on their appointments and stress the importance of the job in front of them.





At this moment in St. Maarten with what has happened over the past few months and how our tourism product will have to rebound, the STA is extremely important moving forward, She said. When you look at Aruba and other destinations, they are ahead at all times because of their STA, the elimination of red tape and the freedom to be creative and dynamic in an ever-competitive market.





I have the utmost faith in all of you who come from various professional backgrounds. You are all professional people who love St. Maarten and I expect you will do your utmost to guide the STA into a position that will benefit St. Maarten and by extension its economy and its people, she said, adding that the intention was the appoint the board around the same time Hurricane Irma struck the island.





She also urged the board members to always be above politics and put country first. This should never be about politics and always about country first. That is what I believe in, that is how I approached my tenure. Work for your people. You are all professionals and I expect this to be your principled position at all times, she said.





As for the Supervisory Council of the STA which consists of one member each from the airport, harbor, SHTA and timeshare association, the Minister explained that the terms of those members have expired, and their aforementioned entities will be notified that they have two months to nominate new persons or recommend the same member for re-appointment.





Caption: From left to right standing: Eunicio Martina, Anastacio Baker, Rolando Brison, Valya Lake-Pantophlet, Jeff Oliver, Cecil Nicholas and Martina Browne. Minister Mellissa Arrindell Doncher is seated.




Page Content

Community encouraged to play a role in making day relevant for children





Great Bay, St. Maarten  The United Nations' (UN) Universal Children's Day, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children and improving children's welfare.





It is a date on which parents, teachers, nurses and doctors, government representatives and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals as well as young people and children themselves are encouraged to play an important part in making Universal Children's Day relevant for their societies and communities.





It is also the date on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959. Thirty years later the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on that same date.





The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as any human person who has not reached the age of eighteen years.





The convention defines that children specifically, have the right to equal protection, which means that every child is entitled to the same treatment at the hands of authority regardless of race, gender, disability, or religion.





The Charter of Child Rights is built on the principle that "all children are born with fundamental freedoms and all human beings have some inherent rights".





This in turn is to guarantee the health, well-being, and safety of children and youth.





The question remains if children know what their rights are. Among the fundamental rights of the child is a right to non-discrimination, whereby kids should be allowed to be who they are and be treated equally to everyone else.





Then there is the right to life, survival and development.





In St. Maarten, numerous entities look after and advocate child and youth rights in daily life. The Court of Guardianship is one such organization. Another one is the department of Youth Affairs, which is charged with the monitoring and reporting on the Rights of the Child to the United Nations.





For St. Maarten, Universal Childrens Day can additionally be an opportunity to further look at the plight of children, particularly in the wake of the passing of hurricane Irma and Maria in September of this year. As could be remembered, discussions about children in St. Maarten was recently at the forefront, among others, because of serious damages sustained to schools, in addition to the thousands of home structures. Many parents opted, among other things, to evacuate children to Curacao, Aruba, and Holland to attend school.





But discussions about the countrys children have been ongoing for some time. This is visible in the various laws and policies that are in place, such as the Law on Compulsory Education, the Integrated Youth Policy, that is presently being updated, and the National Early Childhood Development Policy, that is now being drafted. The passage of the storm has cemented the need to review all policies in order to update them to include areas pertaining to disaster, amongst others. Research and reading up on these policies will help the community to better meet the needs of children as the most vulnerable among us.





Around the world, many schools and other educational institutions make special efforts to inform children of their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Teachers are encouraged to stimulate their pupils to think about the differences between themselves and others and explain the idea of rights. Every year on St. Maarten, the Department of Youth Affairs in collaboration with the Court of guardianship, St. Maarten Youth Council, the St. Maarten National Commission for UNESCO, St. Maarten Early Childhood Development Association (SECDA) and the Department responsible for youth affairs on the French side of St. Maarten organize activities (like presentations in song, dance, poetry, debates, panel discussions) to inform youth of St. Maarten about their rights. Events are also held to commemorate this international day.





The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), like the Millennium Development Goals before them, are playing a significant role in determining the global approach to international development. Though goals focus on sustainable development, they are inseparably linked to human rights generally, and the rights of children specifically. When asking ourselves what we can do for children, we can look at the SDGs, whether poverty (Goal 1), hunger (Goal 2), health (Goal 3), education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), climate change (Goal 13) or violence against children (Goal 16.2) and find targets and indicators which can help us to support and monitor the children rights situation on Sint Maarten, starting by making children and parents aware of those fundamental rights.





In the current context of St. Maarten recovering from the September 2017 hurricanes, November 20 should be seen as an opportunity to give consideration as to how to continue giving content to promoting and protecting childrens rights. Points for discussion can always vary, but can include topics such as social protection and support for children as well as prevention of overweight and obesity among children through healthy weight-programs in districts and schools.




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Students using government-issued laptops have been told the ACT will monitor how they use the device and refer illegal activity to the police.

Year seven to 11 public school students will receive their promised free Chromebook only when their parents sign an agreement that says they understand "the territory and other people helping or working with the territory" may monitor how the laptop is used and access information added to the device.

All students in years seven to 11 will receive a free Chromebook over the next two years. Credit:Yuri Arcurs

Illegal activity would be referred to police, the Chromebook Acceptance Form said.

An Education Directorate spokesman said authorised staff and ICT security could watch how students used the laptops at school but confirmed the devices wouldn't be monitored when students were at home.
Labor factions are "marshalling forces" for a preselection fight over Canberra's new third federal seat, with the staffer who helped lead same-sex marriage campaigning in the ACT considering a run.

Jacob White, a staffer for Fenner MP Andrew Leigh who took leave to run the Australian Marriage Equality group's postal survey campaign in the ACT, is understood to be considering putting his name forward, while names of former candidates including Angie Drake and David Smith are being mentioned by other party members.

Same-sex marriage campaigner and Labor staffer Jacob White. Credit:Karleen Minney

The Australian Electoral Commission is expected to release public suggestions for the name and boundaries of the new federal seat next week, with the location being closely watched by Labor and the Greens ahead of factional horse trading and formal preselection processes.

Mr White is factionally unaligned and lives in Canberra's north.
When James Lara moved into his 57-square-metre apartment in Greenway, Tuggeranong, he had to make some economical decisions.

"When I looked at what I could do with the 55 to 60 square-metre range, I thought: where are you going to put a couch? Where you going to put a dining table?," he said.

James Lara in his 57-square-metre apartment in Greenway. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Though it may seem cosy, Mr Lara is not alone when it comes to living in a small apartment. According to the CommSec's Home Size Trends report, based on numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra is home to the smallest apartments in the country. And they are getting smaller.

The average floor area of new apartments in 2016-17 in Canberra is 95.8 square metres, well behind the rest of the country. The next smallest apartments are found in Western Australia, at 123 square metres, with NSW at 129.5 square metres.
Friends of the School of Music present Mike Cheng-Yu Lee. Larry Sitsky Recital Room, ANU School of Music, Friday, November, 17, 7.30pm

On Friday evening, the audience in the Larry Sitsky Recital Room were privileged to experience the sound of a treasure from the ANU Keyboard Institute  Paul McNulty's 2004 exact reproduction of a Conrad Graf Viennese action piano, from the period 1810-1820  played by fortepiano expert Mike Cheng-Yu Lee. There are few musical encounters that can compare with a solo performance in the intimacy of a chamber such as the Sitsky Recital Room, and it is to be hoped that similar events will increase in the new year as the ANU School of Music builds its outward facing public programs. Lee is lecturer of piano/keyboard performance at the Australian National University, School of Music and director of the ANU Keyboard Institute.

Mike Cheng-Yu Lee's playing style is exquisitely economical. Credit:Ellen Zaslaw

Lee introduced each work, performing the repertoire from memory with the familiarity of someone who has absorbed the music into their own identity. His style is exquisitely economical; exactly the right amount of energy is expended to recreate the dynamic variation and ornamentation suggested within the score. Lee is sparing with his use of rubato, choosing to moderate the tempo subtly to enhance his performance rather than make an overly dramatic statement. As only a master musician can, Lee drew us inside the music; into an experience of the musical ideas expressed by Beethoven and Schumann.

Beethoven's Bagatelles, Op.126 opened the concert. This performance of the Bagatelles, the last work written by Beethoven for the piano, seemed to offer a view from Beethoven's era into newly imagined musical possibilities. The quirky passing notes, sudden rocking rhythms, passing references to folk melodies and Beethoven's signature dramatic extremes in dynamic variation were captivating on the Graf with its clean articulation and distinctive resonance.
There are many red flags to provide warnings when buying shares but one that even the most unsophisticated investor can watch out for is a company's directors or senior management selling shares.

They are the real insiders.

There is a close correlation between those at the top of a company selling stock and subsequent underperformance of the share price.

Some handy research by stockbroking firm Wilsons found that in 2016, of the companies whose management sold large parcels of shares, 76 per cent of them underperformed the market after the sale. On average their share prices fell by a massive 14 per cent.
Former union leader and one-time whistleblower Kathy Jackson has pleaded not guilty to misappropriating more than $470,000 from the Health Services Union to pay for personal flights, hotel accommodation and other expenses, and been committed to stand trial.

Ms Jackson, 49, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday for the start of what was meant to be a week-long hearing to determine whether she would face a jury in a higher court, but after discussions between her lawyers and prosecutors, the matter was adjourned straight to trial without her lawyer cross-examining witnesses.

She pleaded not guilty to 166 charges, including 18 counts of theft, 147 of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of obtaining property by deception.

Ms Jackson kissed partner Michael Lawler, the former Fair Work Commission deputy president, as the pair lined up to enter court and while in the court room chatted and laughed with supporters and lawyers while waiting for magistrate Simon Zebrowski to enter.
The company was contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline. Its corporate governance statement on its website states "the board has not adopted a formal diversity policy or set measurable objectives based on diversity alone" and "believes that this is consistent with its objective of generating long term shareholder value in an ethical manner". Is it really 'merit' based? ACSI CEO Louise Davidson said they had communicated with the ARB board on several occasions over the past three years to discuss shareholder concerns. In response, ARB advised them that they had a merit based policy and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity or cultural background.

But she said it's hard to understand how it is merit-based that ARB has not been able to fill a board role with a female director since 1989, some 28 years after listing. "Some companies continue to resist change and cling to the idea that their hiring practices are based on merit," Ms Davidson said. Four no votes in 2017 so far Some companies continue to resist change and cling to the idea that their hiring practices are based on merit Louise Davidson "At the start of this AGM season, we said that we would vote against 10 companies on gender diversity grounds. In practice, we have only had to vote against four companies."

Aside from ARB, Ms Davidson said ACSI will be recommending an 'against' vote at the AGM of telecommunications company TPG Telecom on December 6 if no progress is made before then. TPG, whose CEO and executive chairman is David Teoh, is now the only company in the top 100 publicly listed companies without a woman on its board. Credit:Daniel Munoz TPG, whose CEO and executive chairman is David Teoh, is now the only company in the top 100 publicly listed companies without a woman on its board. Those under watch Other companies aside fom ARB that have been voted against, but since taken steps to rectify the problem, or assured ACSI that they soon will, include:

-Flight Centre. At their AGM on November 9, chairman Gary Smith said the company would appoint Colette Garnsey, who will replace Cassandra Kelly who resigned last year. -CIMIC Group. On September 30 it moved to appoint Kate Spargo, UGL chairman and non-exceutive director of Fletcher Building, Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, Sonic HeathCare and Investec. -Australian Agricultural Company (AACo). On November 15 the beef company recruited Asian online retail specialist Jessica Rudd  daughter of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd  to its board. Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) recruited Asian online retail specialist Jessica Rudd  daughter of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd  to its board. Credit:Glenn Hunt Those who made promises

The remaining no women boards are: -Ardent Leisure Group, owner of Dreamworld, whose only female member Melanie Willis resigned in September. -Galaxy Resources. ACSI initially recommended an 'against' vote, but changed this to 'for' when they confirmed they were in the process of appointing a woman director. -Reliance Worldwide Corporation. ACSI initially recommended an 'against' vote, but changed this to 'for' when they confirmed they were in the process of appointing a woman director. -Speedcast International. It is new to the ASX 200 and will not be holding its AGM until April.

ACSI members not perfect ACSI's members include 37 local and overseas asset owners and institutional investors that collectively manage over $1.6 trillion in assets and own on average 10 per cent of every ASX 200 company. Its own members have a long way to go to on gender diversity - not all of ACSI members have equal female and male representation on their boards. While the no-women boards are reducing, according to Australian Institute of Company Directors data there are 64 companies that have just one female on their board. "From our perspective, eliminating zero women boards from the ASX200 is only part of the job," Ms Davidson said.

Eliminating zero women boards from the ASX200 is only part of the job: ACSI Louise Davidson Credit:Josh Robenstone Companies with just one woman "There are still 68 companies in the ASX200 with only one woman on their boards. We plan to review our voting policy to turn up the heat on these companies." Next year ACSI will publish a revised gender diversity voting policy with new incentives for companies to meet the 30 per cent target. ACSI's proxy-voting service provides recommendations on all ASX300 companies on a range of issues including executive pay, human rights and climate risk.
Leading conservatives reacted to the clear result in the same-sex marriage postal survey by flagging a wind-back of anti-discrimination protections. This has predictably, and rightfully, received a scathing response. Sensing defeat, they have changed tack. Cabinet ministers are now calling for Parliament to include a general protection for religious freedom in the same-sex marriage law, or to enact a separate "religious protections" bill in the new year.

The initial attempt to use same-sex marriage as a Trojan horse for discrimination on religious grounds was troubling. We should be well past the point where a business can deny service because of the religious beliefs of the proprietor. Few Australians want to live in a country where a baker, cinema or cafe can refuse to serve a same-sex couple, or a divorcee or adulterer. Allowing such conduct would undermine the tolerance and respect that fosters social harmony.

Despite this unpromising start to the debate, there is a good point to be made about the poor state of Australian law in preserving religious freedom. This is protected by section 116 of the constitution, which provides four guarantees, including that the Commonwealth may not make any law "prohibiting the free exercise of any religion".

Section 116 has proved to be a frail and ineffective shield. Despite several attempts, the High Court has never been convinced to use this section to strike down a law. And in any event, the section applies only to laws passed by the Federal Parliament, and not to any law enacted by the states. As a result, the states are free to target people for discrimination based on their religion, such as by banning the burqa or other forms of religious dress.
Foreign brands up the ante in fashion market

The competitive pressure exerted on domestic fashion firms by the increasing presence of world renowned brands is unavoidable, but it could have positive impacts in the long run, experts say.









Outside the recently opened H&M store in Ha Noi.



They say that the Vietnamese consumer market is growing, and stiff competition could motivate domestic firms to change their production methods and business practices in order to stay in business.



Since the early 2000s, a series of world famous fashion houses targeting the middle-income group has entered Viet Nam, including Spains Mango, UKs Oasis and USs GAP.



Swedens Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) and Spains fashion giant Zara are among the latest entrants in the last few months.



Going by anticipation and crowds that these brands have generated in their opening days, it is evident that they are meeting a demand, and domestic firms have no choice but to deal with strong competition.



What has to change



Dang Phuong Dung, Vice Chairwoman, Secretary General at Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), told the Vietnam News Agency that the emergence of more international brands would compel domestic companies to diversify their products in all market segments.



The foreign brands are meeting a real demand, according to Samir Dixit, Managing Director, Brand Finance Asia Pacific.



He said in the companys 2016 Viet Nam 50 Report that foreign brands taking over the domestic market is simply inescapable because of the ever increasing gap between consumers demand and producers supply in terms of volume, quality and aesthetics.



As the foreign brands enter Viet Nam, local businesses must be more aware of their own product quality and appropriately change their investment orientations, Dixit said.



Dung said most domestic garment producers have focused mainly on exports, chiefly taking on outsourced production. They have not been interested in the huge potential of the domestic market; therefore, despite being one of the top textile and garment exporters in the world, the country has yet to gain much added value, she added.



Customer favourite



With textile and garment firms tending to specialise in production but not in design, branding and distribution, they will have to adapt fast to be able to compete with the newcomers.



The success of grand openings by H&M and Zara can be attributed to good marketing and advertising, but it is undeniable that fast fashion (where a new trend or design is quickly produced at relatively cheap prices) is now an established customer favourite in Viet Nam.



Its young population and rapid improvement in living standards has made Viet Nam an attractive and fertile territory for international fashion brands.



These firms produce wide ranges of clothing for different market segments and sell them at an average price due to diminishing production costs that result from mass production.



In the fashion industry, foreign companies tower over their domestic counterparts in terms of capital, professionalism, marketing and customer service, and most importantly, online selling.



A spokesperson for H&M said the brand spent two years researching the Vietnamese market, identifying key growth factors like a fast-paced economy, an exponential number of fashion-conscious consumers with distinctive tastes, and a surging density of shopping malls.



Domestic enterprises have begun placing more emphasis on designing and offering more diverse products of higher quality, and it is even said that Vietnamese enterprises may enjoy some home turf advantage, which enables a cultural understanding of customer habits.



However, it is evident that domestic brands remain weaker than their international competitions, as Dinh Thi My Loan, President of the Vietnam Retailers Association, said at a June 2017 conference on identifying retail policy risks.



Loan said that more than 200 foreign fashion brands present in the country occupying more than 60 per cent of the market share.



She noted that major fashion brands in the world are very interested in Viet Nam because of its high annual average market growth rate of between 15 to 20 per cent.



Theres confidence



Domestic brands that have made a mark in the market remain confident and hopeful that they will be able to ride the new waves of international competiton.



Do Viet Anh, Director of Boo Fashion Trading Co. Ltd, told Viet Nam News that the continuous stream of foreign brands entering Viet Nams fashion markets will have some impact on the domestic fashion industry, but they are likely to be short-term impacts.



In the long run, such competition is definitely a good dose of reality for the countrys fashion market. It will help alter peoples shopping habits towards branded products instead of non-branded ones, he added.



The looming presence of these foreign brands will also help customers compare domestic and global fashion products, and understand that prestigious Vietnamese brands are not inferior, Anh said.



Nguyen Tiep, NEM Fashions Head of Marketing Department, also held the same view despite the two brands different demographics.



Tiep told Viet Nam News that his company would implement a business strategy to boost a line of customers favourite products in order to increase its competitiveness.



The company will also focus on strengthening its point of sale customer service and improving overall customer experience, Tiep said.  VNS
As for the costing of the service, it too needs further examination. Figures can be misleading. The comparison with bulk billing was very simplistic. Obviously a lot of factors need to be considered. Cesira Costello, Kambah

Service good value Dr Thinus van Rensburg has turned his lance against the nurse walk-in centres ('GPs say nurse centres waste of tax money', November 18, p3). It should be pointed out to Dr Rensburg that these walk-in centres cost $188 per visit because they are open from 7.30am until 10pm. If they kept the sort of hours that most GPs have, implying scheduling of appointments, they would be a lot cheaper. I have found the nurses at the walk-in centres to be incredibly good value: very knowledgeable, helpful, and well organised. All the centres are spotlessly clean and one would be far less likely to acquire anything infectious in them than in a hospital casualty ward. As a 75-year-old cyclist, I look forward to the new walk-in centres, giving me more choice in case I fall off.

John Mason, Latham A step too far Some conservative members of the Turnbull government are keen to ensure that religious freedoms are protected in the legislation to extend the right to marry to members of the GLBTQI community. Peter Dutton has suggested these can be debated at a later time. Let's, by all means, debate religious freedoms in Australia. As part of that debate let us explain what religious freedoms currently exist and let us debate whether or not some of them should still exist.

Far from being powerless churches have sweeping rights to discriminate as they choose within their own organisations. Already there have been threats that church-related employees, who choose to marry their same-sex partner, will be fired. Yes, a church can do that. A young straight couple mentioned their support of marriage equality and were told their own wedding was no longer welcome in their own church. Yes, a church can do that. The list of what a church can do is very long indeed. Is it time in a modern world that some of these "religious freedoms" were clipped?

I personally believe that everyone has the right to worship as they see fit without interference. That is religious freedom. What some are now demanding, it seems, is that religious freedoms extend into the secular world. There is meant to be a separation between the church and state. A far-reaching community discussion of religious freedoms could look at whether that separation is being maintained or whether our churches are taking unwarranted liberties. Lyn Farrand, Kambah Gloating a bad sign You would have thought the same-sex marriage voters would have thanked the Liberal Party, and particularly Tony Abbott, for providing the platform for this to happen.

After all it was in Labor's six years of power that people like Julia Gillard, Bill Shorten and Penny Wong specifically said they did not want Australia to have same-sex marriage. Yet they were the ones celebrating after the result. The "yes" voters also said if we had a postal vote or plebiscite the gay community would be victimised and assaulted. Yet it was the "yes" voters that were doing most of the assaulting of the "no" voters. An ex-PM gets head-butted, a young woman losing her job, "yes" voters holding signs to burn churches, people defriended friends because they voted "no". The "no" voters have been very tolerant and accepting of the result.

The "yes" side, on the other hand, has been gloating and so the Christianaphobia continues. If this is the sign of things to come it is a worry. Our country was built on the Judeo-Christian beliefs that have served us well for a long time. Ian Pilsner, Weston Repeal 2003 law I was wrongly under the impression that the postal vote was to be anonymous.

The bar code on the ballot paper obviously gave away a lot of personal information. Information such as age, sex, postal address (to determine my electorate) were all available. Someone has cross-referenced the bar code to the electoral roll to generate the statistics as published in the papers this week. The end result was a foregone conclusion so now we require time-consuming new legislation and the requisite debate. But all this can be avoided by simply repealing the 2003 legislation which they should have done months ago.

Wal Pywell, Wanniassa Juveniles plan flawed Apparently the Queensland Coalition party is planning, if elected, to build two new juvenile detention centres. I would have thought the money would be better spent on preventing the need for what is too often the beginning of a spiral downwards for those who end up in these facilities. It seems to be significant that most of the current residents are the offspring of the former owners of the land who have never been compensated by those who took it off them.

Is this yet another chapter in what is a far from commendable history? (Dr) Audrey Guy, Ngunnawal Time for a revolt Talk about burying bad news on a good news day. The same-sex marriage vote gets up, and on the evening news, we are told the ACT can expect rates and utilities to rise 12 per cent over the next two years. When will the peasants uprising begin?

Gather your pitchforks and light your torches you poor downtrodden masses, workers of the ACT unite, we cannot afford this government, gather the tumbrils and parade this shoddy gang of self-indulging petite bourgeoisie through the streets so we can shower them with our scorn. Long live the proletariat. Ian Jannaway, Monash Clear the air on Bimberi The findings from the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory are shocking, but not unexpected.

We are lucky to live in the ACT, the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce a Human Rights Act. It wouldn't be possible that procedures that re-traumatise and work against the rehabilitation of children and young people in our youth justice system are allowed here, would it? Some joining of the dots suggests otherwise. On April 15, 2017, The Canberra Times ("Bimberi staff raise human rights concern", p.3) reported staff at Bimberi Youth Detention Centre were concerned about human rights violations at the facility including the use of "squat and cough" during strip searches of children as young as 10 years old. A Community Services Directorate spokesperson claimed "All searches (are) conducted in accordance with relevant legislation and guidelines".

That sounds pretty hollow when you look at the Human Rights Commission's Annual Report 2016-17. Page 53 states "Following advocacy from the commission, this practice (the 'squat and cough' strip search procedure)  previously identified as unlawful in the 2005 Human Rights audit of Quamby  was discontinued". It had been happening. The report also states that of the 78 strip searches at Bimberi in 2016-17 not one found any contraband. There have been numerous allegations of abuse, violence and neglect inside Bimberi this year. The latest concern staff's failure to provide young detainees with an initial health assessment within statutory time frames.

Will the HRC's investigation into allegations about Bimberi, due for release by the end of 2017, examine the use of: segregation (solitary confinement); force and restraints; and strip searching? The royal commission found these practices were being abused in the Northern Territory. It would be good to know they are not being abused here. Sarah Cowdery, Barton Edgy about boardwalk Juliet Ramsay's claim (Letters, November 16) that the new West Basin boardwalk will "damage" the "naturalistic" lake edge would probably carry more weight if the development wasn't rebuilding the (entirely artificial) West Basin lake edge to match the formal arc originally intended by Walter Burley Griffin in his 1913, 1916 and final plans.

During his time as the Federal Capital Director, Griffin was given ample opportunity to give the three central lake basins a "naturalistic" edge, but persisted in favour of a precise geometric treatment. In Griffin's words: "because of (the basins') largeness of scale and severe simplicity they conform to the architectural character of the centre of the City with its monumental groups and throngs of busy people." In the interests of financial and hydraulic efficiency, the lake edge built in 1963 dissolved this formal relationship in favour of a meandering, picturesque treatment that instead contrasted the lake shores with the city's built form. When combined with the construction of Parkes Way and the removal of the recreation building group from the central basin's northern shore, the Lake Burley Griffin of today remains a ghostly shadow of its namesake's true intentions. There are certainly aspects of the West Basin transformation that deserve closer scrutiny (looking at you, Parkes Way realignment). Rebuilding the West Basin lake edge to match Griffin's geometry is not one of them.

Ryan Hemsley, Wright The impossible dream When astronauts looked back at the Earth from the moon, they were struck by its beauty, its small size and its vulnerability. This brought home to them the point that Dick Varley made (Letters, November 20) that the Earth cannot possibly sustain infinite growth. Growth of economies, and populations, and use of resources cannot possibly continue ad infinitum, and pollution of our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and methane cannot continue indefinitely at the present rate, let alone increase.

The Steady State Economy concept supported by Mr Varley does, however, have a major, intractable problem. Equitable distribution of wealth has always been an impossible dream. We seem unable to break out of the cycle of long periods of polarisation of wealth  as is happening now in many countries  followed by uprisings of the (much) less well-off majority. Steady-state economies would be nice, but I don't like our chances of making them last. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Vote on euthanasia Now that our elected representatives have shown willingness to spend $122 million of our tax money confirming our opinion on a matter involving social inclusion may we expect that they will spend an equal amount confirming our opinion on the important matter of medically assisted voluntary euthanasia? The emphasis in this consideration seems to have strayed from humanitarian changes to our laws to the supposed effects on our religious persuasions. The fact that the desired assistance is voluntary and does not in any way impel participation by any person not seeking such assistance or providing the assistance for religious or any other reason seems to have been lost in the hysteria. Hopefully the majority of our elected representatives are capable of not hiding behind the excuse that it is too hard.

Maxwell Lotton, Fisher Tragedy of Zimbabwe Apropos your editorial, ("Is the end finally in sight for Mugabe?", November 17, p. 16): I've visited Zimbabwe several times (and Rhodesia, in the distant past) and I have to agree with your gloomy prediction for the country's immediate prospects. A minor correction, if I may: Zimbabwe-Rhodesia came into being in June 1979 (not December 1979) following the so-called "internal settlement" which saw Abel Muzorewa become prime minister. This was unacceptable to the international community, including Australia, which forced Zimbabwe-Rhodesia to the externally monitored election in February 1980 which Robert Mugabe won, albeit amid widespread accusations of vote-rigging and voter-coercion. Peter Moran, Watson

Sic 'em, Barnaby A pair of Yankee dogs with diplomatic immunity running riot in our capital? Where's Barnaby when we need him most? Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan, NSW TO THE POINT The Canberra Times wants to hear from you in short bursts. Email 50 or fewer words to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au.

CITIZENSHIP MYSTERY Strange it will take Jacqui Lambie four weeks to get written confirmation of her renouncement of British citizenship when Mr Alexander (British) and Mr Joyce (New Zealand) had written proof virtually overnight, enabling byelections to be conducted in 2017. Mr Turnbull should insist Mr Alexander and Mr Joyce display their renouncement confirmation paperwork for scrutiny immediately. P. R. Temple, Macquarie SHARE THE LOVE With all the love around more thought should be given to the lines "Love is in the air every sight and every sound... don't know if I'm being foolish Don't know if I'm being wise" (credit to John Paul Young).

Peter Brittliff, Kambah DON'T MESS WITH S.44 James Grafton could not be more wrong in claiming (Letters, November 18) there should be a reversion to the pre-1948 situation where Australians, along with citizens of many Commonwealth countries, were citizens of the "British Empire". While there are parts of our constitution which are now hopelessly out of date, Section 44 is not one of them. T. J. Marks, Holt A.C.T. WELCOMES GAYS

With the "yes" result making us the San Francisco of Australia and with a rainbow roundabout to celebrate, we have a new angle for promoting Canberra as an international tourist destination. Michelle Barron, Lyneham CHANGE THE TOPIC I voted for equality. The right to have your sexual orientation normalised and therefore slip into the background and not be spoken about. I did not vote for gay monuments or rainbow roundabouts. Can we now just stop talking about it and get back to talking about the weather or sport. Bryan Cossart, Stirling

TAKE HEED, P.M. It is sad and pathetic to listen to a leader trying to cling to power after losing the support of the people and powerful elements of his own party. What was Malcolm Turnbull thinking when he heard Robert Mugabe's speech? Tony Judge, Woolgoolga IT'S ONLY OUR MONEY Peter Toscan (Letters, November 20), would you prefer a trip to Melbourne to see an Australian-made tram dIspatched to the ACT or take a taxpayer trip to Spain? This is the ACT Legislative Assembly we are talking about.
At times I feel like I'm living on another planet. For five years I've campaigned for marriage equality. Now that the postal survey has been won and Parliament is set to legislate, I find that what ought to be triumphant jubilation is instead a sense of unsettling hopelessness.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I will soon possess the legal right to marry the person I love. I was overwhelmed by the pride and passion of those who gathered in Oxford Street to celebrate the result. I share in the joy of those who have fought longer than I have, and those who will be among the first to marry under the change in law. We fought and we won.

Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman has warned against homosexuality.

For me, a bleak reality remains: as a Muslim from an ethnic background, most people in my community will not accept me as a homosexual man, nor will they legitimise the right for me to marry. Not that I need their approval. No, I intend to marry no matter the consequence. If you believe, as I do, that love is a gift of the Almighty, then enjoining that love is a sacrosanct duty. One of the signs of God, as the Koran tells us, is the tranquillity we find in our mates, and that rings true for me as I'm sure it does for countless other same-sex couples.

At times my faith is as strong as steel, at others it is as brittle as glass. Islam has been a compass for me, and I take solace in the message of the Koran. Kindness, generosity, compassion. It has been a shelter for me in my dark moments and a source of wisdom for me in my times of strength. But nothing I have experienced, absolutely nothing, engenders doubt more than being expunged by my own community. It is not a pleasant fact to admit.
Janice Creenaune, Austinmer Vocational education is a shadow of its former self The NSW Business Chamber report laments the HSC remains geared towards the needs of students planning to advance to tertiary studies ("'Act now': Employers lament that schools are stuck in the past", November 20). The report goes on to conclude that the needs of so many of our students in the last two years of schooling are not being met and that we need to improve the standing of vocational education and training. Until neo-liberal state governments unravelled it all, I remember NSW once being the leader in vocational education - it was known as TAFE, now a mere shadow of its former self. James Laukka, Epping How long is it since the outcry was about the "dumbing down" of the HSC curriculum and the need to rewrite courses to better prepare students for university? The conflict between higher education and vocational training has been ongoing for generations, complicated by the fact that it has been politically more convenient (and cheaper) to keep students at school and out of the ranks of the unemployed. At the same time we have witnessed, in the name of competition and better market outcomes, the evisceration of the TAFE system with catastrophic results.

Arthur Cooper, Alstonville Whether the post-secondary school plan for an HSC student is to continue further education at university or TAFE, enter the workforce or leave once they've turned 17, for the most part the courses of study available to them, are one size fits all. Twelve years of education are essentially reduced to a number under 100. The experiences of Tori Taylor highlight some of the difficulties in selecting appropriate courses eg cost, availability and suitability. Our schools, particularly underfunded public schools, punch far above their weight, but more flexibility in the structure of the HSC could deliver even better outcomes. John Bailey, Canterbury Our family live in an area heavily populated with so-called "exclusive" or "elite" private schools ("More wealthy families send children to public schools", November 20). A major factor in buying our home in Killara was the excellent local public school, Killara High, led during our children's' high school years, by a brilliant principal. We wanted to avoid for our children the sense of entitlement, as well as the unrealistic pressures placed on students, we have observed in too many of our children's peers emerging out of private schools. Our experience is that public schools offer an experience of education in a real world setting that "exclusive" private schools - by definition - exclude children from as they grow into adults. Life does not offer most graduating high school students an "exclusive package".

Sue Lubbers, Killara Empty houses? High prices? Amazing! So now it takes an academic to announce what the great unwashed have known all along, that an oversupply of housing doesn't address the problem of affordability ("Build it and prices will come down? Analysis says no", November 20). What they should be announcing is that it serves to address only the voracious appetite of overseas investors for new property. Every day of tiptoeing around the truth is another nail in the coffin of the Premier's credibility. Sue Milos, Marrickville The fact that there is unoccupied housing in inner Sydney doesn't necessarily mean that there is housing on the market. If housing is being held vacant (and, anecdotally, there appears to be evidence that this is the case), it does not figure as housing supply, and, unless the ANU study takes this into account, its estimates of oversupply are exaggerated. Of course, a vacancy tax or something of the kind could bring this unused housing forward and, possibly, make a contribution to easing the market. However, there is no indication that our government is willing to consider such a move, although it applies in some European countries. Bringing unused housing onto the market can only be a benefit.

Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy Tactic may backfire The good people of Bennelong, me included, might think the cancellation of a sitting week of Parliament is a cynical attempt by the government to prevent a banking royal commission from being initiated from within its own ranks ("Turnbull government delays Parliament to deal with marriage, citizenship", smh.com.au, November 20). All the while, it has promised its mates overseeing dodgy practices at the big banks that they will never have to face such scrutiny. We just might vote for a candidate who supports a banking royal commission, regardless of whether or not we think they are "a nice bloke". That's a choice between everyone on the ticket except John Alexander. Teresa Russell, Putney Anyone contemplating a vote for Kristina Keneally should remember Maxine McKew. Airlifted into Bennelong by a massive Labor campaign to oust John Howard in 2007, she began with a discourteous acceptance speech, promising that Bennelong would no longer be "ignored" but at several important community rallies I attended the chanted mantra was "Maxine McKew! Where are you?"

William Lloyd, Denistone The Government has decided to not sit in Parliament next week. Will its members be docked a weeks pay. Ordinary workers would certainly be docked or even sacked. Renato Sburlati, San Souci SSM: the sequel The nation is celebrating the "yes" vote result. More than 60 per cent of the voters came out in support of the gay and lesbian community (just 3.5 to 5 per cent of Australia's population) to ensure their rights are secured. Let's hope that happy few now reciprocate by mounting equally forceful campaigns for all other Australians who are deprived of "fairness and equality"  health, education, fair wage increases, employment, regional equity, affordable housing, secure and affordable energy, the disabled looked after and a tax system that does not allow the rich and famous to avoid tax in Australia but enjoy the benefits of a safe and secure country to live, work and play in. Kevin Doherty, Muswellbrook

Costed at $122 million, if anything, the 16 per cent over-calculation does not speak well of Bureau of Statistics skills ("$20m left from marriage vote should go to mental health", November 20). Steve Ngeow, Chatswood When we apply Graham Hanlon's method to the "no' vote (Letters, November 20) we have 38.4 per cent of 79.5 per cent. This means 30.528 per cent of the population voted "no". I'm sure his year 8 class will tell you that's even less than one-third who opposed marriage equality. Janet Sutherland, Hillsborough Enough of the maths  just get on with the political task of legislating reform.

Mick Fell, Springwood Young forever Not Ferry McFerryface. It's got to be the MV Malcolm Young, in memory of an Ashfield lad, a creative genius who is internationally admired ("For those who shook the world of rock, we salute you", November 20). He made millions of people deliriously happy and still does. He is a product of Sydney, not a pale imitation of a stale English joke. Let there be rock on our harbour. Martin Smith, Fernbrook

RIP Malcolm Young. Wherever you are resting in rock heaven, I hope it's not a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll. John Byrne, Randwick As part of the Marist Brothers Pagewood sixth form class, in 1975 we hired AC/DC twice for dances. The cost for each gig was $250. We packed the Daceyville Police Boys Club and made enough profit to pay for our formal and to buy the school a second-hand bus. Thanks, Malcolm, for great memories. Michael McFadyen, Kareela Overcrowded trains
A trailblazing activist for Aboriginal rights could be recognised with the renaming of the federal electorate of Gellibrand in his honour.

A push is under way for Gellibrand to be renamed Cooper, after Indigenous rights pioneer William Cooper, who helped to establish the Footscray-based Australian Aborigines' League in 1934 to advocate for a fairer deal for Indigenous Australians, according to The Star Weekly.

Gellibrand Labor MP Tim Watts wants to change the electorate's name. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Labor has written to the Australian Electoral Commission seeking the change in conjunction with any redrawing of the electorate's boundaries as part of its redistribution before the next election.

Gellibrand MP Tim Watts said the legacy of early European lawyer and explorer Joseph Tice Gellibrand and the 'Batman Treaty' he helped formulate was "contested at best".
Federal Labor is maintaining its opposition to the government's plan for further cuts to company tax after the treasurer called on CEOs to take up the fight for tax cuts on its behalf.

Treasurer Scott Morrison has written to hundreds of corporate leaders asking for their support.

Scott Morrison has urged companies to support his government's tax cuts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says his party won't budge on the government's proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 per cent over the next decade.

"We are not going to give multinationals a reduction in their tax. We don't think that's the way to go," Mr Shorten told the Nine Network on Monday.
Filthy blocked toilets, makeshift rainwater collections and men replacing medication with coffee have been documented in shocking new footage and testimony collected by refugee advocates on Manus Island.

Health experts were alarmed by the findings from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's covert mission last week to the decommissioned detention centre, where about 370 men are still refusing to leave.

Three weeks into the stand-off, the photographs taken late last week show squalid conditions including broken and blocked toilets, a shower drain being used as a toilet and men sleeping on fold-out tables.

One video appears to show Papua New Guinean authorities ramming a water tank with a four-wheel-drive in an attempt to destroy the refugees' source of drinking water.
Comptoir is the kind of ground-floor business that could even have you considering the notion that some developers may possess a soul. Owned by ex-Rockpool Group sommelier David Lawler, Comptoir is an all-day cafe, bar, grocery store and bottle shop that manages the effortless espresso-to-nightcap multitasking associated with European bars.

Love or hate Melbourne's apartment boom, it's a given that new residential buildings, both the great and the hideous, are now a permanent part of our landscape. Another given is that the developers of these buildings will have wooed potential apartment buyers with a chicly rendered idea of a cafe/bar/grocery business on the ground floor promising an elevated and improved lifestyle for those with the intelligence and good taste to sign on the dotted line. Obviously that's mostly a midden of baloney but occasionally the right people at the right time get their mitts on these places.

The glass-fronted, polished-concrete-floored double-width space is about a year old now and looks good with some age on it. Less starkly delineated than it was in the early days, with fewer wine racks and more tables, there's increased clutter on the shelves of quality groceries and in the cheese display case. It feels more integrated, as if the various arms of the business have got used to each other and discovered they enjoy each other's company.

Given Lawler's background, there's finesse and heft to the wine list, with some interesting things by the glass like an elegant 2016 Bindi chardonnay from Macedon or a luscious 2014 Simao & Co vintage fortified from north-east Victoria. This is one of those hybrid businesses where everything in the bottle shop is available to drink in for $10 corkage, which means plenty of choice. Those after super funky natural stuff won't get much joy here, though there's still room made for hands-off small producers on the roster.

Comptoir does a short list of classic cocktails (Negroni, Martini, Daiquiri, Manhattan) at reasonable prices and finesse and there's a selection of mostly pale ales and lagers from the new and old worlds (Menabrea, Moon Dog).

The snack game is strong. The menu mixes a good selection of canned fish (don't miss the anchovies), cured meat, terrines and pate, pickled vegetables and respectfully mollycoddled cheese with some warm dishes like hefty beef meatballs in a robust tomato sauce and sweet salty lamb ribs. Prices, again, are reasonable considering the quality.

Those looking for a raucous good time should stick to the main Smith Street drag. Comptoir's energy is calm and relaxing, in sync with its Collingwood backstreet location. You'd be pretty happy with yourself if you lived above it but being in the vicinity would be pretty nifty, too. It's the kind of neighbourhood joint every neighbourhood should have.
For other drink-friendly snackage, you might want to go for the plate of flash fried octopus fritto, oysters or salumi. Otherwise, plates take a far more tweezered form.

A strong aesthetic sensibility spills to plates, though I'm not sure if it's always to as much benefit. Chef Paolo Masciopinto has come from Sarti. His menu here goes high and low, with most highlights being on the latter, more traditional end of the scale. The pumpkin filling in the crisp, bronzed crochettes is sticky in the way of those pumpkin cakes you get at yum cha, nicely countered by aioli turned dark and vaguely sweet from black garlic.

Then, it was all about moody eating, snug spaces. It was the era when Melbourne's small bars were king. Bar Carolina enters a world where fickle diners make no promises to stay for more than one drink and a snack. Bar Carolina is a warren of spaces that promises escape, but has a drinking and eating agenda you might not want to.

Vitello tonnato resembles a collision between the Piedmontese classic with Hawaiian poke: seared veal and sushi-grade tuna cut to similar gauged cubes around which dried caper leaves, pickled shimeji mushrooms and dabs of anchovy mayonnaise are artfully arranged. Pretty? As a picture, though it denies the veal its chance to mingle with the fishy sauce, the crux of the dish's deliciousness. Nicely tanned scallops with cauliflower schmear, trout roe and whimsical dehydrated cauli twigs feel more for the eyes than mouth.

Often the straighter stuff is where the joy is. A humble side salad is brimming with sugar snap peas and garlic flowers. Fresh asparagus cooked on the Josper grill are roasted to their ultimate glory.

Is house-made pasta a highlight as it is at Il Bacaro? It's house-made, beautifully presented, but beetroot ravioli with goat's curd dabs is earthy over sweet, and pretty salty, lubricated by its poppy seed butter. Tagliolino twirled into a nest with bugs, wine, soft cubes of porcini mushroom and dried chilli threads has neither the sparkle nor comfort of the bug spaghetti that is the longstanding dinner-for-one at Il Bacaro.

But if the carbs aren't all killer, the wine list, spruiking all-Italian varietals hailing either from the boot or our own backyard, sure is. Il Bacaro and Sarti have always been glorious places to get your Brunello miles up and Bar Carolina is no exception. A 2008 San Felice Campogiovanni is one of the premium wines by the glass from the coravin (for $52, but it's a chance to get at it all). On the excellently reasonable end of the spectrum, Ruinart 'R de Ruinart' champagne (a rare non-Italian) is only $22 a glass.

That is smart bait to pull in crowds for summer nights that might start in the sunny atrium and roll to some of the jewels in the menu's crown. Whole fish and bistecca come off that grill, probably what you'll need if clinking spritzes leads to popping bottles. Better yet, embrace the sweet, musky glory of the goat: chops, breast and shoulder braised to melting point in subtle vegetable broth with broad beans tying it into spring, a shower of salted ricotta bringing it home.
To many of us, luxury is all about time. Having everything from flights to pre-cruise accommodation and transfers in smart vehicles organised by your travel company not only saves many boring hours booking everything online, it also means arriving at the ship relaxed and ready. "Leave it with me" must be the most joyous phrase timepoor travellers can hear.

Evening briefings that start with friendly waiters handing out champagne in the ship's lounge go down nicely in the luxury stakes, too, as I discover on a river cruise from Arles to Lyon. The journey promises to be a living history lesson, punctuated by tastings of wines and culinary specialties in France's beautiful southern Provence and Burgundy regions.

Pont St Benezet over the Saone River in Avignon. Credit:Getty Images

Art lovers will recognise parts of Arles from paintings by Gauguin, Picasso and van Gogh, although the city's history dates back far further, to the days of the ancient Greeks. The Romans took over in 123BC and their huge amphitheatre is still used for bullfights (in France they don't kill the bull) and running of the Camargue bulls (also less likely to be fatal, to man and beast, than in Pamplona). And visit the sprawling open-air market on Wednesday or Sunday morning for a visual and edible feast.

During a couple of days in Avignon, allow time to wander across the famous bridge over the Rhone, explore the grand 14th-century Palais des Papes and enjoy lunch in town with new friends from the ship. Do I really need baked camembert and chips, washed down with a bottle of crisp white wine? Well, when in France
In 2014 I travelled to my father's childhood home for the first time  Beemunnel Reserve near the outback NSW town of Warren. Now just a clearing on the outskirts of town, it was once dotted with "humpies" or shacks  with dirt floors and no running water, except for one tap shared by 30 families, and the nearby creek. Many years ago these served as homes for the local Aboriginal community, including my dad.

I was there for a family reunion, among hundreds of cousins, aunties and uncles. That afternoon there was much crying, hugging and clasping of hands. Some families and siblings were brought together for the first time, since being taken away as children. I wandered through the grass with my dad trying to find the exact place he used to call home.

Janet Bruyere turned to alcohol after being haunted by experiences she had at the residential school.

Three years after that trip to the Beemunnel, I'm amazed to be on an Indigenous reserve on the other side of the world, hearing hauntingly similar stories to that of my family.

"Well the nuns were strict, you couldn't talk your language, you couldn't talk to your own brothers, to your own sibling in the school, and if they did they would cut your hair," says elder Janet Bruyere.
At the 1916 Battle of Pozieres, Albert Jacka won the Military Cross for recapturing a section of trench, freeing a group of recently-captured Australians and forcing 50 Germans to surrender.

Australia's official historian Charles Bean called it "the most dramatic and effective act of individual audacity in the history of the AIF."

Captain Albert Jacka of the 14th Battalion. Credit:AWM A02868

Ian Gray's biography of the inspirational timber cutter from Winchelsea in Victoria said "his unparalleled courage and quick thinking in battle became legendary."

Bert Jacka was the first Australian Victoria Cross winner at Gallipoli in May 1915 when he attacked seven Turks single-handed and killed them all.
As casualty lists soared on the Western Front in the Great War, Australians twice voted to reject the introduction of conscription.

From 1914, enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was restricted to volunteers but from mid-1916 encouraging enough eligible recruits became increasingly difficult.

Prime Minister Billy Hughes campaigns for conscription before a crowd in Sydney's Martin Place in 1916 Credit:Photo: AWM A03376

Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes came under sustained pressure from Britain's War Council to follow Britain and New Zealand in introducing conscription.

In August 1916, Hughes said voluntary recruiting could not be relied on to maintain Australian forces at full strength.
The NSW corruption watchdog is being forced to hire temporary investigators to meet demand after last year's funding cut by the state government and has commissioned a consultant to advise it how to rectify the situation.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is preparing to ask the NSW government for a funding boost of around $2.5 million to meet the staffing shortfalls and help it take a "proactive" position on graft detection.

ICAC Chief Commissioner Peter Hall, QC says "at the moment, current demands can't be satisfactorily met by existing numbers".

On Monday ICAC chief commissioner Peter Hall outlined to a parliamentary committee the impact of the agency cutting the number of investigative teams from four to three after an $800,000 funding cut in the 2016-17 budget.

Mr Hall said there were "inevitably peaks and troughs" in the level of demand on the agency.
The NSW economy may be humming and the state's finances in the black but the Berejiklian government seems increasingly sensitive to the constant debate about cost of living pressures.

Nowhere is that more pronounced than in western Sydney, where state elections tend to be won and lost.

And high on the list of household expenses in western parts are tolls for driving on motorways such as the M7 and M2, which, for many, are an unavoidable fact of life.

So it should come as little surprise that Premier Gladys Berejiklian has pulled a lever to ease the pressure on voters and boost her own electoral chances at the next election in early 2019.
Former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has promised not to use social media site Instagram among a string of bail conditions after he was charged with dangerous driving and breaching an apprehended violence order by "stalking" his estranged wife.

The colourful property developer, who is prolific on social media, is facing a growing number of court battles including an electoral fraud trial.

He was arrested shortly after 1am on Monday over alleged breaches of an AVO protecting his estranged wife Aysha Learmonth and an unrelated incident of alleged dangerous driving following a crash in Kingsgrove.

The charges come less than a fortnight after police raided his palatial Lidcombe home as part of an investigation into a car crash he allegedly had on the way to an assault trial on October 16 in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court.
Despite less than 30 per cent of the LNP's candidates being women, Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls does not believe the party lacks female representation.

Fairfax Media analysis revealed 142 out of 449 candidates for the upcoming Queensland election are women - or about 30 per cent.

Tim Nicholls, campaigning in Mackay on Monday, sees no problem in the LNP's approach to gender diversity. Credit:Darren England/AAP

The Greens had the most balanced field, with 44 per cent women, while Labor was at 40 per cent and the LNP at 28 per cent.

Mr Nicholls said the decisions for candidates was made democratically.
The lawyer defending a Queensland Rail worker charged over the alleged hit-and- run of a young Brisbane woman says the vehicle he was driving was an "archaic piece of junk".

Iuliana Stevenson was crossing Hamilton Pl at the intersection of Campbell Street at Bowen Hills about 1am on October 5 when she was hit by an excavator-like vehicle.

Andre-Shane Moorby (right) arrives at Roma Street Magistrates Court,. Credit:AAP

Andre-Shane Moorby was charged the following day with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm.

Solicitor Andrew Wiseman appeared on behalf of Mr Moorby in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
A Queensland Scouts leader facing extremely serious child pornography charges has been kept behind bars after a magistrate ruled it was too risky to let him out.

Daniel Leslie Cooper, 38, fronted the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning, charged with nine child porn offences including possessing, distributing and using a carriage service to access.

Daniel Leslie Cooper has been charged with nine child pornography offences. Credit:Facebook

The court heard the Deception Bay father, whose daughter no longer lived with him, faced lengthy imprisonment if convicted of the charges.

Defence lawyer Andrew George argued for his client to be released on bail, offering to submit to a ban on unsupervised contact with children and using the internet for anything other than work or banking.
Radicalised children as young as 14 could be detained without a court order for up to 36 hours under new state laws to prevent terror attacks.

The laws will form part of a number of measures to counter violent extremism revealed by the Andrews government on Monday.

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a raft of new counter-terrorism laws. Credit:Justin McManus

"We live in a dynamic environment  we live among many different threats and challenges," Premier Daniel Andrews said. "The key point here is to make the changes necessary to keep Victorians safe."

The government also wants to broaden its counter-terror laws beyond Islamic extremism to better target right and left-wing extremists who are suspected of plotting violence.
A 10-year-old girl was left fighting for her life and three of her family members, including a five-year-old boy, have been hospitalised after a tip truck crashed into their car in Melbourne's south-west.

Police say the family of four were in a right turn lane on Ballan Road near the intersection with Welcome Parade, Wyndham Vale, when the crash occurred at 9.20pm on Monday.

The family's Mitsubishi Outlander was stationary when the tip truck and trailer crashed into the rear of their vehicle.
The man accused of fatally bashing teenager Cayleb Hough with knuckledusters and dumping him in a disused mineshaft, will face trial next year with his intent set to be an important issue.

Thomas Kelson, 28, allegedly bashed Cayleb for hours, at one stage using knuckledusters, about three months before the 17-year-old's body was found in the Lerderderg State Park in March 2016.

The disused mineshaft where Cayleb's remains were found. Credit:Eddie Jim

Mr Kelson faced the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday for a directions hearing where judicial registrar Mark Pedley scheduled a three-week trial for July 2018.

"The issue at trial is intent. It's not about cause of death," defence lawyer Scott Johns told the court.
Reeling from its loss in the Northcote by-election, Labor is facing a two-pronged attack in the Albert Park electorate with both the Greens and the Liberal Party gaining confidence.

Recent federal and council elections suggest Labor will need to put in a massive effort to hold on to the bayside electorate with the next state election due in a year's time.

The Liberals have been eyeing off Albert Park, which takes in South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Albert Park, Middle Park and much of St Kilda.

But the Greens, buoyed by their resounding Northcote by-election victory, also believe they have a good chance of forging major inroads.
That's all from me this morning.

We've had some publishing problems at The Age this morning so I apologise for the blog being out of action for several hours.

Chloe Booker will be at the helm tomorrow morning. Thanks for joining me.
One of the youngest people ever accused of murder in Australia has gone on trial in Perth Children's Court on Monday morning.

The 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 11 years old when he was charged with the murder of Patrick 'Paddy' Slater in 2016.

Patrick 'Paddy' Slater died at the Esplanade Train Station in Perth on Australia Day 2016

Mr Slater, 26, was beaten and stabbed to death in the early hours of January 27 at the then-Esplanade Station just hours after Australia Day celebrations had finished.

The boy has been in custody since shortly after the death awaiting trial.
One of Perth's most exclusive hotels will be closed later this year in order to undergo a complete transformation into an aged-care facility.

The Richardson Hotel and Spa in West Perth, which catered for celebrities such as Oprah and Beyonce, will trade until December 16, and then will be transferred into the hands of its new owners Oryx Communities.

The Richardson Hotel. Credit:Google Maps

Plans to transform the hotel, a Perth staple for almost twelve years, were first flagged in August this year when Oryx Communities expressed interest in transforming the five-star resort into a premium aged-care facility.

It is understood the facility will retain the Richardson name, and will feature 92 units across eight floors and house 10 to 12 residents on each level.
A solo yachtsman who had to be rescued by a US Car Carrier after his boat's mast was struck down in heavy weather off the coast of Perth has arrived safely in Fremantle overnight.

The man is believed to be in good health and spirits following his ordeal, and the US Car Carrier ship responsible for the rescue has now resumed its journey.

The yacht has been left at sea. Credit:Sam Cardwell

It is understood the man had been in the middle of an around-the-world trip when he ran into trouble around 2100km west of Perth.

He activated an emergency signalling device, which was relayed to a US emergency response centre and then to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Over the weekend two murals were hit with paint as were several business in the area.

One of the murals which was vandalised. Credit:Elli Petersen-Pik

The "paintball bandits" - as they have become known - struck in Maylands about a month ago, when a mural featured on a wall next to Gemma's Health and Beauty Spa was splattered with pink paint.

But Studio281 curator Leo Flavel, who was responsible for organising many of the murals, said he was not too phased about the vandalism.

"It's probably a street artist that can't get any work so they seek to destroy others" he said.

Artist Daek William, who painted one of the vandalised murals, said he too wasn't upset by the graffiti.

"Gone are the days of street art and now in its place is public mural art and of course like with any generation, there is backlash," he said.

"It has a good message about how street art started and why lots of street artists don't get upset when this sort of thing happens, graffiti was the basis of street art."
Berlin: Angela Merkel's political future is hanging in the balance after political parties failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to form a new government.

Talks ended on Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) walked out after hours of negotiations, citing irreconcilable differences and throwing open the question of what comes next.

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader, pauses during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Credit:Bloomberg

Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and sister Bavarian-only Christian Social Union (CSU) had sat down for gruelling talks with the FDP and the left-leaning Greens throughout the weekend in the hope of forming a new government, which is dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag.

After September's election, Mrs Merkel has been left without a majority, as voters angered by her liberal refugee policy turned to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Her decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 has become a stumbling block as she seeks an unlikely alliance spanning left and right of the political spectrum.
Los Angeles: Charles Manson, the fiery-eyed cult master whose lemming-like followers staged a bloody two-night murder rampage in Los Angeles in 1969 that gripped the city with fear and shocked the nation, died on Sunday at a hospital in Kern County, California. He was 83.

A spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the death by email, saying he died of natural causes. Manson, who was serving a life sentence at California State Prison had had health problems in recent years and was hospitalised in January for gastrointestinal bleeding, according to news reports.

The sheer incomprehensibility of the acts - mutilation and ritual stabbings of seven victims, among them rising Hollywood starlet Sharon Tate, then eight months pregnant by her movie director husband, Roman Polanski - left the public aghast and police investigators stumped for months.
Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday officially designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, returning the rogue nation to a list from which it had been removed during the George W. Bush administration.

North Korea had been removed from the list under the George W. Bush administration in an attempt to salvage negotiations for a nuclear deal.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Credit:Korean Central News

The president made the announcement at the White House on Monday morning. North Korea will join Sudan, Syria and Iran as countries that the State Department identifies as ones that have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism."

Administration officials had hinted in recent weeks that Trump was considering adding North Korea back to the list in light of that country's nuclear ambitions and its cyberattacks aimed at the United States and other countries.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been questioned over comments made by her friend which suggested US President Donald Trump mistook her for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife at the recent APEC conference.

In a television interview with New Zealand's TVNZ1's Breakfast on Monday, Ms Ardern clarified that someone observing the meeting "second hand" told her they thought Mr Trump had confused the two women.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was questioned over comments suggesting US President Donald Trump had confused her for another woman.

"Someone said they thought that had happened, but in all my interactions, Mr Trump didn't seem to have confused me when I interacted with him," Ms Ardern said.

"They observed what they believed to be mistaken identity; I didn't pick that up.
Tokyo: The United States military has banned all service members in Japan from drinking alcohol and has ordered those stationed on Okinawa to stay on base or in their homes following a fatal car crash on Sunday.

A Japanese driver was killed in a collision with a 21-year-old marine whose blood-alcohol level was reportedly three times the legal limit - the latest incident on an island where the American military presence was already controversial.

A marine was driving a two-ton military truck when it collided with a mini-truck driven by Hidemasa Taira. Credit:Kazuki Sawada

"It's the same thing over and over again every time. I'm speechless," Takeshi Onaga, Okinawa's governor, who strongly opposes the expansion of US bases in the southern island prefecture, told reporters after the latest incident.

The marine, named in local reports as Nicholas James McLean, was driving a two-ton military truck when it collided with a mini-truck driven by Hidemasa Taira, 61.
The North Korean defector had sped across the demilitarised zone in a stolen Jeep, then crawled south as the men who had been his comrades moments ago shot at him with handguns and AK-47 rifles.

South Korean soldiers found the defector under a pile of leaves, bleeding from at least five gunshot wounds.

A South Korean army soldier, second from left, is seen as medical members treat an unidentified injured person, believed to be a North Korean soldier, at a hospital in Suwon, South Korea. Credit:AP

He was brought to doctors, who expected to find the soldier in bad shape. But what they also found when they opened him up gave the world a glimpse into just how bad things are in North Korea.

Doctors repairing the unidentified soldier's digestive tract found dozens of parasites in his intestines. One of the suspected roundworms was nearly a foot long.
Lately we have seen an increase in violence on our island.

I believe it is a direct result of the hopelessness and post traumatic stress which our people are experiencing.

The level of devastation Irma caused is just like that in a war zone and the mental effects are very similar.

The reality is setting in as people lose their jobs and run out of money.

Early on, after Irma ravaged the island, I wrote many posts on Facebook asking what was Governments Plan for the Post traumatic stress. While being in the field, I could already see the signs among our people while they tried to survive.

So many people have been displaced and are now living in very uncomfortable circumstances which can lead to high levels of stress.

Why didn't government ask the Dutch for extra psychologists to help our local team.

We needed A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL WELFARE TEAM of psychologists, civil servants, NGOs to go out in the communities to talk to our people in their homes where they are most likely to open up.

Our people are not likely to seek out psychological help.

This team should also include other professionals to assess the person's living condition and could have also been able to determine families needs for food relief as well as temporary roof repairs.

It is not to late and such a team needs to be put in place for the next 18 months.

WAKE UP SXMNERS AND SXM PEOPLE!!!

Claude Chacho Peterson
Wycliffe Smith, Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party announces that Shenella Browne will be contesting the upcoming elections on the slate of the Christian Party. Shenella is Determined for Change. Here is her story.

Most people call me Shenel. I am a proud daughter of sweet St. Maarten and was raised in Dutch Quarter. I am the fifth of seven kids and was raised in a joyfully large and close-knit family, where individuality and self-expression were encouraged.

Growing up, my mother taught me the true meaning of diligence. She is easy going, but takes every task seriously. To most, she is known as Mrs. Browne for 23 years at the Marie G. de Weever School. My father, now a pensioner, has given 26 years of service in the Ministry of VROMI, and like many of us, has contributed to the growth of St. Maarten. He taught me dedication to societal responsibilities.

My parents instilled in me solid norms and values such as honesty, respect for everyone and resiliency and I live by these to this day.

After graduating from the Dr. Martin Luther King School in 1998 I went to the Sundial School. At the time there was a stigma surrounding the school: that nothing good comes from it. But like many graduates then and now, this stigma has proven not to be true. I was determined to work hard and prove that I was capable of much more than just what my grades showed at the time. Hard work and effort made me eligible for consideration to transfer to the M.P.C (Milton Peters College). But just as life hits you a curveball, another student was chosen over me.

Nevertheless, I continued to push. I studied Basic Health and kept busy with various school activities. I also got the opportunity to follow a Jaycees Training Course. Some years later I took part in the 5th annual interscholastic Talent Show and came in 2nd in the Speech Division. After graduating in 2002 from the Sundial School I went to Curacao and later to the Netherlands to pursue my studies in nursing, where I graduated as a LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse).

During my studies, I worked part-time to make extra money. Most can agree that having a side job during ones studies is KEY! Being dependent on only study financing does not suffice. My side jobs included cleaning office buildings, working at the post office, call centers and care institutions. No job was too little or too great!

Having graduated in 2010 as a Medical Assistant, I was ready for the job market. I attended the Fred Expo in the Netherlands where the need for young professionals was expressed. Students were encouraged to return to Sint Maarten to serve in various areas. I got the opportunity to return home and serve my country with the skills obtained abroad.

I started my career in Sint Maarten as a Youth Health Care Nurse in the Ministry of Health, then moved to medical assistant and now I am a project leader in the field of healthcare at SZV.

I am sure that many young professionals would agree with me that it is amazing to be back home, especially with the intent to give back to the island and assist with the further development of the country.

Like many young individuals, I too had to cope with the culture shock of being back home and the challenges of overcoming this shock while staying focused on my goals. Some of these challenges that I faced as a young adult were being able to take care of myself, the high cost of living, housing and transportation and career opportunities. However, despite these challenges I stayed focus, worked hard and refused to give up. This is how I managed to persevere. To achieve your dreams it takes a level of determination, focus, and drive.

Having been approached to participate in St. Maartens 2018 election and to be part of the Sint Maarten Christian Party (SMCP), I quickly realized that this was an opportunity for me to bring that level of determination, focus and drive to bear championing change in Sint Maarten.

As a millennial, I believe that it is time for our generation to become involved in the reconstruction of the country and in developing a long-term vision for our people. Why the Sint Maarten Christian Party you might ask? Thats quite simple! The Party is built on a strong foundation called Principles! It is a party with a distinct ideology as well as a clear vision for St. Maarten and the people easily understand the Partys principles and vision. I believe that the party offers me the opportunity to effect change in Sint Maarten. I feel a change coming, which is why I am determined to serve my country and my people for, Change!

Shenella Browne

S.M.C.P. Candidate
Community encouraged to play a role in making day relevant for children

GREAT BAY:--- The United Nations' (UN) Universal Children's Day, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children and improving children's welfare.

It is a date on which parents, teachers, nurses and doctors, government representatives and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals as well as young people and children themselves are encouraged to play an important part in making Universal Children's Day relevant for their societies and communities.

It is also the date on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959. Thirty years later the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on that same date.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as any human person who has not reached the age of eighteen years.

The convention defines that children specifically have the right to equal protection, which means that every child is entitled to the same treatment at the hands of authority regardless of race, gender, disability, or religion.

The Charter of Child Rights is built on the principle that "all children are born with fundamental freedoms and all human beings have some inherent rights".

This, in turn, is to guarantee the health, well-being, and safety of children and youth.

The question remains if children know what their rights are. Among the fundamental rights of the child is a right to non-discrimination, whereby kids should be allowed to be who they are and be treated equally to everyone else.

Then there is the right to life, survival, and development.

In St. Maarten, numerous entities look after and advocate child and youth rights in daily life. The Court of Guardianship is one such organization. Another one is the Department of Youth Affairs, which is charged with the monitoring and reporting on the Rights of the Child to the United Nations.

For St. Maarten, Universal Childrens Day can additionally be an opportunity to further look at the plight of children, particularly in the wake of the passing of hurricane Irma and Maria in September of this year. As could be remembered, discussions about children in St. Maarten was recently at the forefront, among others, because of serious damages sustained to schools, in addition to the thousands of home structures. Many parents opted, among other things, to evacuate children to Curacao, Aruba, and Holland to attend school.

But discussions about the countrys children have been ongoing for some time. This is visible in the various laws and policies that are in place, such as the Law on Compulsory Education, the Integrated Youth Policy, that is presently being updated, and the National Early Childhood Development Policy, that is now being drafted. The passage of the storm has cemented the need to review all policies in order to update them to include areas pertaining to disaster, amongst others. Research and reading up on these policies will help the community to better meet the needs of children as the most vulnerable among us.

Around the world, many schools and other educational institutions make special efforts to inform children of their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Teachers are encouraged to stimulate their pupils to think about the differences between themselves and others and explain the idea of rights. Every year on St. Maarten, the Department of Youth Affairs in collaboration with the Court of guardianship, St. Maarten Youth Council, the St. Maarten National Commission for UNESCO, St. Maarten Early Childhood Development Association (SECDA) and the Department responsible for youth affairs on the French side of St. Maarten organize activities (like presentations in song, dance, poetry, debates, panel discussions) to inform youth of St. Maarten about their rights. Events are also held to commemorate this international day.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), like the Millennium Development Goals before them, are playing a significant role in determining the global approach to international development. Though goals focus on sustainable development, they are inseparably linked to human rights generally, and the rights of children specifically. When asking ourselves what we can do for children, we can look at the SDGs, whether poverty (Goal 1), hunger (Goal 2), health (Goal 3), education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), climate change (Goal 13) or violence against children (Goal 16.2) and find targets and indicators which can help us to support and monitor the children rights situation on Sint Maarten, starting by making children and parents aware of those fundamental rights.

In the current context of St. Maarten recovering from the September 2017 hurricanes, November 20 should be seen as an opportunity to give consideration as to how to continue giving content to promoting and protecting childrens rights. Points for discussion can always vary but can include topics such as social protection and support for children as well as prevention of overweight and obesity among children through healthy weight-programs in districts and schools.

DCOMM Press Release
PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- A Port St. Maarten delegation from the Cruise Business Unit met recently with Royal Caribbean International (RCI) representatives in Miami, Florida, to provide an update on the progress of current recovery efforts in destination Sint Maarten.

During the discussions, Royal Caribbean reiterated its commitment to the destination and provided a schedule of the vessels that will call on Sint Maarten starting in mid-December, just in time for the peak family travel season.

Grandeur of the Seas will be the first cruise ship bringing guests to rediscover the marquee destination on December 17, followed by daily visits across six vessels, including two of the worlds largest cruise ships.

The ships and dates are as follows: Independence of the Seas, December 25 and 29; Jewel of the Seas, December 26; Freedom of the Seas, December 27; Adventure of the Seas, December 31; and Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas on January 2 and 3, 2018 respectively.

Celebrity Cruises has also announced that Celebrity Eclipse will be returning to the island on February 4, 2018. For more information on Royal Caribbeans and Celebrity Cruises most current Caribbean itineraries, visit RoyalCaribbean.com and CelebrityCruises.com.

The first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to return to the island, Grandeur of the Seas, debuted in 1996 and underwent a comprehensive revitalization in May 2012. As part of the Vision Class, the vessel has 11 decks and carries 2,446 guests and 760 crew members.

The famed Oasis Class sister ships Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas -- sailing with nearly 6,000 new visitors each week -- will return to weekly calls on Sint Maarten in the New Year. Touted amongst the worlds best family vacations, Harmony and Oasis will introduce a new generation of adventure-seeking travelers to Sint Maarten.

"Royal Caribbean is a true partner of St. Maarten. We continue to prepare with anticipation for the return of Grandeur of the Seas on December 17. Port St. Maarten, our merchants, tour operators, vendors, taxi drivers, all of us are grateful to RCCL for its continued commitment to St. Maarten and confidence in our product.

We will be ready, we will be creative and we will re-invent our product to meet the expectations of cruisers, while still providing the best experience under the Caribbean sun," stated Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher.

Port St. Maarten representatives, have had various discussions with cruise representatives over the past weeks with regard to the readiness of the island to receive cruise passengers and being able to provide the unique destination experience.

Reassurance was given by Royal Caribbean about its vessels returning to the destination. The Oasis Class ships are again visiting Sint Maarten in January, marking the return to full operations as the Island further enhances its offerings to cruise passengers.

The Island has a unique opportunity to show the cruise lines how committed we are in assuring great and memorable experiences to passengers as we recover from hurricane Irma damages. The cruise line expects all of us to step up to the plate and offer the true Sint Maarten experience, which we will.

Port St. Maarten will continue communicating with all key stakeholders throughout this process to share the feedback based on the continuous calls, emails, and face to face meetings with cruise executives. As a destination, we have a great relationship with the cruise industry and will listen to their feedback to assure we maintain our status as a marquee port of call.

The future within the cruise industry is promising, however we must push to re-invent and upgrade our product offerings which will translate into cruise passengers increasing demand to Rediscover Sint Maarten. We commend the community and private sector for their efforts thus far, and we must continue the drive to keep pushing, Port St. Maarten representatives stated over the weekend.

Royal Caribbean International sails 24 of the worlds most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. Royal Caribbean has been voted Best Cruise Line Overall for 14 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards. Media can stay up-to-date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should call their travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.

Royal Caribbean International is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns and operates three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. We are a 50 percent joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises, a 49 percent shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur and a minority shareholder in the Chinese brand SkySea Cruises. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 48 ships with an additional twelve on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 535 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found www.rclcorporate.com.

Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 12 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible cruise tour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel agent.

Port St. Maarten Press Release
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Frans Richardson on Friday lauded the management of GEBE for the diligent work currently being executed and for their professionalism under pressure-filled circumstances following hurricanes Irma and Maria. The MP also praised GEBEs personnel for going above and beyond in putting St. Maarten I position for a quicker recovery.

Richardson said the government and people of St. Maarten put its faith in three local professionals to manage and forge a future for the utility company and, in his opinion, they are fulfilling the obligations bestowed upon them. He said Kenrick Chittick, Iris Arrindell and Veronica Webster-Jansen, CEO, CFO and COO respectively, should be commended for their work.

There are many people predicted failure from these three proud local people. But they have handled themselves very well. I am sure they had their plans that Irma interrupted, but the test of a person is how you act in times of tribulation and chaos. Despite GEBE suffering major damage to its infrastructure, management rallied their staff and literally saved St. Maarten, the MP said.

MP Richardson explained that he used saved St. Maarten because without electricity and water, the island would have been crippled. He mentioned some of the neighboring islands as examples, including Puerto Rico.

Sometimes we take for granted the amount of pride our people put into their work and the amount of work it took to get us to this point after the biggest storm to ever strike this region. Think about the magnitude of Irma, look at the destruction of other islands and St. Maarten and look at what GEBE under current management was able to achieve. I think it is truly an amazing accomplishment and they should be honored and commended, Richardson said.

The MP added that GEBEs personnel who left their personal circumstances to go out into the community to restore utilities at record pace, should also be lauded. All over Dutch St. Maarten you see our people restoring our island. We received help for which we are grateful, but much of the work was executed by our own who refused to let St. Maarten stay down. We should be very proud of the management and personnel of GEBE, the MP concluded.

Press Release from Member of Parliament Frans Richardson
COPPER MOUNTAIN to acquire Altona Mining to form a major new Copper Producer

Posted by Publisher Internet

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (?Copper Mountain? or ?CMMC?) [TSX:CMMC] and Altona Mining Limited (?Altona? or ?AOH?) [ASX:AOH] are pleased to jointly announce that they have agreed to combine the companies by way of a Scheme of Arrangement (?Scheme?) under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 pursuant to which CMMC will acquire the entire issued capital of Altona (the ?Transaction?).

The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a Merger Implementation Deed (?MID?) under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The MID is attached at Annexure C.

Under the Transaction, each share of Altona (?Altona Share?) will be exchanged for 0.0974 (?Exchange Ratio?) of either a CHESS Depositary Interest of CMMC (?CMMC CDI?), which will trade on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), or, if elected, a CMMC common share (?CMMC Share?), which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (?TSX?). The total consideration offered for all of the outstanding shares of Altona is valued at approximately A$93 million and represents 17 cents per share, a 41.7% premium to A$0.12, the closing price of Altona shares on the day prior to the execution of the MID .

Altona?s key asset is the 100% owned undeveloped open pit Cloncurry Copper Project (?Cloncurry?) in Queensland, Australia, a mining friendly jurisdiction. Cloncurry currently has a measured and indicated mineral resource containing over 2 billion pounds (0.95 million tonnes) of copper and an inferred resource of 1.6 billion pounds (0.72 million tonnes) of copper. There is potential to add resources at depth and along strike in each of the deposits, and through exploration at numerous prospective targets within Altona?s approximately 397,000 hectare (3,970 sqkm) land package.

CMMC?s principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper . The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource that remains open laterally and at depth.

Directors and senior management of Altona have agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interest of shareholders. Directors and senior management of Altona have provided voting intention statements in favour of the Scheme.

Highlights of the Proposed Combination

? A multi-jurisdictional, mid-tier copper producer.

? Annual potential copper production of approximately 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper by 2020 .

? Combined Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.1 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes) of copper.

? Combined Measured and Indicated Resources over 4.1 billion pounds (1.8 million tonnes) of copper and an additional 3.6 billion pounds (1.5 million tonnes) of copper in Inferred Resources.

? One of the leading TSX/ASX listed copper production companies, with significant production growth and exploration potential in two tier one mining jurisdictions.

? The combined company will have approximately C$78 million in cash.

? Enhanced trading liquidity in both Canada (TSX) and Australia (ASX).

? Pro forma market cap of approximately C$300 million, with CMMC shareholders owning 71.5% and Altona shareholders owning 28.5% of the combined entity.

? The strength and complementary nature of Altona?s assets, management team, regional operating experience, and exploration expertise gives CMMC a stronger platform to grow.

? CMMC?s construction and operational experience are well positioned to bring Cloncurry into production.

? Offer represents a 41.7% premium to Altona?s price of A$0.12 per share, being the closing price on the day prior to the execution of the MID.

? Major Altona shareholder (Matchpoint) has indicated support for the Scheme.

Management Commentary

Mr Jim O?Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer of CMMC, commented: ?Our Copper Mountain Mine is an efficient, stable operation with a long life ahead of it. At current copper prices, it is generating significant cash flow. For some time, CMMC has patiently been evaluating cost competitive opportunities to achieve a step-change in copper production. Cloncurry exemplifies the criteria of low-risk, near-term and high quality for which we have been seeking. We intend to progress Cloncurry into production with the aim of doubling CMMC?s copper production profile to the range of 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper per annum with significant precious metals credits. This additional copper production is timely to capitalize on the projected strong copper cycle.?

Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, added: ?We are delighted to join CMMC to form a new high growth copper producer. We are excited to bring CMMC?s depth of experience in constructing and operating a large scale open pit copper mine to bear upon the Cloncurry Copper Project. Altona?s shareholders will receive a premium and will also gain immediate exposure to copper production just as copper prices have recovered and market shortfalls are predicted over the near term. This is a great opportunity for our shareholders to participate in the creation of a leading mid-sized copper producer.?

?

Merger Summary

CMMC and Altona have executed a MID under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The consideration being offered to Altona Shareholders is one CMMC share for every 10.2669 Altona shares, which represents 17 cents per share, a premium of 41.7% to Altona?s last price of A$0.12 as of the close on 17 November 2017 and based on CMMC?s 5 day trailing VWAP from 17 November 2017.

In conjunction with the Scheme, CMMC will seek a listing on the ASX and apply for quotation of CMMC shares in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests (?CDIs?), which would enable Altona shareholders to elect to receive the Scheme consideration in the form of CMMC CDIs.

The Scheme is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, which are set out in full in the MID. Major conditions include:

? Approval being received from the shareholders of Altona and the court in relation to the Scheme.

? Approval being received from the shareholders of CMMC and the TSX for the issue of consideration shares.

? The Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

? Approval for and quotation of CMMC CDIs on the ASX.

? Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

? Other customary regulatory and court approvals for a transaction of this nature.

The parties have agreed that unless the MID is terminated, Altona will not solicit any competing proposal or participate in any discussions or negotiations in relation to any competing proposal unless failure to do so would involve a breach of the fiduciary duties of its Directors. Altona and CMMC have agreed to pay a break fee of A$0.9 million in certain circumstances leading to the Scheme not proceeding.

Benefits to Copper Mountain Shareholders

? Acquisition of the low risk Cloncurry Copper Project (?Cloncurry?), including significant copper and gold resources and reserves, and a large mineral tenure position. The Cloncurry project is located in one of the world?s most prominent base metals production regions in Queensland, Australia, host to leading mines including Mt Isa, Dugald River, Cannington and Ernest Henry.

? Development of Cloncurry has the potential to double CMMC?s production profile, with the anticipated addition of over 80 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of copper and 17,000 ounces of gold per annum in concentrate based on Altona?s updated Definitive Feasibility Study (?DFS?) completed in July 2017 . The DFS states that the major required permits, including Native Title, Mining Licenses and an Environmental Authority, have been received.

? Significant increase in overall contained copper in Measured and Indicated Resources (by 104% to 4.1 billion pounds of copper) and Proven and Probable Reserves (by 87% to 2.0 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes of copper), in addition to regional discovery potential surrounding Cloncurry.

? Asset and geographical diversification, providing a lower risk profile for the combined entity.

? Exposure to Altona?s large land package and their exploration success in Australia.

? Increased market prominence in combination, leading to a potential re-rating as a mid-tier copper producer.

Benefits to Altona Shareholders

? CMMC has an experienced management team with proven development and mine operation capabilities, having expertise in financing, building, commissioning and operating the 12-14 million tonnes per annum open pit Copper Mountain Mine (?Copper Mountain Mine?) located in southern British Columbia, Canada. CMMC will use this operational expertise to maximise the value of Altona?s Cloncurry project.

? With CMMC?s annual production guidance of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper in 20172, combined with 86 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of potential copper production from Cloncurry, the combined entity has the potential to become a top 4 Australian copper producer.

? Altona shareholders to receive a significant premium of 41.7% to Altona?s closing share price on 17 November 2017, a 36.9% premium to Altona?s trailing 10-day VWAP and a 33.2% premium to Altona?s 20-day VWAP as of the close on 17 November 2017.

? Benefit of immediate cash flow from CMMC?s production asset, whilst retaining ongoing exposure to Cloncurry as it progresses through development.

? Creation of a leading copper producing company with a diversified portfolio of production and development assets that will be uniquely positioned on the ASX.

Altona Board and Shareholder Support

The Altona Board are in favour of the Scheme and unanimously recommend that Altona shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Each of Altona?s directors and officers has entered into a Support Deed undertaking to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Altona?s major shareholder, Matchpoint Asia Fund Limited, has also indicated that it will vote in favour of the Scheme , in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

CMMC Shareholder approval

CMMC is required to obtain the approval of the TSX and its shareholders in connection with the issue of common shares under the Scheme. Each of CMMC?s directors and officers have agreed to vote in favour of the required CMMC shareholder resolutions.

The CMMC Board unanimously recommends that CMMC shareholders vote in favour of the issue of CMMC common shares contemplated by the Scheme. The CMMC Board intends to vote any CMMC Shares in respect of which they have the power to direct a vote in favour of the necessary resolutions.

Management Team and Board of Directors

CMMC will continue to be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and plans to retain a regional office in Perth, Australia on implementation of the Scheme. Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, will remain in his position until the Scheme closes, after which he will be appointed to join the Board of Directors of CMMC and will continue in an executive role in Australia.

Indicative Timetable

Full particulars of the Scheme, including terms and recommendations will be provided to Altona shareholders through a Scheme Booklet which will include an Independent Expert?s Report by KPMG Corporate Finance, a division of KPMG Financial Advisory Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. The indicative timetable for implementation of the Acquisition is anticipated to be as follows:

Event Indicative Date

1st Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme Booklet 6 February 2018

Scheme Booklet sent to Altona shareholders 8 February 2018

Altona Scheme meeting 15 March 2018

2nd Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme 22 March 2018

Scheme becomes effective 23 March 2018

Principal Advisors

CMMC?s corporate adviser is Haywood Securities Inc., its Canadian legal advisor is Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP and its Australian legal advisor is Clayton Utz.

Altona?s corporate adviser is Hartleys Limited, its Australian legal advisor is Gilbert + Tobin and its Canadian Legal advisor is Fasken Martineau LLP.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

CMMC?s principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced a under life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds of copper. The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource of copper that remains open laterally and at depth. This significant exploration potential is being evaluated over the next few years in order to fully appreciate the property?s development potential. Additional information is available on CMMC?s web page at www.cumtn.com.

About Altona Mining Limited

Altona?s principal asset is the Cloncurry Copper Project in Queensland, Australia found within a dominant 3,970km2 land package in the highly prospective Mt. Isa inlier. It is envisaged that a 7 million tonnes per annum open pit copper-gold mine and concentrator will be developed. The development is

permitted with proposed annual production of 39,000 tonnes of copper and 17,200 ounces of gold for a minimum of 14 years. The Definitive Feasibility Study was refreshed in August 2017.

For further information please contact:

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Altona Mining Limited

Jim O?Rourke

President & CEO

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 223 Alistair Cowden

Managing Director

Altona Mining Limited

Phone: +61 8 9485 2929

Dan Gibbons

Investor Relations

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 238 David Ikin

Media Relations  Australia

PPR

Phone: +61 8 9388 0944

Rod Shier

Chief Financial Officer

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Phone: +1 604-682-2992 ext. 222 Jochen Staiger

Swiss Resource Capital AG  Germany

Phone: +41 71 354 8501

info@resource-capital.ch

Competent Person?s Statement: Cloncurry Project

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Cloncurry Project is based on information compiled by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ?Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves?. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that full JORC 2012 disclosure of Resources and Reserves is provided in the ASX release of 2 August 2017 entitled ?The Cloncurry Project: JORC 2012 Disclosure? and accompanying release revised on 27 September 2017 entitled ?Updated DFS Delivers Bigger and Better Cloncurry Project?.

Competent Person?s Statement: Copper Mountain Mine

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Copper Mountain Mine is based on information compiled from public disclosure by TSX listed Copper Mountain Limited (CMMC) by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ?Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves?. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that Canadian Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as adopted by listed entities in Canadian Securities Exchanges are classified according to the CIM Definition Standards in the manner of the JORC Code and NI 43-101 disclosure corresponds to that required by the JORC Code. Disclosure by CMMC in the most recent NI 43-101 report complies with the CIM Guidelines, which are closely related to the JORC Code in their key definitions. The CMMC resources and reserves can therefore be quoted as ?qualifying foreign estimates? according to ASX Listing rules. The most recent disclosure of resources and reserves can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The most recent disclosure by CMMC is in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated 30 March 2017.

The qualifying foreign estimates have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration word that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.

Qualified Persons

Mr Peter Holbek, P.Geo. and Vice President Exploration of CMMC, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved CMMC?s mining technical information included in this news release.

Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM are full time employees of Altona in the positions of Managing Director and General Manager, Exploration for Altona, are the Qualified Persons who have reviewed and approved Altona?s mining technical information included in this news release.

Cautionary Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (?forward-looking statements?), which reflect management?s expectations regarding CMMC?s future growth, results of operations (including, without limitation, future production and capital expenditures), performance (both operational and financial) and business prospects (including the timing and development) and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as ?plans?, ?indications?, ?potential?, ?estimates?, ?predicts?, ?forecasts?, ?anticipate? or ?does not anticipate?, ?believe?, ?intend?, ?ability to? and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?might?, ?will?, or are ?likely? to be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify such forward looking information. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include completion of the Scheme, CMMC?s listing on the ASX, projected production profile, anticipated growth in copper resources and reserves particularly at Cloncurry, re-rating of the combined entity, the completion of construction of the Cloncurry Copper Project, potential to explore other target areas close to the Cloncurry Copper Project, and the estimated combined market capitalization of CMMC and Altona. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflect management?s current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, CMMC cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward looking information. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. These assumptions include, among other things, the ability to obtain all requisite approvals, including that of the CMMC and Altona shareholders, the Australian court, the TSX and the Foreign Review Board, the accuracy of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, copper prices, exchange rates, energy costs, future economic conditions, anticipated future estimates of cash flow and courses of action. CMMC cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities, the actual results of reclamation activities; integration results of the CMMC and Altona management and operating teams, conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the United States dollar and the Australian dollar and vice versa; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; changes in labour costs other costs of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to environmental hazards, cave-ins, pit-wall failures, flooding, rock bursts and other acts of God or unfavourable operating conditions and losses, detrimental events that interfere with transportation of concentrate or the smelters ability to accept concentrate, including declaration of Force Majeure events, insurrection or war; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, and the factors discussed in the section entitled ?Risk Factors? in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2017, and in other filings of CMMC with securities and regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. CMMC does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Nothing in this report should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell CMMC securities.

This press release is dated as of the date on the first page. All references to CMMC include its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this News Release.

NEW WAYS OF COMMUNICATION AND FINANCING FOR RESOURCE COMPANIES IS OUR MISSION! TRANSPARENCY, QUALITY AND EDUCATION OUR BOOSTER!

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The world finance system is facing massive uncertainty and risk making it imperative that one has wide-ranging knowledge about alternative investment opportunities. Ensure your financial future by taking control. Diversification is the means to survive the current and future market difficulties with a specific focus on value investing such as quality stocks, precious metals and resources in general.

Swiss Resource Capital AG is your partner entering the mining industry. We also work very closely with successful investment funds and asset managers. SRC has a worldwide professional network of experts and unique access to financings, allowing investors to be part of a company at early stages. Ongoing analysis, monitoring and contact with the management and site visits of selected projects keeps us abreast of promising investment opportunities in the resource sector. Our news distribution system keeps you all the time informed and up to date about the latest developments.

We assist you and deliver clear and concise information pertaining to the precious metals and the resource sector as well as selected mining companies. Through our new developed multimedia channels like the exclusive Resource-TV you have access anytime and anywhere in the world to comprehensive data and information as well as access via our log in function to the free research area of our website.

Via exclusive events and one-on-one meetings we offer interested investors in many countries the opportunity to get direct information from and personal access to the management of various mining companies. We make sure that you know what we know!
Italtel Introduces Open Innovation Program

New innovation model encourages industry partnerships to enable next-generation technologies

Milan, Italy, November 20, 2017  Italtel, a leading telecommunications company in IT system integration, managed services, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and all-IP solutions, has launched an Open Innovation program, which will see it collaborate with start-ups and new businesses to leverage emerging technologies for applications such as Industry 4.0, Smart Cities and Digital Healthcare.

The program will see Italtel collaborate with start-ups and smaller enterprises to develop and test their solutions, with the goal of jointly commercializing them. It will initially focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain and cybersecurity technologies.

Italy has a rich entrepreneurial fabric which stimulates creativity and innovative ideas, but start-ups and small businesses are often limited in what assets they have to develop these ideas further, said Luca Ferraris, Head of Strategy, Innovation & Collaboration, at Italtel. This is why this program is so important; it provides an innovation network and an opportunity to collaborate which is not limited to the laboratory.

The use of physical spaces, test plants and IT resources are among the resources Italtel can offer to program participants in Settimo Milanese and Carini (Palermo). In exchange for this support, Italtel will be able to utilize the technologies and applications created under the program and quickly bring them to market.

Since the launch of the program six-months ago, 60 participating companies have already received appraisal for their ground-breaking work, leading to new opportunities in Industry 4.0.

The scheme is a great opportunity for our partners to receive support in overcoming key industry hurdles frequently faced when launching new products and to have a platform which enables them to reach global markets, added Ferraris.

For more details about Italtels Open Innovation program, including how to join, visit: http://www.italtel.com/it/open-innovation/
Huawei and NTT DOCOMO Successfully Demonstrate Japans First 5G mmWave CPE Application

Posted by Publisher Internet

TOKYO, JAPAN  (Marketwired)  11/16/17  Huawei and NTT DOCOMO, Inc., Japans largest mobile communications carrier, jointly demonstrated the first live-demo of 5G Customer premises equipment (CPE) application at the exhibition in Tokyo, Japan.

In the demo, holographic video calls were realized over an end to end network that contains 5G mmWave CPEs, marking the first successful application of a 5G CPE terminal with commercial engineering capability in Japan.

During the demonstration, the 5G core network, 5G base stations, and 5G mmWave CPEs of the end to end 5G network involved in the joint demo are provided by Huawei. Visitors use a Microsoft HoloLens helmet to connect to the end to end 5G network and make holographic video calls with their offsite friends. An immersive experience is created in this demo, with clear voice calls and smooth video footage free of freezing.

The CPE used is one of Huaweis latest innovations, and it is the industrys first 5G mmWave CPE product to help operators to explore 5G FWA services which exceeds an indoor data rate of about 2 Gbit/s, far above that over fixed networks. The CPE allows for a stable performance in bandwidth allocation and transmission latency, delivering a superb experience of holographic video call services over end to end 5G networks. With a high integration, this CPE is now the industrys smallest 5G mmWave CPE product, and its indoor unit is of about 3 Liters in size, suiting for indoor settings. This shows that 5G mmWave CPE products already have commercial engineering capability.

Gan Bin, Vice President of Huawei 5G Product Line, said: The 5G terminal industry chain is a core link in the 5G E2E industry chain. The first successful live-demo on 5G mmWave CPEs is a groundbreaking progress in our joint effort with NTT DOCOMO to build an end to end industry chain. This success makes us more confident in realizing the goal of commercializing 5G by 2020.

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. Huaweis 180,000 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 worlds population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at or follow us on:

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However, Merkel let the talks meander on for too long until the situation had become completely muddled. There were no ideas or leadership from her, just the vague hope that in the end, after another long sleepless night, everything would be sorted. However, the "Merkel Method," one that has been used to such effect before, didn't work this time.

As a result the country is now without a new government. The caretaker chancellor can't even be sure that, if there are new elections, she will be chosen to lead her party into the campaign. Seehofer has no victory to help him in his ongoing internal power struggle. The Greens are still no closer to power. The FDP, which declared that it was walking away from the talks out of principle, shouldn't expect to reap many rewards. Already, it is being widely criticized for putting the party before the country. Many of their political opponents are accusing Lindner of having planned his dramatic exit from the start, or at the very least before the last long day of negotiations.

Meanwhile the Social Democrats, Merkel's outgoing coalition partners can't really expect to capitalize from the collapse of the talks either. The party had hoped that four years in the opposition would allow them to regroup. Now, new elections pose the threat of simply laying bare their ineptitudes once again. They aren't ready to fight another election campaign yet.

Sunday night, in short, was a loss for everyone. And for Germany.
More Unyielding

Either way, the blame game among the parties involved in the coalition already got started on Sunday night. It is likely to continue throughout the week - and it is clear that the FDP will be a primary target. And Lindner himself isn't likely to be spared.

Indeed, it seemed on Sunday night that the parties were already positioning themselves for a possible election campaign ahead of a new vote. Green Party politician Konstantin von Notz said that he had had the impression on Sunday morning that the FDP was already preparing to abandon the talks and had found a possible excuse in an interview given by Jurgen Trittin, a senior member of the Greens. Trittin had told the weekly tabloid Bild am Sonntag that the FDP had become more unyielding on migration as the talks had progressed.

On Monday, the message from the Green Party is that an agreement had been possible and that the parties had, in fact, been extremely close. The FDP, however, disputes that account, with Kubicki saying: "Such a thing can only be said by someone who wasn't holding the paper in their hand," claiming that there were still 120 points of contention to be resolved.

And there were, indeed, plenty of issues on which the parties struggled to find unity: CO2 emissions reductions , foreign policy issues and the "solidarity tax" for eastern Germany. One of the most important clashes, however, focused on immigration and on family reunification. Merkel's conservatives, driven primarily by the CSU, wanted a hard ceiling of 200,000 immigrants per year and were opposed to allowing those already in Germany to bring in their families - a broad skepticism to immigration largely shared by the FDP. The Greens, however, insisted on a more open policy toward immigration.

Deep Mistrust

On Sunday afternoon, it looked for a time as though the Greens and the conservatives were edging toward a compromise on immigration, with the Greens even reportedly prepared to accept an upper limit on immigration in exchange for family reunification allowances. The Greens were apparently even willing to accept demands from the CDU and CSU to recognize Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco as "safe countries of origin," a necessary designation to allow deportations to those countries. But CSU representatives then told reporters that FDP head Lindner was unwilling to accept the compromise.

It was a sign of the mistrust between the FDP and the Greens. Indeed, the FDP was even skeptical of allowing the Greens to take over the Foreign Ministry portfolio in the event of a coalition, worried that the party would try to use the position to circumvent a hard-cap on immigration. "Unfortunately, there is a lot of mistrust," Kubicki recently told SPIEGEL ONLINE. The Greens wouldn't argue. For weeks, the party had felt that the FDP wasn't really interested in a Jamaica coalition. On Sunday night, Jurgen Trittin said of Lindner's retreat: "The party did what it had been planning to do since Thursday."

But it wasn't just the Greens who were critical of the FDP. A conservative member of Merkel's parliament who asked not to be identified told journalists on Sunday night that the CDU, CSU and Greens had reached agreement on a compromise on immigration and family reunification. "As soon as the FDP learned of it," the cabinet member said, "they ran away."
AnimalhealthEurope President, Wijnand de Bruijn, and Secretary General, Roxane Feller, met with NOAH Chair, Gaynor Hillier, and Chief Executive, Dawn Howard, to reinforce the relationship between the two associations and to discuss issues of common interest.

High on the agenda was the challenge faced by both UK and EU based member companies from the UKs EU Exit, at a time when the new EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation is close to becoming a reality. NOAHs vision for an environment that delivers a thriving animal medicines sector applies both nationally and internationally; it will be critical that products continue to be traded in order to safeguard animal health and welfare, public health and food safety  both here in the UK and across Europe. Business continuity will require a closely aligned regulatory environment and close co-operation between the two associations will be vital in order to make this a reality.
Grocery chain Trader Joes announced Saturday that it has recalled several packaged salads after a supplier found shards of glass and hard plastic inside.

The company announced on its website that containers of its white meat chicken salad, curried white chicken deli salad and turkey cranberry apple salad may be contaminated if they expire on any date from Nov. 10 through 21 and are labeled with the U.S. Department of Agricultures inspected code P-40299.
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A former hat factory in Danbury and a public housing complex in Bridgeport are among the sites that will share $13.6 million in state funding announced Monday for the cleanup of contaminated properties.

The projects are spread across 14 communities and together comprise 89 acres statewide, including 19 acres related to Derbys downtown redevelopment plans. A $200,000 grant will go toward assessing that land.

The funds are aimed at bringing the contaminated sites back into productive use.

These kinds of properties that have been vacant for decades are causing blight in neighborhoods, draining local resources and having a negative impact on towns and cities, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a statement. We can add value in our communities by making smart investments that repurpose these properties, resulting in a boost for local economies and spurring growth and private investments.

In Danbury, a $1.3 million grant will help pay to demolish and remediate the former 3.7-acre Mallory Hat Factory. A residential facility for women and children in transition is proposed for this site. The building site, which the city has owned since the late 1980s, is difficult to develop commercially because the soil still has some contamination from its manufacturing past.

The Bridgeport project calls for a $1.5 million grant to Park City Communities, formerly known as the Bridgeport Housing Authority, to redevelop the 15.9-acre Marina Village public housing complex into a new affordable housing community. The existing structures are to be demolished and replaced with multifamily residential units and community space.

Stamford-based JHM Group, which is working with Park City Communities to redevelop the site, said earlier this year it was working to secure funds to redevelop the site. The first phase would consist of a four-story, 60-unit building at the corner of Park and Railroad avenues.

JHM Group has already built some Marina Village replacements units at its Crescent Crossings development on the citys East Side.

Awards of more than $1 million were also granted for projects in Hartford, Meriden, New Britain and Waterbury. A $200,000 grant in Ansonia will fund the investigation of a 2.7-acre parcel at 65 Main St.

These 16 projects will help spur commercial activity, promote transit-oriented development, create new housing, curb blight, and address public health and safety concerns  all keys to boosting economic vibrancy, said Catherine Smith, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which awards the grants, in a statement.

Since 2012, the state has invested more than $220 million in redeveloping contaminated properties.
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STAMFORD  RiverOak Investment Corp. has not made any record-setting deals in the Five Boroughs  just as its executives planned.

The Stamford-based firm has quietly invested some $114 million in the past five years in eight properties in New York City, a list that includes the $5.8 million acquisition earlier this year of a 23-unit apartment building in Brooklyn, N.Y. With its under-the-radar approach, the firm has discovered a number of promising properties that often go overlooked by larger investors.

Theres really a dearth of organized capital thats servicing this segment of the market in the $5 million to $50 million range. Thats why I started this company, RiverOak CEO Steve DeNardo said in an interview earlier this month. For the really big funds, that range is too small for them to go after because their overhead is too big to spend the time. It takes just as much effort to buy a $10 million building as a $100 million building.

The Brooklyn acquisition  a four-story structure at 215 33rd St., in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood  typifies the investment structure of RiverOak deals. The firm teams with a local operator that also invests in the property; in this case, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based The Mann Group served as the partner.

RiverOak generally contributes about 80 percent of the equity capital in any given deal.

We tend to concentrate on locations that are transportation-centric, and what we think are in paths of progress, DeNardo said. (Neighboring business park) Industry City is a fairly large complex. The city has been encouraging more growth, and we feel like were in pretty early as Industry City grows.

The Greenwood Heights deal closed out investing for RiverOaks NYC Fund I. Investors include pension funds, family offices and high net worth individuals.

Previous RiverOak acquisitions include a trio of prominent Manhattan properties: an office condominium complex at 77 Bowery, a 27-unit affordable-housing apartment complex at 321 E. 60th St. and a building under construction at 316 E. 91st St. The latter property had housed a factory, performing arts studio and church after the original building there was constructed in 1931.

The new building at 316 E. 91st is scheduled to be completed next year. When it opens, it will include 17 apartments for clients of nonprofit Women in Need, which serves homeless women and their children.

RiverOak, whose name symbolizes sturdiness, was founded in 1999. In earlier years, it invested in properties in the Boston and Washington, D.C., areas, as well as Stamford properties such as the 400 Atlantic St. office building and a group of townhouses in the citys Springdale section. It also once invested in the Pickwick Plaza office center in Greenwich.

In 2002, the firm made its first New York City investment; it would further concentrate on the city after the 2008 financial crisis.

New York is so resilient  it tends to go into the trough last and come out first, DeNardo said. Theres so much liquidity and product in the New York market.

Downtown Stamford offices at 1 Atlantic St. serve as the base for a roster of five, including DeNardo.

The CEO, 64, has accrued about 40 years of real estate investment experience. He has lived in Stamford for 37 years.

Ill go into New York about once a week; its no big deal, DeNardo said. We have an ideal location here in Stamford.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott
STAMFORD  NYC-based comedians Ben Rosenfeld (Stamford High Class of 2002), Ruchir Pandya (Westhill class of 2007) and Robbie Bernstein return to their hometown for a night of laughs on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at Quattro Pazzi, 269 Bedford St.

Tickets cost $20 in advance and $30 at the door. There is also a $15 minimum on food/drink orders. For tickets, see www.StamfordComedyClub.com.
Health concerns about pesticide and herbicide contamination of smoked marijuana go back a long time. The use of paraquat, banned from national forests in 1983 because of environmental concerns, was given the go-ahead to be sprayed for marijuana eradication on private property, but not on public lands, as early as 1988.

The debate over herbicide and pesticide contamination of legal marijuana, however, began in 2012. During that year, the State of Colorado found that cannabis was being grown with pesticides, but could not receive guidance from the federal government due to marijuana's federal illegality. With growers voicing fierce opposition to any changes to the decontamination process for removing pesticide residues, the state gave inspections a low priority. The status quo has remained in Colorado ever since.

Entrepreneurs have come to bear the brunt of that market, as some choose to invest into pesticide removal processes while others continue their manufacturing without incorporating a cleaning method. And they're up against big bucks with mainstream brands like Scotts Miracle Grow are predicted to be some of the >hottest cannabis stocks on the market.

Some manufacturers have pivoted to become strictly "cleaning" services, wherein they wash other manufacturers' crude oil of pesticide and return it to them for further distillation and placement. While these entrepreneurs have had some success, a good amount of large manufacturers have still stuck to their guns producing a legacy product that may create issues down the line for consumers. As a result, retailers are now at risk of facing legal action, like in the case of Livwell, a company being sued for its' use of the pesticide Eagle 20, a pesticide.

Fast forward four years and the City of Seattle issues an advisory to alert consumers of the potential of risk of pesticide ingestion when inhaling cannabis. The city was unable to issue a more definitive statement or change in policy due to the lack of research on inhalation of pesticides.

Related: 9 Business Ideas for People Looking to Cash in on the Marijuana Boom

The State of Oregon recently counted 900 failures of pesticide removal from cannabis. In one instance, 370 batches of product were recalled from consumers due to excessive levels of pesticide. In this case, Oregon issued a letter reminding growers of the state's Pesticide Control Act and also promised to investigate growers who failed pesticide screenings.

This is happening all across North America. Even though it's federally licensed, Canadian cannabis company OrganiGram Holdings was caught up in two Health Canada recalls of almost all its products sold in 2016 after residual levels of two banned pesticides, myclobutanil and bifenazate, were found. The company's organic certification was suspended until compliance to requirements was demonstrated. OrganiGram took remedial measures to rectify the problems, but was left with a year's worth of lost revenues.

Getting better, right? Not so fast.

2017 has been a tough year for California as the state gears up for recreational cannabis. Steep Hill Labs, a premier lab testing facility in Berkeley, identified at least 84 percent of plants in a sample were contaminated with high levels of pesticide, including Eagle 20. Remember that name from earlier?

Eagle 20 is the brand name of a chemical called Myclobutanil, which is produced by Dow Chemical. The problem with this becomes larger when thinking about the scale of the California cannabis industry. Most crops are derived from clones -- those clones have mother plants, and if those mother plants are pesticide-ridden, the effects are being multiplied by an exponential factor.

Myclobutanil is used to kill pests and prevent mildew, but when combusted, it turns into hydrogen cyanide, which affects the brain and lungs and is lethal in high doses. While the U.S.DA tests edible plants for Myclobutanil, there is no such regulatory practice in California for cannabis until 2018.

Related: New Jersey Likely to Elect a Governor Determined to Legalize Marijuana

What should we know?

Let's break it down. Pesticides are prevalent in nearly everything, from food products to household cleaners. The EPA and U.S.DA have developed a framework for identifying and allowing certain pesticides in products, however, the base research does not include inhalation. This presents a unique window into the world of the consumer.

Since most consumers are unaware of pesticides or choose to ignore their presence in cannabis, companies have had made short work of selling status-quo enabled products. Most manufacturers are focused on removing any plant material aside from THC and achieving the highest possible potency, and as a result, pesticides have flown under the radar. Consumers are generally happy with the end result, not taking into account pesticides.

As recreational cannabis moves forward in 2018, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control has teamed with other organizations to clamp down on the use of pesticides and their proliferation in cannabis products. Now, consumers will be made aware of pesticides, any company who sells pesticide products will have their products recalled, and people will demand a pesticide-free product as the status quo. So, it's important that consumers begin to understand what is in their product and demand innovation now.

"It's imperative that the standards for pesticide use in cannabis production follow the same critical regulations that are set for our food crops to ensure a safe product for the consumer and environment," I was told in an interview with Phil Guardia, CEO of Kelmar Cultivation Products. His flourishing 50-year old agriculture supply company is venturing into the cannabis space.

Related: A University in Michigan Is Offering a Bachelor Degree for Marijuana Entrepreneurs

So what's actually in the cannabis?

The list is long and very hard to pronounce, but it goes something like this. Myclobutanil (Eagle 20., Spinosad, Piperonyl Butoxide, Spiromesifen, Bifenazate, Abamectin, Imidacloprid, Carbaryl, and Etoxazole. Take note of the second to last chemical, Carbaryl -- in a lab test, it was detected in cannabis at 415 parts per million, far higher than a much more common product, blueberries, whose tolerance is at a mere three PPM.

That discrepancy highlights two problems.

Overuse of pesticides on cannabis plants by growers who are keen to keep their plants free of mites and mold, and Inadvertent re-concentration of pesticide by cannabis manufacturers' into their end-product, which is then either packaged into raw material for edible companies or turned into high-THC concentrate.

We know that in some cases, cannabis manufacturers are able to "wash" their flowers of pesticides during the extraction process, but we also know that a trace amount of pesticide can remain. This trace pesticide can re-concentrate itself during the following purification and distillation process if not "cleaned" correctly, creating another scenario where people are consuming high-PPM amounts of pesticide.

Both possibilities are scary, in what we know and don't know. We know ingesting pesticides beyond the recommended PPM limit is dangerous, but we don't know what happens when pesticides are inhaled, and more experts are saying the latter is very concerning.

Related: Cannabis Industry Rallies to Overcome Unique Legal Barriers to Recovery From Northern California Fires

What should we do?

Two things need to happen in the very near future.

As cannabis becomes regulated in more states, governments need to develop regulations for growers and manufacturers, and consumers must demand a pesticide-free product. In the first scenario, while governments develop procedures to curtail and regulate the use of pesticides in cannabis, growers and manufacturers must also take steps to meet policy changes.

While some growers are content with the status quo, options are available to shift best practices toward pesticide-free cultivation and pesticide removal in manufacturing. Using natural substances like neem oil and compost, in addition to good ventilation systems and dehumidifiers, can aid in growth of pesticide-free plants. As manufacturers also adapt to the system, they must either push their network to produce pesticide-free plants or create standard processes to remove pesticides to an appropriate, regulated level.

"Cannabis is a technical crop that requires constant grower attention. Up-to-date knowledge of items such as irrigation, air flow, lighting and nutrients etc is critical to produce a safe and efficient crop," Guardia told me, explaining how manufacturers have no choice but to become compliant. "The old school way of growing will not work in order to legitimize the safety of the crop and the industry as we move forward."

While innovations like flash chromatography and solvent chemicals have proven effective in cleaning up concentrated product, and some companies are experimenting with other during their process to produce a clean product for consumers, the entire industry must drive change. From edibles to flowers to dabs, every step of the supply chain should be educated and pushing for pesticide-free product in order to keep cannabis safe.

Related: Survey: A Quarter of Cancer Patients Use Legal Medical Marijuana.

How are cannabis entrepreneurs responding?

Some small cannabis growers are fighting costly requirements and offering solutions. "We are rural and agricultural," one West Massachusetts farmer told his local legislators. "In Western Massachusetts, we voted at a higher percentage to allow this new industry and provide new economic development opportunities for ourselves and our children," Nicholas Robinson said.

These opportunities need to have low capital requirements for small business entrepreneurs to obtain the necessary licenses and meet the proper standards. Non-organic pesticides can be effective that way. "There should be more cultivation and more manufacturing west of Worcester and on the Cape. We should allow non-brick and mortar entities and delivery services," Robinson envisioned.

Some manufacturers are simply innovating better and more effective ways to create the purest of products. Started in March of this year, premier cannabis oil producer Medusa Labs is removing additives such as PG and PEG from their flavors in a series of changes aimed at promoting a purer product. "We source pesticide-free crude oil and are promoting practices to reduce pesticides to minimal levels in our high-potency THC distillate," Sean Gee, CEO of Medusa Labs explained to me at a recent cannabis meetup.

"During our uniquely proprietary distillation process, we carefully check temperatures and add organic compounds to ensure we end up with the highest grade product devoid of substances like chlorophyll, azulene, and residual solvents," Gee continued. "At certain points, these can turn into distasteful flavonoids and harmful carcinogens, and result in a lower potency."

Related: Colorado Study Links Marijuana Legalization to Decline In Fatal Opioid Overdoses

Still, some big brands are still selling vape pens with pesticides and/or additives with or without knowledge or proper testing. Other pesticide-regulation recalcitrant or otherwise simply unfortunate cannabis producers are likely to face warnings, recalls, or even bad mojo in what's a tight cannabis industry fellowship.

This inconsistency creates broad opportunities for the kosher cannabis entrepreneur to introduce new sets of ideas with a focus on greater and greater product innovation.

"I have been a retailer to the cannabis industry in Colorado since 2009," Joe Barnes, president of GrowLife Hydroponics Inc., told me in a written interview. "The requests we have received for products proven to cause damage have always troubled me -- especially for medical patients whose immune systems may already be compromised."

In reality illegal operations have only one reason to grow -- to make money, and Barnes believes without these new, emerging we would see an epidemic of throat and lung issues on a large scale over the coming years.

Third-party testing will be a major part of the industry moving forward on the right foot. Proprietors of independent third-party certification labs have an opening in legal cannabis -- another example of legalizing marijuana creatine unexpected business opportunities.

As the cannabis market grows and along with it brings tighter standards and enforcement for testing, there's no doubt that there'll be more need for testing services. Not to mention the anticipated transition of labs that are now servicing traditional agriculture cross into cannabis as the market opens.

Josh Wurzer, president of SC Labs remarked, "I was leery about working for a medical marijuana lab, but now I think it's a great career choice for people coming out of school with technical degrees because it supports a product that's behind the fastest-growing industry in America."

Related:

Entrepreneurs See Opportunity Addressing Consumer Demand for Pesticide-Free Cannabis

New Jersey Voters Likely Just Approved Legalized Marijuana

Jeff Sessions' 'Guidance' Cited by Maine's Governor In His Veto of Legal Marijuana Bill



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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NORWALK  Jung Courville, a Korean immigrant who was told to purchase a one-way ticket out of country by the end of August, received some welcome news Monday afternoon.

Her New Haven-based attorney Sung Hwang told her that an immigration judge in Pliladelphia has granted their motion to reopen her immigration case.

Courville, who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years and has been married to a U.S. citizen for 14 years, was told to purchase a one-way ticket out of the country by Aug. 28, during an annual check-in with immigration officials.

Her order of deportation was received in absentia so we were able to file a motion that she didnt receive notice of a hearing, Hwang said Monday.

Hwang said his office sent notice to ICE in Hartford and that should stop her removal right now.

She has good cause to receive a green card through her marriage, Hwang said. I spoke to her husband and they are ecstatic right now.

Hwang said that community support and more than 100 letters were a significant factor in the granting of the motion.

Fairfield-based attorney George Markley on Monday sent a letter to the Philadelphia Immigration Court and the Immigration Services office in Hartford with 80 signed letters from people urging that Courville not be deported.

The case for allowing her to remain in this country is compelling, he wrote.

On Aug. 7, CONECT, a multi-faith organization of 28 southern Connecticut congregations, held a prayer vigil in support of Courville and her family at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Norwalk, where Courville and her family regularly attend services. Courvilles children attend All Saints Catholic School.

Matt McDermott, CONECT executive director, said Courville is a mother of two with no criminal record. One of her children has significant disabilities, and she serves as the primary caregiver, he said.

When a new couple gets married, there is some skepticism, McDermott said. But she has been here for 18 years, shes been married for 14 years, she has two kids. There is no doubt this is a true marriage. We hope that she can get another deferal, and hopefully some relief and some status.

McDermott said Courville was given bad legal advice early on in her move to the U.S., and thus never gained her citizenship. He said she was flagged while traveling in 2010, and has been meeting annually with ICE ever since. The meeting last month was the first time she was given any indication she would have to leave.

The case comes on the heals of another Norwalk mother, Nury Chavarria, who was ordered deported after 24 years in the U.S. Chavarrias deportation order was stayed after she sought sanctuary in a New Haven church for a few days. Like Courville, Chavarria had no criminal record and had been meeting annually with ICE officials when she was told to purchase a one-way ticket to her home country of Guatemala.

Were trying to see if we cant push for a stay for Jung as well, and really a reversal of the deportation order, McDermott said. Were also hopeful to get her some status as a citizen. Shes a mother of U.S. children and the wife of a U.S. citizen and has no criminal record of any kind. She has no reason to be deported. Of course the family is devastated, and the community is reaching out with a lot of support for this family who have been members of the St. Jerome parish for a long time.
Vietnam veteran H. Bradley Brad Dovan was buried with full military honors Friday in Culpeper National Cemetery. The Marshall resident died Nov. 8 at the age of 66.

A New York native, Dovan was survived by his wife of 40 years, Tierney, and their eight children, including Grace Jeffries, who works as a nurse at the Culpeper County Jail.

My dad was a skilled wood worker, talented landscape architect, loved old cars and good craft beer, but most of all he was loved by everyone he methis family loved him more than words can explain, Jeffries said. All eight of us children will be left with a hole in our hearts.

She added that her father was a man of his word and the most honest man in the world.

This past week since his passing Ive been trying to find words good enough or strong enough to describe my dad but they dont exist, said Jeffries.

Dovan served in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 to 1973. He also owned a printing business in Pittsford, N.Y.

Jeffries has worked in the Culpeper Jail for more than a year and said it is by far the best place she has ever worked.

And Ive been working corrections for years now, in several different prisons all over Virginia. The Culpeper County Sheriffs department has been a second family to me, and have never felt so much support during such a hard time, she said.
SCOTTSBLUFF  Since Nov. 6, students at Bluffs Middle School had the opportunity to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM, in a whole new way.

Nebraska Public Power District provided 10 STEM lab stations including a 3D printer, virtual reality technology, robots and a wood carving machine.

Anne Schmall, the teacher whose classroom was chosen for the STEM program, shared about the innovative equipment her students used.

The overall arch and concept is creating a maker space for students, Schmall said. So its providing them with technology, supplies, tools and utensils to be creative without a lot of limitations or guidance.

Schmall defined a maker space as a space where people can gather to create, invent and learn.

Schmall said the one of the main ideas behind the STEM program is to encourage creative problem solving. Employers have said problem solving skills are lacking severely in the work place, she explained.

We have great employees with a strong work ethic and theyve got some employability skills of being on time, but if they encounter a problem, they dont know what to do, she said. When it comes to that innovative and creative problem solving thinking process, they really struggle.

The program provides a safe environment for students to practice problem solving with only a small amount of guidance while also learning about the fun opportunities in the area of STEM.

NPPD transports the mobile classroom all across the state, Schmall said.

Everything is provided for you. They come in on the first day to orientate the students and give them some guidelines, Schmall said. One of those is that your teachers dont know anything, so dont ask your teachers. Your teachers are not going to come and be the problem solver for you.

The students are given engineering notebooks to document the problems they encounter, possible solutions and what they want to accomplish.

Then future students can look back and see what theyve done, Schmall said. My students have looked back and seen what others have done for ideas or projects or things they can try, but also when they encounter a problem, they can see if somebody else had the problem and how they solved it.

Schmall explained that each of the 10 learning stations has an iPad or laptop so the students have access to internet for research purposes.

She also talked about how she has used the STEM lab in her classes.

I teach a career exploration course to the eighth graders, Schmall said. So once we are done with the lab, well come back and reflect on the different skills they utilized and how theyre implemented in a career field.

Schmalls seventh grade class is studying automation robotics.

Those students had just been getting into the engineering process and understanding mechanisms and were going to start building mechanisms, she said. So it was fun for them to see how the engineering process works.

Schmall has even used the STEM lab to teach the English Language Learner students about the importance of understanding instructions, how to follow them and how to ask for help when they dont understand.

She talked about the favorite stations some of the students had.

I think they all have their own favorites, she said. We have some kids that are very computer savvy and they already do coding on their own, theyre gamers and want to be game designers. So theyve really latched into the ones where you can code and connect wires to make a game work.

Schmall talked about the purpose of the STEM lab.

The purpose is to ultimately help kids see that STEM is cool and there are a lot of different careers that are available in it, she said. Also that these could not only be careers, but also hobbies, you can do this stuff for fun. But you can also find a career that is fun, where you match your passion with your skills.

Schmall said she hopes that this experience has opened her students eyes to how important it is to have creative problem solving skills and collaborative working.

And I hope theyve learned a little bit more about the connections that science, technology, engineering and math have to every aspect of our lives, she said.

Schmall also mentioned what she enjoyed about having the STEM lab equipment.

I think my favorite part was seeing the kids getting excited about it and learning in a different way, she said. It wasnt always the idea or thing that I went into it thinking they would learn, but they definitely had some positive, fun, educational experiences learning about content that can be very challenging.
Two Statesville-based businesses want to help families who cant afford a holiday meal, or who lost a loved one and lack the willpower to cook.
Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said on Monday that the first Patriot surface-to-air missile system, to be purchased this year, will be operational in 2020.

"We received the letter of acceptance from the US government for the purchase of seven Patriot configuration 3+ systems. To these add the related equipment, spare parts, maintenance equipment, training services, the special encryption equipment, as well as the initial logistics support package. We are discussing this bill as part of Romania's strategic partnership with the US. (...) It's a collective effort that places Romania in a select European and world defence club, by the purchase of the Patriot system. (...) For the Romanian Army, this is just the first step, this year we acquire the first of the seven systems. This one will be operational in 2020 and ushers in the major programs for the endowment of the Romanian Army. In the next period we will come up with other bills on the purchase of equipment, approved in the Supreme Council for National Defence and having, of course, the prior agreement of the Parliament of Romania," Mihai Fifor said in the Senate's Defence Committee.Chief of Romania's General Staff, Gen. Nicolae Ciuca was also present at the Committee meeting, where he explained that "it is worth emphasizing that [the system] allows for the planning of the long-term air defence strategy due to the hardware and software upgrade possibility" and also provides for an integrated operational planning tailored to the Air Force and Land Force needs.The Senate Defence Committee on Monday unanimously gave the go-ahead to the government's Army's endowment bill providing for the purchase of seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.The government's bill on the Ground-based Air Defence Capability to be accomplished under the key endowment program "Long-range surface-to-air missile system" was registered at the Senate on November 9, with the request to be debated in a fast-track procedure. AGERPRES
Romania must honor its commitments to NATO and its strategic partner - the US, Deputy PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday, adding that the planned purchase of the Patriot missile system will strengthen the country's security.

"Romania must honor its commitments to NATO and its strategic partner, the US. The purchase of the Patriot missile system will strengthen the security of our country and of NATO's south-eastern flank. It is important that the bill on the purchase of the Patriot missile system, which was adopted by the government on November 8, also clears Parliament this week, so that we are able to observe the calendar negotiated with our partners," Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.The Senate Defence Committee meets on Monday at 11:30 hrs to debate the government's Army's endowment bill providing for the purchase of seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.The government's bill on the Ground-based Air Defence Capability to be accomplished under the key endowment program "Long-range surface-to-air missile system" was registered at the Senate on November 9, with the request to be debated in a fast-track procedure. The bill provides for the purchase of seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems plus the auxiliary equipment, for a total of about 4.62 billion US dollars, VAT included. Four systems will be assigned to the Air Force and three to the Land Force.Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee, Liberal Iulian Dumitrescu, last week expressed concerns at the absence of Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) representatives from the committee's November 14 meeting, when the bill on the missile systems purchase was supposed to be endorsed. Dumitrescu said that the delay of the acquisition "puts at jeopardy" Romania's commitments to its allies.The Save Romania Union too accused the PSD-ALDE majority of attempting to block the bill in Parliament by the no-show of its representatives in the Senate Defence Committee and of thus "endangering" the Strategic Partnership with the US.Last Thursday, PSD Chairman Liviu Dragnea declared in the Baile Herculane spa resort that the Patriot missile systems acquisition project will clear the Senate on Monday and will reach the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday. AGERPRES
Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu says he has reassured United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the Senate's Defence Committee will give the green light to the Government's bill for the Army endowment, providing for the procurement of seven Patriot missiles, with the possibility for the Higher Chamber plenary to vote for the piece of legislation on the same day.

Asked whether during the 15 November meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson he also discussed about the Patriot missiles acquisition, Minister Melescanu stated on Monday: "No, but he asked me about the quorum [in the Defence Committee - ed.n.] last week and I told him there are quorum problems every once in a while. By no means does it refer to the issue at hand and the current governing coalition holds a comfortable majority in Parliament, as I told him, next week, that is today, we will have the Committee greenlights, and possibly its adoption in the Senate's plenary."Minister Melescanu specified that blocking the acquisition was never a question.According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, other topics were tackled during the discussions with Tillerson such as "bilateral relations, issues of interest in the relations between Romania and the US, related to political dialogue, the development of economic relations, our contribution to NATO's security system." "Also cooperation within international institutions, I even requested support for Romania's accession to OCDE [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] during the current year. It was a relatively short talk occasioned by a technical stopover in Bucharest, but in my opinion it was a great sign. The atmosphere was very good and one of the first things I did was to invite Mr Tillerson to pay an official visit to Romania," Melescanu added.Last Wednesday, the US Embassy in Bucharest informed that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson halted in Bucharest on the way back from a trip to Asia. He was welcomed by Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu. AGERPRES
On the side-lines of the meetings of the General Affairs Council (Art.50) in Brussels, Romania's Minister-delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu attended a first trilateral meeting of the European affairs ministers of France, Germany and Romania, reconfirming Romania's desire to move closer to Europe's "hard core".

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) says in a press statement that Negrescu had meetings with Germany's Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth and French Minister for European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau.The consultations were informal, designed to allow an exchange of opinions on current affairs of priority, useful in identifying new opportunities for coordination and cooperation. The talks reaffirmed the need to restart the European project and the desire for Romania to work more closely with Germany and France to bring together a substantial contribution to the European debate on this issue, according to MAE.Negrescu underscored the usefulness of capitalising on Romania being a staunch supporter of European integration, as well as the relevance of its future capacity of President of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019.Thus, possible formats were put forth to support the preparation of the Romanian Presidency, and agreement was reached on the timeliness to intensify dialogue at both political and technical levels."Romania wants to get closer to the hard core of the European Union, and holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union provides an opportunity to strengthen the unity of the member states, acting as a mediator and following a consensus-based and dialogue-driven approach. Romania is determined to act alongside Germany, France and all other states that support the reinvigoration and consolidation of the European project. Together we support a strong union that ensures the security and prosperity of its citizens," Negrescu said, according to MAE.Negrescu's visit is said to have been an opportunity to address current affairs, such as the European Pillar of Social Rights, the future multi-annual financial framework, strengthening internal security, as well as the European Union's defence policy and foreign relations."Romania is committed to keeping up its pro-European trajectory and to progressing towards economic and social convergence with the rest of the European Union," Negrescu said at the end of the meeting.The meeting is said to be part of Negrescu's actions in support of strengthening European business cooperation with a view to efficiently advancing common interests at the EU level. AGERPRES
Minister for Romanians Abroad Andreea Pastirnac is paying a visit to Madrid, November 18-20, during which she has meetings scheduled with members of the Spanish government to discuss matters related to the social and family policies, citizens' rights and labour issues.

On the same occasion, the Romanian official attended the Holy Liturgy service at the Orthodox Cathedral in Madrid.Moreover, Andreea Pastirnac visited the Sunday school organized by the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Coslada, where the Romanian children have the opportunity to learn Romanian language and literature, the initiative being supported by the Ministry for Romanians Abroad (MRP) via the programme "Romanian language, education and communication," through which studying materials and interactive CDs are being distributed to children and teachers.On Sunday, the Minister had working meetings with representatives of the associations in Madrid, while seeking to identify new modalities of cooperation at social, cultural and economic level, says a release of the Ministry.Further on, the Minister has meetings planned with members of the Spanish government, to discuss matters related to the social and family policies, citizens' rights and labour issues, as well as with representatives of the Congress of Deputies. AGERPRES
The National Liberal Party (PNL) Liberals have filed a request with the Ombudsman's Office for a challenge with the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) of the constitutionality of OUG 82/2017 on the second pillar pension system.

"This emergency ordinance in violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms, and also in violation of the Constitution affects the right to property, the pension rights of employees at this time, by reducing social security contributions to Pillar II pensions from 5.1 percent to 3.75 percent - meaning they are cutting them down instead of raising them. As far as the pensions are concerned, instead of being raised in accordance with the pension law in early January (...), the increase in pensions is actually postponed until July 1. They go up by only 100 lei, so the pensioners will have a 30-percent lower growth next year. Maternity allowance, instead of increasing past 1,600 lei, it is capped at 1,250 lei under this emergency ordinance. So this ordinance (...) takes away instead of giving," PNL spokesman Ionel Danca said after submitting the petition to the Ombudsman's Office. AGERPRES
Prime Minister Mihai Tudose is meeting on Monday morning, at Victoria Palace, with representatives of family doctors, stated for AGERPRES governmental sources.

According to the quoted sources, Deputy Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is also attending the meeting.At the beginning of the Government's meeting of 15 November, premier Tudose affirmed that family doctors have had to turn "more into accountants than do their job.""They truly have a point and unfortunately they are entirely right. I am saying unfortunately because the system is still cumbersome, very bureaucratic and family doctors have turned into or were forced to turn rather into accountants than do their job. We are trying to find solutions. The first stage takes place on Friday, during a draft-based consultation and starting with Monday, let us try, together with the Finance Ministry, to settle some things," Tudose stated at that time.On 15 November the premier discussed at the government seat with a delegation of family doctors who protested in Victoria Square.At the same time, representatives of family doctors and patients from several counties picketed at the beginning of the month the headquarters of prefectures and the county health insurance houses. They denounced the underfunding of primary health care and the fact that family doctors have an impossible task in fulfilling their job under optimum conditions.President of the Romanian National Society of Family Medicine Dr. Rodica Tanasescu was saying at the beginning of the month that the law in force should be modified with regard to administrative rules of prescription which include a lot of provisions forbidding the family doctor to fill frequently used medication prescriptions to which the patient has no access, but not as regards professional rules.
Every child is a hope for a better future, President Klaus Iohannis says in a message released on Monday, November 20, the Universal Children's Day, and delivered at the opening of an exhibition in Bucharest called "(You only understand it) from inside."

"November 20, 1989 has a special significance, being the date when the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. The four basic principles of the Convention - non-discrimination, pursuing the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and, last but not least, respect for the child's views - have thus become important to the whole world," the Presidential Administration quotes Iohannis as saying in his message.Iohannis points out that neglect, abuse, and violence of any kind against children are the tenants of a primitive mentality."Every child is a hope for a better future. It is our duty to make sure that everyone has equal opportunities and adequate support, so that today's children may become adults who are responsible, fulfilled and involved in tomorrow. Neglect, abuse, and violence of any kind against children are the tenants of a primitive mentality, of a society that refuses to protect what its most prized possessions. Observing November 20 reminds all of us, once again, how important it is to protect the future and to give children the opportunity to fulfill their potential, without hindering their development."Iohannis adds that he will be a supporter of the rights of the child. "In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of Romania's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, I had the pleasure of being a host of a special event: reading out a manifesto signed by more than 100,000 children urging adults to take into account their opinions as well. I have not forgotten the promise I made back then to be a supporter of the rights of the child and to work for them to live up to democratic ideals in the spirit of peace, dignity, liberty, tolerance, equality and solidarity. As President of Romania, I can assure you that I will continue to support this goal."At the same time, President Iohannis congratulates UNICEF Romania on the "(You only understand it) from inside" event and on giving the children involved the opportunity to be the voice of the most vulnerable. "Such actions represent an impetus to all of us to get more involved in respecting the rights of the child in Romania," says Iohannis. AGERPRES
Romania should follow the European trend towards patient-centered healthcare policies and ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system, senior adviser Diana Paun said on Monday.

"We are fast approaching the year 2019, when Romania takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union and has the opportunity to bring topics of interest to the agenda, but also to be fully in line with the European project and the themes advocated by the other countries holding the presidency before and after Romania. Romania should follow the European trend in patient-centered healthcare policies and ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system," Paun said at the "Patient-Centred Roundtable on Working Together for Accessible Health" event.She added that Romania being a member of the EU brings it the advantage of being able to benefit from expertise and recommendations and learn from examples of good practices of the other European member states that have highly performing healthcare systems."The Romanian healthcare system faces many challenges that I would not want to mention here because I am convinced that they are well-known to you. Romania being a member of the EU brings it the advantage of being able to benefit from expertise and recommendations and learn from examples of good practices of the other European member states that have highly performing healthcare systems," she said.Paun added that "the debate at all levels and the synergy of all healthcare players are essential" for the success of "a project of such magnitude." "Patient associations in Romania have always been reliable partners and I am glad to have the opportunity today to reiterate the support of the Presidential Administration and the President of Romania for all the civil society players acting to bring awareness over us and make us responsible, on the one hand, and the reactivity of the decision makers, on the other hand," said Paun. AGERPRES
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SEATTLE  A Seattle-based group of cybersecurity researchers has demonstrated a way to knock Amazon.coms new security camera offline, a capability that could enable malicious delivery drivers for the online retailers new in-home delivery service to snoop around a house undetected.

Amazon Key, which became available to customers this month, gives Amazon delivery drivers one-time access to a residence to drop off a package. The program, designed to eliminate the theft of packages left outside a home and to open up the potential for remote authorization of other home services, is a test of whether consumers trust Amazon enough to give it access to their front doors.

It relies on two pieces of hardware: a smart lock, and Cloud Cam, which communicates with Amazons servers to authorize the driver to unlock the door, and then records the delivery, beaming live or recorded video to a smartphone app to give the homeowner peace of mind.

Rhino Security Labs, a security research company, showed that it could exploit a weakness in the Wi-Fi protocol that Cloud Cam and many other devices use to communicate with their routers. A savvy hacker within Wi-Fi range can send a series of deauthorization commands to a specific device, temporarily severing its link to the internet.

In the case of Amazons Cloud Cam, that means the camera would stop recording and sending images to Amazons servers. A delivery driver who had already received approval to unlock the front door could, before exiting and locking the door, roam inside without being recorded. Or, as demonstrated in a video posted by Rhino, leave the home and re-enter undetected.

Part of the problem, Rhino CEO Benjamin Caudill said, is that during such internet interruptions, Cloud Cam doesnt immediately go dark or tell the user it is offline. The companys test instead shows that the Cloud Cam smartphone app displays a still frame of the last image the camera saw before losing its connection, which could give the impression the device was functioning properly.

You can do this multiple times over without any sort of alert or log at all, Caudill said. Now I, as a bad guy, have blocked the signal and blocked your camera, and, unless you are specifically thinking this is an attack, theres no way for you to verify that this had happened, he said.

Amazon said in a statement that safety and security are built into every aspect of the service, and reiterated that Amazon Keys delivery drivers, employed by contracting firms, have to pass comprehensive background checks.

Every delivery is connected to a specific driver, and before we unlock the door for a delivery, Amazon verifies that the correct driver is at the right address, at the intended time, the company said.

Still, Amazon said it planned to issue a software update that will notify customers sooner if the camera goes offline during a delivery.

The company said its initial read on Rhinos findings were that they posed little risk to customers. The Wi-Fi vulnerability cannot unlock the front door, for example, and if a driver does act maliciously, Amazon would have a record of the individual and their vehicle. The company also reiterated the guarantee it offers for home services  a broad pledge to help make things right if customers file a claim after something goes wrong.

Still, the discovery is a reminder that internet-connected devices like the Cloud Cam can be exploited by bad actors.

Some were skeptical of Amazon Key when it was introduced, raising the prospect of theft, damage to a home or lost pets.

Research firm Morning Consult found that 68 percent of U.S. adults it surveyed said they were not comfortable letting delivery drivers have access to their homes. Young people, the survey found, were most comfortable with the idea, with 33 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds saying they were comfortable with the idea, compared with just 14 percent of those over 65.

Amazon has a generally good reputation for cybersecurity, Caudill said, particularly for its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services.

But some in the security community were wary when Amazon Key was announced. So we kind of set out fairly quickly to provide some tangible details on the services security, he said.

Caudill said the issue his team identified could be remedied if Cloud Cam stored video on the device itself if it lost internet connectivity. The cameras video recordings are now stored only on Amazons servers for 24 hours to 30 days, depending on a customers subscription plan.

Securing the growing number of internet-connected devices, like security cameras, stoves and garage-door openers, represents the biggest cybersecurity challenge since the advent of smartphones, Caudill said. I think people are almost constantly taking risks they dont realize, because they think things like this dont happen, he said.
A former Obama administration official has submitted a bid to buy the Weinstein Co. and install a majority-female board of directors, in a surprising twist for the beleaguered film and television studio that has been trying to avoid bankruptcy.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, who ran the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2014 to 2017, sent a letter to the Weinstein Co. board of directors this month offering to buy the company and assume liabilities related to its business operations.

Contreras-Sweet would become chairwoman of the Weinstein Co. board, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Los Angeles Times. Her letter, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, did not include financial details.

I believe we have now reached a crossroads where it is imperative that a woman-led board acquire control of the company and create content that continues to inspire audiences around the world, especially our young girls and boys, Contreras-Sweet said in the Nov. 8 letter.

Weinstein Co. representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Such a deal would be a remarkable development for the onetime independent film powerhouse, which has spent more than a month confronting sexual harassment and assault allegations against its co-founder Harvey Weinstein.

Last week, Weinstein Co. got a much-needed financial lifeline when it sold its North American distribution rights for Paddington 2 to Warner Bros. in a deal worth about $30 million, which it split with French-owned StudioCanal. People close to the studio said the money will help keep Weinstein Co. out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it explores options.

Previous attempts to secure financing for the studio had fallen through. Thomas Barracks private equity firm Colony Capital backed out of talks to buy the company. Weinstein Co. was close to getting an emergency loan from Fortress Investment Group, but no such agreement materialized.

As a condition of a deal with Contreras-Sweet and her financial backers, the company would have to set up a mediation process and litigation fund to compensate alleged victims of Weinstein, the letter said.

According to the letter, Contreras-Sweet and her financial backers discussed their proposal with attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several of Weinsteins accusers. Last week, an anonymous actress represented by Allred sued Weinstein and the company for battery and assault.

Separately, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company on behalf of dozens of women accusing Weinstein of sexual assault, battery and lewd conduct.

Allred, in a statement, said she supports the Contreras-Sweet bid.

Saving the company will benefit employees, shareholders, vendors and if her proposal is accepted, it will be very important to victims, Allred said.

Contreras-Sweet was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and came to the U.S. with her mother and five siblings when she was 5. In 2006, she founded ProAmerica Bank, which was developed to support small and medium-sized businesses, especially in the Latino community.
St. Louis County Police are searching for two armed men who robbed and carjacked a pizza deliveryman in the 10400 block of Melvich Drive early Saturday.

Police would only say that the driver was delivering a pizza when two suspects approached his vehicle at 12:18 a.m. They displayed a firearm then entered his Pontiac sedan and fled the scene. The deliveryman was not injured.
ST. LOUIS  A Vinita Park man is suing the Missouri state trooper who shot him in a confrontation for which the man pleaded guilty and is now serving time.

Javon M. Burton, 36, was sentenced to seven years in prison in August after he pleaded guilty in St. Louis Circuit Court to charges stemming from the November 2015 incident. Burton was hit in the arm by a trooper who was responding to an assault call at the Lumiere Place casino and had blocked Burtons path out of the garage.

Police said Burton drove up to the trooper, reached down to the floor of his car, where a loaded handgun was later found, sat back up and accelerated toward the trooper, who then shot him.

Burtons lawyer, Jerryl T. Christmas, denied the allegations, saying the gun was in a bag and that Burton never reached down for it or accelerated his car at the trooper.

All of that is a bunch of lies, Christmas said. After he shot him he had to have a story to justify the shooting.

Christmas filed suit Friday on Burtons behalf in St. Louis Circuit Court against Trooper Todd M. Barthelmass, the Missouri Highway Patrol and the casino for at least $25,000 in damages.

Burton was hospitalized several days, Christmas said. He still has use of the arm but has lingering pain, Christmas said.

The suit alleges Barthelmass used excessive force in shooting Burton without cause and that the Highway Patrol and Lumiere Place acted negligently by failing to properly train and supervise Barthelmass in avoiding the use of excessive force.

Barthelmass, who is still a sergeant in the Gaming Division, could not be reached for comment on the suit. A commander in the Gaming Division, Capt. Larry Plunkett, also was unavailable for comment Monday. Capt. John Hotz said he could not comment because of the pending civil lawsuit.

The Highway Patrol said in the original charging documents that state troopers assigned to the casino received a call about an assault in the garage and then learned that someone was driving erratically through the garage with a woman on the hood of the car.

One of the troopers spotted Burtons vehicle, but with Burton and a woman inside, court records said. A trooper later identified as Barthelmass positioned his patrol car, with lights and sirens on, between the second- and third-floor ramps of the garage. Burton approached from the third floor and stopped his car in front of the troopers car. The trooper got out and ordered Burton to put his hands in the air and to get out of his vehicle, according to the patrol. The woman got out and ran.

Burton then leaned down towards the passenger-side floorboard of his vehicle before sitting back up and accelerating his vehicle toward the trooper, who then shot Burton near the shoulder, court documents say. Police found a loaded handgun the floorboard of the vehicles passenger side.

Burton, of the 2100 block of Penfield Avenue, pleaded guilty Aug. 2 to resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutors had agreed to amend the original charge of second-degree assault to the resisting charge and drop a charge of armed criminal action.

Patrol records show Barthelmass started as a trooper in 1996, was promoted to the rank of corporal in 2004 and sergeant in 2012. He has worked as an assistant zone commander in south St. Louis County. In 2009, the patrol commended Barthelmass for acting bravely at the scene of a house fire in Kirkwood. The patrol said he noticed smoke and determined its origin, notified the local fire department, then woke up the residents and helped them evacuate.

According to the suit, when Burton saw that Barthelmass did not attempt to stop or question the woman, he started accelerating, assuming he could pull his vehicle over and then get out, Christmas said. Burton never drove toward Barthelmass, who wasnt in front of Burtons car but standing near the drivers side, according to Christmas.

Burtons car was passing the trooper when Barthelmass opened fire, Christmas said. He said he did not know where exactly on the floor of Burtons car police found the gun but it was in a closed bag. The incident was not caught on video.

When you look at crimes you have to look at intent, and Javon had no intent to harm that officer, Christmas said. There was no need for him to use deadly force at all.

Burtons criminal history includes at least three convictions of marijuana and heroin possession in St. Louis. Court records say Burtons probation for one of the drug convictions is effective through next August next year.

Christmas, who was not the defense attorney for Burton in the criminal case, said Burton took the plea deal on the advice of his attorney.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
BENTON, Ill.  A former correctional officer at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center in Perry County was sentenced Monday to four months in prison for choking, punching and kneeing a handcuffed prisoner in 2016, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Dustin A. Fleming, now 31, of DuQuoin, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of charge of depriving the inmate of his rights under color of law and was subsequently fired.

The inmate, Martell Franklin, claimed in a federal civil suit filed in June that he and Fleming got into a verbal altercation on Oct. 15, 2016, and Fleming attacked him after he was transferred to the prison segregation unit. The suit says other other officers stood by and watched the attack. Those guards have denied the lawsuit's allegations.

Franklin's lawyer, Louis Meyer, said earlier this year that Franklin was in prison at the time on a 2012 charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, but has since been released.
ST. LOUIS  Homicide detectives are looking into the death of a St. Charles County man who was admitted to a hospital in October.

Relatives told police that they took Phillip Campbell, 61, to a hospital after he was possibly assaulted on Oct. 28, but they didn't notify police until Oct. 30, according to the department. Police learned he had been found critically injured in a gangway in the 3600 block of Dunnica Avenue in St. Louis.

The police department said it was notified he died on Nov. 10. An autopsy Wednesday did not determine a cause of death, pending further investigation. Homicide detectives are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

Campbell lived on Chele Drive in St. Charles County, but owned a rental property on Dunnica.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this gave an incorrect hometown for Phillips.
ST. LOUIS  A man shot Saturday night in St. Louis died later at a hospital, police said Sunday.

The male victim, whose name has not been released, was shot in the chest about 11:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of Martin Luther King Drive, near Sarah Street.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. Homicide detectives are investigating.

Police did not release other details of the shooting.
JEFFERSON CITY  A national conservative organization with ties to Missouri Republicans has agreed to pay part of a $350,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission in a case one activist compared to a money laundering scheme.

Without admitting wrongdoing, the American Conservative Union agreed to the fine in connection with allegations that it pocketed $90,000 by illegally passing a $1.71 million donation to a federal political action committee.

At the time, the executive director of the ACU was Gregg Keller, a top aide to former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and an adviser and campaign manager for five Republican presidential candidates. Keller now runs a political consulting business in Washington.

During the 2016 election cycle, his company, Atlas Strategy Group, worked for GOP gubernatorial candidate John Brunner. Keller declined to comment Monday.

ACU spokesman Ian Walters said the organizations current leadership discovered and self-reported the issue shortly after taking office.

The conciliation agreement with the Federal Election Commission relates to decisions made five years ago by ACUs previous chairman and previous executive director, both of whom no longer have any affiliation with the organization, Walters said.

The treasurer of the PAC that received the money is James Thomas III of Kansas City, who serves as treasurer to numerous GOP figures in Missouri.

Thomas, who has ties to powerhouse political consultant Jeff Roe, declined to address the fine.

I dont speak on behalf of these committee. I just keep the books and file the reports, Thomas said.

According to a complaint filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Democratic-leaning watchdog organization, an entity known as Government Integrity LLC donated $1.8 million to the ACU in 2012. Later that day, the ACU made a $1.71 million contribution to the Now or Never PAC.

Afterward, the settlement notes that Keller wrote to a top ACU official and said, FYI. We have the 90K.

The official replied, Well done!!!!

Under federal election law, the maneuver was illegal because it shielded the actual source of the money.

This is one of the clearest cases weve seen of laundering money through a dark-money nonprofit to conceal the source of a political contribution, CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder said Monday.

The ACU, Government Integrity LLC and the Now or Never PAC will pay the fine.
Paul ONeill lost his love to cancer in May and said he lost $5,095 to a high-priced matchmaking service two months later.

Now, the Kansas City resident is complaining to prosecutors about what he says are high-pressure, bait-and-switch tactics at Kansas-Singles.com in Leawood, Kan.

The 81-year-old retired professor of psychology wanted to meet highly educated, spiritually oriented single women in professional occupations. Hed also asked to meet women with a cheerleader physique, inasmuch as he stays fit through regular exercise.

The Leawood manager, ONeill said, told him she had the first referral in mind, a personal friend and client, a beautiful, blond professional.

Instead, they tried to palm off a woman who had never been to college, said ONeill, who has filed complaints with the Kansas attorney general and the Johnson County, Kan., district attorney.

Both law enforcement officials acknowledge theyve received other complaints about Kansas-Singles.com. A Chesterfield woman is among consumers who have complained about the Missouri Singles service.

The consistent complaint was that the consumer did not feel like they were getting what they bargained for, said Stephen Howe, the district attorney in Johnson County, Kan.

An emailed statement from Kansas Singles spokesman Rich Nichols said the company has responded to Howes office about ONeills complaint and looks forward to an amicable resolution to the dispute. Nichols said the company similarly responded to Howes office about three other complaints.

Nichols said complaints filed this year with the Missouri attorney generals office relating to an affiliated service in that state have been amicably resolved.

Finally, Nichols said Kansas Singles stands by a letter submitted by Dawn Bradford of Kansas Singles when ONeill told his credit card company to block the payment.

ONeill had signed a contract that makes two points clear without question, Bradfords letter said, that we make no guarantee of satisfaction and that the service rendered was exactly as described.

ONeill

paid for the standard package, which provided introductions to eight women who matched his criteria.

ONeills $5,095 for Kansas Singles would buy about 20 years on either Match.com or eHarmony.com, based on one-year contract prices for each as posted by an online dating blog. He said he also was offered a $6,000 premium contract and a $7,000 platinum version for more introductions.

The first Kansas Singles match came a week later. Eva, he was told, was 82, 5 feet 3 inches and 130 pounds. She was fun to be with and had a big personality. Kansas Singles doesnt provide photos of matches, just a phone number when both parties agree to be introduced.

ONeill called. Eva, he said, was religious, not spiritual. She had not attended college. They decided not to meet.

And ONeill decided he wanted his money back.

Not as it appears

Kansas Singles is part of a sprawling network of similar services in several states, including Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Idaho and New Mexico.

They all align with a corporate headquarters in Broken Arrow, Okla., near Tulsa. Brotherton Holdings Inc. is led by its president, Charlee Brotherton, sometimes referred to as Charleen Brotherton. She could not be reached.

Inquiries by The Star originally were referred to Mike Carroll, vice president of operations of Brotherton Holdings, who ultimately provided information through the emailed statement from Nichols.

Brothertons most exclusive matchmaker service is Executive Matchmakers in San Francisco. It arranges introductions for tech entrepreneurs. Its fee: $20,000, according to a Business Insider report last year.

Brothertons singles sites share more than their corporate tie. Their websites are nearly identical, right down to the smiling faces they present to those seeking love.

For example, a testimonial from Judy on Missouri Singles raves about the tall, dark and handsome man introduced to her by the service. The two had dinner, she wrote, then went back to her place where I taught him how to play my cello and violin.

Right above that fan letter is a photo, seemingly of the couple. Except that it is the same photo that appears atop the companys Idaho Singles site.

In one photo crossover, Lisas testimonial on Kansas Singles accompanies the same photo that adorns Lois testimonial on Arkansas Singles.

A search on Google Images showed that each of the photos checked on Brotherton Holdings singles sites were stock images widely used online.

The Lisa/Lois photo, for example, also promotes botox treatments in New Jersey, a classic rock station in Texas, dental implants in Nebraska, long-term care insurance in Florida and real estate document services in Las Vegas.

The Brotherton singles operations dont arrange dates for clients, just introductions with a scant description. It is up to the clients to arrange the date, and what happens from there also is out of the matchmakers hands.

The letter that Kansas Singles Bradford sent to ONeills credit card company quoted from the contract hed signed. It stated that the company could not ensure members it had available to match with the signer would meet any specific personal characteristic.

Kansas Singles could not guarantee it had someone of a specified height or weight, age or education level, occupation or income, according to the contract.

The contract said the company makes no representations or warranties of any kind that anyone in its membership available for a match would be of the gender the customer requested.

Kansas Singles met its contract obligations to ONeill, Bradfords letter said, because the company matched him with a woman who, in our opinion, most closely fits his profile.

And she pointed out that the contract says it didnt matter what anyone told ONeill. The contract says that its terms are all that matters  no oral representations by either party shall in any way affect this contract.

More specifically, the contract also says, the customers signature meant he was not making a decision to join based on any expressed or implied representations by the company or our agents.

Kansas Singles website does make other representations. It says matchmakers will match or closely match customers requests. Theres no most about it.

For example, the sites page appealing to widowed singles said matchmakers will introduce you to like-minded, quality singles that match your fundamental values and goals. The websites page appealing to single men said matchmakers hand select only those introductions that closely match your preferred requests.

Several Missouri Singles customers have complained to the Missouri attorney generals office, mostly women who cited bad service and repeated mismatched introductions.

After three unsuccessful introductions, a Chesterfield woman complained to the state in 2015 that I talked with the fourth man and we decided we had nothing in common and didnt want to meet.

One Missouri woman complained last year that the men offered for introduction were not professional men like I had requested and they said I shouldnt be so picky.

In ONeills case, Bradford had argued to the credit card company that Kansas Singles earned half of his $5,095 payment before he ever saw an introduction for interviewing, eligibility screening, qualifying of new members, compatibility testing, evaluation, profiling, processing of new members, membership search, and/or advertising and marketing expenses listed in the contract.

Kansas Singles earned the other half, Bradfords letter said, once he accepted the companys first introduction.

As for ONeill, his credit card company has told him that he must cover the entire $5,095 charge.

Neither Kansas nor Missouri law gives consumers a grace period to rescind contracts other than a three-day period involving door-to-door sales.

If you are listening to a sales pitch, my advice is to go home and sleep on it, Howe said.
A recent article, Montoya et al., in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution is based on a fundamental misrepresentation of the Planetary Boundaries framework.

Their representation of the framework is directly contradicted in all of the papers presenting the planetary boundaries framework (Rockstrom et al, 2009a; 2009b; Steffen et al., 2015). Whats more, Montoya et al. repeat earlier misrepresentations of the research. Thus, it would appear that Montoya et al. derived their understanding of the planetary boundaries framework from secondary, rather than primary, sources.

We are surprised that the discrepancy between the Montoya et al. representation of the planetary boundaries and that presented in the primary literature was not picked up in peer review.

We note as well that the tone of the Montoya et al. contribution is unusually normative and personal, thus undermining its potential value as a constructive contribution to an important scientific debate. The paper presents a vitriolic and opinionated critique on the Planetary Boundaries framework and in particular the biodiversity (biosphere integrity) boundary. All of this is unfortunate as Montoya et al. make many valid points with which we are in agreement in their discussion of biodiversity challenges at the local and regional level.



Briefly, Montoya et al. conflate tipping points with planetary boundaries with such claims as:



"How best should environmental science articulate its concerns, set research agendas, and advise policies? One solution embraces the notion of planetary boundaries [1] arguing that global environmental processes very generally have tipping points. These are catastrophes involving thresholds beyond which there will be rapid transitions to new states that are very much less favorable to human existence than current states."



and



"The rate of human-caused extinctionis one of two of the nine global processes deemed to have exceeded a purported tipping point."



These statements are blatantly incorrect. Any author or reviewer who has read the primary Planetary boundaries literature would know this to be the case. Steffen et al. (2015), for example, clearly state:



"A planetary boundary as originally defined is not equivalent to a global threshold or tipping point."



To build their case, Montoya et al. neglect this clear and unambiguous statement, which forms the basis of the theoretical framework and thus runs systematically right through the entire analysis of defining and quantifying planetary boundaries.



We find it surprising that the Montoya et al. Forum piece includes the same misrepresentation as the Breakthrough Institutes error-filled 2012 article (published to coincide with the UN Rio+20 conference) (Blomqvist et al., Breakthrough Institute 2012), to which we replied by explaining, just as now, the fundamental misrepresentation of the framework.

We also find it surprising that the referees did not pick up on Montoya et al.s reliance on highly selective statements from a talk given by Rockstrom at the World Economic Forum in 2017 in support of their critique. This talk is both an extremely unusual reference in the peer-reviewed literature and completely irrelevant to the arguments made in the Montoya et al. paper. The statements made in the talk had (1) nothing to do with the Planetary Boundaries framework, and (2) say nothing about biodiversity-related tipping points.



In the following we offer a brief correction of the misrepresentations in Montoya et al., and close by making clear that their speculation on the policy implications of adopting a planetary boundaries framework is nothing more than their own personal opinions.

In support of this statement we will also publish a full response in TREE.



20 November 2017,



Johan Rockstrom

Katherine Richardson

Will Steffen

No global thresholds are assumed in the biosphere processes included in the Planetary Boundaries Framework

The environmental processes selected for inclusion in the planetary boundaries framework are those that are known to contribute to regulating the Earth System, i.e. operate at a planetary level. Some of these processes (for example climate through ice melt) are known to exhibit threshold or tipping point behavior. However, most  including biodiversity/biosphere integrity  are assumed not to (see Figure 4, Rockstrom et al 2009b and Steffen et al, 2015). Even in the few cases where the scientific evidence supports threshold behavior, the identified planetary boundaries are not placed at the estimated point (for a control variable) of a threshold.



The existence (or otherwise) of thresholds and/or tipping point behaviour in the processes included is thus not a pre-assumption or requirement to the planetary boundaries framework.
Holocaust survivor, Uri Winterstein, who will be at Stratford-upon-Avon College later this week.

STUDENTS from Stratford-upon-Avon College will hear testimony from Holocaust survivor, Uri Winterstein later this week.

Uris visit to the college tomorrow, Wednesday, is being organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET).

Uri was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, in October 1943 to parents who were both lawyers.

But he was given up by his family at just one month old and placed into the care of a non-Jewish family, fearing that a newborn baby would be difficult to look after if they had to go into hiding.

Nine of his wider family were killed at Auschwitz, and his father was a member of Working Group, an underground movement whose biggest single achievement was to halt the deportation of Jews from Slovakia, between October 1942 to September 1944.

In autumn 1944, Uri's father was deported to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in what is today the Czech Republic. His mother and sister managed to evade being deported as well that day, and went into hiding underground. However, they were eventually caught and also sent to Theresienstadt.

When the Russian army was approaching Bratislava, the family Uri was with decided to flee and gave him to a local peasant woman to look after.

This woman did not wish to be bothered with the care of a child and Uri received little attention, and when he was reunited with his family at the end of the war, aged 19 months old, he could not walk or talk at all and ate only a roll dipped in coffee, the food he had eaten during his stay with the peasant woman.

Despite this, without the minimal care she gave him, he could not have survived.

He is now married and has two daughters, a son and five grandchildren, and lives in Chiswick and has been speaking in schools for the Holocaust Educational Trust since 2013.

Andrew Cropley, college principal, said: It is a privilege for us to welcome Uri Winterstein, his testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced.

"We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit and we hope that by hearing Uris testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.
The house in Knightcote where the body of Patricia McIntosh was found by police last November. Photo: Mark Williamson

A MAN appeared before magistrates today, Monday, charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found at a house in small village in Stratford-on-Avon.

Warwickshire Police officers were called to a house in Knightcote at 9.15pm last Wednesday and found the body of the woman, who is believed to be 56-years-old, with facial injuries.

She has not yet been named.Andrew Thomas McIntosh, aged 54, of Woolscott, near Rugby, was arrested in Rugby later the same eveing after his car was stopped by police officers.He has also been charged with driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level was above the limit.McIntosh appeared at Warwickshire Magistrates' Court today, Monday, and will appear again at Warwick Crown Court tomorrow, Tuesday.Detective Inspector Tim Sharp said: "We would still like to speak to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Knightcote area on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

"We would also like to speak to anyone who saw a silver Range Rover Evoque (partial registration V88) in or around Knightcote on Wednesday."

Anyone with information can call 101 and quote incident 397 of 15th November.
Bankers to meet Treasury By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

Commercial banks are marching to the Treasury to make a case for why the tax on transactions proposed in the recent budget shouldnt be implemented.

The Sri Lanka Bankers Association (SLBA), which is to meet the Treasury on this matter, is now working on certain representations to be made, according to SLBAs new Secretary- General, Ravi de Silva. The SLBA membership plans to meet with the Treasury on this, he told the Business Times.

This time the banking sector was the main target for money spinning for the government with the budget proposing a 0.02 per cent tax (this is down from 0.05 per cent last year when it was first proposed) on banking transactions. This tax cannot be passed down to the customers. In 2016, Rs. 106 trillion has been recorded as transactions and the Treasury expects a large amount this year.

According to analysts, this tax also called the Debt Repayment Levy is a temporary tax to be enacted for three years with the view of utilising the tax proceeds to governments debt repayment. The proposal is expected to generate a-significant Rs. 20 billion revenue (second highest revenue measure) to the government.

However, if the banks truly absorb this cost without passing on to the customers it would bring the profitability of the banking sector collectively down by Rs. 20 billion at a time they are required to implement Basel III capital rules by early 2019 and increase minimum core capital from the current Rs.10 billion to Rs.20 billion by 31 December 2020, Ravi Abeysuriya, President Colombo Stock Brokers Association said.
Hotels staff out in the cold this winter season By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

The tourism industry workforce that caters to the livelihoods of about 160,000 families will carry out a protest against the recent budget allocations and lack of relief for hotel staff. The protest comes at a time when the industry is set to welcome its peak season visitors.

A miserly Rs.385 million has been allocated to the Tourism Ministry for home stays that are primarily in the informal sector and a three-wheeler campaign with next to nothing made for promotions next year, the Hotel Workers Centre  Inter Company Employees Union National Convenor B. I. Abdeen told the Business Times on Friday.

They noted that one of the main issues highlighted by them was the increasing capacity of rooms and no proper plans in place to bring down the adequate number of visitors.

In this respect, he pointed out that they would be carrying out a protest in front of the Tourism Ministry office in Colombo.

Moreover, no changes to the minimum wages of hotel employees were made as it currently stood at Rs.13, 500 considered to be the lowest under the Wages Board salary structures.

Hoteliers have today reduced service charges payments by at least 40 per cent to workers due to low occupancies.

In this respect, Mr. Abdeen explained that if the industry views the service charge payments made to its employees as earnings then it is requested that at least 50 per cent of these earnings be added as a separate entity but included in the calculations of the EPF and ETF payments to workers.
Top digital tourism promotion committee disbanded By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka has failed to make any headway in the countrys first ever Rs. 500 million digital tourism promotion campaign targeting travellers from Europe and Asia although several other countries moved forward in their digital tourism promotions, official sources revealed.

A high powered committee appointed by the Tourism Development Ministry Secretary in May 2017 has not fulfilled its task upto expectations, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) noted at its recent meeting in Colombo.

The CCEM has directed the Tourism Development Ministry Secretary to disband this committee as it has not taken any action to launch the campaign and furthermore for having failed to make use of the useful promotional material left behind by the McKinsey team of experts who worked on this sector during the past few months, a senior official who attended the meeting disclosed.

International consultant McKinsey, appointed as consultants in this regard, was assisting the authorities in the formulation of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) and the contract was to be awarded to the selected agency to handle the digital marketing campaign for Sri Lanka Tourism.

The Tourism Development Ministry Secretary with the assistance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit of the Treasury has now been tasked with formulating RFPs within the next two weeks for digital promotions for tourism.

Further instructions were given to create a post for a CEO for Digital Tourism Promotion and appoint a suitable expert.

Sri Lanka implements some form of digital tourism promotion at present, but it is not enough to attract 2.5 million tourists by the end of this year, the senior official said.

He noted that Sri Lanka plans to attract high-spending, long-staying tourists and a special online promotional campaign apart from digital tourism promotion initiative would be launched targeting Indian and Chinese travellers.

According to Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga, the 2.5 million tourist arrival target will be missed by around 200,000 to 300,000 tourists while achieving the 2020 target of four million is also not possible.

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka were slightly up 1.3 per cent to 152,429 in October 2017 from 150,419 during the same month last year while it has been down 2.3 per cent to 145,077 in September 2017 the second dip in three months, Tourism Ministry data showed.
Looking at the cold, bare facts of state torture View(s):

A fracas has arisen over a recent investigative news report (Associated Press) finding credible claims of Tamil torture victims that they had been raped and branded by Sri Lankas security and policing agencies.

Not something to be dismissed with a casual shrug

Let me be unequivocal on this point. Take the issue away from the hysteria of international interventions and let us look at the cold, bare facts. The use of torture as an interrogation method in regard to ordinary criminals or terror suspects, (as well as those believed to be falling into each of these two categories), by law enforcement agencies is a fact.

That has been affirmed by none other than this countrys own Supreme Court following exhaustive legal inquiries into the facts of each case, case by horrifying case. In some instances, palpable mistakes committed by the police in believing someone to be a criminal or a terror suspect due to simple cases of mistaken identity have been highlighted. In many of these cases, the victim had been beaten so severely as to cause death or life-long injuries.

So the matter of endemic torture as a part of the law enforcement machinery in Sri Lanka is not something that can be dismissed with a casually cynical shrug. It has torn apart communities and wreaked unimaginable grief on individual lives. None of these instances can be dismissed as the prejudiced outpourings of Western journalists or for that matter, extravagant claims by United Nations observers engaging in whistle-stop tours. As a lawyer who was directly involved in taking these cases to the Court at the time, I can vouch for that fact.

Eschewing propaganda on both sides

But on the other hand, assessing this problem only as a concern for victims of Tamil ethnicity is as equally subversive as dismissing the allegations on the basis that they have been fabricated by desperate asylum seekers. Certainly, this subversion of the debate does not help Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people on the frontlines of facing risks of torture as opposed to those comfortably ensconced in their corners of privilege, overseas or in Colombo.

So to drive home this point with force, state-inflicted and racially-motivated torture of Tamil victims is enabled by the general environment of brutalized law enforcement of which a Sinhala or Muslim man or woman is as much a victim. This is the reality though it may not comfortably fit into propaganda paradigms of protagonists in this stinging war of words. An inane and bland statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mouthing useless platitudes in response to the AP report did not help matters either.

Political hot air must be dispensed with. A serious and sober discussion of systemic reform must commence even at this late stage. The criminal justice system must be taken away from the iron grip of politicians. Left to itself and even with all its manifest shortcomings, it will work once the canker of political control is taken away. And the police service must be headed by a competent man or woman. The incumbent in the position of the IGP only demonstrates the singular ineffectiveness of the Constitutional Council-headed process on the appointments to these high offices as he is not, by any means, a fit and proper person to hold this post.

His public statement this week that indecent police officers must resign ought to be addressed right back at himself with the caution that grabbing a lift operator by the collar because that unfortunate man did not attend meditation sessions as mandated by the IGP falls into the classic category of indecent behaviour measured on any standard.

Deplorable truths in issue

Along with this, institutions that are meant to operate as a control on these excesses of the law must not only be staffed with independent and credible members but must have the necessary legal powers and the resources.

Reeling from the degradation of the Rajapaksa era, one might have expected 2015 to signal a sharper and more critical engagement. But fundamental failings in that regard did not stop Western embassies in Colombo investing heavily in useless exercises without actual change in state structures. The funding circus that went on from 2015 on security sector reform is one example. So the blame is not solely on the shoulders of the Sri Lankan political establishment.

And there are stronger truths to be acknowledged. Sri Lanka got itself into an unpleasant bind by promising to replace its Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with a modern counter-terror law. The problem however is that most of the modern counter-terror laws in the West are scarcely good examples to go by. By opening that Pandoras box with no regard for the consequences, it has been difficult to put all its miseries back in. As the former Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapaksa protested in faux innocence over protests regarding a problematic draft Counter-Terror law that has now been withdrawn for further consideration, we are only following the example set by the UK.

And Western journalists who write on Sri Lankas accountability crisis may be advised to engage in more forceful investigative reporting into the blatant use of euphemistically named enhanced interrogation methods as part of counter-terror strategies by their own Governments, specifically the US and the UK.

Extinguishing of life in the polity

In sum, dealing with the torture mindset of law enforcement can only be through reform of the criminal justice system in this country. Other glamorous or even sensational options are short-lived. That logic holds true in other instances as well. The so-called Bond Scam Commission of Inquiry is a perfect example. For months we have been variously entertained and outraged by the disclosures before the Commission. The good justices who served on this Commission will no doubt deliver a competent report. But the question remains as to what action will be taken against implicated individuals where the law is concerned? Yet another Parliamentary sub-committee has issued a report on laws delays in the criminal justice system and we are told of a special court that will hear corruption cases.

But this systemic breakdown extends to virtually every area of functioning. We are now informed by a Cabinet Sub-Committee of Inquiry that the unprecedented fuel crisis recently was due to failure on the part of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation officials to maintain adequate stocks of petroleum. That revelation aside, there is nothing to prevent this same crisis re-occurring.

While one breathes, there is hope as the old promise goes. But the problem is that the vitality of the Sri Lankan polity is slowly being extinguished, but by painful bit.
This mad, mad world of palanaya View(s):

So now we know, dont we! As winter approaches and the temperatures drop in Europe Dr. Harsha de Silva tells a gathering of states in Geneva that promoting and protecting human rights cannot be done overnight. For sheer brilliance he deserves a whole bag of coconuts. Either that or the climate is beginning to affect him.

If that were all one might have forgiven Dr. de Silva for dipping into his reserve of platitudes and spilling them all over the assembly floor.

Oh no, not the learned doctor. There is no nation that does not have challenges, and no nation is perfect he said, giving all those gathered a rudimentary lesson in the troubles of the world. If some left the assembly hall shaking their heads it was probably to make sure that they heard the Harvard alumnus correctly. I mean how often would they hear such philosophical defences to justify a governments failure to keep to its promises? Maybe they hear it almost every day. That assembly would consist of politicians and diplomats who are quite accustomed to constructing their own escape routes and so are familiar when others do the same.

To sound-bite the country out of the quagmire into which our politicians consciously dragged us in by not only co-sponsoring a UNHRC resolution that tied up Sri Lanka in several knots but asked for two years to get its act together and meet the commitments it made, is hardly a credible way out.

That, if I recall, was in September-October 2015, shortly after the National Unity Government was formed, when it decided to toe the line of the two transatlantic partners with whom the pro-western UNP was anxious to build bridges. If the government has failed to do what it promised the world it would do, then where does responsibility lie? Surely not with the world at large!

One cannot entirely blame Dr. de Silva for taking refuge in a bag full of platitudes. The couple of years or so he spent at the foreign ministry would have taught him a thing or two about obfuscation, confusion, red-herrings and silence. Only the other day the foreign ministry issued a statement in reply to a media query about Lord Nasebys revelations on civilian casualties of the war that showed the foreign ministrys passion for smoke-screens or was that the work of a political hand trying a quick cover up.

When I first wrote about it in the Sunday Times on October 22 under the headline Will this palanaya ever thank the lord? this government was maintaining an undignified silence. The president, prime minister and foreign minister did not have a word of appreciation for Lord Nasebys revelations at the House of Lords debate though the evidence elicited from the British foreign office was directly relevant and helpful to the position Sri Lanka has maintained, despite Harsha de Silvas cursory dismissal of it as not immediately irrelevant.

Over a week after the Naseby contribution was highlighted the State Minister wrote to Lord Naseby on October 30th thanking him. Then on November 2 the president put pen to paper and sent the Lord a message of thanks. That is how yahapalana works, not with a bang but a belated whimper. Dr. de Silvas speech was surely not of his own doing. It seems like the handiwork of officials with some political input in a frail attempt to say why some of the crucial commitments, such as a judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights and other abuses, have not yet been met.

Well all that was in Sri Lankas opening statement. Most likely there will be more gems as the Universal Periodic Review discussions continue. But de Silva seems overjoyed that several countries had commended Sri Lanka for the actions it has taken in pursuit of reconciliation and other commitments. As a democratic country, he said, Sri Lanka welcomed robust criticism and debate about its journey towards the full enjoyment of human rights, and sustainable peace and reconciliation.

Later the deputy minister said on Facebook that the global response to Sri Lankas progress in human rights achievements was extremely positive and constructive. Maybe he thinks that others have not read the reports of UN Special Rapporteurs and the observations of the EU delegation recently in Colombo. Dr. de Silva might well gloat over what he calls commendations from sections of the international community. But he appears to gloss over two of the crucial issues which the countries that responded have mentioned  reconciliation and accountability.

He seems to miss the nuanced diplomatic approach with which attention is drawn to these two issues. Reconciliation must not only be pursued vigorously but it must be seen to be done. Take the case of Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah, the first Tamil to command the navy since Rear Admiral Rajan Kadirgamar 47 years ago. It is indeed a strange case. Travis Sinniah was given a one-month extension after his retirement as a parting gift.

This government has never explained why the top navy commander was so shabbily treated when others in various fields have had their services extended for several months or even one year. How shabby the treatment was becomes clearer when one learns of the special treatment accorded to a driver here in London. The driver of the High Commissioner is due to complete his three year duty around March next year. But nearly six months before the term was due to end the Overseas Administration Division (OAD) of the Foreign Ministry has extended his term by one year  until March 2019. The question is who asked for a year-long extension from the OAD and why did the ministry succumb so abjectly to such a demand? They say that even a mobile phone can soften official hearts!

Is Admiral Sinniah who distinguished himself during the anti-LTTE war and could rightly be called a war hero unlike some others who receive this accolade, less important than the driver of the high commissioner?

How would the majority of Tamils who had no part in the war and considered the LTTE as an enemy of the larger Tamil community view this insulting treatment meted out to a distinguished navy officer while spouting rubbish about reconciliation?

Here is a man who served the nation against a violent section of his own community. Would anybody seriously believe that this government is committed to reconciliation despite all the cliches that deputy minister de Silva and his political colleagues from that Race Course Avenue cabal might find to describe the great work performed by this so-called Unity Government in the last couple of years when discrimination stares them in the face?

Is it scant wonder that the people who voted for this president and the government that eight months later legitimised Ranil Wickremesinghes position as prime minister, are confused and bitter at being so badly let down, if not deceived.

Confronted by fuel shortages, roads blocked by protesting doctors, students and assorted strikers, still unsolved garbage problems, flooded roads and rising cost of living the only solace for the hard pressed is to find something to laugh at to relieve themselves of the daily tensions.

Needless to say there is much to laugh at, politicians and their henchmen in particular. The style of good governance called yahapalanaya, the manner in which those appointed to high office conduct themselves and even turn some of the institutions they rule over into personal fiefdoms provide enough farce to entertain the dispirited.

Never in the post-independence history of this country, some say, have patients had to consult doctors at street corners as members of the Generally Messy Obstructionist Association (GMOA) went ahead with their weekly strike action.

If the learned doctor (I mean the deputy minister not that Padeniya chappie) wants to know how to protect human rights he should ask that singing IGP Pujith Jayasundara. That is if he wants to be held by the shirt collar and given a good shaking as the man who is expected to maintain law and order did to the lift operator.

All because the man did not meditate but was faithfully performing the task he was assigned. The poor lift operator now has much to meditate about, especially the ways of his police brass and the inaction of the government.

Not only is the IGP forcing people to meditate on the ironies of life but he has taken to speaking on behalf of the president and the prime minister. It was reported that the IGP said the president and PM would not tolerate foreign-funded NGOs. Since when has the police chief turned into the spokesman for the president and prime minister?

At a book launch in December last year the IGP told the audience that there is much criticism of the police and told his officers not to lose their temper or take revenge from people and asked people to display human values.

Well if Dr. de Silva finds promoting and protecting human rights an onerous and exacting task why the job could always be given to the IGP who has his own way of dealing with human rights.

The IGPs boss Minister Sagala Ratnayake seems to be having problems of his own. One has only to ask President Sirisena who had stories to tell at cabinet. When the three wise men from the UNP went to see the president he had more to tell about his law and order minister who belongs to the same Race Course Avenue cabal.

There is more to tell  from the diplomatic soap operas to Wimal Weerawansas eagerness to bomb the parliament (with him in it?) and a cash strapped government paying millions of rupees each month for an unoccupied Agriculture Ministry office.

There is of course that great tragi-comedy of the local government elections with Minister Faiszer Musthapha playing the lead role when he is not dealing with garbage or removing foreigners only notices from southern hotels and restaurants. But as the American poet Robert Frost wrote the government still has promises to keep. And miles to go before it sleeps.
UNP-SLFP coalition to continue despite bumpy road ahead View(s):

Sirisena rules out any reunion with Rajapaksa faction; tells UNP ministers the two parties should work together

PM to appear before bond commission tomorrow, UNPers to hold demonstration to express solidarity with him

Three special high courts to hear high-profile cases of fraud, corruption and other crimes; committee to review every month on progress of every probe

For a second week in succession, the dialogue between the United National Party (UNP) and President Maithripala Sirisena, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the two main coalition partners continued. This time, representing the UNP were Chairman Malik Samarawickrema and General Secretary Kabir Hashim. The former had returned to Colombo only hours earlier from Singapore together with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The meeting had been sought by Samarawickrema in a telephone call to Sirisena from Singapore. It had been fixed for 8 p.m. and another meeting for Wickremesinghe had been slotted in at 9 p.m. last Sunday, just hours after the two returned to Sri Lanka.

When they met, the UNP duo had wished to know from Sirisena whether any decision has been reached by him with their dissident faction led by Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the upcoming local elections. More pointedly, they asked whether the President was getting together with Rajapaksa. Mey sarama andagena eka karanna puluwangda or can I wear this sarong (pointing to the one he was wearing) and do that, he asked. Yet, it was he who had given the nod weeks earlier for Minister Susil Premajayantha to play the role of a mediator to reunite the factions. They wanted to contest the local polls together. For a UNP that was worried about these moves which would marginalise it, the Presidents remark was good news. It signalled strongly that differences notwithstanding, the coalition of the National Unity Government would continue.

With that out of the way, the UNP duo were happy to declare they would work together. They noted that if Rajapaksa turns out to be an obstacle there were options to overcome such situations. One suggestion was to prohibit persons who have served as Presidents from becoming Prime Ministers through constitutional amendments, one of the UNP ministers declared. Sirisena did not react. Fuller details of other issues discussed were not available.

Another area of concern for the UNP leaders who were then in Singapore was a report in a foreign website hosted by a onetime Sri Lankan. It was grossly false and claimed that Premier had been told by Sirisena to step down ahead of testifying before the Commission of Inquiry probing the Central Bank bond scam. They charge that an official had planted this report to cause mischief. He is being named. When talks on other issues were under way, it was time for Premier Wickremesinghes one-on-one with Sirisena. He had already arrived at the latters Paget Road residence. The two ministers withdrew.

Like the earlier talks, fuller details of the one-on-one between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe are not available. However, a source familiar with these talks said this was a follow up of discussions three UNP leaders  Samarawickrema, Kabir Hashim and Mangala Samaraweera  held earlier with Sirisena, as revealed in last weeks the Sunday Times (Political Commentary). It was two-pronged. One was to convey the UNPs disappointment over Premier Wickremesinghe being summoned before the Commission of Inquiry probing the Central Bank bond issue. The other was the Presidents charge that a UNP minister was mainly responsible for delays in high profile cases of bribery and corruption.

The source said there was a free and fair exchange of views in a very friendly atmosphere. President Sirisena had re-iterated that it was not his intention to target any person or persons when he appointed the Commission of Inquiry to probe the bond issue. He politely reminded the Prime Minister that Arjuna Mahendran, the Governor of the Central Bank, was the Premiers own nominee and had been appointed to that position despite reservations expressed by some ministers, the source revealed. It was the same Mahendran who had told the Commission, when questioned, that he had acted on the instructions of the Premier. Hence, Wickremesinghe has been summoned so he may clarify matters, Sirisena had declared, according to the source. Wickremesinghe will appear before the Commission tomorrow. The UNP has made plans to hold a demonstration tomorrow outside the Commission premises to express solidarity with Wickremesinghe.

On the matter of a UNP minister slowing down or stalling altogether high profile investigations, Wickremesinghe was assiduous in pointing out that the minister concerned was not responsible. He explained there were a multitude of other reasons and assured that matters over probes would be expedited whilst determining the exact reasons for delays. Wickremesinghe thereafter raised issue before his partys Working Committee during a lengthy discussion last Wednesday. Various views were expressed after which the party issued a statement. It said: The Resolution passed at the UNP Working Committee on November 15.

While thanking Minister of Finance, Mangala Samaraweera and Minister of Foreign Employment and Minister of Justice Thalatha Atukorale, we appreciate the proposal made through the budget to set up three new high courts to probe court cases on frauds and corruption. Police and FCID after completing 92 investigations about frauds and corruption have handed over them to the Attorney Generals Department for judicial actions but so far the Attorney Generals Department has filed 13 court cases.

Since under the current judicial process the average time period that takes to finish probing a court case is around 10 years and around another seven years for two appeals, the Working Committee emphasises that reducing the time taken for these investigations and court cases is a requirement of the era and we propose the following immediate steps should be taken.

Appointing 3 judges for all the anti-corruption courts.

Allowing to appeal directly to the Supreme Court against the High Court decisions.

To establish a separate unit for filing court cases that is responsible to the Attorney General.

In addition we propose to establish a Sub Committee, to report to the Working Committee once a month about the investigations and the progress of the filing court cases regarding frauds, corruption and abductions, disappearances and murders while discussing regularly with Minister of Foreign Employment and Minister of Justice Thalatha Atukorale and Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development, Sagala Ratnayaka.

During the discussion, Justice Minister Athukorale proposed that Krishantha Cooray, Chairman of Lake House and also Chairman of Hotel Developers Ltd., the owning company of Colombo Hilton, be included in the Committee. However, Premier Wickremesinghe noted that he was a journalist and had other responsibilities. Hence, he could not serve in the Committee, he said. Cooray is also a member of the Working Committee.

Even before the Working Committee met on Wednesday, other measures have been put in place. Law and Order Minister Ratnayake had directed Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera to carry out a probe into the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). This was to determine whether there was any inaction on its part that delayed taking action over high profile cases. This was also to include why there was a delay in arresting Gamini Sedera Senarath, Chief of Staff of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was after the Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige (on behalf of the AG) had written to the FCID Director on October 24. He had said that the statements of Senarath and two others be recorded under clause 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1979 and extracts be submitted. He also directed that steps be taken to provide before the Magistrate Courts a certificate of public property in accordance with clause 8 (1) of the Public Property Act No 12 of 1982.

The FCID has defended its position saying teams deployed for the purpose were unable to track Senarath down. A source claimed it had transpired he had allegedly been kept at the Colombo residence of a minister from the Galle District who has strong connections with the Opposition leadership.

Police Chief Jayasundera, who has been highly critical of the FCID in the past many months, detailed his Special Investigation Unit (SIU) headed by Mevan Silva SSP to act on Minister Ratnayakes directive. On Wednesday, the SIU recorded a statement from FCID Director P.K.D. Priyantha, for eight and half hours, from 9 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. It had run into more than 35 pages. Later, three Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) and a group of Inspectors were called upon to make statements. It was on Wednesday night when the news reached President Sirisena. He ordered the Police Chief to immediately stop this SIU assignment and had observed that internecine rivalry at the highest levels of the Police was causing serious problems. Sirisena had said he hoped to soon address the senior Police officers on this matter. The investigations were called off immediately thereafter.

However, on Friday Premier Wickremesinghe set in motion machinery for a more far reaching probe. This is in keeping with his assurance to Sirisena that he would go into the reasons why high profile cases were being delayed, said an official. A three-member official Committee has been appointed to probe delays at the FCID and the Attorney Generals Department. It is headed by Prime Ministers Secretary Saman Ekanayake and includes Justice Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne and Law and Order Ministry Secretary Jagath Wijeweera.

The move came as President Sirisena, also on Friday afternoon, visited Parliament where the budget debate is now under way. There, he chaired a meeting of UNP Cabinet Ministers. We have to work together, he said and added that he was helpless when it came to matters relating to the Commission of Inquiry. He said both UNP Chairman Samarawickrema and General Secretary Hashim had appeared before the Commission and cleared their names. He said Premier Wickremesinghe also should appear before the Commission and clarify matters since he could do nothing on the matter. He noted that the Commissions probe has gone beyond his control.

The remarks seemed an indication that Sirisena, whose efforts at unity with the feuding SLFP faction had failed so far, wanted to go along with the UNP. Of course, he appeared cautious and the meeting with the UNP ministers was an indication of where he stood vis-a-vis the bond issue. More so, when three ministers had met him earlier and expressed the partys disappointment over Premier Wickremesinghe being summoned before the Commission. Sirisenas current dilemma is unenviable. His latest effort to go it together with the UNP has also caused ripples among SLFPers who back him.

Yet, he has little choice and this raises the all-important question whether his recent actions were the result of a planned strategy or ad hoc responses. That naturally raises the issue of his advisors, particularly the SLFP and UPFA General Secretaries whose performance, to say the least, has been lacklustre. This, no doubt, has been one of the main causes for a slow degeneration of the party machinery at the grassroots level. So much so, finding formidable candidates for the local council polls has become a difficult task. The long-term prospects, electorally speaking, thus appear very bleak for them. Conversely that would have meant a bountiful political harvest for the UNP. However, like a cyclone, it had been battered and bruised by the bond scam.

Even amidst the latest kiss and make up moves within the coalition, differences do exist. They surface from time to time over issues of policy. Last Tuesdays weekly ministerial meeting saw this play out when there was a heated exchange of words between Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe and Mangala Samaraweera. Even Premier Wickremesinghe had to intervene and assert that policies laid down in the budget would stay without change.

It all began when Samarasinghe raised issue over Samaraweeras proposal to liberalise the shipping and freight forwarding trade. He charged that neither he as Minister of Ports and Shipping nor stakeholders in the industry were consulted before the budget proposal was announced. He urged that if a change is to be made, foreign investors in the field should infuse a minimum of US$ 100 million. He said otherwise the move would result in the industry losing US$ 800 million. Samarasinghe was backed by Ministers Rauff Hakeem, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Dayasiri Jayasekera.

Premier Wickremesinghe defended Samaraweera by pointing out that his proposal was a precursor to making Sri Lanka a maritime hub. According to Samaraweera, the shipping industry at present remains a transhipment one. To develop, he said, it was necessary to see the development of broader services in shipping and logistics. Samarasinghes argument was those wishing to come in should bring in the money. Sirisena suggested that Samaraweera meet the relevant stakeholders and discuss issues.

After the ministerial meeting was over, SLFP ministers attended a meeting chaired by President Sirisena. There, the subject came up for discussion. Sirisena named a team of ministers to meet Premier Wickremesinghe and represent matters. Headed by Nimal Siripala de Silva, the team included Sarath Amunugama, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Susil Premajayantha, Dayasiri Jayasekera, Mahinda Amaraweera and Duminda Dissananayake. He directed that Minister de Silva should contact the Prime Minister to seek an appointment and set out the SLFPs position.

On Thursday, the SLFP delegation met Wickremesinghe. Associated with him was Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake. The SLFP ministers insisted that an FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) of US$ 100 million should be invested by any new entrants to the shipping and freight forwarding industry. They said the changes they were recommending were the official view of the SLFP. Interesting enough, the SLFP holds the key towards the implementation of this specific proposal. The issue of Gazette notification to give effect to it, once it is passed by Parliament, is the responsibility of the Minister of Ports and Shipping.

Wickremesinghe said he would appoint an SLFPUNP Joint Committee to discuss economic issues and fast track them. Wickremesinghe also said that the shipping trade should also meet Minister Samaraweera. After placing their partys position on the issue, the discussion centred on the Port of Colombo. Wickremesinghe explained that President Sirisena had also stated that the port would not be given to anyone else except the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. He was, however, examining a joint IndiaJapan project at the Trincomalee port. He said he would travel to India on November 22 for an official engagement. He would take that opportunity to discuss the project too. Wickremesinghe is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to PMs office.

Earlier, on Monday night President Sirisena met representatives of shipping and freight forwarding industry. There, they provided him details of the changes they were seeking. The SLFP now expects Samaraweera to make the necessary changes.

What seemed a political circus in the past many months has again reached status quo ante  the coalition will continue however bumpy the road ahead would be. Perhaps the biggest hump they would have to cross would be the sittings of the Commission of Inquiry tomorrow.

Lease of land behind Shangri-La hotel: President puts the record straight President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday rebuffed Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema for claiming that he (President) was responsible for giving a Singaporean company the land between the newly opened Shangri La Hotel and the Beira Lake.

Meka mama dunney nehe or  I did not give this, he told the weekly meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. In a letter to the Sunday Times in which he sought to correct a factual error  that he proposed the land be sold  Samarawickrema said, For the record I wish to inform you that the original Cabinet Paper on this subject was presented by HE the President since the land was occupied by the Ministry of Defence. Regrets for the error and the reference made to the President was published in a box story on this page last week. Sirisena told his ministers that the request to lease the land to Singapoe-based Perennial Real Estate Holdings, a subsidiary of the Shangri La Group, had first come (under the current regime) from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM). This body is chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Sirisena said he was asking the Government spokesperson (SLFP) Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera to set out the position at the news briefing on matters related to the Cabinet.

Here is how the matter played out at the briefing on Wednesday: Q: There are reports that there was a discussion regarding the Shangri-La Hotel during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. What was this discussion about?

A: A plot of ten acres had been given to the Shangri-La Hotel earlier. There was another 3- 1/2 acre plot of land adjoining it. The hotel had requested this land in 2014 from the then Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. It had made an Expression of Interest (EOI). The hotel had asked for that land on a 99-year lease.

On June 8, 2016, it made a renewed request for this land to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM). On June 28, 2016, the Prime Minister, presenting a report outlining the CCEMs decisions, sought Cabinet approval to conduct a fresh valuation as the 2014 valuation was now outdated. On August 5, 2016, the then Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake submitted an observation asking that the Swiss Challenge method be used for the project. A Swiss challenge is a form of public procurement in some jurisdictions which requires a public authority (usually an agency of government) which has received an unsolicited bid for a public project (such as a port, road or railway) or services to be provided to government. Accordingly, a Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) was appointed. On July 29, 2016, the Minister of Megapolis and Western Development submitted an observation stating that he does not object to the proposal to use the Swiss Challenge method. He requested for a fresh valuation as the valuation conducted before June 8, 2016 was outdated. On October 6, 2017, the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade submitted a proposal relating to a mixed development project conducted through the Board of Investment (BoI). Minister Malik Samarawickrama detailed several proposals in the Cabinet Paper he submitted as part of this project.

Accordingly, it was proposed to submit the project to the CANC and to obtain a valuation for the land in question from the Chief Government Valuer. On May 17, 2017, the CCEM approved the proposal under Perennial Estate Holdings. On May 30, 2017, Cabinet approved the recommendation made by the CCEM. Accordingly, an IAFC Committee was appointed on August 1, 2017 and in order to make the investment process easier and less time consuming, it was decided to transfer the land to the BoI and for the BoI to transfer the land to Shangri-La. This would mean that the entire process would conclude as an investment.

This is a USD 200 million investment. A wrong picture has been portrayed regarding this issue. I saw that in the Sunday Times. It had been reported that this Cabinet Paper had been submitted by the President and not Minister Malik Samarawickrama. The President clearly said during yesterdays (Tuesdays) Cabinet meeting to speak on the matter correctly. He pointed out that while the land belonged to the Ministry of Defence and the process began from there, several other Ministries; namely Finance, Megapolis and Western Development and Development Strategies and International Trade, all became involved. The final Cabinet Paper on the subject was presented by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade. 
Yala safaris: PM roars at Ministers decision View(s):

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued an ultimatum to Sustainable Development and Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera to immediately revert to an earlier decision to allow only 300 vehicles a day to the Ruhuna (Yala) National Park.

In the alternative, he told Minister Perera at last Wednesdays meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) that the Wildlife Department would be removed from his Ministry. The Premier said it would then be placed under the Ministry of Southern Development  a subject under Minister Sagala Ratnayake.

Earlier, Mr Pereras Ministry ruled that only 300 vehicles would be allowed entry into the park every day. This is in view of the congestion of vehicles in the park causing a serious environmental issue and severe inconvenience to the animals. However, upon the intervention of Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa, who represents the Hambantota District, Mr Perera had changed it to 600 vehicles a day in two shifts, one before lunch break and one after.

Premier Wickremesinghe asked Mr Premadasa, who was present at the CCEM meeting, why he got Minister Perera to change the original decision. He (Mr Premadasa) had explained that the arrangement was to allow 300 vehicles to enter the park before the lunch break and another 300 thereafter. You want to wait till the elephants finish eating or the snakes feed on their sandwiches, an angry Premier queried. Mr Premadasa represents the Hambantota District where the park is located, and he is a frequent visitor to the park.

Mr Wickremesinghe said if the change to 300 vehicles a day was not made immediately, he would ensure that a Gazette notification was issued bringing the Ruhuna (Yala) National Park under the Southern Development Ministry. He also charged that more than a thousand drivers operating vehicles in the park area had been placed there by a young politician and cautioned Mr Premadasa not to be misled by him. Instead, he should think of the wildlife park and the damage it would suffer.

Petrol crisis: Arjunas allegations on audio and video tapes

Three former ministers in charge of the subject of petroleum  Chandima Weerakkody, Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa  took up cudgels with the current successor Arjuna Ranatunga over the recent countrywide shortage of petrol. It came at Tuesdays weekly ministerial meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The three ministers, now holding different portfolios, asked Petroleum Minister Ranatunga to name the ministers, whom he alleged, had brought pressure on him to accept allegedly contaminated petrol. Mr Ranatunga was quick to reply that he had not made such remarks.

As volley after volley of questions came his way, President Sirisena intervened. He said that Minister Ranatunga had denied having made such allegations and, therefore, his word should be accepted. He said that the minister in turn should issue a public denial that he made no such statements.

That public denial is yet to come. After all, it was at a news conference that Mr Ranatunga made the remarks about interference by ministers. That is both on audio and video tape.

Even worse was his claim about contaminated petrol reportedly imported by the Lanka India Oil Company (LIOC). The Cabinet Subcommittee chaired by Minister Sarath Amunugama had made no mention of the LIOC or called any of LIOC representatives before the subcommittee. The committee had in fact raised queries over why the stocks which had only sediments could not have been filtered and distributed.

Minister Ranatunga asked President Sirisena at the ministerial meeting to call in the Criminal Investigation Department to probe who was responsible for the petrol shortage. The President replied that he had just got the Subcommittee report and would decide on the matter.

Another measure the President announced was that the Cabinet Subcommittee headed by Minister Sarath Amunugama should continue to monitor the fuel distribution in the country. Other members of the Committee are Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Patali Champika Ranawaka, both of whom have been in charge of petroleum before Minister Arjuna Ranatunga.

PM going to India

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will leave for a two-day official visit to India on November 22.

Rs. 140 million in safe: Britain raises query

A Commission of Inquiry in Colombo heard details some four months ago about a Sri Lankan turned British national who placed Rs. 140 million in cash in the safe of his local company.

This had been part of money allegedly used by former Minister Ravi Karunanayake to purchase an apartment at Monarch residencies. It had been owned by Arjun Aloysius who is a subject of the Commission probe.

Now comes the news that the man, once an accountant, is in deep trouble. The tax authorities in Britain have asked him to explain how he inherited this amount, and why he has not declared it and paid tax on the income.

Wheeler-dealer politico gets cement on his face

When concluding deals, both politicians and businessmen, are equally adept at cementing their ties with foreign investors. The better it is, the greater the reward.

One deal that has been cemented in the deep-south, however, has caused a stir. This is after a politico-businessman, known in trade and industry circles for operating below the radar, summoned the big boss of a merchant company to his office.

It was not for a meal of fried rice or a tot of Johnny Walker Black Label, his favourites. If you want to work with us, please make sure you give 51 per cent of your equity to my friend, he declared. The friend, also a lover of Johnny Walker, is known to be a close chum and partner of the politico.

But the big boss did not take kindly to the request. We already have a Sri Lankan partner and they have only 30 per cent stake, he declared. He will continue to work with them, he said. When the Sri Lankan partner heard the news, he laughed. Like in the western movie Dirty Harry, I would have shot him if he undercut me, he joked.

SriLankan flies shy of emergency

SriLankan Airlines has responded to our report last week about the emergency landing of its flight in Kunming: The flight that was referred to never made an emergency landing, but landed safely without any emergency being declared, it says taking umbrage under technical jargon.

The letter says, The facts are as follows. On 7th November, Flight UL 829 was on its approach to land at Kunming International Airport in China. The landing was discontinued due to the flaps not extending to the correct landing position. The aircraft was reconfigured after completing the relevant checklists and then landed safely as per the flight crew operating manual instructions, without any incident. At no time did the crew declare an emergency, nor was there any reason to do so.

Note by Jamis Banda: SriLankan Airlines confirms all the facts reported in story. However, it seems to be splitting hairs over no emergency landing and landing safely. When an integral part of an aircraft is malfunctioning, the question is whether it is an emergency or not. Should one wait till it is declared an emergency? And no word about the aircraft having to be ferried back to Colombo without passengers. Suppose that is not an emergency either.

Shangri-La birthday lunch for Rajapaksa

Hotel Shangri-La which was introduced to Sri Lanka by President Mahinda Rajapaksa by handing it the Sri Lanka Army premises in Colombos Galle Face area invited the former President to lunch on Friday  the day after the incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena formally declared the hotel open.

President Rajapaksa was not among those at the dinner for 300 guests either the previous night at which Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the chief guest.

Friday also marked the 72nd birthday of the former President.

Huge traffic jam over State Ministers ego show

The bumper-to-bumper traffic, just outside the World Trade Centre in Fort was interrupted and the traffic cops were running helter-skelter with their whistles blowing. It was all because a brand new, gleaming black Mercedes Benz stopped suddenly after doing a U-turn. All this while, a young politico again in the news this week for the wrong reasons, stood there like a statue until the car door was opened for him.

The driver of the government-owned Benz had to alight from the car, run a circle to open a rear door for the state minister to board. The state minister of great self-importance sat down and the driver closed the door much to the chagrin of onlookers. Traffic had increased by then. A subject clerk at the nearby Treasury, who saw the spectacle, remarked in Sinhala Shaa!!! Hari sepai jeevithey deng; how comfortable life is now.

VVIPs livid over tapping of his phone

A VVIP was livid that someone had been monitoring his telephones, obviously to find out what he was saying.

He did not hide his feelings when he told a group both from the UNP as well as the SLFP that such things had not been done even during the regime of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Jaliya has no immunity; warrant for arrest

Do Sri Lankan diplomats who have concluded their postings in foreign capitals enjoy diplomatic immunity?

The question has come to the fore in the wake of one of them facing court action over the alleged misappropriation of funds whilst serving in a foreign capital. The diplomat, Jaliya Wickremasuriya, former ambassdor to US, had obtained court permission and travelled to Washington where he has business interests.

He is now learnt to have taken up the position that he cannot be ordered to return to Sri Lanka because he enjoys diplomatic immunity. In support of his argument, he had produced a document from the Government to say he enjoyed such immunity.

However, authorities in Colombo had got in touch with the former diplomats host country. They had officially confirmed in a document now, that he does not enjoy such immunity. As a result, a court order has now been issued for his arrest.
Beer, Booze and the new intoxicants View(s):

The Mangala Budget of the new Finance Minister ran into two or three obstacles  from shipping agents, and also those opposing his move to reduce beer prices aimed at weaning people from hard liquor. In the first cases, it was more the lobby wanting protectionism and in the latter, those who believe prohibition is the answer.

The Minister seems to have refused any compromise. And he got his way with the passage of the Budget last Thursday. A defeat of the Budget would have meant early elections, something nobody wanted. The shipping lobby was at work with the President arguing the possible loss of employment if foreign companies are allowed to do business in Sri Lanka. This is the fundamental difference in economic policies of the National Unity Government partners, the UNP for liberalisation and turning Sri Lanka into a maritime economic hub, while the SLFP lives in a protectionist bubble of safeguarding local industry.

As far as the alcohol policy is concerned, at least it created a long-felt need to have a national debate on the subject. Left alone, this issue is filled with ill-informed discussion and duplicitous humbug.Political leaders deliver sermons on temperance by day and issue liquor licences by night to party supporters. Both the UNP and the SLFP leaderships were the beneficiaries of financial contributions from arrack manufacturers who were allowed to adulterate their brew at will and sell it to the public. Customs and Excise officials were all part of the same huge racket.

The Finance Ministers comment that sugar-coated soft drinks are worse than beer seems to have been misinterpreted to mean that children should drink beer rather than soft drinks. Surely, that was not what he meant. But child obesity and diabetes are a disturbing reality today. The beer debate must thus be addressed in the overall context of adulterated arrack, the flourishing moonshine (kasippu) industry that thrives due to the high price of arrack and nowadays, the proliferation of narcotics ranging from heroin to Kerala ganja down to toffees laced with intoxicant substances that aim to suck schoolkids into harder drugs.

The debate on beer cannot be taken in splendid isolation as a mere alcoholic beverage, but should be seen through the bigger picture of alcohol and narcotics abuse as a whole.Sri Lanka as a nation is not going to follow a policy of prohibition, and so, it is only prudent that there is a realistic alcohol policy. A respected corporate leader of yesteryear wrote to this newspaper on the eve of the Budget, dispelling what he called were myths about alcohol and health. There was no such thing as beer and wine being safer than hard alcohol, and what mattered most was the amount of alcohol consumed, he said. He pointed out that beer consumption rose in Sri Lanka due to a misconception that it was softer than hard liquor and those who drank beer that has an alcohol content of 8 per cent rose by a staggering 414 per cent from 2006 to 2015. He blamed the high price of licit local alcohol (arrack, gin etc.,) for the increasing kasippu consumption.

Excise policies are way over the top. The Government tries to make out that the taxes imposed on the poor mans drink (molasses  or Gal, must contain only 3 per cent of coconut arrack  the rest being absolute spirits) is done with altruistic reasons. A bottle of Gal (750 ml) is more than Rs. 1,000 of which 80 per cent is Government taxes. On the other hand, a days quota of kasippu is Rs. 150  no surprises that it is the poor mans drink!

Former Finance Minister Dr. N.M. Perera, a leader of the working class, knew only too well that the labourer needed a tot after a gruelling days work. He ensured the poor man got a decent drink at an affordable price by creating the State Distilleries Corporation. It was the biggest travesties of the Premadasa Government to have privatized this corporation. Today it neither provides a decent drink nor at an affordable price. If ever there is a case for nationalization  this is one.

One of the matters the incumbent Minister will have to look into with his new policy is to ensure that local beers have a lower alcohol content. The average beer consumed by an American or in a British pub contains 4.2 percent alcohol, while the average Lankan beer has 4.8 percent, going up to 8 percent. In the West there are beers (lager) with as low as 3.3 percent alcohol called Lite beers and Lanka too should have such choices. The local beer manufacturers take it or leave it approach gives the consumer no choice in the matter.

Moreover, the surfeit of state and non-government bodies tasked with monitoring tobacco, alcohol and narcotics does not necessarily mean there is cohesive strategic planning. There are Presidential Task Forces, the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, the National Tobacco and Alcohol Authority etc., but all compartmentalised and working within their own mandates. There must be created a super-structure that coordinates the work of all these separate units; one umbrella organisation that acts as a monitor, advisor and regulator of the multibillion rupee tobacco, alcohol and narcotics industry.

This entity must have representatives of Government, the National Child Protection Authority, the Tourism Authority, those from the University Economics and Social Studies Departments, the existing statutory boards, SLANA, unions in the health field and others. This is not a Finance Ministry subject alone. One would normally suggest the Presidential Secretariat or the PMO as a suitable place to oversee it. It cannot be an autonomous body as Governments do not take autonomous bodies seriously.

Available statistics give a grim picture. In 2016 there were 79,378 drug-related cases filed in Sri Lankan courts, most in the Western, Central and Southern Provinces. We are told the Northern Province is a den of vice but police action is minimal. The quantity of cannabis (ganja) seized is phenomenal. That is why the beer debate is incomplete without the debate on the bigger picture.

In the US, the national debate has extended to the excessive use of opioids (prescribed pain-killers) being extensively used as substitutes for narcotics. The authorities have tried legalising marijuana to stem the tide but the situation is almost beyond redemption. According to a US Government Commission, deaths from substance abuse equal deaths that were caused by 9/11 every three weeks. Its an epidemic and alcohol is the least of their problems.

Sri Lanka must be alive to this trend. What we see is probably only the tip of the iceberg. The Government has to move fast to fight the kasippu industry and the influx of narcotics into the inner cities. Those at the helm must not lose focus on the debate on beer and miss the wood for the trees.
Taking the ramp in his stride with a prosthesis By Kaveesha Fernando Mr. England 2017 Jack Eyers who was in Colombo for the Concept 2018 fashion show talks of his determination to raise awareness about the differently abled View(s): View(s):

Its a bright sunny day at the Kingsbury poolside, and Jack Eyers attitude mirrors the weather. Winner of the 2017 Mr. England title, this 28-year-old model was in Sri Lanka for the Hameedias fashion show (Concept 2018  CurioCity by Fouzul Hameed) as the Envoy London brand ambassador. Speaking to him, one would never imagine that he was anything but confident, witty and charming. However, until just 12 years ago Jack was struggling with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency  a rare condition which affected the growth of his leg (and his self-confidence), so much that he decided to have his leg amputated at the age of 16.

Jack was convinced of his decision, but his parents were initially hesitant. They kept saying you cant pop it back in after youve taken it off, he jokes. Because his leg was extremely painful and offered little function, he knew it was holding him back, and time has proved him correct as his life has improved since. From that moment on, Ive had a lot of catching up to do, he says. First working as a stuntman on films, he was then invited to take part in the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony, joining Models of Diversity soon after. He has taken part in many international fashion shows since then, including New York Fashion Week, the first male amputee to do so. Having won Mr. England in July, the sky seems the limit  and Jack now hopes to win Mr. World.

Jack is determined to raise awareness about the differently abled. People think Im really brave going for it (Mr. England), so my goal in life is to change that perception.

Being disabled can be looked at as very vulnerable and ugly and I can change that, he says. He often wears shorts to show off his prosthetic and encourages questions on his leg. The only way the public can change their perception of disability is by engaging in a dialogue with those who are differently abled, says Jack. Although he does sometimes find his prosthetic painful, Jack says it is a small negative he takes in his stride. When his prosthetic starts hurting, Jack simply focuses on exercising and training harder.

It seems strange to imagine a time when Jack was hesitant to work as a model because he felt he lacked the confidence. This has changed after taking part in many major events, while the support he has received from the public has also helped. I actually won the publicity round in Mr. England  I got 2000 votes! If I got only about four votes, I might have thought maybe I shouldnt be doing this, he says. While he has faced some negativity, with people saying he only won because he is an amputee, Jack brushes such allegations aside. To win Mr. England a contestant must do many things, including raising money for charity and making a YouTube video showcasing his talent, ensuring the winner is multi-talented. I ticked a lot of those boxes, which is why I won the title, he says firmly.

Most people would expect that Jack Eyers has seen it all because of his career, but he reveals that CurioCity was his first fashion show out of doors. He says he is proud to be the Envoy brand ambassador. Im really proud to be wearing the Envoy suit because the material is good and its really nice to have a tailored suit that actually fits, Ive not got the easy shaped body to tailor a suit for and they really made it work, he says.

Jack stresses that taking up opportunities is important for those who are differently abled. When youre disabled or when you have one leg, there are many doors open for you, even more than if you have two legs, he says. Working on what one finds inspiring and finding a good support system is important, but evolving after making a mistake is vital in his opinion. Everyone trips up and everyone makes mistakes, and thats ok so as long as you learn from it you have to have thick skin, he says.
AirAsia offers to build special terminal at BIA for budget carriers View(s):

AirAsia has offered to build a special terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for low-cost carriers under a five-year investment of US$ 70-100 million. The Malaysian carriers proposal to set up a budget carrier based out of BIA was put forward more than one year ago.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) has now approved the bid and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tourism Minister John Amaratunga have submitted a joint Cabinet paper. It is scheduled to be taken up when the Cabinet next convenes after the Premiers return from an official visit to India (November 21-24).

AirAsias plans were first discussed with Public Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim who last week claimed he was bypassed. A visiting team met him in March and July 2017 and on one occasion made a presentation to a technical committee appointed by his Ministry. A similar summary was given to the CCEM on November 8.

The Prime Ministers office was approached directly as the process was stagnating, reliable sources said. AirAsia is looking at a possible public-private partnership with up to US$ 100 million in foreign direct investment. In its presentation, the company maintained that a budget-carrier would catalyse the tourism industry. Sri Lanka with its eight UNESCO heritage sites received just 2.1 million tourist arrivals last year in comparison to 26 million visitors to Malaysia over the same period, though that country has only four UNESCO heritage sites.

The long process to obtain an air operators certificate will begin once the Sri Lankan Government grants in-principle approval for the project. AirAsia envisages the deployment of 24 aircraft  including in Jaffna and Hambantota  over a five-year period, officials who attended the presentation said. Operations would be based primarily out of Colombo in the first three years.

An increase in tourist arrivals during that period would make development of the Palaly airport in the North feasible, the presentation said. The company expressed confidence that the Sri Lankan diaspora will support that initiative because of their links to the Jaffna peninsula. Hambantota could be used to promote travel to tourist destinations in the East.

AirAsia did a detailed study before approaching the Sri Lankan Government, official sources in Colombo said. Its team pointed out that, according to industry research, aviation had a multiplier effect of 13 times. Therefore, their investment is expected to bring steep returns to the country in terms of airport charges, tourist spending and airport tax. And it is estimated that Sri Lankas anticipated tourist arrivals for 2022 will rise from 5.1 million to 9.6 million through the operation of a low-cost carrier.

The company will start looking for a local joint venture partner for the PPP after in-principle approval is granted. A dedicated terminal for budget carriers, meanwhile, has been projected as essential. Such terminals designed and built to keep costs low, reduce airport tax and charges and enable quick turnaround times. AirAsia has offered its in-house experts to design and build the facility. The airline has made it clear that it would be for the use of all budget carriers servicing Sri Lanka.

Concerns were raised at the presentation about the possible effect of AirAsias entry on SriLankan Airlines. The visiting team pointed out that statistical and anecdotal evidence showed that full-service carriers  which are typically owned by Governments or Government-mixed companies  in other destinations had benefited from the operation of budget airlines.

A low-cost airline, which served a different segment, was seen as an important infrastructure for the development of those economies as they had grown the market, not contracted it. AirAsia, the team maintained, will not cannibalise the full-service carrier. AirAsia is looking at using unutilised air rights negotiated by the Sri Lankan Government. The main focus will be countries in South Asia, South East Asia and West Asia.
Controversy in Galle Fort: Several Govt. institutions told to move out View(s):

The Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO has taken issue with a Law and Order and Southern Development Ministry directive to certain Government institutions to vacate historic buildings in the Galle Fort which is designated a Living Heritage Fort by the UN agency.

The order to give up 15 buildings in the Fort was issued by Law and Order and Southern Devlopment Ministry Secretary Jagath P Wijeweera early last month. But it was done without consulting the Department of Archaeology, the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Education under whose purview these listed sites fall.

Mr Wijeweeras letter implies that the vacating order was given in keeping with UNESCO guidelines. It says the Galle Fort is currently in the process of being carefully developed on the guidance of UNESCO to protect its living heritage with added measures to improve its conservation and protection.

In light of this initiative and in accordance with the decision made by Cabinet (Ref. Cabinet Paper No. 17/1759/702/002-XIX on 2017/08/08) I have requested several agencies to vacate the buildings which they currently occupy in the Galle Fort, Mr Wijeweera says.

Inmates of the Police Residence, the Police In-Service Training Institute, the Magistrates House, the Magistrates Court, All Saints College, the Galle Fort Post Office, the Bank of Ceylon Office in Hospital Street, the E Courts Building, the Tea Small Holdings, the Southern Provincial Passenger Transport Authority, the Ports Authoritys official bungalow, the SIPNARA building, the Maritime Archaeological Unit, the Harbour Masters Office and Sri Lanka Telecom have been asked to leave by December 31. The Galle District Secretary has been requested to assist in finding alternate locations.

But the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO said the office first learnt about the development from the agencys headquarters in Paris. Its Secretary General Dhammika Wijayasinghe then wrote to the Secretary to the Education Ministry  which is the line Ministry  and the Department of Archaeology, raising concern. There has been no response from either.

Galle Fort and its fortifications have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Property in 1988 and the competent authority for conservation and protection of the property is the Department of Archaeology with the assistance of other stakeholders, Ms Wijayasinghe wrote.

However, I regret to note that the Cabinet paper quoted in the aforementioned letter and the subsequent action has been taken without proper consultation of the Department of Archaeology, the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO or the line Ministry.

Further, I would like to point out that UNESCO had never recommended removal of the institutions mentioned from the fort and some of these properties are part and parcel of the living heritage of this important World Heritage Site, she states, while calling upon the authorities to take necessary action to preserve the UNESCO World Heritage status of the property.

The Archaeology Department Director General P B Mandawala said he only saw the letter of the Law and Order Ministry two days ago when it was given to him by someone else. The original had neither been copied to the Department nor to the Ministry of Education.

I have been told that certain Government offices will be vacating, he told the Sunday Times. I have requested our officers who are participating in these matters to check things and raise the concerns of the Department with the relevant authorities.

An Education Ministry official said they had also now sent out letters raising concern. Additional Secretary Asoka Siriwardana said both Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi were aware of the controversy. It was not immediately clear, however, why the Minister had not questioned the Cabinet paper when it was submitted for approval.

It is not known what the buildings will be used for if this move goes ahead. A source from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes office said the Government institutions were only being shifted because they were unable to maintain the edifices to required standards. They will not be pulled down, he said. They will be renovated. It will be decided later what will be done with the space.

Some offices have already started shifting. But the parents of students from All Saints College recently protested. The institution was founded in 1867 and is located along Lighthouse Street.
Gintota situation under control, night curfew continues View(s):

Additional Police and security personnel were deployed yesterday in Gintota, close to Galle, to prevent further clashes between two groups. At a meeting held at the Galle District Secretarys office and attended by senior security forces personnel and Police, a decision was taken to maintain heavy security in the area until the situation returns to normalcy. No incidents were reported during the day yesterday.

Meanwhile, 19 people were arrested over the clashes that took place on Friday. In a statement, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said the situation had been brought under control and appealed to the public not be deceived by false reports in the social media. Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara yesterday visited the area to assess the situation and instructed the police to take action against those trying to create unrest.

A curfew was reimposed in six Grama Sevaka divisions  Gintota East and West, Maha Hapugala,, Welipitimodara, Ukwatta, Piyandigama and Kurunduwatta from 6. p.m. to 6. a.m. yesterday.
Power crisis looms due to implementation delays: PUCSL By Sandun Jayawardana Opposes Emergency Power purchase and passing related costs onto customers via tariffs View(s): View(s):

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has predicted that the cumulative effect of implementation delays over the next three years can very likely trigger a Power crisis that can seriously affect the national economy. The Electricity Regulator has also taken a stand against Emergency Power being bought to meet the energy shortfall that may be caused by implementation delays, and said the costs must not be passed onto the customers through tariffs.

The PUCSL yesterday issued a 5-page Report titled, Financial Impact of Delay in Implementation of Power Plants. The power plants referred to are in the Ceylon Electricity Boards (CEB) Generation Expansion Plan.

The Commission does not recommend purchasing Emergency Power in the future, to meet any capacity or energy deficit due to implementation delays of these upcoming Power Plants, and is of the view that such costs should not be passed through to the consumers through tariffs, the Report states. The Government may consider a change in industry structure if the generation plan implementation cannot be efficiently carried out within the current structure.

The Report warns that Sri Lanka will suffer a staggering loss of Rs 50.62 billion due to implementation delays in the 2018-2020 Power Plant schedule. Any delay beyond the estimated periods forecast by the PUCSL, will cost a further Rs 3.43 billion a month. The Regulator has been continuously monitoring the progress of the CEB in implementing the approved plan, and has observed delays in the procurement process of Power Plants expected to be commissioned by 2020.

The Kerawalapitiya 300 MW natural gas-fired Power Plant, the 122 MW Uma Oya Hydro Plant and various solar, wind and mini-hydro projects are now overdue. And cost overruns and load shedding (interruption of an Electricity supply to avoid excessive load on generating Plants) are prominent and direct consequences of these delays.
English language: It can be taught, it can be learnt By Shakya Wickramanayake Launch of Grammar through Literature and A Thousand Voiced Choir by Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake View(s): View(s):

50% of students fail English at the GCE OLevels, stated Dr. Chitra Jayathilake, a senior lecturer at the English Department of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. In a world where English proficiency has become a vital skill to enter the workforce or for career progression, the statistic is disheartening. Dr. Jayathilake went on to explain that one major reason for this alarming statistic is learner inhibition. A lie has been told to you that if you cant speak it well you shouldnt speak in English.

These statements were made at the launch of two books Grammar through Literature and A Thousand Voiced Choir by Gratiaen Award winner, Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake. While one of the books takes learners through the basics of grammar and the fundamentals of writing, the other is a memoir by the author of her time as the head of the English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. The books published by Godage Publishers, were launched at a ceremony on September 23 at the National Museum Auditorium in Colombo.

The event was attended by academics and university lecturers, and past and present students of the author. Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Professor Sampath Amaratunge was the Chief Guest and former Head of the English Department of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Parvathi Nagasundaram the guest of honour. The panel at the event featured Professor Liyanage Amarakeerthi (Lecturer at the Department of Sinhala  University of Peradeniya), Dr. Kennedy Jeevaretnam (Head of the Department of Languages  Eastern University), Vishaka Nanayakkara (Head of the Department of Decision Science; Chair of the Centre for Open Distance Learning  University of Moratuwa) and Dr. Chitra Jayathilake (Senior lecturer of the Department of English  University of Sri Jayawardenapura).

English is a beautiful language, but difficult to teach, said Dr. Kennedy Jeevaretnam, lamenting that English is not given any importance at the school level, and how that negatively affects many students from rural backgrounds who enter university. Mrs. Nagasundaram pointed out that as much as one third of the 5% of Alevel students who are selected for state universities have to follow their courses in English. This is why Madhubashinis memoirs, which details how she succeeded in teaching over a thousand young university entrants English, is so valuable. A Thousand Voiced Choir tells us how to teach. Its my bible now! Dr. Jeevaretnam proclaimed. Sharing similar sentiments, Mrs. Nagasundaram stated, The books are an important contribution to the standard of English in the country.

Commenting on Grammar through Literature, Dr. Jayathilake called it a highly pronounced and rewarding effort. She explained that the author in addition to covering the four language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, delves into the fifth component, cultural sensitivity. Literature and language cannot be divorced in teaching the English Language, she declared. She concluded that the book, which covers all the components of grammar is an approachable and readable book for beginners and also useful to more proficient learners as a means of clarifying certain points of grammar.

The author stated that she hopes the book will make a difference in the lives of students. But as her students who spoke at the event testified to her skill and patience as an educator, she clearly has made a difference in so many students lives. Madhubashini added that she would be releasing two new books in the coming months: one a conventional grammar book, and the other, a trilingual book for children.

The path to learning English is reading said Professor Liyanage Amarakeerthi, with Madhubashini agreeing, If you love reading , half the battle is won.

Grammar Through Literature and  A Thousand Voiced Choir are available at Godage Bookshop, No. 661, P.D.S. Kularathna Mawatha, Maradana Road, Colombo 10, priced at Rs. 750.
Guess who will grace FGLF 2018? Maggie Smith The British actress of Downton Abbey fame among list of participants that also includes legal luminary Sir Desmond de Silva View(s): View(s):

Guess whos coming to the 2018 Fairway Galle Literary Festival? Local fans will be thrilled with the news that come January, FGLF will welcome Dame Maggie Smith, one of the finest actresses of her generation. The Oscar-winning British actress, known worldwide for her role as the doughty Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and the imperious Dowager Countess of Grantham in the hit British TV series Downton Abbey will be exploring the skills of comedy acting at the FGLF to be held from January 24-28.

Often described as a national treasure in the UK, the 82-year-old star, born Margaret Natalie Smith on December 28, 1934 in Essex has won two Academy Awards for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). She is also a four-time Bafta winner, and fans will also recall her memorable performances as a homeless old woman in The Lady in the Van (2015) and as Muriel, the retired housekeeper in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015).

Dame Maggie Smith apart, the second announcement of participants in the forthcoming Fairway Galle Literary Festival, made this week includes writers of fiction and of memoir, lawyers, diplomats, journalists, editors, performance poets, curators, architects, historians and economists.

Sir Desmond de Silvas biographical volume Madam, Where Are Your Mangoes? sold out within minutes of its launch in London just weeks ago. One reason for this was his considerable talent as a speaker: witty, urbane and accomplished, his solo performance Desmond Uninterrupted promises to be one of the sought after events of the Fairway Galle Literary Festival. Justice Shiranee Tilakawardanes presentation of three murder cases will afford the audience a nuanced appreciation of the human complexities of the judicial system, and of the challenge of balancing a concern for victims with societys desire for closure.

A familiar figure in Sri Lanka, former Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Menon Rao, who went on to become Foreign Secretary of India, will speak about her new book on Sino-Indian relations, while Kiryl Rudy will delve into behaviour economics and the nudge theory, currently in the forefront of international economic discourse.

History will be brought to life by Nisid Hajari, author of Midnights Furies: The Deadly Legacy of Indias Partition, winner of the 2016 Colby Award,

Visiting journalists Justine Picardine and Rachael Johnson will bring their wide experience of journalism and editing to the FGLF 2018, while Australian Sallyanne Atkinson will share her experience as the first female Lord-Mayor of Sydney. Sallyanne grew up on a tea estate and will also share her experience of this distinctive lifestyle.

Two hundred years and two months since the remarkable English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his seminal Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite, Chaplain of Girton College Cambridge, will offer insights of his new study of Coleridges famous narrative poem, revealing the remarkable continuing freshness and relevance of the mariners message.

Environmental architect Sunela Jayawardenes travelogue Line of Lanka also explores the oral tradition in history and story-telling, deftly chronicling its impact on archaeology. Udeni Samarasekera will offer her take on the oral tradition in literature in a session entitled Literature Without Words. The spoken word artist Laurence Boissier will share with audiences her original oral work combining language and dialect. She will also read from her first novel, Rentre de Classes. Her visit is made possible by the generous cultural partnership of Pro Helvetia  Swiss Arts Council.

German writer Michael Kumpfmuller who joins FGLF through the sponsorship of cultural partner, the Goethe-Institut will speak about his exquisitely written novel based on the last year in the life of Franz Kafka. The Glory of Life, the events of which take place in 1924, the same year as the Olympics on which Chariots of Fire is based, is a stunning testimony to the ordinariness of true beauty, and of how much closer to our reach it maybe than we so often think. Like Maylis de Kerangal, whose visit is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Alliance Francaise de Kotte, Michael will also conduct writing workshops.

South African writer Calvyn Gilfellan whose visit is sponsored and facilitated by the High Commission for South Africa will also revisit the past by exploring the Dutch Fort of South Africa and exploring the redemptive possibilities of previously oppressive spaces.

Performance is an important part of the Festival, and the celebrated contemporary Bangladeshi band Chirkutt, who will be at FGLF courtesy the High Commission for Bangladesh, will perform twice during the Festival, as will performance poet Carlos Andres Gomes. The participation of the piano duet of Ivana Alkovic and Maarten den Hengst has been made possible by the Dutch Embassy.

The Festival, now in its ninth year, takes place with the generous sponsorship of the title sponsor Fairway Holdings. This is the third occasion on which Fairway Holdings is providing the title sponsorship of the Festival. The Tourist Board of Sri Lanka is the Official Destination Partner, Jetwing Hotels the Official Hospitality Partner, Sri Lanka Telecom is the Official Telecom Partner andthe DFCC Bank is the Official Banking Partner.

The Festival also includes two important programmes which very considerably widen its reach. The Childrens Outreach Programme will this year be sponsored by the American Embassy and the North-South Programme sponsored by the German Embassy.

The full list of the second announcement of authors is as follows:

Charles Allen

Sallyanne Atkinson

Laurence Boissier

Siddharth Dasgupta

Louis de Bernieres

Sir Desmond de Silva

Calvyn Gilfellan

Carlos Andres Gomes

The Reverend Doctor Malcolm Guite

Nisid Hajari

Sunela Jayawardene

Sandra Jensen

Rachael Johnson

Ute Krause

Michael Kumpfmuller

Angus Leendertz

Sonnet Mondal

Justine Picardine

Shiromi Pinto

Nalin Ranasinghe

Nirupama Rao

Michael Roc Thomas

Kiryl Rudy

Udeni Samarasekara

Niti Sampat Patel

Dame Maggie Smith

Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane

Gayathri Warnakulasuriya
Slim volume that says much about the life and work of Lionel Wendt By Randima Attygalle View(s): View(s):

To us the camera is a technical instrument. When it is in the hands of Lionel Wendt, it is a medium of the arts. It is as words are to a poet; paint and brush to a painter, remarked the celebrated editor, D. B. Dhanapala. Although best known for his photographic abilities, Lionel Wendt was a mixed bag of talent. In the words of Pablo Neruda, a pianist, photographer, critic and cinematographer Lionel Wendt was the central figure of a cultural life torn between the death rattles of the Empire and a human appraisal of the untapped values of Ceylon. Few would know that Wendt was also a Barrister with a law degree from the Inner Temple!

His home which he bequeathed to the arts of this country which today stands as the Lionel Wendt Theatre remains the sole motif celebrating the legacy of this iconic artiste who took our arts in all their myriad forms to a new trajectory. Although scholars and scribes have kept the memory of Wendt alive through their written word, largely in English print media, there has been a dearth of books dedicated to the man. In such a vacuum, the attempt by author Sampath Bandara to recapture the globally acclaimed photographer, consummate pianist, the forerunner in the art of criticism, the founder of the first ever collective of modern artists and art lovers- the 43 Group, through his recently launched publication, Lionel Wendt- Art and Life, translated by eminent writer, Vijita Fernando is praiseworthy.

Had there been no Lionel Wendt theatre, then the possibility of his name being buried in the sands of time would be greater, notes the author in his preface. All his attempts to trace a biography of this multi-faceted artiste both here and at the British Library in London,had drawn a blank he notes. He also bemoans the fact that no stamp has been issued in his honour so far. The author, drawing material from several literary sources, newspapers and magazines, captures the eventful life of Wendt, his contributions to arts in the country and several celebrated personalities- local and foreign associated with his professional journey including D. R. Wijewardene, Basil Wright, George Keyt and Pablo Neruda.

Wendt who was born to an educated and affluent family- his father Henry Lorenz Wendt, an eminent judge of Burgher descent and mother, Amelia de Saram, daughter of judge Henricus de Saram, was educated at S. Thomas College. Despite Wendts blue-blooded lineage, his lens sought to freeze the rural Lankan landscape. When Basil Wright arrived in the island to make the film that was to become critically acclaimed as the Song of Ceylon, it was Wendt he sought as the still photographer for the documentary. In the words of Basil Wright, if there is no Lionel Wendt, then there is no Song of Ceylon. Wendts devotion to Kandyan dancing and drumming is reflected in this internationally acclaimed documentary which the judges at the Brussels International Film Festival of 1935 dubbed as the most precious poetic creation of a documentary film ever produced in the world.

A Sarasavi Publication, Lionel Wendt- Art and Life also encompasses some selected photographs by Lionel Wendt and enables a window into the life and work of the acclaimed photographer and artiste.

Author Sampath Bandaras effort in capturing the gifted artist who L.C. Van Geyzel applauds as possessing qualities, both practical and intellectual, which the artist seldom possesses in his slim volume is laudable.
A global plan to end malaria By Maha Barakat, Exclusive to the Sunday Times View(s): View(s):

ABU DHABI  No one should die from a preventable disease. Yet preventable diseases kill two million children every year, many of whom are too poor to afford proper treatment. The majority of these deaths are either treatable with existing medicines, or avoidable in the first place.

Malaria, a life-threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is one of these illnesses. Less than a century ago, families everywhere  including across North America and Europe  lived in fear of a mosquito bite. Malaria not only took the lives of children and adults; it perpetuated poverty and limited global economic growth, preventing millions from reaching their full potential.

Today, more than 30 countries have eliminated the malaria parasite, and at least ten more are on track to do so by 2020. Despite this, malaria remains a leading cause of death for children under five in Sub-Saharan Africa, taking the life of a child every two minutes. Malaria is also expensive, costing Africas economy some $12 billion per year.

Despite many decades of intense research and development efforts, with more than 20 possible vaccines currently being evaluated, there is still no commercially available inoculation against malaria. However, there are a number of preventive measures that can contribute to reducing the risk of infection. These include using insecticide-treated bed nets, spraying indoor walls with insecticides, and focusing prophylactic measures on the most vulnerable groups.

Today, we have a window of opportunity to build on what has already been accomplished, by highlighting and supporting initiatives and research efforts that could eradicate malaria. For example, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healths Malaria Research Institute have discovered how resistance to the malaria parasite can spread in a mosquito population. The findings could pave the way for the development of self-propagating malaria-control strategies, mitigating the need for continuous application of insecticides and reliance on bed nets.

Another important initiative that deserves support is the World Health Organizations vector control guidelines, which offer strategies for controlling the mosquitoes, flies, and bugs that transmit disease. The WHOs plan provides a new strategy to strengthen vector control worldwide through increased capacity, improved surveillance, better coordination, and integrated action across sectors and diseases. Global health efforts should support efforts by countries where malaria is endemic to develop and improve vector-control strategies.

We also need to consider how changing global environments are affecting the occurrence of malaria. For example, because deforestation creates favourable conditions for mosquitoes by producing ditches and puddles, which are more likely to pool less acidic water that is conducive to mosquito larvae development, countries with elevated forest loss tend to have higher rates of malaria. Deforestation also leads to reduced absorption of rainfall, which increases the volume of standing water.

In the United Arab Emirates, we believe that eliminating disease is central to global development. If people are given the opportunity to lead healthy lives, they can get an education, contribute to the economy, and look after their families, generating a multiplier effect that further boosts prosperity and development.

We also believe in adopting a holistic approach, one that includes securing financial commitments, promoting research and innovation through infrastructure development, and regularly convening global champions to maintain momentum and share ideas. For disease eradication, partnership is essential. That is why Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, has contributed $30 million to the Roll Back Malaria partnership, the preeminent global framework for action against malaria.

I am proud to sit on the board of Roll Back Malaria, because I believe that diversity of leadership perspectives is vital to finding solutions to combat the disease, particularly as we begin a bold new chapter in the quest to eliminate it. The landscape of leaders supporting global health is expanding, and now represents populations around the world. This is important, because partnerships like Roll Back Malaria must work globally to save the greatest possible number of lives.

We hope to encourage further global collaboration this week, as Abu Dhabi convenes more than 200 leaders in disease eradication at a forum called Reaching the Last Mile. This meeting aims to share insights and best practices on how to map, control, or eliminate preventable diseases, including innovations that could ultimately bring an end to malaria globally.

In the twentieth century, we managed to eradicate a disease, smallpox, for the first time in history. Complete eradication, elimination, or control of disease is complex, and that is particularly true of malaria. A few years ago, we thought that elimination of malaria was beyond our reach, but together the world has made tremendous progress. Between 2000 and 2015, public-health interventions saved the lives of 6.2 million people, 5.9 million of whom were children under the age of five.

By 2020, an estimated $6.4 billion will be needed each year to fund the global fight to eliminate malaria. This will be a difficult feat, but together we can create a future without the disease  a brighter and more stable future for millions of vulnerable people, with more opportunities for generations to come.

(The writer is a member of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board.) Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. www.project-syndicate.org
Catalonias star casts its shadow over Europe By Satharathilaka Banda Atugoda View(s): View(s):

The disputed referendum in the province of Catalonia on October 1 for secession has caused Spain to invoke special constitutional powers to evict the regional government of Catalonia based in Barcelona. According to the Government of Madrid only 43% of Catalonians have voted at the referendum while most opponents of secession, 2/3rds, did not participate in the voting. The Madrid Government has imposed direct rule on the province, while the Catalonian Foreign Affairs chief Raul Romeva said the seven million Catalonians have given a mandate for separation. He expected institutions including the police to follow orders from Barcelona rather than Madrid if direct rule is imposed. In fact, while preparing this article Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has removed Puigdemont the President of Catalonia, and the latter has appealed to his supporters to democratically oppose the promulgation of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution against Catalonia.

While these events are unfolding political observers believe that this process will have adverse consequences on the rest of the continent. Already the two Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto have overwhelmingly opted for more autonomy from Rome in a referendum. On October 23 the regional authority in Milan in Lombardy announced that 95% of the voters have voted for more autonomy. However, the turnout there too had been 39%. Similarly, in Veneto where Venice and Verona are situated, 98% have voted for more independence from Rome. The turn out there had been 57%. These developments follow the Brexit of Britain from the European Union and the processes which seem to weaken European unity. The two regions of Lombardy and Veneto account for 10 million people and is administered by the right wing Northern League, headed by Matteo Salvini. The regions being more affluent than the rest of Italy, the Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has already announced talks with regional leaders.

This article will confine itself only to Catalonia, but it should be remembered that in Austria, Sebastian Kurz who is the youngest ever leader at 31, to become the Federal Chancellor, is leading a right wing government whose policies are thought to be anti-immigrant. In Germany the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland party (AfD) have taken their seats in the German Parliament, Bundestag; they too follow an extreme stance on immigration and Chancellor Angela Merkel according to analysts will find it difficult to form a stable government. It is of course surmised that these countries will overcome these temporary political crises to get Europe back to democratic stability.

The fear in Catalonia is that the separatist leaders are mobilising a human shield to block the Madrid government from taking control of their region. The president of the region Carles Puigdemont and leader Lluis Corominas have declared peaceful and democratic defence of their institutions. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy convened Senate to win their approval for his crackdown on separatists. The President of Catalonia too was expected to address the Senate in Madrid to explain their stand but he was deposed. Premier Rajoy plans to take over all the Catalonian institutions including the police force, called the Mossos dEsquadra. The chief prosecutor of Spain has warned that separatist leaders would face as many as 30 years in jail if they go ahead with their separatist agitation.

Meanwhile the Euro slipped 0.4% to 1.1735 to the US dollar and the stock market fell low, wounding the economy. The Spanish Constitutional Court has declared the referendum and the movement illegal. According to political observers these measures would lead to a conflict. Prime Minister Rajoy has enforced Article 155 in the 1978 Spanish Constitution imposing central government control on Catalonia, and wants to have regional elections within the next six months. This was confirmed by Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, and is now fixed for December 21. Article 155 is as follows: If an autonomous community does not fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the Constitution or other laws or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general institutions of Spain, the Government after lodging a complaint with the President of the autonomous community and failing to receive satisfaction thereafter, may following approval granted by an absolute majority of the Senate, take measures in order to compel the latter to forcibly meet these obligations in order to protect the above mentioned general interests.

With a view to implementing the measures provided in the foregoing clause, the Government may issue instructions to all the authorities of the autonomous community. What Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has done is invoke these powers vested by this article of the Constitution promulgated on December 6, 1978 by King Juan Carlos after the death of Francisco Franco on November 20, 1975 under a dictatorial regime. Spain was transformed to a democracy having a two Chamber Parliament, the Senate, and the Congress of Deputies in 1975.

At present in greater Spain the support is for the enforcement of the central control of Catalonia. However, in Catalonia there are demonstrations supporting both Catalonian independence and the enforced legislative enactments by the central Government. It is the thinking of analysts that the Spanish Government will be able to suppress the separatist movement with international support. By November 1 Catalonia was in a state of confusion, the people not fully aware of who was governing the region.

Already United States, the European Union, United Kingdom, Germany, France and smaller nations both in Europe and in other parts of the world have declared support to the central Government of Spain against separation. Sri Lanka too has made a Statement of Support. The seeds of the present separatist movement lie in the formation of the Kingdom of Spain and also other similar movements like the Basques Separatist Movement.

Spain is an independent kingdom which was at the forefront of global affairs for centuries having an area of 504,750 square kilometres. The country is interspersed by young fold mountains and a number of river valleys. Situated bordering the Mediterranean Sea in the south and the European landmass to the north the land had been inhabited by many groups of tribe races. Among them are the Iberians, who came from North Africa, Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Norsemen, Arabs, and Moors. Castiles in Central Spain was the major ethnic group, who were proud of their ancestry. Their language was Castilian. The other groups were Aragons of north east Spain, Andalusians of the south and Catalonians of north east and Valencia, and Basques of north-west Spain.

The Catalans were settled in these regions from the middle ages and before and were reputed for their business skills, science and arts. In fact in 1469 Catalonia was integrated with the kingdom of Spain with the marriage of King Ferdinand the 2nd, an Aragon to Queen Isabella of Castile. Catalans had their identity, and their language is Catalan and they also speak Spanish. On the north- west of the Pyrenees are the Basques, who speak Basque. They are also a separate culture who are waiting to secede. On the west are the Asturians, and on the north west are Galicians akin to Portuguese. In all these regions there are rich cultural and historical traditions. Spain was thus a nation formed with a number of racial groups speaking different languages belonging to different cultures. It is the fourth largest economy in the European Union and Catalonia contributes a fifth of the income with its mineral wealth, tourism, and trade and commerce. Spain had her vicissitudes of fortune in history and politics having been a conglomeration of kingdoms, military rulers and dictators the last of whom was General Francisco Franco from 1933-1954. All these rulers were faced with the challenge of keeping Spain together with different cultural groups composing it, the last was keeping the Basque region with the nation. Perhaps Catalonia will also face the same settlement.

The Basques, Euskaldunak Vascos in Spanish, Basques in Frenchare an indigenous cultural group, speaking a different language having a shared ancestry to Vascos and Aquitanians, living in the western region of Pyrenees on the coast of Bay of Biscay, straddling north-central Spain, and south-west France. They were supposed to have settled in these regions 7,000 years ago in the Iberian Peninsula. They became part of the successive kingdoms of Spain like Aragon. As political events unfolded, the people in these river valleys of Ebro and Garonne and the Pyrenees ranges had to live with greater political units like France and Spain, but they were proud of their culture including their language which led them to agitate for independence. After the French revolution in the 1790s some parts of the Basque region like Labourd, Lower Navarre and Soule integrated with the French Department System in the south while the rest remained with Spain. Frequent agitation for independence from both countries led to a movement for liberation called Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA), since 1959. ETA means Basque Fatherland and Freedom. It was similar to the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The ETA was dissatisfied with the moderate nationalist struggle of the traditional Basque party.

Formed by a group of students they confronted the Spanish Government machinery and were so terrorist in character, that it became a proscribed organisation in Europe. The Spanish Government under General Franco tried to suppress them but they survived till October 2011 until the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero negotiated for a settlement of the terrorist activity until the problem was settled. He called it a victory for democracy, but the agitation for cessation still lingers on. A summary of their activities from 1937, when General Franco occupied their territory shows militancy. In 1961 ETA derailed a train and in 1968 they assassinated the secret police chief Meliton Manzanas, and in 1973 assassinated Prime Minister Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco. With leadership in the hands of Herri Batasuna from 1980, hundreds were killed by them. They attempted assassinating opposition leader Jose Maria Azner in 1995, who later became Prime Minister, and in 1997 August Batasuna and 23 others were jailed for seven years.

Terrorism spills over from region to region and Batasuna was supposed to have learnt the tricks of the trade from the Sinn Fein of Ireland. When the IRA signed the 1998 August Peace Agreement ETA too started following them. The Spanish Government and ETA had negotiations in Zurich in May 1999. It was a turning point in the partial giving up of arms, and in 2011 they came to a settlement to give up the armed struggle.

This brief history shows the links any separatist movement in Europe could forge with similar movements in the continent or elsewhere. While the Basques gave inspiration to Catalans in Spain the IRA gave schooling to the Basques. European countries all having independent linguistic, religious and cultural groups forming their nations are very susceptible to any militant movements by such ethnic groups.

Even in the Catalonian issue, Scottish Nationalist party chief Pedro Sanchez criticised Spain for refusing a dialogue and imposing direct rule by Madrid. They too had such a referendum but have not been able to secede from the United Kingdom yet. In the same vein, British Prime Minister Theresa May has been vehement that Britain and the UK does not and will not recognise the Catalan referendum. Belgium which also has a separatist problem has said through their Minister of Asylum and Migration Theo Francken, Puigdemont could ask for asylum in Belgium, as the Basques did when their problem was at its height. It is said that Puigdemont is in Belgium already. Belgium has asked for dialogue in settling the problem. It is one country where Europeans could seek asylum. In France, the neighbouring region of Occitanie has called for dialogue between Spain and Catalonia. These signify that the continent is concerned that the Catalonian problem should be isolated to Spain and should be resolved internally. Spain too is concerned that it should not be another Basque and should not have a snowballing effect.

Arent there lessons or concerns that Sri Lanka should learn and raise when these separatist phenomena operate in other lands. Shouldnt the constitution makers think further before taking a plunge to a well of constitution or confusion.

(The writer was a Foreign Service Officer.)
Climate change adaptation: Disaster risk reduction and catchment conservation By Ranjith Ratnayake View(s): View(s):

Disasters are no longer a relief response issue but a development issue. Source area protection was a key element in ensuring the availability of adequate and sustainable water resources for livelihood needs in ancient times and an integral component in Sri Lankas ancient hydraulic civilization dating over 2,500 years. Gradual encroachment into the hill country catchments due to plantation agriculture and increasing population pressures in catchments of other river basins led to encroachments and land degradation due to deforestation. This compounded by political compulsions and lack of integrated planning, management and regulation of the natural resources (water sector) has exacerbated the consequences resulting in many closed basins due to lack of perennial water flow. Floods, droughts and now landslides are of increasing concern with the impacts of climate change resulting in heavy social and economic costs with the increasing frequency of water related disasters. A single intense rainfall event and rivers are in spate with the heavy runoff carrying loads of silt as reflected in the muddy waters an indicator of increasingly eroded and degraded catchments.

Though integrated catchment management is part of integrated water resources management or IWRM now increasingly accepted to overcome the quantity and quality divide as well as issues of increasing competing uses and population and livelihood shifts, our colonial inherited administrative and at most sub sector or sector based initiatives as responses have not been successful. Even in the water sector with a Comprehensive Water Resources Policy in place more than a decade old (albeit yet in limbo) there has been no forward movement on a Comprehensive Water Law and 51 acts regulating water are in an enforcement logjam overwhelmed by the political dimension leaving the sector to be driven by a set of ideological assumptions and red herrings that merely help sustain the status quo by arousing the public. Unfortunately to date we have still not articulated at least the principles on which water will be governed so that periodic policies for use and management could follow. Poor or lack of enforcement of complementary acts such as the Soil Conservation Act and regular ad hoc land regularisation has further compounded the issues. A new Soil Conservation Act is in the offing and likely take some time to say the least but events could far overrun the processes. Water and land governance that had semblance of at least a sector approach till the new millennium is now handled piecemeal both in relation to the political and administrative dimensions making regulation and enforcement take a back seat. Technical agencies preoccupied with development have little interest in strengthening the regulatory frameworks or enforcement capacity with the little efforts often preempted by political compulsions. Some event driven issues have however resulted in environmental issues receiving the much needed attention and attempts to control and mitigate pollution are receiving political attention at the highest level. It is also significant to highlight the increasingly important and active role that institutions such as NBRO play with respect to vulnerably mapping and forecasts of landslides far above requirements of their dedicated mandate.

Models of River Basin Organisations (RBO) and especially River Basin Management (RBM) have been touted as panacea for basin level integrated water management notwithstanding the fact that rivers bisect basins and form the basis of administrative and political delimitation and in many cases, social divides that to overcome would seem extremely costly and disruptive especially in a country like Sri Lanka. On the other hand Integrated River Basin Planning (RBP) and related share agreements on allocations and uses have potential for reducing demand based conflicts of competing uses and users allowing for ecosystem conservation including adequate base flows as well.

An excellent initiative a few years back by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) on basin level water resources inventory and planning was restricted to some efforts in Uva and did not follow through. Nevertheless, certain selective Result Based Management (RBM) principles of management have certain advantages and need consideration for application in any RBP initiative undertaken. Some comprehensive basin studies have been undertaken in a few basins and a more integrated effort to assess and map basin water resources is currently being undertaken under the Climate Improvement Resilience Project (CRIP) of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources where 10 major basins are under study. Hopefully, climate change will help drive much needed policy and institutional changes.

There have been several other initiatives after the integrated water sector efforts of the 1990s that failed. Another sector based comprehensive initiative by the land sector in 2014 on the National Policy on Protection and Conservation of Water Sources with participation of other sectors has been formulated and can have a major impact if rigorously implemented with the required resources, backstopping and political commitment. Some positive movement is seen in the water sector such as amendments to the Irrigation Ordinance and Flood Protection Act which could reinforce efforts in adaptation and mitigation. Also the drinking water sector have on a selected basis (eg. Kelani, Gin ganga) initiated developing water safety plans with donor support, an outcome World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. This can provide positive input into overall basin water use but synergies will likely come only if coupled with integrated catchment and basin allocation and management mechanisms.

Climate change is here to stay and ever reducing short cycles of floods, droughts and landslides of increasing intensity have made Sri Lanka a continuing disaster prone country. The human, social and economic costs are unacceptable and are having severe negative impact all round. Frequent disaster events have now overtaken the pace of the planning processes and a war footing mode seems essential in coping and developing community resilience above and beyond the mostly infrastructure based resilience efforts being undertaken in most sectors. Donors too seem to prefer to support the latter rather than the former as progress evaluation is much easier and resources flow into agencies.

Effective management of water resources requires assessment of use and user pressures at an appropriate scale  large enough to take and operationalise all relevant information, but small enough to ensure that people who live in the area can easily relate to the catchment that may be part of the basin or sub basin. Integrated catchment management of at least selective catchments in the first instance seems critical if loss of life, property and livelihoods is to be reduced and safeguarded with communities not having to be constantly moving to and fro from relief camps. With most vulnerable sites identified (NBRO), concerted efforts and resources need to be applied along with communities as partners. Increasingly corporates are realising their responsibilities to society and many are now are actively involved in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities under their CSR commitments many with medium term interventions. Opportunities for public/private initiatives at these local levels seem increasingly possible. While such initiatives go ahead negative environmental behaviour in parallel is still taking place. For example in recurring landslide areas such as Aranayake regular heavy logging is still taking place without any concomitant replanting or reforestation in place due to loopholes in administrative rules and regulations that enable such logging to be legitimate. With Commitment to SDG especially considering 6, 13 and 15 it is time to give teeth to the promises made in our National Adaptation Plans (NAP) and more recently on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) required in the Paris Agreement that we signed sooner than later. It may be opportune to focus more on the upstream rather than only the downstream and disaster relief responses at present.

With increasingly frequent recurring cycles of floods, droughts and landslides not only in Sri Lanka but also in South Asia and elsewhere, the humanitarian aspect of disaster response by developed countries and donors are taxed to the limit and signs of relief fatigue are apparent. Its for the policymakers and politicians to realise that humanitarian aid for disasters is drying up and there is need to treat floods, droughts and landslides as a development issue in Sri Lanka and quickly move away from the politically attractive relief disbursements to development initiatives aimed at adaptation and mitigation.

(The writer was a Director Water Resources Development at the Ministry of Irrigation, Power and Energy.)
Sri Lanka and Indian Ocean foreign policy By Dr. Sarala Fernando View(s): View(s):

The vision of Sri Lanka as an Indian Ocean state has been evolving over the years. Initially this notion was familiar mainly to archaeologists and historians dealing with the material evidence found in ancient sites like Mantai as well as written accounts, oral stories, maps, etc from early foreign sources, East and West.

At independence, Sri Lankan leaders were focused on bilateral issues in the immediate horizon, balancing defence ties with the departing colonial power and taking stock of the powerful new Indian state. There was a comfort zone in retaining the colonial connection through such associations as the Commonwealth and the Colombo Plan. However, with India, the early negotiations were characterised by a process of separation, demarcation of the maritime boundary, the sovereignty of Kachchativu and citizenship for the Indian indentured labour. Hailed as an Agreement on Friendly Frontiers, the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of June 1974 signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka and the subsequent Agreement of March 1976, established the maritime boundaries of the two countries in the Historic Waters in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait and the Palk Bay. The agreements also unequivocally declared that each country shall have sovereignty and exclusive jurisdiction and control over the waters, the islands, the continental shelf and its subsoil, falling on its own side of the agreed boundary.

It was only much later, in the 1990s, after Indias economic liberalisation, that a different process, one of economic integration, began with the signing of the bilateral free trade agreement. Today, bilateral economic integration is growing exponentially on account of neighbourhood policies and, Indias emergence as a rising giant in Asia, but also because of the inability of SAARC to develop its full economic potential. SAARC has however embedded itself in the social fabric through people to people contacts at many levels, so that by and large the South Asian identity is well recognised in Sri Lanka.

In the 1970s, it was Sri Lankas active participation in the UN Law of the Sea negotiations which gave the thrust to its vision as an Indian Ocean state. Diplomatic negotiations led by the foreign ministry bore significant results for Sri Lanka, pushing her territory out to an area of seabed the extent of which is said to be about 25 times the land territory. Sri Lankas leadership in the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) during this period strengthened the islands connections with the African continent and the western Indian Ocean, giving rise to several initiatives of Afro-Asian solidarity. Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, as the first woman Prime Minister in the world, was hailed throughout Africa enabling broad country recognition for the island in that continent.

However, its worth considering why some early political initiatives in the Indian Ocean did not stand the test of time like the Indian Ocean Peace Zone (IOPZ). IOPZ was seen as confronting Western military bases such as at Diego Garcia and blocking freedom of navigation in key sea lanes. Eventually the recourse to military bases would become obsolete with the development of new ship technologies and ability to stay at sea for longer periods and IOPZ also faded away.

In terms of formulating an Indian Ocean policy, the Sri Lanka Institute for International Relations (now known as the Lakshman Kadirgarmar Institute) was given the task during its fledgling days, to identify the early influences on Sri Lankas foreign policy and its role in the world. As part of this research on the islands maritime identity and the potential of maritime diplomacy, the institute published in 2003 a revised reprint of the collection of articles which had appeared in 1990 under the title Sri Lanka and the Silk Road of the Sea, to celebrate the arrival in Sri Lanka of the UNESCO Maritime Silk Route expedition. While the 1990 publication had relied on historical and archaeological evidence, by the time of the 2003 reprint, the framework had already taken on new dimensions referred to in a new preface, the advent of the digital era, new technologies of rapid communications and Sri Lankas participation in regional diplomatic ventures like Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation (IORAC) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Senake Bandaranayakes definition of the key foundations for policy making remains valid. He mentioned the internal factors, such as the islands existence as a clearly demarcated and independent geopolitical and geocultural entity during a period of nearly two and a half millennia; a conservationist role appropriate to its terminal location as repository of longstanding traditions belonging to the South Asian cultural matrix while the external factors were the islands openness to countries and cultures beyond the South Asian region and its function as a nodal centre of transoceanic communications.

In 2013, the National Trust published Maritime Heritage of Lanka, ancient ports and harbours dealing with Sri Lankas relationship with the surrounding seas, from the perspectives of history, geography, land and marine archaeology, maritime commerce, numismatics, etc. In this book, chapters on marine mammals and pelargic birds brought in environmental issues as indispensable to Sri Lankas Indian Ocean heritage. Sudharshan Seneviratne, reviewing the book, while applauding its achievements, referred to the missing link  the absence of analysis of the maritime relationship with India. In the editorial discussions that predated the publication, this matter had infact been discussed but how does one deal with the proverbial elephant in the room so that the Big Neighbour does not eclipse the pearl?

There is much talk today of the Blue Economy. Leading Indian Ocean states like Indonesia have already defined its national policy covering areas of economy, defence, environment, diplomacy etc and begun implementing key measures. Looking at the Indonesian policy document, it is clear that differences of size and power do matter. Thus Indonesia has no compunction to exercise its lethal power within its Blue Economy policy for example by shooting trespassing boats. According to a recent analysis, in June 2017 Indonesia sank 81 captured vessels involved in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing as an effective deterrent, despite international criticism. It is hardly likely that such an option is open to Sri Lanka in the Palk Strait where hundreds of trawlers are engaged in IUU fishing. However a welcome start has been made on this matter by the legislation going through our Parliament to ban trawler fishing, together with the existing declaration of a marine sanctuary on our side of the Palk Strait.

How can Sri Lankas small navy which also runs the coast guard operations, effectively police this zone? Technology offers methods available to small states like GPS, satellite tracking and monitoring of these alleged fishing vessels which are often also engaged in smuggling and other organised crime. Yet every day newspapers report of detections of Kerala ganja smuggled into Sri Lanka. Even hapless animals are not immune  recently the Sri Lanka navy seized some 2,000 star tortoises being smuggled from India to Sri Lanka destined for transshipment to western markets.

Sri Lankan leaders have been referring to the Blue Economy for some time but the comprehensive policy document is awaited. It seems the preferred option is a limited diplomatic role to develop an international legal regime or the rules of the road in the Indian Ocean. The experience of the IOPZ is useful in this regard which was criticised as aimed against certain Western powers. It is thus a road to be traversed carefully, to avoid the impression that this new Sri Lankan initiative is designed to block any key player but rather to ensure that no one is left behind. It is also ironic that, with the turns of history, the US once the target of IOPZ, is now firmly behind the new Sri Lankan initiative as is also India which once was a prime mover in IOPZ!
The crisis facing Indias Supreme Court By Soutik Biswas View(s): View(s):

(BBC)  Indias Supreme Court has been witness recently to some extraordinary developments over the handling of alleged corruption by a retired high court judge.

There have been open differences between its most senior judges over petitions seeking an independent investigation into corruption charges involving a blacklisted medical college. Federal investigators had accused retired judge Ishrat Masroor Quddusi  who was arrested last September and is now on bail  of trying to secure court orders to reopen the college.

Last week, the top court saw stormy exchanges between one petitioner  Prashant Bhushan, himself a prominent lawyer  and Chief Justice Dipak Misra, after the former openly charged the senior judge with conflict of interest. It all brought into sharp relief judicial indiscipline and growing mistrust among Indias top judges.

This is not good news for one of the worlds most powerful courts. In an unprecedented chorus of criticism, commentators said last weeks events revealed deep distrust at the top of the court, raised very serious questions about its future and underlined the collective failure of judges and lawyers to treat the faith of the people in the institution with the respect it deserves.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a leading academic and columnist, believes the top court is facing its worst crisis of credibility since the Emergency, the darkest hour in independent Indias history when civil liberties were suspended and the court buckled under pressure from then prime minister Indira Gandhis government.

He could be right.

During the Emergency the judges were browbeaten and weakened by the government. What we are seeing now is an internal crisis, Alok Prasanna Kumar, a fellow of Vidhi Legal Policy, a Bangalore-based independent legal policy advisory group, told me.Judges, who are supposed to be protecting the institution, dont seem to trust each other. This is the hollowing out of a great institution.

Indias Supreme Court is the final court of appeal, has constitutional powers and is a significant public institution. It is also one of the busiest: in 2015, it disposed off more than 47,000 cases, but still had a backlog of nearly 60,000 cases until February last year. Many say the crisis in the top court mirrors the declining faith of the people in the justice system. Many Indians dont see judges as neutral and honest any more. Hearings can go on for years or even decades  there are some 30 million cases pending in district courts alone.

The number of civil cases filed in all courts has steadily declined over the last decade even as Indias population and economy have grown. More people appear to be settling their disputes through their elected lawmakers or local police.Over the last decade, say experts, even the higher courts have begun to look flawed.

Lower courts were compromised, but the high courts and Supreme Court were seen to be above suspicion. No longer. Thats the scary part, says Shylashri Shankar, a fellow with the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research and author of a book on the Supreme Court.

As the top court has come under fierce scrutiny by the media and independent legal reforms groups, the public backlash against some of its judgements has been rising. In the past year alone, the court has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Among the controversies:

In January, the federal government bypassed a 2014 judgement banning a bullfighting sport under an Indian law aimed at preventing cruelty to animals, and allowed the events to resume after public protest against the ban.In June, the court stripped a senior sitting high court judge of his judicial powers and sent him to prison after he was convicted of contempt after sending a letter to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in which he urged action against the judges.

In December, following protests by hotels and restaurants, the court was forced to ease an earlier order banning all liquor shops to shut down along state and national highways. And in November, much to the chagrin of many moviegoers, the court ordered all cinemas to play the national anthem before a film is screened.

Then theres mounting criticism about the way the court has stonewalled attempts to bring it under the right to information law. Critics are also are discomfited by the absolute powers the court enjoys in appointing and transferring judges through a largely opaque collegium system  comprising five of the most senior judges including the chief justice  which appoints judges to the supreme court and two dozen high courts.

Theres also much chatter about unwritten regional and gender quotas in appointment of top judges, and an alleged cosy relationship between the judges and the lawyers of the court.Judges, say many, are also vulnerable to political pressures because many take up prestigious government jobs after retirement. One reason could be their relatively modest pay: salaries of judges have been hiked only four times in the past 67 years, and even then at a lower rate than the salaries of lawmakers.

At the same time, there is little doubt that Indias top judges are overworked. When Dr Shankar was researching her book on the Supreme Court, she found a single high court judge was hearing some 100 cases  including adjournments  every day. A serving high court judge told a colleague recently that he had heard 300 cases in a single day. A Supreme Court judge, during his tenure over four to six years, was hearing some 6,000 cases alone.

Many feel that the relatively short tenures of the judges  less than four years on an average for a top court judge and about two years for the chief justice  means that they dont serve long enough or gain a sense of ownership of the court and provide robust leadership and continuity. It is not possible, says Alok Prasanna Kumar, to take charge of an institution so quickly and easily.

In the end, many say, the recent developments point to a divided court and tension about the judiciarys role in a democracy where other institutions have become corroded. The challenge is to ensure that the judiciary remains accountable to the principles of democracy, Dr Shankar says. Judiciary, she says, cannot be above democracy. Courtesy BBC
The warning now covers the coastline from the northern end of Waihi Beach south-eastward to Opape.

Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from sites in this region have shown levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins above the safe limit of 0.8 mg/kg set by MPI.

Anyone eating shellfish from this area is potentially at risk of illness. Cooking shellfish does not remove the toxin.

Mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish should not be eaten.

Paua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.

Symptoms typically appear between 10 minutes and 3 hours after ingestion and may include:

numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet)

difficulty swallowing or breathing

dizziness

headache

nausea

vomiting

diarrhoea

paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.

If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued, phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately.

You are also advised to contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.

Monitoring of toxin levels will continue and any changes will be communicated accordingly. Commercially harvested shellfish - sold in shops and supermarkets, or exported - is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by MPI to ensure they are safe to eat.

You can also check signs in the affected areas.
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says has experienced a huge learning curve after attending the COP23 conference in Germany last week.

In a Facebook video blog, Todd reports back on his involvement at the conference. He is one of more than 25,000 who attended with all 170 parties linked into the Paris agreement turning up for the event.

The video is part of what is expected to be regular Facebook video blogs, updating constituents on whats happening in New Zealands 52nd parliament

The conference was chaired by Fiji, which Todd says is an advantage for the region.

Fiji are chairing this particular conference which is GREAT for our region and great for the Pacific, in particular, he says.

Its been great to hear the feedback over the few days Ive been here, appreciative of New Zealands effort over the last few years supporting Pacific Island countries in particular, to grapple with climate change and the impact on their community.

The previous Government gave over $200 million to support mitigation and adaption efforts.

He says the week was a good way to lay the foundations or a rule book of how to actually implement, report on, and progress the Paris Agreement across the 170 countries.

We have made our commitment under the previous government for a 30 per cent reduction under 2005 levels by 2030 which is a commitment that Im very proud of giving a voice to here as the Opposition Spokesman for Climate Change.

Its a huge learning curve, an incredibly vibrant environment, and quite different from anything Ive ever experienced before.
Its now cheaper for Wytheville residents to dispose of brush. The Wytheville Town Council this week approved an amendment to the towns brush collection guidelines to allow residents to deposit brush at the brush disposal site on the first and third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. without a fee and without restriction on the number of loads that can be dropped off.

Previously, there was a $3 per cubic yard fee on brush to be deposited. The disposal site is on Atkins Mill Road.

In other business, the council approved on first, but not final, reading regulations that set standards for picketing and other types of demonstrations within the corporate limits.

Under the new requirements, groups of 10 or more people who plan to demonstrate must give the town 48 hours notice before picketing so that the town can prepare for the event. Also, organizers must tell the town if anyone below the age of 18 is expected to participate and must conform to a list of conduct standards listed in the ordinance. Some of the standards include not blocking sidewalks or rights-of way and not using loudspeakers.

Communities throughout Virginia have recently been adopting such regulations in response to events that have occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this fall, said council member Beth Taylor.

In August, during a Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, white nationalists clashed with counter-protesters. The hostile confrontations ended in tragedy when an Ohio man plowed his 2010 gray Dodge Challenger through a group of peaceful protesters, killing one and injuring more than 30 others.

In discussing the requirements in a council meeting last month, council member Tommy Hundley said the town in no way wants to develop regulations that infringe on anyones rights or freedom of speech. However, the council also realizes that picketing and demonstrations must be held in an orderly fashion and in a manner that does not endanger demonstrators or citizens.

Also during the meeting, the council approved ordinance amendments that permit merchants to hold sidewalk sales in front of their stores as long as pedestrian traffic is not blocked.

To reach Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) closed last Wednesday on an up to $500,000 grant to the Southwest Virginia Community College Educational Foundation to be used for workforce development and training at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC).

The funds will be used to provide scholarships to students in emerging workforce fields such as information technology, unmanned aerial systems, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing. The students must be residents of the seven-county, one-city coalfield region served by VCEDA. VCEDA was established to help enhance and diversify the economy of this region, which includes the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise and the City of Norton.

The grant also makes funding available to administer National Career Readiness Certification testing to students still in high school or at SWCC who are interested in earning a trade or IT certification to immediately transfer to the workforce upon graduation and completion of the testing.

VCEDA is pleased to provide the grant funding for this program which will benefit the citizens in our region and provide proof of their career readiness, said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. Being able to demonstrate our workforce capabilities to various companies considering locations in our region is an important step in our efforts to further diversify our economic base.

We are very pleased to receive grant funding from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority for this program, said Dr. Mark Estepp, president of SWCC. It has been said that higher education is the engine of economic development. Because of VCEDAs funding of higher education programs in this region, that engine will in turn help to power the ability of SWCC to train and retrain our regions citizens for high-paying, high-demand careers.

SWCC officials noted career readiness testing could be administered through the career-technology centers VCEDA-region counties already have established at the high school level. This would enable students to complete the requirements for their high school diploma and simultaneously to be recognized as career-ready and workforce credentialed through the national testing program.
Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg View. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a national affairs writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist.

By Francis Wilkinson | Bloomberg View



The word has gone forth that a "reckoning" is due. Democrats are preparing to come to terms with Bill Clinton's sexual transgressions. Sort of. Depending on what you mean by "reckoning."

In a recent conversation with a male Democratic consultant about the extraordinary wave of sexual harassment allegations -- or, more accurately, the reaction to those allegations -- shaking American culture, it seemed as if some sort of grappling with the sordid side of Clinton's history was inevitable. Clinton is 71 years old. His wife has run her last race. There is nothing he can do for Democrats now in return for their continued silence about a sleazy past.

Some ambitious Democratic politician, we agreed, might even perceive long-term benefit in lambasting the former president for his sins. (On Thursday night, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., seized the opportunity, saying Clinton should have resigned from the presidency.)

Just about everyone seems to recognize that at least some of the allegations leveled against Clinton over the decades were too credible to be dismissed. Paula Jones was cynically manipulated by right-wing operatives. But, c'mon, something must've happened in that hotel room where she said Clinton exposed himself.

In the New York Times, liberal columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote a column last week titled "I believe Juanita," referring to Juanita Broaddrick, a woman who accused Clinton of rape. In The Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg denounced "moral sickness in the service of partisanship." She was referring specifically to the partisan hacks -- shout-out to Ann Coulter! -- justifying Roy Moore's Senate campaign in Alabama. But she meant the Democrats who explained away Clinton's behavior as well.

Younger liberal men such as MSNBC host Chris Hayes and Vox writer Matthew Yglesias were on board with the Kill Bill vibe, too. It seemed like a consensus was in the works to disinter Clinton's presidency, let out a collective hiss and then bury it all over again with an ugly new epitaph.

But if the conversations I had this week with a few Democratic women in their 50s and 60s are any indication, not everyone's ready for the funeral.

These are women who worked for sexual equality and abortion rights. Women who in the 1990s or since had worked in powerful positions in Democratic politics and government. None was willing to talk on the record. None was ready to cut Clinton loose from the party that they had given decades of their lives to. Each was ambivalent in her own way.

In the most striking conversation, an extraordinarily accomplished professional recalled Clinton as a philanderer. She sighed over Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky. But she had completely, conveniently, forgotten the non-consensual parts of the Clinton saga.

Another woman of forceful opinions, forcefully expressed, hemmed and hawed uncharacteristically. She spoke of her anger at the awkward, impossible position in which Clinton had placed his liberal supporters during the Lewinsky scandal. And she talked about forgiveness -- not reckoning.

Another circled around the chessboard without ever landing on a square. "This is going to churn for a while," she said. "I don't know that there will be a spotlight moment on Bill Clinton. But I do believe the portrait of him will change."

That seems like a good guess. But watching devoted Democrats rationalize the past does put the sight of Alabama Republicans rationalizing the present in context. White Christians in Alabama are busy triangulating the basis of their vote for skeevy Roy Moore, just as last year they rationalized their support for skeevy Donald Trump. No doubt they would prefer an honest senator who didn't molest teenagers. But they're going to the culture war with the candidate they've got, not the candidate they wish they had.

Democrats in the 1990s did the same, albeit with a man, unlike Moore, who had intellectual and political gifts that paid dividends for the whole nation. Democrats are now responding to far less serious accusations against Sen. Al Franken by pushing him into the equivalent of purgatory -- an ethics committee investigation. If things work out, and no other credible accusations are made, he may very well keep his seat.

In New York, Jonathan Chait wrote of Moore's candidacy: "It's easy to feel superior about this when opposition to grotesque treatment of teenage girls lines up neatly with your own party's well-being."

The awkward truth is that the nation's politics are balanced on a needle right now. Otherwise decent people will tolerate the intolerable, the indecent, even the criminal for the chance to nudge the world ever so slightly in their direction.

In one sense, with Harvey Weinsteins on the way down, women are on the rise. Surely that's the pulse of the moment, and the long-term trend. But with a groping sexist in the White House, and Republican men running Congress, women are also vulnerable in the short term.

A Clinton reckoning -- whatever that means -- will likely come in some form. But it may have to wait until the world shifts further toward the more equitable balance that Clinton himself, for all his grim faults, sought to bring forth.
Allen Naples is M&T Bank Regional President for Syracuse and Central New York.



By Allen Naples | Special to Syracuse.com



The resurgence of Downtown Syracuse is gaining momentum, but it will require a community effort to accelerate -- and then sustain -- the progress.



Our road to revitalization, though long and occasionally bumpy, has been paved with resilience, tenacity and a will to succeed. We've come a long way, and we've overcome many obstacles in our path.



However, we all can agree there's still more work to be done.



In its beginning, a downtown recovery can be sparked by a few visionary leaders who are willing to take a risk and invest their own time, energy and money to start a city's turnaround.



Day by day, project by project, year after year, the revitalization begins to pick up more steam.

And it's happening right here in Syracuse. According to the Downtown Committee, there has been a 67 percent increase in people living downtown since 2010. These new residents frequent local businesses and fuel economic activity. The downtown workforce has also grown, with an impressive 800 new employees added at offices in our city's downtown. Additionally, 24 new businesses opened up shop last

year.



We at M&T Bank are proud to have invested more than $200 million in loans over the past three years alone to support numerous development and redevelopment projects that are changing the face of downtown Syracuse -- and gaining national recognition.



The Hotel Syracuse has been restored to its original, magnificent form and reopened as the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. As a result of Ed Riley's vision and the tireless work of so many, this hotel, once uncared for and in need of repair, now embodies Syracuse's rebirth and re-imagination. Its revival allows

visitors to experience the reinvigorated spirit of our city.



The renovated hotel has also turned heads, earning the 2017 title as the "Best City Center Historic Hotel" from Historic Hotels of America.



The renamed Barclay Damon Tower, a dynamic mainstay of the Syracuse skyline, is once again nearly 100 percent occupied, bringing new businesses and new workers to the downtown area.



The ultra-chic Pike Block offers city dwellers high-end urban living steps away from nightclubs, restaurants, shows, museums and galleries.



And there's more to come.



Clinton Square will soon be buzzing, with the redevelopment of the former Post-Standard building into a vibrant commercial and residential community.



The once-vacant Symphony Tower is undergoing transformation into a Hyatt House hotel, a redevelopment that will boost our local economy and provide needed accommodations for extended-stay visitors.



Our region's center has come alive, and we all have a role to play to keep the heart of our city beating.



We recently injected new resources into Central New York's Broadway theater series. Our sponsorship of the M&T Bank Broadway Season will help sustain the series in the years ahead while providing funding and support to attract some of the world's best theatrical performances to Syracuse.



The series enriches our community and provides inspiration to young people who may experience their first Broadway show through the local season. And importantly, it also bolsters the downtown economy.



It's expected the Broadway season will sell about 100,000 tickets to shows at the Landmark Theatre and Crouse Hinds Theater. This means thousands of people visiting our downtown and spending their money at local shops, bars, restaurants and hotels.



And we should all do what we can to turn their first or infrequent visits into regular return visits. More tourists enjoying our city and more suburban visitors choosing to become downtown residents will help foster sustained growth.



There are actions we all can take to make it happen. Expanding business hours to accommodate for high-traffic time periods downtown will allow locals and tourists to experience Syracuse to its fullest.

Creating new incentives to encourage people to live, work and play downtown will accelerate this positive development we are undergoing. Supporting community organizations committed to keeping our city vibrant and prosperous will ensure that Syracuse continues to shine bright.



The revitalization of downtown Syracuse is exciting, but the apex of our resurgence can only be achieved if our city works as one. Together, our efforts will propel Syracuse's growth. Unified, our strength and determination will drive our city to reach new heights not yet imagined.



Speaking on behalf of M&T Bank, we believe that there is only more progress on the horizon.



But, we cannot be complacent. As a business community, we must collaborate to cultivate this momentum and growth. We urge downtown businesses to join us -- let's all do our part to ensure that our progress does not stop, but moves ever forward.




WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's budget director said Sunday that the White House is open to removing a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate from the GOP legislation to overhaul the nation's tax laws if it becomes an hindrance to the bill's passage.

"If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill and have a tax bill that is still a good tax bill, that can pass, that's great," Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said on CNN's "State of the Union." "If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we are OK with taking it out."

Mulvaney said he does not think it is currently an impediment. He said it would be up to House and Senate negotiators to figure out whether to include it in a final legislative package.

The mandate repeal has become a point of contention in the GOP effort to pass the tax bill by the end of the year. In a strategy shift, Senate GOP leaders opted last week to include it in their legislative framework. The tax bill that passed the House last week did not include the repeal.

Marc Short, the White House legislative affairs director, said Sunday that the White House is "very comfortable with the House bill" because it achieves its top priorities.

"We also, though, believe the individual mandate is a tax," Short said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "And it is harming middle-income families the most. So we like the fact that the Senate has included it in its bill."

The individual mandate requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a fine. Including it in the Senate bill gives GOP leaders in the upper chamber more revenue to work with in their version of the legislation, because it would probably result in fewer Americans signing up for insurance and taking advantage of federal subsidies offered by the government to pay for coverage.

Critics of the maneuver say it would harm the nation's health-care system. The back-and-forth has reignited debates over the ACA, also known as Obamacare, the law that Republicans spent months this year unsuccessfully trying to dismantle.

Republican leaders are hoping that passing a broad tax overhaul will help them turn the page on their failure to repeal and replace the ACA and give them a boost headed into next year's midterm elections. They are seeking to pass a far-reaching plan to simplify the tax code and slash taxes. The majority of the cuts would go to corporations and wealthy Americans.

Senate GOP leaders plan to bring their bill to the floor for consideration after lawmakers return from next week's Thanksgiving recess. It remains unclear whether they will have the votes to pass their measure, as some key Republican senators have voiced concerns. Republicans hold a narrow 52-to-48 advantage over Democrats in the Senate.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a centrist who has voiced several worries about the bill, said on "This Week" that the "biggest mistake" was including the mandate repeal. She expressed hope that it would be dropped from the proposal or that a plan to mitigate its effects that she and other senators are pushing would be adopted.

Collins did not say how she would vote on the bill. If the Senate passes its legislation, it would have to work out its differences with the House version.

Asked whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would be willing to remove the mandate repeal if it becomes an impediment, Don Stewart, a McConnell spokesman, called that scenario a "hypothetical" one.
New Windsor, N.Y. -- Explosions and fire at a cosmetics factory in the Hudson Valley sent multiple people to the hospital today.

The Verla International cosmetics factory in New Windsor was rocked by at least two explosions Monday morning, according to the Times Herald-Record in nearby Middletown. New Windsor is about 90 minutes north of New York City.

About 12 people, including four firefighters, were taken to a hospital in the wake of the blasts and fire, the Herald-Record said. NBC New York reported nearly two dozen were hurt.

The factory has been operating since 1980 and makes nail polish, perfume, lotions and other products, the paper said.

The fire spewed thick plumes of black smoke from the building's roof and its damaged sides, according to NBC.

Witnesses described an acrid smell in the air nearby the plant, NBC said. The cause of the explosions is under investigation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit the plant with nine violations earlier this year, according to NBC. They related to exit maintenance and use of flammable liquids, among other things.

Six of the violations were classified as serious, NBC said. The factory employs over 100 people.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112
Forgetting things is frustrating. However, the good news is that most of the time, the seemingly lost item would eventually resurface. That is the reason some people keep themselves from worrying because the lost item will eventually find its way back to them.

But what if it does not reappear for the next 20 years?

That is exactly what happened to a German motorist who thought he lost his car, a Volkswagen Passat, in 1997, only to find out two decades later that it was at the exact same place where he left it.

According to German local newspaper Augsberger Allgemein, the man, who is now 76 years old, forgot where he parked his car, which was in an industrial building in Frankfurt. When he was tired looking for it, the man assumed the car was stolen, and so he reported it to the authorities.

Car Left Parked For 20 Years

However, on Wednesday a demolition company found the rusting car inside the structure's parking area which hindered their demolition of the entire building. The company informed the authorities regarding the Volkswagen Passat, which the latter then connected to a stolen car report back in 1997.

In the report, Frankfurt police tracked down the car's owner, and brought him and his daughter to the old building to be reunited with his long lost car. Unfortunately, the car is no longer functional.

"The car can no longer be driven and will be sent to the scrap heap", says authorities.

Tips To Find A Lost Car

For people who often forget where they put their things, or where they park their vehicles, there are ways to fight forgetfulness. One way is to remember the name of the street, parking lot, or building where the car is located. It may not be the exact location, but knowing the area narrows options. If the vehicle owner remembered he parked inside an industrial building, even when he thought it was stolen, the police could have had a lead as to where to start looking.

Another way to keep track of a car is use mobile applications, although this could only work in modern vehicles that support mobile phone connections and GPS. Finally, the easiest way is to ask a friend or family member to park the vehicle and remember its location. There is a high possibility that the German car owner was alone when he parked the vehicle, which left no witnesses to help him remember its whereabouts.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Everyone is getting in on the holiday spirit this Black Friday 2017, meaning that deals on smartphones are popping up almost everywhere.

Samsung isn't one to shy away from the festivities when it comes to its Galaxy phones, and the same goes for carriers and retailers across the United States. That said, now is a great time to get the phone you've always wanted  the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 Active, and more.

Samsung Black Friday Sale

Where else to buy but from the maker itself? Samsung is kicking off Black Friday with a trade-in deal for the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8 Plus that lets you save up to $300. It's even throwing in a Gear 360 camera free of charge.

Eligible devices you can turn in include the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S5 and above, LG G4 and above, iPhone SE, iPhone 5 and above, and the original Pixel and Pixel XL.

T-Mobile Samsung Phone Deals

If you're in the market for not one but two Galaxy phones, then T-Mobile has got your back. The magenta carrier is celebrating Black Friday with BOGO deals, and the list includes the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and the Galaxy S8 Active, which has gone beyond AT&T.

Speaking of the Galaxy S8 Active, Sprint is also carrying the rugged smartphone now. What's more, it's giving consumers 50 percent off their monthly payments with Sprint Flex if they purchase the handset and switch from another carrier, boiling them down to $17.71 a month for 18 months.

Target, Walmart Galaxy Phone Offers

As mentioned earlier, retailers aren't out of the fun this Black Friday, namely Target and Walmart.

First off, Target is bundling the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and Galaxy Note 8 with a $300 in-store gift card, which you can use toward, say, the 16 GB Galaxy Tab A 10.1 that got $100 shaved off its $279.99 standard price.

Next up, Walmart is putting up the Galaxy S7 on Straight Talk wireless for just $299. Going down from $499, that's $200 in savings right off the bat.

Wrap-up

Sure enough, Samsung isn't just bringing mobile phones to the table. That's just the tip of its Black Friday sale.

At that, it's also slashing prices across the board for TVs, the Gear S3 frontier, and the Chromebook Plus, so it's hard not to run into a deal that tickles your fancy if you're looking for a Samsung product but not a Galaxy phone in particular.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Despite steep odds, at least three changes are under review by a legislative task force studying the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS.

Expanding the little-used TOPS Tech program, which would carry a pricetag at a time of state budget problems, is one of the ideas being tossed around by the TOPS Task Force.

The state is spending $291 million on TOPS for the 2017-18 academic year.

Converting TOPS to a stipend, and no longer linking it to college tuition, is being touted by state Sen. Blade Morrish, R-Jennnings, chairman of the 10-member panel. LSU leaders and others would oppose that.

And raising the minimum GPA required for the most common form of TOPS, called TOPS Opportunity, is also in the mix. A bill to do just that won narrow House approval earlier this year before dying in the Senate Education Committee, which Morrish also chairs.

The task force, which has been meeting for months, is set to hold its final fact-gathering session on Nov. 30.

The panel will then start deciding which if any of the three proposals, or others, can win support when recommendations are sent to the full Legislature. The 2018 regular session begins on March 12.

Changing TOPS is always a challenge, and whether any consensus will develop on the task force for major alternations is unclear.

About 52,000 students get TOPS, which pays for most tuition. Nearly half get TOPS Opportunity, according to 2016-17 figures, the latest available.

Most of the rest is divided between TOPS Performance and TOPS Honors, which carry more rigorous academic requirements and also include stipends of up to $800 per year.

But Morrish and some others on the task force say they are concerned about TOPS Tech, which has lower academic requirements and is typically used for two years at a community or technical college.

Only about 2 percent of TOPS recipients  1,114 at last count  get TOPS Tech.

Unlike TOPS Opportunity, which requires a minimum ACT score of 20, TOPS Tech requires a minimum of just 17 on the test of college readiness. The top score on the ACT is 36.

Morrish said some students view TOPS Tech as second-class.

"I don't feel like we are getting the bang for our bucks for TOPS Tech," he said.

Morrish said the state should consider extending TOPS Tech financing for two more years for students who earn an associate degree in an academic field so they could continue their education at a four-year university.

He said the new rules would improve the use of community colleges as training grounds for high-demand jobs.

"What we know is it will cost us some money," Morrish said. "So we will have to be very frank with people."

Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, praised the idea.

Southern, LCTCS leaders call for more need-based college aid The leaders of the Southern University and Louisiana Community and Technical College systems said Wednesday the state needs to spend more on n

Roughly 95 percent of the state's 130,000 community and technical education students remain in Louisiana after they finish school.

"What better student to invest in than students who have performed at the college level?" Sullivan said of the idea of extended payments.

Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, a member of the task force, said he and other panel members like the idea of changing TOPS Tech, especially with the low enrollment now.

"Some students don't really get it until after a year or two," said Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, another member of the task force.

The state faces a roughly $1 billion shortfall for the financial year that begins July 1. That means any push for legislation with a pricetag will face intense scrutiny.

Extending TOPS Tech by two years would also spark criticism that it is unfair to reward students unable to qualify initially for four years of TOPS assistance.

In another area, Morrish said his longtime idea of turning TOPS into a stipend would save money, a key concern of some in any TOPS debate.

He said there is a question of fairness when a student attending McNeese State University gets less TOPS money than one at LSU, where the tuition is considerably higher.

Morrish said the stipend could be set at about $5,200 per year for all students, around $2,000 less than students get for tuition at LSU now.

Jason Droddy, vice president for external affairs at LSU, said doing so would penalize students who meet the state's most rigorous public academic standards.

LSU president: TOPS funding decision delays hold families hostage, cost colleges top students LSU is losing top students to other states because of delays in funding decisions on the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, school presi

Trimming the aid for students would also boost chances that they would consider out-of-state colleges, Droddy said.

James Caillier, executive director of the Taylor Foundation, criticized the stipend idea and the other two proposals being discussed by task force members. "I think TOPS is in good shape the way it is," he said.

Widow of TOPS founder says all qualifiers deserve the aid: 'You can't pick and choose' The widow of the founder of TOPS said Thursday her late husband would avoid any rush to make the tuition aid more needs based.

The foundation is named after TOPS co-founder Patrick Taylor.

Foil and others said changing TOPS Tech could make it easier to raise the minimum GPA required for TOPS Opportunity.

The lawmaker's bill earlier this year would have raised it from 2.50 on the high school core curriculum to 2.75.

Foil's House-passed GPA bill was shelved when Senate leaders said they wanted a task force to do a wide-ranging review TOPS.
When she takes office in May, incoming New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will have two things that her predecessors have lacked: a six-month r
Lawyers for an ACT union boss have launched a fresh attack on the legal defence brought by the former Canberra Liberals leader in a defamation case set for a Supreme Court showdown.

ACT CFMEU secretary Dean Hall is suing Jeremy Hanson for allegedly defamatory comments he made in a talkback radio interview last year.

Jeremy Hanson. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

The comments were made when Mr Hanson appeared on 2CC Canberra last March to discuss an agreement between UnionsACT and the ACT government that gave unions a role in procurement decisions.

Mr Hall alleges the then Liberals leader defamed him when he said: "Do we want people like Dean Hall, who runs the CFMEU, or others who potentially are facing charges or have been convicted of charges, ah, given access to, ah, company documents?"
The country's biggest banks appear resigned to the prospect of a high-powered inquiry sooner or later, and are making preparations to minimise the disruption on their businesses.

With Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan working on a private member's bill that could pave the way for a parliamentary inquiry into the banks, the big four have been planning how to handle a possible royal commission for some time, including by seeking external legal advice.

Banks are preparing internally for how they would handle an potential royal commission into the industry. Credit:Louie Douvis

Lenders are also drawing on their experience handling the recent flood of other inquiries into the industry, in an attempt to contain the impact of a royal commission on their businesses.

Given banks have in recent years faced a string of inquiries, a new tax, and tougher laws to hold executives to account, one big four bank source said the mood within the bank was not so much surprise at the latest turn of events, but a desire to deal with the issue.
Outgoing Perpetual chief executive Geoff Lloyd maintains active fund managers in Australia still have a bright future, despite the threat from the global rise of passive investment funds.

Mr Lloyd, 49, on Monday announced he would step down at the end of this financial year, after a five-year period in which the industry has faced major structural changes.

Perpetual chief executive Geoff Lloyd will step down at the end of the financial year. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Active fund managers are grappling with a crunch on their revenue from the rise of lower-cost passive investment funds, which are expanding their market share while also pressuring profit margins.

Mr Lloyd, who first joined Perpetual as an executive in 2010, oversaw a period of significant change at Perpetual, restructuring the business soon after getting the top job in a bid to cut costs. Its share price has roughly doubled since he began as CEO in February 2012.
Many of these big political shifts across the world have been fuelled by increasing concern about inequality that has reached the point where the combined wealth of the eight richest people equals that of the poorest half of the world's population of 7.6 billion.

This backlash has hit progressive and conservative parties alike. It is not so much about traditional left/right ideology  which has become outmoded to the point of meaningless  but reflects a growing, grass-roots distrust of what are seen as elites running a system that benefits the few at the expense of the many.

It was a landslide swing of more than 11 per cent, sweeping Labor from a seat it has held since it was first created 90 years ago.

The resounding victory in Northcote of the Greens' candidate Lidia Thorpe  amazingly, the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the 161-year-old Victorian Parliament  was in line with the rejection of the status quo that has swept industrialised democracies throughout the world.

But it is not resentment that has swept Labor from a once-safe seat, but gentrification.

Northcote's homes, with a median price of $1.32 million, are out of reach to most buyers. Idealists who once bought into the Labor heartland are now the Baby Boomer owners of multimillion-dollar investments. They keep company with an influx of younger residents, both professionals and students, who want to live within a 10-kilometre radius of the CBD. The Greens are particularly hopeful of adding the seats of Brunswick and Richmond to the three they now hold in the lower house and their five in the upper house, but they believe they can take Albert Park from Labor, which holds it by 3 per cent, and the Liberals, who also have a good shot. Indeed, Liberals should not be too smug about the Green wave  the marriage equality plebiscite showed that voters in blue-ribbon seats can be more progressive than their representatives.

Even though the ballot was triggered by the death of popular Labor member Fiona Richardson, the voters opted by a huge margin  Thorpe secured a swing twice what she needed to snare the seat  to express not only support for the Greens' agenda of social justice, environmental protection and robust action on climate change, but to sanction the government.

Labor has disgruntled many by, among other things, mishandling the four-year battle within the state's fire-fighting forces, by indulging in high-profile factional shenanigans, and by costing taxpayers hundreds of millions dollars by cancelling the East West Link contract  one that the Greens also vigorously opposed.

Indeed, the result is intriguing considering that state Labor and the Greens are in broad agreement on many social issues  the vote came the week the Andrews government celebrated the same-sex marriage plebiscite by flying a rainbow flag at Parliament, the week after it finally agreed to allow a safe injecting room trial in Richmond, and on the eve of what looks to be a historic vote on the government's assisted dying bill.
The Turnbull government's decision to cancel Parliament for a week has shocked some of its own MPs and infuriated Labor, the Greens and some crossbench MPs, who insist parliamentarians should turn up to work in Canberra next week.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne publicly announced the move on Monday  before MPs had been notified by chief government whip Nola Marino  and cited the need to focus on passing same-sex marriage laws and deal with the citizenship fiasco.

Labor, the Greens and maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter accused the government of trying to avoid Nationals MPs crossing the floor in the lower house and voting to create a commission of inquiry into Australia's banking system when Parliament returns.

But Mr Pyne dismissed that suggestion in announcing that the lower house will now not meet until December 4, rather than November 27, when the Senate returns to debate same-sex marriage laws, including contentious amendments about the need to strengthen religious protections.
When a Prime Minister cancels a parliamentary week for no apparently good reason, there is usually a very pressing concealed reason.

Try the very survival of the Turnbull government.

Set aside all the Prime Minister's guff about giving the Senate time to deal with same-sex marriage legislation - it would be able to do that whether the House of Representatives was sitting or not.

Set aside for the moment the widely telegraphed suspicion that Turnbull wants to avoid a vote that would likely produce a royal commission into banking, too.
Lawyer Tom Ballantyne, who is representing the family, said one of the sad things about the case was that Anna had so many of the risk factors of deep vein thrombosis "I would say that's something that is pretty well accepted by everyone involved in the case," said Mr Ballantyne, medical negligence lawyer with Maurice Blackburn. "She was on the contraceptive pill. She had an orthopaedic trauma. She had flown and been immobile. And she was slightly overweight." Anna with daughter Natalia during their 2014 holiday. At first, the injury in Hawaii was to be little more than painful interruption to the family's holiday.

A trip to the local hospital revealed that Anna had broken her leg, just above the ankle. It was put in a cast, and for the rest of the fortnight-long holiday she did her best to join in on most of the activities, despite being confined to a wheelchair. During a cramped, 10-hour Jetstar flight home to Melbourne from Honolulu, Anna had to keep her leg propped up on her daughter's fold-down meal table. On August 10, the day after she arrived back in Australia, she went to see her GP near their home and was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who booked her in for surgery on August 16 to repair her broken leg. Steve said he fretted that the operation was too soon after travel, but Anna, a brand manager with Peregrine Adventures, had been advised that surgery could reduce her recovery time. "Anna and I had quite a few heated discussions in that last week where I said I just thought it was too soon, but for the good of the family she wanted to make as quick a recovery as she could," he said.

'Very tragic' Steve first met his wife when they were studying together in 2004. When he first laid eyes on her, he said it was a classic case of "heart skips a beat". "She was very pretty, but I also don't think I've met anybody who was so instantly knowledgeable on things," he said. "I think she is still the most intelligent person I know."

Steve, Natalia and Anna Bowditch, from the family's photo collection. The last time Steve saw Anna  following what the family expected to be a short surgery on her leg  she was paralysed and could not speak. Only one of her eyes could focus properly, the other was shooting off in different directions. "She was desperately trying to talk to me, but I had no idea what she was trying to say. So I just told her that I loved her," Steve said. "And that was the last time I saw her alive."

A spokeswoman for St Vincent's Private Hospital described Anna's death as "very tragic" and said St Vincent's was participating fully with the coronial inquiry. Steve Bowditch had to tell his four-year-old daughter that her mother wasn't coming home. Credit:Joe Armao Today, Steve has to carry Anna's death certificate with him when he flies overseas with Natalia, who's now seven. He says one of the things the experts and books do not tell you about the death of a loved one is that the reminders are everywhere. "As a man travelling with a young girl, questions get asked," Steve said.

"It means every time I get on and off a plane heading in and out of the country it gets dredged up again." Officials will ask Steve where his daughter's mother is, he said, and when he explains that she is dead, they ask him if he can prove it. "Yes, here's a certified copy of the death certificate," he says, as his daughter sobs. "Are you happy now you have made my daughter cry?" Anna was an organ donor and her family have been told that five or six people benefited from her donation.
Radicalised children as young as 14 could be detained without a court order for up to 36 hours if intelligence shows there is a threat of an imminent attack.

The Andrews government also wants to broaden its counter-terror laws beyond Islamic extremism to better target right-wing and left-wing extremists who are suspected of plotting violence.

It will also seek national support to amend the definition of a "terrorist act" to remove motive as an essential element.

Post-sentence supervision of extremists who have completed their prison sentences and been released into the community will also be made more stringent.
A man has been charged following a violent armed robbery at a supermarket in Melbourne's south-west, but police are still on the hunt for two others.

Police said three hooded and armed robbers held a knife to the neck of an employee at the Wyndham Vale IGA before fleeing with cash and cigarettes about 9.30pm on Sunday.

Paramedics treated one of the workers at the scene after the woman in her 50s received a gash to her hand during the hold-up.

Detectives arrested an 18-year-old Wyndham Vale man on Monday afternoon.
A toddler who drowned at a family daycare centre in Perth had been left alone outside for seven minutes while the operator of the service settled a baby in the lounge room, an inquest has heard.

Lachlan James Mitchell was two days shy of his third birthday on November 10, 2015 when he was found floating face-down in the Carramar family daycare centre's below-ground swimming pool.

The Carramar home where a toddler was found floating in the pool. Credit:Channel Nine News Perth

The WA Coroner's Court heard on Monday he may have scaled the pool fence by climbing onto pot plants that were nearby or the gate had not been properly closed.

The carer of the facility found the boy in the pool and ran to a neighbouring house to ask for help.
Los Angeles: The sister of slain actress Sharon Tate said the death of convicted murderer Charles Manson brought her no solace.

"People are saying that this should be some kind of relief, but oddly enough it really isn't," Debra Tate told ABC News.

Debra Tate, sister of murder victim Sharon Tate in 2008. Credit:AP

"While Charlie may be gone, it's the ones that are still alive that perpetrate everything, and it was up to their imaginations for what brutal things were going to be done.

"In an odd way, I see them as much more dangerous individuals."
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe delivers his speech during a live broadcast at State House in Harare, on November 19. Credit:AP "He crossed the red line, and we couldn't allow that to continue," said Douglas Mahiya, a leader of the war veterans' association, a group that has acted as the military's proxy in the country's political battles while allowing uniformed generals to remain publicly neutral. A few hours after he was fired, Mnangagwa, fearing arrest, fled with a son into neighbouring Mozambique, where he has strong military ties. He eventually made his way to South Africa, allies said. People hold their messages in Harare to demonstrate for the ouster of President Robert Mugabe. Credit:Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi July Moyo, a close ally of Mnangagwa, said the vice-president had prepared himself for the possibility of being fired. "He accepted that things can turn very bad, so he had conditioned himself," Moyo said.

Several hours before the vice-president escaped to Mozambique, Christopher Mutsvangwa, the head of the war veterans' association and one of Mnangagwa's closest allies, had boarded a plane to South Africa. Zimbabwean Army General Moyo. Credit:Ben Curtis Mrs Mugabe's entry into politics caused elite rupture in Zimbabwe. Tendai Biti, former finance minister Over the following days, Mutsvangwa met with South Africa intelligence officers, he said, warning them of a possible military intervention in Zimbabwe. He said he had tried to persuade South African officials not to describe any intervention as a "coup" - an important concession to get from South Africa, the regional power. Though this account could not be verified with South African officials on Sunday, the South African government did not mention the word "coup" in its official statement after the military intervention occurred on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe's fired vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa appears to be an unlikely winner. Credit:AP "I knew that the way they were driving, the military, inevitably, there would be one at one stage or another" Mutsvangwa said, referring to a military intervention. While Mutsvangwa worked on South African officials, Zimbabwe's longtime top military commander, General. Constantino Chiwenga, was in China on an official trip. He was tipped off while abroad that Mugabe had ordered him arrested upon his return home, according to several people close to the military. The police were going to grab the general as soon as his plane touched down, on November 12. Grace Mugabe's political machinations appear to have backfired, bringing down her husband and protector. Credit:AP But as Chiwenga prepared to land, soldiers loyal to him infiltrated the airport. His troops - wearing the uniforms of baggage handlers - surprised and quickly overwhelmed the police. Before departing, the general is said to have told the police officers that he would "deal" with their commander, a Mugabe loyalist.

Within just a couple of days, tanks had rumbled into the capital and soldiers had effectively deposed Mugabe. A protester demanding that President Robert Mugabe stands down carries a placard referring to Mugabe's wife Grace Mugabe, Credit:AP Fierce Infighting The president's decision to fire his vice-president and arrest the general was the culmination of a long - and increasingly vicious and personal - battle inside ZANU-PF, the party that has controlled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The so-called Lacoste faction was led by Mnangagwa, whose nickname is the Crocodile, and was backed by the military and war veterans. The rival faction was led by the president's wife and supported by the police, whose loyalty Mugabe had ensured by, among other moves, naming a nephew to a top command. This faction included mostly younger politicians with no experience in the war of liberation and was christened Generation 40, or G-40, by Jonathan Moyo, an ambitious politician widely regarded as the mastermind behind this group.

As Lacoste and G-40 fought each other to eventually succeed Mugabe, the president did not give either side his declaration of support. To both factions, the biggest factor was Mugabe's age and increasingly visible frailty. It was only a matter of time before "nature will take its course" and "the old man goes", as the political class said. Time was on Lacoste's side. Once nature did take its course, power would naturally slip to Mnangagwa and his military backers, they believed. Mnangagwa remained largely quiet, refraining from responding to attacks, and treated Mugabe with extreme deference. Whenever Mugabe flew home from a trip, state media invariably showed Mnangagwa greeting the president on the tarmac, displaying an almost obsequious smile and body language. To the younger members in G-40, time was against them. Their biggest asset, Grace Mugabe, would lose all value once her husband died. So they were in a rush to get a transfer of power while Mugabe was still alive. Just a few months ago, Moyo confided in a friend that he was "less than confident" about G-40's standing with the president. Despite his efforts to win over the president through Grace Mugabe, Moyo still remained unsure about the "old man's standing vis-a-vis Mnangagwa and Chiwenga", said the friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conservation had been private.

"He felt he had to disqualify Mnangagwa very soon because the old man was still tentative," the friend said. 'Gucci Grace' Mugabe's downfall was rooted in his wife's decision to become a political force in mid-2014, most politicians and experts believe. "Mrs Mugabe's entry into politics caused elite rupture in Zimbabwe," said Tendai Biti, a lawyer, opposition politician and former finance minister in a coalition government a few years ago. "This coup was the result of a disagreement between people eating at the same table, whereas most coups in Africa are done by people eating under the table and receiving crumbs." Why Grace Mugabe, now 52, suddenly dived into politics is not exactly clear. Married for decades to Mugabe, she had been known as "Gucci Grace", someone interested in shopping and leading a lavish lifestyle. She was a typist in the presidential pool when she and Mugabe began an affair while the president's first wife, Sally, was dying of cancer. Unlike the much-beloved first wife, the second Mrs. Mugabe was widely disliked among Zimbabweans.

Some politicians and experts point to the hand of Moyo, the originator of the G-40 name, for Grace Mugabe's political intentions. In ZANU-PF's ever-shifting alliances, Moyo had a checkered past. In 2004, he was expelled from the party after planning a power play with - critically - none other than Mnangagwa himself, who managed to escape politically unscathed. Feeling betrayed by Mnangagwa, Moyo vowed never to work with him again, setting off a decade-long feud that fed into the recent military takeover. Moyo, reportedly admired by Mugabe for his intelligence, was rehabilitated, rejoined the party and was given ministerial positions in the cabinet. But in June 2014, Moyo was again on the outer. At a funeral for a party stalwart at National Heroes Acre, a burial ground and national monument in Harare, the capital, Mugabe criticised Moyo for causing dissension in the party. The president referred to him as a "weevil" - an insect that eats corn, Zimbabwe's staple food, from the inside. "Even in Zanu-PF, we have the weevils," the president said. "But should we keep them? No."

To secure his survival, Moyo urged Grace Mugabe to enter politics, according to politicians, friends and analysts. "He preyed on her fears," said Dewa Mavhinga, a Zimbabwe researcher for Human Rights Watch, referring to Moyo. "You're a young wife with an old husband in his sunset moments. You have to guarantee your future. You need people who are loyal to you. And who better to protect your interests than yourself." Very rapidly, Grace Mugabe and her allies orchestrated the removal of rivals, including Joice Mujuru, a vice-president, as well as Mutsvangwa, who had been Mugabe's minister of war veterans affairs. But even as the president's medical trips to Singapore were getting increasingly frequent, he was not making a final decision on his succession. Time was running out.

And so, Moyo, shortly after expressing his growing frustrations to his friend, appeared to go for broke. In July, in a meeting of party leaders, he launched a direct attack on Mnangagwa, presenting a 72-minute video said to show his rival's duplicity and desire to topple the president. At the same time, Grace Mugabe intensified her faction's attacks, describing Mnangagwa as a "coward" and "coup plotter". At a rally in the city of Bulawayo early this month, some youths, presumably from the rival Lacoste faction, began heckling Grace Mugabe, calling her a "thief". "If you were paid to boo me, go ahead," she said. "I am the first lady, and I will stand for the truth. Bring the soldiers and let them shoot me." The heckling visibly angered Mugabe, who immediately accused Mnangagwa of being behind it.

"Did I err in appointing Mr Mnangagwa as my deputy?" the president said. "If I erred, I will drop him even tomorrow." Two days later, he fired Mnangagwa, opening the path for Grace Mugabe to become vice-president and, once nature took its course, her husband's successor. Grace Mugabe and her allies had finally won. But the victory would soon prove Pyrrhic. As the Lacoste faction solidified the take-down of Mugabe, party officials on Sunday removed Grace Mugabe as head of the ZANU-PF Women's League and barred her from the party for life. Moyo, too, was barred forever. Mugabe's second vice-president, Phelekezela Mphoko, who had served for three years, was fired. Loading
The followers of Charles Manson, from left, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten pictured in 1970. Credit:AP Charles Watson was a key member of the Manson Family, known as the right-hand man of Manson himself and he was also convicted and sentenced for the Tate-LaBianca murders. He became an ordained minister while in prison, in addition to getting married, having four children, and getting divorced. He is being held in the Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento and is next eligible for parole in 2021. LINDA KASABIAN  born June 21, 1949 Charles 'Tex' Watson at the time he was jailed. The star witness of the Manson Family trials, Linda Kasabian was granted immunity for her testimony against the other members. Drove the others to where the murders took place because she was the only 'family' member with a valid driver's licence. She has given a handful of interviews since the murders, but has predominantly stayed out of the public eye.

STEVE 'CLEM' GROGAN  born October 5, 1942 Linda Kasabian pictured in 1970 Steve Grogan was present during the August 9 murders, but remained in the car throughout. He was later convicted, however, of the August 1969 murder of stunt man Donald Shea at the Spahn Ranch where the family was located. As with many of the others, he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was changed to life in prison. Grogan was paroled in 1985 after he showed authorities where Shea's remains were located. BRUCE DAVIS  born October 5, 1942 Charles Manson follower Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, pictured in 1975. Credit:AP

Bruce Davis wasn't involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders, but was sentenced to life in prison for killing Gary Hinman and Donald Shea in July and August 1969 respectively. He has been denied parole 31 times, the most recent in June, and is in the California Men's Colony near San Luis Obispo. Davis was close to Manson and became a born-again Christian in prison. BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL  born November 6, 1947 Also convicted for the murder of Gary Hinman, Bobby Beausoleil is serving a life sentence in the California Medical Facility. While in prison he joined the Aryan Brotherhood but hasn't had any disciplinary reports since 2008. LYNETTE 'SQUEAKY' FROMME  born October 22, 1948 Lynette Fromme wasn't involved in the 1969 murders, but was sentenced to life in prison for an attempted assassination of the US President Gerald Ford in 1975. Confronting the President, Fromme pointed a gun at him, but it didn't fire. She was then tackled to the ground by Secret Service agents. She was released on parole in 2009 after serving 34 years in prison.
Harare, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's defence forces appeared to open the door to the possibility that 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe could stay in power, after both sides offered "several guarantees" nearly a week after the military detained him, according to a top army commander.

Although Mugabe's fate remained murky, the prospect that he might have survived a military takeover, historic opposition protests and removal from his own political party suggested once again his uncanny ability to hang on to power.

In a statement Monday night, General Constantino Chiwenga, chief of Zimbabwe's armed forces, said the military had held "further consultations with the president to agree on a road map" for the country. The plan includes the "expected" return of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe had fired earlier this month. The statement referred to Mugabe as the commander in chief and said the military was "encouraged by new developments."

It was Mnangagwa's dismissal that prompted the military intervention last Tuesday, which ushered in a tumultuous and often buoyant week in Harare, with thousands taking to the streets, rejoicing in what appeared to be the end of Mugabe's rule. But on Sunday night, in what many expected to be a publicly televised resignation, the world's oldest head of state instead delivered a meandering speech, making it clear that he had no intention of leaving the presidency.
Philip and Elizabeth with their wedding party and their families, 20 November 1947 (AFP/Getty Images)

Splendour of the Abbey Scene

(originally appeared in the Manchester Guardian, 21 Nov 1947)

LONDON, November 20  The cream and gold, crimson-cushioned chairs of the sanctuary were empty, the carpet untrodden, and, all unobscured, the gold plate mass on the snowy cloth of the High Altar gathered the warm flickers of the chandeliers, heightened them, and sent a ray of dazzling light from end to end of the Abbey. The arriving guests, shown to their places by the gentlemen ushers and gold staff officers, made no more than the faintest rustling as they moved.

The Abbey waited and, like a shell which confides most gently the roaring sound of the sea, trembled and stilled, stilled and trembled to the rising and falling waves of applause from that invisible multitude in which these ancient walls were islanded.

Elizabeth and Philips wedding program (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Expectant, the growing congregation waited, its expectancy shown more pointedly than that of the greater congregation in Parliament Square and Whitehall, by its still, silent rigidity. It was a congregation sombre in appearance if not in spirit, for most of the men were wearing morning dress, and the women furs and hats that were not at all vivid. Quietly they took their places and very cautiously they turned the pages of the Marriage Service; and over the heads of all of them the altar glowed and twinkled like a golden beacon.

The organist plays during the royal wedding

The light fell full upon two great alabaster vases on either side of the altar, from which sprang two burning bushes of roses and carnations, their pink and white and red putting to shame the feeble patches of colour permitted to an austerity congregation. The famous diplomatists had arrived, the famous politicians, the famous representatives of Empire  all were seated in the choir; the nave was full, and the north transept; and in that moment of extreme stillness the organist pressed his fingers on the keys and the vast, arching spaces of air trembled to the music of Elgar.

Statues and busts in Westminster Abbey during the royal wedding festivities

The marble figures of statesmen of the past postured on their pedestals; one of them gazed blankly over his counterparts of today in the choir, one looked sternly towards a line of cameras that were discreetly hidden from living eyes, and one held his arm outstretched in a perpetual attitude of benediction. And the organ embarked upon a fugue by Bach.

Now from behind the choir screen, which limited the vision of those in the north transept, there burst a brief blaze of pageantry as the members of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms took up their positions, two to stand with their halberds on the sanctuary itself, the remainder in the lantern and the choir; in their red coats they were startling, and in their tall, white-plumed headdresses enormous. Now in the nave the Yeomen of the Guard were standing to attention, and by the Chapel of St. George there appeared members of that ancient body the Military Knights of Windsor. Thus, by this pomp, was symbolised the power of arms.

Foreign royal guests gather with the Windsors for wedding photos

There were four processions from the west door to the sanctuary. The first, which arrived before the altar shortly after eleven oclock, was composed of ten princes and princesses, of Bourbon-Parma, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Yugoslavia [1], and twenty-three members of the royal family, including Lord and Lady Mountbatten [2], the last a graceful figure in a clinging dress of white silk. The members of the suites accompanying them were shown to their places in the south transept, and a little later Lord Harewood and his brother [3], two slight figures in khaki, hurried up and went to their places on the right of the sanctuary.

Westminster Abbeys bellringers practice the Royal Wedding peal a few weeks before the ceremony (Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

There was a brief pause as the Dean and Chapter (in softly flowing capes that were new when Charles II was enthroned) returned to the west door, and over the muffled roaring of the crowd there broke the tumbling clangor of St. Margarets bells, ringing out a joyful peal. The sanctuary was well peopled, glowing already with jewel-like blues and reds like those of an old painting; but from a black headdress in the background diamonds flashed disturbingly.

The second procession, that of the Queen [4], was the longest. Slowly, as the Water Music of Handel rippled from the organ pipes, it moved along the nave and the choir, and when it came to rest there were six queens, five kings, and nine more princes and princesses in the sanctuary [5]. Here, in living concentration, were the constitutions, calm or troubled, of Britain, Denmark, Norway, Iraq, Romania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece, and Sweden.

Members of the royal family, including the Queen, Queen Mary, Princess Andrew, and the Duchesses of Kent and Gloucester on the balcony following the royal wedding (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

At last the scene was almost set and as full of colour as the most disgruntled enemy of mediocrity in occasions of state could have wished. The curious half-light of the Abbey, submarine almost in its quality, made recognition difficult, and, with one or two exceptions, it must have been knowledge of the robes and their colours alone which enabled the members of the congregation, stiff and still no longer but moving themselves forward and sideways to see the better, to distinguish individuals. But the Queen, in apricot and gold, was not to be mistaken; nor Queen Mary, vivid in aquamarine velvet, nor the Duchess of Kent, in pale silver-grey satin brocade.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, in priceless robes, the Bishops of London and Norwich, and, lastly, the more severely-clad Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, passed to the sedilia in solemn procession. From their hidden stance behind the reredos the trumpeters of the Royal Military School of Music sounded a shattering fanfare. Quietly, quickly, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh [6], and his groomsman, Lord Milford Haven [7], went to their places by the sanctuary steps. The King [8] and the Princess [9] had arrived. The eighty voices of the choir were raised in the hymn Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven and they were already moving along the nave, still hidden from all beyond the screen but the illustrious upon the sanctuary.

Two bridesmaids dresses and a page boys outfit from the royal wedding (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

And then, giving the extraordinary impression of unhurried speed, they appeared  the Princess gliding, not walking, beneath the frosty, sparkling mist of her veil, on the arm of her father. Behind were her pages, Prince Michael of Kent and Prince William of Gloucester [10], tiny, kilted in the royal tartan; and behind the pages eight slender figures in white, the bridesmaids, led by Princess Margaret and Princess Alexandra of Kent [11].

The King and the Princess were joined by the bridegroom, and all three ascended the sanctuary steps. Facing them were the mass of richly robed clergy, solemn beneath a forest of golden crosses. The scene now was fully set, and in that brief interval before the Dean intoned the words, Dearly beloved, there was a rustle of movement as members of the Royal Family and their guests stirred and smiled one to the other; a moment of relaxation.

The marriage service begins

But the service began and continued unhurriedly; the Deans voice was replaced by that of the Archbishop of Canterbury; faintly came the bridegrooms response to his question and still more faintly the brides, though that anxious hush which must always attend this moment in the ceremony, whether in the most obscure parish church or in the greatest abbey  and the man and woman on the sanctuary steps were man and wife.

And then they knelt, though all others in the Abbey remained standing, to hear (all worldly circumstance thus momentarily humbled) the prayer of the Archbishop, his pronouncement of the union to the congregation, and his first benediction. As the forty-seventh Psalm was sung they rose and moved forward, alone, to the altar and knelt again before it, this time to hear the Precentor intone the Lords Prayer, the Versicles, and the Collect.

By this time  for how could the atmosphere be mistaken?  the congregation, from any queen on the sanctuary to the typist at the northwest end of the nave, was one  united by the potent symbolism of the old ritual and conscious, too, of the underlying greatness of the union which had just been sanctified. But it was not, in the first place, a prince and a princess who were rising to their feet in the cramped but cosmically lonely space before the altar, but a man and a woman. This was expressed by the Archbishop of York in his address.

Crowds gather to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom during the wedding festivities

Notwithstanding the splendour and national significance of this occasion, he said (and a great vision of all the Western world and all its sorely tried central tradition rose to the mind at his words), the service is in all essentials the same as for any cottager who might be married this afternoon in some small country church in a remote village. The same vows, he continued in his high, clear voice, are taken, the same prayers are offered, and the same blessings are given. Everywhere and always this service is built round the taking of vows and the receiving of a blessing.

Thus the old Archbishop instructed them, this couple before him who listened with heads bowed. They had indeed already rehearsed their parts, but the form of them only; now they knew the spirit of the content and the realisation of the full significance of the sacrament  a significance shared by all in the Abbey  was yielded to them. They had taken their vows and received their first blessing. Now they heard the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounce the second and last benediction, followed by a swelling Amen from the choir.

But now there burst over all the heads once more the pomp of the world of palaces as the trumpeters sounded another fanfare, as the National Anthem was sung, as the whole vivid scene swam back into vision, increased in splendour by the words which had been spoken.

The signed register from the wedding (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

As the royal couple moved off through the doorway on the right of the altar to the chapel of King Edward the Confessor there to sign the register, they were accompanied by the King and Queen, Queen Mary, Princess Magaret, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Princess Andrew of Greece, the mother of the bridegroom. As the choir sang the anthem Blessed be the God and Father tension suddenly relaxed again and the sound of an animated whispering rose and mingled with the singing voices. What might or might not be said elsewhere was surely said here: how beautiful the bride, how splendid the bridegroom.

Yet another fanfare put an end to the whispering (and in the short lull which followed one noticed how very quiet it was outside as well as within the Abbey); the opening chords of Mendelssohns Wedding March pealed out and jostled beneath the lofty roof wiht the metal voices of the Abbeys swinging bells.

Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth appeared from the right-hand door of the chapel, smiling, and as they crossed the sanctuary to bow and curtsy to the King and Queen, Prince Philip looked anxiously behind him to make sure that the young Princes were bearing his wifes train properly. Down the steps, smiling to right and left, they went, and behind the choir screen they were lost to sight.

Before them passed the Kings Scholars, the choir, the minor canons, the Canons verger, the canons, Mr. H.U. Willink and Lord Halifax  respectively High Bailiff and High Steward of Westminster  the Deans verger, and the Dean. Behind them went the pages and the bridesmaids, and last to be lost to sight was the groomsman. Thus the bridal procession disappeared, but soon the raised voice of the crowd told those inside that the bride and bridegroom had entered their carriage and were driving away.

The King and Queen lead the royal procession out of the Abbey

The other processions followed, and soon those guests who could do so without appearing unseemly flocked out through the side doors to see the great and the famous pass between the people of London.

How slowly the Abbey emptied; but within half an hour the gold and cream chairs, the plate of gold, and the flowers were waiting once again, this time for the gaze of the public, which soon turned away from the processional route and formed an ever-growing queue outside the north door. As the last car drove up and away from the Abbey door the bells and the bands of London continued to give expression to the rejoicing. But the Abbey waited, empty, with that half-happy, half-melancholy air of a building in which an event of immense significance and potential joy has just taken place.

The Queen and Princess Andrew walk with the bridesmaids after the wedding

NOTES

1. The ten princes and princesses were Prince Rene of Bourbon-Parma with his wife, Princess Margrethe, and their children, Princess Anne and Prince Michel; Princess Margaretha of Denmark and her sons, Prince George and Prince Flemming; Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg; and Princes Tomislav and Andrew of Yugoslavia.

2. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900-1979) and his wife, Edwina (1901-1960), were the grooms uncle and aunt.

3. George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood was the brides first cousin; he had succeeded to the earldom after his fathers death in May 1947. His mother, the Princess Royal, declined to attend the wedding, so he was accompanied by his younger brother, the Hon. Gerald Lascelles.

4. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002) was queen consort of the United Kingdom in 1947; she was the mother of the bride at this wedding.

5. This procession would have included Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom; King Haakon VII of Norway; King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark; Queen Friederike of the Hellenes; King Faisal II of Iraq; King Michael of Romania; Helen, Queen Mother of Romania; King Peter II and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia; Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain; Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden; Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg; Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; and Prince Charles of Belgium.

6. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born 1921) was the groom at this wedding.

7. David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919-1970) was a first cousin of the groom.

8. King George VI of the United Kingdom (1895-1952) had been on the throne for more than a decade at the time of this wedding; he was the father of the bride.

9. Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (born 1926), later Queen Elizabeth II, was the bride at this wedding.

10. The page boys at the wedding, Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent, were both first cousins of the bride.

11. Princess Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids: Princess Margaret (her sister), Princess Alexandra of Kent (her first cousin), the Hon. Margaret Elphinstone (her first cousin), Diana Bowes-Lyon (her first cousin), Lady Mary Cambridge (her second cousin), the Hon. Pamela Mountbatten (Philips first cousin), Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott (niece of the Duchess of Gloucester), and Lady Elizabeth Lambart.
May 1, 1980 - November 17, 2017

Joanna Bush Kyles went to be with the Lord on November 17, 2017, at the too-early age of 37. As a close friend captured it best: Joanna was "rare, beautiful, and God's magnificent and blossoming creation. May we all remember you just like this flower. Thank you for leaving us with the song of your laughter and the grace of your smile."

Joanna was born May 1, 1980 in Bryan to Edward Harrison Bush, Jr., a hardware salesman and rancher, and Lorice Pinney, an administrative assistant at Texas A&M. The baby of the family, Joanna had big brothers Chris, Trae, and John. And while she was all sister, she had no problem hanging with her brothers. Early on, her contagious smile and compassionate heart brought joy to countless lives. She loved to sing and dance, so the theatre was a perfect fit. Her first musical performance at 12-years-old was in Peter Pan. She earned the starring role and drew crowds well beyond the intended audience. She became involved with the Theatre Company in Bryan, holding several lead roles over the years. She was a natural.

Joanna was not afraid of hard work, which paid off when she was able to graduate early from A&M Consolidated High School in 1998. From there she pursued her dream and went to New York City at 18-years-old. She received her Performing Arts Degree from the American Musical Dramatic Academy.

Joanna was a beautiful soul. She loved sharing life with people, and her family and friends loved sharing life with her. She literally radiated the light of Christ. She embodied the cliche that she never met a stranger. Her friendships spanned from New York to California. She maintained her close friendships in Bryan/College Station, through the years. She was included in a group of ladies who referred to themselves as the Ya-Ya's who supported each other and even went on yearly retreats.

A single mom for several years to her beloved son Spencer Elliott Lammerts, she demonstrated to her friends the strength and courage it often takes to be a parent. Everything one ever reads about being a great, engaged parent, Joanna did with enthusiasm. She was fun and firm, silly and serious. She was a mommy and a friend. She didn't just read books to him at night. She read them with voices and animation and action. Most importantly, she was able to make Jesus real to him in ways that he understood and communicated to others.

She also enjoyed a very close relationship with her father. You think she looks good in that wedding dress? She could put on a pair of old jeans and boots and shoot a shotgun with the best of them. She and her father, guns in hand, were at the ranch on opening day just about every dove season. And, when her father struggled with health issues, she was there caring for him and encouraging him back to health. This wasn't a new thing for her. She had already cared for her grandfather Dandy in his final years.

Joanna worked as a project management coordinator for Freehold Communities in Austin. Her employers would agree that she was the type of person who came in and made herself an indispensable asset to wherever she worked.

She was an active member of Grace Covenant Church in Austin. Not surprisingly, she was involved in the children's ministry at the church. She would perform skits to teach lessons to young children.

As if the above wouldn't already entail a full life, she fell in love with the man of her life, Chad Kyles. They were married for a heartbreakingly short 50 days. It would be hard to find anyone who didn't agree that she took on a brighter countenance after they met. Chad was ready to provide to her what she wanted the most  to be a stay-at-home mom, homeschooling Spencer and taking care of their home. Her brothers are deeply grateful for the love and kindness he obviously showed to her.

Joanna leaves behind many who will mourn her tragic loss: her husband Chad Kyles, her son Spencer Lammerts of Austin, her father Edward Harrison Bush, Jr., her mom and "bonus dad" Lorice and Roby Pinney of College Station, her mother and father-in-law Steve and Jan Kyles of Bryan, her brother and sister-in-law Chris and Mary Diamond of Houston, her brother and sister-in-law Trae and Amanda Bush of Houston, her brother and sister-in-law John and Cheryl Diamond of Houston, Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Craig and Sonya Kyles of Bryan and her nieces and nephews, Cooper, Noah, Grace, Hannah, JP, Harrison, Caroline, Luke, Savannah, Jack, Evan and Cade, and step-brother Michael Pinney and a host of loving friends and coworkers. Last, but not least, she was survived by her 3-legged dog, Charlie. Her Life Celebration will be at 10:00 AM Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at the First Baptist Church of Bryan. Please share memories and view her life story at www.hillierfuneralhome.com.

Please visit Joannna's tribute page at www.hillierfuneralhome.com to share memories and stories.
Every week, government officials across Texas and private companies receiving taxpayer dollars get increasingly creative in hiding public records.

Their new tool is the Boeing ruling, a decision from the Texas Supreme Court that lowered the threshold for arguing competitive bidding as an exemption from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act.

It gives governments an easier path to claim that competitive bidding concerns should allow them to keep records secret. And, businesses now can make the claim, too.

Those attempting to censor records under Boeing have sought approximately 1,500 rulings from the Attorney Generals Office since the 2015 court decision, and the number keeps growing. The court decision originated over releasing information in a property lease between Boeing and the Port of San Antonio.

Because the court ruled that the withholding test is now whether knowing a competitors bid information creates an advantage rather than a decisive advantage, requests for sealing government records are frequently granted, even after a final contract has been awarded.

Wait, you might say. Shouldnt taxpayers have a right to see how their money is spent? This is basic in our democracy.

You would be correct. But in Texas, you could be out of luck.

Everything from school bus finances to power plant construction costs to a universitys beer marketing agreement have been kept off limits because of the Boeing ruling.

By the way, no one is suggesting that companies give up their trade secrets. That exemption to disclosure is a separate part of the public information law. The essentials of a companys contract with government arent a trade secret.

Meanwhile, public officials are becoming contortion artists in their use of Boeing to close off all sorts of other information.

The city of Austin recently used the ruling in an effort to keep secret the names of finalists in its city manager search, saying it didnt want to give competing cities a hiring advantage. After public pressure and a lawsuit by the Austin American-Statesman, the city said it would soon release the finalists names. The Statesman already has figured out several candidates names and reported them.

In the Rio Grande Valley, the Agua Special Utility District attempted to use the Boeing ruling as a reason to keep secret nearly $500,000 in severance payments it made to two former employees.

The continuing poster child case for the Boeing problem is the city of McAllens refusal to say how much taxpayer money it paid to entertainer Enrique Iglesias to perform in a holiday festival.

Clearly, theres deep erosion occurring in the Texas Public Information Act.

Texas needs to re-examine its commitment to the peoples right to know.

One way to jump-start this important work is with a joint interim committee to study open government laws called for in Senate Concurrent Resolution 56 that the Texas Senate and House passed and that Gov. Greg Abbott signed.

So far, neither Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick nor Speaker Joe Straus has appointed members to this interim committee. But if they are serious about public access to government information  about the taxpayers ability to hold its government accountable  they should do it right away.

Public hearings throughout the state in 2018 would ensure all Texans are included in this vital discussion. We need state leaders to listen to the message that comes through loud and clear every day in communities across Texas: People care about what their government is doing, and they want information.

The Sharpstown stock fraud scandal in state government in the early 1970s created a climate for passage of the Open Records Act, which eventually became known as the Public Information Act. The law stood strong for four decades, as Texas government operated mostly in the sunshine.

Texas must not sit around in the dark today waiting for another massive scandal before repairing the law. Its time to get to work.

Kelley Shannon is executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, a non-profit dedicated to promoting open government and the First Amendment rights of free speech and press. For more information, go to www.foift.org.
You have a character that goes through the scrutiny of being sexualised , and then an audience that does the same thing.
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Anyone in the market for a zoo, complete with animals, housing, and ample land?

On the market for a year now, Alvin's Bayou Wildlife Zoo has yet to find a buyer.

First profiled by Chron.com in November 2016, Clint Wolston's property has had a few nibbles from buyers, according to real estate agent Carolyn Spencer, but no one has ponied up the dough.

RELATED: Underrated Texas landmarks you have to visit at least once

Speaking of ponies, actual horses would come with the 80-acre zoo.

It's located along on FM 517 in Galveston County and is now listed at $6 million instead of the previous $7 million figure.

The 81-year-old Wolston is ready to slow down, according to Spencer. Running a zoo is a young man's or woman's game.

The property and the animals weren't harmed during Hurricane Harvey since Wolston prepared decades ago for biblical rains. Back in 1979, the city of Alvin was inundated as Tropical Storm Claudette gifted the area with 42 inches of rain in one 24-hour period. This made Wolston build his animal enclosures and shelters somewhat higher than needed.

RELATED: What did your favorite Houston landmarks look like during construction?

"Everyone was high," jokes Spencer. "If not dry." The zoo survived Harvey no worse for the wear, according to the agent.

Wolston employs 10 people, who are in charge of taking care of the animals and guiding roughly 90,000 visitors a year on tram tours. Spencer says there have been offers from prospective buyers from as close by as Round Rock and as far as California. No one has yet to come to the terms that Wolston has set forth.

(Don't worry, this video isn't from Bayou Wildlife Zoo...)

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The facility's 500 animals are included in the listing. Animals at the zoo include zebras, a zonkey (not a typo), a white rhino, ostriches, alligators, kangaroos and ring-tailed lemurs.

RELATED: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zookeeper?

As previously reported, there is a covered picnic area for 400 people, 16 barns, a souvenir shop, sales office, six restrooms, a fleet of Jeeps, and seven trams. To maintain the 80-acre spread, a buyer will also become owner of a bulldozer, grader, backhoe, tractor, trailers, fencing, and other ranch equipment.

The property features two miles of trails, 15 lakes and ponds, native trees, and 3,500 feet of waterfront on Dickinson Bayou. The property is between Houston and Galveston, near Interstate 45, the main highway connecting the two cities.

The zoo rakes in about $1 million in annual sales and runs at a more than 30 percent profit margin.

Wolston said he's looking for someone who can take on the responsibility of such an expansive park. It probably won't be an easy task, but Matt Damon did it in "We Bought A Zoo," so how hard could it be?

Just hire Scarlett Johansson.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
It is a scary time to do business. Phishing, hacking, identity theft, ransomware, payment fraud: the list of ways that cyber criminals are attacking individuals, companies and governments seems endless. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently referred to cyber threats as "the greatest threat to our markets right now" and for good reason. While recent global attacks like Wannacry and Petya/GoldenEye dominated headlines due to the sheer size of its reach and impact, thousands more acts of cybercrime are committed every single day -- almost 50 percent of which target businesses.

But, don't be fooled into thinking that you have to be a Fortune 500 corporation to be a target. Cybercrime is an equal opportunity menace. Larger mature companies are hit most often, but smaller scale-ups are hit the hardest, and it takes longer for them to recover. Only 14 percent of small businesses rate their ability to mitigate cyber risks, vulnerabilities and attacks as highly effective. In today's digital economy, winning and maintaining the trust of your customers is central to business growth, and nothing erodes trust quite like a cyber breach.

Scaling customer trust is a very different animal to scaling customer numbers. In fact, it can work in inverse proportion. When there is rapid customer base growth, it puts more strain on the company's Trust and Safety resources, which in turn, results in an increase in security breaches and a decrease in customer trust. Don't allow this to happen. Safely and successfully scale the trust of your customers by adopting these three key measures:

Related: 5 Essential Podcasts for Entrepreneurs Serious About Cryptocurrency

1. Take full control of updating your company's software.

Imagine that your company is a castle. The walls of the castle can break and crumble in places, allowing intruders easy access. So these walls need to be constantly maintained and patched up. If you give everyone working in the castle responsibility for this maintenance, something is going to go wrong somewhere, sometime. One of your team will fill a hole with sand instead of cement, so you need to take full control of it.

It's the same in a company. A recent survey conducted by research firm Voke Media found that 27 percent of companies reported a failed audit in the prior 18 months. Eighty one percent of those failures could have been prevented with a patch or configuration change. Twenty six percent of companies reported a breach, of which 79 percent could have been prevented with those two measures. In fact, if more individuals and companies kept their software up to date, the devastation caused by the recent Petya attacks would have been minimal.

By using an enterprise network, this critical function will be managed centrally by one expert rather than by many novices. Related: Why You Can't Afford to Ignore Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Anymore

2. Put human error in the firing line.

Even though the walls of your castle may be fully maintained and secure, a worker may unwittingly open a window or door, giving intruders full access.

Ninety five percent of all security incidents involve human error, according to the 2017 IBM Cyber Security Intelligence Index. Examples include staff clicking links to phishing scams or visiting corruptive websites, and network administrators making small errors with big consequences. For example, it was reported recently that North Korean hackers stole U.S.-South Korea war plans. A contractor working at the data center left a cable in place that connected the military intranet (which had compromised antivirus software installed) to the internet, allowing the North Korean hackers to access sensitive information.

Employees can be helped to recognize scams through prevention training and awareness programs. Make it easy for your employees to report fraudulent emails quickly, and keep testing internally to prove the training is working. Your front line must always be cyber-ready.

Related: IPOs Are Boring But You Must Keep an Eye on These 9 Initial Coin Offerings

3. A.B.C. -- Always Be Communicating with your customers.

Tell them what you are doing to keep them safe. Customers value transparency, and the more companies are open with both its customers and employees, the further trust will be established. Take Zappos, for example, who promotes transparency in its Zappos Family Core Values by being completely open with its vendors when it comes to internal information. Instead of trying to hide secrets or use private information to establish leverage, Zappos believes in giving vendors complete visibility. The result is more trusting relationships that strengthen the organization at very foundational levels.

The expertise and time required to successfully introduce all or any of these security measures can be immense, and often difficult to provide in-house. As a result, many fast-growing companies are outsourcing Trust and Safety (TnS) Operations to a partner company, allowing them to focus on core competencies. If this is a route you choose to take, be sure to demand the same level of trustworthiness from them, as your customers do from you. And here's how to do it:

Related: 6 Cryptocurrencies You Should Know About (and None of Them Are Bitcoin)

Find a partner who has a proven track record of delivering top quality TnS services.

A premium BPO will routinely outperform its partner's Net Promoter Scores (NPS) scores and will have the data to prove it. Providing value added, high touch customer experiences results in high customer satisfaction. So not only will you have a high NPS score, you'll also be able to turn those satisfied customers into your champions. A raw, positive customer referral is infinitely more powerful than any advertising copy.

Many companies are publicly private about its outsourcing practices, so go deeper than a few Google searches when carrying out your research. Conversations with peers and BPO reps will bear more fruit. Ask for examples and personal accounts so you can understand how the agents would react in any situation.

Related: How Digital Wallets and Mobile Payments Are Evolving and What It Means for You

Ask a lot of questions about the training the contact agents receive.

Contact agents will be your front line so it's important they are prepared for any scenario. Whether it's risk, user safety or fraud prevention, proper training is critical. Last year, one of my TnS agents saved one of our major partners over $20,000 by foiling an attempted money laundering scam before it even got started. Our in-depth agent training programs were central to this big win.

Ask what training programs are available, and if they can be tailored to suit your needs. Empathy training for emergency situations and crises help equip agents with the skills needed in case they find themselves in a sensitive or stressful situation. The key to success is the people so choose an organization that invests in recruitment, training and quality.

Be clear about the security measures that you want in place.

By having the security discussion up front, you can find a partner that is flexible enough to provide what you need. Inform yourself about the company's network security and how they intend to keep your data safe. Ask: Does their security philosophy match yours? Do they have the right tools already in place? What else is needed to keep yours and your customers' data safe?

Ask about their data recovery and business continuity plans in the case of a breach. With data breaches looming around the corner every day, it's imperative to know there's a backup plan should a breach occur.

Make sure your partner can support your growth.

When companies experience rapid growth, it will throw up a lot of challenges on your journey to success, and many of them will be way outside of the sphere of your core competencies. You'll need to hire in functional expertise, set up complex new systems and processes, and create management structures. In a world where companies grow faster than at any other time in history, most are outsourcing at least some of their core functions, so that they scale up successfully.

Take Airbnb for example, who over the past ten years has seen phenomenal growth. What started as a small company in San Francisco that allowed people to turn their spare bedrooms into vacation rentals, now operates in more than 190 countries worldwide. When Airbnb contracted Voxpro to carry out its TnS operations, it started with six agents. Three years later, the number has grown to 106 given the rapid growth of the business. A great BPO will grow with you.

It's a scary time to do business, but in the 20 years I have been running companies, I have never experienced a more exciting time to do business. The digital nature of today's global economy has opened up amazing opportunities to scale your company bigger and faster than at any other point in history. Yes, it also opens up opportunities for cyber criminal opportunists too, but never forget that you are the one in control, not them. By taking a proactive approach to your trust and safety operations you will shut them down, lock them out, and successfully scale the size and the trust of your customer base.

Related:

Here's How Taking Cybersecurity Very Seriously Enhances Your Brand

How Vulnerable Are You to Cybercrime? (Infographic)

10 Ways You're Being Tracked Without You Knowing It



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


iGo Marketing

Founded in 2014 by Chief Distiller Jeremy Kempter, Old Town Distilling Co. is Northern Colorado's first and only certified organic distillery. OTD sources all of its raw ingredients from within the state and prides itself on sustainable business practices, including giving spent vodka and whiskey grains to local cattle and hog farmers. (Lucky pigs!)

Entrepreneur caught up with Patrick Saul, Co-Owner & Sciencer (as his business card reads) to discuss the good, the bad and the boozy of the whiskey biz. Check out the discussion in the video above. Cheers!
PALMER  Laying in the fields of Vietnam, Dennis Mottl had a realization.

He never let go of this thought, but he decided to act on it again this time. He wanted to teach.

Mottl saw airliners over the South China Sea that were heading back to the United States. He was a tad envious.

It just made me ill to think that I wasnt on that plane, Mottle, a former Marine who served from 1969 to 1971, said. If I was on that plane, Id go back and finish that education up and resume my life in a way that it had some meaning and that it counted for something.

Mottl grew up on a farm northwest of Ord. However, his parents moved to Omaha in the 1950s and got different jobs because it got so dry. The farm was a small ranch with diversified crops and livestock.

I always missed the farm in a huge way, Mottl said.

He went to college for a year, knowing he wanted to be an ag teacher. However, he said he had some growing up to do, still. He took some time off and joined the Marines. Mottl said the Marines was just what he needed.

I just needed to step back away from my life as it was at that point, he said.

When he was out of the service and ready to go back, he got his degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Mottl taught for 30 years at Fullerton before he retired.

When I retired from Fullerton, I really wasnt ready to quit, Mottl said. I kind of thought maybe I should check and see if theres really life on the other side of the walls of that classroom.

He went into ag sales for six years. Mottl learned that agriculture holds a lot more opportunities than he already knew about. He said after that, he finally figured it out that I needed to go back to teaching.

Thats where I was meant to be, Mottl said.

He then went to Palmer to be an ag teacher and FFA advisor, where he still is.

Mottls teaching style lets him treat his students like adults and as family. He deeply cares for his students, and aims to teach them to have respect for others. He said hes careful to not call them kids, because he wants to treat them like the young adults they are.

He was recently awarded the Natural Resources Educator of the Year Award for 2017. The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts presents the award annually to recognize outstanding natural resources education efforts in Nebraska. The Lower Loup Natural Resources District nominated Mottl for the award. He received the award at a luncheon during the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Annual Conference in Kearney on Sept. 25.

Mottl said hes no different than many other teachers just because he got the award.

I think theres a lot of teachers who do what I do better than I do, he said. Ive just been doing it longer.

Mottls family is very important to him. Hes been with his wife, Barb, for a few decades now, as they dated right after high school.

I knew I was never going to get a Dear Dennis letter from that lady, he said about when he was in the service. Shes a keeper.

He and Barb have three grown kids and 10 grandkids.

Mottl said teaching is a gift, as are his students. He said hes able to connect with the students because he listens to them and learns what makes them tick.

Its pretty easy to have a sense of empathy with what their lives might be, he said.

He said if he gives it some thought, he realizes his students may not tell the things they tell him to everyone. He said he feels his students have a trust and respect for him.

I feel kind of special that theyd include me in their lives, Mottl said.
LINCOLN  A state commission has given the green light to construction of the Keystone XL pipeline across Nebraska, but not exactly the same route as preferred by its developer.

In a 3-2 vote, the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved the so-called mainline alternative route for the controversial 36-inch crude oil pipeline, a slightly different path than the preferred route proposed by TransCanada.

The decision creates some uncertainty because many new landowners must be contacted to obtain right-of-way agreements for the underground pipe.

In her written dissent, Commissioner Chrystal Rhoades of Omaha said many of the landowners along the now-approved route may not be aware of that because no notice was given to them by TransCanada or the state.

Approving the route were PSC Commissioners Tim Schram of Gretna, Frank Landis of Lincoln and Rod Johnson of Sutton. Voting no were Rhoades and Commissioner Mary Ridder of Callaway.

The alternative route selected by the PSC runs east of TransCanadas preferred route and makes the pipeline cross parts of seven counties not previously in the path of Keystone XL. So it would require the company to reach property easement agreements with a new group of landowners.

The different counties now in the pipelines path are Madison, Stanton, Platte, Colfax, Butler, Seward and Saline. In addition, the pipeline route has been changed somewhat in Antelope and Jefferson Counties.

The states OK does not mean the pipeline will be built. Opponents have promised to file lawsuits to challenge the project, and TransCanada has said it wont decide until December if it has enough shippers to make the $8 billion project financially feasible.

The Keystone XL is designed to carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the tar sands region of northern Alberta to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The pipeline was first proposed nine years ago, but was rejected by President Barack Obama as damaging to the environment. But after Donald Trump took office, he resurrected the Keystone XL, saying it would bring jobs.

The financial uncertainty comes because todays oil market is much different than when the Keystone XL was first proposed.

Back then, crude oil was trading at nearly $150 a barrel, about three times the current price. The Keystone XL was proposed before fracking took off in the U.S., creating an oil boom across the country and pushing domestic production to a new record.

Some major oil companies have pulled out of the tar sands region in recent months due to the world-wide glut of oil and the higher cost of turning the tar sands into synthetic crude.
Avalanches of global warming alarmism By Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris

Throughout the United Nations Climate Change Conference that wrapped up in Bonn, Germany last week, the world has been inundated with the usual avalanche of manmade global warming alarmism. The UN expects us to believe that extreme weather, shrinking sea ice, and sea level rise will soon become much worse if we do not quickly phase out our use of fossil fuels that provide over 80% of the worlds energy. There is essentially nothing to support these alarms, of course. We simply do not have adequate observational data required to know or understand what has happened over the past century and a half. Meaningful forecasts of future climate conditions are therefore impossible. Nevertheless, this years session was especially intense, since the meeting was being chaired by the island nation of Fiji, a government that has taken climate change fears to extremes. COP23 (the 23rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties on climate change) conference president, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, has called for an absolute dedication to meet the 1.5-degree target. This is the arbitrary and most stringent goal suggested by the Paris Agreement. In support of Bainimaramas position, the COP23/Fiji Website repeatedly cites frightening forecasts made by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). One prediction stated: The IPCC recently reported that temperatures will significantly increase in the Sahel and Southern African regions, rainfall will significantly decrease, and tropical storms will become more frequent and intense, with a projected 20 per cent increase in cyclone activity. To make such dire forecasts, the IPCC relies on computerized models built on data and formulas to represent atmospheric conditions, and reflect the hypothesis that carbon dioxide is the principal factor driving planetary warming and climate change. However, we still do not have a comprehensive, workable theory of climate, and thus do not have valid formulas to properly represent how the atmosphere functions. We also lack data to properly understand what weather was like over most of the planet even in the recent past. Without a good understanding of past weather conditions, we have no way to know the history, or the future, of average weather conditions  what we call the climate. An important data set used by the computer models cited by the IPCC is the HadCRUT4 global average temperature history for the past 167 years. This was produced by the Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglias Climatic Research Unit, both based in the United Kingdom. Until the 1960s, HadCRUT4 temperature data were collected using mercury thermometers located at weather stations situated mostly in the United States, Japan, the UK, and eastern Australia. Most of the rest of the planet had very few temperature sensing stations, and none of the Earths oceans (which cover 70% of the planet) had more than occasional stations separated from the next ones by thousands of kilometers of no data. Temperatures over these vast empty areas were simply guesstimated. Making matters even worse, data collected at weather stations in this sparse grid had, at best, an accuracy of +/-0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees F), and oftentimes no better than +/-1.0 degree C. Averaging such poor data in an attempt to determine past or future global conditions cannot yield anything meaningful  and certainly nothing accurate or valid enough to use in making critical energy policy decisions. Modern weather station surface temperature data are now collected using precision thermocouples. But, starting in the 1970s, less and less ground surface temperature data was used for plots such as HadCRUT4. Initially, this was done because governments believed satellite monitoring could take over from most of the ground surface data collection. However, the satellites did not show the warming that climate activists and computer models had forecast. So, bureaucrats closed many of the colder rural surface temperature sensing stations, while many stations in the vast frigid area of Siberia were closed for economic and other reasons. The net result was that cold temperature data disappeared from more recent records  thereby creating artificial warming trends, the very warming that alarmists predicted, desired and needed for political purposes. Today, we have virtually no data for approximately 85% of the Earths surface. Indeed, there are fewer weather stations in operation now than there were in 1960. That means HadCRUT4 and other surface temperature computations after about 1980 are meaningless. Combining this with the sensitivity (accuracy) problems in the early data, and the fact that we have almost no long-term data above Earths surface, the conclusion is unavoidable: It is not possible to know how or whether Earths climate has varied over the past century and a half. The data are therefore useless for input to the computer models that form the basis of the IPCCs conclusions. But the lack of adequate surface data is only the start of the problem. The computer models on which the climate scare is based are mathematical constructions that require the input of data above Earths surface as well. The models divide the atmosphere into cubes piled on top of each other, ideally with wind, humidity, cloud cover and temperature conditions known for different altitudes. But we currently have even less data above the surface than on it, and there is essentially no historical data at altitude. Many people think the planet is adequately covered by satellite observations  data that is almost global 24/7 coverage and far more accurate than anything determined at weather stations. But the satellites are unable to collect data from the north and south poles, regions that are touted as critical to understanding global warming. Moreover, space-based temperature data collection did not start until 1979, and 30 years of weather data is required to generate a single data point on a climate graph. The satellite record is far too short to allow us to come to any useful conclusions about climate change. In fact, there is insufficient data of any kind  temperature, land and sea ice, glaciers, sea level, extreme weather, ocean pH, et cetera  to be able to determine how todays climate differs from the past, much less predict the future. The IPCCs climate forecasts have no connection with the real world. Sherlock Holmes warned that It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote this famous quote for fiction, of course. But it applies perfectly to todays global warming debate, especially where the IPCCs scary conclusions and forecasts are involved. Of course, this will not stop Bainimarama and other conference leaders from citing IPCC science in support of their warnings of future climate catastrophe. We should use these facts to spotlight and embarrass them every time. Dr. Tim Ball is an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Tom Harris is executive director of the Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science Coalition. Home
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 08:13 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29cb7cc 4 Editorial #Editorial,climate-change,#ClimateChange,#environment,environment,Paris-Agreement,#Paris Free

There was little excitement during the climate talks in Bonn. The jubilation of Paris two years ago after participating countries agreed to form a global pact to reduce emissions in a bid to prevent more floods, heat waves and rising sea levels, has subsided.

As delegates prepared the rule book to implement the climate accord at the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, they were bracing for the impact of the United States exit.

As one of the biggest emitters and among countries that has provided significant funding to the global movement, the US pullout from the climate accord  though pending finalization in 2020  has shifted the balance of the worlds largest diplomatic convention.

There was a ring of solidarity, shared by developed and developing countries, expressing their firm commitment to the Paris accord.

European countries have pledged to make up for the US absence. French President Emmanuel Macron said France was ready to make up for the lost funding caused by the decision  while developing countries, including Indonesia, said they would stick to their commitments. However, much more than commitment is needed.

Scientists said countries had barely budged in reducing their emissions.

From Germany to China, there has been reluctance to relinquish coal or lignite ( brown coal). Complexities go beyond technology and funding. Germany, for example, faces growing proponents of coal in the government coalition. Hope, however, remains as Chancellor Angela Merkel  unlike US President Donald Trump  is not among them.

Political obstacles may also hamper talks on the allocation of funding and technology necessary to support other countries in upholding the global goal.

Even with the technology and funding, it will not be enough if Germany, the US and other developed countries fail to meet their carbon cut commitments.

China, which recently made large strides in expanding renewable energy, is also expected to take on a greater leadership role in the absence of the US. However, with a reputation as the worlds largest emitter, a U-turn is least expected from the country.

In negotiations on the rule book to guide countries in meeting their emissions commitments, China was among the countries demanding different treatment between developed and developing countries. The two-week talks in Bonn have shown that it is the big countries that are reluctant to carry out the commitments.

For Indonesia, which still relies on technology and funding to meet its own goals, however, this is no excuse to slow down efforts to reduce emissions, especially in the forestry sector. The government, along with the private sector and citizens, have made significant achievements in reducing forest fires and improving agroforestry partnerships that have also begun to benefit locals.

The innovation and partnerships to reduce emissions in forestry will benefit the country in sustaining its land and forests. Indonesia could then show the way forward in the climate fight.
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Linkedin Indira Puspita Prihartono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 15:16 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e42b5 3 Opinion health,#health,BPJS-Kesehatan,#BPJSKesehatan,hospital,#hospital,healthcare-policy,#HealthMinistry Free

Do you have the same right to health as everyone else in Indonesia? Do you think you would have equal access to the intensive care unit as someone without a job? In 1996, the World Health Organization stated in its constitution the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. But what is the highest attainable standard of health? Is it really the same for everyone?

Since 2014, Indonesia adopted a universal healthcare system through a social security administrator for healthcare, known as BPJS Kesehatan, and as of September 2017 it has encompassed approximately 70 percent of the total population.

But access and standards of healthcare is far from the same for everyone.

Recently, reports emerged of a baby who died in a hospital in West Jakarta because the family couldnt provide the down payment needed for intensive care. The patient had a BPJS card but the hospital was a private hospital unaffiliated with BPJS, reinforcing the limits to the universal program.

The patient did receive appropriate emergency medical attention and intervention free of charge, however to be admitted into intensive care, the patient had to provide down payment or be referred to a BPJS affiliated hospital where vacancy in the intensive care unit is most often scarce.

This incident led to warnings from the Health Ministry of the prohibition of down payment requirement for hospital emergency care, regardless of health insurance status. However, national regulations may be difficult for some hospitals to abide. A few weeks later another incident occurred in a hospital in Cirebon, Central Java where another baby died. It was a BPJS-affiliated hospital but the parents who were active BPJS card holders were asked for down payment of Rp 1 million (US$73.88) for the required caesarian. The hospital denied reports that the reason was because they rejected the newborns entitlement to BPJS, as the infant was registered a few days before being born while the card would be active 14 days after registration.

Although prohibited, it is very challenging for private hospitals not to demand down payment for their services, given the cost of hospital treatment and procedures that can easily surpass most Indonesians annual salary.

Hospitals are complex institutions requiring numerous resources to function, which would not be possible without adequate funds. Continuous advancements of drugs and treatments along with the high value of the medical profession and skill account for the high-priced services.

BPJS has been criticized for not making things financially easy for hospitals to cater to patients entitled to the universal scheme. Healthcare providers consider BPJSs prospective payment system which are based on hospital unit cost data are underestimated and insufficient. Through this system, healthcare providers must consider cost efficiency along with quality care in order to survive.

BPJS itself has had trouble collecting sufficient funds, being in outstanding deficit of Rp 5.8 trillion in the first semester of 2017. BPJS had gone through multiple revisions of its premium policy, now ranging from Rp 25,500 to Rp.80,500 monthly for each participant. Yet its easy for independent participants to disobey paying the premium.

Unfriendly payment systems for healthcare providers have made it especially more difficult for pricy private hospitals to cooperate. Since its implementation, BPJS has made efforts to collaborate with private hospitals, aiming to include all hospitals in the system by 2019; but as of now only 92 hospitals or roughly half of the hospitals in the nations capital are affiliated with BPJS.

Meanwhile patients complaints continue on BPJSs limited hospital access and taxing tiered referral policy which dictates that patients must seek care from a primary healthcare center before being referred to class D, C, B, and A hospitals in respective order.

By regulation, hospitals unaffiliated with BPJS must provide emergency care to holders of the BPJS card, but the care afterwards in unaffiliated hospitals would not be covered. If the family or patient feels they couldnt afford expensive hospital bills, the patient would then be referred to BPJS affiliated hospitals, susceptible to delayed care.

BPJS has gone through many challenges since its implementation, reaping praise and criticism. But clearly the highest attainable standard of health is not the same for every individual even in a universal healthcare setting. Some say you cannot put a price tag on health. As Mahatma Gandhi once said it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.

In this real world, one would still need gold and silver to pursue health. Still, in its pursuit one may also fail. Indeed health is no more of a right than it is a privilege. Having money in the bank allows one to enjoy services unobtainable by those who can only rely on national healthcare. Maybe it is not that the BPJS does not provide for equal services, but that the national healthcare program is responsible for more lives than the current situation can accommodate.

There is hope for a true universal healthcare system in Indonesia, one that would satisfyingly accommodate healthcare providers, insurance institution, as well as its participants, the people. It would need the effort, cooperation, and support of the nation, but it is possible.

As the highest attainable standard of health is the fundamental rights of every human being, as the WHO states, lets not allow wealth determine the health of the people.

***

The writer is a Jakarta-based physician and practitioner of hospital administration. She is currently undertaking graduate study at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to academia@jakpost.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin KOMINFO (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Tue, November 21, 2017

Infrastructure has become the focus of the President Joko Widodo- Vice President Jusuf Kalla administration right now, as is reflected by the portion that infrastructure development is allocated in the State Budget.

As the years go by, the budget for infrastructure gets bigger and bigger. What was Rp 154.7 trillion (US$11.4 billion) in 2014 grew to Rp 269.1 trillion in 2016. In the 2017 State Budget, this figure had reached Rp 401.1 trillion.

Next year's infrastructure budget is expected to increase further to at least Rp 410 trillion and will be used to realize social justice for the people of Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke.

Eight airports, 865 kilometers of new roads, 25 kilometers of toll roads, bridges spanning 8,695 meters, 620 kilometers of railway track and much else will be built for the prosperity of the nation.

Stagnant infrastructure projects will similarly be given a boost so that the public can feel their benefits. For example, the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu Toll Road (often referred to as "Becakayu"), despite the construction being suspended for two decades, finally became operational in November.

Abandoned toll road projects are no longer a sight to be seen since PT Waskita Toll Road acquired PT Kresna Kusuma Dyandra Marga and began work on toll roads in early 2015. Since then, work on these abandoned roll roads have resumed.

. (./.)

The Becakayu toll road isn't simply just an alternative way for people to get to Jakarta or Bekasi. It also adds to the road network of Greater Jakarta. The toll road will also soon be connected to the Wiyoto Wiyono and Jakarta-Cikampek toll roads.

In addition to toll roads, development of mass transportation infrastructure projects like the MRT in Jakarta and the light rail transit (LRT) are still continuing.

By the start of 2019, it is expected that the citizens of Jakarta will be able to enjoy the benefits of the MRT system, the first of its kind in Indonesia.

What's more, infrastructure development has also raised the country's profile on the international stage.

According to the Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 report released by the World Economic Forum in September, the country's competitiveness increased from 41st place in 2016 to 36th this year. Infrastructure was used as one of the measuring standards for competitiveness in this index.

However, despite having made strides, the infrastructure sector in Indonesia still needs to improve. According to this very same report, the quality of infrastructure in the country is ranked 52nd of 137 nations. It is still very far behind neighbors such as Singapore, ranked second place, or Malaysia at 22nd.

Increasingly innovative

In order to push for bigger infrastructure development, the government has been hard at work innovating to arrange for more flexible payment schemes. These innovations do not simply rely to the State Budget to build infrastructure.

The private sector is being invited to take a more active role in funding infrastructure. The government hopes that infrastructure development can be accelerated by working together, so that the effects of improved infrastructure can be felt as soon as possible.

The results of a 2014 study by the International Monetary Fund indicated that the rise of investment in public infrastructure will lead to greater economic growth, both in the short and long term. A 1 percent increase in public infrastructure investment in a developing country can increase output by 0.1 percent in the same year and by 0.25 percent in the four years to come.

According to Robert Pakpahan, the Finance Ministry's financing and risk management director general, innovative funding is required to accelerate infrastructural development.

Working together with the private sector, public private partnerships can be used as an alternative means of funding, aside from the state budget and tasking state-owned enterprises. That way, the government can spend more time focusing on developing infrastructure projects that are less attractive to investors, such as drinking water and irrigation projects.

"There are currently already a number of government projects that have partnered with the private sector, such as the Palapa Ring and the Batam power plant," Pakpahan said, during the recent Forum Merdeka Barat 9 (FMB9) media gathering on infrastructure funding, held on Nov. 17 in Jakarta.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi echoed Pakpahan's thoughts. He said the diversity of payment systems was good for accelerating transportation connectivity in the nation.

Budi pointed out that the budgetary needs of the transportation sector annually reached Rp 1.5 quadrillion. Of this amount, some Rp 250 trillion comes from the State Budget.

"There is a gap between demand and existing budgets. As such partnerships with the private sector are required," Budi said.

. (./.)

He added that the Transportation Ministry was always pushing for partnerships between state-owned enterprises and the private sector in managing state assets in the ministry's jurisdictional areas, such as airports and harbors. These partnerships serve to improve services, increase economic competitiveness, and boost capital participation for asset development.

The government has classified its infrastructure projects into three different types. First, if a project is not economically feasible, then it will be built solely using state-owned enterprises.

The second category is for projects that are between feasible and not feasible. These will be funded through operational partnerships between provincial governments or state-owned enterprises on the one hand and the private sector on the other.

The last category is for projects that have the potential to benefit the entire economy. These can allow for private sector participation. Managing assets always has its own set of guarantees for the public sector from the government.

So far, according to Budi, 10 airports and 20 harbors will have their management offered to the private sector. The management offers for these airports and harbors will certainly benefit the entire economy.

These airports include Labuan Bajo, Sentani, Radin Inten, Tarakan, Palu, Sabang, Sibolga, and Bengkulu, while the harbors include Bitung, Ternate, Manokwari, Kendari and Biak.

Partnerships of this nature use asset management schemes for state property. The maximum period of operational cooperation is established at 30 years. In addition, all assets are still owned by the state.

It is through these partnerships with the private sector that up to Rp 1 trillion in the State Budget can be saved. These savings can certainly be channeled for other productive needs, such as building infrastructure on the border, outermost and remote regions of Indonesia.

At the FMB9 forum, the president director of PT Jasa Marga, Desi Arryani, said that private-sector funding was good for accelerating the operation of toll roads.

"Jasa Marga has 1,260 kilometers of toll road concessions, 593 kilometers came into operation last year. There are still many kilometers left to pursue and complete," Desi said.

From 2017 to 2019, Jasa Marga also has to open 667 kilometers of new roads with a target of 200 kilometers per year. As a corporation, Jasa Marga has limitations in its capital and debt. Whether it likes it or not, Jasa Marga needs new sources of funding to accelerate toll road development.

With equity of Rp 16.3 trillion, Jasa Marga also has to be careful in determining how much it borrows. Its stockholders can get worried if the company's borrowing is deemed too high.

"We ended up deciding to opt for securitization. We are looking for schemes that don't clash with regulations," Desi said.

The securitization of state assets in toll roads isn't selling assets. It's a way of working together to fund projects.

According to Desi, Jasa Marga has historically had stable financial reports. As a result, the move to securitize future income is a logical step. Prospective investors too can be confident.

In the first phase of securitization, Jasa Marga has released a five-year plan for the Jakarta-Bogor-Ciawi Toll Road.

"We can get up to Rp 2 trillion. In the future, more securitization is possible, as this is just the start. We are testing the market," Desi said.

. (./.)

Aside from working with the private sector, Jasa Marga is also making subsidiaries more independent in searching for funding, such as by selling obligations on a project basis, as has been done with the JORR W2 (Meruya-Ulujami) toll road.

"Securitization of assets only sells future income. It doesn't sell the assets. The assets securitized by Jasa Marga are toll roads that have had stable incomes for years and can be relied upon by investors," Desi added.

In other words, the assets remain secure in the hands of the government. But the government can't handle infrastructure development all on its own. It needs to partner with others, including in the private sector.

All sectors of society can benefit from infrastructure. It can allow the idea of social justice and equity to be achieved for all people, from east to west in Indonesia.
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Linkedin Sinar Mas Land (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Tue, November 21, 2017

The Bandung Technological Science Institute (ITSB), supported by the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and property company Sinar Mas Land, is sending yet another high-achieving oil engineering student, Siti Paizah, to continue her education at ITB.

Siti is a fourth-semester ITSB student who has completed her subjects with flying colors, holding a grade point average (GPA) of 3.88.

ITSB is a feeder university for ITB, which means the former supplies high-achieving students to complete their education and earn their degrees at the highly prestigious state-owned university, which has an expertise in engineering studies. ITSB sets a number of requirements for its students to continue their studies at ITB: they have to at least be in their second to fourth semesters, and have completed a minimum of 72 university units with a minimum GPA of 3.75.

ITSB, the brainchild of ITB, Sinar Mas Land and the Bekasi regional administration, is located in Deltamas Cikarang city, a business district project owned by Sinar Mas Land. The university was established with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among the three parties on July 3, 2007.

. (Photo courtesy of Sinar Mas/.)

Currently, ITSB has eight Bachelor degree programs, coupled with three applied sciences and vocational school departments. Two of the vocational school programs offer special scholarships for high-achieving students with limited financial capabilities in cooperation with the Eka Tjipta Foundation, Sinar Mas Land and the ITSB foundation.

The university has a vision to be an eco-industry oriented university, which is programmed to create graduates who are highly competent in their fields to answer to the challenges faced by society in this era of intensive and extensive industrialization, globalization as well as regional autonomy in Indonesia. The graduates are also expected to possess the skillset required by Sinar Mas groups business pillars, so they can also serve as the companys human capital.

Siti Paizah follows in the footsteps of Jehan Eldira Islamy, another high- achieving female oil engineering student at ITSB in the 2009 batch who has completed her studies and earned a Bachelors degree from ITB.

Both students success stories serve to boost ITSBs commitment to maintaining the quality of its education system, while motivating its students to set their academic achievement bar higher.

This is ITSBs commitment as a feeder university. Therefore, I would like to motivate ITSB students to always maintain their high academic achievements so they can get the chance to be a graduate of the prestigious ITB, ITSB foundation general secretary Dhony Rahajoe said.
These effects [from the chemicals] are kind of striking because it suggests that if this compound was interacting with the heart muscle itself, it could do something directly to change how that cell actually functions, said Nystoriak, whose research was released this week at the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions meeting.

Read also: Switching to e-cigarettes would delay millions of deaths: Study

Nystoriak added that the chemicals that did the most significant damage to the cells that keep the heart pumping had an effect before they were heated.

However, there are still many questions about exactly how the chemicals can affect the heart, both when heated and when not.

In addition, as the experiments were done in a petri dish and not on a real heart, the study also doesnt take into account the many variables that are involved in real-life consumption of the chemicals.

However, health experts have long been concerned about the potential dangers of e-cigarettes, partly because little is known about the health risks from flavorings.

Though not involved in this study, Matthew L. Springer, Ph.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an expert on how smoke and aerosol tobacco affect vascular function, commented that chemicals that are generally recognized as safe are not necessarily safe for inhalation, adding that cayenne pepper powder is quite safe for eating, but I would not want to inhale it.

They should not assume that e-cigarettes are harmless just because they dont produce smoke, he continued. The best thing that you can inhale is clean air.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes might be less harmful than conventional cigarettes but still arent safe because data shows they can contain harmful substances such as nicotine and lead.
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 16:56 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29ed546 4 Business Belgium,food,expo,exports Free

The Belgian Potato Trade and Processing Industry Federation (Belgapom) will take part in the major Indonesian food expo SIAL Interfood 2017 to be held at the Jakarta International (JI) Expo Kemayoran in Central Jakarta from Wednesday to Saturday, in an effort to boost its frozen-potato sales.

Belgapom representative Wouter Trybou said it was part of a two-year campaign to boost exports of Belgian fries.

The five exporters of fries that will join the event are Agristo, Barts Potato Company, Clarebout Potatoes, Ecofrost and Mydibel.

This year is the first year of our campaign. Were targeting B2B [business to business] transactions in food services, the retail sector and quick-service restaurants. Next year, well target more in the retail sector, he told a press briefing on Monday.

Our fries are made from the Bintje potato. Its a non-GMO [Genetically Modified Organism] grown without coloring, he added.

Belgium is the worlds biggest exporter of fries, with 90 percent of the fries exported worldwide. Its fries exports increased by 14.3 percent to 1.68 million tons in 2016, mostly to Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Chile.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest importer of fries after the United States, Netherland and Canada. Indonesia imported 40,961 tons of frozen potatoes last year, 11.6 percent of which came from Belgium. (bbn)

Topics : Belgium food expo exports
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 19:03 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29f1744 1 City Bukit-Duri,eviction,kampung-susun,anies-baswedan Free

Residents of Bukit Duri, South Jakarta evicted last year to pave way for the Cilliwung River restoration project planned to build shelters while waiting for Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to fulfill his campaign promise of building them vertical housing.



Ciliwung Merdeka community head Sandyawan Sumardi, who advocates for the residents, said building temporary shelters was imminent because the residents were burdened by the heavy cost of renting houses.



"We are attempting to build shelters to temporarily house residents," he said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.



"They not only lost their homes in the evictions but also their jobs, making it difficult for them difficult to afford daily needs and rent," he added.



In a meeting with the newly elected governor later this week, Sandyawan said the shelter's concept would be among topics discussed. According to his initial plan, the shelters would be set up near the riverbanks and were expected to be completed at the end of 2017.



To further provide economic support for the dwellers, Sandyawan said the Bukit Duri kampung would be equipped with a cooperative.



The Central Jakarta District Court granted recently a lawsuit filed by Bukit Duri residents pertaining to the forced evictions conducted by the administration.



During his campaign, Anies said he would not evict the Bukit Duri residents and would instead build vertical housing for them on their land. (fac)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20 2017

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said two foreign investors were interested in placing their money in the tourist sector of Thousand Islands regency.

He broke the news after attending the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last Friday.

We will keep pushing [the investment plan], Sandiaga said on Saturday according to tempo.co.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 12:37 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29d8cd5 4 Business biodiesel,anti-dumping,USA,Enggartiasto-Lukita,comments Free

Indonesia has called on the United States to cancel its final decision on the enforcement of a countervailing duty on Indonesian biodiesel products, by imposing tariffs of between 34.45 to 64.73 percent.

The Indonesian government calls on the US government to reconsider its decision and respect good relations between the two countries, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said in a statement on Sunday.

He said Indonesia would consider filing a complaint to the US courts and the WTOs dispute settlement body over the anti dumping measure taken by the United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) on Nov. 9.

The USDOC also imposed similar measures against Argentina by imposing higher tariffs of between 71.45 to 72.28 percent.

Enggartiasto accused his counterparts in the US of overprotective and arbitrary moves.

Read also: Indonesia to challenge US anti-dumping duty on biodiesel

The United States International Trade Commission is currently investigating the alleged dumping practices. It has been that if the commission finds any US losses because of biodiesel imports, the tariffs would be imposed, but if not, they will be withdrawn.

The commission will announce its decision on Dec. 21. If the methodology and calculation used by the US is not in line with the WTO-Subsidy and Countervailing Measures Agreement, we will consider evaluating Indonesian imports from the US, he added.

In 2016, Indonesian biodiesel exports to the US had reached US$255.56 million, or 89.19 percent of total Indonesian biodiesel exports. But in 2017, exports were halted because of the anti dumping measure. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Mon, November 20 2017

A 33-year-old Malaysian drug convict, Mohammad Aziziee, has escaped from Bengkalis Penitentiary in Riau province by exploiting the guards negligence.

Aziziee, who is serving a 15-year sentence for drug smuggling, tricked the guards by wearing a disguise and pretending to collect food from outside the penitentiarys main gate, Bengkalis Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abas Basuni said. After he passed through the gate, he ran toward the western side of Bengkalis Island. He wore a cap, red shirt and shorts to disguise himself from the guards, Abas said on Sunday.

His escape was discovered during a routine cell check and was reported to the police.

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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 15:58 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e609d 1 National KPK,setya-novanto,e-ID,graft Free

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators are set to question Deisti Astriani Tagor, the wife of House of Representatives Speaker and graft suspect Setya Novanto on Monday, as a witness in the e-ID graft case.

Deisti will be questioned as she was the former commissioner of trading company PT Mondialindo Graha Perdana, that, according to evidence obtained by the KPK, owns the biggest stake in security printing company PT Murakabi Sejahtera, one of the companies participating in the e-ID tender process.

Deisti arrived at the KPK office at around 10 a.m. accompanied by several guards and, as of 12 p.m., was still at the KPK office.

The Monday's summons was the second after the witness failed to appear following the first summons on Nov. 10, citing illness.

The questioning took place after the KPK detained Setya following a statement by a team of doctors' that declared Setya as fit to undergo questioning. Setya was treated at a hospital after a traffic accident on Thursday night.

KPK investigators will question Deisti as a witness regarding suspect Anang Sugiana Sudihardjo, the president director of PT Quadra Solution, which was part of the consortium that won the tender for the procurement of the e-ID system.

Anang is alleged to have bribed lawmakers via businessman Andi Agustinus, also known as Andi Narogong, another defendant in the case.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 17:39 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29ef9ea 4 Business Lake-Toba,investigate,infrastructure Free

Toba Lake and its surrounding areas in North Sumatra need Rp 21 trillion (US$1.55 billion) to equip the area with infrastructure and hospitality facilities, such as resorts, hotels and restaurants, to transform the area into a major tourist destination.

Lake Toba Authority Body finance director Faisal said the amount was based on the calculations of the authority for investment until 2019.

The government, through various ministries, is investing Rp 10 trillion, while the remaining Rp 11 trillion was expected to come from private companies.

He said 40 investors had expressed interest in investing in the area, 27 firms of which came from China and Singapore.

Investors from China seems very serious. They want to develop resorts and construct cable cars as well as railway tracks around Lake Toba, Faisal said in Humbang Hasundutan regency in North Sumatra on Sunday.

He said private companies were expected to develop hotels, restaurants and cable cars.

We are aiming for 1 million tourist arrivals in 2019. Next year, we expect to receive 500,000 tourists. This year, we have received about 197,000 foreign tourists. We expect the arrival of 300,000 tourists by the end of the year, he added.

He also promised to facilitate investors with easy licensing.(bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 15:28 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e495d 4 Business regrouping,PLN,customers,Fadli-Zon,comments Free

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon has called on the government to reevaluate its 35,000 megawatts (MW) electricity program as state-owned PLN currently has unused electricity equivalent to 40 percent of its total production.

The projects have burdened the PLN financially. And PLN want consumers to shoulder the burden, said Fadli as reported by tribunnews.com on Monday.

The government has announced its plan to recategorize PLN customers, in an attempt to encourage customers to increase their electricity consumption because, as announced by PLN president director Sofyan Basir, about 40 percent of its electricity was unused.

After recategorization, customers with 1,300 volt ampere (VA), 2,200 VA, 3,500 VA and 4,400 VA will be able to access 5,500 VA electricity, while the electric power of customers with 900 VA, both subsidized and non-subsidized, as well as subsidized customers with 450 VA would remain unchanged.

Fadli blamed the government for poor planning in the development of power plants that caused the oversupply of electricity. As a result, he added, PLN had experienced financial problems because of a limited cash flow.

Therefore, the 35,000 MW electricity program should be reviewed so that it would not further burden the PLN and its customers. The government has burdened the PLN because of the power plant projects. Therefore, it has to reevaluate its 35,000 MW electricity program, Fadli added. (bbn)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Wellington, New Zealand  Mon, November 20, 2017 12:54 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29da816 2 World trump,Jacinda-Ardern,summit,justin-trudeau Free

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leader's partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trump's part.

She said "a third party" at the meeting of world leaders -- who she refused to name -- incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

"It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over... I think I should never have recounted the story," she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the event's gala dinner.

"Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, 'This lady caused a lot of upset in her country', talking about the election," she told newsroom.co.nz.

"I said, 'Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent', then he said it again and I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'."

Large protests followed Trump's election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humor.

"He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way -- he did not seem offended," she said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 17:31 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29edbf0 1 City Pari-island,Dispute,clash,police Free

Residents and police clashed on Pari Island in Jakartas Thousand Islands regency on Monday after police tried to seal off disputed land.

Fifteen residents were injured in the clash over land ownership relating to private enterprise PT Bumi Pari Asri, which claims to own 90 percent of the island. The injured residents were taken to the nearby community health center (Puskesmas).

About 80 Thousands Islands Police and four Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel were involved in sealing off areas, a press statement from the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) said.

Since early morning, Pari Island residents had been in the area to protest against the police measure, which they described as land grabbing.

KIARA deputy head Tigor Hutapea said the 15 injured residents included women.

Earlier this month, police had named community unit (RW) head Sulaiman a suspect for allegedly breaking into a property claimed by PT Bumi Pari Asri, which plans to build a resort on the island.

Sulaiman claimed he had managed the property as a homestay since 2012 and that it belonged to a Bogor resident named Sudin, who had bought it from a Pari Island resident identified as Matlebar. (rdi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 20:46 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29f401c 1 City drug-abuse,gorilla-tobacco,factory,South-Jakarta Free

The South Jakarta Police have raided at the Kalibata apartment complex in South Jakarta an apartment that was suspected to be used as a drug factory to produce "gorilla tobacco," a synthetic cannabinoid that has seen a recent rise in popularity among users.



The police reportedly found 10 kilograms of the synthetic drug in the apartment.



The head of the South Jakarta Police drug unit, Comr. Vivick Tjangkung, said the raid came following a tip-off from locals who suspected that a boarding house in South Jakarta was frequently used as a meeting spot for drug users.



In a raid at the boarding house on Nov. 14, three men, identified only as FAS, DSW and MIES, were arrested and tested positive for the drug.



They reportedly acquired the substance from two dealers who remain at large.



"We checked the cell phone of MIES and found that he rented a unit in Kalibata City," Vivick said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.



During the raid, the police found that the apartment had been used as a place to manufacture gorilla tobacco, Vivick said, adding that MIES employed five people to run the business.



"MIES said that he had rented the apartment for the past three months and that the last time he produced the drug was on Nov. 3. However, we were sure that he had produced the drug for quite some time and that he was involved in the illicit business for one-and-a-half years, Vivick said. (fac)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 14:33 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e1404 1 City Sandiaga-Uno,Tanah-Abang,Istanbul,development Free

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno has said he plans to accommodate the street vendors in Central Jakarta's Tanah Abang by turning the area into a market like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, kompas.com reported on Sunday.

Sandiaga said he had spoken about the plan with Governor Anies Baswedan.

"We hope that [Anies] will make a decision on the plan and announce it in the next few days," Sandiaga was quoted as saying.

Although he had yet to provide any details of the plan, Sandiaga said the design of had taken the interests of pedestrians and vendors into consideration.

The design also integrated the public transportation available in Tanah Abang, he added. (cal)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, November 21 2017

Belgium, a country with a UNESCO-recognized fried food eating culture, hopes to boost frozen potato exports to Indonesia, Southeast Asias biggest economy with over 260 million people and an emerging middle class.

The Belgium Potato Trade and Processing Industry Federation (Belgapom) is conducting a two-year Belgian fries campaign to achieve its goal, starting this year with Southeast Asian countries.

Five member companies  Agristo, Barts Potato Company, Clarebout Potatoes, Ecofrost and Mydibel  will participate in major food event SIAL Interfood at the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran from Wednesday to Saturday.

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Linkedin (AFP) Aden. Yemen  Tue, November 21, 2017 05:13 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29f6ee4 2 World drone,Al-Qaeda,Yemen Free

A drone strike killed four suspected Al-Qaeda fighters in central Yemen on Monday, a local official said.

The United States is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen.

"A car carrying four fighters was hit as it drove on a mountain road" in Bayda province, the official said. "All of them were killed."

"The fighters were from Al-Qaeda," he said.

Washington considers the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to be the radical group's most dangerous branch.

AQAP has flourished in the chaos of the country's civil war, which pits the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against the Huthi Shiite rebels.

A long-running drone war against AQAP has intensified since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

An air raid he ordered that month killed a US Navy SEAL and several Yemeni civilians in Bayda.

US strikes in Yemen have typically targeted suspected Al-Qaeda fighters, but last month the United States said it had killed dozens of fighters from its jihadist rival, the Islamic State group, at training camps in Bayda.

More than 8,600 people have been killed since a Saudi-led coalition joined the Yemen war on Hadi's side in 2015.
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Linkedin Imanuddin Razak (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, November 21 2017

Seventy years after Pakistans independence, the smoldering Kashmir issue involving a border conflict with India remains a most daunting problem.



The Kashmir stalemate is rooted in the painful birth of India and Pakistan. Britain relinquished its control of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, partitioning it into predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan, while Kashmir was given the liberty to accede to either nation.



Kashmir is partially or completely claimed by three countries: India, Pakistan and China. India controls one state called Jammu and Kashmir, which makes up the southern and eastern portions of the region, totaling about 45 percent of Kashmir. Pakistan controls three areas called Azad Jammu-Kashmir (AJK) or Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, which make up the northern and western portions of the region, totaling about 35 percent of Kashmir.



Meanwhile, China controls one area called Aksai Chin in the northeastern part of the region, equal to 20 percent of Kashmir.



Officials say that conflict in Kashmir is religiously charged. But, the fact that the region is also rich in natural resources could be a factor in the prolonged conflicts.



Kashmirs soil has reserves of gold, silver and copper. It also has significant reserves of coal, granite and marble, as well as precious stones like rubies, sapphires and tourmaline, AJK president Sardar Masood Khan said.



The perpetual Kashmir conflict basically refers to the one involving Pakistan and India, with the bilaterally agreed Line of Control, which divides the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir, being 700 kilometers long.



Another tension in the region pits India and China in regard to Aksai Chin. The area is administered by China as part of Hotan County, which is situated in the southwestern part of Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region.



Aksai Chin, however, is also claimed by India as a part of its Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.



In 1962, China and India fought a brief war in Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. In 1993 and 1996, the two countries signed agreements that bound them to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a demarcation line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.



Apart from its dispute over Aksai Chin, India has also accused Pakistan of having handed over some 3,220 square miles of Kashmir to China.



As a ramification of the spiteful separation in 1947 and the subsequent Kashmir conflicts, relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since then. They have fought three wars over Kashmir  in 1947 and 1965.



Even after both countries became nuclear powers in 1998, they came close to another military confrontation once again in 1999.



Bilateral tensions have apparently started to escalate again lately. On Sept. 18, armed militants attacked a remote Indian Army base in Uri, near the Line of Control, killing 19 Indian soldiers in the deadliest attack on the Indian armed forces in decades. And on Sept. 29, two Pakistani soldiers were killed after clashes with Indian troops on the de facto border between the two countries.



The Kashmir conflicts have obviously come at huge cost for all parties involved. An official account has put the number of fatalities at 47,000.



Kashmirs main separatist group, the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, however claims that nearly 100,000 people have died since the insurgency broke out in 1989.





We can verify the fatalities of 93,000 Kashmiris although we have managed to confirm only 40,000 names, Shaikh Tajammul-ul-Islam, executive director of the Kashmir Media Service, the media wing of the Hurriyat Conference, told the Indonesian journalists in Islamabad.



The conflicts have also disrupted the regions economy. Kashmir was once known as a paradise on Earth and people used to flock to the region to vacation in its cooler climate. But the protracted unrest has meant that the region has largely been off the tourist circuit for decades.



The continuing conflicts over control of the whole of Kashmir have long been an extraordinarily serious problem not only for Pakistan, but also for India, as both countries have exerted considerable energy and resources.



The Pakistani government says it remains committed to a United Nations-led democratic settlement of the issue.



In our view, the Kashmiris would love to be part of Pakistan. But, we are committed to the UN-administered Right to Self Determination. Let the Kashmiris decide themselves whether they want to be part of India or with us, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said.



For the Kashmiris, peace will remain elusive. Geopolitical strategies and interests are likely to continue to hamper any peace initiatives for the region.





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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 09:29 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29cf32b 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,children Free

Children of the Nation Cultural Festival (FBA) IX is currently ongoing at the Small Theater, Taman Ismail Marzuki. The event runs from Nov. 18 until 20th and is being held to commemorate World Childrens Day that falls on Nov. 20.

This years event consists of several activities such as dance, music and theater performances, wushu, writing workshop, cultural adventure, painting competition and bazaar.

This is like a cultural diplomacy that creates a dialogue about culture and gives cultural understanding to children. Children need to understand that our tradition is extraordinary, said the shows producer Oetari Noor Permadi.

WIth 'My Beautiful Village' as the theme, 250 children partake in the festival. Several participants come from neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

We are celebrating World Childrens Day because wherever the children are, they are connected globally via electronic gadgets and this is both a good thing and a bad thing, added Oetari.

Read also: Screen time makes children smarter, study says

One of the festivals main shows is the Cindelaras Dance performance that was held on Nov. 19. The performance was adapted from the Cindelaras story from East Java that has been named by the UNESCO as Memory of the World.

There are eight different versions of Cindelaras story available, but the main plot is centered on a child named Cindelaras who was raised by his mother and his best friend is a rooster.

When he finds out that his parents are the king and the empress who got separated because of a false accusation from concubine Geliga, Cindelaras then goes on an adventure to search for his father. In this play, his travels to Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore, said Oetari.

A total of 11 studios took part in this performance.

On the last day of FBA, there will be Yospan Dance Workshop and Creative Writing Workshop from 08:00 a.m. at the Small Theater Lobby and performances of Cilinaya dance and Lestari Ayubulan at 09:00 a.m. in the Auditorium. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 11:29 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29d5d15 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,sumba Free

A total of 60 people took part in Indonesia Adventure Festival (IAF) 2017 that was held in Sumba on Nov. 14  19. The Indonesia Adventure Festival was previously held in Lembata in 2014 and Alor in 2016.

With 'Explore Tanahumba' as the main theme, the participants consisting of bloggers, photographers and media crew were divided into three groups namely adventure, culture and photography teams. They traveled to four regencies in Sumba such as Southwest Sumba, Central Sumba, West Sumba and East Sumba.

On the first day of the trip, participants went to cultural houses in Southwest Sumba, Sumba Hospitality School and by the evening time they were relaxing at Menangah Beach waiting for the sunset. Following the activities, Southwest Sumba tourism department head, Christofel Horo, welcomed the participants in a ceremony held at night.

The three groups went to Wainyapu Village, the next day. The village has 60 Uma Kalada traditional houses and 1,058 megaliths. The adventure and photography teams then continued their journey to Bawana and reunited with the culture team in the evening at Weetabar Village.

Theres currently a construction of several Tarung village houses to accommodate the Podu ritual in the Weetabar Village.

The adventure team went to Lapopu waterfall, the tallest waterfall in NTT the next day. Meanwhile, culture and photography teams stayed at Tarung to see the traditional ritual of Tarung Marapu Village.

Read also: Jokowi wants faster development for 10 New Balis

By the end of the day, participants camped out at Padang Savana Mamboro, Mamboro district.

The participants chased the sunrise view at Sunrise Beach on the following day. They also witnessed a horse-racing event before traveling to East Sumba via the north beach.

In the middle of the trip from central to the east, the adventure team made a stop at Tanggedu Waterfall that looks like the Grand Canyon, whilst the photography team went photo hunting at Puru Kambera, a savanna that is the home of wild horses and other wild animals.

Meanwhile, the culture team visited Wunga Traditional Village, the first and oldest village in East Sumba that was built by the ancestors of Sumba people who came from Malaka Tanabara.

The three teams reunited in the evening at Walakiri Beach around sunset time and continued their trip to Pau Umbara Village where they stayed overnight.

In this village, the culture team got to learn about tenun ikat. Meanwhile, the photography team got up early at 03:00 a.m. the next morning and then went to Watu Parunu Beach to capture the sunset view whilst the adventure team went to Waimarang Waterfall.

Following the activities, all participants went back to Pau Umbara to enjoy a fashion show before traveling back to Waingapu city and Wairinding Hill where they once again enjoyed the sunset view. This was the last stop of their journey, by the evening time there was a farewell dinner held where participants wore traditional Sumbanese costumes. (asw)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 16:33 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e8a66 1 News hanging-hotel,mountain,Hotel,climber,Gunung-Parang,Purwakarta,West-Java Free

A hanging hotel perched on the side of a cliff in Badega Gunung Parang of Purwakarta regency, West Java, is now welcoming thrill seekers looking for a new lodging adventure.



Dhanni Daelami, a climbing enthusiast and the operator of the Mount Parang tourist area, said the only cabin of the Skylodge Padjajaran Anyar had undergone a trial period for safety through September and October before opening its doors to guests this month. He added that the grand launch of the hotel was set for January.

A guest climbs up a via ferrata. The hanging hotel's operator, Dhanni Daelami, says that all facilities adhere to international standards. (Kompas.com/Fikria Hidayat)

The hotel is located in the area of Mount Parang, a popular climbing destination. Getting to the cabin is an adventure in itself, with guests first facing the challenge of climbing the via ferrata, which means "iron steps" in Italian, a protected climbing route that stretches 500 meters along a 60-degree terrain. Guests then continue their journey by pulling themselves across a Tyrolean traverse before finally arriving at the lodge.

"Guests are accompanied and supervised by our guides throughout the journey to the cabin," Dhanni told The Jakarta Post by telephone on Monday. He added that all facilities adhered to international standards.

A post shared by Padjajaran Anyar (@badegaparang) on Nov 12, 2017 at 8:00am PST

A one-night stay in the suspended, 15-square-meter cabin costs Rp 4 million (US$ 295.55), he said. The cabin can accommodate up to five adults and comes with complete facilities, including a bathroom and a kitchenette.

While prospective guests can only make direct reservations through the hotel at present, Dhanni said the company was seeking partnerships with travel websites to offer the ease of booking services and assistance.

Read also: Hanging hotel coming soon to Mount Parang, Purwakarta

Explaining the story behind the unique accommodation, Dhanni said the cliffside Skylodge Adventure Suites in Peru had inspired the Mount Parang park community to implement a similar concept.

"When the team first came up with the idea in 2013, we wanted the hotel to be a destination where people who had never climbed before could enjoy the experience," he said. (asw)
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 14:57 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29e289c 1 News Sail-Sabang,#sailing,sailing,marine-tourism,#MarineTourism,Sabang,aceh,#Aceh Free

Aceh Deputy Governor Nova Iriansyah has invited Jakartans to join Sail Sabang 2017 during Sunday's Road to Sail Sabang 2017 5K Fun Run in Central Jakarta.

Nova stated in a press release that Sail Sabang 2017 was aimed to change domestic and foreign tourists negative perception of Aceh.

With a major event in Aceh, people will come and see Aceh as a safe and peaceful area, he said.

The Road to Sail Sabang 2017 Fun Run was among the activities the Aceh administration has held to promote the event.

Read also: Sail Sabang 2017 set to be Indonesias biggest sailing event

Sail Sabang 2017 will run from Nov. 28 until Dec. 5 in Sabang on Aceh's Weh Island, located on the 0 kilometer mark of the archipelago's westernmost point. The event is the ninth installment of Sail Indonesia, an annual yacht rally that was first launched in 2009 on Bunaken Island, North Sulawesi.

Themed Sabang Towards the Gate of World Marine Tourism Destination, the sailing event will feature a series of activities and attractions, including a free-diving competition, an underwater photography contest and marine expo.

In addition to showcasing Aceh as a safe and peaceful tourist destination, Sail Sabang 2017 also aims to improve public welfare, particularly for the residents of Sabang. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 19:33 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29f2628 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Malang,video,Wonderful-Indonesia,Thailand Free

Wonderful Indonesia Festival held its opening event on the evening of Nov. 17 at One World Mall, Bangkok, Thailand. The event featured a screening of the award-winning Wonderful Indonesia tourism video titled Wonderful Indonesia: The Journey of a Wonderful World and a parade of carnival costumes from Malang Amore Carnival.

These costumes are so nice, so unique, said a visitor named Adul Chaiprasithikul. Another visitor named Pongsudhirak also complimented the costumes, Its fantastic, seeing Indonesian carnival costumes do not bore me."

Malang Amore Carnival has won numerous international awards for best costumes in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Berlin.

Read also: Indonesia to take center stage at SGIFF

We want to show the people of Bangkok that our original costumes can compete globally. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has numerous times invited us to several travel marts, festivals and shows in different parts of the world, told Malang Amore Carnival founder Yoseph Agus Kristian.

Indonesian ambassador to Thailand Ahmad Rusdi praised the event, Im happy that the event is exciting and gained praises from a lot of diplomats from other countries. Everything looks great, I hope after this, the number of tourist visits from Thailand will increase sharply, said Ahmad.

In 2016, Thailand welcomed 32.4 million international tourists, This is the survey data from Mastercard Index of Global Destination Cities, if we could get 10 percent from the total number, it would be great and looking at the trend I feel like we are heading there, he added. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, November 20, 2017 12:39 1822 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29d984e 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Sail-Sabang,aceh Free

With Sail Sabang 2017 only days away, the Tourism Ministry recently held a promotional event for Aceh in Bali called 'Pesona Indonesia Aceh Night' in Bali. The event was held at Lippo Mall Kuta Bali on Nov. 18.

40 percent of overseas tourists come to Bali, so its the perfect place to do a promotional event. As you can see, all of the tourists seem enthusiastic about this event, said the Ministry's archipelago marketing communication development deputy assistant, Putu Ngurah.

Read also: On the beach in Sabang

Putu said that other than Bali, the promotion for Sail Sabang was also held overseas.

This is a huge international event, President Joko Widodo is scheduled to attend. Weve been promoting Sail Sabang for five months through different platforms such as TV, online publication and social media. We even promoted it at World Travel Market in London, Putu added.

Aceh tourism department head Reza Fahlevi said that through the promotional event in Bali, they wanted to provide as much information about Sail Sabang.

We are showcasing different activities related to Sail Sabang 2017 and other tourism information about Aceh, Reza said.

At the event, visitors could try on several Acehnese dishes for free and saw performances of Saman Dance, Pukat Dance, Rapai Geleng, poem recitation, music and others. (asw)
A mother who smothered her son in a Manhattan restaurant bathroom is sentenced to 18 years. I am sorry, she said. https://t.co/let5kzQgjZ  NYT Metro (@NYTMetro) November 20, 2017

A Lower East Side woman who killed her baby inside a restaurant bathroom in 2015 has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

38-year-old Latisha Fisher, a resident of the Gompers Houses, pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this fall, just as her trial was expected to begin.

On March 30, 2015, a manager found Fisher with her one-year-old son, Gavriel Ortiz-Fisher, in the bathroom of 5 Boro Burger in Midtown. The babys lips were blue and he was foaming from the mouth. Fisher told a paramedic that the devil made her put him to sleep. She reportedly made a smothering gesture with her hand to explain what had just transpired.

Fisher decided against an insanity defense, in spite of a lengthy history of emotional problems. As the New York Times reported, Fisher, wept uncontrollably, muttering through her tears: I am sorry. I love my son., just before her sentencing.

Even before the babys birth, Fisher had engaged in violent behavior. She set fire to her mothers boyfriend, spilled scalding oil on the face of her own boyfriend and tried to kill her aunt. Fisher had also tried to kill herself. Fisher was diagnosed with severe paranoid schizophrenia while locked up at Rikers Island in 2011.

If the case had gone to trial and she had been convicted, Fisher faced 25 years to life in prison. Shell now receive credit for more than two years served and be eligible for parole in about 15 years.

Luis Ortiz Jr., the babys father, spoke at the sentencing hearing, according to the Times. He said Gavriels murder sent him into a deep depression and caused him to lose his job. Ortiz said he blamed himself for the tragedy because he rejected an offer from Fisher to join them the day of the murder. I should have gone with him that day, said Ortiz.

In a statement, District Attorney Cy Vance said, Gavriel Ortiz-Fisher never reached his second birthday because of his mothers unconscionable act While the fatal suffocation of a child at the hands of his own mother is a tragedy that can never be undone, I hope this lengthy prison sentence gives the victims grieving family some sense of closure. I urge anyone who believes they know a victim of child abuse to call our Child Abuse Hotline at 212-335-4308, or visit the Manhattan Family Justice Center at 80 Centre Street. Help is available for those in need.
The new research shows that the heart beats of complete strangers synchronise due to the thrill of the theatrical performance. It also shows that couples and friends react in sync even during the interval of the show. In association with Encore Tickets, neuroscientists from the University College London monitored selected audience members during a live theatre performance of Dreamgirls. Researchers monitored 12 audience members, testing their heart rates and skin reactions. Together the audience responded in synch through their heart beats as their pulses would increase and decrease at the same rate.This synchronisation results in bonding between the individuals sharing the experience, therefore suggesting that theatre connects individuals and enhances social bonds between people more powerfully than previously believed.Dr. Joseph Delvin, Head of Experimental Psychology at University College London said: "Usually a group of individuals will each have their own heart rates and rhythms, with little relationship to each other. But during experiences with heightened levels of emotion, people's heart beats can become synchronised, which in itself is astounding." Devlin adds Experiencing the live theatre performance was extraordinary enough to overcome group differences and produce a common physiological experience in the audience members. Over the course of August and September 2017, a survey commissioned by Encore Tickets was taken by 2,000 adults. The results showed that 46% enjoy the theatre because of the atmosphere of being part of the audience, and 59% of people feel emotionally effected by live performance. The synchronisation also continues into the interval, however, the study confirms that during this time participants heart rate synchrony decreased due to the fact audience members usually break into smaller groups. In their social groups, the synchrony continued which shows that people stay connected with the people they know but easily fall out of synch with strangers. Devlin explained this: Our hypothesis is that its at this point, the interval, that the audience members are engaged with each other, discussing the show within their social groups. During this social interaction with each other, we can see that their arousal synchronises with the people that they know, but not with the rest of the audience as a whole. When there is no more performance, there is no longer a driving force creating a common physiological response and people return back to normal where heart rates beat at their own time. It is only when the show returns, do the synchronised heart beats return in the audience members. These results follow previous research that showed that live theatre also stimulates the cardiovascular system to match the effects of a 28 minuted workout.
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Auto industry said the governments move to advance introduction of BS VI fuels in the Capital is a step in the right direction to fight pollution but it is not in a position to launch vehicles complying with the strict emission norm before April 2020.

Industry players also said there has to be a holistic approach to combat pollution in the national Capital and focus must also be on phasing out old vehicles.

Directionally, we feel it is a step in the right direction to fight pollution in Delhi. However, as far as the automobile industry is concerned we are already working on a stretched deadline to launch BS VI vehicles by April 2020, Mahindra & Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka told PTI.

He was reacting to the announcement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that introduction of BS VI fuels will be advanced to April 2018 in the national capital territory considering the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas.

The ministry also said oil marketing companies have also been asked to examine the possibility of introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the whole of NCR from April 1, 2019.

When asked if companies could launch BS VI vehicles by 2018, Goenka, who is also the past-president of SIAM said it was unlikely that automobile manufacturers would be able to do it so soon.

I dont foresee any mainline player with multiple models being able to launch complete portfolio of BS VI compliant vehicles by April 2018, he said.

He further said, We at Mahindra are working on all our ongoing projects with the April 2020 deadline in mind.

Expressing similar views, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Director General Vishnu Mathur said: We have been given a roadmap by the ministry of road transport for implementation of BS-VI norms by April 2020 and we are working on the basis of that timeline. It is not possible for the industry to advance that date at this stage.

Highlighting a potential problem with the launching of BS-VI vehicles only for Delhi, Goekna said, It is also not feasible as the fuel will not be available outside the Capital and BS-VI vehicles cannot run on BS-IV fuel.

Calling for a holistic approach to address the pollution issue, Mathur said, Leaving aside other sources of pollution, if we are looking at addressing vehicular pollution then old vehicles above 10-15 years depending on the type of fuel used need to be phased out.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said that the geographical location of the Barak Valley here gives it the potential to become a hub for inter-state and international trade.

Several connectivity-related initiatives have been taken to achieve this potential, said Kovind at the closing ceremony of the Namami Barak river festival.

The northeastern part of the East-West Corridor  which runs from Cachar in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat  starts from Silchar. A broad-gauge railway line, connecting Agartala to Delhi, passes through the Barak valley. All this will benefit business and tourism, said Kovind.

On cross-border initiatives, the President said trade with Bangladesh is being promoted through the Border Trade Centre located in Karimganj district.

India is being connected to Southeast Asia under the Act East Policy, taking advantage of the geographical location of the northeast, including Assam.

The President emphasised that there is tremendous potential for growth of business and trade links between Southeast Asia and the northeast region of India.

He expressed confidence that with the development of infrastructure by Union and state governments, this region would become a driver of international trade and commerce.

Later in the day, the President attended a civic reception hosted at the Guwahati University.

Addressing the gathering, the President said Assam is the gateway to the northeast region of India and commended the states rich geographical, social and cultural diversity.

Assam has developed industries such as oil and natural gas, tea, and silk. By building modern infrastructure, the prospects for Assam and the entire northeast will be even greater, he said.

Stressing that tourism industry has immense scope in Assam, the President said this state is already an important part of the tourist map due to the Kaziranga and Manas National Parks.

He was confident that by facilitating the right ecosystem for tourism, the state government could multiply the economic and social benefits of the tourism industry.
An information and communications technology (ICT) delegation from Taiwan concluded a four-day visit to India on Friday, where it met with relevant local agencies and businesses to begin bilateral cooperation on 5G technology development.

The delegation, composed of officials from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Institute for Information Industry (III) and Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards, told a CNA reporter that India and Taiwan are looking to join forces to work on 5G standards and technology development.

While both countries are lagging behind in 5G development, Taiwan is strong in hardware and India has much software talent, key assets they are seeking to combine to upgrade their respective ICT industries, officials from the delegation said.

During the visit which started on Tuesday, Taiwans delegation met with Indias Telecommunications Standards Development Society, with whom the delegation is cooperating on the development of standards for technologies in 5G mobile telecom networks.

The delegation also met with the Cellular Operators Association of India, which revealed that 5G technology is expected to reach the Indian market in 2020. The two will remain in touch in the hope of cooperating on 5G applications and testing.

On the academic and research front, the delegation visited the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where they discussed the possibility of an internship program for Indian students at ITRI and III.
With the Punjab and Haryana High Court turning down the bail pleas filed by a contractor and top officials of Punjab irrigation department in an alleged scam of over `1,000 crore, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Saturday launched search operations in Punjab, Haryana and other locations to nab them. The VB has obtained the arrest warrants of the six accused from the court and raiding parties have been dispatched to arrest the accused at large.

Punjab VB Additional Inspector General (AIG), Ashish Kapoor, told The Statesman that the High Court was convinced that there was prima facie evidence against all the petitioners and huge evidence required to be collected by the investigating agency. He added that on the basis of the evidence presented by the VB, the court has pronounced that it was possible only if the custodial interrogation was allowed.

As per the investigations, contractor Gurinder Singh, kingpin of the scam, was favoured to the tune of `1,000 crore in only seven contracts. He had many more projects from the department, which are yet to probed. We have launched a search operation in Punjab and Haryana including other locations of the country on the basis of inputs, Kapoor said.

The AIG added that the High Court was convinced on the facts produced by the VB that the petitioners Gurdev Singh Syan, Bajrang Lal Singla, Gulshan Nagpal and Harvinder Singh were in conspiracy with the contractor Gurinder Singh for the numbers of years. The officers adopted a modus operandi by making tailor made conditions in the tenders suitable to Gurinder Singh only with the criminal intention, he added. On 15 November, the High Court had pointed out that final result of unholy coordination was that almost all the contracts barring a few were bagged by the accused contractor.

It was also observed that the state was straight away put to a loss of around 35 to 50 per cent of the contracts by all the acts of the petitioners together. VB in its report, to the court, had submitted exchange of e-mails, correspondences, call details between irrigation officials about the drafts of contracts to be issued.

The high court observed that it was a very serious breach of trust on the part of a government servant who appears to have mortgaged all their loyalties.

The multi-crore scam was unearthed in August by VB exposing the misdeeds done during previous Shiromani Akali Dal and Bhartiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) rule.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the murder of Kanpur-based retired junior high school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla, who was killed by unidentified persons last year, an official said on Monday.

The anti-terror agency filed an FIR on Sunday and took over the case from the Uttar Pradesh Police following the Home Ministrys November 17 order, almost a year after the murder.

The agency re-registered the case which was earlier registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 24, 2016, under sections of the murder of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Shukla, a retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed on October 24, 2016, by unidentified persons at around 12.30 p.m near village Piwadi in Kanpur while returning home on a bicycle.

The state government had also recommended the NIA probe after it emerged that Shukla might have been killed by four accused in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast case.

An NIA official confirmed the registration of FIR at the agencys Lucknow unit and said the train blast accused had admitted to their involvement in the murder.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Atif Muzaffar and Mohammad Danish, after Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast earlier this year. Their associate Faisal Khan was with them at the time of the murder.

Muzaffar, according to police, told them that Danish, Faisal and he were testing a.30 calibre pistol when they accidentally fired a bullet that hit Shukla.

A ballistic test report later corroborated this evidence, police had said. The NIA, which investigated the train blast, chargesheeted Muzaffar and Danish and also alleged that Muzaffar and Danish had killed Shukla.
Kunwar Surajpal Singh Ammu, a ruling BJP leader in Haryana, on Monday said he firmly stands by his announcement of Rs 10-crore reward for beheading Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and film actress Deepika Padukone over their movie Padmavati.

Ammu, chief media coordinator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, said he gave the statement as a Rajput and not as an office-bearer of the party.

Ammu said he had doubled the bounty on the heads of Deepika and Bhansali to Rs 10 crore. Ammu also issued a threat to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer has in the movie played the role of Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi Sultan obsessed with legendary 13th century queen of Chittor Rani Padmavati.

He said: We do not want to take law in our hands but will not forgive anyone who tries to spoil the image of Rajput kings and queens.

Padukone is just like our daughter and she must stay away for playing roles like the one she played in Padmavati, he said, adding: If anyone raises an eye (sic) at our sisters and daughters, they will be punished.

He also questioned Rs 300-crore funding for the movie and said it was a conspiracy against the Rajput community.

On being asked whether he had received any notice from the BJP for his statement, he told IANS: No notice has been received yet. Ill answer if I get one. I am ready to do anything for the welfare for my community.
Hollywood star Will Smith, along with co-stars Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace and director David Ayer, will be flying to Mumbai next month as part of a world tour to promote his latest Netflix film Bright.

Netflix is set to create the Bright experience exclusively for fans in Mumbai, with the A-list team set to tour the city on December 18, a statement said.

Mumbais fans can participate in the Bright madness and catch Will and the cast up-close on this one-of-a-kind legendary Monday night at the Bright stage performance, red carpet and fan premiere at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, days before the Netflix debut, the statement read further.

Bright is an action-thriller that takes place in an alternate present-day South Los Angeles.

The action-thriller, which will launch around the world on December 22, is about two LAPD officers, played by Smith and Edgerton, who work to keep the streets of an alternate-reality Los Angeles safe from a sinister, dark underworld.

Earlier this year, Netflix had brought Brad Pitt to India too to promote his film War Machine.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. One was cynosure of all eyes, being in the vortex of the freedom struggle, while the other was leading surgeon of his day. Subhas Chandra Bose and Dr Panchanan Chatterjee appeared to be poles apart, but it was patriotism which bound them together. Dr Chatterjee gave Bose, yet to become Netaji, a certificate of disabling surgical ailment which forestalled the British Government from imprisoning the latter.

Convalescing at his Elgin Road residence, Bose escaped to make history and shake the foundations of an empire leading to its final dismemberment. Dr. Chatterjee faced the subsequent Governmental wrath with quiet dignity. Belonging to an age when the medical fraternity of the state was peopled by a galaxy of stalwarts like Sir Nil Ratan Sircar, Dr Radha Gobinda Kar, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, Sir Upendra Nath Brahmachari and Dr Lalit Banerjee, any practitioner of medicine or surgery found himself being measured against the reputation of these colossuses of the art of healing.

Apart from jotting appropriate prescriptions or using the scalpel at the right moment, teaching in the premier medical colleges of the city was indeed a tall order as these stalwarts were also the teachers there. Dr Panchanan Chatterjee whose 125th birth anniversary will be observed on Thursday passed all these tests with flying colours. A student of arts who was admitted to Medical College, Calcutta as a special case became a surgeon. He was . Chatterjee was appointed Superintendent cum Resident Surgeon of the Carmichael Medical College (now R. G. Kar Medical College), Calcutta.

Soon afterwards, the state government sponsored his higher studies in the United Kingdom where he became the fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons(FRCS), Edinburgh within a short period of nine months, simultaneously gaining wide experience by working with several famous surgeons in Britain. Back at Calcutta, he continued to work in his previous post until 1926.

Later he joined his Alma Mater, Medical College, Bengal as Senior Visiting Surgeon. He continued there as Professor of Clinical and Operative Surgery and thereafter as Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery from 1947, one of the first Indians to hold this exalted position.

He practiced a wide range of surgeries, including cleft palate and lip surgeries during 1950s and 1960s. He lives in deeds and not in years.
Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board on Monday proposed relinquishing its right over the disputed land in Ayodhya, and building a masjid-e-aman in Lucknow to resolve the Ram janmabhoomi-Babri masjid tangle, a move rejected by the Muslim protagonists involved in the protracted legal fued.

The board, which is the mutawalli (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque, has proposed giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya, and a draft for resolving the issue, prepared by the Shia Waqf Board, has been submitted in the Supreme Court on November 18, its chairman Wasim Rizvi told reporters here.

Claiming that the formula for resolving the matter proposed by the Shia Waqf Board was the best, Rizvi said it is of the view that instead of Ayodhya, a masjid-e-aman (the mosque of peace) be constructed in Lucknows Hussainabad area.

The Board, he said, has requested the government to provide a one-acre plot for it.

The proposal, however, did not go down well with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

On whose behalf has he brought this draft proposal? He (Rizvi) does not enjoy the confidence or recognition of either the Sunni sect or the Shia sect, AIMPLB counsel in the case and its senior member Zafaryab Jilani said.

Jilani, who is also the convenor of Babri Masjid Action committee, referred to some legal shortcomings in the draft proposal.

The Shia Board has no authority over the disputed land as the Allahabad High Court, in 2010, had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre area at Ayodhya among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lallathe Shia board have no right over any part of the land, he said.

Moreover, Jilani said since the Shia Waqf Board did not appeal against the high courts decision, it meant that the ruling, which was binding on all till the Supreme Court announced its judgement, was acceptable to them.

Rizvi, however, rejected the claim of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board over the disputed site, saying that the Allahabad High court had given the land to Muslims and not to Sunni Waqf Board.

Chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board Zafar Farooqui said any claim can be accepted or rejected only by the court our involvement has been since 1961 and it is being rejected by the Shia Board nowhe (Rizvi) does not have the authority to do so

Rizvi, he said, has been chairman of the board since 2006-07, and could have spoken on the subject even when the case was being heard by the Lucknow bench, which came up with its verdict in 2010, or in the Supreme Court where the hearing is going on for the last seven years.

It is absurd. He has been silent on it ever since and has become active only now. The case is going on in the highest court of the country. Whatever he has to say, he should do it in the court. Whats the relevance of releasing his formula to the media? he said.

Jilani alleged that Rizvi was working overtime to please certain forces in order to serve his personal motives.

Rizvi, who addressed the press conference along with Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the All India Akhara Parishad, alleged that the Shia Boards views on the matter were never put forward in a forceful manner because the lawyers deployed for the purpose were fake.

Referring to the criticism of his recent actions, Rizvi said it was because the board was never given any court copy and that it was not aware that lawyers were pleading on its behalf.

It was only on March 21, 2017, when the apex court said that talks could be initiated for mutual agreement to end the dispute that the Shia Waqf Board looked into the files in detail only to find that though it is a party in the case it never gave wakalatnama to the counsel appearing on its behalf, Rizvi said.

It is a matter of probe that the case is being pursued by overlooking the actual claimant which is the Shia BoardI have requested the central and state governments to get it enquired as to who had fielded the lawyers on our behalf, he said.

On Rizvis allegations regarding fake counsel, Jilani said that it should be probed by the Shia board itself.

Jilani, however, said that he had never seen any counsel pleading on behalf of the Shia Board in the court.

On the role of AIMPLB, Rizvi said it (board) should have come forward for a dialogue but since it did not take the initiative, Shia board had to come forward.

Giri said a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed and that an amicable settlement should be reached on the issue by talking to all the parties concerned.
The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre and the West Bengal government to unambiguously inform whether politician Mukul Roy, who recently joined BJP, was being monitored or his calls being intercepted allegedly by the state police.

The courts direction came when it was hearing the former Trinamool Congress MPs plea seeking a CBI probe into the alleged surveillance and tapping of his phone by the West Bengal police.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notices and asked the ministries of Home Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, West Bengal government and police, CBI, MTNL and Vodafone to file their responses in a sealed cover in two weeks.

Notice issued. Respondents to file counter-affidavits unambiguously stating whether the petitioner (Roy) is being monitored or his calls are intercepted by any of the agencies.

If so, they should also file the affidavits with reasons in a sealed cover, the court said and listed the matter for hearing on December 7.

It also said that it was open for the authorities to take all legal grounds in the affidavit, including the issue of jurisdiction.

During the hearing, senior advocate Arvind Nigam, appearing for Roy, said they have made a representation before the Centre and added: let them (Union and the state) say on an affidavit that they are not tapping my calls.

Central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan opposed the petition and questioned the jurisdiction, saying if at all any cause of action arises, it should be at a court in West Bengal.

The lawyer said no monitoring was done without following due process and the politicians claim was only that he apprehended that he was under surveillance.

Today it is one petition that the petitioner apprehends surveillance and if it is entertained, tomorrow 20,000 such pleas will come. Where is the cause for apprehension, he argued.

Senior advocate Dinesh Mathur, appearing for the West Bengal government and police, questioned Roys move of filing the petition in Delhi and not in Kolkata and claimed it was a fishing and roving enquiry.

To this, the court asked the Centre and state government to make a statement on record that Roys claim was incorrect and it will close the matter.

Everything has checks and balances. Those checks and balances are subject to judicial review. They are public figures and not criminals, it said.

The plea has also sought directions to Roys telecom service providers MTNL and Vodafone to produce the orders, if any, issued by the Centre or the state government to intercept telegraphic messages originating from or received by the leader or any of his relatives.

Advocate Kumar Dushyant Singh, who filed the petition on behalf of Roy, has said the CBI should be asked to investigate the interception of telegraphic messages originating from or received by the petitioner or any of his relatives.

He said that in case any such order was issued, the court should direct the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to investigate any violation of the License Agreement for Unified License by Roys mobile service providers.

Roy has alleged that while he was in West Bengal, he always found that the local police were monitoring his movements.

The plea has claimed that similar apprehensions were put on record by several other persons including Union minister Babul Supriyo, who does not belong to the ruling party in West Bengal.
Thousands of farmers from across the country held a protest march here on Monday and organised a Kisan Mukti Sansad or mock Parliament session to present two bills on crop loans waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce.

The protest march organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC)  an umbrella body of 184 farmers organisations  started from the Ramlila Maidan and ended on Parliament Street near Jantar Mantar.

We want Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to visit the Kisan Sansad and hold discussion with farmers, Kirankumar Vissa, a farmer activist from Telangana, said, The bills will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

All members in the mock session were women, who spoke about their sufferings due to the wrong and anti-farmer policies of the government.

Lok Sabha member and farmer leader Raju Shetti tabled the bills, which were then discussed.

We will pass these bills in the evening after discussions, Shetti said.

Social activist Medha Patkar was designated House Speaker during the mock session.

Criticising the NDA government for failing to fulfil its promise of 50 per cent profit over crop production cost, the farmers warned it of repercussions during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Pooja More, a farmer from Maharashtra, said thousands of farmers had committed suicide as the government had no concern for them.

There are leaders who make tall claims, but do nothing. The current system is not beneficial to farmers.

Prabhavati from Karnatakas Bidar said her brother committed suicide as crop prices fell drastically.

We grow pulses, grains, and sugar cane on our 10 acres. Despite good yield, we could not even recover the production cost. So, my brother committed suicide, she said.

Many farmers said they were under tremendous financial burden due to the fall in prices and lack of government help.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday said India and China have no option except to live peacefully and help each other.

On to the strained ties between the two countries in the wake of the Doklam standoff, the Nobel Peace laureate said that is not an important issue.

Both the countries across the border have more than two billion people together. So, they need each other. India needs China and China needs India. There is no other way except live peacefully and helping each other, said the Dalai Lama after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He said even though small problems keep happening between the two countries, it was nothing serious.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, after arriving at the airport here, said: War is not a solution. Solve the problem amicably as no country eventually wins a war.

He said modern India should pay more attention to learn ancient knowledge about how to tackle emotion.

The Chief Minister said they discussed several issues of contemporary importance.

Honoured to receive Dalai Lama at my residence Discussed many issues of contemporary importance and sought his blessings and guidance for working towards our states development and welfare of the people, tweeted Patnaik.

The prime preacher of Buddhism is scheduled to visit Chandragiri in Gajapati district where a sizeable population of Tibetans resides after their banishment from Tibet by China years ago.

The Dalai Lama will receive the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences Humanitarian Award for the year 2017. The award will be conferred on him on Tuesday at a special function at the institute.
The family of Indias Consul General in Durban Shashank Vikram has been left traumatised after eight robbers armed with guns and crowbars invaded their home, holding their 5-year-old son hostage on Thursday.

Responding to queries regarding the incident, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Sunday said New Delhi had taken up the matter with the relevant authorities and investigations were currently undergoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon, he added.

The spokesperson said, ensuring the safety of Indian diplomats/officials posted abroad and their families is a matter of highest priority for us.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had spoken to the Consul General and inquired about the well-being of his family.

Reports received here said a lapse in security for such a high-profile diplomatic family was now being investigated at the highest levels after the Consul Generals official residence, India House was breached for the first time in its long history.

Vikram was quoted by the local media as saying that with India House being a diplomatic establishment, the robbery, which he described as a very rude shock, should not have happened.

Durban is home to us and we are very comfortable here. We never expected that such a thing would transpire. That is why I think it has come as a very rude shock. This is the first time India House has been intruded like this, he said.

Vikram said the armed response officers had arrived only after about 15 minutes of the alarm being activated. Police arrived only after he had called them. They took away surveillance camera footage.

They are investigating and I hope they are able to find the culprits, Vikram said. And I hope that adequate security is provided to diplomatic establishments in Durban, including India House.

The intruders had burst into the historic home around 4 pm after overpowering and attacking a guard who had gone down to the driveway gate after apparently being summoned.

Vikrams wife, Dr Megha Singh, and the couples two young children were home at the time and were subjected to a terrifying 10-minute ordeal during which their 5-year-old son was held hostage as the robbers demanded money and gold.
World Heritage week is currently beginning celebrated, but the 120-year-old pre-Partition railway station in Jammu that provided the only rail link with Sialkot and other places now in Pakistan, that deserved to have been preserved as a heritage structure, has been destroyed. The only remnant of that era in the sprawling complex is a 1889 manufactured hose that was imported from Birmingham. Other heritage buildings in Jammu are also decaying because of neglect.

The hose for filling water in the steam engine and narrow gauge railway bogies stands with a banyan tree in a corner of the rail complex that has been converted into workshop of passenger buses of the J&K Road Transport Corporation. An art and culture building has been constructed in a portion of the erstwhile rail complex and a major chunk of land on which a revolving platform stood for reversing the rail engine has been converted into a PWD store.

Over the years, the rail lines have been uprooted and the platform and railway buildings demolished for widening the main road. A new railway station came up in the other corner of the city in 1974 linking Jammu with Pathankot.

The Jammu-Sialkot rail section was the only railway link that Jammu and Kashmir had before the Partition of the country and was thereafter permanently shut as the International Border between India and Pakistan in the Jammu division has always remained a hot spot with both sides exchanging gun fire after the Partition.

In pre-Partition days the train on this track used to carry passengers to Sialkot, Lahore and other parts of undivided Punjab. This used to be the most convenient and economical mode of travel for students and traders as the rail ticket to Sialkot in 1945 cost 3 Annas against 4 Annas for travel by bus.

The 43 km rail link between Jammu and Sialkot that was a branch of the North-Western State Railway was built in 1897. Starting from Jammu at 11 a.m., the train passed through Meeran Sahib, Ranbirsingh Pura and Suchetgarh before entering the territory of British-era Punjab. The Octroi post at Suchetgarh has now been converted into an observation post of the BSF.

On the Pakistani side the track is functional up to the Sialkot cantonment and is non-existent ahead towards J&K.

Neither the state government nor the Ferozepur Railway Division that looks after the rail network in J&K has taken any interest in preserving the heritage that had the potential of being showcased to the nearly 80 lakh Vaishnodevi pilgrims and other tourists who either visit or pass through Jammu every year.
The US military has banned all its personnel deployed in Japan from drinking or buying alcohol after one of its servicemen was involved in a deadly crash on Okinawa island linked to drunken driving.

The accident took place on Sunday when 21-year old Marine Nicholas James-McLean, whose blood alcohol level was allegedly three times the legal limit, crashed his military vehicle into a small truck, killing the driver on the southern Japanese island.

In a statement on Monday, the US Forces, Japan, confirmed that one its service members had been involved in the accident and said that alcohol may have been a factor.

The military also announced mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behaviour for all its troops across Japan.

The Japanese police said the Marine was under arrest charged with negligent driving resulting in death, the BBC reported.

Eyewitnesses told the police the Marine had jumped a red light and crashed into the truck of the Japanese man, who was negotiating a right turn.

The vast majority of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and civilians in Japan serve honourably and make great contributions to the defence of Japan. When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission, the statement added.

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga told the local media that he was speechless at the recurrence of these incidents.

Last year, the US military had imposed another temporary ban on alcohol consumption by its troops stationed in Japan after another drunk soldier had caused a traffic accident.

Another recent incident that shocked the region was the case of civilian contractor Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, who is on trial for raping and killing a 20-year old woman in 2016 in Okinawa, charges that he partially rejected, admitting only to having raped her.

Okinawa Prefecture hosts more than half of the almost 48,000 troops that the US maintains in Japan, as well as 70 per cent of the US military facilities in the country.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has told his countrymen on live television that he will chair the ruling partys congress in December to resolve problems afflicting the ZANU-PF, a media report said.

Mugabes address on national television on Sunday evening came after the ZANU-PFs decision earlier in the day to recall him from the position of party leader and gave him until noon Monday to resign as the President or face impeachment proceedings, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 93-year-old had previously refused to step down despite being under house arrest since Wednesday after the military launched a takeover.

Earlier on Sunday, the Zanu-PF held a meeting of its central committee where they removed him as the head of the party and warned that he must resign or face impeachment. It also appointed his former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader.

Mugabes decision to sack Mnangagwa as the Vice President two weeks ago had prompted an extraordinary chain of events as the military intervened to block the 93-year-old President from installing his wife Grace in his place.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.


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Organisation: Ministry of

Lands Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to: Permanent

Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development

About US:

The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and

Urban Development is implementing the land component of the Competitiveness

Enterprise Development Project (CEDP). This project builds upon the Second

Private Sector Competitiveness Project (PSCP II), which helped improve the

business environment by: decreasing policy constraints; strengthening

institutions, such as the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU); enhancing

the private sector dialogue; and providing support to firms. The project aims

at improving the competitiveness of Uganda and has five components which will be

implemented by separate institutions.

Job Summary: The Programme

Support Co-ordination Officer will provide the necessary coordination support

to the Land Component of the CEDP.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:



Ensuring effective coordination with staff

members and Departments/ Units responsible for the implementation of the CEDP

Land Component.



Tasked with delivering timely project

implementation plans, including annual work plans and budgets. Specifically,

support for the preparation of procurement plans, terms of references,

monitoring and evaluation plans, stakeholder participation and other

implementation plans in accordance with the World Bank and Government of Uganda

approval processes and procedures.



Offering technical input to strategic documents,

analytical work and initiatives geared to improving MLHUD performance in close

collaboration with the implementing Departments/Units, MoFPED and the World

Bank.



Tasked with preparing timely accurate project

implementation progress reports indicating both the technical and financial

position of the CEDP Land Component.



Fostering a team environment, mentoring staff,

and ensuring that capacity building is integrated into all project activities.



Providing support supervision of project staff,

international and local consultants, to ensure effective resource allocation,

quality and timeliness of work.



In charge of maintaining quality assurance and

facilitating effective project monitoring and evaluation.



Offering technical support and input for the

Internal and External Auditing on financial reviews.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The applicant must hold an Honours Bachelors

Degree in the fields of Land Administration and Management plus a Masters

Degree in Business Administration specializing in Management or in any field

related to Land Management and Administration from a recognized

University/Institution.



A minimum of ten (10) years relevant working

experience in Land Management and Administration, three (03) of which should

have been acquired at a Principal level in Government or equivalent level of

experience from a reputable organization.



Experience in work with Government and World

Bank funded projects will be an added advantage.



Demonstrate high managerial and organizational

skills



Ability to steer implementation and to meet the

diverse needs and expectations of the National Programs, Donors and

Stakeholders



Strong management skills, including ability to

provide support in strategic guidance, technical oversight, mentoring staff,

building strong teams and developing work plans



Excellent negotiation, multi-cultural, and

inter-personal skills, with experience and demonstrated skills in networking

with ministry-level partners, donors, private sector.



Excellent written, analytical, presentation and

reporting skills, with proven skill in writing reports and project management

plans



Possess effective skills in computer

applications for project planning and appraisal.

How to Apply:

All applications should be accompanied with detailed Curriculum Vitae,

copies of academic certificates and testimonials, recommendations from at least

two competent referees, one of whom MUST be your current or previous employer

and addressed to:

The Permanent Secretary,

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development,

Plot 13-15 Parliament Avenue P.O. Box 7096 Kampala. Uganda

Applications must be delivered in the Security Registry at Ministry of

Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

Note: Only short listed

applicants will be contacted. Any form of canvassing shall automatically lead

to disqualification of a candidate. Applicants who responded to the previous

advert, need not to re-apply.

th December 2017 by 5:00pm Deadline: 4December 2017 by 5:00pm



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For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, on Monday, came out in support of the protesters against the movie Padmavati.

"Nobody has the right to distort history. Those feeling hurt at any distortion of historical facts have the democratic right to protest," he wrote on Twitter.

Nobody has the right to distort history. Those feeling hurt at any distortion of historical facts have the democratic right to protest. #PadmavatiControversy  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 20, 2017

Earlier Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan said that a film which has "distorted facts" about Rajput queen Padmavati and shows or says anything to disrespect her, will not be released in Madhya Pradesh.

Leaders of the protesting Karni Sena had gone to the extent of threatened to cut off Deepika's nose. "Rajputs never raise a hand on women. But if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha," said Sena's Mahipal Singh Makrana in a self-made video. Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone "burning her alive". ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen."

A BJP officebearer from Haryana had even offered Rs 10 crore for the heads of actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bansali.

(Inputs from agencies)
Parliament was surrounded on Monday by a mass of humanity, protesters, who had assembled at the nerve centre of Delhi to protest recent anti-farmer measures taken by the government.

Primary among the charges leveled against the Narendra Modi led administration was the question: what has his government done to protect lives of farmers?

"His finance minister Arun Jaitley has openly stated that the central government would take no role in farm loan waiver. This is not only inhumane but also a grave injustice," said Medha Patkar, addressing the All India Kisan Sangharch Coordination Committee (AIKSCC)a joint platform of farmers from 184 farmers' organisation representing 25 states.

On the streets of Parliament, Patkar along with women leaders of the farmer's agitationincluding widows of farmersconducted an all-women parliament, Kisan Mukti Sansad.

Addressing the all-women parliament, Pooja Ashok More of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana in Maharashtra pointed out that these suicides were a matter of structural discrimination and injustice against farmers.

She blamed successive governments for willfully and systemically neglecting farmers and their issues, even though they take care of the food security of more than 130 crore people.

Manisha, an orphan of cotton farmers, from Siddipet in Telangana narrated her tragic story of both her parents committing suicides, after borrowing at high interest from moneylenders, fearing to be harassed over repayment.

"Such borrowing had to take place because they could not access bank credit as tenant farmers. We have come to Delhi wanting to know from the PM who will help us. If he does not, then who will?, she said.

Prabhavati Swamy from Bidar in Karnataka narrated the story of how her brother, a sugarcane farmer, committed suicide since the returns from farming were negative, even as input costs were shooting up.

She pointed out that across crops, the prices obtained by farmers were dismally low. Farm families are unable to educate their children properly due to paucity of funds and income, said Prabhavati.

More than 2,000 farmers and other people attended the agitation | Soumik Dey

Manjula from Haveri in Karnataka also pointed out the issue of women doing more than 70 per cent of all jobs in farming, yet denied any rights over land, which also translates into a lack of recognition of women farmers as farmers.

Farm leaders from Yogendra Yadav's Swaraj Abhiyan, CPI, CPI(M), and a smattering of regional and independent parties would seek to raise a number of issues.

Prime among them are the demands to pass a bill for farm loan waiver and ensuring that farm produce prices are pegged at a minimum of 1.5 times of the production cost for farmers.

"These are the primary demand felt by women farmers and women victims of farm suicide. We would urge the government to live up to its promise of doubling farmers' income and also take initiatives towards saving lives attached to farming," said Kavitha Kurungati, convener of farmers' platform National Alliance of People's Movement.

"Government has displaced more than 10 crore families dependent on farming. This has led to grave social consequences which we feel the Modi government must address," Patkar said, addressing the agitation attended by more than 2,000 farmers and other people.

Member of Parliament, Hanan Mollah said he will raise the demand for Farmers Debt Waiver Bill, 2017 while Raju Shetty, MP from Maharashtra will raise the demand for guaranteed profitable pricing of farm produce act.

Addressing the gathering, Atul Kumar Anjan, CPI leader said that the narrative propagated by the government and a few economists about less production due to small and medium farm size is totally false, as 54 per cent of wheat and 57 per cent of rice are being produced from these small and medium farms.

During the Kisan Mukti Sansad, the farmers also demanded unconditional and immediate release of Akhil Gogoi, leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, who is imprisoned for one year under sedition charges and the National Security Act, for calling Bangladeshi Hindu immigrants as a 'burden on farmers of Assam.'

Farm leaders called it murder of democracy and dissent and called for protests across all states against Gogoi's detention.
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Monday expelled Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri and eleven other leaders from the party holding them responsible for the irresponsible agitation in Darjeeling which had led to massive violence.

The partys central committee led by Binay Tamang met on Monday and decided to expel the leaders for six months. However, dispute remains on Tamang's right to expel anybody from the party as he himself had been expelled earlier by Gurung.

Monday's central committee also decided to expel Gurungs wife Asha from the chief of womens wing of the party.

Tamang became the party president and Anik Thapa, his close associate, became the general secretary replacing Giri.

No doubt the three months long agitation was diverted to wrong path. It brought terrorism in our place. Bimal Gurung always vowed to take the path of Gandhi but what he did actuality caused irreparable damage to Darjeeling, said Anik Thapa.

Interestingly, the decision of GJM was taken a day before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees trip to North Bengal. Mamata is going to Siliguri on Tuesday to take stock of the situation in Darjeeling. She would also hold a grand administrative meeting of North Bengal districts.

Both Gurung and Giri, who are absconding now, are facing sedition cases under UAPA sections. While Giri believed to have been in Delhi, Gurung is hiding in Sikkim, said West Bengal police sources.

Recently Gurung won a few legal battles. He got a temporary reprieve in a murder case in Darjeeling, probed by CBI, after a court in Kolkata asked police not to arrest him till his anticipatory bail petition is heard.

A strong pro-Gorkha stand taken by Sikkim government also helped Gurung get shelter in that state, said West Bengal government.

Gurung is in touch with senior BJP leaders in Delhi and Kolkata. We have proof of that, said North Bengal development minister, Rabindranath Ghosh.
People watch as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the nation on television, at a bar in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

HARARE - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told his countrymen on live television on Sunday evening that he will chair the ruling party's congress in December to resolve problems afflicting the ZANU-PF.



Mugabe's address on national television came after the ZANU-PF's decision earlier Sunday to recall him from the position of party leader and gave him until noon Monday to resign as president or face impeachment proceedings.
Even as Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani filed his nomination papers from Rajkot (West) on Monday and a day remains to file nominations for the first phase of polls, protests galored in Congress and BJP camps.

Elections to 89 seats in the first phase will be held on December 9. There are total 182 assembly seats. The second phase of election will be held on December 14.

Congress has so far released only one list while the BJP has released three lists.

Though 20 Patels have been accommodated in the Congress' first list, discontent was seen among the community leaders and some members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders. Protests were staged at Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki's residence and in Surat.

Though two PAAS workers have made it to the Congress list, the group claimed that they were not consulted before giving tickets to their people.

There are rumours that even Solanki is not very happy. It is claimed that the Central Election Committee of the Congress did not pay much heed to his suggestions on whom to give tickets. Solanki, however, has denied that he is unhappy.

A few months ago, the Congress high command had clipped Solanki's wings by appointing four working presidents, something unheard in the Congress.

Protests galored also within the BJP, which calls itself a disciplined party. BJP's cadres staged protests in Ahmedabad for not giving ticket to a Gujarati from the Naroda seat.

Sitting MLA Nirmala Wadhwani was denied ticket and a Sindhi candidate will be fielded in this seat.

In North Gujarat, BJP MP Leeladhar Vaghela has demanded ticket for his eldest son Ashok. He threatened that if his son is denied ticket, he would resign from the party.

Sitting minister Vasuben Trivedi has also been denied ticket. Her place has been taken by party's former state chief R.C. Faldu. There has been discontent in the region.

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will be on a three-day visit to the state beginning November 24. He will visit Somnath Temple, meet fishermen in Somnath and hold a road show in Ahmedabad.
One of the most harrowing experiences for any navy is the loss of contact with a submarine when it is out in the deep oceans on operational duties and having to trigger the sub miss protocols.

Various exigencies can cause this loss of contact with a submarine at sea and while preparing for the worst case scenario, the lives of the crew members is the highest priority in the search and rescue (SAR) effort.

The Argentine Navy has been going through this nightmare for the last three days since its diesel submarine the San Juan (S-42) went missing in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The boat has remained incommunicado for almost 72 hours. This is disturbing and while a multi-nation SAR effort is being mounted, the signs are not encouraging. Bad weather conditions in the area is hampering the surveillance effort.

The SAN JUAN was acquired from the then West Germany in the mid 1980s and at a time when Argentina (coming out of the ignominy of the 1982 Falklands war with UK) was keen to acquire a credible submarine capability. An indigenous sub building programme in Argentina was also envisaged.

But in all too familiar pattern with middle-income nations that India can relate to, the sizable fiscal investment in submarines and related infrastructure and domestic political turbulence lead to the closure of the submarine programme. So, instead of a total of six boatsof which four were to be built in Argentinaonly two SANTA CRUZ type 1,700 submarines were inducted.

Submarine operating nations ought to have the appropriate deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) in the event of any mishap. However, not all navies that are submarine capable have this rescue capability and both Argentina and India are in this category. Consequently, in the current effort to locate the San Juan, many nations are contributing their platforms  including the USA, UK and Chile. One hopes that there will be some reassuring news about the San Juan  but it is still a case of fingers crossed, while preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

The correspondence of the San Juan experience with the Indian Navy (IN) is instructive. It is a matter of considerable disquiet that for a country whose navy will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the submarine arm in early December, the IN still does not have an appropriate DSRV. The need for such a capability has been highlighted by the naval apex for the last two decades, but it was only in 2016 that the approval and budgetary sanction was finally accorded. After considerable vacillation, a Rs 2,000 crore contract has been awarded to a UK firm and the first platform is expected to be delivered in late 2018.

The Indian submarine trajectory over the last 50 years has many valuable policy lessons for Indias higher defence management organisation  both at the political and bureaucratic levels. Beginning with former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehrus disdain for the submarine as a platform, to the first acquisition from former USSR (the INS Kalveri was commissioned on December 7, 1967) and the commendable success achieved with the INS Arihant  Indias own indigenously designed and built nuclear boat   the INs submarine saga has its fair share of trials , tribulations and distinctive professional triumph.

The IN has had its share of submarine accidents and incidents and the loss of precious lives. Many policy inadequacies that have had a detrimental impact on the submarine arm need to be identified and objectively reviewed. In the current instance, the San Juan anxiety should serve as a wake-up call for the Indian higher defence organisation.

C. Uday Bhaskar

One question that must be probed is the cost to the nation  for delayed decision-making at the political and bureaucratic level. What would the DSRV have cost India in early 2000 and what is India paying now ? And God forbid, but in the event of a sub mishap, who would have been held accountable for the void in DSRV capability?

These are issues that must be deliberated in parliament in an informed and objective manner but that remains the elusive Holy Grail in the worlds largest democracy! In the interim, one prays for the safety of the San Juan crew.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta on Monday summoned senior bureaucrats including chief secretary B.B. Vyas and told them that the new protocol which demoted him was not acceptable. The new protocol was worked by the top bureaucracy, apparently, without the knowledge of Gupta.

Currently, he stands at number three in the hierarchical order after the governor and the chief minister. But as per the protocol proposed by a Cabinet Sub Committee, the speaker has been pushed to number four while deputy chief minister has been moved up to number three.

The move drew a sharp reaction from Gupta who summoned the top officers of bureaucracy and conveyed his displeasure. This was done by these top officials of the bureaucracy and today I told them it should not be implemented,'' Gupta told THE WEEK.

Sources said the Union Home Ministry had also taken note of the new protocol proposed by the state government that also rendered all union ministers of state, including those enjoying independent charge, as junior to deputy chief minister. The change could create problem when the Union ministers of state visit Jammu and Kashmir.

Some BJP ministers, legislators, and senior leaders, however, supported the new protocol on the grounds that the BJP was equal partners with the PDP and as such the deputy chief minister should enjoy higher status than other ministers and speaker.

Others believe that by adopting Jammu and Kashmir's own protocol, the BJP is strengthening Article 370, which it, otherwise, wants to abrogate or dilute.

The new protocol, drafted by cabinet sub-committee comprising Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, industries and commerce minister Chander Prakash Ganga, law and rural development minister Abdul Haq Khan and horticulture minister Basharat Bukhari, has been submitted for approval of the cabinet.

The new protocol had led to Gupta boycotting the district development board meeting chaired by Singh. The new protocol is not new in the country as it is already prevalent in Punjab and Kerala.
An Israeli cabinet minister said on November 19 that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.

The Saudi government had no immediate response to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitzs remarks. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together.

Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war, territory Palestinians seek for a future state.

U.S. President Donald Trumps peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office.

In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahus security cabinet, did not characterise the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was hiding its ties with Saudi Arabia.

He replied: We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed.

Its the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other sides wish, when ties are developing, whether its with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more ... (but) we keep it secret.

In an interview, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, asked about reports of cooperation with Israel, cited a Saudi peace initiative, first adopted in 2002 by the Arab League, as key to forging any relationship.

We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we dont have relations with Israel, he said.

That plan makes those relations contingent on a full withdrawal by Israel from territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has expressed tentative support for parts of the initiative, but there are many caveats on the Israeli side.

Intelligence sharing

Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Steinitzs remarks wont surprise anyone whos been paying attention to the budding courtship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is being especially pushed by the Israeli side.

Last week, the Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot, told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share intelligence information with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran.

Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group.

Ibish said that given the mutual threat perceptions shared by Israel and Gulf Arab countries, it is unlikely that covert ties arent developing.

But he said Israeli officials have tended to exaggerate such interactions in a bid to drive down the price they may have to pay, especially on Palestinian issues, to expand strategic relations and ties with Arab countries.

In public remarks in September, Netanyahu pointed to covert relationships with Arab states, saying, without mentioning any by name, that cooperation exists in various ways and different levels.

Also in September, Israel Radio reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel that month, drawing an official denial from Riyadh.

Last month, Saudi former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal shared a stage with ex-Israeli Mossad spy agency director Efraim Halevy at a debate on Iran in a New York synagogue.

In 2016, former Saudi general Anwar Eshki visited Israel, where he met Israeli legislators, to promote - as he has at various academic forums  the Saudi peace initiative.

 Reuters
Amidst deepening political crisis, according to media reports, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has agreed to stand down and his resignation letter has been drafted.

As per sources familiar with his negotiations with the generals who seized power in Harare, Mugabe and his wife Grace will be granted full immunity. Though the leader has agreed to step down, there is no clarity about detials of his exit.

In the meanwhile, the leader of Zimbabwe's war veterans Chris Mutsvangwa said on that he would initiate court action to legalise the military action against President Robert Mugabe after the army seized power on November 22.



The 93-year-old president had defied expectations that he would resign in a national address on the night of November 19 during which he was flanked by military generals.
Pragati Agarwal.

Suvigya Sharma used to be an exporter of exquisite handicrafts and traditional artwork. A few years into the business, however, the third generation Pichwai painter from Jaipur could not resist his creative urges and he turned to his ancestral profession of making classical miniature paintings.

I simply fell in love with the detailing, vibrancy and delicacy of traditional art, says Sharma, who counts the Ambanis, Birlas and Piramals among his clients. Call it the result of the constant search of Indian art lovers for something different or their renewed interest in everything desi or simply the effect of the recent economic developments like the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, traditional art has been ruling the countrys art market this year.

There has been renewed interest in traditional art among art collectors and curators. A lot of credit for this goes to the countrys growing military and economic power, which has put the focus on India globally. Also, it has made young Indians proud of their roots and reinvigorated their interest in classical art, says Pragati Agarwal, founder of Art Tree, an organisation that promotes traditional art and artists. Moreover, traditional art is simple and easy to understand compared with contemporary art which, at times, is too experimental to understand.

Agarwals recent show of rare Phad paintingsscrolls painted with natural colours depicting scenes from mythologywas a huge hit. The 700-year-old art form of Rajasthan is known for its use of vibrant colours and is accompanied by an oral tradition of rendering the gatha (folklore). Moreover, the works of renowned 18th century painters Nainsukh and Manaku, credited with popularising the narrative of the Ramayan, Gita Govinda and Bhagavata Purana, are turning popular once again.

The South Asian Art Market Report 2017 supports Agarwals observations. The classical Indian art sector experienced a 59 per cent increase in sales in 2016, signalling that collectors and art buyers are widening their horizons regarding different collecting segments. The Indian miniature market has also seen growth in the last three years, with an 84 per cent increase in auction sales between 2014 and 2016, says the report.

Pretty picture: A Phad painting show by Pragati Agarwal. The 700-year-old art form of Rajasthan is accompanied by an oral tradition of rendering the gatha (folklore).

According to a report by Artery India, an art market advisory and intelligence firm, 2017 witnessed 22 auctions by 15 auction houses, but contemporary artworks were particularly weak in terms of market performance. While 2015 recorded sales of 175 contemporary artworks worth Rs 32.9 crore, this year, 183 artworks fetched only Rs 12.63 crore.

The growing art awareness among people is boosting sales of traditional art work, says Sangeeta Juneja, owner of Jaipur-based gallery Artchill. Till about a decade ago, classic artlargely depicting mythological storieswas considered calendar art and people got drawn to the then new thing, contemporary art. But Indians these days are much more well-travelled, aware and exposed. They realise the importance of saving traditional Indian art forms and are buying it.

Whether through rangolis or intricately carved wooden spice boxes used in Indian kitchens, art has always been an integral part of our lives. So, how come contemporary art succeeded in the past in overtaking traditional art in both its presence in our homes and sales?

Because of rapid urbanisation, hectic schedules and shrinking sizes of homes in metro cities, people lost touch with art, says Sharma. Juneja says the idea of modernity forced them to embrace contemporary art, which dampened the appeal and demand of classical art. Artists even took to selling tea and vegetables.

The sheer lack of traditional art, however, turned it into a novelty, boosting its appeal. Industry experts believe that demonetisation and GST have inhibited the spending on contemporary art. In a conservative art market like India, where people are anyway cautious of spending on art, contemporary art, which is experimental, is bound to feel the heat, says contemporary artist Seema Kohli. In shaky times, they want to buy the sure thing and you cant go wrong with traditional art.

Another reason is that selling art has become a very complicated process for both artists and curators, says Delhi-based artist Binoy Varghese. Filing tax returns and sending an artwork from one state to another have become so cumbersome that people are avoiding buying them.

But contemporary artist Surendra Pal Joshi says with scores of artists joining the marketplace every year, the quality of contemporary artwork has declined, adversely affecting its demand. The new crop of contemporary artists do not possess the patience of the older ones. All they want is quick success, which results in poor quality, says Joshi, who conceptualised the Uttara Museum for Contemporary Art in Uttarakhand.

Kohli, however, says all is not lost. Whether contemporary art or traditional art, so long as art is finding favour with buyers and collectors, it is good news for the fraternity as a whole, she says. At different times, different kind of art flourishes. It is just a matter of time and contemporary art will get back its sheen soon.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Ankara, Turkey, November 17, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA - Four people were injured Sunday after a minibus carrying the security personnel of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan involved in an accident in Giresun Province of eastern Turkey.



The minibus overturned after colliding with a car on the coastal road in the Gorele district of Giresun, Turkey's Daily Sabah reported. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital.



During this weekend, President Erdogan was in the Black Sea region of Turkey for visiting three northeastern provinces.



Officials have yet to make a statement about their conditions.
Many investors have scoured the technology sector for dazzling returns in recent history and there is little wonder why.

Funds in the Investment Association's Technology and Telecommunications universe turned 10,000 into 24,998 in five years on average, according to FE Analytics figures.

What's more, the three As - Apple, Amazon and Google's Alphabet - along with other US superstar firms of a similar ilk have helped steer Wall Street to record highs this year.

Apple, which recently launched the iPhone X, is one of the five best performing tech stocks

The worry for investors is how to pick the genuinely game-changing companies from the hyped-up wonders - and how to deal with what can be sky-high valuations.

Rarely has a sector been more closely watched for the first signs of boom turning into bust.

As an example, the tech sector has experienced a slight pull back this month - down around 1.4 percentage points between the start of the month and 15 November - and that led to the questions being asked of does this signal the start of a downturn period?

What makes evaluating tech investing particularly hard is that technology stocks are cool. Some of these companies have developed ingenious products and services which, in some instances, have transformed our everyday lives.

Two companies born in two different eras highlight this: Apple and Facebook. The iPhone and Facebook's service have genuinely changed the way people live, their behaviour and how businesses operate, from selling things to targeting customers.

For investors, they hold the potential to deliver impressive returns - with many piling into the shares in the hope that they are backing the next big thing that will make them rich.

But with great hope comes the potential for disappointment - and in the tech sector that worry looms large.

Is tech too big to fail?

An interesting element that becomes clear once you look deeper into the holdings of global indices is quite how big some of these tech companies are.

For example, the top four holdings of the FTSE All World index are Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook.

Apple, the top holding, makes up 1.98 per cent of the index, almost as much as Australia, which is 2.36 per cent.

What's more, the firm's fortunes will have a greater impact on passive funds tracking the index's performance than the entire allocation to India and Denmark combined - which are just 1.19 per cent and 0.60 per cent of the FTSE All World Index respectively.

The line graph illustrates the average performance of funds in the IA Technology & Telecommunications sector over the past five years

Technology is now the largest sector in the S&P 500, representing 22.8 per cent of the index. So anyone with a US tracker fund already has significant exposure to technology and does not need to run out and invest in a specialist fund, according to Jason Hollands, managing director of broker Bestinvest.

The likes of Google, Facebook and Netflix - whose services many of us use every day - have generated impressive growth in the past, but investors should be wary about just how far valuations have moved in a short space of time, Hollands adds.

It is also important to remember the big names in technology emerged from obscurity a little more than a decade ago, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be knocked of their perches by emerging challengers in the future.

Hollands says: 'I think the euphoria surrounding tech stocks is symptomatic of overconfidence by investors who have become immune to risk because of years of extreme monetary policy underwriting equity markets [quantitative easing] and bubble-like valuations compounded by the rise of index trackers throwing cash at the stocks without regard to their prices.'

What are the headwinds for the tech stars?

A series of headwinds are on the horizon for technology stocks, so it is important to think long and hard before ramping up your portfolio's weighting to the sector.

For instance, some have come under the spotlight for aggressive tax mitigation manoeuvres, while social media companies are under increasing pressure to implement measures to curb exploitation by hostile governments and terrorist organisations.

Hollands adds: 'A key risk hanging over markets at the moment is a policy slip up. Bull markets dont die of old age, but the US Federal Reserve has a track record of murdering them.

'The unwinding of trillions of dollars of quantitative easing that the Fed has just commenced, alongside three expected rate hikes next year, could lead to a wholesale reappraising of risk and if that happens, many tech stocks stand in line to feel the full force of gravity.'

Firms manufacturing semiconductors are a popular choice among many tech fund managers

Where fund managers hope to profit from tech

However, it is not all doom and gloom for technology, according to Darius McDermott, managing director of funds rating service FundCalibre.

'I like technology as an investment but it can be volatile and, a lot of the time, avoiding the losers is as important as finding the next Apple.

'The sector has had a phenomenal run but the managers I talk to are still positive (some very excited) and think the pull back was just a pause for breath.'

Alongside investment funds, one of the most popular ways of gaining exposure to the technology sector is through investment trusts - which are similar to a fund in that they pool investors' resources but are also listed companies in their own right with shares that trade on the stockmarket.

Over the past five years, investment trusts in the Association of Investment Companies's Sector Specialist: Technology, Media, Telecommunications have more than trebled investors money, with Allianz Technology Trust returning 273 per cent, according to the trade body.

Walter Price, who manages the portfolio, claims opportunities are presenting themselves across the high growth, growth at a reasonable price, and value segments of the sector.

Price believes he is on to a winner by investing in stocks such as Micron Technology, Palo Alto Networks and Teradyne, which offer exposure to the production of semiconductors, cyber security, as well as robotics and automation, respectively.

He said: 'The growth in technology is coming from the creation of new markets, rather than simply GDP growth. Investors need to find companies generating organic growth by creating new markets or effecting significant change in old markets.

'Sectors such as automobiles, advertising, security, retail, and manufacturing are all being shaped and transformed by advances in technology.'

Price is less optimistic on the prospects of FAANG stocks , which is an acronym for the five most popular and best performing tech stocks in the market: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabets Google.

'Amazons recent quarter was strong, but persistently rising costs could potentially weigh on near-term earnings growth. Our long-term view remains positive for these companies because they have strong competitive positioning, they continue to innovate, and we see significant opportunities for attractive earnings growth.'

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Meanwhile, Hyun Ho Sohn, who manages the Fidelity Global Technology Fund, claims at an average price to earnings ratio of around 18x, the technology sector is significantly cheaper than its historic peak - during the dotcom bubble - and in-line with the broader market, by this common investment valuation metric.

The portfolio's focus on individual stocks rather than economic conditions and the movement of the broader sector, has resulted in its above-average weighting in software, semiconductors and internet retail, and underweight technology hardware and IT services, Ho Sohn said.

He added: 'In software, I am finding many companies with high-quality business models and recurring revenues. The industry has numerous structural drivers that will underpin long-term earnings growth.

'Small and mid-cap application software will benefit from digitisation and business model shifts  such as moves to online subscription models in accounting and design software.

'In the semiconductor space, I own large-cap names including Intel and TSMC, which I believe will be long-term winners.'

He claims both companies are playing a key role in the development of digitisation and other emerging technologies, and are significantly undervalued compared to other semiconductor firms as investors instead opt for firms boasting greater momentum at present.

'I like Japanese internet stocks; the industry there is unique, and I am finding winners in the digital advertising and ecommerce space.

'Because of Japans relatively mature economy, the growth profile of these companies is not as strong as those FAANG or Chinese internet leaders, but still offers relatively robust growth with reasonable valuations.'

Four of the best funds to invest in tech

Cherry-picking the best tech stocks is by no means an easy feat so more often than not this is a game best left to the professionals and their research resources.

We asked Fund Calibre's McDermott for four funds that could fit the bill.

Darius McDermott of FundCalibre claims the pace of disruption in the technology sector is creating opportunities

Our preferred fund in the sector is AXA Framlington Global Technology, run by Jeremy Gleeson. It invests in all sizes of technology companies around the world and the manager prefers to find 'new technology' stock ideas rather than 'old commodity' companies.

Technology is inherently risky but by avoiding the blue sky companies (good ideas but zero income and burgeoning development costs) and waiting for companies to fully develop their products the team is more likely to avoid the pitfalls that affected tech funds in the early 2000s.

If you want a technology investment trust, we like Polar Capital Technology, run by Nick Evans and Ben Rogoff. They are two very experienced managers who really know this sector inside out.

They have a decent exposure to Asia as well as the US (which tends to dominate in technology funds) and 22 per cent in medium sized companies and 2 per cent in smaller companies  so some more unusual names in the mix as well as the usual suspects.

If you want a cheap fund, then L&G Global Technology Index is worth a look. It tracks the FTSE World Information Technology Index and the big US companies will very much dominate the fund (the top three holdings are all more than 10 per cent of the fund), but it does only have an ongoing charge of 0.32 per cent.

So if you just want exposure to the sector and dont mind the big US bias and big bets on a few companies, it will do the trick.

And finally, robots and artificial intelligence is the new rage among fund launches. Some people have gone as far as saying that AI will change our lives as much as the internet has done. If you want something this specific, you could look at the Smith & Williamson Artificial Intelligence fund. It will look to tap into the rise of robots and AI and is run by Chris Ford and Tim Day, who joined from specialist manager Pictet.
These days, the run-up to the Budget brings with it a tightening knot in the stomach for British small businesses and the self-employed. And its no surprise.

Back in March the announcement (and then swift U-turn) of a dramatic tax hike for the self-employed made us all wince.

It wasnt just the principle of putting up Class 4 National Insurance contributions, it was the general spirit behind the move.

It demonstrated a lack of understanding about the risk involved in working for yourself - and worse, it suggested this kind of economic endeavour is not appreciated and unwelcome.

A reduction in the VAT threshold has been widely touted to feature in Chancellor Philip Hammond's Budget speech on Wednesday 22 November

The big worry for next week is the potential lowering of the VAT threshold.

Currently set at 85,000, the very fact that the Chancellor asked the Office of Tax Simplification to examine the case for and against would suggest a very serious intent in the Treasury to raid yet more cash from small business.

Our members tell us the timing for this is all wrong. Small firms are dealing with Brexit, General Data Protection Regulation, rising auto enrolment contributions with Making Tax Digital on the horizon for VAT-registered firms expected to start in 2019, it makes a great deal of sense to make sure it stays where it is.

On another note, is it fair to ask consumers to pay 20 per cent more for coffee from an independent cafe when larger firms can afford to charge less?

Instead, we hope the Chancellor will consider some of the following measures that would actually help small businesses at this critical moment.

Export vouchers to help prepare for Brexit

Emma Jones Emma Jones, is an entrepreneur and the founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation

Small companies that export are much more likely to be focused on trade with the EU. Currently, this is a very straightforward thing to do.

However, once we leave the EU, trade will inevitably be more complicated, at least initially.

An Export Vouchers programme would both stimulate the private sector market - as it would use government funds to ensure export experts are matched with small businesses  and it would also show the Government recognises the fact that smaller firms will need a helping hand.

There is so much export specialist talent in the market - and so much potential for young firms to sell worldwide - what's required is a platform to match the two and a nudge from government to make the connection.

Broadband and digital training

The Industrial Strategy needs to reflect the growing digital needs of small businesses and start-ups and its important impact on the British economy.

Broadband, or lack of it, disproportionately affects smaller firms and those operating in the rural economy. It makes sense to see digital training offered as super-fast broadband is rolled out across the UK more quickly so that smaller firms, that are not yet digitally-savvy enough to take advantage of this, can be part of the growth equation  and avoid hefty fines from new data protection rules GDPR.

Prompt payment

So far more than 2,000 firms have signed up to the Prompt Payment Code, but its never going to be enough until its made compulsory for large employers to pay their small suppliers on time.

Once tech giants and huge corporates that genuinely use the products and services of smaller producers sign up, then we will have progress on this.

Business rates

We hear from our members that the hike in business rates has been an unprecedented problem, with some reporting increases in rates of more than 200 per cent.

While transitional relief has been patchy and in some cases, unattainable, wed like to see a situation when common sense is applied, linking business rates with actual profits rather than commercial property values.

While some firms absolutely have seen the property their business occupies go up, they may not have seen an increase in turnover. The Government has got to stop causing disruption and provide stability in order to create growth.

Bring the self-employed into auto enrolment

We all need a nudge on this as it seems there is still a gap within the haves and have-nots in terms of pension provision.

Bringing the self-employed in now would avoid some of them finding the cupboard is literally bare when retirement finally arrives.
Shoppers walk along a busy street in Bicester Village, which is now a major UK tourist destination. [Photo provided to China Daily]

As the train draws into a small town in Oxfordshire, the destination is announced in English, then Chinese and then Arabic. The stop is Bicester Village and it has become one of the most important destinations in the United Kingdom for international tourists.

At the weekends you might think that you were in China as there are so many Chinese visitors but the shopping village is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese holidaymakers in the UK after Buckingham Palace.

Bicester Village was inspired by US real estate investor Scott Malkin, who combined his experience of selling luxury goods with the US outlet mall concept to create a new kind of shopping center.

Malkin founded Value Retail Plc in 1992, with Bicester Village being its first center. The company has nine villages in Europe and two in China.

The center looks like a small town with high street shops. Each houses a luxurious brand such as Prada and Gucci. On average, goods are sold at 40 percent of their list price.

Chinese shoppers accounted for 40 percent of the business at Value Retail's villages in Europe last year, and this number is expected to grow as the number of Chinese visitors to Europe increases, according to consultancy Bain & Co.

Desiree Bollier, the chairwoman and chief merchant of Value Retail, said the company built a strong connection with Chinese customers from when they first opened.

"Our first trip to China was made in 2003, and at the time it was a quite novelty approach as no one was seeking Chinese consumers at that point," said Bollier, who joined Value Retail in 2001 after 14 years with Ralph Lauren.

"We promised an authentic relationship and developed a very strong partnership with different tourism operators and platforms," she said, "Over the years Bicester has become part of the itinerary for Chinese tourists visiting the UK."

Steve Wood, professor of retail marketing and management at University of Surrey, said brands such as Prada, Gucci, Dior and Celine are popular with brand conscious customers and relatively good value.

He said: "The factory outlet approach when dealing with luxury and higher end products might pose some challenges given the potential threat to the exclusive nature of the brands, but it is an excellent way of disposing end of season stock for retailers."

Ms Zheng, a Chinese shopper who would not give her full name, said Bicester Village is one of her favorite shopping destinations.

"The shopping experience here is great, and I can never have enough time shopping here, not even having time for food," she said.

Ms Du, a recent UK graduate from Guangzhou, works at the village as a fulltime freelance retail consultant, something known in China as a daigou.

She shops for clients in China who are willing to pay a premium for authentic luxury goods that are usually relatively cheaper than they are in China. She usually spends on average 10,000 pounds ($13,214) on 40 to 50 purchases a day.

"The price here is really appealing. A coat from less well-known brand in China would cost two to three hundred pounds, and here you can get one from a famous brand with same amount of money." she said.

Centers such as Bicester Village are not universally welcome. "There is also a threat that it educates the customer not to pay full price which might compromise the integrity of brands," Wood said,"The Bicester center itself is also a retail form that further pressures conventional high streets and town centers that have struggled in the face of out of town malls and online retailing."

Bollier said Chinese travelers will continue to drive growth in luxury retail.

"The Chinese middle-class incomers are expected to reach 250 million by 2030, and currently only 7 percent of the Chinese middle-class are on passport, so the growth potential is excessive," she said.

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story.
EZULWINI  Swaziland Im back!

These were the first words that came out of David Kaus mouth as he took to the stage for his Half man, half Comic show last Saturday night. Leading South African comedian, David Kau graced the Royal Swazi Spa Convention Centre on Saturday night as the main act during a comedy night hosted by Sifundzani Primary School to raise funds. Comedy lovers were gathered at the Convention Centre to witness the South African celebrated comic take center stage. His performance was part of a tour that he started in September in Maseru, Lesotho and has already been to Polokwane, Port Shepstone, Empangeni and recently Swaziland. After sold out performances for three years running, one being last years show where he was also invited by the school, his local followers couldnt wait for him to be back again for yet another successful show. Introducing the South African act was local comedian Ndosh, who played a huge part in putting together the show. When Kau came on stage, he introduced himself to the audience and made it clear that he was back for the second time as a headline act for Sifundzani.

My wife used to attend school at Sifundzani, so I really have no choice hey, he joked. Kau said that he never wanted to be a comedian and had no experience in comedy before his debut show in 1998. I had never wanted to be a comedian in the first place; the first comedy, gig I ever did was my first encounter with comedy where I was booked for a show. You know what, I just jumped on stage and did impersonations of Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and from there someone had the guts to book me for a comedy festival in Capetown. He said as he started the first half of the show. After being on stage for his first set of the comedy night, Kau, in an interview with the publication said that he loved the Swazi crowd so much that he gets excited every time he has to jump on stage. He said more than anything, he loves the fact that his Swazi followers are friendly. It was a different crowd for the two sets of the show as there were fresh faces as part of the audience for the second show which started at 8:30pm. Again, Ndosh introduced the South African comedian and welcomed him on stage. Comedy lovers seemed to have had a good time at the show as they would now and again laugh their lungs out during the comics set.
EZULWINI  Its 40 categories for the National Arts and Culture Council of Arts (NACA) 50/50 Awards.

The awards were revealed last Friday night during the launch held at the Happy Valley Hotel. Attending the awards was the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs David Cruiser Ngcamphalala, Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture Board Chairperson Busisiwe Simelane and her Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Dlamini.

Event

Also part of the event was ACASWA President Mzwakhe Myeni, SWAMA President Melusi Zox Dlamini and Jozana Maziya of the Swaziland National Choral Music Association (SNCMA). Unveiling the categories, the CEO pointed out that the council felt it was proper for them to recognise the artists during the time when the country would be celebrating 50 years of independence. It is also worth noting that His Majesty King Mswati III will also be celebrating 50 years and therefore, artists have all the reason to celebrate, he said.

Contributed

.The CEO thanked all those who contributed in making sure that the past NACA Awards were a success. He added that he was hoping the same will happen during the NACA 50/50 Awards. We have had great awards in the past and we are looking forward to the next awards. I strongly believe that they will be the best, he said. He said this year there would be 40 categories, saying half of the awards would see the public selecting their choice, while the rest would be adjudicated. The public will have a say. Actually, winners of 20 awards will be selected by the public. This means we need the public to participate fully, he said. Dlamini went on to urge companies to support the event, saying it will not be a success without their contribution. In order for these awards to be a success, we need the corporate sector to participate. We therefore invite all companies to participate in this event, he said.
MANZINI  After experiencing difficulties after the death of their spouses, rural women are lobbying for a law permitting the annulment of Swazi marriages.

This transpired during a meeting hosted by Swaziland Rural Womens Assembly on Thursday. The gathering was held at the Caritas in Manzini and its objective was to capacitate rural women from all over the country on their rights and further educate them on the importance of the enactment of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill, 2015. According to the organisations Secretary Cebile Dlamini, this was to consolidate womens demands in a bid to hasten the passing of the Bill which has been dragging for years. The women later petitioned Senate on their demands on the same day. This demand was an addition to four others which are currently debated in senate. These include Clauses 4, 10, 42 and 47 of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill which were recently removed by a committee of Members of Parliament (MPs) after citing that some of them were against Swazi Culture. The clauses were unlawful stalking, flashing, abduction and incest. However, the Deputy Prime Minsters portfolio committee, chaired by Sandleni MP James Simelane, later reinstated these clauses.

Making their submissions, women from about 40 constituencies said cases of abuse would decrease if traditionally wedded women would be allowed to officially leave their marriages after their spouses have passed on or when they feel subjected to abuse during the course of their marriages. Sibongile Dlamini from Mbabane West constituency said her daughter refused to return to her matrimonial home in a process known as sitsinjana (mini-traditional wedding) after she was traditionally wed. This is when a woman is returned by her family to her matrimonial home. The women mentioned that sitsinjana was unSwazi. Dlamini said the reason stated by her daughter was that she never agreed to the marriage but was only visiting her boyfriend when she was traditionally wed. For this, the woman was emphasising that traditionally wed women should be protected against such because staying with a person without their consent equates to abduction. This was echoed by Grace from the Shiselweni region, who said the evident incidents where women were emotionally, physically or financially abused by their husbands or in-laws begged for the drafting of laws that would also be in the womens interest, just like in western marriages.

In her response to the submissions, Human Rights Lawyer Mary Da Silva said to curb all these issues, the country should have written processes of the precise steps taken before a woman was married in accordance with Swazi law and Custom. Da Silva said all the nitty gritties should also be put in writing so as to prevent perpetrators of abuse from ill-treating women and violating their rights, all in the name of traditions. She also proposed that penalties for those who would not conform to the stated rules should be also stated in the law. According to Da Silva, nowadays, many cultures from other nations have been adopted by locals, which has resulted in identity confusion where people did what they thought was the right thing only to infringe on another partys rights. For instance, the tradition of kuteka has been used by many as a justification for marrying women without their consent. This happens when men marry women on their first visit (kujuma) without proposing marriage and engaging both families.
MBABANE  From being a bus rank to a war zone.

Marshals at the Mbabane Bus Rank allegedly insult each other and use weapons such as slashers to attack each other. This allegedly happens in full view of members of the public including women and children who are often traumatised by such incidents. This is allegedly the current situation at the Mbabane Bus Rank which has been turned into a war zone by kombi marshals who are fighting over platforms or loading zones. The kombi marshals, who are reported to be fighting, are those from the Mbabane Kombi and Midi-bus Association and those from the Local Kombi Association. The Mbabane Kombi and Mid-Bus Association has since approached the court which opined that if this situation was left unattended, it would result in bloodshed and loss of life. According to the Midi-Bus Association, the intervention of the court to bring harmony was not only beneficial to the people of Mbabane but the country at large. In its application, the association informed the court that there was a commotion of struggle and use of force and arms by the marshals at the Mbabane Bus Rank that disturbs peace and stability.

Respondents in the matter are Simon Msebenzomuhle Mnisi, who operates a public transport business trading as Rejoice Transport, The Road Transportation Board (RTB) and the attorney general. Maria Hoffman who is the Secretary General of the Association told the court that the paramount objective of the association, among others, was to promote harmony, unity and efficiency in the kombi and midi bus operation of the members in Mbabane and other regions or routes where its members operated their businesses. She highlighted that as an association, they employ and place rank marshals, where they are partners with sister associations marshals. Hoffman also mentioned that the Mbabane Municipal Council was their partner in that they worked together for the smooth and peaceful running of the public transport system at the bus rank. Our members mostly comprise kombi operators and are based in Mbabane. Most of the kombi operators servicing Mbabane, Piggs Peak express routes are our members. The association therefore has marshals that control and regulate our platforms to their respective destinations, submitted Hoffman.

She further pointed out that every service provider was categorised in terms of the permit such that express kombi from Mbabane  Piggs Peak had a platform where they loaded passengers and those that service Mbabane, Mnyokane, Maguga, KaLaZwane to Piggs Peak had a different platform designated as local. She alleged that the two were not mixed. She told the court that last Wednesday, they received a complaint from their marshals concerning a kombi owned by Mnisi that was loading on the Mbabane  Piggs Peak express platform yet it was an all-station kombi. She alleged that they attended to the issue immediately where they sought to check the permit and confirmed that there was an existing permit issued by RTB to Mnisi to service Piggs Peak, KaLaZwane, Ncesi, Mnyokane and Mbabane, averred the secretary. She told the court that as an association, they guided the kombi driver to the rightful platform, however, he (kombi driver) organised others marshalls of the sister associations.
MBABANE - Central Bank of Swaziland Governor Majozi Sithole says information obtained from the internet implicated Nigerian billionaire Chief Benjamin Aghalieaku Arinze in a drug cartel investigation.

According to the governor, this was one of the reasons which resulted in Central Bank of Swaziland directing Nedbank Swaziland Limited to freeze a bank account of Arinzes local company trading as Aghalieaku Airways pending investigations. Sithole also highlighted that another thing which raised suspicions was that the destination of the funds was Panama City, which was recently published as a suspected destination for illicit flow of funds. He disclosed this in a letter he wrote to the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) where he was asking it to institute some investigations on the transactions made by the Nigerian businessmans company in Swaziland.

Sithole also mentioned that another reason was that the two shareholders of the company were Nigerian citizens, a country known for having a lot of swindlers. These are allegations whose veracity is yet to be determined.

According to the governor, the Central Bank of Swaziland received an application from Nedbank Swaziland to approve remittance of funds to Panama on behalf of Arinzes local company trading as Aghalieaku Airways, being a deposit of a leased plane.

He highlighted that as per the procedure they (Central Bank of Swaziland) requested for the company registration documents which was prerequisite documentation to enable proper assessment of the application. Sithole highlighted that an analysis of the application revealed the following red flags: The company account was funded through cash deposited over the counter of E621 510 within three days, cash deposit fee for transactions totalled to E14 452.23, which normal businesspeople would go out of their way to avoid given the availability of cheaper options for depositing funds like electronic funds transfer. Sithole mentioned that advanced payments in Exchange Control field were commonly used for illicit flow of funds and this required thorough probing in cases where there was a reason to suspect irregularities. Given the above mentioned anomalies, we found it necessary to immediately conduct a targeted inspection on Nedbank to get better insight of the companys profile, stated Sithole. He went on to disclose that their investigations revealed that denominations of cash made were a combination of Rand notes and Emalangeni. Sithole alleged that this indicated a possibility that the funds might have been physically brought into the country as opposed to using formal banking system remittance.

A cash withdrawal of E250 000 had been made which did not make sense since that meant the funds left in the account were not sufficient to make the proposed transaction of USD 40 000 (Emalangeni equivalent E574 000) as at July 2016, said the governor. He also disclosed that they also discovered a false declaration by the chief executive officer of Arinzes company on a deposit slip misrepresenting himself as Tony, one of the companys directors.


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Colonie

As surprising as it may seem, Capital Region residents haven't had direct air service to Buffalo since 2010. Now, airport officials in both Albany and Buffalo are getting close to restoring that service.

They've talked with area businesses that have a presence in both cities, as well as to OneJet, a startup carrier that earlier this year restored nonstop flights between Albany and Pittsburgh.

"That's one of the routes we've actively been pursuing for a number of years, along with Denver and Houston," Albany International Airport spokesman Doug Myers said Monday.

The Buffalo News reported over the weekend that officials involved in the effort, whom it didn't name, said service was "very, very close."

"We've been diligently marketing direct service to Albany for some time, but we can't confirm anything at this time," spokeswoman Helen Tederous told the Times Union.

OneJet didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

OneJet uses small corporate jets, typically seating about eight people, in providing its service. It carried 127 passengers in July, its first full month of service in Albany, or an average of 2.4 passengers per trip. But it may consider using larger aircraft on the flights to Buffalo, which in the past have supported planes as large as a Boeing 737.

There's no word yet on how many daily round trips might be offered, what fares likely would be, when service might start, and how long the flight would take.

Buffalo is currently a 4 1/2-hour drive from Albany or a 5 1/2-hour train ride.
Headlining a Pixar film would mark a career high for many. Anthony Gonzalez did it near the start of his working life.

Now 12, the Los Angeles native was 9 when filming began on "Coco," the animation studio's first near-musical, in theaters Wednesdsay. Amid a cast full of celebrated stars, Gonzalez is the clear highlight, singing and speaking the leading role  a winning boy named Miguel whose search for his family heritage and history accidentally transports him to the afterlife's Land of the Dead.

Gonzalez sings, plays violin and viola, and is "working hard to master the piano," he said in a phone interview. Most of all, he said, "I just love acting. I've been doing it since I was 4," the age when he marched into a legendary Los Angeles talent agency for Hispanic performers, belted out a mariachi tune and was signed instantly.

He has done several commercials and last year appeared in the short film "Icebox," a drama about a young boy in the U.S. immigration system, and its follow-up feature film adaptation with the same title. "But I never thought I would be in a Disney/Pixar movie. I grew up with 'Toy Story' and I just love that."

While the voice talent in "Coco" includes Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt and Edward James Olmos, it's clearly Gonzalez in the limelight. The film is a fanciful take on the lively Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico and throughout Latin America. It's a joyous holiday, winking at death rather than crying over it. As open-air markets sell folk-art skeletons and sugar skulls, it celebrates the memory of the departed with parties, food, drink and activities that the dead enjoyed in life.

Gonzalez's character, 12-year-old Miguel, finds that colorful, hallucinogenic afterlife to be kid-friendly  a parallel world where skeletons can have warm human emotions, if not hearts. But while it's fantastic in both senses of the word, it's not a place a young accidental tourist wants to remain for eternity.

Gonzalez describes his own visit to the wonderland that is Pixar with the same tone of awe-struck wonder as Miguel in the great beyond. It was a turn of events that was as much a lightning bolt of good luck as the slow realization of a dream.

The slow-gestating concept behind "Coco" was announced by the studio early in 2012. The same year, 20th Century Fox said it would release its own vividly colorful, musical Mexican animated adventure in the hereafter produced by Guillermo del Toro. "The Book of Life," starring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum, was released two years later, to limited success.

Given Pixar's rigorous talent-recruiting system and its famously long development schedules, there was no guarantee that Gonzalez would make the casting cut.

"It was a very long process," he said, which involved auditioning repeatedly for Oscar-winning director Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3," "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc.") for nearly a year between fifth and sixth grade. He was called to interviews at Pixar's headquarters in Oakland several times, "but I still had no idea."

As the end of 2015 approached, he had another meeting with Unkrich to perform the character's lines.

"Lee said he had a present for me before Christmas and he went to get the present. I opened it and it was this beautiful piece of art that said, 'You got the part!' I was so shocked and excited that I just fell to the ground." While he was "crying my eyes out" with excitement, they walked to the studio. "Everyone who was there working on 'Coco' was there, clapping for me. I just said, 'Oh, thank you, God, I'm just so blessed and so happy.'?"

He felt equally moved when he finally saw the finished film last month. Most of his work had been done alone in a recording studio, with none of his co-stars present.

"They would tell me what was happening and how they wanted me to sound, and I'd take a couple of tries and go on to the next. Sometimes I got a chance to see my character on a video screen," but working from instinct and feedback from directors was more common.

While much of the film's comedy stems from the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), Gonzalez said, "The heart of the film is family. That's what it is about."

For Gonzalez, whose parents emigrated from Guatemala, Dia de los Muertos is a traditional family event shared with his two sisters and two brothers.

"It's a wonderful time, a joyful one. It's not really negative. It's more of a celebration, a time to remember the ones who passed away that you love. To think about and thank them for how they shaped your present, past and future. When I was 6, my grandfather passed away and the only time I can connect with him and remember him is the Day of the Dead.

"It's a wonderful celebration when you can connect with your loved ones. My family's always there for me in the good times and the bad times. That's what I love about it."
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New York

New York City firefighter Tom O'Brien had been battling a blaze in Manhattan for two hours on Oct. 27, 1935, and knew something was wrong as soon as he got back to the firehouse.

Reports indicate he complained of a booming headache and decided to "self-medicate" with a bottle of booze before heading to his bunk to sleep. He never woke up.

Now, 82 years later, O'Brien's heirs are going to court seeking an honor they say he was unfairly denied: a finding of a line-of duty death and a place among the more than 1,100 names on the department's memorial wall. They say the strongest evidence is an autopsy at the time that found O'Brien had a skull fracture, apparently from falling debris in the fire.

"This isn't a money issue. I don't want a nickel," says 68-year-old Arthur O'Brien, who has been trying for years to have his grandfather recognized. "The autopsy says he died of a fractured skull, so put his name on the wall. People make mistakes. Just say you'll make it right."

The department hasn't budged; they say there is scant evidence to overturn a decades-old decision.

In correspondence with New York City Fire Department officials, Arthur O'Brien was told that despite exhaustive searches for records, there was no clear indication of what went into the decision to not deem his grandfather a line-of-duty casualty.

It's a decision that baffles his heirs, who refer to O'Brien by his family nickname "Fireman Tom."

"My siblings and I always assumed that Fireman Tom was considered one of the fallen and therefore memorialized with his other firefighters," says O'Brien's sister, Betty Seibold. "We want to share our joy and celebrate Fireman Tom's recognition and placement on the wall as one of the bravest in the FDNY."

An FDNY spokesman did not respond to emails for comment, but a department attorney told McCarty in June that an autopsy report indicating O'Brien died of a fractured skull and lacerations of the brain would have been considered in 1935.

"FDNY is not in a position to overturn the decision made by a fire commissioner who had the benefit of all available information, almost 82 years ago," Alison Chen wrote in June. "FDNY's final determination on Firefighter O'Brien's death was rendered in 1935."
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Washington

It's hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday  the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war.

No detail seems to have been overlooked. There's even a designated "safe escape" door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Neb., through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring U.S. nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to  or in anticipation of  a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

And yet fundamental aspects of this nightmare sequence remain a mystery.

For example, what would happen if an American president ordered a nuclear strike, for whatever reason, and the four-star general at Strategic Command balked or refused, believing it to be illegal?

Robert Kehler, a retired general who once led that command, was asked this at a congressional hearing last week. His response: "You'd be in a very interesting constitutional situation."

By interesting, he seemed to mean puzzling.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a president's first recourse would be to tell the defense secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

"And then, if the commander still resisted," McKeon said as he rubbed his chin, "you either get a new secretary of defense or get a new commander." The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

The current head of Strategic Command, Gen. John Hyten, said Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada that he would refuse a launch order from a president if he believed that order to be illegal. Hyten also predicted that the president would then ask him for options that Hyten judged to be legal.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Kehler scenario misses a more important point: The Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.
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TROY - Plans to eliminated the federal historic tax credit as part the $1.5 trillion tax reform package being considered by Congress would end a key tool used to revitalize old structures in city's like Troy, officials warned Sunday.

Calling it a betrayal and shameful, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, Assemblyman John McDonald III and Mayor Patrick Madden criticized the tax package and its potential consequences.

The version of the tax bill passed by the House of Representatives last week would end the federal historic tax credit, which provides a 20 percent credit for the rehabilitation of historical buildings.

Standing inside the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, at the former Quackenbush building on Third Street, Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said city need the historic tax credit to revitalize older urban cores,.

Its economically wise to invest in that tax credit, its an urban recovery program, he said.

Since its inception in 1976 the tax credit has leveraged over $132 billion in private investment and saved over 42,000 buildings across the country, according to Madden.

The Quackenbush building, which was vacant before undergoing a $2.75 million renovation, was helped along by over $400,000 from the federal tax credit.

Last week, a version of the tax reform bill passed the House, 227 to 205.

The legislation would slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, collapse seven brackets into four, eliminate deductions for high out-of-pocket medical bills, phase out the estate tax and end the deduction for state income-tax payments while capping property tax deductions at $10,000. It would also double the standard deduction for non-itemizers to $24,000 for a couple filing jointly.

The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill after it returns from Thanksgiving break.

But the Senates measure received a politically awkward verdict from nonpartisan congressional analysts showing it would eventually produce higher taxes for low- and middle-income earners but deliver deep reductions for those better off.

The Senate bill was approved late Thursday by the Finance Committee and sent to the full Senate on a party-line 14-12 vote. Like the House measure, it would slash the corporate tax rate, and reduce personal income tax rates for many.

If it passes, the federal government would borrow $2.3 trillion to help pay for it and long-time deductions and tax credits, like the historic tax credit, would disappear, Tonko said.

Those tax credits often provide a key piece of financing when developers take project proposals to banks, Tonko said.

And this tax credit offers that gap between doing the project and letting it stand still, he said.

McDonald, D-Cohoes, pointed to projects in other cities in the Capital Region that have benefitted from the tax credit, including the Harmony Mills apartment building in his city. The project is generating $15,000 in tax revenue and its residents have a much higher income than the citys average, he said.

Growing the tax base in urban areas is extraordinarily difficult and this critical tool is one that we can not afford to lose, he said.

Madden agreed, saying that Troys economic recovery is driven by several factors but the common thread is the historic tax credit, which has allowed developers to revamp over two dozen buildings throughout the city.

These renovations have brought jobs and new life to our city, he said. These buildings add to our tax base, these jobs support our local businesses.
Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was ticketed by a State Police trooper going 119 mph in Tioga County on Sunday, the New York Daily News reports.

The report didn't say what kind of car Pirro was driving or if there were passengers in the car. She was stopped in Nichols.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS - The state Authorities Budget Office recommended that the Saratoga Springs City Center consider adopting a formal policy regarding its marquee after the state received a complaint about the lighted sign advertising an event with former mayoral candidate Mark Baker.

The disputed sign illuminated on Broadway ahead of a meet-and-greet session with Baker last month read "BAKER for MAYOR, Proven Leadership, Ethical Practices." Passersby mistook it as an endorsement from the City Center where Baker spent 33 years as its executive director.

A resident went to the state, complaining the sign appeared partisan and should be off-limits at a taxpayer-funded facility.

The ABO discovered that the City Center has no specific policy regulating the promotion of political events and urged the organization to put a plan in right.

The ABO found no wrong doing because each renter is offered use of the marquee, but the complaint will be referred to the state Attorney General and the state Board of Elections "to consider other issues outside the scope of the ABO's review."

More for you Spa City sign raises ethics questions

Ryan McMahon, the center's current executive director, said the City Center's board will discuss the ABO recommendation in the new year. He emphasized that the ABO decision is not a directive and that it will be up to the authority's board of directors to decide.

He also said that political candidates often rent the center. He said both presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama rented the center to host phone banks. Ohio Gov. John Kasich also rented the space during the 2016 presidential campaign. But McMahon is uncertain if any of them advertised their events on the marquee.

"We have had a lot of political events rent the center," McMahon said. "The marquee is optional."

In most cases, McMahon say, the center will use the renter's logo for the marquee. There was no intent, McMahon said, to endorse Baker. McMahon, realizing that the sign for Baker would be going up, also called Baker's opponent Meg Kelly. He offered to rent a room to her so that her logo could illuminate the sign. She declined.

The ABO in its recommendation said a policy would "improve transparency and accountability of its operations."

A policy, the decision continues, "may provide for appropriate review and approval by Authority staff or the board to ensure that the content is reasonable and does not contain material that would be considered objectionable to the public."
Towns and villages in Tipperary are set to benefit from 101,000 in Government funding to mark the 60th anniversary of Tidy Towns, Fine Gael's Cllr Michael Murphy said.

The funding was announced by the Minister for Rural & Community Development, Michael Ring.

This scheme will allow each local committee to apply for a grant of between 1000 and 4000 to support the work they do.

I am delighted to see even more funding going to towns and villages here in Tipperary. Being directly involved myself as a volunteer in Tidy Towns, I have no doubt that the money will be a huge boost to our local communities and will be put to great use, said Cllr Murphy.

He said that the funding was an acknowledgment from our Government of the amazing work that had been done by tidy towns organisations up and down the county for the last 60 years.

an integral role

These organisations have played in integral role in our local communities for decades now, said Cllr Murphy, who is seking the party's nomination for the next general election.

The Tidy Towns competition inspires a huge amount of voluntary effort in towns and villages across the country. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those who give up their free time to make our communities better places to live, siad Cllr Murphy.

He said that being a volunteer with Tidy Towns allowed individuals to practice their passion for the good of their community, whether that passion concerns the built environment, landscaping, sustainable living, and local wildlife or organising a litter collection; there is a place for it in TidyTowns.

This funding for 81 Tidy Towns organisations here in Tipperary, will not just celebrate the last 60 years, but also help us look towards the future, he said.
The HSE is to address progress on healthcare facilities in the Cashel area in the coming weeks, says Cllr Tom Wood.

Ms Kate Killeen-White, Head of Social Care Services with the HSE has informed Councillor Wood that issues raised by him at Regional Health Forum Meetings over the past few months relating to the proposed replacement of Saint Patrick's Community Nursing Home in Cashel with a new development to meet HIQA standards by 2021 will be addressed shortly.

Ms Killeen-White says that HSE Social Care personnel, and the General Manager for Older People and the Manager of Services for Older People in South Tipperary will meet with stakeholders and elected representatives.

The HSE has asked about plans to utilise hospital lodges and former residences in Cashel.

In replying to questions tabled at the November Health Forum meeeting on any plans to utilise the former lodge at Saint Patricks Hospital, the gate lodge at Our Ladys Hospital and the derelict former doctors residence at Old Road, Cashel, Cllr Wood was advised that, the National Capital Committee has approved funding to replace Saint Patricks Hospital. As part of the redevelopment of this site the former lodge building may need to be considered.

It will be factored into the overall design brief as appropriate. The gate lodge at Our Lady's Health Campus was surveyed by an external property caretaking service in 2016 and given the condition of the building it was deemed to be uninhabitable at the time.

The former Doctors residence on the Old Road has been sold to the Department of Education and Skills.

The contract was signed in September 2017 and closing documents are being prepared with the close of the sale due by year end.

In response, Councillor Wood welcomed the progress relating to the former Doctors residence adjacent to the Primary schools on the Old Road saying it was his understanding that the site in question would be developed to facilitate traffic management in the area of the school.

In cautiously welcoming the decision to factor in the lodge at Saint Patricks in the overall design for the new Community Nursing Home project he said that an application from the Order of Malta earlier this year to acquire it for meetings was rejected by the HSE and it was vitally important that it was not left to deteriorate like the gate lodge at Our Lady's.

Cllr Wood informed the meeting that the lodge and main hospital building at Our Ladys Complex were both protected structures and he was sure that some beneficial use could be found for it.
Nathaniel Cabanero, who is originally from the Philippines and currently living in Stranorlar, County Donegal, is the winner of the Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest.

The Contest took place in the Tipperary Excel in Tipperary Town on Saturday night. Nathaniel's composition which was titled 'Only When' was performed by his wife, Judie Alegarme. It was a clear winner of the Contest receiving 38 marks out of a possible 40 from the Judging Panel. "Only When" is a by product of the songwriter's own reflections and touches on the basic tenets of our Human Rights. It was a very popular winner with a very strong vocal performance from Judie. Nathaniel is the only Filipino IMRO member and loves loves competing in International Songwriting contests. This was his 2nd time to be a top 10 finalist in the Tipperary Song of Peace Contest and it was a lucky second time appearance for him and his wife in the Contest. Supported by IMRO, the Contest carried a prize fund of 1,500 and a Crystal Award for the winning entry which was presented to Nathaniel and Judie by Martin Quinn and Joe Quinn of Tipperary Peace Convention. The best Irish Entry in the Contest was awarded to Katie Gallagher from Ballymahon in Longford for her entry titled 'Borders'. Katie received the Mick Tuohy Memorial Cup which was presented by John Halligan, a grandson of the late Mick Tuohy. Katie is well know in music circles gigging around the country and supporting all styles of musicians including chart topping American group Underhill Rose and the amazing talent that is Mick Flannery. The 10 finalists proved their talent and songwriting expertise with excellent compositions which were warmly received by the audience. Along with the finalists there was a wonderful uplifting performance from the Circle of Friends Choir and a guest appearance from the 2014 Song of Peace Winner Kenny Grant. The event was captured on video by Trapline Media and will be available for purchase through the Song of Peace Committee. Speaking at the event Master of Ceremonies and Contest Organiser Martin Quinn said that the Song of Peace Contest was a major event in promoting peace and reconciliation and he thanked the songwriters for being part of the event and for travelling at their own expense to participate. Guests at the event included the Cathaoirleach of the Cashel/Tipperary Municipal District, Cll. Michael Fitzgerald and the Pride of Tipperary, Ms. Michelle McLaughlin.
Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Horticulture and Food, Jackie Cahill has secured Government support for changes to the 2017 Finance Bill to extend the current CGT exemption for farmers to Stamp Duty.

Budget 2018 increased the Stamp Duty rate from 2 per cent to 6 per cent for farmers purchasing farm land, and Fianna Fail has been lobbying the Minister for Finance to change the Finance Bill to ensure that farmers buying or selling farm land would not be left with heavy and prohibitive stamp duty bills.

There was initial resistance from the Department of Finance to extending this exemption to Stamp Duty transactions, said the Tipperary TD.

There is a Capital Gains Tax Relief for farmers wishing to re-organise and consolidate their farms. When a farmer sells land that is far away from the core farm and replaces it with land closer to home, relief is given on the Capital Gains on the sale of the initial piece of land.

"Fianna Fail engaged with the Department of Finance to explore whether this relief or something similar could be extended to Stamp Duty.

"This is particularly important now that stamp duty for non-residential property is going up to 6 per cent. The threat of a 6 per cent Stamp Duty rate severely threatened the viability for many farmers to purchase additional land to increase productivity, he said.

Deputy Cahill described this as double win for the farming community as relief was also extended for farmers wishing to pass their farm on to relatives. This was accomplished through pressure from Fianna Fail.

Most farmers who were buying additional land are already at the pin of their collar with regard to their business, he said.

The Government needs to bear in mind that farming is a low income industry, with average incomes for 2016 of 24,000 and in the case of cattle farms an average income of just 13,000, he said.

The acceptance by the Government that the CGT exemption for farmers should be extended to Stamp Duty is welcome, said the Tipperary TD.

Fianna Fail fought hard for these amendments, and we expect all political parties in the Dail to support them, and ensure that farmers are not penalised for trying to improve their profitability, said Deputy Cahill.
[November 20, 2017] Volpara Receives Regulatory Clearances in Japan and Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Volpara Solutions announced today that it has received regulatory clearances for its suite of quantitative breast imaging tools in Japan and Taiwan. In Japan, the full VolparaEnterprise suite of products has received regulatory approval as a Class II medical device. In Taiwan, VolparaDensity and VolparaDose have received regulatory clearance as a Class II medical device from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). VolparaEnterprise software is not classified as a medical device in Taiwan, and does not require regulatory approval. Japan has approximately 65 million women and some 5 million are screened for breast cancer using mammography each year. It is estimated that Japan has 3,200 mammography machines, making it one of the world's largest users of mammography outside the US. The incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing in Japan, with breast cancer now one of the leading causes of cancer death, accounting for 20.4% of all new cancers. For this reason, breast cancer screening and increasing the compliance surrounding screening are areas of focus for the government. Women aged 4069 are encouraged to undergo a breast screen every two years, and breast density notification is under discussion. Hirofumi Namba, president of Breast Healthcare, Volpara's Japanese distributor, will immediately launch the products into the Japanese market and will attend the Radiological Society of Nort America (RSNA) meeting, November 26-December 1, 2017 (Volpara Booth - South Hall #2571). Breast Healthcare already has multiple research sites installed and active with VolparaDensity software, including Hokkaido Cancer Centre, Niigata Cancer Centre, Hokuto Hospital and Showa University School of Medicine; and formally introduced VolparaEnterprise software at the Japanese Association of Breast Cancer Screening meeting in Tokushima last week.



Taiwan has a target population for screening of more than 670,000 women. It is estimated that Taiwan has around 300 digital mammography machines, and it is one of world's largest users of computer-aided detection in mammography outside of the US, in line with its status as a leading adopter of computer technology. The incidence of breast cancer is also rapidly increasing in Taiwan, with the number of cases almost doubling in the last 20 years and forecast to approach Western levels over the next 15 years. For this reason, breast cancer screening and increasing the compliance surrounding screening is an area of focus for the government. Women aged 45-69 are encouraged to undergo a breast screen every two years. Volpara has two research sites in place, including Changhua Christian Hospital in Changhua City, which has commenced an evaluation of VolparaEnterprise Analytics, and set to be the first VolparaEnterprise customer in Asia. The Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei has been using VolparaDensity in clinical research since 2014.

"We know that there are a higher proportion of women with dense breasts in these countries compared to the West, which may contribute to the rising incidence of breast cancer and missed cancers," said Ralph Highnam, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Volpara. "We are pleased to continue expanding the global reach of Volpara's quantitative breast imaging tools, which are designed to help maintain accuracy and consistent quality in breast screening. We believe this will help improve the early detection of breast cancer in Japan and Taiwan." About Volpara Solutions

Founded with the goal of helping radiologists give women the most accurate information possible regarding their breast health, Volpara Solutions is the wholly owned sales and marketing arm of Volpara Health Technologies Limited of New Zealand. Available in most markets where breast cancer screening is commonplace, VolparaDensity provides an objective volumetric measure of breast density from both digital mammography and tomosynthesis data. VolparaEnterprise is part of a suite of quantitative breast imaging tools which allow for personalised measurements of density, patient-specific x-ray dose, breast compression, breast positioning and other factors designed to provide critical insight for breast imaging workflow. For more information, visit www.volparasolutions.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/volpara-receives-regulatory-clearances-in-japan-and-taiwan-300559019.html SOURCE Volpara Solutions

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[November 19, 2017] Fengming Intelligent Financial Information Platform Beefs-up with Information and Analysis Section

BEIJING, Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Finance, a leading FinTech company in China announces to embed a new information section into its signature Fengming Intelligent Information Engine to provide professional-advised financial analysis and trend forecast. By June 2017, over 50 of 600 applied projects and companies have been settled with Phoenix Finance, that 85% of them have achieved the corporate credit rating of AA or AAA, such as CPIC, Sunshine Insurance Group and Evergrande Group. Driven by the great investment opportunities in China's Internet technology, Phoenix Finance made unprecedented progress to meet the ever increasing demands from global Chinese to wealth management and assets allocation in three major dimensions. Dimension 1: Deliver Professional Perspective with Merged Information Channels As a minority group in the U.S., Chinese Americans have limited wealth management options to choose from due to the information asymmetry, mismatch of products and services and high threshold for investment and cumbersome transaction processes in the financial market. To better serve the local Chinese in the U.S., Phoenix Finance international site in North American is launched to provide latest local assets management resources and more solutions such as US real estate mortgage products to global Chinese investors. In the short future, the U.S. office will also take care of personal investment service to Chinese citizens who live in Southeast Asia. In 2016, Phoenix Finance will enrich European investment options with cooperation with Denmark Saxo Bank Group to balance the global asset allocation options. Dimension 2: AI-empowered Finance Platform - Generates Intelligent and Personalized Wealth Management Solutions Fengming Intelligent Information is launched online in September 2017, with AI + Big Data, it broke the dividing crest among news, finance and technology to apply the concept of intelligent finance at userlevel and officially launched the Phoenix Finance Fengming Intelligent Information to provide clear analytical charts with insights of applicable investment model and practical knowledge to foster objective financial logic with critical thinking empowered by AI algorithms. The intelligent information engine breaks the limits of separated sectional settings of financial news, financial transitions, and financial technology  to offer a one-stop solution to the majority of global Chinese users. The innovative platform design benefits from Peking University-Phoenix Intelligent Finance Lab which was co-funded by New Finance and Venture Capital Research Center of Peking University in 2016.



A series of cutting edge financial technologies has been fully rolled out in the middle and back-end system, covering several modules like channel management, user management, corporate risk control and financial management. "2 years of continually improvements of technical capabilities, Phoenix Finance now offers various financial platforms such as Fengfei Engine, Fengqi System, Fengyu Wanxiang Risk Control (Enterprise Edition), Fengyu Wanxiang Risk Control (Personal Edition) and Fengyan to better meet the entire market's demands." Vince Zhang, the president of Phoenix Finance said, "Phoenix Finance will enrich its wealth management solution with more data driven intelligent investment products as Zhenzhun Intelligent Investment and Chaowei Fund Lab, etc." Dimension 3: Cooperating with outstanding financial, scientific research and commercial institutions at home and abroad to provide Safe, Efficient and Convenient Financial Services with Cutting-edge R&D Resources and Advancing International Strengths

Phoenix Finance effectively increases the diversity of global quality assets with a newly established cooperation agreement with Saxo Bank. Enhanced investment and transaction abilities rely on the multi-asset transaction technologies of Saxo Bank which allows investors to have more financial products available for transaction. Thus the cooperation enables to synchronously obtain products and information of the two business sectors - global stock market and fixed income from Saxo Bank. Besides diverse international asset allocation options, Phoenix Finance also provides convenient tools to process and deal with the financial payment. By April 2017, Phoenix Finance reached a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with Bank of Beijing to smoothen the procedure of payment and settlement, e-account services, wealth management and financial service innovation. "As one of the first members of the National Internet Finance Association of China under the People's Bank of China, Phoenix Finance adopts 'Serving Global Chinese' and 'Internet Financial Technology' as the two core engines of development," Vince Zhang, the President of Phoenix Finance said, "we will continue to adhere to the mission of serving global Chinese and the development strategy of 'one-stop intelligent financial platform' and strive to consummate and expand the financial ecosystem based on our revolutionary technologies that allowing each user to enjoy the 'financial' benefits in the era of science and technology." About Phoenix Finance Phoenix Finance, Chinese leading intelligent financial services company that provides AI-driven financial information and asset allocation services. More than 85 percent of clients have achieved the corporate credit rating of AA or AAA, including famous organizations and enterprises such as CPIC, Sunshine Insurance Group and Evergrande Group. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fengming-intelligent-financial-information-platform-beefs-up-with-information-and-analysis-section-300559171.html SOURCE Phoenix Finance

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[November 20, 2017] ILIFE ranks on AliExpress 11.11 Top 10 Brands list

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading robot vacuum manufacturer ILIFE achieved outstanding results during the recent AliExpress 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, outselling all purveyors of robotic vacuum cleaners. The company was also successfully ranked on the AliExpress 11.11 Top 10 Brands list in terms of sales, becoming one of the most popular brands among consumers worldwide. During this year's Singles' Day, a shopping festival that takes place every year on the 11th of November, ILIFE achieved significantsales with several products, among which, the V7s Pro, updated with two cleaning patterns allowing for the scheduling of mopping as well as vacuuming, and equipped with Smart Dustbin Detection Technology and i-Dropping Technology, was the most popular robotic vacuum. Meanwhile, the A4s and the V5s Pro, the winner of this year's IFA Product Technical Innovation Award - Water Tank Structure Innovation Award, also experienced strong sales.



ILIFE, one of the robot vacuum brands which had earlier opened brand stores on the AliExpress online retail platform, has been hailed by shoppers and received positive reviews from the team at AliExpress responsible for partnerships. ILIFE had arranged sufficient manpower and goods in advance of the festival, in an effort to meet the demands of consumers worldwide and to be assured that every shopper who ordered a vacuum would receive one, and receive it in a timely manner. Since inception, ILIFE has been focused on establishing itself as a world-class brand, paying greatest attention to product quality. The company sells products in more than 30 countries and regions worldwide and is at the forefront of sales rankings on mainstream e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and AliExpress. The company plans to continue investing in its R&D, providing consumers worldwide with technology-leading, high-quality and affordable robot vacuum cleaners.

For more information, please visit: http://www.iliferobot.com/. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606805/ILIFE_Robot_Vacuum.jpg

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[November 20, 2017] Flexepin to Accept NetCents Coin in its Network of Over 7,000 Locations

VANCOUVER, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S./ NetCents Technology Inc. ("NetCents" or the "Company") (CSE: NC), is pleased to announce an agreement with Flexepin to enable the NetCents Coin to be available through the Flexepin distribution network. Flexepin is a pre-paid Cash Top-Up Voucher where users' top-up their accounts to make secure, hassle-free online payments. Because Flexepin Cash Top-up Vouchers are prepaid, the risk of having the users' identity and banking information exposed online is eliminated. Making it safer than conventional online payment methods. Flexepin Cash Top-Up Vouchers are available at over 7,000 locations globally, in various currencies and pre-determined amounts. Clayton Moore, Founder and CEO of NetCents said, "This is another validation of the approach we have taken to release our NetCents Coin. The Flexepin voucher is safe, convenient and easy to use and is an excellent product for consumers who are uncomfortable with putting their personal banking information online." He closed by adding, "NetCents and Flexepin will use this agreement to leverage each other's distribution channels to grow their global reach." About NetCents NetCents is a next-generation online payment processing platform, offering consumers and merchants online services for managing electronic payments. The Company is focused on capturing the migration from cash to digital currency by utilizing innovative Blockchain Technology to prvide payment solutions that are simple to use, secure and worry free. NetCents works with its financial partners, mobile operators, exchanges, etc., to streamline the user experience of transacting online. NetCents Technology is integrated into the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") and is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC, which ensures our consumer's security and privacy. NetCents is available for deposits from 194 Countries around the World, providing you with the freedom to choose to Pay. Your Way.



On Behalf of the Board of Directors

NetCents Technology Inc. "Clayton Moore"

Clayton Moore, CEO, Founder and Director

NetCents Technology Inc.

Suite 880, 505 Burrard St (Bentall 1),

Vancouver, BC, V7X 1M4 Cautionary Note Regarding 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 events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release This news release is not for distribution or dissemination in the United States of America please visit the corporate website at http://www.net-cents.com or contact Gordon Jessop, President / COO at: [email protected] .

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[November 20, 2017] RDP Unveils ThinBook 1430p, 14.1 Inch Laptop With Windows 10 Pro Preloaded

HYDERABAD, India, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RDP, India's leading IT hardware and mobility manufacturing company today announced a new 14.1 inch laptop, ThinBook 1403p with Windows 10 Pro OS preloaded. The laptop will be available at price of Rs. 11,999/- plus GST. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/607612/RDP_ThinBook_1430p.jpg )

Equipped with a class-leading hardware and software, ThinBook 1430p comes packed with the latest generation Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage which can be expandable by microSD card up to 128GB. The device is extremely thin and light, weighing only 1.36 kg and a long battery life up to 8.5 hours with its 10,000mAH battery. Commenting on the occasion, Vikram Redlapalli, Founder & CEO, RDP, said, " Windows 10 Pro Operating System enables the corporate users to meet their specific functional needs and increases the productivity of their employees working with applications on a daily basis and can also seamlessly use browser-based productivity applications ike ERP/CRM. This device allows deployment of many security policies which can only be rolled out with devices having 'Windows 10 Pro' OS."



Other important features of the product are: - High speed USB 3.0 (allows 10X data transfer speeds vis-a-vis USB 2.0)

- Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n - Multi-touch Capacitive Touchpad - Dual HD Speakers The laptop will be available on e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart or can directly be bought from the RDP. About RDP: RDP, India's leading IT hardware & mobility manufacturing company was founded on January 3, 2012 with a mission to provide simplified, and affordable computing solutions to the nation. RDP stormed into the mobility market on August 3, 2016 by launching India's most affordable laptop at Rs 9999/- and captured everyone's attention. The RDP product line comprises of a wide range of laptops, tablets, thin clients, mini pc's and commercial desktop PCs, equipped with highest commercial grade components, offering specific features and functionalities required to address the increasingly varied computing needs of users. RDP is a results oriented company, with a passion to help our partners and clients in their quest for excellence. RDP has a strategic association with large ecosystem players like Microsoft and Intel. It has 1,00,000+ clients in India and abroad, and the experience, resources and the technological expertise to help organizations succeed in all their computing needs. To address customer and service issues RDP has set up 170+ authorized service centers all over India for handling the warranty support for laptops and tablets. RDP also has a dedicated support number +91-40-4816-1111 to add all types of queries and concerns. For more information, please visit www.rdp.in. Media Contact:

Hari Prasad

[email protected]

+91-9618883774

Concept PR





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[November 20, 2017] Klimt Foundation Developing Comprehensive Object Database on Gustav Klimt

VIENNA, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - The world's first virtual resource dedicated to Gustav Klimt to go online from March 2018 Along with the Jugendstil artist's painterly oeuvre, his drawings, autographs and photographs, the openly accessible online research portal will offer information on Klimt's private and public life within the socio-political network of the era of "Vienna 1900". The artist Gustav Klimt embodies an era which continues to fascinate and resonate to this day. This world of Viennese Modernism with all its phenomena and personalities will be documented online by the Klimt Foundation's Gustav Klimt Database from March 2018. The platform affords interesting insights into manifold facets of the famous painter's life and times. The first phase of the project focuses on the artist's personal correspondence and the comprehesive portrait and amateur photographs taken of and around this pioneer of Viennese Modernism. These personal aspects are presented in the context of his painterly oeuvre.



"The Gustav Klimt Database is a digital research platform providing the first virtual record of the artist with which we can readily accommodate new research and offer an overview of extensive worldwide research at the press of a button," as Sandra Tretter and Peter Weinhaupl from the Klimt Foundation explain. In March 2018, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Gustav Klimt's death, the first part of the database will be made available to Klimt enthusiasts and researchers at klimt-database.com, while the second part will be presented ahead of Klimt's birthday on 14th July.

The Gustav Klimt | Wien 1900 Private Foundation The non-profit private foundation was founded in 2013. The aim of the Klimt Foundation is to preserve and research the life and oeuvre of the artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) as well as the movement of Jugendstil and Classical Modernism prevalent in Vienna around 1900, which was decisively shaped by Klimt, and to highlight the importance that this era continues to have for Austria's cultural development. Working in an independent and interdisciplinary manner, the Klimt Foundation acts as lender to Austrian and international museums, as editor of its own publication series - Edition Klimt & Edition Klimt Research - and as a cooperation partner for numerous research and exhibition projects. For questions and further information, please contact:

Mag. Barbara Aschenbrenner, MAS

Gustav Klimt | Wien 1900 - Privatstiftung

Breite Gasse 4

1070 Wien

+43(0)1-890-98-18

[email protected]



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[November 20, 2017] PFS Celebrates 1 Billion Year-to-Date E-Money Loading Milestone

LONDON, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS), one of Europe's biggest electronic money issuers, has achieved a landmark in its history by loading just over 1 billion pounds onto e-money accounts. In comparison, 812.5 million was loaded in 2016. Management and staff at the company's locations in the UK, Ireland, and Malta joined in the celebrations: https://prepaidfinancialservices.com/en/news-media-eng/766-pfs-management-staff-in-the-uk-ireland-malta-collectively-celebrating-this-week The good news, shared internally last week, follows 8 years of dedicated work in the innovative FinTech environment in the European Economic Area. Before midnight on Friday, November 10th, PFS processed a load to an e-money account which meant the company hit the magic 1,000,000,000 figure for loading in the year-to-date. This number does not take into account third-party payments (which are not loaded onto e-money accounts). Importantly, the overall processing figure for the year will be revealed in early 2018. The positive news continued as it has also been revealed that over 4 million e-money accounts have now been issued over the lifetime of the company. Noel Moran, CEO, PFS, stated, "This is a major milestone and one that everyone has worked very hard to achieve. In terms of the exact figures, these are massive numbers for us as a company. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our clients, e-money account users, and team for the hard work that has been put into getting us to this point in time. Our next goal is to reach 2 billion in loading and it will not take us 8 years to achieve this milestone." The Founder, who now employs 194 people i the UK, Ireland, and Malta, is set to unveil the winners of this year's 1,000,000 Innovation Fund in January 2018. The closing date for entries from entrepreneurs, small to medium enterprises, and schools is Thursday, November 30th, 2017. To date, entries have been received from Europe and Asia. For further details see: https://prepaidfinancialservices.com/en/enter-innovation-awards



About Prepaid Financial Services: Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) provides multi-award-winning payment technology solutions by offering comprehensive innovations in e-money. As a pioneer in the evolution of FinTech, our world-class solutions include e-wallets, physical and virtual prepaid cards and accounts, as well as current accounts in the U.K. and the Eurozone. PFS is Authorised and Regulated by the FCA in the U.K. as an electronic money institution and has passported its e-money license to enable e-money issuance in the EEA.

Now, PFS has rapidly expanded into one of the fastest growing e-money issuers in Europe. With programmes active in a total of 24 countries and growing, PFS has the ability to transact in 22 different currencies. PFS' products and state-of-the-art technology platforms are trusted by governments, local authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations, mobile networking operators, banks, and corporates globally. Some of our Awards: The Sunday Times Hiscox TECH TRACK 100 - 5 years in a row. Deloitte TECHNOLOGY FAST 50 U.K. Winner - 2 years in a row. Deloitte TECHNOLOGY FAST 500 EMEA Winner - 2 years in a row. The Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2017. To view an infographic of PFS' milestones see: https://prepaidfinancialservices.com/en/milestones-timeline With a Mission to be a global market leader in delivering innovative and customised payment technology solutions and a Vision of efficient e-money solutions made easy, PFS' Core Values encompass Integrity, Innovation, Customisation, Teamwork, and Community. Explore the future of prepaid financial solutions today by visiting our website: https://prepaidfinancialservices.com Discover more about PFS' next-generation payment solutions by contacting: [email protected] Join the conversation via our Prepaid Financial Services Social Media communities: https://twitter.com/prepaidfs https://www.linkedin.com/company/2645957 Media contact information:

Marie O'Riordan, Senior Marketing Manager, Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS).

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44-207-183-5856 / +353-46-907-9073.



Susan Callan, Marketing Manager, Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS).

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44-207-405-8405 / +353-46-907-9173.



SOURCE Prepaid Financial Services (PFS)

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[November 20, 2017] CampusParc at The Ohio State University Makes Innovative Technology Switch and Goes Live with NuPark Integrated Parking Management Software

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When your campus parking system occupies a massive 1,904 acres and manages 36,600 parking spaces across 16 garages for 94,000 students, faculty and staff, your technology needs to be equally impressive to keep up. To address the parking challenges at Ohio State, the university's parking concessionaire CampusParc decided to partner with enterprise parking management solutions provider NuPark to bring the solution. NuPark's permitting, revenue, and enforcement software solution is now live. NuPark's management software handles data from gated and ungated parking, meters, online payments, and permitting, for integrated parking management of the 80,000 cars that visit the university on an average day. Kevin Uhlenhaker, CEO and Co-Founder of NuPark, says, "Our partnership with CampusParc at The Ohio State University exemplifies the value of choosing an open parking technology platform to integrate multiple technology platforms into one operational parking solution. CampusParc is leading the next generation of smart parking management." The parking system at Ohio State is the first full-featured project integration between NuPark and parking access and revenue control systems provider TIBA. The collaboration will allow integration of permit data, transient data, occupancy data, and usage data to seamlessly communicate between NuPark's management platform and TIBA's gated equipment. Thi enables CampusParc to do integrated reporting between gated and ungated parking facilities and is the first gated and ungated multi-system pass back or shared permit violation enforcement operating in real time.



Ohio State's parking system is also the first ever validation integration using one portal to manage both plate-based and ticket-based validations. The system pulls back occupancy data and plate data from TIBA's gated system and integrates with LPR data, so the one platform simultaneously handles fixed, mobile, and gated LPR data. The NuPark system also provides financial data that enables CampusParc to meet their stringent financial requirements and is scalable and flexible to handle future business needs. CampusParc's Chief Technology Officer, Bob Murray, says, "The parking management solution we chose from NuPark integrates seamlessly and cost-effectively with current technologies, provides a user-friendly interface for staff who are managing permit sales and citation processing, and features a customer-friendly online portal where customers can perform common parking related activities efficiently and with minimal staff support."

About CampusParc

CampusParc is responsible for the operation of The Ohio State University's parking system, including management of the permit system, parking enforcement, customer service, motorist assistance, event parking management, and parking facility maintenance, including major renovations. CampusParc operates the parking system through a 50-year lease, known as a parking concession, which began in September 2012. CampusParc also has the responsibility to protect their $483 million investment by making sound business decisions on behalf of investors as well as by maintaining the parking assets it has leased from the university. About NuPark, Inc.

NuPark, Inc. provides the leading smart parking management platform designed to help parking professionals deliver amazing and convenient parking experiences. With over 260 years of combined experience, NuPark is built by parking professionals for parking professionals and is setting the innovation agenda for parking technology. Its open, cloud-based solution streamlines and automates the process of managing, selling, and enforcing parking. By integrating license plate recognition (LPR) technology, real-time data syncing, electronic permitting, payments, citations, and appeals into one platform, NuPark offers a comprehensive parking management solution which optimizes all aspects of a complex parking operation. Headquartered in Cedar Park, TX, NuPark serves as a trusted provider with customers in a variety of industries including higher education, municipalities, private operations, health care, airports, commercial retail establishments and transit authorities across the country. Contact NuPark for more information at www.nupark.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/campusparc-at-the-ohio-state-university-makes-innovative-technology-switch-and-goes-live-with-nupark-integrated-parking-management-software-300557904.html SOURCE NuPark, Inc.

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[November 20, 2017] 12 ReTech Corporation to Present at the 10th Annual LD Micro Main Event - Future Market Trading Favorably Rated -

Carson City, NV & Hong Kong, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 12 ReTech Corporation (OTC: RETC), announced today that it will be featured at the 10th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 6 at 8:00 AM PST at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Angelo Ponzetta, CEO of 12 Retech Corporation, will be presenting, as well as meeting with investors, media and others. We believe that this along with other factors may lead to improved market and media awareness on the Company and its stock. The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/micro-cap companies and will feature 250 names presenting to an audience of over 1,000 attendees. In addition, there will be a variety of speakers/panelists discussing topics of interest to investors and issuers, along with coordinated evening events. The Companys presentation will be webcast at WWW.WEBCAST.COM . Angelo Ponzetta, CEO, commented, We are pleased to be invited to the prestigious LD Micro Main Event. They attract a professional investor audience that we believe will be very receptive to our story. 12 ReTech provides Omni-channel technology to a global retail industry, which is looking for solutions to attract more customers, win more sales and build retail brand loyalty with their customer base. Our micro-brand rollup strategy will provide the operating profits and testing grounds to show the world's retailers how to improve their own operations. Mr. Ponzetta continued, On another note, our responsibly subjective analysis of the recent large volume trading activity in our stock in the week ending November 17, 2017, leads us to believe that the last if not most of the remaining shareholders of the prior regime (formerly Devago, Inc.) have sold their holdings of the Companys stock. We therefore believe most remaining current shareholders have an interest in our current business model and believe in the future of our Company. Therefore, we hope he market and the media will react favorably after our presentation. We will continue to execute our business plan for the benefit of our shareholders.



About 12 ReTech Corporation: 12 ReTech Corporation (OTC: RETC) is a publicly listed holding company whose operating subsidiaries develop, improve, acquire and/or license technologies designed to bridge the convergence between real world "Brick and Mortar" stores with effective Online retailing, creating a new, fun and exciting way of transacting C ommerce. For Retailers, our products bring more Consumers into physical and/or online stores, encouraging them to purchase more by improving their overall shopping experiences while lowering both the Retailer's costs of customer acquisition and the costs of employee training. This is Empowered Shopping. We enhance shareholder value by acquiring Micro-Brands that can greatly increase revenue and earnings by applying and using our proprietary technologies. These Micro-Brands give us access to sell our technologies to Major Retailers around the globe. We are the Omni-Channel Solution : throughout history 12 is a "symbolic number" and ReTech stands for "Retail Technology. Our subsidiaries, 12 Japan Limited and 12 Europe, A.G. operate under the guidance of our main technology subsidiary 12 Hong Kong Limited. Our Micro-Brands operate under the leadership of our U.S. based subsidiary 12 Retail Corporation. For more information about our products, technologies and/or Micro-Brands visit our website at: www.12ReTech.com

12 ReTech Corporation is publicly listed in the United States on the OTC Markets under the symbol: RETC. About LD Micro: LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into several influential conferences annually. In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector.



For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at [email protected] or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information. Safe Harbor: This document contains certain 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, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty, including without limitation, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its turnaround strategy, changes in costs of raw materials, labor, and employee benefits, as well as general market conditions, competition and pricing. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this letter will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved. In assessing forward-looking statements included herein, readers are urged to carefully read those statements. When used in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, the words "estimate," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions are intended to be forward-looking statements. Tom Nelson Ten Associates, LLC [email protected] 1-480-326-8577 (USA) Investor Relations [email protected]

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[November 20, 2017] NJBIZ Names Vonage to List of 50 Fastest Growing Companies of 2017

HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of business cloud communications, was named one of the 50 Fastest Growing Companies in New Jersey by NJBIZ, New Jersey's premiere business news publication. The 2017 NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards celebrate New Jersey's most dynamic companies that progressively contribute to the success of the state's economic growth and stability. "Vonage is proud to be recognized as one of the NJBIZ Fast50, proving the success of our commitment to delivering better business outcomes to our customers by transforming the way they communicate," said Alan Masarek, Vonage CEO. "We are honored to share this distinction with such dynamic and thriving businesses." Vonage is one of the largest and fastest growing cloud communications companies in a rapidly growing market, providing business communications to companies large and small that enhance internal communications and collaboration inside the company for its employees, and improve engagement with customers outside the company for deeper relationships and increased customer loyalty. Masarek added, "With an increasingly mobile workforce, businesses need to provide employees with a broad array of communications tools to ensure that they are productive and can work anytime, from anywhere, on any device. Simultaneously, to stay competitive in an ever increasing digital world, businesses also need to provide their customers with more personal, exceptional experiences nd communications technology enables them to do that."



Vonage's robust suite of business communications services is designed for employee collaboration, and includes workflow integration tools for CRM and productive software for greater efficiency, as well as solutions that empower businesses to create more effective customer interactions via embedded, contextual communications. About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for business. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of cloud-based communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device. Vonage's Nexmo API Platform provides tools for voice, messaging and phone verification services, allowing developers to embed contextual, programmable communications into mobile apps, websites and business systems. Nexmo enables enterprises to easily communicate relevant information to their customers in real time, anywhere in the world, through text messaging, chat, social media and voice. The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. Vonage has earned Frost & Sullivan's 2015 Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services and the 2016 North American Cloud Communications Product Line Strategy Leadership Award. For more information, visit Vonage Business. Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage. For more information about the NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards program, please contact Anna Acquaviva at [email protected] or visit www.njbiz.com/events. (vg-a) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/njbiz-names-vonage-to-list-of-50-fastest-growing-companies-of-2017-300559303.html SOURCE Vonage

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[November 20, 2017] PSSC Labs Announces Big Data Clusters with Certification for Apache Metron

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PSSC Labs, a developer of custom HPC and big data computing solutions, today announced it has certified its CloudOOP Rax cluster for compatibility with Apache Metron. Leveraging the Hortonworks Data Platform, PSSC Labs can now deliver its signature turnkey, high performance, cost effective CloudOOP Rax platform, preconfigured with Apache Metron. With this new certification, PSSC Labs has created a platform ideal for deployment of cybersecurity solutions. "Cybersecurity is one of the most important applications for big data platforms, with Apache Metron being a standout framework for cybersecurity solutions," said Alex Lesser, Vice President of PSSC Labs. "At PSSC Labs, we've deployed over 100 petabytes of Hadoop infrastructure, and understand that open source packages like Apache Metron are not easy to configure or get working. By certifying our CloudOOP Rax Clusters for Apache Metron via the Hortonworks Data Platform, we can do both for our customers, delivering a cybersecurity ready big data cluster primed for use on arrival." Benefits of Apache Metron Apache Metron allows for real-time big data enabled cybersecurity analytics with a tightly integrated solution that provides superior performance. The framework enables a single view of diverse streams of security data, allowing cybersecurity solutions to rapidly detect and respond to emerging threats. The sreaming analytics application allows for greater speed, processing and scalability, making it an ideal next-gen solution of security operations centers to perform data analytics and incidence response. It integrates with a variety of open source big data technologies, serving as a centralized tool for monitoring and analysis.



Built for Big Data and Cybersecurity PSSC Lab's CloudOOP Rax is a complete, turn-key Hadoop cluster that is ready to run on delivery. The big data cluster comes with all necessary hardware, software, networking, integrations, as well as support from PSSC Lab's US-based team of experienced engineers. Each CloudOOP Rax Cluster is customized with the Hadoop distribution of choice, including Cloudera, Hortonworks and MapR. Features include:

-Hardware with the latest Intel Xeon processor, high speed network backplane -CentOS Linux Operating System -Optional Hortonworks Data Platform Distribution preconfigured with Apache Metron or Apache Spot cybersecurity package -Scalable from 100TB to 10+PB -2x the density and 35% lower power draw for the lowest total cost of ownership on the market Every CloudOOP Rax Cluster includes a three-year unlimited phone / email support package (additional year support available) with all support provided by our US-based team of experienced engineers. For more information visit https://www.pssclabs.com/solutions/big-data-cluster/ About PSSC Labs For technology powered visionaries with a passion for challenging the status quo, PSSC Labs is the answer for hand-crafted HPC and Big Data computing solutions that deliver relentless performance with the absolute lowest total cost of ownership. All products are designed and built at the company's headquarters in Lake Forest, California. For more information: 949-380-7288, www.pssclabs.com , [email protected] . Media contact: Len,[email protected], 1-888- 317-4687 ext. 702 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pssc-labs-announces-big-data-clusters-with-certification-for-apache-metron-300558581.html SOURCE PSSC Labs

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SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Notifies Investors of an Investigation Involving Possible Securities Fraud Violations by the Board of Directors of Triangle Capital Corporation

Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Triangle Capital Corporation (NYSE:TCAP) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.

On November 2, 2017, Triangle Capital announced quarterly results that included a lower-than-projected $0.36 per-share net investment income, and "meaningful write-downs of certain debt investments which previously have been carried below cost." The Company cited an unexpected loss in Passport's product line, resulting in lower sales and an overall performance decline. To obtain additional information, go to:

http://www.zlkdocs.com/TCAP-Info-Request-Form-6233







or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171120006013/en/
[November 20, 2017] Siemens strengthens IC market commitment with acquisition of Solido Design Automation

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens has entered into an agreement to acquire Saskatoon, Canada-based Solido Design Automation Inc., a leading provider of variation-aware design and characterization software to semiconductor companies worldwide. Solido's machine learning-based products are currently used in production at over 40 major companies, enabling them to design, verify, and manufacture more competitive products than ever before. The acquisition of Solido further expands Mentor's analog/mixed-signal (AMS) verification portfolio to help customers address the growing challenges of IC design and verification for automotive, communications, data-center computing, networking, mobile, and IoT applications. The terms of the transaction are not disclosed. Siemens expects to close the transaction in early December 2017. "With the acquisition of Mentor we made a large commitment to EDA," said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO of Siemens PLM Software. "This new acquisition of Solido strengthens that presence and demonstrates our commitment to serving our customers in the IC industry." "Solido has become an invaluable partner helping our customers address the impact of variability to improve IC performance, power, area, and yield," said Amit Gupta, founder, president and CEO of Solido Design Automation. "Combining our technology portfolio with Mentor's outstanding IC capabilities and market reach will allow us to provide world-class solutions to the semiconductor industry on an even larger scale. We are also excited to contribute to Siemens' broader digitalization strategy with our applied machine learning for engineering technology portfolio and expertise." Variation-aware design and characterization has become fundamental in developing modern semicondutor products with the best possible power, performance, and cost. When analog, mixed-signal, memory, and standard cell circuits are designed for today's complex applications, the verification software needs to deliver very high confidence in the simulation results while avoiding time- and resource-intensive analysis methods. Solido's proprietary machine learning-based, variation-aware design and characterization software is proven to deliver the required confidence while significantly reducing time and resources and delivering unrivaled data visualization.



"The combination of Solido and Mentor's leading analog-mixed-signal circuit verification products creates the industry's most powerful portfolio of solutions for addressing today's IC circuit verification challenges," said Ravi Subramanian, vice president and general manager of Mentor's IC verification solutions division. "Solido joins Mentor at an exciting time. Having a power house like Siemens entering EDA is proving to be a true game changer for us." Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, is a leading global provider of software solutions to drive the digital transformation of industry, creating new opportunities for manufacturers to realize innovation. With headquarters in Plano, Texas, and over 140,000 customers worldwide, Siemens PLM Software works with companies of all sizes to transform the way ideas come to life, the way products are realized, and the way products and assets in operation are used and understood. For more information on Siemens PLM Software products and services, visit www.siemens.com/plm.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment  such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems  and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017, Siemens generated revenue of 83.0 billion and net income of 6.2 billion. At the end of September 2017, the company had around 372,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com. Solido Design Automation Inc. is a leading provider of variation-aware design and characterization software to technology companies worldwide, enabling them to design, verify, and manufacture more competitive products than ever before. Solido's products are currently used in production at over 40 major companies. Solido ML Labs makes Solido's machine learning technologies and expertise available to semiconductor companies in developing new software products. The privately held company is venture capital funded and has offices in the USA, Canada, Asia and Europe. Further information is available on the Internet at www.solidodesign.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siemens-strengthens-ic-market-commitment-with-acquisition-of-solido-design-automation-300559625.html SOURCE Siemens

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[November 20, 2017] Palo Alto Networks Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW), the next-generation security company, today announced financial results for its fiscal first quarter 2018 ended October 31, 2017. Total revenue for the fiscal first quarter 2018 grew 27 percent year over year to $505.5 million, compared with total revenue of $398.1 million for the fiscal first quarter 2017. GAAP net loss for the fiscal first quarter 2018 was $64.0 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net loss of $56.9 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, for the fiscal first quarter 2017. Non-GAAP net income for the fiscal first quarter 2018 was $69.8 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, compared with non-GAAP net income of $51.2 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, for the fiscal first quarter 2017. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP information is contained in the tables below. "I am pleased with our start to fiscal year 2018 as we delivered record first quarter revenue of $505.5 million, growing 27 percent year over year, and added more than 2,500 new customers, bringing the total number of customers we now serve to more than 45,000," said Mark McLaughlin, chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks. "We continue to drive disruptive evolutions in a large and growing market by delivering highly automated and orchestrated security capabilities that increase prevention rates and simplify consumption models." "Execution of our 'land and expand' go-to-market model resulted in strong first quarter performance with very strong new customer acquisition and broad adoption of our Next-Generation Security Platform," said Steffan Tomlinson, chief financial officer of Palo Alto Networks. "Once again, we grew significantly faster than the market and our competition while delivering record deferred revenue, increasing year-over-year GAAP and non-GAAP operating margins, and generating robust cash flow. We ended the quarter with approximately $2.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents and investments." Chief Financial Officer Appointed This afternoon, the company announced the appointment of Kathy Bonanno as the company's next chief financial officer. Kathy has held senior finance positions at Palo Alto Networks since 2014 and, most recently, had responsibility for financial planning, treasury, enterprise risk management and facilities. In her 30 years of business experience, she has held a variety of senior finance positions, including at Symantec Corporation and American Airlines. She holds a B.S. in finance from Arizona State University and an MBA from Texas Christian University. "I am very pleased to welcome Kathy as our next chief financial officer," said McLaughlin. "With more than three years at Palo Alto Networks and a decade in cybersecurity, she has an intimate knowledge of our company, the industry, and broad expertise across finance disciplines, as well as a proven track record of building world-class organizations. Her knowledge of the company and team helps ensure a seamless transition, and I look forward to continuing to work with Kathy as we drive the next evolution in cybersecurity." "I'm excited about the growth potential in front of Palo Alto Networks," said Bonanno. "As the market disruptor, we have a unique opportunity to continue to take share at scale, while increasing operating leverage. I look forward to continuing to work with our team to realize the company's potential." Recent Highlights Released Traps version 4.1  Traps, our advanced endpoint protection offering, now offers additional features that enable customers to prevent malware and kernel exploit attacks by monitoring for new techniques and ransomware behavior, and upon detection, prevents the attack and resulting encryption of the data.

Traps, our advanced endpoint protection offering, now offers additional features that enable customers to prevent malware and kernel exploit attacks by monitoring for new techniques and ransomware behavior, and upon detection, prevents the attack and resulting encryption of the data. Expanded Aperture SaaS security service  Aperture, our Cloud Access Security Broker offering, now provides application protection for several Amazon  Web Services (AWS  ) solutions, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, AWS Identity and Access Management and Amazon Simple Storage Service. These new capabilities enable organizations to achieve even more protection for AWS, as well as address critical cloud security needs. In addition, Aperture support for Office 365  and Google  applications has been enhanced to include cloud-based email services and G Suite Marketplace applications.

Aperture, our Cloud Access Security Broker offering, now provides application protection for several Amazon Web Services (AWS ) solutions, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, AWS Identity and Access Management and Amazon Simple Storage Service. These new capabilities enable organizations to achieve even more protection for AWS, as well as address critical cloud security needs. In addition, Aperture support for Office 365 and Google applications has been enhanced to include cloud-based email services and G Suite Marketplace applications. Earned the NSS Labs' "Recommended" rating in its Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System test  In the NSS Labs 2017 Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) test, our platform achieved a "Recommended" rating for its block rate, resistance to evasions, and performance.

In the NSS Labs 2017 Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) test, our platform achieved a "Recommended" rating for its block rate, resistance to evasions, and performance. Joined forces with Telefonica Business Solutions  Telefonica Business Solutions, a leading provider of a wide range of integrated communication solutions for the B2B market, announced the launch of Clean Pipes 2.0, a software-based security service jointly designed by Telefonica Business Solutions; ElevenPaths, Telefonica's cybersecurity unit; and Palo Alto Networks. The Palo Alto Networks security platform safely enables all applications and enables Clean Pipes 2.0 to deliver highly automated, preventive protection against cyberthreats at all stages in the attack lifecycle without compromising performance.

Telefonica Business Solutions, a leading provider of a wide range of integrated communication solutions for the B2B market, announced the launch of Clean Pipes 2.0, a software-based security service jointly designed by Telefonica Business Solutions; ElevenPaths, Telefonica's cybersecurity unit; and Palo Alto Networks. The Palo Alto Networks security platform safely enables all applications and enables Clean Pipes 2.0 to deliver highly automated, preventive protection against cyberthreats at all stages in the attack lifecycle without compromising performance. Recognized by Fortune Magazine for innovation  We were recently honored to be named to Fortune  Magazine's Top 50 Companies Changing the World and Future 50 lists, recognizing the work we are doing to "empower businesses to fend off cyberattacks" with our security platform and the extension thereof to build security applications on top of it. This acknowledgement by Fortune underscores our commitment to innovation and our dedication to improving security outcomes for our customers.

We were recently honored to be named to Fortune Magazine's Top 50 Companies Changing the World and Future 50 lists, recognizing the work we are doing to "empower businesses to fend off cyberattacks" with our security platform and the extension thereof to build security applications on top of it. This acknowledgement by Fortune underscores our commitment to innovation and our dedication to improving security outcomes for our customers. Opened new Santa Clara, Calif. headquarters  On September 21 , we announced the grand opening of our new state-of-the-art LEED Silver U.S. headquarters. The new campus was designed to foster a culture of innovation and teamwork among employees in pursuit of achieving the company's mission to prevent successful cyberattacks and maintain trust in the digital age. Financial Outlook Palo Alto Networks provides guidance based on current market conditions and expectations. For the fiscal second quarter 2018, we expect: Total revenue in the range of $518 to $528 million , representing year-over-year growth between 23 percent and 25 percent. Product revenue in the range of $185 to $188 million , representing year-over-year growth between 10 percent and 11 percent.

, representing year-over-year growth between 23 percent and 25 percent. Product revenue in the range of , representing year-over-year growth between 10 percent and 11 percent. Total billings in the range of $640 to $655 million , representing year-over-year growth between 14 percent and 17 percent.

, representing year-over-year growth between 14 percent and 17 percent. Diluted non-GAAP net income per share in the range of $0.78 to $0.80 using 94 to 96 million shares. For the fiscal year 2018, we expect: Total revenue in the range of $2.145 to $2.185 billion , representing year-over-year growth between 22 percent and 24 percent. Product revenue in the range of $755 to $770 million , representing year-over-year growth between 6 percent and 9 percent.

, representing year-over-year growth between 22 percent and 24 percent. Product revenue in the range of , representing year-over-year growth between 6 percent and 9 percent. Total billings in the range of $2.650 to $2.710 billion , representing year-over-year growth between 16 percent and 18 percent.

, representing year-over-year growth between 16 percent and 18 percent. Diluted non-GAAP net income per share in the range of $3.35 to $3.41 using 96 to 98 million shares. Guidance for non-GAAP financial measures excludes share-based compensation related charges including share-based payroll tax expense, acquisition related costs, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, litigation-related charges including legal settlements, facility exit costs, non-cash interest expense related to our convertible senior notes, foreign currency gains (losses) and income and other tax effects associated with these items, and certain non-recurring expenses. We have not reconciled diluted non-GAAP net income per share guidance to GAAP net income (loss) per diluted share because we do not provide guidance on GAAP net income (loss) and would not be able to present the various reconciling cash and non-cash items between GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income, including share-based compensation expense, without unreasonable effort. Share-based compensation expense is impacted by the company's future hiring and retention needs and, to a lesser extent, the future fair market value of the company's common stock, all of which is difficult to predict and subject to constant change. The actual amounts of such reconciling items will have a significant impact on the company's GAAP net income (loss) per diluted share. Conference Call Information Palo Alto Networks will host a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its fiscal first quarter 2018 results and outlook for its fiscal second quarter and full fiscal year 2018 today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time/1:30 p.m. Pacific time. Open to the public, investors may access the call by dialing 1-888-737-3628 or 1-719-325-4793 and using conference ID 2061951. A live audio webcast of the conference call, along with supplemental financial information, will also be accessible from the "Investors" section of our website at investors.paloaltonetworks.com. Following the webcast, an archived version will be available on our website for one year. A telephonic replay of the call will be available three hours after the call, will run for ten days, and may be accessed by dialing 1-888-203-1112 or 1-719-457-0820 and entering the passcode 2061951. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding our future financial and operating performance, including our financial outlook for the fiscal second quarter and full fiscal year 2018, our expectations regarding the benefits of new subscription offerings and the effectiveness of our offerings to perform as intended, our continued delivery of highly automated and orchestrated security capabilities that increase prevention rates and simplify consumption models, our opportunity to continue to take market share at scale, while increasing operating leverage, and our plans to use the upfront cash reimbursement received from our landlords against future rental payments. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: our limited operating history; our ability to identify and effectively implement the necessary changes to address execution challenges; risks associated with managing our rapid growth; organizational changes; the risks associated with new products and subscription and support offerings, including the discovery of software bugs; our ability to attract and retain new customers; delays in the development or release of new subscription offerings, or the failure to timely develop and achieve market acceptance of new products and subscriptions as well as existing products and subscription and support offerings; rapidly evolving technological developments in the market for network security products and subscription and support offerings; length of sales cycles; and general market, political, economic and business conditions. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on September 7, 2017, which is available on our website at investors.paloaltonetworks.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in other filings that we make with the SEC from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we do not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics Palo Alto Networks has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). The company uses these non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics internally in analyzing its financial results and believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends, and in comparing the company's financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures or key metrics. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures, and should be read only in conjunction with the company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the company's historical non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics to their most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review these reconciliations. Non-GAAP net income and net income per share, diluted. Palo Alto Networks defines non-GAAP net income as net income (loss) plus share-based compensation related charges including share-based payroll tax expense, acquisition related costs, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, litigation related charges including legal settlements, facility exit costs, non-cash interest expense related to the company's convertible senior notes, and intellectual property restructuring related charges. The company also excludes from non-GAAP net income the foreign currency gains (losses) and tax effects associated with these items in order to provide a complete picture of the company's recurring core business operating results. The company defines non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, as non-GAAP net income divided by the weighted average diluted shares outstanding, which includes the potentially dilutive effect of the company's employee equity incentive plan awards and the company's convertible senior notes outstanding, after giving effect to the anti-dilutive impact of the company's note hedge agreements, which reduces the potential economic dilution that otherwise would occur upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes. Under GAAP, the anti-dilutive impact of the note hedge is not reflected in diluted shares outstanding. The company believes that excluding these items from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, provides management and investors with greater visibility into the underlying performance of the company's core business operating results, meaning its operating performance excluding these items and, from time to time, other discrete charges that are infrequent in nature, over multiple periods. Billings. Palo Alto Networks defines billings as total revenue plus the change in total deferred revenue, net of acquired deferred revenue, during the period. The company considers billings to be a key metric used by management to manage the company's business given the company's hybrid-SaaS revenue model, and believes billings provides investors with an important indicator of the health and visibility of the company's business because it includes subscription and support revenue, which is recognized ratably over the contractual service period, and product revenue, which is recognized at the time of shipment, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. The company considers billings to be a useful metric for management and investors, particularly if sales of subscriptions continue to increase and the company experiences strong renewal rates for subscriptions and support. Free cash flow. Palo Alto Networks defines free cash flow as cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, equipment, and other assets. The company considers free cash flow to be a profitability and liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after necessary capital expenditures. Investors are cautioned that there are a number of limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics as analytical tools. In particular, the billings metric reported by the company includes amounts that have not yet been recognized as revenue, and free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for the period. In addition, many of the adjustments to the company's GAAP financial measures reflect the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in the company's financial results for the foreseeable future, such as share-based compensation, which is an important part of Palo Alto Networks employees' compensation and impacts their performance. Furthermore, these non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP, and the components that Palo Alto Networks excludes in its calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the components that its peer companies exclude when they report their non-GAAP results of operations. Palo Alto Networks compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures. In the future, the company may also exclude non-recurring expenses and other expenses that do not reflect the company's core business operating results. About Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks is the next-generation security company, leading a new era in cybersecurity by safely enabling applications and preventing cyber breaches for tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. Built with an innovative approach and highly differentiated cyberthreat prevention capabilities, our game-changing security platform delivers security far superior to legacy or point products, safely enables daily business operations, and protects an organization's most valuable assets. Find out more at www.paloaltonetworks.com . Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.







Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (In millions, except per share data) (Unaudited)









Three Months Ended October 31,

2017

2016(1) Revenue:





Product $ 186.5



$ 163.8

Subscription and support 319.0



234.3

Total revenue 505.5



398.1

Cost of revenue:





Product 57.6



42.2

Subscription and support 83.8



59.0

Total cost of revenue 141.4



101.2

Total gross profit 364.1



296.9

Operating expenses:





Research and development 94.2



84.2

Sales and marketing 258.5



220.1

General and administrative 65.7



41.6

Total operating expenses 418.4



345.9

Operating loss (54.3)



(49.0)

Interest expense (6.3)



(6.0)

Other income, net 4.8



2.5

Loss before income taxes (55.8)



(52.5)

Provision for income taxes 8.2



4.4

Net loss $ (64.0)



$ (56.9)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.70)



$ (0.63)

Weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted 90.9



89.8



___________



(1) Certain amounts have been adjusted due to the Company's early adoption of new share-based payment accounting guidance in its second quarter of fiscal 2017. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures (In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)









Three Months Ended

October 31,

2017

2016(1) GAAP net loss $ (64.0)



$ (56.9)

Share-based compensation related charges 128.9



115.6

Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets 2.5



2.1

Litigation related charges(2) 3.1



3.1

Facility exit costs(3) 15.6





Non-cash interest expense related to convertible notes 6.3



6.0

Foreign currency (gain) loss associated with non-GAAP adjustments 0.5



(0.2)

Income tax and other tax adjustments related to the above (23.1)



(18.5)

Non-GAAP net income $ 69.8



$ 51.2









GAAP net loss per share, diluted $ (0.70)



$ (0.63)

Share-based compensation related charges 1.38



1.27

Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets 0.03



0.02

Litigation related charges(2) 0.03



0.03

Facility exit costs(3) 0.17



0.00

Non-cash interest expense related to convertible notes 0.07



0.07

Foreign currency (gain) loss associated with non-GAAP adjustments 0.01



0.00

Income tax and other tax adjustments related to the above (0.25)



(0.21)

Non-GAAP net income per share, diluted $ 0.74



$ 0.55









GAAP weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share, diluted 90.9



89.8

Weighted-average effect of potentially dilutive securities(4) 2.8



3.9

Non-GAAP weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share, diluted 93.7



93.7









Net cash provided by operating activities $ 274.1



$ 203.5

Less: purchases of property, equipment, and other assets 32.2



20.9

Free cash flow (non-GAAP) $ 241.9



$ 182.6

Net cash used in investing activities $ (52.4)



$ (71.2)

Net cash used in financing activities $ (123.4)



$ (27.3)

___________





(1) Certain amounts have been adjusted due to the Company's early adoption of new share-based payment accounting guidance in its second quarter of fiscal 2017.



(2) Consists of the amortization of intellectual property licenses.



(3) Consists of charges related to the relocation of the Company's corporate headquarters, including a cease-use loss of $15.4 million and accelerated depreciation.



(4) Non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, includes the potentially dilutive effect of employee equity incentive plan awards and convertible senior notes outstanding. In addition, non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, includes the anti-dilutive impact of the Company's note hedge agreements, which reduced the potentially dilutive effect of the convertible notes by 1.3 million shares and 1.5 million shares for the three months ended October 31, 2017 and October 31, 2016, respectively. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Calculation of Billings (In millions) (Unaudited)









Three Months Ended October 31,

2017

2016 Total revenue $ 505.5



$ 398.1

Add: change in total deferred revenue, net of acquired deferred revenue 91.0



118.8

Billings $ 596.5



$ 516.9

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In millions) (Unaudited)









October 31, 2017

July 31, 2017 Assets





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 842.6



$ 744.3

Short-term investments 660.6



630.7

Accounts receivable, net 350.8



432.1

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 185.5



169.2

Total current assets 2,039.5



1,976.3

Property and equipment, net 256.9



211.1

Long-term investments 777.4



789.3

Goodwill 238.8



238.8

Intangible assets, net 51.0



53.7

Other assets 122.9



169.1

Total assets $ 3,486.5



$ 3,438.3

Liabilities, temporary equity, and stockholders' equity





Current liabilities:





Accounts payable $ 38.8



$ 35.5

Accrued compensation 74.5



117.5

Accrued and other liabilities 80.8



79.9

Deferred revenue 1,017.9



968.4

Convertible senior notes, net 531.0





Total current liabilities 1,743.0



1,201.3

Convertible senior notes, net 



524.7

Long-term deferred revenue 846.6



805.1

Other long-term liabilities 192.2



147.6

Temporary equity 39.2





Stockholders' equity:





Preferred stock 





Common stock and additional paid-in capital 1,573.2



1,599.7

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (7.0)



(3.4)

Accumulated deficit (900.7)



(836.7)

Total stockholders' equity 665.5



759.6

Liabilities, temporary equity, and stockholders' equity $ 3,486.5



$ 3,438.3

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In millions) (Unaudited)









Three Months Ended October 31,

2017

2016(1) Cash flows from operating activities





Net loss $ (64.0)



$ (56.9)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:





Share-based compensation for equity based awards 125.7



113.3

Depreciation and amortization 21.3



13.6

Cease-use loss related to facility exit 15.4





Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs 6.3



6.0

Amortization of investment premiums, net of accretion of purchase discounts 0.5



0.7

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:





Accounts receivable, net 81.3



2.2

Prepaid expenses and other assets (6.4)



10.1

Accounts payable 4.2



1.8

Accrued compensation (43.0)



(14.5)

Accrued and other liabilities 41.8



8.4

Deferred revenue 91.0



118.8

Net cash provided by operating activities(2) 274.1



203.5

Cash flows from investing activities





Purchases of investments (226.8)



(285.7)

Proceeds from maturities of investments 206.6



235.4

Purchases of property, equipment, and other assets (32.2)



(20.9)

Net cash used in investing activities (52.4)



(71.2)

Cash flows from financing activities





Repurchases of common stock (134.1)



(50.0)

Proceeds from sales of shares through employee equity incentive plans 22.1



22.7

Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards (11.4)





Net cash used in financing activities (123.4)



(27.3)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 98.3



105.0

Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 744.3



734.4

Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $ 842.6



$ 839.4

Non-cash investing and financing activities





Property and equipment acquired through lease incentives $ 37.8



$ 

___________





(1) Certain amounts have been adjusted due to the Company's early adoption of new share-based payment accounting guidance in its second quarter of fiscal 2017.



(2) Cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended October 31, 2017 includes the receipt of an upfront cash reimbursement of $38.2 million from the Company's landlords in connection with the exercise of their option to amend the lease payment schedules and eliminate the rent holiday periods under certain of the Company's lease agreements. The upfront cash reimbursement will be applied against rental payments due in fiscal years 2018 through 2020 under the amended lease agreements. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/palo-alto-networks-reports-fiscal-first-quarter-2018-financial-results-300559522.html SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

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[November 20, 2017] CTA Earns US Department of Commerce Endorsement for CES Asia 2018

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) today announced that the United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) has granted Trade Fair Certification for CES Asia 2018. This certification is a formal federal endorsement of CES (News - Alert) Asia as a recognized opportunity to showcase U.S. products and services. It is granted by the USDOC, which will provide promotional outreach to expand U.S. exhibitor participation. Trade Fair Certification also benefits buyers and companies that seek to import products and technology from the United States. Owned and produced by CTA and co-produced by Shanghai Intex, CES Asia 2018 will run from June 13-15, in Shanghai, China. "This recertification and endorsement - for the third year in a row - reflects the value and quality of CES Asia, the region's premier tech show," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, CES, and corporate business strategy, CTA. "We work hard to bring a curated group of exhibitors to the show. USDOC's partnership over the years has been integral to that mission." "As we gear up for 2018, USDOC's efforts to expand and promote the show among U.S. exhibitors will be more valuable than ever." The Trade Fair Certification creates public-private partnerships to increase U.S. exports and to expand U.S. participation in international tradeshows. Benefits include the USDOC's official endorsement, promotional support, recruitment efforts and show-related services. It also signals federal confidence in the market where U.S. firms will be selling their products and services. CES Asia 2018 is expected to cover 42,000 gross square meters (21,000 net square meters) of exhibit space with more than 500 exhibiting companies. Total attendance is projected to reach 40,000, including 1,200 members of the media. More than 200 companies are already slated to exhibit including 3M (News - Alert), Allwinner, ANTVR, ARM Ecosystem Accelerator, Audio-Technica, Carl Zeiss, Continental, Digital China, Fossil/Misfit, Garmin, Gibson Brands, Haier, Huawei (News - Alert), Hyundai, Libratone LifeProof, Monster, NavInfo, Onkyo, OtterBox, Segway, Soling, Suning, Voxx and Wacom.



Registration for CES Asia 2018 will open in January 2018. For the latest show news, information, photos, b-roll and more, visit CESAsia.com. Note to Editors:

High-definition video b-roll from CES Asia is available for easy download on CESAsia.com. Journalists traveling from outside of China will require a J-1 or J-2 visa. For questions about exhibiting at CES Asia, contact Brian Moon at [email protected] or +1 703-907-4351. About CES Asia: Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM and co-produced by Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd (Shanghai Intex), CES Asia is the premier event for the consumer technology industry, showcasing the full breadth and depth of the innovation value-chain in the Asian marketplace. Key global businesses come to this new event to grow and reinforce their brand by showcasing the latest products and technologies to consumer tech industry executives, foreign buyers, international media and a limited number of consumers from China. Attendees have exclusive access to some of the largest brands from China and around the world, while celebrating the innovation that defines the consumer technology sector. About Consumer Technology Association: Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is the trade association representing the $321 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. About Shanghai Intex: Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd was originally the exhibition organizing business of Shanghai Intex, a pioneering exhibition organizer established in 1995. Shanghai Intex is jointly overseen by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai and PNO Exhibition Investment (Dubai) Limited. Starting in 1998, Shanghai Intex has organized over 100 trade shows and conferences with a sum total exhibition space in excess of 2 million sqm. Shanghai Intex is comprised of professional teams with a wealth of experience in organizing major international events, covering the creative industry, healthcare, lifestyle, advanced manufacturing and consumer electronics. UPCOMING EVENTS CES Media Days

January 7-8, 2018, Las Vegas, NV

January 7-8, 2018, Las Vegas, NV CES Unveiled Las Vegas

January 7, Las Vegas, NV

January 7, Las Vegas, NV CES 2018 - Register

January 9-12, Las Vegas, NV

January 9-12, Las Vegas, NV CES Asia 2018

June 13-15, Shanghai, China View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171120005915/en/

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Cellular spectrum has really become a game of musical chairs in recent years as the Internet of Things expands and companies jockey for control of the airwaves that will help connect the IoT.

Earlier this year, just after we got news that AT&T would be buying Straight Path Communications in an effort to expand its spectrum holdings to ready for 5G, Verizon swooped in and took over, snagging the millimeter wave spectrum holder for more than $3 billion.

Verizons (News - Alert) acquisition of Straight Path involves an all-stock deal valued at $3 billion, or $184 a share. Verizon also will pay AT&T (News - Alert) a $38 million termination fee.

An April 28 Verizon blog expressed the importance of millimeter wave spectrum to 5G, which is whats next in cellular networking. The next big technological innovations are coming in 5G to serve the future needs of business, education, government, and consumers, Nicola Palmer wrote for the Verizon blog. Enhanced fixed and mobile broadband, low-latency services, and massive IoT scale will thrive on mid-band and millimeter wave spectrum, which is where we are focused for growth.

The blog was Verizons effort to explain why it didnt buy 600MHz spectrum during the recent spectrum auction, in which T-Mobile captured 45 percent of all the low-band spectrum sold. But Verizons Palmer said Verizon wasnt interested in that, but rather is more interested in mid-band and millimeter wave spectrum, and already has strong spectrum holdings in the 700, 850, 1900MHz/PCS, AWS 1 and 3 spectrum bands.

5G is a new kind of cellular that will be noteworthy due to its parity with wireline speeds and its ability to address the Internet of Things with such capabilities as ultra reliable low latency communications.

Straight Path Communications is interesting to these two tier 1 cellular service providers because it has 735 millimeter wave licenses in the 39 gigaHertz band and 133 licenses in the 28 gigaHertz band. These licenses cover the U.S., including all of the nations top 40 markets.

According to Bloomberg (News - Alert) Intelligence, Straight Path Communications is the third largest holder of 28 gigaHertz spectrum. Bloomberg says Verizon is the largest, with a nearly 200 billion megahertz POP; next is T-Mobile (News - Alert), with a 97.4 billion megahertz POP. Straight Path Communications comes in at No. 3, possessing a 39.7 billion megahertz POP.

IDT Corp. bought the spectrum from now-defunct wireless service provider Winstar Communications Inc. in 2001. Twelve years later IDT spun off the company now known as Straight Path and the spectrum holdings.

But Straight Path Communications recently got into trouble with the Federal Communications Commission for squatting on spectrum licenses without any meaningful effort to put them to good use in a timely manner, as Travis LeBlanc, the chief of the FCCs ( News Alert ) Enforcement Bureau, described it. The FCC bureau in January fined Straight Path Communications $100 million to settle the case. That included an upfront payment of $15 million.Edited by Erik Linask
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Kansas City Boozy Tradition

Kansas City's original Irish pub celebrates 70 years in business It is one of those joints where everybody knows your name. Kelly's Westport Inn is celebrating its 70th anniversary of serving drinks in Kansas City. Anyone who has ordered a pint of Guinness in Kansas City is likely to have heard of the Westport establishment, which traces its lineage to 1947, when County Clare native Randal Kelly stood behind the bar.

First Responders Risk All

KCK firefighter injured while battling house fire near N. 25th and Wood Avenue KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A Kansas City, Kan., firefighter was taken to the hospital Monday with a minor injury sustained while battling a fire near North 25th and Wood Avenue. Further details surround the firefighter's injury were not immediately available. According fire chief John Paul Jones firefighters were first dispatched to the home around 9:36 a.m.

Bad Debt Sparks Meth Town Change

Independence Chamber of Commerce president will step down - Kansas City Business Journal The head of the Independence Chamber of Commerce said he's stepping down from the post. Hap Graff broke the news of his retirement as president of the Independence chamber at a luncheon celebrating the city's economic progress, The Independence Examiner reports. Graff said he would stay on at the chamber until a replacement is found.

The Monday Conversation

Food Waste And Leftovers; Church Decides To Omit 'Country Club' From Name A good Thanksgiving Day meal requires consideration, preparation and even preservation. Today, we hear food safety advice to help keep uneaten leftovers fresh and to learn warning signs of spoiled items. Then, a local congregation shares why they've made the decision to remove the phrase 'Country Club' from their name and learn about the history of the district the church was originally named after.

Local Late Lunch Link

Shaka Noodle Shack & Hang 10 Pier Land in North Kansas City A framed photo of Chewbacca holding a surfboard hangs over the table where a couple is digging into a plate of noodles that's topped with Alfredo sauce, avocado sour cream, and chimichurri. This is the Shaka Noodle Shack, where the decor is as unexpected as the flavor combinations.

We start this early afternoon with an appreciation of hottie Denise and then a quick peek at all of these local links. Take a look:And this is thefor right now . . .
Teen Tribute After KCK Immigrant Tragedy

Friends remember 15-year-old found shot, killed inside Kansas City, KS laundromat Police are investigating after a teenager was shot and killed at a laundromat in the 2400 block of S. 34th Street. Loved ones have identified the victim as 15-year-old December Htoo. Officers went to the area on a call that came in about 7:15 a.m. Saturday which said someone had been shot.

KCK Shopping Gang Consequence

Member of roving robbery gang guilty in Legends phone store heist A 34-year-old Illinois man pleaded guilty Monday to the $53,000 hold-up of a Kansas City, Kan., Verizon Wireless store last year. Terry Curtis, of Rockford, is one of five Illinois men charged in the September 2016 robbery of the store at 10621 Village West Parkway.

KCK Car Attack Suspects

Two men charged after ramming police vehicles with car KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Two men are charged in a confrontation with police that occurred on Nov. 6 in KCK that ended with police firing shots at one of the suspects. Ernest A. Jones and Taurez L. Adams are each charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

Show-Me Big Time Asset Forfeiture

Missouri patrol finds about $491,000 in likely drug money Federal authorities are working to seize more than $491,000 of suspected drug money found during a traffic stop by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Nasty JoCo Nursing Home Charges

Nurse charged with sexually assaulting patients in Johnson County found guilty of aggravated sodomy OLATHE, Kan. -- A nurse charged with sex crimes against patients pleaded no contest to his most serious charge on Monday. Dennis Clark went before a Johnson County judge and pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated criminal sodomy, and the judge dismissed six other charges against the nurse as part of the plea deal.

JoCo Transit Tragedy

88-year-old Lenexa man hit by car, killed while riding scooter Police in Lenexa, KS, have identified a man who died after an accident involving a vehicle and a motorized scooter on Saturday.

Inner-Suburban Gunfire Report

One person injured during shooting in Raytown near Cedar Ave. & E. 79th Street RAYTOWN, Mo. -- One person has non life-threatening injuries following a shooting in Raytown Monday morning. Police say it was around 2 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the area of Cedar Avenue and East 79th Street upon reports of gunshots. Responding officers found one person suffering from a non-life threatening injury.

Quick collection of all the tragic and mostly unnecessary human suffering in the Kansas City metro . . .Developing . . .












An American cultural icon has passed and now MSM will spend a great deal of time bemoaning the event.Locally, take a listen to thewith the help of former KCPD detective Gary Jenkins & Aaron Gnirk.Thisspecial offers a bit of police insider knowledge on the topic of police investigations and procedure . . . And it's a nice glimpse of an American culture of violence that has led to the current KCMO murder crisis.Check the round-up . . .You decide . . .
"City officials willingly and knowingly are going to contaminate the water supply that will affect Johnson County, KS as well as Lawrence = WTF ?????"

Short notice of city's release of nitrogen-contaminated water raises concerns downstream Officials with a water district downstream from Lawrence are not happy with the notice they received about the city's release of nitrogen-contaminated water into the Kansas River. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has authorized the city to release up to 30 million gallons of nitrogen-contaminated water over the next several months as part of a makeshift plan to clean up the former Farmland Industries fertilizer plant in eastern Lawrence.

Frustrated from one of our nicer readers . . .
"Since his January inauguration, (GUV) Greitens has not proposed any transportation-funding solutions nor issued any transportation-related executive orders."

GREITENS GAUGE: Infrastructure improvements On the campaign trail, Eric Greitens was adamant about supporting farmers and ranchers, saying he would "fight every day" for them. He promised to do this by prioritizing port and highway infrastructure improvements. "As governor, I will prioritize port and highway infrastructure improvements, in order to create greater farm-to-market access for Missouri's farmers and ranchers," Greitens told the Missouri Soybean Association.

Newsie fact check on traffic improvement whilst factions of the Republicanspent most of this year slap-fighting among each other:Read more:
Charlie Hustle: "Weve collaborated with @MayorSlyJames to create this limited edition holiday t-shirt. Proceeds will benefit the Mayors Christmas Tree Fund. Get festive this holiday season and Stay Frosty KC!"

During this time of year, acknowledging peace, love and and understanding among humankind is important but that still doesn't mean that Santa Claus exists. Similarly, Kansas City voters can't afford to play the nice guy amid end of year budget debates and impending financial crisis.

Here's a lame Kansas City fashion accessory for a good cause . . .That's nice considering that there are so many more hobos in Kansas City who need help . . . Any collaboration in order to take care of these scallywags is important.Still, there's still a great deal of political debating left to do this year and we encourage the denizens of our blog community not to let their guard down.And so we enjoy the festivities and watch local politicoswhile trying to prey upon the better angels of sentimental and misinformed taxpayers.Hopefully, more for the morning update . . .
"How can we strengthen ties between Greece and its diaspora, this growing (also as a result of the financial crisis) community that includes politicians, businesspeople, academics, scientists and artists? How can the Greeks who live abroad take a step beyond cost-free, wishful rhetoric and help to tangibly change the situation back home?" Kathimerini newspaper notes in the following report:

The Greek Diaspora Project, launched by South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), a part of the European Studies Center at St Antonys College, marks a significant effort in this direction. The aim of the project is to provide a thorough map of the Greek diaspora around the world and to explore its relationship with the crisis-wracked metropolis.

Kathimerini spoke with the projects principal investigator, Othon Anastasakis, and Antonis Kamaras, who is coordinator in Greece, on the sidelines of the recent Reload Greece conference in London about progress achieved so far as well as plans for the future. The team has already published online a multimedia map of the Greek diaspora which was produced by SEESOX and the Greek Foreign Ministry. In June next year, Oxford will hold the international conference Homeland-Diaspora Relations in Flux: Greece in Crisis and Greeks Abroad. Organizers are currently calling for papers on politics, economics and charity. The best papers will be published in a collective volume after the conference.

Meanwhile, Anastasakis told Kathimerini, we will carry out a survey about Greeks living in Britain  why they left, to what extent they have integrated into British society, under what circumstances they would move back to Greece We want to carry out an in-depth study based on an as representative sample as possible. Researchers expect to have completed the study by the end of the year.

The debate on the Greek diaspora, Kamaras noted, was stagnant, it did not have the comparative dimension, it was not internationalized enough. The aim of the project, he said, is to show how Greece is benefiting from its relationship with the diaspora, compared to other countries, like India or Israel, which also have significant communities abroad.

Many people, especially those in the field of tech start-ups, argue that Greece will come to look a bit like Israel in terms of the metropolis-diaspora ties. However, the Indian precedent may be closer to Greek standards. The mass emigration of Indians in the early decades following independence, Kamaras said, was due to the failures of the Indian economic model. Today India is still dogged by serious structural problems. However, Kamaras says, after the reforms introduced in the 1990s, the foundations were laid for the mass repatriation of Indians.

Researchers also focus on the attitudes of the homeland  on a state as well as social level  toward the diaspora. Anastasakis stresses the exclusion of expats from elections held in Greece. Exclusion, Kamaras says, feels even more acute in the years of the crisis as these people were forced to flee because of the failures of a system that now refuses them the right to take part [in elections].

Greece has turned its back on the diaspora, said the former aide of Yiannis Boutaris. Speaking about the issue of charity, for example, he noted that the requirements for making a donation are much stricter than, for example, in the case of EU funding. We do not want to fulfill requirements such as transparency, good governance and so on. We do not want to yield control, he said.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Wiz9999 License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ekathimerini.com
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, (KFAED) on Sunday signed a loan agreement with Egypt worth KD12.5 million ($42.5 million) to fund a project that will provide drinking water in the Sinai Peninsula.



The project is targeting some of Egypt's most underdeveloped areas, including the Sinai Peninsula's capital city of Al Arish, which suffers from a dearth of drinking water, KFAED's director general Abdulwahab Al Bader was quoted as saying by Wam, the Emirates official news agency.



He was quoted by the Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) as saying that the loan deal was the 45th that the Arab world's most populous nation has received from the Kuwaiti fund, with a collective value of KD833 million ($2.8 billion).



Meanwhile, Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Dr Sahar Nasr pointed out that the loan agreement would be instrumental in providing adequate drinking water to residents of Al Arish.



She said that such projects help improve the quality of life in a restive region long plagued by terrorism, adding that "the only solution to counter terrorism is through economic and social prosperity."
Saudi Arabias General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) has urged businesses with annual revenues over SR1 million ($266,300) to expedite their VAT registration process and ensure their readiness for its implementation.



The Authority urged businesses to register through the official VAT website VAT.GOV.SA. More than 60,000 businesses have registered for VAT since the registration opening on August 28, a statement said.



Businesses that will fail to register in time, will face fines up to SR10,000 and the suspension of several critical government services, including issuing work permits, changing business activity, issuing visas, transferring workers sponsorship and other government services provided by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Saudi Customs and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.



GAZT confirmed that the VAT will be implemented on January 1, 2018. Therefore all eligible businesses must be ready and be aware of its laws, regulations, and requirements available on the VAT website VAT.GOV.SA. At the same time, GAZT underlined its readiness to answer any questions about VAT through the various communication channels.



Businesses whose annual revenues range from SR375,000 to SR1,000,000 were granted until December 20, 2018 to complete the registration process.



The VAT website features a range of resources to help businesses prepare for VAT, including video tutorials, guidelines, information packs on all aspect of the registration and readiness process, as well as the list of goods and services subject to VAT.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE-based developer Seven Tides will be showcasing its major projects such as SE7EN Residences and Anantara The Palm Dubai Residences besides its Sky Collection  penthouse conversions, at two-day property shows in Russia and the UK.



Seven Tides has been invited by Dubai Land Department as a selected developer to represent the emirate at at the twin roadshow event in Moscow (November 24 to 25) and London (December 3 to 4).



On the first day, the company will host the pitch session, with several highly targeted investors in the room. Presentations will be made by DLD and Seven Tides on Anantara The Palm Dubai Residences.



The second day is an Open Day where the Emirati group will have stand space and be given an opportunity to meet walk-in buyers.



The developer pointed out that around 76 per cent of the total units at Anantara The Palm Dubai Residences have already been sold. The remaining units consist of one and two-bedroom apartments.



As part of its special road show offer, investors can pay five per cent to reserve a unit and receive a two-night stay in Dubai at any of the companys 5-star hotels.



Seven Tides CEO Abdulla bin Sulayem said: "Dubai is the most popular city abroad for Russian real estate investors, with Dh4 billion ($1.08 billion) invested in the emirates real estate annually."



"This will gain further momentum as the value of the Russian ruble continues to recover and strengthen. Our products are also very popular with Russian investors who appreciate the luxury and privacy afforded to them through our developments," he noted.



According to experts, UK nationals are among the top investors in Dubai real estate sector, with an annual property purchase exceeding Dh9 billion.



With average property prices in London up to three or four times more expensive than in Dubai, it is no wonder investors are looking at the emirate, with its luxurious lifestyle, world class infrastructure, tax free living and up to 50 per cent finance available for foreign investors," explained Bin Sulayem.



"We have witnessed strong interest from the UK, particularly in our quintessentially British-branded Dukes Dubai residences," he added.



Meanwhile, SE7EN Residences is situated next to Seven Tides second development on the Palm, Duke Dubai. It is made up of 1,066 units including studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Apartment sizes range between 302 sq ft to 1,707 sq ft.



The Anantara Sky Collection - penthouse conversions  range in size from 574 sq ft with a balcony, to 602 sq ft without, while prices start from Dh1.2 million ($326,705).



This is a unique opportunity for Seven Tides to meet HNW (high-net worth) investors face-to-face to showcase our Palm Jumeirah projects. The Palm Jumeirah continues to offer attractive returns as well as the ultimate upscale island lifestyle. Its a fantastic addition to any investor portfolio.



There is also the added incentive for anyone buying property on our stand during the roadshows, to receive a complimentary two-night stay at one of our hotels on Palm Jumeirah, added bin Sulayem.



Seven Tides will also be offering investors the chance to own one of only 10 apartments available at Dh2.3 million ($626,185). The project offers investors a guaranteed 10 per cent return on investment for five years.-TradeArabia News Service


The inaugural HR Tech Saudi Summit, which aims to lead discussion and debate on the Kingdoms adoption of cutting-edge HR technologies, processes, and practices has opened today (November 20) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



Organised by Dubai-based QnA International, the two-day event takes place at the Movenpick Hotel.



Topics of discussion at the summit will cover the newest trends, ideas and disruptions in HR technology. The Summit is timely as Saudi Arabia continues to drive through a national agenda of development and innovation, in line with the ambitions set out in Saudi Vision 2030. The first-days sessions begin with discussions tailored to achieving Vision 2030 through HR technology, and the importance of choosing appropriate HRMS systems delivered by SAP.



The Kingdoms Vision 2030 is a roadmap outlining policies and strategies for the diversification and development of a thriving non-oil dependent economy. Integral to all economic change are the personnel involved in steering and enabling strategies towards the outlined goals, and in Saudi Arabia many of these individuals will come from its youthful and tech-savvy cohort. Therefore, the challenges in training and managing human resources will require a multi-faceted approach with technology at its core.



Sidh N C, director, QnA International, said: The HR Tech Saudi Summit is the only premier initiative for HR Tech in the Kingdom. Taking place for the first time, the Summit will present new opportunities for businesses to transform HR through a concentrated focus on digitized and smart systems.



Concepts such as big data, cloud, social media, mobility and gamification are todays buzzwords. However, tackling the key issues of talent acquisition, talent management, change management and employee engagement, are the true keys to building a successful business that will thrive over the coming decades.



The summit takes place as the Kingdom prepares to invest SR8.3 billion ($2.2 billion) to support HR and workplace development across key growth sectors under Vision 2030. The cash boost is the latest in a number of significant investments in leading technology solutions set to transform how and why Saudi Arabia does business.



Sidh continued: Finding, training and retaining talent are the traditional concerns of any HR manager, but today HR managers are instead focused on harnessing and integrating technology.



Through remote, mobile and real-time connectivity, digital HR tools now support and enhance such functions as interviewing, performance management and KPI review. However, choosing the appropriate tools for the business and task at hand are important for its effectiveness.



Global leader, SAP, the Platinum sponsor of the inaugural HR Tech Saudi Summit will address concerns in adopting the right HRMS system for a business. In doing so, SAPs presentation will include key insights on change management, the importance of redefinition and revaluation of current HR systems and processes, and the need for customization amongst other pertinent challenges.



Inspired by digital transformation and the heightened pace of change across business, Saudi Arabias leaders have come to recognize the overwhelming benefits and efficiencies of digitized HR management and are supporting its continued development. The unique business landscape of Saudi Arabia provides an excellent test-bed for such developments, and organizations in both the public and private sector have the potential to create real change and innovation across people management.



Sessions will assess topics such as, building the organization of the future; leadership strategies to overcome human challenges; and how to plan for major change in building the future organization, in addition to sessions on organizational performance, LMS and leadership strategies.



There will also be lively contributions from representatives of some of the worlds leading technology developers including IBM who is a Gold sponsor of the Summit. Other sponsors include IE Business School, Technova, and Mercer, among others.  TradeArabia News Service
Brazil's total exports to Arab countries, from January to October 2017, amounted to $11.43 billion, surpassing the previous years total of $9.34 billion by 22.31 per cent, according to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).



Brazil's overall exports rose from $153.07 billion in 2016 to $183.46 billion during the period, up by 19.85 per cent. Of this total, 6.23 per cent corresponded to expeorts to Arab countries, said a statement from ABCC.



The hike in exports was driven by automobiles, aircraft engines and turbines, beef, chassis and motors, livestock, iron ore, maize, refined sugar, soybeans and coffee beans. The statements are based on statistics released by the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services.



In the Arab World, the top five destinations of Brazilian exports also followed the same growth trend, with Saudi Arabia accounting for $2.32 billion (growth of 13.89 per cent from $2.04 billion over the same period in 2016); the UAE recorded $2.10 billion (up 19.72 per cent from $1.76 billion); Egypt revealed $2 billion (up 31.71 per cent from $1.52 billion); Algeria $1.01 billion (up 18.67 per cent from $859.33 million); and Iraq $631.98 million (up 71.87 per cent from $367.72 million).



Together these five countries accounted for more than 70 per cent of Brazils total exports to Arab nations.



Sugar and meat remain the main Brazilian products exported to the Arab region, together corresponding to more than 60 per cent of total Brazilian exports to the region from January to October 2017. Sugar increased more than 40 per cent over the same period in 2016 to $3.93 billion.



Brazilian shipments of all types of meat to the Arab region rose slightly by 3.40 per cent to $3.10 billion (against $3 billion in the previous period).



Chicken led the hike, accounting for $2.25 billion to surpass last years $2.12 billion for the first 10 months of 2016.



Total Brazilian imports reached $125 billion to surpass 2016s $114.56 billion by 9.11 per cent over the same period in the first 10 months of 2017.



Of this total, 4.25 per cent corresponded to Arab countries which collectively accounted for $5.3 billion  an increase of 17.12 per cent over the previous years $4.53 billion for the same period.



The main Arab suppliers to Brazil were Algeria with an almost 40 per cent share, or $2 billion (growth of 31.22 per cent over 2016s $152 billion for the same period); Saudi Arabia at $1.54 billion (up 50.83 per cent from $1.02 billion); Morocco at $703.88 million (up 37.12 per cent from $513.35 million), and Egypt at $140.15 million (up 91.63 per cent from $73.14 million).



Together, these four countries accounted for more than 80 per cent of Brazils total Arab imports.



As seen in the Brazilian exports to the Arab region, imports also present a concentration in the product list: mineral fuels and fertilisers comprised almost 90 per cent of Brazils imports from the region, increasing by 8. 89 per cent and 38.85 per cent, respectively.



Other products imported by Brazil from Arab countries with lower values include salt, sulphur, plastics and their derivatives, and organic chemicals.



D. Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO of ABCC, said: The latest figures released by the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services once again highlight the success brought in by the shared commitment by both parties to foster trade relations between Brazil and the Arab world.



The recent hike in sales from and to the region reinforces the confidence in the regions economy, attractive investment policies, and favourable business environment, he said.



Automobiles, aircraft engines and turbines were among the items that contributed to the hike in sales to the region while exports from the Arab World to Brazil was driven by the demand for crude oil, urea, potassium chloride, acyclic alcohols and their halogen-based products and natural gas among others, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
AccorHotels will honour everyday heroes  firefighters, nurses, teachers, small businesses and residents  who serve their communities, by inviting them to attend celebratory events, at 2,000 establishments around the world, including over 140 hotels in the Middle East and Africa.

This global celebration is an opportunity for AccorHotels, and its 250,000 employees, to recognise and thank the people who commit their lives to serving their communities by sharing a unique moment around a breakfast, a barbecue, a concert, or inviting many of them to stay a night as guests.

Olivier Granet, managing director and chief operating officer, AccorHotels Middle East & Africa, said: We felt that there was no better way to celebrate 50 years of operation than to honour the local heroes and residents in our communities around our hotels. We pride ourselves on the fact that AccorHotels plays an important part of the respective neighbourhoods that we work and live in and we recognise the vital contribution that our neighbours have on our success as well providing enriching experiences of our guests.

AccorHotels has a significant presence around the world and our history in the Middle East and Africa spans for almost 40 years with today 200 hotels across both regions.

Granet concluded: I am personally extremely grateful to all of the teams and colleagues in the Middle East and Africa for their continued passion and commitment not only towards our guests but to our community at large.

Initiatives across the Middle East & Africa Region

Select Fairmont and Sofitel properties across Middle East and Africa will open their doors to welcome teachers, cancer patients, special needs students, mothers and firefighters in their local communities, by hosting various activities and offering unique gifts.

A variety of events and experiences for honoured guests will be offered by Fairmont properties, in Dubais The Palm, Egypts Nile City and South Africas Zimbali Resort, from afternoon tea sessions, yoga classes, spa mornings, barbecues and pool parties celebrating the hard work and dedication these heroes provide to their community.

Complimentary rooms from select Mercure hotels and Novotel properties in the region will offer 50 rooms and host a lunch barbeque or evening cocktails for hospital staff, local universities, firefighters, emergency services staff and charitable organisations.

In addition to the provision of 50 complimentary rooms, ibis and ibis Styles hotels across the region, including

ibis World Trade Center, ibis One Central, ibis Kuwait Salmiya, ibis Muscat, ibis Amman, ibis Styles Nairobi Westlands and the ibis Styles Dragon Mart will invite honoured guests for dinner parties, morning breakfasts and evening cocktail

receptions.

Sofitel properties across Morocco will also be part of the celebratory events as both Agadir hotels, Sofitel Agadir Royal Bay and Sofitel Agadir Thalassa Sea & Spa, will be inviting their local heroes to attend evening cocktail parties and barbecues as enjoy live music by local bands. Neighbourhood locals, volunteers and recognised charities in Casablanca and Marrakech will be hosted by Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche and Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial, respectively,

for a complimentary brunch party as they celebrate.

In the UAE, Pullman Dubai JLT will be hosting mothers for a complimentary breakfast buffet with pampering yoga and massage sessions while Pullman Deira City Center will celebrate the teachers at Sharjahs non-profit centre, Al Manzil, and host cooking classes for students led by the propertys world class chefs.

The celebrations will also provide opportunities for AccorHotels colleagues to showcase their establishments, deeply rooted in the life of their neighbourhood and encourage local residents to go through their doors more often, without even having to book a room.

Since a hotel provides much more than just accommodation and is a genuine living and meeting space serving as many people as possible, AccorHotels is launching AccorLocal on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

This application now makes it possible for people living in the vicinity of AccorHotels-branded establishments to enjoy 24/7 access in the hotels to the services of their local craftspeople and businesses, ranging from the florist to the baker to dry cleaning services and parcel delivery. On the other hand, hotels will have the possibility to offer some of their services (spa, massage,

swimming pool, yoga classes, co-working, takeaway breakfast, etc.) to non-resident customers.

AccorLocal is currently accessible in more than 250 hotels in France and will be rolled out in 2018 in Europe and subsequently globally. - TradeArabia News Service
Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen is part of CapitaLands flagship integrated development Raffles City where guests can live, work and play



(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - November 20th, 2017 - CapitaLands wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is expanding its presence in China with the opening of its third property in Shenzhen. Located in Nanshan District, the citys technology and industrial hub, Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen is part of CapitaLands flagship Raffles City integrated development  which also comprises a 70,000-sqm mall with more than 200 shops, and a 23-storey office tower, and is designed by world-renowned architecture firm Benoy.

Mr Tan Tze Shang, Ascotts Managing Director for China, said: Known as the new Silicon Valley, Shenzhen is one of the worlds top innovation hubs and home to high-tech companies from all over the world, including new-tech giants such as Huawei, ZTE and Tencent. With the addition of Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen, Ascott now has more than 900 units across five serviced residences in one of Chinas most competitive cities with high demand for accommodation. Out of the five properties, three are in operation while two more will open next year. Given its strategic location connecting prominent financial centres, proximity to transportation networks and being part of an integrated development under the iconic Raffles City brand, Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen offers business executives and leisure travellers the convenience of a one-stop work, retail and recreational destination.

In China, three other properties which are part of the Raffles City-branded integrated developments include Ascott Raffles City Beijing and Ascott Raffles City Chengdu, both of which are already operational, as well as Ascott Raffles City Hangzhou which is slated to open in 3Q 2018.

He added: China is Ascotts fastest-growing and largest market, with more than 18,000 units in over 100 properties across 29 Chinese cities. Its increasing attractiveness for foreign investment and growing domestic business travel market has fuelled a strong demand for international-class serviced residences. The Chinese market makes up Ascotts top customers at our properties globally with revenue surging by 35% year-on-year.

Besides forming strategic alliances with property developers and capital partners, we also partnered new economy leaders such as Tujia and Alibabas Fliggy to reach out to Chinese travellers on their platforms. We are well-positioned to cater to this burgeoning market through expanding our portfolio via management contracts, acquisitions and franchises. We are confident that Ascott will be able to achieve both targets of 20,000 units in China and 80,000 units globally well ahead of 2020.

China attracted an investment of US$118 billion last year[1], and remains the worlds third most attractive destination for foreign direct investment[2]. In 2016, more than four billion Chinese travelled within the country[3] and 135 million travelled overseas[4]. As one of Chinas top gross domestic product-contributing cities, Shenzhen also invests more than 4% of its GDP annually in research and development[5], attracting start-ups and enterprises from innovation-driven industries.

Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen offers guests 182 elegantly furnished apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, which come with a well-equipped kitchen, high-quality audio-visual equipment and high-speed wireless internet. Facilities include an indoor heated swimming pool, breakfast lounge, gymnasium, aerobics room, reading room, sauna room, steam room, childrens play area, and business centre. Well-equipped meeting rooms provide a conducive environment for seminars and training workshops. Guests can enjoy housekeeping, laundry, dry cleaning and babysitting services.

The property is close to Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and Houhai Financial Headquarters, while Shekou Cruise Centre and Shenzhen Bay Port are a 10minute drive away. With its easy access to transportation nodes including subway stations, guests can visit nearby downtown attractions such as Citizen Centre and Shenzhen Concert Hall, and theme parks including Happy Valley Shenzhen and Shenzhen Window of the World.

From now until 28 February 2018, guests can enjoy a discount of 30% off Best Flexible Rates by booking online. Guests will also enjoy discounts off selected items at more than 50 participating stores at the shopping mall of Raffles City Shenzhen. Besides Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen, Ascott currently operates two other properties in the city, namely Ascott Maillen Shenzhen and Somerset Grandview Shenzhen. Somerset Q Plex Shenzhen and lyf Wu Tong Island Shenzhen are slated to open in 2018.

About The Ascott Limited

The Ascott Limited is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international serviced residence owner-operators. It has over 43,000 operating serviced residence units in key cities of the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, as well as over 26,000 units which are under development, making a total of close to 70,000 units in over 500 properties. The companys brands include Ascott, Citadines, Somerset, Quest, The Crest Collection, and lyf. Ascotts portfolio spans more than 120 cities across over 30 countries.

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, pioneered Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984. Today, the company boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning serviced residence brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

Ascotts achievements have been recognised internationally. Recent awards include World Travel Awards 2017 for Leading Serviced Apartment Brand in Asia, Europe and the Middle East; DestinAsian Readers Choice Awards 2017 for Best Serviced Residence Brand; TTG China Travel Awards 2017 for Best Serviced Residence Operator in China; Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2017 for Best Serviced Residence Brand; Business Traveller UK Awards 2017 for Best Serviced Apartment Company; Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Apartment Company and Business Traveller China Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Residence Brand.

About CapitaLand Limited

CapitaLand is one of Asias largest real estate companies. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, it is an owner and manager of a global portfolio worth S$85 billion as at 30 September 2017, comprising integrated developments, shopping malls, serviced residences, offices, homes, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and funds. Present across more than 150 cities in over 30 countries, the Group focuses on Singapore and China as core markets, while it continues to expand in markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

CapitaLands competitive advantage is its significant asset base and extensive market network. Coupled with extensive design, development and operational capabilities, the Group develops and manages high-quality real estate products and services. It also has one of the largest investment management businesses in Asia and a stable of five REITs listed in Singapore and Malaysia  CapitaLand Mall Trust, CapitaLand Commercial Trust, Ascott Residence Trust, CapitaLand Retail China Trust and CapitaLand Malaysia Mall Trust.

[1] Chinas FDI inflow rises 4.1% in 2016 (14 January 2017), Xinhua

[2] Top 10 countries projected to attract most FDI (3 May 2017), China Daily

[3] China travel market overview 2016 (24 January 2017), China Internet Watch

[4] China outbound tourists spent US$261 bn overseas in 2016 (19 April 2017), China Internet Watch

[5] Shenzhen is a hothouse of innovation (8 April 2017), The Economist

###
Sanjeev Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 20

The government has granted infrastructure status to the logistics sector, including cold chain and warehousing, which is likely to reduce cost of capital and encourage job creation and manufacturing.

The logistics sector has already got a major boost with the implementation of GST as transportation and warehousing efficiencies are likely to go up with the removal of barriers.

The inclusion of logistics sector in the harmonised master list of infrastructure sub-sectors was considered in the 14th institutional mechanism (IM) meeting held on November 10. It was recommended by the institutional mechanism and subsequently approved by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Logistics Infrastructure has been included by insertion in the master list of infrastructure sub-sectors in the renamed category of Transport and Logistics.

The category includes multi-modal logistics park comprising inland container depot (ICD) with minimum investment of Rs 50 crore and minimum area of 10 acres, cold chain facility with minimum investment of Rs 15 crore and minimum area of 20,000 sq ft and warehousing facility with investment of minimum Rs 25 crore and minimum area of 1 lakh sq ft.

The infrastructure status for logistics would give a boost to both domestic and external demand thereby encouraging manufacturing and job creation.

The move will enable the logistics sector to avail infrastructure lending at easier terms with enhanced limits, access to larger amounts of funds as external commercial borrowings (ECB), access to longer tenor funds from insurance companies and pension funds and be eligible to borrow from India Infrastructure Financing Company Limited (IIFCL).

The logistics cost in India is very high compared to developed countries with some estimates at 13% of GDP. High logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of Indian goods both in domestic and export market.

Pirojshaw Sarkari, CEO, Mahindra Logistics, said the infrastructure status will reduce the cost of capital in transportation and warehousing, thereby reducing the cost of logistics.

GST is expected to be a major driver for this improvement. Post GST, the warehouse sizes are expected to increase. In order to serve these large capacities, higher tonnage trucks will be required. This would mean new investments, he added.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman, India and South East Asia, CBRE, said the granting of infrastructure status to the logistics sector will result in higher investments.

With Indias growing economy and boost to the sector, increased movement is expected in the industrial and warehousing segment. Both cold chain and warehousing facilities are covered in the announcement and will go a long way in strengthening infrastructure development across India, he added.

To get loans on easier terms
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The Chandigarh Police are yet to make any significant progress in the gang rape of the 22-year-old Dehradun girl on Friday in the forest area near Sector 53. The police claim to have questioned over 200 suspects and checked over a 1,000 auto-rickshaws in Chandigarh and the bordering areas of Mohali. However, they are clueless about the identity of the accused.

Top officials said PCR and traffic teams had also been taken in the loop to try and identify the accused whose picture was obtained from the CCTV footage of a petrol pump in Sector 42. Over 20 police teams are said to be showing the picture of the accused around but have failed to get any clue.

Senior Superintendent of Police Jagdale Nilambari Vijay said they had broadened their search to hotels and guest houses in a bid to identify the accused. They were also checking registers of auto stands where daily records of visiting auto-rickshaws are maintained. While many have been questioned, the police have denied having detained any suspect.

The SSP said they were checking the records of auto drivers and cab drivers registered with companies and owners. The accused had not yet figured in any record and could well be an outsider. Local Congress leader Shashi Shankar Tiwari, who is also involved with auto unions, said his union had not been approached by the police. We will offer full cooperation to the police but why did they show such lax attitude in the past. Checking should have started long back; not after such a horrendous incident.

Girls switching over to cabs

While many women who use auto-rickshaws are switching over to cabs, they say the primary reason to prefer autos over cabs is the low fare.

However, in the wake of multiple incidents of rape by auto-rickshaw drivers, they are switching over to cabs, especially at night and when alone.

However, women who have to go for work say since they have to travel daily, they have to consider the cost. They have expressed dissatisfaction with the overall public transport system in the city. Mithali, who works as a beautician, says, The public bus system is poor, autos are unsafe and cabs are costly; one has to travel daily and thus cut on expenditure.

However, auto-rickshaw drivers say targeting all of them because of a couple of incidents is not fair. Brijesh, who drives an auto-rickshaw in the city, says, Every auto driver is not a criminal; a criminal is a criminal irrespective of what he does.

In December last year, a 21-year-old girl was gangraped by an auto driver and his accomplice in a forest area of Sector 29. She had hired the auto from Sector 34 to Hallo Majra.

Accused may have fled via Mohali

While the police continue to grope in the dark in the city, the accused may have fled into Punjab via Mohali. According to sources, the accused stopped at a liquor vend in Phase 2 and purchased alcohol. A salesman at the counter has identified the accused as well. However, the SSP says there is no confirmation about this but they are probing all possibilities. Not just Mohali, we are investigating possible escape routes via Ambala and other neighbouring areas as well, she said.
Chandigarh: Air Force personnel on Sunday paid floral tributes to Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala, a member of the IAFs Garud Special Forces who was killed in anti-terrorist operations at Hajin in Kashmir on Saturday. The 31-year-old commando is survived by his wife Sushma Nand and a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Jigyasa Kumari, who were residing in Chandigarh. He is the third Air Force commando in recent months to be killed in anti-terrorist operations in Kashmir. Niralas mortal remains were airlifted from Srinagar to Chandigarh on Sunday for onward movement to his native place Badiladih village in Rohtas district of Bihar where the last rites will take place with full military honours. Among those who laid wreaths on the coffin were the Air Officer Commanding 12 Wing, Air Commodore Arun Solanki, the Air Officer Commanding 3 Base Repair Depot, Air Commodore Sanjeev Sinha, and other senior officers posted here. For the past few months, the Air Force has been embedding Garud commandos with Army formations deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for operational experience and live situational training. The Garud force was established in 2004 to provide the IAF with a specialised ground force for guarding high-value strategic assets and undertake special operations like airborne assault, special reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, anti-hijacking and hostage rescue. TNS
Jayshree Sengupta

Jayshree Sengupta

WHY are we so impressed by the World Banks ranking of India in its ease of doing business index? The World Banks index reflects the voice of all developed countries towards India and in its ratings the banks policy has always been guided by the neoliberal ideology of lessening all regulations on trade and investment. The Modi government is celebrating Indias climb to the 100th position in the ease of doing business index by which it hopes to attract more FDI, which, in turn, will create jobs.

The government should realise that the US, the EU and other developed countries want less regulation on all their exports to India. If India is willing to comply with the wishes of the developed countries keen on prying open our markets, it may be able to climb faster in the business index. But will it help in creating jobs or increasing the welfare of the people? And should we expect any reciprocity from developed countries regarding opening up their markets, especially for our agricultural products or pharmaceutical drugs or movement of our IT personnel in their countries? No. The constant complaint is that the standards of hygiene and cleanliness or even packaging are not high enough and do not conform to the norms of developed countries. In the case of pharmaceuticals, the complaint is about lack of compliance with global norms. Developed countries are also very strict about Indian IT workers entry, residence and movement in their land.

As an index, the ease of doing business is deeply flawed as it does not reflect the more serious issues in the social sector, especially in the case of India. It does not take into account whether the country is advancing on the welfare front regarding services for the poorer sections and is oblivious to question of gender equality. India has the largest number of malnourished children under five years old in the world and there is an increase in stunting and wasting among children. India has gone down on the world hunger index to the 100th position out of 119 nations. How is it that these important indicators and warning signs are glossed over by the government, and instead, it is celebrating the climb up in the business index? India has become one of the most polluted countries, especially in air, water and environmental pollution. It will have serious impact on the health of the population in the future. There are inadequate hospital beds per 1,000 population and not enough doctors in rural areas. The state of sanitation and drainage are precarious and every so often with heavy rains, metropolis cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi are flooded and clogged.

Obviously potential foreign investors will have to turn a blind eye to these aspects of Indias business environment when they come to India. The kind of FDI which is coming should also be scrutinised by the government because it may not be the type which establishes greenfield enterprises that employ more labour. This kind of FDI was encouraged in the past because it brought in transfer of technology and knowhow. The recipient country benefited from the foreign exchange that investors brought which improved the balance of payments. Apparently, the pattern is different now. The recent FDI inflows are not from leading global producers of goods and services but mainly from private equity (PE) funds. In 2014-15 private equity funds like the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board accounted for 60 per cent of total foreign inflows and went to consumer retail like Snapdeal, Paytm and Flipcart (e-commerce) that are heavily import dependent in their operations. Today, Amazon is waiting to come in with $5 billion capital to increase its presence in India. In such cases, the potential of FDI in creating jobs is limited and does not bring in new technology or add to capital formation.

Most of the FDI is going to the service sector followed by pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and a small amount in manufacturing. Naturally, foreign investors are interested in quick profits on their investments. They are coming to India because of the high GDP growth path of recent years. To maintain high GDP growth has been the concern of the government. By attracting FDI mainly to service and e-commerce sector may lead to high returns for investors, but it may not create more jobs for the people. Hence the government has to attract more FDI in its Make in India initiative, even though it may be difficult.

This is because the FDI coming to India is highly concentrated and Mauritius was the top source of FDI in 2016-17. Singapore is the next biggest source and together they account for 50 per cent of the total capital inflows. In 2016-17, the total FDI grew by 9 per cent to $43.5 billion. The Mauritius route is nothing but round-tripping of Indian investment which prefers to go to Mauritius to avail of the Double Tax Avoidance treaty, which means it is going to brown field investments or in existing enterprises. The treaty has been amended, but will come into force from 2019.

The preferred destinations are Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai. But the rest of India hardly attracts much FDI and that is where the unemployed youth are. The ease of doing business also refers only to Mumbai and Delhi and hence it is not giving a complete picture to the investors. The workers in other states of India need training in skills, education and healthcare because only then they can form a disciplined, dependable labour force which is the backbone of industry. It is of utmost importance to see that FDI goes to other states and the reforms undertaken by the Central government in ease of doing business should apply to all. If India is keen on receiving FDI from developed countries and build its infrastructure and industrial base, more attention will have to be paid on the factors not covered by the index. The government has to choose what kind of FDI it wants and where it is to be located. Only then can FDI fulfil its role as an accelerator of growth, which will also create jobs for our labour force.
Lt-Gen Baljit Singh (retd)

Lt-Gen Baljit Singh (retd)

TODAY, when neighbouring countries on India's western and northern borders issue directives to their armed forces that their implicit mission is to "win wars", it is worrisome that we in India are tending to divert the armed forces' time and energies away from constantly upgrading their war-waging and war-winning skills by assigning them tasks way outside battlefield applications. The Indian Army's record of the past some 200 years is replete of successful war-winning history when trained and equipped adequately and led assiduously at the political level and from the front in combat on battlefields, both on Indian soil and continents across oceans.

When Duke recalled bravery in 1850

The first example of excellence in war-winning determination of the army from the very beginnings of its creation that merits recall flows indirectly from the Duke of Wellington's interview by a correspondent of The Times, London, on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1850.

The Duke had agreed after much persuasion to talk about his life and times, but being taciturn by nature, the correspondent was unable to draw him out to reminisce freely and in sheer desperation asked ..and which is the one battle from your military career you would like to be remembered by, Sir?

At last, the Duke's eyes lit up, but imagine the downright bewilderment of the interviewer with the prompt and forthright pronouncement, "The battle of Assaye."

Flabbergasted by the clipped answer and, in all probability, not even aware of where Assaye was, the last question posed was ".and who were the best combat soldiers in your experience, Sir?"

Once again, without even a momentary pause, yet another clipped response was: "The Madras Native Infantry!"

Now Arthur Wellesley (the future nemesis of Napoleon) had arrived in India in 1794 with assignment as a Major in the Madras Presidency Army. He showed a remarkable ability to assimilate with and win the confidence of native troops and set about to impart to them the basic battlefield manoeuvres to close with and prevail upon the adversary in combat. As the Presidency armies were constantly in a state of active war against local satraps and during the pitched battle against Tippu Sultan at Srirangapatnam in 1897, Arthur Wellesley (AW) emerged among the bright, young combat commanders.

Six years later, Colonel AW's war waging tactics and battlefield nerve would be put to the ultimate test against the combined armed might of the Marathas across River Kaitha around Peepulgaon and Waroor villages (between Hyderabad and Mysore). AW had under his command five battalions of the Madras Native Infantry, two battalions of the Royal Highland Fusiliers and three squadrons of the Madras Native Cavalry, numerically no less than an Army Division of the present days. Though outnumbered by 15 to 01 in Infantry and 03 to 01 in Cavalry, the battle raged over 10 hours before the Marathas conceded defeat.

But AW was honest to record, "I shouldn't like to see such a loss as I sustained on 23 September, 1803 even if attended by victory.. the bloodiest for the numbers I ever saw won in rivers of blood Assaye the finest thing I ever did in the way of fighting even when compared to my later Military career."

Even 150 years post AW's experience at Assaye here is what Field Marshal APJ Wavell recorded, in the Preface to a book:

". The Fourth Indian Division will surely go down as one of the greatest fighting formations in military history: to be spoken of with such as The Tenth Legion, The Light Division of the Peninsular War, Napoleon's Old Guard.A mere summary of its record is impressive: in five years it fought nine campaigns, traveled more than 15,000 miles, suffered over 25,000 casualties, captured upwards of 150,000 prisoners. Its campaigns include the great victory of Sidi Barrani,a gallant costly assault at Cassino against defences even more formidable than at Kerenthe successful breaching of the Gothic Line.The Fourth Division has a claim on history even beyond its fighting capabilities. and its commanders will always salute one of the greatest bands of fighting men who have ever served together in this troubled world of wars and warriors."

What an incredible war-fighting and war-winning record! It would be the envy of the armed forces of the world at large. Let us raise a salute to the Indian soldiers and the officers who led them from the front, in combat.

Shameful crumbling

Now back in the 1950s, that battle-hardened 4 Infantry Division was located at Ambala Cantonment which had insufficient accommodation for married officers and jawans. At a time when paucity of budgets had enforced monetary austerity, the GOC, Maj-Gen BN Kaul took the initiative to suspend all military training for close to two years and use all ranks to construct barracks. When the first phase was completed around mid-1958, the GOC had Prime Minister Nehru as the chief guest at a gala opening of the buildings followed by a grand "Bara Khana" (lunch) with the jawans and their spouses.

When conflict with China in the Thagla ridge area in 1962 became a possibility, 4 Infantry Division, sans military training for almost two years, was entrusted with the defences of Se la and Bomdila. And to our everlasting shame, this Division simply crumbled without giving a fight even though the terrain was to its advantage.

Let us please learn from history the lessons in the propriety of application of armed forces as an instrument of statecraft. Furthermore, understand and respect the nuances of a soldier's dignity in uniform and desist the temptation of bonhomie outside their code of discipline such as offering a ladoo in his mouth. It is gross indiscipline for a soldier wearing uniform to be found masticating any eatable or imbibing beverage or taking a smoke, except at meal times in the dining halls or in the domestic privacy of his home. A firm handshake is all that is needed to make a soldier feel wanted and on cloud nine.

Is anyone listening?
Chandigarh, November 20

The Haryana BJP served notice to its chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Monday seeking explanation over his reported remarks offering Rs 10 crore bounty for beheading Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone.

Amu said that he had made the remarks in his personal capacity and added that he would resign if his party asked him to but would not tolerate any "insult" to his community.

After a youth from Meerut announced Rs 5 crore bounty a few days ago, Amu reportedly made remarks about doubling the offer during a function of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha in New Delhi on Sunday.

"We will reward the ones beheading them with Rs 10 crore and also take care of their family needs...We know very well how to treat those who insult the Rajput community," Amu, a former vice-president of the Mahasabha, had reportedly said.

The Haryana BJP immediately distanced itself from its chief media coordinator's remarks saying he had made these in his personal capacity.

"A show cause notice has been served to him and he has been asked to explain the Rs 10 crore remarks made by him," Haryana BJP media wing chairman, Rajiv Jain told PTI over the phone from Rajkot.

Jain was in Rajkot in connection with the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections.

Another senior BJP leader from Haryana, Gulshan Bhatia, said Amu had violated the party discipline by toeing a different line.

"He has gone against the party line. We have asked him to submit his explanation immediately failing which disciplinary proceedings will be carried out," Bhatia said.

Senior BJP leader Anil Jain, who is in charge of the party's affairs in Haryana, said the BJP had got to do nothing with Amu's statement.

At the function, Amu had also said: "How can we allow somebody to distort history and mislead the people by projecting the heroic character of Rani Padmavati in a poor light while glorifying the villains of history? We will not allow the release of this film at any cost".

When contacted for a response on Monday, Amu said: "I am a law abiding citizen, but I will not tolerate if anyone distorts historical facts and insults or hurts sentiments of my community".

He said that the remarks made by him, which have drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, were not made as a BJP leader.

"First of all, I want to make one thing clear that whatever I have said was in my personal capacity and as a member of the Rajput community. I was born in a Rajput family and I am speaking in that capacity and not as a BJP leader," Amu told PTI over phone from Delhi.

Responding to a question, Amu said: "If my party asks for my resignation, I will not hesitate to step down... But I will not tolerate any insult to my community".

He said that he would request Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that the film, if it is released, should be banned in the state. PTI
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 20

Amid uproar over the renaming of Dyal Singh Evening College, Delhi, as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, old files dating back to the time of handing over of the college to the government are reportedly being reviewed by the authorities in a bid to explore options to retain the college name. The college is named after philanthropist and educationist Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia.

While officials of Dyal Singh College Trust Society are mum, sources say the trust procured the land for the college and made it operational. The college was later handed over to the government.

Retired professors of Dyal Singh College, Karnal, have already raised their objection to the move, calling it a step towards bhagwakaran (saffronisation) of the educational institute.

Upset at the move, serving faculty and staff have urged the Union and Delhi governments besides the University of Delhi not to change the name as it would hurt their sentiments.

A serving professor said it was a surprise move for all those associated with the college. The land on which the college was established in Delhi was procured by the trust. How can its name be changed by some individuals? They should not forget Sardar Dyal Singhs contribution to society.

When the Pakistan government did not change the name of Dyal Singh College, Lahore, and only prefixed it with government, why is the government here trying to change it? The college is dedicated to a philanthropist who devoted his life to the welfare of society, he said.

Raghujeet Singh Virk, a former senior vice-president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said instead of focusing on development works, the government was busy changing names of institutions.

Instead of renaming the existing college, the government should have opened a new one and called it Vande Mataram. We will not tolerate this, he said.

The Tribune Employees Union, Chandigarh, also condemned the move, saying it was aimed at destroying the legacy of Sadar Dyal Singh, who dedicated his life to fighting social evils through education.

Dyal Singh College, Lahore, was established in 1910 after Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia willed his estate for setting up an educational trust for a secular college. After Partition, two colleges were set up  one each in Karnal and Delhi. In 1978, the Delhi college was taken over by the University of Delhi.
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, November 20

A faction of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) organised a dharna on the lawns of the mini-secretariat here today.

The protesters raised slogans against Jat leader Yashpal Malik and the state government. Various speakers accused the government of not fulfilling its promises to Jats during talks on reservation.

AIJASS chairman Bharat Singh Behniwal was among those who addressed the gathering. He said the state government should ban rallies being organised by Malik and BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini.

Dharam Pal Chhot, another Jat leader, accused Malik of fooling the community. He said Malik had a hidden personal agenda and the charge of misappropriation of funds should be probed.

The dharna was presided over by Kedar Singh Kadiyan, president of Kadiyan khap. The protesters submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Sunita Verma and dispersed.
Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 19

State Congress president Ashok Tanwar today demanded the Central Board of Film Certification not to give release certificate to Padmavati till objectionable scenes are removed from the film. He said that nobody has the right to hurt the sentiments of any community and distort history.

He was interacting with mediapersons during bike rally to mark the 101st birth anniversary of former PM Indira Gandhi. He recounted her contributions for the development of the nation.

He said reports about his wife Avantika Tanwar entering politics and contesting Lok Sabha election from Karnal were just a rumour.

Former Deputy Speaker seeks ban on movie

Choudhary Vedpal, a former Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Assembly, has demanded a ban on the screening of Padmavati, an upcoming movie of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He said the government should not allow the screening of such films that hurt the feelings of people belonging to any community or caste.

Vedpal, state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said Padmavati was a brave woman and had sacrificed her life to save the dignity of the community and the country. To show such a woman in bad light was unfortunate, he added.

He said Bhansali should have first read the history before making the movie. He added that the NCP would raise the issue at all platforms.
Amritsar, November 19

Activists of the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) today performed ardaas at Hondh Chillar village near Gurugram where 32 Sikhs were killed in November 1984.

Federation chief Karnail Singh Peermohammad demanded the SGPC to construct a memorial at Hondh Chillar in the memory of the Sikhs massacred there.

He said, The then jathedar of the Akal Takht and the SGPC president had declared to construct a memorial during their visit to Hondh Chillar. The SGPC had also passed a resolution in its executive body meeting and the work was assigned to a kar sewa organisation. The houses of the Sikhs killed in the attack were also to be preserved, but they too are in a dilapidated condition.

He said the federation would file an online petition to the US government. We conducted a signature campaign at Hondh Chillar. Lately, we held a camp at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib during which devotees signed the petition. Till date, around 76,000 signatures have been collected. We aim to collect at least one lakh signatures by November 26, before posting the petition on the White House website, he said.TNS
RAJEEV JAYASWAL

Cereal crop residue burning is quite common in India. It takes place in almost every state. Its intensity may, however, differ from place to place. The debate of stubble burning is often linked to the northwest region, particularly to Punjab and Haryana because smoke from their fields apparently aggravates already polluted air of the elite National Capital Territory of Delhi. UP, which is the largest producer of crop residue and also the biggest culprit of stubble burning, often escapes the blame for polluting Delhi, thanks to the wind direction. Perhaps, that could be the reason for Banaras taking over Delhi as the most polluted city recently, barely nine notches away from the level of 'public health emergency'. Industrial and vehicular emissions are the real culprit, incessantly polluting the National Capital Region.

The myth

It is also a myth that stubble burning is an issue of one particular region. This disastrous practice has already gripped the entire nation including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Orissa and Rajasthan. Therefore, it is a national problem that needs full involvement of the Centre along with its technical resources and financial muscle.

The reality

Undoubtedly, the problem of stubble burning is intense in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP because cultivators of this region are engaged in intensive farming. They normally grow two crops every year, but some enterprising farmer get three crops from the same land.

Farmers have to harvest rice quickly to sow wheat in a gap of just 10-15 days - between October end and November 15. Machines help them in quick harvesting but leave long and finely honed stubbles, sharp enough to hurt animals as their fodder. Compared to wheat straw, paddy residue is not a preferred animal feed because of high silica content. In some states, where fodder is scarce, farmers spray alkali to make it digestible for animals. In this region, wheat straw is used as animal fodder.

It is, however, surprising that some farmers have also started burning wheat residue. This usually happens in April-May, months before the sowing season for monsoon crops. Reasons include the negative return on investment due to high cost of labour, thanks to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Usual incentive is an additional income through a third crop, mainly potatoes, which is grown after paddy harvest and before wheat cultivation. Farmers find a matchstick as a quick and easy option that saves time and labour cost.

Persuasion vs. penalty

Meanwhile, several aware farmers, particularly in Punjab, have completely abandoned stubble burning. Some discontinue it because of its adverse impact on soil health and some preferred to follow the law. As a result, there has been 45% drop in stubble burning cases in Punjab this year. Haryana acted tough and booked more than 1,000 farmers for stubble burning. Persuasion is, however, everlasting in a democracy than penalty especially when the government has vowed to double the farmer's income in next five years.

Politics above projects

Days before the Punjab election, the BJP-led Central government had promised to set up a bio-refinery at Bathinda to salvage local farmers from stubble burning. The foundation stone laying ceremony for the project was held on December 25, 2016. According to government and industry officials, the project lost the steam after Akali-BJP coalition government was ousted from the power in February. The Petroleum Ministry has, however, reiterated its commitment to set up the project in an email reply to The Tribune. The "work is in progress, it said without providing detailed progress report or the date of its commissioning.

Other non-governmental efforts to find viable alternative of stubble burning often get trapped into the Centre-state discord and bureaucratic indifference. According to a recent report by The Tribune, Prof Robert Berry of Aston University along with IIT Ropar had initiated a pilot project to make fuel pellets from straw in three villages, but they had to abandon it after the Petroleum Ministry told them that they could not produce or sell fuel without its permission. Fuel pellets could have been used in heating, cooling or meeting other energy needs of the local community.

Lungs in Tandoor

Can you give up eating your favourite tandoori tikka or burra kebab? Coal used in tandoors to cook these delicacies are harmful for your lungs and there are some 9,000 hotels and restaurants in Delhi alone.

Killer nozzles

Do you know that swanky petrol pumps are silently polluting your air? Ideally, all petrol pumps should install vapour recovery system to reduce emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) both, at the time of dispensing fuel and also at the time of filling of storage tanks.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 19

The relentless operations in Hajin for the past over two months by security forces yielded fruits on Saturday when they eliminated the six-member Pakistani group of the Lashkar-e-Toiba which was involved in many killings and also injuring CRPF commandant Chetan Cheeta.

Six top Lashkar militants, including Obaid, alias Osama Jangvi, son of Abdul Rehman Makki, second in command of Jamat ud Dawah, and nephew of alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, were killed in a gunfight at Chandrageer in Hajin, Bandipora, 32 km from Srinagar. An elite Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala, 31, who was operating with the Army for operational training was also killed in the gunfight.

The General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen JS Sandhu, on Sunday said Hajin was an area of focus for the security agencies.

Terrorists had resorted to some atrocities in the area. As a strategy, we had launched several operations in Hajin mid-September onwards. We were practically launching search operations on a daily basis. We had inducted Special Forces in the area and along with the intelligence network, police and the CRPF, the law and order in Hajin was brought under control. We were keeping a watch over the Chandrageer area for the last two-three days and yesterday based upon a specific input, the joint operation was launched in which six terrorists were eliminated, Lt General Sandhu said at a joint press conference also attended by Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid and senior police, Army and CRPF officers.

All six were foreign terrorists led by Mehmood Bhai and comprised the bulk of the Hajin group. I want to highlight that the Hajin group (of the Lashkar) has largely been decimated, he said. We will continue the operations and we hope to restore peace in the Valley as soon as possible.

The DGP said the operation on Saturday evening had "cleaned up the area. I am sure the people will have a sigh of relief and they would lead a life free of terror, Vaid said at the joint briefing.

Obaid was the third member of the Lakhvis family who had joined the Lashkar ranks and got killed in Kashmir since 2007. Hajin, which was once the headquarters of counter-insurgency group Ikwan, had of late turned into a strong base for Lashkar. Earlier this year, Lakhvi's another nephew Musaib was also killed in Hajin.

IGP, Kashmir, Munir Khan said the Lashkar leadership is sending their relatives to boost the morale of its cadres. There is a leadership bankruptcy in the Lashkar and other organisations. In a way to motivate their cadres operating in the Valley, they started sending close relatives. It is nothing more than that, Khan said.

Top officers involved in the anti-militancy operation said they had plugged loopholes to ensure no repetition of the past as this group had managed to escape at least twice in recent months.

In the past operations, the militants used to fire indiscriminately at a single point to break the cordon. In a few cases they had managed to escape and we lost many of our men. On Saturday afternoon when the operation was launched around four suspected houses, they followed the same strategy, but we had plugged all exit routes and in half an hour all six top militants were killed, a police officer said. We suspected a local militant might have been part of the group, but he was not with them. The combing operation was over in two hours.

Nearly 200 terrorists still active in Kashmir

The Army on Sunday said 190 militants were killed in the Kashmir valley this year. The GOC, 15 Corps, Lt Gen JS Sandhu, said out of the 190 militants, 66 were killed along Line of Control while they were trying to infiltrate. Of the killed, 80 terrorists were locals and 110 were foreign terrorists. This has brought a remarkable change in the ground situation, he said. Around 200 militants, including 110 to 120 locals, are currently active in Kashmir.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 20

Slamming the state government over the deletion of West Pakistan refugee families from the list of ration beneficiaries, the Congress today described the alleged move of the government as inhuman.

The party has asked the BJP whether it was a healing touch to them under its repeated commitments to this section of society.

On November 17, The Tribune had exclusively reported that the state government had allegedly initiated the process to delete the names of West Pakistan refugees from the list of beneficiaries getting subsidised ration under the National Food Safety Act (NFSA).

In a statement, Ravinder Sharma, chief spokesperson of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), termed the move as inhuman for those who were availing this facility for the last 70 years. Now when the BJP is in power, they are being deprived of this basic facility, he said.

Sharma said the move has totally exposed the BJPs double standards for power and vote bank politics. He lashed out the government for this unjust move and sought immediate withdrawal of any such direction.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has described the denial of subsidised ration to West Pakistan refugees as an administrative faux pas.

We assure the West Pakistan refugees that it was an administrative lapse and they will not be denied subsidised ration. The issue of providing subsidised ration to West Pakistan refugees by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department has already been raised in a Cabinet meeting, Narinder Singh, BJP state general secretary, said in a statement here today. The BJP leader said the Deputy Chief Minister has convened a meeting of officials concerned to inquire into the lapse.

The affected families are requested to approach the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, for re-inclusion of their names in the ration card lists. They are advised to contact the Partys Grievances Cell in case of any difficulty, he asserted.
Our Correspondent

Anantnag, November 20

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was today killed in a brief gunfight in the Tral area of south Kashmirs Pulwama district, around 40 km from the summer capital Srinagar.

The slain militant has been identified as Adil Chopan, a resident of Laraw Jageer village in Tral. Chopan had escaped unhurt in an encounter on May 20 this year while his associate and former Hizb commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat had been shot dead in Saimoh village of Tral.

A Hizb terrorist has been killed in Tral gunfight, said Deputy Inspector General, South Kashmir, SP Pani.
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 19

In a new twist, Islamic State-backed news agency Amaq has claimed responsibility for the Zakura attack in Srinagar that left a sub-inspector dead and a cop injured on November 17.

SITE Intel Group, an online terror tracker site, tweeted on Saturday, Amaq reports first IS attack in the Kashmir valley with the killing of a police officer in Srinagar.

In the incident, one of the attackers, Mugees Ahmad Mir, was shot dead in a brief gunfight with the police.

Mugees of the Parimpora locality in Srinagar picked up arms in April 2016. Mugees was working as an overground worker with Hizbul Mujahideen and had killed a cop in a grenade attack in Anantnag.

Before this he was avidly following Dabiq  an online ISIS magazine tailored for foreign recruits  and other jihad literature, a police officer said.

Through a consistent and properly channelised effort, global jihad material was made available in Kashmir after 2014. Mugees was the first proponent of global jihad in Kashmir as its material started circulating through WhatsApp and other online forums to entice our youth, said the police officer, who has been investigating the links of Kashmiri militants with the global jihadi militant outfits.

At the time of his death, Mugees was wearing a black T-shirt having an Islamic State flag on it. In fact, black flags, similar to the ones of the IS, were displayed during Mugees funeral on November 18. On his wish, Mugees body was also wrapped in a similar black flag before being taken for burial.

The IS claim of the attack has come at a time when an offshoot of Al-Qaida in Kashmir, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind led by Zakir Musa is showing open defiance to Pakistans writ in Kashmir.

However, Pakistan-based Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TeM)claimed Mugees belonged to it and was a district commander. After killing of Mugees, the Indian forces draped his body in ISIS flag to defame the ongoing movement in Kashmir. The motive of relating Kashmir movement with ISIS or Taliban is only to turn Kashmir into Afghanistan, TeM spokesperson Abdul Haq said.

DGP SP Vaid said Mugees links with the IS were a subject matter of investigation. No, it is yet to be verified and I dont think IS has any imprints here, Vaid said.

Police sources said the number of the militants having ISlinksmight be less here but their influence was growing in Kashmir.
SS Chhina

SS Chhina

I WAS attending a seminar on multiculturalism organised by Trent University, Ontario. The university was situated at a beautiful place surrounded by tall trees in a small town of Peter Brough. There were 36 participants from different countries from all five continents. In the programme itinerary was a visit to the heritage village of Canada, about 20 km from the university. The traditional lifestyle of Canada was depicted in this village, where items like a hand-operated chopper, the Persian wheel, bricked hearth, old houses with wooden doors and windows, etc. were preserved.

I and a companion from Multan University, Pakistan, observed that there was nothing extraordinary about these items since they were quite common in Indian and Pakistani villages. It took us about three hours to take the round of the village owing to the interest elicited by other delegates.

While returning, we came across sprawling fields of wheat and maize on either side of the long road. The vast expanse resembled Punjab fields. Though it was June, it felt like February in Punjab. We had hardly gone about 5-6 km when I saw a big board on a gate  Grewal Farms. I guessed that it must belong to some Punjabi, and so I requested the coordinator, Ms Malinee, who was driving the car, to allow me to enquire about this farm. She agreed after a little hesitation.

When I reached the gate, I saw two white men and was disappointed, thinking I had mistaken the owners to be Punjabis. I dithered to go ahead, but a tall, well-dressed Sikh gentleman beckoned me inside and invited us all.

We sat in a veranda of his big house and he narrated how he came to own the farm. When he landed in Canada, his indomitable spirit to have a farm was ignited by two successful farmers from Punjab. I changed farms and later purchased this farm spread over 1,200 acres. It was a desolate piece of land at that time. Now, it is a high-yielding model farm of this area, he revealed.

That was a lot of hard work, and I felt proud of being a Punjabi. As we sat talking, his wife  an elderly lady  brought us juice, and when we begged our leave after about 15 minutes, the host said it was not possible without partaking of some tea. His wife then served us tea and snacks. We sat for a while and he came to see us off at the gate.

While sitting in the car, Mr Zafar Iqbal from Pakistan, addressing Ms Malinee, said with some pride: Maam, you showed us your Canadian heritage and we have shown you our common Punjabi heritage!
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 20

Amid a raging controversy over Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmavati, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL demanding deletion of certain objectionable scenes from the film, saying the prayer was premature as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was yet to examine it.

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Our interference will be tantamount to pre-judging, which we are not inclined to do, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said.

Can the Supreme Court intervene to stop a movie? The CBFC has a statutory duty. Can this court injunct a statutory Board from doing its duty? it wondered.

The films producers have already deferred its release which was originally scheduled on December 1 after the CBFC return it to them, saying the file was incomplete.

The Bench  which had on November 16 said freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct and it should not be ordinarily interfered with  made it clear that the top court cant take over the job of the CBFC.

The CJI even explained the procedure as to how the Board examines a film before issuing a certificate and said if anybody had problems with the CBFCs decision; the person could go to the appellate tribunal.

Petitioner advocate ML Sharma accused the filmmakers of releasing the songs of the film without having been given a certificate by CBFC. Alleging that the films producer and director indulged in character assassination of Queen Padmavati by portraying her as a dancer, Sharma demanded that certain objectionable scenes be removed from the film.

But senior counsel Harish Salve, representing the films director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, clarified that only promo of the film had been released after due permission from the CBFC. The Bench ordered striking off certain paragraphs of the petition after Salve pointed out that they contained objectionable content.

Sharma sought to justify his petition, saying it was based on research and books written by various scholars.
Suresh Dharur

MORE than three years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the ambitious plan to build a world-class capital city has cleared its final hurdle. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given its nod for construction of the river-front capital between Vijayawada and Guntur in the paddy-rich coastal Andhra region.

The dream project of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has so far been bogged down by delays with the plans never crossing the drawing board stage. The delay has provided ammunition for the Opposition YSR Congress headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is now on a six-month-long walkathon across the state highlighting the failures of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Government.

The green nod for the capital project has, however, come with some riders. A Full Bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Swatantra Kumar, directed the Government to protect all the flood plains in the area. It ordered constitution of two green panels to ensure there was no deviation from the plans submitted to it and natural water bodies and green cover were protected.

While rejecting the petitions filed by three activists, including retired IAS officer EAS Sarma, who sought a stay on the grounds that it involved gross violation of green laws, the tribunal laid down clear-cut environmental guidelines for the capital project. An amount of Rs 5 crore is to be kept as deposit with the panels so that any violations would lead to confiscation of the money as penalty.

In a big relief to the government, the tribunal ruled that around 33,000 acres of the land pooled for the project from 29 villages spread over Krishna and Guntur districts was not forcibly taken from the farmers.

The NGT verdict is a moral victory for us. The river-front capital city will have 9,000 acres of green cover. The technologies are fast changing. Countries like Singapore and Dubai were built after reclamation of sea, an elated Chandrababu Naidu said.

Amaravati, named after the ancient Buddhist city, was the seat of power of Telugu rulers nearly two millennia ago. The core capital area will be spread over 217 sq km covering Krishna and Guntur districts.

The Vijayawada-Guntur region has been chosen for the new capital as it is centrally located and accessible from all parts of the state. The Singapore government has designed the master plan for the city that seeks to combine tradition with modernity and incorporates the concepts of Vastu and Feng Shui, the Indian and Chinese sciences of construction.

This is the first time that a foreign country has designed a state capital in India. According to the plan, the capital region will be spread over 7,420 sq km, of which the capital city would occupy 217 sq km. The plan envisages an area of 6.84 sq km to be the first to be developed. This core area will contain within it the Assembly, Secretariat, Raj Bhavan and High Court buildings.

Singapore consortium Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development Limited has been nominated as the master developer to construct the main structures in the Seed Capital area. The government had floated a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Amaravati Development Company (ADC). It is proposed that the Singapore consortium and ADC would together develop the capital city.

For the first time, the World Bank has offered loan for construction of a new state capital in India. It will provide Rs 6,800 crore to develop infrastructure in and around the proposed state capital. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has also sanctioned a loan of Rs 7,500 crore to take up development of urban infrastructure.

Amaravati will be constructed in such a way that it will become a role model for the rest of the country. It has become the cynosure of all eyes nationally and internationally, and of investors, the CM said.

Junket under cloud

The Telangana Government has drawn flak for its decision to send nearly 1,000 officers in batches to Israel to study drip irrigation methods. The officials from Agriculture and Horticulture departments will be part of this junket which comes in the midst of continued suicides by the debt-ridden farmers in the countrys newest state. As many as 21 cotton farmers have committed suicide in the last two weeks in Warangal district alone.

The officers will be flown to Israel in batches of 100 each to undergo a training module for 15-20 days between December and April next year. The junket will cost the Telangana exchequer Rs 25 crore.
Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The Army Headquarters move to source fabric for its combat uniforms from the private sector, ostensibly due to the huge price differential between the uniforms procured from the state-run Ordnance Factory and those available locally, has Ordnance Factory employees up in arms.

The employees are claiming that samples of cloth available with private vendors have failed the requisite quality tests.

The Master General of Ordnance (MGO) at the Army Headquarters had written to the Additional Director General, Ordnance Factories Board, earlier this month that the Army would not like to procure combat uniforms from the Ordnance Factory. It instead wants that a no-objection certificate be issued for procuring uniforms from private vendors.

A set of combat jacket and trousers provisioned through the Ordnance Factory costs Rs 4,150 where as a combat uniform of the same material stitched locally costs Rs 1,800-1,900, including GST.

If procured in the same volume as is being done from Ordnance Factory, it is likely to cost Rs 1,200-1,300 per set, the MGOs letter states.

The Army had switched to a new combat uniform over a decade ago to standardise the camouflage pattern and check misuse and open sale of such cloth in the market.

The four-colour disruptive pattern of the cloth, called Army Logo Cloth, is inter spread with the Armys crossed swords and Ashoka Lion logo.

The camouflage design and fabric specifications were developed by the Ordnance Factory. Some private mills have been contracted to produce Army Logo Cloth for the Ordnance Factory, which supplies stitched uniform to the Army. Though the sale of this pattern by mills to private vendors is restricted, it is available in the market. Once the cloth is received from the mills, it undergoes 36 tests to ensure quality standards.

In a letter written to Chief of the Army Staff this week, the All-India Defence Employees Federation has said that if the Army starts purchasing cloth directly from private vendors, there is no guarantee that these standards would be met.

The letter states that Ordnance Factory employees purchased several samples of Army Logo Cloth from different shops in Delhi Cantonment and all samples failed chemical as well as physical tests.

The letter adds the Ministry of Defence has assured Ordnance Factory employees that combat uniform would not be declared a non-core item and there was no justification for the MGO seeking a no-objection certificate.
Lucknow, November 20

The body of a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) worker was found in a sack in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut city, police said on Monday.

Sunil Garg was also a prominent iron trader. He was last seen on Sunday campaigning for a BJP candidate for the municipal corporation polls, the police said. He went missing after he left his home on Sunday evening.

Superintendent of Police (City) Man Singh told IANS that there were injuries on the victims face inflicted with a sharp weapon.

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His bike was recovered from a parking lot at a hospital.

CCTV footage was being checked to ascertain the whereabouts and movement of the RSS worker prior to this death, the police official added.

Meanwhile, RSS and BJP workers along with traders have given an ultimatum to the police to crack the case. IANS
Beijing, November 20

China on Monday dismissed a top Pakistani Army Generals allegation that India had established a special intelligence cell at a cost of USD 500 million to sabotage the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it did not have any such report.

Chairman of Pakistans Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat on November 14 had accused India of stoking chaos and anarchy in the region.

He alleged that Indias external intelligence agency RAW had established a special cell at a cost of USD 500 million to sabotage the CPEC. He also accused India of fanning terrorism in the restive province of Balochistan.

We have no such relevant reports, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about the allegation.

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Chinas rebuff over the allegation against India is significant considering that Beijing and Islamabad regard themselves as iron brothers sharing all-weather ties.

Also in an apparent reference to Indias objections over the CPEC traversing through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Lu said we hope that CPEC could win more recognition and support from regional countries and the international community.

Pakistans top officials have been accusing RAW of sabotaging the CPEC as the Pakistani security forces had to battle numerous attacks by the Balochistan nationalist forces as well as the Islamic State in Balochistan province.

The CPEC connects Chinas restive Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

Lu said the CPEC is new-type cooperation framework built by China and Pakistan for long-term cooperation development.

It is important not just to the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity, he said.

He said China believed that it could work with Pakistan to ensure the success of the CPEC and the economic cooperation in various fields between the two countries. PTI
Beijing, November 20

China on Monday strongly objected to President Ram Nath Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from complicating the border dispute when bilateral relations are at a crucial moment.

President Kovind visited Arunachal Pradesh yesterday.

The Chinese government never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and our position on the border issue is consistent and clear, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media when asked about Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet.

China routinely objects to any senior Indian officials visit to the area.

India has dismissed Beijings objections, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and Indian leaders are as much free to visit the state as they are to any other part of the country.

Both countries are in the process of settling this issue through negotiation and consultation and seek to reach to a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all, Lu said.

Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity, he said.

China firmly opposes the Indian leaders relevant activities in the relevant region when China-India relations are at a crucial moment, he said.

We hope India could work in the same direction and maintain general picture of bilateral ties and refrain from complicating border issue and work to create favourable conditions for border negotiations and for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties, he said.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China stretches to 3,488 kms.

On November 6, China had raised objection to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamans visit to the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Both sides held 19 rounds of talks by the special representatives to resolve the boundary dispute.

The 20th round is expected to be held next month in New Delhi, though dates have not yet been announced.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi are the designated special representatives for the boundary talks.  PTI
Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, November 19

After prolonged negotiations, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) today reached an agreement with the Congress on the partys formula to ensure reservation to the Patels, if voted to power in the Gujarat Assembly elections next month.

Dinesh Bhambhaniya, PAAS spokesman, said their convener Hardik Patel would spell out the deal at a rally in Chief Minister Vijay Rupanis constituency Rajkot. State Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki said it had been left to Hardik to announce the details.

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With at least six Hardik aides joining the BJP and more preparing to cross over, the PAAS had yesterday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Congress to clarify its stand on the quota issue. The formula, which the Congress claims will stand the scrutiny of courts and not affect the benefits to OBCs, SCs and STs, was framed by former Union minister Kapil Sibal.

Young quota stir leaders were upset with Solanki who had yesterday invited them to Delhi for talks with the high command but failed to arrange a meeting. They were pacified today.

Sources said the PAAS wanted at least nine seats but the Congress was prepared to give only four.

Meanwhile, the Congress today released its first list of 77 candidates with senior leaders from the state, Arjun Modhwadia and Shaktisinh Gohil, getting ticket.
New Delhi, November 19

The government will introduce direct benefit transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidies in Punjab and Haryana next month. Last month, the facility was rolled out in 14 states and Union Territories.

The government bears about Rs 70,000 crore annually as fertiliser subsidy. We have shortlisted Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh to go live in December, Fertiliser Joint Secretary Dharam Pal said.

Niti Aayog-appointed MicroSave, an NGO, is evaluating the implementation.

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Stating that the government is implementing phase one of the fertiliser DBT, Pal said: We are transferring subsidy to companies after checking retail sales data captured through the Point of Sale (PoS) machines. The transfer of subsidy directly into farmers bank accounts will be taken up in the second phase once Niti Aayog suggests a model, he said.

The DBT for fertiliser subsidy payments is different from cooking gas, he added. For LPG, customers buy gas cylinders at the market price and the government deposits the subsidy into the bank account later.

In case of fertilisers, farmers may not be able to make upfront payments because some of the soil nutrients are very costly. Therefore, they will continue to buy fertiliser from the retailer at a subsidised rate and the transaction details will be recorded on the PoS machines.

The impact of DBT will be known after it is rolled out in the entire country.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 19

Congress president Sonia Gandhi led salutations to Indira Gandhi as a host of political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid homage to the former Prime Minister on her 100th birth anniversary today.

Addressing a gathering at Indira Gandhi Memorial before inaugurating photo exhibition A Life in Courage chronicling the former PMs life, Sonia remembered her secular mother-in-law saying, For her as Prime Minister there was but one religion, a sacred creed passionately heldthat all Indians were equal children of the motherland.

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Present on the occasion was former President Pranab Mukherjee, who recalled the tumultuous phases in Indiras life and how she thought taking the Operation Bluestar decision was essential for national good.

Sonia Gandhi spoke of Indira as someone who could never tolerate bullying.

It was that rigorous schooling in the Independence movement that made her so staunch in defence of Indias sovereignty, so committed to the ideals of secularism and social justice, and so determined to advance them through her policies and programmes She could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairnessthat was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battlesthose she took on and those that she faced, Sonia Gandhi said on the eve of the Congress Working Committee meeting to call election to the post of next party president.

Remembering the finer aspects of Indira Gandhis character, Sonia said her mother-in-law was more than just Iron Lady.

I have heard Indiraji being referred to as the Iron Lady. But iron was only one of the elements in her character; generosity and humanity were just as prominent traits. She fought, yesbut not for personal ascendancy. She fought for her principles, against vested interests and agendas, Sonia said remembering Indiras battle against poverty, and for Indias dignity and Independence as a sovereign nation against the dominance of superpowers.

Bangladeshs creation, in which she played so vital a part, is a monument to that stand, but many are the instances through which she brought to India international respect and admiration, Sonia said commenting on 16 years that Indira was the PM.

Earlier in the day, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his cousin Varun Gandhi took to Twitter to remember their Dadi.

I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength, Rahul said, followed by Varun Gandhi who tweeted: Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you cant practice any other virtue consistently. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi... I know you always watch over us.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, former PM Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikaurjun Kharge, MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel; Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and Rahul Gandhi earlier paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi in the Central Hall of Parliament House.

The twitter also saw an outpouring of tributes on the occasion with PM saying, Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.

Never tolerated bullying

"She (Indira Gandhi) could not tolerate any form of bullying, coercion and unfairnessthat was fundamental to her character. That is what inspired her in all her battlesthose she took on and those that she faced." Sonia Gandhi, Cong president

Dynasty a lazy word

"Did Nehru launch a dynasty? No. Did Mrs Gandhi select her successor? Well, it appears that she did select her successor, but my views on dynasty in politics are somewhat different. I think ultimately, people (public representatives) have to go back and get elected Dynasty is a lazy word coined to describe succession in politics. There is accountability, you go back to the people." Jairam Ramesh, Cong leader
Rajkot, November 20

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and claimed the Congress had done so too in the past.

On Congress president Sonia Gandhis allegation that the government was sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament, Jaitley said the opposition party had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening, he told reporters here.

He said the session would be held and the Congress would be totally exposed.

The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its 10 years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcefully saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie, Jaitley said.

He said the Congress had itself rescheduled Parliament sessions several times.

(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that, the senior BJP leader said.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed, Jaitley said.

Sources said the government was considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in New Delhi on Monday, Sonia Gandhi said, The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on Indias parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. PTI
London, November 20

A defiant Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore, on Monday appeared before a local court in London for his pre-trial hearing where the liquor barons extradition hearing was confirmed for eight days starting December 4.

The 61-year-old businessman, out on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard earlier this year, was released by the Westminster Magistrates Court judge on the same bail conditions and asked to appear in the court on December 4.

The extradition trial will last until December 14, with December 8 marked as a non-sitting day.

Speaking to reporters as he left todays case management hearing, Mallya said, it will all become clear in court.

His defence team, headed by barrister Clare Montgomery, updated Judge Arbuthnot that the defence argument skeleton had been submitted last week and now the ball is in the Indian governments court to present their reply by next week.

She also presented the judge with a running order of witnesses to be deposed in the case, adding that the Indian authorities are content with that order.

Based on the defence timetable, the judge should be ready to rule on the case by December 24.

However, given the tight timeline for both sides to submit their closing arguments in writing, the judge suggested scheduling a half-day hearing in January after the oral closing submissions to conclude the trial in the new year instead.

However, Mallyas barrister was not in favour of that delay as that could lead to the Indian government presenting new material to the case and she said the defence was keen to draw a line under all the material - evidential and non- evidential.

The judge concurred, saying things have a habit of popping up and has left things open for the moment.

Aaron Watkins, appearing for the UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of the Indian government, said as he was stepping in for CPS barrister Mark Summers, he would have to confirm the exact timeline with him.

Some of the witnesses on Mallyas defence teams list include Margaret Sweeney, chief accountant at Force India Formula One team, Prof Lau as an expert on the Indian legal system, aviation expert Dr Humphreys and prison conditions expert Dr Alan Mitchell.

The case will open on December 4 with opening arguments and the witness statement of Dr Humphreys.

Mallyas trial drama will be further enhanced on December 11 when American taxi hailing company Ubers appeal against the revocation of its licence to operate in London comes up for its first hearing in the same court.

Mallya has repeatedly stressed that he has done nothing wrong and will let the evidence speak in court.

The CPS had presented additional supplemental charges of money laundering to the previous charges of fraud at the last hearing in the case on October 3.

The previous fraud charges relate to Mallyas now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owing more than Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks.

The UB Group chief has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016.

The CPS said it was technically re-filing its extradition request in court, after the new charges superseded the previous ongoing case.

The judge, Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot, agreed to formally re-open a fresh case while keeping to the same time-table as set before.

However, she had concurred with Mallyas defence team that if further evidence keeps coming in it could put the December 4 trial date at risk before releasing him on the same bail conditions as before.

The conditions of his bail include providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

Arbuthnot has been hearing Mallyas extradition case at Westminster Magistrates Court on his previous arrest warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April.

If she rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallyas extradition within two months.

However, the case can go through a series of appeals before arriving at a conclusion.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place from the UK to India under the arrangement.

Judge Arbuthnot and her colleague, Rebecca Crane, at Westminster Magistrates court have rejected two other long- pending extradition requests from India recently, that of UK- based alleged bookie Sanjeev Kumar Chawla on October 16 and a British Indian couple, Jatinder and Asha Rani Angurala, on October 12, relating to bank fraud. PTI
Neena Sharma

A report by the NITI Aayog hailing the development strides taken by the state in the past 10 years have buoyed the government and the people of the state that marked its 17th anniversary on November 9.

However, the state continues to present a bundle of contradictions. While it has been ranked fourth on social indicators by the Aayog, the scourge of migration due to poor health facilities and poor job avenues continues to force the people to leave their villages in large numbers.

The 2011 Census reported a population decline in Pauri and Almora districts. Since the creation of the state in 2000, migration has been the maximum from villages in these districts. Around 968 villages have been abandoned so far and with no steps having been initiated by the government, these are now termed as ghost villages.

The issue came up for discussion at the recently concluded seminar held to mark the states foundation day. The participants discussed the issue of migration. Several villages in the districts of Almora and Pauri have been deserted. We will try to include suggestions made during the seminar in the states blue print, Chief Minister TS Rawat said.

In more than 1,000 villages, the population is only around 100. In Pauri district, 331 villages are bereft of people and in Almora 105 villages have been deserted. What remains in these villages now are ruins of houses and termite hills. The problem seems to have reached the plains as well. In Haridwar district, around 94 villages have been abandoned, in Nainital 44, in Dehradun 17 and in Udham Singh Nagar 14.

Expectations from new Chief Secretary

With the senior bureaucrat Utpal Kumar Singh posted as the Chief Secretary, expectations have been high from him to deliver. Tenure of former Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy allegedly saw very slow movement of files.

To decentralise things, Utpal has divested Additional Chief Secretary Om Prakash of the responsibilities of Department of Medical and Health.

With the saffron party ruling Uttarakhand, a particular class of bureaucrats, allegedly known to have links with leaders of an ideological organisation, have been in favour with the state government.

Selfie attendance for teachers

From day one, Education Minister Arvind Pandey has been coming up with one directive after another, aimed at disciplining government schoolteachers. Recently, he announced an innovative method to keep a check on teachers. To curb absentism, we have developed an App, through which teachers would be asked to compulsorily post their selfies as soon as they enter classrooms and also post selfies after the school gets over, Pandey said.

The authorities, however, seem to have overlooked the previous direction that the teachers are not allowed to use phones on school premises.
Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, November 19

President Ram Nath Kovind today said the countrys strength and unity lay in its diversity.

Addressing a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly after inaugurating the newly built Assembly building at Itanagar in the frontier state, Kovind said, We are all citizens of a culturally rich and diverse country. There is such variety in food, clothing, customs and even religious traditions in India. And yet, this diversity is our strength that unites us. Whether it is Tirupati or Tarnetar or the Buddhist monastery of Tawang, it inspires every Indian and is a matter of pride for each of us.

The President said Arunachal Pradeshs experience of unity in diversity expressed the countrys traditions beautifully. There are many ethnic and religious communities in the state, and they live together in harmony. This is an ideal for all Indians, he said.

Being a border state, Arunachal Pradesh offered a unique opportunity for trade and business with neighbouring countries, he said. He hoped the state would become a driver of Indias trade and economic relations with ASEAN countries under the act east policy of the Centre.

He reminded the legislators that they had been elected by the people for rendering public service. After the election, they represented all citizens of their constituency, including those who might not have voted for them. As legislators, they were guardians of public interest and trust. It was now their responsibility to make laws that improved lives of the people besides resolving issues of public concern, he said.

The President also attended the valedictory function of the completion of 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra in Itanagar. He lauded Vivekananda Kendra for commendable work in the field of education in the state. He was happy to note that the Vivekananda Kendras schools had kept alive the guru-shishya tradition through the Gurukul system.

The President noted that the Vivekananda Kendra schools were a happy synthesis of countrys traditional knowledge and values and modern science and technology.

Earlier in the day, Kovind was given a warm welcome during brief a stopover at the Lilabari Airport in Assam on way to Itanagar by Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 20

Amid the raging controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati, chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka on Monday joined in the debate according to their political compulsions and needs.

The day saw Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan slamming Padmavati makers for distorting facts about the Rajput queen.

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The insult will not be tolerated, Chouhan said, calling Padmavati Rashtra Mata (mother of the nation).

While Chouhans compulsions are understandable (he is from the BJP, his state goes to polls with Rajasthan next year and the BJP-ruled Gujarat is in midst of a high-stake elections)what took everyone by surprise, including the central BJP leaders here, was the support to protestors from a Congress leader Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh.

What they deduced was as follows Singh belongs to a royal family, his sister is married to a royal family of Rajasthan and Punjab has a sizable population from the community.

All factors making it favourable to join the anti-Padmavati club, which largely includes saffron leaders and right-fringe groups.

Nobody will accept distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so, Amarinder Singh said.

Perhaps the reason why his Congress counterpart in KarnatakaChief Minister Siddaramaiahcame out in support of Padmavatis lead actress Deepika Padukone is that she belongs to the state.

He asked Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against reported threats by a Haryana BJP leader.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders denied any role in the making of the controversy.

The controversy is getting bigger despite assurances by filmmakers that there is nothing in the movie that could possibly be deemed objectionable to the Rajput community.

Clearly, it is a controversy that no one seems to be seen on the wrong side of. The Censor Board has also warned the filmmakers against using pressure tactics for an early release.

Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi has also slammed the makers for allowing the film to be screened to various media channels before obtaining a certificate from the board.
Yash Goyal

Jaipur, November 20

Appreciating the efforts of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living founder, in evolving a solution to the Ayodhaya temple issue, senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the Ram Mandir would be readied by Diwali 2018.

Sri Sri is a very respected and learned person. If he goes and preaches people, it would be very nice. Hindus would not allow a masjid inside Ram Janambhoomi area, which is about 3 acre. The construction of the temple is likely to begin soon and is most likely that we all can visit there from Diwali next year, Swamy told a press conference here, after addressing an elite RSS-BJP combine audience at Jaipur Dialogues Forum.

Though the courts decision would be welcomed by both parties, however, if they (Muslims) want, they can build masjid at any other place, he said, adding Babri Masjid was built after demolishing a temple at Ram Janambhoomi.

I hope both communities agree on this formula. Hindus can not accept the compromise formula, he added.

Commenting on the Congress Working Committees decision to elect Rahul Gandhi as party president soon, Swamy said it was again a repetition.

For the last 10 years the Congress, which is very weak, has been telling this, but it is not done. The Congress party will not have a future and emerge stronger jab tak iska swadeshikaran nahin ho jata (till it becomes indigenous), he said in an indirect attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhis foreign origins.

On Gujarat elections, Swamy appeared confident saying the BJP will form the government who ever may be the chief ministerial candidate.

On a question related to his speech on the aftermath of Mahatma Gandhis assassination by Godse, the BJP leader said, If Godse had not killed Gandhi, then the country would not have gone through politics of appeasement and westernisation and economic policy would have been better as the nation was not in the hands of Nehru and later his family members.

On Rajasthan Governments gag ordinance, Swamy said he was not in favour of it and did not support it.
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 20

Amid the uproar over the renaming of Dyal Singh (evening) College, Delhi, as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, the old files, during the time of handing over the college to the government, are reportedly being reviewed by Dyal Singh College Trust Society officials here, so that all options could be explored to retain the name of college.

The college is named after the great philanthropist and educationist, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia.

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However, all the officials of Dyal Singh College Trust Society here are still mum over the issue but the sources maintained that the land of Dyal Singh College, Delhi, was procured by the trust which had made the college operational. Later it was handed over to the government to run the college.

Retired professors of Karnals college had already raised their voice against the move and they had claimed it to be a step towards the bhagwakaran (saffronisation) of the educational institutes.

Serving professors and other staff members are also upset over the move and said it has hurt their sentiments. They demanded the Union Government as well as the Delhi Government and Delhi University to consider their sentiments and not to change the name.

One of the serving professors said on the condition of the anonymity that it was a surprise move for all the persons associated with Dyal Singh College.

He said that the land for establishing the college in Delhi was procured by the trust and how its name could be changed by some persons. They should not forget the contribution of Sardar Majithia in the upliftment of the society, he added.

When even Pakistan Government had not changed the name of Dyal Singh College, Lahore, and had just added government word with it, then why was the name of the college in India by the name of a great personality, who devoted all his belongings for the welfare of society, changed, he questioned.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees (SGPC) former senior vice-president Raghujeet Singh Virk criticised the move and said that instead of focusing on development work, this government was busy in name changing.

He said that instead of renaming the existing college, the government should have opened a new college.

We have no problem to open a new college by the name of Vande Matram, but we should not tolerate the name change of Dyal Singh College, he said.

Sardar Majithia was a great visionary person, who always thought for development of the society, he said, adding that he urged the government to think over it.
Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 19

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has warned that the renaming of Dyal Singh College as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya would be opposed tooth and nail and protests would be held, if needed.

In Amritsar, SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar said, I ask the college management to review its decision as changing its name will destroy its historic significance besides negating the legacy of Dyal Singh Majithia, after whom the college was named.

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The DSGMC passed a resolution condemning the act of the Dyal Singh College governing body and asked it to withdraw the move in three days or they would be forced to launch an agitation, said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, general secretary of the body.

Sirsa and former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh said the Dyal Singh Education Trust Society had purchased land for the college without getting any help from the government. They said the governing body of the college was now trying to usurp the college property by renaming it. They were welcome to open Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya, but not on this property, they added.

Meanwhile, many students have expressed dissatisfaction over the proposal that the new regular-shift college will continue on the same premises. The premises lacks required infrastructure, they say.

The NSUI, student wing of the Congress, said they were gearing up for a protest against the renaming of the college. The same college is being used for morning and evening shifts. The governing body should first improve basic facilities there.

According to ABVP, this is the not the first evening college whose name has been changed. Earlier, the name of Deshbandhu College (evening) shift was changed to Ramanujan College and that of Ram Lal Anand Evening College to Aryabhatta. But I agree with the students that basic facilities should be improved.

(With inputs from GS Paul)
Kuljit Bains

There was a bit of good news last week. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh intends to be in contention for another term after this one is over in 2022. This was a positive declaration because now the voters know that the person at the helm of their state does have a stake in doing well. While it is anybodys guess why he said before the polls that this would be his last election (to get sympathy?), the more pertinent question now is what transpired in the past nine months for him to undergo such a momentous change of heart?

The timing of the announcement may hold a hint. The Chief Minister took all-round flak for the failure of the all-party meeting of MPs his government had called to discuss the states agenda, in which not even all of Congress MPs turned up. No matter what reasons are given for the failure, the meetings fate was sealed the day it became known Capt Amarinder Singh will not be present. That also triggered speculation about why he chose to give it a miss. The one that would have hurt him the most would be that he was unable to face some of the Congress MPs. His detractors have also upped the ante with the party leadership in Delhi.

Capt Amarinder Singhs assertion may well have been triggered by a fear that contenders for the CMs post were trying to move in, four years too early, having sensed a weakening of his hold. The outcome, anyhow, is good for the Congress, as a party with multiple strong contenders is healthier and more alive. It is good for the state too, as leaders remain on their toes.

But this was an episode the Captain may want to take as an early warning  that he cannot let his chief ministership slack. No one for a moment can take seriously his explanation for now wanting to continue beyond five years  that he feels obliged to set the states fiscal health right. The fact is he was under attack, and he has hit back. And he has only himself to blame for any signals of weakness that may have gone out.

To begin with, he is not the lone master of the ceremonies in the Chief Ministers Office. There is a huge retinue of state and non-state actors who constitute the big office. Much of the decision-making process is farmed out, often making it look like a government functioning by proxy. Capt Amarinder Singh makes a rare appearance in his formal office. Most days he operates from home, and works around four days a week. All of this has made the power game in the government open to jockeying by brokers. Deciding not to attend the MPs meeting was thus a mistake; though later it so happened he was also taken ill. Frequent speculation over his health is also doing no good to his hold.

Devolution of powers is a healthy way of governance, but there is a constitutional structure provided for that  the Cabinet system. In Punjab, that stands weakened. The Chief Minister has retained with himself more than 40 portfolios, leaving only a few of the important ones to ministers. It is no surprise people rarely hear of anyone other than Navjot Singh Sidhu and Brahm Mohindra among members of the Cabinet. It would take a superhuman to do justice to the responsibilities Capt Amarinder Singh has taken upon himself. And at 75, he can be anything but that.

The remedy to his present predicament lies not in contemplating a seat in the 2022 outing, but focusing on the current match, of which it is still Round 1 (of five) going.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira to desist from making statements aimed at deflecting attention from his misdeeds, for which he had been declared an accused by a court.

In a statement here, former minister and party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said Khaira, instead of coming clean, was acting holier than thou. Such protestations to project yourself as a champion of debate wont cut ice, he said.

The Akali leader asked the Speaker to examine whether Khaira should be allowed entry into the Vidhan Sabha, as this was likely to lower the prestige of the Assembly.

Punjab Congress general secretary and Khadoor Sahib MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki said Khaira had no moral authority to seek extended House sittings.

It is ironical that the person whose moral right to sit in the House is questionable and uncertain is seeking extension in its sittings, Sikki said.

The Congress legislator said Khaira should be thankful to the Speaker for granting him an audience. Otherwise, a tainted person carrying the stigma of being involved in drug smuggling has no right to enter the sacred precincts of the Vidhan Sabha, he said.

Sikki said Khaira knew that his days as the Leader of the Opposition were numbered as a revolt was brewing within his party (AAP).
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The demand to resume student council elections in the state has gained momentum in recent months. The student council elections in higher educational institutions were stopped by the government over three decades ago, citing militancy.

Earlier, various student organisations, especially those with Left leanings, were demanding the resumption of student elections. However, the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments didnt pay heed to the issue.

The issue is now again being raised by organisations. Recently, the Punjab Radical Students Union held a seminar on the issue in Sunam and demanded that the student election process should be restored immediately.

The latest addition in this was an intervention by the Communist Party of Indias (CPI) Punjab unit. Joginder Dayal, national executive member of the CPI, has written a letter to the Punjab Governor and Chief Minister, demanding the resumption of student elections.

He said elections were stopped during the dark days of militancy but after restoration of peace in the state, six Assembly and Parliament elections had taken place. Similarly, several panchayat and local body elections were also held. Then why a different treatment is being given to student elections? he asked.

Citing JM Lyngdoh Committee recommendations underlining the importance of free and fair elections to student bodies, he said elections were key to creating a cadre of accomplished politicians for state and national politics.

The SAD, BJP and the Congress seemed to be in alliance on the issue and they did not want student elections as these would create politically sound leaders, he added. Student elections were stopped in the state in 1983 after beginning of militancy.
Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 19

Taking cognisance of a report published in The Tribune (Prisons as industry hubs, November 19), the Punjab Education Department has extended its cooperation to the Prisons Department to make it self-sustainable by 2018.

Krishan Kumar, Secretary, Education, has mooted a proposal to the Home Department to involve the Prisons Department into manufacturing school furniture for its 22 lakh students and school uniform for its 14 lakh students.

The move, apart from easing off the financial crunch of the Jail Department, will also provide abundant rehabilitation opportunities to the jail inmates which includes both convicts and undertrials.

We have to undergo a very tedious tendering process every year to buy school furniture and printing paper for our students. We also pay Rs 400 to each of the 14 lakh students as reimbursement to buy school uniform. Taking care of these two major demands will alone make the Jail Department self-sustainable in a few years from now, said Kumar, adding that the department had also offered them to cook mid-day meal for over 5,000 students studying in urban government schools and also to manufacture school ties.

In a letter written to the Home Secretary on Sunday, the Education Department had also sought viability from the Prisons Department to produce over 14,000 metric tonnes of paper to print school education books and answer sheets for the academic year starting in 2018.

This year, we could not provide textbooks to our students on time due to a delay in procuring printing paper. With no tendering process to follow with the Jail Department, the process for procurement and printing will cut short hence ensuring timely delivery of books to our students, Kumar added.

The Sunday Tribune in its report had highlighted how due to lack of funds and a proper marketing channel, the prison industry was lying in a shambles for the past many years.

Pre-primary wings for women inmates kids

The Education Department has decided to open pre-primary wings in various prisons in Punjab. While informing this, Krishan Kumar, Secretary, Education, said the children of women inmates were left out in the first phase. "We had sought details from the Prison Department about the number of children in each jail. We will open pre-primary wings at places where it will be found necessary," said Kumar, adding that the District Education Officers had to implement the orders at the earliest.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has found some private banks guilty of having given excess agriculture loans worth Rs 17,600 crore. These banks then claimed interest subvention on the money disbursed as crop loans.

The loan amount sanctioned by the banks was more than the actual value of crops sold each year. The issue was first brought to light by the state government in June, which asked the Union Ministry of Finance to probe how private banks had advanced excess loans beyond their scale of finance to farmers in Punjab.

The state government while preparing its data on small and marginal farmers eligible for debt relief offered by the Amarinder Singh government had found that over 4 lakh farmers in the state got crop loans (which are working capital loans) between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and over one lakh got loans of over Rs 5 lakh. Under the laid norms, a marginal farmer (having less than 2.50 acres) cannot avail a loan of more than Rs 1 lakh (at Rs 40,000 per acre) and a small farmer is not eligible for a loan of more than Rs 2 lakh. The excess loan extended to these farmers was found to be around Rs 17,620 crore.

Following the complaint made by the state government, the RBI got a study conducted through its Financial Inclusion and Development Department. On October 23, the RBI had informed the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) that some banks in Punjab were not undertaking proper due diligence while sanctioning crop loans and had financed way beyond the prescribed scale of finance.
Gagandeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 19

Twelve days after the death of Ramandeep Kaur (13), a Class VIII student of the local St Xaviers School, the Civil Lines police today booked the principal, Father Eulalio Farnandes, and teachers Neha and Poonam Ahluwalia on the charges of abetment to suicide under Sections 305 and 34 of the IPC.

The case was registered after an inquiry was conducted by DSP-2 Gurpreet Singh on the statement of Amarjeet Singh, father of the minor girl. The DSP confirmed the development and said the accused were booked under non-bailable sections and they would soon be held. A suicide note was recovered from the students school bag six days after her demise. The girls father handed over the same to the police.

With the registration of the case, the mystery surrounding her death has been solved and it is now confirmed that she committed suicide. She was found unconscious near government quarters in the Civil Lines area on October 25, the day she went to the school for rehearsals of the annual function. Her father had been accusing the school principal and two teachers right from the beginning.

The girls family first admitted her to a local hospital from where she was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. After struggling for life, she died at the PGI on November 7. In her suicide note, she had accused the principal and the two teachers of harassing her.

The principal could not be contacted as his mobile phone was switched off.

The development comes a day after Wing Commander C Deepak Dogra (retd), principal of Government Meritorious School, Ghabdan village (Sangrur), was booked on the charge of sexually harassing two Class XII girls. The police had registered a case under Section 354-A of the IPC and the POCSO Act after an inquiry committee had indicted the principal.
London

With the aim of contacting alien life, astronomers have sent a radio message to a neighbouring star system, one of the closest known to contain a potentially habitable planet.

The target star is GJ 273, also known as Luyten's star, a red dwarf in the northern constellation of Canis Minor, just 12 light years away, said researchers at Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International.

The star has two planets. One of them, known as GJ 273b, orbits within the its "habitable zone" and could potentially harbour liquid water, and perhaps life, they said.

By the calculations of the researchers, we could get a message back within 25 years.

"I think that is an unlikely outcome, but it would be a welcome outcome," Douglas Vakoch, president of METI International, was quoted as saying by 'New Scientist'.

The message was beamed from an antenna in Norway more than roughly eight hours over a three-day period in October, Vakoch said.

It begins with information about counting, arithmetic, geometry, and trigonometry, and includes a description of the radio waves that carry the message, as well as a tutorial on clocks and timekeeping, to see if any potential inhabitants of GJ 273b have an understanding of time similar to our own.

The message was sent on the anniversary of the "Arecibo message," a radio transmission beamed towards a distant star cluster in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

That message contained information on the planets of our solar system, the structure of DNA, a cartoon-like picture of what a human being looks like, and other basic information about the earth and its inhabitants.

However, the new message is simpler and may be more readily understood, Vakoch said. PTI
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 19

Former Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhayay has resented any move to include certain number of Uttar Pradesh villages that fall along Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border into Uttarakhand.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun, Kishore Upadhyay said that he had come to know that in the recent talks Uttarkhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have agreed to transfer some of Uttar Pradesh villages that fall alongside Uttarakhand into Uttarakhand.

If there is such a decision, it is important that Uttarakhand Chief Minister should make it public. It is equally important that the state government should take people of Uttarakhand into confidence and there should be general debate first before taking any initiative towards including Uttar Pradesh villages into Uttarakhand, Kishore Upadhyay pointed out.

Responding to a query, Upadhayay doubted that the construction work of an the all-weather road in Uttarakhand would be completed by 2019. The way the work is progressing at a snails pace, I doubt that all-weather road would be completed with its target completing period of 16 months, he observed.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 19

Senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy has called upon the people to come forward to safeguard their traditions and cultural heritage. He has also hoped for a clear BJP victory in 2019 parliamentary elections.

Dr Swamy was addressing a Virat Hindu Samagam, a national conference on Hinduism at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand today. He said the outside forces were trying to make our mentality slave like and asserted that it was the duty of each and every individual to safeguard our rich traditions and cultural heritage.

He said Hinduism was not just a religion but a way of life that lays emphasis on humanity and makes one understand the importance of cordial human nature relationship.

Parmarth Niketans Head Swami Chidanand Saraswati said the very ethos of Hinduism believes in treating entire world as one family. He said every ritual in Hindu religion had a religious basis. In his address, he also spoke on environment conservation. Swami Chidanand also presented Subramanian Swamy with the book - Encyclopaedia of Hinduism.

Later, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the conference, Dr Subramanian Swamy also asserted that the BJP would emerge victorious in the 2019 parliamentary elections. He asserted that BJP governments campaign against corruption was receiving widespread support from the people. He also held that a film like Padmawati was aimed at hurting the sentiments of Hindus.
San Francisco, November 20

Luxury US tech-giant Apple has been served with a search warrant for access to an iPhone SE which was used by the gunman who killed 27 people in a Texas church, the media reported.

The gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on November 5 and opened fire. He later killed himself.

According to a San Antonio Express-News report, Texas Rangers have served Apple with the warrant for data on Kelleys iPhone SE, seeking access to both local and iCloud information such as calls, messages and photos.

The iCloud feature is an optional service. Obtaining such records, if they exist, directly from Apple could aid authorities investigating the worst mass shooting in modern Texas history, the report said on Sunday.

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An Apple spokesperson said the company did not comment on law enforcement matters.

Kelley also had a second phone that had gone unmentioned by authorities--a low-tech LG 328BG.

Four email addresses belonging to Kelley have been discovered: thelifeofdevin@gmail.com, devinkelley1991@gmail.com, sevenup555@yahoo.com and kelleydevin1991@gmail.com.

Earlier, refuting the claims of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Apple reportedly said it offered to help the investigating agency in opening the attackers encrypted iPhone.

The FBI had said that it had been unable to access the encrypted iPhone used by Kelley.

The FBI and Apple have had strained relations after the December 2015 San Bernardino, California, terror attack when the company had refused the agencys request to help it unlock the phones of the attacker despite a court order.

In a statement, CEO Tim Cook had said the court order sought and obtained by the FBI would pose a serious threat to data security. IANS
Dhaka, November 19

Bangladesh announced on Sunday that it was seeking Chinas support in urging Myanmar to allow the more than 600,000 Rohingyas who fled sectarian violence in western Rakhine state to return.

Bangladesh wants China to create pressure on Myanmar to exp1edite the process of repatriation of the Rohingyas, a member of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry who did not wish to be named told Efe news agecy.

The announcement comes after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Bangladesh to meet his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mahmood Ali, on Saturday.

Wang, who left the country on Sunday, told Ali that as a friend China will help resolve the issue and will not be partial to any side, according to a Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry statement.

The statement said the Chinese leader stressed the importance of continued consultations and dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue. He acknowledged that Bangladesh is facing the brunt of continuing influx of Rohingya refugees.

Ali, meanwhile, said Bangladesh would continue its commitment to pursue a dialogue with Myanmar and find a solution to the crisis.

Bangladesh look(s) forward to Chinas support for the early return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar with dignity and safety, he said.

In its latest report released on Thursday, the UN Inter Sector Coordination Group estimated that 620,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Bangladesh since more than two and a half months ago.

The crisis erupted on August 25, after an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group on police and military checkposts in the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar.  IANS
Naypyitaw, November 20

China called for a ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine state so that Rohingya Muslim refugees can return from Bangladesh, proposing a three-stage approach to the crisis as diplomats from 51 mostly Asian and European countries gathered in Myanmar today.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmars Rakhine state.

Amid a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe, rights groups have accused the Myanmar military of atrocities, while foreign critics have blasted Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace prize winner who leads a civilian administration that is less than two years old, for failing to speak out more strongly.

On Monday, Suu Kyi opened an Asia-Europe meeting for foreign ministers that had been scheduled in Myanmar before the outbreak of the crisis.

Speaking in the capital of Naypyitaw on Sunday, having arrived from Dhaka, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed Myanmar and Bangladesh could work out a mutually acceptable way to end the crisis.

The first phase is to effect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Wang.

With the hard work of all sides, at present, the first phases aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war, it said.  Reuters
Washington, November 20

A prominent Indian-American, who holds a key position in the White House, has refuted the notion that US President Donald Trump is anti-immigrant.

First of all, I dont think that the rhetoric is anti-immigrant. I think its anti-illegal immigration, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said.

Shahs comments come days after a key Congressional committee passed a legislation that proposes to increase the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders from USD 60,000 to USD 90,000 and imposes a number of restrictions on the work visa that is popular among Indian IT professionals.

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The bill prohibits H-1B dependent employers from replacing American workers with H-1B employees, there are no longer any exceptions.

It also lengthens the no-layoff policy for H-1B dependent employers and their client companies for as long an H-1B employee works at the company, which means they cannot lay off equivalent US workers.

Shah said Trump was only trying to make immigration more merit-based and reform the legal system regarding it.

President Trump has put forward a pretty serious set of proposals on immigration; not just on enforcement but also about reforming the legal system to make it more merit-based right with ideas that work for the US economy and for the American worker, he said.

To ask for immigration to support the US economy, for asking for people who are coming here to be vetted for public safety or security threats, I dont think its a very big leap. I think its very reasonable. The public supports that, he added.

Shah slammed the mainstream media for the unfair coverage on the issue, which sometimes leaves the White House frustrated.

Theres a tone in the media on this issue which is not fair. The mainstream media is just not paying attention to and is not focused and not giving kind of credit where its due, he rued, asserting that in todays modern age, the president has many ways to get his message out.

He uses it very effectively with Twitter and other social media. He uses it very effective with public speaking with taking and when he does a question-and-answer session we always say look, the President is his own best messenger, he said. PTI
Nairobi, November 20

Kenyas Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta in last months repeat presidential vote, paving the way for him to be sworn in next week.

Chief Justice David Maraga said all six judges dismissed the two legal challenges to the vote. The opposition coalition NASA insisted the government was illegitimate.

Kenyattas main challenger, NASAs Raila Odinga, said in a statement by his adviser Salim Lone that the ruling did not come as a surprise and said it was a decision taken under duress.

Residents in the western city of Kisumu, where Odinga has strong backing, barricaded roads in protest at the courts decision, and police later fired in the air to disperse them, according to a witness.  Reuters
Wellington, November 20

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday played down suggestions that US President Donald Trump confused her with Canadian leader Justin Trudeaus wife at a summit in Asia last week.

Trudeau was supposedly making the introductions as Ardern attended her first major forum since taking office last month when Trump mixed-up the 37-year-old with the Canadian leaders partner Sophie.

It was reportedly several minutes before he realised his mistake at the East Asia Summit in Manila.

However, Ardern said details of the encounter had become muddled in the retelling and there was actually no confusion on Trumps part.

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She said a third party at the meeting of world leaders--who she refused to name--incorrectly thought Trump had failed to identify her and she later told the anecdote to friends back in New Zealand.

A version leaked publicly that was unflattering to Trump and the rookie prime minister said she would now have to be more careful when telling tales of her encounters in the corridors of power.

It was a bit of a funny yarn, something I dont want to cause a diplomatic incident over...I think I should never have recounted the story, she told TVNZ.

It comes after Ardern recalled another Trump anecdote from the Manila summit, when she was waiting to make her entrance at the events gala dinner.

Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, This lady caused a lot of upset in her country, talking about the election, she told newsroom.co.nz.

I said, Well, you know, only maybe 40 per cent, then he said it again and I said, You know, laughing, no-one marched when I was elected.

Large protests followed Trumps election last year but Ardern said the American leader took her riposte in good humour.

He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way--he did not seem offended, she said. AFP
Halifax, November 19

The top officer at US Strategic Command said today an order from President Donald Trump or any of his successors to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that order is determined to be illegal.

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, told a panel at the Halifax International Security Forum today that he and Trump have had conversations about such a scenario and that he would tell Trump he couldnt carry out an illegal strike.

If its illegal, guess whats going to happen. Im going to say, Mr President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? Hyten said.

And well come up with options with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works.

In the event that Trump decided to launch a nuclear attack, Hyten would provide him with strike options that are legal. The command would control nuclear forces in a war. The comments come as the threat of nuclear attack from North Korea remains a serious concern and Trumps critics question his temperament.

Trumps taunting tweets aimed at Pyongyang have sparked concerns primarily among congressional Democrats that he may be inciting a war with North Korea.

During testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee earlier this month, retired General Robert Kehler, who served as the head of Strategic Command from January 2011 to November 2013, also said the US armed forces are obligated to follow legal orders, not illegal ones. Hyten said hes talked it over with Trump.

I think some people think were stupid. Were not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it? he said. He said he would not obey an illegal order. You could go to jail for the rest of your life, he said.  AP
London, November 19

Gerry Adams has announced he is stepping down as President of Sinn Fein, once the political arm of the now inactive Irish Republican Army (IRA), after 34 years in charge of the party, a media report said.

In his address at the partys annual conference on Saturday, Adams said this will be his last year as its leader and that he will not be a candidate in the next elections, Efe news reported.

Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now. Adams noted that the party will hold a special meeting next year to elect his successor.

Adams, 69, a member of the Irish Parliament for Louth County, has been the President of Sinn Fein since 1983.

I have always seen myself as a team player and a team builder. Sinn Fein has achieved solid progress in the Republic of Ireland, according to the latest opinion polls. Mary Lou McDonald, 48, is considered the clear favourite to take Adamss place.  IANS
Paris, November 19

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesdays Independence Day celebrations and explain his situation, after his shock resignation announcement in Saudi Arabia sparked political turmoil.

Speaking after talks in Paris yesterday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would make known my position once back in Beirut.

As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon, he said, saying he needed to meet with President Michel Aoun before taking further steps.

Hariris announcement follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after his surprise decision to step down on November 4. His failure to return to Lebanon since then sparked rumours that he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials denied.  AFP
OKLAHOMA CITY  Retired Maj. Gen. Myles Deering is retiring as executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs effective Jan. 31, Gov. Mary Fallin said Monday.

Deering also will step down then as secretary of veterans affairs on the governors executive Cabinet.

When he retires, Deering will have served more than 46 years in the military and in public service.

His more than 43 years of military service include serving six years under two governors as Oklahomas adjutant general.

He was named executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs in February 2015.

Before being appointed as both secretary of veterans affairs and executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Deering served as Oklahomas adjutant general from February 2009 to February 2015.

Prior to becoming adjutant general, Deering commanded the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from December 2004 to November 2008.

During that time he commanded Task Force Oklahoma in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He was subsequently appointed as Task Force Orleans commander, responsible for after-hurricane recovery and security efforts in New Orleans.

In 2007-08, Deering led the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams deployment to Iraq, where he served as the commanding general of Joint Area Support Group  Central in Baghdad.
Not a day goes by, it seems, without a Tulsa leader saying the city needs to retain and attract young professionals if its ever going to grow and prosper.

So how about this for a news flash: This weekend, 57 young, successful people  most with little or no knowledge of Tulsa  came flying in from the coasts to check out our fair city.

A South Africa-born, Los Angeles-based architect. A bio-tech company co-founder and filmmaker currently based in New Jersey. A Tulsa native who worked in the White House and is now entrepreneur in residence at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

They were all in town. And 54 other success stories. But why make the trip? Theyve got it going on in much larger and  many would argue  much better cities.

So why Tulsa? David Finer, CEO of Fabricut Inc., thinks he has the answer.

They (young people) know cities just above us in size and scope like Austin, Nashville, Kansas City. I am not even talking about the major cities, Finer said. Tulsa, they have no clue. They just dont know of it.

When people get here, they think its a great place.

With that in mind, Finer and about a dozen friends and business associates decided to do something to ensure that as Tulsa continues to grow and thrive, so too would the citys Jewish community. What began then as a word-of-mouth, one-person-at-a-time campaign to sell Tulsa has become Tulsa Tomorrow, a nonprofit with a waiting list for the next weekend visit.

We wanted it (the Jewish community) to grow and expand as Tulsa is, but we have expanded our efforts to a total populace, Finer said. Its not exclusionary. People are coming here this weekend who are not Jewish and want to consider Tulsa.

Michael Basch agrees  and he should know. The New York-based serial entrepreneur and investor, as he describes himself, played a large role in putting this weekends gathering together.

Local foundations are picking up the tab for the three-day event, which included a walking tour of the city, a breakfast at the Woody Guthrie Center, visits with Mayor G.T. Bynum and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist, and a tour of A Gathering Place for Tulsa park.

On Friday afternoon, the visitors gathered at 36 Degrees North to meet with Tulsans who share their passions, whether it be health care, education, government or entrepreneurship.

We are very interested from the point of view of making a difference in these cities that have had a lot of young people leave and bring them back by creating interesting opportunities and making a difference on the ground, Basch said.

Basch, 33, visited Tulsa for the first time in September after a friend who had moved here from Dubai called to tell him some good things were happening in the community. It took more than one call from his friend and a whole lot of arm-twisting before he would come visit, Basch confesses.

I was born in San Francisco, raised in Los Angeles, lived in New York, London and Tel Aviv with a stint in Madison, Wisconsin, Basch said. Tulsa wasnt quite next on my list at the time.

But after a brief visit, he left feeling there was something more going on than meets the eye that his friends in big cities on the coast might just find appealing. The key, he said, is that young professionals need to know that the opportunities that drove them to big cities in the first place  good jobs and the opportunity to create and innovate  exist in heartland communities like Tulsa.

I think that there is a group of us that feels like if there is local interest to bring those opportunities and build those companies and have that level of civic innovation and entrepreneurship here in Tulsa and prove the model that we could actually create a community of that kind here, there is an interest in folks that might come from the coasts and actually take part in that, Basch said.

Chloe Lob, the Los Angeles architect, said her only real memory of Tulsa is not really a memory of Tulsa at all. During a trip across country six years ago, she traveled Route 66 and stopped in Catoosa.

I hung out in the Catoosa whale, and I was like, Wow, this is awesome, Lob, 31, said. This is Tulsa.

Now she knows better and said shes been impressed by Tulsas arts and cultural scene, but more than anything, it was the people who wowed her the most. Its just been very humbling. People are invested in not just showcasing what their city is, she said. There is just like personal investment here. Its a people place.

Guy Seemann, the biotech company co-founder and filmmaker, said he was impressed by community leaders willingness to embrace the work and ideas of young professionals like himself. It is important to him, he said, to be able to make a difference in the communities where he lives.

The willingness for them to be open to accepting people and solutions that I want to bring in, for example, that is way more open here than almost anywhere I have been, he said.

Seemann, 32, didnt just heap praise on Tulsa. Like a couple of other Tulsa Tomorrow participants, he mentioned the need for Tulsa to get direct flights to major U.S. cities. And hes still not sure about the citys nightlife.

There is not a great big nightlife in Tulsa, he said. I am young and want to still continue that lifestyle. If it doesnt exist, it would also hinder my decision.

Andrew Stroup, 32, grew up near Sand Springs and went to school at Oklahoma State University. He has lived in several major cities and worked in the Obama administration for two years as a tech director. These days, he lives in New York City, where he is entrepreneur in residence at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Every time he comes home, he said, hes surprised by Tulsas growth.

Each time I come back, I am always interested and intrigued by the evolution that Tulsa goes through, the progress it makes, he said.

So would he come back to Tulsa to live? The question elicits an understandably complex answer, but he is quite definitive when it comes to explaining the benefits of a program like Tulsa Tomorrow.

Bringing in outside people to provide a perspective, I think, is very key to sustaining that model of stimulating growth. ... If you think about it, there are 50 people here. It would be great if, lets say, five of those moved to Tulsa in the next two years, Stroup said.

But even beyond that, the idea of them being able to walk away and to have context and understanding and perspective on Tulsa that they never would have had otherwise, and allowing them to share that in their own circles, where they are all influencers in their own space and industries, I think is important.
Paris Saint-Germain have smashed the record for most goals in a UEFA Champions League group stage, taking their tally to 25 despite losing their final fixture at Bayern.

Unai Emery's team had set a new mark on matchday five following their 7-1 home win against Celtic, attacking trio Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe all scoring as the French side recovered from falling behind inside 60 seconds. Having won their earlier outings 5-0, 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0, Paris duly raised their average to 4.8 goals per game in Group B. That figure slipped to 4.17 after the 3-1 defeat in Munich on matchday six, yet their overall 25-goal haul is still four more than any other club have ever managed.

The previous record of 21 belonged to Borussia Dortmund, and Paris have also bettered Napoli's UEFA Europa League best of 22 (though Benfica's 29 goals in the 2015/16 UEFA Youth League remain the record for a six-game UEFA club group).

Most goals in a group

25 Paris Saint-Germain 2017/18

21 Borussia Dortmund 2016/17

20 Manchester United 1998/99

20 Barcelona 2011/12

20 Real Madrid 2013/14

20 Barcelona 2016/17

19 Barcelona 1999/2000

19 Real Madrid 2011/12

19 Real Madrid 2015/16

19 Bayern Munchen 2015/16

Paris nonetheless missed out on another record after losing at Bayern  even if they did at least hold onto top spot in Group B thanks to a superior head-to-record with the Bavarians, with whom they finished level on 15 points.

Striving for perfection

Only six teams had ever won six out of six in a UEFA Champions League group stage. It was a target in Parisian sights after five successive wins in their section, including a 3-0 against Bayern, but they were denied a sixth in Munich. Manchester City (goal difference +10) are still in contention to join this elite band.

Highlights: Paris 7-1 Celtic

100% group stage records

Real Madrid (2011/12) +17 goal difference

Real Madrid (2014/15) +14

Spartak Moskva (1995/96) +11

AC Milan (1992/93) +10

Barcelona (2002/03) +9

Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95) +9

Keep it tight at the back

Alphonse Areola had conceded just once before letting it three on matchday six AFP/Getty Images

No side had ever gone through a group stage without conceding, and on matchday five in Paris, Celtic's Moussa Dembele ensured this statistic stayed intact with a quick-fire strike. The closest any club had come was in 2010/11 when Manchester United lasted until 32 minutes into their final group fixture  and Valencia's Pablo Hernandez blotted their copy book. Ten teams have let in only one goal, which was the case for Paris before they shipped three in Germany.

Fewest goals conceded in a group

1 AC Milan 1992/93

1 Ajax 1995/96

1 Juventus 1996/97

1 Juventus 2004/05

1 Chelsea 2005/06

1 Liverpool 2005/06

1 Villarreal 2005/06

1 Manchester United 2010/11

1 Monaco 2014/15

1 Paris Saint-Germain 2015/16
| By Alex Likowski

When we engage with one another and really deliberately try to find a way to be a part of something bigger, that is when we are at our best, said University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD. His audience of nearly 200 UMB alumni gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Nov. 9 to hear insights and opinions from New York Times columnist Frank Bruni.

Sitting beside Bruni, Perman set the stage for an evening billed as Politics and the Media in the Age of Trump. It took less than a minute for Bruni to draw laughter from the audience as he shared the stress of being a journalist these days. Theres something about the metabolism of the news today and the metabolism of this presidency that I feel like Ive lived a week by 8:30 a.m., he said, adding, I am shocked that from the moment he [President Donald Trump] took office until the present day he has never decided that maybe my behavior should be a little less splenetic.

Serving as moderator, Perman walked Bruni through many of the issues of the day, beginning with so-called fake news.

New York Times Columnist Frank Bruni, UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, and alumni at the National Press Club.

With each passing week we learn more about the extent to which fake news, political disinformation, played a role in the 2016 election including the widespread manipulation of popular social media platforms, Perman said. Im curious, what do you believe is the responsibility among companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google to patrol their platforms and weed out sources of disinformation?

They designed Facebook, they designed it to addict you. They designed it to eat up all of your time. They designed it brilliantly so you would get these constant affirmations and validations that would keep you coming back, Bruni told the audience, referencing a revealing recent interview with Sean Parker, one of Facebooks co-founders. Hearing that, how can we now expect them to do this very difficult and high-minded thing where they actually try to mold and monitor their social platforms so that they actually in a civic-minded way that actually protects our democracy?

The audience seemed particularly hushed by Brunis blunt answer to a question about gun control.

Id like to ask you whether you think that substantive changes to gun policy, gun manufacturing, ammunition manufacturing, are now possible in the U.S. or when, Perman said.

I do not think theyre possible, Bruni answered quickly. Not in the near future, because to believe theyre possible, whats that definition that insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result? To keep predicting that one of these mass shootings, because there have been so many of them, is going to be the prompt is that kind of insanity.

This is on voters as much as it is on politicians, he continued. Politicians vote and make decisions to survive. If enough of them believed that their inability to or their unwillingness to support gun control would end their careers in Congress sooner, they would vote differently. Voters have not sent them that message.

Following Permans questions, alumni continued to probe Bruni about the president, low Democratic voter turnout, and sexual harassment.

Help us separate the man from the policies, because many people say hes [President Trump] a terrible individual but we love his policies, asked one audience member.

Although outrage over Trump is prevalent among Democrats, Bruni answered, Americans have a history of separating the person from the policies.

I thought a lot over the last month about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and impeachment, Bruni said. Bill Clintons behavior, whether you thought it was an impeachable offense or whatever, was execrable, and yet very few Democratic feminists turned on him. They separated the man from the fact that he was a better messenger for them.

Another member of the audience expressed a fear that Democrats werent alone in experiencing low voter turnout in 2016, and that even more Trump supporters may turn out in congressional elections next year.

I do worry about some of the people who sat it out, Bruni agreed, sharing insights he gained at the January 2017 Womens March, which was largely motivated by Trumps election. There were probably people at that march from Michigan, from Pennsylvania, from Wisconsin, who bought a plane ticket or rode a long distance and went to that march, and I salute them for that. Thats great. But I bet you some of them didnt vote. If they dont vote in 2018 I think we need to rewrite the criminal code, he said, sparking another round of laughter and applause.

One of the most talked-about issues in national news recently  sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, on Capitol Hill, and across the nation  was brought up at the end of the evening.

Whats happened I think is revolutionary, Bruni told the audience. I think we are at a tipping point because enough women have spoken out that I think they have really, really chipped away at the fear that women have of speaking out. I think women now are more likely to be believed than disbelieved. And I dont think the culture will ever be quite the same.
credit: Pinellas County Sheriff(CLEARWATER, Fla.) -- A deputy's dashcam captured the moments when a small plane crashed onto a road in Clearwater, Florida, Sunday morning.



As seen in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office's dashcam footage, the single-engine plane is flying low over the road and suddenly banks to its left, soaring right over the deputy's squad car.



Two deputies responded within seconds of the plane's crashing onto the road. Luckily, according to authorities, the pilot who owns the plane and his passenger were able to walk away from the crash.



Fortunately, no bystanders were injured, either.



The plane is a four-seater 1975 Rockwell International 112A fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft, according to ABC affiliate WFTS in Tampa.



The sheriff's office said the pilot and his passenger took off from Clearwater Air Park earlier that morning and went to Zephyrhills, which is about 50 miles away. The pilot told authorities they were returning to the Clearwater Air Park when "something went wrong." The plane went down about half a mile away from the air park.



Deputies say the pilot thinks an engine problem was to blame, but no official cause has not been determined yet.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Kristin Davis meets Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh  UNHCR/Andy Hall

Images and b-roll available.

Marking the United Nations Universal Childrens Day today, 20th November 2017, the internationally acclaimed actress and Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR Kristin Davis is calling for global attention and funding to provide more life-saving aid for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh.

Davis, speaking today with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, at the end of a visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, said: For me, the most shocking part of the Rohingya refugee crisis is the number of children who have had to flee their homes. Over half of the refugees in the camp are children. Some of them have lost one or both parents and they are on their own. These children have faced unimaginable horrors and chaotic violence and then a harrowing journey to safety. They are in need of everything including the very basics of shelter, water and food. I cant imagine going through what these children and their families have gone through, much less having the strength, resilience and extraordinary bravery these children possess.

This is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world and seeing the impact of this emergency on children is devastating, Davis continued. But there is hope. I have been witness to the fact the UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, along with the Bangladeshi Government and its partners, are working around the clock to ensure refugees are safe, sheltered, and protected. UNHCR is also delivering life-saving services and assistance including clean water, shelter, blankets, cooking sets, tarpaulins, to the remotest of locations. But there is so much more to do and more international support is desperately needed.

The fact is that more funding, more donations, will save lives. Governments, the public, private sector, businesses, we all need to do what we can to help and donate now to support the Rohingya refugees, Davis added.



The Rohingya are a stateless minority in Myanmar. Since violence erupted on 25th August 2017 in Myanmars northern Rakhine State, over 600,000 people have fled to Bangladesh. Children make up 54 percent of the total population; women 52 percent. Many others are elderly refugees requiring specific protection.

In a recent family counting survey of over 170,000 families, (over 740,000 individuals) the UNHCR teams found that so far:

5,677 (3.3%) of the households were headed by children

More than 4,800 households (2.8 per cent) include separated and unaccompanied children

One-third of the refugee families are highly vulnerable.

As many as 14 per cent of families are composed of single mothers holding their families together with little support in harsh camp conditions.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has additionally deployed more than 100 specialized staff to this crisis and has airlifted some 1,500 metric tons of aid to Bangladesh since 25th August, including tents, plastic sheets, blankets, kitchen sets and jerry cans. More aid is being moved by sea.

Louise Aubin, UNHCRs Senior Emergency Co-ordinator based in Coxs Bazaar, Bangladesh, said, UNHCR's first aim is to support the Government of Bangladesh in receiving, protecting and providing lifesaving assistance to the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. Their families and communities have been torn apart and they are in desperate need of the most basic services - like medical assistance, food and shelter. We are here to help the refugees rebuild their lives and for this we need international support and funds to respond to the massive humanitarian needs here.

UNHCR requires US$83.7 million to respond to humanitarian needs in Bangladesh until the end of February 2018 in order to meet the acute needs of children, women and men fleeing conflict. UNHCRs response is currently less than half funded.

www.unhcr.org/donatenow

Notes to editors:

Internationally renowned actress Kristin Davis became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR in 2016.

Kristin has championed the work of UNHCR and the plight of refugees in media appearances, fundraising events and through social media activism.

In 2014, Kristin travelled to northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with UNHCR. There she met with families from South Sudan who had been displaced due to conflict and violence. She listened to the difficulties they had endured in leaving everything they had behind in order to reach a safe environment.

After her visit, Kristin filmed a moving piece about a young woman named Fiona, a Sudanese refugee, for World Refugee Day. The video was used as a Public Service Announcement (PSA) reaching over 300 million people.

In December 2016 Kristin visited Rwanda to meet with displaced families from Burundi and the Congo. Kristin visited them again in 2017 after they had resettled, this time, in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, USA.

Kristin has this week been in Hong Kong to attend two high level events for UNHCR once again supporting fundraising work. She used the opportunity of being in Asia to visit Bangladesh and see for herself the life-saving work being done by UNHCR for the Rohingya crisis in order to raise awareness and support fundraising efforts.

Family Counting Exercise in Bangladesh, more information:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, completed the first phase of Rohingya refugee family counting in early November. More than half a million refugees from Myanmar had been counted. The exercise, conducted jointly by UNHCR and Bangladeshs Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), took place in the Kutupalong camp, makeshift and extension areas and Balukhali makeshift areas and is now extending to further south. Going from shelter to shelter, more than 100 UNHCR-hired enumerators have gathered data (as of November 19th 2017) on 172,032 families (745,135 individuals).

In an innovative and revealing family counting exercise, UNHCR teams found that one-third of the families are vulnerable. As many as 14 per cent are single mothers holding their families together with little support in harsh camp conditions. Others are struggling with serious health problems or disabilities. There is also a high proportion of elderly people at risk, unaccompanied and separated children  some of them taking care of younger siblings. Children made up 54 percent of the total population; women 52 percent. Most of those counted (72 per cent) arrived in Bangladesh after violence erupted in Myanmars northern Rakhine state in late August, whereas the remaining sought refuge in Bangladesh prior to the latest influx. The majority (70 per cent) came from Maungdaw township, with smaller numbers from Buthidaung and Rathedaung.

The mobile data collection was designed in such a way that data can be collected with GPS even when the team has no network coverage. As soon as the mobile device is on the network, the collected data is automatically uploaded to a secure server. This design has allowed UNHCR to collect the necessary data and consolidate, analyse and visualise it quickly. The RRRC-UNHCR exercise will quickly extend its coverage further south into Teknaf in the coming weeks. The geo-tagged data of each family and the barcoded RRRC Family Counting Card has given a shape to Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh in terms of demography and location.

The design and methodology of this family counting exercise are somewhat unique in UNHCR's emergency registration history. Because the refugees are still on the move and site zoning is still in progress, the enumerators visit their shelters individually, meaning that refugees do not have to queue to be counted. The information collected in this ongoing exercise will be useful not only for UNHCR and the Bangladeshi authorities but also for all humanitarian partners in their planning and 'interventions' for the benefit of the refugees.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

In Coxs Bazar, Mohammed Abu Asaker, [email protected] , +880 18 7269 9849

, +880 18 7269 9849 In Coxs Bazar, Mitra Salima Suryono, [email protected] , +880 19 0620 0363

, +880 19 0620 0363 In Geneva, Duniya Aslam Khan, [email protected] , + 41 79 453 25 08

, + 41 79 453 25 08 In Geneva, Andrej Mahecic, [email protected] , + 41 79 642 97 09



For enquiries about Goodwill Ambassador Kristin Davis please contact:

Sarah Epstein, Global Goodwill Ambassador Programme, [email protected] , +44 (0) 7572 601088

(Please note Kristin Davis is not available for immediate interview)
Two labourers dies in landslide 16 Nov 2022 | 11:47 PM Shimla, Nov 16 (UNI) Two migrant labourers died Wednesday afternoon after an under-construction wall caved in over them at Bada-Khaich village of Dharmpur Subdivision of Solan district, senior police officer confirmed. During the construction of St Mary School Kasouli building, three persons came under the debris. see more..

Giving lessons of Hinduism to Gaddar MLAs is a joke: Danve 16 Nov 2022 | 11:46 PM Aurangabad, Nov 16 (UNI) Maharashtra Legislative Council opposition leader Ambadas Danve on Wednesday criticized BJP's training in Hindutva lessons that it is ridiculous that the BJP would teach the lessons of Hindutva ideas of Hindu leaders Balasaheb Thackeray and Veer Savarkar to separatist traitors (Gaddar) MLAs. see more..

Big investment in Aurangabad industrial sector in future: Fadnavis 16 Nov 2022 | 11:43 PM Mumbai, Nov 16 (UNI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday asserted that the state government will provide all necessary support to provide industry-friendly environment required by the industries and entrepreneurs are coming forward to invest heavily in Aurangabad and various parts of the state in the coming time and it will boost employment generation. see more..

Telangana will witness a Congress wave in 2023 elections: Cong 16 Nov 2022 | 11:42 PM Kamareddy, Nov16 (UNI) Former Minister & ex-Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Wednesday claimed that Telangana would witness a wave of Congress party in the next Assembly elections in 2023. see more..
New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) Space Commission and Chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman AS Kiran Kumar on Monday said innovations are shaping the Space Industry and the endeavour should be to provide access of advantages of space to common people.



Inaugurating the International Seminar on Indian Space Programme: Trends and Opportunities for Industry, Mr Kumar said, The technological innovations have undergone a giant leap with the passage of time. The development and progress of the country is directly dependent on the strides made in the sector of space growth.



A two-day seminar is being organised by ISRO, Antrix Corporation Limited (the commercial arm of ISRO), in coordination with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).



The objective for this conference is to deliberate on the best practices, pursue the ongoing discussion process to support further work of India's Space Sector and facilitate arriving at coherent framework, wherein India's Space Sector can start expanding the domestic and global opportunities through enhanced partnerships and collaborations.



Further, he emphasised the vision and objectives enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be achieved, with progress in Make in India and Start-up and Stand-up India initiatives.



He said the industry and stakeholders in the space sector value-chain can play a pivotal role in providing the necessary fillip to the advancement of country.



Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) president Naoki Okumura said the collaboration of India and Japan is multi-dimensional in aspects related to exploration of space science, collaboration among space industries of both countries; promote research communities for their scientific endeavour and development of centers of excellence in space infrastructure projects.



Vitaly Safonov, Deputy Director General, JSC Glavkosmos, Russia said the scope of collaboration of space industry is promising.



He said that India and Russia have excellent bilateral relations in political, cultural and diplomatic level and the space collaboration is another step in defining the growing relations between the two countries.



UNI ASH RSA 1755
Published: November 20, 2017

Sykes College of Business Named One of the Best Graduate Business Schools by Bloomberg Businessweek

The University of Tampas Sykes College of Business has been named again as a best graduate business school by Bloomberg Businessweek in its annual ranking of 85 full-time U.S. MBA programs.



The ranking was based on data compiled from more than 1,000 recruiters, 10,000 alumni and nearly 10,000 recent graduates.



Ranked 78th, the Sykes College of Business did particularly well in surveys of alumni and current students. Only two other Florida business schools  the Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida (48) and the University of Miami School of Business Administration (58)  were included in the ranking.



The full ranking can be accessed at www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-best-business-schools.



The Sykes College of Business offers both undergraduate and graduate coursework. Graduate students can pursue an MBA, as well as Master of Science degrees in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance and marketing. There are joint M.S./MBA degrees, as well as part-time, full-time and executive MBA programs.



Dean Frank Ghannadian said the Sykes College of Business attracts students from around the globe and is renowned for graduating students who make immediate impact in the business community and within their countries.



It is a big deal to be ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, Ghannadian said. Im proud of all the business students who work extremely hard to reach their goals, faculty who are outstanding teachers and scholars, and the vibrant business community that supports the College of Business every day, Ghannadian said.



Ghannadian added that numerous businesses recruit annually at The University of Tampa, including T. Rowe Price, Citigroup, Syniverse Technologies, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Franklin Templeton Investments.



Within an 80,000-square-foot facility, the College of Business offers state-of-the-art resources such as the Huizenga Family Foundation Trading Center and more than 1,300 data ports and Wi-Fi for high-speed access. It is also home to the Center for Ethics, TECO Energy Center for Leadership, Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy and the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center.



The Sykes College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is one of the few business schools in the Southeast accredited at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
(Nov. 20, 2017) -- Climate change is a topic that is debated, doubted and covered by news outlets across the world. Luis Hestres, in the Department of Communication at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), is researching the evolution of climate change activism and how advocacy groups use digital platforms to mobilize.

Hestres and Jill Hopke, assistant professor at DePaul University, co-authored Internet-Enabled Activism and Climate Change, which was recently published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia on Climate Change Communication. In the article, the collaborators describe how the landscape for climate change advocacy has transformed due to technology.

In some cases, digital communication technologies have simply made the collective action process faster and more cost-effective for organizations, said Hestres. Groups are using digital platforms to self-organize and expand their reach.

Hestres said digital communication technologies make it easier for members to connect remotely and reduces the role for traditional methods of collective action, like face-to-face meetings.

The UTSA researcher says the shift in collective action and climate change advocacy began in the mid-to-late 2000s with 350.org, the Climate Reality Project and the Keep It in the Ground campaign, which depended on the Internet and other digital platforms to gain traction.

Created in 2007, activists and journalists started 350.org, its most successful campaign aimed to block the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline project. After protests, writing letters to senators and other online efforts, President Obama rejected the permit to build the pipeline in 2015.

Part of 350.orgs success is its effective use of online tools to spur action at its rallies and events, says Hestres. For example, following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the organization rallied supporters to challenge President Donald Trumps support for fossil fuels and to fight against fossil fuel infrastructure. In April 2017, 350.org lead its second Peoples Climate March, the first being in 2014, and used social media to mobilize supporters.

The non-profit organization, Climate Reality Project, was established in 2011 after the joining of two environmental groups founded in 2006 by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Climate Reality Project uses online advertising to drive messages related to its anti-fossil fuel and climate change activism efforts. Its website is used to recruit volunteers for its Climate Reality Volunteer Corps. Since its establishment, Climate Reality Project has trained nearly 8,000 people from more than 120 countries who deliver presentations around the world about the effects of climate change and ways to combat it.

The third example, the Keep It in the Ground fossil fuel divestment campaign, was launched in March 2015 by British newspaper The Guardian to keep fossil fuels where they belong: in the ground to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. In 2015, the publication partnered with 350.org to work on a digital campaign to recruit supporters passionate about its mission to urge governments around the globe to take action on climate change. In its first six months, the campaign received support from more than 226,000 online petitioners.

Activists are trying to figure out how to be more effective while using social media in an era when photos and videos are more important than ever, said Hestres. This trend is already changing the types of advocacy efforts reaching decision makers. That in turn may impact the policies they are willing to consider and adopt on issues related to climate change.

Hestres plans to expand on his research by studying the types of audio and visual communications used by activists as well as the effectiveness of their digital strategies during Donald Trumps presidency in the United States.

He predicts climate change advocacy campaigns will continue to navigate changes to the digital media landscape and will most likely continue utilizing heavily visual media to promote their advocacy efforts supporting polices to respond to climate change.

Hestres studies the intersections of digital communication technologies, political communication and mobilization, Internet freedom and governance and social change. His research has informed the advocacy and social media and digital media production courses he teaches for the UTSA Department of Communication, which prepares students for careers in digital communication, public relations and related fields.

UTSA is ranked among the nations top four young universities, according to Times Higher Education.
Update (Nov. 21, 2017) -- Prior to the start of classes this morning, university officials found and removed an unauthorized political banner on the Main Campus responding to the banner found last week. An active investigation of the incident is underway.

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(Nov. 19, 2017) -- Last week, an incident occurred at UTSA that was intended to divide the Roadrunner community. We want you to know what we know, and to affirm our complete and total rejection of the hatred and intolerance this incident tried to promote.

Late in the dark of night on Tuesday, Nov. 14 or early morning, Wednesday, Nov. 15, a banner was placed on the University Center bridge espousing white nationalist views. A photo was taken and posted on social media. When UTSA staff arrived at work at 7:15 a.m. on Nov. 15 and spotted the banner, they promptly removed it before most students arrived on campus.

The extremist group associated with this banner posted another photo on social media claiming to be a second location at UTSA. In fact, there was only one banner placed on campus. The second photo shows a building with a brick composition that is not found at UTSA.

The same group is targeting other universities around the country using similar messages with the intention of provoking people. Just days before the UTSA incident, it claims to have targeted Northwest Vista College in San Antonio and others across the United States.

There is no reason whatsoever to suggest our students were involved in the UTSA incident. UTSA students are very proud to be at a university whose principles and values are based on inclusion, diversity, tolerance and respect.

We recognize the right of free speech and believe a college campus is the ideal setting for students with differing opinions to engage each other in thought-provoking conversation and different perspectives. At the same time, we unequivocally reject the message of hatred and intolerance.

Over the weekend, university officials worked very closely with student leaders, including SGA President Marcus Thomas, to coordinate a response to the situation. We also received many emails and social media messages from concerned students. Thank you for your quick response affirming that UTSA is a community united against hate.

President Taylor Eighmy and UTSA leadership are fully engaged in this situation and stand with our students in supporting the principles that make UTSA such a welcoming community.

We encourage more campus dialogue and remain united in our shared belief that hate will not divide the Roadrunner community.
UW Endowed Professor Shares Online Teaching Advice with Inside Higher Ed

Leigh A. Hall

It can be easy for students to not feel connected in an online environment -- particularly in classes that arent conducted live. When you dont have any personal interactions, or even see faces, it may not seem like there is anyone listening to you.

Leigh A. Hall, Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chair Professor in Literacy Education at the University of Wyoming, shared her advice on how to build relationships with students and help them overcome the feeling of isolation in an online learning environment with Inside Higher Ed.

If we want online learning to be truly interactive, then part of our job as teachers is to foster communities where students can become connected, she explains.

Inside Higher Ed is the leading digital media company serving higher education.

Wyoming is well-known for the great distances between places and, for some students, online courses might be the best option for them to gain high-quality education. For this reason, it is important for teachers in Wyoming to learn how to connect with these students to better understand their lives and hardships. This understanding will aid teachers in helping students reach their educational goals.

Hall suggests online teachers facilitate courses using platforms that allow the students to see one another and the instructor. Providing a face-to-face setting online can reduce the students feeling of isolation, as well as provide them a peer support network. Strong student-to-student relationships help them feel comfortable sharing ideas, as well as giving and receiving peer feedback.

Using multiple modes of communication can help foster community in the classroom. Hall has found that creating short videos explaining what the class will be learning and what activities the students will be doing each week provides another opportunity for the students to see the teachers faces and hear their voices.

I believe the use of video in online courses is a tool that can effectively build community, communicate information and help increase comprehension of difficult concepts, Hall says. For many students, it is easier to comprehend complex concepts when they are explained through a video instead of just reading about the concept in a textbook.

Sometimes, the most important thing a teacher can do doesnt involve technology, Hall says. Simply making time to connect with each student to see how he or she is doing and provide encouragement can be an effective way to meaningfully engage. Teachers should make a goal to reach out to a few students each week. Hall suggests creating a spreadsheet to schedule and track interactions to ensure that nobody is left behind.
UW Holiday Market Returns Dec. 1

The University of Wyoming Holiday Market will return Friday, Dec. 1, with a new sponsor and at a new venue.

Staff Senate sponsors the market, which runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

Staff Senate is pleased to host the Holiday Market this year, says Rachel Stevens, Staff Senate president. We know that its a very popular event both on campus and in the community, so were happy to do our part. We have a great lineup of vendors, and we know that visitors at the market will not be disappointed by the quality and variety of local and handmade items that are offered.

More than 50 vendors will offer for sale a wide assortment of products, including baked goods, home decor, handmade craft and holiday items, clothing, jewelry and childrens books. The market also will feature door prizes and refreshments.

In addition, Staff Senate will sell place settings of vintage UW catering china. All proceeds will support the UW Staff Scholarship fund.

This is a one-time opportunity to own a piece of UW history and support a good cause at the same time, Stevens says.

Free parking will be available in A and C spaces in the lots directly north and east of the Performing Arts Center from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Metered parking also will be available. In addition, attendees can use the free shuttle service. For more information about campus parking and shuttle services, visit www.uwyo.edu/tps.

UW President Laurie Nichols has granted two hours of release time for UW employees to attend the market. The scheduling of release time should be a collaborative discussion between employee and supervisor to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the unit.

For more information about the Holiday Market, call Kathy Kirkaldie, UW Fine Arts coordinator, at (307) 766-2160 or email kirisk@uwyo.edu.
UWs Benkman, Gomelsky Named AAAS Fellows

Two University of Wyoming researchers have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the worlds largest general scientific society.

They are evolutionary ecologist and ornithologist Craig Benkman, professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, and the Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology; and Mark Gomelsky, professor in the Department of Molecular Biology.

Benkman is being honored for distinguished contributions to the field of evolutionary ecology, particularly for long-term and continuing studies on the ecological and biogeographic processes underling evolutionary diversification.

Gomelskys honor is for discoveries of light-controlled bacterial signal transduction pathways, and for fundamental work on the role of the second messenger cyclic di-GMP in controlling bacterial pathogenesis.

They will receive the awards during the AAAS annual meeting Feb. 17 in Austin, Texas.

Benkmans primary research focuses on the processes that have contributed to the adaptive radiation of a group of conifer-seed-eating birds called crossbills. This is where species all deriving from a common ancestor have, over time, diversified into multiple species as a result of natural selection.

To date, Benkman is credited with 93 publications appearing in such journals as the American Naturalist, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Letters, with over 4,200 citations of his publications. He has garnered more than $1.5 million in federal and private funds. He received the E.O. Wilson Naturalist Award from the American Society of Naturalists in 2014 in recognition of his research contributions.

Benkman came to UW in 2004 from New Mexico State University, where he was a faculty member for 11 years. He was a postdoctoral fellow at both the University of British Columbia and Princeton University; received his doctorate from the State University of New York-Albany; a masters degree from Northern Arizona University; and a bachelors degree from the University of California-Berkeley.

Gomelsky joined the UW Department of Molecular Biology in 1999 as an assistant professor and became a full professor in 2011. His research focus includes bacterial signal transduction, synthetic biology, optogenetics and metabolic engineering. Gomelsky and members of his interdisciplinary team specifically are looking for ways to use bacteria and the bodys own immune system to fight cancer. Earlier this year, he received the 2016 Jack Kenney Award for Outstanding Service from the Journal of Bacteriology.

In 2016, two papers by Gomelskys laboratory were nominated by the editorial board members of Journal of Bacteriology to represent the 100 most influential papers published in this journal since 1916. The Gomelsky papers published in 2005 helped open a new field in bacterial signaling.

Gomelsky received a Ph.D. from the Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms in Moscow, Russia; and his masters and bachelors degrees from the Moscow Institute for Chemical Technology. He did postdoctoral research at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. The AAAS, founded in 1848, includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, and serves 10 million individuals. The association also publishes the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org).


Carole Fisher, president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice, announced that the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation provided a $570,000 grant to help fund the Nathan Adelson Hospice, Elaine Wynn Palliative Care Program.

The goal of the Elaine Wynn Palliative Care Program (EWPCP) is to improve the quality of life for patients and their family members facing debilitating physical, emotional, and social issues associated with an advanced illness. This program provides a unique and innovative interdisciplinary approach to care coordination across settings. As the expert in hospice and palliative medicine in Southern Nevada since 1978, Nathan Adelson Hospice is the best organization equipped to address such an important matter in our community.

We are very grateful for the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundations generosity. The donation will help to improve the quality of life for patients and their families, Fisher said. Contributions like this help thousands of community members in a variety of ways.

Palliative care is a rapidly growing medical specialty aimed at improving quality of life for people with serious illness and their families. Although palliative care is associated with better quality of care and lower costs, access to it is currently limited mostly to hospitals and, for those who are dying soon, hospice. Making palliative care available to the larger population of the seriously ill who are receiving care in the community settings where they live, is the single largest opportunity to improve value in the U.S. health care system. Patients and families coping with serious illness want and need access to the quality of life that palliative care provides. This donation will decrease unnecessary suffering and improve the quality of life for our communitys most fragile by providing:

Expert management of pain and other symptoms

Guidance for patients and their families in developing a personal, patient-centered plan of care based on true understanding of disease management and progression, treatment choices, and the right to advocate ones personal interpretation of quality of life

Coordination of care with health care providers, insurance companies and other community resources

Emotional support and clinical guidance for patients and families

Opportunities for families to better understand decision-making challenges and communicate their choices to their loved ones before a healthcare crisis

Team-based planning

Assist with transition to hospice care when the patients prognosis is limited and life expectancy is less than 6 months

Nathan Adelson Hospice has designed special programs and services for patients and their families to ensure their needs are met, many of which are supported by donations and grants:

Complementary therapies that include symptom-relieving creams, aromatherapy, pet therapy, massage, Reiki, and art therapy.

Camp Erin is an annual bereavement camp for children who have lost a loved one.

The Meal Delivery Program delivers meals to homecare patients and their caregivers through a partnership with Three Square, the Southern Nevada Food Bank.

The Nathan Adelson Hospice Transportation Program ensures patients and families timely transportation.

The Families in Need Program helps patients and families who need support with everyday necessities, ranging from household supplies to assistance with utility bills to obtaining non-perishable food items.

Pet Peace of Mind is a program that utilizes volunteers to help patients and/or caregivers with their pets by providing transportation to veterinary and grooming appointments.

The Hispanic/Latino Program strives to provide the most culturally competent care to Latino patients and their families by ensuring properly trained interpreters, bilingual staff and volunteers, materials that are transcreated for Latino populations, Spanish grief support groups and community partnerships to increase access to hospice care to a traditionally underserved population.

The We Honor Veterans program strives to ensure the special needs of veterans are met through respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment.

Comprehensive pediatric program for ages of newborn-18.

The Jewish Hospice accreditation provides resources to better serve Jewish patients who are terminally ill.


Thirty-five nonprofit organizations will spread holiday cheer as they compete in Boyd Gamings third annual tree-decorating competition, Trees of Hope. Boyd Gaming is awarding more than $40,000 in this years competition to charities participating at seven properties in the Las Vegas Valley.

In one of our most celebrated events of the year, Trees of Hope demonstrates our Companys culture of giving back to the communities we call home, said Marianne Johnson, Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President, and Chief Diversity Officer of Boyd Gaming. We look forward to the opportunity to applaud many of the charities that make Las Vegas such a wonderful community.

Over the past two years, Boyd Gaming has donated more than $55,000 to Southern Nevada-based charities through Trees of Hope. Originating 10 years ago at Boyd Gamings Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel in Vinton, La., Trees of Hope is a nationwide tree-decorating competition benefitting nonprofit organizations in the communities served by Boyd Gaming.

On Monday, Nov. 27, participating charities will decorate their trees at Aliante, California, Cannery, Gold Coast, The Orleans, Sams Town and Suncoast. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 17, the public is invited to visit each property and vote for their favorite charity. Each Las Vegas Valley property will award a $5,000 prize pool to participating charities, including a first-place prize of $2,000. Winners will be decided by public vote at each property. A Boyd Gaming Players card account is required to vote on property.

For the first time, the community can also give their favorite tree a second chance to win by voting for it online on the Boyd Gaming Facebook page (@BoydGaming) beginning Tuesday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 17. The social media contest will award an additional prize pool to the top three performing charities valleywide with a $2,500 first-place prize, $1,500 second-place prize and $1,000 third-place prize.

Confirmed participants in the 2017 Trees of Hope are: Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa

(On the casino floor near ETA Lounge)

Childrens Heart Foundation

Horses 4 Heroes

Leaders in Training

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Vegas Las Vegas

Trauma Intervention Program of Southern Nevada California Hotel and Casino

(On the second floor, across from the gift shop)

American Red Cross

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada

P.A.W.S. (Providing Animals with Support)

St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation

University of Hawaii Alumni Association & Friends Cannery Casino Hotel

(Near the casino valet entrance)

FIRST Nevada

Keep Memory Alive

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Street Dogz

USO Las Vegas Gold Coast Hotel and Casino

(On the casino floor, near the Cornerstone entrance)

Disabled American Veterans

Las Vegas Rescue Mission

Nevada Blind Childrens Foundation

Olive Crest

Wagging Tails Rescue The Orleans

(Near Medley Buffet entrance)

9th Island Cultural Club of Las Vegas

Nevada PEP

Operation Warm Heart

Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation

The Public Education Foundation Sams Town Hotel and Gambling Hall

(Second floor, near the Bingo room)

Adams Place

Desert Divas for Dogs

Habitat for Humanity

Lutheran Social Services of Nevada

Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada Suncoast Hotel and Casino

(Skywalk to the parking garage)

Boy Scouts of America, Las Vegas Area Council

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada

Helping Hands of Vegas Valley

Hero School Initiatives

Pawtastic Friends

While people of all ages are welcomed to view the Trees of Hope displays, guests must be 21 or older to cast a vote. Additionally, guests must have an active Boyd Gaming Players card account to cast a vote on property. Membership is free and available at the Players Club. Voting opens at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28, and will remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17. Swipe at any kiosk daily at participating properties to cast your vote. Voting is limited to one vote per account, per property, per day during the contest.

The public is invited to follow the event and support their favorite charity on social media using hashtag #TreesofHopeLV.
The latest issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine, titled Vietnams Key Regions and Economic Zones, is out now and currently available to subscribers as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Publication Store.

In this issue:

Why Location Matters for your Vietnam Operation

Assessing Vietnams Key Economic Regions (KER) in 2017

Adding Value with Industrial Zones

Business leaders that are internationalizing their company must first examine where they can locate their operations. China, the traditional hub for Asia bound investment, is quickly shifting from a low-cost hub for manufacturing towards high-end production destination with a thriving middle class. Countries within Southeast Asia, on the other hand, are emerging as the replacement for basic manufacturing and assembly. Amid this shift, Vietnam has become the standout for investors.

Vietnam is a much different market from China, presenting a unique set of challenges for investors. Growing rapidly from a relatively low economic base, each area of the country presents a unique set of conditions for investment with both opportunities and constraints. Seasoned investors and new entrants to Asia alike find that Vietnams cities and regions can each present unexpected challenges, and leave projects without resources if pre-market entry due diligence is not conducted.

In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we discuss the importance of location to investments and outline the factors that investors should consider when evaluating potential sites for establishment within the country. We highlight Vietnams four key economic regions, analyze the differences between these locations, and finally highlight the important role that industrial zones can play in overcoming some of the drawbacks common to the Vietnamese market.

Dezan Shira & Associates has a growing team of pre-market entry specialists throughout Vietnam providing our clients with years of combined experience assisting foreign enterprises to navigate the nuances of the Vietnamese market and effectively select optimal locations for investment. For questions on how to assess investment requirements, compare locations for establishment, and leverage the power of industrial zones in Vietnam, please contact us.

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 Vietnam 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam. Compiled by Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, this guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, payroll, and social insurance in this dynamic country.



Managing Contracts and Severance in Vietnam

In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we discuss the prevailing state of labor pools in Vietnam and outline key considerations for those seeking to staff and retain workers in the country. We highlight the increasing demand for skilled labor, provide in depth coverage of existing contract options, and showcase severance liabilities that may arise if workers or employers choose to terminate their contracts.
GE has turned itself into a digital industrial company and a pioneer of Industry 4.0 for more than a year now. Could you share how GE started this process and what outcomes it has created so far?

For GE, the Industrial Internet refers to the integration of physical machines with networked sensors and software. In simple terms, our Industrial Internet technologies collect data from machines, analyse them and make recommendations on how to optimise the use of these machines - the combination of technology, curating vast quantities of data, and predictive analytics can have a profound impact on the efficiencies of a plant, and result in significant savings.

For example, a 1 per cent increase in efficiency of aluminium smelter operations can contribute to an annual global savings of $970 million across the total cost of production, $936 million in output increase, and $464 million in operations and maintenance costs.

GEs Industrial Internet push began as an internal project in 2011 to understand how to use data from GE machines to gain more efficiency from our assets. From this experience, we saw the opportunity to do the same thing for our customers, and we created GE Digital in 2015 as the business unit to take this forward. Today, this business delivers applications in Asset Performance Management (APM) and Field Service Management (ServiceMax) to drive value for customers, powered by Predix  GEs platform for the Industrial Internet.

Just a month ago, GE and Apple announced the partnership to create industrial apps on the Predix platforma new Predix software development kit (SDK) for iOS, which gives developers the tools to make their own powerful industrial Internet of Things (IoT) apps. What does this mean for GEs customers and the industry as whole?

Predix is our operating platform for the industrial internet. Just as consumer platforms such as iOS and Android support innovative app developers, and have created thriving app marketplaces, Predix aims to do the same for the industrial internet. Predix is a platform for industrial app developers to create, publish, and monetize their ideas, and contribute to an ecosystem that drives a new wave of industrial productivity and information-based services.

The partnership between Apple and GE further supports this drive  the partnership provides developers with the tools to make their own powerful industrial IoT apps. Feedback from our industrial customers reveals that they increasingly need to empower their workforces through mobility, and working with Apple we are giving them access to powerful apps that help them tap into the predictive data and analytics of Predix on their iPhone or iPad.

The Haiphong facility generates close to $500 million in annual exports

Digitisation is accelerating not only in other developed countries but also developing countries including Vietnam. What are the lessons learnt from the process of applying digital technology to manufacturing and business operations?

New technologies, and digital capabilities, are driving transformational change and we see this everyday day with our customers, across all the industries we do business in.

And the digital revolution is not just happening in advanced, mature markets, but also emerging nations who understand the value, and benefit of adopting digital solutions. We believe managing this change is one of the most critical decisions for companies, and countries alike.

Based on our experiences, and observations so far, the roll-out of new tech, automation, and robotics must be supported by an investment, and commitment from companies to train and involve employees throughout the transformation. This enables companies to not just survive  but thrive - in this new era.

What advice would you give Vietnamese enterprises to take advantage of the global digital transformation trend to improve their competitiveness?

Vietnams manufacturing sector is evolving, and modernising, and its great to see this change being led by both local and international companies.

As with any transformation however, digital industrial transformation takes time and its important to build foundations for sustainable growth. For example, its imperative that all stakeholders help shape IoT sector policies. Policy and regulatory development should receive as much attention and action, as high-profile initiatives such as infrastructure development, technology implementation, education, and smart city plans.

Given Vietnams stage of development, and the support from private and public-sector players, I believe Vietnam is well positioned to advance its digital industrial journey. My positive view is based on the many presentations I listened to, and the discussions I had, during the APEC Vietnam 2017.

Its also based on GEs experience here with the opening of our Brilliant Factory in Haiphong last year. Run by our Vietnamese management team, the factory showcases GEs latest digital industrial solutions and plant optimisation capabilities and its making a major impact on all fronts  especially economically. This facility now exports manufactured parts, particularly for renewable energy, to Europe, the United States and China worth more than $500 million since inception.
While the spectre of automation hovers over the future of industrial production, GEs factories have shown how the future can work with the past. With re-skilling practices in place, robots can increase, not replace, workers productivity.

In the report, these nations  called the Mighty 5 or MITI-V  represent a potential new China in terms of labour, agile manufacturing capabilities, favourable demographic profiles, and market and economic growth. But what will be the impact of technology on these new manufacturing centres?

The rise of robots, automation, and additive technologies will impact manufacturing industries in both higher- and lower-cost countries, creating tensions through new potential jobs losses. Addressing these real concerns over automation and the future of work has been the focus of discussions at the APEC Economic Leaders Week in Danang.

The potential economic and real human impact is enormous. By connecting machines and drawing insights from the ensuing data, the Industrial Internet could add $10 trillion to global GDP over the next 20 years. We estimate this impact is at least twice as great as the consumer internet. The challenge for governments and business leaders alike will be harnessing this profound change to deliver benefits to the society and people.

Across the globe, countries and companies have demonstrated that they can benefit from new technology, while also securing high-impact, high-value jobs for their citizens. What we are seeing is that they are not eliminating jobs as people often fear, but are changing the jobs that workers are doing and bringing manufacturing into a sustainable future.

A recent study by McKinsey found that half of all activities in the workplace could be automated by 2055, but that any productivity gains will rely on people working alongside machines. Success in this new context will not be determined by working more cheaply, but by working more intelligently.

Highly automated factories

Tapping into this enormous opportunity will require new ways of working, and of thinking about work.

GE has a unique advantage here. Our 125 years of industrial know-how combined with digital expertise has acquired us in-depth understanding about the physics and the digital side of industrial assets as well as the structure of workplaces. To see how robots can and will transform manufacturing, let us take a look at two GE factories and how they are handling the integration of new technology.

At GE, our factories vary widely in age. Our Bromont factory in Canada has been part of our company story for decades  and then we have new facilities like Haiphong in Vietnam, which we opened in 2011. What is the common equation across all our manufacturing operations? Investing in technology and workforce development in equal measure.

We support up-skilling, reskilling, and changing mindsets to let employees take control of their systems and processes. In other words, we train our employees to manage robots and automation, not to resent them.

Our newer facility in Haiphong does about $500 million in annual exports, making it a significant contributor to the Vietnamese economy. When things are going well, it is easy to get comfortable and stop innovating, but Haiphong gave themselves a couple of bold goals for the future: phasing out manually-intensive labour, paperwork, and non-value-adding jobs, along with eliminating waste and optimising manufacturing processes. To achieve this, they have put in place welding robots, crane-free operations, and moving line manufacturing. Using digital tools to help welding increased efficiency from 12 to 30 per cent, while smart torque improved quality control in manufacturing and increased productivity by 5 per cent.

Bromont, while a much older factory, has a similar robotics story. They introduced robots in their facility back in the 1990s, and now have 180 robots in place to do 50 million repetitive tasks that humans used to do by hand. By introducing robots, they have also been able to reduce their cycle time and scaled from making 4,500 aircraft engine parts in 1983 to more than 3.3 million parts in 2017  while also increasing employee numbers. The factory has also witnessed a significant decrease in incidents with increased automation. Overall, Bromont has become one of our most productive sites and a hub for advanced robotic processes, software applications, and intellectual property that is exported around the world.

The biggest change in both locations, however, has taken place in employees minds. In Haiphong, operators can identify and tackle waste. Engineers can analyse data and make decisions to improve safety and quality. Maintenance can anticipate servicing and spare parts, while management can make more timely decisions. Overall productivity at the Haiphong factory has increased by 20 per cent. While in Canada, a participative management culture greatly contributed to the gains in Bromont. None of this would be possible without empowered employees who can see firsthand that technology can help them and will not take over their jobs.

Employee-robot relations

Whether we are looking at our operations in Vietnam, Canada, or elsewhere, it is important to note that the change in management required for robotics and automation has been participatory. Employees have not been replaced: they now manage robots and production lines.

In order to make this possible, employees were involved in every stage of process improvement and production planning.

Where facilities were once dominated by manual tasks, we now have production that only involves skilled labour. These changes in both technology and working practices underline why the next phase of manufacturing will involve a race to the top  and robots.

Technology will have a defining impact on the entire manufacturing industry, in established and emerging locations.

The critical decision for both companies and countries is how they manage this change. It will be companies that do not simply roll out the robots, automation, and other technology, but train and involve employees in this transformation who will survive  and thrive  in this new era.

By Wouter Van Wersch President andCEO of GE ASEAN and ANZ
The Minister told the first annual Vietnam Real Estate Forum in Hanoi this week that the markets growth had made significant contributions to the countrys socio-economic development.

Upbeat signs have been seen in the market index. Property inventories have fallen sharply due to growing housing demand, while the flow of direct and indirect foreign investment into the sector has soared, he said.

The property markets recovery has also bolstered the financial-securities market and other related industrial sectors, such as construction and building materials, the Minister said, predicting that resort properties would also continue to develop.

However, he said the market had displayed a lack of transparency. Further, parts of the real estate market had been manipulated by those with vested interests.

Most investment in property projects had come from credit institutions, banks and by mobilising home buyers.

The structure of property products has not been suitable or closely managed. The supply of high-end estate segments has been higher than demand, while there has been a lack of commercial and social housing projects, the minister added.

In addition, he said, State management agencies had not developed policies to respond to changes in the market. Also, he claimed the Government had not had adequate policies regarding taxes, credits and land, to regulate resources for market development, and had not encouraged social housing projects.

Nguyen Tran Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA), agreed, saying that the estate market would be more stable next year.

Statistics indicate that Hanoi has some 20,000 apartments for sale. In total, the capital and HCM City have 45,000 to 50,000 apartments that are offered for sale in the market, while consumption results in only 30,000 sales per year.

Therefore, the market has enough apartments to meet current demand, Nam said, adding that there is no speculation in the market.

Nguyen Trong Ninh, director of the ministrys Department of Housing Management and Real Estate Market, said the property market continued to see stable growth, including in resort properties at Da Nang, Nha Trang  Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc  Kien Giang, which were attracting investments from local and foreign investors.

Credit in estate under control

Outstanding loans in the property sector are in line with the Governments orientation and the markets real demand. By the end of July, outstanding loans in the sector rose 4% from last year. Property loans account for 9% of the countrys total outstanding loans.

The portion has been stable since 2013. The loans in the estate sector have focused on apartment projects, which are suitable for peoples demand, said Nguyen Quoc Hung, director of the Credit Department under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

In addition, the central bank has asked credit institutions to actively resolve bad debts, especially in the property sector. The bad debt rate in the sector was sharply reduced from 7.05% in 2013 to 4.06% in 2017.

Hung said the SBV would continue to stabilise the monetary market, while closely supervising credit in the estate sector to ensure effective and sustainable credit growth.

He proposed to continue renewing and improving planning, while shortening the time for approving social and commercial housing projects. Meanwhile, policies for these new types of properties, such as condotels and officetels, should be completed.

He said the Government was also on guard against speculation-driven growth in the market. Further, banks will not issue loans worth more than 70% of a project to property developers, and investors must use the loans to invest only in the project for which they received the loan.

Economist Le Xuan Nghia said he believed that financing for social housing projects has been challenging, as it mainly comes from bank loans instead of non-profit or Governmental resources.

Bank loans should not be a long-term solution, as they cause pressure on the banking sector. I think the Ministry of Construction should study experiences from other countries in mobilising resources. This could include the establishment of a fund for social and inexpensive housing projects, he added.

VNREAs vice chairman Nguyen Manh Ha said social housing projects have been mostly located in big cities, such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The projects should be set in locations that are not too far from the city centres, and receive support through tax breaks.

Ha said establishing the fund could be difficult, as low and middle-income residents would likely be unable to contribute to the fund. Deep-pocketed donors would need to step up.

The issue is that each locality should have their own solution to resolve the problem, he said.

The forum, organised by VNREA in co-operation with the financial-economic channel VITV, is a large event that will assess the real estate market in a comprehensive manner, from commodities and segments to housing-related issues, such as land, finance, credit and tax.
URC is taking its products made in Vietnam to Asia, the Middle East, and Africa

At this years exhibition, URC Vietnam introduced our best products, which have long been favoured by consumers across the region, said Laurent Levan, president and general director of URC Vietnam. On this occasion, we were also pleased to announce Universal Robina Corporations (URC) investment in a central laboratory for our Vietnam facilities for 2017 to 2019. This significant investment will continue to raise our safety and quality standards to an even higher level than the industry benchmark, equipping us well to boost URCs Made in Vietnam quality products for export to the global marketplace.

Underscoring the companys passion and commitment to quality and excellence, URCs central laboratory project will further elevate its capabilities on product quality assurance and product data analysis across all its manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.

All URC factories in Vietnam are also certified for the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System and ISO 22001 Food Safety Management System standards. These international accreditations are renewed every three years, with periodic reviews conducted by international agencies to ensure consistent practice and compliance. Furthermore, URC aims to acquire the FSSC 22000 Food Safety Certification for all its facilities in Vietnam, with the VSIP 1 Beverage and Food Plant 1/2 and Hanoi Beverage Plant scheduled for December 2017 and VSIP 2 Coffee Plant for 2018.

Apart from its efforts to enhance quality control capabilities, URC Vietnam is actively engaged with potential customers around the world to continue exporting more locally-produced food and drinks beyond its existing eight foreign markets, making Vietnam better known in the global marketplace.

Since establishing operations in Vietnam in 2003, URC has become one of the countrys leading players with popular brands such as C2 green tea, Rong Do energy drinks, Cream O biscuits, Dynamite candies, and Jack n Jill snacks, among others.

We are delighted to see URC showcased alongside well-known Vietnamese and global food and beverage companies, said Philippine Department of Trade and Industry Commercial Counsellor Enrico Mariano. Furthermore, URCs participation in the expo highlights its strong presence in the Vietnamese market, transcending from being a popular Philippine brand to one that is well-loved by Vietnamese consumers.

URC continues to expand its reach, establishing itself as an Asian multinational with full-scale operations in eight countries outside the Philippines, and with plans for emerging markets like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. URCs products are also exported to mainstream markets in the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East, and to frontier markets in West Africa such as Ghana and Nigeria.

URC is a leading food-and-beverage producer and the first Philippine pan-ASEAN multinational with a presence in Southeast Asia and Oceania. It is the biggest subsidiary of JG Summit, one of the largest and most diversified Philippine conglomerates, as well as one of Nikkei Asia Reviews Top 300 Asian companies.

JG Summit has business interests in air transportation, banking, food manufacturing, hotels, petrochemicals, power generation, publishing, real estate and property development, and telecommunications. Through its various subsidiaries, JG Summit serves consumers and customers in the Philippines as well as in Southeast Asia and Australasia.
What the parasites in a defector's stomach tell us about North Korea
Responding to a question on the status of US troops present in Syria, the

US Defense Secretary, James Mattis, declared that his country had a UN

guarantee to chase out the Islamic Emirates (Daesh) from Syria.

And following this, he declared that US troops in Syria would not be

withdrawn until the Geneva Process was complete, the purpose being to avoid

Daesh from returning.

The constitutional government of the Syrian Arab Republic has repeatedly

denounced the illegal presence of US troops in Northern Syria and the

establishment of US forces on the Syrian-Iraqi border and in the South.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, participated in a meeting

of his political party (the Likoud), he declared that he is opposed to the

US-Russian Peace Plan for Syria.

He cited news published by the BBC that Iran has been authorized to set up

a permanent military base at Damascus (see the satellite photos below).

Israel made a request for Iranian troops to commit to keeping at least 40

kilometres from the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire line.

The Israeli request appears all the more odd for the following reason:

since March 2011, Tel-Aviv has been actively supporting the jihadists and

has not stopped providing them with arms and air support. In contrast,

Iran has fought the terrorists resulting in blood loss of more than a

thousand of its men. It would be astonishing if, having lost this war by

proxies, Israel might still have the power to impose its conditions.

It would seem that Russian Minister of Defense, Serguei Choigou,

qualified this demand as unrealistic, account being taken of Israels

illegal occupation of Syrias Golan plateau.

The United States and Russia would be in agreement on a neutral zone, only

15 kilometres away from Golan.

Mr Netanyahu has declared to his audience that the Israeli army had

reserved for itself the right to intervene in Syria for its security

needs.

Photographs of the base of El-Kiswah, situated 14 kilometres from South

Damascus
The world has been keeping an eye on China for the past 40 years, with adulation and anxiety. Last month, Western mainstream media outlets including the US Time, Frances Le Monde and Germanys Der Spiegel chose Chinese characters or pinyin for their cover headlines, showing the world that "China won;" China, a rising power; and "China: The Awakening Giant."

Der Spiegel used "xing lai" (wake up in English) as its cover headline to echo its article "The Awakening Giant." On the one hand, it declared that China had become an awakening giant and US President Donald Trumps visit to the country this month was a "kowtow" to China, or even a farewell tour to hand over the leadership of the world.

On the other hand, Der Spiegel urged the West to wake up as soon as possible and unitedly respond to a rising China. Unlike in the past, the German magazine admitted that China had made noticeable achievements on many fronts. However, these achievements were interpreted as threats of value and system to the West, another version of the "China threat" theory.

When the Western media used the "China threat" theory in its propaganda, they thought China would not rise so quickly. But now, they see an increasingly powerful China that has crossed the threshold of a superpower and is outpacing the West on many fronts including politics, economy, technology and culture. Der Spiegel displays a mind-set that believes China and the West will always confront each other.

Some Western elites shuttle between the "China collapse" theory and the "China threat" theory to choose a perspective to observe Chinas development, leading to creative titles and themes: as for the economy, Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, posed a question in 1995 - "Who Will Feed China?", claiming growing Chinese demand will "place new strains on world food supply already stretched to the limit." The reality is that China not only fed its huge population, but also fed the world with over 30 percent contribution to current global economic growth.

As for the system, there were once arguments on who will rescue China that has an "unsustainable economy." Moreover, it was said that only by following the Western political system can China actually become a developed country. But it turned out that hardly any country which undertook reforms urged by Western elites could develop well. Instead, such countries suffered setbacks or even came to the brink of collapse. Even the West has realized that its system is not only unable to save China but is itself under scrutiny.

The West is reluctant to see an increasingly confident China unwaveringly pursue its own path. As a result, the voice of "who will fight against China" is getting increasingly louder among the Western media. All hopes are placed on the US and its president.

However, Trump, with his "America First" thinking, seems to have no interest in the ideological preferences of Western elites. Hence, angry Western elites portrayed Trump as a president "kowtowing" to woo China.

In order to bring Trump back to the fight against China, they portrayed Chinas development and mightiness as a threat to the West, naturally to the US, attributing new meanings and intentions to the upgraded the "China threat" theory.

Its normal for the West to misunderstand China as they have different values. The Western elites berating China may need to seek wisdom from their predecessors.

If history has it right, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte once predicted Chinas rise and warned British envoys not to conquer the country but seek mutual benefit. Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt also warned that the West did not have the right to accuse China of going its own way. Instead, it should show respect for this ancient civilization and its modern reforms and development, and never mistake China.

The error in judging China puts the West in an ideological trap. Instead of drawing wisdom from its reform and development program, the Western elite have a confrontational mind-set and try to hinder Chinas development. It may be a temporary setback for Chinas development, but cannot affect the general direction of the development.

The new version of the "China threat" theory is meant to stir up trouble, especially to provoke China and the US to go on a confrontational course. If the conspiracy succeeds, the world will be immersed in chaos. China doesnt need to care about the new threat theory or collapse theory. Development is of overriding importance.
On 13 November, the non-recognized Republic of Somaliland is

organizing a presidential election that the Western Press has presented as

exemplary.

A public debate between the three candidates was organized. Social networks

have been interrupted during the election to prevent the broadcasting of

fake news and the call to voting along tribal lines.

The Presidential Election was first forecast two years ago. As for the

recent legislative elections, plans for them date back to 2005.

Somaliland was being propped up by Israel which set up here, together with

Saudi Arabia, a joint military staff against Yemen. But the country is in

the process of regressing and coming once again under the control of its

former colonizer, the United Kingdom, and is being bought by the United

Arab Emirates.

The United Kingdom is supervising the elections. Note: it has set up a

system of voter-identification by iris.

The United Arab Emirates is in the process of building its first military

base abroad. This base should be complete next year. At the same time,

Dubai Ports World is restructuring the Berbera port, next to Djibouti

port and facing Aden Port (Yemen); two ports which it already controls.

These three installations guarantee its surveillance of the Bab-el-Mandeb

Strait. The Emirates is also building a route linking Berbera to Ethiopia

and is developing several educational and humanitarian projects.
Ican, the latest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is wrong to think that

the Italian MPs of the government majority had been committed to convince

their Nato partners to give up nuclear weapons. The fact of the matter is

that the commitments the Nato member states make are purely formal: it is

the atomic bombs that form the basis for their security.

Nato has traditionally been flexible for the wishes of its members, and

open to opt-outs from specific policy areas, such as nuclear planning:

so declares an article that appeared on the Ican website [1]. Ican is an

international coalition of non-governmental organizations which has quite

deservedly been honoured with the Nobel Prize for Peace 2017.

This article would imply that Italy would have Natos permission to

become a party to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

More than 200 Members of Parliament from most Italian parties have

signed the ICAN parliamentary pledge and thereby committed themselves to

work for the signature and ratification of the nuclear ban by the

Italian Government. The largest group of signatories comes from the main

governing party, the Partito Democratico.

Therefore it would be an Italy which  after violating the Non

Proliferation Treaty by hosting US nuclear weapons and getting ready to use

US nuclear weapons  is now, thanks to an initiative headed by Pd

parliamentarians, ready to sign and ratify the UN treaty. This treaty at

Paragraph 4, establishes:

Each State Party that has any nuclear weapons in its territory,

possessed or controlled by another State, shall ensure the prompt removal

of such weapons. [2]

It would then be an Italy that, thanks to a flexible Nato, removes

from its own territory the US B 61 nuclear bombs and refuses to station on

its territory the new B61-12. An Italy that inches further away from the

group of countries that  establishes Nato  provide air planes

fitted out to transport nuclear bombs, over which the United States

maintains its absolute control, and staff trained for this purpose; an

Italy that, remaining part of Nato, withdraws at the same time from the

Nuclear Planning Group of member states chaired by the United States.

Furthermore, the article adds,

Italy is willing to play a leading role within NATO in clarifying that

there is no inherent contradiction between the North Atlantic Treaty and

the prohibition of nuclear weapons / Italy is now well-positioned to

advance the conversation on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear

Weapons within the NATO alliance.

It would thus be an Italy that, as well as bringing about its own nuclear

disarmament, would promote Natos denuclearization. But Nato is an

alliance that, in the strategy adopted unanimously (i.e. by Italy as well),

considers strategic nuclear forces, particularly those of the United

States, the supreme guarantee of security.

We are not questioning the good faith of those who published the article on

the basis of the information obtained. However we say quite categorically

that an Italy and Nato of this type do not exist. The battle that has to be

faced to implement the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is a

tough one. The obstacles placed in the way of fulfilling the treaty

objectives are gigantic. Such objectives emanate from the powerful and

pervasive interests of the military-industrial complex that stretches over

the entire Nato area.

The Italian government, together with the other 28 states of the North

Atlantic Council, has wholly rejected and attacked the UN treaty. For this

reason, the PD Parliamentarians, that have signed the Ican commitment

together with M5S MPs and others, should lead a political battle against

their own government and their own party from the front line, against

weaponizing (nuclear weapons as well) Nato once again. Who is available,

demonstrate your desire to do it.

However that is not enough. Disarmament is not a subject for those

representing the works but it must become everyones business . So

says Father Renato Sacco, the National Coordinator of Pax Christi Italia

(il manifesto, 11 November). We need a mobilization from the bottom,

from civil society but also from the parishes and Catholic communities, to

push the government to sign it.

Italys parliamentarians spearhead efforts to ratify ban treaty,

Ican, October 25, 2017.
The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods.
Commissioner Receives Queen's Police Medal

Commissioner of Police Eddie Yome received his Queens Police Medal (QPM) from HRH Prince William Duke of Cambridge at an investiture ceremony held at Buckingham Palace on Friday 10th November 2017.

Commissioner Yome was awarded his medal earlier this year in the Queen Birthday Honours list.

Previous forms of the award have been known as the Queens Police and Fire Service Medal, Kings Police Medal or Kings Police and Fire Service Medal. The current form of the medal was created by Royal Warrant in May 1954. There are two versions of the medal; the Queens Police Medal for Distinguished Service which is the more common form of the award and the Queens Police Medal for Gallantry. The latter of which may be awarded posthumously.

Commissioner Yome has served a total of 44 years in the Police Service, commencing his career in 1973 as a Police Cadet with the Royal Gibraltar Police, then known as the Gibraltar Police. In 1984 he relocated to the UK with his family and continued his police career with Thames Valley Police, with whom he served for 4 years and carried out various roles. In 1988 he returned to Gibraltar and the Royal Gibraltar Police with whom he has served the rest of his career and has been promoted through the ranks. He was promoted to the rank of Commissioner in 2012.

Commissioner Yome wishes to thank the men & women of the Royal Gibraltar Police without whom this accolade would never have come to fruition. He says I went up through the ranks to make a difference and hopefully I have achieved this.

Commissioner Yome will be retiring in April 2018 and the selection process for his successor is already underway.
Photo: Curzon Film Distributors

While Call Me by Your Name owes many of its achievements to the work of Luca Guadagnino, much of its DNA develops from the script the director co-wrote with James Ivory. Ivory  a longtime director, writer, and producer  helped found Merchant Ivory Productions, which released a series of thoughtful films, mostly literary adaptations, from the the 1960s through the 2000s. You may have watched them in an English class or two, and probably not appreciated them at the time, dammit.

The international triumvirate leading Merchant Ivory through its heyday consisted of Ivory, Ismail Merchant, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Ivory, an American, directed most of the films. Merchant, who was born in India and met Ivory after moving to New York for university, produced them. Jhabvala, who was born in Germany and educated in England before moving to India in the 1950s and starting a career as a novelist (she adapted her novel The Householder into the script for Merchant Ivorys first film), wrote them. With the deaths of Merchant amd Jhabvala in 2005 and 2013, respectively, Ivory, who continues to work, remains the sole surviving member of the trio. If Call Me by Your Name whets your appetite for well-acted, sensual films about beautiful people who have thoughts about art, here are five more Merchant Ivory films to check out. (Sadly, none of these are currently streaming for free, but would it kill you to spend a little money on art?)

Shakespeare Wallah (1965)

One of the trios first collaborations, Shakespeare Wallah stars Geoffrey Kendal and his daughter Felicity in a fictionalized version of their real-life theatrical troupe, which performed European theater while touring around India. Directed by Ivory and produced by Merchant, Shakespeare Wallah was written, like many Merchant Ivory films, by Jhabvala, and focuses on the uneasy relationship between Britain and India, before and after colonization. Madhur Jaffrey steals the movie as Manjula, the overdramatic Bollywood star, a rival with Felicity Kendals Lizzie Buckingham over the dreamy Sanju (Shashi Kapoor).

A Room With a View (1985)

Merchant Ivory broke out into wider critical and commercial success with this adaptation of E.M. Forsters novel, set in Italy and Edwardian England. Helena Bonham Carter is totally winning, to be very British about it, in her first feature film role, as the impulsive young Lucy Honeychurch, with Maggie Smith as her mother and Julian Sands as a swoopy-haired love interest. Come for the gorgeous costumes, stay for the heartfelt look at what it means to fall in love.

Maurice (1987)

Ivory co-wrote this film with Kit Hesketh-Harvey, based on Forsters novel about a gay man, which he considered too daring to publish until after his death. James Wilby stars as the titular Maurice, who becomes infatuated with his Cambridge classmate Clive Durham, played by an excellent and, when he needs to be, infuriating Hugh Grant. A rare gay romance with a happy ending (a key reason Forster was so hesitant to publish), Maurice has only grown in acclaim since it was released. If Call Me by Your Name leaves you longing for another stately gay love story, watch Maurice.

Howards End (1992)

Jhabvala wrote this adaptation of Forsters novel  Merchant Ivorys third Forster film  which centers on two idealistic sisters (Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter) who get entangled with a landed family (led by Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Hopkins). The actors are all at the top of their games. The fabrics are sublime. The emotions are restrained and yet pained. Everything you could want in a period literary drama.

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Ivory, Merchant, and Jhabvala reunited with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins to adapt future Nobel-winner Kazuo Ishiguros Remains of the Day. The novels a perfect Merchant Ivory subject, in that it is about a butler with a lot of feelings, but no good way of acting on them. Thus, much of the film relies on the subtlety of the actors, trapped within gorgeously and meticulously appointed sets, struggling to break free.
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Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Following recent allegations of sexual misconduct, PBS has decided to cut Al Frankens appearance from its upcoming television special honoring David Letterman. A representative for PBS told Variety, PBS and WETA, the producing station, felt that the inclusion of Senator Franken in the broadcast at this time would distract from the shows purpose as a celebration of American humor. Every year, this program is edited for both length and content to keep it entertaining and focused on its intended purpose as a celebration of American humor.

Franken, who was a comedian and a Saturday Night Live cast member before becoming the junior senator of Minnesota, was one of several high-profile celebrities who paid tribute to the former late-night host last month at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The special, The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Salutes David Letterman is set to air November 20 at 8 p.m.

Last week, radio host Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of groping and kissing her without her consent while on a USO tour in 2006. Tweeden detailed her experience and tweeted a picture of her sleeping while Franken had his hands on her breasts. Since Tweeden went public, Franken has apologized and welcomed an ethics investigation into the matter. Some fellow funny people, however, were not impressed: Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert mocked his apology on their respective programs, and SNL offered its own verbal spanking on Weekend Update.
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

When The Hollywood Reporter asked Armie Hammer about the sexual-assault scandal that engulfed Nate Parkers The Birth of Nation, which Hammer co-starred in last summer, the actor spoke openly about the double standard he saw at work. As Parker was put in directors jail for a series of non-apologies following the reemergence of a college rape allegation and the victims suicide, Casey Affleck won the Oscar for Best Actor despite being sued in 2010 for sexual harassment by two female crew members from Im Still Here. Im not saying Nate should not have been in trouble. Im saying that they got in different levels of trouble, Hammer told THR. And thats the disparity. Its like there are two standards for how to deal with someone who has this kind of issue in their past, you know? Hammer says the rollout of Parkers college rape allegation was intentional:

The timing of the headlines was orchestrated for sure, says Hammer. There was another person in the industry, who had a competing film for the Academy Awards, who decided to release all of the phone records and information. Ive been told who did it  by several people. (Hammer refuses to say who he believes it was.) He thinks the incident reveals a double standard. Nate had the stuff in his past, which is heinous and tough to get beyond. I get that, he says. But that was when he was 18, and now hes in directors jail. At the same time, the guy who went and won an Academy Award has three cases of sexual assault against him.

I ask if he is referring to Casey Affleck, who was sued in 2010 for sexual harassment by two female crewmembers on the set of Im Still Here and who won the 2016 best actor Oscar for Manchester by the Sea. Yeah, he says. (Affleck, in fact, had two civil suits filed against him, both of which were settled out of court and dismissed.) And [Parker] had one incident  which was heinous and atrocious  but his entire life is affected in the worst possible way. And the other guy won the highest award you can get as an actor. It just doesnt make sense.

After Birth of a Nation fizzled, Hammer was invited to join the Academy. I always open my mouth too much, but fuck it, he told THR. I think I got accepted into the Academy largely because of the way the Birth of a Nation thing was handled.
Photo: Oscilloscope

The link between fireworks and warfare is one of the first examples of symbolism many Americans encounter as children. We enjoy the hallucinatory spectacle of the Fourth of July while being reminded that the pretty displays stand for bombs and guns and bloodshed. Indulging in an annual pretend reminder of war seems like something that should be a very First World privilege, but life and cinema have both proven that everyone loves explosions. Brimstone & Glory, in a lean 67 minutes of cinematic poetry, bears that love out in dizzying extremes.

If you come to Brimstone and Glory looking for a rigorous, journalistic investigation into the why and how of the National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico, and by extension the significance of pyrotechnics to the Mexican people, youll be disappointed. This film comes from the Court 13 film collective, best known for Benh Zeitlins breakout 2012 Sundance success story Beasts of the Southern Wild. Brimstone & Glory shares that films impressionistic, mythic styling, and even some imagery: early on, one of the young subjects of the film runs off across an empty lot with a sparkler in each hand, recalling young Quvenzhane Wallis on the Beasts poster. In Brimstone, its a manic, freewheeling moment, empowering to the young person holding the flames and foreshadowing the impossibly precarious explosions to come.

The setting is the annual ten-day gathering in Tultepec, whose origins are the feast of San Juan de Dios, patron saint of fireworks. There truly is a saint for everything, it turns out, and a religious fervor runs throughout the film, as we tour a community whose families lives are centered on pyrotechnics, and the upcoming festival in particular. The handful of minutes where their creations are ablaze in all their glory is what their year is built around. Rather than conducting actual interviews or taking time out for formal exposition, director Viktor Jakovleskis cameras wander around the town intuitively, every now and then narrated by a young boy who comes from a family of pyrotechnicians, and looks forward to the festival with equal parts excitement and fear.

The excitement is understandable enough, the fear we come to understand. Suffice to say that theres no way the festival in Tultepec could pass any kind of safety code north of the border. Brimstone builds up to the two centerpieces of the festival: first, the Day of the Castles, where huge, multistory towers are erected and festooned with spark-showering fireworks and flaming pinwheels. Via GoPros mounted on the technicians helmets, we get to see practically firsthand the vertigo-inducing process of fusing and setting off these towering infernos, a big-screen experience more nauseating than any gross-out horror set piece Ive seen this year. As the sun sets, a storm gathers, and two of the towers are struck by lightning. Seems like a bad omen, but also a dream for a documentary filmmaker in search of a poetic image to capture the death-defying hubris on display.

The second day is the Day of the Bulls, a spectacle that almost defies description. Colorful, homemade explosive-filled bulls are run through the streets, and the height of the frenzy could almost resemble insurgent warfare, save for the fact that the revelers are dancing among the flames. Our young narrator tells us that the whole lesson of San Juan is that celebrants take away a souvenir from the festival, a scar or a burn. Thats when the saint has touched you, he explains. A triage stands at the ready on-site, matter-of-factly prepared for the injuries that inevitably start pouring in, but at no point does anyone consider increasing safety measures, or maybe not standing 20 feet away from a boat-sized pinata loaded with bottle rockets. Its a way of life, one that is often deadly  even as recently as last year, an enormous explosion in the towns firework market killed dozens of people. The people of Tultepec, the visitors, and Jakovleski all seem to understand that pain and injury are the price to pay for this tradition, and the pride of the town.
Photo: Bettmann Archive

Charles Manson, the man who convinced his followers to commit a notoriously brutal spree of murders in 1969, has died. But as far as pop culture is concerned, Charles Manson is alive and well.

In the half-century since Mansons acolytes killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others on an August night in the Hollywood Hills, then murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, the evening after, the remorseless cult leader and his crimes have inspired all manner of popular art and artists. That includes books (Helter Skelter, last years The Girls by Emma Cline); plays (an opera called The Manson Family and Stephen Sondheims Assassins, in which Manson follower Squeaky Fromme plays a key role); films (the 1973 documentary Manson and the more recent indie comedy Manson Family Vacation); music (Marilyn Manson is named, in part, after him, while the Sonic Youth track Death Valley 69 is about the Manson family); and television shows (the NBC series Aquarius, not to mention a lot of allusions in Mad Men).

This year in particular, Manson has become even more prominent as an onscreen subject. He loomed large in American Horror Story: Cult, appearing as a character played by Evan Peters, who inspired the mind-set of the present-day, increasingly unhinged cult leader Kai Anderson, also played by Peters. The episode Charles (Manson) in Charge, which aired just two weeks ago, features a lengthy reenactment of the night when Tate, Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski, and Steven Parent were shot, stabbed, and beaten to death by Mansons followers. In that episode and last weeks finale, Kai  a misogynist inspired by Donald Trumps victory to start a movement  has frequent visions of Manson, whom the mentally disturbed Kai sees as a sort of spiritual guide.

The second season of Search Party, which focuses on a quartet of Brooklyn millennials attempting to cover up their roles in committing murder, also directly acknowledges Manson. Portia (Meredith Hagner), the self-involved actress in the group, stars in a Manson-inspired play called LaBianca thats staged during an upcoming episode. In it, Portia plays one of the many female followers persuaded to do the bearded wackos homicidal bidding, a sly commentary on Portias own tendency to follow the orders issued to her by others, including her guilty friends and the Svengali-ish director of LaBianca, played by Jay Duplass.

In the Netflix series Mindhunter, which focuses on a pair of FBI agents in the 1970s who interview serial killers as part of their research on psychological profiling, Manson is mentioned as the holy grail of convicted-killer interview subjects. He never appears in season one, though apparently thats a possibility for the shows second season.

Were likely to see more of the late convicted murderer on the big screen courtesy of Quentin Tarantinos planned movie about Manson, and a possible adaptation of that aforementioned Emma Cline novel The Girls. Other cult leaders, like David Koresh, who also was referenced in American Horror Story: Cult, will be getting renewed attention, too: In January, the Paramount Network will air Waco, a series about the showdown at Koreshs Texas compound, with Taylor Kitsch in the lead role.

All of these projects were obviously in the works or completed well before Manson died. But more than anything else, this recent trend to depict Manson and his so-called family is evidence that their horrible acts have never stopped creeping their way into popular culture and probably never will. As American Horror Story: Cult conveyed with occasional success, Charles Mansons crimes also feel more timely than usual.

Manson was an alienated white boy who grew into a disenchanted white man with famously racist views  Helter Skelter, a name inspired by the Beatles song, described his vision of an apocalyptic race war  and a swastika emblazoned on his forehead. In other words, if he werent in jail, he might have fit in pretty well with the alt-righters who marched earlier this year in Charlottesville.

He also had a disturbing ability to groom other people  young women especially  and get them to do his work for him. People often forget that while Manson came up with the plans for those summer of 69 murders, he never did any of the shooting or stabbing himself. He abused his power, convinced his followers to get their hands dirty, and never appeared to feel an ounce of guilt about any of it. As the New York Times obituary noted, when Charlie Rose once asked Manson if he cared that he had ended the lives of Tate and her unborn child, he responded, What the hell does that mean, care? He was the quintessential unrepentant angry white man, a figure that has a prominent cultural place in forms both fictional and, sadly, nonfictional.

Perhaps Charles Manson also remains a source of such horror and continued fascination because he was the ultimate symbol of insanity. With eyes that either projected total blankness or the agitated evil of a demon awakened, Manson looked like what most people stereotypically think of when they imagine a crazy person. In what may be the craziest time that many Americans have lived through, it makes twisted sense, then, that the most recognizable American psycho is still so omnipresent in our culture.

Charles Manson is dead. But Charles Manson is also, for better or worse, going to live forever.
This story originally ran in 2017, when Joss Whedons version of Justice League hit theaters. Since HBO Maxs new, much different Snyder Cut of Justice League now involves some of the Jack Kirby characters discussed below, were republishing it.

Yknow, the late Jack Kirby told his assistant, Steve Sherman, Im competing against myself. It was 1970, a little over three decades after Kirby stopped being Lower East Side street brawler Jacob Kurtzberg and became a professional writer-slash-artist under his percussive nom de plume. In that period, he had dreamt up much of the visual vocabulary and dramatis personae of the American comic book. His art style was explosive: foreshortened punches smacked into the readers eyeballs, and impossibly detailed sci-fi machinery littered his scenes. His genius for superhero storytelling was unparalleled: Along with Joe Simon, he had created Captain America in 1941; along with his frenemy Stan Lee and scattered others, he had spent the 1960s dreaming up stories that introduced and developed most of the Marvel pantheon, including the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Nick Fury, Doctor Doom, Black Panther, and even the anthropomorphic tree-creature Groot.

But Sherman recalls the so-called King of Comics feeling dissatisfied at age 52. Im competing against myself because I did all these characters and stories, Kirby mused, and now I need to come up with something different.

So he did. In that year, Kirby jumped ship from Marvel and made a much-ballyhooed arrival at its blood-rival, DC. The word from high is  THE GREAT ONE IS COMING, read the companys house ads. People! Places! Things! So powerful in concept  its almost terrifying! When Kirbys first DC issue finally debuted, the ads upped their verbiage: Kirby is coming. Kirby is coming. Kirbys coming? NO! Hes here  with his first BLOCKBUSTER! In 1970 and 1971, the King took over one existing series and launched three new ones, all of them winding around a single grand narrative. That narrative bore an odd-but-memorable umbrella name: the Fourth World. No one in comics had tried its kind of storytelling technique before, and Kirby had never been given so much leeway to write and draw whatever he wanted. It told of a new pantheon of gods  some angelic, some fascistic  and was illustrated with vistas so wondrous that even Superman stared at them in awe.

It was the first great work of auteurism in superhero fiction. It was the biggest swing ever taken by historys greatest superhero storyteller. And it became his most epic failure.

There were other Kirby efforts over the years that sold more poorly or were met with more critical derision, but none had such a yawning and humiliating gap between ambition and reality. Instead of leading readers to believe the hype it received at its launch, it was met with profoundly mixed reviews; instead of running for hundreds of issues, as Kirby had intended, it was canceled within three years. The unfinished status of the Fourth World is one of the great tragedies of comics. There was an ill-fated attempt at tacking on an ending in the mid-1980s but, by then, the momentum had been lost and Kirbys original plans for a serialized graphic novel had been dashed. Nevertheless, the Fourth World has had a remarkable afterlife, popping up in DC stories with increasing frequency.

Now, its being enshrined on the big screen. This months Warner Bros. mega-tentpole, Justice League, centers on the mythos that Kirby built: Wonder Woman, Batman, and their cohort do battle with Fourth World villain Steppenwolf, his legion of frenzied Parademons, and looming in the background is those baddies ultimate overlord, the endlessly sinister Darkseid (pronounced dark side  Kirby had a fondness for off-kilter naming). Just as important, the movies MacGuffins are Mother Boxes, advanced devices that first came out of the Kings pen. The real-world story that began with Kirby trying to top himself at the dawn of the 70s has reached a zenith. But the ride it took to get there was as bumpy as any in comics history.

The Fourth World may have been born, in part, out of frustration with this websites parent publication, New York magazine. In 1966, while Kirby was working at Marvel, a reporter named Nat Freedland penned an article about the company for New Yorks antecedent, the Sunday magazine of the New York Herald-Tribune. Writing about Marvel at the time was something of a no-brainer, as the company was in the ongoing process of revolutionizing superhero fiction and bringing it to a more mature audience. Kirby was more responsible for that than just about anybody, but the public perception was that the showmanlike Lee deserved the lions share of the accolades  in no small part because the comics credits didnt bill Kirby as a co-writer, just as an artist. Freedlands article spoke of how Stan Lee dreamed up the Marvel Age of Comics in 1961 and of Lees vision to bring human reality into comic books, while Kirby was described as secondary and resembling the assistant foreman in a girdle factory.

Noble Orion and Lightray ride a projectile in The New Gods. Photo: DC Entertainment / Jack Kirby

The publication of the piece was a watershed moment for Kirby. According to his biographer and assistant Mark Evanier, Both men later recalled that the collaboration was never the same after that day, and it was more than just an injured ego at work. Indeed, it was a matter of a professional creator receiving proper recognition for the sweat of his brow. Around the same time, Kirby was the prime mover on a Thor story about a prophecy of the end of the title characters legion of Norse gods. It concluded with their home, Asgard, being destroyed in an explosive apocalypse, only to eventually be replaced by a new world of young deities. Kirby had ideas about stories featuring these new gods, but was reticent to tell them. Evanier tells me Kirby presented his concepts to Lee, who said, in effect, Yes, we want them, but [Lee] wanted to just fold them into existing comics; Jack would be expected to just give them away for the same deal he always had. No additional pay, no special credit.* That didnt sit well with Kirby. He thought at that point, Thats too good of an idea to give them, the way theyre treating me, recalls Evanier. Meanwhile, various other publishers tried to court Kirby, who may not have been primarily regarded as a Marvel writer but was widely regarded within the industry and fandom as the companys finest artist. Never one to rest on such laurels, Kirby sought to impress these suitors with secret character designs for his gods, but he wasnt satisfied with any of the offers he received in return. He remained at Marvel, glum but driven.

A surprise visit from an old friend changed that professional calculus and presented Kirby with the chance to fundamentally alter the way a superhero creator could operate. Seeking a new lease on life and better air quality for his asthmatic wife and youngest daughter, he had moved from his native New York to California in early 1969, and soon afterward, DC editorial director Carmine Infantino visited the Kirbys for a Passover seder. When the dining and prayers died down, Kirby brought Infantino to his office and showed off designs hed drawn up for three potential comics series about his new gods. Infantino was awed and told Kirby he was game to bring the projects to DC. Kirby pondered the possibility while his dissatisfaction grew at Marvel  new ownership came in and presented him with a contract requiring him, among other stipulations, to give up any claims that he created the Marvel characters. That was it. Never again would he play the under-credited second fiddle. He took Sherman and Evanier out to lunch at Los Angeless Canters Deli in February of 1970 and laid it out for them: Ive made a deal, he said. Im gonna leave Marvel for DC.

When he left Marvel and came to DC, it felt like Nixon going to China, recalls historian and former DC publisher and president Paul Levitz, who was a fan, comics journalist, and freelance writer at the time. What the stunned baby-boomers whod been spending the 60s devouring Lee-Kirby collaborations didnt know, was that this move wasnt just about a creator hanging his shingle in a new spot. He wanted to take comics further than they had gone, says Sherman. He had seen European comics that had come out in printed hardback editions and he wanted to do that. He wanted to do different stories. He had also seen the contemporary love shown for J.R.R. Tolkiens collected Lord of the Rings books (even though he himself hadnt read them) and wanted to create a story in a similar format: individual installments eventually collected into a single epic, something that had never been tried in comics. Most of the story would be told in three ongoing series with delightfully hyperbolic names: The Forever People, Mister Miracle, and The New Gods. He was asked to take over an existing DC book, too, but didnt want to steal steady work away from anyone, so he opted to do the low-selling Supermans Pal Jimmy Olsen, which had no regular creative team. It, too, would be part of the nascent Fourth World. The story cycle began with issue 133 of that series, whose cover bore the publication date of October 1970 and the words Kirby Is Here! When you flipped it open youd see on the first page that Kirby was billed as writer and artist. The lack of credit and recognition that haunted him at Marvel was banished.

The villainous Darkseid monologues in The Forever People. Photo: DC Entertainment / Jack Kirby

But new curses appeared at DC right away. I ask Evanier when Kirby started to get frustrated with his new home and he replies, I would say day two. Some points of contention were small; others, large. Kirby found out that DC didnt approve of the way he drew Superman and Jimmy Olsens faces, and they were redrawn against his will. Kirby didnt actually want his saga to be a work of auteurism: he aimed to craft the first few stories, introduce his bevy of characters and notions, and then hand the titles off to Evanier, Sherman, and other creators to write and draw, with Kirby acting as an artistic overseer. DC, on the other hand, had invested in Kirby and wanted audiences to see the man in action, not stuff that hed merely influenced. In Kirbys vision, he would have gradually moved on to write and draw more series unrelated to his new gods and handed those off, too, but Infantino and the rest of the DC brass wanted to get as many new pieces of intellectual property (which they would own, but Kirby would at least be credited for creating) out of Kirby as quickly as they could, and pushed him to introduce new characters at a dizzying pace. Internal creative fervor and external corporate pressure made for a potent combination.

So its no wonder that the first few issues of Jimmy Olsen, The New Gods, The Forever People, and Mister Miracle are overwhelming reads today. In some cases, the avalanche of concepts leaves you scratching your head in confusion, most notably in Jimmy Olsen. On the very first page of that first chapter in the Fourth World (though it was not yet called that  the name didnt pop up until it appeared on covers a few months later, and to this day, no ones sure who came up with it), Supess sidekick walks into the garage of the Newsboy Legion. This must have been bizarre for the average reader at the time  the Legion were a Kirby-and-Simoncreated group of kids who hung around with a superhero named the Guardian back in the 1940s, but who had barely appeared since then. And this wasnt even the original Legion; it was their kids. Another brand-new character, media titan Morgan Edge, had sent Jimmy to accompany the Newsboys on a journey that introduces them to all kinds of new proper nouns. They go to some place called the Wild Area, where they run into long-haired bikers known as the Outsiders, who live in a giant wooden structure called Habitat, and who fear a giant truck known as the Mountain of Judgment. Soon, they all encounter a government initiative called the Project, which produces genetically engineered creatures called DNAliens (who were not actual aliens), and which has a rival operation run by evil (actual) aliens named Simyan and Mokkari. Oh, and Clark Kent gets hit by a car and a giant clone of Jimmy fights Superman and the Guardian. To make matters worse, Kirby had no ear for naturalistic dialogue: Kill! Destroy! I have been programmed by the forces who created me, to eliminate whatever lies before me! You must die! the Jimmy clone tells the Guardian, who replies, Only if you prevail! But, you wont! Not while there is strength in my body  and agility to compensate for your ponderous size! It was a hard pill to swallow.

But the introductory issues were often stunning in their grandeur. Theres no better example than The New Gods No. 1, which has one of the all-time-great first pages. It consists of a single panel in which weapons, bodies, and buildings crumble in crackling flame, all rendered with Kirbys signature surreal mechanistic detail. EPILOGUE is the curious opening word, followed by the nigh-Biblical announcement, There came a time when the Old Gods died! The brave died with the cunning! The noble perished, locked in battle with unleashed evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust! We soon learn that these mysterious Old Gods split their home world in two, leaving two giant molten bodies, spinning slow and barren  clean of all that had gone before  adrift in the fading sounds of cosmic thunder. Two new worlds were formed and populated by gods: heavenly New Genesis and satanic Apokolips. We meet the bitter, angry hero of New Genesis, Orion, and we see him travel to Apokolips and battle the shock troops known as the Parademons. Only in the final panel do we see the greatest character of the Fourth World, Apokoliptan dictator Darkseid, accompanied by a terrific tease for the tales to come: PROLOGUE: As it was in the time of the Old Gods  the titanic struggle for the fate of mankind is to rage once again!! The New Gods wield greater power  for in our day, its we who live in the dark shadow of the outcome! Kirby was a Jew with a firm belief in God, and this was the stuff of religion, barely contained by the comics page.

The Biblical first page of The New Gods. Photo: DC Entertainment / Jack Kirby

The other two series were just as ambitious and strange. The Forever People was Kirbys tribute to the chilled-out youths of the just-gone 60s, following a group of young New Gods who trip around Earth while running from Darkseid. Mister Miracle was at once the most straightforward and most odd: its title character, an Earth-based refugee from Apokolips, is a costumed superhero who fights a shifting cast of bad guys, but his unconventional shtick is that hes an escape artist, constantly getting chained up or boxed in, only to bust out at the last minute. (His real name was Scott Free, har har.) He, the Forever People, and Orion all rely on handheld New Genesis machines known as Mother Boxes, which have wondrous and varied powers  its become a mundanity in comics criticism to point out that Kirby more or less predicted the iPhone. Reaction to this cavalcade of new and oft-bewildering stuff was, as you might expect, mixed. Jack Kirby, writer, is as good as Jack Kirby, artist  In summary, may I say that youve got a great mag? Keep up the great work, read a letter published in The New Gods No. 3. Alternatively, dig this line from a missive published in Jimmy Olsen No. 136: Kirbys artwork is very good, but the story about the Newsboy Legion was one of the worst things Ive ever read! The Wild Area bit was terrible, and Jimmys new attitude  especially toward Supie  is lousy.

There are masterworks that were misunderstood in their own time and universally regarded as triumphs long afterward, but the Fourth World is not one of them. Debate over its merits rages on to this day, even among Kirby superfans. I kind of appreciate the stories abstractly and I appreciate Jacks creative vitality, but for me, that whole Fourth World series never coalesced into a coherent creative vision, says Gary Groth, longtime publisher of The Comics Journal and diehard Kirby backer. I think Jack, without the constraining influence of Stan, was almost too  I mean, he needed that constraining influence. Novelist Jonathan Lethem concurred in an essay on Kirby: At DC, Kirby seemed to have flown off into his own cosmic realms of superheroes and supervillains without any important human counterparts or identities. The feet of his work never touched the ground. The results were impressive, and quite boring. That said, there are those in high creative places who swear by the stuff. The New Gods and the Fourth World are landmark works, writer Junot Diaz tells me, and, whatever faults he had as a writer, his ideas are still being pilfered by everyone. As novelist Michael Chabon, who first encountered Kirby in the 70s, puts it to me, He was clearly building this mythology overtly, by saying, The old gods died and there arose the new gods. Just that sentence really captured my imagination, and I just loved that stuff so much. I became a confirmed Kirbyite.

Chabon wasnt the only one, and if you were won over by the early material, you were blown away by what came in the second stage of the saga. Once it became clear that there was no backup waiting to take over for him, Kirby had to embrace his role as an auteur and take a more passionate investment in the Fourth World stories. They reached their apogee in three consecutive issues of The New Gods, numbers six through eight. First came The Glory Boat, a story in which Orion and Lightrays fight with some seaborne enemies takes a back seat to a philosophical duke-out between a human father and son over the merits of violence. Then The Pact, where we learn about the origins of the New Genesis/Apokolips conflict and Kirby grapples with the question of whether its worth treating an enemy with dignity during war. Finally, there was The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin, about an ordinary cop who resolutely refuses to back down or die in his effort to arrest both Orion and Kalibak as they fight in his city, thus proclaiming Kirbys belief in the essential worthiness of every mortal human, so long as they held a moral code. Throughout those issues, you encountered artwork as good as any Kirby had ever produced, from the sweeping Glory Boat image image of Orion, Lightray, and the antiwar son exploding toward the reader on a massive projectile riddled with intricate Kirbyish circuitry; to the brutally scarred face and unyielding body language of Turpin as he refuses to give in to death. No one drew like Kirby, and Kirby never drew better.

It wasnt enough for DC. Sales were fine, but Kirby was supposed to be better than fine. They wanted it to really knock the block off Marvel when they got Jack, Evanier recalls. DC was in dire need of a megahit, too  the comics industry was in a slump, and DC was hit especially hard after Marvel started undercutting them with a price decrease from 25 cents to 20. DC kept launching new series  not just Kirbys  and abandoning them at the first sign that they might not explode, just so they could make room for the next attempt. DC begged Kirby to simplify his plots and do stunts like adding existing superhero Deadman to a few issues of The Forever People. A good company man, he tried to do as he was told, but its hard to streamline such Byzantine material, and his characters were so sui generis that they couldnt mesh well with the rest of the DC universe. If the higher echelons of the company had fallen in love with the Fourth World, things might have been different, but no one seemed to get what was going on in the books. I tried to read them, DC editor Julius Schwartz was quoted as saying in Ronin Ros Kirby history Tales to Astonish. Lets put it this way: He was not nearly as good a writer as he was an artist.

Orion battles Parademons  the bad guys of Justice League  in The New Gods. Photo: DC Entertainment / Jack Kirby

Oddly enough, the death knell for the Fourth World came partially as a result of Kirby being a victim of his own talents. DC asked him to come up with new character ideas and he generated a rhyming beast known as the Demon (according to Evanier, Kirby dreamed up the entire characters gist and design over dinner one night) and a postapocalyptic boy adventurer named Kamandi. While Kirby was working on the 11th issue of The Forever People, Infantino called him to say DC was so excited about the new figures that they were suspending The Forever People and The New Gods. His run on Jimmy Olsen was to end, as well. Kirby went to tell Evanier and Sherman what had just happened. It was one of the worst moments of his life that I ever witnessed, Evanier recalls. He was trembling. He looked like a guy who had been punched repeatedly in the face. Kirby hadnt had an exact plan for how the Fourth World would play out, and was famously given to improvisation, but he had certainly intended to have it last longer than 11-odd chapters per series. Mister Miracle was allowed to run until issue 18, but the stories were weak and sloppy. A moment stirs! A moment lives! A moment passes on! read narration in the final page of The Forever People. Will they return someday? Destiny will answer this question, too!

For the remainder of Kirbys time at DC, destinys answer was mostly just, No. He dutifully did The Demon and Kamandi until they, too, were canceled. He did a short-lived series called O.M.A.C., short for One Man Army Corps. He did war stories. He did a single issue of a story about a barbarian warrior named Atlas. He revived an old Simon/Kirby character called the Sandman. His Kamandi run went 37 issues, but nothing else survived very long. There were murmurs about putting Kirby on a book about a staple character like Superman or Batman, but Evanier says the editors were wary about giving control to a creator 3,000 miles away from the DC offices. He was stuck. The work hed been doing for the last year or so of the 70s DC deal was such a trivial use of such a major talent, recalls Levitz, who by then had started working a low-level job at the publisher. As an artist, he wasnt being put on anything that made a difference. It didnt feel like that could last. Sure enough, it didnt, and without much ceremony, Kirby reluctantly took an offer to go back to Marvel in 1975. He cranked out some work there until 1978, but it, too, failed to garner the kind of audience Kirby had commanded in his 60s heyday. As Evanier puts it, For the first time in his life, he was operating from a position of failure.

But the failure wasnt total or permanent. If you want to understand why the Fourth World has had such a lasting afterlife, you have to look to the reason it brought Kirby back to DC in the mid-80s: the quality of its bad guys. By that point, Levitz was a senior official at the publisher. We were doing a major new toy line and the DC mythology, particularly at that point in history, was fairly weak on villains, he recalls. So we came upon the idea of incorporating Darkseid and the Fourth World characters and came upon the idea that we could use that as a way to give Jack a taste.

That taste hes referring to was a sharing of revenue for the characters he created. Levitz and publisher Jenette Kahn reached out to the aging Kirby and asked him to do some revised character designs for various Fourth World characters for use in the toys, thus allowing him to share in the money brought in for their use there and elsewhere. They also invited him to create an ending to the Fourth World and the result was a shambolic 1985 graphic novel called The Hunger Dogs, which was beset by production issues and creative differences. No one was quite happy with it, but at least Kirby was able to put his once-heralded mythology to bed before he died in 1994. Someday, New Gods will be a hit, he said near the end of his life. Youll see.

That was yet another example of Kirby seeing the future. Over the decades since the publication of The Hunger Dogs, the Fourth World has become one of the core DC texts in a broad range of mediums. Whats fascinating is that, unlike most such texts, the element that has had the sturdiest staying power isnt superheroes like Orion or the Forever People. Its Darkseid. He and sinister allies like Steppenwolf have popped up in DCs comics events, cartoons, video games and, now, movies. The Fourth World is about mythic absolutes, and nothing in it was more absolute than the pure brutality of Darkseid and his ilk. To use a gaming metaphor, he became DCs final boss: the antagonist you use when you want to trump everything thats come before.

Super-escape-artist Mister Miracle finds himself in a tough spot. Photo: DC Entertainment / Jack Kirby

Even if there is no Fourth World movie anytime soon, the dreams Kirby dreamt in that short period at the dawn of the 70s show no sign of disappearing. Right now, one of the most acclaimed comics on shelves is DCs Mister Miracle revival, written and drawn by superstars Tom King and Mitch Gerads, respectively. King is well aware that the series antecedent is an uphill climb. People ask me, What do I need to read to prepare for your Mister Miracle? he tells me. It would be nice if I could just say, Go back and read the original Mister Miracle. But if you straight read it, its like sticking your head into the id of the country. Its like you get drowned under the ideas of it. Jack Kirbys writing is not the subtlety of Hemingway, its the scream of myth.

King is doing a bang-up job interpreting that scream, but one can imagine Kirby being a little dissatisfied in the young man  not because of the quality of his intrepretation, but because hes retreading old ground, however brilliantly. Jack had very little respect for the kids who came to him and said, I really want to write the Hulk or I want to draw like you, Mr. Kirby, Evanier recalls. He did not want people to imitate his style. He wanted them to imitate his way of thinking and to take it and do something new. That was what Kirby, himself, tried to do with the Fourth World, and though it wouldnt play out as hed intended during his lifetime, its innovation has set a benchmark for creativity in the years that have followed. Kirby may have been competing with himself, but to this day, no one quite competes with Kirby.

*This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Kirby discussed his concepts for the New Gods with Lee.
I started this recap already feeling chastened, as my visiting father informed me that he and my stepmom had given up on Outlander since its becoming a melodrama. Obviously, I sputtered something about how it had always been a melodrama, but unfortunately, this episode backed him up pretty solidly.

Since Claire cant contract typhoid and Jamie is safely on the Artemis, the show is at a bit of a loss as to how to make the epidemic seem real and emotionally significant. Their answer (similar to how a young Fergus was shoe-horned into the Paris timeline last season) is to give Claire a sweet, earnest little 14-year-old helper, who could not be more marked for death if he had a raven on his shoulder and was followed 24/7 by a cloaked man with a scythe. Do not get attached, Claire. Its not happening.

One senses that Sam Heughan was off getting a root canal when this episode was filmed, as he gets about two minutes of screentime, and his face is almost exclusively shown behind bars because Jamie laid hands on the captain like a DUMMY. He wants Fergus to bust him out so he can mutiny and go get his girl  no, I am not clear on how he plans to overthrow a British man-of-war either  and Fergus, bless him, is like, Hard pass.

At any rate, it does provide the narrative excuse for Jamie to finally give Fergus and Marsali his blessing to wed, thanks to the old defying me shows that you truly are a man gambit. Now those crazy kids will get to be as miserable as anyone else. Thats pretty much all that happens on the Artemis, so lets get back to the real story.

Claire, busily working to alienate a whole new set of men, has made tremendous strides. Shes figured out that one of the galley hands is the Typhoid Mary of the Porpoise, over his vehement denials, and has the man clapped in irons and sent down to the brig. This, of course, infuriates the already surly cook. Dont worry, he definitely will get a scene where youre convinced hes about to rape Claire, because this is still Outlander.

Were all very impressed that Claire is bringing germ theory to the people with mixed success, but shes ruining everyones grog rations to do it, and they seem like theyd probably rather just die of typhoid. Ah, well, she takes her work seriously.

My husband, grimly enduring Outlander next to me on the couch while trying to read John Keegans The Price of Admiralty, had a number of devastating critiques of the shows naval inaccuracies, which Im sure you would have enjoyed very much. He was just warming to his task when Claire spotted a Portuguese flag, briefly hoping that the Porpoise had encountered the same ship that took our Ian.

Having snuck into the captains cabin to learn more, Claire quickly discovers that Ian is the least of their problems at the moment, as a crewmember has recognized Jamie as the A. Malcolm of seditious pamphlets and murder (!) fame. That crewmember, of course, is the milky-eyed henchman of old Sir Percival that we were dodging back in Aberdeen. Claire should really just kill him, IMHO, but the captain knows as well, so at this point theres not much to be done.

Claire, having forgotten that she straight-up killed a dude, is all, Murder? What murder? and the henchman is like, Do you remember there was a corpse in the creme de menthe? Because we found a creme de menthe in the creme de menthe, and shes like, Ohhhhh, ohhh, right, gotcha.

Its time for Claire to move heaven and Earth to warn Jamie that hell be clapped in irons the minute he sets foot in Jamaica, but first, of course, we must deal with the promised melodrama. Our sweet young lad Elias has contracted typhoid and dies EXTREMELY quickly, hanging on just long enough to ask Claire if shes his mommy (Yes Elias, its mother) and give her all the emotions. She sews him into his shroud; its all very sad. Farewell, Elias! It was a beautiful one-and-a-half episodes getting to know you.

At least Claire has made friends with the Dutch woman in charge of keeping the ships goats alive. (You can IMAGINE the stench of goats on a ship with no plumbing.) Its that relationship that helps her first make an aborted escape attempt, and then  we hope  a successful one. Shes a ramblin man, our Claire, and I am VERY concerned about her ability to swim (!?) to the Artemis, not to mention what will happen when she gets there. But thats for us to find out!
The second season of Search Party opens as the last season closed, with a closeup of Dory staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, blood smeared down her forehead, lip and eyeballs twitching. Showrunner Michael Showalter described the first season as a millennial Nancy Drew. But that iconic girl detective was uniformly courageous and selfless, righting wrongs wherever she encountered them. Dory just helped kill a man. Bye, Nancy Drew; hello, I Know What You Did Last Summer.

For those who need a quick reminder: Last season, Dorys quest to track down Chantal, a girl she sort of knew from college, ended in disaster. Chantal, it turned out, was fine. (Thoughtless, selfish, and prone to leaving half-eaten bowls of cereal on the floor, but fine.) Chantals well-being is now beside the point. As a result of Dorys investigation, Dory met and slept with Keith  the unstable private eye who trailed Dory and her friends to Montreal  whom Drew then bludgeoned to death with an interior-design award. The drama of season one centered on the emptiness of Dorys life. Like the amateur detective of Baker Street, she took up her investigation to save herself from ennui. Now, Dory has an entirely different order of problem on her hands: Will she and her friends get away with murder?

In the bathroom, Dory, Drew, and Elliott have a frantic conference about what to do. Chantal, Elliott says, wants to take them all to dinner. Drew and Dory balk, but Elliott convinces them that going to dinner will help conceal the crime from Chantal, Portia, and Matthieu, the dumb but comely local whom Portia picked up at the end of last season. After dinner, Elliot continues, theyll wait for the others to go to bed, then deal with the thing in the closet. He speaks in the slow, measured tones of a preschool teacher proposing nap time to a pair of recalcitrant toddlers. Right now, I need all of us to do our best to pretend that we are good, normal, non-murdering people.

Were not murderers! gasps Dory.

Exactly! says Elliott. Very good, Dor.

Elliotts plan goes awry almost immediately, because the three innocent members of the party have no interest in calling it an early night. At dinner, Chantal announces that she wants to commemorate her last night in hiding by getting effing lit. Dory, leg shaking underneath the table, tries to convince the group that they should go to bed early, but she fails to persuade Portia, who is hoping to score with Matthieu. When the Canadian produces a baggy of cocaine, Chantal squeals with excitement. This is going to be a long night! she chants happily. Indeed.

Back at the house  while the coked-up girls play Johnny Whoop with an increasingly frustrated Matthieu  Drew, Elliott, and Dory sneak off to the basement. (Its an exercise room with blood red walls and a neon sign reading slay  a fittingly hellish setting for their frantic conversation.) Their responses to this crisis speak volumes about their various strains of self-absorption. Drew, who has always been earnestly invested in seeing himself as a Good Man, insists that they should go to the police, but his alleged goodness is undercut by the fact that he seems more preoccupied with Dorys infidelity than with the murder he committed. Elliott, a practiced liar, wants to get specific about the story theyll spin for the cops. Did Keith hurt Dory? Was it self-defense? He was attacking me, says Dory, than pauses, uncertainty washing over her face. Or maybe he was just talking to me.

This is a beautiful example of the confused thinking that delivered Dory to this catastrophe. All the clues she painstakingly uncovered last season turned out to mean something entirely different than what she initially assumed. Chantal wasnt pregnant; there was no cult involvement. Chantal wasnt in danger at all; she just felt like ghosting everyone she knew. Now, Dory is struggling to discern the difference between reality and her potent fantasy life. Its all still very muddled, she says, drifting off.

Elliott is grounded enough to understand that the police wont find this answer satisfying. Are Dory and Drew prepared to go to jail in order to live up to their ideals of themselves as good people? Naturally, the answer is a hard no, so Dory and Drew head off to buy shovels from a local hardware store with an all-too apropos slogan: Get What You Deserve.

If they do get away with Keiths murder, it wont be because theyve mastered the art of the cover-up. At the hardware store, Drew attempts to add a pink baby dress to their cart filled with shovels in an attempt to look innocent. (It just looks like were burying a baby, hisses Dory.) Then they let a crazy man bully them into buying a flashy zebra-print suitcase to bury Keiths body in  the first of many witnesses theyll encounter who might later testify about their guilty behavior.

Elliott, with a pained smile slapped on his face, stays behind to corral the others off to bed. He plays matchmaker with Portia and Matthieu easily enough, but Chantal is determined to stay awake to soak up the last couple hours of my escapism. Fortunately, Elliott can work with that: Hes got sleeping pills in his Dopp kit, and he sells Chantal on the spiritual high of mixing coke with sleeping pills. You fall down tunnels of light for hours, he says. Thats exactly what I need, she agrees.

Finally alone, the trio attempts to load Keiths body into the zebra-print suitcase, only to be interrupted by Portia, who has realized that her friends are keeping something from her. Elliott and Dory do their best to convince Portia that she should just leave well-enough alone  Itll ruin your career, says Elliott. If you go in that room, youre choosing to be part of something very big and very bad, says Dory  but naturally, Portia is unable to resist. Before long, all four of them are out in the woods behind the house, hacking away at the earth with their new shovels.

By dawn, the gang is finished with their grim task. When Keiths cell phone rings, a text message from his daughter makes clear that the situation is even worse than they imagined. Are you with Dory? Keiths daughter wants to know.

In the second episode, in the midst of a hysterical monologue about how much she wishes none of this had ever happened, Portia comes up with a strategy for evading the police. They should park Keiths car at a train station, leave his stuff on a train, and attempt to make it look like he never came to the house at all. Thats not the worst idea, Dory admits.

Yeah, Dory, Portia snaps back. Sometimes I have good ideas, too.

It feels real that scrubbing blood off a kitchen floor wouldnt be enough to shake Portia out of her insecurity that shes not as smart as the others. It also seems likely that the groups friendship will not survive this cover-up. Of course, Dory and Drew are already on the outs, and as they drive to the train station in Keiths car, they fight about how many times she and Keith slept together. Dory is frantically searching Keiths car for PI photos, she tells Drew. But what she really seems to be looking for is his keys. Breaking into the apartment of the man you just murdered is probably not a great idea, all things considered.

Once at the train station, Dory racks up a few more witnesses who might be called on later to testify against her  and when she attempts to subtly slip Keiths cell phone onto a seat, she manages to draw the attention of the entire train car. Ultimately, though, the witness problem pales beside the problem of Chantals possible testimony. If Keiths body is discovered  and it is an essential genre convention that a buried body will eventually be unearthed  the train ruse may prove irrelevant. If Chantal tells the world that they were all at the house together and the police speak to Keiths daughter, it wont be difficult to put the pieces together. But what if they could convince Chantal to lie about where they found her and why she ran away? Again, Portia is the one who suggests a way out of this quandary when she asks Chantal a loaded question: Is she scared of what people will think when she comes home? If I ran away for no good reason, like a child, they would be so mad, Portia elaborates, in case Chantal is too dense to get her meaning.

Dory picks up on Portias lead. We are here for you, we will literally say whatever you want us to say, she says sweetly, with the first glimmer of a smile weve seen this season.

It doesnt take Chantal long to come up with the lie shed like to tell. I wrote this poem a few years ago that I really thought was going to do the rounds online, but everyone just decided to hate it, she says. Chantal really is the worst, but thats not the point of her story. The point is that this poem was about a motel in New Hampshire. What if we loved that poem? suggests Dory, her excitement building. And somehow, reading it, we were able to figure out where you were? Im not sure which of these possibilities is more far-fetched, but lacking a better story, the group decides to go with that, and they head for border control.

As the car rolls up to the checkpoint, Chantal casually reveals to the group that she has a fake passport. Fury ensues, but theres really nothing to worry about: The border agent turns out to be a fan of Surviving Essex, and all he wants is a selfie with Portia kissing him on the cheek. (Get both of your lips on there, he instructs her.)

If the gang does get away with Keiths murder, I predict it will be someone like this who lets them evade justice. In the world of Search Party, self-absorption isnt limited to millennials: Every character is overwhelmed by their own self-interest, all the time. When the group delivers Chantal back to her parents home, her parents and their maid encircle Chantal, weeping, but pretty soon, their conversation shifts to the reward money  the $250,000 that attracted Keiths attention. Its a lot of money, whispers Chantals older sister. (They never hand it over, of course.) Chantal relays the lie theyve concocted, then seizes the opportunity of her familys attention to recite the hated poem  Dirty old motel. The forced smile on Elliots face is pure gold.

As the gang drives back to the city, Portia optimistically declares that everything will be okay. Thinking back on it, we did such a sophisticated job covering this up, she says.

We are good people, Dory agreed. Good people subjected to a really unfortunate situation.

Dory might not seem much like a Nancy Drew anymore. But then again, who is Nancy Drew, really? Since she first uncovered the Secret of the Old Clock in 1930, she has changed with the generations. As Elizabeth Marshall wrote in a 2002 academic paper, Red, White, and Drew: The All-American Girl and the Case of Gendered Childhood, Nancy Drew is less of a static heroine than a sort of cultural paper doll. In such a biting show about millennials, it seems fitting that this version of Nancy embodies the sins that millennials are so often charged with: self-absorption to the point of self-delusion and an inability to accept responsibility for the destruction caused.
Franken. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Another woman has come forward to accuse Senator Al Franken of inappropriate touching. Lindsay Menz, a 33-year-old woman living in Frisco, Texas, told CNN that Franken grabbed her butt during a photo op at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. This is the first allegation against the SNL alum turned senator from while he was in office. Menz said she attended the fair with her husband and father, and worked at a booth for a local radio station, sponsored by her fathers small business. When Franken came to the booth to take a photo, he pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear, Menz told CNN. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek. Her husband confirmed her recollection: He reached around her and kind of pulled her into him, Jeremy Menz said. He didnt see the groping, but recalled the photo, and she told him what happened immediately after. He pulled her in and pushed his head against her head. It was over pretty quick.

Menz said her family and friends on Facebook encouraged her to come forward after she posted a status recounting her encounter with Franken. She first made the post after reading about Leeann Tweeden, a local radio news anchor in California who said Franken kissed and groped her in 2006. Following the first allegation, both SNL and late night skewered Franken, while PBS dropped him from a special honoring David Letterman. I dont want to paint my story in the same light as hers, Menz said. The reason I want to say something is if someone sees that I said something, maybe it would give them the courage to say something too.
Robinson High School teacher Garrett Gray received the secondary TEACH (Texas Educators Achieving Classroom Honors) Award at the recent Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development annual conference in Houston.

Each year school districts can nominate teachers for the TEACH Award. These teachers have less than five years of experience and have made an impact on students.

Gray is in his third year of teaching at Robinson High School. According to the nomination letter for him, Gray is credited with using flexible teaching methods and being creative in different uses of technology to engage students in the AP chemistry and anatomy/physiology curriculum.

He has turned his classroom into a 21st-century learning environment that encourages project-based learning, collaboration and connection to resources outside of the class. He gives students choices when it comes to completing assignments and in which format they will be completed, with the option to use many Google apps and Symbaloo.

Gray is an excellent mentor and his class received higher biology end-of-course scores than many seasoned teachers, the letter states. Already a department leader, Gray encourages his peers to try new things and find unique solutions to meet the educational needs of students. He shows an interest in the lives of his students and is an adviser for student groups such as Link Leaders and the National Honor Society.
A visiting judge quashed subpoenas for McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna and three members of his staff and shut down a hearing in a Twin Peaks shootout case shortly after it began Monday morning.

Visiting Judge Douglas Shaver, of Houston, cut off Dallas attorney Clint Brodens efforts to discredit Reyna by offering testimony of what some say is an ongoing federal investigation of Reyna on allegations he dismissed cases for friends and donors for political gain.

Without hearing arguments from either side, Shaver granted Reynas motion to dismiss his subpoena and those of prosecutors Michael Jarrett and Amanda Dillon and discovery coordinator Heather Nering. Reyna and his staff members left the courtroom immediately after Shavers ruling.

Broden, who represents former Scimitars member Matthew Clendennen, of Hewitt, next tried to call Julissa West, Reynas former longtime administrative assistant, as a witness.

Broden asked West about her conversations with Dillon regarding statements Abel Reyna made at the scene at Twin Peaks regarding what these arrests could do for his political career.

Prosecutor Brody Burks, the sole McLennan County prosecutor left in the courtroom, left his seat in the gallery and acknowledged he likely had no legal standing to object. However, he objected nonetheless that the question calls for a hearsay response.

Shaver said he would allow Broden to continue to keep things moving, saying West could answer the question.

Well, (Dillon) wasnt there, West said, but things that she knew were said there ...

Wait a minute, she wasnt there? But she said what? the judge interrupted.

She wasnt present there, West said.

All right, thats enough. You got anything else? This is just nonsense, the judge said.

The judge brusquely ordered West off the witness stand.

You can leave. Get down, Shaver said. You are through. Anything else?

Broden said he had nothing else if the judge was rejecting his efforts to make a record on appeal. The judge said he would not allow it.

Shaver was appointed to hear the case after 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson recused himself from Clendennens case.

Reyna also recused his office from Clendennens case, but Broden wanted to present evidence to corroborate an affidavit from Reynas former first assistant, Greg Davis, who said he resigned because he did not approve of Reyna showing favoritism to his cronies and political donors by dismissing prosecutable cases.

Broden submitted Davis affidavit in Clendennens case because Davis was not available to testify at Mondays hearing.

Broden had subpoenaed a number of people to testify in his efforts to discredit Reyna, including FBI agent Dan Brust, who Davis said he, Jarrett, Dillon and West all have spoken to as part of Brusts investigation into possible wrongdoing by Reyna.

After West was unceremoniously removed from the stand, Shaver shut down that portion of the hearing, leaving Broden only with scheduling matters to discuss.

Broden had hoped to elicit testimony to support his claims that Reyna hijacked the Twin Peaks investigation from Waco police officials and ordered 177 bikers to be jailed on identical charges with identical $1 million bonds. Waco police have testified they were conducting a murder investigation and had already interviewed a busload of bikers, identified them and let them go home when Reyna arrived and ordered the mass arrests of bikers associated with Bandidos or Cossacks.

Davis, in his affidavit, listed a number of Reynas friends or supporters who had pending criminal cases that Reyna dismissed that troubled him enough to resign his top assistant job. He said he and Jarrett spoke to Reyna about it in March 2013 and Reyna said, Never get in my f---ing business again.

Davis said he and Jarrett met with Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann about their concerns in December 2013 and met with Brust, the FBI agent, in August 2014. Davis wrote in his affidavit that Jarrett, Reynas current first assistant, got another cellphone so he could speak with Brust and others without Reyna knowing about it.

Broden had subpoenaed Jarretts cellphone records for Mondays hearing.

After the hearing, West said in an interview that she thought she was going to testify about her discussions with the FBI agent and how Reyna asked her to pull the cases of at least 50 friends and supporters so he could dismiss them outright or have special prosecutors appointed who would dismiss them.

Waco attorney Robert Callahan, who represents Twin Peaks biker William Chance Aikin, and who attended Mondays 20-minute hearing, said other Twin Peaks attorneys likely will seek to disqualify Reyna from prosecuting their cases based on allegations he made the decision to arrest 177 bikers for political gain.

If bikers like Clendennen, who allege they did nothing wrong at Twin Peaks, can show Reyna ordered the arrests and also has dismissed cases for donors and friends for political gain, they can establish a pattern that Reyna has made himself a witness in the case and should be removed from prosecuting them, Callahan said.

Before the hearing adjourned, Shaver asked Broden and the three Houston attorneys he appointed as special prosecutors  Brian Benken, Brian Roberts and Feroz Merchant  when they think they can be ready to try the case.

Broden said his client is innocent and he could start his trial today, saying he is aware the special prosecutors inherited this mess.

He encouraged them to review the evidence against Clendennen, who he said did nothing wrong and is seen on videos ducking and running for cover.

Well, they can dismiss it if thats the case, Shaver said of the special prosecutors.

Roberts told the judge there is no way to know now when they will be ready for trial because they are just starting their review of more than 2 million documents that have been turned over to them.

The judge set a pretrial hearing in the case for March 5 and 6, and the prosecutors told the judge they would have a better idea of when they would be ready to try the case by then.

Shaver said he intends to pay the special prosecutors the same rates as court-appointed defense attorneys are paid in 54th State District Court. That means the trio of attorneys will be paid $75 an hour for out-of-court work, $80 an hour for court time and $50 an hour for travel time to and from Houston.

The first trial of a Twin Peaks shootout case ended in a mistrial after jurors said they could not reach a verdict in any of the three counts against Jacob Carrizal, the Dallas Bandidos chapter president. A tentative retrial date in that case is set for April 2.
Turnbull government moderates believe the character of the government changed last week when Australians backed marriage equality.

Call it wishful thinking but the clear mandate has emboldened small-L liberals who had long struggled against the tide of right-wing virtue signalling within the government.

Now they have virtue of their own to signal, courtesy of voters.

With a 79.5 per cent participation rate and a 61.6 per cent "yes" verdict, the survey was a blunt rejection of Tony Abbott and his religious confreres. And crucially, it came via a direct public buy-in they had demanded.
The defection of former One Nation senator Fraser Anning has hurt the party's prospects in the Queensland election, a new poll suggests.

And a second poll shows Queensland Labor has its nose in front of the LNP with just days left until the state vote.

A state-wide Galaxy poll for News Corp, conducted late last week, shows two out of five Queenslanders are now less likely to support Pauline Hanson's party after Senator Anning split with One Nation an hour after being sworn in in Canberra.

Senator Fraser Anning in his new Senate office. Credit:Andrew Meares

He claimed Senator Hanson forced him out, but the One Nation leader said he quit.
Spain's attorney general, Jose Manuel Maza, who was leading the prosecution of the separatist Catalan leaders, died on Saturday while in Argentina to attend an international law conference.

Maza, 66, died in a Buenos Aires hospital, shortly after saying he felt unwell. His death was confirmed by Spain's justice minister, Rafael Catala, and attributed to a kidney infection.

Former Spanish Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza Credit:EFE News Agency / Alamy Stock Photo

The sudden death of Maza deprives Spain of its top prosecutor as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is working to halt a secessionist movement in Catalonia and to get Spain's judiciary to prosecute separatist leaders for illegally declaring the region's independence.

Late last month, Maza began the prosecution of 20 Catalan politicians, including the region's former leader, Carles Puigdemont. Maza said that they should stand trial for rebellion and sedition, as well as the misuse of public funds to organise an independence referendum.
At the invitation of the African Union, WCO Secretary General Mr. Kunio Mikuriya attended the 9th Meeting of the African Union (AU) Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs, held in Yaounde, Cameroon from 13 to 17 November 2017.

The theme of the Meeting was "The contribution of Customs to the analysis of international trade data, for security and the boosting of intra-African trade.

During the opening ceremony, Mr. Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, Director General of Cameroon Customs, welcomed delegates and updated them on current developments in his Administration.

H.E. Ambassador Albert Muchanga, the African Unions Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, outlined the AUs current activities, including its work on the introduction of the African Free Trade Area.

Secretary General Mikuriya highlighted the main priorities of the WCO, and urged AU Members to draw on the content of WCO instruments to bring about, inter alia, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He emphasized that the WCO offers assistance in many relevant areas, mentioning seminars on transit and origin conducted recently for the benefit of AU Members as examples of such support.

Mr. Alamine Ousmane Mey, Cameroons Minister for Finance, welcomed the representatives of the 54 AU Members present at the meeting, and emphasized the central role of Customs in ensuring a safe and secure trade environment and facilitating trade.

The Directors General heard and debated the reports of several Working Groups, and provided orientation for future work based on the outcomes and analyses of the Expert Working Group which had met prior to the Meeting. Issues addressed included the Interconnectivity of Computerized Customs Transit and Clearance Systems, and the outcomes of the Regional Economic Communities Sub-Committee on Customs Cooperation, the 3rd AU Customs Experts Trade Facilitation Forum, and the 1st Extra Ordinary Meeting of the AU Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs.

The Directors General discussed and adopted a number of recommendations, relating in particular to: how to increase the number of accessions to the WTO TFA; the setting up of National Committees on Trade Facilitation as foreseen in the TFA; and issues related to the further development and implementation of AU objectives and programmes, notably those aimed at boosting intra-Africa trade which continues to show very low levels of improvement. Delegates also endorsed the need for enhanced consultations with Trade, as well as the sharing of information and best practices.

The Meeting elected Cameroon as Chair of the Bureau (Chair of this Group) for 2017/2018, with Comoros, Uganda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire and Morocco completing the Bureaus membership.

Secretary General Mikuriya joined delegates in congratulating Cameroon Customs on the excellent arrangements for the Meeting; he also met bilaterally with Cameroons Minister of Finance Mr. Alamine Ousmane Mey, to discuss issues of mutual interest.
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By Bill Hughes Nov. 18, 2017 | 12:18 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Kentucky's Secretary of Justice and Public Safety has scheduled a meeting with local officials to discuss their concerns about the Keeton Corrections facility on Clarence Gaines Street in Paducah.County Commissioner Bill Bartleman and Sheriff Jon Hayden will meet with Secretary John Tilley on December 12 in Frankfort.Both local leaders recently voiced their concern about what Hayden called "lax environment" at the halfway house, and how the staff is trained. At Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, Bartleman said, "I fear that it's a tragedy waiting to happen from people, inmates escaping from that facility."Bartleman wrote a letter to Tilley requesting a meeting after an incident on November 9. James Booker walked away from the facility, stole and wrecked a car, then assaulted Deputy Roger Simons along I-24 and stole his cruiser. Booker was taken back into custody after another wreck in Caldwell County.Since it is a state facility, Kentucky State Police are typically called when incidents occur at the halfway house, in spite of the fact that the McCracken County Sheriff's Department is only two blocks away.

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Nov. 20, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 20, 2017 | 07:49 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Two people were arrested on drug and weapons charges after a traffic stop early Monday morning.



The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says deputies stopped a vehicle shortly after 12 a.m. on John Puryear Drive for an equipment violation. When deputies activated their emergency lights, someone reportedly threw a loaded handgun out the window of the vehicle. Deputies said the driver, 27-year-old Charles D. Ahlfield of Hickory was driving under the influence of illegal drugs, and had a suspended license.



During a search of the vehicle, deputies found ammunition and drug paraphernalia. They also found meth on the passenger, 41-year-old Angela D. Thomas, also of Hickory.



Ahlfield and Thomas were arrested and taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail. Ahlfield is charged with possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, DUI 3rd offense, driving on suspended or revoked license, failure to produce insurance card, and rear license plate not illuminated. Thomas is charged with possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Nov. 20, 2017 | METROPOLIS, IL

By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 20, 2017 | 09:56 AM | METROPOLIS, IL

Honeywell has announced plans to temporarily halt production at its Metropolis facility, and will be eliminating 170 full-time and some contractor positions at the plant.



In a press release, a company spokesperson says the facility will maintain limited operations to allow for a possible future restart. The company cites decreased worldwide demand for UF6 as the main reason for the decision, partially blaming the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan for the downturn. Analysts don't expect demand for UF6 to increase before 2020.



Company officials did not specify exactly when the layoffs will occur.



Here is Honeywell's full statement on the announcement:



The nuclear industry continues to experience significant challenges and is currently oversupplied with UF6 worldwide. In particular, the decrease in demand in Japan and Germany following the Fukushima disaster has had a significant impact on the industry and continues to create an over-supplied market for the uranium fuel cycle, and a downward trend in the uranium markets. According to analysis from Energy Resource International, since Fukushima, global demand for nuclear fuel has dropped 15 percent, with demand not anticipated to rise before 2020.



As a result of this business outlook, Honeywell plans to temporarily idle production of UF6 at its Metropolis site, while maintaining minimal operations to support a future restart should business conditions improve. Because of this, the company intends to reduce the full-time workforce at the plant by 170 positions, as well as a number of contractor positions. Honeywell intends to restart once business conditions improve and will keep the plant in a state of readiness and continue to support minimal on-site operations to ensure a successful restart. While industry analysts indicate that demand is unlikely to increase between now and 2020, we will actively monitor market conditions to determine optimal conditions to support restart.
Murray woman charged with allegedly taking money and identity theft of an elderly person
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Nov. 20, 2017 | 05:15 AM | LOS ANGELES, CA

Cult leader Charles Manson, whose followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, has died. He was 83.

A spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections says Manson died of natural causes Sunday night.

The gory slayings horrified the world and revealed a violent underbelly of a counterculture that preached peace and love.

The killings occurred on successive August nights and terrorized the city of Los Angeles.

Tate, who was nearly nine months pregnant, was found stabbed repeatedly in her Hollywood mansion, along with several of her friends. Other victims included coffee heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring.

The next night a wealthy couple was killed in a similar fashion.

Investigators learned Manson sent a group of disaffected young followers to commit murder as part of a twisted, quasi-religious belief that it would launch a race war.
By The Associated Press Nov. 20, 2017 | 11:23 AM | HUMBOLDT, TN

Tyson Foods Inc. says it plans to build a new chicken production complex in Tennessee, a $300 million project that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2019.

The Springdale, Arkansas-based company said Monday that the new plant in Humboldt will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide. The company says it will help it meet strong consumer demand for its chicken.

The announcement marks the second major economic development project Tyson has begun this year in Tennessee. In August, the company announced an $84 million expansion of operations in Union City. That project is expected to create about 300 jobs.
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Like her protagonist, teenage beauty vlogger Ella, Lynette Linton's family drama is "claiming a place for the mixed-race face". Back at the Arcola after a sold-out run in February, #Hashtag Lightie offers a concise and comprehensive overview of the identity issues born of having dual-heritage. The four close-knit Irish-Barbadian siblings face racism from one side, and shadism from the other. Being mixed-race starts to seem like a minefield  and it's one that's all too often overlooked.

While Ella's online make-up tips for light-skinned women fast accrue a fandom, she bears the brunt of a backlash too. For every video response praising her beauty, there's another trolling her for denigrating dark skin. Adele James captures the confusion of a teenager in too deep, so that the more vociferously she calls out her haters, the uglier Ella starts to seem.

On its own, Ella's story is a potent little fable about the dangers of online appearances and the fetishisation of light skin, not least by a fashion industry that makes mixed-race models the acceptable face of blackness.

But Linton wrings an impressive array of identity issues from a single family. Ella's eldest sister Melissa (Grace-Cookey Gam) is pushing a memoir about growing up mixed-race, falling between boxes on census forms and never quite fitting in, on her white partner, David, a publisher who "only dates black women". Her other sister Aimee (Sophia Leonie) is marrying a black man on the quick, in part on account of superficial attraction. Their respective lifestyle choices  their mannerisms and interests  question the way we project racial identities onto people. As one of Ella's trolls puts it, "when a mixed-race girl chooses her man, she picks her side".

The play's point is that mixed-race men and women are uniquely positioned by having to pick at all. Each has to navigate a minefield of identity issues, facing prejudices from both sides. Light enough to attract envy over apparent privileges, they still face their share of racial abuse and aggression. Ella's brother Aaron, frequently prevented from picking his pale-faced daughter up from school, carries an old injury from an assault in Ireland  his family home.

Linton skilfully threads theory through the action, nodding to eugenicist Marie Stopes' notion of "the horror of being neither black nor white" and understandings of racial identity as a social construct. These are ideas all too rarely given space, and they fit neatly into a play that's wary of the increasing dominance of image over words in contemporary culture, not least online.

However, for all that #Hashtag Lightie is an important, nuanced play, it is not a great one. Rather than letting issues simmer out of character's lives, Linton skips to the dramatic flashpoints. There are the makings of a great, slow-burning family drama here, but instead, condensed into 75 minutes, Rikki Beadle-Blair's production seems soapish and frantic. It makes for a bitty, fragmented play, a story told in snapshots. It mirrors the rhythms of online culture and quickfire YouTube clips, but it's nonetheless unsatisfying and unconvincing onstage.

Hashtag Lightie runs at the Arcola until 30 November.
"No amount of money can compare to the richness of the river and what it gives us. said First NationCanadas Lax Kwalaams show us how we can be saved: by loving the natural world and local living economies more than mere money and profitEverything has a price. Everyone can be bought. We assume this principle is endemic to modern life  and that accepting it is most obvious to the impoverished. Except all over the world, people are defying it for a greater cause. That courage may be even more contagious.It has been in full supply in north-west Canada, where an oil giant is aiming to construct one of the countrys biggest fossil fuel developments: a pipeline to ship liquified natural gas (LNG) out of British Colombia. To export it overseas via tankers, Malaysian-owned Petronas must first win approval for a multi-billion dollar terminal on the coast.That happens to be at the mouth of Canadas second-largest salmon river, on the traditional territory of the Lax Kwalaams First Nation. One of the worlds longest un-dammed rivers, the Skeena abounds in the fish relied on by surrounding wildlife  and by First Nations and an entire regional economy.Last year, following our modern principle, Petronas offered the First Nation an offer they imagined couldnt be refused: in exchange for their support, a whopping $1.15 billion in cash. But put to a vote, the Lax Kwalaams resoundingly said no  every single community member.When Petronas made the offer, Lax Kwalaams hereditary chief Yahaan says he believed the community  poor and with few employment prospects  might vote yes.Opportunities like that dont come to your door every day, he says. But I give my people credit for taking that bold step. They showed their love and their passion for the land and water. No amount of money can compare to the richness of the river and what it gives us.They knew something even a billion dollars couldnt persuade them to ignore: that you couldnt pick a worse place to transform into an industrial landscape. The proposed site for the LNG plant is smack in the middle of a unique estuary, a coastal Mecca for fish: where every year hundreds of millions of young salmon, having travelled down the river after birth, feed and nurture as part of their journey to adulthood.
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There were hula hoops, Frisbees, retro candy, Tater Tot hot dishes, retro Jell-o salad and fruit pies served for lunch after a service using the liturgy followed in 1957. Dr. Dean Nadasdy, president of Minnesota South District of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod preached, and guests Because He Lives bible study/hymn group sang. A hot dish cookoff held during the event raised $1,361 for hurricane disaster relief.
Now heres some refreshing news.

North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones, a Republican who has been in Congress since 1994, quietly has been writing letters of condolence to the families of thousands of service men and women who lost their lives fighting in the nations wars during this still-young 21st century.

Hes been doing so as penance for his vote in 2002 to authorize the U.S. to invade Iraq, which he now regrets.

An Associated Press story detailed Jones under-the-radar activity that began after he attended a funeral at Camp Lejeune, which is in his congressional district, for a Marine who was killed shortly after the Iraq invasion to ostensibly rid Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction.

He sat with the widow of Sgt. Michael Bitz and watched as her young son played with a toy.

And I felt the guilt, but also the pain of voting to send her husband as well as thousands of other military members to a war that was unnecessary, he told the wire service. Obviously, the majority of these families will never know me and vice versa. But I want them to know that my heart aches as their heart aches.

Jones letter writing  he sometimes sends letters to multiple family members of the dead service members  came to light during the controversy over President Donald Trumps feud with a Florida congresswoman over his call to the widow of La David Johnson, a Special Forces soldier killed in Niger along with three other troops.

Jones already had sent Johnsons widow a letter and was surprised when Trumps call turned into a public relations fiasco. Trump would have been better off, Jones said, to just let it go.

After the call he made, it was misunderstood, maybe he should have called back and said, Im sorry you misunderstood me, but my deepest sympathies (are) with you and your family, he added.

Jones is the rare politician who actually has come to grips with the consequences of our cavalier rush to settle disputes with military action. Its easy to vote to go to war, never considering the impact it will have on those who are asked to put their lives on the line.

How well we remember the cadre of George W. Bushs neocons, many of them, including Vice President Dick Cheney, having jumped through hoops to avoid military service themselves, fanning the fires for a war based on evidence that was flimsy at best. Many military and foreign service experts warned there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. They and others pointed out that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and warned that if we started a war it would destabilize the entire Mideast.

Still it passed the House, 296-133, and here we are 15 years later still involved in another win-less war that has cost thousands of lives and untold amounts of money.

Whats so maddening is that so many of our politicians are willing to send young American men and women into harms way, but never have to bear or consider the awful burden themselves. Trump plays a dangerous game of brinkmanship with North Korea, but neither he nor members of his family will face personal consequences if all the blustering starts yet another war.

It reminds me of a segment in Ken Burns recent public television documentary on the Vietnam War.

On the day the U.S. pulled its last troops out of Vietnam, then NBC co-anchorman David Brinkley broadcast a commentary from Arlington National Cemetery. He was standing amid thousands of white-cross grave markers, pointing out that 60,000 young Americans had died fighting a war that made little sense.

Before any president decides to commit our military to war, Brinkley said, he needs to first come out here and stand among these crosses so he can understand exactly what that commitment means.

There are too many swashbuckling politicians in office today who never give it a thought  they think talking tough and flexing your muscles is all that counts. Someone else, after all, will have to bear the burden.

Rep. Walter Jones is willing to accept responsibility. Too bad others dont.
Another stroke of genius.Ontario cuts small business tax rate to 3.5% ahead of minimum wage hikeTORONTO -- With an eye to next spring's election, Ontario's Liberal government will slash small business taxes as part of $500 million in new investments aimed at easing the transition to the province's increasing minimum wage.Finance Minister Charles Sousa unveiled the government plan in the province's fall economic statement Tuesday afternoon. The corporate tax rate for small businesses will fall from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2018, the same day the province will increase its minimum wage from $11.60 to $14.Critics of the government's sweeping labour reform package introduced in May have called for the tax offsets for months to allow businesses to absorb the cost. The government plan will eventually see minimum wage jump to $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2019."We will not back down from these commitments," Sousa said. "An increase to minimum wage cannot wait. People cannot wait ... delaying an increase is delaying an increase."As part of the $500 million package for small business, Sousa said the province will designate that one-third of its procurement spending on goods and services will come from small and medium-sized businesses by 2020.The government will spend $124 million over three years to help companies with fewer than 100 employees who hire youths aged 15 to 29. The government will pay incentives of $1,000 for each worker hired and another $1,000 for each worker retained for at least six months by a small business."We also want to help young people find meaningful employment," Sousa said. "To find their first job, or take their first steps towards building their career. And we want to support small businesses that hire these young people."The province's economic watchdog, the Financial Accountability Office, has estimated more than 50,000 people could lose their jobs due to the minimum wage increase. A report from the FAO said job losses would be concentrated among teens and young adults, while the number of minimum wage workers in Ontario would increase from just over 500,000 to 1.6 million in 2019.Business groups have argued that needed offsets for business should have comes months ago."Businesses will have started to increase costs, they will have started to let people go, they will have stopped hiring people that they might have hired because they're planning now under the presumption there is no offset," Karl Bauldauf spokesman for the The Keep Ontario Working Coalition, which includes the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, has said.A report from the coalition released in September said the risk of job losses due to the minimum wage increase could be significantly reduced if the government extended the policy phase-in period. An economic analysis of the wage increase by the coalition concluded over 185,000 jobs could be impacted by the hike.Tuesday's economic statement also covers a number of previously announced government programs including its seniors strategy, opening applications for free tuition for post-secondary students early and creating 1,200 new hospital beds across the province.Sousa also confirms Ontario's 2018 budget will be balanced -- as will budgets over the next two years.
Critics say China's efforts are so wide-reaching that its "foreign influence activities have the potential to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of the political system of targeted states."In 2010, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warned that cabinet ministers in two provinces, as well as several municipal politicians in British Columbia, were suspected of operating under foreign influence.United Front teaching manual specifically cites electoral candidates in the Greater Toronto Area as fertile ground.Alarmed by creeping Chinese influence on Australian political life, Clive Hamilton set out to investigate.Businesses and people connected to China had already become the biggest foreign financial contributors to the country's political parties. But "it seemed to me there was much more going on" said Prof. Hamilton, a scholar at Charles Sturt University.He found much to write about  only to become, himself, the subject of China's efforts to promote its agenda around the world, after fears of retaliation by Beijing caused his publisher to back away from a book containing his findings.




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Happy holidayyyyyyysKilling Christopher Columbus: New York joins nationwide reckoning with monumentsSerphin Maltese, a former state senator in New York, leaned into the microphone. All this talk of removing monuments was like book burning by totalitarian regimes, he said, his voice rising with anger. "Our present mayor," he concluded, "will go down in history as the one who killed Christopher Columbus."What should happen to Columbus  or more precisely, the monuments devoted to him  has become part of an unusual public debate. New York is the latest American city to join a nationwide reckoning over memory and history. And New Yorkers, not known for being shy about their opinions, have thoughts to share.Three months ago, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged a review of all "symbols of hate" on city property. The announcement came days after a woman was killed in Charlottesville, Va., following a rally by white supremacists in support of a statue of Confederate military leader Robert E. Lee.Now a mayoral panel will deliver non-binding recommendations on the future of monuments and markers "seen as oppressive and inconsistent with the values of New York." The first of five public meetings took place Friday in Queens.Unlike in the American South, the knotty question here is not what to do with Confederate symbols, but how to handle the numerous tributes to Columbus  in particular, the triumphal statue of him atop a pedestal in the middle of Columbus Circle, a major plaza at the southwest corner of Central Park.(Columbus isn't the only figure of controversy. At the hearing, some New Yorkers voiced a desire to get rid of a statue of J. Marion Sims that sits on Fifth Avenue. Sometimes called the "father of gynecology," Dr. Sims performed repeated surgeries on enslaved women without anesthesia.)The first wave of tributes linked to Columbus  an explorer from Genoa who never set foot in North America  dates back to the years after the American Revolution. The young nation embraced patriotic symbols distinct from the British crown. For instance, New York's Columbia University was originally called King's College, but changed its name in 1784.Then, in the latter half of the 19th century, Columbus was adopted as a symbol of pride by Italian-American immigrants who faced prejudice and sometimes violence in their new land. In the 1930s, Italian-American groups successfully lobbied for the creation of Columbus Day, a federal holiday that takes place the second Monday in October.
Saturday in Warwick, members of the Rhode Island chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America sift through a variety of candy to fill stockings that will be sent to Rhode Islands service members.
Toshiba seeks third party route to settling claims

20 November 2017

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Toshiba Corporation has decided to "explore alternatives" to sell to a third party its claims against Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC). This would allow the Japanese electronics company to "significantly reduce the internal resources that it is required to allocate to WECs rehabilitation proceedings, and to focus them on cultivating its new businesses".

Following WEC's filing for Chapter 11 creditor protection with US courts in March, Toshiba negotiated with the owners of the Vogtle nuclear power plant construction project, and entered into a settlement agreement in June. This agreement sets the limit of Toshiba's parent company guarantee obligation at $3.68 billion and specifies that payments are to be made in installments between October 2017 and January 2021.

In July, Toshiba also entered into a settlement agreement with the owners of the VC Summer project, which sets the limit of Toshiba's parent company guarantee obligation at $2.168 billion and specifies that payments are to be made between October 2017 and September 2022.

Toshiba said yesterday, however, that both maximum guarantee amounts are specified in US dollars, and payments to both are to be made at the same time, exposing the company to "extremely high risks" from fluctuations in currency exchange rates associated with such a "huge amount of debt".

Since the occurrence of goodwill impairment from WEC's acquisition of CB&I Stone & Webster Inc, Toshiba has been required to "devote material internal resources" in monitoring and participating in WECs Chapter 11 proceedings.

"Considering Toshiba's other priorities that are unrelated to WEC, Toshiba believes that it is the best interests of Toshiba and its stakeholders to resolve as many issues in connection with WEC's Chapter 11 proceedings as it can, as soon as practicable, in order to focus Toshiba's internal resources on its core business," it said.

Toshiba has therefore decided to "find the necessary funding" to offer to make early payment of the parent company guarantee obligation in the full amount, and to obtain the right to demand reimbursement from WEC of the amount paid. Toshiba intends to sell its claims to a third party, including such reimbursement against WEC, and also WEC-related interests that it holds.

Toshiba reported in its financial report for the second quarter as of 9 November that it had recorded losses regarding the parent company guarantee obligation, and made provision with respect to these assets. As a result, Toshiba recorded JPY1,394,157 million net loss before income taxes from discontinued operation regarding the WEC Group's nuclear power systems business. Most of such loss requires an additional declaration under tax returns, it said, of about JPY1,400 billion.

If the proposed sales of Toshiba's WEC-related assets is completed by the end of March 2018, Toshiba is expected to be able to reduce the tax impact recorded as a result of determining the value of the memory business, which would contribute a minimum of JPY240 billion to "further remedying" the negative consolidated balance sheet, it said. In January, Toshiba announced the spin-off of its flash memory business into a separate company.

Parental guarantee obligations were agreed by Toshiba and the owners of the two US AP1000 construction projects in 2008, when orders for the units were first placed with WEC. Following WEC's filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy, Toshiba agreed in June to pay a maximum of $3.68 billion to the owners of Vogtle - Georgia Power (45.7%), Oglethorpe Power (30%), MEAG Power (22.7%) and Dalton city (1.6%) - with payments to be made in instalments from October 2017 to January 2021. In July, it reached an agreement with the owners of the Summer project - South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) (55%) and Santee Cooper (45%) - to pay a maximum of $2.168 billion.

Toshiba said in October that it had made its first payments to the owners of the VC Summer and Vogtle nuclear construction projects under its guarantee obligations as WEC's parent company. The Japanese company also confirmed then that it is to acquire KazAtomProm's 10% stake in WEC on 1 January. Georgia Power CEO said they had received a second payment, of $77.5 million, on 1 November. Construction is continuing at Vogtle, near Waynesboro, and in August Georgia Power contracted with Bechtel to manage daily construction efforts under the direction of Southern Nuclear.

Georgia Power in August filed a recommendation with the Georgia Public Service Commission to complete construction of the two AP1000 units as the most economic choice for customers. But the owners of the Summer project decided in August to abandon the construction of the two AP1000s near Jenkinsville in South Carolina.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News



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Albania is an industrialized upper-middle-income nation, and it participates in NATO, OSCE, WTO, and BSEC. The industrial sector in Albania accounts for 14.9% of the GDP, with agriculture and services contributing 21.6% and 63.5% respectively. The strongest Albanian sectors are metallurgy, energy, tourism, agriculture, and textile. Albania boasts Europe's largest onshore oil reserves as well as the second largest oil reserves in all of the Balkans. The dissolution of communist rule in 1990 triggered the mass movement of refugees to Greece and Italy. Reform attempts took off in early 1992 thanks to a democratically chosen government, which after assuming power, implemented an economic reform program to place Albania on the way toward a market economy. A firm income policy and fiscal consolidation were some of the implemented reforms. Privatization was also done in earnest in transport, large state enterprises, small and medium-sized organizations, and services sector.

Oil and Gas

In 2013, Albania possessed over 100.2 million tons of crude output. Exploitation activities in the Kucova Oil field began in 1928 marking the beginning of oil exploitation in Albania. The exploitation activities were also implemented to regulate sandstone reservoirs in Patos after one year. Albania rigorously regulates this sector and it has lured global investors since the 1990s after economic reforms granted the private sector the rights to explore and exploit Albanian oil and gas. The reserves are however under the custody of the Albanian State. The nation's Patos-Marinza oilfield remains the most extensive onshore field in all of continental Europe. Affiliates of the Chinese Geo-Jade Petroleum bought the drilling rights to this field as well as those of Kucova from a Canadian firm in 2016. Companies with a presence in Albania's oil and gas sector include Transoil Group, TransAtlantic, and Sherwood International. Two refineries operate in Albania, namely Fier and Ballsh, with refining capacities of 0.5 million tons and one million tons respectively. Most of Albania's crude oil is exported.

Mining

Albania is blessed with such extractable minerals as coal, chromium, nickel, and copper. Albania ranks as the only European State with significant deposits of chromium. Albania's first geological map was compiled in 1922, and the Mining Law of the Kingdom was adopted in 1929 clearing the way for the exploration of the territory's minerals. From 1944 to 1994, mining was carried out by state-owned organizations. The industry has since witnessed far-reaching reforms since 1994. Over 700 mining permits have been allocated in Albania. The operation of some mines is being done under concession contracts including the copper mines of Karme and Lak Rosh and the chrome mines of Pojska, Bulqiza, and Katjel. Albania also has iron ore, bauxite, limestone, lignite and bitumen deposits. Albania's mining sector has lured in multiple foreign firms including the Canadian Tirex Resources. Albania's government has been encouraged to improve infrastructure to tap into the potential of the sector.

Textile and Clothing

The clothing industry ranked among Albania's strongest sectors until the 1990s. The sector managed the whole production chain and even produced a significant quantity of the raw material internally. The industry further satisfied more than 70% of the domestic demand. When state factories were privatized in the 1990s, the industry, together with the process of production, changed significantly. Albania does not produce raw materials anymore, although the factories manufacture clothing using ordered material which then heads to prominent brands in markets situated in western Europe. Albania's clothing and textile sector has been re-positioning itself to dilute the market share of imported products. The sector is advantaged by a highly skilled workforce as well as low wages. More and more local companies in Albania are moving away from the cut make and trim' processes to providing complete package service to external consumers including those in France, Italy, Netherlands, and Germany. Such companies procure raw products mainly from Italy and Turkey. There are also more firms with the capability to produce finalized items that are items they have processed from the beginning to the end.

Hydropower

Albania is almost entirely reliant on hydropower for electricity production. Almost all of the nation's locally generated electricity is sourced from hydropower. Albania prides in eight main river systems. The Drin river ranks as the largest, and it is home to three hydropower stations namely Komani at 600 Megawatts, Fierze at 500 Megawatts, and Vau I Dejes at 250 Megawatts. These three stations meet 90% of Albania's domestic electricity generation. Roughly 90 stations meet the rest 430 Megawatts of installed capacity. Albania was previously a net exporter of electricity although growing demand coupled with a low rate of new capacity installations has rendered it an importer of power. It is not uncommon for power shortages to occur in the course of prolonged droughts or dry periods. Experts assert that only 30 to 35% of the nation's hydropower has been tapped.

Environmental and social issues have deterred major projects. The Albanian government has resorted to building smaller hydropower stations especially those under 100 Megawatts capacity. Investments in renewable energy sources such as water are also exempt from customs duties that are subject to imported equipment and machinery. These attractive regulatory frameworks serve to lure private and foreign investors. Planned hydropower projects in the nation include the Devoll River cascade which will feature the hydropower stations Moglice and Banja which is projected to open for commercial operations in 2018. Albania has also been looking to its neighbors for agreements to help develop its hydropower potential such as the 2014 deal signed with Kosovo to construct a 400-kV transmission line connecting their energy grids.

Tourism

Albania hosted about 4.2 million tourists in 2012 primarily from neighboring states and those in the EU. The tourist industry thrives along the Ionian and the Adriatic Sea coasts. The Ionian coast is sometimes referred to as the Albanian Riviera due to its pristine and beautiful beaches. The Albanian coast features varieties in coves, sandy beaches, lagoons, sea caves, capes, and covered bays. 70% of the nation's terrain is mountainous, and its forests, springs, peaks, and pastures create a pristine landscape. Tourism was responsible for 4.8% of the Albanian GDP in 2013, and this contribution is expected to rise.
I recently attended a meeting in which the leader of the group asked each of us attending what, if anything, exciting happened to us the past week.

My first thought was, Well, I woke up today.

Thats truly something to be thankful for at my age. Not having a need to see a physician or get medicine is a big plus at any age.

So, to start off my Thanksgiving column, I will say, Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to wake up this morning.

My next step to prepare this column was looking up what other people were thankful for on the Internet, and of course, there are an abundant number of sites on this very subject.

One of them said be thankful for your parents. Mine passed away more than a decade ago, but I can still be thankful for having parents who stayed married through thick and thin, were home nearly every evening of my childhood and who worked hard for every dime they ever earned. My father answered the call of his country by serving in the U.S. Army in World War II.

My mother sacrificed while he was gone by living with a mother-in-law who didnt like her or having my eldest sister, then a baby, around.

The same article stressed being thankful for having a warm bed to sleep in at night. So any of us who do have one need to remember, not everyone does. According to a recent report, compiled in January 2016, over one-half million people in the U.S. were homeless. Instead of having a warm bed to sleep in, they were living on the streets, in cars, in homeless shelters, or in subsidized transitional housing during a one-night national survey last January.

Education is another aspect of life in the U.S. to be thankful for. Everyone in the United States is privileged to attend school from kindergarten through 12th grade at no cost.

As youth, we dont realize what an economic boost this can be for individuals, especially with the new coursework offered at high school including welding, auto repair and carpentry in addition to college prep courses such as calculus, biology, English and history.

In a Third World country, a child is lucky to get any schooling whatsoever. In Africa, there are 30 million children of primary school age who do not attend school.

Along the same line, Im thankful for the ability to read, a skill my mother passed to me before I reached kindergarten. While my family was not wealthy enough to enable me to travel the world, I went to places like England, India and France in my mind by reading a good book.

Im also thankful for growing up and living in small-town America. It only takes me about five minute to get to work from my home, so Im not spending my life in a car trying to get somewhere. While there is a degree of craziness among all drivers, Im at least not forced to pass horizontally, with cars beside me, in front of me and behind me just so I can move to the proper exit lane.

In fact, if I needed to, I could walk to the grocery store, schools or even other local businesses. Most likely, someone I know would see me walking and offer me a ride. Thats life in a small town.

Although most of us are not dining on steak and lobster, the average Joe or Jane in America has food to eat, especially with the many people who volunteer time to food pantries and backpack programs.

Last but not least in this list of thankfulness is my right to worship where and as I please.

Faith helps me hold on during times I cannot remember what to be thankful for.

From our Lord to anyone who has ever helped me through a hard time, let me simply say, Thank you. I couldnt have done it without you.
AM calls on Welsh Government to address growing problem of GP shortages in North Wales

This article is old - Published: Monday, Nov 20th, 2017

A North Wales Assembly Member has called on the Welsh Government to address the growing problem of GP shortages across the region.

Plaid Cymrus North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd raised the issue in the Assembly Chamber during First Ministers Questions last week.

Referencing seven surgeries in Wrexham which in October were described as potentially being at risk or being unsustainable in the near future, Mr Gruffydd called on the Welsh Government to offer more support to GPs in the region.

He said: Indemnity cover is a key issue for many GPs and an increasing deterrent to those who may want to practice part-time due to the growing cost. Some GPs face having to pay indemnity insurance of more than 10,000 a year, which makes part-time work difficult.

At a time when we need to be doing everything we can to retain existing GPs and attracting back those doctors who have retired early or taken a career break, Im being told that this is an important part in their decision not to return to practice.

The British Medical Association and individual doctors have sent a clear message to Assembly Members in the North and, I have no doubt, to the Labour Government in Cardiff. What do you intend to do to overcome the growing problem of GP shortages in north Wales, where many local practices are under acute pressure?

The First Minister said the Welsh Government was committed to increasing the number of GPs in all areas of Wales, including north Wales and that he would write to Mr Gruffydd to respond to the matter.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Gruffydd said he was disappointed that something the BMA has been flagging up for quite some time hadnt registered with the First Minister.

He continued: Half of all government spending in Wales goes on the health service and yet its failing to take simple concrete steps to ensure we safeguard and protect the key frontline service  our family doctors.

The Labour Government has been in direct charge of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board for the past two-and-a-half years so theres no ducking or hiding from the reality facing our NHS. The shortage of doctors needs addressing and the indemnity issue is clearly having an impact.

We need answers from the Government and today I didnt get that answer.
Councillor pay back on agenda  extra 200 each proposed by independent panel

This article is old - Published: Monday, Nov 20th, 2017

Councillor pay is back on the agenda this week with proposals to increase the basic salary for all members by 200, which would increase what was a 925,000 overall pay bill last year by an extra 10,400 a year.

Always seen as a controversial subject, members of the Democratic Services Committee will meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the proposed increase, which features as part of the draft Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW).

The pay rate of councillors is not directly set by Wrexham Council, instead it is mainly taken out of their hands and dealt with via the IRPW  which was set up in 2008 to take such decisions from elected members.

Pay levels of senior councillors in particular has already been heavily debated this year, with three separate meetings on whether or not lead members, the mayor / deputy mayor and committee chairs should exercise their discretion and take the lower pay grade available, which we calculated could have saved 186,000 over the course of the current Council term.

The subject was first debated by Full Council in March 2017, with a recommendation for the matter to go before the Democratic Services Committee held shortly after the local government elections.

During that meeting a mix of newly elected and longer serving councillors agreed that while the council are making such cuts to local services and facing difficult times, senior members should opt for the lower salary.

This recommendation had been due to be voted on by all 52 councillors in September 2017, however an amendment put forward by Council Leader Mark Pritchard saw 31 councillors vote in favour of retaining the current level of senior pay, subject to the new proposals put forward by the Independent Renumeration Panel Wales.

Such a report has now been released in draft form by the panel, which includes proposals to increase the basic salary for all councillors by 200. In Wrexham this would mean that councillors would receive a basic salary of 13,600 instead of 13,400 from April 2018 if such proposals are supported.

Details about the decision / pay levels are stated in this weeks report, which reads: The main change proposed in the draft Annual Report is to increase the basic salary of Elected Members by 200 per annum to 13,600.

The IRPW point out in their report that when setting the basic salary in 2009 it was aligned to the medium gross earnings of all full time employees living in Wales and was payable at three-fifths of that rate.

If the alignment had continued the basic salary would now be closer to 15,000 per annum but increases have not kept pace due to the pressures on public expenditure.

The increase proposed equates to 1.49% and would take effect from April 2018. The IRPW considers that the increase will help to limit further erosion of relative levels of remuneration in the basic salary paid to Elected Members.

The proposals by the Independent Renumeration Panel Wales would also see the removal of the two-tier pay grade for senior members, appearing to rule out any possible 186,000 saving with the option indicating the status quo would remain if the proposals are eventually adopted.

There is already some discretion in for councils in setting the senior salaries, with a two-tier system in place. Currently the lead members, committee chairs, mayor and deputy mayor in Wrexham receive the higher of the two pay levels, something which has resulted in three lengthy debates this year.

Under the proposals put forward by the IRPW the discretion at setting senior salaries would be removed and all councillors would receive a similar 200 increase, resulting in the following changes:

Leader of Wrexham Council: 48,100 > 48,300

Deputy Leader: 33,600 > 33,800

Executive Board Members: 29,100 > 29,300

Committee Chairs (where remunerated): 22,100 > 22,300

Leader of the Opposition: 22,100 > 22,300

The IRPW has allocated each council to a group dependent upon the population of the council area and sets differing senior salary levels for each group. Wrexham falls within Group B with a population between 100,000 and 200,000.

A decision on the increase in pay will not be made by councillors on Thursday, rather they will be asked to consider the proposals in the draft Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales and provide any representations or comments to incorporate in the Councils consultation response.

This response would need to be submitted to the panel by 29th November 2017 for consideration.

Members of the Democratic Services Committee will discuss the proposals at 4pm on Thursday 23rd November  meaning you can pop right out to the Christmas light switch on once the meeting is complete to see both the fireworks in the meeting, and then those outside.

Interested in what the elected councillor for your area thinks about pay levels? We contacted all those who ran in the election earlier this year for their views on councillor pay, iPads as tools for the job, and allowances. You can find out if your local councillor took part / what they said on our election section here.

Pic: One of four fifty pound notes each Councillor could be getting.
New souvenirs to celebrate special memories of Wrexham and mark opening of Ty Pawb

This article is old - Published: Monday, Nov 20th, 2017

A set of brand new souvenirs celebrating the special memories of Wrexham residents are to be produced as part of the opening of the towns brand new arts and markets space.

Over the last six months hundreds of Wrexhamites have shared their unique stories of the town through conversations in coffee shops, workshops in schools and stalls at street festivals, as well as by getting in touch online.

The process has revealed some never before heard tales of Wrexham, along with many much loved favourite facts, sights, sounds and even smells of the town.

These tales will now form the inspiration for six new souvenirs which will be produced and made available to buy at the opening of Ty Pawb, Wrexhams 4.5 million arts and market space, when it opens in April 2018.

Commenting on the souvenirs, Jo Marsh, Creative Director of Ty Pawb, said: Ty Pawb will be a place where the whole community can come together, and a set of brand new souvenirs, inspired by the people of Wrexham and celebrating all that is great about our town, will be the perfect symbol of this.

Weve been fascinated by the stories weve been told, theyve made us smile, laugh, and often brought a tear to the eye.

This hasnt been a history project, but an uncovering of the little things which make the place so special to so many, and we cant wait to share the stories weve gathered, and our brand new souvenirs, with everyone.

Some of the stories shared from residents include Champion Boxer Johnny Basham helping a school boy sell his newspapers in the 1930s, millions of LEGO bricks being buried deep beneath the town to escape destruction, werewolves roaming Wrexhams streets, and of course many recollections of Mickey Thomas free kick.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: I would encourage anyone interested in Wrexhams past to take part in the vote for the six souvenirs which will be sold at Ty Pawb.

The souvenirs produced have been inspired by a number of memories of bygone Wrexham, and Im sure members of the public will have equally fond memories of them.

A shortlist of the top 20 stories have now be put to the public vote, where the six souvenirs to be professionally produced will be decided. Voting is open now, and closes on November 25th.

The new souvenirs will be unveiled at Ty Pawbs opening event, Dydd Llun Pawb, on Easter Monday, April 2, 2018, with full details of the event being announced soon.

You can vote for your favourite story / further information, visit can be found here here.
Should a childcare service fee should be introduced at school breakfast clubs?

This article is old - Published: Monday, Nov 20th, 2017

Do you think there should be a childcare fee introduced at breakfast clubs provided at local schools?

Wrexham Council currently operates a breakfast scheme between 7:50am and 8:50am at 49 primary schools across the county borough.

Breakfasts are provided to children between 8:20am and 8:50am, however staff are employed between 7:50am and 8:50am  which Wrexham Council say is effectively providing free childcare for up to half-an-hour.

The current cost of the service is 636,000.

However as part of the local authoritys Difficult Decision consultation it has been proposed that a 1 charge for the period between 7:50am and 8:20am is introduced.

This would mean parents who drop their child / children off between 7:50am  8:20am would pay a 1 per-day per-child fee. It will remain free for children being dropped off at the school after 8:20am.

Details about the proposal in the Difficult Decisions consultation, state: This would be offering a childcare service from 7.50am to 8.20am (for which there would be a charge of 1) and a healthy breakfast from 8.20am to 8.50am (which would continue to be free).

If a child arrives after 8.20am there will be no charge, but if the parents want to take advantage of the scheme and the child arrives between 7.50am and 8.20am then a charge of 1 per child per day is proposed. The fee would only be charged for the childcare element (ie 7.50am to 8.20am) to make sure the service is sustainable.

The council would still be contributing to the scheme; the parental contributions would help to make sure the overall cost to the council would be less than it is now.

Is is thought the introduction of the fee could generate an extra 106,000 in 2018/19 and a further 52,000 in 2019/20  making the service sustainable and make it less expensive for the council to run.

There are a number of ways you can let Wrexham Council know what you think of its proposals to save 13 million from services it provides:

 Please complete the survey  either online or in paper version to say what extent you agree with the proposals Wrexham Council are making.

 There will be more detailed consultations conducted with service users for some of these proposals  which will also contribute to the decision making process.

 You could also write to Tell Us What You Think. 3rd Floor Annex. The Guildhall. Wrexham. LL11 1AY

 Or email telluswhatyouthink@wrexham.gov.uk (please mark your correspondence Difficult Decisions)

The responses submitted will help the decision making process for the new budget in January / February 2018.

A document outlining Wrexham Councils proposals can be found here. You can fill in the online consultation here and you have until November 30th to do so!
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With the publication of these secret agreements, the outrage and indignation towards the Bolsheviks in the imperialist capitals reaches new heights. However, among the oppressed masses around the world, the Bolsheviks win incalculable prestige.

Kiev November 20 (November 7, O.S.): Ukrainian Rada issues Third Universal, proclaiming the Ukrainian Peoples Republic

The Ukrainian Rada, composed for the most part of Ukrainian national and petty bourgeois socialist parties, is terrified by and opposed to the Bolshevik seizure of power in Petrograd. In an attempt to preempt the spread of Soviet power to Ukraine, it issues the Third Universal and proclaims the Ukrainian Peoples Republic. The Universal states:

In the capitals to the north a bloody civil struggle is raging; the Central Government has collapsed, and anarchy, lawlessness and ruin are spreading throughout the state. Our land is also in danger. Without a single, strong national authority, the Ukraine may also fall into the abyss of civil war, slaughter and ruin. Ukrainian people! You, together with the other fraternal peoples of the Ukraine, have placed us to guard the rights acquired through your struggles, [empowered us] to create order and to build new life on our land; and, we, the Ukrainian Central Rada, by your will, and in the name of establishing order in our country in the name of saving all of Russia, do now proclaim: From this day forth, the Ukraine becomes the Ukrainian Peoples Republic. Without separating ourselves from the Russian Republic and maintaining its unity, we shall stand firmly on our own soil, in order that our strength may aid all of Russia, so that the whole Russian Republic may become a federation of equal and free peoples.

The territory of the short-lived Ukrainian Peoples Republic is to encompass Kiev, Podillia, Volhynia, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Katerynoslav Kherson, and Taurus (excluding Crimea). The annexation of further territories is delayed and left to popular referendums.

Under the pressure of the decrees of the new workers government, which have found huge popular support among the working masses throughout the former Russian Empire and Europe, the Ukrainian Rada proclaims not only the expropriation of all big landed estates without compensation but also an eight-hour work day. It also establishes state control over production in Ukraine guarding the interests of both the Ukraine and all of Russia. Moreover, it announces that it will firmly insist that peace be instituted quickly. To this end, we shall use resolute means to force through the Central Government, both allies and enemies to begin peace negotiations at once. The Russian, Jewish and Polish peoples, as well as other national minorities in Ukraine are assured the right to form their own self-governments in all matters of national life. The Universal also announces elections to a Ukrainian Constituent Assembly for December 27, 1917 (O.S.) and its convocation for January 9, 1918.

November 21 (November 8, O.S.): Yakov Sverdlov elected president of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee

The Bolshevik Yakov Sverdlov, the chief organizer of the Bolshevik party throughout 1917, is elected the president of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK). In this capacity, Sverdlov plays a crucial role in creating the new governmental bodies of the workers state. The VTSiK eventually evolves into the the highest legislative, administrative, and revising body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR).

Russia, November 23 (10 O.S.): Soviet government publishes secret treaties

The Bolshevik-led government proceeds to publish the secret treaties to which the previous Russian governments were party. The November 23 edition of Izvestia contains the following statement:

In undertaking the publication of the secret diplomatic documents relating to the foreign diplomacy of the tsarist and the bourgeois coalition governments,  we fulfill an obligation which our party assumed when it was the party of opposition. Secret diplomacy is a necessary weapon in the hands of the propertied minority which is compelled to deceive the majority in order to make the latter serve its interests. Imperialism, with its world-wide plans of annexation, its rapacious alliances and machinations, has developed the system of secret diplomacy to the highest degree,  The Russian people as well as the other peoples of Europe and those of the rest of the world should be given the documentary evidence of the plans which the financiers and industrialists, together with their parliamentary and diplomatic agents, were secretly scheming  Abolition of secret diplomacy is the first essential of an honorable, popular, and really democratic foreign policy. The Soviet Government has undertaken to carry out such a policy, and that is why, having offered to all belligerents an immediate armistice, it at the same time publishes the treaties and agreements which are no longer binding on the Russian workmen, soldiers, and peasants  The bourgeois politicians and newspapers of Germany and Austria-Hungary will no doubt seize upon the published documents and will try to represent the diplomatic work of the Central Empires in a favorable light. Such an attempt is foredoomed to failure; and this for two reasons: In the first place, we intend in a short time to present at the bar of public opinion a series of secret documents which amply illustrate the diplomatic methods of the Central Empires. In the second place, and this is most importantthe methods of secret diplomacy are as international as those of imperialistic plunder. When the German proletariat, by revolutionary means, gets access to the secrets of the chancelleries of its government it will discover documents in them of just the same character as those we are about to publish. It is to be hoped that this will happen at an early date. The government of workers and peasants abolished secret diplomacy with its intrigues, ciphers, and lies. We have nothing to hide. Our program expresses the ardent desires of millions of workers, soldiers, and peasants. We desire a speedy peace on the basis of honest relations with and the full co-operation of all nations. We desire a speedy abolition of the supremacy of capital. In revealing to the whole world the work of the governing classes as it is expressed in the secret documents of diplomacy, we offer to the workers the slogan which will always form the basis of our foreign policy: Proletarians of all countries, unite! L. TROTSKY Peoples Commissar of Foreign Affairs

(Accessed here)

The publication of the Sykes-Picot Agreement between London and Paris for the carve-up of the Ottoman Empire shakes the existing international order to its foundations. This 1916 agreement, which Lenin calls an agreement of the colonial thieves, was entered into behind the backs of the populations of the warring countriesand behind the backs of the populations of the territories in question. According to this agreement, Russia would gain control over what would later become eastern Turkey, while France would control what would later be southern Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and northern Iraq. Britain, notwithstanding its fraudulent promises to local leaders, would receive territory in what would later be Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait.

With the publication of these secret agreements, the outrage and indignation towards the Bolsheviks in the imperialist capitals reaches new heights. Among the oppressed masses around the world, the Bolsheviks win incalculable prestige.

Breslau, November 24: Rosa Luxemburg calls Russian Revolution world historic act whose trace will not perish for eons

A few days ago, Rosa Luxemburg received the news in her prison cell in Breslau (Wroclaw) that her lover Hans Diefenbach has died in Francethe same night that the Bolsheviks took power in Petrograd and established a workers government. Deeply shaken emotionally, she is sustained by an intense and even more moving exchange of letters on the Russian Revolution with comrades.

She writes to Martha Rosenbaum:

For a week or so my thoughts have of course been in Petersburg. With impatient hands both morning and evening I seize on the newspapers, but unfortunately the news is meagre and confused. Lasting success there is certainly not to be counted on, but in any event the courage to seize power is in itself a punch in the face for Social Democracy here and for the whole slumbering International. However, Kautsky knows nothing better than to statistically prove that Russias social relations are not yet ripe for the dictatorship of the proletariat! A worthy theoretician of the Independent Social Democratic Party! He has forgotten that statistically, France in 1789 and 1793 was much less ripe for the rule of the bourgeoisie  Fortunately, history has long stopped moving according to Kautskys theoretical precepts, so we can hope for the best.

And to Louise Kautsky she writes, Are you happy for the Russians? Of course they wont be able to hold on in this witches covennot because the statistics show such a primitive economic development in Russia, as your sage spouse has calculated, but because the Social Democrats in the highly-developed West consist of pathetic cowardly dogs and look on quietly as the Russians bleed. But such a downfall is better than staying alive for the fatherland, it is a world historic act whose trace will not perish for eons. I expect many more great things in the coming years, I dont just want to wonder at world history through these bars

Milwaukee, November 24, 1917: Police department bombing kills eleven

A package detonates at Milwaukees central police station, killing nine policemen and two civilians. Italian immigrant anarchists, followers of Luigi Galleani, are suspected; the assumption being that they acted in reprisal for the murder of two Italian immigrants by Milwaukee police earlier in the year.

The anarchist bombings, culminating in the Wall Street Bombing of 1920, which kills 38, are seized on by federal, state, and local authorities to increase repression against all working class political tendencies, socialists and members of the IWW included, and especially immigrant radicals. In the wake of the Milwaukee police bombing, eleven alleged Italian anarchists are swept up and railroaded through the courts into jail.

Russia, November 25 (12 O.S): Elections to the Constituent Assembly go forward

Having just resolved the internal crisis within the leadership over the question of whether to form a coalition government with the Mensheviks and SRs, the Bolshevik Party confronts new disagreements over whether to convene the Constituent Assembly.

During the period from February to October, the Provisional Government promised to convene a Constituent Assembly to which it would cede power. Over that period, the Bolsheviks frequently denounced the parties in power for their endless postponements and waffling on the question of the Constituent Assembly. However, now that the All-Russian Congress of Soviets has proclaimed a new Bolshevik-led government following the October insurrection, Lenin, Trotsky, and many other Bolshevik leaders oppose convening the Constituent Assembly.

Beginning immediately after the October insurrection, Lenin urges the new government to delay the elections. Trotsky recalls Lenins approach to the question:

We must postpone the elections, he declared. We must enlarge the suffrage by giving it to those who are eighteen years old. We must make possible a new arrangement of the electoral lists. Our own lists are worthless, a crowd of intellectuals who have hastened here, while we need the workmen and peasants. The Kornilov men and the Kadets we must declare outside the law. The answer was, Postponement is unfavorable just now. It will be looked upon as a liquidation of the Constituent Assembly the more so because we ourselves reproached the Provisional Government with putting off the Constituent Assembly. Ah, that is folly, Lenin replied. Bring up important facts, not words. As far as the Provisional Government is concerned the Constituent Assembly would have meant a step forward, or at least might have meant it; as far as the Soviet power is concerned, and especially with the present electoral lists, it will unquestionably mean a step backwards. Why is postponement unfavorable now? And if the Constituent Assembly is Kadet, Menshevist Social Revolutionaryis that favorable? But we shall be stronger then, others demurred. For the moment we are still too weak. In the country they know almost nothing of the Soviet power. And if the news penetrates there now, that we have postponed the Constituent Assembly it would weaken us still more. Sverdlov, who had more connection with the country than any of us, was particularly opposed to a postponement of the elections. Lenin kept to his position without any support. He shook his head in dissatisfaction and repeated, It is a mistake, an open mistake, which may cost us very dear! If it only does not cost the revolution its head ...

A decision is made over Lenins objections to hold the elections. The Socialist Revolutionaries win 40.4 percent of the vote, the Bolsheviks 24 percent, the Mensheviks 2.6 percent, and the Kadets 4.7 percent. In general, the vote confirms that the SR party enjoys support in the countryside, while the Bolsheviks enjoy overwhelming support in the cities and among sections of soldiers.

Among workers, the Bolsheviks win 86.5 percent of the vote. The party wins 62.6 percent of the vote among soldiers of the Baltic Fleet, 56.1 percent on the Northern Front, and 66.9 percent on the Western Front.

Also this week: German workers, Social Democratic leaders react to October Revolution

The news of the conquest of power by the Bolsheviks and the first decrees of the new government, the Council of Peoples Commissars, have electrified German workers. In all factories, in the canteens, in front of public kitchens for the poor, in the long lines of women at the grocery stores, news of the Russian Revolution dominates workers discussion. A genuine workers government has taken power in Russia! It has declared a halt to all actions of war with immediate effect! Peace is not only being talked about there, but peace is being made! Big landowners and capitalists have been expropriated! Why dont we do as our class brothers and sisters in Russia have done!

The mood among the masses finds reflection in that of Clara Zetkin in the current Womens edition of the Leipziger Volkszeitung. Zetkin unconditionally welcomes the Russian revolutions work for peace. Zetkin, 60, is a member of the revolutionary Marxist Spartacus League, which is part of the Independent Social Democrats (USPD). A friend of Rosa Luxemburg for many years and of Lenin since 1907, she has been at the head of the principled socialist opposition to the war in Germany since 1914. She now looks to Russia with her comrades in power:

Together with the Peasants Soviet and with the support of land and naval soldiers, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers have overthrown the provisional coalition government, arrested most ministers  and placed full government power in the hands of the Congress of Workers and Soldiers Soviets. The Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers consists in its overwhelming majority of radical socialists of the Bolshevik Party or maximalists who never compromised with the bourgeois left parties, but represented the view from the outset that the existence and work of the revolution can only be ensured through the dictatorship of the proletariat and the assumption of full government power by the soviets of workers and soldiers.

The success of the revolution was made possible by the Bolsheviks firm application of revolutionary principles, resulting in the party securing a following among large masses of the population, particularly from the urban and industrial proletariat, as well as from the peasantry and land and naval army. The representatives of the former government were incapable, she continues, to continue the work of the revolution  because on the key question they were representatives of the ruling class, whose interests they respectfully left untouched

Among the right-wing Social Democrats in the Majority SPD (MSPD), the mood is one of terror. The social patriots fear that the proletarian revolution in Russia could spread to Germany and spiral out of control. To confuse the masses, they pretend in the daily Vorwarts to embrace their bitter enemies, praising the Bolsheviks peace offering to the skies. While their newspapers have chiefly thus far published celebratory reports written by the Supreme Army Command from the front, positive reports about the events in Russia suddenly appear. The leading Social Democrats are thereby attempting to cover the tracks of their policies: the repeated votes for war credits that have enabled the German imperialists to wage war since 1914.

On November 19, a detailed report appears in the newspaper Vorwarts about a meeting in Elberfeld (now Wuppertal) where SPD leader Friedrich Ebert praised the Russian governments peace offer in front of a packed room of 2,000 people, and calls on the German government to immediately accept it. He deceitfully claims that the readiness for peace of the central powers has contributed significantly to the Bolshevik offer, pointing to the July Reichstag peace resolutionwhich in fact only attempted to return to the imperialist status quo ante as it prevailed in 1914.

In fact, Ebert and his MSPD co-thinkers, in their promotion of peace, are representing the interests of German imperialism. Berlin wants to conclude a separate peace with Russia in order to secure new territory in the east, deploy the troops freed up to the Western Front, and secure a final victory against the Entente.

Also this week: British Labourites denounce October Revolution

Labour Party MP Philip Snowden, writing in the Labour Leader November 15, denounces the October Revolution as tragic indeed. Snowdens bitter opposition to the seizure of power by the working class exposes his brand of Christian socialism and pacifism, so widespread in Labour Party and Fabian Society circles. Confronted with the Bolsheviks declaration of an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations, Snowden places himself on the side of British imperialism.

Just five months ago, Snowden was a featured speaker, alongside Ramsay MacDonald and other prominent Labourites, at the Leeds Convention called to acclaim the February Revolution. While the Leeds Convention and its call for the establishment of workers and soldiers councils met with strong support from British workers keen to see an end to the war and capitalist exploitation, Snowden, et. al. saw the purpose of the gathering as the prevention of a genuine socialist movement.

MacDonald, whose Labour Party continues to hold posts in the British governmenta major belligerent in the ongoing bloodbath that has claimed millions of young lives since 1914has also attacked Lenin as the leader of a party of thoughtless anarchists... whose minds were filled with violence and hatred.

Henry Hyndman, the former leader of the Second International-aligned Social Democratic Federation, who has justified the slaughter in the trenches through the promotion of British chauvinism, will write early in 1918 on the October Revolution in an article entitled Why we must repudiate the Bolsheviks:

I am proud to state that I can reckon most of the leading revolutionaries of Europe and Asia among my friends. But they, in all their uprisings against abominable tyranny were never guilty of such crimes as those which Lenin and Trotsky and the Bolsheviks generally are committing... Democracy and Socialism are now endangered by their conduct.

Only a small number of socialists in Britain, including John MacLean, endorse the October Revolution. Responding to Trotskys appeal for the release of Russian socialists detained in Britain, Maclean speaks at a number of demonstrations and addresses a letter to The Call, the newspaper of the British Socialist Party, which appears in its November 29 edition. MacLean hails the British workers triumphant comrades of Russia.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) - Physicians and pharmacists in Florida are making only limited use of a statewide database meant to deter prescription drug abuse amid an opioid epidemic in the state, researchers found.

That lack of participation puts Florida at risk of not meeting a federal policy goal of doubling the number of health care providers using the states prescription drug monitoring program.

Only 21 percent of doctors and 57 percent of pharmacists had signed up for Floridas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, or PDMP, as of November 2016, said University of Florida Health researchers.

Some 25,000 physicians and 31,000 pharmacists in Florida must register by the end of 2017 to meet national policy goals set by then President Barack Obama. The findings were published Monday in the Journal of Opioid Management.

The findings reveal there are new opportunities to encourage physicians to use the database by making them aware of current and future government incentives, said Chris Delcher, an assistant professor in the UF College of Medicines Department of Health Outcomes and Policy.

Unlike Florida, 27 states have mandatory database registration. In California, Tennessee and Kentucky, mandated registration resulted in triple-digit percentage increases in registration.

In late September, Gov. Rick Scott proposed that all health-care professionals who prescribe or dispense medication must use the PDMP. The proposal will be discussed when the legislative session begins in January.

For now, Delcher hopes that Scott's declaring the opioid epidemic a public health emergency will help boost the database's use.

"Our focus is mostly on trying to get voluntary buy-in by showing how valuable the database is from a public health perspective," Delcher said.

The latest research was meant to determine whether more physicians and pharmacists were signing up for and using the database between 2013 and 2016, Delcher said. He and his colleagues also projected the probability of meeting federal officials PDMP registration goal, which is a few months away.

"We determined that Florida would not be likely to meet that objective in the absence of a statewide change in policy," he said.

Among licensed prescribers, PDMP registration in Florida is voluntary and lags the national average by 9.5 percent. As of November 2016, 16,498 physicians and 17,421 pharmacists were registered to use the Florida database.

Seventy-one percent of physicians and 90.6 percent of pharmacists reported using the database at least once, the researchers found.

There are myriad reasons why more Florida health care providers dont use the state database, including too little time and the databases lack of integration with electronic health record systems.

In other cases, some physicians may not use the database because they practice in a specialty where opioid pain medications are less likely to be used, Delcher said.

Other doctors believe they know their patients well enough that checking for overlapping prescriptions isnt clinically necessary.

Although the latest research doesnt establish a cause, pharmacists may be using the database more often than physicians because of company rules or practices.

In 2013, The Walgreens Company paid $80 million to resolve federal charges that it didnt properly control pain medication sales at some stores. That might account for more frequent PDMP use among pharmacists, Delcher said.

Physicians use of the database is important for several reasons, including providing a complete record of the patients controlled prescription drug use, said Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., director of UF Health Forensic Medicine and a co-author of the paper.

"Utilization of the PDMP database will reduce prescription drug abuse and reduce drug overdose and death, he said.

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BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. (WTXL) - A Florida Department of Corrections officer faces charges of bringing drugs into the Calhoun Correctional Institution in Blountstown.

Jesse Edward Cardwell turned himself in Friday into the Calhoun County Jail, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Corrections.

The arrest affidavit says that in March 2017 Cardwell brought synthetic cannabis into a state correctional facility and received unlawful compensation of more than $100.

An inmate said in a sworn statement that Cardwell initially provided him with tobacco products and eventually brought him synthetic cannabis for pay. The statement says the inmate's mother paid Cardwell through a Western Union account.

The synthetic cannabis was brought to a dormitory and put in a staff bathroom trash can, where the inmate retrieved it, the statement said.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Today marks three years since the Strozier Library shooting at Florida State University.

On Nov. 20, 2014, just after midnight a gunman opened fire and shot three people.

Myron May, 31, entered the Strozier Library and shot two students and one employee.

Campus police and the Tallahassee Police Department responded and ultimately killed the attorney and FSU graduate outside the library when he refused to drop his gun.

Since that shooting, Farhan "Ronny" Ahmed, an FSU student paralyzed after being shot, sued the university for damages.

Ahmed claims the university failed to provide a significant amount of security to deter crime.

According to the August complaint, FSU denied liability for the shooting, saying Ahmed's injuries were the result of the shooter's actions.

FSU says that if the lawsuit can't be dismissed the case should go before a jury.

MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.

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LIVE OAK, Fla. (WTXL)  Two correctional officers were assaulted by inmates at Suwannee Correctional Institution.

One officer was transported to an outside hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Brian Kirsch assaulted an officer at approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday. He stabbed the officer multiple times. Lawrence Johnson struck an officer in the face.

The facility was placed on lockdown, and both inmates will be transferred to a more restrictive housing unit, according to a news release.

The Departments Office of Inspector General is conducting an investigation, and the Office of Intelligence is reviewing the incident to determine necessary action.

The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office says the officer who was hospitalized for the stabbing has since been released.

MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is seeking information on the location of Armie Jean Carter out of concern for her welfare.

Carter, 56, was last seen on Sunday in the area of 1602 Carolewood Court while wearing a gray shirt, black pants and slip-on shoes.

She wears prescription eyeglasses and may be driving a silver 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport with a Maryland tag of 4CY2239.

People with information are asked to call TPD at (850) 891 - 4200.

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MOULTRIE, Ga. (WTXL) - Moultrie Police are fixing up more than 100 bikes to be given to kids during the holidays.

The police say have been collecting the bikes since 2007.

Most were abandoned and some were recovered in arrests.

Police say none of the bikes were ever claimed.

Police got a court order from a judge to donate the bikes to the United Way Children's Cheer and Toy Shop for the holidays.

A handful of bikes damaged beyond repair were still put to good use. Parts were taken from those bikes to fix up the others.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man is facing charges in Alabama after being arrested for first degree sexual abuse.

Patrick Cox, 23, was taken into custody by Cherokee Sheriff's Office investigators on Thursday, November 16.

The Sheriff's Office says the investigation stemmed from an incident which allegedly occurred while a group of college students from Florida were visiting the county.

The complaint document alleges that on November 11, 2017, Cox assaulted a "physically helpless or mentally incapacitated," victim.

They say the victim reported the crime with the Tallahassee Police Department and detectives notified the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office.

Cox was transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center and charged with first degree sexual abuse.

He has since been released from jail.
Skin is the new wing. Of that, Old Salt's Ben Meyer is sure.

"Go to New Seasons and look at the deli case, and you'll see their biggest seller is boneless, skinless chicken breast," he says. "Well, where does that skin go? Cat food, dog food, chicken sausagebut the skin is one of the best parts. It's full of flavor. Chefs see that."

Meyer, the kitchen-focused piece of the trio behind Old Salt, always has an eye out for valuein the up-and-coming Cully neighborhood, in pig feed made into pasta salad, and in cuts of beef unheralded by others.

That's central to the ethos at our Restaurant of the Year runner-up. Even in Portland's DIY food scene, where everything is house-pickled and many chefs spend their morning foraging ramps or mushrooms for dinner, Old Salt takes sourcing and sustainability to otherwise-unseen extremes. Yes, it's nice to get four different flavor-dripping cuts of roast pork on a platebut there's arguably something even more important happening.

Other Portland restaurants have in-house butchery, of course, but Old Salt is the only one that relies exclusively on whole-animal butchery, slicing every steak, sausage and jerky stick sold from a weekly delivery of two cows and three to four pigs purchased directly from ranchers. There are no reinforcements when Old Salt sells out of pork chopsthey chop the chops, and then cook something else. In so doing, they force themselves to use the entire animal, including 18 pounds of skin per pig turned into a mountain of pork rinds.

Such chef-led sustainability efforts are gaining traction nationwide, thanks partly to Dan Barber, who's won several James Beard Awards at his New York restaurant Blue Hill, and is the author of a new book, The Third Plate, about the future of food. Barber's challenge is for chefs to move past the filet mignon and organic tomatoes (which Barber calls "the Hummer of the vegetable worlda) to create a waste-free food system by making incredible meals from every byproduct, including offal and modest nitrogen-fixing greens.

Meyer and partners Marcus Hoover and Alex Ganum worked toward that with their first restaurant, the bustling Grain & Gristle, but hit another level with Old Salt, which has a butcher counter on one side and a woody dining room recalling an old-time saloon on the other.

Our best of many wonderful experiences there came with the restaurant's newish omakase option, Americanized to "Let us cook for you." You name a price, they bring you food. For $33.33 per head, our table of three got browned butter with raw turnips, beef tartare with crispy potato chips, a cassolette of various pickled fruits and vegetables, zucchini fritters, tomato salad, grilled marrow bones, a bright sesame kale salad, and plates of rare roast beef and grilled albacore, the latter with thinly sliced jalapenos.

Most striking is how this restaurant built off butchery manages to do such wonderful things with pickled blueberries and grilled black onion bulbs.

"We assume that because we have the best meat in the state, that it's going to be fine," Meyer says. aSo itas really the vegetables that drive the menu.a

Thrift and happenstance are also factors. Ganum, who also owns Upright Brewing, calls this a return to "the more normal way" of doing things. It's a lesson he learned with Upright's now-flagship Engelberg Pilsner, which came about when the brewery got a really nice batch of Hallertau hops and with Upright's new fruit beers, which are stored in second-use barrels that he previously discarded.

"It seemed a waste to break [the barrels] down and give them away, so we tried putting a second batch in and it turned out even better than the first," Ganum says. "People talk about what farmhouse brewing is, and to me that's farmhouse-style. Just being resourceful, having shit make sense."

Among Old Salt's other boasts are making pasta from triticalea wheat-rye hybrid the restaurant's pig rancher grows as feedand selling burger patties made with meat from a single grass-fed cow, for $5 a pound.

"One cow, guaranteed!" Ganum says. "We have to be the only place in the city where that's true."

You wouldn't know that unless you ask. Meyer and Ganum say they're fatigued by polished Portland restaurant concepts and hearing "farm-to-table" used more as a sales pitch than a business practice, with restaurants erecting billboard-sized chalkboards to advertise ties to farmers they haven't bought green beans from in a year.

"I hate when restaurants sprinkle farm names all over the menuit's a sales point in Portland, but a lot of it is smoke and mirrors," Meyer says. "Like Carlton porka lot of those are Canadian pigs brought down to Carlton, Oregon. And Draper Valley chicken, which is owned by Perdue, the world's largest poultry manufacturer."

Meyer, especially, is a value hunter going back to his days as a line cook at Toro Bravo. He says he was in the room when chef John Gorham discovered an undervalued cut called "chuck eye"what you might know as Toro Bravo's famous house-smoked coppa steak.

"The cuts he was looking at originally were too expensive, but the chuck eye was perfect," Meyer says. "John renamed it 'coppa,' which is a cut of pork from roughly the same place."

At Meyer's former restaurant, Ned Luddhe has its ax logo tattooed on his right forearman aesthetic and menu were built around the oven that came with the space. "We didn't go there and think, 'We're going to create a wood-fired system,'" he says. "We got the space and it had the oven, so we used it."

Another classic Portland value Old Salt's owners are passionate about is workers' benefits. Meyer, Hoover and Ganum began their careers washing dishes without benefits at big chains, so they give employees health insurance, maternity and paternity leave, a free pair of Dansko clogs and a yearly free keg of beer. ("I don't really spread that around, but if anyone asks for a keg for their birthday, I hook them up," Ganum says.)

What they don't give their employees is the chance to brag.

"What we're doing is just making supper," Meyer says. "I tell the guys, 'Grandma did it every day and no one ever wrote a magazine article about her.aa

5027 NE 42nd Ave., 971-255-0167, oldsaltpdx.com. 5 pm-midnight daily, 9 am-3 pm brunch weekends. $$.

The Directory: Our 100 Favorite Restaurants in Portland

By Neighborhood: Southeast | North/Northeast | Westside | Suburbs

2014 Restaurant of the Year: Kachka

Top Five: Old Salt, Ataula, American Local, Expatriate

Counter Service Picks: Latin | Asian | Italian | Sandwiches | Burgers

Wine Bars | Beer Lists | Veg-Friendly | Gluten-free | Elsewhere in Oregon

WWeek 2015
DES MOINES | Four firefighters from Marion and an Iowa state trooper were presented the annual Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor Ceremony on Monday for their heroic efforts in saving the lives of Iowans during critical times of need.

Firefighters Jeff Hoover, Peter Lammer, Jeremy Smith and Zachary Bruce of the Marion Fire Department were presented their 2017 awards by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Roxann Ryan, commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Iowa State Trooper Dustin Henningsen also was honored at the Capitol ceremony.

"It's very seldom that firefighters and police officers get the recognition that they so deserve and the effort they put into the rescue was phenomenal," said Marion Fire Chief Deb Krebill, who nominated the four-some for the award named for the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo who died in World War II when their ship was sunk.

The Marion firefighters were recognized for their swift action on Dec. 8, 2016, to extricate a driver involved in a semi roll-over accident along Highway 151.

The driver, Kostyantyn Knysh, 38, of Plainfield, Illinois, was trapped in the vehicle cab and was almost completely submerged under nearly frozen water in 15-degree weather after the trailer truck went off the road and into a pond near Jordan's Grove Road.

"There is no doubt that these firefighters put their lives on the line that day," Ryan told about 50 people who gathered in the Capitol rotunda to give the men a standing ovation. "Their combined effort, determination, skill and willingness to not give up saved a man's life."

Upon arrival, police say they found the semi off the road, submerged under water in the pond. Emergency responders removed Knysh through the roof of the truck, police said.

Krebill said it took the firefighters nearly an hour to rescue the driver in the frigid conditions.

"A lot of guys, once they were in there that long and they were absolutely exhausted, they would have gotten out and said: 'O.K., next crew go in,' but they didn't. They were going to stay there until it was done," Krebill told reporters. "They were freezing. They were exhausted and they did not give up and, as a fire chief, I could not be more proud."

Iowa State Patrol Trooper Dustin Henningsen was honored for rescuing a man trapped in a burning vehicle in a roadside ditch in the Bettendorf area last February.

"What you've accomplished is truly exceptional," Reynolds told the five award recipients. "They were heroes in every sense of the word. Thank you for being a phenomenal example for all others to follow."
News

Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizonas Port of Nogales apprehended an 18-year-old male U.S. citizen Tuesday evening after finding weapons and ammunition under the front and rear seats of the Chevy sedan he was driving.

Officers working outbound operations at the Mariposa crossing selected the man for an outbound inspection as he was leaving the United States. Subsequently, officers located five assault rifles, two handguns, and more than 800 rounds of ammunition.

Weapons found in sedan

Officers arrested the man for weapons trafficking and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. Officers also seized the vehicle, ammunition and weapons.

Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
ALGONA  A special benefit is being thrown for Algona Fire Chief Chuck Bell, who is battling esophageal cancer for the third time since 2015.

The Chief Bell Benefit is 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Algona VFW, 414 E. State St.

For me, Chuck has proven to be a good friend, said Tony Rahm, one of the firefighters who is helping put the benefit together. He always listens if we need to talk to somebody. He has always offered to help if somebody did have issues.

There are things we cope with on the fire department that you just dont realize you run into, he added. Hes a good guy to hang out with thats for sure. He always lightens up the place.

Bell said the benefit is awesome. I never gave it a thought of doing anything like this, he said. I just hope I feel good enough to be there.

His wife, Colleen, said it is a bit overwhelming. Tony has taken a lot of the responsibility and he has other people working with him to get things in order, coordinating everything, she said. It is very humbling to know that people care that much. I know hes earned his respect from the city and this is their way of showing how much he means to them.

Bell joined the fire department in September 1979 when he was 24 years old. He became Algonas first full-time fireman in April 1999.

The next year he became the fire chief, as well as the city building inspector, liquor license inspector and nuisance call coordinator.

In 2002, Bell became a board member of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association, serving until 2013.

In 2013, he and his daughter, Emily, donated and dedicated the memorial flags in the name of their wife and mother, Eileen, and dedicated to fallen members of the Algona Fire Department. That same year he was the recipient of the Algona Chamber of Commerce award for Volunteer of the Year in recognition of outstanding service to the community.

The following year, Bell was the recipient of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association Roger Mooty Memorial Award in appreciation for his many years of dedicated service to the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association.

It was April 1, 2015, when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. They did a scope and discovered that there was a tumor at the bottom of his esophagus, Colleen explained. He was having trouble eating. It felt like something was getting stuck in this throat. They took a biopsy of the area and realized it was cancer.

He went through chemotherapy and radiation and was cleared, but the cancer reoccurred in September 2016 and March 2017. He is currently in therapy at the Trinity Cancer Center in Fort Dodge.

Hopefully it will shrink his existing tumors and prevent any further development, Colleen said. When you love somebody, it is not always through the good times. It is for all the times. Weve been battling it ever since.

Chuck said being a firefighter is the best job he could ever have. We have good volunteers and good guys to work with, he said. It has been a rewarding job. I have a lot of respect in the job throughout the city and from the people.

He just hopes he can get through the next round of treatment. I dont think I ever will be fighting fires again, Chuck said.
Arizona News

Sells, Arizona - Border Patrol agents from the Casa Grande Station encountered four illegal aliens in the mountains west of Sells, Arizona, Tuesday afternoon; one of whom required an aerial extraction by an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter.

During the encounter, agents identified three Mexican nationals and one Guatemalan national. Agents also determined the Guatemalan man had sustained a leg injury and required medical support.

Tucson Sectors Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team responded on dirt bikes. They were soon joined by Arizona DPS Ranger 58, a helicopter equipped for short haul extractions. BORSTAR agents treated the mans leg and performed a long-rope extraction to a nearby ambulance with help from the DPS air asset. A BORSTAR agent accompanied the patient from the scene to a local hospital.

The three Mexican nationals were taken to the Casa Grande Station and are being processed for immigration violations, in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.

After receiving proper medical care, the Guatemalan national will also be processed for immigration violations.

Border Patrol officials encourage anyone in distress to call 911, or activate a rescue beacon, before becoming a casualty.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free.
Border News

Tucson, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested three undocumented criminal aliens shortly after they entered the United States illegally during separate incidents last weekend.

Agents from the Brian A. Terry Station in Naco, Arizona, arrested 37-year-old Santana Conde-Recio, a Mexican national, after he entered the country illegally on Saturday afternoon. During processing, agents learned Conde was convicted of felony reckless vehicular homicide in Charleston County, Virginia, in 2001.

On Sunday, Nogales Station agents arrested two men in separate incidents and during processing learned that both had been convicted for criminal sex acts before being removed from the U.S.

Agents first arrested Juan Carlos Perez-Suchite, a 43-year-old Guatemalan national who was convicted in 2000 for felony lewd or lascivious acts with a child in Long Beach, California.

Later in the evening, agents arrested Adrian Oliva-Flores, a 43-year-old Honduran national who was convicted in 2007 for felony aggravated sexual battery in Virginia.

All three men are currently in federal custody awaiting a disposition on felony criminal immigration violations.

All persons apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal immigrants with criminal histories are positively identified.
Border News

Nogales, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Border Patrol Station arrested a man yesterday who was in the United States illegally and was previously convicted for rape.

Monday morning, agents arrested Gerrardo Garcia, a 43-year-old Mexican national, near the City of Nogales. During processing, a records check on Garcia revealed he was convicted in 2016 of Rape of Spouse by Force and Inflicting Corporal Injury to Spouse in Madera County, California. Garcia was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Garcia is currently in federal custody awaiting a disposition on felony criminal immigration violations.

All persons apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal immigrants with criminal histories are positively identified.
Border News

Sonoita, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 150 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $75,000, during a secondary inspection of two vehicles and a camper trailer at the State Route 83 immigration checkpoint Monday evening.

Sonoita Station agents directed a Chevrolet pickup truck, occupied by three adult U.S. citizens with a camper trailer in tow, to a secondary inspection area after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. During the subsequent search, agents found multiple bundles of marijuana in the camper.

Agents arrested the 43-year-old driver and two passengers for smuggling and seized the vehicle, camper and marijuana.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Latest News

San Luis, Arizona - Travelers planning to cross into the U.S. through Arizonas Port of San Luis for the upcoming holidays need to plan ahead and make sure they have proper documents in hand due to construction, advises Customs and Border Protection officials.

Border traffic increases significantly in the fall and winter months for agriculture imports and holiday travel. The Port of San Luis is undergoing construction that is expected to impact travelers entering the U.S. from Mexico.

We will continue to monitor traffic during construction upgrades at the Port, says Area Port Director John Schwamm. We simply ask travelers to be patient.

Schwamm also says travelers can help shorten the processing time by having their travel documents available to present to the primary officer, and by declaring everything they are bringing with them from Mexico.

CBP encourages travelers to pre-plan trips. Obtain a valid, acceptable travel document, such as a passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST/EXPRES); a permanent resident card; or an enhanced drivers license. Possession of these documents will expedite entry into the United States and make future border crossings more efficient.

To avoid potential delays at the border, CBP is urging all foreign travelers requiring I-94 or I-94W (visa waiver) entry document processing to obtain the essential document early instead of waiting until the day of their travel. Travelers are encouraged to obtain the required documents as much as a week in advance for faster and more convenient processing.

All travelers requesting an I-94 or I-94W entry document may be required to establish financial solvency and proof of residency outside the United States, and demonstrate that they have sufficiently strong ties to their country of origin, including a home abroad they do not intend to abandon.

1. Check out the new CBP informational website at cbp.gov.

The CBP website has been redesigned to help users quickly access the content they need, and is optimized for access by smart phones to improve access internationally.

2. Beat the border rush.

Cross during off-peak times, such as before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Most lines at the border start building in the morning and carry on into early afternoon.

Monitor wait times on CBPs Border Wait Times app. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light use/short waits.

3. Keep travel documents handy.

Make sure each passenger has the correct travel document accessible and ready to show to the CBP officer.

If you are a frequent international traveler and have not already become a member of a trusted traveler program, sign up now. For more information, please visit CBPs Trusted Traveler site.

4. Know the contents of your vehicle and be prepared to declare all items.

Travelers are required to declare all items being imported into the United States from Mexico. If you are not sure about what to declare, do not hesitate to ask.

5. Know what food products can be imported.

Many fruits, meats, dairy and poultry products are prohibited from being imported into the United States from Mexico.

For more information, see cbp.govs Prohibited and Restricted Items.

6. Firewood.

Only heat-treated firewood from Mexico is allowed into the United States. Personal importations of heat-treated firewood must be accompanied by either a treatment certificate or an attached commercial treatment label. Travelers attempting to bring untreated wood into the United States may be returned to Mexico to dispose of their wood there.

To learn more about harmful pests associated with food products and firewood, visit the United States Department of Agricultures Animal Plant Health Inspection Service website www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health.

7. Declare all firearms.

Specific requirements must be met to import or export firearms and ammunition to/from the United States. For more information on the importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition, visit the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; State Department; and Commerce Department websites.
Harare Province: Robert Mugabe clung on as Zimbabwe`s president Sunday, using national TV to insist he still holds power despite a military takeover and mounting pressure for his autocratic 37-year rule to end.

Crowds who gathered in bars and cafes in Harare to watch the address, which was widely expected would end in the 93-year-old`s resignation, were left stunned and disconsolate. Some wept openly.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said.

His words pitched the country into deep uncertainty, as they imply he will seek to stay in office until at least mid-December.

It was widely thought that Mugabe would have no choice but to go after the army seized power, opened the floodgates of citizen protest and his once-loyal party told him to quit.

But Mugabe, sitting alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention, delivered a speech that suggested he was unfazed by the turmoil.

Speaking slowly and occasionally stumbling as he read from the pages, Mugabe talked of the need for solidarity to resolve national problems -- business-as-usual rhetoric that he has deployed over decades.

He made no reference to the chorus calling for him to resign and shrugged off last week`s dramatic military intervention.

"The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander in chief," he said.

Instead he urged harmony and comradeship."Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I... do acknowledge their concerns," said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit."

His address provoked immediate anger, and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political tensions.

"People should go back on to the streets. This is not fair," said a security guard in Harare who declined to be named.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans` association, also called for protests and demanded that Mugabe be impeached.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe`s independence in 1980, huge crowds had marched and sang their way through Harare, believing Mugabe was about to step down.Just ahead of Sunday`s speech, crowds gathered in Harare`s Africa Union Square under the light of the setting sun to chant against Mugabe and wave Zimbabwean flags.

"What we wanted was the government of Mugabe gone... out of the way by whatever means necessary," Thobekile Ncube, a demonstrator, told AFP.

Highlighting the the chaos engulfing Zimbabwean politics, the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Sunday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

It warned that the party would seek to impeach him if he did not go by 1000 GMT on Monday.

"Mugabe seemed to be enjoying himself, but he commander of the defence forces was looking thunderous, we noticed he didn`t clap at the end of the speech," said Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP.

"It`s absolutely astounding. Mugabe behaves as if nothing ZANU-PF said this afternoon was of any relevance.

"Where they`ll go from here? They`ll proceed with the so-called impeachment process."

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe`s wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.

The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe -- the world`s oldest head of state -- during a reign defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

Sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit and to secure a deal guaranteeing future protection for him and his family.

The factional succession race that triggered Zimbabwe`s sudden crisis was between party hardliner Mnangagwa -- known as the Crocodile -- and a group called "Generation 40", or "G40", because its members are generally younger, which campaigned for Grace`s cause.

The president, who is feted in parts of Africa as the continent`s last surviving independence leader, is in fragile health.

But he previously said he would stand in elections next year that would see him remain in power until he was nearly 100 years old.

Zimbabwe`s economic output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.
DES MOINES | A number of North Iowans were recognized during the Iowa Association of School Boards' Better Boardsmanship Awards earlier this month.

IASB, a nonprofit organization representing Iowa's 333 school districts, nine area education agencies and 15 community colleges, gives the awards annually to individual board members, board teams and administrators who dedicate time for learning, advocacy, leadership and service projects to expand their knowledge for better governance.

Applicants must earn credit toward these awards.

The Individual Achievement Award was given to 56 board members, including Jackie Burk, Belmond-Klemme, and Scott Dight, Jason Walker, Robin Macomber and Lorraine Winterink, Charles City.

The Charles City School Board was one of six receiving Team Achievement plaques. The award is given when the majority of individual board members receive Individual Achievement Awards and have a policy in place in support of board development.

Charles City Superintendent Dan Cox was one of six superintendents receiving the Award of Honor for investing time to build skills and knowledge to be an informed decision-maker.
Beijing: China on Monday dismissed a top Pakistani Army General's allegation that India has established a special intelligence cell at a cost of USD 500 million to sabotage the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it does not have any such report.

Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat on November 14 said had accused India of stoking "chaos and anarchy" in the region.

He alleged that Indian?s external intelligence agency RAW has established a special cell at a cost of USD 500 million to sabotage the CPEC. He also accused India of fanning terrorism in the restive province of Balochistan.

"We have no such relevant reports," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about the allegation.

China?s rebuff over the allegation against India is significant considering that Beijing and Islamabad regard themselves as "iron brothers" sharing "all-weather ties".

Also in an apparent reference to India?s objections over the CPEC traversing through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Lu said "we hope that CPEC could win more recognition and support from regional countries and the international community".

Pakistan?s top officials have been accusing RAW of sabotaging the CPEC as the Pakistani security forces had to battle numerous attacks by the Balochistan nationalist forces as well as the Islamic State in Balochistan province.

The CPEC connects China?s restive Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

Lu said the CPEC is new type cooperation framework built by China and Pakistan for long term cooperation development.

"It is important not just to the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity," he said.

He said China believe that it can work with Pakistan to ensure the success of the CPEC and the economic cooperation in various fields between the two countries.
Panaji: Light and shade jostled for space as the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened on Monday amid much fanfare and in the presence of Bollywood's best such as Shah Rukh Khan, but with the controversy over "Padmavati" casting a shadow on the festivities.

The opening ceremony, held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, turned out to be a star-studded affair with SRK, Shahid Kapoor, Sridevi, AR Rahman, Anupam Kher, Nitesh Tiwari, Prasoon Joshi, Rajkummar Rao and Radhika Apte in attendance.

"It is our endeavour on behalf of the government of India and the government of Goa that we invite filmmakers from across the world to this land of stories," Union minister for Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani said in her address.

Glimpses of the 48th edition of International Film Festival of India. Grateful thanks to the entire film industry for their support to #IFFI2017. pic.twitter.com/z2dZWD3q5w  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 20, 2017

Thank you @iamsrk for your gracious presence at @IFFIGoa and giving such an elegant opening to #IFFI2017. pic.twitter.com/8G3hjDRbuj  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 20, 2017

Grateful to @SrideviBKapoor for being part of #IFFI2017 and charming the audience with her grace. pic.twitter.com/ThxJLHIQfF  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 20, 2017

It is our privilege to have Majid Majidis first Indian film Beyond the Clouds open at #IFFI2017. pic.twitter.com/9WontgQiWU  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 20, 2017

Thankful to @shahidkapoor for sharing his vision on the future of Cinema at #IFFI2017. pic.twitter.com/k5S368vxjE November 20, 2017

Performances Drums of India and Utsav depicted Indias culture and colours magnificently! pic.twitter.com/AAO94j6Kys  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 20, 2017

The ceremony opened with an energetic dance performance towards the end of which Shah Rukh made an entry on stage and struck his signature open arm pose.

In his opening remarks, the 52-year-old actor said stories and films brought people together.

"There is a word in Sanskrit - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It means bringing the world together like a family. I believe no matter what your language, no matter what country your story comes from and no matter what ideologies, storytelling and listening should be a familial experience," he said.

Iranian director Majidi's film 'Beyond the Clouds' inaugurated the film festival. Starring Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan in lead roles, the film is based on life in Mumbai.

(With PTI inputs)
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned the ongoing controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama Padmavati, labelling it as "unfortunate" and a "calculated plan" to destroy freedom of expression.

"The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency," Banerjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress supremo exhorted the film industry to protest in unison. "All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Its release has been "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1.

Some Hindu groups have been protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The makers have also not got clearance yet from the Central Board of Film Certification, which said the application from the makers was "incomplete".
Berlin: High-stakes talks to form a new German government collapsed Sunday as the pro-business FDP party walked out, plunging Europe`s biggest economy into a political crisis and potentially precipitating the end of Chancellor Angela Merkel`s career.

After more than a month of gruelling negotiations, Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party said there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel`s conservative alliance CDU-CSU and ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," said Lindner, adding that "we cannot and will not answer for the spirit of the exploratory papers".

The talks, which turned increasingly acrimonious, had stumbled on issues including the divisive matter of immigration.

Merkel`s liberal refugee policy that let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 had also pushed some voters to the far-right AfD, which in September elections campaigned on an Islamophobic and anti-immigration platform.

With the Social Democratic Party already ruling out returning to a coalition with Merkel, and the veteran leader herself refusing a minority government, Germany would likely be forced to hold new elections.

And Merkel, in power since 2005, would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to lead them into a new electoral campaign.

Top-selling Bild daily said earlier Sunday that a failure to forge a coalition puts "her chancellorship in danger".

A poll by Welt online also found that 61.4 percent of people surveyed said a collapse of talks would mean an end to Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise.Merkel had been forced to seek an alliance with the unlikely group of parties after September`s elections left her without a majority.

Party chiefs had initially set 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) Sunday as the moment of truth, but the deadline went by without a breakthrough -- the second overtime after already missing a previous target on Thursday.

But signs that talks were going badly began emerging and Bild daily said on its website that "failure is in the air" as parties dug in their heels on key sticking points.

Anxious to curb the haemorrhage of voters to the AfD, Merkel`s Bavarian allies CSU has demanded a 200,000 cap on new arrivals.

Negotiators were unable to square that demand with the Greens` push for war refugees -- who benefit from temporary protection -- to be allowed to bring their family members to Germany.

"We will not accept that people who are already getting a lower status of protection by law are also excluded from family reunions. That is inhumane," Greens negotiator Juergen Trittin told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

The parties also differed on environmental issues, with the ecologists wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasise the need to protect industry and jobs.

As parties refused to budge, Germany`s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Welt am Sonntag newspaper that "all sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters".

Sueddeutsche daily noted that Steinmeier`s warning came because he sees in new elections "the risk that even a bigger coalition or a Jamaica coalition would no longer have a majority".

"Then the loss would have been greater than the failure of forging a government," it said.
Rajkot: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections and claimed the Congress had done so too in the past.

On Congress president Sonia Gandhi's allegation that the government was "sabotaging" the Winter session of Parliament, Jaitley said the opposition party had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters here.

He also said the session would be held and the Congress "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

He said the Congress had itself rescheduled Parliament sessions several times.

"(The) timing is decided such that they do not overlap with election campaigns. (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that," the senior BJP leader said.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

"Parliament session will be held for sure and on all subjects, and the Congress will be totally exposed," Jaitley said.

Sources said the government was considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in New Delhi today, Sonia Gandhi said, "The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds."
AHMEDABAD: The Congress on Monday released a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Forty top leaders of the party have been designated to campaign in the state.

Congress releases a list of 40 star campaigners for upcoming #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/4P8BfZe2H5  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Earlier on Sunday, the grand old party had released its first list of 77 candidates.

Congress's first list saw senior leaders like Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets.

The party is locked in a bitter contest with the BJP, which has been in power in the state since 1995.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already announced 134-candidates, which includes incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Gujarat goes to polls in December, where the first phase for 89 seats will be held on the 9th and for the remaining 93 seats it will be held on the 14th.

The results will be announced along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.
AHMEDABAD: The Congress on Monday released the second list of 13 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, taking the total number of candidates to 90.

Earlier on Sunday, the grand old party had released its first list of 77 candidates.

Congress's first list saw senior leaders like Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets.

Earlier in the day, the party declared a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Forty top leaders of the party have been designated to campaign in the state.

Congress is locked in a bitter contest with the BJP, which has been in power in the state since 1995.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already announced 134-candidates, which includes incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Gujarat goes to polls in December, where the first phase for 89 seats will be held on the 9th and for the remaining 93 seats it will be held on the 14th.

The results will be announced along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.
AHMEDABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP has released its third list of 28 candidates for upcoming Gujarat Elections 2017.

The party has already released a second list of 36 candidates on Saturday and a first list of 70 candidates on Friday.

Overall, the party has announced 134 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly elections to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

Third list of 28 BJP candidates for ensuing general election to the legislative assembly of Gujarat 2017 finalised by BJP Central Election Committee. pic.twitter.com/1DKe4ru9WX  BJP (@BJP4India) November 20, 2017

The new list includes the sitting MLA and Assembly Speaker Raman Vora, who will contest from the Scheduled Caste (SC) seat of Dasada, and sitting MLA and former cabinet Minister Saurabh Patel, who will contest from Botad. He had earlier contested from Botad in the previous term and is the sitting MLA from Akota constituency.

Senior leader and spokesperson I.K. Jadeja has not been given the ticket for Dhrangadhra constituency, where he was hoping to get candidature. That seat will be contested by Jayarambhai Dhanjibhai Sonagra.

Another former Minister Govindbhai Patel will be contesting from his sitting seat Rajkot (South). The Kodinar SC seat will be contested by Rambhai Vadher, replacing sitting MLA Jethabhai Solanki, who resigned from the saffron party on Saturday.

Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani will contest from Rajkot West, while Deputy CM Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others.

On Sunday, the Congress released its first list of 77 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections with senior leaders from the state Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia getting tickets.

With PTI Inputs
AHMEDABAD: Hours after Gujarat Congress declared a truce with Hardik Patel over seat distribution in upcoming Gujarat polls, late-night protests by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers erupted in Ahmedabad and Surat. Unhappy with ticket distribution, agitated protestors clashed with Congress workers and allegedly vandalised party office in Surat.

Clashes also broke out between PAAS leader Dinesh Patel and a police personnel outside the residence of Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki. The Patidaar leader informed that PAAS members had to wait for hours outside after they were called to Solanki`s residence for a meeting.

The Congress` released a list of 77 candidates on Sunday night for the Gujarat elections, which included just three PAAS candidates. Angry over it, leaders of the community staged a protest.

"We`ll protest against Congress tomorrow, and will rethink about extending our support to them, who are shirking their responsibility. We`ll also ask public to rethink about Congress, because they are not answering a simple question. How can we expect to be heard when our questions are also not being answered by Congress?" Dinesh Patel told ANI.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

"We`ll ask our party candidates to not file a nomination. If they still do, we`ll protest against them also," he added.

The Patidar leader also alleged that Police is targeting the community, and posing a threat to their lives.

"Police personnel are arresting us under the influence and out of uniform too. They want to kill us. Our life is under threat," he added.

On Sunday night, the Gujarat Congress and Hardik Patel reached an agreement over the issue of granting reservation to Patels, if the Congress is voted to power in the state Assembly election.

"Earlier, we had asked the Congress to clarify how they would grant Patidars a constitutionally valid reservation. Today, we held a crucial meeting on that issue and finally reached a consensus on various options offered by the party to us. The official announcement of this agreement will be made by Hardik tomorrow in Rajkot," PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the meeting on the issue.

He is a key aide of Hardik Patel, who was missing from the meeting.

The meeting with PAAS leaders was attended by Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and senior Congress leaders Siddharth Patel and Babubhai Mangukia.

Solanki claimed the meeting yielded a "positive outcome".

"The meeting was successful and yielded a positive outcome. We both agreed to implement this agreement in coming days," he said.

Hardik Patel had earlier set a condition that he would support the Congress in the Assembly polls, due next month, only if the party committed itself to allotting reservation in education and government jobs to his community.

Meanwhile, the Congress first list of candidates contained names of senior leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia.

Gujarat polls are set to be held on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.
NEW DELHI: In a jolt to Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is a part of the UPA, has decided to contest the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 on its own.

Confirming the development, NCP leader Praful Patel said: "We wanted to contest in Gujarat in alliance with the Congress and had talks with them too initially, but the Congress did not seem serious and kept on delaying. "We are already prepared to contest from all seats for the last one-and-half years. Now, we have decided to fight alone.

Notable, the NCP on November 18 had the Gujarat Assembly Polls in alliance with the Congress to oust the 22-year-old BJP regime in the state.

"The NCP has extended its full support to the Congress and will fight the Assembly polls (in Gujarat) in alliance with the Congress," Anwar said in a press conference in Katihar, his Lok Sabha constituency. People of Gujarat are feeling disenchanted with the BJP government for the first time in 22 years and they want a change, NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar had said.

Voting for the two-phase polls are scheduled for December 9 and 14. The vote count will take place on December 18.

In more trouble for the Congress, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers in the late hours of Sunday protested against the grand old party in Ahmedabad and Surat, expressing dismay over ticket distribution ahead of assembly polls in the state.

Following the release of Congress` list of candidates which includes only three PAAS candidates, angry leaders of the community staged protest.

Reacting to the protests, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said the PAAS leaders, who were working as agents of Congress, have been exposed following their clash over ticket distribution.
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X) issued the following statement in response to the City of Chicagos press conference held the same day.



The companys statement follows:

U. S. Steel is committed to complying with all environmental standards, to ensuring the safety of our employees and our neighbors in the communities in which we live and operate, and to safeguarding our shared environment. We take that responsibility very seriously and recognize this as a critical aspect of our role as a member of each community in which we operate. We also take every incident seriously. We have worked with appropriate government agencies in the past as effectively as possible and continue those efforts as part of our work to continuously improve our environmental compliance processes.

With regard to the October 26 operating excursion at our Midwest Plant, we want to reiterate the event did not pose any danger to water supply or human health, and we promptly communicated the issue to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

U. S. Steel issued numerous statements related to the April incident at our Midwest Plant in Portage, Ind. Those statements are available in the Newsroom area of our website: https://www.ussteel.com/newsroom.

-oOo-

CONTACT:

Meghan Cox

Manager

Corporate Communications

T  (412) 433-6777

E  mmcox@uss.com
AHMEDABAD: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani filed his nomination for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections on Monday.

Rupani was accompanied by local Gujarat BJP leaders and Union Finance Minister filed his nomination papers in presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley to the Election Commission office Rajkot.

The incumbent Gujarat CM will contest from Rajkot West in Saurashtra.

Before filing the nomination papers, Rupani visited various temples to offer prayers and seek blessings of saints.

He also addressed a huge public meeting at Bahumali Bhavan, Rajkot.

earlier in th eday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rupani to convey best wishes. He expressed confidence in BJP winning the Gujarat polls.

Voting for the two-phase polls are scheduled for December 9 and 14. The vote count will take place on December 18.

The BJP on Monday released its third list of 28 candidates for upcoming Gujarat Elections 2017.

The party has already released a second list of 36 candidates on Saturday and a first list of 70 candidates on Friday.

Overall, the party has announced 134 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly elections to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.
New Delhi: A Haryana BJP leader, who offered a bounty of Rs 10 crore to anyone beheading director of 'Padmavati' Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone, got a show-cause notice from his party on Monday.

The Haryana BJP has sought an explanation from its chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu over his remarks.

While the BJP distanced itself from the comments, Amu said he had made the remarks in his personal capacity and that he would resign if his party asked him to but would not tolerate any "insult" to his community.

"We do not want to take law in our hands but will not forgive anyone who tries to spoil the image of Rajput kings and queens," Amu said.



"Padukone is just like our daughter and she must stay away for playing roles like the one she played in Padmavati," he added.

He had also issued a threat to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh on Sunday.

At the same time, Amu had on Sunday praised a Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika and Bhansali.

"I want to congratulate the Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, and Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family`s needs," he had said.

Apart from Deepika, the films also has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

(With Agency inputs)
Chandigarh: After being on the run for nearly three months, Pawan Insan, a close aide of rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has been arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police, police sources said on Monday.



Pawan was arrested from Lalru town in Punjab, around 30 km from Chandigarh, the police sources said.



He had been on the run since the August 25 violence in Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, in which 41 people were killed and over 260 others injured.



Thousands of followers of the sect chief indulged in large scale violence in Panchkula following his conviction for the rape of two female disciples (sadhvis).



Close aides of the sect chief like Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan were booked by the police for sedition and instigating the mobs.



While Honeypreet was arrested in early October, after remaining fugitive for 38 days, Pawan Insan remained elusive for 85 days.



Aditya Insan, a doctor, continues to be on the run.



Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu had said earlier that an international alert has been sounded on three sect functionaries - Honeypreet, Pawan Insan and Aditya Insan.



The police also moved to attach the private properties of all three.



The Haryana Police had released a list of 43 persons, including these three, who were involved in the violence that took place in Panchkula.


Mumbai: Nearly 48,000 workers die in the country due to occupational accidents, of which the construction sector contributes 24.20 per cent of the fatalities, says an international report.

Quoting the International Labour Organisation numbers, the British Safety Council, today said 48,0000 people on average die in the country per annum due to work-related hazards.

The British Safety Council is a not-for-profit workplace health, safety and environmental management organisation, also noted that the workplace deaths in India is 20 times higher than in Britain.

It observed that as many as 38 fatal accidents take place every day in the construction sector in the country, while there were only 137 fatal incidents in all sectors in 2016 in Britain.

"India with 1.25 billion population has a strong workforce of 465 million. However, only 20 per cent of them are covered under the existing health and safety legal framework.

"Though there are laws to address these health and safety concerns, their implementation is a big task due to lack of adequate manpower," British Safety Council chief executive Mike Robinson said today, adding there is one factory inspector for 506 registered factories here.

Noting that India is in a similar position to where Britain was 50 years ago in terms of the accident rates of work and enforcement of legislation, he said, "we see huge parallels to where Britain was 50-60 years ago to India today.

"We know that the work we do and the education and training that we provide can hopefully have a similar effect of what we had in Britain but in lot less than 50 years."

The council, which has been providing its products and services here for the last 30 years, today opened its India office in the city and has tied up with Chennai-headquartered NIST Institute.

It now aims to offer its full range of products like audit, training, e-learning, qualifications and membership in the Indian market.

"Initially, we only looked for a local organisation, which would allow us to deliver our products across the country, as we start to build our own delivery capabilities. However, in NIST we've found an organisation that has a largely complementary set of products and services as we have," he said.
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday hit back at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for accusing the Modi government of delaying the convening of the Winter Session of Parliament.

The BJP leader said that rescheduling of Parliament sessions has happened several times before during election time.

Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The Winter session of Parliament usually starts in the third week of November and lasts until the third week of December.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December, PTI reported.

What Jaitley said:

Jaitley said the Opposition party had also delayed a session in 2011 and even earlier because the sittings coincided with election campaigns.

"It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening," he told reporters.

The FM also said the session would be held and the Congress "totally exposed".

"The Congress has given the most corrupt government in its ten years of rule, while Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie," Jaitley said.

What Sonia said:

Hitting out at PM Modi, Sonia on Monday warned the NDA regime that it can not escape constitutional accountability by "locking the temple of democracy".



Addressing the Congress working committee, which met on Monday to finalise the schedule for the election of the next Congress chief, Sonia said that despite PM Modi`s failure to adhere to the promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he continues making "false promises".



"The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India`s Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat," she said in her opening remarks.



Sonia added that Parliament was the forum in which questions should be asked - questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defence deals.

"Government will be obliged to answer these questions, but in order to avoid the questions and answers ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extraordinary step of not holding a Winter Session when it should be held," she said.



Sonia further said that the Prime Minister had the "audacity to hold a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST but he lacks the courage to face Parliament".

(With PTI and IANS inputs)
Bangalore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused Congress leader Shashi Tharoor of politicising the victory of newly-crowned Miss World, Manushi Chhillar.

BJP leader S Prakash said, "Shashi Tharoor who brands himself as an intellectual, he is politicising her achievement even here. Let us compliment her and not politicise it and make fun of her achievement."

Stating that those in public life should "be very careful," Prakash said the controversy should end now that Tharoor has apologised for his comment.

"I`m happy that he has apologised and deleted the tweet. I think the controversy should end here," he said.

Following Manushi Chhillar`s victory at the Miss World 2017 pageant on Saturday, Tharoor had tweeted, "What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!"

However, the tweet backfired on Tharoor, when Twitteratis slammed him for comparing Manushi`s surname to `loose change`.

In another tweet, Tharoor issued an apology, saying, "Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i`ve separately praised. Please: Chill!."
Beijing: China on Monday objected to President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from 'complicating' the border 'dispute' when bilateral relations are at a 'crucial moment'.

"The Chinese government never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and our position on the border issue is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media when asked about President Kovind's visit to Arunachal, which China claims as 'southern Tibet'.

Both countries are "in the process of settling this issue through negotiation and consultation and seek to reach to a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all", he added.

Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity, Lu further said, as per PTI.

The President arrived in Arunachal Pradesh on a four-day tour of the Northeast and attended the valedictory function organised at the Indira Gandhi Park to mark 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra.

Later, he also inaugurated the new Assembly building and addressed the legislators at a special Session.

#PresidentKovind arrives in Itanagar on his first visit to Arunachal Pradesh as President of India pic.twitter.com/j7a0jSlFfn  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 19, 2017

#PresidentKovind addresses the valedictory function of completion of 40 years of Vivekananda Kendra in Itanagar; says Arunachal Pradesh is the crown jewel of the north eastern region pic.twitter.com/KSUzzTZBz2  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 19, 2017

#PresidentKovind addresses special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly; says Arunachal Pradesh's traditions are an inspiration for entire country pic.twitter.com/64HHcs6sNl  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 19, 2017

China routinely objects to any senior Indian officials' visit to the area.

India has dismissed Beijing's objections, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and Indian leaders are as much free to visit the state as they are to any other part of the country.

On November 6, China had raised an objection to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

It had said that her tour of the disputed area was not conducive to the peace and tranquillity of the region.

Sitharaman had visited forward Army posts in Anjaw district that borders China to take stock of defence preparedness.

As to Indian Defence Minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, you must be very clear about Chinas position, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said at a media briefing.

There is a dispute on the eastern section of the China-India boundary. So this visit by the Indian side to the disputed area is not conducive to the peace and tranquillity of the relevant region, she had added.

Earlier, Sitharaman had also visited Nathu La area on the India-China border in Sikkim and had greeted the Peoples Liberation Army soldiers across the border.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee will meet on Monday at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence to initiate the process of Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the top ost of the grand old party, reports said.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 10:30 am.

The party sources said the CWC will approve the schedule for the Congress president's election.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

The CWC will decide on the schedule for the election of the Congress president, including the date for filing of nomination and the election.

Party leaders say though it was not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.

On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files his/her nomination against Gandhi, then he will be declared President unopposed.



The party has time till December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.



The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday will hear the plea of West Bengal politician and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukul Roy, who has sought an investigation into his phones being allegedly tapped.

The former Trinamool Congress MP and alleged that while he was in West Bengal, he always found that the local police were monitoring his movements.

Roy has accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) in this regard. On November 17, Roy alleged that his phones are being tapped and moved the Delhi High Court demanding an investigation into the matter.

The plea also sought directions to Roy's telecom service providers -- MTNL and Vodafone, to produce before the court orders, if any, issued by the Centre or the state government to intercept telegraphic messages originating from or received by the leader or any of his relatives.

Advocate Kumar Dushyant Singh, who filed the petition on behalf of Roy, said the CBI should be asked to investigate the "interception of telegraphic messages originating from or received by the petitioner or any of his relatives".

Singh said in case any such order was issued, the court should direct the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to investigate any violation of the 'License Agreement for Unified License' by Roy's mobile service providers.

Reportedly, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo, had also recently alleged that mobile phones of few political leaders were being tapped in West Bengal.

A former confidante of Mamata Banerjee, Roy joined the BJP on November 3.Roy had accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of indulging in `minority politics` in the state.
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army not just rule in combat but also in acrobatics. One of its teams has set a world record by carrying 58 men on a single bike.

They achieved the feat during a spectacular show at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru. The members belonged to the Army Service Corps.

The personnel rode a 500cc Royal Enfield motorcycle for a distance of 1,200 meters to make the new world record.

Dressed in a Tricolour apparel, team driver Subedar Rampal Yadav steered the sturdy bike, with its leader Major Bunny Sharma on the vanguard while other members stood behind and around the flanks that were attached to the bullet.

The Tornadoes broke the previous record of 56 men set in 2010 by the Army Signal Corps (Daredevils) from the Indian Army.

The team, formed in 1982 under the aegis of Colonel C N Rao and Captain JP Verma, now holds a total of 19 world and national records.

The team got its name for its daredevil stunts and record-breaking feats.

The teams first appearance at the IX Asiad Games in 1982 in Delhi created a worldwide sensation.

Since then they have performed in over 1,000 shows both within and outside the country.
MAKATI, Philippines, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransUnion (NYSE:TRU), a leading global information solutions provider, announced today the appointment of Pia Arellano as the president and CEO of TransUnions operations in the Philippines. The appointment is effective immediately.



Arellano is a seasoned financial services leader who will further TransUnions ability to deliver innovative information solutions in the Philippines, helping businesses make informed decisions, and aiding consumers in accessing the financial products and services that lead to a higher quality of life.

The Philippines economy is poised for long-term economic growth, and as the first comprehensive private credit bureau in the country, TransUnion is well positioned to provide services and solutions that enable the countrys citizens and businesses to thrive, said Lawrence Tsong, TransUnions Asia Pacific regional president. I am very excited about Pias appointment, her extensive understanding of the Filipino marketplace and her keen desire to help extend TransUnions global data, analytics and technology capabilities.

Arellano most recently served as head of sales at Visa, where she was responsible for business development in the Philippines and Guam. Prior to working at Visa, she served as the vice president of retail banking for ChinaTrust, and as a business development manager for Western Union. Arellano holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines, where she graduated cum laude. She also studied European Business at ESSCA University in France.

Arellano replaces Tina Stockdale, who has accepted a new opportunity within the industry.

"I sincerely thank Tina for all she has done for TransUnion in the Philippines, said Lawrence Tsong, TransUnions Asia Pacific regional president. She has led the region through an exciting period of growth and we wish her well in her new role.

TransUnion helped launch the first credit bureau in the Philippines in 2011, supporting the governments priority of increasing financial inclusion, and is helping lenders extend new credit to 25,000 Filipinos every month, enabling them to obtain credit cards, working capital for small businesses, and other resources to improve their standard of living.

In addition, TransUnion offers consumer risk information solutions to businesses across a number of industries in the Philippines.



About TransUnion (NYSE:TRU)

Information is a powerful thing. At TransUnion, we realize that. We are dedicated to finding innovative ways information can be used to help individuals make better and smarter decisions. We help uncover unique stories, trends and insights behind each data point, using historical information as well as alternative data sources. This allows a variety of markets and businesses to better manage risk and consumers to better manage their credit, personal information and identity. Today, TransUnion has a global presence in more than 30 countries and a leading presence in several international markets across North America, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Through the power of information, TransUnion is working to build stronger economies and families and safer communities worldwide.

We call this Information for Good. https://www.transunion.ph

Contact

Dave Blumberg

TransUnion

E-mail

dblumbe@transunion.com

Telephone

312-985-3059
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said that one has to accept that lord Ram is not as respected as lord Krishna in parts beyond north India. He said that while Ram is looked upon in north India, Krishna is loved more outside the country.

The Samajwadi Party patriarch further said that the respect given to lord Krishna in southern India is more than that given in any other part of the country.

Go to south India, lord Krishna is respected there the most. I agree that our idol is lord Ram, but we need to accept that lord Krishna is much loved outside India. In north India only, lord Ram is considered an idol, he said.

These remarks were made by the veteran leader in Ghaziabad on Sunday.

This comes just days after reports said that Mulayams son and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had been secretly working on a huge statue of lord Krishna in Saifai. According to reports, the UP strongman has been working for erecting a 50-feet statue of lord Krishna, made of copper, in his hometown.

Akhilesh has reportedly formulated the concept of the statue, which is based on a sequence from Mahabharata where Krishna took up weapons. It will come up in a school ground in Saifai. The statue is expected to be unveiled before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Some reports also said that things required to build the statue have been sourced from Japan and USA. It is being designed using 3D technology, reports said.

Notably, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has planned to build a 100 metre statue of Lord Rama in Ayodhya. An announcement by the Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan that the Yogi Adityanath government plans to build the statue on the banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya.

The tourism department of the state has presented a proposal in this regard to Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. It is a part of the state governments plan to promote religious tourism in the state.

Adityanath had even organised a grand Diwali in Ayodhya. Close to two lakh earthen lamps were lit in Ayodhya as mark of the celebration.
A minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government has caused embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he was caught urinating by roadside. The video of the minister peeing by roadside went viral on social media, providing ammunition to the opposition parties to target the state as well as the central governments.

While Maharashtra Water Conservation Minister Ram Shinde said that he was feeling ill, opposition parties such as the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed it as a failure for the Swachh Bharat campaign of the Narendra Modi government.

Shinde said that he urinated in the open as he was feeling ill after spending nearly a month touring the state for the government's flagship Jalyukta Shivar scheme.

"I have been travelling continuously from the last one month taking review of the Jalyukta Shivar scheme. Continuous travelling in high temperatures and dust made me ill. I was suffering from fever today and when I couldn't find a toilet while travelling, I had to relieve myself in the open," Shinde said.

The NCP was quick to react on the issue, asking how Prime Minister Narendra Modi can ask people to follow discipline when his own ministers are a bunch of undisciplined people.

Asserting that the Swachh Bharat mission has failed, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "It is now proved that the government has been looting people in the name of Swacch Bharat cess on petrol and diesel."

"How can the Prime Minister expect people to follow discipline when his own ministers are a bunch of undisciplined people? If the minister did not find a toilet on a highway, it means the government has all along been looting people in the name of Swacch Bharat cess on fuel. The minister has proved that the whole scheme is nothing but a big failure," Malik said.

The Aam Aadmi Party also took to Twitter to target the central government and Swachh Bharat campaign over the issue. A tweet was posted by AAP Maharashtra on the issue.

The incident occurred on a stretch on the Solapur-Barshi road in Maharashtra when the minister was travelling in his car.

This comes months after Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh was photographed while urinating in public. The pictures had evoked sharp reactions on social media with many targeting the Swachh Bharat campaign of the Narendra Modi government.

(With PTI Inputs)
NEW DELHI: As the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati refuses to die down, a local fringe group has announced an award of Rs 1 crore for anyone burning Deepika Padukone alive.

Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen. Any person burning her alive will be given Rs 1 crore. We demand that office- bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."

Haryana's BJP chief media coordinator on Sunday stoked a controversy by announcing Rs 10 crore award for anyone who beheads Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepkia Padukone. Deepika played the legendary Rajput queen Padmavati in the movie.

Earlier, a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community had announced a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone for "wrongfully portraying" queen Padmini in their coming film 'Padmavati'.

On November 17, protesters in Uttar Pradesh announced a bounty of Rs 50 lakhs on the heads of the two Bollywood fraternities.

The period drama has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said that the film would not be allowed to be released in the state unless its "controversial portions" were removed.

The widespread protests, including threats, over the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film seemed to have led to the launch of the film getting deferred.

"Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind 'Padmavati', has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1, 2017," the company spokesperson said in a statement.

On Saturday, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Prasoon Joshi had expressed disappointment over the film being screened for some journalists, who said there was nothing in it to hurt anyone's sentiments.
Bhopal/Chandigarh: Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab on Monday joined the chorus of protests against 'Padmavati' with Shivraj Singh Chouhan warning the film will not be screened in his state if it distorts history and Capt. Amarinder Singh saying cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, criticised the protests over the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, alleging there was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression, calling it "super emergency". The TMC supremo did not name any party.

Earlier, the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, both BJP-ruled states, had also raised concern over the proposed release of the period drama in which actor Deepika Padukone plays the legendary Rajput queen.

The makers of 'Padmavati' yesterday said the release date of the film, which also featured Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred. The film was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said the film would not be allowed to be screened in MP if it contains scenes "breaching the honour" of the Rajput queen or portrays "distorted facts".

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted (in the movie)," he said.

If there are scenes breaching the honour of Queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said.

The Congress alleged that Chouhan's announcement against the screening of the film was a "propaganda" for polarisation of votes in the next month's Gujarat elections.

"This is ridiculous. Chouhan made this announcement even before the movie was cleared by the Censor Board. This is a propaganda being staged in the view of ensuing Gujarat polls with an aim to polarise voters in that state," alleged Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh.

The Punjab chief minister said nobody had the right to distort history as he told reporters in Chandigarh that he himself has studied history and even been to Chittor.

"Cinematic license does not give anyone the right to twist historical facts...Those, whose feeling are hurt by distortion of facts, have the right to protest," he said when asked to comment on the controversy over the movie.

Protests are a justified recourse in a democratic system, said Singh, who leads the Congress government in Punjab.

Banerjee while describing the controversy over "Padmavati' as unfortunate urged the film industry to come out in support of Bhansali and his film.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves.

"We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," Banerjee said in a tweet.

Various religious organisations, spearheaded by Shri Rajput Karni Sena, have alleged that director Bhansali has distorted facts in the film.

The film has been facing controversy since Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear a plea filed against National Conference president Farooq Abdullah seeking action for his reported controversial remarks on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) including that it belonged to the neighbouring country.

"Ours is a landlocked state between three nuclear countries including India, Pakistan and China. I, therefore, believe Azadi is not possible nor workable. The part of the state under Pakistan belongs to them as our part belongs to India," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had said in Srinagar.

Abdullah had, on Saturday, said talks of an independent Kashmir were "wrong" as the landlocked valley was surrounded by three nuclear powers -- China, Pakistan and India.

He had also claimed that PoK belonged to Pakistan and that "this will not change", no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fought against each other.

The remarks had kicked up storm with the BJP and its NDA allies reacting sharply against it.

The PIL was filed by Delhi-based social activist Maulana Ansar Raza on November 17. He has sought "immediate investigation" and "arrest" of the Srinagar MP alleging that he favoured Pakistan and insulted India.

The plea alleged that Abdullah "always makes such controversial remarks and statements by which the nation and its people feel ashamed of such persons being Indian citizens".

A Bihar court on November 13 had ordered filing of an FIR against the National Conference supremo on charges of treason for his comments on PoK.

Abdullah's remarks had kicked up storm with the BJP and its NDA allies reacting sharply against it.

His statement had come days after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had rejected the idea of an "independent Kashmir", saying it was not based on "reality".
The Shia Central Waqf Board has offered a new solution to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi conflict in Ayodhya. According to the proposal of the board, a Ram temple can be built in Ayodhya while a mosque can be constructed in Lucknow.

Talking about the proposal, Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi said that the proposal was prepared after holding discussions with all stakeholders.

He said, After discussions with different parties we have prepared a proposal in which a Ram Temple will be built in Ayodhya and a Mosque can be built in Lucknow.

This is a solution which will ensure peace and brotherhood in the country, Rizvi added.

This comes almost a week after Rizvi said that it was amicably decided that no new mosque would be built in Ayodhya. He had said, "It has been amicably decided that no new mosque will be built in Ayodhya or Faizabad. The Shia Waqf board will identify a piece of land in a Muslim-dominated area and inform the government."

The Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad had objected to the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya or Faizabad in a meeting that was also attended by Ram Janambhoomi Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

It was decided in the meeting that the decision would be conveyed to the Supreme Court by December 5, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.

Rizvi had claimed that as the Sunni Waqf Board had lost the case of its registration in several courts, only the Shia Waqf board had a right to the mosque.

Since it is for an amicable solution of the temple-mosque issue, people from any community, including Sunni organisations, can participate in the talks but those with "negative approach" would not be allowed, the Shia Waqf board chief had said.

(With ANI inputs)
NEW DELHI: Ashok Kumar, the bus conductor falsely implicated by Haryana police in the Ryan murder case, could walk free on Tuesday. The Gurugram District Court has reserves order on bail plea of Kumar's plea for 3 pm tomorrow.

The CBI has not been able to present any evidence against him. Also, DNA has not matched, said Mohit Verma, Kumar's lawyer.

Kumar was arrested in September in connection with the murder of Pradyuman Thakur, the seven-year-old student of Ryan International School Gurugram who was found with his throat slit near the washroom.

At the time, the state police had claimed to possess clinching evidence to connect the conductor with the crime, despite both his and victim's family expressing doubts over the it.

Later, the case was transferred to Central Bureau of Investigation.

In a shocking move, the agency arrested a 16-year-old Class XI student of the same school for Pradyuman's murder earlier this month.

Giving a clean chit to Kumar, the CBI further said that there's no evidence to show that the conductor is involved in the murder.

The Haryana Police later admitted to committing a mistake while accusing Ashok of the murder. The team, which arrested the conductor and declared him a paedophile, confessed that they did not view the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage carefully.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom for his daughter's admission to Cambridge University.

Karti had earlier sought the apex court's permission to go to Cambridge. He assured that he would leave on December 2 and come back on December 10.

Junior Chidambaram has been permitted to a visit from December 1 to December 10 but with certain terms and conditions.

"If he fails to return by December 10, it will be treated as contempt of court," said the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

The apex court reportedly directed Karti Chidambaram to file an undertaking to that effect.

The order came following an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 15. The bureau had alleged irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti's father was the Union Finance Minister.

(With IANS inputs)
NEW DELHI: Two days after the Bandipora encounter that killed top Pakistani terrorists, the defence ministry on Monday said there's zero tolerance for terrorism.

Our policy & determination is clear. There is zero tolerance for terrorism and we are going to stop cross border infiltration of terrorists, said Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State - Defence.

Our army is after them and trying to flush out terrorism from the valley, added Bhamre.

Briefing the media about the encounter on Sunday, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police said that nearly 190 terrorists have been killed so far in 2017.

Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the LC while infiltrating...What we find this year is that we have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley. This has resulted in a remarkable change in the situation," said General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu.

On Saturday night, six top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district. Among those killed include Obaid, nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and the son of Jamat-ud-Dawa second-in-command Abdul Rehman Makki.

A Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also killed during the encounter.

The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police lashed out at local terrorists, questioning their ethics.

"It's easy to call yourself Mujahideen. But are you a Mujahideen or Pakistan's proxy," questioned General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said that another youth who had joined the militant ranks, gave up weapons and has returned to his family.



In a statement the state police said: "Responding to the appeal of parents, one more youth who had joined militant ranks has returned home in South Kashmir."



Monday`s development comes after Majid Khan, a second-year college student who had joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba terror outfit, returned to his family on November 17 after an appeal from his mother.



Security forces have said no charges would be pressed against youths who have strayed and have committed no crime.
Receives Drill Permit and Mobilizes for Planned Drilling



Announces Non-Brokered Private Placement

At $0.18 per Unit to Raise up to $2.156M

**NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES**

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centenera Mining Corporation (Centenera or the Company) - (TSX-V:CT) (OTCQB:CTMIF) reports that it has received a drill permit for its flagship Esperanza Copper-Gold Project (formerly known as the Huachi project) (Esperanza or the Project) in San Juan Province, Argentina. The Company will commence site logistics work immediately and plans to begin diamond drilling as soon as possible (Figure 1).

Figures accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/296ed686-99d2-48fd-9a75-4609ac4ec0f1

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97d5eed1-a33b-4dae-bb47-d68f25bec94d

The Company also announces a non-brokered private placement of up to 12,000,000 units (the Units) priced at $0.18 per Unit to raise a total of up to $2.16 million. Each Unit will consist of one common share of Centenera and one warrant, with each warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one common share of Centenera at an exercise price of $0.30 for a period of 18 months from the closing of the Financing.

We are announcing our new project name and we will now move quickly to put logistics in place for the drill program, beginning with an upgrade of the road to site. Mobilization is in progress and contractors are in place for the drill program, stated Keith Henderson, President and CEO of Centenera, Previous drilling advanced the project significantly, demonstrating grade from surface and continuity at depth. The new drill program will investigate the tonnage potential of the deposit with holes planned to test deeper and stepping out approximately 150 metres from previous mineralized intersections.

Mineralized Copper-Gold Porphyry

The outcropping copper-gold porphyry mineralization at Esperanza was first drill-tested by Cardero Argentina S.A. (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centenera) in 2006-2007 with 7 diamond drill holes totalling 2,011 metres. All drill holes intersected significant copper-gold mineralization (Figure 1). Drilling highlights include:

Best intersection is 353.1m 1 from surface, grading 0.35% copper and 0.18 g/t gold (0.49% copper equivalent 2 ) including 243.1m 1 grading 0.40% copper and 0.21 g/t gold (0.57% copper equivalent 2 )

from surface, grading 0.35% copper and 0.18 g/t gold (0.49% copper equivalent ) including 243.1m grading 0.40% copper and 0.21 g/t gold (0.57% copper equivalent ) Mineralization is outcropping at surface with a pyrite halo extending over a 1,400m x 850m area

Drill holes generally intersected mineralization at surface

Mineralization is open all directions

Majority of drill holes terminated in mineralization due to the depth limitations of the drill rig and are open at depth

Several drill holes demonstrate increasing grade with depth

Notes: 1 True width is not known. 2 Copper equivalent = copper grade % x (0.795 x gold grade g/t), where the conversion factor of 0.795 is calculated by comparing the value of 1 tonne of copper ore (at copper prices of $2.20/lb ($4,850.16/t)) to the value of 1 t of gold ore (at gold prices of $1,200/oz ($38.58g/t)) and assuming 100% recovery.

Readers are directed to the Company's technical report dated March 6, 2017 on the Project, San Juan Province, Argentina available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com for further information on the historical drilling on the Project.

Planned Drill Program

The objective of the current Esperanza drill program is to investigate the potential for a bulk tonnage, copper-gold porphyry style deposit. The Company plans to initially drill 4 drill holes for approximately 2,000m. The planned drill holes are expected to step out at least 150m from previous drill holes. Since previous drill holes are open at depth, planned holes will aim to reach 500m to 600m down hole. Access road upgrades and camp construction will begin immediately.

Notes: 1 True width is not known. 2 Copper equivalent = copper grade % x (0.795 x gold grade g/t), where the conversion factor of 0.795 is calculated by comparing the value of 1 tonne of copper ore (at copper prices of $2.20/lb ($4,850.16/t)) to the value of 1 t of gold ore (at gold prices of $1,200/oz ($38.58g/t)) and assuming 100% recovery.

Esperanza Project Background

The Esperanza copper-gold mineralization is associated with a porphyry-epithermal system with extensive multiphase quartz-stockwork development. Historical exploration work on Esperanza identified porphyry style copper mineralization, which is best developed around two intrusive stocks: the Canyon stock and the Oro Rico stock. Both stocks have mineralization at surface consisting of chalcopyrite, with disseminated magnetite, pyrite, and local sparse bornite and molybdenum. Additionally, a large 1,400m by 850m elongate >3% pyrite halo overlies the prospect suggesting significant porphyry mineralization may remain untested under cover.

The Project is located in San Juan Province in northwestern Argentina, 135km due north of the city of San Juan. The Project is situated close to existing infrastructure, is within 35km of power lines and has year-round road access. It is located at elevations between 2,800m and 3,250m above sea level, which is low relative to other projects in the Andes (Figure 2). Exploration can be conducted year-round.

Under a binding letter agreement with the vendors (collectively, the "Vendor") of the Project (see news release of January 23, 2017), Centenera has the option (the "Option") to earn a 100% interest in the Project through the payment of USD $2,306,000 and the issuance of common shares in the Company valued at USD $500,000 (at the time of issuance) to the Vendor, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") to be granted to the Vendor. Centenera will have a right to buy back 0.5% of the NSR for USD $1,000,000, at which time the NSR payable to the Vendor shall be 1.5%. During the Option period, Centenera will be responsible for maintaining the exploration concession and permits comprising the Project in good standing, and paying all fees and assessments, and taking such other steps, required in order to do so. There will be no other work commitments, and any work carried out on the Project will be at the sole discretion of Centenera.

Non-Brokered Financing

The Company also announces a non-brokered private placement (the Financing) of up to 12,000,000 Units priced at $0.18 per Unit to raise a total of up to $2.16 million. Each Unit will consist of one common share of Centenera and one warrant, with each warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one common share of Centenera at an exercise price of $0.30 for a period of 18 months from the closing of the Financing. The common shares and warrants comprising the Units will be subject to a hold period of four-months and one day in Canada. The proceeds of the private placement are intended to be used to fund drilling at the Esperanza project and for general working capital purposes. The Company may pay finders fees on a portion of the Financing consisting of a cash commission equal to 7% of the gross proceeds raised and finders warrants equal to 7% of the total number of Units issued, where each finders warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of Centenera at an exercise price of $0.18 for a period of 12 months from the closing of the Financing. The Financing is subject to TSX Venture Exchange and other regulatory approval.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States, or in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or sale would be unlawful. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any United States state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or a person in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

Stock Option Grant

The Company also announces that it has granted 6.6 million stock options to various directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The options are exercisable by the holders to purchase common shares of the Company on or before November 20, 2020 at an exercise price of $0.20 per share.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

The Esperanza copper-gold porphyry drill testing was undertaken by Cardero Argentina S.A. from 2006 to 2007. On site personnel at the project rigorously collected and tracked samples, which were then sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex for analysis. ALS Chemex's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control was further assured by the use of international and in-house standards. Blind certified reference material was inserted at regular intervals into the sample sequence by Cardero personnel to independently assess analytical accuracy. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples were forwarded to ALS Chemex and an ISO compliant third-party laboratory for additional quality control.

Qualified Person

Tyler Caswell, P.Geo., the Company's Exploration Manager and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Caswell is not independent of the Company, as he is an employee and holds incentive stock options.

About Centenera Mining Corporation

Centenera is a mineral resource company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CT and on the OTCQB exchange under the symbol CTMIF. The Company is focused 100% on mineral resource assets in Argentina. The Company intends to focus its 2017 exploration activities on drill-testing its flagship Esperanza copper-gold project. Other assets, including the Organullo gold project and the El Quemado lithium pegmatite project in Salta Province, are intended to be explored by the Company with the aim of proving project potential and attracting a joint venture partner or a project sale. The Organullo project has approximately 8,000 metres of historical drilling and assay results. Organullo has a geological target range from 19.8 million tonnes grading at 0.94 g/t gold (600,000 ounces) to 31.6 million tonnes grading 0.92 g/t gold (940,000 ounces) using a 0.5 g/t gold cut-off-grade. It should be noted that these potential exploration target quantities and grades are conceptual in nature, that insufficient exploration and geological modelling has been done to define a mineral resource, and that it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the delineation of a mineral resource.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

CENTENERA MINING CORPORATION

"Keith Henderson"

President & CEO

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.centeneramining.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Keith Henderson

Phone: 604-638-3456

E-mail: info@centeneramining.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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 in respect of the Project and otherwise, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the Company's expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral properties or attract joint venture partners or sell its Organullo and El Quemado projects, the successful negotiation and execution of a definitive Option Agreement for the Project, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves on the Project, the closing and amount of the Financing, the intended use of proceeds from the Financing 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. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. 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 differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Project, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling program being proposed for the Project (the "Program"), actual results of exploration activities, including the Program, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits the inability of the Company to prove project potential of the Organullo and El Quemado projects, to attract joint venture partners or sell any of its projects, lack of investor interest in the Financing the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for the Property acquisition, the Financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Information Circular (April 2016) and as discussed in the annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking information. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order directing the opening of a new pathway to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu for pedestrians and battery-operated cars from November 24.

The apex court order came after Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which manages the day-to-day affairs as well as pilgrimage to the temple, said the construction work of the new path was not yet complete and it would be opened by February end next year.

The board told a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that two paths to the shrine were already operational for devotees and the third path was being built.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the board, said there was difficulty in construction work due to the arrival of winter in the area.

"The way directions have been given (by NGT), we have to come here. There is a huge slope. It is a seismic zone," he said, adding "in winters, there is difficulty in construction work. Two roads are already there. This will be the third road".

Rohatgi said the new path would be opened from February end as the board wants to complete the other works relating to shelter rooms for devotees and medical facility on the route.

The bench also issued notice to the petitioner before the NGT on whose plea the green panel had given the direction on November 13.

Besides directing the opening of the new path, the NGT had capped the number of visitors to the shrine at 50,000 per day. It had also said that no horses or mules shall be allowed on the new route.

The NGT had also directed the authorities to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 on anyone found littering roads as well as the bus stop at the nearby Katra town.

The directions were issued while NGT was hearing a plea filed by activist Gauri Maulekhi seeking removal of horses and mules from the path to the shrine, saying these were dangerous for pedestrians, especially senior citizens.

The petitioner had also expressed concern over "pollution and danger to public health" caused by indiscriminate use of horses, ponies, mules and donkeys to carry pilgrims and goods from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple.
Ranchi: Two policemen were killed and three others injured while defusing a bomb that went off inside a police station in Jharkhand`s Giridih district on Monday, police said.

According to police officials, the accident took place when the members of Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad were defusing bombs that were kept at Saria Police Station of Giridih district.

The police had seized these explosives and bombs some six months ago.

On Monday, the Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad members were called to defuse the bombs on the police station premises. While defusing them, one bomb went off, killing two policemen and injuring three others.

The blast was so powerful that it broke window panes of nearby houses.

The deceased have been identified as Mohamad Asraf Qureshi and Mahendra Turi.
BENGALURU: In a funny incident, Karnataka Minister DK Shivkumar hit a man who was trying to click a selfie.

The incident took place during a child rights event at a college in Karnataka's Belgaum.

The funny act was captured in a video posted by news agency ANI on Monday.

#WATCH Karnataka Min DK Shivkumar hits a man who was taking a selfie during a child rights event at a college in Belgaum (Mobile Video) pic.twitter.com/Sc2jMyK08a  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

The man was standing right behind Shivkumar along with a woman while the minister was addressing media.

"Have basic common sense. When I'm doing my responsibility and addressing the press how can someone come out for a selfie? It was a normal incident," Shivakumar said.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 31-year-old woman was detained and questioned after she tried to enter the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala.

As per temple tradition, entry of women in the 10-50 age group is restricted.

"The woman was stopped before climbing 'Pathinettam Padi'. Her identity card was immediately examined and it was found that she belonged to the restricted age group," Pathanamthitta Deputy Commissioner of Police S Sateesh Bino told PTI.

The incident happened on Sunday.

Entry of women is strictly monitored by police at Pampa river before they begin to trek Sabarimala to reach the shrine.

Marking the beginning of the pilgrimage season, the Sabarimala Temple opened on November 15 for the three-month annual 'Mandalam-Makaravilakku' festival.

SC refers Sabarimala temple's ban on women to Constitution Bench

The restricted entry of women in the famed temple has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court on October 31 referred to a Constitution Bench the question whether a ban on the entry of women in the age group 10-50 years in Kerala's Sabarimala temple on grounds of biological factors was discriminatory and violative of the Constitution's Articles 14, 15 and 17.

The order was passed by a three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. They framed several questions to be dealt with by the Constitution Bench, including whether the temple can restrict women's entry.

Article 14 guarantees right to equality, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and Article 17 abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice.

The questions include whether the exclusion of women in the age group of 10 to 50 years based on a biological factors amounts to "discrimination" and violates the very core of Articles 14, 15 and 17 and not protected by 'morality' as used in Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution?



Asking whether the practice of excluding such women constitutes an "essential religious practice" under Article 25, the court in another question asked "whether a religious institution can assert a claim in that regard under the umbrella of right to manage its own affairs in the matters of religion?"



In another poser, the court has asked whether "Ayyappa Temple has a denominational character" and if it was permissible for religious denomination managed by a statutory board and is funded by the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments to indulge in practices "violating the constitutional principles/morality embedded in Articles 14, 15(3), 39(a) and 51-A(e)a of the constitution".



In yet another question to be addressed by the Constitution Bench, the court has asked whether Rule 3 of Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules permits 'religious denomination' to ban entry of women between the age of 10 to 50 years.



It further asked if its Rule 3 permitted the ban on the entry of women in the age group of 10 to 50 years in Sabrimala temple, then would it not be foul of Articles 14 and 15(3), which says that nothing in the provision prohibiting discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth shall prevent the state "from making any special provision for women and children"



The Constitution Bench will also examine whether Rule 3(b) is ultra vires the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965, and if not, is it violative of the fundamental rights.



The top court was hearing on a PIL by Indian Young Lawyers Association, which had sought direction to the Kerala government, the Travancore Devaswom Board, Chief Thanthri (priest) of Sabarimala Temple and the District Magistrate of Pathanamthitta to ensure entry of female devotees between the age group of 10 to 50 at the temple to Lord Ayappa which has been denied to them on the basis of certain customs and usage.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The chairperson of Kerala State Women's Commission was on Monday denied permission to visit Hadiya, the Hindu woman from Kerala who converted to Islam after marrying a Muslim man.

MC Josephine, who was denied permission by Hadiya's father, had visited the girl to ensure her safety during her travel to Delhi where she will be presented before the Supreme Court.

November 27 has been scheduled as the next date of hearing in the Kerala 'Love Jihad' case.

The Commission has sought a report from the district police chief regarding the arrangements and safety measures that Hadiya will be provided with during her visit.

Hadiya Shefin, a 25-year-old homeopathic doctor had converted to Islam last year after her marriage with Shafin Jahan.

On November 6, the National Commission for Women acting chairperson Rekha Sharma met Hadiya and said, "She is in good health and happy. Her security is under no threat."

Sharma also showed photographs of Hadiya captured on her cellphone during the meeting.

Last month, Kottayam Superintendent of Police submitted a report to Kerala Womens Commission stating that Hadiya was guarded by police and there was no physical torture from her father's side.

On October 30, the Supreme Court had observed that the concent of the girl is prime in Kerala love jihad case. The apex court had also directed Hadiya's father to produce her before it on November 27.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four RSS workers were attacked in Kannur district of Kerala on Monday.

All the four have been admitted to a hospital.

The attackers are yet to be identified.

Yesterday, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker was injured after a crude bomb was hurled at a rally.

The incident happened a day after Mayor VK Prasant was attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at the city corporation council.
Bhopal: "Padmavati" will not be allowed to be screened in Madhya Pradesh if historical facts are "distorted" in the film, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday.

The chief minister said any distortion of historical facts will not be tolerated.

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted," he said.

"If there are scenes breaching the honour of queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited on the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence here.

He said queen Padmavati "is a true reflection of the Indian woman."

"We have been studying about the rare sacrifice and dedication of queen Padmavati since our childhood," he noted.

The chief minister said a memorial of the queen would be constructed at a site in the state capital, where a memorial for the country's brave soldiers has been proposed.

Earlier, several delegations of the Rajput community arrived from different parts of MP and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister demanding a ban on the release of "Padmavati" in the state.

The film has been facing controversy since director Sanjay Leela Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

The makers of "Padmavati" yesterday said the proposed release date of the film, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred.
Mumbai: Former real life couple- Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are all set to sweep you off their feet with the first track Swag Se Swagat from their upcoming film Tiger Zinda Hai.

The makers of the film have unveiled the teaser of the song which will be released on November 21. They have been teasing fans with stills from the song to take the excitement level up a notch. And fans certainly arent complaining.

Check out the teaser of the song here:

Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Tiger Zinda Hai is a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger helmed by Kabir Khan. The first instalment of the Tiger franchise hit the silverscreen on Eid in 2012. It turned out to be one of the biggest blockbusters of all times. Interestingly, it was Salmans first film with the YRF banner.

The second instalment will carry forward Tiger and Zoyas mission. Both play Intelligence officers and are at the serve of their respective nations  India and Pakistan.

The trailer of Tiger Zinda Hai garnered handsome viewership on YouTube and Facebook.

The actioner which promises to have some high-octane stunt sequences has Salman as the centre of attraction. He looks raw, robust, chivalrous and last but not the least fearless.

Filmmaker Zafar has shot the film at five different countries and each of the locations plays a distinct role in taking the narrative forward. Besides the unmatchable chemistry between former real-life lovebirds Salman and Katrina, moviegoers can look forward to some breathtaking actions sequences and jaw-dropping exotic locations.

Tiger Zinda Hai, Salmans second film this year after Tubelight is slated to release on December 22 and is all set to make Christmas holidays merrier.
Hyderabad: The Congress is "helping" the BJP against the Left in Kerala and Tripura, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said, in response to former PM Manmohan Singh's appeal for a joint fight against the saffron party at the national level.

Singh, at a rally in Kochi last week, urged the Left parties to stand by the Congress in its fight against the BJP.

The senior Congress leader said, "If they (the Left parties) are sincere in the fight against the BJP and its anti-people policies, they have to cooperate with the leadership of the Congress at the national level and fight together against the BJP's misrule and divisive politics."

Asked to respond, Karat, a CPI(M) politburo member, said, "Unfortunately, on most policy issues concerning people's livelihood, economy and neo-liberal reforms, the BJP and the Congress are on the same page."

"The Congress claims it is their policies the BJP is implementing. In both Kerala and Tripura (where the Left is in power), the Congress is helping the BJP against the Left. On specific issues against the toxic communal politics of BJP-RSS, we are cooperating with all those secular forces fighting the BJP-RSS," Karat told PTI.

Singh earlier claimed that the country's economy slowed down due to "hasty" implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) soon after demonetisation by the NDA government, and said he did not see "any immediate recovery in sight".

Karat said, "We (CPI-M) are against the GST which has proved to be a disaster for small traders and SMEs (small and medium enterprises). In particular, the rights of state governments have been overridden. Without dealing with these issues, merely doing a tinkering job will not work."

Asked if real estate, petroleum, electricity and alcohol should be brought under the GST, she said since such proposals directly affect revenues of the states which are already stressed due to "bulldozed centralisation of resources under the Modi regime", the states have to be consulted "unlike the formal and nominal consultation at present".
Hyderabad: Actress Deepika Padukone, who is at the centre of a row over Padmavati, has pulled out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), that will have US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration event on November 28.

A senior official of Telangana government said on Monday that Deepika has withdrawn her name from the event.

She had earlier confirmed her participation, the official said.

He, however, said the reason for her pulling out of the event is not known.

The actress was one of the speakers at a session on 'Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood: The Path to Moviemaking'.

The Nigerian film industry is popularly referred as Nollywood.

Deepika's move comes amid a raging row over Padmavati, which was scheduled to be released on December 1.

Protest by Rajput groups forced the producer to defer the release.

Some leaders of BJP and right-wing groups have threatened the actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Few have even announced rewards for killing them.

Being co-hosted by the US and India, the GES, with the theme 'Women First, Prosperity for All', will bring together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters from around the world for two-and-a-half days of training and mentoring.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session on November 28.
French English

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2017) - Bombardier Inc. (TSX: BBD.A) (TSX: BBD.B) (OTCQX: BDRBF) ("Bombardier" or the "Corporation") today announced that it has launched an offering of US$900 million aggregate principal amount of new Senior Notes due 2024 (the "Notes"). The net proceeds of the offering are expected to be used to finance a tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for all US$600 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of Bombardier's 4.75% Senior Notes due 2019 ("2019 Notes") and the remainder for general corporate purposes. To the extent that less than US$600 million aggregate principal amount of the 2019 Notes are tendered in the Tender Offer, Bombardier intends to redeem all of its remaining outstanding 2019 Notes, using a portion of the net proceeds of the offering of Notes, following the closing of the offering of Notes.

Consummation of the offering of the Notes and the Tender Offer is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance that Bombardier will be able to successfully complete these transactions on the terms described above, or at all.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, sale or purchase of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation, sale or purchase would be unlawful.

The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any state securities laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The Notes mentioned herein may be offered and sold only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for distribution to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the securities in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws. The Notes will be offered and sold in Canada on a private placement basis only to "accredited investors" pursuant to certain prospectus exemptions.

The Tender Offer mentioned herein will be conducted in accordance with a separate Offer to Purchase relating thereto.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world's leading manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada and our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, we posted revenues of $16.3 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

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Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said that the Opposition should refrain from criticism for the sake of it and members of the House should follow the etiquettes and courtesies of legislative procedures.

Members of the opposition should play a constructive and positive role in the interest of the people, he said during the inaugural session of a two-day special orientation programme for legislators at the Punjab Assembly.

The event is being jointly organised by the assembly and the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute for Public Administration here.

"Constructive opposition of the government's policies and programmes will help it achieve better results in implementing pro-people initiatives, and members should follow the etiquettes and legislative procedures, traditions, courtesies and conventions for discussions in the House," he said.

"The Congress government in the state welcomes healthy criticism, but the opposition should refrain from criticism for the sake of criticism, Singh said.

The sessions, during the progarmme, will be conducted by experts and would benefit first-time legislators by helping them understand legislative procedures and the correct manner to raise issues during proceedings, he said.

The discussions will also help MLAs become aware of their rights during the Question Hour and Zero Hour, a statement said quoting Singh.

The chief minister urged members to adopt a value-based and ethical approach while raising issues related to their assembly constituencies and the state.

Recalling his experience as an MP, Singh said that late prime minister Indira Gandhi used to hold regular orientation programmes for parliamentarians, and remembered participating in one such session in Surajkund in Haryana.

Speaker Rana K P Singh said that the initiative, mooted by the chief minister, was aimed at transferring knowledge on legislative traditions and practices to new members.

The programme, he said, would help equip members to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in the interest of the people.

Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that it would strengthen the legislature and particularly help first- time legislators.

Khaira stressed on the need to hold sufficient sittings of the House to allow members raise issues concerning their constituencies.

Recalling that in the last session of the assembly, a first-time MLA had crossed the floor of the House in a wrong manner, Punjab minister Brahm Mohindra said it was imperative to provide them with the necessary training in the etiquettes and procedures of the House.
Jaipur: Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday said that 'Padmavati' will not be released in Rajasthan till necessary changes as per the suggestions given to the Centre were incorporated into the movie.



Raje, in a letter to Union information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday, had sought "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".



The CM had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large.



Meanwhile, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday that the state government was considering a ban on 'Padmavati' within the legal framework and seeking legal advice on the issue, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday.

He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.



"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.



"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the minister said.

(With IANS inputs)
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government is considering a ban on 'Padmavati' movie within the legal framework and seeking legal advice on the issue, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday.



He said a meeting of senior Home Department officials was called to discuss the planned ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's coming movie.



"We are seeking the Law Department's advice. If we have legal powers, we may consider ban on the movie in the desert state," Kataria told IANS.



"We will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, as we want to do anything on the issue within the legal framework," the Minister said.



Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday wrote to the Centre to seek "necessary changes" in the movie before its release, so that the "sentiments of any community are not hurt".



In the letter, she also requested the Central Board of Film Certification to consider all possible outcomes of the controversy and its effect before certifying the film.



Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has been protesting against the movie for the last few months and now they want a ban on 'Padmavati'.


New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the murder of Kanpur-based retired junior high school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla, who was killed by unidentified persons last year, an official said on Monday.

The anti-terror agency filed an FIR on Sunday and took over the case from the Uttar Pradesh Police following the Home Ministry`s November 17 order, almost a year after the murder.

The agency re-registered the case which was earlier registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 24, 2016 under sections of murder of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Shukla, a retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed on October 24, 2016 by unidentified persons at around 12.30 p.m near village Piwadi in Kanpur while returning home on a bicycle.

The state government had also recommended the NIA probe after it emerged that Shukla might have been killed by four accused in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast case.

An NIA official confirmed the registration of FIR at the agency`s Lucknow unit and said the train blast accused had admitted to their involvement in the murder.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Atif Muzaffar and Mohammad Danish, after Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast earlier this year. Their associate Faisal Khan was with them at the time of murder.

Muzaffar, according to police, told them that Danish, Faisal and he were testing a .30 calibre pistol when they accidentally fired a bullet that hit Shukla.

A ballistic test report later corroborated this evidence, police had said. The NIA, which investigated the train blast, chargesheeted Muzaffar and Danish and also alleged that Muzaffar and Danish had killed Shukla.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday charged that the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" was a "calculated plan" of a political party to destroy freedom of expression.

She urged film industry members to come out in support of Bhansali and his film.

"The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves.

"We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," Banerjee said in a tweet.

The makers of "Padmavati" had yesterday deferred its release from the slated December 1 date, even as protests and threats over the period drama continued unabated.

Various religious organisations, spearheaded by Shri Rajput Karni Sena, have alleged that director Bhansali has distorted facts in the film.

The film has been facing controversy since Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

The makers of "Padmavati" yesterday said the proposed release date of the film, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred.
Brussels: Amsterdam on Monday won a fierce fight to host the European Medicines Agency after it leaves London, securing one of the most prized spoils of Britain`s decision to leave the EU.

The Dutch city beat Milan in a tiebreak after three rounds of secret voting by the 27 EU member states without Britain failed to produce an outright winner, officials said.

The new location for the European Banking Authority will be decided later Monday, with both London-based agencies up for grabs as a result of last year`s shock Brexit vote.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Twitter before the vote that "whatever the outcome, the real winner of today`s vote is EU27. Organised and getting ready for Brexit."

Diplomats compared the complex voting process to the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The production`s nail-biting televised voting sequence is one of the most watched TV moments in Europe and is known for its come-from-behind surprises.

Copenhagen was in third place.

Together the two agencies account for 1,000 jobs, as well as bringing both prestige to the host country and an economic boost in the form of tens of thousands of visitors every year.

The battle for both agencies has been bitterly contested with governments jostling to win the backing of other countries with "hot bargaining" behind the scenes, a diplomatic source told AFP.

But it has also been deeply political. Axed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said that Barcelona had been the "favourite" but that the "state had condemned it", blaming violence over the region`s disputed independence vote.

There were 16 candidates to be the new home of the EMA, one of the world`s most powerful drugs watchdogs, which employs 900 pharmaceutical experts, biologists and doctors from every corner of Europe. There is a smaller batch of eight bidders for the EBA, the banking regulator with 159 staff. The EBA is perhaps best known for its regular stress tests on the EU`s financial sector in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Both are currently based in London`s Docklands business district but must move when Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019 because EU agencies are not allowed to be based outside the union.

Member states brought out all the stops to extol the merits of their candidate cities, producing glossy brochures and videos and offering a host of perks.

The Irish government had said it was willing to contribute 78 million euros ($91.5 million) over 10 years to cover costs, while Vienna promised a children`s nursery, and Milan threw in access to a gym.

Italy was even forced to deny news reports that it would increase its military contingents to the Baltic countries as a bargaining chip to promote Milan`s candidacy.

In an unusually complex procedure -- even for the EU -- each country had six points to distribute for each agency in the first round of voting, including three to give to their first choice, two to their second and one to their third.

In the second and third rounds they had one point each to distribute. In the end, Amsterdam and Milan had to draw lots.

One diplomatic source said his country had resorted to studying "game theory" to be ready.

The European Commission, the EU`s executive arm, delivered an evaluation of the applications in September based on a range of criteria from transport links, to job prospects for spouses and schools.

But the staff of the agencies in question, already being forced to up sticks from London, had reportedly nervous about some of the candidates, reportedly including Bratislava, Warsaw, Bucharest and Sofia.
Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she was ready to lead her party into snap elections after the collapse of high-stakes coalition talks plunged the EU`s top economy into a political crisis.

The veteran leader said she was "very skeptical" about a minority government, stressing that Germany needed a stable government "that does not need to seek a majority for every decision".

Merkel was forced into seeking a coalition with an unlikely group of parties after inconclusive elections in September left her without a clear majority.

But the shock breakdown of talks has left Merkel with no viable coalition partner in sight, endangering her fourth term in office.

But any new election also carries risks for her, as it could deliver results that are just as, or even more, fragmented.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who holds the power to call a new vote, made it clear that this was not his favoured option, as he told mainstream parties to rethink their positions and return to the negotiating table.

Underlining the duty of lawmakers to their voters, Steinmeier noted: "We have before us an unprecedented situation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, that is, in the last 70 years."

Germany now faces weeks, if not months, of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action at home or on the European stage.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought Merkel`s backing for an ambitious EU reform plan, expressed concern about Germany`s political deadlock, adding that he hoped Berlin would remain a "stable and strong" partner to allow the two partners to "move forward together," his office said.

The euro and Germany`s blue-chip DAX stock market index fell slightly on the news of the stalemate, but later clawed back early losses.After more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks overnight, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel`s conservative CDU-CSU alliance and the left-leaning Greens.

The acrimonious negotiations stumbled on a series of issues, in particular, immigration.

Merkel has let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, sparking a backlash that allowed the far-right AfD party to win its first seats in parliament.

The AfD`s parliamentary co-leader Alexander Gauland welcomed the collapse of the talks, saying that Merkel had "failed" and that his party "looks forward to potential new elections" in which it hopes to make further gains.

The negotiating parties also differed on environmental issues, with the Greens wanting to phase out coal-fired power plants and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs.

The Greens angrily deplored the FDP`s decision, accusing it of negotiating in bad faith.

Lindner, who had taken a harder line on refugees as the talks progressed, "opted for his kind of populist agitation instead of political responsibility", Reinhard Buetikofer, a Greens MEP, said on Twitter.

Sternly reminding politicians of their duty in public service, Steinmeier said: "Building a government has always been a difficult process of give and take, but the mandate to form a government is... perhaps the highest mandate given by voters to a party in a democracy. And this mandate remains."

"This is the moment where all participants need to reconsider their attitude," he added.Steinmeier said he would now hold talks with leaders of parties involved in the coalition talks.

But crucially, he also told the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to make itself available for coalition talks.

After suffering a humiliating loss at the ballot box, the SPD`s leaders have repeatedly said that they will not renew an alliance with Merkel and that the party`s place is now in the opposition.

Minutes before Steinmeier`s statement, SPD chairman Martin Schulz had reiterated that his party was "not available to form a new grand coalition" with Merkel`s conservative bloc.

Merkel said she was "ready for talks" with the SPD, with which, she said she "worked well together" in a coalition since 2013.

Voters in central Berlin expressed shock about the sudden injection of high drama into the often staid world of German politics.

Sarah Untheim, 23, said she feared the "very chaotic" outcome could help the AfD mobilise more supporters.

But law student Alexander Streb, 20, said he believed the upheaval did not spell "the end of the Merkel era".

"She stands for stability, that`s also why young people like her," he told AFP.
Tehran: Iran on Monday dismissed as "worthless" a resolution by Arab League foreign ministers that accused the Islamic republic of "aggression" against Arab states.

"The solution to the region`s problems, many of which are down to Saudi Arabia`s sterile policy, is not to publish such worthless statements but to stop following the policies of the Zionist regime (Israel) which seeks to stoke divisions," the ISNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi as saying.

On Sunday, the Arab League held an extraordinary general meeting in Cairo, at the request of Saudi Arabia, as tensions soar between the regional arch-rivals, including over League member Lebanon.
OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has announced that his Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ community for past injustices committed against them.

"On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion," Trudeau said on Twitter.

On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 19, 2017

Canadian prime minister's announcement came at a time when Australia voted in favor of marriage equality, while the Turkish capital Ankara has banned all gay rights functions.

The apology is expected to be the most comprehensive ever offered by any national government for past persecution of sexual minorities.

The Canadian government has already taken other steps to reduce discrimination against sexual and gender minorities, such as passing legislation that bans discrimination against transgender Canadians and equalizing the laws of consent for intercourse.

Earlier in July, Justin Trudeau became the first sitting Prime Minister to march in Halifax Pride parade.

Dressed up in a pink shirt and white pants, the prime minister waved and yelled "Happy Pride!" to thousands of people along the parade route, stopping periodically to take selfies as members of the crowd called out his name.
SHANGHAI: China has proposed a three-phase plan for resolving the Rohingya crisis, starting with a ceasefire, that has won the support of Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Foreign Ministry said.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar`s Rakhine State. The Rohingyas` suffering has caused an international outcry.

Visiting the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed that the issue could be addressed by a solution acceptable to neighbours Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations.

A ceasefire should be followed by bilateral dialogue to find a workable solution, the ministry website reported late on Sunday. The third and final phase should be to work toward a long-term solution.

Wang said a ceasefire was basically in place already, and the key now was to prevent a flare-up. He hoped the two sides could soon sign and implement an agreement already reached on repatriation.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should give encouragement and support to both countries "to create the necessary conditions and a good environment", it quoted

Wang as saying at a joint press conference with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar`s de facto leader.

Myanmar was supportive of the Chinese plan, as was Bangladesh, where Wang visited earlier in the weekend. In Dhaka Wang said the international community should not complicate the situation.
Cairo: Egypt has asked Palestine not to cut off communications with the US in response to the State Department's threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation's office in Washington, an Egyptian official said on Sunday.



Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry telephoned PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat on Saturday night to insist on the importance of maintaining contact between Ramallah and Washington, Efe news agency reported.



Ahmed Abu Zeid, a spokesperson for the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs, explained in a statement that Shoukry stressed the need for direct communication during the current stage, in which the international community hopes that negotiations will be resumed between the Palestinians and the Israelis.



The US State Department last week had said its decision to close the PLO office was taken because the Palestinians were attempting to bring a case against Israel before the International Criminal Court.



Erekat had threatened on Saturday to sever relations with the US if the latter closes the PLO's diplomatic office in Washington.



Palestine's diplomatic mission has been present in Washington since 1994 and is headed by Husam Zomlot, a close adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.


Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern on Monday about Germany`s political deadlock after talks to form a new government under Chancellor Angela Merkel failed.

"It is not in our interest that the situation becomes tense," Macron, who spoke with Merkel on Sunday, said in comments to the head of the rightwing Republicans party Bernard Accoyer.

"It means that we need to go forward."

Macron, who was elected in May, was waiting for Merkel to form a government to start talks in earnest about his plans for reforming the European Union.

Merkel had given tentative backing to his ideas of creating a new eurozone finance minister position and giving the 19-member zone its own budget, but the details are yet to be worked out.

France and Germany, the two biggest economies in the eurozone, are often referred to as the "motor" of the project.

Merkel has been left scrambling for ways to drag Germany out of crisis after the coalition talks collapsed on Sunday, potentially forcing Europe`s top economy into snap elections.
Baghdad: Iraq's supreme court on Monday declared that September's referendum on independence in the autonomous Kurdish areas in the north of the country was unconstitutional.

A statement said the court "rendered a decision declaring unconstitutional the referendum held on September 25, 2017 in Iraqi Kurdistan... And cancelling all the consequences and results that resulted".

Today's legal move was the latest stage in a crisis sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding "yes" vote for independence in the Kurdish area.

Last month, the UN Security Council urged the Iraqi government and regional leaders in Kurdistan to set a timetable for talks to end the crisis.

The world body's appeal came after Baghdad dismissed an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and hold talks.

Rejecting the freeze offer, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi instead demanded the annulment of the independence vote.

Last week, as the deadline announced by the Supreme Court for its decision on the constitutionality of the referendum approached, the Kurdistan government said it "respected" the decisions taken by Iraq's highest court.

It also said it respected a previous decision insisting on Iraqi unity, which could be a basis for dialogue.

Parliament in Baghdad is currently reviewing the federal budget for the coming year, including the allocation for the autonomous Kurdish region.

September's referendum was initiated by then Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, for whom the repercussions were severe.

Barzani at the beginning of November announced he was stepping aside, having lost almost all of the territory disputed between Kurdish capital Arbil and Baghdad.

The Kurds also lost all of the oil resources in Kirkuk province that could have ensured the viability of a hypothetical Kurdish state.
Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel was scrambling to drag Germany out of the crisis on Monday after high-stakes talks to form a new government collapsed, potentially forcing Europe`s top economy into snap elections.

Germany now faces weeks, if not months, of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action at home or on the European stage.

With no other viable coalition in sight, Germany may be forced to hold new elections that risk being as inconclusive as September`s poll.

Merkel, whose liberal refugee policy has proved deeply divisive, had been forced to seek an alliance with an unlikely group of parties after the ballot left her without a majority.

But following more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks overnight, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel`s conservative alliance CDU-CSU and the ecologist Greens.

"It is better not to govern than to govern badly," he said, adding that the parties did not share "a common vision on modernising" Germany.

Voicing regret at the FDP`s decision, Merkel vowed to steer Germany through the crisis.

"As chancellor... I will do everything to ensure that this country comes out well through this difficult time," she said.

News magazine Der Spiegel called the breakdown in negotiations a "catastrophe" for Merkel and said Germany, long seen as an island of stability, was having its "Brexit moment, its Trump moment".

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought Merkel`s backing for an ambitious EU reform plan, expressed concern about Germany`s political deadlock. He said he hoped Berlin would remain a "stable and strong" partner to allow the two partners to "move forward together," his office said in a statement.

The euro and Germany`s blue-chip DAX index fell slightly on the news of the stalemate, but later back edged up, erasing early losses.The acrimonious negotiations stumbled on a series of issues including immigration.

Merkel let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, sparking a backlash that allowed the far-right AfD party to win its first seats in parliament.

Its parliamentary co-leader Alexander Gauland welcomed the collapse of the talks, saying that Merkel had "failed" and that his party "looks forward to potential new elections" in which it stands to make strong gains.

The negotiating parties also differed on environmental issues, with the Greens wanting to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs.

The Greens angrily deplored the failure to form a government, saying they had believed a deal could be done despite the differences and accusing the FDP of negotiating in bad faith.

Lindner, who had taken a harder line on refugees as the talks progressed, "opted for his kind of populist agitation instead of political responsibility", Greens Europe MP Reinhard Buetikofer tweeted. Merkel could now try to convince the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has been the junior coalition partner in her government since 2013, to return to the fold.

But after suffering a humiliating loss at the ballot box, the party`s top brass has repeatedly said the SPD`s place was now in the opposition.

Merkel, who has been in power for 12 years, could also lead a minority government although she had signalled that she was not in favour of such instability.

Germany could therefore be forced to hold new elections, which would have to be called by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

But that is not without peril for Merkel, who would face questions from within her party on whether she is still the best candidate to carry its banner into a new campaign.

As talks dragged on without a breakthrough, Steinmeier had on Sunday issued a warning to parties not to recklessly force new elections.

"All sides are aware of their responsibilities. And this responsibility means not returning their mandate to voters," he told Welt am Sonntag.

Merkel was meeting with Steinmeier Monday to discuss the crisis but planned talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte were hastily cancelled.

Voters in central Berlin expressed shock about the sudden injection of high drama into the often staid world of German politics.

But law student Alexander Streb, 20, insisted that the upheaval did not spell "the end of the Merkel era".

"She stands for stability, that`s also why young people like her," he told AFP.
SEOUL: South Korea`s spy agency said on Monday it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North`s Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation "at any time", the agency told lawmakers.

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.
London: World Baloch Organisation (WBO) said the attempts made by Pakistan and London governments to thwart the ongoing #FreeBalochistan campaign will not affect it.

"Despite attempts by the Pakistan Government and Transport for London (TfL) to censor our advertising campaign, the billboard advertising campaign is going ahead on roadsides all over London," a message from #FreeBalochistan billboard campaign read.

The message from the campaign further read: "Raise your voice against human rights abuses in Balochistan."

Earlier this month, the WBO launched an advertising campaign on taxis, buses and billboards in London to highlight Pakistan's war crimes and human rights abuses in Balochistan.

The campaign is underway across London and aims to catch the attention of locals, highlighting Pakistan's war crimes and human rights abuses in occupied Balochistan.

The WBO has repeatedly urged the International community to hold Pakistanaccountable for its crimes against humanity in Balochistan including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and torture.

Bhawal Mengal, a member of the WBO who organised the advertisements, said, "Our campaign aims to highlight the situation in Balochistan which has long been concealed".

He added that local journalists are not allowed to report on the situation, the ones that do are either picked up or killed, the International media is not allowed to enter Balochistan.

"So, we believe such campaigns can be very effective in highlighting the situation," Mengal said.

Pakistan has denounced the advertising campaign as "malicious", "anti-Pakistan" and an attack on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Pakistan High Commissioner in London, Syed Ibne Abbas, has called on the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London to order the banning of the adverts.

The UK Ambassador to Pakistan, Thomas Drew, has been summonsed by the PakistanGovernment and told that such adverts "should not be allowed."

The WBO maintains that it will continue its campaign peacefully and respectfully, speaking out against human rights violations in Balochistan.
CAIRO: Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers criticised Iran and its Lebanese Shi`ite ally Hezbollah at an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday, calling for a united front to counter Iranian interference.

Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi`ite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri`s surprise resignation, and an escalation in Yemen`s conflict.

Hariri, a Saudi ally, resigned on Nov. 4 from Riyadh, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of spreading strife. But Lebanese President Michel Aoun and other politicians accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage and said he had been coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny that.

Hezbollah, both a military force involved in Syria`s war and a political movement, is part of a Lebanese government made up of rival factions, and an ally of Aoun.

Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launch of a missile towards Riyadh from Yemen this month. Iran denies accusations that it supplies Houthi forces there.

"The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security," Saudi Arabia`s Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told the assembly. "We must stand together."

The emergency Arab foreign ministers` meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention.

In a declaration after the meeting, the Arab League accused Hezbollah of "supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab countries with advanced weapons and ballistic missiles." It said Arab nations would provide details to the U.N. Security Council of Tehran`s violations for arming militias in Yemen.

Lebanon`s Arab League representative objected to the declaration accusing Hezbollah of terrorism and said it is part of Lebanon`s government, the Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar television channel reported.

United Arab Emirates` Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter later that the declaration was a "clear message" about joint Arab action against Iran.

Yemen`s civil war pits the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, against the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

"Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss," Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.

"Unfortunately countries like the Saudi regime are pursuing divisions and creating differences, and because of this they dont see any results other than divisions," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state media on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting in Antalya.

Egypt`s foreign minister received a call from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday when they also discussed regional tensions over Lebanon, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

After French intervention, Hariri flew to France and met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. He will arrive in Cairo for a visit on Tuesday, his office said.

Speaking in Paris, Hariri said he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut in the coming days. He said he would take part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, scheduled for Wednesday.
Rio de Janeiro: The United Nations on Monday voiced concern over a bill under consideration by Brazil`s congress that would ban access to all abortions, even in cases of rape and women whose lives are in danger.

The bill "poses an increased risk to women`s health," the UN Population Fund`s Brazil office said in a statement.

Women in Brazil currently only have access to abortions when the pregnancy is a result of rape, their health is at risk, or in cases of the fetus having severe medical defects such as anencephaly, when most of the unborn child`s brain is missing.

The new bill, which was green-lighted by a congressional committee two weeks ago, is seen as a "Trojan horse" by pro-choice activists.

Its initial goal was to extend maternity leave for mothers of premature babies, but ultra-conservative members of congress linked to evangelical churches inserted a clause stipulating that the right to life should be "inviolate from the moment of conception," which would deny access to abortions even for women who currently qualify.

The revised version of the bill "denies women the opportunity to decide on issues relating to matters that involve serious violations of their most basic rights ... doubly penalizing victims of sexual violence or women in vulnerable positions," the UN statement said.

The organization also denounced it as a "step back" which "distances Brazil from its international engagements" in terms of women`s rights, and noted that backstreet abortions are "one of the leading causes of death in mothers in Brazil and around the world."

The bill is currently making its way through congress but faces a series of hurdles before it can become law. It must first be debated once again by the committee before a full vote in the lower house of congress, where it will need to gain the support of three-fifths of law-makers.

Demonstrations against the bill took place last week in a number of major cities in Brazil.
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism.

"Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago," Trump declared, announcing the designation at the start of a White House cabinet meeting.

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," he said, AFP reported.

In February, Kim's potential rival and elder brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport, in an assassination blamed on Pyongyang.

"As we take this action today, our thoughts turn to Otto Warmbier and others affected by North Korean oppression," Trump continued, underlining the legal case for the designation.

US student Warmbier died in 2017 aged only 22 after he was repatriated from detention in North Korea already in a coma. US officials allege he was tortured in custody.

Trump warned that, in addition to the terror designation, Washington is preparing yet another round of sanctions to force Pyongyang to give up its nuclear missile program.

"The Treasury Department will be announcing an additional sanction - and a large one - on North Korea," he said.

On the other hand, Sarah Sanders, White House press secretary tweeted, "President announced that the US is again designating North Korea a state sponsor of terror."

.@POTUS announced that the U.S. is again designating North Korea a state sponsor of terror  Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 20, 2017

North Korea is already under a wide array of the United States and United Nations sanctions, and the terror designation will not have much immediate economic impact in itself.

But US officials see the designation - lifted by then-president George W Bush in 2008 - as a way of ratcheting up the pressure on Pyongyang and especially on other states that may be failing to fully enforce the sanctions already in place.

The White House has declared it will not tolerate Kim's regime testing or deploying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

Meanwhile, South Korea`s spy agency said on Monday that it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North`s Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation "at any time", the agency told lawmakers, Reuters reported.

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said.

(With Agency inputs)
NEW DELHI: The US Congress has removed the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) from a list of terror groups operating in Pakistan in a key defence bill passed last week, a media report said on Monday.

According to the Dawn, an earlier version of the National Defence Authorisation Act, 2018 had named the Haqqani network and the LeT, but the final one only mentioned the former.

The bill, which includes $700 million in military aid to Pakistan for deploying forces along the Pak-Afghan border, stipulates withholding half the amount in case Islamabad fails to take demonstrable action against the terror groups.

The Pentagon has persuaded the Congress to drop the rider that linked aid to Pakistan with a demonstrable action against the LeT, the report said.

It said that Pentagon was of the view that linking LeT with Haqqanis would shift the goal post for Pakistan, as fighting the Taliban must remain a top priority.

The move comes days before the likely visits of US Defence Secretary James Mattis and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford.

During his visit to India in September, Mattis had said without naming Pakistan that there can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens, as global leaders, India and the US have resolved to work together to eradicate this scourge.

Calling terrorism a common problem affecting the two countries, Mattis said, ''Our two countries recognise the threat that global terrorism poses to people throughout the world.''

Responding to a question on Pakistan, Mattis said it has come out recently again saying that they are fighting the terrorists. "I think Pakistan will find nothing out of line with India and the US alignment in the same fight," he said.
Jerusalem: An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel had covert ties with "many" Arab and Muslim states but was obliged not to name them at the other sides' request.

A rare interview given by the head of Israel's armed forces to a Saudi-owned news site was published on Thursday, further fuelling talk of close links.

It followed previous broad hints by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusations by Hezbollah that Saudi Arabia was pushing Israel to attack the Lebanese Shiite group.

"We have ties, some of them secret, with many Arab and Muslim states," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli army radio today.

"Usually the one who wants those ties to be discreet is the other side," he said in response to a question about ties with Riyadh.

"We respect the wishes of the other side when contacts are developing, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or other Arab or Muslim countries."

Although Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, they share a common enemy in Iran, with both seeking to limit the Islamic republic's expanding influence in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has also spoken repeatedly and with pride about growing rapprochement with "moderate Arab states" without naming them, although he is assumed to be referring to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with countries of the moderate camp in the Arab world, in the face of radical Islam," he told Israel's parliament last week.

"I think that this growing closeness and consultation is first and foremost good for security and ultimately for peace," he added.

Tensions between the Saudis and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Riyadh-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying he is stepping down over what he called Iran's grip on his country.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is dominant in Lebanon, is also a great enemy of Israel with which it fought a war in 2006.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on November 10 that he had "information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon".

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani last week echoed the allegation.
HAMILTON  A Ravalli County District Court jury has found Dr. Chris Christensen, accused of over-prescribing prescription drugs, guilty of all charges.

Christensen was charged with two counts of negligent homicide for allegedly prescribing the drugs that caused the overdose deaths of Gregg Griffin and Kara Philbrick-Lenker.

He also was charged with nine counts of criminal endangerment, and 11 counts of distribution of dangerous drugs.

Ravalli County Deputy Attorney Thorin Geist, who prosecuted the case along with County Attorney Bill Fulbright, said they're pleased with the result. Geist has worked on the case literally for years, since before Christensen's clinic in Florence was raided on April 1, 2014.

"It's been a long case, with a lot of twists and turns," Geist said. "It was more than a little frustrating when he got a year's continuance and things got pushed back."

However, that did allow the prosecution to craft a case in which each witness built upon the previous testimony. The case started out with the pharmacological aspects, building to testimony from pain experts and Christensen's former patients.

"The jury needed to get an understanding of every piece of the puzzle," Fulbright said. "A lot of education was needed just to be able to talk about the care and all of the issues. This was a great team effort."

Christensen's attorney Josh Van de Wetering said he obviously was disappointed with the verdict, but it will be appealed after sentencing, which probably will take place in January.

Christensen stood stone-faced as the verdicts were read in the Ravalli County District Court. The jury had begun deliberations last Thursday afternoon, and were out about 12 hours in total.

Christensen wasn't taken into custody Monday, but was ordered to stay in Ravalli or Missoula counties until sentencing, and to participate in a pre-sentence investigation.

Each of the two negligent homicide counts is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The nine criminal endangerment counts each are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and the 11 counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs call for jail terms of up to 25 years. All 22 counts include fines of up to $50,000 on each count.

Van de Wetering said Christensen is holding up well for a man just convicted of 22 felony counts.

"He's doing OK, given the circumstances," Van de Wetering said.

Geist and Fulbright noted that the conviction was a group effort, from the federal to the local level. Geist said that in particular, one of the witnesses in the case, Dr. Brett Bender, put in a lot of time helping explain medical issues.

"Doctors are kind of like lawyers in the sense that nobody wants to talk ill about another doctor or lawyer. But there was a tipping point, where all of a sudden a lot of medical professionals understood what was going on, and then they did everything they could to help," Geist said.

He also praised Van de Wetering's defense effort, noting that he was one of Geist's professors in law school.

"There's a lot of cases where you get opposing counsel on the other side the you don't like. It can be maddening," Geist said. "So I was really pleased when Christensen retained Josh."
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is pleased to announce that Bernard Kouchner, the co-founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), is joining the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Selection Committee. The committee, which selects the annual Aurora Prize finalists and laureate, is comprised of humanitarians, human right activists and former heads of state, and is chaired by Academy-award winning actor and philanthropist George Clooney, Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation told Armenpress.

Internationally renowned politician and physician Bernard Kouchner co-founded the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Medecins Sans Frontieres in 1971 and co-founded Medecins du Monde in 1980. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Frances minister of foreign and European affairs, and earlier, as minister of health. He has organized humanitarian operations around the world, including in Somalia, El Salvador, Lebanon, Syria, Vietnam, Cambodia, Chad, Libya, Nigeria, Thailand, Uruguay, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, and elsewhere. He oversaw Medecins Sans Frontieres medical relief response to the Spitak Earthquake in Armenia, which occurred 29 years ago.

We are pleased to have Bernard Kouchner as part of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee. He has spent most of his life contributing his time and expertise to assist in emergency situations in the developing world, said Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. Thanks to Mr. Kouchner and his organization, the population impacted by the 1988 earthquake in Armenia received immediate medical care. We are grateful for his invaluable efforts and pleased to tap into his expertise as we review the Aurora Prize nominations.

I am deeply honored to join the Aurora Prize Selection Committee and become part of an initiative that has already made an incredible impact on thousands of lives in such a short period of time, said Bernard Kouchner. Throughout my career, Ive had the opportunity to come into contact with many heroes while in emergency zones, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to select such admirable individuals as future Aurora Prize laureates.

Bernard Kouchner joins current Aurora Prize Selection Committee member Nobel Laureates Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former president of Ireland Mary Robinson; former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo; human rights activist Hina Jilani; Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London Lord Ara Darzi; President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group and former foreign minister of Australia Gareth Evans; President of Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney.

Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize is in its third year. For the 2018 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, there were 750 submissions from 115 countries. The Selection Committee will gather in Berlin, Germany on December 4, 2017 to review the nominations. Also in Berlin, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative will host its first Aurora Dialogues outside of Armenia. Entitled Millions on The Move: Need for Development and Integration, the Aurora Dialogues Berlin is a joint effort of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Global Perspectives Initiative, Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Mercator, to be held on December 4-5, 2017. Speakers will address the state of the global migration crisis and look at the role of different actors in advancing positive change.

The 2018 Aurora Prize Finalists will be announced in Armenia on April 24, 2018, when the world commemorates the Genocide of Armenians in 1915. The third annual prize -- $100,000 to the laureate and $1 million awarded to organizations of the laureates choice, will be announced on June 10, 2018 at a ceremony in Armenia.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. November 20 is celebrated across the world as the World Childrens Day, Armenpress reports.

In 1959 the UN adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Day is aimed at improving the welfare of children, as well as to strengthen the works for their protection in the UN member states. In the resolution the UN General Assembly said the adoption of the World Childrens Day will only strengthen the cooperation and solidarity between the peoples.

Different organizations and companies hold numerous events on the World Childrens Day.

The Armenian Parliament as well will hold a special session dedicated to the Rights of Children.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Concrete investment programs in Armenia will be presented to Russian investors in near future, Vardan Toghanyan  Armenias Ambassador to Russia, told Armenpress.

We plan to hold two events involving investors of Moscow and Russia in general. We are going to present Armenias investment opportunities. We have identified several fields, agriculture, in particular, reprocessing, infrastructure, information technologies, the Ambassador said.

He stated that the investment programs will soon be presented in Russia, after which the investors will arrive in Armenia to work on concrete programs. According to the Ambassador, concrete programs will most likely be in March, April of 2018.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy speaker of the Armenian Parliament, who also serves as co-chair of the Armenia-Belarus inter-parliamentary cooperation committee, had a meeting on November 20 with Boleslav Pirshtuk, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus Parliament.

During the meeting the sides discussed development of inter-parliamentary relations, cooperation in various international platforms, and issues related to the political and economic ties between the countries.

Sharmazanov addressed the significance of the close cooperation between the parliamentarians of both countries in CSTO PA and CIS IPA.

He said the inter-parliamentary committee must be more active in coordinating issues of mutual interest in international platforms.

In this context, the deputy speaker stressed that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the UN General Assemblys adoption of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment for the Crime of Genocide and that several initiatives on condemning the occurrence of genocide will be presented.

It is impossible to prevent new genocides without the recognition of the past and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide . We must condemn any manifestation of genocidal policy, fascism and Nazism. Not condemning the Armenian Genocide led to the Hitler fascism, Sharmazanov said.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenia, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), at the same time informed the international community that it has chosen the both, and policy and will continue the cooperation with other unions and countries, RPA faction head Vahram Baghdasaryan told reporters at the Parliament, commenting on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership agreement with the EU which is expected to be signed on November 24 at the Eastern Partnerships Brussels Summit, Armenpress reports.

By signing this agreement we do not make any secret step. When we were joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), we announced that this doesnt mean that we will not continue the close cooperation with the European Union, Vahram Baghdasaryan said.

He stated that Armenia informed the international community that it has chosen the policy of both, and and should continue the cooperation both with the EAEU, the EU and all those countries with which it will have cooperation paths.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias foreign minister Edward Nalbandian held a meeting November 20 with Ingibjorg Gisladottir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

During the meeting FM Nalbandian touched upon the effective cooperation established between Armenia and the ODIHR.

Nalbandian was pleased to note that the OSCE ODIHR is an important partner in strengthening democratic institutions, improving electoral processes and the ongoing continuous progress in the field of rule of law in Armenia.

In this context he stressed the Armenia-ODIHR cooperation as part of the parliamentary elections of April.

The ODIHR director expressed readiness to continue the tradition of the close partnership.

She highlighted Armenias contribution to the international efforts of combating xenophobia and intolerance, and in this context praising Armenias hosting of the OSCE conference titled Prevention and countering of hate crimes against Christians and other religious groups: Prospects from OSCE and beyond , which was jointly organized by the OSCE Austrian Chairmanship and the ODIHR.

She also highlighted the ODIHR seminar in Yerevan, in participation of civil society, dedicated to the same issues.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Patriarchal locum tenens of Istanbuls Armenian Patriarchate Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan sent a letter on November 20 to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the patriarchate told ARMENPRESS.

Bekchyan touched upon the issue of the Patriarchs election in the letter, details of which arent disclosed.

The locum tenens has sent a similar letter to the interior ministry also.

Back in January 18, President Erdogan vowed to deal with the issue after the constitutional referendum, however the process still remains unsolved.
YEREVAN, 20 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 20 November, USD exchange rate down by 2.00 drams to 484.78 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.21 drams to 571.80 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 8.19 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.44 drams to 643.45 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 14.50 drams to 20017.93 drams. Silver price down by 0.39 drams to 266.29 drams. Platinum price up by 33.65 drams to 14604.12 drams.
Montana State Fund was denied a temporary restraining order to immediately stop the state from collecting a 3 percent management fee on some of its investments with the state Board of Investments.

The fee will take effect once the bill is signed by the governor, which has not happened yet. A Helena District Court judge on Monday set a hearing for Dec. 4 to determine if the State Fund's request for preliminary injunction should be granted to halt the fee going forward.

District Court Judge Michael McMahon also questioned if the Fund had a legitimate case going forward, writing, "the court is concerned whether (Montana State Fund) has established a legitimate cause of action or that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims."

Laurence Hubbard, president of the State Fund, said Monday he wasn't surprised about the decision and that the language in the order didn't worry him.

"The court has not yet considered the merits. I don't want to over-read into that kind of language."

The fee, which would be charged on any investments over $1 billion, was approved by lawmakers during a special session that ended early in the morning last Thursday. Montana State Fund is a quasi-public workers' compensation organization. Those who supported the management fee said the Fund holds too much in reserves and charging a fee on the excess does not take money from the Fund, but only reduces the amount going into reserves.

The Fund and other opposed say the Legislature does not have the authority to charge the fee, that the Fund needs to hold that much excess in reserves and that the fee could mean those who pay premiums could see an increase in rates or decrease in dividends.

The session was called to address an expected $227 million hole in the state budget and the fee would have generated $30 million over two years.

The idea was presented to lawmakers by Gov. Steve Bullock. During hearings, it was both panned and praised and at one point looked doomed after failing an initial vote in the House.

McMahon found that the State Fund would not suffer immediate and irreparable injury and said at this point the court is more concerned over whether the Fund has a legitimate cause in bringing a lawsuit.

State Fund argues the fee constitutes a $30 million governmental taking.

"We have serious concerns about the propriety of the lawsuit and it appears the court feels the same way," said a spokeswoman for Bullock in an emailed statement Monday.

Hubbard said on Nov. 10, after Bullock's first indication that charging the management fee was on the table during the special session, State Fund held a special meeting of its board of directors, and he was authorized to oppose the legislation and "take all legal means necessary to prevent the takings or transfer of assets" of the State Fund.

Hubbard said the process is still in the early stages.

"We really need to find out who owns the assets of the Montana State Fund. This is early stages and there's a lot more to be reviewed by the courts."
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.As the mainstream world continues to accept the word of pleasure products, it should come as no surprise that the New York Times is writing about the industry, specifically Doc Johnson and its leaders: Ron, Chad and Erica Braverman.

In a feature story titled For the First Family of Pleasure Products, Toys Are Us published Saturday, Nov. 18, writer Guy Trebay profiled the Braverman siblings and their father, as well as quoted others on how the sex toy industry continues to grow and evolve.

The story starts with Chad Braverman recounting about how, in his youth, he was never sure what his father really did for a living.

It was this big mystery no one ever talked about, what my dad was making, he told the Times. For a long time I just thought he was in the Mafia.

The piece then goes on to talk about how the industry has grown from a shadowy niche business to an estimated $15 billion global industry.

Lynn Comella, associate professor of sexuality and gender studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and author of Vibrator Nation, is also quoted in the feature, as is Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of CalExotics and Jopen.

Read the complete story at NYTimes.com.
To hear America's fearmongering private health-care shills describe it, socialized medicine is a kind of Soviet death march, where rationed care and long waits are imposed on all and sundry; but if that state of affairs sounds familiar, it's because of how neatly it describes America's dysfunctional private care system, where you need to change doctors every time you change employers, where your care is denied and your prescriptions are deemed unnecessary by faceless insurance-company bureaucrats, and where three quarters of your family doctor's overheads are dedicated to filling in insurance forms in triplicate and chasing payment in a kind of LARP of Terry Gilliam's Brazil or a Stalinist hospital in deepest Siberia.



Meanwhile, our global cousins in the developed world enjoy luxury medicine. The French system, which spends virtually nothing on paperwork, allows anyone to walk into any facility in the country and receive care on the spot, or you can get a house call at any hour, night or day, anywhere, for 31 (the French spend less per capita on health care than the Americans  as does everyone else in the developed world).

In the Netherlands, recent mothers get free, in-home postnatal nurses. In France, new mothers are given postnatal physiotherapy that reduces incontinence, improves future childbirths, as well as improving the mothers' sex lives. In Norway, expecting parents get home midwife visits and a cash allowance to spend on anything they deem necessary to improve their family's health.

Denmark, Germany, Holland, and Norway all offer paid leave to look after elderly relatives. The Czech Republic and Poland have publicly funded eldercare. Japan has extensive services  including early home care  to help pensioners live in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

Every one of these countries spends less per capita on health care than the USA, and they all have better health outcomes than America, because the efficient state  and not rapacious corporations  take care of the health of the people who live there.

Socialized medicine now!



"Politicians pushing a single-payer system will promise a utopia"; but if they get their way, Americans will see the "shambles that will remain of our healthcare system once the death spiral concludes its destructive path," warns The Federalist, a right-wing publication. And yet the US, with the most capitalist, market-driven health care system of any developed nation, can't boast of France's postnatal vaginal rehabilitation therapy, Japan's state-of-the-art elderly care robots, or Germany's government-subsidized spa vacations for a ten euro copay. And with our raging opioid crisis, shocking infant and maternal mortality rates, and incidences of death from treatable illness, the private insurance-based system is already caught in a death spiral. Luxury socialism isn't just a meme  it's a working theory that holds that social care, among other things, isn't a zero-sum game. Marx and Engels saw that a society divided by class and driven by the profit imperative produces an abundance of resources alongside an abundance of unmet needs. Socialism, if it's about anything, is about matching our resources to our needs, to improve our collective quality of life. Socialized health insurance  and the comforts it provides  would be a pretty good start.



Luxury Socialized Medicine

[Meagan Day/Jacobin]





(via Naked Capitalism
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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

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One of the leading figures in Afghanistan's national government insists his war-torn country must be put back at the forefront of NATO's efforts to defeat terrorist groups in the Middle East and South Asia.

Abdullah Abdullah, the government's chief executive and one of the featured speakers this weekend at the Halifax International Security Forum, says the new NATO focus on Iraq left his country vulnerable to greater terrorist activity..

In an interview for the podcast edition of CBC Radio's The House, he spoke of the negative impact the 2014 drawdown of NATO troops, including Canada, had on his country.

"When I look back over the years and the shift to Iraq, it detracted from Afghanistan and, the Taliban and al-Qaeda, they both took advantage of that situation."

Most of the focus at the meeting of military, political and diplomatic leaders was on other pressing security concerns: North Korea, Russia and Iraq.

Afghanistan merited relatively little attention outside of Abdullah's appearance.

U.S. has committed more troops

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in August that he would increase troop deployments in Afghanistan. This week the Pentagon confirmed the number of soldiers has now reached 14,000.

The increase was requested by General John Nicholson, the officer directing NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, which has a mandate is to train, advise and support Afghan security forces.

Nicholson said he needs 16,000 troops to do the work, The remaining 2,000 soldiers would come from NATO countries. They would not have a combat role, but assist in training.

Canada declined to join. But the Trudeau government continues to provide development assistance and support for initiatives promoting human rights and and the rights of women.

Abdullah told CBC News that he met on the sidelines of Halifax forum with Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to ask for more help in military training,

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"The issue I raised was the revival of that training at the staff college and war college here in Canada, which was very effective, or support for own military academies in Kabul so we can do better and benefit from the opportunity," he said.

"My sense was (the reaction) was positive but at the same time this has to be decided by Canada through its own processes. I didn't feel it was a no-go area."

Canada 'committed to helping Afghanistan'

Defence officials in Halifax declined to get into the specifics of the conversation, but said in a statement that Canada remains "committed to helping Afghanistan achieve long-term stability and prosperity."

Canada is now contributing $110 million a year to support the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.

Still, at his closing news conference, Sajjan told reporters Canada's priority remains defeating ISIS, or Daesh, in Iraq and Syria.

"The first thing we are looking at from a security and defence perspective is to eliminate the main threat, which is Daesh," he said.

"All nations need to keep this in mind that, given the complexity of the regional dynamics, we can't allow groups like Daesh or Daesh 2.0 to be created. We always keep regional security in mind."

Earlier this week about 20 Canadian Army engineers began training Iraqi security forces to disarm IEDs  improvised explosive devices.

Canada has also contributed 200 special forces soldiers to train Iraqi and Kurdish troops. That training is now suspended following clashes between the two sides.

NATO's top military commander, Czech General Petr Pavel, says resources are a challenge with so many trouble spots around the world, including Afghanistan.

Strain on NATO resources

"We have identified that resources are not sufficient at this time. We have asked for more resources and it's reflected in the push on nations to spend more on defence," he said.

Abdullah insists NATO's focus doesn't need to be on one country or the other, or to pit one trouble spot against another.

Afghanistan, like Iraq, like Syria. needs help to create stability, and to have the opportunity to rebuild, he says.

He says the renewed U.S. troop surge provides both a greater military presence to eliminate the Taliban and other extremist groups using Afghanistan as a safe haven, but Trump's decision not to to attach a specific withdrawal date as in the past is equally significant.

"It provides clarity. The message is clear for our enemies and foes. Had it been time-bound, the Taliban would have adapted tactics to wait us out and then come back full force. It also sends a signal to groups outside that are supporting the Taliban, that they will be returning back anyway."
After the province unveiled its marijuana bill, Indigenous leaders in Quebec are calling for more frontline workers and strengthened police services as their communities brace for recreational marijuana use.

Quebec and Labrador Assembly of First Nations Chief Ghislain Picard said there are concerns about dwindling resources in communities that are already stretched thin.

"Many leaders spoke about substance abuse and how much you know this act will add to the burden that is already heavy on the communities," said Picard.

"The fact of the matter is that our communities, Indigenous communities, have been doing a lot of intervention, more intervention probably than prevention so that's another issue."

Bill 157 outlines Quebec's framework for the distribution and consumption of marijuana when it becomes legal across Canada on July 1, 2018.

As part of that bill, the province states it is will enter into agreements with Indigenous communities to adapt to their realities  but some are staunchly against the idea all together.

In Northern Quebec, Kuujjuaq Mayor Tunu Napartuk said he's worried about what the legalization of marijuana will mean for his young and isolated village, where more than half of population of 2,400 is under 21.

"If there was a way to convince any level of government of not legalizing marijuana, I would use that tool but at this point," said Napartuk.

Consultations with the provincial government in the fall made leaders feel as though it was already too late to debate bringing marijuana into their communities, leaving many with what Napartuk calls a sense of powerlessness.

"We'll find a way to cope with it and as if life is not complicated enough in our communities, we're thrown another wrench."

A spokesperson for Quebec Health Minister Lucie Charlebois, Bianca Boutin, clarified that if Indigenous territories want to ban marijuana on their territory, that has to be negotiated with the federal government.

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'We're absolutely not ready'

The province's rules have made it clear that there will be zero tolerance for motorists when it comes to smoking marijuana, and that training to bring police forces up to speed to deal with drivers who are high is underway.

Both Ottawa and Quebec, said Picard, have yet to address strengthening local police forces in Indigenous communities  where budgets are tight, training isn't on par with the rest of the province and there is difficulty in attracting new recruits.

"Our policing services are clearly, clearly not up to the same level as the capacity as any other level of police forces in Quebec," he said.

In Kuujjuaq, authorities are also scrambling to adapt. There are needs for more funding for an array of frontline workers and awareness campaigns to be in place by next summer, said Napartuk.

"Our resources, whether it's through the police force, mental health workers, information for parents and students through teachers, through our education system, we're absolutely not ready," said Napartuk.

"We're certainly going to need a lot more resources which unfortunately means we're going to need a lot more money to get to talk about this subject and it has to be done right now."

Wanting more time

What Indigenous leaders seem to agree on and are hoping for is an extension of the deadline set by Ottawa in order to have more time to deal with legal pot.

"How much resolve can we come to? Only time will tell but it's certainly an issue of importance to our communities and it is a priority because something is being pushed on us and we need to react," said Picard.

Gina Deer, a chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, said it appeared that Quebec  like other provinces  is scrambling to meet the deadline set by Ottawa.

"It just shows that they're as unprepared as everyone else," Deer said. "Nobody's prepared, and it's showing in the way they're putting out their models."

Napartuk agreed, saying that his community needs more time to adapt on a decision that's being forced on them.

"It doesn't provide enough time for many of the elected leaders throughout Northern Quebec, throughout Nunavik for how we're going to deal with this," he said. "We're still in kind of a shock that we're trying to deal with this question."
Sandra Buckingham and Onne de Boer, from outside Fredericton, are working to match rescued Afghanistan dogs with military members and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The two have their own dogs and they've adopted several local dogs, but now they've gradually taken in four dogs from the charity Nowzad  the only official animal shelter in Afghanistan.

Murphy, the first dog Buckingham and de Boer brought to Canada had been rescued by soldiers who dropped him and another dog off at the shelter.

The organization is run by a veterinary clinic staffed by a team of Afghan nationals who have taken care of dogs and cats living on the streets. According to its website, Nowzad has reunited more than 850 soldiers with the dogs and cats that soldiers rescued and bonded with on the front lines.

After the dog's litter mate found a home, Murphy was in the shelter for months before de Boer decided they had to step in, apply and give the dog a loving home on the other side of the world.

'They're very loyal dogs'

"He's very playful, very high energy and they're on alert all the time," Buckingham told Shift New Brunswick.

Their other dogs would be napping and Murphy would constantly scan the windows and would bark to alert them.

"That's the first thing that caught us by surprise in the middle of the night," she said.

Over the years Murphy has calmed down, though each new dog that comes in from Afghanistan goes through the same routine he once had  always on alert, keeping watch for their new home.

"They're very loyal dogs, but they're scent hounds," Buckingham said. "They'll go off once they smell something they want, but they're loving, and they're very easy to befriend."

Because the dogs are so loving and loyal, the pair started the Pets for Vets program, hoping to help train and match dogs from the shelter with military members or veterans with PTSD.

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They're planning on expanding their property to give a place for the dogs to be trained on site.

'They're our family now'

"We want to give that love to a solider, that special bond," she said. "They would be saving a dog as well as saving themselves  they're rescuing a war survivor, just like them."

They've taken in so many local dogs and Afghan dogs that now, Buckingham laughed, that they're "tripping over them."

But it's welcome, because the dogs have found a special place in their hearts.

"They're our family now," she said.
(This Nov 9 story corrects paragraph 11 to remove phrase at end to show Spiegelhalter did NOT say the possible association with AML was "not a concern".) By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - A large long-term study on the use of the big-selling weedkiller glyphosate by agricultural workers in the United States has found no firm link between exposure to the pesticide and cancer, scientists said on Thursday. Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), the study found there was no association between glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's popular herbicide RoundUp, "and any solid tumors or lymphoid malignancies overall, including non-Hogkin Lymphoma (NHL) and its subtypes". It said there was "some evidence of increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) among the highest exposed group", but added this association was "not statistically significant". The findings are likely to impact legal proceedings in the United States against Monsanto, in which more than 180 plaintiffs are claiming exposure to RoundUp gave them cancer - allegations that Monsanto denies. The findings may also influence a crucial decision due by the end of the year on whether glyphosate should be re-licensed for sale across the European Union. EU countries had been due to vote on the issue on Thursday, but again failed to agree to a proposal for a five-year extension. The EU decision has been delayed for more than a year after the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed glyphosate in 2015 and concluded it was "probably carcinogenic" to humans. Other bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority, have concluded glyphosate is safe to use. The research is part of a large and important project known as the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), which has been tracking the health of tens of thousands of agricultural workers, farmers and their families in Iowa and North Carolina. Since the early 1990s, it has gathered and analyzed detailed information on the health of participants and their families, and their use of pesticides, including glyphosate. David Spiegelhalter, a professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at Britain's Cambridge University who has no link to the research, said Thursday's findings were from a "large and careful study" and showed "no significant relationship between glyphosate use and any cancer". He added that the possible association with AML "is no more than one would expect by chance". Reuters reported in June how an influential scientist was aware of new AHS data while he was chairing a panel of experts reviewing evidence on glyphosate for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in early 2015. But since it had not at that time been published, he did not tell the expert panel about it and IARC's review did not take it into account. The publication of the study on Thursday comes more than four years since drafts based on the AHS data on glyphosate and other pesticides were circulating in February and March 2013. In a summary of the results, the researchers, led by Laura Beane Freeman, principal investigator of the AHS at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said that among 54,251 (pesticide) applicators studied, 44,932, or 82.9 percent, used glyphosate. "Glyphosate was not statistically significantly associated with cancer at any site," the summary said. Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president of strategy, said the study results clearly showed the weedkiller was safe. "This is the largest study of agricultural workers in history, over the longest period of time," he told Reuters. "It is the gold standard,... and it definitively demonstrates in a real-world environment that glyphosate doesn't cause cancer." (Reporting by Kate Kelland, Editing by Gareth Jones)
The Canadian Armed Forces has released the name of the soldier killed during a training exercise at an army base in Manitoba over the weekend.

Cpl. Nolan Caribou, who was an infantryman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, was killed at CFB Shilo, about 205 kilometres west of Winnipeg, around 7 p.m. Saturday.

"On behalf of the members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, I would like to relay our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Corporal Nolan Caribou," said Lt. Col. Sean Moran, Commanding Officer with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, in a news release. "We are saddened by the loss of this soldier, who was a valued member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles."

Caribou was killed during a training exercise that focused on basic defensive routines, patrolling and raids, according to the release.

The Canadian Armed Forces says no live ammunition was used during the training exercise.

Caribou was a member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group, said Lt. Stacie Nelles, a spokesperson for the 38 Canadian Brigade Group.

He had been an infantryman with the unit for five years and had never been deployed operationally as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Caribou's death is currently under investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.

'He'll be sadly missed'

Caribou was raised in Winnipeg but has family connections in Pukatawagan, Man., where his mother is originally from.

Shirley Castel, a councillor with the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, which includes the community of Pukatawagan, knows the family and says news of Caribou's death has left many in the northern Manitoba community saddened.

"People are pretty sad to know that one of their own lost a son," she said over the phone from the community about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg Sunday night. "He'll be sadly missed."

Castel says she last saw Caribou in the summer when he visited Pukatawagan with his mother, who now lives in Winnipeg, and his grandmother from Toronto. She remembers him as a kind and selfless man.

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"He was a happy-go-lucky guy  always helpful with others  he would give the shirt off his back to help his fellow man," remembers Castel. "He had a good life ahead of him and it's sad to see when we lose people at a younger age."

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister tweeted he was "saddened to hear tragic news of the death of a Winnipeg reservist at CFB Shilo." Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan also tweeted condolences.

The Shilo base is known for its training ground, which covers an area about 15 kilometres by 30 kilometres. There were a number of units training in different locations, Nelles said.

"Its mission is to enable success of training, operations and force generation activities by providing premiere training venues and the professional delivery of comprehensive support to lodger units and dependencies," the Canadian Army's website said.

The base also provides training for a number of organizations outside of the Canadian military, including the RCMP, Manitoba corrections and troops from several foreign countries.

It's the third time this year a soldier was killed during a training accident on a Canadian base.

Sgt. Robert Dynerowicz died in April after he was involved in an accident while riding in a light armoured vehicle during training at CFB Wainwright, Alta. Three other soldiers were injured.

Master Cpl. Alfred Barr, a Winnipeg-based search and rescue technician, died in March during a routine training jump over Yorkton, Sask., after his parachute malfunctioned during training.

It's also not the first time training has taken a dangerous turn at CFB Shilo.

Pte. Kirby Tott, 25, died suddenly during a training exercise in July 2015. Then-defence minister Jason Kenney said it was due to a medical issue, not an accident.

During a March 2015 training exercise, a military truck bound for CFB Shilo hit black ice and crashed. An army reserve captain suffered serious back injuries.
With mashed potatoes keeping warm in the microwave, a turkey taking its not-so-sweet time in the oven, and several dishes needing table, oven and stovetop space amid a messy kitchen, you need more help than ever to keep the kids from whining, Is dinner ready yet?

Avoid having one less thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving with ideas on how to schedule, cook and store meals.

Talk turkey

Serving a juicy, warm turkey on time is a science. One wrong move could dry the bird, or worse, create a breeding ground for salmonella.

When Gazette food columnist Bernie Mason worked at the Yellowstone County Extension Office, shed receive calls from homeowners saying they planned to begin cooking the turkey in the middle of the night. Mason says unless the turkey is 20-plus pounds and scheduled to be served by noon, extra-early preparation isnt necessary.

Look at one of your newer cookbooks or the package that the turkey comes on for the suggested cooking temperature and time, Mason said.

David Maplethorpe, a local chef known for his work with The Rex, is heading this years annual Thanksgiving dinner meal served by the Billings Food Bank. He says his group thaws turkeys in a cooler one week in advance, then cuts the birds in half.

It cooks a lot quicker; you dont lose any of the moistness, he said. Cook them at 350 for an hour-and-a-half depending on the size of the turkey.

Even if cooking the whole bird, Maplethorpe recommends the same temperature.

Mason says cooking at lower temperatures for longer durations is risky.

Because its not safe and it doesnt get hot enough to kill bacteria, she said. Make sure you cook the turkey at least at 165 degrees.

An oven thermometer ensures the turkey maintains proper internal temperature, even when the oven doesnt.

Mason once attended a Thanksgiving dinner where the homeowner didnt have the oven regularly inspected. The turkey was undercooked by its suggested completion time, but a thermometer could have caught the ovens error sooner. Mason says oven inspection is your best bet to avoid meal prep mishaps.

In the bag

Turkey roasting bags save time and juices, which is why Mason recommends homeowners use them this year. The bags even come in larger sizes for 20-pound turkeys and make for simpler clean-up.

Its delicious, its moist, she said of turkeys cooked in bags.

And the dripping is easily contained for gravy.

Maplethorpes mother has a similar method she passed down to him: brown paper bags with a completely buttered interior.

Put your turkey in there, tie it at the end, he said. And when your turkeys done, open the bag up and let it brown; youre going to have the best moist turkey.

The butter adds a little fat to the bird, which Maplethorpe says is needed because turkey is lean.

My mother did it for years and my golly, it worked, he said.

If oven space for turkey is a problem, Mason suggests using an electric roaster. Shes found them at estate sales, but says theyre inexpensive regardless.

Some things can be done in a crockpot, too, Mason said of dishes like stuffing.

Because stuffing also needs to reach 165 degrees to avoid salmonella, Mason does not recommend it be stuffed into a turkey. Maplethorpe admits that doing so has been his biggest Thanksgiving Day mistake.

Anything added to the bird, especially cold, is going to influence cooking time and temperature.

But if the turkey is to be stuffed, Mason says to pack it in loosely and make it just before placing it in the oven.

Set the schedule

Maplethorpe anticipates a turkey taking six to seven hours; mashed potatoes taking 45 minutes to an hour; and stuffing requiring 10 to 15 minutes.

You want to plan it for everything to come together at one time, he said.

Because turkeys require time outside the oven to retain its juices, the oven could then be used to warm up dishes that may have been prepared the day before. Mason says last-minute items like rolls could also utilize the space.

And as for how much to cook, Maplethorpe bases it on portion sizes being four to five ounces. Multiply that to how many people will be in attendance and how many leftovers are desired. Round up for items like potatoes, because some weight is lost when skinned. A half-gallon of gravy serves 15 people, he said.

But Thanksgiving is not just about the food, its about friends and family coming together to give thanks.

Enjoy your company; enjoy the day, said Mason.
The University of Winnipeg has been working to repatriate the remains of Indigenous people stored on campus, but at least one Indigenous woman says it's not happening fast enough.

Remains from about 145 Indigenous people are currently in storage at the university, according to a University of Winnipeg statement sent to CBC News. They range from a single tooth or bone fragment to a partial or complete skeleton.

The university says most of the remains were unearthed by third parties, who transferred responsibility for them to the school.

"They are in safe custody and not on public view or used for teaching purposes," the statement says.

The university said it, along with the province's Historic Resources Branch (HRB), has reached out to "several First Nations Knowledge Keepers" on how to move forward with repatriation efforts.

One of those knowledge keepers is Diane Maytwayashing, an Anishinaabe educator who was involved in repatriation efforts of the remains of six Indigenous ancestors near her home in the Whiteshell area in 2013.

Maytwayashing said she was contacted in the spring by Kevin Lamoureux, the university's associate vice-president of Indigenous affairs, who asked her for help with repatriating additional remains due to her previous experience.

However, she said she is frustrated by how long it is taking to repatriate the rest of the remains.

"There was no meetings, just the passing of tobacco, and that was it," she said, adding the lengthy bureaucratic process "wasn't very comfortable."

"It was like, why can't I just walk out of there with my grandmothers and my grandfathers and put them back in the earth? It's crazy."

The university said the remains of 18 individuals were repatriated in 2017, and six more are scheduled for repatriation in the spring of 2018.

It's not just the University of Winnipeg that has Indigenous peoples' remains in its possession, said Lamoureux, who is currently seconded at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for a year-long term.

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The University of Manitoba is also in possession of remains, he said, as are many academic institutions across Canada. They typically come to universities or museums when discovered during construction or farming, he said.

"Some of them definitely, and let's not hide away from this, were collected by anthropologists thinking they were doing good science, which kind of makes my stomach turn," said Lamoureux.

He added that the majority of the remains at the University of Winnipeg were unearthed by Manitoba Hydro and transferred into the care of the university.

"I can't speak to the mindset that would have allowed universities to accept that," he said.

He said he understands Maytwayashing's frustrations, and believes the university should not be holding any Indigenous remains.

"It's 100 per cent inappropriate."

Maureen Matthews, the Manitoba Museum's Curator of Ethnology, said communities aren't always able to accept remains or other artifacts for a variety of reasons, including a loss of ceremonial knowledge at no fault of their own, or lack of resources.

She also said there is a scientific community that argues studying human remains has provided knowledge.

"It's worth getting into that argument because there are things that have been found out," she said.

"For instance, they worked out whether or not certain diseases were North American or were they introduced, that kind of thing, and the only way to know is to check the bodies of people who died before."

The flipside of that argument, she said, is that years of mishandling may have contaminated remains being studied. Matthews said she believes remains should be returned to communities that want them back.

Repatriation efforts have been taking place in O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in northern Manitoba since the early 1990s, said resident Leslie Dysart. However, he said those efforts haven't always been handled sensitively.

"My mother, she was given a box," he said, from the Historical Resources Branch.

"I guess they somehow traced the DNA back to her. She figured it was her older brother."

His mother wasn't informed the remains were coming, nor was there any ceremony around the handover, he said.

Things have improved since then, said O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation executive director Mike Dumas.

The University of Winnipeg, along with the HRB and the Manitoba Museum, have returned remains to the community every couple of years since the early 2000s, said Dumas, describing the returns now as a "partnership."

"It does take time," he added. "It takes a couple of years. But that time has been cut way in half from what it's been."

Dumas said the university has taken the lead and consults with the community's elders when remains are returned. Repatriated remains are generally thought to be the relatives of the people who are currently living on or near the land where they're found, and they're buried at a site in the community.

Their relatives and local elders participate in the ceremony, he added.

Ry Moran, director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, said honest, open and difficult conversations need to start happening.

"The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) confirms the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect and preserve their history, and that includes the right to repatriation," he said.

"Canada as a nation state only adopted UNDRIP last year. And we as Indigenous peoples continue to live in a society wherein those rights remain largely unarticulated."

Lamoureux said the University of Winnipeg has a history of failing to repatriate remains in a timely and caring fashion, "so we have to own that."

But the process of repatriation can still be a long one, involving community partnerships, consultations with Indigenous leaders and ceremony, as well as complying with the province's laws surrounding the housing and moving human remains.

In the meantime, the university is responsible for caring for the remains respectfully until they can be claimed by their home communities.

Community members can and do come to campus to hold ceremonies with their ancestors, the university said, and at least twice a year it also invites elders to lead a ceremony with smudging, praying and singing with the ancestors' remains.

Lamoureux said his goal is to repatriate all the remains in the university's possession.

"We have the support of administration," he said.

"No one wants to be holding on human remains on campus."
MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are overweight or obese may need to be screened for breast cancer more frequently, new Swedish research suggests.

The reason? Overweight or obese women are at greater risk of having breast cancer detected after the tumor has grown large -- over 2 centimeters -- than their slimmer counterparts, the study found.

Heavier women also have a worse prognosis when their breast cancers are detected between regular cancer screenings (known as interval cancers) than normal weight women, the findings showed.

"It seems overweight women would need shorter time intervals between screenings than other women, but our study was not designed to quantify how much," explained Dr. Fredrik Strand, a radiologist at the Karolinska University Hospital.

The study included more than 2,000 women from Sweden. All were aged 55 to 74, Strand said. All were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2001 and 2008. The average BMI was 25.6. BMI is a rough estimate of body fat based on height and weight measurements.

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and over 30 is considered obese.

A 5-foot 6-inch woman with a normal BMI would weigh between 118 and 150 pounds. For that same woman, overweight would be about 155 to 180 pounds. Obesity would begin around 186 pounds, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The researchers wanted to learn what factors -- in a country with universal access to breast cancer screening -- might have played a role in these women having large tumors when diagnosed either at the time of screening or during the interval between screenings. For this study, the interval between screenings was up to two years, Strand said. In the United States, the interval is usually around 12 months, the researchers noted.

The study found that a BMI above 25 and having denser breast tissue were linked to higher odds of a large tumor when diagnosed with breast cancer during a screening. Only BMI was associated with having a large tumor for interval cancers.

Women with a BMI above 25 with interval cancers had a worse prognosis than thinner women. Strand said a worse prognosis was defined as the cancer coming back, the cancer spreading, or death from the cancer.

The study findings might be even stronger if done in a U.S. population, he added, because people in the United States tend to be heavier than they are in Sweden.

Dr. Laurie Margolies, chief of breast imaging at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, said the study adds "another piece of evidence that might end the confusion about when to get a mammogram. Women should be screened every year."

Both experts noted that the findings need to be replicated. And Margolies said she'd like to see the study done with a U.S. population.

Strand is to present his study on Nov. 29 at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting, in Chicago. Findings presented at meetings are typically viewed as preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Learn more about cancer screening guidelines, including those for breast cancer, from the American Cancer Society.
MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women with low vitamin D levels may be less likely to have a baby after assisted reproductive technology (ART) than those with normal vitamin D levels, a new study suggests.

The finding stemmed from a review of 11 published studies that involved a total of 2,700 women who were undergoing ART, which includes in vitro fertilization and frozen embryo transfer to achieve pregnancy.

The British researchers found that women with correct levels of vitamin D were 34 percent more likely to have a positive pregnancy test, 46 percent more likely to achieve a clinical pregnancy and a third more likely to have a live birth than women with low levels of vitamin D.

There was no link between vitamin D levels and miscarriage, according to the study, published Nov. 14 in the journal Human Reproduction.

The researchers, from the University of Birmingham, noted that just 26 percent of women in the studies had sufficient levels of vitamin D.

They also pointed out that the findings only show an association and do not prove that vitamin D supplements would improve a woman's chances of having a baby after ART.

"Although an association has been identified, the beneficial effect of correction of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency needs to be tested by performing a clinical trial," said study leader Dr. Justin Chu. He is an academic clinical lecturer in obstetrics and gynecology.

"In the meantime, women who want to achieve a successful pregnancy should not rush off to their local pharmacy to buy vitamin D supplements until we know more about its effects," Chu said in a university news release.

"It is possible to overdose on vitamin D, and this can lead to too much calcium building up in the body, which can weaken bones and damage the heart and kidneys," he said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more on ART.
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Journalists covering the result of Kenyas contested elections should be aware of the risk of unrest and violent protests. The Supreme Court on November 20 upheld incumbent Uhuru Kenyattas victory over opposition candidate Raila Odinga in last months repeat election, according to The New York Times. Odinga said he will not accept the result of either of the two elections held this year, the paper reported.

Clashes and violence among supporters of the two candidates have broken out, according to reports. On November 17, police used teargas and water cannons after clashes between security forces and supporters of Odinga, who threw stones and set cars on fire, NPR reported. Police said they planned to increase patrols after four people were killed in the Ruaraka area of Nairobi and residents protested there and in the areas of Mathare, Baba Dogo, and Kariobangi over the weekend, the Daily Nation reported.

Two journalists from the Nation Media Group were attacked today while covering unrest in the Lucky Summer Estate area of Nairobi, according to reports. The journalistsStella Cherono and Brian Mosetisaid that at least four attackers slapped them and threatened them with machetes, before robbing them.

CPJs Emergency Response Team has issued the following advisory for journalists working in Kenya:

Current situation:

Reporters in Kenya told CPJ last month that one of the major concerns covering violence at the protests is the risk of being an inadvertent victim. Journalists said they were worried about safety around police after reports earlier this year of people being killed after officers fired live rounds. Nairobi police in August denied targeting individuals and said they used live ammunition only to scare people who they referred to as looters, according to The Guardian.

Journalists previously told CPJ that when police employ riot dispersal tactics, crowds can stampede, which is dangerous in Kenyas heavily built up slum areas.

When reporting on protests, positioning is key, as well as having a dynamic risk assessment to allow for a fluid situation. Many journalists choose to stay behind the police lines, which is generally regarded as the safest location.

Around the elections in August, CPJ spoke with 10 journalists who said they were assaulted or harassed by police and unidentified attackers while reporting on the election.

Regional hostility:

In Western Kenya, local journalists told CPJ that the mood was potentially hostile toward journalists and foreigners during Octobers repeat election. They added that in part the hostility came from confusion over who was a journalist and who was an election monitor or official.

CPJ recommends that journalists covering the election carry accreditation whenever possible.

During any situation remain cognizant of the high crime rate in Kenya. Cell phones and recording equipment are particularly attractive to thieves.

If violence takes on a sectarian nature, local reporters, fixers, and drivers are at particular risk. Consider their safety before asking them to travel outside of their local area. Such requests could have dire consequences. In some hot spots, such as Mathare, delineations are unclear, which can be problematic.

Protection gear and licenses:

Journalists should wear personal protective equipment including helmets, eye protection, and gas masks. Journalists should note however, that the use of body armor now requires a license in Kenya and that police enforced this law during the August elections. Police arrested Kenya Television Network journalist Duncan Khaemba on August 12 for allegedly possessing a helmet and body armor without a proper license, according to police documents seen by CPJ and Khaemba. The journalist was reporting on violent post-election protests in Nairobis Kibera slum at the time. Police told CPJ that the charges were dropped on August 15.

Body armor is classified as a firearm under the Firearms Act, and licenses are hard to obtain, particularly at short notice. As a result, all journalists should carefully consider whether to carry unlicensed body armor or risk working without protection.

Resources:

It is advisable for international journalists to register with their countrys embassy, which can assist if problems arise.

To minimize the risk of reporting on crowd disorder:

Preparation

Plan the assignment and ensure that you have a full battery on your cell phone. Know the area you are going to. Work out in advance what to do in an emergency.

Always try to work with a colleague and have a regular check-in procedure with your baseparticularly if covering rallies or crowded events.

Wear clothing and footwear that allows you to move swiftly. Avoid loose clothing and lanyards that can be grabbed, as well as flammable material, such as nylon.

Consider your position. Try to find an elevated position that may offer greater safety.

At any location, always plan an evacuation route. If working with others, select an emergency rendezvous point.

Maintain situational awareness at all times and limit valuables in your possession. Do not leave any equipment in vehicles. After dark, the risk of criminal actions increases.

increases. If working in a crowd, plan a strategy. Try to keep to the outside of the crowd and avoid the middle, where it is hard to escape. Identify an escape route.

In situations where teargas may be used:

Wear personal protective equipment, including a gas mask, eye protection, body armor, and helmet.

Contact lenses are not advisable.

Individuals with asthma or respiratory issues should avoid areas where teargas is being used. When large amounts of teargas are used, there is the possibility of high concentrations of gas sitting in areas with no movement of air.

Take note of landmarks (i.e. posts, curbs) that can be used to help you navigate out of an area if you are struggling to see.

If you are exposed to teargas, try to find higher ground and stand in fresh air to allow the breeze to carry away the gas. Do not rub your eyes or face. When you are able to, shower in cold water to wash the gas from your skin, but do not bathe. Clothing may need to be washed several times to remove the crystals completely, or discarded.

When dealing with aggression:

Read body language and use your own body language to pacify a situation.

Keep eye contact with an aggressor, use open hand gestures and keep talking with a calming manner.

Keep an extended arms length from the threat. Back away and if someone grabs hold of you, break away firmly without aggression. If cornered and in danger, shout.

If cornered and in danger, shout. If the situation escalates, keep a hand free to protect your head and move with short, deliberate steps to avoid falling. If in a team, stick together and link arms.

 Be aware of the situation and your own safety. While there are times when documenting aggression can be newsworthy, taking pictures of aggressive individuals can escalate a situation.

CPJ encourages local, freelance journalists and media organizations to closely follow the safety principles and practices of the ACOS alliance, which can be found here.

For more information on conditions for journalists working in Kenya, visit CPJs devoted page on our website. For additional and detailed safety information, including security assessments, visit see CPJs Journalist Security Guide.
42nd International Congress of Military Medicine held in New Delhi

Published: November 20, 2017

The 42nd World Congress of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) was held in New Delhi. It was organised by Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Ministry of Defence (MoD). The theme of this edition of World Congress is Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead.

The five-day event was being organised for the first time in India. It was the largest medical conference ever organised by AFMS. It was attended by around 350-400 foreign delegates from 80 countries.

International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM)

The ICMM is international inter-governmental organisation established in 1921 after World War I to strengthen cooperation between the health services of the armed forces worldwide. Its secretariat is at Brussels, Belgium and currently has 112 nations as members.

ICMMs main objective is to ensure that medical services personnel have means to work together, using similar practices, in operations involving international cooperation. It works towards achieving this by encouraging activities at which scientific and technical experience is shared, by developing contacts with scientific community, by promoting regional events. This enables it to pool resources and work experience of military medicine, both in theatre of operations and in support role in case of crisis situations.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017

Category: Defence Current Affairs

Topics: Armed Forces Medical Services  Defence  International Committee of Military Medicine  Medical Science  Ministry of Defence  New Delhi  World Congress

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Government inks Loan Agreement with World Bank for Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project

Published: November 20, 2017

The Union Government has signed a guarantee agreement for IBRD/CTF loan of US $98 million and Grant Agreement for US $2 million for Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project with World Bank.

The objective Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project is to increase solar generation capacity through establishment of large-scale parks in the country.

Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project

The project consists of two components viz. (i) Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks and (ii) Technical Assistance. It will help to establish large-scale solar parks and support governments plan to install 100 Gigawatts (GW) of solar power out of total renewable-energy target of 175 GW by 2022.

World Bank

World Bank is one of five institutions created at Breton Woods Conference in 1944. It is part of the United Nations system, but its governance structure is different. Its headquarter are situated at Washington DC, US.

World Bank provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes. It comprises only two institutions viz. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA). In contrast, World Bank Group comprises three more viz. International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017

Topics: india-world bank  National  Renewable energy  Solar Energy  Solar Parks Project  World Bank

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       :   MLA ,        41 
Republicans were in Helena last week with a strong message: We will not raise taxes on hardworking Montanans. When faced with the budget challenge before us, the Legislature could have simply voted down the governors tax hikes to get out of town -- forcing him to make deeper and wider cuts to state agencies.

But our resolve to not raise taxes on Montanans and our determination to find a better solution meant that we couldnt take the easy way out.

The Republican caucus remained united and strong in standing up for taxpayers because we believe, like most Montanans, that when financial times are tough, the first step is to tighten the purse strings.

Money is tight in Montana. The eastern part of our state has been experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent memory and ag and cattle prices are low. In western Montana wildfires raged through most of the summer, destroying over a million acres. In times like this, it is especially important to focus on the most essential government services.

Coming out of the special session, Gov. Bullock has $230 million to work with -- all of the tools he needs to refill the states depleted fire fund and bring our budget back into balance without raising taxes.

The fact is that there was no acceptable plan when the governor called a special session. He thought he could use the short notice and frenzy of a special session to push through tax increases, without taking any meaningful action on his part to mitigate what he was calling a "crisis." But he drastically underestimated our resolve. Republicans sprang to action and quickly rallied to expand the discussion and find better answers for the taxpayers and those who utilize government services.

What we found includes millions of dollars of additional fund transfers, a way to save money through temporary state employee furloughs and an offer of $30 million from the Shelby prison. All in an effort to find ways to avoid additional cuts that the governor would otherwise have to make.

Hearing the news less than 24 hours after the adjournment of the special session that Gov. Bullock plans to veto the furlough bill leads us to ask the question again -- governor, is there a budget crisis or isnt there? If there is a crisis, then a one day a month furlough could potentially save other employees from losing his/her job entirely.

As leaders of the Republican House caucus, we could not be more grateful to all of the men and women who again left their businesses and families to do the work of the Legislature in Helena, and for holding strong and united throughout this process. And an emphatic thank you to the staff in legislative services who put insane hours and, against the odds, were able to help us draft numerous bills in just two days. We are proud to say that by working together and examining every opportunity, Republicans were able to provide the governor with the tools he needs to repair problems with the budget without raising taxes.

Speaker of the House Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson; House Majority Leader Ron Ehli, R-Hamilton; and House Speaker Pro Tem Greg Hertz, R-Polson.
Dan hears the screaming, rushes in, wrestles Alex into the bathtub, and seemingly drowns her. She suddenly emerges from the water, swinging the knife. (Wikipedia summary of the 1987 movie, Fatal Attraction)

Marxism is like Alex in the movie Fatal Attraction. We thought it was dead as an ideology, but it keeps returning, swinging its hammer and sickle.

Bernie Sanders ran as a socialist and got much of the Democratic vote. A 2016 Harvard Youth Poll found that 51 percent of millennials rejected capitalism. A 2016 poll by YouGov found that favorable views of capitalism were 47 percent among Generation Z; 42 percent among Millennials; and 45 percent among Generation X.

Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York, the center of American capitalism, has recently complained that private property rights limit his ability to plan for New York. Yet he has just won a second term.

In the United Kingdom, the Labor Partys Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, quoted from Mao Zedong on the floor of the House of Commons in 2015. He said, To assist [Conservative Chancellor] comrade Osborne about dealing with his newfound comrades, I have brought him along Maos Little Red Book.

Communisms failures are legion and well known. In the 20th century, Communist regimes killed about 100 million people: 20 million in Russia, 65 million in China, and the rest from a miscellany of countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea and others. North Korea is a failed country; South Korea is rich and prosperous. Similarly, East Germany was poor, and West Germany highly economically successful. Cuba is still poor. Chinas economy has been growing as the Marxist influence has declined.

But young people do not know this or ignore it. After all, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. For those born after about 1985, this is all ancient history. North Korea remains a failure, but that is nothing new, if it is even known. The Cold War is before millennials time, and the fall of the Wall is something in a history book. Of course, Venezuela is an ongoing disaster. People are starving, and even eating zoo animals; professional women and young girls are turning to prostitution to make enough money to eat; hundreds of thousands of people are leaving for Colombia or other countries; and the country has

become a dictatorship. But Bernie Sanders supporters may not know this, or may not know that it is the predictable result of the socialism that he advocates. And of course the press does not generally indicate that the disaster is due to communism.

Why do so many advocate a system which has failed whenever it has been tried? Communism is based on primitive economic thinking, what has been called folk economics. That is, Marxism appeals to those untrained in economics because it is consistent with our primitive beliefs about economics. This is ironic because Marx called his system scientific socialism, when in fact it is consistent with a pre-scientific view of the economy.

Our intuitions about economics evolved in the long period called the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness, when our ancestors were largely hunter-gatherers. During this period, societies were small, approximately 200 people or fewer; there was virtually no technological progress or economic growth, and the world was zero-sum. Because societies were mobile, there was little capital investment. This entire set of beliefs is exactly consistent with Marxism and its child, socialism.

One of the tenets of folk economics is that the world is largely zero-sum  economic values do not change in response to changes in prices. I have come to believe that this issue  zero-sum thinkingis responsible for most of the major fallacies in economic policy, such as tariffs and immigration restriction. One of the fundamental policies of Marxism is From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Both halves of this proposal are based on zero-sum thinking. They ignore that output depends on incentives as well as ability, and needs depend on prices as well as desires.

In a zero-sum world, the only way to become rich is to steal from others. There was no technological change and no investment, and so no possibilities of becoming rich by inventing a new stone ax, or investing in a growing industry. Therefore, prejudice against the rich is part of our evolved mental architecture. Class conflict (capital versus labor, or todays version, race, class, and gender) is also a product of zero-sum thinking  the pie is viewed fixed, and the only relevant issues are the division of the pie. In fact, of course, labor and capital cooperate to produce output, and the amount of output depends on the rules governing use of inputs.

Another pillar of folk economics is that labor is the only source of value. This was true when our minds were evolving and there was relatively little capital, but certainly is not true now. But the labor theory of value is part of communism. Folk economics does not understand invisible hand theories of social organization, and so communism requires central planning.

While these primitive views are part of our evolved mental structure, it is certainly possible to learn that they are false. But the modern view of economics is not a natural way of thinking. Think of flat earth thinking: our intuition is that the earth is flat, but we can learn that it is not. However, it is particularly ironic that those who profess a deep understanding of the economy, and the advocates of what Marx called scientific socialism, are actually advocating a primitive view of the world. Perhaps the best way to counter these views is to point out that they are primitive. Intellectuals do not want to be on the wrong side of history nor do they want to be science deniers.

Paul H. Rubin is the Dobbs Professor of Economics at Emory, and the author of Darwinian Politics (Rutgers Press, 2002.)

Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning Ebrief.
Assembly of the Auschwitz exhibition, this Tuesday in Madrid. Alvaro Garcia

The most elaborate traveling exhibition about the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz ever put together has been subject to an onslaught of anti-Semitic sentiment after the Spanish company Musealia advertised its inauguration on December 1, at the Canal Art Center in Madrid.

On show until June 2018, the exhibition consists of objects from the notorious concentration camp and carries the strong message that there is nothing to stop the same thing happening again under a different guise with the reminder: Not long ago, not far away.

The anti-Semitism on the internet now is not that different to the anti-Semitism of the 1930s Iciar Palacios, Musealia

We were prepared for all sorts of responses but we didnt think there would be so many [of this nature], says Iciar Palacios, the press officer for Musealia, a company based in San Sebastian, which has reported the online perpetrators to the Spanish governments counter-radicalization center, the CCIR, while also filing a complaint with Twitter and Facebook.

Musealia was warned by the exhibitions co-producers, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, that they would receive hate-fueled feedback, but that rather than respond, they should simply report and block.

The social media comments range from outright denial of the existence of the gas chambers or the validity of the diary of Anne Frank  which documents the experiences of a young German-born Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis in an Amsterdam house  to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories such as world domination by the Jewish community and Jewish media control.

SS guards at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Yad Vashem

The anti-Semitism that is common on the internet now is not that different in content to the ant-Semitism of the 1930s, says Palacios. Theres a lot of white supremacist propaganda around, many conspiracy theories and a lot of typical anti-Jewish remarks.

On November 11, 60,000 far-right extremists from across Europe congregated in Warsaw, demanding ethnic cleansing against a backdrop of multiplying anti-Semitic crimes in countries such as Hungary. The main target for the hatred at the Warsaw march was the Muslim community, though anti-Semitic sentiment was also apparent.

Should we be worried? The social climate in which intolerance is on parade in the streets of a European capital is what prompted the organizers to mount the exhibition. After all, the extermination of six million Jews did not take place in a vacuum, but at a particularly delicate moment in Europes history.

It starts with tweets and ends with an attack on a school or synagogue Isaac Querub, Jewish Communities president

Experts on racial hatred are caught between the need to condemn such demonstrations and the dangers of giving the haters a greater voice. They may be eaten up by hatred but in the scheme of things their numbers are still negligible.

In the case of Spain, Isaac Querub, President of the Federation for Jewish Communities in Spain, insists the country is not anti-Semitic, although the social media posts are cause for concern. It starts with tweets and ends with an attack on a school or synagogue, he says.

Meanwhile, according to an expert on hate crimes in the Spanish Civil Guard, When an event departs from the norm such as this exhibition, there is always a rash of comments. People imagine that social media means anonymity but denial can still be a crime.

Statistics on hate crimes from the Spanish Home Office reveal that anti-Semitism accounts for a small number of such crimes in Spain  a mere 0.6% in 2016. The situation in Europe, however, is quite different. The European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has just published a report on ant-Semitism that claims it represents a serious problem. A 2014 FRA study revealed that 26% of European Jews had suffered physical or verbal abuse at some stage in their lives.

Denial

The head curator of the Madrid exhibition is the author of The Case for Auschwitz, Robert Jan Van Pelt. He was involved in the libel case against US historian Deborah E. Lipstadt brought by British historian David Irving for describing him as a denier in her writing. The case was made into the 2016 movie Denial with Rachel Weisz, and Van Pelts report on the case is considered a milestone in the fight against denial.

People imagine that social media means anonymity but denial can still be a crime Spanish Civil Guard

I have spent 30 years working in this area and Auschwitz attracts deniers, says the Dutch historian who now lives in Toronto. If you search for Auschwitz on Google, you have pages of this rubbish coming up. The main thing is not to compare narratives. You cant argue with these people because their arguments arent rational. What we are doing with this exhibition is establishing the facts and putting solid evidence on display. We want to attract young people so that, for two hours, they emerge from the swamp of information they are immersed in to focus purely on that.

Hoss desk Luis Ferreiro, director of Musealia, was moved to mount the Auschwitz exhibition after reading Man's Search for Meaning by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. "It made me think I would like to see an exhibition on the concentration camp and its historical repercussions," he explains. He set to work on the project in 2009, collaborating with 20 institutions, above all the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. The exhibition includes a train carriage and a section of a bunkhouse from Auschwitz III-Monowitz  the satellite camp where Italian Holocaust survivor and writer Primo Levi was held  as well as numerous elements from the camp that tell the story of both the victims and the SS concentration camp guards, among them the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Hoss, who was executed in 1947, after acknowledging the enormity of his crimes. The exhibition will be on the move for seven years with the Swedish city of Malmo its next port of call after Madrid, followed by Amsterdam and a number of cities in the US.

English version by Heather Galloway.
The process behind fake news.

NATO intelligence reports show that Russian online networks have been focusing their activities on Catalonia in order to make the most of the secessionist crisis there.

The Alliances Strategic Communication Center of Excellence (StratCom) has detected a spike in messages relating to Catalan independence by the thousands of automated social media accounts that typically focus on global conflicts where the Kremlin participates actively, such as Ukraine or Syria.

There are networks of 1,000 to 10,000 accounts that coordinate with each other

The center warns that countries like Spain are not protected from this threat.

According to center director Janis Sarts, the ultimate goal of this Russian online activity is not to encourage Catalan independence, but rather to underscore divisions that will weaken the European Union and NATO itself, two organizations that Spain is a part of.

The basic reason for this activity, really, is to create confusion and aggravate existing problems, not to achieve a result that favors one side or the other, said Sarts in an interview. I think it increasingly consists of creating chaos. They are much better at that than at achieving a specific result.

StratCom is an international military organization whose role is to provide information and produce detailed reports about disinformation coming out of Russia and other countries whose interests may clash with those of the United States and its European allies.

We need to remember that we are the secondary audience or target

Janis Sarts, head of NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence

Funding states include Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Britain, Finland, Sweden and France. If Spain were to become a sponsor as well, said center officials, it could devote resources to analyzing and intercepting messages in Spanish, Catalan or any other official language of Spain.

One report dated August 31 showed that between March 1 and this date there were 32,000 messages from 11,600 users that mentioned NATO and Poland or one of the Baltic states. A newer report on robotrolling shows that Russian-language bots create roughly 70% of all Russian messages about NATO in the Baltic States and Poland and that overall, 60% of active Russian-language accounts seem to be automated.

Since September, these same networks have shared messages about Catalonia, a fact that will be reflected in the centers upcoming reports.

Sarts said that the practice of disseminating and viralizing Russian-language content about foreign crises is aimed at creating the sense that everybody has problems, that the West is full of hypocrisy, and that all governments act in similar ways.

We need to remember that we are the secondary audience or target here, said Sarts. The main audience is in Russia and the reason for that is to legitimize the current elite in the Kremlin and keep them in power.

On October 27, a NATO representative told news agencies that Spain is a committed ally who makes important contributions to our common security. The Catalan issue is internal and must be resolved within the Spanish constitutional order.

Pro-Kremlin websites

Russian state media have used NATO to attack Spain over its management of the Catalan crisis. On October 4, the outlet RT published the following headline: Why isnt NATO bombing Madrid for 78 days?  former British diplomat. The former diplomat in question is William Mallinson, who drew parallels between Catalonia and Kosovo: the situation is similar in very many ways, he was quoted as saying.

This is a clear-cut case of RTs manipulative use of information: Mallinson is a regular source for RT and a scholar from the little-known online Romanian university of Guglielmo Marconi who served in diplomatic positions as under-secretary in posts such as Nairobi. Mallinson, who regularly opines on RT about everything from refugees in Germany, the Syrian conflict, the war in Ukraine or the Greek government, would be considered a questionable source by any serious news outlet.

These and other stories, such as the one claiming that 12 countries support the creation of a new Catalan state, represent the first step in the Russian interference process, according to the NATO communications center.

Once the stories are published on pro-Kremlin outlets such as RT and Sputnik, the process moves to the second phase, which involves amplifying the information using real and automated online accounts. Both the NATO center and the EUs East Stratcom Task Force believe that between 70% and 80% of the viralization of this content is a result of interaction by these automated accounts.

Sarts explained that these networks can be rented out: Behind them there are what we could describe as actors with ties to states that control some of these bot networks. They can be networks of 1,000 or 10,000 accounts that basically coordinate with each other or which are ordered to coordinate.

The big problem in terms of fighting this disinformation, according to a NATO report from November, is that Facebook is the worlds largest social media network, and many of its interactions are private. This means that analysts can only view public pages and groups, which represent the tip of the iceberg, notes the report. Besides, the Russian online scene is dominated by other platforms such as VK, Odnoklassniki or MoiMir, which have a collective 180 million users.

English version by Susana Urra.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Svetlov (Getty Images)

The maneuver from Russia of using fake news stories in the case of the Catalan crisis constitutes conclusive proof that the world is immersed in a new Cold War in which disinformation is the main weapon. Moscow and its satellites  other states and organizations  are trying to exploit by any means possible the domestic weaknesses and controversies within Western democracies with the aim of generating division and confusion in the attacked societies. In this respect, the Catalan crisis has presented an extraordinary opportunity.

The disinformation is related to a strategic concept of struggles between blocs that continues to dominate behind the walls of the Kremlin

We must not lose perspective when it comes to this problem. Russia does not have any particular animosities toward Spain. Rather, the disinformation is related to a strategic concept of struggles between blocs that continues to dominate behind the walls of the Kremlin and that affects all Western countries. To this we must add direct computer attacks.

There are plenty of examples that confirm this theory. In the Netherlands, the interior minister, Kasja Ollongren, has warned the parliament of the triple intent to influence public opinion carried out on the part of the Russian secret services that has been detected up until now. Estonia has been the target of large-scale cyberattacks. And the Danish government has confirmed that Russian hackers have infiltrated the defense system of the country over the course of two years. Poland is one of the countries with the highest number of computers infected in the Ransomware attack. We are, then, faced with a European problem that should be dealt with within the framework of the EU and NATO. Spain has to investigate thoroughly what has happened, and, while requesting help from its partners, contribute to improving common defense.

Our country is heading toward crucial elections in Catalonia on December 21 and it will be of fundamental importance for those polls to be held far from any external interference, whether it be related to disinformation or the technical side.

English version by Simon Hunter.
The cyber-defense operations center at Deutsche Telekom. WOLFGANG RATTAY (REUTERS)

The European Union is about to approve changes to its mutual defense rules that will allow members states targeted by cyberattacks to call on fellow countries for military assistance, according to a document seen by EL PAIS.

Those changes are set to be ratified by Europes foreign affairs chiefs on Monday, and will see the European Union situating cyberattacks among the most serious form of threats facing the 28-member bloc.

European leaders know that modern-day battles are far more likely to involve cyberattacks than tanks

The new rules come in the wake of the detection of various incidences of online dissemination of disinformation designed to destabilize the EU, with the example of the Catalan crisis being just the latest example. As such, Brussels is placing special emphasis on defending democratic values in the context of global security.

The number of cyberattacks in the EU has quadrupled since 2015, according to European Commission data, and in some countries, half of all crimes are now cybercrimes. Many of those are purely economic in nature while others seek to destabilize Europe by altering election results or interfering in the functioning of critical infrastructure.

There are daily attempts to interfere with the infrastructure in the EU, said one source, who requested anonymity.

European leaders know that modern-day battles are far more likely to involve cyberattacks than tanks. For this reason, the EU is adapting its military strategies. The new text to be approved today will mean that any particularly serious cyber incident or crisis could constitute sufficient motive for a member state to invoke the solidarity clause and that of mutual assistance.

In reality it is almost impossible to prove that a government is behind a cyberattack

This is a reference to existing articles of the Lisbon Treaty that oblige EU member states to provide assistance when a fellow state is the object of a terrorist attack or the victim of a natural or man-made disaster.

This possibility has only been invoked once since the treaty came into force in 2009: when France called for assistance after the terrorist attacks of November 2015 in which 130 people lost their lives. Spain was one of the countries that offered help at that time.

The 18-page document to be approved on Monday does not mention Russia, the prime suspect in terms of external interference in European affairs. Sources say many of the cyberattacks come from Russia and North Korea but highlight this does not mean they are state-sponsored.

Hackers take refuge there because it is easy to hide, as these countries do not cooperate. What we can say with certainty is that these governments do not help us to identify those responsible, one expert explains.

The 18-page document does not mention Russia, the prime suspect in terms of external interference in European affairs

By making these new changes, the EU will be following in the footsteps of NATO, which also considers cyberattacks a sufficient cause to invoke the mutual-assistance clause among allies.

The EU also hopes to dissuade third parties from interfering in its affairs, with the changes to the defense protocols incorporating a European Commission proposal allowing for restrictive measures that could be used to avoid cyber activities and to respond to them  a reference to possible sanctions against countries carrying out activities considered damaging.

However, in reality it is almost impossible to prove that a government is behind a cyberattack. In addition, any sanctions  which require unanimity among member states  can only be adopted when there is clear evidence of these irregularities.

English version by George Mills.
NEW YORK  Before the holiday season, employees at Andrea Correale's catering business get an email reminder that in December, "we need all hands on deck."

Elegant Affairs Caterers often has 12 events in a single day during the holidays, so Correale needs her staff of 230 to show up for work. Her email puts everyone on notice that during the two weeks when most clients have holiday parties, work needs to be the priority.

"If it's crunch week and we're not covered, everyone gets stressed out," says Correale, whose Glen Cove, New York-based company caters events on Long Island and in New York City.

The holiday season is prime time at many small businesses, and they may not have enough staff to accommodate the extra work as well as the time off many employees want. Retailers, caterers and even many companies whose work isn't connected with holiday celebrations have to find ways to keep their staffers happy, along with their customers. Many find that advance notice  even before a worker is hired  helps set expectations and limit disappointments. Bosses also find that they do need to be flexible.

Correale recognizes that even on the busiest days, some staffers want to attend their children's concerts and other holiday events. She requires them to ask in advance. And she uses flexible scheduling: If employees need to leave early for an event, they can come in a few hours early to make up the time. And if there's a last-minute request, "we usually get aggravated, but you figure something out," says Correale.

Rob Basso deals with holiday issues from two perspectives  his company, Advantage Payroll Services, provides human resources consulting along with paycheck processing.

His small business clients ask for guidance about how to get work done while also letting staffers have time off. He recommends being as flexible as possible, although a company's size and line of work will dictate how generous a boss can be.

"A company may have 400 employees and some are not critical day-to-day, so it may not be necessary for all of them to be there. But if there are five people in a bakery, it's not going to be so easy," says Basso, whose company is based in Freeport, New York.

Basso also tends to get many new clients at the end of the year. So when he hires staffers, he lets them know that most of December is blacked out for vacations. He does give employees the flexibility to leave early or come in late as long as they make up their hours. And rather than granting requests by seniority, he has a lottery to let about a fifth of his staff leave at noon on either Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.

"Just because you worked for me a few extra years, I don't see how it's fair to always give the same people time off," Basso says.

Human resources consultant Crystal Barnett says it's in a company's best interest to be flexible.

"It's a fine line you need to walk because you need to take care of whatever your business requirements are, but you also want to recognize that the person who works for you is not a robot," says Barnett, who works in the Atlanta office of Houston-based HR provider Insperity.

Employees' expectations, especially among younger people, have changed from a generation ago, and companies that want to attract and retain good workers need a culture that accommodates their desire for a balance between work and personal time, Barnett says.

Owners should also look for ways to make the atmosphere more fun even as staffers are working harder, Basso says. He caters breakfast or lunch for his employees at least once a week during the holiday season.

"Everyone takes a break," he says. "And it's not expensive for me to do it."

The weeks leading up to New Year's Day are critical at LogicPrep, whose services include advising high school students during the college admissions process. Many seniors must have their applications in by Jan. 1, and juniors are preparing for the SATs and other college entrance exams.

"We make it clear during the interview process what our calendar cycle is and why it's important to prioritize during the holiday season," co-founder Lindsay Tanne says. She does get some last-minute requests for time off, but her 40 staffers know that work generally must come first.

"They build their lives around the knowledge of what we do," says Tanne, whose company is based in Armonk, New York.

At Super Suds Car Wash in Midlothian, Virginia, owner Jeremy Critton follows the example of retailers and package delivery services during the busy season.

"I usually try to staff up a couple extra employees to be on the safe side and just spend a little more on labor to make sure I'm covered in any sort of a bind," Critton says. He gets more business during the holidays from people who want their cars to look spiffy when they visit friends and family.

Critton also lets his staffers know ahead of time they need to work during the holidays. He's occasionally had to let employees go when they asked too often to take time off with little or no notice.

Some companies that go full tilt during the holidays find that with no time to plan or take off, a party for their own staffers is likely to occur after New Year's Day.

"In our world, the year-end is like the Super Bowl," Basso says. "So in mid-January, maybe later, we have a big blowout."
(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss confronting Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally Hezbollah, who the Arab allies say are interfering in their internal affairs.

Regional tensions have risen between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's surprise resignation and after an escalation in Yemen's conflict.

Hariri, a long-time Saudi ally, resigned on Nov. 4 in an announcement made from Riyadh. Hariri cited fear of assassination and accused Iran and Hezbollah of spreading strife in the Arab world. Hezbollah, both a military force and a political movement, is part of a Lebanese government made up of rival factions, and an ally of Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

Aoun has accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage. Senior Lebanese politicians close to Hariri also said he was coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny those accusations.

The emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention, Egypt's state news agency MENA said.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told Reuters last week the kingdom's actions in the Middle East were only a response to what he called the "aggression" of Iran.

"What Iran is doing against some Arab countries calls for taking more than one measure to stop these violations, interferences and threats, which are carried out through many various means," Hossam Zaki, Arab League Assistant Secretary, told Asharq al Awsat newspaper in an interview.

"Stopping them requires a joint Arab policy." He said the meeting would send a "strong message" for Iran to step back from its current policies.

Egypt's state-owned newspaper Al Ahram cited an Arab diplomatic source saying the meeting may refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

A source in Lebanon's foreign ministry said on Sunday the foreign minister was still in Beirut and was unlikely to attend. Lebanon will be represented by its representative to the Arab League, Antoine Azzam, the source said.

Anticipating confrontation at the Cairo meeting, a senior Lebanese official had told Reuters on Saturday that Lebanon's foreign minister may not go to Egypt.

Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launching of a missile at Riyadh from Yemen this month. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Iran's supply of rockets to Houthi militias was an act of "direct military aggression".

Yemen's civil war pits the internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, against the
Reports by various Iranian news websites indicate that a total of five Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) personnel were killed in Syria in recent days.

On Sunday, it was reported that Kheirollah Samadi, an IRGC general was killed when he was hit by shrapnel from a mortar shell.

Later, a local official in northern Iran announced that a retired IRGC colonel, Alireza Babai had also been killed in the battle to retake Bu Kamal, the last town in Syria held the Islamic State group.

Various Iranian news sources also report the death of at least three other Iranian servicemen in Bu Kamal.

The town on the Iraq border was taken by Syrian forces and their allies once before in recent weeks, but IS counter attacked and retook it.

Irans Arabic language television channel, Al Alam claims that IRGC Qods force commander, General Qasem Soleimani personally commanded the forces, which retook Bu Kamal. Independent sources have not yet confirmed if the town has been fully retaken or not.

IRGC has said repeatedly that its officers who are in Syria and Iraq only have an advisory duty and have been invited by the Syrian and Iraqi governments.

Some voices inside Iran however, have criticized Soleimanis role in those countries, even claiming that his mismanagement led to the creation of IS.

Mehdi Khazali, a political commentator, said in a video clip last year, that if Soleimani had not been present there would be no IS in Syria.
After the Nov. 12 earthquake in western Iran that left hundreds dead and thousands wounded -- and a death toll expected to climb as rescue efforts are still under way -- the country has witnessed an unprecedented wave of sympathy.

Instead of donating to government agencies, citizens have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to personal initiatives. Volunteers from across the country and dozens of trucks loaded with donated goods rushed to the disaster-hit area.

Many Iranians quite simply and justifiably do not trust their government to handle the catastrophe and are trying to take the situation into their own hands. This phenomenon has its roots in the undemocratic structure of the country.

In democratic countries, along with the central government, there are regional and local governments that can take charge and respond to natural disasters.

Unfortunately, anyone who would suggest the benefits of a federal structure, with local governments, is promptly accused of treason and supporting separatism in Iran.

In a democracy, the central government becomes involved only when local authorities are not able to handle the crisis on their own. But this is not the case in Iran, where local governments do not exist and the institutions that do exist on a local level are weak.

Therefore, any crisis has to be resolved by the central government, which suffers from widespread corruption, is slow to respond, and prioritizes political interests over helping people and saving lives.

If local emergency institutions prepared for natural disasters existed, the number of casualties and the suffering of victims would be much less than today.

Local institutions can mobilize rescuers and equipment in a short period of time, and this is crucial for earthquakes in particular. But in the absence of such institutions, the local population has no option but to rely on the central government for support.

Unfortunately, anyone who would suggest the benefits of a federal structure, with local governments, is promptly accused of treason and supporting separatism in Iran.

A Lack of NGOs

The Iranian regime has systematically suppressed social and political activists and banned most nongovernmental organizations.

It has tried to replace NGOs with the paramilitary Basij, which is loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In some cases, the regime has even created fake NGOs because it views organic ones as a challenge to its centralized power.

In emergency situations like natural catastrophes, NGOs can play a significant role. A group of local volunteers consisting of 10 or 15 members can help the victims of an earthquake more effectively than a 100-strong military unit stationed miles away. Individual, ad-hoc initiatives were plenty but the absence of local and national NGOs was evident.

While Iran paid thousands of dollars to Lebanese citizens who lost their houses in Israeli attacks, Iranian villagers who lost their houses in earthquakes can never hope to see such generosity from their government.

Many victims of previous earthquakes in Iran are still struggling to recover, having not been able to rebuild their houses and are still living in tents and huts. The government has allocated funds for the reconstruction of their houses, but the money was lost to institutions such as Basij and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

While Iran paid thousands of dollars to Lebanese citizens who lost their houses in Israeli attacks, Iranian villagers who lost their houses in earthquakes can never hope to see such generosity from their government.

President Hassan Rouhanis recent remarks show that he realizes the severity of the problem. Immediately after the earthquake, he noted that many of the affordable houses built under his predecessor, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, were destroyed and added that the government should refrain from such ventures.

We should assign the job to the people. They can do things better, faster, cheaper, and more precisely, he said.

The views expressed in this op-ed do not necessarily reflect the views of Radio Farda.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Russia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing a meeting at the ADA University in Baku.

This year is special for our relations, said the foreign minister, adding that 25 years ago, Russia and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations.

A new stage of relations has begun. Over the past time, we have succeeded not only in preserving, but also in multiplying the traditions of friendship and good neighborliness, and in forming a multi-branch legal base, noted Lavrov.

This year, Azerbaijan and Russia mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. Russia is one of the main economic and trade partners of Azerbaijan. More than 170 documents have been signed between the two countries, including about 50 documents in economy.

Russian investments in the Azerbaijani economy exceeded $3.7 billion over the period of the two countries' cooperation. Entrepreneurs from Azerbaijan invested more than $1 billion in Russias economy.

According to Azerbaijans Customs Committee, trade turnover with Russia amounted to almost $1.66 billion in January-October 2017, which accounts for 10.35 percent of the total trade of Azerbaijan with other countries. The Azerbaijan-Russia trade turnover rose by almost 8 percent during the year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Despite the fact that there are difficulties in relations between Russia and the United States, this does not affect the cooperation in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing a meeting at the ADA University in Baku Nov. 20.

He noted that Russia, the United States and France have a common position on this issue.

The foreign minister expressed hope that the Geneva meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia will positively affect the process of the conflicts settlement.

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.
Details added (first version posted on 13:30)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Russia will initiate a meeting on the status of the Caspian Sea in December, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Baku Nov. 20.

"We exchanged the views on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, Mammadyarov said. Russia will initiate new consultations at the ministerial level in early December. Of course, the Azerbaijani delegation will participate there."

There are working ideas that can allow us to reach the level of the summit of the Caspian-littoral countries to address the issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea," he added.

The Caspian littoral states  Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran  signed the Framework Convention for Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November of 2003.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it on Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb. 27, 2003, respectively.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of Azercell Telecom LLC represented Azerbaijan in yet another international conference together with Technote, the most successful start-up of the country, supported by PASHA Bank. Thus, Barama and Technote attended the web-summit held in Lisbon, Portugal, being the only representatives from Azerbaijan and joined various events, exchanging their experience during the summit.

Web Summit is a technology conference held annually since 2009. The Conference attendees range from large companies to small tech companies. This includes a mix of CEOs and founders of tech start-ups together with a range of people from across the global technology industry, as well as related industries. Over 60,000 attendees from over 160 countries together took part in the event this year. From the political sphere, Former Vice President of the United States of America Al Gore, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, and former president of France Francois Hollande joined the conference as speakers. In addition to these speakers, some of the biggest names in, including Intel, Oracle, Microsoft CEOs and other prominent company founders also attended the conference.

Barama Innovation Center was founded in 2009 by Azercell with the aim to support

entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan. The Center generally supports IT projects and startups

operating in this industry and helps them grow as independent businesses. Barama Center has facilitated the realization of dozens of projects and competitions in the country.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan.
Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 13:21)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

All ideas on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are on the negotiations table, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Baku Nov. 20.

The status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. Azerbaijan demands compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions, noted Mammadyarov.

He said it is necessary to find ways to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Speaking about the negotiations with Lavrov, Mammadyarov noted that, first of all, the parties discussed the role of Russia as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

I informed the Russian foreign minister about the position of Azerbaijan and the results of the recent discussions in Moscow with the co-chairs. I held substantive talks with the co-chairs. We discussed specific issues to which we need to find solutions, noted the Azerbaijani foreign minister.

I informed Lavrov before his Yerevan trip that there are options for solutions, which can help move this matter from current situation, added Mammadyarov.

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.
Details added (first version posted on 13:35)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Diplomacy can help move the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from a dead point, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku Nov. 20.

We show common positions on international platforms with regard to the inadmissibility of attempts to violate, ignore the principle of equal rights of states. Of course, we touched upon the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nobody is interested in the conflict, said Lavrov.

We need to search for solutions. As co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, we will continue to seek for mutually acceptable peaceful solutions, taking into account the hints that emerged during the recent meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow, added the foreign minister.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Latvia has always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, said the Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Juris Maklakovs at an event dedicated to the 99th anniversary of Latvia's independence, held in the International Media Center in Baku.

"Fifty-three out of 100 deputies of the Latvian parliament adopted a statement on the Khojaly genocide," the ambassador added.

Touching upon the development of bilateral relations of the two countries, Maklakovs noted that in July, Latvia and Azerbaijan concluded an agreement on strategic cooperation.

"Latvia regards cooperation with Azerbaijan as one of the priorities of its foreign policy. We have many plans for cooperation not only in political, but also in other spheres. A trade house of Azerbaijan will be opened in Riga until the end of the current year, " the ambassador said.

He also added that Azerbaijan and Latvia plan to launch cooperation in student exchange, as well as to strengthen economic and diplomatic cooperation within the Eastern Partnership.

In July 2017, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Latvia, where he and President of Latvia Raimonds Vejonis signed a Joint Declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Latvia.

The visit also resulted with a memorandum of understanding, signed between the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Transport of Latvia on international combined cargo transportation, an agreement between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan and the Latvian Ministry of Economy on cooperation in state supervision of safety of construction, and an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in education.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

An international forum on Threats to international peace and security posed by separatism will be held in Brussels on November 20 with the organizational support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan and the Congress of European Azerbaijanis in Belgium.

The event will be attended by Azerbaijani presidents Assistant for Public and Political Issues Ali Hasanov, representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Belgium, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora Nazim Ibrahimov, heads of Azerbaijans diaspora organizations in Europe, as well as many international experts, political figures, former presidents, prime ministers and chairpersons of parliament.

Regional and global violations of the territorial integrity of countries, ways of resolving the conflicts and separatist tendencies resulting from separatism, will be discussed at the event.

The major panel discussion will be dedicated to the topic of separatism in Europe.

Meanwhile, it is planned to hold a specific panel discussion dedicated to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Details added (first version posted on 11:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Russia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing a meeting at the ADA University in Baku.

This year is special for our relations, said the foreign minister, adding that 25 years ago, Russia and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations.

A new stage of relations has begun. Over the past time, we have succeeded not only in preserving, but also in multiplying the traditions of friendship and good neighborliness, and in forming a multi-branch legal base, noted Lavrov.

This year, Azerbaijan and Russia mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. Russia is one of the main economic and trade partners of Azerbaijan. More than 170 documents have been signed between the two countries, including about 50 documents in economy.

Russian investments in the Azerbaijani economy exceeded $3.7 billion over the period of the two countries' cooperation. Entrepreneurs from Azerbaijan invested more than $1 billion in Russias economy.

According to Azerbaijans Customs Committee, trade turnover with Russia amounted to almost $1.66 billion in January-October 2017, which accounts for 10.35 percent of the total trade of Azerbaijan with other countries. The Azerbaijan-Russia trade turnover rose by almost 8 percent during the year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

An international forum on The Threats of Separatism to International Peace and Security was held in Belgiums Brussels on Nov. 20 with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with the Diaspora and the Congress of European Azerbaijanis.

The event was attended by Azerbaijani Presidents Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov, representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Belgium, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora Nazim Ibrahimov, heads of Azerbaijans diaspora organizations in Europe, as well as many international experts, political figures, former presidents, prime ministers and chairpersons of parliament.

Addressing the event, Hasanov said that the forum is dedicated to a very topical issue that concerns the modern world.

It is very important to hold discussions to find a way to solve the crisis caused by dangerous trends such as international terrorism and ethnic separatism, he noted.

We all are concerned with the difficulties in addressing refugee and migrant problems, human trafficking and smuggling, and threats to political and economic stability, transportation and energy security, said Hasanov.

Observations show that ethnic separatism and its negative manifestations have a special place among these threats.

The top official noted that the strengthening of tendencies of ethnic separatism in the modern world is one of the important factors that negatively affect the ensuring of regional and international security, mankinds living in peace and tranquility.

After the end of the Cold War, a new wave of ethnic separatism tendencies emerged in the former Soviet Union. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Ossetia conflict in Georgia and Transnistrian conflict in Moldova have become a source of potential threats to the regions stability. These conflicts lead to gross violations of international legal principles, and emerging of serious threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, he said.

Hasanov emphasized that the resolute fight against ethnic separatism by such authoritative international organizations as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe is one of important issues today. Otherwise, ethnic separatism, as a negative trend, can turn a large part of the world into an arena of interethnic conflicts, he added.

Unfortunately, currently, the double standards policy in the system of international relations hinders the resolution and principled fight against ethnic separatism, said Hasanov.

In some cases, leading international organizations are indifferent to the issue of whether all the states of the world follow the legal norms, which include the elimination of ethnic separatism, the effective methods of fighting and a mechanism for punishing criminals, he added.

This casts shadow on the objectivity of organizations such as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, Hasanov noted, adding that therefore, those leading international organizations should abandon the double standards and increase their efforts to resolve ethnic conflicts within international legal norms.

He added that religious, racial and national intolerance and destructive separatism force people to experience massive refugee and migrant life.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan, which has been subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing and occupation of Armenia, understands very well the difficulties existing in this sphere. In 1918, when Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence, it faced Armenian separatism. During the former Soviet Union, the separatist actions of Armenians against Azerbaijan switched from an active phase to a phase of simmering conflict. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Armenia began to pursue an ethnic separatism and aggression policy against Azerbaijan, by making groundless territorial claims, said Hasanov.

Armenian armed forces committed genocide against the Azerbaijani population of Khojaly city in February 1992. As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, formed on the basis of ethnic separatism and territorial claims of Armenians, 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory is under occupation. The activity of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh regime created by the Armenian separatists in the Azerbaijani territory with Armenias support means the gross violation of international law. Unfortunately, the organizations that claim to fulfill their missions to ensure the international legal principles, including the United Nations, as well as leading countries of the world continue to act as mere observers with regard to this issue, added the top official.

According to Azerbaijan, it is inadmissible to establish a state within the territory of a state, defined by international law, and to use national, ethnic fragmentation to achieve this goal, said Hasanov.

Azerbaijan urges the world community to take practical steps and to avoid Armenias aggression policy, by warning of the threats that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may pose in the region, he added.

The Azerbaijani top official noted with regret that unresolved issues, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, hinder the development of Azerbaijans high-level partnership with the European Union.

Regional and global violations of the territorial integrity of countries, ways of resolving the conflicts and separatist tendencies caused by separatism were also discussed at the event.
Details added (first version posted on 14:08)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

An international forum on The Threats of Separatism to International Peace and Security was held in Belgiums Brussels on Nov. 20 with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with the Diaspora and the Congress of European Azerbaijanis.

The event was attended by Azerbaijani Presidents Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov, representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Belgium, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora Nazim Ibrahimov, heads of Azerbaijans diaspora organizations in Europe, as well as many international experts, political figures, former presidents, prime ministers and chairpersons of parliament.

Addressing the event, Hasanov said that the forum is dedicated to a very topical issue that concerns the modern world.

It is very important to hold discussions to find a way to solve the crisis caused by dangerous trends such as international terrorism and ethnic separatism, he noted.

We all are concerned with the difficulties in addressing refugee and migrant problems, human trafficking and smuggling, and threats to political and economic stability, transportation and energy security, said Hasanov.

Observations show that ethnic separatism and its negative manifestations have a special place among these threats.

The top official noted that the strengthening of tendencies of ethnic separatism in the modern world is one of the important factors that negatively affect the ensuring of regional and international security, mankinds living in peace and tranquility.

After the end of the Cold War, a new wave of ethnic separatism tendencies emerged in the former Soviet Union. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Ossetia conflict in Georgia and Transnistrian conflict in Moldova have become a source of potential threats to the regions stability. These conflicts lead to gross violations of international legal principles, and emerging of serious threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, he said.

Hasanov emphasized that the resolute fight against ethnic separatism by such authoritative international organizations as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe is one of important issues today. Otherwise, ethnic separatism, as a negative trend, can turn a large part of the world into an arena of interethnic conflicts, he added.

Unfortunately, currently, the double standards policy in the system of international relations hinders the resolution and principled fight against ethnic separatism, said Hasanov.

In some cases, leading international organizations are indifferent to the issue of whether all the states of the world follow the legal norms, which include the elimination of ethnic separatism, the effective methods of fighting and a mechanism for punishing criminals, he added.

This casts shadow on the objectivity of organizations such as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, Hasanov noted, adding that therefore, those leading international organizations should abandon the double standards and increase their efforts to resolve ethnic conflicts within international legal norms.

He added that religious, racial and national intolerance and destructive separatism force people to experience massive refugee and migrant life.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan, which has been subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing and occupation of Armenia, understands very well the difficulties existing in this sphere. In 1918, when Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence, it faced Armenian separatism. During the former Soviet Union, the separatist actions of Armenians against Azerbaijan switched from an active phase to a phase of simmering conflict. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Armenia began to pursue an ethnic separatism and aggression policy against Azerbaijan, by making groundless territorial claims, said Hasanov.

Armenian armed forces committed genocide against the Azerbaijani population of Khojaly city in February 1992. As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, formed on the basis of ethnic separatism and territorial claims of Armenians, 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory is under occupation. The activity of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh regime created by the Armenian separatists in the Azerbaijani territory with Armenias support means the gross violation of international law. Unfortunately, the organizations that claim to fulfill their missions to ensure the international legal principles, including the United Nations, as well as leading countries of the world continue to act as mere observers with regard to this issue, added the top official.

According to Azerbaijan, it is inadmissible to establish a state within the territory of a state, defined by international law, and to use national, ethnic fragmentation to achieve this goal, said Hasanov.

Azerbaijan urges the world community to take practical steps and to avoid Armenias aggression policy, by warning of the threats that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may pose in the region, he added.

The Azerbaijani top official noted with regret that unresolved issues, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, hinder the development of Azerbaijans high-level partnership with the European Union.

Regional and global violations of the territorial integrity of countries, ways of resolving the conflicts and separatist tendencies caused by separatism were also discussed at the event.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Performance of Azerbaijan's troops in air, in sea and on land, accompanied by combat firing, was checked during the Command-Staff War Games, the press service of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message Nov. 20.

During the main stage of the exercises, consisting of several parts, the interoperability, logistics, as well as command and control of troops during offensive operations were provided. Other tactical actions were also carried out during this stage.

Azerbaijans minister of defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has highly appreciated the professionalism of the military personnel involved in the Command-Staff War Games and successful implementation of all the assigned tasks.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree making changes to the "Decree on Approval of New Composition of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Joint Commission for Cooperation from the Azerbaijani Side", dated November 22, 2007.

According to the changes, the words "Iltimas Mammadov - Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies" and "Ilgar Fatizade - First Deputy Minister of Finance" are excluded from the order.

Moreover, the words "Rovnag Abdullayev - President of Azerbaijans State Oil Company SOCAR", "Javid Gurbanov - Chairman of the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Taleh Ziyadov - Director General of Baku International Sea Commercial Port" are added after the words "Adalat Valiyev - Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism".

According to the changes, the words "Kamal Ismayilzade - Head of the Department of CIS Economic Relations of the Office of Cabinet of Ministers (the commission's senior secretary)" are replaced with the words "Aghadai Aghayev - Head of the Department of International Relations of the Cabinet of Ministers".

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has been tasked to notify the Uzbek side about the changes.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and The Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan has allocated funds for implementation of business ideas of young persons, who were brought up under the care of the SOS Childrens Villages Azerbaijan Association and graduated from other boarding schools and residential care facilities. Thanks to this support, 3 young persons have gained a great opportunity to establish their own small business.

The selected young entrepreneurs are beneficiaries of the Youth Career and Development Center project, implemented by the SOS Childrens Villages Azerbaijan Association with support of Bakcell.

For many years now Bakcell provides its support to children with a need for special care, within the frames of the companys Corporative Social Responsibility program. It is very important for these children to be educated, improve their skills and be able to start a business in the future. The cooperation between Bakcell and the SOS childrens Villages has started a long time ago and we are very pleased to see this cooperation ongoing and reaching the stage when we are starting to provide our support to young persons in starting their own business, says Bakcell CEO Nikolai Beckers.

During the first stage of the project, implemented last year, 15 young persons have participated in the Start and improve your own business training program. Six of them have prepared business plans for their ideas and the projects were evaluated the Evaluation Committee, composed of the experts from Bakcell, SOS Childrens Villages Azerbaijan Association and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Thus, it was decided that Bakcell will finance 3 successful business projects, which have demonstrated the best results. The selected projects are Floristika flower shop, Pastry shop and the Tea House.

The experts have helped the young entrepreneurs to prepare their business plans. The main focus during the evaluation was on such factors as the business plan preparation, feasibility of the idea in real market conditions, experience and social status of the applicant and etc.

Azer Veliyev (name is conditional) has worked for some time at a tea-house as a waiter and tea-room worker. He knows the details of the work and his business plan was correctly composed.

Vasif Mammadov (name is conditional) used to work as an assistant at a florists. Hes been in the flower business for 7 years now and wishes to open his own flower shop. His business plan is outstanding.

Aydan Aliyeva (name is conditional) has worked as an assistant at a pastry shop for several years now. She knows how to make many types of confectionaries.

The Youth Career and Development Center project is being implemented in Baku by the SOS Childrens Villages Azerbaijan Association Public Union with the financial support of Bakcell as of January 2016. Within the frames of this project, tens of young participants have been provided with trainings on such topics as interview skills, CV composition, career development, accounting, the main skills for becoming an active member of the trade market and professional orientation and etc., held at the center supplied with all the necessary equipment. During the training sessions, the young participants have gained initial knowledge and skills related to career planning, finding vacancies and establishing relations with the employers, and basic IT skills needed for exploring job opportunities. Start and improve your business trainings, organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) within the frames of this project, are being delivered by the international Master trainers and experts of the ILO.

Starting from the year 2009, Bakcell is providing its support to children and teenagers deprived from parental care and children from economically disadvantaged families, within the frames of cooperation with the SOS Childrens Villages Azerbaijan Association.

Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers. Bakcell provides class leading 3G and 4G mobile internet experience in the country under the Su[email protected] brand name.

As one of the largest national non-oil investors, Bakcell today continues making large investments in the economy of Azerbaijan through its investments in state-of-the-art telecommunication technology and its people who service our customers.

For more information about Bakcell products and services, please visit www.bakcell.com or call 555.For press releases please see www.bakcell.com/az/news (or www.bakcell.com/en/news for press releases in English).

If you are not a Bakcell subscriber, but wish to find out about Bakcell and its services, please call 012 498 89 89
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Trend:

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece to Azerbaijan Nikolaos Kanellos paid a visit to Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and met with BHOS management, professors, teachers and students.

Opening the gathering, the Higher School Rector Elmar Gasimov expressed his pleasure to see the Ambassador and other representatives of the Greek Embassy in Azerbaijan at BHOS. The Rector introduced the honorable guest as an eminent diplomat, professional artist and a very talented writer. Speaking about successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Greece in the field of education, Elmar Gasimov informed that five undergraduates of the Higher School currently continue their education at Piraeus Technology University (PUAS) in Athens and that another five students are to be sent to PUAS in February next year.

Speaking at the meeting, the Ambassador of Greece Nikolaos Kanellos provided brief information about culture and history of the country, told about prospects of further development of relations between two states, and spoke about his life and activities. Having noted that he has been working outside his motherland for nearly 30 years, Nikolaos Kanellos told about milestones in his career, professional development and growth as a leader, as an artist and a writer. The Ambassador of Greece also shared valuable advices and recommendations on ways to become a good specialist and a man with many accomplishments. Then he answered numerous questions from students and other meeting participants who were very interested in learning more about Nikolaos Kanellos diplomatic and artistic work. As a sign of appreciation for the warm reception and interest to his life and activities, the Greek Ambassador donated his book entitled Nikos D.Kanellos Paintings to the Higher School.

At the end of the meeting, the Rector Elmar Gasimov awarded the Ambassador of Greece in Azerbaijan Nikolaos Kanellos with BHOS Honorary Guest Diploma.
UNEC hosted the meeting with the students transferred from other universities.

In the meeting, having the acquainting feature had taken part the student rector of UNEC Jabbar Huseynli and the heads of the student organizations.

Huseynli gave the extensive information to the students on UNEC and spoke about the double diploma, exchange and the special scholarship programs implemented here.

The student rector providing the detailed information about the Electronic University Model answered to the questions of the students on using the personal cabinet. Speaking about the UNEC Career Center, Huseynli noted that the students would be able to realize their start-up projects in Innovative Business Incubator. He also said that the Creative Center was functioning for the students having special skills.

The chairpersons of the student organizations gave the detailed information about the organizations they were leading and talked about the implemented projects.

The meeting continued with the information tour on the territory of the university. The students got acquainted with the library and the UNEC Radio.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

An explosion occurred in one of the plants in the Lokbatan settlement of the Garadagh District of Baku, Emergency Management Center of the Azerbaijani Emergencies Ministry told Trend Nov. 20.

The ministry reported that as a result of the explosion, one person was killed. Rescuers were sent to the scene.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Baku hosted a ceremony on presentation of a medal of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation to the father of Salamaddin Nagiyev, who tragically died while saving two children who were drowning in Pekhorka River in Lyuberetsk district of Moscow.

The medal was presented in the presence of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia, Elmar Mammadyarov and Sergey Lavrov.

In July 2013, 21-year-old Salamaddin Nagiyev died tragically in the river while saving local children. Nagiyev came to Moscow from Azerbaijan to visit his father. The incident occurred when he was walking around the river in the afternoon, where he saw three girls. They called for help and Nagiyev without hesitation rushed to the aid of the girls. He helped them to get ashore, but, unfortunately, he could not escape the death.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The new Bayburt-Gumushane airport in Bayburt province in the north-east of Turkey will be commissioned in 2020, the countrys Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications told Trend Nov. 20.

The total cost of the project is 285 million Turkish liras ($73.251 million as of Nov. 20), according to the ministry. The ministry also noted that the budget for the Bayburt-Gumushane project was confirmed in May, and the construction started in June 2017.

As much as 28.5 million Turkish liras were spent in 2017 as part of the airports construction, the ministry said.

The new Rize-Artvin Airport and Istanbuls third airport are also being built. The third airport is being built near the Terkos lake in northern Istanbul.

Besides, a tender for construction of an airport in Turkeys southwestern province of Karaman was announced on Oct. 10, and it is planned to commission the airport in 2020.

Thus, the total number of airports in Turkey will reach 59.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey and Azerbaijan will expand e-commerce and rendering mutual postal services, the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications said in a message Nov. 20 quoting Ahmet Arslan, the countrys minister of transport, maritime affairs and communications as saying at the International E-Commerce Conference in Antalya.

Arslan noted that the conference in Antalya will give impetus to the development of e-commerce between Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as between Turkey and other countries.

The minister added that Turkey intends to improve e-commerce.

An agreement on cooperation in the field of e-commerce among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia was signed June 2017 in Istanbul.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The European Union will allocate 1.4 billion euros for strengthening of institutional and functional capabilities of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, said Vugar Gulmammadov, chairman of the Chamber, at a joint event with the EU in Baku on November 20.

Gulmammadov said this was envisioned under a twinning project realized jointly with supreme audit bodies of Croatia, Slovenia and Poland. The project is implemented by Poland's Central Audit Department (NIK).

The project that launched on October 1, 2017 will take 27 months to complete, ending in December 2019.

Gulmammadov added that the project envisages achievement of the main goals, among which are the development of human resources management and the functional capabilities of the Chamber with the aim of increasing the usefulness and effectiveness of staff; increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in financial audit as well as submission of audit reports in accordance with international standards and national legislation.

Among the main goals is also increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in improving contacts with parliament and press.
Details added (first version posted on 17:17)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The European Union will allocate 1.4 billion euros for strengthening of institutional and functional capabilities of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, said Vugar Gulmammadov, chairman of the Chamber, at a joint event with the EU in Baku on November 20.

Gulmammadov said this was envisioned under a twinning project realized jointly with supreme audit bodies of Croatia, Slovenia and Poland. The project is implemented by Poland's Central Audit Department (NIK).

The project that launched on October 1, 2017 will take 27 months to complete, ending in December 2019.

Gulmammadov added that the project envisages achievement of the main goals, among which are the development of human resources management and the functional capabilities of the Chamber with the aim of increasing the usefulness and effectiveness of staff; increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in financial audit as well as submission of audit reports in accordance with international standards and national legislation.

Among the main goals is also increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in improving contacts with parliament and press.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan is ready to export agricultural products, including hazelnuts, vegetables and fruits, to Italy, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev said.

Mustafayev made the remarks at a meeting with Italian ambassador to Azerbaijan Augusto Massari in Baku, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy said Nov. 20.

The minister said that both countries have great potential for expansion of cooperation in such areas as industry, trade, agriculture, textiles, winemaking, pharmaceutics, transit, tourism and others.

Mustafayev added that Italy could use the infrastructure and transit opportunities of Azerbaijan and create joint ventures in this sphere.

The minister also touched upon the cooperation in the energy sector, stressing that the South Gas Corridor project is being successfully implemented.

Mustafayev stressed the importance of the Italian government's support for the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor.

According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Italy exceeded $2.3 billion in January-October 2017, of which $2.07 billion accounted for the export to Italy.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Finance and Economic Affairs Minister of Iran Masoud Karbasian has said that seven banks in the country have been appointed to allocate facilities to help those affected by the recent earthquake in the western province of Kermanshah.

In the meantime, Irans Bank Maskan, also known as the Housing Bank, has decided to allow its debtors in the earthquake-hit regions of Kermanshah Province to postpone settling their debts by two years.

The head of the Housing Bank, Mohammad Hashem Botshekan, has said that those who had received facilities from his bank and were affected by the recent tremors will be eligible to pay off their debts after two years, the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) reported.

The administration earlier decided to allocate $164 million in loans and $70 million as grants to those families affected by the disaster in the western province.

Under the bill, each household in the rural areas will receive $6,250 in loan and $1,250 as a grant. The residents of the urban areas will also get loans up to $8,750 and grants worth $1,500.

The state-owned Iran Insurance Company has also said that it has, so far, paid $1.3 million to 1,320 claims following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

In the meantime, Iran Insurance Syndicate has announced that it will issue replica contracts for those people who have lost their insurance documents in the last weeks devastating earthquake in western Iran.

Media reports suggest that the incident damaged more than 30,000 houses in the area and destroyed at least two villages. The jolts claimed about 500 lives and injured thousands.

A provincial official earlier estimated that the total losses from the earthquake hit $641 million.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.20

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Russia has launched oil supplies in test mode to Uzbekistan, where it is planned to launch a new refinery with a capacity of 5 million tons together with Gazprom in three years, reports Kommersant.

However, to increase supplies it is required to expand the capacity of oil pipelines through Kazakhstan, but the issue of financing is still unclear, according to the agency.

Russia's Transneft has launched pumping oil in the direction of Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan via the Omsk-Pavlodar-Shymkent pipeline on Friday. Further, the raw materials are planned to be transported by rail. According to the approved schedule, the volumes will amount to 30,000 tons per month, but may be increased to 2,000 tons per day (that is, about 60,000 tons per month) on demand.

Previously, Uzbekneftegaz announced that, it is planned to upgrade the pumping to 1 million tons in 2018, but Transneft explained that the technical capacity for pumping in this direction is about 0.5 million tons, since the rest of the pipeline through Kazakhstan is occupied by volumes of Rosneft in the direction of China (10 million tons per year).

To provide raw materials to its refineries with a total capacity of about 11 million tons, Uzbekistan imports oil, as its own production is not enough for the country. Due to a shortage of raw materials, refineries do not work at full capacity. To ensure the full capacity, Uzbekistan is interested in increasing volumes of oil imports.

But, the supply is limited by the capacity of the pipe from Russia to Kazakhstan, which needs to be expanded from the current 10 million tons to at least 18 million tons. In this case, supplies can be increased up to 3 million tons in the direction of Uzbekistan, and 2 million tons in the direction of Kyrgyzstan, which seeks to refine at Uzbek refineries. Another 3 million tons can be added to Rosneft's supplies to China from 2018.

However, still the sources of financing expansion of the pipe in Kazakhstan are unknown. In addition, since 2022, Uzbekistan will require additional volumes of oil to load a new refinery in the Djizak region with a capacity of up to 5 million tons per year. Now Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan plan to build a main pipeline Chimkent-Djizak by 2021, while Kazakhstan is going to supply 2 million tons of oil per year.

However, the Russian Energy Ministry does not expect a sharp increase in oil supplies to Uzbekistan in 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

As many as 211 million barrels of oil, including third party volumes, were exported from the Sangachal Terminal in 3Q17, as compared to more than 219 million barrels in the same period of 2016, says a BP report on the companys activity in Azerbaijan.

According to the report, over 189 million barrels out of this amount were exported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, 20 million barrels through the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP), and about 1.8 million barrels via a separate condensate export line.

The current daily capacity of the Terminals processing systems is 1.2 million barrels of crude oil and about 29.5 million cubic meters of Shah Deniz gas, while overall processing and export capacity for gas, including Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) associated gas, is about 49.3 million cubic meters per day.

On average, 27 million cubic meters of Shah Deniz gas were exported from the Terminal per day in 3Q17.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan has received an official invitation for the 173rd meeting of the Council of Ministers of OPEC to be held late November in Vienna, Zamina Aliyeva, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, told Trend Nov. 20.

Aliyeva added that Azerbaijan intends to consider the invitation and coordinate its participation in the meeting.

Implementation of the OPEC + deal on oil production reduction, increasing production quotas and extension of the OPEC + deal are planned to be discussed at the meeting. The meeting will be held in Vienna on November 30.

In December 2016 in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017, and on May 25 it was extended by late 1Q18.
DECATUR -- Sheree Park and her family picked out just enough toys to fill a shoebox.

Its like a puzzle, she said. We pack it as tight as we can.

It may not sound like much, but the gifts her family chose will be helpful to another family in need somewhere else in the world.

The Parks along with other volunteers attended a gift packing party Wednesday evening at the First Church of the Nazarene. For three years, the church has contributed to the Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child. The group is a non-denominational Christian organization providing help for those in need around the world. In addition to the small Christmas packages, the organization provides support for victims of war, disasters and disease. They collect building materials, equipment, medicine and food among other helpful items.

According to Lauren Crowther, area coordinator for Samaritans Purse, Operation Christmas Child has delivered shoebox gifts to more than 146 million children in more than 150 countries since 1993.

Her job is to encourage churches, groups and individuals to pack shoeboxes. I work with a volunteer team, she said. We work with the media, churches, students, to promote Operation Christmas Child.

The organization collects items for children that will fit into a shoebox, such as toys, school supplies, hygiene products, balls, puzzles and books. The boxes are delivered to children around the world. For many of the children, this is the first shoebox gift they will receive, Crowther said.

Shoeboxes are provided for supporters of the project. Paulette Fay is the shoebox coordinator for First Church of the Nazarene. To encourage the church to get involved, she organizes the packing party, complete with supplies, toys and a meal for the volunteers. This year the group packed more than 500 boxes. I was hoping for 400, Fay said.

According Crowther, the project goal for the United States is 9.5 million shoeboxes. The global goal is 12 million.

Fay wasnt sure of the number of volunteers during the packing. I just ask them to show up, she said.

The church invited Forsyth community members to this years party. Event coordinator for the village, Shauna Bohlmann, promoted the event to all families in the area.

Everybody from little babies to grandmas and grandpas, she said. This is a whole family event.

Community members were encouraged to donate anything for a child that would fit in a shoebox. The boxes, supplies and toys were organized by gender and age. Shipping costs are $9 per box. Along with toy donations, First Church of the Nazarene has also asked for monetary donations.

Everybody that came filled the box with their own special ideas of what they think someone would enjoy, Bohlmann said. The main goal is to have one Wow item, which is something that as soon as the kid opens it up, they are going to be excited. Then they pack other items that might be necessary, like toothbrushes and things for hygiene or practical items.

The church began collecting toys, supplies and donations early.

I encourage them to shop often, Fay say. But the church begins about three weeks before.

Those not affiliated with a contributing church or organization can pack a shoebox online. The process is similar to the churchs process. For $25, families can choose a boy or girl in a certain age group and select the items. The organization will pack and ship the box. You can also send a personal note and a photo, Crowther said.

The Park family attended the packing party for the first time last year. The event remained in the childrens memory.

Throughout the year, they would talk about toys they think other kids would like, Park said.

Her daughter Alaina and friend Riley Upperman packed more than one box during the evening. I had a younger girl, now I have an older boy, Riley said. You can do this as long as you want.

The 10-year-old girls packed school supplies, socks, a Rubik's Cube, marbles and anything they could fit in a shoebox. Later in the year, the volunteers will have the opportunity to see the fruits of the labor.

You get see all the presents in a video and watch them open them, Alaina said. Its so exciting.

The girls found the packing fun, even if the shopping wasnt for themselves.

Shopping for other people, its nice for them, Riley said. And it feels good for us.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.20

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

A delegation of the US Congress led by a member of the House of Representatives Trent Kelly will visit Tashkent, Uzbekistan Nov.21.

The delegation includes congressmen representing both the Republican and Democratic parties.

During the visit, the congressmen will hold talks in the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as meetings in the Government, the Foreign Ministry and visit a number of facilities.

In September, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed visited the U.S., where the sides signed a solid package of documents for a total amount of $2.6 billion. It provides for the implementation of promising joint projects in the oil and gas and petrochemical sectors with the corporations General Electric and Honeywell, in machine building with CNH Industrial, John Deere and Caterpillar,in the electrical industry with OSI Systems and Lutron, in civil aviation - with Boeing and others.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.20

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyayev has signed a decree on increasing salaries, pensions, scholarships and allowances.

Under the decree, the salaries of employees of budget institutions and organizations, pensions, scholarships and allowances will increase by an average of 13-15 percent starting from Dec. 1, 2017.

The following minimum levels have been established: wages  172,240 soums per month (now 149,775); pensions by age - 336,880 soums per month (now 292,940); allowances for disabled people since childhood - 336,880 soums per month (now 292,940) ; benefits for the elderly and disabled citizens, who do not have the required period of service - 206,720 soums per month (now 179,755).

Self-supporting enterprises and organizations are ordered to increase from Dec. 1, salaries in accordance with the minimum wage set by the decree.
Tehran, Iran, November 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

A recent agreement between Iran and Poland on oil export to the European country is significant to both countries, as well as to Europe in general, oil expert Narsi Ghorban believes.

Iranian crude oil will soon be making its way to Poland as reduced flows of sour crudes into Europe are prompting some refiners to look outside the region, shipping and trading sources said Tuesday.

PKN Orlen has bought a cargo of Iranian crude for November 24-25 loading dates, sources said. The Suezmax Delta Poseidon has been placed on subjects on a Kharg Island to Gdansk voyage at Worldscale 49, according to shipping fixture reports.

Ghorban, an oil market expert told Trend that such deals with European companies are highly significant for Iran since it is an importer of European goods and services.

"If Iran does not sell them oil or other energy carriers, then its trade balance with them will become negative," he said.

Under a series of US dollar sanctions, Iran will need monetary resources in other denominations to pay for its imported goods, the euro being the most potent candidate, he said.

Ghorban added that oil imports from Iran will also be significant for Poland or any other European country for they will be able to diversify their energy intakes.

Poland is heavily reliant on Russian Urals crude but the country's two refiners are slowly beginning to diversify their crude supplies.

Russian exports from the Primorsk oil terminal, where the bulk of the Urals program usually loads, have been down sharply this month due to scheduled maintenance.

Sources said this along with reduced flows of Kurdish crude into Europe due to tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraq, are increasing spot demand for sour crudes from the Middle East into Europe.

The last time Poland purchased Iranian crude was earlier this year, when the Vilamoura tanker discharged Iranian oil in mid-January.

In July 2016, Grupa Lotos bought spot cargoes of Iranian light crude from Iran's National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC).

PKN also occasionally buys spot cargoes from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Norway.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 18

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Another foreign company will take part in development studies of Dalpari oil field, located in Ilam province, south western Iran.

The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Singapore's Berlanga company to study the oil field.

Under the deal, which was signed by Shyngys Kulzhamov, director of Berlanga UK, and Gholamreza Manouchehri, deputy head of the NIOC for development and engineering affairs, the Singaporean firm will undertake studies on development of Dalpari Oilfield and will submit the study results and development proposals to the NIOC.

NIOC has already signed similar agreements with Austria's OMV and Thailand's Thailands PTT Exploration and Production company.

Earliear in August, Thailands PTT submitted its study results on the field to the NIOC.

West Oil and Gas Production Company, one of the Iranian Central Oil Fields Company (ICOFC) subsidiaries, affiliated with the NIOC is Dalparis operator.

The oil fields production is delivered to Cheshmeh Khosh operation zone through 28-kilometer, 8 and 6-inch pipelines.

Dalparis development is among the projects offered to foreigners by ICOFC, within the framework of new designed contracts, called Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC).

The Dalpari oilfield, which was discovered in 1978, is located 210 km northwest of Ahwaz, near Dehluran to Abdanan road. The initial production from the field started in 1999. It has 3 wells with a production of 14,000 barrels of oil per day. Dalpari contains 367 million barrels of in-situ oil reserves, with API of 14.

The fields dimension is 9.3 x 3 kilometers.

In recent months Iran has handed over the study of several oil and gas fields to foreign companies under non-disclosure agreements (NDA).

ICOFC itself is, offering about 30 percent of total offered oil and gas projects to foreigners in framework of IPC, with a total value of above 10 billion euro.

A daily average of 100,000 barrels of crude oil is currently produced by ICOFC, and the figure is planned to double in two stages and reach 350,000 barrels per day by 2021.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

Nobody wishes next big war to happen in the Middle East, but everyone try hard to bring it closer.

Politically, the Islamic Republic has never been as strong in the region as it is now. Its military presence in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon scares many, making even former opponents like Israel and some Gulf states combine efforts against Tehran. No wonder if they establish diplomatic ties in the foreseeable future.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran will become theater of hostilities. But states with weak central power  Lebanon and, again, Syria will.

All the confronting countries are acting in the environment of full mistrust and enmity. Last week, for instance, Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called for ceasefire in Yemen as the first step to resolve Yemeni crisis but his words were left without any feedback.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia and foreign ministers of other Arab countries criticized Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah at an emergency meeting of Arab League in Cairo, calling for a united front to counter Iranian interference to the Arab states affairs.

However, as usual, there is difference of opinions among the Arab states. Qatar's foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani noted that those regional countries that say are afraid of Iran's clout in the region, should seek to resolve the issues with Tehran peacefully.

[Reaching out to Iran] is the way Qatar encourages other Arab states to choose, he told a US TV channel, ISNA reported on Sunday.

Lebanese and Iraqi foreign ministers ignored the meeting.

Iran, from its side, is not going to give up one inch of its position even if it worsens.

A crack appeared between Iran and France, which cant help but please Washington.

Last week France called for uncompromising dialogue with Iran over its ballistic missile program, which excited Irans indignation. Frances Foreign Ministry officials didnt exclude imposition of new sanctions on Iran in this regard.

Iran strongly rejected any negotiations round the topic: It does not benefit Mr. Macron and France to interfere on the missile issue and the strategic affairs of the Islamic Republic, which we have great sensitivities about, a senior adviser to Irans supreme leader Ali Akbar Velayati said.

What does this issue have to do with Mr. Macron? Who is he at all to interfere? If he wants relations between Iran and France to grow then he should try not to interfere in these issues.

Those harsh expressions are evidence of that Tehran is not much concerned to worsen political (and economic) relations with one of JCPOA signatories.

Also, US President Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday about the need to work with allies to counter Hezbollah and Iran.

It is Israel who will be standing against Hezbollah in the region as a striking force. So far Tel-Aviv has limited itself by making warnings it would not tolerate Irans presence in Syria and Lebanon. However, it is well-known that Israel can pass from words to deeds at any unexpected moment to nip bad things in the bud and without turning back on someones opinion when it concerns the states security interests.

On Wednesday Saad al Hariri reportedly should be back in Beirut and much will depend on his position. Will he this time blame Hezbollah at its home as he has clearly done from Saudi Arabia? And will the Lebanese society be divided again?

Any sharp move made by warring parties in the region can become the last drop making the cup run over.
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 20

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and Turkey will highly probably be party to a final agreement between Russia and the United States over Syria, a political affairs expert believes.

According to a preliminary agreement between the US and Russia, a coalition government was to be created, which would then be put to public vote, Davod Hermidas Bavand, a university professor and international relations analyst, told Trend November 20.

Syrian army soldiers, backed by pro-government fighters from popular defense groups, last week fully liberated a strategic city in Syrias eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr and on the border with Iraq from "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh).

The recapture of the areas means that IS now controls only a few villages along the Euphrates and patches of nearby desert in addition to isolated pockets in other parts of Syria.

With "Islamic State" crushed and the opposition to Assad also in military retreat, the three key regional powers  Russia, Iran and Turkey  will meet in Russias Sochi on Wednesday to discuss how to wind down hostilities and draw up a political settlement.

Bavand believes that the presence of the US with different views than those held by Moscow will complicate a final agreement on Syria.

However, as political integrity was secured in Iraq, now worries over the disintegration of Syria have subsided, he said, adding it remains to be seen whether the to-be coalition government holds, which depends on how the parties cooperate.
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 20

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

France has turned out as "fifth column" in Irans nuclear deal as the European country has started attempts to cut through the international accord, according to a political expert.

In recent weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron has started a comprehensive anti-Iran campaign from two main fronts. On one hand he has been calling for a change to the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the deal was not enough. On the other hand, he has sided with Irans regional rival Saudi Arabia, questioning Irans regional policy.

For France to act against the spirit of the JCPOA (nuclear deal) means after the US, one of Europes signatories of the deal is not holding, and therefore the deal is put in limbo, Mohammad Rezaee, a political expert, told Trend November 20.

He noted that while France has been one of the first countries to strike trade deals with Iran following the JCPOA, Macrons new moves endanger Irans ties with the whole European Union.

Patrick Pouyanne, Totals chief executive officer, last week said under political pressure, his company is liable to leave the $4.8 billion deal with Iran. If we cannot do that for legal reasons, because of [a] change of [the] regime of sanctions, then we have to revisit it, he said.

Macrons anti-Iran push ensued US President Donald Trumps October decertification of the Iran deal, when the White House chief said he would require Congress to impose new sanctions on Iran.

Besides the Total deal, France was quick to seal other deals with Iran immediately after the JCPOA. Airbus signed a deal with IranAir over 100 planes in early 2016. Also, the French automotive giant PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroen) and Iran Khodro in June 2016 signed a 400-million-euro joint venture deal dubbed IKAP.
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 20

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

If Saudi Arabia makes any appeal against Iran in the United Nations, the world body will most probably advise the sides to bury the hatchets and resolve issues via dialogue, a political expert says.

It is a right of any country to inform the UN of any issue that it thinks worries it, Davod Hermidas Bavand, a political science and international law professor at University of Tehran, told Trend November 20.

In a resolution long on criticism but short on concrete steps, Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo Sunday delivered a tirade of criticism against Iran, claiming Tehran is destabilizing the region.

They said they planned to brief the UN Security Council on Irans policies in the region.

The fact that Saudi Arabia has commissioned an anti-Iran summit recently is a matter-of-fact issue because when governments are at loggerheads they will try anything to pressure each other, Bavand noted.

While the Saudi-led coalition and Washington have accused Iran of a Yemeni missile attack targeting King Khalid International Airport near Riyadh, Tehran has strongly denied the claims.

On November 10, a panel appointed by the UN Security Council sent a confidential letter to diplomats, which states that it has seen no proof of Saudi Arabia's claims that Iran was responsible for the recent missile attack by the Yemeni Houthis targeting Riyadh, the US-based investigative website The Intercept reported on Friday.

According to the members of the panel, the tightening of Yemen's blockade by the Saudi-led coalition and the invocation by Saudi Arabia of paragraph 14 of resolution 2216, which allows UN member states to take measures to prevent the transfer of military goods to Houthis, is allegedly an attempt to impede the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemeni civilians. However, Riyadh insists that the closure of all Yemeni ground, air and sea ports by the Saudi-led coalition forces is temporary and will not interfere with food deliveries to the country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

It is time to reconsider the issue of Turkey's membership in NATO, Turkish media cited Yalcin Topcu, chief advisor to the countrys president, as saying Nov. 20.

The Turkish parliament must consider the issue of Ankara's membership in NATO as soon as possible, he said. Turkey depends on other countries in the defense sphere thanks to NATO. Unfortunately, NATO is hostile towards Turkey."

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country withdrew its servicemen participating in NATO exercises in Norway.

The reason is that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan added that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The Turkish president said that around 40 Turkish servicemen were to participate in the exercises.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg apologized to Turkey in connection with the scandal that occurred during the NATO exercises in Norway.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

The TV channel of the Russian Armed Forces "Zvezda" has sharply criticized the Armenian government, accusing it of glorifying fascism.

TV presenter Veronika Krasheninnikova, speaking at the program "Forecasts" about the intentions of "a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a member of the CSTO and Russia's main ally in the Transcaucasus" to sign a comprehensive partnership agreement with the European Union, recalled that this country glorifies accomplices of fascism.

"It's hard to believe, but Armenia heroes accomplices of fascism: for example, a monument to Garegin Nzhdeh was erected in Yerevan in May 2016. In 1942, he asked the Third Reich to turn Soviet Armenia to a German colony. He created the Armenian SS legion and persuaded the Armenian prisoners of war: "Whoever perishes for Germany dies for Armenia," the TV host said.

She stressed that the monument established by the Armenian government is the deepest insult to the entire Armenian people who fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, including 106 Heroes of the Soviet Union.

For the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Nzhdeh is a hero, Krasheninnikova added.

She also compared the party's logo with the fascist swastika and noted that the leadership of the party does not deny this similarity.

"Recently I had a chance to meet with the leadership of the Republican Party of Armenia. When I asked about the logo, you will not believe," one of the leaders confirmed, "Yes, we are the Aryans." It seems that we do not know something about some representatives of the ruling circles of Armenia, said Krasheninnikova.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish officials have banned all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights groups in the country's capital, in a move LGBTI organizations call illegal and discriminatory.

The ban took effect Saturday for an "indefinite" period and applies to all LGBTI film screenings, theaters, panels and exhibitions.

The Ankara governor's office announced Sunday that the ban was imposed to protect "public security." It said the events may cause animosity between different groups and endanger "health and morality" as well as the rights and freedoms of others.

The governor's office warned that some groups may be provoked by LGBTI events and take action against participants because of "certain social sensitivities."

Although homosexuality isn't banned in Turkey and numerous LGBTI associations are legally registered with the state, rights activists say LGBTI individuals face discrimination and stigma.

Two Ankara-based LGBTI associations slammed the "arbitrary" ban in a statement late Sunday, saying it violates domestic and international laws.

Kaos GL and Pink Life organizations argued the vagueness and wide scope of the decision would legitimize rights violations against LGBTI individuals and turn them into targets.

The organizations said the decision would cripple their work to combat discrimination and hate crimes, calling on officials to withdraw the ban.

ILGA, a global organization for LGBTI rights, called the ban "a disgraceful breach of fundamental rights and freedoms" and warned that it constituted an example of the "shrinking space" for LGBTI civil society in Turkey.
A deadly traffic accident left at least 17 people dead and five injured in Khairpur, Sindh on Monday morning, Geo TV.

Police officials said a truck laden with coal was en route from Ranipur to Sukkur when it attempted to overtake a passenger van on the Shah Hussain bypass.

ASP Rai Mazhar Iqbal told Geo News that the heavily loaded truck lost control while overtaking and fell on the van, which was on its way to Punjab from Karachi.

The deceased and the injured have been shifted to Civil Hospital, Khairpur.

The hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Ghulam Soomro, said two of the injured are in critical condition but efforts are being made to provide them with the best medical treatment.
The US military has banned all troops stationed in Japan from drinking alcohol, following a deadly crash on Okinawa island linked to drink driving, BBC reports.

In addition, soldiers on Okinawa are banned from leaving their base and their residences, the US military said.

On Sunday, a US soldier crashed his truck into a mini van, killing the local driver of the other vehicle.

Okinawa hosts more than half of the US' troops in Japan but locals have long resented the heavy military presence.

In a statement, the US military confirmed that one its service members was involved in the accident and said that "alcohol may have been a factor".

The military also announced "mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behaviour" for all its troops across Japan.
China called for a ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine State so that Rohingya Muslim refugees can return from Bangladesh, proposing a three-stage approach to the crisis as diplomats from 51 mostly Asian and European countries gathered in Myanmar on Monday, Reuters reports.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmars Rakhine State.

Amid a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe, rights groups have accused the Myanmar military of atrocities, while foreign critics have blasted Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace prize winner who leads a civilian administration that is less than two years old, for failing to speak out more strongly.

On Monday, Suu Kyi opened an Asia-Europe Meeting for foreign ministers that had been scheduled in Myanmar before the outbreak of the crisis.

Speaking in the capital of Naypyitaw on Sunday, having arrived from Dhaka, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed Myanmar and Bangladesh could work out a mutually acceptable way to end the crisis.

The first phase is to effect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order, so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Wang.

With the hard work of all sides, at present, the first phases aim has already basically been achieved, and the key is to prevent a flare-up, especially that there is no rekindling the flames of war.

During a meeting on Sunday, the ministry said, Wang told Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, As a friend of both Myanmar and Bangladesh, China is willing to keep playing a constructive role for the appropriate handling of the Rakhine State issue.

Visiting Myanmar last week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made many of the same points, but he also called for a credible investigation into reports of atrocities.
A small plane made a dramatic emergency landing on a Florida road Sunday morning, buzzing just feet over cars and crashing, as shown on stunning police dashcam footage of the crash, ABC News reported.

Miraculously the pilot and passenger were able to walk away from the crash, and no one on the ground was injured.

As seen in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office's dashcam footage, the single-engine plane is flying low over the Clearwater, Florida, road and suddenly banks to its left, soaring right over the deputy's squad car.

Two deputies responded within seconds of the plane's crashing onto the road. Luckily, according to authorities, the pilot who owns the plane and his passenger were able to walk away from the crash.

Fortunately, no bystanders were injured, either.

The plane is a four-seater 1975 Rockwell International 112A fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft, according to ABC affiliate WFTS in Tampa.

The sheriff's office said the pilot and his passenger took off from Clearwater Air Park earlier that morning and went to Zephyrhills, which is about 50 miles away. The pilot told authorities they were returning to the Clearwater Air Park when "something went wrong." The plane went down about half a mile away from the air park.

Deputies say the pilot thinks an engine problem was to blame, but no official cause has not been determined yet.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

It is not difficult to imagine that the forthcoming period will be full of even more serious tests for Turkey, the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the Turkish media reported Nov. 20.

Erdogan noted that what happened during the NATO exercises held in Norway was directed not only against his personality, but also against Turkey as a whole.

Given this, Turkey is prepared for anything, he said.

On Nov. 18, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called Erdogan to apologize for the case during the alliances exercises held in Norway.

Earlier, Erdogan said that Turkey withdrew its servicemen participating in NATO exercises in Norway.

The reason is that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan added that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The Turkish president said that around 40 Turkish servicemen were to participate in the exercises.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The Turkish opposition People's Republican Party accuses the country's government of deliberate spoiling relations with NATO, the Turkish media reported Nov. 20.

Reportedly, deputy chairman of the partys parliamentary group Engin Altay said that the Turkish government has always looked for opportunities to spoil relations with NATO.

Altay added the incident between NATO and Turkey is a theatrical performance, which is of interest only to the Turkish government.

It is time to reconsider the issue of Turkey's membership in NATO, Yalcin Topcu, chief advisor to the Turkish president said Nov. 20 while commenting on the incident between NATO and Turkey.

The Turkish parliament must consider the issue of Ankara's membership in NATO as soon as possible, he said.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country withdrew its servicemen participating in NATO exercises in Norway.

The reason is that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan added that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The Turkish president said that around 40 Turkish servicemen were to participate in the exercises.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg apologized to Turkey in connection with the scandal that occurred during the NATO exercises in Norway.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Nov 20, 2017 - 20:50 | World, All

A two-day meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers began Monday in Myanmar with ministers calling for stronger partnership to promote peace and sustainable development in the two continents.

A draft of the chair's statement obtained by Kyodo News shows the ministers will not directly discuss the humanitarian crisis in the host country's Rakhine State that has seen over half a million Muslim Rohingya flee to the safety of Bangladesh.

Instead, the ministers will stick to reaffirming their "commitment to combat terrorism and violent extremism" by such means as preventing "misuse of communications technology" to spread terrorist propaganda and violent extremism, according to the draft of the statement to be issued Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening session of the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also her country's foreign minister, said partnership among the ASEM member countries is "crucial for the maintenance and promotion of peace and sustainable development," adding that it can only be achieved through collective efforts.

"All countries, even the developed and powerful, have to cope with constraints and difficulties...It is only through mutual understanding that the strong bonds of partnership can be formed," she told the gathering of ministers from 51 member countries, adding that there can be no durable progress and prosperity without having peace.

She said the history of numerous countries including that of Myanmar shows that "conflicts and instability cast a long and lasting shadow on the countries' developments."

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate added that there is "a vital need for a new and stronger partnership to address far-reaching challenges such as the impact of regional and international conflicts and domestic security and the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the various forms and manifestations."

At the opening session, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said cooperation between Asia and Europe on global affairs "is even more important than it has ever been."

"We have times of change and also times of confusion. The global balance of power is shifting. Alliances are developing and changing. The system of multilateral global governance is often being questioned. In a moment like this, we all need our cooperation, our partnership, more than ever," she said.

Mogherini said Asia is "a continent of immense dimension and great economic strength" and there are many issues in which cooperation and partnership on security, connectivity, nonproliferation, and climate change can bring immense benefit for the entire continent.

Established in 1996, ASEM is a platform for dialogue and cooperation on global issues such as climate change, trade and investment, as well as security challenges related to counter-terrorism, migration, maritime security, computerization and modern-day communication technology.

ASEM brings together 51 countries from across Europe and Asia, 30 from Europe and 21 from Asia, which collectively account for 60 percent of the global population as well as the same percentages of the global economy and international trade.

Meetings of the leaders of those 51 countries and of their foreign ministers are held every two years, with the meetings held in alternate years.

Before the start of the opening session Monday, Mogherini told reporters that Suu Kyi invited a select group of ministers for a short informal discussion on the unrest in Rakhine State, characterizing the meeting as "extremely encouraging."

The Italian politician said that they discussed the need to start implementing the final report on the Rakhine issue prepared by an advisory commission chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

"I am very encouraged by the willingness and readiness of the state counselor to go in that direction," she said.

"We encourage both Bangladesh and Myanmar to work bilaterally on this issue with the support of the EU and with the rest of the international community. We believe that stopping the violence, stopping the flows of the refugees and guaranteeing fully humanitarian access to Rakhine State and safe sustainable repatriation of the refugees is going to be the key," she said.

She added that the EU is "firmly behind the democratic transition of Myanmar and we understand how delicate the process is and still ongoing."

Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, who also attended the meeting, said the ministers agreed the problem in Rakhine State is in the spotlight and needed to be solved.

He said the ministers acknowledged the actions of Suu Kyi and her government in trying to deal with the Rohingya issue, including the move to join hands with Bangladesh to send the refugees back.

In addition, he said the public should know how Suu Kyi and her government are currently dealing with the problem as information being reported in the media is not always up to date.

The Myanmar government led by Suu Kyi has repeatedly said the crisis in northern Rakhine was deliberately provoked by "extremist terrorists" to put international pressure on the government.

The government maintains that the Rohingya, a Muslim community in the overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh or the state of West Bengal in eastern India, and not legitimate citizens of Myanmar even though many have lived there for generations.

Myanmar authorities have said the military operations in Rakhine are simply aimed at restoring stability and eliminating the threat of "terrorism," after about two dozen government security posts there were attacked on Aug. 25 by Muslim militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 20, 2017 - 12:43 | Feature, All

Only an average of 35.8 percent of toilets at prefectural high schools in Japan were Western-style, a survey showed Monday, reflecting a lack of state subsidies and low priority given to modernizing toilets built mainly in the 1960s and 1970s.

The proportion of Western-style toilets for prefectural high schools was lower than that for public elementary and junior high schools, which stood at 43.3 percent in an education ministry survey released in November last year.

Of around 225,000 toilets at roughly 3,200 prefectural high schools in Japan, about 80,000 were sitting toilets, while 145,000 were squat toilets as of April 1, according to a survey by a group of national and local lawmakers promoting the installation of Western-style toilets at schools. The survey covered all prefectures except Miyagi.

Advocates are urging schools to quickly modernize toilets as many students use sitting types at home and are not used to squat toilets, as well as to facilitate the use by elderly and handicapped people when accommodating them in time of disasters as evacuation centers.

The proportion of Western-style toilets is higher at public elementary and junior high schools as state subsidies cover one-third of expenses for renovating restrooms, while no such financial assistance is offered to high schools. At larger high schools, renovation costs could reach hundreds of millions of yen, according to the education ministry.

Many high schools also put a higher priority on enhancing quake resistance of school buildings rather than renovating restrooms.

The shortage of Western-style toilets at schools has stirred concerns that children shunning squat types tend to hold back and could suffer constipation. Some experts have also pointed out a sanitary problem as floors around squat toilets tend to be splashed and get dirty more easily.

A member of the lawmakers' group said Western-style toilets could save more water compared with squat types and the renovation costs could be recouped in the long run.

"Switching toilets to sitting types is urgently needed from sanitary and antidisaster perspectives. The government should offer support to high schools as well," the member said.
Description

The Massapequa Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot is a community driven event designed to raise money to fight cancer. Through the efforts of the Turkey Trots main benefactor, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the race has raised thousands of dollars since its inception in 2010 to combat blood cancers. All proceeds from the event are given to the LLS.



RACE DAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

FUN RUN: 8:30 a.m.

5K: 9:15 a.m.

Limited award ceremony. Everyone go home and enjoy your families!
DECATUR  Decatur Memorial Hospital has been named one of the nations 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health.

IBM Watson Health recently released the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals 2018 study. The annual study, conducted by Truven Health Analytics, now part of IBM Watson Health, identifies the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. The study uses a balanced national scorecard of hospital performance metrics to identify the highest performing cardiovascular service lines in the nation.

This study is part of the Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals program. All these studies use rigorous processes to calculate and measure hospital service lines, leveraging industry-leading, risk-adjusted methodologies developed and maintained by IBM Watson Health scientists over many years. The 100 Top Hospitals study is widely regarded as the leading program for evaluating leadership impact in a hospital, as well as for evaluating quality indicators and efficiencies.

Its an honor to be recognized for the sixth year as one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the country, said Timothy D. Stone Jr., President and CEO, Decatur Memorial Hospital. Its a testament to the committed team of DMH doctors and staff. We appreciate the recognition and look forward to continuing to set the quality standard in healthcare for our community."

The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study measures attainment in key performance areas: risk-adjusted inpatient mortality, risk-adjusted complications, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, wage- and severity-adjusted average cost per case and, new this year, CMS 30-day episode payment measures. The study has been conducted annually since 1999. This is the sixth year Decatur Memorial Hospital has been recognized with this honor.

To determine the 50 top U.S. hospitals for heart care, IBM Watson Health researchers analyzed 2015 and 2016 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data, 2016 Medicare cost reports and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare July 1, 2013-June 30, 2016 data.

The winning hospitals were announced in the Nov. 6, 2017, edition of Modern Healthcare magazine.

The study, and subsequent analysis of the positive variances these leading cardiovascular service hospitals show, indicate an opportunity for a broader national impact for cardiovascular patients, should these results be replicated. In fact, if all cardiovascular providers in the U.S. performed at the level of this year's winners:

Nearly 8,900 additional lives could be saved

Nearly 3,700 more bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free

More than $1.4 billion could be saved

Decatur Memorial Hospital is a 300 bed, not-for-profit, community hospital that has been providing medical care since 1916 for the residents of Central Illinois. Today, DMH has nearly 2,150 dedicated employees, 300 physicians, and is a designated Level II Trauma Center.

For more information, visit www.dmhcares.com.
Warren Buffett has famously said in regard to Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) stock portfolio that "our favorite holding period is forever." Buffett's ideal stock is one that he can buy and whose business continues to grow reliably over time.

Having said that, Buffett does buy and sell stocks regularly, and Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio has changed considerably over the years. Even over the past few years, there have been some major additions and subtractions among Berkshire's largest stock positions.

Warren Buffett speaking to the media.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Berkshire's top 10 holdings, 2015 to 2017

Berkshire's stock portfolio consists of more than 45 positions but is heavily weighted toward its largest holdings. So here's a look at how Berkshire's "top 10" stocks have changed since the third quarter of 2015.

Rank Q3 2015 Q3 2016 Q3 2017 1 Wells Fargo Kraft Heinz Wells Fargo 2 Kraft Heinz Wells Fargo Kraft Heinz 3 Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) 4 IBM (NYSE: IBM) IBM Coca-Cola 5 American Express American Express Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) 6 Phillips 66 Phillips 66 American Express 7 Procter & Gamble U.S. Bancorp Phillips 66 8 Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) Moody's IBM 9 U.S. Bancorp Charter Communications U.S. Bancorp 10 DaVita HealthCare DaVita HealthCare Moody's

Data source: Berkshire Hathaway 13-F filings.

Many of the major positions have remained the same. The Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and American Express positions haven't changed much, to name a few examples. However, there have been a few big changes over the past couple of years that investors should be aware of.

Shifting to a new tech stock

Buffett is known for his avoidance of the tech sector, but he has made exceptions for well-established tech companies with big competitive advantages. For the past several years, this has been IBM, which until 2017 was one of Berkshire's "big four" stocks.

Story continues

However, Buffett has been selling off Berkshire's IBM stake, saying that the competition in its industry has become more intense and that he's revalued the stock downward.

Instead, Buffett has been accumulating a position in Apple, which, thanks to several additions to the position and an all-time high for the stock, has become Berkshire's third largest stock position. Buffett loves the "stickiness" of Apple's product line, as well as the business' fundamentals, and so far, it has proved to be a wise investment.

A new bank stock in the top 10

Another addition to the top five is Bank of America, although this isn't exactly a new investment.

In the wake of the financial crisis, Buffett invested $5 billion in Bank of America preferred stock, and as part of the deal, he received warrants to buy 700 million shares of the bank for just $7.14. In other words, Buffett had the ability to swap his preferred stock for 700 million shares of common stock.

In his annual letter to shareholders, Buffett said that if Bank of America's dividend was raised to a point where Berkshire could generate more income by owning common stock, the warrants would be exercised. Well, Bank of America raised its dividend beyond Buffett's threshold, so Berkshire is now Bank of America's largest shareholder.

One move Buffett got wrong

One stock that appears in the top 10 in 2015 but not again is Wal-Mart. In the third quarter of 2015, Berkshire owned 56.2 million shares of the retail giant, with a total value of more than $3.6 billion, but the company decided to sell most of its position during 2016. Now, the company owns just over $130 million in Wal-Mart stock.

While Buffett referred to Wal-Mart as a "fabulous company" even after he sold Berkshire's shares, Buffett said the retail business had become too tough, and that the "online thing" was very difficult to figure out. Buffett believed that Wal-Mart would experience continued success, but he wasn't sure if the company could successfully compete with Amazon.com and other e-commerce headwinds.

It appears that Buffett may have been wrong to doubt Wal-Mart's ability to take on Amazon. In fact, in Wal-Mart's most recent earnings report, the company reported 50% year-over-year growth in e-commerce sales and its best same-store-sales growth in more than five years.

The market seems to agree. Wal-Mart's stock price is up nearly 40% so far in 2017, meaning that based on how much of Wal-Mart's stock Berkshire owned two years ago, Buffett missed out on more than $1.5 billion in gains.

Smaller stock moves

Berkshire's portfolio is extremely top-heavy -- in fact, the company's five largest holdings are worth more than its other 40 or so combined. So it makes sense that Berkshire's largest stock holdings get most of the attention. After all, a big move in these stocks could significantly affect the company's market value.

However, while Buffett and his team haven't been too active with its largest stocks, there have been lots of smaller moves over the past two years. Just to name a few examples, Berkshire sold its stakes in Suncor Energy, AT&T, General Electric, and Chicago Bridge & Iron and has added Synchrony Financial, Store Capital, and stakes in all four major U.S. airlines.

More moves to come?

Berkshire has been relatively quiet in the stock market lately. With the exception of the Apple investment and the conversion of its Bank of America warrants, the company hasn't made any stock investments recently that would be considered big by Berkshire's standards. Stock valuations are high, and Buffett and his team have said that it's been difficult to find attractive investments.

However, Berkshire is sitting on a massive stockpile of cash -- $109.5 billion as of the end of the third quarter -- so it's fair to assume that the company is on the lookout for ways to deploy that cash. So we could certainly see some major stock moves over the next two years, particularly if stock valuations start to come down.

More From The Motley Fool

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Matthew Frankel owns shares of American Express, Apple, AT&T;, Bank of America, and Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and Moody's. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple and short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends American Express and Synchrony Financial. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The holiday season is gearing up to be a battleground in the voice assistance arena, and its looking like another year of Amazon Echo vs. Google Home  and no Apple.

Thanks to a delayed launch date, Apples entry to the voice assistance market, called HomePod, wont happen until after the new year. The company says it will start shipping units in early 2018 throughout the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The HomePod debuted at Apples Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, and was supposed to be available in December.

We cant wait for people to experience HomePod, Apples breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before its ready for our customers, an Apple rep told The Verge.

The Apple HomePod pictured during Apple's WWDC event in June. It was supposed to be out next month.

Aside from losing out on big holiday sales to close out the year, yet another Apple launch delay is also seen by some as a sign of bad management. Former Apple employee Ryan Jones tweeted that Apples constant delayed releases in the past few years are beginning to affect the companys pre-launches negatively.

Tim promises launch dates  prematurely and unnecessarily, Jones writes. Old Apple hardly ever missed launches (OS or hardware), now its commonplace! Jones is referring to the fact that under the notoriously quiet Steve Jobs, Apple never had reason to explain delays because it didnt announce or promise shipments to begin with.

For fucks sake people.



The point: Tim promises launch dates - prematurely and unnecessarily.



Old Apple hardly ever missed launches (OS or hardware), now its commonplace!



Im NOT saying ship dogshit to hit the date.



Im saying STOP GIVING YOURSELF DATES YOU CANT HIT. https://t.co/Y5jgLQOesv  Ryan Jones (@rjonesy) November 18, 2017

If Apple didnt promise HomePod in December the story would be all roses! If apple didnt promise messages in the cloud or peer-to-peer Apple Pay we would be wowed when it came out of nowhere. But now that story will forever be worse and muddied, he continued.

Story continues

Not only do the constant launch date changes create a sense of confusion, more importantly they deter Apples typical impeccable timing: delivering surprise and delight.

As most have pointed out, Apple HomePod could have been a major sell during the holidays, given its high end speaker capabilities, which are being compared to the acclaimed Sonos home speakers.

Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller talking about HomePod in June.

Set to retail for $349, HomePod promises precision acoustic horns, an array of seven beam-forming tweeters with individual drivers, and an Apple-designed woofer and automatic bass equalizer. Multiple HomePods can work together to create a more powerful sound.

However, HomePods iffy voice assistance capabilities are yet to be tested. Given Amazons Alexa skills, which are growing by the day, and Googles expanding Home system with the latest release of the Mini, Siri has a lot of ground to make up. While Amazon and Google already have years under their belts when it comes to voice assistance, Apple is banking on the HomePods affordable speakers to grow its HomeKit system.

Apple products have been known to still find success despite delayed launches. Judging by the similarly rolled out AirPods and Apple Watch, HomePod should have no problem selling as soon as it hits shelves.

Photos via Getty Images / Justin Sullivan

Photos via Getty Images / Justin Sullivan

Written by Gabriela Barkho

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The Boeing Company BA has secured an order from Avolon  the international aircraft leasing company  for 75 of its 737-MAX airplanes. Following the signing of memorandum of understanding at the Paris Air Show in June, the deal has been finally awarded during the 2017 Dubai Air Show.



Order in Detail



The agreement comprises an order for 55 MAX 8 and 20 MAX 10 airplanes  the newest and largest member of the 737 MAX family  including purchase rights for 20 additional MAX 10 jets.



Valued at nearly $11 billion at current list prices, the deal represents the largest single order till date that the company has placed with Boeing. Given the size of the deal, Avolon is expected to get a discount on the list price of the aircraft.



With this latest aircraft deal, Avolons position as a leading lessor in the global commercial aviation market is likely to be strengthened. Currently, this Dublin, Ireland-based company has over 140 MAX aircraft in its owned and committed fleet, and expects MAX family airplanes to continue boosting its customers profit in their businesses, going forward.



Deals Inked at the Ongoing Dubai Air Show



Demand for Boeings commercial airplanes has been rising owing to a steady increase in passenger and freight traffic.



Of late, at the Dubai Air Show, this aircraft giant received an order from the Kuwait-based ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company for 20 additional 737 MAX 8s, valued at $2.2 billion. Additionally, the company secured an order for five more 787-8 Dreamliners and a commitment to purchase two large freighters, valued at approximately $1.9 billion, from Azerbaijan Airlines.



Apart from this, the company sealed a deal for delivering 40 787-10 Dreamliners to Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East. The purchase order also comes with equipments related to the 787-10 fleet, valued at $15.1 billion.



Given the enormous commercial demand in the market, Boeing is witnessing significant progress, especially in the single-aisle market.



Global Demand for Single-Aisle Aircraft



Boeing anticipates demand for 29,530 single-aisle jets, worth $3.2 trillion, in the next 20 years. The figure reflects a 5% increase over last year's projection.



Moreover, the company expects single-aisle jets to be the major driver behind the increase in demand, comprising 72% of the total commercial jets demand projection. While the new 737 MAX and the 737-800 is likely to grab the lions share of the new orders, Boeings arch-rival Airbus Group SEs EADSY A320neo is expected to pose significant challenges. Recently, Airbus received an order for 430 single-aisle airplanes valued at $49.5 billion at the Dubai Air Show.



Nevertheless, Boeings 737 model remains one of the best-selling planes in the single-aisle market, thanks to its fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. Therefore, to maintain its dominance in the commercial aerospace market, this aerospace behemoth continues to invest in research and development for upgrading and churning out upgraded versions of its existing planes.



Notably, the 737 model is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeings history, exceeding 4,000 total orders from 92 customers. The latest order that Boeing won from Avolon will aid the 737 model to maintain its leading position in the single-aisle jet market, going ahead.



Price Movement



Share price of Boeing has surged 68.5% over the last 12 months, outperforming the broader industrys gain of 34.9%. This could be because the companys strong balance sheet and cash flows provide financial flexibility in matters of incremental dividend, ongoing share repurchases as well as earnings accretive acquisitions.

Story continues

The stock also performed better than that of General Dynamics Corporation GD and Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT, which missed the industry mark.



Zacks Rank



Boeing carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here



Wall Streets Next Amazon



Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius.



Click for details >>



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Today, to mark Universal Childrens Day, Armenias parliament allowed children from around the country the opportunity to ascend the podium and speak out on issues that concern them.

The UNICEF initiative, 2017: Its a #Kids Take Over, invites children around the world to voice their support for millions of their peers who are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted.

Heres some excerpts:

Ruben Ohanyan (16-year-old tenth-grader from Etchmiadzin)

Im not a forty-year teacher, but I know a simple truth. We children understand many things without being beaten. Those who believe that beating is an effective method, are mistaken.

Ruben was referring to an incident when a teacher beat a pupil so badly that the boys eye was permanently damaged.

Saying what happened was absurd, isnt enough. In essence, this teacher was able to work since the news outlets never covered the case. Afterwards, I found nothing about criminal accountability. The very same thing could happen to each of us if we dont know our rights. What does it mean when a parent can discipline their child with a slap. Dear elders, understand that by using violence, you will solve nothing,

Ani Asatouryan, a student at Yerevans Aregnazan Educational Complex, spoke about the plight of special needs children in Armenia when it comes to locating schools that will accept them.

I am sixteen. I love to sing, even though I dont have a great voice, and ride horses. When my father and I went to the Khachatur Abovyan Teachers High School, to continue my education, they told me that they do not accept special needs students, since they dont have the proper facilities. I could have been accepted through the intervention of an acquaintance, but after hearing those words, I didnt want to step foot in the place.

Ani said that teachers must change how they interact with children with special needs.

We are also children. Were not abnormal or sick. We shouldnt be differentiated from the others.

When asked what new laws she would like to see passed in the parliament, Anis replied, First, the parliament must monitor the issue of special needs education in Armenia and see that the standards are raised. For example, Ani suggested that teachers start to ask special needs kids if they are pleased with their work.

I dream of teaching special needs children. Im sure I can do it. I want to show that we can achieve much more than we are given, said Ani.

Listening from his seat, a misty-eyed National Assembly President Ara Babloyan addressed Ani. You, little one, will become a special needs teacher. Im certain of it.

Hakob Hakobyan, who chairs the Standing Committee on Social and Health Issues, thanked the children for a very informative lesson on raising kids.
European bourses picked up the pace on Monday afternoon, however gains were somewhat capped as political instability in Germany continued to rattle sentiment. The pan-European Stoxx 600 (^STOXX) rose 0.6 percent higher in afternoon deals, with most sectors moving into the black. All major bourses were trading higher, however the U.K.'s FTSE 100 (FTSE International: .FTSE) was lagging behind the likes of France and Germany. Market sentiment in Europe remained relatively unchanged after the U.S. open, as markets overseas began the day on a relatively flat note.

Autos jumped 1.5 percent as a sector in afternoon deals, with German and French carmakers leading the sector. Volkswagen (XETRA:VOW3-DE) rose over 4.5 percent, after news emerged over the weekend that the manufacturer would invest 22.8 billion euros ($26.9 billion) in its main car brand over the course of 2018 to 2022. Porsche, which is owned by Volkswagen, also popped over 4 percent. Health care stocks were strong performers on Monday following news that President Donald Trump is not going to push for a repeal of Obamacare in a tax bill. The sector was also boosted by news that Roche (Swiss Exchange: ROG-CH) successfully concluded trials against lung cancer. The stock jumped almost 6.5 percent up on the news. Media stocks posted solid gains with German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 (XETRA:PSM-DE) leading the pack. Shares of the firm jumped 3.5 percent, after news emerged that the broadcaster's CEO, Thomas Ebeling, would be leaving the company in February. On the other hand, financial services and insurance stocks were moving into the red on growing doubts over U.S. plans to update the tax system. The euro (Exchange:EUR=) was trading lower against the yen, dollar and sterling at about 3:10 p.m. London time (10:10 a.m. ET). The currency was under pressure following news that German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to reach an agreement with two other political parties to form a new government. The FDP pulled out of the talks citing irreconcilable differences. Merkel is now to consult with the German president on what to do next, but it's possible that new elections could be called. Looking at individual stocks, Altice (:ATCT-NL) jumped over 9 percent before paring some gains on Monday  hitting the top of the European benchmark, after denying market speculation that it was preparing to raise capital. The collapse of the German coalition talks sent the energy group RWE (XETRA:RWE-DE) higher in morning deals. Investors believe that there are fewer chances that the Greens will join the next government and thus its plans to phase out coal power plants will be put on hold. The stock rose around 3.5 percent. Nex Group came off its session lows, yet remained in the red, after announcing a drop in its first-half profits. Elior Group (Euronext Paris: ELIOR-FR), meanwhile, sunk to the bottom of the STOXX 600, off more than 5 percent after Citigroup, Kepler Cheuvreux and Natixis cut their price targets on the stock. In other news, oil prices were under pressure on Monday, with Brent off more than 1 percent, as investors were on edge ahead of an OPEC meeting due next week.



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FILE PHOTO: A sign on the Qualcomm campus is seen, as chip maker Broadcom Ltd announced an unsolicited bid to buy peer Qualcomm Inc for $103 billion, in San Diego, California, U.S. November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm (QCOM.O) is set to win imminent Japanese antitrust clearance for its $38-billion bid for NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.O) and gain Europes approval by the end of the year with slight tweaks to its concessions, a person familiar with the matter said.

Winning the green light from both competition authorities would take Qualcomm a major step forward to closing the deal and reinforce its fight against an unsolicited $103-billion takeover bid from Broadcom.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) "is expected to clear Qualcomms acquisition of NXP imminently," the source said.

"The European Commission is expected to follow soon."

The JFTC did not respond to emailed requests for comments sent during out of office hours. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a March 15 deadline to rule on the deal, declined to comment while Qualcomm was not available for comment.

Qualcomm, which supplies chips to Android smartphone makers and Apple (AAPL.O), wants to become the leading supplier to the fast-growing automotive chips market via the NXP purchase, the biggest-ever in the semiconductor industry.

To address competition concerns, the company has agreed not to purchase NXP's standard essential patents and not to take legal action against third parties related to NXP's near field communication (NFC) patents except for defensive purposes.

It also offered an interoperability pledge which will allow rival products to function with NXP's products.

NXP co-invented NFC chips which enable mobile phones to be used to pay for goods and store and exchange data.

Qualcomm will make incremental changes to concessions offered to the EU authority last month, the person said.

A similar proposal was also proposed to the JFTC.

Broadcom made its move last week in an effort to become the dominant supplier of chips used in the 1.5 billion or so smartphones expected to be sold around the world this year. Qualcomm has dismissed the offer, saying it undervalues the company.

Story continues

Broadcom, Qualcomm and NXP together would have control over modems, Wi-Fi, GPS and near-field communications chips, a strong position that could concern customers such as Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd because of the bargaining power such a combined company could have to raise prices.

However, a combined company would also likely have a lower cost base and the flexibility to cut prices.

(Editing by Toby Chopra)
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TAMPA, Florida  The Affordable Care Act clearly isnt dead, as President Donald Trump declared a month ago.

But despite some surprisingly large sign-up numbers for the first two weeks of open enrollment, its way too early to tell just how big a toll Trumps war on the program has taken  or how many people will end up with insurance by Dec. 15, the deadline for obtaining 2018 coverage.

Thats what youll hear from most experts who follow the issue closely. Its also what youll hear from people like Jodi Ray, who is the project director for Florida Covering Kids and Families, a nonprofit that has spearheaded state efforts to get residents health insurance under Obamacare.

Ray has been there since the programs beginning, going back to late 2013, when the website didnt work, and when a combination of plan cancellations and sudden rate hikes sparked an uproar. For a while, it looked like the whole system might just fall apart. It didnt, of course, and Florida would go on to have some of the largest signup numbers of any state in the country.

This year, Ray says, interest in plans seems even stronger.

She says shes seen it at her office and at walk-in enrollment events, like one at the University of South Florida on Wednesday, where a group of navigators (the Affordable Care Acts official enrollment advisors) kept busy with a steady stream of consumers all morning long.

Ray has heard similar accounts from her contacts around the state  including enrollment counselors in the small, rural counties that are traditionally the hardest for organizations like hers to reach. They said this year, they have been busier than they have ever been, which astonishes me.

The numbers tell a similar story. Through the first two weeks, 1.5 million people signed up for private insurance through HealthCare.gov, the Department of Health and Human Services reported on Wednesday. Thats roughly 50 percent more than last years sign-ups after two weeks.

Story continues

Jodi Ray, director of Florida Covering Kids and Families, says sign-ups have been brisk. But she's got plenty of worries, too. (Photo: Chris McGonigal/HuffPost)

States that run their own online marketplaces, such as California and Minnesota, are reporting similar surges. Charles Gaba, the analyst who runs ACAsignups.net, says that he expects sign-ups on HealthCare.gov to pass 2 million over the weekend, with enrollments from state-run marketplaces bringing the national total to around 4 million.

But nobody is calling trends yet, Ray warns, and its easy to see why she is wary. In the past, open enrollment has extended into January. With the much shorter period, accelerated sign-ups are necessary just to hit last years mark.

Meanwhile, organizations like hers are operating with fewer financial resources, because the Trump administration decided to slash federal support. (Floridas Covering Kids took a cut of about $900,000, out of a total $5.8 million budget, according to Ray.) Nor can they can count on the usual barrage of national advertising to promote enrollment, because the Trump administration pulled way back on that spending, too.

The scaled-back outreach seems especially troubling because Republican efforts to repeal the program appear to have created a great deal of confusion over its status. Weve got people calling us and saying they stopped paying their premiums, because they thought it was all gone, Ray said.

Still, the Affordable Care Act has proven surprisingly resilient in the past - and it may be doing so again, sometimes for reasons that are surprising a lot of experts. A case in point is the way Trumps most well-publicized effort at sabotage has played out.

Open enrollment events across Florida have been drawing steady, strong crowds, according to organizers. (Photo: Chris McGonigal/HuffPost)

In October, Trump finally carried out his threat to stop a set of vital payments to insurance companies. By that time, several insurers had already left the market, in no small part because they feared such a move was coming. Those that remained jacked up their premiums. But in most states they did so in a way that shielded some or all of their customers  and, for a variety of complicated reasons, it means that lower-income consumers are actually getting even more assistance than they would have otherwise.

Its a clumsy solution that hasnt worked for everybody. The number of upper-middle-class consumers facing high, sometimes unaffordable premiums is going up. And it was already pretty high, for reasons that have as much to do with the programs design as anything the Trump administration did.

But people who make a little less money, and thus qualify for the laws financial assistance, are generally getting a better deal this year. Either they can spend the same amount of money and get a better plan, or they can keep the same plan and just spend less on it.

Online brokers, like HealthSherpa, have noticed a shift  with average lower premiums coming down and interest in gold plans, the more generous alternative to traditional silver plans, ticking up. And although its sample is not necessarily representative of the whole, officials at Covered California, that states marketplace, reported last week they are seeing the same two trends among their consumers.

Hilta Tanis (left) talks to healthcare navigator Sandra Wells during an open enrollment event at the University of South Florida in Tampa. (Photo: Chris McGonigal/HuffPost)

Strange as it may sound, all the turmoil may be helping too  or, at least, having more of a mixed effect than everybody was expecting as recently as last month. At another open enrollment on Wednesday, sponsored by the Health Council of South Florida and held in northwest Miami, Jesse Miro, one of the Health Councils navigators, told HuffPost that confusion over news reports may be prompting more people to ask questions  and, ultimately, to check out their coverage options online, where they are discovering the deep discounts.

Like Ray, Miro said hes heard of people dropping coverage because they thought the program had ended. But now hes wondering if the prospect of repeal is having the opposite effect on at least some consumers  prodding them to sign up, or at least investigate their options, because they think that once they have some insurance it will be easier to hold onto it. Some seem to think that if they get in now, theyll get locked in  end up grandfathered somehow.

Still, the people who work in outreach say that, with less publicity and less funding from Washington, they will have less capacity to help people who are hardest to reach, or whose circumstances are the most complicated.

I have a woman, she and her kids were all uninsured  one college aged, one high school, shes a waitress in a restaurant, Ray said on Wednesday, describing a family with a particularly complex income situation. We enrolled them yesterday, for first time in years. All she could talk about is scheduling her first appointment for a checkup. She was ecstatic. But analyzing health insurance for her was very involved.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By David Gaffen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Monday, extending recent weakness ahead of an OPEC meeting next week, while a rally in the dollar negatively affected commodities across the board.

Brent crude futures (LCOc1) were down 84 cents at $61.86, or 1.4 percent, by 11:37 a.m. EST (1637 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 70 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $55.85 a barrel. Oil has been under pressure for the last two weeks since peaking in early November; U.S. crude has lost 2.6 percent.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, together with a group of non-OPEC producers led by Russia, has been restraining output since the start of this year to try to lower global inventories and support prices.

The deal is due to expire in March 2018, and OPEC meets on Nov. 30 to discuss the policy. The expectation is for the agreement to be extended to cover the whole of next year.

"It is widely believed that OPEC together with 10 non-OPEC countries will roll over their production for the whole of 2018, although Russia is holding its cards close to its chest," PVM Oil Associates strategist Tamas Varga said.

OPEC last week forecast demand for its own crude to rise by 460,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 33.42 million bpd next year, in contrast with a forecast from the International Energy Agency (IEA) for a drop of 320,000 bpd to 32.38 million bpd.

The dollar's move higher overnight hit commodities, including oil. The U.S. currency strengthened against the euro after news that Germany has been unable to form a coalition government, adding to political uncertainty in the European Union. The dollar gained 0.4 percent against the euro.

Oil often moves inversely to the dollar, because oil is transacted in the dollar, and a stronger dollar theoretically makes oil more expensive for global buyers. The relationship is not consistent, but sharp reactions in the dollar can affect commodities, and vice versa.

Story continues

Current high levels of speculative interest in oil may have also contributed to the move lower. CFTC data last week showed a record level of long positions in RBOB gasoline futures as well, for an overall heavy speculative position in energy contracts.

"Because of those positions, we were vulnerable to profit taking, and people started to get out when the dollar took off," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Money managers in the Brent market trimmed their net long position for the first time in a month, by just over 5,000 lots to 537,557.

They also added 4,793 lots in short positions - more than at any time since late June (3ICELCOMSHT).

But the net long position is still well within sight of the previous week's record high of 543,069 lots, meaning that if OPEC's decision disappoints the more bullish investors, the chances of a sell-off after the meeting are higher.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein and Polina Ivanova; Editing by Mark Potter and Marguerita Choy)
U.S. West Texas Intermediate and internationally-favored Brent crude oil futures posted their first weekly loss in six weeks as investors raised concerns over Russias participation in extending the OPEC-led program to cut production, forecasts for lower demand and rising U.S. production.

January WTI Crude Oil futures settled at $56.71, down $0.27 or -0.47% and February Brent Crude Oil futures finished the week at $62.55, down $0.86 or -1.36%.

Weekly February Brent Crude Oil

The major factor supporting crude oil at this time is expectations that OPEC and the other major oil producers will agree to extend their deal to limit output beyond the March 2018. This story has been driving prices higher for several months.

There is enough evidence to conclude that the OPEC-led plan to limit production is working. However, it is moving too slowly to achieve its goal to cut supply below the five-year average in a timely manner. Therefore, it feels it needs to extend the deal beyond the March 2018 deadline. This is likely to take place when the cartel meets on November 30.

The rally has also been supported at times by improving oil demand and escalating tensions in the Middle East that threatened to disrupt production. Furthermore, the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma also skewed the refinery numbers enough to underpin prices.

Strong hedge and commodity fund buying has also supported prices with these two entities holding near record long positions at a two-year high.

Weekly January WTI Crude Oil

On the bearish side, earlier this week, the International Energy Agency lowered its outlook for demand growth in both 2017 and 2018. The IEA reduced its growth forecast by 100,000 barrels a day for each year, projecting that oil markets will remain oversupplied in the first half of 2018.

The energy group concluded in its monthly oil report that global demand will struggle to sop up rising output by producers outside of OPEC, particularly from the United States.

Finally, U.S. drillers are pumping near all-time highs and this trend is likely to continue into 2018.

Story continues

In other news, the number of rigs operating in U.S. oil fields was unchanged, after posting the largest rise since June in the previous week, oilfield services firm Baker Hughes reported.

Forecast

With the supply and demand stories offsetting each other, the next major move in the crude oil market will likely be decided by the hedge funds. Recent numbers from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed us that hedge funds have raised their bullish bets on U.S. crude to the highest level since March, while bearish positions fell to a nearly seven-month low.

Something has to give and contrary theory tells me that the long investors are vulnerable. If you follow Herd Theory, then you know that if one hedge funds start to liquidate aggressively, theyll all start liquidating.

I dont think there is going to be enough buying between now and the OPEC meeting to drive prices through the recent high, therefore, Im favoring a short-term break. This may be necessary to shake the tree a little to alleviate extremely overbought conditions.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:
A Chicago start-up wants to ride the trendy eye-wear movement  with luxury spectacles designed and assembled in the U.S.A. State Optical, co-founded by Scott Shapiro, Jerry Wolowicz, Marc Franchi and Jason Stanley, launched in early 2016 to tap into what they saw as a growing demand for domestic products. "We thought the market was different than it was 20 years ago, not because of patriotism, but because of craft culture and the craft movement," CEO Shapiro told CNBC. Smartly dressed with a pair of his own State frames in gray, Shapiro said the company set up in Chicago to tell an authentic brand story. The brand heavily promotes the city's iconography, and features the Chicago skyline on its presentation boxes. "Chicago fits the unique balance of fashion and sophistication and blue collar," said Shapiro. "It's about the work and it's about the craft." Indeed, frame designs are all named after streets in Chicago, such as Armitage and Ravenswood. Each frame has 21 precision drilled holes set in the temples, a homage to Illinois being the 21st state of America. The frames, which retail for $320 to $420, bear a "Made in the USA" stamp on the inside. While some of the materials are still sourced from overseas (Italian acetate and hinges from Germany), all the manufacturing is done in the U.S. According to Shapiro, that created some difficulties: Many American craftsmen had not seen a frame being made before. "Fundamentally it's going to be more difficult and expensive to manufacture in the U.S.," said Shapiro. "The cost of labor is higher even now between the U.S. and China." Still, Shapiro insisted domestic manufacturing gives State an advantage in the quality of its eyewear. By producing the frames in the U.S., Shapiro said, the company can spot quality or production issues and correct them early. The stakes are high in the fiercely competitive eyewear market, which is expected to grow to nearly $130 billion worldwide as demand increases for prescription eyeglasses. The U.S. market is dominated by Essilor and Luxottica with 19 percent and 13 percent, respectively, according to data from Euromonitor. Earlier this year, the companies announced a merger to consolidate every part of their eyewear manufacturing businesses. Being an upstart also means needing to develop brand awareness very quickly, experts say, especially if the company hopes to become relevant overseas. "There are local companies that have large market shares already," said Ayako Homma, senior analyst at Euromonitor International. Homma said Warby Parker jump-started awareness of its own U.S.-based brand through convenience by letting customers choose several frames online and shipping them to their homes to try before buying. Shapiro, however, remained optimistic about State. "We know that most people don't associate 'Made in the U.S.A.' with luxury," said Shapiro. "When [the customers] put that frame on, that almost likely will be the first time they will try on a frame made in the United States." Correction: An earlier version had an incorrect retail price for the top of the range. It's $420.



More From CNBC


With Obamacare in serious trouble , those who aren't fortunate enough to have employer-sponsored health insurance are forced to pay through the nose for anything resembling decent coverage. Luckily, there's another option that may both improve the quality of care you get and lower your healthcare expenses: direct primary care.

What is direct primary care?

Also known as concierge medicine, direct primary care is a billing system that allows patients to pay doctors directly instead of paying an insurance company that then pays the doctor. Patients will typically pay a monthly fee, ranging from about $25 to $150, to a primary care doctor, and in exchange they get unlimited access to that doctor. A direct primary care patient can see their primary care physician as often as they like, and these doctors often make themselves available on nights and weekends (some even make house calls).

Stethoscope and hundred dollar bills

Image source: Getty Images.

Pros and cons of direct primary care

Doctors using a direct primary care model usually need far fewer patients in order to turn a profit. That means they can afford to spend much more time consulting with individual patients and treating their health issues. This model also encourages a much higher level of access to doctors, making it easier for patients to reach out any time they have a concern.

However, because direct primary care only includes treatment from your primary care physician, most patients will also need catastrophic health insurance policies to cover hospital visits and specialist treatments. Luckily, the cost of catastrophic health insurance is usually far lower than the cost of a comprehensive health insurance policy.

While the number of direct primary care physicians is growing, it's still fairly low. Less than 2% of the nation's 900,000 licensed physicians have adopted a direct primary care model, so it may be difficult to find a doctor in your area who will accept such an approach -- especially in rural counties.

Story continues

Is direct primary care right for you?

If the bulk of your healthcare needs can be met by your primary care doctor, this model may be a good fit for you -- assuming you can find a doctor who accepts direct primary care. The Direct Primary Care Coalition has a nationwide search tool on its website (scroll down the page to see their map); other networks may provide more localized search tools (for example, Freedom Healthworks lists direct primary care physicians in Indiana). Try googling "direct primary care" plus your state name to see what and who is available in your area. You could also try to talk your existing primary care doctor into adopting direct primary care if he or she doesn't already accept it.

On the other hand, a patient with a frequent need for specialist treatments probably wouldn't benefit from direct primary care. Such a patient would need to buy fairly comprehensive health insurance just to cover the specialist bills, which would make direct primary care superfluous. If that sounds like you, stick with the traditional health insurance model and consider your options for minimizing healthcare expenses instead.

More From The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in Washington.

Counselor to President Donald Trump Kellyanne Conway said President Trump would drop the individual mandate repeal in the Senate plan, in order to pass tax reform.

We just want to make sure everybody understands the president has never wavered a moment on repealing, replacing ObamaCare and that individual mandate is a tax, Conway told FOX Business Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted: Republican Senators are working very hard to get Tax Cuts and Tax Reform approved. Hopefully it will not be long and they do not want to disappoint the American public!

Conway added the administration aims to have a bill on the presidents desk before Christmas, but expects to revisit health care next year.

Right now we are very focused on getting tax cuts over the line this year, she said.

Related Articles
In the latest of a string of marine mishaps, a U.S. warship crashed into a Japanese tugboat in Japans Sagami Bay on Saturday.

The tugboat lost propulsion and drifted into the USS Benfold during a routine towing exercise, according to a press release from the U.S. Navys 7th Fleet. No injuries or fatalities resulted from the incident, and damage to the Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer ship, was minimal, according to the release.

While the crash was relatively harmless, it adds to a troubling trend for the 7th Fleet: Saturdays collision in the Pacific was the fleets fifth this year. Most recently, in August, the USS John S. McCain collided with a commercial boat off the coast of Singapore, killing 10 U.S. sailors, taking the warship out of commission and prompting a fleet-wide operational pause.

The Benfold, on the other hand, sustained only minor scrapes on its sides. It remains on the water and autonomously powered, though the Navy news release says the incident will be fully investigated.
BancorpSouth (BXS) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  November 20, 2017  Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Aerospace & Defense, including Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC, Raytheon Company RTN, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII, General Dynamics Corp. GD and Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT.

Industry: Aerospace & Defense, Part 2

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/137560/is-us-north-korea-tiff-driving-the-us-defense-industry

While President Donald Trump and North Korean president Kim Jong-Un indulged in verbal blows over the past few months, the U.S. aerospace and defense industry has thrived. Theres no denying that, while deal making activities have been historically boosting defense stocks, repeated counteractive missile-tests conducted by these two nations have been vital to the broader Aerospace sectors Q3 outperformance.

On top of the possibility of military action in the Korean peninsula, a recent wave of mergers between big aerospace and defense companies has given this industry a lift.

In addition, Trumps fiscal 2018 (FY 2018) America First Budget has been another determinant of the defense stocks solid gains. Impressively, through this proposal, the President not only repealed defense sequestration enacted by his predecessor in 2011, but also made a mark in American history by presenting the largest one-year increase in the nations fund for the Department of Defense (DoD).

Also, other factors like Trumps new defense strategy for Afghanistan, recent cyber security threats that affected nations worldwide as well as sporadic attacks in European nations continued to boost the Aerospace sector as a whole.

Altogether, these factors have helped the United States to remain at the top when it comes to military expenditure. Notably, military spending consumes more than 50% of the U.S. discretionary budget, way ahead of the second and third spot holders China and Russia, respectively.

Story continues

Many of the defense majors in the nation are doing a decent job, propelled by the following strategies:

Frequent U.S.-North Korea Tiff: The now familiar geopolitical tension between North Korea and the United States is one of the major reasons why shares of the U.S. defense contractors have surged multiple times in the recent past. Moreover, in response to Kims fanatic military actions taken against the United States and threats to its ally Japan, Trump made the "fire and fury" comment. He strongly condemned Kims hostile action, reflecting the U.S. readiness to counter-attack any time necessary and in turn, defense stocks rallied. In particular, companies that either manufacture high-end missiles or offer missile surveillance services like Northrop Grumman Corp. and Raytheon Company gained the most.

While such cross-border tensions hinting at the possibility of upcoming wars does not favor a nations GDP growth, these act as forerunners for stock market surges, especially for stocks in the aerospace and defense industry.

Recent Upside in Budget: On Sep 18, 2017, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), better known as the FY18 defense policy bill, worth roughly $700 billion that extensively surpassed President Trumps budget request. The bill provisioned $640 billion for the Pentagon's base budget and $60 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account. It authorized an additional $8.5 billion for the Missile Defense Agency to strengthen homeland, regional and space missile defense, which is $630 million higher than the Trump administration's request.

In addition, the bill includes $6 billion to boost Navy shipbuilding. This would benefit the nations prime shipbuilders like Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. and General Dynamics Corp. The legislation also authorizes over $141 billion for military personnel costs, providing a 2.1% increase in pay for troops.

Moreover, the FY18 defense budget that Trump presented this March reflects a 10% hike from the FY16 level. With Trump being highly in favor of defense spending, these numbers have a huge chance of getting elevated in the coming days.

Foreign Military Sales (FMS): In addition to catering to a large domestic market, U.S. defense majors are expanding their foreign markets rapidly, taking advantage of regional tensions prevailing in the Middle East. Such tensions include civil wars in Syria and Bahrain, the unrest in Iraq, Yemen and Libya, and Irans strained relationship with the U.S. over oil. Moreover, the recent vehicle attacks in London, Barcelona and Paris show that the developed nations of Europe have also failed to escape the scythe of terror.

Further, lack of regional arms control regulation has prompted Asian emerging nations like India and Japan to boost their arsenals. U.S. being the top global arms exporter is seeing added arms imports by these foreign countries. This is giving U.S. aerospace and defense business a big boost.

Of the recent FMS contracts, notable is the $3.8 billion-worth deal that Lockheed Martin Corp. sealed with the Bahrain administration, in October. Per the deal, an arms package including Lockheed Martins F-16 jets, upgrades, missiles and patrol boats; will be sold to the Bahrain Defense Force. Notably this deal got stalled last year, when Obamas administration disapproved it, citing Bahrain governments failure to demonstrate noticeable progress on human right issues.

In July, Lockheed Martin inked a landmark deal with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to jointly manufacture the F-16 Block 70 fighter jets of the former in India. This came as a move to expand its foothold in the market of India, the worlds largest military weapons importer. Surely, these FMS deals will boost the companys F-16 product line considerably, which has been suffering lately due to dearth of orders.

Notably, doubts were raised in relation to Trumps foreign defense policies during early days of his presidency. However, the U.S. situation in terms of FMS deals seems to have only improved, under his rule.

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The United States has launched its first counter-narcotics military offensive in partnership with local allies in Afghanistan to try to deprive the resurgent Taliban of its largest source of funding. The move follows years of criticism that international forces are not doing enough to curb the opium trade.



Speaking in Kabul On November 20, General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. troops and NATOs Resolute Support military mission, shared details of the coalition's first overnight counter-narcotics airstrikes.

He said the bombing campaign destroyed major Taliban narcotics production facilities in Helmand, the main poppy producing southern Afghan province, depriving the insurgent group of major revenues.

We hit the labs where they turn poppy into heroin. We hit their storage facilities where they keep their final product, where they stockpile their money and their command and control. Our estimates indicate that more than $200 million from this illegal economy was going into the pockets of the Taliban, the general noted.

Careful Strikes



He said the strikes are not hitting Afghan farmers and are being conducted carefully to limit the amount of collateral damage and avoid civilian casualties.

We will continue attacking these drug trafficking organizations who are supporting the Taliban and other terrorist organizations, Nicholson said.

Afghan Chief of Army Staff General Sharif Yaftali welcomed the move against the Taliban, which he called "a criminal group" benefiting from the narcotics business.

The United Nations announced last week that narcotics production nearly doubled this year in Afghanistan to around 9,000 metric tons, showing a nearly 90 percent increase compared with 2016.

Critics have long blamed the booming Afghan narcotics industry for being a major cause of prolonged hostilities and deteriorating security conditions in the country.

The U.S. military estimates income generated from the illicit drugs is providing 60 percent of funds for the Taliban insurgency.

War On Drugs



Nicholson said he has been given new authorities under the Trump administration's South Asia policy that allowed him to declare war on Afghan drugs and go after the enemy and all of their support, as well as revenue infrastructure across the country.

Narcotics revenue represents the largest single source of funding for the Taliban and as we know the Taliban are making more money than they need to fight their campaign. So, this money is going into the pockets of Taliban leaders who are living safely outside of the country, he said.

Under the new policy President Donald Trump unveiled in August, about 3,000 additional American troops have arrived in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has increased airstrikes against the Taliban as well as terrorists linked to the Afghan branch of Islamic State.

The anti-narcotics operation and stepped up battlefield attacks are aimed at pressuring and compelling the Taliban to join an Afghan reconciliation process, said Nicholson.

The new policy, he said, also focuses on going after the havens or sanctuaries the Taliban and its allies enjoy outside of Afghanistan. U.S. and Afghan military commanders have long alleged neighboring Pakistan is sheltering the insurgents and not taking action against them despite public pledges.

We have had numerous high-level engagements between the United States and Pakistan so that we can get Pakistan to work with us in eliminating these safe havens of the enemy. This is extremely important going forward, said Nicholson.

For their part, authorities in Pakistan deny the existence of any insurgent sanctuaries on its soil. They have called on Washington to share actionable evidence with Islamabad to enable Pakistani forces to go after any suspected militant hideouts on their side of the border.

-- Voice Of America
Officials say a head-on collision between a minibus and a truck loaded with coal in southern Pakistan has left at least 20 people dead and several others injured.

Local police officer Rahmatullah Solangi told RFE/RL that the accident occurred in "heavy fog" on a road in Sindh Province's Khairpur district on November 20.

Another police officer, Rab Nawaz, said that the death toll could rise as some of the injured were in critical condition.

The van's passengers included women and children.

Police said the initial investigation suggests that at least one of the vehicles was speeding and that visibility was poor due to a thick morning fog.

Traffic accidents are common in Pakistan, where poor road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, and disregard for safety standards and traffic rules by drivers cause more than 5,000 deaths every year, according to government statistics.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and Dawn
Pakistan has seen a considerable decline in number of terror fatalities in 2016, according to a recent report.

Global Peace Index 2017, a detailed report containing data on terrorism released last week observed there were 736 terror attacks in Pakistan during 2016, which resulted in 956 deaths, a 12 percent decline in terror-related deaths from 2015.

The report said the Taliban in Pakistan, "was responsible for 283 deaths in 2016, which accounted for 30 percent of the deaths from terrorism that year, the report noted.

Most of these deaths resulted from suicide bombings. The largest bombing targeted Christians celebrating Easter Sunday in Lahore and killed 79 people.

The report noted the reduction in terrorism fatalities is due to a significant drop in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Talibans activities. The terror group has been responsible for more than 4,500 killings since 2000 in the country.

The 108-page detailed report is produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace, an Australian based research group that compiles a yearly terrorism report after gathering data from 163 countries based on global trends of terrorism, terror fatalities, terror recruitment, profiles of terror groups and economics of terrorism.

Despite being placed in the five most impacted countries by terrorism in the world, Pakistan has shown positive results of its efforts to combat terrorism, the fifth edition of the global terrorism index noted.

The reduction in deaths from terrorism is in part attributable to Operation Zarb-e-Azb by the Pakistani Army; a military effort which started in mid-2014, said the global terror report.

Pakistani lawmakers say the concrete steps taken by the government to root-out extremism have proved successful.

Military operations Radul Fasad [rejection of discontent] and Zarb-e-Azb [sharp strike], National Action Plan, execution of terrorists in the military courts  all these policies by the government have given us desired results against terrorism, Abdul Qayyum, chairperson of Pakistans Senate Defense Committee and leading member of the ruling party PML-N told VOA.

We had three flash points in Pakistan that were Karachi, Balochistan and FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas] region. We still see a few terror incidents here and there but it is almost 70 percent less than the past. This shows our resilience and commitment against terrorism, Qayyum added.

While the defense analysts believe the statistics of the report are encouraging, they also emphasize Pakistan needs to stay vigilant and undeterred in the fight against terrorism that poses a continued threat to its national security.

The facts mentioned in the global index are satisfactory and Pakistan should continue with a more powerful strategy to fight against terrorism and a will to execute it, Maria Sultan, a defense analyst from Islamabad told VOA.

We also need help from national and international community because terrorism is not only Pakistans issue, but is a joint problem of the region, Sultan added.

Extremism and militancy have remained a big challenge for the South Asian region particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan for decades now  where insurgent groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State have paved ways, established networks and launched numerous deadly attacks on both sides of the border.

Pakistan says it is determined to combat terrorism and claims several military operations launched in recent years have helped dismantle terror networks in the country.

Pakistan alleges, despite its efforts, it is still a victim of terrorism because Afghanistan harbors Taliban and IS militants who use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.

On the other hand, Afghanistan and the United States accuse Pakistan of providing safe havens for Taliban.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells recently criticized Pakistan on its selective approach against militants in the country.

We would like to see the same commitment that Pakistan brought in 2014 to the fight against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan; that same strategic commitment to the other militant proxy groups who take advantage of Pakistan territory, Wells told VOA.

Qayyum denies the allegation and says Pakistan has played its part and now Kabul and Washington should admit there are Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan and they have to make serious efforts to destroy them if they want peace in the region.

Voice Of America
West Lafayette, Ind., Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At 165 startups, $230.8 million in funding and 200-plus new positions, Purdue is advancing commercialization, entrepreneurship, job creation and economic momentum in the Midwest with record-breaking activities.

One hundred of the startups have licensed Purdue University intellectual property through the Purdue Research Foundation. Another 65 startups based on company-owned intellectual property brings the startup total to 165 startups since 2013. Click here for a complete list of Purdue startups from years 2013-2017.

These data are compelling, but this is about more than numbers. There is a great story behind each of these new businesses, said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. Ive had the opportunity to meet the many Purdue innovators and entrepreneurs and to marvel at their amazing innovations. We are just providing the right hub of entrepreneurial support. It is the Purdue entrepreneurs who are making it happen.

Of the 165 Purdue-affiliated startups:

$230.8 million raised in funding.

152 are in active operation.

137 are based in Indiana.

200-plus new positions supported.

Since 2013, Purdue has initiated a number of initiatives and programs to help entrepreneurs who create startups, including the Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator in Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Purdues Discovery Park. The Purdue Foundry provides practical guidance and programs for startups, including business development, venture capital experts, entrepreneurs-in-residence and entrepreneurial professionals. A brochure developed to ease the commercialization and startup process by providing a high-level overview and guide for Purdue innovators and entrepreneurs is available at the Purdue Startup Guide.

Other entrepreneurial resources include Trask Innovation Fund, Innovation and Entrepreneurship landing page, Purdue Innovator Startup Guide, Bechtel Innovation Design Center, Purdue Startup Fund, P3 Alliance, Ag-celerator, Emerging Innovations Fund, Boilermaker Lab and the Anvil.

This is truly a joint effort among several entities to provide Purdue entrepreneurs with the best resources and guidance available, said Greg Deason, senior vice president for the Purdue Research Foundation and director of innovation and entrepreneurship for the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. We are fortunate to have such a strong pipeline of innovations coming out of Purdue University, and what weve found is that many of the Purdue researchers and often their graduate students have enough faith in their research that they want to create and commercialize products that have originated from their university work.

The Purdue-affiliated startups cover nearly all of the universitys research expertise including engineering, agriculture, veterinary science, information technology, technology, sciences, computer science, biomedicine and pharmaceuticals.

Azza Ahmed, an associate professor in Purdues School of Nursing, and Jeffrey Brewer, an associate professor of computer and information technology in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, co-founded LACTOR LLC. The company is commercializing an app that could instantly connect breastfeeding mothers with pediatricians or lactation consultants to help collect data, monitor patients, and provide consultation and support while improving breastfeeding outcomes for new mothers. The company is a member of the Purdue Startup Class of 2017.

Brewer credited the Purdue Foundry for assistance in creating LACTOR, whose technology is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.

The Purdue Foundry and Office of Technology Commercialization were instrumental in helping us form this company, he said. Everything from meeting with lawyers, drafting documents, applying for grants and help with marketing, the Foundry helped tremendously.

Ryan Frederickson is a Chicago-based Purdue graduate who formed ArT Wine Preservation, a startup based on his own intellectual property. The companys technology uses an argon wine preserver spray that can keep wine fresh for weeks in opened, unfinished bottles.

Frederickson received assistance from the Purdue Foundry through workshops, entrepreneurial mentorship, networking and business strategy competitions.

The Purdue Foundry helped me develop and focus on a business plan, fundraising and how to develop a marketing plan to reach customers, he said. The guidance and support has been invaluable to me and gave me the confidence to move forward with my idea.

His product ArT Wine is now available on Amazon and at www.ArTWinePreservation.com

Vinai Sundaram, Matthew Tan Creti and Patrick Eugster co-founded SensorHound Inc., a software company whose mission is to improve the security and reliability of the Internet of Things. Its leading-edge software solutions proactively and automatically monitor IoT devices to provide effective insights into a devices operational health.

SensorHound is a member of the Purdue Startup Class of 2014. The company has received over $1 million in funding, which allowed it to commercialize the technology. Some of the competitive funding won by the company include the prestigious National Science Foundations Small Business Innovation Research Grant, $75,000 from the Purdue Emerging Innovations Fund, the equivalent of $50,000 from Elevate Ventures and $20,000 from the Black Award.

Our company is established in the Purdue Research Park so we can continue to take advantage of all the resources and expertise that Purdue offers, Sundaram said. We feel strongly that the Purdue connection has had a direct contribution to our success.

Purdue also was ranked 12th in the world among universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2017, according to a report released in July by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

"Its an exciting time to be at Purdue, and I am continually amazed at all the research and entrepreneurial activity taking place," said Dan Hasler, chief entrepreneurial officer for the Purdue Research Foundation. "These are outstanding researchers, students, staff and others who have a strong desire to make a meaningful contribution to our society. They are creating companies based on their own expertise, but taking advantage of all that Purdue has to offer to help make them become successful in the entrepreneurial world."

Purdue's Office of Technology Commercialization had 123 U.S. patents issued, 222 licensing deals of Purdue intellectual property with startups and established companies, and 21 startups created based on Purdue intellectual property.
English Dutch French

At its meeting on 17 November 2017, the extraordinary shareholders' meeting of Dexia SA could not validly deliberate as it did not have a quorum representing at least one half of the share capital in each category of shares. A new extraordinary shareholders' meeting of Dexia SA, with the same agenda, will be convened to rule on a proposal to convert its preference shares subscribed in 2012 by the Belgian and French States. This meeting will be able to validly deliberate and rule whatever the proportion of the capital is represented.

This extraordinary shareholders' meeting of Dexia SA will be held on Thursday 7 December 2017 at 14:00 at the Dexia registered office, 5 Place du Champs de Mars, 1050 Brussels. Reception will be open as from 13:00 and the shareholders' registration will take place from 13:30 until 14:00.

The invitation to the extraordinary shareholders' meeting containing the agenda and the proposed resolutions was published today in the official journals and in the Belgian and Luxembourg press.

All the documents relating to the extraordinary shareholders' meeting of Dexia SA are available on the Dexia SA website:

http://www.dexia.com/EN/shareholder_investor/general_meeting/AGdec2017/Pages/default.aspx, namely:

the invitation to attend and the special report from the Board of Directors,

the participation, voting by correspondence and proxy forms.

Questions in relation to this meeting may be sent to the company at the email address: shareholder@dexia.com.
Atlanta, GA, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ScottMadden, Inc., one of North Americas leading energy consulting firms, recently released its Fall Energy Industry Update. Themed Generation to Generation: An Energy Evolution, this report examines the direction and magnitude of some of the industry changes and the forces in play for a renewable and distributed energy world, including grid development.

Illinois may be the best-kept secret in grid transformation. The state has laid an excellent foundation. It has modernized the grid through targeted infrastructure and customer-focused investments; this positions the state well for increasing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and renewables. When DERs arrive at scale, the state will be ready.

What is the current state of the electricity market in Illinois? How have legislative initiatives led to transformation in the electricity market? Have these initiatives resulted in a modernized grid and utilities that are flexible and ready for growth in DERs? In this report, ScottMadden addresses these questions and more to help you prepare for the shifting industry.

When we looked at Illinois, we saw the combination of legislative and regulatory support, along with the longer view of required grid capabilities, really enabled significant and durable modernization of the grid, said Cristin Lyons, partner and grid transformation practice leader at ScottMadden. And while more work and investment remain, the foundation has been laid. Well have to see when and where DERs come and at what scale.

For more information about the transitions in Illinois, view Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and ScottMaddens white paper, 51st State Perspectives: DERs Are Coming and Illinois is Ready for Them. To explore perspectives from the individuals leading the transformation and a framework that can help stakeholders in other states, listen to ScottMadden and SEPAs complimentary webinar recording, Perspectives in Grid Transformation from Illinois.

If you were unable to join our Energy Industry Update webcast, the final recording is now available. Hear what our industry experts have to say about changes to, and potential solutions for, FERC-regulated wholesale markets, the future of utility solar, and grid investment in this new session.

About ScottMaddens Energy Practice

We know energy from the ground up. Since 1983, we have been energy consultants. We have served more than 400 clients, including 20 of the top 20 energy utilities. We have performed more than 3,000 projects across every energy utility business unit and every function. We have helped our clients develop strategies, improve operations, reorganize companies, and implement initiatives. Our broad and deep energy utility expertise is not theoreticalit is experience based.

About ScottMadden, Inc.

ScottMadden is the management consulting firm that does what it takes to get it done right. Our practice areas include Energy, Clean Tech & Sustainability, Corporate & Shared Services, Grid Transformation, and Rates, Regulation, & Planning. We deliver a broad array of consulting services ranging from strategic planning through implementation across many industries, business units, and functions. To learn more, visit www.scottmadden.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn.

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Salt Lake City, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the third straight year, Salt Lake Tribune named CHG Healthcare one of the Top Workplaces in Utah. This year, CHG ranks No. 1 on the large company list, which is based on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage that measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution and connection.

CHGs commitment to its core values and people-centric culture creates an environment where employees feel supported at all levels of the organization and are encouraged to be themselves. The result is a workplace environment thats not only fun, but diverse and supportive  a place where employees are passionate about the work they do and can grow their careers.

The company offers employees a variety of unique benefits, including:

Free onsite health clinic and mental health services : Employees and their families receive free onsite healthcare, including primary care services, health coaching and disease management. Employees also have access to free onsite mental health services.

: Employees and their families receive free onsite healthcare, including primary care services, health coaching and disease management. Employees also have access to free onsite mental health services. Volunteer opportunities: Employees receive eight hours of paid time off each year to volunteer at a nonprofit program of their choice. In 2016, CHG employees used their volunteer time off (VTO) to give more than 6,000 hours of service to the community. In addition to VTO, CHG offers its employees opportunities to participate in national and international humanitarian trips.

Employees receive eight hours of paid time off each year to volunteer at a nonprofit program of their choice. In 2016, CHG employees used their volunteer time off (VTO) to give more than 6,000 hours of service to the community. In addition to VTO, CHG offers its employees opportunities to participate in national and international humanitarian trips. Employee Compassion Fund : Funded by employees, for employees, the Employee Compassion Fund provides tax-free financial grants to help employees facing financial hardship.

: Funded by employees, for employees, the Employee Compassion Fund provides tax-free financial grants to help employees facing financial hardship. Flexible schedules: CHG understands the importance of finding a healthy balance between work and personal time. With this in mind, the company empowers employees to create flexible work schedules to find an optimal balance between their job and personal responsibilities. Alternate work schedules include flextime, job sharing, a compressed workweek, telecommuting and part-time work.

CHG understands the importance of finding a healthy balance between work and personal time. With this in mind, the company empowers employees to create flexible work schedules to find an optimal balance between their job and personal responsibilities. Alternate work schedules include flextime, job sharing, a compressed workweek, telecommuting and part-time work. Growth and development opportunities: From new employees to company veterans, CHGs award-winning training programs offer a wide-range of learning and development opportunities to help employees remain competitive in their roles and enhance their personal growth.

In addition to being ranked No. 20 on Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies To Work For list, CHG has also ranked on Fortunes list of Best Workplaces for Parents, Women, Millennials and Giving Back, as well as one of People magazines 50 Companies That Care.

VIDEO: Find out why CHG Healthcare is one of the countrys best companies to work for: bit.ly/CHGbestcompany

CHG employs more than 2,500 people in eight offices across the country, including Utah, Florida, North Carolina, Connecticut, Michigan, and Oklahoma. Last year, CHGs healthcare staffing companies placed more than 12,000 medical providers across the country who served 25 million patients.

About CHG Healthcare

Founded in 1979, CHG Healthcare is a leader in healthcare staffing and the nations largest provider of locum tenens services. Through its trusted brands  CompHealth, Weatherby Healthcare, RNnetwork, Foundation Medical Staffing and Global Medical Staffing  the company provides temporary and permanent placement of physicians, allied health professionals, and nurses to healthcare facilities across America. CHG prides itself on having a values-driven culture that focuses on Putting People First. The company is known for its award-winning culture and benefits and has been named one of FORTUNE magazines "100 Best Companies to Work For" each of the past eight years. To learn more about CHGs workplace culture, visit chghealthcare.com.

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Attachments:

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Attachments:

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chem-Dry, the worlds leading carpet and floor care franchise, announced today that it is broadening its footprint to service customers in Central Asia by adding master franchisee Bakhtiyar Sharipov of Kazakhstan to its global team.



With nearly 3,500 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Asia, Chem-Dry is serving 10,000 homes and businesses each day. Chem-Dry is aggressively seeking master franchise owners like Sharipov to bring this successful brand to their region. Master franchisees own the franchising rights to an entire region or country.

An experienced businessman with an established network of contacts, Sharipov brings Chem-Dry to Kazakhstan with goals of further expanding into the surrounding Commonwealth of Independent States.

We believe it is the perfect time to enter this market and that this will open an exciting new chapter for Chem-Dry, says Joe Manuszak, vice-president of international growth and development for Harris Research, the parent of Chem-Dry. Bringing Chem-Dry to the region provides a unique business opportunity. We look forward to working with Mr. Sharipov.

As Kazakhstan is experiencing an upswing of its economy, we have a great deal of investment interest and individuals making an upper middle-class income who are willing to pay for carpet and floor care services, says Sharipov. There is a great deal of activity involving the regions infrastructure and real estate. The number of home purchases is up, which we believe is offering an opportunity for owners of Chem-Dry to create relationships with many new customers eager to take pride in their new home or office space.

This is Chem-Drys first effort in Central Asia. Recently, the company expanded into Cambodia, alongside the South East part of the continent as part of its goal of maintaining development momentum worldwide.

With a mission of helping people live healthy lives starting with clean carpets, our proprietary hot carbonating extraction cleaning process uses less water and penetrates deep into the fibers, removing an average of 98% of common household allergens from carpets and upholstery and 89% of the airborne bacteria in your home when a sanitizer is added. Additionally, the company offers cleaning  including green solutions  of upholstery, tile and grout, and area rugs.

ABOUT US

HRI (Harris Research Inc.) is one of the largest franchisors in the service industry with nearly 3,500 franchises in over 50 countries. HRI owns the Chem-Dry and N-Hance franchise brands and is backed by Baird Capital Partners.

CHEM-DRY Founded in 1977, Chem-Dry's patented hot carbonating extraction process provides an environmentally friendly, deeper clean for carpets, tile, stone, upholstery and other surfaces. Chem-Dry has over 40 Green Certified products. Green-certified hot carbonating extraction cleaning process allows surfaces to dry faster, provides a deeper clean, and leaves homes healthier. Chem-Dry has been ranked the number one carpet cleaning franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 29 consecutive years and has been selected by Franchise Direct as one of the top 100 global franchises. For more information, visit www.chemdry.com.

Contact:

Joe Manuszak

Vice President, International Growth and Development

joe.manuszak@hrisupport.com

+1 616-560-8686
Hi RigelKent,You've described an approach to the GMAT that I don't think I've seen before (in this context): working through a particular GMAT Product/Course with the intent as serving as a potential information source for another person. While that plan might be beneficial, I can see a few potential shortcomings in this approach:1) Your expertise(s), strengths and weaknesses are not necessarily the same as your son's, so the 'takeaways' that you pull from the EMPOWERgmat Course may be more/less useful to your son than they might be for you. In that same way, you might not properly emphasize the proper Tactics, patterns, etc. that your son might need.2) Most of our Clients hit their 'peak' scores after 3 months of consistent, guided study - but your goal isn't to score at a high level on the GMAT, so there's some question as to how well your plan (and its limited timeframe) will "work."3) It's unclear how well you'll be able to replicate the lessons, style, advice, etc. that the Course presents. Depending on your son's Score Goal, those potential inconsistencies could impact how well he improves (and how quickly).There's certainly no harm in attempting what you're thinking about, but it strikes me as having the potential to be inefficient. If you - or your Son - have any questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,Rich_________________
Social Security is arguably the most important social program for our nation's retired workers. Each month, more than 42 million of the 61.6 million people receiving a monthly stipend from the Social Security Administration are retired workers. Of these retirees, more than three out of five (62%) rely on their payout to account for at least half of their income, with about a third reliant on Social Security for practically every cent they get each month.

An analysis conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that Social Security income keeps senior poverty rates below 9%. Without this income, an estimated 41% of seniors would be living below the federal poverty level. It's simply that important of a program.

Can you count on Social Security?

But the big question is: Can you count on Social Security when you retire?

According to the newest report from the Social Security Board of Trustees, the program is set to face some major headwinds within the next two decades. By 2022, it'll begin paying more in benefits than it's collecting annually in revenue, which will result in a cash outflow from its nearly $3 trillion in asset reserves. By 2034, the trustees report projects that the program's asset reserves will be completely wiped out.

Why is this shift occurring? It's a function of the steady retirement of baby boomers from the workforce and not having enough new workers to replace them. This is weighing down the all-important worker-to-beneficiary ratio. Life expectancies have also been on the rise for decades, allowing retirees to pull a benefit from the program for perhaps two decades or longer, when it was initially designed to supplement retired workers for a much shorter period.

The end result, say the trustees, is the possibility that benefits could be cut on an across-the-board basis by up to 23%. In constant dollars, the average retired worker is currently bringing home about $1,372 a month, or close to $16,500 a year. If those payouts were cut by 23%, the average retired worker would see his or her monthly stipend drop to $1,056, or close to $12,700 annually. That's less than $1,000 above the federal poverty level.

Making matters worse, the purchasing power of Social Security income has been on a pretty steady decline since 2000. An analysis from The Senior Citizens League find that the purchasing power of Social Security dollars has declined by 30% since the start of the century. In other words, what once purchased $100 worth of goods and services now buys $70 worth of goods and services.

Social Security will be there for you, in some capacity

On the surface, Social Security doesn't look like something the average American worker should count on during retirement. But if we dig below the surface, we'd see that this view is incorrect. While the program might look quite a bit different when you retire than it does to current retirees, you can most definitely count on it being there in some capacity for you.

The key to Social Security's survival is its revenue channels. It's currently funded three ways.

The smallest contributor is the taxation of benefits. Yes, your Social Security benefits may be taxable if you earn too much. According to IRS rules, if you make more than $25,000 as a single tax filer, or $32,000 as a couple filing jointly, half of your Social Security benefits can be exposed to federal income tax. Last year, the taxation of benefits generated $32.8 billion of the $957.5 billion collected.

Interest earned on the programs' asset reserves added another $88.4 billion in 2016. The Social Security Administration invests nearly all of its assets in special issue bonds, with a small amount going into certificates of indebtedness. As of the end of the September 2017, the average yield on Social Security's asset reserves was 2.903%. Unfortunately, as its asset reserves become depleted, this revenue channel could wane and possibly even disappear entirely.

The bulk of the program's funding comes from the payroll tax on earned income between $0.01 and $128,700 as of 2018. This 12.4% tax was responsible for $836.2 billion of the $957.5 billion collected in 2016. As long as Americans keep working, this tax revenue will continue to be collected. That's the beauty of Social Security: It can't go bankrupt as long as the payroll tax remains in place and people keep working. This isn't to say payroll tax revenue alone will be enough to cover the benefits being paid out by the program each year, but it does suggest that a benefit in some form will be paid to those eligible to receive one during retirement.

It's designed to be a supplemental, not primary, income source

The important thing that working Americans and pre-retirees need to realize is that Social Security was never intended to make anyone rich, or to be a primary income source during retirement. The average retiree, according to the Social Security Administration, can expect the program to replace about 40% of his or her working wages. Though this percentage could be a bit higher for low-income workers, or a bit lower for the well-to-do, the key point is that it's not meant to be leaned on too heavily.

The data, of course, suggests otherwise. As noted, 62% count on Social Security for half their income, and about a third for 90% or more of their income. That's worrisome with a potential benefits cut looming within two decades.

Even though Social Security can be counted on during retirement, it doesn't mean today's workers should expect it to provide the same financial foundation that it did for their parents or grandparents. It's imperative for working Americans to save and invest for their future to reduce their reliance on Social Security.

The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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Guwahati, Nov 19 (IBNS): In a major breakthrough for the security forces after the finance secretary of banned outfit NSCN-K was arrested from Meghalayas capital city Shillong on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.

Inovi Avika Achumi, finance secretary of NSCN-K, was arrested in a joint operation carried out by the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police from Demseiniong area in Shillong.

East Garo Hills district Superintendent of Police Davies R Marak said that following a tip-off, the troops of Assam Rifles and Meghalaya police had jointly launched an operation at Deseiniong area, where Inovi Avika Achumi hiding since couple of days.

We were informed from about Achumis presence in Shillong area and kept surveillance on his movement and activities. Intelligence informed that, Achumi hiding at Deseiniong area and staying at a rented house near NEEPCO office. Finally the troops raided at his hideout on Saturday night and arrested him, East Garo Hills district SP said.

Security personnel also detained Achumis wife and brother-in-law, but later they were released.

The top police official said that, security personnel did not recovered any arms and ammunition in possession from Achumi.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya police has started interrogation him to collect information of NSCN-K.

Achumi is a most wanted militant of National Investigating Agency (NIA).

NSCN-K is active in Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and some parts of Myanmar.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Image: artsfon.com

Berlin, Nov 20 (IBNS): Germany's powerful Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing her biggest challenge in 12 years as dialogue with free-market liberal FDP has collapsed, thus nullifying the possibility of forming a coalition government in Deutschland.

After four weeks of talks with Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc and the Greens, FDP leader Christian Lindner said there was "no basis of trust" between the respective parties.

Linder said, "It is better not to rule than to rule badly. Goodbye."

Upset with how things have unfolded, Merkel will meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and convey him the results formally.

The President has the power to call for snap elections.

Calling it a day of 'deep reflection', the German Chancellor said, "As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come."

Merkel is regarded among the world's most powerful leaders.

Following the US election last year, in which Donald Trump won, may had stated Merkel as the new leader of the free world, but following the recent development, expert believe that her credibility is likely to take a hit.



Image: artsfon.com


The effort to drive the Kurds out of Kirkuk and back into the accepted borders of Iraqs Kurdistan region were evidently spurred by the Kurdish regional governments decision to hold a referendum on Kurdish independence the previous month. But while the storming of Kirkuk arguably helped to safeguard Iraqs territorial integrity, it also seemed to underscore diminished Iraqi autonomy, insofar as the role of Iran in its neighbors affairs was reinforced.

This latter fact received renewed attention on Tuesday when Reuters reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had been rewarded handsomely for its support of the effort to reclaim Kirkuk. The report indicates that Iran has been granted control over much of the regions rich oil exports, under an agreement that initially grants the Iranians 15,000 barrels per day, worth approximately one million dollars.

The agreement further stipulates that that figure will gradually rise to 60,000 barrels per day, and it also revives a pipeline project that could carry ten times that amount of Kurdish oil from Kirkuk to central Iran. Reuters notes that Irans Revolutionary Guard can be expected to approve any oil transactions between Tehran and Baghdad. And although the initial negotiations over the given agreement involved Oil Ministry officials, it is also expected that the IRGC will take over for this government department in the future.

Such reports point to a deepening foothold in Iraqi affairs for the Iranian government and more specifically for the IRGC, which generally controls the proxy militias already operating in Iraq, and which represents a sort of deep state that answers only to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei while reportedly controlling the majority of all Iranian wealth.

Any further growth of influence for the hardline paramilitary represents a further challenge to Western interests in the region. And many of those who have been observing these developments have also been critical of the reticence of the US and other Western powers to take measures that might loosen the IRGCs hold on the broader Middle East.

This was the focus of an Al Jazeera editorial that was published on Tuesday. It observed that the American image of stability in post-Islamic State Iraq is purely focused on territorial integrity and the rebuilding of something approximating the status quo. A Kurdish push for independence was presumably considered to be incompatible with this vision, and the editorial thus concludes that Western powers abandoned the Kurds in the run-up to the Iran-backed storming of Kirkuk. But in so doing, those powers also left the door open for Tehran to broaden the influence that has already grown in the wake of other regional conflicts and a shift in European relations with Iran.

US President Donald Trump has sought to reverse his predecessors encouragement of detente with the Islamic Republic. Toward that end, he has decertified Iranian compliance with the Obama-era nuclear deal and has ordered the imposition of broad-ranging new sanctions against the IRGC. But in light of the Reuters report and the Al Jazeera editorial, Western inaction in Iraq may appear at odds with the White Houses assertive policy adjustments. Whats more, this perspective is not limited to Iraqi affairs, or to policy analysts based in affected areas. Some of the US presidents domestic allies have also expressed concern that his administration is not doing enough to limit Iranian influence.

On Tuesday, the Washington Free Beacon reported that nearly 50 American lawmakers had written a letter to the White House calling attention to the presence of an estimated 1,800 IRGC fighters in Syria and demanding a concrete plan to push Iran out of the country. Iraq and Syria face many similarities in the wake of their simultaneous conflicts with the Islamic State. Not least among them is the apparently entrenched presence of IRGC-linked militant groups that have become virtually inseparable from the armed forces of the two countries.

Nervous about the growth of Iranian imperialism, Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition to push Iran out of Yemen, another zone of open conflict, and to counterbalance Tehran more generally.

In recent months, the US has supported these efforts, but only up to a point. It has discouraged any broadening of the confrontation between regional rivals, apparently concerned about greater threats to the stability of countries racked with sectarian conflict. However, critics of the Iranian regime predict that the continued entrenchment of its presence across the Middle East will only exacerbate those conflicts, as evidenced by violence perpetrated by Iran-backed militias against Sunni populations in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere.
His comments came during a press conference in Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he spoke with his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir. Le Drian said that France was concerned about Irans interventions all across the Middle East, mentioning in particular Iraq and Syria.

However, since these comments were made, sources in France have not commented on rumours about the start of a crisis between France and Iran.

Responding to the French Foreign Ministers comments, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, Bahram Ghassemi, said the very next day that France was provoking struggles in the Middle East.

He added: Unfortunately it seems that France has a biased and partisan approach to the crises in the region and this approach, whether intentionally or not, is even contributing to turning potential crises into real ones.

Ghassemi also said that as far as Iran was concerned, France was flying in the face of regional realities and is addressing its concerns to the wrong side.

The French Foreign Minister was in Saudi Arabia to take part in efforts to resolve the current crisis that was sparked when the Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri announced his resignation earlier this month.

When Hariri announced his resignation, he made it very clear that Iran was one of the main factors behind his decision. He said that Iran has a significant amount of control over Lebanon, and it gains even more control via Hezbollah that is also heavily influenced by Iran.

Last month, the US President Donald Trump decided that he would not recertify Irans compliance with the Iran nuclear deal. Before he announced his decision, numerous EU leaders urged the President to recertify Irans compliance because it is the only way to keep Irans nuclear ambitions under control.

French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the leaders that urged Trump to recertify Irans compliance. He warned that Iran would become the new North Korea if the deal falls apart. However, Macron made it very clear that there are other issues that need addressing when it comes to the Iranian regime.

He agreed that Irans aggression across the whole of the Middle East needs to be curbed and has expressed his concern about Irans ballistic missile program. He said that it is very important for Iran to clarify its strategy with regards to the program.

The French Foreign Minister is due to visit the Iranian capital very soon, however it seems like it might be postponed because of supposed scheduling issues. In reality, the relations between Iran and France are strained.

Macron said in response to claims that France was biased that Iran is misunderstanding Frances balanced position and urged all parties to remain calm and find an equilibrium. He reaffirmed that France is still a partner of Iran and is ready to hold talks with the Iranian government.
Predictably, Iranian authorities publicly rejected the resolution and attempted to portray it as a product of political bias, although they did not address the actual accusations in the resolution, which was presented to the General Assembly by Canadian diplomats. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, issued a response on Wednesday, as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency. In it, he said Iran is ready to hold negotiations with real supporters of human rights on developing human rights in the framework of mutual respect, equality, justice and fairness.

The language of the UN resolution specifically called upon Iran to deepen its engagement with the world community over human rights issues, but the government has traditionally been selective about whom it allows to monitor the relevant situation. Although Iranian authorities claim otherwise, it has been widely reported that the UNs special rapporteurs on human rights in Iran have been consistently barred from entering the country or communicating openly with its citizens for more than 10 years.

Some Iranians have even faced charges for secretly contacting the special rapporteur or other international human rights defenders. This past history raises questions as to whom the Iranian Foreign Ministry had in mind when Qasemi said Tehran would communicate with real supporters of human rights.

The Islamic Republic claims to maintain its own internal human rights monitor, but in practice this office has served little other purpose than to issue formal denials of international criticism regarding political imprisonment, unjustified capital sentences, and more. As with Qasemis response to the UN resolution, these statements typically proclaim political bias, do not address the relevant allegations, and baldly assert that the US and its allies are guilty of equivalent or greater human rights violations.

Twenty-nine other UN member states joined Iran in voting against the resolution on Tuesday. These nations diplomats also reportedly joined the Iranians in avoiding serious attempts to rebut the issues described in the resolution. Instead, they described the rationale for their vote as collective opposition to the use of the UN gathering for the purpose of producing targeted resolutions regarding individual countries.

Opposition to the Iran human rights resolution was led by steadfast Iran allies including Syria, North Korea, and two of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia.

These countries comprise a sort of anti-Western bloc that can be reliably expected to oppose any international measures that seem to result from pressures originating among Western powers.

Some analysts have been warning for some time of the development of this bloc. And they have also been able to point to the existence of influential voices in Iran, Russia, and elsewhere that are explicitly pushing for a more adversarial relationship between Eurasia and the West. As an example, an article on Tuesday profiling Aleksandr Gelyevich Dugin, who has been dubbed with the nickname Putins brain in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin and who has traveled back and forth between Russia and Iran for the past 20 years.

The article describes how Dugin has advanced a Eurasia-centered worldview that encourages Russia to remain aligned with anti-Western forces like the Iranian regime and to pursue a more adversarial relationship with the West overall. Political forces such as this have presumably helped to undermine the international efforts to divide Iranian and Russia interests against each other in Syria, where both countries helped to save the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad from a popular rebellion that began in 2011.

Despite some Western analysts expectations to the contrary, the Syrian Civil War appears to have solidified the Iran-Russia alliance that remained on display in the debate and vote over Tuesdays human rights resolution. Now, far from helping the US and its allies to diminish Iranian influence in post-war Syria, it seems that Russia will be helping Iran to remain entrenched there.

Notably, this problem was highlighted in another resolution at the UN General Assembly. As Al Arabiya reported on Wednesday, the Iran human rights vote was immediately followed by another country-specific resolution addressing rights violations in Syria. The language of that resolution included a call for Iran to remove its militant proxy-forces from the country, where many of them have been accused of brutal treatment of Sunni populations which were reminiscent of the treatment of Shiite populations by militants with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

On one hand, this second resolution may call further attention to the immediate consequences of the developing, Russia-led eastern bloc. But on the other hand, insofar as it is country-specific it may further galvanize that blocs coordinated opposition to international measures that seem to advance Western interests, even if those measures also address well-recognized human rights crises.

Certainly, the existence of such a crisis in Syria is not a matter of dispute. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministrys failure to address the allegations in the first resolution seems like tacit admission that the existence of an Iranian human rights crisis cannot be seriously denied either. However, this is not to say that other Iranian officials havent tried to do so, at least for a domestic audience that is somewhat isolated from international media as a result of vigorous government censorship.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran reported on Tuesday that Mohammad Hossein Moghimi, the governor of Tehran Province had repeated debunked narratives about an improved domestic situation in Iran under President Hassan Rouhani, who began his first term in 2013 and won reelection in May of this year. The governor told the Iranian Labor News Agency that there had been no clashes between Iranian security forces and lawful public gatherings during the Rouhani era. But CHRI pointed to several specific reports that prove the falsity of this statement. Indeed, many human rights organizations have insisted that certain human rights issues have only gotten worse since the supposedly moderate presidents election. Furthermore, many of the protests that have attracted the violence of the security forces over the past four years have explicitly called attention to the Rouhani administrations failure to live up to campaign promises regarding the defense of human rights.

Another CHRI report published on Tuesday served to highlight the ongoing efforts to tighten restrictions on free speech and to facilitate the crackdown on dissent, in absence of serious political opposition from the Rouhani administration. The report updated the Iranian regimes account of its efforts to develop a National Information Network with the intention of effectively cutting off the Iranian population from the global internet. According to recent statements from Irans Supreme Cyberspace Council, once this network is put into place, Iranians may be required to use unique identification numbers to access it, thereby making it easier for security forces to identify persons who post material that supports vague, political charges like propaganda against the regime or insulting the sacred.

It is not yet clear whether such new restrictions would overcome the virtual proxy networks and other technical tricks that young and politically active Iranians currently use to circumvent existing restrictions on the Iranian internet. If they are, the regime may be able to cut off powerful outlets for political dissent and information sharing, which recently helped to spread unprecedented awareness of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners, among other things.

In a statement welcoming Tuesdays UN resolution, the National Council of Resistance of Iran made a point of tying the current human rights issues to the persistent lack of international inquiry and criminal punishment for the perpetrators of past crimes against humanity. The 1988 resolution, which primarily targeted the NCRIs main constituent group and which killed an estimated 30,000 people in the span of a few months, was described in the statement as the best example of serious human rights violations in Iran.

The statement went on to urge the UN to follow up on its resolution by initiating a comprehensive, independent investigation of the 1988 massacre. NCRI President Maryam Rajavi emphasized, This is the first step in putting an end to the impunity of criminals who have been ruling Iran for 38 years.
The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, is being criticised for his lack of action faced with such a high level of devastation. Many say that he was very slow to respond.

The countrys government has said through state media that sufficient aid was being provided to those that lost their homes after the earthquake, but rivals to Rouhani have said that this could not be further from the truth. They showed images of entire towns and villages that have people sleeping outside, in the cold, and without any belongings.

However, Rouhanis camp is saying that his opponents are taking advantage of this tragedy to criticise the government. One of his allies said that instead of showing unity in this very difficult time, people are criticising the president and claiming that he is incapable.

The earthquake was the worst to hit the country in more than a decade, even worse than the recent earthquake in Mexico.

As is usual following natural disasters, countries usually call on international help to deal with the aftermath. However, this is not the case with Iran which declined international assistance, claiming that the government is more than capable of managing the situation.

It was reported that there were mattresses, tents and blankets, as well as emergency food rations, sent to all the affected areas. However, this is not the case and there are still many people who have not received any government help at all.

Tasnim and Fars news agencies both reported about the role of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying that it has been helping the people in need. They also reported that the Basij militia force is lending a hand.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on the government to hurry its relief efforts along, and indicated that much more help was needed. He said that the earthquake was a test for authorities to perform their duties.

Hardliner media has strongly criticised the government, accusing it of being incompetent and for failing to learn lessons from the earthquake in 2003 in Bam where more than 30,000 people died. At the same time, it praised the IRGC for its assistance and shows images of areas that have been restored.

The deputy head of the IRGC, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, said: Immediately after the quake, the IRGC rushed to the area to help. We set up shelters, field clinics  We will not leave until all survivors have a permanent shelter. Our commanders have been working around the clock.

However, despite what little has been done to help the people of Iran, overall, the response by all authorities in the country has been insufficient. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime that lines its own pockets at the expense of the people is showing that nothing will ever change. The reality of the situation is that there are many people who still need help. Blaming the other side is helping no one.
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Taiwan Little Eats, specializing in flavored teas and portable food, opened Oct. 20 at 320 State St. in the storefront that housed Mad City Frites.
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Some residents of the Spring Harbor neighborhood want University Avenue to be a "green business corridor." The city and current zoning seem to favor buildings closer to the street. The tension between the two is playing out in several proposed developments on University Avenue.
The following companies are subsidiares of D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton  Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC  Glendale LLC, DHIC  Grove West LLC, DHIC  South Park LLC, DHIC  Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes.

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Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and offers medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and payers, as well as provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Plenty of small companies run crowdfunding campaigns to raise money and generate buzz for their new products. Eve-Tech went a bit further with its new tablet. The Eve V wasnt just crowdfunded it was crowd-developed.

The company solicited feedback from potential customers through polls and forum posts before making most major decisions about the tablet. The end result is a tablet that looks a lot like a Microsoft Surface tablet if Microsoft had prioritized some different features. Unlike Microsofts tablets, the Eve V has a Thunderbolt 3 port, for example. And the detachable keyboard cover supports Bluetooth, so you can use it whether its touching the tablet or not.

Its been about a year since Eve launched its crowdfunding campaign for the Eve V tablet, and the first units are now shipping to backers.

While the tablets not widely available for purchase yet, Eve will hold a flash sale on December 4th starting at 2:00PM GMT (9:00AM Eastern) with a limited number of tablets up for sale for $799 and up.

Eve loaned me a pre-release Eve V tablet to review, and Ive been using it for work and play for the past week. The model I tested is a more powerful version with a list price of $1599. While all versions have the same basic design and features, Id expect a bit of variance in performance depending on the processor and memory configurations.

7/26/2018 update: Eve Tech has had some trouble keeping up with shipment schedules and processing refunds and warranty claims, so you may want to check out the Eve Community forum for the latest status on the company before placing an order.



Overview

Eves strategy of giving the people what they want by first asking what they want sounds obvious after all, plenty of consumer electronics companies do customer research before designing new products. What they dont usually do is conduct the whole process in the open. Online polls sometimes have unintended consequences, after all.

But Eve didnt quite ask the community to develop a tablet from scratch. Instead the company looked at multiple options for the tablets display, processor, and other component and asked users which theyd prefer.

For example, the company specifically didnt focus on high-quality cameras, because while users wanted front and rear cameras for basic usage, most folks will probably use their smartphone or other camera for taking photos most of the time, and only use the Eve in a pinch or maybe for making video calls.

And when Eve had to choose whether to use an Intel Core U-series 15 watt processor, or a more efficient 4.5 watt Core Y-series chip. The former would provide more reliable performance, while the latter would help offer longer battery life.

The community was closely divided, but Eve opted for the Y-series processors in order to offer decent overall performance, fanless cooling, and longer battery life.

While Microsofts higher-priced Surface tablets have 15 watt Core i5 and Core i7 chips, the Eve V is available with 4.5 watt Core M3, Core i5, or Core i7 chips which means the fastest Eve V wont score as high as the fastest Surface in benchmarks. But in day to day performance, youd be hard pressed to see much difference unless you run seriously CPU-intensive tasks on a regular basis.

And unlike Microsoft, Eve included a Thunderbolt 3 port, giving users the option of adding an external graphics dock if they want to boost performance by using a desktop-class GPU.

Eve makes it clear that community input went into the design of this tablet as soon as you open the box: the back of the box top is printed with the names of the one thousand minds behind the Eve V.

Design and Specs

Each Eve V tablet has the same basic design: its a tablet with a 12.3 inch, 2880 x 1920 pixel IGZO LCD display with 100 percent sRGB color calibration (although you can adjust the calibration by using the preinstalled Calman app).

The tablet has an aluminum body and it measures 11.6 x 8.1 x 0.35 and weighs about 2 pounds without the keyboard cover, or about 3 pounds with the keyboard attached.

The tablet has quad speakers and dual noise-canceling microphones on the top, two full-sized USB 3.0 ports (one on either side), and two USB Type-C ports on the left side, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack.

One of those smaller ports is a USB 3.0 port, while the other is a Thunderbolt 3 port. Since I dont have any TB3 accessories, I pretty much used them interchangeably: you can plug the power adapter into either port to charge the tablet, and USB Type-C accessories will work with either port.

Power and volume buttons are on the right side of the tablet. The volume key looks like a single button, but you can press the bottom to reduce the volume and the top to raise it. Since the button barely protrudes from the side of the tablet, it can actually be a bit tough to find by just sliding your finger along the tablet without looking. It probably doesnt help that the volume button is right above the USB port.

The power button is even tougher to find without looking, because it sits nearly flush with the edge of the tablet. The power button also doesnt move very much when you press it. More than once Ive thought I turned on the computer only to notice that the screen remains blank until I press the button again.

Eve also built a fingerprint sensor into the power button. Its compatible with Windows Hello, which allows you to login by touching your finger to the sensor instead of typing a password or PIN. You can also wake the computer from sleep and login all in one step by touching the fingerprint sensor when the screen is off.

Since the tablet is thinner than your fingertip, youll need to register multiple parts of your fingerprint when setting up the reader. Even after doing that, Ive sometimes been prompted to move my finger higher or lower on the reader when trying to login. When it works, its one of the fastest ways to login to Windows. When it doesnt its not.

On the back of the tablet theres a kickstand that opens at up to a 120 degree angle, and which holds the tablet firmly in place at just about any angle.

On the bottom there are a set of Pogo pins for connecting the detachable keyboard cover.

The keyboard features full-sized keys with an island-style layout and comfortable key travel. I have absolutely no problem typing on this keyboard, but then Im a touch typist.

Folks who look at the keys might notice a few oddities. First, theres no key labeled backspace. Instead theres a key called oops! that does exactly what youd expect a backspace key to do.

The V on the keyboard is also a stylized upside-down triangle designed to look like the Eve V logo.

I suppose those tweaks add a bit of whimsy to the keyboard, but Id personally feel a bit silly working in public with a machine that has an oops! key.

One feature I wish the keyboard had which it does not? An indicator light for the Caps Lock key. Theres currently no way to tell whether Caps Lock is on until you start typing and NOTICE THAT EVERYTHING IS CAPITALIZED.

As mentioned above, you can adjust the color of the LED lights that illuminate the keyboard, and I did actually find this to be a delightful little surprise, even if its one that Im not sure Id actually use all that often. Most people will probably pick a favorite color and leave it set. But if you find that white lights look better in some environments and blue, red, or green works better in others, its nice to be able to make the change.

The back of the keyboard cover, the palm rest, and the area surrounding the keys is covered in a fabric-like material that gives the machine a warm, comfortable feeling when you place your hands on the keyboard. But it is a bit of a dust magnet and a dust trap. Not only do I keep finding white and grey specs in the black fabric, theyre also hard to remove because they settle into the sued-like fabric so that theyre hard to wipe off with a cloth.

Theres a glass-covered precision touchpad below the keyboard, and while its not the widest touchpad Ive used, its comfortable and responsive and I had no problems using it to navigate.

Of course, this is also a tablet, so you can just reach out and touch the screen with your fingers. Since the tablet has a high-resolution display, that would be tough to do at 100% scaling, but out of the box Eve has set the scaling to 200% which means that text, graphics, and objects dont look incredibly tiny. Ive found that when I want to fit more content on the screen, the tablet is usable at 150% or 175% scaling, but I do have to squint a bit at those resolutions.

The Eve V also supports pen input. It comes with a Windows Ink certified N-trig pen with 2 buttons and support for 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Im not much of an artist and my handwriting is awful, so I havent really been able to put the pen to good use on those fronts. But it does make some Windows activities easier when youre using the tablet without a mouse and keyboard.

For example, you can hover the pen over the top of the screen without touching it to view menus or other items that would normally appear if you moved your mouse cursor over them but not if you tapped them with your finger. Holding a button on the pen and tapping the screen also works like a right-button click on a mouse.

The pen is actually a bit thicker than the tablet, so theres no way Eve could have created a slot to let you store the pen inside the tablet when its not in use (unless the company opted for a different pen altogether). Instead, its magnetic, allowing you to just touch the pen to the right side of the tablet and have it stay in place.\

Under the hood, the tablet features a 48 Wh battery and wireless radios for 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.2. The tablet has a 5MP fixed-focus rear camera and a 2MP front-camera.

Everything mentioned above is true whether you opt for an entry-level $799 tablet or a fully decked-out Eve V tablet with a $1999 price tag. So what are the differences between those models? CPU, memory, and storage. Heres a run-down of the US and European pricing for each option:

Intel Core M3-7Y30/8GB/128GB for $799/799EUR

Intel Core i5-7Y54/8GB/256GB for $1199/1199EUR

Intel Core i5-7Y54/16GB/512GB for $1499/1549EUR

Intel Core i7-7Y75/16GB/512GB for $1599/1649EUR

Intel Core i7-7Y75/16GB/1TB for $1999/1999EUR

The model Eve loaned me for this review is the $1599 version, and over the past week Ive used it for some blogging, web surfing, light gaming, video watching, and document editing, among other things. So how did it perform?









Using it

The Eve V has an excellent display that looks good from just about any angle. It comes with a keyboard thats reasonably comfortable to type on particularly if youre using the computer on a flat surface. And it has a pressure-sensitive pen that magnetically attaches to the side of the tablet when its not in use.

In other words, the most obvious competition for the Eve V is the Microsoft Surface Pro. But I should point out that Ive never used a Surface Pro for an extended period of time, so while I can compare specs, I cant compare performance or what it feels like to actually use the tablets.

I will say that despite having a low-power Intel Y-series processor, the Eve V felt just as fast as any laptop Ive used in the past few years when it came to basic tasks like web browsing, document editing, or video playback.

The computer boots quickly, loads most apps in no time, and has no trouble multitasking. The 16GB of RAM and 512GB of speedy solid state storage certainly help, but the Intel Core i7-7Y75 Kaby Lake processor in the review unit I tested certainly didnt hurt. The 4.5 watt processor may have a base clock speed of just 1.3 GHz, but it supports turbo speeds up to 3.6 GHz, allowing it to offer performance thats close to what youd expect from a 15 watt Core i5 or Core i7 chip for brief bursts of activity.

When it comes to tasks that require sustained CPU or graphics power, the Eve V isnt quite as competitive.

While the tablet was one of the fastest Ive tested when it came to trasnscoding an audio file, it scores lower than older laptops with Core i5-6200 and Core i7-6500U chips in synethtic benchmarks like PCMark and 3DMark. And for some reason the Eve V seems to struggle with video transcoding.

It took significantly longer to transcode a 480p video than last years Acer Swift 7 laptop, even though that computer has a Core i5-7Y54 chip which should theoretically be a little slower.

Still, for the most part, the Eve V doesnt feel slow, and unless you plan to use it for gaming, video editing, or other resource-intensive tasks, you probably wont even notice that it has an Intel Y-series processor.

Speaking of gaming, it handles older titles like a champ. I spent a few hours playing StarCraft I with no problems. But when I tried running StarCraft II, the Eve V crashed repeatedly. The program loads, but the screen goes blank a few times and then I get a blue screen of death.

Less demanding games like Lumino City and Telltales The Walking Dead ran without any problems. But this clearly isnt really a machine meant for gaming although it may perform better if you use the Thunderbolt 3 port to plug in an external graphics dock.

Since the laptops 2880 x 1920 pixel display has a 3:2 aspect ratio, you may end up seeing black bars over part of the screen when playing games or watching videos that werent designed for that aspect ratio. But generally speaking, videos look great on this tablet, even if they dont quite fill the whole screen.

I do find it a little easier to get work done on the tablet when I switch to 175% scaling, since my workflow usually consists of viewing two web browser pages in side-by-side windows, one for researching articles on the left, and one for writing in WordPress on the right. At 200% scaling, this tablet has an effective screen resolution of 1440 x 960, which makes it a bit tough to see two full web pages side-by-side. But 175% scaling gives you something closer to an effective 1080p resolution.

The speakers are also not only loud, but surprisingly good at least compared to what youll find in most thin-and-light laptops or tablets.

I mean, theyre not going to replace your HiFi stereo anytime soon, but I spent some time watching Netflix videos and didnt feel the need to plug in headphones or external speakers to enjoy the experience.

Eve says the headphone jack also has a dedicated amplifier for improved audio quality. I plugged in a set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones and watched some Tiny Desk Concerts from NPRs YouTube channel. They sounded pretty good, but Im not sure if they sounded any better than they would have on a laptop or tablet without that dedicated amp.

When gaming, I noticed that the tablet got a little warm to the touch, particularly near the center of the screen and on the bottom of the tablets back (the part thats covered by the kickstand when its retracted). But at no point did the computer get too hot to hold comfortably, and since the Eve V is fanless, it remained silent even under the heaviest of workloads.

Like most 2-in-1 tablets with a kickstand and keyboard cover design, the Eve V isnt quite as easy to balance on your lap as an actually, well, laptop. But it can be done. When used on a flat surface, the computer feels much more laptop-like. The screen doesnt wobble while you type and the keyboard is easy to use.

More importantly, if you want to detach the keyboard and hold the tablet in your hands, you can do that. The included pen makes interacting with legacy Windows apps without a keyboard or mouse easier, and Windows 10 includes support for inking features including a sketchpad and sticky notes.

Unfortunately, while Windows is a much more versatile platform for productivity than Android or iOS, there still arent as many good tablet apps for Windows as there are for those mobile operating systems. For example, one of the few things that I regularly do on a tablet is read eBooks and digital comics. Unfortunately, theres no official Amazon Kindle app for Windows 10 tablets, so I had to install the desktop PC app and/or use the Kindle Cloud Reader app in a web browser neither of which support Amazons personal documents, which means I couldnt access the book Im currently reading on my Kindle and Amazon Fire tablets.

Theres also no Marvel Unlimited or ComiXology apps in the Windows Store, and the web experiences for each arent exactly great in a 12.3 inch Windows tablet.

So I ended up using the Eve V as a laptop far more than as a tablet. I suspect folks who can do more with a pen than I can will probably find tablet mode useful for writing and drawing. And I can certainly see the appeal of having a laptop-like device that can convert to tablet mode when you dont need the keyboard. At the very least, I found it handy a few times to detach the keyboard and just use the kickstand to prop up the tablet so I could watch videos.

Its also nice to be able to use the keyboard when its not attached to the tablet. For example, you could use it to control a PowerPoint presentation at a meeting without needing to sit directly in front of the tablet. While this isnt a feature Im likely to use very often, its certainly nice to have the option to pair it as a Bluetooth device and use it wirelessly.

Eve says the tablet should be able to get up to 10 hours of battery life. In my experience, 6 to 9 hours seems a little more realistic, depending on usage. When I used to tablet for blogging (which involves a lot of web browsing, composing articles in WordPress, light image editing with Irfanview or GIMP, and some audio and video playback, among other things), I tended to get around 6 hours of run time. When streaming videos from Netflix, the figure was closer to 9.

I suppose you could probably get more than 10 hours of battery life if you kept the screen dim, turned off WiFi and Bluetooth, and maybe disconnected the keyboard. But generally speaking, the Eve V comes close to offering battery life that should last you most of a business day. It could certainly get you through a cross-country flight from New York to LA , assuming you dont have a layover in Chicago.

Of course, like most thin and light computers released in recent years, the Eve V does not have a replaceable battery. So battery life will probably decline after a year or two of regular use.

With two full-sized USB ports (one on either side of the tablet) and two USB Type-C ports (both on the left, and one of which is a Thunderbolt 3 port), the tablet has more ports than a Microsoft Surface Pro, allowing you to plug in multiple accessories without using a hub. For example, I had o trouble plugging in a wireless mouse receiver and a USB flash drive at the same time.

It would be nice if the tablet also has an HDMI port, but you should be able to use one of the USB Type-C ports to connect an external display. Youll just need a USB-C to HDMI adapter to do that.

Verdict

Overall, the Eve V is a nice looking computer with a great screen, surprisingly decent speakers, and a $799 starting price that puts it squarely in Microsoft Surface Pro territory.

But Eve didnt send me a $799 tablet to review. They sent a $1599 model thats, quite honestly, probably overkill for most users. Its certainly nice to have the Core M7-7Y75 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of solid state storage, but for the sort of thing Im likely to do with this tablet, half the RAM and storage would probably be sufficient.

That said, if you wanted a Surface pro with a Core i7 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, youd have to pay $2199. Sure, youd also get a higher-power processor. But for $600 less, Eves tablet looks pretty compelling by comparison.

Still, I have to think the sweet spot is probably either the $799 Eve V M3 (with 8GB/128GB) or the $1199 Eve V i5 (with 8GB/256GB). Both of those models have the same screen, keyboard, pen, ports, speakers, and other features that make the model I reviewed pleasant to use.

There are certainly some things Id change if I were designing the Eve V from scratch. The fabric-covered keyboard feels nice, but keeping it clean is nearly impossible. The fingerprint sensor would probably be easier to use if it were built into the screen bezel and large enough to measure your full fingertip at once instead of sitting flush with the edge of the tablet. And itd be nice if the volume buttons were a little more clicky, so you received clear tactile feedback when pressing them.

Still, for a tablet that was (sort of) designed by committee, Eves first premium Windows tablet came out surprisingly well. Apparently sometimes you can give the people what they want by asking what they want.

For now the tablet will only be available in limited quantities though. Eve is a relatively small company that doesnt have the resources to mass produce millions of devices only to have many of them sit on a shelf. So the company will be producing tablets in batches, with the next set of tablets going up for order on December 4th.

As a non-pen user, if I had $799 (or more) to spend on a new 2-in-1 tablet, Id probably opt for a convertible with a built-in keyboard, because a good laptop mode is more important to me than a good tablet mode. But itd be tough to find a model in this price range that has a 2880 x 1920 pixel display, a fanless design, or a Thunderbolt 3 port, let alone all three.
Ken Hobbs, Joanne Juhnke, Kate Moran, Kelli Simpkins: We see potential, not burden, in our students with disabilities
At least five suspected militants and an Indian air force commando were killed Saturday in a fierce gunbattle in disputed Kashmir, police said.

Indian troops cordoned off northern Hajin village on a tip that militants were hiding in civilian homes, said top police officer S.P. Vaid.

The militants tried to escape from the security cordon while firing their guns, triggering a heavy exchange of gunfire, Vaid said.

At least five militants and an air force commando were killed and another soldier was wounded in the fighting, he said, adding that at least one militant was still trapped in the area.

No rebel group fighting since 1989 for Indian-controlled Kashmirs independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan commented on the fighting.

The gunfight is the latest in a string of deadly shootouts between Indian forces and rebels in restive Kashmir. At least 170 rebels and 60 government soldiers have died in the violence this year.

Earlier Saturday, thousands of residents in Kashmirs main city of Srinagar participated in the funeral of a local militant who police said was killed overnight in a shootout with troops.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and both countries claim it in its entirety. Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the region, and most people support the rebels cause while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown. AP
The Court of First Instance (TJB) issued a statement yesterday informing that lawmaker Sulu Sous court hearing, initially scheduled for November 28, was postponed to a date to be announced after the Legislative Assembly (AL) reaches a decision on whether to suspened him or not. The courts information follows a request to postpone the trial by the AL president, Ho Iat Seng. Sulu Sou has been accused of the crime of qualified disobedience. This is the first time since the establishment of the MSAR that a lawmaker faces criminal charges. The AL will convene in a plenary meeting to decide whether it agrees to suspend Sous mandate and consequently remove its immunity, meaning that Sou would stand trial.

Fourth channel connecting artificial island to Taipa

The fourth channel connecting the Macau peninsula to Taipa has been proposed as a means of connecting an artificial island to Taipa. The Legislative Assembly (AL)s Follow-Up Committee on Land and Public Concession Affairs announced that the current blueprints of the fourth connection also depict a connection from the New Urban Zone and the Macau Peninsula to Taipa. Lei Cheng I, chairman of the committee, noted that the central government has deemed Macaus feasibility report regarding the fourth connection problematic. The Macau government aims to deliver another report to the Central Government before the Chinese New Year.

First book on legal cooperation of BRICS countries

The BRICS-Lawyers Guide to Global Cooperation, a book co-edited by three faculty members from the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Law, namely full professor Rostam J Neuwirth, assistant professor Alexandr Svetlicinii, and senior instructor Denis de Castro Halis, was published by Cambridge University Press in September 2017, following the Ninth BRICS Summit, which was held in Xiamen, China, from September 3 to 5, 2017. The book contains 16 chapters written by international experts on a broad range of aspects of legal cooperation of BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), including trade, investment, competition, intellectual property, energy, consumer protection, financial services, space exploration and legal education.

New border gate bus terminal expected in five years

Kou Kun Peng, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Macau, believes it will take the government five to six years to complete the border gate bus terminals design, plan and construction. The government has planned to use the harbor coastline at the eastern side of the border gate to build a new bus terminal and a transportation transit system. Kou considers that related works will take a long time because the project might require a water area authorization issued by the Central Government.

Show apologizes for listing SARs as countries

Korean music awards ceremony Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) has been condemned by several mainland netizens since November 15 for listing Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries instead of regions, during an online voting poll displayed on the awards official website. After Weibo users left comments under MAMAs official Weibo account criticizing the ceremony for the misrepresentation, MAMA deleted the page and apologized. The comment that received the most likes read write down clearly, on Weibo, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about what you did wrong and why you apologized. The music awards show is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on November 30 this year. It was held in Macau in 2010.

Compilation of documents on Matteo Ricci launched

The new book titled Compilation and Annotations of Ming and Qing Chinese Documents on Matteo Ricci, jointly published by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, was recently launched with a ceremony at the Shanghai Library Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei. The book records historical material relating to Matteo Ricci, (a Jesuit priest and founder of missions in China), from the Ming and Qing dynasties documentary archives, specifically from the period between the mid-Ming dynasty and the late-Qing dynasty. Totaling over 800 thousand characters, the compilation consists of six volumes  namely; inscription and biography, preface and postscript, official documents, thesis and commentaries, poems and correspondence and miscellaneous articles. The book provides an introduction to the life of Matteo Ricci, specific events he encountered in China, a compilation of his thinking and analyses of Chinese society and succeeds in providing a full illustration of Matteo Riccis impact on the Chinese society after his arrival in the country.

Taiwan plans new judicial law for SARs

Taiwan is in the process of establishing a law for mutual assistance with both SARs and mainland China in terms of international criminal justice. Under the new law, the regions will provide mutual judicial assistance in combating drug dealing, cross-country fraud and international money laundering. The bill has been approved by the Executive Yuan of the Taiwanese government and will be discussed by Taiwans lawmakers. According to the Executive Yuan, this law will raise awareness among the international community about Taiwans efforts to combat money laundering.

95 percent of HKZMB completed

Ninety-five percent of construction on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has been completed. The bridge will be ready for operation by the end of the year, according to a report by China Daily. The bridge connects to an artificial island, which houses a power transmission project that commenced production on November 16. China Southern Power Grid will operate the power station, which will supply electricity to the bridges highway and integrated transportation systems. The bridges roads are complete, as are most of the tunnels. The last ongoing project concerns the interior refurbishment of the artificial islands functional areas.

Lei Chan U questioned govt internal management

Lawmaker Lei Chan U asked the government whether officials plan to improve internal management. In a written inquiry, fellow lawmaker Sulu Sou urged the government to institutionalize the cash handout scheme, so as to leave precious political assets to the next SAR government. Wong Kit Cheng also called on the government to set up an office to help victims of domestic violence, as Macau has been reporting over a hundred such cases each month.
exiled leader of Cambodias political opposition said last week the international community should cut ties with Prime Minister Hun Sens government after the court-ordered dissolution of the only party challenging his three-decade grip on power.

Sam Rainsy told The Associated Press that the Supreme Court ruling was the death knell of democracy and presented a credibility test to world powers that had sponsored a 1991 peace accord in the Southeast Asian nation, which committed them to supporting an open political system there.

He called for governments to drop their recognition of the prime minister and delegitimize the Hun Sen regime.

Rainsy used to lead the Cambodia National Rescue Party but went into exile last year because of the threat of prison in legal cases against him that are widely regarded as politically motivated. He and a half-dozen CNRP lawmakers are in Washington to lobby U.S. lawmakers and State Department officials.

Rainsy urged the Trump administration to pay more attention to Cambodia and impose targeted sanctions on senior Cambodian officials  although not broader economic restrictions that could hurt Cambodias 15 million people.

The international community must not do business as usual with Hun Sen following his very undemocratic and shocking move to dissolve the only opposition party, Rainsy said in an interview. It is a matter of credibility for the international community following Hun Sens violation of an important international treaty.

The White House released a statement Thursday night expressing grave concern and promising to take concrete steps to respond to the Cambodian governments deeply regrettable actions.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: As a first step, we will terminate support for the Cambodian National Election Committee and its administration of the upcoming 2018 national election. On current course next years election will not be legitimate, free or fair.

The United States and 18 other governments signed the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, which ushered in democracy after the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s, then occupation by Vietnam and civil war.

Thursdays court verdict, read by a judge who is member of the ruling party, came amid an intense push by Hun Sens government to neutralize political opponents and silence critics ahead of July 2018 elections.

There was no immediate reaction by the U.S. administration. American influence has been waning for years as Cambodia edges closer to China, which has supported Hun Sens efforts to protect national security and stability.

In Congress, Republican Sen. John McCain called for the administration quickly to sanction all senior Cambodian government officials responsible for violating human rights and subverting freedom. Republican Rep. Steve Chabot, co-chairman of the House Cambodia caucus, said Cambodian elections next year would be a sham.

Current opposition leader, Kem Sokha, has been imprisoned since September, charged with trying to topple the government with U.S. support, which Washington has said is a baseless accusation.

When you put your principal opponent in jail and half the elected officials in the opposition have to flee the country for their own safety, you have basically disqualified yourself from being a legitimate leader, Chabot said of Hun Sen.

Rainsy said CNRP would continue to operate as a party that represents the will of the people.

We will do our best to channel the popular discontent, the popular frustration, into a peaceful, continuous fight for democratic change, he said, voicing confidence that the international community will not allow Hun Sen to kill democracy in Cambodia.

Hun Sen has been prime minister since 1985 and has held a tight grip on power since ousting a co-prime minister in a bloody 1997 coup.

The CNRP captured nearly half the seats in the last national elections in 2013. Matthew Pennington, Washington, AP
General Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain with an authoritarian hand for 39 years, has died at the age of 82.

He had been ill for five weeks and died early this morning at La Paz hospital, Madrid. Doctors said the cause of death was heart failure aggravated by peritonitis.

Flags all around the country are at half-mast and the generals body is now lying in state at the El Pardo Palace. Franco, also know as the Generalissimo, will be buried next week at the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum.

The Prime Minister, Carlos Arias Navarro, his voice trembling with emotion, announced the death at 1000 local time on radio. He said that on his deathbed General Franco had asked his enemies to forgive him.

I ask pardon of all my enemies, as I pardon with all my heart all those who declared themselves my enemy, although I did not consider them to be so, the general had said.

He also asked the Spanish people to remain loyal to Prince Juan Carlos, his designated successor who will be sworn in as king tomorrow.

In a veiled warning to resist separatist movements such as the Basque nationalist group ETA, he advised the nation to keep the lands of Spain united.

General Franco successfully led the Nationalist armies against the Loyalists during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, with support from Hitlers Germany and Italy under Mussolini.

Franco allowed Hitler to use Spains naval bases during World War II, then declared Spain neutral in 1943 when it looked like the Allies would win.

Under Franco Spain has enjoyed stability and relative prosperity, especially after reforms introduced since 1959 that modernized administration and industry.

His regime has also been deeply reactionary, with political parties and non-government trade unions banned, and separatists and communists repressed.

Leaders of European countries have been guarded in their reaction the dictators death and expressed hope that the new king would introduce modern democracy to Spain.

The European Commission expressed sympathy and friendship for the people of Spain and condolences to General Francos widow.

No western European nation will be sending a head of state to the funeral apart from Monaco.

But staunch supporters in South America, such as President Pinochet of Chile and Bolivias President Banzer will attend.

In Britain, Labour backbenchers are furious that the government is sending a representative  Lord Shepherd, the Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords  to the funeral. Stanley Newens, MP for Harlow, said the decision was an affront to those who fought and died in the Civil War in Spain in the 1930s.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Prince Juan Carlos was sworn in as King of Spain on 22 November 1975.

His speech hinted at democratic reform and tolerance for other cultures within Spain.

The following day thousands joined the new king for General Francos funeral. He was buried at the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum that was built on his orders by prisoners of the Spanish Civil War.

King Juan Carlos led Spain to democracy and in 1977 for the first time in four decades free and fair elections were held.

In 1978 a new constitution confirmed Spain as parliamentary monarchy.

The king won further respect from liberals after he helped to crush a military coup in 1981.

Some regions such as the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia were given a great deal of autonomy, which was then extended to all Spanish regions.

But Spain was dogged by separatist violence in a long-running campaign by the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) to promote Basque independence. The group declared a permanent ceasefire in March 2006.

The Franco years left the country alienated internationally but after Francos death Spain won European support and became a member of the EC, now the EU, in 1986.
Yonghua Song has been appointed the ninth rector of the University of Macau (UM) and will assume office on January 9, 2018.

The University Council unanimously recommended Song to the Chief Executive as the only candidate for the post, which the CE accepted.

The newly-appointed rector has held several leadership positions at U.K. and Chinese universities, and has actively promoted internationalization and institutional cooperation.

In a UM press release, Song says that he is particularly familiar with the development and operational models of higher education institutions in Europe, the United States and Asia.

Song was previously a member of the Standing Committee of the China Communist Party (CPC) at Zhejiang University.

He was also the deputy director of a working office for skilled human resources at the Organization Department of CPC from September 2009 until November 2012.

The University Council decided that Professor Song is the most suitable candidate to lead UM in its next stage of development, the press release states.

Song is a scholar in electrical engineering and received his Ph.D. from the China Electric Power Research Institute. From 1991 to 1996, he held various teaching and research positions at U.K. universities.

In 1997, he was appointed Professor of Power Systems at Brunel University and later Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies at Brunel University in 2004. According to UM, the latter appointment made him the first Chinese scholar to assume a senior management position at a British university

Due to his knowledge in his field and contributions to power systems research, he was awarded a D.Sc. by Brunel University in 2002 and an Honorary D.Eng. by Bath University in 2014.

Song was invited to return to China as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University in 2009 and was appointed assistant president that same year.

The UM statement noted that his research  namely in areas such as energy, information and control engineering  has enhanced the development of the electric power industry.

Due to his scientific achievements and professional stature, he has served as an appointed advisor to the Science and Technology Committee of the MSAR since 2002.

UM said the University Council is confident that the institution will continue to develop with the joint effort of Song and the management team, as well as the faculty, students and alumni.

UM will scale new heights in all-rounded development, towards the goal of the University in becoming an internationally recognized outstanding institution of higher learning, the statement continues.

Song is currently the executive vice president of Zhejiang University, Founding Dean of the international campus, and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Higher Education.
Chinas foreign minister met with Myanmars top leaders yesterday during a visit to the country, a day after discussing the Rohingya refugee crisis with Bangladeshs prime minister.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmars Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched what it called clearance operations in response to insurgent attacks. The refugees say soldiers and Buddhist mobs attacked them and burned their villages to force them to flee.

The campaign has been described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing and drawn widespread outrage from the international community. China, a long-standing friend of Myanmar during the Southeast Asian countrys isolation from the West, has been helping shield Myanmar from the criticism.

On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Dhaka, where he met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that the Rohingya crisis should be solved bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and should not involve outside parties.

As well as meeting President Htin Kyaw in Myanmars capital, Naypyitaw, Wang met with Myanmars leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the powerful commander-in-chief of the military, Min Aung Hlaing.

Today, Myanmar hosts a meeting of Asian and European ministers at which the Rohingya issue is expected to be prominent. AP
A British military dog that saved the lives of troops in Afghanistan in 2012 was decorated Friday for bravery.

Mali, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, won the Dickin medal  a prize awarded by the PDSA veterinary charity and billed as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, Britains top award for military valor.

The charity says Mali was twice sent through direct fire to conduct searches for explosives. He also detected the presence of insurgents, giving troops key seconds to engage the enemy in close-quarter combat.

He carried on despite being hurt by grenade blasts that injured his chest, legs and ear. He has since fully recovered.

Corporal Daniel Hatley, who trained Mali, said he was extremely proud.

The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat, Hatley said.

Mali is the 69th recipient of the prize that since 1943 has recognized gallantry by animals serving with the military, police or rescue services.

The award, named veterinary charitys founder Maria Dickin, has also gone to police horses, carrier pigeons and once to a cat that caught rats on a besieged vessel in China.
A Philippine court has convicted a man for a daring 2007 motorcycle bombing that killed a Muslim rebel-turned-congressman and three other people and wounded 10, including two legislators.

Judge Ralph Lee of the Regional Trial Court Branch 83 on Friday convicted Ikram Indama but acquitted two other key suspects in the Nov. 13, 2007, bombing that killed Rep. Wahab Akbar as he walked out of a lobby at the House of Representatives.

Indama, who has links to Muslim militants, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a copy of Lees decision.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong said that Indama, a cousin of a notorious Abu Sayyaf extremist commander in the countrys south, brought the motorcycle laden with a bomb and was identified through closed circuit television.

Ong said the attackers had also plotted to kill Akbar before, including the previous day, but he was absent from the lower house.

Former Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who survived the bombing with leg and back wounds, head burns and a shattered ear drum, welcomed the conviction but said government investigators should continue efforts to identify the other suspects involved in the attack.

We should not be content with just being told that the one who planted the bomb in the motorcycle has been taken in, Ilagan said by phone. The next question is, who ordered him to do so and what was the motive?

Ilagan, now a social welfare undersecretary, recalled that she was about to board her van from the lobby when a flash of light illuminated the area followed by a loud, loud explosion that forced me and my aide like a strong wind. Her driver died and she later realized she was hit when she felt her leg was bloodied as she lay in the darkness.

Akbar was reportedly among the original leaders of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group when it was established in the late 1980s on the southern island of Basilan. He later had a falling out with the militants, was elected Basilan governor and backed U.S.-backed offensives in his province against the militants, who are notorious for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.

As governor, Akbar had been blamed for a brutal crackdown against Abu Sayyaf militants, who had plotted to retaliate against him, anti-terrorism authorities said.

The Abu Sayyaf has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization.

Akbar also headed a political dynasty that has long ruled Basilan, a poor, predominantly Muslim province that, under him, became a showcase of U.S.-assisted war on terrorism at the time. His political rivals were among the suspects in his killings but were later cleared by the court.

Three other suspects, Hajarun Jamiri, Benjamin Hataman and former police officer Bayan Judda, remain at large and are the targets of a police search, the court said.

Aside from threats posed by Abu Sayyaf gunmen, the southern Philippines has also faced intense political and clan rivalries that are often accompanied by bloodshed and assassinations.Jim Gomez, Manila, AP
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says his country is expected to exceed expectations this year by recording economic growth above 3 percent.

Addressing his Peoples Action Partys 2017 convention yesterday, Lee said Singapore was benefiting from an improved world economy, but would have to press on with plans to restructure and upgrade the economy to sustain growth.

Our unemployment remains low, wages have gone up, and most significantly productivity has picked up, said Lee. Initially we expected 1.5 percent growth, then we revised it up to 2 to 3 percent, now it looks like we may exceed 3 percent.

After surging to nearly 4.5 per cent in 2013, economic growth dipped below 2 percent in 2015-16 as the trade-reliant nation was buffeted by an unfavorable world economy. While a pick up in manufacturing and financial services has added momentum to the economy, a series of blockbuster land deals this year suggests the city-states property market is also set to break out of a prolonged slump.

Looking ahead, Lee said he expected government spending on healthcare, infrastructure, and other social services to keep rising, meaning that raising taxes is not a matter of whether, but when.

And, despite a rail collision last week on Singapores Mass Rapid Transit network that injured over 30 people, Lee said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan retained his full support and confidence.

Noting his recent visits to Washington, DC and Beijing, Lee said Singapores relations with both countries were in good shape.

Its not always easy to be good friends with both the U.S. and China at the same time, Lee said. But as a small nation, we have to make friends with as many countries as we can.

Lee said that on his recent visit to Beijing ahead of the 19th Communist Party Congress, he met with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and that both sides recognized the value of the bilateral relationship. Lee said it was his job to keep Singapore a blip on the radar of U.S. officials.

Last month I visited the U.S. and met President Donald Trump and his key officials just before their trip to Asia, said Lee. I shared with them my perspectives, including how Asian countries wanted the U.S. to stay engaged in the region. Ann Koh, Bloomberg
Malta's government has proposed allowing all doctors in the country to prescribe medical marijuana.

The government published draft legislation on Monday that would loosen an existing regulation with so many restrictions that not a single Maltese had ever been treated legally with marijuana or a cannabis based product.

The new law would allow any general practitioner to prescribe medical marijuana, while the current version allows only prescriptions from medical specialists.

The legislation requires approval from the Malta Parliament to become law. Passage is expected in the coming weeks.

Malta's prime minister suggested last month that recreational use of marijuana might be legalized after the medical marijuana law is passed.

The proposal is the latest evidence of social change in Malta, a European Union member where divorce only was legalized in 2011.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Clearer communication by GPs could speed up cancer diagnosis. Credit: Oxford Science Blog

Deciding when to return to the GP when symptoms do not resolve is something many people struggle with, especially when the symptoms may not appear to be serious or life-threatening. Research with cancer patents in Denmark, England, and Sweden, published today in BMJ Open, indicates that small changes to how doctors conclude consultations with their patient could help to improve both survival rates and efficiency.

Led by Oxford University, the international team included researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark with Lund University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The project was funded by Cancer Research UK.

The researchers interviewed 155 people aged between 35 and 86 years old, within six months of being diagnosed with lung or bowel cancer. Patients were invited to talk about events since they had first noticed a problem, including what influenced their decision to consult a doctor.

The study compared Denmark, England, and Sweden because survival rates for lung and bowel cancer between 1995 and 2007 were persistently higher in Sweden than in Denmark or England, particularly in the first year following diagnosis.

Notable differences between the three countries were found in patients' accounts of the clarity and communication of action plans at the end of GP consultations. Patients in England and Denmark told the researchers that they had not known whether and when to return to their GP with symptoms, while Swedish patients described clear action plans with instructions from their GP to return in specified timeframes.

The study concluded that if clear action plans are used routinely in primary care consultations then uncertainty, false reassurance, and the inefficiency and distress of multiple consultations during cancer diagnosis could be reduced.

The authors recommend that every GP consultation should conclude with explicit advice about what to look out for and provide specific advice for patients to return if symptoms do not resolve, or re-occur.

Dr John MacArtney, Senior Researcher at Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said: "Spotting cancer early can make the difference between survival and death. We already know that many people are reluctant to seek medical attention in the first place, for fear of unnecessarily bothering their doctor. If they have already seen a GP for the same or similar symptoms then they may wait longer to return, even if they have been given the general advice to "come back if things don't get better." This makes it important to understand why people might be reluctant to re-visit their GP."

The study, which is the first to study how patients experience the pathway to cancer diagnosis, has helped to illuminate previous findings from other International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership studies, which have shown that no single factor could explain why differences in cancer outcomes persist between high-income countries with universal health coverage.

The study lead Sue Ziebland, Professor of Medical Sociology in Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said, "Making the general public aware of the seemingly innocuous symptoms of common cancers is only one part of improving early diagnosis. It is just, if not more, important to remove the barriers patients face in getting to see their GP if they are concerned about their health. One of those barriers arises when patients are unsure about what to do when symptoms return or persist, because they have already seen a GP.

"Recognising these issues exist, and encouraging GPs to communicate concrete and specific action plans, could be vital in improving patient survival, especially for those patients who worry about wasting the doctors time."

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of early diagnosis, said: "Diagnosing cancer is complex and most often starts with someone presenting to their GP with signs or symptoms they're not sure about. This fascinating study builds our understanding of what's happening at a very personal level, at what can be an anxious and difficult time for patients. Having this insight across different countries and cultures helps build a clear picture of what's most important about the conversation between the doctor and patient, and could well improve cancer outcomes. GPs across the UK may need more support to help them make the most of these critical consultations in the little time available. Charities such as Cancer Research UK can provide information to patients at this point in the diagnostic process."

More information: John MacArtney et al. Patients' initial steps to cancer diagnosis in Denmark, England and Sweden: what can a qualitative, cross-country comparison of narrative interviews tell us about potentially modifiable factors?, BMJ Open (2017). Journal information: BMJ Open John MacArtney et al. Patients' initial steps to cancer diagnosis in Denmark, England and Sweden: what can a qualitative, cross-country comparison of narrative interviews tell us about potentially modifiable factors?,(2017). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018210
Scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (also called a T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor. Credit: NIAID

Researchers at Cardiff University have found a way to boost the cancer-destroying ability of the immune system's T-cells, offering new hope in the fight against a wide range of cancers.

Using CRISPR genome editing, the team took the genetic engineering of killer T-cells one step further by removing their non-cancer specific receptors and replacing them with ones that would recognise specific cancer cells and destroy them.

Dr Mateusz Legut from Cardiff University, who led the study while undertaking a Cancer Research UK funded PhD in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Sewell, said: "Up until now, T-cells engineered to fight cancer had two kinds of receptors  the therapeutic one that was added in the lab, and their own naturally existing one. Since there is only limited 'space' on a cell for receptors, cancer-specific ones need to compete with the cell's own receptors to perform their function. More often than not, the cell's own receptors win that competition, and leave 'space' for only a very limited number of newly introduced, cancer-specific receptors, which means that T-cells engineered with the current technology never reach their full potential as cancer killers.

"The T-cells we made using genome editing do not have any of their own T-cell receptors left, and therefore the only receptor they can use is the one specific for cancer. As a result, these cells can be a thousand times better at seeing and killing cancer than the cells prepared using the current methodology."

T-cells are a part of the immune system that normally helps us fight off bacterial and viral infections, such as the flu virus. Some T-cells are also able to attack cancer cells. Augmenting and harnessing the anti-cancer activity of the body's own T-cells has led to the development of so-called immunotherapies which are now transforming the field of cancer treatment, even giving hope to patients with final stage disease.

The team believe that in time new improvements in gene editing technology are set to revolutionise cancer immunotherapy, making the treatments, which are unprecedented in their effectiveness, applicable to wider cohorts of patients suffering from different types of the disease.

Professor Andrew Sewell, from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, said: "The improvement in the sensitivity of cancer recognition that can be achieved by editing out the existing natural receptor and then replacing it with one that sees cancer cells is remarkable. Future clinical applications are likely to now make use of this advancement."

Professor Oliver Ottmann, Head of Haematology at Cardiff University and co-lead of the Cardiff Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC), who is also co-author of the study, added: "Immunotherapyharnessing the bodys own immune cellshas become the most potent and promising new treatment for a range of cancers and represents one of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer treatment in memory.

"I believe that our improved method of making cancer-specific T-cells will guide a new generation of clinical trials and be used by researchers in the laboratory to discover new cancer-specific T-cell receptors and new targets for cancer therapy."

The paper "CRISPR-mediated TCR replacement generates superior anticancer transgenic T-cells' is published in Blood.

More information: Mateusz Legut et al. CRISPR-mediated TCR replacement generates superior anticancer transgenic T-cells, Blood (2017). Journal information: Blood Mateusz Legut et al. CRISPR-mediated TCR replacement generates superior anticancer transgenic T-cells,(2017). DOI: 10.1182/blood-2017-05-787598
Credit: European Society for Medical Oncology

A study that looked at mainstreaming genetic counselling for ovarian cancer to support screening programmes in Malaysia was presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. The preliminary results of the MaGiC study show that most patients counselled by a well-trained but not necessarily an expert in genetics were satisfied or just as satisfied with their experience as compared to those being counselled by a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist.

One in nine ovarian cancer patients carries the BRCA1 or BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 1 or 2) mutation and four in 10 carriers do not have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Knowing one's BRCA status may indicate how one may respond to certain therapies or the level of risk to develop certain cancers.

"In the past, genetic testing in ovarian cancer was limited to a small number of patients with the aim of identifying relatives at risk," said Dr Soo Chin Lee, Senior Consultant, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, commenting on the study. "Now that there is a drug to treat cancer patients with BRCA mutations, genetic counselling and testing is recommended for all patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. This has increased the number of patients who qualify for testing and thus specialised centres have become overloaded."

The MaGiC study was designed to assess the prevalence of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations among ovarian cancer patients; determine the feasibility of mainstreaming genetic testing and counselling at local hospitals; examine the psychosocial impact of genetic testing in Malaysia.

800 ovarian cancer patients are to be recruited over a two-year period. Basic genetic counselling workshops have been held for 70 non-genetic clinicians from 29 hospitals across Malaysia. According to the study protocol, patients are allocated to counselling by a trained non-genetic clinician in their local hospital in a clinical programme led by Professor Yin Ling Woo, MaGiC's lead clinician, or to counselling by a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist in a programme with Professor Meow Keong Thong, lead clinical geneticist at specialised centres in Kuala Lumpur.

All blood samples were analyzed for BRCA mutations by Cancer Research Malaysia, coordinated by diagnostic lead Dr Joanna Lim. Patients received pre-test counselling, followed by test results and post-test counselling. After both pre- and post-test counselling, they are interviewed by a researcher over the telephone to assess the feasibility and the psychosocial impact of the experience.

One year into the study, 248 patients have been recruited, of whom 208 received genetic testing and 13% (27) had BRCA mutations, which is similar to that found in other populations.

"Screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and providing genetic counselling in local hospitals could help identify mutation carriers who may benefit from risk management and targeted treatment," said lead author Ms Sook-Yee Yoon, genetic counsellor, Cancer Research Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia. (3,4) "In Malaysia, BRCA genetic testing and counselling is only available at specialised centres in Kuala Lumpur but most people live outside the capital: patients seem to prefer local appointments, so if they are referred to another centre for genetic counselling, they seem less likely to attend. "

Preliminary results show that the answers to the psychosocial surveys were similar between the two groups. Most patients were satisfied with their counselling experience, felt informed about their choices, and found it easy to decide to go ahead with genetic testing.

In terms of feasibility, patients in the local and specialised counselling arms were equally satisfied or very satisfied with the counselling they received. The local counselling arm has been recruiting patients more quickly than the specialised arm.

"Cancer is still a taboo subject in Malaysia and there is a fatalistic attitude to hereditary conditions," continued Yoon. "Genetic information can cause conflict in families and the data we are collecting on the psychosocial impact of genetic testing will provide insights into the psychosocial challenges. With this knowledge, we can focus on interventions to overcome these challenges."

"Mainstreaming genetic testing and counselling to local hospitals is a strategy to cope with this increased volume of patients," continued Lee. "This is ideal for a large country like Malaysia where specialised centres are concentrated in the capital yet the majority of the population live elsewhere. Lee said: "The preliminary results of the study show that moving the genetic counselling process to the community is feasible and could be rolled out across Malaysia. It also is a model for other countries like Singapore to follow."

More information: Abstract LBA4_PR 'Mainstreaming Genetic Counselling for Genetic Testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Ovarian Cancer Patients in Malaysia (MaGiC Study)'
Significant cortical thickness differences among the three groups. All regions survived clusterwise-correction (p<0.001). Credit: Radiological Society of North America

Researchers using MRI have discovered a common pattern of structural abnormalities in the brains of people with depression and social anxiety, according to a study presented being next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Major depressive disorder (MDD), often simply referred to as depression, is a serious condition. The condition can have a debilitating effect on an individual's life. People with MDD often lose interest in activities they once enjoyed and sometimes find it difficult just to get out of bed. At times, they may feel suicidal. About 16 million Americans have MDD.

Social anxiety disorder, or SAD, is an intense fear of being watched and judged by others. Symptoms can be extreme enough to interfere with daily activities. People with this disorder have difficulty developing and maintaining social and romantic relationships. About 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder.

Both conditions share some clinical symptoms, suggesting the two disorders may have similar brain mechanisms. However, few studies have directly compared the brain structural effects of the two disorders, said the author of the new study, Youjin Zhao M.D., Ph.D., from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China.

Dr. Zhao and co-author Su Lui, M.D., used MRI to assess alterations in the brain's gray matter among MDD and SAD patients. They focused on the thickness of the cortex, which is the outer layer of the cerebrum, or principal part of the brain.

The researchers acquired and analyzed high-resolution images from 37 MDD patients, 24 SAD patients and 41 healthy control individuals. Both MDD and SAD patients, relative to healthy controls, showed gray matter abnormalities in the brain's salience and dorsal attention networks. The salience network is a collection of brain regions that determine which stimuli are deserving of our attention, while the dorsal attention network plays an important role in focus and attentiveness.

Between-group results for cortical thickness analyses representing regions that survived the clusterwise correction (p<0.001). Rows 1-2, MDD patients compared with SAD patients; Rows 3-4, MDD patients compared with the healthy control group; Rows 5-6, SAD patients compared with the healthy control group. Credit: Radiological Society of North America

"Our findings provide preliminary evidence of common and specific gray matter changes in MDD and SAD patients," Dr. Zhao said. "Future studies with larger sample sizes combined with machine learning analysis may further aid the diagnostic and prognostic value of structural MRI."

The differences between the MDD and SAD patients and the healthy controls related to either thickening or thinning of the cortex. For instance, both MDD and SAD patients, relative to healthy controls, showed cortical thickening in the insular cortex, a brain region vital to perception and self-awareness.

It is still unclear exactly what the relationship is between the clinical manifestations of MDD and SAD and cortical thickening in brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain associated with emotion, Dr. Zhao said.

"First, it is possible that a greater cortical thickness may reflect a compensatory mechanism that is related to inflammation or other aspects of the pathophysiology," she said. "Second, greater anterior cingulate cortical thickness could be the result of both the continuous coping efforts and emotion regulation attempts of MDD and SAD patients."

As for cortical thinning, Dr. Zhao said that other research provides convincing evidence to support the theory that reduced cortical layer thickness in some brain regions may result in the decreased thickness of the frontal lobe, a large part of the brain that is involved in variety of functions, including emotion.

The researchers also found disorder-specific involvement of the brain's "fear circuitry" in patients with SAD and involvement of the visual recognition network in patients with MDD. Alterations in the brain within the region of the visual recognition network might be related to impaired selective attention and working memory in MDD, Dr. Zhao indicated.

"The visual recognition network is involved in emotional facial processing, which is crucial for social functioning," she said. "Depression has been associated with structural alterations in these regions."
A national cooperative group trial is making a handful of the country's experts in a rare leukemia available around the clock, with the goal of cutting by more than half the high mortality rates that occur in the difficult first few weeks of treatment. Credit: Phil Jones, Senior Photographer, Augusta University

A national cooperative group trial is making a handful of the country's experts in a rare leukemia available around the clock, with the goal of cutting by more than half the high mortality rates that occur in the difficult first few weeks of treatment.

Induction mortality for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL, can be as high as 30 percent, but for patients who survive those first few weeks, survival rates can soar beyond 90 percent, making it the most- curable leukemia.

"The most frustrating problem in APL is what we call early deaths," says the National Cancer Institute-supported cooperative's study chair and principal investigator Dr. Anand P. Jillella. Jillella is chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia and associate director of medical oncology services at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University.

"Those rates have not changed in the last two decades despite having blockbuster drugs to treat patients. We want to help and we want physicians to call us any time if they have an APL patient," he says.

Jillella and Dr. Vamsi Kota, an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Emory's Winship Cancer Institute, have developed a checklist they share with those physicians that labels APL a medical emergency and covers early, major concerns with the cancer and its treatment.

Experience with the strategy in about 160 patients in Georgia and South Carolina has decreased induction mortality from an estimated 30% to 6.7%.

"These are the tests you do when you diagnose APL, this is how you manage bleeding, this is how you manage complications to the drugs, this is how you manage infections," Jillella says, running down the checklist.

"It's a rare disease so it's not easy for patients or physicians to recognize the complications of the disease early," Kota says of their newly expanded effort to lend a national hand to colleagues and measure the impact.

They estimate about 3,000 APL patients are treated annually by the nation's 15,000 hematologists/oncologists. That math alone means most specialists don't see many, if any, APL patients in their careers. In fact, it was Jillella's own early experience with more patients dying than clinical trials data prepared him to anticipate that led to the now national initiative. U.S. based trials had largely reported survival rates in the 90s.

"We got involved because we wanted other physicians to feel free to call us to discuss how to manage their patients," says Kota, who worked with Jillella while completing his residency and fellowship at MCG, followed by three years on faculty.

"Even relatively small things in treatment can make very dangerous things happen," Kota says. That means, for example, keeping a super-close eye on fluid retention and weight as patients receive intravenous fluids and blood products, which prevent some APL complications, but in excess can quickly cause respiratory problems that require intensive care.

They plan to enroll about 200 patients over four years in the NCI national cooperative. The six lead centers include MCG; Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Rochester; Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York; Northwestern University in Chicago; and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. They expect that approximately 70 percent of patients will come from some 40 sites for the National Community Oncology Research Program, an NCI-initiative to make cancer clinical trials more widely available.

APL is a type of acute myeloid leukemia in which white blood cells that normally help protect us from infection inexplicably get stuck in an early, dysfunctional state of development that instead clogs the bone marrow. Production of these and other cell types is a constant in our bone marrow that APL disrupts.

Patients can quickly become anemic, have problems with blood clotting and bleeding and be vulnerable to infection. "You feel tired because you are not making blood. It totally deranges the way blood clots so you bruise and bleed easily. The worst thing that can happen is patients experience a bleed in their brain," Jillella says.

Early intervention with analogues of vitamin A or arsenic can help restore more normal differentiation of needed white blood cells within just a few days. Patients may also receive chemotherapy and blood products and all treatments need rapid initiation.

In a decade of work with these patients, Jillella and Kota found that their three main causes of death were bleeding, infection and complications from the treatment. They also realized that with a wide age range of disease onset from 20 to 80, drug doses needed to be modified based on age. Their findings are reflected in the treatment approach they now bring to patients.

Their national model mirrors Jillella's and Kota's work with more than 30 leukemia practices throughout Georgia and South Carolina in a program funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2013. He and Kota shared their contact info with physicians at those sites and said to feel free to call them any time they received a patient with APL. That effort has now enrolled more than 160 patients with about an 89 percent survival rate. Jillella notes that better than half the patients were treated in more rural areas.

Relapse rates for APL are a low 2-3 percent. Jillella and Kota are developing plans to utilize the existing network to offer similar supportive services for a handful of other rare cancers.
Women with higher body mass index (BMI) face an increased risk of not detecting their breast tumor until it has become large, according to a new study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the findings suggest that women with higher BMI may need shorter intervals between mammography screening exams.

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, with overweight defined as a BMI of 25 or more. High BMI is associated with a number of health risks, including diabetes and heart disease. However, BMI is not considered as part of breast cancer screening guidelines.

For the new study, conducted at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, researchers set out to identify risk factors associated with tumors not being detected until larger than 2 centimeters (cm), or about the size of a peanut, and to examine the implications for long-term prognosis. The 2-cm size is important because it is one of the parameters used to separate stage I and stage II cancers. In addition, tumor size is known to be strongly associated with prognosis, according to study co-author Fredrik Strand, M.D., radiologist at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dr. Strand and colleagues studied 2,012 cases of invasive breast cancer that appeared from 2001 to 2008. The researchers followed the patients until the end of 2015, and looked for how disease progression was related to BMI and breast density.

For cancers detected at screening, both BMI and breast density were associated with having a large tumor at diagnosis. However, for interval cancers, or cancers detected within two years of a normal mammogram, only BMI was linked with having a large tumor. Women with higher BMI had worse prognosis than women with lower BMI among interval cancers. Breast density showed no significant association with disease progression.

Dr. Strand said the findings provide more information for physicians and patients when deciding about optimal screening approaches.

"Our study suggests that when a clinician presents the pros and cons of breast cancer screening to the patient, having high BMI should be an important 'pro' argument," he said. "In addition, our findings suggest that women with high BMI should consider shorter time intervals between screenings."

Besides the larger interval cancers, women with high BMI may have other factors that put them at risk for a worse prognosis, including the molecular composition of the tumors and hormone receptor expression levels that make them harder to treat, Dr. Strand added.

The study was carried out in Sweden, which has 18- to 24-month intervals between screeningslonger than the 12 months recommended by some U.S. organizations like the American Cancer Society, but not the 24-month screening interval recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In addition, there are fewer women with high BMI in Sweden than in the U.S.

In the near future, Dr. Strand intends to look at how breast density is associated with delayed detection. Longer-term, he wants to study artificial intelligence as a way to triage mammographic screening examinations into different pipelines based on the risk of breast cancer and the detectability of a potential tumor.
A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has demonstrated the ability of cognitive computing to scour large volumes of data from scientific studies and databases to identify potentially relevant clinical trials or therapeutic options for cancer patients based on the genetics of their tumors.

The researchers said their findings, published in the journal The Oncologist, suggest that cognitive computing applications could help physicians to stay abreast of an ever-expanding body of scientific literature as well as highlight potential therapeutic options, specifically as it relates to cancer genetics.

"Our findings, while preliminary, demonstrate that cognitive computing might have a role in identifying more therapeutic options for cancer patients," said UNC Lineberger's William Kim, MD, the study's corresponding author and an associate professor of medicine and genetics in the UNC School of Medicine. "I can tell you that as a practicing oncologist, it's very reassuring for patients to know that we're able to explore all possible options for them in a very systematic manner."

The study's first authors were Nirali Patel, MD, formerly of UNC Lineberger, and Vanessa Michelini of IBM Watson Health, Boca Raton, Florida. IBM Corp. provided in-kind access to the Watson technology for the study, as well as technical expertise.

The researchers used IBM Watson for Genomics to assess whether cognitive computing was more effective than a panel of cancer experts in identifying therapeutic options for tumors with specific genetic abnormalities. They compared Watson's ability to identify possible therapeutic options tied to potentially clinically significant genetic mutations with the findings of UNC Lineberger's molecular tumor board.

In a retrospective analysis of 1,018 cancer cases, the molecular tumor board identified actionable genetic alterations in 703 cases, which Watson also confirmed. In addition, Watson for Genomics identified additional potential therapeutic options in 323 patients, or one third of the cases reviewed that the molecular tumor board hadn't identified. Of these, 96 were not previously identified as having an actionable mutation.

"To be clear, the additional 323 cases of Watson-identified actionable alterations consisted of only eight genes that had not been considered actionable by the molecular tumor board," Kim said. In most of those cases, Watson identified a new clinical trial. One of those trials had opened within a week of Watson's analysis.

The study drew on data from UNCseq, a UNC Lineberger clinical trial that used next-generation sequencing to analyze the genomics of a participant's tumor with the goal of matching tumor abnormalities with a targeted therapeutic. Next-generation sequencing is "fundamental" to the promise of precision medicine, the researchers reported, but sequencing can uncover many different alterations in hundreds of genes, and the "majority of such events have no known relevance to the treatment of patients with cancers."

"The major finding is that cognitive computing augmented the molecular tumor board process for the interpretation and collection of information regarding a patient's genomic profile," Kim said. "The study was not designed to analyze whether or not this helps patients in regard to outcome as defined by prolonged survival or treatment response."

The program did identify new possible options for some patients. The findings were not relevant to most patients because the majority of the patients did not have active cancer, or had died by the time of the retrospective analysis. But for 47 patients with active disease, and needing additional options, the findings were reported to their treating physicians.

"To my knowledge, this is the first published examination of the utility of cognitive computing in precision cancer care," Kim said. "I'm optimistic that as we get more sequencing data, well-annotated treatment information, as well as therapy response, tools like Watson for Genomics will begin to show their true promise. But, of course, we still need to formally answer these questions."
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) opened its 3rd ESMO Asia Congress today, once again in Singapore, attracting close to 3000 regional and international cancer doctors with leading researchers and experts to promote advances in science, diagnosis, treatment, and best practices for cancer patients in Asia.

Cancer is a major burden worldwide. It is the second leading cause of death globally with nearly 1 in 6 people dying of cancer each year and Asia accounts for half the global burden of cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we anticipate to see a 70% increase in new cancer cases in the next two decades. In Singapore alone, about 35 people are diagnosed with cancer every day and cancer remains the principal cause of mortality, accounting for 3 out of every ten deaths, with lung, colorectal, and breast cancers being the most common. This is why cancer is becoming one of the most important health problems in Asia.

"Cancer knows no border and neither does ESMO", said Professor Fortunato Ciardiello, ESMO President. "Cancer patients and their needs are at the centre of what we do. As the leading professional organization for medical oncology, it is our mission to boost collaboration between Asia, Europe and the global oncology community. Ultimately, this multinational and multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge benefits cancer patients, not only in Asia, but across the world."

The inaugural ESMO Asia Congress was held in 2015 in Singapore where medical professionals representing various oncology disciplines from 75 countries came together to discuss and share key research and developments in oncology. This year, the Congress is supported by 21 oncology associations in the region, including the Singapore Society of Oncology and oncology societies from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

At the Congress Opening Session, Dr GAN Kim Yong, Singapore Minister for Health, addressed the ever-increasing prevalence of cancer worldwide, which is causing pronounced societal and economic impact of cancer on the individuals affected by cancer and their families, on workplaces, as well as the healthcare system as a whole. He stressed the importance for the medical and research community to continue to build capabilities and strengthen partnerships, work with governments and stakeholders around the world to further improve patient outcomes and cancer care.

As part of the ESMO 2020 Vision to identify and address the main developments, challenges and opportunities shaping oncology in the years ahead, the Society also revealed the results of the ESMO International Consortium Study on the availability, out-of-pocket costs and accessibility of anti-cancer medicines, advocating for equal access to quality treatment for cancer patients across Asia.

Among the countries outside of Europe that were surveyed in the study, 20 are in Asia and are economically stratified as high-income, upper middle-income, lower middle-income, and low-income countries according to World Bank Criteria. The results of the study highlighted dramatic disparities of access to anti-cancer medications, even among medications on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines, which ideally should be available and affordable for everyone who needs them.

In Lower Middle- and Low-Income countries, many essential anti-cancer medications recommended on the WHO's Model List of Essential Medicines are available only at full cost as an out-of-pocket expense for the patient, and accessibility is limited for many reasons including unreliable supply. In addition, many of the recently approved anti-cancer agents (9) are often unavailable or available only at a high level of personal expense in countries other than those which are most economically developed. On average, about 75% of essential and recently approved anti-cancer drugs are available only at full cost in Lower Middle- and Low-Income countries, whereas in upper middle- and high-income countries, about 25% of anti-cancer drugs are available at full cost to patients. Collectively these data indicate that in many counties of Asia, particularly those with lower levels of economic development, substantial reforms in health service delivery are needed to meet the goal of providing accessible and affordable cancer care.

Dr Ravindran Kanesvaran, President of the Singapore Society of Oncology, the local host of the congress said: "The ESMO Asia Congress provides a platform for international and Asian experts to present cancer research and its translation in a way that is relevant to patients in our region. This year, as well as science, we will also hold important discussions on cultural issues and policy: cancer screening, the need to reduce gaps in access to the best cancer treatment and to advocate for cancer patients in Asia to be treated according to the best global standards."
DE SOTO  It was the first time Bob Again had set hoof on the ASAP ranch, and yet it was a homecoming of sorts for the statuesque Standardbred, whose path took a devastating detour just weeks ago.

Bob Again was 10 years old when he joined the American Standardbred Adoption Program in 2009, donated by owner Dirk Simpson after a four-year, 27-race career that culminated in 2003.

ASAP was founded in 1993 by Sue Wellman, a special education teacher who lives on a 50-acre farm in De Soto, in an effort to match former race horses with healthy, happy retirement homes. Racehorse owners from across the country donate their horses to the program in exchange for a tax credit, and from there the horses are placed in foster homes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio and Illinois. The program is sustained entirely through donations and adoption fees, and staffed by community volunteers.

Since 2014, ASAP has placed more than 1,000 equines from across the country with carefully screened owners, for an adoption fee of around $400. Adopters must provide references and sign a contract stipulating the adopted horse can never be sold, given away or transferred, other than back to ASAP.

But with Bob Again, that contract was broken.

On Oct. 6, Wellman was stunned to receive a call from Amanda Keyes, a woman in Massachusetts who is one of thousands of equine lovers who spend hours scouring through the Bastrop Louisiana Ship Pen Facebook page, determined to save the some 100,000 horses headed to slaughter each year. Bob Again was in a kill lot in Bastrop, days from being transported to Mexico for butchering, when Keyes spotted him online Oct. 5.

(Wellman) was completely shocked after thinking she had placed him in a forever home, said Keyes, who is a volunteer with SOSS Save Our Standardbreds from Slaughter, a watchdog group that records the freeze brand numbers on horses posted by Bastrop and tracks them back to their original owners through the United States Trotting Association Database. So far this year we have saved a little over 400 horses from the kill pen. There are times where we have grateful owners that take back these horses after thinking that they placed them in a great retirement home.

Wellman was under the assumption Bob Again was still living in Missouri with the woman who adopted him in 2010. She had last heard from the owner, whose name ASAPs attorney at Hale Skemp Law Office has advised against releasing while they pursue replevin action, in 2014, when she was considering returning the horse but quickly changed her mind.

Where hes been since 2014, I have no idea, said Wellman, who said ASAP had never been in this situation before and postulates the owner sold Bob Again, unaware he was destined for slaughter.

Bastrop sells horses to Canada and Mexico for kill before the meat is shipped to countries including Japan and France, and charges $950 to reclaim a horse  an amount that exceeds the proceeds from slaughter, making for a lucrative business.

Moneymaker, isnt it? Wellman said. They like to get their hands on as many Standardbreds as they can.

Horse retirement/rescue operation reels from flooding DE SOTO  The extensive flooding that caused two deaths and left millions in damages in its wake also dealt a severe blow to a retirement home of sorts for horses, wiping out pasture and sweeping away equipment.

Wellman immediately started soliciting donations to pay for Bob Agains release from Bastrop, collecting nearly $1,000 within a month, and then raised another $800 for his quarantine in Shreveport, La., where spouses Grayson and Melody Daniels have been taking in rescues for the past 18 months. The couple house up to 10 horses at a time, and Bob Again was their fourth kill lot rescue.

Sometimes the horses are stolen, neglected, or sometimes people dont want them anymore ... and they end up in that situation, Grayson said. In Mexico, (the slaughter) is a pretty brutal process.

The Danielses had Bob Again, who was underweight from stress but very gentle, screened by a vet and monitored for communicable diseases for four weeks. Once cleared, Grayson personally drove him to De Soto, pulling up to ASAP at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday evening to a crowd of neighbors, volunteers and an antsy Wellman.

Theres a lot of satisfaction once you get there ... someones always anxious to see them, Grayson said. The (horse) is coming from a bad environment, and you dont know what to expect. (Bob Again) came out excited, a little anxious, but excited to be there. He got in his stall and he just looked like he belonged.

I thought I was going to be extremely emotional when he got out of the trailer, but having all the people who care about him here ... it was more joyful, said Wellman, who never met Bob Again before he was placed in his initial foster home in Madison, and relieved, knowing he was just a few days away (from death).

Wellman says she is hesitant to place Bob Again up for adoption and would only consider a local family. For now, the friendly, curious and energetic horse is content to frolic among the other 22 horses on her property, dining on premium senior food until he reaches a healthy weight.

While Keyes will likely never meet Bob Again, she is contented to have played a role in his rescue.

I am part of a amazing team that puts in endless hours to save these horses, Keyes said. Its truly a amazing feeling ... we wouldnt be able to do it without our wonderful supporters that help week after week to help save these sweet, tired horses.

For more information on ASAP, or to volunteer, visit www.4thehorses.com.
Black Friday 2017 takes place on 24 November, and South African online stores are preparing for a large increase in sales volumes.

Many websites and online payment platforms struggled to cope with the increased load during Black Friday 2016, and retailers have learnt from these failures.

Parcelninja CEO Justin Drennan said they expect a 10-fold increase on Black Friday compared to normal daily volumes.

They are ready for the rush, however, as they have dealt with high-volume clients like Groupon in the past.

Parcelninja has communicated with its courier partners to prepare for increased volumes, and provided them with volume forecasts to ensure the timely delivery of products.

Drennan said their systems have been developed with Black Friday in mind and they use AWS for hosting  as this allows them to scale rapidly.

Additional staff have also been hired and trained, while Parcelninja has extended its operating hours and will work over the Black Friday weekend.

Parcelninja is not the only player prepared for Black Friday, with many online stores ready for the big day.

OneDayOnly

OneDayOnly said Black Friday 2016 was a genuine stress test for it and brought to light a number of areas to focus on.

Many of this years improvement projects were driven by lessons learned from Black Friday 2016, said OneDayOnly.

The retailer said customer communications, order management, and logistics will be strong focus points this year.

The company has also moved its Cape Town and Johannesburg warehouses to larger premises, and further optimised its inventory, picking, and packing systems.

Our overall staff contingent more than doubled in the past 12 months to deal with the immense growth our business has seen, it added.

OneDayOnly was one of the few ecommerce retailers which remained online in 2016, despite payment issues with BankservAfrica.

We are currently making a number of final optimisations to our systems, and look forward to bringing some outstanding deals to our loyal customers on the day.

Zando

Zando has implemented a feature freeze in the buildup to Black Friday, where it is not developing or deploying new features.

We identified areas that needed to be addressed early on and have been developing fixes to ensure we maintain a positive customer experience during Black Friday, said Zando MD Grant Brown.

We are currently creating campaigns which will run during Black Friday, to accurately test the mechanics and load on-site well before the actual day.

Grant said they remain at the mercy of payment providers, which experienced problems in 2016.

Zando has been in communication with the providers about forecasted volumes to assist them to plan accordingly.

Good news is that Zando offers a large variety of alternative payment methods, including COD and EFT.

Customers will be redirected to these alternative payment methods if required during Black Friday.

To cope with increased sales, Zando has improved infrastructure at its warehouse to increase picking speeds.

The company has also increased its staff complement and added additional resources, such as checking and dispatch stations.

We have spent a lot of time with our courier partners discussing and planning around the anticipated volumes, said Brown.

Zando will manage the distribution of volumes across its partners to ensure deliveries are on time, and has increased its delivery fleet by over 50% to alleviate shipping pressures.

Raru

Raru cofounder Neil Smith said his biggest concern for Black Friday is the countrys payment systems.

Last year, they could not cope for the first couple of hours of Black Friday, said Smith.

We can only trust the upgrades the payment providers have made to their systems will be able to handle the expected high sales volumes.

He expects Raru to ship all the orders it receives on Black Friday, as it will be all hands on-board getting orders shipped and packed.

After that, it is in the hands of the courier companies to deliver timeously.

Loot

Loot CEO Gary Hadfield said they have invested in more hardware, worked on improving the efficiency of their data processing capabilities, and optimised their servers for Black Friday.

Since Black Friday last year, we have added more payments options and now offer our shoppers 13 payments options, he said.

Loot is also prepared to ensure all Black Friday deliveries are done fast.

In October 2017, we brought our new Cape Town Airport Industria warehouse online  which has dramatically increased our order processing and packing capabilities.

This, in conjunction with our Midrand warehouse, will make a big difference. Both warehouses are within a few kilometres of Loots courier partner FedEx.

Loot has also increased its stock levels and has more than doubled its warehouse team in the past 12 months.

Superbalist

Superbalist said it is hosted in Google Compute Engine using Kubernetes container management, which means it can add servers as demand increases.

Our systems have been built to be as resilient and horizontally-scalable as possible. Our predicted load across internal and customer-facing services places us in a comfortable, if somewhat intense zone, said Superbalist CTO Brad Whittington.

The company can also disable portions of its system which are not critical to customer experiences to provide more capacity.

Were going to be doubling our normal capacity and provisioning additional capacity is possible in minutes.

He said the biggest problem last year was banking infrastructure failing  for online purchases and physical stores.

Weve done as much as we can to ensure we have as many failover points as possible, however, we ultimately have to hope that the credit card and banking industry is adequately prepared for the onslaught.

Superbalist also enjoys great logistics support, thanks to its links to Takealot.
Search interest for Black Friday in South Africa is much higher than in the USA, according to Google Trends.

South Africa registered the highest search interest in the world over the past 12 months, with the US coming in second.

Each data point is divided by the total searches of the geography and time range it represents, to compare relative popularity.

The resulting numbers are then scaled on a range of 0 to 100, based on a topics proportion to all searches on all topics.

Different regions that show the same number of searches for a term will not always have the same total search volumes, said Google.

Top 5 countries

Black Friday in South Africa

Now read: How to not get ripped off on Black Friday 2017 in South Africa
Oil prices may reach $120 a barrel and stay at this level for 2 years

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Unidentified men open fire at market in Izeh city in southwestern Iran

Karen Donfried tries to explain State Department's decision to exempt Azerbaijan from 907th Amendment

Philip Reeker says U.S. administration representatives have no access to Nagorno-Karabakh

Rimac Nevera sets speed record for production electric cars

Reeker: Pace and depth of current talks between Yerevan and Baku demonstrate potential to resolve conflict

FBI director considers TikTok threat to US National Security

Bob Menendez says Ukraine supplies Azerbaijan with phosphorus bombs it used in Karabakh

Delegation headed by Speaker of Armenian Parliament is in Tbilisi

Austin: U.S. intends to continue supplying weapons and aid to Ukraine during winter

Armenian politician charged with abuse of office, money laundering

Karen Donfried says Armenia and Azerbaijan have historic opportunity to establish lasting peace

Bob Menendez: How can the U.S. justify security assistance to the Baku regime?

Azerbaijan fires at residents of Sarushen village of Artsakh

Head of Portugal's Finance Ministry: EU countries must work faster on energy intervention

Kuwait executes 7 prisoners

Czech Republic plans to train up to 4,000 Ukrainian servicemen next year

Ukraine once again asks US for powerful drones

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Azerbaijan protests to France in connection with Senate resolution

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Pashinyan: Armenia invites Azerbaijan to sign framework agreement on peace

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Armenian Prime Minister: Let the opposition loudly reject Russia's proposals

Pashinyan: 2023 budget growth in social protection compared to 2018 is 56%

Inflation in UK up to 41-year high of 11.1% in October

Pashinyan: We don't want to provoke war between CSTO and Azerbaijan

Pashinyan's explanation: How should we fight inflation?

Pashinyan: Armenia submitted its proposals for peace treaty to Azerbaijan, we are waiting for a response

Pashinyan: Army budget 2023 more than doubled compared to 2018

CNN: CIA director visits Kyiv

Macron urges Iran to calm down and respect the French

IRGC forces detain Mossad spy in southern Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister expresses dissatisfaction with number of 'unrealistic comments' by Azerbaijani officials

Parliament Vice-Speaker: Armenian military-industrial complex able to establish serial production of military products

Armen Grigoryan receives Major General Daniel Lasica

Poland says Ukrainian missile could be cause of explosion

Ivanka Trump says she will not participate in her father's presidential campaign

KGB of Belarus states about 'threat of intervention' from Baltic States, Ukraine, and Poland

Belarus says AFU blew up bridges in direction of Gomel and Mozyr

22-year-old soldier dies in accident with army truck in Armenia

Indonesian president hands over G20 presidency to India

Azerbaijani Ombudswoman's distorted perception of reality: French Senate Resolution 'will undermine peace in the region'

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Four explosions blow up in sky over Belgorod

NATO Secretary General to hold meeting of alliance on incident in Poland

Finnish Foreign Ministry: Many in NATO believe that Turkey has created an awkward situation for the alliance

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LPR announces attack by AFU from Popasna to Kharkiv Oblast

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G7 and NATO leaders say they are ready to support Poland in investigation of bombings

Joe Biden asks Congress for new funding for Ukraine

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Secretary of Security Council of Armenia receives delegation of EU special envoys, member states

Armenian President Vahagn Khachatryan receives newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus

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By Maria Hovsepyan

YEREVAN.  The people of Zimbabwe are excited about the revolution in their country and have positive assessment of what has happened. This was stated by the former director of the WHO office in Zimbabwe Levon Arevshatyan, who lives in Zimbabwe since 1998, in a conversation with the Armenian News -NEWS.am correspondent.

Mr. Arevshatyan, what is the reason for the military revolution in Zimbabwe? Why did the army take this step?

In principle, such events were expected, although it was difficult to predict when they would occur. It all began when the situation was already unbearable. The deterioration of the economic conditions, the abolishment of the national currency - all this resulted in the country being in a very bad economic situation. People could not get their accumulated deposits from banks. They had to wait all night to take at least 30-40 dollars of their own money in the morning. The second reason is corruption, in which some people from the presidents milieu are suspected, but they are already detained.

In addition, the president of the country, who is 93, allowed his 52-year-old wife to get into Zimbabwe's politics and make firm decisions, one of which was the dismissal of the vice-president and government ministers. This last step simply outraged former veterans who were fighting together with Mugabe. These two facts have led people to revolution.

Did the army act alone or there was interference of vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa or other forces?

The contradictions between the wife of Zimbabwe president and the vice-president have been observed for a long time. They have been recently engaged in a conflicts of words which resulted in depriving Mnangagwu of his position and of his place in the party.

What is the situation in Zimbabwe now? What is the attitude of the people like?

People are enthusiastic about these decisions, and they have positive assessment of everything that had happened. Several million protesters a gathered in different cities yesterday to celebrate the military intervention, which was peaceful and bloodless. The violence was applied only to those ministers who were detained on corruption charges. All other issues were the brilliantly organized and solved by the army. This is an exceptional phenomenon, when the people are so respectful towards the army. On the streets, people even stop soldiers to clean their shoes. It already speaks volume.

Is there opposition force that can replace the incumbent government? Who, in your opinion, will become the president of Zimbabwe?

Its hard to make any predictions, the elections will show the results. But before that there must be an interim government. According to many people, Mnangagwa can become the president of Zimbabwe.

P.S. The interview with Mr. Arevshatyan was recorded when it was not yet known that Zimbabwes ruling African National Union Party (ZANU-PF) decided to nominate Mnangagwa as a president.
TOWN OF HONEY CREEK  A landlord is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he stole the carcass of his tenants dog and brutalized her horse.

On Friday, the Sauk County District Attorneys Office charged Jerry A. Leister, 67, of Middleton, with felony mistreatment of an animal and misdemeanor dognapping. He faces up to 3 years in prison if convicted of the felony.

According to the criminal complaint, the tenant told investigators that her boyfriend returned to the home, located southwest of Baraboo on Balfanz Road, in September and noticed her dog was missing. He noticed a pool of blood at the end of the driveway, and the landlord, Leister, pulling away in his truck.

The woman said when she confronted Leister about what her boyfriend saw, Leister said he noticed the deceased dog in the driveway and became worried it would traumatize her young son. He told the woman he took the carcass away in his truck.

However, the woman told investigators that Leister refused to tell her where the dog was buried. When she pressed him for more information, the tenant said, Leister became evasive.

The woman also reported that on Oct. 20, Leister showed up at the home enraged because construction workers she had referred him to for a project were not showing up for work. He allegedly began shouting at her and pointing his finger in her face with her son nearby.

Three days later, the woman said, she saw Leister bring a skid-loader into a nearby barn where she kept two horses. The next morning, the woman noticed an injury to one horses muzzle and blood scattered around the barn.

Investigators documented a large laceration running horizontally across the horses face above its nostril, with a bone sticking straight up above the wound. There also was a 2-inch cut to the animals shoulder.

The woman told authorities that the horse is docile, and likely would have moved out of the way for equipment without coaxing. She stated she believed that Leister was capable of killing or harming her animals, a Sauk County Sheriffs Department detective reported.

The detective located the skid-loader at another property, and a tenant who lives there said Leister told them about the incident. He allegedly admitted that he saw the horse get tangled in a blanket and begin to panic, flailing wildly. The witness said Leister left without helping the horse or notifying its owner.

Investigators report that Leister refused to speak with them when they showed up at his home to ask questions. Attempts to reach Leister by phone Friday were not successful.

This is not the first time Leister has been accused of becoming violent with a tenant. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail in relation to a 2008 dispute over unpaid rent.

In that case, Leister was accused of punching a female tenant, throwing her against a car, and then punching and choking her boyfriend. In an interview, Leister said he was defending himself, and that one of the tenants brandished a firearm during the dispute.

In 2005, Leister was accused of threatening Sauk Prairie Police Chief Jerry Strunz and his family for issuing him a drunken-driving ticket.
YEREVAN.  The 10th sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia (RA NA) and the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus was held Monday in Armenias capital city of Yerevan, and during which RA NA Vice Chairman, Inter-Parliamentary Committee Co-Chair Eduard Sharmazanov delivered welcoming remarks.

Dear participants of the 10th jubilee sitting of the Armenian-Belarusian Inter-Parliamentary Committee,

I am glad to welcome you in the National Assembly. I hope that effective discussions will be held during todays sitting. Our bilateral parliamentary agenda is rather full: it includes the issues of the parliamentarians cooperation on the international platforms, as well as the problems concerning the expansion of trade and economic ties. One of the most important items of the Armenian-Belarusian bilateral strategic relations is parliamentary cooperation; in that sense, our Committee has a weighty role and serious works to do.

Dear colleagues,

During the last years the Armenian-Belarusian cooperation has got a new content, particularly, our parliamentarians actively cooperate in the frameworks of the CSTO PA, the IPA CIS, and the OSCE PA. Nevertheless, let me stress that we have a lot to do; there are also shortcomings. We should take steps for more active, effective and coordinated work, and particularly, we should have distinct position on the issues sensitive for the two countries. Here, I would like to note that still in the year 2000, our states adopted a statement within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty, where it distinctly reads that politico-military cooperation between the CST member states should be of prior importance towards third countries, which are not included in that politico-military treaty, today already the CSTO. I believe that we all understood what I speak about.

I also note that in October 2016, the Presidents of our countries adopted a statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] problems peaceful settlement within the framework of the CSTO Yerevan Forum. Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, I would like to note that Armenia favors an exclusively peaceful settlement of the problem, [and] within the framework of the [OSCE] Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format. We refuse a military solution of the problem for ensuring progress in the negotiations, and condemn the bellicose rhetoric. To ensure progress in the settlement process of Vienna, the Saint Petersburg and Geneva agreements should be brought to fruition, as soon as possible. Artsakh declared its independence in accordance with the USSR laws, and it has the same right to declare an independent statehood as Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and our duty is to protect that right, Sharmazanov said in particular.
YEREVAN.  The next Eastern Partnership summit will kick off in Brussels on November 24 . For once, it will be of special importance for Armenia as the sides are expected to sign a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

How it all started

The Eastern Partnership, presented by the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Poland in 2008, aims at building a common area of democracy, prosperity, stability and cooperation between the EU and six countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The EU invited some countries, among them Armenia, to conclude an Association Agreement, which was to be initialed, and ratified by the parties. Armenia and the EU entered into negotiations on the Association Agreement, including the establishment of a deep and comprehensive free trade area back in July 2010.

Armenia announced its accession to the Customs Union in September 2013 and refused to conclude an agreement with the EU. Despite the refusal, EU decided to develop further relations with Yerevan. On 12 October 2015 the Foreign Affairs Council authorized the European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations on a new, legally binding and overarching agreement with Armenia, and adopted the corresponding negotiating mandate. Negotiations on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement were successfully concluded on 26 February 2017.

Second attempt

Armenia's rapid decision not to sign the agreement in 2013 gave rise to mixed reactions. On the one hand, the EU was surprised, even shocked by such a decision. On the other hand, the developments in Ukraine made it clear that it was to be expected.

The rapid change in political and economic preferences in Yerevan served like a cold shower for the EU bureaucrats. Stefan Fule, who served as the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood at that time, could not hide his dismay when he said that the Association Treaty is no longer on the table because of Armenias decision to join the EEU. However, Fule reiterated the EUs support in continuing dialogue with the civil society in Armenia. For some, the decision, taken by Sargsyan in the run-up to the 2013 EPS in Vilnius, was at first sight unexpected, but it barely surprised those who are familiar with the economic situation of this small South-Caucasian republic, analyst Violetta Rusheva wrote.

In the wake of the upcoming summit, many experts focus on the fact that it is important for Armenia's second attempt to sign a new cooperation agreement with the European Union. Even so, it is hard to say that all this time, EU-Armenian relations have not been developing since the previous summit. Despite the excitement over the future summit, experts note the new agreement will be mostly a continuation of something that already exists for years.

Visa regulations

Despite Armenia's refusal to sign the Association Agreement in 2013, the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements were signed, which entered into force in January 2014. As noted in the declaration adopted following the Eastern Partnership summit in 2015, the parties are looking forward to considering the possibility to open a visa-dialogue with Armenia, on condition that Armenia continues to ensure sustainable development on previously signed agreements.

These days the European Parliament adopted a document for the Brussels summit which recommended the EU Council to open a visa-dialogue with Armenia.

Karabakh conflict

The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains an obstacle to increasing stability and prosperity in the region. Since 2003, an EU Special Representative has been working to facilitate dialogue between the European Union and the countries of the region and to assist the EU in developing a comprehensive policy towards these countries. The EU, including through its Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, supports and complements the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (France, the Russian Federation and the United States) to facilitate the resolution of the conflict, this is the official position of Brussels on the Karabakh conflict.

The same recommendations approved by the European Parliament last week called for the parties to the conflict to end the confrontation. MEPs urge the EU Council to call for an immediate end to military hostilities between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces which unnecessarily claim the lives of civilians and soldiers whilst hampering socioeconomic development and to reaffirm support to the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs efforts to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to their 2009 Basic Principles, which include territorial integrity, self-determination and the non-use of force.

EU assistance

The EU's financial cooperation with Armenia amounted to 118.5 million in grants for the period 2014-2017, with a primary focus on private sector development and reforms of the public administration and the judiciary. The Single Support Framework 2017-2020 will provide bilateral support for a total amount of around 160 million, focusing on areas such as economic development, innovation and personal development, improving the rule of law and the business environment, electoral assistance, and connectivity.

Trade with the EU accounts for around 23.6% of Armenia's total trade. The EU is Armenia's biggest export market with a 26.7% share in total Armenian exports. The total value of preferential imports from Armenia into the EU under the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences plus (GSP+) has increased from 42 million in 2014 to 108 million in 2016.

Furture of the Eastern Partnership

The Eastern Partnership Summit will take place despite many problems the EU is facing now. Some people doubt that the Eastern Partnership program has a future under existing problems, such as Brexit.

However, diplomats from the EU member states are more optimistic. According to them, the program was created to find solution to the problems in Europe jointly and in the light of mutual understanding with the EU neighbors, such as Armenia.

The basic thinking behind both European Union and the Eastern Partnership is that so many of the challenges that we face in todays globalized world are impossible to for us to address as individual countries. We need partnerships in order to learn from each others experiences and find joint solutions to those challenges. As for Sweden, weve become successful much thanks to our cooperation with our neighbours, both with our fellow EU member states and also with our others neighbours. I think a lot more can be done within the Eastern partnership to encourage partner countries to learn also from each other, said Charge d Affaires of the Embassy of Sweden in Yerevan Mr. Martin Fredriksson.

Polands deputy foreign minister Bartosz Cichocki also noted that Eastern Partnership project has been faced with numerous challenges since its launch in 2009.

Since its beginning in 2009, Eastern Partnership was a constant crisis management  we have had armed conflicts in Georgia and Ukraine and problems with territorial integrity of all EaP countries but Belarus. Nevertheless, we were able to introduce Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and to lift visa regimes for these countries. We are about to sign CEPA with Armenia, we have already started negotiation of an analogue agreement with Azerbaijan. Also Belarus signalizes its willingness to negotiate such a new agreement, the diplomat said.
With 2017 drawing to a close, oil companies are starting to turn their attention to 2018. Several recently unveiled their plans for next year, including Hess (NYSE: HES), Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU), and Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC). While each plan had a slightly different focus, two recurring themes stood out. Not only do all three expect production to grow, but each intends to return cash to investors. That combination of growth and income could drive their stocks higher next year, even if oil slips a bit.

Refocused and ready to give back

Hess has spent the bulk of the past few years sharpening its focus around a few core assets. That led the company to jettison $3.4 billion in assets this year. As a result, the company enters 2018 in a strong financial position.

The sun setting behind an oil pump.

Image source: Getty Images.

Because of that, Hess has the flexibility to invest in growth projects while also returning money to investors. On the growth side, the company plans to pre-fund its world-class development in Guyana, which it co-owns with ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM). Phase one of the project will cost about $3.2 billion and should deliver first oil starting in 2020. That offshore project has remarkable economics even at current oil prices, with Exxon and Hess estimating that they can earn a higher return on this development than they could in the top U.S. shale play. In addition to that project, Hess also plans to ramp up drilling in the Bakken by increasing its rig count from four to six. These investments position the company to grow production and cash flow by a 10% and 20% compound annual rate, respectively, through 2020.

At the same time that Hess is funding that growth, the company said it plans to return $500 million in cash to shareholders next year via a stock repurchase program. Meanwhile, it also plans to pay off another $500 million in debt to further strengthen its balance sheet. The combination of growth, cash returns, and a stronger balance sheet could fuel meaningful gains for investors in the coming years.

Story continues

High growth and a significant hand out

Anadarko Petroleum's 2018 plan also balances growth with returning money to shareholders. Overall, the company plans to spend between $4.2 billion and $4.6 billion on capital expenses, with 85% of that money going toward drilling in the U.S., including the Delaware and DJ basins, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. The company expects this investment to fuel a 14% increase in its oil production next year. Furthermore, the plan breaks even at $50 oil, which positions the company to generate more than $700 million in free cash flow if current prices hold.

That said, even if prices fall, Anadarko still expects to return $1.5 billion in cash to investors next year via its stock buyback program. The company can easily afford that spending level since it had $6 billion in cash when it initially announced plans to repurchase $2.5 billion in stock by the end of next year. Meanwhile, if oil holds up, it's possible the company could return some of the free cash flow it produces to investors next year.

A pump jack in a medow with the sun setting in the distance.

Image source: Getty Images.

The big investments will start paying off

While most rivals spent the bulk of the oil market downturn selling assets to shore up their financial situation, Suncor Energy used its already strong balance sheet to take advantage of opportunities to invest for the future. One way it did that was by continuing to invest in two major projects. Because of that, the Canadian oil giant will start reaping the rewards of those investments next year.

One piece of evidence for this is that the company expects to spend about 750 million Canadian dollars ($589 million) less on capital expenses next year, bringing its budget down to a range of 4.5 billion CAD to 5 billion CAD ($3.5 billion-$4 billion). However, even with that spending decline, production should rise by more than 10% at the mid-point of its guidance range, thanks to a full year of production from its Fort Hills oil sands mine and the Exxon-operated Hebron offshore facility.

That's near perfect timing according to CEO Steve Williams, who said, "With first oil at both Fort Hills and Hebron expected by year-end, we're bringing on new production at the same time as oil prices are rising to their highest level in several years." Because of that, Williams stated, "As we look to 2018, with increasing production and reduced capital spending, we're well-positioned to return more free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks." While the company didn't put a number behind the cash returns, last April it announced plans to repurchase 2 billion CAD ($1.6 billion) in stock over the next year, and it had only spent 578 million CAD ($454 million) of that amount as of the end of last quarter. It'll likely exhaust that authorization first and then refill it early next year. Meanwhile, the company also boosted its dividend 10% this year and will probably give investors another big raise in 2018.

Growing production and cash returns

These oil giants made it clear that they're perfectly fine with oil in the $50s next year. That's because they've repositioned their businesses to such an extent that they can generate more than enough cash flow to finance the capital needed to deliver a double-digit production growth rate while at the same time returning a significant amount of money to investors. Those dual catalysts could provide these stocks with the fuel needed to soar in 2018 -- as long as oil doesn't take a tumble.

More From The Motley Fool

Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Oslo (AFP) - Norway's 80-year-old King Harald was released from hospital on Monday after being treated for three days for an infection, and is in "fine form", the palace said.

"His Majesty the King is in fine form and left Oslo University Hospital this morning," the palace said in a briefly-worded statement.

The monarch was hospitalised on Friday for an infection but no other details were disclosed.

King Harald V is the grandson of Haakon VII, the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of a union with Sweden. He became king in 1991 on the death of his father.

In 2003, he underwent surgery for bladder cancer, and had another operation in 2005 on a cardiac valve.

The king, who has repeatedly ruled out abdicating, has a largely ceremonial role consisting primarily of representative duties.
I recently started dating a guy about 5 years older than me, which I didn't think would be a big deal but it's starting to dawn on me that he is a Real Adult and I am 26 with 6 roommates.

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eh tbh mid 20s with roommates is a stark truth to what being an adult is these days, especially if you live in a city

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Hell in California I would bring that up to early 30s

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mte

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for real

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LOL this PHD student I threw myself at ages ago was 5 years older than me. I'm happy it didn't work out tbh. He's moved across the country and is starting to resemble my dad. And he's got a gf more than 10 years younger than him. Oop @ me for thinking he didn't want me because of the age difference.

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Same, I'm 27 and he's 34 and it feels like a wooorld of a difference

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That's a hard pill to swallow. One of my exes was 4 years older and the differences became more clear as our relationship went on.

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I dated a 30 year old at 22 and it was weird af. He lived in a totally different world.

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i live with my parents but feel like i can't even date since i live with them, lol. but it's a lot cheaper than having roommate

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i'm 26 and 5 years isn't that big of a deal to me, unless they have baggage like small children and divorce.

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unless he owns his own home, hes not a real adult~ tbh. he's just making it like the rest of us screwed millenials.

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bb if you take care of yourself and pay your bills, you're a Real Ass Adult. don't let anyone else's life invalidate yours.

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Tbh I dated a 30 year old once and he had basically not got his shit together no career etc I felt like the older one a lot of the time

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How about we stop using May-December romance for "relationships" where one of the parties is an underage kid?

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Yeah, he wasnt dating, he was being abused. Even if he doesnt realise it.

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I suppose the specific characterization is up to him, but certainly the thirty-something year old who pursued and "dated" him took advantage of a kid and was disgusting.



Edited at 2017-11-20 12:38 am (UTC)

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] I think it can be very difficult to..come to terms with that. I've been in a similar situation, where I was underage and...dating a grown man and I still have mixed feelings about it, despite the fact that, when I turned the age he was, and I looked back and looked at guys the age I was, it didn't really seem normal to be sexually attracted to them. It's strange because I don't feel like I've been raped but there were definitely situations where I've felt disadvantaged and insecure and pressured into doing things I don't know that I would have done otherwise.



This actually sums up my feelings rather well lol: "But still, there was a lot of confusing, hurt feelings that surrounded the scenario that I could have done without."



Edited at 2017-11-20 12:49 am (UTC) LJ cut bc I jsut feel more comfortable that way

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B-B-BBB-BUT CMBYN IS BEAUTIFUL AND ROMANTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

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Was he underage? I didn't see that in the text unless I'm misreading.

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seriously. once somebody's lived on their own for a while, taken care of their own shit, if they want to date older whatever. you're both adults by then. when one of the two hasn't learned to have any autonomy, the whole thing is just plain gross.

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Is there a different The Reader? Or is the one where the boy has a screwed up relationship with a Nazi? Because were the movie and the book both not very clear that it wasn't actually romantic but toxic and led to the boy having issues related to it?

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They like to avoid the term all-together and call it "Coming of age"....



We had to read the book in class and I was extremely uncomfortable with it.

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We read it in one of my uni classes as well. I remember we spent some time discussing how the novel seemed purposely uncomfortable and how the relationship had a detrimental effect on the boy. That's why I'm confused about it being put in with stories that romanticize the age gap.

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#noregrets Girl, I got down with older men when I was really young and I was the aggressor. #noshame

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lol the hashtags. aggressor like top?

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Closest I had was dating a 21yr old when I was 17. He drunkenly called me at midnight and when I kept clearing his calls he kept calling like every minute. Finally I answered and he was drunk emotional and I was like, Dude, I have a final in the morning. STOP. Turned my phone off, realized how crazy the age difference was and dumped him the next day. Looking back later in life I totally realized why he couldnt get a irl his age haha.

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21 and 17 reminds me of Chris Pratt and Emily Van Camp except he was 23 and she was 17

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Im sure she was the more mature one like I was too haha. I mean 4 years is no big deal now, but at that age point yeah, not good

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I've dated all ages of me- the worst, i find, are those that are my exact age lol its weird.

I dated this guy all last year who was 19 and im 26, im also actively talking/dating~~ this guy who just turned 50.

Do whatever you want! (as long as youre of age tho tbh)

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OMG tell me about your 19/26 dynamic bc I may or may not find myself in a similar boat someday. Except he's 22.

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It was really fun introducing him to a lot of new things, like in life not just sexually and stuff lol. It got tiring though because he was like a sophomore in college and I had literally graduated 3 years ago and I didnt really like the places he would want to invite me to. It was fun until I started like viewing him as a little brother, then it got weird lol.



But I mean- when I was 18 I met my first boyfriend and he was 24, so I didnt seem to abnormal to want to try it idk lol

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My first relationship was 19/26. I didn't know any better and thought the world of him. It was nice the first 2 months but after that, it was a year-long emotional rollercoaster. I was naive and didn't know how to bring issues up or call out his bullshit. I just sat there and hoped that one day he'd change and fall in love with me.



In a way, I'm glad that I got to experience all that. I'm now 28, happily in a 2+ year relationship with an amazing boyfriend.







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the largest age gap ive had was 10 years and he was a fucking lewwwserrr

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Same mine was suuuuch a mother fucking loser that I just judge all older ppl who are w someone much younger now

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r u me? i remember posting about it on ONTD whenever i had a date with him and everyone seemed so into it fsr? he lost his house so it was still half remodeled (I don't fault him tbh), recently had a divorce, etc. i was like ok w/e, he eats the skittles i don't like, knows how to cook and we watch HP and smoke... then he made a domestic abuse joke and im like lmao bye loser.

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Anyway I told him I felt sick and I need to go home, but I'll call him and we'll do out on another date sometime next week. Then I've deleted my profile on whatever online site and never answered his calls again.

When I was about 19-20 I went on a date with a guy who claimed to be something in his 40's (Naive me, internet was still something new, and he only send me 1 pic) so when we actually met, he pretty much looked like a bloated frog, very overweight and I think he was like in his 60. I remember he told me "You're so small, can't wait you to fuck me and feel you on top of me", my reaction was likeAnyway I told him I felt sick and I need to go home, but I'll call him and we'll do out on another date sometime next week. Then I've deleted my profile on whatever online site and never answered his calls again.

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Lmaooo

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lmfaooo aw poor you

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Oh my word...

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woooow

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Lmao damn sis LOL

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lol wow. glad u got swiftly out of that situation tbh.

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woah

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I dont think i could ever date an older guy, and honest question, do yall think having a thing for older guys has something to do with having "daddy issues"? from my experience my friends that still have their parents together don't seem to be attracted to older men.

but i have a few other friends that their parents are divorced who always and i mean ALWAYS are looking for a "daddy".

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I wouldnt mind sleeping with a hot older man (and by older i mean 40s max), but idk about dating...

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My friend lost her dad when she was like 6 and for the 16 years we've been friends, she's always had a thing for 40+ year olds. now she's dating a guy that is 16 years older than her and is been her longest relationship and while im happy shes found someone, he grosses me out so bad

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The people I know who straight up make a point of going for older guys have daddy issues. They don't admit it, but most of them haven't had a father figure in their life for some time, whether their father died when they were younger, abandoned their mom, etc.

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Sometimes it can turn out that way if the person in question has never had a father figure in their life. Sylvia Plath, for example, lost her dad at a very young age and she never really was able to cope with it, which is what partially led to her mental health issues later on.

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Also, then again i think about myself in a few years.

I like to date people younger than me (definitely not underage) but when im like 50 and i wanna date someone younger than me, im prob gonna be tagged as a dirty old man too



D;

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My friends who've dated older (or dated total losers) didn't have a strong sense of family growing up. Like their dad was present but both parents had dropped the ball and it made them seek an "out" faster which usually comes in the form of someone older and established

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Well first of all I think the term daddy issues is gross because it yet again puts shame on women just because the male figure in their life was worth less than shit.

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Here my anecdotal input.



Grew up super close with my dad/parents stayed married (though not happily)Ive never been into older guys. I exclusively dated guys within a year of my age, and my husband is literally 6 weeks older than me.

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yeah kinda tbh. or just a manifestation of mental/emotional issues in general.

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idk about that. I barely knew father and I have absolutely no desire to date older men lol



I never felt like I lost out on much by not having a father figure tbh

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My friend is dating a guy like 20 years older than her (I dont like him) and I dont think its a daddy issue thing in her cause more like she doesnt want to have to face some things and he has a fair bit of money so basically hes her sugar daddy she moved to Japan to be with him 

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lmao get the fuck out of here with comparing CMBYN to The Reader and Magic in the Moonlight, good god Lemon

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I love you! Are you going to educate me on the age of consent in Italy? I love you! Are you going to educate me on the age of consent in Italy?

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I mean....its def downplayed to an extent, but in a sense its still a May-December romance casting wise.

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I'll be 25 next year, and I never had interest in men younger than me, even by a year younger than me. Based on personal experiences, they have been immature. However, I am aware that age doesn't define maturity. I recently experienced it earlier this with someone who was 32. I think culturally and personally, I grew up too quickly, so I always hung out with older people than me, but it wasn't concerning. I have friends in their late 20s or early 30s, and it doesn't bug me. I have matched with people 5-6 years older than me (my personal limit on age gap) on Tinder, but they're all...for a lack of a better word...fuckboys. That's why I stopped using dating apps. I sometimes can't see myself going out with older men because I still commute and live at home, but that was a decision I made, since I'm in grad school (will be in 250k in debt), but my family is incredibly supportive. Honestly, it's a blessing, but it's my collectivistic upbringing, so I can only imagine or perceive judgment from more individualistic, eurocentric people/cultures.

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I keep thinking about my coworker who's 6 years younger than me, so I'm just gonna settle into this post.

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The first dude i had sex with was about 20 years older. I was about 25 and he was 44. He was really cool tho and nice. And sweet. He was really hot and really honest. He was also in an on and off relationship with his baby mother. His son was about 23 and also really hot. His on and off relationship worked bc it made him never jealous about my own side relationships. He just always wanted me to be honest to which i was. It was actually one of the healthiest relationships ive had. It only ended bc i went into a serious relationship. Great experience

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Forgive me but....he was 23 and you were 25?!........



It...reminds me of Aaron Taylor Johnson being a stepdad to his predator wife's kids who are around the same age as himself... Forgive me but....he was 23 and you were 25?!........It...reminds me of Aaron Taylor Johnson being a stepdad to his predator wife's kids who are around the same age as himself...

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One of my friends, her stepson is a few years older than her. His father was a bit threatened by the possibility she would be into the son more than him once they were introduced.

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Eeeekk

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LMFAO

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Adults and teenagers is just downright predatory.

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yeah that's gross. 30 somethings have no business messing with teenagers.

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Um that's digusting

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That's so wrong ppl r gross

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LOL whatever bitch

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Nobody cares about your stupid polygraph test, asshole. Fuck you.

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People can fake this test very easily. Especially when you are an actor.

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not saying I believe Piven, but does that apply to Aurora Perrinau too?

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It just means that polygraph tests don't mean anything.

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The context is kind of different but yes

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victims shouldn't have to take one in order to be believed in the first place, regardless of the results

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Sociopaths (or anti-social disordered people, as they're now known) are particularly good at passing polygraphs

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You can fool a polygraph machine by clenching and unclenching your asshole right as you answer a question.

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My father is a polygraph examiner and has been involved in the field for 18 years now, and to say 'it's very easy to fake' ignores that a polygraph examination relies just as much on the operator as it does the machine itself. An experienced examiner can make better deduction on a person's honesty than one who's never used it before.



But then, the polygraph isn't intended as a foolproof method of determining guilt, just a means of focusing where investigators should place their attention.





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Welp! Patriarchy solved! *dusts hands*

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Lmfao this is a perfect comment

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Lol ilu

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lol irl

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A friend of mine worked on Entourage and always described him as evil. Said all his friend were evil too. He actually said Piven was the worst person he had ever met.

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damn

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im a bit surprised there arent more accusations against him tbh. i thought he was more disposable than spacey.

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Literally no one asked for his stupid polygraph test. What a POS.

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So he passed a polygraph test, that he knew he was going to take and knew about the questions he was going to be asked.



okay.

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lmao moron

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I thought polygraphs were a fluke and outdated? Anyone can easily bypass it. What a joke.

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mte - he is just trying to manipulate the media here



also, he might very well think that he didn't do anything wrong! men have no understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment...

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I've wondered that too but yet I know for getting security clearance they still require them. I don't get it...

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What kind of clearance are you thinking of? My husband has a Q clearance through the DoD and never had a polygraph.

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iirc it's because a lot of people think polygraphs work, so if you need to pass one to get hired people with something to hide will weed themselves out

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gary ridgway supposedly passed a polygraph test but ok, piven

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First of all, polygraphs mean nothing.



Second of all, is this a real test he took or is it one of his buddies with a blood pressure cuff attached to the wall of a doctor's office?

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the National Research Council has found no evidence of effectiveness.[16][14] The utility among sex offenders is also poor, with insufficient evidence to support accuracy or improved outcomes in this population



Edited at 2017-11-20 07:41 pm (UTC)

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For the 1000th fucking time - polygraphs are not scientifically sound. They're pseudoscientific nonsense. People need to stop putting any stock in polygraph results.

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They're as accurate as an E-meter lmfao

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The sexualization of Natalie in Leon has always made me mad uncomfortable.



I was looking through my friend's sketchbook one day and found like so so many drawings of that character as if she was a grown woman and I made a comment about it. He didn't even know about the movie and had just seen a million other people draw the character and was drawing based off their depictions. I showed him a pic of 11 year old Natalie Portman in that role and he was really uncomfortable.



Edited at 2017-11-20 09:21 pm (UTC)

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IA. Even more creepy when you find out Luc Besson dated a 15 year old when he was in his 30's.

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ew that makes me want to die

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And even creepier when you find out that Luc Besson wrote a sex scene for Leon (between Natalie's 12-year-old character and Jean Reno's 40s-something character) and just didn't film it. And the script doesn't describe it as rape but as "sweetly making love". Excuse me while I go throw up.

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I read an article awhile back where he was talking about a Leon sequel and said something like "people want it, but Natalie is old now." I was like HMMMMM especially since the sequel would ostensibly be about a grown-up Matilda carrying on as an assassin or whatever.

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I remember watching Leon when I was around 11 (I know, I shouldn't have) and it really freaked me out.

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Projection tbh

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yep. as women we do our best to avoid men altogether. we remove ourselves from their spaces, we don't talk to them, we literally cross the street to avoid them.



men on the other hand do their damnedest to invade our spaces, follow us, harass us, purposefully intimidate us. WHAT is more exhausting than that?

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omg this truth. And after all that work from us not to upset them, they tell us we're "exhausting" when we dare to speak out about anything.

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you speak the truth.

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thisssss holy shit

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OP- Would have never known English wasn't your first language tbh, you did great!

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Thank you! <3

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IKR. I have some homework you can paraphrase for me so I wont get flagged.

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And where does her Polanski support fit in?

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OH MY FUCK HOW HAS NO ONE REPLIED TO THIS, SAY THAT!!!!

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I was thinking Thor 2/Alan Taylor

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I was thinking the same thing. And thunderbae obviously stood up for her.

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He'd have some fucking nerve with his flop results outside of GoT

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Really? He's such a cornball, I can't imagine him shouting at anyone.

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i thought alan taylor since she swiftly departed that franchise following his direction and emilia clarke also had similar problems with alan taylor on terminator, which is why got didn't invite him back for 2 years.

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I'm not surprised, especially considering how young she was when she started.



When I was a teenager I remember watching Beautiful Girls and being so fucking uncomfortable. Natalie's character was 13 but "worldly" and trying to convince Timothy Hutton's character to wait until she was 18. It was so fucking gross.

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that whole movie was weird to me

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I was so skeeved out by that movie.

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omg wasn't Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, and Rosie O'Donnell in that film

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Yep. A lot of faves were in it. I think I was 13 at the time and I watched it for Annabeth Gish.

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It's f*cking wild how many movies implicitly (and explicitly) try to sell the idea of a romance between a grown man and a young girl.

Just last year I watched Tomorrowland (totally forgettable and boring, do not recommend), but what stood out to me was the romantic subtext between George Clooney's character and an 11yo girl.

Yeah, you read that right, but it was "Ok" because she was actually an android/robot (or whatever).

Long story short, Clooney's character met the android girl as a kid (when they were the "same age") and had a crush on her, but gets his heart broken when he finds out she's not human. Fast forward to the present day and he's still bitter and pressed about that, but the two characters butt heads like exes with unresolved history. Which is CRAZY because of the optics of a little girl being the voice of reason to an adult's whining/sulking (bc she's a hyper-rational robot of course!), thus making it seem like they're actually emotional/intellectual equals. Honestly it was so insidious, like I never really thought Hollywood had some pedo agenda, but that movie gave me serious pause. Just the deliberate framing of a child as wise/reasonable, and the one hand-holding an adult still has me angry today. There's a lot more to the story which I left out, but suffice to say commentors on imdb picked up on the ~relationship and were already calling the little girl hot etc. This world is sick.

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When Scott Rosenberg wrote an open letter about Weinstein last month and people praised him, I just rolled my eyes. His movie Beautiful Girls, which was produced by Weisntein, had a teenage Natalie Portman as a love interest for Timothy Hutton and people thought it was tender and touching and in reality it was just a gross sexual fantasy grown men have about teenagers.

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I commented just above you about Beautiful Girls. That movie was disturbing as fuck.

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It was and I'm always surprised by how many people love it and think it's romantic and tender. It's not.

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I don't know that movie but how does that even make sense? How did they film that?

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mte

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Yeah Natalie played some odd and troubling roles as a young girl, yet turned down Lolita for reasons she closely portrayed in other movies, yet her parents seem like they really cared about her having a normal life. Going to a normal high school and everything, etc.

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ia

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Yeah, same thing happened to Emma Watson. Natalie Portman stopped reading fan letters because of how gross some of them were.

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yep + sophia lillis in it



and for her, they love to point out how king sexualized her in the book, too. great, but that doesn't make it okay??

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In all fairness, folks are sexualizing that entire young cast in a really gross way but I definitely agree.

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I watched the movie Beautiful Girls when I was a kid and have watched it again as an adult, and her role in that is weird as well.

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i hope this is true, that'd be fantastic. so many of them are so powerful now and i want to see them lead.

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About damn time for Time's Up

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This sounds amazing!

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i want a women-only division in hollywood at this point. i want to see what cinema would be like without the taint of piece of shit mens on it.

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damn Reese is doing good! Excited about her new movie she going to produce, about the first black women who graduated from college with Zendaya in lead, and a black women is writing the script!

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Expose these shitheads, ladies

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disgusting. I feel so bad for her. I'd been meaning to watch Leon cause I hear it's good but after learning about what a creep the director is I won't. so gross of people to reference Lolita...



I don't even remember when I first saw her in anything but I really loved her since I was a kid. it was super disappointing to find out that she signed the Polanski petition.

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that plane story is about that scam artist ryan kavanaugh

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I bet it's the Thor 2 director she's talking about.

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That would make a lot of sense considering Taylor reportedly was a nightmare to Emilia Clarke on the set of Terminator

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Oh no. What happened?

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What happened (2)

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I never followed the production of that movie, but I guess I'd foolishly assumed that their GoT connection would give them some common ground and instead he's a fucking swollen headed bully

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men: *yells so much they shit themselves*

men: "women are exhausting"



Edited at 2017-11-20 09:45 pm (UTC)

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I was a child when I saw Leon and I did find her super hot in it, probably my first girl crush.



As an adult I she's terribly sexualized in it but that's also just how the character was written, it's not something that happened due to a pervy male director, the role was written this way and everyone involved in it (even her parents) knew it. When she tells the hotel clerk that Leon is not her dad but her lover...the dressing up as a sex icon sequence...

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it's not something that happened due to a pervy male director, the role was written this way



the director also wrote it. if you're going to troll plz get your facts straight thnx

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There are times when leaving your expectations at the door is entirely the right protocol. Such will be the case at Snack Boys, the bar and restaurant expected to open in the former AP Bar & Kitchen at 814 S. 2nd St. sometime in mid-to-late December.

The restaurant is spearheaded by industry veterans John Revord and Chef Mitch Ciohon of Boone & Crockett and Gypsy Taco along with Chef Shay Linkus, formerly of The Vanguard. And, in their deft hands, the new eatery promises to offer creative, well-executed dishes and drinks in a lighthearted, jovial atmosphere.

Just plain fun

Well, maybe lighthearted is an understatement. After all, the focal point of the restaurant will be a huge mural created by the folks at RevPop depicting an iconic naked cigar-smoking Burt Reynolds sexily sprawled on a bearskin rug.

"Theres no place in the restaurant where you wont be able to see Burts nude body," says Revord, who says that the newly painted slate grey walls will be accented by a whimsical shade called "kissable pink," and that there will be an homage to Dolly Parton in the men's room.

"AP was awesome for what it was," he says. "Very nice, quiet, fine dining. And were going the opposite of that."

The partners admit it wont be a restaurant for everyone. However, for diners who have the open-mindedness to embrace the signature quirkiness for which all three partners are known, the new fun-loving venue is likely to be a breath of fresh air.

After all, these arent just any cooks in the kitchen. Revord has years of experience designing craft cocktail menus. Meanwhile Ciohon and Linkus have experience at spots like Beta by Sabor (a Downtown small plates restaurant that was ahead of its time in terms of creatively executed dishes) and Odd Duck (the Bay View restaurant that took off in large part due to the ingenuity of the team of chefs in the kitchen).

Milwaukee's first snack bar

"This is an opportunity for us to remind people that me and Shay arent just sausage and taco guys," says Ciohon. "Don't get me wrong, thats my bread and butter, and its a thing I totally get behind. But, I miss Beta every single day. And every day Facebook reminds me of the dishes I cooked seven years ago. In a roundabout way, those flavor profiles will be part of the menu."

Linkus agrees, noting that he's always been the sort of chef who follows his natural curiosity. "Theres so much room here to be creative. Were all to the point in our careers where weve done all of this before. Weve made mistakes and weve figured out what works. I dont need a good review. I dont need Michelin stars. This is about cooking food thats fun and delicious. And I really miss cooking  with pans," he adds with a smirk.

That creativity will come in the form of a menu filled with 10 to 15 affordably priced eclectic single-serving dishes (snacks) like fried Brussels sprouts, scallops and other nibbles that can be ordered in countless combinations to create the equivalent of an entree. Ciohon notes there may also be a few shareable items, like fondue.

"Ive been playing with this idea of oxtail crepinettes served in an onion demi with Gruyere," Linkus says. "It will look like French onion soup, but when you dig in, youll find the crepinettes."

A raw bar will allow diners to pick and choose from a selection of items including oysters, peel and eat shrimp, crab legs and seasonal items like stone crab or tuna poke. There could well be creatively delicious options like one of Ciohons favorite snacks, fresh uni and potato chips.

Sparkly tipples and rose all day

On the beverage side, Revord says the menu will include "simple, delicious, well planned drinks," including a rotating list of draft cocktails that dont take themselves too seriously.

"We are definitely not doing tiki," he says. "But I love shitty boat drinks. At Boone & Crockett weve sort of pigeon-holed ourselves with the craft cocktails. Here, if we want to build a drink with umbrellas and sparkles, thats totally what were going to do."

And that sparkly drink may well be a fun slushified take on the Malibu Bay Breeze, one of Linkuss favorite sippers. There will also be beer, available both in cans and bottles, along with "Fancy Forties," a tongue-in-cheek take on bottle service.

"The wine menu will be horribly accessible," says Linkus. "A lot of rose, gamay, ferments  loads of pink wine. And lots of Eastern European orange wines."

Inspired by the Canadians

The whole concept, Revord says, is based on inspiration he and Ciohon have gleaned from road trips together, particularly from restaurants in Toronto where the concept of "snack bars" has taken the scene by storm.

The genre, which hasnt yet infiltrated the U.S., is generally composed of eateries where convivial diners gather to enjoy drinks and an assemblage of finger foods  think pinxtos and cicchetti  rather than composed entrees, and where its reasonable to grab a bite at any time of the day, including those peckish hours both before and after the traditional dinner hour.

"Weve had this idea on the back burner for years," notes Revord, "But weve been too busy to really think about executing it."

Things changed when he heard that Justin Anthony [of AP Bar & Grill] was thinking of leaving Milwaukee to pursue other interests. "Every space weve found so far has always found usin this freaky hippy fate sort of way" Revord explains. "And thats what happened here. Days later, we called Shay, and started talking about partnering on the concept."

"Theres nothing people can compare this to," he adds. "Our entire concept is seriously not serious. Weve jokingly used the tagline highbrow food for lowbrow folks. Its a place where your average joe can come by and eat phenomenal grub. And, in the end, people will just have to come and check it out."

Watch for additional information at OnMilwaukee soon. In the meantime, feel free to stalk Snack Boys on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Check in early and stay late during OnMilwaukee's "Hotel Week" sponsored by VISIT Milwaukee. These seven days will be packed with stories about historic area hotels, reviews, history, food and drink, staycations and more. Find out what it's like to be a tourist in this town. (Chocolate on your pillow not included.)

When I was asked to participate in OnMilwaukee's Hotel Week, I was ecstatic. Interns never get to do cool stuff, but not at OnMilwaukee! (If you are young college student, this is not an invitation to apply! I dont need competition for my job).

I was asked to review the Courtyard Marriott. I was surprised I wasnt assigned to check out The Pfister for a night, but for a college student who obviously lives in squalor, the Marriott might as well be The Pfister.

The Marriott is located in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee at 300 W. Michigan St., which is the perfect location if you are on business or just visiting Milwaukee, sitting right in the heart of the city's hustle and bustle. Of course, I am neither a business man nor a tourist new to Milwaukee, but Marriotts prime location is also perfect for staycation, offering everything a millennial could wish he could afford within reach.

Upon entering the hotel (if you bring a car for your stay at the Marriott, you can use the valet for $27 or park it yourself for $22), you are greeted by a lobby with pleasant modern decor, featuring with several booths and benches for casual conversations and relaxation. On the opposite side of where you enter from, the Marriott has a bar called The Bistro that serves beer, cocktails, soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as hosts its breakfast in the morning. However, the Bistro is more of a place to grab a quick drink or bite to eat rather than a place to hang out at  maybe more of a place to crash after you leave your nearby nightlife hot spot for the evening, but you're not quite ready to call it a night.

As for other amenities, the hotel also has a pool and hot tub that stay open until 11 p.m. as well as a fitness center that is available 24/7. The latter was a particularly welcome amenity given the fact no student housing at my alma mater has a pool, much less a hot tub.

Checking in is a breeze, and the staff was friendly and helpful as they explained the ins and outs of the hotel. As for the actual room, the Marriott features options with balconies, suites or regular rooms, complete with two queen beds or one king size bed. I took the king size bed, which proved to be extremely comfortable. As for the rest of the room, the area was spacious with a couch, a desk and a nice big TV that had the ability to sign into your Netflix account. On the nightstand next to my bed, there was also an iHome speaker. However, the speaker was only equipped with a jack for an iPhone 4 or lower, which Im pretty sure went extinct.

If I'm being honest, though, the best part of the room was a clean bathroom, which as a college student living on campus, I have not had the pleasure of experiencing in a long time.

Being Downtown also meant that I had all of Downtowns dining choices, meaning I could eat at a real restaurant instead of fast food or an averagely cooked meal fresh out of the microwave. In my case, I took a quick ten-minute walk straight down Michigan Street to the Swingin' Door Exchange. This tucked away Downtown gem has pleasant old-school feel and is a great spot to catch a game  essential to keep up with the alma mater's teams  while also catching a bite to eat.

I started off my dining experience off with the KT Buffalo Chicken Dip, which delivered the perfect blend of spice and flavor. For my main course, I enjoyed the half-pound Angus cheeseburger and French fries, washing everything down with a draft Lakefront Riverwest Stein.

Overall, I had a great staycation at the Courtyard Marriott. It is impossible to beat the location, and anything I wanted to do in Downtown Milwaukee was right there. The only downside: I had to return to my typical college student life the next day.
Billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera, who held a commanding lead in Chile's first round of presidential voting, and leftist former TV journalist Alejandro Guillier will contest a runoff next month. Ex-president Pinera had a 36.6 percent lead to Guillier's 22.6 percent with more than 90 percent of the votes counted after the first round. "Tonight we have achieved a great electoral result and above all because we have opened the doors which will lead us to better times," Pinera told his triumphant supporters. Guillier, an independent supported by President Michelle Bachelet's Socialist party, beat off a stiff challenge from an unheralded far-left candidate, Beatriz Sanchez, for the second runoff place. Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010 to 2014, had been the clear favorite going into Sunday's first round. The second round is set for December 17. "The result is very similar to the one we had in 2009, and in 2009 we won the election, and we managed to get our country up and running," said Pinera, who campaigned on reviving an economy that has suffered years of weak growth. Guillier, a 64-year-old news anchor turned Senator, said Chile "wants another way, and has expressed that in the vote," which gives him a platform to build on in the second round if he can unify a fragmented left. "The result completely reconfigures the Chilean political landscape," University of Santiago analyst Rene Jara told AFP after both far-left and far-right candidates polled more strongly than expected among the eight presidential candidates. Sanchez, 46, a seasoned journalist who entered politics only in March, polled more than 1.2 million votes as a representative of the anti-austerity Frente Amplio party. "Chile wants change and said it today by voting," she said. Jara said Sanchez's vote had given her party "very strong negotiating power for the second round." Although her party had been reluctant to pledge support for Guillier, "they are obliged to do so because they will not be responsible for a return of Pinera to power." Analysts said Pinera will be forced to appeal to the far right for support in the second round, after extreme right-candidate Jose Antonio Kast polled strongly, taking 7.9 percent of the votes. - Voter apathy - Bachelet, who was also Chile's first woman president, hugged and took photographs with female supporters before casting her ballot in Santiago. "It is important that people come out and vote (for a candidate) because they feel they represent what they want for Chile," she said, predicting a second round. As he headed to a Santiago polling station, Fernando Aravena, 76, said: "We need change. That's the idea." Daniel Concha, a 31-year-old psychologist, said it was "very likely" that Pinera would win the election. Paula Salas, 35, said she voted for Sanchez. "If she became president, she would do more, because she has fewer links with the powerful class," Salas said. Lawyer Cristian Barros cautioned against a Pinera victory being seen as a foregone conclusion. "There were several former presidential candidates in Chilean history who were considered winners, and I think Pinera should not be given as a winner until the end of the election," said Barros, 37. Chile's constitution bans consecutive terms for presidents, but re-election after skipping a term is permissible. Bachelet herself led the conservative South American country -- Latin America's fifth-largest economy -- from 2006 to 2010 and then was re-elected to replace Pinera in 2014. Compulsory voting was dropped in 2012. Since then, a growing number of Chile's 14 million eligible voters have decided to stay away from voting booths. - No majority? - Pinera's first presidential victory in 2009 elections signified a break from the center-left politics that had reigned in Chile since democracy was restored with the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990. But a Pinera comeback is not seen as a rejection of the overall economic and social model erected in the Bachelet years, during which Chile posted annual growth of 1.8 percent and passed tax and labor reforms, as well as introduced free education and the right to abortion. "Chileans don't want to tear down the model, just fix its structure," said political analyst Mauricio Morales of Talca University. Pinera has promised modifications to Bachelet's reforms, and vowed to have Chile join the club of developed nations within eight years. His effectiveness, though, could be hobbled by a shortfall in legislative support. "He is not going to have a majority in Congress," predicted analyst Marta Lagos, founder of Latinobarometro and MORI Chile. Sunday's elections also included legislative elections for 155 congressional seats and half the Senate. The right was set to increase its share of the seats, but not by enough to have the majority in either chamber. It is the first poll in the country's history that includes expatriate citizens.
These figures show the global warming rates with the incorporated Arctic data. Credit: Xiangdong Zhang.

Missing Arctic temperature data, not Mother Nature, created the seeming slowdown of global warming from 1998 to 2012, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change.

A University of Alaska Fairbanks professor and his colleagues in China constructed the first data set of surface temperatures from across the world that significantly improves representation of the Arctic during the "global warming hiatus."

Xiangdong Zhang, an atmospheric scientist with UAF's International Arctic Research Center, said he collaborated with colleagues at Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese agencies studying Arctic warming to analyze temperature data collected from buoys drifting in the Arctic Ocean.

"We recalculated the average global temperatures from 1998-2012 and found that the rate of global warming had continued to rise at 0.112C per decade instead of slowing down to 0.05C per decade as previously thought," said Zhang.

The new data also improved estimates of the global warming and the Arctic warming rate.

"We estimated a new rate of Arctic warming at 0.659 C per decade from 1998-2014. Compared with the newly estimated global warming rate of 0.130 C per decade, the Arctic has warmed more than five time the global average," said Zhang.

The team developed new methods of incorporating the Arctic temperature data into global temperature data so that they could better estimate the average temperatures. Most current estimates use global data that tend to represent a long time span and provide good coverage of a global geographic area. But the remote Arctic lacks a robust network of instruments to collect temperature data.

To improve the dataset in time and space, the team relied on temperature data collected from the International Arctic Buoy Program at the University of Washington. For global data, the team used newly corrected sea surface temperatures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Zhang said this study expands on NOAA research and other recent studies that have either supported or refuted the idea of a "global warming hiatus" by reestimating the average global temperatures during that time period with more accurate and representative data.

The global warming hiatus is a much-debated topic among climate researchers. Some scientists theorized that an unusually warm El Nino in the years 1997-1998 and an extended period afterwards without occurrence of El Nino in the tropical Pacific Ocean may have disrupted the rate of global warming.

The Earth's average global temperatures have been rising over the past century and accelerating as more human produced carbon dioxide enters and lingers in the atmosphere, which is why the idea of "global warming hiatus" seemed baffling.

But the new data set and resulting estimates show conclusively that global warming did not take a break, said Zhang.

It also highlights the importance of considering the Arctic when thinking about climate change. Until recently, Zhang said, many scientists didn't consider the Arctic big enough to greatly influence the average global temperatures. "The Arctic is remote only in terms of physical distance," he said. "In terms of science, it's close to every one of us. It's a necessary part of the equation and the answer affects us all."

More information: Jianbin Huang et al, Recently amplified arctic warming has contributed to a continual global warming trend, Nature Climate Change (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-017-0009-5 Journal information: Nature Climate Change
Pair of Wandering Albatrosses on the sub-Antarctic island of Bird Island (South Georgia). Credit: Stacey Adlard @ British Antarctic Survey

The populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published today (20 November) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research, led by scientists at British Antarctic Study (BAS), attributes this decline to environmental change, and to deaths in longline and trawl fisheries (known as bycatch).

Albatrosses are the world's most threatened family of birds. There are 22 species; according to the IUCN Red List, 17 of these are 'Threatened with extinction' and the remaining five are considered to be 'Near-threatened'. BAS scientists at Bird Island have been monitoring the populations since 1972.

By analysing the breeding histories of more than 36,000 individually ringed albatrosses, researchers have found decreases in the survival rates of both adults and juveniles, causing serious declines in population growth rates with long-lasting effects.

Lead author Dr Deborah Pardo of the British Antarctic Survey, says:

"Our study shows that bycatch in fisheries and environmental change both contribute to reducing the survival rates of the birds. While we know population sizes were affected by bycatch from the mid 1990s, more recent climatic changes including stronger and more poleward winds, increased sea surface temperature and reduced sea ice have worsened the impacts.

We also found the grey-headed albatross population was particularly affected by the climatic event of El Nino, which coincided with increased fishing activity in their foraging areas . El Nino reduced the amount of food available so the birds probably switched to feeding on discards behind fishing vessels, increasing the number being hooked on longlines."

Co-author Professor Richard Phillips of the British Antarctic Survey, says:

"This is the first comprehensive study at South Georgia and one of the few globally to examine the impacts of both climate change and fisheries on populations of long-lived seabirds. Identifying that bycatch is having a major impact on grey-headed albatrosses was unexpected, as mortalities of this species during setting of longlines are rarely recorded by observers on board fishing vessels. The results underline how important it is to improve fisheries management. Whilst BAS has worked with Commision for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to introduce measures that have effectively eliminated bycatch around South Georgia, evidence from our long-term monitoring shows that more is needed elsewhere in the Southern Ocean to avoid the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of birds each year."

More information: Additive effects of climate and fisheries drive ongoing declines in multiple albatross species, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1618819114 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The research team used snow vehicles equipped with radar sensors to carry out a detailed survey of around 1500 sq km of ice. Credit: University of Aberdeen

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have helped carry out a detailed survey of the landscape beneath thick Antarctic ice that researchers say will be a valuable resource in understanding how ice draining into the ocean contributes to global sea level rise.

Radar surveys of the land beneath Pine Island Glacier, obtained by snowmobile, have revealed a surprisingly diverse, mountainous landscape under the ice.

The findings are significant as Pine Island Glacier is the fastest melting glacier in Antarctica and currently accounts for up to 10 per cent of global sea level rise.

Ice melting into the ocean in the region is expected to increase as the climate warms and the West Antarctic ice sheet continues to thin.

The survey of the glacier, the most detailed to date, was carried out during the Antarctic summer of 2013 - 2014 by a team working round the clock. Snow vehicles equipped with radar sensors surveyed about 1500 sq km of ice, taking readings every few hundred metres.

The findings represent significant progress in the data available to inform forecasts of ice loss. Previous computer models used less comprehensive data from aerial radar surveys, which did not account for a range of ice bed shapes and the effects these could have on glacier friction.

The study shows that the diverse nature of the terrain beneath the glacier is the biggest factor affecting the flow of the ice across the landscape.

Scientists will incorporate the new findings into computer models used to project the glacier's future.

The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, the British Antarctic Survey, the Universities of Swansea and Exeter, and partners in the US and New Zealand. It was funded under the Natural Environment Research Council's iSTAR programme.

Dr Matteo Spagnolo, from the University of Aberdeen's School of Geosciences, was among those who assisted with the study.

He said: "This study represents one of the rare examples where we have been able to image the ice-bed interface of ice streams - the arteries of ice sheets - at high resolution with radar penetrating through ice that is more than a kilometre thick.

"It reveals a fascinating landscape of streamlined landforms, considerably more variable than anticipated.

"These bedforms, which have been the focus of my research for many years, represent a considerable resisting element to, and therefore a crucial control on, the flow of ice. Models of ice stream flow should attempt to incorporate the variable topography we have shown to exist under the ice to improve their reliability."

Dr Robert Bingham, formerly of the University of Aberdeen and now of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, led the research.

He said: "Detailed understanding of this diverse landscape, and how that will impact on ice melt from one of Antarctica's most important glaciers, will give us valuable clues as to how warming in this region will impact on global sea level."

More information: Robert G. Bingham et al. Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01597-y Journal information: Nature Communications
Ordinary kaolinite under an electron microscope. Credit: Yonsei University, Yongjae Lee

The first observation of a super-hydrated phase of the clay mineral kaolinite could improve our understanding of processes that lead to volcanism and affect earthquakes. In high-pressure and high-temperature X-ray measurements that were partly conducted at DESY, scientists created conditions similar to those in so-called subduction zones where an oceanic plate dives under the continental crust. The transport and release of water during subduction causes strong volcanic activity. An international team led by scientists of Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea, presents the results in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.

In a subduction zone, a heavy oceanic plate meets a second, lighter continental plate and moves under it and into the earth's mantle. With the oceanic plate, water enters the earth as it is trapped in minerals of the oceanic crust or overlaying sediments. These minerals slowly sink deeper into the mantle over millions of years. With increasing depth, temperature and pressure, the minerals become instable, break down and transform into new compounds.

During these transformations, water is released and rises into the surrounding, hotter mantle where it decreases the melting temperature of the mantle rock. "When the mantle rocks melt, magma is generated. This can lead to volcanic activity when the magma rises to the surface," explains Yongjae Lee from Yonsei University who led the study. "While we know that the water cycle in subduction zones influences volcanism and possibly seismicity, we don't know much about the processes that form this cycle."

Since these processes take place many kilometres under Earth's surface, it is impossible to observe them directly. Even the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, the deepest borehole on Earth, reaches no deeper than 12,262 metres. One way to learn more about the transformations in greater depths of subduction zones is to create similar conditions in the laboratory. High-pressure and high-temperature measurements allow scientists to take a close look at the structural changes in the different minerals that form the crust and sediments.

Kaolinite sinks into the subduction zone with the oceanic plate. As it changes into the newly discovered phase it takes in water from its surroundings and releases it upon further structure change down in the mantle. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, MagentaGreen (modified) CC BY SA 3.0

One of these minerals is kaolinite, a clay mineral containing aluminium that is an important part of the oceanic sediments. The scientists were now able to observe the formation of a new phase of the mineral, so-called super-hydrated kaolinite. They examined a sample of kaolinite in the presence of water at pressures and temperatures corresponding to those at different depths in subduction zones. With X-ray diffraction and infrared spectra measurements, structural and chemical changes were characterized.

At a pressure of circa 2.5 Giga-Pascal (GPa), more than 25,000 times the average pressure at sea level, and a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, the super-hydrated phase was observed. These conditions are present at a depth of about 75 kilometres in subduction zones. In the new phase, water molecules are enclosed between the layers of the mineral. The super-hydrated kaolinite contains more water than any other known aluminosilicate mineral in the mantle. When pressure and temperature sink back to ambient conditions, the structure reverts to its original form.

In measurements carried out at the Extreme Conditions Beamline P02.2 at DESYs X-ray source PETRA III, the scientists examined the breakdown of the new phase at even higher pressures and temperatures. "Our beamline provides an environment to investigate samples at extreme pressures and temperatures. Using a so-called graphite resistive heated diamond anvil cell, we were able to observe the changes at a pressure of up to 19 Giga-Pascal and a temperature of up to 800 degrees," says DESY-scientist Hanns-Peter Liermann of the Extreme Conditions Beamline who co-authored the study. The super-hydrated kaolinite broke down at 5 Giga-Pascal and 500 degrees, two additional transformations happened at higher pressures and temperatures. During these transformations, the water that was intercalated in the kaolinite is released.

The observation of the formation and breakdown of the super-hydrated kaolinite bears important information about the processes that occur over a depth range of about 75 kilometres to 480 kilometres in subduction zones. The release of water that takes place when the super-hydrated kaolinite breaks down could be an important part of the water cycle that causes volcanism along subduction zones. The breakdown probably happens below a depth of about 200 kilometres, the released water could then contribute to the formation of magma.

Additionally, the super-hydrated kaolinite could influence seismicity. During the formation of the new phase, the water that surrounds kaolinite is removed from the environment. This could change the friction between the subducting and the overlying slabs. The scientists assume that other minerals in the sediment or crust could undergo similar transformations. Thus, the study could improve the understanding of the geochemical processes in subduction zones of the earth.

More information: Huijeong Hwang et al, A role for subducted super-hydrated kaolinite in Earth's deep water cycle, Nature Geoscience (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-017-0008-1 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
Credit: Oregon State University

For reef-building corals, not just any symbiotic algae will do, new research shows.

The findings are important because they amount to another danger sign for the world's coral reefs, which rely on a partnership with the millions of phototrophic algae they host to obtain food.

Global climate change is threatening the reefs in part because the symbionts, dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, can be stressed by warming oceans to the point of dysbiosis - a collapse of the host-symbiont partnership, which results in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

Earlier studies had suggested the more heat-tolerant Symbiodinium trenchii might be able to take the place of other, more sensitive species of Symbiodinium.

But an international research group that included Virginia Weis, Eli Meyer and Camerron Crowder of Oregon State University found that likely won't be the case.

"Our research suggests that while S. trenchii might be able to establish a population in a host, it's not correct to say it will be a beneficial partnership for the coral," said Weis, professor of integrative biology in OSU's College of Science.

Findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Weis and collaborators at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the University of Melbourne and Stanford University worked with the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida, commonly called Aiptasia, an established model for studying the type of symbiosis upon which coral reefs rely.

"Corals are really hard to grow in a lab," Weis said. "They're very fussy, they're slow growing, and many of them are endangered. But this anemone grows very fast and is easy to manipulate."

Aiptasia anemones were colonized separately with S. trenchii and their native symbionts, S. minutum.S. trenchii has been observed to invade corals after bleaching - when the corals become stressed and lose their algae.

"When we challenged Aiptasia with the regular symbiont, it went as expected," Weis said. "There was no immune system response, and there was productivity - we could see signs of the host getting sugars and nutrients from its symbiont."

But with the introduction of S. trenchii, it was a much different story.

"We got a completely different set of signals," she said. "The hosts' immune system went on alert, mounting a response to try to eject this invader, and we saw signs of catabolism - instead of growing and putting carbon away for a rainy day, the host was having to break down its own tissues because it wasn't getting enough food. So it was quite a dramatically different set of responses."

Understanding as much as possible about the symbiosis corals require, and the biology that underlies it, is a key to the "grave and existential threat" they face from climate change, Weis said.

"We're at the point now where coral reefs as we know them will in fact largely disappear, and what we're hoping is to get carbon emissions more under control and bring global temperatures back down so we can manage their reappearance as a dominant ecosystem," she said. "One approach to mitigate the problem would be to shift the host to a symbiont population that can develop corals that are more robust to climate change. One of the hopes had centered on S. trenchii, but what studies show in the model system is that it's unlikely that combination would result in an ecologically healthy partnership that could last. It's a cautionary tale to those who think we can willy-nilly make symbiont switches and have healthy corals be the result."

More information: Jennifer L. Matthews et al, Optimal nutrient exchange and immune responses operate in partner specificity in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710733114 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Photo of Microwave Radiometer Technology Acceleration (MiRaTa) CubeSat. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

NASA has launched four small research satellites, or CubeSats, developed by four universities as part of a broader mission launching the next generation polar-orbiting satellite to space. These CubeSat missions were selected through the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) as part of the 14th installment of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) missions. The ELaNa XIV mission is an auxiliary payload on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) mission, a collaborative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. JPSS-1 lifted off Nov. 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST). Over the past four years, university students have been involved in the design, development and construction of the CubeSats that will be jettisoned into space from spring-loaded deployers.

CubeSats are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstrations, scientific research, and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration; Earth observation; fundamental Earth and space science; and technology demonstrations such as cutting-edge laser communications, energy storage, in-space propulsion, and autonomous movement capabilities. They also provide educators an inexpensive means to engage students in all phases of satellite development, operation, and exploitation through real-world, hands-on research and development experience on NASA-funded ride-share launch opportunities.

CSLI enables the launch of CubeSat projects designed, built, and operated by students, teachers, and faculty, as well as NASA centers and nonprofit organizations. Managed by the Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ELaNa missions provide a deployment opportunity or ride-share launch to space for the CubeSats selected through CSLI. ELaNa mission managers and their teams engage schools and colleges across the United States, providing spaceflight education through the preparation of payloads (licensing, integration and testing) flown in space. Since its inception in 2010, the initiative has selected more than 150 CubeSats and launched 49 CubeSats primarily developed by educational and government institutions across the United States. These miniature satellites were prioritized and selected through a formal NASA review of proposals submitted in response to CSLI announcements. NASA announced another call for proposals in early August 2017.

Basic CubeSat Facts:

Built to standard dimensions of 1 unit (1U) which is equal to 10x10x10 cm

Can be 1U, 2U, 3U or 6U in size

Weigh less than 3 lbs (1.33 kg) per U  6U may be up to 6.3 lbs (14 kg)

Photo of student team and MakerSat CubeSat. Credit: Northwest Nazarene University

CubeSat deployment

Four CubeSat projects were selected for the ELaNa XIV mission. The CubeSats are placed inside Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployers (P-PODs) which are then integrated onto a Delta II rocket that will ferry them to space. The P-POD was designed and manufactured by the California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, California. After the main payload deploys, the CubeSats will separate from their P-PODs. After 45 minutes in orbit, each CubeSat's transmitters will turn on. The Cubesat teams utilize ground stations to listen for their beacons to determine their small satellite's functionality and operational status.

CubeSat missions are anticipated to last at least 90 days, although durations may vary. Upon mission completion, the CubeSats begin a final fall through Earth's atmosphere, where tremendous heat generated by friction causes them to disintegrate.

Safety and mission assurance

Each CubeSat developer has verified their satellite is compliant with the P-POD requirements. NASA conducts a joint mission readiness review with each CubeSat developer. Each ELaNa CubeSat complies with U.S. and NASA orbital debris mitigation standard practices.

Photo of RadFxSat CubeSat. Credit: The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and Vanderbilt University

The CubeSats

MiRaTAMicrowave Radiometer Technology Acceleration

Massachusetts Institute of Technology  Cambridge, Massachusetts

MiRaTA is an atmospheric sensing CubeSat that measures temperature, water vapor, and cloud ice in the atmosphere for severe weather monitoring and the study of cyclone structure. MiRaTA will flight test a new ultra compact, low power radiometer as well as a new GPS radio occultation (GPS RO) receiver and patch antenna array. The two instruments will work together to demonstrate, for the first time, radiometer calibration methods using co-located GPS RO measurements. This technology will enable low-cost weather imaging constellations with significantly improved temporal resolution spatial coverage that can dramatically enhance the capabilities of future weather and climate sensing architectures. MiRaTA is sponsored by NASA's Earth Science Technology Office under the In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) Program. The MiRaTA team includes MIT, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the Space Dynamics Laboratory.

MakerSat-0

Northwest Nazarene University  Nampa, Idaho

Photo of a student's hands holding the EagleSat-1 CubeSat. Credit: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

MakerSat-0 is a technology proof-of-concept mission that is supporting up to four science payloads developed by independent teams. During the MakerSat-0 mission, one university science team will measure the mass loss of several additive-manufactured polymers in orbit. The materials are expected to undergo mass loss due to monoatomic oxygen radicals, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, ionizing radiation, and outgassing. A high school science team payload will also be flown. The MakerSat concept will be demonstrated with two launches: MakerSat-0 will be conducted through the ELaNa XIV program in preparation for the eventual printing, assembly and launch of MakerSat-1 from the space station. MakerSat: engineering.nnu.edu/research/makersat/

RadFxSat

AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation  Silver Springs, Maryland

Vanderbilt University  Nashville, Tennessee

RadFxSat is a technology demonstration mission to monitor ionizing radiation effects in a memory integrated circuit. The memory, fabricated in a commercial 28 nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, supports a low-power sleep mode and will be used to compare the rate of radiation-induced bit errors between reduced and full-power states. The payload builds upon AO-85 (Fox-1A), the first of AMSAT's series of 1U CubeSats that was launched as part of ELaNa XII in 2015, with the goal of assessing and improving the reliability of commercial microelectronics for space applications.

EagleSat-1

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  Prescott, Arizona

EagleSat-1 is a scientific investigation that will attempt to measure the decay of the satellite's orbit over time by the means of an unlocked Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in the space environment. The primary experiment will concern the use of supercapacitors for the battery bank. The satellite is composed of structures, power, communications, GPS experiment, and onboard computer (OBC) subsystems. The radio transmitter within the satellite has been donated by Wood & Douglas, part of the Ultra Electronics group in the United Kingdom.

EagleSat: prescott.erau.edu/about/labs/axfab-eaglesat/

Provided by NASA
Credit: Leiden University

Paleobotanist Menno Booi discovered that 250 previously described fossil tree species are objectively not distinguishable and belong to only one single species.

Towering clubmosses, primitive conifers and the first appearance of seed fern groups characterize the so-called Jambi flora. A collection of plant fossils that once grew in the Indonesian province of Jambi. Booi investigated this 290 million year old collection and made several discoveries.

The first expedition to the Jambi region took place in 1925. The team, consisting of a geologist and a biologist, collected many fossils. Once in the Netherlands, the fossils were described by paleobotanist W. Jongmans. "Back in the days the heart of the province of Jambi on Sumatra was still an inhospitable jungle and carrying out fieldwork was a real challenge. For example, the researchers needed to be cautious for the many tigers that still ruled the area," Booi explains.

After a dormant existence of almost a century, the collection was rediscovered by Naturalis paleobotanist Isabel van Waveren. The revision of the specimens showed that the material was very unique, but also that many questions were still unanswered. The ecological preferences of the species found in the Jambi flora did not match: some species appeared to be from wet environments, while others where know to prefer a dry habitat. This renewed the interest of the researchers that it led to four expeditions to the original localities, in which new fossils were collected. Naturalis researcher Menno Booi was one of the team members.

Seed ferns reproduce via seeds instead of spores. This extinct group of trees carried large fernlike leaves as depicted on the image. A leaf print fossil of Macralethopteris, a seed fern present in the Jambi flora collection. Credit: Leiden University

He examined all the material collected during the expeditions, and it turned out that there were many old elements that were already known from the Carboniferous (300 till 350 million years ago). An example of these are clubmosses growing to 40 meters in height. Nowadays these do not exceed 20 centimetres. Clubmosses grew mainly in wet swampy conditions.

The recent material also contained many new elements. Such as seed ferns and primitive conifers with trunks of 2.5 meters in diameter. These plants felt at home in a dry environment. "Fossils of these plant groups appear in the Jambi flora for the first time," says Booi.

There is a remarkable number of pieces of fossilized wood of conifers present in the Jambi collection. "At least 250 species have been described for this type of wood in the past," says the paleobotanist. The wood itself has few characteristics. Descriptions are based almost entirely on measurements of the anatomy of the wood. For example, the diameter of tracheids, elongated cells that serve in the transport of water and mineral through the wood.

One of the new elements that were encountered in the Jambi flora: a leaf print fossil of the seedfern Comia variformis. Credit: Leiden University

Booi compiled measurements into a large dataset and analysed them. He concluded that, contrary to expectations, there are no distinct species to discerned in this large collection of fossil wood and that the specimens instead belong to one species, which bears a wide variation in appearance.

Booi calls his results remarkable: "Apparently, the process of species description in paleobotany is quite arbitrary and new species are being described based on only a few specimens." As part-time PhD student and full-time software developer, Menno Booi believes that this process should be altered and that present (computational) techniques offer numerous possibilities to do so. For example, he proposes machine learning as a new option. "You can actually teach software to recognize certain patterns in plant fossils. In this way, you standardize and classify in an objective way whether a specimen differs from other fossil material and to what extent it differs. Doing so makes the field of paleobotany more interesting, more concrete and even sexier," says the researcher.
A new AI tool created to help identify certain kinds of substance abuse based on a homeless youth's Facebook posts could provide homeless shelters with vital information to incorporate into each individual's case management plan. Credit: CC0 Public Domain

If you're materialistic, you're likely to use Facebook more frequently and intensely. A new paper in Heliyon reveals that materialistic people see and treat their Facebook friends as "digital objects," and have significantly more friends than people who are less interested in possessions. It also shows that materialists have a greater need to compare themselves with others on Facebook.

The study reveals that materialistic people use Facebook to both achieve their goals and feel good. The authors of the paper, from the Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany, have developed a new theory to explain this: The Social Online Self-Regulation Theory.

"Materialistic people use Facebook more frequently because they tend to objectify their Facebook friends - they acquire Facebook friends to increase their possession," said lead author Phillip Ozimek. "Facebook provides the perfect platform for social comparisons, with millions of profiles and information about people. And it's free - materialists love tools that do not cost money!"

The researchers first conducted an online questionnaire with 242 Facebook users. The questionnaire asked participants to rate their agreement with statements in order to calculate their Facebook activity (such as "I'm posting photographs"), social comparison orientation ("I often compare how I am doing socially"), materialism ("My life would be better if I owned certain things I don't have"), objectification of Facebook friends ("Having many Facebook friends contributes more success in my personal and professional life") and instrumentalization of Facebook friends ("To what extent do you think Facebook friends are useful in order to attain your goals?").

The results suggested that the link between materialism and Facebook activity can be partly explained by materialists displaying a stronger social comparison orientation, having more Facebook friends, and objectifying and instrumentalizing their friends more intensely.

The authors replicated the approach with a separate sample of 289 Facebook users, containing fewer students and more males than the first sample, and they reached the same conclusions. The Social Online Self-Regulation Theory they developed extends this further, saying that social media is a tool for achieving important goals in life. For materialists, Facebook is a tool to learn how far away they are from their goal to become wealthy.

The researchers emphasize that their results should not cast social media in a negative light; instead, they assume people use platforms like Facebook to feel good, have fun and achieve their goals.

"Social media platforms are not that different from other activities in life - they are functional tools for people who want to attain goals in life, and some might have negative consequences for them or society," Ozimek explained. "We found that materialists instrumentalize their friends, but they also attain their goal to compare themselves to others. It seems to us that Facebook is like a knife: it can be used for preparing yummy food or it can be used for hurting a person. In a way, our model provides a more neutral perspective on social media."

More information: "Materialists on Facebook: The Self-Regulatory Role of Social Comparisons and the Objectification of Facebook friends" by Phillip Ozimek et al. Heliyon, DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00449

Provided by Elsevier
With a miniaturised space probe capable of accelerating to a quarter of the speed of light, we could reach Alpha Centauri, the nearest star, in 20 to 50 years. However, without a mechanism to slow it down, the space probe could only collect data from the star and its planets as it zoomed past. A theoretical physicist at Goethe University Frankfurt has now examined whether interstellar spacecraft can be decelerated using "magnetic sails."

For a long time, the idea of sending unmanned space probes through the depths of interstellar space to distant stars has been theoretical. Recent research on new concepts like the "Breakthrough Starshot" project propose accelerating miniaturised space probes by means of powerful lasers. Slowing them down again seems more challenging, since they cannot be fitted with braking systems for weight reasons. However, according to Professor Claudius Gros from the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Goethe University Frankfurt, it would be possible to decelerate at least comparatively slow space probes with the help of magnetic sails.

"Slow would mean, in this case, a travel velocity of 1,000 kilometres per second, which is only 0.3 percent of the speed of light, but nevertheless about 50 times faster than the Voyager spacecraft," explains Gros. According to his calculations, what is needed is a magnetic sail in order to transfer the spacecraft's momentum to the gaseous interstellar medium. The sail consists of a large, superconducting loop with a diameter of about 50 kilometres. A lossless current induced in this loop then creates a strong magnetic field. The ionised hydrogen in the interstellar medium is then reflected off the probe's magnetic field, slowing it down gradually. This concept works, as Gros was able to show, despite the extremely low particle density of interstellar space (0.005 to 0.1 particles per cubic centimetre).

Gros' research shows that magnetic sails can decelerate 'slow' spacecraft weighing up to 1,500 kilograms. However, the journey would take historical periods of timefor example, a trip to the TRAPPIST-1 system of seven known planets would take about 12,000 years. Slower cruising probes the size of a car could be accelerated by the same laser, which, according to current planning, would make it possible to send high-speed space probes weighing just a few grams to Alpha Centauri.

Missions to distant stars that would take thousands of years are out of the question for exploratory missions. But the situation is quite different in cases where cruising time is irrelevant, such as missions that open up alternative possibilities for terrestrial life. Gros proposed such missions in 2016 under the name of "The Genesis Project," which would carry single-celled organisms, either as deep-frozen spores or encoded in a miniaturised gene laboratory. For a Genesis probe, it is not the time of arrival which is important, but the ability to decelerate and then orbit the target planet.

More information: Claudius Gros. Universal scaling relation for magnetic sails: momentum braking in the limit of dilute interstellar media, Journal of Physics Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1088/2399-6528/aa927e Claudius Gros. Developing ecospheres on transiently habitable planets: the genesis project, Astrophysics and Space Science (2016). DOI: 10.1007/s10509-016-2911-0 Journal information: Astrophysics and Space Science
A new study, co-conducted by Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Amber Doiron, is one of the first of its kind to look deeper into these nanoparticles in regards to health. Credit: Binghamton University, State University of New York

Gold nanoparticles could help make drugs act more quickly and effectively, according to new research conducted at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Nanoparticles are microscopic particles that are bigger than atoms but smaller than what the eye can see. They are unique for their large surface area-to-volume ratio and their fairly ubiquitous nature. A new study, co-conducted by Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Amber Doiron, is one of the first of its kind to look deeper into these nanoparticles in regards to health.

"Nanoparticles are a huge area of research in the scientific community right now. However, they're not yet well understood for their impact on human health," said Doiron.

"Nanoparticles have unique properties and, because of that, are used in many applications. They're in your food and may get into your bloodstream through environmental exposure. Eventually, they may be used for helping to get drugs to tissues or as imaging agents. We wanted to investigate how nanoparticles interact with human cells," added Doiron.

Doiron and her team looked specifically at the effects that gold nanoparticles have on the health of a cell. They found that nanoparticles can change cells, but only if the particles are a very specific size.

"The nanoparticles have to be around 20 nanometers. Nothing bigger or smaller worked," said Doiron.

Their research found that when the cells that line arteries or veins are exposed to these nanoparticles, the vascular permeability changes. This could potentially help in more effective medication delivery.

However, the researchers are also aware of some limitations to nanoparticles being used in this way. "It has to be exact, otherwise changing the permeability of veins too much could be extremely dangerous," said Doiron.

More information: Yizhong Liu et al, Nanoparticle size-specific actin rearrangement and barrier dysfunction of endothelial cells, Nanotoxicology (2017). DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2017.1371349 Journal information: Nanotoxicology
Holiday shopping for some has been under way for weeks, but prime time is just days away  although which day depends on the store and the shopper.

Some retailers will open on Thanksgiving Day and pull all-nighters into and through Friday. Others will open with earlier-than-usual hours on Friday, while many small businesses not located in a mall will shun the early madness altogether and stick to their regular hours.

With Black Friday, the common denominator for most retailers is the bottom line. What works for some doesnt work for others.

The result is a mix of shopping opportunities that will require a cheat sheet for shoppers to track the varying hours. Retailers are hopeful theyve created the right experience for holiday sales to surpass those of 2016, when shoppers spent $655.8 billion, marking an eighth straight year of gains, according to the National Retail Federation. This year, holiday sales could rise by as much as 4 percent, according to the annual forecast by the NRF.

Consumer confidence is a big deal during the holidays, so Madison will probably do a little bit better than the national average, said Jerry OBrien, executive director of the Kohls Center for Retailing at UW-Madison. Its apparent that some people like shopping on Thanksgiving. We may have hit that balance, but the (stores) that are closing (on Thanksgiving) have had some good responses, too.

To close or

not to close

For example, area Kohls stores will kick off their Black Friday sales at 5 p.m. Thursday, but East and West Towne malls will be shuttered on Thanksgiving for the second straight year and open at 6 a.m. Friday. Janesville-based Farm & Fleets Toylands have been open for weeks, but come Thanksgiving, the companys 38 stores in three states will be closed. Hilldale Shopping Center wont open until 9 a.m. Friday, although its main anchor store, Macys, will be open from 8 p.m. Thursday to 2 a.m. Friday and then reopen four hours later.

Target, with five Dane County stores, has announced that it will be open on Thanksgiving from 6 p.m. to midnight and reopen at 6 a.m. Friday. But Kohls, J.C. Penney and Toys R Us are sticking with their open-all-night hours this year, as they have done the past several years.

Staffing during the overnight hours may not be worth it  not only because the stores can be dead, but also because consumers can now access most of those same deals online at any hour of the day, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.

Staying open all night is not very economical, he said. If youre not getting the sales, its not worth it. It also shows that Black Friday is not as important as it once was.

The retailers who continue to pull all-nighters are trying to hang onto every sale they can amid a difficult retail environment, Saunders said. Those retailers also tend to be inching their store opening times on Thanksgiving an hour earlier this year.

Some of the ones who are struggling are doing that, he said. They are desperate to get people into the stores and to get people spending.

Toys R Us recently filed for bankruptcy, J.C. Penneys shares recently hit an all-time low and Kohls, based in Menomonee Falls, announced in August a plan to reduce the size of half of its 1,100 stores.

Drawing the line

In 2016, CBL & Associates made headlines when it announced that its malls, which include West Towne and East Towne in Madison and the Janesville Mall, would be closed on Thanksgiving and open at 6 a.m Friday. The company is sticking to the same approach this year, after years of opening earlier and earlier on Black Friday and, in 2015, opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, said Tiffany Schultz, West Towne Malls marketing director, as she stood at Santas workshop near the food court. Employees are thankful they get to spend the day with their families. And I think shoppers are happier when theyre here. Theyre more patient. Theyre not running on a lack of sleep.

One retailer grateful for the day off is Sandy Kalczynski, who operates Callisters Christmas, a pop-up store with thousands of ornaments and other Christmas items in the former Apple store space. Kalczynski, who, along with her two sisters have stores at Brookfield Square, Southridge Mall in Milwaukee and Fox River Mall in Appleton, works seven days a week from October through a few days after Christmas.

It just spreads it out longer, Kalczynski, 57, said of extended shopping hours. I love the hours here. Theyre great.

At Hilldale, home to a wide mix of local and national retailers and restaurants that has undergone millions of dollars in renovations and expansion over the past 10 years, the approach is homey. Theres a North Pole setting in the vestibule near Macys, free pictures with Santa, carolers, complimentary gift wrapping and a Brio train display for children to play with. Its one way brick-and-mortar destinations try to draw shoppers who are increasingly shopping online.

We dont view shopping as an either/or. We think theyre shopping online and in stores, and what we try to do here at Hilldale is give them a reason to get of the house, said Michelle Zimmerman, Hilldales marketing director. We dont look at it as just one weekend. We expect the traffic to be very steady and strong throughout.

One of the big draws to the shopping center this season will be the Apple store, which moved there in August from West Towne. The nearly 10,000-square-foot store is located on Hilldales south end after the owner of the mall, WS Development, reconfigured 55,000 square feet of retail space to create an outdoor courtyard. The project created a new entrance for the AMC Dine-In Madison 6 movie theater and relocated University Book Store next door to Apple. An L.L. Bean store will open in 2018 on the other side of the Apple store.

Apple is a destination, and many of our tenants have seen increased traffic, Zimmerman said. Its a win-win for all.

Locales outside Madison optimistic

Outside of Madison, Johnson Creek Premium Outlets will open at 6 p.m. and Outlets at the Dells in Wisconsin Dells at 8 p.m. Thursday. Both will remain open until 2 a.m. Friday and then reopen at 6 a.m. At the Shoppes at Prairie Lakes in Sun Prairie, there are no changes to shopping hours, although Cabelas will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and reopen at 5 a.m. Friday.

But in downtown Sun Prairie, small businesses like Kate & Co., Piano Gal Shop and Cannery Wine & Spirits will maintain their regular hours but be buoyed by special events, including a tree lighting and fire truck parade Friday night. There is also Ladies Night Out on Dec. 7, an event that could draw more than 400 people to the citys downtown.

Its just been growing down here, and the (Sun Prairie) Business Improvement District has done a lot to try and help that happen, said Dina Pocernich, owner of Prairie Flower and Gifts, 245 E. Main St. People want to be able to come and spend a little bit more time to bop from place to place and theyre able to that a little bit more now. I feel like were pretty fortunate compared to other small towns.

One of the most envious downtowns in Dane County is in Stoughton, where the Chamber of Commerce has printed up maps for shoppers as a way to promote more than 20 retailers and 15 restaurants. A tent with complimentary coffee, hot chocolate and snow cones will also be set up on Saturday at the corner of South Forrest and East Main streets as part of Shop Small Saturday.

The whole concept is to put into peoples minds thats theres another way to buy gifts instead of just Black Friday, said Susan Liimatta, the chambers executive director. These are passionate entrepreneurs with a strong vision and theyre each following their own hearts.

State Journal wire services contributed to this report.
New NASA missions will study forested ecosystems, such as these trees along the Kuskokwim River near McGrath, Alaska. Credit: NASA/Peter Griffith

From rainforests to croplands, boreal forests to mangroves, NASA will take a new look at terrestrial vegetation across our living planet over the next two years with several unique instruments in space. The missions will help scientists investigate the role of plants in Earth's global carbon and water cycles.

Since the 1970s, NASA has studied life from space with satellites such as Landsat, Terra, Aqua and NASA/NOAA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Scientists have used these data along with observations from international spacecraft to conduct a wide range of research, from detecting northward expansion of forests in the Arctic to monitoring how burned areas recover from wildfires.

Generally, the instruments currently in orbit do their work by detecting sunlight reflected off Earth's surface, like a camera does. But the new instruments being launched over the next two years will take a new, more active approach to probe new questions about vegetation and how it is changing. Two of these NASA missions will use laser instruments that will measure the height of trees, while a third will monitor temperature to provide insights into plant health.

Laser measurements of trees

While the global extent of those ecosystems has been mapped from satellite imagery, existing maps can't determine how tall those trees are, or the structure of their canopiesthat is, the third dimension.

Two missions will use space-borne lasers to measure tree height: an instrument mounted on the International Space Station, called the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI); and a satellite called the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), that will focus on measuring snow and ice, but will also measure the planet's forests. With data flowing in from both instruments, scientists plan to develop a three-dimensional map of Earth's vegetation.

By knowing the extent of forests from existing maps, as well as the heights of the canopy from the new instruments, researchers will then be able to estimate how much plant matterand therefore how much carbonis present. As trees grow, they absorb carbon from the atmosphere, making forests a key player in the global carbon cycle. Over time, these missions can help give scientists clues to how much carbon is being absorbed by growing forests, and how it's being released into the atmosphere through forest fires and deforestation.

"Combining ICESat-2 with GEDI, we're going to have a new view of the state of the biosphere on our planet," said Tom Neumann, the deputy project scientist for the ICESat-2 project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The GEDI instrument, which is designed to capture the vertical structure of forests even in Earths densest forests, being built in a clean room at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA

For Ralph Dubayah, GEDI's principal investigator from the University of Maryland, the GEDI mission will answer questions about the biomass of trees in a given region, and the impact of deforestation and reforestation on the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. GEDI will also quantify how the vertical arrangement of leaves and branches in a forest affects habitat quality and biodiversity.

While both missions use light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technologywhich is like radar, but with laser light instead of radio wavesthe GEDI instrument will use a near-infrared wavelength. This wavelength region is optimal to measure vegetation because it reflects off of leaves, and a portion of this reflected light makes its way back to the sensor. The pulses emitted from near-infrared lasers can also better penetrate through tree canopies to reflect off the ground, which is a necessary measurement for determining the height of trees.

GEDI's team has worked to optimize its system's pulse width, wavelength, sampling pattern and footprint size to cover as many forested areas as possible. GEDI's three lasers will pulse 242 times per second, sampling 10 laser tracks spread out across a 3.7-mile (6-kilometer) swath on Earth's surface. Because GEDI will fly on the International Space Station, its orbital path will focus on Earth's mid-latitude and tropical regions, where the vast majority of forest carbon is stored.

ICESat-2, orbiting pole-to-pole, will gather data on Earth's ice sheets, sea ice and glaciers with its near-global coverage. Instead of using near-infrared light, ICESat-2's Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument will use green, visible light. ATLAS has two lasers, only one of which operates at a time. The non-operating laser is an onboard spare. The operating laser will pulse 10,000 times per second and generate six tracks. As it travels over the mid-latitudes, scientists will use ATLAS to measure specific vegetated regions, complementing the GEDI measurements and creating a more complete three-dimensional map of Earth's vegetation.

The photons, or particles of light, from ICESat-2's green lasers will reflect off of whatever is below them, including the tops of trees, branches and leaves, andif there is open space in the canopyoff the ground.

"If you can separate those twothe photons reflected from the ground, from the photons reflected from the tops of the treesyou can measure tree height, which is really cool," Neumann said. However, it's not always possible to separate the treetops from the forest floor, especially with a visible wavelength.

"If the tree canopy is too dense, we cannot see the ground, so you can't measure tree height," Neumann said. "If the tree canopy is too sparse, we can't see the trees because it's one tree in the middle of a field, and your chances of hitting that single tree are not so good."

Because GEDI's lasers operate in near-infrared, and have sufficient power to penetrate dense forests with each shot, the instrument can more accurately measure forest structure even in areas that have a dense canopy.

ICESat-2 (illustrated here), slated to launch in Fall 2018, will measure the height of Earths surface from space. Credit: NASA

GEDI's vegetation measurements will help close a critical gap in our current understanding of how carbon is stored and emitted over time by forests and other ecosystems. The process plays a huge role, ultimately, in how much carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere.

"The central science goal of GEDI is to provide the data by which we can precisely address this question," Dubayah said. "GEDI is the first lidar ever to fly that has been optimized for vegetation measurements."

Armed with this information, scientists will be able to do a much better job forecasting atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in the future, he said, and in understanding the role of human activities on the carbon cycle.

Clouds are another obstacle for both the ICESat-2 and GEDI missions. On any given day, Earth is about 50 percent covered in clouds. So, instead of measuring the tops of trees, these lidar-based systems will measure the tops of the clouds which reflect the laser pulse. Having two systems measuring vegetation will help fill in these cloudy data gaps. By combining the data, scientists will get a better picture of the status of Earth's vegetation.

Although the two missions are optimized for different scientific objectives, they will work together to create a more precise height map of Earth's vegetationa data set than can help answer Dubayah's questions.

Taking the temperature of plants

Knowing how much vegetation is present on Earth does not indicate whether or not that vegetation is healthy. How vegetation changes due to stresses caused by water availability is the key science question to be addressed by the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS).

As plants take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, they release water through evapotranspiration from their leaf pores, which helps them cool down in the hot sun, much as human sweat cools us down. And just like humans, if plants don't get enough water, they can overheat.

The ECOSTRESS instrument, which will study how vegetation changes due to stresses caused by water availability. Credit: NASA-JPL/Caltech

The plant pores open and shut in response to heat stress and water availability. When they're open, plants take in carbon dioxide and lose water. When they're closed, plants stop taking in carbon dioxide (i.e., growing) but also stop losing water. If we know plants are losing water, we know they're taking in carbon dioxide, and vice versa. ECOSTRESS data will help scientists understand the total carbon dioxide uptake by plants over the course of a typical day. For example, if it's a hot and dry afternoon, some plants may shut down their water use and carbon dioxide uptake in the afternoon. ECOSTRESS will be able to detect these types of responses. Current polar orbiting satellites can only provide a single snapshot of carbon dioxide uptake and water release each day, at the same time of day, so scientists have to estimate how that one-time snapshot translates over the course of the entire day.

ECOSTRESS will measure plant temperatures from space to detect the cooling nature of water evaporated by plants, or the lack thereof. It will tell us how much water different plants use and need and how they react to environmental stresses from water shortages. In addition to its carbon and water cycle science objectives, it will also study how Earth's terrestrial biosphere is responding to changes in water availability.

From its unique orbital perch, ECOSTRESS will observe the same spot on Earth every few days at different times of day for a minimum of one year, allowing scientists to track changes in plant-water dynamics over the course of a typical day.

"ECOSTRESS will enable a detailed investigation into plant water use throughout the day," said Josh Fisher, the mission's science lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "Furthermore, we'll be able to better understand how certain regions are being impacted by drought. This could have important implications for managing forests or agricultural systems."

ECOSTRESS will also provide key insights into links between Earth's water and carbon cycles by identifying which areas of our planet require more or less water for the amount of carbon dioxide they take up.

ECOSTRESS Principal Investigator Simon Hook of JPL began developing the thermal infrared radiometer for ECOSTRESS several years ago. ECOSTRESS will track the energy used in evaporating water in combination with other factors that affect evaporation, such as temperature and humidity.

ECOSTRESS data will be used by ecologists, hydrologists, meteorologists and other scientists as well as the agricultural and water management communities. In fact, the ECOSTRESS science team includes scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It will collect data at pixels measuring a little more than 200 feet (70 meters) on a side, about the size of a large backyard, small farm or part of a big farm. This scale of information can also be useful for applications research on the effects of droughts on natural vegetation; for example, for identifying which types of trees are most vulnerable to dying first.

NASA and its partners are planning even more future missions over the next several years to advance what we know about Earth's ecosystems. For example, the agency is partnering with the Indian Space Research Organization to develop the NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission that will routinely provide systematic observations of Earth's land and ice-covered surfaces at least twice every 12 days, enabling greater scientific understanding of the dynamic processes that drive the Earth system and natural hazards, as well as providing actionable support for disaster response and recovery.

NISAR will complement GEDI, ICESat-2 and ECOSTRESS. With its capability to see through clouds, it will be able to help measure the amount of carbon stored in forests, the loss of forests due to disturbance, and the extent of agricultural areas and wetland areas across the globe.

Provided by NASA
Physicists at MIT have designed a pocket-sized cosmic ray muon detector to track these ghostly particles. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

At any given moment, the Earth's atmosphere is showered with high-energy cosmic rays that have been blasted from supernovae and other astrophysical phenomena far beyond the Solar System. When cosmic rays collide with the Earth's atmosphere, they decay into muonscharged particles that are slightly heavier than an electron.

Muons last only fractions of a second, and during their fleeting lifespan they can be found through every layer of the Earth's atmosphere, circulating in the air around us and raining onto the surface at a rate similar to a light drizzle. A small fraction of muons can even penetrate the Earth's surface and travel several kilometers through rock and ice.

Now physicists at MIT have designed a pocket-sized cosmic ray muon detector to track these ghostly particles. The detector can be made with common electrical parts, and when turned on, it lights up and counts each time a muon passes through. The relatively simple device costs just $100 to build, making it the most affordable muon detector available today.

The researchers, led by Spencer Axani, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Physics, have designed the detector with students in mind. They have started an outreach program called CosmicWatch, with a website that lists parts to purchase and detailed instructions on how to assemble, calibrate, and run the detector. The team estimates that an average high school student should spend about four hours building a detector for the first time, and just one hour building it a second time.

Once up and running, detectors can be carried around to measure muon rates in virtually any environment. The team has helped supply nearly 100 detectors to high school and college students, who have sent the instruments up in planes and weather balloons to measure muon rates at high altitudes. Students have also, as Axani has done, taken the detectors underground.

"You get funny looks when you take particle detectors into the subway, but we did that in Boston," Axani says. "Since the muon rate will decrease the further down you go, we put the detectors in a subway station to measure how far underground we were."

The researchers have published the first version of the detector design in the American Journal of Physics. Axani's co-authors are MIT professor of physics Janet Conrad and junior Conor Kirby. Details regarding their latest version can be found on the CosmicWatch webpage.

Treasure in trash

Axani originally intended to build a small, handheld muon detector as a miniature add-on to IceCube, a huge particle detector encased in ice, deep underground at the South Pole. IceCube is designed to detect subatomic particles called neutrinos.

Scientists at the observatory proposed that a small muon detector might be inserted into PINGU (Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade), a proposed array that would increase the detector's sensitivity to low-energy neutrinos. Small muon detectors, buried in such an array, would be able to tag the precise position of muons, enabling scientists to sift out those particles in their search for neutrinos.

Axani took on the task of designing a prototype muon detector for use in PINGU. Typical muon detectors consist of photomultiplying tubes lined with a scintillator, a material that emits light when struck by a charged particle. When a particle such as a muon bounces through the detector, the photomultiplying tube multiplies the current produced by the emitted light. In this way, even a single photon can make a current large enough that it can be measured. This is used to determine whether a muon or other particle has passed through the detector.

While most lab-scale muon detectors are made from large, bulky photomultipliers and even larger batteries to power them, Axani looked for ways to shrink the design.

After digging through discarded electronics equipment at MIT, he found the components he needed to build a much thinner device, requiring very little power.

He also designed simple electronics and software components to display the number of muons passing through the detector, making the detector a self-contained measurement and readout instrument.

A project takes flight

Since Axani first attempted to design a prototype, his project has morphed into more of an outreach effort, as he's realized the components used to build the detector are relatively common, easily accessible, and simple to assembleall ideal qualities for teaching students hands-on particle physics.

He, Conrad, and a colleague at the National Center for Nuclear Research in Poland, K. Frankiewicz, have assembled kits for students, which can be used to build individual handheld detectors about the size of a large cellphone. Each kit includes a piece of plastic scintillator, a SensL silicon photomultiplier, an Arduino Nano, a readout screen, a custom-designed printed circuit board, and a 3-D-printed casing, available in a rainbow of colors.

The team has supplied kits to students at the University of Warsaw in Poland, as well as the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where students have built an array of the detectors and sent them up in weather balloons to measure muons at high altitudes. Students have also taken the detectors onto planes to measure the different muon counts at various altitudes.

"At sea level, you might see one count every two seconds at sea level, but on a plane at cruising altitude, that rate increases by about a factor of 50a dramatic change," Axani says. "From the measured rate you can back-calculate what the actual altitude of the plane was."

A group at Boston University is also investigating the possibilities of placing the muon detectors in suborbital rockets, reaching altitudes of 100,000 feet.

"When you get up high enough, you get out of the muon production region of cosmic rays, and you can start seeing the turnover, where rates of muons increase at a certain altitude and then start decreasing beyond a certain altitude," Conrad says.

Eventually, the researchers would like to apply their pocket detector as a means of muon tomography, a technique that uses the distribution of muons to create a three-dimensional image of the amount of material surrounding a detector. Scientists in the past have used muon tomography instruments, much like X-rays or CT scans, to uncover geological structures, the most famous of which was an effort in the 1960s to search for hidden chambers in the Pyramid of Chephren, in Giza.

"That's something I'd like to try out at some point, maybe to map out the office on the floor above me," Axani says. "For now I like to take these detectors in my briefcase and measure the muon rate when I'm travelling."

The researchers will continue to offer kits on the CosmicWatch website, along with instructions for how to assemble and apply them. They also hope to collect feedback from students and educators who have used the kits.

"This is a really neat example of how pretty esoteric physics can produce something which is directly useful," Conrad says.

More information: S. N. Axani et al. The desktop muon detector: A simple, physics-motivated machine- and electronics-shop project for university students, American Journal of Physics (2017). DOI: 10.1119/1.5003806 Journal information: American Journal of Physics
The Cascadia Subduction Zone is capable of generating powerful earthquakes. The study found compact sediments along the coast of Washington and northern Oregon, a result that suggests that the area could be more prone to producing larger quakes than subduction zone areas farther south with less compact sediments. Adapted from FEMA graphic. Credit: FEMA/Jackson School of Geosciences/UT Austin

The Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of the Pacific Northwest has all the ingredients for making powerful earthquakesand according to the geological record, the region is due for its next "big one."

A new study led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that the occurrence of these big, destructive quakes and associated devastating tsunamis may be linked to compact sediments along large portions of the subduction zone. In particular, they found that big, destructive quakes may have a better chance of occurring offshore of Washington and northern Oregon than farther south along the subduction zonealthough any large quake would impact the surrounding area.

"We observed very compact sediments offshore of Washington and northern Oregon that could support earthquake rupture over a long distance and close to the trench, which increases both earthquake and tsunami hazards," said lead author Shuoshuo Han, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). UTIG is a research unit of the Jackson School of Geosciences.

The findings, published in Nature Geoscience on Nov. 20, are important for understanding factors that influence earthquake and tsunami generation in Cascadia and at other subduction zones around the world. Researchers from Columbia University and Penn State University also contributed to the study.

Subduction zones are areas where one tectonic plate dives or "subducts" beneath another plate. The world's most powerful earthquakes are produced at the interface between the two plates. At certain subduction zones, such as those in Cascadia, Sumatra and eastern Alaska, a thick sediment layer overlies the subducting oceanic plate. Some of the sediment is scraped off during subduction and piled up on the top plate, forming a thick wedge of material, while the rest of the sediment travels down with the bottom plate.

How the stress is built up and released at the plate interface is greatly influenced by the degree of compaction of both the sediment wedge and the sediment between the plates. To understand sediment compaction along Cascadia, Han and her collaborators conducted a seismic survey off the coast of Washington and Oregon that allowed the researchers to see up to four miles of sediment layers overlaying the subduction zone. This was accomplished by the using nearly five-mile-long seismic streamers, a scientific tool used to image the seafloor using soundwaves.

Rolls of seismic streamers. The researchers used very long seismic streamers -- reaching almost five miles long -- to image the seafloor using soundwaves. Credit: Shoushou Han/ UT Austin.

"These kinds of long-streamer marine seismic studies provide the best tools available to the science community to efficiently probe subduction zones in high resolution," said co-author Suzanne Carbotte, a research professor at Columbia University.

Combining the seismic data with measurements from sediment samples previously retrieved from this region through ocean drilling, they found that while the thickness of the incoming sediment is similar offshore of Washington and Oregon, the compaction is very different. Off the coast of Washington and northern Oregon, where almost all of the sediments glom on to the top plate and are incorporated into the wedge, the sediments were tightly packed together without much water in the pore space between the sediment grainsan arrangement that can make the plates more prone to sticking to each other and building up high stress that can be released as a large earthquake. In turn, the compacted sediments could boost the ability of large earthquakes to trigger large tsunamis because the sediments are able to stick and move together during earthquakes. This can boost their ability to move massive amounts of overlying seawater.

"That combination of both storing more stress and the ability for it to propagate farther is important for both generating large earthquakes and for propagating to very shallow depths," said Nathan Bangs, a senior research scientist at UTIG and study co-author.

The propagation of earthquakes into shallow depths is what causes large tsunamis like the one that followed the Magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Tohoku, Japan in 2011.

In contrast, off the coast of central Oregon, the thick layer of subducting sediments are less compact, with water in the pore space between the grains. This arrangement prevents the plates from sticking as much, and allows them to rupture with less stress accumulated-thereby generating smaller earthquakes.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone generates a large earthquake roughly every 200 to 530 years. And with the last large earthquake occurring in 1700, scientists are expecting a large quake to occur in the future, although it's impossible to pinpoint the timing exactly. The research findings can help scientists understand more about the features that make some areas of subduction zones better earthquake incubators than others.

"The results are consistent with existing constraints on earthquake behavior, offer an explanation for differences in structural style along the margin, and may provide clues about the propensity for shallow earthquake slip in different regions," said co-author Demian Saffer, a Penn State University professor.

More information: Shuoshuo Han et al, Links between sediment consolidation and Cascadia megathrust slip behaviour, Nature Geoscience (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-017-0007-2 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
Superstorm Sandy caused more damage in lower-income parts of Long Island, which are more vulnerable to storms. Credit: Stony Brook Universitys Center for the Study of Inequality, Social Justice and Policy, CC BY

The ferocious "frankenstorm" known as Sandy that ripped through greater New York City five years ago remains one for the record books. Like this year's hurricane season, it racked up tens of billions of dollars in economic damages.

Superstorm Sandy had another close, yet underappreciated, similarity to this year's hurricanes: less affluent groups of people suffered more, both in the initial damage and recovery.

An analysis by a team I led at Stony Brook University shows that Sandy's destructive path across Long Island, from Brooklyn to the Hamptons, was not as even-handed as media coverage often made it seem, both in its initial impact and people's recovery.

The storm season of 2017 has already left behind an even more dramatic version of this story: Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston quickly switched water and electricity back on and emptied most emergency shelters. Meanwhile, several weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, much of the island is still in "survival mode." Both hurricane seasons expose the close ties between severe weather events and social inequality.

Uneven impact

Though no longer a hurricane when it hit the New York region, Sandy proved big and powerful enough to stir record rises in ocean levels, vying with Long Island's worst recorded storm of 1938. While high winds brought down trees on cars, homes and power lines across the island's interior, flooding brought the most damage. Coastline communities bore the brunt of the storm.

In the wake of an onslaught that sounded "like a jet plane was landing on your street," Rockaway resident Richard Blanck found himself up to his ankles in water on his front porch. In nearby Long Beach, "those few residents in the poor neighborhoods of town who owned cars saw them swallowed up, and disabled, by the salty water." Farther from New York City, on Long Island, 100 Mastic Beach residents had to be rescued from flooded homes.

All three of these communities, among the hardest hit by Sandy, lie along Long Island's south shore, which has long drawn lower- as well as middle-income residents. This coastline is also more vulnerable to storms sweeping up from warmer waters. By contrast, since its early 20th-century reputation as a "Gold Coast," the more insulated north shore remains more uniformly well-to-do and white.

We looked at where people who registered significant damage with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Sandy lived. Mapping that data, it was clear the northern coastline was affected relatively little, compared to the south-facing and less wealthy parts of Long Island where people reported higher damage.

Public housing was built in south coastline neighborhoods in the New York City area following World War II and led to a higher concentration of minority groups. The impact of flooding schools hit neighborhoods with a higher African-American population, denoted by darker blocks. Credit: Stony Brook Universitys Center for the Study of Inequality, Social Justice and Policy, CC BY

Racial dimension

After World War II, more city-ward shoreline communities such as the Rockaways, Coney Island and Long Beach fell on hard times. Robert Moses and other planners then sited public or publicly subsidized housing there, as blacks and Latinos shut out of much suburban housing also moved nearby.

So when Sandy's largest storm surges washed in  17  feet high in Long Beach and 14 feet in parts of the Rockaways  African-Americans bore an inordinate share of the decimation.

One report three years after the storm recounted the experience of Melissa Miller in Long Beach, whose apartment in the Channel Park Homes development was inundated with five inches of sewage-infested water. Nearly every home in Long Beach was flooded, and two-thirds suffered "heavy or strong damage," as did 20 percent of those in nearby Far Rockaways, according to state statistics. Our investigation showed her experience was shared by others in publicly subsidized homes, many of them with African-American residents.

Latino communities, though slightly underrepresented in the most damaged areas, joined African-American counterparts in watching many of their local schools undergo flooding. As our geographic analysis demonstrated, the inundation of schools proved widespread along the south shore from central Nassau westward through Queens and Brooklyn.

But along the southeastern and northern shorelines of Long Island, hardly any schools flooded, even in the most stricken communities. More affluent Bayville, in northern Nassau, suffered an 11-foot storm surge, but its schools, situated on higher, dryer ground, lay out of harm's way.

Less well-off white communities like Coney Island suffered too, and not just from flooding. Breezy Point, for instance, lost 10 percent of its housing, 135 homes from an electrical fire as well as 220 from the flood. Eastward along the south shore, from Nassau out through Suffolk counties, we found that wealthier communities weathered Sandy's waves better than poorer ones such as Mastic Beach.

Known by the late 20th century as "the poor man's Westhampton Beach," Mastic Beach had long offered a cheaper version of shoreline property, in part because the land on which it lies was so uniformly close to sea level, near the water table. So when a Sandy surge washed in, 1,000 of its homes were flooded, many of them by both seawater and cesspool wastes. Next door, the original Westhampton Beach, hillier as well as more affluent, experienced far less damage from the storm.

Clearly Westhampton Beach's lesser vulnerability did not just stem from its higher ground. Westhampton Beach has lower housing density compared to Mastic Beach and longstanding zoning for residential buildings, making this and other affluent areas better able to withstand and absorb floodwaters. Even before Sandy, Westhampton Beach had also long pushed to preserve dunes and other topography to mitigate surges from Sandy and other storms.

Mastic Beach, in red, suffered worse damage than Westhampton just to its east because there is denser housing stock and because Mastic Beach has struggled to pass zoning codes to guide and limit residential development in low-lying areas, which makes it harder to withstand flood waters.

Still waiting

If disadvantaged residents and communities suffered more from the storm's initial blow, they also faced greater obstacles in the struggle to repair or rebuild.

In a better-off north shore town like Bayville, 86 percent of those with severely damaged homes had flood insurance, nearly three times more than the 30 percent in Coney Island/Brighton Beach. Further drilling into FEMA data showed that in damaged areas of Brooklyn with predominantly African-American residents, only 14 percent of homeowners were insured. Those without insurance had to await FEMA or New York state grants, which often took years to arrive.

Over the last five years, FEMA as well as New York Rising, the state's rehabilitation program, have accomplished much across the island, but also frustrated many Sandy victims with the slowness and paltriness of their aid. That only two-thirds of homeowners in New York Rising have completed their repairs five years after the storm also means that a third have not.

And while Bayville was beginning its third phase of rebuilding in 2016, those in Long Beach's Channel Park Homes still awaited adequate repairs by the city housing authority. As reported by the group ERASE Racism, Melissa Miller had received only a new refrigerator and some replacement drywall, along with a "sanitizing" that still left her apartment with a nauseating smell.

Parallels in Harvey and Maria

Sandy left a plethora of destruction in its wake, from its 147 deaths to approximately US$65 billion in damages. It also exposed vulnerabilities that were much longer in coming: communities in low-lying areas lacking sufficient infrastructure and insurance for its floods.

We've seen this general pattern play out this year as well. As with Hurricanes Irma and Jose  and with a majority of the American citizens in a Hurricane Maria-stricken Puerto Rico  less well-off communities have already shouldered the severest burdens, whether because of lower incomes or racio-ethnic origins or both.

Now more than ever, we need a nationwide conversation on ways our coastal landscapes have developed so that our most vulnerable citizens are now at greater risk from such massive storms. Officials need to find more reliable ways of illuminating problems faced by the less advantaged, and to ensure these are addressed as quickly and effectively as those of the better-off.

Altering these patterns will be difficult but ever more urgent, since future hurricanes are expected to grow in scope and strength.

What Sandy's inequalities show is that around America's largest metropolis as much as in other corners of our nation and planet, the battle against global warming is also a battle for environmental justice.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Arid savanna during the middle Miocene in Madrid. Credit: Marco Anson

The Central Iberian Peninsula was characterised by an arid savanna during the middle Miocene, according to a study led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) comparing mammal populations from different localities in Africa and South Asia with those that inhabited the Iberian central area 14 million years ago.

The results of this study, recently published in PLOS ONE, are the product of more than 15 years of fieldwork and previous paleontological studies of the fossil vertebrate remains found at the Somosaguas paleontological site (Madrid), which allowed paleontologists to infer the type of environment that existed in the middle Miocene in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. This fossil site is located at the Somosaguas Campus of the UCM. Only two paleontological sites have been discovered so far at university campuses worldwide (the other one being located in the U.S.).

The body size of every species is largely influenced by the environmental conditions of the habitat where each species lives. For example, elephants that inhabit humid places (such as those in Asian jungles) are smaller than elephants that live in dry places (such as those that inhabit in African savannahs).

"Based on this premise, the distribution of sizes within a mammal community can offer us valuable information about its climatic context," explains Iris Menendez, a researcher at the Department of Paleontology of the UCM and the Institute of Geosciences (UCM and CSIC).

In this study, paleontologists have inferred that the center of the Iberian Peninsula witnessed a very arid tropical climate with a high precipitation seasonality. After a brief wet period, the annual dry season could last up to 10 months. "These results confirm the previous inferences on the Savannah environment of Somosaguas in the Miocene, but placing this habitat at their driest estimate, within the limits between the savanna and the desert," says Menendez.

This study compiled the information of climatic parameters for more than 60 localities from Africa and Asia, including information of the body size of the mammalian species that inhabit these localities.

"For this purpose, we made a compilation of information on mammalian fauna lists, their body sizes, and climatic parameters for these localities, such as temperatures and precipitation. Based on this data, we developed statistical models suitable for the inference of different climatic parameters in the past," says the UCM researcher.

"We included the information on the 26 mammal species found in the Somosaguas site, which allowed us to infer the environment by comparison with the extant assemblages," she adds.

Somosaguas is a particularly interesting fossil site in the context of paleoecological and paleoclimatic studies, because it was located at a turning point of the Miocene. At this time, there was a marked change from warm and relatively humid global conditions to colder and more arid environments. This inflection point eventually led to the beginning of the Pleistocene glaciations.

Moreover, the Somosaguas fossil site, due to its location within a university campus, offers the general public the opportunity to visit and learn details of the investigations that have been carried out from the data collected in successive excavation campaigns.

More information: Iris Menendez et al, Body-size structure of Central Iberian mammal fauna reveals semidesertic conditions during the middle Miocene Global Cooling Event, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186762 Journal information: PLoS ONE

Provided by Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Credit: University of Texas at San Antonio

Climate change is a topic that is debated, doubted and covered by news outlets across the world. Luis Hestres, in the Department of Communication at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), is researching the evolution of climate change activism and how advocacy groups use digital platforms to mobilize.

Hestres and Jill Hopke, assistant professor at DePaul University, co-authored "Internet-Enabled Activism and Climate Change," which was recently published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia on Climate Change Communication. In the article, the collaborators describe how the landscape for climate change advocacy has transformed due to technology.

"In some cases, digital communication technologies have simply made the collective action process faster and more cost-effective for organizations," said Hestres. "Groups are using digital platforms to self-organize and expand their reach."

Hestres said digital communication technologies make it easier for members to connect remotely and reduces the role for traditional methods of collective action, like face-to-face meetings.

The UTSA researcher says the shift in collective action and climate change advocacy began in the mid-to-late 2000s with 350.org, the Climate Reality Project and the "Keep It in the Ground" campaign, which depended on the Internet and other digital platforms to gain traction.

Created in 2007, activists and journalists started 350.org, its most successful campaign aimed to block the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline project. After protests, writing letters to senators and other online efforts, President Obama rejected the permit to build the pipeline in 2015.

Part of 350.org's success is its effective use of online tools to spur action at its rallies and events, says Hestres. For example, following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the organization rallied supporters to challenge President Donald Trump's support for fossil fuels and to fight against fossil fuel infrastructure. In April 2017, 350.org lead its second People's Climate March, the first being in 2014, and used social media to mobilize supporters.

The non-profit organization, Climate Reality Project, was established in 2011 after the joining of two environmental groups founded in 2006 by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Climate Reality Project uses online advertising to drive messages related to its anti-fossil fuel and climate change activism efforts. Its website is used to recruit volunteers for its Climate Reality Volunteer Corps. Since its establishment, Climate Reality Project has trained nearly 8,000 people from more than 120 countries who deliver presentations around the world about the effects of climate change and ways to combat it.

The third example, the "Keep It in the Ground" fossil fuel divestment campaign, was launched in March 2015 by British newspaper The Guardian to "keep fossil fuels where they belong: in the ground" to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. In 2015, the publication partnered with 350.org to work on a digital campaign to recruit supporters passionate about its mission to urge governments around the globe to take action on climate change. In its first six months, the campaign received support from more than 226,000 online petitioners.

"Activists are trying to figure out how to be more effective while using social media in an era when photos and videos are more important than ever," said Hestres. "This trend is already changing the types of advocacy efforts reaching decision makers. That in turn may impact the policies they are willing to consider and adopt on issues related to climate change."

Hestres plans to expand on his research by studying the types of audio and visual communications used by activists as well as the effectiveness of their digital strategies during Donald Trump's presidency in the United States.

He predicts climate change advocacy campaigns will continue to navigate changes to the digital media landscape and will most likely continue utilizing heavily visual media to promote their advocacy efforts supporting polices to respond to climate change.

Hestres studies the intersections of digital communication technologies, political communication and mobilization, Internet freedom and governance and social change. His research has informed the advocacy and social media and digital media production courses he teaches for the UTSA Department of Communication, which prepares students for careers in digital communication, public relations and related fields.

More information: Luis E. Hestres et al. Internet-Enabled Activism and Climate Change, (2016). DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.404
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Johns Hopkins scientists report they have successfully used two separate gene technologies to assemble the most complete genome sequence to date of Triticum aestivum, the most common cultivated species of wheat used to make bread.

A report on the achievement was published in the Oct. 23 issue of GigaScience just a few weeks before their related report on the sequencing of the bread wheat's "ancestor," Aegilops tauschii, published Nov. 15 in Nature.

Together, they say, the wheat genome sequences may help biologists not only better understand the evolutionary history of wheat, but also advance the quest for hardier, more pest- and drought-resistant wheat types to help feed the world's growing population.

"After many years of trying, we've finally been able to produce a high-quality assembly of this very challenging genome," says Steven Salzberg, Ph.D., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

According to the Johns Hopkins scientists, bread wheat has one of the most complex genomes known to science, containing an estimated 16 billion base pairs of DNA and six copies of seven chromosomes. By comparison, the human genome is about five times smaller, with about three billion base pairs and two copies of 23 chromosomes. Previously published versions of the bread wheat genome have contained large gaps in its highly repetitive DNA sequence.

"The repetitive nature of this genome makes it difficult to fully sequence," says Salzberg. "It's like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle of a landscape scene with a huge blue sky. There are lots of very similar, small pieces to assemble."

The newly assembled bread wheat genome, which cost $300,000 for the sequencing alone, took a year for the Johns Hopkins researchers to assemble 1.5 trillion bases of raw data into a final assembly of 15.34 billion base pairs.

To do it, Salzberg and his team used two types of genome sequencing technology: high throughput short-read sequencing and long-read, single molecule sequencing. As its name implies, high throughput sequencing generates massive amounts of DNA base pairs very quickly and cheaply, although the fragments are very short-just 150 base pairs long for this project. To help assemble the repetitive areas, the Johns Hopkins team used real-time, single molecule sequencing, which reads DNA as it is being synthesized in a tiny, nano-scale well on a chip. The technology enables scientists to read up to 20,000 base pairs at a time by measuring fluorescent signals that are emitted as each DNA base is copied.

Salzberg says that sequencing a genome of this size requires not only genetic expertise, but also very large computing resources available at relatively few research institutions around the world. The team relied heavily on the Maryland Advanced Research Computing Center, a computing center shared by Hopkins and the University of Maryland, which has over 20,000 computer cores (CPUs) and over 20 petabytes of data storage. The team used approximately 100 CPU years to put this genome together.

Salzberg and his team also participated in the collaborative effort reported in the journal Nature to sequence an ancestral type of wheat, Aegilops tauschii, which is commonly referred to as goatgrass and still found in parts of Asia and Europe. Its genome is approximately one-third the size of the bread wheat genome, but has similar levels of repetition. The work, done as part of a collaborative effort between the University of California, Davis; Johns Hopkins; and the University of Georgia, took approximately four years to complete. Using ordered-clone genome sequencing, shotgun sequencing and optical genome mapping, the team pieced together the 4.3 billion nucleotides that make up the plant's genetic sequence. With this information, the rest of the team was able to identify sequences that make up the genes responsible for specific characteristics in the plant.

More information: Aleksey V Zimin et al. The first near-complete assembly of the hexaploid bread wheat genome, Triticum aestivum, GigaScience (2017). DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/gix097 Ming-Cheng Luo et al. Genome sequence of the progenitor of the wheat D genome Aegilops tauschii, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature24486 Journal information: GigaScience , Nature
The Oct. 16 version of this column struck a chord with 72-year-old Brad Vlasak, of Baraboo.

It included a list of 11 groups known to another elderly reader as copious senders of fundraising appeals  if not necessarily scrupulous adherents to the cause for which they were fundraising: the protection of Social Security.

In particular, Vlasak was interested in a refund of his $57 donation to The Seniors Trust. He got that, and could get more.

Here again is the list of groups provided by Kathy Wilcox, of Platteville, for the earlier SOS:

Senior Citizens Association of America

The Seniors Center

The Seniors Trust

Council for Retirement Security

National Retirement Security Task Force

The Senior Citizens League

National Council for Survivors

Council of Seniors

Senior Citizens Alliance

60 Plus Association

Benefit Security Coalition

To the extent possible, SOS has reviewed the groups websites and made attempts to contact them. The only response last month came from the third-party fundraiser for The Seniors Trust. Lynn Delauter of EngageUSA told SOS that if Wilcox contacted her, it would provide a refund of her donation to the group.

Delauter said it would do the same for Vlasak, so Vlasak called her and about a week later, success.

She took care of it so fast, Ive already got my check, he said on Nov. 13. Vlasak also gave the group $68 in 2016, but Delauter said donations made in previous years were not refundable.

Vlasak also recalled giving money to two other similar groups: the Senior Citizens League and the National Seniors Council.

The National Seniors Council hasnt responded to an email message from SOS and a call to its media line includes a recorded answer but no way to leave a message. Among its three online petitions is one against Obamacare and another addressed to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who hasnt been treasury secretary in more than four years.

Two of the petitions are disabled  although the form for making donations seemed to be working.

The Senior Citizens Leagues website offers petitions dealing with seniors issues, including one protesting illegal alien amnesty and U.S. Social Security totalization with Mexico. It also identifies the groups board of trustees and includes its 2016 nonprofit tax filing, which shows that it took in about $9.2 million and paid its one salaried employee more than $106,000.

SOS gave that employee, executive director Shannon Benton, Vlasaks address, and she said he would receive a refund. She also provided a website and address (P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512) for the Data & Marketing Associations Mail Preference Service, which charges a $2 fee to limit the number of unsolicited mailings from groups such as hers.

Debit card company makes good

A $44.95 refund for the Green Dot debit card her granddaughter couldnt get to work arrived in the mail on Nov. 6, Gloria Gruebling reported. SOS had reached out to Green Dot and Walgreens, where the card was purchased, on Grueblings behalf.
" " A perfectly preserved cave lion cub has been found in the Russian permafrost, raising questions of cloning from DNA. Screenshot from YouTube video by The Siberian Times

Permafrost isn't what it used to be, folks. The perennially frozen ground of the extreme Northern Hemisphere seems to be softening up at a rate we have unfortunately become accustomed to in these days of climate change, along with coral reef death, dispossessed polar bears and crazy storms, droughts, heat waves and flooding. But this article is not about climate change, it's about mummified baby prehistoric cave lions.

This September, thanks to some melting permafrost in the far northeastern region of Russia called Yakutia, a resident stumbled upon the frozen remains of a year-old cave lion (Panthera spelaea), a species that went extinct during the last ice age, over 10,000 years ago. Scientists don't yet know exactly when the cub died (although they estimate between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago), but it is improbably well-preserved  fur, paws, little cat nostrils, everything compressed into a brick about as long as a bowling pin.

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This is not the first time cave lion remains have been found in the Yakutia's melting permafrost. In 2015, two infant cave lions were found in a nearby river valley, in such good condition that a CT scan revealed something still in the belly of one of the cubs  perhaps mother's milk or gastric juices.

Of course, there's DNA to be had with these prehistoric cats, which has brought up the possibility of bringing Panthera spelaea back from the dead. It's not unfeasible  in 2008, a team of scientists cloned a mouse that had been dead for 16 years  but some scientists argue that cloning would be unethical, or just plain pointless. Because once we make them, what are we supposed to do with them?

So, for now, the cloning discussion has been tabled and scientists are looking into this cub's sex, age and the way it might have died.

Now That's Interesting The cave lion is sometimes called the steppe lion, because it made its home on the grassy steppes of Siberia.
A Chinese special envoy on Monday ended a four-day trip to North Korea during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear crisis. Officially, Song Tao was sent by President Xi Jinping to report on the outcome of the Chinese Communist Party's recent congress. Analysts had expected that Song would press North Korean officials on the nuclear standoff, but did not expect any breakthroughs. The trip came a week after US President Donald Trump urged Beijing to do more to rein in its Cold War-era ally, warning that time was quickly running out to resolve the crisis. Song's visit was the first by a senior Chinese envoy for more than a year. Relations are severely stressed over Pyongyang's sabre-rattling -- with missile launches and a sixth nuclear test -- and Beijing's support for tough UN sanctions on its neighbour. China's official Xinhua news agency said the two sides "exchanged views on issues of common concern", including "issues on the Korean peninsula", along with relations between the two countries and their ruling communist parties. The brief report said they agreed to "strengthen inter-party contacts and exchanges and push for the development of China-North Korea relations". Bonnie Glaser, China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP that it was difficult to unpick the true tenor of the trip. "I doubt that the nuclear issue figured prominently in this visit. China appears eager to prevent its ties with the DPRK from deteriorating and, if possible, improve them," she said. There has been no mention of any meeting between Song and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. When the North sent an envoy to Beijing after its own party congress last year, the official met Xi. - Testing ties - As Song wrapped up his trip, South Korea announced that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha would travel to Beijing on Tuesday to prepare for a December visit by President Moon Jae-In. Kang's meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi is also expected to cover ways to "work together in seeking a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue", the South's foreign ministry said in a statement. Relations between China and South Korea have also been strained by the nuclear crisis, with Beijing angry at Seoul for hosting a US missile defence system. South Korea and the United States say the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is intended to counter missile threats from North Korea. China sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities. It has slapped a series of measures on South Korean firms and banned its tour groups from visiting the country in moves seen as economic retaliation. But the two countries have been seeking to improve ties in recent weeks. "China is always committed to moving forward the bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.
A fifth-grade teacher from Leopold Elementary School was released from facing an initial charge that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a student at the school five years ago but the Dane County District Attorneys Office still expects to file formal charges against him, an official with the DAs office said.

Assistant District Attorney Matt Moeser said he thought the DAs office was close to completing a criminal complaint and proceeding with charges against Terry D. Fay, 50, of Madison, but its up in the air when the work will be completed.

Fay was at the Dane County Courthouse on Monday for a hearing but left after he learned the District Attorneys office missed its deadline to file the criminal complaint, according to his attorney, Jordan Loeb.

Loeb said he doesnt believe the DAs office has evidence to prove what he called outrageous allegations made against Fay by a former student of the school. There doesnt seem to be any evidence to back up the students story, he said.

In a statement, Moeser said any reports that there was no evidence to back up the charges were incorrect. Madison polices Special Victims Unit is continuing to investigate the case and the DAs office updated Loeb and Fay on the status of the case last week and informed them no criminal complaint would be filed today, according to Moeser.

Fay was arrested on Oct. 13 after he turned himself in to Madison detectives and was released from jail Oct. 17 after he posted a signature bond. That followed an investigation that began in September after police received information from a teenager who now lives in another state, according to Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The teen told an adult that the assaults happened five years ago when he was 10 years old and Fay was one of the childs teachers when the child was attending Leopold Elementary School, DeSpain said.

The school district put Fay on paid leave after his arrest and Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham sent a message to parents saying the school district was cooperating with the investigation.

Cheatham said in her statement that news of the sexual assault charge against Fay was difficult for everyone to grasp and these allegation, if proven, violate the very essence of what it means to be an educator.

Loeb believed the Madison School District was too harsh in its treatment of Fays arrest. The district had every reason to be suspicious of these allegations made against Fay, Loeb said.

Loeb said he knows few details about the case other than that the teen wasnt one of Fays students when the sexual assaults allegedly occurred and that police are saying that the teen is alleging the sexually assaults occurred during recess in his classroom.

That was extremely unlikely, Loeb said, because the classroom was not isolated and had constant traffic from teachers and others, even during recess. We dont know what motivated (the former student) to make these allegations, Loeb said.

Loeb said he was planning to contact Madison Teachers Inc. to find out when Fay could return to his teaching position. The school district plans to keep Fay on paid leave because the investigation is open, according to district spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson.

Our job is not to speculate on the judicial process, but to follow the case and take appropriate next steps. Our focus now is on continuing to support our Leopold community, the district said in a statement.
FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is seen in London, Britain April 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo (Reuters)

By Gabriela Baczynska

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union ministers pick a new home on Monday for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), in a race for jobs, prestige and business euros that has pitted neighbours against each other across the continent.

The EMA and the smaller European Banking Authority (EBA) are set to leave London, in what Estonia's EU minister Matti Maasikas called "a sad reminder of the concrete consequences of Brexit" ahead of the vote that he will chair. Estonia holds the EU's rotating presidency.

After Malta withdrew late on Friday, 18 EU cities are competing to host the EMA. A further eight cities want to host the EBA -- including four which are bidding for both.

The two winners -- whichever country wins the EMA will drop out of the running for the EBA -- will be picked on Monday in a series of votes so complex that it is hard to predict the result.

Italian EU Minister Sandro Gozzi said Milan was a good candidate but added that it was "impossible to say" how the voting would go.

Despite the rivalry between states, there have been some signs of regional solidarity. For example, Italy has been counting on support from its southern EU peers. And Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra talked up Amsterdam and his Belgian colleague also said that would make a good pick -- though Brussels is itself in the running for both agencies.

Their Czech counterpart Ales Chmelar said Prague, which is runing to host the EBA, expected at least one of the two bodies to relocate to less-developped, ex-communist eastern Europe where Bratislava is also a strong contender for the EMA.

Despite fierce competition, the 27 EU states - minus Britain - are also keen to avoid any protracted and bruising dispute over the matter as they see preserving unity as essential in facing Brexit, the biggest setback in the post-World War Two history of European integration.

Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019.

(Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Gareth Jones)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she was ready to lead her party into snap elections after the collapse of high-stakes coalition talks plunged the EU's top economy into a political crisis. The veteran leader said she was "very sceptical" about a minority government, stressing that Germany needed a stable government "that does not need to seek a majority for every decision". Merkel was forced into seeking a coalition with an unlikely group of parties after inconclusive elections in September left her without a clear majority. But the shock breakdown of talks has left Merkel with no viable coalition partner in sight, endangering her fourth term in office. But any new election also carries risks for her, as it could deliver results that are just as, or even more, fragmented. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who holds the power to call a new vote, made it clear that this was not his favoured option, as he told mainstream parties to rethink their positions and return to the negotiating table. Underlining the duty of lawmakers to their voters, Steinmeier noted: "We have before us an unprecedented situation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, that is, in the last 70 years." Germany now faces weeks, if not months, of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action at home or on the European stage. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought Merkel's backing for an ambitious EU reform plan, expressed concern about Germany's political deadlock, adding that he hoped Berlin would remain a "stable and strong" partner to allow the two partners to "move forward together," his office said. The euro and Germany's blue-chip DAX stock market index fell slightly on the news of the stalemate, but later clawed back early losses. - 'Populist agitation' - After more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks overnight, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative CDU-CSU alliance and the left-leaning Greens. The acrimonious negotiations stumbled on a series of issues, in particular immigration. Merkel has let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, sparking a backlash that allowed the far-right AfD party to win its first seats in parliament. The AfD's parliamentary co-leader Alexander Gauland welcomed the collapse of the talks, saying that Merkel had "failed" and that his party "looks forward to potential new elections" in which it hopes to make further gains. The negotiating parties also differed on environmental issues, with the Greens wanting to phase out coal-fired power plants and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs. The Greens angrily deplored the FDP's decision, accusing it of negotiating in bad faith. Lindner, who had taken a harder line on refugees as the talks progressed, "opted for his kind of populist agitation instead of political responsibility", Reinhard Buetikofer, a Greens MEP, said on Twitter. Sternly reminding politicians of their duty in public service, Steinmeier said: "Building a government has always been a difficult process of give and take, but the mandate to form a government is... perhaps the highest mandate given by voters to a party in a democracy. And this mandate remains." "This is the moment where all participants need to reconsider their attitude," he added. - Chancellor in danger - Steinmeier said he would now hold talks with leaders of parties involved in the coalition talks. But crucially, he also told the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to make itself available for coalition talks. After suffering a humiliating loss at the ballot box, the SPD's leaders have repeatedly said that they will not renew an alliance with Merkel and that the party's place is now in the opposition. Minutes before Steinmeier's statement, SPD chairman Martin Schulz had reiterated that his party was "not available to form a new grand coalition" with Merkel's conservative bloc. Merkel said she was "ready for talks" with the SPD, with which, she said she "worked well together" in a coalition since 2013. Voters in central Berlin expressed shock about the sudden injection of high drama into the often staid world of German politics. Sarah Untheim, 23, said she feared the "very chaotic" outcome could help the AfD mobilise more supporters. But law student Alexander Streb, 20, said he believed the upheaval did not spell "the end of the Merkel era". "She stands for stability, that's also why young people like her," he told AFP.
By Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday his Iran-backed group had not sent any weapons to Yemen and denied that it was behind the firing of a ballistic missile at Riyadh from Yemeni territory held by Tehran-allied Houthi forces.

In a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also urged followers to listen to recent comments by Israeli officials which he said pointed to ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Hezbollah's arch foe.

An Israeli cabinet minister said this week that Israel has had covert contacts with Riyadh amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.

Nasrallah also heaped criticism on Arab states that accused Hezbollah of terrorism at an emergency Arab League meeting on Sunday. He called the charge "trivial and ridiculous", asking why Arab states were silent about what he described as the destructive war a Saudi-led coalition has waged in Yemen.

"I confirm to them, no ballistic missiles, no advanced weapons, and no guns ... we did not send weapons to Yemen," or Bahrain, or Kuwait, or Iraq, he said.

Hezbollah had however sent arms to Palestinian territories, including anti-tank missiles, Nasrallah said. "I take pride in that. And in Syria there are the weapons we are fighting with," he said.

Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, whose rivalry has wrought upheaval in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain.

Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Sunday at the request of Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region.

Saudi Arabia has accused the heavily armed Shi'ite Hezbollah of helping Houthi rebels in Yemen and playing a role in the ballistic missile attack this month. Riyadh has been bogged down in the war it launched against the Houthis in Yemen in 2015.

Story continues

"I categorically deny it," Nasrallah said. "No man from Lebanese Hezbollah had any part in the firing of this missile or any missiles fired previously."

OPEN TO DIALOGUE

Lebanon was thrust back to the forefront of the power struggle between Riyadh and Tehran after its prime minister quit abruptly in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia this month. In his shock resignation speech, Saad al-Hariri accused Iran and Hezbollah of "sowing strife" in the region.

Lebanese state officials and politicians close to Hariri say he was held in Riyadh against his will and forced to resign, which Riyadh and Hariri denied. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has refused to accept the resignation until Hariri comes home.

A long-time Saudi ally and Sunni leader, Hariri flew to France at the weekend and is expected to return to Beirut in time for independence day celebrations on Wednesday.

"We are all waiting for the return of the prime minister, whom we still consider has not resigned," Nasrallah said. "When he comes, we will see. We are open to any dialogue and any discussion that happens in the country."

Hariri took office last year in a power-sharing deal that saw Aoun, a Hezbollah political ally, become president. His coalition government includes Hezbollah, a military and political movement that wields great influence in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to support the Damascus government against mostly Sunni Syrian rebel factions, some of whom have received Saudi aid, and Islamic State militants.

Nasrallah also thanked Major-General Qassem Soleimani for what he described as his huge role in fighting Islamic State in the eastern Syrian town of Albu Kamal. Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, led the battle from the frontlines from the very beginning, he said.

"The battle must continue with the same strength ... and we must continue working to end the remnants of Daesh," he said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

Hezbollah could withdraw its large number of commanders from Iraq once Islamic State was defeated there, he said.

(Reporting by Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam; Editing by Tom Perry and Janet Lawrence)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he was horrified by video footage showing migrants being sold as slaves in Libya and that these auctions should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity. US television network CNN aired the footage last week of an apparent live auction in Libya where black men were presented to North African buyers as potential farmhands and sold off for as little as $400. "Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity," Guterres told reporters. "I am horrified at news reports and video footage showing African migrants in Libya reportedly being sold as slaves," he said, adding: "I abhor these appalling acts." Guterres called on "all competent authorities" to investigate the slave auctions without delay, adding that he had asked the "relevant United Nations actors to actively pursue this matter." Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig said his UN-backed Government of National Accord would investigate the allegations, in a statement posted Sunday on the Facebook page of the GNA's press office. Guterres wants Libyan authorities as well as the International Criminal Court, which has a mandate to open war crimes investigations in Libya, to look into the slave auctions, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. - African anger - The UN chief has mobilized the UN high commission for human rights, his envoy in Libya Ghassan Salame, the UN office for drugs and crime, which has responsibility for human trafficking, and the International Organization for Migration, to take action, said Haq. The images have triggered outrage from African leaders and calls for an inquiry. Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also chairman of the African Union, on Friday called for an inquiry and prosecutions relating to what he termed a "despicable trade... from another era." Burkina Faso recalled its ambassador to Tripoli after expressing "shock" at the images, said Foreign Minister Alpha Barry. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has demanded information from Libya about the fate of some 30 Burkinabe migrants detained in the camps, said Barry. Senegal's government expressed "outrage at the sale of Sub-Saharan African migrants on Libyan soil" that constituted a "blight on the conscience of humanity." Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said the issue had made him "deeply angry" and urged Libyan authorities and international organizations to do "everything possible to stop this practice." The UN Security Council will on Tuesday discuss human trafficking during a special debate expected to focus on the treatment of migrants in Libya.
(Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

An SMRT train captain has been warded for observation at Changi General Hospital (CGH), after one of the rail operators trains was apparently struck by lightning near Bedok station on Monday (20 November) afternoon.

SMRT spokesman Patrick Nathan said that the rail operator is currently investigating the incident as a possible lightning strike.

A westbound train heading towards the city stalled as it was approaching Bedok MRT station. Passengers were detrained at Bedok station, and the train was withdrawn from service for investigation. After the incident, the Train Captain, who said he was unwell, is receiving medical attention, said Nathan.

In a 9pm update, SMRT said the train captain would be warded at CGH overnight for further observation. SMRT is in touch with the train captain and his family, as well as the doctors, the update said.

According to The Straits Times, the incident delayed travel time between Tanah Merah and Paya Lebar stations by at least 10 minutes.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force told Yahoo News Singapore that it dispatched an ambulance to Tanah Merah station after they were alerted at 4.20pm. The Train Captain, who is in his 20s, was then conveyed to CGH in a conscious state.

Nathan added that each train is protected by a Faraday Cage, an enclosure formed by conductive material that blocks electric fields and electric currents such as lightning strikes. If lightning strikes, the electric current will travel through the outside shell of the train, not through the cabin, and pass through the wheels to the track, he said.

This is the latest in a series of rail incidents and train delays in recent months. Last week, 38 people were injured following a collision between two trains at Joo Koon station. Consequently, there will be no train service between the Joo Koon and Gul Circle stations for a month, starting from Monday.

In October, a flood in the MRT tunnel between Bishan and Braddell resulted in a major breakdown that affected some 250,000 commuters. Six MRT staff will face disciplinary action for their part in the incident.

This story has been updated to incorporate a statement from SMRT, issued at 6.03pm on 20 November 2017. This story was updated again at 9pm to reflect the train drivers condition.
This announcement comes just a month after Nets announced its plan to launch an e-payments app

Nets, one of Singapores largest payment service providers, now allows over 600 food centres in the country to conduct cashless payment transactions, according to a report by the Straits Times.

Customers will be able to pay via Nets QR code-based payments app NetsPay  as long as they have a NFC-enabled smartphone.

The food stalls are spread across 20 hawker centres located in areas such as Beo Crescent, Tanjong Pagar, Yishun Park and Zion Road. They are also located in tertiary institutions, including Singapore Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and the National Technological University.

Also Read: Nets could become Singapores national e-payments service operator

The development comes just a month after Nets announced it will launch NetsPay in October. It had said it will integrate the app with over 30,000 of its Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals upon launch.

It had added it would bring all its bank partners, including OCBC, UOB, HSBC, DBS, Maybank and Standard Chartered, on board the app.

Currently, Nets has already onboarded DBS, OCBC and UOB. It will eventually roll out the app to the rest of its partners, as well as extend it to another bank, Citibank, which had previously been excluded.

By 2018, Nets plans to install the QR code technology on all of its 100,000 terminals across the country. This will include terminals located inside taxis, departmental stores and supermarkets.

Although Nets has a substantial share of the nations consumers (1 in 3 Singaporeans use Nets) having been entrenched in the market for decades, it will still face strong competition from Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab.

The company had recently expanded its GrabPay service to cater for offline purchases. Like Nets, it has also implemented a QR code payment feature. Grab currently has a war chest of over US$4 billion in funding, so the fight between Grab and Nets could be a protracted one.

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Image Credit: Nets

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As one of very few Serbs to fight on the side of the Bosnian Army, Jovan Divjak cannot take ten steps in Sarajevo without being warmly greeted by people who respect the former general for defending the city and its multiculturalism. But his vision for a cosmopolitan, multiethnic, multi-religious Bosnia seems further away than ever, with the country more divided now than two decades ago. "Today there is more hatred among young people than there was during the war," Divjak told AFP. On Wednesday a UN war crimes tribunal will hand down a verdict to Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military chief who laid siege to the city in the bitter 1990s war -- but the judgement will only emphasise to Divjak how the country, in his view, lost a bigger battle. The Bosnia that Divjak wants to belong to "will never exist", he said, saying that the forces of Mladic had won. When the conflict broke out in Sarajevo in April 1992, Divjak, a retired Yugoslav army officer, was a member of Bosnia's territorial defence forces. He immediately joined the ranks of those defending Sarajevo, which was trapped under siege for 44 months. At least 10,000 residents of the city were killed during the war. But Divjak hates the "good Serb" label. "It was natural to be with those who were attacked, who did not have weapons." The conflict ended with a peace deal that divided Bosnia into two semi-independent entities: the Serb-run Republika Srpska (RS) and a federation dominated by Bosnian Muslims, known as Bosniaks, and Croats. Sarajevo's Serb and Croat population has shrunk from a third of the population before the war to just nine percent today. - The 'others' - Divjak is among three percent of Bosnians -- and six percent of Sarajevo's residents -- who refuse to define themselves by ethnicity. They are the "others", a tiny statistical category that stands as a reminder of Sarajevo's multicultural past. "It is a battle. We have to fight, even at three percent." Like 74-year-old Mladic, Divjak comes from a Bosnian Serb family, but was born in Belgrade as his father was a travelling teacher. Both officers considered themselves Yugoslavs before the federation began to collapse in the early 1990s. And for both men, late Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito was a central figure. But the similarities end there. Divjak does not hide his disdain for Mladic, recalling him as "arrogant, sometimes drunk," when they met during wartime negotiations. "He would say that he did not want to talk to a Muslim delegation that included a Serb who betrayed Serbs," Divjak said. - 'Traitor' - Divjak's name deeply upsets Janko Seslija, a 57-year-old Serb war veteran whose "White Wolves" commando unit was based in the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Pale. "Traitor! For me he is a traitor," Seslija said. That Divjak fought "in his country against his own people... It's a shame". Divjak is still threatened by an arrest warrant issued by Serbia, on which he was held in Vienna in 2011. He was allowed to return to Bosnia almost five months later when an Austrian court rejected Belgrade's extradition request. Serbia wants Divjak over a 1992 attack on a retreating Yugoslav army convoy in Sarajevo. Belgrade says 18 soldiers were killed, Divjak says six. The ex-general denies the allegations and insists that he ordered the shooting to stop, a claim that seems to be backed up by television footage from the time. Near the demarcation line between Bosnia's two entities is the educational foundation set up by Divjak, which has awarded scholarships to 6,500 students since 1994. It is open to everyone, but Serbs are rarely interested -- they do not want to be linked to Divjak. Bosniak authorities are also cautious towards the man who loudly voices his concerns over growing nationalism and the influence of Islam on politics and society in the small Balkan country. Divjak has repeatedly condemned war crimes against Serbs. In 1999 he symbolically renounced his rank of general following the grandiose funeral of Musan "Caco" Topalovic, a Bosniak commander and gangster suspected of wartime executions of Serbs. "One does not learn in Bosniak schools or media that there were crimes on the side of the Bosnian army," Divjak said. But the unconventional Serb says he would repeat the decision he made in April 1992 to defend Sarajevo. "If it happened again, I would be even more determined today," he told AFP. "People have esteem and respect for what I did."
UN peacekeeping hit a rock-bottom low when blue helmets in Bosnia failed to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, a year after peacekeepers pulled out of Rwanda as it was convulsed by mass atrocities. The debacles in Bosnia and Rwanda loom large over UN peace operations to this day and have brought about a shift toward more robust missions focused on protecting civilians. Two decades later, UN peacekeepers are still tested in their mandate to protect, from South Sudan to Haiti. - SOUTH SUDAN - After violence broke out in Juba in July last year, peacekeepers abandoned their posts and failed to respond to pleas for help from aid workers under attack in a nearby hotel compound. South Sudanese soldiers gang-raped foreign aid workers and killed a local colleague in the July 11 attack at the Terrain hotel. Victims phoned UN peacekeepers stationed a mile away and begged for help, but none came. The Kenyan commander of UNMISS was dismissed after a UN report showed a failure to protect civilians. - MALI - Described as the most dangerous UN mission in the world, MINUSMA has lost 149 peacekeepers to jihadist attacks since 2013, the highest toll of all current UN peace operations. Peacekeepers are seen by insurgents as foreign occupiers in the vast lawless north of Mali. - CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - The MINUSCA mission faces scores of allegations that its peacekeepers sexually abused vulnerable women and girls. The mounting cases have seriously damaged the UN's reputation. The United Nations maintains that its peacekeeping force deployed in the Central African Republic saved the country from genocide in 2013. But violence between armed groups in the countryside has increased this year. - DR CONGO - The vast country in the heart of Africa hosts the UN's biggest mission, MONUSCO, with some 21,000 personnel including 16,000 troops. Heavily deployed in the east, the peacekeepers were largely absent when violence broke out in the Kasai region this year, reportedly killing thousands. Nearly 90 mass graves have been identified in the Kasai where MONUSCO has since set up new operations. - HAITI - The United Nations closed its 13-year peacekeeping mission in Haiti this year, but Haitians were not sorry to see it go. A deadly cholera epidemic that broke out in 2010 was traced back to Nepalese soldiers serving in MINUSTAH. More than 10,000 people died and 815,000 people have fallen ill from cholera. It took six years for the United Nations to apologize for the disaster. - KOSOVO - Hundreds of ethnic Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians in Kosovo were resettled by UN peacekeepers in camps contaminated by lead after the 1998-1999 war. It took over 10 years for the UN mission to relocate the people to a safer area even though it was aware of the health risk since 2000. In May, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres set up a trust fund to help those affected. - GOLAN HEIGHTS - As the war in Syria raged in August 2014, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front crossed a UN-monitored demarcation line in the Golan Heights and seized dozens of UN peacekeepers from far away Fiji while trapping dozens more from the Philippines who were in their UNDOF camps. The Filipino peacekeepers managed to escape and the Fiji contingent was released two weeks later. UN peacekeepers returned to the camp on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights two years later. Some 110,000 peacekeepers are deployed in 15 peace operations worldwide.
Syria's army and loyalist militiamen Sunday ousted the Islamic State group from its last urban stronghold in the country as regime strikes claimed more lives in a rebel-held enclave near Damascus. The army said it had taken full control of Albu Kamal in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, which has changed hands several times. Government forces announced the capture of the town near the Iraqi border earlier this month but lost it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago. "Syrian troops and allied forces took full control of Albu Kamal, and are removing mines and explosives left by IS," a military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP on Sunday. "IS put up fierce resistance and tried to use explosives and suicide bombers, but besieging the city allowed the army to clinch the offensive and take full control of the city." State news agency SANA also reported the advance in Albu Kamal, saying the "Syrian army and its allies eliminated the last Daesh (IS) terrorist pocket in the town". A string of territorial defeats across northern and eastern Syria had left Albu Kamal as the last significant Syrian town held by IS. Syria's army announced on November 9 it had ousted IS from the town, but the jihadists retook it in a lightning offensive. A week later, the army and allied Iraqi, Lebanese, and Iranian fighters broke back into Albu Kamal and steadily advanced through the town. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of sources across Syria, confirmed on Sunday that regime troops and their allies had captured Albu Kamal. "IS fighters withdrew from the city towards the Euphrates River," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "There is no more fighting in the town, but there are clashes around Albu Kamal," he said, adding that Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and Iraqi militias had fought alongside regime troops, backed by Russian air power. The monitor said more than 80 fighters were killed in the three days of ferocious combat to retake the town -- 31 pro-regime forces and at least 50 IS jihadists. IS seized large areas of both Syria and neighbouring Iraq in a lightning 2014 campaign, but this year has lost much of the territory it once held. The loss of Albu Kamal caps the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla group with no urban base. - Heavy bombing near Damascus - On another front near Damascus, intense regime bombardment on the rebel-held Ghouta region killed eight civilians and wounded 25, the Observatory said, as the United Nations urged all sides to avoid targeting non-combattants. Six days of heavy bombing have killed dozens in the region, where rebel groups and regime forces are locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks. On the sixth consecutive day of heavy bombing, an AFP videographer at a hospital in Ghouta's largest city, Douma, saw a man crying as he hugged an unconscious teenager. A nurse helped a distraught woman who appeared to be searching for a loved one and a man kissed the body of a child wrapped in a shroud. Doctors struggled to save a child with a blood infusion to the chest as a boy moaned in pain on another hospital bed. President Bashar al-Assad's forces have besieged Eastern Ghouta since 2013, making humanitarian conditions in the area, where some 400,000 people live, extremely dire. On Sunday, the UN's coordinator for humanitarian and development affairs in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari, called on "all warring sides to avoid targeting civilians". "For days, there have been daily reports about civilians being killed and others being severely wounded, in addition to warehouses, hospitals and schools being put out of service during the exchange of shellfire, particularly in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta," Zaatari said. More than 330,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the Syrian war, which began in 2011 as the regime brutally crushed anti-government protests. Millions have been displaced. Diplomats from Iran, Russia and Turkey met Sunday in Antalya to discuss Syria ahead of a three-way summit in the Russian city of Sochi on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the meeting with his Turkish counterparts Mevlut Cavusoglu and Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif "very productive" and said they had agreed on "all the main issues". Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are sponsoring the so-called Astana peace talks, named for the Kazakh capital where they are regularly held, which calls for "de-escalation" zones in key areas of Syria -- including the Eastern Ghouta region.
Models Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Elsa Hosk, and more Victorias Secret angels in Shanghai. (Photo by Jackson Lee/FilmMagic)

A Victorias Secret show in Shanghai has hit a number of snags, including suspected spying by the Chinese government.

Staffers for the lingerie giant are scrambling to pull the show off after several setbacks. Headliners like Katy Perry and Gigi Hadid have had their visas denied, with some believing for political reasons.

Perry once expressed support for Taiwan, the breakaway republic China believes belongs to it, at a concert in Taipei in 2015. Hadid once posed with a cookie shaped like the Buddha. Religion is tightly controlled in China and more so political speech against the ruling party.

Hadid took to Twitter to announce she wont be attending Mondays show. Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Cant wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already cant wait for next year! x she tweeted.

Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year! x  Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) November 16, 2017

It isnt just celebrities having trouble making it to the show. Reporters trying to cover the event have also found themselves barred from entering the country, and TV producers are struggling to get last-minute permits they didnt realize they needed.

They want to discuss whats going on as far as replacements for those denied visas and alternative arrangements, but they have to be tight-lipped because it seems that the government is watching their emails, a source told the New York Post.

China is notoriously guarded when it comes to dealing with outsiders and routinely spies on its own citizens. The so-called Great Firewall prevents Chinese citizens from using social media platforms like Facebook and reading foreign news sources.

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The ruling Communist Party even has legislation preventing too much tweeting. In 2010, the government sentenced a Chinese woman to a year in a labor camp for disturbing social order.

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FILE PHOTO: South Africa's President Jacob Zuma gestures during the last day of the six-day meeting of the African National Congress 5th National Policy Conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto, South Africa, July 5, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

By Alexander Winning

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) should get President Jacob Zuma to stand down as head of state after a party conference next month because like Zimbabwe the country urgently needs a change of leader, a senior ANC official said.

The ANC has been dogged by infighting for much of this year as a series of corruption scandals have tarnished its image ahead of the December conference at which it will elect Zuma's successor.

The party is split between factions backing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former minister and ex-wife of Zuma, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for the ANC's top job.

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu told Reuters that whoever the party chooses next month, the incoming leadership should tell Zuma to go to allow the ANC to clean up its act.

"You can't keep him there," he said.

Mthembu said the ANC could learn from what was happening in Zimbabwe, where the ruling ZANU-PF party is pushing for President Robert Mugabe to leave his post.

"In Zimbabwe they call that bloodless corrections ... We need to make the corrections immediately after the conference. How do you effect those corrections in government when the same person who might have contributed to a better degree still sits?" Mthembu asked.

Mthembu is in the camp that backs Ramaphosa for ANC president and said it was important for the ANC to regain the trust of South African people after news reports that the Gupta brothers, business friends close to Zuma, had influenced government appointments and secured contracts from state firms. Both Zuma and the Guptas deny any wrongdoing.

Zuma's second term as president expires in 2019, but he could be forced out as head of state by the ANC's new leadership before his term ends, as was the case with former president Thabo Mbeki.

In May the ANC said its executive committee backed Zuma after calls for him to resign, and in August Zuma survived a no-confidence motion in parliament.

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Zuma still has strong support in the party, including from the influential women's and youth leagues as well as in rural areas, where several tribal chiefs back the traditionalist leader.

The ANC has seen its electoral majority shrink over recent years, and some analysts predict it could lose the 2019 election. Until recently that was unthinkable for a party that has led comfortably since sweeping to power under Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994.

Mthembu said if the ANC failed to emerge from its December conference with a new image it was "doomed".

"It's us who got South Africa into this mess by electing Zuma to be president. We should have looked closely into the man. With hindsight we made a terrible error of judgement," he said.

(Editing by James Macharia and Janet Lawrence)
The latest part from Santa Cruzs Right to Exist to enter the internet void is that of SC OG and slappy grind barbarian Tom Knox, who hits up some classic Visalia spots to reminisce over the Speed Freaks days. Santa Cruz definitely paid homage to their roots with this one, with Knox joined by Eric Dressen and Steve Alba in bringing the late 80s/early 90s flavour to the mix.

Here he is joined by Tom Asta, Dylan Williams and Emmanuel Guzman to hit the streets, make curbs tremble and ruminate on the progression of skateboarding since those classic early 90s productions. Get your dose of history from a proper legend
But the differences are still lower than in most EU countries.

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Gender inequality does not affect only the average salaries received by men and women doing the same job, but also their retirement pension. Though women receive about 100 less than men, Slovakia belongs among countries with the lowest pension gap in the European Union.

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While the difference between the pensions of men and women in the age group of 65-79 years amounted to about 9 percent in 2015, the EU average was as high as 38 percent, said Labour Ministrys spokesperson Michal Stuska.

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The relatively low difference in Slovakia is caused by social transfers as well as relatively low pensions in general, he explained to The Slovak Spectator. Moreover, about four-fifths of pensioners receiving the minimum pension are women.

While men received an average pension of 475.59 in September 2017, women received 381.78 on average, according to the data of the state-run social insurer Socialna Poistovna.

Comparison with the EU

The issue of gender gap in pensions has aroused the increasing attention of EU bodies over recent years.

The current gap in pension levels between men and women reflects past labour market tendencies and the design of pension systems.
How could it be a fiasco when a political party wins most councillors among all parties? asks PM Robert Fico. (Source: Sme)

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During the regional elections four years ago, Smer was at the height of its power. At the time, the party not only controlled Slovakias unprecedented one-party government, but also won most of the regional council chairs and six out of eight regional governor posts in 2013. In short, Smer was ruling the country at all levels.

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However, the 2017 election results reveal the party has been telling a different story. In the November 4 regional elections, Smer lost four of the six regional governor positions and a considerable portion of chairs in the regional councils - even though it remains the political party with the most regional councillors around the country, as Prime Minister Robert Fico stressed. But his reaction was delayed until almost a week after the elections, leaving a lot of room for speculation about where the party is headed.

The election results reflect a more general shift of voter sympathy, political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told The Slovak Spectator.

The results of the regional elections confirm a decline in support for the ruling party. There was a similar trend in the parliamentary election: in 2012, Smer received 44.42 percent of the vote, while in 2016 it dropped to 28.28 percent with similar turnout numbers.

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Silence from the prime minister

On November 4, Smer lost the majority in the regional parliamentary elections of Trencin, Presov and Kosice. Many of the chairs in those regions will be taken by independent candidates and candidates from the centre-right parties. In the eight regional governor races, Smer lost four out of the six governor posts it controlled during the previous four years. This also included Kosice, where Richard Rasi, the incumbent mayor of the regional capital, was a clear favourite but lost to the centre-right candidate. Smer also lost the governor chair in Trnava, Zilina, and Presov.

Since PM Fico chose not to make a statement on the results immediately after they were released, the media were left with scattered reactions of Smer vice-chairs. Most of those who spoke to the media suggested that personnel changes might be in place following the elections, some even hinting at the scandals that have been linked with the party, potentially harming its reputation among voters.

On November 10, Fico finally stood in front of the cameras and repeatedly stressed that he would have liked to get more. However, he insisted the results of Smer were not a loss.

How could it be a fiasco when a political party wins most councillors among all parties? Fico asked.

He pointed to the graph he prepared for the occasion showing Smer as the party with the biggest numbers of chairs in regional councils around the country: 88. No other political party won more than that. While this is true, Fico also admitted to excluding the results of independent candidates from his calculations. He argued that the trend of supporting independent candidates is clear and will grow further.

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Fico also presented rather unorthodox calculations when it came to the election of regional councillors. He included the number of votes received by Jan Lunter of Banska Bystrica (running as an independent with the wide support of political parties across the political spectrum) when breaking down results for the Smer party. He calculated the results into percentages and claimed that Smer received 37 percent of the total votes in the elections.

Subsequently, the prime minister attributed Smers inability to elect enough candidates in some regions to the majority election system.

I take it as a result that reflects the current distribution of political forces. Fico stressed that, Smer remains the decisive political force.

A series of disappointments

There is no doubt Smer remains the largest party in the county by a wide margin, said political analyst Kevin Deegan-Krause from Wayne State University. But if the partys performance is measured against its past performance and expectations based on that performance, then certainly this is a disappointment for Smer.

While regional races can hardly be used as proof of a partys overall support, Deegan-Krause notes, the partys most recent loss is the fourth of its kind, spanning over four different types of elections: European, presidential, parliamentary, and now regional.

But that does not mean it signals the partys ultimate demise, Deegan-Krause told The Slovak Spectator.

The voices of the party are opposed to any defeatist rhetoric, too. While the head of the partys Bratislava regional branch, Martin Glvac, insists it is all about learning from past mistakes and getting rid of old and burnt-out candidates, Deputy PM Peter Pellegrini believes the party still has a lot of expert candidates to offer.

I dont think the decline of the Smer party has begun as of today, Pellegrini said on the TA3 news channel the day after the elections.

Hurt by scandals

Has Smer suffered on the regional level because of its own scandals in big politics? The scandals that have recently harmed the party include the Basternak scandal, involving Interior Minister Robert Kalinak; the Cisty Den scandal, involving Labour Minister Milan Richter; and the Gabcikovo scandal, involving attorney Radomir Bzan and disputes concerning overpriced fees.

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Voters undoubtedly see what happens in big politics and to some extent reflect their evaluation of the parties politics from the national level to the regional level, political analyst from Comenius University, Pavol Babos, told The Slovak Spectator.

But currently, Smers reputation is in such a state that it is hard to predict if the resignation of Robert Kalinak would suffice, and whether the supporters or former supporters of Smer do not require more than that, Babos said, suggesting that Smer might need to reconsider the content of its politics.

Some self-reflection

Even though Ficos reaction does not suggest the party will be considering any ground-breaking changes in its politics or leadership, it does suggest that the top party is not finished evaluating the results of the regional elections. The party leadership met on November 14 for that purpose and will continue to talk about the results at its next meeting.

On November 14, Culture Minister Marek Madaric, the deputy chairman responsible for campaigning, offered his resignation from the party post.

I didnt mention any names, apart from my own, as I offered my resignation from the deputy chairs post, the minister wrote in a statement.

Culture Minister Marek Madaric (Source: SME)

Smers leadership has not finished discussing the regional elections yet and will continue to do so in subsequent meetings.

If we in Smer dont want to continue this [downward] trend, we need to embrace significant changes at various levels  political, programme and personnel-related, the culture minister said shortly after the elections, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Tim Haughton from the University of Birmingham deems it very normal for parties in power to lose mid-term and second order elections, which is always a challenge.

Smer is capable of responding to that challenge but it requires a possible change of direction, Haughton told The Slovak Spectator. Its capable of bouncing back but it has to focus on the things that keep parties resilient.
The tenth year of the White Crow award, celebrating young people and activists who break prejudices and go against the tide.

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At a time when most of Slovak society, including President Andrej Kiska, perceives corruption and cronyism as a pressing and evident problem, two young people received the White Crow award for pointing out the dubious state of orders.

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Former employees of the Foreign Ministry, Zuzana Hlavkova and Pavol Szalai, brought to light suspicious orders made during the Slovak presidency in the Council of the European Union a year ago.

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The White Crow Council rewarded them for their dutiful defence of public finances and repeated effort to improve the institution from within.

But also for the ensuing courage to name the problems specifically and  despite the superiority of state power that stood against them during this most prestigious event of recent years in Slovakia  to try to rectify them publicly, organisers argued.

The second laureate is psychologist Stefan Straka, who has been teaching the Roma environmental-friendly farming for ten years already.

The environmentalist Erik Balaz was also an award recipient for his persistence in educating people on environmental protection. Balaz saved the Ticha and Koprova valleys from being logged after the windstorm calamity in the High Tatras.

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"Today, when the extremist political forces attack ever more aggressively the free and authentic civic society, it is crucial to remember how active citizens, their initiatives and organisations help people, the endangered communities or environment, CEO of the organising Via Iuris, Milan Sagat, said as quoted by Sme.
Environmentalist and documentary film-maker Erik Balaz awarded White Crow for fighting for the survival of the Ticha and Koprova valleys

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After the 2007 windstorm calamity and ensuing bark-beetle infestation in the Tatra mountains, foresters wanted to log trees in the most protected areas until Erik Balaz launched a campaign and a two-week blockade to save the Ticha and Koprova valleys.

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Currently, these Tatra valleys are the biggest wilderness areas in Slovakia due in large part to ideological campaign leader, Balaz.

 When I come to this wild territory, it's like everything has been set to zero and I know it is right.  Erik Balaz, White Crow award laureate

I perceive the award as a satisfaction, because in the past, my environmentalist activities were often not accepted positively by the public, Balaz says.

The White Crow Council rewarded him for exceptional perseverance in the effort to win people over in the fight for environmental protection and ability to create in them a good stance towards nature.

Advantages of a natural forest

Back in 2007, the effort to save the Tatra valleys was supported by many protectionists, scientists or non-governmental organisations, especially the forest-protecting group VLK, of which Balaz is a member .

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The State Forests of TANAP (Tatra National Park) wanted to log and remove around 25,000 cubic metres of wood from the Ticha and Koprova valleys. Foresters approved of the massive felling in this area while protectionists claimed the wood would renew itself without external interventions.

Because of this, Balaz has an intuitive urge to protect nature. "I like the wild nature, and when I see that it is natural and without human interference, I like it  there is a lot of life in it, Balaz explains. His activities have a deeper meaning, though. "A natural forest absorbs carbon better, protects from floods; there are many rational reasons why we need to protect wild nature," he claims.

He also points out that today, a global environmental crisis is often discussed and several rare species of birds are endangered. "For example, the western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus or heather cock) is threatened by extinction in Slovakia," he says.

Using films

In recent years, Balaz has also been shooting documentary films on wild nature. Through film, Balaz believes people can understand better the need to protect the environment and develop a passion for environmental protection. Socrates Institute also offers lectures on natural protection and the environment's ability to renew itself.

He founded the Aevis foundation to support and expand wildlife territories and works on several environmental campaigns in order to change the well-established and deep-rooted opinion that because of bark-beetle infestation, it is necessary to clear-cut the forest.

Balaz sees the award as a chance to better promote environmental protection. Despite the obstacles, he has never questioned whether he should continue with his activities.

When I come to this wild territory, it's like everything has been set to zero and I know it is right, he added.
The prizes awarded to Czech and Slovaks whose lives were impacted by totalitarian regimes and non-democracy were given at a ceremony in the Prague National Theatre.

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This year's recipients of the Nations Memory Awards, for Slovakia, were former concentration camp prisoner and underground resistance fighter, Otto Simko, and Maria Matejcikova, political prisoner in the 1950's.

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The prize has been awarded eight times, the Sme daily wrote.

The organiser is the Post Bellum company operating in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The award ceremony took place in the National Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic.

With the Nations Memory Awards, we want to publicly acknowledge and appreciate stories of people oppressed by the totalitarian regimes and non-democracy, head of Post Bellum SK Sandra Polovkova told the TASR newswire.

She further specified that the fact that prizes are awarded on November 17 is no coincidence.

We symbolically, on the day of fighting for freedom and democracy, November 17, reward those who managed to keep their human face also in hard times, she explained, as quoted by TASR. They are direct witnesses of the history which is not so far from the present at all. Life stories of laureates should be the constantly present warning for the current events and deeds of people.

Life stories of laureates

The only woman among those awarded is Maria Matejcikova. At the age of 19, she helped a Catholic priest who escaped from a prison hospital. As the escape was unsuccessful, one month after she helped him, Majtejcikova was detained by the secret service, StB. She was sentenced to five years in prison for treason.

The family of another award recipient, Otto Simko, was Jewish and avoided deportation to a concentration camp  but not persecution. In 1942, they had to leave for a labour camp in the town of Vyhne.

The Czech laureate, Frantisek Lizna, was imprisoned five times in communist Czechoslovakia. Parents of the last awarded person, Frantisek Suchy, were detained in 1949 for helping another family flee abroad. Their situation  and that of Frantisek  worsened when a US intelligence service agent named Koudelka revealed, after brutal torture, that Frantisek Suchy was hiding him in the garage. Suchy was sentenced to 25 years.
The windstorm damaged 12,000 hectares of woods on November 19, 2004.

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November 19, 2004 was a Black Friday, changing the image of the Tatras for good.

On that afternoon, a massive cold front arrived in the Tatra mountains, accompanied by extremely strong wind which amounted to a hurricane. This falling mountain wind is called bora by experts. Thirteen years ago, the bora named Alzbeta (Elizabeth), which occurred in two succeeding phases, left fatal consequences on the Tatra vegetation and changed its image forever.

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The original forest ceased to exist

The Tatra forest in which spruces prevail, especially at the foot of the mountains, ceased to exist in just a few hours. The wind uprooted or broke 12,000 hectares of woods, mostly in the Tatra National Park (TANAP), in a belt of more than 30 kilometres.

A wind calamity of such an extent had not been recorded in Tatras previously though a similar one is mentioned in archives, dating back to 1915.

People reacted very emotionally  the symbol of the Tatras, as well as the typical climate, was suddenly gone. Fundraising started immediately. Experts pointed out that a similar calamity should have been expected at one point or another: the man-made spruce could hardly resist a wind of such a force. In the following years, it turned out that the whole landscape in and around the High Tatras changed. The forests impact the whole environmental system.

Impacts still felt today

Apart from material damage, amounting to hundreds of millions of then-Slovak crowns, one life perished in the disaster  a driver was hit and killed by one of the falling trees.

After this calamity, there were several smaller windstorms that destroyed the remaining woods. Vast fires and bark beetle infestation could not have been avoided, either.

The latter plague still stirs up disputes between foresters who insist that if bark beetles are discovered, trees must be logged massively to prevent further spreading and bigger damage.

Environmentalists, on the other hand, argue that bark beetles have been here ever since, coming in cycles, and without human intervention, forests are well able to handle them and regenerate on their own. The ensuing dispute has grown into a true political and media fight, including accusations, lawsuits, amendments to laws and directives, exceptions and exceptions from exceptions.

Ultimately, compromises and agreements were achieved: parts of Tatras were processed by experts, and parts were left to manage on their own.
A Middleton man charged with killing his landlady changed his plea to an insanity plea during a court appearance Monday.

Jack J.C. Hamann, 53, who had originally pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide for the April bludgeoning death of 82-year-old Agnes Bram, changed his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland will now appoint a doctor to examine Hamann. No trial date has been set for the case.

Hamann was charged in May with Brams death, which a criminal complaint states happened sometime before April 28, when she was found in the garage of her Middleton home by her daughter. An autopsy found that Bram died from head trauma. Police believe she was struck on the head by one or more objects.

Hamann had rented a room in Brams home.

In June, Hamann was found competent to stand trial after an examination by a psychiatrist.

Hamann remains in the Dane County Jail on $500,000 bail.
People may be able to recognise Slovakias neighbouring countries through associations with food, drinks, beautiful cities or well-known political events. But Slovakia remains very much "hidden".

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Slovakia is by some (including myself) affectionately described as the Hidden Gem in the Heart of Europe. But how hidden should this gem really remain from the rest of the world? Ever since I moved to Slovakia and discovered how beautiful a country it is, I have struggled with the realisation that back home no one really seems to know anything about Slovakia.

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Lets face the truth. Despite Slovakias incredible amount of untapped potential for the travel-minded world, people (especially in the West) indeed simply dont know about Slovakia. Many can barely point out where Slovakia is located on the map of Europe, let alone name its capital. They think Slovenian is the official language, travel distances are measured in terms of how far the place is located from Prague and Czechoslovakia is apparently still very much alive.

People may be able to recognise Slovakias neighbouring countries through associations with food, drinks, beautiful cities or well-known political events. However, the country that lays smack in the middle of all these nations remains elusive and a virtual mystery. Indeed, very hidden.

The circumstances that made this so, are very complex. Too complex to be discussed in full here. Suffice to say, I believe it is a coming together of multiple factors.

Among others, there is Slovakias past of oppression and the country remaining relatively closed off from the rest of the world even after its independence in 1993; there is the educational system in Western Europe which, in my experience, has been too much focused on the West and too little on the other side of Europe; and there is Slovakias own contribution to its mysterious nature, with a government that lacks the interest (or means?) to promote Slovakia outside its borders and to change the corrupted image of Slovakia as something backward, Eastern, underdeveloped and unworthy of visiting to an altogether more realistic image of accessibility, beauty, tourism-worthy and, perhaps more importantly, progressively non-Eastern Block.

It is understandable, though, that the circumstances of a newly acquired independence, 25 years ago, may have forced Slovakia to look inward much more than outward. First focus on building up your country, before inviting others to come and look at it. Yet, despite being a young country, Slovakia is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe.

Command of the English language is spreading fast throughout the country. Local governments and institutions are being more and more conscious about the historical, cultural and natural value of their region, initiating cultural events, reconstructing historical buildings and applying for EU funds to reinstate their heritage to its former glory. Nothing seems to speak of Slovakia as backward and underdeveloped.

Throughout the past years, I have guided friends and family more than once throughout the entire country, visiting all the hot spots and more. It is worth sharing that some of these visitors were very reluctant about coming here - not because of me or my wife, but because of not knowing what to expect from Slovakia, apart from what the stereotypes are giving in. However, every single one of these visitors in the end went back home with a whole new image and opinion of Slovakia as a country. Many of them have come back again, and again, and sometimes even again.

So, without trying to sound too much like a travel advertisement, why not let the rest of the world enjoy the progress Slovakia is making? I am aiming at tourists, travellers, adventurers, history-buffs, hikers, skiers and nature-lovers. Invite them to hike the High Tatras come summer or winter, walk the stoney halls of ancient castle ruins, decent down the tunnels of one of the many caves, taste the many unique wines, visit the self-proclaimed centre point of Europe, walk the coronation route through Bratislava, or travel the so-called Gothic road between South and North Slovakia and end your journey at the gorgeous cathedral of Kosice in the east. This is just to name but a few of the great things one can see or do in Slovakia.

The list goes on and on. But without proper education of the outside world about what they can expect to find in a country like Slovakia, many will continue to equate Slovakia with everything they think they know about former Eastern Europe. Show the outside world Slovakias uniqueness, beauty, nature, history and cultural heritage. Give the visitors a great lasting memory to bring home and share with friends and family. Allow Slovakia to finally step out of its shadows and start to shine.

Boudewijn Dekker is a Dutch blogger who writes about his experiences and observations as a foreigner living and working in Slovakia. He shares his stories, pictures and opinions as The Curious Dutchman on his blogpage, his Facebook Page as well as on Instagram.
Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
The Madison Police Departments hopes of adding 15 officers beginning in 2018 were dashed Monday when the city learned it was not awarded a federal grant to help pay for the additional manpower.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that 179 local, state and tribal law enforcement agencies across the country received funding from the U.S. Department of Justices Community Oriented Policing Services program to hire 802 officers but only three agencies  La Crosse (two officers), Rice Lake (one) and Sparta (one)  were from Wisconsin, according to Jim Powell, the citys grant manager.

The city was seeking $1.87 million from the $98.5 million federal program in its plan to add 15 police officers. Its recently adopted, $314.8 million operating budget for 2018 includes $750,000 for a full local match to the grant funding.

Mayor Paul Soglin had initially proposed $350,000 that could have been used to add three officers without the grant and, if the grant were received, enough to initially hire seven officers and phase in the rest over the next two or three years.

But the council, in final budget deliberations last week, approved an amendment from Ald. Paul Skidmore, 9th District, to add $400,000, which the city could use to add six or seven officers without the grant and, if it were received, add all 15 in the first year.

There wasnt much optimism that the city would receive the grant money, Skidmore said.

But there was a chance, he said. Its a great disappointment now that weve finally heard.

Soglin took a similarly realistic viewpoint.

You cant get a grant every time, he said.

Chief Mike Koval was disappointed but hopeful the City Council will push forward with using the $750,000 allocated in the budget to hire some additional officers next year.

Im hopeful that they feel the same sense of urgency with providing the agency with more cops, Koval said. They have to understand that the need isnt less acute and hopefully theyll still feel that. This has been a priority for me since I took office.

The Police Departments authorized strength rose from 350 commissioned officers in 1997 to 468 in 2017. The city added 32 officers in six budgets under Mayor Sue Bauman; 62 during eight budgets under Mayor Dave Cieslewicz; and 22 during six budgets under Soglin.

The mayor said he is committed to adding officers, with the number probably around seven.

This is a really big decision, Soglin said.

Soglin is planning to talk with Koval and the Finance Department and learn more about the next round of federal grants.

The city will know the timing and availability for 2018 COPS grants as soon as Congress passes the federal budget, according to Soglin. Both the House and Senate versions have generous allocations for funding police officers, he said.

As far as the council members are concerned, theres an acknowledgment that more officers are needed, Skidmore said.

We need them now, he said. Theres a hope and expectation that we use the money to add as many officers as we can.

Skidmore said he may offer a resolution to use the $750,000 already budgeted to hire more officers by title only from the floor Tuesday night, or offer a full resolution in the first meeting of December.

Such a resolution will need a 15-vote supermajority for passage, said city finance director David Schmiedicke. Skidmores amendment passed with 14 votes.

That drew a sigh from Koval, who said, Nothing comes easy for us. Perhaps we can get that final swing vote to make our case. Thats what well be lobbying for.

Both Sen. Tammy Baldwins and Rep. Mark Pocans offices contacted MPD ahead of the announcement to offer their regrets, Powell said in a statement released from his office.

What is unclear is if Madisons stance on immigration kept it from receiving the funding. Sessions said that 80 percent of the agencies that received money agreed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in their detention facilities. Agency cooperation was defined as providing access to detention facilities for interviews of undocumented immigrants in the jurisdictions custody and providing advance notice of their release from custody upon request.

While Koval certified that Madison police were in compliance with federal law, the case of the agencys cooperation with immigration authorities was moot because the Dane County Sheriffs Department operates the jail, Koval said.

All those orders of detainment and detention are orders the sheriff must do upon receipt of somebody for (jail), he said. Thats not part of our calculus.

Madison polices healthy and aggressive approach to community policing may have led federal policy makers to believe that the agency didnt need the grant money as much as some others around the country, especially those with immigration problems, Koval said.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. The original version misstated the amount budgeted by U.S. Department of Justice for its nationwide Community Oriented Policing Services program. The correct amount is $98.5 million.]
WEX Inc. provides financial technology services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fleet Solutions, Travel and Corporate Solutions, and Health and Employee Benefit Solutions. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment processing services. Its services include customer, account activation, and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions with access to web-based data analytics platform that offers insights to fleet managers; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to commercial and government vehicle fleet customers with small, medium, and large fleets, as well as with over-the-road and long haul fleets; and indirectly through co-branded and private label relationships. The Travel and Corporate Solutions segment provides payment solutions, including embedded payments; and accounts payable automation and spend management solutions. Its products include virtual cards that are used for transactions where no card is presented. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to commercial and government organizations. The Health and Employee Benefit Solutions segment offers healthcare payment products and software-as-a-service consumer directed platforms for healthcare market, as well as payroll related and employee benefit products in Brazil. This segment markets its products through health plans, third-party administrators, financial institutions, payroll companies benefits consultants, software providers, and individuals. The company was formerly known as Wright Express Corporation and changed its name to WEX Inc. in October 2012. WEX Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Portland, Maine.
Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and securities brokerage, foreign exchange, financial leasing, factoring, financial consulting and advisory, investment management, foreign trade, treasury, and transactional services, as well as specialized services to finance projects for the real estate industry. In addition, the company offers short-term financing and fund raising, and brokerage services, as well as derivatives, securitization, and other tailor-made products. It serves individuals, small to middle-sized entities, companies, and large corporations, as well as universities, government entities, and local and regional governments. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 326 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 14 under the Select brand name, 7 specialized branches for the middle market, and 22 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,338 ATMs, including depository ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
After two years and spending more than $500,000, Madison is far behind and well short of goals for a pilot program to deliver low-cost internet service to four low-income neighborhoods.

The citys private contractor, ResTech Services of Madison, had delays in extending fiber cable to the neighborhoods, and once there, found unexpected barriers in getting permission from property owners to connect to buildings and so far has signed up few customers.

The Connecting Madison pilot program has potential to bring service to 161 buildings with 1,083 apartments in the Darbo-Worthington, Brentwood, Allied Drive, and Kennedy Heights neighborhoods, with connections projected by the end of 2016.

But as of Friday, ResTech has made broadband service available to just 86 buildings and has only 19 customers with more intense marketing now underway.

The Wisconsin conservative think tank Maclver Institute first raised concern about the pace and cost of the pilot program earlier this month.

Its a pilot program, ResTech president Bryan Schenker said. Part of what were trying to assess is, whats the demand and what are the barriers to bringing this service.

Despite delays and setbacks, the effort is worth it, city chief information officer Paul Kronberger said.

The digital divide is a serious issue in our society, Kronberger said. It creates a huge disadvantage for a segment of our population. The decision here is to do something about it and not sit back and lament that it exists.

The pilot is part of a larger initiative still being studied to expand the citys limited internet network to every resident and business, which could take more than $200 million in public and private investment.

A priority for years

The digital divide  the disparity between people with access to modern information and communications technology and those without  has been a priority for city leaders for years.

In 2013, the city formed the Digital Technology Committee to advise the mayor and City Council, with a primary focus of addressing the digital divide.

After more study, the city in 2015 sought proposals from vendors to build a network to be owned by the city and operated by the vendor to provide low-cost internet services to the identified pilot neighborhoods.

The city got three proposals  one for fiber to premises and the other two for wireless, and despite differences over which method was best, an evaluation team ultimately chose ResTech. The City Council awarded the contract in October 2015.

In March 2016, the city and ResTech signed a $512,000 contract to build a fiber-optic broadband network to residents in the four neighborhoods. ResTech would provide services for residential subscribers for $9.99 a month with unlimited data and a minimum speed of 25 MBps, plus a call center, 24-hour support, infrastructure maintenance and network monitoring.

ResTech would expand the citys Metropolitan United Fiber Network, which serves schools, libraries, police and fire stations and other public buildings, to the target neighborhoods.

Nonprofit DANEnet, which helps Dane County nonprofits find and use quality information technology, would provide digital literacy training and distribute free donated computers.

In September 2016, Mayor Paul Soglin and others formally announced the Connecting Madison program that was supposed to deliver service to the neighborhoods for a fraction of prices then advertised by other providers such as Charter and AT&T by the end of that year.

Hitting barriers

ResTech, which encountered delays in getting equipment to lay the backbone of the system, eventually reached the neighborhoods and intended to first make connections in the smallest, Kennedy Heights on the North Side, which has just eight buildings and a single owner, Schenker said.

But it turned out ResTech couldnt secure a right of entry to extend fiber cable to the buildings because Kennedy Heights has an exclusive agreement with another provider, he said.

We did not anticipate the problem with the exclusive contracts, Schenker said, adding that it took months to determine Kennedy Heights had an exclusive agreement with another provider. Thats a lot of wasted time.

The city didnt anticipate the barrier, either, Kronberger said, noting that the citys experience in extending fiber broadband is with its own facilities such as to police or fire stations.

I dont think it ever occurred to us at the city, he said. I dont recall this coming up.

The inability to connect to Kennedy Heights was a disappointment to everybody, Schenker said.

After hitting that roadblock, ResTech focused on Darbo-Worthington on the East Side, which also has a single owner but no exclusive contract with another provider, and by this past spring connected to all 21 buildings there.

The percentage, however, is far lower at Allied Drive on the Southwest Side, where ResTech has connected to 16 of 79 buildings, and Brentwood on the North Side, with connections to 27 of 55 buildings. ResTech found a mix of challenges in those neighborhoods, which have more buildings and many owners. Some owners had existing agreements with other providers, and some simply didnt respond to requests for permission to connect to their properties, Schenker said.

It became difficult to get a hold of everybody, he said, noting that Soglin eventually sent a letter to owners in June that helped but still has not driven the overall percentage of building connections much above 50 percent.

And that isnt expected to change much now, Schenker said. Were not going to keep pursuing new rights of entry after this year, he said. Were going to focus on getting subscription sales up.

Currently, ResTech has right of entry to 508 apartments in the 86 buildings but just 19 customers, with another 40 or so having expressed previous interest in the service, Schenker said.

The progress is disappointing to all of us, Kronberger said.

If we stopped today, thats not good, Schenker said, stressing that it takes time to market the service to those with little or no computer literacy and that he hopes to sign up at least 30 percent of the roughly 500 apartments where the company has a right of entry. I expect us to do better.

So far, the city has spent $556,000 on Connecting Madison, most of it on ResTechs contract and some funds to DANEnet, Kronberger said.

Since Soglin announced the initiative, DANEnet has provided training and computers to about 321 low-income households in the county, including about 138 in the four low-income neighborhoods, executive director Alyssa Kenney said.

But the large majority of those who got training and computers in the four neighborhoods are getting service through other providers who have access to buildings and have begun offering low-cost service, she said.

Although there are few subscribers now, Schenker said he hopes to be able to complete the pilot program, which concludes at the end of 2019, within the contract budget or for a little extra money.

The backbone of the system has been completed and it only costs about $100 for equipment for each apartment unit, he said. Were going to be very close to the actual budget, he said.

The citys Digital Technology Committee will continue to discuss the matter, Kronberger said, adding, A pilot program is a learning experience. Its something thats never been done by this city. This is a learning experience for (ResTech) as well. We knew there would be things wed find out.

Meanwhile, the city continues to pursue the broader fiber-to-premises initiative with goals of equity, service to the entire city, competition in the marketplace, consumer choice and the city controlling a long-term stake in the asset.

The city spent $107,500 on a feasibility analysis from Columbia Telecommunications Corp. of Kensington, Maryland, that provided initial estimated costs, and is now funding a $189,000 implementation plan by the same company that should be completed in late 2017 or early 2018, Kronberger said.
The US space agency NASA has shared another stunning image of the largest planet of our solar system Jupiter. The beautiful image shows raging storm in Jupiters northern hemisphere which is a delight to watch for space enthusiasts and stargazers. The massive pearl-shaped storm has bluish shade that captivated the scientists at NASA.

The breathtaking photo was captured on Oct. 24, 2017, at 10:32 a.m. PDT (1:32 p.m. EDT) by the JunoCam installed aboard Juno spacecraft. It was the ninth close flyby of the Juno spacecraft, and the probe was nearly 6,281 miles (10,108 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of Jupiter at a latitude of 41.84 degrees at the time of taking the shot. Each pixel in the image represents 4.2 miles or 6.7 kilometers.

While explaining about the image, scientists at NASA said that the storm is rotating counter-clockwise with variable cloud densities. Some clouds are very dense while some have thickness of few meters. Scientists believe that the darker clouds are deeper in the atmosphere than the brightest clouds. Within some of the bright arms of this storm, smaller clouds and banks of clouds can be seen, some of which are casting shadows to the right side of this picture (sunlight is coming from the left). The bright clouds and their shadows range from approximately 4 to 8 miles (7 to 12 kilometers) in both widths and lengths, said scientists. Juno has previously detected similar clouds in other regions of Jupiter and scientists believe these clouds to be updrafts of ammonia ice crystals possibly mixed with water ice.

JunoCam is a color, visible-light camera designed to capture remarkable pictures of Jupiters poles and cloud tops. As Junos eyes, it will provide a wide view, helping to provide context for the spacecrafts other instruments. JunoCam was included on the spacecraft specifically for purposes of public engagement; although its images will be helpful to the science team, it is not considered one of the missions science instruments.

The Juno spacecraft launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. During its mission of exploration, Juno soars low over the planets cloud tops  as close as about 2,600 miles (4,100 kilometers). During these flybys, Juno will probe beneath the obscuring cloud cover of Jupiter and study its auroras to learn more about the planets origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.

Junos name comes from Roman mythology. The mythical god Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief, and his wife  the goddess Juno  was able to peer through the clouds and reveal Jupiters true nature.

JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASAs New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.

You can see all the images captured by Juno spacecraft here
Two seniors at UW-Madison have been selected as finalists for Rhodes Scholarships, one of the highest honors for college students.

Kyra Fox, of Whitefish Bay, and Ross Dahlke, of Westfield, were among 228 finalists from American universities and colleges, with the scholarship providing all expenses for two or three years of study at Oxford University in England.

Fox is double majoring in international studies and psychology, with a certificate in African studies and honors in the liberal arts, the university said.

Dahlke is double majoring in journalism and political science, with comprehensive honors in the liberal arts and journalism.

Throughout their time at UW-Madison, theyve combined scholarly achievement with concern for others and the common good, undertaking original research and engaging in social issues important to them through interfaith dialogue or politics, said Julie Stubbs, director of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Awards.

The list of the 32 American Rhodes Scholars for 2018 did not include Fox or Dahlke.

Colin Higgins was the last Rhodes Scholar from UW-Madison in the class of 2016.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Preferential treatments including tax and land use incentives are a key factor in the Vietnamese governments bid to attract foreign investment; however, domestic enterprises are beginning to voice their complaints.

Foreign companies in Vietnam are enjoying massive tax and other incentives, giving them an advantage over already less-competitive domestic businesses.

For example, Samsung, which is operating in Vietnam through various entities, topped the Vietnamese finance ministrys list of 100 foreign companies with the biggest tax reductions in 2016.

All of Samsungs various subsidiaries in Vietnam collectively had their taxes reduced by nearly US$1 billion last year. Of these, Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen alone enjoyed total tax incentives worth VND10.36 trillion ($456.39 million), according to finance ministry data.

A finance ministry official said that these incentives are legally granted as per Vietnams policy of attracting foreign investment and boosting productivity.

The incentives are available to any company meeting specific criteria, but the problem is that very few Vietnamese companies qualify, the official added.

While the tax reductions foreign companies can enjoy can total as much as 91.9 percent of their corporate income tax bill, Vietnamese companies and state enterprises can be entitled to a mere 17.8 percent and 4.8 percent reduction respectively, according to the same finance ministry official.

Another expert from the finance ministry said that besides reductions in corporate income tax, some foreign businesses are also given incentives in import and value-added taxes.

For a few foreign businesses, the total amount of tax reductions they have enjoyed since beginning operations in Vietnam is larger than their total investment in the country, he added.

Unfairness

Firms that benefit from the preferential treatment in Vietnam say they are doing nothing wrong.

A Samsung Electronics Vietnam representative told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that Samsung is receiving the same tax breaks as other foreign tech companies in the country.

The incentives include a corporate income tax exemption for the first four years of operations, and a preferential tax rate of five percent over the next nine years. From the 14th year of operations onward, the tax rate will be set at ten percent.

However, experts believe that the current preferential treatment of foreign companies is weakening the competitive edge of local enterprises, both private and state-run.

Lawyer Bui Quang Tin, who is regarded as an economic expert, said that Vietnamese companies are being treated unfairly.

Offering incentives to attract foreign investment is the right policy, but the other side of the coin is that local businesses will become less competitive, he said.

Tin suggested that the government review the policy to ensure fairness between domestic and foreign enterprises.

We should focus on enabling domestic companies to grow, rather than only on attracting foreign investment, he said.

Dinh The Hien, another economist, echoed Tins view that there is unfairness between foreign and domestic businesses when it comes to tax incentives.

Hien recommended that the government give fewer preferential treatments to foreign companies, so all companies, domestic or foreign, can compete equally.

Tax incentives should be given to companies based on their field of investment rather than whether they are domestic or foreign, he added.
Even without the U.S., the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) accord represented US$356.3 billion in global trade in 2016. Tuoi Tre News looks into the reasons for Canadas reluctance to enter an agreement that would open the doors to such a lucrative market.

Japan and Australia are the two most vocal supporters of a TPP deal without the U.S., despite a 60 percent loss of the blocs total GDP after the White House announced its withdrawal in January.

TPP is a free trade agreement originally involving 12 member states of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam.

It was expected to serve as a counterbalance to Chinas growing regional dominance.

More than any other country, Japan wants the TPP to take effect in order to constrain Chinas yawning shadow over the Asia-Pacific, especially as Sino-U.S. relations have become warmer under recent administrations.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with students at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City on November 9, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The TPP has been renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), after the TPP-11 name was ditched, following negotiations during the APEC summit in Da Nang from November 6 to 11.

The CPTPP currently includes 11 members, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Canada was initially hesitant to move ahead without the U.S. during Da Nang negotiations, but it finally agreed to go.

That said, the pact remains pending further negotiations before any final approval can be given by each countrys lawmakers.

A hesitant Canada

Despite other members high hopes of reaching a consensus on the trade deal while its leaders met in Da Nang, Canada  the second largest TPP-11 economy after Japan  delivered persistent messages that stifled overall optimism.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on a week-long Asian trip this month, hinted that Canada was not ready to sign the free trade pact based on multiple concerns, and that it would not yield to pressure from other countries.

"Let me remind everyone that Canada will not be rushed into a deal that is not in the best interest of Canada and Canadians, he told reporters at a joint news conference with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 8 after a state visit.

There are a number of modifications to the original TPP deal that Canada wants to be made if it is to commit itself to the trade pact, including terms on the auto industry, intellectual property rights, and cultural exemptions.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to students at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, November 9, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Trudeau, during a town hall meeting with Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City on November 9, did not hide his intention of pushing for Canada to be left in charge of the management and financial support to the cultural part of the agreement.

Canada has always made their intentions clear, especially when it comes to the preservation of minority communities in the face of globalization and cultural assimilation.

The Canadian leader refrained from going into detail on his policies during the meeting on November 9, saying he was not part of the TPP-11 negotiation table.

The Canada-Mexico alliance

The first bilateral meeting that Trudeau had on the sidelines of the APEC leaders summit in Da Nang was with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on November 10.

It was not by chance that President Nieto was the first APEC leader Trudeau wanted to meet in Vietnam: Canada wants Mexico to share the growing TPP-11 pressure it was facing from Japan and Australia.

Canada arrived at the APEC summit prepared to be pushed by Japan and Australia, however, Ottawa did not want to accept a deal on the first day without some modifications, so it set out in search of an ally.

Trudeaus concerns were shared by President Nieto, who assured his counterpart that Mexico would follow suit if Canada chose not to agree to the TPP, according to a Canadian government official, who spoke anonymously.

Mexico had previously sent mixed messages about its stance on the TPP-11. Just one day before Nietos meeting with Trudeau, Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo said TPP-11 talks had been effective but that more discussions were needed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto shake hands during a news conference at the presidential palace in Mexico City, Mexico October 12, 2017. Photo: Reuters

According to the anonymous Canadian official, the Canada-Mexico alliance formed for two reasons: Mexicos dissatisfaction with the TPP-11 in its current form and Canadas support of Mexico during strenuous negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Right after meeting with Nieto, Trudeau had another meeting with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in the same room in Da Nang. This meeting lasted for 50 minutes, twice as long as his meeting with the Mexican president, a sign that there were last-minute tensions between Ottawa and Tokyo over the TPP-11.

Australian media did not hold back in their criticism of Canada. Canada screwed us all, read one headline run by Australian news network 9News, reporting on the surprising disappearance of Trudeau from a meeting with other APEC leaders in Da Nang, where they were expected to reach a consensus.

Canada's PM Justin Trudeau sabotages Trans-Pacific Partnership, shocking leaders, read The Sydney Morning Herald, reporting on the same event.

Responding to the criticism, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland told the press on November 10 that disagreements were normal and to be expected during tense negotiations. The fact that there were 11 countries with different interests made it obvious that there would be conflicting messages, she explained.

It is not the first time Canada has gotten tough while negotiating free trade agreements. In 2016, Minister Freeland, then Canada's Minister of International Trade, walked out of talks on the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) until Canadas demands were met.

Canada's International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in this October 17, 2016 file photo. Photo: Reuters

This time, in spite of pressure, Canada has been persistent in demanding crucial concessions on intellectual property rights, cultural exemptions and the auto industry.

Canada joined TPP talks after the core framework had been established and several chapters of the agreement had already been concluded.

The TPP only became a priority once the administration of Trudeaus predecessor, Stephen Harper, decided that too much was at stake if Canada stayed out of any trade agreement including the U.S.

According to some studies, the TPP-11 would bring about little economic benefit to the North American country.

With the United States withdrawal from the TPP, Canadas strategic benefit from the trade pact also vanished, especially given that it had already entered free trade agreements with several TPP countries including Mexico, Chile and Peru.

Canada first

Trudeau has become a media sweetheart ever since taking office in Canada, swiftly becoming a beacon of inclusive leadership in an era plagued by overt nationalism.

The PM himself does a good job at creating a positive public image. The albeit staged sight of an approachable leader sipping street-side coffee or enjoying a sleeveless jog along a canal in Ho Chi Minh City won the hearts of the local people.

It is noteworthy that Trudeau has taken a much more global approach in international affairs compared to the somewhat isolationist policies of his conservative predecessor.

It was for this reason that the Canadian leaders abandonment of the TPP-11 meeting in Da Nang came as a shock to international leaders.

Political columnist Campbell Clark of The Globe and Mail described the move as Trudeaus Canada first moment, recalling the trademark catchphrase of President Trump.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives at a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, December 12, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Growing criticism of Trudeau at home in recent weeks had dampened his enthusiasm toward the TPP-11, while tense talks on NAFTA with the Trump administration  which is pressuring for increased made in North America content  only made matters worse.

Trudeau has a number of other political reasons to be in no rush for a new TPP, now called the CPTPP. Supporting free trade agreements would anger the auto industry, dairy farmers and possibly the predominantly French-speaking Quebec province.

Such problems do not exist in New Zealand, Japan or Australia  countries that are pushing the hardest for the CPTPP to come into effect.

For other countries, the successful signing of the free trade pact is more of a message to the U.S. that no one man is indispensible, and that the progress of trade liberalization continues to move forward without them.

However, the withdrawal of the U.S. is not a purely mathematical subtraction, especially in the case of Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau smiles as he gets into his car after landing in Da Nang, Vietnam for the APEC leaders' summit, November 10, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The NAFTA silhouette

A common challenge faced by Canada and Mexico in TPP-11 talks is that they are simultaneously joining negotiations with the U.S. for NAFTA.

There are a number of similar issues springing up during both talks, and it is not rocket science to realize where Canada and Mexico will place their priority.

If Ottawa hastily accepts the CPTPP, it will seriously weaken its hand in negotiations with the Trump administration.

Canada risks the U.S. asking why it would accept more lax conditions from an Asia-Pacific accord, and the U.S. remains its biggest trade partner.

Another technical aspect is that after the U.S. withdrawal from the pact, a number of chapters in the trade agreement have been used as the model for a new NAFTA.

For Canada, the similarity between the two deals is a thorny issue. If, for example, Canada decides to forego its status on the NAFTA negotiation table by agreeing to the CPTPP, it may be foregoing long-term benefits in favor of short-term ones.

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He was already on an airplane to Hanoi just a week after being officially confirmed by the Senate as the new U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.

Sleeves rolled up, he was ready for his first mission as the ambassador: to prepare for U.S. President Donald Trumps attendance at the APEC summit in Da Nang, running from November 6 to 11, and his state visit to the Vietnamese capital from November 11 to 12.

He is Daniel J. Kritenbrink, a career diplomat with varied experience in Asia.

The Senate confirmed Kritenbrink as the new ambassador to Vietnam in October.

He replaced Ted Osius, who still stays in Vietnam after his ambassadorship.

Kritenbrink has served as an American diplomat since 1994. He was the Senior Advisor for North Korea Policy at the Department of State.

A former Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing, China, Kritenbrink has held senior leadership positions at the Department of State and served as a Senior Director at the National Security Council.

"Hi my friend, please call me Dan." That was how Kritenbrink started his exclusive interview with Tuoi Tre News on November 16 in Hanoi, his first-ever formal contact with local media in his new role.

Have you ever thought that you will one day become a U.S. ambassador to Vietnam? How was your feeling when President Trump nominated you?

I am so honored to be a new American ambassador to Vietnam. As a career diplomat, I always want to serve my country and welcome all opportunities to do so. Truly, it is a dream come true for me to be able to represent the U.S. in such an important country like Vietnam. Im particularly excited to be here because I am so optimistic about our future partnership.

I believe and the U.S. government believes our partnership with Vietnam is one of our most important relationships in the entire region, if not the entire world. I feel a sense of responsibility as well. I can guarantee I will work very hard to make sure we expand our cooperation across the board.

What did your family think when they first heard that you would become the new ambassador to Vietnam and that they would have to move to Vietnam with you? Do they have any expectations living in Hanoi given that it is a foreign land with a very different language and culture?

They are so excited to come here. My family has never been here before, even though this is my fourth time here.

As you may know, we live in Northern Virginia. There is a very large Vietnamese community there. Our favorite restaurants are Vietnamese and we always go to those restaurants close to our house.

We are looking forward to coming here having some real Vietnamese food on the ground here. As I said in my welcome video, we look forward to traveling across Vietnam and making a lot of Vietnamese friends. I do want to study Vietnamese. I had studied it for a couple of months before I came here so it is not very good yet.

Apart from five priorities you stated in your testimony before the Senate, is there any other specific area that you are interested in and want to personally get involved in regarding the Vietnam-U.S. relationship?

I tried to lay out five priorities in our partnership because I do think those are among the most important ones that include: trade and investment, security, people to people ties, advancing human rights, and dealing with humanitarian and war legacies. One thing I would say I want to emphasize is I do want to spend a lot of my time promoting people to people ties, getting smart Vietnamese students to travel to the U.S., getting young Americans to travel and study here and making sure that tourists and businesspeople go back and forth. I think it is a foundation for our brighter future to make sure two peoples understand one another, respect one another. Personally, I was an international student when I was younger and it completely transformed my life and helped me become a diplomat. So, I would like to bring many Vietnamese students to study in the U.S. and vice versa.

President Trump paid an official visit to Vietnam during his first year in office. What does it mean to the Vietnam-U.S. relationship, in your opinion? What role does Vietnam play in the "free and open" Indo-Pacific President Trump has called for?

We think that President Trump had a tremendously successful visit here. First, the president and the entire team and all of us are deeply grateful for the tremendous hospitality and warm welcome the president has received, both from Vietnams top leaders, particularly President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and from the Vietnamese public. The president was very touched by that. It is so wonderful to see so many Vietnamese friends rushing out in the street, welcoming the president and cheering him.

Daniel J. Kritenbrink, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, gestures during an interview with Tuoi Tre News in Hanoi on November 16, 2017. Photo: Nguyen Khanh/Tuoi Tre News

I think the presidents main objective when coming here was to demonstrate the U.S. is a strong and committed partner both to Vietnam and the entire Indo-Pacific region as a whole. The bilateral joint statement both sides issued during the presidents visit will be a blueprint and outline for our partnership in the years to come. Our security cooperation is expanded. In trade and investment, we have signed commercial deals worth US$12 billion. Our education cooperation is strengthened through Fulbright University. We have agreed to deal with war legacy issues like our commitment to eradicate dioxin at Bien Hoa Airport and the Vietnamese government has agreed to give us a new piece of land for rent to build a new building for the U.S. embassy.

President Trump said the U.S. wants strong and independent partners around the world and around the Indo-Pacific region. We invest in your success, we want to have partners that are strong, independent and engaged in free trade and dont rely on a state-run economic model.

Speaking to Vietnamese leaders, President Trump said Vietnam and the U.S. have many things in common and trade has become a very important element of our relationship. He looked forward to "fair and reciprocal" two-way trade considering a deficit favoring Vietnam and the U.S. is now Vietnam's largest market. Could you share with us how to approach this target in the years to come?

The president was very clear in his public remarks as well as in his comments to Vietnamese leaders. The U.S. is very interested in pursuing fair and reciprocal trade. There are tremendous economic opportunities in Vietnam and I think our trading relationship is mutually beneficial. I think American companies are some of the best in the world. We have the best services and the best products that contribute significantly to Vietnams objectives, developing your economy and engaging in your economic reforms, and again to promoting prosperity to Vietnamese people. We want to be a part of that. Sometimes there are policies in place that discriminate American companies against other foreign firms. Also, there are barriers to fair competition. I think that is where the president focused on and he wants to advance our trading partnership. He wants to make sure all are mutually beneficial.

I think trade is a key pillar for our bilateral relationship so we want to focus on that again. There are so many tremendous opportunities. Vietnam is Americas fastest-growing export market. I will do everything I can to help American businesses here. I want to highlight the products and services American businesses can offer. If there are challenges or problems on one side or the other, I will try to involve myself and the great team at the embassy to see what we can overcome.

Do you think there are any new emerging challenges between Vietnam and the U.S. under Trump presidency, especially in trade and investment? If yes, what can we do to address them?

There are always challenges in relationships, even in my personal relationship. What I would like to focus on are the tremendous opportunities in the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. I am very optimistic about our future as my friends and the U.S. government are now. We see tremendous potential for this relationship. Our security collaboration is expanding dramatically because we have so many interests in common, whether it is related to the [East Vietnam Sea] or combating terrorism. To address these challenges, both sides need to focus on building mutual trust and mutual respect. We are doing a great job. I think our relationship will continue to grow.

My expectations from the Vietnamese side are that we will continue the great work we have done over the last several years. As an American diplomat, it is particularly emotional to see how far we have come over the last 20 years. We have overcome the painful part of our history, we reconcile to build a good foundation for our relationship. On that foundation, we have done all tremendous things in terms of economics and trade, security, and people to people ties. Even 20 years or 40 years later, we still need to spend time focusing on these issues because they remain important to our relationship. Thats the reason why we commit to further dioxin eradication at Bien Hoa Airport. Both sides are working on very important missions like the humanitarian search for missing soldiers during the war and that is why we continue to offer our great support for UXOs in Vietnam. I think we need to continue to focus there but our primary focus has to be the future.

In Hanoi, President Trump offered to help mediate or arbitrate when it comes to East Vietnam Sea disputes. How about this possibility?

Looking at the joint statement, the president reiterates the U.S. commitment to free and open Indo-Pacific which includes our shared interests with Vietnam and principles to ensure maritime disputes in the [East Vietnam Sea] are resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, to make sure all countries enjoy freedom of navigation and freedom of over-flight, and unimpeded commerce. The sea plays a vital role in the global economy. It is an important waterway for trade flows. America will fly and sail anywhere international law allows. We and Vietnam remain committed to these principles.

We will continue to focus on the diplomacy there with partners like Vietnam and we will continue to build Vietnams maritime capability. You probably know the president has announced that we had provided Vietnam with a Hamilton-class Coast Guard vessel.

Could you assess the prospects of our maritime security collaboration, especially a visit to Vietnam by a U.S. aircraft carrier next year?

It is promising because we have common interests. Both believe in the free and open maritime domain. We both believe the disputes existing in the [East Vietnam Sea] should be resolved peacefully. What the U.S. is doing together with Vietnam and also other partners like the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia is helping all of our friends develop their maritime capability to make sure they are able to defend their waters and have the ability to support their fishermen.

We will continue to see our great collaboration between the U.S. and Vietnam in maritime security and our two militaries as well. That is a very exciting part of our relationship.

I am particularly excited to see the announcement that our aircraft carrier will visit Vietnam in 2018. That will be amazing to see the carrier and thousands of sailors and all capabilities they offer. I think that is a real powerful symbol for our partnership.

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Several groups of youngsters in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An have abused the tradition of a wedding parade on motorbikes by driving recklessly, before being dealt a tough hand by local law authorities.

In the latest incident, a group of young people in Dien Chau District paraded on motorbikes without helmets and have been fined VND6 million (US$265) each, police said on Saturday.

As per Vietnamese tradition, on their wedding day the groom will visit the brides house to take her to his home for the official ceremony, where they are declared husband and wife.

Friends and family members of the groom can travel by motorbike and follow the grooms car, making up an unofficial wedding parade.

On November 13, a video clip surfaced on Facebook showing a group of young motorcyclists, none of whom were wearing crash helmets, zigzagging in front of cars on a highway as they passed through Dien Chau.

The motorbikes were escorting the wedding car and almost blocked the road, meaning other vehicles had to slow down to avoid accidents, Vo Chi, who filmed the video, said.

The footage has attracted thousands of shares and comments, most of which criticize the young drivers for their blatant disregard for local traffic laws and call for strict punishments.

Given that some of the license plates were clearly visible in the video, Dien Chau traffic police were able to quickly identify the individuals involved and summoned them to the police station a few days later.

On Saturday, Nguyen Hong Thuan, head of the Dien Chau traffic police unit, said the young men had been fined VND6 million each for not wearing crash helmets and breaching the laws on road safety.

He did not elaborate on how many violators had been punished.

Violating traffic laws during wedding parades seems to have become a trend for youngsters in Dien Chau, as this is the third time in eight months Dien Chau police have had to handle such a case.

On March 27, district police slapped fines worth a total of VND42.8 million ($1,884) on eight young men, after another Facebook video surfaced showing them snaking their motorbikes along the same highway in Dien Chau as they escorted the groom and his bride.

One of them was even seen driving with his feet on the handlebars, according to officers.

On May 23, 11 young people, aged from 17 to 25, were summoned to the Dien Chau police station for violating traffic rules during another wedding parade.

The young people who breached traffic laws when organizing a wedding parade in Nghe An Province on March 23, 2017.
On Dateline this week reporter Laura Murphy-Oates visits the First Nation reserve in Canada, home to unsolved missing and murdered cases involving Indigenous women.

Canada and Australia share a dark secret: in recent decades thousands of indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing.

This Tuesday, Dateline reporter Laura Murphy-Oates visits the First Nation reserve in Canada with one of the highest number of unsolved missing and murdered Indigenous women cases. As an Indigenous Australian, she found a community that felt all too familiar.

Its been over nine years since Bernice and Wilfred Catcheways daughter went missing.

Weve always believed that somebody knows something, weve always said that. Women, girls, they dont just go missing. Somebody stole them from us, Bernice tells Dateline.

Each year, when the snow thaws, their search for their daughter Jennifer starts again. Thousands of indigenous families like the Catcheways are going through the same agony.

In 2014, a landmark police report revealed that between 1980 and 2012, 1,181 Indigenous women had gone missing or been murdered in Canada, but the native indigenous womens association of Canada claim the number is closer to 4000. The most recent reports show that indigenous women are six times more likely to be murdered in Canada than other women*.

In 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

First Nations politician Nahanni Fontaine has been supporting families of missing and murdered indigenous women for years.

It all goes back to this colonial narrative of indigenous women being less than worthy and disposable, so if youre a serial killer or a misogynist [and] you want to kill women, who are you going to target? Nahanni tells Dateline.

There was such inaction in respect of files for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls that people thought that they could just kill with impunity, she says.

Stories of police inaction in the cases of missing Indigenous women and girls are all too common.

In Australia, Indigenous women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family-violence related assaults and six times more likely to be murdered.

The Australian government has acknowledged that violence against women is a serious and widespread problem, but have been criticised for leaving Indigenous women behind in their general policies.

Dateline asks what can Australia learn from Canadas experience?

Tuesday 21 November 9.30pm on SBS.

Tonight on The Feed Laura Murphy-Oates also attends a community circle near Grafton, where Aboriginal women have gone missing or been killed.
In our screen dramas hes been utterly convincing on both sides of the law, but actor David Field is happy to centrestage in the much lighter drama of Sevens Secret Daughter.

I always say Theres not much difference, its just the suit,' Field says of playing good guys and bad guys.

City Homicide was 3 years, BlackJack was a cop, Catching Milat was a cop. Everynight Everynight was a crim, Ghosts of the Civil Dead was a crim, Chopper was a crim, Two Hands was a crim, Gettin Square was a crim.

Ive had enough of killin people, rapin people, robbin people.

We have quite a few melodramatic moments

Thankfully as Gus Carter on The Secret Daughter he adopts a lighter style in a show he happily acknowledges as melodrama.

(Director) Sidney Lumet talks about the difference between drama and melodrama in his book. When its put that way some of the best stuff weve ever seen in the 30s & 40s- were melodramas, he explains.

We have quite a few melodramatic moments because of the nature of the story and its fun to play that stuff.

Wed all love to be doing Shakespeare and getting ten grand a week. But when you take a job with someone, you take the job. Im a real believer in that. Bring it, otherwise why did you take it?

Gus is more of a grifter, a bit more in-between. A poor bastard with a good heart who loves his kid more than anything in the world, which is not hard to do considering who is standing opposite me.

Indeed, opposite him for much of the series is Jessica Mauboy as Billie Carter, a relative newcomer to acting on screen, following her success in Bran Nu Dae and The Sapphires. Field is full of praise for his co-star.

I say to her some days Theres gotta be a devil in there somewhere! Shes friggin angelic! She really brings her persona to this everyday, its unbelievable.

She has such an intelligence that she just grabbed everything very quickly. Shes a dead set star theres not many people I would say that about, he continues.

It was easy to have the chemistry straight away.

Field credits many of the projects he has done with Indigenous performers as underpinning the relationship he has with Mauboy, and indeed helping him bring context to a role that could have been misunderstood.

I know pretty much all the blackfella actors around, Ive either worked with them or known their mothers and fathers, uncles and aunties. So Jess knew who I was in that regard, he says.

So it was easy to have the chemistry straight away.

If you have a young Koori kid on your arm blackfellas will be spotting you, and wondering whats going on.

Ultimately at the end of it there is a deep, loving relationship. I really enjoy that side.

Field got his start in show business by training at the Ensemble Theatre with director Hayes Gordon. In addition to roles with Belvoir Street Theatre and productions in Melbourne & Adelaide, it was 1986s Ghost of the Civil Dead that he credits as the start of his screen career. Now he is one of the countrys leading character actors.

It was mostly film and theatre but then in the last 10 or 12 years there has been a lot more television. Im still doing films in between but I havent done theatre for about 8 years. I wouldnt mind it if there was the right role. I really miss it.

When you get the opportunity to play a real character I love that. Something like Chopper was a good character role. Last Cab to Darwin was adjusting across, a bit. Thats the truth of it. You rarely get to play a real character where you have to change your bio-rhythms or physical tempo. Its more than make-up and hair to really play character. When that comes along I love it, he declares.

Seven have been really good to me the last 10 years.

But I suppose most people think of me as a character actor. I dont know what the difference is. I dont really get it.

I dont really mind what people want to call me.

Seven have been really good to me the last 10 years. City Homicide, Wild Boys, Milat and this one. They are good to work for. Screentime has been a good company too, I have no hesitation in saying that.

When he isnt performing on screen Field can be found doing voice-overs, playing music in The Number 4 Band alongside Geoff Morrell & Tim Oxley or directing his own film projects (The Combination 2) .

I would do television if they asked me, he says of directing.

If they asked me to do a block, Id be in, in a minute.

The Secret Daughter continues 8:35pm Wednesday on Seven.
Season 2 of Norwegian political thriller Mammon will be available SBS On Demand this week.

All 8 episodes will be available from Thursday. A third season has also been approved.

This screened in Europe in January 2016.

Mammon is a human, suspenseful thriller-drama about politics, the media, and how power affects both the ambitious and the innocent.

A falling-out between well-known pundit and journalist Torgrim Hammern and political editor Frank Mathiesen (Nils Ole Oftebro) fouls the atmosphere at the newsdesk of Norways biggest newspaper. Later, Hammern is murdered in the underground carpark of the newspaper building. Was the killing part of an organised campaign to permanently silence certain journalists?

The murder fuels the flames of an already volatile conflict between the countrys prime minister and his minister of finance.

Thursday, 23 November at SBS On Demand.
DAKAR, Nov 20 (Reuters) - BP is seeking to acquire a stake in Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE.L - news) 's offshore Senegal oil assets and is awaiting approval by the state, which is expected soon, an adviser to Senegal's energy minister said on Monday.

"We are aware that BP wants to acquire a stake in Cairn Energy, but they are awaiting validation by the state (of Senegal)," the adviser told Reuters by telephone. "It won't take long," he added. (Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Mark Potter)
FILE PHOTO: Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen attends a plenary session at the National Assembly of Cambodia in central Phnom Penh, October 16, 2017. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

Thomson Reuters

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported.

Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election that has included a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.

The United States announced on Friday it was ending funding for the election, and promised more "concrete steps", after the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the request of the government, on the grounds it was plotting to seize power.

The party denied the accusation.

The pro-government Fresh News website reported that Hun Sen said in a speech to garment workers that he welcomed the U.S. aid cut and urged it cut it all.

"Samdech Techo Hun Sen confirmed that cutting U.S. aid won't kill the government but will only kill a group of people who serve American policies," Fresh News reported, using Hun Sen's official title.

It did not identify the people suspected of serving U.S. policies but added:

"Hun Sen ... welcomes and encourages the U.S. to cut all aid."

The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to a request for comment.

In April, the U.S. embassy announced a $1.8 million grant to assist local elections this year and next year's general election.

CHINESE SUPPORT

The U.S. State Department said on its website that U.S. assistance to Cambodia for programs in health, education, governance, economic growth and clearing unexploded ordnance was worth more than $77.6 million in 2014.

However, Chinese support for big ticket projects has allowed Hun Sen to brush off Western criticism of his crackdown on dissent.

China vastly outspends the United States in a country once destroyed by Cold War superpower rivalry, and its money goes on highly visible infrastructure projects and with no demands for political reform.

Story continues

In September, authorities arrested the CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, and charged him with treason over what they said was a plot to take power with U.S. help. He denied any such plot.

The U.S. State Department called on Friday for Cambodia to release him and reverse the decision to ban his party. The court also banned 118 party members from politics for five years.

Police have begun to take down CNRP signs from their offices across the country.

Mu Sochua, a senior CNRP member who moved abroad shortly before the party was banned, said Hun Sen was jeopardizing foreign investment.

"Foreign investors serious about investing in Cambodia won't be coming and are, or will be, looking at an exit if they can't compete with China's monopoly in Cambodia because Hun Sen needs to pay back favors to China," she said.

Western countries, which for decades supported Cambodia's emergence from war and isolation, have shown little appetite for sanctions in response to the crackdown, but the European Union has raised the possibility of Cambodia losing trade preferences.

Tariff-free access to Europe for Cambodian garments - and similar trade preferences in the United States - have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low-cost labor. EU and U.S. buyers take some 60 percent of Cambodia's exports.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Robert Birsel)

See Also:
MONDOVI  I recently emailed the White House, inviting President Donald Trump to a traditional Native American Thanksgiving feast.

Of course, I have not heard back, which is a shame. Besides a turkey that my people harvest each spring, glazed with maple syrup, I am also preparing wild rice stuffing, cranberry sauce and a blueberry pie.

I am hoping to have a heart to heart talk with the president about his engagement with Indian Country this past year.

Should the president take a seat at our table, I would like to ask him about his decision to clear the way for an oil pipeline that threatens the water and ceremonial grounds of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. According to treaties signed between tribal nations and the U.S. government, the voice of tribes must be heard by Washington on issues that directly affect their peoples welfare.

In this case, they havent been.

Should the president take a seat at our table, I would like to ask him if he understands what sovereignty means to tribes. I remember years ago, when he was asked this question at a press conference, then-President George W. Bush stumbled and erroneously stated sovereignty is given to tribes. Self rule is not given to tribes.

Sovereignty is inherent with tribes, as it is with all nations.

Should the president take a seat at our table, I would like to ask him why funding for the Indian Health Service, which according to Indian treaties is a responsibility of the federal government, continues to be slashed at a time when suicide, diabetes, alcohol and drug addiction continue to plague tribal communities.

And I would like to ask the president, should I get the chance, why he continues to stoop to derogatory name calling. After proclaiming November as Native American Heritage Month (as all presidents since 1990 have done), Trump referred to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who claims Native American blood, as Pocahontas.

Finally, I would like to tell the president that, despite his nose-thumbing at tribal sovereignty and treaties, gratitude is growing throughout Indian Country. Tribal communities are doing more than surviving, we are thriving. Tribes are creating sustainable economies that respect and give back to the Earth.

We are creating culture-based health care approaches to disease and addiction that are proving to be life-changing. And in Head Start programs all across Indian Country, our languages, values and traditions are being taught to the next generation.

At some point during his term in office, Trump may try to dismantle tribal sovereignty. He may call for deeper financial cuts in Indian health care, education and job training programs.

But thats OK, because we Indians know one thing the president will never succeed in doing: Trump can never sign an executive order calling for the deportation of American Indians.
This summer, the University of Reading Archaeology Field School excavated one of the most extraordinary sites we have ever had the pleasure of investigating. The site is an Early Neolithic long barrow known as Cats Brain and is likely to date to around 3,800BC. It lies in the heart of the lush Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire, UK, halfway between the iconic monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury.

It has long been assumed that Neolithic long barrows are funerary monuments; often described as houses of the dead due to their similarity in shape to long houses. But the limited evidence for human remains from many of these monuments calls this interpretation into question, and suggests that there is still much to be learnt about them.

In fact, by referring to them as long barrows we may well be missing the main point. To illustrate this, our excavations at Cats Brain failed to find any human remains, and instead of a tomb they revealed a timber hall, suggesting that it was very much a house for the living. This provides an interesting opportunity to rethink these famous monuments.

The timber hall at Cats Brain was surprisingly large, measuring almost 20 metres long and ten metres wide at the front. It was built using posts and beamslots, and some of these timbers were colossal with deep cut foundation trenches, so that its general appearance is of a robust building with space for considerable numbers of people. The beamslots along the front of the building are substantially deeper than the others, suggesting that its frontage may have been impressively large, monumental in fact, and a break halfway along this line indicates the entrance way.

An ancient House Lannister?

Timber halls such as these are an aspect of the earliest stages of the Neolithic period in Britain, and there seems little doubt that they were created by early pioneer Neolithic people. Frequently, they appear to have lasted only two or three generations before being deliberately destroyed or abandoned. These houses need not be dwellings, however, and given their size could have acted as large communal gathering places.

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It is worth briefly pausing here and thinking of the image of a house  for the word house is often used as a metaphor for a wider social group (think of the House of York or Windsor, or  if youre a Game of Thrones fan like me  House Lannister or House Tyrell).

In this sense, these large timber halls could symbolise a collective identity, and their construction a mechanism through which the pioneering community first established that identity. We may imagine a variety of functions for this building, too, none of which are mutually exclusive: ceremonial houses or dwellings for the ancestors, for example, or storehouses for sacred heirlooms.

From this perspective, it is not a huge leap of the imagination to see them as containing, among other things, human remains. This does not make them funerary monuments, any more than churches represent funerary monuments to our community. They were not set apart and divided from buildings for the living, but represented a combination of the two  houses of the living in a world saturated with, and inseparable from, the ancestors.

These houses would have been replete with symbolism and meaning, and charged with spiritual energy; even the process of building them is likely to have taken on profound significance. In this light, then, it is interesting to note that towards the end of our excavations this summer, just as we were winding up, we uncovered two decorated chalk blocks that had been deposited into a posthole during the construction of the timber hall.

The decoration on these blocks comprises deliberately created depressions and incised lines, which have wider parallels at other early Neolithic sites, such as the flint mines of Sussex.

University of Reading , Author provided

Controversy often surrounds decorated chalk pieces; chalk is soft and easily marked and some people suggest that they are decorated with nothing more than the scratchings of badgers. But there is no doubt that the Cats Brain marks are human workmanship and the discovery should spark a fresh investigation into decorated chalk plaques more widely.

Imbued with power

For the moment, the original purpose of the carvings remains obscure, but clearly they were of significance. They will have had meaning and potency to the people that created them, and by depositing them in a posthole the building itself may have been imbued with that power, as well as marking it with individual or community identity. The discovery adds to the way we understand these monuments and weight to the argument that these buildings represent more than just houses of the dead.

Over time, deep ditches were dug either side of the timber hall at Cats Brain and the quarried chalk may have been piled over the crumbling building after it had gone out of use, closing it down and transforming the house from a wooden structure into a permanent earthen monument; the shape and symbolism of which will have been known to all who saw it. With this transformation, the identity of this early Neolithic group was finally and permanently inscribed upon the landscape.

Now, with this investigation, we have been granted a glimpse of the lives and beliefs of our ancestors nearly 6,000 years ago.

The excavations at Cats Brain, including the decorated chalk blocks, will feature on Digging for Britain, to be screened on BBC4, at 9pm on Wednesday November 22.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

The site was excavated as part of the Vale of Pewsey Project, jointly funded by the University of Reading and the AHRC, in partnership with Historic England and The Wiltshire Museum. The Vale of Pewsey Project has been the base of the University of Readings Archaeology Field School for the last three years. This year marks the projects final field season.
The submarine ARA San Juan has been missing since last Wednesday. Here, Alistair Bunkall tries to unravel some of the mystery.

What could have happened to missing sub?

Short of guessing, nobody knows. Its last known contact was 267 miles off coast in the Gulf of San Jorge last Wednesday. It could have suffered a small fire which has knocked out its communications, a leak that has hampered its ability to resurface or something more catastrophic might have occurred.

:: Mystery deepens over missing sub amid distress signals

What do we know of the location it was sailing in?

Worryingly its last known contact was close to a continental shelf. If it is the right side of that, it might have come to rest on the bottom around 600 metres below water. Although deep, this is just within the safe limits for this submarine. If it sunk the other side of the cliff edge then it would probably have gone beyond its crush depth and its hull would have buckled under the pressure.

Has the crew made contact?

Seven aborted satellites calls were picked up at the weekend giving hope of life on board. They each lasted between 4-36 seconds. The Argentinean Navy has now said those calls didn't come from the submarine.

How long can the crew survive?

Unlike the UK and US submarines which are nuclear powered, the ARA San Juan is diesel electric, meaning that it has a finite supply of fuel, food and oxygen. The best case scenario is that it is on the surface somewhere meaning that low oxygen supplies aren't a factor. If it is submerged, and intact, it might have had as much as 10 days of air - even so, that means time is now running dangerously short. A fire on-board, if that had happened, would have consumed oxygen too.

This is now a multi-national search - who is involved?

Argentina, as you would expect, has sent 12 ships to the search operations.

Neighbouring countries Brazil, Chile and Uruguay have also donated resources to the hunt. Ten aircraft have also been drafted in to help. The Americans have taken over command of the operations though, using A P8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft and NASA's P3 Orion. They are looking around the last known location for the sub and along the route it planned to take.

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What contribution has Britain made to the search?

:: HMS Protector helps hunt for missing Argentinian submarine ARA San Juan

HMS Protector, the Navy's Ice Patrol ship, is now in the search area. She has a mull-beam echo sounder on her hull that can scan the depths for sign of life. HMS Clyde is returning from South Georgia - she will take a few days sailing to reach the area. A C130 Hercules is on standby in the Falkland Islands if needed.

The British have also sent something called the SPAG - what's that?

The Submarine Parachute Assistance Group is a little known but highly skilled unit. The group - fewer than 10 personnel - can deploy at six hours' notice.

If required they can parachute into the seas to rescue stranded submariners. The SPAG is made up of underwater medics, engineers and specialist escape technicians. Equipment pods dropped with them carry inflatable boats, food, water and other supplies. They can function as a first-response for more than 24 hours whilst other ships make their way to the scene.
AMMAN (Reuters) - At the British embassy to Jordan, a former rescue cat is settling into his new position as chief mouser - as a traditional well established in the ministries of London goes global.

"Lawrence of Abdoun" is a fluffy black-and-white tom who, according to his Twitter feed, reports directly to the Foreign Office's Palmerston, a cat that delights his 57,000 followers with regular updates from the ministry in Whitehall via @DiploMog.

Lawrence, named after T.E. Lawrence, a British military officer who fought alongside Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, has already gained 2,500 followers since being adopted from an animal shelter last month.

Abdoun is the neighbourhood of Amaan where the embassy is located.

Apart from his mousing duties, he reaches out to followers on Twitter. Whats quite interesting is the British public are seeing the U.K embassy in Jordan in a different light, said Deputy Ambassador Laura Dauban.

"Through Lawrences Twitter account were trying to show a different side to Jordan, what it is really like, a peaceful, prosperous country that British tourists should come and visit.

Tweeting under the name @LawrenceDipCat, Lawrence has discovered the perils of social media, and has even been fat-shamed by trolls.

Hes been a bit upset because some people have said he looked a bit fat in the last tweet he did, so hell be doing some exercises and posting to sort of rectify that situation," Dauban said.

(Reporting by Bushra Shakhshir; Writing by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Alpha Barry of Burkina Faso in Manhattan, New York, U.S. September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (Reuters)

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's foreign minister said on Monday it had recalled its ambassador to Libya over a report that black African migrants were being auctioned as slaves there.

The decision by the West African nation followed the broadcast by CNN of footage of what it said was an auction of men offered to Libyan buyers as farmhands and sold for $400 (302.20), a chilling echo of the trans-Saharan slave trade of centuries past.

Foreign Minister Alpha Barry announced the decision by President Roch Marc Kabore in a news conference.

"The president of Burkina Faso has decided to recall the ambassador to Tripoli, General Abraham Traore, for a consultation," Barry said.

He added that he had also "summoned the Libyan charge d'affairs in (Burkina Faso's capital) Ouagadougou to express our indignation at these images that belong to other centuries, images of the slave trade".

African and European leaders are due to meet in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan next week, where migration and Europe's efforts to tackle it by co-opting Libya will be high on the agenda.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said last month that a European and African deal to stem the flow of migrants coming through Libya to Europe had failed to tackle the severe abuses they face.

(Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Donald Trump has announced his intent to officially declare North Korea to be a state sponsor of terror.

The President made the declaration on Monday, saying the decision would impose further penalties on the secretive nation.

Mr Trump said the move was part of his maximum pressure campaign against Pyongyang.

Trump told a cabinet meeting: In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil.

The country was removed from the list of countries viewed by the U.S. as state sponsors of terror in 2008 in an attempt to secure a deal to curb its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea joins the likes of Iran, Sudan and Syria on the list.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

The move comes after Pyongyang called Mr Trump depraved and stupid guy.

In the latest verbal attack from Kim Jong-uns regime, the US president was also called an old lunatic who has spouted a load of rubbish.

The attack came in North Koreas state-run newspaper Minju Joson, which said the US will regret letting Mr Trump occupy the Oval Office.

It said he had insulted the state and social system of the DPRK and the life of its people.

Uh oh, North Korea just called Donald Trump an "old lunatic" again. Also says the U.S. will regret "letting such a depraved and stupid guy occupy the Oval Office." pic.twitter.com/gX2lkn17vu  Anna Fifield (@annafifield) November 20, 2017

The newspaper criticised Mr Trumps recent visit to South Korea, in which he had some harsh words for North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un.

It wrote: A load of rubbish spouted by the old lunatic Trump during his recent visit to South Korea was a total of all nonsense and paradox.

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He insulted state and social system of the DPRK and the life of its people. This thrice-cursed crime can never be pardoned.

Trump had better pay heed to to the despicable plight of his country, the dark empire of evils under worldwide criticism, before poking his nose into others things.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Picture: Getty)

The statement came a day after North Korea said it would continue its nuclear weapons programme as long as the US and South Korea engaged in joint military exercises.

During his visit to South Korea, Mr Trump had a warning for Kim Jong-un and his regime.

Kim Jong-un watches a recent missile test (Picture: Getty)

He said: Do not underestimate us. And do not try us. We will defend our common security, our shared prosperity, and our sacred liberty.

Earlier this month, North Korea called Mr Trump a nuclear war maniac.

State news agency KCNA said the US president needs medicine to cure his physical disorder.
Facebook has so far refused to answer Government questions over Russias influence on Brexit (Rex)

Facebook has refused to answer Government questions over Russias attempts to interfere with last years EU Referendum.

The social media giant has admitted that the platform was targeted by Russian trolls in the weeks leading up to the Brexit vote.

They say fake news stories were posted up on the site in an attempt to swing the vote for the Leave side.

However, despite their admission, Facebook has so far refused to give any more information to the Government over Russias meddling.

MPs have now called on the company to come clean about what it knows.

Senior MPs have written to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg for answers (Rex)

Tory MP Damian Collins, chair of the Commons Digital, Culture and Media Committee, wrote to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg last month demanding details of any examples of Russian interference with the General Election or referendum.

However, he has yet to receive any response from the company.

He told the Mail on Sunday: Weve had no response from them at all, not even a holding answer, saying theyre looking into it.

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Ultimately, were asking for information the companys got. Theyve done it for the US Senate and they can do it for us and I would expect a timetable for when we will receive this information.

Shadow Culture Secretary Liam Byrne added: Its simply incredible that Facebook would not want to come clean and put to bed any worries we have that our democracy is being hacked by a foreign power.

Last week, Facebook appeared to admit that Russia had attempted to influence the Brexit vote.

However, they said there was not evidence of significant co-ordination of ad buys or political misinformation targeting the Brexit vote.
FILE PHOTO - The speaker of Indonesia's parliament , Setya Novanto, leaves an ethics panel hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia in this picture taken December 7, 2015. REUTERS/Garry Lotulung (Reuters)

By Fransiska Nangoy and Fergus Jensen

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament speaker, Setya Novanto, has been taken into custody by the anti-corruption agency after being arrested over his alleged role in causing state losses of $170 million (128.40 million pounds) linked to a national electronic identity card scheme.

Novanto, clad in an orange vest worn by detainees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), was transferred from a hospital on Sunday night into a KPK detention facility.

He is one of the most senior politicians to be detained by the agency, popular among ordinary Indonesians for targeting members of the establishment suspected of abuse of power.

Novanto was arrested on Friday night but his detention was postponed while he received treatment for injuries suffered in a car crash the day before.

"Delay of the arrest is no longer needed," as a medical statement showed Novanto did not need further hospital treatment, Laode Muhammad Syarif, the deputy head of the agency, said in a video on its official Periscope page.

On Sunday night, Novanto told reporters he was still suffering from vertigo after the crash that he said had injured a leg, an arm and his head.

"I thought I would be given time for recovery, but I obey the law," Novanto was quoted by news website Kumparan.com as saying.

Novanto will be held for 20 days for questioning, said KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah. He will be detained in a sparsely-furnished holding cell with some mattresses and a shared toilet.

Graft agency officials tried to arrest Novanto, the chairman of Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest party and partner in the ruling coalition, at his house in Jakarta late on Wednesday.

But they failed to find him, sparking speculation that he had gone into hiding.

Later, Novanto was involved in a car accident and his lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, said a journalist was driving the vehicle and interviewing his client at the time.

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The car crash was found to be an accident, media cited Jakarta's deputy director of traffic police as saying, dismissing speculation that the mishap was staged.

FBI HELPING INVESTIGATION

Novanto has denied wrongdoing but has repeatedly missed summonses for questioning by the agency in recent months, saying he was ill and needed heart surgery.

The agency is investigating state losses of about $170 million after allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million, generated by marking up procurement costs for the ID cards, were divided up among politicians in parliament.

Novanto was named a suspect on Nov. 10 again after he had used a controversial legal manoeuvre, a pre-trial motion, to get earlier charges dropped last month.

President Joko Widodo told reporters on Monday that he had asked Novanto to "follow the legal process".

The KPK has been collaborating with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation on the case, said agency spokesman Diansyah.

The FBI has been investigating the activities of Johannes Marliem, a U.S.-based contractor for the ID card scheme, who later committed suicide in Los Angeles.

The parliament speaker's legal battle with the graft agency has gripped Indonesia, with newspaper front pages splashing the story and social media circulating memes mocking him.

Novanto gained a measure of international fame in September 2015 when Donald Trump, then a U.S. presidential candidate, hailed him as a "great man" at a news conference.

"Do they like me in Indonesia?" Trump asked after introducing Novanto to reporters at Trump Tower.

"Yes, highly," Novanto replied.

(Additional reporting by Kartika; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Richard Pullin and Clarence Fernandez)
Commenting on the latest mass shooting in America, President Donald Trump said this isnt a guns situation but instead a mental health problem at the highest level.

We believe President Trump should be taken at his word. For that reason, we are today urging him to undo action he took last winter. On Feb. 28, the president signed into law a bill rolling back a regulation that made it harder for people with mental illnesses to purchase a gun.

The rule, which was finalized in December in the final weeks of President Barack Obamas administration, added people receiving Social Security checks for mental illnesses and people deemed unfit to handle their own financial affairs to the national background check database.

Had the rule fully taken effect, the Obama administration predicted it would have added about 75,000 names to that database.

Obama recommended the now-nullified regulation in a 2013 memorandum after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left 20 first-graders and six others dead. The measure sought to block some people with severe mental health problems from buying guns.

The original rule was hotly contested by gun rights advocates who said it infringed on Americans Second Amendment rights. Gun control advocates, however, praised the rule for curbing the availability of firearms to those who may not use them with the right intentions, NBC News reported.

Earlier in February, both the House and Senate passed the new bill, H.J. Res 40, revoking the Obama-era regulation. ...

Its worth noting that the revoked regulation would, according to statements by members of Texas law enforcement after investigation, have done nothing to stop the alleged assailant in the mass shooting Sunday at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

This isnt about that incident. This is about what the president of the United States has characterized as a mental health problem.

There seems to be consensus among gun-rights advocates and gun-control supporters for common-sense gun-control legislation, laws which respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while recognizing that some members of our society have demonstrated that their possession of guns would be a clear and present danger to themselves and to others.

People who have been diagnosed with serious mental illness should not be allowed to possess firearms. Background checks which would flag such people as being ineligible for gun purchase or ownership should once again be the law of the land.

Mr. President, we urge you to take action on what you have identified as a mental health problem at the highest level by calling for new legislation to make it harder for the mentally ill to acquire firearms.

Commenting on the latest mass shooting in America, President Donald Trump said Monday that this isnt a guns situation but instead a mental health problem at the highest level.

We believe President Trump should be taken at his word. For that reason, we are today urging him to undo action he took last winter.

On Feb. 28, the president signed into law a bill rolling back a regulation that made it harder for people with mental illnesses to purchase a gun.

The rule, which was finalized in December in the final weeks of President Barack Obamas administration, added people receiving Social Security checks for mental illnesses and people deemed unfit to handle their own financial affairs to the national background check database.

Had the rule fully taken effect, the Obama administration predicted it would have added about 75,000 names to that database.

Obama recommended the now-nullified regulation in a 2013 memorandum after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left 20 first-graders and six others dead. The measure sought to block some people with severe mental health problems from buying guns.

The original rule was hotly contested by gun rights advocates who said it infringed on Americans Second Amendment rights. Gun control advocates, however, praised the rule for curbing the availability of firearms to those who may not use them with the right intentions, NBC News reported.

Earlier in February, both the House and Senate passed the new bill, H.J. Res 40, revoking the Obama-era regulation.

Its worth noting that the revoked regulation would, according to statements by members of Texas law enforcement after investigation, have done nothing to stop the alleged assailant in the mass shooting Sunday at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

This isnt about that incident. This is about what the president of the United States has characterized as a mental health problem.

There seems to be consensus among gun-rights advocates and gun-control supporters for common-sense gun-control legislation, laws which respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while recognizing that some members of our society have demonstrated that their possession of guns would be a clear and present danger to themselves and to others.

People who have been diagnosed with serious mental illness should not be allowed to possess firearms. Background checks which would flag such people as being ineligible for gun purchase or ownership should once again be the law of the land.

Mr. President, we urge you to take action on what you have identified as a mental health problem at the highest level by calling for new legislation to make it harder for the mentally ill to acquire firearms.
By Paul Carrel and Gernot Heller

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would prefer a new election to ruling with a minority after talks on forming a three-way coalition failed overnight, but Germany's president told parties they owed it to voters to try to form a government.

The major obstacle to a three-way deal was immigration, according to Merkel, who was forced into negotiations after bleeding support in the Sept. 24 election to the far right in a backlash at her 2015 decision to let in over 1 million migrants.

The failure of exploratory coalition talks involving her conservative bloc, the liberal pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and environmentalist Greens raises the prospect of a new election and casts doubt about her future after 12 years in power.

Merkel, 63, said she was sceptical about ruling in a minority government, telling ARD television: "My point of view is that new elections would be the better path." Her plans did not include being chancellor in a minority government, she said after meeting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeier said Germany was facing the worst governing crisis in the 68-year history of its post-World War Two democracy and pressed all parties in parliament "to serve our country" and try to form a government.

His remarks appeared aimed at the FDP and the Social Democrats (SPD), who on Monday ruled out renewing their "grand coalition" with the conservatives.

"Inside our country, but also outside, in particular in our European neighbourhood, there would be concern and a lack of understanding if politicians in the biggest and economically strongest country (in Europe) did not live up to their responsibilities," read a statement from Steinmeier, a former foreign minister who has been thrust centre-stage after taking on the usually largely ceremonial head of state role in March.

Steinmeier's intervention suggests he regards a new election - desired by half of Germany's voters according to a poll - as a last resort. The SPD has so far stuck to a pledge after heavy losses in the September election not to go back into a Merkel-led broad coalition of centre-left and centre-right.

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Merkel urged the SPD to reconsider. "I would hope that they consider very intensively if they should take on the responsibility" of governing, she told broadcaster ZDF, adding she saw no reason to resign and her conservative bloc would enter any new election more unified than before.

"If new elections happened, then ... we have to accept that. I'm afraid of nothing," she said.

Business leaders also called for a swift return to talks.

With German leadership seen as crucial for a European Union grappling with governance reform and Britain's impending exit, FDP leader Christian Lindner's announcement that he was pulling out spooked investors and sent the euro falling in the morning.

Both the euro and European shares later recovered from early selling, while German bond yields steadied near 1-1/2 week lows, as confidence about the outlook for the euro zone economy helped investors brush off worries about the risk of Germany going to the polls again soon.

FEAR OF FAR-RIGHT GAINS

Earlier, Merkel got the strong backing of her CDU leadership.

Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of Germany weekly Die Zeit said she could rely on CDU support for now, but added: "I will not bet on her serving out her entire four-year term."

The main parties fear another election so soon would let the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party add to the 13 percent of votes it secured in September, when it entered parliament for the first time. Polls suggest a repeat election would return a similarly fragmented parliament.

A poll published on Monday showed a new election would bring roughly the same result as the September election, with the Greens set to see the biggest gains.

If Germans voted next Sunday, Merkel's conservatives would get 31 percent, the SPD 21 percent, the Greens and the AfD both 12 percent, the FDP 10 percent and the Left party 9 percent, the Forsa survey for RTL television showed.

This compares with the election result of 32.9 percent for the conservatives, 20.5 percent for the SPD, 12.6 percent for AfD, 10.7 percent for FDP, 9.2 percent for the Left party and 8.9 percent for the Greens.

The failure of coalition talks is unprecedented in Germany's post-war history, and was likened by newsmagazine Der Spiegel to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britain's referendum vote to leave the EU - moments when countries cast aside reputations for stability built up over decades.

Any outcome in Germany is, however, likely to be more consensus driven. "The problem is stagnation and immobility, not instability as in Italy," said Joffe.

The unravelling of the German talks came as a surprise since the main sticking points - immigration and climate policy - were not seen as FDP signature issues.

Responding to criticism from the Greens, FDP vice chairman Wolfgang Kubicki said a tie-up would have been short-lived. "Nothing would be worse than to get into a relationship about which we know that it will end in a dirty divorce," he said.

Even if the SPD or the FDP revisit their decisions, the price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel, who since 2005 has been a symbol of German stability, leading Europe through the euro zone crisis.

The inability to form a government caused disquiet elsewhere in Europe, not least because of the implications for the euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Germany's political impasse could also complicate and potentially delay the Brexit negotiations - Britain has just over a year to strike a divorce deal with the EU ahead of an exit planned for March 29, 2019.

"It's not in our interests that the process freezes up," Macron told reporters in Paris, adding he had spoken with Merkel shortly after the failure of talks.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr, Michael Nienaber, Andreas Rinke and Andrea Shalal in Berlin, Guy Faulconbridge in London, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
SWNS

<p>Two children and a woman have been seriously injured following a horror crash involving two cars and a school bus.</p><p>Emergency services were called to Campden Road, in Clifford Chambers, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks., following the smash at 8.13am today (Tue).</p><p>Paramedics found a double decker bus carrying school children which had been involved in a collision with two cars. </p><p>Two boys and a woman from inside one car were found trapped with serious injuries and were freed from the wreckage with the help of fire crews. </p><p>The boys were airlifted to Birmingham Childrens Hospital for treatment at a major trauma centre while the woman was taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire by ambulance. </p><p>The bus driver and 30 school children managed to get off the bus and three children were described as 'walking wounded' with minor injuries</p><p>West Midland Ambulance Service said two ambulances, two paramedic officers, the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Midlands Air Ambulance attended the scene.</p><p>A spokeswoman said: When ambulance staff arrived, they found a double decker bus and two cars which had been involved in a serious collision.</p><p>Three occupants from one car, two boys and a woman, were trapped and upon assessment by ambulance staff were found to have sustained serious injuries. </p><p>"The team of medics worked closely with fire colleagues to carefully extricate all three patients from the vehicle. </p><p>"Each patient received trauma care to stabilise their conditions on scene before the two boys were airlifted to Birmingham Childrens Hospital. </p><p>"The woman was taken by land ambulance on blue lights to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.</p><p>The driver of the second car, a woman, was assessed on scene and found with minor injuries which didnt require hospital treatment. </p><p>The bus driver and 30 school children were off the bus and safe and well seeking shelter in a nearby building. </p><p>"Three children were described as walking wounded with minor injuries and were assessed by ambulance staff before being discharged on scene.</p>
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho walks to speak to the media outside the Millennium hotel New York, U.S., September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (Reuters)

By Marc Frank

HAVANA (Reuters) - North Koreas foreign minister will arrive in Cuba on Monday, in search of support amid unprecedented pressure from the United States and the international community to cease its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The Cuban foreign ministry, in a brief note on its web page, said Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho would meet with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, among other unspecified activities.

North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapon and missile programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan.

Cuba and North Korea have maintained warm political relations since 1960, despite Havanas often-stated opposition to nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump has also increased pressure on Cuba since taking office, rolling back a fragile detente begun by predecessor Barack Obama and returning to the hostile rhetoric of the Cold War.

The visit provides an opportunity for North Korea to demonstrate, just 90 miles from the United States, that it is not completely isolated, and for Cuba that it will not buckle under U.S. pressure.

At the same time, diplomats said Cuba was one of the few countries that might be able to convince North Korea to move away from the current showdown with the United States that threatens war.

We often ask the Cubans if they can talk to them, an Asian diplomat said.

The two Communist-run countries are the last in the world to maintain Soviet-style command economies, though under President Raul Castro, the Caribbean nation has taken some small steps toward the more market-oriented communism of China and Vietnam.

Cuba maintains an embassy in North Korea, but publicly trades almost exclusively with the South. Last year, trade with the latter was $67 million and with the North just $9 million, according to the Cuban government.

However, in 2013, Panama discovered a load of Soviet vintage weapons hidden under 10,000 tonnes of Cuban sugar on a North Korean vessel, in violation of U.N. sanctions and appearing to confirm suspicions that the two countries worked together to circumvent them.

Cuba claimed the weapons were going to North Korea for repairs and were to be sent back.

(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
By Antonio De la Jara and Dave Sherwood

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera said he would court centrists on Monday, in a bid to regain ground in Chile's presidential election after a surprise surge by leftists in Sunday's first-round vote.

Pinera faces a tight Dec. 17 runoff against centre-left Alejandro Guillier and will also likely have to deal with opposition to his promised tax breaks in the next left-leaning Congress if he triumphs.

A former president who ran Chile between 2010 and 2014, Pinera placed first with more than 36 percent of the vote, but his two main left-leaning rivals made a stronger-than-expected showing, garnering a combined 43 percent between them.

And after Congressional elections that also took place on Sunday, left-of-centre lawmakers will outnumber Pinera's Chile Vamos voting bloc in Congress, complicating his plans to cut the corporate tax rate and slash red tape in the top copper exporter.

Markets that had priced in a new four-year term for Pinera sank on Monday. Chile's stock index took its biggest daily dive in six years and the peso currency suffered its sharpest depreciation since 2013.

"It's going to be a tight and hard-fought election," Pinera told foreign media on Monday in capital Santiago.

To boost his chances of winning, Pinera said he would tap some of the more popular lawmakers-elect in his bloc to help guide his campaign.

"We're going to appeal to the centre, to the kind of people who want moderation," said Pinera. "We're going to listen with humility to what the majority of Chileans want."

According to Sunday's tally, many Chileans want change.

A new leftist grouping, Frente Amplio, which has criticized Chile's model of free-market provision of services and promised to tax mining companies and the "super-rich", performed much better than expected.

The bloc's presidential candidate, Beatriz Sanchez, secured 20 percent of votes in the field of eight, double the support predicted by pollster CEP. The block won its first senate seat and around 20 seats in the lower house of Congress.

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No single bloc will control Congress.

A Pinera victory in December was no longer a sure thing, said election forecaster and political scientist Kenneth Bunker.

"It's all up in the air right now," Bunker said. "We were just dumbfounded when the results started to come in."

In another bad sign for Pinera, Chileans went to polls in bigger numbers than expected on Sunday. Analysts say a low voter turnout favours Pinera because his supporters tend to be better at showing up to vote.

TRICKY TASK AHEAD

Chile, a country of 17 million people with a $250 billion economy, has been one of Latin America's most business-friendly and stable nations since its transition to democracy in 1990.

Its economy slowed, however, to an average growth rate of 1.8 percent during outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's term, with lower copper prices dragging on government revenue.

Guillier has promised to deepen Bachelet's policies, from expanded access to free university education to protections for striking unions, without departing from Chile's free-market economic model.

He has a tricky task ahead to attract the support of Chile's wide-ranging left-of-centre voters, in part because he is seen by many as a continuation of Bachelet's unpopular government.

Having slammed Pinera as a "step backward" for Chile, Sanchez, a 46-year-old former radio journalist, could rally her supporters to vote for Guillier, but likely in exchange for policy concessions.

"If Mr Guillier wants us to vote for him, he's going to have to give in to Beatriz's proposals," Sanchez supporter and salesman Hector Mino said. He cited Sanchez' plan to wipe out student debt and overhaul the public-private pension system to ensure bigger payouts as possible offerings.

But a too-sharp left turn could push more centrists to Pinera.

As left-leaning blocs weighed possible alliances, far-right Jose Antonio Kast threw his weight behind Pinera. Kast won nearly 8 percent of votes and urged the Chileans who cast them to vote for Pinera in the runoff.

"We're not going to demand anything in return," said Kast, who defended deceased Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet during the campaign.

(Reporting by Antonio de la Jara and Mitra Taj, Additional reporting by Dave Sherwood, Felipe Iturrieta and Reuters TV; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Rosalba O'Brien)
Fossils have given a glimpse into life before the worlds largest mass extinction in Antarctica

Antarctica, the White Continent, may be covered with ice, but once it was home to lush forests, a new study has revealed.

New-found intricate fossils have revealed how trees flourished in the region when it was part of the huge Southern Hemisphere landmass known as Gondwana.

The prehistoric forest stretched across the entirety of this area during the Permian Period, which lasted between 299 to 251 million years ago.

The forest would have been made of a mixture of mosses, ferns and extinct woody plants called Glossopteris, according to scientists.

Today, Antarctica is the windiest, driest, coldest and most inhabitable continent on the planet.

Antarctica preserves an ecologic history of polar biomes that ranges for about 400 million years, which is basically the entirety of plant evolution, said Erik Gulbranson, a paleoecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The continent as a whole was much warmer and more humid than it currently is today. Oddly enough, these field sites would have actually been very close to what their current latitude is.

Gulbranson and John Isbell were part of an international team of researchers who searched for fossil fragments in Antarctica between November 2016 and January 2017.

The group climbed the McIntyre Promontorys frozen slopes in the Transantarctic Mountains.

By the end of the expedition, they had uncovered 13 fossil fragments from trees dating back more than 260 million years, according to National Geographic.

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The fossils are from around the time of the worlds greatest mass extinction event, with Gulbranson calling them a glimpse into life before then.

During this period, more than 90 per cent of species on Earth disappeared, including polar forests. Gulbranson says it was most likely caused by volcanism in present-day Siberia

Theyre actually some of the best-preserved fossil plants in the world, Gulbranson said. The fungi in the wood itself were probably mineralised and turned into stone within a matter of weeks, in some cases probably while the tree was still alive.

These things happened incredibly rapidly. You could have witnessed it firsthand if you were there.

Somehow these plants were able to survive not only four to five months of complete darkness, but also four to five months of continuous light, Gulbranson says.

We dont fully understand how they were able to cope with these conditions, just that they did.
I am encouraged by the positive action and attitudes to protect the climate reported in the Nov. 12 article, Cities, states committed to Paris climate accord. We can especially be grateful that local communities such as Middleton and Madison as well as Dane County are part of that reality.

Among other things, Middleton is exploring solar power projects after passing its climate referendum last November. Madison has committed to shift all municipal operations to renewable energy, and Dane County has formed an Office of Energy and Climate Change.

Despite Trump administration efforts to deny the science and erase the evidence from government websites, we see needed local, national, and -- as represented by the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany -- international action.

Let your city council members, county board supervisors, and state and federal representatives know that climate change is really happening, really human-caused, really serious and really addressable if we act decisively now. Let them know you appreciate all the action they have already taken. Encourage them to take the still more action needed for the sake of the climate and for all of us who rely on a healthy climate to survive and thrive.

Kermit Hovey, Middleton
After a poor share price performance, HSBC has upgraded Lonmin from hold to buy but has cut its target price from 135p to 76p.

The companys first quarter production report out on Thursday was mixed, according to the investment bank.

Safety stoppages impeded production momentum at the key Generation 2 shafts, but the processing division performed well, drawing down ore and concentrate inventory in the period. Although mined platinum volumes of 158koz were 16% lower y-o-y, refined volumes climbed 23% to 171koz.

HSBC said it has updated its valuation to reflect weaker platinum pricing from its Metals Quarterly report out earlier in January.

We maintain our 33% discount to our DCF for Lonmin (at a 7.5% real discount rate ) to account for valuation risk given high gearing to key driver assumptions. We cut our target price to 76p from 135p. As this implies upside of 32%, we upgrade to 'buy' from 'hold'.

RBC Capital Markets cut FirstGroup to underperform from sector perform and downgraded the price target to 85p from 110p following the companys profit warning on Thursday.

It noted the group delivered another profit miss for full year 2015/16 from its third quarter update, adding that the warning has put the confidence building process back by at least 12-18 months.

We now find reduced investor confidence that these goals will be met (even with helpful working day effects in School Bus), and thus that cash can be generated and dividend restored, the Canadian bank said.

It pointed out that FirstGroup maintained its stance that the now extremely challenging profit margin growth goals can still be met, and that Q3 trading was a knock rather than outlook-changing event.

In our view, either the company needs to see relatively better demand, and/or a more benign labour cost outlook than its peers to meet this, said RBC.

The bank said that while the shares look cheap on price-to-earnings, the increasing risk to earnings has prompted the rating downgrade.

At 1000 GMT, FirstGroup shares were down 0.4% to 89.70p, having tumbled in the previous session after the transport operator cut operating profit guidance for the current financial year.

Skys add rating and target price of 1,250p were kept unchanged by Numis after the broadcaster reported strong first half revenue growth.

The company said in its interim results on Friday that statutory revenue for the six months to 31 December jumped 5% to 5.72bn from 5.44bn. It was driven by signing up 337,000 new customers in the second quarter - the companys highest UK and Ireland growth in 10 years  and sold 1.1m extra paid-for products.

Operating profit for the period rose 12% to 747m, and the company declared a dividend of 12.6p per share.

Earnings per share gained 10% to 29.7p, ahead of Numis expectations of 28.4p. Adjusted pre-tax profit also beat the brokers estimates of 620m at 649m.

Looking forward, the group continues to push innovation including the SkyQ top-end box in the UK and product roll-out to Germany and Italy, according to Numis analyst Paul Richard.

We retain our pre-tax profit/earnings per share forecasts of 1,340m/62p for June 2016, 1,345m/62p for 2017 (flat due to higher Premier League costs) and 1,560m/72p for 2018 (driven by Sky Europe synergies).
London stocks were set for a slightly weaker open on Monday following an uninspiring session in Asia, as investors looked ahead to the Budget this week.

The FTSE 100 was expected to open six points lower at 7,374.

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "This weeks agenda is once again likely to be dominated by the Brexit negotiations, after reports that the UK government might be looking to submitting an improved 'divorce bill' offer to the EU in order to move things forward with respect to the beginning of discussions on trade talks.

"We will also be looking towards this weeks UK budget with the Chancellor Philip Hammond, despite all the fiscal 'doom and gloom', actually sitting in a better position than he could have anticipated at the beginning of the year with respect to borrowing, on course to come in at least 10bn under his fiscal target for this year."

Hewson added that government coalition talks in Germany are likely to weigh on sentiment as they appear to have collapsed completely, raising the prospect of new elections, as well as continued political uncertainty and deadlock in Europes largest economy.

In corporate news, British Gas owner Centrica will replace its standard variable tariff with new fixed-term tariffs as it called on the government, energy regulator and industry to make several to "create a market that works for everyone".

Costs of the government's social and environmental policy should be borne by all suppliers, energy policy costs should be paid via general taxation and the roll-out of smart meters needs to quickly be made more efficient, Centrica said, among seven measures it asked Ofgem and the government to make.

Tritax Big Box announced that it has exchanged contracts to acquire a logistics facility at Harlow Logistics Hub, Edinburgh Way, Harlow, let to Wincanton Holdings and Industrial Tool Services, for total consideration is 44.4m to be funded from equity. The company firm also announced that it has exchanged contracts to acquire two separate, modern logistics facilities from a single vendor for a combined purchase price of 43.86m, also funded from equity, in Nottinghamshire and Cumbria.

Eastern Europe-focussed low cost airline Wizz Air announced a massive expansion at its Luton base on Monday, with the addition of four Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet there by June 2018. The company said the allocation of four more Airbus A320 aircraft, each equipped with 186 seats, would bring the total number of aircraft in its Luton fleet to five, with a combined value of $500m.
London stocks were set for a positive open on Wednesday, in line with Europe after Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont softened his stance on independence, looking to negotiate with Madrid.

The FTSE 100 was called to open 12 points higher at 7,550.

Oanda analyst Craig Erlam said: While Puigdemont remained clear that they had been given a mandate for independence by the Catalan people, his call for talks in order to find a peaceful resolution was the much preferred option at this stage. A declaration of independence on Tuesday could have led to a chain of events that made the situation much worse and seen Puigdemont arrested, likely leading to more unrest.

Its now over to Madrid to decide how it is going to handle the situation, starting with whether it will agree to hold talks with the Catalan leadership on the issue.

With no major UK data releases due, eyes will be on the release of the latest FOMC minutes at 1900 BST.

In corporate news, Hargreaves Lansdown enjoyed a strong start to its new financial year, with strong levels of net new business flows and assets under administration swelling 3.5% over the first quarter or 21% over the same period last year.

The FTSE 100 pensions and investment provider said new business was driven by winning 30,000 new customers, improved market sentiment, continued investment in digital marketing, while it also benefited from significant transfers from a competitor platform going through operational issues.

Mondi issued a trading update for its third quarter to 30 September on Wednesday, reporting underlying operating profit of 245m for the period - an improvement of 8% year-on-year.

The paper and packaging group said it benefitted from higher average selling prices in the three months, partially offset by higher costs and negative currency effects. Its underlying operating profit was in line with the second quarter.

Ibstock announced that Wayne Sheppard has notified the board of his intention to retire in 2018 after 22 successful years with the group, including the last two as chief executive.

The 250 brickmaker said Sheppard would be succeeded as CEO by Joe Hudson, currently the managing director of cement and concrete products at Aggregate Industries UK. Hudson would join the board on his arrival in early 2018 as chief executive designate.
For Virginia Tech biochemistry majors Cat Hayes, Duke Nguyen, and Will Stone, turkey has taken on a whole new meaning.

The three, along with their General Biochemistry classmates, were challenged by Richard Helm, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry, to consider the science behind Thanksgiving.

The professor gave his students the opportunity to dig into the experiment by analyzing large data sets and spending time in the lab with state-of-the-art instruments. Taking the HokieBird as inspiration, the students conducted a protein analysis of turkey, looking at leg, thigh, and breast meat. They were asked to investigate the difference between white and dark meat by analyzing the proteins that give turkey its color.

You can sink a lot of time into data sets, said Helm. You can get more questions than answers. But this is something many students are not challenged to do. I wanted them to examine real data from a real experiment where they had the first shot at the analysis.

The students looked at the most essential proteins, exploring high-quality protein identifications. They also learned how to pinpoint contaminants in the turkey samples to see how clean the tissue was. In order to understand the numerical difference between breast, thigh, and leg tissue proteins, the students analyzed spreadsheets with thousands of fields  a daunting task. They then developed their own formulas, color coding, filters, and other methods to allow them to see differences and evaluate statistical significance.

I was both scared and excited, said Stone, a junior from Springfield, Virginia. After staring at the data on my computer for at least an hour, I just jumped in the water to figure out how to sort it all."

Nguyen also used a whiteboard to plot out information, along with Venn diagrams.

The turkey testers were also able to get some high-tech help courtesy of a mass spectrometer coupled to a liquid chromatography unit. This newly acquired instrumentation is able to conduct highly sophisticated assays, showing the young investigators the relative abundance of various turkey proteins. Although the Helm Laboratory members operated the machine, the students were able to learn how to read data provided by the instrument. The machine also helped them validate their results.

The researchers discovered that enzymes involved in glycolysis, the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into energy, were similar in the turkey thigh and leg, and different in the breast. The concentrations of glycolysis proteins in breast were higher because this muscle is used for flight in birds, a process that relies heavily on glycolysis.

The thigh and leg meat contained relatively less glycolysis protein and more proteins associated with mitochondria because these tissues receive greater levels of oxygen, and these muscles are used more frequently when the turkey is standing or moving.

Although their focus was on proteins, the students also analyzed lipids in the three turkey tissues and found that thigh meat lipids oxidized faster than breast or leg meat. This, according to Helm, could drive further turkey research comparing frozen versus fresh, wild versus domestic, organic versus traditional, and so forth.

It was a lot of fun, said Hayes, a junior from Plainfield, Illinois. All three of the students learned that they can conquer intimidating data sets as well as apply their biochemical knowledge to real data. They are also eager to see what other research may be inspired by their work.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a subset of the students findings will be published in BioRxiv (pronounced bio-archive), a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences.

- Written by Amy Painter
Rolls-Royce is more than just automobiles.

Thats the message being spread by Joseph Krok, the university research liaison manager at Rolls-Royce. The company has, in recent years, turned its focus to aviation  specifically, aircraft engines.

As you can imagine, gas turbine engines are incredibly complex and highly technical, said Krok, who acts as a connector between the London-based company and universities across the globe. Because of that, we put a great deal of investment into our research and development of our products.

A large portion of that research and development is based at universities, which are designated as official global Rolls-Royce University Technology Centers once they reach a level of critical nature to the company, Krok said.

Following decades of previous collaboration, Virginia Tech was so designated in 2014.

Virginia Tech is one of 31 University Technology Centers across the globe  three of which are based in the U.S., including the University of Virginia and Purdue University. Out of all 31 centers, Virginia Tech is the only one capable of testing measurement capability.

Our specialty is in making in flight measurements of engine performance to improve fuel efficiency and understand the health of the Rolls-Royce turbo jet engines. We also develop new measurement techniques that allow future engine systems to be more efficient, clean, and quiet, said Jack Lesko, associate dean for research and graduate studies at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, who worked closely with Krok to establish the partnership. We also engage with Rolls-Royce in other areas of research, including manufacturing, marine, and electrical power systems.


Lara Khansa, associate professor of business information technology, has been appointed associate dean for undergraduate programs in the Pamplin College of Business.

Khansa had been serving in the interim position since August. In only a few months, Lara has demonstrated passion and new ideas needed for this role, said Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. I am confident that she will continue to bring continued advancement to our undergraduate programs.

Khansa joined Virginia Tech as an assistant professor in August 2008. She was promoted to associate professor in June 2013.

Her research is in the areas of human-computer interaction, information privacy and security, healthcare analytics, and healthcare policy and societal disparities in access to healthcare.

She has published more than 50 refereed journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. Her articles have appeared in such leading information systems and operations management journals as Journal of Management Information Systems, Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, and European Journal of Operational Research, and in premier medical journals, such as Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery.

She serves as associate editor for Decision Support Systems and served for two years as vice president of finance for the Southeast Decision Sciences Institute.

Khansa has taught numerous undergraduate courses in business statistics, global operations and information technology, and enterprise resource planning.

She has also developed and taught courses in health care information technology and health care data management in the online master of information technology program. In these courses, Khansa teaches her students about the importance of data quality to patient care and safety and provides them with hands-on skills to evaluate and improve the quality of health care processes.

In 2015, Khansa was appointed by President Tim Sands to serve on the steering committee for the Envisioning Virginia Tech-Beyond Boundaries initiative and to co-chair a study group on discovering new funding models, one of four thematic areas identified as central to the universitys advancement as a global land-grant leader.

Additionally, Khansa has been collaborating with Virginia Tech leaders and faculty from across campus on the development of the framework for the new core Honors College curriculum.

As Pamplins associate dean for undergraduate programs, Khansa will provide leadership and direction to the academics of undergraduate education, including through enhancing Pamplins core undergraduate curriculum and enrollment management process.

She will lead a team of advisors, educators, and mentors in developing and implementing initiatives related to student academic and career success and engagement in the colleges three focus areas of business analytics, innovation and entrepreneurship, and sustainable global prosperity.

Khansa received a Ph.D. in operations and information management, an MBA in finance and investment banking, and an M.S. in electrical engineering, all from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, Khansa worked as a software design engineer at GE Medical Systems designing and implementing medical applications and connectivity tools at the companys global software platform facility in Wisconsin.
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
Events this week include an opera at NSU, Winterfest and Miss Aberdeen

Looking for something to do this week, check out an opera at NSU, Winterfest or the Miss Aberdeen coronation.
Sticking together is commonplace in the 182-year-old city of Newton, Illinois. Our community is wonderful," said Roni Myers, owner of local bar MVP Happy Holler. "They will stand by and help anyone who needs it. If someones sick, if anyone needs help, people really chip in.
President Donald Trump recently completed a 12-day, five-nation tour of Asia, his first trip to the region as president.

During this whirlwind tour, in which he visited Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, I read as many reports as possible detailing his trip and his interactions with Asian counterparts, but two things struck me: his visit to China, and his speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, held in Danang, Vietnam.

During his presidential campaign and while in office, Trumps rhetoric on China and its trade surplus with the U.S. has been fiery and bombastic. During the campaign, Trump threatened to label China as a currency manipulator that was taking advantage of a favorable exchange rate to run up a huge trade surplus with the U.S. He has often stated that he would be addressing the trade deficits the U.S. runs with countries such as China and Mexico by imposing stiff tariffs on their exports to the U.S.

Trade deficits are complicated. In 2016, the U.S. exported $116 billion to China, while it imported $463 billion, resulting in a $347 billion trade deficit  the highest trade deficit the U.S. has with any country. This technically means that there is an outflow of capital from the U.S. to China, and if Americans are manufacturing fewer products to ship to China, this should result in losses of American jobs. However, this isnt a black and white issue.

If Americans were forced to buy their consumer products in the U.S. at a higher price than they are importing from China, we would have less money to spend on other items, such as cars and homes. Many Americans would not be able to afford the standard of living they currently have or have access to the wide variety of consumer products that have been become the hallmark of modern living.

Economists and CEOs have long complained that China routinely restricts local market access to U.S. companies, while requiring that they form joint ventures to operate in China and share their intellectual property and technology. Many of these people were expecting Trump to take his tough rhetoric to China and Xi Jinping, its president. Many others were waiting to hear Trump speak frankly in China about its trade surplus with the U.S.

But while in China, instead of tearing into the Chinese leadership about a more equitable trade relationship and opening up closed markets in that country for U.S. companies, he tried hard to curry favor with Xi, calling him a very special man and stating, I dont blame China. Who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens? I give China great credit. Perhaps, behind doors, tough and frank conversations were held, but publicly very little in this sense was forthcoming.

Trump did announce the creation of $250 billion in deals between U.S. and Chinese companies, but no details were announced as to whether these were deals already in the works or at what time in the future they would take place.

The second thing that struck me about the trip was what happened at the APEC conference in Vietnam. In Trumps speech, he stated, We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore. I am always going to put America first, the same way I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first. After Trump, President Xi made a speech in which he stated that globalization was a factor that was irreversible. And sounding very much like typical American politicians who traditionally have espoused the U.S. brand of capitalism throughout the world, he went on to discuss a future of innovation, technology, issues surrounding climate change and a call for APEC leaders to work together to move the region forward.

Besides the irony of a Chinese leader using more traditional American rhetoric than the current U.S. president, it is obvious that China sees the backing away from the Trans Pacific Partnership by the U.S., and Trumps threatening language to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with its neighbors, as a void being created by the U.S. that China can fill.

From a political standpoint, Trumps America first message might come back to haunt him if he tries to build coalitions to deal with hot spots in areas such as North Korea or Niger. From an economic standpoint, superpower economies such as China, which has an explicit goal to dominate Asia politically and economically, must be looking at the U.S.s rhetoric and action as a gift in which it can move quickly to achieve its objectives, and not only in Asia.

There has been a noticeable increase in the presence of Chinese representatives and businesspeople in Latin America. If NAFTA cannot be renegotiated to the satisfaction of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and the agreement is rescinded, China sees itself as the country to step in.

The results of Trumps trip to Asia may take months or even years to develop. Given Trumps propensity to go in one direction and then back away, it also is possible that nothing substantial will transpire. However, both trade allies and nemeses have to be left scratching their heads wondering what path the U.S. will really take.

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.
The wave of innovation and entrepreneurship thats swept through Albuquerque in recent years is, by and large, the brainchild of a broad collective effort by some of the citys best and brightest leaders grouped together in a 3-year-old initiative called City Alive.

That initiative has brought nearly 200 local leaders together in joint efforts to build a new, collaborative approach to economic development in Albuquerque, one that aims to rope the citys diverse populations into homegrown, sustainable programs to lift the communitys overall livelihood and well-being through grass-roots entrepreneurship. And its at the heart of nearly everything now happening in Downtown Albuquerque, from building a thriving Innovation District in the citys core to providing training, education and resources across the city for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to build and grow businesses.

Through those collective efforts, participating entities and individuals have helped attract about $30 million in funding for an array of local programs. That includes Albuquerques growing base of business accelerators and incubators, novel programs to channel low-cost and flexible loans to cash-strapped entrepreneurs, training, education and even infrastructure development.

The Living Cities Integration Initiative, a national program backed by large banks and foundations, gave birth to Albuquerques newfound collective efforts. But that initial impetus has since taken on a vibrant life of its own.

Robin Brule, City Alives chief strategist and senior vice president for community relations at Nusenda Credit Union, said its all about pulling the citys public and private entities together into a broad coalition focused on collective impact strategies.

Its about knowing that our challenges cant be solved overnight and realizing that it takes a lot of people and entities working together to resolve issues over time, Brule said. It means thinking about economic development differently, with integrated and aligned strategies among diverse partners.

It all began in 2013, when Living Cities selected Albuquerque and seven other cities for initial funding to plan strategies that would empower local communities to create grassroots, sustainable economic development that embraces all sectors, including low-income populations, minority groups and women. That coincided with local efforts to build an Innovation District in the citys core through a public and private partnership, initially spearheaded by the University of New Mexico, the city, Nusenda and others.

Living Cities initial focus on planning pulled nearly 100 leaders from diverse entities into a yearlong process to identify the most critical challenges impeding sustainable development, and to create collaborative strategies to resolve them. That process got everybody working together on the same page, allowing for much better, targeted use of existing resources.

Based on that process, Living Cities selected Albuquerque as one of five cities it would continue working with to implement their strategies.

To date, Living Cities has provided about $1 million for those efforts. More important, its connected local leaders with Living Cities national networks, offering access to technical assistance, and to more funding opportunities from entities connected to the program, such as the Kellogg Foundation.

Kellogg has provided nearly $7 million for City Alive-inspired programs and projects, such as Central New Mexico Community Colleges STEMulus Center and FUSE Makerspace Downtown, a new Co-op Capital program created by Nusenda to offer struggling entrepreneurs access to low-cost loans, and support for minority-owned businesses through the South Valley Economic Development Corp.

City Alive also inspired local foundations and businesses to award grants for programs that help build entrepreneurship and innovation. That includes the McCune and Albuquerque Community foundations, Public Service Company of New Mexico, Intel Corp., and New Mexico Gas Co.s parent firm Emera.

Albuquerque Community Foundation, for example, is the prime sponsor of the Mayors Prize, an annual, competitive awards program thats given $600,000 over the last three years to local nonprofits for entrepreneurial training and development programs.

Weve developed common ground to move forward, said foundation Vice President Kelli Cooper. Three years ago, I wasnt even working with other foundations to partner on anything. Now, cross-sector partnering has snowballed, and its helped build an entrepreneurial ecosystem here that didnt exist before.

Its also inspired local institutions and organizations to work together in many new ways. CNM and Wells Fargo, for example, have provided funding for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce to create a business accelerator for Spanish-speaking immigrants that has trained 400 entrepreneurs in six cohorts since 2014, said the chambers chief operating officer, Synthia Jaramillo.

City Alive has challenged us to collaborate with many other organizations and think differently about working together to support small businesses and immigrant entrepreneurs, Jaramillo said. Its inspired us to align our efforts with other groups.

City Alive also launched some of its own projects, including two new business navigator programs  one for Main Street entrepreneurs and one for technology startups  to provide mentoring and technical assistance and help connect them with community resources. And it created a website and mobile app for people to rapidly locate and connect with programs and resources.

City Alives overarching goal is 10,000 new living wage jobs by 2025, said the program spokesperson Sommer Smith.

Demetric Duckett, Living Cities associate director of Capital Innovation, said Albuquerque has created rich strategies to draw people from all sectors into sustainable economic development, including low-income and minority populations.

A lot can be learned from Albuquerque, Duckett said. Were watching closely to share its achievements with other cities.
City attorneys are asking an Albuquerque judge to reconsider her decision to impose severe sanctions against the city in a lawsuit centered on the death of Mary Hawkes, a teenage car theft suspect shot and killed by a police officer in 2014.

District Judge Nan Nash granted Hawkes familys request for sanctions against the city, finding that numerous failures by the city police department left the family without access to the best evidence in the case. Nash ruled that at trial, the jury will be instructed that the shooting of Hawkes was unreasonable as a matter of law and that it proximately caused her death. Attorneys representing her family said that means a trial will focus only on damages, and they wont have to determine whether the shooting was reasonable.

In a motion asking Nash to reconsider, Deputy City Attorney Stephanie Griffin argued, among other things, that the sanction deprives the city of its due process right to a fair trial by preventing a jury from assessing the reasonableness of the shooting. And she says several findings of fact that Nash lists in her ruling are not supported by substantial evidence.

The plaintiffs original argument focused on 10 items of evidence that they said were improperly preserved. That evidence includes a series of Albuquerque Police Department videos recorded the night of the shooting, along with an array of malfunctions that officers said prevented their cameras from recording the encounter between Hawkes and then-officer Jeremy Dear.

The familys attorneys said that some videos the city provided had been altered, and in the cases where an officers camera malfunctioned, the device itself should have been preserved.

Nash said the failure to record the shooting was disturbing and suspicious but did not merit sanctions. But she said the city was at fault for failing to preserve the cameras.

In the latest motion, Griffin wrote the city complied with its obligation to preserve videos from that night, by uploading all relevant footage to an online evidence website. The cameras themselves arent obvious evidence and the city was not on notice that the items needed to be preserved for the familys use, Griffin wrote.

She added that the city still has the cameras, but that plaintiffs have never asked to inspect them. But attorneys for the plaintiffs have argued that the cameras were not properly preserved as evidence and its not clear who may have had access to them.

Laura Schauer Ives, attorney for the plaintiffs, said that the citys motion simply recycles failed arguments, and she does not believe it will be successful. She said she plans to ask the court to deny the motion and award plaintiffs the fees resulting from needless hours spent responding to the request.

If this administration had spent even half the time its wasted on defending its bad decisions on improving APD, the city would be in a much better place today, Ives said in a statement.

A city spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
FILE - This Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016 file photo shows the old Tappan Zee Bridge, left, during construction of its replacement, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, right, in Tarrytown, N.Y. Panels from the old bridge will soon be carrying a few dozen cars, pickup trucks and farm tractors over meandering streams after several counties requested salvaging some of the about 150 50-foot-long deck panels. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) In this Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, photo, a section of the Tappan Zee Bridge is lowered by floating crane onto a barge on the east end of the bridge, in Tarrytown, N.Y. More than a hundred 50-foot long deck panels, already removed from the sections during the ongoing demolition, will be repurposed for use on bridges in several state and local municipalities. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) FILE - This Jan. 4, 2017, file photo shows the old Tappan Zee Bridge, right, in use during construction of its replacement, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, left, in Tarrytown, N.Y. Panels from the old bridge will soon be carrying a few dozen cars, pickup trucks and farm tractors over meandering streams after several counties requested salvaging some of the about 150 50-foot-long deck panels. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) FILE - This Dec. 20, 2016, file photo shows the old Tappan Zee Bridge, background, during construction of its replacement, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, foreground, in Tarrytown, N.Y. Panels from the old bridge will soon be carrying a few dozen cars, pickup trucks and farm tractors over meandering streams after several counties requested salvaging some of the about 150 50-foot-long deck panels. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) FILE - This Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, file photo shows the old Tappan Zee Bridge, background, during construction of its replacement, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, foreground, in Tarrytown, N.Y. Panels from the old bridge will soon be carrying a few dozen cars, pickup trucks and farm tractors over meandering streams after several counties requested salvaging some of the about 150 50-foot-long deck panels. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) In this Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, photo a section of the Tappan Zee Bridge is lowered by floating crane onto a barge on the east end of the bridge, in Tarrytown, N.Y. More than a hundred 50-foot long deck panels, already removed from the sections during the ongoing demolition, will be repurposed for use on bridges in several state and local municipalities. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) Prev 1 of 6 Next

Steel and concrete panels that were once part of a mighty bridge that carried 50 million vehicles a year across the Hudson River north of New York City will find new life spanning streams along sleepy country roads.

With traffic now whizzing across its shiny replacement, the 61-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge is being painstakingly dismantled in a process that will stretch into 2019. Barges haul sections upriver to Albany and downriver to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where ground-up concrete will be sold for highway construction and steel will be melted down and recycled.

Some pieces of the old bridge will escape the crushers and furnaces and be trucked to upstate towns looking to save thousands of dollars on their own bridge projects. Those parts include some of the 2,000 steel-and-concrete deck panels. New Yorks Thruway Authority offered 150 to local governments for the bargain price of $1 apiece when the Tappan Zee project began four years ago, but only 135 met specific local requirements were spoken for. The demolition contractor will disassemble and peddle the rest.

Were estimating it will save us about $100,000 per bridge, said Jim Dougan, deputy public works superintendent in northern New Yorks Essex County, which may build up to five bridges with the dozen pre-fab panels it requested. For a county with about 38,000 residents, thats pretty important.

Seven other counties also requested some of the 50-foot (15-meter)-long deck panels, which are still considered to have plenty of life in them since they were part of a major upgrade of the bridge that was done from 2007 to 2011.

Essex Countys plans include using two panels to span a creek along a gravel road in the tiny hamlet of Ironville, a national historic district near Lake Champlain that bills itself as the Birthplace of the Electric Age. In 1831, an electromagnet now housed in the Smithsonian was used to pull iron from ore there.

Livingston County in western New York is stockpiling six of the Tappan Zee panels, just in case.

We dont have specific locations for them, said that countys highway superintendent Don Higgins. We just want to have them in stock when something comes up.

While reusing panels from big projects like the Tappan Zee is uncommon, its not unheard of. Allegany County, along the Pennsylvania border, got 33 panels from Bostons infamous Big Dig, a highway and tunnel megaproject completed in 2007. Public Works Superintendent Guy James said the county has put in for six Tappan Zee panels, which will likely be used to replace bridges along dirt or gravel roads.

The Tappan Zee had 140,000 vehicles per day, James said. Here, the panels will go on roads that might have 100 cars a day. They should serve the rural population very well.

James was hesitant to take the panels at first because of their weight, 43 tons (39 metric tons). Well have to make sure our bridge supports can handle them, he said. But he foresees no problem trucking the panels to the countys construction stockpile.

In most cases, people will never know theyre driving over a segment of the famous Tappan Zee Bridge connecting suburban Rockland and Westchester counties 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City.

But in some places they will.

Chemung County Supervisor Tom Santulli envisions a sign or plaque identifying panels that may be used to replace several bridges over a meandering trout stream.

Its kind of neat to have pieces of the Tappan Zee, Santulli said. Its a piece of history; when they built it, it was quite a feat.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Civil rights complaints at the University of New Mexico have tripled since 2015  and administrators say that might actually be a good sign.

The Office of Equal Opportunity, which handles discrimination investigations at the states largest university, received 479 complaints in 2016 and is on pace to see about the same volume this year.

Thats compared with 161 in 2015 and a five-year average of 140 between 2011 and 2015.

We think its for a variety of reasons, Francie Cordova, the universitys OEO director, told the UNM Board of Regents Audit and Compliance Committee last month. The national conversation, people know where to report, theres more trust.

Sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual assault, is the No. 1 complaint, which Cordova said is pretty standard nationally. It makes up 37 percent of this years allegations.

The next-largest category, after other/nonjurisdictional, is gender/sex discrimination, which represents 12 percent.

Officials say the OEO activity signals more awareness of the problem and how to handle it.

UNM is currently training all students about sexual misconduct prevention as part of its 2016 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice; its in-person training program has so far reached more than 17,000 students across the main and branch campuses. Faculty and staff, meanwhile, must take an online, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment course.

Another potential reason for the reporting spike: The university in 2015 implemented a policy that requires all faculty and staff to report to OEO upon learning about an incident of sexual misconduct or assault.

Seeing an increase in reporting is a positive first step in shifting the culture  it shows that students are becoming aware of the policies at UNM, starting to believe that people will listen to them, provide resources, and take action to help create a safer campus, UNM Dean of Students Nasha Torrez said in a statement. It also shows that students are able and willing to access some of the resources that are available.

Officials at RAINN, a national nonprofit that fights sexual violence, see the data similarly.

RAINNs vice president of public policy, Rebecca OConnor, said victims are often reluctant to report sex crimes, but its critical for institutions to make them comfortable doing so, thus helping them tap into support, medical care and justice.

While a sharp increase in reports is, on its face, startling, we do view this data as good news, OConnor said in an email.

But one local womens right advocate said its hard to know if the rise in complaints amounts to progress.

Pamelya P. Herndon, executive director of the Southwest Womens Law Center, questioned whether it reflects increased comfort in reporting  or an increase in problematic incidents. She said UNM has better educated its students about how to report sexual misconduct incidents, which could contribute to the flood of new complaints.

But, she said, I would never say that having more sexual harassment complaints means things are improving.

UNM has come under fire in the past for its handling of sexual misconduct, sparking a DOJ investigation and UNMs subsequent three-year agreement with the federal agency.

Many of its mandates involve OEO, which has been expanding. The staff has grown to 10, including five investigators; Cordova said it had just two investigators when she took over two years ago. She also touted the professional nature of the current crew, which includes attorneys and a retired Albuquerque Police Department commander.

The office also has forged new agreements with other campus departments  like the UNM Police Department and Torrezs office  to foster information sharing about individuals backgrounds and patterns.

I think were on the right track, but theres still a lot of work to do, Cordova said.

OEO handles more than sexual harassment cases. It also investigates claims related to many forms of discrimination, including age, race, religion and disability.

So far this year, approximately 17 percent of OEOs complaints have triggered full-fledged investigations.

Of those that do not proceed to cases, OEO determined nearly half, 46 percent, were outside its jurisdiction. Another 19 percent were withdrawn.

OEO also uses informal resolutions to handle some lower-level issues. For example, if numerous complaints emerge from a single department, OEO might visit the department and conduct what Cordova called targeted training. If someone is accused of telling inappropriate jokes, OEO staff could start with a conversation explaining the problem and then monitor the situation for the next 90 days.

The changes have engendered more trust and contributed to the uptick in complaints, Cordova said.

In its latest campus climate survey completed last spring by 736 students, 54.6 of the respondents said UNM would likely support a person reporting sexual misconduct and 50.5 percent said the institution would likely take action to address factors that may have led to the sexual misconduct. More than a third indicated the university was likely not to take the case seriously if it involved an athlete or a member of a powerful fraternity.

Lawrence Roybal, interim vice president for the Division of Equity & Inclusion at UNM, said the institution has worked to promote conversation on critical issues that may have contributed to the rise in reports.

We are pleased that these efforts are resulting in greater awareness and an increase in the utilization of a variety of valuable resources to address important issues, including the Office of Equal Opportunity and many other platforms, he said.
WASHINGTON  Its hard to overstate how thoroughly the U.S. military has prepared for doomsday  the day America gets into a nuclear shooting war.

No detail seems to have been overlooked. Theres even a designated safe escape door at the nuclear-warfighting headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska, through which the four-star commander would rush to a getaway plane moments before the first bomb hit.

Procedures are in place for ensuring U.S. nuclear weapons are ready for a presidential launch order in response to  or in anticipation of  a nuclear attack by North Korea or anyone else. There are backup procedures and backups for the backups.

And yet fundamental aspects of this nightmare sequence remain a mystery.

For example, what would happen if an American president ordered a nuclear strike, for whatever reason, and the four-star general at Strategic Command balked or refused, believing it to be illegal?

Robert Kehler, a retired general who once led that command, was asked this at a congressional hearing last week. His response: Youd be in a very interesting constitutional situation.

By interesting, he seemed to mean puzzling.

Brian McKeon, a senior policy adviser in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, said a presidents first recourse would be to tell the defense secretary to order the reluctant commander to execute the launch order.

And then, if the commander still resisted, McKeon said as rubbed his chin, you either get a new secretary of defense or get a new commander. The implication is that one way or another, the commander in chief would not be thwarted.

The current head of Strategic Command, Gen. John Hyten, said Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada that he would refuse a launch order from a president if he believed that order to be illegal. Hyten also predicted that the president would then ask him for options that Hyten judged to be legal.

Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and co-founder of the Global Zero group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons, said the Kehler scenario misses a more important point: The Strategic Command chief might, in effect, be bypassed by the president.

A president can transmit his nuclear attack order directly to a Pentagon war room, Blair said. From there it would go to the men and women who would turn the launch keys.

The renewed attention on these questions reflects unease  justified or not  about President Donald Trumps temperament and whether he would act impulsively in a crisis.

This past weeks Senate hearing was the first in Congress on presidential authority to use nuclear weapons since 1976, when a Democratic congressman from New York, Richard L. Ottinger, pushed for the U.S. to declare it would never initiate a nuclear war. Ottinger said he wanted to eliminate the prospect that human ignorance and potential human failure in the use of nuclear materials, especially nuclear weapons, will lead to the destruction of civilization.

Forty-one years later, the U.S. hasnt ruled out first-strike nuclear options and is unlikely to do so during Trumps tenure. This troubles experts who worry about a president with the sole  some say unchecked  authority to initiate nuclear war.

We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with U.S. national security interests, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said at the outset of last weeks hearing.

The committee chairman, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was not targeting Trump. But he, too, has publicly questioned whether Trumps aggressive rhetoric toward North Korea and other countries could lead the U.S. into a world war. In the end, Corkers hearing produced little impetus for legislation to alter the presidential authorities.

James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saw politics at play.

But I think its a genuinely important subject, and I think its one we should be debating irrespective of who the president is, he said.

Acton said a president rightly has unchecked authority to use nuclear weapons in response to an actual or imminent nuclear attack. In his view, the president should otherwise be required to consult in advance with the secretaries of state and defense, and the attorney general, and get approval from two of the three before acting.

Matthew Waxman, a professor at Columbia Law School, says changes of this sort would put a valuable check on the president and protect his nuclear authority from potential military insubordination.

Waxman and Richard Betts, director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, have a proposal: To order a nuclear first strike, the president would first have to get certification from the secretary of defense that the order is valid and authentic, and from the attorney general that it is legal.

These added safeguards wouldnt risk delaying a response to an enemy attack in progress, Betts said. They would apply only in situations where the United States is considering starting the nuclear war.
A 29-year-old man died in a crash late Thursday as he fled a traffic stop in Los Lunas, according to state police.

Roberto Quinonez Gonzales was wanted on stolen vehicle charges and had a revoked license when a Los Lunas officer attempted to stop his Nissan passenger car, New Mexico State Police spokeswoman Lt. Elizabeth Armijo said in a news release Sunday.

A state police officer was nearby and saw the vehicle flee the stop near the intersection on Main Street in central Los Lunas Thursday evening. That officer pursued the Nissan for approximately half a mile east on Main Street.

The Nissan ran a stoplight at Carson Drive, slamming into a second vehicle as it turned left from Carson onto Main. A third vehicle, which was stopped at the light, was also hit, Armijo said.

Gonzales was fatally injured in the crash and a woman riding in the Nissan was taken to an Albuquerque hospital in critical condition. Her identity was not released. The driver of one of the other vehicles involved in the wreck was hospitalized briefly, but no other injuries were reported.

The wreck remains under investigation, Armijo said.

This story has been updated to reflect the correct date of the wreck.
As a wildlife disease specialist with more than 40 years of experience, fall hunting season is a good opportunity to clear up some common misconceptions and unfounded rumors about Chronic Wasting Disease that I see nearly every day in the news and on the Internet.

Much of the concern about CWD, a deer ailment that has been detected in 24 states, is rooted in fear. One fear is how it might affect deer and hunting opportunities.

From a scientific point of view, the evidence so far is that the effect is biologically insignificant. CWD has a long incubation period. It could be years before it has an effect on a deer. Deer will often die of something else first, such as predation, starvation or hunting. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found no evidence that CWD was substantially increasing mortality rates when they studied the issue.

Another fear is that people will become scared of hunting. For several reasons, this fear is overblown.

First, CWD does not affect people. It affects deer, elk and moose, but there are no documented cases in people. This isnt unusual; there are lots of things that affect cats, dogs, horses and wildlife that dont affect us, and vice versa. The World Health Organization notes that humans have lived alongside sheep for years, and yet scrapie  CWD for sheep  has never crossed the species barrier to infect humans. The same is true of similar prion diseases in mink and cats.

A study released this summer casts doubt on this, as researchers were able to infect a handful of monkeys with CWD. While the research, which has not been peer-reviewed, made for scary headlines, a look at the methodology shows a number of flaws, such as the fact that some of the transmission methods used to infect do not occur in nature. Unless something more substantive emerges, lets stick with the WHOs observation.

Second, CWD has been around for decades. It was first detected in the wild 30 years ago in Colorado. Not only is the deer population still strong in the Centennial State, but so is the hunting culture.

Now we get to the $64,000 question: Can anything be done about CWD?

Some states like Missouri and Minnesota have seen calls for state authorities to put draconian restrictions on deer farming or private hunting ranches in light of CWD being detected on a handful of these facilities. However, this isnt logical.

Farms are closely regulated by state and federal authorities to monitor for CWD. If CWD is detected on a private deer farm or hunting preserve, its possibly a canary in the coal mine situation where the disease can spread to the local, free-roaming wildlife and then onto the farm, or vice versa. But CWD is already in the wild and is being spread by free-ranging deer that dont have many limitations on where they can go. Even if you banned all private deer farms tomorrow, CWD would continue spreading.

Researchers are investigating some partial solutions. Some are working on a vaccine. Others are working on an accurate live-animal test  right now, the only official USDA CWD test is post-mortem.

If these efforts are successful, they may help in controlled areas, such as hunting ranches or research facilities. But its unrealistic to expect states to try to vaccinate millions of deer in the wild.

Where does that leave us? CWD is in nearly half of states (including New Mexico) and has likely spread to more, undetected. Like any other wildlife diseases in animals we hunt for food, its something that will exist. But theres no evidence that humans are susceptible to CWD.

In other words, wed be better off worrying about deer-car collisions.
Two energy-related stories published in the Journal a week apart reveal a troubling disconnect between clean energy advocates and state regulators.

On. Nov. 7 there was the report about Xcel Energys efforts to gain Public Regulation Commission approval of two huge wind farms  a 522-megawatt facility between Portales and Lovington, and a companion 478-megawatt facility north of Lubbock, Texas. Once built, the $1.6 billion wind farms would provide enough electricity to power about 440,000 average homes annually.

It was followed by the report Nov. 14 that an energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists had informed N.M. lawmakers they have an opportunity to encourage development of renewable energy that could exceed the states goal of having 20 percent of its electrical power produced by renewables by 2020.

So it should follow that A  a huge wind project that capitalizes on the fact the Land of Enchantment has the most reliable wind save for that offshore  leads to B  a lower carbon footprint for the region, right?

Not yet.

Xcel, which operates in eight states, says the project could save customers of its subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Co. about $2.8 billion in electric costs over 30 years by offsetting higher fuel costs from natural gas and other sources. Southwestern has been in Roswell for more than a century and serves about 385,000 people in New Mexico and West Texas.

The PRC wants those savings guaranteed as an unprecedented precondition for approval, and wants Xcel to forgo recovery of its investment for the first two years that the wind farms come online. Brooke Trammell, director of customer and community relations for Southwestern, says the utility isnt opposed to reasonable protections for ratepayers, but forgoing all financial recovery for two years  the amount of time it would take the PRC to set rates for the new electricity  is a deal breaker.

Thats understandable  why would any business invest $1.6 billion into a community and forego two years of recovery that we would never get back? As Trammell says, the utility company just cant.

So with talks stalled, Xcel is considering moving the project elsewhere  Colorado and Minnesota have been mentioned  even though wind conditions are more favorable in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas than anywhere in the country and thus deliver more reliable power and more reliable savings.

A public hearing on Xcels proposal is set for Nov. 27, and along with cost recovery, timing is key. Thats because federal tax credits for wind facilities are being phased out, and its those credits  more than 2 cents a kilowatt hour  that make the wind farms financially feasible. As Trammell says, wind is on sale right now. The project needs a green light by March for Xcel to qualify for the tax credits.

Capitalizing on N.M.s abundant wind now, before other states with smoother regulatory approval processes snatch such opportunities away, makes good fiscal sense. So does building our energy portfolio to include more renewables  renewables the energy industry is eager to provide at a savings to consumers.

Xcel has already offered additional compromises to power up this project  including a cap on cost estimates and a guarantee customers receive savings equal to 100 percent of the tax credits. Its time the PRC did the same and balanced consumer protections now with consumer savings in the future from having renewables make up a larger percentage of the states energy portfolio.

Because this sure sounds like the opportunity scientists told New Mexico to seize, and it would be a costly mistake to blow it.

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.
Dr. Paul Jacobs, a House candidate in the 115th district, says a Truth in Accounting report showing the high tax burden on the average Illinois citizen reiterates the same bad news he and his neighbors constituents already know.

It really gives you a reason to leave the state, Jacobs told SW Illinois News, adding that people and businesses are already leaving the state in droves because they feel the effects of punishingly high property and income tax rates.

Jacobs is challenging incumbent Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) in the Republican primary in March.
Longtime Intel Corp. engineer Katie Prouty may be just what New Mexico needs to build newfound stability for the companys plant in Rio Rancho.

As the plants new site manager, Prouty is squarely embracing Intels rapidly evolving role in todays hyperconnected world, leading the local facility in new directions that could help retain its role as a critical cog in the companys global operations well into the future.

Our goal in New Mexico is to continue being an integral part of the overall Intel manufacturing network, using our local expertise to keep developing new products, Prouty said. We want to take advantage of new opportunities for products that we can make here in New Mexico to support all of Intels strategies and markets, whether its computer processing units for personal computers, chips for data centers and networks, or new microprocessing applications.

Prouty, who became site manager last summer, spoke with the Journal earlier this month about a new, cutting edge technology developed by Intels Rio Rancho engineers to immensely speed data transfer by fusing optics technology, or lasers, with traditional silicon-based electronics circuits. That breakthrough innovation is key to Intels efforts to dominate data management in the modern world of cloud computing, super-fast networks, and Internet-connected devices, earning the Rio Rancho site a solid niche in emerging technologies that Intel is working to develop on a global scale.

The company originally announced the breakthrough, known as silicon photonics, last year when it released its first products with the new technology embedded in transceivers and receivers for data centers. But Proutys conversation with the Journal marked the first time the company has publicly discussed Rio Ranchos central role in not just developing that technology, but also in manufacturing the silicon-photonics components now used in Intels new data-center tools, and possibly in many other products in the future.

Prouty declined to discuss other silicon-photonics applications Intel may be developing or other technology that local teams may be exploring. But that work, alongside the plants traditional chip manufacturing operations, could provide a lot more stability going forward.

Thats good news for Rio Rancho and New Mexico in general. It brings a halt, at least for now, to downsizing at the local plant. Since late 2013, the workforce has fallen from about 3,300 employees to just over 1,000 as company investment bypassed New Mexico, going instead to plants in other states and countries to develop faster computer processing chips for personal computers.

But with Intel now aggressively moving into markets beyond PCs  including everything from data centers and next-generation wireless communications to autonomous vehicles  many more opportunities have emerged for sites like Rio Rancho to build foundational technologies needed to support those endeavors.

Prouty is the right woman in the right place and time to lead those efforts in New Mexico.

A California native, Prouty moved with her husband to New Mexico in 1994 to join Intel as a process engineer. She steadily worked her way up the ranks to become a department manager, and later Rio Ranchos facility manager in charge of daily operations at the plant.

She replaced former New Mexico site manager Shai Rubin last summer after he became Intel manager in Arizona.

Over the years, Prouty has grown firm roots in New Mexico, generating a strong commitment to the local community.

I didnt even know Albuquerque and New Mexico when we first came, and I thought wed probably just stay two or three years, Prouty said. But my husband and I have raised a family here, and we have a real appreciation for this state. Weve learned to love it here.

Its unclear if new product development will eventually lead to more hiring in Rio Rancho. But stopping the downturn is a major boost for the local economy.

Even at 1,000-plus workers, Intel remains the largest technology employer in Rio Rancho. It also employs about 1,000 contract workers, about half of whom are generally on-site daily to work on specific projects, and it spent nearly $200 million on locally sourced goods and services in 2016.

Average compensation for an Intel employee, including wages, benefits and bonuses, totaled more than $140,000 in 2016. And those are economic base jobs that bring new money into the local economy from out of state, since Intel sells all its products elsewhere, said Sandoval County Commission Chair Don Chapman.

Thats new money flowing into New Mexico and supporting other jobs here, Chapman said.

Intel also remains a huge community contributor through employee volunteer programs and support for educational initiatives. Intel employees volunteered more than 31,000 hours in the community in 2016. The Intel Foundation, along with employees, contributed more than $1 million to education across the state.

Its very important for us that the community appreciates how engaged we are, Prouty said. People look to Intel as a leader in the community, and we continue to be so. We believe thats vital to our success here.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Kevin at 823-3820, krobinson-avila@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter @krobinsonavila. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
LOS ANGELES  The first time I saw Charles Manson being led into a courtroom in 1969 at the old Los Angeles Hall of Justice, I was shocked  not because of the mythology that preceded him, but because of just how small he was.

The cult leader, accused of the most notorious murders in decades, arrived amid stories of mystical powers and hypnotic eyes. Now, he was shuffling down a hallway in handcuffs, wearing fringed buckskins, surrounded by deputies.

At just over 5-foot-3, Manson was not much taller than me. His shaggy brown hair hung across his face, and he appeared dazed by the hysteria surrounding him.

Photo crews galloped down the hallway, jockeying so fast to get near him that they knocked a water fountain off the wall, flooding the corridor.

This is crazy, I said to another reporter. Little did I know how crazy it would become.

The gruesome murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others had stunned the world  a celebrity case like no other that plunged me into the world of high-profile trials that would become my professional calling. The Manson case shadowed my life for nearly a half-century as I covered parole hearings and anniversaries and saw a new generation become transfixed by the horror.

To this day, the name Manson can make people shudder as they recall the cult leader who ordered the killings of a group of Hollywoods beautiful people, as well as husband and wife Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, who were slain across town from Tates elegant home.

The trial of Manson and three female followers lasted from late 1969 into 1971, a surreal spectacle punctuated with grotesque images of death, bloody scrawlings and tales of a family of disaffected youths living in a backwater commune.

The aura of celebrity permeated the case. Tates husband was the movie director Roman Polanski, and Manson had hung out on the fringes of the music business.

The focus was squarely on Charlie and the extraordinary power he exerted over his followers, leading them into a world of sex, drugs, rock n roll and, ultimately, murder.

On the witness stand, his young followers spoke of orgies presided over by Manson  designed to rid them of societys conventions  and the use of hallucinogenic drugs to break down their resistance to his ersatz philosophy.

He had delusions of being a rock star and a fascination with the Beatles song Helter Skelter, which the killers scrawled in blood on the walls of Tates home. It was later adopted as the title of a best-selling book on the trial by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi.

Manson was an ex-con who had spent most of his life in prison. He held sway over his mostly teenage devotees with a promise of acceptance they had not found at home or in the counterculture havens that dotted 1960s America. They were special, he told them.

As a short man in prison, he said he learned to survive by telling people what they wanted to hear about themselves  the same technique he used with his followers.

The case played out well before televised court proceedings and tabloid TV. Most of the courtroom photos were in black and white, and there was minimal TV footage of the defendants.

Inside the courtroom, spectators sometimes had LSD flashbacks and were dragged out shouting. Outside, a ragtag band of women camped on the sidewalk day and night. They were Mansons family, who worshipped him and compared him to Jesus. They became a tourist attraction and were always available for media interviews.

One day, they showed up in saffron robes threatening to immolate themselves if Manson was convicted, just as nuns in Vietnam had done in protest of the war.

As I watched from my front-row seat, Manson took the stand outside the jurys presence to explain himself in a riveting monologue.

These children that come at you with knives, they are your children, he pronounced. You taught them. I didnt teach them. I just tried to help them stand up.  I am just a reflection of every one of you.

In the next breath, he uttered his most quoted line: I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed.

It was a lie, and everyone knew it. But the jury was not in the courtroom, and he refused to repeat his words for them.

In court, Manson choreographed a spectacle that included his three co-defendants jumping to their feet and singing songs mocking the judge. At one point, he propelled himself across the counsel table, brandishing a pencil and shouting at the judge: Someone should cut your head off, old man.

He and the three women were so disruptive that they sometimes were exiled to an adjoining room, where they listened to an audio feed of the trial.

When then-U.S. President Richard Nixon declared Manson was guilty directly or indirectly, Manson somehow obtained a copy of a newspaper headlining Nixons remarks and flashed it to the jury, trying to provoke a mistrial. He failed.

Mansons power over the women was obvious. When he showed up with an X carved in his forehead saying he was Xed out of society, the women mutilated their own foreheads the next day. He later changed his carving to a swastika.

When the women eventually confessed to murder, they absolved him of any blame. Their lawyers said they had been brainwashed.

All four were convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to die in the gas chamber, but their sentences were commuted to life in prison when the death penalty was briefly outlawed in California.

That was the prelude to years of parole hearings for the four. Manson rarely appeared, sending word that prison was his home and he didnt want to get out.

For the band of journalists who covered the Manson trial, those 10 months felt like a plunge into horror beyond comparison. If the story had been put forward as a Hollywood script, no one would have bought it. It was just too unbelievable.

___

Deutsch covered high-profile trials for The Associated Press for 46 years.
Authorities were searching southwest Texas for suspects or witnesses after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner injured Sunday while on patrol in the states Big Bend area, officials said.

Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were responding to activity near Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Texas, when both were seriously injured, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Martinezs partner called for help. Other agents arrived, provided medical care and took them to a hospital.

The 36-year-old agent died of his injuries, and his partner, who was not identified, remained in the hospital in serious condition, officials said. Martinez, who is from El Paso, had been a border agent since August 2013.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson declined to offer any further details about what happened.

President Donald Trump appeared to connect Martinezs death to border security and plugged his plans for a border wall in a tweet Sunday night. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible, Trump tweeted. We will, and must, build the Wall!

On Twitter, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asserted, without explanation, that Martinez and his partner were attacked and also linked the incident to security on the border with Mexico.

This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them, Cruz said. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation.

The FBI in El Paso is leading an investigation into the incident, along with the Culberson County Sheriffs Department, and Customs and Border Protections Office of Professional Responsibility.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that she learned of Martinezs death Sunday morning and offered her agencys full support to determine the cause of this tragic event.

On behalf of the quarter of a million front line officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition, she said.

The area where the agents were injured is a dusty stretch of highway about 100 miles east of El Paso. It is part of Customs and Border Protections vast Big Bend Sector, which covers 135,000 square miles in Texas and Oklahoma and 510 miles of river border. The sectors Van Horn Station, near where Martinez died, covers 15 miles of the Mexico border.

The Big Bend Sector accounted for one percent of the roughly 61,000 apprehensions Border Patrol agents made along Texass southwest border between fall 2016 and spring 2017, as the Associated Press reported.

Local media photos from the scene show Border Patrol trucks and about a dozen other unmarked vehicles parked along the side of the road, and a group of law enforcement agents huddled together.

Thirty-eight Customs and Border Protection agents have died in the line of duty since 2003, according to the agencys memorial page. Before Martinez, the only other agent to die in 2017 was Isaac Morales, who was stabbed in a bar parking lot in El Paso. Three agents died in 2016, two of them in car accidents, one of a heart attack while on bike patrol.
NICOSIA, Cyprus  Newly discovered gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean can offer Europe the alternative sources of energy that its searching for, Egypts president said Monday.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said that Europe can take advantage of the proximity of both Egypt and Cyprus to the continent in that energy search.

These gas discoveries can contribute to the European continents search for alternative energy sources, taking advantage of the position of Egypt and Cyprus, El-Sissi said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said his country will promote closer relations between Egypt and the European Union, calling Egypt an absolutely necessary strategic partner for the 28-member bloc on issues like energy, migration and combatting extremism.

Our vision is that the discovery of hydrocarbon deposits in the wider region becomes a catalyst for wider cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean, contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Anastasiades said.

The Egyptian president also said he and Anastasiades agreed on ways of countering the threat of extremism in the region, noting a 2015 military cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Egypt and Cyprus have in the last three years aimed at forging closer ties as part of a relationship built largely on energy cooperation.

Egyptian and Cypriot officials are set to begin talks next month on a potential pipeline that could bring gas from a Cypriot offshore field to Egypt for possible domestic use or export.

Two years ago, Italian energy company Eni discovered in Egyptian waters the biggest gas field ever found in the Mediterranean. Eni, along with Frances Total and ExxonMobil are also searching for more hydrocarbons in adjacent Cypriot waters.

The Egyptian presidents visit to Cyprus comes a day ahead of a three-way meeting that will include Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

El-Sissi said Tuesdays talks will also aim to boost energy cooperation between the three countries.

Cyprus, Greece and Israel have also held a number of three-way talks aimed at enhancing energy and security ties.
The countdown to launch creeps closer and theres still plenty for self-taught rocket scientist Mad Mike Hughes to do: Last-second modifications to his vessel. Pick up his flight suit. Leave enough food for his four cats  just in case anything happens.

Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver whos spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage. His project has cost him $20,000, which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp.

His first test of the rocket will also be the launch date  Saturday , when he straps into his homemade contraption and attempts to hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy, California. He will travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph.

If youre not scared to death, youre an idiot, Hughes said . Its scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket.

Im a walking reality show.

The daredevil/limo driver has been called a little bit of everything over his career  eccentric, quirky, foolhardy. Doesnt bother him. He believes what he believes, including that the Earth is flat. He knows this thought is a conundrum, given that hes about to launch himself into the atmosphere.

Down the road, hes intending to build a rocket that takes him to space, so he can snap a picture and see with his own eyes.

I dont believe in science, said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth. I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But thats not science, thats just a formula. Theres no difference between science and science fiction.

This will actually be the second time hes constructed and launched a rocket. He jumped on a private property in Winkelman, Arizona, on Jan. 30, 2014 , and traveled 1,374 feet. He collapsed after that landing  the G-forces taking a toll  and needed three days to recover.

That distance, though, wouldve been enough to clear the Snake River Canyon, which is a jump daredevil Evel Knievel made famous when he failed to clear it during his attempt in 1974. Stuntman Eddie Braun did successfully zoom over the canyon  using Knievels original blueprints  in September 2016.

Just dont mention Knievel around Hughes. Hes not a fan.

He was an average stunt guy, said Hughes, a former motorcycle racer. He stole his look from Elvis.

Hughes constructed his latest rocket at the Rocket Ranch in Apple Valley, California. Its a five-acre property he leases from Waldo Stakes , the CEO of Land Speed Research Vehicles whos currently working on a project to make a car travel 2,000 mph.

Their relationship formed a few years ago when Hughes approached Stakes about building a rocket. Stakes receives plenty of these sorts of requests, but this one stood out because Hughes was building it himself.

Nothing is out of reach, Stakes said. Anything can be done. You just have to put enough money, time and thought into it.

Heres the thing: Hughes doesnt make all that much money  $15 per hour as a limo driver, plus tips. Thats why hes scrounged for parts, finding the aluminum for his rocket in metal shops and constructing the rocket nozzle out of an aircraft air filter. He gave it a good varnish of cheap paint, and his launch pad is attached to a motor home he bought for $1,500.

I want to inspire others  and you have to do something incredible to get anybodys attention, Hughes said.

The location of the jump will be Amboy , a ghost town in the Mojave Desert and along historic Route 66. The fictional town of Radiator Springs in the Disney movie Cars was loosely based on Amboy.

Hughes got permission from the towns owner, Albert Okura, who purchased the rights to Amboy in 2005 for $435,000. The launch will take place on an air strip next to a dilapidated hangar.

It is absolutely the most wacky promotional proposal I have had since I purchased the entire town in 2005, said Okura, whos also the founder of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain. He is a true daredevil and I want to be part of it.

On the morning of the launch, Hughes will heat about 70 gallons of water in a stainless steel tank and then blast off between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. He plans to go about a mile  reaching an altitude of about 1,800 feet  before pulling two parachutes. Theyre discouraging fans  safety issues  but it will be televised on his YouTube channel . He said hes been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management.

Following his jump, he said hes going to announce his plans to leap into the race for governor of California.

No joke.

His future plans include an excursion into space. He and Stakes have already brainstormed on a Rockoon, which is a rocket that, rather than being immediately ignited while on the ground, is carried into the atmosphere by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and lit. This rocket will take Hughes about 68 miles up.

First things first  this jump over a ghost town. He will be tinkering with his rocket right up to takeoff.

A guy who builds his own rocket in his garage, about to jump a mile is pretty cool, Hughes said. Its the most interesting human-interest story in the world.

___

Online: http://tinyurl.com/ybwm7zuf
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  Unions that represent Navajo workers in New Mexico say tribal members are being passed over for jobs at a power plant on the reservation in violation of Navajo labor laws.

Workers at the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant are installing equipment to cut down on haze-causing nitrogen oxide emissions. The $635 million project requires nearly 1,500 temporary workers through July.

Arizona Public Service Co. leases the land from the Navajo Nation and runs the power plant. APS spokesman Robert Charles says contractors and subcontractors must abide by the Navajo Preference in Employment Act, which means qualified Navajos would be considered before other applicants.

A regional carpenters union and a New Mexico group that represents 15 labor unions say theyre concerned thats not happening. In an area where unemployment hovers around 50 percent and jobs are scarce, they say the law is vital for protecting Navajo workers.

If we do get the first priority or they go by the Navajo Preference in Employment Act, that would give a lot of these Navajo families and the Navajo people here who have the qualifications  good, steady work to be near home with their families, said Chris Frank, a Navajo member of the Southwest Carpenters Local 407.

Los Angeles-based AECOM, which is overseeing the installation of the pollution controls, declined to comment.

The Navajo Nation enacted the preference law in 1985 to keep Navajos working on the reservation. APS is exempt from it under its lease but has a separate preference plan for hiring Native Americans.

The first step in bringing forth alleged violations is the Office of Navajo Labor Relations. The complaints can be pursued further through the tribes Labor Commission. APS spokesman Robert Charles says anyone concerned about hiring practices should seek help there.

Weslie Begay, a Navajo insulator from Beclabito, New Mexico, said he heard about the contract jobs at the power plant over the radio and inquired. He didnt hear back from one company but later got hired by another. He said he emailed the prior tribal administration asking that someone ensure Navajos are being hired for the jobs, but the only response he received simply thanked him for his thoughts.

You see a lot more people there now, but at the same time, youre seeing more from out of state, Begay said. Just after work, youre leaving the parking lot, and you see license plates from all over  Texas and Louisiana.

Franks petitioned the Labor Relations office to investigate and alerted the tribal presidents office. But he said his concerns and those of 15 to 20 others were dismissed. He was given the option to sue  one of several options through Labor Relations  but Frank said he doesnt have the resources.

Wenona Benally, who oversees the Labor Relations office, declined to comment. Navajo Nation spokesman Mihio Manus says the tribe is looking into the matter and declined further comment.

Efforts to sue might be futile since the Labor Commission is waiting appointment of members, and hearings through November have been rescheduled. The Labor Relations office recently was hit with $200,000 in budget cuts, leading to fewer staff members and the shutdown of at least one office.

Navajo workers and union leaders also say theyre hesitant to approach Labor Relations because its time-consuming, contracts often wrap up before action can be taken, or they get no response.

In the past, the Navajo Nation took the preference law seriously, said Brian Condit, president of the New Mexico Building Trades Association. In the past few years, its quite the contrary.

Frank, the carpenters union member, was fired by a subcontractor of the power plant in July for repeated tardiness and absences, though he says he had doctors notes. He believes he was retaliated against for trying to recruit more Navajos, emphasize safety and ensure tribal members are paid proper wages.

I was the one mostly speaking out for everyone in the Navajo Nation, said the 39-year-old Red Valley resident, who now works for another contractor.

Under federal law, tribes and tribally owned businesses can restrict employment to their own members. Hundreds of leases on the Navajo Nation have included language giving preference to Navajo job applicants, former Navajo Chief Justice Raymond Austin wrote in a paper on the law.

Navajo law is a powerful influence on employees wellbeing and employers business decisions, he wrote, but it also can be adversarial for employers and their workers.
LONGMONT, Colo.  A prosecutor in northern Colorado says a 15-year-old arrested in the stabbing death of a 19-year-old woman had a death list that included the victims younger sister.

Boulder Country Deputy District Attorney Michael Foote told a judge that the teen stabbed Makayla Grote at an apartment complex Saturday night and then pursued the younger sister, who locked herself in a room.

The boy declined to appear at his first court hearing Monday after being arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder.

The Longmont Times-Call reports that prosecutors said police found the teen about a mile from the home of another person on the list.

Prosecutors also said the boy assaulted his grandfather and threatened his mother with a knife the day before Grotes killing.
HUMBOLDT, Tenn.  Tyson Foods Inc. plans to build a new chicken production complex in Tennessee, a $300 million project that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2019, the company said Monday.

The new plant in Humboldt will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide, the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said in a statement and a news conference. The plant will help it meet strong consumer demand for its chicken, the company said. Construction is expected to begin within three to six months.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker attended the news conference and praised Tyson for choosing Humboldt, a rural city of about 8,200 people located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) northeast of Memphis. Tennessee competed with other states for the project. Doug Ramsey, group president of poultry for Tyson, would not discuss which other states were in the mix.

Officials said the local agriculture community will benefit from the project, providing supplies and feed for the plant, which will feature a hatchery, processing facility and feed mill. Tysons project will be built at a 500-acre (200-hectare) Gibson County industrial park thats been seeking a tenant for about 20 years, county mayor Tom Witherspoon said.

Its rare that you get a manufacturing project that has such an impact on our agriculture community, Witherspoon said. Thats whats made it such a good project for Gibson County.

Ramsey said the existing industrial park, availability of labor and access to feed grains produced in the region, were reasons why Tyson chose Gibson County

Haslam said that while unemployment in Tennessee is low  at 3 percent as of September  its no news that some of our rural counties have struggled. He called the plant a big deal for the state.

Agriculture is a big part of who we are, Haslam said. So we combine our farmers ability to contribute to this facility with the jobs that will be located here.

Tyson currently operates four facilities in the state, employing about 5,000 people. The company says it paid Tennessee farmers more than $61 million in the 2016 fiscal year.

The announcement marks the second major economic development project Tyson has begun this year in Tennessee. In August, the company announced an $84 million expansion of operations in Union City. That project is expected to create about 300 jobs.

The companys portfolio of products includes Tyson chicken, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm and Ball Park.
WASHINGTON  Janet Yellen submitted her resignation from the Federal Reserve board to President Donald Trump on Monday, announcing that she will leave when her successor is sworn in as Fed chairman.

In a letter to the president, Yellen said she would her utmost to ensure a smooth transition to Jerome Powell, who was tapped by Trump on Nov. 2 to become the next Fed leader after the president decided not to offer Yellen a second term.

Yellens decision gives Trump in his first year in office the chance to fill five positions on the Feds seven-member board, in addition to picking Powell to be the next Fed chairman. Board member Lael Brainard will be the only Fed board member not nominated by Trump, meaning his selections will have tremendous influence in setting the countrys future monetary policy.

Powells confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week before the Senate Banking Committee. Powell, at one time the only Republican on the Fed board, is not expected to encounter major hurdles in winning confirmation to the chairmans job. He has been on the Fed board since 2012.

Yellens four-year term as Fed chair ends on Feb. 3. But she could have chosen to remain on the board until her term as a board member ended in January 2024.

At the moment, the board has three vacancies including the No. 2 spot of vice chairman. The president earlier this year tapped Utah financier Randal Quarles to be vice chairman for supervision.

The administration has not announced selections for the other openings. But last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mohamed El-Erian, the former chief executive at Pacific Investment Management Co., was one of several candidates being considered for the vice chairmans job.

It was also reported that Kansas State Banking Commissioner Michelle Bowman was being considered for the Fed board seat reserved for someone with community banking experience.

Until Monday, Yellen had been mum on whether she might stay on the Fed board if she did not get another term as chair.

In her letter to Trump, Yellen said it had been my great privilege and honor to serve in the Federal Reserve system over three decades, first as a member of the board during the 1990s. She served as president of the Feds San Francisco regional bank, then Fed board vice chairman. In 2014, Yellen succeeded Ben Bernanke to become the first woman to head the U.S. central bank.

As I prepare to leave the board, I am gratified that the financial system is much stronger than a decade ago, better able to withstand future bouts of instability, she said in her resignation letter. I am also gratified by the substantial improvements in the economy since the crisis.

Shawn Sebastian, co-director of the Fed Up coalition, a collection of progressive groups, called Yellens departure a loss for working people across the country. He praised Yellen for her stands on economic inequality, racial disparities in the economy, the role of women in the workplace and the need for more diversity at the Fed.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, who often sparred with Yellen over monetary policy, said in a statement that he had great respect for her and there is no doubt she is an able public servant and I wish her well.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, praised Yellen for successfully navigating one of the most challenging economic periods we have seen in generations.

Yellen was the first Fed leader not to be offered a second term in four decades. In comments a week before announcing his decision, Trump had suggested that while he held Yellen in high regard, he might want to make his own mark on the central bank by selecting someone else for the top job.

Powell, a lawyer by training, will be the first official without an advanced degree in economics to head up the central bank in four decades.

___

This story has been corrected to show the correct spelling of Mohamed El-Erian. It is not Mohammad El-Erian.
LOS ANGELES  Other killers snuffed out far more lives than Charles Manson did in 1969. Yet he has endured for nearly a half century as the personification of evil, even in an age in which mass shootings leave dozens dead at a time.

Manson, the hippie cult leader who died Sunday at 83, horrified America more than a generation ago with the way he seemed to have turned young people murderously against everything their parents cherished. That horror continued long after he had been locked up, in large part because of the demonic image that crime experts say he cultivated with his bizarre behavior and his searing, wild-eyed gaze.

He had that maniacal look that was always so striking, said James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern University in Boston, calling Manson the most notorious killer of all time. Manson was memorable: his voice, his appearance, his mannerisms, as well as his crimes and the crazy Charlie act he put on.

Manson was convicted of orchestrating the slaughter of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people over two successive August nights in Los Angeles. Prosecutors said he was trying to foment a race war, an idea he supposedly got from a misreading of the Beatles song Helter Skelter.

He was sentenced to death, but that was commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

The murders were horrific in their brutality. Tate, a beautiful 26-year-old actress known for Valley of the Dolls, was stabbed and hung from a rafter in her living room. The intruders scrawled Pigs and a misspelled Healter Skelter in the victims blood.

To his long rap sheet, historians might add this: accessory to the murder of the 1960s. The Manson familys crimes, along with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at Californias Altamont Speedway, seemed to mark the demise of the hippie ideal of peace and love.

Mansons notoriety developed in part because he played an integral role ending the mood of wishfulness and illusion that marked that era, said Todd Gitlin, author of The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage. Although Manson wasnt typical of the counterculture, he could be seen as the poster child for violence that some associated with the anti-establishment movement.

Gitlin said he and others in the underground press were as aghast at the crimes as those in the so-called silent majority, which President Richard Nixon had dubbed the older generation.

The country was deeply divided, Gitlin said. One of the things that deeply divided it was culture. So Manson was a gift to those Americans who felt that once you escaped from button-down America, you were prone to become a dangerous sicko.

Although Manson didnt carry out the murders himself, he has managed to endure in the annals of American crime as the cult leader who persuaded middle-class kids to kill for him.

Manson was a manipulator. In a sense, he was a puppeteer, said Jeff Guinn, author of Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson. Manson would seem to be all kinds of things to all kinds of people, but nearly all of it was an act.

Had Manson been executed, he might barely be remembered today, Guinn said.

Instead, with a healthy assist from news coverage, he was able to capture the publics attention every few years when he got a parole hearing or in the occasional interviews he granted, in which he often put on his crazy Charlie act, crime experts said.

With the swastika he carved in his forehead plainly visible, Manson crossed his eyes to make funny faces, shouted theatrically and occasionally uttered gibberish.

While he spoke earnestly about a troubled childhood and professed his innocence, he also made grandiose and odd remarks. He claimed in an interview that he created God and said they were best friends. He also said if he started murdering people, no one would be left but then, cryptically, said that his children were coming.

When ABCs Diane Sawyer asked if the world would forget him, he said, Forget, forgot, forget, forgot and then muttered nonsense.




By Mark Glennon -

Politicians and the media routinely describe state and local budgets in Illinois as balanced, including Crain's in a recent editorial about Chicago's. That's badly misleading. Governments gush red ink while claiming balanced or nearly balanced budgets. The public should understand that most budgets in Illinois aren't remotely close to balanced under any common-sense approach.

In the phony world of government budget accounting, routine gimmicks include counting borrowed money, asset sales and raids on segregated funds as income. Most important for Illinois and its municipalities, budgets entirely ignore growth in unfunded pension liabilities, which are the primary source of our fiscal crisis.

More HERE
The Board of Regents voted Thursday to allow the UC to enter a bid for running the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The birthplace of the atomic bomb and still one of the nations premier nuclear research facilities, the lab has struggled in recent years with a string of safety lapses involving the handling of plutonium and radioactive waste.

The current multibillion-dollar management contract expires in 2018.

UC. by itself, formerly ran LANL for decades until 2006, when the contract was put out for competitive bidding for the first time since the lab was created during World War IIs Manhattan Project.

The university now is part of private consortium with the Bechtel corporation and two other companies that won the 2006 contract. The U.S. Department of Energy decided to rebid the contract after the consortium, Los Alamos National Security LLC, failed to get adequate performance reviews in recent years.

Texas A&M and the University of Texas also have taken steps towards making bids to run the Los Alamos lab.

Journal North editor Mark Oswald contributed to this report.
Star Indias flagship channel Star Plus and the global digital platform for ideas, TED, have come together to India to create a unique collaboration never seen before on television. A limited edition series, TED Talks India Nayi Soch, launching on December 10 will span across 7 Sundays and is all set to inspire the nation to embrace and celebrate ideas.

Social conditioning, rote learning and risk aversion are the culprits that stop us from letting our ideas come to life, which sometimes comes in the way of us realising our vision to be an innovation powerhouse.

This cultural insight is at the heart of the campaign of TED Talks India Nayi Soch, the first look went live on November 18, 2017. Two films  Gudiya and Bobby Ka Idea  focus on how ideas that could have potentially provided a way out of the drudgery of life are systematically discouraged and killed. #DontKillIdeas is the central idea on which the first look of the marketing campaign is based.

Gayatri Yadav, President, Consumer Strategy and Innovation, Star India, said, Its an important and pertinent message from the brand that encourages new thinking (Nayi Soch) about how a seemingly ordinary idea comes with the immense power to transform lives.

Narayan Sundararaman, Business Head, Star Plus, added here, Ideas are often dismissed as figment of peoples imagination. Yet, every great achievement, discovery or invention starts with an idea. Its time we put a premium on ideas. All of us at some point in time or the other have been victims of our ideas being killed or have been responsible for killing ideas. These simple slice of life films bring out this point vividly and with a disarming charm. The films have been conceptualised by the creative agency Leo Burnett India and directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame.

The inspiring journey begins from Sunday, December 10 at 7 pm on Star Plus and Hotstar.
November 20, 2017

The surprising interview that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot gave to the Saudi news site Elaph was published on Nov. 16, just a few days before the 40th anniversary of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem. While it is hard to compare these two events, some people in Israel see a kind of connection between them.

Sadat shocked the Middle East and the entire world when he announced in 1977, without any prior warning, that he was prepared to board a plane to Jerusalem and address the Knesset, if that would lead to a historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. The current interview, which was the first of its kind between an Israeli chief of staff and a Saudi news site, might indicate that the romance between Israel and Saudi Arabia may finally go public, after taking place behind the scenes for a long time. There will be no historic peace agreement here (for the moment), but there may be a kind of normalization on a low burner. Maybe.

What happened with Sadat was much more dramatic. After declaring that he received an official invitation to visit the Israeli capital, the Egyptian president got on a plane and was received by an honor guard at Ben Gurion Airport. He addressed the Knesset the very next day, and two years later, signed a historic peace treaty with the leader of the Israeli right, Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

It was hard at first. Not everyone in Israel believed the Egyptian president's remarkable statement. The chief of staff at the time, Mordechai Gur, warned that it was all a ruse and that Sadat would not be stepping out of the plane when it landed in Ben Gurion Airport. He thought PLO leader Yasser Arafat would step out instead, even though Israel had been boycotting him at the time. Others suspected that Egyptian commandos would burst from the plane and open fire on all the dignitaries who were waiting for Sadat on the runway. The people who thought this were set in their ways. They did not understand the new mood pulsating around the brave Egyptian president. Sadat was serious, and luckily, he found a partner who was no less serious in the person of Menachem Begin. Peace between the two countries may still be tense and cold. It may not include the peoples themselves. Nevertheless, it has withstood the test of time for close to 40 years.

Historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not about to break out anytime soon. On the other hand, Israel is an unofficial member of the Sunni alliance led by young Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. For the past two years, he has been setting the Middle East on fire with a series of audacious moves.

The covert relationship that Israel has with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is no longer a secret. Talking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, a senior source in Israel said that following Eizenkot's interview, "it is obvious that the relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia will be made public in the long term. It may not be built on the Egyptian model of full peace. It may be more like 'Moroccan-style,' with the relationship kept on a low burner. It may not be official, but beneath the surface, it will flourish."

The story began several months ago. Lying on the desk of IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis was a Saudi request for an interview with his boss, the chief of staff. The request had been sitting there for three months while Manelis deliberated what to do about it. In October, Eizenkot returned from a conference of chiefs of staff in Washington. "You wouldnt believe it," he told Manelis, according to one military source speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "I was sitting there, listening to remarks by some Saudi general, who was speaking on behalf of the Saudi chief of staff [who does not speak English], feeling like it could have been me saying the exact same thing. I agreed with every word he said. It was like he was reading my own overview of the situation."

Inevitably, that overview in question focused on the growing influence of Iran in the Middle East and the expansion of the Shiite alliance toward Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and the Mediterranean. "Then let's go ahead with that interview with the Saudi website," Manelis proposed. "Let's do it!" Eizenkot answered.

The choice of the Saudi website Elaph didn't happen by chance. The owner of the site is Othman al-Omeir, a senior Saudi journalist, who served as editor-in-chief of the London-based Arabic-language daily Asharq Al-Awsat, which is owned by the Saudi monarch.

It turns out that Elaph even has a reporter in Israel  the highly regarded veteran journalist Majdi Halabi, a member of the Druze community, who worked for Channel 1. "In all my years in Israeli television," Halabi told Al-Monitor this week, "I never had the privilege of entering the chief of staff's office, of sitting in front of the chief of staff himself in the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum of Israel's defense establishment. Now that I represent the Saudi media and have entered the shoes of a Saudi journalist, I have had that privilege."

Omeir, the owner of Elaph, is considered to be one of the people closest to the Saudi royal family. He went to school with one of the Saudi monarch's sons, and he studied in the same class as him. He is a close confidant of the king's entourage and an honorary member of the royal court. Halabi said that he asked Omeir for permission to interview the Israeli chief of staff during a meeting of the site's editorial board several months ago. Omeir immediately agreed. "You're our person in Israel," he told Halabi. "Do whatever you want."

Once he received the surprising consent from Eizenkot's office, Halabi was quick to contact Omeir to consult with him about the kind of questions he should ask the chief of staff. "You know Israel," Omeir told him. "Ask him whatever you think the right questions would be."

"The reactions to the interview were nothing like anything I had received until now. They came from all over the world," Halabi told Al-Monitor. Halabi made history when he became the first journalist working for the Saudi media to sit in the Holy of Holies of the Israeli defense establishment for an open interview. The story of Israel's relationship with Saudi Arabia is the hottest item in the region, after the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Israel is trying to lower the volume surrounding the whole story, but the way Israelis are following the two princes, Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, who is considered the most powerful person in the United Arab Emirates, has been the focus of considerable attention in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Halabi made history when he became the first journalist working for the Saudi media to sit in the Holy of Holies of the Israeli defense establishment for an open interview.

These two princes are changing the style and approaches of the Saudi-Sunni-Gulf states toward the Middle East, and they are doing it practically overnight. "This is the end of rigid conservatism, cautious decision-making and an insistence on sticking to the status quo," one senior Israeli security official told Al-Monitor. "What we are dealing with here are two princes, both of whom are relatively young. Bin Salman has been showing exceptional boldness, which may even be too adventurous. The decisions that he is making would have been considered insane just a year or two ago, and he is thrusting Saudi diplomacy into entirely new spheres. It will be interesting to see how it all ends."

Israel chose the Elaph website because of how close it is to the Saudi royal family. "We relayed the messages that were important to us, regarding Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the situation along our northern front," an Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. When asked if Israel had received any feedback about the interview from the royal palace in Riyadh, he said, "While there was no direct feedback, we did receive indirect feedback. From what we understand, they read the interview very thoroughly."

All that is left now is for the Saudis to confirm that Israeli chess players will participate in the international chess competition, which will take place in Riyadh in the near future. If so, it will be another step forward in a long, drawn-out tango, in which neither partner is quite sure about the kind of relationship they want to see develop.
November 20, 2017

The Palestinians were shocked to receive US Secretary of State Rex Tillersons message about the intentions of the United States to close the PLOs office in Washington unless progress was made in the diplomatic negotiations on Nov. 18.

Tillerson's threat came on the heels of a Palestinian attempt to bring high-ranking Israeli officials to trial for war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had called on the ICC on several occasions to investigate acts carried out by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank. And in February 2017  as a response to Abbas' reaction to the Regularization Settlement Law adopted by Israel  the Americans threatened to impose sanctions on the Palestinians. These sanctions would include the closure of the PLO office in Washington should the Palestinians dare turn to the ICC.

After the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accord in the White House, a law was passed by Congress that permitted the PLO to open an office in the American capital but stipulated that the US State Department would be allowed to close the office should the Palestinians operate against Israel in the ICC.

In the course of White House contacts with Abbas office and the attempt to re-start diplomatic negotiations with Israel, an agreement was reached: The Palestinians would freeze all their activities in the international forum and wait for the consolidation and completion of an American diplomatic initiative. This is also known as the ultimate deal, as promised by President Donald Trump. According to the US State Department, the Palestinians violated these understandings and are therefore subject to punitive measures.

Until Tillersons surprising and unexpected announcement, the Palestinians were convinced that special envoy Jason Greenblatts travels to the Middle East, his frequent visits to the Mukataa headquarters in Ramallah, President Trumps visit to Bethlehem and the hospitality shown to President Abbas in the White House were all positive signs. The Palestinians thought that all this testified to the fact that the Palestinian Authority (PA) had gotten back on track regarding everything connected to its relations with the American administration, despite the obstacles involved.

In recent months, the Palestinians received messages from Greenblatt that a diplomatic program based on the two-state solution would be presented shortly. In addition, Abbas office received the green light to pursue reconciliation with Hamas after Greenblatt became convinced that Palestinian unity could advance diplomatic moves with Israel, with the support of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Everything looked wonderful until the American announcement, which caused great consternation in Abbas office. In fact, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat  who is recuperating at home in Bethlehem from a lung transplant he underwent in Washington about a month ago  was interviewed by Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation. Erekat harshly told his interviewers, If they close our offices, well cut off all ties with the United States. This is very unfortunate and simply unacceptable. This [indicates] pressure on the part of Netanyahus government at a time in which we are trying to bring about peace and the ultimate deal.

Tillerson had not played a large role in American dealings with Israel and the Palestinians. Instead, the deal-closer job had been accorded to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Greenblatt. That is why the Palestinians are convinced that Tillersons threats must be the doings of Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer.

We know for sure that your ambassador has been working for many weeks on members of Congress and the [US] State Department to bring about the closure of the office in Washington, a high-placed Palestinian source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. According to the source, Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot sent reports in real-time that Dermer was conducting an ugly and manipulative struggle against the Palestinian office in Washington and tried to convince officials in the administration to close the office or at least curb Zomlots activities in the capital.

Israel responded only laconically to the report about the Palestinian office in Washington. The prime ministers office released the following brief message: This is connected to an American law. We appreciate the decision and look forward to continued work with the United States in promoting peace and security in the region. Simultaneously, Israeli ministers were instructed not to give interviews on the topic due to its sensitivity.

The [Israeli] goal is to drive even more spokes into the wheel [of peace], to continue to sabotage progress in the negotiations, claimed the Palestinian source. He added that the Israeli response is an attempt to show that the country was not involved [in the American threats], but all the activities [against the Palestinian office] bear the fingerprints of the ambassador in Washington.

According to an Israeli diplomatic source who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, there was nothing inappropriate about the behavior of Dermer. The source held that Dermer was justifiably acting to thwart Palestinian attempts to slander Israel: in The Hague, in UN institutions in New York or anywhere else in the world. That is exactly the job of an ambassador  to act on behalf of his countrys interests. If indeed he was the one who convinced the US State Department to raise the red flag [to the Palestinians], we should congratulate him for that, said the source.

The Israeli source added that it would be an exaggeration to think that Tillerson's threats on the Palestinians are only the results of Israeli diplomatic activity. A number of factors led the State Department to probe the functioning of the PLO office in Washington and the damage its causing to the peace process, he said.

In this whole hullaballoo, Greenblatts deafening silence is extremely salient. Usually he sends tweets over every activity or meeting connected to his work. Ever since Trump sent Greenblatt to the Middle East as an emissary, Greenblatt has been trying to create a positive working atmosphere with the Palestinians. His goal is to assuage their suspicions of Trump and show them that the Trump administration is, indeed, an "honest broker." But just when it seemed that the sides had begun to trust one another, along came the American threat.

The Palestinians reckon that Greenblatt was not involved in consultations on the matter nor in the decision to threaten the Palestinians, and thats why he hasnt said a word about it as of yet.

Despite Palestinian agitation and the threats uttered by Erekat, the Palestinians dont really intend to go ballistic over the American threat. Al-Monitor has recently discovered that head of Palestinian intelligence Majid Faraj will be sent to Washington in the coming days to resolve the crisis. But it does seem that it will take a long time to fix the cracks that opened up this week in the very complex relations between the PA and the Trump administration.

When asked about the Palestinian allegation, the Israeli Embassy in Washington offered no comment.
November 20, 2017

WASHINGTON  Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have found themselves at odds of late with US State Department diplomats and Defense Department leadership, taking provocative actions by blockading Qatar; summoning Lebanons Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Riyadh earlier this month, where he abruptly resigned; and blockading since Nov. 6 major Yemeni ports from desperately needed humanitarian aid shipments in retaliation for a Nov. 4 Houthi missile strike targeting Riyadh's international airport.

The State and Defense departments have urged Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to ease their pressure campaigns on Qatar and Lebanon and improve aid access in Yemen to avert catastrophic famine. But Saudi and Emirati officials have suggested to US diplomatic interlocutors that they feel they have at least tacit approval from the White House for their hard-line actions, in particular from President Donald Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, who Trump has tasked with leading his Middle East peace efforts.

Kushner has reportedly established a close rapport with UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef al-Otaiba, as well as good relations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with whom Kushner met in Riyadh in late October.

But growing US bureaucratic dismay at perceived Saudi/Emirati overreach, as well as Kushners mounting legal exposure in the Russia investigations, has many veteran US diplomats, policymakers and lobbyists urging regional players to be cautious about basing their foreign policy on any perceived green light, real or not, from the Kushner faction at the White House. They warn the mixed messages could cause Gulf allies to miscalculate and take actions that harm US interests. And they worry US diplomacy has often seemed hesitant, muted and delayed in resolving recent emerging crises in the Middle East, in part because of the perceived divide between the State Department and the Department of Defense on one side and the White House on the other, making US mediation efforts less effective and arguably impeding US national security interests.

When the Saudis and Emiratis were about to launch the blockade of Qatar in June, then-US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones got a call in the middle of the night from UAE Ambassador Otaiba to inform him of the impending action. Jones reaction was extremely harsh. What are you guys doing? This is crazy, a former US ambassador to the region told Al-Monitor. And  Yusuf [Otaiba]'s response was, Have you spoken to the White House?

Jones, contacted by Al-Monitor, confirmed the conversation took place but declined to characterize it, saying it would be inappropriate and unfair to Otaiba.

But the example of Qatar is instructive because the State and Defense departments ultimately prevailed over the initially perceived White House green light to the Saudis and Emiratis for their blockade, said former US Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein.

Initially, of course, the White House very clearly and dramatically was not on the same page as State and Defense, Feierstein, now with the Middle East Institute, told Al-Monitor. But I think that over the course of time, State and Defense have won that fight. And my sense is if [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson and [Secretary of Defense James] Mattis are together and pushing hard, they can win those arguments.  Clearly, when the two of them are together, they can successfully push back on the White House.

The perception that the White House is giving the Saudis and Emiratis carte blanche is magnified by the Trump administrations desire to get Saudi Arabia and the UAE to buy into and achieve deliverables in a relaunched Israeli-Palestinian-Arab peace process.

"It just is stunning how sublimated our policy has become to one or two things, a former senior US administration official speaking not for attribution told Al-Monitor. Fundamentally, we want to go after Iran, [and] we want to go after that outside-in Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. And the Trump administration appears to believe that this requires giving the Saudis a huge amount of space in order to get what we want vis-a-vis Israel.  My guess is they are prepared to trade virtually anything in order to get that 'outside-in' deal."

But the Saudis and the Emiratis risk miscalculating and getting caught in mixed messages coming from the White House versus the State and Defense departments.

It works, until reality intervenes, the former senior US administration official said. Right now, they have  a very strong, effective relationship with the White House that has been reliably supportive of their activities. But they have limited or no broader foundation for that support in the interagency; their support in the interagency beyond the White House is much more brittle. And were they to do anything that damages the support at the White House, either accidentally or with their decisions, they may not have a safety net because the rest of the agencies were not brought along in their chosen course of action."

"I think they could struggle or founder if Jared [Kushner] suddenly disappeared, the former senior US administration official said. Because there is no one who has that camaraderie with the crown prince and has the instinctive desire to find common ground that Jared does. If something happens to Jared  he gets distracted or is no longer on the scene  what happens to [their] critical relationship with the White House?"

Republican lobbyist Ed Rogers, on a Nov. 13 panel at the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi, was described as urging US Gulf allies to broaden their outreach in Washington from one narrowly focused on the Trump White House to the US government institutions and the Democrats in Congress. I made the point that lobbying efforts and Washington should not ignore the Democrats in Congress and that they may be coming back in one house or another in 2018, Rogers told Al-Monitor by email.

Some veteran US policymakers doubt that Kushner is giving Prince Mohammed the green light for all his actions.

My guess is it is vague, Bruce Riedel, a long-time CIA and White House official and Saudi specialist, told Al-Monitor. Jared doesnt know details.

Much more specific is the input from UAE Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, who eggs on Mohammad bin Salman, Riedel, a contributor to Al-Monitor, said.

A spokesman for Kushner did not respond to Al-Monitors query on whether Kushner discussed with Prince Mohammed the latters plans for countering Hezbollah in Lebanon or would speak to the perception that Kushner may be giving Gulf allies a sense of permission for recent hard-line actions. In an Oct. 29 statement, a senior White House official confirmed that Kushner, Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell and special representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt recently returned from Saudi Arabia. Kushner has also been in frequent contact with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the White House official said.

Former US Ambassador Feierstein wondered if the recent Saudi recall of Hariri to Riyadh was part of the Kushner peace chessboard.

Is this a peace process play? Feierstein wondered. Is this somehow a US/Israel/Saudi Arabia kind of strategy that is playing out, aimed at isolating Hezbollah and basically destabilizing the Hezbollah-dominated government in Beirut in exchange for some Israeli concession on the peace process with the Palestinians?  What exactly is the full deal out there?

The State Department was blindsided by Saudi Arabias decision to summon Hariri from Lebanon on Nov. 4 and the reported push for him to resign, Levant expert Randa Slim said.

I know  that the Americans were totally surprised by what the Saudis did, Slim, head of the Track II Dialogues initiative at the Middle East Institute, told Al-Monitor. They were taken aback. [The Saudis] did not coordinate with people at State.

Part of Mohammed bin Salmans strategy to curry favor  and ingratiate himself with the Americans is to [call out] Hezbollah as being a primary culprit and roll it back, Slim said. I think there is where the green light comes from.  The Saudis are doing things without consulting; they are misinterpreting and over-reading tough White House rhetoric on Iran and Hezbollah, while the State and Defense departments are saying they want stability.

On Yemen, the White House needs to firmly press the Saudi-led coalition to lift its blockade of key Yemeni ports, which is exacerbating one of the largest famines in the world, said former US Foreign Disaster Assistance chief Jeremy Konyndyk.

The problem is that the Saudis think Trump and Kushner are the only ones whose views matter, Konyndyk told Al-Monitor. And they're probably right.

I doubt [Kushner would] give an explicit green light on [the Yemen] blockade, Konyndyk added. But the Saudis were champing at the bit to crack down on the place, and the only thing holding them back was the United States saying no repeatedly. In that situation, you don't have to say yes. Just have to stop saying no. [I] suspect that's what happened.

The US administration has renewed its efforts to prevent the Yemen humanitarian crisis from getting worse, including engaging the Saudi-led coalition to demand improved access, a current senior US official, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor Nov. 20.

But the US administration will need to be more forceful in its conversations with the Saudi leadership to avert catastrophic famine in Yemen.

"It is clear that some senior Saudis understand how truly dire the humanitarian situation is, but it is unclear whether they will ultimately influence Saudi decision-making on Yemen and whether the United States will weigh in as well forcefully enough to have a significant impact on the humanitarian crisis, the former senior US administration official said.
The Commerce Department will move forward with imposing antidumping duties on imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Germany, China, Switzerland, India, Italy, and South Korea.



The Commerce Department will move forward with imposing antidumping duties on imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Germany, China, Switzerland, India, Italy, and South Korea.

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells its products in the U.S. market at less than fair value.

In its China investigation, Commerce calculated a preliminary dumping rate of 61.57 percent for Zhangjiagang Huacheng Import & Export Co. Ltd., while Jiangsu Hongyi Steel Pipe Co. Ltd. and other Chinese producers and exporters of mechanical tubing received a preliminary dumping rate of 186.89 percent.

Commerce in its Germany investigation calculated a preliminary dumping rate of 75.39 percent for BENTELER Steel/Tube GmbH and BENTELER Distribution International GmbH, while Mubea Fahrwerksfedern GmbH and Salzgitter Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH received a dumping rate of 209.06 percent. All other German producers and exporters of this product received a dumping rate of 75.39 percent.

In its India investigation, Commerce calculated a preliminary dumping rate of 0 percent for Goodluck India Ltd. However, the department set a dumping rate of 7.57 percent for Tube Products of India Ltd., a unit of Tube Investments of India Ltd, as well as all other Indian producers and exporters of mechanical tubing.

Commerce in its Italy investigation calculated a preliminary dumping rate of 36.80 percent for Dalmine S.p.A., and 31.42 for Metalfer S.p.A. All other Italian producers and exporters of this product received a dumping rate of 33.75 percent.

In its South Korea investigation, Commerce assigned a preliminary dumping rate of 48 percent to Sang Shin Ind. Co. Ltd., and a dumping rate of 5.1 percent for Yulchon Co. Ltd., as well as all other South Korean producers and exporters of this product.

Lastly, Commerce in its Switzerland investigation calculated a preliminary dumping rate of 34.15 percent for Benteler Rothrist AG and a dumping rate of 68.59 percent for Mubea Prazisionsstahlrohr AG. The department assigned a dumping rate of 36.17 percent for all other Swiss producers and exporters of this product.

According to Commerce, in 2016 imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, Italy, India, Korea, and Switzerland were valued at $29.4 million, $38.8 million, $25 million, $11.9 million, $21.3 million, and $26.2 million, respectively.

The petitioners for the antidumping investigations include ArcelorMittal Tubular Products of Ohio, Michigan Seamless Tube of Michigan, Plymouth Tube Co. USA in Illinois, Webco Industries of Oklahoma, and PTC Alliance Corp. and Zekelman Industries, both of Pennsylvania.

Commerce is expected to make its final antidumping determinations in these investigations by Jan. 30, 2018.

If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will end and no orders will be issued.
US carrier AT&T has deployed a Flying COW over Puerto Rico as part of ongoing recovery efforts with the goal of providing cell service to get citizens connected again. The Federal Aviation Administration only recently approved the drones for this use case. The drones in question are single-blade helicopters and measure 7.5 feet in diameter, making it easy for them to maneuver to their maximum hover height of 400 feet. AT&T said that the drones can stay in the air for an extended period but did not specify exactly how long that is. The drone seems to be tethered to a ground-based power source, so its conceivable that it could stay up for quite some time if the weather allows it to do so. While at 200 feet in the air, the Flying COW drone can provide cell service for in a radius of 40 square miles.

AT&Ts announcement of the effort seems to imply that the company has only one unit in the U.S. territory. This unit is currently in the vicinity of San Juan, and the company plans to move it around over time to help bridge gaps in coverage. The Flying COW is small but carries a full-stack LTE networking system that links back into the main AT&T network to provide coverage. The deployment of the Flying COW marks the first time in history that a flying drone has provided LTE coverage to residents affected by a disaster. While this development does mean that first responders and citizens alike who have languished with limited or no options to get online for the past few months can finally do so, the drones limitations concerning uptime and service area, along with the fact that there is apparently only one such device operating right now, make the Flying COW a decidedly temporary solution.

According to AT&T, its crews have been hard at work since Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico, trying to get service restored. Thus far, AT&T says that carriers, utilities, and other parties in the area have managed to get about 70 percent of Puerto Ricans back online, along with about 95 percent of the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus far, there is no ETA from any given party concerning when recovery efforts on the cellular front should be completed.
The European Commission and Japan will approve Qualcomms proposed acquisition of NXP Semiconductors by the end of the year, Reuters reported earlier this month, citing a source with knowledge of the tech giants effort to conclude its takeover of the Dutch semiconductor manufacturer. The Japan Fair Trade Commission is reportedly preparing for an imminent approval of the deal, whereas the top antitrust watchdog of the European Union is expected to follow suit in the coming weeks. The Commission already delayed the deadline for the completion of its antitrust review of Qualcomms tie-up attempt on several occasions, with recent reports indicating that the negotiations between the two have been slow due to significant concessions requested by the regulator.

Qualcomm is said to have managed to reach a preliminary agreement with the Commission in October, having reportedly agreed to a partial acquisition of NXP Semiconductors that doesnt encompass the firms standard-essential patents, in addition to vowing it will not initiate any kind of patent lawsuits related to NXPs NFC patents that its set to obtain as part of the deal. The JFTC is understood to have been presented with similar concessions and is now likely to approve the transaction.

Qualcomms $38 billion bid for NXP Semiconductors could lead to one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the tech industry if approved by all competent regulators. The takeover also gained additional strategic importance in recent weeks after Qualcomm received an unsolicited offer from Broadcom, another semiconductor giant that proposed to acquire the San Diego, California-based company as part of a historic $130 billion deal which was promptly rejected as too low. Apart from believing that it undervalues the firm, Qualcomm said Broadcoms offer raised a number of regulatory concerns, referring to the long road to approval from antitrust bodies that the hypothetical deal would be subjected to even if agreed in principle. By successfully completing the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm would additionally diversify its portfolio and thus become even harder to acquire for another chip company as regulators around the world would likely be even less inclined to greenlight the creation of such a massive entity with the ability to create and sustain monopolies.
The South Korean branch of Samsung launched the official support page for a device bearing the model number SM-G888N0 thats widely believed to be the long-rumored Galaxy X, the companys first attempt at a consumer-grade foldable smartphone. While the handset already passed through a number of regulatory agencies over the course of this year, its mention on Samsungs own pages is as official of a confirmation of its existence as the company will give prior to its actual launch.

The support section of Samsungs website dedicated to the SM-G888N0 doesnt reveal any actual hardware or software features of the handset, though many of them have already been the subjects of numerous industry rumors in recent times. Samsungs previous statements on the matter which confirmed the companys plans to introduce a foldable smartphone in 2018 clearly indicated that the tech giant sees such an offering as an alternative flagship, i.e. its third premium lineup thats meant to be advertised and sold concurrently with the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note-series devices. The timing of its release still makes many of its hardware features uncertain; Qualcomms Snapdragon 845 is understood to be close to an announcement and should be implemented into the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus rumored to launch in February but its still unclear whether Samsung already managed to secure a sufficient quantity of such chips to also use them in a third device, especially one thats meant to be introduced prior to its traditional flagship duo early next year. On the other hand, the actual quantity of chips required for the Galaxy X shouldnt be too high seeing how the Seoul-based companys upcoming offering is expected to be received as a niche product by consumers and is unlikely to be in as high of a demand as the Galaxy S9 lineup.

The Galaxy X will reportedly rely on a hinge, not unlike the recently announced ZTE Axon M, yet its overall form factor may be more similar to that of a flip phone than a book, with the hinge itself supposedly being of the multi-joint variety. One of the two screens found on the Galaxy X is said to be flexible and bendable in one direction, though the final design of the smartphone remains unclear. The latest development comes two months after the SM-G888N0 was certified in Samsungs home country, with the device previously receiving approvals from various standards agencies around the world. With the support page for the unconventional phone now being live, its announcement is likely to be coming in the near future, possibly at CES 2018 thats taking place in mid-January.
A new concept sketch said to be depicting one member of Samsungs Galaxy J (2018) series appeared online on Monday, having been authored and shared by known industry insider Steve Hemmerstoffer, better known by his handle @OnLeaks. Mr. Hemmerstoffer claims that the image seen above is based on an account of a reliable eyewitness but may still be a slightly inaccurate representation of the final product. The actual device whose back panel is illustrated by the image hasnt been named, most likely because the source wasnt sure which handset theyre describing. The upcoming lineup of entry-level smartphones is expected to include the Galaxy J3 (2018), Galaxy J5 (2018), and the Galaxy J7 (2018), as well as market-specific models like the Galaxy J5 Prime (2018) thats believed to be in the making for India.

The drawing itself shows a handset with a dual-camera setup entailing two vertically arranged sensors flanked by a dual-LED (dual-tone) flash from the right. No fingerprint scanner is present on the back panel, suggesting that even if the bezel-free, Infinity Display-centered design of the Galaxy S8 lineup and Galaxy Note 8 ends up trickling down to the Galaxy A (2018) series like recent rumors have suggested, the full-screen aesthetic wont be part of the companys entry-level product family for at least one more year. While not all of the Galaxy J (2017) devices featured a fingerprint scanner, none of their upcoming follow-ups should miss out on such a sensor which will presumably still be embedded into their physical Home buttons, as suggested by previous rumors.

The newly unveiled sketch also indicates that the unspecified Galaxy J (2018) handset will feature conventional volume buttons on its left edge when looked from the front, with the volume down button being opposed by the Power key on the right. A dedicated Bixby button doesnt appear to be part of the package even though Samsung is presently integrating its artificial intelligence assistant into all of its new mobile offerings and is also likely to do so with the Galaxy J (2018) lineup. The handsets corners appear to be even more curved than the ones found on the Galaxy J (2017) smartphones, with Samsungs branding being present approximately a third of the way down the devices back panel. The new Galaxy J smartphones are expected to run a reskinned build of Android Nougat and launch by early 2018.
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) will probably land next month or in January, and the handset has just surfaced in a new real life image. The Galaxy A7 (2018) has been making the rounds via various leaks and rumors for a while now, and it has been intensively leaking in the last couple of weeks. The Galaxy A7 (2018) already got certified by the FCC, while the phone also paid a visit to the Wi-Fi Alliance as well. As if that was not enough, the Galaxy A7 (2018) also got confirmed by Samsung itself a couple of days ago, as Samsung Kazakhstan launched an official support page for the phone, for the model number SM-A730F/DS.

Now, the aforementioned model number suggests that a dual SIM variant of the Galaxy A7 (2018) will become available, and that it will not only be sold in Kazakhstan, but in Europe as well, and the same can be said for a number of other markets. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is expected to arrive along with the Galaxy A3 (2018) and Galaxy A5 (2018), and it is most likely that they will launch in January, as the companys Galaxy A (2017) lineup got announced in January this year. If you take a look at the provided image, youll be able to see the upper portion of the phones front side, and this image was leaked by @OnLeaks. As you can see, this phone has rather thin bezels on the sides, and above the display, though we cannot confirm that this image is accurate, though. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is expected to ship with an Infinity display, and the same can be said for the Galaxy A5 (2018) as well, though we still dont know if the Galaxy A3 (2018) will get the same treatment, as that phone will be more affordable than both the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018).

That being said, the Galaxy A7 (2018) is rumored to sport a 5.7-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) Infinity AMOLED display, while the phone will probably sport a dual front-facing camera setup, as the provided image indicates. Samsungs Exynos 7885 64-bit octa-core SoC is expected to fuel this smartphone, and the device will arrive with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM on the inside. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is also rumored to arrive with a 3,600mAh non-removable battery, and a 16-megapixel snapper will probably be placed on the back of this handset.
According to a recent survey conducted by market research firm Propeller Insights on behalf of American cashback website Ebates, adults in the United States have a higher interest than teenagers in acquiring the Samsung Galaxy S8 during this years holiday season, whereas teenagers are more inclined to purchase the latest iPhone models including the iPhone 8 and the bezel-less iPhone X. According to the report, 38 percent of American adults participating in the survey would be happy to receive the Galaxy S8 during the holiday season, while only 20 and 22-23 percent of adults have shown an interest in the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, respectively. In contrast, 35 percent of teenagers would like to receive the iPhone X or iPhone 8 during the holidays, but at the same time, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S8 manages to win the hearts of more teenagers (28 percent) than the iPhone 8 Plus does (25 percent).

The reasons as to why Samsungs flagship phone appears to be more popular than Apples smartphones amongst adults werent explained, though the findings seem to fall in line with Samsungs own point of view on the matter, at least judging the companys recent Growing Up ad showing a young iPhone user making the switch to a Samsung device after a decade of sticking with the Apple brand. The ad itself was tailored to showcase some of the features that may persuade iPhone users to switch to a Samsung smartphone, such as waterproofing, wireless charging support, and the inclusion of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Some industry watchers speculate that the reasons why adults seem to favor the Samsung Galaxy S8 for the 2017 holiday season may lie in the existence of the fingerprint recognition sensor and the aforementioned headphone jack. Reportedly, adults see these features as being more desirable, whereas teenagers are more likely to pick up on the current tech trends and dont care as much about backward compatibility with standard headphones, or the added convenience of a fingerprint sensor on top of eye recognition technologies.

At the end of the day, its worth noting that the national survey at hand was conducted with the help of 1,034 adults and 507 teenagers, and wasnt based on actual sales figures in the United States. Nevertheless, the survey suggests that the older Galaxy S8 should continue to remain an item of interest during the holiday season, particularly among adults in the United States, despite the release of a new full-screen Apple flagship in more recent weeks, not to mention Samsungs own Galaxy Note 8.
Three new partners will join the partnership of the combined Norton Rose Fulbright and Henry David York.The firm has announced that Sydney-based competition, anti-trust and regulatory lawyer Belinda Harvey; and Melbourne-based corporate and M&A lawyer Chris Mitchell will become partners on 1st December, the date that the merger is due to go live.In addition, after three years in Singapore, head of the Asia Pacific energy team Vincent Dwyer will return to Sydney in January. The former Australian corporate practice leader will continue to focus on M&A activity and the provision of strategic advice in the energy and infrastructure sectors, and will work closely with global energy leader Simon Currie who is also based on Sydney.A lawyer who began her career as a summer associate at Ropes Gray is to become the global firms first female chair.Julie H. Jones will take the helm in 2020, leading a firm with 1,200 lawyers across 11 offices extending from its US base to Europe and Asia Pacifics four offices in Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo.Our firm is defined by the amazing talent and client dedication of our lawyers, as well as our teamwork across practices and geographies, Ms. Jones said. As an M&A lawyer, Ive had the benefit of seeing firsthand the differentiated results we deliver to clients by bringing together diverse practices and offices in a seamless way.Clyde & Co has entered into an association with Malaysian law firm Shaikh David & Co.The two firms have been working together for many years and the new arrangement will enable to global firm to offer a more integrated service for its Malaysian clients; and give Kuala Lumpur-based Shaikh David access to Clydes worldwide network.
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That's right - we're looking at hue testing here, with this Neunelfer being dressed in what should be Black Pepper Metallic.The rear-engined delight was spotted in Stuttgart, the automotive producer's home city. And we've labeled it as a test vehicle since the hue isn't currently found on the Paint To Sample list - pixel tip to PTSRS for the image.Nevertheless, this shade might never make it to the PTS palette, as it could become one of the standard hues for the Neunelfers - as the current 991.2 incarnation of the flat-six wielder approaches the end of its life cycle, the German carmaker comes up with more and more colors aimed at keeping the fire alive.As such, we could see the shade we have here reaching the configurator next year. In our book, the color allows the Neunelfer to establish an even stronger connection to its ancestors, with its restrained appearance enhancing the understated aura of the sportscar.Speaking of PTS goodies, we'll remind you that this special hue palette is now available in the 2018 911 GT2 RS configurator. If you're willing to dress King Kong in such a color, you should be prepared to pay $12,830 for it. Then again, with a Weissach Package-gifted example starting at around $300,000, this shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, the PTS price is the same as in the case of the 2018 GT3, which roughly comes at half the price of a GT2 RS.
We're looking at an M5 belonging to the now-retired F10 generation and this Bavarian beast has been taken pretty far from its factory condition. To be more precise, the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 of the super-sedan has been pushed all the way to 750 hp. At least this is what the owner of the four-door missile states.So yes, the BMW packs more than twice the power of the 718 Boxster S (the Poscha has 350 ponies, remember?), but this doesn't keep its driver from throwing the gauntlet. The two slabs of German went for a rolling start, which means the Porsche lost its standing start grip asset.The Zuffenahusen animal serves as the camera car, so those of you wondering how the downsizing brought by the 718 generation has affected the soundtrack of the mid-engined delight will get their answer in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page.If the white M5 you're looking at feels familiar, it's probably because we've shown you this Bimmer engaging in drag fights before. For instance, we talked about the BMW duking it out with a Ferrari 458 Italia , as well as with a McLaren 570S - however, we don't want to throw any spoilers your way, so those of you who missed the said battles should check them out in order to find out who reached the finish line first.
While regional airlines seem to be the hardest hit so far by the tightening supply of pilots, business aircraft operators are also feeling the pinch. As with the regionals, deep-pocketed larger airlines are outbidding smaller operators for the pool of experienced jet pilots and there is an inevitable result from that. Its really a buyers market and the buyer is the pilot now, Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association (APA) told Reuters. If you dont pay pilots the market rate youre going to lose them.

Single-aisle airline captains are paid an average of $268,000 a year by American Airlines while a salary survey done by the National Business Aviation Association shows a Challenger captain gets about $130,000. Bizjet operators are starting to react, however. Jet Aviation spokesman Don Haloburdo told Reuters corporate pilot salaries have increased about 20 percent in the past year. He said a mitigating factor is that bizjet sales are flat at the moment but are expected to increase when the next generation of aircraft, like the Global 7000 and new Gulfstream G500 and G600 models, begin deliveries. Thats where our industry is going to have a very significant challenge finding qualified crew members, he said.
Three Britons and a man from Vietnam were killed in the midair collision of a small helicopter and a Cessna 152 on Friday. Authorities havent officially released any names but well-known helicopter instructor Capt. Mike Green was with a student aboard the Guimbal Cabri training helicopter when it and the 152 collided in Buckinghamshire. Both aircraft were based at separate training schools at Wycombe airstrip, about 20 miles from the crash site.

Few details have been released about the mishap but the helicopter was owned by Helicopter Services, which provides training and sightseeing flights. The 152 was owned by Airways Aero Associations, which operates Booker Aviation, a flight school and flying club at the field. Green was a former military pilot in his 60s who was revered by the local flying community. Its a sad loss, friend and fellow instructor Phil Croucher told the Press Association. We have lost somebody with a vast amount of experience that could have been passed on to younger people, apart from him being a nice guy generally.
In the process of obtaining a private, light sport or recreational pilot certificate most pilots feel as if they have to absorb an entire library of arcane aviation legal instruction and want to repeat the phrase from the student in the Gary Larson cartoon, May I be excused, my brain is full.

Despite what feels like a wide-ranging course in aviation law, pilot training only covers what is deemed necessary by the FAA and aviation educators to get a student through the minimum requirements of knowledge of Parts 61 and 91 of the FARs to pass the written and checkride. In many cases the new private pilot fairly rapidly forgets most of what had been learned unless the regs apply specifically to the type of flying he or she regularly does.

There is no formal training required for pilots in how to respond to a request to make a phone call to ATC, or what happens if they declare an emergency or what to do if they are ramp checked. However, with social media and hangar flying, there is almost a certainty that the pilot will be inundated with aviation Old Wives Tales (OWT) about potential liabilities as a pilot and aircraft owner as well as legal obligations generally.

The purpose of this article is to open the door and take a brief look at the specialized legal matters a pilot might face in doing the things a pilot does and owning the aeronautical things a pilot wants to own.

This article isnt legal advice, its an introduction to the subject. All situations are different, for advice for a specific situation you face, please contact an attorney.

Emergencies and Paperwork

For reasons that may relate to old John Wayne movies, some pilots think that if they declare an emergency theyll have to deal with endless paperwork afterwards. That simply is not truethat OWT may well be responsible for fatal accidents because pilots shut up when they might have gotten help.

FAR Part 91.3 says that a pilot may deviate from any regulation in an emergency. It goes on to say that if the pilot does violate a regulation he or she will have to provide a report to the FAA if the FAA requests one. Think about what it saysthere is the potential for having to file a report, but only if you have to violate a regulation in the process of dealing with an emergency. From what Ive seen, thats rare. The FAA figured out some years ago that pilots are overly hesitant to admit they have an emergency, so the fact that you declare does not trigger any reporting requirement.

If theres something wrong, its the pilots obligation to use all of the available resources to deal with the problemand those may include getting ATC on your side. I read of one situation where a pilot had to shut down an engine on a twin and couldnt hold altitude. He was talking to ATC but refused to declare an emergency so ATC had to route him around two restricted areas. He barely made the runway. Thats foolish. Had he simply declared ATC could have cleared him straight to the airport.

Failing to declare an emergency when one exists may also increase the risk a pilot will be found negligent in a post-accident lawsuit. In most states, the law gives a person dealing with an emergency a lot of latitude; theres less second-guessing. However, if the pilot didnt declare, why is the jury going to believe there was an emergency? Also, if the pilot didnt declare, then she or he didnt use all available resources and could potentially be considered negligent.

Besides, if youve got a problem, its better to have the Crash Fire Rescue (CFR) crews waiting for you and not need them than to have them cutting the grass when your airplane catches fire during rollout after the fuel odor that was puzzling you ignites.

Ramp Checks

The idea of having an FAA inspector walk up and announce a ramp check generally gets a pilots adrenalin level up the flight levels. Naturally, its the subject of a lot of conversations, Internet drama, false information and misleading advertising by companies trying to sell a gadget or an app.

To start with, the FAA has the authority to conduct ramp checks. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958, which created the FAA, requires it to scrutinize the aviation community for the purpose of safety. One way it does so is via ramp checks.

The purpose of a ramp check is limited: to see if the pilots and aircrafts documents are in order. Thats all. It is not an investigation into what the pilot has been doing.

The usual procedure is for the FAA inspector to approach a pilot who is near an airplane, introduce him or herself, show ID, announce that a ramp check is being conducted and ask to see the aircrafts documents and pilots certificates.

In my opinion, the best way to handle a ramp check is to simply provide the requested documents while behaving professionally. I suggest you write down the inspectors name. Inspectors are human, the vast majority that I know are good folks (most of whom hate doing ramp checks), but there are some who feel the need to hassle pilots.

Dont be chatty; pilots who run their mouths have a strange tendency to admit to doing something stupid with an airplane and thus turn a ramp check into an investigation.

Dont be a jerk; that sets off alarm bells for inspectorsyou might as well as be announcing that you have something to hide. Its an effective way to turn a two-minute event into an unpleasant, long lasting episode with the FAA.

Dont worry about handing your certificate to the inspectorthe Internet fables about the inspector keeping it and claiming you had surrendered it are indeed fables. The surrender of a pilot certificate is governed by FAR Part 61.27. It must be in writing and contain specific language or it is not effective. An FAA Regional Counsel once told me that if an inspector tried to hang onto a pilots certificate during a ramp check the inspector would be lucky to keep his job and his next assignment would be in Nome.

You are required to provide: photo ID, pilot certificate and evidence of a medical (drivers license if Light Sport), the aircrafts airworthiness certificate, registration, weight and balance/limitations documents (in the POH if the airplane has one, separate weight and balance paperwork if the airplane does not). You may be asked to show the aircraft logs. They should not be in the airplane (theyre too valuable, more on that below). Its rare that an inspector makes such a request; if it is made, the appropriate response is to schedule a time and place where you can provide them for review.

You do not have to: let the inspector get into the airplane (Part 91), do a weight and balance calculation for a flight youve made or answer any question about what youve been doing.

You do not have to have current, or even any, charts in the airplane under Part 91.

The moment an inspector asks you about something that happened in the past, even one second ago, its no longer just a ramp check, its an investigation. Under the Pilots Bill of Rights, the FAA is supposed to tell you when its doing an investigation, but sometimes an inspector slips up. You do not have to answer investigation questions. If you are asked about something in the past, my suggestion is that you politely say that it sounds like this is becoming an investigation and that you will speak to your attorney before you answer any further questions. That is your right and inspectors are used to such an answer.

Group Aircraft Ownership

From time to time, youll hear a pilot say that shes protected herself from liability in the event she crashes her airplane by having the airplane owned by a corporation or L.L.C. It wont work. If her sweaty hands were on the yoke when airplane crashed and she caused it, how the airplane is owned wont protect her in the event she is sued.

Nevertheless, when an airplane is owned jointly, the method of ownership can matter. If the owners have formed a partnership to own the airplane, the general rule is that each owner is personally responsible for the negligence of the other partners. When a corporation or L.L.C. owns the airplane, the shareholders of the corporation or members of the L.L.C. are not individually liable for the negligence of the other shareholders or members, particularly the one who was flying the airplane at the time of an accident.

Forming an L.L.C. or corporation for group ownership of an aircraft may have other benefits. That is especially true if one person wants to sell his share as it may simplify the process and may save on sales or use tax in some states. An airplane isnt cheap; in my opinion, its worth consulting with an attorney in your state with regard to the best way to set up ownership.

Nevertheless, when it comes to liability risk, the best way to handle it is to insure the risk, not try to set up some dodge that your hangar neighbors uncle came up with thats utterly foolproof.

The same rule applies for buying a share of an airplane as it does to buying the entire thing: never do it without having a pre-purchase examination performed by a mechanic you chose who knows the type of airplane involved.

Aircraft Logbooks

The aircraft, engine and prop logbooks for your airplane are worth from 10 to 20 percent of the aircrafts value. Take a moment and think of that in cash. Thats the general rule for how much will get knocked off the sale price of your airplane if you lose those logs. Its a fact of aeronautical life.

That means you should probably have a digital copy of the logbooks with the originals locked up someplace safe, not sitting on a shelf at your favorite maintenance shop. After all, would you leave several thousand dollars in cash on that shelf?

When you have maintenance work done on your airplane, have the mechanic record the work done on a sticker that you put into the log. You then copy that page and add it to the digital record of your logs.

There is no requirement of any sort that a mechanic ever see the originals of your aircraft logbooks before doing maintenance or an inspection on your airplane. For your protection, and for the protection of your mechanic, provide either a digital copy or print out a hard copy. That way neither you nor your maintenance technician runs the risk of losing valuable documents.

Ive also seen logbooks held hostage by a shop when there was poor communication between the shop and the aircraft owner over what maintenance was authorized and what the price was going to be. Owners have had to sue shops to get logbooks backnot a good thing for anyone involved.

Please Call ATC

Youre flying along, minding your own business, when ATC calls you, gives you a phone number and asks that you call after you land.

You probably arent about to be told that youve won the lottery.

Should you call?

Maybe. (Hows that for a lawyers answer?) If you do, only do so after youve taken the time, after landing, to consider the situation and talk with your attorney. You dont get any points for calling in quickly, so take time to maturely consider what triggered ATCs desire to speak with you further.

Most of the time the whole thing started because you erred, or at least ATC is convinced you did. If you call, remember that the call is recorded. Plus, you will identify yourself as the person flying the aircraft. On top of that, ATC keeps getting less and less discretion as to what it can do when there is a pilot deviation. The chances that you have a friendly conversation, admit you messed up, promise not to do again and the tower or Center says, OK, dont do it again, and closes the file on the subject are low.

However, the very good news is that two years ago the FAA unveiled its Compliance Philosophy approach to pilots who violate a reg inadvertently. Simply put, the FAA recognized that by hitting pilots who made an innocent mistake with a certificate action the effect was just to anger pilots and turn the community into increasingly anti-FAA and -regulation folks who were more likely to fly contrary to the regs again. The new procedure is that an inspector from the FSDO contact the pilotwith full Pilots Bill or Rights disclosuresand talks with him or her about the event. If the pilot admits the error and it was unintentional, there will not be a violation action against the pilot. In most cases theres one phone call where the pilot and inspector discuss what happened and how to avoid it in the future. Thats itits over. In some cases the pilot takes a little dual with a CFI or flies with the FAA to make sure she or he hasnt really lost a step and shouldnt be flying anymore. The reality is that the number of certificate actions against pilots has gone through the floor. The pilots and FAA inspectors who have been affected by Compliance Philosophy all like it. Inspectors hate writing up violation actions and pilots love having a chance to talk frankly about a mistake in an environment where they arent going to get into further trouble.

Nevertheless, the infraction has to be inadvertent and the pilot has to fess up, which means admitting guilt. If the FAA does go with a violation action, the pilot has essentially given up whatever defenses he or she might have had. Therefore, there is still some risk. Therefore, there are some hard and fast rules of thumb before calling ATC or the FAA back when you are asked to do so:

Never argue with ATC on the frequency. Contact an aviation attorney before you make the phone call. File an ASRS (NASA) report about the incident immediatelyif you do get a violation, you wont have your certificate suspended.

Accident Reporting

Youre going into the short strip near the vacation lodge and forget the gear. Ouch. Youre taxiing over to the pumps to fill up, misjudge, hit a post with the wing of your Piper Dakota, open up the outboard tank, fuel gushes out, ignites and burns up your Dakota, a King Air and a Gulfstream. Wow.

To whom do you report the accident? NTSB? FAA?

You dont report it to either one; they are not reportable accidents under Part 830 of the NTSB regulations.

In the first example, a gear up landing almost never does enough damage to meet the reporting threshold of Part 830. In the second, the aircraft has to be moving for the purpose of flight. Taxiing to the fuel pump isnt moving for the purpose of flight.

An accident is reported to the NTSB. While the NTSB may tell the FAA, the regs call for the notification be made to the NTSB. The NTSB may delegate the investigation to the FAA; nevertheless, the notification is to the NTSB.

If you are involved with an incident that does not meet the definition of an accident, there is no reason to burden the NTSB or FAA with the time, effort, cost and paperwork involved with carrying out an investigationthey dont want to do it. However, if someone reports it, an investigation has to be conducted, and that may mean that the FAA looks at the pilot for a potential violation it might not otherwise have even known about.

Again, before doing anything, stop and think. Remember, even if the event is a reportable accident, which requires immediate notification under Part 830.5, you have to determine if it is reportable, so dont just pull out your cell phone and call the NTSB.

Aviation insurance companies know about the NTSB threshold reporting requirements, so just because you damaged your airplane, you dont need to report it to the NTSB for your insurance to pay for the repairs.

If you bend an airplane, I suggest the following checklist:

Care for anyone who is injured

Call your attorney

Determine whether the event is reportable under Part 830

If it is a reportable accident, notify the NTSB immediately

Contact your insurer

Landing on a Taxiway

A few years ago, I looked at a four-fatality accident where a pilot elected to land on the sole runway on the airport despite a crosswind that was near the demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane. He lost control on rollout and totaled the airplane and the people inside. What struck me was that the airport had a long taxiway that was oriented into the wind. There is nothing in the FARs that prevents a Part 91 pilot from landing on a taxiway at a non-towered airport. I kept asking myself why the pilot didnt land into the wind. There were no buildings or obstructions near the taxiway and taxiways are often used as runways during runway construction.

A crosswind that is at the edge of the pilot or the airplanes ability to handle it can have ugly resultsgeneral aviation has an unpleasantly high rate of runway loss of control accidents. While it would be wise to divert to an airport that has a runway more into the wind, fuel onboard may preclude such a diversion. Its certainly not common, but landing on a taxiway isnt prohibited by the FARs and landing into a strong wind on an unobstructed taxiway well clear of people and buildings may be far, far safer than trying to tackle that same wind when its blowing from the side.

You may never have good reason to land on a taxiway, but dont omit it from your bag of tricks because you think its not legal when conditions make it sensible.

Flying Over Gross

As America gets fatter, it seems to me that there is an increasing willingness of pilots to fly their airplanes over gross. One of the OWTs I hear is that while it may be foolish to fly over gross, its not illegal. Its true that its foolish, however, its also illegalPart 91.9 requires complying with the airplanes operating limitations.

Flying illegally, intentionally, is your call. However, if the fact the aircraft is over gross has some relation to the cause of an accident, say hitting an obstruction on takeoff or an inadvertent stall, you may find yourself short of defenses should you be sued. In some states you may be facing an automatic finding of negligence. Your insurance should still cover youviolation of a reg is generally not reason for an insurer to deny coveragebut you may have crippled your defense.

Conclusion

This article hasnt touched on all the legal issues a pilot may faceand because buying or selling an airplane is more complex that I can touch on in a general aviation law article, Ill do a piece dedicated to that subject soonbut I hope its targeted some of the more common, even if space has precluded it from dealing with them in depth. In my opinion, the important thing for a pilot to remember when coming up against a legal issue is to take some time to think before acting. The AOPA legal services plan pays for consultation with an aviation attorney on most aviation legal issuesin my opinion thats worth the price of admission. You worked hard to acquire the expertise to fly; when you need expertise on legal issue in aviation, it makes sense to contact someone who worked hard to gain it rather than make a quick decision you may regret.

Rick Durden is an aviation attorney, holds an CFI-AI an ATP with type ratings in the Cessna Citation and Douglas DC-3 and is the author of The Thinking Pilots Flight Manual, or How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing it, Vols. I & 2.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she'd prefer a new election to leading a minority government after coalition talks between her center-right Christian Democratic Union, the centrist Free Democratic Party, and the center-left Greens fell apart, per the BBC.

September's elections were initially viewed as a victory for Merkel as the CDU won by far the most seats. Now, unless she can patch together a coalition, it'll be up to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to call for another election which would take months. Steinmeier has said the parties have a responsibility to come to an agreement.

Why it matters: The situation puts Merkel's position in jeopardy and risks political instability in the European Union's biggest member as Brexit negotiations ramp up. Another election could also benefit the far-right Alternative for Germany, which had big gains in September's election on an anti-immigrant, anti-Islam platform.
Argentinian navy ships detected noises coming from beneath the ocean's surface that sounded like tools banging against the hull of a submarine, CNN reports. The sounds were detected about 330 miles from the coast of Argentina and may be a distress signal sent by the ARA San Juan  a submarine with a crew of 44 that disappeared Wednesday.

The submarine's captain reported a failure in the battery system before the sub went missing. Navy officials said they have not been able to contact the vessel since Wednesday, but it was scheduled to dock in Argentina on Sunday. The search continues in the area where the sounds were detected.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has joined private equity firm Lindsey Goldberg as a partner.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivers a speech about AI and gaming during the Computex Taipei exhibition. Photo: Chiang Ying-ying / AP

FORTUNE Businessperson of the Year is Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of chip maker Nvidia, based in Santa Clara:

Huang on why he started Nvidia:

"We ... observed that video games were simultaneously one of the most computationally challenging problems and would have incredibly high sales volume. ... Video games was our killer app  a flywheel to reach large markets funding huge R&D to solve massive computational problems."

Huang, born in Taiwan , is "the rare cofounder still running his company 24 years later. He ... foresaw a blossoming market for a new kind of computing early enough to reposition his company years in advance."

, is "the rare cofounder still running his company 24 years later. He ... foresaw a blossoming market for a new kind of computing early enough to reposition his company years in advance." On the next billion-dollar opportunity: "The ability for artificial intelligence to write artificial intelligence by itself. ... We're seeing early indications of it now. Generative adversarial networks, or GAN. I think over the next several years we're going to see a lot of neural networks that develop neural networks.

"The ability for artificial intelligence to write artificial intelligence by itself. ... We're seeing early indications of it now. Generative adversarial networks, or GAN. I think over the next several years we're going to see a lot of neural networks that develop neural networks. "For the next couple of decades , the greatest contribution of A.I. is writing software that humans simply can't write. Solving the unsolvable problems."

, the greatest contribution of A.I. is writing software that humans simply can't write. Solving the unsolvable problems." On the company's name: "We couldn't think of one, so we named all of our files NV, as in 'next version.'" A need to incorporate the company prompted the cofounders to review all words with those two letters, leading them to "invidia," Latin for "envy."

FORTUNE's runner-ups: #2 Jamie Dimon (CEO, JPMorgan Chase) ... #3 Marc Benioff (CEO, Salesforce) ... #4 Jeff Bezos (CEO, Amazon) ... #5 Mary Dillon (CEO, Ulta Beauty) ... #6 Ajaypal "Ajay" Banga (CEO, Mastercard) ... #7 Huateng "Pony" Ma (CEO, Tencent Holdings) ... #8 Dan Schulman (CEO, PayPal) ... #9 Marillyn Hewson (CEO, Lockheed Martin) ... #10 Francisco D'Souza (CEO, Cognizant).
The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center has analyzed the economic impacts of the GOP tax plan passed last week by the House.

By the numbers: It would boost economic output by 0.6% of GDP in 2018, 0.3% in 2027 and 0.2% in 2037. It would increase debt as a share of GDP by 5% in 2027 and 9% in 2037.
Justice League, the tentpole "team up" movie of the DC Comics movie universe, opened to a discouraging $96 million over the weekend, per Variety. The Superman-Batman-Wonder Woman get-together is one of the most expensive movies of all time with a rumored budget of $300 million.

Why it matters: It's a terribly disappointing result and the lowest opening weekend for DC's fledgling movie universe, which has been plagued by bad reviews and tepid audience reception. Wonder Woman, which opened to $103 million in June on half the budget, had appeared to give the franchise momentum earlier this year, but Justice League couldn't even land in the top 50 opening weekends of all time.
Nebraska's Public Service Commission has approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline across Nebraska in a 3-2 vote, removing the last regulatory hurdle for the $8 billion project, per the Omaha World-Herald.

Why it matters: Oil prices go a lot further than any government permit to determine whether the Keystone XL pipeline will ever actually be built. Companies' appetites to tap into the expensive oil sands region in Canada are much less than what they were several years ago, as crude oil is trading at about three times less the price it was trading when the pipeline was first proposed.

Impact: Just because it's been approved, it doesn't mean the pipeline will be built for a few reasons, including:
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the decision to put North Korea back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism is part of the "peaceful pressure campaign" against the regime. The U.S. is not out of diplomatic options, Tillerson said.

Sanctions have had an impact in North Korea, the secretary said. "We know there are significant shortages of fuel. We know that their revenue flows are down."
President Trump announced he was adding North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terror on Monday, reversing President Bush's 2008 decision to take the regime off the list. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has designated it as such, per a State Department official.

The backdrop: Trump discussed the escalating North Korean nuclear threat with President Xi of China and President Moon of South Korea during his recent Asia trip. The White House has long been considering a decision to put North Korea back on the list. North Korea joins Iran, Sudan, and Syria on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

History: North Korea, which was on the list from 1988-2008, was taken off after it agreed to dismantle some of its nuclear weapons program, but as Congress noted in April this year, "North Korea has failed to live up to these commitments."
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, "The president wants people in the House and the Senate that support his agenda," when asked if Trump would approve of Roy Moore's election to the U.S. Senate. She also said repeatedly that Trump is leaving the decision to the people of Alabama. That followed similar comments from Kellyanne Conway on Monday morning

Sanders instructed reporters to say what they're thankful for this Thanksgiving before asking questions. Starting it off herself, she said, "I'm sure you all know, I'm thankful for everyone in this room." Some reporters responded: 'I'm thankful for the First Amendment."
The Federal Reserve announced Monday that Janet Yellen will leave after her successor, Trump-nominated Jerome Powell, takes over. Her four-year term as chairwoman comes to an end on February 3, 2018, but she could have remained on the board until 2024.

Why it matters: Trump will now get to fill four seats on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Read her letter to the president.
Armenias prominent Soviet-era dissident Paruyr Hayrikian, who currently heads an extra-parliamentary political party, has gone on an open-ended hunger strike in front of the Central Election Commission (CEC) building in Yerevan over what he described as anti-constitutional behavior of the body.

Hayrikian, the chairman of the Union for National Self-Determination and a former presidential candidate, claims the CEC acted against the amended Constitution by refusing to provide him with the necessary documents for the start of a signature collection campaign for a constitutional reform.

Article 202 of Armenias new Constitution adopted in a 2015 referendum, in particular, entitles at least 200,000 citizens that are eligible voters to initiate the adoption of a new or amendments to the existing Constitution.

We received a strange reply, which shows that they either do not recognize the 2015 Constitutional referendum and therefore do not accept the new Constitution or challenge the legality of the new Constitution, Hayrikian claimed.

Not all of the chapters and articles of the amended Constitution have been enforced yet. The article in question, according to transitional provisions, is due to take legal force when the newly elected president of Armenia assumes office next spring.

Still, Hayrikian insists on his right to start the collection of signatures based on the mentioned article of the Constitution even in the absence of proper legislation.

CEC Chairman Tigran Mukuchian explained to RFE/RLs Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) over the weekend that they did not provide Hayrikian with the documents necessary for the collection of signatures because the current law on referendums does not provide for such a procedure.

Hayrikian, who spent about 18 years in Soviet prison and was shot and wounded during his bid for the presidency in 2013, has for years sought changes in Armenias Constitution that he says will enable the country to switch to absolute democracy in which no vote of a citizen will be lost because of a faulty electoral system.

This is not the first time Hayrikian goes on hunger strike as a means to support his political demands. The last time he resorted to this form of protest was in 2014 when after Armenias decision to join a Russian-led trade bloc Hayrikian went on a weeklong hunger strike demanding President Serzh Sarkisians resignation and the transition of power to pro-European forces.
The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that the group of journalists from Ukraine that was reportedly banned from entering Armenia last week had no accreditation.

Earlier, producer of the Ukrainian television company, ICTV, Oksana Dykhnich claimed that their crew was not allowed to enter Armenia despite all arrangements made as required. She further claimed that the entry ban was imposed at the request of Russia.

In a Facebook post Dykhnich said the companys crew went on a business trip to Armenia, but upon arrival were denied entry because they were blacklisted in Russia for their work in the east of Ukraine where government forces are fighting Russian-backed separatists.

This ban is valid for all countries of the [Russian-led] customs union, Dykhnich claimed, recommending that her colleagues in Ukraine consider this circumstance in planning their trips to countries of the Eurasian Economic Union that besides Russia includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

The Ukrainian TV company did not apply for any accreditation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and this fact was publicly admitted by the producer of the TV station who made an appropriate post on Facebook, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan told RFE/RLs Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am). Our employee left a comment to that post and the woman admitted that they did not apply for accreditation, he added.

Balayan insisted that Armenia has no black list of journalists. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry spokesman did not wish to answer the question on why the Ukrainian television crew was not allowed to enter Armenia. Answering this question is not within my competence, he said.

Meanwhile, in a comment to Dykhnichs Facebook post a user named Hovhannes Igityan (the name of an opposition politician in Armenia) insists that the lack of accreditation cannot become a reason for banning a Ukrainian citizen with a valid passport from entering Armenia, since Armenia and Ukraine have a visa-free regime.
20 November 2017 10:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 128 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on November 20.

Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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20 November 2017 12:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Recent events in Armenia in connection with the restriction of students right to defer the military service have caused serious discontent in the country's society. Hundreds of students were taking to the streets every day, a group of them has even went on hunger strike.

"Where once Armenia tried to hide serious problems in the society, now it is more difficult to do it," Azerbaijani MP Aydin Mirzazade told Trend, commenting on these events.

He believes that the main problem in Armenia is the population decline, its outflow from the country. Armenia's official statistics say that 14,300 people left the country during the past year, and in the last five years the number of permanent residents has decreased by 302,400. In addition, this year is showing the lowest birth rate in the last five years.

Armenia has occupied part of Azerbaijans territory, and therefore it needs to keep a military contingent on these lands. Today Armenia faces serious problems with the replenishment of the ranks of this military contingent, and Armenia sees conscription of students for military service as the last way out of the situation," Mirzazade said, adding that this decision has led to unrest in the Armenian society.

The MP also commented on the recent decision of the Armenian Parliament to exempt imports of Russia's military products from Value Added Tax (VAT). He said Armenia has militaristic tendencies in its economic policy.

In general, countries abolish VAT to strengthen the economy, improve the social status of the population, prevent the increase in prices for necessary products, but Armenia abolishes VAT for the purchase of military equipment, Mirzazade said. "It is obvious that Armenia is interested in preserving the military contingent in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, not in the economy."

The MP added that this is an indicator that Armenia has long passed the red line, the country is rolling into the abyss and is heading for even more serious problems. "I believe that Armenias territorial claims against Azerbaijan should have led it to such a situation as a result, he concluded.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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20 November 2017 14:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Regular flights between the capitals of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan will be resumed from December this year, Tajik news agency Asia-Plus reported on November 20.

The agreement on launching regular flights of Tajikistans Somon Air company from December 2017 on the Dushanbe-Baku-Frankfurt-Baku-Dushanbe route was reached during a working visit of a delegation of the Somon Air and TALCO (Tajik Aluminium Company) in Baku.

This issue was discussed during a meeting of the Tajik delegation with the President of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC Jahangir Asgarov, Director of Buta Airways Jamil Manizade and First Vice-President of Silk Way Airlines Teymur Mammadov.

The parties also made decisions on training, retraining and advanced training of Tajik specialists in the field of civil aviation on the basis of specialized educational institutions of Azerbaijan.

The opportunities for the restoration of direct flights between Dushanbe and Baku have been repeatedly discussed by the parties at various levels in recent years.

Such flights were launched in May 2012, but due to low ridership were suspended afterwards. Flights were resumed in March 2013, but then were suspended again for the same reason. New flights will be carried out twice a week.

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, both post-Soviet countries, established diplomatic relations on May 29, 1992. Today the countries cooperate in a number of spheres, but they still have unused potential for cooperation in the tourism sector.

Given that both countries are rich in unique historical places, architecture, monuments and infrastructure, the forthcoming opening of direct flights will facilitate the development of mutual tourism, as well as business ties through strengthening the cooperation between tourism companies of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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20 November 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

Turkey and Azerbaijan will expand e-commerce and rendering mutual postal services, the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications said in a message quoting Ahmet Arslan, the countrys minister of transport, maritime affairs and communications as saying at the International E-Commerce Conference in Antalya, on November 20.

Arslan noted that the conference in Antalya will give impetus to the development of e-commerce between Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as between Turkey and other countries.

The minister added that Turkey intends to improve e-commerce.

An agreement on cooperation in the field of e-commerce among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia was signed on June 2017 in Istanbul.

Cross-border e-commerce provides a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in countries and regions that may traditionally have found it difficult to reach regional and international markets  such as landlocked developing countries  and connect with potential buyers beyond their borders.

The number of internet users in Azerbaijan is increasing annually. Today, Azerbaijan is the leader among the Central Asian and CIS countries for Internet penetration and the country observes an increasing trend in the number of broadband Internet users. This leads to development of the e-commerce as well.

The country has taken several measures to support SMEs in the country as the Labour and Social Protection Ministry developed a program of self-employment. To this end, some 6 million manats ($3.388 million) have been allocated from the Presidential Reserve Fund for the Ministry.

The program envisages that all participants of the program pass special training, and get practical knowledge on the implementation of small and medium scale business, as well as get acquainted with financial aspects of entrepreneurship. Further, they develop business plans and present them to consideration of a special commission. Should the plan is assessed as successful and promising, the participants get all needed assistance for free.

According to the Institute of Statistics of Turkey (TUIK), there are 48 million Internet users in the country, and 43 percent of users of the global network use online shopping daily.

During the six months of 2017 in Turkey, 30.8 billion Turkish lire ($15,5 billion) was spent on online purchases. The Ministry of Finance expects that by the end of the year this figure will reach 50 billion Turkish lire ($12.7 billion).

During the first half of the year, 17.5 billion Turkish lire ($4.4 billion) out of the total volume of online purchases came in retail trade, 10.1 billion Turkish lire ($2,5 billion) - in the tourism sector (hotel reservations), the remaining 3.2 billion Turkish lire (808 million) - in online gambling.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $1.96 billion in January-September 2017, which is demonstrates an increase as compared to the same period of 2016, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.
20 November 2017 18:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan is the leader among the EUs Eastern Partnership countries in terms of number of implemented twinning projects, Head of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas said on November 20.

He made the remarks at an official opening ceremony of the twinning project Strengthening the Institutional and Administrative Capacity of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan.

Jankauskas said that 46 twinning projects have been implemented in Azerbaijan since the beginning of holding such initiatives in the country. He added that currently 13 twining projects are being implemented in Azerbaijan, and eight more projects are under preparation.

He also stressed that the EU will continue to support Azerbaijan in improving the management of public finances and application of international audit standards.

Currently Azerbaijan is carrying out large-scale reforms and is ready to use various international experience for this. The EU is actively cooperating with Azerbaijan in this matter and is ready to continue successful cooperation, Jankauskas said.

Vugar Gulmammadov, chairman of Azerbaijans Chamber of Accounts, in turn, said that the EU will allocate 1.4 billion euros for strengthening of institutional and functional capabilities of the Chamber.

He said this was envisioned under a twinning project realized jointly with supreme audit bodies of Croatia, Slovenia and Poland. The project, implemented by Polands Central Audit Department (NIK), was launched on October 1and will take 27 months to complete, ending in December 2019.

Gulmammadov added that the project envisages achievement of the main goals, among which are the development of human resources management and the functional capabilities of the Chamber with the aim of increasing the usefulness and effectiveness of staff, increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in financial audit as well as submission of audit reports in accordance with international standards and national legislation. The main goals also include increasing the capabilities of the Chamber in improving contacts with parliament and press.

Twinning projects have very strong and good results in the strengthening cooperation in different areas. At least a thousand of European Unions expats have been working in Azerbaijan in twinning projects of different capacity during the last five years.

Azerbaijan and the EU also have a very strong base of cooperation on many different areas besides twinning projects: in statistics, environment, social issues, safety, and constructing standards.

The bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of a partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999. The agreement provides for wide-range cooperation in the areas of political dialogue trade, investment, in economic matters, legislation and culture. Since then, the EU has gradually expanded the scope of its assistance and cooperation with Azerbaijan.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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20 November 2017 18:04 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

An exhibition of foreign artists Franz Ackermann, El Anatsui, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Richard Wilson opened in Gazelli Art House on November 17.

Domestic Alien is a show that explores and challenges a diverse range of present-day themes and issues, Day.Az reported.

Underlined by the concept of displacement, it encourages a dialogue on differences in societal and cultural values, notions of domesticity, and the impact of globalisation.

Franz Ackermanns whimsical landscapes lead viewers in a world full of colour and abstraction.

Ackerman's last works "Chess Me" and "Direction Away" (2016) has been widely recognised as critical political commentary on the contemporary issues of tourism and globalisation.

A labyrinth of biotic generalisations, what seems to be unstructured, compositions work in paradoxical harmony to provide a common ground.

One of the most influential contemporary artists of his generation, Michelangelo Pistolettos pioneering approach serves to reconfigure the relationship between art and life.

Pistoletto elaborates on the use of reflective surfaces to "create a place by bringing about a passage between the photograph and the mirror".

Engrossed within the interactive setting recreated on the surface, the viewer sees at once both a familiar and distorted reality.

Richard Wilson, one of Britains most renowned sculptors, is well-known for his interventions within architectural spaces.

Inspired by the worlds of engineering and construction, Wilson offers a new perspective on everyday spaces and objects.

The distortion and upturn of otherwise recognisable objects, such as in Blocka Flats (2017) where he borrows from the form of a chest of drawers, prompt a re-assessment of accepted pre-conceptions of reality.

Following the success of the launch of the re-designed space in Baku this year, Gazelli Art House is excited to welcome a truly impressive assemblage of universally celebrated international artists in Azerbaijan.

The exhibition will last until February 23, 2018.

Gazelli Art House supports a wide range of international artists, presenting a broad and dynamic programme to a diverse audience through global public projects and exhibition spaces in London and Baku.

Contemporary gallery was founded in 2003 in Baku, Azerbaijan where it held exhibitions with Azeri artists.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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20 November 2017 12:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Despite the fact that there are difficulties in relations between Russia and the United States, this does not affect the cooperation in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing a meeting at the ADA University in Baku on November 20.

He noted that Russia, the United States and France have a common position on this issue.

The foreign minister expressed hope that the Geneva meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia will positively affect the process of the conflicts settlement.

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20 November 2017 14:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An international forum on The Threats of Separatism to International Peace and Security was held in Belgiums Brussels on November 20 with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with the Diaspora and the Congress of European Azerbaijanis.

The event was attended by Azerbaijani Presidents Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov, representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Belgium, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora Nazim Ibrahimov, heads of Azerbaijans diaspora organizations in Europe, as well as many international experts, political figures, former presidents, prime ministers and chairpersons of parliament.

Addressing the event, Hasanov said that the forum is dedicated to a very topical issue that concerns the modern world.

It is very important to hold discussions to find a way to solve the crisis caused by dangerous trends such as international terrorism and ethnic separatism, he noted.

We all are concerned with the difficulties in addressing refugee and migrant problems, human trafficking and smuggling, and threats to political and economic stability, transportation and energy security, said Hasanov.

Observations show that ethnic separatism and its negative manifestations have a special place among these threats.

The top official noted that the strengthening of tendencies of ethnic separatism in the modern world is one of the important factors that negatively affect the ensuring of regional and international security, mankinds living in peace and tranquility.

After the end of the Cold War, a new wave of ethnic separatism tendencies emerged in the former Soviet Union. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Ossetia conflict in Georgia and Transnistrian conflict in Moldova have become a source of potential threats to the regions stability. These conflicts lead to gross violations of international legal principles, and emerging of serious threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, he said.

Hasanov emphasized that the resolute fight against ethnic separatism by such authoritative international organizations as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe is one of important issues today. Otherwise, ethnic separatism, as a negative trend, can turn a large part of the world into an arena of interethnic conflicts, he added.

Unfortunately, currently, the double standards policy in the system of international relations hinders the resolution and principled fight against ethnic separatism, said Hasanov.

In some cases, leading international organizations are indifferent to the issue of whether all the states of the world follow the legal norms, which include the elimination of ethnic separatism, the effective methods of fighting and a mechanism for punishing criminals, he added.

This casts shadow on the objectivity of organizations such as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, Hasanov noted, adding that therefore, those leading international organizations should abandon the double standards and increase their efforts to resolve ethnic conflicts within international legal norms.

He added that religious, racial and national intolerance and destructive separatism force people to experience massive refugee and migrant life.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan, which has been subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing and occupation of Armenia, understands very well the difficulties existing in this sphere. In 1918, when Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence, it faced Armenian separatism. During the former Soviet Union, the separatist actions of Armenians against Azerbaijan switched from an active phase to a phase of simmering conflict. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Armenia began to pursue an ethnic separatism and aggression policy against Azerbaijan, by making groundless territorial claims, said Hasanov.

Armenian armed forces committed genocide against the Azerbaijani population of Khojaly city in February 1992. As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, formed on the basis of ethnic separatism and territorial claims of Armenians, 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory is under occupation. The activity of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh regime created by the Armenian separatists in the Azerbaijani territory with Armenias support means the gross violation of international law. Unfortunately, the organizations that claim to fulfill their missions to ensure the international legal principles, including the United Nations, as well as leading countries of the world continue to act as mere observers with regard to this issue, added the top official.

According to Azerbaijan, it is inadmissible to establish a state within the territory of a state, defined by international law, and to use national, ethnic fragmentation to achieve this goal, said Hasanov.

Azerbaijan urges the world community to take practical steps and to avoid Armenias aggression policy, by warning of the threats that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may pose in the region, he added.

The Azerbaijani top official noted with regret that unresolved issues, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, hinder the development of Azerbaijans high-level partnership with the European Union.

Regional and global violations of the territorial integrity of countries, ways of resolving the conflicts and separatist tendencies caused by separatism were also discussed at the event.

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20 November 2017 16:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The only way to resolve the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the return of the sides to the negotiation table in good faith, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger told Interfax on November 20.

The OSCE provides a forum for dialogue and supports the sides in working towards a lasting peace. For this, there needs to be a genuine political will and commitment from the sides, he said.

He further welcomed the meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Geneva on October 16, held under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. Greminger noted that this meeting was the first direct talks at this level in more than a year.

In particular, I welcome that the presidents agreed to take measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the contact line, he said.

The Secretary General also noted that is absolutely essential for the sides to adhere strictly to the ceasefire regime established in 1994.

Although the ceasefire agreement was signed more than 20 years ago, Armenia still does not comply with it. Not a day passes without ceasefire violations by Armenias armed forces in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and the frontline in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, the Armenian militaries using heavy machine guns and mortars deliberately aim at Azerbaijan settlements near the frontline in order to hurt civilians living there.

Greminger noted that the Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs, remains the only accepted format by the sides.

It has the full confidence of all OSCE participating states. The Minsk Group co-chairs and the chairperson-in-office through his personal representative are continuously in direct contact with the sides in efforts to ease tensions and promote negotiations, he said.

Azerbaijan has long ago stated it is ready to settle the conflict through direct negotiations with Armenia with mediation of the Minsk Group. However, the Armenian side is not interested in these talks, therefore it constantly tries to make up reasons to avoid a constructive dialogue and preserve the unacceptable status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh, thus indefinitely delaying the settlement of the conflict.

In his other interview with RBK, Greminger noted that OSCE closely follows the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

We have a special tool  a mission led by personal representative of the OSCE Secretary General Andrzej Kasprzyk, whose employees are closely watching the situation along the contact line. We were worried about the outbreak of the conflict in the recent past, he said.

Greminger further noted that his role as the Secretary General is to support the work of the three co-chairs of the Minsk Group.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCEs efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation and the United States. However, mainly due to the reluctance of Armenia to join serious negotiations, the Groups activities have brought no breakthrough results so far although it deals with the issue for over two decades.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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19 November 2017 19:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received a delegation led by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.

Welcoming the guests, President Ilham Aliyev said that Lavrovs visit is a good opportunity to discuss issues related to the further development of the bilateral relations.

"We are very satisfied with the interstate relations between our countries. These relations cover almost all spheres and have very good dynamism. Regular meetings are held at the level of heads of state. Several meetings have been held this year. Also foreign ministers, heads of other relevant structures meet regularly. All this shows that the relationship is at a high level.

We have long characterized them as relations between strategic partners, and I am confident that in the future we will increase the potential for cooperation," President Aliyev said.



The President also highlighted good results in the trade and economic sphere.



"This year, we have an increase in turnover and in mutual investment. New opportunities are opening up in the transport sector. We are actively working in this direction, in the energy sector. Of course, the traditional sphere of cooperation is humanitarian cooperation. I think that our relations can serve as an example for all neighbors and all partners," he said.

"Surely, today we will also talk about issues related to settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan is extremely interested in an early settlement of this conflict," President Aliyev said, voicing belief that the visit will be an important

moment in strengthening the relations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked President Aliyev for the invitation.

"I fully share your assessment of our political dialogue. You have recently , on Nov.1, met once again with the President of the Russian Federation in Tehran. He extends you the warmest greetings, and with pleasure remembers your meetings. We are committed to realizing agreements reached between Vladimir Vladimirovich and you. I also would like to note with satisfaction that the trade turnover, according to our statistics, in the first 9 months of 2017 increased at least by more than 60 percent. This is a very serious step for preventing the decline trend in the trade turnover recorded two years ago, and as you have said, for boosting temps in increasing the investments. I should note the successful holding of an interregional forum this year in Stavropol. A meeting of the interparliamentary commission was held in Baku. My colleague and I exchanged visits on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations. An exhibition of archival documents was held in Moscow. Tomorrow we will hold an additional event dedicated to this date. I would like to thank the Diplomatic Academy of Azerbaijan for the invitation to make a speech, which I will do with pleasure tomorrow," Lavrov said.

The foreign minister further added that a lot of connections tie Russia and Azerbaijan.

" One good example: most recently in Moscow, the 100th anniversary of Kerim Kerimov, one of the founders of our space program, the chairman of the USSR State Commission for Manned Flight, was celebrated. I believe that such periods of our history should continue to unite us and set the bar for new bilateral relationship," he said.

"Surely, with my colleague, we will talk about our interaction in international organizations. This activity develops progressively. We, as a member of the trio of co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, are interested in helping in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Here we absolutely agree with you that active efforts should be made in this direction. Thank you again for this reception." he concluded.

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20 November 2017 14:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An explosion occurred in one of the plants in the Lokbatan settlement of the Garadagh District of Baku, Emergency Management Center of the Azerbaijani Emergencies Ministry told Trend on November 20.

The ministry reported that as a result of the explosion, one person was killed. Rescuers were sent to the scene.

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20 November 2017 18:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Turkish opposition People's Republican Party accuses the country's government of deliberate spoiling relations with NATO, the Turkish media reported on November 20.

Reportedly, deputy chairman of the partys parliamentary group Engin Altay said that the Turkish government has always looked for opportunities to spoil relations with NATO.

Altay added the incident between NATO and Turkey is a theatrical performance, which is of interest only to the Turkish government.

It is time to reconsider the issue of Turkey's membership in NATO, Yalcin Topcu, chief advisor to the Turkish president said Nov. 20 while commenting on the incident between NATO and Turkey.

The Turkish parliament must consider the issue of Ankara's membership in NATO as soon as possible, he said.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country withdrew its servicemen participating in NATO exercises in Norway.

The reason is that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan added that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The Turkish president said that around 40 Turkish servicemen were to participate in the exercises.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg apologized to Turkey in connection with the scandal that occurred during the NATO exercises in Norway.

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20 November 2017 12:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Iran and China have long enjoyed high level of economic relations with China being dependent on its oil imports from Iran and the latter being interested in foreign investment which such fast developing-economy as China could offer.

Following the lifting of nuclear related sanctions, Iran started to ramp up its oil production, and, therefore, the relationship between the two states could grow even further.

Iran's exports to China has reached a stand of $13.88 billion in the first three quarters of the current year showing a 27.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

A total of $27 billion worth of goods were exchanged between the two countries during the period, ISNA reported.

Oil took the lion's share ($8.74 billion) of Iran's exports to China, which imports 633,000 barrels of crude from Iran on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, Iran's non-oil exports during the nine months registered a 28.1 percent rise in tonnage and 27.8 percent increase in value.

China heavily relies on oil imports from Iran. The country was a top consumer of Iranian oil even during the three years of international sanctions that targeted Irans nuclear program.

Chinese companies were increasingly active in Iran, whose oil and gas sector requires investment capital and technology. The two countries enjoy high level of economic, trade and energy ties. China previously invested in a number of major oil projects, including the development of huge oil fields.

In July, state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation took a 30 percent stake in a project to develop Iranian South Pars  the largest natural gas field in the world.

Beijing also signed a $3 billion deal to upgrade Irans oil refineries in January. Moreover, Chinas EXIM bank financed some 26 projects in Iran so far, providing around $8.5 billion in loans. In addition, China Export and Credit Insurance Corp, or Sinosure, also signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran in May to help Chinese companies invest in Iranian projects.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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20 November 2017 14:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A new aluminum plant will be built on the territory of the existing aluminum enterprise in Tajikistan.

This was announced by the head of the Information and Public Relations Department of Tajik Aluminum Company SUE Igor Sattarov at the briefing in Dushanbe.

In 2018, the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) is set to begin the implementation of the program for the phased and complete modernization of aluminum production and its transfer to new modern technologies.

At present, the enterprise is forced to spend huge funds for the repair of worn out and out-dated equipment. The modernization program will allow renewing fixed assets in the very near future, replacing obsolete equipment with modern energy-saving equipment, which will significantly increase the production of aluminum, Sattarov explained.

In terms of implementing the project to modernize the aluminum plant, TALCO specialists conducted a detailed analysis of the market for the latest aluminum production technologies, as a result of which it was decided to apply Chinese technology, which proved to be effective in recent years, including due to high energy saving indicators.

During the state visit to Tajikistan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed a Memorandum on Cooperation between SUE Tajik Aluminum Company and Chinese company Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group.

This Chinese company and TALCO have reached an agreement on the construction of a new aluminum plant on the territory of the existing aluminum enterprise with the installation of fully automated electrolysis baths with a capacity of 540 kA. The Chinese company has already prepared a preliminary feasibility study and is currently engaged in the development of the project. The production capacity of the new aluminum plant will be 503,000 tons per year. Its structure will include foundry and anode production.

At the same time, the new aluminum plant will significantly save electricity and basic raw materials, such as alumina, cryolite, aluminum fluoride, and also anodes. The company will create 1,100 new jobs.

The beginning of the construction of the plant is scheduled for 2018. The construction period of the project worth $1.6 billion is one year and a half.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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20 November 2017 15:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) may no longer be considered as a reliable ally for Turkey.

The distance between Turkey and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is becoming irresistible on the background of the recent events related to the military exercises held in Norway.

It is not difficult to imagine that the forthcoming period will be full of even more serious tests for Turkey, the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkish media outlets reported on November 20.

He noted that what happened during the NATO exercises held in Norway was directed not only against his personality, but also against Turkey as a whole.

Given this, Turkey is prepared for anything, the Turkish leader said.

Meanwhile, Turkish presidential aide Yalchin Topcu stated that it's time to reconsider the issue of Turkey's membership in NATO.

The Turkish parliament must consider Ankara's membership in this organization as soon as possible, he said.

NATO is the culprit of the fact that Turkey in the defense sphere depends on other countries, according to Topcu.

"NATO, unfortunately, is hostile to Turkey," he said.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen have apologized to Turkey over the incident.

Turkey withdrew its forty servicemen participating in drills at NATOs joint warfare centre in Stavanger, Norway, due to the fact that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan previously said that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The joint warfare centre is a multinational NATO unit based in Stavanger, 300km south-west of Oslo. It has a staff of 250 made up of civilians from 11 NATO member states, including Turkey.

In March, the Norwegian government caused fury in Turkey by granting political asylum to five Turkish officers based in Norway who had refused to return home after the failed July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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20 November 2017 16:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstan's KazTransOil plans to transport up to 80,000 tons of Russian oil via its pipeline to Uzbekistan by the end of 2017, the press service of the company reported.

The oil will be pumped through the pipeline to Shagyr oil loading point, where it will be poured into railway tanks and then transported by rail to Uzbekistan. According to the schedule of oil supplies, in November the volume of transit will be 30,000 tons. By the end of 2017, it is planned to transport up to 80,000 tons of raw materials along this route, the general director of KazTransOil JSC, Dimash Dosanov, said.

On November 16, at the Russian-Kazakh border point, the first consignment of Russian oil was taken to the system of the main oil pipelines of KazTransOil, intended for further transit through the Kazakhstani territory towards Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan supported the implementation of Russian oil supplies to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan on September 16, including through KazTransOil pipelines to Shagyr oil loading point.

In accordance with the framework agreement on some issues of cooperation in the energy sphere, deliveries of Russian oil via the KazTransOil pipeline system en route Omsk-Pavlodar-Shymkent- Shagyr oil loading point have been started.

As of November 20, as many as 20,950 tons were accepted into the system of main oil pipelines of the KazTransOil, while 13,300 tons of Russian oil were shipped from the Shagyr oil loading point to the railway tanks.

In Uzbekistan in 2010-2016, gasoline production decreased by 26.2 percent, diesel fuel - by 8.3 percent, while imports of hydrocarbons increased 1.3 times.

Earlier, Uzbekistan expressed readiness to purchase up to 500,000 tons of oil from Russia for the refinery in the Jizzakh region.

The agreement on import oil supplies was reached during the visits of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan and Russia.

At the end of April 2017, Uzbekistan started construction of a new refinery in Zafarobod district of the countrys Jizzakh region, which is expected to operate using the crude imported from Kazakhstan and Russia.

The refinery has design capacity of processing of five million tons of oil per year, production of 3.7 million tons of car fuel, over 700,000 tons of aviation fuel and 300,000 tons of associated oil products.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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20 November 2017 17:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Normalization of Tajik-Uzbek relations and attraction of foreign investments may allow the government of Tajikistan to complete the Rogun hydro power plant (HPP), the world's tallest dam, analysts of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) believe.

"The plans of Tajik government to complete the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power station received additional impetus. Along with the normalization of Tajik-Uzbek relations, the $500 million raised in the international capital market may allow the Italian contractor not only to catch up with the schedule, but also to complete the construction of the first stage of the Rogun HPP at the end of 2018," according to the macroeconomic overview of the EDB Chief Economist Group.

The placement of Eurobonds on the international market in September this year in order to raise funds for financing the construction of the Rogun HPP can support the restoration of investment growth in the near future, the authors of the review said.

The government of Tajikistan, which has suffered from electricity shortages for years, makes all possible efforts to complete the construction of dam that will solve the countrys energy problem.



By implementing the project, Tajikistan will be able to generate about 13 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will not only help the country to meet its domestic needs but also turn Tajikistan into a major exporter of electricity.



Approximately $4 billion is needed to complete the major energy project. About 2 billion somoni ($227,2 million) have been allocated from the state budget for the completion of the hydroelectric power station this year.



Therefore, the Tajik authorities decided to issue securities worth $1 billion for the completion of the Rogun HPP. At the first stage, bonds worth $500 million were put up for sale on the world markets.

The dam should form a large Rogun reservoir with a total volume of 13.3 cubic meters. The project is criticized because of the location in the zone of high seismicity, landslide and mudflow processes, and the presence of a tectonic fault filled with rock salt under the base of the dam.



Uzbekistan has previously openly opposed the project. The country was speaking against the project during the tenure of former President Islam Karimov, demanding an expert examination of the hydroelectric project under the aegis of the UN.

The Rogun HPP will dam the Vakhsh river, which is a major tributary to the Amu Darya river, one of the region's two major water courses. The neighboring countries cautioned water could be diverted from their cotton and wheat fields. Uzbekistan claimed that water flows would be seriously decreased in case the dam is built. However, the World Bank assessment gave the go-ahead to the major project.

The Italian company Salini Impregilo is engaged in the construction of the Rogun power plant. Last October, Tajikistan launched work on the construction of a rock embankment dam, 335 meters high and $1.95 billion worth. The cost of the entire hydro power station is $3.9 billion.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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20 November 2017 15:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

Traditional melodies, national costumes and walnut mountains: the first hazelnut festival of Azerbaijan, where the main thing required was to have time to try these delicious nuts, attracted hundreds of visitors - tourists and local residents.

The festival was held in Zagatala region on November 18, with its diverse and rich nature where hazelnuts have been grown for a long time.

Hazelnut is not only a delicious treat but also a unique gift of nature that helps to maintain health and prevent the development of many diseases.

A wide range of hazelnut products were exhibited and various competitions were organized at the festival. The handicrafts were interestingly appreciated by the festival participants.

Representatives of embassies of foreign countries operating in the country, including the Ambassador of Japan to Azerbaijan Teruyuki Katori, officials of the organizational bodies, prime ministers, as well as hazelnut producers and exporters, residents of the region participated in the festival organized by the regional executive authority and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The main purpose of the festival was to demonstrate the economic, cultural and tourism potential of the country, as well as the Zagatala region.

At the festival held at Dede Gorgud Square, guests tasted honey syrup and nutty bread.

Head of Zagatala District Executive Power Mubariz Ahmadzadeh congratulated the residents of the region on the occasion of the remarkable day. It was noted that Zagatala is one of the fastest growing regions of Azerbaijan today, which has a great potential for hazelnut production in the region.

It was noted that hazelnut production has become one of the traditional areas in the agricultural sector of the region since the middle of last century. In 1929 the first hazelnut plant in the former Soviet Union was launched in Zagatala. Nuts and canned products produced in the factory were exported to all USSR republics, as well as to some European countries.

Currently, hazelnut pursues one of the leading roles in the economy of Zagatala region. In order to ensure the implementation of the presidential orders on the development of nutrient products, Zagatala continues to work on the establishment of new hazelnut orchards in recent years.

Over the last two years, the total area of hazelnut groves has been expanded from 9,575 hectares to 17,000 hectares. Last year, the enterprises of the region exported some 91 million manats ($53 million) of hazelnut products. In the current year, hazelnut exports are expected to reach 120 million manats ($70 million). During the first 10 months of 2017, some 95 million manats worth hazelnut products was sent to foreign countries.

Head of the Tourism Department of the Culture and Tourism Ministry Aydin Ismiyev said that such festivals held in different regions of the country play an important role in promoting the tourism potential of the regions.

Then the participants of the festival got acquainted with the exhibition of a wide range of hazelnut products on the square with amazing decorations.

Participants of the event watched the process of fueling the oven with hazelnut shells, the rules for keeping chestnuts, the process of burning hazelnut sticks in the oven.

Currently, Azerbaijan is one of the five leading producers and exporters of hazelnuts along with Turkey, Georgia, Italy and the U.S

Relying on its amazingly rich and variable nature, Azerbaijan plans to expand the exports of hazelnuts. About 35,000 tons of hazelnuts are produced in the country annually, 90 percent of which are exported.

In Azerbaijan, the hazelnut production fetch one of the biggest revenue among agricultural production, therefore, the country pays attention to this area.

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As the cyberthreat landscape becomes increasingly complex, organizations are seeking new talent from different sources to address their IT shortages.

At the Becker's Hospital Review 6th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable Nov. 13 in Chicago, Willis Towers Watson's Brian Warszona, vice president, and Tracey Malcolm, future of work leader, discussed the intersections of cybersecurity and employees.

"Our organizations are changing in terms of the jobs that are required  I don't know if you can think in your organizations of the type of roles that are changing  the increase in devices in your environment, data management is increasingly part of hospitals support  new roles that are really stretching the boundaries for organizations as far as how you manage talent," Ms. Malcolm said.

But also, the threat landscape is evolving, and employees need to be more vigilant since they are the most frequent cause of malware infiltrating a system  and this is often accidental.

"The No. 1 way that [ransomware] is actually transmitted is through the phishing emails. This is actually saying that the employee or an actual individual inside had to click on something, thus giving that particular malware access to the computer and the computer network," said Mr. Warszona.

As organizations move to implement new technologies that address cybersecurity, improve employees' workflows and automate processes, Ms. Malcolm and Mr. Warszona argue organizations must rethink how they train current employees as well as how they source new talent. According to Ms. Malcolm, organizations should consider outsourcing cybersecurity contractors since hiring an internal expert can be a lengthy process taking upwards of 18 months. She added that building awareness and being very clear with employees as to what the organization values in terms of cybersecurity is also crucial.

"Information security work is different than any other types of work occurring in your organization, and you have to recognize that," Ms. Malcolm said. She added that protecting data is no longer up to just the IT department. Instead, it is a responsibility of every employee.
Banner Health's Tucson hospitals and clinics are experiencing problems such as patient delays stemming from a $45 million EHR upgrade that went live Oct. 1, the Arizona Daily Star reports.

The transition to Cerner has been a "painful period" for Banner's Tucson operations but should pay off in the long run, said John Hensing, MD, chief clinical officer for the Phoenix-based Banner Health.

"There will be a degradation in the way the system operates," Dr. Hensing said. "Patients and physicians, and nurses and others will almost certainly experience that. That is true for any new application like this. It's a complicated event to move everyone from one system to another."

Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services told the Arizona Daily Star they are investigating complaints about the computer system, but did not disclose any details.

Banner has been preparing for its switch to Cerner for more than a year. The system previously operated on Epic, but opted for Cerner because it is expected to foster improved patient care and research capabilities. Banner also hopes Cerner will save it money  Epic resulted in unprecedented operating losses in the 2014 fiscal year for the University of Arizona Health Network, including $32 million in unbudgeted costs.

More articles on EHRs:

VA seeking $782M to begin EHR overhaul, guarantees 100% interoperability with DOD

CliniComp offers to drop lawsuit if VA conducts 'bona fide' assessment of its EHR

AMA President Dr. David Barbe: 'We are fighting to prevent IT vendors from blocking information'
CMS is threatening to revoke Decatur, Ga.-based DeKalb Medical Center's Medicare contract for the second time in four months, effective Nov. 27, according to Georgia Health News.

The latest incident placing DMC at risk of losing its Medicare funding stemmed from the death of a nursing home patient. The patient, who came into the hospital for rectal bleeding, received a dosage of a calcium channel blocker much higher than the federally approved limit. The patient eventually died from a calcium channel blocker overdose, according to the report. The patient death initiated an investigation by CMS officials.

After the investigation, federal regulators cited deficiencies with DMC's nursing services, pharmaceutical services, patient rights regulations and governing body oversight.

The most recent problem "was a very unfortunate event with a breakdown of a number of processes," Cheryl Iverson, DeKalb Medical Center's vice president of marketing communications and corporate health, told Georgia Health News. "It's a tough thing to face, when you make mistakes and harm someone."

Ms. Iverson added that the hospital immediately reported the patient death to regulators and began a corrective action plan.

In August, DMC faced Medicare funding termination after improperly handling the discharge of a patient with a mental illness. That situation was resolved and CMS rescinded its Medicare contract termination after approving DMC's plan of correction.
CMS named the 30 hospitals that make up the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program.

The program was established under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. It pays rural hospitals for inpatient hospital services using a cost-based methodology. The program was extended five years under the ACA and was expanded another five years under the 21st Century Cures Act enacted in 2016.

To participate in the program, applicant hospitals must house fewer than 51 acute care inpatient beds, offer 24-hour emergency care services and be ineligible for or not have Critical Access Hospital designation. A maximum of 30 hospitals are allowed to participate in the program.

In April, CMS issued a request for hospitals to apply for the program before May 17.

Here are the 13 new hospitals, which joined the program Oct. 1.

Montrose Memorial Hospital (Montrose, Colo.) Trinity Regional Medical Center (Fort Dodge, Iowa) St. John's Medical Center (Jackson, Wyo.) Valley View Hospital (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) Great Plains Regional Medical Center (Elk City, Okla.) The Aroostook Medical Center (Presque Isle, Maine) Anderson Regional Medical Center-South (Meridian, Miss.) McPherson Hospital (McPherson, Kan.) Avera St. Luke's Hospital (Aberdeen, S.D.) Highland Community Hospital (Picayune, Miss.) Morton County Health System (Elkhart, Kan.) St. Anthony Summit Medical Center (Frisco, Colo.) Avera Queen of Peace Hospital (Mitchell, S.D.)

Here are the 17 hospitals returning to the program.

Central Peninsula Hospital (Soldotna, Alaska) Bartlett Regional Hospital (Juneau, Alaska) Brookings Health System (Brookings, S.D.) Columbus Community Hospital (Columbus, Neb.) Delta County Memorial Hospital (Delta, Colo.) Yampa Valley Medical Center (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) St. Anthony Regional Hospital and Nursing Home (Carroll, Iowa) Grinnell Regional Medical Center (Grinnell, Iowa) Skiff Medical Center (Newton, Iowa) Lakes Regional Healthcare (Spirit Lake, Iowa) Mercy Hospital Fort Scott (Fort Scott, Kan.) Geary Community Hospital (Junction City, Kan.) Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital (Ulysses, Kan.) Inland Hospital (Waterville, Maine) Maine Coast Memorial Hospital (Ellsworth, Maine) Marion General Hospital (Columbia, Miss.) Alta Vista Regional Hospital (Las Vegas, N.M.)

This article was updated Nov. 26, 2017.
It's been roughly two months Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territory's Medicaid crisis continues to worsen as Congress heads into December, according to The Hill.

Here are five things to know.

1. On Friday, the White House reportedly requested $44 billion in additional disaster relief. With that request, the current administration said it was "aware" of Puerto Rico's need for Medicaid funding, but it indicated Congress would have to take action, according to the report.

2. The year-end spending bill in Congress could potentially include Medicaid money for the island. However, the report notes Congress has a number of other issues to consider, including ACA cost-sharing subsidies to insurers.

3. Puerto Rico was dealing with Medicaid funding issues prior to Hurricane Maria. But now experts expect the territory's federal Medicaid funding to dry up in just months without Congressional action, according to the report. Federal estimates show this means up to 900,000 Puerto Ricans could face losing coverage.

4. In light of the Medicaid crisis, Puerto Rico has recently made reached out to President Donald Trump's administration and U.S. lawmakers for funding. For instance, last month Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosello requested $1.6 billion annually over the next five years, according to the report.

5. Members of that House committee are now in a statement urging the White House to "immediately provide additional funding and extend a 100 percent funding match for Medicaid in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands just as we did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," reports The Hill.

Read the full report here.
Mount Vernon, Wash.-based Skagit Regional Health hired Brian Ivie as its new president and CEO, according to a Skagit Valley Herald report.

Here are three notes:

1. Mr. Ivie previously served as president and CEO of three California clinics operated by San Francisco-based Dignity Health.

2. He is replacing Mike Liepman, who will assist Mr. Ivie through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.

3. Mr. Ivie is taking over at a time of financial difficulty. The organization experienced a $4 million deficit in 2016 and is expected to lose money this year as well.
Here are 17 companies focused on anesthesia practice management, billing, staffing and revenue cycle companies to know.

Contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com to add companies to this list.

Abeo (Irving, Texas). Abeo provides complaint and quality-driven solutions aimed at continuously helping improve the financial and operational performance to add value to anesthesia practices and departments. Their MedSuite software is the most widely used anesthesia billing platform in the nation. With 700+ U.S. based employees and region-specific operation offices in multiple states, abeo is a leading source on the complexities involved with the anesthesia revenue cycle and beyond.

AdvantEdge (Warren, N.J.). For over 31 years, AdvantEdge has provided anesthesia revenue cycle management solutions that substantially improve decision making, maximize financial performance, streamline operations and eliminate compliance risks. Proven solutions include anesthesia billing, coding, revenue optimization, quality reporting, analytics, compliance and practice management. Solution are tailored for each clients specific needs and delivered with a ClientFirst focus and philosophy.

Anesthesia Business Consultants (Jackson, Mich.). Founded in 1979, Anesthesia Business Consultants is a large physician billing and practice management company focused on anesthesia and pain management. ABC serves thousands of anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists across the country with its anesthesia billing software solutions. ABC's team supports clients with billing and accounts receivable, practice management and its management services, F1RSTManagement.

Anesthesia Management Partners (Lake Bluff, Ill.). Founded in 1978, Anesthesia Management Partners has worked with independent anesthesia groups and providers across the country. The company provides billing services and business solutions to optimize cash flow and position anesthesia groups for long-term success. AMP's integrated suite of practice management solutions helps providers tackle challenges including leadership, technology and revenue cycle management.

AnesthesiaBillingBridge (Dickinson, Texas). AnesthesiaBillingBridge is a medical billing company that offers comprehensive anesthesia billing and revenue cycle management services to pain management centers, anesthesia groups and hospitals across Texas. The technology enabled revenue cycle solutions provided by the company automates and quickens the workflow of anesthesia practices. Anesthesia focused MIPS support is provided throughout the programs lifecycle.

Freelance Anesthesia (Owasso, Okla.). A nationwide company focused on office-based mobile anesthesia services, Freelance Anesthesia partners with physician and dental offices to enhance productivity, revenue and satisfaction. The company works with anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists in several states to provide anesthesia services and has completed more than 30,000 office-based procedures over the past 19-plus years. Freelance Anesthesia has 65 facilities in Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and is working on expansion efforts into new communities.

Mednax (Sunrise, Fla.). Mednax began as a single neonatology group around 40 years ago and has grown into a comprehensive healthcare solutions provider. Mednax now provides outsourced physician services, revenue cycle management, patient engagement and performance improvement consulting to more than 300 practices and 3,700 physicians across the country. The company also provides anesthesia solutions to more than 3,000 hospitals nationwide, including Sunrise-based American Anesthesiology and Chicago-based Surgical Directions.

National Anesthesia Services (Beverly Hills, Mich.). Founded in 1989, National Anesthesia Services provides anesthesia staffing across the U.S. The company was the largest nurse anesthetist provider under contract to the Department of Defense in the 1990s and today focuses on providing services to healthcare organizations nationwide. National Anesthesia is certified by the Women's Business Enterprise and earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.

Nationwide Anesthesia (Sandersville, Ga.). Nationwide Anesthesia Services provides anesthesiology job placement across the U.S. With more than 26 years of experience in the field, Nationwide Anesthesia provides certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists with malpractice coverage through its agency, and also credentials staff as they embark on new assignments. The company can also offer payroll services for many assignments.

North American Partners in Anesthesia (Melville, N.Y.). Since 1986, North American Partners in Anesthesia has provided anesthesia and perioperative management services across the U.S. The company partners with hospitals, ASCs and physician offices to provide perioperative leadership, enhance operating room performance, improve revenue, and increase patient and surgeon satisfaction. NAPA is a founding member of the Anesthesia Business Group and provides services for chronic and acute pain sufferers through North American Partners in Pain Management.

NorthStar Anesthesia (Irving, Texas). Anesthesia care clinicians founded NorthStar Anesthesia to offer comprehensive anesthesia care solutions that drive operational efficiency, cost savings and better clinical outcomes. The company serves more than 180 facilities in 20-plus states, delivering clinical expertise and management solutions that upgrade the operating room department. NorthStar's anesthesia management services cover hospitals and ASCs.

PhyMed Healthcare Group (Nashville, Tenn.). Formed in 2012 by Tennessee-based Anesthesia Medical Group, PhyMed Healthcare Group serves hospitals, health systems, ASCs and office-based anesthesia providers nationwide. The physician-led group includes more than 350 certified clinicians and is currently expanding its services with support from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, a private equity firm. The company provides anesthesia, pain management and critical care services covering anesthesia billing, collections, managed care contracting and staffing. On Nov. 15, Traverse Anesthesia Associates joined PhyMed Healthcare Group.

Premier Anesthesia (Alpharetta, Ga.). Founded in 2001, Premier Anesthesia is part of the Jackson Healthcare Family of Companies, which provides healthcare facilities with physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. Premier Anesthesia offers turnkey anesthesia management, service line management including the anesthesia medical director, and anesthesia consulting services. The team can also offer immediate assistance to hospitals in an anesthesia-related crisis situation.

Sheridan Healthcare (Plantation, Fla.). Sheridan Healthcare provides solutions for anesthesiology and other specialties to physicians, hospitals and outpatient centers. Led and managed by physicians, the company provides a comprehensive hospital-based clinical and management solution for anesthesia outsourcing with a focus on quality and leadership. In 2016, Sheridan and EmCare were folded into the physician services division of Envision Healthcare, along with ASC company AmSurg.

Somnia Anesthesia (New Rochelle, N.Y.). Somnia Anesthesia partners with hospitals, surgery centers and office-based practices for perioperative anesthesia practice management. The company's solutions are designed to improve outcomes, OR performance and clinical excellence as well as surgeon satisfaction. Founded in 1996 by a team of anesthesiologists, Somnia now includes more than 500 anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists who provide services nationwide.

Steel City Anesthesia (Canfield, Ohio). Steel City Anesthesia provides outsourced anesthesia management services to hospitals, ASCs and physicians in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and other states in the U.S. The company aims to improve patient safety, reduce staffing requirements and enhance revenue for partnering organizations. SCA provides full-time support, credentialing support and surgical staff education.

TeamHealth (Knoxville, Tenn.). With more than 19,000 physicians, TeamHealth offers staffing, administrative support and management to hospital-based practices, post-acute care centers and ASCs. The company offers an anesthesia program aimed at increasing surgeon and patient satisfaction while optimizing the OR. TeamHealth reports higher ratings than in-house, local and national anesthesiology programs in throughput, satisfaction, staffing quality, interactions with staff and cost reductions, according to Stax.

U.S. Anesthesia Partners (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). U.S. Anesthesia Partners provides anesthesia and chronic pain management, serving 26 million people nationwide. The company's anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and administrative care team exceeds 3,500 individuals across the country providing clinical and business leadership with a focus on anesthesia care. USAP provides a full range of perioperative services, including preoperative assessments and pain management.

Xenon Health (Los Angeles). Xenon Health offers anesthesia management for ASCs, office-based surgical practices and hospital anesthesia departments. The company's services include recruiting, staffing, billing and collections, logistics, compliance, and ongoing support for patient safety and efficiency. Xenon has regional offices in New York, Los Angeles and Houston to facilitate care at healthcare organizations nationwide.
Spine surgeons and orthopedic surgeons are looking at new partnerships to help them bolster patient care and control costs. James Sanfilippo, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon with Marlton, N.J.-based Reconstructive Orthopedics discussed the benefits of these partnerships and key considerations before jumping into a joint venture.

Dr. Sanfilippo will be speaking at the Becker's 16th Annual Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. To learn more and register, click here. Contact Maura Jodoin at mjodoin@beckershealthcare.com or Kristelle Khazzaka at Kkhazzaka@beckershealthcare.com for further information about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

Note: The following responses have been edited slightly for clarity and style.

Question: What new partnerships are spine and orthopedic surgeons eyeing in the increasingly competitive marketplace?

Dr. James Sanfilippo: Today's rapidly changing and chaotic medical climate is opening opportunities, and [in] some instances forcing them, for surgeons to partner with complementing physician groups, healthcare systems and payers. These partnerships focus mostly on access for patients and on cost containment.

Surgeons are more frequently exploring collaboration with non-operative physicians such as primary care musculoskeletal medicine, rheumatology and pain management. This allows for a controlled flow of patients to the appropriate provider depending on the patients response to conservative treatment. In most cases, these physicians can collaborate on an algorithmic patient care protocol to limit therapies and treatments that may not be producing results, thus driving down unnecessary costs of care.

Partnering with healthcare systems will also allow surgeons to open more access for patients, especially in systems that are self insured. Through centers of excellence, co-management agreements or through clinically integrated networks, surgeons and systems can come together to lower costs of care by reducing variations in preoperative, perioperative and postoperative protocols, reducing system waste and using data analytics to drive best practices. Partnering with vendors can also drive down the cost of care, but this requires both the surgeons and the system to be tightly aligned.

Finally, surgeons are focusing more closely on their relationships with payers, including CMS and private insurers. Bundled payment programs are gaining increasing traction and some payers are moving to full risk contracts directly with surgeon groups. These types of alternative payment arrangements focus on outcomes and cost, aligning the goals of the surgeons, healthcare systems and payers. However, surgeon groups should proceed with these types of arrangements only when prepared as they mandate the surgeons to be very protocol driven, to be hyper-vigilant in tracking their costs and outcomes and to be closely aligned with the healthcare system in order to reduce variations of care and cost that will disrupt the budgets.





Q: What are some core factors to consider before physicians jump into a joint venture with a hospital?

JS: Obviously the goals of the hospital system and surgeons must be aligned; this doesn't just mean volume goals. The two partners need to understand the current orthopedic and spine climate in their area and broader region. They must be aligned in their vision of where orthopedic and spine care is moving over the next five to 10 years and design the JV to lead this transition.

They need to coordinate their care pathways to allow for better patient access, lower cost of care driven by best practices and procedures and really help each other drive an improvement in patient outcomes and satisfaction. Both the surgeons and hospital system need to understand the other's cost structure, outcomes, complication rates and payer mix. But perhaps most importantly, there will need to be a trust between the two partners that the JV will only be successful if "all boats rise," meaning that both the hospital and the surgeons see a benefit to the program and that both partners are willing to actively work together to ensure that success.
Anthony T. Yeung, MD, of Phoenix-based Desert Institute for Spine Care, emphasizes an unfavorable reimbursement trend for both independent and employed spine surgeons and the impact on the spine field.

Dr. Yeung will be speaking at the Becker's 16th Annual Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. To learn more and register, click here. Contact Maura Jodoin at mjodoin@beckershealthcare.com or Kristelle Khazzaka at Kkhazzaka@beckershealthcare.com for further information about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

Question: Where do you think pay and reimbursement is headed for independent spine surgeons?

Dr. Anthony Yeung: There will continue to be downward pressure by payers on independent spine surgeons regardless of their reputation and skills. Unfortunately, the trend and pay for all surgeons, independent spine surgeons or salaried spine surgeons, will continue to trend downward in the long term. Reimbursement may increase temporarily in situations in which even "above average" or "superstar" surgeons who are dependent on insurance or government payers will be impacted. All who are expected to pay or receive payment will continue to leverage their dominance in the reimbursement industry to aggressively and routinely try to maximize reimbursement, while payers will continue to relentlessly reduce payment with their own reimbursement criteria. Either way, the reimbursement trend will force, not just spine surgeons but all business entities, to distinguish themselves by narrowing their surgical area of expertise.

Quality does not ultimately prevail in the current short term unless the superstar surgeons can attract private pay. By distinguishing themselves to attract cash patients or clearly distinguish themselves from average spine surgeons doing general spine, individual spine surgeons may still prosper as long as they have the incentive to work not just harder, but smarter.

The reduction in pay and reimbursement will ultimately adversely affect patients by forcing dedicated surgeons to be more attentive to the reimbursement game, retire or be less dedicated to their work, ultimately reducing the quality of care. Current reimbursement may increase temporarily by consolidation and vertically integrate, but it will still be a moving target. The few who truly distinguish themselves and create patient demand by their results will still prosper, but by moving toward high-demand procedures without also demonstrating clear results will limit independent practice. The surgeon will have to distinguish much like professional athletes and depend on his or her surgical decision-making as well as their skills.

Q: How can spine surgeons be successful in an increasingly competitive environment?

AY: Many are already using professional help in marketing, social media, mobile apps or possibly falling prey to business entities who constantly try to get their attention for marketing or reimbursement support. Where this goes is not clear; it may not add to the quality of care, but it may affect surgeon motivation and work ethic.

For me, I am distinguishing myself by being the clear leader in my field through lecturing, publishing, teaching and most importantly, taking on patients who I know will get good anticipated results and "warranty" my results for private pay patients
Orders for Bombardier's C Series passenger plane helped fuel 63bn worth of deals for more than 700 aircraft at this year's Dubai Airshow

Orders for Bombardier's C Series passenger plane helped fuel 63bn worth of deals for more than 700 aircraft at this year's Dubai Airshow.

According to aerospace body ADS, the week saw orders, commitments and agreements for 746 aircraft.

Among them, Bombardier landed a potential 1.7bn deal for up to 24 of its jets, which are part-made in Belfast.

ADS chief executive Paul Everitt said: "Aircraft order books have received a welcome boost this week and UK companies will play a major role in delivering these orders in the years ahead."
Today is the 70th wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince and to mark the historic event, Kerry McKittrick talks to two NI couples who wed in the same era as the monarch.

'We just kept talking to each other and have a wee hug ... we always hold hands'

Tommy (87) and Kathleen (84) Sands, who have been married for 66 years live in Dunmurry. They have seven children: Anne, Geoffrey, Linda, Carol, Hilary, Elaine and Heather.

Tommy says:

I was 21 and Kathleen was 17 when we got married. We met at a social evening up at First Dromore Church. You would go up and have a wee dance with all of the girls in the hall. I ended up leaving Kathleen home one night and that was the start of it. Nobody minded us getting married at that age - we got married in the Unitarian Church in Dromore on March 30, 1951. I was a bricklayer and did it my whole life. I built the garage and the walls around my house.

It was a hard life. It's different now because everything's (lifted) on cranes - I had to do everything with my hands. I would come home with a sore back at night.

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We moved to Dunmurry because I did a lot of work around here. I even worked on this estate where we live now.

We had seven children - six girls and one boy - so Kathleen didn't have much time for working. I had to keep working. I worked during the day and then I would help out at home at night too. It takes a lot of work to feed a big family.

We have 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. We've been around for a long time and the secret is good, clean living. Mind you I did smoke.

I was in the Orange Order, the Black Preceptory and the Masonic Lodge. We never saw the Queen but we got sent a card and a poem when we had our 60th wedding anniversary - we weren't expecting that.

We were able to get a car later on in life and were able to take holidays. We went a few times to Portrush in a caravan and rented bungalows in Portstewart and the Isle of Man a couple of times. That was with the four younger ones as the three older ones were already away and working.

Kathleen did work later at RDF - it's called Survitec now, and they make life rafts and life vests. She worked in the factory putting them all together. It was tough work, heavy work and she had to use solvents doing it.

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I'm surprised we're living as long as we have - we really didn't think we would be around this long. We've had our wee ups and downs along the road. You can't go through life without some wee problem so I'm not going to say that didn't happen, especially with seven children as I think most of the arguments came from them. We just kept talking away to each other and had a wee hug every now and again to keep us right. We've always held hands when we were out walking - still do.

We don't go out as much as we used to. We used to out walking every day. The whole family is still in or around Belfast and we go to somebody's house for Sunday lunch every week. We're all very close."

Kathleen says:

He always held my hand - I say it's to stop me from running away. He's always been very good at looking after me, he still drives and takes me to the Day Centre in Dunmurry. Tommy looked after everyone in the family. He taught all the children how to do jobs like wallpapering and tiling. He did jobs for all of them for as long as he could. The Queen and her husband seem to have been well suited to each other."

'My secret to being wed this long is keep saying yes dear'

Geoffrey (90) and Kathleen (89) Jeavons, who live in Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh, celebrated their 70th year of marriage in March this year. They have three children.

Kathleen says:

We met in the church Army canteen in Omagh in 1946. Geoffrey was in the Army - he had been called up for conscription as a young boy. I would volunteer at the canteen with two friends every Sunday and Monday night. We would make tea and sandwiches for the troops and wash up afterwards.

Geoffrey was in with the other boys for his coffee - they always had a game of pool or cards going. One night I was standing drying all the dishes and Geoffrey came up to me and asked if he could help. I handed him a tea towel and said 'yes', he could indeed.

Geoffrey was originally from Staffordshire in England, so he had to go back to England for training. We had met in March and he came back to Northern Ireland again in November to stay with friends of ours and when he came back we got engaged. On March 18, 1947, we got married. The funny thing is, both of our birthdays are on the same day - March 5. It's like we were meant to be together.

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We were 18 and 19 when we got married. It sounds very young today, but in those days it was perfectly normal and nobody had anything to say about it. I didn't want to be an Army wife, so Geoffrey came out of the force and returned here to live.

He did a few different things, but he ended up as a male nurse at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital for 31 years.

I didn't work for some time - our first child came along just a couple of years after we got married and then there were two more after that. I did go back to work when they were a bit older. I got a job at the hospital too, where I was an auxiliary nurse for a number of years.

We have three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

We're both retired a long time and we both use a stick these days - but we still try to get around and get to church.

Unfortunately our children are quite far away from us; Patricia lives in Madeira, Audrey is in Scotland and Geoffrey is in Carrickfergus. We don't get to see the family as much as we would like to.

I would never have dreamt at all that we would be married for 70 years. There are good things and bad things about being together for so long.

As long as you can hold your temper - which can be difficult at times - and as long as you can stick together at times and agree. Being agreeable means a lot."

Geoffrey says:

We were actually married just before the Queen. There is only one secret to being married for that long, I just keep saying, 'yes dear'.

I met Kathleen when I was called up - you didn't volunteer in those days.

I'm very happy that I settled here. Fermanagh is one of the best places in the world I could have picked. I've been here so long now my accent is completely gone - I used to be a real Brummie. I'm a proper Northern Irish man now."

Timeline of a 70-year remarkable Royal love story

In 70 years of marriage Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have rarely spoken a word about the other in public, but on a couple of rare occasions they gave an insight into their special bond.

At their golden wedding anniversary lunch in 1997, the Queen thanked Prince Philip for being her strength and stay.

Prince Philip has said: You can take it from me, that the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.

Key dates:

June 10, 1921

Philip Mountbatten was born in Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

April 21, 1926

Princess Elizabeth was born to the Duke and Duchess of York.

1934

Elizabeth and Philip met at a wedding.

December 11, 1936

King Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Princess Elizabeths father became King George VI and she heir to the throne.

1939

Elizabeth and Philip began to write to each other after meeting again.

1946

Elizabeth and Philip became engaged, however the official announcement was not made until the following year when Elizabeth turned 21.

November 20, 1947

Two thousand guests witnessed the wedding at Westminster Abbey, and 200 million people worldwide tuned in to listen to the ceremony on radio.

November 14, 1948

Prince Charles was born.

August 15, 1950

Princess Anne was born.

February 6, 1952

King George died at the age of 56. Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya, on her way to a tour of Australia and returned to Britain as Queen Elizabeth II.

June 2, 1953

The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey of Queen Elizabeth II.

February 19, 1960

Birth of Prince Andrew.

March 10, 1964

Prince Edward was born.

November 19, 2007

The Queen was the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary. A service was held at Westminster Abbey attended by 2,000 people including 30 family members. Prince William read from 1 John 4:7-16, which includes let us love one another, because love is from God.

February 6, 2012

The Queens Diamond Jubilee was celebrated throughout 2012; she was the only the second British monarch to reach such a milestone following Queen Victoria in 1897.
The DUP has slammed the shadow chancellor after he said a customs union between Northern Ireland and the Republic must survive Brexit for the good of the economy.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds claimed John McDonnell's "pro-united Ireland mask has slipped once again".

The Labour MP had said that "discussions should be had" about preserving an open union between the North and the South after the UK's exit from the EU.

Mr McDonnell, speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, said: "Bringing back a hard border I think would be a nightmare, I think it would not be practical anyway. We have to have a relationship which is as close to the customs union.

"I would not want to see anything that undermines the peace process in particular and all the gains that we have had."

He added: "We are not saying the customs union, we're saying a customs union and that's a discussion that should be had."

When pushed on whether there should be a "unique arrangement" over a customs union between the North and the South, he said: "I think that's part of the discussions that need to take place."

But Mr Dodds said: "John McDonnell has always wanted a united Ireland therefore it is no surprise he wants to build a new border in the Irish Sea as the United Kingdom exits the EU."

The DUP MP said there would be "no new borders erected in the Irish Sea".

"John McDonnell and others have sought to use 'threats to the peace process' as a bargaining chip by asserting Brexit will mean armed checkpoints. McDonnell should remember that the watch towers existed for security reasons rather than customs purposes," he added.
In the UK 2,564 women died as a direct result of alcohol in 2017

Northern Ireland's most senior doctor has called for the introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol.

Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland Dr Michael McBride was speaking on Monday morning at an event for the Big Lottery Fund's Impact of Alcohol programme.

"At the population level, the evidence shows that one of the most effective ways to tackle the issue is through price," Dr McBride said.

Dr McBride said in his speech in Northern Ireland 70% of the alcohol is consumed by 20% of the drinkers.

"Thats an awful lot of people who could come to harm because of their drinking  and as I have already said, these numbers will be much greater if we think about the families and children also affected," Dr McBride said.

He noted alcohol misuse costs Northern Ireland up to 900 million each year, with 250 million being borne by Health and Social Care Trusts.

"Given the current pressure on budgets and on the health service, just think what we could do with that resource," he said.

Around 73% of Northern Irish adults drink alcohol, with around 170,000 adults drinking at hazardous levels, and a further 47,000 drinking at harmful levels.

In his speech, Dr McBride also noted:

There are 12,000 alcohol-related admissions to hospital each year

There has been a 26% increase in the number of alcohol-related deaths over the past decade

Alcohol kills three times as many people as drugs each year.

The Impact of Alcohol fund is made available to projects across the province which reduce "the harm to individuals, families and communities directly affected by alcohol misuse".

Impact of Alcohol programmes have given support to more than 142,000 individuals.

Monday's event was organised by the Northern Ireland Alcohol and Drug Alliance (NIADA), a coalition of community and voluntary groups working in the sector. It is planning to publish a set of recommendations on alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

Minimum pricing was introduced in Scotland last week after the UK Supreme Court ruled the 50p-per-unit price level was a proportionate measure to tackle alcohol abuse.

This made Scotland the first region of the UK to introduce the minimum pricing.

Monday's conference heard from Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, a charity focused on preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm.

In her address, she told the meeting people living in poor areas of Scotland were six times more likely to die from alcohol-related disease than their counterparts in richer areas.
A fire broke out in a Belfast city centre building for the second time in the past few days.

Firefighters attended the scene at Donegall Street on Monday evening just before 5pm. The road was closed to traffic and delays have been reported.

The fire has been put out and the last fire crew left the scene at about 6pm. The road has since been reopened.

It's the second time fire has broken out in the same building in the past week. Fire erupted in the derelict building on Friday evening.

Group commander Philip Scott told the Belfast Telegraph there were no reports of anyone inside the building.

Speaking from the Fire Service command centre during the incident he said early reports said the fire is in the second storey of the building and it was "small".

He said there were 17 firefighters at the scene, three appliances and their aerial appliance.

"It appeared fairly straight forward by all accounts. We have the aerial platform appliance there just in case there was any structural damage on from Friday.

Mr Scott said it was too early to say if there was any connection to Friday night's fire other than it being in the same building.

"Both Friday night and tonight are still under investigation," he said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire fighters at the scene on Monday in Donegall Street. Pic Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. Fire breaks out in Belfast's Donegall Street. Pic by Kevin Scott. / Facebook

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It is believed the investigation has been ongoing for a number of months

Four staff members at a residential facility for vulnerable adults have been excluded from work amid a police investigation into concerns about their conduct.

Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Antrim provides care for adults with an intellectual disability and those with behavioural or mental ill health.

It is understood a probe involving the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, which manages Muckamore, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been ongoing for a number of months.

The concerns about staff apparently relate to a small number of patients. All patients' families have been informed of developments.

A statement from the health trust said: "Following concerns identified in relation to the conduct of a small number of staff in Muckamore Abbey Hospital, Belfast Trust has placed four members of staff on precautionary exclusion from work while a full internal investigation is undertaken.

"The Trust is also undertaking an adult safeguarding investigation with the PSNI.

"The Trust has introduced additional measures and is assured of the ongoing safety and care of the community of patients in the hospital.

"We are unable to discuss this matter any further due to the ongoing investigation."

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Tracey Mageean said: "We can confirm that we are working with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust regarding a number of allegations into ill treatment of patients at a hospital facility in Antrim. This is a live investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

"The safeguarding of any vulnerable victim is a priority for the Police Service of Northern Ireland."

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Tracey Mageean said: "We can confirm that we are working with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust regarding a number of allegations into ill treatment of patients at a hospital facility in Antrim. This is a live investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

"The safeguarding of any vulnerable victim is a priority for the Police Service of Northern Ireland."
Organisers of the Eastside Awards - which celebrate the best of east Belfast - have extended the deadline for entries

Organisers of the Eastside Awards - which celebrate the best of east Belfast - have extended the deadline for entries.

Would-be applicants have now got an extra week - until Monday, November 27 - to take part.

The categories are: Business Start Up; SME Business Growth; Independent Retailer; Contribution to the Community; Educator of the Year; Tourism; Foodie Destination; Community Project; Contribution to Sport; Contribution to the Arts; Business Employer of the Year; Young Person of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

If you think you're worthy of an Eastside award or know someone who is, enter now at www.eastsideawards.org.

The awards, which are free to enter, are supported by George Best Belfast City Airport, Phoenix Natural Gas, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour, Bravehearts NI, East Belfast Enterprise, Fleet Financial, Millar McCall Wylie, Rodgers and Finney, Solv Group, Titanic Foundation, Titanic Quarter, Ulster Bank and Wolseley UK.

Jonathan McAlpin, chairman of the awards committee, said: "The deadline has just crept up so quickly that we have agreed to requests to extend it to give some people who haven't had an opportunity to sit down and concentrate on their submission the chance to do so."
The group has also vowed to "exploit" a visible hard border to gain support

The leadership of dissident republican party Saoradh say they hope Brexit is "as hard as hell" and they are backing the move because it will "quicken the end of one of the most repulsive and destructive nations that has ever existed".

The group has also vowed to "exploit" a visible hard border to gain support.

Saoradh chairman David Jordan (46) spelled out the future at the party's ard fheis in Londonderry on Saturday, one year on from their formation.

Mr Jordan, from Pomeroy in Co Tyrone, said difficulties over Brexit will be something their party will be looking to exploit.

"England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity," he said.

"That which weakens and fragments Britain is good for Ireland, let us hope that Brexit is as hard as hell and helps usher in the demise of the last section of the cruel British empire.

"The fact is there is a border, people forget it.

"Once you have a visible hard border - to me it is a hard border - it might remind them.

"There is a generation of young people who don't remember the physical manifestation.

"With a hard border, you can see that the island is partitioned, so on that point of view we would very much see it as something to exploit."

Mr Jordan said that following a debate, the party have made a firm decision not to stand in any elections.

He also denied Saoradh had any links to terror groups and said they were a "standalone party".

"It is totally untrue that we are connected to paramilitary groups," he said.
The editor of a Mauritian newspaper who published graphic photographs of the body of murdered Michaela McAreavey has apologised.

The BBC reports Imraan Hosany, former editor of The Sunday Times - a Mauritian publication with no ties to its UK and Ireland namesake - has said he regrets publishing the photos and that he did not mean to "hurt or bring into disrepute the unblemished name and personality of the McAreavey family".

He also said the purpose of the pictures was to "highlight the cruelty and cowardice".

On January 10 2011 Michaela McAreavey was murdered in her hotel room in Mauritius.

Two hotel workers were charged with the murder, but were acquitted after an eight-week trial.

In July of 2012, three days after the end of the trial, the Mauritius Sunday Times published pictures of showing the crime scene, with Mrs McAreavey's body and her injuries.

In May 2013 a judge at Mauritius' Intermediate Court told Imraan Hosany publishing the photographs was a "violation of human dignity" and was carried out "with a view to cater to morbid curiosity".

He was found guilty of outraging public and religious morality and fined for his actions.

The Harte and McAreavey families launched civil proceedings against Imraan Hosany and the Mauritian Sunday Times in a separate case related to the photographs.
Unionists last night united in saying "good riddance" to Gerry Adams who has announced he is stepping down as Sinn Fein president early next year.

The DUP, Ulster Unionists and TUV all claimed Mr Adams had contributed nothing positive to politics or history.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson said: "The bloodstained dictator in Zimbabwe is in the process of being removed from power and our own version of Robert Mugabe - Gerry Adams - has promised to throw in the towel.

"There will be no tears from anyone in the unionist community at his going. It will be a case of good riddance to this purveyor of misery and, during recent talks, blocker of democracy."

Mr Wilson claimed the Sinn Fein president and Mr Mugabe had much in common.

"They blamed everyone else, especially the British Government for the problems which they themselves were responsible for creating.

"They both embraced ruinous extreme left-wing economic policies. They stamped out any dissent within their respective political organisations," he accused.

The East Antrim MP said that while there was no guarantee that their respective replacements would bring about "a change in approach or attitude ... nevertheless the demise of any tyrant is also a welcome event".

Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann claimed Mr Adams' legacy would be "other people's tears and suffering".

Mr Wilson urged him to use his remaining time as Sinn Fein president to get the republican movement to hand over any information that could secure the recovery of the bodies of the remaining Disappeared. "Tell the republican movement to hand over any information they have in relation to Captain Robert Nairac, Columba McVeigh and Joe Lynskey. All these men deserve a Christian burial," he said.

Mr Swann claimed that at the ard fheis, Sinn Fein had "rubbed the noses of the IRA's victims in the dirt" by glorifying the IRA "who stole the ultimate right from its victims - the right to life". The UUP leader called on Mr Adams to immediately step aside from the Stormont talks as his contribution was "neither helpful nor constructive".

He commented: "When others within Sinn Fein have been seemingly keen to do a deal, he has stamped on them. And he really shouldn't be there as he doesn't have the mandate to participate as he is elected in another jurisdiction."

Mr Swann called on the Sinn Fein president to clarify that he wasn't seeking co-option or re-election to the Assembly or Westminster.

"He's been clear with regards to his intentions south of the border but not in relation to UK elected bodies," he stated. TUV leader Jim Allister said: "In entering into retirement Adams hopes to enjoy what the IRA brutally denied to so many.

"Jean McConville and hundreds more never got this opportunity. It would be fitting if such reality haunted him, but, I suspect, his conscience is seared beyond such considerations."
Families whose loved ones were murdered by the IRA have urged Gerry Adams to "come clean" before he steps down as Sinn Fein leader.

The decision by Mr Adams to retire after 35 uncontested years at the helm of the party has been widely welcomed. The 69-year-old republican told the party's ard fheis in Dublin it would be his last as leader, and a special meeting would be called next year to elect a successor.

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Mary Lou McDonald (48), the current deputy leader, is the clear favourite to succeed him.

But relatives of some of the IRA's most high-profile victims have said the move brings them no closer to justice.

Despite Mr Adams's denials of IRA membership, families of the terror group's victims, such as 21-year-old Paul Quinn from south Armagh, believe he could help jail their murderers.

"He must know who the murderers are. All of them. Why doesn't he come clean now and say who they are?" said Paul Quinn's father Stephen.

"I'm glad to see him going."

Paul was beaten to death by an IRA gang in a barn in Co Monaghan in 2007.

Every bone below his neck was broken by the gang, who used iron bars and nail-studded cudgels. He had fallen foul of the Provos after punching the son of the south Armagh IRA commander.

Mr Adams' speech also drew IRA victims' anger after he branded the Troubles "a war".

Serena Hamilton (49), a mother-of-two from Cookstown, was just seven when her father David Graham, a part-time UDR man, was shot dead.

The 38-year-old father-of-three had been on his way to his day job in a factory in Coalisland when he was killed.

She said: "When my father signed up to the UDR it was to assist the police and the Army, he did not believe he was entering into a war. He was helping to protect people, to keep them safe from terrorists.

"Nor was he ever told it was a war - if it was then where were the IRA soldiers? Why were they not fighting on the streets instead of hiding in ditches and hedges in the dark waiting to murder innocent people."

She added: "It wasn't a war, it was a terrorist campaign."

Mr Adams's comments also drew condemnation on Twitter, where hundreds of tweets, under the hashtag #itwasntawar, revealed a roll call of loved ones who died at the hands of the IRA.

Among them was Ann Travers, whose sister Mary was shot dead by gunmen out to kill her father, Catholic magistrate Thomas, as the family walked home from Mass in south Belfast in 1984.

She posted: "Mary Travers murdered 8/4/84 age 23, while walking home from mass by IRA."

Stephen Gault, whose father Samuel was killed in the 1987 Enniskillen bomb tweeted tributes to the victims of the IRA atrocity.

It was also noted by some critics that Mr Adams did not mention any victims of IRA violence during his speech.

Meanwhile, the son-in-law of Jean McConville (37), who was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA in 1972, said Mr Adams will "just take his secrets with him".

Seamus McKendry said: "It'd be nice if he just left a file and said 'you deal with that'. But it won't happen."

He described Mr Adams as "an embarrassment to Sinn Fein".

The body of Oliver McVeigh's brother Columba (17), from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, has never been recovered.

Oliver said: "It is irrelevant to me whether it was a war or not, there was a war in other places but people got loved ones' bodies back to bury them - we still don't have my brother."

Mr Adams has also been criticised over the case of Brian Stack (48), who was the chief prison officer in Portlaoise prison when he was shot in the neck.

The father-of-three was left brain-damaged and died 18 months after the attack.

"As a family, at this stage, we have no expectation that Gerry Adams will ever tell the truth," Mr Stack's son Austin said.

Detective Garda Jerry McCabe's wife Anne said his murder in 1996 left behind five children "during Gerry Adams' leadership of Sinn Fein".

"Four men were convicted of his killing and received prison sentences. These four killers were strongly supported by Gerry Adams and Martin Ferris. Two men are still on the run and are wanted for questioning by An Garda Siochana," she said.

Mr Ferris, who spent time in prison for gun-gunning was embraced on stage on Saturday night as it was announced that he will not contest the next election.

Yesterday, Mr Adams claimed he understands how victims of IRA violence feel. He said those killed during the Troubles cannot be brought back, but that it is possible to ensure history is not repeated.

Commenting on the criticism, he said: "There have been many victims. I have a particular affinity with those who were victims of the IRA because obviously throughout my political life I have defended the IRA. But I understand how people feel."
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams with colleague Martin Ferris after his speech at the weekend

Sinn Fein's ard fheis in Dublin was a hugely impressive event that will be the envy of its political opponents on this side of the border even if they won't admit it.

Around 2,500 delegates packed into the RDS for a gathering the size of which no other party in Northern Ireland could even begin to rival.

But it was more than just the numbers.

The energy, enthusiasm and breadth of talent on display was obvious as long queues formed to speak on so many motions.

There were important policy changes too - on abortion, and entering a coalition government as a junior partner in the Republic.

Sinn Fein has clearly recognised that the demographic it's chasing, the young vote, is strongly pro-choice and a shift in position was needed.

The arguments of so many speakers, particularly that of Dublin councillor Sarah Holland, whose greengrocer father Harry was murdered by youths in west Belfast in 2007, were received as passionately as they were delivered.

Sinn Fein's change of policy on abortion wasn't half-hearted. On paper anyway, it seems at least as liberal as the 1967 Abortion Act. Mid-Ulster MP Francie Molloy, who opposed the policy change, warned it could have repercussions on the ground. Pro-life activists in Tyrone have certainly campaigned against the party before.

Pockets of older voters in rural areas may in future not turn out or may switch to the SDLP.

But Sinn Fein's new position presents far more problems than opportunities for its nationalist rival.

SDLP policy opposing abortion even in cases of rape and fatal foetal abnormality looks positively archaic.

Expect Sinn Fein to now constantly remind Colum Eastwood that while he talks the talk about a young, modern, dynamic leadership, his party's abortion policy doesn't live up to this.

Michelle O'Neill's ard fheis address on Friday was hardly inspiring as she repeated Sinn Fein's now single transferable speech on the reasons for the stalemate at Stormont.

But the very fact that she didn't launch a stinging attack on the DUP, which delegates likely would have warmly received, suggests that her party isn't ruling out a deal to restore power-sharing.

In the Republic, Sinn Fein has faced constant criticism that it's a party of protest, not power. An ard fheis vote opened the way for it to enter a future coalition government as a junior partner.

A fiery address by Matt Carthy MEP secured the best response of any conference speaker and he is clearly one to watch as a possible future Sinn Fein leader.

He referred to "one rotten Fianna Fail government being replaced by a rotten Fine Gael government" and lambasted homelessness and a health system that has left elderly people and children lying on hospital trolleys. But in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Fein was in government for 10 years, the party's record in improving the lot of the poor and vulnerable is not one to be proud of.

Similarly, ard fheis declarations that the unionist majority is gone and that a united Ireland has never been nearer are pure fantasy.

Nobody explained how going into government with Leo Varadkar - who recently said that more than 50% plus one would be needed for Irish unity - would lead to the elusive republic. Sinn Fein has enjoyed unrivalled electoral success under its outgoing president but it is no nearer to achieving its key traditional goal. A united Ireland by 2016 has now become a border poll by 2022.

"If I was asked to measure the success of Sinn Fein, I would say judge us on the changes we bring about," said Gerry Adams.

And therein lies the problem for him. In terms of delivering fundamental constitutional change, history won't record any great victory for him.
It happened in the early hours of Monday morning.

A man is being treated in hospital for stab wounds after an assault in a house in Armagh.

It happened in the early hours of Monday morning at a property in the Terraskane Road area.

Detective Inspector Stephen Harvey said: Shortly after 12:15 am police received a report that a man had suffered stab wounds to his abdomen.

"He was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

"I would ask that anyone with information to contact 101 quoting reference number 8 of 20/11/2017, or if they wish to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The chief medical officer has supported the minimum pricing of alcohol in Northern Ireland.

Supreme Court justices have already given their backing to the controversial measure in Scotland.

Dr Michael McBride said it was a welcome outcome and warned almost three quarters of alcohol sold was consumed by the fifth of drinkers who took the most.

"While I have always been supportive of minimum unit pricing, it will obviously be for incoming Ministers and the Executive to agree a way forward in Northern Ireland.

"But the ruling helpfully sets a precedent about the discretion and ability of governments to intervene in trade and competition law, based on appropriate evidence, to address factors that have a real impact on public health."

The evidence shows that one of the most effective ways to tackle problem drinking is through price, Dr McBride added.

Seven justices at the UK's highest court dismissed a legal challenge that had been brought against minimum unit pricing by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Dr McBride said 170,000 adults in Northern Ireland drink at hazardous levels and a further 47,000 adults drink at harmful levels.

"In fact local research estimated that the 20% of the population who drink the most consume almost 70% of all the alcohol purchased.

"That's an awful lot of people who could come to harm because of their drinking - and as I have already said, these numbers will be much greater if we think about the families and children also affected."

He said 2,577 individuals were in treatment for alcohol misuse on March 1 this year - and many more were in treatment for both alcohol and drug misuse.

"But there are even more who haven't yet sought treatment and this is reflected in the over 12,000 admissions to hospital each year with an alcohol-related diagnosis.

"And in the fact that one-in-six people who attend emergency departments have alcohol-related injuries or issues and at peak times this can increase to eight-in-10."

He said of greatest concern was the 310 people who died directly as a result of alcohol misuse in 2015. This represents a 26% increase over the past decade.

"If you look at the current media coverage on drug misuse, I'm not sure you would realise that alcohol actually kills three times as many people as drug misuse every year.

"That's not to play down the issues with drug misuse, it's about reflecting the true impact alcohol misuse has."
Paramilitary-style shootings have doubled over the past year, the PSNI has revealed

Paramilitary-style shootings have doubled over the past year, the PSNI has revealed.

The total number of victims was 28 - which is twice the number recorded the year before, latest police statistics show.

There was also an increase in the number of casualties of paramilitary-style assaults, with 58 last year to 66 over the same period this year.

Loyalist paramilitary gangs were behind 56 of these casualties, with the remaining 10 attributed to republican groups, the PSNI said.

The increase has led to urgent calls from police and church leaders for communities to help end these "barbaric" attacks.

Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton said that around 6% of the paramilitary-style attacks carried out last year were against people under 18.

"An attack against a person of any age, but particularly a child, is completely unacceptable in any society."

He appealed to communities not to ignore these attacks but to give information over to the police, and said that in recent weeks police had made a number of arrests in connection with various paramilitary-style attacks.

Church leaders also joined together to call for an end to the scourge of paramilitary attacks.

Speaking today, the United Nations' Universal Children's Day, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh Richard Clarke, president of the Methodist Church in Ireland Dr Laurence Graham, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, president of the Irish Council of Churches Bishop John McDowell and Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Dr Noble McNeely, raised concerns about the impact these attacks have on the lives of young people.

"Too many in our society continue to be exposed to this violence at an early age, either as victims of direct attacks, or as members of families subjected to attacks or intimidation," they said in a joint statement.

The church leaders warned funding cuts and financial uncertainty threaten community work aimed at giving young people better opportunities.

Peter Osborne, chairman of the Community Relations Council, urged people to stand up against paramilitary attacks.

He said: "I'm proud of the children and young people here; they are an asset to our shared community and this region.

"On Universal Children's Day we should respect our children and support their development.

"We should reject abuse, including the child abuse visited on children by vigilantes."
There were 28 victims of paramilitary shootings in a year, and a rise in casualties of paramilitary style assaults over the same period this year

Paramilitary-style shootings have doubled over the past year, the PSNI has revealed.

There were 28 victims of paramilitary shootings - twice the number recorded in the previous year - in 12 months, latest police statistics show.

There was also an increase in the number of casualties of paramilitary-style assaults, from 58 last year to 66 over the same period this year.

Loyalist paramilitary crime gangs were behind 56 of these casualties with the remaining 10 attributed to republican gangs, the PSNI said.

The increase has led to urgent calls from police and church leaders for communities to help end these "barbaric" attacks.

Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton said that around 6% of the paramilitary-style attacks carried out last year were against people under 18.

"An attack against a person of any age, but particularly a child, is completely unacceptable in any society.

"This is child abuse and should not be tolerated by any rational person," said Mr Singleton.

He added: "The people behind these attacks should be seen for what they are, hypocritical thugs trying to exert coercive control over communities by creating a climate of fear."

He appealed to communities not to ignore these attacks but to give information to the police.

"Our children deserve to be protected not punished," said Mr Singleton.

He added that police made a number of arrests in recent weeks in connection with various paramilitary-style attacks.

Church leaders also joined together to call for an end to the scourge of paramilitary attacks.

Speaking on Monday - the United Nations' Universal Children's Day - Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh Richard Clarke, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland Dr Laurence Graham, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, President of the Irish Council of Churches Bishop John McDowell and Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Dr Noble McNeely, raised concern about the impact these attacks have on the lives of young people.

"At the heart of the vision for the Peace Process was the hope that children and young people might be protected from the violence that blighted the lives of previous generations.

"Sadly, too many in our society continue to be exposed to this violence at an early age, either as victims of direct attacks, or as members of families subjected to attacks or intimidation," they said in a joint statement.

"Making our communities safe and welcoming places is the responsibility of all members of society," they added.

The Church leaders warned that funding cuts and financial uncertainty threaten community work aimed at giving young people better opportunities.

"In this context, it is more important than ever that we seek to lend our support to initiatives that offer young people the chance to achieve their full potential and challenge those who seek to trap them in never-ending cycles of violence," they concluded.

The UK Government has said it is fully behind efforts to tackle paramilitarism and organised crime in Northern Ireland.

A spokesman said: "The UK Government has committed 25 million of funding to support the NI Executive's tackling paramilitarism programme.

"This has been matched by the NI Executive, providing a total of 50 million over five years (2016-2021)."
A man who killed his former partner with a shotgun in the Portstewart launderette where she worked was on Monday handed a miniumum sentence of 13 years for her "tragic and traumatic" murder.

Marion Millican died in March 2011 after she was shot in the chest with a double-barelled shotgun brandished by her former partner Fred McClenaghan.

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As Mr Justice Colton told 55-year old McClenaghan, from Broad Street in Magherafelt, that he will serve a minimum of 13 years in prison before he is considered eligible for release, the Judge spoke of the devastating impact Mrs Millican's murder has had on her loved ones.

Saying the 51-year old mother of four's death "will resonate with her family and friends for the rest of their lives", Mr Justice Colton said: "I recognise that the loss of Mrs Millican's life cannot be measured by the length of a prison sentence.

"There is no term of imprisonment that I can impose that will reconcile Mrs Millican's family and friends to their loss, not will it cure their anguish."

During today's sentencing, the Judge noted McClenaghan's continual denials that he murdered his former partner.

After separating from her husband, Mrs Millican started a relationship with McClenaghan at the beginning of 2010 - but by the end of the year she had ended things as he had been violent to her on at least two occasions.

Around the end of 2010 she and her husband were working on a reconciliation. Just three months later, on the afternoon of Friday March 11th, 2011, McClenaghan entered his former girlfriend's workplace on Portstewart's Promenade.

As Mrs Millican and her work colleague and friend were eating lunch, McClenaghan walked into the premises carrying a gun and told his ex "you are coming with me for a talk."

Mrs Millican told McClenaghan she didn't want to leave and be bundled into a car, and at that stage McClenaghan fired a shot into the ground between the two women.

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The colleague fled into the staff toilet before managing to run from the launderette and to a nearby bar, where she raised the alarm.

Minutes later, Mrs Millican's body was found lying face down in a pool of blood. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Around an hour after the murder, McClenaghan contacted a woman in Kilrea and told her "I shot a girl in Portstewart."

He was arrested later that day, and took officers to the area where he disgarded the shotgun. During police interviews, he refused to answer questions - but his solicitor handed police a statement on behalf of McClenaghan which said: "It was my intention to kill myself in front of Marion, who would witness my suicide."

Since March 2011, McClenaghan denied murder. However, three days into the latest trial - which was being held at Belfast Crown Court in September - he dramatically changed his stance and finally admitted a charge of murder.

Mr Justice Colton said this plea had brought "justice and relief" to her family, as well as McClenaghan "acknowledging his guilt for her death."

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The Judge said he accepted that at the time of the fatal shooting, McClenaghan was being treated for depression and had expressed suicidal tendancies.

However, Mr Justice Colton also noted how McClenaghan had talked about killing his former partner, and that on the day of the murder, Mrs Millican was "taken by surprise at her place of work" by a man who had armed himself in advance.

The court also heard that McClenaghan had "relevant previous convictions" for violence, and had also attacked Mrs Millican on at least two prior occasions.

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Mr Justice Colton said that in this case, there can be "no happy outcome", but said the "uncertainty" that had been hanging over this case for the past six years had now gone.

After handing McClenaghan a minimum sentence of 13 years, the Judge confirmed that the time McClenaghan has already spend in custody - since his arrest in March 2011 - will be included in the sentence.

The Judge also agreed to a request from the Crown that the shotgun used to murder Mrs Millican be destroyed.
Steve Aiken MLA at the Belfast-moored HMS Caroline, where he was a reservist at just 15 years of age

The most probing interviews: Steve Aiken, South Antrim UUP, on commanding a submarine... and why he'd love it if Claire Hanna and Nichola Mallon defected to his party

Q. You're 55 and married to Beth whose age you "can't possibly reveal" and who works in your constituency office as a research and policy manager. Where did you meet? Was it love at first sight?

A. She's originally from the US but is now a British citizen. We met at Cambridge University in 2008. We were just good friends to start off with. We got married on top of a mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on March 9, 2010, and had our marriage blessed in a church in Chickamauga, Georgia.

Q. You have two children from a previous marriage - Rachel (29) and Ruth (25), who both live in Scotland - and two with Beth - Bridget (six) and Hannah Rose (five). Tell us about your late father Ross, your mother Liz, who is in her late 70s, and sister Liza.

A. My mother was a homemaker and Liza, who's in her early 50s, runs a livery stable and teaches showjumping and other equestrian activities. My father was in his mid-70s when he passed away. He had melanoma (skin cancer). We were very close. He was very active in the trade union movement, extraordinarily well-liked and well-connected and it was a great loss when he passed. It wasn't sudden, he'd been in remission, then it spread to his brain.

Q. You've also fought cancer (in 2014) and remarked that it made you see there was more to life than high-profile jobs. Were you money or ego-driven prior to that?

A. No. I was always driven by the next big challenge.

Q. Going through (bowel) cancer  that must have been a harrowing experience for you and your family?

A. First of all, listen to your wife when she says you need to see a doctor. Unusually for a man, I actually did. I probably knew in my heart of hearts there was something wrong because when you get blood in your poo you need to do something. You hear all these horror stories about the NHS, but I was operated on within 62 days of seeing the consultant. They took about a foot-and-a-half out of the intestine; they got it before it reached the lymph nodes. I was lucky, I never had to have chemo. They got it very early on. I get screened every six months. My consultant tells me one of the biggest problems with recurring cancer is people not following up on screening so I tell everyone: do the screening.

Q. Did it make you re-evaluate things?

A. I thought bowel cancer was an old person's disease. In Northern Ireland we only do screening in the early 60s. We should be screening much earlier. We don't actually have a cancer strategy here, and that's one of the big problems.

Q. What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you?

A. Having to hold my father down in hospital when he wanted to leave during the height of his brain tumour. He knew the end was coming; he just didn't want to die in hospital. (We brought him home.)

Q. Does death frighten you?

A. No. (As a former submarine commander in the Navy) I've been close to it often enough and if it happens, it happens, there's not a lot you can do. I've had a three or four close calls when I thought I wasn't getting out alive.

Q. Do you believe in God?

A. I go to church every week - I've no option as my wife is musical director of the choir at Kilbride Church of Ireland. I'm a member of the select vestry as well.

Q. You once went 105 days on a submarine without surfacing. Didn't that drive you crazy?

A. Nope, it was very busy, and very exhausting. By the time you came back it was as if 'flip sake, we've only been away for 103 days' sort of thing.

Q. You've launched Polaris and Tomahawk missiles during your long military career. Did you fight against other submarines?

A. I have signed the Official Secrets Act and I am still bound by it.

Q. You got an OBE and the American Meritorious Service medal. What were they for?

A. Operations in the Middle East. I was one of the lead planners, both for the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan. I was based and embedded with the Americans in Central Command.

Q. What's the most important piece of advice you've been given?

A. Keep the water out of the people tank  Submarine Rule 101.

Q. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

A. Taking a nuclear submarine to the North Pole, or flying in a helicopter in the Middle East and getting shot at.

Q. Tell us something that readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A. I'm claustrophobic.

Q. How do you relax outside politics?

A. I do lots of walking, read a huge amount; I've got about 3,500 books, all with footnotes!

Q. Which politician from another party do you most admire?

A. Claire Hanna and Nichola Mallon. They're on top of their brief, see the bigger picture, have an in-depth knowledge of where we're going and the two of them have got a vision for the future. They're not mired in the past. I'd love to get them across to the Ulster Unionist Party.

Q. How do you feel about the current stalemate situation?

A. The DUP, and in particular Arlene Foster, helped create the perfect storm because they could have stopped the ball being handed to Sinn Fein, who then decided to pull the whole edifice down. Now they're holding everybody to ransom. They keep talking about an Irish Language Act but never tell anybody what's in it.

Q. Do you think there is a way through this impasse?

A. I don't, because Gerry Adams has no desire whatsoever to have an assembly up and running; it doesn't suit his intermediate goals. I think we'll be in full-scale direct rule by January.

Q. Do you think being an MLA is easy money?

A. It involves a large amount of constituency work. I'm supporting the people of South Antrim, fighting for jobs, dealing with what I believe is the next RHI-type scandal all I see is RHI 2. I'm also dealing with schools, in particular primary schools, and what I see is discrimination for primary school pupils across South Antrim. On top of that, we're also desperately short of key infrastructure projects. Only in Northern Ireland can you have a success story like Belfast International Airport but not build a dual carriageway road to the airport until 2032. What are they waiting for - the end of aviation?

Q. So you're worth every penny?

A. I would put it another way. If you think that somebody else could achieve the same sort of things, that's fine. I don't think it's easy money, but I think people have reached the stage now where they can't see the point of the whole thing.

Q. If you were in trouble, who is the one person you'd turn to?

A. My wife.

Q. Who was your biggest inspiration growing up?

A. My dad, because he achieved so much. Coming from a single parent family in Mossley, where my granny worked in the mill from when she was 14, escaping from that and then getting so far in the trade union movement; I could never achieve what he achieved. I miss him every day.

Q. What is the most important character trait for a person to have?

A. There has to be a combination of integrity, honesty and moral courage.

Q. Who is your best Catholic friend?

A. I've never seen anybody in religious terms.

Q. You're from Newtownabbey and now live in Doagh. You went to Ballyrobert Primary and Belfast High and joined the Navy in 1980; a career spanning 31 years. You also obtained an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London and attended the University of Cambridge. How was student life after being a proper worker?

A. If ever you needed an antidote from being at sea, a year at Cambridge was definitely it. It completely stretched my mind in a different way. It was fascinating.

Q. Was there much of a social life?

A. Social life? (Laughs) It is Cambridge. People think 'I'm going to university, I'm going to spend a lot of time drinking' No, it was a two-and-a-half year course jammed into a year. It was tough. I studied International Relations but my area of expertise is in India and its rise as a great power - a rather unusual choice for someone who ends up a Northern Ireland politician but I spent a lot of time in India and the Middle East.

Q. You were a reservist on HMS Caroline at just 15, have been a submarine commander, a CEO of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and ex-CEO of Dublin City University Educational Trust. Tell us about your career to date.

A. I joined the BICC (from 2011 to 2014) as the CEO after the Navy. When I joined there were 20 companies; in the three-and-a-bit years I was there we grew to nearly 260. We set up policy areas in agribusiness, tourism, banking, insurance, energy, etc and I was very involved in discussions between the Department of the Taoiseach, and particularly Enda Kenny, the Cabinet Office and David Cameron. One of the things I was involved in - because I was also a member of the British Irish Association - was changing the dynamic from problems of Northern Ireland to dealing with the most important bit, which was the 65m a year economy that goes back and forth across these islands and changing the focus on that. After being headhunted, I spent a year at Dublin City University Educational Trust.

Q. What made you go into politics?

A. Mike Nesbitt. I'd been involved so much in British-Irish dialogue and spent a lot of time in Westminster, so Mike and I had several conversations about where Northern Ireland was going. There was a sense then, pre-Brexit, that Northern Ireland was changing and things like the economy were going to be much more important than sectarianism; grown-up politics. He felt that I would be a good fit. It was coming up to a year at DCU, I was fed up with the commute and I thought that if I was going to have a change in direction this was probably the time to do it.

Q. Are you disappointed that we don't have an era of 'grown-up politics'?

A. It's worse than that. We're are in a stalemate situation in that the entire political process in Northern Ireland is being held up by one man: Gerry Adams. It's very clear that Adams has decided that chaos theory is what he wishes to propose.

Q. You've served all over the world. What's your all-time favourite place?

A. Doagh.

Q. What is your greatest achievement?

A. Being a dad to four kids, and hopefully a decent husband.

Q. If the Assembly collapses, what's next for you?

A. I'm already job hunting.
Three Carrickfergus men are to stand trial over a suspected loyalist feud attack on a pub bouncer in the town, a judge ordered on Monday.

Three Carrickfergus men are to stand trial over a suspected loyalist feud attack on a pub bouncer in the town, a judge ordered on Monday.

Glen McCullough and brothers Brian and Ian Sinclair each face a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at the Royal Oak Bar.

They were arrested after the doorman was allegedly beaten with a fire extinguisher in March this year.

He suffered a blood clot to the brain, along with multiple skull and facial fractures during the assault, according to police.

Detectives also revealed at a previous hearing how he had to undergo physiotherapy for walking and talking skills.

Police have linked the incident to ongoing tensions between rival factions in the Co Antrim town.

Ian Sinclair, 37 and from Elizabeth Avenue; 51-year-old Brian Sinclair, from O'Rorkes Row; and 53-year-old Glen McCullough, of Castlemara Drive - all in Carrickfergus - are accused of launching the attack after being refused entry to the pub.

They appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court for a preliminary enquiry hearing.

Defence lawyers did not contest prosecution submissions that the three accused all have a case to answer.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall granted an application to have the defendants returned for Crown Court trial on a date to be fixed.
Phil Taylor was not happy with the manner of his victory over Daryl Gurney.

Darts legend Phil 'The Power' Taylor has hit out at Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney after the 31-year-old didn't pour him a glass of water during a match on Saturday night.

Gurney has been criticised for his aggressive behaviour on the oche in the past, and Taylor branded him a 'disrespectful little s**t' after beating him 16-4 in an event in Wolverhampton.

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Speaking to Dutch TV after the match, Taylor didn't hide his anger with how he felt Gurney behaved.

"The worst thing he did was to go on stage, pour a glass of water and leave me out," Taylor said.

"I thought, 'you disrespectful little shit'. That's my exact thought. I'll get you, I'll get you for that."

In another interview with Sky, Taylor expanded on his viewpoint, saying that his issue with Gurney boils down to an alleged lack of respect shown to him.

"Vintage Taylor wanted to teach him a lesson," he said.

"He's a youngster. You know what he did wrong? He poured himself a glass of water and left me out. I thought, 'you cheeky, cheeky, cheeky young so-and-so'.

"Little things. Respect. It's called respect. Without me, there would be no PDC. Have a little bit of respect. Come on."
DUP leader Arlene Foster has said that while she wants devolution in Northern Ireland restored further moves toward direct rule appear "inevitable" unless there is a change in direction in talks.

Mrs Foster was speaking ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street on Tuesday. As well as local politics they will also talk about Brexit, with the DUP leader emphasising Northern Ireland will leave the EU with the UK and Brussels "must not abuse Northern Ireland as a bargaining chip.

She said: We want to speak with the Prime Minister about the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland and also about securing the best deal for the whole of the United Kingdom as we exit the European Union.

The Secretary of State was right to legislate for our budget in London. Further steps now look inevitable unless there is a change of direction

The DUP and Sinn Fein have been engaged in talks to restore devolution to Northern Ireland since the republican party pulled down the institutions in January.

I want to see local Ministers making decisions about Northern Ireland," Mrs Foster continued, "but we cannot continue without a ministerial-led government.

"The Secretary of State was right to legislate for our budget in London. Further steps now look inevitable unless there is a change of direction."

Since the collapse of government in Northern Ireland the DUP found themselves as power brokers in Westminster and secured a 1.5bn confidence and supply deal with the Theresa May's government in order to allow the Prime Minister to operate a minority government.

"We continue to work with Her Majestys Government, Sinn Fein and the other Northern Ireland parties towards restoring a local Executive," continued Mrs Foster.

"The DUP has no red lines and would have formed the Executive many months ago. The people I represent are frustrated that Sinn Fein is blocking devolution. Bread and butter decisions are being disrupted. Health, education and infrastructure spending is being hampered because SF is focused on a narrow political agenda.

To suggest that exiting the EU will bring violence onto our streets is downright careless.

On the Brexit talks Mrs Foster said she was committed to getting the best for Northern Ireland but there would be no border in the Irish sea dividing the country from the rest of the UK. There has been suggestions a return of a border in Ireland would harm the peace process.

The people of Northern Ireland delivered peace and stability," she added. "Yes, they were supported beyond these shores but to suggest that exiting the EU will bring violence onto our streets is downright careless.

"Northern Ireland will exit the EU on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom. We will not countenance a border in the Irish Sea. I welcome the Prime Ministers commitment on this point. The GB market is not only critical for Northern Ireland but for the Republic of Ireland. We want to see a sensible arrangement that can work for all concerned. The democratic wishes of the British people must be implemented.

"Those in Dublin and Brussels, recklessly trying to use Northern Ireland for their own objectives, should cease. The Prime Minister should warn Brussels that Northern Ireland must not be used as blackmail.
Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty has ruled himself out of the running to take over from Gerry Adams when he steps down next year.

Mr Doherty, the party's finance spokesman, said on Monday that he does not want to lead the party at the present time.

He told RTE's Morning Ireland that he had a young family and that it was not the right move at this time.

Mr Doherty said he was confident that there were a number of young republicans who would be capable of stepping into Mr Adams' shoes.

On Sunday the party's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill also ruled herself out of the running.

She said she wanted to concentrate instead on dealing with the issues in the North, where the powersharing government has collapsed.

This leaves the way clear for deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald who remains the clear favourite to take over the role as Sinn Fein leader.

Mr Adams on Saturday told a Sinn Fein Ard Fheis that he would step down as party president next year and would not contest the next general election in Ireland.

He told the Ard Fheis that a special meeting of the party would be called next year to elect a successor.

The 70-year-old TD for Co Louth, who has been party president since 1983, told delegates: "Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now."
Sinn Feins Gerry Adams, Michelle ONeill and Mary Lou McDonald at the opening of the partys ard fheis in the RDS in Dublin

Mary Lou McDonald is the clear favourite to replace Gerry Adams and become the second woman to lead Sinn Fein.

The party is expected to hold a special ard fheis in the spring to choose its next president, with many of its senior figures including Mr Adams viewing Ms McDonald as his heir apparent.

Sinn Fein's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill has ruled herself out of any leadership race.

She told the BBC she had "enough to do" in her current role and would be concentrating on dealing "with the problems in the North".

Ms O'Neill said she would see who put their name forward for the party leadership and then "make my decision on who I'd support".

Donegal TD Pearse Doherty, who last week was seen as a possible candidate, said he wouldn't be a contender.

While Ms McDonald was described by MLA Caral Ni Chuilin as "one of the most formidable women in politics", there are question marks over how well she would connect with republican grassroots, particularly in Northern Ireland.

Born in the affluent Rathgar area of Dublin and educated at the private fee-paying Notre Dame school, the 48-year-old TD for Dublin Centre was once famously filmed for a TV documentary asking "How much are the prawns?" while shopping.

A graduate of Trinity College, she joined Fianna Fail in 1997 but left a year later.

She joined Sinn Fein and unsuccessfully ran for the Dail in 2002 and 2007 before finally being elected in 2011.

She became Sinn Fein's first MEP in the Republic in 2004 but lost her seat in 2009 to Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins.

Ms McDonald has sat on the Sinn Fein ard chomhairle since 2001 and replaced Pat Doherty as the party's deputy leader in 2009.

Impeccably well briefed in comparison to Mr Adams, she is regarded as a strong Dail and media performer who also has good people skills. She has said she joined Sinn Fein to "make a difference" and has challenged the stereotype of "what a Shinner is like".

She said: "I am not uniquely a middle-class person in Sinn Fein.

"I am not uniquely university-educated. We are a much bigger social mix than people might imagine."

As the DUP's Arlene Foster was Peter Robinson's preferred heir, so Ms McDonald has the advantage of being Mr Adams' favoured successor.

She is married to gas control superintendent Martin Lanigan and they have two children.

The first woman to lead Sinn Fein was Cork republican Margaret Buckley - but her CV was very different to Ms McDonald's.

Jailed after the Easter Rising, she was later imprisoned again as a leading anti-Treatyite in Kilmainham Gaol where she went on hungerstrike, and in Mountjoy where she became 'officer commanding' of the female republican prisoners.

Ms Buckley was the first female leader of any Irish political party.

Sinn Fein's other most prominent female figure was Maire Drumm who was party vice-president for four years.

A Cumann na mBan member, she was jailed twice for seditious speeches.

She was shot dead in 1976 by loyalists in her hospital bed in the Mater, Belfast, where she was recovering from an eye operation.
The United Kingdom must offer solutions on how to settle its border with Ireland and insisted it was not up to the European Union to offer compromises, the EU's top Brexit negotiator has said.

Michel Barnier told a conference on Monday that London would need to provide clear proposals soon if they were to find a way for the UK to leave the EU but still have a transparent, open border with Ireland.

He said "those who wanted Brexit must offer solutions".

The EU wants "sufficient progress" on the Irish issue, the rights of EU citizens remaining in Britain and the outstanding bill Britain must pay before the negotiations can move to future relations next month, he said.

AP
Britains hopes of an advantageous free trade agreement with the EU could be dashed if it attempts to use Brexit as an opportunity to abandon the European model and transform itself into a low-tax, low-regulation economy, Brussels chief negotiator has warned.

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Michel Barnier said the EU wanted to strike an ambitious deal with the UK, but warned that the remaining 27 national parliaments and the European Parliament could refuse to ratify it unless Britain commits to a level playing field on issues like fair competition, food safety, social protections and environmental standards.

Mr Barnier also said that Britain must come forward with proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland  as well as settling its financial accounts accurately  if it wishes to make progress towards trade talks at next months crunch European Union summit

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He suggested that this could involve separate regulatory regimes for Northern Ireland and the mainland, effectively moving the border with the single market area to the Irish Sea.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that UK-based financial services firms would lose the passport which allows them to operate in the EU market after Brexit.

He borrowed Theresa Mays old catchphrase to mock those who argue that a special arrangement should be made for the sector, telling them: Brexit means Brexit, everywhere.

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His comments came as Prime Minister Theresa May prepared to chair a Downing Street meeting at which senior ministers are expected to discuss an attempt to break the deadlock by increasing Britains offer on its divorce bill.

Downing Street refused to comment on reports that the Cabinets Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee could approve a further 20 billion in payments, bringing the total offer to around 38 billion  well short of the 60 billion euro (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

Speaking during a visit to Birmingham on Monday morning, Mrs May repeated that the UK would honour our commitments and no other European Union country needs fear that they will have to receive less or pay in more.

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European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of next month for breakthroughs on the divorce bill and the Irish border if the EU27 are to conclude at the December 14-15 summit that sufficient progress has been made to move on to the second phase of negotiations, dealing with the future trade relationship.

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German foreign minister Michael Roth said the EU27 need clarity from Britain on its divorce bill, warning: I currently see no chance of the European Council in December really sending out the signal that these talks can get going.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the EUs General Affairs Council in Brussels, Mr Roth added: In the end, its about the rights of the citizens of the EU and its about the money.

I have already made it clear that the British must make a move. They must stand by their contractual obligations. They cant be released from them.

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The prospects of progress in December were dealt a blow by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkels attempts to put together a coalition in Germany, meaning that one of the European Unions most significant players will be focused on her own position and a possible re-run election rather than being fully engaged in the Brexit process.
A Rohingya Muslim child who crossed over from Burma into Bangladesh plays in front of her makeshift tent at Jamtoli refugee camp in Ukhiya, Bangladesh (AM Ahad/AP/PA)

The Asia minister will use a visit to Burma to urge the country to allow humanitarian access to a region where Rohingya Muslims have suffered what looks like ethnic cleansing according to Theresa May.

Mark Field will reiterate the UKs call for the Burmese government and military to ensure full humanitarian access to Rakhine State when he attends the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) in the south-east Asian country on Monday.

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The Prime Minister earlier this month described images of young Rohingya children emaciated and pleading for help as heartbreaking and suggested that violence against them looks like ethnic cleansing.

Attacks on Rohingya villages began in August and have prompted more than 618,000 people to flee into Bangladesh.

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Mr Field said ahead of the summit in Nay Pyi Taw: ASEM is an important forum that allows us to confront challenges ranging from regional and global security to climate change and migration.

I could not attend without raising the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State and reiterating the international communitys call for the Burmese government and military to urgently ensure full humanitarian access, allow the return of refugees and protect civilians.

We need swift action to prevent further suffering.
Sailors from the Royal Navy are getting ready to perform their first Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Eighty-six sailors from 45 Royal Navy Ships and establishments have been learning the intricate routines and drill movements needed for the historic royal guarding duties at the Queens London residence.

They are also preparing for ceremonial guarding at Windsor Castle, St Jamess Palace and the Tower of London.

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The duty traditionally falls to one of the five Foot Guards Regiments from the Armys Household Division, but this is believed to be the first time the Royal Navy are mounting the Queens Guard.

Other members of the Naval Service  The Royal Marines  have completed the Queens Guard on three occasions.

The sailors will be dressed in pristine navy blue double breasted greatcoats with white belts, white caps, white gaiters and black boots.

The Royal Navy Changing the Guard will take place at the Palace on Sunday November 26, followed by Windsor Castle on Monday November 27.

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Warrant Officer Eddie Wearing, the Navys state ceremonial training officer, said: Its daunting but Im very excited. Its something Ive been pushing for since I started in-post.

To be the conducting Warrant Officer for the first mount ever in the Royal Navy is a massive privilege and an honour to do, Im really looking forward to it.

Lieutenant Commander Steve Elliott, 44, from Portsmouth, will lead the sailors in the role of Captain of the Queens Guard  believed to be the first in the Royal Navy since Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587.

Lt Cdr Elliott said: As we march out of Wellington Barracks for the first time Im fairly sure everyone will grow a good eight to 10 inches.

Its great to do this ceremonial piece and have the Royal Navy back in the public eye as well as act as a capstone to the year of the Royal Navy.

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The sailors have also been practising with drill instructors from the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards to perfect their routines.

Since 1660, Household Troops have guarded the monarch and the Royal Palaces.

Hundreds of tourists gather to watch the colourful spectacle of the Changing the Guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and Windsor.

During the ceremony, which is also known as Guard Mounting, the Old Guard  the guards currently on duty  line up in front of the Palace and are replaced by the New Guard which arrives from Wellington Barracks.

The New Guard is accompanied by a Band or Corps of Drums and the ceremony represents a formal handover of responsibilities.
Robert Mugabe in his television address last night in which he vowed to remain Zimbabwe president for a number of weeks yet

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by making an address on national television without announcing his resignation - setting the stage for him to be impeached.

The Central Committee of ruling party Zanu-PF had hours earlier told him to resign as president by noon on Monday or face impeachment proceedings the following day.

After the speech, its chief whip said: "I don't see us failing to proceed with the impeachment."

Lovemore Matuke said: "The Central Committee decision stands until I am advised otherwise."

He added that "the speech was just surprising".

He said: "It is not in line with what we expected.

"We had understood that his resignation was coming to avoid the embarrassment of impeachment.

"The army is taking its own route, and as politicians we are taking our own route, but the ultimate goal is to make sure he goes, which he should have done tonight."

Zimbabweans had gathered in expectation of a celebration.

Instead, Mugabe appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party, which has expelled him as its leader, by trying to stay on.

He made a reference to presiding over a party congress next month.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now," he said.

"I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public."

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said the president would resign.

Mugabe noted the political turmoil that led to his military house arrest and expulsion as ruling party leader.

"From tonight ... the nation at all levels gets refocused," he said.

He continued that "failures of the past" may have triggered anger in some quarters, which he called "quite understandable".

He also noted that "intergenerational conflict must be resolved", a reference to his apparent positioning of his unpopular 52-year-old wife Grace to succeed him.

Mugabe is 93 and had been backed by fellow veterans of the country's liberation war, until they turned against him.

Zimbabweans said they felt profoundly disappointed that Mugabe was resisting pressure to step aside.

Victor Matemadanda, secretary general of the country's war veterans association, said he felt betrayed.

He said: "He is playing games with the people of Zimbabwe. He agrees to go and then plays games with us like that."

Mr Matemadanda said the war veterans would again rally the people to protest, and "this time the army will let him face the people".

"The army will now choose between shooting the people or protecting Mugabe," he added.

Zimbabweans who gathered at a bar in the capital to celebrate the expected resignation said they were frustrated.

One of them, Nyasha, said: "I would be happy for him, despite everything he has done, to leave with dignity and just walk away. ... He is so stubborn."

Another, Shengi, added: "Mugabe is a dictator and he'll always be a dictator."
Those who long to see the back of Gerry Adams are going to be disappointed. He has no intention of disappearing from our screens. Yes, he'll be stepping down as President of Sinn Fein in the spring, but it's already been made clear that he won't be disappearing from public view.

Consider the stomach-churning tribute on Saturday night before Adams' speech at the Ard Fheis from Toireasa Ferris, daughter of gun-runner, former IRA leader and TD, Martin Ferris.

"We love this great giant on whose shoulders we stand," she said, "and no matter what he tells us tonight, he will always be our leader."

Sinn Fein love titles, so it'll be very surprising if Adams does not end up being called, for instance, honorary Sinn Fein Vice-President for life - the badge worn by Joe Cahill, IRA ex-Chief of Staff, from 1996 until his death in 2004.

Cahill's role was to reassure hard men in Ireland and America that the IRA were still in charge and the peace process was but another means of achieving a united Ireland.

Adams - who has brand recognition and still attracts adulation and money in parts of Irish-America - will fundraise and schmooze there by the side of his successor.

He says he won't stand again for the Dail, but for now he is still the party leader there.

He is, however, widely regarded as being a liability, although many young people who know nothing about the decades of mayhem and murder view him rather as the equivalent on the mainland, see Jeremy Corbyn - a cuddly, well-meaning, peace-loving old beardie.

Adams has been extremely successful in pushing this image on social media with the help of whimsical tweets about teddy bears and ducks.

He has recently also taken to Snapchat where, on Saturday, he shared a photograph of comedy socks adorned with rubber ducks, with the comment: "Ducky ar la".

But many older people will never forgive Adams' bloodstained past and he embarrasses his party by demonstrating his inability to understand basic economics. Yet even if he hands over that job as well, there is absolutely no chance that he will retire to Donegal to let the new generation run the party without interference.

Adams is a control freak and, in fairness, as the only person who can hold his partitioned and increasingly fractious party together, he intends to continue to control it through his puppets.

Michelle O'Neill is widely regarded as a robotic mediocrity, whose main contribution is to read out the speeches and statements written for her.

His deputy and intended successor as Sinn Fein President, Mary Lou McDonald, is able, but she has no IRA pedigree and is Dublin middle-class, and although she trumpets her "pride" in the IRA's history, she will never be able to dictate to the small group of veteran IRA men who still, with Adams, direct the republican movement.

If anyone doubts that is the case, they should ask themselves why ex-convict Sean "Spike" Murray - who has never held elected office - is a constant presence observing the activities of Sinn Fein members on Belfast City Council.

And why the likes of Sean "the Surgeon" Hughes - named by Peter Robinson in the House of Commons in 2002 as having joined the IRA Army Council - has been brought in to mediate in rows in the Republic where the party is haemorrhaging councillors over claims of bullying, harassment and smear campaigns.

Councillors in Northern Ireland are used to doing what they're told, but down south it's different and the cracks are beginning to show.

As usual, Sinn Fein has been dealing with such problems by brass-necked denials and blaming journalists.

In Adams' speech, he explained that "the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaderships, the Dublin establishment, including the Independent Media Group" (owners of the consistently anti-terrorist Sunday Independent) "don't want Sinn Fein in government because they and their cronies have run this state for nearly 100 years in their own interests".

What's more, "they know we will bring an end to corruption, cronyism and gombeenism. They know a government with Sinn Fein leading it will be an accountable government."

Accountable?

You have to laugh.
He hasn't gone away, but he has promised to do so next year. Gerry Adams, the most controversial political figure in Ireland in the last 40 years, is to step down as President of Sinn Fein and will not seek re-election as a TD.

It is difficult to believe that a man who has shaped modern republicanism to his own image will, in a relatively few months time, no longer be setting out the path for the party to follow.

He is the man most publicly recognised as the face of republicanism. His claim never to have been in the IRA does not chime with the perceptions of many, or the recollections of some former members. Why for example, they all ask, was the young Gerry Adams released from internment in the early 1970s to take part in ceasefire negotiations with the British Government representatives along with senior IRA members?

For make no mistake, he was a hugely influential figure in the republican movement. Not only was he able to wrest control away from the older Dublin leadership but he also brought the hard men of the IRA wedded to violence to a position where they were prepared to forsake the Armalite for the ballot box.

And he was able to seize the political momentum created by the hunger strikes in the early 1980s to ultimately make Sinn Fein the overwhelming nationalist voice in Northern Ireland and a significant player in the more difficult political climate in the Republic.

However, there is a coldness in him as a person which means that he has no shortage of detractors, or even those who downright loathe him.

But then no one occupies his pivotal position in republicanism for more than three decades by being some kind of sentimentalist. Gerry Adams is an unapologetic republican, and many people feel he does not really appreciate the chasm of hurt and hatred that the IRA campaign of violence created.

Relatives of those bereaved by the IRA, speaking to this newspaper, show how deep their antipathy is to him.

It can be argued that Sinn Fein would not be the political force it is on both sides of the border were it not for Gerry Adams. But there is an equally valid contention that his very presence at the head of the party is limiting its growth in the Republic - he is the hate figure with the baggage of history which his political opponents can rail successfully against.

As he prepares to step down, what are his private thoughts on the republican campaign of violence and Sinn Fein's emergence as a political force across this island?

His hopes that the party would be in government in both jurisdictions in 2016 - the centenary of the Easter Rising - never materialised. Will a party not led by him be more acceptable to voters - and the other political parties - in the Republic in the next general election?

What of the party in Northern Ireland? Will it be overshadowed by the likely future Dublin leadership, especially if devolution continues to wither on the vine? Are we becoming as weary of politics as we were of conflict?

And most of all, will Gerry Adams reflect that the principle of consent which is enshrined in legislation - stating that Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK until a majority of its citizens say otherwise - now makes a united Ireland a more distant prospect than ever it was, in no small measure because of the republican mayhem which he never disavowed.
It wasnt supposed to end like this. It was supposed to end with Gerry Adams in Aras an Uachtarain, the name Ireland gives these days to the one-time British vice-regal lodge in Dublins Phoenix Park, which now houses Irelands mostly ceremonial, powerless president. It is the nearest thing Ireland has to Buckingham Palace.

Adams ending his political life as president of Ireland was the secret bit in the peace process strategy; it was supposed to crown a series of political triumphs that would flow from the IRA ending its war against Britain, the centrepiece of which would be the sight of Sinn Fein rear ends seated around cabinet tables on both sides of the border. Not Irish unity but a pretty good facsimile.

The current resident gives a clue about the qualities Ireland normally seeks in its presidents. Michael D Higgins is an all-round good guy about whom nobody has a bad word to say. Gerry Adams qualification for the office was to be of a very different sort. His claim lay in the leadership role he played in ending the killing in Northern Ireland and winding up the Provisional IRA, lock, stock and all its decommissioned gun barrels. A grateful Irish electorate would reward him with the highest office in its gift.

That is now unlikely to happen. Adams has not only served notice that he has no intention of standing for his Dail seat at the next election but he has already ruled out a run for the presidency, recognising that his race has almost been run.

As the Sinn Fein faithful gathered in Dublin this weekend to bid farewell to Adams, one of the first motions they debated and approved allowed the party to enter a coalition government as a minor partner, junior to one of the other major parties, Fine Gael or Fianna Fail.

This was actually another acknowledgement of failure, every bit as eloquent as Adams retirement.

When, in the early 2000s, Sinn Fein first seriously sought elected office in the Republic of Ireland, the plan was simple and promising. On the back of delivering the peace process in the north, Sinn Fein would present itself as the new, bright, hopeful future for Ireland, a breath of fresh air in a political system that seemed moribund and essentially unchanged or challenged in decades. If it went to plan, Sinn Fein would sweep all before them and enter government as the dominant party. Since the late 1970s all governments in Dublin have been coalitions and politics have largely been about which party emerges as the boss.

Sinn Feins promise to its voters and grassroots activists was that it would not enter coalition playing second fiddle, and would not compromise on enacting its programme. Others could join it in government, but Sinn Fein would call the shots.

Now, along with those lofty hopes for Adams elevation to the presidency, that promise has been cast to the wind. The irony in all of this is that the person who made all this possible in the first place is most responsible for the disappointment and failure that now faces Sinn Fein. There can be no doubt that there would have been no peace process, no decommissioning, no standing down of the IRA without Gerry Adams. In the early 1970s when he rose to become Belfast IRA commander, Adams was widely recognised, not least by his opponents, as a master military strategist who had, while commander of the second Belfast battalion, forced the British to introduce internment, an act that destabilised Northern Ireland almost entirely.

Internment boosted recruitment to the IRA, the British responded with Bloody Sunday and as Ireland rose as one in anger to protest, were then forced to impose direct rule. All had changed utterly.

When the IRA faced defeat in the mid-1970s Adams charted a way out. The IRA was re-organised and by the late 1970s was once again a military force to be reckoned with, as the deaths on the same day of Lord Mountbatten in Co Sligo and 18 paratroopers in Warrenpoint bore bloody witness. It was Adams who secretly nursed an ambition to run Sinn Fein in elections and grasped the chance to realise it during the H-Block hunger strikes of 1981, by running Bobby Sands in Fermanagh-South Tyrone and other prisoners in seats south of the border. He made electoral politics respectable in the Provos by associating it with military sacrifice.

Sinn Feins subsequent success in the Assembly election of 1982 terrified establishment politicians in Ireland but also created an unresolvable tension between the IRA and Sinn Fein: if one prospered the other had to languish. You couldnt bomb factories one day and ask for votes the next from those who had lost their jobs.

That tension, that contradiction, intensified with every election that followed. It was at the end of the day a contradiction that defied resolution; one or the other had to prevail and the only question we cannot yet answer is whether Adams knew this at the time, or was just lucky. The roots of the peace process, the rise of Sinn Fein and the fall of the IRA, lay in that conflict and while the full story of what happened has yet to be told, we know enough to recognise that without Adams caution and skill, not to mention deviousness in handling the IRA, it could all have ended in a very different way.

During this lengthy, tortuous and often dangerous journey Adams made one serious error. He denied what everyone knew, that he had been a member of the IRA.

Now traditionally, Irish republicans never admit to being in the IRA (not least because that would bring a jail term), but neither have they believed it was acceptable to deny it, for to do so would be disown their comrades and their lifes meaning. Instead, their response would be along the lines of mind your own business, although not always put so politely.

Adams decision to deny his past was at first regarded internally as a clever ploy which confused the IRAs enemies. But as the peace process gathered speed and as Adams rubbed the shoulders of establishment politicians, more of his comrades came to regard his denial as a ploy to distance himself from some of the IRAs worst excesses, to blame others for things he had ordered them to do.

It was this, I firmly believe, which persuaded one-time close comrades like Brendan Hughes to go public on Adams alleged involvement in episodes like the 1972 disappearance of Jean McConville, the widowed mother of seven, killed because of her alleged role as a British Army informer. Adams denial of IRA involvement thus focused attention on his record during the years of the worst IRA violence in a way which might not have happened had he been less mendacious about his past.

To Sinn Feins political enemies in the Dail this was a gift from the Gods. Hardly a year has passed since Adams took his seat in Leinster House that has not seen one or more extended scandals centred on claims about Adams alleged involvement in this or that murder or outrage.

He became politically radioactive and when Micheal Martin, the leader of Fianna Fail, Sinn Feins natural partner in coalition made it clear that he would never enter government alongside a Sinn Fein party that had Adams as its leader, the script for his retirement from politics was virtually written.

Adams and Sinn Fein had hoped that they would enter Dail politics and ultimately Government Buildings by putting the IRA behind them. Instead the IRA has haunted them, keeping Adams alleged role in violence to the fore of the publics consciousness and preventing Sinn Fein from making the breakthrough into government and Adams from ever laying his head on a pillow in the master bedroom of Aras. That is perhaps the greatest irony of the peace process.
A scene from the documentary No Stone Unturned which looks at the Loughinisland massacre

Is anyone interested in our side? This is what a former Special Branch colleague (let's call him Peter) said to me recently. Speaking of a covert operation that netted a vicious terrorist cell, which had been difficult to stop up to that point, he recalled: "I fired at one of them. He fell. It was not a life-threatening hit. I could see the gun he had just fall out of his grasp. He thought I'd closed in to finish him off. That's what he'd have done to me. It looked like he still had the gun. I was the only one who saw how it really was. Killing him and getting away with it would have been easy. But that was not who we were. People need to know this."

I sent an article on this to a leading newspaper in the Republic of Ireland, as they had ran a colourful story about Peter's unit and I wanted to inform their readers with something beyond Wikipedia and An Phoblacht. I heard nothing back.

Tackling an intolerant ideology, like the Provisionals, is extremely hard, because it conditions much of society into believing its viewpoint, particularly people of the same religion, race, or ethnicity.

In the Troubles, police officers and soldiers risked everything. Not only could they lose their life, but their reputation. Defaming them did not end with their death.

Look at what happened to Captain Robert Nairac (28). For 40 years, and without a shred of evidence, he was painted as an evil executor of a sinister security policy. Vile rumours and sensationalist headlines went unchallenged to become most people's truth of the courageous soldier.

When it was exposed as fake news this year, I saw no apologies, or signs of regret, from his accusers and no consequences for peddling lies and untruths.

While the young Grenadier was named in public, this is not necessary to destroy a person's reputation. Tarnishing an incident, investigation, or the organisation is enough. Family, friends and former colleagues will know who it is.

Those who worked in intelligence - Special Branch - have been thrown to the wolves, quickly followed by CID officers and uniform commanders.

The upshot is that intelligence and security policy in general has been widely and unfairly misrepresented.

As with Robert Nairac, the Provos simply created the claims and repeated them.

And the naive regurgitation of this propaganda has played a considerable part in ensuring that gullible individuals, on both sides of our community, now believe that the intelligence-gathering operation, which underpinned the security work of both police and military, was fatally flawed and on a par with the acts of terrorism it was combating.

"Collusion" epitomises this. If the word "collusion" did not exist, critics of intelligence would have nothing to say.

To many in the mainstream media, not only is contesting "collusion" fraught with legal hazards, it is also journalistically unpopular, as it means swimming against the tide of security mythology that captivates many "security" commentators.

The trend has continued and is compounded by a fear of a Sinn Fein party used to getting its way, which is a reason why there are so few hard-hitting articles, or films, about the republican movement.

The ideological intolerance stretches to films. Since writing Secret Victory, I have become familiar with the filmmaking world and, at the moment, there is no interest in these islands in a film that explains the security perspective.

Where funding is available, it is for a project like the Maze escape, or Bobby Sands, that shows the Provos favourably, or No Stone Unturned, that promotes a "collusion" storyline in the UVF murders of six innocent Catholics in Loughinisland in 1994.

No Stone Unturned is the latest and is, essentially, a Police Ombudsman investigation cinematised. The investigation is subject to a judicial review next month.

With this in mind, it is not appropriate to comment on No Stone Unturned to any great degree, other than to raise some general points.

I was surprised that people who were not prosecuted for the murders are named. In other words, if a movie was made of Robert Nairac, is it right to name the people in the bar he was abducted from?

The film is made for the big screen, an international audience and is well done.

The filmmaker, Alex Gibney, is a master of his art. I imagine most people will come away from it impressed and asking: how on earth can the state explain this?

I know some of the officers involved. They are decent people with a strong moral compass. They know right from wrong. There is not a sectarian bone in their body. Contrary to what the film claims, if they could have stopped the attack, they would have.

Everything Special Branch did was geared to protecting life. This is what I was taught and it is what they were taught. It is what we did. Everyone could not be saved, but it was not for the want of trying.

The character of the officers and what motivated them is unexplored. Indeed, it is supplanted by a cameo role by Danny Morrison.

Let me briefly show what was never going to feature in the analysis of a Provo propagandist. The last thing Special Branch wanted, or needed, were Protestants murdering Catholics. It made their job much more difficult and took precious resources away from countering the main protagonist - the Provisionals. Defeating the Provos was the state's main aim, because this would end the Troubles.

Of the film, the Irish News reported on November 3: "The SDLP and Sinn Fein have called for action" and that former SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie "said the Irish government needed to intervene". In 2011 Margaret Ritchie described the RUC as "rotten to the core".

Nationalism's response is predictable. On one hand, Sinn Fein excused IRA murders of police officers and, on the other, the SDLP, from John Hume's leadership onward, refused to support the police.

Trapped by this legacy, it is in the political interests of both to continue to condemn the RUC.

Of the Republic of Ireland aspect, I am minded of a detective who had travelled to Dublin in the early-1970s to convince a court to extradite a terrorist suspect wanted for multiple murders in Belfast.

The court refused, ruling the offences were political and not criminal. Where this soothed nationalism, it inflamed loyalism.

I do not raise these issues to deflect from the atrocity, or sectarian depravity, of the UVF, but to highlight the difficulty in solving a complex Troubles-type problem.

Everything is interconnected, but little pulls in the same direction. I get a sense that Dublin accepts it made bad calls, but nationalists in "the north" do not. Most of all, however, Loughinisland was a product of a Provo strategy to sectarianise the situation by pulling loyalists into the fight. Incidents of this kind pushed nationalists closer to the Provos and their hardline views. It is how violent insurgent networks operate. The big beneficiary of incidents like Loughinisland was the Provos.

I am not suggesting Special Branch, or the RUC, were perfect. Some officers - orange and green - let the side down. But they were few and far between.

For protecting life and preventing attacks, it is by far the world's best example and most human rights compliant for such a situation.

This is what I do for the Edward M Kennedy Institute - identify what works in a nation afflicted by terrorism in order to stop the violence, a major part of which is to understand the threat.

Yet even here there is intolerance from those who see it as exporting a "dirty war" and link this to some controversy in that nation.

Unfortunately, this is the reality of troubled hotspots and why they need help. It was such a correlation that annoyed Peter and caused me to write to the Irish newspaper in order to show what his unit was truly like.

And, for the record, when people like Peter confronted armed and dangerous terrorists in covert operations, the result, 99% of the time, were arrests. This is remarkable. Nowhere in the world have I seen anything this restrained.

My sympathy for the innocent victims of terrorism is matched by my disdain of people wrongly accused.

What happened at Loughinisland was dreadful, but two wrongs do not make a right.

The narrative the "peace process" has produced (and filmmakers have popularised) is nationalist, liberal and profoundly anti-police.

In itself, this is not a negative. It only becomes negative when there is no balance, which is the case here. So, Peter, to answer your question: no.

William Matchett is author of Secret Victory: The Intelligence War that Beat the IRA. He is a senior researcher at the Edward M Kennedy Institute for Conflict Prevention at Maynooth University
Belfasts Christmas Market has arrived and the Christmas lights have been switched on, so now is the perfect time to visit the citys shops in search of the perfect presents for friends and family.

A Christmas shopping trip to the city should start with a visit to the Belfast Christmas Market. Purchase gifts from all over the world including thoughtful personalised gifts, handmade jewellery and a wide range of festive arts and crafts from now until 23 December.

Treat yourself to some delicious food along the way with Dutch pancakes and Bratwurst among the most popular offerings.

Nearby is Victoria Square, a plush shopping village with over 60 stores, including a four-storey House of Fraser, an Apple Store and many designer names: Michael Kors, Reiss, Tommy Hilfiger, Coast and Karen Millen to name a few.

For a special day out, dine in the Ivory Restaurant and afterwards take the elevator up to the glass dome for a 360 panoramic view of Belfast.

When youre ready to drop after youve shopped, rest in comfort at the 5* Culloden Estate and Spa. The 12 acre palatial site is located ten minutes from Belfast City Centre and offers the highest level of personal service.

Stay in one of the 105 exquisitely decorated rooms before relaxing in the luxury spa which features a marble eucalyptus steam room as well as a wide choice of reviving, rejuvenating and soothing treatments.

If your day of shopping has worked up your appetite, visit the hotels award-winning Mitre Restaurant. Enjoy modern Irish cuisine featuring the freshest local produce with a side of stunning views of Belfast Lough.

After your meal, you can warm up with a glass of wine beside the log fire lit in the nearby Cultra Inn.

After a good nights sleep in the Culloden, visit Belfasts Lisburn Road, where independent designer fashion and homeware boutiques are interspersed with coffee shops and restaurants.

Shop at Jo JoMamanBebe, Bedeck,Maven, Oliver Bonas,Velvet Boutique, Real, ModaShoes, and Hugo Thomas. Then relax with great food and drinks at Deane and Decano, The Albany, The Chelsea or Shu.

Other nearby attractions

Ox

Its all industrial lighting, salvaged seating and an open kitchen at the Michelin starred Ox on Belfasts Oxford Street. The bare brick whitewashed walls are intentionally devoid of decoration, as the real artwork is presented on each plate. With an enthusiastic approach to seasonality, OXs modern Irish cuisine uses the best locally sourced ingredients, and each dish leaving the kitchen is designed so every element on the plate has an integral role in showcasing them. A carefully compiled wine list features local microbreweries and exciting wine makers.

The MAC

Treat your eyes to a feast of modern art at one of Europes leading art centres, situated in the heart of Belfast. Currently on show is the first solo presentation in Ireland by Chinese artist Cheng Ran. This epic showcase features film work based on three real life stories of adventure, exploration and the pursuit of enigma.

North Down Coastal Path

Wrap up warm and explore beautiful coastline and scenic parkland along the North Down Coastal Path which can be access in Cultra, five minutes away from the Culloden Estate and Spa. Spot historic relics and flora and fauna which are found in abundance, including the grey seals which can be spotted offshore.

For more shopping or short break inspiration, visit www.DiscoverNorthernIreland.com
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The injured areas are hit with a laser light of a particular wavelength and the emitted light is captured in the range, generating a spectrum.

A team of scientists at Manipal University in Karnataka have demonstrated the ability of laser-induced fluorescence technique to quantify the amount of collagen in healing tissues and thus analyze the recovery process. The more the collagen content, the healthier the tissue.

The strategy is to study biochemical changes by exploiting tissue fluorophores or chemical compounds that can re-emit light upon light excitation. Some of the most common fluorophores are collagen, elastin, amino acids (building blocks of proteins) such as tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine that are responsible for tissue autofluorescence.

The injured areas are hit with a laser light of a particular wavelength and the emitted light is captured in the range, generating a spectrum. For each region, multiple spectra are generated and averaged. This yields an image that correlates with collagen content reflective of the healthy repair.

Based on this knowledge, scientists have proposed a simple technique to evaluate the progression of healing using a non-invasive, fast and an easy to use tool.

Scientists have promising results in tissue samples from burn patients and with further analyses and studies, they hope to have this tool routinely used for patients in the near future,
Style Met Class At The 17th Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, Kolkata Bollywood Wardrobe Dona

17th edition of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has already set the fire in cities like Hyderabad and Gurgaon. This weekend, it was the turn for the City Of Joy, Kolkata to be blazed in the fire of style and glamour.

On Saturday evening, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour reached Kolkata with the amazing collection of designs Nikhil Thampi and Shantanu and Nikhil. The event place at a five-star hotel in the city and were totally stunned by the double presentations by the ace designers.

Actor Sidharth Malhotra walked as the showstopper for celebrity designer pair Shantanu and Nikhil. He was wearing a set of a black traditional suit and a dual shaded jacket which had the fine embroidered pocket square. He matched the style book with a pair of black jootis.

The designer pair's collection was very simple and very classy where they narrated their classic yet modern design styles. Sidharth along with the models showcased the attires and we were spellbound by the label's Autumn/Winter 2017 collection.

Designer Nikhil Thampi also presented his amazing collection where supermodels Diva Dhawan and Lakhsmi Rana. The black and sequin presentation of the designer caught our attention.

The event was completed with the musical presentation by Grain ft. Kavya Trehan & Kamakshi Khanna.

Do not miss on the pictures from the 17th edition of Blenders Pride Fashion Week, Kolkata Edition.

Few more cities including Mumbai nad Bengaluru are yet to showcase some more stunning collections by other celebrity designers.
The Story Of The World's Shortest Woman Pulse oi-Syeda Farah

There are a few people in this world who make us realise that accepting our flaws and weaknesses can actually become our biggest strength.

Jyoti Amge is such an inspirational example in the world. She is the shortest woman in the world and she has made her weakness her strength.

According to sources, she is just 2.06 feet tall and weighs approximately 5.5 kg ONLY!

Check out on some more details about the world's shortest woman, which are as mentioned below.

She Has Hardly Grown! Jyothi is only 62.8 cm, which is 2 feet 0.6 inch tall. She weighs just 5.5 kg only! She has gained only 9 lbs from her birth weight. This is due to a medical condition known as 'achondroplasia', in which her body development stopped after she turned one. Her Condition Was Not None Until She Turned 5 Her family came to know about her rare bone-degenerative condition only when she turned 5 years old and her family consulted a specialist. The doctor told her height would remain the same all of her life. Despite Her Condition, She Loves To Be Treated Like A Regular Kid As a teenager, Jyothi attended regular school in Nagpur, where she had her own small desk and chair. She enjoyed life just like a regular kid and never wished to be treated as a special child. " /> pulse " /> This Indian "Iron Woman" Sure Knows How To Break Gender Stereotypes Everything Around Her Was Modified For Her To Lead A Regular Life From her school desk and chair to her clothes and jewellery, everything has been custom made to suit her. Even the plates, utensils or her bed and other basic necessities are specially designed for her. She Was Declared The Shortest Woman On her 18th birthday, Jyothi was officially declared as the world's smallest woman by the Guinness Book of World Records, in 2011. According to sources, she is 6.7 cm shorter than the previous title holder, American Bridgette Jordan. pulse Her Disorder Did Not Stop Her From Becoming Famous! She Wishes To Be A Bollywood Actress Some Day After she won the title of the world's smallest woman, she has set her eyes on an acting career in Bollywood. Her favourite Bollywood actors are Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Amitabh Bachchan. We wish her good luck.

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Story first published: Monday, November 20, 2017, 11:49 [IST]
The Reserve Bank is warning banks they risk facing further regulation if they fail to address retailers' concerns over the mounting cost to merchants from tap-and-go payments made on debit cards.

As consumers embrace contactless payments, the retail industry estimates its costs from processing purchases made on debit cards have risen by hundreds of millions of dollars.

That is because when Visa or Mastercard debit cards are used to make a contactless payment, the transaction is automatically sent through the card scheme system run by the international giants.

Before tap-and-go payments took off, most of these debit card transactions would have instead been through the lower-cost eftpos network.
Since completing the Higher School Certificate this year, Tori Tucker has found it difficult to get a job in her chosen field as a cook because she did not study hospitality as a vocational education subject.

The NSW Business Chamber has called for an overhaul of the school education system in response to employer concerns that students are not being prepared well enough to tackle the modern workplace.

Tori Tucker said prospective employers have questioned why she did not study hospitality if she wanted a job as a cook. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Chief executive Stephen Cartwright said his organisation's member businesses are concerned a significant proportion of young people leaving school need to be better equipped to avoid being left behind.

He said there were "serious signs" that "we must act now to transform and modernise our school education system".
The first time international student Amy (not her real name) was sacked from a job was when she was too busy with her studies to work more than 20 hours per week as required by her boss late last year.

After going back to work for the same employer earlier this year, she was sacked a second time for asking to be paid penalty rates for working on a public holiday.

Amy (not her real name), an overseas student who has been seriously underpaid. Credit:Anna Kucera

As a student on a temporary migrant visa, Amy, from South America, is legally only allowed to work 20 hours per week.

She said her boss required her to work between 40 to 50 hours per week in breach of her visa conditions.
A landmark study has found wage theft is endemic across Australia with a quarter of international students and a third of backpackers earning $12 or less per hour, around half the legal minimum wage.

The new report presents the most comprehensive Australian research conducted into the systemic underpayment of international students, backpackers and other temporary migrants around the country. It paints a bleak picture of the conditions experienced by a high proportion of the more than 900,000 temporary migrant workers who represent more than 10 per cent of the Australian labour market.

Two in five people surveyed for the report by law academics from the University of Technology Sydney and University of NSW received their lowest rate of pay while working in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food outlets. Almost a third of these workers were paid $12 per hour or less.

Almost one in seven working in fruit and vegetable picking and farm work  which the study found to be the worst paid  earned $5 per hour or less, and almost a third (31 per cent) earned $10 per hour or less.
If the banks looked away from their building pile of reputational rubble for a minute they'd have noted no doubt financial planning outfit Netwealth's spectacular debut on the ASX.

The company was founded by Michael Heine, his brother Leslie Heine and Michael's son Matt Heine. The father and son duo are now joint managing directors of the newly listed Netwealth.

They have built their business scooping up financial planners and advisers who have left the big banks in the wake of years of scandals. And the investors, they like it.

The stock was issued at $3.70 a share and pushed up to close at $5.32, an increase of almost 44 per cent on the opening day. Based on that, the company is now worth $1.26 billion and the Heine trio account for some $800 million of that thanks to their holding of more than 60 per cent.
What to get the man who has everything?

As she celebrated a record-breaking 70th wedding anniversary yesterday, the Queen found just the thing: a new honour for the Duke of Edinburgh.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are marking 70 years since they wed in London's Westminster Abbey. At the time, Princess Elizabeth was just 21 and Philip, a naval officer, was 26. Their wedding was a spark of joy and celebration in a country just recovering from World War II. (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via AP) Credit:Matt Holyoak

The Queen has appointed her husband Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), honouring him for "services to the sovereign" on their platinum anniversary.

The gesture will be seen as formal recognition of the devotion the Duke has shown through seven decades of marriage, supporting her privately and publicly even since his official retirement from public duties in the summer.
Washington: President Donald Trump on Sunday called elephant hunting a "horror show" and strongly suggested he will permanently block imports of elephant trophies from two African nations despite his administration's earlier approval of the plan.

Following strong bipartisan criticism of the administration's decision to allow imports of trophy carcasses for the first time since the practice was halted under the Obama administration, Trump moved on Friday to put the imports on hold.

On Sunday, Trump said on Twitter that he would announce a final decision this week.

He suggested that he does not buy the argument advanced by pro-hunting advocates within his Interior Department that the imports help protect endangered African elephants.
Eating a stir fry may be a healthy option, but cooking it could be bad for your health because it shoots microscopic particles of fat into the air, which could be hazardous if inhaled, scientists have warned.

Researchers at Texas Tech University and Utah State University heated up oil in a frying pan and then recorded what happened when droplets of water were added.

They found the results were "dramatic" with the water causing the fat to explode, sending tiny oil droplets into the air, which are "inhalable and potentially hazardous".

The scientists say foods such as chicken, or Chinese stir fry, might be the worst culprits for spraying oil into the air because poultry and vegetables contain large quantities of water.
1.Getting comfortable with budgeting Sit down for a few hours and go through your bank statements and understand how you're spending your money. I suggest checking out ASIC MoneySmart's BudgetPlanner tool and its TrackMySpend app. Feel sick at the thought? When we procrastinate about something, it's usually because we fear discomfort, whether it's the fact the process is boring or because we're scared of what we might discover. Trust me, taking control can only ever be a good thing. 2.Ditching the credit cards Make a plan to start paying off any credit cards. Swear off using them until you have the income and discipline to pay the balance in full every month. People talk about rent as dead money, but it's not  it's providing a roof over your head. But paying nearly 20 per cent interest on a credit card really is dead money.

5.Socialising with control Feel confident that you don't always have buy rounds of drinks on a night out. Don't freeload off your friends, but if you want to buy your own then don't let anyone make you feel that's not OK. 6.Minimising direct debits These days, it seems every business wants you to pay by direct debit. Even charity collectors on the street don't want your cash. The shift to a subscription economy is great for businesses because it gives them reliable, regular income. The downside for consumers is you can end up spending more than you would otherwise, and if payments come out at the wrong time it can send you into overdraft. Sometimes the direct debits are associated with a contract  at least with Netflix, you can pause your subscription any time, but cancelling a gym membership can be a nightmare. You can't always avoid direct debit, but there's often another way. 7.Learning to cook

Going out to eat at a restaurant with your friends or a partner is great. But too many lazy takeaways at home will wreak havoc with your waistline as well as your budget. Learn to cook some simple, healthy recipes. Services like Hello Fresh or Aussie Farmers Direct Dinner Box can help you by delivering fresh ingredients and simple recipes. It's not quite as cost-effective as doing your own meal planning and shopping, but it's an easy way to get started and it's a lot cheaper than eating out. Eat your leftovers for lunch the next day or another meal. 8.Harnessing compound interest My big lifestyle goal in my 20s was travel. For you it might be something else. I used to save up to travel, head overseas and blow it all, then start again. I had a great time! I have no regrets but if I had my time over I'd wait until I'd saved double what I needed, take half for my travel budget and pop the other half in superannuation, where I couldn't touch it. (I didn't have the discipline not to dip into my savings). The reason is that I now understand the power of compound interest and why Albert Einstein described it as the eighth Wonder of the World. The truth is that money you save in your 20s works much harder for you than money you save at any other time of your life, because of the interest you earn on interest and the way that snowballs over time. It's worth contributing extra to super while you don't have commitments like a mortgage and family, even if you only do it for a few years. 9.Kicking consumerism to the kerb ...
A Canberra woman has been left shaken after her Jack Russell was mauled to death last week.

The 67-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Canberra Times she was walking her 11-year-old dog, Evie, in Narrabundah on November 14 just after 4pm when a "huge white dog" appeared out of nowhere.

Evie was killed after being attacked by another dog in Narrabundah. The search is on for the attacker?

"I was walking Evie and there was nobody around and suddenly this dog appeared and grabbed Evie by the neck," she said.

"It attacked her viciously and I was completely defenceless...I was on my own.
More than a dozen schoolies have been charged overnight as the first weekend of the yearly celebration draws to a close on the Gold Coast.

Police charged 41 people in the party precinct across the weekend as the class of 2017 showed a significant improvement in behaviour from last year's revellers.

Following a similar pattern to previous years, more than half of those charged were non-schoolies, commonly referred to as toolies.

Paramedics treated almost 100 people on Sunday but only two were hospitalised.
A 25-year-old man is fighting for life and police are hunting his attacker after a shopping centre car park stabbing south of Brisbane.

The man was discovered lying at the top of an escalator inside the Underwood Marketplace shopping centre on Monday evening, bleeding profusely from a stab wound to the stomach.

Police believed he fled into the shopping centre from the downstairs car park after an unknown assailant stabbed him about 6.50pm.

Paramedics rushed the victim to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery overnight for what was described as a single stab wound. He was still in a critical condition on Tuesday.

An investigation centre had been set up as police reviewed CCTV from the Beenleigh Road centre.
A motorcyclist has died in hospital after colliding with a ute in far north Queensland.

The 49-year-old male was airlifted to Cairns Base Hospital with serious injuries from the crash at Atherton on Friday, but died on Sunday.

The driver of the utility, a 48-year-old man from Mareeba, was uninjured.

Investigations by the Forensic Crash Unit are continuing.

The latest death takes the state's road toll to 221, nine more than at the same time last year.
A former Melbourne bartender and his fiancee have been charged following a "significant seizure" of 24,000 ecstasy pills in north Brisbane at the weekend.

Fortitude Valley detectives raided a property in Albion about 3pm on Sunday and allegedly found five large plastic bags filled with almost 7.4 kilograms' worth of the drug, also known as MDMA, in pill form.

Russell Johnston and Lucy Molloy faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday. Credit:Facebook.

Detective Inspector Glen Farmer said it was not an everyday seizure.

To find 24,000 pills in one particular area is not a common event, he said.
In an increasingly rare occurrence, I found myself propping up the bar at a fancy hotel past 1am. All the bright young things of journalism were there. And me, about to unwittingly invite ridicule for my increasing techno-inadequacies. The catalyst for my humiliation? The simple act of pulling out my wallet.

There is no surer way to read a persons age these days than the simple act of paying for something. To watch our grey-haired elders make a purchase is to see pockets or purses stuffed with cash, cough drops and handkerchief or two. Me, I consider myself a modern woman. My wallet is stuffed with credit cards. I know how to Bpay.

But my wallet also contains a - potentially dangerous  secret. A little piece of moleskin notepad with a list of all my passwords written on it. Rest assured, the information stored within is written in a code only the gals at Bletchley Park could hope to break. But still. As a member of the Xennial generation  too old to be a true Millennial, too young to be a Gen X  I still struggle to keep up. Born analogue, living in a digital world.

I use technology, but, as my little piece of paper attests, I struggle, too, to keep up sometimes.
Malcolm Turnbull found a way forward on same-sex marriage. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Every change has its time. It just wouldn't have happened in the 1970s or 1980s. Parliament can move ahead of public opinion, but not by much. The facts are that for all Labor's talk, nothing, absolutely nothing, happened in the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd years: 2007 to 2013. The near 40 per cent "no" vote is not inconsequential but it does not tell us that the 40 per cent are either far-right conservatives or religious people. I know people who voted no who are not in any way religious, far right or homophobes. They, in each case, voted no for different reasons. Surprisingly, at an over-the-counter chat in my bookshop a gay man revealed he very nearly voted no. Everyone is entitled to their view. Penny Wong is a passionate supporter but her voting record doesn't demonstrate that. Ditto buckets of Labor members. Some of the no vote may just be where those Labor members were a few years ago.

Tony Abbott did everything he could to stop it. When Malcolm Turnbull tried to implement the Abbott imposed policy of a referendum it was rejected in the Senate. Labor opposed you having your say. Conservatives, wedded to a plebiscite, nonetheless found the postal survey compromise, allowing Turnbull to push ahead. Labor was less helpful and opposed it again. Instead of working constructively to get gay marriage, through the government of the day, Labor chose to attack Turnbull for not being able to make all his party agree. They don't all agree and it would be stupidity to deny it. Those differences are in the community. Acknowledging differences is the Liberal Party's greatest strength. Sadly it is often portrayed by opponents as a weakness. Even the Equality campaign fought against the postal survey. You have to ask why. The allegations of just how nasty Australia was and how horrible the campaign would be were insulting and proved, with a few exceptions on both sides, incorrect.

Turnbull was prepared to keep at it. With a swamp of different opinions around and despite the straitjacket in which Abbott had tied the Liberal Party, Turnbull stuck with it. We've had the debate and the survey. We've got a clear result and Parliament now has to do it. With such a huge response and a clear majority in both numbers and seats, how could they not? That's all been achieved with not support, but opposition from Labor. Plenty of members who were going to vote no in Parliament will now vote yes, respecting Australia's wishes. At the announcement I couldn't help but be genuinely moved. There are few moments when a nation gets, and takes, the chance to speak so clearly about the direction in which they want to go. Penny Wong's emotion and relief was understandable. From the media coverage you might think Wong was the hero in all this. Excuse me? What about Dean Smith, Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman and Warren Entsch? They, and others, are the people that got their government to get this up. No doubt Wong and others wish they had. Could have, would have, should have  Didn't.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 20 (PTI) In a tragic mishap, a coal-laden truck fell over a passenger van today, in Pakistans Sindh province killing at least 17 people.

The incident took place near Theri bypass in Khairpur area of Sindh province and police said that early morning thick fog and careless driving were the main reason for it.

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"Seventeen people were killed and five others injured in the accident," according to local police.

Police and rescue officials said the death toll could rise as the some injured were in precarious condition.

The heavily loaded truck with coal lost control while overtaking and fell on the van, which was on its way to Sukkur from Ranipur in Sindh, police said.

The victims were shifted to a nearby hospital, where two injured passengers are said to be in critical conditions.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused by careless driving, bad roads and faulty vehicles.

At least 59 people were killed while 18 others were injured when a passenger bus collided head-on with a truck on the same Theri bypass in 2014.

Earlier this month, a speeding bus carrying over 100 passengers fell into a ravine killing at least 27 people and injuring 69 others in Pakistans Punjab province. PTI SH AMS

--- ENDS ---
A Queensland construction firm and Liberal Party donor, picked to run refugee services on Australia's behalf in Nauru, will be paid $385 million by taxpayers over the next 12 months.

Canstruct has replaced Broadspectrum as the Australian government's key contractor on the Pacific island, providing garrison and welfare services to more than 1000 refugees.

The blockbuster contract was quietly updated on the government's Austender website late last week and confirmed to Fairfax Media by an Immigration Department spokesman.

The $1 million-a-day price tag reflects the ongoing expense of managing Australia's offshore processing regime, and suggests many refugees will remain on Nauru for a long period.
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of lying to the Australian people about his decision to postpone the return of Parliament, as pressure builds on the government over the surprise move.

Labor, which is petitioning the Prime Minister to reinstate the four-day long session, has also accused him of using a vague promise of tax cuts to distract from the government's troubles.

Crossbench MP Andrew Wilkie, who is expected to be among four crossbench MPs co-signing Labor's letter calling on the government to abandon its postponement, said the government had a "moral imperative" to bring Parliament back next week.

Victorian independent Cathy McGowan has confirmed she will not take part in any protest sitting, but her four crossbench colleagues are expected to co-sign Labor's letter.
With only days until Queenslanders decide who they want to run the state, Labor has again ventured into what could become One Nation territory.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk met with three of her MPs and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill in a paddock in the electorate of Thuringowa, to watch an excavator break ground on a $215 million water pipeline, for which the government had previously announced it would provide funding.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill are seen at the site of a water pipeline project. Credit:AAP

The seat had a margin of 6.6 per cent to Labor, and was held by Aaron Harper.

But a poll published in The Australian suggested Labor could lose Thuringowa, with support for Pauline Hanson's party in the seat at 28 per cent.
Almost half of Queensland voters would be unwilling to support their preferred candidate in the upcoming election if they wanted accessing an abortion to remain a criminal offence.

Abortion is the only medical procedure to feature in the Queensland Criminal Code.

Pro-life and pro-choice protesters clashed at a Brisbane rally earlier this year. Credit:Glenn Hunt

A ReachTEL poll revealed LNP voters were the most likely to support their preferred candidate if the candidate wanted abortion to remain a crime, with 62.1 per cent agreeing, compared with 42.5 per cent of Labor voters, 20.9 per cent Greens and 59.7 per cent One Nation.

Overall, 50.1 per cent of respondents said they would not vote for their preferred candidate if that candidate wanted access to abortion to remain a criminal offence.
London: A respected Australian scientist has been barred from overseeing Britain's nuclear weapons program because Australia isn't a nuclear power, the UK's Sunday Times has reported.

The Pentagon refused to share nuclear information with Hugh Durrant-Whyte, a robotics expert from Sydney University, the newspaper said.

Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte Credit:Michele Mossop

Mr Durrant-Whyte, who has both UK and Australian nationality, was appointed the UK's Ministry of Defence chief scientific adviser in April, on a salary of 140,000 ($244,000) a year.

The MoD was forced to transfer about a third of his job to the Foreign Office, to satisfy the US, which, like the UK, is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Santiago: Conservative billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera on Sunday topped Chile's presidential election with just a few votes left to be counted and will face leftist candidate Alejandro Guillier in a run-off in December.

The 67-year-old took 36.6 per cent of the vote with about 94 per cent of the ballots tallied.

Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera celebrates the first official results that place him in first place in the elections, in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday. Credit:AP

Independent senator Guillier, 64, who represented outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's centre-left coalition, managed 22.6 per cent of the vote.

Journalist Beatriz Sanchez, whose party Frente Amplio includes ecologists and left-wing liberals, was third with 20.3 per cent. The fourth, among a total of eight candidates, was right-winger Jose Antonio Kast with 7.9 per cent of the vote.
As Lucknow goes through its worst phase of consistent bad air quality, residents have been demanding immediate measures to curb city's unrelenting smog. While the administration has finally woken up to the seriousness of the issue, the relief measures taken by the government may take days before we see clear blue skies.

The Uttar Pradesh capital might witness artificial rains through cloud-seeding by IIT Kanpur to combat air pollution which has reached crisis level. A few days ago, the Uttar Pradesh government had asked Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to explore the option of artificial rains.

"IIT Kanpur got the project on artificial rains from the Uttar Pradesh Council of Science and Technology a few months back. For this, the institute has got a grant of Rs 15 lakh," Officiating Director of IIT Kanpur, Manindra Agrawal told PTI. He said the institute is ready for the first artificial rain in Uttar Pradesh and only the approval from the Union civil aviation ministry is awaited.

The area where artificial rain is needed should have cloud cover. It will definitely reduce air pollution levels, Agrawal said. Aerospace, civil engineering and industrial management engineering departments are working on this project, he said. The expense of first artificial rains will be relatively higher, Agrawal said, adding, "But, frequent usage will bring down the cost."

On November 15, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had held a meeting with officials of various departments to control the air pollution.

What is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding or weather modification is an artificial way to induce moisture in the clouds so as to cause a rainfall. In this process, either silver iodide or dry ice is dumped onto the clouds by using an aircraft or an artillery gun which leads to a rain shower.

Where has it been used?

China frequently uses weather modification system to create rainfall during droughts. In July this year, China allocated 199 million yuan ($29.76 million) to spend on its cloud seeding program to prevent drought.

In June this year, a team of scientists from Beijing offered China's cloud seeding technology to India to fight droughts in Maharashtra's Marathwada region.

During 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chinese organisers fired a barrage of rockets in the air ensuring clear skies for the opening ceremony.

In 2009, Chinese scientists fired Beijing skies with iodide sticks hoping to end a long spell of drought, the seeding however caused an early snowfall which disrupted air and road traffic.

In United States, cloud seeding is occasionally used by ski resorts to induce snowfall. Cloud seeding is being used to recharge the ground water in arid UAE.

How effective is it?

The success of cloud seeding depends on the weather conditions of the area. Some moisture in the atmosphere is needed to cause precipitation.

Environmentalists have raised concerns regarding secondary air and water pollution as an outcome of chemicals used to cause precipitation.
A new study by Savills Ireland has found that hoteliers and developers are considering projects with 1,355 new hotel bedrooms for delivery in Cork City in the coming years.



Seven new builds and 4 extensions to existing hotels are at various stages of planning and if half were seen through to completion, it would represent an almost 30% increase on the current Cork hotel stock, which stands at 2,297 bedrooms.

Five hotels have received a grant of planning permission for the addition of 360 bedrooms. The new 165-bed Maldron Hotel on Beasley Street/South Mall is currently under construction and due for completion in 2018, while The Kingsley Hotel at Victoria Cross has received approval for 63 additional bedrooms.



Irelands first floating hotel has also been given the go-ahead, the 96-bed floatel My Story MV would be situated at Penrose Quay. Elsewhere, the Montenotte Hotel on Middle Glanmire Road will add 6 new rooms to its current stock.



Commenting on the new developments, Director of Hotels & Leisure at Savills Ireland, Tom Barrett said, "The Cork hotel market has strengthened in recent years. There is now significant demand for additional bedrooms in the city and Savills expect that a number of the planned schemes will proceed. Current office development plans are very positive for the hotel sector, but certainty the Cork Events Centre proceeding is necessary for the city to exploit its true potential."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Baidu Inc. set up aiBank in partnership with financial conglomerate Citic Group and other partners, mirroring a similar ownership structure as several other new lenders participating in the pilot program, such as banks involving Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. Photo: IC

Nearly a year after receiving a license, search leader Baidu Inc. has formally launched an online bank, becoming the last of Chinas Big 3 internet companies to do so under a Beijing pilot program to open up the nations financial sector to private investment.

The new bank, called aiBank, held a formal opening ceremony on Saturday at an event attended by dignitaries from Chinas central bank and its banking regulator. Both agencies have been experimenting with a number of formats aimed at bringing more private money into a sector traditionally dominated by big, slow moving state-owned entities.

Banks in the pilot program are particularly tasked with providing funds to Chinas private sector, an area typically underserved by the state-owned lenders that often deal in larger loans that require real estate as collateral and are therefore inaccessible to most entrepreneurs.

We hope that aiBank will empower finance using technology to create a field of differentiated, varied and knowledge-based new financial products and services, said Fan Yifei, a deputy governor at the Peoples Bank of China, Chinas central bank. We hope they will advance inclusive finance and make a bigger achievement in supporting development of the real economy, a new path of development from that of traditional banks.

Baidu set up the bank in partnership with financial conglomerate Citic Group and other partners, mirroring a similar ownership structure as other new lenders participating in the pilot program. The pair announced the receipt of their banking license in January, following the earlier awarding of similar licenses to Baidus major online competitors, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., sometimes collectively called the BAT.

Since their launch, both Tencent-backed WeBank and Alibaba-backed MYbank have found a lucrative niche by making microloans to small businesses and entrepreneurs, with amounts often in the thousands of yuan. Through the first half of this year, WeBank had made 200 billion yuan ($30 billion) in loans, with an average loan size of 8,000 yuan. MYbank had made 115 billion yuan in loans, with an average size of 17,000 yuan.

In July, WeBank said it posted its first annual net profit in its second year of operation, thanks to surging demand for microloans among blue-collar workers and small entrepreneurs. All of the banks are limited to providing services over the internet, and most have developed algorithms that rely on big data to quickly and automatically determine each users creditworthiness.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
Beijing authorities have launched blanket citywide inspections targeting unsafe buildings following a fatal fire in a suburb of the capital Saturday.

The fire broke out at 6:18 p.m. in Daxing district, about 10 miles south of the city center, killing at least 19 and injuring eight more, according to the official Beijing Daily.

The affected area reportedly consists of a compound housing small industrial plants and rental residences primarily for migrant laborers.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and several people, including the landlord of the buildings, have been taken into police custody, the Beijing Daily reported, citing local police.

A grim-faced Cai Qi, Beijings Communist party secretary, appeared on Beijing TV Sunday and labeled the fire a a wake-up call. He demanded resolve to crack down on mixed-use facilities with both shops and rental homes, particularly unlicensed buildings and poorly managed industrial plants, which in addition being safety hazards are responsible for high levels of air and water pollution.

The fire comes as Chinas central government undertakes a massive campaign to cap the citys population and to move parts of the capitals less-vital functions to outlying areas.

As part of the campaign, numerous facilities central to migrant families have been ordered to close in recent years  including industrial plants, wholesale and retail markets, street-front shops and even schools for migrant children.

Many migrants who have chosen to stay in Beijing have been forced further into the citys outskirts, moving into unsafe buildings and basement flats, according to critics skeptical of the government crackdown.

All roads leading to the site on the East Xinkang Road in Daxing were cordoned off early Sunday when a Caixin reporter visited the area. The Jufuyuan Residence building sustained the most damage, according to several locals.

That building housed shops and garment and chemical factories on the first floor, while the basement had been turned into refrigerated warehouses for local vendors. Some 200 families lived in rooms upstairs, locals said.

Most of those living in the building are migrants who work in nearby factories or are employed by courier companies, according to one tenant who only gave his surname, Tan.

Tenants pay about 600 yuan ($90.49) a month in rent for a unit inside the building, a fraction of the cost for an apartment in downtown areas. It is unclear if the buildings were licensed for industrial manufacturing, residences, or both.

Tan said he was alerted by smoke drifting into his room on the second floor around 6 p.m. Saturday, before he ran downstairs to safety.

Some tenants later tried to break in to save their loved ones, but gave up when they could hardly open their eyes in the thick smoke, he said.

A neighbors toddler is still unaccounted for, according to a tenant surnamed Yang.

Firefighters arrived at the scene with 34 trucks at about 6:40 p.m. and extinguished the fire around 9 p.m. They were seen carrying more than a dozen people, giving resuscitation to some before rushing them to nearby hospitals.

Most of the injured are being treated at the Daxing district hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University. An employee at the hospital contacted by Caixin refused to elaborate on the nature or severity of the injuries.

Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdeli@caixin.com)
By PTI: By M Zulqernain

Lahore, Nov 20 (PTI) A 19-year-old girl was axed to death allegedly by her stepbrother in the name of honour in Pakistans Punjab province, a police official said today.

The incident took place yesterday at Christian Wala in Sahiwal district, some 230-km from Lahore.

According to Station House Officer Rana Tahir, accused Irfan suspected his stepsister Saira had relations with a man of her locality.

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Tahir said Irfan yesterday attacked Saira with an axe while she was asleep and critically injured her.

She was taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Sahiwal where she succumbed to her wounds.

The official said none of the family members reported the matter to the police as they were alerted by a neighbour.

"When the family was bringing Sairas body back to village in an ambulance we intercepted it. Seeing police, Irfan escaped from the ambulance while we took body to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for postmortem," Tahir said, adding that raids were made to arrest the suspect.

He said the other family members were not considering it "murder" as Saira had disgraced the family honour.

"We have taken mother of the girl in custody as she was also present when Irfan axed Saira," he said.

Killing of women relatives in the name of honour is a menace still prevalent in many parts of Pakistan. More than 1,000 women are killed every year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. PTI MZ ZH

--- ENDS ---
The Australian Envoy Harinder Sindhu had declared that 52 Indian students will be provided the Australia Awards-Endeavor scholarships and Fellowships for 2018. which is prestigious scholarship provided by the Australian government.

The Envoy said, "I congratulate the successful applicants. They have been selected on the basis of their potential to build educational, research and professional links between Australia and India. These awardees will over time become the new generation of global leaders" as per the Australian High Commission statement.

As part of the awards, three Australian candidates will be provided the opportunity to undertake the learning in India. The Australian government offers the Scholarship and Fellowships every year for candidates who are looking forward to the world-class education that is provided by the institutions in Australia. This opportunity to students who are high achievers, researchers, and professionals from around the globe.

The candidates who are looking forward to achieve experience in the studies, research and professional development which will be of high value should apply.

Also Read: Study in Australia, Top Universities & Cost of Studying in Australia

The department will be appointing a contractor to provide the candidates with services after the selection for support - pre-departure briefings, health advice, travel insurance, security, reporting about the progress of the recipient and so on.

The Applications for the year 2018 will begin by the end of April 2018

The scholarship will be based on the merit and will be internationally competitive in nature. The opportunity is provided by Australian government's Department of Education and Training.

Candidates can check more information on the official website - internationaleducation.gov.au

Also Read: Top Courses To Study In Australia
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has released the online application in order to fulfill the posts of Technician Apprentice in its Bengaluru Unit. Eligible candidates may attend the walk-in interview from November 20, 2017, to December 16, 2017.

BHEL Vacancy Details:

Trade Details: Electronics and Communication Engg, Electrical & Electronics Engg, Mechanical Engg, Computer Science Engg

Number of Posts: 250 posts

Location: Bengaluru

Educational requirements for BHEL recruitment:

The candidates must possess a Diploma in relevant branch from a recognized university or institute.

How to apply for BHEL Recruitment?

Interested candidates can attend the walk-in interview from November 16, 2017, to December 16, 2017, at BHEL Electronics Division, Mysuru Road, Bengaluru.

Candidates must carry the duly filled prescribed application format and original and self-attested copies of relevant documents at the time of interview.

Mode of Selection:

The candidates will be selected on the basis of merit.

Pay scale:

The selected candidates will get Rs 4,000 per month.

Application fee:

No application fee shall be needed

Age limit:

(As on November 1, 2017)

The candidates must fulfill the following age criteria:

Minimum- 18 years

Maximum-27 years

(Age Relaxation: SC/ST: 05 years, OBC: 03 years)

BHEL Recruitment important dates:

Date of Interview: November 20, 2017, to December 16, 2017

Also read: TNPSC CESE Recruitment Notification Released: Check Now!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: In Atlanta, Deanna.Congileo@cartercenter.org

Soyia.Ellison@cartercenter.org

In Nairobi, Don.Bisson@cartercenter.org

NAIROBI  The Carter Center urges all parties to respect todays unanimous decision by Kenyas Supreme Court to uphold the results of the Oct. 26 fresh presidential election and calls on political leaders to initiate a process of sustained national dialogue to heal the wounds aggravated by the often tense and tumultuous electoral period.

The court consolidated two petitions filed challenging the conduct of the fresh presidential election. It heard oral arguments from all interested parties in an open and transparent manner that afforded due process to all litigants. The court dismissed the petitions, finding that they were without merit, and will issue a detailed opinion within 21 days. The petitions raised several issues related to the Oct. 26 election, including a failure to conduct fresh candidate nominations, the impact on the process of the withdrawal of the National Super Alliance candidate, and a failure to conduct peaceful polls in all of Kenyas 290 constituencies.

The events surrounding the Aug. 8 general election and the re-run in the Oct. 26 fresh presidential election undermined the rule of law in Kenya and the countrys democratic institutions. The extended electoral period was characterized by strident political rhetoric and harsh attacks by political leaders on Kenyas judiciary and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), and election-related violence that resulted in numerous deaths, injuries, and damage to property. In resilient democracies, elections are centered on peaceful competition and the orderly transfer of power, not weakening democratic institutions and life-and-death clashes.

The Carter Center takes note of the violence during demonstrations in the last few days that resulted in several deaths and the destruction of property. We urge the government, especially the security forces, and demonstrators to exercise restraint in the coming days. We remind the Kenyan government of its obligation to protect the constitutional rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and security of the person, to enable inclusive participation in the countrys political and dialogue processes.

While the 2017 elections represent a clear setback for democratic processes in Kenya, going forward it is incumbent on political leaders and their supporters to seek common ground. President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has a fresh mandate to lead all Kenyans, should reinitiate the national dialogue that culminated in the 2010 constitution. A renewed dialogue should result in additional measures to address the ethnic and tribal rifts that have long characterized Kenyas politics, while ensuring the protection and fulfilment of the rights of all Kenyans.

Background:

The Carter Center has had a core team of experts in Kenya since April, monitoring key parts of the electoral process, including voter registration, campaigning, electoral preparations, and the recent resolution of disputes in the courts. That team was joined by a large group of observers who helped monitor voting, counting, and tallying in the days surrounding the Aug. 8 election. Following the Sept. 1 decision by the Supreme Court to annul the August election, the Center was invited by the IEBC to extend its presence to observe the Oct. 26 fresh election.

Because of insecurity surrounding the polls, the uncertain political environment, and the lack of a fully competitive election, the Carter Center deployed a limited election observation mission to assess the Oct. 26 polls. The team was limited in size and geographic scope, and long-term observers were deployed to specific pre- and post-election processes. Given these factors, the Center did not conduct a robust assessment of polling station level processes on election day.

###

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Photo: CTV John Davidson's children at his celebration of life.

UPDATE: 2:26 p.m.

The grief-stricken widow of Abbotsford Const. John Davidson was unable to speak during a huge celebration of his life Sunday.

Instead, Denise Davidson's tribute to her husband was read by a fellow police officer.

"He hadn't finished what he started, both in and out of uniform," she had written, railing against the "cruel set of circumstances" on Nov. 6th when he was shot and killed by a suspect.

"He deserved a longer life."

The chief of the Abbotsford police department said an oily blackness fell on the city when a shot rang out, killing Davidson almost two weeks ago.

Chief Bob Rich revealed details at the celebration of Davidson's life about what happened when the officer confronted a man alleged to have stolen a vehicle from an auto mall two days earlier.

Rich says Davidson was the first officer on the scene when there was a report of a man firing rounds from a shotgun into a truck and then a shot rang out, fatally wounding the officer.

"When that shot rang out evil won. There was an oily blackness that fell upon our city. It was awful. I cannot imagine a darker thing to have happen to us," Rich told Davidson's celebration of life.

Rich said the man was later surrounded by five Abbotsford officers who fired on the vehicle, hitting him.

"That man's evil intentions, I totally believe were to kill more of us. There was going to be a rampage in the city of Abbotsford, I don't know who would have fallen," he said. "But they stopped him at that moment and their lights shone bright at that moment."

Since then, Rich said there's been an outpouring of support from fellow officers and the public.

Davidson, 53, was remembered as a man admired for his dedication to his community and his kindness to those he encountered.

His friend, Abbotsford Sgt. Jason Scott told the service that Davidson had a positive influence on his co-workers and the youth he worked with.

Scott said Davidson was good at what he did and was proud to be a husband, father and police officer.

Before the event began, thousands in the building were silent as eight of Davidson's fellow officers carried his coffin into Abbotsford Centre arena.

The officer's service belt and both his police hats from Abbotsford and Northumbria were placed atop his flag-covered coffin.

Davidson got his start in policing in Northumbria in the northeastern United Kingdom in 1993 and had worked in the Abbotsford department for 11 years.

A suspect, Alberta resident Oscar Arfmann, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Davidson's death.

The officer is survived by his wife and three adult children.

Officers from across the country and the United Kingdom attended the event.

with files from Kate Bouey
South India cement prices fall INR16 per bag

20 November 2017

Cement prices in South India have fallen for the second consecutive month, according to The Hindu. The price dropped by INR16 (US$0.24) per bag in October and is currently around INR332.



Kerala and Tamil Nadu saw the steepest decline, with a MoM decrease of INR20 per bag in November.



The decline in prices has been attributed to the sand mining ban and the poor monsoon season for the region. South India has a production capacity of 150Mta, but the lack of sand has kept the cement demand low at 66Mt.

Published under
Indonesian cement demand up 13% in October

ICR Newsroom By 20 November 2017

Cement demand in Indonesia in October 2017 and the first 10 months of 2017 has shown sustained robust growth. The Indonesian Cement Association (ASI) and PT Semen Indonesia expect this trend to continue for a further one or two months before the start of the rainy season.

In October domestic cement consumption was 6,754,075t, up 12.5 per cent compared to October 2016, according to ASI.

In addition, exports were 272,682t, up 39 per cent of which cement exports were 75,671t, a YoY rise of 20.4 per cent, while clinker exports were 197,012t, up 47.8 per cent. The export figures bring total consumption in October to 7,026,757t, a YoY increase of 13.3 per cent.



Indonesia's leading cement producer, Semen Indonesia, reported domestic sales in October 2017 of 2,772,156t (up 8.8 per cent) or 41 per cent of the country's domestic sales. In addition, the company exported, via its subsidiaries Padang and Tonasa, were 145,271t (+131.2 per cent), which represent 53.3 per cent of the country's exports. Including exports, PT Semen Indonesia's total sales volume increased 11.8 per cent to 2,917,427t.

In the first 10 months of 2017, domestic consumption reached 54,186,131t, representing a 7.3 per cent rise YoY. Consumption in Java (56.6 per cent of the total consumption) remains the stronghold of the Indonesia's demand growth as it expanded 11.9 per cent in 10M17 while Sumatra noted a 4.7 per cent YoY increase. Two other major islands  Kalimantan and Sulawesi  reported a market contraction of -1.7 and -4.4 per cent, respectively. Maluku and Irian Jaya saw demand drop by -1.5 per cent but Nusa Tenggara reported a 4.8 per cent expansion.

Combined with a 64 per cent rise in exports to 2,286,693t, total deliveries by Indonesian cement producers advanced 8.8 per cent to 56,472,824t. Exports included 860,065t of cement (+108.1 per cent YoY) and 1,426,628t of clinker (+45.4 per cent YoY). Regional competition appears to have had little effect on the country's cement and clinker exports.

Semen Indonesia saw total sales increase 9.3 per cent YoY to 23,695,837t during 10M17. It reported a rise of 4.6 per cent in domestic sales to 22,164,000t and exports rose 216.5 per cent to 1,531,000t.

The new capacities by existing and new players are now in operation and are expected to increase competition in the market as well as keep prices under pressure.

Published under
New cement plant to be built in Kilifi, Kenya

ICR Newsroom By 20 November 2017

ARM Cements facility in Kilifi County is likely to face competition as Devki Group founder, Narendra Raval, plans to invest in the construction of a 0.75Mt cement plant in Mariakani, Kilifi County.



The project, which represents a US$290m investment, will be built on a 20ha site. Construction of a new cement plant will further bring down the prices while reducing the long distances lorries cover to deliver cement to Kenyans at their doorstep,' said Mr Raval, according to Business Daily Africa.



In separate news, Global Choice concluded plans to build a grinding plant in Athi River, Machakos County. The US$48m facility has a capacity of 1Mta.

Published under
By PTI: Jammu, Nov 20 (PTI) Four suspected drug peddlers were arrested and 19 kg of poppy was seized from their possession, in two separate incidents here, police said today.

In the first incident, two persons - Dharampal and Majid Dar- were arrested from a check point in Pacca Danga area last night when they were entering the city from Srinagar.

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A police team intercepted their vehicle and found 10 kg of poppy in their possession, police said.

In another incident, two persons were arrested from a bus stand here and nine kg of the contraband was seized from their possession, they said.

The accused have been identified as Gurmeet Singh and Shiv Dayal Rana, both residents of Punjab, police said.

A case has been registered in this regard, they added. PTI AB DPB SRY

--- ENDS ---
Indian cement companies expected to raise prices

20 November 2017

Indian cement companies are expected to raise cement prices in reaction to the recent ban on petcoke and furnace oil, which came into effect in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.



The ban is expected to affect in particular Shree Cement, JK Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement, Ambuja Cement, India Cements and ACC, which operate in these states.

The price hike is predicted to be around INR10 (US$0.15)/bag. Other parts of the country could be affected in the future as the Supreme Court has recently called for a complete ban of petcoke usage throughout India.

Published under
These Are the Weird Cruise Ship Crimes You Never Knew About

Cruise ships  you love em or you hate em. Everyone knows what theyre in for when they take a cruise: activities, sunshine, and endless drinks and food. Thats all good  but what about the things people dont know theyre in for?

Creepy stuff happens on cruise ships. According to Grunge, cruise ships are places where people commit some strange crimes. Lets take a closer look at the dark side of the cruise industry.

1. Bizarre homicide

In 2017, Kenneth and Kristy Manzanares took an Alaskan cruise to celebrate their anniversary. Authorities found Kristys dead body in the couples cabin covered in blood, next to her very-much-alive husband, who was also covered in blood, according to CBS News. All Kenneth had to say to the authorities was, She would not stop laughing at me.

Friends and family of the couple noticed nothing awry about the couple  one neighbor called the Manzanares and their three children the perfect American family. Accused of first-degree murder, Kenneth pleaded not guilty. He will stand trial on April 23, 2018, according to Fox 13.

Next: Where does all that waste actually go?

2. Environmental abuse

When you take a cruise, try not to think about where all that waste goes  the sewage, the garbage  yuck.

Some cruise ships do the unthinkable  they dump that stuff right into the ocean. And in 2016, Princess Cruise Lines did it and got caught, according to Grunge. The company paid a whopping $40 million fine for dumping oily waste into the ocean.

This illegal practice significantly and negatively impacts the environment, too. An incident of this type, according to The Guardian, adds approximately 4,227 gallons of waste to the ocean.

That wasnt the only Princess Line vessel that dumped illegally  investigators found four more followed suit. The last straw? Princess Cruise Lines tried to cover it up, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Next: Cruise ships as drug mules

3. Coke smuggling

In 2016, two Canadian 20-somethings left their homes in Quebec to go on an expensive, two-month cruise. Cut to the cruise ship docking in Australia and the Australian Border Force storming aboard with a pack of dogs.

The officers had been tracking the ship, and when they searched Melina Roberge and Isabelle Lagaces room, they found more than 200 pounds of cocaine with a street value of around $22 million, according to ABC News. What an odd way to smuggle cocaine. At least the women got to visit 11 countries  including Colombia and Ecuador  before the authorities busted them in Sydney.

Next: Um, wheres the captain?

4. Ship abandonment

Although you might think this technically isnt a crime, passengers onboard the Greek luxury line Oceanos would disagree. Youve likely heard that a ships captain goes down with the ship if it sinks. He is supposed to be the last person off the boat  dead or alive. But Captain Yiannis Avranas had a different idea, according to Grunge.

In 1991, the Oceanos sank off the coast of South Africa. It was a pretty routine sink, and all passengers and crew eventually made it off the boat safely. Captain Avranas and some other officers, however, were among the first to leave the ship, while the others spent the night on the sinking vessel.

Avranas told The New York Times he was in a helicopter overseeing rescue efforts and tried to get back on board, but the helicopter crew advised him to stay in the air. Robin Boltman, the ships comedian, bravely stepped up to take command of the sinking ship.

Next: The cruise liner from hell

5. Hijacking and murder

The Achille Lauro was a ship that had seen its fair share of troubles. (It had collided with another ship and experienced onboard fires and explosions.) But after a brutal hijacking and murder happened, the Independent called it the cruise liner from hell.

In 1985, the Achille Lauro was headed to Israels port Ashdod when four Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists hijacked the ship, according to Grunge. But it gets much weirder.

One of the terrorists lost his temper with American, wheelchair-bound passenger Leon Klinghoffer  he shot Klinghoffer twice and ordered the ships crew to throw him and his wheelchair off the boat. When the ship finally sailed into Port Said, the gunmen surrendered, according to the Independent.

Next: An unsolved crime

6. Strange disappearance

In 1998, Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared from the Royal Caribbeans Rhapsody of the Seas. The weird thing about this one? The mystery is still unsolved.

According to Oxygen, Bradleys father, Ron, last saw her asleep on the cabin balcony at about 5:15 a.m. When her father got up at 6 a.m., she was gone. Apparently, Bradleys family noticed the crew on the ship paying way too much attention to Amy. When the crew refused to anchor until they found her, the family thought they had targeted her for sex slavery.

It gets even stranger. A Navy man said he saw a woman in a brothel in 1999 who claimed she was Amy Bradley and asked him for help. Six years later, an organization to stop sex traffic found a photo that looked like Bradley  she was posing in her underwear.

Next: A grisly discovery

7. Dead baby on board

In October 2011, Alicia Keir sailed on the Carnival Dream to St. Martin. She took a secret with her: She was pregnant. She hadnt told anyone because she wasnt clear on who the father was, according to Ranker.

During the cruise, Keir gave birth  in her cabin, on her own. She wrapped the female infant in a towel and stowed her under the bed.

Keir went on to have a wonderful cruise, and when the ship docked, Keir went on her way. Imagine the cleaning crews shock when they found the dead infant under the bed. Keir pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. A judge sentenced her to one day in prison, but Keir didnt even serve those 24 hours, according to CBS Chicago.

Next: These four men escaped manslaughter charges.

8. Drugged and left to die

Ranker lists the story of Dianne Brimble as one of the most horrific crimes to happen on a cruise ship. In September 2002, paramedics were called to a cabin that belonged to four men on a P&O cruise ship bound for Noumea and other Pacific ports of call. Brimble was unconscious on the bathroom floor and in her own excretion. She was pronounced dead 30 minutes later, due to alcohol and drug overdose.

Although witnesses say Brimble left with the four men the night before her death, and the men were accused of harassing and offering drugs to multiple women, including teenage girls, the men were ultimately cleared of most of the charges, including manslaughter.

One of them even pleaded guilty to the vastly lesser charge of giving Brimble GHB, also known as the date rape drug before she died, explains Ranker. The judge opted for no punishment in the case.

Next: This is the most common type of crime on cruise ships.

9. Most common crimes on cruise ships?

The most common type of crime on cruise ships is sexual assault. According to government data and Quartz, sex crimes easily outweigh all other crimes on board, and many victims are minors.

The problem of sexual assault on cruise lines is a long-running one. The industry and the government have been reporting some data on these crimes for years. Yet the American public has only had a more complete picture since 2016, after reporting standards were changed, explains Quartz. These numbers are still likely smaller than in reality  sex crimes are generally under-reported, and what gets classified as an assault depends on the cruise lines security officials. Experts point out that incidents are often miscategorized as lesser crimes.

Read more: You Wont Believe These Disgusting Things That Happen on Cruise Ships

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There may be one North Korean citizen even more famous that Kim Jong-un, and that person is the Pink Lady. Ri Chun Hee is North Koreas most famous news anchor, and for over 40 years, she has been covering the news on the countrys single television network, Korean Central Television.

Recently, Ri announced that North Koreas sixth nuclear detonation had gone off swimmingly. (She said this quite gleefully.) She has been reporting for the Korean Central Television since 1971, delivering the news with her robust and imposing voice. Still, despite her love of pink and her sometimes soap opera worthy TV moments, what is the real story behind one of North Koreas most famous citizens?

Humble beginnings

Ri is 74 years old, so shes been in the news game for quite a long time. Though details about Ris early life are few and far between, we do know that she was born in 1943 to a very poor family. However, it seems like she always had a flair for theater because she went to the Pyongyang University of Cinematic and Dramatic Arts before she came on board at Korean Central Television in 1971.

Kim Il Sungs protegee

Upon coming onboard the network, Ri caught the attention of North Korea state founder, Kim II Sung. He was the leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994.

According to a story reported by Reuters, Kim pushed her with warm love and faith. As the days passed, her voice grew to have an appeal so that whenever she would speak on the news, viewers were touched. When Ri announced reports and statements, enemies would tremble in fear.

When Kim died in 1994, Ri reported the news while weeping on air. She did the same when his son Kim Jong Il died in 2011.

A voice of generations

To say that Ris voice is distinctive would be a gross understatement. She has been called the voice of North Korea and the peoples broadcaster.

Ri is perpetually optimistic, so much so that Peter Kim, an assistant professor at Kookmin University in Seoul told the Los Angeles Times, Whenever I see her, it seems like shes singing instead of broadcasting the news stories.

Nam Sung-wook, a professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul said, Her voice has strength to it  strong, expressive and also has great charisma to it. Thats why she is qualified to deliver important messages.

A survivor

We can all think of beloved new anchors like Barbara Walters and Peter Jennings, who delivered our news for generations. However, Ris career in North Korea is something of a marvel. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she has survived three different regimes and the numerous purges that have occurred over the years.

According to North Korea Leadership Watch, Ri has seen many of her colleagues and supervisors dismissed, demoted or sent for re-education.

Pink Lady

Ri got her nickname Pink Lady because she adores dressing in bright pink Choson-ots, which are traditional Korean formal dresses. The dresses consist of A full-length, high-waisted skirt and a cropped, long-sleeved top.

In South Korea, they are actually referred to as hanbok.



Semi-retired

Ri retired from the news business back in 2012, but she is so beloved in North Korea that she often returns to announce special news.

Martyn Williams, a writer for the North Korean Tech website said, Shes in that place now that just her presence on television signifies to the North Korean people that this is important, serious news. Certainly, her appearance is noted overseas as well.

Living in luxury

TV has been really good to Ri Chun Hee. These days she lives in a rather plush modern house in Pyongyang with husband, children, and grandchildren.

Apparently, she also drives a luxury vehicle, which was a gift from the nation of North Korea. In 2008, her lifestyle was profiled in North Korean magazine.

The next generation

Since retiring, and even in the years prior, Ri focused a great deal on the next generation of news anchors. In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV), she said, I see younger people on television, and they are very beautiful. I realized for television you need to be young and beautiful.

Still, though she has trained them well, younger anchors dont yet carry the same weight as the Pink Lady, so any important news in North Korea will probably continue to come directly from her.

Follow Aramide on Twitter @midnightrami.

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A pro-life student group at Fresno State University won its fight this month against a professor who told a student she had no free speech rights on a college campus.

Students for Life sued professor William Gregory Thatcher after he scrubbed out a pro-life message chalked on the sidewalk and told student leader Bernadette Tasy, College campuses are not free speech areas.

Tasy, who heads Fresno State Students for Life, got permission from school administrators in May to chalk pro-life messages near the school library. Shortly after she finished her work, a group of students began rubbing out the messages, telling her Thatcher encouraged them to do it.

When Thatcher appeared at the scene, he began to lecture Tasy on her free speech rights, telling her she could only talk about her pro-life beliefs in the schools free speech zone. Turns out, Fresno State eliminated the unconstitutional zone two years ago, and Tasy has the right to say what she wants at school.

Rather than take the lawsuit to court, Thatcher settled last week, agreeing to pay Tasy and another student $1,000 each and take First Amendment training provided by Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). He also agreed to pay $15,000 in attorneys fees.

Todays college students will be tomorrows legislators, judges, educators, and voters, ADF attorney Casey Mattox said. Thats why its so important that university professors model the First Amendment values they are supposed to be teaching to students, and why it should disturb everyone that this Fresno State professor, like so many other university officials across the country, is communicating to a generation that the Constitution doesnt matter.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Photo courtesy: Flickr.com

Publication date: November 20, 2017
Former Secretary of State John Kerry has said that he doesnt believe the nation of Israel truly wants to achieve peace with their Palestinian neighbor.

Kerry does, however, believe that the Palestinians are doing their part to work for peace. The Palestinians have done an extraordinary job of remaining committed to nonviolence, Kerry stated. When the intifada took place [in 2015] they delivered non-violence in the West Bank.

This is overlooked by the general [Israeli] populations because it is not a topic of discussion, Kerry continued. Why? Because the majority of the cabinet currently in the Israeli government has publicly declared they are not ever for a Palestinian state.

According to Newsweek.com, Kerrys statements are from a conference that took place last year in Dubai. The recording of his statements were released on an Israeli TV network. It is unclear if Kerry knew he was being recorded at the time of the Middle East conference.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Kerrys comments, as did several American politicians, including Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Minority Leader Church Schumer (D-NY).





Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: November 20, 2017
Should abortionists be allowed to end the life of an unborn baby by pulling it apart, or should they remove it piecemeal only after its heart has stopped beating?

The answer, at least in Texas, depends on the outcome of a trial concluded last week over a new state law banning dismemberment abortions. The law, passed in June, requires abortionists to use other methods besides dismembermentsuch as clipping the umbilical cord or injecting digoxin or potassium chloride to stop the babys heartbefore removing it from its mothers womb.

Three pro-abortion groups, Planned Parenthood, Whole Womans Health, and the Center for Reproductive Rights, sued the state over the law. They claim requiring a babys death before the dilation and extraction procedure heaps undue burdens on women and abortionists.

But during last weeks trial in federal district court, state attorneys emphasized the laws more humane requirement.

The state has legitimate interest  in protecting the health of a woman and life of a fetus that may become a child, said state lawyer Darren McCarty. [The law] regulates the moment of death, the moment of fetal termination, and nothing more. Whether  the lethal act is going to be, for instance, grabbing the leg and pulling it off the fetus, or whether instead the lethal act is going to be a single injection or perhaps just a snip of the umbilical cord.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called dismemberment abortion a ghastly procedure.

I am hopeful the district court will find that Texas has an interest in protecting and fostering respect for human life, including unborn life, and that it will uphold the states lawful authority to protect the life and dignity of unborn children from barbaric dismemberment abortions, he said.

Pro-life groups remain hopeful the law will survive the legal challenge, despite presiding U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakels past stance on abortion.

In 2014, Yeakel ruled against a previous Texas law that required abortionists to have hospital admitting privileges and mandated abortion centers meet ambulatory surgical center requirements. He ruled the law burdens Texas women, a decision upheld last year by the U.S. Supreme Court in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt.

Ingrid Duran, director of state legislation at the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), told me her group anticipates a decision by the end of the month.

While it is true that U.S. District Judge Yeakel has a history of ruling against constitutional laws that protect unborn children, NRLC is hopeful that the attorney general will demonstrate why their state has a compelling state interest in protecting living unborn babies from horrifically being torn limb-from-limb in their mothers womb, Duran said.

Texas Values president Jonathan Saenz, who attended the trial, said in a statement that Paxtons team did a good job making sure the state was well represented.

It was hard to hear testimony about the brutal dismemberment abortion procedure in live court, Saenz said. One can only imagine how awful it is to subject a live human being to such a barbaric practice. We fully expect the court to put an end to this horror.

Texas law isnt the first dismemberment abortion ban to face a legal challenge. While West Virginia and Mississippi have laws that remain unchallenged, judges have either struck down or halted enforcement of similar laws in Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, and Kansas. Louisianas dismemberment ban also faces a legal challenge, and the state has agreed to delay enforcement.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/Wanmongkhol

Publication date: November 20, 2017
A married Canadian couple is suing the Alberta government after being rejected for adoption because of their Christian beliefs. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, alleges the province denied their application for adoption because of their religious beliefs on sexuality and gender.

In October 2016, the coupleknown only by their initials in court documentsapplied to adopt with Albertas Child and Family Services. They had struggled with infertility and were interested in adopting a hard-to-place older child or sibling group. Their case was assigned to Catholic Social Services in Edmonton, Alberta, which completed psychological and financial evaluations and prepared a home study report.

During the home study, the social worker who managed their case asked them about their beliefs regarding homosexuality. The couple said they held Biblical views on marriage and sexuality but would unconditionally love and respect a child questioning his or her sexuality or gender. The social worker noted their answers in her report and otherwise enthusiastically recommended to Child and Family Services the applicants be approved for adoption.

But in March, Catholic Social Services told the couple that Child and Family Services had additional questions for them about homosexuality based on their answers during the home study.

Biblical principles are the foundation of our home, wrote the couple in reply to the social worker, according to an affidavit submitted to the court. As such we believe that homosexuality is wrong.  Gender and sexuality are determined at birth, and God has given parameters for people to enjoy the gift of sexwithin the confines of marriage between a man and a woman.

But the couple noted that they would love and accept a child placed in their home, regardless of his or her sexuality, and, Ultimately, a parents love is not, and should not be, given based on the decisions or actions of a child. Its unconditional and filled with grace and mercy.

A few days later, Catholic Social Services reversed its recommendation for approval, stating that the couple wouldnt be able to help a child with sexual identity issues. When they met with the staff to understand the decision further, the issue became clear: If we did not change our religious beliefs regarding sexuality, to conform to the beliefs of Child and Family Services, we would not be approved for adoption, said the woman in the affidavit.

The couple attempted to appeal to no avail. In May, Child and Family Services officially denied their application, saying their beliefs about gender and sexuality were a rejection of LGBT children and differed from the official position of the Alberta government.

The couple, represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, filed suit Nov. 1.

If left to stand, this decision would have grave consequences for the freedoms of all Canadians, not to mention adverse consequences for the many children who will never be adopted if the government continues with this discrimination, Justice Centre president John Carpay said in a statement.

Catholic organizations have raised concerns about Catholic Social Services and its handling of the case considering the churchs teaching on homosexuality. Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered, and under no circumstances can they be approved, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholic Social Services told LifeSite News: We are currently working with Child and Family Services to address the concerns that have been raised.

But the larger issue in this case is the acknowledgement of a state-sanctioned dogma of sexuality and gender, said Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a WORLD board member.

The case shows that Alberta now has what amounts to an official doctrine when it comes to sexuality issues, especially homosexuality and same-sex marriage, said Mohler in his podcast The Briefing on Nov. 15. Despite the fact that this couples beliefs mirror what Biblical Christianity has taught for over two millennia and what the country of Canada held to be morally mandated until very recently, convictional Christians are now being identified as heretics of the new official state religion, Mohler said, adding, This is a church that is ardently hunting down heretics.

A hearing date for the case will likely be set in 2018.

Photo courtesesy: Thinkstock/Professor25

Publication date: November 20, 2017
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By PTI: Begusarai (Bihar), Nov 20 (PTI) The police today seized 709 cartons of liquor from two police station areas in Begusarai district and arrested five persons.

Sale and consumption of alcohol had been completely banned in Bihar more than a year ago. In Chhoti Sankh village under Mofussil police station area, 409 cartons containing about 3621 litre of liquor were seized from a house and one person was arrested.

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Another 97 cartons of liquor were seized from a vehicle on Jinedpur Rajauda Sankh road in the same police station area and three persons were arrested.

However, the quantity of liquor was not immediately available.

In Matihani police station area, 203 cartons containing 1812 litre of liquor were recovered from a truck laden with potatoes, the police said.

The truck driver, a resident of Haryana, was arrested. PTI CORR NAC NN

--- ENDS ---
How the Bible story of Jacob's Ladder is relevant to us all today

After Jacob tricks Esau by obtaining the birth-right from their father Isaac, he has to flee for his life. Jacob's behaviour had been encouraged by their mother, Rebecca, who (in tandem with all the Genesis matriarchs) is regarded as being far wiser than her husband in reading accurately the character of her offspring.

Rebecca predicts the future of the Jewish people. This will not be through addiction to violence (epitomised by Esau himself) but through 'the book', sometimes having to utilize the 'sword', but only as a last resort when all else has failed.

So Jacob leaves the Negev desert city of Beersheva and journeys towards Charan where he 'encounters the place' (Genesis 28:11). This does not necessarily mean Charan itself. 'Place' in Hebrew is also a euphemism for the word 'G-d'. G-d is regarded as 'the Place of the world, but the world is not His place.' So this was the sacred spot where Jacob rests for the night.

The 'place' is also the site of Mount Moriah, where Jacob's father, Isaac, was taken by Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, to be sacrificed.

As well as being of immediate physical significance, therefore, the site where Jacob will have his famous ladder dream is replete with psychological and spiritual significance. Jacob will father the twelve tribes, as depicted in the twelve stones, which the midrash tells us he arranged around his head. And the midrash also reports that, like children everywhere, the stones quarrelled among themselves and vied for position  somehow knowing that this ladder dream would be one of the most fateful and significant in human history.

And he dreamt and behold! A ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward. And behold! Angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28: 12).

Rabbinic commentators state that this ladder had been specially 'set' there by G-d as a means of communication between humanity and G-d. For this isn't only about Jacob himself, but Jacob as representative of 'everyman'.

The story of Jacob's ladder is relevant to us today. The context is important. The man Jacob dreamed about in the conflict is himself. If you are basically a person who prefers study, meditation and quiet (Jacob) to greed, fighting and power (Esau), once you are faced with those tendencies you actually abhor, what do you do?

Do you run away (as in further Bible stories about Jonah, for instance), do you hold your ground and maybe face certain death, do you retreat into your own psyche, or do you take stock and act?

The word for ladder, sulam, has the same numerical value in Hebrew as Sinai. How Jacob interprets his dream is therefore of paramount importance for the future of the Jewish people who, according to Jewish tradition, will eventually end up as teachers of mankind. For the giving of the Torah represents, like the ladder itself, a bridge between heaven and earth.

According to midrash, the angels represent the guardians of the four powers who will try to destroy Jacob throughout the ages. These are

1. Babylon - destruction of the 1st Temple and forced exile of the Jewish people to foreign parts;

2. Persia - the first attempted genocide of the Jewish people - depicted in the book of Esther, read at Purim in early spring;

3. Greece - attempt to wipe out the Jewish religion of Judaism through adoration of beauty, prevention of male circumcision, downplaying of the family, all depicted in the Chanuka story of defilement of the Temple, which is with us shortly;

4. and the present 2000-year era of Roman rule, morphing into what we know of as 'Western civilisation', which also learned from Babylon, Persia and Greece and, in addition, contributed its own type of brutality.

So this ladder dream is helpful to Jacob in preparing him for the time when he is given the additional name of 'Israel'. But the dream with its 'angels' also provides an insight into the future history of the Jewish people. The Jewish people and their fate are inextricably bound up with the history of the world. And the endurance needed to survive and to go on with G-d's mission to the world is illustrated by the interpretations of the meaning of the dream of the ladder.

Because in the world as we know it, the Jew as 'Jacob' has had to use guile, subterfuge and trickery. But very soon in the story, other characteristics will unfold, and that is why the text continues by stating that 'Behold, the Lord was standing over him'  to protect him. The same divine presence which had protected Abraham and Isaac, will also look after Jacob and his twelve children as they travel and develop on the path to peoplehood and the furtherance of G-d's mission in His world.

Dr Irene Lancaster is a Jewish academic, author and translator who has established university courses on Jewish history, Jewish studies and the Hebrew Bible. She lives in Greater Manchester and is chair of the Broughton Park Dialogue Group which just celebrated its ninth anniversary.
Huawei P11 specs rumors: Device spotted in the wild with 18:9 display, front-facing fingerprint scanner

Photos of what is believed to be Huawei's Spring 2018 smartphone, the P11, were recently leaked online, revealing a rather usual design along with an 18:9 aspect ratio display.

According to reports, the smartphone looks just like its predecessor but with thinner upper and lower bezels. Despite the wider screen space, the device manages to squeeze in the physical home button that houses the fingerprint scanner. The top bezel, on the other hand, holds a front camera, sensor, and earpiece.

At the back is a dual-camera setup. However, unlike most devices, this has two camera modules instead of one. There is a USB Type-C port at the bottom of the phone, positioned in between the speaker and the 3.5 mm headphone jack, while an infrared blaster lies at the opposite side alongside a secondary microphone.

Huawei P11 Plus, homebutton is coming back? love it!



IRIS on top? pic.twitter.com/Hal2kWayXi  Roslund (@rosluund) November 19, 2017

There is not much known about the upcoming P11 at this point, but there are rumors here and there. According to other reports, the handset will likely ship with the Mate 10's Kirin 970 chipset, coupled with a whopping 8 GB RAM. It is also speculated to feature 4K display, although that is unlikely considering Huawei has continued to use Full HD panels on its smartphones.

The device has no release date yet. The company usually announces its next-generation P products at an event in London in April. However, that changed when P10 was launched at this year's Mobile World Congress. Although Huawei has yet to formally make an announcement, company vice president Bruce Lee already suggested previously that the P11 may be unveiled in a similar cadence.

Pricing details are also unknown at this point. It is not clear what the company will do, but it is expected to cost the same as the Huawei P10, if not lower. The existing device can be purchased for 570 (roughly $710/AU$945), but is not released in the United States.
My Bethlehem: Why, as its biographer, I remain optimistic for this special city

I delivered a first draft of my biography of Bethlehem to my editor in late 2016, knowing that she would have a problem. For all the attention I had lavished on the archaeology, the church builders and ancient wars, I had said nothing about the present-day city. I left the story in 1917 with a squadron of Welsh soldiers capturing the city. 'This is not going to fly,' she told me. I had to bring the story up-to-date.

Bethlehem is my wife's hometown, and I have lived there on-and-off for twenty-five years. But I felt I had too much to say, and nothing that was not despairing. Who wants to hear that? My editor made it clear I had no choice. I based the final chapters on a road trip I made using the settler-only road that surrounds Bethlehem. My tour guide found a car with Israeli plates, which he was forbidden from driving. While he sat in the passenger seat, I took the wheel and together we got to see the city from a settler's perspective.

Bethlehem is the largest of a number of small towns and villages south of Jerusalem. The urban conurbation has grown to swallow four small towns and a handful of villages, but beyond this built-up area, there is still a verdant and fertile landscape of orchards and olive groves, arranged over ancient terraces. The hill villages are based around natural springs, fed by a large aquifer in the limestone layers below.

In 200 BCE, the Bethlehem region was transformed from a farming district to an important strategic centre with the building of an aqueduct to convey water to the temple in Jerusalem. The aqueduct remained in use for an astonishing 2300 years. It was only when Israel seized the West Bank in 1967 that the aqueduct was replaced by Israeli engineers who tapped straight into the aquifer. The new pumping station, Kfar Etzion, became the first Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank in 1967. Today, the Gush Etzion block, named after Kfar Etzion, comprises thirty-three of the forty-one settlements around Bethlehem. Gush Etzion forms a ring around the city, almost touching the edges of the urban Bethlehem area. The line between the settlements and the last Palestinian homes is marked by a long stretch of concrete wall, and by the settler-only bypass road. I planned our trip to explore all the ancient villages, on the 'wrong' side of this road: Husan, Beit Fajjar, Nahalin, Wadi Fuqin, Ain Faghur and others. These are farming villages, growing fruit and salad vegetables in polytunnels, overlooked by the Israeli government-built projects of Gush Etzion.

The isolation means the villagers struggle to get food to market, or find other work. Youth unemployment rates of 80 per cent are not uncommon. At one time the villagers would have looked to Jerusalem as a market place and a source of new work, but the city is now closed to the West Bank. So the villagers have turned to Bethlehem instead. As poverty and harassment drives them off their lands, the farmland has been depopulated, while Bethlehem has become ever more crowded.

We got back to Bethlehem in rush hour. The city can often feel like a pressure cooker environment. The settlements add to the tension: they are so close, and visible from any street corner. With no room to expand, land in Bethlehem fetches insane prices, despite the city's permanent economic crisis. The newcomers from the villages are poorer and more conservative, less educated, and often devoutly Muslim. Bethlehem has long enjoyed a strong secular culture, combined with a Christian ascendancy that owns the major businesses and much of the property. When ill-feeling breaks out, it can be portrayed as a class conflict, or as a struggle between liberal and conservative values, or as religious tension. At heart, however, the crisis is man-made, driven by Israel's unchecked demands for land and water that has turned Bethlehem into an urban ghetto.

The traffic is at its worst as the schools close. As the population grows, the city needs better schools, better health care, more jobs. It is impossible to see how this can be done under what is legally termed 'a hostile military occupation', a status reaffirmed at the UN in December 2016. Yet Bethlehem has a long history of welcoming incomers. The Armenian and Syriac communities arrived as refugees in the early 20th Century, escaping the Holocaust in Turkish-controlled Anatolia. 1948 saw a new wave of refugees escaping the ethnic cleansing in areas controlled by Israeli forces. The 1960s and 70s saw Bedouin communities forced to settle in new homes at the edges of the city. The latest arrivals brings new challenges, but one that Bethlehem has risen to in the past.

It is a special city. As the rush hour quietened and sunset bathed everything in amber, I can believe the future will not be as gloomy as I often fear.

Nicholas Blincoe is the author of Bethlehem: The Biography, published by Constable & Robinson.
Sylvester Stallone responds to allegations of sexual misconduct from 1986 incident

Actor Sylvester Stallone's representative has responded to the allegations of sexual assault from a 1986 incident involving a minor, saying the story is ridiculous and false.

"This is a ridiculous, categorically false story," said the actor's representative. "No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter."

According to the alleged victim, who refused to be identified, Stallone and his bodyguard at the time, Mike De Luca, had inappropriate sexual contact with her in 1986. The actor was 40 years old then, while the victim was only 16 years old.

The actor was shooting the film "Over the Top" in Las Vegas when the incident happened at the Hilton hotel where he was staying. The victim was also staying at the time with family friends at the same hotel.

According to the story, after the victim met the "Rocky" star, she tried to see him again to get his autograph for a friend. Stallone's bodyguard allegedly gave the victim keys to the actor's hotel room. The victim met the two at the hallway of the hotel and entered the room together.

The victim claims that she was forced by both Stallone and De Luca to have sex with them at the same time. After it was over, Stallone allegedly threatened her.

There was a July 1986 police report in Las Vegas detailing the incident. The report noted that the girl was crying and sobbing when she recounted the story. She said that she originally consented on having intercourse with Stallone, but she had not consented to do so with De Luca. However, when she was asked if she wanted to press charges, she declined. The victim said that she was too humiliated and ashamed to do so.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says it now has 12 Visa Application Centres open in China to support the rising demand for temporary resident visa services there.

According to IRCC, more than 500,000 visa applications have been received from China so far this year, which represents a 15 per cent increase over 2016.

Seven new Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Nanjing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Shenyang and Wuhan have now been added to the network, which already includes centres in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

IRCC says Chinese residents are Canadas fastest-growing tourism market and its third-largest after the United States and the United Kingdom.

Chinese visitors contributed more than $1.4 billion to Canadas economy in 2016.

The recent addition of daily non-stop Air Canada flights from Shanghai to Montreal and a direct Air Canada / Air China flight from Beijing to Montreal three times a week have helped foster a jump in Chinese tourism to the city, with other major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, also having direct flights to and from locations in China.

IRCC says the expanded VAC network will now make it easier than ever for Chinese residents to apply for a visa.

VACs are managed privately and are only authorized to provide visa applicants with specific services such as answering applicant questions in local languages and ensuring applications are complete.

VACs cannot provide advice to applicants about their visas, and all decisions regarding their applications are made by IRCC officials.

At IRCC, we are committed to improving client service for applicants and being more efficient, said Canadas Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister, Ahmed Hussen. These improvements will better serve Chinese applicants as we continue to create stronger business and personal ties between our two countries and welcome immigrants to the Canadian family.

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Educational bureaucrats complain that charter and private schools are unaccountable. But in reality, no institution in America is less accountable than unionized, government-run school systems. Virtually no one gets fired when they do a poor job, and when Johnny cant read, its not because he wasnt taught well, but rather because funding was insufficient, class sizes were too big, poverty was overwhelmingor Betsy DeVos was making everything worse. And when the public schools are shown not to be living up to their promises, the educrats move the goalposts to disguise their shortcomings.

The latest example of this pattern is unfolding right now. The California School Dashboard is a comprehensive rating tool to assess educational performance. Schools, districts, and various student subgroups get placed into five color-coded categories ranging from red (bottom performers) to blue (best performers) on how students fare on the states annual standardized test, along with other measures including graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and college readiness. If a district places in the red on two or more of these metrics, the county offices of education are called in for assistance.

Alarm bells sounded when the 2017 standardized test results in California were announced. They revealed that about 50 percent of schoolchildren cant read at grade level. The news was especially dismal for black schoolchildrenalmost 70 percent failed to read at grade level. When all the data were crunched, the outcomes revealed that, because of the poor test results, many school districts were deep in the red zone. But instead of acknowledging those schools failure, the State Board of Education simply decided to move a bunch of schools out of the lowest category. The board brushed aside criticism, referring to the lowering of standards as a technical matter, and the change was approved unanimously.

This brazen ploy is the latest in a series of similar efforts by the Golden State education establishment. Just last month, we officially said goodbye to the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), which the state legislature eliminated in 2015 because too many kids couldnt pass it. The Englishlanguage component of the test addressed state content standards through tenth grade, and the math part of the exam covered state standards only as far as grades six and seven and Algebra I. Worse, the legislators chose to give diplomas retroactively, going back to 2006, to students who had passed their coursework but failed the test.

Some cities have used their own methods to lower standards. In 2015, the Los Angeles school board decided to roll back graduation requirements, allowing students to pass A-G courses (classes that are required for college entrance) with a D instead of a C. If that wasnt enough, in Los Angeles and elsewhere, students who are destined not to graduate high school get to take credit-recovery classes. Some are effective, but many are devoid of meaningful content. Students often complete them in a few hours or over a weekend. Due to the courses, the graduation rate in L.A. zoomed from a projected 54 percent to 77 percent in 2016 within a few months. Referring to the higher graduation rates, L.A. School Superintendent Michelle King had the chutzpah to proclaim that she is proud of the heroic efforts by our teachers, counselors, parents, administrators and classified staff who rally around our students every day. Kings comments aside, is it any wonder that three quarters of California community college students and over 40 percent of California State university system students need remediation?

In San Francisco, only 19 percent of black students passed the state test in reading , yet the school board and union colluded to give teachers in the lowest performing school district in the state a 16 percent across the board pay increase. In a statement, San Francisco Superintendent of Schools Vincent Matthews said that the agreement was made as part of the districts ongoing commitment to attracting and retaining talented educators.

While San Francisco undoubtedly has some wonderful teachers, they do not deserve a raise en masse. We do not need credit-recovery classes. We should not have eliminated the CAHSEE. We dont need the state board fiddling with the new dashboard because the results were poor. And as the Freedom Projects Alex Newman points out, we also dont need more tax money, smaller class sizes, more LGBT sensitivity training, more interventions, more amphetamines, more dumbed-down standards, or bigger government.

What kids really need is basic reading instruction with a strong emphasis on phonics, which has served kids well for generations and would continue to do so, if we let it. But if we continue to stroll blissfully down Unaccountability Lane, adopting educational fads and eliminating standards, millions of young Americans will grow up to be functionally illiterate, with dismal future prospects. This is beyond shameful. School boards, administrators, and teachers must be held accountable for the failing systems they run.

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images
BBC Children in Need  the BBCs annual fundraising appeal  has raised more than 50m on the night for the first time.

The appeal, which was aired on Friday night, raised 50.2m, compared with 46.6m last year  an increase of 7.7 per cent.

The night was presented by TV favourites with Ade Adepitan and Tess Daly kicking off proceedings, before Mel Giedroyc and Graham Norton took over ahead of Rochelle and Marvin Humes, who were later joined by Matt Edmondson. Programmes were broadcast on BBC 1 and 2, and Radio 1 and 2.

Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: People across the UK should feel really proud of what has been achieved this evening. The remarkable generosity shown tonight really will go on make a lasting, positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people all across the UK. Thank you.

Funds will continue to come in for some time, with the final total not likely to be known until next summer. Last year around a quarter of all funds were raised after the night.

BBC Children in Need is a registered charity, and one of the UKs largest grant makers. Last year it awarded 51.4m to 1,342 projects.
The Daily Mail has accused universities of snooping on former students by using wealth screening firms to find information about their lives, in an investigation published on its front page today.

According to the paper the 24 Russell Group universities have used wealth screening firms, including Prospecting for Gold, Wealth Engine and Bluefrog Fundraising.

In 2015 the Mail carried out a similar investigation into some large charities use of wealth screening firms, which led to 13 large charities being fined because they had not done enough to make it clear to people that they data would be used in this way.

The Information Commissioners Office has said it will investigate the Mails claims and the Fundraising Regulator has issued a statement.

The Russell Group, the Institute of Fundraising and a representative body for university fundraisers, CASE, have defended universities.

Greedy top universitys

The Mail said it had learned that all 24 universities which are members of the Russell Group, and include Oxford and Cambridge, had found out sensitive information via wealth screening firms, which includes whether alumni have donated to charities and details about their homes, pensions and investments.

It described people who have been profiled as victims and said the universities are very likely to have broken the law if they wealth-screened supporters without their consent, or without them reasonably expecting that this would happen.

The paper also described the practice of profiling alumni as snooping, fundraising as aggressive and universities as greedy.

As part of the investigation reporters at the Mail sent their former universities subject access requests to find out what information the university held on them. It also requested information using the Freedom of Information Act, which applies to public bodies, but not charities.

ICO to investigate

The ICO has said it will now investigate the universities to find out if any rules have been broken.

In a statement, Elizabeth Denham, information commissioner, said: We will look carefully at the individual evidence provided by the Daily Mail to see if, and where, any rules have been broken and what learning there is for wider practice in this area.

Personal data belongs to the individual and that means they have the right to make choices about how it's used. The law requires organisations to tell people what its going to be used for and who its going to be shared with - and that's what people expect.

I want to be clear. Profiling individuals for a fundraising campaign itself is not against the law, but failing to clearly tell people that youre going to do it, is.

We have been working with the Fundraising Regulator and talking to universities about their responsibilities around transparency and accountability as they prepare to comply with a new, stronger data protection law coming into force in May next year.

We have offered to help universities better comply with the rules by working with them on guidelines and codes of practice they can adhere to, so people can continue to have confidence that their information is being used in line with the law.

Fundraising Regulator statement

The Russell Group universities in England and Wales are signed up to the Fundraising Regulator. Some universities on the list are exempt charities, some are registered with OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator and others are registered with the Charity Commission.

A spokesman for the Fundraising Regulator, said: Universities have a responsibility to maintain public trust. This includes obeying a legal duty to inform someone if their personal data is being processed, and to respect the rights of individuals who do not want their data to be used for direct marketing or fundraising.

New laws coming into force next May, the General Data Protection Regulation, give individuals new rights over how their personal information is used so universities and charities must review how they use personal data. The Fundraising Regulator is committed to helping them prepare for this challenge, and many are already making positive changes.

The Fundraising Regulator also reminded people that they can block communications from named charities and universities by using the Fundraising Preference Service.

Russell Group statement

A Russell Group spokesman defended the universities and said: The generosity of alumni helps fund everything from bursaries for disadvantaged students to new academic facilities which benefit students directly. From cancer therapies to conflict resolution, alumni donations have helped our universities invest in cutting-edge research that is changing the world for the better.

Philanthropy is helping widen access to higher education and improve the learning experience universities are able to provide for students.

All Russell Group universities in England and Wales are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and when there are changes in guidance on best practice they will follow these closely. Our members are hugely grateful for the ongoing commitment to higher education shown by so many Russell Group alumni and take their privacy very seriously.

IoF: Research improves donor experience

The IoF said that researching potential donors led to a better experience for donors.

Daniel Fluskey, head of policy, said: Research like this is a needed and increasingly important part of fundraising for universities and charities. It is important because it gives donors an ever better experience of giving, as well helping organisations to raise money in a more efficient way.

Time and again, evidence shows that individuals want and expect that fundraisers have an understanding about them and so are able to ask for their support in the right way, tailored to their interests and ability to donate. This is particularly the case for those who choose to give large amounts to the causes they care about. The only way that this sort of excellent fundraising is possible is through research.

At this time of increased need, the IoF welcomes discussions about how to best develop relationships with supporters, at the same time as ensuring that data protection regulations are followed in both the letter and spirit of these rules.

CASE: 'many alumni want to be contacted'

Tricia King, vice president global engagement, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) which works with universities on fundraising best practice said: Last year UK universities raised over 1bn in philanthropic income in support of their core activities of education and research. This money supports many things including support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to crucial life changing research.



As an important part of the university community, its very clear that many alumni are proud to support the work of their former institution and want to be contacted.



CASE works with universities in over 82 countries and, in the UK we see a sector that is continually looking to maintain and develop its strong and ethical fundraising practice.



In our experience universities take the privacy of their alumni and other philanthropists very seriously. We provide platforms for fundraising experts including the Fundraising Regulator and the Information Commissioners Office to make sure universities are kept up-to-date with best practice.



The Daily Mail investigation of university fundraising suggests universities may be not doing enough to explain how personal data is used and in what context. CASE was pleased to hear that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has confirmed that it believes profiling individuals for a fundraising campaign itself is not against the law, but failing to clearly tell people that youre going to do it, is. CASE will continue to work with them and the Fundraising Regulator to improve university fundraising practice and compliance.








By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) An ad-hoc teacher with a municipal corporation-run primary school in northwest Delhi was today gunned down by some unidentified persons, the police said.

Deepak (31) was found lying in a pool of blood near the gate of the primary school in Swaroop Nagar around 4:30 pm. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead, they said.

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He was a contractual teacher at the school run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. No arrest has been made so far in connection with the killing, said a senior police officer.

"The CCTV footage shows the attackers were in a Grand i10 car," said Milind Dumbere, DCP, Northwest Delhi.

Police have seized empty cases and live rounds from the spot.

The killing could be the fallout of a personal enmity. A probe is underway, they said. PTI VIT GVS

--- ENDS ---
Our weekly summary of the latest movers in the charity sector.

Finance and strategy

Professor Greg Hannon has been appointed director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.

The institute is based on the University of Cambridges Biomedical Campus. Hannon has worked for CRUKs Cambridge Institute since 2014. He joined from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

Hannon will take over the Institute on 1 February from Professor Simon Tavare, who has led the Institute since 2013.

Non-executive appointments

The Charity Retail Association has appointed Anne Webb as chair of the board of trustees.

Webb was elected at the organisations AGM in London last week. She was unanimously chosen to replace outgoing CRA chair Ben Merrett, who has served his maximum term of office.

Webb is currently the deputy trading director of Oxfam.

Karen Brown has been appointed chair of the trustee board of the Mines Advisory Group.

Jane Cocking, chief executive of MAG said Brown brings a wealth of creative, media and organisational expertise and I have no doubt we will benefit enormously from her insight and guidance.

Innovation foundation Nesta has announced the appointment of four new trustees.

The four new trustees are named as: Judy Gibbons, chair of Which? Imran Khan, head of public engagement at the Wellcome Trust, Anthony Lilley, theatre director and Moira Wallace, provost of Oriel College, Oxford University.

Nesta chair, Sir John Gieve, welcomed the four appointments.

Combat Stress has appointed television presenter and historian Neil Oliver as an ambassador in Scotland.

Oliver recently visited Hollybush House, the Combat Stress treatment centre in Ayr, to meet with veterans supported by the charity.

Sue Freeth, chief executive of the organisation, has welcomed Olivers appointment and said he will help raise awareness of the work the charity does in Scotland.




Mainland American news outlets largely faltered in early coverage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. But when the press pilgrimage to San Juan finally happened, it included a two-man team from a small, niche education news outlet tucked into a corner of the Beltway.

Education Week, a national newspaper published 37 times per year, offers comprehensive coverage of the education policy world. It has previously reported on how catastrophic weather has lasting impacts on schools, most notably in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The pages of Education Week are frequently filled with everything from policy dispatches from statehouses and Washington D.C. to deeply reported narrative stories that illustrate the consequences of the decisions made within them. But like most other outlets, the newspaper had run few, if any stories about the ailing Puerto Rican public school system before Maria. Education Week Editor Lesli Maxwell has been at the paper for 10 years and could recall just one story about Puerto Rican schools in recent memory. We certainly had no Puerto Rico beat, she says.

So when editors at the small outlet decided to send reporters to the island, it was a significant investment for a newspaper staffed by just 40 people, including editors, reporters, and the art department. Education Weeks expertise in federal policy positions it as one of the best outlets to help usher readers through the complicated relationship Puerto Rican schools have with the federal government, all while humanizing the dense policy changes that will inevitably come as the school system reinvents itself. If there is any outlet with the bandwidth to drudge through the years-long process of school reform, its Education Week.

ICYMI: President Trumps bizarre tweet on Puerto Rico

When Harvey and Irma hit, stories about schools acting as crucial shelters and supply distribution centers for displaced people trickled in. But Maxwell says the press was slow to pick up the education angle in Puerto Rico.

In the early days it was about survival and rescue, but we expected to start to see something, says Maxwell. We werent seeing much in the way of wire photos, but in Harvey and Irma, schools were a central part of sheltering people. We decided if were going to get this story, we have to get down there.

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Andrew Ujifusa, a veteran K-12 education reporter, had no special knowledge of the ailing Puerto Rican public school system. He spoke no Spanish and, in any case, most communications on the island had been down for weeks. So he relied on computer-based reporting (including a recent report submitted to Congress on the state of Puerto Rican schools) to bring himself up to speed ahead of a reporting trip. What he found was a relative dearth of public information compared to other large American school districts.

Finding out information is tough. The National Center for Education Statistics last published the graduation rates of Puerto Rican students [in] 2012. Now imagine if we hadnt published the graduation rates of California or for New Jersey or nationwide for five years. It would be like, What are you doing? Where is that number? Ujifusa says. But for Puerto Rico, its like, well  His voice trailed off. The Puerto Rican school system serves roughly 350,000 studentsa huge unified school system deserving of the same attention districts like Chicago get, says Ujifusa. Over the summer, the system suffered from numerous (sometimes controversial) school closures and a pension crisis.

As news outlets began to step up their coverage of Marias aftermath, some ran stories about school officials in places like Florida and New York as they were preparing for a potential influx of Puerto Rican students fleeing the island. Education Week ran such stories, too. But Ujifusa knew that there was more than just a hyperlocal story to be told. So he booked a flight.

With help from colleagues, Ujifusa was able to make contact with several sources living and working in Puerto Rico before he arrived, communicating with them primarily through text messages. Without texts, we would have had a lot more trouble. Some of those [messages] didnt go through. They would sit on my phone for hours and youd get the spinning wheel of death, says Ujifusa, who traveled with Education Week staff photographer Swikar Patel.

Ujifusa set up interviews with teachers, students, and the islands secretary of education. His goal was to visit as many parts of the island as was feasible, writing short vignettes that would help document the fast-changing recovery effort. Patel, who had spent time in Puerto Rico before (Ujifusa covered the Haitian earthquake relief efforts), consulted with friends in the industry who had already visited the island, for tips on what gear and supplies to bring.

The night before I left, Victor Blue [said to] bring clean water, dry food, canned food. To expect to not depend on eating, says Patel. He traveled light, carrying with him a Canon EOS C100 camera, a tripod, a monopod, and two pouches he kept extra lenses, wireless microphones and extra batteries in.

The pair arrived on October 6 and realized quickly how crucial it would be for them to leave the city center. Patel filmed the approaching skyline as their plane descended for landing, and was struck by how normal it looked from the air. Their hotel had a generator. Chillis was open for dinner. Apart from a few closed exits and trees littering the road, Patel says some parts of San Juan looked no different than any number of Midwestern cities after a bad storm. The scope of the devastation became most clear when they got out of the city, where the damage was most acute.

They found schools without electricity and water, and full of debris. They met one teacher, who doubled as a fixer and translator, on the side of a highway outside her town. They rushed to finish their reporting before nightfall when, without electricity, most of the island outside San Juan was plunged into opaque darkness. In Arecibo, a coastal city 50 miles from San Juan, they met a former teacher of the year who, along with much of the high schools staff, showed up daily to clear rubble and clean classrooms. A prominent chef organized cafeteria workers to turn their schools into food distribution centers, while a school director in Utuado oversaw the preparation of 500 meals. Seventeen bridges had been swept away, Ujifusa says. At another school doubling as a shelter, two brothers practiced their vowels and counting to 10 in English. A school in Bayamon hosted a read-aloud to boost moralethe elementary kids heard a story about a group of animals who survive a storm.

Our job as journalists is to shine a light on where the stories are, where the problems are, and that can be helpful to keep that issue visible.

The experience was a lesson in the ways covering the devastation of an institution interacts with human grief. And it was a reminder of how the reporting process can often exacerbate that pain, even as it does the important work of communicating it to outsiders.

We talked to a teacher, but she had lost her house and her two daughters were living with her parents. She was asked Why are you back at work? and she cracked, says Ujifusa. She couldnt handle the question, it was too difficult thinking about it. Her life had been completely upended.

Ujifusa and Patel spent one week in Puerto Rico, filing short dispatches, video interviews, and photos. They planned most of their days on the fly, rearranging interviews when they couldnt reach sources and connecting with Spanish-speaking fixers who brought them to communities far from the city center. They met families, teachers, principals and caught up with the secretary of education, Julia Kelleher, to talk about recovery efforts and what the wreckage might mean for a future of innovation in Puerto Rican schools. In the evenings, they returned to their hotel to write and process images for editors back in Maryland. Late last month, Education Week published Ujifusas longer recount of the recovery efforts.

For Patel, making the decision to go to Puerto Rico wasnt easy. Each time tragedy strikes, the media ties itself in knots over the ethics of swarming a place in crisis for quotes and soundbites juxtaposed with the reality of our responsibility to report the news. Ideas about how to fulfill that responsibility more sensitively continue to be tossed around.

ICYMI: NYTimes reporters thought about media coverage of mass shootings goes viral

One of the things to get right was, Why am I going to go?, says Patel. Im going to be another body taking water, taking food, taking, taking, taking. He resolved to make the best use of his time, reaching out to fellow photographers who had been in Puerto Rico for help understanding what he could expect when he got off the plane. He relied on a friend who was a photographer and had relatives in Puerto Rico for cultural context. The idea was to avoid creating the same impersonal images of devastationroads washed out, traffic lights danglingthat could be easily licensed if need be. Instead, he hoped to treat Maria as a backdrop for larger stories about schools and, ultimately, people.

The disaster is the background. What were here for is schools. Its easy to show people at their worst, but to show the resilience and the people doing the work and show them in an empowered light was super important for me coming into an area that is not mine, says Patel.

Much of the images he produced were portraits, as well as several videos featuring interviews with subjects featured in Ujifusas reporting. They offer a crucial visual aide to readers miles away. Patel also shot a six-minute documentary released alongside a long recap piece Ujifusa wrote upon their return to Maryland.

Education Weeks dedication to on the ground coverage in Puerto Rico is significantthe small, nonprofit newsroom lacks the sort of financial resources larger publications and networks who more readily send journalists overseas have. And yet Patel, Ujifusa, and Maxwell all agree they have to go back.

I doubt over the long term that the recovery and standing back up of Puerto Rican schools will get the kind of attention that New Orleans got and, frankly, continues to get. Our full intention is to send [Ujifusa and Patel] back, says Maxwell. We have not covered Puerto Rico in the way we cover the 50 states, but were talking about 350,000 studentsthats the equivalent of the fourth largest school system in the United States so we think its going to be a critical story for us.



In New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, of course, became a linchpin for one of the most radical and controversial school policy shifts in the country, and with help from regular, comprehensive media coverage, the city became a hotbed for education reform. But there has been, so far, no such interest in Puerto Rico.

Our job as journalists is to shine a light on where the stories are, where the problems are, and that can be helpful to keep that issue visible, says Maxwell. It might inspire some people to come down and help if theyre reading Ed Week coverage about the enormous challenges schools in Puerto Rico are facing.

Maxwell believes that the flood of outside resources from the education community will be much harder to attract to Puerto Rico, positioning the systems recovery as a lot harder to do than what we saw in New Orleans.

Ujifusas conversations with education officials echo that thought. Paul Pastorek, a former superintendent of education in Louisiana, told him that he thinks Puerto Rico faces a recovery even more harrowing than that of schools post-Katrina, in part because of a lack of interest and knowledge in their particular struggles. And the toll on the mental health of students and teachers who stay could have, as we saw in Louisiana, lasting ramifications for the educational future of Puerto Ricos youth.

You have to step back and think about that. If thats right, then these schools deserve ongoing coverage, says Ujifusa.

ICYMI: A feud between two media giants

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Alexandria Neason was CJRs staff writer and Senior Delacorte Fellow. Recently, she became an editor and producer at WNYCs Radiolab.
The successful formation of a union at the Los Angeles Times would have been largely unimaginable in the last century.

From 1960 to 1980, the Times was a totem of West Coast journalism that had been built up into a journalistic force by the aspirations of Otis Chandler, the golden boy heir to one of the most powerful and most aggressively anti-union families in Southern California. The Times became a marquee newspaper during his time as publisher, and by and large his employees felt richly compensated not only in pay but prestige.

The end of the Chandler era wasnt perfect, but the papers staff earned a certain swagger during his tenure. With bureaus around the world and an eye to national dominance, the major metropolitan newspapers reporters traveled first-class, and pay was competitive enough to lure ace reporters and top editors from East Coast institutions. The newsroom felt like it was closing in on the competitionwhich they saw as The New York Times, to the exclusion of any other paper. The newspaper even had a Picasso collection.

The broadly accepted company line was: Who needed a union when success was so abundant and available to the rank-and-file?

RELATED: An unlikely big player in digital media: unions

When the Chandler family sold the paper to Tribune (now known as Tronc) in 2000, the newspaper earned $200 million a year in profit, before its pages and staff fell prey to the endless cuts and carvings of bean counters in Chicago, and then in 2007 became the plaything of foul-mouthed blowhard Sam Zell. Then came the industry-wide nosedive of ad revenue, the slow-to-adapt business model of newspapers in general, and the questionable business decisions of a panicked management team. The intervening years, and their waves of buyouts and layoffs, signaled the end of the days when the looming, Art Deco building in downtown Los Angeles could be dubbed a de facto mausoleum, for all its velvet coffin jobs. The staff now numbers fewer than 500, down from a peak of 1,200, and there are rumblings about more cuts to come amid yet another management shakeup. Earlier this year, Tronc unexpectedly fired the newspapers top editors including Davan Maharaj, the publisherinstalling Ross Levinsohn, a veteran of Fox and Yahoo, as publisher, and former Forbes Editor Lewis DVorkin, as editor.

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The resulting uncertainty is fueling a union effort that may finally prevail in transforming one of the nations largest non-union newsrooms. There are currently labor unions at The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and non-newspaper outlets such as Vice and The Associated Press. A Tronc spokeswoman declined an interview request to speak with DVorkin or anyone else at the LA Times for this story.

Current and former LA Times staffers tell CJR the newsrooms hopes to join NewsGuild-CWA turn on a desire to maintain a semblance of what it has long meant to be employed by the Los Angeles Times. Some former staffers recall the halcyon days when the paper was fat, brimming with copy that kept government and industry accountable. Others left for better opportunities and lament the Times wasted potential. Every interviewee told CJR a union was a good idea, though some consider it a last resort. Employees have yet to file for unionization with federal officials, but dozens of newsroom employees went public as the face of the union drive in late October. They are calling for fairness in wages, job protections, the first across-the-board raises in seven yearsand theyre openly critical of a persistently white and male masthead. For young women, people of color, and other diverse newsroom members, its difficult to see a rosy future, not only for themselves, but the Times itself as a critical source of news in a city as diverse as Los Angeles.

The Times interim executive editor, Jim Kirk, recently sent letters discouraging staffers from forming a union or sowing doubt the union can deliver on its promises, writing in one: We can say with certainty that if the union is voted in, the company will bargain in good faith and will attempt to reach mutual agreement. However, it is important to remember that the union cannot provide any wages, benefits or working conditions to you without the companys agreement.

For all the demands for newsroom cuts, members of Tronc management are giving themselves huge raises. Executive pay ballooned by 80 percent from 2015 to 2016, to more than $19 million, according to data from Morningstar. By comparison, executives at The New York Times took a steep pay cut in the same periodfrom $26.3 million to $15.9 millionwhile running a bigger newspaper with a better reputation.

The present

Like many newsrooms, buyouts, firings, and departures for greener fields have harmed morale at the LA Times. What keeps talent is the promise of progress, but its hard to have faith when everyone on the newspapers current leadership team is a stranger to the newsroom.

Current Tronc chairman Michael Ferroa tech mogul with no newsroom experiencehas been openly out of touch with any sort of journalistic reality, with promises of reporting by a yet-to-be-invented artificial intelligence solution (after years of cuts to the already-existing, natural variety) and 2,000 videos produced a day, an utterly insane figure if you ask anyone who has ever produced a video (and a questionable strategy at best). Even seemingly feasible promises havent been kept: Pledged new bureaus in Hong Kong, Seoul, Rio de Janiero, Lagos, and Moscow have yet to become realities.

With Michael Ferro of Tronc taking over, theyre back into this new cycle of instability and things changing all the timeand theyve bet their careers on working at the LA Times, says Kevin Roderick, the founder, publisher and editor of LA Observed and a former Times reporter and editor who worked there for 25 years.

RELATED: Behind the success of the LA Timess hit true-crime thriller

For journalists concerned about their professional reputations, the tea leaves dont read well with Tronc. Tronc has not distinguished itself as any kind of news achiever, says Roderick. Theyre all about trying to find a way to monetize things and in this case its about experimenting with the LA Timesand thats not what any reader of the LA Times is looking for.

Among the signatories to the unions open letter to the newsroom is National Correspondent Matt Pearce, who cant imagine working most anyplace elsehe loves the impact of being a Los Angeles Times reporter, and admires his boss and his coworkers. But one of the things that I havent really liked about the Times is the low morale that has been pretty consistent for the past five years Ive been here, he tells CJR. Weve had five publishers in the five years Ive been here, and a lot of turnover in the past five years.

Every Times staffer CJR spoke with was pleased with what the Times has been able to produce despite cuts and chaosmany pointed to the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news during the San Bernardino mass-shooting.They want leaders who believe in journalism. They want to see support for strong reporting that serves a broad readership and the communities in Southern California.

Dear media "experts": The @latimes newsroom is not "resistant to change." We've undergone more disruption than anyone. And we still kick ass  Robin Abcarian (@AbcarianLAT) October 10, 2017

They believe its possible because theyve seen other phoenixes rise.

You look at a place like The Washington Post which was in a similar position as the Los Angeles Times and you seeing what dynamic ownership and a dynamic editor can do to invigorate the newsroom, Pearce says, referring to Amazons Jeff Bezos and (former LA Times editor) Editor in Chief Marty Baron.

Pearce also points to the newsrooms class of diverse young reporters who are equipped to report on many cultures in Los Angeles, but have felt undervalued when it comes to advancement and opportunity, a kind of invisible barrier with younger reporters of color and especially women in terms of our masthead.

Among the signatories to the unions letter were alums of the Times highly prestigious diversity program Metpro, including Copy Editor Kristina Bui. As a woman of color, she says she supports a union because it can bargain for things that help push back against old barriers, with pay scales and step raises that create a salary floor and create equity.

Ten years ago, a union would not have found the same support, and before that, such an effort would have been seen as unimaginable.

Is past prologue?

The Timess first publisher, Civil War veteran Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, prided himself on being anti-labor. In 1907, the International Typographers Union called his newspaper the most notorious, most persistent and most unfair enemy of trade unionism on the North American continent. The reputation was earned, in part, by the generals venomous anti-union editorials, often aimed at San Francisco, where unions were embroiled in scandalsand casting side-eye at union-friendly rival newspaper Los Angeles Examiner.

In the Timess view, Los Angeles was a perfect business environmentan anti-labor wonderland of endless prosperity in the sun. Its worth remembering that by 1910, American industrialists like John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford were engaged in open class warfare, hiring thugs to beat back striking workers. Otis newspaper was staunchly Republican and pro-growth in the age of recently completed railways that connected Los Angeles with America. He backed efforts (some would say orchestrated) to outlaw labor demonstrations in LA.

Which is how the Los Angeles Times became the target of a 1910 bombing that killed 20 people working the late shift, when a suitcase full of dynamite exploded in an ink supply closet in its building on the corner of Broadway and First in downtown Los Angeles. Unionists were convicted of hiring the McNamara brothers to plant the bomb, which they claimed wasnt supposed to go off until later when everyone would have left the building. The 1911 trial inspired chaos in LA streets: Twenty thousand McNamara supporters marched on the county jail to denounce General Otis, Harry Chandler and others as schemers bent on crucifying organized labor, Denis MacDougal writes in the book Privileged Son.

After he inherited the newspaper and Gen. Otis grudge against unions, Harry Chandler gloated: There is one city in the United States where a labor strike has never been able to succeed. That city is Los Angeles. The reason is because it has the Los Angeles Times.

In 1942, the Times earned its first-ever Pulitzer Prize, a Gold Medal for Public Serviceand they won it while staying true to the papers earliest animosities against unions. The Chandlers sided with port ownership in a bloody war with the longshoremans union. Men up and down the California Coast had walked out on their jobs to protest. Company thugs beat them back. The Times published a volume of what MacDougal described as biased reporting and abusive editorials against the formation (and later existence) of the International Longshoremens & Warehousemens Union. The flood of copy was enough to earn a contempt citation from the judge, who simultaneously was deciding whether to grant an injunction that would prevent the union from striking. Norman Chandler took his fight over the contempt citation to the Supreme Court in 1941. Justice Harry Black, who wrote the decision in favor of the Times, wrote: It is a prized American privilege to speak ones mind, although not always with perfect good taste

He made the same solemn oath that his father had made: no unions on his watch.

For all managements conviction, the rank-and-file did push to organize in that era. In 1944, the National Labor Relations Board oversaw the first union election ever held at the Times. According to Privileged Son, the pressmen voted overwhelmingly to reject the union. Ownership took it in stride, vowing to pay workers so well that they couldnt be tempted to unionize again. That year, Harry Chandler died, passing on the newspaper to Norman, who kept his Times family paid at least one notch above the highest comparable union wage, (and) made the same solemn oath that his father had made: no unions on his watch.

Slanted anti-union coverage persisted at the paper, with Norman Chandler telling Newsweek in 1967, We were kind of lopsided in those days. If we gave the Republicans a big story, wed give the Democrats a small one. And we only gave managements side in labor disputes.

That was often seen in the papers coverage of farmworkers and Latinos in Southern California, whose fight for passable wages was frequently met with the Times siding with farmers and underreporting labor abuses.

In the immediate aftermath of the Chandler dynasty, which ended in 2000, the Times was led by a succession of editorssome truly great oneswho were forced to go to the mat for their newsrooms and suffered defeat. Time after time, editors would leave the paper over never-ending demands for staffing cutbacks from Chicago.

The first was John Carroll. As the editor in chief whose tenure began the year Tribune took the reins from the Chandlers, Carroll was a beloved and experienced editor, who in turn recruited a pivotal managing editor, Dean Baquet from The New York Times. Baquet later remarked we came in and the newsroom was downbut it was a hell of a newsroom, adding it was like a Ferrari that needed to be reminded that it was a Ferrariand thats what we did.

In five years time, Carroll and Baquet led the newspaper to 13 Pulitzer Prizes, before Carroll stepped down in 2005 to protest open-ended cuts that he felt would damage the paper. The fight to preserve the newsroom didnt end with Carroll. In 2006, publisher Jeff Johnson was ousted for his refusal to cut 100 jobs from a 940-member editorial staff (nearly double the size of the current staff).

Baquet, the editor in chief after Carroll, would take the same stance against job cuts and be ousted later that year. For many, it was Baquets departure that marked the beginning of the Times descent into chaosand a pattern of bosses coming and going over clashes with Chicago. Baquet was the last beloved editor in the newsroom. When he was forced to leave, a lot of people saw that as a really, really bad sign, says Roderick.

One by one, editors who tried to fight Tribune were routed and ousted. Then a Trumpian real estate tycoon came along in 2007 and bought Tribune. Sam Zell openly relished being an outsider with little interest in journalism. Though the the leaders have changed many times in the intervening years, the paper hasnt been the same since. Which helps explain why a resistance is afoot with unionization.

An amazing display of solidarity for @latguild from our unionized colleagues at the @nytimes. We appreciate your support.  pic.twitter.com/LNbIZU4ddS  L.A. Times Guild  (@latguild) November 8, 2017

For the past 10 years, its been the workers, not the owners, who are preserving the legacy of the Los Angeles Times, Pearce, the national reporter, says. The idea of unionization has not been a hard sell in a newsroom in a spiral of chaos. And the early performance of the new owner has done nothing to boost newsroom trust: LA Observed on November 13 reported that, with the arrival of new editor DVorkin, Days of Discord are Back at the Los Angeles Times. The staff is in an uproar over DVorkins decision to downplay the papers spat with Disney, a major advertiser.

Union supporters say the Timess era of union busting wont deter them. The union boosters havent set a date yet for making a federal filing; meantime, theyre boosting morale with a social media push for new subscribers and with support from other newsrooms.

We think this can be successful, says Pearce, referring to the union, and the paper. Were the dominant publication in the most populous, wealthiest state in the country, one that is driving the direction of the country in many ways.

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Shaya Tayefe Mohajer teaches journalism at the University of Southern California and works as a freelance journalist in Los Angeles. Previously, she was the news editor for TakePart.com and a reporter for The Associated Press. She is a graduate of New York University's masters program in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @Shaya_in_LA.
A politician is accused of lying about whether he had sex with a woman not his wife. Another is accused of accepting lavish vacations from an industrialist in return for supporting legislation that favors that industry.

Which scenario is venal and which is venial?

Language people love it when two words are close in spelling, but their meanings, while not close, can be easily conflated. So it is with venal and venial.

Neither venal nor venial are good characteristics, to be sure. Depending on context, one might be more forgivable than the other. They can even overlap.

Venal has been in the news more lately. When the Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would lift its ban on the importation of elephant parts if the animals had been legally hunted in Zimbabwe, the head of the Humane Society condemned the move because Its a venal and nefarious pay-to-slay arrangement that Zimbabwe has set up with the trophy hunting industry. (President Trump later tweeted that he would keep the ban in place while he looked further into the matter.)

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In an article discussing new tax proposals, a Forbes writer said a top tax rate was necessary to make the occupants of Congress relevant, and in a necessarily venal and anti-egalitarian fashion. In writing about investigations into Russian influence on the 2016 election, Michael Gerson said: Robert S. Mueller III and his A-team of investigators have plenty of stupidity and venality to work with.

If you havent figured it out, venal means corrupt. Its from a Latin word meaning for sale. When it first entered English, in the mid-17th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it meant simply for sale, but it also meant something that could be bought rather than earned, such as a place of honor, or something ready to be given in return for some reward without regard for higher principles, or a person of an unprincipled and hireling character who could be bought or bribed.

Venal has another meaning as well: relating to a vein. And while that comes from a different Latin word, sometimes venal people have a way of getting right at the heart of things.

Venial is also relating to a vein, but that usage arose hundreds of years after the original venial, which means worthy of forgiveness. The earliest appearances of venial, around 1300, the OED says, relate to theology, the venial sins that can be cleansed from the soul as opposed to the mortal ones that condemn the soul.

But both venal and venial are open to interpretation. A politician lying about being an adulterer could be both venal and venial, lying being usually a venal sin, but adultery is considered venial. The politician who has accepted gifts/bribes is certainly corrupt, and thus venal, but if the legislation the politician supports in return has few negative results, that could be a venial sin. In this case, separation of church and state could be more difficult.

In the 1977 book Dos, Donts & Maybes of English Usage, Theodore M. Bernstein had a great mnemonic to help writers decide which word to use. Venial, he writes, rhymes with genial, while venal rhymes with penal. While venial sins arent nice or genial, at least theyre nicer than something that could send you to prison.

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Merrill Perlman managed copy desks across the newsroom at the New York Times, where she worked for twenty-five years. Follow her on Twitter at @meperl.
They may not be mad about reefer, but a growing number of Massachusetts communities are leaving their borders open to commercial marijuana businesses, bucking a wave of bans and moratoriums that followed voter approval of legal recreational pot.

Recent votes in several cities and towns against prohibitions on pot shops have cheered advocates for the nascent cannabis industry who say it could signal that communities around the state are slowly concluding that potential benefits, including a boost in tax revenues and the driving out of illegal dealers, outweigh the drawbacks of welcoming such businesses to town.

We got a lot of support from people who dont use cannabis, but might want to someday, said Scott Winters, a resident of Amesbury who spearheaded opposition to an anti-pot referendum that was defeated by a nearly 2-1 margin Nov. 7. From users to non-users to just folks who want revenue for the city, we had a lot of support.

Town meetings in Dracut, Marshfield and the Cape Cod town of Brewster have also turned aside bans in recent weeks. The votes in Marshfield and Brewster were notable for having occurred in towns where a majority of residents voted against the legalization question on last Novembers state ballot.

Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who strongly opposed legalization, has nonetheless promised the city will accommodate marijuana stores.

Yet theres still far from broad acceptance around Massachusetts, which along with Maine were the first eastern U.S. states to legalize recreational weed. Since January, towns have imposed at least 121 bans or other constraints on marijuana-related businesses, which also include growing and processing facilities and testing labs, according to records of the attorney generals municipal law unit.

The so-called not in my backyard dynamic is not unique to Massachusetts, having played out in states that previously legalized recreational marijuana.

In Colorado, the first state to do so in 2012, more than 60 percent of towns and cities have opted out of hosting pot shops, according to Kevin Bommer, deputy director of the Colorado Municipal League. The additional revenue from marijuana taxes hasnt necessarily proven a windfall for those with cannabis businesses, he added.

I dont think it is the pot of gold that some folks might think it is, because a lot has to go into administration and enforcement, he said.

A map of 228 cities drawn by the Municipal Research Services Center in Washington state shows bans or moratoriums in place in 80 communities, though 109 others permit marijuana-related businesses within various zoning restrictions and the rest have taken no action.

Massachusetts lawmakers sweetened the deal for cities and towns earlier this year by raising the maximum local-option marijuana sales tax from 2 percent to 3 percent and allowing municipalities to extract an additional 3 percent of sales through user agreements with retailers. The states first pot shops are expected to open in mid-2018.

Regulate Cape Cod, a group that supports retail sales in the popular tourist destination, estimated that a single pot shop in Brewster would instantly become the towns second biggest taxpayer, behind only the sprawling Ocean Edge resort.

Winchester, about nine miles north of Boston, decided any potential revenue was outweighed by other fears such as having marijuana-laced candy or other food products circulate through the community, said Michael Bettencourt, chairman of the towns select board.

We were mostly concerned with the edibles, those getting into the hands of (children), and not being able to really have a plan of how to manage that, he said. Winchester voted at town meeting Nov. 9 to ban pot shops, at least temporarily.

Two other Cape Cod towns, Sandwich and Mashpee, also adopted prohibitions recently.

Campaigns against proposed bans in places like Amesbury, a small city along the New Hampshire border, have typically been organized by local grassroots activists such as Winters, and less so by large, national pro-marijuana groups.

Winters said he has used pot off and on for about 30 years, partly to cope with anxiety and stress, and hopes to someday buy it legally in his hometown  provided the quality is right.

If were already used to getting some really killer, cool stuff, were not going to waste our time, and our money, on a crap product, he said.

Proponents of bans and moratoriums are quick to point out that they dont strip away the rights of adult residents to possess or use recreational marijuana under the new law.

But cannabis industry advocates argue widespread prohibitions will leave large swaths of the state without retail outlets, prompting many residents to continue buying from illicit suppliers nearby.

Why would you drive two hours, or even one hour, if you can get it in five minutes? asked Kamani Jefferson, a Cambridge resident who founded the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved President Donald Trumps selection of a retired coal company executive to oversee U.S. mining safety.

David Zatezalo was confirmed as assistant labor secretary for mine safety and health by a 52-46 vote.

Zatezalo, of West Virginia, retired in 2014 as chairman of Rhino Resources, a coal company cited for repeated safety violations. A miner died at a Rhino mine in West Virginia in 2011.

Zatezalo said at his confirmation hearing last month that safety will be his top priority, noting that he replaced the managers of the mine where the employee died.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., opposed Zatezalos confirmation, saying he was not convinced Zatezalo was suited to oversee the federal agency that implements and enforces mine safety laws and standards.

Too many families in our state have lost loved ones serving our nation in the mines, and we are too familiar with the painful human toll of mining accidents, Manchin said.

Since the beginning of 2017, 14 miners have died, including seven West Virginians, Manchin said.

These devastating losses demonstrate the ongoing need for strong and experienced leadership at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, as well as comprehensive funding for MSHA programs, Manchin said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., supported the nomination, saying that as a former miner and mining executive, Zatezalo has a keen understanding of the challenges and risks sometimes associated with mining.

Zatezalos firsthand experience will serve him well in his new role, McConnell said.

As assistant secretary for mine safety and health, Zatezalo will be responsible for reducing workplace accidents and promoting safe and healthy workplaces for miners.

Zatezalo told a Senate committee last month that the U.S. mining industry is safer than ever and that technology can further improve it. The required four annual mine inspections should not be reduced, he said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A federal utilitys top executive estimated Thursday that it would cost $900 million and take 24 years to comply with a court order to move coal ash from unlined and leaking pits and ponds to a lined landfill on the site of a Tennessee power plant.

Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Bill Johnson said in an interview Thursday that a less-preferred option, moving the ash offsite from the Gallatin Fossil Plant, would cost $2 billion. TVA had mentioned the $2 billion figure during a federal trial in February over pollution claims at the plant about 40 miles from Nashville.

The Southern Environmental Law Center has said the estimates are far too long and high.

Johnson said the timeline might be reduced, but not dramatically.

Theres a lot of material, and it just takes time to do this, Johnson said. We have one benefit in our estimating, which is, weve done a lot of this kind of work.

In August, a federal judge ordered the ash excavated and removed, saying its leaking pollutants into the Cumberland River in violation of the Clean Water Act. But the judge said there was scant evidence of any harm caused by the pollution.

TVA is appealing the order, hoping it can instead cap the unlined ash ponds over 12 years at a $200 million cost. The TVA contends capping the coal ash would be environmentally friendly, since it wouldnt risk a spill while crews excavate and move the polluted material.

Environmentalists and the district judge say capping risks further pollution, since the trial already determined that the current pits and ponds are leaking.

A related case brought by Tennessee environmental officials against TVA over the Gallatin facilitys pollution is ongoing in federal court.

TVA powers 9 million customers in parts of seven Southern states. This week, TVA reported a net income of $685 million for the budget year that ended Sept. 30, down from last years $1.2 billion, largely due to an additional $500 million spent shoring up its retirement system.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
An insurer says it shouldnt have to pay for the collapse of a building in a southwest Mississippi city.

Hudson Specialty Insurance has sued in federal court in Natchez to nullify its policy, saying the policy was voided after the building owner took money from a previous claim but didnt complete needed repairs, The Enterprise-Journal reported .

The City of McComb sued earlier, seeking $370,000 spent on cleaning up debris after the buildings July 23 collapse.

Both the city and Hudson say Terrance Alexander, who bought the building in 2014 and operated Jubilee Performing Arts Center there, had been warned that roof drains were clogged and the roof was about to fall in. Alexander, who denies those claims, transferred ownership to Talex LLC in 2016. Thats who Hudson was insuring.

The collapse of downtown McCombs largest building sent bricks toppling onto city streets, and the city cordoned off the surrounding area as contractors tore down the top two floors of the building, which officials feared could fall at any time and cause more damage or injury.

Downtown streets and some businesses in the area were closed for nearly three weeks.

As part of its lawsuit, Hudson said it shouldnt have to pay for lost income or damages of more than a dozen businesses and individuals. That includes Alexanders brother Samuel Alexander, who operated a church on the top floor of the building before the collapse.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The actress will be seen in a bold avatar in her next show.

By India Today Web Desk: Television sensation Nia Sharma is all set to rule the small screen again. And by small screen, we mean the web medium.

Yes, you read that right. The talented actress will soon be seen in the second installment of the Vikram Bhatt web series Twisted.

The producer tweeted about the same recently. His tweet read, "Welcome back @Theniasharma to Twisted 2!!"

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Nia also posted about the second season of the show on social media site Instagram. The post read, "Twisted 2 is on!!! @vikrampbhatt good to be back.. @anupamssaroj "the baby should go to mama afterall, hahahhaha."

Here's the post:

The series will be helmed by Anupam Santosh Saroj, and will see actors Karishma Kotak, Tia Bajpai, and Achint Kaur in pivotal roles.

--- ENDS ---
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In 1997, Debbie and Frank Astorino welcomed three children into the world, triplets Kevin, Kerri and Sheri. The Astorinos had their babies thanks to in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure that they paid for out of pocket after spending nine years trying to get pregnant using other methods. The procedure cost them $10,000 to $15,000. Even worse, Debbie's doctor said her chance of achieving pregnancy was only 25 percent. That's why Debbie chose to stack the odds. "This was a one-shot deal for us," Debbie said. "I remember crying and begging the doctor to put in four embryos, and him refusing and insisting on putting in three. He told us four was risky for the babies and my health, but what he didn't understand was this was our only chance. We couldn't afford another cycle." Three embryos turned out to be more than enough.

The Astorino triplets were born at 30 weeks. Source: Debbie Astorino

"I'm grateful that he didn't put in four. Because the babies did have tremendous health issues," Debbie said. The triplets were born prematurely and had low birth weights, both common complications of multiple births. They spent eight weeks in neonatal intensive care before being sent home with 24/7 nursing care. Taking care of the triplets' medical needs was expensive. Frank estimates he and Debbie submitted over $1 million in medical bills after the babies were born. "Insurance covered most of the aftermath but not the preplanning," he said. Two decades later, not much has changed. IVF remains expensive and, according to a 2015 study, the odds of a successful pregnancy after one cycle of IVF stand at just 29 percent. Financial incentives still affect IVF practices, leading to high rates of multiple births and hefty medical bills.

A lack of insurance coverage

Roughly 1 in 8 couples, or 12 percent of married women, have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. This statistic has grown over the years, in large part due to the increasing age of prospective mothers. As couples wait longer to have children, more are turning to IVF for help once they're ready. Today, about 1 in 60 newborns was conceived by in vitro fertilization. But even as demand for IVF rises, insurance coverage remains limited. A 2017 study by Mercer, a health-care consulting group, found that only 26 percent of companies with over 500 employees cover the procedure. The result is that many Americans are left paying fully out of pocket. For Marisa and Brad Hillman of Oxford, Connecticut, four cycles of IVF ended up setting the couple back over $40,000. They took out a home equity loan and later moved in with Marisa's parents to save money.

Financial pressures lead to multiples

Patients like the Hillmans who pay for IVF on their own often end up weighing the price of doing a single-embryo transfer multiple times or a multiple-embryo transfer once. That's why, for their third cycle of IVF using frozen embryos, the Hillmans asked their doctor to implant three. "We had six frozen embryos. And if we put in one at a time, that's $2,000 each time. Or we can put in three, and it's still $2,000. The number of embryos you put in doesn't change the cost." Their doctor refused and put in two. Marisa is now pregnant with twin girls due in December. The Hillmans' story is not unique.

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"If you've saved up $10,000 or $15,000, or maybe you borrowed against a 401(k) or borrowed from friends and family, maybe you're feeling like that is your only chance, that one IVF cycle. That creates a lot of risk," said Barbara Collura, president of Resolve, an infertility advocacy association. Today, nearly 40 percent of infants born from IVF are multiples.

Multiples are dangerous and expensive

The risks to mothers carrying multiples and the infants are substantial. Dr. Dmitry Kissin of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risks to mothers include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and a higher rate of cesarean sections. The risks to infants include low birth weight, prematurity and sometimes long-term disabilities like autism and cerebral palsy. "The chance of dying during pregnancy for mothers after IVF is three times higher if they carry multiples compared to mothers who carry singleton babies," Kissin said. "And for children, the chance of death during the first month of life is six times higher for twins and 14 times higher for triplets." No one knows the risks better than Debbie Astorino. "It sounds all well and good when people see that I have triplets. But unfortunately, no one had it easy. The ride was bumpy," she said. Debbie suffered from gestational diabetes and dangerously high blood pressure. She was put on hospital bed rest after 23 weeks gestation. The triplets were born weighing 2.8 to 3.9 pounds.

The Astorino triplets spent eight weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. Source: Debbie Astorino

Those sorts of medical complications are expensive. "It turns out that paying for infertility care and controlling the number of embryos that are transferred would actually save money for the overall cost of medical care in the United States," said Dr. Richard Paulson, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "The problem is getting over the initial energy that has to be expended to make it happen." There's research backing up his claim. As early as 1998, Swedish researchers concluded that one-embryo transfers were more cost-effective than two embryo transfers when accounting for the costs associated with multiple gestations.

A case for single-embryo transfers

In mid-2010, Quebec's universal health insurance began covering all in vitro fertilization costs, with a caveat. The policy requires its patients to undergo single-embryo transfers. The result in Quebec is that multiple births declined and the cost per live birth decreased. Dr. Bradley Van Voorhis, director of the IVF Program at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, says U.S. insurance companies may be picking up on this trend. "It's going to become a growing trend across the country as insurance companies understand that when they're covering IVF, the greatest expense they have is paying for extremely premature infants," he said. "So more and more insurance companies are really demanding that single embryo transfers be done in good-prognosis patients if they're going to cover this treatment." But others say there isn't enough data available yet to persuade employers to cover IVF from a financial standpoint. "It's clear there's definitely an offset. But whether this offset is 100 percent of what the employer is spending, we just don't know," said David Kaplan, a senior partner in Mercer's Health business. "It also depends greatly on the structure of the employers' benefit and many other factors."

What's next for infertility coverage?

This year, the infertility community celebrated what they say is long overdue news; infertility was officially declared a disease by the American Medical Association. Many hope this will be the catalyst that helps expand insurance coverage. In the meantime, Resolve's Collura says there's a need to educate employers on the benefits of providing infertility coverage for employees. "We as a field haven't done enough to equip these companies with data and information on this field, on benefit design for IVF, and on what employees really need and want," she said. "When we see the financial concern removed from this medical decision, people actually make better medical decisions; they have better, healthier outcomes." Proponents of increased insurance coverage say that policy would help eliminate financial concerns from a critical medical decision, potentially reducing the high rate of multiple births. And, they say, it might just end up saving patients, employers, and the entire health-care system money in the long run.

WATCH: From zero to four kids in one year
Feng Li | Getty Images

What is shadow banking in China?

Shadow banking refers to activities performed by financial firms outside the formal banking sector, and therefore subject to lower levels of regulatory oversight and higher risks. Such activities are off the balance sheets due to accounting practices. There have been worries that such practices mask the amount of risk that banks and other financial entities, such as insurance companies, are taking on. Those debt concerns have led some to claim that shadow banking in the Chinese economy could eventually lead to a financial crisis if the bubble pops.

According to a recent Moody's report, broad shadow banking levels in China "barely grew" to 64.7 trillion yuan ($9.72 trillion) at the end of the first half of 2017 from 64.4 trillion yuan ($9.7 trillion) at the end of 2016. Earlier this month, Reuters calculations showed combined trust loans, entrusted loans and undiscounted bankers' acceptances  all common forms of shadow banking finance  fell to 107 billion yuan ($16 billion) in October from 396 billion yuan ($60 billion) in September. The data, however, doesn't seem to be quelling concerns  not least from the Chinese regulators themselves  about a major credit event spreading to global markets. Their concern is that debt isn't going away, it's just moving around: One reason for a fall in risky loans is that credit is being re-channeled into more formal and more regulated sectors. Still, that could be a "silver lining," said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank. "One thing they got right is that they're getting away with the shadowy aspect of it, so more of it is going through formalized banking channels," he told CNBC. New loans extended by Chinese banks reached 11.82 trillion yuan ($1.78 trillion) in the first 10 months of this year against last year's record 12.65 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion), central bank figures show.

How has the official crackdown affected shadow banking?

On Friday, China's central bank took a new step in curbing debt by announcing new regulations that tighten rules on the 102 trillion Chinese yuan ($15.3 trillion) asset management business  which contributes greatly to the shadow banking industry. That was just the latest stage of a crackdown from Beijing that has begun to show some signs of success. Broad shadow banking levels "barely grew" to 64.7 trillion Chinese yuan ($9.72 trillion) at the end of the first half of 2017 from 64.4 trillion yuan ($9.68 trillion) at the end of 2016, a Moody's report released in November showed. However, the growth in certain activities classified as "core" shadow banking accelerated to 18.2 percent from a year ago at the end of the third quarter of 2017, the reported added. Undiscounted bankers' acceptance, a short-term debt product in the "core" category, for instance, returned to positive territory for the first time in three years, said Moody's. The various "core" components are captured by Total Social Financing (TSF) data, an official gauge that provides a measure of credit and liquidity supplied by the entire financial system in China. Non-"core" components, meanwhile, are not part of the TSF and are based on the issuance of higher-risk instruments such as wealth management products and asset management plans. These are the targets of the recent crackdown.

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In assessing China's shadow banking sector, Moody's determined that debt in the country was moving into "comparatively better regulated parts," which improves transparency "and may increase the system's resilience to unexpected shocks." Moody's latest report followed similar findings from Fitch a month earlier about China's shrinking shadow banking sector. "Overall, China has been able this year to keep the off-balance-sheet or shadow banking activities slow," said Ben Luk, global macro strategist at State Street Global Markets. On Thursday, central bank advisor Sheng Songcheng said at a finance forum in Beijing that he expects China's financial deleveraging to be less forceful next year as it has already achieved obvious results, Reuters reported.

Chinese regulators warn on debt

Despite headline figures about debt reductions in the country, there are major concerns over whether China will be able to keep it from eventually bubbling over. Outgoing Chinese central governor Zhou Xiaochuan raised the issue when he highlighted high leverage levels in the country earlier this month. "High leverage is the ultimate origin of macro financial vulnerability," wrote Zhou, who has indicated he is serving his last term in office after 15 years at the helm of the People's Bank of China (PBOC). "This manifests as excessive debt in the sectors of real economy and as overly rapid credit expansion in the financial system," he added.

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At the end of 2016, China's leverage ratio in the macro economy was 247 percent of GDP, while leverage in the corporate sector reached 165 percent of GDP. Debt risks are particularly worrisome in state-owned enterprises, which have been slow to reform, he added in an article warning of "hidden [but] sudden, contagious and hazardous risks]." After all, it's not just a matter of regulation, as lenders will always look for creative ways to sidestep new rules.

Regulation spurs innovation
German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the annual congress of the Federation of German Industry (BDI) on June 20, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday her efforts to form a three-way coalition government had failed, thrusting Germany into a political crisis and pushing Europe's largest economy closer to a possible new election.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) unexpectedly pulled out of more than four weeks of negotiations with Merkel's conservative bloc and the ecologist Greens, citing irreconcilable differences.

The euro hit a two-month low against the yen soon after FDP leader Christian Lindner said on Sunday that his party was withdrawing from the talks as the three would-be partners could not find common ground on key issues.

A tired looking Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor and would consult with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on how to move forward, adding that a deal had been

within reach.

"It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany," Merkel told reporters. "As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come."

It was a sobering moment in the career of a woman who during 12 years in power became a symbol of stability, leading the euro zone during its debt crisis and building compromise within the European Union on a deal with Turkey to stem migrant arrivals.

Merkel was weakened after a September election as voters angry with her decision in 2015 to open Germany's borders to more than a million asylum seekers punished her conservatives by voting for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party.

The break down of the talks leaves Germany with two unprecedented options in the post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government, or the president calls a new election if no government is formed.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's current coalition partners who were the second-biggest party in the election, have ruled out a repeat of an alliance with her conservatives, who won the vote but were left with fewer seats.

There is little appetite for a new election. The main parties fear that the AfD would win more than the almost 13 percent of votes it secured to enter parliament for the first time as the third-biggest party.
It is no wonder, then, that a wide spectrum of German media looks at Merkel as a weakened leader, desperately clinging to power despite a clear message from a deeply disappointed electorate.

That is the general picture emerging from the failed attempts to form a stable coalition government.

The mandate should go back to German people for another round of electoral consultations. I believe that is an inevitable outcome, regardless of flimsy and ego-flattering temporary arrangements that might be cobbled up.

How much does all that matter for the rest of Europe and the world financial markets?

The short answer is: Mercifully, not much.

Germany's monetary policy is in the hands of the European Central Bank. On the fiscal side, the big issue is what to do with the German budget surplus of about 1 percent of GDP.

The strong economy and the full employment make generalized tax cuts unnecessary, but that does not preclude more spending on infrastructure and other public service areas. Those who would ask the former Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble  now president of the lower house of the parliament and the architect of "die schwartze Null" budget balance  would probably hear that Germany should save the money for the rainy day and retire some public debt currently estimated at 74 percent of GDP.

The surplus on trade accounts is much larger; it is now running at an annual rate of $275 billion and is likely to end up this year somewhere between 7.5 and 8.0 percent of GDP. That's a big drag on world economy, and a serious problem for Germany's euro area partners.

As in the past, Germany will get away with that. The International Monetary Fund will look the other way, and the euro area partners will continue to suffer in silence while Germans think that those surpluses are their birthright.

Washington will make some noise, but it is not clear what it will do about its trade deficit with Germany running at an annual rate of $63 billion in the first nine months of the year.

Now, will the German search for a stable government disrupt economic relations within the EU?

No, not in the least. Germany is a huge economic beneficiary of Europe's single market and its monetary union. It, therefore, is not in Berlin's interest to obstruct the work of European institutions. Whatever the outcome of the current, or future, government coalition talks, Germany can always find an appropriate solution to be adequately represented at EU's decision-making levels.

Meanwhile, the EU's Commission will grind on, following the agenda, and tackling the tasks, set out by the European Council, a forum of the heads of state and government.
Tahir Khan and Javed, the two men who accompanied Ummar on the day he was allegedly shot dead by cow vigilantes, were produced in the court and were sent to two days police remand today.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Alwar police produced two accomplices of Ummar Khan, the man allegedly killed by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar district, in Laxmangarh court today.

Tahir Khan and Javed, the two men who accompanied Ummar on the day he was allegedly shot dead by cow vigilantes, were produced in the court and were sent to two days police remand today.

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The police had summoned the duo for questioning on Sunday and were later arrested in cow smuggling case. Both Tahir and Javed have several cases of cow smuggling registered against them.

"Accused are being interrogated... Tomorrow, the accused will be taken to the place from where the cows are said to have been bought.", Anil Beniwal, investigating officer, mentioned.

Javed and Tahir, alongwith Ummar, belong to Bharatpur and were traveling in a pick-up van with 5-6 cows. The trio were allegedly attacked by cow vigilantes, who shot at them in Govindgarh in Alwar district. Ummar died whereas Tahir, who had sustained injuries, was admitted in a private hospital in Haryana.

The family of Ummar had raised hue and cry at the Alwar hospital, where his body was kept.

Later, the body was taken to Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital for post-mortem. A complaint was registered by Ilyas, a relative of Ummar. He mentioned that the accused claimed themselves as belonging to a group of cow vigilantes. The complaint also mentioned that the body of Ummar was thrown on railway tracks to try to destroy evidence.

The police mentioned that it appears that Ummar and Tahir were taking the cows in a pick-up van with smuggling as the motive.

Alwar Police SP, Rahul Prakash, while speaking earlier with India Today, had mentioned that the police has registered two different cases pertaining to the matter.

"Two cases have been registered by the police. One is under the Rajasthan Bovine Act and the other is a murder case registered on the basis of complaint given by Ummar's relative", Prakash said.

--- ENDS ---
India, the world's largest democracy, is showing an appetite for military rule  a potential indicator that the country's nationalist politics are evolving. A majority of Indians, 53 percent, support military rule, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. India is one of only four countries that has a majority in favor of a military government, the American think tank said. Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Africa are the other three.

Indians queuing to exchange bank notes after the government introduced demonetization in November, 2016

At least 55 percent of Indians also back a governing system "in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference from parliament or the courts," the survey added, noting that support for autocratic rule is higher in India than in any other nation surveyed. Since its first election in 1952 following the end of British colonial rule, the South Asian nation has become a multiparty government with a parliamentary system and a commitment to free elections. But like many democracies around the world, its citizens are increasingly leaning toward a leader with authoritarian tendencies. From President Donald Trump to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the revival of the strongman leader has been a defining trend of global politics in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who remains immensely popular at home, is no different with his hard-line stance on corruption and security. Supporters of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and urban dwellers "are significantly more likely" to support military rule than backers of the opposition Congress party and rural residents, the Pew Research Center survey showed. Given India's high levels of corruption, there's a perception that recent tough measures such as demonetization have made sense, so the public now wants a stronger hand on hot-button issues such as economic inequality as well as law and order, explained Tony Nash, founder and CEO of data analytics firm Complete Intelligence.

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Sexual harassment in the workplace is hardly a new phenomenon, but the deluge of disturbing allegations of sexual assault and harassment by powerful, high-profile men has prompted an increasing number of women to come forward with stories of how harassment has impacted their careers.

Photo courtesy of Getty

CNBC Make It spoke with three psychologists to break down the possible psychological motivations behind why men harass and abuse their female coworkers.

Desire to "protect occupational territory"

Shawn Burn, Ph.D., is a psychology professor at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis. She says "sometimes, sexual harassment is used to intimidate, disempower, and discourage women in traditionally male-dominated occupations." For women in fields like the military, tech or politics, she says men often perform such inappropriate behavior in an effort to "protect their occupational territory." Often times, Burn says, the behavior goes so unchecked by leaders of an organization that it becomes a workplace norm. Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler opened up earlier this year in a blog post about the toxic culture of workplace harassment at the company, alleging that she was sexually harassed by a male manager at Uber whose actions were knowingly brought to the attention of HR. "Upper management told me that he 'was a high performer' (i.e. had stellar performance reviews from his superiors) and they wouldn't feel comfortable punishing him for what was probably just an innocent mistake on his part," wrote Fowler. While upper management also told Fowler that her complaint was the manager's "first offense," she later found out from other female engineers that they too had complained about the male colleague's inappropriate behavior before her. "The situation was escalated as far up the chain as it could be escalated, and still nothing was done," she added. With a work culture that continuously ignores such behavior, Burn says women often face fear of speaking out due to possible repercussions. "Women have little recourse but to keep silent out of fears of job loss or impairing their careers," she says.

Approval of sexual objectification

Burn says many men are surrounded by a culture that reduces women to sexualized objects, which normalizes female colleague in a less than professional manner. Women in certain jobs, Burn argues, particularly those in which physical appearance plays a role, "sometimes face increased levels of sexual harassment because their jobs implicitly condone their sexual objectification. Some men take this as permission to process and react to these women not as people, but as fantasy sex objects without personal sexual boundaries." Ashley Judd spoke with the New York Times piece about a time when Harvey Weinstein invited her to a breakfast meeting in Beverly Hills when she was filming the 1997 film "Kiss the Girls." When she arrived at the hotel she learned that the meeting would be held in Weinstein's suite. During that time, she says he made multiple attempts to get close to her by asking if she wanted a massage. When she refused, he asked if he could give her a shoulder rub. When she said no to that, he then directed her towards his closet and asked her to pick out his clothes for the day. Afterwards, he steered her towards the bathroom and asked her to watch him take a shower. "I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask," said Judd. In recent weeks more than 60 allegations of harassment have been leveled against Weinstein. Regardless of industry, Burn says it's important for men to know that no female ever signs up to be sexually harassed or assaulted. There should also be no career field that makes it acceptable for such behavior to take place without immediate consequences.

Perceived invincibility

"There are intense issues of entitlement and power and control that have gone unchecked that lead to situations where men feel it's perfectly fine to engage in these kind of behaviors," says clinical psychologist David Ley. According to Burn, this behavior is closely linked to abuse of power. "Not all people handle power and money with grace," she says. "Some use their power to exploit and maltreat others, knowing they can get away with it, and some getting off on it." She says Weinstein is a prime example of this. As a power player in Hollywood, Weinstein knew that any inappropriate actions conducted by him would likely go unchecked. "Weinstein was a gatekeeper who could give actresses a career that would sustain their lives and the livelihood of their families," actress Britt Marling wrote in a personal essay for The Atlantic. "He could also give them fame, which is one of few ways for women to gain some semblance of power and voice inside a patriarchal world."

Exhibitionistic disorder
The Department of Justice is suing to block AT&T' s $85 billion deal to buy Time Warner .

"Today's DOJ lawsuit is a radical and inexplicable departure from decades of antitrust

precedent," said David McAtee, senior executive vice president and general counsel of AT&T, in a statement. "Vertical mergers like this one are routinely approved because they benefit

consumers without removing any competitor from the market. We see no legitimate reason for our merger to be treated differently."

AT&T has already started a website to make its case for the deal.

Time Warner shares began falling into the close on Wednesday as news outlets began reporting the DOJ was planning a major antitrust action after the bell. The department later called the deal "illegal" and "harmful" to consumers.

The action was sure to stir controversy because of President Donald Trump's adversarial relationship with CNN, which is owned by Time Warner. Trump has repeatedly criticized CNN's reporting, calling it "fake news."

Just last week, Trump tweeted: "While in the Philippines I was forced to watch @CNN, which I have not done in months, and again realized how bad, and FAKE, it is. Loser!"

TWEET: While in the Philippines I was forced to watch @CNN, which I have not done in months, and again realized how bad, and FAKE, it is. Loser!

"That's really the big elephant in the room," David Goodfriend, president of Goodfriend Government Affairs, told CNBC's "Closing Bell," referring to Trump's adversarial relationship with CNN. "If there's politics involved, we'll find out when we see how the Justice Department deals with another big media merger that's pending, and that's the acquisition by Sinclair Broadcasting Group of Tribune Media."

The DOJ has denied allegations it was blocking this deal to somehow punish the companies for CNN's news coverage and a DOJ official denied that once again on a call with reporters to discuss the lawsuit.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also told reporters in a briefing Monday that she was not aware of President Trump or anyone at the White House encouraging pushing for the deal to get blocked.

The next step for the fate of the merger is in the courts with the DOJ now having to prove that the combination would violate the law. AT&T was quick to point out that the DOJ has not successfully blocked a so-called vertical merger in court in nearly 50 years. Vertical mergers are when two companies on separate positions in the same supply chain combine, in this case content (Time Warner) and media distribution (AT&T).

The DOJ is likely to argue that while it is a mostly vertical merger, the combination would harm consumers by raising costs. Sources told CNBC last week that the Justice Department had reached out to at least 18 state attorneys general to join a case against the deal, but had not found any takers.

"We are confident that the Court will reject the Government's claims and permit this merger under longstanding legal precedent," added AT&T's McAtee in the statement.
Class divides in air travel are evident long before you board the airplane. Even if you're not paying four-figures for first-class travel that starts with a luxury car pickup, airlines are selling all passengers perks like earlier-boarding, a shorter security line, or one-day airport lounge access.

Meanwhile, passengers traveling on some basic economy fares  big airlines' answer to no-frills budget carriers  don't get a seating assignment before arriving at the airport. They are also last to board the plane.

British Airways is adopting a similar model in its new boarding process. Starting next month, BA passengers who pay the least for their tickets and lack gold or silver frequent flier status, will board in the fourth or fifth boarding groups.

British Airways said the new procedures aim to "speed up the process and make it simpler for customers to understand.

"This method is an evolution of our long-established boarding process and has been used by airlines around the world for a number of years, including by our partners American Airlines , Iberia and Qatar," an airline spokeswoman said.

Travelers who have frequent flier status but are traveling on cheaper tickets that include only hand luggage, may not be forced to board in the last groups, she added. Currently, British Airways' economy class cabins are boarded back to front.

Some travelers took to social media to complain about the new system.

"I wonder if disembarkation will be in the reverse order then?" wrote Martin Lovatt on Twitter, while Jessica Res asked: "What, rich people can't wait? What year is it again?"

Jessica Rees

Since everyone takes off at the same time, some travelers may brush off the change, although it could intensify competition for overhead bin space.
With the U.S. Capitol dome in the distance, a Delta airplane takes off from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.

Luxury air travel within the United States has long paled in comparison with the over-the-top cabins more common on international routes.

But U.S. airlines are souping up the front of their planes with lie-flat seats, an attempt to entice more high-paying domestic business travelers aboard.

Delta Air Lines on Monday said next year it will expand its Delta One cabin, which includes lie-flat seats that are more common on long-haul international flights. Starting in April, Delta will fly the cabin on certain flights from Boston to Los Angeles, from New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport) to San Diego and Seattle, and starting in May from JFK to Las Vegas.

The expansion follows competition from JetBlue , which will add its premium Mint cabin to similar routes next year.

Delta has added a perk for very frequent flyers, those with Medallion status: unlimited upgrades to Delta One cabins around the country, starting in April.

The catch: The upgrades are only available on the day of departure.

Delta's chief executive has been vocal about the airline's efforts to sell more premium-class seats instead of giving them away for free through upgrades.

Delta used to sell about 15 percent of its first-class seats and now between 50 and 60 percent is sold, Delta's CEO Ed Bastian told reporters last month.

"Any business where you give the majority of your best product away, it doesn't work," he said a month earlier at a conference.

The Delta One cabin will become the top offering on some of these routes. That shows Delta is not abandoning free upgrades for its most loyal  and lucrative  flyers, but it is allowing other passengers willing to pay for a seat more time to do so before handing out those seats for free.

Keeping seats open for sale until the last minute could prove lucrative for Delta. Both premium-class and economy-class tickets for travel less than seven days away are about 25 percent more expensive compared with tickets that are purchased two weeks ahead of travel, according to a recent report by corporate expense management company Concur.

At the same time Delta is vying for those business travelers, it won't offer business class on some trans-Atlantic routes next year.

The top offering on flights between Minneapolis or JFK and Keflavik Airport in Iceland, between JFK and Shannon, Ireland, and from JFK to Sao Miguel in the Azores will be Delta Premium Select, the airline's first premium economy class, which offers passengers more legroom, an amenities kit and a bigger seat-back screen compared with regular economy.

Even though the airline isn't offering business class, prepare to pay up for the front of the plane. A round-trip ticket from New York to Iceland in early June in Delta Premium Select is $2,165, a recent search showed, while a seat in regular economy is $570.
Maria Contreras-Sweet, the former head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), has submitted an offer to acquire The Weinstein Co, a spokeswoman for the U.S. film and TV studio said on Sunday.

Contreras-Sweet has put together a consortium of investors who have offered $275 million for The Weinstein Co, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing details of the bid. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the offer earlier on Sunday without stating its value.

The bid comes after the movie studio secured a $20 million cash infusion from the sale of the children's movie "Paddington 2" last week to Warner Brothers Pictures, a unit of Time Warner . The Weinstein Co.'s co-chairman Harvey Weinstein stepped down last month following sexual assault allegations.

The movie studio, known for hit movies including The Kings Speech and Silver Linings Playbook, has been trying to find a buyer or rescue financing after more than 50 women claimed that Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them over the past three decades.

Harvey Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone. Reuters has been unable to independently confirm any of the allegations.

Contreras-Sweet's plans call for a majority-female board at The Weinstein Co. should her offer prevail, the source said. The offer includes an approximately $30 million fund for the alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein, the source added. The fund would be set up through a mediation process, according to the source.

The spokeswoman for The Weinstein Co. did not comment on the details of the offer it received. A spokesman for Contreras-Sweet declined to comment.

U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 selected Contreras-Sweet as the head of the SBA, which makes loans to small businesses and helps them get government contracts. She had previously founded ProAmerica Bank, a Latino-owned community bank in Los Angeles, which focuses on lending to small- and medium-sized Latino businesses.

Goldman Sachs has marked its small equity stake in The Weinstein Co. down to zero, Reuters reported last week, reflecting the investment bank's assessment that the value of the company has diminished following Harvey Weinstein's departure.

The proceeds from the "Paddington 2" sale enable The Weinstein Co. to continue to operate until January, the source said. Investment firm Fortress Investment was considering lending to the film and TV studio, but those talks ended without a deal earlier this month.

More than 20 other potential bidders are analyzing The Weinstein Co's financial data, the source said. The studio has $375 million in debt, including a $45 million loan from AI International Holdings, an affiliate of billionaire Len Blavatniks industrial group Access Industries, the person said. Much of the debt is backed by the companys film and TV assets.
Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros is denouncing a propaganda campaign waged against him by the government in his native country.

Soros, whose political views are in stark contrast to Budapest's ruling Fidesz party, said Monday he had been targeted by an administration "stoking anti-Muslim sentiment and employing anti-Semitic tropes reminiscent of the 1930s."

In a statement published on his website, Soros also rejected seven statements in a "national consultation" orchestrated by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which claimed he wanted to settle at least 1 million migrants a year in Europe and pay them each thousands of euros.

The Hungarian prime minister has often vilified the Jewish-born investor, whose ideals are squarely at odds with Orban's view that European culture is under an existential threat from migration and multiculturalism. Orban has previously described Western liberalism as "spiritual suicide" for Central Europeans.
Army guards have captured a Chinese national in Agra after he was found roaming around ordnance depot. The UP police are now conducting an inquiry.

By Siraj Qureshi: The Indian Army has captured a Chinese national roaming inside the Agra Army base area. The intruder has been handed over to the intelligence agencies. He is being interrogated by the police and intelligence officials in Agra.

Talking to India Today, a senior police official said that the Chinese national, who has been identified as Yan Hi Bo as per his passport records, entered India on October 24 this year. Yan Hi Bo came to India on a tourist visa that is valid till 12 February 2018.

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He was apprehended by the army guards on Saturday night when he was found roaming around the Central Ordnance Depot on a bicycle, which he claims to have purchased. The army guards handed him over to the Agra tourist police after preliminary inquiry.

The Chinese national appeared to be of an unsound mind by his activities. The officials said that he might not have taken a bath for over a week. He was given a proper bath and cleaned up properly before interrogation.

The officials said that the fact that he got a visa despite having an unsound mind raised suspicion over the real motive of his activities around sensitive defense installations in Agra.

A police official claimed that the possessions of the captured Chinese contained a passport and a mobile phone, which was being examined by the cyber security experts. He said that the Chinese embassy has been informed about the capture of its citizen under the suspicion of espionage.

Once the security agencies indicate, Yan Hi Bo will be allowed full consular access as per norms, the official said. No case has been registered against him till now.

--- ENDS ---
Billionaire Anand Mahindra, the third-generation head of his family's Mumbai-based conglomerate, told CNBC on Monday that he does not believe the U.S. will pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, despite tough talk from President Donald Trump.

With global operations, including business interests in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra said, "I think your president is the consummate negotiator. He's firing an opening shot. But I think he's just as aware of how integrated NAFTA is."

"I don't necessarily share anyone's pessimism that America might bail out entirely," said Mahindra, whose company on Monday opened a new factory in Michigan to make off-road utility vehicles. It plans to hire 250 Americans workers in the next few months, and 400 more by 2020.

Mahindra said he does not see any major disruptions in the supply chain as a result of tweaks to NAFTA. "What the cost impacts will be may be a different matter." Mahindra & Mahindra's seven major divisions are automotive, farm equipment, IT, financial services, steel, infrastructure, and hospitality.

Negotiations to update the 23-year-old trade agreement continue to run into roadblocks over major issues such as autos rules of origin, which could put the NAFTA talks in danger of stalemating, with an early 2018 deadline for revising the pact approaching.

In a CNBC appearance in September, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said autos and auto parts are a key area in overhauling NAFTA. "The sharp growth is parts coming in from outside NAFTA, from China, from Southeast Asia," he said at the time, stressing a free trade zone is supposed to benefit the principals, not outside nations.

Despite the sticking points, Mahindra told "Squawk on the Street" on Monday that he remains hopeful. "I'm an optimist about NAFTA merely being updated. But I don't think it's going to be a situation where NAFTA is going to explode."

 CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera contributed to this report.
German Chancellor and leader of the German Christian Democrats (CDU) Angela Merkel, standing with leading members of her party, speaks to the media after preliminary coalition talks collapsed on November 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images

Political analysts have been contemplating what could happen next in Europe's largest economy after coalition talks collapsed at the weekend, potentially putting German Chancellor Angela Merkel's leadership in doubt. Talks between Merkel's CDU (Christian Democratic Union), the pro-business FDP (Free Democratic Party) and the environmentalist Greens fell apart with lawmakers citing irreconcilable differences. This would be the first time since World War II that a German election hasn't produced a government. "It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany," Merkel said following the collapse of talks. "As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come," she added. Merkel is set to meet with the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Monday to decide what to do next. He could decide to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections within two months, but there are other ways forward, according to economists.

Three options on the table

"There are three possible options right now: minority government, another grand coalition or new elections," Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING, told CNBC via email on Monday morning.

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"Given the way the talks now failed, a minority government looks unlikely," he added. If Merkel were to lead a minority government, passing legislation in the Bundestag would be a political nightmare given the differences between the several parties. The second possibility  a so-called grand coalition  would mean Merkel's CDU sharing power with the Socialist Party, something that it did until the elections in September. However, this is also unlikely given that the latter has stated repeatedly that it wants to stay in opposition and rebuild. "This realistically only leaves one option: new elections," Brzeski said. However, it's even uncertain whether the political impasse could be solved with a new vote. Marc Ostwald, global strategist at ADM Investor Services International. said in an email that "as a point of historical note, there is no precedent for fresh general elections so quickly after the previous one." "I would not want to second guess this situation, but with Steinmeier being president, and the risk that any or all of the CDU, SPD and FDP take a hammering if fresh elections are held, it (a minority government) might be the compromise outcome," he said.

'Bad news for Merkel'

Any of these three scenarios is bad news for Merkel, according to Brzeski, who believes that her position has been further weakened with the collapse of the talks. "New elections would be a popularity vote on Merkel, even more than the September elections," he added.

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Back in September, Merkel's conservatives suffered their worst election result since 1949 as the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw a surge in support. The CDU and its Bavarian sister-party the Christian Social Union (CSU) won 33 percent of the vote, but that was down from 41.5 percent in the 2013 election.

Setback for Europe?

This new setback for Merkel also raises questions over Germany's future leadership of the euro zone and the direction that the country will take in the coming years. "For Europe, this new found German instability means that the European Summit in December can almost be cancelled. At least as regards reforms of the euro zone, Germany will not be able to make any decisions," Brzeski added.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancelor Angela Merkel during a press conference at Elysee Palace on August 28, 2017 in Paris, France. Aurelien Meunier | Getty Images
American high school students score higher on low-stakes tests and are more willing to answer test questions when they are motivated by cash, according to new economic research.

Giving high school-aged students money as a reward for performing well improved scores by roughly 5 percent, according to economists at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Chicago.

This outside incentive, they concluded, suggests that the education gap between U.S. students and their international peers may have less to do with understanding the material and more to do with effort.

Critics of the U.S.'s educational system often point to the surveys done by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment, which consistently rank American students well below their peers from other major economies.

Seventy percent of American students graduate from high school, putting the United States in the bottom quartile of OECD countries. Among the 65 countries that participated in the OECD"s 2012 assessment, which is the one the researchers used, U.S. high school students ranked 36th for mathematics.

But using money as a motivator, the researchers discovered, could lift the U.S. to 19th in the math test rankings.

In their research, the economists compared Shanghai students, who are top performers on international assessments, to Americans. They created a 25-question, 25-minute mathematics test consisting of previous PISA questions.

On the day of the test, some of the students in each experiment group were given $25 in cash (or an equivalent in reenminbi for the students in China) and told the money was theirs to keep but the researchers would take away $1 for every wrong or incomplete answer. Some of the students were not offered money.

While the performance of Shanghai students didn't change, the American students who were offered money attempted more questions and were more likely to answer those questions correctly, the economists found.

"We estimate that increasing student effort on the test itself would improve U.S. mathematics performance by 22 to 24 points [on PISA], equivalent to moving the U.S. from 36th to 19th in the 2012 international mathematics rankings," the researchers said.

Source: Sadoff et al., 2017.

They also found that students offered money scored better in the latter half of the test, with scores increasing three percentage points in the first half of the test and eight percentage points in the second half.

The probability an American student answers a question correctly typically drops six percentage points if the question appears at the end of the test, suggesting motivation may be at work.

"The general insight is that maybe students aren't trying as hard as they could be," Sally Sadoff, an economist at U.C.S.D., told CNBC in an interview. "It takes mental effort, mental power."

Of course, Sadoff said, American students perform better when the results of effort are readily apparent -- on high-stakes SAT tests or final exams, which have significant effects on college admissions or grade point averages. But the fact that many students lose academic drive outside of these select exams may betray a typical attitude toward schoolwork.

Money incentives increased the score of American male students by nearly twice as much as female students, the research also found, which confirmed existing literature on gender differences.

Sadoff said the goal of the economists' latest paper was not to study how incentives work, "but rather to use incentives as an experimental tool to understand the interaction of culture with motivation to do well on the test."

Source: Sadoff et al., 2017

To be sure, Sadoff's group aren't the first economists offer students  or teachers  cash for improved performance. Multiple studies have shown that cash payments do tend to improve performance on individual assignments, but those effects tend not to last longer than the duration of the studies.

Harvard's Roland Fryer has spearheaded much of the research effort looking at student motivation in the past decade.

In a 2012 paper that appeared in The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Fryer spent $6.3 million on a study that found offering students money for standardized test grades doesn't work.

In this research, Fryer paid New York City students for performance on a series of interim exams; in Chicago he paid ninth graders every five weeks for solid core grades; in Dallas he paid second graders $2 per every book read; and in the District of Columbia he paid students for attendance and other positive behaviors.

As it turns out, incentives for grades or scores had little effect, Fryer found. Instead, paying kids to read had a statistically significant effect on comprehension, vocabulary and language skills.

Some may raise ethical objections to monetary incentives to improve effort on low-stakes tests, but Sadoff said the results of the research do raise an interesting question.

"We've been working on studies on motivation for a while," she said. "I think for a lot of kids, their parents are just instilling a habit [of good study practices]. But for some kids, I think there is a role for us. If the return to education is so high, why aren't kids trying?"

Note: Working papers have not been peer-reviewed or been subject to review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.
The future of the project is still subject to the outcome of a likely legal battle. Groups that opposed the construction can appeal the commission's decision in state district court. It also remains to be seen whether the project is still commercially viable following three years of weak oil prices.

"As a result of today's decision, we will conduct a careful review of the Public Service Commission's ruling while assessing how the decision would impact the cost and schedule of the project," TransCanada President and CEO Russ Girling said in a statement.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3 to 2 to approve a route for Nebraska's portion of the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline. However, the route approved was not TransCanada's preferred pathway for the pipeline.

The approval is also something of a victory for President Donald Trump, who overturned his predecessor's decision on a pair of controversial pipelines in the opening days of his presidency.

The Keystone XL pipeline passed a major hurdle on Monday after Nebraska regulators approved the route for the project, which faced opposition from environmentalists and the Obama administration.

Nebraska landowners fought a yearslong legal battle with TransCanada over the project. The company withdrew its application with the state's Public Service Commission in 2015 after the State Department blocked the pipeline. It submitted a new application with the commission in February after Trump issued an executive memo to advance the project.

The Keystone XL would bring oil from Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would connect to an existing Keystone pipeline system. TransCanada shut part of the existing line last week after 5,000 barrels leaked from the system, contaminating land in northern South Dakota.

President Barack Obama refused to approve the cross-border project, saying the environmental review was not adequate in light of its route through the Sandhills ecosystem in Nebraska.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry denied TransCanada a presidential permit in November 2015, saying the Keystone XL would not have a major impact on America's energy security, lower gas prices or contribute meaningfully to the economy. At the same time, he said, the pipeline could impact local communities, water supplies and cultural heritage sites, and would facilitate the import into the United States of "a particularly dirty source of fuel."

TransCanada countered that the Keystone XL would create thousands of construction jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in property taxes annually to counties along the route.

Environmentalists oppose the project because it will encourage the development of Canada's oil sands, a type of oil resource that requires more energy to tap than conventional reserves. The Keystone XL has become a lightning rod in a movement to discourage oil production by blocking pipelines, the primary way of transporting it to market.

"Today the Nebraska PSC chose to stand with Trump, climate denial, and Big Oil," Stephen Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International, said in a statement. "Good luck with that. Whatever happens now there is precisely zero chance that the global citizen, investor, and government momentum behind the Paris [climate agreement] goals and against the fossil fuel industry will be stopped."

Backers of the project say it will reduce U.S. reliance on oil from the Middle East and allow the country to fulfill its energy needs from one of its closest allies.

"Nebraska recognizes the Keystone XL pipeline is in the public interest bringing good paying jobs and more affordable energy for U.S. consumers," Andy Black, president and CEO of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, said in a statement.

Commercial Viability

The business case for moving Canadian crude to the United States through the line has dimmed somewhat since 2015, and TransCanada has reportedly had trouble lining up customers.

"Pipeline construction would negatively affect TransCanada's business risk profile through increased project execution risk, and would likely put pressure on financial metrics," Gavin MacFarlane, lead analyst for TransCanada at Moody's Investors Service, said in a statement.

However, some analysts believe the project could still make sense.

Zachary Rogers, refining and oil markets research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said Monday's decision "greatly diminishes political risk" for the project. He noted that some comments on TransCanada's latest earnings conference call suggest the company is satisfied with the number of commitments it has secured from customers.

"The pipeline's commercial viability is strengthened as declining heavy oil production in Mexico and ongoing Venezuelan risk has recently tightened the heavy-crude market in the Gulf Coast," he said in a briefing after the decision.

Pulitzer prize-winning oil analyst Daniel Yergin told CNBC last week the Keystone XL could help U.S. refiners secure heavy crude at a time when supplies from Venezuela are uncertain.

If exports from Venezuela are disrupted, "people will wish they had built the Keystone XL pipeline because it really is Canada that can make up for some of that," said Yergin, vice chairman at IHS Markit.
"The winter session will definitely take place and the government will announce dates soon," said Arun Jaitley.

By India Today Web Desk: Countering the opposition Congress's criticism, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the winter session of Parliament would "certainly" be held, adding that Parliament sessions have been delayed in the past as well by the Congress.

"The Congress said that the NDA is running away from Parliament session. They should know that even during their rule, winter session dates were decided in a way that they didn't clash with elections," Jaitley said.

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"The winter session will definitely take place and the government will announce dates soon," he added.

"It has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening and timing is decided in such a way that it does not overlap with election campaigns," Jaitley told reporters in poll-bound Gujarat's Rajkot district.

"They (Congress) did so in 2011, and even before that... Parliament session will be certainly held, all issues will be taken, and the Congress will be exposed," Jaitley said.

The minister's comments came after Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying the winter session of Parliament on "flimsy grounds".

WATCH VIDEO | 28 per cent GST tax slab revised, now only 50 items under it from 227

--- ENDS ---
A top VC criticized a proposed reworking of the H-1B visa system for, among other reasons, the hypothetical concern that had it taken place decades earlier, it might have kept entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk out of the U.S.

"He's one of those people that if you had today's bias on immigration, we might never have gotten him, and that would be tragic," Elevation Partners' Roger McNamee told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" Monday.

Musk, a South Africa native, immigrated to the United States by way of Canada in his 20s. The Trump administration is eyeing a reboot of the visa program that grants entry to skilled foreign workers. According to federal data, the majority of H-1B visas are granted to tech workers.

McNamee said the proposed immigration reform  which he says is likely to exacerbate the "mismatch of skills" and the downward trend in start-up formation  is "one of those things that leaves me scratching my head."

If the debate were raging decades ago, when Musk was entering the U.S., Silicon Valley might be missing its "P.T. Barnum of this day," McNamee said.

"Elon Musk is the most entertaining, wonderful entrepreneur of our time," he said. "He's so much fun to watch, and the reality is Tesla is an amazing brand  the products are extraordinary."
Investigators working for special counsel Robert Mueller have issued a request to the Department of Justice for documents related to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, ABC News reported late Sunday.

The DOJ had already turned over a letter drafted by the president, but never sent, that "offered an unvarnished view of Mr. Trump's thinking in the days before" he fired Comey, The New York Times reported in September.

That letter became significant for investigators on Mueller's team who were interested in whether Trump fired Comey in an attempt to thwart the FBI-led Russia inquiry, The Washington Post reported at the time.

Trump Comey tweet

The letter was blocked by White House counsel Donald McGahn. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ultimately wrote a letter sent May 9 that recommended the firing.

According to the ABC News report, Mueller's investigators are also interested in Attorney General Jeff Sessions' March decision to recuse himself from investigations into the presidential campaign.

Sessions sent a letter to the president recommending that Comey be fired two months after recusing himself from any matters connected to the 2016 election. He later said that the suggestion that his recusal should have prevented him from recommending Comey's termination was "absurd."

Sessions was an outspoken supporter of Trump's presidential campaign and led its national security advisory committee.

Sessions was grilled Nov. 14 at a congressional hearing, after the first court documents filed in connection with the Russia probe appeared to show that he had been told about Trump campaign officials' communications with representatives for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sessions had earlier denied any such connections between the Trump campaign and Russia in sworn testimony to Congress. Trump has also repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and the Russian government.

"I do now recall that the March 2016 meeting at the Trump hotel that Mr. Papadopoulos attended, but I have no recollection of the details of what he said at that meeting," Sessions told lawmakers.

Despite saying that he didn't recall details of the meeting with George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, Sessions said he "pushed back" against Papadopoulos' offer to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.



Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI about contacts with Russian nationals.

Sessions was also told of a planned trip to Moscow by campaign advisor Carter Page, according to a transcript released by the House intelligence committee. Sessions said he didn't challenge Page's account but that "I have no memory" of the interaction.

A spokesperson for the special counsel's office declined to comment to CNBC. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's goal to diversify Saudi Arabia's oil-based economy and transform the kingdom into a tech and logistics hub could ultimately be an opportunity for American enterprise.

For those who had not been paying attention to the rise of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his recent dramatic detention of fellow princes and other senior figures over corruption allegations came out of the blue.

But amid some pretty tough competition for the world's attention  a quasi-coup in Zimbabwe, more Brexit tumult  he has kept up the momentum ever since. On Thursday it emerged that the Saudi authorities were seeking vast sums  up to $300bn  in exchange for dropping charges relating to the alleged $100bn corruption racket.

It is against that background that two people close to the situation confirm the existence of deepening but secret talks between the Saudi government and the Swiss banking sector. Precise information about the whys and wherefores is scant. But there are several plausible reasons for the contact.

More from the Financial Times:

Angela Merkel faces political crisis after coalition talks break down

Rosneft deal boosts Russia-China relationship

War veterans ramp up pressure on Mugabe after his defiant speech



The most obvious relates directly to the corruption probe. As Prince Mohammed, or MbS as he is widely known, consolidates his power base, he is keen to ensure those he seeks to weaken cannot skirt his crackdown through offshore routes. If MbS is indeed asking the Swiss banks for information on Saudi clients, it is far from certain that the pitch could succeed.

The US authorities did strong-arm Swiss banks into handing over client information  and extracted $5.5bn in penalties and compensation over the affair  but only because clients had breached US tax rules requiring the disclosure of offshore accounts. Saudi Arabia, which levies no taxes, could not use similar grounds as leverage.

The Saudis are already in contact with the likes of Credit Suisse and UBS in relation to the prospective flotation of national oil group Saudi Aramco. Two of the four shortlisted locations for Aramco's listing are in Asia (Hong Kong and Tokyo), where the Swiss banks have dominant operations, particularly with the region's ultra-rich.

But a third possible Swiss connection is that the Saudis are potential investors in the country, and specifically in Credit Suisse. This is part of the flipside of the Aramco story. The kingdom is keen to diversify its investment exposures away from oil. And the forecast proceeds of up to $100bn from Aramco's float would fund a fair few alternative investments.
Sen. Lamar Alexander 's 50-year career in politics spans every top job short of the presidency. He began as an aide to Sen. Howard Baker, worked in the Nixon White House and served two terms as governor of Tennessee with an emphasis on education and economic development. After a stint as president of the University of Tennessee, he became Education secretary under President George H.W. Bush. Then came two unsuccessful campaigns for president in his own right, followed by his election in 2002 to the U.S. Senate. Now 77, Alexander has earned a reputation for seriousness, diligence and pragmatism. A few years ago, he quit his post as the third-ranking member of the Senate Republican Leadership to gain more latitude for compromise with Democrats. Now the deal he has struck with Democratic counterpart Sen. Patty Murray to stabilize Obamacare marketplaces has become a key bargaining chip in the Senate tax-cut debate. He sat down in Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, the songwriter's haven where Taylor Swift was discovered, to discuss the quest for successful governance in President Donald Trump 's Washington. What follows is a condensed, edited transcript of their conversation.

CNBC's John Harwood: When I think of you, your career, what you've done, beginning when you were a student, a young aide in the White House, governor, Cabinet secretary, senator, I think of seriousness of purpose, reason, rationality, problem solving.



Alexander: Yeah.



Harwood: And sometimes when you look at the Washington we live in right now, not just the Congress, but in this White House, it's the opposite of that.



Alexander: That's true. And that's not what government's supposed to do. You know, if all I want to do is make a speech, or shout, I'd go to a street corner or buy a radio station. I want to get a result. And that's harder to do today, because the extremes are polarizing.



Harwood: A few years ago, we talked when you had made the decision to quit the Republican leadership. You said at that time that you felt you would be freer to solve problems if you were not in the leadership. How's that worked out?



Alexander: It has done that. I mean, fixing No Child Left Behind, that took a few years. President Obama said it was a Christmas miracle when we got it done. The smaller bill that Sen. Murray of Washington state and I worked out to try to stabilize the individual insurance market, bring premiums down, avoid chaos, which we hope the president will sign. So ...



Harwood: Is that going to work?



Alexander: I believe it will. I think the country could use a bipartisan solution on health care, and it wouldn't hurt the president and Congress one bit to enact one.



Harwood: President Donald Trump seems, in many ways, to be a polar opposite from you. You have a president who doesn't give any evidence of knowing what's in the bill that you guys have worked out, or caring much about the content of the bill. Sometimes he says, "Let's do it," sometimes he says, "Let's don't." He'll tweet one thing, tweet another thing. How do you navigate that process?



Alexander: Lamar Alexander isn't president. I tried to be, and the people chose Donald Trump at a different time. So the president called me in this case, and he said, "I think we need a bipartisan solution on health care, so people aren't hurt for the next couple of years. Why don't you work with Sen. Murray, and see if you can do one?"

We've done our job, it's sitting there at the White House, wrapped up in a nice package.



Harwood: Well, what about fellow Republicans in the House and in the Senate?



Alexander: I think if the president supports it, it'll be a part of the end-of-the-year package. We see premiums going through the roof. So, for the next two years, we ought to be able to agree that we're going to stabilize that. I mean, we're sitting here, in the Bluebird Cafe. Most songwriters don't have health insurance, because they can't afford it. If they do have it, in Tennessee, their premiums went up 176 percent in the last four years, and 58 percent this next year. So, what this little bill would do is take those premiums down, not up.



Harwood: And so does that mean the entire game for you, in particular, not so much Sen. Murray, is to be the last person to talk to President Trump, to get him to go like this [thumb-up], instead of go like that [thumb-down]?



Alexander: We're going to say, "Mr. President, you asked us to do this. You don't want chaos, neither do we. Sign it, take some credit for it, and give the American people a bipartisan win. I think they'll like it."



Harwood: Let me talk a little bit about your party. And I was looking back at the causes that you've advanced over your career. From when you were a student, civil rights, ...



Alexander: Right.



Harwood: ... education, economic development. What do you think about where your party is headed, and the set of priorities that the party is embodying right now?



Alexander: On taxes, I think we're right where we ought to be. It's a middle-income tax cut. People in every category get some lower taxes. But more importantly, it'll take handcuffs off job creators and allow them to grow. Cutting the corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, allowing you to expense the things you buy immediately, that doesn't sound like front-page news. But what it should do in Tennessee is raise family incomes. Ninety percent of the people will use the standard deduction. The child-care tax credit will be doubled. And there should be more good-paying jobs, more competition for employees, which means wages go up.



Harwood: What about the argument from Marco Rubio and Mike Lee, that if you gave a little bit less money for people at the top, you could make a larger child credit, and you could make it refundable against the payroll tax for people who don't have income-tax liability?



Alexander: It's hard to take much more from people at the top, when 10 percent of the people pay 70 percent of the taxes. What you really need is a growing economy that produces more revenues. That's more money for the government, and that's more money in your wallet.



Harwood: We already have substantial deficits. We're already on track to have $10 trillion in deficits on the next 10 years. You've got more and more people coming on Medicare and Social Security. What gives afterwards?



Alexander: Nobody likes to cut entitlements. But I think the Republican Party should, and always has said, we want to reduce the growth of government, increase the amount of money in your pocketbook, and reduce the federal debt. That, I think, is a winning formula.



Harwood: When we had that conversation six years ago, when you left the leadership, you told me roads and bridges, national laboratories, college scholarships, ...



Alexander: Right.



Harwood: ... all those things should be part of our agenda and our economic program. We're not hearing much talk about that. You look at the budget priorities, where the Trump administration's budget has gone. You haven't seen anything on infrastructure this year.



Alexander: Well, but if you look at what the Republican Congress has done, let's just take that. We've increased spending for biomedical research, for the National Institutes of Health, more than any other Congress in many, many years. Now, the budget didn't, but we don't pay attention to presidents' budgets, whether they're President Trump, or President Obama.



Harwood: So, what you guys have done on the budget in the Congress is more important than the things that the administration has been saying? Because that sends a signal.



Alexander: Well, it sends a signal. Everybody pays attention to it, but it doesn't turn into anything. What we do becomes the law.



Harwood: Steve Bannon, he's going after every Republican who supports Mitch McConnell, with one or two exceptions.



Alexander: Yeah.



Harwood: What is that all about? What is he after? What do you think of that situation?



Alexander: I wish he'd go after Democrats. I don't see how defeating Republicans helps advance a conservative agenda. I think all it does is create an opportunity for Democrats to take back over and advance the Obama agenda, or the Clinton agenda, or the Bernie Sanders agenda.



Harwood: So, why is the president's former campaign chief executive and top strategist doing this?



Alexander: Beats me.

Harwood: Now, Steve Bannon says that he's going after the people who are part of the global establishment clique, who look down on the blue-collar Trump voters. So, how do you plead on that?



Alexander: I don't know what he's talking about.



Harwood: Are you a globalist?



Alexander: I'm sitting in the Bluebird Cafe, 40 miles from the largest auto plant in North America. It's called Nissan. And it helped to attract 1,000 auto suppliers to Tennessee, raised our family incomes, made us richer. I went to Japan to help get it. I'm interested in us being a part of the world. That's why I think the president's gotten bad advice from Mr. Bannon or others about NAFTA. Argue with China, argue with Japan, leave NAFTA alone. Mexico and China have helped make us rich in Tennessee  richer.



Harwood: Why do you think the president doesn't get this?



Alexander: He gets advice from different people, and so I'm giving him other advice.



Harwood: When I did that story, when you left the leadership, I talked to your old advisor Mike Murphy. He said, "You know, if voters wanted politicians with guts, they'd elect them. But more often than not, they vote for the opposite." What do you think of that? Is that true?



Alexander: I think the rewards today are for people who do stand up, and stand on their principles, and don't work together to get a result. I think that's where the rewards are. But I think the satisfaction of public service is getting a result, is lowering the songwriter's health care premium.



Harwood: Is there any prospect, as you see it, that the fashions of the country change so that that satisfaction gets rewarded more than it is right now?



Alexander: Well, maybe. We'll see. I get up in the morning, and try to do something to help the country, and go to bed at night thinking I have, that I've done a good day's work. And in the end, that's what I should be doing.

Read more excerpts of Lamar Alexander's Speakeasy here.
"Speakeasy with John Harwood" is now available as a podcast. Subscribe on iTunes and listen to Harwood's extended conversations with political decision-makers.

Sen. Lamar Alexander sat down with CNBC to discuss a range of topics, including what he sees as the GOP's biggest problem. What follows is an edited, condensed excerpt of the conversation.

CNBC's John Harwood: Roy Moore, the Republican nominee. You've doubtless seen that in conservative media, and some Republican politicians in Alabama, have said, "Well, it's he said/she said, not that big a deal, it was consensual." What does that tell you about the state of partisanship in the country that you have that kind of a reaction?



Alexander: It tells me we've got an internet democracy where anybody can say anything, and usually get heard today. So, my view on it is the charges, as detailed, seemed well-documented and serious.



Harwood: If he doesn't step aside, based on what you know, if this happened in your state, would you urge voters to vote for the Democratic candidate?



Alexander: That's much too hypothetical. I don't urge voters in Tennessee to vote for anybody. They didn't elect me to tell them how to vote.



Harwood: But you personally wouldn't rather have Doug Jones as your colleague in the Senate than Roy Moore?



Alexander: I'm not going to start getting in  the people of Alabama are going to elect their United States senator. Obviously, I like having a Republican majority, but in this case, you've got a problem that needs to be resolved.

Read more excerpts of Lamar Alexander's Speakeasy here.
"Speakeasy with John Harwood" is now available as a podcast. Subscribe on iTunes and listen to Harwood's extended conversations with political decision-makers.

Sen. Lamar Alexander sat down with CNBC to discuss a range of topics, including his ultimate vision for American immigration. What follows is an edited, condensed excerpt of the conversation.

CNBC's John Harwood: OK. Well, let's talk about the other issues. Civil rights, Confederate monument.



Alexander: Well, let's talk about Confederate monuments. I take high school teachers on the Senate floor before it opens  a senator can do that. They rush to various desks of the senators, Daniel Webster, various people. One of those desks is Jefferson Davis' desk. He left the Senate to be the president of the Confederacy.

There's a chop mark in the desk, because a Union soldier came in, when they came to Washington, and started chopping the desk. His commander said, "Stop. We're here to save the Union, not to destroy it."

It's the best story of any of the Senate's desks. Should we take Jefferson Davis' desk out of the United States Senate? I don't think so. I don't think we ought to rewrite our history. I think our heroes ought to be placed in appropriate places. So, in Tennessee, we should have the Howard Bakers, and the Ben Hookses, and the Alex Haleys, somebody who represented us all. But we were all involved in the Civil War, all of our families.

There's a place for everybody.



Harwood: Understood, but do you not think that line of argument that was advanced by protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, that's been picked up by some candidates in your party, stand for something other than simply honoring history?



Alexander: I can tell you what I think. And I think we ought to spend more time learning about American history, less time rewriting it. The worst scores in high school today are not in math and science, they're in United States history. And we need to know who Jefferson Davis was, and why slavery was wrong, and the progress we've made since then.

And if we act like it didn't happen, we'll not know our country at all.



Harwood: Are you comfortable with the message that the Republican Party under Donald Trump is sending on race right now?



Alexander: What I'd like for President Trump to do is to do for immigration, which involves race, what Nixon did for China. And I've said that to him twice. And he's responded very well. He could, more than any other president I can think of right now, help us solve the immigration problem in this country. We need a legal immigration system, and we need to put that behind us. We tried to do it in 2013; I voted for it. It would've solved many of the problems.



Harwood: Would you vote for it again?



Alexander: I would vote for it again. But it needs the president to say, "Let's solve all these problems now." Let's solve border security; let's solve the problem of legal status. Let's deal with these children who were brought here, who didn't know they were being brought here at the time. Let's make this a country of laws. Let's have a legal immigration system, not a perpetual argument about who's legal and who's not.



Harwood: And do you see any reasonable prospect that he, in fact, will take your advice?



Alexander: He might. He indicated that when he talked about the Dreamers. I think he wants a result on the Dreamers.

Read more excerpts of Lamar Alexander's Speakeasy here.
A letter sent to the attorney for White House advisor Jared Kushner by the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday suggests Michael Flynn could be the next Trump associate to be prosecuted, a former Whitewater prosecutor told CNBC.

In addition to "all communications to, from, or copied" to Flynn, former national security advisor, since Election Day, the senators requested that Kushner's attorney search for more than two dozen specific terms in communications between the two men, including Putin, sanctions and Kislyak, referring to the then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.



"I think it indicates that Flynn is next," Robert Ray, former independent counsel for the Whitewater investigation, told CNBC.

The letter, signed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, as well as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., suggested that the committee is looking into multiple reports of wrongdoing connected to Flynn's role in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The terms offer insights into the scope of the Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Examining search terms "gives you a certain hint" about what investigators are probing, Sol Wisenberg, who served as deputy independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation, said in a phone interview.

For instance, the senators requested Kushner's attorney search for the terms "Peter Smith," "WikiLeaks," "Clinton," and "hacking" in communications between Kushner and Flynn.

In August, The Wall Street Journal reported that special counsel Robert Mueller was examining whether Flynn played a role in obtaining Hillary Clinton's emails from Russian hackers. That effort was reportedly led by Republican activist Peter Smith.

The senators also requested search terms related to the U.S. sanctions on Russian businesses that have played an important role in the ongoing investigations by federal and congressional officials.

They asked for communications including the name of a Russian bank that was sanctioned by the United States, Vnesheconombank, or VEB.

The chief of that bank met with Kushner, the president's son-in-law, in New York in December 2016, just a few weeks before Flynn discussed sanctions with the then-Russian ambassador. Earlier that month, Flynn and Kushner had met the ambassador at Trump Tower in New York and reportedly discussed a secret channel between the Trump transition team and Moscow.

The senators also requested documents containing the name "Erik Prince" and "Seychelles," suggesting the investigators are interested in a reported secret meeting said to involve Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

The meeting, held in the Seychelles islands in the Indian ocean nine days before the inauguration, reportedly involved establishing a backchannel between the Russian government and the Trump team. A Prince spokesman told The Washington Post its report was a "complete fabrication."

Kushner, whose lawyer did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC, said in a July letter to Congress that he "had no discussion about the sanctions" during the meeting with the banker. He also denied discussing a secret back channel with the Russians.

In a letter sent to the congressional committee, Kushner's attorney thanked the committee for clarifying what documents it was seeking.

Congressional committees are conducting investigations that are separate from Mueller's. Unlike Mueller, the congressional committees are unable to bring charges, Wisenberg said. The special counsel has declined to comment on its interactions with congressional investigators.

If charges were brought against Flynn, who resigned as Trump's national security advisor after only 24 days, he would be the first Trump administration official to be officially accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the probes into foreign meddling in the 2016 election.

In October, the special counsel indicted two campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Richard Gates. A third, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI.
Many people are aware of the most common ways to reduce their taxable income, such as increasing their 401(k) contributions. If you haven't made the maximum contribution for 2017  $24,000 for people 50 and older or $18,000 for anyone under 50  it's not too late to do so.

But with the end of year approaching, what other strategies can investors employ? Even with the proposed federal tax law changes pending, here are a few places to start:

1. Donate appreciated stock or other securities to nonprofits. People with investments in stocks, bonds and other securities can donate those that have appreciated in value that they've held for at least one year, resulting in significant income-tax savings. In fact, donating stock saves even more taxes than donating cash, since there is no capital gains tax when appreciated securities are given to a nonprofit.

More from Investor Toolkit:

Variable annuities, warts and all, might be right for you

Retirees leave $100B in Social Security benefits on table

How much those advisor fees are costing you

Here's how this works for people with a federal tax rate of 39 percent and a state tax of 6 percent:

By making a $10,000 cash donation, they can save $4,500 in taxes.

However, making a $10,000 donation in stock that has doubled in value saves approximately $6,000 in taxes, including $1,500 in future capital gains taxes.

2. Donate other assets that have appreciated. The IRS also provides tax breaks for people donating other assets, such as certain wines, art and land. I recently met with a couple who purchased a painting five years ago that has likely doubled in value. We plan to track the value, as well as other pieces in their collection, to determine if donating any of them in the future makes financial sense.

3. Buy film and TV production credits. Several states offer tax credits to television and film production companies that make a television series or feature film in that state. These companies may transfer or sell these credits to individuals, which means a person can buy a film tax credit and receive a tax break on their state tax returns.
From Mark Cuban to Bill Gates, top thought leaders have confirmed that the future of work revolves around artificial intelligence. Tech hubs, both in and out of Silicon Valley, are now in a race to perfect AI and these companies are seeking top talent to do so.

As competition stiffens among HR teams, leading tech companies are now willing to shell out lucrative salaries to fill these roles with the brightest and the best.

According to job site Glassdoor, the average AI job commands $111,118 annually  more than twice the U.S. median base pay for full-time workers of $51,220 per year.

Though AI has received a bad rap for stealing jobs, the artificial intelligence sector has continued to make a splash in the hiring world.

At a recent Adweek Panel, execs at IBM and Microsoft discussed the proliferation of AI and its impact on the job market.

"[AI] is going to create all sorts of new jobs," said Jordan Bitterman, CMO of IBM Watson Content and Internet of Things Platform. "I think it's nothing but upside and exciting for those who know what to do with it."
The board, which is the mutawalli (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque, has proposed giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board today proposed relinquishing its right over the disputed land in Ayodhya, and building a masjid-e-aman in Lucknow to resolve the Ram janmabhoomi-Babri masjid tangle, a move that was rejected by the Muslim protagonists involved in the protracted legal feud.

The board, which is the mutawalli (caretaker) of the Babri Mosque, has proposed giving up its right over the land in Ayodhya, and a draft for resolving the issue, prepared by the Shia Waqf Board, has been submitted in the Supreme Court on November 18, its chairman Wasim Rizvi told reporters here.

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Claiming that the formula for resolving the matter proposed by the Shia Waqf Board was the best, Rizvi said it is of the view that instead of Ayodhya, a masjid-e-aman (the mosque of peace) be constructed in Lucknow's Hussainabad area.

The board has also requested the government to provide a one acre plot for it.

The proposal, however, did not go down well with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"On whose behalf has he brought this draft proposal? He (Rizvi) does not enjoy the confidence or recognition of either the Sunni sect or the Shia sect," AIMPLB counsel in the case and its senior member Zafaryab Jilani said.

Jilani, who is also the convenor of Babri Masjid Action committee, referred to some legal shortcomings in the draft proposal.

"The Shia Board has no authority over the disputed land as the Allahabad High Court, in 2010, had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre area at Ayodhya among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla...the Shia board has no right over any part of the land," he said.

Moreover, Jilani said since the Shia Waqf Board did not appeal against the high courts decision, it meant that the ruling, which was binding on all till the Supreme Court announced its judgement, was acceptable to them. Rizvi, however, rejected the claim of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board over the disputed site, saying that the Allahabd High court had given the land to Muslims and not to Sunni Waqf Board.

Chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board Zafar Farooqui said any claim can be accepted or rejected only by the court, "...our involvement has been since 1961 and it is being rejected by the Shia Board now...he (Rizvi) does not have the authority to do so...".

Rizvi, he said, has been chairman of the board since 2006-07, and could have spoken on the subject even when the case was being heard by the Lucknow bench, which came up with its verdict in 2010, or in the Supreme Court where the hearing is going on for the last seven years.

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"It is absurd. He has been silent on it ever since and has become active only now. The case is going on in the highest court of the country. Whatever he has to say, he should do it in the court. What's the relevance of releasing his formula to the media?" he said.

Jilani alleged that Rizvi was "working overtime to please certain forces in order to serve his personal motives".

Rizvi, who addressed the press conference along with Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the All India Akhara Parishad, alleged that the Shia board's views on the matter were never put forward in a forceful manner because the lawyers deployed for the purpose were "fake".

Referring to the criticism of his recent actions, Rizvi said it was because the board was never given any court copy and that it was not aware that lawyers were pleading on its behalf. It was only on March 21, 2017, when the apex court said that talks could be initiated for mutual agreement to end the dispute that the Shia Waqf board looked into the files in detail only to find that though it is a party in the case it never gave wakalatnama to the counsel appearing on its behalf, Rizvi said.

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"It is a matter of probe that the case is being pursued by overlooking the actual claimant which is the Shia Board...I have requested the central and state governments to get it enquired as to who had fielded the lawyers on our behalf," he said.

On Rizvi's allegations regarding fake counsel, Jilani said that it should be probed by the Shia board itself.

Jilani, however, said that he had never seen any counsel pleading on behalf of the Shia board in the court. On the role of AIMPLB, Rizvi said it (board) should have come forward for a dialogue but since it did not take the initiative, Shia board had to come forward.

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Giri said a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed and that an amicable settlement should be reached on the issue by talking to all the parties concerned.

WATCH: Ayodhya dispute: Mandir via mediation overshadowed by mandir via money?

--- ENDS ---
President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The designation "should have happened a long time ago," the president said at the start of a Cabinet meeting. He cited the regime's nuclear weapons program, acts of international terrorism, and the death of 22-year-old student Otto Warmbier of Cincinnati.

The designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on Kim Jong Un's regime. Trump said the Treasury Department will announce additional sanctions on North Korea on Tuesday.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the sanctions will be similar to past sanctions, but broader. He said the current sanctions on the regime are having an effect on the country's revenues and fuel supply.

"This is a process that started actually several months ago," Tillerson said during a press briefing Monday at the White House.

The move returns North Korea to the list of countries the U.S. views as state sponsors of terror for the first time since 2008. That's when the North was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development.

U.S. officials cited the killing of Kim's estranged half brother Kim Jong Nam in a Malaysian airport this year as an act of terrorism.

"The assassination in Malaysia was a significant event," Tillerson told reporters Monday.

Warmbier died after being returned to the United States from North Korea in an unconscious state. He had been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor after confessing to attempting to steal a banner while visiting North Korea.

North Korea joins Iran, Sudan and Syria on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republican Rep. Dave Trott told CNBC on Monday that President Donald Trump was "factor" in his decision to retire from the House at the end of his second term.

"We have different styles and I sometimes don't understand some of the things he does and says," said Trott, who represents Michigan's 11th congressional district.

"It's a very partisan environment and I think that problem has been exacerbated under President Trump," he said on "Power Lunch."

Trott is one of more than two dozen Republican House members not seeking re-election in 2018. Some have decided to seek other elective office, like governorships or the Senate. Others have cited the desire to spend time with family.

When Trott announced his retirement in September, he said wanted to spend more time with his family and return to the private sector. The widely followed Cook Political Report has since moved Trott's district from "likely" Republican to a "toss-up."

Trott told CNBC events like the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Trump blamed both sides for the violence, and the health-care debate are two example of the divisiveness in Washington.

"The president blamed the Senate" on health care, he said. "I'm not sure [President Ronald] Reagan would have had a problem with the Senate."

However, it isn't all about Trump, said Trott.

"[It's] just not the right time for me to be in Washington. We're not that productive and that certainly isn't just a consequence of President Trump. They weren't that productive before he ever got there."
A woman holds a fan at the newly-opened US embassy in Cuba, prior to the flag-raising ceremony led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, on August 14, 2015, in Havana, Cuba. Sven Creutzmann | Mambo Photo | Getty Images

The U.S. government has turned to a high-profile brain injury specialist to investigate the rash of mysterious attacks that ran American diplomats out of Cuba earlier this fall. Sources tell CNBC that a doctor who specializes in concussions, and has received research grants from the NFL, is taking an active role in researching the attacks that injured 21 people. That specialist is Dr. Michael Hoffer. He works at the University of Miami as part of a team that received $500,000 from the NFL, Under Armour and GE Ventures to develop a portable set of eye goggles that gather and measure precise eye movements, helping to identify brain injuries in real time.

Some of the victims attacked in Cuba have been tested with goggles, according to a source familiar with the process. In late September, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the attacked U.S. embassy officials in Cuba suffered from a variety of injuries from assaults of an unknown nature. Tillerson said they have exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping. In September, the State Department ordered the departure of nonemergency personnel assigned to the U.S. embassy in Havana, as well as all family members. In October, the State Department ordered the departure of 15 Cuban officials from its embassy in Washington, D.C. The department said it was, "due to Cuba's failure to take appropriate steps to protect our diplomats in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention." The State Department has also issued a travel warning advising U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Cuba. Although there were no reports of private U.S. citizens being affected, Tillerson said the attacks are known to have occurred in diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by American citizens. The cause of the victims' symptoms remains a mystery. Increasingly, experts point to some kind of highly directed acoustic attack.



When reached by phone, Hoffer declined to comment.

Dr. Michael Hoffer. Denis Poroy | AP
Model Stella Maxwell takes a selfie backstage before the start of the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China, on November 20, 2017.

Women's clothing brand Victoria's Secret has wrapped its first ever fashion show in China, although the brand's move east has not been without its issues.

Its annual show was held in Shanghai this year, but politics in the region caused problems for the event organizers. Katy Perry, who was expected to perform, was reportedly denied visa entry for wearing a sunflower-adorned dress while performing in Taiwan back in 2015. The flower is the emblem of the island's anti-China movement.

Meanwhile, supermodel Gigi Hadid announced via Twitter last week that she would not be taking part in the show. Reports have attributed this to a video made public earlier this year in which Hadid apparently squinted her eyes. The video, perceived as politically insensitive, has since been taken down and Hadid apologized for how it may have been construed.

TWEET

An editorial published Monday by the Global Times, a state-run newspaper in China, said that while the two stars' reasons for not participating were "unknown," it was "logical" that both were denied visas for political reasons.

"Political correctness cannot be ignored," said the editorial.

"Payback was unavoidable," it went on. "Those who are serious about developing careers in the Chinese market can draw lessons from this case and learn to abide by the rules in China."

Reports have also surfaced that other models and influencers were denied entry to the country.

Victoria's Secret did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Popular Western performers have been denied entry to China before, including Justin Bieber and Maroon 5, the latter supposedly for one member tweeting birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama.
Since joining IBM nearly 20 years ago, Srinivas Chitiveli has switched jobs nine times. Mr Chitiveli, who works in Ohio, believes change is good for his career. It helps him develop professionally, broaden his skills and keep on top of the trends in his industry. But he used to hate the time it took to scour internal job boards, and to research and write applications. More from the Financial Times:

Why machines do not have to be the enemy

Digital transformation will be dramatic and painful

Technology takes the tedium out of auditing So when IBM introduced Blue Matching, a tool that uses artificial intelligence to connect employees to internal job opportunities, Mr. Chitiveli, who was working on the internet of things, signed up. It took him three weeks to find a new position as a senior product manager for IBM's AI-powered computer vision technology, which enables computers to recognise visual images  less than half the usual time.

"In the old days, I'd type in search terms, apply to a huge list of jobs, meet hiring managers and, after some initial discussions, realise the job wasn't for me," he says. Since it launched last year, about 12 percent of IBM employees have used Blue Matching to find new roles within the organisation. The software crunches data about each applicant, including previous roles, skills, experience, location and performance, and recommends suitable openings. As working lives lengthen and automation replaces tasks once performed by people, more of us are changing career. According to CEB, a research and advisory company now part of Gartner, 40 percent of roles that exist today will be significantly different in five years' time. Helping employees change direction without leaving their employer is in everyone's interests. Could the pattern-matching capabilities of AI put underused human intelligence to better use? But even as employers seek to plug gaps by hiring from outside, studies point to workers being pigeonholed, rather than helped to explore new careers within their organisations. Research conducted for Cornerstone OnDemand found that under half of UK workers see opportunities to progress, and 11 percent say their employer forbids moves to other departments. Orange is one of several French employers that use AI developed by Clustree, a Paris start-up, to help people move within their companies. Employees submit a CV describing their experience, pastimes and aspirations. Details can reveal surprising abilities, according to Veronique Biecques, director of recruitment at Orange. "What you do in your spare time sometimes says more about you than your job," she says.
Lyft co-founder John Zimmer knows that one the road to entrepreneurial success, there are detours. In a recent episode of the "Success: How I Did It" podcast, Zimmer tells Business Insider U.S. Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell about the early challenges he and cofounder Logan Green faced when starting their company. The duo linked up in 2007 when Zimmer saw a Facebook post that Green, who he didn't know at the time, had left on a mutual friend's page. The post mentioned that Green launching a company called Zimride, inspired by a recent trip to Zimbabwe during which he saw people sharing rides out of necessity. Zimmer asked the mutual friend to connect him with Green so he could learn more about the company. After a meeting in New York, the two decided to go into business together.

"I was really excited. I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur," said Zimmer, who at the time held a full-time position at Lehman Brothers. Zimmer and Green moved to Silicon Valley. Neither took a salary during the first three years of business, and they relied heavily on Trader Joe's microwavable meals. "It was helpful that I saved some money," said Zimmer who left his day job when he moved to Silicon Valley. "We basically lived in an apartment that was also our office. We called it the 'apartfice.'" Zimmer says he slept on a couch for six months before moving to his best friend's parent's house. In the beginning, Zimride focused mostly on providing college students with carpooling options when they went home on break. It also served as a way for students to make some extra cash.

Getty Images
The euro was under some pressure Monday following news that talks to form a new government in Germany had collapsed.

Market players, however, were somewhat relaxed over the ongoing political instability in Berlin, despite this being the first time since World War II that a general election had not led to a new government.

Kit Juckes, global head of FX strategy at Societe Generale, described the pressure on the euro as "not a dramatic reaction."

In fact, the currency began retracting some of the earlier losses in mid-morning trade in Europe and the German stock exchange was modestly lower, down by 0.2 percent.

"Germany's strong and improving fundamentals provide some important insulation from political concerns. In other words, the ship can effectively sail itself," Rabobank said in a note Monday.

Data released last week showed the German economy beating analysts' forecasts with a 0.8 percent growth in the third quarter of the year. At the same time, confidence levels among German businesses hit an all-time high in October and the unemployment rate remained at an historic low, Deutsche Welle reported.
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has ignored a deadline to resign, choosing instead to cling on to his 37-year-long rule.

Following the midday local time cut-off, the chief whip of the ruling ZANU-PF party said talks on how to start the impeachment process to forcibly remove Mugabe from power would now begin.

In a further twist, Reuters also reported that the 93-year-old leader had called his cabinet for a meeting on Tuesday at the State House offices.

Impeachment will likely throw the country into deeper turmoil as the government must now embark what will be a lengthy and potentially chaotic process. A two-thirds majority of parliament against the president is required to legally pass the measure.

In a rollercoaster week for the country of 16 million, scenes on the streets of the capital, Harare, have gone from tanks and gunfire to protests and jubilant dancing to celebrate the longtime leader's anticipated departure from power.

Mugabe's own ruling party ZANU-PF called for him to step down and subsequently fired him as party leader, threatening impeachment in the absence of a voluntary resignation. Part of the party's opposition stemmed from a rejection of Mugabe's highly unpopular wife Grace, who was slated to succeed him in office.

Such popular demonstrations would have been met with a severe crackdown just a week earlier.

The military took control of the country on November 14 in a now-apparent effort to end Mugabe's nearly four-decade long rule, ostensibly to return former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa to power after Mugabe sacked him two weeks prior. Mugabe's tenure was marked by a record of human rights abuses, violent suppression of dissent and corruption.
According to fintech expert Timur Vorona, "the bank of the future will either cease to exist or it will become an IT company." That is indeed a bold idea. In order to deliver the digital customer experience customers are demanding, both the front customer-facing operations and the back office processes need to embrace IT as a core enabler of future banking. It is no coincidence that Goldman Sachs is rebranding itself as a tech company and is now the biggest "non-tech" Fortune 500 investor in technology start-ups. So if the answer lies in embracing more tech  no surprises so far  what kind of advanced tech are we talking about and how should it be applied?

Edge computing, the internet of things and, last but not least, a high performance data center could be the key. If consumers have bigger expectations, the pressure is on a firm's data center to adapt rapidly  while also maintaining sustainability and growth. While once slow to adopt cloud-based technology, financial institutions see the agility of the cloud as an opportunity to differentiate themselves with new apps and services. However, with limitations on bandwidth, latency and regulations, more institutions are supplementing the cloud with edge computing, storing and transmitting data closer in proximity to their consumers.
i have developed a web site with asp.net webform. i hosted the site my pc local iis. when i browser the site the url appear in my browser address bar looks like http://localhost:8800/gb/default.aspx



now my default.aspx page has many hyperlinks and those links look likes



http://localhost:53741/

http://localhost:53741/About.aspx

http://localhost:53741/Contact.aspx



now i want to attach country code taken from browser address bar url with all the links in default.aspx page. so after attaching the new url will be looking like



http://localhost:53741/gb

http://localhost:53741/gb/About.aspx

http://localhost:53741/gb/Contact.aspx

so i test a outbound rule to attach country code with all the links in my default.aspx page.



my outbound rule look like....a screen shot attached.



screen shot 1



enter image description here[^]



screen shot 2



enter image description here[^]



screen shot 3



enter image description here[^]



after implementing my outbound rule when i am browsing my site then getting error due to outbound rule. i am weak in iis rewrite rule. may some where i made mistake but could not figure out my mistake. so please some one help me to fix this issue.



again i am telling what i am trying to do. when i am browsing my site then my address bar url look like http://localhost:8800/gb/default.aspx in this url there is a country code that is gb.



the country code i need to take from there with outbound rule and attach that country code with all the hyperlinks in default.aspx page. so my all hyperlinks in default.aspx page will be looking like below example.



http://localhost:53741/gb

http://localhost:53741/gb/About.aspx

http://localhost:53741/gb/Contact.aspx

this iis rewrite rule i tried



XML < outboundRules > < rule name =" add outbound rule" preCondition =" Ishtml" enabled =" true" stopProcessing =" true" > < match filterByTags =" A" pattern =" ([a-z]{2}/(.*))" negate =" true" / > < action type =" Rewrite" value =" gb/{R:2}" / > < /rule > < preConditions > < preCondition name =" Ishtml" > < add input =" {RESPONSE_CONTENT_TYPE}" pattern =" text/html" / > < /preCondition > < /preConditions > < /outboundRules >



after applying the above rule i am getting error and error as follows



Parser Error Description: An error occurred during the parsing of a resource required to service this request. Please review the following specific parse error details and modify your source file appropriately.



Parser Error Message: The content in the application file is not valid.

if still my objective not clear to anyone then please ask me. if anyone understand what i am trying to do then please help me to achieve my goal. thanks





How to add country code or culture in url - ASP.NET Discussion Boards[^]



If you want to update your question, edit the original; DO NOT post the update as a new question.





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







just come to know from this site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/mcsd-web-apps-certification.aspx that MCSD Web Applications exam has 3 papers.



those are as follows



1) Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 480

2) Developing ASP.NET MVC Web Applications 486

3) Developing Microsoft Azure and Web Services 487



before giving the exam i need load of sample questions for the above 3 exams.

i need a web site which allow me to give test exam with sample question paper for 3 exams.



so please share some good resource by which i can prepare myself to pass mcsd exam.



i found this web site url but the website asking for money http://www.mindhub.com/microsoft-certification-practice-tests-and-study-guides-s/64.htm#/?_=1&filter.custom_field3=Practice%20labs&page=1

my financial condition is not good so i am looking free resource only to prepare myself for the above 3 exams.



looking for help. thanks



What i want, if the text is too long to fit as per the defined width, the text should be wrapped in next row. I dont want to expand the column width to accommodate this text in one row. In other words, I want to wrap the text in next row if the text inside this columns exceeded the width of the column defined in gridview and reportviewer



Hi All,



I just tried put DataTable in my project. It look cool and robust. For quick result. I put this instruction into html file and it worked like charm. This is the screenshot.



Confidence with that html result, then, I created a new project in .Net Core and put those code into About/Contact template. What I remove html code to cshtml are head and body tag. But I got plain table like this screenshot.



What I tried to do debugged the javascript by using F12 Developer Tools and I found "Object doesn't support property or method 'DataTable.'"



Why this could happen in VS 2017 CE .net core 2 ? Meanwhile, it works well in html file.

I emphasize the link (css and js) just works fine in html.



JavaScript <link rel= " stylesheet" type= " text/css" href= " https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.16/css/jquery.dataTables.min.css" > <script src= " https://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.12.4.min.js" type= " text/javascript" ></script> <script src= " https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.16/js/jquery.dataTables.min.js" type= " text/javascript" ></script> <script> $( document ).ready( function () { $( ' #example' ).DataTable(); } ); </script>



I also tried by using VS 2015 CE .net Core 1.1, it gave me the same result.

How to overcome this ? Please, advice....





Rgds,



modified 19-Nov-17 20:32pm.









"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







i like to know how could we add culture or country code in url of asp.net webform project.



i search lot but found none such. i found few article they show how to set culture in code just render data from right resource file but none show how to add culture or country code in url.



i want when i will start my project then then url would look like http://localhost:port/gb or http://localhost:port/en-gb



and right country code or culture code will be added in other links in of the page.



there will be country flag when user click in germany flag then german country code or culture code will be added in url.



please advise me how to do it. it would be better if some one shared few article links which show how to add country code or culture code in url whose code i can download and run in my pc.



thanks



Hi, I ' d like to create a website based on a decision tree to help users in their choices. In my mind, I' d like a graph with boxes viewing all the possibilities (on the background webpage) and a lightbox showing the choosing step. After each choice, the graph will be updated to show the way and the lightbox is updated with the new question. Is there an example here for this kind of request ? Or, where can I found a example to help me in this task please ?



Member 8007713 wrote: where can I found a example www.google.com[^]



I am using the WebBrowser Control and am running into problems with some web sites. I had to put the control into IE 11 emulation mode for the web sites that I visit. I notice that the auto complete doesn't work when I use the WebBrowser Control, but if I hit the web site with a normal web browser the functionality works fine. Is there a option for the WebBrowser Control to allow this functionality?



I am using the WebBrowser Control to log into web sites without the users knowing/sharing the password.





I use it for scraping website content and data and pumping HTML into it for progress and status messages while scraping.

By the way, this topic is for ASP.net and your question belongs in VB or C# Questions



How to customize

WebBrowser Customization (Internet Explorer)

If it ain't broke don't fix it



Good day Friends! Please how can I add code tag in my asp.net app? I tried using INSTR function so that in return I change font style and colour but no luck. E.g <dcode>Private Sub...i used dcode instead of code so that codeproject won't treat it as code. Help please.









Otekpo Emmanuel wrote: so that codeproject won't treat it as code Just paste it in and a popup will appear where you can pick code. Or, click the code tag in the toolbar of the editor.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.



There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.



GobblesGobbles



Also we can tag which automatically comes when you copy paste or write the code in code editor



Hi,



I am trying to use a string compare with a static string with a File name, the File name is very big like this: "BSC_gMax_BSC_gMax_PROD_20170721001923.xml_EXCEPTIONS_b77022d0-7176-469a-9e83-5182b59a0cba.xls" but I want all the 31 Alphabets irrespective of case from the file name to compare with the static string I have



For example I want to check the string which has 31 alphabets: BSCgMaxBSCgMaxPRODxmlEXCEPTIONS is satisfying with the File name, then return true. I can only use the regular expression though because its running dynamically.



I tried the following: "[a-zA-Z]{0,31}", "[a-z]+" and "[a-zA-Z]{0,31}$" none of them worked for me so far though, but any advice and suggestion going to be very very helpful. Please I can only use regular expression, I am also searching but if you are familiar it would be great help thanks in advance my friends.



Thanks,



Abdul Aleem



"There is already enough hatred in the world lets spread love, compassion and affection."







I'm not the world's greatest expert in regex, but

JavaScript [a-zA-Z]{ 1 , 31 } will return all the matches you want - you can test it on regex.com[^].



After that, you need to concatenate them into a single string - this Stackoverflow[^] page may help you with that.







With LINQ:

C# string input = " BSC_gMax_BSC_gMax_PROD_20170721001923.xml_EXCEPTIONS_b77022d0-7176-469a-9e83-5182b59a0cba.xls" ; string output = new string (input.Where( char .IsLetter).Take( 31 ).ToArray());

Without LINQ:

C# string input = " BSC_gMax_BSC_gMax_PROD_20170721001923.xml_EXCEPTIONS_b77022d0-7176-469a-9e83-5182b59a0cba.xls" ; char[] buffer = new char[31]; int bufferIndex = 0 ; foreach ( char c in input) { if ( char .IsLetter(c)) { buffer[bufferIndex] = c; bufferIndex++; if (bufferIndex == 31 ) { break ; } } } string output = new string (buffer, 0 , bufferIndex);





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







In a C# 2010 web form application, I have found some JavaScript statements that will not allow the application to execute when I am using the Internet Explorer browser since some of the objects are obsolete/deprecated. However when I run the application using Firefox, I find that the application runs. I have also noted that some of the Javascript objects in the web form application may be deprecated in the future and to use these items with caution.



Thus if I deploy a new version of the current web form application and tell all users to only use Firefox in the next few weeks, I will create a static executable that everyone can use. Then when some of the objects are not allowed in Firefox, the application will still run since I have not changed the executable, correct?



Would I need create a new version of the application with the Javascript changes that are required?



If this is not true, would you let me know why and potentially what I should do to solve the issue?


A closer look at the recent success of the joint encounter by Garud special forces, Army and Jammu and Kashmir police in which the nephew of 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi was killed.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: The joint operation at Chanderger by Garud special forces, Army and Jammu and Kashmir police has proved to be one of the most successful ones in recent times as a total of six militants were killed, including Owaid, the nephew of 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi. One Garud commando, Corporal JP Nirala, was martyred.

The operation is also being hailed as one of the biggest setbacks to the Lashkar-e-Taiba as its entire north Kashmir leadership has been wiped off in one go. Once again, it was the intelligence provided by Jammu and Kashmir police that led to it.

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Security sources in Hajin said that after the October 11 joint operation by Garud commandos and 13 Rashtriya Rifles, which eliminated two terrorists, but led to the escape of another three or four, police and troops have been trying to track them.

"The Garuds and police were working with extra zeal as the Air Force Special Forces wanted to get justice for their buddies Sergeant Milind and Corporal Neelesh Nain who were martyred in the operations," a source said.

Meanwhile, a local police officer in Hajin received a tip-off about the regular visit of one terrorist to a house in Chandergar.

The officer, with the help of the technical cell of state police, started tracking the militant. After tracking his activities for almost a month, the DSP (Operations) found he spent the entire day at the house and ventured outside only after dark.

Based on this input, security forces, including the commanding officer of Army's 13 Rashtriya Rifles and Garud Special Forces, decided to cordon the house in daylight itself.

WATCH VIDEO | Mumbai attacks mastermind Lakhvi's nephew among 5 terrorists killed in Kashmir encounter

--- ENDS ---
A DACA recipient in Fulton said he and his fiancee are bracing for his possible deportation when his DACA permit expires next year. "Ill be lost in Mexico," he said. "All I know is America."
Ana Garcia, a DACA recipient in Mexico, Missouri, watched her father get deported several times. Because of her status, she's never been able to return to the village in Mexico where he now lives and she grew up. "I daydream of that little village and what it's going to be like," Garcia said.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
This IT jobs report covers Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Also see our reports for the Pacific, Mountain, North Central, South Central and Northeast regions.)

Job market snapshot

Technology is big business in Georgia: With 17,000 technology companies, its the fifth-largest IT employment hub in the country, according to the state governments High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI) program. In 2014, the state government formed the HDCI IT Task Force in partnership with employers across the state to address the acute shortage of technology workers.

Julia Davis, senior vice president and CIO at insurance provider Aflac in Columbus, Ga., has served on the task force for two years and can attest to the need for more technology professionals in the Southeast region as a whole. We have to recruit more technologists, she says, adding that employers are advocating for training and educational programs to produce more software and mobile developers, cybersecurity specialists and data analysts to meet demand. Were constantly battling each other for that skill set and talent, she says.

Large companies either relocating to the Southeast or opening facilities in the region have fueled the demand for technology workers, Davis says  and those companies cut across industries, with the Southeast having big employers in various verticals from tourism (particularly big in Florida and along the coast) and manufacturing to retail and consumer goods. The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Bank of America and the federal government are among the large employers in the Southeast.

Jason Hayman, a Baltimore-based research manager for IT staffing firm TEKsystems, says he counted more than a half-million online job postings in the region from April 2016 to April 2017, with companies in smaller cities such as Columbia, S.C., and Charleston, S.C., driving a lot of growth. Good workers, he says, can take their pick of opportunities.
Proposal involves a ceasefire to allow Rohingya people to return to Myanmar and to stop them fleeing across the border.

By Ananth Krishnan: China has sought to take a lead in mediating between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the Rohingya crisis, with Beijing announcing a new "three-stage proposal" as its foreign minister visited the two countries.

The foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday that both countries had "approved" the proposal.Foreign minister Wang Yi outlined the three-phase plan after arriving in Myanmar on Sunday following a visit to Bangladesh. The first stage involved an on-the-ground ceasefire to allow Rohingya people to return and to stop them fleeing across the border.

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The second stage, he said, was to encourage and support Bangladesh and Myanmar to strengthen exchanges and to find a solution "on the basis of equality", while the third step was for the international community to help develop Rakhine state.

Asked if the second stage suggestion meant China was now ready to mediate between the two countries, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang didn't say whether China would or wouldn't, but that Beijing "upholds mutual respect and non-interference in international affairs in developing relations with countries."Lu said both countries had backed China's proposal. "This initiative was approved in Bangladesh and also won approval in Myanmar," he said. "We hope the proposal will help resolve the current crisis.

The proposal underlines China's increasing willingness to step in and play a role in regional hotspot issues, in a break from its generally cautious diplomacy over the past decade. Beijing has recently also pushed a "freeze for freeze" plan to push negotiations on the North Korean nuclear crisis, involving a suspension of both US-South Korean military exercises if North Korea froze its missile programme.

That proposal, however, hasn't made much headway.China has close ties with both Bangladesh and Myanmar, emerging as a major investor in both countries and backing billions of dollars of infrastructure projects in the two nations.

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There may be specific European programmes in which we might want to participate and if so, it will be reasonable that we make a contribution. We will determine a fair settlement of the UKs rights and obligations as a departing member state, in accordance with the law and in the spirit of the UKs continuing partnership with the EU. The principle, however, is clear: the days of Britain making vast annual contributions to the European Union will end.

With these words, the last Conservative Manifesto signalled the trade-off at the heart of the Brexit negotiation  at least from the Governments point of view. They want money; we want access  or, rather, the best possible terms of Single Market entry short of membership. That cash consists of three main elements: the specific programmes above; the so-called divorce settlement, and payments to meet obligations we have previously entered into (hence the reference to the spirit of our continuing partnership). In short, Theresa May was always willing to send billions to Brussels as part of a final settlement  just not billions that are part of vast annual contributions.

However, cleverly-constructed manifesto commitments are one thing; what voters think and feel is quite another. There is no appetite to fork out billions of pounds to the EU. Leave voters in particular are resistant to payments. Most people do not read the small (or even large) print of manifestos, and the Prime Minister faces a potential voter backlash.

The key Cabinet Brexit committee meets today to discuss the Brexit negotiations  and the money. We believe that a free trade deal with the EU is preferable to trading with it on WTO terms  though only if the deal offered is a good one, to use the phrase that May has used herself. Money for access is an intrinsic part of any such agreement. But there are three important riders. First, there should be no question of payments being made before a deal is in place (other than those we are already obliged to discharge). Second, there must be a formal commitment from the Government on the length of the transition period. Finally, the Cabinet must have a clearer collective idea than it does now of what it wants to gain from a deal  and, in particular, how it intends to handle regulatory divergence.

As Henry Newman put it on this site, the Government has not yet decided what sort of country we ought to be after Brexit. There is a range of possibilities  from Norways EEA/EFTA relationship to Switzerlands web of bilateral agreements and to a Canada-type Free Trade Agreement. Where should the UK land on this spectrum from Norway/Switzerland to Canada? Or, in the jargon preferred by Whitehall  do we go for a high access, low control or low access, high control?

Since the referendum was a vote to Take Back Control, the question answers itself, especially if we are adequately to control EU migration  a secondary but integral reason for Britain voting, with the largest number of votes ever cast for any proposition here, to leave the EU.
CORNWALL, Ontario- For over 25 years, students, teachers and members of the community have requested that Dream Maker Young Peoples Theatre put on a theatrical production en francais! This year they have decided to take on the challenge with a new and entertaining version of The Wizard of Oz (Le Magicien DOz).

Many of the young performers participating in the production do not necessarily attend French-language schools. Many of our actors are bilingual, immersion students who are putting their best efforts into this project and learning experience states producer Lisa Runions. This is the first time in this area that members from all corners of the community have teamed up with a young, bilingual cast to put together such a large, french-language production!

This holiday season, join the cast of Le Magicien DOz as they take a magical journey over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road! The play depicts a quintessential and endearing story that has touched all of us, and continues to do so after 75 years!

The show recaptures the wonder and timeless story of Dorothy (Seona Lewis) who is swept away by a twister and carried off to the colourful land of the Munchkins, where she meets the Scarecrow (Yanik LeBlanc), the Tin Man (Dominic Gauthier) and the Cowardly Lion (Margot MacDonell). Together they set off to find the Wizard (Robert LeBlanc) in the Emerald City of Oz; battle the Wicked Witch of the West (Chloe King), and discover the importance of bravery, love, and the true meaning of friendship.

This fun, interactive show will be a treat for all who enjoy live theatre, so come laugh, sing and have a great time! The audience will be asked at different times throughout the play to help the characters get to the end of their journey, which makes the show fun for all ages! states Francine Leclerc, Director. Schools have already reserved seats by the bus loads for the school presentation on the Friday and we know the community will have a great time at our weekend shows!

A TOUCH OF DISNEY

This year, scenic artist Alice Zabu has painted many of our dynamic sets, which will enhance the creativity of all the young people participating and watching the show. Miss Zabu has worked with many Hollywood Productions and professional theatres.

The performances will be held at St Lawrence Intermediate School on Dec. 9th at 11:00AM and 1:00PM and December 10th at 1:00PM only.

Tickets are only $5.00 on sale in advance at Melody Music on Pitt St., and at Milano Pizza on Montreal Rd or at the door. For more information call 613-932-3510.
CHESTERVILLE, Ontario  On Feb. 3, 2017 at approximately 2:30 a.m., SD&G OPP responded to a report of a single motor vehicle collision on College Street in the Town of Chesterville, North Dundas Township.

Investigation indicated that a black pick-up truck struck a home and fled the scene. Damage should be evident to the front of the vehicle. No injuries resulted.

On September 2, 2017 at approximately 9:00pm, SD&G OPP responded to a report of a single motor vehicle collision on Boyne Road, North Dundas Township. Investigation indicated that a dark coloured sedan crashed into a ditch and fled the scene. Damage should be evident to the front of the vehicle. No injuries resulted.

On September 18, 2017 at approximately 9:26pm, SD&G OPP responded to a report of a single motor vehicle collision on Saunders Avenue, South Stormont Township. Investigation indicated that a silver vehicle crashed into a ditch and fled the scene. Damage should be evident to the front of the vehicle. No injuries resulted.

On September 20, 2017 at approximately 8:30am, SD&G OPP responded to a report of a single motor vehicle collision on Rae Road, North Dundas Township. Investigation indicated that a dark grey Nissan Altima crashed into a ditch and fled the scene. Damage should be evident to the front of the vehicle. No injuries resulted.
Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Lines, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Transport Canada and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue have all confirmed their attendance at Passenger Ship Safety Miami, Jan. 30-31, 2018.

The meeting will once again be chaired by Captain Buddy Reams, USCG (Retd), former Director of Prevention Operations  Seventh Coast Guard District, Chief Maritime Officer, NACE International.

The event will focus on the design of vessels and systems to increase safety, without compromising on the passenger experience, with other topics also on the agenda.

This includes the new IMO regulations, which have enforced a review of lifeboat retrieval systems.

Stephen Assheur, Chairman of the LSA working group for the IMO, will share the new regulations affecting life boat release and retrieval system replacements, maintenance and training. In addition, he will also outline future changes impacting the LSA industry, including the impact of microclimates on lifeboats and their effect on passengers within Arctic and hot climates.

Passenger Ship Safety Miami will provide a forum for senior directors and VPs from cruise and ferry operators to meet, network, learn and share best practice to keep passengers safe at sea.

Free entry is provided to cruise and ferry operators.
Due to accusations of sexual misconduct, legendary hacker John Draper, aka Captain Crunch, has been banned from attending several hacker conferences.

Tweets by security researchers about Drapers predatory behavior first caught my attention in early November. One of the now-deleted tweets suggested Captain Crunch is basically the Kevin Spacey of infosec. Another referred to Drapers actions as an open secret, adding, If you run an event where Captain Crunch attends, ensure a member of staff is assigned to keep teenage boys away from him. (No, Im not linking to archived versions of them, since the researchers later deleted those tweets.)

Other people in the Twitter conversations said allegations of inappropriate behavior by Draper have been discussed online by alleged victims for over two decades.

Fast forward to last Friday when BuzzFeed published an article about Draper using his status as Captain Crunch while at security conferences to lure minors to his hotel room. The article includes stories from six men with knowledge of Draper habitually meeting young, often teenage men at conferences between 1999 and 2007.

If a teenage man took Draper up on the private invitation, it would reportedly lead to Drapers request for them to participate in energy exercises. These included him massaging men in public and urging them to come to his or their hotel room for private sessions, BuzzFeed reported. In multiple cases in which the men agreed, Draper would leap on their backs in ways the men described as unwanted sexual contact.

People knew about Draper's inappropriate behavior for years

Steve Wozniak claimed Draper tried that with Steve Jobs in the 1970s, but Jobs was not interested in helping Draper exercise by sitting on Drapers back.

Although many in the security community were aware of Drapers predatory actions and accusations that he was a pedophile, he wasnt banned from attending conferences. In 2013, a team at DefCon called itself Too Old for Capn Crunch. A DefCon spokesperson said the conference had never received a formal complaint, yet some of the goons at DefCon would reportedly intercede on behalf of the minors and escort young men out of Drapers company.

A person can get by with a lot at hacker conferences, meaning it would take beyond a lot to get banned. But now, organizers of DefCon are taking a stand in regard to Drapers alleged unwanted sexual advances. A DefCon spokesperson told BuzzFeed:

We applaud those individuals bravely stepping forward to tell their stories. The behavior described in these allegations is appalling and has no place in our community. Per DefCons Code of Conduct, this kind of behavior will result in a permanent ban from our events.

Draper banned from several hacker conferences

In fact, the newest set of public accusations have resulted in Draper being banned from several hacker conferences. ToorCon also said the 74-year-old Captain Crunch will be banned from attending future conferences. The founder of the Houston Security Conference told Ars Technica that Draper had been scheduled to speak in April 2018, but he has now been disinvited.

The article on BuzzFeed has caused numerous people to tell their own stories about Draper. As Ars pointed out, the respected cryptography professor Matt Blaze took to Twitter with his story. In the late 1970s, when Blaze was only in eighth or ninth grade, Draper became aggressive about sharing in those exercises.

Blaze was freaked out, or creeped out, and dropped contact, but then Draper allegedly started stalking him  claimed to be a relative to take Blaze out of school and even tapped his familys phone.

More and more people are coming forward with their versions of what happened with Captain Crunch.

Draper declines to comment

Via a spokesperson, Draper declined to comment on BuzzFeeds article and the accusations.

Draper first became famous as Captain Crunch for phone phreaking after he discovered that a toy whistle that came in Capn Crunch cereal emitted the same frequency used by AT&T. He went on to work on the Little Blue Box, which put out the same tone as the cereal whistle.
Numbers dont lie. Its an accepted truth. But while they may be supremely honest, numbers arent always the best communicators. People often have difficulty understanding the story numbers are trying to tell. Others are intimidated by rows and rows of data, especially when crammed onto spreadsheets printed in 9-pt font.

This is why the pie chart was invented.

Consider this: 65 percent of the population consists of visual learners. Undoubtedly, these individuals sit on your board, reside in your executive suite and lead teams within your cooperative. Giving these leaders the information they need to make transformative, member-centric decisions often requires data visualization. Why? Because tools that show, rather than tell, get faster, more meaningful action.

Images expose dangerous trends

When a mid-sized Illinois credit union used data visualization to communicate a troublesome trend, it stimulated a quick response from senior leadership. Thanks to regular reporting on a next-generation dashboard, managers were able to more easily sound the alarm. The graphic report illustrated a serious problem  attrition had risen from 4 to 5.5 percent in under 20 months!

As the picture came into even clearer focus, the credit unions leadership saw that those leaving the cooperative were members with long-standing relationships, good FICO scores and high purchase activity.

To reverse the trend, managers proposed the launch of an elite credit card product to deepen relationships with these influential members. The managers came to the proposal presentation prepared with a detailed study of the market, competition, product features and profitability calculations. However, they attribute the Go for it! they received from senior executives to having visually communicated the severity of the situation, as well as the danger of leaving the status quo unchecked.

Pictures open minds, broaden perspectives

Another credit union in the Midwest made a critical realization about its credit card portfolio with the help of a visual dashboard.

Despite a number of spend campaigns, the portfolio wasnt growing at an acceptable rate. To determine what could be causing the sluggish growth, the cards team worked with our data scientists to perform cross-sectional and time-series analyses. The numbers results of these examinations would have been incredibly complicated to view on a spreadsheet. By communicating the results in graphics, however, the cards team was able to demonstrate the very clear difference in how fixed-rate cards were performing as opposed to their variable-rate counterparts. The latter was far outperforming fixed-rate cards, and yet 90 percent of the portfolio was composed of fixed-rate cards. The conversations sparked with the visual representation of the portfolios performance opened more minds to the idea of changing the way things had always been (i.e., pushing the fixed-rate option with members).

Getting data visualization in the hands of more credit unions

Fortunately, data visualization is becoming more accessible as data analytics providers begin to serve the community financial institution vertical. Whats more, the dashboards providing that visualization are increasingly easier to use and better at displaying information. You may have heard them referred to as next-generation dashboards.

Think of data visualization as a new iteration of business intelligence, and one that is completely accessible. Using advanced analytics and visualization techniques, these dashboards allow credit union personnel of varying experience levels to create charts, graphs and visuals that demonstrate member behavior, predict sales volume, as well as identify potentially profitable adjustments to things like risk management and marketing strategy.

Simply put, data visualization helps more people easily understand large amounts of data without having to sort through stacks of reports and spreadsheets. Better yet, it often allows for insights in real time.

Of course, data visualization is more complicated than creating a chart or graph from a spreadsheet. The real magic is found in the technologys ability to bring together large amounts of data and create connections visually. Its the kind of capability that changes minds and broadens perspectives. Using pictures instead of numbers, the innovative thinkers in the movement will get that Go for it! executive support they need to take their cooperatives into the future.
More than 300 credit union compliance professionals from 237 credit unions and more than 20 associations attended last weeks CUNA/National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors Bank Secrecy Act Conference in Las Vegas.

Over four days, attendees got the latest information on BSA compliance from regulators, attorneys and other compliance professionals, covering everything from money services businesses (MSBs) to international anti-money laundering trends.

See below for highlights of the conference.

Monday

Attorney David Reed discussed how keeping up with BSA requires a culture of compliance and that, the business side of the organization needs to support anti-money laundering controls and a credit unions commitment and responsibility toward BSA compliance should be clearly visible;
Russian Fake Brexit Tweets & Attacks On The UK

Britains intelligence watchdog is facing demands to examine whether Russian troll factories interfered in UK politics, amid mounting evidence that thousands of fake accounts may have been used to influence the Brexit vote.

Now Britains National Cyber Security Centre publicly confirmed for the first time that Russia has carried out Internet assaults on major UK energy, technology and media companies, as tensions escalate over the Kremlins interference in Western democracies.

NCSC Chief Executive Officer Ciaran Martin said his organisation, which is part of GCHQ, the UKs communications interception agency, has dealt with more than 600 cyber-attacks since it was created last year.

Of those, 35 were designated significant incidents, in which the threat to Britain was deemed severe enough for government ministers and spy agencies full resources to be used.

Concern about Russian influence in British politics has intensified as it emerged that more than 400 fake Twitter accounts believed to be run from St Petersburg published posts about Brexit.

The Times of London newspaper said recently Russian Twitter accounts posted almost 45,000 messages about Brexit in 48 hours during the referendum campaign in an apparently coordinated attempt to affect the outcome of the vote, citing research for an upcoming paper by data scientists at Swansea University in Wales and the University of California, Berkeley.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh identified 419 accounts operating from the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) attempting to influence UK politics out of 2,752 accounts suspended by Twitter in the US. And academics have established that at least accounts operating from the Kremlin-linked Russian Internet Research Agency

IRA tweeted about Brexit and that thousands of other Russia-based Twitter accounts posted more than 45,000 messages about Brexit in just 48 hours during last years referendum.

An inquiry into whether Russia interfered in UK academics have already established that at least accounts operating from the Kremlin-linked Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) tweeted about Brexit and that thousands of other Russia-based Twitter accounts posted more than 45,000 messages about Brexit in just 48 hours during last years referendum.

Brexit is also underway by the Electoral Commission, but it has no power to sanction non-UK based individuals or organisations for activity that takes place outside the UK.

One of the accounts run from the Kremlin-linked operation attempted to stir anti-Islamic sentiment during the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March in a bogus post claiming a Muslim woman ignored victims, a claim that was highlighted by mainstream media outlets including Mail Online and the Sun.

For days after, the tweeter was gleefully sharing press clippings. Wow  Im on the Daily Mail front page! Thank you, British libs! Youre making me famous, he said, referring to an article that appeared on Mail Online and which still bore the tweet at the time of writing. A day later, he tweeted: Im on The Sun! Thank you again, British libs! Now Im even more famous!

Damian Collins, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, which is investigating fake news, said the Russian agency appeared to be attempting to divide society and destabilise politics.

The Conservative MP wants Twitter to tell the committee how it believes Russia has been attempting to influence UK politics.

What is at stake is whether Russia has constructed an architecture which means they have thousands of accounts with which they can bombard [us] with fake news and hyper-partisan content, he said. We need to understand how widespread it is and what the impact is on the democratic process.

Collins has demanded that Twitters chief executive, Jack Dorsey, supply examples of posts from the Internet Research Agency (IRA), about British politics, citing concern at possible interference by foreign actors in the democratic process of the UK.

This is information they hold and I cant see any reason they should be delaying supplying it, he said.

The developments come after the US Congress intelligence committee investigated Russian troll campaigning in the US election of November 2016.

Twitter told the House committee that it had suspended 2,752 accounts which were tweeting about the US election because it believed they were controlled from Russia. The committee said it may well be just the tip of the iceberg.

Hundreds of paid bloggers work around the clock at the IRA to flood Russian internet forums, social networks and the comments sections of western publications, sowing disinformation, praising the countrys president, Vladimir Putin, and raging at the west.

The agency has been linked to a businessman who was once Putins favourite chef. Prof Laura Cram, director of neuro-politics research at the University of Edinburgh, told the Guardian that at least 419 of those accounts tweeted about Brexit a total of 3,468 times, mostly after the referendum had taken place.

Archives of the now deleted Russian accounts show they included people purporting to be a US Navy veteran, a Tennessee Republican and a Texan patriot, all tweeting in favour of Brexit. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson urged Theresa May to bring political pressure to bear on tech giants to reveal the extent to which their platforms have been hijacked, and to take action against agents of the Russian state who use their platforms to disseminate misinformation and untruths He said tech companies including Twitter and Facebook havent done enough to identify and weed out the fake profiles and automated content that pose a direct threat to our democracy.

On Monday 13th November May gave a speech in which she said Russias actions were threatening the international order on which we all depend. She accused Russia of meddling in elections and planting fake stories in the media to weaponise information and sow discord in the west.

Concerns about Russias cyber-operations have also been raised elsewhere in Europe. Spains prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, claimed on Monday 13th that half of the Twitter accounts that amplified the issue of Catalan independence were registered in Russia and 30% in Venezuela. Others have voiced concerns that Russian social media accounts also sought to influence this years French and German elections.

A spokesperson for Twitter said the company recognises that the integrity of the election process itself is integral to the health of a democracy. As such, we will continue to support formal investigations by government authorities into election interference as required.

The Russian tweets identified by Twitter as coming from the IRA included one by an account holder using the name @SouthLoneStar. He reportedly said: I hope UK after #BrexitVote will start to clean their land from Muslim invasion! and UK voted to leave future European Caliphate! #BrexitVote.

The same account posted a widely shared tweet at the time of the March terror attack on Westminster Bridge in London.

It posted a photograph of a woman in a headscarf passing the scene of the attack with the caption: Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam.

The woman said later: Not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack, Ive also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia.

Russia has been adamant it did not interfere in any way in the EU referendum. We closely followed the voting but never interfered or sought to influence it, Putin said the day after the poll.

However, there is no doubt that many in Moscow welcomed the outcome. An EU without Britain would be less united on sanctions against Russia, many Russian officials hoped, because it would lose one of its stronger foreign policy voices and would be too consumed with its own internal problems to prioritise Russia policy.

At the time, the former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said the vote to leave the EU was a giant victory for Putins foreign policy objectives.

The US Congressional investigation into Russian meddling through social media also gathered evidence from Facebook that between June 2015-August 2017 there were 470 accounts on the platform associated with the IRA and that 126 million Americans are likely to have seen content from an IRA page.

Guardian 1: Guardian2: Guardian3: Information-Management:



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US Intelligence Keys in on the Russian Troll Army Manipulating Social Media:


What's going on in and around Somerset County?

lifestyle
Benafsha said that she and Priyank are just friends and she was trying to tease Priyank by asking if he has feelings for her. She said, "I didn't do anything for the game. If I had to do anything for the game then I would have done that long ago. My sense of humour is something that people wouldn't understand. It's weird. Trust me the whole thing with Priyank was all a big joke. "

It did not make a difference to me that people said you are doing nothing in the house. What really mattered to me was being in the house with respect and dignity, no matter what.

Varun (Sood) knows me very well. And he was scared because people were saying rubbish about me. I am the most loyal girl ever.

I was not in a relationship with Priyank in the house. I am going to speak to Divya (Agarwal) for Priyank because he has been trapped in this for no reason. Divya and I have to really speak if I am the problem. And, if I am not the problem then Priyank will solve it after coming out. But I will definitely speak to her.

While speaking about getting cosy with Priyank on the bed, Benafsha said that it was genuine as she needed emotional support at that time. She said, "When I need emotional support, I go to my friends and hug them and I sleep next to them for a while, like I do to my brother. What I did that day next to Priyank was something that I would do to my brother.

I kiss and hug a person who is my friend. And Priyank is and will be my best friend and I will continue to kiss and hug him because I think it's warmth. I am a physical person like that. I like this kind of warmth. Apart from that everything whatever you guys saw was all a big fat joke.

Benafsha also praised Shilpa after coming out of the house, "I have apologised to Shilpa before leaving the house. I really like Shilpa. I think she is a great person. I am rooting for her along with Vikas and Hiten."

She lauded her friend Vikas and said, "I think Vikas is playing the best game in the house and he will win the show."

Her equation with Hina had improved after Priyank re-entered the house but looks like all was not well, as she didn't have good things to say about the actress. She said, "Hina is a lovely girl but she is getting into a bitchy character like gossiping about Puneesh and Bandgi, me and Priyank and gossiping about anyone and everyone in the house. It's not just negative for other people but it's negative for her. "
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The Euro dropped to start the trading week following reports that German coalition talks have collapsed. Japanese trade balance figures passed by without a significant response from FX financial markets considering the results limited implications for BOJ monetary policy.

The US Dollar is correcting cautiously higher after suffering a second consecutive weekly loss. From here, politics might overshadow the weeks stock of economic news including PMI survey data and minutes from the last FOMC meeting, according to Senior Currency Strategist Ilya Spivak.

Risk aversion defined price action on Friday. The Yen led lower-yielding funding currencies including the Swiss Franc and the Euro upward while the high-beta Australian and New Zealand Dollars tumbled following news that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed the Trump campaign.

DailyFX Economic Calendar: Asia Pacific (all times in GMT)

DailyFX Webinar Calendar 20 October 2017

Cross-Market Weekly Outlook (05:30 GMT) with Ilya Spivak

FX Week Ahead: Strategy for Major Event Risk (12:30 GMT) with Christopher Vecchio

US Market Opening Bell (14:30 GMT) with Jeremy Wagner

Holiday and Systemic Liquidity (19:00 GMT) with John Kicklighter

IG Client Sentiment Index Chart of the Day: GBP/USD

CLICK HERE to learn more about the IG Client Sentiment Index

Retail trader data shows 51.8% of traders are net-long GBP/USD, with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.07 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 12.7% lower than yesterday and 16.1% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 11.3% lower than yesterday and 2.8% higher from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests GBP/USD prices may continue to fall. Yet traders are less net-long than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current GBP/USD price trend may soon reverse higher despite the fact traders remain net-long.

Five Things Traders are Reading

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US President Trump has, in his narcissistic way, declared that his recent Asia tour has been a stupendous success. The excursion has many facets worth exploring. From the point of view of American business, it most certainly has been a great success. The US has announced that some $253 billion (Rs 16,42,982 crore) worth of trade deals were arrived at in China. There is, of course, the view that Beijing played Washington well in the process.

In fact, when you do the maths, it is apparent that the tour served to put a stamp of legitimacy on Chinas status as a Pacific power. Chinese President Xi Jinping made it a point to tell Trump that the Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate China and the United States.

Chinese whispers

In the past year, since the South China Sea arbitration award and the Belt and Road Forum, we have seen a distinct incoherence in American policy and a subtle shift in the regions approach towards Beijing. Many of them, especially ASEAN nations are adapting to Chinas power; even feisty Singapore has been forced to kowtow to Beijing.

The US allies were broadly happy that Trump strongly stated American intentions of upholding its security commitments to the region. His tour took him to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, besides China. He also articulated a new Indo-Pacific strategy and the US working to revive the Quadrilateral Security dialogue.

But by walking out of the trans-Pacific partnership, the Americans knocked off a key leg of their Asia-Pacific or, Indo-Pacific strategy. The President says he wants to do bilateral deals, as though little Vietnam or the Philippines would risk underrating such a negotiation with the mighty US. Smaller powers have always banded together in such agreements to protect and further their interests. So, there are no takers for the offer.

Smaller powers are therefore acting on their own to increase Asian connectivity and balance against China. The TPP countries ranging from Australia to Vietnam have begun talks to revive a variant of the organisation minus the US, which they hope the US will join once it comes to its senses. Minus Cambodia and Laos, states in Asia are concerned about the America First agenda, especially its withdrawal from multilateral positions on trade and climate change.

Lack of strategy

The US appears to lack a coherent strategy for the Asian region. Reaffirming military commitments, even while undermining economic ones is not a credible response to Beijing, which through its Belt and Road Initiative, is riding on its vast capital resources and working systematically to knit together a web of influence through infrastructure construction, trade and investment.

The PLA flag follows this and its manifestation is the far-flung base in Djibouti and the PLAN ships and submarines that now regularly visit the Indian Ocean. This is the reason why India needs to exercise caution while getting involved in Trumps revived Quad and his Indo-Pacific construct.

The idea is clearly aimed at drawing India into the Pacific military equation. Among Asia-Pacific countries, only India has the potential to effectively balance China. Japan is a formidable military power, but it is locked in an existential struggle with North Korea, Australia is inconsequential as far as China is concerned and Vietnam too vulnerable, physically and economically

The one thing instantly evident about the Indo-Pacific construct is that there is a lot of Pacific in it, and little of the Indo. The main reason for this is that Indo-US ties have strong military content and are supervised by the US Pacific Command, whose geographical jurisdiction ends at Diego Garcia, south of Sri Lanka. The area that matters most to India  the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea  has been excluded from any Indo-US discussion.

Complex politics

This, as is well known, is a vastly more important external region for India as compared to the Pacific. This also happens to be a politically volatile region. Of course, it is not simple to navigate through the complex regional politics. India, for example, has good ties with Iran, while the US sees it as an adversary.

Likewise, the US has historically had excellent ties with Islamabad, while New Delhi sees it as an enemy. These are only some of the equations that need to get untangled before we can talk about a comprehensive and joint Indo-Pacific strategy.

India certainly needs close ties with the US to offset growing Chinese power, especially since its own economy has yet to take off and its military remains unreconstructed and obsolete. But it needs to ensure that there be some balance in the Indo-Pacific obligations.

Given the shifting dynamics of this vast region, it is not as though the two sides have to dot every i and cross every t to begin with. But they need to recognise that for a durable and workable partnership they need to be upfront about their respective medium to long-term calculations.
"Z A Bhutto hanged, buried in Naudero." This newspaper headline from an English daily in 1979 was the first sentence of my first article for a newspaper in 2011. One of my earliest memories of politics - I was a precocious child - is one of my maternal uncles winning on a Pakistan People's Party seat in 1977, and the entire village erupting in jubilation.

My mother loved Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and I've vague memories of his televised fiery speeches made to rapt audiences of adoring thousands. The news of his hanging hugely saddened my mother, and confused my young mind. The headline remained etched in my mind along with the picture of the man I began to detest and fear: General Zia-ul-Haq.

General Zia-ul-Haq

Growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s - Zia died when I finished college - I remember being interested in politics without really understanding what was happening to Pakistan. Throughout my school years, I lived in a small city that had a Pakistan Air Force base, and the sight of low-flying helicopters and the dashing pilots waving to us made us jump in glee. The Defence Day parades were a yearly special treat, as we watched, noisily seated in front of a chunky television, our armed forces marching to beats of military bands and silent prayers of the nation. Our textbooks had stories of valour and sacrifices of the recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award, and every Pakistani child knew the details of their wartime heroism. Every third family had an officer in the armed forces; it was invariably a matter of pride to be wearing a uniform to dedicate your life to the service of the nation.

None of that has changed to date. Pakistan is still proud of its decorated officers, its soldiers, its martyrs, its faceless heroes.

And then there are the military dictators. While Pakistan's armed forces are known for their organisational capabilities, management skills, work ethic, a strict accountability mechanism and administrative abilities, the problem occurs when the focus of the military's power moves towards the civilian domain. Pakistan is a democracy, yet for almost 30 years of its almost seven decades of existence it has been ruled by military autocrats, who ousted democratically elected leaders to obtain power, and remain in power for long periods of time. Being a vehement advocate of democracy, I accept no reason for dismissal or removal of elected civilian governments, and my opposition to military rules - notwithstanding my respect for armed forces - remains categorical.

In August 2017, the juridical disqualification of the three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, came as another blow to the fragile edifice of democracy in Pakistan; the "establishment" was said to be behind his "ouster".

A juridical verdict hailed by the opposition parties, in particular the Imran-Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had the public and media re-engaged in a debate. While I strongly believe the only way to remove an unpopular or a corrupt leader is through an electoral process, there are millions of Pakistanis who believe that Sharif received his comeuppance. That all "corrupt" leaders should be removed from power. That it was about time the sense of entitlement some politicians have is given a hefty shake of reality. That power is not the given right of some families who have little or no sense of what is good for the country in the short and the long run.

Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan has a system of accountability, and there is no whataboutery regarding its significance and relevance in the realm of 21st century politics. How fair and impartial that system of accountability is remains to be seen. That is something time and an honest assessment of reality will tell. Will all politicians facing allegations, notwithstanding their stature and history, be investigated and put in a dock of justice? Will all judges of the superior courts undergo the same system of scrutiny? Will all senior military officials be open to the same mechanism of accountability?

Today I look at the political landscape of Pakistan, and there is a feeling of despair and foreboding within me. A country of more than 200 million people, huge resources, a great geostrategic position and untapped talent of millions, Pakistan stands at a crossroads of political ambivalence. Who will be in power after the 2018 general elections? If Nawaz Sharif is deemed "corrupt" and pushed aside in elections, those who wish to replace him have a long and hard road ahead of them. Pakistan doesn't just need a new, honest and an incorruptible prime minister, Pakistan needs a leader who is far-sighted, courageous, pragmatic and ready to map a future that seems elusive to most of its civilian leaders. The very system needs an overhaul.

Blaming the establishment for all governmental failings is not merely an old and oft-employed exercise, it is simply and simplistically a way to not take responsibility for a different course of action for future. It is one thing to say that the establishment controls Pakistan's foreign policy but who is responsible for the mess everything else is in Pakistan? I am unable to see any true strengthening of civilian institutions in my country. There is no genuine and long-term empowerment of the office of prime minister. Even a party like the Pakistan Peoples Party that has a long and painful history of fighting for democracy did not do much to strengthen the civilian edifice of governance. In 2017, what is visible is a series of governments - both autocratic and democratic - as inefficient, weak, self-serving, opportunistic and corrupt. That is what needs to change, not just the faces in the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

It pains me to see political power games, the ungainly race for power, the unsavoury attacks on one another. Political hegemony and not the well-being of people seem to be the goal, the sole agenda. What Pakistan needs for its inner stability will also help in its image-building in the comity of nations. A corruption-free, focused on a better future, and a democratically stronger Pakistan will not only be good for its people but also for the entire region.

Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa

The real change will occur if civilian governments have an unimpeachable and an impeccable system of governance. Human failings aside, the public will be fully behind a government that is truly from the people and for the people. No excuse of establishment overreaching or interference in civilian matters would hold weight if the intention to serve people is sincere, honest and practical. Once the public is with the civilian leadership, no institution - judicial or military - and no religious organisation or party will be able to dictate terms to a civilian government. After loud avowals of strengthening democracy, a series of compromises begins, be it with religious organisations or military leadership. Appeasement for maintaining of power becomes the norm until it rots the very foundation of the very precarious democratic edifice of democracy in Pakistan.

The condition is only one: work to improve lives of people and not your personal advancement. My ideas may be utopian to many, but to me they are tangible, doable and the only way for Pakistan to step back from the edge of the abyss it finds itself on today.

Pakistan needs substantial and long-term reforms: parliamentary, electoral, juridical, economic, land, police, accountability, taxation, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order. The country needs leaders who are not less corrupt than one another but those who have an irreproachable record of public service and financial transparency. We need leaders who know how to control schisms, driven by distortions of religious injunctions, and propelled by bigotry and hatred for other faiths and other nations. We need leaders who realise the redundancy of militancy to be used as a tool to gain power and to win any fight within and without. We need leaders who envision a stable role for the country in the neighbourhood and internationally.

Pakistan needs leaders who while acknowledging the stature of the armed forces, their constant service and their countless sacrifices understand that there is a fine line between respect and appeasement. We need leaders who think beyond the me-and-my-family syndrome, and work for that one entity that is above all affiliations and all ties: the nation.
By India Today Web Desk: The show started with Deepika Padukone's entry in the Bigg Boss house. The actress was there to promote her upcoming movie Padmavati. She had some fun tasks for the contestants. Akash was the first one to be asked to go on the dais and inhale helium and sing a song. Deepika and everyone in the house were left in splits after his performance.

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Post Akash, Hiten was asked to profess his love to Arshi, even if it's false. Hiten also had to inhale helium and make his love confession in a funny voice. He mouthed the famous Om Shanti Om dialogue 'Itni shiddat se tumhe...' for Arshi.

Sapna Chaudhary who's an amazing dancer was next. Deepika asked her to show her killer dance moves. Sapna danced to Haryanvi song Chhori Bindaas. Deepika was so impressed with her performance that she gave her a special power to punish any one of the housemates. She chose Akash, whose behaviour towards Shilpa was very bad throughout the week. As a result of which Akash was shackled around his wrist, ankle and neck until Bigg Boss' next instructions.

Shilpa Shinde was crowned as Queen Padmavati while Hiten became Maharawal Ratan Singh of the house. With maximum votes, Puneesh was declared as the villain aka Alauddin Khilji of Bigg Boss house, which didn't go down too well with him. Deepika bade adieu to the housemates only after making them all dance to her famous Ghoomar song from Padmavati.

After meeting the housemates, Deepika met Salman Khan and the duo engaged in a fun conversation, where both Salman and Deepika posed few questions to each other. When asked whom would Deepika like to kill, marry and date--Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor-- she chose Bhansali to marry, Ranveer to date and said, "Shahid Kapoor toh shaadishuda hai toh unko kill toh karna he padega."

Salman was asked the same question and was asked to choose between Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez and Deepika. Salman being Salman said that he wouldn't marry anybody but would date and kill them all.

Salman also threw a challenge at Deepika to do an offbeat dance. Both Salman and Deepika set the stage on fire with their offbeat dance moves on Ghoomar from Padmavati.

After meeting the diva, the housemates gathered around the living area to get their weekly dose from star Salman Khan. Salman pulled Luv's leg for trying to save too many contestants during the luxury budget task.

This week Shilpa and Hina were pitted against each other for Sultani Akhada. It was quite easy for Angoori Bhabhi to defeat Hina.

Salman then announced Benafsha Soonawalla as the contestant to be evicted from the house. The other contestants who were nominated for elimination were Hina Khan and Sapna Chaudhary.

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Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. operates as a risk and compliance solutions company worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Capital Markets - Software Solutions (CM-SS), Capital Markets - Compliance and Communications Management (CM-CCM), Investment Companies - Software Solutions (IC-SS), and Investment Companies - Compliance and Communications Management (IC-CCM). The CM-SS segment provides Venue, ActiveDisclosure, eBrevia, and other solutions to public and private companies to manage public and private transaction processes, extract data, and analyze contracts; collaborate; and tag, validate, and file SEC documents. The CM-CCM segment offers tech-enabled services and print and distribution solutions to public and private companies for deal solutions and SEC compliance requirements. The IC-SS segment provides clients with the Arc Suite platform that contains a comprehensive suite of cloud-based solutions and services that enable storage and management of compliance and regulatory information in a self-service and central repository for accessing, assembling, editing, translating, rendering, and submitting documents to regulators. The IC-CCM segment offers clients with tech-enabled solutions for creating and filing regulatory communications and solutions for investor communications, as well as XBRL-formatted filings pursuant to the Investment Act, through the SEC EDGAR system. This segment also provides turnkey proxy services, including discovery, planning and implementation, print and mail management, solicitation, tabulation services, shareholder meeting review, and expert support. Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
He took a jibe at Lalu maintaining that the RJD boss without having any base or formal organisation in Gujarat was making an appeal to the people to vote out the BJP from power.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: With RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav all set to be declared national president of the party for the 10th time tomorrow, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has hit out at the principal opposition party for continuing with the legacy of dynasty politics. Calling RJD the party belonging to just one family, Modi said that after Lalu, his wife Rabri and then his son Tejaswi will become president of the party.

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"Ever since RJD was formed in 1997, Lalu has remained its national president and now he will be taking charge of the party again for the 10th time. It's the party which believes in dynasty politics", said Sushil Modi, deputy Chief Minister.

He took a jibe at Lalu maintaining that the RJD boss without having any base or formal organisation in Gujarat was making an appeal to the people to vote out the BJP from power.

"RJD has no organisation in Gujarat nor they are fielding candidates on any seats but still Lalu was appealing people not to vote for BJP. The opposition can do whatever they can but no one can stop BJP from returning to power", said Modi.

He also slammed the Congress for keeping with the tag of being a dynastic political party maintaining that after Congress President Sonia Gandhi steps down next month, her son and current Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will be the successor.

"Sonia has remained the President of the Congress for 19 years and now Rahul Gandhi will take up this post next month", said the BJP leader.

Modi said that BJP was the only democratic party in the country where even a tea seller (PM Modi) could become the PM.

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Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications. It operates in three segments: Plumbing, Outdoors & Security, and Cabinets. The Plumbing segment manufactures, assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, and Shaws brands in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America directly through its own sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers' representatives to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers, and industrial distributors. The Outdoors & Security segment offers fiberglass and steel entry door systems under the Therma-Tru brand; storm, screen, and security doors under the Larson brand; composite decking and railing under the Fiberon brand; and urethane millwork under the Fypon brand. This segment also manufactures, sources, and distributes locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products under the Master Lock and American Lock brands; and fire resistant safes, security containers, and commercial cabinets under the SentrySafe brand. It serves home centers, hardware and other retailers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, specialty dealers, and remodeling and renovation markets, as well as locksmiths, industrial and institutional users, and original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, Japan, and Australia. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry, as well as vanities for the kitchen, bath, and other parts of the home directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers, and builders in North America under the AOK, Diamond Brands, Homecrest, Kitchen Craft, Omega, and EVE brands. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
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.
By PTI: London, Nov 20 (PTI) People who overdose on paracetamol could be helped by a blood test that shows immediately if they are going to suffer liver damage, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK say the test - which detects levels of specific molecules in blood ? will help doctors identify which patients need more intense treatment.

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It will also help speed the development of new therapies for liver damage by targeting patients most likely to benefit.

The test detects three different molecules in the blood that are associated with liver damage - called miR-122, HMGB1 and FL-K18.

The study, published in the journal Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, measured levels of the three markers in more than 1,000 patients who needed treatment for paracetamol overdose.

They found that the test can accurately predict which patients are going to develop liver problems, and who may need to be treated for longer before they are discharged.

"These new blood tests can identify who will develop liver injury as soon as they first arrive at hospital. This could transform the care of this large, neglected, patient group," said James Dear, from the University of Edinburgh. PTI SNE SAR SNE

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By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 20 (PTI) China today strongly objected to President Ram Nath Kovinds visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from "complicating" the border dispute when bilateral relations are at a "crucial moment".

President Kovind visited Arunachal Pradesh yesterday.

"The Chinese government never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and our position on the border issue is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media when asked about Kovind?s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet.

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China routinely objects to any senior Indian officials visit to the area.

India has dismissed Beijings objections, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and Indian leaders are as much free to visit the state as they are to any other part of the country.

Both countries are "in the process of settling this issue through negotiation and consultation and seek to reach to a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to all", Lu said.

Pending final settlement all parties should work for peace and tranquillity, he said.

"China firmly opposes the Indian leader?s relevant activities in the relevant region when China-India relations are at a crucial moment," he said.

"We hope India could work in the same direction and maintain general picture of bilateral ties and refrain from complicating border issue and work to create favourable conditions for border negotiations and for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties," he said.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China stretches to 3,488 kms.

On November 6, China had raised objection to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamans visit to the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Both sides held 19 round of talks by the Special Representatives to resolve the boundary dispute. The 20th round is expected to be held next month in New Delhi, though dates have not yet been announced. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi are the designated Special Representatives for the boundary talks. PTI KJV NSA AKJ NSA

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On Friday, India and China held the first meeting of a border consultation working mechanism since the Doklam stand-off.

By Ananth Krishnan: China on Monday strongly hit out at President Ram Nath Kovind's weekend visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying it "firmly opposes" the visit.

"China has never acknowledged so-called Arunachal Pradesh and China's position on the border issue is consistent and clear," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular briefing after Chinese State media raised a question on the visit.

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"China and India are in the process of settling the issue through negotiation and consultations. We seek a fair, reasonable solution acceptable to all," Lu added.

He said China "firmly opposes the Indian leader's relevant activity in the relevant region."

Saying that India-China relations "are in a crucial moment", Lu added that China "hopes the Indian side can refrain form complicating the border situation and create favourable conditions for sound and steady development of bilateral relations."

Speaking to the Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly on Sunday, President Kovind said "diversity was the country's strength" and said the state was "the jewel in the crown", referring to the northeast.

China had similarly hit out on November 6 at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to the state, with the Foreign Ministry in Beijing saying on November 6 that visit was "not conducive to peace and tranquility of the relevant region.

On Friday, India and China held the first meeting of a border consultation working mechanism since the Doklam stand-off.

In a separate statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry welcomed the talks and said it was "in the fundamental interest of both countries to maintain the healthy and stable development of China-India relations and is also the common expectation of both the region and the international community."

"In the next stage," the ministry said, "the two sides will continue to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges and enhance strategic mutual trust, properly handle differences, and promote the further development of Sino-Indian relations."

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Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.7bn (British Land share: 10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.
Pentair plc provides various water solutions worldwide. It operates through Consumer Solutions; and Industrial & Flow Technologies segments. The Consumer Solutions segment designs, manufactures, and sells residential and commercial pool equipment and accessories, including pumps, filters, heaters, lights, automatic controls, automatic cleaners, maintenance equipment, and pool accessories for residential and commercial pool maintenance, repair, renovation, service, and construction applications; and water treatment products and systems comprising pressure tanks, control valves, activated carbon products, conventional filtration products, and point-of-entry and point-of-use systems for the use in residential whole home water filtration, drinking water filtration, and water softening solutions, as well as in commercial total water management and filtration in foodservice operations. It offers its products under the Everpure, Ken's Beverage, Kreepy Krauly, Pentair Water Solutions, Pleatco, RainSoft, and Sta-Rite brands. The Industrial & Flow Technologies segment manufactures and sells fluid treatment products, such as advanced membrane filtration products, separation systems, and membrane bioreactors; water supply and disposal, solid handling, fluid transfer, and turbine pumps; and valves, spray nozzles, process filtration systems, and gas recovery solutions for food and beverage, fluid separation technologies, water and wastewater treatment, water wells, pressure boosting, fire suppression, flood control, agricultural irrigation, crop spray, fluid circulation and transfer, fluid delivery, ion exchange, desalination, residential and municipal wells, and wastewater solids handling applications. It offers its products under the Pentair, Aurora, Berkeley, Codeline, Fairbanks-Nijhuis, Haffmans, Hydromatic, Hypro, Jung Pumpen, Myers, Sta-Rite, Shurflo, Sudmo, and X-Flow brands. Pentair plc was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
China has interests in almost everything in Zimbabwe - from agriculture to construction of parliament building.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Speculation is rife that China approved of what is being widely seen as a coup d'etat in Zimbabwe where the military leadership under Constantino Chiwenga has placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest.

China is the largest investor and biggest market for Zimbabwe. China and Zimbabwe share close relationship since 1970s, which deepened after the USSR refused to give arms to Robert Mugabe and China stepped into fill the gap.

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China provided arms and training to the guerrillas of Robert Mugabe and after winning freedom in 1980 from Britain. Robert Mugabe paid a visit to China next year as the prime minister. He has been visiting the country regularly ever since.

Robert Mugabe's last visit to China was in January this year, when he was apparently warned by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that if he did not bring order in Zimbabwe, it would prove detrimental to his regime.

Interestingly, Zimbabwe's military general Constantino Chwenga visited Beijing early this month and within days of his return from China, the country's army virtually catapulted Robert Mugabe out of power.

Brigadier General Sibusiso Moyo of Zimbabwe Army announced last week on TV that the military was taking over the administration in the country. Robert Mugabe's own party Zanu-PF threatened to impeach him should he refuse to step down on his own.

Watch: Soldiers storm the state broadcaster and take control in Zimbabwe, but say 93-year-old President Mugabe is 'safe'. pic.twitter.com/rMiTGfyzIN- Reuters Top News (@Reuters) November 15, 2017

China has invested billions of dollars in Zimbabwe. It controls variety of sectors from agriculture to mining and from shipping to industry. Last year, China approved the project to construct a new parliament building in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

Robert Mugabe's relations with China has deteriorated in recent times especially after a 2008-controversy around shipment of arms. The shipment from China had to be cancelled. China responded with put Zimbabwe in the bracket of "limited level" military trading.

Meanwhile, due to political instability in Zimbabwe, for which China put blames on Robert Mugabe, Chinese companies were not keen on launching new projects. On the other hand, 93-year-old Robert Mugabe seemed to be paving way for his wife Grace Mugabe to succeed him as the Zimbabwe President.

Mugabe sacked his vice-president and widely viewed as natural successor Emmersion Mnangagwa. He was Mugabe's deputy till November 6. But, he was said to be in a tussle with Grace Mugabe over the question of succession.

Applause to the army for the restraint they have shown so far #Zimbabwe #Zimbabwecrisis pic.twitter.com/0Aun5w2o1K- Jacob Ngarivhume (@jngarivhume) November 15, 2017

Emmersion Mnangagwa had to flee to South Africa after he was fired. Previously, it was rumoured that Grace Mugabe attempted to poison him after he fell ill at a public rally in October.

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Emmersion Mnangagwa is said to have came back to Zimbabwe a week ago following Constantino Chiwenga's return from China. Chiwenga is said to be an associate of Emmersion Mnangagwa. This perhaps explains why Brigadier General Sibusiso Moyo said that it was not a coup when he announced that the military was taking over the reins of administration.

Surprisingly, China has not said a word about what is being seen as a coup in Zimbabwe. On the other hand, it termed Chiwenga's recent Beijing visit as a "normal military exchange."

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Congress changes four candidates to appease PAAS as alliance with NCP falls through, shares three seats with JD(U).

By Jumana Shah: In a bid to soothe some Patidar feathers that got inadvertently ruffled, the Gujarat Congress on Monday evening replaced four Candidates in its fist list of candidates it had announced on Sunday evening.

The party replaced Varachha road (Surat) candidate Praful Togadia with Dhiru Gajera, Bhikhabhai Joshi in place of Amit Thummar in Junagadh, Jaish Patel in place of Kiran Thakor in Bharuch and Ashok Jirawala in place of Nilesh Kumbani in Kamrej.

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A few PAAS workers had gone on a violent rampage on Sunday night after the first list was released. Some attacked Congress offices in Surat and Bhavnagar. While Praful Togadia is a Patidar, he was unacceptable to PAAS. Same was the case with Thummar. "Since the seat was designated for a Patidar candidate, it was prudent to change the candidate rather than take up cudgels with PAAS when we are looking to a fruitful alliance with them," a senior Congress source said.

The second list contained 9 more candidates for the Gujarat Assembly polls.

This is our 2nd Candidate list for #GujaratElection2017. Congratulations & Best wishes to all Candidates! pic.twitter.com/fDPN778QjY- Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 20, 2017

Hardik Patel spent the day in Rajkot, mulling his next move. He was expected to announce his support to congress on Rajkot on Monday evening following a rally in Gondal. The rally and the announcement were cancelled.

Meanwhile, even as the Congress's seat sharing with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has not worked out this time, the party has tied up with the Janta Dal (United) for three seats. The JD(U) is headed by Chhotu Vasava, who is based in Jhagadia in central Gujarat. Vasava reportedly voted against his party's diktat by supporting Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha polls. Vasava is supported by Sharad Yadav faction of JD(U).

The polling for the two-phase elections for the 182 seats will be held on December 9 and December 14. The counting of votes will be held on December 18.

WATCH VIDEO | Gujarat Opinion Poll: Results of the India Today-Axis My India Opinion 2017 survey

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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.
First Republic Bank was founded by Jim Herbert with the intention of providing exceptional levels of customer service. It was his belief that customer service would set the bank apart and create a profitable investment for its shareholders. After 35 years, his vision has proven true with a 25% CAGR that continues to this day. The initial enterprise value has grown from only $8.8 million in that time, to over $19 billion making it the 14th largest bank in the US. First Republic Bank was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

First Republic Bank with its subsidiaries operates in two segments and provides personal banking, business banking, and wealth management services to individuals, families, organizations, and small businesses in the United States. The companys services are available in-person at one of the more than 80 offices or via ATM, online, mobile, and debit cards.

The company offers deposit products including checking and saving accounts, money market, and CDs as well as a range of lending products. The full range of lending products includes but is not limited to residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, commercial real estate and construction loans, and personal and business loans.

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First Republic Bank operates a network of more than 80 deposit-taking branches and 12 wealth management offices. The network is located primarily in California with additional branches in major metropolitan areas and two destination locations that include Portland, Boston, Palm Beach, Greenwich, New York, and Jackson, Wyoming.

First Republic Bank has proven its worth over the year by maintaining a consistently strong capital level, asset quality, and liquidity position. Its prudent management has allowed it to weather market ups and downs while commanding investment grade ratings for its bonds and preferred stock.
Members of the Hardik Patel-led PAAS protested and even clashed with Congress supporters in some parts of Gujarat after the grand old party released its first list of candidates for the state's Assembly election.

Congress earlier said it had arrived at an agreement with the Hardik Patel-led PAAS on reservations for the Patidar community

By India Today Web Desk: A shaky Patidar reservation deal finalised between the Congress and Hardik Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in Gujarat seemed to be teetering on the brink Sunday night after the party announced its first list of candidates for the state's upcoming Assembly election.

Early Sunday evening, India Today reported that the Congress and PAAS had arrived at a deal over quotas for the Patidar community and that the firebrand PAAS leader Hardik Patel would announce the details of the agreement at a rally today.

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Hours later, the Congress released its first list of 77 candidates for the forthcoming 182-seat Gujarat election. The list included two PAAS leaders (Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat).

There were also unconfirmed reports that one more PAAS member had been accommodated in the list while news agency PTI reported that around 20 other Patel candidates, none them PAAS members, were given Congress tickets to fight the first phase of the two-part Gujarat polls.

The low number of PAAS candidates in the Congress's first list seemingly angered members of the Hardik Patel-led organisation. While Patel, who Congress said would formally announce support at a rally in Rajkot, remained mum, members of his reservation movement clashed with supporters of the grand old party in some areas of Gujarat and held protests in other regions.

Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/UWaCfyNZ3F- ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

PAAS members attacked Congress offices in at least two places - Surat and Bhavnagar - while in Ahmedabad, there was ruckus outside the home of the party's state chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

"The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold a massive protests against Congress," a local PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria was quoted as saying by PTI.

According to local news channel TV9 Gujarati, clashes and protests were also reported other areas such as Junagadh, Amerli and Morbi.

In Surat, PAAS members attacked a local Congress office, clashing with party cadre in the Varachha Road Assembly constituency. The Congress picked its own leader - Praful Togadiya - to fight from Varachha Road.

In visuals shared by ANI on Twitter, the two factions could be seen getting into a fistfight. A Congress office nearby was also ransacked by PAAS members.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc- ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

"Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state," Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya was quoted as saying by PTI.

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Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, police presence was beefed up outside the home of Bharatsinh Solanki, the Gujarat Congress chief. According to a report in local daily Divya Bhaskar, prominent PAAS leader Dinesh Bhambhani attempted meeting Solanki late in the night at his residence and got into a quarrel with the policemen posted at the Congress state chief's home.

Speaking to reporters outside Solanki's residence, Bhambhani claimed the PAAS was not consulted by the Congress before the latter released its list.

News agency ANI quoted the Patidar leader as saying PAAS would ask its leaders who were given tickets by the Congress not to file nominations. "We will oppose the Congress party," Bhambhani said, adding, "We will mull over giving support to Congress."

Interestingly, Bhambhani is the same leader who earlier on Sunday had effectively confirmed that Hardik Patel would ask Patidars to lend their support to Congress. "A formal announcement about Congress's formula (on reservation for Patidars) and the other issues on which consensus has been reached will be announced by Hardik in a rally in Rajkot on Monday evening," he had said.

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With the Congress's first list of candidates (read the full list here) creating discontent in several PAAS quarters, it remains to be seen if Patel will go ahead with his announcement.

Gujarat will vote in a new Assembly in two phases - 89 of the total 182 seats will go to the polls on December 9, while voting in the remaining constituencies will take place on December 14. Results will be announced on December 18.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has announced 106 candidates so far, has been in power in Gujarat for over two decades. This year's election, however, will be the first to be held after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a four-time Gujarat Chief Minister, left Gandhinagar for New Delhi in 2014.

(With inputs from Gopi Maniar in Ahmedabad)

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Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over as the Congress president just ahead of Gujarat Assembly election 2017.

By India Today Web Desk, Supriya Bhardwaj: Congress president Sonia Gandhi convened meet of Congress Working Committee that was expected to lay foundation for Rahul Gandhi's coronation as the next party frontman has announced the poll schedule.

It is now almost certain that Rahul Gandhi will be elevated as Congress president before votes are cast for Gujarat Assembly election .

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The notification for Congress President poll will be issued on December 1, candidates will file nominations on December 4, voting (if required) will take place on December 16, and the counting (if any) will be held on December 19.

Rahul Gandhi is one confirmed candidate, who will be filing nomination for the post. If no other party leader files nomination till the last date of doing so, Rahul Gandhi will be elected as Congress president unopposed.

Pradesh Congress Committees and frontal organisations have also unanimously passed resolutions announcing that Rahul should be made the party president.

Rahul Gandhi's elevation has been deferred several times in the past as he reportedly wished to take the mantle officially after November 19, the 100th birth anniversary of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The CWC meet was held at Sonia Gandhi 's Janpath 10 residence.

HERE ARE THE UPDATES:

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi in CWC said, "Party's focus in Gujarat should be to ask BJP- why they are silent on the issue of corruption."

While incumbent party chief Sonia Gandhi fired, "Rahul and many of you here and in Gujarat are working hard for a positive result in that state. Let us do our best to prove that people are not fooled and that they will make the right decision and defeat the present dispensation there."

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi comments on the CWC meet, "Congress is on ventilator while their heir-apparent is on accelerator. No surprise element in the coronation of another feudal mindset..."

Congress MP .@DeependerSHooda : Organisational poll schedule which will culminate into elevation of Rahul Gandhi ji as party president will be discussed. We all looking forward to this day and Rahulji as President will strengthen our party .@IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/Z3kcbCsehg- Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) November 20, 2017

Congress leader Deepender Hooda said, "We all looking forward to this day. Rahulji as party president will strengthen our party."

Delhi: Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting to begin shortly, leaders arrive at 10 Janpath pic.twitter.com/pHKnqYdLDd

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With inputs from Supriya Bhardwaj

Also watch: Rahul Gandhi speaks to social media volunteers in Banaskantha, reveals who tweets for him

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Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Technical Solutions. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It also provides nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as refueling and overhaul, and inactivation services of ships. In addition, the company offers naval nuclear support services, including fleet services comprising design, construction, maintenance, and disposal activities for in-service the U.S. Navy nuclear ships; and maintenance services on nuclear reactor prototypes. Further, it provides life-cycle sustainment services to the U.S. Navy fleet and other maritime customers; high-end information technology and mission-based solutions for Department of Defense (DoD), intelligence, and federal civilian customers; nuclear management and operations and environmental management services for the Department of Energy, DoD, state and local governments, and private sector companies; defense and federal solutions; and unmanned systems. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia.
Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; retirement interest only mortgages; and workplace savings scheme that provides corporate pension scheme solutions. The LGIM segment offers index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real assets. The LGC segment provides investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment offers protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. It is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses. In addition, the company engages in the investment, operation, management, trading, and letting and operation of leased real estate; and construction of commercial buildings, financial intermediation, pension tracing and transfer, insurance agents and brokers, fund general partner, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. Legal & General Group Plc was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Beijing Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Guangzhou Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Asia Limited (Korea Branch), AMO Asia Limited Taiwan Branch (Hong Kong), AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Australia Pty Limited (New Zealand Branch), AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings Unlimited Company, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Ireland Branch, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Anakuria Therapeutics Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Apsis, Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. 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Service Center (DAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AB Eesti filiaal (Branch), Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson AG (Zuchwil Branch), Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Care Switzerland Branch of Janssen-Cilag AG, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) There is a good news for applicants of DDAs Rohini scheme of 1981, as the housing authority today proposed to relax an allotment norm which hinged on the size or nature of a plot or flat owned by them.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the urban body chaired by Lt. Gov. Anil Baijal, also the chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

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The proposal would be conveyed to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs for approval.

The scheme for allotment of residential plots in the scheme was launched on February 9, 1981, and the allotment of plots were to be made in phases over five years, starting on the last date of the receipt of applications.

"The decision, once approved, will benefit those applicants whose allotments were cancelled due to a mismatch in plot size norm. The relaxation of rules would be done retrospectively to cover cases cancelled in the past.

"However, these cases would be considered for allotment of plot in a developing sector through a draw of lots at pre- determined rates," a senior official said.

For the Rohini scheme, one of the eligibility criteria was that an applicant who jointly owned plot or land of size of less than 65sqm.

However, persons who owned a house or plot allotted by the DDA on an area of even less than 65sqm shall not be eligible for allotment, according to the DDA.

The Authority discussed that due to various reasons the said timeframe of five years (1981-86) could not be adhered to.

"In view of principle of natural justice, any of the registrants, who had purchased any property after five years from the date of closing of the scheme, would not be debarred from allotment of plot, irrespective of the size and nature of the plot/flat acquired in his/her name or dependents," the DDA said in a statement.

However, the applicants who have voluntarily withdrawn from the scheme "would not have legitimate rights" to be reconsidered.

According to a senior DDA official, "Over 80,240 flats were to be allotted under the scheme. Various draws have been held and all flats have been alloted. However, in some cases we have not been able to give possession.

"The registrants, whose applications were cancelled due to the norm earlier, would now become eligible for allotment. So, a fresh draw would have to be undertaken for these cases," he said.

Rohini Scheme 1981 offered flats in LIG, MIG and HIG categories.

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All the pending showcause notices would be withdrawn, the DDA added.

"Only original applicants or their legatee would be considered for handing over possession and their genuinness, would be ensured through biometric impression matching with their Aadhaar number-linked biometric," the statement said.

During the meeting, it was also decided that an agency would be selected for development and maintenance of a computerised management system for decision support, and an online public services system for grievance redressal. PTI KND BUN ABH

--- ENDS ---
By Karishma Kuenzang: The devastating level of toxins in the air in Delhi-NCR is wreaking havoc with residents' health. While many have rushed to their nearest chemist to get whatever mask is being recommended (which varies), others have bought air-purifiers in bulk. And then there are those who've rescheduled their vacation, even though by the time they return the smog menace might not be over. We spoke to some of the who's who of the capital to find out what they are doing to cope with the poisonous air, and how it's affecting their lives.

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Musician Subir Malik, pianist and manager of Parikrama, resides in Delhi's Sanik Farms with his wife and two daughters. While he's bought masks for the family, he has stopped opening all the doors and windows in the house early morning. And though they have contemplated going out of town, that's a temporary solution.

Meanwhile, his wife has started eating gur because people said it helps for present situation. "The more people there are, the more suggestions, but no one knows the correct way to stay healthy in this situation," he says.

DO AIR PURIFIERS REALLY HELP?

The biggest problem, Subir says, is that there's a lot of confusion about air purifiers.

"My car already has it as I bought one five-six months ago in anticipation of the Diwali pollution. I've also bought three for the house. But there's a lot of confusion - some people say it's good and some people say it doesn't help with the air quality. A few months ago, when I went to the doctor, he said the quality of air inside my house is more poisonous than outside, and this was before the smog attack!" he said.

Adding that it's a point of concern for each person in the city, he adds, "There will come a time when people will just move out of the city because one can't subject your family to this weather. And this problem happens every year, albeit this time it's much worse and more like a wake-up call."

Pointing out the idleness on the government's part, he says, "Aap kuch bhi kar lo, you can't just sit at home. You can't improve the situation overnight. But, who's doing anything? The government doesn't seem to be able to control the situation. They come up with ads claiming they've done this and that. Why can't they take out a simple advertisement that says what people should do in this situation and what to avoid?"

"We don't have proper long-term solution. There has to be a political movement for it. Till then, as like other things, it's just a blame game," he concludes.

While many might be believe that doing yoga is the best way to deal with this chaos, yoga instructor and psychology and health education teacher at a Delhi school, Shreya Sethi, says that doing asanas could do more harm because of the inhalation of polluted air.

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She says, "Pranayama is good for you but only if you have an air purifier in the room. If you don't have one, then avoid doing yoga because it will only harm your body because of the deep breathing that's involved. When you inhale deeply, the polluted air goes straight to the lungs. Avoid doing Kapalbhati right now, along with Anulom-Vilom."

She says that Bhastrika Pranayama, wherein you inhale and then forcefully exhale, is the worst asana to do right now without a functional air-purifier. "When I was training at an ashram, they told us not to do the asana in the city because the air in cities is too polluted for the asana and will do more harm than good. Instead of increasing the oxygen level, you're just sending other chemicals inside your body instead," she adds.

Personally, Shreya has started using an air purifier at home because she finds the masks uncomfortable to wear all the time. She's also started taking a lot of cinnamon because it's a great anti-oxidant. The school's parents' body has donated air purifiers for each class and they also have people coming in and checking the pollution level in each class.

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SERVING A DISH CALLED PLASTIC, WASTE AND POLLUTION

Meanwhile, Chef Priyam Chatterjee, head chef at Qla, points out that the restaurants in the city too are doing what they can to help the situation. Qla is trying not to use the pizza oven as much, while the outdoor oven has been completely shut off. They are trying to keep the gas usage to a minimum.

I recently made a dish called Plastic, Waste and Pollution, to showcase the pollution menace in Delhi. The dish is maple farmed baby duck breast (sous vide with white truffles), duck jus with black olives, edible plastic (olive water baked and turned into crispy sheets) and foam of parmesan.

"My entire team got masks, which they wear during the day," says chef Priyam, who's stopped his outdoor night jogs. And heading out of the city is not really an option, he opines. "What can be done anyway? Last year the smog lasted for two months. Have to stay in the city and don't have the option of moving out, because you can't leave your job!"

The pollution level has also affected business. "There's a decrease of footfall in terms of the expat community that used to turn up regularly because no one wants to step out. Winter is the time of the year when we do a lot of work in the outdoor kitchen and people like sitting outside because of the ambience. But, right now, people are just not even turning up; forget sitting outside, which is out of question currently. There's no scope for that. It's been a bad year for restaurants. First, there was the aftermath of demonitisation and then GST, followed by the change in GST, and now the smog," he concludes.

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Nutritionist Kavita Devgan, who lives in Noida, with her family, points out that we all have to take measures to save ourselves from the pollution. And maintaining your optimum weight is crucial because overweight people breathe in more air, which is toxic. "An overweight person will inhale 7 to 50 per cent more toxic air as compared to someone whose weight is closer to the optimum level. Just by virtue of your weight you're taking more pollutants in. Also, people who have weak lungs are more affected by pollution," she says.

The first thing to do, she says, if to try not to have junk food as studies show those who do get more affected by pollutants. "Don't opt for a burger or pizza. Ordering curd rice and chicken salad is as easy these days and makes for a much healthier choice," Kavita says.

Eating more fruits is something else that could aid your lungs as these fruits are loaded with antioxidants. "Apple has two flavonoids in them - quercetin and khellin -which strengthen lungs and decrease the toxic load on the lungs, along with opening up stuffed airways. From September end onwards I start making sure my son and husband have apples every day. The rest of the year, I insist on three servings of fruits a week at least," she says. So much so that Kavita's 19-year-old son, who's currently stays on his college campus, gets a batch of apples from his mother every week. "We meet him every weekend and I just take apples for him," she laughs.

Pineapple is another fruit that can help you as it contains bromelin, which helps clean out the phlegm and clogging in the lungs. This reduces respiratory distress. "Grapes contain resveratrol, which also help strengthen your lungs, Kavita says, adding, "People also say one should have Vitamin C supplement tablets, but I feel it's better to have foods that contain Vitamin C, which essentially boosts your immunity. Once your immunity is strong enough you can handle the onslaught of the pollution."

Some quick fixes include drinking ginger tea in the morning. Add lots of ginger as it cleans out your passage and also a little bit of black pepper. One could also put some clove in the tea or put a piece under your tongue when you step out. Another instant help comes from potassium. Two easy sources of it are like bananas and coconut water. "Mint and oregano also help fight allergies that are caused due to pollution as they act as antihistamines. I make batches of amla chutney at home," she concludes.

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Revlon, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells beauty and personal care products worldwide. The company's Relvon segment offers color cosmetics and beauty tools under the Revlon brand; and hair color under the Revlon ColorSilk and Revlon Professional brands. Its Elizabeth Arden segment markets, distributes, and sells skin care products under the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide, Prevage, Eight Hour, SUPERSTART, Visible Difference, and Skin Illuminating brands; and fragrances under the Elizabeth Arden White Tea, Elizabeth Arden Red Door, Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue, and Elizabeth Arden Green Tea brands. The company's Portfolio segment offers color cosmetics under the Almay and SinfulColors brands; men's grooming products under the American Crew brand; nail polishes, gel nail color, and nail enhancements under the CND brand; nail care products under the Cutex brand; anti-perspirant deodorants under the Mitchum brand; hair care products under the Creme of Nature; and hair color line under the Llongueras brand. Its Fragrances segment develops, markets, and distributes owned and licensed fragrances, as well as distributes prestige fragrance brands owned by third parties. This segment offers its products under the Juicy Couture, John Varvatos, AllSaints, Britney Spears, Elizabeth Taylor, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Aniston, Mariah Carey, Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Ed Hardy, Charlie, Lucky Brand, Alfred Sung, Halston, Geoffrey Beene, and White Diamonds brands. It sells its products through sales force, sales representatives, independent distributors, mass and prestige retail, e-commerce sites, department stores, and specialty cosmetics stores, as well as licenses its Revlon and other trademarks to the manufacturers of complementary beauty-related products and accessories. Revlon, Inc. was founded in 1932 and is based in New York, New York. On June 15, 2022, Revlon, Inc., along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United states and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. The company operates through two segments, Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group. The Sally Beauty Supply segment offers beauty products, including hair color and care products, skin and nail care products, styling tools, and other beauty products for retail customers, salons, and salon professionals. This segment also provides products under third-party brands, such as Wella, Clairol, OPI, Conair, and L'Oreal, as well as exclusive-label brand merchandise. The Beauty Systems Group segment offers professional beauty products, such as hair color and care products, skin and nail care products, styling tools, and other beauty items directly to salons and salon professionals through its professional-only stores, e-commerce platforms, and sales force, as well as through franchised stores under the Armstrong McCall store name. This segment also sells products under third-party brands, such as Paul Mitchell, Wella, Matrix, Schwarzkopf, Kenra, Goldwell, Joico, and Olaplex. As of September 30, 2021, the company operated 4,777 stores, including 134 franchised units in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. It also distributes its products through full-service/exclusive distributors, open-line distributors, direct sales, and mega-salon stores. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Denton, Texas.
The Panchkula police now hopes to arrest top Dera aide Dr Aditya Insan with the help of Pawan.

By Manjeet Sehgal: The Panchkula Police on Monday evening arrested the fugitive Dera Sacha Sauda spokesperson Pawan Insan from a place called Laldu near Chandigarh.

The top Dera aide was arrested by the SIT headed by Mukesh Malhotra around 7 PM.

He was arrested from Laldu bus stand when he was about to board a bus to Baltana near Zirakpur. He told the police that he was on his way to meet his sister who lives near Chandigarh.

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Pawan was on the run since the last 85 days after the Panchkula violence. He is facing sedition charge and 13 other cases registered against him in Sector 5 Police Station, Panchkula.

Sources say Pawan was with the Dera spokesperson Dr Aditya Insan for some days. He has however, told the police that he spent most of the time in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

The Panchkula police now hopes to arrest top Dera aide Dr Aditya Insan with the help of Pawan.

Pawan will be produced in the court on Tuesday. The police will be requesting the court to put him on a remand for questioning.

Pawan is accused of hatching a conspiracy and masterminding Panchkula violence along with Dr Aditya Insan and Honeypreet Insan.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, neuroscience, and covid-19 diseases. The company's products include Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma; Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; and Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis. It also provides Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product; Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia; and Empliciti for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In addition, the company offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Breyanzi, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Inrebic, an oral kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis; and Onureg for the treatment of adult patients with AML. It sells products to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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LTD., BLACK & DECKER (SUZHOU) PRECISION MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER ASIA MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS 1 S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER ASIA MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS 2 S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER DE REYNOSA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., BLACK & DECKER GLOBAL HOLDINGS S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER GROUP LLC, BLACK & DECKER HOLDINGS LLC, BLACK & DECKER INC, BLACK & DECKER INDIA INC., BLACK & DECKER INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.A.R.L., BLACK & DECKER INVESTMENT COMPANY LLC, BLACK & DECKER SHELBYVILLE LLC, BLACK & DECKER SSC CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER TRANSASIA S.a.r.l., BLACK AND DECKER S.A. de C.V., Bagley Road LLC, Baltimore Financial Services Company Unlimited Company, Baltimore Insurance Designated Activity Company, Bandhart, Bandhart Overseas, Bed-Check, Belco Investments Company Unlimited Company, Besco Investment Group Co. 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DE C.V.), Stanley CLP3, Stanley Canada Holdings L.L.C., Stanley Chiro International Ltd, Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Inc., Stanley Engineered Fastening Benelux B.V., Stanley Engineered Fastening France SAS, Stanley Engineered Fastening India Private Limited, Stanley Engineered Fastening Industrial Deutschland GmbH, Stanley Engineered Fastening Italy S.r.l., Stanley Engineered Fastening Spain S.L.U., Stanley Europe BV, Stanley European Holdings B.V., Stanley European Holdings II B.V., Stanley Fastening Systems Investment (Taiwan) Co., Stanley Fastening Systems L.P., Stanley Fastening Systems Poland Sp. z o.o., Stanley Feinwerktechnik GmbH, Stanley Grundstuecksverwaltungs GmbH, Stanley Healthcare Solutions France Sarl, Stanley Housing Fund Inc., Stanley Industrial & Automotive LLC, Stanley Infrastructure LLC Formerly f/k/a International Equipment Solutions ("IES"), Stanley Inspection L.L.C., Stanley Inspection US L.L.C., Stanley International Holdings Inc., Stanley Israel Investments B.V., Stanley Logistics L.L.C., Stanley Pipeline Inspection L.L.C., Stanley Safety Corporation LLC, Stanley Security AS, Stanley Security Alarmcentrale B.V., Stanley Security B.V., Stanley Security Belgium BV, Stanley Security Canada ULC (fka 3xLogic Holdings Inc.), Stanley Security Denmark ApS, Stanley Security Europe BV, Stanley Security Federal Systema LLC, Stanley Security Holding AS, Stanley Security Limited, Stanley Security Malaysia Sdn. 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SBD Aura Inc., Sweepster Attachments LLC, THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION, TOG Holdings Inc., TOG Manufacturing Company Inc., TSI Monitoring LLC, TSI Sales & Installation LLC, The EAP Acquisition Co. LLC, The Farmington River Power Company, The Ferry Cap & Set Screw Company, The Stanley Works (Langfang) Fastening Systems Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Zhongshan) Tool Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works Israel Ltd., The Stanley Works Limited, The Stanley Works Pty. Ltd., Tong Lung Metal Industry, Troy-Bilt LLC, Tucker Fasteners Limited, Tucker GmbH, Tucker S.R.O., Universal Inspection Systems Limited, Venus Enterprise Co. Ltd., Visiocom International Pte Ltd, Voss Industries Inc., Wintech Corporation Limited, XMARK Corporation, XMARK Corporation., Yong Ru Plastics Industry (Suzhou) Co. Ltd, and Zag USA Inc..

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Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail.

Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories.

The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name.

Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022.

Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG).

The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with minor edits)

By Zafri Mudasser Nofil

Dhaka, Nov 20 (PTI) The Dhaka Lit Fest has backed the Rohingyas, urging the global community to support these refugees from Myanmar and "to hold accountable those who have orchestrated the violence leading to this catastrophe".

Since August 26, over 600,000 Rohingyas have been forced to take exile in neighbouring Bangladesh, a statement said at the recently-concluded festival here.

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The signatories include celebrated Syrian poet Adonis, Academy award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, Booker prize winning novelist Ben Okri, playwright David Hare, historian William Dalrymple, writer Lionel Shriver, and Bangladeshi literary icons Syed Manzoorul Islam and Kaiser Haq, among over 40 other participants.

"This is one of the largest forced migrations in recent times, and puts the Rohingya as a community at risk of extinction from their native Arakan province," it said.

"The participants in the Dhaka Lit Fest express sympathy for the refugees, and wish to keep the news of this unfolding situation at the forefront of global consciousness, as the situation in the refugee camps precipitates what could be an even larger humanitarian crisis due to disease and malnutrition...," it added.

The Rohingya crisis also figured prominently at the festival.

There was two separate sessions on the Rohingya issue titled "Rohingya: Humanity in Despair" and "Rohingyas: Landless Future". The participants called upon the international community to put pressure on the Myanmar government to end the crisis.

Ameerah Haq, under-secretary general at the UN Department of Field Support, was of the view a huge international outrage like the one over the Darfur crisis in 2004 was needed to show support to the Rohingya community.

Such a protest should involve renowned global personalities, including Hollywood celebrities, she suggested.

According to BBC South Asia Correspondent Justin Rowlatt, who has been covering the issue, it was hard to imagine the movement of such a huge number of people, while Michael Vatikiotis, Asia regional director of Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, this crisis has led to a rift across South East Asia.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

Bangladesh has accused Myanmar of spearheading a violent depopulation campaign to eliminate Rohingya by branding them as so-called "Islamist terrorists". PTI ZMN AKJ BK

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Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. 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Envestnet, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides wealth management software and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through Envestnet Wealth Solutions and Envestnet Data & Analytics segments. The company's product and services include Envestnet | Enterprise, which provides an end-to-end open architecture wealth management platform, as well as offers data aggregation and reporting, data analytics, and digital advice capabilities; Envestnet | Tamarac that provides trading, rebalancing, portfolio accounting, performance reporting, and client relationship management software; and Envestnet | MoneyGuide that provides goals-based financial planning solutions to the financial services industry. It also provides Envestnet | Retirement Solutions, which offer a suite of services for advisor-sold retirement plans; and Envestnet | Portfolio Management Consultants that provide research and consulting services to assist advisors in creating investment solutions for their clients, and portfolio overlay and tax optimization services, as well as data aggregation and data intelligence platform, which offers cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. Envestnet, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
United Rentals, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental company. It operates in two segments, General Rentals and Specialty. The General Rentals segment rents general construction and industrial equipment includes backhoes, skid-steer loaders, forklifts, earthmoving equipment, and material handling equipment; aerial work platforms, such as boom and scissor lifts; and general tools and light equipment comprising pressure washers, water pumps, and power tools for construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and government entities. The specialty segment rents specialty construction products, including trench safety equipment consists of trench shields, aluminum hydraulic shoring systems, slide rails, crossing plates, construction lasers, and line testing equipment for underground work; power and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment, such as portable diesel generators, electrical distribution equipment, and temperature control equipment; fluid solutions equipment for fluid containment, transfer, and treatment; and mobile storage equipment and modular office space. This segment serves construction companies involved in infrastructure projects, and municipalities and industrial companies. It also sells aerial lifts, reach forklifts, telehandlers, compressors, and generators; construction consumables, tools, small equipment, and safety supplies; and parts for equipment that is owned by its customers, as well as provides repair and maintenance services. The company sells used equipment through its sales force, brokers, website, directly to manufacturers, and at auctions. The company operates a network of 1,360 rental locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. United Rentals, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
VeriFone Systems, Inc. provides payments and commerce solutions at the point of sale (POS) worldwide. It offers countertop solutions that accept payment options, including contactless, NFC, mobile wallets, and EMV; PIN pads that support credit and debit card, EBT, EMV, and other PIN-based transactions; and multilane consumer facing commerce devices. It also provides portable payment devices, including small, portable, and handheld devices that enable merchants to accept electronic payments wherever wireless connectivity is available; and mobile solutions that attach to and interface with iOS or Android based smartphones and tablets. In addition, it offers integrated electronic payment systems that combine electronic payment processing, fuel dispensing, and ECR functions, as well as secure payment systems for integration with petroleum pump controllers; unattended and self-service payment solutions designed to enable payment transactions in self-service, high-transaction volume, and public transportation environments; and network access solutions. Further, it provides installation, deployment, training, and application development and delivery solutions; project management, client education program, and consulting services; helpdesk support, equipment repair and maintenance, and software post-contract support services; and application libraries and development tools. Additionally, it offers omnichannel commerce, terminal management, and security solutions; and cloud-based managed, transaction payment, and other value added services. It sells its products directly; and through third party and channel partners. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, government organizations, and retailers; petroleum, transportation, and healthcare companies; and quick service restaurants. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc. in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.
By PTI: Pune, Nov 20 (PTI) Eight labourers were killed after the cables of an elevator snapped when they were coming out of an underground tunnel today, police said.

The underground tunnel, which police said is more than 100 feet beneath the surface, is being constructed near Akole village as part of the Nira-Bhima river-linking project on the outskirts of Indapur town, 120 km from here.

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Around 6.30 pm, eight labourers were coming out of the tunnel in a lift when its cables snapped mid-way. All of them were killed in the incident, said sub-inspector B N Pawar of the Bhigwan police station.

He said most of those killed were from outside Maharashtra, but they are yet to be identified. A police team was at the spot to ascertain their identity.

The river-linking project, launched under the Krishna Bhima Stabilisation scheme, involves the construction of 24.8 km-long Nira-Bhima Link 5 tunnel.

The project, which began in 2012, is designed to take water from water-rich rivers to scarcity-hit areas. PTI SPK BNM RSY GVS

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Indian royals have resorted to various means to make their displeasure with the movie clear.

The movie 'Padmavati' has hit headlines due to the oppostion from various quarters

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Padmavati has stirred up a hornet's nest with people from different walks of life protesting the release of the film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

Amongst those who are protesting against the film are politicians cutting across party lines and coming from royal background.

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Prominent among them are Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Congress MP and president of All India Kshatriya Mahasabha Sanjay Sinh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal.

Padmavati has united the "royal" politicians. While Amarinder Singh and Sanjay Sinh belong to the Congress, Vasundhara Raje and Jaykumar Rawal are from the BJP.

AMARINDER SINGH

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has supported protests against Padmavati. He said, "Nobody will tolerate the distortion of history."

Nobody will accept distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so: Capt Amarinder Singh,Punjab CM #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/rkk7udI5Kf- ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

Capt Singh is the son of late Maharaja of Patiala Yadavindra Singh and Maharani Mohinder Kaur, Rajmata of Patiala. He is the head of the royal house of Patiala belonging to the Phulkian dynasty.

SANJAY SINH

Congress MP and president of All India Kshatriya Mahasabha Sanjay Sinh has objected to the makers of Padmavati not getting in touch with descendants of Padmavati's family.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Assam said Padmavati came from Rana Udaipur's family but the film-makers did not take the pains to contact them and verify the facts before starting the project.

He also alleged that despite calling Padmavati a historical film, the film-makers have distorted history.

He rubbished the claims of some historians that Padmavati was an imaginary figure. He alleged that such historians do not know history and that the Rajput community celebrates every year the day Maharani Padmavati committed 'jauhar'.

Sinh comes from a royal background and is called 'Raja of Amethi'. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is all set to be elevated to the party president's post, is a Lok Sabha MP from Amethi.Sinh's biodata as maintained by the Rajya Sabha says: "Father's Name: Late Shri Raja Rananjay Sinh. Mother's Name: Shrimati Rani Sushma Devi."

VASUNDHARA RAJE

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has written a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani requesting her to ensure that Padmavati is not released without necessary cuts.Raje has suggested that a committee of historians, film experts and members from the Rajput community be formed to look into the film's subject. Necessary changes should be made to Padmavati so that it does not hurt the sentiments of any community, she added.

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Raje was born on March 8, 1953 in Mumbai. Her father, Maharaja Jivaji Rao Scindia, was the last reigning Maharaja of Gwalior, a princely state in the heart of India before Independence.Her mother, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, was a BJP leader. She was an MP for a record eight times representing Guna in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia now represents Guna in the Lok Sabha. His father Madhavrao Scindia was Raje's younger brother.

JAYKUMAR RAWAL

Another royal politician, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal, has demanded a ban on Padmavati. He claims to be a descendant of the clan of Rawal Ratan Singh, Rani Padmavati's husband. Objecting to Padmavati, he said history and historical references were being twisted in the film.

He also claims to have told Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis how facts have been twisted in the film to pass off as history. He plans to approach the Modi government the centre over the Rajput community's demand for a ban on the film. Padmavati was slated to release on December 1.

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However, the release has been delayed, as the filmmakers submitted incomplete documents to the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification). The release of the film stands postponed indefinitely. The CBFC has even turned down the application of the Padmavati makers to speed up the process.

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By PTI: Peshawar, Nov 20 (PTI) At least five persons including three children of a family were killed today when a car they were travelling in fell into a ravine in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

The incident took place near Malkot village of Abbottabad district.

The car, carrying six persons of the family, was headed for Malkot area from Rawalpindi when it met with the accident, police said.

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The vehicle fell into the ravine due to over-speeding, killing five persons on the spot and injuring a child, rescue officials said. PTI CORR CPS

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Home-grown telecom gearmaker Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (HFCL) today said it has bagged a Rs 128-crore order from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

"The company has received the purchase order worth Rs 128 crore approximately from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for supply of packet microwave radio systems on pan-India basis for BSNL mobile network," HFCL said in a BSE filing.

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The company said the equipment purchase order is part of a turnkey project and the balance order for installation and AMC support services will be issued separately by BSNL.

Stock of HFCL was trading at Rs 27.90, up 4.10 per cent from its previous close, on the BSE. PTI SVK ARD

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It's hard to beat Amazon's prices and perks, especially if you're a Prime member  and that's even considering the program's price increase. But you can come across more ways to save at Amazon if you know where to look.

Here's how to find Amazon coupons right now.

How Do I Find Amazon Coupons?

Did you know Amazon has a page where they list all the available Amazon coupons? You'll find Amazon discount codes and offers for both individual items and brands. And you can browse by department, as well as filter the results by most popular, expiring soon, or even discount percentage.

Not sure where to start? Check out pages for the most popular coupons or take a look at the Subscribe & Save coupons. Offers change all the time, but here are a few examples of the Amazon online coupons available as of this writing:

$2 off Gain liquid laundry detergent

30% off organic pancake and waffle mix

20% off Diaper Genie refill bags

Ways to Get the Most Value From Amazon Coupons

One category you should definitely browse on the Amazon Coupons page is Subscribe & Save. Amazon offers stacking coupons for your first shipment of many products, like baby formula or pet supplies. In some cases, you can get up to 50% off the already discounted subscription price!

Subscribe to the Amazon Coupons email newsletter for a roundup of the most popular deals.

You can clip coupons and access an item's product page from the coupon aggregator page, and the savings will be automatically applied to qualifying items at checkout.

Amazon also offers a weekly Amazon Coupons email newsletter, with a roundup of the most popular deals. It's a great reminder to check into current offers before you start shopping.

Keep in mind that you can't use manufacturer offers to stack coupons on Amazon, but you can combine savings in other ways. Because Amazon has both category discounts and individual item coupons, strategic shopping can yield more savings.

SEE ALSO: Is Amazon Prime Worth It Now That the Price Is Going Up?

For example, if Amazon is running a 20% off sale on all baby items and there's a 40% off Amazon coupon on your first diaper subscription, you may be able to combine those two promos for even more savings. You can also use a stacking Amazon coupon code at checkout!

The fine print: While no limit exists on how many different discounts you can apply per order, there are some restrictions on combining coupons with mail-in rebates. And some Amazon coupons are only available to Prime members.

More Amazon Shopping Tips

When it comes to shopping on Amazon, most of us are probably wanting to save as much as possible. To do that, you may have to go beyond using Amazon coupons. Check out our tips below on how to make shopping  and saving  on Amazon even easier.

Filter Your Searches

Shopping at Amazon can be an overwhelming task, unless you know exactly the product you're planning to buy. Be prepared to dig if you're shopping for a general product category, like sweaters, organization solutions, or even just Bluetooth headphones. With these types of items, you'll have plenty to sort through if you only go by the initial search results.

By filtering your Amazon search down, you'll have more control over the results you see.

However, by filtering your search down, you'll have more control over the results you see, as well as ways to sort them. For instance, you'll be met with an array of product options if you search "organization solutions." You can narrow those results further by choosing office products under the "Department" header, then office and school supplies, and finally desk accessories and workspace organizers. Then you can more easily find that perfect set of desktop drawers to store your pushpins, paper clips, and other odds and ends.

Shop the Amazon Warehouse

Interested in paying less for quality items? Look into the offerings on the Amazon Warehouse page. You can shop by category to find deals on pre-owned, used, and open-box items, including the following:

Computers and tablets

Kitchen items

Amazon devices

Video games

Unlocked cell phones

TVs

The page has considerably more categories, so if you're in the market for a certain item and don't want to spend a fortune, it pays to check Amazon Warehouse first.

SEE ALSO: The Expert Guide to Buying Amazon Lightning Deals

And if you're afraid of only finding old gear that no one is interested in, rest easy as that's simply not the case. At the time of this writing, there were listings in the Warehouse for discounted versions of the latest Amazon devices, as well as Nintendo Switch models. We also saw small kitchen appliances discounted, including various types of blenders, a Keurig K-Slim coffee maker, and an Instant Pot 7-in-1 cooker.

Check Daily Deals

Amazon has pages and pages of daily deals that are worth sorting through. You can sort by Featured products, Price - Low to High, Price - High to Low, Discount - Low to High, and Discount - High to Low to more easily find the Amazon offers you're interested in.

Even better, you can sort by different categories, like home, fashion, and Amazon devices, among others. You can even shop by holidays like Valentine's Day, if you're looking for a sweet deal on a gift but aren't sure where to start.

Embrace the Lightning Deal

One section of daily deals you should absolutely visit is the Lightning Deals page. Lightning Deals are time-sensitive offers that usually last for a few hours or until supplies run out, whichever comes first. The selection of Lightning Deals also varies. Some days you could find a ton of products you're interested in, and then other times you could search through 100 pages and not find anything intriguing at all.

Lightning Deals are time-sensitive Amazon offers that usually last for a few hours or until supplies run out.

If you want to be a savvy Amazon shopper, it's worth your time to check out our guide to buying Amazon Lightning Deals. We cover all aspects of this shopping feature, including examples of the prices you can expect on select items.

Just remember that when shopping these Amazon offers, you have a limited amount of time to claim them. Otherwise, the items will return to the pool for others to shop. If you find something that you want but have missed out on, see if it has a "waitlist" button; it's worth joining the list in case someone else ditches their purchase.

However, note that most of the time, you only have to worry about this situation around big shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday.

Use CamelCamelCamel

If you shop on Amazon regularly, try using CamelCamelCamel to track prices. The tool allows you to track historical pricing for any product on Amazon, whether you want to see Amazon's selling prices or third-party used and new. CamelCamelCamel can be an excellent way to time your purchases, as it can indicate when an item goes on sale.

SEE ALSO: Can You Share Amazon Prime?

Additionally, you can create price alerts through the site. So if you're eyeing a product, it's easy to set an alert and be notified of price drops that meet your parameters. Then you don't even have to worry about monitoring the items on your wish list  you'll just receive an email when they go on sale.

Ready to shop? Check out the best Amazon deals available right now!
Wait... Where Are All the Black Friday 2019 Deals?

Looking for updated info on Black Friday 2019? Check out our Black Friday Sneak Preview, where you'll find all the latest Black Friday ads, rumors, predictions, and more!

SEE ALSO: Black Friday Sneak Preview 2019: See All Our Deal Predictions!

Black Friday is just around the corner! While the 2017 season is bound to be familiar, it definitely won't be the same as last year. Because savvy shoppers are already prepping their Black Friday strategies, we've created a list of the biggest changes to expect.

Want to see the best Black Friday deals first? Sign up for the DealNews Select newsletter to get all the latest offers in your inbox.

Expect App-Exclusive Deals

With so many shoppers turning to online stores, physical locations are working to bring more people through the doors. For many retailers, this means pushing their own apps. Last year Target took an extra 15% off in-store and offered presale deals through its (now defunct) Cartwheel app. Look for stores to offer similar perks this year.

SEE ALSO: Black Friday Store Guides for the Top Retailers

Similarly, Amazon has been providing more benefits to shoppers who own Alexa devices. Recently, it's offered extra savings to those who place orders via an eligible Alexa product. And since the retailer announced five new Echo devices in September, it's a safe bet these deals will be another popular mode of savings on Black Friday.

Mobile Ordering Will Be Bigger

Last year, mobile ordering shattered records for both Thanksgiving and Black Friday. A record $771 million in sales on Thanksgiving came from mobile devices.

Many shoppers physically go to one store and then check prices on other stores' mobile sites to see who has the best price. People purchasing the better deal online  even if they're standing in a physical store  could also have contributed to the jump in mobile ordering last year. This trend is likely to continue in 2017, and we could definitely see a rise in mobile shopping again.

Nintendo Consoles Will Be Hard to Get

Earlier this year, Nintendo released its much-anticipated Switch console. Right from the beginning, it was hard to find, and those supply issues haven't abated. Even if stores stock more inventory for the holidays, don't expect bagging a Switch to be any easier. Despite the assertion from Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime that the company "over delivered" on Switch units at launch, the console is still incredibly difficult to find.

Don't hold your breath expecting discounts on either the Switch or SNES.

Additionally, Nintendo has recently released the SNES Classic. It was launched weeks ahead of Black Friday, but is still likely to run into supply issues and be a hard toy to locate. Preorders sold out in mere minutes, showing that demand is indeed still high. Plus, Nintendo is notorious for having lackluster sales, and this year should prove no different. Don't hold your breath expecting discounts on either the Switch or SNES.

Identity Theft Could Be an Issue

There have been many security breaches lately. Even if you feel completely safe and have checked your information for red flags, that could all change when Black Friday rolls around. The most massive breach of course came from Equifax, but it was followed by similar, albeit smaller, situations at Sonic Drive-In and Whole Foods.

These massive breaks in security mean you need to keep an even sharper eye on your accounts and finances this holiday season. Hackers might have already obtained your data, but aren't using it until the chaos of that time of year rolls around. The holidays can make it easier to miss suspicious activity, so remain vigilant.

4K Will Cost Almost the Same as 1080p

Last year was the first real year for 4K TV deals. During Black Friday week, 4K sets accounted for 62% of all TV deals. And this year, we've seen deals dropping 4K prices super low  so we're predicting 4K TVs will be nearly as cheap as 1080p sets when Black Friday rolls around. In fact, some of the Black Friday 4K TV prices already out have surpassed our predictions!

SEE ALSO: The 9 Best Things to Buy in November  And It's NOT Just Black Friday TVs!

We're expecting doorbuster prices on 55" sets to be around $239, whether you opt for 1080p or 4K. And if you miss out on those, we're still only expecting about a $20 difference on off-brand sets between the two. One off-brand 55" 4K set will sell for a net price of $210 on Black Friday  almost $30 below the predicted doorbuster price!

There Will Be Fewer Seasonal Workers

Store closings have been big news this year. Many chains have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and shuttered some  if not all  physical stores. With so many retailers having these issues, shoppers might face unexpected consequences. Suffering retailers might opt to hire fewer seasonal workers, preferring to rely on their full-time employees instead.

Walmart has already said it's not hiring extra seasonal staffers, and will largely rely on its existing employees. This could lead to a ripple effect, meaning fewer workers overall. Planning your Black Friday strategy will be even more important, because fewer seasonal workers could mean fewer cashiers, longer wait times, and more empty shelves with fewer people there to restock them.

Zombie Stores Are Back From the Dead

Not every closed store is staying dead. While many physical locations have shut their doors, some stores are opting to reinvent themselves. A handful are coming back in the form of online-only retailers, trying to revive their brands. For example, you're able to shop online-only now at The Limited, hhgregg, Wet Seal, and American Apparel  or will be able to soon.

At least a handful of closed stores are coming back in the form of online-only retailers, trying to revive their brands.

Though some of these stores are technically relaunching, their online racks could be filled with older clearance merchandise. Items more than three seasons old could be a prominent feature, and while those will be deeply discounted, they'll also come with caveats like limited sizes and styles.

Expect Deals for the Apple Watch Series 2

We had originally predicted a decent, yet modest price drop for the Apple Watch Series 2. But that was before Apple discontinued that model with the announcement of the Series 3 at this year's September event. While they might not be on doorbuster lists, any deals on the Series 2 will likely be deeply discounted. We wouldn't be surprised to see them go lower than $229, and there's even a slim possibility that Series 2 models could drop as low as $149 (although those prices might not show up until December).

Star Wars Merchandise Will Be Popular

Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes out December 15. This means Star Wars merchandise is likely to be huge for the upcoming holiday season. Both kids and adults can enjoy this line of products, so demand will be high. If your cousin and your kids are both big fans of the Star Wars universe, you might want to stock up on plush porgs the moment you see them.

SEE ALSO: 10 Things You Won't Be Able to Get This Christmas

Odds are, every Black Friday ad will have Star Wars doorbusters as part of the sale. And one of our senior editors postulated that Star Wars movie tickets could be a freebie doorbuster this year. (Don't get too excited  they'll likely only be available to the first 100 customers or so.)

Amazon Could Have In-Store Deals

Amazon has a handful of physical stores now. While these locations don't compete with the website, they're also highly likely to be open over Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Last year Amazon introduced Alexa-exclusive deals, so it's possible it'll introduce in-store discounts for the shopping season this year. (At the very least, many of its Whole Foods stores will be selling Amazon devices.)

Though Amazon's stores might not have in-store deals, there will be deals on Amazon devices from third-party stores. Last year Best Buy, Staples, and more had deeply discounted Echos with better prices than what Amazon offered. This year, we've already seen great Black Friday deals on Amazon devices at Target. Kohl's is also allowing Amazon returns in select locations, which adds another element to the online giant's reach.

Excited for Black Friday deals? Consider subscribing to the DealNews Select newsletter to get a daily recap of all our best deals; you never know when a Black Friday price will be released! You can also download our app, visit the Black Friday Hub for the latest ads, or check out all our blog articles for more buying advice.
Vexed with constant harassment, the girl approached the SHE Team which lead to the arrest of Singh.

By Ashish Pandey: A reputed company's HR head was arrested by the She Team of Hyderabad Police for harassing an engineering job aspirant.

The victim completed her engineering recently and had attended a job interview in a reputed private company where the accused was heading the HR department.

The 32-year-old accused B Narender Singh took the contact number of the victim on the pretext of informing her about the status of her application. However, when the victim contacted Singh through WhatsApp, he started sending her lewd messages and also asked for her indecent pictures.

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Vexed with constant harassment, the girl approached the SHE Team which lead to the arrest of Singh.

"The accused told the victim that unless she sends her pictures, he will not consider her for a job. If she refuses to comply, it will be difficult for her to find a job as she is a fresher", said a police officer on the issue.

The accused has confessed to the crime and a case has been registered against him. He was produced before the magistrate.

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Peter-Service and Rostelecom are launching a project to implement a unified CRM system for Russias B2B segment.

In the course of the project implementation, Rostelecom will receive an efficient tool for managing relationship with customers and partners in B2B and B2G segments. The unified CRM system will enable automation of key business processes in all its seven macroregional divisions and provide the company with a single access point for all corporate customers.

The B2B/B2G segment is a key sector that Rostelecom is looking towards for growth, and it requires a unified service platform to build an efficient framework of relationship with corporate and public customers. To this end, the operator has contracted software provider Peter-Service to to implement a unified federal CRM system in all its seven macroregional divisions.

Building a federal system for managing services and experience of B2B/B2G customers will enable Rostelecom to automate key business processes in the company, with the unified Peter-Service CRM allowing it to control all customer life-cycle stages and ensuring transparency of end-to-end business processes.

The switch to a universal platform will enhance internal productivity and performance of the company's employees. Specialists serving corporate customers will have a possibility to work in a single window.

"We want to achieve ambitious goals: to switch all branches of the company to a unified CRM and to ensure the required integration with other key IT systems including billing. We hope that the unified platform will help Rostelecom streamline customer experience management processes with better efficiency and ensure the needed level of customer service and support", says Igor Gorkov, CEO, Peter-Service.

"In our large company, it is not possible to develop an equally efficient interaction with B2B customers without a unified CRM. In some of our branches, our customers operate dozens of systems and the number of open windows increases with the launch of new products. What we need is one window which will embrace project pipeline management, collect leads from all input channels, automate processing of sales and service requests for any customers and products. We set the goal to develop this single-window tool two years ago. Now, when we made the choice of the solution, we are almost half way to reaching this goal", adds Andrey Zimenkov, Head of Department for Regional Development, Rostelecom.

The implementation of CRM for the B2B/B2G segment will consist of several stages. The system is expected to be launched in the first macroregional branch of Rostelecom in autumn 2018. The timeframe of the entire project covering all the branches is two and a half years.
By Melissa Evers-Hood, Intel Open Source Technology Center

Last week, in Sydney, Australia, I attended my first OpenStack Summit. As a relative newcomer to this community, I felt compelled to share my thoughts and experiences from the event.

There is no question this is a dynamic community. OpenStack Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Bryces keynote helped set the right tone for the Summit, laying out an expanded charter for the OpenStack Foundation. This new direction incorporates important areas, such as container security and edge computing, to better serve the needs of the ecosystem. An open approach to infrastructure is a key focus for my team in the Intel Open Source Technology Center. I was very encouraged by the opportunities we have to work more closely with the OpenStack community on areas that are critical to our shared success.

Jonathans keynote also introduced the OpenLab, led by Huawei, Intel, VEXXHOST, and Open Telekom Cloud. OpenLab is a place where members of the community can collaborate around integration and testing of open source cloud ecosystem tooling  such as Kubernetes, Terraform, software development kits (SDKs), and more  with OpenStack. Im very excited that Intel is helping lead this important effort. We strongly believe OpenLab will be an asset to the community as we work together to create more complete open infrastructure solutions, rather than individual building blocks.

The Superuser Award is one of my favorite parts of the Summit, recognizing where community members and operators are doing great work on top of the OpenStack platform. I was thrilled to see the results being shared from the teams at Tencent, China Railway, China UnionPay, and City Network. Intels Open Source Technology Center supported many of the teams development efforts. Tencents Tstack won the Superuser award which is pretty tremendous. We were also lucky to be joined by finalist China Railway in a joint technical session sharing more details of their OpenStack implementation on an 800 physical node cluster of Intel Xeon processor-based servers.

There was a lot of interest across the community in advancing Open Stack development, as well as in Intel software such as the Data Plane Developer Kit, Intel Data Center Manager, Enhanced Platform Awareness and more.

In addition, I had the privilege of participating on a Women of OpenStack (WOO) panel about diversity and inclusion. The OpenStack Foundation actively cultivates diverse voices in the open source community, and that has resulted in continually increasing gender representation over the last several years. One highlight for me was the vibrant discussion in cultivating geographic, language and other types of diversity, and the out of the box thinking on language translation. It was gratifying to see how all of the communitys diversity is being embraced globally. I was also proud to be one of Intels representatives at the Women of OpenStack Networking Lunch, where I was warmly welcomed and had several meaningful conversations with some amazing people.

Thank you, OpenStack community, for putting on such a great event. I had a wonderful experience and look forward to continuing the conversation and momentum in 2018. See you in Vancouver!

Melissa Evers-Hood is Senior Director of Cloud Technologies at Intels Open Source Technology Center, focused on the open source cloud software ecosystem

For more such intel IoT resources and tools from Intel, please visit the Intel Developer Zone

Source: https://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2017/11/16/intel-showcases-openstack-cloud-momentum-sydney-summit
Google Lens searches and recognises books, addresses, text and more.

It seems as if Google has quietly started rolling out the Google Lens functionality in Assistant for its Pixel and Pixel 2 smartphones. According to a report by 9to5Google, some Google Pixel and Pixel 2 users have noticed an icon for directly accessing Google Lens within the Google Assistant app. The Lens feature is currently integrated within the Photos app and can be used to recognise books, addresses and more. A user can activate the Lens feature In Photos while viewing an image or a screenshot.

As per the report, the Google Assistant shows the new icon on the bottom-right corner, tapping on which opens up a camera viewfinder. Tapping again anywhere on the screen freezes the view and begins a search. The possible results and actions for the identified item are displayed as cards on a carousel along with links to perform a web search, open other apps, and more.

Google recently updated its virtual assistant to add recurring subscriptions and recognise songs playing nearby. The former feature allows users to set daily reminders for weather updates, quotes, facts and more. Booting up the assistant and saying or typing send me a quote everyday or send me a mindfulness tip everyday sets the subscription. You can read more about the feature in detail here.

Asking Google Assistant what song is playing? or "what song is this?" allows users to identify the song playing nearby. The results display a card with the name of the song, the artist and its lyrics along with links to YouTube, Google Play Music and an embedded link to search for the song on Google. You can read more about the feature here.
The new HP Omen lineup brings a refreshed design and better cooling at a lower prices than the outgoing models.

HP re-launched its 2017 gaming lineup earlier this year under the revamped Omen sub-brand. Today, the company is announcing a refresh of the entire Omen laptop lineup. According to HP, the new Omen 15 and 17 are now re-designed and re-engineered from the ground up. The new laptops do away with the old rehashed Pavillion look and come in a new, edgy design with a floating single hinge display. The Omen logo is now much more prominent around the back and company executives told us that the cooling has been revamped as well to meet the demands of their customers.

On the hardware side, it is business as usual. The HP Omen 15 which starts at Rs. 80,990 comes with an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor, It features 8GB of DDR4 memory clocked at 2400MHz and for graphics it rocks a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (2GB). As you move higher up the price tree, the graphics can be updated to a GTX 1050 Ti (4GB). The 1TB 7200RPM HDD is standard across all variants and the higher variants also get an 128GB SSD option along with 16GB of RAM.

The HP Omen 17, which starts at Rs. 1,59,990, packs a more powerful Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor. You get 16GB of DDR4 RAM again clocked at 2400MHz. For storage, you have the standard 1TB 7200RPM HDD along with a 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD. Graphic duties are handled by a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) and the higher variant of the machine features a GTX 1070 (8GB) instead. The laptop also packs a massive 8-cell battery, which HP claims will go on for 12 hours.

All new Omen laptops support DTS Headphone X for surround sound effects, with the 17-inch Omen also featuring a 120Hz 1080p panels for seamless high refresh rate gaming. The 17-inch variants are also VR capable. HP will be bundling an Omen backpack worth Rs. 5,040 with all Omen laptops. One can also buy the new Omen 600 mouse and Omen 800 headset separately for Rs. 4,999 and Rs. 6,999
The deadline for linking Aadhaar with mobile SIM cards is set for February 6, 2018. Telecom operators will begin OTB-based Aadhaar SIM verification starting December 1. However, the Department of Telecom has stated that mobile numbers not linked with Aadh

The Indian government is reportedly on a mission to link 1 billion Aadhaar numbers with 1 billion bank accounts and 1 billion mobile numbers. The ambitious project is being termed "1 plus 1 plus 1" and to achieve the same, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced new, more convenient ways of linking Aadhaar numbers with mobile SIM cards.

While mobile users can also head to their respective telecom providers store for re-verifying their SIM connections and link them to their Aadhaar numbers, major operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea will be rolling out OTP-based verification for subscribers starting December 1.

The deadline for linking Aadhaar numbers with mobile SIM cards is currently set for February 6, 2018. However, it could be extended further given that the deadline for linking bank accounts with Aadhaar has also been extended till March, 2018.

The steps include one where subscribers can go to the mobile phone companys portal and give their mobile number and Aadhaar number and then the OTP will come on the registered mobile number, UIDAI CEO, Ajay Bhushan Pandey told ET.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has also introduced app-based and IVRS-based Aadhaar-mobile linking methods. The same will also be rolled out starting December 1. However, the DoT has also said that mobile numbers not linked with Aadhaar will not be disconnected and no final decision on the same has been made yet.

DoT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan has reportedly said, The Department of Telecom is waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on Aadhaar linking to decide on the action against those who do not want to link their mobile number with Aadhaar.

The Supreme Court is currently in the process of hearing several petitions challenging the governments imposition of mobile-Aadhaar linking. Still, telecom operators are urging users to link their mobile SIMs with their Aadhaar numbers citing government directives.

Whether linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones is mandatory or not is still questionable and a final decision will only be made by the DoT keeping the Supreme Courts decision in mind. The BJP-led government has till the end of November to explain why Aadhaar linking is mandatory for mobile numbers.
The family of Consul General Shashank Vikram, including his five-year old son, domestic staff and a visiting teacher were reportedly held up during the armed intrusion at their residence on Innes Road.

By Press Trust of India: The family of India's Consul General in Durban was attacked by robbers and briefly held hostage at their official residence there, prompting India to raise the issue with South African authorities.

The family of Consul General Shashank Vikram, including his five-year old son, domestic staff and a visiting teacher were reportedly held up during the armed intrusion at their residence on Innes Road, on Saturday.

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"We have taken up the matter with the relevant authorities, and investigations are currently ongoing. We expect that the intruders will be arrested soon," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He said that ensuring the safety and security of Indian diplomats and officials posted abroad, along with their families, is a matter of highest priority for the Indian government.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has spoken to the Consul General and inquired about the well being of his family, Kumar said.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban, the Independent Online reported.

"They (Vikram's family) are OK but they were obviously traumatised," consul S K Pandey was quoted as saying.

Nobody suffered physical harm, he said, adding that they planned to attend counselling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone, which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident.

WATCH VIDEO | India's full argument of Kulbhushan Jadhav's case in ICJ

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AIM-listed company Hummingbird Resources reported Monday that wet commissioning at its Yanfolila Gold Mine in Mali had commenced and that the mill there had been pre-commissioned ahead of the first gold pour, before year-end 2017.

Dan Betts, CEO of Hummingbird, commented: "Progress is continuing at pace and in line with our schedule. We are pleased that we have pre-commissioned the ball mill and commenced wet commissioning. I am continually impressed with the quality and professionalism of our team and our construction partners on the ground moving Yanfolila towards first gold pour."

For his part, Dirk Slabbert, President, Sub-Saharan Africa for Outotec, said: "At Outotec we are pleased to have pre-commissioned this 2MW ball mill at Yanfolila. This adds to our list of more than 100 installed mills in Sub-Saharan Africa, as another world class installation. The commissioning of the mill is a great milestone in every project. Outotec is looking forward to continuing our relationship with Hummingbird throughout the lifecycle of this project, with our vast service capabilities available.

"Everyone from Outotec who was involved in this project, from sales, engineering and execution, is very impressed with the professional manner in which this project has been executed. Hummingbird may be commissioning its first mine, but I believe this is the first of many projects we will execute together."
Publishers Communication Group , the international sales and marketing consultancy company of the world-class software company Ingenta , has been appointed by Yewno as its exclusive sales agent across the United States, Canada and Europe.

The company would primarily focus on selling Yewno's 'next-generation' products, Yewno Discover and Yewno Unearth.

Ingenta said Yewno Discover would allow researchers and learners to easily and intuitively explore a visual set of connections expanding across a comprehensive research landscape, while Yewno Unearth would provide publishers equally sophisticated concept mapping, enabling publishers to quickly and easily observe a hierarchy of their own content at teh chapter, as well as title across a portfolio of multiple products.

Ingenta chief executive officer David Montgomery commented: "We are pleased that Yewno has partnered with PCG to drive their cutting-edge technology forward. As Yewno's exclusive sales agent in North America, tasked with selling to both academic libraries and scholarly publishers, we believe PCG through its contacts and experience is best placed to support Yewno. We look forward to great success for both PCG and Yewno through this partnership."

Yewno chief strategy and business development officer Ruth Pickering commented: "We now have customers in six countries and demand continues to grow, so we are delighted to be working with PCG to support our sales in North America, Canada and Europe. Their existing relationships and sales experience make them an obvious partner."
Oil and gas firm Sound Energy announced on Monday it had completed airborne full tensor gravity gradiometry (FTG) and magnetic data acquisitions of its assets in Eastern Morocco which returned "highly encouraging results".

The survey, conducted by AustinBridgeporth, covered a total of 26,700 survey line kilometres, across 22,800 square kilometres, over Sound Energy's Tendrara, Matarka and Anoual licences in just under three months.

Sound Energy also noted that, along with the survey, a recently launched 2D seismic programme was commissioned to develop a better understanding of the subsurface structure and sedimentary succession.

Preliminary high-resolution FTG and magnetic datasets received by the company, delivered on time and to budget, included the delineation of previously unrecognised subsurface features and a clearer view of the deeper structure of the three licences.

A note issued to investors read, "Preliminary data provides a far more detailed view of a deep, thick Paleozoic basin extending over the three permit areas, bounded by a series of NE-SW and NNE-SSW faults. The NNE-SSW fault trend is coincident with the Paleozoic anticline identified on 3D seismic beneath the TE-5 Horst."

TE-5 Horst was Sound Energy's possible third well location in its 2018 exploration programme.

As of 1130 GMT, shares had gained 0.49% to 51.00p.
Verditek's 51%-owned subsidiary, Greenflex Energy Limited, an Italian-based manufacturing solar photovoltaic technology company, renewed and extended its contract with Media One s.r.l., one of Italy's largest out of home advertising agencies.

Following a successful trial, Verditek will now supply and install its solar PV material on approximately 20 further bus shelters along the Rimini-Riccione bus line in Italy.

That trial contract had involved Greenflex supplying and installing its solar PV technology at a bus shelter in the province of Rimini, Italy.

Additionally, Verditek said that Media One had asked Greenflex for a proposal to develop a solution for standalone out of home advertising such as billboards which at present are not lit.

Verditek's CEO, Theo Chapman, said: "We are delighted to have successfully completed this initial trial contract order with Media One, which we believe has demonstrated our solar PV technology as a best in class solution for solar power generation for multiple industries.

"One of the main cost constraints in the rapid roll out of digital advertising boards across Italy is the high cost of connection to grid power. We have now shown that there is an effective low-cost alternative that is clean and green and, most importantly, allows the media owners to install and upgrade their units to 24/7 advertising opportunities without having to wait to be hooked up to the grid."
Four weeks of discussions have led to a deadlock

Negotiations to form a German government have collapsed after the withdrawal of the liberal FDP party from three-party coalition talks.

The withdrawal leaves chancellor Angela Merkel facing one of her biggest domestic challenges during her 12 years as leader of the country.

Septembers election saw no party gain an overall majority, with Merkels CDU/CSU bloc gaining the most seats but well short of the number required to govern alone.

Four weeks of discussions have led to a deadlock between the CDU/CSU alliance, the FDP and the Greens. New elections may have to be called in order to break the stalemate.

Merkel said she would meet the president of the country on Monday in order to discuss how to proceed with the aim of forming a government. Last weekend, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that he would prefer to avoid new elections.

"As chancellor, I will do everything to ensure that this country is well managed in the difficult weeks to come," Merkel said.

FDP leader Christian Lindner and other party members departed the talks late on Sunday night, as he said the other parties showed little attempt to compromise.

"Today there was no progress - rather there were setbacks because targeted compromises were questioned," Lindner said.

Reports indicated that the talks fell apart owing mainly to disagreements over immigration and tax, with Lindner adding: "It is better not to be in power than pursuing the wrong goals.

Martin Schulz, leader of the SDP, the second largest party following the recent election, previously stated already that he interpreted the election outcome as a vote against forming another Grand Coalition as his party had with the CDU/CSU and so will not be participating in coalition talks to form such a government.

European markets and the euro were stunted by the news on Monday morning, with Accendo Markets Henry Croft asserting that the fallout could spread to London stocks at the start of the week.

Croft said: Calls for a negative start to the week come after German coalition negotiations failed late last night, sharply reducing the prospect of Angela Merkel beginning her fourth term as Chancellor. The Euro and Germanys DAX are both trading lower as the prospect of another election only two months after the last vote becomes a real possibility.

The dent in European market sentiment and the negative FX impact of a lower Euro and stronger pound therefore see the UKs blue chip index called lower.

Barclays said the collapse of talks left four options: a CDU-Greens minority government; a return of the FDP; another Grand coalition; or new elections.

"Given the progress made in the Jamaica coalition talks, the Greens could form a minority government with the CDU, which would be unprecedented in post WWII German political history. This would require the support of other parties in the Bundestag on key votes, and hence make the approval of significant reforms, including on the euro area, difficult," the bank's economist Tomasz Wieladek said in a note on Monday, adding there was also a chance that the FDP could return to the coalition talks in a few days time.
A parliamentary report has called on the government to introduce legislation which will aid so-called 'gig economy' workers and prevent companies from withholding benefits from their staff.

The Work and Pensions and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committees have prepared the report, which criticises the behaviour of 'irresponsible companies' which take advantage of workers.

Companies such as Deliveroo and Uber have been criticised by the select committees in the past for their employment model, which they say gives workers more flexibility to choose their own hours.

Work and Pensions committee chair Frank Field has led the charge against gig economy firms and said that those working under such conditions were not getting a fair deal.

"The bill would put good business on a level playing field, not being undercut by bad business. It is time to close the loopholes that allow irresponsible companies to underpay workers, avoid taxes and free ride on our welfare system," Field said.

A draft bill is to be jointly introduced by the two committees to tackle the issue.

There are an estimated 1.3m gig economy workers in the UK, representing over 20% of the freelance workers in the country.

Earlier this month, Uber lost a major employment tribunal case in London, after it challenged a ruling last year which upheld drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslams claims that they were entitled to benefits such as sick pay and paid holidays.

Union group Unite said on Monday that the introduction of the bill would be a "step forward" in tackling bogus self-employment.

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: The draft bill would be an initial step forward in tackling the rampant bogus self-employment which afflicts industries such as construction.



Unite has always been clear that without decisive government action the rampant exploitation, casualisation and the hire and fire culture which is undermining the long-term effectiveness of the construction industry, will not be tackled.
Industrial brand management company Barloworld maintained its revenue and operating profit levels from continuing operations in the year to 30 September, it reported on Monday, at ZAR 62bn and ZAR 4.1bn, respectively.

The company said headline earnings per share from continuing operations were up 16% to 975 cents, with cash inflow before financing activities totalling ZAR 2.6bn.

Its net debt-to-equity ratio stood at at 27.6%, compared to 40.7% last year, while its return on equity from continuing operations was 10.5%, up from 9.3% year-on-year.

The board declared a total dividend per share of 390 cents - an improvement of 13% over 12 months ago.

Equipment southern Africa's operating performance has been resilient in the year following a rebound in mining and infrastructure demand, reported Barloworld chief executive Dominic Sewela.

Increased activity has generated improved results in our joint venture in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sewela said strong mining and aftermarket activity in the Equipment Russia division drove a solid performance in that business, adding that the discontinued Iberian Equipment operation was now held for sale.

The Automotive division produced pleasing results despite challenging market conditions with both revenue and operating profit exceeding 2016 levels.

Trading in Logistics was up on last year due to the full year impact of acquisitions and new contracts secured in 2016, however, the operating performance was negatively impacted by the loss of a major customer and once-off costs.

Sewela said the group was making good progress in implementing its strategy to fix and optimise existing businesses, and had started to realise the benefits.

As a result of strong positive cash generation and well managed debt levels, we are well placed to capitalise on acquisitive growth opportunities as they arise.

The full benefit of initiatives progressed in the current year will continue to have a positive impact into 2018.
By PTI: By Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Nov 20 (PTI) An Indian-origin former woman warrant officer in the Singapore Army was today jailed for four months and three weeks for abusing and beating her Indian maid.

K Rajakumari, 57, who retired after 35 years of service, apologised to Sargunam Jeeva in Tamil and asked her not to tell anyone about her ordeal which included being hit by a plastic hanger until it broke.

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But the police officer investigating the case understood the language and Rajakumari was caught, The Straits Times reported today.

She was charged for repeatedly abusing her maid in 2012.

After a 14-day trial, District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid convicted Rajakumari on September 5 last year of five counts of causing hurt to Jeeva, then 35, in her condominium apartment.

Jeeva first came to Singapore in late January 2012 but was abused between February and March of the same year.

Rajakumari had picked her and she was to be paid Singapore dollars 350 a month without any days off.

Jeeva, who had studied up to eighth grade and could not speak English, was regularly scolded with caustic remarks by Rajakumari by the second week of February 2012 and the abuse soon became physical.

On the night of March 3, 2012, after Jeeva ironed Rajakumaris uniform, the employer chided the maid for not knowing how to do a proper job of ironing.

She then hit Jeeva on her left upper arm with a plastic hanger until it broke.

Two days later, she scolded and slapped the maid hard on her face before pulling her hair and pushing her face against the window grill and kicking her in the waist.

Jeeva told the employer that she could not "withstand this torture any more" and requested Rajakumari to send her back to the agents house.

But Rajakumari told her this was not possible. That night, Jeeva gestured to a maid in a neighbouring home for help and the latter called the police.

A policeman later heard Rajakumari tell Jeeva in Tamil: "Please forgive me, I wont do this anymore, please dont tell anyone about the abuse".

Unknown to Rajakumari, the officer could speak the language.

Rajakumari later admitted to him that she had hit Jeeva.

Rajakumaris lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan had earlier asked the judge to sentence his client to probation, stressing that she has had three hip replacements.

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For each count of maid abuse, she could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to Singapore dollars 7,500. PTI GS MRJ AKJ MRJ MVV

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A female cabin crew member of IndiGo airlines was harassed by two drunk men. Before they were arrested, one of them fell on the woman's feet, apologising.

One of the drunk men who harassed IndiGo cabin crew member falling on her feet to apologise. Photo: Screengrab from video

By India Today Web Desk: Men resort to unacceptable behaviour and often put the blame on alcohol. Men, in inebriated state, misbehaving is so common that in many places, this is even normalised.

Two drunk men harassed a woman cabin crew member of IndiGo airlines at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad possibly assuming she would let it pass without standing up against them.

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Much to their disappointment, the woman informed the police about the harassment.

In a video that has gone viral, and said to have been shot by another IndiGo staff member, the men could be seen profusely apologising to the woman they harassed.

One of these men fell to the woman's feet and apologised again but couldn't avoid an arrest.

The two men were arrested by the police and a case was registered against them at a nearby police station.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

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Construction and induction of new submarines is a need of the hour as India lags behind China in total number of submarines.

India's sea dominance in its own backyard is increasingly challenged by China

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: INS Kalvari, a diesel electric conventional submarine will be joining the Indian Navy fleet on the 2nd week of December, top Ministry of Defence sources have told India Today. Kalvari means 'a deep sea tiger shark'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in Mumbai for the commissioning of the submarine.

Submarines are key to "sea- denial". Lurking underwater they deny the enemy space to operate in the seas. And, therefore are critical to dominating vast waters of the oceans and seas.The last time the India Navy got a submarine was seventeen years ago.

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INS Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene class submarines. These are being built in India by Mazagon Docks Limited - a Ministry of Defence-owned shipyard - in collaboration with France's Naval Group ( earlier called the DCNS).

The INS Kalvari will have anti-ship missiles and long-range guided torpedoes and modern sensor suite that will enable it seek out the enemy from long ranges.

The Scorpene Project was signed in October 2005 and was to cost the exchequer Rs 23, 652 crore. The project has seen delays and cost overruns. INS Kalvari was to role out by 2012

While India has one of finest submarine arm, acquisition of these critical platforms suffered a jolt after allegations of corruption in the late-80s.

It was alleged that kick-backs were paid when India bought submarines from Germany. Investigations that spanned over decades remained inconclusive and successive governments shied away from acquiring submarines

The Indian fleet of submarine has been declining steadily. It now has just 13 conventional submarines - nine Russian made Kilo-class (EKMs) and four German-designed HDWs (SSKs) - most of which are over three decades old.

As against India's dozen-odd conventional submarines, China has fleet of about 60 odd conventional and nuclear submarines. Increasingly, these are being spotted in Indian Ocean Region ( IOR). And according to estimates of the Pentagon the Chinese People's Liberation Army( Navy) will have about 70- 80 conventional and nuclear submarines.

In the late 1990s, New Delhi cleared the 30-year submarine building plan. It was envisaged that Indian Navy would buy six submarines each from the Western and Russian Bloc and subsequently come- up with its own submarine design.

While the project failed to take-off, the 30-year submarine plan was tweaked subsequently. India went for mix and match of conventional and nuclear - or strategic submarines - were included at a later stage.

India is now building a fleet of nuclear powered submarines that are capable of firing nuclear missiles from under the sea

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STOCKHOLM  The Swedish minister for enterprises, innovation and rural affairs, Sven-Erik Bucht has called for a collective approach to address climate change alongside Indian textile manufacturer, Aditya Birla. The Swedish government says it is looking for a joint project with Birla as part of its effort to increase bilateral trade between the country and India.
As someone who writes about the environment on a near-daily basis, the fact that a large chunk of Americans (about one in eight) reject the near scientific consensus of climate change can be a tough pill to swallow.

But after a year of record-breaking heatwaves, massive wildfires in the west, and a string of destructive hurricanes, it appears that my fellow U.S. citizens are waking up to the realities of our hot, new world, according to the latest nationally representative survey from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.

The poll, which has tracked Americans attitudes about climate since 2008, revealed an uptick in Americans concern about climate change, including substantial increases in the certainty that the global phenomenon is happening and currently harming people in the U.S.

The survey, based on the replies of 1,304 adults between Oct. 20 to Nov. 1, showed that seven in ten participants think climate change is happeningan increase of eight percentage points since March 2015. The good news is that those who think global warming is real outnumber climate deniers by more than 5 to 1.

One of the most significant findings is that roughly one in five (22 percent) Americans are very worried about climate changethe highest levels since the surveys began, or about twice the number that said they were very worried from the March 2015 poll.

Four out of ten Americans also said that they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, and the issue is also personally important for two out of three Americans.

Thats probably because they perceive direct climate impacts, as environmental scientist Dana Nuccitelli pointed out in the Guardian, citing how 64 percent of survey participants said that global warming is affecting the weather.

Americans also connecting the dots to specific extreme weather events, he pointed out.

Indeed, scientists have noted that extreme weather can be made all the more frequent and destructive due to climate change.

Here are the key findings from the survey:



 Seven in ten Americans (71 percent) think global warming is happening, an increase of eight percentage points since March 2015. Only about one in eight Americans (13 percent) think global warming is not happening. Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not by more than five to one.

 Americans are also becoming certain global warming is happening47 percent are extremely or very sure it is happening, an increase of 10 percentage points since March 2015. By contrast, far fewerseven percentare extremely or very sure global warming is not happening.

 Over half of Americans (54 percent) understand that global warming is mostly human-caused. By contrast, one in three (33 percent) say it is due mostly to natural changes in the environment.

 Only about one in seven Americans (15 percent) understand that nearly all climate scientists (more than 90 percent) are convinced that human-caused global warming is happening.

 More than six in ten Americans (63 percent) say they are at least somewhat worried about global warming. About one in five (22 percent) are very worried about itthe highest levels since our surveys began, and twice the proportion that were very worried in March 2015.

 Two in three Americans feel interested in global warming (67 percent), and more than half feel disgusted (55 percent) or helpless (52 percent). Fewer than half feel hopeful (44 percent).

 Nearly two in three Americans (64 percent) think global warming is affecting weather in the U.S., and one in three think weather is being affected a lot (33 percent), an increase of eight percentage points since May 2017.

 A majority of Americans think global warming made several extreme events in 2017 worse, including the heat waves in California (55 percent) and Arizona (51 percent), hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (54 percent), and wildfires in the western U.S. (52 percent).

 More than three in four Americans (78 percent) are interested in learning about how global warming is or is not affecting extreme weather events.

 More than four in ten Americans (44 percent) say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, an increase of 13 percentage points since March 2015.

 Four in ten Americans (42 percent) think people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming right now. The proportion that believes people are being harmed right now has increased by 10 percentage points since March 2015.

 Half of Americans think they (50 percent) or their family (54 percent) will be harmed by global warming. Even more think global warming will harm people in the U.S. (67 percent), the worlds poor or people in developing countries (both 71 percent), future generations of people (75 percent) or plant and animal species (75 percent).

 Most Americans think global warming will have future impacts, causing more melting glaciers (67 percent), severe heat waves (64 percent), droughts and water shortages (63 percent), floods (61 percent), and other impacts over the next 20 years.

 Two in three Americans (67 percent) say the issue of global warming is either extremely (12 percent), very (19 percent), or somewhat (37 percent) important to them personally, while one in three (33 percent) say it is either not too (19 percent) or not at all (14 percent) important personally. The proportion that say it is personally important has increased by 11 percentage points since March 2015.

 Nearly four in ten Americans (38 percent) say they discuss global warming with family and friends often or occasionally, an increase of 12 percentage points since March 2015. However, more say they rarely or never discuss it (62 percent). Additionally, half of Americans (51 percent) say they hear about global warming in the media at least once a month, and one in four (25 percent) say they hear people they know talk about global warming at least once a month.

 More than half of Americans (54 percent) say they have thought a lot (22 percent) or some (32 percent) about global warming. Fewer say they have thought about global warming just a little (32 percent) or not at all (14 percent).

 Few Americans are confident that humans will reduce global warming. Nearly half (48 percent) say humans could reduce global warming, but its unclear at this point whether we will do what is necessary, and one in four (25 percent) say we wont reduce global warming because people are unwilling to change their behavior. Only five percent say humans can and will successfully reduce global warming.

 Large majorities of Americans think of global warming as an environmental (78 percent), scientific (71 percent), agricultural (66 percent), severe weather (65 percent), health (62 percent), economic (60 percent), or political issue (60 percent). Fewer think it is a moral (41 percent), national security (29 percent), poverty (28 percent), social justice (26 percent), or religious issue (nine percent).
As the world increasingly looks to be on track for a catastrophic 3C of global warming, world leaders and diplomats gathered in Bonn, Germany to turn the Paris agreement into a set of rules.

In that sense the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23), which concluded on Saturday, accomplished its goal of keeping the process alive by setting up the rules that will be finalized next year in Poland. But the conference also kicked a number of issues down the road. The round of climate talks heard repeated calls for a more ambitious approach to slashing carbon emissions but did not initiate any conclusive solutions, though it should be noted that no major decisions were expected.

Under the Paris agreement, nearly 200 nations submitted pledges to slow their greenhouse-gas emissions to keep the planet well below 2C.

Climate change is an issue determining our destiny as mankind, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said before acknowledging that Germany was likely to miss its emissions goals due to its continued reliance on coal. Germany isnt the only country tied up in coal. Just last Monday scientists noted that greenhouse gases are likely going to rise again, in part due to the rebound of coal in China.

But coals persistence also took a hitmore than 20 countries led by the UK and Canada launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance. Each country involved pledged to end its use of coal by 2030, while the UK pledged to cease burning coal by 2025. It should be noted that coal use has been declining in all of these countries. The U.S., for its part, promoted clean coal at the only side event it hosted at the summit.

Despite playing the role of obstructionist in the coal arena, observers noted that overall, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement had little effect on the proceeding of negotiations. The U.S. didnt block anything, insiders stated, and remained neutral, while China and India didnt use the vacuum left by the U.S. to gain advantage. Outside the spotlight, a team of career state department negotiators pressured China, India and other developing countries to practice transparency in verifying their emissions reductions. At the same time, U.S. negotiators helped reject proposals from poor countries seeking an increase in climate aid from rich countries.

Unofficially, the U.S. presence was felt as a U.S. delegation sidestepped the Trump administrations obstinance on climate change. Democratic senators, governors and mayors joined the conference. Were here because its in our national security interests to deal with climate change, New Yorks Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

That cities and states are picking up the mantle left behind by Trumps withdrawal from the Paris agreement is not insignificant. Many U.S. states and even cities are larger than some European states, while urban centers are the primary producers of carbon emissions. There is an impression by politicians here that President Trump in person is no longer the voice of the free Western world, Christian Ehler, a German lawmaker who heads the European Parliaments delegation for relations with the U.S., said to the Washington Post. We are much more carefully looking now to the diversity of what is being discussed in the United States, and we see that California is one of the powerhouses of the world economically.

By the conclusion of COP23, very few countries announced any new initiatives to cut emissions. A hoped-for announcement from China on a cap-and-trade program was delayed and Germany announced that it would hold tough discussions on coal in the future.

Though many environmentalists said Bonn was a step in the right direction, major issues remain to be solved. Current pledges keep the world on track for 3C of warming, if not more. And the road to making the necessary changes to stay below 2C seems increasingly difficult to reach. To remain below the Paris agreements 2C, nearly all coal plants will need to be taken out of commission or fitted with carbon technology. The transportation sector would need to transition to largely electric-powered vehicles. World carbon emissions would likely have to peak in the next few years and then fall by half every decade all the way down to zero by midcentury. It remains to be seen whether enough political will can be drummed up for such a transition.
Youve probably heard the unsettling stories of school cafeteria workers throwing away students lunches over unpaid lunch bills, but schools in Orange County, Florida have come up with a genius solution to not only help feed hungry students and their communities, but to also cut down on food waste.

For the past two years, about 20 public elementary schools in the Florida county have been using share tables to great effect, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The program allows kids to place their unwanted food on designated tables so others can eat them. This means the food doesnt have to be thrown out. Instead, fellow students who are still hungry can just grab the food themselves off the tables.

At the end of the day, any food that remains on the tables is given to students from low-income families that struggle to make ends meet or is donated to local churches for distribution to the homeless, according to the publication.

Without this program, that would literally go in the dumpsters, Pastor Stan Reinemund of Redeemer Lutheran Church told the Orlando Sentinel.

The share tables initiative also solves an inherent problem with the size of public school lunches. Under the federal school lunch program, theres a standard serving size for meal. Effectively, a younger student is served just as much food as an older student. But with the share tables, for instance, a kindergartener could just place his unwanted pack of apple slices on the table so a growing fifth grader can eat it later.

The other benefit of the effort? School officials also report that the students are causing less of a mess because there are fewer leftovers.

The custodians love it, said Martha Albright, the cafeteria manager at Aloma Elementary School.

In a June 2016 memo, the U.S. Department of Agriculture endorsed share tables as an innovative strategy to reduce food waste for national school meal programs.

Food waste is a major problem in the U.S., with roughly 40 percent of food produced thrown away. Research has shown that food wasted by children is similar to the rest of the U.S. population. One study found that many children are throwing their required fruits and vegetables directly into the trash. This food waste problem is both expensive and a detriment of our environment, as food production sucks up an incredible amount of our planets resources and uneaten food clogs up landfills and releases planet-harming greenhouse gases.
UPDATE: The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3-2 to approve the mainline alternative route for the Keystone XL pipeline through the state. The commission rejected TransCanadas preferred route.

In her dissent, commission member Chrystal Rhoades said she was against the pipeline regardless of the route.

The Washington Post reported:

She said that the pipeline was not in the states public interest, that jobs would not go to Nebraskans, that it would create significant burdens on landowners whose use of the pipeline corridor would be limited, and that she was still worried about the environmental impact.

All human-made infrastructure degrades and fails over time, she wrote. No infrastructure ever designed has lasted for eternity and there is no reason to believe this pipeline will be an exception. Rhoades acknowledged that the commission was not supposed to weigh the risks of spills, but she said the states Department of Environmental Quality had included it in the record.

Pipeline opponents will likely challenge the decision in court.

Nebraska regulators will announce Monday whether

pipeline operator TransCanada can build its proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline across the state. The decision is the last regulatory hurdle for the highly contested $8 billion, 1,179-mile pipeline.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission will not factor in

Thursdays 210,000-gallon spill from Transcanadas Keystone Pipeline, which leaked thousands of gallons of highly polluting tar sands oil on South Dakota farmland. Thats because pipeline safety is a federal responsibility. Under a 2011 state law, the Public Service Commission is not allowed to factor in pipeline safety or spill risks. Rather, the five-member commission will decide on whether the pipelines route is in the interests of the state of Nebraska.

The commissions decision  will be based on the evidence in the record, spokeswoman Deb Collins

said on Friday.

But as Doug Hayes, a senior attorney for the

Sierra Clubs Environmental Law Program, pointed out to The Hill: Its hard to believe they wont hear about this massive spill. Its one of the biggest concerns to Nebraskans.

The Commission is weighing whether to permit construction of the KXL, which will move more than 800,000 barrels of crude per day from Alberta, Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast via connecting pipelines.

The pipeline will run through a dozen Nebraska counties.

However, as the

Associated Press noted, the commissions choice is not just between a simple yes or no.

The commission could simply agree to TransCanadas preferred route, but there are other options as well. They could also tweak the route, which would add years to the projects timeline, or choose between the companys alternative routes.



Nebraska Public Service Commission

And even if the commission outright denies the permit request, TransCanada has 60 days to revise and resubmit its proposal for another review under state law.

Finally, any group that presented arguments

during the August hearings could appeal the commissions decision to a state district court.

Environmental groups have long battled against the proposed tar sands project, over fears it would lock in

decades of increased climate pollution. A peer-reviewed study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy found that extracting and refining oil sands crude from Canada produces 20 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than the same process for conventional American crude, Newsweek reported in 2015.

As the KXLs proposed route crosses the Ogallala Aquifer, a major underground deposit of fresh water, a spill could threaten waterways and

drinking water sources.

Opponents also cite the potential contamination and destruction of Native American land.

In March, President Trump overturned President Obamas rejection of the KXL by signing an executive order to advance the project forward. Trump said that doing so would boost construction jobs but critics noted that it would only create 35 permanent jobs.

Native leaders, tribal council members, rural landowners, non-Native supporters and their allies are already gathering in South Dakota Monday morning to await the commissions decision. They will issue a response during a press conference immediately after the announcement. The press conference will be live-streamed

here at 11:15 a.m. CT.

The gathering will also feature the signing of the International Treaty to Protect the Sacred against the pipeline and tar sands.

Nothing has changed at all in our defense of land, air and water of the Oceti Sakowin Lands, said Faith Spotted Eagle, a member of the Yankton Sioux Nation. If anything it has become more focused, stronger and more adamant after Standing Rock.

Its clear that the Trump administration, through its dirty energy policies, is intent on destroying our homelands with no regard to any group; we are all seen as dispensable, taxable, and voiceless, she said. The Native vote is the swing vote in South Dakota. Native and non-Natives are rising up for now, for the future and certainly for the coming elections.

EcoWatch will update this post with the Public Service Commissions announcement. Stay tuned.
How do state lawmakers encourage the use of such an ill-defined, yet potentially transformational concept as personalized learning?

More state legislatures are trying to do just that, with some bills becoming law, according to an Education Week review.

At least 15 states since 2012 have taken steps to waive regulations, set up innovation zones, or prop up task forces to encourage use of personalized learning.

State lawmakers recent burst of effort to fold personalized learning into students days comes amid stagnant standardized test scores, public anxiety over testing, and more power under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act for states to shape their own destiny.

Personalized learning generally means closely tailoring curriculum, standards, and teaching approaches to students individual strengths and weaknesses.

But theres fierce debate among researchers and practitioners about what personalized learning should actually look like, and its still unclear whether the expansion of personalized learning will ultimately lead to better academic outcomes.

That creates a challenge for state policymakers, said Julia Freeland Fisher, the director of education for the Clayton Christensen Institute, a think tank that advocates for better uses of personalized learning.

One of the dangers is that we treat personalized learning as a tweak to the traditional system as opposed to a full-fledged rethinking, Fisher said. Its hard to name a single barrier versus thinking about how the traditional system is propped up in all the ways we fund, sort, and assess students. At its best, personalized learning marks an ambition to depart from all of those things.

The personalized learning laws passed in recent years vary in breadth, approach, and scope, according to the Education Week review.

In most instances, states provide for flexibility from existing course completion and high school graduation requirements and encourage districts to explore somewhat ambiguous goals, such as more engaged students or students prepared for the 21st century.

Sometimes, as in Iowas case, task forces have asked the legislature to fund more study of personalized learning.

And then there is the bigger question: Do districts and schools need state laws to experiment with personalized learning?

Not necessarily, Fisher said.

She pointed to the 4,200-student Lindsay Unified School District in California, which tossed out traditional grade level approaches and instituted other measures to give learning a more personalized touch.

Schools and school systems have made a lot of headway without radical policy change [at the state level], said Fisher. States can actually open up more opportunities for innovation and also start to incentivize school systems to focus more on student mastery.

Following are some examples of state laws that encourage personalized learning. (A deeper look at how a state law is playing out at the classroom level in Vermont):

Florida | Pilot Program

Florida in 2016 established a pilot program for the P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School and the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County school districts to waive the states traditional graduation and grade advancement requirementsif a student can prove through a series of tests that he or she has mastered certain concepts and skills.

The law was criticized for amping up testing and lacking data privacy provisions. But its supporters, including the Foundation for Floridas Future, founded by former state Gov. Jeb Bush, said the law could lead to new ways to reduce boredom, frustration, and failure.

Illinois | Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act

Illinois in 2016 passed a Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act in order to reduce the number of high school graduates who require remedial education in college. The act sets up a pilot program for high schools to alter graduation and course completion requirements in order to, in part, reengage at-risk students in the state. Schools participating in the pilot program are asked to work with their local community colleges and universities and to experiment with ways for students to prove theyre graduation ready.

Michigan | Grants

In the 2017 legislative session, Michigan set aside $500,000 in grants for districts over the next three years to expand how students between kindergarten and 12th grade complete state requirements.

The bill encourages select districts to experiment with giving students credit for public presentations, research papers, attaining workforce credentials, and mentoring other students, but says the new approaches must be aligned to state academic standards. The legislature directed state education leaders to determine, after three years, whether districts experiments improved student learning. and whether to expand the program.

Iowa | Graduation Credits

An Iowa law passed in 2012 expanded the ways in which students can earn credits toward graduation and it set up a task force to, among other goals, develop supports and professional development for educators to transition to a competency-based system.

That resulted in a 2013 paper written by the task force that concluded that personalized learning needs to be further studied to figure out its impact.

Even our current student management systems are not enough, but there are companies developing some highly interactive, quality products that will give teachers the tools they need to record and then make sense of all the diverse data they will be collecting, as well as provide 24/7 access to data for students and parents, the task force said in its 2013 paper. Providing personalized instruction for even a handful of students was mind-boggling before the internet brought the world into a handheld deviceand before a generation of technologically savvy students moved into our classrooms. Now they can take ownership of their learning at school just as they do outside of school.

In 2013, the legislature passed a law that awards 10 school districts grants to develop, implement, and evaluate competency-based education pilot and demonstration projects.

Minnesota | Innovation Research Zones

Minnesota passed a law this year that establishes Innovation Research Zones, in which selected school districts can test new programs that allow students to excel at their own pace according to their interests, aspirations, and unique needs.

The law gives districts some of the same flexibility from state laws that the states charter sector has and encourages the use of an emerging practice not yet supported by peer-reviewed research.

That includes programs that involve real-world, inquiry-based, and student-directed models designed to make learning more engaging and relevant.

Nevada | Competency-Based Education Network

Nevada established in 2017 a Competency-Based Education Network that allows students to complete a course without attending the courses classes. Leveraging personalized learning techniques, participating schools are to experiment with ways of measuring students understanding of classroom material. Schools must collect data, and the state board of education must report to the state legislature and governor examples of successful initiatives.

Utah | Personalized Learning and Teaching Bill

Utahs legislature in 2016 passed a Personalized Learning and Teaching bill that provides a total of $220,000 in grants to districts to experiment with digital teaching, assessment, and learning. The bill encourages the state to identify better professional development to enable teachers to use online resources for teaching, and tasks the states board of education to monitor, evaluate, and figure out ways to expand successful programs. It also sets up a task force to study ways that schools can more effectively use online teaching and learning.

Virginia | Exemptions

Virginia passed a law that exempts some school districts from state laws to better meet the diverse needs of students. The law encourages school divisions of innovation to experiment with different curricular choices, community service projects, internship opportunities, and job shadowing. The state school board in September set up an application process and said chosen districts would get five years to be exempt from a limited number of regulations to experiment with new teaching and learning methods.
SEDE BOQER, Israel...November 20 - While turkeys at Thanksgiving are an age-old custom, a new study shows that turkey excrement may have a future as a fuel for heat and electricity.

Treated excrement from turkeys, chickens and other poultry, when converted to combustible solid biomass fuel, could replace approximately 10 percent of coal used in electricity generation, reducing greenhouse gases and providing an alternative energy source, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers.

While biomass accounts for 73 percent of renewable energy production worldwide, crops grown for energy production burden land, water and fertilizer resources. According to the researchers, "Environmentally safe disposal of poultry excrement has become a significant problem. Converting poultry waste to solid fuel, a less resource-intensive, renewable energy source is an environmentally superior alternative that also reduces reliance on fossil fuels."

According to the study in Elsevier's Applied Energy, researchers at the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at BGU evaluated two biofuel types to determine which is the more efficient poultry waste solid fuel.

They compared the production, combustion and gas emissions of biochar, which is produced by slow heating of the biomass at a temperature of 450C (842F) in an oxygen-free furnace with hydrochar. Hydrochar is produced by heating wet biomass to a much lower temperature of up to 250 C under pressure using a process called hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). HTC is mimics natural coal formation within several hours.

"We found that poultry waste processed as hydrochar produced 24 percent higher net energy generation," says student researcher Vivian Mau and Prof. Amit Gross, chair of the Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology at BGU's Zuckerberg Institute. "Poultry waste hydrochar generates heat at high temperatures and combusts in a similar manner to coal, an important factor in replacing it as renewable energy source."

For the first time, the researchers also showed that higher HTC production temperatures resulted in a significant reduction in emissions of methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) and an increase of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

"This investigation helped in bridging the gap between hydrochar being considered as a potential energy source toward the development of an alternative renewable fuel," Gross explains. "Our findings could help significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation and agricultural wastes. Field-scale experiments with HTC reactor should be conducted to confirm the assessments from this laboratory-scale study."

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The study was funded by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Rosenzweig-Coopersmith Foundation. BGU Ph.D. candidate Vivian Mau received financial support from the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources, the Rieger Foundation and the Zuckerberg Scholarship Fund at BGU's Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research.

About BGU's Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research

The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Israel's largest and leading water institute, conducts interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research and graduate education in water sciences, aimed at improving human well-being through technologies and policies for sustainable use of water resources. World-renowned Zuckerberg researchers are focused on desalination technologies and groundwater production, water quality and microbiology, as well as water resource economics and management. Zuckerberg graduate programs attract students from all corners of the world who are involved in research projects and collaborations in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Named for New York philanthropist Roy J. Zuckerberg, the Zuckerberg was founded in 2002 within the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at the Sede Boqer Campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org/water.

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.
The populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published today (20 November) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research, led by scientists at British Antarctic Study (BAS), attributes this decline to environmental change, and to deaths in longline and trawl fisheries (known as bycatch).

Albatrosses are the world's most threatened family of birds. There are 22 species; according to the IUCN Red List, 17 of these are 'Threatened with extinction' and the remaining five are considered to be 'Near-threatened'. BAS scientists at Bird Island have been monitoring the populations since 1972.

By analysing the breeding histories of more than 36,000 individually ringed albatrosses, researchers have found decreases in the survival rates of both adults and juveniles, causing serious declines in population growth rates with long-lasting effects.

Lead author Dr Deborah Pardo of the British Antarctic Survey, says:

"Our study shows that bycatch in fisheries and environmental change both contribute to reducing the survival rates of the birds. While we know population sizes were affected by bycatch from the mid 1990s, more recent climatic changes including stronger and more poleward winds, increased sea surface temperature and reduced sea ice have worsened the impacts.

We also found the grey-headed albatross population was particularly affected by the climatic event of El Nino, which coincided with increased fishing activity in their foraging areas . El Nino reduced the amount of food available so the birds probably switched to feeding on discards behind fishing vessels, increasing the number being hooked on longlines."

Co-author Professor Richard Phillips of the British Antarctic Survey, says:

"This is the first comprehensive study at South Georgia and one of the few globally to examine the impacts of both climate change and fisheries on populations of long-lived seabirds. Identifying that bycatch is having a major impact on grey-headed albatrosses was unexpected, as mortalities of this species during setting of longlines are rarely recorded by observers on board fishing vessels. The results underline how important it is to improve fisheries management. Whilst BAS has worked with Commision for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to introduce measures that have effectively eliminated bycatch around South Georgia, evidence from our long-term monitoring shows that more is needed elsewhere in the Southern Ocean to avoid the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of birds each year."

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Issued by the Press Office at British Antarctic Survey

Athena Dinar, Senior PR & Communications Manager, British Antarctic Survey, tel:+44-0-1223-221-441; mobile: 44-0-7909-008516; email: amdi@bas.ac.uk

For images and interview requests please contact the BAS Press Office as above.

Notes to editors

The three species of albatrosses which are monitored on Bird Island by British Antarctic Survey are classified on the IUCN Red List as Endangered (grey-headed albatross), Vulnerable (wandering albatross) and Near-threatened (black-browed albatross).

Currently on Bird Island there are: 700 pairs of wandering albatross, 3,000 pairs of grey-headed albatross and 7,000 pairs of black-browed albatross.

Understanding the dynamics of albatrosses at South Georgia is crucial as they are listed by the international Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP; http://www.acap.aq) as three of the nine global Priority Populations for conservation.

Albatrosses are long-lived seabirds; the average lifespan is between 25 and 35 years, but individual birds can live to over 50 years.

Since 1972, breeding and non-breeding adults as well as chicks have been identified and ringed each year, and therefore high-quality demographic data are available to study the effects of age, sex, breeding status and year. Long-term monitoring allowed researchers to assess the population structure, breeding frequency, breeding success, and juvenile and adult survival rates of these three very long-lived albatross species in a changing environment.

This research highlights the importance of long-term monitoring data for understanding the impacts of fisheries. Despite the efforts to inform fisheries managers and operators, at present the regulations on seabird bycatch mitigation in many fisheries are not best-practice and are rarely enforced. In addition, foraging ranges of wandering albatrosses during breeding, and wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses during the nonbreeding season overlap with fisheries outside the Southern Ocean, increasing an individual's risk of being killed. Changing global climate is also a major threat, as it affects prey availability and foraging efficiency.

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know-how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. For more information visit http://www.bas.ac.uk
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The Indian Womens Press Corps (IWPC) today wrote a letter to Delhi Police chief Amulaya Patnaik, flagging "police apathy" in the ITO metro molestation case involving a female journalist.

The journalist working with an English daily was allegedly molested in the non-paid area of the metro station on the night of November 13.

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A local tea stall help Akhilesh was arrested by the Metro police two days after the incident.

The letter by IWPC president Shobhna Jain and general secretary Aditi Tandon expressed concern over the incident that took "very close" to the Delhi Police headquarters.

The womens right group alleged that there was "delay" on part of the police in responding to the distressed reporter and registering an FIR on her complaint.

"The IWPC would like to reiterate that there cannot be any compromise on the safety of women at all times and in all situations," the letter said.

The body also highlighted the nature of women journalists job wherein they have to work till late in the night and commute by public transport.

It added that the police should make the citys women folk feel safe. PTI VIT SRY

--- ENDS ---
Exposure of nanoparticles in the body allows for more effective delivery

BINGHAMTON, NY- Gold nanoparticles could help make drugs act more quickly and effectively, according to new research conducted at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Nanoparticles are microscopic particles that are bigger than atoms but smaller than what the eye can see. They are unique for their large surface area-to-volume ratio and their fairly ubiquitous nature. A new study, co-conducted by Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Amber Doiron, is one of the first of its kind to look deeper into these nanoparticles in regards to health.

"Nanoparticles are a huge area of research in the scientific community right now. However, they're not yet well understood for their impact on human health," said Doiron.

"Nanoparticles have unique properties and, because of that, are used in many applications. They're in your food and may get into your bloodstream through environmental exposure. Eventually, they may be used for helping to get drugs to tissues or as imaging agents. We wanted to investigate how nanoparticles interact with human cells," added Doiron.

Doiron and her team looked specifically at the effects that gold nanoparticles have on the health of a cell. They found that nanoparticles can change cells, but only if the particles are a very specific size.

"The nanoparticles have to be around 20 nanometers. Nothing bigger or smaller worked," said Doiron.

Their research found that when the cells that line arteries or veins are exposed to these nanoparticles, the vascular permeability changes. This could potentially help in more effective medication delivery.

However, the researchers are also aware of some limitations to nanoparticles being used in this way. "It has to be exact, otherwise changing the permeability of veins too much could be extremely dangerous," said Doiron.

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Associate Professor Gretchen Mahler and Assistant Professor Guy German from the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences contributed to this research.

This study, "Nanoparticle size-specific actin rearrangement and barrier dysfunction of endothelial cells," was published in Nanotoxicology.
Crossref introduces new Metadata APIs 'Plus' service, offering new features and richer metadata

Machine access to >90 million records about research outputs is now even easier

During its Annual Meeting, LIVE17, in Singapore on 15 November, Crossref announced a new paid-for service from January 2018 for machine access to metadata along with guaranteed uptime and priority support, with notifications of new matching records and 'snapshot' downloads to be added in the first quarter.

Publishers register content with Crossref by depositing metadata so that they don't have to make bilateral agreements with third parties, or each other. Crossref makes this metadata openly available via APIs so that people and machines around the world can incorporate it into their tools and services to aid research. This metadata can be retrieved via a choice of APIs to find, cite, link, and assess research outputs. It means that publishers only have to send the metadata to one place to have their content discovered and used by the thousands of tools and services that rely on Crossref as a source of information about research outputs.

Ginny Hendricks, Director of Member and Community Outreach at Crossref, comments "We receive over 600 million queries each month through our various human and machine interfaces and this is only rising. We're a sustainable community-governed not-for-profit, so this widespread use of our APIs helps the entire scholarly community rely on a single shared source of metadata, and create robust, persistent and accurate citations to and between our members' content. The new Plus service marks a significant milestone for Crossref as we place strategic emphasis on serving the users of our metadata."

Jennifer Kemp, Head of Business Development at Crossref, explains "Crossref's 92 million (and counting) metadata records provide information about about journal articles and preprints, books and book chapters, conference proceedings, standards, datasets, and reviews. And it's not just bibliographic metadata -- references, Cited-by counts, funding data, license information, full-text links, ORCID iDs, abstracts, and retractions and corrections -- are all available, if included in publisher metadata. This metadata remains free and open through Crossref's public APIs. Starting January 2018, anyone--from publishers, funders, research institutions, and others--can choose to pay an annual fee for guaranteed uptime, dedicated support, and soon after, volume downloads and notifications."

Kudos is the first organization to sign up. David Sommer, Co-Founder and Product Director, says "Our service has always ingested Crossref bibliographic metadata to reduce manual data entry for our users. We're excited to now be adding Crossref citations to the range of metrics we compile for users, and we're also pleased that Crossref is strengthening the services associated with its API."

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Other early adopters in the first weeks include: Reprints Desk; Science-Metrix; ScienceOpen; and Technical Information Center of Denmark (DTU Library).

About Crossref

Crossref makes scholarly content easy to find, cite, link, and assess.

We're a not-for-profit membership organization that exists to make scholarly communications better. We rally the community; tag and share metadata; run an open infrastructure; play with technology; and make tools and services--all to help put research outputs in context.

It's as simple--and as complicated--as that.

Service enquiries and additional information: Jennifer Kemp, Head of Business Development, plus@crossref.org

About the Plus service

Plus service agreement

Plus service fees

Media enquiries: Christine Cormack-Wood, Head of Marketing & Communications, press@crossref.org
The first observation of a super-hydrated phase of the clay mineral kaolinite could improve our understanding of processes that lead to volcanism and affect earthquakes. In high-pressure and high-temperature X-ray measurements that were partly conducted at DESY, scientists created conditions similar to those in so-called subduction zones where an oceanic plate dives under the continental crust. The transport and release of water during subduction causes strong volcanic activity. An international team led by scientists of Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea, presents the results in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.

In a subduction zone, a heavy oceanic plate meets a second, lighter continental plate and moves under it and into the earth's mantle. With the oceanic plate, water enters the earth as it is trapped in minerals of the oceanic crust or overlaying sediments. These minerals slowly sink deeper into the mantle over millions of years. With increasing depth, temperature and pressure, the minerals become instable, break down and transform into new compounds.

During these transformations, water is released and rises into the surrounding, hotter mantle where it decreases the melting temperature of the mantle rock. "When the mantle rocks melt, magma is generated. This can lead to volcanic activity when the magma rises to the surface," explains Yongjae Lee from Yonsei University who led the study. "While we know that the water cycle in subduction zones influences volcanism and possibly seismicity, we don't know much about the processes that form this cycle."

Since these processes take place many kilometres under Earth's surface, it is impossible to observe them directly. Even the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, the deepest borehole on Earth, reaches no deeper than 12,262 metres. One way to learn more about the transformations in greater depths of subduction zones is to create similar conditions in the laboratory. High-pressure and high-temperature measurements allow scientists to take a close look at the structural changes in the different minerals that form the crust and sediments.

One of these minerals is kaolinite, a clay mineral containing aluminium that is an important part of the oceanic sediments. The scientists were now able to observe the formation of a new phase of the mineral, so-called super-hydrated kaolinite. They examined a sample of kaolinite in the presence of water at pressures and temperatures corresponding to those at different depths in subduction zones. With X-ray diffraction and infrared spectra measurements, structural and chemical changes were characterized.

At a pressure of circa 2.5 Giga-Pascal (GPa), more than 25,000 times the average pressure at sea level, and a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, the super-hydrated phase was observed. These conditions are present at a depth of about 75 kilometres in subduction zones. In the new phase, water molecules are enclosed between the layers of the mineral. The super-hydrated kaolinite contains more water than any other known aluminosilicate mineral in the mantle. When pressure and temperature sink back to ambient conditions, the structure reverts to its original form.

In measurements carried out at the Extreme Conditions Beamline P02.2 at DESYs X-ray source PETRA III, the scientists examined the breakdown of the new phase at even higher pressures and temperatures. "Our beamline provides an environment to investigate samples at extreme pressures and temperatures. Using a so-called graphite resistive heated diamond anvil cell, we were able to observe the changes at a pressure of up to 19 Giga-Pascal and a temperature of up to 800 degrees," says DESY-scientist Hanns-Peter Liermann of the Extreme Conditions Beamline who co-authored the study. The super-hydrated kaolinite broke down at 5 Giga-Pascal and 500 degrees, two additional transformations happened at higher pressures and temperatures. During these transformations, the water that was intercalated in the kaolinite is released.

The observation of the formation and breakdown of the super-hydrated kaolinite bears important information about the processes that occur over a depth range of about 75 kilometres to 480 kilometres in subduction zones. The release of water that takes place when the super-hydrated kaolinite breaks down could be an important part of the water cycle that causes volcanism along subduction zones. The breakdown probably happens below a depth of about 200 kilometres, the released water could then contribute to the formation of magma.

Additionally, the super-hydrated kaolinite could influence seismicity. During the formation of the new phase, the water that surrounds kaolinite is removed from the environment. This could change the friction between the subducting and the overlying slabs. The scientists assume that other minerals in the sediment or crust could undergo similar transformations. Thus, the study could improve the understanding of the geochemical processes in subduction zones of the earth.

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Scientists from Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea, from the US National Accelerator Laboratory SLAC, from the Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research in Shanghai, China, from George Washington University in the U.S., from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the U.S., from the University of South Carolina in the U.S., from the Carnegie Institution in the U.S. and from DESY were involved in the study.

DESY is one of the world's leading particle accelerator centres. Researchers use the large-scale facilities at DESY to explore the microcosm in all its variety - ranging from the interaction of tiny elementary particles to the behaviour of innovative nanomaterials and the vital processes that take place between biomolecules to the great mysteries of the universe. The accelerators and detectors that DESY develops and builds at its locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen are unique research tools. DESY is a member of the Helmholtz Association, and receives its funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (90 per cent) and the German federal states of Hamburg and Brandenburg (10 per cent).

Reference

A role for subducted super-hydrated kaolinite in the Earth's deep water cycle; Huijeong Hwang, Donghoon Seoung, Yongjae Lee, Zhenxian Liu, Hanns-Peter Liermann, Hyunchae Cynn, Thomas Vogt, Chi-Chang Kao und Ho-Kwang Mao; Nature Geoscience, 2017; DOI: 10.1038/s41561-017-0008-1
On Oct. 19, 2017, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawai`i picked up a faint point of light moving across the sky. It initially looked like a typical fast-moving small asteroid, but additional observations over the next couple of days allowed its orbit to be computed fairly accurately. The orbit calculations revealed beyond any doubt that this body did not originate from inside the Solar System, like all other asteroids or comets ever observed, but instead had come from interstellar space. Although originally classified as a comet, observations from ESO and elsewhere revealed no signs of cometary activity after it passed closest to the Sun in September 2017. The object was reclassified as an interstellar asteroid and named 1I/2017 U1 (`Oumuamua) [1].

"We had to act quickly," explains team member Olivier Hainaut from ESO in Garching, Germany. "`Oumuamua had already passed its closest point to the Sun and was heading back into interstellar space."

ESO's Very Large Telescope was immediately called into action to measure the object's orbit, brightness and colour more accurately than smaller telescopes could achieve. Speed was vital as `Oumuamua was rapidly fading as it headed away from the Sun and past the Earth's orbit, on its way out of the Solar System. There were more surprises to come.

Combining the images from the FORS instrument on the VLT using four different filters with those of other large telescopes, the team of astronomers led by Karen Meech (Institute for Astronomy, Hawai`i, USA) found that `Oumuamua varies dramatically in brightness by a factor of ten as it spins on its axis every 7.3 hours.

Karen Meech explains the significance: "This unusually large variation in brightness means that the object is highly elongated: about ten times as long as it is wide, with a complex, convoluted shape. We also found that it has a dark red colour, similar to objects in the outer Solar System, and confirmed that it is completely inert, without the faintest hint of dust around it."

These properties suggest that `Oumuamua is dense, possibly rocky or with high metal content, lacks significant amounts of water or ice, and that its surface is now dark and reddened due to the effects of irradiation from cosmic rays over millions of years. It is estimated to be at least 400 metres long.

Preliminary orbital calculations suggested that the object had come from the approximate direction of the bright star Vega, in the northern constellation of Lyra. However, even travelling at a breakneck speed of about 95 000 kilometres/hour, it took so long for the interstellar object to make the journey to our Solar System that Vega was not near that position when the asteroid was there about 300 000 years ago. `Oumuamua may well have been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with the Solar System.

Astronomers estimate that an interstellar asteroid similar to `Oumuamua passes through the inner Solar System about once per year, but they are faint and hard to spot so have been missed until now. It is only recently that survey telescopes, such as Pan-STARRS, are powerful enough to have a chance to discover them.

"We are continuing to observe this unique object," concludes Olivier Hainaut, "and we hope to more accurately pin down where it came from and where it is going next on its tour of the galaxy. And now that we have found the first interstellar rock, we are getting ready for the next ones!"

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Notes

[1] The Pan-STARRS team's proposal to name the interstellar objet was accepted by the International Astronomical Union, which is responsible for granting official names to bodies in the Solar System and beyond. The name is Hawaiian and more details are given here: http://www.minorplanetcenter.org/mpec/K17/K17V17.html . The IAU also created a new class of objects for interstellar asteroids, with this object being the first to receive this designation. The correct forms for referring to this object are now: 1I, 1I/2017 U1, 1I/`Oumuamua and 1I/2017 U1 (`Oumuamua). Note that the character before the O is an okina. So, the name should sound like H O u mu a mu a. Before the introduction of the new scheme, the object was referred to as A/2017 U1.

More information

This research was presented in a paper entitled "A brief visit from a red and extremely elongated interstellar asteroid", by K. Meech et al., to appear in the journal Nature on 20 November 2017.

The team is composed of Karen J. Meech (Institute for Astronomy, Honolulu, Hawai`i, USA [IfA]) Robert Weryk (IfA), Marco Micheli (ESA SSA-NEO Coordination Centre, Frascati, Italy; INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monte Porzio Catone, Italy), Jan T. Kleyna (IfA) Olivier Hainaut (ESO, Garching, Germany), Robert Jedicke (IfA) Richard J. Wainscoat (IfA) Kenneth C. Chambers (IfA) Jacqueline V. Keane (IfA), Andreea Petric (IfA), Larry Denneau (IfA), Eugene Magnier (IfA), Mark E. Huber (IfA), Heather Flewelling (IfA), Chris Waters (IfA), Eva Schunova-Lilly (IfA) and Serge Chastel (IfA).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and by Australia as a strategic partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

Research paper in Nature - https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1737/eso1737a.pdf

Photos of the VLT - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive

Contacts

Olivier Hainaut

ESO

Garching, Germany

Tel: 49-89-3200-6752

Email: ohainaut@eso.org

Karen Meech

Institute for Astronomy

Honolulu, Hawai`i, USA

Cell: 1-720-231-7048

Email: meech@IfA.Hawaii.Edu

Richard Hook

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: 49-89-3200-6655

Cell: 49-151-1537-3591

Email: rhook@eso.org
LUGANO, 17 November 2017 - A study that looked at mainstreaming genetic counselling for ovarian cancer to support screening programmes in Malaysia was presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. (1) The preliminary results of the MaGiC study show that most patients counselled by a well-trained but not necessarily an expert in genetics were satisfied or just as satisfied with their experience as compared to those being counselled by a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist.

One in nine ovarian cancer patients carries the BRCA1 or BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 1 or 2) mutation and four in 10 carriers do not have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. (2) Knowing one's BRCA status may indicate how one may respond to certain therapies or the level of risk to develop certain cancers.

"In the past, genetic testing in ovarian cancer was limited to a small number of patients with the aim of identifying relatives at risk," said Dr Soo Chin Lee, Senior Consultant, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, commenting on the study. "Now that there is a drug to treat cancer patients with BRCA mutations, genetic counselling and testing is recommended for all patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. This has increased the number of patients who qualify for testing and thus specialised centres have become overloaded."

The MaGiC study was designed to assess the prevalence of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations among ovarian cancer patients; determine the feasibility of mainstreaming genetic testing and counselling at local hospitals; examine the psychosocial impact of genetic testing in Malaysia.

800 ovarian cancer patients are to be recruited over a two-year period. Basic genetic counselling workshops have been held for 70 non-genetic clinicians from 29 hospitals across Malaysia. According to the study protocol, patients are allocated to counselling by a trained non-genetic clinician in their local hospital in a clinical programme led by Professor Yin Ling Woo, MaGiC's lead clinician, or to counselling by a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist in a programme with Professor Meow Keong Thong, lead clinical geneticist at specialised centres in Kuala Lumpur.

All blood samples were analyzed for BRCA mutations by Cancer Research Malaysia, coordinated by diagnostic lead Dr Joanna Lim. Patients received pre-test counselling, followed by test results and post-test counselling. After both pre- and post-test counselling, they are interviewed by a researcher over the telephone to assess the feasibility and the psychosocial impact of the experience.

One year into the study, 248 patients have been recruited, of whom 208 received genetic testing and 13% (27) had BRCA mutations, which is similar to that found in other populations.

"Screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and providing genetic counselling in local hospitals could help identify mutation carriers who may benefit from risk management and targeted treatment," said lead author Ms Sook-Yee Yoon, genetic counsellor, Cancer Research Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia. (3,4) "In Malaysia, BRCA genetic testing and counselling is only available at specialised centres in Kuala Lumpur but most people live outside the capital: patients seem to prefer local appointments, so if they are referred to another centre for genetic counselling, they seem less likely to attend. "

Preliminary results show that the answers to the psychosocial surveys were similar between the two groups. Most patients were satisfied with their counselling experience, felt informed about their choices, and found it easy to decide to go ahead with genetic testing.

In terms of feasibility, patients in the local and specialised counselling arms were equally satisfied or very satisfied with the counselling they received. The local counselling arm has been recruiting patients more quickly than the specialised arm.

"Cancer is still a taboo subject in Malaysia and there is a fatalistic attitude to hereditary conditions," continued Yoon. "Genetic information can cause conflict in families and the data we are collecting on the psychosocial impact of genetic testing will provide insights into the psychosocial challenges. With this knowledge, we can focus on interventions to overcome these challenges."

"Mainstreaming genetic testing and counselling to local hospitals is a strategy to cope with this increased volume of patients," continued Lee. "This is ideal for a large country like Malaysia where specialised centres are concentrated in the capital yet the majority of the population live elsewhere. Lee said: "The preliminary results of the study show that moving the genetic counselling process to the community is feasible and could be rolled out across Malaysia. It also is a model for other countries like Singapore to follow."

###

Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Asia 2017 Congress

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the many investigators and hospitals across Malaysia collaborating in this project. (Appendix 1)

References and notes

(1) Abstract LBA4_PR 'Mainstreaming Genetic Counselling for Genetic Testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Ovarian Cancer Patients in Malaysia (MaGiC Study)' will be presented by Sook Yee Yoon during Proffered Paper session 2 on Saturday, 18 November 2017, 10:45 to 12:30 (SGT) in Hall 405. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 10.

(2) Fong, F. (May 29, 2016). Genetic testing for ovarian cancer. New Straits Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/05/148430/genetic-testing-ovarian-cancer

(3) In people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. Inherited mutations in these genes increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

(4) About 90% of ovarian cancers develop in the epithelium, which is a thin layer of tissue covering the ovaries. Non-mucinous ovarian cancer is one type of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 17,000 members representing oncology professionals from 150 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment.

http://www.esmo.org

Twitter: @myESMO; #ESMOAsia17

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LUGANO, 20 November 2017 - Osimertinib improves progression-free survival compared to standard first line therapy in Asian patients with EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the Asian subset analysis of the FLAURA trial presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress (1), sumultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. (2)

EGFR mutations occur in 30-40% of NSCLC in Asian populations compared to 10-15% in Western populations. The phase III FLAURA trial compared osimertinib, a third generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), to standard of care EGFR-TKIs (erlotinib or gefitinib) as first line therapy in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations. A total of 556 patients from Asia, Europe, and North America were randomised 1:1 to treatment with osimertinib or standard of care. Osimertinib improved progression-free survival by 54%.

This subset analysis included the 322 Asian patients in the FLAURA trial, of whom 46 were Chinese, 120 were Japanese, and 156 were from other parts of Asia.

The median progression-free survival was 16.5 months with osimertinib compared to 11.0 months for the standard therapy, with a hazard ratio of 0.54 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.72; p<0.0001).

The median duration of response was two-fold higher for patients treated with osimertinib (17.6 months) compared to standard of care (8.7 months). The overall response rate was 80% with osimertinib compared to 75% with standard of care treatment. Median overall survival was not reached. The incidence of grade 3 or higher toxicities was lower for osimertinib (40%) than the standard treatment (48%).

Lead author Professor Byoung Chul Cho, Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea, said: "As in the overall trial population, osimertinib provided a significant progression-free survival benefit in Asian patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Asian patients had similar toxicities with osimertinib as the overall FLAURA population. Osimertinib should be the preferred first line treatment for EGFR-mutant NSCLC in Asia."

Commenting on the findings Professor James CH Yang, Chairman, Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei City, Taiwan, said: "The results of this subset analysis are quite compatible with the findings in the overall population presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (3) We can therefore conclude that osimertinib can be considered as the standard of care for the first line treatment of Asian advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations."

"The proportion of patients having adverse events that caused them to stop taking osimertinib was similar in the overall (13%) and Asian (15%) populations," added Yang. "We tend to think osimertinib is a well tolerated drug so these discontinuation rates were surprisingly high and need further investigation."

Yang continued: "Although there was no statistical difference between the hazard ratios for progression-free survival, it was numerically lower in non-Asians (0.34) compared to Asians (0.54). There is an ongoing debate as to whether Asian and non-Asian patients with EGFR mutations have distinct responses to EGFR-TKIs. This might be due to variations in clinical practice rather than biology. A meta-analysis of all relevant studies could shed light on this issue."

"It will also be important to know whether Asian and non-Asian patients in the FLAURA trial with brain metastases had similar outcomes," said Yang.(4)

###

Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Asia 2017 Congress

References

(1) Abstract LBA6_PR 'Osimertinib vs standard of care (SoC) EGFR-TKI as first-line treatment in patients with EGFR-TKI sensitising mutation (EGFRm) positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): FLAURA Asian subset' will be presented by Byoung Chul Cho during the Mini Oral session Thoracic malignancies 2 on Sunday, 19 November 2017, 14:30 to 15:25 (SGT) in Room 310. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 10

(2) 'Osimertinib in treatment-naive EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC (FLAURA)' S Ramalingam et al, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), 10.1056/NEJMoa1713137, http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1713137

(3) Abstract LBA2_PR 'Osimertinib vs SoC EGFR-TKI as first-line treatment in patients with EGFRm advanced NSCLC (FLAURA)' S. Ramalingam et al. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 5

(4) Abstract LBA5 'CNS response to osimertinib vs standard of care (SoC) EGFR-TKI as first-line therapy in patients (pts) with EGFR-TKI sensitising mutation (EGFRm)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): data from the FLAURA study' will be presented by Johan Vansteenkiste during the Proffered paper session 1 on Saturday, 18 November 2017, 08:30 to 10:30 (SGT) in Hall 405. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 10

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 17,000 members representing oncology professionals from 150 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org

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LUGANO, 17 November 2017 - Just one in five Indonesian women are aware of cervical cancer screening, according to a study presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. (1) The research in nearly 5,400 women also found that only 5% knew about mammography for early detection of breast cancer.

"Early detection of cervical and breast cancers leads to better treatment, with improved survival and quality of life," said lead author Dr Sumadi Lukman Anwar, oncologist in training, Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

"In Indonesia, many patients are diagnosed with breast and cervical cancers at a very late stage when there are limited options for curative treatment," he continued. "To improve early detection we need to know levels of awareness and participation in screening programmes, and what factors influence these levels."

Since 2015, all women in Indonesia aged 40 and above are eligible for cervical and breast cancer screening in primary healthcare funded by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (PERMENKES No.15/2015). Cervical smears are performed yearly for two years, then every five years if no abnormalities are found (otherwise they continue yearly). Clinical breast examinations are performed yearly and women are referred for sonography or mammography if there are any lumps or other signs of breast cancer. Women do not receive a letter inviting them to attend screening; in most cases they use their own initiative and ask for an appointment in primary healthcare.

The researchers assessed levels of awareness and participation in screening programmes for cervical and breast cancers. They also investigated factors that might influence these levels. The study used data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) which includes more than 30,000 individuals. (2) The first survey in 1993 was representative of 83% of the Indonesian population living in 13 of the 27 provinces in the country.

The current study is a collaborative work led by PILAR Research and Education and Gadjah Mada University and involves researchers from University College London, King's College London and University of Manchester. The analysis included 5,397 women aged 40 and older with no history of cancer who took part in the fifth IFLS survey, conducted in 2014 and 2015. Participants completed questionnaires about awareness and participation in cervical screening, mammography and breast self-examination. Information was also collected on factors that might be linked with cancer screening awareness and participation such as marital status, education, household expenditure, lifestyle, and distance to health facilities.

The researchers calculated the levels of awareness and participation in screening, and whether they varied by any of the population characteristics.

Only 1,058 (20%) of women were aware of cervical smears. Of those who were aware, only 297 women had ever had a cervical smear performed. Just 251 (5%) of women were aware of mammography and of those, only five women had received a mammogram in the previous year. Some 12% of women had done breast self-examination in the past year.

Higher education and household expenditure were associated with greater awareness of cervical smears and mammography, and greater participation in cervical smears and breast self-examination. Awareness and participation in screening was greater in those with health insurance, a shorter distance to health services, and who took part in community activities.

Anwar said: "We found very low levels of awareness of screening programmes for cervical and breast cancers in Indonesian women, and participation was even lower with indications of a social gradient. Health practitioners need to be aware of subgroups of women at risk who may benefit from improved information and communication concerning the availability of cancer screening. If further research supports the role of social participation, a campaign may be needed that is socially and culturally adapted for women in Indonesia and communicated using existing community networks and media they frequently use. Most people own mobile phones so the potential use of social media could also be explored."

Dr Wen-son Hsieh, Medical Oncologist, ICON-SOC and Farrer Park Hospital, Singapore said: "Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women worldwide and 8% of the cases occur in the developing world. This is at least partly due to the low incidence of screening procedures being performed in the developing world."

"The results of this study reinforce the concept that cancer screening programs can improve cancer screening rates in two ways: provide education resulting in improved awareness of the benefits of cancer screening and provide access to resources and facilities to allow cancer screening to occur."

Commenting on the study, Jonathan Ledermann, Professor of Medical Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK, said: "The rates of awareness and uptake of screening for cervical and breast cancer found in this Indonesian study were extremely low compared to Western Europe where we would expect a 70% uptake. A better understanding is needed as to why these rates are so low."

"The clear message is that education about screening is not well disseminated amongst the population and uptake is even lower," he continued. "So there's a lot of work to be done, and a lot of investment that needs to be made in education and facilities for screening if Indonesia is going to climb up the ladder of screening for those two cancers."

###

Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Asia 2017 Congress

References and note

(1) Abstract 288O_PR 'Determinants of cancer screening awareness and participation among Indonesian women: A nationwide study' will be presented by Sumadi Lukman Anwar during the Mini Oral session on gynaecological cancers on Saturday, 18 November 2017, 16:30 to 17:15 (SGT) in Hall 407. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 10.

(2) The Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS): https://www.rand.org/labor/FLS/IFLS.html

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 17,000 members representing oncology professionals from 150 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment.

http://www.esmo.org

Twitter: @myESMO; #ESMOAsia17

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LUGANO, 17 November 2017 - A study in Myanmar has found that all mouth cancer patients use smokeless tobacco, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. (1) Betel quid chewing often starts in adolescence and is associated with smoking and drinking alcohol, which are also risk factors for oral cancer. (2,3)

According to GLOBOCAN 2012, more than half of oral cancers in the world occur in Asia where an estimated 168,850 new cases were diagnosed in 2012. Of these, approximately 11% of patients were from Southeast Asia. (4)

Lead author Dr Khin Khin Nwe, medical oncologist, Toungoo General Hospital, Toungoo, Myanmar said: "According to previous studies the incidence of oral cancer, also called mouth cancer, in Southeast Asia has been disturbingly high for many years. It has also been shown that smokeless tobacco use is common in this region - for example in Myanmar more than 50% of men use betel quid." (4)

This observational study investigated the lifestyle behaviours of head and neck cancer patients that may have contributed to their disease. The cross-sectional study was conducted in the medical oncology unit of Toungoo General Hospital in 2016. All head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients who came to the hospital were included in the study. Participants were asked about betel quid chewing, smoking, and alcohol.

Of the 307 cancer patients who visited Toungoo Hospital that year, 67 (22%) had HNSCC and were included in the study. Out of the 67 patients, 41 were male and 26 were female. The mean age was 59.2 years (range 36 to 81) for men and 58.7 years (range 19 to 86) for women. The most common cancer site was oral cavity (34.3%), followed by larynx (25.4%), oropharynx (11.9%), nasopharynx (11.9%), hypopharynx (10.4%), lip (4.5%), and nose (1.5%).

Regarding lifestyle habits of the entire study population, 20 patients (30%) chewed betel only; 19 patients (28%) chewed betel and smoked tobacco; 19 patients (28%) chewed betel, smoked tobacco, and consumed alcohol. Two patients smoked tobacco and drank alcohol, two smoked tobacco only, two had none of the risk factors, and information was unavailable for three patients.

All oral cavity (mouth) cancer patients were betel quid chewers. In addition, 48% smoked tobacco and 44% consumed alcohol. The majority (87%) of mouth cancer patients said they kept betel quid in the buccal cavity (cheek) most of the time.

Nwe said: "We found that all patients with mouth cancer chewed betel quid. Most had started the habit as teenagers and had found it too difficult to quit. Betel quid chewing appeared to interact with tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking in an additive way in this population." Nwe concluded: "Chewing of betel quid has been common in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, for a long time and our study shows that it is a public health problem. Efforts are needed to increase awareness of the risks of betel quid chewing so that adolescents do not start the habit and adults are encouraged to quit. This may help to prevent head and neck cancer."

Commenting on the topic, Dr Makoto Tahara, Chief, Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Hospital East, Chiba, Japan, said: "Given the number of health issues associated with chewing betel quid, particularly oral cancer and precancerous conditions such as leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis, understanding ways to reduce betel quid chewing is of global public health importance. In the last decade, betel quid has been classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)."

"Limited research has been conducted to understand the behavioural and psychosocial factors that lead individuals to initiate and/or maintain betel quid chewing," he continued. "Determining such psychosocial and behavioural risk factors would help design prevention and treatment programmes aiming to reduce the prevalence of betel quid chewing. In many countries within the Western Pacific region, the long-established behaviour of betel quid use is integral to community life, from routine aspects of daily life to ceremonial celebrations. Given the social importance of chewing betel quid, chewers might fear the negative social repercussions associated with quitting. For instance, for an individual attending a social or cultural event where betel quid is offered, refusing it could be construed as an insult by the host." Tahara said: "Interventions designed to treat or prevent betel quid chewing may need to include a strong social/cultural component. For example, such interventions may provide chewers trying to quit with skills regarding how to deal with the social/cultural pressures to chew. With regards to prevention, if social influence is found to play an important role in chewing initiation among youths and young adults, perhaps social influence-based smoking cessation interventions that have been found to be effective in this age group may be adapted to prevent betel quid initiation."

###

Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Asia 2017 Congress

References and notes

(1) Abstract 372P_PR 'Head and neck cancer occurrences and Lifestyle habits in Toungoo, Myanmar' will be presented by Khin Khin Nwe during the Poster Display session on Saturday, 18 November 2017, 13:00 to 14:00 (SGT) in the Exhibition area. Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, 2017 Supplement 10.

(2) Betel quid consists of betel leaf, slaked lime and areca nuts, with or without tobacco. Other ingredients may be added according to regional traditions and personal tastes. These include catechu, spices (aniseed, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves), sweeteners (coconut, dried dates, liquorice), and essences (rose essence, menthol, mint, rose petals). The mixture is chewed and may be kept in the mouth for many hours.

(3) IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans. Betel-quid and Areca-nut Chewing and Some Areca-nut-derived Nitrosamines. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2004. (IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, No. 85.)

(4) Cheong SC, et al. Oral cancer in South East Asia: Current status and future directions. Translational Research in Oral Oncology. 2017.

DOI: 10.1177/2057178X17702921

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 17,000 members representing oncology professionals from 150 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment.

http://www.esmo.org

Twitter: @myESMO; #ESMOAsia17

Facebook: esmo.org

Youtube: ESMOchannel
Julich, 16. November 2017 - A figurehead of Forschungszentrum Julich retires in the spring of 2018: JUQUEEN, Europe's fastest supercomputer for many years, will meet its successor. Forschungszentrum Julich and the international IT company Atos have agreed at the SC17 supercomputing conference currently taking place in Denver, USA, to install the first module of the system. The third partner is the Munich-based software company ParTec. The new system is to be operated as a national high-performance computer within the framework of the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS), to which the three data centers of the Julich Research Centre (JSC), the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (LRZ) and Stuttgart University (HLRS) belong. GCS and its supercomputers are jointly supported and financed by the federal government and the three states in which GCS is headquartered. In addition, an expansion of the central Julich storage system was agreed with the manufacturer Lenovo.

"The Julich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) is breaking new ground with its modular concept," explains Prof. Thomas Lippert, Director of the JSC. The first module of the successor of JUQEEN, which is now planned, is tailored to a wide range of very complex applications in simulation and data analysis. With a nominal peak performance of 12 petaflop/second - equivalent to 12 quadrillion computing operations per second - this first expansion stage will already be designed for twice as much computing power as its predecessor system, which has come of age. Within two years, the system is to be completed by a second module within a common network. This second module is then specially designed for applications that require the highest computing power.

The decision to choose Atos as the hardware supplier was made in a two-stage competitive procurement process of the research center. The module is to be installed in the first half of 2018 and is based on Atos' Sequana architecture. "A high integration density and efficient hot water cooling allow significant savings in operating costs," explains Dr. Michael Stephan, technical expert at the JSC for the system. "Unlike its predecessor, the new system uses hot water to cool the racks that can be much warmer than the normal ambient temperature. This means that it can be cooled directly with outside air and without the need to spend additional energy for cooling".

The supercomputer is developed in a co-design approach by the partners Atos, Forschungszentrum Julich and ParTec. "As a leading manufacturer of supercomputer systems in Europe, we are particularly pleased to be taking this highly innovative path towards modular supercomputing with our partners," says Dr. Martin Matzke, SVP Big Data and Security of Atos Germany. "Our main contribution to this co-design is our new Sequana architecture, specifically designed to meet the unique technological requirements of exascale computing."

A new era of supercomputing

Modular supercomputing, an idea conceived by Dr. Lippert almost 20 years ago, was realised by JSC and ParTec in the EU-funded research projects DEEP and DEEP-ER together with many partners from research and industry. "Since 2010, our experts have been developing the software, which will in future create the union of several modules into a single system, " says Bernhard Frohwitter, CEO of ParTec. "Our goal is to provide the leading software for Exascale."

The JSC has recently shown that modular supercomputing actually works: With the expansion of JURECA (see press release dated November 13, 2017), a modular supercomputer with an innovative cluster booster architecture went into operation at the Julich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) for the first time worldwide. Now the next modular system is in preparation.

Universal tool for science

Supercomputers have become a universal tool for science. Simulations on supercomputers are indispensable for testing scientific models in different fields such as quantum physics, climate and neuroscience. At the same time, they allow insights into structure and behaviour of important building blocks of life, basic materials properties or chemical processes under extreme conditions, for example, which are not otherwise possible for physical-technical, financial and ethical reasons.

The Julich Supercomputing Centre procures and operates the new system as a member of the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS), the merger of the three national high-performance computing centres in Germany. The computing time is allocated to national and European projects via established peer review procedures. The GCS and the Forschungszentrum Julich is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the ministries in Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria.

Expansion of the central storage system

Furthermore, an expansion of the central Julich storage system is planned. Together with the manufacturer Lenovo, Forschungszentrum Julich has agreed on an extension and partial renewal of the system from 20.3 to a total of 81.6 petabytes. The globally accessible JUST (Julich Storage) storage platform provides high-performance storage for the supercomputers at the JSC. For instance, the system stores data from major Julich large-scale projects such as the European Human Brain Project and the Julich Brain Atlas, as well as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) - an antimatter detector installed on the International Space Station ISS.

The new JUST system will be based on Lenovo's "Distributed Storage Solution for IBM Spectrum Scale" (DSS-G). The bandwidth will more than double as a result of the upgrade, allowing access speeds of up to 500 GB/s.

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WASHINGTON -- Drugs designed to halt cancer growth may offer a new way to control high blood pressure (hypertension), say Georgetown University Medical Center investigators. The finding could offer a real advance in hypertension treatment because although a number of high blood pressure drugs are now available, they work by different mechanisms that are not suited for all patients.

The study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that fibroblast growth factors, or FGFs, involved in increasing blood vessel growth so that cancer can grow, also have a systemic effect on blood pressure. The study suggests that just as oncologists use FGF inhibitors to control cancer, clinicians may be able to use FGF inhibitors to regulate blood pressure and control disease associated with hypertension.

"It's rare that a single class of drugs can be used for such different conditions, but that is what our study strongly suggests," says the study's senior investigator, Anton Wellstein, MD, PhD, professor of oncology and pharmacology at Georgetown University School of Medicine and a researcher at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Wellstein and his collaborators previously found that the FGF pathway, when switched on, drives growth of blood vessels that feed a growing tumor (angiogenesis). The development of FGF inhibitors is based in part on their ability to inhibit angiogenesis. The current study took a deeper dive into the pathway and found that a protein, FGFBP1, modulates FGF. The gene that produces FGFBP1 to regulate FGF is known as FGF binding protein 1.

Wellstein had learned from a publication by a group in the United Kingdom that a population in Eastern Europe that had hypertension also had a variation of the FGFBP1 gene. Due to this gene variation in these individuals, FGFBP1 was over-expressed in kidney tissue, the major control hubs for blood pressure.

He decided to test the link between FGFBP1 and hypertension in a mouse model his laboratory at Georgetown had created that revealed the link between FGF and cancer. In these mice, FGFBP1 can be switched on or off.

Wellstein partnered with Christopher S. Wilcox, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at Georgetown and the George E. Schreiner Chair of Nephrology, and when investigators switched on FGFBP1 in mice, their blood pressure shot up. "It actually went up [30 mm Hg] from a normal blood pressure to pretty bad hypertension," says Wellstein. "It was amazing."

He adds that he turned the gene on "just to a level you see in people in the Eastern European group who have hypertension." Wellstein also clarified that when a cancer switches on overproduction of the FGF pathway, in order to stimulate blood vessel production, that has only a local tumor effect, not a systemic one. Most patients using cancer treatment have normal blood pressure, he says.

Further research revealed that hypertension regulation by FGFBP1 occurred in the resistance vessels --the end portion of vessels in different tissues that control the flow to that tissue. The aberrant FGFBP1 gene increased the vessel response to a hormone (angiotensin II) that constricts the blood vessels, making blood pressure rise.

"FGF can control how sensitive the blood pressure regulation by angiotensin II is," says Wellstein. "That tells us that if a person has hypertension, it is possible to target FGF signaling because it contributes to maintenance of high blood pressure by altering sensitivity to a major vasoconstrictive hormone, angiotensin II," he says.

Investigators then used an FGF inhibitor in mice with a switched on FGFBP1 gene, and found the drug effectively lowered the sensitivity to angiotensin II in several vascular beds.

"Of course, we can't say that this tactic will work in humans with hypertension, but it will be straightforward to test this rather surprising possibility to target a new mechanism of blood pressure control," says Wellstein.

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Study co-authors include, from Georgetown University Medical Center: Elena Tassi, PhD; En Yin Lai, MD, PhD; Lingli Li, MD, PhD; Glenn Solis; Yifan Chen, PhD; Will Kiamietzman, MSc; Anna T. Riegel, PhD; and William J. Welch, PhD; and Patricio E. Ray, MD, from Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study.

The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants P01 HL068686, R01s CA71508, DK36079, DK49870, HL102497, P30 CA51008, and the George E. Schreiner Chair of Nephrology and the National Nature Science Foundation of China.

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, D.C. 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).
By PTI: (Eds: With fresh inputs)

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court today allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, to visit the United Kingdom from December 1-10 for his daughters admission at the Cambridge University there.

The apex court imposed certain conditions on Karti and directed him to furnish an undertaking in three days that he would abide by the conditions and timeline of his visit.

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The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambarams father was the Union Finance Minister.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Mishra said since the investigation was in progress, Karti will not cite the present order of allowing him to go abroad as a precedent in any court.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked Karti to furnish documents of grant or non-grant of admission to his daughter in the university on his return from UK.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted a note to the court in response to its query on the probe agencys stand on Kartis plea seeking to go abroad.

He said that contempt action be initiated against Karti if he does not return to India after the completion of period of his visit abroad.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said he has agreed to furnish an undertaking and contempt action is a natural consequence which may follow if he does not return and hence it should not be mentioned in the order of the court.

The bench while taking the note filed by CBI on record said that legality of governments Look Out Circular (LOC) against Karti will be deliberated at the later stage.

It posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

In his application, Karti has sought courts permission to visit abroad for his daughters admission at a college of the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

The apex court had on November 9 asked the CBI to apprise it of its stand on allowing Kartis request to go abroad.

The top court is hearing the CBIs appeal challenging the Madras High Court order staying the governments LOC against Karti Chidambaram. The CBI had on September 1 said there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

Earlier, the apex court had said that Karti would not be allowed to leave India without subjecting himself to probe in the case. The court had then stayed the high court order putting on hold the LOC against Karti. PTI MNL ABA SJK ARC

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Johns Hopkins scientists report they have successfully used two separate gene technologies to assemble the most complete genome sequence to date of Triticum aestivum, the most common cultivated species of wheat used to make bread.

A report on the achievement was published in the Oct. 23 issue of GigaScience just a few weeks before their related report on the sequencing of the bread wheats ancestor, Aegilops tauschii, published Nov. 15 in Nature.

Together, they say, the wheat genome sequences may help biologists not only better understand the evolutionary history of wheat, but also advance the quest for hardier, more pest- and drought-resistant wheat types to help feed the worlds growing population.

After many years of trying, weve finally been able to produce a high-quality assembly of this very challenging genome, says Steven Salzberg, Ph.D., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

According to the Johns Hopkins scientists, bread wheat has one of the most complex genomes known to science, containing an estimated 16 billion base pairs of DNA and six copies of seven chromosomes. By comparison, the human genome is about five times smaller, with about three billion base pairs and two copies of 23 chromosomes. Previously published versions of the bread wheat genome have contained large gaps in its highly repetitive DNA sequence.

The repetitive nature of this genome makes it difficult to fully sequence, says Salzberg. Its like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle of a landscape scene with a huge blue sky. There are lots of very similar, small pieces to assemble.

The newly assembled bread wheat genome, which cost $300,000 for the sequencing alone, took a year for the Johns Hopkins researchers to assemble 1.5 trillion bases of raw data into a final assembly of 15.34 billion base pairs.

To do it, Salzberg and his team used two types of genome sequencing technology: high throughput short-read sequencing and long-read, single molecule sequencing. As its name implies, high throughput sequencing generates massive amounts of DNA base pairs very quickly and cheaply, although the fragments are very short-just 150 base pairs long for this project. To help assemble the repetitive areas, the Johns Hopkins team used real-time, single molecule sequencing, which reads DNA as it is being synthesized in a tiny, nano-scale well on a chip. The technology enables scientists to read up to 20,000 base pairs at a time by measuring fluorescent signals that are emitted as each DNA base is copied.

Salzberg says that sequencing a genome of this size requires not only genetic expertise, but also very large computing resources available at relatively few research institutions around the world. The team relied heavily on the Maryland Advanced Research Computing Center, a computing center shared by Hopkins and the University of Maryland, which has over 20,000 computer cores (CPUs) and over 20 petabytes of data storage. The team used approximately 100 CPU years to put this genome together.

Salzberg and his team also participated in the collaborative effort reported in the journal Nature to sequence an ancestral type of wheat, Aegilops tauschii, which is commonly referred to as goatgrass and still found in parts of Asia and Europe. Its genome is approximately one-third the size of the bread wheat genome, but has similar levels of repetition. The work, done as part of a collaborative effort between the University of California, Davis; Johns Hopkins; and the University of Georgia, took approximately four years to complete. Using ordered-clone genome sequencing, shotgun sequencing and optical genome mapping, the team pieced together the 4.3 billion nucleotides that make up the plants genetic sequence. With this information, the rest of the team was able to identify sequences that make up the genes responsible for specific characteristics in the plant.

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Other researchers involved with the bread wheat study included Aleskey V. Zimin and Daniela Puiu, both members of Salzbergs laboratory in the Center for Computational Biology at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine; Sarah Kingan and Richard Hall of Pacific Biosciences in Menlo Park, California; and Bernardo J. Clavijo of the Earlham Institute in Norwich, United Kingdom.

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (IOS-1238231 and IOS-1444893) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (R01 HG006677).

None of the authors report any competing or conflicting interests related to the research.

*This release was edited on Nov. 29 2017 to correct information on the sequencing and assembly technology used in this research.
A national cooperative group trial is making a handful of the country's experts in a rare leukemia available around the clock, with the goal of cutting by more than half the high mortality rates that occur in the difficult first few weeks of treatment

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Nov. 20, 2017) - A national cooperative group trial is making a handful of the country's experts in a rare leukemia available around the clock, with the goal of cutting by more than half the high mortality rates that occur in the difficult first few weeks of treatment.

Induction mortality for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL, can be as high as 30 percent, but for patients who survive those first few weeks, survival rates can soar beyond 90 percent, making it the most- curable leukemia.

"The most frustrating problem in APL is what we call early deaths," says the National Cancer Institute-supported cooperative's study chair and principal investigator Dr. Anand P. Jillella. Jillella is chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia and associate director of medical oncology services at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University.

"Those rates have not changed in the last two decades despite having blockbuster drugs to treat patients. We want to help and we want physicians to call us any time if they have an APL patient," he says.

Jillella and Dr. Vamsi Kota, an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Emory's Winship Cancer Institute, have developed a checklist they share with those physicians that labels APL a medical emergency and covers early, major concerns with the cancer and its treatment.

Experience with the strategy in about 160 patients in Georgia and South Carolina has decreased induction mortality from an estimated 30% to 6.7%.

"These are the tests you do when you diagnose APL, this is how you manage bleeding, this is how you manage complications to the drugs, this is how you manage infections," Jillella says, running down the checklist.

"It's a rare disease so it's not easy for patients or physicians to recognize the complications of the disease early," Kota says of their newly expanded effort to lend a national hand to colleagues and measure the impact.

They estimate about 3,000 APL patients are treated annually by the nation's 15,000 hematologists/oncologists. That math alone means most specialists don't see many, if any, APL patients in their careers. In fact, it was Jillella's own early experience with more patients dying than clinical trials data prepared him to anticipate that led to the now national initiative. U.S. based trials had largely reported survival rates in the 90s.

"We got involved because we wanted other physicians to feel free to call us to discuss how to manage their patients," says Kota, who worked with Jillella while completing his residency and fellowship at MCG, followed by three years on faculty.

"Even relatively small things in treatment can make very dangerous things happen," Kota says. That means, for example, keeping a super-close eye on fluid retention and weight as patients receive intravenous fluids and blood products, which prevent some APL complications, but in excess can quickly cause respiratory problems that require intensive care.

They plan to enroll about 200 patients over four years in the NCI national cooperative. The six lead centers include MCG; Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Rochester; Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York; Northwestern University in Chicago; and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. They expect that approximately 70 percent of patients will come from some 40 sites for the National Community Oncology Research Program, an NCI-initiative to make cancer clinical trials more widely available.

APL is a type of acute myeloid leukemia in which white blood cells that normally help protect us from infection inexplicably get stuck in an early, dysfunctional state of development that instead clogs the bone marrow. Production of these and other cell types is a constant in our bone marrow that APL disrupts.

Patients can quickly become anemic, have problems with blood clotting and bleeding and be vulnerable to infection. "You feel tired because you are not making blood. It totally deranges the way blood clots so you bruise and bleed easily. The worst thing that can happen is patients experience a bleed in their brain," Jillella says.

Early intervention with analogues of vitamin A or arsenic can help restore more normal differentiation of needed white blood cells within just a few days. Patients may also receive chemotherapy and blood products and all treatments need rapid initiation.

In a decade of work with these patients, Jillella and Kota found that their three main causes of death were bleeding, infection and complications from the treatment. They also realized that with a wide age range of disease onset from 20 to 80, drug doses needed to be modified based on age. Their findings are reflected in the treatment approach they now bring to patients.

Their national model mirrors Jillella's and Kota's work with more than 30 leukemia practices throughout Georgia and South Carolina in a program funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2013. He and Kota shared their contact info with physicians at those sites and said to feel free to call them any time they received a patient with APL. That effort has now enrolled more than 160 patients with about an 89 percent survival rate. Jillella notes that better than half the patients were treated in more rural areas.

Relapse rates for APL are a low 2-3 percent. Jillella and Kota are developing plans to utilize the existing network to offer similar supportive services for a handful of other rare cancers.

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At any given moment, the Earth's atmosphere is showered with high-energy cosmic rays that have been blasted from supernovae and other astrophysical phenomena far beyond the Solar System. When cosmic rays collide with the Earth's atmosphere, they decay into muons -- charged particles that are slightly heavier than an electron.

Muons last only fractions of a second, and during their fleeting lifespan they can be found through every layer of the Earth's atmosphere, circulating in the air around us and raining onto the surface at a rate similar to a light drizzle. A small fraction of muons can even penetrate the Earth's surface and travel several kilometers through rock and ice.

Now physicists at MIT have designed a pocket-sized cosmic ray muon detector to track these ghostly particles. The detector can be made with common electrical parts, and when turned on, it lights up and counts each time a muon passes through. The relatively simple device costs just $100 to build, making it the most affordable muon detector available today.

The researchers, led by Spencer Axani, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Physics, have designed the detector with students in mind. They have started an outreach program called CosmicWatch, with a website that lists parts to purchase and detailed instructions on how to assemble, calibrate, and run the detector. The team estimates that an average high school student should spend about four hours building a detector for the first time, and just one hour building it a second time.

Once up and running, detectors can be carried around to measure muon rates in virtually any environment. The team has helped supply nearly 100 detectors to high school and college students, who have sent the instruments up in planes and weather balloons to measure muon rates at high altitudes. Students have also, as Axani has done, taken the detectors underground.

"You get funny looks when you take particle detectors into the subway, but we did that in Boston," Axani says. "Since the muon rate will decrease the further down you go, we put the detectors in a subway station to measure how far underground we were."

The researchers have published the first version of the detector design in the American Journal of Physics. Axani's co-authors are MIT professor of physics Janet Conrad and junior Conor Kirby. Details regarding their latest version can be found on the CosmicWatch webpage.

Treasure in trash

Axani originally intended to build a small, handheld muon detector as a miniature add-on to IceCube, a huge particle detector encased in ice, deep underground at the South Pole. IceCube is designed to detect subatomic particles called neutrinos.

Scientists at the observatory proposed that a small muon detector might be inserted into PINGU (Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade), a proposed array that would increase the detector's sensitivity to low-energy neutrinos. Small muon detectors, buried in such an array, would be able to tag the precise position of muons, enabling scientists to sift out those particles in their search for neutrinos.

Axani took on the task of designing a prototype muon detector for use in PINGU. Typical muon detectors consist of photomultiplying tubes lined with a scintillator, a material that emits light when struck by a charged particle. When a particle such as a muon bounces through the detector, the photomultiplying tube multiplies the current produced by the emitted light. In this way, even a single photon can make a current large enough that it can be measured. This is used to determine whether a muon or other particle has passed through the detector.

While most lab-scale muon detectors are made from large, bulky photomultipliers and even larger batteries to power them, Axani looked for ways to shrink the design.

After digging through discarded electronics equipment at MIT, he found the components he needed to build a much thinner device, requiring very little power.

He also designed simple electronics and software components to display the number of muons passing through the detector, making the detector a self-contained measurement and readout instrument.

A project takes flight

Since Axani first attempted to design a prototype, his project has morphed into more of an outreach effort, as he's realized the components used to build the detector are relatively common, easily accessible, and simple to assemble -- all ideal qualities for teaching students hands-on particle physics.

He, Conrad, and a colleague at the National Center for Nuclear Research in Poland, K. Frankiewicz, have assembled kits for students, which can be used to build individual handheld detectors about the size of a large cellphone. Each kit includes a piece of plastic scintillator, a SensL silicon photomultiplier, an Arduino Nano, a readout screen, a custom-designed printed circuit board, and a 3-D-printed casing, available in a rainbow of colors.

The team has supplied kits to students at the University of Warsaw in Poland, as well as the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where students have built an array of the detectors and sent them up in weather balloons to measure muons at high altitudes. Students have also taken the detectors onto planes to measure the different muon counts at various altitudes.

"At sea level, you might see one count every two seconds at sea level, but on a plane at cruising altitude, that rate increases by about a factor of 50 -- a dramatic change," Axani says. "From the measured rate you can back-calculate what the actual altitude of the plane was."

A group at Boston University is also investigating the possibilities of placing the muon detectors in suborbital rockets, reaching altitudes of 100,000 feet.

"When you get up high enough, you get out of the muon production region of cosmic rays, and you can start seeing the turnover, where rates of muons increase at a certain altitude and then start decreasing beyond a certain altitude," Conrad says.

Eventually, the researchers would like to apply their pocket detector as a means of muon tomography, a technique that uses the distribution of muons to create a three-dimensional image of the amount of material surrounding a detector. Scientists in the past have used muon tomography instruments, much like X-rays or CT scans, to uncover geological structures, the most famous of which was an effort in the 1960s to search for hidden chambers in the Pyramid of Chephren, in Giza.

"That's something I'd like to try out at some point, maybe to map out the office on the floor above me," Axani says. "For now I like to take these detectors in my briefcase and measure the muon rate when I'm travelling."

The researchers will continue to offer kits on the CosmicWatch website, along with instructions for how to assemble and apply them. They also hope to collect feedback from students and educators who have used the kits.

"This is a really neat example of how pretty esoteric physics can produce something which is directly useful," Conrad says.

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This research was funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation.

Additional background

PAPER: The desktop muon detector: A simple, physics-motivated machine-and-electronics-shop project for university students http://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.5003806

ARCHIVE: Neutrino search finds no evidence of 'hidden' particle http://news.mit.edu/2016/neutrino-hidden-particle-dark-matter-0808

ARCHIVE: How MIT gave "Ghostbusters" its "geek cred" http://news.mit.edu/2016/how-mit-gave-ghostbusters-geek-cred-0715

ARCHIVE: New evidence that matter and anti-matter may behave differently http://news.mit.edu/2010/neutrinos-0812
Only half of parents confident that they could tell if childcare or preschool is safe and healthy. Biggest deal breakers: 'Sketchy' location and guns on the premises

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The search for the best preschool or childcare option is often a challenging experience - and many parents aren't sure if the one they pick is safe and healthy for their child, according to a new national poll.

About 62 percent of parents say it's difficult to find childcare options that meet all of their standards, and only about half were very confident that they could tell if a childcare option was safe and healthy, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan.

The most important factors on parents' checklists depended on the childcare setting. Parents of children attending childcare centers prioritized safety (background checks for staff, locked doors) and practical considerations (cost and location). Parents of preschoolers named similar safety factors as the most important factors they consider when choosing care, as well as those related to play (active play every day in a safe outdoor play area).

In contrast, the most important factors among parents whose children attend an in-home childcare ranged from healthy food and clean kitchens, to availability of books and educational toys.

Still, 9 in 10 parents felt that childcare centers and in-home childcare providers should have the same health and safety standards.

"Parents want to feel confident that all childcare and preschool options meet certain standards," says poll co-director Sarah Clark. "Parents could then choose their preferred childcare option without compromising their child's health and safety."

The biggest deal breakers when looking for childcare reflected parents' overall focus on safety. Roughly 70 percent of parents said they would not leave their child in a school or center located in a "sketchy" area while 56 percent said they would not consider a place with guns on the premises. Additionally, 48 percent of parents said the presence of other adults (not including staff) was unacceptable in a childcare setting.

"Parents were clear that certain characteristics would automatically remove a childcare or preschool option from their list," says Clark. "First and foremost is safety."

Other deal breakers included health-related considerations. About 4 in 10 parents said allowing unvaccinated children to attend childcare was a deal breaker and about 3 in 10 would not allow their children in a home or facility where the staff person was a smoker.

"Health-related considerations are important for all children," Clark says. "But they also carry an increased risk for children who have special health needs such as asthma."

The report includes responses from a nationally representative sample of 307 parents who had at least one child ages 1-5.

"Parents want to be confident they are making the right choice when it comes to leaving their children in someone else's care," says Clark.

"Our poll demonstrates the challenge of choosing a preschool or childcare setting that meets all of a parent's criteria. Safety and health factors are important to parents, but too often, parents aren't sure how to determine if a childcare option is safe and healthy."

Clark says parents should take extra steps to evaluate potential childcare or preschool facilities in several different ways. This may include drop-in visits to observe safety features, such as the location of a playground relative to traffic or the security of an entrance.

In reviewing the website for cost and hours of operation, parents should also look for health-related policies like vaccination requirements for children and staff, background checks, and security policies.

Parents should also inquire about other aspects of child safety they may feel are important, such as whether a gun is stored in the facility or whether other adults will be onsite while children are there.

"Some health-related characteristics are observable while others, such as how often toys are cleaned, are not as obvious," Clark says. "The more research parents do ahead of time, the more confident they will feel that their children are in a safe and healthy environment."

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PCR-based approach to a frontier of the human genome could speed discovery in chromosome-based diseases and birth defects

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Some scientists call it the "final frontier" of our DNA -- even though it lies at the center of every X-shaped chromosome in nearly every one of our cells.

It's called the centromere, and it plays a crucial role in the everyday cell division that keeps us healthy. Which also makes it a key suspect in birth defects, cancers and other diseases that arise from cell division problems.

Now, a new technique may force this mysterious stretch of DNA to give up its secrets at last.

Already, the first test of the approach has yielded clues about the role of centromeres in Down syndrome, which arises when a child inherits an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Soon, the technique's developers at the University of Michigan Medical School hope it will accelerate research on other conditions that may have roots in centromere-related problems.

"These assays give us the opportunity to understand the dynamics of centromeres, and how these sequences expand or contract during evolution and/or disease processes," says Rafael Contreras-Galindo, Ph.D., lead author of the new paper and an assistant professor of internal medicine. "We can now understand at which centromeres in specific chromosomes key centromere proteins sit, and form the kinetochores that are vital to cell division. With these studies, we can begin to understand how centromere DNA instability could affect centromere function, as we appear to see in Down syndrome."

Speeding up genetic analysis

In a new paper in Genome Research, the U-M researchers describe the technique they developed, and its first test. In essence, it changes the analysis of centromere DNA from a long, labor-intensive task to a fast and relatively easy one that can accelerate research on centromere-related diseases.

Their approach is based on the discovery of unique DNA repetition patterns found in the centromere of nearly every chromosome. Their new catalog of these chromosome-specific patterns makes it possible to use a DNA-sequencing tool called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR.

The massive repeated sections of DNA that make up most of every centromere have made the structures hard to sequence and study in the past, because the same long stretches appear on every chromosome.

So, most centromere researchers have studied the proteins and other molecules that interact with centromeres - factors referred to as epigenetics -- rather than the DNA itself.

But the new approach harnesses small chromosome-specific variations and uses them as PCR primers. This makes it fast and easy for researchers to recognize the centromeres of almost every chromosome in a cell, and tell them apart, in just half an hour.

"Centromeres are important for cell division, but poorly understood from a genetic standpoint, because the DNA sequences in them are very repetitive," says David Markovitz, M.D., senior author of the new paper and a professor of internal medicine. "With this technique, we and others can study their genetics, and epigenetics, in a real-time, user-friendly way."

U-M has applied for a patent on the approach and is currently looking for commercialization partners to help bring the technology to market.

Exploring the link to Down syndrome

In the new paper, Contreras-Galindo, Markovitz, active emeritus U-M professor Mark Kaplan, M.D., and a team of collaborators report results from their comparison of centromeres from individuals with and without Down syndrome.

They show a strong link between the condition and instabilities found on chromosome 21 - both in the centromere and in the stretches of DNA that flank it, called pericentromeres.

Unstable centromeres and pericentromeres could help explain why people with Down syndrome inherit an extra copy of that chromosome, although much work remains to test this hypothesis.

After all, as every biology student learns, cells that are preparing to divide rely on centromeres to help them divide up the double amount of DNA they've produced, and distribute it to the two "daughter" cells they will produce. To do this, the cells grow long skinny structures called spindles that look like spider legs, and attach to one centromere of each chromosome, which is made up of two identical stretches of DNA.

The spindles retract as the cell divides, plucking the two halves of a chromosome apart. If the plucking doesn't happen correctly because of a centromere-related issue, that could cause both halves of the chromosome to travel together into the "daughter" cell.

In the new study, people with Down syndrome also differed from those without the condition in their levels of a key protein that binds to centromere DNA, and helps form the structure that the spindles attach to. People with Down syndrome had much more of that one protein attached to their centromeres, compared to those without the condition.

Serendipity and hard work

The U-M researchers didn't set out to study centromeres. They originally wanted to learn more about hidden virus DNA that has become embedded in our genome over centuries.

These human endogenous retroviruses, or HERVs, as they're called, have given us stretches of DNA that get copied and handed down from generation to generation.

The team had previously found unknown HERV RNA in the blood of patients with HIV/AIDS. Over time, they discovered HERV DNA near the edges of the centromere region of certain chromosomes. They dubbed the viruses K111 and K222.

The HERV sequences weren't in the Human Genome Project database because they're in the centromere region. But the researchers and their colleagues showed that the same HERVs could also be found in other higher primates, including chimpanzees and Neanderthals.

But while these human relatives have a few copies, we humans have thousands of copies of the HERV DNA near our centromeres - and on many of our chromosomes. K111, for instance, could be found on 15 chromosomes' centromeres, slightly altered in each one. This suggests that centromeres over time have had genetic material "cross-over" to other chromosomes.

Using the HERV sequences as an anchor point to study centromere DNA, the team used PCR of so-called alpha-repeat sequences to more fully analyze nearly all human centromeres.

The new paper includes their results from 23 of the 24 different human chromosomes - including the X and Y. Only chromosome 19 has so far resisted the development of a diagnostic PCR assay, as the researchers search for sequences unique to it.

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The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (CA177824, CA144043), as well as by the Concerned Parents for AIDS Research and the University of Michigan. In addition to Contreras-Galindo, Kaplan, and Markovitz, the authors include U-M faculty members Manhong Dai, Fan Meng, Arul Chinnaiyan, and Gilbert S. Omenn; MD/Ph.D. student Anjan K. Saha; visiting graduate student Sabrina Fischer of Uruguay; undergraduate research students John D. Lundy, Mohamad Mourad and Brian Qian; Postbac Research Education Program student Patrick W. Cervantes, and former high school intern Claire Wang, now at Stanford University.
In many countries, human empowerment - including freedom of expression and action - tends to increase people's generalised trust in other people, particularly strangers. However, such an increase is usually gradual, reaching its peak in affluent, modernised democracies. In contrast, in countries with below-average levels of development, people, especially educated ones, often demonstrate a lack of trust in strangers, according to researchers of the Higher School of Economics.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11205-017-1724-z

It is generally accepted that the more prosperous a country, the higher the level of generalised trust among its population. This is largely due to emancipation, i.e. human empowerment in various spheres, such as civil rights, material freedom, freedom of expression, and others. These are the findings made by Christian Welzel, Chief Research Fellow of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR), and Jan Delhey, Professor at the University of Magdeburg. However, the researchers' previous studies of factors contributing to generalised trust gave contradictory results for different countries.

Generalised trust, considered as a key component of social capital, has been a major research focus in the last three decades. There is consensus among researchers that trust in strangers - i. e. people seen for the first time - is the main indicator of generalised trust. It is a type of out-group trust, alongside trust in people of a different religion or ethnicity. According to the World Values Survey (WVS) waves 5 and 6, this type of trust, compared to other types, is the lowest in most countries.

Anna Almakaeva, Christian Welzel and Eduard Ponarin, researchers with the HSE LCSR, examined the relationship between trust and emancipation, using data from WVS waves 5 and 6 for 63 countries.

The WVS determines the level of generalised trust based on the answer to the question, 'Do you trust people you meet for the first time?' To measure the level of human emancipation, an index developed by Christian Welzel was used, comprising three dimensions of emancipation: existential, characterised by the GDP at purchasing power parity; psychological, characterised by the emancipative values such as equality, freedom, autonomy and self-expression; and institutional, measured by the civil rights index.

Their findings confirm that generalised trust and human empowerment are positively related, but this relationship is nonlinear. Trust does not arise immediately with emancipation, but begins to grow after a certain level of emancipation is attained. Therefore, people tend to trust strangers only in highly developed and modernised countries, such as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Canada.

Human empowerment contributes to higher levels of subjective wellbeing, civic participation, emancipative values, ethnic tolerance, and education. These factors, according to the authors, are significant contributors to trust in highly emancipated countries. However, the study revealed a curious relationship between trust and education.

In countries with low levels of emancipation, such as Yemen, education can have an opposite effect, i.e. the lower a person's education, the more they tend towards generalised trust, while highly educated people tend to have lower trust in those who are not in their close circle. According to the authors, this phenomenon can be partly explained by Japanese researcher Toshio Yamagishi's idea that trust is a form of social intelligence. Where living standards are low and security is not guaranteed, education enhances people's ability to see potential problems in their social environment.

There is an idea that civic participation and generalised trust are parts of the same 'social syndrome'. However, this may also be true only of highly developed countries.

The authors conclude that societies with medium and high levels of human empowerment tend to develop a specific form of generalised trust as a civic virtue and a moral value.

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CORVALLIS, Ore. - For reef-building corals, not just any symbiotic algae will do, new research shows.

The findings are important because they amount to another danger sign for the world's coral reefs, which rely on a partnership with the millions of phototrophic algae they host to obtain food.

Global climate change is threatening the reefs in part because the symbionts, dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, can be stressed by warming oceans to the point of dysbiosis - a collapse of the host-symbiont partnership, which results in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

Earlier studies had suggested the more heat-tolerant Symbiodinium trenchii might be able to take the place of other, more sensitive species of Symbiodinium.

But an international research group that included Virginia Weis, Eli Meyer and Camerron Crowder of Oregon State University found that likely won't be the case.

"Our research suggests that while S. trenchii might be able to establish a population in a host, it's not correct to say it will be a beneficial partnership for the coral," said Weis, professor of integrative biology in OSU's College of Science.

Findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Weis and collaborators at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the University of Melbourne and Stanford University worked with the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida, commonly called Aiptasia, an established model for studying the type of symbiosis upon which coral reefs rely.

"Corals are really hard to grow in a lab," Weis said. "They're very fussy, they're slow growing, and many of them are endangered. But this anemone grows very fast and is easy to manipulate."

Aiptasia anemones were colonized separately with S. trenchii and their native symbionts, S. minutum. S. trenchii has been observed to invade corals after bleaching - when the corals become stressed and lose their algae.

"When we challenged Aiptasia with the regular symbiont, it went as expected," Weis said. "There was no immune system response, and there was productivity - we could see signs of the host getting sugars and nutrients from its symbiont."

But with the introduction of S. trenchii, it was a much different story.

"We got a completely different set of signals," she said. "The hosts' immune system went on alert, mounting a response to try to eject this invader, and we saw signs of catabolism - instead of growing and putting carbon away for a rainy day, the host was having to break down its own tissues because it wasn't getting enough food. So it was quite a dramatically different set of responses."

Understanding as much as possible about the symbiosis corals require, and the biology that underlies it, is a key to the "grave and existential threat" they face from climate change, Weis said.

"We're at the point now where coral reefs as we know them will in fact largely disappear, and what we're hoping is to get carbon emissions more under control and bring global temperatures back down so we can manage their reappearance as a dominant ecosystem," she said. "One approach to mitigate the problem would be to shift the host to a symbiont population that can develop corals that are more robust to climate change. One of the hopes had centered on S. trenchii, but what studies show in the model system is that it's unlikely that combination would result in an ecologically healthy partnership that could last. It's a cautionary tale to those who think we can willy-nilly make symbiont switches and have healthy corals be the result."

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The Royal Society of New Zealand supported this research.
COLUMBUS, Ohio--A study of a Lake Erie wetland suggests that scientists have vastly underestimated the number of places methane-producing microbes can survive -- and, as a result, today's global climate models may be misjudging the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere.

In the journal Nature Communications, researchers at The Ohio State University and their colleagues describe the discovery of the first known methane-producing microbe that is active in an oxygen-rich environment.

Oxygen is supposed to be toxic to such microbes, called methanogens, but the newly named Candidatus Methanothrix paradoxum thrives in it.

In fact, 80 percent of the methane in the wetland under study came from oxygenated soils. The microbe's habitat extends from the deepest parts of a wetland, which are devoid of oxygen, all the way to surface soils.

"We've always assumed that oxygen was toxic to all methanogens," said Kelly Wrighton, project leader and professor of microbiology at Ohio State. "That assumption is so far entrenched in our thinking that global climate models simply don't allow for methane production in the presence of oxygen. Our work shows that this way of thinking is outdated, and we may be grossly under-accounting for methane in our existing climate models."

More work needs to be done before researchers can determine exactly how much more methane is out there, but the microbe's habitat appears to be global.

Searching publically available databases, the researchers found traces of Candidatus Methanothrix paradoxum in more than 100 sites across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The organism lives in rice paddies, wetlands and peatlands--even as far north as the Arctic. It just hadn't been cataloged before, and its unusual metabolism hadn't been discovered.

Researchers have long known that wetlands are Earth's largest natural source of methane. They've placed estimates on the amount of methane produced globally based on the notion that only the oxygen-free portion of any wetland could harbor methanogens.

In just the last decade, ocean researchers have seen evidence of methane being produced in oxygenated water, and dubbed the phenomenon the "methane paradox," but no microorganism has been found to be responsible.

The newly discovered wetland microbe is the first such organism ever found. That's why Wrighton and her team named it Candidatus Methanothrix paradoxum.

The researchers weren't expecting to make that particular discovery in November 2014, when they collected soil samples from sites around Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 573-acre freshwater wetland on the southern point of Lake Erie near Huron, Ohio. Their goal was to map the metabolism of the microbes that lived there, to better understand how methane was being produced in general.

When doctoral student Jordan Angle analyzed the samples, he found something strange: Soils that were rich in oxygen contained more methane than soils that lacked oxygen.

"I didn't believe it, and thought he'd gotten the samples mixed up," Wrighton said.

After Angle repeated the experiment two more times and got the same results, the team returned to the site over six months in 2015, April through October. They found that, in some cases, oxygenated soils contained 10 times as much methane as nonoxygenated soils.

Then researchers sequenced microbe DNA from the soils and assembled genomes for the most plentiful organism, which turned out to be the new methane producing microbe. These methane producing microbes contribute to the fact that although wetlands cover only 6 percent of the Earth's surface, they account for about one-third of all atmospheric methane, estimated at 160 million tons--at least, that was the estimate before this discovery.

Wetlands are not the villains of the story, though. They do a lot of good for the environment--from filtering contaminants out of the water to providing a critical animal habitat--and they store much more greenhouse gas than they emit. Globally, wetlands sequester as much as 700 billion tons of carbon that would otherwise raise global temperatures, were it to enter the atmosphere.

"Since late 18th century, 90 percent of Ohio's wetland resources have been destroyed or degraded through draining, filling or other modifications," Wrighton said. "It is imperative especially for the natural wetlands like this one that we preserve and protect these resources."

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Ohio State co-authors on the paper include Gil Bohrer, associate professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering, and his former and current doctoral students Timothy Morin and Camilo Rey-Sanchez; and senior researcher Rebecca Daly and doctoral students Lindsey Solden, Garrett Smith and Mikayla Borton, all of microbiology. They partnered with Adrienne Narrowe and Christopher Miller at the University of Colorado Denver, David Hoyt of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and William Riley of Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.

Their work was funded by the Ohio Water Development Authority, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy (DOE), including Wrighton's DOE Early Career Award. Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Contact: Kelly Wrighton, 614-688-2189; Wrighton.1@osu.edu
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rural coal-mining families show resilience against divorce when faced with the economic downturns common in the industry, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that rural counties with higher levels of coal jobs had lower divorce rates compared with similar counties with fewer coal jobs during the 1990s, when the coal industry was losing jobs.

The results suggest that rural coal families may do better than others in dealing with the stress of an economic downturn in the coal industry.

"Coal families in rural areas have significant experience with the boom-bust cycle," said Michael Betz, lead author of the study and assistant professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University.

"People go about their lives when times get tough, knowing things will get better. They are less likely than others to resort to divorce when there's a downturn in the coal industry."

Betz conducted the study with Anastasia Snyder, associate professor of human sciences at Ohio State. Their results appear in the November 2017 issue of the Journal of Rural Studies.

The researchers compared data from 1990 to 2000, when the coal industry was losing jobs, to 2000 to 2010, when employment in the industry was growing. They used public data from the U.S. Census Bureau and proprietary data purchased from Economic Modeling Specialists International.

They examined how the proportion of a county's jobs in the coal industry was related to marriage and divorce during the two decades studied. They also compared rural counties with those that were within a metropolitan area.

While coal mining is generally seen as a rural industry, some metro areas in Appalachia do include counties that have significant numbers of coal jobs, Betz said.

Results showed that there were significant differences in marriage and divorce in metro coal communities compared to those in rural areas.

One example was how coal families responded to the coal boom of the 2000s.

The study found that while people in rural coal counties are more likely to marry in boom periods compared to bust periods, the rate of increase was not as large as it was in metro counties.

"In the rural areas, they still held back some," Betz said. "They may have been more aware that the good times would not last and are more cautious about entering into marriage."

The study also found that divorce rates in metro coal counties were higher than in the rural areas during the 1990s coal bust.

Betz said that may be because, despite the downturn in coal jobs, the overall U.S. economy was booming in the 1990s, especially in cities. People in unhappy marriages living near cities may have been more confident they could find a job to support themselves if they got divorced from a spouse who worked in the coal industry.

The picture for cohabitation is unclear, because data weren't available for the 1990 to 2000 bust period in the coal industry. However, results showed that from 2000 to 2010, when the coal industry was doing better, cohabitation was declining in coal families as more chose to get married.

"It appears that economic stability is allowing people to move from cohabitation to marriage," he said.

These results suggest that government policies that increase or decrease the demand for coal have effects that aren't always considered, according to Betz.

"Government policies regarding coal not only impact employment outcomes, but also affect family behavior, he said.

But regardless of what government does, Betz said coal jobs will never return to numbers seen in past decades.

"The coal industry has changed and is continuing to change in a fundamental way," he said.

"The bust period may now be a perpetual bust. There will no longer be huge expansions. And that is going to impact marriage and divorce in these communities."

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Contact: Michael Betz, 614-292-0036; Betz.40@osu.edu

Written by Jeff Grabmeier, 614-292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu
Researchers at Portland State University are learning more about undergraduates' experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes and sharing a set of survey questions that will help researchers and educators at other universities do the same.

This survey was developed by a team of researchers in PSU's STEM Equity and Education Institute with the help of instructors in chemistry, biology and physics. Published this October in the International Journal of Science Education, the survey can be used by educators, researchers and program developers to "peek under the hood" of students' experiences in STEM classes. These insights can help instructors improve their teaching strategies and reach out to students who may need some additional motivational support to perform better in challenging STEM courses.

Over the last several decades, scientists and mathematicians have helped education experts improve STEM courses at both college and K-12 levels. But previous studies have shown that success in math and science is not due solely to students' academic skills and preparation. Motivational factors -- like feelings of belonging and a positive identity as a scientist -- are also key to success in STEM majors and careers. These PSU study findings give researchers and educators some more tools to address those motivational factors in undergraduates.

"We all know that student motivation is essential to learning and success in STEM," said Ellen Skinner, a PSU psychology professor who led the study. "But in a class of several hundred students, it can be hard to get a good read on where each student is at. We think that this survey zooms in on important student concerns, like whether they feel welcome in the community of science. We are excited to help bring the student's voice to the ears of educators and researchers here at PSU and at other campuses nationally."

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The complete PSU research findings -- including the survey questions and scoring rubrics that any STEM educator can use free of charge -- are available online. About Portland State University (PSU)

As Oregon's only urban public research university, Portland State offers tremendous opportunity to 27,000 students from all backgrounds. Our mission to "Let Knowledge Serve the City" reflects our dedication to finding creative, sustainable solutions to local and global problems. Our location in the heart of Portland, one of America's most dynamic cities, gives our students unmatched access to career connections and an internationally acclaimed culture scene. "U.S. News & World Report" ranks us among the nation's top 10 most innovative universities. http://www.pdx.edu | @PSUinfoandnews
By PTI: Kolkata, Nov 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said leaking out of Aadhaar card details could be "dangerous" because it might lead to the disclosure of confidential information about individuals.

Banerjee told reporters here that Aadhaar details being leaked out was "alarming", and could be dangerous for individuals and society.

"We dont know why such acts are taking place. We already have the PAN card, voter ID card. But I believe what is taking place in the name of the Aadhaar card will be dangerous for any individual and society," she said.

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Criticising the Centre, the Trinamool Congress chief said, "Some people act like Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and take sudden decisions such as dividing the state or the move of demonetisation. This information about Aadhaar card details leakage also shows such a mindset."

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India said recently.

"Details from head to toe of every individual, talks between mother and daughter... husband and wife would be known. I have been warning (people) about this time and again," Banerjee said. PTI SUS AKB KK BDS

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CHICAGO - Women with higher body mass index (BMI) face an increased risk of not detecting their breast tumor until it has become large, according to a new study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the findings suggest that women with higher BMI may need shorter intervals between mammography screening exams.

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, with overweight defined as a BMI of 25 or more. High BMI is associated with a number of health risks, including diabetes and heart disease. However, BMI is not considered as part of breast cancer screening guidelines.

For the new study, conducted at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, researchers set out to identify risk factors associated with tumors not being detected until larger than 2 centimeters (cm), or about the size of a peanut, and to examine the implications for long-term prognosis. The 2-cm size is important because it is one of the parameters used to separate stage I and stage II cancers. In addition, tumor size is known to be strongly associated with prognosis, according to study co-author Fredrik Strand, M.D., radiologist at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dr. Strand and colleagues studied 2,012 cases of invasive breast cancer that appeared from 2001 to 2008. The researchers followed the patients until the end of 2015, and looked for how disease progression was related to BMI and breast density.

For cancers detected at screening, both BMI and breast density were associated with having a large tumor at diagnosis. However, for interval cancers, or cancers detected within two years of a normal mammogram, only BMI was linked with having a large tumor. Women with higher BMI had worse prognosis than women with lower BMI among interval cancers. Breast density showed no significant association with disease progression.

Dr. Strand said the findings provide more information for physicians and patients when deciding about optimal screening approaches.

"Our study suggests that when a clinician presents the pros and cons of breast cancer screening to the patient, having high BMI should be an important 'pro' argument," he said. "In addition, our findings suggest that women with high BMI should consider shorter time intervals between screenings."

Besides the larger interval cancers, women with high BMI may have other factors that put them at risk for a worse prognosis, including the molecular composition of the tumors and hormone receptor expression levels that make them harder to treat, Dr. Strand added.

The study was carried out in Sweden, which has 18- to 24-month intervals between screenings -- longer than the 12 months recommended by some U.S. organizations like the American Cancer Society, but not the 24-month screening interval recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In addition, there are fewer women with high BMI in Sweden than in the U.S.

In the near future, Dr. Strand intends to look at how breast density is associated with delayed detection. Longer-term, he wants to study artificial intelligence as a way to triage mammographic screening examinations into different pipelines based on the risk of breast cancer and the detectability of a potential tumor.

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Co-authors are Keith Humphreys, Ph.D., Johanna Holm, M.Sc., Mikael Eriksson, M.Sc., Sven Tornberg, M.D., Ph.D., Per Hall, M.D., Ph.D., Edward Azavedo, M.D., Ph.D., and Kamila Czene, Ph.D.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2017 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press17 beginning Monday, Nov. 27.

RSNA is an association of over 54,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-791-6610.

For patient-friendly information on brain MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
DALLAS - Nov. 17, 2017 - UT Southwestern molecular biologists today report the unexpected finding that selectively deleting a stem cell transcription factor in adult mice promotes recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines TBI as a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function, ranging from mild - brief changes in mental status - to severe, marked by an extended period of unconsciousness or memory loss. In humans, most TBIs are mild and are called concussions.

"Our results reveal that SOX2-dependent signaling pathways in reactive astrocytes are targets for brain recovery after traumatic injury," said Dr. Chun-Li Zhang, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and in the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine. Dr. Zhang is co-corresponding author of the study published today in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Star-shaped astrocytes are the most abundant subgroup of glial cells, which support and insulate neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The stem cell transcription factor SOX2, which is critical for stem cells, cell reprogramming, and brain development, also is activated in astrocytes in the adult brain. Its expression in these cells increases in response to TBI, the researchers said.

Some earlier studies had indicated that reactive astrocytes are necessary for recovery following brain or spinal cord injury despite astrocytes' association with the formation of glial scars.

In this study, the researchers found that conditional deletion of Sox2 - the gene encoding the SOX2 stem cell transcription factor - and the associated dampening of astrocyte reactivity appear to promote functional recovery, including behavioral recovery, after traumatic brain injury, said Dr. Zhang, a W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research.

"Our finding runs counter to the belief that increasing the reactivity of astrocytes and other glial cells in the brain helps maintain tissue integrity following TBI. That's why the accelerated recovery from injury after deletion of the transcription factor in reactive astrocytes was unexpected," he said.

A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling reactive astrocyte function is fundamental to therapeutic interventions for brain trauma. Because SOX2 functions in several signaling pathways, the study opens up new areas for investigation, Dr. Zhang said.

The mice in the study were engineered so that the Sox2 gene could be conditionally deleted during adulthood. All of the mice produced normal amounts of SOX2 during development, when the transcription factor plays a critical role in the genesis of embryonic and neural stem cells.

The scientists conditionally deleted the Sox2 gene in some adult mice, left the gene intact in others, and then compared the two groups under normal conditions and in response to TBI. Under normal conditions, the researchers detected no differences in astrocyte survival or animal behavior in the presence or absence of the Sox2 gene.

However, in response to TBI, the knockout mice showed greatly reduced astrocyte reactivity compared with controls. Unexpectedly, those mice recovered from injury significantly better than the controls - both physically and behaviorally - the scientists report. The knockout mice also did better on tests of behaviors associated with the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area that regulates complex thinking, emotions, and behavior in humans. Sox2 deletion had no significant effect on learning and memory associated with the brain's hippocampus region, said Dr. Xiaoling Zhong, the co-lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory.

"Our results reveal that SOX2 plays an important role in TBI-induced reactive astrocytes and behavioral deficits. We look forward to exploring how SOX2-dependent pathways could be targeted for recovery after TBI," Dr. Zhang said.

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UTSW co-authors include co-lead author Dr. Chunhai Chen and co-corresponding author Dr. Song Qin, both former postdoctoral researchers in Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center who are now working in China. Additional co-authors, all in Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center, include postdoctoral researchers Drs. Wenjiao Tai and Lei-Lei Wang; research scientist Yuhua Zou; and Dr. Jianjing Yang, a visiting researcher.

The study received support from The Welch Foundation, the Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair, the Decherd Foundation, the Mobility Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Kent Waldrep Foundation Center for Basic Research on Nerve Growth and Regeneration, which is connected to the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.
Monday, November 20, 2017

We Can Do That? New Trends in Death Care is the title of the next talk Gail Rubin presents at Albuquerque Oasis on Monday, November 27, 10:30 a.m. to noon. The class will take place at the Oasis offices in American Square Shopping Center, 3301 Menaul Blvd. NE, Suite 18 (on the east side of the shopping center facing American Home Furnishings).

Description: The modern funeral is changing. Learn about new death care trends in New Mexico, including green burial, DIY/home funerals, alkaline hydrolysis, aid-in-dying, rising cremation rates, and celebrant-led services. Gail includes funny film clips to illustrate these new trends in this upbeat, fact-filled talk.

Register for Class 15, $8 at Oasis Albuquerque online. Act now  87 people are already registered!

Gail Rubin, CT (certified thanatologist or death educator), is the author of Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die, which just won the New Mexico/Arizona Book Award in three categories. She is a pioneering death educator who uses humor to help reduce resistance to making end-of-life plans  helpful for those who have a 100% mortality rate. She is also the author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Dont Plan to Die. She will have copies of her books available at the talk for sale and signing.

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The trial will last until December 14, with December 8 marked as a non-sitting day.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: A defiant Vijay Mallya today appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in London for his pre-trial hearing where the liquor baron's extradition hearing was confirmed for eight days starting December 4.

The 61-year-old businessman, out on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard earlier this year, was released by the judge on the same bail conditions and asked to appear at court on December 4.

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The trial will last until December 14, with December 8 marked as a non-sitting day.

Speaking to the reporters as he left today's case management hearing, Mallya said he has repeatedly stressed that he has done nothing wrong and will let the evidence speak in court.

"It will all become clear in court," he said.

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is arguing the case against Mallya on behalf of the Indian authorities, had presented additional "supplemental" charges of money laundering to the previous charges of fraud at the last hearing in the case on October 3.

The previous fraud charges relate to Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owing more than Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks.

The UB Group chief has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016.

The CPS said it was technically re-filing its extradition request in court, after the new charges "superseded" the previous ongoing case.

The judge, Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot, agreed to formally re-open a fresh case while keeping to the same time-table as set before.

However, she had concurred with Mallya's defence team that if further evidence keeps coming in it could put the December 4 trial date at "risk" before releasing him on the same bail conditions as before.

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This week, The Healthy Back Institute celebrates 12 years of accreditation by the Better Business Bureau.

As a BBB Accredited Business, The Healthy Back Institute is dedicated to promoting trust in the marketplace.

For more than 100 years, the BBB has helped millions of consumers find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust. BBB Accreditation is an honor, and not every business qualifies.

"We're proud to celebrate 12 years of BBB Accreditation, because trust is our most important commodity. When it comes to their health, our customers need to know we can be relied upon to provide only the best information and natural pain relief solutions," said Jesse Cannone, CEO. "Our longstanding A+ rating, the highest rating the BBB Accreditation process offers, gives our customers confidence in our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards of conduct."

BBB Accredited Businesses must adhere to BBB's "Standards for Trust," a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices representing trustworthiness in the marketplace. The standards call for building trust, embodying integrity, advertising honestly, telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive and safeguarding privacy.

About The Healthy Back Institute:

The Healthy Back Institute is the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. Founded in 2003 by Jesse Cannone and Steven Hefferon, the Healthy Back Institute's mission is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.

Since then, The Healthy Back Institute has helped millions from at least 133 countries find relief from every type of pain. Nearly a million unique visitors take advantage of the numerous free resources at their website, www.losethebackpain.com, every month.

Contact the Healthy Back Institute at 800-216-4908.

About BBB:

BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. BBB serving Central, Coastal,

Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin serves 105 counties in Texas and is supported by more than 17,000 Accredited Business locations.

Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB is the preeminent resource to turn to for unbiased information on businesses and charities.

Contact BBB serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin at 512-445-4748.
Once youve taken the time to work with an NRCS agent to determine best practices for your land and have developed a conservation plan, you might be wondering how you will fund these new projects.

NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance. Here is a brief summary of some financial programs available through NRCS.

1Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance for producers to plan and implement conservation practices that improve agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, non-industrial private forestland and other farm lands.

Financial assistance payments are made to eligible producers, to implement approved conservation practices on eligible land or help producers develop conservation plans to address certain issues. Payments are made based on completion of practices or activities identified in the EQIP contract, and rates are set each fiscal year.

2Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

CSP helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance  the higher the performance, the higher the payment.

3Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)

AMA provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. AMA is available in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

AMA pays financial assistance of up to 75 percent of the cost of installing conservation practices  payments not exceeding $50,000 per fiscal year. Participants must be engaged in livestock or agricultural production, have control of the land for the term of the proposed contract and be within appropriate payment limitation requirements.

This month we will break down different services provided by the NRCS each week, wrapping the series up with how you can get started with NRCS.

Next week: Easements.

Sources: For more details on each of these programs and to find more programs visit nrcs.usda.gov.

(Farm and Dairy is featuring a series of 101 columns throughout the year to help young and beginning farmers master farm living. From finances to management to machinery repair and animal care, farmers do it all.)

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A futuristic paint which is laced with thousands of micro-dots is being trialled in the fight against the growing issue of sheep rustling and livestock crime.

The high-tech product, TecTRACER, works by marking livestock with thousands of forensic coded microdots that become entangled in fleeces and coats.

These microdots help trace the animal back to their home farm, should they be stolen.

The forensic codes are virtually impossible to remove, yet are easy to recover and read by the police.

The codes are held in a secure database, which will proactively broadcast any theft of livestock to others, such as auction marts, abattoirs and the police.

Attacks on livestock in the UK is becoming 'more and more of a problem' as rural police stations face closure, according to a report.

The cost of rural crime in the UK reached 42.5m in 2015 and farming unions across the UK have asked the government to increase funding to help fight the rise in incidents.

More than 1,000 rural police stations in the UK closed between 2000 and 2012, directly impacting the level of surveillance.

It is thought that many stolen livestock are destined for the illegal meat trade.

September livestock crimes

In September alone, there has been four prominent livestock crime cases with a combined total of over 300 animals missing.

On 19 September, sheep rustlers stole 14 sheep and 22 lambs from a farm in North Yorkshire.

On 13 September, a farmer took to social media to express her horror when she found out that 178 of his pigs were stolen.

Sheep rustlers struck North Yorkshire twice in two separate incidents on the weekend of the 9 and 10 September.

On the 2 September, rustlers stole more than 100 sheep from two farms in Powys, Wales.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has previously warned that farmers should not be seen as a 'soft target' for criminals.

The NFU said that the result is an increasing fear of crime in rural areas and significantly lower satisfaction levels in the police than the national average.

The NFU, in its report, has found there is no standard protocol across police forces for combatting rural crime, with some forces not even treating rural crime as serious crime.
A 45-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an attempted murder on a farm in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

The incident at Crosslee Farm, Bridge of Weir, on 31 October left a 41-year-old man injured after being shot in the back with a shotgun.

He was taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital Paisley for treatment and was in a stable condition.

Officers said the 45-year-old man was currently detained in police custody. He is expected to appear in court on Monday (20 November).

The police called the shooting, which struck the man's back, a "targeted" attempted murder.

Det Ch Insp Fil Capaldi said: "The motive for this attack is not clear, however we do believe the victim was the intended target.

"While the farm is in a rural location, there were several people visiting the farm for various reasons throughout the morning and afternoon."

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: "A 45-year-old man has been arrested and is presently detained in police custody in connection with the incident.

"A full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."
Westminster's imposed budget on Northern Ireland will see funding for the local department for agriculture cut by almost 6 million.

The move from Westminster comes because of the political void in the country, with Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party continuing to fail to form an executive for the past 10 months.

Northern Irish farmers are facing severe delays for financial help to combat pressing issues they face due to there being no Executive and no farming minister.

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed after deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire told Westminster last week: My strong preference would be for a restored executive in Northern Ireland to take forward its own budget.

But he added: The ongoing lack of agreement has had tangible consequences for people and public services in Northern Ireland.

The emergency budget shows that agriculture has become the biggest loser. Funding for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has been cut by almost 6 million.

The budget set aside 192 million of non-ring fenced departmental expenditure for DAERA; down 3% on the 198 million allocated for farming in 2016.

Mr Brokenshire also confirmed that 50 million from the 1 billion the Conservative Party agreed with the DUP as part of its confidence and supply agreement following the General Election would make its way to the region in the coming weeks.

However, its not yet known if any of this money will be allocated to agriculture.

DAERA has responsibility for food, farming, environmental, fisheries, forestry and sustainability policy and the development of the rural sector in Northern Ireland.

The Department assists the sustainable development of the agri-food and environmental sectors of the Northern Ireland economy, having regard for the needs of the consumers, the protection of human, animal and plant health, the welfare of animals and the conservation and enhancement of the environment.
Subsidies for farmers should be abolished post-Brexit, with them encouraged to work in a more environmentally-sustainable way by bidding for green contracts, a think-tank has proposed.

Conservative think-tank Bright Blue has released its latest report, 'A Greener, More Pleasant Land', setting out in detail what a post-Brexit system for rural payments should look like.

It proposes three forms of income for farmers. The first being a new market-based commissioning scheme for rural payments, which would replace the EUs Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and fund ecosystem services such as woodland creation.

The second form of income would be a means-tested livelihood support, and the third from agricultural produce or other monetisable services sold at market prices without production subsidies. These sources of income are not mutually exclusive, Bright Blue stressed.

The report's release follows news of the farming industry gearing towards the so-called 'Green Brexit', which was pledged by Defra Secretary Michael Gove as a new means to conduct farming when the UK leaves the EU.

Last week, farming minister George Eustice also announced rare insights into government thinking on post-Brexit agricultural policy, describing how a new agri-environment scheme with a strong focus on soil health will lie at the heart of new agricultural policy post-Brexit.

Bidding for contracts

Indeed, the government's thinking on how to fund British farming after leaving the EU has spurred on Bright Blue to propose a radical new way of doing so.

For the market-based commissioning scheme proposed by the thinktank to replace the EU's CAP, the report envisages suppliers bidding together or individually to supply ecosystem services to paying beneficiaries in specific catchments on online market-places.

Suppliers would include farmers, land owners, and land managers. Beneficiaries would include the general public which would be represented by the government, private interests, and other groups such as conservation NGOs and civil society groups.

This market-based commissioning scheme would be administered and regulated by an arms-length body such as the Environment Agency.

The amount of funding available from public sources would be at least the 3.1 billion a year through the new single rural payments budget. This would be blended with non-public sources of funding.

Bright Blue foresee its market-based commissioning scheme for rural payments continuing in the same light as the CAP  allowing the devolved governments freedom to tailor funding for ecosystem services as they see fit.

'Unique opportunity'

Bright Blue senior research fellow Ben Caldecott, who co-wrote the report, said Brexit presented a unique opportunity to enhance the UK's natural environment through new funding systems.

"Commissioning ecosystem services efficiently and effectively using the dynamism of market-based approaches will bring significant public benefits, including a more sustainable farming industry, enhanced natural beauty and landscapes, greater biodiversity, increased carbon sequestration, improved natural flood defences, better water quality, better mental and physical health, and better air quality," he said.

"This is a journey, but a necessary one, and one that will positively shape rural activity and the natural environment for many decades to come."

'Compromise'

The CLA, an organisation which represents farmers, said while it welcomes the report's vision for properly rewarding farmers for environmental services, there are flaws.

CLA Director of Policy Christopher Price said: Although we may want to use more land for nature, this should not compromise our overall ability to produce food. Our ambition must be to deliver more profitable, more productive and more sustainable farming. It is entirely possible to do this alongside ambitious improvements in environmental management.

The authors ambition for a system based on payment by environmental results is conceptually right but there should be recognition that in some cases payment for the activity is better, for example we know that creating beetle banks works for nature and reporting on the specific results of each bank would be needless bureaucracy.
The Scottish agricultural industry must undertake a "transformational change" to alter the mindset of some of its farmers who lack vision, according to a new report.

Scotlands four Agri-Champions has released its interim discussion document detailing how the industry can be changed for the better.

The four "Agricultural Champions" were appointed by Scottish Government in January 2017 to advise on the development of a strategy to guide the long-term sustainable future for Scottish agriculture.

Targets included increasing profitability and boosting innovation, production and sustainability. Each champion was paired across four themes: Education and Training; Food and Drink; Sustainability and Public Value.

The report believes a strategy is needed with a timescale of 10 to 15 years  longer than a single parliamentary term or the life of one government. It says the current farming system "does not deliver."

Among one of the reasons for this, the report states, is an outdated vision some farmers carry. It says more need to be "progressive, resilient and compliant" amid limited public goodwill.

It states: "Our industry is lucky to enjoy huge public goodwill, but it is not unlimited and it must continue to be earned. Consumers are ever more discerning and the industry has to read these trends and adapt.

"Public-funded farm support is not an automatic right, it is an asset offered to promote self-betterment and it should be used as such."

Professionalism

The report explains that professionalism is seen across the industry, such as those farming businesses which respond to what the consumer wants. However, it states that this level of professionalism is not universal.

It continued: "For a long time EU agriculture policy encouraged farmers to produce whatever they could or whatever they chose, and tried to guarantee them a living come what may. There are some within the industry whose mindset is still in that place.

"Their business model is often based on what they have always done. When they have hit problems of low profitability, in the absence of new injections of public money their financial situation has often deteriorated."

Some parts of the farming industry have therefore been asked for a change in mindset, which should in turn lead to a new confidence. It admits that the task isn't small and should be government supported.

Key elements of initiatives such as Scottish Enterprise's Rural Leadership programme already support a positive change for farmers, but those who take part tend to be self-selecting and already forward-looking.

The Agri Champions agreed that the government should look at developing a programme to support mindset change and business skills across a wider audience.

NFU Scotland has welcomed the messages on positive change included in the document, saying it will help the Scottish economy and its "ambitious prize" in doubling the food and drinks sector by 2030.
New technology which will apply state-of-the-art weed detection to apply herbicide more accurately could be available for use by 2020.

As part of a three-year research partnership between two German agricultural and tech giants, Bayer and Bosch are developing smart spraying technology.

Using camera sensors, it can differentiate between crops and weeds and target weeds with pesticides  at lightning speed, in a single process. It is hoped the technology will be available by 2020.

Smart spraying sustainably clears fields of weeds. This safeguard yields while minimising environmental impact, Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Robert Bosch GmbH board of management, said.

The rise of such technology is seen as an important step forward as agriculture leaders advance innovations that are climate-friendly, to reduce the industrys carbon footprint.

World hunger is also a growing problem for the industry. According to predictions made by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), farmers will have to sustainably generate around 50% more yield by 2050 in order to feed the global population.

We want to venture together with Bosch into new territory, combining different technologies to ensure that herbicides are only applied in areas where they are really necessary, Tobias Menne, head of digital farming at Bayer, said.

'Field manager'

The technology solution will offer a digital field manager which assesses the field and recommends the best time to treat weeds.

Weeds can be difficult to identify, but by using camera sensors, the technology can determine what is growing in the field and then adopt a targeted application technique to spray crop protection agents specifically on weeds.

The multiple camera sensors, which are spread across the entire width of the crop sprayer, take a continuous series of pictures, identifying the different weeds and allowing the optimum treatment to be defined.

While the crop sprayer is still crossing the field, the herbicide is sprayed in the required quantity and mixture using the appropriate application parameters.

While the relevant weeds are targeted, weedless areas remain untouched. All this occurs within milliseconds.

'Quantum leap'

Smart spraying is a quantum leap in the fight against weeds, said Bjorn Kiepe, head of agronomy at Bayers digital farming unit.

We are combining modern weed identification technology with the ability to apply different active substances as the situation demands. This process is very precise, with a spatial resolution of well under one meter. This will make it even easier for farmers to practice sustainable crop protection.

Bosch has been transferring its automotive technology to the agriculture industry, and is already generating sales worth 1 billion euros as a result.

By the middle of the next decade, it plans to double sales of technologies for agriculture. Bosch can do more than cars and cordless screwdrivers. We are bringing high tech to farms, opening up a market worth billions, said Dr. Markus Heyn.
UK politicians and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are being urged to "wake up" to the "threat" of the Mercosur trade negotiations on European food safety, animal welfare and the environment.

The European Commission is set to increase its beef quota offer to 70,000 tonnes for the potential trade agreement between the EU and the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has said that reaching a deal by Christmas is "realistic" and that there is "very strong support" for it in the EU.

But farmers from countries such as France and Ireland have said this will flood the EU market with lower-quality South American beef.

Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) president Barclay Bell said there has been a recent focus on calls made by politicians to increase environmental and animal welfare regulations in the UK, post Brexit.

However, the farming union said these politicians are "nowhere to be seen nor heard" in the debate around the "serious threat" posed by the Mercosur trade negotiations.

He said: South American countries do not come close to matching the food safety, animal welfare or environmental standards which farmers comply with in the UK and across Europe.

It is scandalous that the European Commission is prepared to offer Mercosur increased concessions to export substandard agricultural products such as beef into the EU.

'Completely hypocritical'

The UK and EU farming industry are seen as world leading in terms of animal welfare standards. The UFU said this is what consumers expect.

It seems completely hypocritical for UK politicians and NGOs to want to keep raising the bar for UK farmers but yet accept much lower standards for inferior products exported from South America to the EU and which can ultimately end up in the UK, said Mr Bell.

Politicians and NGOs urgently need to re-focus their priorities and wake up to the threat the Mercosur trade negotiations pose. We want to see fair and balanced trade arrangements. There is no question that food exported to the UK, should be produced to the exact same standards as food produced in the UK.

To do otherwise will only undermine UK food production, food security and exacerbate the risk of environmental degradation in regions such as South America, Mr Bell said.

Earlier this year, Brazil, the worlds biggest exporter of red meat, was at the centre of international attention due to a widespread beef scandal that seriously damaged the countrys reputable sector.

Top meat-packers in Brazil were accused of selling rotten meat produce for years.
The accused of the Delhi Metro molestation case has been denied bail by Patiala House Court.

By India Today Web Desk: The man who molested two women within a span of ten minutes at Delhi's ITO metro station has been denied bail by the Patiala House Court.

The accused had molested two women at the ITO metro station around 9:30 pm on November 13, 2017. The disgraceful act was caught on CCTV footage of the metro station as well.

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The man tried groping one of the victims, as observed in the CCTV footage but, later ran away when the woman tried defending herself. He even slapped the woman as she fought back. The shocking part is that there was not a single security guard around that area to handle the situation.

Patiala House Court also said that metro places are unsafe and deserve to be safest.

Copy of the bail plea rejected by Patiala House Court:

Photo: Uphar Pandey Photo: Uphar Pandey

Also watch: CCTV clip shows how Delhi girl fights back after man gropes her at Metro station

--- ENDS ---
Heres What Went Wrong...

It all happened when Aaradhya was about to cut the cake at the event, where Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was there to meet and encourage cleft-lip patients.

Aishwarya Rai Lost Her Cool

The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil lost her cool when the photographers present at the event started shouting at the top of their voices to get a clear shot of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Aishwarya Insisted The Reporters To Not Shout

However, the actress told them to calm down several times as the loud noises were scaring the kids, including her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, who had also accompanied her to the event.

Aishwarya Told Them To Stop Clicking The Pictures

While they behaved themselves for some time, they started shouting again and this left Aishwarya Rai Bachchan very pissed and she angrily told the reporters "I said stop it. This is not at a premiere or a public event. Please show some respect guys. What is wrong with you, people?"

Aishwarya Is One Doting Daughter

On a related note, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's father Krishnaraj Rai had succumbed to his illness and passed away in March 2017 with his doting daughter by his side through it all.

A Day To Remember

Earlier, a source revealed to the daily, "Aishwarya has decided to celebrate her father's birthday in a special way by sponsoring surgeries for 100 children born with cleft lips and palates through the NGO, Smile Train India and announce the day as Day of Smiles."

In Pic: Aishwarya With Aaradhya & Mom

"She will be visiting a suburban hospital in Mumbai with her mother Vrinda Rai and her daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, to meet cleft-lip patients and motivate the children to pursue their dreams," the source had added.
SLB Has Done Full Research

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali has directed the film after conducting full research. While filming the scenes and sequences, he has kept in mind the need to respect the Rajput traditions and etiquettes."

'No Distortion Of History'

"There has been no distortion of history in the entire film. I sincerely feel that the valour of Maharaja Rawal Ratan Singh, the strategic mind of Queen Padmavati, their bravery and sacrifice have been correctly portrayed in Bhansali's film", said Rajat Sharma.

Rajat Sharma Thrashes The Protesters

"For the last several months, the Rajput community has been agitated merely on the basis of hearsay that Bhansali has denigrated the Rajput community in his film."

SLB Hasn't Portrayed Ratan Singh As Weak Person

"It was alleged that he had portrayed Ratan Singh as a weak person, who bowed before Alauddin Khilji, that the film portrays Khilji as a hero, but after watching the entire film, one can only marvel in the manner Bhansali has portrayed Khilji as a scheming villain throughout the film, and Maharaja Rawal Ratan Singh as a brave king", added Sharma.

Rajat Sharma Rani Padmavati Doing Dance Sequence

"Questions have been raised about Rani Padmavati doing the dance sequence in the film. I hail from Rajasthan, and I am well aware of Rajput tradition and culture."

"I know that Rajput queens do not dance in public, but everybody would agree with me that queens and princesses do dance in the female quarters "Ranivas" of the palace with their friends and acquaintances."

'The Queen Is Dancing Inside Ranivas'

"No male is allowed to watch this dance, except the king. In the film Padmavati, this was how it was exactly shown. While watching the promo, one may have a feel that the queen is dancing in public, but it is not so. The queen has been shown dancing inside the Ranivas", Sharma said.

'Watch The Film & Then Decide'

"I understand the feelings of people who have been hurt by this film, but their anger is merely based on hearsay. I will humply appeal to all my Rajput brothers and sisters to watch this film at least once and then decide."

Everyone Will Be Proud Of The Film

"They will certainly feel that this film has correctly portrayed the Rajputs in a positive light. Every child in this great country will feel proud on watching the sacrifice of Rani Padmavati and Rawal Ratan Singh."

People Have Been Unfair To Padmavati Team

"I can also say that after watching this film, people will definitely feel that they have been unfair to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor and all those who have been associated with this film."
Padmavati will not be allowed to be screened in Madhya Pradesh if historical facts are 'distorted' in the film, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said today. The chief minister said any distortion of historical facts will not be tolerated.

"We will not tolerate any distortion of historical facts. The entire country is speaking in one voice that historical facts were distorted," he said.

"If there are scenes breaching the honour of queen Padmavati, then the movie will not be allowed to be exhibited on the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said addressing members of the Rajput community at his residence here.

Read The FIRST MOVIE REVIEW Of Deepika Padukone's Padmavati

He said queen Padmavati "is a true reflection of the Indian woman. We have been studying about the rare sacrifice and dedication of queen Padmavati since our childhood."

The chief minister said a memorial of the queen would be constructed at a site in the state capital, where a memorial for the country's brave soldiers has been proposed.

Earlier, several delegations of the Rajput community arrived from different parts of MP and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister demanding a ban on the release of "Padmavati" in the state.

The film has been facing controversy since director Sanjay Leela Bhansali started its shooting earlier this year.

The director was roughed up by members of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur. Its elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur.

The first poster of the movie was released in October this year and triggered a storm with various Rajput groups and others alleging that the director had "distorted" historical facts.

The makers of Padmavati yesterday said the proposed release date of the film, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, has been deferred.

Credits: PTI
Mohanlal, the pride of Kerala who went on to etch a place for his own in the Telugu film industry with the movie Janatha Garage, got yet another big appreciation in the form of Nandi Award for the Best Supporting actor for the year 2016.

With this big win, Mohanlal even went on to become the first ever Malayalam actor to win the Nandi Award for the Best Supporting Actor.

Mohanlal, recently took to has official Facebook page to send out a message post winning the big award. The actor wrote that he is grateful to the people and the Govt Of Andhra Pradesh for honouring him with the prestigious Nandi Award for the Best Supporting Actor. He also shared this appreciation and accolades with Koratala Siva, Mythri Movie Makers, Jr. NTR and the entire team of the movie.

Take a look at the complete Facebook post of Mohanlal..

Interestingly, this is the actor's second major award for his portrayal of Sathya in this blockbuster Telugu movie. Earlier, the actor went on to receive a special jury award at the 64th national Film Awards for his performance in the film Janatha Garage.
The Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, is undoubtedly the biggest and most celebrated music director of Indian cinema industry. The Oscar and Grammy award winner can spot a fan of his in almost every household of the country. AR Rahman has a legion of fans across the nation due to his exotic rendition of music and simplistic way of life living.

However, it could be a haunting question for every fan as to whom AR Rahman looks up to and considers his personal favourite. In a recent interview to a popular channel, the host shot a question as to who the favorite actor of the classic music director was. The host stitched his question with a fact that every household would ideally have either a Rajini or a Kamal fan and the same was a common happening.

AR Rahman, who generally plays a low-profile, opened up about his choice. "I am a Rajini fan, but I love Kamal! All these people have enriched our lives. MGR, Sivaji, Rajini and Kamal. Every generation has its own. Now, It is Ajith and Vijay. Strangely, I watched Billa in Tanjavur around 1983-84. It was a strange memory I have of going to a small town to watch the movie."

"Of course, I have done music for Muthu, Padayappa, Sivaji and all. There is also the art of taking energy from spirituality and reflecting it in your art; I think he does that beautifully. He has been an inspiration to me!"

Though Rahman conveyed his choice of his favorite hero, he was still seen giving a satisfying answer which could possibly go down well with all the actors' fans.
By India Today Web Desk, Neha Vashishth: It isn't common to witness a situation like this but, in case you do, make sure you behave like this Mumbai man.

Hemant Sharma, a Mumbai citizen, was lauded by Mumbai Police on Twitter after he saved a newborn baby girl. 26-year-old Hemant (Known as Aman on Twitter) found the baby in an auto near Bhandup area in Mumbai and was concerned about the baby's safety.

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He tried seeking help from Twitteratis and posted the baby girl's pictures online. Aman tried calling cops but was unable to reach them but Twitterati played their part and grabbed Mumbai Police's attention.

He, then, handed over the baby girl to Mumbai Police at the Kanjurmarg east police station after they contacted him. The baby girl was shifted to Sion hospital for a medical check-up later.

To appreciate Aman, Mumbai Police praised him on Twitter saying that alert citizens like him make a city safer.

Here's the tweet:

.@Jugadu_banda alert citizens like you on the streets of Mumbai, play a major role in making it a safe city! Thank you for making sure the child reaches safe hands #ThankYouMumbai pic.twitter.com/giiyD2z7Os- Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) November 20, 2017

Aman's efforts to rescue the baby girl till she reaches in safe hands surely proves that humanity isn't dead yet.

--- ENDS ---
Apple served with search warrant for access to an iPhone SE News oi -Samden Sherpa The Apple iPhone is said to have been used by the gunman who killed 27 people in a Texas church shooting.

Popular tech-giant and consumers electronics good manufacturer Apple has now been served with a search warrant for access to an iPhone SE.

The Apple iPhone is said to have been used by the gunman who killed 27 people in a Texas church shooting. The gunman named Devin Patrick Kelley, 26 walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on November 5 and opened fire. He later killed himself.

According to a San Antonio Express-News report, Texas Rangers have served Apple with the warrant for data on Kelley's iPhone SE, seeking access to both local and iCloud information such as calls, messages, and photos.

"The iCloud feature is an optional service. Obtaining such records, if they exist, directly from Apple could aid authorities investigating the worst mass shooting in modern Texas history," the report said late Sunday.

An Apple spokesperson said the company does not comment on law enforcement matters.

Kelley also had a second phone that has gone unmentioned by authorities -- a low-tech LG 328BG. Four email addresses belonging to Kelley have been discovered: thelifeofdevin@gmail.com, devinkelley1991@gmail.com, sevenup555@yahoo.com, and kelleydevin1991@gmail.com.

Earlier, refuting the claims of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Apple reportedly said it offered to help the investigating agency in opening the attacker's encrypted iPhone.

The FBI had said that it has been unable to access the encrypted iPhone used by Kelley.

The FBI and Apple have had strained relations after the December 2015 San Bernardino, California, terror attack when the company had refused the agency's request to help it unlock the phones of the attacker despite a court order.

In a statement, CEO Tim Cook had said the court order sought and obtained by the FBI would pose a serious threat to data security.

Source: IANS

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Chinese smartphone brands continued to grow in Russia, Xiaomi has become the fifth largest brand News oi -Priyanka Smartphone shipments in Russia grew by 7 percent annually and 38 percent sequentially during Q3 2017.

Chinese smartphone player Xiaomi has become the fifth largest smartphone brand in Russia during Q3 2017, according to the latest research from Counterpoint's Market Monitor service.

Chinese smartphone brands continued to grow in Russia. Xiaomi (325 percent), Bright & Quick (177 percent) and Huawei (140 percent) were the fastest growing Chinese brands YoY.

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director said that " Xiaomi made its way to the top 5 of smartphone brands during this quarter. It grew by 325 percent YoY and was the fastest growing smartphone brand in Russia in both online as well as offline sales."

Smartphone shipments in Russia grew by 7 percent annually and 38 percent sequentially during Q3 2017.

"The Russian handset market grew during this quarter driven by aggressive marketing campaigns by new Chinese brands and subsequent price cuts from all the leading retail chains as consumer spending during third quarter of the year normally remains high due to the new academic year and a 'back-to-school' uptick," said Minakshi Sharma, Research Associate at Counterpoint Research (Counterpoint Technology Market Research).

The online channel smartphone contribution has increased from 12 percent to 15 percent YoY in Russia. During this quarter, Xiaomi and Apple were among the leading smartphone brands in online sales.

"Apple reached record sales during the third quarter, growing 56 percent YoY due to a drop in the prices of its previous generation iPhone models, prior to the launch of the new iPhones," Pathak said.

Samsung led the overall and smartphone market with market shares of 20 percent and 29 percent respectively during Q3 2017.

Meanwhile, Global brands captured almost 58 percent of the smartphone market followed by Chinese brands with 32 percent market share.

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Indian smartphone maker M-tech Mobile aims to become a Rs. 1,000 Cr company by 2020 News oi -Samden Sherpa M-tech Mobile has plans to foray into mobile phone accessories, components, and consumer electronics manufacturing.

Headquartered in Delhi, M-tech Mobile, a manufacturer of affordable mobile phones, has announced its ambitious plan to triple its top line and transform into a Rs. 1,000 crore company by 2020. In order to achieve the aggressive target, the company plans to foray into mobile phone accessories, components, and consumer electronics manufacturing.

In mobile phone accessories, M-tech Mobile plans to launch chargers and earphones and housing factory (mobile phone plastic body) and PCBA assembling in components. The company is scouting for locations to set up its manufacturing units, in addition to its existing unit at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh which has an installed capacity of 8 lakh units per month which can be doubled as per demand.

These initiatives are geared towards capitalizing the Make In India scheme of the government. Additionally, to cater to increased demand, the company plans to launch a host of feature and 4G smartphone models which will help to ramp up revenues.

With a well-entrenched network of 600 + distributors, 20,000 retailers, and 700 + service centers, M-tech is well positioned to leverage its countrywide presence to transform into an end to end consumer brand with its new endeavors. The company has sold 3 million handsets in the last fiscal and expects to close the current fiscal with sales volumes of 5-6 million handsets and revenues of Rs. 340 crores, a testimony to the company's performance.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Goutam Kumar Jain, Co-Founder, M-tech Informatics Ltd, said, "As a brand, we have always believed in the enormous middle class that resides in TIER II and TIER III towns who have the required means and harbor aspirations. We have solely focused on this demographics over the years by offering quality products at affordable prices and great after sales service. This has helped M-tech to attain a leadership position in the affordable phone segment. Now, as we expand our product offering to; accessories, components, and consumer electronics while strengthening our smartphone product pipeline."

He further added, "We want to extend this approach to domestic as well as international markets, which we are actively exploring. Also, we are quite inspired by the government's vision to create more Made in India brands with their focus on component level manufacturing to create the right ecosystem for domestic manufacturing. Therefore, our component manufacturing endeavor is aimed at becoming a vertically integrated Made in India brand."

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Nokia 6 Android Oreo Beta update is coming soon, confirms HMD News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu

HMD has been consistent in rolling out software and OS updates to its Nokia-branded smartphones. The company recently released the Android Oreo Beta update for its flagship Nokia 8 smartphone. Also, they had announced that the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 those were released earlier this year will get the Oreo update by the end of this year.

Now, Juho Sarvikas, the Chief Product Officer at HMD Global has taken to Twitter to reply to a user query revealing juicy information about the roll out of the Oreo update to one of the bestselling Nokia smartphones. He has replied to a tweet by a user asking "When Oreo beta will be available for Nokia 6" as "It's just around the corner!" This makes us believe that the Nokia 6 might get the Android Oreo beta update anytime soon.

Lately, we say that the Nokia 6 received the November security update. This security update brought in the necessary security patches that fix the dreadful KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability that exposed the details of millions of Android smartphone users. Also, the smartphone received the Android 7.1.2 Nougat update a few weeks back.

Given that the Nokia 8's Android Oreo beta testing has been successfully completed, it is time for the other Nokia smartphones including the Nokia 6 to get the honors now.

Android Oreo is the latest OS update from Google and it brings significant additions such as new features, a slew of improvements to the Android user experience such as notification center and quick-action buttons, picture-in-picture mode, the new settings page, notification dots, notifications category, the ability to snooze notifications, the ability to set up Album art as the background, autofill framework, smart text selection, system optimizations, and more.

We already know that the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3 and Nokia 8 will get the stable Android Oreo update by the end of this year. As HMD provides two years of OS update support to these smartphones, we know that the Android P update launching next year will also be rolled out to the Nokia smartphones.

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OnePlus 5 will be discontinued for OnePlus 5T News oi -Chandrika OnePlus 5T will go on sale in India from tomorrow exclusively on Amazon.

OnePlus's latest flagship OnePlus 5T will go on sale in India from tomorrow exclusively on Amazon. Ahead of that, OnePlus India's General Manager Vikas Aggarwal has given an overview of the company's future plans in an interview with Indianexpress.com.

Besides this, he also talked about the newly launched OnePlus 5T. Well, he said that the company would eventually discontinue the OnePlus 5 to ensure that OnePlus 5T would remain the only offering from the company. The GM also said that rather than a completely new product, OnePlus 5T should be considered as a variant of the OnePlus 5 as there are not many upgrades.

If you are a fan of OnePlus 5, don't get so upset already. We are pretty sure that the smartphone is not getting phased out right away. However, the decision taken by the company makes sense because if there is a better phone available at the same price, why would anyone go for OnePlus 5?

On a different note, the GM of OnePlus said that he is quite satisfied with the way the company has performed in the Indian market. Notably, according to IDC, the Chinese manufacturer emerged as the leading premium smartphone brand in the Indian market. Being just a three-year-old brand, its achievements are undoubtedly appreciable.

When asked if the company is planning to strengthen its offline presence in the country, OnePlus India's GM said that currently, their main focus in on the online segment as the strategy has proved to be successful for them. If you consider the price range, OnePlus devices fall into the premium mid-range category so, its target customers naturally have the internet access.

That being said, the company is apparently interested in building a partnership with Croma so more people get to experience their phones. Currently, OnePlus has experience stores in Bangalore and Delhi.

Talking about the future of the premium smartphone segment in India, Vikas Aggarwal thinks that more people are now opting for premium smartphones. Those who were earlier using mid-range devices are looking to upgrade to the more expensive smartphones. He was also very clear to point out that OnePlus will not launch mid-range smartphones just to expand its market share.

Lastly, he adds that OnePlus never had to face the perception of Indian people on Chinese products being inferior as it is not an entry-level brand. According to him, as long the company is offering quality products people won't care if it is a global or a Chinese brand.

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 could be coming soon to India, hints teaser News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu

Xiaomi has become of the successful brands in the Indian smartphone market. The company has been celebrating success with all the devices launched in the country since the advent of this year.

The Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4 smartphones priced in the competitive range have become bestsellers in the country. It looks like the company doesn't want to put an end to the products that it has launched in India this year. We say so as another device is awaiting its launch from the stable of Xiaomi. The India head of Xiaomi, Manu Kumar Jain has posted a tweet tipping that they have another launch in the country.

The tweet reads, "i is coming soon! Any guesses what is this?" The letter 'i' is preceded by tricolor dots. It has obtained mixed responses from the Mi fans. While some have guessed that it could be hinting at the launch of the Mi 6C, a majority of guesses have pointed at the Redmi Note 5. Maybe, the company is in plans to open a new Mi Home store in the country or announce a new accessory. But we believe that the Redmi Note 5's launch could be nearing as this timeframe falls in line with the company's usual launch schedule.

Recently, the Redmi Note 5 has been popping up on headlines pretty often. A few days back, the smartphone was listed on the Chinese online retailers JD.com briefly and then on Oppomart for $199 (approx. Rs. 13,000). This makes us believe that the launch of the Redmi Note 4 successor is not going to take a lot of time.

Going by the recent speculations, the Redmi Note 5 is believed to sport a 5.99-inch FHD+ 2160 x 1080 pixel FullView display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is speculated to be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 636 SoC and arrive in three variants - one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, another one with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage and the third one with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

On the imaging front, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is said to flaunt a dual-camera setup at its rear with 16MP and 5MP sensors. If this turns out to be true, it will be the first Redmi phone to have dual cameras. Up front, the device is likely to feature a 12MP selfie camera. A 4000mAh battery is expected to give the necessary power to the Redmi Note 5.

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Xiaomi to launch a new product that will change the lives of consumers in India News oi -Samden Sherpa Xiaomi's head Manu Kumar Jain had shared a quick teaser hinting at something the company will be launching soon.

Xiaomi has been recognized as the fastest growing smartphone brand in India based on Q3 data provided by IDC. While the Chinese OEM is enjoying a fair amount of success in the Indian market, Xiaomi seems to be aiming higher. The company is already offering budget smartphones with enticing features but now it looks like the company has a product that will "change the lives" of people in the rural areas.

Previously Xiaomi's head Manu Kumar Jain had shared a quick teaser hinting at something the company will be launching soon, and that it will have an India context. But since no details were shared it has been a mystery as to what exactly the company is planning to launch.

With curiosity ever increasing, we are getting few hints about the product from Manu yet again. The company's Vice President Manu Kumar Jain took to his Twitter account to tease the possible launch of another product or device or initiative. We still don't know much about the product but he kind of makes it clear that this product will be specifically targeted towards the rural market.

Further, what we can deduce from his statement is that this product could be anything ranging from a feature phone to entry-level smartphone or some other product (since Xiaomi is not limited to produce smartphones only) designed to help the rural masses.

Met this incredible couple during my field trip across villages. I was humbled by their warmth, and hospitality they offered me 



Gained insights on the way people lead their lives in rural India. Fingers crossed for a new product that I believe will help change their lives  pic.twitter.com/hTNmiWmZ6H  Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) November 19, 2017

Or at the most, Xiaomi could be opening stores to extend its reach in the rural areas. As the details are scarce, there is a possibility of anything. We are waiting in anticipation and are hoping that Manu will make things clearer in the coming days. From the looks of it, the launch might happen soon enough.

Xiaomi has already set up stores in most of the major towns and cities. Now the company might be penetrating deeper into the country basically making their presence felt in villages which has a large population of mobile users as well.

All in all, it will be interesting to see what Xiaomi has in store for India in the days to come. Many reports are saying that the company could launch the successor to the Redmi Note 4 as well.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi has been busy this year and in fact, the company has managed to keep up with Samsung to become the number one smartphone company in the country for the quarter (Q3) that ended in September.

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With five classes happening at once, the students study in a single room which belongs to Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation, the same room where the mid-day meal for the kids is prepared.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Rajkiya Prathamik Vidyalaya in Muzaffapur lays bare after the repeated claims made by the Bihar government on how it was working to improve the education system in the system.

This school, just 70 km away from Patna, is situated in the heart of Muzaffarpur's Bahalkhana area and is running inside one room from past several years. This school, where students from Class 1 to 5 are imparted education, does not have its own building. This one room from where the school runs belongs to the Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation.

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India Today learnt about this school a few days back and travelled to Muzaffarpur to do a ground check. Five classes were going on simultaneously in a single room school having 73 students and just 3 teachers. The din and chaos inside the room was enough to indicate what these students would be picking up from their teachers. Moreover, this one room appeared less of a classroom and more of a dumping ground. Broken tables and chairs lying in a heap, gunny bags with ration for mid-day meals stored and a leaking roof is what caught our eyes.

But, what really baffled us was preparation of "khicdi", a mid-day meal menu being prepared by the cook right inside the classroom over firewood. This place was just couple of steps away from where the teacher and students sat. It was no rocket science to understand that the students were attending class risking their lives. Any major tragedy was just waiting to happen at this school. With smoke emanating from the firewood, eyes of both, students and teachers were left watering. One can imagine the health hazard these students were facing each day to get an education.

"When I joined this school 10 years back, the condition was the same as it is today. Repeated applications to the district administration have gone and ignored. Mid-day meal being cooked inside the classroom is a health hazard, we know that but, there is no other place available with us. Many times, the students run out of the class when smokes engulf the rooms", said Anita Gupta, headmistress of the school.

Students who are forced to face this govt apathy everyday are helpless and maintain they have no choice. "Due to mid-day meal being cooked here, we face irritation in our eyes. We also feel scared for our lives because any disaster could happen", said Mehjabeen Ansari, a class 5 student.

When India Today contacted the District Magistrate of Muzaffarpur, Dharmendra Singh, he said he was aware of the school problem but there was no immediate solution to it. "We are trying to find land for this school and once we get it, we will construct the school", said Dharmendra Singh, DM Muzaffarpur.

--- ENDS ---
Confidential UN brief reveals no missiles sent to Houthis by Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Nov 18, IRNA -- A confidential letter by a UN panel has put under question Saudi claims that the missiles used by Yemeni revolutionary fighters against Saudi Arabia have been provided by Iran.

On November 10, a panel appointed by the UN Security Council sent a confidential letter to diplomats, which states that it has seen no proof of Saudi Arabia's claims that Iran was responsible for the recent missile attack by the Yemeni revolutionary fighters targeting Riyadh, the US-based investigative website The Intercept reported on Friday, according to Russian Sputnik news agency.

While the Saudi-led coalition has accused Iran of the Yemeni missile attack targeting King Khalid International Airport near Riyadh, Tehran has strongly denied the claims.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supplying Yemeni revolutionary fighters with short-range ballistic missiles what Iran has categorically refuted.

9341**2050

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USS Wayne E. Meyer Conducts Search and Rescue

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171118-04

Release Date: 11/18/2017 8:20:00 PM

From Commander, U.S. Third Fleet Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) rescued three mariners from a sinking vessel, Nov. 18.

At approximately 8:20 a.m., Nov. 18, Wayne E. Meyer responded to a distress call from Motor Vessel IKENA. Wayne E. Meyer, which was conducting routine operations off the coast of San Diego, immediately made best speed to render assistance to the distressed vessel.

Wayne E. Meyer arrived on scene and deployed its rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) to recover the mariners from the sinking vessel. Once on board the ship, the mariners were evaluated by the medical team before being transferred to U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Petrel.

"We were in close proximity to the crew members just minutes after their boat submerged, and are proud to have quickly assisted and returned these men home without injury," said Cmdr. Alex Mamikonian, executive officer of Wayne E. Meyer

Wayne E. Meyer is based in San Diego and is part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group. The strike group most recently completed a three-week sustainment exercise off the coast of Southern California, Nov. 16, in preparation for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific early next year.

"You really learn what your crew is capable of when a real life situation develops. Although we continually train for all types of contingencies, it's the performance of the crew, when lives are at stake, that allow you to gage the effectiveness of our training," said Cmdr. Vince Fortson, commanding officer of Wayne E. Meyer. "I have never been prouder of my crews performance today, quickly reacting to a real life rescue mission. They performed calmly, superbly, and professionally."

Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is part of U.S. 3rd Fleet. Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.

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Saudi blockade hinders delivery of desperately needed medicine to Yemenis: MSF

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 01:35PM

The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders says it has not been able to deliver vital medical and humanitarian assistance to the people in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, due to a tight blockade the Saudi-led military coalition has imposed on the impoverished nation.

Doctors Without Borders, known by the French acronym MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres), said in a statement on Saturday that for the previous 12 days it had not received authorization from the Saudi-led coalition to fly from Djibouti to Sana'a, which is essential to bring medical supplies and staff to patients in need.

"This has significantly hindered our ability to provide lifesaving medical and humanitarian assistance to a population already in dire need," said Justin Armstrong, the MSF head of mission in the war-torn country.

The warning came nearly two weeks after Saudi Arabia announced that it was shutting down Yemen's air, sea, and land borders, after Yemeni Houthi Ansarullah fighters targeted an international airport near the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a cruise missile in retaliation for ceaseless bombardment of Yemen by the Saudi war machine over the past two and a half years.

The Saudi military, however, announced that it had intercepted the missile, which apparently reached the deepest parts within the Saudi territory.

The MSF further said that though the airport in the southern port city of Aden was partially open to charity flights, it was far from sufficient for the MSF to be able to deliver timely and urgent medical humanitarian aid across the Arab country, since the port was located far away from some of the areas "in most need of humanitarian assistance, and is itself highly insecure."

"The overall impact of the continuing blockade of other ports and airports increases the strain on the population by the day, at a time when the majority of Yemenis are already struggling with massive increases in food, water and fuel costs, as well as a lack of access to medical care," the statement said.

On Thursday, three of the United Nations agencies, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, in a statement made a fresh plea for the Saudi war machine to remove its blockade on the impoverished nation, warning that without aid shipments "untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die."

They further warned that even if the blockade was only partially removed, an additional 3.2 million people would be pushed into hunger. The trio also said that one million children were also at risk of a fast-growing diphtheria outbreak.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate the former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of the regime in Riyadh.

Latest figures show that the war has so far killed over 12,000 Yemenis and wounded thousands more. The Saudi aggression has also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

Even the MSF-run hospitals have not been safe from Saudi airstrikes. In August 2016, at least 19 people were killed and 24 others sustained injuries after a Saudi aerial assault hit an MSF hospital in Hajjah's Abs district. It was the fifth and deadliest attack on an MSF-supported facility in Yemen.

Another 2,100 people have died of cholera since April as hospitals struggle to secure basic supplies across the country.

Certain Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, are key partners to the deadly Saudi-led campaign, which lacks any international mandate and has faced increasing criticism.

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Lebanon's Hariri in Paris, 2 children stay behind in Riyadh

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 18, 2017 09:55AM

Saad Hariri, who unexpectedly resigned as Lebanon's prime minister while in Saudi Arabia and was widely known to have been under restrictions there, has arrived in France, but two of his children have stayed behind in Riyadh.

Hariri and his wife, Lara, landed at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris on Saturday after flying in from the Saudi capital.

Hariri is set to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who had invited the Lebanese politician to the European country in an attempt to lower the tensions that erupted after Hariri's abrupt resignation.

The Lebanese politician's elder son, Houssam, is also expected to arrive in Paris separately from London.

A source close to Hariri told AFP that Hariri's two youngest children, Loulwa and Abdelaziz, had stayed behind in the Saudi capital "for their school exams."

"Hariri does not want to mix his children up in this affair," the source added.

But given all the accounts of how Hariri had been coerced into resigning by Saudi Arabia and had been held in effective detention there, analysts believe that Hariri's children are held back in Saudi Arabia in order for Riyadh to maintain some form of leverage on the Lebanese politician.

Hariri stunned Lebanon by announcing his resignation in a live television broadcast from Saudi Arabia on November 4.

Senior sources close to Hariri and top Lebanese political and security officials said Saudi Arabia had coerced Hariri into stepping down and had put him under house arrest.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed that Hariri was living in "mysterious circumstances" in Riyadh, with his freedom being restricted in violation of international human rights regulations. President Aoun also refused to accept Hariri's resignation, saying he had to return to Lebanon first and convince the president that his resignation had been voluntarily offered.

"We will not accept (Hariri) remaining a hostage whose reason for detention we do not know," Aoun said.

Hariri calls Aoun

Separately on Saturday, Hariri called Aoun and said he would be in Lebanon for the country's Independence Day on Wednesday.

Aoun's office said the phone call came after Hariri arrived in France, adding that the premier "told him (the president) that he would be in Lebanon to take part in Independence Day celebrations."

While reports had said earlier that Hariri would be in Beirut to make his resignation official, newer reports made no mention of whether he did plan to resign in Beirut or not. Hariri himself has not spoken about that topic, either.

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NASA Gives Helping Hand in Search for Argentine Submarine

Sputnik News

09:58 18.11.2017(updated 20:15 18.11.2017)

A NASA aircraft has started searching for a missing Argentine submarine and its crew of 44, a defense official has told USNI News.

The NASA P-3 Orion is now looking for the diesel-electric attack vessel, the ARA San Juan (S-42), which fell off radar screens on Wednesday, according to the official press reports.

Besides the US P-3, the Argentine Armada has dispatched the destroyer ARA Sarandi (D-13), corvettes ARA Rosales (P-42), as well as the ARA Drummond (P-31).

The reasons why there is still lack of communication remain shrouded in mystery. "We are investigating the reasons for the lack of communication," Reuters cited Argentine naval spokesman Enrique Balbi as saying.

"If there was a communication problem, the boat would have to come to the surface."

The NASA P-3, a modified anti-submarine warfare platform, had been operating out of Ushuaia as part of its annual Antarctic survey when it was asked to join in the search for the missing submarine, USNI News reports citing US Southern Command spokesman.

The US is also prepared to contribute other assets to the search and is getting ready with special underwater rescue equipment and is bringing in personnel in anticipation of a request from Argentina, several US officers were cited as saying.

More and more people are expressing their deep sympathy for the missing crew and praying for their safe rescue.

One of the Twitter users wrote in his account the missing crew included the first woman submariner in Argentina and South America at large.

The Argentine submarine departed from the Argentine Armada naval base in the southern city of Ushuaia, located southwest of the Strait of Magellan, and was headed to its homeport at Mar del Plata, near Buenos Aries. The German-built TR-1700 attack boat, which has been in the Argentine fleet since 1985, was last heard from about 250 miles off of Patagonia last Wednesday. A communications, technical error or allegedly an electric malfunction are suspected as the cause behind the vessel's disappearance.

"It's not that it's lost. For it to be lost we'd have to look for it and not find it," Balbi told reporters. He added the submarine had sufficient food and was probably continuing its planned journey.

Earlier the authorities of Chile, the UK and the US offered their assistance in the search.

 Sputnik

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Argentine President Ready to Accept Int'l Help in Search for Missing Submarine

Sputnik News

09:13 18.11.2017(updated 12:27 18.11.2017)

The ARA San Juan submarine with 44 crew members has been missing for several days.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik)  Argentina's President Mauricio Macri expressed readiness on Saturday to accept international assistance in search and rescue activities for the missing ARA San Juan submarine.

"We must use all national and international resources necessary to locate the San Juan submarine as soon as possible," Macri wrote on Twitter.

The Argentine authorities reman in constant contact with the relatives of the missing submarine crew, the president added.

The UK embassy in Buenos Aires, in turn, said that the Royal Navy's HMS Protector ice patrol ship had been deployed to the search and rescue operation area at the Argentine government's request to assist it.

The statement comes amid the report that the submarine with 44 crew on board has been missing since its last communication on Wednesday en route from the port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province. Aircraft and vessels have been searching the area where the ARA San Juan was last detected. So far, Chilean, UK, and US authorities have offered Argentina their assistance in the search for the missing submarine.

 Sputnik

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Coalition Partner Forces Kill 9 ISIS Members in Southern Syria

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 19, 2017  On Nov. 16, coalition partner forces near At Tanf Garrison, Syria, killed nine Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters and destroyed several ISIS vehicles, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

The Maghaweir al Thowra, a fighting force native to southern Syria, engaged and defeated an attempted ISIS attack in the de-confliction zone near At Tanf, officials said.

MaT has been fighting ISIS and maintaining security of a 55-kilometer radius de-confliction zone at the tri-border area of Iraq, Syria and Jordan since 2015, according to officials.

Firefight

ISIS terrorists in vehicles with blacked-out headlights penetrated Syrian regime lines into the de-confliction zone, officials said. After coalition and partner forces ordered the vehicles to halt, the ISIS terrorists dismounted and began firing. Coalition and MaT partners returned fire, killing nine ISIS members and destroying several vehicles.

Throughout the event, coalition officials and their Russian counterparts used the de-confliction telephone line to ensure forces on the ground did not belong to Russia or the Syrian regime, officials said.

"This exchange of fires in southern Syria is evidence the terrorist organization still poses a threat to the people of southern Syria," said Army Col. Owen Ray, the Special Operations Joint Task Force's director of operations.

The coalition is committed to remain in the region until ISIS is defeated, Ray added.

The MaT's actions demonstrate Syrians taking control of their territory following a brutal ISIS occupation, officials said.

The coalition -- working by, with and through partner forces -- remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, and preventing its re-emergence as a terrorist force, officials said.

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Saudi airstrikes kill 6 children, 3 women in Yemen's Jawf Province

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 04:32PM

At least eight children and three women have been killed after Saudi fighter jets targeted a residential area in Yemen's northern province of Jawf as the Riyadh regime presses ahead with its ruthless bombardment of its southern neighbor.

The tragic incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, when Saudi warplanes targeted a house in Hijeh neighborhood of al-Maslub district, Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported, adding that the children and women belonged to a single family.

The aerial aggression came just two days after Saudi war machine killed some 17 people after it struck a commercial neighborhood in northwestern province of Hajjah. Earlier on Friday, six other civilians were killed and eight others wounded when a Saudi airstrike targeted a bus carrying passengers along a road in the western coastal province of al-Hudaydah.

Saudi Arabia has been ceaselessly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate the former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of the regime in Riyadh.

Latest figures show that the war has so far killed over 12,000 Yemenis and wounded thousands more. The Saudi aggression has also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

Another 2,100 people have died of cholera since April as hospitals struggle to secure basic supplies across the country.

To further coerce Yemenis, Riyadh has imposed a tight blockade on nearly all Yemeni air, land and sea ports, prompting the rights and charity groups to raise the alarm on deteriorating situation in the country, as people, particularly children, are increasingly suffering from the lack of food and medical supplies.

On Thursday, three of the United Nations agencies, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, in a statement made a fresh plea for the Saudi war machine to remove its blockade on the impoverished nation, warning that without aid shipments "untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die."

They further warned that even if the blockade was only partially removed, an additional 3.2 million people would be pushed into hunger. The trio also said that one million children were at risk of a fast-growing diphtheria outbreak.

Certain Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are key partners to the deadly Saudi-led campaign, which lacks any international mandate and has faced increasing criticism from rights groups.

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By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 20 (PTI) China today said Bangladesh and Myanmar have accepted Beijings mediatory role and agreed to implement a three-phased solution proposed by its Foreign Minister Wang Yi to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmars violence hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims.

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Wang travelled to Dhaka where he met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. He then flew to Nay Pyi Taw and met with Myanmars top leaders yesterday.

"Wang Yi proposed initiatives including three phased solution so as to fundamentally resolve this (Rohingya) crisis," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

"His initiative won approval from Bangladesh and Myanmar. We hope it would resolve the issue and contribute to addressing this crisis," Lu told media answering a spate of questions.

After his visit to Bangladesh, Wang told media in Myanmar yesterday that he had proposed a three-phase solution to help settle the issue in Myanmars Rakhine state.

China mostly refers to Rohingya crisis as Rakhine state issue, the home of Rohingya people who are mostly Muslims.

Addressing a joint press conference with Myanmars State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi at Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, Wang said the first phase proposes to achieve a ceasefire so that local residents can no longer be displaced.

Through joint efforts, the ceasefire has been in place, Wang said.

Second, the international community should encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep communication in a bid to find a feasible solution to the issue, he said.

The two countries have reached an initial agreement on repatriation of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

The third phase is to find a long-term solution, he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

Stressing that poverty is the root cause of turbulence and conflict, Wang called on the international community to support poverty alleviation efforts in Rakhine state.

China also has extensive investments in Rakhine state.

"Beijing has emerged as the top supporter of the embattled Suu Kyi" - the de-facto leader of Myanmar, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported last week.

China, which provided unwavering support for Myanmar?s military junta over two decades, is behind a USD 7.3 billion deep-water port in Rakhine, which plays a pivotal role in Beijing?s belt and road trade initiative.

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It also built USD 2.45 billion oil and gas pipeline project linking the remote coast of Rakhine to southwestern China?s Yunnan province, 770-km away.

State Grid Corporation of China launched a power transmission line and a substation project in Shwebo in Myanmar?s north western Sagain region, and Myanmar has also bought FC-1 Xiaolong multi-role combat aircraft from China, the Post had reported.

Asked whether Myanmar has accepted the ceasefire as per the first phase of China?s proposal, Lu said Wangs plan focusses not only on the immediate problem but also on the long term fundamental solution to the issue.

This three-phased solution won the "acknowledgement" from Bangladesh and Myanmar, Lu said, without elaborating.

Outlining Chinas diplomatic efforts, Lu said Wang?s diplomatic initiative has been launched during the current visit.

"But for a long time we have been proposing that Bangladesh and Myanmar could engage in consultation and resolve the issue. It is during this visit the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to engage in consultations to resolve the issue. The bilateral consultations are already under way," Lu added. PTI KJV ZH

--- ENDS ---

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Taliban militants kill 6 policemen in Afghanistan's western province of Farah

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 02:50PM

At least six policemen have been killed after the Taliban militants launched coordinated attacks on three checkpoints in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, local officials say.

At least eight other police forces also sustained injuries in the gun battles, which occurred on Saturday night, said Mohammad Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, on Sunday.

He added that the fierce fighting also left at least eight militants dead and five others wounded.

Shortly after the ambush, the Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the deadly raids.

Aqbal Baheer, Farah police spokesman, also confirmed the incident but did not specify the number of checkpoints that came under attack by Taliban militants.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, seven suspected Taliban militants were killed when they tried to plant a roadside bomb on a road, used by Afghan security forces, in the northern Kunduz province. According to Mahbobullah Sayedi, a district chief, the premature explosion also injured two other militants.

The Taliban have increased attacks on security forces and foreign troops over the past two years. Back in October, the group's militants launched several attacks on a number of checkpoints and military bases across the war-ravaged country, leaving over 100 soldiers dead and dozens others injured.

The group, mostly based in the south and east of Afghanistan, has been behind many attacks in the north of the country in the recent past.

Afghanistan is engulfed by violence and many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops. The United States and its NATO allies invaded and occupied the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror in 2001, which toppled a Taliban regime.

Over the past 16 years, the Taliban have been carrying out militancy across Afghanistan, killing and displacing government officials, security forces, and civilians.

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has also more recently gained a foothold in the crisis-hit country.

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Zimbabwe's Mugabe fired as ruling party : Party sources

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:07PM

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has been fired as the leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party, less than a week after the military seized power in the African country, party sources say.

According to ZANU-PF sources on Sunday, former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked by Mugabe this month, has been appointed as new party leader.

The announcement came following an emergency meeting of the ruling party after which one of the delegates told Reuters, "He has been expelled," adding, "Mnangagwa is our new leader."

"A resolution has been adopted to recall the president and elevate Mnangagwa as the party president," another delegate was quoted by AFP as saying.

ZANU-PF sources say Mugabe's wife Grace, who hoped to succeed Mugabe, has been also expelled from the party.

Mugabe has been given less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment.

Leader of Zimbabwe's war veterans, Chris Mutsvangwa, has also confirmed that ZANU-PF has replaced Mugabe with Mnangagwa as leader.

Mutsvangwa added that ZANU-PF had started the process to remove the 93-year-old Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe.

Mutsvangwa went on to threaten that there would be calls for street protests if Mugabe refused to go, telling reporters, "We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business."

The 75-year-old Mnangagwa is now expected to lead an interim post-Mugabe unity government and concentrate on rebuilding relations with the outside world. The former vice president is also expected to undertake the daunting task of stabilizing an economy in freefall.

The development came just a day after hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of capital, Harare, calling for the resignation of Mugabe after nearly four decades in power starting after the former British colony gained independence from Britain in 1980.

An estimated 5,000 elated demonstrators marched through the capital city on Saturday, waving national flags and chanting slogans against the 93-year-old veteran amid nationwide tensions over an effective coup against him.

Organizers of the mass rally said the move was "a show of people's force" and public defiance against the long-time president and his close allies.

Political tensions emerged in Zimbabwe earlier this month after Mugabe fired Mnangagwa and accused him of plotting to take power, including through witchcraft.

Mnangagwa, who enjoyed the backing of the military, had previously been considered the most likely to succeed the president if Mugabe resigned or died while in power. His sudden dismissal, however, raised speculations that Mugabe was clearing the way for his wife, Grace, to take the position.

On Wednesday, Zimbabwe's military forces seized power in the country, after soldiers and armored vehicles began blocking roads to the main government offices, the parliament, and the courts in central Harare. The African Union's leader, Alpha Conde, has already described the move as a "coup."

Mugabe and his military forces, who had long helped him stay in power, had recently been at odds over his successor. The power clash had culminated in the sacking of Mnangagwa.

The military, which insists it is only going after "criminals" and is not planning to take power, has also detained finance minister, Ignatius Chombo, a leading member of the so-called 'G40' faction of the ZANU-PF, run by Grace.

Mugabe and his wife have been on the European Union's sanctions list along with other key figures in Zimbabwe's ruling elite, facing travel bans and asset freezes abroad.

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Raid On Taliban Prison Frees At Least 30 In Afghanistan

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

Afghan officials say more than two dozen people were rescued in a raid against a Taliban prison in the southern province of Helmand.

Army and provincial officials said on November 19 that those rescued in the overnight raid by Afghan and foreign special forces included four children under the age of 12 and two police officers.

Afghan military spokesman Abdul Qadir Bahadurzai said 20 of those released from the prison in Nawzad district had been arrested by the Taliban in connection with helping the government or were family members of the Afghan Army and police.

Mohammad Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, put the number of those rescued at 27.

Zwak said that an investigation is under way to identify the prisoners.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said in a statement that the people rescued were all criminals accused of murder, robbery, kidnapping, and other crimes.

In May, the Interior Ministry said 11 people were freed in a raid on a Taliban prison in Nad Ali district, including five civilians and six Afghan soldiers.

Also on November 19, officials in the western province of Farah said that at least six police officers were killed and eight others were wounded in Taliban attacks on three checkpoints.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said that the assaults were repelled with eight militants killed and six others wounded in the fighting.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come as the Western-backed government in Kabul is struggling to beat back insurgents in the wake of the exit of most NATO forces in 2014.

Earlier this month, the alliance announced that it would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan from the current 13,000 to 16,000 to aid the government in its fight against the Taliban and other militant groups.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the extra troops would not be involved in combat missions but would be part of the alliance's Resolute Support mission whose aim is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government forces.

The declared increase follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in August of a new South Asia strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pentagon said on November 16 that approximately 3,000 additional American troops had been deployed to Afghanistan under Trump's revised strategy for the war-torn country,

With reporting by Reuters, AP and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-prison- raid-dozens-freed/28862465.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Belgrade's Balancing Act Between East And West Tested By Ukraine

Gordana Knezevic November 19, 2017

Ukraine has long expressed unhappiness about the presence of Serbian volunteer fighters among the Russia-backed separatist forces it is battling in its eastern regions.

But Ukraine's ambassador to Serbia, Oleksandr Aleksandrovych, seriously ratcheted up tensions when he not only accused Russia of using its propaganda and security services to lure Serbians to fight against Kyiv, but hit close to Belgrade's heart by suggesting in an interview that Moscow was using Serbia to sow discord in the Balkans.

He rattled off a long list of alleged Russian destabilization efforts in his November 1 interview with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN): "Russia trains Serbian mercenaries to kill Ukrainians. Russia used Serbian extremists to make a coup d'etat in Montenegro. Russia encourages Serbian separatism in [the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity of] Republika Srpska to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina.... Russia uses the Serbian factor to destabilize Macedonia. Russia plays an active role in putting Serbian Kosovars against Albanian Kosovars. Russia sells its airplanes to Serbia to create tensions with Croatia."

The ambassador used those examples to highlight Kyiv's reasons to question Serbian intentions when it comes to their relationship.

"When you have Serbian politicians traveling to Crimea and praising Putin for his 'wise and strong policies', when you have Serbian mercenaries [fighting in separatist-held territories], when you have Serbia voting in the UN against Ukraine -- all of that naturally creates a negative image of Serbia in Ukraine," Aleksandrovych said.

Aside from Serbia's 2016 vote against a UN resolution calling for international monitoring of the human rights situation in Ukraine, Aleksandrovych's verbal volley referred to actions not officially endorsed by Belgrade: a trip to Crimea taken in early November by members of the opposition Radical Party, and, of course, the contentious Serbian volunteer fighters.

Cozy Relations

Aleksandrovych cited them as reasons to be wary of Serbia's cozy relations with Russia.

The Serbian Foreign Ministry did not react kindly to Aleksandroyvch's comments, warning Kyiv that it would be "forced to take steps" unless the diplomat corrected his "inadmissible behavior," and stressing that it was dedicated to building good relations with Ukraine.

In a statement, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic reminded us that Serbia had taken a number of steps to prosecute its citizens who had fought abroad, including in Ukraine. And he sent his own zinger by noting that it was well known that Ukrainian mercenaries had taken part in "the crimes committed by Croatian forces against the Serb people in Croatia [during the 1990s], whom moreover Ukraine never officially condemned, unlike Serbia [in the case of Serbian fighters in Ukraine]."

That came after Aleksandrovych had been recalled to Kyiv for consultations -- officially to discuss the issue of Serbian mercenaries fighting on the side of pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine -- prompting Serbia's Foreign Ministry, in turn, to recall its ambassador to Ukraine for consultations.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin called on Serbia to respect his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Some 300 Serbs are said to be fighting in eastern Ukraine, some of whom were featured in a recent video produced by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.

The Serbian ultra-nationalist Radical Party called during a November 2 parliamentary session for Aleksandrovych to be expelled. It also stoked the growing dispute by announcing that two of its parliamentarians had visited Crimea at Russia's invitation, and had co-founded an international organization called "Friends of Crimea."

The Radicals made no bones about their support for Russian claims to the Ukrainian peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014, issuing a statement that the party "respects the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation with Crimea as its territory, as the Russian Federation respects the territorial integrity of Serbia."

Another group of Serbian politicians, including members of the Serbian People's Party, attended events in Crimea to mark the centenary of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

That led the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to issue a statement in response expressing "serious concern about the illegal contacts by representatives of Serbia with occupied Crimea."

Flip-Flopping

The Serbian government, rather than disavowing the actions of Radical and other opposition parliamentarians, chose to blame Ukraine for the breakdown in relations. Dacic described the ratcheting up of tensions as part of "an effort to wreck Serbia's relations with Russia."

On the other hand, members of some of the opposition parties in Serbia saw the situation as the outcome of an unsustainable foreign policy.

Aleksandra Jerkov, a member of the Serbian Democratic Party's foreign policy committee, has said that flip-flopping between support for Russia's and the EU's stance on Ukraine only makes Serbia seem like an unserious partner.

"We cannot simply switch sides depending on which way the wind is blowing, or based on what suits us at any given moment," she said.

"Serbia seems to be forgetting its own position as an aspiring EU member, and the fact that Europe expects us to align our foreign policy with that of the EU," Jerkov added.

Others, however, see ulterior motives in the current spat between Serbia and Ukraine.

According to University College London Professor Eric Gordy, "Ukraine wants to exert indirect pressure on Russia, and perhaps also to put some pressure on Belgrade over its close relations with Moscow. As for the Serbian side, I would characterize much of the current rhetoric as pre-election posturing [a reference to possible early parliamentary elections in 2018], and a desire by various parties to goad the EU [as a means of earning their nationalist spurs]."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who exerts control over domestic and foreign policy, would like to give the impression of staying above the fray and acting as the peacemaker.

"Ukrainians are a friendly people to the Serbs, and I am convinced that we will resolve this quickly. I would refrain from commenting on any individual statements; the Serbian institutions are doing their job. It's important to defuse tensions and maintain our friendly relations. I will do everything in my power to achieve that," said Vucic on November 9.

Difficult Balancing Act

Yet according to some observers the current crisis in relations with Ukraine is a direct consequence of Vucic's foreign policy -- trying to stay loyal to Moscow while maintaining good relations with the EU.

Vucic has a twofold aim in pursuing this approach, according to Aleksandar Popov, the director of the Novi Sad-based Center for Regionalism. "On the one hand, there is a desire to send a message to Progressive Party voters that we have an alternative to EU membership, but also a message to Brussels that we have a backup if the EU accession process is delayed. But this policy has its limits."

Speaking to the RFE/RL Balkan Service's Most (Bridge) program, Popov pointed out that Serbia has been warned recently that it cannot occupy two seats at the same time.

The warning came from U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee, who said that Belgrade's balancing act between Moscow and the West was unsustainable.

In response, Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said that Yee's remarks represented "the greatest public pressure hitherto exerted on Serbia."

Vulin, whose pro-Russian stance is no secret, added that Serbia will pursue its course regardless of the demands of the "great powers."

Commenting on Vulin's statement, Popov is unconvinced by the bravado.

"In fact we've seen the anxiety that was caused by Hoyt Brian Yee's warning that Serbia cannot sit on both chairs at once. We were forced to look in the mirror, and were confronted by the reality that Vucic is not Josip Broz Tito, nor is Serbia the equivalent of the former Yugoslavia, and the international environment has changed. We will be in trouble when we are finally forced to choose -- EU or Russia."

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/balkans- without-borders-belgrade-balancing-act- ukraine-russia/28862554.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kosovo Voters Go To Polls In Local Election Runoffs

RFE/RL's Balkan Service November 19, 2017

Voters in Kosovo are heading to the polls for the second round of local elections that are seen as another step in the young republic's effort to solidify its democratic credentials.

The November 19 runoffs are taking place in half of the country's 38 municipalities  including in the capital, Pristina -- where mayors and councilors were not elected in the first round last month.

People are also voting in the Serb-majority municipality of Partes, where the Central Election Commission (CEC) annulled the results of the first round following vote manipulations.

After casting her ballot in Pristina, CEC chief Valdete Daka urged all registered voters to go to the polls.

"Today's [vote] is closing the 2017 local elections process," she said. "I hope that this day passes like the first round -- in a democratic and fair spirit. I invite the citizens to exercise their right to vote."

Election authorities said turnout was nearly 7 percent at 11 a.m. local time, four hours into voting, lower than the 8.8 percent reported at the same time in the first round.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi said that "the electoral process is proceeding smoothly."

Police said that a "sufficient number" of officers were deployed to guarantee order and security during the election process.

International Observers

More than 12,000 local and international observers were expected to be monitoring the vote.

The mayor's race in the capital, Pristina, is seen as the big prize. Incumbent Mayor Shpend Ahmeti of the Self-Determination Party, also known as the Vetevendosje movement (VV), is running against Arban Abrashi of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

"I take the opportunity to invite all those who have the right to vote to come as early as possible to vote in greater numbers," Ahmeti said after casting his ballot, adding that "the municipality affects the lives of the citizens in many ways."

In the first round held on October 22, candidates of the LDK gathered more than 50 percent of votes in 4 municipalities, avoiding runoffs.

Candidates of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) were elected mayors in two municipalities each, while the Serbian List won mayoral positions in eight municipalities.

Independent candidates were elected mayors in two municipalities.

Election authorities said the turnout was around 44 percent.

'Genuinely Competitive'

In a preliminary statement, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said that the elections were "genuinely competitive and the campaign environment was calm" in Albanian-majority municipalities, "allowing numerous candidates to freely communicate their messages to the voters."

However, it said that "deep concerns" persisted over the democratic process in many Kosovo Serb communities, where it said the campaign environment was "marred by intimidation."

Western-backed Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by 115 countries, although not by Serbia or Russia.

There are some 120,000 Serbs in Kosovo, and most of them oppose the Pristina authorities.

The CEC has said that 27 of the municipalities have an ethnic Albanian majority, 10 have ethnic-Serb majorities, and one is mostly ethnic Turkish.

Earlier this year, Kosovo experienced a prolonged period of political instability created by inconclusive June elections.

The political gridlock eased in September when a coalition headed by the PDK, the New Alliance for Kosovo (AKR), and the AAK agreed to form a government.

The deal gave the coalition, which also included ethnic-Serb and other non-Albanian minority parties, 63 of parliament's 120 seats.

President Hashim Thaci had said he would give Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the AAK, a formal mandate to try to form a government once he could show he had a deal showing a majority coalition was in place.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-local-election -second-round-serbs/28862312.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Mugabe Meets With Zimbabwe's Police Amid Worsening Political Crisis

Sputnik News

20:03 19.11.2017(updated 20:32 19.11.2017)

The internal situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating and seems to be a de facto coup. As President Mugabe struggles to stay in power, he may face impeachment.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Sunday, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has met with the country's police and armed forces' leadership for the second time this week in his residence in Harare amid calls for him to resign, local media reported. The first time he met with them was on Thursday.

Among those attending the meeting with the president were Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services Paradzai Zimondi and Commander of Zimbabwe Defense Forces General Constantino Guveya Chiwenga.

Earlier in the day, the central committee of Zimbabwe's ruling African National Union  the Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), demanded Mugabe resign the presidency by Monday noon or face impeachment.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 93-year-old Mugabe, who has been leading the country for over 30 years as both president and prime minister, was confined to his house by soldiers. The military deployed armored vehicles in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare and took control of the state-owned broadcaster. Zimbabwe Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo said in a televised address that the military action was aimed at protecting the nation from "criminals" in Mugabe's administration. Moreover, Mugabe's 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of mostly young people flooded the streets of Harare. They were singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe's expected overthrow.

The turmoil came after Mugabe dismissed and ousted Mnangagwa from the ruling party. The nation's defense forces chief, Constantine Chiwenga, warned the president on Monday to stop the purge within the party.

 Sputnik

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Zimbabwe's Ruling Party Starts Removing Mugabe From Office - Reports

Sputnik News

15:00 19.11.2017(updated 17:08 19.11.2017)

According to Zimbabwe's Cyber Security Minister Patrick Chinamasa, ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union  Patriotic Front (ZANUPF) has given President Robert Mugabe until noon (1000 GMT) on Monday to step down as President or face impeachment.

ZANU-PF nominates Emmerson Mnangagwa as candidate for new president of Zimbabwe, earlier he became the new leader of the ruling party.

Obert Mpofu, the official chairing the emergency meeting, said that Mugabe's wife "and close associates have taken advantage of his frail condition" to loot national resources.

During a closed meeting of the ruling party, 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe was dismissed from his post as party leader. The president's wife, Grace Mugabe, was also suspended from all positions in the party.

Ruling party tweeted that ten regional offices decided to dismiss the head of the party, Robert Mugabe. Also, it was stated that provinces are calling for the return of Emmerson Mnangagwa to the post of second deputy head of the party and vice president of the country.

Reuters reports citing sources that the impeachment process of Mugabe is being launched.

The Youth League of the Zimbabwean ruling Zimbabwe African National Union  Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party called on President Robert Mugabe to step down during a meeting of the league's executive body, local media reported on Sunday.

Earlier, eight out of ten provincial party coordinating committees (PCC) called on Mugabe to resign as president.

Before the meeting, war veteran's leader Chris Mutsvangwa said that the 93-year-old Mugabe was running out of time and added that he should leave the country while he could.

At the beginning of this week, the military entered Harare on armored vehicles, blocked access to the government building and seized the television center. They have taken into custody Mugabe and his family, as well as the country's finance minister.

Zimbabwe Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo has said in a televised address that the military action was aimed not against the president, but rather at protecting the nation from criminals in Mugabe's government. Mugabe, who has been ruling the country for almost 40 years, has reportedly refused to resign.

 Sputnik

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Argentina Detects 7 Satellite Calls From Missing Submarine

Sputnik News

05:19 19.11.2017(updated 10:13 19.11.2017)

The Argentinian Navy have received seven satellite calls from the missing San Juan submarine, but have not been able to establish connection, the country's Defense Ministry said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Defense Ministry of Argentina, the calls were received by various naval bases between 10:52 a.m. and 3:42 p.m. local time (13:52 GMT and 18:42 GMT), but no connection with the submarine could be established.

"Seven satellite calls, which could be emitted by San Juan submarine, were registered today; the calls' length was between four and 36 seconds," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

San Juan submarine with 44 crew on board has been missing since its last communication on Wednesday en route from the port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province. Aircraft and vessels have been searching the area where the ARA San Juan was last detected.

The United States is sending the Submarine Rescue Chamber and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle to Argentina to help search for the missing San Juan submarine, the US Naval Forces Southern Command said in a statement.

"Three US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and one US Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft will transport the first rescue system, the Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from Miramar to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. The four aircraft are scheduled to depart Miramar Nov. 18 and arrive in Argentina Nov. 19," the US Naval Forces Southern Command said in a statement on Saturday.

The US Navy will be deploying its Undersea Rescue Command (URC) based in San Diego to assist Argentina.

Chilean, UK and US authorities have offered Argentina their assistance in the search for a missing vehicle. Argentina's President Mauricio Macri expressed readiness on Saturday to accept international assistance in search and rescue activities.

"We must use all national and international resources necessary to locate the San Juan submarine as soon as possible," Macri wrote on Twitter.

The Argentine authorities reman in constant contact with the relatives of the missing submarine crew, the president added.

Argentine naval spokesman Enrique Balbi earlier said that the submarine may have suffered a communications error. According to the newspaper Clarin, the submarine could have experieced a fire or a technical failure.

One of the Twitter users wrote in his account the missing crew included the first woman submariner in Argentina and South America at large.

According to national Argentine newspaper La Nacion, the submarine, which is 66 meters long, has a diesel-electric vessel that underwent a complex repair and engineering work in 2008, was constructed in Germany in 1985 and joined the Argentine Navy a year later.

 Sputnik

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US Navy Deploys Undersea Rescue Command to Help Search for Argentinean Sub

By VOA News November 19, 2017

The U.S. Navy has ordered its Undersea Rescue Command to deploy to Argentina to assist with the efforts to locate an Argentine Navy submarine that disappeared four days ago with 44 crew members aboard.

A U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Chamber and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle, were transported Sunday to Argentina. A U.S. space agency P-3 explorer aircraft and a U.S. P-8A Poseidon plane are already deployed for the search.

The Argentine navy said late Saturday it had detected seven failed "satellite calls," likely from the crew of a submarine that went missing earlier this week.

The Defense Ministry said the "satellite calls" were likely from the crew of the ARA San Juan, and officials saw it as a sign the crew of 44 was trying to reestablish contact.

Submarines underwater can deploy to the surface a location beacon that can then emit emergency signals via satellite, according to a Reuters report. The navy said a U.S. company that specializes in satellite communications was involved in trying to help locate the signals, according to Reuters.

Contact lost Wednesday

The navy lost contact with the German-built, diesel-electric submarine on Wednesday as it was returning from a routine mission from the naval base at Ushuaia, in Argentina's extreme south, to its base at Mar del Platamand.

Despite turbulent weather that included strong winds and 6-meter waves, base commander Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez said naval forces were increasing efforts above and below the water's surface and were preparing to comb the bottom of the ocean.

"The underwater search is obviously much more complicated than the search at the surface because it requires a combination of high-tech tools," Gonzalez said at a news conference.

The navy, which launched an air and sea search Thursday, said an initial search at the vessel's last known position, about 430 kilometers off the southeastern Valdez peninsula, turned up no clues.

US joins the search

Argentine officials said they accepted an offer from the United States to participate in the search. A NASA P-3 explorer aircraft that had been stationed in Ushuaia has joined Argentine military aircraft that have been flying over the area.

Late Friday, the U.S. Southern Command announced a P-8A Poseidon plane departed an air base in El Salvador to join the search.

Argentine navy commander Carlos Zavalla encouraged family, friends and colleagues of the crew members to remain positive.

"So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication," he said on local TV.

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, was among many from around the world to offer support. The pope's office said on Saturday he was praying fervently for the crew to safely return to their families soon.

The navy has said it believed an electrical outage may have caused communication problems on the vessel. Navy protocol directs submarines to rise to the surface when communication is lost.

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Argentina Says Cannot Determine if Distress Calls Are From Missing Sub

By VOA News November 19, 2017

Argentina's Navy says it cannot confirm if seven brief satellite calls came from a lost submarine with 44 crew members on board.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez of the Mar del Plata Naval Base says Sunday officials have no evidence that the calls they detected Saturday came from the submarine.

Gonzalez said the Navy has intensified its aerial search off the country's southern Atlantic coast after adverse weather conditions spurred waves up to eight meters, making a maritime search difficult.

Earlier, the U.S. Navy ordered its Undersea Rescue Command to deploy to Argentina to assist with the effort to locate the submarine that disappeared four days ago.

A U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Chamber and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle, were transported Sunday to Argentina. A U.S. space agency P-3 explorer aircraft and a U.S. P-8A Poseidon plane are already deployed for the search.

Submarines underwater can deploy to the surface a location beacon that can then emit emergency signals via satellite, according to a Reuters report. The Navy said a U.S. company that specializes in satellite communications was involved in trying to help locate the signals, according to Reuters.

The Navy lost contact with the German-built, diesel-electric submarine on Wednesday as it was returning from a routine mission from the naval base at Ushuaia, in Argentina's extreme south, to its base at Mar del Platam.

The Argentine Navy said an initial search at the vessel's last known position, about 430 kilometers off the southeastern Valdez peninsula, turned up no clues.

Argentine Navy commander Carlos Zavalla encouraged family, friends and colleagues of the crew members to remain positive. "So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication," he said on local TV.

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, was among many from around the world to offer support. The pope's office said on Saturday he is praying "fervently" for the crew to safely return to their families soon.

The Navy has said it believed an electrical outage may have caused communication problems on the vessel. Navy protocol directs submarines to rise to the surface when communication is lost.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Notwithstanding global progress, one in 12 children worldwide live in countries where their prospects "are worse than those of their parents", according to a UNICEF analysis released on the World Childrens Day today.

As many as "180 million children live in 37 countries where they are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be out of school, or be killed by violent death than children living in those countries were 20 years ago," the analysis said.

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"While the last generation has seen vast, unprecedented gains in living standards for most of the worlds children, the fact that a forgotten minority of children have been excluded from this ? through no fault of their own or those of their families ? is a travesty," Laurence Chandy, UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy, was quoted as saying in a statement.

World Childrens Day on November 20 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to give children their own platform to help save childrens lives, fight for their rights and fulfil their potential.

"Despite global progress, one in 12 children worldwide live in countries where their prospects today are worse than those of their parents," the survey-based analysis said.

For the survey, the UNICEF worked with Kantar and Lightspeed to poll more than 11,000 children aged between 9-18 years in 14 countries about their concerns and attitudes on global issues including bullying, conflict/war, poverty, terrorism and violence against children.

The countries surveyed were: Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and the US.

"Children across all 14 countries identified terrorism, poor education and poverty as the biggest issues they wanted world leaders to take action on," said the analysis.

According to the survey in India, children in the country reported "feeling the most empowered, with 52 per cent of them believing their voices are heard and can help their country and that their opinions can affect the future of their country".

The analysis said "children in India worry a lot about violence against children (70 per cent) and poor education (70 per cent). They sometimes worry about unfair treatment of migrant children (45 per cert), conflict and war (39 per cent) and natural disasters (38 per cent).

"Reflecting a sentiment where perhaps religion is perceived as more dictatorial then democratic, 61 per cent of Indian children felt that their opinions were not heard or appreciated by religious leaders," the analysis said.

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Chandy added, "It is the hope of every parent, everywhere, to provide greater opportunities for their children than they themselves enjoyed when they were young. This World Childrens Day, we have to take stock of how many children are instead seeing opportunities narrow and their prospects diminish." PTI KND BUN ABH

--- ENDS ---
Zimbabwe's Mugabe Skirts Resignation

By VOA News November 19, 2017

In a much awaited address to the nation, Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe did not resign Sunday, despite calls from his own party to do so.

"We must learn to forgive, and to resolve contradictions in comradely spirit," Mugabe said in a televised address, noting he acknowledges concerns brought up by the ruling ZANU-PF party, which has given Mugabe until noon Monday to resign or face impeachment.

Mugabe said the events of this week in Zimbabwe are not a threat to the constitution or to his authority as head of state and commander in chief.

But hours before his speech, ZANU-PF installed former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe dismissed two weeks earlier, as the party's new chief.

Party leaders have also expelled Mugabe's wife, Grace, leader of the ZANU-PF Women's League, from membership in the ruling party.

Zimbabwe's military intervened last week, seizing institutions in apparent opposition of Mugabe naming his unpopular wife as his successor, a move many feared would follow Mugabe's firing of Mnangagwa.

According to Zimbabwe newspaper The Herald, Mugabe met Sunday with military leaders.

Mugabe is expected to make an announcement in the coming hours, as a state television van was seen outside his house, Reuters reported.

Southern African leaders will be discussing the ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwe at a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday.

Saturday protests

On Saturday, thousands of exuberant Zimbabwean demonstrators flooded the streets of Harare, some of whom marched toward the official residence of Mugabe amid nationwide protests calling for the his resignation.

The protesters  some carrying signs that said, "Mugabe must go!" and "Not coup but cool"  came within 200 meters of the gates to the complex and staged a sit-down protest after being halted by national troops.

The State House is where Mugabe is under official house arrest and where negotiations for Mugabe's departure have taken place.

"This is not fair. Why are soldiers preventing us to march to the State House," said 26-year-old Rutendo Maisiri. "It is wrong. We will stay put."

The military has stopped such demonstrations in the capital in the past, but is now supporting the protests, directing demonstrators to the Zimbabwe Grounds where speeches were made by activists, politicians, and former freedom fighters calling for the president to resign.

The Zimbabwe Grounds is a symbolic location. It is where Zimbabweans welcomed Mugabe's return from exile in 1980 after the liberation war from white minority rule.

Demands intensify

Members of opposition groups are expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations over Mugabe's political future.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association, told journalists that the protests are designed to push the president out of office.

Former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change party, joined the calls for Mugabe to resign.

"Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign, step down immediately in line with the national sentiment and expectation, taking full regard of his legacy and contribution to Zimbabwe, pre- and post-Zimbabwe," said Tsvangirai, who returned to the country last week from South Africa, where he is being treated for cancer.

Mugabe hanging on

There has been no indication Mugabe will voluntarily give up power. Nick Mangwana, who is the Britain-based representative of ZANU-PF, told VOA that, "President Mugabe remains President Mugabe as of now."

Mugabe is the only leader the nation has known since Zimbabwe won independence in 1980, and has turned back many previous challenges to his rule, often using the army, police and physical violence from supporters to intimidate opponents.

His hold appeared strong even as Zimbabwe's economy, which has struggled for years, suffered a new downturn over the past 12 months. Last December, the ruling ZANU-PF party nominated him as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.

The turning point was the firing of Mnangagwa, 75, a liberation war hero who maintains strong support among veterans.

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Police grills Israeli premier for sixth time in graft probe

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 07:07PM

Israeli police have questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his residence in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds for the sixth time in a corruption probe, Israeli media reports say.

Israel's Channel Two TV said that police investigators arrived at the premier's residence shortly after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) Sunday. The interview session reportedly lasted several hours.

This is the sixth time that Israeli police investigators have grilled Netanyahu for corruption. It was their second visit in 10 days, after the premier was questioned for about four hours on November 9.

Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to alleged conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.

He is also suspected of having received luxury gifts from Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer, Arnon Milchan. Milchan reportedly sent him boxes of expensive cigars and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars. The producer was himself questioned in September.

The police also suspect that the premier sought a secret pact for favorable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The alleged deal would have seen Netanyahu receiving favorable coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu newsletter, Israel Hayom.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu confidants, Yitzhak Molcho and David Shimron, who are partners in a law firm and both relatives of the premier, had been questioned as part of a different investigation into a $2 billion submarine deal with Germany.

Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009, says he has been the target of a smear campaign by political opponents.

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Bangladesh in talks with Myanmar on Rohingya refugees repatriation deal

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 06:52PM

Bangladesh is in negotiations with Myanmar aimed at hammering out a deal to repatriate thousands of persecuted displaced Rohingya Muslim refugees, the country's Foreign Ministry says.

"Bangladesh and Myanmar are in the process of negotiation for a bilateral agreement for repatriation of displaced people and expect to form a Joint Working Group to facilitate the repatriation," said a Foreign Ministry statement, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali at a meeting in the capital Dhaka on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a senior aide to Bangladeshi foreign minister said he would leave for Myanmar late on Sunday to attend an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Monday and Tuesday, adding that he would stay another couple of days for bilateral talks on the Rohingya refugees.

The unnamed aide expressed hope for an agreement on allowing Rohingya to return to Myanmar, saying, "Both countries have almost reached an understanding on this issue and there are a few points (still) to be agreed ... We hope to reach an agreement."

Stung by international criticism and accusations of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar in early November said it was ready to set up a repatriation process. Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has said Rohingyas who can prove they were resident in Myanmar would be accepted back.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has so far done almost nothing to end the violence in Rakhine State despite increasing pressure from the international community.

Rohingya suffering causes international outcry

During the weekend, a US congressional delegation, European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden and Japan visited Rohingya camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar to raise awareness of their plight.

"We support Bangladesh's efforts toward a lasting solution, including the repatriation of displaced persons," Japan Foreign Minister Taro Kona told his Bangladeshi counterpart at their meeting in Dhaka on Sunday.

Mogherini told reporters: "More than putting pressure, our approach has always been and will continue to be to offer a negotiating space, encourage the taking care of a situation that is not going to disappear."

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have so far fled the predominantly-Buddhist Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August 25, when the crackdown on the Rohingya intensified in Rakhine State.

During the past three months, government troops, apart from raping, have been committing killings, arbitrary arrests, and mass arson of houses in hundreds of predominantly-Rohingya villages in the restive state.

Last week, a United Nations General Assembly committee called on Myanmar to end military operations that have "led to the systematic violation and abuse of human rights" of Rohingya.

The UN has already described the Rohingya as the most persecuted community in the world, calling the situation in Rakhine similar to "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing." Estimates as to how many Muslims have been killed vary from 1,000 to 3,000.

At the root of the crisis is the refusal by Myanmar to grant citizenship to the Muslim minority community.

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Super Boomer: What's So Special About Russia's New Borei-A Missile Sub?

Sputnik News

15:56 18.11.2017(updated 16:06 18.11.2017)

With Russia's first modernized Borei-A-class strategic nuclear-powered Knyaz (Prince) Vladimir missile submarine floated out at the Sevmash shipyard on Friday, a RIA Novosti commentator analyzes how this 15,000-ton behemoth differs from its predecessors.

Andrei Kots (RIA Novosti)  The Borei-A-class submarines, capable of carrying up to 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles each, are an upgraded version of previous Borei-class vessels.

Fast and Quiet

Developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, the Prince Vladimir is a fourth-generation submarine.It is relatively quiet, hard to detect by sonar and is capable of diving to depths of up to 400 meters. And fast too, boasting submerged speeds of up to 30 knots.

Low visibility, high speeds and an ability to avoid enemy pursuit make these Russian fourth-generation subs a formidable weapon to be reckoned with.

Three Borei-class submarines are currently afloat with the Yuri, serving with the Northern Fleet, while the Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh are with the Pacific Fleet.

Meanwhile, four more Borei-A-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines  Knyaz (Prince) Oleg, Generalissimo Suvorov, Emperor Alexander III and Knyaz (Prince) Pozharsky  are currently under construction and scheduled to be floated out before 2022.

Just like the Kazan multirole submarine of the upgraded Yasen-M Project, floated out in March, the Prince Vladimir boasts state-of-the-art means of electronic warfare entirely developed and produced in Russia.

Rival to Be Reckoned With

Russia's latest and finest strategic missile-carrying submarine, the Knyaz Vladimir has tactical and technical characteristics that surpass those of the Ohio-class nuclear subs, which constitute the backbone of the US naval deterrent.

The first Borei-A submarine dives to 400 meters compared to the Ohio's 363 and boasts a submerged speed of 30 knots, which is 5 knots faster that what its American counterpart offers.

Due to a high level of automatization, the Russian sub has a crew of just 107 compared to the 155 manning Ohio-class submarines.

The Russian sub is armed with 16 Bulava R-30 intercontinental ballistic missiles each carrying six individually targeted 150-kiloton warheads.

A single broadside is enough to incinerate as many as 100 cities, missile silos, command and control centers, military bases and industrial facilities.

Even though it lags in this respect behind its US counterpart, which is armed with 24 Trident II ICBMs, carrying either eight or 14 warheads each, the Bulava has an effective range of 9,300 kilometers (5,778 miles) compared with the Trident's 7,800 kilometers (4,846 miles).

What Next?

Meanwhile, Russia is now mulling the development of more advanced Borei-A-class subs with the broad outlines of a Borei-B fifth-generation submarine already on the drawing boards.

According to open sources, some of the new subs, which will be much smaller than the Borei and Yasen subs, will be armed with anti-submarine versions of Kalibr cruise missiles, with the rest carrying Zirkon hypersonic anti-ship missiles.

 Sputnik

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US Envoy to Russia Slams Moscow's Pending Curbs on US-funded News Outlets

By Ken Bredemeier November 19, 2017

The U.S. ambassador to Russia on Sunday attacked Moscow's move toward forcing nine United States government-funded news operations to register as "foreign agents" as "a reach beyond" what the U.S. government did in requiring the Kremlin-funded RT television network to register as such in the United States.

Ambassador Jon Huntsman said the Russian reaction is not "reciprocal at all" and Moscow's move toward regulation of the news agencies, if it is implemented, would make "it virtually impossible for them to operate" in Russia.

He said the eight-decade-old Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) under which RT has registered as a foreign agent is aimed at promoting transparency, but does not restrict the television network's operation in the United States.

Russia's lower house of parliament approved amendments Wednesday to expand a 2012 law that targets non-governmental organizations, including foreign media. A declaration as a foreign agent would require foreign media to regularly disclose their objectives, full details of finances, funding sources and staffing.

Media outlets also may be required to disclose on their social platforms and internet sites visible in Russia that they are "foreign agents." The amendments also would allow the extrajudicial blocking of websites the Kremlin considers undesirable.

The Russian Justice Ministry said Thursday it had notified the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and seven separate regional outlets active in Russia they could be affected.

"It isn't at all similar to what we're doing under FARA  it's a reach beyond," Huntsman said. "And, we just think the principles of free media, in any free society and democracy, are absolutely critical to our strength, health, and well-being. Freedom of speech is part of that. So, that's why I care about the issue. That's why we in the embassy care about the issue. And, it's why we're going to follow the work that is going on in the Duma and the legislation that is being drafted, very very carefully, because we're concerned about it."

The Justice Ministry said the new requirements in Russia were likely to become law "in the near future."

VOA Director Amanda Bennett said last week that if Russia imposes the new restrictions, "We can't say at this time what effect this will have on our news-gathering operations within Russia. All we can say is that Voice of America is, by law, an independent, unbiased, fact-based news organization, and we remain committed to those principles."

RFE/RL President Tom Kent said until the legislation becomes law, "we do not know how the Ministry of Justice will use this law in the context of our work."

Kent said unlike Sputnik and other Russian media operating in the United States, U.S. media outlets operating in Russia do not have access to cable television and radio frequencies.

"Russian media in the U.S. are distributing their programs on American cable television. Sputnik has its own radio frequency in Washington. This means that even at the moment there is no equality," he said.

Serious blow to freedom

The speaker of Russia's lower house, the Duma, said last week that foreign-funded media outlets that refused to register as foreign agents under the proposed legislation would be prohibited from operating in the country.

However, since the law's language is so broad, it potentially could be used to target any foreign media group, especially if it is in conflict with the Kremlin. "We are watching carefully... to see whether it is passed and how it is implemented," said Maria Olson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

The Russian amendments, which Amnesty International said would inflict a "serious blow" to media freedom in Russia if they become law, were approved in response to a U.S. accusation that RT executed a Russian-mandated influence campaign on U.S. citizens during the 2016 presidential election, a charge the media channel denies.

The U.S. intelligence community concluded in early 2017 that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed a campaign to undermine American democracy and help real estate mogul Donald Trump win the presidency. A criminal investigation of the interference is underway in the United States, as are numerous congressional probes.

The foreign registration amendments must next be approved by the Russian Senate and then signed into law by Putin.

RT, which is funded by the Kremlin to provide Russia's perspective on global issues, confirmed last week it met the U.S. Justice Department's deadline by registering as a foreign agent in the United States.

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Daesh suicide attack on eastern Syria leaves 20 dead, injures 30

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Damascus, Nov 18, IRNA -- The suicide strike by terrorist group Daesh on Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria resulted in killing 20 people and injured 30 others, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

"A car bomb was detonated by Daesh terrorists in the area between al-Jafra and al-Koniko in Deir Ezzor's northern countryside, claiming the lives of 20 civilians at least and injuring around 30 others, many of whom women and children, according to SANA report on Friday.

"This is the second such an attack this month, as on November 4th Daesh carried out a similar car bomb attack targeting displaced people in the same area, killing and injuring dozens."

Syrian Army and the resistance forces broke the siege of Deir ez-Zor on September 5.

The oil-rich city has been under the control of Daesh since July 14, 2014 and the humanitarian aid was only air dropped.

Deir ez-Zor Province lies in eastern Syria, on the border with Iraq.

9376**1771

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Russia vetos Japan-drafted UN resolution on chemical attacks probe in Syria

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:53, November 18, 2017

Russia on Friday vetoed a Japanese-drafted UN securiy council resolution on renewing a joint mechanism to investigate who is behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Friday's vote was Russia's 11th veto on Security Council resolutions concerning Syria and the third concerning Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The mandate of JIM, which the Security Council unanimously approved in 2015, expires on Friday.

Bolivia also voted against Friday's draft resolution. China abstained.

Russia on Thursday vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have extended JIM's mandate for a year.

Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires at China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said after Friday's vote that any Security Council action must focus on the overall political process in Syria, which faces important opportunities at the moment.

It is imperative for parties to keep calm and exercise restraint and find an appropriate solution acceptable to all through patient consultation, he said, noting that there are still significant differences among members over JIM.

"Given the differences among council members, forcing a vote does not contribute to the resolution of the issue of chemical weapons in Syria, or serve to safeguard the unity and authority of the Security Council, nor does it help to advance the political process in Syria," he said.

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Syrian forces fully recapture Daesh's last stronghold on border with Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 01:26PM

Syrian army soldiers, backed by pro-government fighters from popular defense groups, have fully liberated a strategic city in the country's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr and on the border with Iraq from the clutches of Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Syria's Joint Operations Command announced in a statement on Sunday that Syrian troops and their allies had fully retaken Bukamal, which lies on the Euphrates River, and were combing the area for improvised explosive devices and mines left by the terrorists, Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network reported.

The statement added that the self-proclaimed Daesh governor of Bukamal, known by the nom de guerre, Abu Hasan al-Iraqi, had fled from the city to the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

There are also reports that two high-ranking Daesh military commanders, identified as Saddam al-Jamal and Abu Sumaiya al-Ansari have escaped from Bukamal.

Syrian army soldiers and pro-government fighters declared victory over Daesh in Bukamal earlier this month, but the terrorists then staged a counter-attack using sleeper cells hidden in the city.

The recapture of Bukamal means that Daesh Takfiris now control only a few villages along the Euphrates and patches of nearby desert in addition to isolated pockets in other parts of Syria.

Also on Sunday, Syrian army units and their allied forces regained control over two villages in the northeastern part of the country's western-central province of Hama.

Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported that the forces managed to establish complete control over Harran and Hardana villages after inflicting heavy blows to members of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.

The report added that a large number of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants were killed in the process and scores of them fled from the villages.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.

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Iranian IRGC Commander Killed In Syria

November 19, 2017

Iranian media have reported that a commander in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has been killed in fighting against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

The IRGC has been fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Tehran, in the country's six-year civil war in Syria.

The state-run Fars news agency reported on November 19 that Khairollah Samadi, an IRGC commander in charge of a unit in Syria, was killed in fighting on November 16 in the town of Albu Kamal, which has since been recaptured by Syrian government forces.

Iran's Defa Press website, which is close to the Iranian military, said Samadi was wounded and later died in Albu Kamal.

Defa Press described Samadi as a "defender of the shrine," a term used to describe Iranian and other Shi'ite forces trained and deployed in Syria by the IRGC and the Basij force.

Samadi died of shrapnel wounds from a mortar explosion, Fars said. Iranian news sites posted photos on November 19 of Samadi with Qassem Soleimani, the head of IRGC's elite overseas Quds force.

The head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs said in November 2016 that more than 1,000 fighters, including Iranians, Afghans, and Pakistanis, deployed by Iran to Syria had been killed. Senior members of the IRGC have been among those killed.

Iran has provided military support to Assad's forces since at least 2012 in the form of military advisers and volunteers, but it denies sending its own troops.

Even so, Iranian media have reported the death of a handful of Iranian commanders along with hundreds of Iranian fighters.

The IRGC was created after the 1979 revolution to protect Iran's Islamic establishment against internal and external threats and to preserve revolutionary ideals.

It answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In an unprecedented move, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration added the IRGC to its counterterrorism sanctions list in October.

The IRGC is a powerful security and military organization that also controls an estimated 40 percent of the Iranian economy.

With reporting by Defa Press, Fars, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-syria-commander- killed-samadi/28862819.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Foreign Ministers Of Iran, Russia, Turkey Discuss Syria War Ahead Of Sochi Summit

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

The Iranian, Russian, and Turkish foreign ministers have met in southern Turkey to discuss the years-long civil war in Syria ahead of a summit between the three countries' presidents in Russia.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran in Antalya on November 19 for the closed-door talks.

Speaking after the meeting, Lavrov described the talks as "very useful," adding that the sides "reached agreement on all the key issues," according to Russian news agencies.

Russia's top diplomat declined to provide further details on the meeting.

He said the chiefs of the Iranian, Russian, and Turkish armed forces will also hold talks before Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with his counterparts of Iran and Turkey -- Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rohani  in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on November 22.

The meeting will focus on reducing violence in Syria and matters related to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, officials said.

Separate Talks

Moscow, Ankara, and Tehran are sponsoring separate talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, that involve warring sides in the six-year civil war and focus on battlefield issues, such as the formation of de-escalation zones in key regions of Syria.

The United Nations is also sponsoring talks in Geneva that look to establish a political solution to the war.

Putin last met Erdogan in Sochi on November 13.

The Russian president said after the talks that Moscow and Ankara were "united in the need to increase efforts to ensure the long-term stabilization [of Syria], above all to advance the process of a political settlement."

"We agreed that there is now a base which allows us to focus on the political process," Erdogan said.

Russia and Iran have given crucial military backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the war, which began with a government crackdown on protesters and has killed more than 330,000 people, created 6.1 million refugees, and forced some 5 million people to become internally displaced.

Turkey supports rebels who want to oust Assad.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-turkey-foreign- ministers-syria-war-sochi-summit/28862583.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The designation will result in further penalties against North Korea amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula

By India Today Web Desk: President Donald Trump has announced that he is declaring North Korea a state sponsor of terror amid heightened nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Trump said the designation will impose further penalties on the country. He called it a long overdue step and part of the US "maximum pressure campaign" against the North Korea.

North Korea would join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the list of state sponsors of terror.

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"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting.

US officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half brother in a Malaysian airport in February as an act of terrorism.

The designation had been debated for months inside the administration, with some officials at the State Department arguing that North Korea did not meet the legal standard to be relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism.

US officials involved in the internal deliberations said there was no debate over whether the slaying of half-brother Kim Jong Nam was a terrorist act. However, lawyers said there had to be more than one incident, and there was disagreement over whether the treatment of American student Otto Warmbier, who died of injuries suffered in North Korean custody, constituted terrorism.

The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the deliberations and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The move returns North Korea to the ignominious list for the first time since 2008, when the North was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development. In the years since, the North has made advanced leaps in both its nuclear and missile programs, proving the capacity to reach US territories with the devastating weapons earlier this year.

Trump has faced pressure from congressional lawmakers to relist the country amid its advancing nuclear missile program, though some fear it could increase already heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula

--- ENDS ---
Russia Says Sweden, Uruguay Have Plan To Extend UN Syria Chemical Weapons Inquiry

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

A senior Russian official says Sweden and Uruguay have written a draft resolution that could lead to another vote to keep alive a United Nations investigation into who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, the press secretary of Russia's UN Mission, was quoted on November 18 by the state-run TASS news agency as saying the two nonpermanent members had submitted a "compromise" draft to the Security Council on resuming the work of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

TASS cited an unnamed UN source as saying a vote could take place on the resolution on November 19.

The report comes a day after Russia vetoed a proposal to temporarily keep alive the UN investigation program.

The Russian veto, its 11th in the UN in regard to the Syrian civil war since the conflict began in 2011, came a day after Moscow blacked a one-year extension of the JIM.

The mandate for the joint investigation by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expired at midnight on November 17.

The one-month extension vetoed by Russia was offered by Japan to provide time for Russia and Western powers to negotiate a compromise on continuing the inquiry.

"Russia is wasting our time," U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said after the veto.

"Russia's actions today and in recent weeks have been designed to delay, to distract, and ultimately to defeat the effort to secure accountability for chemical weapons attacks in Syria," she said.

Before the vote, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Haley and many other council members were in favor of the temporary extension while Russia opposed it.

In Moscow, a Foreign Ministry official told the AFP news agency that the 30-day extension was "pointless" and that urgent action on the expert panel's work was not needed.

'We've Unleashed A Monster'

Russia on November 16 vetoed a U.S. proposal to renew the mandate for one year after it had received approval in the Security Council.

Haley said that veto showed Russia consistently puts the protection of its ally Syria, which has been blamed for all but one chemical attack since the investigation started in 2015, above the protection of Syrian civilians killed in such attacks.

"Russia has killed the investigative mechanism which has the overwhelming support of this council," she said. Eleven of the council's 15 members supported the U.S.-drafted resolution.

"To my Russian friends, the next chemical weapons attack is on your head," Haley said. "You are basically telling the entire world that chemical weapons are okay to use. That's what we should be embarrassed about today."

France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre said the Russian veto was a blow to international efforts to curb the use of chemical weapons.

"Let there be no doubt: we have unleashed a monster here," said Delattre.

Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya shot back, saying the investigative mechanism needed an overhaul, including a mandate to secure evidence of chemical use first-hand rather than through parties involved in the conflict.

'Fake Diplomacy'

Nebenzya called the mechanism "a puppet-like structure" which he said can be manipulated by the West."On the basis of false information, it will time after time accuse the Syrian government of violating international norms," he said.

Before the vote on November 17, Haley accused Russian officials at the UN of refusing to discuss the issue with her.

"For some reason the phones at the Russian Mission [at the UN] aren't working," she said. "We have tried to get a call with them and they've been too busy to talk to us this week. And, when I have tried to call Vasily [Nebenzya], for some reason he is not available."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected Haley's claim as "fake diplomacy."

"Mrs. [Nikki] Haley's claim she made [on November 16] in a rather agitated manner that the Russian [UN] mission had allegedly for days kept rejecting her offers to meet and talk about this issue, to discuss these two [rival Russian and the U.S.] drafts of the [UN Security Council] resolution, is a lie -- I'll say it again," he said. "Apparently, we are facing a new phenomenon in international relations, in which not only do we have fake news, but fake diplomacy as well."

Russia has been highly critical of the team's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015, and used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhun last April that killed nearly 100 people.

Russian Resolution Rejected

Syria has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons. The investigative team also found the extremist group Islamic State was responsible for a mustard gas attack in 2015.

After Russia vetoed the U.S. extension proposal on November 16, the council later voted against a rival resolution put forward by Russia to overhaul the investigative mechanism. It received only four votes in favor -- from Russia, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, and China -- short of the nine votes needed to pass.

U.S. President Donald Trump had urged the council to support the investigation's continued work. In a tweet shortly before the vote, Trump said renewing the mandate would "ensure" that President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian "regime does not commit mass murder with chemical weapons ever again."

Russia has given Assad crucial diplomatic support throughout the war, using its clout as a veto-wielding permanent Security Council member to shield him and his government from international censure and pressure.

Moscow has also backed Assad in the battlefield during a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes, launching a campaign of air strikes against government opponents in 2015 and stepping up its military involvement on the ground.

With reporting by TASS, AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia- syria-chemical-weapons-sweden-uruguay- united-nations-jim/28862131.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Around 20,000 Residents Returned to Syria's Homs After Militants Left - Governor

Sputnik News

17:45 19.11.2017(updated 18:14 19.11.2017)

Syrian residents continue to return back to their homes amid the reconciliation agreement coming into force, the governor of Homs city and province said in an interview to Sputnik.

HOMS (Sputnik)  Talal Barazi, the governor of both the city and province of Homs, said in an interview to Sputnik that around 20,000 people, or 500 families, returned home in 2016-2017 to Homs and its neighborhoods.

He explained that the Syrian civilians were coming back because the military forces were withdrawing from Syria and the reconciliation agreement was in place.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of refugees is expected to return in 2018 after the restoration of local infrastructure, water and electricity supply with a new school year also beginning, the governor continued.

The city of Homs, which had served as the Syrian armed opposition's stronghold since 2011, returned fully under Damascus control in May, as the militants left the area under a deal with Syrian authorities. Since the beginning of fighting in the area, up to 40 percent of the population left the city, Barazi said, adding that a half these already returned to their homes.

Moreover, in the coming two weeks, the residents of Palmyra, located in the east of the province, will also return to their homes as the infrastructure in the city gets restored, Barazi added. Meanwhile, large-scale reconstruction of the province may begin in 2018 after its' inclusion in the government plan for restoring areas damaged by war, the official suggested.

The Syrian civil war has been raging since 2011, being fought between government troops and numerous opposition and terrorist organizations. The Russian Aerospace Forces have been supporting the Syrian government forces in their fight against terrorists since 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Russia, alongside Iran and Turkey, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been assisting Damascus by providing humanitarian aid. On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said 41 people had returned to their homes in the Homs province over the past 24 hours.

 Sputnik

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Chinese military plane flew near Taiwan, first time after CPC congress

ROC Central News Agency

2017/11/19 12:34:31

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) A Chinese military aircraft flew east of Taiwan Saturday morning as part of its long-distance training mission, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Sunday.

This marks the first time the MND has confirmed that it detected a Chinese military aircraft of flying near the country after the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Oct. 24.

In a statement, the ministry said that a Tu-154MD electronic intelligence aircraft from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China flew northbound over the air route of Japan's Miyako Strait near eastern Taiwan.

The Miyako Strait, which lies between the Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa, is part of Japan's exclusive economic zone but includes a narrow band of international waters and airspace.

The area is close to Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The ministry stressed that it "closely monitored the maneuvers by Chinese military planes in accordance with regulations."

The military continues to safeguard the country's ADIZ, assuring the nationals that the country is well-guarded, it added.

PLA aircraft and vessels have several times flown and sailed near southern Taiwan and into the Western Pacific via the Miyako Strait, actions which are closely watched by Taiwan as it's claimed as a province by China which has not renounced the use of force to take it back one day.

According to previous Chinese media reports, Tu-154MD electronic intelligence aircraft were modified from Russian Tu-154M "Careless" transports by adding radomes and antennae to provide a basic electronic warfare (EW) capability.

The PLA has at least four Tu-154MDs, all listed under PLA's 34th Division of 102nd Air Regiment, at Nan Yuan airfield, south of Beijing, reports said.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/cs

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Chinese plane could be gathering intelligence on Taiwan military

ROC Central News Agency

2017/11/19 18:21:32

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) A Chinese military aircraft that skirted Taiwan's airspace on Saturday could be collecting intelligence concerning the Taiwan military, a scholar warned on Sunday.

A Tu-154MD electronic intelligence aircraft from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flew northbound over Japan's Miyako Strait near eastern Taiwan on Saturday morning as part of a long-distance training mission, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Sunday.

This marks the first time the MND has confirmed it detected a Chinese military aircraft flying near the country since the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Oct. 24.

Asked to comment, Chieh Chung (), a senior assistant research fellow at the National Policy Foundation, a Taiwan-based think tank affiliated with the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), said the Chinese aircraft could be collecting intelligence on Taiwan's military.

The nation's armed forces are currently conducting a search and rescue mission for a missing Mirage-2000 jet fighter in the sea off northeastern Taiwan, he said.

The ongoing mission requires all kinds of communications between different Taiwanese military aircraft and vessels, Chieh told CNA.

Although the PLA aircraft was apparently on a training mission, Chieh said he did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft was also taking the opportunity to collect intelligence on the operating parameters of Taiwanese military aircraft and vessels.

The Mirage-2000, piloted by Captain Ho Tzu-yu (), took off at 6:09 p.m. on Nov. 7 on a regular nighttime training exercise before losing contact with the control tower at 6:43 p.m. about 90 nautical miles north-northeast of Keelung, according to the MND.

Chieh said the latest move by the Chinese military means the PLA is resuming its main mission of exerting force to curb "Taiwan Independence," following the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the CPC.

The PLA stopped such missions for a period of time with the recent CPC national congress, U.S. President Donald Trump's first Asian tour and the APEC summit in Vietnam, he said.

However, with the conclusion of those regional and international events, Chieh said the PLA has resumed long-distance training missions.

The scholar said the PLA has undertaken such training missions since 2015, expanding its far-sea training from near coast areas to blue-water operations.

These missions were conducted once every three months from early 2015 to July 2016, though their frequency has dramatically risen since Aug. 2016. There were at least 19 missions from Aug. 18, 2016 to Aug. 14, 2017, he said.

In other words, the PLA has made long-distance deployments a routine part of its live-fire exercise cycle, he added.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/AW

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Erdogan snubs NATO apology over 'impudence' during drill

Iran Press TV

Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:49AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected a NATO apology over what he referred to as "impudence" during one of the Western military alliance's drills in Norway.

On Friday, Ankara withdrew dozens of Turkish soldiers from a drill in Norway after a number of Turkey's former and current leaders were depicted as the "enemies."

In response, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg apologized for the incident, adding that it was the result of an individual's action and did not reflect the NATO policies.

On Saturday, Erdogan said, "You have witnessed the impudence at NATO exercises in Norway. There are some mistakes that cannot be committed by fools but only by vile people."

He noted that the incident is "a reflection of a distorted point of view that we have observed in NATO for a while." "This matter cannot be covered over with a simple apology."

Over the past few months, NATO has been experiencing internal conflicts among its allies. Ankara's deal with Russia on the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missiles has caused concern among members of the military bloc, including the US.

Turkey, being a NATO member state with the second-largest army in the military alliance, drew an outpouring of criticism from the US and other members of the bloc, which criticized Ankara for drifting toward Moscow.

The deal has also raised concern because the weapons cannot be integrated into the NATO defense.

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Erdogan: Provocation at NATO Drills Targets Turkish People

Sputnik News

21:51 19.11.2017(updated 21:54 19.11.2017)

A scandal is brewing after the Turkish president's name along with that of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, appeared on an "enemy chart" during the NATO war games in Norway in mid-November.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on a recent incident, implying that he along with the country's first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, were listed as enemies during the recent NATO Trident Javelin drills in Norway. According to him, it was targeted against the Turkish people, but not the country's leader.

"They placed Ataturk and me on a stand with targets during NATO exercises and provoked a scandal.  This question is not personal or party related. The targets were Turkey and the Turkish people," Erdogan said in a televised address to activists of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

On Friday, Erdogan announced his decision to withdraw 40 Turkish servicemen from the NATO drills in Norway, after his name, along with Ataturk's, appeared on an "enemy chart" during an exercise. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has already offered his apologies to the Turkish president. He noted that the person who posted the material was a Norwegian civil contractor, not a NATO employee.

Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen also apologized to Turkey over the insulting incident. The drills were held between November 8-17. The Norwegian defense minister added that Norway will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

Turkey joined NATO in 1952, three years after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty. Turkey was admitted to the organization, even though it is not a "North Atlantic" country. Turkey has been engaged in NATO partnership mechanisms with the countries of the Black Sea and southern Caucasus regions, which are not NATO member states.

 Sputnik

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Amid TurkeyNATO S-400 Rift, Erdogan Questions 'Trustworthiness' of Alliance

Sputnik News

14:40 19.11.2017

The Turkish president has questioned the credibility of the NATO alliance, noting that it had removed its missile defense systems from his country regardless of threats posed by neighboring Syria, yet the alliance is now criticizing Ankara for purchasing a missile defense system from Russia.

NATO's "trustworthiness" had been questioned by all its member states when it withdrew missile defense systems from Turkey at a time where threats from Syria were rising, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News quoted Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying at a ruling Justice and Development (AKP) event in the Black Sea province of Rize on Friday.

"And now, when we try to buy S-400 air defense systems from Russia, the reaction from some countries of the alliance [NATO] proved this distortedness," the Turkish leader stressed.

His comments refer to the apparent rift between Ankara and the alliance member states over the deal to purchase a Russian missile defense system.

Last week, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said that his country had completed the purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles.

"It is finished, the S-400 missiles have been bought. The rest is just details now," the defense official said while visiting the Black Sea town of Giresun.

Following the announcement, Heidi Grant, deputy undersecretary of the US Air Force for international affairs has warned that if Turkey moves forward with the deal, "it will not be permitted to plug into NATO technology and further action may be forthcoming that could affect the country's acquisition or operation of the F-35 jets," in an apparent concern that Turkey operating both the S-400 and F-35 together will lead to Russia acquiring information about the vulnerabilities of the F-35.

Turkey was forced to start looking for alternative missile defense systems after NATO member states, i.e., the US, Germany and the Netherlands, decided to remove their Patriot-missile deployments from southern Turkey at the end of 2015.

In 2013, five member states of the alliance, namely the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy had supplied missile weapons to Turkey following its request to boost its air defense capabilities in order to defend its territory from threats posed by neighboring Syria.

Spanish and Italian missile batteries, which are linked to the NATO air-defense system, remain in the country.

Following the partial withdrawal, Ankara wanted to buy missiles from a Chinese state-run company, but had to scrap the deal under US pressure, which said that the Chinese company had been sanctioned for allegedly selling missiles to Iran.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Hosts Iranian, Russian FMs as Ankara-NATO Dispute Festers

By Dorian Jones November 19, 2017

Turkey's Foreign Minister Melvin Cavusolgu is hosting his Russian and Iranian counterparts at the Mediterranean Sea resort of Antalya to prepare the ground for Wednesday's summit in Russia to discuss Syria.

Despite Ankara backing opposing sides to Tehran and Moscow in the Syrian civil war, they have been increasingly cooperating to resolve the conflict. The three countries armed forces are deployed in creating a "de-escalation zone" in the Syrian enclave of Idlib, one of last strongholds of rebels fighting the Damascus regime.

Despite growing cooperation, the countries competing agendas are increasingly coming to the fore with the imminent defeat of Islamic State and rebel forces in the Syrian civil war. The meeting Sunday in Antalya is seeking to ease, if not resolve, those differences before the summit.

The hastily arranged summit came out of disputes over Moscow's plan to hold a Syrian conference. Reportedly Tehran is unhappy at Moscow hosting the event, while Ankara was enraged over an invitation being extended to the Syrian Kurdish militia the PYD. Ankara accuses the militia of being linked to a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

But shared opposition to Washington's policy in the region is providing a powerful impetus to ongoing cooperation between the three countries. "The 'zeitgeist' or spirit of times, forces the countries not to go into confrontation but cooperation," said international relations professor Huseyin Balci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. The United States arming of PYD forces in their fight against the Islamic State continues to deeply strain relations with its NATO ally Turkey.

PYD controversy

U.S.-Turkish differences over the PYD, are increasingly dictating Turkish foreign policy. "At the moment all of Ankara's priorities have been put in the Kurdish basket," notes political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website, "and that seems to be the guiding motive, whether its relations with Russia and also its relations with Iran."

Cavusoglu is expected to press his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during talks in Antalya to agree to allow Turkey to launch a military operation against the PYD forces in the Syrian Afrin enclave. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing party supporters Sunday, promised a military operation would be launched to "liberate" Afrin.

In the past few days, Turkey has been reinforcing its forces in the Syrian enclave of Idlib that borders Afrin. But with Russian soldiers deployed in Afrin, Moscow's agreement to any attack is seen as crucial by Ankara.

Moscow is competing with Washington for influence over the Syrian Kurdish forces. "Russia has its own contacts to Kurdish politicians in the region," observes Zaur Gasimov an Istanbul-based Russia-Turkey analyst for the Max Weber Foundation, "but [Moscow] is very concerned on pro-American mood among most Kurdish politicians." Analysts suggest Russia may view the threat of Turkish military action as important leverage to persuade Syrian Kurds to realize Moscow, rather than Washington, is the most useful ally.

NATO relations

But Ankara's courting of Moscow and Tehran is raising questions among its NATO partners. Turkish NATO relations received another blow, Friday, when Turkey withdrew its forces participating in a military drill in retaliation for slights made to Erdogan and the founder of the Turkish State Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by other soldiers participating in the exercise.

The incident continues to reverberate in Turkey. Erdogan Sunday dismissed an apology by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg describing its as "halfhearted."

Reportedly Stoltenberg said those soldiers responsible for the slight had been dismissed. Anger against NATO is being whipped up in the Turkish media and has created a rare consensus in Turkey's deeply polarized world.

Kemal Kilicdarolgu, leader of the main opposition CHP, joined in the condemnation of NATO. While Turkey's Culture Minister Numan Kurtulmus described the incident as an example "anti-Islamic and anti-Turkey phobia."

NATO and in particular the United States are viewed with deep suspicion among many Turks, and analysts point out such verbal attacks offer politicians an easy opportunity to score points with the electorate. With Turkey due to hold general and presidential elections by 2019, polls that are predicted to be close, the growing anti-Western nationalist rhetoric and policies are seen likely to continue. "Foreign policy in Turkey under the ruling AKP Party, it really has become an extension of domestic policy," observes political columnist Idiz.

In such a political climate the NATO controversy could have far reaching effects, "Turkey currently has more than one serious problem with the U.S., the locomotive force of NATO," warned Murat Yetkin editor of Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News, "these problems are causing a rift between the two countries, prompting both Americans and Turks to question the long-running alliance between their countries."

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Prisoner Swap Between Ukraine, Pro-Russia Separatists Appears to Be Moving Closer

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists appear to be moving closer to a new round of prisoner exchanges after a flurry of comments from Kyiv, Moscow, and separatist groups.

Yuriy Tandit, an adviser to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), on November 18 told Ukraine's Channel 5 that the "most important thing is that it happens fast, because many of the men have been there for a good three years."

Optimism has grown over the past few days after the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 15 told separatist leaders Aleksandr Zakharchenko of the Donetsk region and Igor Plotnitsky of Luhansk by phone that he favored a prisoner swap with Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky supported a swap in principle but "pointed out that the issue will have to be worked out further on with representatives of Ukraine."

The SBU on November 16 said it welcomed "any steps" by Russia that would facilitate exchanges of people held by Kyiv and the Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Tandit said the SBU was prepared to hand over the hundreds of separatist fighters being held by Ukrainian authorities in return for Ukrainian troops held by separatists.

Reports say Ukraine has 306 separatist fighters in custody, while the separatists are holding 74 government soldiers.

The separatists have controlled the capitals and some other districts of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces since the spring of 2014, when Moscow fomented separatism amid unrest that led to the downfall of Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych that February.

Russia does not recognize the separatist-held areas as independent and says it supports Ukraine's territorial integrity. Moscow also denies providing the separatists with troops, weapons, and other support in a war that has killed 10,000 people in the two regions since April 2014, despite what Kyiv and NATO say is incontrovertible evidence of such support.

The Russian statements confirming that Putin spoke to the Russia-backed separatist leaders represented a rare public acknowledgment of such direct contacts.

With reporting by Christopher Miller in Kyiv, TASS, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-separatists- crimea-donetsk-luhansk/28862132.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Trump To Get Proposal To Supply Defensive Weapons To Ukraine, ABC News Reports

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

Senior aides will present U.S. President Donald Trump with a $47 million plan to finance and sell high-tech defensive weapons to Ukraine to bolster its efforts to repel Russian aggression in the region, ABC News reported, quoting a State Department source.

ABC News on November 18 said the plan would supply Ukraine with weapons that include portable Javelin antitank missiles.

News reports say a shoulder-mounted weapon Javelin costs about $126,000 per launcher and $78,000 for each missile.

A spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC) told ABC on November 17 that the agency had "no announcement at this time." The NSC decided earlier this week to green-light the presentation of the package, ABC said.

Any decision on the matter has to be approved by the U.S. Congress, as well as Trump.

Ukrainian government forces are battling Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014.

Russia also seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and annexed the region in March 2014.

Escalation Fears

During a visit to Ukraine in August, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signaled his personal support for providing weapons to Kyiv. That comes in sharp contrast to the previous White House administration, which feared that supplying weapons could escalate the situation and tensions with Russia.

But such a move would also represent a reversal from the Republican party platform on sending lethal weapons to Ukraine.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, after Trump became the party nominee, the Republican platform was shifted from supporting "lethal defensive arms" to Ukraine to more vague language calling for "appropriate assistance."

Trump, during the campaign and into his presidency, has pressed for better relations with Russia, worrying some that he was looking to weaken support for the pro-Western government in Kyiv and to possibly attempt to ease sanctions on Moscow imposed for its aggression in Ukraine.

A State Department official told ABC that a meeting will be held in the coming weeks to discuss the "public messaging" related to the sale.

With reporting by ABC News, AP, and The Hill

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-ukraine-weapons-russia- separatists-putin/28862130.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The exercise was carried out at the midnight to avoid interference with the school schedule.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Indian security force continued to be in a state of full preparedness as National Security Guard (NSG or black cat commandos) undertook a mock drill at Shri Ram School in Gurugram.

The exercise was carried out at the midnight to avoid interference with the school schedule. Utmost secrecy was maintained as the mock drill took place. The practice drill was conducted to exercise securing buildings from the terrorists, thwarting any attempt at possible destruction or taking hostages.

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Terrorists globally have at many times chosen to attack the schools world over to further their deadly agenda. 150 people comprising 132 students were massacred on December 16, 2014 when Taliban suicide bombers stormed a school in Peshawar.

The school was run by the Pakistani army. The terrorists took hostages, including teachers and the principal of the school, and used them as human shield during the assault. The standoff with the security forces ended after eight grueling hours.

Another notable incident was in Beslan, Russia. 32 terrorists stormed the school building and laid a 3 day siege that resulted in 300 casualties including 186 children.

The NSG says that though there is no intelligence input of such an attack on Indian Schools, the mock drill was carried out to familiarize the commandos with any eventuality, especially involving small children.

The force is also preparing different set of scenario's like neutralizing a lone wolf attacker or a scenario involving multiple attackers in multiple locations.

While several schools have in the past approached the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), another paramilitary force for security of schools, the nod was never given by Union Home Ministry the parent ministry of the force.

In a latest move though, CISF has offered to provide consultancy at a cost.

--- ENDS ---
U.S. Nuclear Commander Says He Would Refuse 'Illegal' Strike Order From President

RFE/RL November 19, 2017

The commander of U.S. nuclear forces says he would resist any "illegal" order from a president to launch a strike and would attempt to recommend an alternative move.

Air Force General John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, told a forum in Halifax, Canada, on November 18 that he had discussed the scenario with President Donald Trump.

He said he would tell Trump or any future president that an order to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that order is determined to be illegal.

"We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?" Hyten said. "I provide advice to the president; he'll tell me what to do."

"If [a command] is illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would it be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated."

The U.S. Strategic Command would control nuclear forces in a war. It also has responsibilities for U.S. cybercapabilities and missile defense.

The issue of the potential use of nuclear weapons has come to the forefront amid the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.

On November 14, U.S. senators began debating the limits of a president's unilateral power to launch a nuclear attack.

Senators and expert witnesses agreed that, in the event of an ongoing or imminent nuclear attack, the president had the constitutional authority to defend the nation.

But some senators expressed concerns that an impulsive president has the power to unilaterally unleash a first-strike nuclear attack.

During the hearings, retired General Robert Kehler, who headed Strategic Command from 2011-13, cited a military precept: "The military is obligated to follow legal orders, but is not obligated to follow illegal orders."

With reporting by AFP and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-nuclear- weapons-trump-first-strike/28862134.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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By PTI: Moscow, Nov 20 (PTI) The Chernobyl disaster - the most severe nuclear accident in history - was not triggered by a steam explosion, according to a new theory which suggests that several events may have contributed to the disaster.

The new analysis brings insight into the disaster that occurred on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine. After the accident, 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness (ARS), of whom 31 died within the first three months.

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It may potentially prove useful in preventing future similar incidents from occurring, researchers said.

The new theory suggests the first of the two explosions reported by eyewitnesses was a nuclear and not a steam explosion, as is currently widely thought.

Researchers, including those from Stockholm University in Sweden, hypothesise that the first explosive event was a jet of debris ejected to very high altitudes by a series of nuclear explosions within the reactor.

This was followed, within three seconds, by a steam explosion which ruptured the reactor and sent further debris into the atmosphere at lower altitudes.

The theory is based on new analysis of xenon isotopes detected by scientists from the V G Khlopin Radium Institute in Russia, four days after the accident, at Cherepovets, a city north of Moscow far from the major track of Chernobyl debris.

These isotopes were the product of recent nuclear fission, suggesting they could be the result of a recent nuclear explosion.

In contrast, the main Chernobyl debris which tracked northwest to Scandinavia contained equilibrium xenon isotopes from the reactors core.

By assessing the weather conditions across the region at the time, the researchers also established that the fresh xenon isotopes at Cherepovets were the result of debris injected into far higher altitudes than the debris from the reactor rupture which drifted towards Scandinavia.

Observations of the destroyed reactor tank indicated that the first explosion caused temperatures high enough to melt a two-metre thick bottom plate in part of the core.

Such damage is consistent with a nuclear explosion. In the rest of the core, the bottom plate was relatively intact, though it had dropped by nearly four meters.

This suggests a steam explosion which did not create temperatures high enough to melt the plate but generated sufficient pressure to push it down.

"We believe that thermal neutron mediated nuclear explosions at the bottom of a number of fuel channels in the reactor caused a jet of debris to shoot upwards through the refuelling tubes," said Lars-Erik De Geer, a retired nuclear physicist from the Swedish Defence Research Agency.

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"This jet then rammed the tubes 350 kg plugs, continued through the roof and travelled into the atmosphere to altitudes of 2.5-3 km where the weather conditions provided a route to Cherepovets.

"The steam explosion which ruptured the reactor vessel occurred some 2.7 seconds later," said De Geer, lead author of the study published in the journal Nuclear Technology.

Seismic measurements and an eye-witness report of a blue flash above the reactor a few seconds after the first explosion also support the new hypothesis of a nuclear explosion followed by a steam explosion. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
Earlier this month w KGI said that Apple is preparing three phones for 2018, two of them with an OLED screen. Latest information from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is that at least one of the phones might have an X20 modem by Qualcomm, despite the mountain of lawsuits between the two companies.

Source: KGI

In the latest note to investors, Kuo predicts Intel will provide 70-80% of the modems, the rest of the production going to Qualcomm. The baseband chips will offer better LTE transmission speed due to the 4x4 MIMO antenna design support.

2018 iPhones are also expected to have DSDS (dual-SIM dual standby) and dual LTE connections. These are features seen in dual-SIM smartphones, so we might see the first iPhone with a dual-SIM card slot. We might also see a single SIM slot with the other card being eSIM.

Via
Xiaomi has announced that the Mi A1 will now be available in India in the Rose Gold color. The new color will be available starting midnight today IST on Mi.com.

#MiA1 is now available in Rose Gold! Don't forget to get your hands on the flagship dual camera at midnight on https://t.co/D3b3QtmvaT pic.twitter.com/F44o6Skfho  Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) November 20, 2017

The Mi A1 was announced back in September was only available in India in the Black and Gold variants, even though the Rose Gold variant was announced at launch. Starting today, however, customers waiting for the Rose Gold finish will finally be able to order one for themselves.

Apart from the color there isn't anything different about the device. We wish the company would have released the Android Oreo update by now, considering the whole Android One and quick updates directly from Google thing, but so far the device is still on Nougat.
Santa looks down at the thousands of people

Thousands gathered on Grafton Street for the turning on of the Christmas lights

Up to 40,000 people turned out to see parades and the official switching on of the Christmas lights in Dublin last night.

However, one of two parades was prevented from entering O'Connell Street due to the enormous crowds as the sparkling event became a victim of its own success.

A million festive lights were strung throughout the city centre by the DublinTown organisation on behalf of the businesses in the city centre.

Glittering

Some 30 city streets were illuminated in the glittering spectacle.

The plan was for two processions - with one starting on Grafton Street and the other on Mary Street - to join together at the 40ft-high Christmas tree in O'Connell Street.

A parade from St Stephen's Green travelled through Grafton Street and Westmoreland Street, but was prevented by gardai from crossing O'Connell Bridge because of health and safety reasons.

The other parade travelled from Mary Street on the north side and down Henry Street, before turning into Moore Street and Parnell Street to enter O'Connell Street from the north end.

Lord Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha officially switched on the lights at the tree but expressed disappointment that the parades could not merged as planned.

"I heard that 30,000 to 40,000 people came to the event," said the Lord Mayor.

Meanwhile, at Arnotts department store on Henry Street, Santa Claus arrived to a huge welcome in a Victorian horse-drawn red carriage, where he was greeted by hundreds of excited children.

Santa was joined by TV and radio presenter Baz Ashmawy and his mum Nancy, as well as Kyra McGuinness (5), as he paraded down Henry Street for his official arrival at the shop.

Arnotts is supporting the LauraLynn Children's Hospice this Christmas.

The store is asking for a donation of 5 per family for visiting Santa, with 100pc going to the charity.

Baz told of how he has lots of fond memories of visiting Santa Claus at Arnotts when he was younger.
Families who lost loved ones to IRA violence have called on Gerry Adams to "come clean" before he steps down as Sinn Fein leader.

Mr Adams' decision to retire after 35 uncontested years at the helm of the party has been widely welcomed.

However, relatives of some of the IRA's most high-profile victims have told the Herald that the move brings them no closer to justice.

Despite Mr Adams' denials of IRA membership, the families of Det Gda Jerry McCabe, mother-of-10 Jean McConville, prison officer Brian Stack and 21-year-old Paul Quinn believe he could help jail their killers.

Cudgels

"He knows who the murderers are. All of them. Why doesn't he come clean now and say who they are," said Mr Quinn's father, Stephen.

"I'm glad to see him going. He's nothing, only a liar."

Mr Quinn was beaten to death by an IRA gang in a barn in Co Monaghan in 2007.

Every bone below his neck was broken by the gang, which used iron bars and nail-studded cudgels.

He had fallen foul of the Provos after punching the son of the south Armagh IRA commander.

Det Gda McCabe's wife, Anne, said his murder in 1996 left behind five children "during Gerry Adams' leadership of Sinn Fein".

"Four men were convicted of his killing and received prison sentences. These four killers were strongly supported by Gerry Adams and Martin Ferris," she said.

"Two men are still on the run and are wanted for questioning by An Garda Siochana."

Mr Ferris, who spent time in prison for gun-gunning, was embraced on stage on Saturday as it was announced that he will not contest the next election.

"I can't retire from my continuing heartbreak and mental agony over my beloved husband's murder," Mrs McCabe said.

The son-in-law of Mrs Mc- Conville, who was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA in 1972, said Mr Adams will "just take his secrets with him".

Seamus McKendry, who has long campaigned on behalf of the Disappeared, said: "It would be nice if he just left a file and said, 'Ye deal with that', but it won't happen."

Mrs McConville (37) was dragged from her home in Belfast by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women and accused of passing information to the British Army.

She was shot in the back of the head and 'disappeared'. Her remains were eventually found on Shelling Hill beach in Co Louth by a member of the public in August 2003.

Arrested

Mr Adams was arrested as part of the PSNI investigation in 2014, leading Sinn Fein figures, including Mary Lou McDonald, to allege political policing.

Only last week, a court heard that veteran republican Ivor Bell (80), who is charged in connection with the murder of Mrs McConville, is not medically fit to stand trial.

Mr McKendry described Mr Adams as "an embarrassment to Sinn Fein".

Asked whether he thought the departing leader will ever offer the family new information, he replied: "I don't think it will ever happen. There's too much baggage there."
How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...

football
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has reportedly agreed to screen the film for the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and anybody else who has any problems with it.

By Lakshana N Palat: Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble, something wicked this way comes!

Who would've thought that this famous Shakespearean quote would be apt for the raging Padmavati controversy?

But that's sadly the case. The fate of Padmavati remains uncertain in a bubbling cauldron, along with a congealed mass of religious and political desires. And fringe political groups, like the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, are busy stirring the pot.

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After continuous death threats, defamation, and vandalism, it looks like the Padmavati makers have finally cracked under pressure, and are desperate to appease the groups at any cost, which is a deadly move in itself.

SCREENINGS FOR INDIVIDUALS?

To put the long story (that is still going on) short, protests have spread far and wide in India, Bhansali has been receiving numerous death threats, Deepika Padukone was told that her nose would be cut off. All this, why? Because the Karni Sena refuses to listen to reason, and believes that there is a romantic dream sequence between Turk emperor Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini of Chittor. They've beaten up Bhansali, despite his million clarifications and vandalised the sets of Padmavati several times.

As the film is based on the famous 1303 siege of Chittorgarh by Alauddin Khilji, the political groups are infernally convinced that the film is a distortion of history, without even seeing the film.

FREEDOM, WHAT'S THAT?

After insurmountable pressure, Padmavati makers have reportedly given in to the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, and agreed to have a separate screening for them.

They also screened the film for select media persons, probably in the hope that the message would spread far and wide that there is no such contamination of history in the film. This not only subverted the CBFC's (Central Board of Film Certification) authority, it has now practically enslaved Padmavati to fringe groups and practically anyone, to quote the producers, 'who has a problem with Padmavati'. And this has set a dangerous precedent. The Padmavati makers have brought down the axe on their own feet.

The protests have not stopped. Despite the Karni Sena offering a truce, protests have not subsides, with two state chief ministers jumping on the anti-Padmavati bandwagon. While Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Padmavati would not be allowed to release in his state even if it is cleared by the censor board, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh backed protesters, saying that nobody would tolerate distortion of history.

CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi has rightly said that screening the film for individuals not only sets a bad precedent, it also compromises the role of systems in a functioning industry.

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"It's myopic to treat certification process haphazardly to suit convenience. On the one hand, holding CBFC responsible and pressurising to accelerate the process and on the other hand, attempting to subvert the very process, sets an opportunistic precedent," Joshi told India Today.

As history tells us, appeasement has never worked with 'hurt sentiments'.

The makers insist that they have nothing to hide, and that "they will host individual screenings" for anyone who asks. By doing this, they've just been put on a short leash by the Karni Sena and other groups.

The Padmavati team's statements reek of desperation and fright. They are far from being confident or defending their own work. By doing this, Padmavati makers have played straight into the hands of the fringe groups. It's the equivalent of thrusting money into a robber's hands. If you give them an inch, they will demand a foot.

IS THE CBFC TOO CRACKING UNDER PRESSURE?

Padmavati makers submitted incomplete documents to the CBFC, so it was clear that there might be a delay in its release. However the CBFC has now suddenly introduced another rule that states that filmmakers should submit their films for certification 68 days before the film's release. While the Cinematography Act of 1952 does mention this point, in today's day, this is rarely followed.

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So what's the game here, CBFC?

Padmavati's release date has been 'voluntarily', indefinitely, pushed from December 1.

By doing this, CBFC has created much chaos and confusion in the film industry; a move that will jeopardise the release of many films in the near future, big-budget ones like Tiger Zinda Hai (December 22) and Padman (January 26) included.

And now, from voicing their support for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the CBFC has now said that they will not speed up the process of Padmavati, and will take their own time to follow the process.

It looks like the CBFC seems mighty miffed with Bhansali, and not without reason. Padmavati was shown to a few journalists before the CBFC could reach a consensus on its fate.

CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi told India Today on Saturday, "It's disappointing that the film Padmavati is being screened for the media and getting reviewed on national channels without the CBFC having seen or certified the film. This compromises the role of systems and balances that are part of a functioning industry."

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And that is not all. The Shri Rajput Karni Sena have had their share of limelight here too. The Rajput group has been issuing death threats with unfailing regularity now, and has warned that the CBFC too will face their wrath, if the film were to show any distortion of history.

There's an atmosphere of fear, terror and anxiety right now. It's crazy, bizarre and twisted that a couple of fringe groups have pushed Bollywood and the CBFC into a corner, and no one can do anything about it.

Meanwhile, the government continues to sit idle, while the Supreme Court has time and again said that they cannot do the CBFC's work.

ALSO WATCH: Sanjay Leela Bhansali thrashed on the sets of Padmavati

--- ENDS ---
Idols of 4 Hindu deities of Kali Temple were destroyed and desecrated by jihadi perpetrators on last Friday on 17th Nov 2017 at night. The incident of such desecration of deities took place within Bara Kalikapur Kali temple OF Atrai Upazila of Nowgaon District in Bangladesh (Source : The daily Ittefaq dated 18th November,2017 )

It is alleged that on last Friday at dead of night perpetrators 1) Md. Shahidul (30), 2) Rony SK (25), 3) Md. Palash Khan (25) demolished four heads of deities such as Kali, Shiva and two other images of Goddess which were found scattered within the premises.

Adv. Rabindra Ghosh of Bangladesh Minority Watch hurriedly communicated about the incident with Mobarak Hossain, O.C. of Atrai police station over his mobile no. 01713373838 who admitted the fact and said three suspected accused have been arrested in this connection on 18.11.2017. Atrai PS. Case No. 14 dated 18,11.2017 under section 295(ka) of the penal code has been recorded at the instance of complainant  Niranjan Pramanik (01747476591) President of the Mandir Committee of the Kali Temple.

Adv. Ghosh have also talked with Niranjan Pramanik  complainant of the case over his mobile who said the suspected three Muslim perpetrators desecrated and demolished the Deities with religious motivation, and they should be punished as per law.

Bangladesh Minority Watch is very much concerned about destruction and desecration of Hindu deities at Atrai Upazila of Nowgaon District of Bangladesh. BDMW demand urgent action against the perpetrators responsible for crime against religion. The deities should be reinstalled and the criminals should be punished as per law.
P hilip Hammond is due to set out the 2017 Budget on Wednesday, 22 November.

But what is the Chancellor of the Exchequer likely to pull out of that red briefcase? And what would first-time buyers and homeowners like to see the Treasury turn its attention to?

Stamp Duty

The pressure is on for the Chancellor to address stamp duty inequality throughout the country, although he has refused to make any definite announcements about tax changes in advance of the Budget.

TODO: define component type brightcove

Since the old slab system was replaced by a new progressive set up in 2014, with a minimum threshold of 125,000 before any stamp duty is charged, many UK first-time buyers now pay no stamp duty at all.

In London, however, where the average price of a first home is 479,000, according to the latest figures from Savills, the average stamp duty paid is 22,000, quite a burden for buyers who have already stretched their finances to the max in order to be in the running to make a purchase.

Property industry figures have been calling for changes to stamp duty, accusing the tax of stagnating the market. A recent report by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) accused the levy of blocking 45,000 home purchases a year.

We estimate that 146,000 more transactions would have taken place in the five years to June 2017 if Stamp Duty was removed entirely, said Christian Jaccarini, economist at the CEBR. The Chancellor should seize this opportunity and make Stamp Duty reform a priority at the upcoming Autumn Budget.

But will Hammond heed calls for an end to a tax that has proved lucrative to the Exchequer, reaching a record high of 11.7bn in the tax year 2016/17?

Should buyers or sellers pay stamp duty? / Daniel Lynch

One suggestion is to implement a stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers, which has precedents  a similar measure was introduced in 2008 when Gordon Brown raised the lower threshold for paying the tax to 175,000 and again in 2010 when he raised it to 250,000 for first-time buyers for two years.

There have also been calls to switch stamp duty from a buyers to a sellers tax.

A stamp duty reversal could offer the change needed, but without diminishing the Governments coffers," said Simon Gerrard, managing director of Martyn Gerrard.

"It would mean first time buyers and those hoping to move up the ladder are encouraged and not penalised for aspiring to a bigger home.

"The inevitable increased transactional volume would boost government revenue and also provide broader support to the economy."

Downsizers

Most experts are hoping that any stamp duty cut for first-time buyers would not be balanced by increasing the tax at the other end of the market.

There have been calls for stamp duty to be reduced to encourage people to downsize / Getty Images

Research carried out by academics at the London School of Economics (LSE) on behalf of Family Building Society, found that stamp duty was the second most important consideration for people thinking of downsizing. A decade ago it was a far less significant factor in the decision whether or not to downsize.

The report found that potential downsizers were choosing not to move out of large family homes because in many cases it would cost them less to stay put than to move into a similarly priced new property.

Stamp duty is an increasingly heavy tax on housing transactions  which is gumming up the housing market, said Professor Christine Whitehead, emeritus professor of housing economics at LSE.

A small increase in council tax would bring in just as much revenue and would significantly reduce housing market distortions especially in London and the South East

Building new homes

The latest Government data show 217,000 new homes were created in the year 2016/7, up 15 per cent compared to 2015/16. However, the number of new homes is still 2.8 per cent below pre-financial crisis numbers seen in 2007/8.

Will the Budget increase funding or speed planning for home building in London? / Alamy Stock Photo

In addition, National House-Building Council statistics show the number of registrations of new homes in London in the last three months fell by more than a third year on year.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is one of many voices calling for Philip Hammond to support homebuilding in the Budget. The Mayor demanded more funding for affordable homes and devolution of planning and borrowing powers to London.

The Mayors calls were echoed by property industry figures. Craig Hall, new build manager at Legal & General Mortgage Club called for "more funding for the supply side and an injection of urgency into the planning system.

Hammond has pledged to increase the number of new homes to 300,000 per year in high demand areas. He has also said he plans to launch an inquiry into land hoarding, pay to clean up brownfield land to build on and guarantee bank loans to small housebuilders. It is thought the Chancellor is planning to find about 5 billion for housing schemes.

Help to Buy

The Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme, which offers a five-year loan of up to 40 per cent in London on new build homes costing 600,000 or less was scheduled to close in 2020.

Last month Theresa May promised an extra 10bn to extend the scheme, with details set to be outlined in the Budget.

There should be details in the Budget of an extension to the Help to Buy scheme / PA

A commitment to extend the scheme beyond 2021 could be welcomed by both first-time buyers and home builders.

Although Help to Buy has enabled thousands onto the property ladder, particularly first-time buyers, we need to see an extension of the scheme beyond 2021, as developers are already setting out their long-term plans, said Mr Hall.

But there are doubts about how useful the scheme is in the capital because of high house prices. So far, 4,586 Londoners have bought a home with an equity loan, out of 134,558 nationwide.

Help to Buy has also been accused of raising house prices. A study by homelessness charity Shelter found that the scheme had pushed up the price of an average house by 8,250.
Shahid Kapoor plays the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh in Padmavati and he has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding the film.

By India Today Web Desk: After weeks of staying silent on the controversy surrounding his upcoming film Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor has finally spoken out about the delay in release of the film.

In Goa to attend the International Film Festival of India 2017, Kapoor said, "We hope the film releases soon and the authorities help us release the film. I don't know the date (when the film will release)."

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"I don't think there is anything in the film that is unacceptable or that is not in good taste. Eventually Padmavati will come out and in full force. Our constitution says that you are innocent until proven guilty. Same should be extended to Padmavati, it should not be considered guilty even before it is provided for people to judge it," Shahid added.

While the film's two other lead actors, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have both spoken out about the kind of a storm that Padmavati is currently in, Shhaid has been uncannily quiet all along.

The release of Padmavati, meanwhile, has been pushed indefinitely and the makers are yet to announce a new release date.

Ever since the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) delayed the certification of Padmavati due to incomplete documents, there has been a lot of conjecture about whether the release date of the film will be pushed.

Now, the makers have confirmed that they have voluntarily postponed the release date of the film. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Padmavati was slated to hit the theatres on December 1. The new release date has not been announced yet.

Here is the full statement of Viacom18, who is producing the film:

Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind 'Padmavati' has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1st 2017. Along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, amongst the most gifted film makers of his generation, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in 'Padmavati' that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country's story-telling prowess across the globe. We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha', 'Queen', 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and many more.

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Padmavati has been facing the ire of right-wing groups for allegedly distorting history and demeaning the honour of the Rajput queen Rani Padmini. Even though Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been vocal in his denial of these charges, the protests against the film spread across the country.

Responding to the controversy, leading lady Deepika Padukone said, "As a woman, as an artiste, as someone who has worked and given two years of my life to this movie, I feel hurt, I feel angry, but I also think it is extremely funny that people are reacting like this to a film. I am feeling so many emotions at this point."

Meanwhile, Deepika's co-star Ranveer Singh, who plays the antagonist Alauddin Khilji, also stood by the film . "I am 200 per cent with the film and I stand by it as well as Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I also stand by his vision for the film... Vis-a-vis the film, I can just request the audience and everybody else who have concerns about it to wait and watch the film. One shouldn't doubt Sanjay sir; he is a magnificent film-maker and has tremendous respect for Indian culture and an enormous respect for Indian heritage and he will never intentionally hurt sentiments or do anything wrong," he said.

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(With inputs from Siddharth Husain, India Today Television)

ALSO WATCH | Padmavati row: Karni Sena threatens to behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali, chop off Deepika Padukone's nose

--- ENDS ---
Atlanta-based Hotel Development Partners (HDP) celebrated the Grand Opening of the 127-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center Dunwoody, Georgia. The hotel operates as a Marriott franchise, owned by Hotel Development Partners and managed by Hotel Equities (HE).

Located at 4695 Ashford Dunwoody Road, the all-suite property stands just 10 miles from SunTrust Park, the new Atlanta Braves stadium, and only 10 miles from downtown Atlanta and Mercedes Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. The area boasts fashionable shopping at Perimeter Mall and a wide variety of dining options from upscale steak houses to popular quick-serve restaurants.

The hotel"s spacious lobby, with its multiple cozy seating areas, features two-story tall window walls that overlook comfortable seating in the outdoor private courtyard and around the heated pool. Facing the courtyard from the other side, the fitness center is the largest and best-equipped in the market. It also includes a wall of windows that bring in plenty of natural light.

In addition, guests may enjoy complimentary wi-fi, onsite self-parking, onsite food and beverage, grocery delivery service, dry cleaning services, and a guest laundry facility. The hotel"s weeknight evening mixers offer a casual, relaxing environment where guests can be as social as they want, while enjoying light fare. The hotel also maintains a modern meeting room.

The hotel"s complimentary breakfast has a variety of great options, including specially made featured items. To ensure they do not miss the most important meal of the day, guests can start their day off right with healthy food choices either on site or as a convenient to-go offering.

The Residence Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center Dunwoody is an all-suite hotel that offers studio, one and two-bedroom suites. Guests looking for a revitalizing sleep experience will enjoy the hotel"s plush mattresses and crisp linens, while guests focused on being productive will value their suite"s large, well-lit work desk facing a window with a view and an ergonomic chair. Each suite has a kitchenette with a coffeemaker, microwave oven and dishwasher.

Hotel website
BENCHMARK, a global hospitality company, has named Colin Ankersen general manager for The Heldrich, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Greg Champion, Benchmarks president & COO, made the announcement. Prior to joining Benchmark, Colin Ankersen was vice president of Boast Management and general manager at the Westminster Hotel, located in Livingston, New Jersey. He previously served as general manager for the landmark Westin Governor Morris in Morristown, New Jersey. Earlier Mr. Ankersen was a managing director for Restaurant Associates, overseeing all combined hospitality services supporting the Royal Bank of Scotland Headquarters, Stamford, Connecticut. Colin Ankersen is a native of Denmark. He graduated from Oklahoma State University Hospitality Program. Mr. Ankersen resides in Stockholm, New Jersey.
Following its expansion into Ireland earlier this year, the leading hospitality software business Guestline is continuing its investment in the Irish market as it joins other industry representatives at the Munster 2017 GDPR Conference. Taking place at The Brehon Hotel in Killarney on 27 November 2017, the event is packed with advice and best practise ahead of major changes impacting the hospitality sector next year.

Hosted by cyber security agency Techfindr, the convention will offer hoteliers insight into the requirements around the forthcoming changes to GDPR legislation. This will include a focus on the financial penalties they will face if they are not compliant and the need to have robust cyber security policies in place. General counsel for Guestline, Jeremy Espley, will present on the definitions and scope of the new GDPR legislation. In particular this will address the new obligations that both hoteliers and technology providers to the industry will face both for securing consent to access data and processing data.

Espley will be joined by a notable panel of industry experts including Dina Vyapuri, managing director, Techfindr, Stilian Cvetkov, certified ethical hacker and Sharon O'Reilly, certified GDPR consultant, IT governance and GDPR coalition ambassador.

Jeremy Espley, general counsel, Guestline comments:

"GDPR is fast approaching. It is imperative that hotel owners and operators ensure they are armed with the right information in advance so that they have time to examine their existing operations, and make the necessary changes to ensure they are fully compliant. There has been much debate in the industry regarding the impact of GDPR and the requirements that will be in place for hoteliers, technology providers, and suppliers. We will be working with our customers in the months ahead to ensure GDPR compliance is managed efficiently."

Earlier this year Guestline announced its expansion into the Irish market with the opening of a new office in Dublin and the development of a new team including the appointment of a new country manager, Clio O'Gara and more recently regional sales manager, Ingrid Fallon. As part of Guestline's ongoing investment in Ireland, the team is undertaking a packed schedule of networking and attendance at events including the Munster Convention. This is swiftly followed by the Irish Hospitality Institute Founders Banquet and Awards Event which takes place in Dublin on 23 November 2017.

The company's multi award winning software is cloud-based and enables hospitality business owners and managers in sectors such as hotels, serviced apartments, pubs, student accommodation and more, to manage bookings and operations both efficiently and profitably.

For more information please visit www.guestline.com

Sophie Cartwright

Online Marketing Executive

01743 282300
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come out in support of Padmavati and said that she condemns this super emergency.

By India Today Web Desk: The Padmavati row is increasingly seeing politicians divided over it. While Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called for a ban on the film in his state even if it is cleared by the censor board, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh said that 'nobody will tolerate distortion of history'.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, found herself on the other side of the raging Padmavati debate. She condemned the ongoing controversy over the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, labelling it as "unfortunate" and a "calculated plan" to destroy freedom of expression.

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"The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency," Banerjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress supremo exhorted the film industry to protest in unison. "All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."

The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice- Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017

The film has been mired in controversy over conjectures that it "distorts history" regarding Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention that Bhansali has repeatedly denied. Rumours that a dream sequence featuring Turk emperor Alauddin Khilji and Rajput queen Rani Padmavati were the beginning of the attacks on Bhansali and vandalising of Padmavati sets.

However, the Padmavati team has time and again clarified that let alone a dream sequence featuring Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini romancing, Deepika (who plays Padmavati) and Ranveer (who plays Khilji) don't even share screen space in the film.

The release of the film has been "voluntarily" deferred from its scheduled date of December 1.

Some Hindu groups have been protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The makers have also not got clearance yet from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which said the application from the makers was "incomplete".

ALSO WATCH | Exposed: Karni Sena holding Padmavati hostage

--- ENDS ---
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee  The U.S. hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics during October 2017, according to data from STR.

In a year-over-year comparison with October 2016, the industry posted the following:

Occupancy: +1.6% to 69.6%

Average daily rate (ADR): +2.5% to US$130.20

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +4.1% to US$90.56

"The 69.6% occupancy level was the highest for any October on record," said Jan Freitag, STR's senior VP for lodging insights. "This also was the third straight month with a monthly occupancy record, and annual occupancy continues to reach all-time highs. However, similar to most months in 2017, rate growth was well below the monthly average. Regardless, the 4.1% lift in RevPAR was the second-highest this year, no doubt helped by favorable comparisons with the Jewish holiday month last year."

Freitag also noted that RevPAR has now increased year over year for 92 consecutive months in the U.S.

Among the Top 25 Markets, Houston, Texas, reported the largest increase in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+32.6% to 83.8%), ADR (+11.7% to US$116.92) and RevPAR (+48.1% to US$98.01).

Two additional Top 25 Markets reported double-digit increases in RevPAR: Miami/Hialeah, Florida (+13.3% to US$120.79), and Orlando, Florida (+12.2% to US$97.49). RevPAR growth in Miami/Hialeah was driven by the only other double-digit increase in occupancy (+11.3% to 74.6%).

"This was the first month in quite some time where RevPAR growth was higher in the Top 25 Markets than all others," Freitag said. "Post-hurricane demand, especially in Houston, played a role in the numbers in addition to stronger group demand from the Jewish holiday calendar shift."

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, reported the only double-digit decline in RevPAR (-10.4% to US$89.18), due primarily to the largest decrease in ADR (-6.5% to US$123.20). Occupancy in the market fell 4.2% to 72.4%. According to STR analysts, declines in the market's performance were due to a comparison with a stronger events and group business month in 2016.

New Orleans, Louisiana, experienced the largest decrease in occupancy (-9.7% to 69.8%) and the second-largest drop in RevPAR (-9.1% to US$112.71).

About STR

STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for the global hospitality industry. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 15 countries with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, an international headquarters in London, and an Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. STR was acquired in October 2019 by CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP), the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces. For more information, please visit str.com and costargroup.com.

Nick Minerd

Public Relations Coordinator

+1 (615) 824 8664 ext. 3305

STR
The Silverstone Inn, Silverstone, Idaho

Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a member of Hotel Brokers International, announced the successful sale of The Silverstone Inn, Silverstone, Idaho. Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a licensed Idaho broker, exclusively represented the Seller in the sale. Joseph P. Kennedy, President of CIP, worked closely with the Seller and Buyer as well as lenders and other professionals, to negotiate a mutually acceptable sale. The final sale price was confidential.

The 99-key select service independent hotel offers a nice mix of room, interior corridors, indoor pool and spa, good amenities for guests and truck/bus parking. The property offers visibility from the freeway and across the street from a Flying J Travel Center. The property was renovated throughout by the Seller with over $450,000 of recent capital improvements and upgrades!

Joseph Kennedy, President of Crystal Investment Property said, "The Seller did an exceptional job with updates throughout and achieving strong revenue growth over the term of their ownership. We were pleased to have a Buyer with experience and vision who will continue improving and growing this property as an asset to Post Falls.

Crystal Investment Property, a premiere hospitality investment advisory and brokerage company located in the Pacific Northwest, maintains the most cutting-edge technological, online and social media presence as well as a full range of traditional and web-based marketing reaching local, regional, national and international clientele. The firms core services of hospitality asset acquisition/disposition are supported by innovative and creative solutions to maintain position as the most active and successful hotel broker in the region. Crystal Investment Property represents the full spectrum of hospitality real estate owners and their experience covers all hospitality assets types, including: full service hotels, boutique hotels, select service hotels, limited service hotels, as well as development projects, and leasehold transactions. Crystal Investment Property may be accessed online at www.crystalip.com.

Founded in 1959, Hotel Brokers International members lead the industry in hotel real estate sales. HBI hotel brokerage specialists have successfully negotiated more than 10,000 hotel real estate transactions and consistently account for the largest share of all select-service and economy hotel sales in the United States. The organizations database currently comprises more than 100 property listings and the HBI website attracts site visitors from around the world. Founder and host of the popular Hotel Investors Marketplace Webcast, HBI also developed the Certified Hotel Broker professional designation program. In addition to hospitality real estate advisory services, HBI offers affiliate membership to professionals in allied fields, including franchising, lending, appraisals and investment services. For more information about HBIs hotel listings or to become a broker or affiliate member, visit www.hbihotels.com.

For more information contact:

Joseph P. Kennedy, President

Crystal Investment Property, LLC

Portland, Oregon

503.530.1316

joe@crystalip.com

Glenda J. Webb, Managing Director

Hotel Brokers International

Kansas City, Missouri

816.505.4315

gwebb@hbihotels.com
Since Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa parted ways as a couple, its safe to say that Rose and the rappers mother havent been on great terms. Back in August, Katie Wimbush-Polk filed a defamation lawsuit against her sons ex, where a phone call that was had with a mutual friend transformed into an Amber Rose tirade where she had some choice words for Wizs mother. On top of that, the lawsuit also claims that Rose told Wizs mom that she was responsible for the death of her son, Dorien Thomaz, who died back in February from lymphoma.

Today, TMZ is reporting that Rose emerged victorious in court after the judge threw out the lawsuit based on the notion that nothing Rose said or did fell into the category of extreme or outrageous, which is what is needed in order to validate a claim of emotional distress. Mere insults, indignities, threats, annoyances, petty oppressions, and other trivialities are not the same thing, according to the judge who presided over the ruling.

In other words, the court is chalking this up to nothing more than just a nasty family beef. Unpleasant, yes. Worthy of awarding Wimbush-Polk tens of thousands of dollars in damages, as well as having Rose cover the legal costs, nope.

The spat has been a nasty one though, with Rose originally filing for a restraining order against Wimbush-Polk, fearing that if her former in-law was to lash out at her in front of Bash, the son she had with Wiz, the effects on the youngster could be negative. So far, there has been no official response from Khalifa himself regarding the case or todays ruling.

Instead, Wiz has chosen to speak out about the drug culture in hip-hop, as it relates to the death of Lil Peep. I just feel like somebody has to speak up for people who dont believe in that, or are really tired of seeing it, he told Complex News. Its unfortunate that Lil Peep had to die and stuff like that, but these are the things people are gonna start seeing and keep happening if they dont really relax and fall back. I just want to be the responsible person and say something.

Amber Rose
It was just a little under two weeks ago on November 7th that Atlanta-based rapper Bambino Gold and his cousin Kendrick Stokes were reported missing, and now, in a tragic end to the case, both mens bodies have been found in Alabama.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the bodies of Stokes and Bambino, born Edward Reeves, were found in Macon County, Alabama just 40 miles east of Montgomery. The publication reports that the first body was found in a wooded area off the areas County Road 13 while the second body was located in the woods off Highway 80, approximately four miles away from the first.

They were not far off of the road at all, Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson told AL.com. It looks like somebody placed them there. I dont think they were killed there.

According to reports, Gold, 29, and Stokes, 30 were driving a 2016 white Honda CR-V with a Georgia license plate en route to Alabama on November 5th, and were last seen at the Sky Bar where Stokes was promoting a party in their hometown of Montgomery. They just vanished into thin air, Stokes mother, Felicia Stokes Webster told AL.com. Its very devastating.

Stokes, also known as Skooly, worked as a promoter in and around the area since he was a teenager while Bambino Gold, a father, was known for his works alongside the likes of Boosie Badazz, Doe B. Alley Boy, Sy Ari Da Kid, and more, having appeared in a reported 150 mixtapes since 2011.

Currently, the Macon County Sheriffs Office, the Montgomery Police Department and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation are all working together to solve the homicides.

Bambino Gold
Sunday evening, DJ Khaled was among the artists who were up for a few nominations at this years iteration of the American Music Awards, and he managed to walk away with at least one award for the category of Favorite Hip-Hop Song for his Im The One, smash, featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne.

God is the greatest! Khaled exclaimed before launching into a brief moment of thanking various individuals including his son Asahd, the executive producer of Khaled latest Grateful album, Asahds mother Nicole, Quavo, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z, and even Diana Ross, receiving the evenings Lifetime Achievement Award, for singing All I Do Is Win at all of her concerts, according to DJ Khaled.

Other contenders in the category were Kendrick Lamars Humble, and Rae Sremmurds Gucci Mane-assisted Black Beatles. This now marks only the latest in a slew of nods for the Im the One track which has since gone on to certify platinum five times in the United States, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 1.

Before he signed off in his speech, Khaled also managed to drop off a very important snippet of information. Did I tell you? Im back in the studio too! he concluded. No word yet on if this indicates a few loose singles or another Asahd Khaled production in its entirety.

DJ KHaled
Last year a judge dismissed Rick Ross case against party rockers LMFAO when he claimed the duo unlawfully sited his single Hustlin' in their track Party Rock Anthem. Rick wasnt okay with the fact that their songs feature line Everyday Im shufflin, is in close relation to his feauture phrase Everyday Im Hustlin. The judge reportedly said that the copyright registrations for his song had so many errors it couldnt hold up a lawsuit.

The Miami Herald has since reported that Rozay has appealed the judges ruling and is looking to get another go in the courtroom. The publication notes that Ross has updated his copyright registrations and this time they are correct.

Judge Kathleen Williams was not buying Ricks claims against LMFAOs Redfoo and Sky Blu, where she argued that common words cannot be copyrighted.

Even if the phrase everyday Im hustlin were copyrightable, plaintiffs still fail the intrinsic test, she wrote in her past ruling. The average lay observer would not confuse T-shirts bearing the phrase everyday Im shufflin with the musical composition Hustlin nor, without reference to Party Rock Anthem and Hustlin would an average lay observer recognize the merchandise as having been appropriated from Hustlin.

As for other Rick music news, the rapper recently revealed that Kanye West made him scrap his initial Devil In A New Dress verse for a better one.

When I recorded that verse for the first time, he came in, heard it and he told me he thought I could do better and he walked out, he said to Complex. And then I wrote another one and the second verse I wrote is the one you hear on the album which a lot of people consider one of Rozay best verses. Shout out to Yeezy.

Only time will tell if Ricks second go at this case will play out in his favour. What do you guys think? Does Rick have a chance?

Rick Ross
By ALBERTO ARCE  Associated Press

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras -- This is a city besieged by crime in all its forms: gang violence, drug cartel killings and rampant extortion compounded by a fear of authorities.

Honduras is now among the most dangerous places on Earth. No other country matches its rate of 86 slayings per 100,000 inhabitants a year, according to a 2011 United Nations Report. That is roughly 20 times the U.S. homicide rate.

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And it's worse in San Pedro Sula, often cited as Honduras' most violent city, with a murder rate almost double the national average.

In this Wild West city, gangs such as the Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, operate with impunity. MS-13 was born in the 1980s among Central American-born inmates in the prisons of California and spread to Central America when members were deported back home by the U.S. They found fertile ground in Honduras and other countries with underfunded police forces and corrupt officials.

Hondurans say gangs have imposed an almost unchallenged reign of extortion, murder and drug trafficking on this city and others.

Mayor Juana Carlos Zuniga recognizes that San Pedro Sula is threatened by violence that authorities cannot control. And the city's location near Honduras' Atlantic coast and border with Guatemala have put it on key international drug trafficking routes.

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"As a local government we don't have the necessary instruments to fight the well-defined and identified violence derived from drug trafficking that overwhelms us," Zuniga told The Associated Press.

One night recently, the Catalino Rivas public hospital in San Pedro Sula could have been operating in a country at war.

There were not enough stretchers for the 19 wounded who arrived that night, and the people who brought them in had to shift the patients about. Pools of blood on the floor went unmopped.

Natalia Galdamez, the doctor on duty, received three patients with gunshot wounds. They said a gunman suddenly appeared and shot them without saying a word.

"It's tough to believe. This was a paid hit. We hear the same story all the time," Galdamez said.

Drug trafficking isn't the only source of San Pedro Sula's violence.

At a nearby taxi stand, a driver with 21 years of experience explained how each of the company's 35 cars has to pay $30 a month to a gang. He said the drivers have to pay the same amount in taxes to the government, but each year, not each month.

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"Who do you think has more power, the state or the criminals?" said the driver, who didn't want his name used for fear of reprisals.
"The censor board has a role and the Supreme Court cannot assume that role," the Supreme Court said.

By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court today refused to ban the controversial film Padmavati, saying it is not inclined in the matter. The apex court also underlined the role of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and said a court cannot assume that role.

Rejecting a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the Sanjay Leela Bhansali period drama starring actor Deepika Padukone among others, the Supreme Court said, "The censor board has a role and the Supreme Court cannot assume that role. Why should the court interfere to stop the release of a movie which has not been cleared by the censor board?"

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10 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PADMAVATI ROW:

Senior lawyer Harish Salve appeared for Padmavati producer Viacom 18, which had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, asking it to not interfere in the release of the film based on a medieval Rajput queen. Senior lawyer Harish Salve appeared for Padmavati producer Viacom 18, which had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, asking it to not interfere in the release of the film based on a medieval Rajput queen. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said Padmavati will not be released in his state "even if it clears the Censor Board". Chouhan announced in Bhopal at an event that the film has "distorted history" and thus cannot be allowed for "release" in his state. "If historical facts are distorted, and if anything is shown or said in the movie against the respect of the country's mother Padmavatiji, then that movie cannot be allowed to release in the land of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said. Chouhan's Punjab counterpart and Congressman Captain Amarinder Singh backed the Rajput community for objecting to Bhansali's historical drama that is mired in controversy. The Punjab Chief Minister said it was the right of Rajput people to protest as the film is a "distortion of history which no one will accept". Amarinder Singh, in his comments said, "Anything that is historical event... no one will object. But here they are distorting history. I have also gone to Chittor and returned and seen all things there... So, this is distortion of history and no one will accept it. And if communities are objecting to it then it is their right to object." On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, had said the film would not be allowed to release in the state unless its "controversial portions were removed". Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that Padmavati is not released without necessary changes. Some Hindu caste groups, mainly the Shri Rajput Karni Sena of Rajasthan, have been vigorously protesting against the movie's release while some political outfits have demanded that its release be deferred in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Shahid Kapoor, who plays the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh in Padmavati, today broke his silence on the controversy surrounding his film. In Goa to attend the International Film Festival of India 2017, Kapoor said, "I don't think there is anything in the film that is unacceptable or that is not in good taste. Eventually Padmavati will come out and in full force. Our constitution says that you are innocent until proven guilty. Same should be extended to Padmavati, it should not be considered guilty even before it is provided for people to judge it."

ALSO WATCH | Padmavati row: Shahid breaks silence on controversy surrounding his film

--- ENDS ---
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has already slammed NDA government and PM Narendra Modi on 'missing winter session' during Congress Working Committee meet on Monday.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: Who stole the parliament's winter session?

The Opposition is asking this question and is all set to launch an all-out attack on the Central government for not calling the Parliament's winter session.

The principal opposition party is going to hold a special press conference wherein Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge along with deputy leader of Opposition Anand Sharma and MP Deependra Hooda will lead the attack on the government asking why winter session is not being held so far.

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi has already slammed NDA government and PM Narendra Modi on 'missing winter session' during Congress Working Committee meet on Monday.

"The Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament. Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds."

The Raebareli MP added, "The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections. Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked - questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interests of serving ministers and dubious defense deals. Government will be obliged to answer these questions but in order to avoid the questions and answer ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extraordinary step of not holding a winter session."

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed, "By not holding winter session, the Modi government is not only weakening the institution but also weakening the democracy itself. As Parliament is the forum where tough questions will be asked from the government."

Congress has also reached out to other opposition parties on this issue.

CPI leader D Raja, said, "We are also asking why government is not calling the winter session? They have not communicated anything to us? Why? This is like Maximum government and Minimum governance. Only Parliament has the right to scrutinize the working of the government and executive. This is not a good move for democracy."

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This Big Indian Joint Family Has 72 Members Living in The Same House in Maharashtra
Theresa May is to discuss the current political situation in Northern Ireland with former US president Bill Clinton, Downing Street has said.

Mr Clinton, who has been visiting the UK and Ireland, will meet with the Prime Minister in Number 10 on Thursday.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "He and the PM wanted to take this opportunity to discuss Northern Ireland and also the ongoing partnership between the Government and the Clinton Health Access Initiative's work to lower the cost of HIV/Aids treatment worldwide."

As president, Mr Clinton played a key role in helping to secure the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which led to power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

Currently the devolved institutions at Stormont remain suspended following collapse of the administration in January in the wake of the resignation of the late Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister.

During his visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Clinton met privately with the leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, the two biggest parties in the assembly.

Mrs May's spokesman however made clear that he had not been used to deliver a message on behalf of the Government, although efforts to restore power-sharing were continuing.

"Obviously work is ongoing in trying to reach a solution to get the compromises that are necessary to get the devolved administration up and running again," the spokesman said.
The man was declared dead at the scene

A youth has been arrested after a man died of stab wounds in Co Offaly.

Gardai detained the juvenile after the incident at a house in Edenderry on Sunday night.

They were called to the house on Green Road, Ballyfore at about 7.50pm following reports that a man had sustained serious stab wounds.

The man was declared dead at the scene.

The arrested youth has been detained at Tullamore Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

The house has been sealed off pending the arrival of the state pathologist and the Garda Technical Bureau, who will carry out a forensic examination.

The dead man's body remained at the scene on Monday morning.
The diverging trajectories of the UK and other major economies will be further laid bare this week when Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers Britain's 2018 budget on Wednesday.

Mr Hammond has almost no scope for sizeable tax cuts or spending hikes as he tries to manage an economy facing into the unknown of Brexit.

"The Chancellor is in an unenviable position heading into the budget," Mark Gregory, chief UK economist at accountancy firm EY, wrote in a note.

Elsewhere, European ministers vote today in Brussels on a divide up of Brexit spoils, casting ballots to decide future location of the European Medicines Board and European Banking Authority. Ireland has bid to host both, in Dublin, but competition is fierce and the race is highly politicised, regardless of attempts to compare locations on an objective set of criteria.

It's a light week for domestic data, with only manufacturing output prices for October, due on Wednesday.

Ovoca Gold holds its AGM on Thursday in Dublin, and Origin Enterprises shareholders meet on Friday. In the UK, William Hill, Kingfisher and easyJet report results this week.
The legal sector is experiencing steady growth, with almost two-thirds of firms reporting both revenue and profit increases, up slightly from last year.

However, there are increased pressures on the bottom line as costs such as staff, IT infrastructure and preparing for Brexit drain resources. Those are among the key findings of the Smith and Williamson annual survey of Irish law firms - 115 firms took part in the survey, including 18 of the top 20.

The results clearly point to a great deal of uncertainty, with a combination of Brexit, Trump and the political instability of both the UK and Irish governments creating a vortex of unease among legal firms. While firms are continuing to perform well, only 47pc have a positive outlook for the sector in the next year, compared to 52pc in 2016 and 74pc in 2015.

In response to this uncertainty over Brexit, most top 20 firms have Brexit strategies in place and are currently executing them. However, 97pc of non-top 20 firms do not have a Brexit strategy, and this is very concerning considering the number of firms (41pc) that believe Brexit will negatively affect them.

Despite this, quite a sizeable number of firms (20pc) believe Brexit will positively affect them, and this is indicative of the many new opportunities which Brexit could throw up.

However, there are a sizeable number of UK firms in advanced planning for moving into Ireland. Of the top 20 firms, 44pc have been contacted by UK firms about a possible merger, acquisition or strategic representation arrangement. In addition, more than 1,000 solicitors from the UK have registered with the Law Society, of which more than 200 have obtained practice certificates in the last 12 months.

This would indicate the legal sector here is going to face a significant increase in competition from the UK following Brexit, while also contending with a possible downturn in the economy. As a result of this, I would strongly urge all firms to develop and implement a detailed and effective plan for the medium-long term based on a hard Brexit.

Advances in technology are also set to have a continuing major impact on the legal sector in Ireland. As the survey highlights, an increasing number of firms are spending an increasing amount of their annual turnover on updating and improving their IT infrastructure. More and more firms are realising the importance of this as competition heats up and firms who don't embrace the latest technology are being left behind. Another reason for this increase in IT investment is the increase in the number of reported cyber attacks on law firms, which are up 60pc from last year, and affected 61pc of the top 20 firms in the past year.

One of the major findings in this year's survey is the increase in the number of firms finding recruiting and retaining talented staff a major problem.

With the improving economy, firms are doing more business and hiring more staff. This has fuelled competition for talent. At the time of the survey, 52pc of firms reported vacancies.

Paul Wyse is managing director of Smith & Williamson
The Department of Agriculture has issued an update on the risk of the viral disease bluetongue entering Ireland.

Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV 8) has been circulating in France over the past two years.

Before that France had not recorded a case of BTV 8 since 2010.

To date in 2017, 1325 outbreaks of BTV 8 have been detected in France

In addition to the ongoing situation with BTV 8, on November 6 last Bluetongue virus serotype 4 (BTV 4) was detected in mainland France for the first time.

It was detected in a 15-day old calf in a veal fattening unit in the Haute-Savoie region of South East France on November 3 and confirmed as BTV 4 three days later.

The origin of the disease has not yet been established.

The French authorities have established restriction zones of 20km, 100km and 150km surrounding the outbreak and have introduced emergency vaccination measures.

Corsica, Sardinia and Northern Italy are currently restricted for BTV 4 as are some other southern European countries.

Situation in the UK

On October 20, 2017, Bluetongue (BTV 8) positive animals were detected in the UK as part of routine post import surveillance.

The animals had been recently imported from an assembly centre in an area of France where multiple cases of BTV 8 have been confirmed since September this year.

As well as culling the positive animals, the four UK farms involved (two in England and two in Scotland) have been restricted by the authorities in the UK and surveillance to rule out any spread of disease is underway.

Risk to Ireland

The importation of bluetongue infected animals represents the most significant risk of the disease entering Ireland.

Farmers, practitioners and other relevant stakeholders should be vigilant and ensure that they are fully aware of the presenting clinical signs of Bluetongue in both cattle and sheep, and that they report any suspicion of disease to their Veterinary Practitioner or Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) without delay.

The Department says 90-95% of the midge species in Ireland are capable of transmitting bluetongue.

In Ireland, the period of midge activity and therefore the potential spread of bluetongue in the event of its introduction is between March-April and November-December each year.
By PTI: Kolkata, Nov 20 (PTI) Cutting across political lines, leaders in West Bengal today expressed grief over the death of senior Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.

State Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said Dasmunsi had guided him during his formative years in politics. "I have many fond memories of Priyada. My formative years in politics were spent under his tutelage. Its a very sad day for me," state Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

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Mukherjee, who was once a senior leader of the Congress, had joined the TMC in 2010. During the tumultuous days of student politics in the late sixties and the early seventies, Subrata Mukherjee and Dasmunsi were considered firebrand leaders of Bengal.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said it was Dasmunsi who had inspired him to join politics.

"During our student days, we always wanted to speak like Priyada did. He was our idol in student politics. He had a charismatic personality," Chatterjee said.

Leader of opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan mourned Dasmunsis death and said it was an irreparable loss to Bengal and national politics.

Echoing similar sentiments, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said Dasmunsi was one leader who could take everybody along with him, keeping aside petty differences.

State BJP secretary Ritesh Tiwari remembered the veteran Congress leader as an inspiration for political leaders of today.

There might have been differences of opinion, but he had always been an inspiration for a lot of political leaders of the recent times, Tiwari said in a Facebook post.

Senior Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who was in coma for around 10 years, breathed his last at a New Delhi hospital today. He was 72. PTI PNT RMS

--- ENDS ---
The agriculture industry is one of Ireland's largest employers with opportunities across the sector in food and agriculture to business and services, according to a leading career guidance counsellor.

Betty McLaughlin said employment prospects for young people who complete a Certificate or a Degree in Agricultural (Ag) Science are better than ever, with the majority of students gaining fulfilling employment in Ireland or overseas.

Betty, the former President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (ICG), said none of her past pupils who studied Ag Science have regretted their chosen career path. She advises anyone considering it in further education to take the subject at Leaving Certificate level.

"When you take Ag Science as a Leaving Certificate subject, 25pc of the course is project-based and it gives you a greater awareness of what to expect in the industry," she said. "It has the edge on other science subjects as it is the only science subject with a project-based State exam assessment element.

"From that you can make a better informed decision over what future studies you might like to do in that area, whether it's environmental science, animal science, agriculture science or the business side. It is also a great subject for students from non-farming backgrounds.

"The basic skills students need is an aptitude in science or ag science and an interest in farming, animals, the environment or business. They should also contact the careers department in colleges to learn where graduates are working and ask themselves 'would this job excite me?'"

Betty, the career guidance teacher at Colaiste Mhuire, a boys' school in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, is currently on secondment to the Department of Education to lead its Wellbeing at Junior Cycle for Teachers.

She said up to 90 students a year sit Ag Science for the Leaving Certificate at Colaiste Mhuire, with a large cohort taking the subject in UCD or going to Ballyhaise College in Co Cavan to complete their Level 5 and 6 in an agriculture-related course.

"Students like the flexibility the courses offered," she continued. "We've recently found that many students are being snapped up and getting employment straight from Ballyhaise, while others opt to continue their education in UCD after it. Some are taking jobs with the plan to go back to university at a later stage.

"Courses in animal science, food production, horticulture, property management, environmental preservation and zoology are all areas explored within agriculture."

Betty strongly believes that hands-on work experience should be part of every course in the sector as it shows students what to expect in the workplace and can ultimately lead to more successful outcomes, especially if they travel overseas.

"A lot of young people have the travel bug and students ask specifically about which courses have an Erasmus student exchange or the opportunity to study or work abroad. When they go away it gives them the hunger to learn more as they see different ways of doing things. It's a great opportunity for them.

"There are so many jobs across the sector in companies like Kerry Foods in food and nutrition, with the Department of Agriculture or Bord Bia in quality assurance, inspections and compliance, or in meat or dairy processing. The industry is huge and there are endless opportunities for graduates," Betty added.

Jobs directly related to a degree in Agricultural Science include:

Q Agricultural consultant

Q Farm manager

Q Fish farm manager

Q Plant breeder/geneticist

Q Rural practice surveyor

Q Soil scientist

Jobs where a degree in Agricultural Science would be useful include:
A Professional Diploma in Dairy Farm Management is allowing students to learn on million-euro assets while being mentored by some of Ireland's most progressive leading farmers.

Marion Beecher is programme co-ordinator of the Teagasc course, which involves students gaining invaluable two years' paid work experience on two dairy farms, with theory and research delivered by experts at Moorepark Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Fermoy, Co Cork.

"We can't figure out why we don't have more people doing it," said Marion, who currently has 40 young dairy farmers at different stages of the programme. "But having small numbers means students can interact with each other an awful lot more and can ask questions in class.

"The reason some don't go on to this course is because they were needed back home as the farm has expanded, some think they know it all already, and others wonder if the extra two years is really worth it.

"But from talking to the students, and farmers who have taken students, they will tell you it's definitely worth doing it."

The diploma allows young farmers to be part of short, medium and long-term strategic planning decisions on a dairy farm, while working day-to-day on a working farm. The award programme is validated by UCD.

Expand Close Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc addressing farmers at the Moorepark '17 national dairying event in Co Cork. Photo: O'Gorman Photography. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc addressing farmers at the Moorepark '17 national dairying event in Co Cork. Photo: O'Gorman Photography.

"What other job can you potentially be managing an asset worth 1million and get the opportunities to learn and make mistakes on someone else's farm, while under the guidance of the farmer," said Marion. "I don't think the students realise until near the end of their course the information they have had at their fingertips. They've had access to some of the best farmers, industry experts and researchers, and have a bank of contacts to use in the future.

"Realistically, for anyone who is going home to manage 100 to 150 cows at home, I don't see why they wouldn't go on and do this course to make themselves really successful and be exposed to the best farmers and experts available.

"A lot of our students say that when they come out of their Level 6 they thought they knew everything, until they took the diploma."

Marion said the course has delivered great success stories, with students working in New Zealand, the UK and Saudi Arabia. "Others have set up their own farms. One has grown his farm from 60 to 150-plus cows. We've also had loads of examples of people who are not from farming backgrounds and are extremely successful," she added.

The diploma costs in the region of 1,600 for the 24-month course, but students are paid each week and earn as they learn.

"Our biggest challenge is to get the host farmers and students to understand the requirements of the course. That the farmers give the training, experience and be a good employer, and the students manage their expectations so they are still learning on the job," she added.

"During those two full years out on farm they are with some of the most progressive farmers in Ireland and getting to see the practical application of the theory they are learning at Moorepark.

"My advice to students is to make the most of their time in college and go in with the open mind of wanting to learn."

Teagasc course rewards students and farmers, writes Sarah Stack
A heifer came to the rescue of Acquired Brain Injury Irelands Transitional Living Unit based in Sligo,this autumn when it was donated to the charity as part of a fundraising initiative.

The four-star pure Limousin Heifer was donated by a generous benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous and raffled off on September 28 in Aurivo Mart in Ballymote.
Much has been made recently about a certain job interview during which a certain interviewer asked a certain interviewee a certain inappropriate question.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. Instead, no matter if you may be giving or receiving the questions, why don't we all take a moment for an effective interview refresher course?

I'm writing to you this week from New York, where I'm moderating a two-day UNICEF event at the United Nations.

I just returned to my hotel room after spending four hours running through the planned programme with my client.

Together, we examined our information about the various speakers and their presentation themes, refined the questions I may be asking, and collectively clarified goals for the event's outcome.

This is part of an active preparation for any communications event. The strategies are the same that you would apply to an interview.

1 Research the business

Lord almighty, this one is so obvious, but I'm constantly shocked by how few people make time to do it properly.

If you're the candidate, I don't mean take two seconds to ask Google Maps for directions to the company where your interview is or to just research which side the visitors parking lot is located. I mean really do some digging.

Obviously, you should have knowledge about the industry sector you are seeking to work in. So, get more focused. Look up the prospective organisation's website and don't stop at the home page. Go deeper. Explore their "About" page. What's their history? You might be surprised what you discover.

For instance, an executive at Cook Medical in Limerick was once interested in having me work with him and his team but he said he might have difficulty getting approval for an outside consultant who didn't have a specific background in medical devices.

Before putting together my proposal, I researched the firm and learned it is a private company headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana.

Bloomington happens to also be the headquarters for Indiana University. My alma mater. I played up my Indiana roots as part of my proposal and got the job.

2 Research the people

Next, get personal. Read about the company's officers. Who's their managing director? Who's the head of the department you may be working in? If you're being interviewed by someone in HR, look up the folks in that department too.

Then cross reference them on LinkedIn or Twitter. Take notes. What do they like? Do you share interests with someone? That can make for professional rapport building during an interview.

On the other side of the desk, you need to research too. If you will be conducting the interview and you have the candidate's CV, don't just read it five minutes before they arrive. Go online well beforehand and investigate their social profile.

You have a responsibility to be prepared as much as the candidate. After all, as the representative of the employer, you are acting as a brand ambassador.

How you behave during the interview is a critical, and potentially legally liable, reflection of the organisation.

3 List questions and answers

If you're the candidate, take 30 minutes and write out expected questions and your positive responses. Try to incorporate real-life examples of how you added value in a previous job or how you overcame a conflict or managed a team or whatever.

If you're stuck for ideas, you can go online and find a myriad of expert interview Q&As. Select the ones that seem right for you and the company you are aiming for. Don't be caught off-guard and stumble through an answer.

Likewise, if you're the interviewer, you should write down the specific questions that are most relevant for the job your organisation is attempting to fill.

These will help you organise your thoughts and add structure to the meeting. It's not fair to a candidate who spent hours in preparation to sit across from an aimless interviewer who clearly hasn't prepared.

Your candidate should feel safe and guided through a process with you at the helm.

4 Practice speaking aloud

Once you've written your questions (and answers if you're the candidate), practice hearing yourself speak them aloud. It's not enough to read silently to yourself. It helps your muscle memory and eliminates fillers like "ahem" and "you-know" when you actually sit up, look forward and deliver with feeling.

If, at any point, you as a candidate are asked a question you feel is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable, my first recommendation is to answer their question with a question which gives your interviewer an opportunity to correct the situation.

"I'm sorry, could you clarify that please?" is a first-round response if you feel the interviewer made an innocent mistake asking about age, religion, marital status or any number of inappropriate or possibly illegal questions.

"That's not an issue as to how I'd perform this job" is another response you can use to handle an off-limits inquiry. Obviously, if the interviewer is completely out of line, you can always politely end the interview and leave. You wouldn't want to work there anyway.

But if you do want the job, I strongly urge you to prepare, prepare, prepare.

How was your last interview? A dream or a nightmare? Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie
BMS Finance is investing in Anam Technologies to help the Dublin-based company with its international expansion plans.

Anam will also use the loan to build out on recent contract wins with major telecoms groups, including Telenor Group, Deutsche Telekom and Digicel Group.

Anam Chairman Darragh Kelly, Chairman said that the firm won these contracts "because it has mature technology, a methodology to drive Operator revenue, a clear customer focus, delivered by a professional team".

"Projects of this scale require funding and we felt BMS were the ideal partner to support us on these developments," he said.

Anam is the fastest growing, independent SMS Firewall and Application to Person (A2P) monetisation service provider in the world.

The company filters billions of messages for over 370 million mobile subscribers in more than 65 countries.

The Enterprise Ireland client company already has overseas presence in Czech Republic, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, the UK, Pakistan & Vietnam and currently employs over 50 people.

Investment Manager at BMS Finance Darren Hough said that Anam's ability to secure contracts with some of the largest mobile network operators "demonstrates the quality of their R&D and superior offering to the market".

"Our investment into Anam is a growth capital investment into a fast growing A2P SMS monetisation company," he said.
'For every woman that gets to the top, theres another nine that dont,' host Norah Casey told the audience in Dublin

Lucy Gaffney, chairwoman, Communicorp, and Louise Phelan, vice president, PayPal, raise their hands in agreement that Tanaiste Francis Fitzgerald should become the next Taoiseach at the Planet Woman Academy in the RDS. Photo: Damien Eagers

Some of Ireland's most innovative and powerful women shared the secrets of their success at the fifth annual Planet Woman conference at the RDS in Dublin yesterday.

Female leaders from across the business spectrum offered the audience a glimpse of what it takes to succeed at the top of the corporate ladder.

The event began with a stark statistic from host Norah Casey, who informed the crowd that "for every woman that gets to the top, there's another nine that don't".

However, attendees were soon treated to some fascinating insights into what it is that makes a successful career woman. The tone of the event prioritised the practical over the purely aspirational, with the speakers delving into illuminating detail about how best to add value to an organisation.

"Ten percent of what happens to me is what I learn. The rest is what I do about it," said Louise Phelan, PayPal vice president of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

"I had been in an amazing company in GE. But I did need a change. I needed to get out of my comfort zone. I did 16 interviews with PayPal before I got the job."

Communicorp chairwoman Lucy Gaffney began by offering a prize of 10,000 worth of advertising on any of the company's radio stations.

Ms Gaffney told the audience of having to drop out of college, a decision that was forced upon her because she wanted to be with her husband against the wishes of her parents.

She said she left radio station 98fm having been passed over for promotion by owner Denis O'Brien. She founded her own business and noted that Mr O'Brien was the first client at her new firm.

However, she said she was relieved to eventually return to work for the Irish businessman.

"I have great respect for people who run their own business, but I found it too stressful," she said.

She said there had been no pivotal moment over the course of her career.

"Failure is not a bad thing. Success is not final and failure is not fatal. I have absolutely had people that have championed me. Denis O'Brien asked me to run a division of Digifone and I sat in front of him crying thinking I can't do it. So it helps when you have people around you that support you and believe in you."

The conversation surrounding who will be the next Taoiseach once Enda Kenny steps down has been centred around Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar. However Tanaiste Francis Fitzgerald said she could potentially throw her hat into the ring.

Ms Fitzgerald said she was "seriously considering" running for the leadership, a statement that was met with enthusiastic applause.

Enterprise Ireland ceo Julie Sinnamon said that Brexit "has changed my life".

Ms Sinnamon went on to say that there had been a degree of denial in the aftermath of the UK vote with many people hopeful that "sense would prevail in the end".

She said that Irish businesses were now adjusting to the reality and expressed confidence that the country could weather the turbulence that is likely to ensue once Article 50 is triggered.
US technology giant Intel has become the latest multinational to cut its carbon footprint after striking a deal to power its sprawling manufacturing campus in Co Kildare, with renewable energy.

In 2016, Intel and Electricity Ireland embarked on a trial run to assess whether the 360-acre Leixlip site could operate solely on 'green' electricity.

Today, the chipmaker announced its advanced manufacturing plant in Leixlip has relied on 100pc local renewable energy sources for a year, making it the State's largest, voluntary, private purchaser of environmentally sustainable energy.

Intel's decision to shift to green electricity sources comes as multinationals globally attempt to cut their carbon footprint as they strive to meet corporate commitments on climate change.

"We are very proud to be announcing today that 100 per cent of all electricity supplied to our Leixlip campus is now purchased as renewable power from Electric Ireland. We are doing this as part of our multi-faceted approach to environmental awareness and as part of Intels commitment to being a global energy sustainability champion," Intel Ireland General Manager Eamonn Sinnott said.

ESB Chief Executive Pat ODoherty said that when ESB was founded 90 years ago, 100pc of the energy generated was renewable, harnessed from the River Shannon.

"As we face into the energy challenges of the coming decades, this provides us with inspiration to play a leading role in Irelands transition to a low carbon future. The Electric Ireland agreement with Intel is an example of how we seek to place our customer at the centre of this low carbon future, powered by clean, reliable and affordable electricity."
The elite force said it could provide consultancy services for just around Rs 4 lakh while some high profile schools spend Rs 20 lakh on private players for the same job.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The gruesome murder of Pradhyumn Thakur seems to have prompted the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to offer its role as a consultant in securing public and private schools.

The killing of 7-year-old student of Ryan Interntional has rung an alarm among concerned parents who see safety of their wards as a key concern. The CISF has recently offered its services to public and private schools across the country to work as security consultant.

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This of course comes at a whopping cost of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 20 lakh for public and premium schools, respectively. The CISF says that the money earned through this will be put in home ministry's kitty.

The two-page letter written by DIG administration includes names of schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas, DPS, Doon and Scindia scools.

The CISF letter addressing school principals accessed talks of the Ryan incident.

"It is felt that in the wake of the recent unfortunate incident in one of the reputed schools in the NCR region (NCR) in which a young student lost his life, there is now a need for revisiting the security infrastructure of our schools. You will agree that a healthy and secure environment is a right of every child, and schools have a major rolein this".

Incidentally, the CISF has also offered its services to Ryan Group of Schools, Mumbai, said sources.

The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is already guarding the key sensitive private and government installations including 60 airports and Delhi Metro, besides national monuments and government buildings.

The CISF says its ISO certified consultancy wing will provide integrated security solutions which includes access control system, perimeter protection, CCTV surveillance, fire audit covering wide range of specialised security gadgets.

The force has a 150 clientele including top notch colleges like IIM Indore, 6 IITs, NIT Tirupathi Devasthanam, Reliance company installations, Infosys campus, AIIMS, and Allahabad High Court.

The elite force said it could provide consultancy services for just around Rs 4 lakh while some high profile schools spend Rs 20 lakh on private players for the same job.

The CISF, however, will not provide its security to schools.

Some of the top schools approached by CISF in the NCR include Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Delhi Public School Society, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Springdales School, Salwan Education Trust, DAV College Managing Committee, Modern School Barakhamba, Tagore International, Ramjas Foundation, Sanskriti, Birla Vidya Niketan, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Mother's International, Shri Ram School, Ahlcon International, and Apeejay Education Society.

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While in the past decade many schools have approached home ministry to provide security to the school on cost basis. However, the nod was never given.

A source said, "There are too many schools and it will be a mammoth task to assign CISF to so many schools, so it is best to provide consultancy".

--- ENDS ---
Norah Casey is to sell the bulk of her Irish magazines empire to a US digital media investor.

The high profile business woman has agreed a deal that will see New York based businessman Liam Lynchs Irish Studio acquire Irish Tatler, Irish Tatler Man, U Magazine, FOOD&WINE Magazine, Auto Ireland and Ireland of the Welcomes from Norah Caseys Harmonia.

Last year Irish Studio paid 2.7m to buy Irish Central.com, an online publisher aimed at the US market.

Liam Lynchs previous ventures include building Broadway.com, a popular theatre information and ticket website and he has managed, acquired, started, or invested in over 25 private companies and mentored countless others.

Norah Casey will retain a role as chairwoman emeritus following the sale, and in addition will continue to own and manage Harmonias remaining brands, which include Womans Way, and Planet Women in her own right.

Ciaran Casey will join Irish Studio in an executive role to roll out the new strategy for the six magazines.

Commenting on the deal, Norah Casey said: Im looking forward to working closely with Liam and his team. This is an exciting development ensuring these iconic brands are moving to a company that will develop their digital presence and global reach.

Mr Lynch described the deal as a major acquisition that realizes our strategy of rolling up established brands onto our digital platform. These six brands, including Irish Tatler, are trusted brands that people love. We will continue to loyally service our treasured print readers while also bringing these titles online to engage and entertain new audiences.
Home insurance is one of those bills it's almost certain you're over-paying.

Like all insurance, we buy it because we either have to (because the bank insists) or we're afraid of future costs if we get burgled, flooded or there's a fire. Most of us couldn't possibly afford to re-build our houses if the worst happened.

It's also a product we tend to be lazy about. When the renewal notice arrives, with the inevitable bundle of documents enclosed, we glance at the premium, sigh and simply renew it. That's a mistake.

There's huge competition, and not all companies are the same. Just like motor insurance, some of them want your business and others don't, pricing you out if they believe you're too much of a risk.

This week, I'm looking at ways to re-calculate your cover to bring down your premium and tips to ensure you're not over-charged.

Valuing your Cover

There are two elements to house insurance: building cover and contents cover.

Building is for the structure of the house - the bricks and mortar. It's much cheaper to cover this, since the chances of it all coming tumbling down are slim. However, the big mistake people make is to set their cover at the sale value of the house. This means they're grossly over-insured, especially in Dublin, where the rebuild costs bear no relation to the value of the house (see table for comparisons).

For example, a four-bed detached property in Rathfarnham or Dundrum may be valued at 800,000, but to rebuild it after a fire would cost 305,000. This is the amount you should cover for. You'll never get the 800,000 in any event, but may be paying the premium for it.

To find out your rebuild costs, hop on to the Society of Chartered Surveyors site at www.scsi.ie and check out their rebuild calculator. Be generous, and add a bit for comfort.

Contents cover is often lazily assumed as a percentage of the build cover. Big mistake. Unless you have gold-plated taps and crystal chandeliers, you're over-covered. Take the time to go around your house and actually value your items (again, be generous if you wish). Replacing all your furniture, clothing, jewellery, decorations and the like generally costs far less than you think.

All Risks is a special section of the contents policy and covers items of particular or high value - jewellery, bicycles, laptops, art, for example. This is the most expensive section of your policy, so be careful.

Insurance normally has a "per-item cap" for contents - it could be as little as 1,000. It's items over this value that should be separately insured under All Risks. This will hike your premium, but these are generally goods that are important to you and harder to replace.

Deirdre McCarthy of www. insuremyhouse.ie says most insurers increase the contents sum insured automatically by at least 10pc during December to cover the Christmas gifts you would have in your home at this time of year, for no extra fee, which is good to know.

Invalidating Policies

There has been an increase in home-owners invalidating their own insurance policy. This means claims won't be paid, even if they are genuine. Examples, according to Deirdre, include:

Alarm: If you have an alarm discount on your policy, the alarm should be set when the house is not occupied. If it isn't and you're burgled, the insurer may invalidate your claim or apply a higher excess on the policy.

Claims: You must declare on your application any and all home insurance claims you've ever had, even if it's on a different property than the one you're insuring.

Flat Roofs: These must be disclosed as they're specially insured.

Airbnb: If you let your home for Airbnb, you must tell your insurer. You can get insurance for it, but it's considered a commercial business and a claim may not be paid on your home.

Saving Money

I asked Ian Kennedy of Blue Insurance, a market leader, about how to save money on premiums.

"You can save yourself both stress and money by buying a two-year policy, saving up to 15pc compared with buying two one- year policies. Installing smoke and burglar alarms will reduce premiums.

"Finally, having multiple insurance products (home, motor, travel) from the same company may get you a discount across the board. At Blue, for example, we discount by 25 for home and motor policies together."

The table shows a sample of properties and their premiums, but do get three quotes of your own.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has suggested that hes willing to freeze property tax beyond 2019, but would that solve the problem? (Stock photo)

Property tax bills are now arriving in the post and many of those who pay their bill in a one-off lump sum now have 52 days to do so. With Christmas fast approaching, it's worth settling your property tax bill this month if you can - or making the arrangements to do so in the New Year.

Here are five things worth knowing about your property tax bill for 2018.

The higher bills

Homeowners in seven local authority areas will have more expensive property tax bills for 2018 than they did in 2017. This is because their councils decided to increase the 2018 property tax rate from the rate charged in 2017.

Some homeowners will see their property tax bills jump by a tenth as a result. The seven local authorities which increased the 2018 rate from last year's rate are Laois County Council (up 10pc on 2017), Tipperary County Council (up 10pc), Longford County Council (up 8pc), Fingal County Council (up 5pc), Kerry County Council (up 5pc), Wexford County Council (up 5pc), and Waterford City and County Council (up 2.5pc).

Local authorities have the power to either increase or decrease the property tax rates in their areas by up to 15pc (from the rate applied in 2014).

Only two councils have reduced the property tax rate from that which applied in 2017: Galway Council (by 10pc), and Limerick City and County Council (by 2.5pc).

The other 22 local authorities have left their rate unchanged on last year.

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The deadlines

You have until January 10, 2018 to pay your property tax in one lump sum - if paying by debit card, credit card, cheque or in a single cash payment (through An Post, Omnivend or your credit union).

You have until March 21, 2018 to pay if you wish to have Revenue take the full amount you owe from your bank account - in a once-off deduction. This is known as an annual debit instruction.

Should this be the first time that you wish to pay your property tax through annual debit instruction, you must fill out an online mandate (where you instruct Revenue to take the money out of your bank account) by January 10, 2018.

However, if you have already been paying your tax through an annual debit instruction, you don't need to fill out the mandate as Revenue will roll over your existing method of payment each year.

Should you have paid the tax in a one-off lump sum before and now wish to spread the payment over a year, you have less than a week to tell Revenue that you wish to do so. The date you must confirm how you now wish to spread your bill out (such as by monthly direct debits, deductions from your salary or pension, or regular cash payments) is November 25, 2017.

Coming clean

Since the property tax was introduced, the owners of more than 11,900 homes have paid extra property tax after they either corrected their original valuation themselves - or did so after Revenue challenged the valuation put on a property. Should you have deliberately undervalued your home in 2013 so that you would pay a lower property tax, you should correct the original valuation and pay the tax owed.

"It is better to go to Revenue if you have not paid the correct property tax, than to have Revenue come to you," said Norah Collender, tax technical manager at Chartered Accountants Ireland. "Contact your local tax office, explain the basis for which you underdeclared the tax - and try to reach a settlement."

You can expect to be hit with penalties and interest if you did not pay the correct property tax on time. Revenue charges interest at a rate of 8pc a year. By self-correcting the valuation, you may be able to avoid penalties - but interest must still be paid. "Penalties are applied where a liable person knowingly delivers an incorrect return or makes any false statement in respect of property tax," said a spokeswoman for Revenue. "The maximum penalty is 3,000 per offence but this may be mitigated to an amount equal to the actual property tax liability - on foot of the property owners quickly getting their property tax affairs in order."

Self-employed people who do not pay the correct property tax for a particular year will be hit with a 10pc surcharge on their income tax bill for that year.

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Buying and selling

Property tax can become tricky if you are selling property - particularly if there is a big difference between the value which you declared for your home in May 2013 (for the purpose of the property tax) and the sale price which you have secured for your property.

The difference between the declared value and the sale price must fall within specific limits set by the Revenue. Otherwise, you may need to pay additional property tax before you can sell your home.

Last September, Revenue increased the allowable margins by which the sales price of a property can exceed the upper limit of the valuation band that was declared for the property (for the purpose of property tax) in May 2013.

Should you be selling a Dublin property, as long as the sale price is no more than 80pc higher than the upper limit of the valuation band, you should be able to get clearance from Revenue that the correct property tax was paid - and so no extra tax should be due. Previously, the allowable margin for Dublin properties was 50pc.

Should you be selling a property outside Dublin, as long as the sale price is no more than 50pc higher than the upper limit of the valuation band, you should be able to get Revenue clearance. Previously, the allowable margin for properties outside Dublin was 25pc.

Another question which often arises is who is liable for the property tax - if the seller will no longer own the property for the year that the property tax applies to.

"If you were the owner of the property on November 1, 2017, you have to pay the 2018 property tax," said Collender.

Anyone buying a property should be sure to get the right property tax paperwork in order - such as a clearance cert (if required) and the property's ID number (for the purpose of the property tax). "Make sure you have details of the valuation band which the original owner of the property used when paying the property tax," said Collender.

Changes

Next year, the Government will consider a number of recommendations made by Dr Don Thornhill in his review of property tax in 2015 and there could be changes in the amount of tax you pay after 2019 as a result.

However, for the moment, you do not need to pay more property tax if your home is more valuable than it was in May 2013 - as long as your original valuation (for the purpose of the property tax) was honest.

May 1, 2013 was the date when you would have valued your property for the purpose of the tax and this valuation can be used for the tax until late 2019.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has suggested that he's willing to freeze property tax beyond 2019 so it could well be after that (if ever) when you need to revalue your home for property tax purposes.

Sadly there seems to be no sign of the property tax getting the boot though.
Mylan's big claim to fame in recent years is that it is the producer of that priceless treatment for asthma and severe allergies sufferers known as the EpiPen

If we could claim a regular following for this column, our loyal readers might confirm that we have more than a passing fascination with 'Big Pharma'. It makes really big news when things are going well and bigger news when the pharmaceutical world is dodgy. Our interest in the business is shared with Donald Trump, who has said that from a commercial perspective the sector often "gets away with murder".

The pharma giant we are looking at today could have been one he has in mind. It is the Netherlands-registered US group Mylan, a leader in the production of 'genetic' drugs. It employs 30,000 people (50pc in India), has a huge portfolio of drugs and 50 facilities around the world, including Ireland.

Mylan's big claim to fame in recent years is that it is the producer of that priceless treatment for asthma and severe allergies sufferers known as the EpiPen.

In the US, the EpiPen was reckoned to be such an important element in public health president Obama signed an EpiPen Law in 2013 putting the product into schools. Mylan, alas, took staggering liberties with its pricing policies. In eight years, the price rose more than five-fold. Consequently, the group was roundly condemned for 'price gouging' by its customers.

The company was also accused of misclassifying the treatment, a sort of pharmaceutical fraud, and was forced to settle a fine with the US Department of Justice to the tune of $465m (394m). It has also been the subject of a congressional hearing over EpiPen pricing.

Mylan has interesting Irish connections. One of its founders was Don Panoz, the man who would emerge in Ireland in the 1970s with another company, Elan Pharmaceuticals. Panoz was gone from Mylan when it was developing its acquisition policy. It took over the generic division of the German-based Merck, Abbott Laboratories and an India concern, Matrix Labs. Its 2015 proposed merger with Teva, the world's biggest generic group, flopped.

Today, the group reports on North America, Europe and the rest of the world markets. The North American market is its most important, contributing 51pc - $5.6bn (4.7bn) - to group sales.

The group fulfils one in every 13 prescriptions in the US, far more than companies like Pfizer, Merck and Sanofi. Europe is the world's second largest generic pharma market by value and accounts for 27pc ($3bn) of Mylan's total sales. It has 11 plants in Europe, including one in Ireland.

The remaining sales come mainly from India, Japan and Australia and account for $2.4bn (2bn) of group sales.

Last year was an unsatisfactory one for Mylan as revenues were up but profits were down. Revenues rose 18pc to $11bn (9.3bn), but operating profits fell a whopping 53pc to $700,000 (593,000) - litigation settlements didn't help.

In the last five years its share price peaked at $78 (66) in late 2014, today they trade at $37.33 (31.65), just above its yearly low of $34. Its market value is $20bn (16.9bn).

While Mylan was under fire for its relentless price increases, damaging its reputation and causing shareholder losses, astonishingly it proposed paying its former CEO a salary of $98m (83m) as he moved upstairs to chairman.

The respected US firm Institutional Shareholder Services took a rare step of informing investors to oust all of Mylan's directors, stating the company had a record of poor stewardship and responsiveness. You cannot argue with that assessment; so give the shares a wide berth.

Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned.
On Wednesday coming, November 22, it will be 54 years since John F Kennedy was assassinated. On the same day, Aldous Huxley, prescient author of Brave New World, and CS Lewis, author of the Narnia books, also died. Seventeen years later to the day, it was Mae West, and exactly 17 years after that - 20 years ago this year - Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney.

His death was given as suicide - he was naked, and had used his snake skin belt - but his devastated partner, Paula Yates, mother of Hutchence's child, refused to believe it, insisting that his death was an erotic auto-asphyxiation game gone horribly wrong.

Brokenhearted, almost deranged, Paula survived only three more years, dying aged 41 of a heroin overdose in 2000. And then, 14 years after Paula, her daughter Peaches died, aged 25, also of a heroin overdose. Arguably, that too was part of the fall-out of Hutchence's death.

We expect rock stars and celebrities to have the kind of grand passions that become legendary. Most don't. They marry, cheat, fall in and out of love, but usually without any huge drama. If anything, it can all seem like a bit of a cabinet reshuffle at times - an extended, almost amicable game of celebrity wife swap.

Expand Close Paula Yates at the funeral of Michael Hutchence in 1997 / Facebook

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Not so the Yates-Hutchence-Geldof triangle, which was horribly painful and polarising, with half of the UK and Ireland taking sides (usually Geldof's) and pouring judgement on Paula, who fared far worse in the court of public opinion than either of the men involved.

Partly, the judgement Paula faced was the usual media misogyny, but partly too it was her own fault, for dealing the press into her private life, probably without realising that once in, they weren't leaving. The tabloids were a considered part of her strategy in the bitter custody battle she fought with Bob over their three daughters, Fifi, Peaches and Pixie, as well as an effort to very publicly annex Hutchence, who had long been dating Helena Christensen by the time he and Paula first began their affair.

Paula was definitely bright and bold, maybe even a little brash, but she was vulnerable too, something the press didn't seem keen to acknowledge.

Brought up an only child in north Wales, her mother was a Bluebell dancer and sometime-actress who wrote erotic fiction. She was also absent for large parts of Paula's childhood - "I used to go to bed not knowing if she'd still be there in the morning," Paula once said, describing herself as "this whining, whining, clinging child... I would lie outside the toilet if she went to the loo." The man she believed to be her father, Jess Yates, presenter of Stars on Sunday, left when Paula was eight, and later turned out not to be her father at all. Before she found this out, Paula gave a prescient interview in which she said she was astonished she was ever conceived at all. "I don't remember my parents together, ever," she said.

By her own account, Paula lost her virginity when she was 12, and started snorting heroin at the same age. By 14 she was a regular on the London club scene and by her late teens, when she first met Geldof, she was a mix of precocious - apparently she gave him a b**w job in the back of a taxi on the first meeting - demanding and fragile. She seemed set to be a short-lived kind of brightness, a burst of colour doomed to fizzle out.

Instead, she found purpose and security in him, and the life they built together, transforming herself from wild child to earth mother, but without losing her sense of fun; "Paula flirts with everyone," was one friend's verdict. "She flirts with her children, she flirts with me, she even flirts with my cats."

Paula's memoir is deeply sad, a shocking tale of neglect and emotional abuse. And yet she delivers it with a disarming kind of dash; no self-pity, and as much humour as she can squeeze.

That's because Paula was clever - far cleverer than she got credit for; "a smart girl who made a career out of pretending to be an airhead," according to one interviewer. For all her pretence of being ditzy, she would often get up at 4am to write, produced eight books as well as researching and interviewing pop stars five days a week for The Tube, once asking Diana Ross "have you ever had any fat bits?" - a perfect blend of cheek, silliness and daring.

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She was also, and in reaction to her own miserable upbringing, busy creating the perfect home life, the kind of thing that comes in a catalogue for expensive baby furniture - an idealised blend of home baking, fairy lights and indoor swings, with Paula always ready to switch from perfect mother to sexpot wife.

But there too, she was astute. "We have been seduced by the glossy magazine ethic of having it all," she said, right back in 1993. "It is a great lie. It has caused women untold misery and generated a million guilt-ridden insecurities. No one can have it all; nobody ever does I suppose I do have it all, more than anyone else I know... but I still get irritated by all this juggling bollocks, this idea of having a job and then going home in the evening and dancing round in a pair of mink-trimmed split-crotch knickers. People point the finger and say 'But you're doing this, this and this, how do you reconcile it?' I reconcile it because I'm willing if necessary to go with five hours' sleep"

She couldn't have done it without Bob, but what first she welcomed as a steady, sobering influence in her life, later came to feel controlling, and by the time she fell for Hutchence, Paula was clearly ready to bolt. She had already had several affairs, including with Rupert Everett, but with Hutchence, it was immediately, devastatingly different.

They first met in 1985, when Paula interviewed him for The Tube. By then, she and Geldof had been together for 10 years - although they didn't marry until the following year - and had one daughter. Hutchence, the son of a middle-class Australian businessman, described in one school report as "Rather immature, but very pleasant," was up-and-coming as frontman of INXS, but not yet madly famous.

The flirting was obvious - afterwards, she apparently said to the INXS tour manager, "I'm going to have that boy", but not nearly as blatant as their later, famous, 1994 Big Breakfast interview, in which she says, while draped across Hutchence, "For the first time, this is a guest I want to have my leg over." She looks so dishevelled in the clip, their conversation is so intimate, that it's as if she just has. 'My dress rode up there,' she says at one point, giggling. "Did it?' he responds, adding, "not far to go."

By that second interview, nine years later, Paula was married, with two more children. For all the posturing around being a domestic goddess, she was frustrated and feeling hampered. She had also come to feel that Geldof was "the most controlling person." Hutchence, meanwhile, had become a bone fide rock god, with a string of glamorous girlfriends, including Kylie Minogue, Belinda Carlisle and Helena Christensen. But, he was also, apparently, suffering with depression after a freak accident left him with compromised senses of taste and smell, and would later add Prozac to the list of drugs he was taking.

In Paula, Hutchence saw someone funny, sexy, nurturing; the same endearing combination of rock chick and earth mother that she had always worked so well.

As for Paula, it seemed as if she saw everything she ever wanted in Hutchence - at that stage of her life anyway. Where Geldof, beneath his rock star exterior, was actually sensible, responsible, socially motivated, Hutchence was rock star through and through.

"The good, sensible thing to do is to be completely drunk, take drugs and have sex all day," he once said, a remark so carefully outrageous as to be faintly embarrassing - and one that worked very well with his unruly curls, the shirts slashed to the waist, the swaggering, pouting and smouldering.

Paula later boasted that on their first date, Hutchence did "six things I was firmly convinced were illegal," one involving oysters. She was, to put it mildly, silly for him - he called her his "soulmate"; she described him as the "Taj Mahal of crotches" - and threw herself into his world of clubs, drugs, parties and sexual experimentation. She didn't just leave her marriage, she changed herself in fundamental ways - the boob job being the most obvious. She was the same age as Hutchence, but that still made her older than his usual run of girlfriends. She was then in her late 30s, a mother of three, and somehow, in almost all the photos of them together, she looks agitated and guarded, not the relaxed, confident women she is in photos with Geldof. A year after the Big Breakfast interview, and in the full glare of tabloid spotlights, Paula left Bob. That she broke his heart, there is zero doubt. He didn't try to hide it, in fact he still doesn't. "I couldn't understand it," he said, of Paula's departure, quite recently. "I loved her profoundly. I didn't understand then that love is not enough." It is still a realisation that makes little sense.

Paula threw herself into her new life with Hutchence, but she wanted her daughters too - as did Hutchence, who loved the ready-made family that came with Paula - and that's where trouble started. The back-and-forth of custody arrangements went on, while Paula got pregnant and then gave birth to Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, her daughter with Hutchence, in July 1996.

A few months later, while she and Hutchence were away with Tiger, the nanny, at home with Fifi, Peaches and Pixie, found a stash of heroin and opium, apparently hidden in sweet tubs, along with photos and sex toys. Paula and Hutchence insisted the drugs had been planted, and indeed that their house had been bugged.

The battle for custody of Paula's daughters with Geldof intensified, and Hutchence began to fear that Tiger - who he adored - would become caught in the cross-fire and taken away from him. He was on Prozac for depression, he had money troubles, his career had hit a plateau - Noel Gallagher called him a "has-been" at the 1996 Brit awards, which can't have helped - and the strain of the high-voltage Yates-Geldof drama was taking its toll. According to the usual helpful 'friends' who spoke up after his death, Hutchence wanted to break up with Paula but didn't know how to extract himself.

"Michael was never - not even in Paula's wildest dreams - going to be that domestic person," his brother Rhett said recently. "When they were living close to Nick Cave he would say, 'I'm going to see Nick...' and do nothing but bitch about the missus and the family. Anyone who thought Michael was going to be this tame, domestic hubby with the kids was just kidding themselves."

When he flew to Sydney in November 1997, Hutchence was expecting Paula and the girls to follow him, for a three-month stay. When that was postponed, due to the ongoing custody problems, he was enraged, ringing Geldof and cursing him mightily shortly before he died. In her statement to police, Paula described him as "frightened and couldn't stand a minute more without his baby."

After his death, Hutchence was said to be practically bankrupt, although a complicated series of trusts and holding companies was later untangled, revealing an estate of around 8 million, of which half was left to Tiger Lily, and the other half to be divided between Paula, his father, brother, sister and mother. His ashes were similarly divided - between his family, Paula (who kept them in a pillow) and Tiger Lily.

To mark the 20 years since Hutchence died, a new album of songs is to be released, along with a documentary based on his diaries, and a new biography. His daughter, who was brought up by Geldof, recently turned 21 and moved to New York. After many years of staying well out of the spotlight, she posed naked for photographer Kate Bellm. Paula unravelled so thoroughly after Hutchence died that she would sometimes go and stay the night with Geldof and his partner Jeanne Marine. She made repeated efforts to refocus her life, but would then relapse into despair.

Her death, the coroner said, was the result of "foolish and incautious" behaviour; an accidental overdose. Tiger, then aged four, was alone in the house with her mother.

A year before she died, Paula said in an interview: "It's only the mothering instinct that makes you willing to suffer every day. I know it sounds like a Victorian novel, but it's true. Right now I still think living is a noble gesture."

It wasn't, alas, a gesture she was able to stick with.

THEY DIED TOO YOUNG

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Tragedy seems to stalk rock stars, so much so the "27 Club" was coined to describe those who died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971.

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If not exactly 27, others have died prematurely too. Jimi Hendrix , (choked on his own vomit after drinking and taking sleeping pills), Jim Morrison (died of a heroin overdose; Marianne Faithfull once said an ex-boyfriend of hers supplied him with the drugs), Kurt Cobain (committed suicide with a shotgun), Janis Joplin (more heroin) and Amy Winehouse (alcohol poisoning) all died at this age.

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Otis Redding was just 26 when he died in a plane crash. Keith Moon was 32 when he died of a prescription drug overdose.

John Lennon was shot dead by Mark David Chapman when he was 40, outside his New York apartment, while Elvis Presley was practically a tribal elder by the time he died of a heart attack aged 42.

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Marvin Gaye was 44 when he was murdered by his father, after he intervened in a row between his parents.
The bar run by All-Ireland winning Tipperary hurling star Lar Corbett is being accused of a reckless publicity stunt, after offering beer and vodka drinks for 99c.

Mr Corbett runs Lar Corbetts and Coppingers, in Thurles, which has advertised special deals for black Friday, this week.

Among the promotional offers are pints of Guinness, Heineken and vodka Red Bulls for less than 1.

But it has sparked anger among responsible drinking campaigners.

Drinkaware has raised concerns about the message it sends out.

Drinks promotions like the so-called black Friday at Lar Corbetts Bar, in Thurles, have no place in our society," Niamh Gallagher, CEO of the advocacy group, said.

This is a reckless publicity stunt, which actively encourages people to drink to excess in an extremely dangerous way, she said.

She also raised the upcoming Public Health Alcohol Bill, which suggests new measures including minimum unit pricing to address the impact of alcohol misuse.

It is concerning to see irresponsible promotions like this take place, she said in context of the proposed law. We urge people thinking of engaging with these campaigns or promotions to think again  the cost of alcohol may be cheap but that is nothing compared to the cost to physical and mental health both now and in the future.

A flyer for the event at the bar urged people to share it with their friends on social media to win a free bar for the night.

Bring a bus for a free bar, the poster advertised, suggesting anyone who brought a bus full of friends could drink for free at the pub.

It said the event would start and 10.30am and the pub would be giving out free food at 2pm.

It is the second year in a row the bar has run the promotion for black Friday, which was the name given to the Friday after Thanksgiving Day in the US, where retailers there offer significant price cuts.

In recent years, the event has been adopted by businesses on this side of the Atlantic.

Mr Corbett had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

His bar has been at the centre of a number of controversies in recent years.

Earlier this month, it emerged Mr Corbett had been fined 250 after admitting allowing people to be on his licensed premises almost an hour after closing time.

Mr Corbett, who won All-Ireland senior hurling titles with Tipperary in 2001 and 2010, pleaded guilty to one count of a breach of the licensing laws when he appeared before Nenagh District Court.

There was a previous conviction for a similar offence, dating back to 2015.

In 2016 Marlstone Investments, Mr Corbett's company, was fined 1,500 in relation to 23 bottled of counterfeit vodka found there.
Court prosecutions will be put in jeopardy as evidence obtained from unverified CCTV schemes will be open to future legal challenge, experts have warned.

The development came amid related concerns that high-tech community CCTV schemes, including the use of automatic number plate recognition technology, could be in breach of data protection regulations.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) confirmed it was now in contact with gardai in respect of several aspects of community CCTV schemes which offer towns and villages some reassurance against vandalism and crime.

In particular, the commissioner is seeking clarification on the verification or approval status of several schemes nationwide. The issue does not involve Garda-operated schemes.

The Irish Independent has learned the problem revolves around the decision by councils to decline to act as 'data controller' for such community schemes.

The move followed careful deliberation by councils over the onerous legal implications of the role, which involves the storage and management of all CCTV recordings.

In consultation with the Local Authorities Members Association, councils insisted they cannot operate as data controllers.

This also means many community CCTV schemes will have to be re-verified by the Joint Policing Committees nationwide.

The growing uncertainty also includes fears that any footage from unverified community CCTV schemes could be open to legal challenge if there is an attempt to use it as evidence in criminal prosecutions.

Legal expert William Bulman BL said it was clear issues now surround such CCTV footage involving scheme verification, data storage and chain of evidence.

"Rural communities would say that it could be justified on the basis of the increase in crime in certain parts of the country," he said.

"One of the big issues of concern is who would be the data controller as in where would the live feed of CCTV go to, and who would control this recording?

"This creates its own difficulties as there would have to be a data controller to comply with the Data Protection Act. There is no simple solution unless and until State agencies get involved and find a legal mechanism to overcome the issues in respect of the data controller and how to protect communities."

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The row over the verification of community CCTV schemes erupted at the very time the Government is pushing for their expansion as a vital tool in the battle against rural crime.

The Department of Justice is now funding community CCTV scheme expansion to the tune of 1m per year until 2019 with grants covering up to 60pc of the capital development cost.

Former lord mayor of Cork, Councillor John Paul O'Shea, pointed out that, in essence, this means gardai must act as controller for all community CCTV schemes unless a named individual in a community association agrees to take on the responsibility.

"It is a serious issue and it will have implications for community CCTV schemes, certainly in terms of having to get them re-verified," he said.

An ODPC spokesman said: "This office contacted An Garda Siochana in September 2017 in relation to several queries concerning Community CCTV schemes, namely their approval status and the use of automatic number plate recognition.

"On foot of the response received, we will discuss the matter as part of our periodic scheduled engagement with gardai."
An inquest into the deaths of a husband and wife who died in a murder suicide in Mayo last year has concluded, with the verdict of homicide and self-inflicted homicide being returned.

Tom and Kitty Fitzgerald were found dead at their home on November 1, 2016.

The body of Tom Fitzgerald (75) was found behind a storage shed on the farmyard outside the family home near Irishtown.

His wife Kitty (72) was discovered in a pool of blood inside the property.

Their son Paul was discovered elsewhere in the house, suffering from serious head injuries.

The inquest took place today with evidence from a number of gardai who were called to the scene.

The inquest also heard from Aoife O'Gorman, who had been dating Paul Fitzgerald. A statement from her heard how she had become concerned about Paul after failing to hear from him which was out of character.

After texting Paul 30 to 40 times and calling him with no answer, Ms O'Gorman travelled to his family home on November, 1, 2016.

There she found Paul's jeep and dogs in the yard. When she approached the door she noticed a bloody handprint on it.

She could hear a power shower but received no answer when she knocked.

Ms O'Gorman said she became worried and called her mother. After knocking again eventually Paul came out of the house. He had two black eyes and a serious head wound to the back of his head.

"I could see into his skull," she said.

The inquest heard that Mr FItzgerald was saying words but making no sense.

"I asked him where his parents were and why they didn't bring him to the hospital. He said he didn't know. Paul said random words, shower, bed, he wasn't making sense," said Ms O'Gorman.

Ms O'Gorman said she was taking him to hospital. He told her 20 minutes and went back into the house leaving the back door open.

The inquest heard that Ms O'Gorman then noticed one of the dogs 'whimpering' by the door.

Fearing Paul had collapsed she went inside.

"I went towards the hallway and looked and I saw a body on the ground. Molly the dog was beside the body. The body was a woman in her pyjamas. There was a massive pool of blood beside her head," the inquest heard.

Ms O'Gorman continued to walk through the house calling Paul's name.

She entered a room with blood splashed on the door and found Mr Fitzgerald sitting on the bed.

Ms O'Gorman left the house and called 999 she returned to the house and the ambulance and gardai arrived.

Gardai searched the area and found Mrs Fitzgerald dead in the hallway. She had suffered a number of blows to the head.

They later found the body of her husband Tom behind a shed. He was partially submerged in a water tank.

The inquest also heard from Mr Fitzgerald who said he had no memory of what had occurred in the family home and he had no memory of why he had gone home on that occasion.

He revisited the family home for the first time since the tragedy on March 23 of this year along with gardai and Ms O'Gorman.

"I walked around the house inside and also the yard outside. I still have no recollection of what happened at my parent's house," he said.

John Hoade, a forensic scientist with Forensic Science Ireland examined the scene. He told the inquest that the blood spatter suggested Mrs Fitzgerald was initially assaulted in the main bedroom and as she made her way up the hallway she was fatally struck on the head where she lay.

Blood patterns in the shed indicated Paul was assaulted in this area and collapsed on the ground outside. He subsequently made his way into the house and lay on the single bed bleeding heavily.

Blood matching both Mrs Fitzgerald and her son was also found on a metal bar which is believed to have been used as a weapon in the assaults against them.

Dr Michael Curtis, Deputy State Pathologist gave evidence that Mrs Catherine, Kitty, Fitzgerald was struck a minimum of three blows to the head with a solid instrument. She sustained a number of skull fractures and death would have ensued rapidly, he told the court.

Mrs Fitzgerald also had bruising to her left arm and hand consistent with defensive type injuries.

He recorded her cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.

In the case of Tom Fitzgerald, Dr Curtis noted superficial wounds on his neck consistent with self inflicted injuries.

He had suffered damage to his pharynx and oesophagus, consistent with the ingestion of corrosive fluid.

Dr Curtis recorded cause of death as ingestion of corrosive fluid with pharyngeal and oesophageal necrosis.

After hearing all the evidence the jury in the inquest recorded a verdict of death by homicide for Mrs Fitzgerald and one of self inflicted homicide in the case of her husband Tom.

Mr Pat O'Connor, Coroner for Mayo described the case as one of the most difficult a coroner could be asked to deal with.

He extended his sympathies to all those involved particularly Paul Fitzgerald adding:

"There is lots that could be said but words are really inadequate. It seems all we can do is remember Tom and Catherine Fitzgerald as best we can and try and learn something, I don't know what, from their tragic deaths."

If you have been affected by any of these issues you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or Pieta House on 1800 247 247
A garda who is out sick from work due to alleged bullying and racial abuse he has received from colleagues has launched a High Court challenge against a decision by the Garda Commissioner to reclassify his illness.

The action has been brought by Deming Gao, a native of China who is a naturalised Irish citizen, and who joined the gardai in 2008.

He has been stationed at Dun Laoghaire and Shankill Garda Stations, where he has been subjected to "prolonged and persistent bullying, harassment and racial torment", his counsel Mark Harty said.

Garda Gao brought these incidents to the attention of his superiors, and had spoken with a garda welfare officer.

When his colleagues learned of this meeting, Garda Gao was branded a rat and the mistreatment intensified, the court heard.

He was avoided, shunned, and isolated by other gardai who refused to communicate in a courteous, professional and respectful manner, it is alleged.

His religious beliefs, ethnic background, and personal and family values were ridiculed by a number of his colleagues, it is claimed.

After he relocated to Shankill, he continued to experience mistreatment from fellow members.

Mr Harty, instructed by Kilfeather & Company Solicitors, said in November 2016 Garda Gao was subjected to a verbal attack by a colleague.

He went to his doctor and was deemed unfit for work due to stress.

He also attended for assessment at the Garda Occupational Health Service.

Garda Gao's injury was classified as an injury on duty. However, in May 2017, he was informed in correspondence that the status of his injury had been changed to ordinary illness and backdated to the time he went out of work.

Correspondence from his employer stated the initial classification was issued in error.

No other reason or explanation has been given to Garda Gao for the reclassification.

The Commissioner has also sought the repayment of monies alleged overpaid to Garda Gao.

While no breakdown of the alleged over payments have been furnished to him, the Commissioner has commenced deducting monies from the nominal payments to him, it is claimed.

Counsel said his client sought to appeal the reclassification, but was informed in a letter sent last month that his sick leave remains classified as that of an ordinary illness.

Counsel said the commissioner has "no legal basis" to reclassify the injury.

No adequate reasons have been given for the decision, counsel added.

As a result of the reclassification, Garda Gao and his young family have suffered financially.

He is in receipt of a nominal weekly payment and is struggling to make his financial obligations.

In his action, he seeks an order quashing the the decision to reclassify his injury from being a work related injury to being ordinary illness, and that the original classification be restored.

He further seeks declarations that the reclassification of the injury was carried out in breach of natural or constitutional justice and that the Commissioner is not entitled to seek repayment of the alleged overpayment of wages.

Permission to bring the challenge was granted on an ex-parte basis by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan.

The judge made the matter returnable to a date in December.
By PTI: collapses

(Eds: Updates death toll, adds details)

Ludhiana, Nov 20 (PTI) Three firefighters and a man were killed and at least a dozen others feared trapped under the debris after a three-storeyed plastic manufacturing factory in Mushtaq Nagar here caught fire and collapsed today, police said.

Firefighters were trying to douse the flames when the the factory collapsed, trapping 15-20 people, police officials said.

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"Four bodies have been pulled out," Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Pradeep Aggarwal said.

The victims have been identified as Inderpal Singh, Fire Officer Simaon Gill and firemen Rajan and Puran Singh, he said.

Rescue operations are underway and could continue throughout the night.

Earlier in the morning, at least 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army experts are being aided by local authorities in the massive rescue operation. Earth-moving machinery is being used to clear the debris.

Senior district administration and police officials are present at the site.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he was "shocked and saddened" by the factory collapse incident.

"Shocked and saddened at the Ludhiana factory collapse. Have asked district administration to extend all help to NDRF in rescue operations," he tweeted. PTI Cor SUN VSD GVS

--- ENDS ---
A man who was dealing drugs out of a Kinder Surprise egg has been jailed for 18 months.

Andras Szabo (35), of North Circular Road, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin for sale or supply at his flat on July 5, 2016.

Tony McGillycuddy BL, prosecuting, told the court that gardai had information that Szabo was dealing drugs from the flat.

During a search of the flat they found a small Kinder egg box which contained plastic bags with heroin. They also found a weighing scales and 1,635 in cash.

The Hungarian native admitted to gardai that he had kept drugs in the Kinder Surprise egg and said he had been dealing the drugs from the house for two weeks.

He said was trying to make some money to send to his daughter in Hungary.

He has two previous convictions for drug dealing, dating from 2014 and received suspended jail sentences for these offences.

Shaun Smith BL, defending, said his client was a recovered heroin addict at the time. He had closed his mind to what drugs can do to communities because he was thinking only of his daughter.

Judge Martin Nolan noted that Szabo had a good history of employment from when he first came here from Hungary.

But he said Szabo received previous chances from the courts and did not take advantage of them. He said a jail term was unavoidable.

Judge Nolan also ordered the forfeiture of the cash seized, which Szabo told gardai had come from selling the drugs.
The trial of a Kildare man charged with manslaughter has heard that the main cause of the victim's death was heart disease, but that injuries sustained in an altercation were a contributory factor.

Father-of-four Paul Gill (37) denies killing Patrick Patsy Kelly at Sarto Rd, Naas on August 22, 2015, but has admitted assaulting Mr Kelly and causing him harm.

Mr Gill of Sarto Road, Naas, Co Kildare has also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Kelly's friend, Martin Curtis, during the same incident.

The trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard that the altercation between neighbours arose over a dispute about noise and late night drinking.

Giving evidence on the third day of the trial today, State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy said she carried out a post mortem on Patrick Kelly (57) the day after he died.

She said the principal cause of death was an enlarged heart and the narrowing of blood vessels to the heart muscle, while two contributory causes were acute alcohol intoxication and minor trauma.

Prof Cassidy said Mr Kelly suffered from severe and significant heart disease, with some arteries blocked by at least 50 per cent, and was therefore at risk of sudden death.

The court heard that at the time of his death, Mr Kelly had a blood alcohol level of 213mg per 100 ml, considered as being in the toxic range, although some experts would place it in the lethal range.

However, Prof Cassidy said there was no safe level of alcohol and that even one drink could cause the heart to beat irregularly.

Prof Cassidy said the deceased had been a chronic alcoholic, and that his liver was twice the normal weight, bright yellow in colour, and with a well-defined cirrhosis, due to the longstanding toxic effects of alcohol.

She said Mr Kelly had suffered minor injuries as a result of being punched and possibly kicked, the most significant of which was a 5cm laceration on his forehead.

His other injuries included a large bruise under the skin on his skull, an incomplete fracture of the cervical spine and multiple fractures to his ribcage, although Prof Cassidy said the fractures were most likely caused by prolonged and vigorous attempts at resuscitation by paramedics.

None of the injuries sustained could have been expected to cause death in a healthy individual, said the pathologist, however she emphasised that the evaluation of Mr Kelly's death could not be separated from the circumstances of it.

The stress of the altercation likely precipitated this man's death, she said, explaining that the adrenalin secreted during a fight or flight reaction put his already diseased heart under increased pressure.

It could be that emotional upset and the threat or fear of injury may cause a rise in blood pressure, precipitating a fatal arrhythmia and death, said Prof Cassidy.

Professor Mary Shepherd, a cardiac pathologist at St George's Medical School in London, agreed with the state pathologist's conclusion on the causes of death.

Prof Shepherd added that stress due to an altercation may stimulate the cardiovascular system, even in someone with a normal heart, causing them to die literally from fright.

It's called takotsubo, a Japanese term referring to the shape of a lobster pot, whereby a person who gets a sudden shock  be it an altercation or being told bad news or witnessing an earthquake  the heart can suddenly contract so much that they collapse and die, she said.

The trial resumes next Tuesday before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of four women and eight men.
One of the performers on yesterdays Christmas parade. Picture: Gerry Mooney

Gardai had to stop one of two festive Christmas parades from converging in Dublin city centre amid safety fears after huge crowds had flooded the area.

Dublin Lord Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha, who officially switched on the Christmas lights in the city, remarked that there was "a lot of discontent among the people" that one of the processions had not been allowed into O'Connell Street.

A procession from St Stephen's Green was prevented by gardai from crossing O'Connell Bridge for crowd safety reasons.

Another parade began in Mary Street and entered O'Connell Street from the north end of the thoroughfare.

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The planned destination of both parades was a 40ft Christmas tree on O'Connell Street at the junction of North Earl Street.

Many in the crowds spoke admiringly of the glittering spectacle.

"I heard that 30,000 to 40,000 people came to the event tonight," said the Lord Mayor, expressing disappointment that spectators on O'Connell Street standing between the bridge and the GPO were prevented from seeing the south side parade pass by.

"I will be talking to the officials about this tomorrow. There was a lot of discontent among the people there at that," he said.

"The organisation needs to be looked at."

A spokesman for organisers Dublin Town said: "We are genuinely surprised by the Lord Mayor's comments.

"There was always a provision in the plan that if it was ever felt there were too many people that the procession wouldn't proceed. The (southside) procession went the entire way around the route except for the last 100 metres.

"The decision for one procession not to come across O'Connell Bridge was made by gardai who felt there was already enough people in O'Connell Street. For all, public safety is priority number one."
Representatives of a number of communities have expressed alarm at any threat to locally run CCTV security schemes.

Towns, villages and even urban areas have warned that such community-run schemes are now a vital asset in the battle against crime.

However, the schemes now find themselves mired in a data protection wrangle between local councils, the Office of the Data Protection Commission and gardai.

This revolves around the issue of who acts as the required 'data controller' for such schemes and whether new schemes have controversial technology, such as automatic number plate recognition.

This technology has already run foul of data-protection regulations in other countries, including the UK.

A former mayor of Cork County, Councillor John Paul O'Shea, has said the issues involved are critically important and need to be resolved, so that community CCTV schemes can operate to their maximum potential.

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"It is a very important issue, given the number of community CCTV schemes in operation around Ireland and the number of new schemes now being rolled out," he said.

While many such schemes involve a direct feed to the nearest major garda station, not all of them involve such data transfers.

Councillor Melissa Mullane pointed out that the community CCTV scheme in Mallow, Co Cork, which was launched in 2009 at a cost of 170,000, was so successful in foiling crime and tracking down offenders that similar schemes had since been sought by surrounding towns, including Buttevant, Kanturk and Newmarket.

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While the Mallow scheme has a direct feed to the local garda stations, other, smaller schemes do not.

"Community CCTV schemes have been hugely effective as a deterrent to crime and also as a valuable asset for gardai in doing their job, particularly here in Mallow," she said.

"Anything that would threaten their use or their ability to help protect communities is an issue of major concern, particularly in rural Ireland."

Ms Mullane pointed out that at the moment there are plans to expand the original Mallow CCTV scheme, which boasted 10 cameras, with multiple new camera installations.

Mallow Chamber of Commerce members also hailed the CCTV scheme as "a God-send" in the battle against crime.

"I just don't understand the issues involved; surely we should be encouraging and supporting schemes like this and helping protect both traders and residents alike from crime," a spokesman said.
The Government has launched a last-ditch bid to win the fiercely contested battle to host the European Banking Authority (EBA), as a high-level delegation of civil servants from the Department of Finance jetted into Brussels.

A secret ballot to decide the agency's post-Brexit location will be held today at EU headquarters as Dublin is widely regarded to be behind Frankfurt and Vienna in the race to house the authority.

Eight EU nations are jostling to secure the lucrative and prestigious agency, which is currently housed in Canary Wharf.

A separate contest to secure the European Medicines Agency (EMA), also based in London, will be decided today too but that has long since been regarded as a lost cause for Ireland.

The Government reportedly abandoned its lobbying efforts on the EMA front in recent weeks and instead redoubled its charm offensive for the EBA - an organisation best known for its health checks, or stress tests on the region's banks.

The votes to decide which cities take the post-Brexit spoils when it comes to EU agencies will be held in Brussels' Europa Building, colloquially called the Space Egg.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was due to arrive in the city this morning to participate in the vote, which has drawn comparisons with the Eurovision Song Contest, as competing nations attempt to drum up support for their bids from neighbours and allies.

Horse trading

But the delegation that preceded him, including European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee, has been afforded the opportunity for some last-minute horse trading, according to sources.

Ireland's geographic isolation has been cited by some as a weakness even as Government sources insist the region's smaller countries will oppose a move to re-house the lucrative EU agencies in the central economies of France and Germany.

Yet despite this common ground, many doubt whether Ireland has sufficient support in the EU's General Affairs Council to carry off a victory. Bookmakers are currently tipping Milan as favourite for the EMA and Frankfurt as stand-out candidate for the EBA.

According to sources, Ireland's pitch for the EBA has centred on the relatively seamless transition that Dublin could provide. As one source in the Department of Finance stressed, a relocation to Ireland would represent the "least level of disruption" given the similarity of the legal system and the shared language.

Last month, Mr Coveney shot down a report from Bloomberg that the Government was braced for defeat in the race for both the EBA and the EMA.

However, countries are expected to vote strategically. The ballot spans three rounds, and is likely to involve hours of haggling as the victor of each round shores up support among the losers. Papers will be destroyed after the ballot and if there is a tie after three rounds, the final decision will be made by drawing lots.
The vessel was assisted by a tug into Castletownbere port in west Cork last week but a routine survey immediately revealed a major insect infestation on board (Photo: Stock image/Google Maps)

IRISH, UK and Indonesian authorities are now liaising over an investigation into working conditions on a ship which had to be towed into an Irish port after encountering engine problems off the south west coast.

Twelve Indonesian crew have since quit the vessel and are now being cared for in a refugee support centre.

The vessel was assisted by a tug into Castletownbere port in west Cork last week but a routine survey immediately revealed a major insect

infestation problem on board.

Experts were called and the ship was fumigated twice in a bid to deal with the problem.

However, a secondary problem erupted over working conditions and contracts on the UK-registered but Spanish-owned vessel.

The crew, comprised of up to 12 Indonesian nationals, subsequently left the vessel as the row escalated.

They were supported onshore by an official from the Indonesian Embassy as well as by marine officials and marine trade union members.

Gardai subsequently attended the scene.

An investigation is now underway by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

However, both the UK and Indonesian authorities are also liaising with the Irish authorities over the probe.

Several of the Indonesian crew have traveled to Dublin where they are now receiving consular support.

As the vessel is registered in the UK, British authorities are expected to take a primary role in the investigation.

The vessel does not normally visit Irish ports, usually fishing in deep water in the Atlantic and operating between the UK and Spain.

However, it encountered serious engine problems last week and had to head for the nearest port, Castletownbere, for urgent repairs.
Teacher and musician Eimear Noonan was a gift taken too soon mourners were told yesterday.

At Eimears funeral mass yesterday in the tiny north east Clare village of Flagmount, Eimears brother, Michael recalled his only sisters wonderful kindness, positivity and her cherished love of family.

The tight-knit community around Caher, Flagmount and Killanena has been plunged into grief following the accidental death of Eimear (21), who fell while our for a jog in the south east French town of Annonay.

A 1st class honours graduate in French and Irish at UCC, Eimear was teaching English at a school in the small town and her body was found on November 10th.

In an emotional tribute to his younger sister at the end of her funeral mass yesterday, Michael said: Over the course of the last few days, we have had times whee we have been torn from grief at its most crippling and painful to moments of pure joy and laughter.

At St Marys Church, Flagmount, Michael said: One would have to wonder how such a thing could be possible in the circumstances, but given the personality and nature of our Eimear, happiness, joy and laughter seem best for her.

He said: Eimear, we will always hold you in our hearts - you were a gift taken too soon.

Michael is of one three sons in the Noonan family and he said that Eimear was the only girl in Flan and Marys flock adding that the family will return to Annonay to make future dedications to our beloved sister.

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Michael said that the warm sentiment shown to us by locals in Annonay helped us to cope with our grief in the early days of learning we had lost Eimear" and said that the family will return the favour "to all those kind people there".

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Michael said that Eimear was always the apple of her fathers eye and her infectious laugh, wonderfully bubbly personality and positivity meant she was always a tonic after a days graft on the farm.

However, Michael said that it was in her mother, Marys footsteps that Eimear tried to follow by becoming a teacher.

He said: They were best friends from the beginning and in more recent years both have fallen in love with the French language and culture.

Michael said that Eimears sweet nature always won over her three brothers and I think we were just jealous, and maybe in awe, that our younger sister was so much cooler than us.

One of Eimears brothers, Cathal is an u-21 Clare hurler and Michael said that Eimear and Cathal had a special bond and came as a pair.

Michael said that Eimear had a great love of music and her violin was offered up as a gift during the funeral mass while friends from the UCC orchestra bathed the ceremony in music in tribute to Eimear.

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Micheal said that family took great pride in Eimear being chair of the orchestra in her final year at UCC.

Michael said that Eimears great loves in life were language, nature and family and she was always fully immersed in these.

Poignantly, Michael said that Eimears final To Do list demonstrated her passion for her family and her work and included practising new trad tunes and ordinary everyday things like coffee and chill out and listen to music.

Michael said that Flan and Mary were in awe of Eimears gifts and recalled how Eimear sung a rendition of Somewhere over the Rainbow at a production of Wizard of Oz that would have put Judy Garland in her box.

At the end of the mass, Melissa Craig and Kevin Herron performed the song in dedication to Eimear.

Earlier at the mass, Fr Joe McMahon told mourners that Eimear lived a very complete and very beautiful life.

Eimears remains were later laid to rest at Killanena cemetery and she is survived by parents, Flan and Mary and brothers, Declan, Michael and Cathal.
Pamela Anderson has penned a letter to Leo Varadkar urging him to end fur farming in Ireland

Pamela Anderson has urged Leo Varadkar to "pull up his stylish socks" and ban fur farming in Ireland.

In a letter to the Taoiseach, on behalf of PETA, the actress and animal rights' activist praised Ireland's recent decision to ban wild-animal circuses.

Anderson, who is an Honorary Director of PETA, said she was "thrilled" to hear the news, having previously penned a letter to Enda Kenny saying she would "raise a glass of Guinness" with him when wild-animal circus acts were banned in Ireland.

In her letter to Varadkar, the former Baywatch star said that she would love to see "the next victory for animals: an end to fur farming".

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There are currently three farms across in operation across the country.

The controversial farms house thousands of minks who sit in cages waiting to be "harvested" for their fur in November.

In her letter, Anderson said: "I admired your strength in promising, at this year's Dublin LGBTQ Pride, to be 'the voice for toleration, respect and equality' - and wish you'd extend this compassion to all living beings.

"I can't think of anyone more capable of creating history once again than you, Ireland's youngest and first openly gay prime minister."

Referencing the Taoiseach's penchant for novelty socks, she added: "Please, would you pull up those stylish socks of yours and announce a ban on fur farming in Ireland? I greatly look forward to clinking glasses with you when that happens."
A teenage girl has said that she has been called a "gorilla" and had other racist slurs shouted at her as she walks to school.

Joella Dhlamini (16) said that she has had enough of this behaviour and urged Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today to help teach people that racism is wrong.

Joella - who was born in the township of Soweto in South Africa but moved to Ireland in 2013 - met the Taoiseach today as part of World Children's Day.

Children around the world took over roles in fields such as sport, politics and the media to highlight the issues affecting them.

Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One, Joella said of the racist abuse she has faced: "Every day when I'm walking home I'll be called a gorilla or a monkey.

"I have been told, 'go back to your own country, you don't belong here.'

"The N word is really common as well, it's really upsetting and it's something I have grown to accept but it is not something that I would want anyone to think is normal.

"It's not normal, it's wrong and something should be done about it."

Joella, who lives in Drogheda in Co Louth, said that just because this kind of racist abuse happens regularly that doesn't mean that it should be normalised

She said: "At this point sometimes I even laugh about it and walk away but it's something I had to adjust to, but nobody should have to adjust to it.

"Thousands of people around Ireland have had to adjust to this - you go home and tell your mam this has happened to me while I'm walking to or from school.

"She will tell me there's nothing I can really do about it and I just have to keep walking but it's unacceptable.

"I know if this ever happened to your child you wouldn't accept this behaviour so why should my mam? Why should I? Nobody in Ireland should accept this kind of behaviour."

As she prepared to spend the day with the Fine Gael leader, she said she wants him to help lead a more inclusive Ireland.

She said: "I won't ask the Taoiseach for anything big to happen but even just to try and educate people about these kind of things.

"I want him to ask people to educate their children about this and to let them know that it's not fair for anyone to be treated like this.

"I want him to tell people to treat other people as you want to be treated because I know no-one in hell would accept this.

"It's a simple message that needs to be out there."
The railway ministry has told the contractors to complete the two world-class stations by 2018 and the dedicated freight corridors before 2019 elections.

By Rakesh Ranjan: Just over a year is left for the 2019 General Elections and the railway ministry is under tremendous pressure to complete several infrastructure projects. The projects are crucial for transformation of the rail system in India and so the ministry has advanced the deadline of these big ticket projects.

The prime minister's office (PMO) is constantly monitoring the progress of dedicated freight corridors (DFC) and upcoming world-class stations at Habibganj in Bhopal and Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat.

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A top railway ministry official said the PMO wants both projects to be completed before 2019 General Elections. The dedicated freight corridor was scheduled to be completed by 2020 but the ministry has revised the deadline to February 2019, just before the elections. Similarly, the ministry has revised the deadline to February 2019, just before the elections.

Similarly, the ministry has told the contractors to complete the two world-class stations by 2018. The idea is to showcase these projects as big achievements of the Modi government in rail transport sector during elections.

The eagerness of the government can also be gauged by the fact that no key project announced by the present government has been completed till now. At the same time the government has also been facing flak for deteriorating rail safety after a series of accidents and rise in passenger fare with introduction of surge pricing in premium trains.

DFC DEADLINE ADVANCED

A top railway board official said the contractors have been instructed to expedite the work on DFC and keeping in view the urgency, its deadline has been advanced. Earlier, the DFC was scheduled to be operational from December 2019 but now the deadline has been revised to February 2019.

This, officials said, would also increase the average speed of passenger trains on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors by 25 kmph. Railway plans to operate trains at the speed of 160 kmph on the two most saturated corridors in the country.

While the Delhi-Mumbai corridor is 115 per cent saturated, the Delhi-Howrah corridor is operating at 150 per cent of the capacity.

However, with commissioning of the DFC, railways expect the situation to relent.

Two key projects launched in 2005 are the 1,504km-long western dedicated freight corridor (Mumbai-Delhi) and the 1318km-long eastern DFC (Delhi-Howrah). When commissioned, the new freight corridors will absorb 70 per cent of the existing freight traffic on those routes, thus significantly freeing up line capacity.

Officials said the ministry is also fast-tracking the Kashmir valley rail project which will enable trains to operate between New Delhi and Srinagar in 14 hours flat.

The railway line, which could become functional in four years, is seen as a big development push by the Narendra Modi government in the Valley.

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Costing over 10,000 crore, it will provide all-weather connectivity and be a cornerstone of the government's outreach programme in Jammu & Kashmir. The project is also being monitored by the prime minister's office.

WATCH VIDEO | Mood of the Nation poll: Modi tallest leader, NDA would win 349 seats if polls took place today

--- ENDS ---
LONG GOODBYE: Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams addresses the SF Ard Fheis in the RDS, Dublin to tell them he is stepping down sometime next year. Picture: PA

Gerry Adams will step down as Sinn Fein president next year after more than three decades at the helm of the party.

Mr Adams's decision to stand aside as party leader next year is a significant u-turn on his previous commitment to lead Sinn Fein into the next election.

The move throws Sinn Fein into uncertainty at a time when the party is struggling in the opinion polls.

Last night, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has dismissed the significance of Mr Adams's intention to step down, stating that the Sinn Fein party has "always been about putting the Provisional movement first".

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Martin said Mr Adams's announcement will be followed by "overblown commentary" about how important this was as a political moment and speculation about how this might mark a major turning point. "This is simply not true," he said.

Mr Martin also rounded on potential successors, saying there were "no new faces" in Sinn Fein. He added: "The party is much more than the person, and the party remains as unreformed and as unsuitable for government as ever."

He said: "They will change their leader but the core of the Provisional movement's approach to politics remains and has been constantly reaffirmed by all of their prospective leaders."

Mr Martin said potential successors, including Sinn Fein vice-president Mary Lou McDonald, have remained loyal to the republican movement in spite of revelations of criminality, sex abuse and bullying allegations.

"Please, spare us the idea that we are getting a new departure or a new generation from Sinn Fein. Instead of wasting time about their future political strategies, they need to be held to account for their actions today," he said.

Mr Martin also reaffirmed that Fianna Fail would not go into Government with Sinn Fein after the next election.

Meanwhile, in Dublin's RDS, Mr Adams said he would ask the Sinn Fein ard comhairle to agree a date in 2018 for a special Ard Fheis to elect a new party president.

He also said he would not stand for the party in Louth at the next election.

Mr Adams also revealed Kerry TD Martin Ferris will not run in the next election. In August, Mr Adams said he would lead Sinn Fein into the next election.

Earlier in the day, the party passed a motion stating that a special Ard Fheis must be held no less than three months after a vacancy arises for the presidency. However, Mr Adams has not officially stepped aside.

The Sinn Fein ard comhairle will meet in two weeks to discuss a date to hold the special Ard Fheis where Mr Adams's successor will be announced.

Ms McDonald is the favourite to succeed Mr Adams but there will also be keen political interest over who is elected as the party's deputy party leader.

During his Ard Fheis speech, Mr Adams also told party members former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness had planned to step down from his position in May.

"Then life punched us in the face," he said.

"Martin's illness and the 'cash for ash' scandal brought that date forward," he added.
Maureen Cronin, who worked for a year unpaid so she could carry on teaching after getting married

Archaic times: Many women had to settle for life as a homemaker due to the marriage bar, which was the bane of career-minded women until it was abolished in 1973

Susie Hall, who was told she had to leave Loreto Foxrock in 1971 after getting engaged

Susie Hall remembers the occasion like it was yesterday. It was 1971, and she had just got engaged and could hardly wait to show off her engagement ring to her teacher colleagues at the fee-paying girls school, Loreto Foxrock, in south Dublin.

But while many of her friends on staff were thrilled with her news, a senior member - a nun - took a different view. She told the young Dubliner, who had been working there for the previous two years, that she would "have to be let go". Forty six years later and the memory of that moment is still painful.

"It was such a shock," she says. "I went in that day with no expectation that it would happen. We knew about the marriage bar in the civil service, but this was the public service and there were older, married women who were on the staff."

Her protests fell on deaf ears and she was forced into retirement just as her career was getting under way. "We had just taken out a mortgage on a house, fully expecting both of us to pay for it," she says, "but it was no use - they wouldn't budge."

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"It was extraordinary, looking back, because they were discriminating against me about something that might happen - namely, having children. And that's what the marriage bar was all about."

The injustice of the era is captured vividly. "I remember a noticeboard in the school where the different pay rates between men and women were proudly listed and, of course, men were so much better paid."

The marriage bar - which had been introduced by Eamon de Valera's government in 1932 and appeared to bear the imprimatur of the future archbishop of Dublin, the all-powerful John Charles McQuaid, a close friend of the Taoiseach - was eventually abolished in 1973, the year Ireland joined the EEC. But thousands of women like Susie Hall were affected, including many who worked in banks and hospitals.

It had been the bane of career-minded women for decades, not least primary school teachers - although the bar was lifted for them in 1958. One hundred-year-old Maureen Cronin - a recent recipient of a 'Hidden Hearing Heroes' national award - was among those teachers who fought to have the bar lifted.

"I went back a week after (getting married) into the school and I was still Maureen O'Carroll, there was no such person as Maureen Cronin, she didn't exist," she recently told the Clare Champion.

"Just because you had a different name, you couldn't teach. The inspectors came, passed my room and went into the others, I didn't exist. I had no brother, so my parents left me the farm, I had money, so I stayed on to last this thing out."

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She continued to work - without pay - for almost a year until she was eventually dismissed from her post. "They were alerted in Dublin about this, I don't remember if it was a garda or who it was who came out to me, it was a long time ago. But they said, 'I'm dismissing you from this moment, if you are here tomorrow, you will be removed'."

But other professions - including that of secondary school teacher in certain religious-run schools - remained under the jurisdiction of the ban for a further 15 years.

Among those affected was Connie Doody, co-founder of the award-winning Lir Chocolates. She had been employed in the now defunct Department of Posts. "It was very well paid, I was delighted. I got married at 23 and had to retire; it was the way that it happened in those days.

"Looking back, it seems archaic, but that was the reality. The idea was that men had to have jobs, so women could be dispensed with. We didn't question things much, there were no surprises. It was the deal that you had when you went in."

But questions are being asked today about whether or not people like Susie Hall and Connie Doody should be retrospectively compensated. There is a growing movement - led by organisations like the National Women's Council of Ireland - for those women who were affected by the marriage bar to have their full pension entitlements restored. All too often, the years of service carried out by women in the civil service - and in other industries that took their cues from it - were seen as worthless when calculating pension entitlements.

One of them is Mary Walsh, of Cahirciveen, Co Kerry. She joined the Department of Justice in 1967, but would be made redundant when she became engaged in 1971. It was a decision, she believes, that represented how poorly women were treated in Ireland in the decades right up to the 1970s.

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"The marriage bar was engrained in the culture and it just became accepted," she says. "But what it did was to deny generations of women the opportunity to work at the prime of their lives. I was just 21 when I got engaged and I really wanted to be able to continue to work, but I couldn't do it. And there weren't enough people who were making a fuss about it, either. The women's liberation movement was really growing in Ireland back then, but it seemed that there were other issues they were more concerned about."

Besides being denied the right to earn a salary, Mary says the remnants of those days before the act was repealed are being felt by her when she collects her pension every single week. "I've worked out that I'm getting 35 per week less in the pension than I should be. That's very hard to stomach and there doesn't seem to be enough political will to change it or to make the money available.

"35 per week may not seem like much, but it is to me, and if you work it out over the course of 10 years, say, that's 18,200 that I'm not being paid. And there are thousands of women out there in the exact same situation."

Mary Walsh was part of a delegation of women from her generation who were galvanised by the National Women's Council to lobby Dail members on their cause. "It's hard not to feel as though we have been forgotten," she says.

Leo Varadkar's much touted 'Republic of Opportunity' doesn't seem to apply to older people, she reasons.

And changes to the pension eligibility rules in 2012, introduced by then minister Joan Burton, have had a detrimental effect on women like her. "Back then, I was getting about 5 per week less than some of my friends, but that amount has jumped up to 35. Joan Burton said she wanted to make the system fairer, but it's done the exact opposite - we're worse off."

Homemaker scheme

In 2012, some 36,000 people had their state pensions cut and senior citizens charity Age Action has estimated that 62pc of those are women.

They had been disproportionately affected because the ramifications of the homemaker scheme, introduced in 1994. Since then, the practicalities of childrearing have been taken into consideration regarding the qualifying conditions for the pension.

The homemaker scheme disregards years spent working at home while caring on a full-time basis for a child up to 12 years, and a maximum of 20 years can be disregarded that way. What it means in practice is for those who spend up to 20 years raising their children full-time, those years will not be added to the number of years you worked in total, and your PRSI contribution total will not be divided by them, leaving you with a higher average of contributions.

It sounds reasonable until you consider that anyone who raised their children before 1994 is not taken into account. And it was prior to 1994 when Mary Walsh raised her five children.

"People say things changed when the marriage bar was lifted in 1973, but there has still been discrimination and women bear the brunt of it.

"The problem is politicians like her simply don't have to live on 200 or so a week."

Last month, Burton defended her decision to make the changes in Budget 2012, but said she had "regrets" about the cuts made during the austerity years: "Just as you will recall during the crisis, public servants took reductions, people on social welfare payments took reductions."

She added that minister Paschal Donohoe could remedy the situation "if he has the money, in one fell swoop, or instead over time".

It's estimated that it would cost the State 230m to repay those affected for the years of 'underpayment'. It remains to be seen if there's a willingness to find such money within the public spending budget.

Others are hopeful that women who suffered the marriage bar between 1932 and 1973 will receive reparations, but there appears to be little political will to address an issue that some would like to consign to the pages of history.

The abolition of the bar had a seismic effect on women in the workforce. According to historian Diarmaid Ferriter - author of Ambigious Republic: Ireland in the 1970s - its impact can't be understated: "In 1966, only 5pc of married women in Ireland had jobs, whereas in 2006, this number had risen to over 50pc, so it's clear that this one regulatory change had an immense and lasting effect on society.

"It impacted not only the lives of women, but also hugely affected men and children, and from the 1970s onwards, brought about significant social, cultural and economic change."

But that change came too late for some, according to Susie Hall. "I'm certain that there were many really fine teachers who had to give up teaching completely because of the marriage bar," she says. "And what a travesty that is. Think of all that unfulfilled potential."

Despite losing her job at one of the most prestigious schools in Dublin, Susie's teaching career was only interrupted temporarily. She landed a job at Malahide Community School soon after and taught there for 39 years. "I loved every moment of it," she says. "And there are even calls now for retired people to go back and teach. It's all so different than it was when I was starting out in my career.

"Ireland has come a long way. When I was at school, career options for women were limited. Now, I think of all the wonderful careers my ex-pupils went on to and it's a sign of how much has changed.

"It's hard to believe today that people used to be forced out of their jobs when they got married, but it really did happen and there are a lot of women out there who will recall the very moment they were told to pack their bags."

Floodgates for greater equality opened in 1970s

The removal of the marriage bar under the Civil Service [Employment of Married Women] Act in 1973 was just one of a series of legislative changes to improve the lot of women in the patriarchal Ireland of the era.

There had been signs that the times they were a changing in 1957, when bean gardai were first recruited to the police force and, a year later, when women teachers could continue in the job after their marriage.

But the floodgates for greater parity at home and in work truly opened in the 1970s. In 1973, the Social Welfare Act made provision for the payment of a deserted wives' benefit, and for the payment of an unmarried mother's allowance, and the following year, women were officially allowed to collect the children's allowance. (Remarkably, it had been the father who had been the person designated to collect this money up to then).

In 1976, the Family Home Protection Act prevented the husband from disposing of the family home without the consent of his wife.

Then, in 1977, the government effected the EEC's directive on equity by passing the Employment Equality Act, which also established the Employment Equality Agency. And, that same year, employees - including pregnant workers - were protected from wrongful dismissal under the Unfair Dismissals Act.

The 1980s saw further improvements for working mothers. The Civil Service introduced a scheme of job sharing and career breaks in 1984, a move that was soon widely extended through the public sector, while the 1989 Social Welfare Act meant that, for the first-time, married women in Ireland were to be treated equally with men and single women in the social-welfare code.

In 1990, the European Commission launched the NOW (New Opportunities for Women) Programme, with the explicit aim of creating equal access for women to jobs and professional training.

Working mothers were finally acknowledged in 1998 with the Parental Leave Act giving parents an entitlement to unpaid leave from work to take care of young children.
Stephanie McNamee says her fiance Chris Emerson, has the ability to always make her feel better about situations. She may be only 25, but the popular make-up artist has been through a lot of emotional hardship in her life, particularly around the loss of one of her premature twin boys from a previous relationship.

Stephanie discovered she was pregnant with twins early on in the relationship with a previous partner. When she was 18 weeks pregnant, her waters began leaking, and at the 20-week scan it was noticed that Jacob was smaller than Reuben and he had a club foot. Stephanie was put on bed rest but then developed an infection, and the babies were born in the Rotunda via emergency section at 27 weeks. Reuben weighed just over two pounds and Jacob was just under. They were born on November 17, which coincidentally is World Prematurity Day.

The babies' early days were difficult, but they were soon thriving and putting on weight. Reuben went home in January and Jacob in February, but Jacob had to return to hospital for surgery for a hernia operation. He suddenly stopped breathing during a check-up at Temple Street Children's Hospital, and a nurse rushed him to be resuscitated in the emergency room. It would later be discovered that Jacob had contracted swine flu, and Reuben was also admitted to hospital with the same illness. Sadly Jacob's fragile lungs gave up, and the four-month-old passed away in March 2013. His funeral was held on Stephanie's first Mother's Day.

Stephanie says her gorgeous little Jacob was quieter than his brother, and it was discovered after his death that he was deaf. First-time mum Stephanie was grieving for one baby while caring for another desperately sick infant. Thankfully Reuben pulled through and is now a happy, healthy little boy. He turned five last Friday.

Stephanie's relationship with the babies' father ended a couple of months later.

Chris and Stephanie met on the first night of her holiday to Ibiza in 2013, a 21st present from her family. Chris was DJing in Ibiza for a month, and Stephanie recognised him from his 'DJ Chrisy' residency at The Wright Venue. "I was looking at her because she was beautiful, and as we got chatting, I discovered she was a really nice girl," he says. They exchanged numbers and met up when Chris returned home from Ibiza. As they began dating, Stephanie discovered that he was a very kind, sweet guy.

"I was a bit intimidated by him at first," she admits. "I thought he was really out there and would be a bit show-offish, being a DJ. As I got to know him, I realised that he was actually so soft and the total opposite to what I'd thought."

Stephanie was nervous telling Chris that she had a 10-month-old baby, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. She knew she had a good 'un when it didn't take a feather out of him that Reuben projectile-vomited into his eye the first time they met. Stephanie is also very close to her parents, Damien and Natalie. They were teenagers when she was born so her mum is only 41. She has a younger sister Jessica. Her parents' marriage ended when Stephanie was 18. Her mum is now married to Andrew and they have a three-year-old son, Caelan, who is younger than his nephew Reuben.

Chris says that he and Stephanie "couldn't get enough of each other" and moved in together after a few months. He proposed to her on a boat in Ibiza last September and they are hoping to marry in September 2019. Stephanie is thrilled that Chris is wonderful with Reuben and has a really great bond with him. They hope to have a family together in the future, but for now, they are really enjoying Reuben, whom they say is very affectionate, mannerly and funny.

They live in Chris's family home in Artane with his mum Monica, who is also great with Reuben. His parents are no longer together, and Chris comes in the middle of Monica and his dad Stephen's three children. He has a brother Stuart and sister Laura, and studied to be a computer systems technician.

After stints at Irish Life and Permanent TSB, he works in aviation IT at Dublin Airport with ESP Global Services.

Stephanie studied beauty therapy after school and had been working in retail when they met. Knowing that her passion was in beauty, Chris booked her on to a make up course with The Make Up Crew as a present. She followed this up with further training with Vanity X and is now working as a freelance make-up artist. She has become very popular for weddings and nights out, and really loves her work.

The grief of losing Jacob caught up with Stephanie two years ago and she felt really down. On special occasions like birthdays or starting school, she is always keenly aware that Reuben should have his brother by his side. She realised that when she started talking about it, the situation felt lighter, and says she can always talk to Chris, who offers unwavering support and always makes her feel good about herself.

"Stephanie would do anything for anyone without hesitation," he says, "but she has an inability to see how amazing she is. I remind her that her clients are attracted to her for her personality as much as her make-up skills."

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Like father, like son: Joe Biden and his late son Beau, an Iraq veteran who served as the attorney general of Delaware

For almost half a century, Joe Biden has been a conspicuous presence in Washington, a gregarious old-school Democrat with friends on both sides of the political divide. He ran twice for his party's nomination as president and lost by wide margins, but he didn't get on the train back to Delaware. He returned to the life of a public servant. When Barack Obama, the newcomer, looked for ballast on his presidential ticket, Biden was a wise and effective choice.

How ironic that the bookends of Biden's happy-warrior political career are the deaths of his first wife and one-year-old daughter in a car accident just before he reached Washington, and then, 42 years later, the death of his son Beau, who was stricken with brain cancer.

Beau, an Iraq veteran, had planned to run for governor of Delaware after serving two terms as the state's attorney general, and he was the odds-on favourite. A young man of such promise, many could see the Oval Office in his future.

Promise Me, Dad is Joe Biden's poignant, instructive and deeply affecting account of a family's struggle against a vicious brain cancer, played out against the demands of his job as vice president and the temptations of another run for the presidency. It is also a touching account of the cruel realities of cancer, especially cancer that strikes a child.

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Beau Biden's diagnosis of glioblastoma came after a mysterious siege of muscle and verbal struggles. He tried to shake off the early symptoms by using a favourite expression: "All good. All good." In fact, it was all bad. When neurologists in Philadelphia raised the possibility of glioblastoma, the deadly brain tumour that killed Ted Kennedy, the family doctor was brutally candid when asked where the Bidens should go for treatment. He blurted out, "If it's The Monster, it doesn't matter where we go."

It was The Monster.

A hopeful start

The Bidens wisely chose MD Anderson, the Houston temple of cancer treatment staffed with world-renowned surgeons. They began an aggressive yet delicate treatment that involved cutting away the tumour without doing damage to Beau's motor or verbal skills.

The first stage went well, so the vice president left Houston to return to his White House duties and to build a stealth movement for a Biden for President campaign for 2016. His team from earlier campaigns was up and running, and the early signs looked promising, even against the presumption that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee.

One who did not like the prospect of Biden running for the Democratic nomination was his boss, and friend, President Obama. At lunch after lunch, Obama expressed his opposition in clear but subtle terms. It was obvious to Biden that Obama had concluded Clinton was almost certain to be the nominee. As Biden puts it, "A number of the President's former staffers, and even a few current ones, were putting a finger on the scale for Clinton."

Expand Close The Bidens at the 2008 inauguration of Barack Obama. Photo: Getty / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Bidens at the 2008 inauguration of Barack Obama. Photo: Getty

The vice president understood the president's concerns. How could Biden do his job as vice president, run for his party's nomination and be there for Beau? What kind of chaos would that mean for the final 18 months of the Obama presidency?

Yin and Yang

They were a team, Obama and Biden, and like so many successful teams, they represented a yin and yang. Biden acknowledges that "there were times when we were unhappy with each other," but they kept their differences off the nightly news. The vice president confesses he thought there were occasions when his boss was deliberate to a fault. When Biden saw a distant, troubled look in the president's expression, he would counsel: "The country can never be more hopeful than its president. Don't make me 'Hope'. You gotta go out there and be 'Hope'." For his part, the president confided to aides that he wanted Joe's advice, just in 10-minute, not 60-minute, increments.

As the vice president resumed a role he relished, as the administration's point man on vexing international issues, he spent time on the phone with the president of Iraq, flew to Central America to deal with the issue of children from the region pouring across the US border and travelled to Moscow for his first meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Biden and Putin had a contentious discussion about the placement of an American missile defence shield close to the Russian border. The vice president couldn't convince the steely Putin that the system was there to protect against Iranian missiles. Remembering that President George W Bush, in his first meeting with Putin, said he looked into his eyes and got a "sense of his soul", Biden recalls that he looked directly at Putin and said, "Mr. Prime Minister... I don't think you have a soul." Biden writes: "He looked at me for a second and smiled back. 'We understand each other.'"

Back home, hopes for Beau's recovery were fading fast, and he was readmitted to MD Anderson, where his team of specialists was preparing a radical approach: a megadose of antibodies, followed by surgery to cut away the excessive parts of the tumour. A live virus designed to replicate itself is injected into the tumour and effectively goes to war on the cancer cells.

That would be hard on him, the doctors warned. And so it was. He developed a paralysis on one side of his body, a fluid build-up in his brain and pneumonia. His effervescent personality disappeared into a haze.

Beau briefly seemed to be making a recovery, but it was a false note. With his extended family, Secret Service agents, physicians and Walter Reed attendants gathered in a solemn huddle in and around his room, Beau's body finally succumbed to the cancer.

The vice president recorded in his diary: "May 30, 7:51 p.m. It happened. My God, my boy. My beautiful boy."

Beau's send-off in Delaware was a tribute to his life as attorney general and an Iraq veteran. His father's political team continued preparing for a Biden for President campaign, more encouraged every day by what they saw as ever-brighter prospects. Biden was driven onward by his love of political campaigning, his confidence that he could prevail, the pace of promising developments and calls from friends such as former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley: "Joe, sometimes the man meets the moment. Tragedy has bonded you to the public, and you can build on that. Joe, this is your moment."

But Biden's long-time friend and political guru Mike Donilon saw something else: Biden's continuing pain from the loss of Beau, and he said quietly, "I don't think you should do this." It was a moment when friendship overwhelmed politics, a rarity in the high-octane environment of a presidential campaign.

The next day, Biden, with Obama at his side, formally announced that he would not be a candidate. He was at peace with his decision.

Biden wants to stay actively involved in the "moonshot," a monumental undertaking to develop a massive, coordinated effort to accelerate the many breakthrough developments in cancer treatment. His new role is an extension of a conversation he had with Beau in the early stages of his son's illness. When the gravity of his situation was becoming clear, Beau called his dad to his side and said: "You've got to promise me, Dad, that no matter what happens, you're going to be all right. Give me your word, Dad. You're going to be all right."

A promise kept.

Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose by Joe Biden, published by Macmillan, is out now, 20.49

(The Washington Post)
The Irish pine dresser, which Claus bought from a friend in the Sherkin pub. The Jolly Roger, is filled with Royal Copenhagen china. The china is precious to Claus, because his grandfather worked for the company, making one-off pieces

The bedroom, like the rest of the house, is simply furnished with natural materials. Claus made the bed with its built-in sidetables himself. He also painted the frieze on the wall

The Scandanavian-style house Claus Havemann built on Sherkin Island, 40 years ago. The glass studio is a later addition, as is the little house on the left, which he built for his daughter Krestine

Claus in his conservatory, which he calls the Green Room, not just because of the paintwork, but because of its position in nature. The painting above his head is typical of his work at the moment. "It is an abstract form which doesn't exist in nature. I superimpose transparent squares on my naturalist paintings, he says

Artist Claus Havemann in his light-filled studio with his partner, Pauline, who teaches at the Cork School of Music; and his daughter, Krestine, seated, who is a photographer, in Denmark. Behind are recent works by Claus. Photo: Krestine Havemann

Above the simple kitchen is the mezzanine, which Claus built for Krestine to sleep in as a child. All the paintings are his work, including the stencilling of onions over the window. Note the one red onion. According to Claus, the meat slicer is a staple of Danish kitchens

There is a pine dresser in the kitchen of Claus Havemann's house on Sherkin Island, and you could say it and its contents are the embodiment of the spirit of the craggy Dane.

The dresser contains a collection of Royal Copenhagen cups, saucers and plates, and he is very proud of his family connection to the iconic china. "My grandfather worked as an artist for Royal Copenhagen and he painted unique pieces for invitees of the royal family of Denmark," Claus explains, adding that he himself used to paint coats of arms for the queen of Denmark at one stage in his own career.

However, the dresser itself is Irish, and the Danish china and the Irish woodcraft work well together, each highlighting the other's beauty. After 50 years of dividing his life between his native land and that of the wilds of Sherkin, Claus would see himself like the china-filled dresser, as a bit of both; a combination of the two cultures.

Claus is well known as an artist back in his native Denmark, and is unusual among artists in that he made his living all his adult life from his paintings, but he took an unusual route to art, becoming first a house painter. "I hated school, mostly because I was dyslexic, which wasn't understood in those days," he says, "so I left when I was 15 to become a house painter. I've never regretted that, because I learned about mixing colours, signwriting and marbling."

Expand Close Claus in his conservatory, which he calls the Green Room, not just because of the paintwork, but because of its position in nature. The painting above his head is typical of his work at the moment. "It is an abstract form which doesn't exist in nature. I superimpose transparent squares on my naturalist paintings, he says / Facebook

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Whatsapp Claus in his conservatory, which he calls the Green Room, not just because of the paintwork, but because of its position in nature. The painting above his head is typical of his work at the moment. "It is an abstract form which doesn't exist in nature. I superimpose transparent squares on my naturalist paintings, he says

After his apprenticeship, he did go on to art college and gradually became extremely successful. In his early single years, he loved to spend the summer months travelling, and that was how he found Ireland, and then Sherkin. "I ended up on Sherkin Island by mistake," he says. "I had missed the ferry to Cape Clear; up to then, I had spent three summers there. I made some friends in the pub in Baltimore, and woke up on Sherkin the following morning. It was love at first sight." he enthuses, adding that he had never met anybody before as friendly and warm as the Sherkin Islanders. From then on, Claus began to spend six months of the year in Sherkin, arriving on March 28, and returning to Denmark in October. Despite his dyslexia, he quickly learned English. "I've always played and sung jazz music. I play the saxophone; I played every week for years, so I have a good ear," the multi-talented artist notes in his perfect English, only slightly tinged with a west Cork accent.

When he met his wife Ulla, she came too, and when their daughter Krestine arrived, they brought her, and put her in the local schools during the spring and early autumn terms. By then, Claus had developed a pattern to his painting, which he only does when he's in Sherkin. "I don't paint in Denmark. When I am there, I reflect on what I want to paint when I return to Sherkin in spring," he explains, "In Sherkin, I get up early in the morning when everything is quiet. I start every day with a swim, a cup of coffee, and I feed the wild fox and cat that have taken up residence near the house, then I start painting." Each year, he says, he has new ideas: one year it was skies and clouds; another, people's eyes and hands. Other themes have been migration and the microplastic pollution in the seas. This year's theme is Sheela-na-gigs. "The most important element in my paintings at present is the way I use the square," Claus explains. "It is an abstract form which doesn't exist in nature. I superimpose transparent squares on my naturalist paintings, combining the abstract with the figurative."

This current preoccupation with the square possibly relates back to Claus's youth, when he toyed with the idea of beoming an architect, but, because of his dyslexia, he gave up the idea. "Proportions have always been a preoccupation: I was always full of good ideas," he says.

It's obvious he did have a talent for architecture, as he designed and built the house he's lived in since he first came to Sherkin. "I acquired some land and applied for planning permission," he recalls. "Nothing happened, so I built it anyway. I asked the ESB for electricity, but they said I couldn't have power until there was a house. I tried to explain that I needed electricity for my power tools, but that didn't work so I started building with non-power tools."

Expand Close Artist Claus Havemann in his light-filled studio with his partner, Pauline, who teaches at the Cork School of Music; and his daughter, Krestine, seated, who is a photographer, in Denmark. Behind are recent works by Claus. Photo: Krestine Havemann / Facebook

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Whatsapp Artist Claus Havemann in his light-filled studio with his partner, Pauline, who teaches at the Cork School of Music; and his daughter, Krestine, seated, who is a photographer, in Denmark. Behind are recent works by Claus. Photo: Krestine Havemann

At the beginning, he did have one friend helping him, but that was a disaster. "He built one wall, but didn't anchor it and went off to the pub. There was a bit of wind and, when he came back, it was down in the field," Claus recalls with a laugh. "He was a nice chap but he was in my way, so I did it myself."

Despite his good ideas, Klaus admits it was all a bit of a learning curve for him. "I had no experience of building a house, but I learnt as I went along. It was to be a traditional Scandanavian wooden house, built on stilts, so the air could circulate around the bottom of it. Often, at the end of the days when I was still working, some locals would come to watch the Danish fool building his wooden house in the wet Irish climate. 'It will be rotten in a couple of years,' they said. Forty years on, it is still as good as new, and I know the locals came to respect me for it," Claus notes.

Expand Close The Scandanavian-style house Claus Havemann built on Sherkin Island, 40 years ago. The glass studio is a later addition, as is the little house on the left, which he built for his daughter Krestine / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Scandanavian-style house Claus Havemann built on Sherkin Island, 40 years ago. The glass studio is a later addition, as is the little house on the left, which he built for his daughter Krestine

Claus is 75, and like all lives, his has had its roller-coaster moments, including cancer, for which he's currently undergoing treatment. There was also the breakdown of his marriage; he and Ulla separated after 21 years. "She had enough of me. Men are a bit stupid; we just think tomorrow will be as good as yesterday," he volunteers. Ulla lives full-time in Denmark, and they're on good terms enjoying a relationship as parents of Krestine, now grown up and a successful photographer. Claus is very happy in his relationship of 18 years with his Irish partner, Pauline MacSweeney. "Pauline teaches harpsichord and piano in the Cork School of Music and comes to see me as often as she can," he says.

Claus's house has a kitchen, living room, sun room and bedroom, with a mezzanine bedroom that used to be Krestine's room. Claus furnished the house simply with a mix of old Irish pine and Danish pieces. Colour and vibrancy is added through his artwork. As well as his paintings, he brings his house-painter skills into play by stencilling directly onto walls - for example, his row of onions in the kitchen. Some bits of Danish living he found essential and brought with him, like the meat slicer in the kitchen. "Every Danish home has one of these," he notes.

Expand Close The Irish pine dresser, which Claus bought from a friend in the Sherkin pub. The Jolly Roger, is filled with Royal Copenhagen china. The china is precious to Claus, because his grandfather worked for the company, making one-off pieces / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Irish pine dresser, which Claus bought from a friend in the Sherkin pub. The Jolly Roger, is filled with Royal Copenhagen china. The china is precious to Claus, because his grandfather worked for the company, making one-off pieces

Making it easy for the three of them to share the space - as Krestine likes to spend time in Sherkin, too - Claus built a separate little house for her. "She works and lives in Copenhagen with her partner, Mark Tynan, and his eight-year-old daughter, Matilde. Her long-term dream is to once again be able to spend at least half the year on the island," Claus explains. She has a strong bond with Ireland, just like Claus himself.

"I feel better in Sherkin than I do in Denmark. As Brendan Scannell, the now-retired ambassador of Ireland to Denmark, said to me, 'Maybe you were born in Denmark, but your heart is Irish'," Claus notes with a hint of emotion, adding, "I cried when he said that. I think he's right."

Expand Close The bedroom, like the rest of the house, is simply furnished with natural materials. Claus made the bed with its built-in sidetables himself. He also painted the frieze on the wall / Facebook

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Whatsapp The bedroom, like the rest of the house, is simply furnished with natural materials. Claus made the bed with its built-in sidetables himself. He also painted the frieze on the wall

See claushavemann.com See havemannphoto.com

Edited by Mary O'Sullivan

Expand Close Above the simple kitchen is the mezzanine, which Claus built for Krestine to sleep in as a child. All the paintings are his work, including the stencilling of onions over the window. Note the one red onion. According to Claus, the meat slicer is a staple of Danish kitchens / Facebook

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Whatsapp Above the simple kitchen is the mezzanine, which Claus built for Krestine to sleep in as a child. All the paintings are his work, including the stencilling of onions over the window. Note the one red onion. According to Claus, the meat slicer is a staple of Danish kitchens

Photography by Krestine Havemann
'The first thing that was said to me when I landed was: 'You're a bit chubby!'" So says Sarah Tansey of the experience of moving to New York to pursue modelling a couple of years ago. We all know this kind of thing goes on - personal remarks that are dangerous as well as intrusive - but the casual, even proprietorial, rudeness of it is still a bit eye-popping.

So what did Sarah do? "I went outside and rang my boyfriend, and we had a right laugh. By no stretch of the imagination was I ever chubby. From my degree in pharmacy, I know every health implication of being stupid with your weight; on your bones, your reproductive health. So I've no time for that... but then you think, maybe if I was 15 and somebody said that to me, maybe I would have done whatever they said? I don't know."

Instead, Sarah took the agency up on their offer of free gym membership - "I've always been active, my whole life. Whenever I was stressed about my Leaving Cert, my dad used to say, 'Out on the bike, that's it', and we'd go for a cycle for an hour. So I went to the gym, ate normally and healthily for a few weeks, went back in and they were like, 'Oh, you look great' I didn't weigh any different!"

It's for reasons like this that Sarah is glad she came to modelling late. She was 21, and started with a love of acting. "I won a few awards in different drama festivals. One of the adjudicators suggested I should do some commercial acting." The confidence boost inspired Sarah to approach an agency, and "they signed me that day."

For someone else, the excitement might have gone to their head, but not Sarah. "There's a lot of teachers in my family," she laughs. "Education is a top priority always. I was always quite strong academically and, from the start, my parents, when it came to modelling, were like, 'only when it doesn't conflict with college'. They're happy for me to do this, but they were never like, 'Oh yeah!' The amount of models I met in America who were cast when they were 15, and their parents were completely ok with them leaving school to model... That's ludicrous. You're not even an adult! It's a terrible idea."

And so Sarah, born in Donegal, and brought up in Dundalk, had her pharmacy degree before she went into the industry full-time. And she is convinced that she is "lucky" she did it that way. "Even though maybe I would have done better if I started earlier, but... my perspective, when anything goes wrong, has always been: this isn't life or death."

Keeping perspective

For all the opportunities and excitement, New York, she says, was never for her. "I was homesick," she admits. "I never had the travel bug. I love home. It was great, but when my lease came up [for renewal] after 18 months, I decided, 'This is it, I'm going home'."

Before she left, Sarah made sure to pay forward the help she got when she first arrived - namely, warnings around the many ways in which girls can get into ferocious debt with their agencies.

"Any Irish girls coming over, I would have contacted them, saying, 'I don't know you, but here's a list of things to watch out for...' When I arrived, Jude Nabney, who was on my first-ever photo shoot, called me and said, 'Come over and have a chat', and went through all this stuff with me. You have to pass that along."

What in particular did she find hard about New York? "It's a very different culture - more different than I thought. It's very monetary. I don't understand somewhere where you could be bankrupt and lose your house just because you got sick. I think that's insane. I don't understand it at all. I think, as a society, you should look after people when they're down. I don't think you can avoid being obsessed with money there," she reflects.

So she never fell for the American Way; that seductive feeling that your craziest dreams can be realised? "No." And maybe she doesn't have crazy dreams? "I don't think I do." she laughs.

Also - and of course this matters - her boyfriend of eight years, David, was in Dublin. "That was hard," she says. "We met when we were 22; in college, in the library, like all cool people! There was no question he'd go out to the States. He was qualified at that stage as a psychiatrist."

Of David, Sarah says: "I think he's amazing. When I worked in pharmacy, I would get so upset if anything happened to a patient. I would get so close to them. If somebody passed away... He's very good at coping with that. He loves his work, but he can leave it behind.

"I run stuff by him all the time. I'm getting free therapy, I think," she laughs, then adds, more seriously, "It's good for perspective as well. If ever I think I'm having a bad day, I know that other people have real troubles."

Given the various news stories of recent weeks, it is impossible not to ask Sarah about the darker side of an industry known for a power pyramid similar to the acting profession - an endless stream of beautiful young women, with a few men dominant at the top.

So has she ever found herself in a situation that felt wrong? "I had a few uncomfortable situations," she agrees. "But I'm well able to stand up for myself, so I did. I had very minor things - a hairstylist finished my hair one time and he kissed me on my head, and I said, 'What is this?' I kind of just jumped back and stared at him. I didn't make a big fuss about it. I just looked at him, and that was that. Sometimes people don't mean it, it's just the way they are, but..." But, indeed. However, she is quick to stress, "nothing horrendous. But I'm fairly argumentative, so I don't suppose it would..."

And, she adds: "I don't think it's exclusively the fashion industry. I think it's in every industry, I'm sure there are people in offices who have a hard time. In fact, as a model, you can say, 'I'm never working with that person again'. You're self-employed; you're in charge. Your agent isn't your boss, you work together, so you can say, 'Never book me on a job with that person again...'"

And of course, for Sarah, there has always been Plan B. "I've always had at the back of my head - 'If this doesn't work, I'll go home and do something else'."

Knowing what you want, who you are, is a huge plus in any business, but perhaps even more so in the modelling industry, and Sarah, clearly, knows exactly who she is, and always has done, right down to what she wanted for her Communion dress. "I wouldn't have anything put on that dress," she says. "No flowers, no frills, no fuss. I wouldn't wear a veil. I just liked plain, simple, classic things. That's why I loved this Newbridge shoot so much. I wore very plain, chic black outfits, and the pieces are so simple and so elegant, they really stand out."

She's right, the pieces are gorgeous, the kind of thing you'd buy for yourself as easily as for a gift. The shoot was scheduled for the day of Storm Ophelia, and had to be modified accordingly, something that was done easily and without fuss. "It was a really fun day," Sarah says. "In Ireland, people are lovely. If you weren't lovely, everyone would know about it very quickly."

As for plans for the future, she's ok with not really having any. "I keep trying to make a plan, but everything changes. The only downside of what is a very nice, very fun job, is that there is no predictability whatsoever. From week to week, I have no idea what I'll be doing. It took me a while to get ok with it, but I am now. I feel very blessed."
Riverside: Porto is located on the Douro river but is also a short journey from the coast should you fancy a day at the beach

You might hate Monday, but you'll love our weekly pick of Ireland's top travel offers...

199pp: Man City v. Chelsea

Could it decide the Premier league? Manchester City take on Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on March 3 next, and ITAA member Cassidy Travel has one-night packages including hotel and match tickets from 199pp (flights extra). 01 873-5000; cassidytravel.ie; itaa.ie/offers.

285pp: A foodie break in Porto

Christmas stocking filler? ITAA member Wallace Travel has a three-night city break to Porto in Portugal (above) from June 15 at 285pp. The price includes return Ryanair flights and a 3-star hotel. 01 834-7888; wallacetravelgroup.ie.

379pp: Winter sun in the Canaries

TUI has several winter holidays on sale for the Canaries, including a January 18 departure to Gran Canaria from 379pp. It bundles return flights with seven nights' self-catering in Maspalomas. 1850 45 35 45; tuiholidays.ie.

520pp: Feel the Louvre in Abu Dhabi

With the new Louvre Abu Dhabi open for business, GoHop.ie has return flights from Dublin with Etihad, plus three nights in 5-star accommodation, from 520pp in December. 01 241-2389; gohop.ie.

675pp: Sneak away to South Africa

Sunway Worldwide has a Cape Town package next May, including return flights (with checked bags) and five nights' B&B at the 4-star Cullinan Hotel from 675pp (Ref. 116021). 01 231-1800; sunway.ie.

NB: All travel deals subject to availability/change.
There are few terms more infuriating to solo travellers than 'single supplement'.

Though the stigma of solo travel is vanishing (as our 21 travel tips this week attest), these supplements remain doggedly common - a penalty on travellers flying solo.

"It's a major gripe," says Geraldine McGlynn of Golden Ireland, an Irish travel website for the over-55s. And it's not just a concern for older travellers.

"We had a lady who travelled by herself recently, as her husband is a farmer and the farm was too busy for him to get away. I understand the necessity of a supplement when hotels are running at full or close to full occupancy, but if a hotel room is lying empty midweek during quieter months, why penalise the solo traveller?"

Part of the trouble is the fact that most holiday accommodation is built for sharing. For a hotel, guesthouse or cruise ship, solos don't just mean empty beds but lost revenue on meals, drinks and activities. In cruise-speak, it's called 'spoilage'.

The good news? Solo-friendly rates are hard to find, but they do exist. Here are the highlights of my digging this week:

Dynamic Donegal

Expand Close Gerarda and Derek Arnold at Arnold's Hotel, Dunfanaghy. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gerarda and Derek Arnold at Arnold's Hotel, Dunfanaghy.

Arnolds Hotel (above) in Dunfanaghy has several rooms for solos, and doesn't charge single supplements on midweek bookings during winter - it's got two nights' B&B with a 40 dining credit from 120. Elsewhere, the Sandhouse Hotel in Rossnowlagh has B&B with dinner for solo guests from 99. Both are Manor House Hotels (manorhousehotels.com).

Wexford Winner

Expand Close Kellys Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare / Facebook

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Kelly's Resort Hotel & Spa, voted Ireland's Favourite Family-Friendly Stay in our last Reader Travel Awards, charges no single supplements. Half-board midweek rates start from 115 per night with all-inclusive weekend rates from 330, plus 10pc service; kellys.ie.

Northern Lights

Expand Close Arnolds Hotel in Dunfanaghy / Facebook

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Northern Ireland's Hastings Hotels charge single supplements, but they offer single rates for guests "who wish to avail of a double room for single occupancy". B&B with dinner at the Slieve Donard (top), for example, starts from 120pp; hastingshotels.com.

Cosy Connemara

The Delphi Lodge in Leenane charges 95 for a single B&B (half of its double-occupancy rate). Renvyle Hotel (above) has 10 single rooms; two nights' B&B with two dinners costs from 158pp. See delphilodge.ie; renvyle.com.

Spring Break

Expand Close Slea Head Loop / Facebook

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Golden Ireland has a three-day package to Dingle (February 25-28; goldenireland.ie), including meals, 4-star hotels and activities from 365pp, with no single supplement for solo rooms. It also lists solo-friendly hotels on its website.

Solo with kids

Killarney's Gleneagle Hotel recently launched 'Flying Solo' breaks for parents travelling alone with kids - B&B with kids' clubs starts from 85 per night; gleneaglehotel.com.

Best of the rest

Other hotels with single rooms, or solo deals in Ireland, include the Parknasilla Resort in Sneem, Co Kerry (parknasillaresort.com); Mulranny Park Hotel in Co Mayo (mulrannyparkhotel.ie), Castle Hotel in Macroom, Co Cork (castlehotel.ie), and Ireland's Blue book member Rathmullan House in Co Donegal (above, rathmullanhouse.com).

NB: Prices subject to availability and change.

Read more:
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The evolving world order has no place for rigid positions and alliances, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said today, pitching for flexibility in international politics.

Jaishankar said it is important to recognise that the world is going through a period of "major transition" where many of the assumptions that guided our thinking in the past are "no longer valid".

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"This calls for a nimbler and more open-minded approach to international politics where there are less fixed points and more flexible combinations.

"Rigidity of positions and alliances no longer hold and we ourselves are increasingly one of the poles. The dichotomy between bilateral and multilateral must also accommodate the reality of the need for the plurilateral," he said.

The foreign secretary was addressing the launch of an Ambassadors Club, an initiative by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, via video-conference.

The trade chamber said the club has been envisaged as an open-ended discussion forum involving diplomats and business houses.

Jaishankar touched upon this aspect in his speech, saying the conduct of diplomacy is increasingly dependent on economic capabilities and their effective deployment while contending that the "growing stature" of India is an outcome of its economic progress.

"A real partnership between diplomacy and business is important not only for the benefits to the economy but also in enhancing access and building brand abroad," he said.

He said a new set of global issues is shaping the world and building of "new connectivity" in Asia, "its principles and ownership", was one such factor that will dominate Asia.

He identified climate change, and terror, which he said is still approached in many quarters in an "opportunistic manner", as two other key factors. PTI SBR SMN

--- ENDS ---
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Mary Kenny Opinion If men want to yammer on about sport, then let them  it helps them connect emotionally

I was travelling on a train from Dublin to Cork, and near me sat two Dublin men. Throughout the entire journey they managed to keep up a fluent dialogue about English football teams. From Aston Villa to Sheffield Wednesday, from Crystal Palace to Manchester City the conversation flowed eloquently. I was in awe at the minutiae of their knowledge and expertise. And if the topic of their discourse lacked a certain variety, it was nonetheless better than sitting in sullen silence, or glued to their phones.
Actress Asia Argento has said that more pigs will be revealed following a recent string of allegations concerning sexual misconduct in the film industry.

The Italian star recently spoke out against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, alleging that he assaulted her earlier in her career.

Weinstein has unequivocally denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

As claims continue to emerge against a number of Hollywood names, Argento told the Guardian newspaper: The consciences are waking.

Every time one of these pigs fall, its a badge of honour.

Expand Close Harvey Weinstein allegations / Facebook

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More pigs will be revealed. What I see is that this is like an avalanche, where the first stone falls and it is so big.

It is destroying something, it is changing the landscape, where women can work, where women can live, where women in every industry dont have to fear men.

Im sure the men are now very afraid of us, and before they do anything will think 10 times.

The mother-of-two, 42, last month told US publication The New Yorker that she was assaulted by Weinstein while working on the 1998 film B. Monkey.

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The film was distributed by Miramax, a company co-founded by Weinstein.
In honour of 'Woman Crush Wednesday' - here are ten Irish girls whose Instagrams we're glued to at the moment.

We do the trawlin' so you don't have to...

1. Louise Cooney

Limerick native living, working and blogging her adventures in New York City.

Follow @Lou1409

2. Slaney O'Brien

Irish wedding planner, living in the UK



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3. Ruth Flanagan

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Dublin girl with killer style and an eye for detail.

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4. Hazel Farrell

Artist and blogger, who also models for vintage fashion haven Nine Crows Street.

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5. Louise Ryan

Editor of Tabitha Magazine, owner of a beautifully curated insta-feed.

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6. Eimear Barry

Super slick Irish mum-of-one who lives in the UK. You may recognise her as one of the models for Folkster.

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7. Eva McCarthy

Irish girl with inimitable hipster style, currently living in New York for the summer.

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8. Dani Behan

Dublin fashion student, with a penchant for retro accessories and an edgy aesthetic.

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9. Jenny Yuk San Wong

Costume designer and resident nail artist at hip salon Tropical Popical.

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10. Michaela O'Shaughnessy

Style blogger who divides her time between Galway and the Big Apple.

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Compiled by @freyadro

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Backdropped by posters of Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, left, and himself, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses provincial leaders (AP)

An adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is time for Turkey to review its membership in the Nato military alliance, according to Turkish media reports.

Yalcin Topcu's comments, reported by Cumhuriyet and other media on Monday, came days after Turkey withdrew some 40 troops from a Nato drill in Norway after the country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Mr Erdogan himself were depicted as enemies.

Nato's secretary-general and Norway's government apologised to Turkey over the incident, which Turkish officials have described as one of the "greatest scandals" in the alliance's history.

Mr Topcu said: "This organisation, which is engaged in all kinds of hostile attitudes toward a member, is not a must for us.

"Our presence in this institution must be addressed urgently by parliament."

Mr Topcu spoke in Astana, Kazakhstan.

AP
File picture of Ratko Mladic smiling during an appearance at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands (AP)

A lawyer for General Ratko Mladic said on Monday it is not certain the former Bosnian Serb military commander will appear in a United Nations courtroom when judges deliver their verdicts in his long-running trial for allegedly masterminding atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

Mladic's lawyers have filed a flurry of recent motions to have the ailing 75-year-old's health assessed before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announces it decisions on Wednesday.

He was tried on 11 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Mladic's trial is the last to end at the ground-breaking tribunal before it closes down by the end of the year.

The court last year convicted his political master, former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, on near-identical charges and sentenced him to 40 years.

Karadzic has appealed.

Defence lawyer Dragan Ivetic said lawyers for the former military leader were not attempting to stall the case and have been trying for weeks to have Mladic's health checked, fearing a court appearance might kill him.

"We've had a medical doctor that has said, actually based on his diagnosed condition, any form of stress, including a trial proceeding, may increase his chance of having a stroke, a heart attack or dying," Mr Ivetic said.

Judges at the court have so far rejected the lawyers' requests for doctors to visit Mladic, who survived two strokes and a heart attack before he was arrested and imprisoned in 2011.

The former general is under close medical supervision at the United Nations detention facility where he has been held since his arrest.

"General Mladic wants to be present because he believes that he is not guilty," Mr Ivetic said.

"But I don't know whether the medical circumstances allow him to be present....That's why I need a medical doctor to assist us all in finding that information out."

The possibility of Mladic dying before the judges deliver their verdicts recalls former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in 2006 before judges could pass judgment in his trial.

Milosevic was accused of fomenting violence across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled.

Mladic is charged with overseeing atrocities including the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the eastern Bosnian municipality of Srebrenica, the deadly shelling and sniping of Sarajevo and purges of Muslims and Croats early in the war from towns and villages Serbs wanted to turn into part of a Greater Serbia.

His lawyers have urged the judges to acquit, arguing he did not give orders for atrocities and was not even in Srebrenica during the 1995 massacre.

It remained unclear if Wednesday's long-awaited public hearing for announcing the verdicts could go ahead if Mladic does not attend.

His absence would be a disappointment to survivors who travelled to The Hague on Monday to watch the culmination of the trial of the man they hold responsible for killing their loved ones.

One of them, Ramiza Burzic, who lost two sons during the Srebrenica massacre, said she is still hunting for the remains of her second son and blames Mladic.

"We have only found half of the body of my first son. He was not born without a head and arms," Ms Burzic said as she prepared to board a flight in Sarajevo.

"Mladic was there, and he ordered mass graves to be dug and spread all over Bosnia.

"His intention was that a mother would never find the whole body of her son in those graves."

Ms Burzic said she expected judges to hand Mladic a life sentence, "so all of his progeny will know what he was doing and what kind of man he was".

The UN tribunal has, in the past, convicted officers under Mladic's command of involvement in the Srebrenica massacre and the deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.

If the court does convict Mladic, an appeal is inevitable.

"There are many things that give rise to a potential claim for unfair trial that troubled us during the work that we did and that might require additional filings or action," Mr Ivetic said.

AP
Angela Merkel makes a statement after the pre-talks on forming a new German government failed (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Germany faced an uncertain political future on Monday after the collapse of weeks of talks on forming a new government, with Chancellor Angela Merkel set to consult the country's president and the possibility of new elections looming.

Germany's September 24 election produced an awkward result that left Mrs Merkel's two-party conservative bloc seeking a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats and the traditionally left-leaning Greens.

The combination of ideologically-disparate parties had not been tried before in a national government, and came to nothing when the Free Democrats walked out of talks on Sunday night.

Mrs Merkel said her conservatives had left "nothing untried to find a solution".

She said that she "will do everything to ensure that this country is well-led through these difficult weeks".

It is likely to be a while before the situation is resolved.

The only other politically plausible combination with a parliamentary majority is a repeat of Mrs Merkel's outgoing coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats - but they have insisted time and again that they will go into opposition after a disastrous election result.

If they stick to that insistence, that leaves a minority government, not previously tried in post-war Germany, or new elections as the only options.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will ultimately have to make that decision, since the German constitution does not allow parliament to dissolve itself.

To get to either destination, Mr Steinmeier would first have to propose a chancellor to parliament, who must win a majority of all MPs to be elected.

Assuming that fails, parliament has 14 days to elect a candidate of its own choosing by an absolute majority. And if that fails, Mr Steinmeier would then propose a candidate who could be elected by a plurality of MPs.

Mr Steinmeier would then have to decide whether to appoint a minority government or dissolve parliament, triggering an election within 60 days.

Mrs Merkel's Union bloc is easily the biggest group in parliament, but is 109 seats short of a majority.

Mrs Merkel, Germany's leader since 2005, said she would consult Mr Steinmeier on Monday "and then we will have to see how things develop".

She did not say more about her plans, or address whether she would run again if there were new elections.

Peter Tauber, the general secretary of Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, told Deutschlandfunk radio that politicians should not "throw it back to our citizens and say, 'vote again, we didn't agree'."

"I think it's an absolute strength of our democracy, our society, that we are capable of compromise, it's because of that that we have been such a stable and strong country in the past," Mr Tauber said.

"And we should think carefully about whether we want to give up this principle."

Christian Lindner, the Free Democrats' leader, justified his decision to break off talks by saying that "we would have been forced to give up our principles and all that we had worked for for years".

His party returned to parliament in September four years after voters, unimpressed with its performance as the junior partner in Mrs Merkel's 2009-2013 government, ejected it.

"It is better not to govern than to govern wrong," Mr Lindner said.

Key sticking points during the talks were the issues of migration and climate change, on which the Greens and the other parties diverged, but also Free Democrat demands on tax policy.

Mrs Merkel had planned to meet Monday with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but that meeting was cancelled at short notice.

AP
British Gas owner Centrica has said it will scrap standard gas and electricity tariffs (STV) for new customers ahead of Government plans to impose a price cap on the costly energy products.

The Big Six energy supplier has also vowed to introduce simpler bills and a new fixed-term default tariff for customers who do not shop around for the best deal once their tariff finishes.

The energy giant called on the Government and energy watchdog Ofgem to engage with it over the reforms to help create a fairer market without enforcing price controls.

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It urged Ofgem to follow its lead and remove STVs from the energy market to encourage more customers to switch tariffs.

While group chief executive Iain Conn recognised the need for the market to improve, he said price caps on products would set the industry back.

He said: We believe more action is needed and are ready to play a leading role.

Today we have set out the unilateral actions we will take to improve the UK energy market for our customers.

This starts with the withdrawal of the standard variable tariff which contributes to lower levels of customer engagement.

We also believe that further measures by Ofgem and the Government are required so that together we can create a market that works for everyone, where there is improved transparency and a fairer allocation of costs currently included in the energy bill.

We have long advocated that the end of the standard variable tariff is the best way to encourage customers to shop around for the best energy deal.

But we also need a fairer way to pay for the changing energy system by removing Government policy costs from energy bills.

This will be fairer for everyone and especially those who struggle most with their bills.

Britains Big Six are bracing for a raft of regulatory changes after the Government announced that a price cap will be imposed on poor-value energy tariffs.

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Around 4.5 million of Centricas 8.3 million customers  or about 60%  are currently on STVs, with 70% of profits coming from the companys STV customer base.

Among the reforms set out by Centrica, the firm will provide customers with a range of fixed-term competitive tariffs instead of the STV.

It added that it would offer customers a range of different three-year fixed-term tariffs once their contract ends and would target customers on STVs with better deals.

The move comes amid a shake-up in the energy market, as the Big Six providers look set to become the Big Five after SSE and NPower reached an agreement to merge their operations to create a new energy supplier in the UK.

Mr Conn insisted the move was not prompted by the Governments threat to cap energy prices.

We have actually been working on these proposals for many months now, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

We have been saying for the last 18 months that we think the best solution for this market is to end evergreen contracts, contracts that dont have an end date.

We obviously had to pause when Theresa May announced her intention to cap the market but we have now announced today a comprehensive set of actions to reform the market, starting in our case with the removal of the standard variable tariff.

He said the Government should prohibit open-ended contracts and remove the cost of green energy costs from household bills.

Shares in Centrica were flat in morning trading on the London Stock Exchange.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court today questioned the behaviour of CBI personnel during raids and wondered how a senior bureaucrat, arrested in a graft case, and his family members had committed suicide here last year.

The top court observed that such a thing cannot happen in normal course and, at times during raids, the CBI officials do not behave in a proper manner.

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A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and L Nageswara Rao said that a guideline was needed on searches and seizures carried out by the CBI.

It asked the CBI Director to look into this aspect after the issue was raised before it that a bureaucrat and three of his family members had committed suicide last year.

"We would like the Director of the CBI to look into the matter and file response within four weeks," the court said.

Former Director General Corporate Affairs B K Bansal, who was out on bail in a graft case, and his son had allegedly hung themselves to death at their residence with a purported suicide note claiming harassment by CBI.

Before this, Bansals wife and daughter had committed suicide at their residence following his arrest by the CBI.

The apex court was hearing a petition seeking framing of guidelines on searches and seizures by the probe agencies.

Advocate Keshav Mohan, who was appearing for petitioner, told the bench about the suggestions given by them with regard to framing of guideline.

During the hearing, the bench told the CBI counsel that "law expects your officers to behave in a proper manner. We need to have some guidelines".

The court also wondered why the wife and daughter of Bansal would commit suicide in such a manner.

Bansal was arrested by CBI on July 16, 2016 for allegedly accepting bribe from a pharmaceutical company.

Three days later, his wife and daughter had allegedly hung themselves from ceiling fans at their residence in Nilkanth Apartments in East Delhis Madhu Vihar. PTI ABA MNL SJK ARC

--- ENDS ---
British Gas owner Centrica has said it will scrap standard gas and electricity tariffs (SVT) for new customers as it put forward a string of reforms designed to be significantly more effective than a Government price cap on energy bills.

The energy giant said it would also offer simpler bills and a new fixed-term competitive tariff, which will include a fixed-term default tariff for customers.

Centricas group chief executive Iain Conn said the reforms were not triggered by the Governments threat to cap energy prices, despite claiming that price controls would set the energy market back.

It comes as Britains Big Six brace for a raft of regulatory changes after the Government announced that a price cap will be imposed on poor-value energy tariffs.

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Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Conn said: We have actually been working on these proposals for many months now.

We have been saying for the last 18 months that we think the best solution for this market is to end evergreen contracts, contracts that dont have an end date.

We obviously had to pause when Theresa May announced her intention to cap the market but we have now announced today a comprehensive set of actions to reform the market, starting in our case with the removal of the standard variable tariff.

He said the Government should prohibit open-ended contracts and remove the cost of green energy costs from household bills.

Mr Conn said: The cost of renewable policies in everyones bills and other Government subsidies and incentive schemes has now reached over 5 billion a year.

Its going to be costing next year, in our estimate, about 200 in everyones bill, thats getting on for 20%.

We think its much fairer to find another way of paying for it because people who find it most difficult to pay for their energy are really struggling with this component.
Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after masterminding the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, has died after nearly a half-century in prison.

He was 83.

Manson died on Sunday night of natural causes at a California hospital while serving a life sentence, his name synonymous to this day with unspeakable violence and depravity.

Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, reacted to the death by quoting the late Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor who put Manson behind bars.

Mr Bugliosi said: "Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values."

"Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death," Ms Hanisee said.

A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of LA's rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war, an idea he said he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song Helter Skelter.

The deaths horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California's Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty.

"These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

Linda Deutsch, the longtime courts reporter for The Associated Press who covered the Manson case, said he "left a legacy of evil and hate and murder".

"He was able to take young people who were impressionable and convince them he had the answer to everything and he turned them into killers," she said.

"It was beyond anything we had ever seen before in this country."

California Corrections Department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said it has yet to be determined what happens to Manson's body.

It was also unclear if Manson requested funeral services of any sort.

Prison officials previously said Manson had no known next of kin, and state law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, then it is up to the department to determine whether the body is cremated or buried.

The Manson Family, as his followers were called, slaughtered five victims on August 9 1969, at Tate's home: the actress, who was eight and a half months pregnant, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish movie director Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the estate's caretaker.

Tate's husband, Rosemary's Baby director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time.

The next night, a wealthy grocer and his wife, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were stabbed to death in their home across town.

The killers scrawled such phrases as Pigs and a misspelled Healter Skelter in blood at the crime scenes.

Manson was arrested three months later.

In the annals of American crime, he became the personification of evil, a short, shaggy-haired, bearded figure with a demonic stare and an X, later turned into a swastika, carved into his forehead.

"Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the 60s ended abruptly on August 9 1969," author Joan Didion wrote in her 1979 book The White Album.

After a trial that lasted nearly a year, Manson and three followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

Another defendant, Charles "Tex" Watson, was convicted later.

All were spared execution and given life sentences after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

Atkins died behind bars in 2009.

Krenwinkel, Van Houten and Watson remain in prison.

Another Manson devotee, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, but her gun jammed.

She served 34 years in prison.

Manson was born in Cincinnati on November 12, 1934, to a teenager, possibly a prostitute, and was in reform school by the time he was eight.

After serving a 10-year sentence for check forgery in the 1960s, Manson was said to have pleaded with authorities not to release him because he considered prison home.

"My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system," he would later say in a monologue on the witness stand.

"I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you."

He was set free in San Francisco during the heyday of the hippie movement in the city's Haight-Ashbury section, and though he was in his mid-30s by then, he began collecting followers, mostly women, who likened him to Jesus Christ.

Most were teenagers; many came from good homes but were at odds with their parents.

The "family" eventually established a commune-like base at the Spahn Ranch, a ramshackle former movie location outside Los Angeles, where Manson manipulated his followers with drugs, oversaw orgies and subjected them to bizarre lectures.

He had musical ambitions and befriended rock stars, including Beach Boy Dennis Wilson.

He also met Terry Melcher, a music producer who had lived in the same house that Polanski and Tate later rented.

By the summer of 1969, Manson had failed to sell his songs, and the rejection was later seen as a trigger for the violence.

He complained that Wilson took a Manson song called Cease To Exist, revised it into Never Learn Not To Love and recorded it with the Beach Boys without giving Manson credit.

Manson was obsessed with Beatles music, particularly Piggies and Helter Skelter, a hard-rocking song that he interpreted as forecasting the end of the world.

He told his followers that "Helter Skelter is coming down" and predicted a race war would destroy the planet.

"Everybody attached themselves to us, whether it was our fault or not," the Beatles' George Harrison, who wrote Piggies, later said of the murders.

"It was upsetting to be associated with something so sleazy as Charles Manson."

According to evidence, Manson sent his devotees out on the night of Tate's murder with instructions to "do something witchy".

The state's star witness, Linda Kasabian, who was granted immunity, testified that Manson tied up the LaBiancas, then ordered his followers to kill.

But Manson insisted: "I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed."

His trial was nearly scuttled when President Richard Nixon said Manson was "guilty, directly or indirectly".

Manson grabbed a newspaper and held up the front-page headline for jurors to read: Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares.

Lawyers demanded a mistrial but were turned down.

From then on, jurors, sequestered at a hotel for 10 months, travelled to and from the courtroom in buses with blacked-out windows so they could not read the headlines on newsstands.

Manson was also later convicted of the deaths of a musician and a stuntman.

Over the decades, Manson and his followers appeared sporadically at parole hearings, where their bids for freedom were repeatedly rejected.

The women suggested they had been rehabilitated, but Manson himself stopped attending, saying prison had become his home.

The killings inspired movies and TV shows, and Mr Bugliosi, the prosecutor, wrote a best-selling book about the murders, Helter Skelter.

The macabre rock star Marilyn Manson borrowed part of his stage name from the killer.

"The Manson case, to this day, remains one of the most chilling in crime history," veteran crime reporter Theo Wilson wrote in her 1998 memoir, Headline Justice: Inside The Courtroom - The Country's Most Controversial Trials.

''Even people who were not yet born when the murders took place know the name Charles Manson, and shudder."

AP
Choe Ryong Hae, left, vice chairman of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling party shakes hands with Song Tao, the head of China's ruling Communist Party's international liaison department (AP)

A high-level Chinese envoy has wrapped up a four-day trip to North Korea amid heightened tension over Pyongyang's military programme.

Song Tao, the highest-ranking official to go to Pyongyang in two years, was officially tasked with briefing the North Korean government on China's recent party congress.

Neither side had commented on the tone of the visit as Mr Song wrapped up his official itinerary on Monday.

But his trip was being watched closely because it came on the heels of US president Donald Trump's Asian tour and heightened efforts to push the North to abandon its development of nuclear weapons.

Mr Song, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, met with North Korean ruling party vice chairman Choe Ryong Hae and former foreign minister Ri Su Yong.

AP
President Donald Trump has announced the US is putting North Korea's "murderous regime" on America's terrorism blacklist.

Mr Trump said the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism was long overdue, and he promised a new wave of sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure campaign" over the North's development of nuclear weapons that could soon pose a direct threat to the US mainland.

North Korea will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the blacklist.

The North had been designated for two decades until 2008 when it was removed in a bid to salvage international talks aimed at halting its nuclear efforts. The talks collapsed soon after and have not been revived since.

The primary impact of the designation may be to compound North Korea's growing international isolation as it is already subject to an array of tough US sanctions restricting trade, foreign assistance, defence sales and exports of sensitive technology.

The step is likely to further sour relations between Washington and Pyongyang that have turned uglier with name-calling between Mr Trump and Kim Jong Un.

There is strong bipartisan support for the move in Congress, which had passed legislation in August requiring the State Department to make a determination on putting North Korea back on the list.

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil," Mr Trump said as he announced the designation at a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

However, the action had been debated for months inside the administration, with some officials at the State Department arguing that North Korea did not meet the legal standard to be relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism.

US officials involved in the internal deliberations said there was no debate over whether the February killing of Kim's half brother Kim Jong Nam was a terrorist act.

Malaysian authorities have said he was killed by two women who smeared suspected VX nerve agent onto his face at Kuala Lumpur airport.

However, lawyers said there had to be more than one incident, and there was disagreement over whether the treatment of American student Otto Warmbier, who died of injuries suffered in North Korean custody, constituted terrorism.

Neither Mr Trump nor the State Department specified which acts of terrorism and assassination the North had supported. In making the announcement, Mr Trump did refer to Mr Warmbier "and the countless others so brutally affected" by North Korean oppression.

He said more sanctions would be imposed on North Korea and "related persons" that the Treasury Department would begin to announce on Tuesday - part of rolling efforts to deprive Pyongyang of funds for its nuclear and missile programmes and leave it internationally isolated.

"It will be the highest level of sanctions by the time it's finished over a two-week period," Mr Trump said.

The State Department said last week that Sudan, which is on the terror list itself, had agreed to cut all military and trade ties to North Korea. As the North has faced isolation from Western countries, it has increasingly sought relationships in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in search of badly needed finances.

Evans Revere, a former senior State Department official, said North Korea is already livid with Mr Trump and is likely to react "quickly and emotionally". A recent editorial in the ruling party Rodong Sinmum newspaper referred to the president as "a hideous criminal sentenced to death by the Korean people".

Other analysts said Pyongyang could use the designation as a pretext for renewed weapons tests after a two-month hiatus. The latest missile test flew over Japan on September 15.

North Korea was on the terrorism blacklist for two decades after the 1987 bombing of a South Korean airliner killed 115 people. It was also accused of a 1983 bombing assassination attempt against then-South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan in Burma. The president survived, but 21 others were killed. The North has not been publicly implicated in a terror attack of that scale since.

AP
A British couple have been forced to cancel their dream wedding on a Greek island after a viral photo of another pair of newlyweds simulating a sex act, led a local Bishop to ban foreigners from getting married there.

Emma Coupland and Stephen Wilson had planned to tie the knot at the chapel in St Paul's Bay, Rhodes, which is famous for its scenic setting.

But after another British couple, Carly and Matthew Lunn, posed for a picture showing them simulating oral sex while she was still in her wedding dress.

The image went viral after they posted it on Facebook and it came to the attention of Bishop Kyrillos, the island's most senior clergyman, who promptly banned forbidden foreigners from marrying at the church.

Travel operator TUI has since contacted couples to inform them their weddings could not go ahead as planned.

They contacted me last week, telling me that it was official cancelled," Ms Coupland, 24, told The Sun. "I was devastated."

The Wakefield mother had booked a ceremony at the quiet bay for May next year, but will now marry her fiance at a busier spot further away. They said guests had been forced to rearrange travel plans and the best man can no longer attend because he cannot afford to book new flights.

It was meant to be a little white chapel wedding, with fantastic views, in a quiet area on a little beach," Ms Coupland said.

A TUI UK spokesman said: Following a recent decision by the senior bishop for the island of Rhodes in regard to weddings at St Pauls Bay, we are contacting affected couples directly to discuss their options.

While the situation is beyond our control, we understand how important and distressing this is to our customers with weddings already booked."

Ms Lunn, 34, was said to be "mortified" at the consequences of the picture, which she and her husband agreed to pose for as a joke. The pair are reportedly facing legal action from other couples whose weddings have been cancelled.

Giorgos Eleftheriou, a community leader in Rhodes who performed the Lunns' wedding ceremony, said brides-to-be had called him in tears after their plans were ruined.

Shame on those two for the damage they have done," he said after implementing the ban last month. "Would they have done the same in their homeland; in front of a British chapel, a Jewish temple, a Muslim mosque?

"We are Greek and we cherish our traditions and the sanctity of our religious sites We cannot allow this disgusting behaviour to prevail.
The European Banking Authority is based at One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, London

Dublin has narrowly lost out to Paris in a nail-biting race to secure the EUs banking agency post-Brexit.

A Eurovision-style points contest on Monday ended in a draw between Paris and Dublin, with the French capital taking the prize after the two countries were forced to draw lots.

Paris and Dublin had beaten six others cities to the top spot, including Frankfurt, Brussels and Luxembourg.

The European Commission said the votes were the the first visible result of Brexit.

The London-based European Banking Authority (EBA) oversees financial supervision for the entire EU, carrying out bloc-wide bank stress tests and enforcing capital requirements.

Dublin had only an outside chance of winning after securing 28 first preference points from its EU counterparts in a first round of voting, against 34 for Paris and 32 for Frankfurt.

A second round saw Dublin trump Paris, bagging 13 points to the French citys 10. The final vote resulted in a 13-all tie-break before they drew lots.

Earlier on Monday, the government had dropped its bid to host the much larger European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a deliberate ploy to help it land the banking regulator.

Amsterdam won the EMA run-off, wooing its 900-plus staff with promises of over 40,000 hotel rooms, brand new high-rise office space and proximity to the airport.

The Dutch city beat odds-on favourites Milan and Bratislava to seize the medicines prize.

The Brexodus will begin immediately, with both agencies having to complete their moves from London by 30 March 2019, the day after Brexit day.
Rohingya Muslims aboard a makeshift raft as they cross from Burma into Bangladesh (AP)

Burma leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism.

Her remarks on Monday came as her country faces accusations of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.

Ms Suu Kyi did not directly mention the refugee exodus in a speech to European and Asian foreign ministers in Burma's capital, Naypyitaw.

But her speech highlighted the views of many in the country who see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and accuse them of terrorist acts.

The ongoing Rohingya exodus is sure to be raised by the visitors at the meetings on Monday and on Tuesday.

Ms Suu Kyi said the world is in a new period of instability as conflicts around the world give rise to new threats and emergencies, citing "illegal immigration's spread of terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war.

"Conflicts take away peace from societies, leaving behind underdevelopment and poverty, pushing peoples and even countries away from one another."

Burma has been widely criticised for the military crackdown that has driven more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The United Nations has said the crackdown appears to be a campaign of "ethnic cleansing", and some have called for re-imposing international sanctions that were lifted as Burma transitioned from military rule to elected government.

Foreign ministers and representatives of 51 countries are meeting in Naypyitaw in a forum that aims to further political and economic cooperation but takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.

A flurry of diplomatic activity preceded Monday's opening, with the foreign ministers of Germany and Sweden joining the EU's foreign policy chief in a visit to the teeming refugee camps in Bangladesh.

China's Wang Yi was also in Bangladesh and met privately with Ms Suu Kyi on Sunday in Burma following that trip.

Ms Suu Kyi is Burma's foreign minister and state councillor, a title created for the country's once-leading voice for democracy since she is constitutionally banned from the presidency.

She does not command the military and cannot direct its operations in northern Rakhine state, but her remarks in seeming support of the brutal crackdown have damaged her global reputation.

In her speech to the visiting foreign ministers, Ms Suu Kyi also cited natural disasters caused by climate change as compounding the world's problems.

She said mutual understanding of problems like terrorism would be crucial for peace and economic development.

"I believe that if policymakers develop a true understanding on each of those constraints and difficulties, the process of addressing global problems will become easier and more effective," she said.

"It is only through mutual understanding that strong bonds of partnership can be forged."

AP
Britains accounting watchdog has launched a fresh investigation into Mities financial statements for 2016.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said the probe was related to the preparation and approval of Mities accounts for the year ending March 31 2016, but the outsourcing giant said it understands that it does not relate to any current or former directors of the group, including former finance chief Sandip Mahajan, who the company announced earlier this month was stepping down.

It comes just months after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it was launching its own investigation into the preparation and content of Mities financial statements for the period, as well as the timeliness of a profit warning announced in September 2016.

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The most recent FRC probe also adds to an ongoing investigation into Deloittes auditing of Mities books, announced in July, but the watchdog has now closed its corporate reporting review into the firms annual report and 2016 accounts, saying that its concerns have been satisfactorily addressed.

The watchdog said the results of the ongoing investigations would be released as appropriate in due course.

Mitie, which has already been under pressure amid a string of recent profit warnings, updated markets with half-year results that showed a narrowing of bottom-line losses to 5.5 million for the six months to September 30, compared to a loss of 86.8 million a year earlier.

Revenues, meanwhile, rose 4% to 959.7 million, from 922.6 million.

Chief executive Phil Bentley said: This has been a period of transformation and investment for Mitie. We have had a solid six months with a modest uptick in revenue.

We have continued to build foundations, take out costs, simplify systems and processes, invest in our capabilities and put the customer at the heart of our organisation.

As part of a turnaround plan, the company is aiming to trim costs by 40 million a year by 2020, with moves to simplify its corporate structure, outsource and automate some back office functions, merge its London offices into one and also overhaul its group-wide IT.

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The group has also moved to shut its defined benefit pension scheme to future accruals from mid-November  which will save around 850,000 a year  and confirmed in September that it was axing around 480 jobs from its 53,000-strong workforce by the end of its financial year in March.

Mitie has overhauled its management as part of recovery efforts, with Mr Bentley appointed last December, and also recruited new chairman Derek Mapp in May.

Chief financial officer Mr Mahajan  who was hired on February 10  resigned earlier this month, with the group immediately appointing Paul Woolf as his replacement.

Mr Mahajan now serves as the groups chief financial transformation officer.

Mr Bentley said Mitie has had a number of good recent wins and assured on the companys performance.

He said: We have attracted some high-quality talent to the business, our Connected Workspace proposition is gaining traction and we are already seeing the benefits of our HR and IT change programmes. We have much more to do, but we are very much on track.

An analyst note led by Liberums head of research Joe Brent gave kudos to Mr Bentleys turnaround plan.

It said: We remain confident that Phil Bentley will succeed with his transformation and believe that the new structure can provide a platform to consolidate once systems and management are established.

Mitie Group shares were trading higher by 1.5p in morning trading at 226.3p.
Shashi Tharoor, in a new tweet, showered praises on Miss World Manushi Chhillar after she responded to his 'Chhillar' tweet with utmost grace.

By India Today Web Desk: On November 18, Manushi Chhillar, a 20-year-old medical student who hails from Haryana, was crowned Miss World 2017. Indians reveled in the glory she brought home after long 17 years and many praised and congratulated her on Twitter.

One among them were senior Congress leader and MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor. He tweeted, "What a terrific answer by this bright young woman -- a real credit to Indian values!"

What a terrific answer by this bright young woman -- a real credit to Indian values! #missworldmanushi https://t.co/0gCQxlqD5L- Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

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Shashi Tharoor, however, did not want to lose a chance to slam the Narendra Modi-led BJP government's demonetisation drive.

Tharoor, in another tweet, said: "What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!"

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!- Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

This tongue-in-cheek remark, a pun on Manushi's second name 'Chhillar', upset Twitterati and the National Commission for Women.

Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!- Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

Shashi Tharoor apologised soon after, but some Twitter users and the NCW were not convinced and wanted him to apologise again, 'properly'.

Manushi Chhillar, on the other hand, took Tharoor's remark in the right spirit and responded to him with utmost grace, proving she's a 'chilled-out' person. Saying "let's not forget the 'chill' in 'Chhillar'", Manushi won hearts, again.

Exactly @vineetjaintimes agree with you on this. A girl who has just won the World isnt going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. Chillar talk is just small change - lets not forget the chill within Chhillar ??? @ShashiTharoor https://t.co/L5gqMf8hfi- Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) November 20, 2017

Pleased seeing her being a sport, Shashi Tharoor, in a new tweet, showered praises on her.

Tharoor quoted Manushi's response tagging him and said: "You're a class act, Manushi Chhillar! Beautiful, smart and uncommonly gracious too."

He also apologised to Manushi and her family again saying, ""Still, if any offence was caused to any member of your family, sincere apologies," and said that like every Indian, he is proud of her.

You're a class act, @ManushiChhillar! Beautiful, smart & uncommonly gracious too. Still, if any offence was caused to any member of your family, sincere apologies. Like every Indian, I'm proud of you. https://t.co/42wdOqV0wZ- Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 20, 2017

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Watch: Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar has been crowned Miss World 2017

--- ENDS ---
North Korea has punished two of its top military officers, including one widely seen as its second-most powerful official, during a highly unusual inspection of the military's powerful political bureau, South Korea's spy agency has said.

According to a politician who attended the closed-door briefing by Seoul's national intelligence service, it said the inspection of the North Korean military's general political bureau inspection was the first of its kind in 20 years and occurred because of its "impure" attitude.

The spy agency has said it obtained intelligence that the head of the bureau, Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, his top deputy, Kim Wong Hong, and other officers were punished, according to the politician, Kim Byung-kee.

Mr Hwang's position as the military's top political officer made him North Korea's second most powerful official after Kim Jong Un, according to many South Korean analysts.

If he were to be removed, it could lead to a major shift in North Korea's secretive hierarchy of power.

It was unclear whether the two officials were verbally reprimanded, dismissed or banished to a rural area.

The spy agency, which has a mixed record in reporting developments in North Korea, said it could not publicly confirm Mr Kim's account of the briefing.

The report came as North Korea is struggling to head off international sanctions that were toughened after its sixth and biggest nuclear test in September.

Since taking office in late 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has orchestrated a series of high-profile purges, dismissals and executions in what foreign experts say is an attempt to bolster his grip on power and remove anyone seen as a challenge to his leadership.

Mr Hwang was last mentioned in a North Korean state media dispatch on October 13 that reported his attendance at an event marking the anniversary of a revolutionary school.

Kim Won Hong once headed North Korea's state security ministry, and the South Korean government said in February that he had been fired from that post, presumably because of corruption, abuse of power and torture committed by his ministry.

The South Korean spy agency told the politicians that the North Korean investigation of the military political bureau is continuing, and is spearheaded by senior Workers' Party official Choe Ryong Hae, who was the military's top political officer before Mr Hwang.

AP
Photo supplied by Argentina's navy of the ARA San Juan docked in Buenos Aires (AP)

Argentina's navy says that brief satellite calls did not come from a missing submarine with 44 crew members on board.

The communication attempts received were originally thought to indicate that the crew was trying to re-establish contact and had prompted celebrations by family members and officials.

But Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said on Monday that the seven low-frequency satellite signals were analysed and do not correspond to the submarine, the ARA San Juan.

Authorities last had contact with the sub on Wednesday as it was sailing from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata.

Admiral Gabriel Gonzalez of the Mar del Plata Naval Base said on Monday that the submarine had sent an alert on Wednesday about an unspecified breakdown.

AP
Yo! Sushi has launched an assault on the North American market by snapping up Canadian firm Bento Sushi in a 100 million Canadian dollar (59.1 million) deal.

The takeover transforms the London-based restaurant group into one of the largest sushi brands outside of Japan, with the two firms recording combined sales of around 175 million in the past year.

Bento is the biggest sushi company in Canada and the second largest in North America, operating from 600 restaurants and supplying 1,700 sites.

The deal was driven by Mayfair Equity Partners, an investment firm which backed a management buyout of Yo! Sushi in 2015 leading to the return of chief executive Robin Rowland.

On the deal, Mr Rowland said: Weve successfully reinvigorated the business over the last two years to ensure the foundations are in place for long-term growth.

This acquisition takes Yo! into the next stage of its development, and creates the first global multi-channel Japanese food purveyor.

Bentos proposition and its management teams strong track record make it the ideal partner for Yo! as we look to further grow our brand.

Ontario-based Bento was founded by chairman Ken Valvur in 1996 and served up annual sales growth of 16% over the past three years.

As part of the deal, Mr Valvur and Bento chief executive Glenn Brown will join the Yo! Sushi board.

Mr Valvur said: The combination of Yo! and Bento will further enhance our groups ability to be the partner of choice for grocery and institutional food service providers throughout our enlarged operating geography, and creates exciting opportunities for our valued team members on both sides of the Atlantic.

Yo! Sushi, which opened five more UK restaurants this year and has sales of around 80 million, saw like-for-like sales jump 5% over the past 18 months.

Daniel Sasaki, Mayfair managing partner, said: Yo! has been an innovator since its founding, and the transaction with Bento is further evidence of its ability to evolve its model to become a multi-channel, multi-brand business with international scale.

We look forward to supporting Yo! and Bento on this transformational next step as we build on the excellent momentum and progress made since our investment in 2015.
Kolkata Nov 20 (IBNS): Within almost two years of its launch Tata Motors Use Dipper at Night campaign has scored an impressive feat at the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy - the global authority on Advertising and Media effectiveness. The initiative which spreads awareness on safe sex in the Trucker community won a Special Award for Channel Thinking.

Last year, the campaign bagged a Silver in Media Lions category and a Bronze in Health Lions category at Cannes, which celebrates the power of creativity as a force for business, for change and for good.

This was a first Cannes award for a Tata group company. In addition, it has also won 3 awards at Spikes Asia Festival of creativity and 2 EFFIE awards - the most prestigious awards for celebrating Marketing Effectiveness.

Targeted at truck drivers  Tata Motors important stakeholder in the logistics business, who are also considered as a HIV high-risk group, the campaign was inspired by the line USE DIPPER AT NIGHT - meaning dip headlight at night, which is printed on the back of 6 million trucks in the country.

Under the initiative, a condom brand Dipper was created to associate with the line and communicate with the community in the trucking jargon. With straightforward messages such as Have a Safe Journey, CONDOM OK PLEASE, Welcome Safety, No Dipper No Entry coupled with AIDS se nahi hogi mulakaat, Jab hoga Dipper Condom ka saath, the campaign had a 360 support of Press, Outdoor, Digital, Posters and Merchandise.



To spread the message on safe sex effectively, condoms were distributed in uniquely designed wallets, handed out at different touch points such as health clinics, service stations, highway eateries, petrol pumps and convenience stores across the country. Tata Motors decided to sell these condoms at an inexpensive price of Rs 2 for a packet of 3 unlike other campaigns where condoms are made available for free.



The campaign emerged as a huge success with the first batch of 45,000 condoms sold in just 25 days.
Tata Sons will hold the remaining 49%.

The transaction is expected to close in the next few weeks, subject to the fulfilment of customary closing conditions.

Shortly after closing, following the conclusion of the appropriate regulatory formalities, the company is also expected to rebrand itself to showcase its new corporate identity.

Tata Business Support Services is among Indias premier Customer Experience (CX) management companies, with over ten years of sectoral expertise.

The company serves diverse third-party clients in the BFSI, Auto & Manufacturing, Telecom & Media, Retail and in emerging industries, in India and abroad, with an employee strength of ~27,000 employees, handling ~500 million customer transactions every year. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the company has a Unique One India model, comprising 27 delivery centres.



Ajit Isaac, Chairman and Managing Director of Quess Corp, said, We are excited about our partnership with the Tata Group. This investment marks a significant milestone for Quess in its journey to build a world class business services platform. We are confident that TBSS digital capabilities and roster of marquee clients will help us further grow this platform. CX has been a key focus area for us and will continue to see further investments from our side. This acquisition is in line with our investment philosophy of backing great management teams and creating superior long-term value for our shareholders.



Praveen Kadle, Chairman of TBSS and Managing Director of Tata Capital, said, The Tata group has nurtured TBSS over the last ten years over which time, it has grown to become a significant CX solution provider in the Indian business process outsourcing industry. The addition of Quess will further expand the company and let it continue to grow from strength to strength.

Srinivas Koppolu, Chief Executive Officer, and his team, will continue to lead the Company. Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Koppolu said, We are excited to be part of this journey. With the additional support of Quess, we are confident that we can expand into newer markets, acquire the latest digital competencies and provide stronger career opportunities to our employees, all the while offering better value to our customers and stake holders.


Mumbai, Nov 20 (IBNS): The University of Michigan celebrated its 200th anniversary with its Indian alumni at a special event held recently in Mumbai.

The University of Michigan U-M), often simply referred to as Michigan, is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US.

James Holloway, Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Interdisciplinary Academic Affairs, said that the university wants to celebrate its bicentennial with alumni around the world.

The Indian alumni are over 6,000 strong and include names like G V Sanjay Reddy, Vice Chairman, GVK.

U-M Indian Alumni Association President Sujoy Bhattacharya, a graduate of the Ross School of Business, said that the passion keeps the alumni involved and enthused.

Having key U-M leaders visit India to celebrate 200 with Indian alumni association has recharged us all, he said.

Along with James Holloway, deans of three colleges - Andrew Martin, dean of College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Alec Gallimore, dean of College of Engineering, and Scott De Rue dean of Stephen M. Ross school of Business - were also in Mumbai to join the celebrations.

Another member of the delegation, Farina Mir, director of U-M Center for South Asian Studies, said U-M has deep commitments to India.

The Michigan University's connection with India dates back to 1897 when Sanskrit was first taught at the university and continues to this day with critical partnerships with AIIMS, Delhi University and Institute for Science Education and Research.
Image: twitter.com/HardikPatel_

Ahmedabad, Nov 20 (IBNS): The agitating Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday confirmed that they have reached a deal with Congress, stating that the latter has accepted its demand for quota in jobs and education to the Patidar community.

PAAS leader Hardik Patel will address the media and elaborate matters on Monday.

"We have reached the agreement; more details on Monday," Hardik said while addressing a rally in Dhrol.

Dinesh Bambhania, convenor of PAAS and a close aide of Hardik, said, "Hardik himself will share the details tomorrow, when he will also address a rally in Chief Minister Vijay Rupanis constituency in Rajkot,"

Both the Congress and PAAS will contest it out against one common opponent, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Bharat Solanki, the Gujarat Congress president told reporters, "Our meeting with PAAS leaders was positive and they have agreed on their demands.

According to The Hindu, a few PAAS members are likely to contest the elections via Congress tickets in Patidar dominated areas.

On Saturday, PAAS had asked Congress to clear their intentions and had issued an ultimatum.

PAAS had asked Congress for at least 20 seats from the former's quota.

Meanwhile, the Other Backward Classes (OBC) group, led by Alpesh Thakor, has demanded 12 seats.

Thakor joined the grand old party recently.

The two-phase Gujarat election is scheduled to be held on Dec 9 and 14.



Image: twitter.com/HardikPatel_
Srinagar, Nov 20 (IBNS): A local militant of Hizbul Mujahdeen outfit has been killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Tral area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday, police said.

According to police, on specific information about the presence of some militants who are hiding in Chopan Mohalla area of Tral, a joint operation led by Army, Police and CRPF started operation to find out the militants.

As the joint team of forces intensified the searches, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter.

Initial reports suggested that one local militant Adil Chopan of Hizbul Mujahdeen has been killed in the incident.

Search operation is still going on in the area when last report came.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
New Delhi, Nov 20 (IBNS): Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh on Tuesday came out to support people who are protesting against upcoming Bollywood movie Padmavati and said nobody could 'distort history'.

"Nobody has the right to distort history. Those feeling hurt at any distortion of historical facts have the democratic right to protest. #PadmavatiControversy," Singh tweeted.

Nobody has the right to distort history. Those feeling hurt at any distortion of historical facts have the democratic right to protest. #PadmavatiControversy  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 20, 2017

Condemning the Padmavati controversy, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday called the protest against the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film by fringe groups a "super emergency", media reports said.

Banerjee in her tweet attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without taking any name and accused the "political party" of curbing freedom of expression.

"The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice" the CM tweeted.

Padmavati evoked a huge controversy after several fringe groups alleged that Bhansali has distorted history in his upcoming film.

The groups have even said they will not allow the portrayal of Rani Padmini, to be played by actor Deepika Padukone, in a wrong way.

Taking the controversy to a new low, a Karni Sena leader has threatened to chop off actor Deepika Padukone's nose as the latter reacted sharply to the ongoing controversy centred on the film recently.

Reacting sharply to the vandalisation of a Kota mall recently, Padukone said people have regressed as a nation. "It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed."

The actress even said nothing can stop the release of the film, drawing comments form the leaders of Karni Sena.

Reacting to it, threats were issued to do physical harm to Padukone.

Padukone had earlier urged Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to take legal actions after few protesters who had vandalised artist Karan K's Rangoli, which was inspired by film Padmavati.

The Supreme Court has recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a stay on the release of Bhansalis film Padmavati.

The top court suggested that the Censor Board should take an independent view over the issue, saying it cant substitute role of CBFC.

Amid the running feuds, the censor board, has sent the movie back to the makers as the application for the certification was incomplete."

According to media reports, the application was sent back to the filmmakers through an online process on November 16.

The makers of Padmavati have even deferred the release date of the movie from Dec 1.

.

The move has been made following protest over the release of the movie.

Few activists of Rajput caste organization, Karni Sena, on Sunday morning stormed a movie theatre in Kolkata to protest against the release of Padmavati film, reports said.

Karni Sena members entered Navina cinema hall in south Kolkata on Sunday and shouted anti-Padmavati slogans.

A senior official of Kolkata Police said that security at the movie hall has been increased following the incident.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will begin a four-day India visit from tomorrow with an aim of boosting bilateral ties.

Wickremesinghe will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during which the vexed fishermen issue is likely to figure.

The two leaders are also expected to deliberate on issues relating to maritime security, amid efforts by China to strengthen its naval presence around the waters of the island nation.

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The Sri Lankan Prime Ministers first destination will be Bengaluru and will arrive here on Wednesday, according to the external affairs ministry.

Wickremesinghes engagements here include participation at the 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space.

He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Sri Lanka in May during which he attended the biggest Buddhist festival Vesak Day as its chief guest.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister will wrap up his visit here on Friday. PTI MPB ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
Guwahati, Nov 20 (IBNS): Another Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer, allegedly involved in cash-for-job scam in Assam Public Service Commission ((APSC), on Monday surrendered before the special court in Guwahati.

According to the reports, Rumi Saikia, assistant commissioner and an ACS officer, who was reportedly absconding, surrendered before the special court in Guwahati and with this surrendered total ACS, APS and other allied service officials in custody increased to 23.

Meanwhile, the special court sent the surrendered officer to 14-day police custody, after Dibrugarh police filed a petition before the court seeking police custody.

Earlier, Dibrugarh police arrested 22 ACS, APS and other allied service officers in connection with the cash-for-job scam.

Dibrugarh district Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and investigating officer of the scam, Surajit Singh Panesar said that, two more officials named Rakesh Gupta and Nishamoni Deka are still absconding and the police is trying to arrest them.

On the other hand, the Assam police is planning to quiz at least 38 more officials in connection with the scandal.

A top police official said that, the investigating team has accessed the forensic report of several answer scripts, which were earlier seized from the APSC office in Guwahai.



We have already identified few more officials after receiving the forensic report and would likely to be asked them to appear before the investigating team, the top police official said.

The top official of Assam police said that, apart from it, police had also identified at least 12 middlemen for their involvement in the cash-for-job scam.

Sacked chairman of APSC Rakesh Pauls brother Rajib Paul, Sudip Das, Mrigen Saikia and Mofidul Islam are among the middlemen, who are presently absconding.

The entire scam has been brought to light after, Dibrugarh police arrested an engineer named Naba Kanta Patir from Upper Assams Dibrugarh district after they caught him red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a lady doctor to provide a secured government job on October 27 last year.

Following the incident, Dibrugarh police had registered a case and arrested then chairman of APSC Rakesh Paul from Guwahati and later arrested few more persons including former members of APSC Samedur Rahman, Basanta Doley, Pabitra Kaiborta, Musharaf Hussain, Mabud Ali Choudhury, three ACS officers Bhaskarjyoti Dev Sharma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sharma.

On August 31 last, the Gauhati High Court had granted bail to 10 accused persons including three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officials, who were arrested in connection with the cash-for-job scam of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
New Delhi, Nov 20 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition that sought deletion of alleged objectionable scenes from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati.

Rejecting the plea, the apex court said that it does not intend to interfere with the CBFCs work.

Meanwhile, the Censor Board has denied the filmmakers' request to expedite the clearance process for Padmavati.

The CBFC said that the film will be reviewed and certified as per set norms.

However, the Board has said that the request will be looked upon following a chronological order of all applications.

The makers of the movie have deferred its release following massive protests across several states.

Earlier, the movie was scheduled to hit the theatre on Dec 1.

Padmavati evoked a huge controversy after several fringe groups alleged that Bhansali has distorted history in his upcoming film.

The groups have even said they will not allow the portrayal of Rani Padmini, to be played by actor Deepika Padukone, in a wrong way.

Taking the controversy to a new low, a Karni Sena leader had threatened to chop off actor Deepika Padukone's nose as the latter reacted sharply to the ongoing controversy centred on the film.

Reacting sharply to the vandalisation of a Kota mall recently, Padukone had said people have regressed as a nation. "It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed."

The actress had even said nothing can stop the release of the film, drawing comments form the leaders of Karni Sena.

Reacting to it, threats were issued to do physical harm to Padukone.

Padukone had earlier urged Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to take legal actions after few protesters who had vandalised artist Karan K's Rangoli, which was inspired by film Padmavati.

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a stay on the release of Bhansalis film Padmavati.

The top court suggested that the Censor Board should take an independent view over the issue, saying it cant substitute role of CBFC.

Amid the running feuds, the censor board, has sent the movie back to the makers as the application for the certification was incomplete."

According to media reports, the application was sent back to the filmmakers through an online process on November 16.
New York, Nov 20(Just Earth News): Africa's industrial development and proposed continental free trade would complement each other, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday, marking the UN-proclaimed day for Africa's industrialization.

This year's Africa Industrialization Day highlights the links betweenindustrial development and Africa's moves towards establishing a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), Guterres said in his message for the Day.

These are mutually supportive endeavours, he added, reaffirming that the continued strong commitment of the United Nations to support Africa's industrialization, the implementation of a continental free trade agreement, and the building of inclusive, resilient, peaceful and prosperous societies for all.

Guterres stressed that industrialization is a primary driver of economic growth and job creation, and will be pivotal in efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Africa Union's 'Agenda 2063.'

He also highlighted the importance of making strategic investments in cross-border infrastructure, promoting green technologies and low-carbon solutions, fostering small and medium enterprises, and forging partnerships to spur innovation and create incentives to power sustainable growth.

It will also be critical to unleash the capacities of Africa's young people and to strengthen African institutions, he said, as both the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 recognize these imperatives.

In 1989, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 20 November Africa Industrialization Day.

This year's theme is 'African Industrial Development: A Pre-Condition for an Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area.'

On Monday, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is holding panel discussions in Vienna and New York to increase awareness of the importance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Africa for the success of the CFTA and structural transformation more broadly.

Photo: Jonathan Ernst/World Bank (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 20(Just Earth News): Despite global progress, one in 12 children live in countries with prospects more limited than those of their parents, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Monday.

In a new report released to coincide with World Children's Day, UNICEF revealed that in 37 countries, some 180 million youth are more likely to exist in extreme poverty, be out of school or be killed by violence, than children in those same countries 20 years ago.

While the last generation has seen vast, unprecedented gains in living standards for most of the world's children, the fact that a forgotten minority of children have been excluded from this  through no fault of their own or those of their families  is a travesty, said Laurence Chandy, UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy.

In honour of World Children's Day, which marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has coordinated a range of activities in over 130 countries that aim to give youth their own platform, helping to save their lives, fight for their rights and fulfil their potential  including children's global 'take-overs' and high-profile events.

Among a host of events and activities worldwide, at UN Headquarters in New York, UNICEF will bring together high-profile supporters, influencers and special guests alongside children who represent some of the world's most vulnerable children to speak out to the international community on issues that matter to them. Many are expected to join Secretary General Antonio Guterres and 150 children in a 'take-over' of the UN complex.

It is the hope of every parent, everywhere, to provide greater opportunities for their children than they themselves enjoyed when they were young. This World Children's Day, we have to take stock of how many children are instead seeing opportunities narrow and their prospects diminish, Chandy said.

In assessing the prospect of children in escaping extreme poverty, getting a basic education and avoiding violent deaths, among other things, the UNICEF analysis shows that the share of people living on less than $1.90 a day has increased in 14 countries mostly due to unrest, conflicts or poor governance.

It also revealed that due to financial crises, rapid population growth and the impact of conflicts, primary school enrolment has declined in 21 countries; violent deaths among children below the age of 19 have increased in seven conflict-ridden countries; and that four countries witnessed a decline across more than one of the three areas measured.

In a time of rapid technological change leading to huge gains in living standards, it is perverse that hundreds of millions are seeing living standards actually decline, creating a sense of injustice among them and failure among those entrusted with their care, said Chandy. No wonder they feel their voices are unheard and their futures uncertain.

UNICEF/Gilbertson VII Photo

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 20(Just Earth News): Noting that with the signing last month of the Cairo agreement, Palestinians have set out on a path towards reconciliation, a senior United Nations official underscored on Monday the urgency to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and to return the enclave to full civilian and security control of the Palestinian Authority.

I believe and hope that a genuine change in Gaza [] would contribute to restoring confidence in the feasibility of a comprehensive peace agreement, Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council Monday.

This is a Palestinian-owned process. All Palestinian factions must seize this opportunity to open a new page for their people, he added.

In his briefing, the UN envoy also underscored that for success to be achieved, past failures must be avoided, security for both Palestinians and Israelis must be preserved, and all sides must be willing to compromise in the interests of peace.

In the context of improving security, he welcomed the restoration of full security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (announced 8 November) noting that it the coordination is critical to the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike.

He however, expressed concern over the recent discovery of tunnel extending from Gaza into Israel, and condemning the continued construction of tunnels and statements by terrorist groups purporting violence.

At a time when Palestinians in Gaza  who have lived with closures for a decade, survived three conflicts, and have had to struggle to merely exist  are seeing hope for the future, such actions and statements risk a dangerous escalation that could destroy the prospects for intra-Palestinian reconciliation.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen with power outages now reported as much as 20 hours a day, piped water supply of 3-5 hours every five days, dwindling stocks of essential drugs and medical supplies and lack of functioning sanitation syste

Turning to settlements, Mladenov informed the 15-member Council of Israeli planning authorities' approval of building permits for at least 418 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlements of Gilo and Ramat Shlomo as well as conditional approval of 178 housing units in the settlement of Nof Zion located in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber.

The UN considers all settlement activities illegal under international law. They constitute a substantial obstacle to peace and should cease, added Mladenov.

Also in his briefing, the envoy expressed concern over the implications of the latest developments related to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) representative office in the United States.

Only through constructive dialogue can we hope to advance peace and I call on all parties to remain engaged, he said, urging everyone, especially Palestinian leaders, Israel and the international community of their important responsibility to advance the peace efforts in the region.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Images: Molly Shoichet/Twitter

Shoichet, a researcher and award-winning expert in the study of polymers for drug delivery and tissue regeneration and a member of the Order of Ontario, will report to Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science and will advise Ontarios Premier Kathleen Wynne in promoting the country's world-class science both at home and to international audiences.



The media quoted Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), as saying, We are pleased to see the Government of Ontario moving forward on the appointment of a Chief Scientist. We now face a world that is changing more rapidly than at any other time in history, and governments need to understand emerging science in order to craft policy informed by the best scientific advice.

Canada ranks among the worlds top 10 countries for total research publication output; from 2009 to 2014, Ontario produced about 46 percent of Canadas national output.

Ontario plans to increase the number of postsecondary students graduating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines by 25 percent over the next five years, to 50,000 per year, giving Ontario the highest number per capita of postsecondary STEM graduates in North America.

According to media reports, Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, said, As we tackle some of todays biggest challenges, science plays an increasingly vital role in helping governments make informed decisions. I am excited that Molly Shoichet will become Ontarios first Chief Scientist. I look forward to her thought leadership and advice on how we can strengthen the research and innovation happening across our province  and how we can apply scientific evidence to make government smarter and more effective.

According to an official release, recruiting a Chief Scientist is part of Ontarios five-year, $650-million Business Growth Initiative, which is helping to grow the economy and create jobs by promoting an innovation-based economy, helping small companies scale up and modernizing regulations for businesses.

Congratulating Shoichet for becoming Ontarios first Chief Scientist, Reza Moridi, Ontarios Minister of Research, Innovation and Science was quoted by the media as saying, She is one of the top biomedical scientists in the country, with in-depth knowledge of Ontarios research community. As Chief Scientist, she will help us continue a proud tradition of science and research excellence through evidence-based decision making and will open the world to the incredible innovative talent and technologies Ontario has to offer.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Images: Molly Shoichet (Source: Twitter)
Toronto, Nov 20 (IBNS): A legislation to end the Ontario college labour dispute and return students to the classroom was passed by Ontario on Sunday, media reports said.

Approximately 12,225 faculty members from 24 Ontario colleges including professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians started the strike on last Thursday.

Students were in the middle of the strike for too long. We needed to put students first, and get them back to their studies. This legislation ensures students can get back to the classroom and refocus on their education, Deb Matthews, Ontario Deputy Premier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Digital Government was reported by the media to state.

In the meantime, the colleges have been instructed by the Ontario government to establish dedicated fund with net savings from the strike reportedly to support students who had experienced financial hardships due of the strike. This would be done with direct consultation with students.

The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Labour Dispute Resolution Act, 2017, which governs the labour dispute between the College Employer Council and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) college academic unit, expired on September 30, 2017.

The mediator-arbitrator have the authority to determine and conclude a new collective agreement and in settling any related matter.

Our government respects and believes in the collective bargaining process. It is only in special circumstances that government intervention should occur. Through all of this, our focus has been on students and their learning. We want to see students back in the classroom as quickly as possible so that they can continue their education while an agreement is reached, Kevin Flynn, Ontario Minister of Labour was reported by the media to state.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Images: Deb Matthews: Twitter. Kevin Flynn:Facebook
After CCI penalty, FHRAI writes SEBI to stop OYO IPO The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India has written a letter to SEBI to stop the proceedings of the IPO of OYO, as reported by the Economic Times. This has come after the Co... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 4:03 pm

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Passenger vehicle sales may touch 3.8 million units in FY 23, says Tata Motors MD Passenger vehicle sales in India may touch 3.8 million units in FY 23, Tata Motors MD, Shailesh Chandra, said. He also added that a large part of these sales will be because of the pent-up dema... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 3:21 pm

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By Sneha Agrawal: Three months into the mysterious murder of St Stephen's Hospital doctor Shashwat Pande, parents of the suspect doctor Suyash Gupta - who also went missing since the day of the incident - have moved Delhi HC seeking their son's whereabouts.

Gupta's mother filed a habeas corpus in court stating that she is worried about her son's 'illegal and unlawful detention' and whether he is even alive.

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In the petition filed through her counsel Jayant Bhatt, she told the court that despite months into the investigation and after several interrogations, police have failed to find her son.

Speaking to Mail Today, Bhatt said, "The purpose of filing the petition is to get justice for both families. In this case, two mothers have lost their sons and the courts have a duty to ascertain whether there is more than one angle into the story."

"The whereabouts of Dr. Gupta and probe into St. Stephen's hospital is a must by the police to reach a logical conclusion," Bhatt added.

The petitioner also stated that she has constantly co-operated with the police, but she feels there has been dereliction of duty by the latter. It is also mentioned that the petitioner and her husband were called to the hospital, where Gupta worked, and told that their son was bisexual.

It is further mentioned that the deceased and the petitioner's son were in fact having a secret relationship.

At the same time, she claimed that her son was prescribed a strong anti-psychotic drug upon knowing about his sexual orientation, which had severe side-effects such as short-term memory lapse, nausea, dyskinesia, mental sluggishness and others.

On the intervening night of the incident, Suyash had told his mother that he was going out for a movie with his friends and the next day, her parents were called to the police station mentioning about Pande's death and suspicion over his involvement.

Pande, a 26-year-old resident doctor, was found with his throat slit in the retiring room of the St. Stephen's hospital's radiology department on the night of August 26.

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Macao has long been synonymous with villainous characters of countless B-movies and a cameo in the James Bond film, Skyfall. But, the city of Macao is actually Asias best-kept culinary secrets, with an astonishing variety of cuisine options to offer. Its European influence is visible in its food as the culinary arts of Portugal and China have been blended together for over four centuries. And the result? A food lovers paradise.

Whether youre looking for a fine-dining experience or something to munch on from the streets; whether youre a vegetarian, a non-vegetarian or an eggitarian, Macao has something to offer to all!

Lets get right on to the list of the best restaurants that will fulfil all your needs for a sumptuous appetite:

1. Cafe Litoral

Faimouioui

If youre looking forward to experiencing authentic Portuguese-Macanese flavours, step into this local set-up known for its warm ambience and hospitable service. The restaurant is one of the oldest in the city and offers a rich menu of Macanese food. Dont fret vegetarians; youd be surprised to see the number of delicious options available at your disposal.

2. Mizumi, Wynn Hotel

Bloomberg

Other than it's magnificent Performance Lake, Wynn Macao hosts Mizumi, the sophisticated restaurant, which has been awarded two Michelin stars. Here you will enjoy exceptional sushi and tempura, artfully prepared teppanyaki dishes and other choices that celebrate the best of Japan's cuisine, all served in a dramatic space that likewise pays tribute to Japan. Wynn Macao is a gorgeous property and definitely worth a stay.

3. The Eight, Grand Lisboa Hotel

Hedonist

Macao Tourism

You will be mesmerized by the stunning interiors of the Eight, which is one of the few restaurants in Macao to be awarded three Michelin stars and rightly so. The Eight is situated in the Grand Lisboa hotel, which is the tallest building in Macao and offers contemporary Cantonese cuisine. The lunch menu boasts of more than 40 kinds of dim sums, made to perfection in terms of taste and presentation. Hotel Grand Lisboa is one of the finest hotels, known for its comfortable, luxurious stay, in Asia and houses 11 other equally elegant and reputable restaurants.

4. 360 Cafe

Flickr

The revolving restaurant on the 60th floor of Macao Tower is a treat to the eyes as well as your taste buds as it gives a breathtaking panoramic view of Macao and serves a wide selection of cuisines in its buffet line. In case you miss the spices that your motherland has to offer, 360 Cafe has your back with its exquisite Indian buffet.

5. Sky 21

Jun Macao

Sky 21 gets its name from the obvious; it sits right on top of the AIA Tower and features one of the best views of the Macao skyline. The bar and restaurant has two floors and offers an all-day dining on the first level, featuring regional Asian specialties, and a more casual menu on the rooftop. Happy hour drinks and al-fresco menu on the rooftop attracts people for its relaxed and fun vibes.

6. Lord Stows Cafe

Pinterest

Lord Stow is well-known in Macao for serving the best Portuguese egg tarts. The buttery pastry shell is baked to flaky perfection and the creamy custard filling melts in your mouth. The cafe offers a seaside view which adds to the experience of eating steaming hot egg tarts freshly out of the oven.

7.Mistral, Sofitel Hotel

Macao Tourism

Elegant and relaxed at the same time, the restaurant offers unparalleled, impressive international buffets as well as a la carte dining throughout the day. Sofitel hotel juxtaposes French-style architecture in a Chinese city and the results are marvellous.

8. Grand Imperial, MGM Hotel

Macao Tourism

Grand Imperial at MGM Macao, offers its diners exquisite Chinese cuisine, prepared by its supremely talented chefs. The restaurant presents a comfortable and private dining experience which resonates with the MGM hotel, which tells a story of passion and artistry. A shimmering, three-tiered gold exterior of the hotel reflects the hues of the South China Sea and the swell of the ocean surf.

9. Brasserie, Parisian Hotel

Booking.com

Brasserie offers some of Frances most popular and authentic dishes, made from recipes prepared to perfection through the centuries and set in the restaurants remarkable decor. It is located at the Parisian in Macao, which is a landmark in itself on the citys Vegas-like Cotai Strip. The hotel is fashioned on a French chateau and it houses a half-scale Eiffel Tower, Montmartre-style red windmill and towering Arc de Triomphe.

If youre as a big foodie as I am, you're in for a massive treat in this gastronomic heaven and this alone should be a major reason why you should visit Macao. Coupled with the comfort of staying at hotels like Parisian and Sofitel among the others, Macao should definitely be on your bucket list. If youre still not convinced, did I tell you about the Performance lake at the entrance of Wynn Hotel? Its a balletic blend of fountains and music and colours and fire. Sounds exciting, doesn't it!

Dont let me keep you, head to the Macao Tourism website and start planning your trip right away!
In just two-three days of landing in India for his second gig here, Ed Sheeran has fallen in love with Mumbai. On his first day of being here, he partied with Bollywood and TV stars at Farah Khan's place and the pictures and videos that have flooded our timeline prove that he had one hell of a time here.

Instagram

From dancing on Bollywood numbers to chilling with SRK, Ed Sheeran did leave many starstruck.

Ed Sheeran, who is is currently touring with his latest album, 'Divide,' spoke to ANI and said,

Agencies

"I met Bollywood stars and they all are very cool. I guess Shah Rukh Khan is the biggest. He is really sweet and nice. It was really fun at Bollywood parties, they are really nice people."

When Ed Sheeran was asked if he has plans to work in Bollywood some day, he said,

Agencies

"I would love to work in Bollywood."

Whether he will work in Bollywood or not that's a different question but after his super-hit gig at Mumbai last night, he has promised that he will be back to India next year too. For those who couldn't make it, maybe next year is your chance to see him perform live.

(Alo read: Mumbai Was In Complete Awe Of Ed Sheeran Last Night. Here Are The Key Highlights From His Gig)
Karni Sena seemingly will never give up. Since the time the movie was announced and its production started, from vandalising to assaulting director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karni Sena has been rigid in its demand of reviewing the film before it hits the silver screen.

After vandalising a cinema hall in Kota two days ago, they have now called for a nationwide bandh on December 1 when the movie is hitting the screen.

(Also Read: 20 Times SLBs Padmavati Landed Into Trouble & Amassed Controversies Before Its Release)

vogue.in

The members of the Rajput group have been apparently triggered by Deepika Padukone's statement. Deepika, who plays the lead role of Rani Padmini in the movie, had said that nothing can stop the release of the movie.

Deepika Padukone's statement is provocative and I take it as a challenge, therefore, I have called for a nationwide bandh, said Karni Sena leader Lokendra Singh Kalvi from Jaipur.

Ye jauhar ki jwala hai bahut kuch jalega. Rokna hai to Padmini ko rok lo (This is the flame of the Jauhar and a lot will burn. Stop it if you want to), he threatened.

(Also Read: Padmavati Row: Deepika Padukone Calls India Regressive, Subramanian Swamy Says She's Dutch)

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Meanwhile, the protests have reached the south with the members of the group staging a demonstration in Bengaluru as well.

We are calling for a country-wide bandh on December 1 if the film is released. We have the support of all castes and communities. We will hold public meetings and rallies in Gurgaon, Patna and Bhopal before that, Kalvi added.

(Also Read: Industry Lacks Unity, Points Farhan Akhtar On Recent Films Ban And Padmavati Row)

Screengrab

Furthermore, he said that the filmmaker had promised to pre-screen the movie, but then they released the song as well as the promo without taking Rajput community into confidence.

He says now the community is not demanding a pre-screening but a total ban because SLB betrayed them.

(Also Read: Despite His Alleged Feud With Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Salman Khan Extends Support To Padmavati)
With Rajasthan assembly elections set to take place in 2018, the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made its sides clear in the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Padmavati.

BCCL

BJP MLA Ram Kadam has been one of the leading figures in the state to oppose the release of the movie, which is scheduled for December. He has on more than one occasions made it clear that they won't allow the release of the movie unless parts which they have deemed 'objectionable' are not removed.

BCCL

While the state government has not officially made its position on the film clear, the party seems to be siding with the Karni Sena.

Now, even union minister Nitin Gadkari it appears is towing the line of the fringe groups.

On Thursday Gadkari said "People have the right to be offended... filmmakers should not distort historical facts. Padmini is part of our history and filmmakers should maintain sensitivity."

Gadkari seemed to give voice to the sentiment in his party even as RSS has been a vocal advocate of "corrections" in history that it sees as tilted in favour of accounts that suppress Hindu traditions or paper over excesses of Islamic rule.

BCCL

Other BJP leaders like Subramanian Swamy had even gone to claim that the film was funded from Dubai to insult Hindus.

Another high profile BJP leader, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that the release of Padmavati in the state could create law and order issues.

In poll-bound Gujarat, where the Rajput community has a strong presence, the party had sought a ban on its release till the elections are over.
On the occasion of World Toilet Day on November 19, Haryana's Marora village - also known as 'Trump village' - got the world's biggest toilet pot model.

Also read: Someone Made A Toilet Out Of Louis Vuitton Bags And It Costs A Whopping $100,000

sulabh international

According to a statement released by Sulabh International - the NGO under which this project saw the light of the day - the Indian-style pot is made of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris. It measures 20 by 10 feet.

Bindeshwar Pathak, a sanitation expert and founder of Sulabh International, also dedicated 95 new household toilets to the residents of the Trump village.

Worlds Biggest Toilet Pot model unveiled to mark #WorldToiletDay at Trump Village in Haryana pic.twitter.com/TJ0IrVaI2Q  Bindeshwar Pathak (@bindeshwarpatha) November 19, 2017

The toilet pot model was unveiled to raise awareness about the use of toilets in the village.

"This large pot replica will be shifted to Delhi's Sulabh Toilet Museum," informed Pathak.

Inaugurated Sulabh Magic Toilet at Trump village, Marora, Haryana on the occasion of #WorldToiletDay pic.twitter.com/juaFqzdrPw  Sulabh International (@SulabhIntl) November 19, 2017

Also read: After Govt Denied House, Odisha Man Makes Swachh Toilet His Home

He also said that the idea behind naming a village after the American President was to highlight the issue of sanitation and cleanliness worldwide.
Rajasthan-based Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation founded in 2006, is on the warpath with the makers and actors of upcoming Bollywood movie Padmavati. The controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati, starring Deepika Padukone, refuses to die down after a local fringe group has announced an award of Rs 1 crore to anyone burning Padukone alive.

Haryana BJP member Suraj Pal Amu also vowed to "reward" the ones beheading Bhansali and Padukone with "Rs 10 Crore" whilst also taking care of their "family's needs".

Karni Sena chief Lokendera Singh Kalvi has threatened Deepika Padukone of physical harm, threatening to chop off Deepikas nose as she continues to defend the film.

Youtube

Opponents of the movie suspect that the movie has distorted history and there has been speculation that it contains a dream sequence featuring Rani Padmini (Deepika Padukone) and the Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). Bhansali has denied this - twice.

Countless protests, insults, threats and actual physical attacks finally led to movie release date to be postponed.

However, what remains a worrying fact is that it is extremely easy in the country to issue threats and bounty to physically harm a person, and get away with it easily. While a fringe section was busy threatening to physically harm a woman, a number of women were raped, molested and killed by people who share the same mindset as that of the ones giving threats, thinking that it is perfectly OK to cause damage and inflict hostile action in retribution for something done or not done.

In the past three weeks, since the Padmavati controversy is making headlines, a number of incidents took place, where women once again were subjected to physical harm.

Take a look:

1) 21 YO Chandigarh Girl Gangraped By Auto Driver & 2 Others, Victim Gave Him Money To Fill Gas

reuters/representational image

A 21-year-old woman has been gangraped in Chandigarh by an auto driver after he told her that his daughter is not well and he has to go to meet her. The driver also pretended to be in a tight economic condition due to his daughters illness, claimed that he did not even have money to fill gas in his autorickshaw. Read more

2) 10-YO Girl Repeatedly Raped For Three Months By 65-YO Watchman And His Friends In Bhopal

bccl/representational image

This will put even the evilest thing to shame. A 10-year-old girl in Bhopal had been repeatedly raped for three months by a watchman and two of his acquaintances. The accused has been arrested by the police.

According to police, the victim, a class 5 student, was gangraped twice or thrice in the last three months. She was last raped on November 12, Jehangirabad police station's Inspector Preetam Singh Thakur said. Read more

3) Journalist And Another Woman Molested At Delhi's ITO Metro Station, Accused Tea Vendor Nabbed

In yet another case of crime against women in the national capital, a man molested a 25-year-old journalist and another woman in a span of 15 minutes at the ITO Metro station in central Delhi on November 13.

In a CCTV footage at the time of the incident, the woman can be seen bravely fighting off the predator, who then cowardly flees the spot. Read more

4) Woman Denied Job At Delhi Orphanage Because She Is 'Muslim & Wears Hijab'

Representational Image

A 27-year-old woman from Patna, who come to Delhi on a job-hunt, had a shocker to deal with. Her identity as a Muslim and her choice of wearing Hijab made her a victim of growing Islamophobia in the country.

Nedal Zoya, a Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, failed to make the cut for the post of a social worker at one of the orphanages in Delhi because she wears a hijab, according to a report by The Indian Express. Read more

5) Woman, Daughter Jump Off Moving Train Near Kanpur To Escape Molestation By A Group Of Men

Rampant molestation in trains is forcing women to risk their lives just to escape it. In a shocking incident, a woman along with her daughter jumped off a running train near Kanpur to escape molestation by a group of men.

The mother-daughter duo sustained injuries and are being treated in a nearby hospital. The women were travelling from Howrah to Delhi. A group of men allegedly attempted to molest both the women at a time the train departed from Howrah station. Read more

6) Andhra University Sanskrit Professor Sexually Harasses Girls, Get Thrashed By Students

bccl

Andhra University students thrashed the head of the Sanskrit department, Professor K Yedukondalu, for allegedly sexually harassing female students.

Five women complained to the student union that the professor misbehaved with them. Today, the students and the associations leaders took the matter in their own hand and attacked the professor on campus. Read more

7) Mother At 10, Repeatedly Raped By Maternal Uncles: A Sickening Account Of Assault

At first glance, Komal is like any other 10-year-old with a fascination for chocolates and games. But behind the appearance of a carefree childhood is a grim reality. Komal (name changed) was repeatedly raped and impregnated by her maternal uncles. But if she understands what was done to her, it does not show. Interacting with the police and reporters she is required to meet these days, she makes it clear that her priority is games, toys and goodies. The case, replete with twists and turns, is being closely monitored by the Supreme Court. New revelations are cropping up thick and fast as the trial proceeds in Chandigarh district court. Read more

8) 19-YO Daughter Of A Policeman Gangraped For 3 Hours In Bhopal, Cops Refuse To File Complaint

bccl/representational image

For three hours, a 19-year-old college girl was tied up and raped by four men, who took breaks for tea and gutka before returning to assault her repeatedly under a bridge in the heart of Bhopal. Read more

9) 100-YO Old Woman In UP Dies After Being Raped, Accused Claims He Is Innocent

The world we are living in right now has a huge appetite for violence against women. A crime that has hardly any punishment commensurating with the impact is so common, so popular that we, as citizens have stopped cringing. Read more

The larger scenario is still grim with insufficient action taken against the perpetrators. The measures to make the country safe for women also need an extensive planning and implementation.
The repercussions of believing in superstitions and practising evil things like black magic can be harmful to a large extent. In order to discourage this, the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill 2017 has been passed by the state assembly on November 16. The Bill was tabled by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya on and has been passed by a voice vote.

Here is all you need to know:

The initial draft of the bill was prepared by experts at the National Law School University, Bengaluru. Later, an expert committee formed by the government made the first form of the bill from the draft. The bill which was not cleared in 2016, when it was first placed before the assembly, was cleared in 2017.

The Maharashtra's 'Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013' on which the Karnataka Bill doesn't specify the superstitious practices. The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill 2017 has specified as many as 23 practices that would be banned.

Some of these are, declaring a person 'Shaitan' or the devil's incarnation. Hanging a person upside down and subjecting them to chilli smoke, touching body organs with heated objects to ward off evil spirits, threatening people with consequences if they don't listen to someone who allegedly has supernatural powers, Killing animals by biting their neck, piercing tongue and jaws with a rod, Throwing children on thorns from a height, parading women naked, etc.
In a day and age when gruesome crimes are an everyday occurrence, it's fairly easy to lose. However, all is not lost and there are still plenty of good samaritans out there. There are still some people who restore our faith in humanity; like Aman, an alert Mumbaikar who helped saved an abandoned infant.

@jugadu_banda/twitter

Also read: 2 Month-Old Baby Girl Rescued By A Rickshaw Puller From Inside A Bag Thrown On Street In Raipur

Found this 3 to 5 day year old kid in closed auto. Please help me guys. Ive no idea what to do? #help pic.twitter.com/ZBHg8xdLNz  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 19, 2017

Cops are not responding. The baby is shivering  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 19, 2017

Soon after, another concerned citizen tweeted Mumbai Police and asked them to urgently intervene.

Cops are not responding? What do you mean? Nobody is picking up call? @MumbaiPolice please look into this... This is urgent.  Dhruv (@DhruvrajCFC) November 19, 2017

And they responded!

We have followed you. Please DM us your contact details.  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) November 19, 2017

As soon as Mumbai Police took the matter up, Aman tweeted pictures of a female constable with the baby.

The baby is safe with mumbai Police now Im in kanjumarg east police station. pic.twitter.com/FM932Xez69  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 19, 2017

In follow up tweets, Aman told everyone concerned that the baby was doing well and was being treated in a hospital.

For all whos asking for babys health. Shes just doing fine. Shes Stopped shivering too! pic.twitter.com/qYbqd9IfYW  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 19, 2017

Shes hospitalized in sion hospital. They are undergoing some medical tests. https://t.co/9R3S1s713O  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 20, 2017

And he even went a step further to ensure the child was well taken care of.

Ill be going to the child adoption center in a while. Ill update you if theres any progress further.  Aman (@Jugadu_banda) November 20, 2017

Mumbai Police not only thanked Aman but lauded him for being an 'alert citizen' of the city.

.@Jugadu_banda alert citizens like you on the streets of Mumbai, play a major role in making it a safe city! Thank you for making sure the child reaches safe hands #ThankYouMumbai pic.twitter.com/giiyD2z7Os  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) November 20, 2017

Also read: This Is How People In Kerala Came Together At Night To Make Way For An Ambulance Carrying A 2-Month-Old Baby

It's people like Aman who aid the custodians of law by staying extra vigilant when they step out of their houses. Kudos to Aman!
By PTI: Panaji, Nov 19 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said those who oppose coal should stop using electricity as there was no alternative to the "environmentally bad" fossil fuel at present.

In a veiled attack on state Congress leader Aleixo Reginaldo, the chief minister said those who were against steel produced from coal, should stop using vehicles and constructing houses.

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"We cannot avoid coal even if we wish so. Coal is bad for environment of Goa, but its use is necessary. What could be the alternative if we shun it (coal)?" he asked.

Addressing a gathering of teachers here under the banner of Gomantak Bal Shikshan Parishad this evening, Parrikar said protests against coal "go in a wrong way if they are fueled without proper thinking".

"Some sections are opposing coal (but) have no problem with transportation of coal or pollution. When they say they are opposing coal, they should stop using electricity. Eighty five per cent of the countrys electricity is generated from coal," the chief minister said.

The BJP leader said hydraulic power was also dangerous to environment, and similarly "we do not want nuclear power".

"....So till we get an alternative, we will have to be dependent on coal, or we will have to switch the lights off," he said.

Parrikar slammed Congress Goa spokesman Aleixo Reginaldo, who had claimed that the coal handled at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) was being used for production of steel and not for electricity generation as claimed by the former.

"There is a person who says that the opposition to coal handling in Goa is because it (coal)Ais taken (out) to produce steel. If that is the case, he should stop using vehicles (which are made up of steel), do not construct houses as they also need steel," he said.

An agitation was held recently against handling of coal at the MPT. Various political parties had also criticised the state government over the coal facility.

Admitting that coal was not good for environment, Parrikar said its usage, however, was unavoidable.

"There will be a worst situation if anti-coal protests spread to areas where coal is used to produce power," he said.

"Pollution is 100 per cent more at places like Corba where electricity is produced. What is important is that you cannot say that you are against coal, you can say that you are against coal pollution," he said.

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The MPT has leased out its capacity to the Adani Murmugao Port Terminal Private Limited (AMPTPL) and South West Port Limited (SWPL). While AMPTPL handles about 5.2 million tonnes of coal annually, the SWPL handles 7.2 million tonnes.

The Goa Congress had recently passed a resolution opposing the coal production, claiming pollution and health hazard to people. PTI RPS NSK SRY

--- ENDS ---
Two weeks after his 51 cows were forcibly taken and sent to a Gaushala that belonged to a local BJP functionary, a sub-divisional magistrate in Alwar district has absolved dairy farmer Subba Khan of the charges of smuggling the cattle for slaughtering.

The SDM also issued the order to immediately return the cows back to Subba Khan.

AFP/Representational Image

"No evidence has been found that Subba Khan is a cow smuggler. I have issued orders to Kishangarh Bas SHO Chand Singh Rathore and the management of the gaushala for immediate release of his cattle," Kishangarh Bas SDM Subash Yadav said.

Khan, however, said one of his cows died in the gaushala on Sunday and he won't take the cattle back unless he is compensated for the dead animal and action taken against people who forcibly took his cattle away.

Acting on a complaint by cow vigilantes, cops from the Kishangarh Bas police station in Alwar district had taken away Subba Khan's 51 cows from his farm in Bambora village on October 3 and deposited them at a cow shelter run by a local BJP leader Srikishan Gupta in village Shahu Ka Baas.

BCCL/Representational Image

After the case was highlighted the SDM conducted an inquiry and found no substance in the complaint that Subba was a cow smuggler and slaughtered cattle. Sher Mohammad, head of Meo Panchayat, said they will not take back the cows unless a FIR is lodged against those who tried to implicate Khan in a false case.

"We want action against SHO of Kishangarh Bas and cow vigilantes who supplied wrong information about Subba Khan. We demand a separate case against Gaushala administration for mishandling the animals," Sher Mohammad said.
PTI

Putting all the speculations and rumours to rest, Rahul Gandhi is set to be elevated as Congress President within the next couple of weeks. Party chief Sonia Gandhi, convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to approve the schedule for the election process. Read more

Here are more top news of the day:





1) Shashi Tharoor Asks Everyone To 'Chill' After His 'Light-Hearted' Tweet About Manushi Chhillar Made Social Media Angry

bccl

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor asked people to relax and 'chill' after his supposedly 'light-hearted tweet' on India's Manushi Chhillar, who won the Miss World 2017 title took made people angry. Read more

2) Fearing Cow Vigilantes, Uttar Pradesh Cop Escorts Injured Cow To Hospital For Treatment

toi

After weeks of frantic requests to everybody from the PM to the district administration, a young woman who left her job with tech giant Dell to become a farmer was relieved when police on Sunday escorted her injured cow from Meerut to Bareilly for treatment. Read more

3) All You Need To Know About Charles Manson, US Cult Leader Who Ordered His Followers To Kill

AP

Charles Manson, notorious serial killer and the hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after orchestrating the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, died Sunday after nearly a half-century in prison. He was 83. Read more

4) Soon, India To Get Instant Access To Information On Black Money From Swiss Banks

PTI/Representational Image

Making easier for Indian authorities to get instant access to Indians with black money in Swiss accounts, a key parliamentary panel in Switzerland has approved an automatic information exchange pact between the two countries. Read more

5) Emmerson Mnangagwa, AKA 'Crocodile', May Replace His Mentor Robert Mugabe As Zimbabwe's Leader

Reuters

Emmerson Mnangagwa, also known as 'Crocodile' has been elected as Zimbabwe's ruling political party's new leader. He has been positioned to take over as the country's leader, has engineered a remarkable comeback using skills he no doubts learned from his longtime mentor, President Robert Mugabe. Read more
External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj has once again extended her helping hand toward Pakistani nationals who need treatment. Earlier in October, Swaraj had granted a medical visa to five Pakistani nationals. She has now and asked Indian High Commission in Islamabad to grant a medical visa to three Pakistani nationals.

"We will certainly help. I have asked Indian High Commission in Pakistan to issue a visa for the liver transplant of your mother. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted.

We will certainly help. I have asked Indian High Commission in Pakistan to issue visa for the liver transplant of your mother. @IndiainPakistan https://t.co/yDN6wt3HBq  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 19, 2017

Swaraj assured medical visa, after Sadia, a Pakistani woman requested the Minister to grant a visa to her ailing mother to get a liver transplant. She also promised to help out two other Pakistani nationals with similar requests.
In the era where crime against women has become common, women are also learning to fight back - be it by learning self-defence techniques, or just chasing down a miscreant by themselves. In one such case, a 27-year-old woman in Bengaluru, who was molested on the street chased the accused and handed him over to police in HSR Layout.

The incident happened around 8 pm on Friday when the woman was hit on her back badly by two bike-borne miscreants in the street which humiliated and shocked her. However, she recovered quickly and chased to nab the accused Narayanaswamy who is 55 years old. Taking advantage of the situation, Narayanaswamy tried to escape but fell on ground injuring himself. Hoysala police reached the spot and took him to HSR Layout police station.

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The woman was heading from office and towards her home and was waiting for her friend who had gone to bring his bike from the parking area.

The woman said, "as I was waiting, two people on a bike came and hit me on my back. I was shocked that somebody is conveniently misbehaving with the woman in the open street." According to the woman, her friend came with the bike immediately and they chased the accused for more than a kilometre. Meantime, she also called on 'Dial 100' for help.

After chasing for nearly 10 minutes, she managed to cordon the bike. But the rider managed to escape, reported The New Indian Express.

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"He tried to flee from the spot but somehow I managed to nab him with the help of my friend and public. By then there were two police officials on duty and I sought their help. They came to my rescue and called HSR Layout police station. At the same time, I was busy talking to the Hoysala patrolling vehicle over the phone."

The woman said, "I am living in Bengaluru for two years and I had never even heard of such incidents. I was also frightened to file a complaint but police assured protection which is why I have filed a complaint." HSR Layout police who registered the case under IPC 354 (a) (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) arrested the rider, Manoj later. Police said that Manoj and Narayanaswamy both worked as brokers in the sand business. Both have been produced before the court and are out on bail.
Around two months ago when a Malegaon police station received a call from a Delhi shelter home about a 55-year-old woman from the textile town being found in the national capital, a constable nonchalantly jotted down the details. But a young school teacher who was at the station for passport verification and overheard the conversation, got curious when he heard the name of his locality, Saleem Nagar, being mentioned. Hameeda had gone missing from Malegaon 15 years ago, and only remembered that her home was near a flour mill in Saleem Nagar.

TOI

The teacher, Imran Karim Shah, took the caller's details from the police, contacted the shelter home, and then set out in search of her family. Within one and a half months, Hameeda was reunited with her husband and four children, who now lives in Mumbai.

Hameeda's husband, Aslam Qureshi (62), said, "We used to live in Kurla. Around 20 years ago, I sent her to her maternal home in Malegaon. She took our daughter, who was one then. After being there for four to five years, Hameeda went missing. We searched for her in Malegon, Nashik, Jalgaon and Dhule but in vain."

Hameeda's daughter was at her sister's home on the day she went missing. "That day, I went to Manmad [in Nashik] and got into a train that was on the platform. I don't remember the rest," Hameeda told TOI.

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The next she remembers is of doing chores at a mattress shop in Delhi. "An NGO took me from the mattress shop where I used to sleep outside," she said. She was at Apna Ghar Ashram, a shelter run by the NGO, for nearly three years. "The shelter home staff kept asking her about her name and address, but she couldn't recollect it. During a counselling session recently, she told them her name and locality, after which the NGO contacted Malegaon police," Qureshi said.

And it was this phone call that Imran Karim Shah overheard at the police station. "I heard the constable speaking about some missing woman from Saleem Nagar. Since I stay in the vicinity, I got curious," Shah told TOI.

When he made inquiries in Saleem Nagar, nobody remembered her. Besides, the address was also not clear. "After speaking to senior citizens in the area, I learnt that the woman's family was now living in Mumbai. So, I got the mobile phone number of her eldest son, who is married. When I was leaving for Mumbai to go and meet him, I called up the shelter home and asked them to send me her photo on WhatsApp. "On seeing her photo, her sons had tears in their eyes," said Shah.

Reuters/Representational Image

The family reached the shelter home in Delhi the very next day. "My mother recognised me immediately. We had tears in our eyes," said Amjad, Hameeda's eldest son. Then Hameeda kept staring at Qureshi and after half an hour she recognised him, he said. The shelter home officials allowed Hameed to leave with her family after a thorough verification.

Vinod Mittal, the secretary of Apna Ghar Ashram, said, "We have 20 ashrams across the country and have reunited over 12,000 rescued people with their families."
The contribution of canines in our lives is quite huge. Be it from comforting as a domestic pet, or helping through a high-risk environment by sniffing arms, and they deserve an honour for everything they do for us.

A UK special forces dog was on Saturday awarded a medal equivalent of the country's highest military honour for his role in saving hundreds of troops during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

AP

Mali, a Belgian Malinois, has been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal - the equivalent of the human Victoria Cross - for his heroic actions in sniffing out Taliban booby traps during a highly sensitive military operation in 2012. The eight-year-old dog was instrumental is assisting troops to clear militants from a Kabul tower block despite suffering serious shrapnel injuries.

Mali was part of a mission aimed at ending a major siege by an armed suicide squad holed up in the tower block in Kabul and securing a key Taliban stronghold during the operation.

"Despite sustaining quite horrendous injuries, he absolutely stayed by his handler's side and forged forward with them to help them carry out their duty. It's that gallantry and devotion to duty that we are recognising," said Jan McLoughlin, director-general of the veterinary charity, People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

He is credited with saving British and Afghan lives as he took part in the Special Boat Service (SBS) assault.

AP

He stayed by the side of his military handler, who cannot be named, as he was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives. He successfully indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the UK assault force vital seconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat.

Mali was seriously injured by three grenade blasts, with the first two explosions causing injuries to his chest, front and rear legs. A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of his front tooth and damage to his right ear. The dog, who has since recovered from his injuries, is believed to have played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the war in Afghanistan.

Twitter

"I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat. Being awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal recognises Mali's vital role within the force that day," said Corporal Daniel Hatley, his current handler.

Now retired from frontline duties, he works at the RAVC's Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and Hatley help train new dog handlers. Dogs were highly valued during the Afghanistan campaign for their ability to sniff out homemade bombs and explosives. Special forces units also regularly used attack dogs during raids.

The Dickin Medal was instituted by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943 as the highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict. Previous recipients include 32 pigeons, 31 dogs, four horses and one cat. As Mali received his award today he also marked the 100th centenary of the charity's inception.
Even as we enjoy the benefits of 4G LTE, the tech industry is already preparing for the advent of 5G, the next standard to eventually be cemented.

And according to a new report, Apple is one of those companies preparing for that day.

Apple has reportedly been working with Intel to incorporate the chip manufacturers 5G modems in future iPhones, according to a Fast Company report. This even as the companys talks with the other major chipmaker Qualcomm, which has also been developing 5G technology, have been limited.

While Qualcomm already has a more advanced 5G modem than Intel, the latter supposedly has thousands of employees continue to improve their own technology. In theory, an iPhone with a 5G modem would be able to transfer data at about 1 gigabit per second, though itll be a long while before telecom companies actually build the infrastructure to support this technology. However, the report indicates Apple could be putting 5G modems in iPhones as early as 2019.

REUTERS

Apple has already been using Intel chips in its smartphones since the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, with a combination of those and Qualcomm hardware in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Eventually, experts believe the company will shift away from QUalcomm entirely, in favour of Intel. This is mostly due to the ongoing feud between Apple and Qualcomm, with the tech giant accusing the chipmaker of charging excessive billions in royalty fees for using their technology. Apple stopped paying those fees and, in response, Qualcomm filed a number of cases and began withholding software to test its chips going into Apple devices.
Germanys telecom authority, Bundesnetzagentur, has taken a somewhat strange step and officially forbidden all smartwatches in the country from being used by children. In fact, they want parents to destroy the things.

Reuters

According to Gizmodo, the telecom regulator has declared that kid-centric smartwatches are prohibitive listening devices and are therefore insisting parents destroy any smartwatches their children have, even advising schools to pay closer attention to those still using them.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) had recently announced that smartwatches are a threat to the privacy of children. It warned that these kinds of devices with GPS trackers could be hacked, allowing attackers to track children in this way, and even spoof their locations to cause worry. Yet GErmanys telecom agency made no mention of the announcement in its declaration, instead simply talking about the possibilities of attackers listening in.

But if the rest of Europe follows suit, at the very least it might force smartwatch manufacturers to improve their security precautions, which could use a lot of work.
Hogs Close Higher Barchart - 1 hour ago Afternoon strength moved the hog futures market back into plus territory as the front months went home mixed but mostly higher on gains of as much as 27 cents. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price... HEZ22 : 85.575s (+0.29%) HEJ23 : 95.625s (+0.13%) KMZ22 : 95.900s (unch)

Red Close in Cotton Barchart - 1 hour ago Cotton futures faded their midday gains to close the midweek session in the red for Dec and March. December ended the day a net 30 points weaker, but off the intraday high by 141 points. The deferred contracts... CTZ22 : 88.44s (-0.34%) CTH23 : 86.76s (-0.24%) CTK23 : 85.87s (+0.03%)

Cattle Close with Midweek Gains Barchart - 1 hour ago Front month live cattle futures went hoe $0.40 to $1.20 higher on Wednesday. The weekly FCE auction saw no sales for the 887 head listed. Bids were $149.50-$150.50, but asks were $151-152. USDA reported... LEZ22 : 151.800s (+0.35%) LEG23 : 154.250s (+0.78%) LEJ23 : 157.725s (+0.64%) GFX22 : 175.700s (+0.01%) GFF23 : 177.475s (+0.25%)

Wheat Futures Fall on Wednesday Barchart - 1 hour ago Front month wheat futures dropped on the midweek session, taking back the premium built in yesterday regarding the uncertainty of the Poland missile. At the close, SRW futures were 10 3/4 to 11 1/2 cents... ZWZ22 : 817-4s (-1.30%) ZWH23 : 837-2s (-1.27%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.5182 (-1.39%) KEZ22 : 955-4s (-0.78%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.1382 (-0.81%) MWZ22 : 965-4s (-0.87%)

Soy Market Tumbles on Wednesday Barchart - 1 hour ago Led by sharp drops in the soy oil market, soy futures posted double digit losses on Wednesday. BO futures fell by 3.2% to 3.77% on the day, taking the Dec contract to the lowest since 11/04. Soybeans then... CSF23 : 252-6s (-2.60%) ZSF23 : 1429-2s (-1.92%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.0393 (-1.89%) ZSH23 : 1434-6s (-1.85%) ZSK23 : 1440-6s (-1.79%)

Corn Finished Red but Off Lows Barchart - 1 hour ago The midweek corn session ended the day with fractional to 1 3/4 cent losses. That came after futures had fallen by over 9 cents at the days low. For the week Dec corn is currently up 7 1/4 cents. Red... ZCZ22 : 665-2s (-0.22%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.6728 (+0.05%) ZCH23 : 667-4s (-0.26%) ZCK23 : 666-2s (-0.22%)
By PTI: (Eds: Adds quotes of Congress, BJP leaders)

Kolkata, Nov 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today denounced the central government over the Aadhaar data leak even as the Congress demanded that Prime Minister immediately resign over the lapse.

Banerjee told reporters here that Aadhaar details being leaked out was "alarming", and could be dangerous for individuals and society.

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"We do not know why such acts are taking place. We already have the PAN card, voter ID card. But I believe what is taking place in the name of the Aadhaar card will be dangerous for any individual and society," she said.

Criticising the Centre, the Trinamool Congress chief said, "Some people act like Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and take sudden decisions such as dividing the state or the move of demonetisation. This information about Aadhaar card details leakage also shows such a mindset."

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India said recently.

The Aadhaar issuing body in response to an RTI query said it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

"Details from head to toe of every individual, talks between mother and daughter... husband and wife would be known. I have been warning (people) about this time and again," Banerjee said.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Mamata Banerjee has been saying it for the last few years that this Aadhaar system can cause serious problems and there are chances of leakage of information. Now we are seeing that the same thing has happened. The central government has to take responsibility for it."

Like demonetisation and the hurried implementation of the GST, the implementation of the Aadhaar system was also flawed, he said.

The Congress demanded that the prime minister immediately resign over the lapse.

"We have been saying this for the last few years that the way government was pursuing this Aadhaar card system could pose a serious risk. But the government didnt pay any heed to it," Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said.

"We demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take moral responsibility and immediately resign," he said.

Defending the central government, state BJP chief and MLA Dilip Ghosh said, "There can be problems when a new system is implemented in a country like India. We should not try to play politics over it." PTI AKB SUS PNT KK GVS

--- ENDS ---

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The aging U.S. population will create unprecedented demand for the senior living industry for decades to come and that opens the door for agents and brokers to grow their business in this sector. But understanding the changing landscape in the complex long-term care and senior living market is critical, according to insurance experts in this field.

From a specialization standpoint, knowledge is the best tool to finding success in this market, says Bruce Dmytrow, vice president, aging services and national programs, healthcare, at CNA. Knowledge is helpful when speaking with senior care facility leadership teams and the boards of directors. Its where you can truly add value by knowing the segment, knowing the risks, knowing the underwriting challenges, knowing the models of care, [and] knowing the trends that are happening. It gives you more credibility.

Agents and brokers dont have to be experts, but they should have a solid understanding of whats going on in the healthcare industry, says Caroline Clouser, executive vice president, for Chubb Healthcare. Whether its the ongoing repeal-and-replace efforts [for the Affordable Care Act] or the CMS guidelines [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], agents really need to showcase their understanding of the emerging topics related to risk and we can help them to do that.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, when the last of the baby boomers reach age 65 in 2029, the boomer population will represent more than 20 percent of the total U.S. population, numbering nearly 60 million people. And about 70 percent of that 65-plus population  including many people with cognitive impairment disorders  requires some form of long-term care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It's going to be interesting to see how a decrease in federal reimbursements will affect the market.

Growth in the senior living industry tracks closely with the older adult population in the United States in recent years, according to Argentum, a national trade association serving companies in senior living communities.

In a report titled, Getting to 2025: A Senior Living Roadmap, published in 2016, Argentum wrote that between 2001 and 2014, the number of senior living communities increased 39 percent. During the same period, the U.S. population aged 85 and older rose 43 percent. As a result of the similar growth rates, the number of senior living communities as a proportion of the senior population has been relatively steady.

Argentum predicts that the number of senior living establishments will grow to 29,700 facilities, an increase of 21 percent since 2014. The number of seniors 85 years old or older will also increase by 21 percent, Argentum predicted, to more than 7.5 million people, up from 6.2 million in 2014.

Challenges Ahead

While the demand for services is leading to an expansion in the number of senior living facilities there are challenges that insurance providers must solve in todays healthcare industry.

CNAs Dmytrow suggests that to solve those challenges, insurance specialists must first understand the industry.

Understand the litigation environment in the geographic areas you will serve. Know the trends that are happening, both from a risk standpoint and from a standpoint of what new services are being offered by the facilities, he said. (See, Liability Costs Continue to Rise for Long Term Care Industry, on page 18)

The long-term care industry is facing other challenges as well.

We are experiencing more individuals or seniors who want to age in their homes. As this trend continues, some facilities are expanding to be able to provide additional services, including home care, which differentiates organizations and changes their risk profile, Dmytrow said.

Declining federal reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid are also taking a toll on long term care facilities.

The reimbursement levels definitely arent going up but the cost and the overall expenses of running these facilities are, said Don Tejeski, senior vice president, AmWINS Brokerage of Pennsylvania.

Not all costs have been going up.

The insurance capacity has been so plentiful in this space and so cheap that it has allowed operators to still operate profitably in a time of cuts to their reimbursement, said Matthew Wasta, vice president for AmWINS Program Underwriters. They can cut on services and staff and if something goes wrong, theyve got [insurance] cheap protection in place to help them.

But things are changing, Wasta said. Its going to become a real issue for operators that dont run their businesses well, he said. Theyre looking at Medicare and Medicaid cuts and theyre not going to be able to get that cheap [insurance] protection any longer, especially in the tougher venues. Thats going to be a big change for them.

Its going to be interesting to see how a decrease in federal reimbursements will affect the market, Dmytrow said.

Another area causing concern for underwriters and facilities is the talent crunch. Attracting, developing, and retaining talent is one of the biggest challenges facing senior living communities today. That challenge will be intensified by the industrys expected future growth and cuts to federal reimbursement, Dmytrow said. As the industry continues to grow and change, it is paramount that staff turnover is minimized and new talent is recruited.

Adequate staffing is critical for proper risk management, noted Clouser. We look at staffing ratios as well as management objectives to keep and retain talent in the underwriting process, she said. This [type of work] is not something that machines can take over. We need people, and well-trained people, plus good compensation to retain the top talent.

Wasta said while staffing is an expensive line item in operational costs, quality staff can save an organization from being hit with costly lawsuits.

From my perspective, so much of risk management comes down to staffing levels, Wasta said. My advice to agents would be to have their insureds focus on staffing. A common plan of attack from plaintiff lawyers is to argue that they didnt have enough staff, especially if its a for-profit entity. Making sure that their staffing levels meet or exceed the state averages, at least, is critical.

Another important risk management tip: document properly.

Documentation is another key to preventing a loss, Wasta adds. When a claim is filed, if its not staff, the plaintiff lawyer often goes after holes in the documentation. They cant prove that they actually did adhere to best practices if its not documented.

Disaster Preparedness

When addressing senior living facility operators, agents should offer assistance with disaster preparedness plans. Agents can help their clients develop the plan together with their insurance carrier partners, Chubbs Clouser said.

One recent requirement is the new federal regulation from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that went into effect on Nov. 15, 2017. The rule requires that providers comply with and implement regulations under the Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers.

Clouser says an emergency preparedness plan must have four main elements:

A comprehensive communication plan.This is a clear communication guideline to be used to interact with staff, other providers, families, and emergency services during the storm and after the storm, Clouser said. A list of all the facility details is key. An evacuation plan. This plan includes information about transportation, shelter, staffing of the evacuation and how everythings going to work. Contracts. This includes all contract information between the facility and thee receiving facility during a disaster. Thats all the vendors to transport, law enforcement, fire, all emergency management services involved in the evacuation. Documentation and Drill. The plan requires documentation of each of those plans as well as different preparedness drills around the plans.

Facilities that fail to comply with these new emergency preparedness guidelines face the loss of their accreditation status, Clouser added. And without accreditation they would not get reimbursed by the government, which could have a huge impact on an organization as reimbursements often equate to the largest funder for these facilities, she said.

In todays world our insureds have to do more with less  comply with regulation, comply with smaller margins, so anything that the agents and brokers can do in partnership with carriers to help develop the plan, evacuation plans, staff training, anything, will go a long way, she added.

Hurricane Preparedness

The recent hurricane season was a reminder of the importance of an evacuation plan. But a plan that hasnt been vetted isnt much good.

Agents should ask facilities: Has it been tested? Do all employees know proper protocol? How quickly can you evacuate if necessary? said Jordan Connelly, senior vice president, Worldwide Facilities LLC.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma provided a few lessons for Connelly.

She offered one familiar lesson, urging agents to partner with an insurer that knows the long-term care industry.

There was a glaring difference between insurers who have long standing experience in the long term care space versus the newer entrants to the long-term care market, she said. Our carrier partners who are proven in the space sent out hurricane preparedness articles and links to resources to assist us, the broker, in helping our clients.

Connelly said some insurers provided her with a list of clients who had facilities in the direct path of the storm to ensure that those facilities were well prepared.

I think we learned from Harvey that many healthcare facilities were grossly under-prepared given the number of facilities that were forced to close due to flooding, she said. But the timing of Irma helped better prepare Florida facilities, she added. However, extended power outages took a toll on Florida facilities and their residents. Many lost their lives in Florida due to extended power outages.

Connelly also advises that knowledge is key when it comes to proper risk management strategies.

Know the facilities that you partner with and follow the path of impending storms, she said. If the facility has a risk manager be sure to contact them as soon as possible to remind them of coverage highlights in their policy form. Remind them of any hurricane preparedness or risk management tools that they may have at their disposal.

Brokers should always make sure that evacuation expense is included in coverage and offer as much coverage as possible. This is a critical coverage for any long-term care facility, she said.

Insurance Preparedness

Like most other industries, long-term care facilities have seen softer rates and plenty of availability when it comes to buying property/casualty coverage. But times are changing.

Its a unique market, said CNAs Dmytrow. I call it unpredictable. That means while there is new capacity coming into the market, at the same time, old capacity is exiting the market and/or changing or differentiating their risk strategies, he said.

AmWINs Wasta concurs with that assessment.

Weve seen some competitors either pull out or pull back in the last 12 months or so, he said. But theres always new entrants coming in as well. Theres still plenty of competitive markets available for quality accounts, he adds. One agent mentioned to me the other day they had no less than 20 quotes on a particular account, he said. But for the harder venues or those accounts considered less desirable due to claims history, the market has tightened up.

In the tougher legal venues, such as New York, Florida, Illinois, California, the states that have the largest number of skilled long-term care facilities, prices are trending up whether its a good facility or a bad facility, said AmWINSs Tejeski.

It really depends on where you are and what youre looking at as far as how competitive or how much capacity is available in the market, Wasta added. But in general, its still a well-funded marketplace with a lot of alternatives.

Insureds have a choice in todays P/C insurance market, without a doubt, said Chubbs Clouser. But the best choice, in her view, is a choice that offers partnering with a carrier that has a broad expertise on a multiline basis. The best choices are the carriers that have multiline options within long term care, Clouser said.

Seek out industry specialists, advises Karen K. Jordan, vice president, program management, Affinity Insurance Services, Inc., Aon Affinity/Healthcare Division.

I think its important to work with insurance companies and program administrators that specialize in aging services because risk mitigation techniques differ from standard risks, she said.

For example, we have our own risk management program, Aon Quality Institute, designed specifically for senior service accounts.

Specialists in this segement are the ideal choice, Jordan added. Work with someone who understands the total cost risk and can help understand the challenges they face. 

Topics Carriers Catastrophe USA Florida Legislation Agencies Hurricane Talent Training Development
Investor funded litigation is not new, but its use is expanding, according to experts in the field.

Panelists at the 2017 Risk Management Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., addressed the growing trend of investor funded litigation, particularly in the area of commercial auto claims, during the session, Investor Funded Litigation Update.

Insurance Journal was a sponsor of the summit hosted by eServices, a division of Energi that provides a turnkey risk management, claims and marketing technology for companies.

Though investor funded litigation has been around since ancient Greece, theres been a noticeable uptick in its use in cases within the past 20 to 30 years, according to John Ferrante, vice president of Litigation Management for eClaims Management. Initially, it was used as a way for smaller businesses to remain a party in lawsuits with larger companies that had access to more funds.

Funding can be in the form of loans or assignments.

In some states, including Florida, it is illegal for an attorney to front money to a client, though in California, Massachusetts and Louisiana counsel on a case can provide a loan or cash advance for a clients living expenses. In states where it is considered legal and ethical, the attorney is considered an investor in the case.

In California and some other states, doctors can be investors, as well, and they do so by agreeing to take less money than billed, panelists said.

Nick Gristina, a partner in the New Orleans office of Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson LLP, said that one company, Oasis Financial, is a well-known provider of cash advances in Louisiana. The plaintiff completes an application and pays a fee for the firm to review the case. A representative of Oasis will call and speak with his or her counsel and if they deem the case viable they will provide a cash advance.

Another firm, Diagnostic Management Affiliates (DMA), also located in Louisiana, acts as an HMO or PPO insurer. It coordinates medical visits and funds the case with the stipulation that plaintiff counsel pays the high interest loan back within two years or upon settlement.

According to Timon Sullivan, a trial attorney with Ogden & Sullivan P.A., in Florida, if a doctor agrees to take a letter of protection from a lawyer in order to bill a certain amount and the attorney agrees to pay that amount, that fact can be used to impeach the doctors testimony at trial.

Jonathan Colman, a principal and managing partner at Colman Law Group who practices in both Nevada and California, said it is legal to crowdfund to litigate ones own case. But he said this brings up ethical questions including: is there a duty to pay the plaintiff first or should the investors be paid before the plaintiff?

Conflict Question

Colman said there is also the question of conflict as investors are not to play a role in the decision-making behind case handling.

Gristina said that in Louisiana, although the investor must be passive and cant be involved in settlement discussions, there is still tacit control or influence on the claim.

Another concern around these funding schemes is whether counsel is breaking privileged communications by providing case information to investors. If a confidentiality agreement is signed by a client, then he or she is the holder of privilege.

Gristina said he knows lawyers who wont take cases tied to litigation financing because they are harder to settle. Theres no incentive to settle when theres an investor backing a plaintiff in a case and because they arent present it can make it impossible to settle.

At the same time, some judges believe litigation financing levels the playing field, according to Gristina.

Sullivan recommended defense counsel make sure the funding company is a designated a party of interest, so it must attend mediation.

Funding company information isnt usually disclosed but in northern California, a new rule says that if investor funding is involved, it has to be disclosed in class action lawsuits.

Topics Lawsuits California Louisiana
Allstate is suing one of its former agents in United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging the agent breached a one-year non-compete clause by misusing Allstates confidential information and trade secrets.

Defendant Abner Joseph executed an exclusive agency agreement (EA Agreement) with Allstate around December 3, 2014. In the contract, he agreed not to compete with Allstate from any office or business within a mile of his Allstate Exclusive Agency for one year after the EA Agreements termination, according to Allstates complaint. Joseph also agreed, upon termination of his EA Agreement, to transfer all phone numbers to Allstate that he used to conduct business under the EA Agreement. He acknowledged a failure to comply with obligations under the EA Agreement would be a breach of the agreement, the complaint says.

Unfortunately, Joseph refused to honor this obligation by setting up a competing agency in the very same office as his former Allstate Exclusive Agency, and then lying about it to Allstate by claiming that he was only operating a tax business out of his former Allstate Agency location, alleges the complaint, filed by Allstates attorneys, Erik W. Weibust and Dawn Mertineit of law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Allstate, a corporation headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., appoints independent exclusive agents through its Exclusive Agency Program to sell Allstate products.

The complaint states it is believed Joseph owns and operates Damelia Insurance Agency, which serves as an Allstate competitor. It suggests Damelia Insurance Agency provides both personal and business insurance products and services, including the same products and services Joseph sold on behalf of Allstate.

It also alleges Damelias phone number is the same phone number Joseph used on behalf of Allstate, and since June 1, 2017, more than 50 Allstate customers have cancelled their policies with Allstate. According to the complaint, this number is significantly higher than Allstates normal cancellation rate.

In addition to allegedly operating a competing insurance agency, the complaint suggests Joseph neglected to transfer all phone numbers to Allstate that he used to conduct business under the EA Agreement and is instead using the numbers to support his competing insurance agency, as well as misappropriating Allstates confidential information and trade secrets in violation of the EA Agreement and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.

This comes after Allstate sent Joseph a 90-day termination notice in February of 2017 informing him the EA Agreement was terminated effective June 1, 2017, and he must cease representing Allstate as of that date.

The Termination Notice stated Allstate was terminating the EA Agreement because Joseph failed to obtain required Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) licenses within the required time frame.

On May 31, 2017, Allstates field sales leader, Rick DiBattista, traveled to Josephs office to retrieve Allstate materials and customer information and gain access to the Allstate phone numbers, as is customary, according to the complaint. The complaint adds that DiBattista provided another copy of the Termination Agreement to Joseph at that time.

Joseph, however, claimed he did not have any hard copies of Allstate materials or Allstate customer information and refused to provide information that would allow Allstate to retrieve the phone numbers, the complaint states, adding that Allstate has since made multiple attempts to remind Joseph of his obligations under the EA Agreement.

Allstate explains in the complaint that it had been inside Josephs Exclusive Allstate Agency several times before May 31, 2017, and had seen hard copies of Allstate materials and customer information sitting on Josephs desk. This led Allstate to believe Joseph kept hard copies of customer information after May 31, 2017, in order to compete with Allstate and to solicit customers on behalf of his competing insurance agency, the complaint says.

In October 2017, this suit was filed by Allstate against Joseph for breach of contract, interference with advantageous relations and violations of the DTSA. Through this action, Allstate is asking that the court order Joseph to cease competing with Allstate out of his current office location or any other location within one mile for one year, to transfer Allstate phone numbers back to the company and to cease using or disclosing, as well as immediately return, all confidential information and trade secrets.

Joseph declined to comment for this article when contacted by Insurance Journal as the case is ongoing.

Topics Lawsuits Agencies Massachusetts
Rolling Stone is defending itself against a defamation lawsuit over a discredited article about a University of Virginia gang rape by arguing that members of a school fraternity knew about discrepancies in the womans claims weeks before the article was published and should have warned the magazine.

Lawyers for Rolling Stone argue in court documents that the fraternity and its members withheld that information from the magazine and its reporter, at a time when disclosing such information would have prevented publication of the womans allegations.

A judge had dismissed the lawsuit filed in New York by three Phi Kappa Psi members. But a federal appeals court reinstated the lawsuit in September, finding that the 2014 article, A Rape on Campus, could enable a reader to conclude that many or all members of the fraternity participated in gang rapes as an initiation ritual and that all members knowingly ignored the rapes.

A woman identified as Jackie in the article told the magazine she was raped by seven men at a fraternity house in September 2012. But an investigation by police in Charlottesville, the home of UVAs campus, found no evidence to back up the claims.

Rolling Stone later retracted the article and apologized.

The lawsuit by the three former fraternity members was one of three defamation cases filed against the magazine over the article.

After a 2016 trial, a Virginia jury awarded $3 million in damages to an associate dean. Rolling Stone appealed, but later settled with the dean. In June, Rolling Stone settled a case filed by the Virginia Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi for $1.65 million.

The three former fraternity members were not named in the article, but in their lawsuit they say the article included certain details that could lead readers familiar with Phi Kappa Psi to identify them.

The mens lawyers declined to comment on Rolling Stones defense, outlined in a Nov. 10 written court filing.

In a statement, Rolling Stone said it is confident the case has no merit.

Rolling Stone has taken full responsibility for our actions in reporting Jackies allegations, and we wish that the fraternity and Plaintiffs would do the same, the statement said.

The magazine also argues that the former fraternity members claims fail because the men did not suffer any actual harm or damages as a result of the article.

Rolling Stone, a magazine that chronicled the music and politics of the counterculture movement, is now on the market, with founder Jann Wenner planning to sell his companys controlling stake.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Education Virginia Universities
Working toward joining the Minor Leagues as an umpire to becoming the CEO of an insurance agency may seem like a big career change, but for Ed Mackoul, CEO and president of Mackoul & Associates Inc. in Island Park, N.Y., it was the right decision.

I absolutely love what I do, he told Insurance Journal.

Mackoul & Associates was nominated by its staff, and won this years Best Agency to Work For Gold Award in Insurance Journals East region. To nominate the agency, its staff members filled out anonymous survey questions. While Ed Mackoul is currently responsible for running all facets of the business, his initial path to entering the insurance industry had an unlikely start.

I came out of college and didnt know what I wanted to do, he said. I decided to go to Umpire School in Florida to see if I could become a professional umpire, and though I did well and would have been placed in the Minor Leagues, my father convinced me to join him in the agency. That was in 1995.

Insurance is a business about people.

Since then, Mackoul says he hasnt looked back.

Ive never regretted it, he said.

With a staff of 38, Mackoul & Associates is celebrating its 30th year in business. It has seen growth in the past four years as revenue has continued to increase, with revenue projections for 2017 expected to increase as well.

Being able to go back in time and see where the agency first started with only three employeesshows where hard work and dedication can and will take you, wrote one employee in the survey.

Mackoul said the people in the company have played an important role in its growth.

After all, one underlying theme at Mackoul & Associates influences everything the agency does, according to the company website: Insurance is a business about people.

The firm invests in employees by holding team-building events each year and rewards staff for hitting corporate goals with company trips, Mackoul said. Management does year-end planning and sets goals for each department, wrote one employee. Employees receive bonuses for each growth level reached along with a trip if year-end goals are met. In the survey, employees pointed to this years scavenger hunt at the Museum of Natural History and a cruise to the Bahamas as some highlights.

However, one employee shared a memory from years earlier to illustrate the importance of the people-first atmosphere at Mackoul & Associates. The employee wrote that the office in Island Park was flooded with more than five feet of water by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Despite many staff members being affected by the events of Sandy through losing homes, cars or assisting relatives, the employee described how everyone pulled together to get operations back to normal at the recovery center within a day of the flooding and attend to the more than 400 claims the office received.

Most of our clients never even knew we had suffered the same losses as they had, the employee said. We helped each other get through a difficult time and grew closer as a family. I have never felt like work was anything less than being with my familythere is a reason after 27 years that I am still here and still growing.

Surveyed employees explained how these memories and others helped build the tight-knit culture the agency enjoys today. For Ed Mackoul, what is one of the biggest highlights for the agency this year?

This would probably be it, he said. Out of all of the things we have accomplished and awards we have won, to have the staff nominate us to be the best place to work makes me feel great.

Topics New York
The Minnesota Commerce Department has reached a settlement agreement with a major life insurance company that owed money to Minnesotans for unpaid insurance policies, annuity contracts and retained asset accounts.

The settlement with the American International Group (AIG) represents the latest of 13 agreements that the Commerce Department has secured with life insurance companies over their failure to pay beneficiaries when policyholders died.

To date, these life insurance settlements have resulted in total payments of more than $226 million in overdue benefits.

The latest settlement applies to the following AIG affiliates: American General Life Insurance Company, the Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company and the United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York.

In addition to AIG, settlements have been reached with Allianz, AXA Equitable, John Hancock, Jackson National, Lincoln, MetLife, Minnesota Life, New York Life, Prudential, Riversource, Transamerica and Voya (ING). The Commerce Department also continues to investigate claims and payment practices at several other life insurance companies.

As a result of the agreements and ongoing investigations, at least $226 million in claims owed on Minnesota policies have been paid either directly to beneficiaries or, when they could not be located, to unclaimed property programs in Minnesota and other states, which hold the funds in trust until claimed by the rightful owners or their heirs.

The 13 insurance companies have also made a total of nearly $17.7 million in settlement payments to the State of Minnesota, including $2.4 million from AIG.

The settlements are the result of sweeping market conduct examinations by the Commerce Department to identify unpaid life insurance policies and annuities owed to Minnesotans.

These examinations determined that the insurance companies had inadequate information and procedures for identifying policyholders and beneficiaries who may be owed benefit payments. This included failure to regularly match their policy records against the Death Master File, a database of deaths compiled by the Social Security Administration.

As a result of these deficiencies, the insurance companies in many instances failed to pay benefits to beneficiaries after policyholders had died.

Under the terms of the settlements, the insurance companies now must take additional steps to maintain accurate information, use the Death Master File and make timely payments to beneficiaries.

Topics Carriers Claims Minnesota
Paul Schiavone has been appointed as global head of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialtys Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) business, taking over from Bill Guffey who is leaving Allianz for other opportunities after 15 years at the company.

Laura Coppola takes over from Schiavone as regional head of Financial Lines for AGCS North America.

Schiavone will remain based in New York. ART focuses on corporate, industrial and financial clients facing unusual or complex risks, where traditional (re)insurance and financial products are inadequate, including specialty insurance fronting solutions, weather insurance, catastrophe bonds and specialty reinsurance coverage. In addition to his new ART responsibilities, Schiavone will continue to oversee long tail lines of business for AGCS North America as regional head of Corporate (Liability and Financial Lines).

Prior to joining AGCS in 2015, Schiavone was based in London as global chief underwriting officer for Special Lines, Zurich General Insurance. He has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, prior to which he trained as a lawyer.

Coppola, who is currently AGCSs North American regional head of Management Liability Commercial, takes over from Schiavone as regional head of Financial Lines for AGCS North America, and will remain based in New York. In her previous role, she was responsible for underwriting of management liability products for public and private commercial customers in the U.S. and Canadian markets. She has 20 years experience in senior and executive underwriting positions in management liability insurance.

Topics Excess Surplus Allianz
Digital insurer Lemonade reports that more than 400 businesses applied to sell its insurance within the first 24 hours after it offered to make its sales platform widely available.

On October 12, Lemonade announced it launched a public API (application programming interface), allowing anyone to offer its renters and home insurance policies through their apps or websites.

Within the first day, Lemonade said more than 400 businesses applied for early access. Writing on the company blog, CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Schreiber provided a breakdown of those applying:

43% real estate and property management firms

28% financial services

21% e-commerce

8% home security and IoT

The company told Insurance Journal that it is rolling out the API program slowly, using an automated system to distinguish among applicants. It is using various criteria to determine which businesses to work with including the target markets of the businesses applying, whether they are in the seven states where Lemonade currently sells insurance and whether offering renters and home insurance is compatible with their focus.

Our natural first step is to look towards real estate partners and financial services, but the beauty of the API is that it will grow as Lemonade expands its product line as well, expanding its relevancy for other businesses, the company said in an email reply to an inquiry.

Lemonade currently offer renters, condo and home insurance in New York, California, New Jersey and Nevada; renters and condo insurance in Texas and Rhode Island; and renters insurance in Illinois. It plans to enter additional states in the coming year.
Its no easy feat to survive as a small business let alone to survive and thrive after 132 years in operation. Thats what Morris & Garritano (M&G)  winner of Insurance Journals 2017 Best Agencies to Work For 2017 Overall Award  has accomplished all while creating a workplace where employees feel appreciated and satisfied.

This third-generation family owned business has held the same values throughout the decades and their employees stand behind them.

Always be improving, love what you do, do the right thing, build collaborative relationships, go the extra mile  these are the core values of M&G and they really do live and die by these values, one employee told Insurance Journal in an anonymous survey.

Doing the right thing for customers, employees and the community has always been at the heart of M&G, but about three years ago, Brendan Morris, principal and CEO, along with partners, Kerry Morris (Brendans sister), Gene Garritano and Dan Troy, set out to better define principal values held by its owners for more than 100 years.

Even though we redefined our core values, our agency and our people have been living these for many, many years, Morris said. I think its what sets us apart. Our culture, our values, and our employees who without a doubt get behind them every day.

M&Gs roots began in 1885 with Archibald McAlister who first opened the Lands, Loans, Rents & Insurance office in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Over the decades the agencys name changed a few times as new generations took over leadership of the firm, including the entry of the Morris family in 1935 with Brendans grandfather Harry Morris, followed by Greg Morris (Brendans father) in 1964.

One employee noted: They are family owned and operated. They treat the employees well, they are always looking for ways to improve. Doing the right thing by the clients is important to them and that provides a very encouraging work environment.

M&Gs track record as a stable, integral part of the community is especially encouraging today as consolidation within the insurance industry remains at an all-time high.

In our industry, theres a lot of consolidation but weve always been passionate about remaining independent and privately owned, Morris said.

That strategy has worked, Morris said. During the past three years M&G has experienced more than 62 percent growth in agency revenue, which placed the agency on the Inc. 5000s Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (ranked at No. 4,243) in August 2017. M&G will end the year with close to $18 million in total revenue with about 130 employees.

Morris doesnt shy away from crediting the M&G team for the agencys success now and in the future.

We look at our team as our family and its a great place to work because of our team, Morris said. Thats what makes M&G a great place to work, he said.

When asked what he would tell other agency owners about how to make their agency a best place to work, Morris didnt hesitate: I really think that its about hiring the right people. And always try to improve for yourself and the agency.

Best Agencies to Work For  Gold Winners:

Topics Agencies
The Place to Work for Insurance Veterans and Newbies Alike

Employees at BKCW say theres a lot to like at the Central Texas-based insurance agency, including its hiring practices, its friendly culture, its leadership, its outstanding reputation and its growth-with-balance attitude.

All that, plus the fact that it has been an Independent Insurance and Brokers of America (IIABA) Best Practices agency for 16 years and counting, have motivated its employees to nominate and succeed in making BKCW Insurance Journals Gold Award winner for the Best Agency to Work For, South Central.

Headquartered in Killeen, BKCW also has offices in Austin and Copperas Cove. The third-generation familyowned agency has 45 employees and an annual revenue of $10 million.

A variety of factors are considered in the ranking of Best Agency to Work For firms, but glowing employee reports and a high score on IJs grading scale helped BKCW win the Gold Award for the South Central region.

In an email to Insurance Journal, the leadership team of Bill Kliewer, Meredith Spears and Tyler Spears, said they are honored and humbled that our team members are so proud to work for BKCW. We wouldnt be where we are today without their support. Our team makes BKCW the best place to work. They are hands down the best team any leadership group could ask for.

Managing Partner Tyler Spears was this year presented with the Young Agent of the Year award by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT), an honor BKCWs employees value highly.

Our managing partner was just named Young Agent of The Year. Its great to have a leader that is so driven to motivate the rest of us to continue to grow in this industry. His hard work does not go unnoticed, one employee wrote.

Another expressed appreciation for the companys leaders who are open to ideas for all ages. This has allowed us to grow exponentially in the last year. Everyone is well respected here. The agency gives you that work life balance everyone desperately seeks, but cannot find.

One employee lauded the agencys hiring practices, saying theyre the best. Diversification is a focal point from new to the industry hires to retired seasoned professionals wanting to work part time, BKCW will create a job for you! the employee wrote.

And once an employee is on board, you are respected the minute you start with the company, said another. The opportunity to advance is always there and the company is open to any thoughts that you would like to share with management.

The leadership is phenomenal and they truly care about their employees. They go out of their way to make sure you feel like family. Wonderful organization, I just wish I would have started here sooner, said another employee.

For its part, the leadership team wrote that they recognize that their team members are their greatest asset, and as company leaders they make it a priority to attract the best talent and help our team to succeed. We do our best to provide all of the necessary tools and training to help each team member grow with the organization.

They also make it a point to maintain a hands on leadership style. With three locations, we make it a point to visit face-to-face with each person in our organization on a weekly basis, they said.

If you want your clients to be treated like number one, you must treat your team members like number one, the leadership team added. Your team should be involved in your planning process. No one is going to buy into what you do, unless they understand why you do it. Your team should understand your goals and be 100 percent behind your purpose.

That approach obviously works, because as one employee put it: This is the place to work if you are a seasoned veteran or new to the industry. We love our BCKW!

Best Agencies to Work For  Gold Winners:

Topics Agencies
By PTI: friend India win

By Lalit K Jha

United Nations, Nov 21 (PTI) Britain has congratulated Justice Dalveer Bhandari on being re-elected to the International Court of Justice and said it will continue to cooperate closely with India at the United Nations and globally.

Bhandari was today re-elected to the last seat of the Hague-based ICJ after Britain withdrew its candidate from the election.

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Indias nominee Bhandari received 183-193 votes in the General Assembly and secured all the 15 votes in the Security Council after separate and simultaneous elections were held at the UN headquarters in New York.

Britains Permanent Representative to the United Nations Matthew Rycroft, in a statement said it decided to withdraw Sir Chris Greenwood as a candidate for re-election as a Judge of the International Court of Justice.

"The UK has concluded that it is wrong to continue to take up the valuable time of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly with further rounds of elections," he said.A

Britain, he said, congratulates the successful candidates, including Judge Bhandari of India.

Earlier, it appeared that there was a neck-and-neck contest between Bhandari and Greenwood.

"We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates," Rycroft said.A

"If the UK could not win in this run-off, then we are pleased that it is a close friend like India that has done so instead.AWe will continue to cooperate closely with India, here in the United Nations and globally," he said.

Rycroft said that the UK will continue to support the work of the ICJ, "in line with our commitment to the importance of the rule of law in the UN system and in the international community more generally".

Britains withdrawal from the election to the prestigious world court would mean that there will not be a British judge on the UNs most powerful court for the first time in its history. PTI LKJ CK

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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Nov. 17 criticized as completely inadequate the Trump administrations $44 billion request to Congress for disaster relief in his hurricane-ravaged state and other areas hammered by storms. The White House shot back that Texas may want to foot more of the bill for its own recovery.

Abbott has lavished praise on the federal government since Hurricane Harvey killed more than 80 people, triggered historic flooding in Houston  the nations fourth largest city  and caused an estimated $180 billion in damage. On Friday, he refused to criticize President Donald Trump by name, but said his administrations request is completely inadequate for the needs of the state of Texas, and I believe, does not live up to what the president wants to achieve.

The president has told me privately what hes said publicly, and that is he wants to be the builder president, Abbott said at a news conference inside his Texas Capitol office. The president has said that he wants this to be the best recovery from a disaster ever.

A short time later in Washington, however, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared to contradict that, suggesting that Texas hasnt put up enough of its own money for Harvey recovery.

We feel strongly that they should step up and play a role and work with the federal government in this process, Sanders said. We did a thorough assessment and that was completed and this was the number that we put forward to Congress today.

The request is Trumps third since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. If approved, it would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall close to $100 billion  and that doesnt include most of the money to rebuild Puerto Ricos devastated housing stock and electric grid.

Abbott complained that Congress approved more funding, more quickly to areas affected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 which was half the storm of what Hurricane Harvey was.

You can see that this falls short, Abbott said. Hopefully, this is just one of multiple steps along the pathway.

Abbott has visited Washington repeatedly in recent weeks, lobbying for $61 billion in disaster relief he says his state needs just for infrastructure including ambitious projects meant to combat future floods. Not only is Fridays request far less than that, but Texas will have to share it  which didnt sit so well with Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chambers powerful majority whip.

Its really time for the federal government to live up to its responsibilities, Cornyn said at the same Austin news conference.

He recalled that Puerto Ricos governor requested more than $90 billion, just for his islands recovery.

Just imagine, given the size and scope of our great state, extrapolate that, Cornyn said. Were not asking for that. We are asking to be treated fairly. And we intend to fight for that.

At the same event, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that $5 billion was being allocated to Texas in federal grants that will help meet the long term needs of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Harvey. But even that may be a relative drop in the bucket since Abbott has said that, ultimately, his state will likely seek more than $50 billion in federal housing funding alone.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Texas Hurricane
The Oklahoma Insurance Department has joined an international supervisory cooperation and information exchange agreement.

According to the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), since the first jurisdiction was admitted in June 2009, membership in the IAIS Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU) has grown significantly to now include 64 signatories representing more than 70 percent of worldwide premium volume.

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) is a global standard-setting body promoting effective and globally consistent supervision of the insurance industry to develop and maintain fair, safe and stable insurance markets for the benefit and protection of policyholders; and to contribute to global financial stability.

I am pleased that the Oklahoma Insurance Department has become a signatory to the IAIS MMoU, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak said in a statement released by the department. As a member of the IAIS, the Oklahoma Insurance Department contributes to the development of international supervisory standards. This agreement strengthens our ability to work co-operatively with other supervisors and monitor large cross-border insurers. This cooperation is critically important to promoting effective supervision and protecting Oklahoma consumers.

The MMoU is a global framework for cooperation and information exchange among insurance supervisors. It sets minimum standards to which signatories must adhere. All applicants are subject to review and approval by an independent team of IAIS Members. Through membership in the MMoU, supervisors are able to exchange relevant information with and provide assistance to other signatories, thereby promoting the financial stability and sound supervision of cross-border insurance operations for the benefit and protection of consumers.

Other MMoU state signatories from the United States include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department

Topics Oklahoma
The family of a 5-year-old boy killed when he became caught in a rotating Atlanta restaurant is suing the company, saying it failed to prevent a longstanding safety hazard.

The lawsuit comes after Charlie Holt died in the Sun Dial, a restaurant atop the 73-story Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the child and his parents were visiting Atlanta from Charlotte, North Carolina, when he became caught between a wall and table as the dining room rotated April 14.

The lawsuit says the restaurant had no protections to stop children from getting close to a dangerous area, or to stop the floors rotation if a child became trapped.

Jeff Flaherty, a spokesman for parent firm Marriott International Inc., told the newspaper the company had no comment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Claims
A California school district has settled a lawsuit from the family of a 9-year-old boy who was killed by a vehicle while walking to school in fog in 2015.

The Fresno Bee reported the Parlier Unified School District will pay $475,000 to the family of Diego Estrada, and the district will adopt a new policy that will allow parents to keep their children at home on foggy days without penalty if they cannot safely transport them.

The civil case went to trial in September, but it ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

The familys attorney argued that children were in danger walking when school buses werent able to travel due to the fog.

District officials say the settlement provides closure for the family.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits California
Jaime Rosario Del Real, 61, and son Israel Del Real, 37, have both pleaded guilty to four felony counts for their role in a $400,000 insurance fraud scheme denying workers compensation insurance and medical care for injured workers.

The father and son were sentenced to 250 days in jail, 10 years of felony probation and ordered to pay $382,951 in restitution. This case was prosecuted by the Monterey County District Attorneys Office.

Employers who fail to carry workers compensation insurance or pay for the medical care for injured workers violate the law and put their employees at risk, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.

Doing business as Del Real Produce and Packing and Del Real Packing, LLC, the Del Reals worked as farm labor contractors providing laborers for picking and packing lettuce for growers in Monterey County and Yuma Arizona.

After receiving information from an insurer, California Department of Insurance detectives found the Del Reals had concealed injuries their workers sustained and refused to pay for medical treatment or provide other benefits the injured workers were entitled to.

The investigation also revealed that over a five-year period, the Del Reals lied more than 20 times in order to obtain reduced insurance premiums.

As part of their premium theft. the Del Reals reportedly kept two sets of Employment Development Division forms, with different employees and a different number of employees listed, which allowed them to evade paying payroll taxes.

Topics California Workers' Compensation
What Is Inventory Management?

Inventory management refers to the process of ordering, storing, using, and selling a company's inventory. This includes the management of raw materials, components, and finished products, as well as warehousing and processing of such items.

Key Takeaways Inventory management is the entire process of managing inventories from raw materials to finished products.

Inventory management tries to efficiently streamline inventories to avoid both gluts and shortages.

Two major methods for inventory management are just-in-time (JIT) and materials requirement planning (MRP).

1:35 Inventory Management

Understanding Inventory Management

A company's inventory is one of its most valuable assets. In retail, manufacturing, food services, and other inventory-intensive sectors, a company's inputs and finished products are the core of its business. A shortage of inventory when and where it's needed can be extremely detrimental.

At the same time, inventory can be thought of as a liability (if not in an accounting sense). A large inventory carries the risk of spoilage, theft, damage, or shifts in demand. Inventory must be insured, and if it is not sold in time it may have to be disposed of at clearance pricesor simply destroyed.

For these reasons, inventory management is important for businesses of any size. Knowing when to restock inventory, what amounts to purchase or produce, what price to payas well as when to sell and at what pricecan easily become complex decisions. Small businesses will often keep track of stock manually and determine the reorder points and quantities using spreadsheet (Excel) formulas. Larger businesses will use specialized enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The largest corporations use highly customized software as a service (SaaS) applications.

Appropriate inventory management strategies vary depending on the industry. An oil depot is able to store large amounts of inventory for extended periods of time, allowing it to wait for demand to pick up. While storing oil is expensive and riskya fire in the UK in 2005 led to millions of pounds in damage and finesthere is no risk that the inventory will spoil or go out of style. For businesses dealing in perishable goods or products for which demand is extremely time-sensitive2021 calendars or fast-fashion items, for examplesitting on inventory is not an option, and misjudging the timing or quantities of orders can be costly.

For companies with complex supply chains and manufacturing processes, balancing the risks of inventory gluts and shortages is especially difficult. To achieve these balances, firms have developed several methods for inventory management, including just-in-time (JIT) and materials requirement planning (MRP).

Some firms like financial services firms do not have physical inventory and so must rely on service process management.

Accounting for Inventory

Inventory represents a current asset since a company typically intends to sell its finished goods within a short amount of time, typically a year. Inventory has to be physically counted or measured before it can be put on a balance sheet. Companies typically maintain sophisticated inventory management systems capable of tracking real-time inventory levels.

Inventory is accounted for using one of three methods: first-in-first-out (FIFO) costing; last-in-first-out (LIFO) costing; or weighted-average costing. An inventory account typically consists of four separate categories:

Raw materials  represent various materials a company purchases for its production process. These materials must undergo significant work before a company can transform them into a finished good ready for sale. Work in process (also known as goods-in-process)  represents raw materials in the process of being transformed into a finished product. Finished goods  are completed products readily available for sale to a company's customers. Merchandise  represents finished goods a company buys from a supplier for future resale.

Inventory Management Methods

Depending on the type of business or product being analyzed, a company will use various inventory management methods. Some of these management methods include just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, materials requirement planning (MRP), economic order quantity (EOQ), and days sales of inventory (DSI).

Just-in-Time Management (JIT)  This manufacturing model originated in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. Toyota Motor (TM) contributed the most to its development. The method allows companies to save significant amounts of money and reduce waste by keeping only the inventory they need to produce and sell products. This approach reduces storage and insurance costs, as well as the cost of liquidating or discarding excess inventory. JIT inventory management can be risky. If demand unexpectedly spikes, the manufacturer may not be able to source the inventory it needs to meet that demand, damaging its reputation with customers and driving business toward competitors. Even the smallest delays can be problematic; if a key input does not arrive "just in time," a bottleneck can result.

The method allows companies to save significant amounts of money and reduce waste by keeping only the inventory they need to produce and sell products. This approach reduces storage and insurance costs, as well as the cost of liquidating or discarding excess inventory. JIT inventory management can be risky. If demand unexpectedly spikes, the manufacturer may not be able to source the inventory it needs to meet that demand, damaging its reputation with customers and driving business toward competitors. Even the smallest delays can be problematic; if a key input does not arrive "just in time," a bottleneck can result. Materials requirement planning (MRP)  This inventory management method is sales-forecast dependent, meaning that manufacturers must have accurate sales records to enable accurate planning of inventory needs and to communicate those needs with materials suppliers in a timely manner. For example, a ski manufacturer using an MRP inventory system might ensure that materials such as plastic, fiberglass, wood, and aluminum are in stock based on forecasted orders. Inability to accurately forecast sales and plan inventory acquisitions results in a manufacturer's inability to fulfill orders.

For example, a ski manufacturer using an MRP inventory system might ensure that materials such as plastic, fiberglass, wood, and aluminum are in stock based on forecasted orders. Inability to accurately forecast sales and plan inventory acquisitions results in a manufacturer's inability to fulfill orders. Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)  This model is used in inventory management by calculating the number of units a company should add to its inventory with each batch order to reduce the total costs of its inventory while assuming constant consumer demand. The costs of inventory in the model include holding and setup costs. The EOQ model seeks to ensure that the right amount of inventory is ordered per batch so a company does not have to make orders too frequently and there is not an excess of inventory sitting on hand. It assumes that there is a trade-off between inventory holding costs and inventory setup costs, and total inventory costs are minimized when both setup costs and holding costs are minimized.

Days sales of inventory (DSI)  is a financial ratio that indicates the average time in days that a company takes to turn its inventory, including goods that are a work in progress, into sales. DSI is also known as the average age of inventory, days inventory outstanding (DIO), days in inventory (DII), days sales in inventory or days inventory and is interpreted in multiple ways. Indicating the liquidity of the inventory, the figure represents how many days a companys current stock of inventory will last. Generally, a lower DSI is preferred as it indicates a shorter duration to clear off the inventory, though the average DSI varies from one industry to another.

There are other methods to analyze inventory. If a company frequently switches its method of inventory accounting without reasonable justification, it is likely its management is trying to paint a brighter picture of its business than what is true. The SEC requires public companies to disclose LIFO reserve that can make inventories under LIFO costing comparable to FIFO costing.

Frequent inventory write-offs can indicate a company's issues with selling its finished goods or inventory obsolescence. This can also raise red flags with a company's ability to stay competitive and manufacture products that appeal to consumers going forward.
Burma Chinese Foreign Minister Promises Continued Support for Myanmar

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYITAW  Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised continued support for Myanmar amid mounting international pressure on the country over the Rohingya crisis.

The Chinese minister at a joint press conference with his Myanmar counterpart Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw on Sunday urged the UN Security Council to create a favorable environment for Myanmar and Bangladesh to hold discussions on the repatriation of refugees to Myanmar.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, following a military counter-insurgency clearance operation in Myanmars Rakhine State. But the Myanmar government has denied those figures.

The bilateral talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh were critical to solve the Rakhine issue, said Wang Yi.

He suggested ensuring a ceasefire and restoring stability in troubled Rakhine State, signing a repatriation agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh as soon as possible, and Chinese assistance to fight poverty in Rakhine State, which was believed to be one of the main causes of conflict in the area.

Wang Yi said he also gave the same suggestions to Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabias delegate on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) submitted a draft resolution entitled Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar at the third committee of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly on Nov. 17.

The committee approved the draft with a recorded vote of 135 in favor, 10 opposed (Belarus, Cambodia, China, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Philippines, Russian Federation, Syria, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe) and 26 abstentions.

Wang Yi talked about strengthening economic cooperation between China and Myanmar through the One Belt/One Road economic corridor, which will pass through Mandalay, Yangon and Rakhine States Kyaukphyu Township.

Myanmar favors not only the Belt and Road initiative, but any project that serves mutual interests and forges bilateral relationships between the people of the two countries, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The main progress between our two countries is that we have now deeper mutual understanding. This is the most important progress because we will be able to solve any problem with mutual understanding, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

China respects the sovereignty, independence and peace of Myanmar. We hope that the government will be able to hold good talks with armed ethnic groups with Panglong Spirit [referring to the 1947 Panglong Agreement, a formula for federalism agreed to by Gen Aung San and Chin, Kachin and Shan leaders], said Wang Yi.

He also said that defense ministries of the two countries are cooperating more closely to handle conflicts in the northern area of Myanmar where several non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) are based.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called Chinas cooperation as a neighbor crucial for peace, stability and prosperity in Myanmar.

I hope that China and Myanmar will be good neighbors forever with fraternal spirit, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Burma Govt Plans to Relocate Hotels From Bagan Archeological Zone

The Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA) logged 3,822 ancient monuments in Bagan in early September. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmar attempts to relocate controversial hotels in the archaeological site Bagan as it prepares the ancient citys final nomination dossier to become a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The temples of Bagan, dating from between the 9th and 13th centurieswhen the Kingdom of Bagan ruled over much of lowland Burmaare considered Myanmars biggest tourist draw and on par with Cambodias Angkor Wat. Despite the historical, archaeological and cultural value, the ancient capital has yet to be granted Unesco World Heritage Site status, allegedly on account of being unable to present management plans to deal with sub-standard, inauthentic restorations and controversial hotel developments in the archaeological site completed under previous governments.

Showing a commitment to fixing mismanagement, the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) governments Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture said it would negotiate with developers whose hotels were built within the ancient citys archaeological vicinity to hotel zones or otherwise outside of the area.

Relevant ministries and hoteliers will be discussing [the relocation] but we have not negotiated with or informed hotel owners officially yet, said U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the ministrys Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library in Bagan.

In early September, the Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA) logged 3,822 ancient monuments in Bagan. Myanmar submitted its first bid in 1996 and failed to receive the status. As the ministry decided in June 2014 to restart the process, the draft nomination dossier to the World Heritage Site Committee of Unesco was submitted in September this year and the final version has to be delivered by February 1, 2018.

Significant hotels and landmarks that would be need to be relocated include Nan Myint Viewing Tower, the Bagan Thande Hotel, the Hotel at Tharabar Gate, the Bagan Hotel, the Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort, one owned by the Eden Group Company Ltd that is still under construction, and multiple others, according to U Aung Aung Kyaw.

The government is considering allowing hotel owners at least 15 years to relocate from the archaeological site but the time frame will have to be mutually agreed on by the government and hotel owners, he added.

Regulations will be set up for the relocation after negotiations between concerned parties are finished, he said.

U Chit Khaing, chair of the Eden Group Company Ltd, told The Irrawaddy that he has yet to be informed by the government regarding the issue. Authorities and officials from the ministry have been inspecting his hotel project that is still under construction in Bagan, and no decision or conclusion has been made by government officials, he said.

If [the decision] is in line with the law and is for the benefit of the country, we have to give it considerable thought, U Chit Khaing said, claiming that the location where the hotel is being constructed was permitted for hotel developments.

If our [hotel project] is a disruption in nominating Bagan to be listed as a World Heritage Site, we have to follow [the decision], he said, adding that his hotel project will not be considered a disruption within a world heritage site as per his observation internationally.

Unescos national project officer for Myanmar Ma Ohnmar Myo said the government urgently needed to implement a systematic management plan to preserve ancient cultural heritage while upholding the interest of the local community.

Unesco has suggested that the government start relocation of the hotels only after providing infrastructural needs including electricity and water supplies at new locations, Ma Ohnmar Myo told The Irrawaddy.

She added that if the government could not provide a relocation management plan in the upcoming final version of the nomination dossier, it would impact Unescos decision on whether Bagan should be listed as a World Heritage Site.

Mistakes have been made. So the government must show that it understands these mistakes and is willing to and is trying to remedy these mistakes, she said.

The governments management plan has to be firm and resolute this time, she stressed.

U Khin Maung Nu, chair of the Bagan Regional Development Association, said hotel developments are extremely close to heritage vicinity sites and not appropriate among the cultural and religious ancient monuments.

Rather than protecting the interest of elites, the government should prioritize the countrys valuable heritage, U Khin Maung Nu said.

In the 1990s, about 6,000 people from the local community who used to live in the old Bagan area were forced to relocate from the ancient city. After the relocation, several hotel projects were built in old Bagan vicinity and hundreds of ancient temples were rebuilt inaccurately under the management of one of the then juntas most powerful leaders Gen Khin Nyunt, who wanted the ancient temples to have a golden look.

Locals find it insufferable that people who had lived there for generations were forced to move out but hotels are being allowed to operate in the same area, he said.

During the 2000s, the military government faced severe criticism from local and international preservationists and archaeologists for permitting the construction of a nearly 200-foot viewing towerpart of the countrys business tycoon Tay Za-owned Aureum Palace Hotel in Bagan, in the midst of the ancient temples. French architect and Bagan expert Pierre Pichard labeled the move a cultural crime.

If Bagan is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, we have to follow its standards and frameworks as a heritage site, U Aung Aung Kyaw said.

At the same time, it has to be in line with our countrys regulations and laws. If not, it will be like we dont respect the law.

August 24 marked one year since a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, centered about 15 miles west of Chauk town in Magwe Region. According to the religion and culture ministrys archaeology department, out of more than 3,000 temples and pagodas across Baganlocated north of the epicenter389 were affected by tremors and needed renovation.
Burma Humanitarian Group Discards Logo After Criticism of Creating Conflict in Rakhine

HCYT t-shirt. / HCYT / Facebook

YANGON  The Humanitarian Coordination Youth Team (HCYT), a group of volunteers providing humanitarian assistance in troubled northern Rakhine State, has discarded its t-shirts after the group came under fire for the logo.

The group, formed to support the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD)an initiative by the Union government to provide assistance in Rakhine Statedistributed uniform t-shirts and jackets for volunteers who would assist locals in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.

The garments featured a map of Rakhine on the back with Maungdaw and Buthidaug townships colored in red, and other areas in yellow, while Thandwe and Gwa townships were not included on the map.

Many netizens criticized the logo, interpreting it as the two troubled townships being split from Rakhine State.

HCYT released a statement on Nov. 13, saying that it had no intention other than to highlight the project area; and that Gwa and Thandwe were only left out because of limited space.

Two days later, the group announced that it had stopped using the clothing with the logo.

We will not use it anymore because we are concerned that some people with bad intentions may take advantage of this, said Ko Htet Paing Soe, a senior member of HCYT.

I would like to tell all, including locals in Rakhine State, that we had no intention of creating conflict with this logo. We welcome suggestions and are ready to cooperate to render assistance more effectively, he added.

HCYT sent its first group of volunteers to Rakhine State in the first week of November. Under the program, youth across the country will distribute relief supplies and collect data in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships for 20 days. Forty volunteers joined the first batch, and the second and third batches will leave for Rakhine State after receiving training in Yangon on Nov. 20 and Dec.7 respectively.

HCYT was founded in October by a group of youth, which includes Rakhine, Muslims, Hindus and other ethnic minorities such as Daignet, Mro, and Maramargyi from Rakhine State.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Khin Aung Aye is the Ultimate Ambassador for Burmese Poetry

Khin Aung Aye. / Dana Lixenberg

Khin Aung Aye (b. 1956) is the reason this book and film exists. He became our advisor, helping us navigate through the maze of thousands of poets in Burma  many of whose work is not translated. He is the ultimate ambassador for Burmese poetry: one of the most respected poets of his generation, with a discerning eye that suffers no fools or mediocrity, and a seriousness about his art that borders on the monastic  and which in the end is not surprising, since he lived as a monk for a year.

Tell me about your life.

I was born in Yangon. My family moved to Mawlamyine when I was old enough to register things in my memory: we were all together  father, mother and sister and I. When I was about seven, my parents separated. My sister and I were sent to Myaungmya to live with my aunt. We lived there for two years. After all the paperwork for the divorce was done, and their divorce became official, my mother came to pick us up. She had a small chicken farm in Rakhine State. My mother remarried. I went back to my father because I didnt want to live with my stepfather. I am saying all these details because my childhood memories are important like an opening scene in a movie in my life as a poet.

So I was in Yangon again. When I became a teenager, I started to have problems at home; I ran away twice. I also developed an interest in girls. I fell for this girl and that girl. They inspired me to write poetry. I also read classic Myanmar poems in textbooks. I liked the way these poems sounded. I wrote some myself imitating their styles.

I met my sisters friend during the Water Festival. We had feelings for each other, and then we had some issues. I was left with a broken heart. This inspired me to write more poems. Her name was Khin Ni Aye. I adopted the penname  one that I use to this day  Khin Aung Aye by inserting the word Aung in the middle of her name. She was my first love and the love of my entire life.

I graduated from high school and enrolled at Yangon University. My friends and I published hand-written chapbooks of poetry. I became more engaged in writing poetry after my cousin showed me his modernist poems, which were very difficult to read. Writing love poems was no longer enough. My cousin also had a lot of poetry books which he shared with me. Under the Shade of Pine Tree, a collection of Western poems translated by Maung Tha Noe opened my eyes to a bigger world of poetry. After that, I developed a strong desire to become a poet.

During my third year at university, my mother divorced for the second time and my father disowned me. I joined art classes on the campus and became a member of the universitys art society. I met many young student artists. We were like brothers and sisters. We painted and wrote poetry together. These were important watershed moments that sent me on the way to becoming a poet.

I got married in 1979, which happened rather unexpectedly. I didnt do much apart from writing poetry until my wife had our first child. Then came the second. I realized that it was time to look for a job. I had four or five different jobs during the first five years of the marriage. I used to keep a notebook and wrote poetry in it. Those poems were mostly unfinished short scribbles. Sometimes, I went through them and threaded some lines and stanzas together to produce more complete poems.

In 1990, I went broke and decided to go back to Yangon. But things didnt work out in Yangon, so I left for Mandalay. It was in Mandalay that my poetry took an aesthetic shift. There was a lot of oppression from the military junta then, and there were a lot of restrictions on printing and publication. Even Xeroxing could become a big issue. I secretly published a chapbook called Poems, 1990 even though I knew this was very dangerous.

In 2000, the poet Maung Pyiyt Min invited me to collaborate on a book. I gave him the poems from this old chapbook. These poems were submitted to the censors who asked me to leave out some lines from one of my long poems. I didnt want to do that, so I left out the whole poem instead. Only five short poems went into publication. The long poem I left out would later be translated into English and published in Bones Will Crow  the first English language anthology of Burmese poetry. A poem that was written in 1990 got published in a faraway country twenty years later. Thats something, isnt it?

Between 1990 and 2000, more things happened. I was an employee at a seafood export company owned by a Thai businessman, then a manager, then a director. In 1994, I went to Singapore to work. Once I was also appointed as a corporate representative at a company. In 1996, I became a monk. First I thought it would just be for a short period. But then I wanted to remain in the monkhood for life. However, after one year, I disrobed. My daughters were teenagers, and they needed me at home.

All these ups and downs of life were fuel for my poetry writing.

In 2005, I went to Singapore with an intention to settle there. But it didnt work out. An old employer from Thailand offered that I start a small business with him in Bangkok. I moved to Bangkok and joined him. Then in 2009 he died from a heart attack. Everything stopped with that, and I became depressed. I turned to poetry as a refuge. At the same time, the Myanmar poetry scene was going through a major change from modern to contemporary. I read translations and writings on contemporary poetry by my friend Zeyar Lynn. I started to experiment with new techniques. In 2010, my writing gained momentum again. I started a blog and connected with new and old readers. Between 2009 and 2013, I had some opportunities to attend poetry festivals in Europe and other countries. That gave me more inspiration and strength to continue writing. With financial support from my daughter based in London, today I can dedicate my life to writing poetry without much worry.

Authors Note: These interviews are excerpted from Burma Storybook, a poetry and photography book inspired by the documentary film of the same name, produced by Corinne van Egeraat and directed by Petr Lom.

The English language hardcover edition of the book is for sale at Hla Day, Innwa Bookstore, Myanmar Book Center and the Strand Hotel.

A Burmese language-only paperback edition of the book is for sale through Yangon Book Plaza.

There will be a Free Open Air Screening of the Burma Storybook documentary film (82 min.) in Mahabandoola Park in Yangon on November 25 at 6 p.m. From Nov. 25 to Dec. 4, you can visit the interactive Burma Storybook Photo Exhibit at the Tourism Burma Building.

For more information: www.burmastorybook.com
By PTI: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Nov 20 (PTI) The US today urged Nepal to conduct the upcoming elections in a peaceful manner, days after a number of attacks against candidates were reported.

"Following the largely peaceful conduct of Nepals three phases of local elections, the US is alarmed at recent attacks on political candidates and condemns any attempt to impede the electoral process through the use of violence," said a statement issued by the US Embassy here.

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"We call on all sides to maintain and uphold a peaceful and democratic election process for both rounds of upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections.

"A key principle of democratic electoral systems is protecting the rights of citizens to participate in the electoral process without fear of violence or harm," it said.

A number of explosions have occurred in different parts of the country ahead of the two phases of provincial and parliamentary elections.

Around a dozen political activists belonging to different political parties sustained injuries in these attacks.

"We urge everyone to respect the freedoms of peaceful expression and assembly, and individual voters rights as laid out in Nepals laws and Constitution.

"Elections are a time for political debate, but in a democracy, the mechanism for expressing disagreements is through the ballot box," the US said.

The US remains committed to working with all stakeholders for a peaceful, inclusive, and credible election process, the statement said.

Nepal is organising provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases on November 26 and December 7.

The elections are seen as the final step in Nepals transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives. PTI SBP KUN

--- ENDS ---
Burma Minister Calls for Action to Save the Moken

The number of Moken has fallen to fewer than 1,000 people as the nomadic group struggles with the erosion of their traditional way of living.

YANGON  Union Minister for Ethnic Affairs U Naing Thet Lwin has called for the creation of a special committee to save the Moken, who now number fewer than 1,000 people.

In response to a question by Upper House lawmaker Dr. Khin Maung Win on Friday, the minister suggested raising funds and establishing an official committee with anthropologists to prevent the Moken from going extinct.

It is a long-term process and needs the cooperation of concerned authorities and experts like anthropologists as well as sufficient funds, the minister told Parliament.

The Moken, generically referred to as sea gypsies, are called Salone in Burmese. They lead a nomadic life in the waters off the Tanintharyi coast of southern Myanmar, roaming the sea most of their lives in small handcrafted wooden boats that serve as their homes except for during the monsoon season.

The Tanintharyi regional government has opened basic education schools and a boarding school for Moken children, said U Naing Thet Lwin. Since 2016, the regional government has also funded Moken festivals and provided a certain amount of money for Moken families to buy rice, he added.

In the past, Moken people wandered from one island to another, leading a nomadic life, but these days, most of them are settled on the land, and some of them do not even know how to build canoes as their ancestors did, said Kawthaung local Ko Maw Kin, an expert on the Moken.

The Moken have no institutionalized religion, but believe in sea deities, he added.

U Naing Thet Lwin said the government allows Moken people to fish in the sea, and also has also sought combat drug trafficking at sea to help save them.

Taking a look back at the history of the Salone people, Chinese and Malay people would buy sea products from them in exchange for clothes and drugs. In the last decade, drugs have nearly killed all the Moken male adults, said Ko Maw Kin.

The Ethnic Affairs Ministry has opened an ethnic literature and culture department, and an ethnic rights protection department in Dawei, the capital of Tanintharyi Region, and will cooperate with the regional government to conserve the customs and traditions of the Moken and protect their rights, said U Naing Thet Lwin.

According to the minister, there are only 635 full-blooded Moken people living in 145 households  204 in Kawthoung and 431 in Myeik.

However, there still remain 1,819 mixed-blood Moken people  Bamar-Moken, Karen-Moken, Mon-Moken and Pa-O-Moken  living in 440 households in the Tanintharyi Region.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
News President Proposes New Ministries To Better Oversee Domestic and Foreign Affairs

(L to R) U Thaung Tun, U Aung Kyi and U Kyaw Tin (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

YANGON  A presidential proposal to establish two new government ministries was submitted to the Union Parliament on Monday, a move that would raise the number of ministries to 24.

The two additional ministries proposed by President U Htin Kyaw were a Governments Office and a Ministry of International Cooperation, which would be overseen by National Security Advisor U Thaung Tun and Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Tin, respectively.

Lawmakers will discuss the proposal and seek parliamentary approval on Thursday. No additional government staff will be employed for the two additional ministries. Instead they will be staffed with existing officials currently assigned to the Union government and the Foreign Affairs Ministrys International Organizations and Economic Department.

The move aims to allow the government to better manage domestic administration and international affairs, Union Attorney General U Htun Htun Oo told Parliament on Monday.

While State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also foreign affairs minister, has been overseeing diplomatic affairs, the newly proposed international cooperation minister would administer affairs related to international organizations from an economic viewpoint, in addition to the usual political perspective, U Htun Htun Oo said.

Meanwhile, another presidential proposal to replace the existing commissioners of Myanmars anti-corruption body, which was formed under the previous U Thein Sein government was also submitted to Parliament on Monday. The anti-corruption commission mandated by the anti-graft law was formed in March 2014.

The proposal named former information minister U Aung Kyi, who is currently in charge of the governments peace commission, to replace existing chair U Mya Win. U Aung Kyi has served in the military and government administration for more than 50 years.

Former police chief Maj-Gen Zaw Win, who retired from the force in May this year, was also proposed as a commission member. Other proposed members include retired officials of the Attorney-Generals Office and Special Investigation Bureau and legal experts.

According to unconfirmed sources, the government also plans to split the Ministry of Electricity and Energy into two ministries to be led by one minister each. Under the previous U Thein Sein government, Myanmar had 36 ministries.

Htet Naing Zaw contributed to this report from Naypyitaw.
Guest Column Fear, Hunger, Hopes for a New Life  the Many Reasons Driving the Rakhine Exodus

Rohingya refugees walk toward a refugee camp after crossing the border in Anjuman Para near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, November 19, 2017. / Reuters

Critics of the Myanmar government have assailed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for raising the question of why, in the wake of the incidents on Aug. 24-25, did Muslims flee to Bangladesh in unprecedented numbers and why those who stayed behind, stayed. Many observers from the international community  and especially the Western media  jumped to the conclusion that Muslims were pushed out of their villages by the security forces clearance operations.

It is true that a large number of Muslims ran away when security forces undertook sweeps through their villages. However, to ascribe the Muslim exodus to this sole cause is simplistic. For example, if military operations had been the only reason for the exodus, we would have seen a significant drop in the number of Muslims fleeing once the military campaign stopped on Sept. 5. In fact, a significant proportion of Muslims left after the security forces halted their clearance operations.

It is clear that there are many factors at play in northern Rakhine State. To be sure, many of the 600,000 Muslims who have reportedly fled to Bangladesh have done so out of fear of future military operations. However, it is worth noting that Muslims are not just afraid of state security forces but also of militants from their own community.

Before fleeing, a Muslim farmer confided to me that he, and many Muslim men he knew, joined one of the mobs that attacked security outposts in northern Rakhine on Aug. 24-25. They did so mainly because the militants threatened to kill them if they did not participate. No one was protecting us, he said. If we had believed that the government would protect us, we would not have joined the militants. We would not have been a part of the mob.

There were also some Muslim families who decided to flee to Bangladesh because it was becoming more and more difficult for them to make a living in their own villages. This was due in part to further restrictions on their already limited freedom of movement and in part because they were not receiving sufficient humanitarian assistance. A Muslim villager from Maungdaw noted, We could not go to towns to find jobs. Rakhine businessmen would not give us any jobs. We were not receiving any assistance from anybody. Even if other friends from other villages or other parts of Rakhine state wanted to help us, they would not be able to send us anything. Our Rakhine friends were too afraid to help us. When we ran out of food, we did not have a choice but to become refugees. The same villager noted that although he knew the situation at refugee camps in Coxs Bazar would not be very comfortable, refugees would at least get food rations from UN agencies and other international organizations.

Some villagers remarked enigmatically that they left their villages because they were asked to do so by people from above or superior people. However, even when asked directly, they refused to identify who these people from above were. While Rakhine observers surmised that those people from above were leading members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which led the August attacks, some Muslim observers concluded that many Muslims from northern Rakhine were manipulated by other political actors who took advantage of the unstable situation to promote their agendas. Some villagers also reported that they decided to go to Bangladesh mainly because friends and families who were already there convinced them that they would enjoy somewhat better conditions at refugee camps in Bangladesh than if they remained in their villages.

The fact is that Muslim villagers from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships did not stop fleeing to refugee camps in Bangladesh even after the government began providing food and other assistance to Muslim internally displaced persons (IDPs) and villages. Some residents of Buthidaung reported that many Muslim families sold their property, including animals, cooking utensils and furniture at discounted rates, bought gold with the money they earned from the sales, and left for the nearest jetty or border.

Despite efforts from the Bangladeshi security forces to stop boats bringing Muslim refugees to Coxs Bazar, at least two boats from Bangladesh reportedly came to a jetty in Buthidaung township on a daily basis to pick up refugees. Due to the high demand, the boat fare recently surged from 30,000 kyats per head to 160,000 kyats per head.

In interviews, three young Muslim men from Buthidaung and Maungdaw said they decided to leave for Coxs Bazar owing to a rumor that Muslim refugees from Myanmar would be able to go to a third country and start a new and better life afterwards.

There is also another rumor circulating in Buthidaung that Muslim families can now leave for Coxs Bazar without paying any money as some diaspora groups have paid for their boat fares. Although the rumor could not be verified, it is true that Muslims have managed to leave for the refugee camps in Bangladesh on a daily basis. Some observers have also questioned why the Bangladeshi and Myanmar authorities failed to prevent the transportation of the refugees from the jetty in Buthidaung Township to Coxs Bazar.

The reasons mentioned above are by no means conclusive. The point is that the militarys clearance operations were not the only reason for the exodus of Muslims from northern Rakhine to refugee camps in Bangladesh. In trying to prevent Muslims from fleeing to Bangladesh, both the government and international actors will have to take into account all reported causal factors by listening to a wide range of voices.

First of all, the government must ensure the rule of law and provide protection to all law-abiding residents in northern Rakhine State. Secondly, the government and other stakeholders must work together to prevent people from above from manipulating civilians. Finally, while making sure that all residents in northern Rakhine State can make an adequate living, the government, international actors and other stakeholders should work together to provide accurate information to all residents of the area to prevent innocent people from being misled by unfounded rumors.

Sai Lon is a pseudonym for a Yangon-based independent analyst and a longtime observer of communal problems in Rakhine State.
Otherwise subscribers will receive an 18 month contract term, an included wireless router, included phone line rental, free weekend calls to UK landlines, totally unlimited usage, free UK support and a free online tool (Parental Controls) that helps block harmful or inappropriate content online. Various calling add-ons are also available at extra cost.

The Post Office has introduced a Black Friday bonus to their existing UK unlimited broadband and phone price reductions, which gives new customers a 30 account credit (available on orders made until 27th November). The downside is that you can only get this on their up to 17Mbps package.

Keith is a computer engineer and website developer from Dorset (England) who also assists, on a part-time basis, in the general upkeep of ISPreview.co.uk's systems and services. He also writes the occasional editorial and special offer article. Find me on Contacts

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Its been a long time since I wrote about the Zeus banking trojan and its family, but a relative of Zeus, called Terdot, is making a comeback. Bitdefender was the first to discover the updated Terdot, which made its introduction more than a year ago. In a blog post, the researchers stated that while Terdot is technically a banker trojan, like the original Zeus, this variation has the ability to spy on social media and email platforms. Tara Seals at Infosecurity Magazine explained:

the malware can notably inject HTML code into visited web pages to carry out MiTM [Man in the Middle] attacks. . . . Bitdefender researchers said that samples show the trojan targeting users of various web services such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail. Interestingly, the malware is specifically instructed not to gather any data from vk.com, Russias largest social media platform.

Or, as the headline for The Registers article on Terdot teased, this trojan can even fake-post to Twitter.

We should expect to see more variations of Zeus and similar malware, and we should expect them to expand their attack landscape. Hackers will continue to refine these trojans for new targets, Don Duncan, sales engineer for NuData Security, told me in an email comment, and they will continue to do so without user knowledge:

Users surfing websites, especially when they are in a rush and not paying attention  which is what usually happens during the holidays  overlook this kind of anomalous activity. This is a wake-up call for all online companies who trust their users based on the device information; it is time for them to change their authentication frameworks.

Defending against Terdot will be tricky, as Manoj Asnani, VP Product and Design with Balbix, pointed out to me in an email comment, because the trojan relies on both phishing and Man in the Middle as its attack vectors. If you have good comprehensive security and breach coverage, you have a good front line of protection. But we all know that where phishing is in play as an attack vector, you will have a struggle defending against human error, especially against malware that targets social platforms. Thats why Duncan recommended adding another layer to the security system: behavior of those using your system:

It is crucial to understand customers beyond the physical world (device, location, and connection) and start evaluating deeper levels of intelligence such as behavioral patterns. This behavioral evaluation should be combined with intelligent friction that can be automatically added when there is an anomaly or a suspected risky behavior only. Layers that evaluate behavior such as passive biometrics can stop fraud before it happens  even if the credentials and device information are correct  without adding any friction to the real customer.

Sue Marquette Poremba has been writing about network security since 2008. In addition to her coverage of security issues for IT Business Edge, her security articles have been published at various sites such as Forbes, Midsize Insider and Toms Guide. You can reach Sue via Twitter: @sueporemba
Given the amount of raw horsepower there is available now in the data center, many IT organizations are trying to maximize utilization of servers at the lowest cost per virtual machine possible. To appeal to that constituency of the IT community, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) today announced a HPE Proliant DL385 Gen 10 server based on EPYC system-on-chip (SOC) architecture from AMD that HPE says lowers the cost per virtual machine by as much as 50 percent.

Justin Hotard, vice president and general manager for the volume server business at HPE, says the AMD EPYC SOC architecture makes it possible to provide a more efficient balance of X86 processors, memory and I/O that results in a significant increase in the density of the overall server. That makes is more cost-effective to run a lot more virtual machines per server, says Hotard.

There are a lot more memory lanes, says Hotard.

In addition, Hotard notes the AMD EPYC SOC platform makes it possible to encrypt all data running in memory, and that each virtual machine and hypervisor deployed on that platform gets its own dedicated encryption key.

Obviously, AMD is locked in a long running struggle with Intel in the volume server business. HPE, of course, sells Proliant Gen10 servers based on both Intel and AMD processor technologies. The shift to SOC architectures may create a unique opportunity for AMD to gain share, especially among IT organizations that are sensitive to server costs at a time when multiple types of virtual machines continue to proliferate across the enterprise.
That there's no place like home is something you don't need Sherlock Holmes to figure out, but an Apple HomePod in your home won't happen until 2018.

Apple's answer to Amazon's Echo and Google's Home speakers is its HomePod, a Siri-enabled speaker with vastly better and more sophisticated internals than either Amazon or Google have been able to muster in their respective intelligent speakers.

Apple announced that HomePod was coming during its WWDC 2017 keynote, and said it would be coming in December, with those in the US, UK and Australia first to be able to welcome HomePods into their lives.

Unfortunately, for specific reasons unknown, HomePod has been delayed until 2018.

Apple's official statement on the matter is as follows: "We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers. We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018."

This has led to some blaming Tim Cook for the problem, while others have wondered whether resources have instead been aimed at getting as many iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X models out this side of Christmas.

Others still suggest this delay will be of great assistance to Google and Amazon with their respective smart speaker systems, and even companies such as Sonos who are integrating the Google Assistant into its systems.

Questions also linger as to whether the iMac Pro will arrive as intended this year, and whether the Mac Pro will arrive in 2018 as promised, or whether these two new and as-yet still unavailable Macs might also see some further delay.

With smart, microphone-equipped speakers and intelligence delivered by the cloud quite the rage this year, there has been much anticipation for Apple's HomePod to come in and show competitors how smart speakers are really done.

Unfortunately this will now have to wait until 2018, and while Amazon, Google, Sonos are others are sure to benefit from the lack of Apple's competitive speaker and services, Apple usually starts from behind before overtaking competitors.

Will it be any different this time, or is Apple, yet again, "doomed?"

The delay is annoying, to be sure, but only an Apple HomePod speaker will work effortlessly within the Apple iDevice ecosystem, and with hundreds of millions of iPhones out there, as well as huge numbers of iPads, Macs and Apple TVs, so whatever critics say, sales are likely to be brisk once HomePod arrives in 2018, whenever that may be.

Maybe then we'll truly hear that there's no place like HomePod, after all.

Here's Apple's HomePod video from YouTube:
Australias domain administrator auDA has appointed two new independent directors with wide experience in governance expertise to its board.

auDA has appointed Chris Leptos as its new independent chair and director, while Suzanne Ewart brings experience in strategy, treasury and finance for some of Australias major ASX listed companies to her new role.

Leptos is an experienced non-executive director across several sectors, and a Professorial Fellow with Monash University, and was a senior partner with KPMG and managing partner Government at Ernst & Young where he had national responsibility for leading the public sector practice.

Interim chair Erhan Karabardak welcomed the new members of the Board, who were appointed after an extensive search by independent recruitment company Hattonneale.

These highly skilled and experienced directors will bring fresh eyes and new perspectives to the board at an important time, Karabardak said.

Leptos said he looked forward to leading the board as it undertakes a number of strategic decisions for the organisation. auDA is a crucial part of Australias infrastructure. I look forward to leading a board that is consultative and focused on its responsibilities to its members and the wider community.

Earlier in his career, Leptos was managing director of Computer Power UK based in London, and general manager of Corporate Development for Western Mining Corporation. He has lived and worked in Jakarta, Shanghai, Toronto and London.

In May 2000, Leptos was appointed by Premier Steve Bracks to the Infrastructure Planning Council of Victoria, and in 2001 he was invited to be a member of the Australian Information Economy Advisory Council by Senator Richard Alston.

Ewart is a certified practising accountant who has held senior treasury roles at Fosters Group, NAB, Telstra and BTR Nylex, and has 17 years of board expertise and experience in chief strategy officer, chief financial officer and chief executive roles in financial services, diversified manufacturing, capital infrastructure and water industries.
Telstras mobile network is well-positioned to offer superior services to those offered by NBN Co, the company building the national broadband network, according to the latest report by a telecoms analyst.

Phil Harpur, senior analyst  Australia for the Budde Report, says that Telstra  through its national Wi-Fi and fibre backbone networks  can offload heavy broadband traffic from its mobile network onto its fibre backbone

Noting Telstras position as Australias largest telecommunications provider offering a full range of telecom services, Harpur says several strategic investments have strengthened Telstras position in services, including the e-health services market.

"Telstra continues to expand into emerging technology areas such as e-Health. Telstra has recently completed 15 acquisitions and partnerships in electronic prescriptions, remote diagnostics, secure health record keeping and telematics.

"Telstras mobile network is well-positioned to offer superior services to those offered by the NBN Co. Furthermore, through its national Wi-Fi and fibre backbone networks it can rapidly offload any heavy broadband traffic from its mobile network onto its fibre backbone.

In total, over three years to June 2017 Telstra invested more than $5 billion into Telstras mobile network. Telstra will start rapidly deploying the next generation of LTE technology including voice over LTE, LTE broadcast and the next stage of LTE advanced delivering peak network speeds of up to 600 Mb/s.

Harpur compared Telstra as the market leader with second placed Optus and Vodafone, the third largest telco.

While noting that the market position of Optus has not changed all that much over the years, Harpur says that it has been the number two telco in the Australian market since its inception some 20 years ago, with an overall market share hovering around 20% to 25%.

Also unchanged is the fact that the majority of its market share is based on its mobile service, Harpur says.

And he says that while Optus has been strong in the mobile market it has never been able to challenge Telstra, and during the "Vodafail" period Optus was unable to use that opportunity to significantly increase its market share.

On a more positive note, Harpur says that in September 2017 Optus achieved a world first in pairing pre-5G technologies Massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) with 3CC Carrier Aggregation technologies, 3CC Massive MIMO.

On Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA)  the number three telco formed following the merger of Vodafone Australia with Hutchison Telecoms  Harpur says its infrastructure has seen a fundamental overhaul, largely due to the successful refarming of its 850MHz concessions which allowed it to convert 3G to LTE across the country.

Vodafone Australia has begun committing major resources to evaluating a potential fixed-line play over NBN. It is also targeting leadership in the next generation of mobile, announcing that it will start running 5G lab trials and demonstrations, Harpur says.

Vodafone Australia is also looking to take leadership in the growing Internet of Things space, drawing on the expertise of the Vodafone Group globally.
TPG Telecom is now Australia's second-biggest provider of fixed-line broadband and is increasingly putting the big two telcos  Telstra and Optus  under competitive market pressure, according to a new report.

According to telecoms analyst Phil Harpur of the Budde Report, TPG now has more than 1.7 million customers for its fixed-line broadband services, has the largest data network and voice network after Telstra, the largest fully converged voice, video and data IP-based access network in regional Australia, and the largest voice-enabled IP network.

Harpur says TPG continues to challenge Telstra and Optus in the telecoms market and, he notes, TPG has created a new retail arm to sell its wholesale fibre-to-the-basement product to residential customers.

Services including voice, Internet and data solutions are provided to a customer base ranging from the consumer market through to small and medium enterprises, corporate and government sectors. The company also owns a cloud-hosting company and the PIPE network infrastructure that includes the third largest domestic dark-fibre operation and the submarine cable network to Guam, Asia and the US.

The company is delivering an extensive fibre-to-the-basement (FttB) service to apartment buildings in capital cities, offering broadband at 100Mb/s at a price which undercuts existing offers from rival ISPs. TPG has also secured spectrum in the 2.5GHz band to bolster its wireless broadband capabilities, and has committed to investing in additional capacity on the subsea cable linking to New Zealand and the US West Coast.

And, Harpur notes that in 2017 TPG made a bold move to become the fourth mobile operator in Australia, with initial sites targeted for mid 2018.

On Vocus  TPGs fellow second-tier telco and another challenger to Telstra and Optus  Harpur says the company's merger with M2 Communications creates Australia's fourth-largest telecommunications company and the third-largest in New Zealand, offering services including co-location, Internet, voice, fibre and ethernet services. As well as merging with M2 and acquiring Amcom, Vocus also acquired Nextgen Networks and its 17,000km fibre network linking major cities and regional centres.

Vocus acquisition of Nextgen Networks will seriously lift its position as an infrastructure based telco. The acquisition is the next and perhaps final part of the companys strategic plan that has also seen his firm expand geographically with the previous acquisition of Amcom and FX Networks, and diversify into the consumer space via its merger with M2, Harpur says.

While the TPG/iiNet merger brought two similar companies together, and as such potentially reduced the number of players in the market, the Vocus/M2 combination brings two different companies together  one operating in the business market and one operating in the retail market. This will allow the companies to share resources and attract better deals from the various ICT (wholesale) providers they do business with.
India has also provided additional documents to make the case stronger against Mallaya.

By Munish Pandey: Both the Indian agencies, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have started camping in London as soon as the hearing started on Monday in Vijay Mallya's extradition case. The pre-trial hearing for extradition of Vijay Mallya started at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday.

Sources within the agencies have told India Today that, "a two member team, one from CBI and one from ED, are already camping in London. The two member team is assisting the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)".

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Another officer from one of the agencies told India Today, "documentation process has been completed in this case. CPS, however, had few queries; essentially on the criminality angle which was taken care by the officers".

India has also provided additional documents to make the case stronger against Mallya. The latest document to be attached to the dossier is the ED's chargesheet filed against Vijay Mallya. The dossier also includes the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) findings against Mallya and his company.

SFIO findings will make the case stronger for India as investigations into this case shows that Kingfisher created three business segments - commercial airlines, ground handling and training - to avoid paying capital gains tax. But as soon as Kingfisher announced its merger with DAL, these were created on paper.

In addition to the two officers, a bigger team from CBI and ED will be going to London for the December 4 hearing.

Vijay Mallya, who appeared before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today, has been exempted to appear in person till the December 4 for hearing.

Vijaya Mallya is accused of fraud charges related to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines owing more than Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks. Mallaya left India for UK on 2 March 2016.

As of now, the London court has granted him a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds and conditions like abiding the law of court, surrender his passport and ban on traveling.

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The toilet was unveiled at Trump village, on the occasion of World Toilet Day.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Sulabh International on Sunday launched the "world's biggest" toilet pot model in Haryana's Marora village -- popularly known as 'Trump village' -- on the occasion of World Toilet Day.

As per a release by the non-profit, the mega Indian-style pot, made of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris, measuring 20x10 feet, was unveiled to create awareness about the use of toilets in the village dedicated to US President Donald Trump.

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Sanitation expert and founder of Sulabh International, Bindeshwar Pathak, also dedicated 95 new household toilets to the residents of the village.

"This large pot replica will be shifted to Delhi's Sulabh Toilet Museum," the release quoted Pathak as saying.

Also Read:Here are some hygiene tips you should keep in mind while using public washrooms

He said the idea behind naming a village after Trump was to highlight the issue of sanitation and cleanliness globally.

Puneet Ahluwalia, a member of the ruling Republican Party in the US, said that such an initiative would go a long way to motivate masses towards cleanliness and safe sanitation.

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As if pulling out a copy of his previous speech in Agra, Yogi claimed that his government is working on connecting every major city of UP to metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata by air.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken the reigns of the UP municipal elections in his own hands.

By Siraj Qureshi: Sensing the need for power projection to ensure a victory for the BJP following the decrease in the party's popularity post-GST, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken the reigns of the UP municipal elections in his own hands.

Barely a day before the electoral campaign ended for the municipal elections to be held in Agra on November 22, Yogi Adityanath arrived in the city, carrying numerous promises for the city, although none of them were directly connected to the municipal corporation's jurisdiction, for which he was campaigning.

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His nearly 20-minutes speech at the Government Inter College grounds of Agra concentrated less on local issues and more on criticizing the previous Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party governments in UP.

As if pulling out a copy of his previous speech in Agra, delivered barely a month back, Yogi claimed in his speech that his government is working on connecting every major city of UP to metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata by air. Soon Agra will also have an international airport and metro train.

He said that the remaining 65 crores needed for the completion of land acquisition for the Agra Civil Airport project have been released and soon the airport will start coming up. He announced that the long pending Gangajal project to Agra will be completed in 2018. A rubber check dam will also be built downstream from the Taj Mahal on Yamuna river with the cost of Rs 350 crores.

Announcing his government's intent to promote GIS branding of local products, Yogi said that goods of local importance like 'Petha' of Agra and 'Peda' of Mathura will be included in the One District - One Product project, under which these local products will gain promotional benefits. Keeping his 'Hindu Leader' image intact, he asked the BJP supporters to shout 'Jai Sri Ram' slogans many times during his speech.

Enumerating his government's achievements, Yogi said that within 24 hours, his government closed all illegal abattoirs. Crime has been controlled and the Petha industry of Agra is being branded to promote tourism.

However, when India Today questioned him on the dispute over Taj Mahal, Yogi refused to comment and just reminded everyone that he had swept the Taj Mahal with a broom barely a month back.

Commenting on Yogi's Agra visit to promote the candidature of BJP candidates in the municipal elections, Congress leader Mohd Shareef Kale said that it was the first time when national leaders of the stature of Prime Minister and Chief Minister are taking out time to campaign in local body elections in the state. This was setting a dangerous precedent which would be highly detrimental for the propagation of healthy democratic principles in the country.

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He said that leaders like the PM and CM had all the government power in their hands and they could misuse that power any time to turn the tide in their party's favour in the local elections. He suggested that the senior party leaders of any party should not interfere in the local body elections as this would only mean unduly influencing the voters.

Kale further added that industrialist Naveen Jain is contesting from the BJP in Agra while Digamber Singh Dhakrey is contesting from BSP, Rahul Chaturvedi from Samajwadi Party and Vinod Bansal from the Indian National Congress but in the interest of a healthy democracy at local body levels, ex-Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav had not campaigned for any candidates in the state, nor had any senior Congress leader except UP Congress chief Raj Babbar had campaigned for the Congress candidates, but the BJP was taking full advantage of the government machinery to facilitate its star campaigners in the municipal elections, which was utterly disgraceful and showed that the BJP could stoop to the lowest levels in order to secure a win in any elections.

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By Christophe Maroun | ( GlobalVoices.org) |  

As the world's nations met in Bonn, Germany for the 23rd annual conference of the parties (COP23) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 2017 was set to be one of the hottest years on record.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Cyprus Institute in Nicosia have predicted a harsh fate for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Jordan currently faces one of the most severe droughts in recorded history. In the absence of international climate policy action, the country could receive 30 percent less rainfall by 2100 and annual temperatures could increase by 4.5 Celsius.

The landmark Paris Agreement at COP 21 in 2015 provided the first truly global deal to tackle climate change. The 2017 Bonn meeting will be paramount in building the rules to enact the Paris deal and toughen national actions to meet the goal of keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.

MENA faces massive heats waves

In October 2015, the journal Nature Climate Change predicted that heat waves in parts of the Persian Gulf could threaten human survival by the end of the century. Heat wave duration in the MENA region will prolong dramatically, lasting 80 days by mid-century and 118 days by the end of the century compared to the present average of 16 days, even if greenhouse gas emissions decline again after 2040.

Unrestrained demand for water for agricultural purposes in the region has led to groundwater overdrafting, declines in water quality and land degradation including salinization (increasing salt content in the soil).

Climate change is expected to compound these trends and the agriculture sector will hit the hardest. More frequent and intense heat waves and reduced rainfall will curb growing seasons. With less rain, there will be a reduction in soil moisture, river runoff, and aquifer recharge. Increased uncertainty will affect productivity, and make agricultural planning more difficult.

As Safa Al-Jayoussi from Climate Action Network  International told Al-Ayam newspaper:

                                    .

The Arab region is currently suffering from drought, which is only the beginning of the consequences of climate change and therefore the discussions should take into account the communities most affected by the damage on the one hand and compensation for the losses resulting from that phenomenon, on the other hand.

Jordan, for example, draws 160 percent more water from the ground than is replenished by nature, yet there is little incentive to conserve this precious resource.

The use of water for irrigation remains heavily and unsustainably subsidized by the government, and wastage is a major issue. More than half of Jordan's water is used for agriculture which only produces only a small share of the local food supply. An estimated 50 percent of the water supply is lost due to misuse or theft.

Egypt faces similar problems:

Climate change drives hunger  it hits the most vulnerable the hardest. As Egyptian farmers struggle to adapt, @WFP is there to help. #COP23 pic.twitter.com/3a7QQutIDB  WFP Middle East (@WFP_MENA) November 6, 2017

Harnessing the power of sun and wind

Middle Eastern countries are paying a heavy price for their focus on fossil fuels in the form of air pollution and contaminated water. Increasing desertification has adversely affected farming. The fishing industry suffers from deteriorating quality in coastal waters and the negative effects of changing sea temperatures on catches.

But fossil fuels continue to enjoy huge subsidies and are so underpriced that it is difficult for renewable energies to break through. They are perceived as not being cost-competitive because of the sometimes-hidden subsidies offered to fossil fuels.
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By Reese Erlich | ( 48hills.org) |  

I stood in front of a mosque in the city of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, interviewing people for a story. Suddenly, two city police cars pulled up. Several minutes later plain clothes officers from the secret police began questioning me.

I had entered the country with a journalist visa, but committed the grave crime of practicing journalism without official permission. All interviews, even with ordinary people, had to be cleared in advance.

I was told not to leave my hotel and exited the country soon thereafter. I was, however, able to report on the brutal repression of Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia, who had been demonstrating against the government since the beginning of the Arab Spring.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is of the most repressive regimes in the world, and of course, a close US ally. The Kingdom is back in the news because its leader, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS for short), has arrested more than 200 of his royal cousins and businessmen on corruption charges.

Lebanon has suffered from the Syrian civil war next door. Here a house in Hermel, Lebanon, was destroyed by rockets fired by Saudi backed rebel groups. Photo by Reese Erlich

In a truly Saudi twist, those multi millionaires are jailed at a Ritz Carlton in Riyadh seized by the government for the occasion. Some faced the indignity of sleeping on mats in the lobby.

Some media and the Trump administration portray MBS as a reformer cracking down on corruption and the reactionary religious establishment. The Cairo Review, for example, wrote, The crown prince has moved quickly to confirm his liberal progressive credentials. [H]e sought to float 5 percent of the Saudi Aramco shares (dubbed the biggest IPO in history), allowed women to drive, tolerated the reopening of cinemas, has plans for a tourism industry, and reigned in the powers of the religious police.

Notice the conflation of political liberties with liberalization of the state owned oil company, Aramco. Somehow, the achievement of political freedoms must include foreign bankers making super profits on an IPO (initial public offering).

Madawi Al-Rasheed , a visiting professor at the Middle East Centre, London School of Economics, told me MBS is no reformer. Hes more like an autocrat who employs public relations and management consultants to package the worst changes as historical reform, she said. He is desperate to attract foreign investors who should not rush to save his throne and risk losing all their investment.

The crown princes anti-corruption campaign is a phony. He arrests his political enemies while his corrupt cronies remain untouched.

Autocrats use populist policies to gain popularity, and MBS is no exception, Al-Rasheed added. What we have seen is consolidation of military, political and financial power rather than anti-corruption.

In foreign policy MBS is equally reactionary. Hes trying to ratchet up hostility towards Iran to cover up multiple regional failures. The KSA is bogged down in a war in Yemen and its efforts to isolate Qatar have failed miserably.

Since 2012 the KSA backed al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Syria, as I exposed well before it was acknowledged in the US.

Those extremists have lost the civil war, and the Saudis lost influence along with them.

And then theres Lebanon. In early November, MBS summoned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Riyadh. Hariri and his political party have long depended on Saudi royals for financial backing. But on this trip, instead of a red carpet befitting the prime minister, Saudi guards confiscated the cell phones of Hariri and his body guards.

They were held incommunicado until Hariri appeared on TV in Riyadh to resign his post. He blamed Iran and Hezbollah for creating a crisis in the region. Many Lebanese thought Hariri had been forced to do Saudi bidding.

Hariri is not arrested but he was given a political ultimatum, Elie El-Hindy told me. He is an associate professor of International Relations at Notre Dame University in Lebanon. Hariri had to take a harder line against Iranian-backed Hezbollah or bid farewell to any Saudi Arabian political, financial or other kind of support.

Sponsored link

Hezbollah is both an armed militia and political party that leads the elected, coalition government in Lebanon. If Hariris resignation stands, then it would break up that coalition. Saudi Arabia could claim the Lebanese government is not legitimate, a mere tool of Hezbollah and Iran. That would set the stage for a new military conflict.

MBS has forged close relations with the Trump administration. The Saudis and Israelis enthusiastically welcomed Trumps election in 2016. Presidential son in law and top advisor Jared Kushner has visited the Kingdom three times this year.

Politically, MBS and Trump have a lot in common. They both have authoritarian proclivities, they distrust minorities and women, and they blame Iran for all the problems in the Middle East.

For example, both blame Iran for the war in Yemen. They argue that Iran is arming and directing the Houthi rebels. Both the Obama and Trump administrations fully backed the KSA and have sent troops to Yemen in yet another undeclared US war.

In fact Saudi Arabia started the war by invading the southern part of Yemen in 2015, expecting a quick victory. The Saudis intentionally bomb civilians in an effort to weaken Houthi morale. More than 5000 Yeminis have died and 8,000 are injured. Cholera has spread throughout the country. Nearly 19 million face a humanitarian catastrophe because of hunger and lack of health care. The KSA spends billions per month on a war that has no end in sight.

Paul Pillar, a former senior CIA official who is now a fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center for Securities Studies, told me Iran did not initiate the Yemen War; it does not control the Houthis. Thats just an excuse used by the Saudis and United Arab Emirates, the other country occupying Yemen.

The Iranian aid to the Houthis is tiny compared to the Saudi and UAE military effort, said Pillar. The war has had cataclysmic consequences.

Both the US and Saudi Arabia also claim that Iran is trying to create a land bridge stretching from Iran, through Iraq and Syria to the Lebanese coast. That would enable Iran to supply Hezbollah with weapons for its fight against Israel.

Pillar snorted that hes tired of hearing this phony argument. He noted that Hezbollah has gained strength over the past 30 years without any land bridge.

Iran will have access to Lebanon, but it doesnt need a land corridor, he said. They can ship by air.

I worry that MBSs latest moves are part of a broader plan to encourage Israel to attack Lebanon. Hezbollah has emerged on the winning side in Syria, having backed President Bashar al Assad.

A political analyst with the Israeli daily Haaretz wrote the Saudis are trying to move the battlefield with Iran from Syria to Lebanon, trying to get Israel to do Saudi Arabias dirty work.

Theres a fierce debate within Israeli ruling circles as to whether and when to attack Lebanon. Israel already lost a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Hezbollah sank an Israeli naval ship and fired missiles into northern Israel. Today Hezbollah has a lot more missiles and troops battle hardened in Syria.

For the moment, Israeli officials are talking down the prospects for a full scale attack on Lebanon. But theres no question that MBS machinations are causing severe tensions in the region.

As former CIA analyst Pillar told me, The odds of war are greater now than a few months ago.

If you want to see corruption and political chicanery American style, keep your eyes on former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. We already know that Flynn was on the Turkish payroll, and he tried to cut US support for Syrian Kurds, which reflected Turkish policy. Now the special counsels office has leaked Flynns possible connection to a $15 million plot to kidnap a prominent opponent of the Turkish government living in Pennsylvania and deliver him to Turkey. If pursued by the special counsel, the Flynn story will reveal a lot about Washingtons real inner workings.

Reese Erlichs syndicated column on international affairs appears every two weeks in 48 Hills. The revised and updated edition of his book The Iran Agenda: the Real Story of US and Policy and the Mideast Crisis, will be published in 2018.

His home page is www.reeseerlich.com; follow him on Twitter @ReeseErlich or on Facebook, Reese Erlich foreign correspondent.

Reprinted with authors permission from 48hills.org

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

New York Times: Saudi Arabias Political Crisis, Explained
VANCOUVER, Nov. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation ("Copper Mountain" or "CMMC") [TSX:CMMC] and Altona Mining Limited ("Altona" or "AOH") [ASX:AOH] are pleased to jointly announce that they have agreed to combine the companies by way of a Scheme of Arrangement ("Scheme") under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 pursuant to which CMMC will acquire the entire issued capital of Altona (the "Transaction").

The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a Merger Implementation Deed ("MID") under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC.

Under the Transaction, each share of Altona ("Altona Share") will be exchanged for 0.0974 ("Exchange Ratio") of either a CHESS Depositary Interest of CMMC ("CMMC CDI"), which will trade on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"), or, if elected, a CMMC common share ("CMMC Share"), which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"). The total consideration offered for all of the outstanding shares of Altona is valued at approximately A$93 million and represents A$0.17 per share1, a 41.7% premium to A$0.12, the closing price of Altona shares on the day prior to the execution of the MID.

Altona's key asset is the 100% owned undeveloped open pit Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry") in Queensland, Australia, a mining friendly jurisdiction. Cloncurry currently has a measured and indicated mineral resource containing over 2 billion pounds (0.95 million tonnes) of copper and an inferred resource of 1.6 billion pounds (0.72 million tonnes) of copper. There is potential to add resources at depth and along strike in each of the deposits, and through exploration at numerous prospective targets within Altona's approximate 397,000 hectare (3,970 sq km) land package.

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced under a life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper2. The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource that remains open laterally and at depth.

Directors and senior management of Altona have agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a Superior Proposal3 and subject to the Independent Expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interest of shareholders. Directors and senior management of Altona have provided voting intention statements in favour of the Scheme.

1 Based on the 5 day trailing volume weighted average price (VWAP) of CMMC and Altona on 17 November 2017.

2 Calculated on a 100% basis. CMMC owns 75% of the Copper Mountain Mine.

3 See the definition of 'Superior Proposal' in the MID

Highlights of the Proposed Combination

A multi-jurisdictional, mid-tier copper producer.

Annual potential copper production of approximately 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper by 2020.

Combined Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.1 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes) of copper.

Combined Measured and Indicated Resources over 4.1 billion pounds (1.8 million tonnes) of copper and an additional 3.6 billion pounds (1.5 million tonnes) of copper in Inferred Resources.

One of the leading TSX/ASX listed copper production companies, with significant production growth and exploration potential in two tier-one mining jurisdictions.

The combined company will have approximately C$78 million in cash.

in cash. Enhanced trading liquidity in both Canada (TSX) and Australia (ASX).

(TSX) and (ASX). Pro forma market cap of approximately C$300 million , with CMMC shareholders owning 71.5% and Altona shareholders owning 28.5% of the combined entity.

, with CMMC shareholders owning 71.5% and Altona shareholders owning 28.5% of the combined entity. The strength and complementary nature of Altona's assets, management team, regional operating experience, and exploration expertise gives CMMC a stronger platform to grow.

CMMC's construction and operational experience are well positioned to bring Cloncurry into production.

Offer represents a 41.7% premium to Altona's price of A$0.12 per share, being the closing price on the day prior to the execution of the MID.

per share, being the closing price on the day prior to the execution of the MID. Major Altona shareholder (Matchpoint) has indicated support for the Scheme.

Management Commentary

Mr Jim O'Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer of CMMC, commented: "Our Copper Mountain Mine is an efficient, stable operation with a long life ahead of it. At current copper prices, it is generating significant cash flow. For some time, CMMC has patiently been evaluating cost competitive opportunities to achieve a step-change in copper production. Cloncurry exemplifies the criteria of low-risk, near-term and high quality for which we have been seeking. We intend to progress Cloncurry into production with the aim of doubling CMMC's copper production profile to the range of 160 million pounds (73,000 tonnes) of copper per annum with significant precious metals credits. This additional copper production is timely to capitalize on the projected strong copper cycle."

Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, added: "We are delighted to join CMMC to form a new high growth copper producer. We are excited to bring CMMC's depth of experience in constructing and operating a large scale open pit copper mine to bear upon the Cloncurry Copper Project. Altona's shareholders will receive a premium and will also gain immediate exposure to copper production just as copper prices have recovered and market shortfalls are predicted over the near term. This is a great opportunity for our shareholders to participate in the creation of a leading mid-sized copper producer."

Merger Summary

CMMC and Altona have executed a MID under which Altona has agreed to propose the Scheme that would allow Altona to become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMMC. The consideration being offered to Altona Shareholders is one CMMC CDI or CMMC share for every 10.2669 Altona Shares, which represents 17 cents per share, a premium of 41.7% to Altona's last price of A$0.12 as of the close on 17 November 2017 and based on CMMC's 5 day trailing VWAP from 17 November 2017.

In conjunction with the Scheme, CMMC will seek a listing on the ASX and apply for quotation of CMMC shares in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests ("CDIs"), which would enable Altona shareholders to elect to receive the Scheme consideration in the form of CMMC CDIs.

The Scheme is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, which are set out in full in the MID. Major conditions include:

Approval being received from the shareholders of Altona and the court in relation to the Scheme.

Approval being received from the shareholders of CMMC and the TSX for the issue of consideration shares.

The Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Approval for and quotation of CMMC CDIs on the ASX.

Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

Other customary regulatory and court approvals for a transaction of this nature.

The parties have agreed that unless the MID is terminated, Altona will not solicit any competing proposal or participate in any discussions or negotiations in relation to any competing proposal unless failure to do so would involve a breach of the fiduciary duties of its Directors. Altona and CMMC have agreed to pay a break fee of A$0.9 million in certain circumstances leading to the Scheme not proceeding.

Benefits to Copper Mountain Shareholders

Acquisition of the low risk Cloncurry Copper Project ("Cloncurry"), including significant copper and gold resources and reserves, and a large mineral tenure position. The Cloncurry project is located in one of the world's most prominent base metals production regions in Queensland, Australia , host to leading mines including Mt Isa, Dugald River , Cannington and Ernest Henry .

, host to leading mines including Mt Isa, , and . Development of Cloncurry has the potential to double CMMC's production profile, with the anticipated addition of over 80 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of copper and 17,000 ounces of gold per annum in concentrate based on Altona's updated Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") completed in July 2017 . The DFS states that the major required permits, including Native Title, Mining Licenses and an Environmental Authority, have been received.

. The DFS states that the major required permits, including Native Title, Mining Licenses and an Environmental Authority, have been received. Significant increase in overall contained copper in Measured and Indicated Resources (by 104% to 4.1 billion pounds of copper) and Proven and Probable Reserves (by 87% to 2.0 billion pounds (0.92 million tonnes of copper), in addition to regional discovery potential surrounding Cloncurry.

Asset and geographical diversification, providing a lower risk profile for the combined entity.

Exposure to Altona's large land package and their exploration success in Australia .

. Increased market prominence in combination, leading to a potential re-rating as a mid-tier copper producer.

Benefits to Altona Shareholders

CMMC has an experienced management team with proven development and mine operation capabilities, having expertise in financing, building, commissioning and operating the 12-14 million tonnes per annum open pit Copper Mountain Mine ("Copper Mountain Mine") located in southern British Columbia, Canada . CMMC will use this operational expertise to maximise the value of Altona's Cloncurry project.

. CMMC will use this operational expertise to maximise the value of Altona's Cloncurry project. With CMMC's annual production guidance of 75-85 million pounds (34,000-38,500 tonnes) of copper in 2017, combined with 86 million pounds (39,000 tonnes) of potential copper production from Cloncurry, the combined entity has the potential to become a top 4 Australian copper producer.

Altona shareholders to receive a significant premium of 41.7% to Altona's closing share price on 17 November 2017 , a 36.9% premium to Altona's trailing 10-day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") and a 33.2% premium to Altona's 20-day VWAP as of the close on 17 November 2017 .

, a 36.9% premium to Altona's trailing 10-day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") and a 33.2% premium to Altona's 20-day VWAP as of the close on . Benefit of immediate cash flow from CMMC's production asset, whilst retaining ongoing exposure to Cloncurry as it progresses through development.

Creation of a leading copper producing company with a diversified portfolio of production and development assets that will be uniquely positioned on the ASX.

Altona Board and Shareholder Support

The Altona Board are in favour of the Scheme and unanimously recommend that Altona shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Each of Altona's directors and officers has entered into a Support Deed undertaking to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

Altona's major shareholder, Matchpoint Asia Fund Limited, has also indicated that it will vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a Superior Proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Altona shareholders.

CMMC Shareholder approval

CMMC is required to obtain the approval of the TSX and its shareholders in connection with the issue of common shares under the Scheme. Each of CMMC's directors and officers have agreed to vote in favour of the required CMMC shareholder resolutions.

The CMMC Board unanimously recommends that CMMC shareholders vote in favour of the issue of CMMC common shares contemplated by the Scheme. The CMMC Board intends to vote any CMMC Shares in respect of which they have the power to direct a vote in favour of the necessary resolutions.

Management Team and Board of Directors

CMMC will continue to be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and plans to retain a regional office in Perth, Australia on implementation of the Scheme. Dr Alistair Cowden, Managing Director of Altona, will remain in his position until the Scheme closes, after which he will be appointed to join the Board of Directors of CMMC and will continue in an executive role in Australia.

Indicative Timetable

Full particulars of the Scheme, including terms and recommendations will be provided to Altona shareholders through a Scheme Booklet which will include an Independent Expert's Report by KPMG Corporate Finance, a division of KPMG Financial Advisory Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. The indicative timetable for implementation of the Acquisition is anticipated to be as follows:

Event Indicative Date 1st Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme Booklet 6 February 2018 Scheme Booklet sent to Altona shareholders 8 February 2018 Altona Scheme meeting 15 March 2018 2nd Australian Court hearing to approve Scheme 22 March 2018 Scheme becomes effective 23 March 2018

Principal Advisors

CMMC's corporate adviser is Haywood Securities Inc., its Canadian legal advisor is Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP and its Australian legal advisor is Clayton Utz.

Altona's corporate adviser is Hartleys Limited, its Australian legal advisor is Gilbert + Tobin and its Canadian Legal advisor is Fasken Martineau LLP.

Conference Call and Webcast

CMMC will host a conference call and webcast on Monday, 20 November 2017 at 8:00 am PST for members of the investment community to discuss the transaction. Participants may join the conference call using the following call-in details. This discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer period with investors:

Live dial-in information Toronto and international: 647-427-7450 North America (toll-free): 1-888-231-8191

To participate in the webcast live via your computer go to:

Click Here

Replay call information Toronto and international: 416-849-0833, passcode 5689618 North America (toll-free): 1-855-859-2056, passcode 568961

The conference call replay will be available from 10:30 am (PDT) on November 20, 2017, until 11:59 pm PST on December 4, 2017. Participant audio webcast will also be available on the Company's website at http://www.CuMtn.com

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

CMMC's principal asset is the 75% owned large open pit Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. CMMC has a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation which owns 25% of the Copper Mountain Mine and purchases 100% of the copper concentrate produced under a life of mine offtake agreement. CMMC is on track to achieve production guidance for 2017 of 75-85 million pounds of copper. The Copper Mountain mine has a large resource of copper that remains open laterally and at depth. This significant exploration potential is being evaluated over the next few years in order to fully appreciate the property's development potential. Additional information is available on CMMC's web page at www.cumtn.com.

About Altona Mining Limited

Altona's principal asset is the Cloncurry Copper Project in Queensland, Australia found within a dominant 3,970 sq km land package in the highly prospective Mt. Isa inlier. It is envisaged that a 7 million tonnes per annum open pit copper-gold mine and concentrator will be developed. The development is permitted with proposed annual production of 39,000 tonnes of copper and 17,200 ounces of gold for a minimum of 14 years. The Definitive Feasibility Study was refreshed in August 2017.

Competent Person's Statement: Cloncurry Project

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Cloncurry Project is based on information compiled by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that full JORC 2012 disclosure of Resources and Reserves is provided in the ASX release of 2 August 2017 entitled "The Cloncurry Project: JORC 2012 Disclosure" and accompanying release revised on 27 September 2017 entitled "Updated DFS Delivers Bigger and Better Cloncurry Project".

Competent Person's Statement: Copper Mountain Mine

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves for the Copper Mountain Mine is based on information compiled from public disclosure by TSX listed Copper Mountain Limited (CMMC) by Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch are full time employees of Altona and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Cowden and Mr Bartsch consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please note that Canadian Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as adopted by listed entities in Canadian Securities Exchanges are classified according to the CIM Definition Standards in the manner of the JORC Code and NI 43-101 disclosure corresponds to that required by the JORC Code. Disclosure by CMMC in the most recent NI 43-101 report complies with the CIM Guidelines, which are closely related to the JORC Code in their key definitions. The CMMC resources and reserves can therefore be quoted as 'qualifying foreign estimates' according to ASX Listing rules. The most recent disclosure of resources and reserves can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The most recent disclosure by CMMC is in the CMMC Annual Information Form dated 30 March 2017.

The qualifying foreign estimates have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration word that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.

Qualified Persons

Mr Peter Holbek, P.Geo. and Vice President Exploration of CMMC, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved CMMC's mining technical information included in this news release.

Dr Alistair Cowden, BSc (Hons), PhD, MAusIMM, MAIG and Mr Roland Bartsch, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM are full time employees of Altona in the positions of Managing Director and General Manager, Exploration for Altona, are the Qualified Persons who have reviewed and approved Altona's mining technical information included in this news release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 20, 2017) - Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSXV: BSR) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced the Phase 1 diamond drill program on its 100% owned Cerro Blanco gold project. Two drills are operating on site and will carry out the initial 5,000 m program which is focused on areas that are under-drilled and are either adjacent to, or exist as targets, within the resource envelope. The program will also assist in refining the resource model that is being developed in conjunction with the Feasibility Study as announced on September 18, 2017.

The drill program will continue into Q1 2018, with initial results expected in the quarter.

Bluestone's President & CEO Darren Klinck commented, "We are very pleased to commence drilling at Cerro Blanco, we see an opportunity to increase our understanding of the deposit and target ounces within and around the resource envelope in preparation of a revised resource estimate expected mid -year 2018."

Qualified Persons

Garth Kirkham, P.Geo., Kirkham Geosystems Ltd., is the designated Independent Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and therefore approves this written disclosure of the technical information.

About Bluestone Resources

Bluestone Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is focused on advancing its 100% owned Cerro Blanco gold and Mita geothermal projects located in Guatemala. The Cerro Blanco Project economics, as disclosed in the Company's Cerro Blanco Preliminary Economic Assessment which is available at www.sedar.com, and updated mineral resource estimate for Cerro Blanco indicates a robust project with an expected nine-year mine life producing 952,000 ounces of gold and 3,141,000 ounces of silver. Initial capital expenditures estimated in the PEA to fund construction and commissioning is estimated at US$170.8 million with all-in sustaining cash costs (as defined per World Gold Council guidelines, less corporate general and administration costs) estimated to be US$490 per ounce of gold produced. The Company trades under the symbol "BSR" on the TSX Venture Exchange.
TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX:GCM) announced results today from the ongoing underground infill drilling program at the Providencia Mine at its Segovia Operations. Infill drilling at Providencia is designed on 20 meter x 20 meter centers, and is aimed to further delineate one of the main high-grade orebodies, currently in production, on which limited previous surface drilling had intersected high gold grades. Hole PV-IU-083, which was drilled from the 5335 drill bay located along the ramp developed in the hanging-wall of the main vein system, returned an overall grade of 460.87 g/t Au and 163.5 g/t Ag over a core length of 2.05 meters, including an outstanding sample interval of 2,329.3 g/t Au and 791 g/t Ag over 0.37 meters.

Serafino Iacono, Executive Co-Chairman of Gran Colombia, commented: We are pleased to report that the latest assay results returned from the ongoing Providencia infill drilling program represent the highest drilling grades ever seen at Segovia, which further increases our confidence in the potential for adding new resources to the mine and to extending its mine life. Head grades in the Company-operated mining areas at Providencia have increased this year, contributing to the 12% year-over year production growth we recently reported in our nine months 2017 results. We are now two-thirds of the way through our 2017 drilling program at Segovia and encouraged by the continuing high-grades of our results.

Segovia Drilling Highlights and Key Intercepts

These new drilling results augment the previously released high-grade infill drill results at Providencia Mine in the 2017 drilling program.

This intersection is located about 19 meters from the face of the vein currently in production, which guarantees high-grade ore in the short-term mining plan for Providencia.

Drilling results from the Providencia Mine reinforce the previously modelled high-grade nature, strong down-plunge and along strike continuity of gold mineralization and thickness of one of the main orebodies currently in production.

This orebody remains open at depth and to the east, which offers the potential for additional resource growth, although it is close to the property boundary.

Drilling focused on providing increased definition and confidence in the near-term mine operation within the M&I Mineral Resources, and included the following key intercepts:

Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Vein Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) PV-IU-083* 37.00 39.05 2.05 Providencia 460.87 163.5 including 38.35 38.72 0.37 2,329.30 791.0

* Denotes underground drill holes. This underground hole was drilled at -17 degrees from the horizontal, and the intersection length does not represent the true width. Sample grades over 8.0 g/t Au reported. The intersection is a quartz vein and silicified wall rock. All gold and silver grades are uncut and are not diluted to a minimum mining width.

Please refer to Figure 1 and 2 to this press release for an illustrative map and cross section related to the Providencia infill drilling program, copies of which are also available on the Company's website at www.grancolombiagold.com

Qualified Person

Dr. Stewart D. Redwood, PhD, FIMMM, Senior Consulting Geologist to the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure or Mineral Projects and prepared or reviewed the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this press release in respect of the drilling results from the Segovia Project. Dr. Redwood verified the data disclosed in this news release, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained in this news release. Verification included a review of the quality assurance and quality control samples, and review of the applicable assay databases and assay certificates.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

The samples were prepared and assayed by SGS Laboratories Ltd (ISO 9001:2008) at their laboratory in Medellin, Colombia. Gold was assayed by fire assay with atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) finish. Samples over 10 g/t gold were re-assayed by fire assay with gravimetric finish. Silver was assayed by aqua regia digestion and AAS finish. Silver grades over 500 g/t were re-assayed by nitric acid and hydrochloric acid digestion and AAS finish. Blank, standard and duplicate samples were routinely inserted for quality assurance and quality control.

Marmato Project Technical Report

Gran Colombia also announced today that it has filed a technical report on its Marmato Project in Colombia (the Technical Report) pursuant to National Instrument 43101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43101"). The Technical Report supports the disclosure made by the Company in its October 4, 2017 news release announcing an update of Marmato's underground mineral resources.

The Technical Report bearing an effective date of June 16, 2017 is entitled: "NI 43-101 Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate, Marmato Project, Colombia" and was prepared by Benjamin Parsons, MSc, MAusIMM (CP), Eric J. Olin, MSc Metallurgy, MBA, SME-RM, MAusIMM, Jeff Osborn, BEng Mining, MMSAQP and Fernando Rodrigues, BS Mining, MBA, MMSAQP, each of whom is a "qualified person" for the purposes of NI 43101.

The report is available on the Companys website at www.grancolombiagold.com and under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Gran Colombia Gold Corp.

Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based gold and silver exploration, development and production company with its primary focus in Colombia. Gran Colombia is currently the largest underground gold and silver producer in Colombia with several underground mines in operation at its Segovia Operations and Marmato Project. Gran Colombia is continuing its expansion and modernization activities at its high-grade Segovia Operations.

Additional information on Gran Colombia can be found on its website at www.grancolombiagold.com and by reviewing the Companys page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Leagold Mining Corporation (TSX:LMC; OTCQX:LMCNF) ("Leagold" or the "Company") reports additional results from the Bermejal Underground drill program at the Los Filos mine in Mexico.

Highlights include 5.8 grams per tonne ("gpt") over 41.9 metres, including 10.6 gpt over 8.6 metres and 23.2 gpt over 3.5 metres; 19.0 gpt over 4.2 metres; and 8.3 gpt over 7.6 metres (all capped grades and true widths; see Table 1). The 22 new holes are part of a 56,000-metre infill and step-out exploration program, and follow 66 holes previously reported. Over 52,500 metres (94%) of the drill program have now been completed.

Leagold CEO Neil Woodyer stated: "The results of the drill program at Bermejal Underground have exceeded our expectations to date, with several areas of high-grade mineralization already defined. We continue to see excellent results as we focus the remainder of the drilling on the Central and Western side of the deposit. We have 15 rigs on site and will complete the drill program in November.

"In the meantime, work continues on the Bermejal Underground ramp. We have advanced 99 metres to date and are on track to reach the test mining area in Q2 of next year. Operational improvements under the guidance of the new management team at the Los Filos Mine continue to steadily progress."

Nine of the 22 holes reported today provide infill in the area that will be accessed for test mining in Q2 2018 on the eastern flank of the Bermejal Underground deposit. This includes hole BUT-07-17 which intercepted 14.3 gpt over 4.2 metres.

An updated resource estimate is expected before year end. The drill holes reported in this news release, and the results from the continuing program, will be incorporated into a final resource estimate for year-end reporting.

Bermejal Underground is at the northern end of a large intrusive body which has a total circumference of at least 15 kilometres providing extensive additional areas for further exploration. The area being drilled as the Bermejal Underground mineralization extends approximately 1,600 metres along the strike of the intrusive contact and has a vertical depth extent of over 800 metres (Figure 1). The drilling shows consistent oxide mineralization at carbonate/intrusive contacts either along the intrusive contact or below the intersection between the sill and the Bermejal intrusive contact (a "sub-sill" deposit).

Table 1: Drilling Program Highlights for Bermejal Underground Deposit

Sector Hole ID Zone Skarn

Type From

(m) To

(m) Length

(m) True

Width (m) Grade

(g/t Au) Capped

(g/t Au) East BU-47A-17 LI Exo 574.05 576.15 2.10 1.97 8.24 LI Exo 605.75 611.55 5.80 5.26 5.44 East BU-63-17 LI Exo 625.65 632.40 6.75 2.31 6.45 East BU-64-17 LC Exo 504.95 511.15 6.20 5.83 3.51 LC Exo 514.65 522.70 8.05 7.56 8.28 LC Exo 539.60 544.25 4.65 4.37 3.39 East BU-68-17 SILL Endo 460.35 465.25 4.90 4.01 3.64 West BU-69-17 LI Exo 410.10 411.30 1.20 1.04 8.65 Central BU-73-17 LC Exo 447.75 452.15 4.40 3.81 6.07 LI Exo 659.70 662.80 3.10 2.68 4.11 West BU-74-17 LC Exo 318.80 319.80 1.00 0.94 9.98 and LI Exo 436.30 479.65 43.35 41.87 6.13 5.77 including LI Exo 444.20 447.80 3.60 3.48 23.18 18.95 including LI Exo 462.00 471.15 9.15 8.60 10.55 including LI Exo 475.15 479.65 4.50 4.23 7.37 Central BU-75-17 UI Exo 119.90 125.25 5.35 1.38 8.31 and LI Exo 277.30 281.40 4.10 2.35 10.67 and LI Exo 451.40 459.95 8.55 6.05 8.36 Central BU-78-17 LI Exo 455.35 469.20 13.85 13.64 3.79 East BU-81-17 UI Exo 227.10 232.45 5.35 4.85 3.37 UI Endo 244.10 247.40 3.30 2.53 4.40 UI Endo 276.40 280.60 4.20 2.70 13.89 LI Endo 429.00 430.50 1.50 0.75 18.80 Central BU-83-17 UC Endo 250.20 252.70 2.50 1.77 35.27 20.09 Sill Endo 324.15 328.10 3.95 2.79 4.07 Sill Endo 392.00 400.15 8.15 7.39 4.52 LI Exo 418.05 420.45 2.40 2.32 15.43 LI Exo 429.30 432.00 2.70 2.61 9.66 East BUT-01-17 UC Exo 215.15 229.70 14.55 13.29 3.12 including UC Exo 220.30 224.70 4.40 4.02 3.65 and UC Exo 252.85 259.20 6.35 5.80 3.58 East BUT-02-17 UC Exo 254.60 263.05 8.45 7.32 3.79 including UC Exo 254.60 257.20 2.60 2.25 5.01 including UC Exo 260.60 263.05 2.45 2.12 5.55 East BUT-04-17 UC Exo 285.85 290.65 4.80 3.68 3.92 East BUT-05-17 UC Exo 293.00 295.95 2.95 2.26 4.46 East BUT-06-17 UC Exo 312.40 315.80 3.40 2.19 6.25 and UI Endo 402.55 404.55 2.00 1.29 7.17 East BUT-07-17 UC Exo 263.45 269.40 5.95 4.21 19.09 14.31 East BUT-09-17 UC Exo 269.30 280.70 11.40 9.34 3.21 including UC Exo 269.30 272.10 2.80 2.29 5.25 and UI Endo 342.85 346.30 3.45 2.64 3.98

NOTES:

Intervals in bold are mentioned in the text of the news release

All intercepts are over 3 gpt when diluted to a minimum true width of 3 metres. Drill holes BU-71-17, BU-72-17, BUT-03-17 and BUT-08-17 all intercepted mineralization but dilute below 3 gpt after diluting to 3 metres

UC = Upper Contact of Sill; LC = Lower Contact of Sill; Sill = Oxide within Sill; UI = Intrusive Contact above Junction with Sill; LI = Intrusive Contact below Junction with Sill

Individual assays within the intercepts were capped using 40 gpt limit

Figure 1: Plan View Map of Bermejal Area Showing Geology, Drill Holes Reported and Outline of Bermejal Underground Resource





Qualified Persons

Doug Reddy, P.Geo, Leagold's Senior Vice President  Technical Services, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of Leagold.

Los Filos Mine employs industry standard drilling and sampling procedures. All exploration samples are sent to an ALS Global facility in Guadalajara for preparation and Vancouver for analyses by fire assay and ICP. A full quality control and assurance program and protocols are in place and are aligned with best practices including regular insertion of certified reference standards, blanks, and duplicates.

About Leagold Mining Corporation

Leagold is building a new mid-tier gold producer with a focus on opportunities in Latin America. Leagold is based in Vancouver, Canada and is listed on the TSX under the trading symbol "LMC" and trades on the OTCQX market as "LMCNF". The recent acquisition of the Los Filos Mine, a low-cost gold producer in Mexico, provides an excellent platform for growth.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Garibaldi Resources (TSX.V: GGI) (the "Company" or "Garibaldi") is pleased to announce that the latest drill hole (EL-17-14) at the Company's 100%-owned E&L Project at Nickel Mountain near Eskay Creek has intersected an important new discovery zone featuring massive nickel-copper-rich sulphides east of the historic E&L deposit.

Discovery hole EL-17-14, guided by successful earlier holes and Volterra borehole EM technology, entered massive sulphide mineralization at a depth of 123.75 meters and remained in massive sulphides over 16.7 meters (55.1 feet).

Although assays from hole 14 are pending, along with results from nine other holes, of particular potential significance regarding EL-17-14 is that in an earlier drill hole, 7.2% nickel, strong copper grades and a suite of other metals are now confirmed by SGS Canada in massive sulphides at relatively shallow depths in the immediate vicinity of EL-17-14 based on just-received assays from the fourth hole (EL-17-04) of the Nickel Mountain program.

Drilled toward the east into an area untested by 1960's drilling, EL-17-04 cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters (approximate true width) in massive pentlandite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval highlighted by 1.1% nickel.

Discovery Zone Hole 14 Highlights:

EL-17-14, completed to a depth of 252 meters, was collared 200 meters east of the historic main zone and was drilled toward the west with the 16.7-meter massive sulphide section closely approximating true width;

Significantly, the massive sulphide intercept is within the host country rocks;

Structural features have created pathways for massive sulphide concentration in this new discovery area, and the next drill holes will trace these structures to determine the full extent and shape of this zone as Garibaldi continues to expand northwest British Columbia's first nickel sulphide discovery in the heart of a producing high-grade gold Camp.

Nickel Tenor at High End of Estimated Range

Dr. Peter Lightfoot, one of the world's leading nickel sulphide experts and a technical adviser to Garibaldi, commented: "The high nickel grade of the assayed massive sulphide intercept in hole #4, combined with other assays as well as XRF analysis of sulphide mineralization in multiple holes, supports a Nickel Mountain nickel tenor that is at the high end of the estimated range as per Garibaldi's November 10, 2016, news release."

Dr. Lightfoot continued, "In addition, the displacement of massive sulphides into the host rocks, a feature at Noril'sk, is intriguing and speaks to the important process of sulphide concentration into country rocks."

Borehole EM Proof of Concept

Steve Regoci, Garibaldi President and CEO, commented: "We now have proof of concept with the Volterra borehole EM technology which has vectored us toward lenses of massive sulphide mineralization. It's also important to realize that the massive sulphides provide the trail that will lead us into what's expected to be the feeder conduit for Nickel Mountain mineralization. These are exciting times for the Eskay Camp and Garibaldi shareholders, especially at a time of such increased interest in nickel and copper."

Low Pyrrhotite to Nickel Ratio

Drilling completed to date along with early results supports an initial analysis by Dr. Lightfoot that sulphide mineralization at Nickel Mountain has a low pyrrhotite to nickel ratio and contains no significant deleterious elements, meaning the nickel sulphide is potentially of very high quality for processing purposes.

The Nickel Mountain "Magma Highway"

Mineralization at Nickel Mountain remains open in all directions including at depth and exhibits features consistent with a dynamic sulphide system within the Eskay Rift, one with interpreted pipe-like structures and dykes and sheet-like intrusions to serve as pathways and entrapments for high-grade nickel and copper.

Dr. Lightfoot states, "The E&L intrusion is emplaced along a magma highway likely provided by the motion of faults at the margins of the Eskay Rift. This is what also makes the rest of the Nickel Mountain Property so prospective. The exploration effort can expand greatly given the trend of VTEM plates and favorable geology."

Initial Assays Support Broad, Robust Disseminated Halo

Assay results for the first four holes at Nickel Mountain underscore the very well-mineralized disseminated halo of the Nickel Mountain system with increasing grades from EL-17-01 through EL-17-04 and each hole generating credits in palladium, platinum, gold, silver and cobalt to go along with high-grade nickel and copper.

Fourteen holes over 3,671 meters have been completed to date (new photos, maps and an updated presentation will be posted soon at www.GaribaldiResources.com).

EL-17-04 cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval from 108.4 meters grading 1.1% nickel, 0.69% copper, 0.38 g/t palladium, 0.23 g/t platinum, 0.16 g/t Au, 3.1 g/t Ag and 0.032% cobalt;

cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval from 108.4 meters grading 1.1% nickel, 0.69% copper, 0.38 g/t palladium, 0.23 g/t platinum, 0.16 g/t Au, 3.1 g/t Ag and 0.032% cobalt; EL-17-04 also intersected a second zone of mineralization within a variable-textured gabbro featuring 1.08% nickel and 0.68% copper over 12 meters starting at a depth of 189 meters;

also intersected a second zone of mineralization within a variable-textured gabbro featuring 1.08% nickel and 0.68% copper over 12 meters starting at a depth of 189 meters; EL-17-03 , cutting across part of the historic northwest zone, intersected 13.5 meters grading 1.05% nickel and 1.0% copper within a broader core interval of 39 meters featuring 0.91% nickel and 0.74% copper beginning at a depth of 42 meters;

, cutting across part of the historic northwest zone, intersected 13.5 meters grading 1.05% nickel and 1.0% copper within a broader core interval of 39 meters featuring 0.91% nickel and 0.74% copper beginning at a depth of 42 meters; EL-17-02 intersected broad core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization between a depth of 58.5 meters and 190.5 meters. Significant intercepts included 18 meters @ 0.69% nickel and 0.80% copper, and 24 meters @ 0.56% nickel and 0.65% copper. The hole was drilled toward the east into a previously untested area. Valuable data was generated from the downhole probe;

intersected broad core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization between a depth of 58.5 meters and 190.5 meters. Significant intercepts included 18 meters @ 0.69% nickel and 0.80% copper, and 24 meters @ 0.56% nickel and 0.65% copper. The hole was drilled toward the east into a previously untested area. Valuable data was generated from the downhole probe; EL-17-01 was drilled away from the historic northwest zone toward the untested east, providing the best platform to collect important data from the downhole probe. Encouragingly, the hole intersected two long core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization totaling 176 meters to a depth of 332 meters, highlighted by a 60.5-meter section grading 0.54% nickel and 0.53% copper. Higher grades of copper (0.80%), palladium (1.26 g/t), platinum (0.60 g/t) and gold (0.60 g/t) were intersected over 4.5 meters starting at 279.5 meters within a broad disseminated zone.

Moving Forward at Nickel Mountain

Garibaldi is fully financed to launch an expanded new phase of drilling at Nickel Mountain. Faced with very challenging weather, crews did a remarkable job completing hole 14. As they were preparing to drill EL-17-15 toward another massive sulphide target, a severe winter storm enveloped the area and made conditions unsafe, causing a pause in drilling. The two rigs and other equipment have been winterized at the top of Nickel Mountain and drilling will resume as soon as weather conditions allow.

"With many more drill results to follow, in addition to an interpretation of the very promising multi-kilometer trend of VTEM conductors to the northeast of Nickel Mountain, news flow will be strong over the coming weeks," stated Regoci.

Garibaldi will also be expanding its team to carry out extensive sampling and potential drilling of Anomalies "A", "B" and "C" to the northeast in 2018 (see July 17, 2017 news release). Assays from chip and grab samples collected from weathered material along the periphery of the Anomaly "A" VTEM conductor (the main conductor area at a higher elevation has not yet been sampled) returned very encouraging copper values ranging from anomalous to 2%. While initial sampling (20 chip samples and 30 grab samples) was not a large enough in situ population size to produce a material conclusion by Garibaldi's QP, company geologists are excited about the potential of the VTEM-identified target areas and are continuing a comprehensive review of whole rock geochemistry, petrographics and geophysics with further details as soon as interpretations are finalized.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

All sample batches from Nickel Mountain drilling included 5% QA/QC samples consisting of blanks, standards and duplicates submitted to SGS Canada Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, for base metal, sulphur and precious metal analysis using Inductivity Coupled Plasma (ICP), Fire Assay (FA) and Leco methods. The performance on the blind standards, blanks and duplicates achieved high levels of accuracy and reproducibility. Anomaly "A" chip and grab samples were analyzed by ALS Minerals. Ore grade ICP fusion, fire assay ICP, and four acid decomposition methods were used.

Qualified Person

Mr. Everett F. Makela, P.Geo., Director/VP Exploration Canada for the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Garibaldi

Garibaldi Resources Corp. is an active Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in some of the most prolific mining regions in Mexico and British Columbia.
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Diana Feliz Oliva, a 45-year-old transgender woman who grew up outside Fresno, Calif., remembers being bullied when she was younger and feeling confused about her gender identity. She was depressed and fearful about being found out, and she prayed every night for God to take her while she slept.

I was living in turmoil, said Oliva, who now works as health program manager in a clinic for transgender people at St. Johns Well Child & Family Center in Los Angeles. Every morning, I would wake up and I knew I would have to endure another day.

Olivas experience is strikingly consistent with the findings of a new report from UCLA that shows transgender adults in California are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than other adults in the state, and more likely to have attempted suicide.

They are also more likely than their non-transgender peers to face severe psychological distress and to be disabled because of a physical or mental health condition, the report found.

The mental health gap is worrisome because it points to ongoing discrimination and bias, the studys authors said.

The data  released last week as part of the annual UCLA California Health Interview Survey  highlight health disparities among a marginalized population. The survey, a collaboration between the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, covers demographics, access to health care and health status.

California prohibits discrimination against transgender people in employment, insurance, housing and public accommodations. Williams Institute researcher Bianca Wilson said the UCLA report underscores the need to determine how well these anti-discrimination policies are being implemented throughout the state. Across the nation, 30 states lack similar anti-discrimination laws, according to the study.

There are also national debates and national policies that impact individual trans folks regardless of where they live in the country, said Wilson, a senior scholar at the institute. And on the national front, we still have a lot of work to do.

Around the country, controversy has raged about transgender bathroom access and military service. The White House order banned transgender troops from serving in the military, but a federal judge on Monday blocked that policy temporarily, finding that it was probably unconstitutional.

We have made some really great strides, but with this new political administration, people are living with an increased amount of anxiety and depression. Our community is at risk, said Oliva.

In her late 20s, Oliva moved to Los Angeles, earned money as a sex worker and ended up spending time in jail. Thats when she decided she had better figure out who she truly was and what she wanted. She started her gender transition in her 20s and went to school at Cal State Los Angeles to study social work, eventually earning her masters at Columbia University in New York.

The UCLA report, she said, is spot on. Everything that report says is everything I experienced. I have gone through all the barriers and struggles and challenges.

The data used in the UCLA study were collected in 2015 and 2016. About 92,000 Californians between the ages of 18 and 70 are living with a different gender identity than the one they had at birth, according to the study. Nearly half identify as transgender, while 32 percent identify as female and 7 percent as male. About two-thirds identify as non-Hispanic white  a higher percentage than among other adults. Transgender adults are also less likely to be Latino.

Transgender people differ markedly in sexual orientation from other adults. Just 28 percent of them said they were heterosexual, compared with 93 percent of adults who arent transgender.

They have similar levels of education, citizenship and poverty as those who arent transgender. They also have similar rates of diabetes and asthma, but higher rates of HIV. The report found that transgender adults have similar health care access overall, but are more likely to delay filling prescriptions made by a doctor  or not get the prescriptions at all.

Stigma and bias likely contribute to the mental health problems among transgender people, said Cecilia Chung, senior director of strategic projects for the Oakland-based Transgender Law Center. Recent prohibitions  including on bathroom access and military service  have created a crisis in the transgender the community, she said.

Their poor mental health will continue and worsen if our government continues to show hostility toward transgender people, said Chung, a transgender woman. The well-being of transgender citizens of our country is not being prioritized.

More than 20 percent of transgender adults have attempted suicide, compared with about 4 percent of those who are not transgender. And they are over three times more likely to have had suicidal thoughts. One-third of transgender adults suffered serious psychological distress in the past year, compared with 9 percent of those who are not transgender.

Jody Herman, a scholar at the Williams Institute, said the study underscores the need for more training on transgender issues for mental health professionals. The studys authors also urged more research on the health of the transgender population and of possible solutions to improve their mental and physical well-being.

Chung said she would like to see better answers to explain the differences in mental health  especially given the demographic similarities between transgender and non-transgender populations. What actually sets them apart in terms of the health outcomes? she asked. What is the reason for the higher rates of suicide attempts?

Oliva said that although she now has a job, insurance and an apartment, she still worries every day about getting physically assaulted for being a transgender woman. My constant prayer on a daily basis is to make sure I stay alive, she said.

Anna Gorman is a senior correspondent, Kaiser Health News.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The Herald reports:

Charles Manson  one of Americas most notorious killers and cult leaders  has died at the age of 83.

Manson was connected to the brutal slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, and other Hollywood residents, but was never found guilty of committing the murders himself. 

Manson and his followers, often referred to as the Manson Family, committed a series of nine murders at four locations over five weeks in the summer of 1969. In 1971, he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people.

The most heinous killing is arguably that of Sharon Tate, who despite pleading for the life of her eight-month-old unborn child, was mercilessly stabbed in the stomach by Manson family member Susan Atkins.

She was one of four people who died on August 9, 1969, at Polanskis home in Benedict Canyon.
Moon's caution right so far



President Moon Jae-in called an emergency press meeting at the APEC summit last week in Danang, Vietnam, to clarify that Korea would not decide whether to back the "Indo-Pacific" vision propagated by U.S. President Donald Trump until the nation fully comprehends it.



Moon's intervention quelled the controversy arising from his aides' rebuttal of the term used in their post-summit joint press statement.



The President's call for a wait-and-see stance was prudent for at least two reasons.



First, Korea has been kept in the dark about what appeared to be Trump's Asia policy to replace his predecessor Obama's Pivot to Asia, later renamed "Rebalance to Asia."



The most obvious difference is that the Indo-Pacific is more "naked" than the pivot in its purpose of containing China. The concept dates back to the old Anglo Saxon concept of preventing the emergence of a rival and maintaining its regional control. But more recently, Japan's Prime Minister Shizo Abe used it during his 2007 India visit. U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson mouthed "the free and open Indo-Pacific" in October ahead of his Indian trip. This vision brings together four countries most fearful of a bigger China _ Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. _ to create a united front.



Much of its future is up in the air. Most of all, it is unclear whether it is aimed at becoming an economic bloc, a security alliance or a combination of the two. Also, it is a tossup concerning the evolution of its plotted path. One is replacing the current U.S.-Korea-Japan format that serves the dual purpose of keeping China and its client state, North Korea, at bay. Another is a reorganization by "recruiting" South Korea and Vietnam as junior partners around the four main pillar states.



Second, Korea has not reset its priorities as of yet.



True, its immediate priority is to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula through the denuclearization of the North. That depends on a strong ROK-U.S. alliance.



That doesn't mean Korea can afford to ignore China's rising power. Not heeding it _ deploying a U.S. missile interceptor on the Korean soil despite China's vehement opposition _ cost Seoul tens of billions of dollars. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on Moon to bear the historic responsibility, however Beijing intends not to do so. China relented only after Seoul openly declared that it would neither deploy any more Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense batteries nor join the U.S.-led Missile Defense (MD) initiative; it would back no Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance. Humiliating as this may sound, Seoul's concessions reflect a changing order in the region.



Finally, Korea should be patient in seeing how the Indo-Pacific vision will coalesce into a policy or miscarry before making a commitment. As things stand, it is inevitable China's influence will increase at the expense of the U.S. That may give Moon or his successor an opportunity to become a "balancer" of power in the region _ a goal that was propagated by the late President Roh Moo-hyun and recently denied by Moon, Roh's political partner.








Earlier this week, the Trump administration lifted a ban on importing hunting trophies from African elephants into the United States, claiming that this policy change would benefit elephants  but then on Friday evening (Nov. 17), President Trump tweeted that he was putting that decision "on hold," pending a review of "all conservation facts."

Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) had announced in a statement released on Nov. 16 that the department would begin issuing permits allowing the import of sport-hunted trophies collected from elephants killed in Zimbabwe from Jan. 21, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2018. However, a ban remains on importing elephant trophies from Tanzania, according to the statement. [7 Iconic Animals Humans Are Driving to Extinction]

President Trump's tweet walking back the ban suspension was followed by a tweet from Secretary Ryan Zinke, later that night, issuing a statement saying that "President Trump and I have talked and both believe that conservation and healthy herds are critical. As a result, in a manner compliant with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, the issuing of permits is being put on hold as the decision is being reviewed."

See more

In 2014, the FWS suspended the importation of elephant-hunting trophies from Zimbabwe; new information about the improved prospects of the country's elephant populations led to the decision to lift the ban, according to the FWS. The expectation was that elephant trophy hunting in Zimbabwe "will enhance the survival of the species in the wild," FWS representatives explained in a statement.

Under that initial ban reversal, hunters would have been permitted to import up to two elephant trophies from Zimbabwe each year. Trophies include raw or preserved animal parts collected by a recreational hunter "for personal use," and may include "bones, claws, hair, head, hide, hooves, horns, meat, skull, teeth, tusks or any taxidermied part, including, but not limited to, a rug or taxidermied head, shoulder or full mount," according to the FWS.

On Nov. 14, FWS officials announced the ban reversal at the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Arusha, Tanzania  an event co-hosted by the government of Tanzania and the hunting organization Safari Club International (SCI). In their announcement, FWS representatives said that the agency "had made positive enhancement findings for elephants legally hunted in Zimbabwe and Zambia" between 2016 and 2018.

However, the statement on the FWS website didn't mention a change in the status of bans on elephant trophies from Zambia, and Gavin Shire, a spokesperson for the FWS, said there were no further details about Zambia "other than the finding itself," NPR reported.

A species in peril

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), which means a species' numbers have declined by more than 30 percent over the past decade or their habitat is fragmented, deteriorating or greatly reduced. A vulnerable species in one that faces a high risk of extinction in the wild, according to the IUCN.

An estimated 83,000 African elephants call Zimbabwe home  more than in any other country except Botswana, according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Recently, the government of Zimbabwe drafted a new elephant management plan to replace older, outdated documents. The new plan is expected to enable more accurate accountings of elephant populations and to improve the tracking of revenue from sport hunting. The plan is meant to help officials figure out the potential financial benefits to conservation from elephant hunting, FWS representatives explained in the statement.

The FWS International Affairs division describes trophy hunting as a conservation tool, and the department "can allow the import of a sport-hunted elephant trophy only when the killing of the trophy animal will enhance the survival of the species."

However, some conservation organizations are skeptical of the benefits of legal big-game hunting and trophy collection for preserving and protecting elephants. In addition, there is the additional concern that the initial lifting of the trophy ban would send the wrong message to poachers about the U.S. commitment to ending trade in animal products from threatened and endangered species, M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International (CI), told the CI blog "Human Nature."

"The original ban was enacted based on detailed findings on the condition of elephant populations on the ground, and it strains credulity to suggest that local science-based factors have been met to justify this change," Sanjayan said.

"This is the wrong move at the wrong time for protecting Africa's wildlife," he added.

Editor's note: This article is an updated version of the Live Science article published on Nov. 17 about the ban reversal.

Original article on Live Science.
Crystal disc

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

Archaeologists in China have discovered two 800-year-old tombs belonging to Hu Hong and his wife nee Wu. The crystal disc seen in this photo was found within the coffin of nee Wu's tomb. The body of nee Wu was completely decayed, but many treasures from her tomb were found intact. [Read more about the ancient China tombs]

Gold pendant

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

This gold pendant was also found in nee Wu's tomb. Archaeologists believe that it would have been attached to a vest.

Coffin chamber

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

This photo shows the rear wall of the coffin chamber in nee Wu's tomb. The tomb contained a large amount of mercury and archaeologists believe that the substance was likely used in an unsuccessful attempt to preserve nee Wu's body.

Elephant knob and jar

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

This jar with elephant knob was found in Hu Hong's tomb. Hu Hong's tomb had been robbed however police managed to recover a number of artifacts from his tomb including this jar.

The life of Hong

(Image credit: Courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

One of the few artifacts that thieves hadn't robbed from Hu Hong's tomb is a lengthy inscription describing his life. This image shows a rubbing of the inscription. To create a rubbing a material is pressed against the inscription allowing for a copy to be made.

Hairpins

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

These gold and silver hairpins were found in nee Wu's tomb. An inscription was also found in her tomb however it is illegible. [Read more about the ancient China tombs]

Combs

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

The back of two combs found in nee Wu's tomb. They are made of gold. According to the inscription found in Hu Hong's tomb nee Wu held the title "lady of virtue."

Earrings

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

Two gold earrings found in nee Wu's tomb. Both Hu Hong and nee Wu lived at a time when China was divided between two dynasties. Hu Hong served the "southern Song" dynasty which was based in southern China.

Tokens

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

Gold and silver tokens found in nee Wu's tomb. The inscription on the gold token carries the words "Taiping tongbao" which signifies that it is government minted currency. The inscription on the silver token reads "changming fugui" which means longevity and prosperity. The tokens may have been placed in nee Wu's tomb for symbolic or spiritual reasons. [Read more about the ancient China tombs]
This composite image of a panel of rock art discovered in Saudi Arabia shows a hunter with 13 dogs (right side) and a few possible leashes extending from the hunter's waist, and a scene with a hunter, a large equid and eight dogs (left side). The top image shows the engravings traced in white.

Etched into the rock walls of dried-out valleys and slopes in the Arabian Peninsula, the 8,000-year-old hunting scenes even feature some dogs on leashes. Those images the oldest archaeological evidence of dog leashes suggest humans were controlling and training dogs even before they settled down into farming communities.

The dog carvings come from the rock-art sites of Shuwaymis and Jubbah in northwestern Saudi Arabia. While documenting thousands of rock-art panels there, Maria Guagnin, an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, counted 156 dogs at Shuwaymis and 193 at Jubbah.

Similar to the modern Canaan breed in their appearance, the dogs in the engravings have pricked ears, short snouts and curled tails and they look distinct from the hyenas and wolves depicted elsewhere in the rock-art panels, according to a study by Guagnin and her colleagues, published online Nov. 16 in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, as first reported by Science magazine. [What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]

The dogs are often shown helping humans hunt lions, ibexes, gazelles, horses and other prey. Some dogs in the hunting packs are on leashes, tethered to the waists of hunters (whose hands are then free to shoot arrows). The researchers speculated that these leashed dogs might represent young dogs in training, older ones at risk of injury or valuable scent dogs.

This composite image of a panel of rock art discovered in Saudi Arabia shows a hunter with 13 dogs (right side) and a few possible leashes extending from the hunter's waist, and a scene with a hunter, a large equid and eight dogs (left side). The top image shows the engravings traced in white. (Image credit: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology/Maria Guagnin/Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

"This suggests not only are some human populations controlling their hunting dogs by the Pre-Neolithic, but that some dogs may perform different hunting tasks than others," Guagnin and her colleagues wrote. "Some may be used only to track prey scents, while others are used to corral and attack prey, protect human hunters, or help haul meat back to camp."

Genetic and archaeological evidence suggests that dogs were domesticated from a gray wolf ancestor at least 15,000 years ago, and perhaps as early as 40,000 years ago. Archaeologists still debate when and where this took place, and how humans controlled dogs or used them for activities like hunting in prehistory.

This hunting scene shows a lion and two dogs (a further five dogs are engraved behind the lion, not visible in the image). Hanakiyah tools are engraved below the belly and above the back of the lion; these may represent at type of tool used to butcher or skin animals. (Image credit: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology/Maria Guagnin/Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

The rock-art sites of Shuwaymis and Jubbah fill in a piece of that puzzle. The images have not been directly dated, but Guagnin has estimated that they date back 8,000or possibly even 9,000 years, to the pre-Neolithic era, before farming got its start. That would mean domestic dogs were in the Arabian Peninsula much earlier than previously believed. (The oldest dog remains ever found in the region date to the fourth millennium B.C. in what is now Yemen.)

The images also rival 8,000-year-old paintings of dogs on pottery from Iran, previously thought to be the oldest depictions of dogs. Additionally, the hunting scenes represent the earliest known evidence of dog leashes in the archaeological record worldwide, the study claims.

Originally published on Live Science.
Visitors look at an exhibit about the Dead Sea scrolls at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

The Museum of the Bible finally opened its Genesis-inscribed doors Friday (Nov. 17) in Washington, D.C. But questions still linger over the authenticity of some of its star artifacts: fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The private museum is supporting research into the manuscripts to find out whether they are legitimate, 2,000-year-old scraps of the ancient Hebrew Bible or modern forgeries.

The original Dead Sea Scrolls, which make up the earliest surviving pieces of the Old Testament, were found between 1947 and 1956 in the Qumran caves of the Judean Desert. Many of the texts were sold to archaeologists through a local antiquities dealer, Khalil Iskander Shahin, who went by the name "Kando."(This was a time before a 1970 UNESCO convention made it illegal to dig up and sell such cultural artifacts.)

Since 2002, about 70 more fragments billed as Dead Sea Scrolls have been acquired by private collections, many of them sold by Kando's son, who was in charge of his father's estate. [In Photos: New Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed]

Thirteen of these fragments were acquired by Steve Green, president of the arts and craft chain Hobby Lobby, and the man behind the $500-million Museum of the Bible. Green has been building a collection of Bible-related antiquities, many of which he has donated to the museum, since 2009.

Some scholars who watch the antiquities market were alarmed by the fast pace of Green's early collecting and they were not surprised when, over the past summer, Hobby Lobby was ordered to pay the U.S. government $3 million and forfeit thousands of cuneiform tablets, clay stamp seals and other artifacts suspected to be smuggled from Iraq, they told Live Science. The company, in its defense, claimed in a statement at the time it was new to the collecting world, and its representatives "did not fully appreciate the complexities of the acquisitions process," which "resulted in some regrettable mistakes."

But did those early mistakes include the purchase of forgeries, too?

New scrolls come to market

In 2016, the museum published details of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments in the book volume "Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection" (Brill, 2016) for the first time. In a separate volume that same year, Norwegian collector Martin Schyen published his collection of Dead Sea Scroll fragments, too. Soon after, some experts more loudly voiced their suspicions that several of the newly surfaced scrolls could be modern forgeries.

"For one thing, the sudden emergence of so many 'new' Dead Sea Scrolls on the market in the past few years of which the Museum of the Bible owns only a relatively small percentage should be suspicious right off the bat," Bible scholars Joel Baden and Candida Moss told Live Science in an email. (Baden and Moss recently wrote "Bible Nation," a book critical of the Green family's various religious projects.) "As no archaeological excavations are uncovering new scrolls, there's no reason that there should be a surge in availability all of a sudden unless they are being manufactured." [Gallery of Dead Sea Scrolls: A Glimpse of the Past]

Most of the new fragments have not been definitively linked to the Qumran caves. It is unknown where the texts originated before they entered the antiquities market, and "the careful study of the authenticity of the Museum of the Bible's scrolls was carried out after, not before, they went ahead with the publication of the scholarly edition of the fragments," Baden and Moss added.

"The spread of forgeries is closely connected with the lack of awareness on how important is to go in depth with researching the provenance," said papyrologist Roberta Mazza, a research fellow at the University of Manchester. Mazza used the example of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, a piece of papyrus suggesting Jesus was married that caused a sensation when it was unveiled in 2012. "The moment someone researched [its] provenance properly, it became clear it was a forgery," Mazza said in an email.

Kipp Davis, a scholar at Trinity Western University in Canada, was involved in the museum's 2016 publication of the scroll fragments, and has continued to research the manuscripts' authenticity. Davis wrote a paper in September in the journal Dead Sea Discoveries outlining some of the problems with the scroll fragments in the Museum of the Bible and in the Schyen Collection.

The manuscripts found at Qumran contain a diverse mix of texts, including calendars and community rules unrelated to the Bible. But the newly surfaced fragments contain texts that are already known, mostly from the Bible, Davis said.

"It's especially odd that there's virtually no fragments in any of the private collections that come from a text that we did not know before," Davis told Live Science. "One would think that out of upwards of 70 fragments circulating all over the world, you would expect at least one or at least two fragments of text of something we have not seen before."

And Davis noted that there were inconsistencies with the way letters were shaped and spaced in the fragments.

"There were lines of text that would appear to follow the damage of the fragment as opposed to what would occur naturally," Davis said. "There would be a letter that would be crammed into the corner of a fragment." He ultimately identified six of the 13 fragments that he believes are fake.

Michael Langlois, who studies ancient writing at the University of Strasbourg in France, had assessed and identified possible forgeries in the Schyen Collection, and was less generous in his opinion of the Museum of the Bible's fragments.

"It's almost as though I could recognize the hand of the forger," Langlois told Live Science. He believes all the scroll fragments published by the museum in 2016 are modern fakes.

An investigation in progress

Museum officials, however, are not yet ready to make a judgment.

"Our labeling of these items will clearly state that there's a discussion about the authenticity," David Trobisch, the director of collections at the Museum of the Bible, told Live Science in an interview before the opening. [7 Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed]

Christopher Rollston, a biblical scholar at George Washington University who got a preview of the museum, told NBC News that the display of Dead Sea Scrolls indeed states they may be forgeries and that research into the matter is ongoing.

The text fragments had been sent to forgery experts in Berlin for further testing this fall, Trobisch said. The results of that analysis are still pending, but he said he expects to make an announcement by the end of the year about their findings.

Trobisch himself was not won over by the paleographic, or handwriting, arguments against the manuscripts' authenticity.

"I can show you hundreds of manuscripts where the letters change all the time by the same scribe," he said. "You have more variety."

Trobisch said the best way to answer these questions will be to deeply research the origin of the manuscripts, though he added that he didn't suspect the Kando family of being involved in a forgery scheme.

"If this is a forgery, it's probably one of my colleagues," Trobischadded, referring to the high level of knowledge it would take to create authentic-looking Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

As for why anyone would create such forgeries, money would be an obvious motive. "People have been forging Dead Sea Scrolls since before the real Dead Sea Scrolls were even discovered," said Michael Press of the Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University. Press noted the case of antiquities dealer Moses Shapira who tried selling a supposed ancient copy of Deuteronomy, which he claimed had been found near the Dead Sea. Shapira tried to sell the strips of text to the British Museum for 1 million pounds in 1883. After the scroll fragments were declared forgeries, Shapira committed suicide.

Davis wrote that the Museum of the Bible and the Schyen Collection have not disclosed how much their Dead Sea Scroll fragments were purchased for, but Azusa Pacific University paid $1.38 million for five similar Dead Sea Scroll fragments in 2009.

Biblical interpretations

Beyond the questions over authenticity and collecting ethics, some scholars had also been worried that the Green family's evangelical Christian faith could distort the museum's portrayal of the Bible.

Hobby Lobby famously won a Supreme Court case fighting the Affordable Care Act mandate that employers provide health insurance that covers contraceptives. The company argued this requirement contradicted its religious views.

And Steve Green "in the past has made it very clear that he wants to use the museum as a proselytizing device to make more Christians," Robert Cargill, an assistant professor of classics at the University of Iowa, told Live Science. "When you've got a mission like that, it's not good science, it's not critical method, it's an evangelical tool."

But in recent years, Green has backed off that stance. "It is not for me to push my agenda," Green told NBC News. "It is our role to just present the facts of this book and let the visitor decide." The Associated Press, in its assessment of the museum, reported that the exhibits avoided interpreting the Bible and did not delve into issues like evolution and marriage.

Cargill had toured the exhibits in the museum while they were still under construction, not as a paid consultant, but as a critic. And he saw signs the museum staff had been listening to its detractors.

As he wrote on his blog, Cargill thought it was "remarkable" that the museum will feature a replica of the Gilgamesh Flood Tablet. This text details a Mesopotamian flood story, older than, and very similar to, the biblical flood story. The display encourages visitors to decide for themselves if they think the story of the flood in the Bible was influenced by other ancient narratives, Cargill wrote. [In Photos: Treasures of Mesopotamia]

"[The museum] may have been established as an evangelical device, but there's been a shift in direction," he told Live Science. "They're moving toward a more critical, objective presentation of the material."

Original article on Live Science.
An Italian neurosurgeon is claiming that his team has performed the world's first "successful" human head transplant, using two human cadavers in China, according to news reports. The procedure, which took 18 hours to complete, has led the controversial surgeon  Dr. Sergio Canavero, of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Italy  to say he expects to be able to carry out the operation on a living person "imminently," according to The Telegraph.

But experts have expressed skepticism about Canavero's claim that the procedure  which would involve severing the head of one person and keeping it alive long enough to re-attach it to a headless "donor" body  could be performed on a living person. [The 9 Most Interesting Transplants]

Canavero's newest "breakthrough" is "the continuation of a despicable fraud," said Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University's Langone Medical Center.

Caplan, who helped to create the U.S. organ distribution system, told Live Science that he doesn't believe a human head transplant would ever be possible.

"We have a face transplant program here [at NYU]  it is very difficult to just transplant the face," he said. "It requires massive doses of immunosuppressants," which are drugs that suppress the immune system so that it doesn't attack the transplant. "The head would be an even bigger problem, requiring even bigger doses," Caplan added. "It would probably kill you in a few years from rejection or infection."

It's also possible that, due to biochemical differences between the head and the donor body, the person would probably never be able to regain normal consciousness.

"It's not like putting a light bulb into a new socket," Caplan said. "If you move the head and the brain, you are putting it into a new chemical environment with new neurological input. I think it would drive the person crazy before they died."

In addition, a successful transplant would require surgeons to attach a multitude of nerves and blood vessels, as well as the spine and spinal cord, from the living head to the donor body.

But Caplan said he questions the veracity of Canavero's claims that the neurosurgeon had developed techniques for reconnecting the spine, nerves and blood vessels between the donor head and the body.

"If he knew how to get the spinal cord to repair, to reconnect, he should be doing it on people with spinal cord injuries," Caplan said. "There are millions of such people around the world. They want to walk; they want to control their bodies, their bowels. There is no reason not to go there and show what you can do."

Canavero, who carried out the procedure on the cadavers together with Dr. Xiaoping Ren of Harbin Medical University in China, has not published any details of his work in any peer-reviewed journals, according to Caplan.

In addition, Canavero "has done no animal work of any meaning that shows that it could work," Caplan said. For example, in January 2016, Canavero announced a successful head transplant on a living monkey. The animal survived the procedure 'without neurological injury' but died 20 hours later. "He would have to be able to keep the animals alive, or at least appearing to be conscious, for at least a year or two," Caplan said.

In 1970, head transplant pioneer Robert White transplanted a new head onto a monkey. The animal died after nine days as the body rejected the new head.

"It's almost Mengele-like talking about transplanting a head" of someone who is paralyzed due to a terrible disease onto a body of someone else, Caplan said, referring to an infamous Nazi physician who performed inhumane medical experiments on Auschwitz prisoners. "It's cruel, and it certainly is a recipe for a disaster."

Originally published on Live Science.
Smoking marijuana has been linked with heart problems, but in a surprising new finding, researchers now say the drug may have benefits for people with heart failure.

However, the researchers stress that they do not currently recommended that heart failure patients use marijuana.

The researchers found that, among patients with heart failure  when the heart muscle can't pump enough blood to meet the body's normal demands  those who used marijuana were less likely to experience a complication called atrial fibrillation, or "A-fib," a type of irregular heartbeat that can worsen heart failure symptoms.

Heart failure patients who used marijuana were also less likely to die in the hospital than those who didn't use the drug, the study found.

This finding was unexpected  the researchers had hypothesized that marijuana use would be linked with an increase in health complications for patients with heart failure.

"I was very surprised that it was actually a reduced association I found," said study lead author Dr. Oluwole Adegbala, a medical resident at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey. Adegbala presented the findings this month at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions meeting in Anaheim, California.

But the researchers say it's much too early to recommend marijuana for heart failure patients. Because the study is the first of its kind to find a link between marijuana use and a reduced likelihood of A-fib among heart failure patients, more studies are needed to confirm the results, Adegbala said. [25 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

A-fib can be both a cause and a consequence of heart failure, and the two conditions often occur together, according to a 2015 review paper. Patients with both heart failure and A-fib have a poorer prognosis, and an increased risk of early death, than those with either of the conditions alone.

A few small studies (including individual case reports) have found a link between marijuana use and the development of A-fib. Adegbala and colleagues decided to explore this link further by examining a large database of hospitalized patients in the United States. They analyzed information from more than 6 million patients admitted to the hospital with heart failure between 2007 and 2014. Of these, about 1,200 used marijuana and were dependent on the drug; about 23,000 used marijuana but were not dependent on it.

They found that nondependent marijuana users were 18 percent less likely, and dependent marijuana users 31 percent less likely, to experience A-fib, compared with patients who didn't use marijuana.

In addition, nondependent marijuana users were 46 percent less likely, and dependent marijuana users 58 percent less likely, to die in the hospital, compared with those who didn't use marijuana.

The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that could affect the results, such as people's age, socioeconomic status and use of other drugs. It's possible that previous studies found a link between marijuana use and an increased risk of A-fib because these studies weren't able to take into account people's use of other drugs, such as alcohol, that could increase the risk of A-fib, Adegbala said.

It's not clear how marijuana might lead to a reduced risk of A-fib and mortality among patients with heart failure, Adegbala said. Studies in animals suggest that activation of cannabinoid receptors (which are found throughout the body and are activated by compounds in marijuana), may reduce high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, which are both risk factors for A-fib, Adegbala said. In addition, some studies have found that cannabidiol, a compound in marijuana, may reduce inflammation in the body, which is also a risk factor for A-fib, he said.

Still, more research is needed to explore how marijuana may reduce the risk of A-fib in heart failure patients, and exactly which components of marijuana are responsible for this effect, Adegbala said.

The new study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Original article on Live Science.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 20 2017

Agreement Removes Categorical Exclusion for Coverage of Gender Transition, Which Violated Civil Rights Act and NYS Human Rights Law.

New York, NY - November 20, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with the County of Oswego to ensure that transgender County employees and retirees have access to essential health care coverage through their employer-provided health plan. As part of the settlement, the County has agreed to eliminate from its plan a categorical exclusion on expenses related to gender transition; to offer an affirmative benefit for treatments and procedures for gender transition; and to ensure training and compliance with anti-discrimination laws going forward.

Its simple: employers have an obligation to cover health care for transgender employees. Doing so is not just required by law  it also makes clear that all employees are valued and supported, which benefits everyone in the workplace, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Im pleased that our settlement with Oswego County ensures that all of its employees and retirees  including those who are transgender have access to the essential health insurance coverage they need.

In June 2017, the Attorney Generals Civil Rights Bureau opened an investigation into Oswego County concerning the coverage provided by its health plan. The plan, which covers employees and retirees, contained a broad categorical exclusion for Services or Supplies connected to sex change Surgery, transsexualism, gender dysphoria, sexual reassignment or change, or any treatment of gender identity disorders, including medications, implants, hormone therapy, Surgery, medical, or psychiatric treatment. The Attorney Generals investigation found that this categorical exclusion violated a number of laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the New York State Human Rights Law, which prohibit employers from discriminating in the provision of benefits based on an employees gender identity and expression, transgender status, and disability.

The Attorney Generals investigation also found that Oswego Countys categorical exclusion of treatments for gender dysphoria violated the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which prohibits health plans from setting requirements and limitations on mental health benefits that are more restrictive than requirements and limitations applying to medical and surgical benefits. Under the terms of the agreement with Attorney General Schneiderman, Oswego County agreed to:

Eliminate the categorical exclusion for expenses related to gender transition;

Implement a new benefit to employees and retirees covering treatments, procedures, and prescriptions for gender transition, including the development of new medical coverage policy, guidelines, and other implementing requirements for the benefit;

Develop and provide annual training for County employees, and employees of its benefits administrator, concerning the new benefit; and

Retain records, and monitor for complaints concerning implementation of the new benefit, for the next five years.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Justin Deabler and Sandra Pullman, and Civil Rights Bureau Chief Lourdes M. Rosado. The Bureau is part of the Division of Social Justice, which is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Alvin Bragg.
Reports: Two Hempstead Men Arrested After Attempting to Run Over NCPD Officers in Stolen Vehicle

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 20 2017

Markus Mcintyre, 25, and Kevin Curry, 27, are charged with Assault on a Police Officer, Reckless Endangerment, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and more, officials say.

NCPD reports the arrest of (L to R) Kevin Curry, 27, and Markus Mcintyre, 25, both of Hempstead, on Friday, November 17.

Baldwin, NY - November 20, 2017 - The First Squad reports the arrest of two The First Squad reports the arrest of two Hempstead men for Assault of a Police Officer that occurred on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 4:03 p.m. in Baldwin

According to detectives, patrol officers attempted to conduct a car stop on a Silver 2007 Infiniti traveling on Grand Avenue in Baldwin for multiple VTL infractions. Both the driver, Markus Mcintyre, 25, and Kevin Curry, 27, refused to roll down their windows when approached by officers.

When one officer opened the drivers side door to continue the investigation, defendant Mcintyre put the car in reverse and accelerated, striking both officers as well as the marked RMP behind him. He then put the vehicle in drive and again hit the officer, causing him to be thrown. The officer was able to disable the vehicle and place the defendant under arrest with assistance from additional responding officers while being punched and elbowed in the head.

During these events, the passenger, defendant Curry, opened the door and attempted to flee, pushing the second officer to the ground in the process. While he was being placed under arrest narcotics fell from his person.

Both officers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. It was discovered that the vehicle had been stolen from New Jersey.

Defendant Mcintyre was charged with two (2) counts of Assault on a Police Officer, two (2) counts of Assault 2nd degree, Reckless Endangerment 1st degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd degree, and Resisting Arrest as well as numerous VTL violations.

Defendant Curry was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree, Resisting Arrest and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana.

Both defendants were arraigned on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at First District Court, Hempstead.
by Larissa Faw , November 20, 2017

California subscribers shouldn't be concerned that this month's Food & Wine magazine appears in their mailboxes as Food & Milk.

For the first time, the magazine is changing its name as part of a new campaign from the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB). This geo-targeted promotion will reach 92,000 out of the magazine's 925,000 subscriber rate base.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) convinced the magazine and publisher Time Inc. that this placement will reconnect milk to modern foods.

Our approach to planning media is not to place an ad, but to hack the media so you cant separate the creative idea from its context, says Christine Chen, partner and director of communication strategy, GS&P. "Naturally, they had the right concerns about their brand and whether we would uphold their quality but they were surprisingly open and incredibly supportive."

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The campaign features a cover wrap that is identical to the national Food & Wine cover, but with shot-glass-size servings of milk instead of wine placed in a holiday-party setting. The cover wrap will have additional executions on the inside front cover and inside back cover of those copies of the magazine exclusively designated for California Food & Wine subscribers.

The creative concept is part of CMPB's Food Loves Milk campaign - which launched in September 2015 - to highlight milks ability to complement a range of flavors, from savory to spicy to sweet.
by Alex Weprin , November 20, 2017

The over-the-top business news network Cheddar is launching in Europe through the French streaming startup Molotov.

The deal with Molotov mirrors those the company has made in the U.S. with OTT platforms like Sling TV and Philo: offering its linear feed to the distributor for free, while supporting itself through advertising revenue.

Molotov is similar to services like Sling that stream live TV channels to any device, though Cheddar is the first OTT-only channel it will carry, according to TechCrunch.

The European launch is part of a larger expansion strategy Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg laid out at the Interactive Advertising Bureaus video symposium, which was held last week. 

By mid [2018], we will be on every OTT system in the U.S., and by that point we will start doing dynamic ad insertion too, which should create a nice floor for the lower entry buys, Steinberg said then, adding that the company was eyeing international expansions with OTT providers, and would also launch a bureau in London.

Cheddar also plans to launch original shows for some platforms in 2018, potentially including Linkedin.
Reuters, Monday, November 20, 2017 2:08 PM

Google, an Alphabet subsidiary, has bought a plot of land in southern Denmark near a planned Apple data center, according to Reuters. The news agency reports that in January, Facebook announced plans to build a data center in Odense, which is located in central Denmark. The country could become the next hotbed for tech based on the activity by some of the largest players.

Read the whole story at Reuters 
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 20, 2017

California's highest court could soon decide whether the monitoring company DoubleVerify must face a lawsuit for allegedly defaming streaming video company FilmOn by classifying it as a copyright infringer and provider of adult content.

Late last week, the California Supreme Court granted FilmOn's request to appeal lower court rulings dismissing its case. The battle dates to 2014, when FilmOn alleged that its relationships with advertisers were harmed by DoubleVerify's "false and disparaging" reports regarding copyright infringement and adult material. FilmOn's claims against DoubleVerify included trade libel, interference with contracts, unfair competition and false advertising.

DoubleVerify offers reports that aim to advise agencies and advertisers about the type of material residing on publishers' sites. DoubleVerify declined to comment for this report, but CEO Wayne Gattinella previously said the company stood by reports concluding that FilmOn was a "copyright infringement site."

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DoubleVerify successfully argued to a trial judge and appellate court that the company's reports were covered by California's anti-SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) law, which seeks to protect people's right to discuss matters of public interest.

In September, FilmOn asked the California Supreme Court to take up the case. FilmOn argued that DoubleVerify is not entitled to the protections of a law protecting free speech about matters of public interest, because the company's reports are both confidential and commercial.

"Without clear guidance from this Court, the anti-SLAPP statute will continue to be abused and pushed far beyond what the legislature intended," FilmOn argued in its petition to the California Supreme Court.

The company adds that the lower court rulings in favor of DoubleVerify create "an enormous legal barrier to holding companies accountable for their false and misleading statements, even when that speech takes place entirely in secret and serves only private commercial interests."

One reason that the lower court sided with DoubleVerify was that questions about copyright infringement and adult content online have garnered a great deal of attention. FilmOn faced several suits in the last few years for allegedly infringing copyright by streaming programs without licenses. In May of this year, FilmOn settled the lawsuits on confidential terms.
Social anxiety isnt just nervousness; it can have a heavy impact on lifestyle, social relationships, and self-esteem. Thanksgiving is nearly here, and the thought of being surrounded by dozens of relatives may make you uneasy. So what are some things that you can do to keep anxiety at bay? Share on Pinterest What can you do to cope with social anxiety at Thanksgiving? The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) report that 6.8 percent of all adults in the United States experience social anxiety  also known as social phobia  each year. Of these, 29.9 percent of cases are classed as severe. Social anxiety is defined as an intense, persistent fear of being [] judged by others, and standing out from the crowd. People who live with this disorder may struggle with school, work, and various other social situations such as parties, weddings, and other family celebrations, as they are constantly  and painfully  self-aware, scared of doing or saying the wrong thing. In social anxiety, words and gestures are blown out of proportion, and individuals fear that the smallest thing that theyve said or done may severely impact the way that others see them. This fear can become debilitating and put people with this type of anxiety off from attending events that others take great pleasure in. With Thanksgiving drawing ever nearer, households across the U.S. are getting ready to celebrate love and gratitude with family members and friends. But how can you let these warm feelings shine, and how can you enjoy the event, if being around people makes you so anxious? Below, we look at some methods that may help you to keep social anxiety manageable, so you can begin to relax a little and enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving.

1. Prepare in advance If you already know that youll have to be around a large group of people  including relatives who you havent seen in months or years, or new girlfriends and boyfriends youve never even met  then its probably a good idea to do a little mental and practical preparation. For instance, you may want to engage in something relaxing and enjoyable beforehand, such as meditation or breathing exercises. Many studies suggest that meditation and mindfulness techniques are effective in reducing stress and worry. A useful breathing exercise for anxiety is to take a breath in, slowly, maybe counting to five, and feel the air fill your belly. Then, release the breath just as slowly, feeling first your belly and then your chest deplete completely. Repeat this a few times, until the tension in your body eases a little, and you feel more relaxed. You may want to prepare a list of potential conversation topics in advance. If you get people talking about themselves  their children, pets, jobs, projects, and so forth  then youll be placing them in the limelight, and you wont have to worry about your own performance. Research has suggested that people with social anxiety tend to focus too much on the impression that they might leave on someone else. Switching the focus to other people  what theyve been doing, what kind of things they enjoy, or what they plan to do come next weekend  can help to disperse some of that heavy self-consciousness.

2. Make sure you a have a job to do Speaking of focusing on someone else, psychologist Anita Sanz  who had to cope with social anxiety for many years herself  explains that giving herself a job to do in a social setting has often helped her to alleviate anxiety. In an interview, she explains that a sense of purpose allows her to forget that shes worried about how others might perceive her. I have found that the best way to manage social anxiety is to give myself a job to do. I substitute purpose for confidence and meaning for fear. I dont focus on how others are perceiving me or evaluating me when I am trying to accomplish something important or meaningful. Anita Sanz Share on Pinterest It may help if you give yourself a concrete job to do, such as helping the host with the meal arrangements. So, once you get to the Thanksgiving dinner party, make sure you have a practical job to do: set the table, check on the turkey, do some dishes, or decorate the dessert. This will keep you occupied and may allow you to avoid the hustle and bustle of the event. As a bonus, studies have shown that performing an altruistic deed to help someone else boosts happiness and decreases stress levels. Research reported by Medical News Today earlier this year, for instance, found that being generous and performing selfless acts activates the ventral striatum, which is a region of the brain linked with happiness and the reward cycle.

3. Try to turn anxiety into excitement When you feel the wave of panic coming on, try to imagine that youre excited instead. You can make this a general statement, repeating Im excited to yourself, like a mantra. Or, you can make it specific, fooling your mind that youre hyped about a coming event or situation. For instance, you can anticipate your upcoming hike, or an online shopping spree. This way, you may be able to trick your brain into thinking that your anxiety is actually a feeling of intense anticipation felt in the lead-up to a good thing. In scientific terms, this technique is called reappraisal. Prof. Alison Wood Brooks, from the Harvard Business School in Boston, MA  who published a paper on this topic  explains that it may be easier to transition from anxiety to excitement than from anxiety to a state of calmness. That is because anxiety and excitement are more similar to each other, and closer in intensity. The way we verbalize and think about our feelings, explains Prof. Brooks, helps to construct the way we actually feel. Saying I am excited represents a simple, minimal intervention that can be used quickly and easily to prime an opportunity mindset and improve performance. A more recent study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology also suggests that reappraising your emotions can be helpful, at least in the short-term, in tackling situations that cause anxiety.

4. Be in the moment, be curious As mentioned above, being mindful and being in the moment can be helpful in reducing anxiety, which brings us to the next tip: try to be curious. According to Todd Kashdan  a professor of psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA  curiosity is often key to turning anxiety into excitement, and daring to try out things that normally make you nervous. In an article he published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Prof. Kashdan and colleagues note that, Socially anxious people who experience high levels of curiosity, or appraise certain events as having a high possibility to satisfy curiosity, may be more likely to engage in approach behavior amidst conflicting avoidance motivations. In the context of a Thanksgiving meal, you could achieve this by purposefully paying attention to the food  how it tastes, how it smells, and what the texture is like  as well as by listening to other guests conversations and being open to noticing small or surprising details in your surroundings. Another study , which was published in the journal Neuron, found that curiosity engages with our brains reward circuitry: when were curious about something, we get pleasure by investigating it further, as the brain releases dopamine, the so-called feel good hormone.
People with depression and social anxiety have some common and specific structural abnormalities in their brains that can be spotted in imaging scans. Share on Pinterest Researchers have uncovered specific brain abnormalities in people with depression and social anxiety. This was the major finding of a study from Sichuan University in Chengdu in China, which features this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, IL. The researchers  Dr. Youjin Zhao and co-author Dr. Su Lui  came to their conclusions after examining high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of 37 people with major depressive disorder (MDD), 24 with social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 41 people in good health (the controls). They looked for differences in the gray matter of the brain, focusing specifically on the thickness of the cerebral cortex, a thick outer layer of tissue that is densely packed with neurons and deals with most of the brains information processing. MDD, commonly referred to as depression, is a serious medical illness characterized by persistent sadness and irritability. It is a leading cause of disease and injury worldwide. Depression causes people to lose interest in things that they used to enjoy and find fulfilling; in some cases, the illness is so severe that it can be an enormous struggle just to get out of bed. It damages not only the individuals affected but also their families, friends, and communities. In the United States, depression is a significant public health issue that affects more than 16 million people at any one time and costs the nation some $210 billion a year.

Depression and anxiety often occur together SAD is an intense fear or anxiety of being judged or rejected in a social situation. The symptoms can be so debilitating that normal life becomes very difficult. People with SAD struggle to find and keep friends and partners. There are around 15 million adults with SAD in the U.S. It is not unusual for people diagnosed with depression to also have an anxiety disorder, and the other way around. Nearly half of people diagnosed with depression are also found to have an anxiety disorder. Dr. Zhao explains that MDD and SAD also have some clinical symptoms in common that might suggest that they share some brain mechanisms. However, she notes that few studies have looked for similarities or differences in brain structure of people affected by MDD and SAD. In their study, they found that the MDD and SAD patients had similar and different alterations in the thickness of parts of the cortex. Some of the alterations related to a thickening, while others to a thinning, of the affected region. For example, both conditions showed differences in the salience and dorsal attention networks compared with the healthy controls. These two networks comprise brain regions that help to decide what we pay attention to and focus on from the wealth of stimuli around us. Another area of the cortex, the insular cortex, a region that is important for perception and self-awareness, also appeared to be thicker in both the MDD and SAD patients compared with the controls.
20.11.2017 LISTEN

Season after season, I've developed interest in TV3's Ghana's Most Beautiful pageant show. That of this year's drew me closer to the screens due to two special reasons. One was; the Eastern Region representative, Serwaa. She's known to me as a member of the Church I fellowship with - Church of Christ. Aside that, I do more times have a chat with her on various topics, including politics, religion and especially on medicine, which is her field. Serwaa is a pharmacist.

Secondly, the Brong Ahafo representative, Adom, is from the same district /constituency (Jaman North ) as I am. She (Adom ) was projecting my region and most especially my district.

Because of the two reasons stated above, I couldn't stop watching the GMB 2017 every Sunday night. When the time is due (20:00 hours GMT ) , I don't just watch the show alone, but call friends within and outside Ghana to watch the show. One of such friends is Maryam in the Gambia, with whom I discuss whatever goes on on the show via WhatsApp.

Through what I did, whipping for people's interest in the show, I as well called for votes for Adom and Serwaa. I knew I'll be happy if any of the two wears the crown and receives all that comes with it. The money involved, the Kia Sportage, the air ticket. .....just to mention a few.

But one night, the judges of the show, Linda and Oscar broke my heart. Adom was evicted at the time when even the primary four girl, Maafia, with whom I sit to enjoy the show knew it was Edem, the Volta Region representative who should have been sent home.

Since I had Serwaa still in the contest to put my money on, I did not lose interest in the show. I wrote to friends on all social media platforms, campaigning for votes for Serwaa. I did that not because I knew her personally. But I bought into her project - fighting UNSAFE ABORTION. That particular topic was dear to my heart, because in this very year, a lady friend of mine died through that unsafe abortion after taking self prescribed concoctions to get rid of a foetus that when delivered would have joined her crawling baby.

Indeed, Serwaa got to the grand finale, alongside Baaba from the Central Region, Nana from the Western Region and Zeinab from the Northern Region.

But something happened prior to the commencement of the show - the grand finale. One of the MCs, Johnnie Hughes started singing praise songs for Zeinab. Calling her "peerless, a queen " and all sorts of accolades that makes the show seems to be fixed. Even, the last Sunday show which was recorded for a magazine and without eviction, I heard this same Johnnie Hughes reminding Zeinab of his "food that is yet to be prepared " (sic ). Some interest in there, right?

These triggers compelled me to predict that Zeinab has already won the crown, and the rest is just fixed to entertain the audience and the Television viewers.

How Zeinab was given more time to perform her maternal mortality thing was an example I gave, which Maafia sided with me. Even at the question and answer section, no one understood the answer Zeinab gave to the question on "religious tolerance " .

Yes, I knew Zeinab had the following. As a former beauty queen from University for Development Studies (UDS ) , and the only Muslim among the four finalists, she'll without doubt get more votes, knowing very well how the Muslims loves one of their own. How the people of the North also were present at the Accra International Conference Centre to witness the show live also spoke volumes.

But that does not convince me that Zeinab deserves the crown.

The judges made us aware that they have sixty per cent of the say, whilst the public have the remaining forty per cent by way of votes. But at the end of the show, I didn't understand the table that was brought to justify why Zeinab won the GMB 2017.

TV3 should not forget that the show is now watched all over the world, now that one can download the GMB2017APP.

So, bringing to us a bird with its feathers plucked, and asking for its name from us would not only tarnish your reputation, but will murder the zeal with which we use to patronise the show.

In any case, something caught my attention, that's praiseworthy. Before I let the reader know that, let me congratulate Serwaa. My dear, you came fourth. I'm proud of that. You're a queen in your own right.

Nana came third, and Baaba was the first runner up.

The star of the night was the GMB 2016 winner, Yaaba. Her speech was superb. She took the shine.

I am looking forward to a better GMB2018, one without bias, and a known winner from the beginning.

Author : Charles Yeboah

Contact : 0249542111

WhatsApp : 0579333213

Email : [email protected]
20.11.2017 LISTEN

The 9th edition of the annual 4syte TV Music video awards was held at the Accra International Conference Center on Saturday,November 18,2017.

Hosted by Ghanas King of comedy DKB, the event saw performances from award-winning acts, Stonebwoy, VVIP, Becca, Praiz, Captain Planet, Sarkodie, Mr Eazi, Wutah, King Promise, B4bonah, Ebony and many others.

Amongt these performances , one artistes who took the whole auditorium by with a master-Class performance is Hiplife artiste Captain Planet of 4x4 fame.

Captain Planet, the leader of the multiple award winning group 4x4,recently released is single track titled Obi Agyi Obi Girl which is currently the most popular song in the country.

At the time almost everybody was down in the auditorium, Captain Planet reignited the entire ceremony by getting everyone singing and dancing to the popular tune Obi Agyi Obi Girl.

Hisperformance at that time was superlatively stimulating and his command on the mic was superb.

He cemented his electrifying performance with a win of the Best Hip-Hop Music Video of the year award with his hit song Respek'

Most Patrons especially ladies and other showbiz personalities who graced the occasion applauded the organizers 4Syte TV for billing the Obi Agyi Obi Girl hitmaker on the show.

4Syte TV Music Video Awards is an award scheme organised by 4Syte TV to reward creativity in the music video industry, as well as reward some of the production houses for their contribution to the growth of the industry.

Kindly watch Captain Planet's Performance in the video here
20.11.2017 LISTEN

While many healthcare facilities across the country are in dire need of doctors, trained doctors are home unemployed.

In an interview on Okay FM, the President of Ghana Medical Association, Doctor Frank Ankobia bemoaned this development and entreated government to take steps to address the situation.

"There are a lot of health facilities in the country without doctors. Other facilities have only one doctor at post who has worked for many years without taking a leave or break," he said in the interview.

"This does not augur well for their own health," he added.

Doctor Ankobia further explains that the nation has invested a lot in training these doctors only for them to stay home after completing their course

This, he notes will force our skilled labour to seek jobs in countries like America, Britain and Holland

"We should be careful these graduates don't leave this country," he warned.

Dr Ankobia urged government to work on financial clearance so these trained doctors are employed.

A Ghanaweb report earlier this year pegs Ghana's doctor to patient ratio to one doctor attending to 10, 450 patients which falls below the recommendations of the Commonwealth which advocates for 1 doctor to 5000 patient ratio.

This also falls shot of the 1 doctor to 1,320 patients recommendations of the World Health Organization.
Photo credit - dreamstime.com

20.11.2017 LISTEN

Small businesses require a great deal of dedication and hard work to grow and thrive, but thats rarely enough. A business also needs to be built around a good idea. And when your company isnt doing well  when youre not turning a profit and you no longer love running your company  one of the first problems you look to is your initial idea.

Giving up on it means giving up on the business. And that can be tough on a business owner. So, should you ever consider leaving your small business idea behind? Maybe.

But first, ask yourself a few questions.

Where are your customers?

You opened your business, you invested a ton of work into it, and youre still not making any (or enough) money. Unless your pricing is insanely skewed and youre losing money on every sale, your issue is finding customers. So, where are they? Its a simple enough question, but its answer could save your company.

Market research is a cornerstone of a successful business.

Look at your local area and industry, and see how saturated it really is. A complex with five restaurants in it probably isnt the best place to open up a new Italian cafe. An online bookstore is going to have a rough time competing with Amazon.

You need some way to stand out from the noise. Look at your competition, and try to figure out what you can offer that they cannot. That Italian cafe could look at Yelp, see that none of the other restaurants serve good dessert, and shift its focus to authentic pastries and coffee. That online bookstore could undercut Amazons pricing by buying and reselling used books from local colleges. If you find the key to standing out and bringing in new customers, your idea could be saved.

Can it be tweaked?

When you open a business, you bet on your idea. Nearly all of your businesss infrastructure will be based on it. Heck, maybe you even incorporated that idea into your businesss name and logo. Concluding that your idea wasnt great means walking away from a serious investment.

But if youre able to tweak your idea, you might be able to salvage the company. Lets go back to the online bookstore. Say it started out selling textbooks. Maybe its even called College Textbook Emporium. But, as it turns out, old editions of textbooks are hard to sell. The owner could tweak his or her idea to offer more than just college textbooks: Maybe the company can start selling school supplies, general advice books or young adult fiction. Just a small tweak could broaden the companys market and pad profits.

Did you give it your all?

The last thing you want to do is to walk away from your company and then regret it. Businesses do fail; its a natural part of the economy. But if you can look yourself in the mirror and earnestly say you tried everything you could to succeed, having a failed business will sting a lot less. Plus, youll feel a little more confident trying again.

My advice, if you are at this point, is to try shrinking operations a little bit and running the company as a side business while working a regular day job. See if you can spur a little growth. Businesses take time to catch on, so you dont want to walk away prematurely just because its not making a ton of money. Make your salary elsewhere until you can live on what your company earns. If that never happens, you can at least walk away with your head held high  and a day job to go to.

Remember that very few businesses see a profit their first year.

Thats why so many people recommend saving around six months of living expenses before becoming a full-time business owner. Most of what your company earns will be re-invested, so whatever salary you do draw will be a fraction of what you could probably earn working for someone else. Dont let that discourage you, but if you feel stuck, consider making your business a side job for now.

Then, if you are still confident in the idea, do a little more market research, see what can be tweaked, and give it all you have. And, after all that, if you still cant turn that idea into a profitable company, you can walk away, confident you did all you could to succeed.
Photo credit - Badgermapping.com

20.11.2017 LISTEN

Actually, one message always rings true: that a lack of cooperation between employees and between employees and managers negatively impacts employee productivity.

Take the lesson learned by one Texas-based software company [ Chron article ] which suffered a loss of productivity attributed to a lack of coordination and cooperation between its three divisions. To solve the problem, each division was given three to five quarterly goals, each related to working with other departments. In less than a year, productivity skyrocketed, with software time decreasing. Overall, morale improved as well.

People tend to feel inspired to perform at their best when there is a positive attitude in the workplace.

Positive versus Negative Attitudes

Other things that affect productivity are influenced by positivity or negativity in the workplace. For instance, employees are more willing to contribute ideas and creative solutions to problems when there is a positive atmosphere and they receive credit for their input. Employees also stay with the company longer and are more interested in career development.

On the other hand, if the overall attitude in the workplace is negative, employees will tend to win small successes for themselves at the expense of cooperating to achieve the goals of the company. They will distrust each other and the managers.

Conflicts between Employees and Management

The fewer conflicts a manager has to solve, the more time and opportunity there is to lead employees in completing production work. For example, if an employee is consistently uncooperative, that employees conflicts will drain the managers time, upset other employees, and result in an antagonistic relationship between manger and employee which is not conducive to higher production levels.

Conflicts between employees or a lack of respect for others can have a devastating effect on productivity. How can employees who do not speak to each other exchange important information or help each other? They simply cant. Things like spreading rumors in the workplace or making off-hand remarks about other employees should not be tolerated because of the negative effect it has on morale.

The bottom line is, cooperation has a direct bearing on productivity, so proper training and rules for managers and employees with regard to employee interaction and cooperation is imperative.

Encourage the habit of cooperation to skyrocket productivity.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, in a much-expected TV address Sunday, stressed he was still in power after his authoritarian 37-year reign was rocked by a military takeover.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," Mugabe said, pitching the country into further uncertainty.

Many Zimbabweans expected Mugabe to resign after the army seized power last week.

But Mugabe delivered his speech alongside the uniformed generals who were behind the military intervention.

In his address, Mugabe made no reference to the clamour for him to resign.

Instead he paid tribute to three pillars of power in Zimbabwe -- the military, the ruling party and the war veterans movement -- and urged national solidarity.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns," said Mugabe.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions real or perceived in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit," he said.

His address provoked immediate anger.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets," Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP.

On Saturday, in scenes of public elation not seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, huge crowds marched and sang their way through Harare and other cities, believing Mugabe was about to step down.

The ruling ZANU-PF party sacked Mugabe as its leader earlier on Sunday and told him to resign as head of state, naming ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Analysts say the military stepped in last week after Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him as president following a bitter power struggle with Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army.
20.11.2017 LISTEN

Mr John K. Baidoo, the Lartebiokorshie Zonal Chairman of Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA), has called on members to practice their profession with good values.

He said: 'This is the only way we can continue to earn the respect we deserve as tailors and dressmakers.'

Mr Baidoo said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during a graduation ceremony for five dressmakers at Lartebiokorshie branch of the GNTDA in Accra.

He said we are all aware that the economy of the world was experiencing a steep down turn hence the resultant lack of employment.

'And this is one area the Association has played a big role in providing an alternative employment for our youth who for one reasons or the other could not further their education to the university level.

'Indeed the profession is gaining reputation as it continuously attracts more university graduates. This is worthy of commendation as we are complementing government's agenda of providing employment to the people,' Mr Baidoo said.

He urged members of the Association to focus on policies of government and to take opportunities available to compete comparably with their international counterparts.

Mr Baidoo appealed to Ghanaians to patronize made in Ghana fabrics and costumes to help the garment industry to grow.

GNA
20.11.2017 LISTEN

Right Reverend Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto, the Diocesan Bishop of Accra of the Anglican Church, has advised Ghanaians to imbue the spirit of discipline in the discharge of their duties to hasten national progress.

When truthfulness, unity, respectfulness, integrity, discipline, hard work and respect for the rule of law, which Christ extolled in his teachings, are reflected in the daily lives of Ghanaians, Bishop Torto said, Ghana's success would be a model for other developing countries.

Bishop Torto made gave the advice in a sermon on Sunday during a Special Pontifical Thanksgiving High Mass of his Fifth Anniversary of Enthronement as the ninth Diocesan Bishop of Accra.

Bishop Torto has been the Bishop of Accra from November 2012 after succeeding Most Rev'd Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi.

Bishop Torto's episcopacy has been driven by the Vision- 'if we build they would come' which is underpinned by five major pillars namely; equipping and empowering church agents to deliver excellence, deepening spirituality, church growth based on discipline and integrity, financial sustainability and social impact.

Touching on Church discipline, Bishop Torto said Church discipline had been called 'the forgotten commandment', however, it should be obvious to all in the church that the devil has not forgotten it, otherwise, he would not so successfully oppose its implementation.

He said: 'Discipline is a matter of obedience and church discipline is settled by the clear biblical mandate of Mathew 18:15-20'.

He advised Christians to obey the will of God, respect authorities in church to invoke God's blessings.

He admonished parents to make it a priority to instil moral discipline in their wards to prepare them to lead responsible lives in future.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a goodwill message congratulated Bishop Torto for his leadership and contribution towards the development of Ghana.

He said government was in dialogue with the churches to hand over of mission schools to help arrest declining moral standards in schools and imbibe in them the values of integrity, hard work, honesty and discipline.

He said the work of the Anglican Church, in several aspects of national life, educational and health sectors, continues to demand the deep appreciation and gratitude of Ghanaians.

The congregation prayed for the President and his cabinet, the security agencies and the citizenry.

A citation was presented to President Akufo-Addo for his enormous and continuous support to the Anglican Church.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
20.11.2017 LISTEN

The socio- economic growth of Ghana would have been far more advanced, if Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision for the country had been vigorously pursued after his leadership tenure.

This is because Dr Nkrumah believed in development through knowledge based application.

Prof Edward Solomon Ayensu, an International Development Advisor on Science, Technology and Economic Development, said this in Accra when he spoke on the topic, "Kwame Nkrumah : The Man and His Legacy", at the 2017 Founder's Week Celebrations.

The event was organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Prof Ayensu described Dr Nkrumah as an African leader, who decided decades ahead of his colleagues, that without science and technology, Africa would lag behind the rest of the world in development.

He said because Dr Nkrumah Ghana could not achieve economic freedom without industrialisation and advanced technology, he pursued a path of rapid industrialization, which saw projects such as the Volta River Authority being established.

Prof Ayensu said it was unfortunate that "we did not exploit the good that Dr Nkrumah had to offer".

He said Dr Nkrumah's belief in women as key players in nation building, his belief in education, his focus on science, technology and industrial growth, threw great light on his vision for Ghana.

"I hope the academy would continue to make presentations about all our founding fathers, who have made contributions to the building of Ghana," Prof Ayensu said.

The Founder's Week Celebration of the Academy started in November 1960, and is the oldest of its traditions.

The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences is Ghana's Premier Learned Society.

It was founded in November 1959 by Government Instrument of Incorporation. GNA
20.11.2017 LISTEN

Madam Jane Amerley Oku, the Chief Executive Officer of Janok Foundation, a non-government organization, has called on Ghanaians to undergo regular health examination for early treatment of HIV and its related diseases.

She said information at the Accra Metropolitan Health Directorate indicate that 14 cases of HIV and its related disease of tuberculosis are recorded every day in the region, describing the situation as very alarming.

Madam Oku made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when she carried out HIV/Tuberculosis (TB) prevention campaign at the graduation ceremony of five dressmakers at Lartebiokorshie in Accra organized by the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association.

She said according to health authorities, treatment of HIV and tuberculosis are available and people should not shy away from early detection and treatment to prolong their survival.

'We want to encourage everybody to check their health status and it is when the diseases are identified before the health attendants can take them on,' she said.

She said majority of the people in Accra who contracted the diseases were those who do not have places of abode and live risky lifestyles.

Madam Oku said: 'they are people like drug addicts, drug peddlers and prostitutes who apply their trade without the use of condoms for protection.'

She appealed to companies and stakeholders to help find occupations for these people by putting them into apprenticeships to learn some trades to become self-reliant.

The NGO has also extended the HIV/TB prevention campaign to four churches in the Lartebiokorshie area namely Abossey Okai and Mmemeete Methodist Churches, Pentecost and Presbyterian Churches respectively.

GNA
Government is geared at enrolling more science students in the country's educational system to achieve its target of 60 percent science inclined students in technical institutions nationwide, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

Thus, as part of the educational reforms being undertaken by his government, the President has directed the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry responsible for Science and Technology to draw up programmes to strengthen and upscale the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) right from the basic level.

Additionally, Government has drawn up very elaborate programmes and strategies to strengthen Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) at all levels of the educational system, President Akufo-Addo said during the 20th convocation and graduation ceremonies of the All Nations University College at Koforidua over the weekend.

'It is my conviction that TVET is one of the main strategic policies of government aimed at the development of Ghanaian human resources. The major objective of TVET is to prepare people for the job market so that they can be productive and be of use to themselves, their families and society at large,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo said his administration was committed to increasing the funding for research and development (R&D), saying that in the short to medium term, one per cent of GDP would be devoted to that.

'Eventually, this will be raised to 2.5 per cent of GDP in the long term. R&D funds will be made available for all research activities in both public and private educational and research institutions. It will take some time, but I am convinced that eventually Ghana will reap the expected benefits of the policies that have been put in place to transform education,' the President said.

The President was full of praise for the university's launch of a satellite into space, saying 'I come here today with a sense of pride in view of your recent achievement in launching GhanaSat-I into space. Indeed, your achievement has put Ghana on the map of nations that are venturing into space.'

With the African Union about to set up a Space Agency for the whole of Africa, President Akufo-Addo revealed that he has directed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation to express strongly Ghana's readiness to host the Agency, and mobilise support to that end.

'Clearly I was motivated to take that decision partly as a result of your recent successful launch of GhanaSat-1,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo assured authorities of the All Nations University College, and other private universities that government had taken measures to lessen the financial burden of operating a private tertiary institution.

'The abolishment of the 25 per cent of corporate income tax for private universities, and the reduction in power tariffs for educational institutions, including private ones, are some of the measures government has undertaken,' he said.

It was the hope of President Akufo-Addo that, 'with these reliefs, private universities will plow their profits into the development of educational infrastructure and improve teaching and learning.'

GNA
20.11.2017 LISTEN

The Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance and strengthen technical cooperation in the fields of standardisation, metrology and conformity assessment.

The MoU also aims to improve the exchange of information and expertise between the two organisations in order to promote standards in the mining industry, public and industrial welfare, health and safety.

Mr Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and Professor Alex Dodoo, Acting Director-General Ghana Standards Authority, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.

Commenting on the agreement, Professor Dodoo said the GSA is of the view that a well-controlled and regularised and standardised mining sector could actually lead to increase productivity and job creation.

'So this MoU is to cement the relationship and to announce to the country that GSA and Ghana Chamber of Mines are putting extremely high premium on the mining sector. We want the mining sector to yield revenue much more than it is doing and to be a sector which creates jobs and a sector which is world class,' he said.

Prof Dodoo said the GSA stood ready to facilitate the work of the Chamber of Mines by providing the industry with the necessary standards in line with best global practices.

'The mining sector is big business. We know that business thrives in an atmosphere of trust. And the whole point of standardisation is to build trust. If you are buying precious minerals, especially gold you want to ensure that you get your monies worth,' he said.

To the international community this is going to serve notice that Ghana is opened for higher level of business in the gold industry. We are happy to say that we've already started the process of beginning to hallmark precious minerals so as you buy them you know that these have been certified by GSA and that adds huge value,' Pro. Dodoo added.

On his part, Mr Koney said the Chamber of Mines was committed to creating value for the country and one of the areas to do this was to work with other partners to deepen the integration of the mining industry into the wider economy.

He said the more value the country was able to retain would depend on the linkage between the mining industry and the rest of the economy, adding that the many opportunities within the mining value chain could be harnessed only if the requisite standards are in place.

'To promote local content naturally we want to ensure that the standards of the inputs which go into the mining industry are first class because we are talking about first class industry. And we can think of no better ally than the Ghana Standards Authority because they are tasked by law to ensure standards of various activities within the country,' Mr Koney said.

'So we are quite happy to collaborate with the GSA to ensure that the whole agenda of local content and the need for us to deepen the integration of the mining industry into the rest of the economy is not seen as a fluke because we have milestones to guide us and we believe that with the effort we will be able to improve manufacturing,' he added.

Mr Koney said the mining industry should be able to engender growth within other sectors of the economy, especially manufacturing but this could only be done if there are the requisite standards to feed into a world-class industry like the mining industry.

Mr Koney expressed the hope that the journey would be mutually beneficial not just for Ghana Standards Authority or the Chamber of Mines but the whole economy, adding that the basic steps initiated would provide the fillip for our industries to actually veer into other economic opportunities within the wider sub-region.

'We believe that we are taking the very vital and important steps for us to actually grow our economy but not only the extractives, particularly mining but just to make sure that we are able to pull manufacturing and other sectors that have anything to do with mining along,' he said.

GNA
Robert Mugabe faced the threat of impeachment by his own party Monday, after his shock insistence he still holds power despite a military takeover and a noon deadline to end his 37-year autocratic rule.

In a televised address late Sunday, the 93-year-old defied expectations that he would bring the curtain down on his reign, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

The speech provoked anger and disbelief among crowds who had gathered in bars and cafes to watch, and raised concerns that Zimbabwe could be at risk of a violent reaction to the political tensions.

His once-loyal ZANU-PF party -- who has already sacked him and told him to resign as head of state -- warned it would seek to impeach him if he fails to quit by midday on Monday (1000 GMT).

The struggle for succession pitched Grace Mugabe, the president's wife, against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose reputation for patience and ruthlessness has given him the nickname of "The Crocodile"

The speech capped an extraordinary weekend that saw Zimbabweans jubilant at the prospect of his demise and venting their anger in ways that, just a week earlier, would have been brutally punished.

But their joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe seemed to brush aside the turmoil -- blithely declaring he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him.

"The (ruling ZANU-PF) party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes," he said.

'Protests and impeachment'

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, called for protests and demanded that Mugabe be impeached.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets," he told AFP.

Mugabe's defiant speech provoked disbelief and anger among crowds who had gathered to watch

The crisis erupted on November 13 over a factional squabble to succeed the ailing president.

Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him, sidelining the vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired.

But Mnangagwa, 75, has close ties to the army and the powerful war veterans.

After he fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

They insisted this was not a military coup, but rather an operation to root out "criminals around (Mugabe) who are committing crimes". That was seen as a reference to supporters of the highly ambitious first lady.

When Mugabe refused to step down following behind-the-scenes talks, the generals unleashed people power.

In scenes redolent of Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, crowds thronged the cities, waving national flags and chanting for Mugabe to resign.

The pendulum swung further against the president on Sunday, when ZANU-PF dismissed him as its leader and demanded he resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

But impeaching Mugabe, who is the only leader most Zimbabweans have ever known, would require a two thirds-majority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament which is due to resume on Tuesday.

Unruffled

Mugabe seemed unfazed, though.

He made no reference to the hostile chorus calling for him to go and shrugged off last week's dramatic military intervention.

"The operation I have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander in chief," he said mildly.

Instead he urged harmony and comradeship to tackle the country's problems.

"Whatever the pros and cons of how they (the army) went about their operation, I... do acknowledge their concerns," he said.

"We must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or perceived, in a comradely Zimbabwean spirit."

Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said Mugabe's address raised the stakes even further.

"It's absolutely astounding. Mugabe behaves as if nothing ZANU-PF said this afternoon was of any relevance," he told AFP.

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans turned out for rallies to demand Mugabe's resignation -- an extraordinary event in a country where protests were routinely crushed

"Where they'll go from here? They'll proceed with the so-called impeachment process."

Some sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee future protection for him and his family.

Mugabe was a key figure in the war that wrested power from the white colonial government that ran the former Rhodesia.

He took office as prime minister in 1980, surfing a wave of goodwill, and later became president.

But his reputation was swiftly tarnished by his authoritarian instincts, corruption, cronyism and economic ineptitude, and eventually his country was shunned by the West.

Output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.
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Since independence Cocoa has been, and continues to be, the major foreign exchange earner for Ghana. Interest in Cocoa cultivation among Ghanaian farmers grew. Cocoa cultivation spread to almost every region in Ghana. It came as no surprise when Ghana became the leading producer of cocoa in the world. The Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB) and Produce Buying Agency (PBA) were established. The latter has purchasing clerks in almost all the towns and villages where cocoa is produced. The former gathered all the cocoa beans in sacks and prepared them for export. In recent years, interest in the cultivation of cocoa waned as galamsay destroyed many farms. Of late there has been a shift towards cashew cultivation.

Cashew cultivation has spread to many towns and villages in the Brong Ahafo Region. Cashew nuts cultivation is expanding very rapidly in Ghana mostly in the Brong Ahafo Region. This has brought more income and employment to the farmers and people living in these areas. As interest in cashew nut farming grew among the people in the Brong Ahafo Region, potential problems arose including conflict over land and threat to food security as farmers leave food farming and enter into cashew production. The main reason behind this move is that the Chief Business Officer of Africa Cashew Alliance (ACA), Mr Snil Dahiya, advised Ghanaians to strengthen the cashew industry to replace cocoa, as the effects of climate change advance and once it starts it can hardly be stopped. Mr Dahiya issued a red alert to governments who relied on cocoa production as it would not thrive in increased temperatures.

Cashew cultivation has been a major foreign exchange earner for many countries in East Africa. We are all witnesses to how obsessed the Kenyans and the Tanzanians are in the cashew industry and there is no food shop in Europe where cashew nuts cannot be found on the shelves. Over the past several decades African production of cashew has grown and expanded. Typical of Africa, these East African countries have no processing plants. 90% of the nuts are sent to India, Brazil and Vietnam for processing. Currently Africa produces 55% of the world's crop of cashew with the rest produced by Brazil, India, Vietnam, among others.

If Ghana approaches the cultivation of cashew with zeal and aggression, Africa will lead in the cashew industry for a long time. Although data on production numbers in Ghana are conflicting, it is currently below 60,000 tonnes per annum. However, with the increase in demand for cashew, several people around Jaman, Japekrom and their environs have shifted their farming interest to cashew cultivation. What is crucial now is the difficulty for the youth and the marginalized groups to secure or have access to land. Access to credit, affordable inputs, the ability to hire labour, information about agricultural practices and quality education are very important and crucial keys to cashew cultivation leading to high yields

There are several reasons why cashew nuts are so popular and a major foreign exchange earner for many countries. Cashew nuts when eaten regularly have the following benefits: It prevents different types of cancer because there are certain properties in cashew that fight against tumour cells by stopping them from dividing further. Cashew nuts are also known to strengthen the bodys immune system and its ability to fight blood diseases.

The cashew farmers in the Brong Ahafo Region are happy because they have a ready market for their crop. Foreign merchants have swarmed the cashew producing areas to buy the nuts directly from farmers. They have created offices and warehouses ready for business. The farmers were not happy about the price per kilo for the nuts until a final GHc5.00 per kilo was agreed upon. Meanwhile the buyers sell them at 6.50euros per kilo when they export them to Europe. The former government of the NDC, seeing the foreign exchange potential of the nuts, decided that the government could assume total control of the purchases. Interestingly, they suggested a producer price of GHc3:00 per kilo  far lower than the amount offered by the foreign merchants. Heaven broke loose. The farmers revolted. The government retreated and never returned to that subject again.

The ministry of Food and Agriculture must start working on how to take control of the cashew industry in Ghana. Ghana is doing well both politically and economically and therefore the need to boost the economy by bringing cashew production at par with cocoa. Presently the production of cashew has risen from 60,000 metric tonnes to 90,000 metric tons, while the foreign buyers make close to $244m per annum! There is the need for the government of Ghana to capitalize on its competitive edge in the cashew trade as well as the hot demand for the commodity on the international market. There is already a gap of two million metric tonnes on the international market. Ghana must take advantage of this huge opportunity since we have the potential to do so. Currently cashew is doing far better than cocoa on the international market. In the last 5-6 years the price of cashew has risen by 700% and it keeps on rising.

As a first step the government must create Cashew Marketing Board and Produce Buying Agencies which will gradually replace the foreign merchants. The government must provide seedlings, sacks and more incentives for any Ghanaian who wants to go into cashew farming. The price offered per kilo of cashew must be doubled or even tripled. There is really a bright future for cashew trade in Ghana

Columnist: Stephen Atta Owusu ([email protected])
Our attention has been drawn to a publication on Friday 17th November, 2017 by the New Crusading Guide newspaper on the above subject and carried by peacefmonline.com. In the said report the deputy editor of the crusading guide newspaper, Ernest Addo, published a rather bizarre unverified story about Dr. Hassan Ayariga, the founder of the All Peoples Congress (APC). In the story he threw all basic journalism ethics to the gutters and cooked vile allegations and attributed them to the queen mother of Kwabenya.

We view his story as that of the pig speaking the language of a cat. We are wondering whether the New Crusading Guide newspaper is not serious for publishing a stupid garbage full of grammatical errors or there is no sensible person to be promoted to the position of deputy editor other than Ernest Addo. The frivolous write-up is not only a relic of dirty journalism mushrooming from the stables of the New Crusading Guide, but a horrible balderdash that is packaged for zoomlion trash bins rather than for intellectual consumption.

The grammatical error-ridden story claimed the newspaper interviewed Naa Korkoi Dagbatey who alleged that Dr. Hassan Ayariga bought twenty plots of land from one of her brothers but failed to pay all the monies charged him. She was also reported to have said that her brother sold the land cheaper than the family would want to sell. The unintelligent Ernest Addo failed to find out why Naa Dagbatey did not take issues with her brother for his behaviour if true or resort to court if indeed there is anything wrong as insinuated.

In a sensible journalistic mood, Ernest Addo would have investigated why the family would want to increase the price of an already sold plots of land after so many years. In the same ethical mentality, the competent journalist would question why a man who bought a property genuinely and hold the right to it would rather not go to court to protect his property but rather bribe an individual to the tune of GHc50, 000.00 when he knows he is dealing with four gates if the report is true. His brain should also prick him to find out whether all those who bought plots of land from the royal family were called back to pay belated increment in the price of the land sold to them already. These sensible questions did not surprisingly come to the medulla oblongata of a serious journalist who is also a deputy editor.

It is also mind boggling how a journalist of the calibre of deputy editor of the New Crusading Guide woefully failed to ask hard questions to ascertain the veracity of the spurious claims being made by the purported queen mother if really she thinks about the interest of her community, Nation and Africa. How was it that a serious journalist could not crosscheck his facts from the other side of the story before rushing to vomit his concocted sputum? Why was he silent on which project was to be undertaken on the acquired piece of land and its importance to the community, Nation and African Continent?

The laziness of the revered deputy editor resulting in his failure to interrogate the issues, to borrow his editors cliche, is more alarming. Ernest Addo is not from the moon; neither does he obviously wash his face from behind. He is in this country and a little effort from him would have taught him that Dr. Hassan Ayariga acquired the property to put up a 1500-bed ultra-modern hospital at Haatso to serve the huge communities of Haatso, Dome, Kwabenya and their surroundings, Ghana and the entire African Continent. This is a noble gesture that every right thinking Ghanaian is applauding except the sheepish Ernest Addo and his sponsors.

It should be noted that Ernest Addo began his stupid mischief when he called Dr. Ayariga on phone a few days before the publication. He wanted Dr. Ayariga to respond to the allegations without telling him exactly what he got from the interview. Dr. Ayariga therefore requested him to bring the tape recording of the interview for him to listen to before he could respond. The mischievous Ernest Addo did not return for Dr. Ayarigas side of the story before rushing to deceive the public. It became obvious this disgraceful Ernest Addo was trying to blackmail Dr. Ayariga in order to extort money from him but failed. It is not surprising he refused to bring the recording of the so-called interview with Naa Dagbatey if it happened at all.

Another twist of the saga is noted here. In the so-called interview, the lousy deputy editor of the New Crusading Guide quoted the queen mother as claiming she had higher level of trust for her Member of Parliament, Adjoa Sarfo, more than Dr. Hassan Ayariga. The picture became clear from here. Adjoa Sarfo who deceived her constituents that she secured World Bank funds to put up the Community Day SHS at Kwabenya but was later exposed when the truth was established that it was rather John Mahama who constructed the school. The unbearable shame and bitterness coupled with envy might have driven the MP to compel the clueless queen mother to paint a glorious feat achieved by Dr. Ayariga which Adjoa Sarfo could not manage even as a minister in government.

The stomach-journalism displayed by the reckless Ernest Addo is not only shocking and condemnable but also stupid and malicious; a disgrace to the profession he associates himself with as well as the New Crusading Guide Newspaper which gave him the platform to publish a dirty kindergarten essay to tarnish a hard workers image. We will advise the editor of the paper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, to as a matter of image redemption call his corrupt deputy editor to order if he wants his newspaper to be taken serious. We should be seen celebrating and encouraging philanthropists who help the society like Dr. Ayariga rather than allow ourselves to be sponsored by evil motives of failures who believe they cannot match the achievements of others.

Finally we call on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to admonish the black sheep like Ernest Addo among them to change their complexion.
The National Media Commission has urged journalists to uphold the best standards of the profession in memory of Kwadwo Asare-Baffuor Acheampong, popularly known as KABA, of Asempa FM.

KABA passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday, November 18, 2017, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

 We urge everyone within the media space not to be deterred by the passing of our dear brother but to rather encourage ourselves to uphold the tenants of good journalism and professionalism in memory of our departed brother, NMC said in a release.

Read the full release below.

NMCs CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON DEMISE OF KABA

The National Media Commission has learnt with deep shock the death of Mr Kwadwo Asare-Baffuor Acheampong, popularly known as KABA, of Asempa FM in the early hours of Saturday, November 18, 2017.

The Commission wishes to express its sincere condolences to his beloved wife and family, and the entire Multimedia Group where KABA was one of the pillars in broadcasting. The NMC also expresses its condolences to the media fraternity in general.

As the media regulator, we deeply share in your grief in this trying moment. Our wish is that you will continue to be strong in the face of this great loss. We urge everyone within the media space not to be deterred by the passing of our dear brother but to rather encourage ourselves to uphold the tenants of good journalism and professionalism in memory of our departed brother.

We once again express our condolences to the Multimedia Group as well as KABAs wife and family.

Thank you.

NANA KWASI GYAN-APENTENG

CHAIRMAN

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
More than 5,000 victims of atrocities committed by troops commanded by former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba are calling for individual reparations, rights activists said Monday.

International judges sentenced Bemba in June 2016 to 18 years in jail on five charges of war crimes committed when his troops went on a murderous and violent rampage in neighbouring Central African Republic between October 2002 to March 2003.

Most of the victims "have lost everything, and continue to live with the physical and psychological consequences of the crimes, horrors and traumas they have experienced," said a rights NGO.

Although Bemba has appealed his sentence, the ICC is already preparing the ground for what reparations should be awarded to the 5,229 victims.

It would be the tribunal's third such award since it opened in 2002 as the world's only permanent war crimes court to prosecute the worst of crimes.

According to a survey by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in June, most victims want to see individual damages rather than a collective award for communities ravaged by Bemba's private militia.

"They insist that their compensation be paid to them individually and be accompanied by awareness-raising sessions to make people more sensitive to the problem of stigmatisation," FIDH added.

A commander's responsibility

Bemba, now 55, sent in 1,500 troops from his Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) to quash a coup in CAR.

But they unleashed a five-month reign of terror, with the court handed down its toughest penalty for what it denounced as a wave of "sadistic, cruel" rapes and murders.

Bemba's case was the first at the ICC to focus on rape as a weapon of war and the first to highlight a military commander's responsibility for the conduct of the troops under his control.

Even if the reparations come late they "are still an exception in a country that is ravaged by impunity and that continues to be the target of violent conflicts and sexual crimes committed by militias and armed groups," FIDH added.

The victims also want to see the formerly rich businessman forced to pay damages from his own pocket.

In its two previous reparations awards, war crimes judges said in August that a Malian jihadist was liable for 2.7 million euros for destroying Timbuktu's fabled shrines in 2012.

But it recognised he was penniless.

And in March, the ICC awarded symbolic damages of $250 (212 euros) to each of the 297 victims of former Congolese warlord Germain Katanga, serving 12 years for a 2003 attack on a village.

Reparations are also still due to be finalised in the case of Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, serving 14 years for conscripting child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Robert Mugabe faced the threat of impeachment by his own party on Monday, after his shock insistence he still holds power in Zimbabwe despite a military takeover and a noon deadline to end his 37-year autocratic rule.

In a televised address late Sunday, the 93-year-old veteran leader defied expectations he would quit, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

The speech provoked anger and disbelief among many Zimbabweans, fuelling concerns that Mugabe could face a violent backlash.

His once-loyal ZANU-PF party -- who has already sacked him and told him to resign as head of state -- warned it would seek to impeach him if he failed to quit by midday (1000 GMT). The party has yet to comment on its next steps after that deadline passed.

The struggle for succession pitched Grace Mugabe, the president's wife, against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose reputation for patience and ruthlessness has given him the nickname of "The Crocodile"

The army was expected to hold a briefing in response to the crisis triggered by Mugabe's refusal to go.

As the ZANU-PF deadline passed, a noisy group of demonstrators gathered at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare to call for Mugabe to stand down.

Mugabe's speech capped an extraordinary weekend that saw Zimbabweans celebrate and vent their anger in ways that, just a week earlier, would have been brutally repressed.

But their joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe brushed aside the turmoil -- blithely declaring he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him.

'He's lost his marbles'

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, called for less restrained protests than those staged at the weekend in an effort to dislodge Mugabe.

"Save the country further turmoil. If not, we are bringing the people of Zimbabwe back to the streets," he said Monday, as he also threatened legal action against the president.

"This time there will be a sit-in. We are not going to be leaving Harare until this guy is gone.

"He's lost his marbles."

Though Mugabe has struggled with public speaking in recent years, the wily statesman appeared alert and attentive as he delivered his speech that made no mention of stepping down.

"We will continue with the momentum to make sure Mugabe is history. It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on how way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver.

"Arrogant Mugabe disregards ZANU-PF," screamed the front page of the Daily News on Monday.

Mugabe's defiant speech provoked disbelief and anger among crowds who had gathered to watch

The crisis erupted on November 13 over a factional squabble to succeed the ailing president.

Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him, sidelining the vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired.

But Mnangagwa, 75, has close ties to the army and the powerful war veterans.

After he fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

The army has insisted its action does not amount to a coup but was intended as a police action to arrest allegedly corrupt supporters of the highly ambitious first lady.

When Mugabe refused to step down following behind-the-scenes talks, the generals unleashed people power.

In scenes reminiscent of Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, crowds packed the cities, waving flags and chanting for Mugabe to resign.

On Sunday ZANU-PF dismissed him as its leader and demanded he resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Chronology of Zimbabwe since independence

But impeaching Mugabe, who is the only leader most Zimbabweans have ever known, would require a two-thirds supermajority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament which is due to resume on Tuesday.

Unruffled

Mugabe seemed unfazed in his speech and made no reference to the hostile chorus calling for him to go, describing last week's dramatic military intervention as "no threat" to his rule.

Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said Mugabe's address raised the stakes even further.

"It's absolutely astounding. Mugabe behaves as if nothing ZANU-PF said (Sunday) was of any relevance," he told AFP.

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans turned out for rallies to demand Mugabe's resignation -- an extraordinary event in a country where protests were routinely crushed

Some sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee future protection for him and his family.

Mugabe was a key figure in the war that wrested power from the white colonial government that ran the former Rhodesia.

He took office as prime minister in 1980, surfing a wave of goodwill, and later became president.

But his reputation was swiftly tarnished by his authoritarian instincts, rights abuse and economic ineptitude. Eventually his country was shunned by the West.

Output has halved since 2000 when many white-owned farms were seized, leaving the key agricultural sector in ruins.
An 18-year-old second-year female student of Methodist Senior High School (SHS) in Sekondi, Western Region, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and killing a male student of Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI) formerly Takoradi Polytechnic last Friday.

The suspect, Monica Dery, is reported to be the girlfriend of the deceased, Emmanuel Asante, 19.

According to sources, the incident took place after a purported misunderstanding between the two lovebirds, which resulted in a fight.

We gathered that the boy was Monicas lover and an altercation ensued when he confronted her. But we cant tell what brought about the misunderstanding, a source told DAILY GUIDE.

The source continued, So in the process, the suspect purportedly got incensed, took a knife from her sisters shop and purportedly stabbed Emmanuel Asante at the back with it.

Some onlookers intervened and rushed the TTI student to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi for treatment but died later at the health facility.

The mortal remains of Asante has since been deposited at the hospitals morgue while the suspect is in police grip.

ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told DAILY GUIDE that on Friday, November 18, 2017, Monica Dery, a second year Home Economics student, was arrested for alleged murder.

She said that the suspect was in a relationship with Emmanuel Asante, a student of Takoradi Technical Institute.

She mentioned that on that fateful day at Fijai, near Sekondi, there was a misunderstanding between the two which resulted in a brawl.

She indicated that after the two were separated, Monica picked Asantes footwear to her sisters store and the victim later followed up to collect them.

According to the PRO, Asante was alleged to have slapped Monica and she in turn picked a knife in front of the store and stabbed him at the back close to the ribs.
Late Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong

20.11.2017 LISTEN

Until his demise, he still calls me DeeJay Herbal. It is one of the numerous nicknames given to me by my compatriots who have worked with me, but he decided to stick DeeJay Herbal.

At exactly 2pm, Monday to Friday, between 2008 and 2011, while I am signing off to make way for Ekosii Sen after interviewing herbalist on Asempa 94.7FM, KABA would join me on air live in a jovial way as, DeeJay, se wagye ahye wo ho, I will then respond with a laughter, then KABA would come in and say, Deejay, ka nokroe, wagye ahye wo ho, then he would shout, Deejay Herbal then we shall begin talking about the days menu for the show.

He kept calling me with such nickname, shelving my real name on radio and in the media, Kweku Antwi-Otoo, as far as he is concern.

Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong (KABA) as I know and worked with from the year 2008 to the year 2011 before I left Multi Media Group, was a dedicated staff who worked tirelessly to ensure that what has been assigned to him to done and done well.

I met KABA is a strange but hilarious way but before I talk about his personality, let me take the opportunity to share with you how I and other workers of Multi Media met KABA.

It was at the University of Ghana, Legon in December 2007 when the nineteen thieves of the then ruling government, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), converged at Legon to chose the flagbearer for the 2008 elections. In fact, the nineteen thieves is not coming from me. It was given to then nineteen aspirants of the NPP by the General Secretary of now opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

I joined Multi Media in July 2007 with Asempa FM and our first major outdoor assignment was the coverage of that congress to elect the flagbearer. It was because the former President, John Agyekum Kufour, had served two-four year terms and as such the NPP needed a new person to lead the party for the 2008 general elections.

I was then assistant News Editor to Jerry Tsatro Mordy. Kojo Preko Dankwa of now EIB was the Head of Productions. Mr. Von Klous Bukusitin was the Chief Operating Officer for Asempa FM. Nana Apeanti was the Programmes Manager.

Von, as we all call him, assembled the team to cover the maiden outdoor event of Asempa which had hit the airwaves not quit long. The team was made up of myself, Jerry Tsatro Mordy, Kojo Preko Dankwa and Dominic Kissi Yeboah, the late KABAs producer, who was then doing his internship.

We applied for accreditations from the NPP headquarters for all the team members including drivers who would be bringing the team food, water and other logistics but in the final day, I, Kweku Antwi-Otoo, was the only person who got the accreditation to cover the event.

In fact, it was a disappointing and tough for the team but Von pushed us to cover the event and prove to the world we can do despite the odds.

Nevertheless, that did not deter us from given our audience what they needed from the congress grounds.

It was tedious for me because I was the only one who was moving around since I was the only one who had accreditation.

Security was tight and if they see you without accreditation, you would be thrown out. The team managed to enter into the Commonwealth Hall of the University on Friday and it run throughout the Saturday until Sunday.

Let me take the opportunity to state that, according to the history of Multi Media, the Chief Executive Officer, Kwasi Twum (KT), has never written to congratulate any member or a team for putting up a performance but he did so after the coverage of the congress at Legon. This was because, we [Asempa FM Team] was new to the Multi Media Group, but the performance the team put out them was superb.

While at Legon, KABA, who was then working with the then Top Radio, now Top FM, also in Accra, had pitched camp on the right side of Asempa set up at the grounds.

Interestingly, KABA was a jack of all trade at the venue. He was the technician, sound engineer, presenter, producer, just to mention few. So what we [Asempa Team] decided to do was, to feed him with guests that have passed through our station to also enrich his content.

He covered the entire congress solely without the support of the staff.

So on Sunday when the team was about to leave the venue, my then Editor, Jerry Tsatro Mordy, came to me and said, Kweku, have you seen the Top Radio guy, he said he would want to join the team, what do you think.

I told my then Editor it is good because I had realized he was hard working, covering the entire congress alone. He discussed same with Kojo Preko who also gave the same sentiment. Jerry therefore asked me to exchange contact number with KABA so we could contact him when we get to the office and I obliged.

That was how it all started. He kept coming to the office [Asempa FM] to follow up and we (I, Jerry and Preko) kept assuring him of the chance while we push our big men to consider him.

Finally, KABA joined the Asemoa team in 2008 as a news anchor. He was initially paired with Afia Amankwaa Tamakloe for Asempa News at 2pm and it was superb. He was also the sit in for the main host of Ekosii Sen, Nana Kwabena Bobbie Ansah, until finally, Bobbie left the huge seat for KABA. Many were skeptical as to whether he could fill in the shoes of Bobbie when Bobbie bowed out, but KABA proved to the world that he was more than fit for the post.

Now to the man KABA I know and work with. He was dedicated. He reads a lot. He does not complain even though we had challenges in production at a point in time as it happens in every media house. Ready to learn. Ready to correct. Sound authoritative. On top of his job. Exhibits professionalism. He was all round. Affable.

In fact, even though I have been out of Multi Media since 2011, KABA has been my target anywhere I go, even though I am not a presenter. I always push my host(s) to aspire to either beat or catch up with KABA and I am sure everyone I have produced would attest to this.

The news of his demise devastated me. In fact, I stopped breathing for a while until I realized I was driving so I had to control myself and get home safe. Yes, I drove home safe, but not of myself. Drivers kept blowing horns on me while driving because I lost concentration ever since I heard the sudden demise.

Yiee, asem ben nie. I checked my whatsaap status and almost everyone on my contact was using the image of KABA. Thousands of whatsapp messages on my phone. Some wants confirmation or otherwise. Others needed clarifications on what actually transpired. What is happening to the media in Ghana? What have we done? What did KABA do? God, why? What have we done? This is unbearable. Death is inevitable but God, such death should have been pardoned. We needed such creature alive. We needed him to help shape the media industry. But you know best. No human can challenge your decisions and authority so if it is your will, then thy will be done. KABA will forever remain in our hearts and we know he will also remain in Your Heart, God.

The greatest writer William Shakespeare in his King Henry VI, Part I, described death as What ugly sights of death within mine eyes!. KABAs death is ugly in our sight, but the same Shakespeare in his Hamlet said On pain of death, no person be so bold.

What I ask for, oh God, is total protection for the widow and the daughter he left behind.

Damirefa Due, KABA!

Damirefa Due, KABA!!

Damirefa Due, KABA!!!

The writer is an Editor/Producer at Media General Group [Onua 95.1FM/TV3 New Day]

Tribute To Late Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong (KABA) By Kweku Antwi-Otoo

Until his demise, he still calls me DeeJay Herbal. It is one of the numerous nicknames given to me by my compatriots who have worked with me, but he decided to stick DeeJay Herbal.

At exactly 2pm, Monday to Friday, between 2008 and 2011, while I am signing off to make way for Ekosii Sen after interviewing herbalist on Asempa 94.7FM, KABA would join me on air live in a jovial way as, DeeJay, se wagye ahye wo ho, I will then respond with a laughter, then KABA would come in and say, Deejay, ka nokroe, wagye ahye wo ho, then he would shout, Deejay Herbal then we shall begin talking about the days menu for the show.

He kept calling me with such nickname, shelving my real name on radio and in the media, Kweku Antwi-Otoo, as far as he is concern.

Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong (KABA) as I know and worked with from the year 2008 to the year 2011 before I left Multi Media Group, was a dedicated staff who worked tirelessly to ensure that what has been assigned to him to done and done well.

I met KABA is a strange but hilarious way but before I talk about his personality, let me take the opportunity to share with you how I and other workers of Multi Media met KABA.

It was at the University of Ghana, Legon in December 2007 when the nineteen thieves of the then ruling government, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), converged at Legon to chose the flagbearer for the 2008 elections. In fact, the nineteen thieves is not coming from me. It was given to then nineteen aspirants of the NPP by the General Secretary of now opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

I joined Multi Media in July 2007 with Asempa FM and our first major outdoor assignment was the coverage of that congress to elect the flagbearer. It was because the former President, John Agyekum Kufour, had served two-four year terms and as such the NPP needed a new person to lead the party for the 2008 general elections.

I was then assistant News Editor to Jerry Tsatro Mordy. Kojo Preko Dankwa of now EIB was the Head of Productions. Mr. Von Klous Bukusitin was the Chief Operating Officer for Asempa FM. Nana Apeanti was the Programmes Manager.

Von, as we all call him, assembled the team to cover the maiden outdoor event of Asempa which had hit the airwaves not quit long. The team was made up of myself, Jerry Tsatro Mordy, Kojo Preko Dankwa and Dominic Kissi Yeboah, the late KABAs producer, who was then doing his internship.

We applied for accreditations from the NPP headquarters for all the team members including drivers who would be bringing the team food, water and other logistics but in the final day, I, Kweku Antwi-Otoo, was the only person who got the accreditation to cover the event.

In fact, it was a disappointing and tough for the team but Von pushed us to cover the event and prove to the world we can do despite the odds.

Nevertheless, that did not deter us from given our audience what they needed from the congress grounds.

It was tedious for me because I was the only one who was moving around since I was the only one who had accreditation.

Security was tight and if they see you without accreditation, you would be thrown out. The team managed to enter into the Commonwealth Hall of the University on Friday and it run throughout the Saturday until Sunday.

Let me take the opportunity to state that, according to the history of Multi Media, the Chief Executive Officer, Kwasi Twum (KT), has never written to congratulate any member or a team for putting up a performance but he did so after the coverage of the congress at Legon. This was because, we [Asempa FM Team] was new to the Multi Media Group, but the performance the team put out them was superb.

While at Legon, KABA, who was then working with the then Top Radio, now Top FM, also in Accra, had pitched camp on the right side of Asempa set up at the grounds.

Interestingly, KABA was a jack of all trade at the venue. He was the technician, sound engineer, presenter, producer, just to mention few. So what we [Asempa Team] decided to do was, to feed him with guests that have passed through our station to also enrich his content.

He covered the entire congress solely without the support of the staff.

So on Sunday when the team was about to leave the venue, my then Editor, Jerry Tsatro Mordy, came to me and said, Kweku, have you seen the Top Radio guy, he said he would want to join the team, what do you think.

I told my then Editor it is good because I had realized he was hard working, covering the entire congress alone. He discussed same with Kojo Preko who also gave the same sentiment. Jerry therefore asked me to exchange contact number with KABA so we could contact him when we get to the office and I obliged.

That was how it all started. He kept coming to the office [Asempa FM] to follow up and we (I, Jerry and Preko) kept assuring him of the chance while we push our big men to consider him.

Finally, KABA joined the Asemoa team in 2008 as a news anchor. He was initially paired with Afia Amankwaa Tamakloe for Asempa News at 2pm and it was superb. He was also the sit in for the main host of Ekosii Sen, Nana Kwabena Bobbie Ansah, until finally, Bobbie left the huge seat for KABA. Many were skeptical as to whether he could fill in the shoes of Bobbie when Bobbie bowed out, but KABA proved to the world that he was more than fit for the post.

Now to the man KABA I know and work with. He was dedicated. He reads a lot. He does not complain even though we had challenges in production at a point in time as it happens in every media house. Ready to learn. Ready to correct. Sound authoritative. On top of his job. Exhibits professionalism. He was all round. Affable.

In fact, even though I have been out of Multi Media since 2011, KABA has been my target anywhere I go, even though I am not a presenter. I always push my host(s) to aspire to either beat or catch up with KABA and I am sure everyone I have produced would attest to this.

The news of his demise devastated me. In fact, I stopped breathing for a while until I realized I was driving so I had to control myself and get home safe. Yes, I drove home safe, but not of myself. Drivers kept blowing horns on me while driving because I lost concentration ever since I heard the sudden demise.

Yiee, asem ben nie. I checked my whatsaap status and almost everyone on my contact was using the image of KABA. Thousands of whatsapp messages on my phone. Some wants confirmation or otherwise. Others needed clarifications on what actually transpired. What is happening to the media in Ghana? What have we done? What did KABA do? God, why? What have we done? This is unbearable. Death is inevitable but God, such death should have been pardoned. We needed such creature alive. We needed him to help shape the media industry. But you know best. No human can challenge your decisions and authority so if it is your will, then thy will be done. KABA will forever remain in our hearts and we know he will also remain in Your Heart, God.

The greatest writer William Shakespeare in his King Henry VI, Part I, described death as What ugly sights of death within mine eyes!. KABAs death is ugly in our sight, but the same Shakespeare in his Hamlet said On pain of death, no person be so bold.

What I ask for, oh God, is total protection for the widow and the daughter he left behind.

Damirefa Due, KABA!

Damirefa Due, KABA!!

Damirefa Due, KABA!!!

The writer is an Editor/Producer at Media General Group [Onua 95.1FM/TV3 New Day]
A programme organized by Joy Industries dubbed, Suhum Odwira Saponins Bash to entertain fans at Suhum who joined the residents to celebrate the Odwira Festival became chaotic when some criminals allegedly invaded the venue to attack innocent onlookers with broken bottles.

About 100 Police officers rushed there and fired gunshots to disperse the crowd to maintain law and order.

The suspected criminals from unknown places invaded the main lorry station where the jams was taking place at about 2:00am on Sunday to snatch mobiles phones of onlookers.

The strangers and the youth of the town subsequently clashed.

Scores of the revelers, who were afraid, fled the venue after the police fired the gunshots.

An award-winning dancehall artist, Livingstone Etse Satekla, known as Stonebwoy, who was also performing on the stage, fled due to the chaos.

The Police managed to arrest some of the criminals and wee smokers, and they are currently in custody assisting in investigation.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that about two months ago, some youth organized a bash in Suhum and invited an upcoming artiste from Nima in Accra to perform.

There was a misunderstanding which turned into a fight between the Suhum youth and Nima boys.

Thereafter, the Nima boys placed a banner in Suhum and threatened to revenge.

The Police and some of the chiefs called on the Nima boys to resolve the impasse before the festival.

The threat of the Nima boys caused fear and panic among the Suhum youth.

On Saturday during the Odwira durbar, the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apietu, who hails from Suhum, among other top government officials, graced the event and called on the youth to remain calm and avoid any incident that would cause violence in the town during and after the celebration of the festival.

The Police received information about the activities of the criminals and stormed the place to whip them with canes to restore calm.

After some minutes, the alleged criminals went on rampage again and started attacking the innocent onlookers which compelled the Police to fire gunshots.

Hundreds of the revelers sustained injures due to the stampede.

Shop owners who were in town forcibly closed their stores.

Suhum for some time now has been on high alert after some armed robbers broke into people's shops through the ceiling to steal various items.

The IGP, who was not happy with the development, formed a neighborhood watchdog to arrest the criminals in collaboration with the Police.

Due to the action of the IGP, the Chief of Suhum, Osabarima Ayeh Kofi, presented him with a citation.

The Minister of Chieftaincy, Kofi Dzamesi, who represented the President at the event, commended the chiefs for bringing unity and development to the area.

Bryan Acheampong, Deputy Minister of National Security, also donated an amount GH200,000 to the MP of the area, Frederick Opare Ansah, to buy street light bulbs to boost security in the area.
Carlien Bou-Chedid, the first female President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), delivered her presidential address to the members on Thursday, 16th November, 2017 at the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge, Accra.

In her address, which was on the topic: Sustainable Development: An Illusion without Disaster Risk Management. Ing Mrs. Carlien Bou-Chedid, who is a Consulting Structural Engineer with over 30 years of experience, said that some of the hazards that Ghana faces have caused considerable losses in other countries. They have set these countries back considerably in their development.

She called for professionally certified infrastructure development to reduce catastrophies in times of natural disasters.

Ghana is a developing country that is trying to enter the ranks of a developed country. But Ghana faces a dilemma. It has a growing population and must make considerable investment in infrastructure. It is also faced with hazards, both natural and manmade, which have the potential to derail its development, so it must also invest in making its infrastructure safe. Ghana must therefore properly assess its risks and there are tools that can help in this assessment process.

Chairman for the occasion, Ing Sir Frederick K. Akwaboah (FGhIE), who is a past president of the institution, added that the topic was appropriate for engineers to deliberate upon at this crucial time when nations throughout the world have been struggling to cope with the effects of various forms of disasters in recent years.

Countless human lives are being lost through disasters. Precious infrastructure facilities are being destroyed through such disasters. Only a few days ago, the world was shocked to learn of the havoc caused to lives and infrastructure due to the effect of earthquake in Iran and Iraq, killing over 400 people, with more than 7,000 people also said to have been injured, the world's deadliest this year, Ing. Akwaboah said.

The programme was attended by Past President, Council members, members of the GhIE, the general public and the media.

The first 10 auctioned copies of a book, which was launched at the event, was autographed by the president of GhIE.
MTN Ghana Foundation has commissioned a state-of-the-art Assistive Technology Unit valued at GH217, 000 for the University of Ghana.

The unit, the first of its kind in the country, which is located on the university campus, has a prodigy desktop, scanner, projector screen, three handheld magnifiers.

It also boasts of three external hard drives, a Braille printer, five laptops, a Laser jet and 15 sets of computers.

Samuel Koranteng, Corporate Services Executive (CSE) for MTN, who addressed guests at the handing over ceremony lately, averred that the unit which has modern equipment would focus on students with special needs.

The construction of this facility, which comes at the time when MTN Ghana Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary, will create enabling self studying opportunities for 200 students and in this way their dreams of graduating successful would become reality, he stated.

According to Mr Koranteng, MTN has spent about $143 million to implement 142 projects in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment nationwide and would continue to do so in the coming years.

He added that in the area of education, the Foundation has successfully executed over 80 educational projects.

The Foundation, he said, has constructed classroom blocks and furnished schools and libraries across the country.

MTN believes that it is an inherent right of every Ghanaian to have access to education, and we are happy to be giving more Ghanaians the chance, he added.
More than 30,000 youth are expected to be recruited, trained and deployed as Community Policing Assistants (CPA's) under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) before the end of the year.

This formed part of a partnership between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the Ghana Police Service on Community Safety and Security Innovation aimed at helping to address youth unemployment in the country.

Bashiri Ibrahim, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of YEA, disclosed this at a sensitisation workshop for personnel of the Police Service on the new Community Policing module in Cape Coast on Thursday.

He said the Agency had already secured financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance and assured of regular payment of allowances for the benefactors.

Mr. Bashiru appealed to the Police Service to give preference to trained beneficiaries after two years of engagement, if the need be for recruitment into the Service.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Akuribah Yaagy, the Director-General of the National Patrol Department of the Ghana Police Service, explained that the new community policing strategy focused on improved visibility and accessibility in the communities to guarantee maximum protection.

It will also enhance peaceful services up to the standards of international best practices.

He said the Police Service was introducing a more professional, cost effective and community friendly model of policing where part of the state resources budgeted for security would be used to minimise youth unemployment.

The Community Policing Module, he said, was to create intelligence gathering machinery and serve as a proactive measure in planning against possible radicalization of the youth in the communities.

It was also to promote better Police image and public relations through community engagements.

He encouraged all District Police Commanders to form neighbourhood watchdogs to assist the police in gathering intelligence in the communities to help combat crime.

DCOP Yaagy urged officers of the Service to guard against disrespect for Human Rights and cautioned that those caught violating the rights of individuals would not be spared.

He also cautioned officers to avoid any acts that would dent the image of the Police Service.
FORMER PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor has emphasized the need for government to enact smart tax policies to give renewable energy priority to boost the energy sector investment in order to make Ghana a secured energy nation in West Africa.

According to him, Ghana should take advantage in the shortfall of energy supply around the African continent to ensure policy outlook at the profitability of renewable energy and encourage private investors to move into the venture.

He underscored the need for government give private investors in solar and nuclear energy tax holiday and incentives coupled with formulating policies which will make the country energy-secure and will power economic growth by creating new jobs and giving government income in energy export.

The former president made the statement when Strategic Security Systems International Limited (3SiL) outdoored a new logo of the company at Kpone near Tema to mark the company's 10 years of operation in Ghana.

He said In West Africa alone, I understand the shortage is 40 gigawatts and that's a lot. So if we think of generating electricity as an export commodity, of course we satisfy the local market but with some to spare to export to our neighborhood. Already, Ghana is exporting about 100 megawatts to Burkina Faso. I am sure if we focus on Nigeria with all its resources, Ghana might export easily 1000 megawatts to that country and the hard currency earnings we get from that might exceed what we are getting from traditional export like cocoa.

The public sector must be the infrastructure for the private sector and if we want to do energy very well, competitive and affordable, then private sector should be in there for the public sector to do the framework, incentives, tax break and all the support we can give the private sector to go in there and not on short term basis but medium to longtime sustainable basis.

The former president was full of praises for the founder of 3SiL, Francis A. Boateng, labelling him as an achiever. Quoting Margaret Thatcher, he said, in this world, anytime there are only a few creators, when you find them what you have to do is to protect them and encourage them because by what they create, they create jobs for the multitude; they create wealth by which all of us live. So people like you, 3SiL, Ghana needs more of you to move Ghana's economy forward for all of us.

He continued that This man came and with his vision and initiative, see what he has done. Currently, he is the first and perhaps the only solar energy panel manufacturer in the whole of West Africa. And it is not only solar panel manufacturing but also, into securing strategic ventures for development. He deserves to be supported.

The former president attested that he had seen the reality of the quality supply of products from Strategic Security Systems, believing that If Ghana could get ten of these companies in the country, then Ghana will be in the main stream of middle income country.

From Vincent Kubi, Kpone
Kenya's Supreme Court on Monday validated the election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta, sparking opposition protests that left two dead, according to police.

While the court decision led to celebrations in ruling party strongholds, protesters took to the street in opposition areas in the capital and the west of the country.

One protester was killed in Nairobi's Kibera slum, while a paramedic tending the injured at a demonstration in western Migori was also shot dead, according to police.

The death toll from four months of election chaos now stands at 54, with most protesters killed at the hands of police, according to rights groups.

The protests erupted after the Supreme Court dismissed two petitions seeking to overturn the victory of Kenyatta in October 26 elections, paving the way for him to be sworn in for a second five-year term on November 28.

"The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited. As a consequence, the presidential election of 26 October is hereby upheld as is the election of the third respondent," said Chief Justice David Maraga, referring to Kenyatta.

Maraga had in September annulled an August election due to "irregularities and illegalities", a historic decision hailed across the globe as an opportunity to boost Kenyan democracy.

However, the ruling -- a rare victory for Odinga -- only deepened acrimony and protests, leaving the country deeply divided.

Accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to make fundamental reforms to improve the vote, Odinga withdrew from the October ballot which he urged his followers to boycott.

'Toxic environment'

Tensions had risen across the country ahead of the ruling, with violent clashes between opposition supporters and police in Nairobi on Friday

In the run-up to the vote, a top election official fled the country, saying the poll would not be credible, and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati himself said he could not guarantee a free and fair election.

Election day was marred by chaos in opposition strongholds, with polling stations unable to open in 25 constituencies.

The boycott handed Kenyatta a landslide victory of 98 percent, although turnout was only 39 percent.

This time, Odinga and his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition did not go to court to challenge the second election, but a former politician and two rights activists did.

They pointed to procedural questions, the toxic democratic environment, and Chebukati's own questioning of the process.

However the six-judge bench dismissed the petitions in a matter of minutes.

'Decision under duress'

In a statement, Odinga said the ruling "did not come as a surprise", nor did it alter his opposition to a government he regards as illegitimate.

"It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathise with it," he said.

Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga described the Supreme Court's ruling as "a decision under duress"

News of the court's decision sparked celebrations in Kenyatta's strongholds.

"Let NASA people now go and mourn quietly and allow us to celebrate. They were laughing last time, today it is our turn," said Jackson Mandago the governor of Uasin Gishu county.

"We are happy that we will not have another election until 2022."

But while many will be breathing a sigh of relief that the prolonged election process is drawing to an end, tensions remain high in opposition strongholds.

"Maraga has gone against our wish. They could have nullified it because that was not an election. It was just done in parts of the country," said Mercyline Akinyi in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, where protesters set a vehicle alight.

"We will wait for Baba (Odinga), to tell us the way forward."

Clashes had erupted in Nairobi's Mathare slum on Sunday after four bodies were found in the street, with outrage spreading to Kibera and protests also taking place in Kisumu.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said the cause of the four deaths was not immediately clear but that the victims appeared to have been hit by a blunt object, while one had also been cut.

It was not immediately clear how Kenya's opposition supporters would respond to the court ruling

However, the opposition claimed the four had been shot dead, and angry residents blamed members of Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribe.

Tensions had also risen on Friday when a mass opposition demonstration to welcome Odinga back from a trip overseas turned violent, with three demonstrators shot dead in Muthurwa, a suburb not far from Mathare.
Founder and Chairman of Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, recently visited Ghana as part of activities to strengthen AIGs work and impact in the country. AIG is a not-for-profit founded to inspire the transformation of Africas public sector.

AIG works with governments, academic institutions and other partners to improve governance and promote the emergence of a high-performing public sector. AIGs pioneering initiative brings proven private sector innovation, leadership and funding to the public sector in a private-public partnership that seeks to attract, inspire and support future leaders of Africas public sector.

AIG Leadership consists eminent West Africans, including His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State and former President of Nigeria who serves as the Chairman, AIG Panel of Advisors and Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta Honourable Minister of Finance for Ghana who serves as a member of the AIG Panel of Advisors.

As part of his visit, Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, President Nana Akufo-Addo, during which he briefed the President on AIGs activities, particularly in relation to Ghana. Opportunities for collaboration in the area of capacity building for public servants were also discussed.

Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede also met with Justice Mrs. Georgina Wood (Retired), immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, and current Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) Fellow. In October 2017, Justice Mrs. Wood (Retired) was announced the 2017-2018 AIG Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. The AIG Fellowship is awarded each year to an individual from West Africa who has demonstrated evidence of outstanding contribution to the public good, through exemplary leadership in public service.

The stay at Oxford provides AIG Fellows the opportunity to further develop their understanding of specific policy issues and solutions, and reflect on practices in other countries. Following the Fellowship period at the School, AIG Fellows will help drive AIGs vision for transformational public-sector leadership across the African continent.

In their discussions, Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede and Justice Mrs. Wood (Retired) restated their shared visions for building the capacity of public servants and committed to collaborating in this regard for the strengthening and development of Ghanas public sector.

As part of her AIG Fellow appointment, Justice Mrs. Wood (Retired) will also serve as a mentor to AIG Scholars. In June 2016, AIG signed a partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, under which AIG will fund five scholarships every year to talented, young West Africans from all backgrounds, for graduate study at the Blavatnik School over a five-year period. The inaugural AIG Scholars were announced in August 2017. The selection process for the 2018  2019 AIG Scholars is currently underway.

Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede also called on Mr. Ofori-Atta, Honourable Minister of Finance for Ghana and member of the AIG Panel of Advisors during the visit.

ABOUT AFRICA INITIATIVE FOR GOVERNANCE (AIG)

Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) is a not-for-profit founded to inspire the transformation of Africas public sector. AIG works with governments, academic institutions and other partners to improve governance and transform public sector performance.

AIGs pioneering initiative brings proven private sector innovation, leadership and funding to the public sector in a private-public partnership that seeks to attract, inspire and support future leaders of Africas public sector.

With AIGs continuing support, these high-calibre individuals will be able to drive best practice standards of governance in Africa, ensuring sustainable economic growth and social justice.
The Member of Parliament for Assin South has pledged to reduce hunger among pupils in the district to help Ghana meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reverend John Ntim Fordjour says he will sustain the free School Feeding Program he personally initiated and funded for pupils.

The free school feeding program which the MP has been running for the past two years is part of a broader vision aimed at providing schools in some of the most deprived communities in the constituency with one hot nutritious meal, prepared from locally grown foodstuff on every school going day.

He was speaking at the launch of the Assin Adubiase Methodist School Speech and Prize giving day in the Central Region.

The MP also presented 10 computers for the learning of ICT in the school and established a modern ICT laboratory. The occasion was used to launch of the 111th anniversary of the school.

Rev Ntim Fordjour said the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has proven to be an effective strategy for increasing enrolment, attendance, retention and even performance of school children in deprived communities.

He said in spite of government's resolve to expand the programme, there were still some deprived communities in the area that were not covered.

The MP, therefore, called on the Gender Minister as well as all well-meaning stakeholders to support the effort.

"I am committed to contributing to the reduction of hunger and malnutrition, improve health status of school children as well as support local farmers by the use of local foodstuffs in order to maintain food security in communities in a more sustainable manner," he noted.

He said the GSFP has the potential to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty and serve as the yardstick for measuring the attainment of the SDGs.

The MP has also facilitated a number of scholarships and training programmes for more than 500 qualified students from the area to pursue further studies and training from the nation's tertiary institutions.

The Assin Adubiase Methodist School, the first to be established in the Central Province of the Gold Coast in 1906 has produced illustrious personalities including Dr K. A Busia, former President of Ghana.

It also produced Kwaku Baako Senior, Justice Siaw, a Supreme Court Judge and Nana Amankwa Tia, former Benkumhene of Bantama.

Rev Fordjour urged the students to study hard to enable them to take full advantage of government's free education policy.

Assin South District Chief Executive (DCE), Derrick Owusu Ambrose, reiterated government's commitment to providing the infrastructure and logistical needs of educational institutions to enhance academic work.
As part of the monitoring exercise on the Free SHS policy, the Eastern Regional Minister who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Nkawkaw constituency, Honorable Eric Kwakye Dafour paid a visit to Asamankese Senior High School in the West Akim Municipality on Tuesday, 14th November, 2017, to see how far the program has been and challenges confronting the school management, students and Teachers.

In a brief ceremony chaired by the Headmaster of the School, Rev. S.M.A. Munyuhitum, the Honorable Minister confessed and lamented how tedious the teaching job is and has become. He therefore charged teachers never to give up and keep the professionalism high.

ADVICE TO TEACHERS

The Minister, Honourable Darfour, took the opportunity to see teachers as part of him, since he played the role as a teacher years back. He used his experience as a teacher in Abuakwa State College from 1982 -1985 to advice teachers to have sound moral attitude to be able to teach. He said, It is not easy assembling over two thousand students at a place to talk to but cautioned tutors present to have the character and attitude to be able to handle the students.

He stressed that, since the school is mixed school, male teachers need the fortitude in handling the young girls. He also charged teachers to handle the students entrusted in their hands as their own children and help enhance the image of the school they teach in.

On the part of perception of others and teachers towards the profession, the Minister told teachers to esteem their job since there is a huge unemployment situation in the country. He further stressed on the fact that, postings of teachers are not done based on party colours and that teachers who want preferences on place to be posted should not attribute it to political colours if their preferences are not met. He therefore asked teachers to use the right channels when dealing with issues of postings and other educational problems.

The Minister ceased the opportunity to caution the Ghana Education Service Directorates across the country to be each other keepers. He said, Sometimes, you teachers, you are your own enemies; It is your own colleagues who are undermining the directorate he bemoan to the teachers that, some of the people who man the directorates behaves as if they dont know their own colleagues. Sometimes, it borders on corruption he added. The Minister advised various Educational Directorates to be each other keepers and should help one another because teachers in the classrooms and the directorates belong to the same fraternity  Doing that will uplift the image of GES for all He proposed.

FREE SHS

Touching on the free SHS policy, the Honourable Minister said teachers should handle the 704 students under the policy in the school very well. He noted to the over 110 staff present that; the free SHS is not under piloting. Its in full swing he said. He admitted the challenges the free SHS policy is fraught with, be it accommodation, classrooms and the rest but assured the School that, Ghana Educational Trust Fund (GetFund) is working with government to put in place the necessary infrastructure and logistics to help arrest the present situation.

POLITICS

The Minister admonished teachers who take politics to the classrooms and their common rooms to desist and act professionally. He said, Im an NPP man but I have not come here with my T-shirt or my muffler or whatever, but I know those of you who are here, some will be NPP, some will be NDC and Im tempted to believe that we can have Akua Donkor here- That is the essence of democracy, but dont let your political inclinations overshadow your performance Dont bring partisan thing here. He concluded by advising teachers not to walk on that tangent and that, the time for politicking is over. He charged teachers to exhibit professionalism and not switch politics to the classroom.

HEADMASTER AND STAFF COMMENDATION AND APPEAL

The headmaster of the school, Rev S.M.A. Munyuhitum, commended the government for providing books for the students and stressed that, it should continue in that direction. He appealed once more to the government to help him and the entire school to arrest two key problems confronting the school as far as the free SHS policy is concerned. He listed inadequate space for girls in the boarding house and shortage of beds in the boys dormitory as the major two challenges the school is bedeviled.

To close the gathering, the Assistant Headmaster (Administration), Mr. Albert Turkson, proposed to government to have a relook into the Free SHS policy since it has been difficult for students who find certain courses difficult switching to another they can excel in- comparing the current system to the previous, students are given the chance to switch courses if they find certain courses uncomfortable. He therefore appealed to the government to provide avenue for students to be able to change courses after placement.

A teacher, Mr. Frank Dankwa, also appealed to the government to assist the school with a beautiful bus since those in use have all worn out and growing rickety as the school ages.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe came under increasing pressure to quit after his ruling party said Monday it was prepared to force the defiant leader from power by moving to impeach him.

In a televised address late Sunday, the 93-year-old president flouted expectations he would step down after a military takeover, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

Lawmakers from his ruling ZANU-PF party said that they would take the first steps on Tuesday necessary to push Mugabe from office after the veteran leader ignored their ultimatum he resign by 1000 GMT Monday.

"We want to get rid of this animal called Mugabe, he must go. We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us," said ZANU-PF MP Vongai Mupereri.

"We have got a clear position, we are going to impeach -- the man has to go," said another government MP, MacKenzie Ncube, speaking to AFP after a key meeting of ruling party lawmakers.

Once a simple majority of parliamentarians vote for impeachment, an investigative committee is formed by lawmakers, who report back to both houses of parliament. Each house must then vote by a two-thirds majority for him to be stripped of office.

The struggle for succession pitched Grace Mugabe, the president's wife, against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose reputation for patience and ruthlessness has given him the nickname of "The Crocodile"

Mugabe's weekend speech capped an extraordinary weekend that saw Zimbabweans celebrate while also venting their anger in ways that would have been brutally repressed just a week ago.

But their joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe brushed aside the turmoil, blithely declaring on Sunday he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him.

Hundreds of noisy demonstrators gathered at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare on Monday to call for Mugabe to stand down.

'He's lost his marbles'

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, called Mugabe's speech a "complete reversal of the people's expectations".

"The so-called negotiation with the army did not produce the dignified exit that the nation was expecting."

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, called for less restrained protests than those staged at the weekend in an effort to dislodge Mugabe.

"He's lost his marbles," he said.

Though Mugabe has struggled with public speaking in recent years, the wily statesman appeared alert and attentive as he delivered his address.

"It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on his way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver.

Mugabe's defiant speech provoked disbelief and anger among crowds who had gathered to watch

The crisis erupted on November 13 after a factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted into the open.

Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him when 75-year-old vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to the military leadership, was fired.

After Mnangagwa fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

The army insists it has not carried out a coup, but rather a police action to arrest allegedly corrupt supporters of the highly ambitious first lady.

When Mugabe refused to step down following behind-the-scenes talks, the generals unleashed people power.

In scenes reminiscent of Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, crowds packed the cities, waving flags and chanting for Mugabe to resign.

On Sunday ZANU-PF dismissed him as its leader and demanded he resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Chronology of Zimbabwe since independence

Unruffled

Mugabe seemed unfazed in his speech and made no reference to the hostile chorus calling for him to go, describing last week's dramatic military intervention as "no threat" to his rule.

Chris Vandome, an analyst at the Chatham House think-tank, warned that further delays heightened the risk of disorder.

"They will start impeaching him (Tuesday), that is certainly the will of the military, but it's increasingly now the will of the people," he told AFP.

"The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases."

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans turned out for rallies to demand Mugabe's resignation -- an extraordinary event in a country where protests were routinely crushed

Some sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee future protection for him and his family.

Mugabe was a key figure in the war for independence and took office as prime minister in 1980, riding a wave of goodwill.

But his reputation was swiftly tarnished by his authoritarian instincts, rights abuses and economic ineptitude.

Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, urged "everyone to refrain from violence".

"What does appear clear is that Mugabe has lost the support of the people and of his party," British Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said.
Mourning relatives on Monday identified the bruised bodies of victims of a stampede that killed 15 women during a food aid delivery near the popular tourist town of Essaouira on Morocco's coast.

"I hardly recognised my mother," said Mjid, a son of one of the victims.

Hundreds of women had gathered on Sunday at a marketplace in the village of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Essaouira, for an annual distribution of food aid organised by a benefactor from the region.

A witness told AFP that people had pushed and broken down barriers as they fought for food.

Speaking from a hospital bed, one survivor compared the incident to deadly stampedes during the annual Islamic pilgrimage that draws millions of worshippers to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

"If you fall, it's over for you and you get trampled on," she said. "Nobody came to our aid, everyone was shouting for help."

Authorities have launched a probe into the tragedy, which also injured 10 women.

At the morgue of Essaouira's hospital, the scent of incense barely covered the stench of corpses wrapped in blankets.

Mohamed, a forensic doctor from Essaouira who preferred not to give his last name, said the bodies were "in a sorry state".

"They had severe fractures, huge bruises on the body," he said.

The families of the dead come to identify their relatives as ambulances waited to take the bodies away for burial.

"I lost my big sister," said Habiba, a woman bundled up in a pink djellaba robe, a veil over her hair.

Relatives on November 20, 2017 gather in Morocco's coastal town of Essaouira for the funeral of Zahra Bent Abdelmajid, one of 15 women killed in a stampede the previous day during a food aid delivery

"She came to get oil and flour, but there were too many people. She fell and was trampled on," the 57-year-old said.

The press and social media users have blamed Morocco's glaring social and regional inequalities for the accident, calling it a "two-speed country".

News website Medias 24 blamed poverty for the crush, calling it an "unprecedented tragedy".

"People here are needy, there is no agriculture, no work," Mjid said.

He moved from Sidi Boulaalam to commercial capital Casablanca as a young man, leaving behind a village of 8,000 people eking out a meagre living from their livestock, far from the developed infrastructure of Morocco's main cities.

Provincial officials said arrangements had been made for the aid delivery, but "the crowd exceeded estimates".

Khalid Azourar, a member of a local NGO, blamed the accident on a lack of organisation.

"Poverty is in people's minds," he said. "People do not know how to respect a queue".

An official report in early October slammed severe poverty in rural areas of Morocco.

Medias 24 said Sidi Boulaalam was "one of the poorest" villages in the country.
When Kwame Nkrumah finally made the famous statement on the eve of 6th March 1957 the streets of Ghana "were filled with hope and optimism, the people had never been this elated before. The other African countries looked on with pride and filled with hope knowing that their time for freedom was not far off". The people were not only excited for their freedom and the golden opportunity to decide for themselves, they expected increased in their well-being, employment and stable economy.

It was declared as the "new dawn" for Ghana and Africa. "New dawn" it proved to be as independence swept through colonial Africa. Each country that emancipated itself from their oppressed rulers declared a "new dawn" for their country and the continent as well. But alas, the new dawn didnt last.

Before that "new, fresh and optimistic dawn" would even reach some countries, Ghana had gotten bored of the leader of the "new dawn" who some called "dictator, tyrant" and by the power of the gun removed him from office just 9 years after the "famous dawn". Interestingly, the people rejoiced again and hope rushed through their veins once more. The coup architects declared "New dawn, new hope".

After two decades, the rising sun finally reached Zimbabwe. Led by the gallant Robert Mugabe, the revolution was in full force and there was no going back. Independence was achieved and Mugabe became the hero of the "new dawn" of Zimbabwe. He was the man to claim the land of Zimbabwe from Britain and the lands of Zimbabwe from the minority whites back to the peasant farmers who were the natural owners. Amid the tension and threats (from the Western world) of such action he stood firm. After all, heroes never have it easy.

However, after thirty seven years since the dawn reached Zimbabwe, the light of the dawn has become too weakened, too dim that the country has to declare a "new dawn" again.

This "new dawn" unlike the first is coming after a black man who once brought hope and optimism to the people seem to be on his way out after a 'bloodless and uncoup coup' and subsequently being sacked from a party that he formed. Even before the once hero Mugabe resigns, one General of Zimbabwe declared to the BBC, this is a new dawn for Zimbabwe, Mugabe can go farming. The man that brought hope is now relegated to giving hope to the farms?

Will this "new dawn" bring with it the bright glorious day that comes along with dawn? Or will this new dawn also never see the light of day till we grow tired and bored and declare yet again a "new dawn"? Well we leave this to time that never fails to know the outcome.

Africa has been experiencing wave after wave of "new dawns" but the continent has not made any significant improvements to match the endless hopes and promises.

The "new dawn" seems to usually bring with it the old disappointments, despair and pain after few years.

Hope greeted Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Modibo Keita of Mali, and Sir Edward Muteesa II of Uganda before they became presidents but few years after they became the old enemies to some of the people they brought hope to. Robert Mugabe seems to be the next on that list and new dawn has already been declared.

But is this dawn really a new dawn or just the same old enemy bringing its ugly head again just to be crashed in few years time?

It is clear that to achieve the promises of the new dawn, it requires the honest and diligent efforts of all the citizens and until then, we will always be welcoming a new dawn without ever feeling the awesomeness of a bright day.

Maybe in Africa and in Zimbabwe, the new dawn is the same old enemy.

WRITTEN BY

COSMOS SAVIOUR ANSAH
MTN Ghana Foundation has cut sod for the construction of an ultra-modern library and ICT center for students of New Juaben Senior High School in the Eastern region. The construction of the library, which is expected to be completed within the next six months, will be fully furnished with modern computersandbooks to aid teaching and learning.

The project comes at a cost of GH602,150.00and will benefit more than 2,124 studentsof New Juaben SHS. The facility will provide students with a secured and conducive learning environment when completed.

The sod cutting for theultra-modern library and ICT center at New Juaben Senior High School forms part of the MTN Ghana Foundations 10th Anniversary activities. The Foundation is celebrating itsanniversary under the theme Celebrating Ten years of brightening lives, inspiring a brighter future.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Ag. Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Mr. Samuel Koranteng said, the MTN Ghana Foundation accepted to embark on this project because we understand the importance of an integrated library as a source for providing comprehensive information needed by students to positively influence academic performance.

He further mentioned that, As an organization with the vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, we understand that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is very critical in a world where a full range of electronic technologies and techniques are used to manage information and knowledge.

The headmaster of New Juaben Senior High School, Mr. Frank Obeng Wilson who was present at the sod-cutting ceremony said, this library which is about to be constructed holds good promise for this school. Since the inception of the school 64 years ago, the major challenge has always been the absence of a well-stocked library.This intervention by the MTN Ghana Foundation will bring relief in this area and grant our students a better chance at excelling academically.

The MTN Ghana Foundation launched its 10th Anniversary Celebration on 30th October 2017. The celebration will span a five month period from October 2017 to March 2018. As part of activities to mark the 10th Anniversary, the Foundation presented equipment to the Assistive Technology Unit of the University of Ghana. In addition, the Foundation will commission a 40 bed maternity ward for Tema General Hospital, a Palm Oil Processing plant for over 200 women at Juaso in the Ashanti Region, construction of a six classroom block at Nhyiaeso Basic School, offer scholarships to 300 brilliant students across the country.The Foundation will also organize a Thought Leadership event on CSR,andorganize a Social Media Campaign dubbed the Ten Good deeds.

The MTN Ghana Foundation was established andlaunched on 23rd November 2007. Since its inception, the MTN Ghana Foundation has implemented over 142 major projects in areas of health, education and economic empowerment at a total cost USD 13 million. These projects are estimated to have impacted over 4 million people directly and several others indirectly.

The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in November 2007 as the vehicle to select and implement MTNs Corporate Social Investments. MTN Ghana Foundation has three areas of focus -Health, Education and Economic Empowerment. From inception to December 2016, the Foundation had undertaken 142 major projects across the country. Notable health projects include: construction of a Neonatal Care Center for Tamale Teaching Hospital, refurbishment of the 2nd floor maternity block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, construction of a maternity block for Ejisu Government Hospital, and construction of an Emergency Center for Atua Government Hospital. Education projects undertaken include: construction of a boys dormitory for Akropong School for the Blind, construction of a six-unit classroom block for Kodjonya Millennium School, establishment of 10 MTN ICT Learning Centers in each of Ghanas 10 regions and the institution of an Innovation Hub at KNUST to promote Telecoms Engineering and Research. Key projects undertaken in Economic Empowerment include: the construction of shea butter processing centers, provision of seed capital and skill training for Women of Tizaa Dini Association of Yendi and the Sung Suma Women Association of Wa.

Mrs. Nabila-williams A Board Member Of MTN Ghana Foundation, Breaks The Ground At Project Site With Support From Some Dignitaries

The Headmaster Of New Juaben Senior High School, Mr. Frank Obeng Wilson Breaks The Ground At Project Site
Police and security forces killed at least 53 protesters during anti-government demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo between April and October, according to a report released Monday.

The National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) report said officers used "disproportionate" force during an outbreak of street protests against the extended rule of President Joseph Kabila.

Fifty-two people were shot dead and one other died from tear gas over the sixth month period, according to 200 observers who monitored the protests for CENCO. Three police officers were killed by demonstrators.

The report also found that at least 105 people were injured -- 87 of them with bullet wounds -- and at least 335 protesters arrested by the police, armed forces and security services.

Four police jeeps, two offices and a shop were set alight by protesters.

"The use of disproportionate force by the police and other state agencies is the basis for at least 98.67 percent of human rights violations" during the protests, the report said, adding that demonstrators should also "avoid all acts that could undermine public order".

The Congolese government defended the actions of the police and questioned the legitimacy of the report for its "malicious intent or lack of professionalism".

"This report by CENCO only gives the time parameters without specifying the places where these acts occurred", Congolese government spokesman, Lambert Mende, told AFP.

More protests planned

Demonstrations against Kabila have often turned violent since he refused to step down at the end of his second and final term last December.

But as protests and a bloody crackdown swelled, a deal was brokered by the Catholic Church enabling him to stay in office pending elections to be held by the end of 2017.

That election has now been delayed until December 23, 2018, and opposition and citizen movements are planning a "peaceful demonstration" on November 28 to demand Kabila's resignation in the next month.

On Thursday, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Canada expressed "concern" over the state of freedom of expression and assembly in the country.

The DR Congo's history is a bloody one. Two decades ago, the country collapsed into the deadliest conflict in modern African history.

Its two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead. The east of the country remains a battleground for rival ethnic militias.

Kabila took office after his father Laurent was assassinated in 2001 at the height of the Second Congo War.

He was confirmed as leader in 2006 during the first free elections since independence, and re-elected for a second term in 2011 in a vote marred by accusations of fraud.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe came under increasing pressure to quit Monday as his ruling party said it would move to impeach him and the army revealed his likely successor would soon return to the country.

In a televised address late Sunday, the 93-year-old president had flouted expectations he would step down after the military's takeover, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

Lawmakers from his ruling ZANU-PF party said that they would take the first steps on Tuesday to force Mugabe from office after he ignored their ultimatum to resign.

"We want to get rid of this animal called Mugabe. We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us," said ZANU-PF MP Vongai Mupereri.

"We are going to impeach -- the man has to go," said another government MP, MacKenzie Ncube, speaking to AFP after a meeting of lawmakers who until recently were his fiercely loyal supporters.

On Monday evening, army chief Constantino Chiwenga said that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent deal over Mugabe's exit.

Chiwenga also said the president was in touch with Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ousted vice president whose sacking triggered the military takeover and Mugabe's loss of power.

"The security services are encouraged by new developments which include contact between the president and the former vice president... who is expected in the country shortly," Chiwenga said.

"Thereafter the nation will be advised of the outcome of talks between the two."

Chiwenga called for calm after Zimbabweans had celebrated Saturday at huge anti-Mugabe marches that would have been brutally repressed just a week ago.

Their joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe brushed aside the turmoil, blithely declaring on Sunday he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him.

'He's lost his marbles'

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, called Mugabe's speech a "complete reversal of the people's expectations".

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, called for larger protests than those staged at the weekend in an effort to dislodge Mugabe.

"He's lost his marbles," he added.

Though Mugabe has struggled with public speaking in recent years, the wily statesman appeared alert and attentive as he delivered his address.

"It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on his way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver.

Mugabe's defiant speech provoked disbelief and anger among crowds who had gathered to watch

The crisis erupted on November 13 after a factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted into the open.

Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed him when Mnangagwa, who is close to the military leadership, was fired.

After Mnangagwa fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

The army insists it has not carried out a coup, but rather an operation to arrest allegedly corrupt supporters of the highly ambitious first lady.

On Sunday ZANU-PF dismissed Mugabe as its leader and demanded he resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Chronology of Zimbabwe since independence

Risk of violence?

Chris Vandome, an analyst at the Chatham House think-tank, warned that further delays heightened the risk of disorder.

"They will start impeaching him (Tuesday), that is certainly the will of the military, but it's increasingly now the will of the people," he told AFP.

"The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases."

Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans turned out for rallies to demand Mugabe's resignation -- an extraordinary event in a country where protests were routinely crushed

Some sources suggest Mugabe has been battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee future protection for him and his family.

Mugabe was a key figure in the war for independence and took office as prime minister in 1980, riding a wave of goodwill.

But his reputation was swiftly tarnished by his authoritarian instincts, rights abuses and economic ineptitude.

Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, urged "everyone to refrain from violence".

"What does appear clear is that Mugabe has lost the support of the people and of his party," British Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said.
US authorities arrested two officials representing a Chinese energy company in a multi-year, multimillion dollar bribery scheme in Africa, with some deals arranged in the halls of the United Nations, officials announced Monday.

Former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Gadio and Hong Kong's former home affairs secretary Chi Ping Patrick Ho sent huge bribes to high-level officials in Chad and Uganda to secure favorable oil business for a Chinese state energy company, according to a statement.

The pair allegedly offered a $2 million bribe to the President of Chad "to obtain valuable oil rights," and a $500,000 bribe to an account designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, who had recently completed his term as the President of the UN General Assembly.

"In an international corruption scheme that spanned the globe, Chi Ping Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio allegedly conspired to bribe African government officials on behalf of a Chinese energy conglomerate," acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H. Kim said in the statement.

With almost a million dollars wired through New York's banking system, the bribes were said to have been sent under the guise of donations.

Ho also provided the Ugandan Foreign Minister, as well as the President of Uganda, with gifts and promises of future benefits -- including offering to share the profits of a potential joint venture, authorities said.

"Their bribes and corrupt acts hurt our economy and undermine confidence in the free marketplace," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco.

Ho, 68, and Gadio, 61, are each charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering, with possible jail sentences of as much as 20 years. They were arrested over the weekend in New York.
Veteran Nigerian broadcaster and actor, Abubakar Sadiq Daba, has been bed ridden for some months now without getting help from key players in the country.

Recently, Nollywood actor, Femi Branch, who has been asking questions about the actors update stated that if people continue to wait for politicians to help then it will be a waste of time but Nigerians could come together to donate little amount to raise the needed money to help save his life.

According to the actor while sharing his plea on social media, he said,

YES HE'S STILL ALIVE BUT PLS LET'S KEEP HIM THAT WAY

If we are looking for 20 Senators to donate 1million each to save Sadiq Dabah's life, we are simply wasting precious time. If 20,000 people come out and transfer just N1,000 each into that account as we speak, we would have raised 20million in less than a day. There was hardly a teenager in the 70s and 80s (who are now bigger boys and girls) who didn't know Bitrus on TV. As for me, we however got close aside TV when I was playing with the IQ Band at The Calabash in Victoria Island in Lagos in the 90s when he always came around to watch us with Danladi Bako and others. Quite a jolly good fellow and a friend to all. That guy should not die I beg...! Now, let's do this....If you ever watched COCKCROW AT DAWN those years, let's start representing here by donating 1k into that account. God willing, by tomorrow morning we would have made a magnanimous impact... I've just done mine! ABUBAKAR SADIQ DABA 1005382276 UBA.
Review of CI.133 will aid in ...
To be sure, Lee is not popularly identified with Sanders or the anti-establishment Left. She often appears with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and she bucked fellow Progressive Caucus leaders Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva by staying neutral in the 2016 primaries.

But the relationship between Lee and party leaders has not always been smooth. Pelosi tried to talk her out of her 2001 AUMF vote, and her friendship with Pelosi was not enough to win her the Democratic Caucuss vice chair position when she ran in 2016. Sanders Democrats appear to see Lee as a potential ally; when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced her run for re-election in 2018, Berniecrat freshman Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called on Lee to throw her hat into the ring, calling her a voice for reasserting Congress role on matters of war and peace. Lee, to put it simply, has cred.



Lee was born in segregated El Paso, Texas, in 1946. Her mother needed a caesarean section and had to beg for medical care in the hospital. Her father convinced the admitting personnel that, because she had white ancestry, she deserved to be born there. Lee was scarred by the forceps used in the C-section and says she reaches to the scar to remind herself that bigotry can be overcome.

The hospital created a makeshift segregated area, where her mother languished in pain due to subpar medical attention while in labor. As Lee writes in her book, her birth experience was emblematic of the multitude of indignities that white supremacy inflicted on Black people in the pre-civil rights South. I came out fighting, Lee has said.

Lees politicization began when she became involved with the Black Panther Party in 1968, working on the partys welfare programs in Oakland. The Panthers gave her the framework to analyze the problems facing Black people, and Black American women specifically, and helped her connect racism and exploitation here in America to wars abroad.

Being a part of the Black Panther movement, writes Lee, toughened me up, it made me realize that racism, sexism, economic exploitation, poverty, inequalityall issues we are still dealing withare a by-product or result of a system of capitalism that relies on cheap labor and keeping people fighting each other rather than uniting and working together for the common good.

Lees entrance into electoral politics began with Shirley Chisholm, whose 1972 campaign for president Lee ran in Northern Californiaa campaign that was supported by the Panthers, who distributed flyers saying A vote for Chisholm is a vote for survival. It was Chisholm who said, When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses. Lees efforts helped win Chisholm 12 of Californias 271 delegate slotsone of which went to Leeand earned her the attention of Rep. Ron Dellums, the Oakland socialist, who invited her to join his staff. In 1990, she was elected to the California State Assembly; in 1996, the state Senate; and in 1998, she won Dellums U.S. House seat upon his retirement.

As a member of the California legislature, Lee led the effort to pass Californias Violence Against Women Act. In her book, she recounts her own harrowing experience with domestic violence as the partner of a man who was mentally ill and physically and emotionally abusive. Women trapped in abusive relationships, she argues, are on the receiving end of both male and economic violence, since they often cannot afford to leave their partner. In Congress, Lee successfully rolled back a provision of President Bill Clintons 1996 one strike and youre out public housing policy that, outrageously, allowed the victims of domestic abuse to be evicted for involvement in a crime.

When Congressional Republicans advocate sunsetting the Violence Against Women Act or cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood, Lee, as a left Congresswoman from a working-class background, is one of a few who can speak with authority to the actual effects of that policy. Her peace activism, as well, is inseparable from her outrage at how Americas obsession with war abroad sucks resources for priorities here at home.

The military budget accounts for 53 percent of the federal discretionary budget. In fiscal year 2017, the Pentagon will spend $574 billion. Not only does the Pentagon budget destroy lives abroad, it completely undermines our ability to support basic human needs at home. Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way: A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

We spend more on our military activities than every other nation in the world combined, Lee says. Instead of redeploying troops, we need to redeploy where our money goes.



Peace activists interviewed for this story spoke glowingly of Lee. The word they used, again and again, was brave.

When you deal with Congress, you get disgusted with how easy it is for both Democrats and Republicans to cheerlead for war, to take money from the military-industrial complex and create a military-industrial-congressional complex that really crushes dissent, says Medea Benjamin of Code Pink. Its hard to find people to stand up.

Lee has been a consistent anti-war voice under four administrations. She was the sole House vote against Bill Clintons misadventure in Kosovo, which killed some 500 civilians. Under George W. Bush, Lee voted against the war in Iraq and led the effort for withdrawal. So, too, did Lee oppose Barack Obamas wars in Libya and Syria.

There was no authorization there, and it opened the floodgates for weapons, and it created an opening for groups like ISIS and Boko Haram, Lee tells In These Times. Weve created more threats to our national security than is warranted by our actions since in the War on Terror. She also condemned Obamas use of drone strikes and proposed legislation to curb them.

Lee has spoken out against President Trumps threats against North Korea, his arbitrary bombing of Syria, and the concentration of military officers in the White House. Lees criticism of John Kellys military background earned her a great deal of abuse from the Trumpian Right.



Asked about a 2020 presidential run, Lee demurs. When we get total public finance, call me back.

John Nichols of The Nation thinks that Lee would be a credible candidate. Of the members of the House, Barbara Lee arguably stands out. People know her record, he told In These Times. She is also a very appealing political figure. Shes good at working with people, reaching out, getting conversations going.

Bernie Sanders made it OK to talk about the deep-seated issues of the capitalist system, says Code Pinks Benjamin. We need a candidate that can talk about the deep-seated problems of a nation based on empire and how we need to move to the next systema system based on people, not profits.

Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies sees potential for Lee to emulate U.K. Labours Jeremy Corbyn, who won this incredible new level of support by focusing on economic justice, but never refusing to talk about the anti-war component. Indeed, in a certain sense, Lee is Americas Corbynno member of the British Parliament has been more closely identified with the U.K. anti-war movement, just as no member of Congress has been closer to the U.S. anti-war movement than Lee.

Lee will likely be more visible on the national stage in the coming year as Democrats, who see Trump as the GOPs Achilles heel, send their stars to stump for congressional candidates. A House Democratic majority would give Lee a platform, as a senior member of the appropriations committee, to take on the military-industrial complex. Lee has been swimming against that tide. Its finally starting to turn.

Shes as brave and tough as it takes, says Bennis. Imagine if there was a real movement behind her.

Matthew Cunningham-Cook is a Maryland-based writer whose work has appeared in International Business Times, Labor Notes, Jacobin and The Nation. He is a labor researcher for the Communications Workers of America. The views expressed in the article are his own, not those of CWA.

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President Donald Trump View Photos

Donald Trump discussed his 12-day trip to Asia and was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

I returned from a historic 12-day trip to Asia. This journey took us to five nations to meet with dozens of foreign leaders, participate in three formal state visits, and attend three key regional summits. It was the longest visit to the region by an American President in more than a quarter of a century.

Everywhere we went, our foreign hosts greeted the American delegation, myself included, with incredible warmth, hospitality, and most importantly respect. And this great respect showed very well our country is  further evidence that Americas renewed confidence and standing in the world has never been stronger than it is right now.

When we are confident in ourselves, our strength, our flag, our history, our values  other nations are confident in us. And when we treat our citizens with the respect they deserve, other countries treat America with the respect that our country so richly deserves.

During our travels, this is exactly what the world saw: a strong, proud, and confident America.

Today, I want to update the American people on the tremendous success of this trip and the progress weve made to advance American security and prosperity throughout the year.

When I came into office, our country was faced with a series of growing dangers. These threats included rogue regimes pursuing deadly weapons, foreign powers challenging Americas influence, the spread of the murderous terror group ISIS, and years of unfair trade practices that had dangerously depleted our manufacturing base and wiped out millions and millions of middle-class jobs.

The challenges were inherited, and these products really showed what previous mistakes were made over many years  and even decades  by other administrations. Some of these mistakes were born of indifference and neglect. Others from naive thinking and misguided judgement. In some cases, the negative influence of partisan politics and special interests was to blame. But the one common thread behind all of these problems was a failure to protect and promote the interests of the American people and American workers.

Upon my inauguration, I pledged that we would rebuild America, restore its economic strength, and defend its national security. With this goal in mind, I vowed that we would reaffirm old alliances and form new friendships in pursuit of shared goals. Above all, I swore that in every decision, with every action, I would put the best interests of the American people first.

Over the past 10 months, traveling across the globe and meeting with world leaders, that is exactly what I have done.

Earlier this year, in Saudi Arabia, I spoke to the leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations about our strategy to defeat terrorists by stripping them of financing, territory, and ideological support. And I urged the leaders to drive out the terrorists and extremists from their societies. Since that time, we have dealt ISIS one crushing defeat after another.

In Israel, I reaffirmed the unbreakable bond between America and the Jewish State, and I met with leaders of the Palestinian Authority and initiated an effort to facilitate lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

In Brussels, I urged our NATO allies to do more to strengthen our crucial alliance and set the stage for significant increases in member contributions. Billions and billions of dollars are pouring in because of that initiative. NATO, believe me, is very happy with Donald Trump and what I did.

In Warsaw, I declared to the world Americas resolve to preserve and protect Western civilization and the values we hold so dear.

In Rome, Sicily, Hamburg, and Paris, I strengthened our friendships with key allies to promote our shared interests of security and prosperity.

In September, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, I urged that the nations of the world join in confronting rogue regimes that threaten humanity and laid out a model for international cooperation grounded in respect for sovereignty and the responsibilities that come with it.

On each trip, I have worked to advance American interests and leadership in the world.

And to each of these places, I have carried our vision for a better  a vision for something stronger and sovereign  so important  sovereign and independent nations, rooted in their histories, confident in their destinies, and cooperating together to advance their security, prosperity, and the noble cause of peace.

It was this same vision that I carried to Asia two weeks ago. And it was this same commitment to you, the American people, that was always at the forefront of my mind and my thinking.

Our trip was defined by three core goals. First: to unite the world against the nuclear menace posed by the North Korean regime, a threat that has increased steadily through many administrations and now requires urgent action.

Second: to strengthen Americas alliances and economic partnerships in a free and open Indo-Pacific, made up of thriving, independent nations, respectful of other countries and their own citizens, and safe from foreign domination and economic servitude.

And third: to finally  after many years  insist on fair and reciprocal trade. Fair and reciprocal trade  so important. These two words  fairness and reciprocity  are an open invitation to every country that seeks to do business with the United States, and they are a firm warning to every country that cheats, breaks the rules, and engages in economic aggression  like theyve been doing in the past, especially in the recent past.

That is why we have almost an $800-billion-a-year trade deficit with other nations. Unacceptable. We are going to start whittling that down, and as fast as possible.

With these goals, it was my profound honor to travel on this journey as your representative. I explained to all of the world leaders, and across Asia, how well the United States is doing. Economic growth has been over 3 percent the last two quarters and is going higher. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 17 years. The stock market has gained trillions of dollars in value since my election and has reached record highs. We are massively increasing our military budget to historic levels. The House has just passed a nearly $700 billion defense package, and it could not come at a better time for our nation.

Once again our country is optimistic about the future, confident in our values, and proud of our history and a role in the world.

I want to thank every citizen of this country for the part you have played in making this great American comeback possible. In Asia, our message was clear and well received: America is here to compete, to do business, and to defend our values and our security.

We began our trip in Hawaii to pay our respects to brave American servicemembers at Pearl Harbor and the United States Pacific Command, the guardian of our security and freedom across the Indo-Pacific region.

our country prepared to observe Veterans Day, we remembered the incredible sacrifices and courage of all of the veterans whose service has preserved our liberty and a way of life that is very special. We also thanked military families for their support for our brave servicemen and women.

From Hawaii, we traveled to Japan, a crucial U.S. ally and partner in the region. Upon landing in Japan, my first act was to thank the American servicemembers and Japanese Self-Defense Forces who personify the strength of our enduring alliance.

Prime Minister Abe and I agreed on our absolute determination to remain united to achieve the goal of denuclearized North Korea. Shortly following our visit, Japan announced additional sanctions on 35 North Korean entities and individuals. Japan also committed to shouldering more of the burden of our common defense by reimbursing costs borne by American taxpayers, as well as by making deep investments in Japans own military. This will include purchases of U.S. advanced capabilities  from jet fighters to missile defense systems worth many, many billions of dollars  and jobs for the American worker.

The Prime Minister and I also discussed ways we can deepen our trade relationship based on the core principles of fairness and reciprocity. I am pleased that since January of this year, Japanese companies have announced investments in the United States worth more than $8 billion  17,000 jobs. Thank you.

Oh, they dont have water? Thats okay. What? Thats okay.

(Drinks water.)

THE PRESIDENT: Japanese manufacturers, Toyota and Mazda, announced that they will be opening a new plant in the United States that will create 4,000 jobs.

We also signed agreements between our nations to enhance infrastructure development, increase access to affordable energy, and advance our foreign policy goals through economic investment.

From Japan, we traveled to another key American ally in Asia  the Republic of Korea. My official state visit to South Korea was the first by an American President in 25 years.

Speaking before the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, I spoke the truth about the evil crimes of the North Korean regime, and I made clear that we will not allow this twisted dictatorship to hold the world hostage to nuclear blackmail.

I called on every nation, including China and Russia, to unite in isolating the North Korean regime  cutting off all ties of trade and commerce  until it stops its dangerous provocation on  and this is the whole key to what were doing  on denuclearization. We have to denuclearize North Korea.

We have ended the failed strategy of strategic patience, and, as a result, we have already seen important progress  including tough new sanctions from the U.N. council  we have a Security Council that has been with us and just about with us from the beginning.

South Korea agreed to harmonize sanctions and joined the United States in sanctioning additional rogue actors whose fund and funds have helped North Korea and North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Its unacceptable to us.

The United States welcomed the decision of President Moon to remove the payload restrictions on missiles to combat the North Korean threat. And together we reaffirmed our commitment to a campaign of maximum pressure.

Like Japan, South Korea is increasing its defense contributions. During our meetings, President Moon acknowledged his desire for equitable cost-sharing for the United States military forces stationed in South Korea. And I visited soldiers at Camp Humphreys, a brand-new, joint American-South Korean base, paid for almost entirely by the South Korean government. At that base, I discussed with the United States and South Korean military leaders both military options and readiness to respond to North Korean provocation or offensive actions.

During our visit, President Moon and I also discussed Americas commitment to reducing our trade deficit with South Korea. At my discretion and direction, we are currently renegotiating the disastrous U.S.-Korea trade agreement signed under the previous administration. It has been a disaster for the United States.

Last week, 42 South Korean companies announced their intent to invest in projects worth more than $17 billion dollars in the United States, and 24 companies announced plans to purchase $58 billion dollars in American goods and services.

From South Korea, Melania and I traveled to China, where, as in Japan and South Korea, we were greatly honored by the splendor of our reception. Our trip included the first official dinner held for a foreign leader in the Forbidden City since the founding of the modern China, where we enjoyed a very productive evening hosted by President Xi and his wonderful wife, Madam Peng.

During our visit, President Xi pledged to faithfully implement United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea and to use his great economic influence over the regime to achieve our common goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

President Xi recognizes that a nuclear North Korea is a grave threat to China, and we agreed that we would not accept a so-called freeze for freeze agreement like those that have consistently failed in the past. We made that time is running out and we made it clear, and all options remain on the table.

I also had very candid conversations with President Xi about the need to reduce our staggering trade deficit with China and for our trading relationship to be conducted on a truly fair and equitable basis. We can no longer tolerate unfair trading practices that steal American jobs, wealth, and intellectual property. The days of the United States being taken advantage of are over.

In China, we also announced $250 billion worth in trade-investment deals that will create jobs in the United States.

From China, I flew to the city of Da Nang in Vietnam, to attend the Leaders Meeting for APEC  Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. There, I spoke to a major gathering of business leaders, where I reminded the world of Americas historic role in the Pacific as a force for freedom and for peace.

Standing on this proud history, I offered our vision for robust trading relationships in which Indo-Pacific nations can all prosper and grow together. I announced that the United States is ready to make bilateral trade deals with any nation in the region that wants to be our partner in fair and reciprocal trade.

We will never again turn a blind eye to trading abuses, to cheating, economic aggression, or anything else from countries that profess a belief in open trade, but do not follow the rules or live by its principles themselves.

No international trading organization can function if members are allowed to exploit the openness of others for unfair economic gain. Trade abuses harm the United States and its workers  but no more. No more.

We will take every trade action necessary to achieve the fair and reciprocal treatment that the United States has offered to the rest of the world for decades.

My message has resonated. The 21 APEC leaders  for the first time ever  recognized the importance of fair and reciprocal trade, recognized the need to address unfair trade practices, and acknowledged that the WTO is in strong need of reform. These leaders also noted that countries must do a better job following the rules to which they agreed.

I also made very clear that the United States will promote a free and open Indo-Pacific in which nations enjoy the independence and respect they deserve.

In Vietnam, during a state visit in Hanoi, I also met with President Quang and Prime Minister Fook to discuss the growing friendship between our countries. Our Vietnamese partners are taking new actions to enforce sanctions on North Korea. In addition, we committed to expand trade and investment between our countries, and we pledged to address the imbalances. I am particularly pleased that the United States and Vietnam recently announced $12 billion in commercial agreements, which will include $10 billion in U.S. content.

Finally, I visited the Philippines, where I met with numerous world leaders at the U.S.-ASEAN and East Asia Summits. At ASEAN  the Association of Southeast Asian Nations  we made it clear that no one owns the ocean. Freedom of navigation and overflight are critical to the security and prosperity of all nations.

I also met with the Prime Ministers of India, Australia, and Japan to discuss our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During our visit, President Duterte of the Philippines thanked the American people and our armed forces for supporting the recent liberation of Marawi from ISIS. We pledged to strengthen and deepen our long-standing alliance.

At the East Asia Summit, the United States negotiated and signed four important leaders statements on the use of chemical weapons, money laundering, poverty alleviation, and countering terrorist propaganda and financing.

And crucially, at both summits and throughout the trip, we asked all nations to support our campaign of maximum pressure for North Korean denuclearization. And they are responding by cutting trade with North Korea, restricting financial ties to the regime, and expelling North Korean diplomats and workers.

Over the last two weeks, we have made historic strides in reasserting American leadership, restoring American security, and reawakening American confidence.

Everywhere we went, I reaffirmed our vision for cooperation between proud, independent and sovereign countries  and I made clear that the United States will be a reliable friend, a strong partner, and a powerful advocate for its own citizens.

The momentum from our trip will launch us on our continued effort to accomplish the three core objectives I outlined: to unite the world against North Korean nuclear threat, to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and to advance fair and reciprocal economic relations with our trading partners and allies in the region.

We have established a new framework for trade that will ensure reciprocity through enforcement actions, reform of international organizations, and new fair trade deals that benefit the United States and our partners.

And we have laid out a pathway toward peace and security in our world where sovereign nations can thrive, flourish, and prosper side-by-side.

This is our beautiful vision for the future. This is a where this vision  this dream  is only possible if America is strong, proud, and free.

As long as we are true to ourselves, faithful to our founding, and loyal to our citizens, then there is no task too great, no dream too large, no goal beyond our reach.

My fellow citizens: America is back. And the future has never looked brighter.

Thank you. God Bless you and God Bless the United States of America.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Sonora City Council Chambers View Photos

Sonora, CA  The Sonora City Council will debate issues related to marijuana legalization this evening.

On the agenda will be the first reading of an ordinance to limit the number of marijuana plants that can be grown indoors to six, with requirements like permission from the landowner and that growers conform to existing building codes. In addition, there must be a filtering system installed and a lockable door that prevents access by minors. The ordinance also calls for a ban on all outdoor cultivation. Tonight will be the first reading of the ordinance with a final vote anticipated early next month.

The city is still reviewing possibilities related to commercial cannabis and dispensaries. Citing that the State of California will begin issuing commercial cannabis licenses on January 1st, the council will vote on a temporary ban on commercial cannabis businesses in the city. Meeting documents indicate that this will allow additional time for staff to review items related to potential marijuana dispensaries, manufacturing or testing in the county. Todays meeting starts at 5pm at Sonora City Hall. It is open to the public.

The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors discussed marijuana last week at a special meeting. Click here to view the recap.
A new paper by Antoinette Schoar, the chair of the finance department at MITs Sloan School and one of the scholars whose studies helped provide the intellectual underpinnings justifying the inclusion of private equity in institutional portfolios, has released a new study that knocks the legs out from under some of her widely-cited earlier work on the persistence of the out-performance of top private equity funds. It also shows that private equity funds have not delivered the performance needed to justify investing in them. From Top 1000 Funds:

Persistence of returns in private equity is diminishing. Further, the returns themselves are not what they used to be. And in even further bad news, new research from a leading Massachusetts Institute of Technology academic shows that co-investment vehicles may not be a panacea for these problems New research by Antoinette Schoar, chair of the finance department and the Michael M Koerner Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, shows that persistence of returns from private-equity funds in the last decade has gone down, undoing the seminal research she co-authored with Steve Kaplan, from the University of Chicago, that showed returns persist strongly across funds raised by individual private equity partnerships. See Private-Equity-Performance-Returns-Persistence-and-Capital-Flows

As well discuss later in this post, one supposedly well regarded Chief Investment Officer, John Skjervem, reacted by saying it he could still justify investing in private equity even if it fell well short of delivering the needed risk premium. Why? Private equity lies about its results in a way he finds useful. I kid you not. In any other realm of investing, lying about your results is a reason to run for the hills. Skjervem has apparently managed to forget that even the toothless SEC managed to rouse itself and work with the DoJ to indict public company executives in the early 2000s for accounting fraud. But despite considerable evidence to the contrary, the SEC regards the likes of public pension funds as accredited investors, meaning sophisticated enough to take care of themselves. That means the onus is on them to do their own policing.

The new Schoar paper also explains why CalPERS has been doing so poorly in private equity. In 2015, it decided to reduce the its number of private equity investments by 2/3. CalPERS intended to concentrate on making larger sized fund investments in order to reduce fees. Mega-funds typically have lower fees, plus medium sized and large funds often have tiered pricing, charing lower fees for larger commitments.

CalPERS was pursuing this idea in such an aggressive way that it was limiting itself to investing in large funds. It turns out that was not such a hot idea. From the Top 1000 Funds story:

There is more competition, but the concentration of [assets] in the hands of the biggest and best-performing funds is also growing more quickly than we saw in the 2000s, Schoar explains. You could say it is efficient that this happens, because we want capital to be with the best performers. But it also means the top funds have to expand their investment portfolios. The very nature of venture capital and private equity, where illiquidity is greater and opportunities are tougher to scale, means the marginal returns to capital go down, even at the top performers, when funds become larger. This is a very strong relationship  when the fund size increases, the marginal return on the funds goes down. Research suggests this is something that has accelerated in the last decade, Schoar says.

But lets return to Schoars main finding, that persistence has fallen, and explain why this is so devastating to the efforts to justify investing in private equity.

The Importance of the Persistence Myth

Weve been writing since 2014 that private equity does not produce superior returns. That should not be a controversial idea except that so many people are deeply invested in private equity, pun intended, that the response has been to come up with more and more creative rationalizations.

Since then, more and more investors, in particular public pension funds, have reported results that fall short of their own benchmarks for the preceding ten years and shorter sub-periods. This should come as no surprise. Private equitys share of global equity has more than doubled since 2004. More money chasing deals means lower returns.

One of the justifications that investors have relied more and more upon is the idea that they can somehow do better than the typical investor by identifying and investing in top funds, which translates into the search for the mythical top quartile fund. Never mind that 77% of funds can present themselves as top quartile or that the idea of being the Warren Buffett of private equity and somehow out-selecting other investors is folly. The basis for this hope has been that historically, private equity funds demonstrated persistence, in that a top quartile performer for one fund would have a much-better-than-the-odds chance of being a top quartile performer in its next offering.

As we indicated, there is ample reason to doubt that theory could be translated into practice. Investors commit to a new fund typically four years after a fund managers last launch, which is too soon to be certain of its results (and thats before the fact that academics have ascertained that fund managers exaggerate their funds performance around the time they are raising new money). For instance, one fund manager had a fund that showed an over 70% IRR at the time it raised its next fund. The final result for that fund? An IRR of 11%.

But the theory of persistence is breaking down too. In 2015 in a private equity workshop at CalPERS, Harvard professor Josh Lerner discussed some of the recent studies on private equity performance persistence. In public comments, Rosemary Batt, co-author of the landmark book Private Equity at Work, linked the issue of average fund performance with the persistence data:

And so I want to talk a little more about the performance data and just expand on Professor Lerners excellent presentation. The findings from that core Harris article that he mentioned are very important. He reported a 27% out-performance for private equity vintage funds in 2000s, which equals an annual excess return of about 2.4% if you assume a 10 year lifespan. To clarify, this finding is based almost entirely on estimates, if you look at the paper, so its not based on actual returns. The paper also reports returns on funds over three decades, and there the average annual excess drops to about about 2%, and the median is about 1.2%. So thats in the Harris paper. When the private equity funds are compared to the Russell 3000 and 2000, which cover the mid-sized companies that are comparable to private-equity-owned companies, private equity performance is worse, beating these indexes by between 1% and 1.5%. So moreover, the pension funds, they generally require a premium of about 3% over the stock index in order to adjust for greater risk or illiquidity. None of the estimates in this important paper, porbably the most important paper recently, would warrant investment in private equity. Two more points. Professor Lerner then refers to another really important paper by Robinson and Sensoy who report, they actually report performance based on real returns, so liquidated funds. And here they find that the average fund does outperform the stock market by 1 to 1.5%, depending upon the index. The median fund, however, just matches the stock market, which means that 50% of the funds do not perform as well as the stock market. It is the top quartile funds that outperform both indexes by 3 or 4%. So, if we put this together, then, Professor Lerner also points out this problem of persistence of performance. And the studies he refers to show that prior to 2000, the private equity firm with a top performing fund had about that 50% chance of being in the top performing funds in the follow-on fund. But since 2000, that probability has dropped to 22%, and that is less than would be expected if the distribution were random. And so, in sum, I worry based on our review in which weve kind of turned the kind of technical papers into lay language, and thats what weve tried to do in this book, um, you look across the studies and they really do not provide the kind of evidence to suggest that private equity beats the market in general, and especially if you take a risk-adjusted return into account. While the top quartile do beat the market, then the question is this persistence problem: it is no longer possible to use a private equity firms track records to predict funds that have the best chance of being top performers.

As the Top 1000 Funds article indicated, the 2003 Kaplan/Schoar paper was one of the foundations to the argument that top private equity funds showed persistent outperformance.1 With that now gone, private equity loyalists are even more on the defensive

Oregon CIO Says He Still Likes Private Equity for Its Phony Valuations

If public pension funds want to know why they are seen as dumb money, they need look no further than remarks like those of John Skjervem, Chief Investment Officer for Oregon. Keep in mind that John Skjervem is considered to be one of the better public pension fund CIOs. He spoke at the same conference where Schoar discussed her new paper.

On the one hand, Skjervem is to be given credit for reducing his allocation to private equity in light of its falling performance and persistence. From a second Top 1000 Funds story:

For Oregons Skjervem the structural changes have put the asset class under more scrutiny, and he is getting questioned by his board about the continued validity of private equity. Where it was formerly the star performer in the portfolio, more recently it hasnt met its benchmark, which is the Russell 3000 plus 300 basis points, he says. We havent met our benchmark in at least five years, so we are starting to get questions about performance, he says. Is this a realistic benchmark? I would argue no, so then you get into the discussion about what the benchmark should be. I could argue Russell 3000 plus 10 basis points is worthwhile because 10 basis points on a $16 billion portfolio is real money. But plenty of people want a more significant figure over public markets to justify the illiquidity you are taking on. For a public plan, I could make a philosophical argument that even if we do nothing but match public market returns, theres a place for private equity because of the appraisal-based accounting, which artificially smooths our total fund volatility, and theres a genuine benefit to that.

So see what is going on. First, even though none of the risks of private equity have changed, Skjervem is unwilling to admit that a protracted period of central banks having negative real policy rates has resulted in investors not being paid enough for taking on risk, particularly long-term risks. But hed rather fudge his metrics, which will lead to poor decisions, rather than keep that basic problem front and center.

Second, he openly voted for even more bad metrics by saying that he know that private equitys valuation methods artificially lower fund volatility. This is in part due to the perverse fact that any investment that is marked only quarterly will show lower volatility than one that is marked intra-day or even just daily. But that appraisal-based accounting represents what are real negatives for private equity:

The investments are highly illiquid The LPs have zero influence on when they get their money back Private equity investors have been found to exaggerate their valuations in bad markets, when raising a new fund, and late in a funds life

In that same 2015 CalPERS private equity workshop, Idaho CIO Bob Maynard stated up front that the only reason he invested in private equity was for its dishonest reporting:

Bob Maynard, Chief Investment Officer, Public Employees Retirement System of Idaho: Were I think more skeptical of private equity than many and actually Ive been quite surprised at the experience weve had, which has been dead solid on the average. Our time-weighted returns are almost exactly yours [turning to CalPERS head of private equity Real Desrochers], that 1.34 above what you could put in the public markets is exactly our experience, so weve actually gotten average institutional experience, so its worked out better than we were expecting. We knew we were entering an area where we would not have much influence over what we could do. Ah, in fact, ah, we recognized however that we were going to get some pressure to look at local investments in private side, we did know that our actuaries and accountants would accept the smoothing that the accounting would do. It may be phony happiness, but we just want to think we are happy and they actually do have consequences for ah, ah, actual contribution rates we are going to be able to put in place. So were looking for it even if it just gave public market returns, wed be in favor of it because it has some smoothing effects on both reported and actual risks, as seen that way. Once you get into the area, this is kind of a like a rental car return type investing. Once your front wheels are over the spikes, you cant back up. Youve got to keep kind of going forward. If were going to have a little bit, weve got to at least have enough to have a difference in the portfolio, which means get to at least 5 to 10%. And by the time we got to the 2000s, we had gotten to that point, so it did make an appropriate difference. So were there, its demonstrated benefits in the portfolio, were happy if it gives public market returns, anything extra, because of its effect having some smoothing of the risk as seen by the accountants and actuaries and, um, just dont, youve got to keep going once you are there.

We were astonished when the SEC revealed in 2014 that over half the private equity firms theyd examined so far had stolen from investors or engaged in other serious abuses. Given what Maynard and Skjervem have said about clearly bogus private equity reporting which would have most investors running for the hills, we should not have been surprised. Private equity investors see its chicanery as a feature, not a bug.

____

1 Another wee fact not often enough discussed is that even the persistence they found back then was not overwhelming. If you managed to identify a top quartile fund correctly, it had 33% odds of being top quartile in its next fund. That means that if you performed the miraculous task of guesstimating (because the lack of final results means there is a guesstimation factor) so that 100% of your investment was in top quartile funds, youd expect only 1/3 to wind up being top quartile performers. Is the increase from dart-throwing (25% top quartile) to 33% enough to enable a public pension fund to beat a 300 basis point benchmark?
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently working on a book about textile artisans.

The Office of the Whistleblower of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its annual report last week, discussing its results during fiscal year 2017.

The full report can be found SEC Annual Report 2017 Whistleblower Program.

Sadly, the program continues to underperform. In the seven years it has been running since its establishment under the Dodd-Frank Act, a mere $160 million has been awarded to 46 whistleblowers. The agency summarized the top ten payouts in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1

SEC Annual Report Whistleblower Program, p. 10

Only 46 Whistleblower awards in 7 years? During what may only be described of an epic outbreak of fraud and abuse, when we see one industry after another producing crapified products? Come on! Are they serious?

History of SEC program

In a previous post, SEC Takes Victory Lap for Pathetic Performance of Whistleblower Program, I recapped the history of the SECs whistleblower program.

Allow me to reprise some key points.

First, measures to promote whistleblowing have long been a part of the US legal system. So theres little excuse for underperformance, as its theres been a long history in this regard:

Incentives for private parties to spill the beans are a hallowed component of the US legal system, dating back to the Civil War-era False Claims Act (FCA) and extended by Congress in 1986. This statute includes qui tam provisions permitting individuals to sue on behalf of the government and to receive a bounty if they prevail. The phrase qui tam is an abbreviation for the Latin qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, which means [he] who sues in this matter for the king as well as for himself.

And second, the current SEC program, authorized under Dodd-Frank, was badly designed from the start. This has serious consequences and certainly squelches many potentially valid claims:

Some would say that the SEC program was badly designed from the start in that it left it to the SEC alone to decide whether to file a legal claim based on the whistleblowers report. I would say this was a feature not a bug but will not belabor the point. From the SECs website The Commission is authorized by Congress to provide monetary awards to eligible individuals who come forward with high-quality original information that leads to a Commission enforcement action in which over $1,000,000 in sanctions is ordered. This means that the whistleblower cannot file a legal claim himself under this statute against the firm that has allegedly committed fraud or somehow violated securities laws. (Separately, the whistleblower might be able to file an action under other existing federal securities laws, but that discussion is beyond the scope of this piece.) Instead, the whistleblowers only recourse under the Dodd-Frank statute is to report the violation to the SEC, and the agency prosecutes the case. Why does this matter? As one of my cronies who practices in the qui tam area observes, he often floats arguments that various federal agencies consider to be unappealing on their face and will not pursue (perhaps for political reasons, e.g. the Air Force does not like suing Lockheed). But clever lawyering that ends up before the right judge can sometimes result in the success of some of these arguments, and eventually yield substantial recoveries for both the government and the whistleblower as well as have a deterrent effect.

Supreme Court Considers Anti-Retaliation Question

The Wall Street Journal highlights another issue in SEC Whistleblower Report Highlights Employers Challenge, noting, More than four of five people who have received whistleblower payouts from the Securities and Exchange Commission first flagged the problems within their own companies (Jerri-Lynn here: See also SEC Report, p. 17)

The Journal article then discusses the compliance implications of that fact:

This should be a crimson flag to employers that they should double down on efforts to improve their compliance programs and train managers to be aware and responsive to complaints or issues raised, said Gregory C. Keating, chairman of the whistleblowers defense group at the law firm Choate Hall & Stewart LLP.

What the Journal then fails to spot is that raising an issue internally, without simultaneously reporting the issue to the SEC, potentially exposes the employee to retaliation (depending on in which court the the whistleblowers claim is brought).

As the SEC Whistleblower Report (2017) explains:

The federal courts of appeals are divided over whether the Dodd-Frank anti-retaliation protections apply to employees who report potential violations of the securities laws internally without also reporting directly to the Commission. Most recently, in Somers v. Digital Realty Trust, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuits decision in Berman v. Neo@Ogilvy LLC by finding that Congress did not intend to limit protections to those who disclose information to the SEC . Rather, the anti-retaliation provision also protects those who were red or otherwise retaliated against after making internal disclosures of alleged unlawful activity under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other laws, rules, and regulations. The Ninth Circuit agreed with the Second Circuit that even if the statute were ambiguous, the SECs regulation resolved any ambiguity, and was entitled to deference The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Asadi v. G.E. Energy (USA), L.L.C., however, found to the contrary (citations omitted). On June 26, 2017, on the basis of the circuit split, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers to address the scope of Dodd-Franks anti-retaliation protections. On October 17, 2017, the United States Solicitor General, acting on behalf of the Department of Justice and joined by the Commission, led an amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court in support of the whistleblower-respondent. The United States amicus curiae brief in support of the whistleblower in Digital Realty continues the Commissions advocacy efforts and urges the Supreme Court to recognize that Dodd-Franks statutory language, its legislative history, and the Commissions rules require that individuals who internally report potential securities violations at a publicly-traded company are entitled to employment retaliation protection, regardless of whether they have separately reported that information to the Commission.

The Supreme Courts decision in this pending case will have significant implications, for if it fails to rule that anti-retaliation provisions apply to whistleblowers who opt to pursue internal channels before involving the SEC depending, such an anti-whistleblower ruling would weaken an already weak and inadequate whistleblower program.

Congress Acts

Ill close by mentioning legislation passed earlier this year, and signed into law by Trump in October. As reported by the Washington Post in New law targets managers who retaliate against federal whistleblowers, analyzing the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017:

The legislation  approved unanimously by both chambers of Congress  is designed to stem management retribution by making supervisors face disciplinary measures for their actions. If it is determined, by one of several officials, that a supervisor retaliated with a prohibited personnel action against an employee, the official shall propose suspending the supervisor for at least three days on the first offense and shall propose removing the supervisor for the second offense.

The Post touts this bill as representing a major victory for federal whistleblowers, calling it potentially a watershed in Uncle Sams approach to whistleblowers. Im sorry given the paltry penalties it imposes, I dont see it that way. Nor do any of the employee-side attorneys Ive talked to.

And, after all, if this bill truly represented a major victory for federal whistleblowers, does anyone honestly think that the current Congress would have passed the legislation and Trump signed it into law?
(Natural News) A massive tunnel collapse at a nuclear test site in North Korea has resulted in the death of at least 200 people, according to an unverified report from the Japanese media.

Although there still isnt any official confirmation that the tunnel collapse actually occurred, according to Japans TV Asahi, an unnamed North Korean source claimed that up to 100 people were trapped in the tunnels before rescue teams went in after them, at which point the structure collapsed, raising the death toll to at least 200 people.

The date on which the incident occurred is also unknown. Although it is believed to have happened on October 10, South Koreas Yonhap news agency said that its still unclear when exactly the tunnel collapsed. Yonhap reported that the disaster occurred as a result of North Koreas sixth nuclear test, which was conducted at the same site.

Not long before the tunnel collapsed, Seoul warned North Korea that one more nuclear detonation could be the straw that breaks the camels back, so to speak, with enough force to destroy its mountain test site once and for all and potentially even trigger a radiation leak. Despite these continued warnings, it is unlikely that Kim Jong-Un will stop testing nuclear missiles any time soon. (Related: Here is what war with North Korea would actually look like.)

In addition to warnings from South Korea, including the countrys weather agency chief Nam Jae-Cheol, U.S. experts have also stated that further nuclear testing could result in more tragedies in the future. Five of North Koreas recent missile tests have been carried out under Mount Mantap, but after three small earthquakes that occurred near the site of the blasts, the region is now said to be suffering from Tired Mountain Syndrome.

While there is no way to tell how much more destruction will occur as a result of North Koreas nuclear tests, the fact remains that both natural and manmade structures will continue to weaken as these tests go on.

At this point, the fact that Kim Jong-Un is a crazed, unstable warmonger isnt exactly up for debate. For several months now, the North Korean regime has been making numerous threats against the United States, claiming that they will not hesitate to use their military capabilities if it reaches that point. (Related: Analysts confirms that North Koreas nuclear missiles can now reach New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles.)

As President Trump prepares for his much anticipated tour across several parts of Asia next week, Trump is already receiving stern warnings from people like Anita Kumar, a reporter for McClatchy News to watch what language he uses out of fear that the North Korean regime may be provoked. Kumars warning comes on the heels of claims made by experts who have suggested that North Korea could conduct its 23rd missile test this year during President Trumps time in Asia between November 3 and November 14.

What experts are telling me, though, is that there might be a missile test by North Korea while President Trump is traveling, she said. Thats going to put him on the spot while hes in China or South Korea. So that would be huge. Hed have to decide then and there how to react.

While it is certainly a possibility that North Korea could intentionally conduct another nuclear test that coincides with Trumps Asia tour, many would argue President Trumps tough rhetoric is something that Americans should get behind instead of constantly discouraging it. Of course, it will anger the North Koreans, but the most important thing that the United States can do in the face of this enemy is stand strong and show the world that we are not the same passive country that we were for eight years under Barack Obama. America needs to show her teeth, and thankfully, our commander-in-chief seems to agree.

Sources include:

Dailymail.co.uk

Express.co.uk
(Natural News) Are the days of the free and open Internet numbered? The Internet is certainly used for all sorts of horrible things, but it has also allowed ordinary people to communicate on a mass scale that would have been unimaginable decades ago. In the old days, if you wanted to reach large audiences of people with your information you always had to go through corporate gatekeepers. But today, anyone with an Internet connection can literally broadcast whatever they want to say to the whole world. Personally, my wife and I have always been amazed at how many people we are able to touch all over the planet from our little home in the mountains. Over the past seven years our websites have been viewed more than 100 million times, and we receive emails about our work from people all over the globe.

(Article by Michael Snyder republished from EndoftheAmericanDream.com)

Unfortunately, major changes may soon be coming to the Internet. The election of Donald Trump really angered the elite, and they are blaming the power of the Internet for his victory. They insist that something must be done for the good of democracy.

For example, in an opinion piece for the Guardian, U.S. Senator Al Franken proposed that it is time for the U.S. government to step in because Google, Facebook and Twitter have failed to prevent the spread of propaganda, misinformation, and hate speech

As lawmakers grapple with the revelations regarding Russias manipulation of social media during the 2016 election, many are shocked to learn the outsized role that the major tech companies play in so many aspects of our lives. Not only do they guide what we see, read, and buy on a regular basis, but their dominance  specifically in the market of information  now requires that we consider their role in the integrity of our democracy. Last weeks hearings demonstrated that these companies may not be up to the challenge that theyve created for themselves. In some instances, it seems that theyve failed to take common sense precautions to prevent the spread of propaganda, misinformation, and hate speech.

Those are very ominous words.

So precisely what would constitute propaganda, misinformation or hate speech?

When you start regulating speech, you cross a very dangerous line. There is a reason why our founders guaranteed us freedom of speech in the Bill of Rights, because if we dont have the freedom to say what we want then what do we really have left?

During the presidential election, there was a lot of talk about Hillary Clintons health. The mainstream media insisted that she was just fine, and they accused those of us in the alternative media that were questioning her health of engaging in propaganda and misinformation. Well, it turns out that we now know that Clintons health was so bad that Donna Brazile was actually considering replacing her as the nominee, and so it was actually the mainstream media that was putting out propaganda and misinformation.

Any effort to institute some sort of truth police would take us significantly down the road to totalitarianism, but apparently that is what Franken wants. In fact, he is openly suggesting that it is time for government regulators to step in

Instead of simply trusting the big tech companies to police how their services are being used and abused, Franken suggested that regulators need to step in. Lawmakers should take a closer look at the influence technology plays in the everyday lives of Americans by conducting vigorous oversight in the form of investigations and hearings to fully understand current practices and the potential for harm, the Minnesota senator said. Im hopeful that recent events will encourage regulators, as well as a broader contingent of my colleagues  on both sides of the aisle  to give this issue the attention it deserves, he said.

So once government regulators begin regulating speech on the Internet, where will it end?

Will everything that we do on the Internet have to be evaluated for truthiness before it is allowed to be posted?

And who decides what the truth actually is?

I am a big believer in the marketplace of ideas. I have always been convinced that if everyone is allowed to openly share what they believe that the truth will win in the end.

Of course the elite are scared of the free exchange of ideas, because that gives the people way too much control over their own destiny. Prior to the Internet age, they were always in control of the flow of information in our society, but now things have changed dramatically.

They desperately want to get control of the Internet, because they want things to go back to the way that they used to be. But we cant allow that to happen, and so we must greatly resist any attempts to regulate speech on the Internet.

Read more at: EndoftheAmericanDream.com
(Natural News) Adding to the wealth of evidence that prove the benefits of beast milk, a new study finds that breastfeeding could lower the risk of eczema in children by half, as reported by the Science Daily.

A team of researchers from Kings College London, Harvard University, University of Bristol, and McGill University assessed whether prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding lowered the risk of asthma, atopic eczema, and low lung function in adolescence. In the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, they analyzed data from a total of 13,557 teenagers aged 16 from Belarus, all of whom were enrolled in the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT). The PROBIT study initially recruited 17,046 mothers and their newborn babies from June 1996 to December 1997.

The researchers studied 31 maternity hospitals and one outpatient clinic associated to each hospital. These participating institutions were randomly assigned to either take part in a breastfeeding program or not. Breastfeeding programs trained nurses, midwives, and doctors to promote and support mothers to breastfeed their babies. The researchers then followed up with the babies until they reached adolescence to determine the effect of supported breastfeeding to their lung function, asthma, and eczema. The participants were tasked to answer surveys on the three health issues. In addition, the researchers conducted a skin examination for eczema, and a breath examination for lung health.

PROBIT, the largest randomized trial ever carried out in the area of human lactation, continues to yield scientifically and clinically important information more than two decades after its inception, said Michael Kramer of McGills Faculty of Medicine and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), the lead investigator on the PROBIT study.

The findings of the study revealed that children whose mothers received support to breastfeed exclusively for a sustained time from birth had a 54 percent lower risk of eczema at the age of 16. However, there was no association between breastfeeding and the risk of asthma. Eczema is a skin condition that causes the skin to be itchy, dry, cracked, sore, and red. About one in every five children and one in 10 adults suffer from eczema.

The [World Health Organization] WHO recommends between four and six months of exclusive breastfeeding to aid prevention of allergy and associated illnesses. Our findings add further weight to the importance of campaigns like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), which is tackling low rates of breastfeeding globally, Carsten Flohr, lead author of the study, explained.

Moms who breastfeed longer will become more attentive mothers

Breastfeeding does not only benefit the babies, but also the mothers. A study revealed that women who breastfeed for longer will continuously become more attentive mothers up to 10 years, as reported by The Daily Mail. (Related: Breast-milk is the elixir of human life.)

Researchers from Boise State University examined data from 1,272 families who took part in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Developments Study of Early Child Care. They measured maternal sensitivity by the timing of a mothers responsiveness to her child, her emotional tone, how flexible her behavior was, and her ability to recognize her childs cues by conducting interviews and videotaping participating families in the homes until the child turned 11 years old.

It was surprising to us that breastfeeding duration predicted change over time in maternal sensitivity, said Jennifer Weaver, lead author of the study.

The study, which was published by the American Psychological Association, suggested that the time spent breastfeeding helps develop the relationship of the child and mother.

Ultimately, I do hope that we will see breastfeeding examined more closely as a parenting factor, not just as a health consideration, to allow us to more fully understand the role that breastfeeding plays in family life, Weaver expressed.

Find out more health benefits of breast milk at AlternativeMedicine.news.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

DailyMail.co.uk

JAMANetwork.com
(Natural News) It seems like were one step closer to finding the elusive fountain of youth. A recent study has discovered a genetic mutation in the Amish that makes them live longer.

Researchers have determined a genetic mutation in the Amish people, who live in the midwestern United States, that allegedly helps them live 10 years longer than people without it. The study is the newest clue in a search, which has taken more than a decade, for insight on healthy aging within the traditional Christian community that rejects most modern technology. (Related: Anti-aging Tips To Help You Become A Strong, Healthy Adult.)

Dr. Douglas Vaughan, chairman of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and lead author of the new research, said, Not only do they live longer, they live healthier Its a desirable form of longevity.

The scientists studied 177 members of the Berne Amish community in Indiana. They found 43 individuals who had one mutant copy of the gene SERPINE1, and these carriers lived an average of 85 years. Those without the gene in the Amish community often lived to 75.

Amish people with this gene mutation had a lower risk of diabetes, 30 percent lower fasting insulin levels, and more efficient metabolisms. The Amish kindred (immediate family and relatives) in Berne, Indiana, were genetically and culturally isolated. Dr. Vaughan explained that they are the only kindred in the world with this mutation, making it a private mutation. The key protein connected to cell aging seems to be PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor), which is influenced by SERPINE1.

Amish people with the mutation had very low levels of PAI-1, which is connected to aging in animals. However, its effect in humans remains unclear. Dr. Vaughan said that the findings were surprising because of the consistency of the anti-aging benefits across multiple body systems. He continued, For the first time we are seeing a molecular marker of aging (telomere length), a metabolic marker of aging (fasting insulin levels) and a cardiovascular marker of aging (blood pressure and blood vessel stiffness) all tracking in the same direction in that these individuals were generally protected from age-related changes.

However, Amish people with two copies of the mutant gene have a rare bleeding disorder which causes the absence of PAI-1 in the blood. Those with one copy of the mutated gene did not have a bleeding disorder. Northwestern University researchers collaborated with Japans Tohoku University to work on an experimental oral drug, called TM5614, that would inhibit the action of PAI-1 in Amish people with the mutant gene. The drug passed basic safety trials and is currently being tested in phase 2 trials in Japan to see if it works on insulin sensitivity in people with type-2 diabetes and obesity.

Dr. Vaughan concluded, We hope to be able to revisit them regularly and do additional testing to look at the velocity of aging in this kindred and unearth more details about the protective effect of this mutation.

Tips to live longer

While the study on this new drug seems promising, theres nothing better than natural and safer ways to live a longer life.

Form healthy habits  Try something simple like making healthier life choices. Quit smoking and drinking too much alcohol, exercise more, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

 Try something simple like making healthier life choices. Quit smoking and drinking too much alcohol, exercise more, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Monitor your meals  Refraining from overeating can help you age slower.

 Refraining from overeating can help you age slower. Dont watch too much TV  Being a couch potato is bad for your health, and if you cant quit it completely, limit your TV time to only two hours or less daily.

 Being a couch potato is bad for your health, and if you cant quit it completely, limit your TV time to only two hours or less daily. Spend more time with family and friends  Some studies say that you increase the risk for heart disease if you dont have a strong network of loved ones. Loneliness can lead to inflammation, and it might even cause depression in the elderly.

You can learn more about healthy eating, food freedom, and natural cures at FoodFreedom.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.com

Health.com
The defense attorney for a Mexican man accused of gunning down a woman on a San Francisco pier says prosecutors have not presented any evidence to support what he calls a wild narrative that he wanted to hurt someone.

Closing arguments were underway Monday in the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who is accused of murder in the death of Kate Steinle in July 2015.

The case touched off a fierce national immigration debate because San Francisco officials had released Garcia Zarate under the citys sanctuary city policy.

Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez says video evidence shows an unusual amount of activity in the area where Garcia was an hour before the shooting.

Garcia Zarate claims the gun he had found fired accidentally, killing Steinle.

Garcia Zarate was "playing his own secret version of Russian roulette," a prosecutor said in her closing argument Monday.

[BAY MC, JG] In Photos: Kate Steinle Trial in San Francisco

He was playing his own game, San Francisco Deputy District Attorney Diana Garcia told jurors, deriding as implausible the defense argument that he accidentally shot a weapon he didn't know was a firearm. Defense attorneys were scheduled to present closing arguments later.

Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Kate Steinle was fatally shot in the back while walking with her father on the pier in July 2015. Garcia Zarate did not deny shooting Steinle but said it was an accident.

The shooting happened during the presidential campaign and touched off a fierce debate over the country's immigration policies. San Francisco's "sanctuary city" law bars local officials from cooperating with federal attempts to deport those in the country illegally, and the city had released Garcia Zarate from custody despite a federal detention request.

The prosecutor on Monday referred to Steinle as a "vibrant life" taken too soon but otherwise did not dwell on the victim in a closing argument that lasted about an hour.

Instead, she painted a picture of a man who hid a firearm in his baggy clothes, went to a pier filled with tourists and whirled about on a stool for more than 20 minutes before shooting it at Steinle's back.

"He knew exactly what he was doing," Garcia said.

Garcia Zarate said he found the stolen gun wrapped in a shirt under a chair on a pedestrian pier and that the weapon accidentally fired when he picked it up. The bullet ricocheted on the pier's concrete walkway before it struck Steinle.

His attorneys say the ricochet showed the shooting was an accident. Much of the testimony during the monthlong trial has focused on ballistics experts.

A judge ruled last week that the jury of six men and six women can consider a more serious charge of first-degree murder in addition to a second-degree murder charge. Jurors are expected to get the case after closing arguments.

Before the shooting, Garcia Zarate had finished a federal prison sentence for illegal re-entry into the United States and was transferred in March 2015 to San Francisco's jail to face a 20-year-old charge for selling marijuana. The sheriff's department released him a few days later after the district attorney dropped the marijuana charge, despite a U.S. request to detain him for deportation.

President Donald Trump said during the campaign that Steinle's death was another reason the United States needed to build a wall on its southern border and tighten its immigration policies. Since taking office, Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from places with similar sanctuary city laws.

Defense attorneys have told jurors that Garcia Zarate lived on the streets of San Francisco after being released from jail, scraping together a living by collecting recyclables and scavenging for food.
Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after orchestrating the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, died Sunday after nearly a half-century in prison. He was 83.

Manson, whose name to this day is synonymous with unspeakable violence and madness, died at 8:13 p.m. of natural causes at a Kern County hospital, according to a California Department of Corrections statement.

Tate's sister, Debra Tate, received a call from Corcoran State Prison telling her Manson had died. She knew he had been sick for a long time and was "expecting" this.

Tate said she will make sure all of Manson's followers who remain behind bars stay there for the rest of their lives. "I've forgiven them, but that does not mean I've forgotten what they did," she said. "I will never forget."

Manson was recently taken to Bakersfield Hospital where he was being treated for intestinal bleeding since January. Surgery was recommended but it was later deemed too risky.

California Corrections spokeswoman Vicky Waters said it's "to be determined" what happens to Manson's body. Prison officials previously said Manson had no known next of kin and state law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, then it's up to the department to determine whether the body is cremated or buried.

It's not known if Manson requested funeral services of any sort. It's also unclear what happens to his property, which is said to include artwork and at least two guitars. State law says the department must maintain his property for up to a year in anticipation there might be legal battles over who can make a legitimate claim to it.

He had been locked up since his arrest in December 1969 following his conviction for orchestrating the murders of Tate, who was pregnant, and six others. One of his followers, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, attempted to kill President Gerald Ford, and was later released on parole in 2009.

At a former movie ranch outside Los Angeles, he and his devotees  many of them young runaways who likened him to Jesus Christ  lived commune-style, using drugs and taking part in orgies. Children from privileged backgrounds ate garbage from supermarket trash.

"These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

It was the summer of the first moon landing. War raged in Vietnam. Hippies flooded the streets of San Francisco and gathered in upstate New York for the Woodstock music festival. But many remember the time for Los Angeles' most shocking celebrity murders.

Fear swept the city after a maid reporting for work ran screaming from the elegant home where Tate lived with her husband, "Rosemary's Baby" director Roman Polanski. Scattered around the estate were blood-soaked bodies.

The beautiful 26-year-old actress, who was 8 months pregnant, was stabbed and hung from a rafter in her living room. Also killed were Abigail Folger, heiress to a coffee fortune; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Steven Parent, a friend of the estate's caretaker; and celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, killed by Manson follower Charles "Tex" Watson, who announced his arrival by saying: "I am the devil, and I'm here to do the devil's work."

The next night, wealthy grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were stabbed to death in their home in another neighborhood.

The killers scrawled such phrases as "Pigs" and "Healter Skelter" (sic) in blood at the crime scenes.

Three months later, a Manson follower was jailed on an unrelated charge and told a cellmate about the bloodbath, leading to the cult leader's arrest.

The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California's Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love.

"Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the Sixties ended abruptly on August 9, 1969," author Joan Didion wrote in her 1979 book "The White Album."

Why he ordered the killing of strangers remained a mystery. Prosecutors said Manson wanted to foment a race war, an idea he supposedly got from a twisted reading of the hard-rocking Beatles song "Helter Skelter." Others said he was getting even because music producer Terry Melcher, who once lived in the house Tate later occupied, had refused to record Manson's music.

Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of DA's believes Vincent Bugliosi, the LA County district attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson, had the most accurate summation: "Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values."

"Today, Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death," Hanisee said.

Manson's childhood was a blueprint for a life of crime. He was born in Cincinnati on Nov. 12, 1934, to a teenager, possibly a prostitute. When he was 5, his mother went to prison for armed robbery. By the time he was 8, he was in reform school. He spent years in and out of penal institutions.

"My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system," he said in a monologue on the witness stand. "I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you."

Manson's chaotic trial in 1970 transformed a courtroom into a theater of the absurd.

He and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, sang and chanted, and Manson at one point launched himself across the counsel table at the judge. Many of his followers camped outside the courthouse, threatening to immolate themselves if he was convicted.

When Manson carved an "X'' in his forehead, his co-defendants did the same, saying they were "Xed out of society." He later changed his "X'' to a swastika.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, he maintained his innocence.

"I have killed no one, and I have ordered no one to be killed," Manson said.

He and the three women were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Another defendant, Charles "Tex" Watson, was convicted later. All were spared execution and given life sentences after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972. Manson also was convicted in the killings of stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea and musician Gary Hinman.

Manson and his female followers appeared sporadically at parole hearings where their bids for freedom were repeatedly rejected.

At a 2012 parole hearing Manson boycotted, he was quoted as telling a prison psychiatrist: "I'm special. I'm not like the average inmate. ... I have put five people in the grave. I am a very dangerous man." The parole board decided he should stay behind bars for at least 15 more years.

He made headlines in 2015 when he applied for a marriage license to a 26-year-old who wrote to him in prison, but the wedding never happened. He was also cited for assault, possession of a weapon, threatening prison staff and possessing a cellphone, which he did on three different occasions, during his time in prison, according to the California Department of Corrections.

He was next up for parole in 2027, when he would have been 92.

The killings inspired movies and TV shows, and Manson's face has appeared on T-shirts. The macabre shock rocker Marilyn Manson borrowed part of his stage name from the killer.



"The Manson case, to this day, remains one of the most chilling in crime history," prominent criminal justice reporter Theo Wilson wrote in her 1998 memoir, "Headline Justice: Inside the Courtroom  The Country's Most Controversial Trials."

"Even people who were not yet born when the murders took place," Wilson wrote, "know the name Charles Manson, and shudder."

Linda Deutsch, the longtime courts reporter for The Associated Press who covered the Manson case, said he "left a legacy of evil and hate and murder."

"He was able to take young people who were impressionable and convince them he had the answer to everything and he turned them into killers," she said. "It was beyond anything we had ever seen before in this country."

Associated Press writers and NBC Los Angeles' Rosa Ordaz and Whitney Irick contributed to this report.
Charles Manson, who died Sunday, didn't carry out many of the horrifying crimes he's known for  they were executed by his cult, the so-called Manson Family.

NBC News examined where its most prominent members are today, including Patricia Krenwinkel, California's longest-serving female prisoner

The 69-year-old was denied parole 13 times. She helped murder the LaBianca family and stabbed coffee heiress Abigail Folger when the Manson Family members broke into the home of Sharon Tate. Leslie Van Houten also remains behind bars, where she is described as a model prisoner, like Krenwinkel.

Charles "Tex" Watson and Bruce Davis  once Manson's "right hand man"  both became ministers in prison as well, but Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975 but was never charged with murder, was granted parole in 2009.


One person is dead in a shooting near a New Hampshire hardware store Sunday evening, according to authorities.

Calling the death in Goffstown "suspicious," the state attorney general's office said the investigation is "unfolding." Authorities said late Sunday evening that all parties involved were located.

Local police had previously said they were searching for a suspect in a shooting near the Ace Hardware Store on Depot Street. Police cruisers and an ambulance were spotted at Sully's Suprette just a block away. An official at the scene wouldn't get into specifics, but said the area was part of the investigation.

Goffstown police had also said earlier Sunday evening that there were multiple injuries. The attorney generals office did not say whether there were any other injuries.

The public doesn't appear to be in any danger in connection with the incident, according to the attorney general.

Traffic had been blocked from entering Goffstown Village; however, Main Street has since been reopened. Some local businesses were closed as a precaution.

SWAT teams were also seen in Goffstown.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's office has identified the victim who was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in a hardware store parking lot in Goffstown.

Eighteen-year-old Ian Jewell of Manchester was found suffering from a gunshot wound by police around 4:20 p.m. at the Ace Hardware Store's parking lot on Depot Street.

Jewell was taken to a local hospital, where he later died, according to officials.

An autopsy conducted Monday determined that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest and the manner of death is homicide, but investigators haven't released many details about the crime.

School officials confirm Jewell was a student at Manchester Memorial High School, where the Union Leader reports he was an honor student and a member of the school's track and field team.

"He was really positive, he tried to keep everybody positive. If someone was feeling down or getting bullied, he would step up and speak up for them," said classmate Matthew Gagne.

Students at the high school say Jewell was a popular teen who took time for all of his classmates. He loved tye-dye, was fascinated by the universe, and wanted to know more about the world.

"He was one of the popular kids. But most popular kids here are all snooty but he was different. He'd smile at everyone. If you tripped and fell in the hall, he was the one to help you pick up your books," classmate Katelyn Bisson said.

The senior was just months away from graduation.

"Whenever someone would need help, he was there. Whenever people asked like how his day was or when they were upset, he would tell them that it was going to be okay. He was honestly one of the nicest people I've ever met. He was nice to the teachers. He was nice to the students," said classmate Lily Letourneau. "It really opens your eyes because someone's death has to bring everybody together as a society you know."

Many people are now asking why did this happen and why him.

"There's a lot of shock and sadness," said student Alyssa Soucy.

Grief counselors were present at the high school Monday, where the flag is at half staff for Jewell, and additional staffers from other schools in the district have been sent to help, according to the school district.

Following the shooting, local police had said they were searching for a suspect near the hardware store and customers at nearby stores were told to stay inside.

The lock down was lifted after investigators said they found everyone who was involved.

The limited information being released is only adding to the curiosity of what happened.

"We were supposed to do our presentations today, but my teacher held off for a day to show respect," said student Dathan Paradis.

Despite the frigid temperatures, hundreds of students gathered from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at a candlelight vigil at the high school Monday night to pay tribute to one of their own.

Jewell was remembered as a smart student who often helped friends with math problems over the phone, even while working his after-school job at Market Basket.

"He always had his head up high. He did his job better than half of the people there, and I don't know, just something about him really touched me," said co-worker Zach Goodridge.

Jewell's classmates plan to wear tye-dye on Tuesday as a sign of solidarity.

"We're all wearing tye-dye in honor of him because it was his favorite thing to wear."

As for the crime, investigators have not said what the motive may have been and they have not said if an arrest is pending.

The investigation is ongoing.
Interstate 91 north was closed in Cromwell after icy conditions caused multiple accidents Monday morning, but it has reopened.

Connecticut State Police described the area between exits 20 and 22 on Interstate 91 as being like an "ice rink" early Monday. Multiple accidents were reported, though they were all relatively minor and no injuries were reported.

The Department of Transportation was called in to treat the roads.

Multiple accidents were also reported along Interstate 84, with icy spots reported in Southington and from exit 32 to the Plainville line.



This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The stay a Stamford mother asked for to avoid being deported to Guatemala has been denied, according to her attorney.

Miriam Martinez-Lemus, a mother of two, was supposed to leave at 3 p.m. today and will not hide, according to her attorney.

She instead went home to care for her daughter, who has Type 1 juvenile diabetes, instead of boarding a plane Monday afternoon.

"I cannot leave with my daughter. I cannot leave my daughter here," Martinez-Lemus said. Her 12-year-old daughter, Brianna, has Type 1 juvenile diabetes, a condition that needs constant monitoring, and the mother said Brianna would not be able to get the medicine she needs in Guatemala.

Martinez-Lemus sought asylum in the United State in 1992 after political unrest in her native country in the 1970s and 1980s. She has no criminal record, according to her attorney, Glenn Formica, of Formica Williams, P.C.

On Monday morning, she turned herself in to officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Haven to be incarcerated Monday while other legal opportunities are explored and her stay was denied. By afternoon, the stay was denied and Martinez-Lemus is supposed to leave the country at 3 p.m.

While Martinez-Lemus will not hide from immigration officials, she did not plan to get on a plane at 3 p.m., Formica said.

Ive met with Miriam and Raphael (her husband), we talked about what this means. She is now obligated to board a plane at 3 oclock (p.m.) At 3 oclock, her daughter will be coming home from school and getting off the bus. Her daughter has Type 1 diabetes. The first thing they will do is check her insulin levels, as they will check her insulin levels regularly for the rest of the day and into the night, Attorney Glenn Formica, of Formica Williams, P.C. said.

He said Briannas diabetes is a serious disease that requires two parents.

Brianna and her younger sister are both American citizens.

Gov. Dannel Malloy said Brianna needs the help of her mother and father as a team.

I plead with ICE to allow for sufficient time for other avenues to be explored. Keep this family together, keep this young girl, a student in the Stamford school system, healthy and safe while the legal matters get worked out, Malloy said.

He added that the American people did not ask for what is happening here to take place.

I have been previously, even in this last 12 months, with the president of the United States saying he was only going to go after the bad hombres, people who had done something terribly wrong. That is not the situation here, Malloy said.

Dr. Stuart Weinzimer, of the Child Diabetes Program at the Yale School of Medicine, attended the news conference about the deportation order and described the difference between diabetes adults deal with and juvenile diabetes.

It is a life-threatening condition in which the person is no longer able to make their own insulin, he said.

Treatment requires a tremendous amount of attention that takes months, if not years, to learn, including checking blood sugar an average of 10 to 12 times per day, multiple injections of insulin daily, or use of an insulin pump, which must also be managed.

Every day also requires constant decisions, including how much insulin is needed, calculations of carbohydrates, the amount of physical activity the child does and more.

Her mother has born the brunt of taking care of her and shes done very well, and it is all at risk if all of that good caretaking is put in jeopardy, Weinzimer said.

Formica said what Immigration and Customs Enforcement is asking his client to do is leave, go to Guatemala and abandon her child.

"Mariam is not going to go into a church basement. Miriam is not going to hide from ICE. She has an electronic ankle bracelet. ICE knows where she is," Formica said.

He added that he understands that the bracelet has a two-way radio and ICE can listen if they want to.

"Miriam's going to go home today and get her daughter off the bus. She is going to make her dinner. If ICE wants to come and get her, they know exactly where she is," Formica said. "While they're deciding whether they want to take a mother from a sick child, whether they want to expose that child to that kind of risk is ICE's decision," Formica said. "They have said that she cannot stay and I am saying she cannot go."

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said he is working with Martinez-Lemus attorney.

I am working with Miriam Martinezs attorney to fight this cruel and irrational deportation. Deporting Miriam will rip apart her family, needlessly leaving a child with serious medical needs without her mother. I urge the Trump Administration not to inflict this needless pain and allow Miriam to remain here with her family where she belongs. This latest decision is yet another symptom of an immigration system that has lost all reason and rationality. I will continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform to bring lasting change to this badly broken system.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement about the case.

Miriam Martinez-Lemus is (a)citizen of Guatemala. A federal immigration judge granted her voluntary departure in 2002, but she failed to leave the U.S. as instructed and that order automatically changed to a final order of removal.

In a measure of discretion, ICE did not place her in custody, but entered her into an Alternatives to Detention program, and she has been checking in periodically at an ICE office. She was asked to provide proof she intends to leave the U.S., in compliance with the courts order, which she has done. Should she fail to depart as instructed, she will be listed as an immigration fugitive and arrested when encountered, and then ICE will carry out her removal order.

As an issue of operational security, ICE will not publicly discuss specific removal dates or times for any individual until after the removal has been completed.
Revised estimates show Connecticut's current budget deficit has grown large enough to potentially trigger a mid-year, budget-cutting plan from Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy.

In a letter sent Monday to State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Malloy's budget director said the current fiscal year is now projected to be $202.8 million in deficit. Ben Barnes says that's slightly more than 1 percent of net appropriations in the state's main spending account, the threshold requiring Malloy to issue a deficit-mitigation plan.

Lembo would first have to confirm the figure.

Barnes' letter comes a week after his office and the General Assembly's Office of Fiscal Analysis estimated the current fiscal year is $178.4 million in deficit. He blames the larger shortfall on changes made to a tax on hospitals that triggers federal reimbursement funds.

THERE'S FINALLY A BUDGET. WHY DOES CONNECTICUT STILL HAVE DEFICITS?

One major reason for the projected deficits is sluggish state tax revenue collections. The latest numbers show Connecticut's sales tax has so far generated $65.8 million less than first projected in the newly minted budget, while the personal income tax has fallen short by $34 million. The new budget, which lawmakers finally passed four months into the new fiscal year, did not increase the income tax or sales tax rates.

"We are very reliant on those two taxes," said House Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford. "They're the major drivers. So, we'll have to see how they perform in the next couple of quarters of the fiscal year."

Whether those deficit figures worsen could depend on several factors, including holiday spending, casino revenue and federal tax changes.

"It's hard to predict when you're a state that relies so much on the income tax, so much on capital gains. And a lot of that is driven by what's going on in Washington," Ritter said. "So, we all wait and see."

Long-range deficits have also been predicted by the Office of Fiscal Analysis, estimated at $1.8 billion in fiscal year 2020, $2.5 billion in 2021 and $3 billion in 2022. But lawmakers note how much can change by then, including the impact of various budgetary reforms included in the new budget plan.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

One of the late budget fixes approved by lawmakers last week involves a complicated tax on Connecticut's hospitals, which triggers federal reimbursement funds. After the bill's passage, Malloy said his administration could proceed with its application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but warned "there are no guarantees when it comes to approval from the federal CMS agency."

Chris McClure, a spokesman for Malloy's budget office, confirmed how this year's projected deficit could climb by about $156 million, and by roughly the same amount next fiscal year, if CMS does not approve the application.

The current projected deficit is already close to requiring the governor to come up with a mid-year deficit-cutting plan.

That threshold is reached when the deficit is certified to be greater than 1 percent of the state's main spending account, the general fund. In this case, that figure would be about $187 million.

ANY OTHER WORRIES?

Besides capital gains income, other revenue Connecticut depends upon could also be affected by what happens in Washington.

State Treasurer Kevin Sullivan, a Democrat, has been warning the state's all-Democratic congressional delegation about the pitfalls in both the Senate and House Republican tax proposals, which could change in the coming days.

Sullivan predicts the "long-term unfunded cost" of both plans will lead to large cuts federal funding, such as Medicaid, which is crucial for Connecticut.
Authorities are searching Texas' Big Bend area for potential suspects and witnesses after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was fatally injured responding to activity there.[[458668403, R]]

Border Patrol officials said the agents were on patrol in Culberson County in the Big Bend Sector of the Texas border.

Agent Rogelio Martinez died Sunday morning as a result of injuries he and his partner sustained after responding to "activity" while on patrol on Interstate 10 near Van Horn, according to a statement from Border Patrol. It wasn't immediately clear when the incident occurred.

Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector have come across some interesting ways undocumented immigrants try to cover their footprints in the dirt. NBC 5 anchor Kris Gutierrez shows us how some people are getting creative to try and elude U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

Agent Martinez's partner radioed that he and his partner were injured and needed help. Agents reportedly responded and provided medical care and took the two agents to the hospital.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details Sunday on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them. Spokesman Carlos Diaz says the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Martinez's partner is in serious condition. His name wasn't released. Martinez had been a border agent since August, 2013 and was from El Paso.



U.S. Senator Ted Cruz issued a statement on Sunday afternoon calling the incident an "Attack on Two Big Bend Sector Border Patrol Agents."

This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them," Cruz said.

"We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation.

President Donald Trump commented about the incident on Twitter Sunday night amid a series of unrelated tweets.



"We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible," Trump's tweet read. He also reiterated his call for a wall at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2017

Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.
The following is an unedited news release from the Texas Rangers, published Nov. 20, 2017.



The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has acquired right-handed pitcher Ronald Herrera from the New York Yankees in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Reiver Sanmartin.



Herrera, 22, has been added to Texas major league roster. He combined to go 8-1, 1.91 (16 ER/75.1 IP) in 14 starts at Double-A Trenton, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and the Rookie League Gulf Coast Yankees in 2017. Herrera also made his major league debut, issuing two runs in 3.0 innings in two relief appearances with New York.



After opening the year on the Trenton disabled list, Herrera excelled with the Thunder, going 8-0, 1.13 over nine starts and earning Eastern League pitcher of the week honors for June 5-11. He was assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 24 but was on the disabled list from July 7-Sept. 1 with right shoulder inflammation. Overall, he had a 4.35 ERA in 2 starts at SWB and was 0-1, 4.00 in three starts on rehab assignment for the Gulf Coast Yankees.



Herrera was recalled by the Yankees from Trenton on June 14 and made his major league debut that night at Anaheim, allowing two hits and two runs in 2.0 innings to take the loss in relief vs. the Angels. He returned to Trenton the next day. He was also with the Yankees from June 26-30, working 1.0 scoreless inning in his only appearance on June 29 at the Chicago White Sox.



Originally signed by Oakland as an amateur free agent in May 2012, Herrera was traded to San Diego in May 2014 and to the Yankees in November 2015. On April 26, 2016, he pitched the first 8.0 innings of a combined no-hitter with Jonathan Holder for Trenton against New Hampshire. Herrera was 10-7 in 23 starts with Trenton in 2016 and was named the clubs pitcher of the year. He was added to New Yorks 40-man roster after the 2016 season.



Sanmartin combined to go 7-2, 2.45 in 14 games/11 starts between Short Season A Spokane and Low-A Hickory in 2017, his third season in the Texas organization.



The Rangers have 31 players on their major league roster pending additions of several minor league players later today.


A 15-month-old boy allegedly abducted by his father and taken to Mexico last week was delivered to authorities at the Mexico border Sunday by an uncle and an Amber Alert was canceled, authorities said.

Noe Reyna was turned over to officers of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at 2:45 p.m. the Otay Mesa border crossing by the uncle, who walked up with the boy, said Sgt. E. Yerkey of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollenbeck Station.

"The father had the uncle deliver the boy," Yerkey said. The LAPD was contacted at 3:10 p.m. by Homeland Security and Hollenbeck detectives went to the border to pick him up.

The father may have learned that authorities were looking for him from media attention and his family may have helped convince him to return the boy, Yerkey said.

Noe was in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services which had a warrant to remove the child from his home due to the parents' drug use, he said.

The boy's mother was notified of his recovery.

Social workers were due to pick up Noe Tuesday, which led to the alleged abduction by father Carlos Ivan Reyna Lara, 35, and the Amber Alert. He was believed to have taken the boy to the state of Sonora, Mexico.
The woman who alleges that Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore had sexual contact with her when she was 14 and he was 32 says she feels "like a weight has been lifted" since she came forward, after waiting for nearly four decades.



Leigh Corfman appeared on the "Today" show Monday for her first television interview since accusing Moore, the Republican candidate vying to fill the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore has denied that he's committed sexual misconduct after Corfman and eight other women alleged sexual misconduct.



Asked about Moore's denial  he's said he doesn't know Corfman  she was skeptical: "I wonder how many mes he doesn't know."

Corfman said she has, over the years, told friends and her children her story: Going to Moore's house in 1979, where he laid blankets on the floor and "proceeded to seduce me," she said, recounting the meeting to Savannah Guthrie.

Moore took off her clothes down to her underwear, Corfman said, took off his own pants, touched her over her underwear and tried to get her to do the same. She said she felt uncomfortable, got dressed and had him take her home.

"I was a 14-year-old child trying to play in an adult's world," she explained, adding that it wasn't what she expected after reading Harlequin romance novels. "I was expecting candlelight and roses and what I got was very different."

Some of Moore's defenders have questioned why Corfman and the other accusers hadn't come forward with their stories before, suggesting they were motivated by politics.

Moore made national headlines in 2003 for defying a Supreme Court order order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments he commissioned for the Alabama Judicial Building when he was chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He recently beat the candidate President Donald Trump supported in the U.S. Senate primary and faces Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney known for prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan, in the December special election.



Moore has lost support from many Republicans in Washington since Corfman and other women came forward. The White House said Trump has found the accusations "very troubling."



Moore's wife, Kayla Moore, has said he won't step down from the race, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for. She's also alleged that Corfman was paid for speaking to The Washington Post, which first reported Corfman's story earlier this month.

In Monday's interview, Corfman, a longtime Republican, denied both that coming forward was a political act and that she's been paid for speaking up.

"If anything this has cost me," she said. "I've had to take leave from my job, I have no tickets to Tahiti and my bank account has not flourished. If anything it has gone down."

Corfman said that she immediately told two friends about the incident after it happened, and later told her family. "I spent a lot of time every time he came up railing against him and what he had done to me when I was 14 years old," she said, but noted that she was a single parent of small children.



She did eventually tell her children about her story, once they were in junior high and elementary schools, but they decided together not to come forward so as not to have the kids be ostracized.

But after the Post persuaded her to go on the record about what happened after speaking to three other women who alleged sexual misconduct with Moore when they were much younger than him, Corfman said she's received lots of "amazing" support. More women have since come forward.



Though she cut off contact with Moore after the blanket incident, Corfman said it left her feeling guilty and without some self-confidence. "It took away a lot of the specialness of interactions with men," she said.



Shown a photo of herself at 14, Corfman said, "She sure did have a lot of promise ahead of her and she didn't deserve to have a 32-year-old man prey on her."
Holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years, even as shoppers grappled with higher prices, product shortages and a raging new COVID-19 variant in the last few weeks of the season, according to one spending measure.
Two cameras were rolling as a plane crashed onto a street in Pinellas County.

Sheriffs deputies were in the area for an unrelated call, when they saw a plane heading right for them.

The pilot told deputies that he had engine trouble near Clearwater Airpark Airport.

The pilot said he knew he wouldnt make it to the airport and started looking for a safe place to land, which was the road.

The left wing caught a tree as he tried to land, which led the plane to spin and crash.

The pilot and passenger were not injured.
A Florida man is accused of breaking into a mobile home and killing his former roommate.

The Panama City News Herald reports 26-year-old Billy Herman Shaffer broke into the home while 48-year-old Matthew Kelley was at a convenience store early Saturday morning. Kelly was shot with his own shotgun when he returned home.

An arrest report says Shaffer called police after the shooting.

A neighbor told the newspaper that police had been called to the home about five weeks ago when Kelley was trying to get Shaffer out of his home.

Shaffer had an extensive criminal history of burglaries and thefts. He's now accused of murder and armed burglary.

Records don't list an attorney for Shaffer.
A group of protesters lined up outside Monkey Jungle Sunday, weeks after a former employee accused the South Miami-Dade attraction abusing its animals.

Monkey Jungle, located in southern Miami-Dade County, is a wildlife park home to hundreds of animals, including monkeys, apes and birds.

Earlier this month, Melanie Lustig said she topped working at the establishment "because the conditions, in general, were abysmal ... for all the animals. The animal care never really came first there.

Lustig said she posted pictures online to show the deplorable conditions in which the animals live.

The 30-acre animal park has been shut down ever since Hurricane Irma swept through South Florida in September. On Sunday, protesters with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida were looking to make that closure a permanent one.

"As a child, I may have come here once or twice," said Gini Hall, protester. "Im 60 years old. We didnt know, we had no idea."

Hall is one of nearly 50 roadside protesters refusing to back down, calling the more than 80-year-old attraction, antiquated.

"They need to go to a sanctuary to live out the rest of their lives," Hall said. "Nobody needs to live in a small cage."

A statement released by Monkey Jungle Sunday said, At this point in King [the gorillas] life it would be dangerous to relocate him to another group of gorillas as he could easily be injured.

But that answer is not good enough for communication director of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida Don Anthony,

"There is nothing educational," he said. "Nothing entertaining about this."

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida has filed a complaint with the USDA calling for an investigation into apparent violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Inspection reports dating back to 2015 show no non-compliant violations.

"This is not a sanctuary by any means," Anthony said. "This is essentially a prison."
Thousands of demonstrators, including award-winning playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, marched through Washington, D.C. on Sunday to ensure people dont forget the ongoing humanitarian crisis in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

People carried Puerto Rican flags as they marched from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.

Some carried signs reading "We are not second-class citizens."

Hurricane Maria hammered the island in September, but the recovery effort is far from over. A little more than half of the U.S. territory is still without power, according to the Puerto Rican government website.

Speakers at Sunday's rally called for more federal support.

Miranda, marching with his father and mother, carried a Hispanic Federation banner reading "Fight For Puerto Rico" leading the latter half of the thousands of marchers. He joined in with the call and response chant of "Puerto Rico, Presente" (Puerto Rico is present) and in shouting a few drawn out "Weeepaaas! The term "wepa," sort of like "yowza," is a popular expression in Puerto Rico, NBC News reported.

The "Hamilton" creator has made a number of efforts to raise money and bring aid to Puerto Ricans. He has brought together artists to produce the single "Almost Like Praying." Sales of the single have raised $500,000 for the island, Miranda announced at the Lincoln Memorial rally.

The White House recently sent congress a $44 billion disaster aid request. Lawmakers from hurricane-hit regions said that is not enough money.
A San Diego-based U.S. Navy rescue crew was set to arrive in South America Sunday to assist in the search for a missing Argentine Navy submarine and its 44 crew members.

Navy Sailors with Undersea Rescue Command (URC) departed from Miramar Saturday with a Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and four aircraft, en route to the Southern Atlantic, where the submarine A.R.A. San Juan lost contact with the Argentine Navy Wednesday.

The U.S. Navy deployed its sailors after the government of Argentina asked for international assistance in the search. The Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the governments of Britain and Chile had also offered "logistical help and an exchange of information for this humanitarian search."

On Saturday, Argentina said it detected seven brief satellite calls that officials believe may have come from the missing submarine, though the origin of the calls could not be confirmed.

#BREAKING: Submarine rescue chamber and other assets being mobilized at @MCASMiramarCA to support search for Argentinean Navy submarine A.R.A. San Juan - https://t.co/svBWeeb1Vw pic.twitter.com/byajmTxYNr  U.S. Navy (@USNavy) November 19, 2017

URC sailors will join the Navys P-8A Poseidon maritime aircrafts 21-person crew and a NASA research aircraft, both already aiding the search off Argentine's southern Atlantic coast.

The Navys submarine rescue vessel is able to reach depths of 850 feet and rescue six people at a time by using advanced technology in submarine rescue scenarios, according to U.S. Navy Southern Command.

Poseidons sensors are equipped to conduct search-and-rescue missions from the sky, as its sensors search below the surface of large bodies of water.

A second rescue system, the Pressurized Rescue Model (PRM) is scheduled to arrive in the Southern Atlantic early next week. The PRM can reach depths of 2,000 feet and is able to rescue 16 people at a time, the U.S. Navy said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
Members of a Bronx-based drug ring distributed millions of doses of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine throughout New York City and delivered on demand to buyers in the advertising and real estate industries, law enforcement officials say.

Authorities unveiled charges against 16 people on Monday. Of them, 11 were arrested on November 15 and the others were already in custody, officials say.

In addition to the arrests, during the six-month probe investigators from the DEA, NYPD, New York State Police and U.S. Homeland Security seized 12 kilograms of fentanyl, 6 kilograms of heroin, 3 kilograms of cocaine and more than $175,000 in cash, the officials say.

The state charges filed by the Bronx District Attorneys office include possession and sale of a controlled substance, money laundering and conspiracy. Four of the individuals are charged with operating as a major trafficker and face life in prison if convicted.

"This transnational drug trafficking crew made the Bronx an epicenter of fentanyl distribution," said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt in a statement. "Through coordinated enforcement on federal, state and local law enforcement levels, traffickers responsible for smuggling heroin, cocaine and six million fatal doses of fentanyl into our city have been arrested."

"Deadly fentanyl coupled with recreational cocaine sales shows that this group was as versatile as it was vicious," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. "They allegedly drove the narcotics up the eastern seaboard from Florida, bringing the attendant misery to the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester County and New Jersey."
What to Know Charles Manson, the California drifter-turned-cult leader responsible for a string of murders in the summer of 1969, has died at age 83

The White House says the true cost of the opioid drug epidemic in 2015 was $504 billion, or roughly half a trillion dollars

Model Keri Claussen Khalighi has come forward to accuse Def Jam Records mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct in 1991 when she was 17

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Killer and Cult Leader Charles Manson Dead at 83

Charles Manson, the California drifter-turned-cult leader responsible for a string of murders that cast a dark pall over the summer of 1969, died in Kern County Hospital. He was 83. Debra Tate, the sister of actress Sharon Tate, one of Manson's most famous victims, received a call from Corcoran State Prison telling her Manson died at 8:13 p... While Manson died of natural causes, Tate knew he had been sick for a long time and was "expecting" this. Manson was recently taken to Bakersfield Hospital where he was being treated for intestinal bleeding since January. Surgery was recommended but it was later deemed too risky. He had been locked up since his arrest in December 1969 following his conviction for orchestrating the murders of Tate and six others. Some of his followers remain behind bars for their part in the killings.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe Passes Deadline to Resign; Now Impeachment

Longtime President Robert Mugabe ignored a midday deadline set by the ruling party to step down or face impeachment proceedings, while Zimbabweans stunned by his lack of resignation during a national address vowed more protests to make him leave. Opposition activists and the influential liberation war veterans association announced more demonstrations to pressure the 93-year-old Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, to step down after 37 years in power. He also suggested that the military, even though it put Mugabe under house arrest days ago, was still beholden to him and compelled to protect him because he is officially their "commander in chief." Zimbabweans were astonished that Mugabe, flanked by the military in his national address remained defiant.

Border Patrol Agent Killed, Another Injured in Attack

Authorities are searching Texas' Big Bend area for potential suspects and witnesses after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was fatally injured responding to activity there. Border Patrol officials said the agents were on patrol in Culberson County in the Big Bend Sector of the Texas border. Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of injuries he and his partner sustained after responding to "activity" while on patrol on Interstate 10 near Van Horn, according to a statement from Border Patrol. It wasn't immediately clear when the incident occurred. Agent Martinez's partner radioed that he and his partner were injured and needed help. Agents reportedly responded and provided medical care and took the two agents to the hospital. Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details on what caused the agent's injuries or what led to them.

Keystone XL Pipeline Faces Last Major Regulatory Hurdle

A Nebraska regulator is set to decide whether to approve the proposed route of the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline through the state. The decision Monday could have a big impact on whether TransCanada Corp. decides to proceed with construction of the project, which was first proposed in 2008 but repeatedly delayed. The five-member Nebraska Public Service Commission vote is the last major regulatory hurdle for Keystone XL, which was approved earlier this year by President Trump in a reversal of the Obama administration's rejection in 2015. Landowners along the route and environmentalists have opposed the project. Some businesses and unions have supported it as a job creator. The commission will not be allowed to take into account an oil spill on the existing Keystone pipeline last week.

True Cost of Opioid Epidemic Tops $500 Billion, White House Says

The White House says the true cost of the opioid drug epidemic in 2015 was $504 billion, or roughly half a trillion dollars. In an analysis, the Council of Economic Advisers says the figure is more than six times larger than the most recent estimate. The council said a 2016 private study estimated that prescription opioid overdoes, abuse and dependence in the U.S. in 2013 cost $78.5 billion. Most of that was attributed to health care and criminal justice spending, along with lost productivity. The council said its estimate is significantly larger because the epidemic has worsened, with overdose deaths doubling in the past decade, and that some previous studies didn't reflect the number of fatalities blamed on opioids, a powerful but addictive category of painkillers. The council also said previous studies focused exclusively on prescription opioids, while its study also factors in illicit opioids, including heroin.

Model Accuses Russell Simmons of Sexual Misconduct While She Was a Minor

Model Keri Claussen Khalighi has come forward to accuse Def Jam Records mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct in 1991 when she was 17 years old. In a report in the Los Angeles Times, Khalighi says that Simmons coerced her to perform a sex act and later penetrated her without her consent in his New York apartment. She said the film producer and director Brett Ratner, who has also been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, was present. Khalighi said she asked Ratner, then a music video director and Simmons protege, for help. Simmons, now 60, has denied the allegations in a statement, which he also posted to his Twitter account. He says everything that occurred between himself and Khalighi was completely consensual and with her "full participation."

Earle Hyman, Widely Known as Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show, Dies

Earle Hyman, a veteran actor of stage and screen who was widely known for playing Russell Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," has died. Jordan Strohl, a representative for The Actors Fund, says Hyman died at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 91. A North Carolina native, Hyman made his Broadway debut as a teenager in 1943. He would go on to become a charter member of the American Shakespeare Theater. In 1980 Hyman received a Tony nomination for "The Lady From Dubuque." Hyman is best known, however, for "The Cosby Show" where he played the father to Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, even though he was only 11 years his senior. He earned a guest performer Emmy nomination for the role in 1986.
Four people, including a couple, living in a West Chester, Pennsylvania, senior community ravaged by a five-alarm inferno last week are now presumed dead.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said Monday the four were "not saved."



Investigators are sifting through the rubble of the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community in an attempt to recover their bodies.

The victims are everyones parents and grandparents, Hogan said. Our hearts go out to the families of the missing folks.

Officials have not yet revealed the identities of the four residents. A spokesperson for Barclay wrote in a letter that the four victims are a couple and two single residents.

"Members of the Barclay Friends team have met personally with the three families most affected by this horrific loss," the spokesperson wrote. "We will provide as much support as possible for these families as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy."

The fire erupted shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday as most of the 137 residents were sleeping. The blaze started in the back of one of the buildings, ripped through the center and all the way to the ceiling, creating a "raging inferno," Hogan said.

Flames tore through the senior living community's personal care wing with such speed that some of the nearly 400 first responders rushed into the building without securing their breathing equipment.

Several firefighters described their helmets melting and cracking from the intense heat.

NBC10

Most of the residents were bedridden or in wheelchairs. Senior home staff and outside neighbors rushed from room to room in the facility, wrapping residents in blankets and sweeping them out in to the frigid night in wheelchairs and even in beds.

One of the elderly women rescued is the aunt of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent-in-Charge Don Robinson, who is spearheading a team of more than 60 investigators. She is safe with relatives, but Robinson said it's a reminder of how many community members were touched by the fire.

Weve all got a piece of this, he said. Were depending on each other and we will be here as long it takes to get some answers for the families."

Paramedics took 27 residents to nearby hospitals for treatment. Some of the injuries were described by authorities as "serious." Eight residents are still hospitalized as of Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Of those that were rescued without injury, 102 have been placed in other facilities and 31 have been taken in by family members.

[PHOTOS]Seniors Flee Inferno at West Chester Senior Living Community

The cause of the fire remains unclear. ATF investigators have made attempts through the weekend to enter the destroyed wing, but their efforts were hampered by unsafe conditions and high winds Sunday.

Parts of the complex burned for more than 24 hours and unstable walls teetered over the scene.

Last year, state health officials cited Barclay Friends and its owner Kendal with fire safety violations, including a failure to maintain corridor smoke doors. The violations were recorded in the facility's nursing home section, which was not touched by fire.

A provisional license status for the nursing home was lifted in February following a new inspection, but at least one fire safety violation remained, state records showed.
What to Know Two teens were arrested in connection to flash mob attacks in Center City.

Police say there were three assaults and one robbery in all.

A SEPTA Police officer, two employees of a Center City pizza shop, and a couple walking down the street were among the victims.

At least two teens were arrested while several people, including a SEPTA police officer, were attacked during flash mob incidents in Center City.

Police say the ordeal began Saturday around 7 p.m. on the 1700 block of Walnut Street when two large groups of teens became disorderly. One group exited a club and attacked a couple walking down the street, according to investigators. Officials also say a second group of approximately 100 teens were acting rowdy and harassed people walking nearby.

Samir Maalaoui, the owner of Lazaros Pizza, located on the 1700 block of South Street, also told NBC10 a group of teens rushed into his shop shortly before 8 p.m., attacked two of his delivery drivers and stole a pizza.

"He was on the floor and they start kicking him," Maalaoui said.

One of the drivers suffered a broken nose while another suffered a black eye.

"Punching him in the face four, five times," said a witness who wanted to remain anonymous. "It was ridiculous man. This never happened here before."



Both employees are expected to be okay. The owner sent NBC10 surveillance video of the teens outside his shop as well as photos of his injured employees.



"He needs stitiches and his nose is broken completely," Maalaoui said. "And he needs surgery."



Cleavers Philadelphia, located on the 100 block of S. 18th Street, also closed early Saturday night, claiming there were riots going on in Rittenhouse.

Philadelphia Police and SEPTA Police arrived at the scene and began to disperse the crowds. As they were controlling the crowd, at least one SEPTA police officer was attacked, officials said. Police say there were reports of three assaults and one robbery in all.

SEPTA Police arrested two teens, ages 14 and 16, in connection to the attacks in Rittenhouse Square. They have not yet revealed the specific charges against them.

Staff at Lazaro's say they hope the people who put their co-workers in the hospital are punished.

"Every time they get away with it, they're going to keep doing the same thing," Maalaoui said. "Maybe they're going to take it further. It's not good for the business. It's not good for the city."



If you have any information on the incidents, please call Philadelphia Police.


A man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat went to two pharmacies in Loudoun County, Virginia, threatened the pharmacists and demanded prescription opioids, police said.

The search for the man is ongoing.

At one location, he got nothing; at the other, he got prescriptions, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said.

The man entered a Rite Aid on the 46000 block of Cedar Lake Plaza in Sterling about 11 a.m. Monday. He handed the pharmacist a note that implied he had a gun and demanded prescription medication, police said.

Then, he left without getting anything, police said.

About an hour later, a man appearing to wear the same clothes and hat entered a CVS on the 400 block of Enterprise Street, about three miles away from the Rite Aid, police said.

Again, the man handed the pharmacist a note implying he had a gun and demanding narcotics, police said.

The man was given prescription medicine, then he fled, police said.

The suspect is described as a white man who was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with black stripes, sunglasses, black pants, black shoes and a red "Make America Great Again" hat.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
President Donald Trump will pardon the national Thanksgiving turkey Tuesday, but before he does, the birds of honor will live it up at a high-end hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Willard Intercontinental introduced "Drumstick" and "Wishbone" Monday. The turkeys have been prepping for their big day with a two-night stay in one of the hotel's luxury suites.



The public will decide which bird will win the title of America's National Thanksgiving Turkey.

But don't worry! Both birds will get to will live out their lives at Virginia Tech University after the ceremony Tuesday. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the lighthearted event.

[NATL] Presidential Turkey Pardoning Through the Years

The White House says the first family will donate two packaged turkeys to the D.C. charity Martha's Table. Trump is set to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Two pedestrians were seriously injured in a crash in Westwood, Massachusetts, police say, and a witness said the victims were a father and his son.

The crash happened near Pond Street and Lakeshore Drive on Sunday around 2:30 p.m.

Initial reports from Westwood police described a major accident in that area. Paramedics took the victims to separate Boston hospitals. Police say the victims have "varying degrees of very serious injuries." They did not release other information about the victims.

The crash, which involved a single vehicle and several pedestrians in a crosswalk, appears to be accidental in nature, according to police. The driver struck a young boy and his father. A little girl was also in the crosswalk, and was narrowly missed by the driver, police said.

The driver's name was not immediately released. It's unclear if there will be charges.

The driver of the vehicle involved reportedly told a neighbor that she couldn't see the pair due to the glare from the sun, the neighbor told reporters.

Neighbors used the family pet's dog tags to contact their mother, say police.

Witnesses to the crash said a trauma doctor happened to be just a few cars behind. The doctor rushed over to the victims and held the child's neck until paramedics arrived.

NBC Boston saw what appeared to be two children's bikes at the scene, including one that had been hit by a vehicle.

Police say Pond Street between Clapboardtree and Arcadia was closed as their investigation continued.

The Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit also responded to the scene.
The iconic Curious George Store will continue to operate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, its owner said after a deal was made.

According to Boston Business Journal, the store celebrating the Curious George children's books will stay put in Harvard Square.

Equity One, a real estate giant based in New York, purchased the Abbott Building and two adjacent buildings in 2016 for $85 million. The company had planned to turn it into a pedestrian mall, which would require the store and Urban Outfitters to close. But after Florida-based Regency Centers acquired Equity One, it struck an agreement with the Curious George Store.

The building will still be renovated, but Curious George will remain close to its current location, within the same facility.

"A lot of people thought that the store had closed, which is not true," store owner Adam Hirsch told the BBJ. "We hope that those that love Harvard Square are excited about that."
What to Know Braintree fire officials responded to a home on Nicholas Road just before 11 p.m. where the blaze quickly reached 2-alarms.

Authorities said crews were able to rescue an elderly man and woman from the home but a third man was unaccounted for.

Once the fire was out, Colin Gray Jr., 45, was found in a back bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities are investigating a fire that left one man dead at a home in Braintree, Massachusetts late Sunday night.

The fire broke out at a home on Nicholas Road just before 11 p.m. and quickly reached two alarms.

Firefighters responding to the home found heavy smoke coming from the one-floor house.

Fire officials said an older man and his wife who uses a wheelchair were rescued, but their son, 46-year-old Colin Gray Jr., was found dead in a back bedroom where he was likely sleeping when the blaze broke out.

The body was found after firefighters had brought the fire under control.

Neighbors said the family didn't get out much due to health issues.

"That's terrible," said Peggy DelPico, a Meals on Wheels volunteer who arrived Monday morning with food for Gray's parents.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said a space heater is likely to blame. They say there were no working smoke detectors in the home.




Mrs. Kat reminds that this Kat has some Guy Laroche-branded pants in his closet; maybe he does not give himself enough fashion credit?

" dedicated his life to belief that fashion was more than just garments; to him, they were as much an element of the empowerment of women and a broader cultural conversation."

Seemingly destined to wear and inspire his clothes, these Amazonian-like heroines were custom-built for a bold era of exaggeration and excess. Not only could they handle the curves of the fast-paced times, but could throw some themselves.

"Fashion is dead. Designers nowadays do not create anything, they only make clothes so people and the press would talk about them. The real money for designers lie within perfumes and handbags. It is all about image. Alaia remains the king. He is smart enough to not only care about having people talk about him. He only holds fashion shows when he has something to show, on his own time frame. Even when Prada owned him he remained free and did what he wanted to do."

This Kat recalls a recent meeting with a young designer, who wanted to hear about what she could do to protect her creations. After an hour of conversation, she looked at this Kat with a sense of resignation, stating that "really all I want to do is design."

There is probably no word less apt to be associated with this Kat than fashion. That does not keep him from taking an interest in the industry and the larger-than-life figures that populate it. In the fashion world, none was more idiosyncratic about his craft than the late Azzedine Alaia, who passed away on Saturday at the likely age of 77. His improbable rise to the top, his long-life commitment to the Sinatra doctrine he did things his way, and what his life story tells us about the fashion industry, merit recollection by the IPKat.Alaia was born in Tunisia, the son of a wheat farmer, an unlikely environment from which to climb the ladder of fashion success. How he left the farm, secured a place at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tunis, found a series of skill-enhancing sewing and clothing-related endeavors in Tunis, leading to his relocation to Paris, is testimony that luck is often central in life, but even more so how one takes advantage of such luck.Once in Paris, he worked at Dior for a brief time, moving to Guy Laroche ], and Thierry Mugler , until he set up his own workshop or, as called in Paris, an  atelier , in a smallish flat in Paris. From there he specialized in discretely designing clothes for the elegant and notable (Greta Garbo was said to have come for his services incognito). Over the years, his customers are reported to have included Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Raquel Welch, Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell, and Shakira.Alaia came to the forefront in the 1980s; he was the master of designing clothes in a clinging style that earned him the sobriquet, The King of Cling. His ability to do so with leather was the stuff of legend. It is said that anyone could recognize an instance of Alaia-designed, body-con clothing. All of this took place against the backdrop of his unique view as to how clothing design should be carried out. As noted by, heStated otherwise, "[h]e used leather and knits to shape and support the body, transforming it into the best version of itself."His design approach dovetailed with the rise of the supermodel in the early 1980s, such as Naomi Campbell (he was notably much shorter than they), which in retrospect was, in a consummate example of a, a perfect fit (another instance of making his own luck). Vogue.com wrote of his design work for these supermodels as follows:He did all this while remaining his own man. It began with his usual attire, a black, high-necked Chinese garment. In particular, he was known for not playing by industry rules, whereby one is expected to deliver in accordance with a predetermined schedule. This was not for Alaia, who would only present when he felt he was ready. It is said that he resisted the expectation to produce collections, this despite his commercial relationship with the Prada group (in 2000) and later with the Richemont group (in 2007). Against that background, Wikipedia reports that Catherine Lardeur, the former editor-in-chief of French Marie Claire , is quoted as saying thatWhether this is a compliment, a criticism or merely an observation about Alaia is left for the Kat reader to decide. Surely the tension between creation and commercialization lies at the heart of fashion. Whether or not "fashion is dead" would seem to depend on where one places himself or herself on the continuum between these two competing poles. [In considering Alaia, one must also ask: should the fashion designer be measured only in terms of his or her ability to get the most sartorially out of his supermodel client? This Kat discussed a while ago the fashioning challenge in meeting the needs of women who are not models ("The illusion of design and design of illusion"). What was suggested was that a different approach to the fashioning craft is called for. This Kat wonders whether Alaia, as the King of Cling, should, could and/or would ever have taken part in such a conversation.Photo on upper right by ellenm1 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 licensePhoto on bottom left by Gaz is licensed under GNU Free Documentation licenseBy Neil Wilkof
Police in New Hampshire have arrested a man suspected of firing multiple shots at his girlfriend's car on Interstate 89 hours after they told residents to lock their homes and a school district canceled classes.

Authorities say 40-year-old Elijah Gross was found Monday morning in Sutton. Police said they received calls from residents about a hitchhiker. It wasn't immediately known if he had a lawyer.

Police say Gross was a passenger in a vehicle on the interstate in Sutton about 5:30 p.m. Sunday when he allegedly fired multiple shots at his girlfriend's vehicle and fled.

Residents near exit 10 were told to lock their homes and vehicles, and to report suspicious activity.

The Kearsarge Regional School District canceled school for students on Monday as police searched for Gross.
First it was Canada and now Australian state and federal governments are being urged to go ahead and sue to tobacco companies. Billions of dollars are being spent in treating tobacco-related diseases and ailments of the general public and some of it could be compensated this way feel experts.

Image Credit: Pe3k / Shutterstock

Smoking is linked to annual health costs to the tune of $31.5 billion approximately say experts. It is still one of the leading causes of preventable diseases in the country. It has been linked to thousands of deaths that could have been prevented with smoking cessation. The numbers have climbed down from earlier due to government steps to curb tobacco use including plain packaging, ban on advertising, raising public awareness etc. Legal action against the tobacco companies would keep them under pressure and most importantly recover some of the billions of dollars that have and are being spent on tobacco-related diseases.

Medical Journal of Australia published a commentary written by health experts in their latest issue where they write, Legal action would clearly pose substantial challenges, but the potential benefits of holding tobacco companies to account through litigation mean that it could play an important role in future Australian tobacco control strategiesSuccessful litigation could reduce its financial capacity to engage in future activities and undermine any remaining credibility it may have in the policy arena. Authors Dr Ross MacKenzie, Macquarie University health studies lecturer and Mike Daube, Curtin University's professor of health policy along with Eric LeGresley, Canadian tobacco control consultant added that this was the right time to sue the tobacco companies as the public would be in favor of this move. Litigation costs however would be high they add.

Canadian province of British Colombia was the first jurisdiction in the Commonwealth that sued tobacco companies and won compensations related to tobacco use effects on health in 1988. British Colombia along with five other Canadian provinces in 2012 fought a long hard battle and in 2012 sued tobacco companies for billions of dollars in compensation. According to Dr MacKenzie and his team, this is an attractive option for the governments since the costs of tobacco-related ailments are on an all time high. Further these legal actions would be publicized and also popularize the harmful effects of tobacco use to the general public. The corporate behavior of the tobacco comapnaies would also be out in the open they write. This would all lead to a denormalisation of smoking in Australia which means that the government would be able to introduce further public health measures controlling and stopping tobacco use with full public support. Reports suggest that at least 15,000 Australians die every year due to smoking related diseases. However rates of smoking have dropped from 24 percent in 90s to 12.2 percent in 2016. This was hailed as one of the big public health successes in our generation, by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last year.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has recently announced his plans to sue tobacco firms to compensate for the health damage caused by tobacco use. He had said that this move was to make the state and federal governments revise their present laws and raise the legal age of smoking from 18 years to 21 years.

World Health Organisations (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has now recognized the value of legal action against tobacco companies as a valid step against them. Professor Sanchia Aranda, CEO of Cancer Council Australia, said legal action against the tobacco companies was one of the steps among many that could be taken up along with the anti-smoking advertising campaigns.
A study in Myanmar has found that all mouth cancer patients use smokeless tobacco, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. Betel quid chewing often starts in adolescence and is associated with smoking and drinking alcohol, which are also risk factors for oral cancer.

According to GLOBOCAN 2012, more than half of oral cancers in the world occur in Asia where an estimated 168,850 new cases were diagnosed in 2012. Of these, approximately 11% of patients were from Southeast Asia.

Lead author Dr Khin Khin Nwe, medical oncologist, Toungoo General Hospital, Toungoo, Myanmar said: "According to previous studies the incidence of oral cancer, also called mouth cancer, in Southeast Asia has been disturbingly high for many years. It has also been shown that smokeless tobacco use is common in this region - for example in Myanmar more than 50% of men use betel quid."

This observational study investigated the lifestyle behaviors of head and neck cancer patients that may have contributed to their disease. The cross-sectional study was conducted in the medical oncology unit of Toungoo General Hospital in 2016. All head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients who came to the hospital were included in the study. Participants were asked about betel quid chewing, smoking, and alcohol.

Of the 307 cancer patients who visited Toungoo Hospital that year, 67 (22%) had HNSCC and were included in the study. Out of the 67 patients, 41 were male and 26 were female. The mean age was 59.2 years (range 36 to 81) for men and 58.7 years (range 19 to 86) for women. The most common cancer site was oral cavity (34.3%), followed by larynx (25.4%), oropharynx (11.9%), nasopharynx (11.9%), hypopharynx (10.4%), lip (4.5%), and nose (1.5%).

Regarding lifestyle habits of the entire study population, 20 patients (30%) chewed betel only; 19 patients (28%) chewed betel and smoked tobacco; 19 patients (28%) chewed betel, smoked tobacco, and consumed alcohol. Two patients smoked tobacco and drank alcohol, two smoked tobacco only, two had none of the risk factors, and information was unavailable for three patients.

All oral cavity (mouth) cancer patients were betel quid chewers. In addition, 48% smoked tobacco and 44% consumed alcohol. The majority (87%) of mouth cancer patients said they kept betel quid in the buccal cavity (cheek) most of the time.

Nwe said: "We found that all patients with mouth cancer chewed betel quid. Most had started the habit as teenagers and had found it too difficult to quit. Betel quid chewing appeared to interact with tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking in an additive way in this population."

Nwe concluded: "Chewing of betel quid has been common in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, for a long time and our study shows that it is a public health problem. Efforts are needed to increase awareness of the risks of betel quid chewing so that adolescents do not start the habit and adults are encouraged to quit. This may help to prevent head and neck cancer."

Commenting on the topic, Dr Makoto Tahara, Chief, Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Hospital East, Chiba, Japan, said: "Given the number of health issues associated with chewing betel quid, particularly oral cancer and precancerous conditions such as leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis, understanding ways to reduce betel quid chewing is of global public health importance. In the last decade, betel quid has been classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)."

"Limited research has been conducted to understand the behavioral and psychosocial factors that lead individuals to initiate and/or maintain betel quid chewing," he continued. "Determining such psychosocial and behavioral risk factors would help design prevention and treatment programmes aiming to reduce the prevalence of betel quid chewing. In many countries within the Western Pacific region, the long-established behavior of betel quid use is integral to community life, from routine aspects of daily life to ceremonial celebrations. Given the social importance of chewing betel quid, chewers might fear the negative social repercussions associated with quitting. For instance, for an individual attending a social or cultural event where betel quid is offered, refusing it could be construed as an insult by the host."

Tahara said: "Interventions designed to treat or prevent betel quid chewing may need to include a strong social/cultural component. For example, such interventions may provide chewers trying to quit with skills regarding how to deal with the social/cultural pressures to chew. With regards to prevention, if social influence is found to play an important role in chewing initiation among youths and young adults, perhaps social influence-based smoking cessation interventions that have been found to be effective in this age group may be adapted to prevent betel quid initiation."
Just one in five Indonesian women are aware of cervical cancer screening, according to a study presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. The research in nearly 5,400 women also found that only 5% knew about mammography for early detection of breast cancer.

"Early detection of cervical and breast cancers leads to better treatment, with improved survival and quality of life," said lead author Dr Sumadi Lukman Anwar, oncologist in training, Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

"In Indonesia, many patients are diagnosed with breast and cervical cancers at a very late stage when there are limited options for curative treatment," he continued. "To improve early detection we need to know levels of awareness and participation in screening programmes, and what factors influence these levels."

Since 2015, all women in Indonesia aged 40 and above are eligible for cervical and breast cancer screening in primary healthcare funded by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (PERMENKES No.15/2015). Cervical smears are performed yearly for two years, then every five years if no abnormalities are found (otherwise they continue yearly). Clinical breast examinations are performed yearly and women are referred for sonography or mammography if there are any lumps or other signs of breast cancer. Women do not receive a letter inviting them to attend screening; in most cases they use their own initiative and ask for an appointment in primary healthcare.

The researchers assessed levels of awareness and participation in screening programmes for cervical and breast cancers. They also investigated factors that might influence these levels. The study used data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) which includes more than 30,000 individuals. The first survey in 1993 was representative of 83% of the Indonesian population living in 13 of the 27 provinces in the country.

The current study is a collaborative work led by PILAR Research and Education and Gadjah Mada University and involves researchers from University College London, King's College London and University of Manchester. The analysis included 5,397 women aged 40 and older with no history of cancer who took part in the fifth IFLS survey, conducted in 2014 and 2015. Participants completed questionnaires about awareness and participation in cervical screening, mammography and breast self-examination. Information was also collected on factors that might be linked with cancer screening awareness and participation such as marital status, education, household expenditure, lifestyle, and distance to health facilities.

The researchers calculated the levels of awareness and participation in screening, and whether they varied by any of the population characteristics.

Only 1,058 (20%) of women were aware of cervical smears. Of those who were aware, only 297 women had ever had a cervical smear performed. Just 251 (5%) of women were aware of mammography and of those, only five women had received a mammogram in the previous year. Some 12% of women had done breast self-examination in the past year.

Higher education and household expenditure were associated with greater awareness of cervical smears and mammography, and greater participation in cervical smears and breast self-examination. Awareness and participation in screening was greater in those with health insurance, a shorter distance to health services, and who took part in community activities.

Anwar said: "We found very low levels of awareness of screening programmes for cervical and breast cancers in Indonesian women, and participation was even lower with indications of a social gradient. Health practitioners need to be aware of subgroups of women at risk who may benefit from improved information and communication concerning the availability of cancer screening. If further research supports the role of social participation, a campaign may be needed that is socially and culturally adapted for women in Indonesia and communicated using existing community networks and media they frequently use. Most people own mobile phones so the potential use of social media could also be explored."

Dr Wen-son Hsieh, Medical Oncologist, ICON-SOC and Farrer Park Hospital, Singapore said: "Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women worldwide and 8% of the cases occur in the developing world. This is at least partly due to the low incidence of screening procedures being performed in the developing world."

"The results of this study reinforce the concept that cancer screening programs can improve cancer screening rates in two ways: provide education resulting in improved awareness of the benefits of cancer screening and provide access to resources and facilities to allow cancer screening to occur."

Commenting on the study, Jonathan Ledermann, Professor of Medical Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK, said: "The rates of awareness and uptake of screening for cervical and breast cancer found in this Indonesian study were extremely low compared to Western Europe where we would expect a 70% uptake. A better understanding is needed as to why these rates are so low."

"The clear message is that education about screening is not well disseminated amongst the population and uptake is even lower," he continued. "So there's a lot of work to be done, and a lot of investment that needs to be made in education and facilities for screening if Indonesia is going to climb up the ladder of screening for those two cancers."
A subanalysis of the phase III ALEX study has shown that alectinib 600 mg twice daily is more effective than standard of care crizotinib in Asian patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress.

The J-ALEX study demonstrated that alectinib 300 mg twice daily improved progression-free survival compared to crizotinib in Japanese patients with ALK positive NSCLC. (3) The ALEX study subsequently showed improvement in progression-free survival with alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in a global population of ALK positive NSCLC patients. (4)

This subanalysis of the ALEX study investigated the efficacy and safety of alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in Asian versus non-Asian patients with ALK positive NSCLC. As previously reported, the ALEX study included 303 patients who were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive alectinib or standard of care crizotinib. There were 69 Asian patients in each treatment group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival.

A distinguishing feature of the study was that all patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain every six months, regardless of whether or not they had brain metastases at the start of the study. The time to progression in the brain was measured and compared between the two treatment groups.

"Around 50% of NSCLC patients with ALK mutations will develop brain metastases so it is very important to demonstrate the efficacy of alectinib in the brain," said lead author Professor Tony S.K. Mok, Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The subanalysis showed similar efficacy and safety with alectinib in Asian and non-Asian patients. Progression-free survival was longer with alectinib compared to crizotinib in Asian and non-Asian populations, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.46 and 0.49, respectively. Alectinib reduced central nervous system (CNS) progression compared to crizotinib in the Asian and non-Asian groups, with cause-specific HRs of 0.21 and 0.16, respectively. Median overall survival was not reached in either subgroup.

Response rates to alectinib and crizotinib were 81.2% versus 76.8%, respectively, for the Asian subgroup and 84.3% versus 74.4%, respectively, for the non-Asian subgroup.

The rates of nausea, vomiting, and grade III toxicities overall were lower with alectinib compared to crizotinib, and similar between the Asian and non-Asian subgroups. Liver toxicity due to alectinib was slightly higher in the Asian compared to the non-Asian subgroup.

Mok said: "Alectinib 600 mg twice daily was similarly effective in Asian and non-Asian patients in the ALEX study in terms of progression-free survival, CNS progression, and response rate. The rates of toxicities were also comparable. The findings suggest that 600 mg should be the standard dose of alectinib across Asia."

Commenting on the research, Dr Pilar Garrido, Head of the Thoracic Tumour Section, Medical Oncology Department, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, said: "ALK rearrangements emerged as important therapeutic targets in NSCLC in 2007, defining a distinct molecular subset of tumours. Around 5% of NSCLC patients harbour ALK mutations and are highly sensitive to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which efficiently induce apoptosis. Patients wih advanced ALK positive NSCLC have a high lifetime risk of CNS metastases and a high frequency of brain metastases at diagnosis, with the CNS being the most common site of disease progression."

Garrido continued: "The first approved ALK inhibitor, crizotinib, significantly increased response rate and prolonged progression-free survival compared to first- and second-line chemotherapy. However, patients almost invariably relapse on crizotinib, commonly within one year. Alectinib is a highly selective and potent next-generation ALK inhibitor - with high CNS penetration - that has demonstrated significant anti-tumour activity against ALK-rearranged NSCLC in several trials. The phase III ALEX and J-ALEX trials showed the superiority of alectinib compared with crizotinib in progression-free survival and reducing the risk of progression in both non-CNS and CNS lesions. Alectinib also had a favourable adverse event profile compared to crizotinib in both studies although in the J-ALEX trial the dose of alectinib (300 mg twice daily) was lower than the approved dose in countries other than Japan."

This subgroup analysis presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress confirms that alectinib can be safely used at the standard dose of 600 mg twice daily in the Asian population, said Garrido. She continued: "We now have an extremely efficacious drug to be added to our first line armamentarium without differences in efficacy or safety based on ethnicity."

Regarding the need for further research, Garrido said: "Although next generation ALK inhibitors are extremely potent, eventually all patients relapse. Our next step is to better identify the underlying mechanisms of resistance to provide the best sequence of available agents to our patients."
A recent study showed approximately one-fifth of patients with cancer experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) several months after diagnosis, and many of these patients continued to live with PTSD years later. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings highlight the need for early identification, careful monitoring, and treatment of PTSD in cancer survivors.

Although PTSD is primarily known to develop in individuals following a traumatic event such as a serious accident or natural disaster, it can also occur in patients diagnosed with cancer. Because PTSD in cancer has not been explored thoroughly, Caryn Mei Hsien Chan, PhD, of the National University of Malaysia, and her colleagues studied 469 adults with various cancer types within one month of diagnosis at a single oncology referral center. Patients underwent additional testing after six months and again after four years.

Clinical evaluations revealed a PTSD incidence of 21.7% at 6-months follow-up, with rates dropping to 6.1% at 4-years follow-up. Although overall rates of PTSD decreased with time, roughly one-third of patients initially diagnosed with PTSD were found to have persistent or worsening symptoms four years later.

"Many cancer patients believe they need to adopt a 'warrior mentality', and remain positive and optimistic from diagnosis through treatment to stand a better chance of beating their cancer. To these patients, seeking help for the emotional issues they face is akin to admitting weakness," said Dr. Chan. "There needs to be greater awareness that there is nothing wrong with getting help to manage the emotional upheaval--particularly depression, anxiety, and PTSD--post-cancer."

Dr. Chan also stressed that many patients live in fear that their cancer may come back, and they may think cancer has returned with every lump or bump, pain or ache, fatigue or fever. In addition, survivors might skip visits to their oncologists or other physicians to avoid triggering memories of their past cancer experience. This can lead to delays in seeking help for new symptoms or even refusal of treatment for unrelated conditions.

The researchers' study also found that, compared with patients with other cancer types, patients with breast cancer were 3.7 times less likely to develop PTSD at six months, but not at four years. This may be because, at the referral center studied, there is a dedicated program that provides support and counseling, focusing mostly on breast cancer patients within the first year of cancer diagnosis.

"We need psychological evaluation and support services for patients with cancer at an initial stage and at continued follows-up because psychological well-being and mental health--and by extension, quality of life--are just as important as physical health," said Dr. Chan.
What began in 2012 is now entering its final stages: Europe's largest study on aging. The international research network behind the DO-HEALTH study is led by Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Aging Research at the University of Zurich, and Head of the Department of Geriatrics at the UniversityHospital Zurich and the Waid City Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. A total of 2157 men and women age 70 years and older participate in the study and were recruited from 7 University Centers in 5 European countries: 552 from Zurich, 253 from Basel, 201 from Geneva, 350 from Berlin, 200 from Innsbruck, 300 from Toulouse, and 301 from Coimbra.

Extension of Healthy Life Expectancy through Three Simple Interventions

Over the course of the three-year clinical trial, the DO-HEALTH study requires participants to complete a simple home exercise program three times a week and to take regular supplements of vitamin D and/or Omega-3 fatty acids and/or placebo. The data collected will be analyzed to determine the effects of the three interventions on five primary outcomes: fracture risk, lower extremity muscle function, cognitive function, blood pressure, and rate of infections.

Mechanistic studies, large observational studies, and small clinical trials conducted to date suggest that all three interventions may have a protective effect on various organ functions. "If DO-HEALTH can show that one or all three of these affordable and well-tolerated interventions are effective, this would have an enormous public health impact by enabling senior adults to live a longer healthy and active life," says Bischoff-Ferrari.

Establishment of an Extensive Biobank

The data collection phase of the study is nearing completion, and 100 percent of the four one-day study-visits of all 2157 participants will be concluded by the end of November this year. Final results on the effects of the interventions individually and in combination will be available in mid-2018. Throughout the study, the Centre on Aging and Mobility at the University of Zurich has also built up a biobank of more than 200,000 blood samples to support future research on healthy aging. "Detailed information on many key organ functions coupled with data on nutrition, levels of physical activity, and quality of life is of enormous value for better health and optimal medical care of senior adults," Bischoff-Ferrari explains.

42 Percent of All Participants are Healthy Agers

Data from the first DO-HEALTH clinical visit at study entry show that 42 percent of all DO-HEALTH participants are "healthy agers" - seniors who have no chronic illnesses and enjoy good physical and mental health. However, the percent of healthy agers at the start of DO-HEALTH varies between the five countries: in Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Geneva), 51 percent are healthy agers, in Germany (Berlin) 38 percent, in Austria (Innsbruck) 58 percent, in France (Toulouse) 37 percent, and in Portugal (Coimbra) 9 percent. DO-HEALTH aims to increase the healthy life expectancy of study participants with the three interventions and to enable future generations to benefit from DO-HEALTH findings so that they can live healthy and active longer.

Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Correct Dosage of Vitamin D

Previous studies suggest that life expectancy among people with a vitamin D deficiency is lower compared to those with replete vitamin D levels. Furthermore, the results of preliminary studies indicate that vitamin D - transmitted by a specific receptor - has a direct, positive effect on muscle strength and function. For optimal translation of this benefit into fall prevention, it is essential that the dose of vitamin D is right, as excess doses may reverse the protective effect. "Based on a preliminary study by DO-HEALTH, we have, for the first time, an indication that there is a therapeutic range for vitamin D: not too little, and not too much," says Bischoff-Ferrari.

Recording Overall Health of Senior Citizens

A unique strength of the DO-HEALTH study is its detailed and repeated comprehensive assessment of overall health and multiple individual organ functions of the participants, including data on all key parameters of bone and muscle health. These data can then be assessed in relation to fall and fracture risk, but also memory function, reaction time, and other co-morbidities. The DO-HEALTH study will also evaluate if and to what extend the three interventions influence health care utilization, such as doctor consultations, physiotherapy, and hospital admission. Moreover, the study results will provide data on differences in health, quality of life, and functional states among senior adults throughout Europe.

Ambassador: Crime Author Donna Leon

Author Donna Leon, who lives in Venice and Zurich, is personally committed to the project. The creator of the bestselling "Commissario Brunetti" series supports the DO-HEALTH study as an ambassador for the program. In this role, Donna Leon will write to the study participants to express her appreciation for their significant contribution to the health and medical care of senior adults. She will also support the principal investigator in the communication of DO-HEALTH findings to the public.

Source: http://www.media.uzh.ch/en/Press-Releases/2017/DO-HEALTH.html
First look - Han Solo's first "wife" Sana Starros in her first solo series

The Marvel Comics' original character Sana Starros gets her own series
Combat lasers (30-60kw) heats the inside of an incoming mortar round and cause it to explode mid-air. Mortar rounds are moving at hundreds of miles per hour. Lasers pierce the outer skin of a drone, taking out key circuits and making it crash. There is a Lockheed video where the laser heats the rear control fin of a drone and sets it on fire. The US will be testing a 150 kilowatt laser next year.

Laser Countermeasures

ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballastic Missiles) and other rockets can be made to spin (rotate) so that the laser heating would be spread around the missile instead of lingering on one spot. This would double or triple the power or the time needed to take out the missile.

Mirrors

Mirror or ablative coatings can be sprayed onto a missile or drone.

Dielectric mirrors can be 99.99+% reflective to particular wavelengths. Multiple coatings proof each working against a different range of wavelengths could be applied.

The US Air force has funded dielectric reflector particles (1-20 microns). The Lunas Corp dielectric reflector particles will be a first-of-a kind demonstration of dielectric mirror technology in an easily processable form. The implication for thermal management and laser-based technologies is greatly reduced costs. Dielectric mirror technology is now only produced on small flat parts using vapor phase technology. Dielectric reflector particles will allow selective filtering of infrared radiation using easily applied paints and clear coats.

Ablative Materials

Ablative materials can absorb laser energy and use it to transform into a gas. The laser strike would hit the ablative material and vaporize it, without dealing serious damage to the target underneath.

Counter lasers to confuse targeting

There are also counter lasers that can be used to confuse the targeting of an attacking laser.

How long does it take to destroy the target

Higher power lasers will be able to destroy targets more quickly. Currently it may take 5-15 seconds to destroy a target. Increase the power or add more lasers and they could destroy a target more quickly. There is also microwaves that can be used and EMP to attack electronics and there are computer targeted projectile weapons.
The US had Predator drones and other large drones with sidewinder missiles and other missiles for quite a while.

Smaller and cheaper quadcopter drones have had machine guns and grenade launchers mounted on them with stabilization systems.

Drone Swarms launched

In Jan 2017, US F-18 fighter jets releasing a swarm of Perdix micro-UAV swarm during a Naval Air Systems Commands demonstration held at China Lake, California. Measured at just six inches, the micro drones are capable of confusing enemy defenses and blocking radar signals. The drones are not pre-programmed synchronized individuals, but a collective organism, sharing one distributed brain for decision-making and adapting to each other like swarms in nature. Consisted of 103 Perdix micro drones, this is the largest-ever test for the cutting-edge swarm technology.

Antidrone net launchers

Radiowave and other jamming systems are being developed to disable drone electronics.

Israel has a high end anti drone jamming system. The US air force purchased one for $15 million.

There are also systems for launching small anti-drone missiles.
CHARLESTON (JG-TC) -- Four members of the Charleston Middle School dance team are scheduled to perform in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade.

Emma Jane Bickford, Caroline Keefe, Hannah Taylor and Madelyn Williams are among the students who will take part in the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the nation, according to information from CMS.

The students were selected to participate in the parade through their selection as All Americans at a Universal Dance Association camp they attended during the summer.

Five hundred junior high and high school students from across the United States were selected and invited to the event in Philadelphia. The top 10 percent from the camp's attendees received the All-American designation.

While in Philadelphia, the dancers also will practice on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, tour historic sites and take a dinner cruise on the Delaware River.
MONTROSE (JG-TC) -- Two motorists were injured Friday evening when their pickup truck ran off the road and into a creek, four miles north of Montrose in Cumberland County.

An Illinois State Police District 12 press release reported that the collision occurred at 9:41 p.m. as a 16-year-old male from Teutopolis was driving east on County Road 350N approaching County Road 500E, known as the Montrose Road.

The driver failed to halt for the stop sign, went through the intersection, and ran into the ditch on the east side of 500E. The vehicle then traveled for approximately 250 feet before going off an embankment into a creek. The truck came to rest in the creek bed.

According to the release, Neoga ambulance crews took the driver and one of his three juvenile passengers to St. Anthony Hospital in Effingham for treatment of injuries. The other two passenger declined treatment at the scene. The driver was ticketed for disobeying a traffic control device and violating the one passenger limit of his graduated driver's license. The State Police has not released the names of these four juvenile motorists.
A Nebraska City woman got two years of probation Monday for smuggling a phone to an inmate at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution when she was an employee there.

Sarah Murillo, 21, also will have to do five hours of community service, under Johnson County District Judge Ricky A. Schreiner's sentence.

Murillo, a corrections corporal, was arrested in June at the prison where she had been employed since July 18, 2016.

She later pleaded guilty to unlawful acts by a corrections employee.

In an affidavit for Murillo's arrest, a Nebraska State Patrol sergeant said he had gotten a call in June alleging that Murillo had smuggled a cellphone to an inmate and was communicating with him on social media.

The tipster had screenshots of conversations, much of them sexual in nature, between Murillo and an inmate, and a selfie with Murillo in her uniform and the inmate embracing.

Murillo often worked in the skilled nursing facility, where the inmate was a medical porter.
7 The Defense

Normally

Lawyers act in their clients best interest. Poor defendants in criminal cases are not entitled to a great court-appointed lawyer, but they are entitled to an effective one. The standard is subjective, but generally it means the lawyer covers basics like interviewing key witnesses.

What Happened

Two of Lamontes lawyers were later disbarred. During the trial, Lamontes first lawyer, Gary W. Long II, was on probation in state court and had been suspended in federal court. He never interviewed a crucial witness who later said she could identify the real killer. A few years later, Long was disbarred for incompetence, though he has since regained his license. After the trial, Lamonte was given a second lawyer, Mark J. Sachse, to contest his conviction. Sachse never met Lamonte and called no witnesses. After numerous complaints from clients, he was also disbarred.
Bodhgaya blasts: Attack was to avenge Rohingya atrocities

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Juvenile Justice Board has held that an 18-year-old boy was guilty of planting a bomb at the Bodhgaya Temple complex at Bihar in 2013. Further, the board held that the bomb was planted to avenge the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The board said that the bomb was planted under the statue of Gautam Buddha at the temple complex. Buddhists from all over the world visit the shrine and this incident was to send a message to all, the board further noted.

The National Investigation Agency which probed the case too had said in the charge sheet that the attack was aimed at avenging the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims. The NIA said that a module of the Students Islamic Movement of India had carried out the attack.

The outfit had planned this attack not only to avenge the atrocities but also to boost up recruitments in the name of that cause. The bomb was planted at the temple in the wee hours and was timed to go off as the devotees started to throng the temple complex, the NIA also said.

OneIndia News
A line wraps around the Center For People in Need at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Boxes of stuffing and mashed potato mix and cans of green beans and corn are handed out.

By noon, over 900 low-income families have stopped in and received Thanksgiving food.

This is an indicator of a larger poverty problem in Lincoln, said Beatty Brash, the Center's executive director.

For the last 15 years, the Giving Thanks Giving Food distribution event has been instrumental in making sure that those who often don't have enough to eat are ensured at least something over the holidays.

"So many families don't have enough food at home," said Executive Director Beatty Brash. "And Thanksgiving is an important time of year."

The distribution took place Saturday and Sunday, with one more on Monday at 3-6 p.m.

"I don't think there's anything harder on a family than when their child is hungry," she said.

For that reason, Lincoln resident Jennifer Jorges signed up to volunteer at the event with her husband Lateef Johnson and their three daughters, Ivy, 12; Scout, 9; and Emerson, 8.

"It's good to show the girls that not everyone has the bounty we do," she said.

The family set up stations with boxes and cans of food and directed people. Jorges said that volunteering at the Center For People in Need is nice because "it's something the whole family can do."

One of her daughters is a student at Irving Middle School, which she recently learned has 71 percent of students on low-income status.

"Another reason why we came and why we're happy to help is because some of these families are our friends," she said.

For her daughters, it was fun to restock cans and meet other people in their community. Emerson, Jorges's youngest, even said that she wished she could "stay here forever."

This year, 174 volunteers signed up and came to help out the event. Every single space the center had allotted for volunteers was filled.

"I think people realize that there's so many people in Lincoln without food and they do want to help out," Brash said. "And this is a good way to do it."

At the event, people also had the opportunity to receive free flu shots from United Healthcare and get information from organizations around the city, like CEDARS and the Lincoln Children's Museum.

Brash said that the center encourages other agencies to come in so that more people understand the needs that exist for some of these families in Lincoln.

To receive food at the Giving Thanks Giving Food event, families must prove their financial status with a recent pay stub and must register with the center's system. Those registering with them for the first time must bring a photo ID.
Booklet, pamphlet on 'Love Jihad' distributed at spiritual fair in Jaipur

India

oi-PTI

Jaipur November 20: The Rajasthan police ordered an inquiry into alleged distribution of controversial booklets and pamphlets warning Hindu girls of 'love jihad' at a stall in an ongoing Hindu spiritual and service fair in Jaipur.

The pamphlets, carrying a picture of a Bollywood actress, warned people against 'love jihad' and also claimed that two Muslim actors had left their Hindu wives.

Amid claims that the material was reportedly handed out at a stall of Bajrang Dal, its coordinator Ashok Singh clarified that it was not distributed from their stall. Fair organiser Somkant Sharma said the content was not related to the fair.

"I have no idea if such pamphlets have been distributed. The fair is totally based on the work of service," he said.

The booklet and pamphlet have been withdrawn and an investigation ordered following the incident.

Jaipur's Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Yogesh Dadhich said an inquiry has been ordered to investigate the matter. "On reports of such material, I have asked the additional DCP to investigate the matter to ascertain who distributed these things in the fair," he told news agency PTI.

The fair is being held from November 16 to November 20.

PTI
Can Rahul shake BJPs confidence in Gujarat?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Gandhinagar, Nov 20: This Gujarat Assembly election season, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has 'come of age', literally. The "reluctant politician" seems to have 'broken his shell' and is ready to take on the might of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It's not just his supporters; even his rivals and critics have observed the change in Rahul's personality.

His hard-hitting speeches at rallies followed by thunderous applause from the audience, his attacking tweets against arch-rival Modi and his carefree attitude while interacting with media persons-- a few "good" traits highlighting Rahul's evolution as a politician has been giving jitters to the BJP.

Suddenly, Rahul seems to be doing everything right, unlike in the past when the Gandhi scion was doing everything wrong.

Or, is it too early to say "Pappu pas ho gaya" (Pappu has cleared the hurdles)? Pappu is the nickname given to the Congress VP by his critics. In Hindi, Pappu is a word used to refer to a person who is considered to be a fool or worthless.

Only time will tell. Soon we will know how much Rahul has managed to impress voters with his speeches, promises, and leadership qualities, once the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections will be declared on December 18. The elections in Gujarat will take place on December 9 and December 14.

The all-important Gujarat Assembly poll is a prestige battle for the BJP, as it is the home turf of PM Modi. The Congress, which has seen a series of disastrous defeats since the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, actually has nothing much to lose.

If Rahul and his team could bring down the ruling party's tally to double-digit in the Gujarat Assembly polls that would definitely shake the BJP's 'inflated confidence'.

This time, BJP president Amit Shah has asked his cadres to bring the party to power by winning 150 seats in the 182-member state Assembly. In 2012, the BJP, led by the then CM of Gujarat, Modi, won 116 seats and formed the government. The Congress won 60 seats in the last Assembly elections.

Along with Rahul's extensive tours in the state since September, the Congress is trying to stitch alliances with the Patidar community, Dalits and Other Backward Class (OBC) for the upcoming polls.

In Gujarat, there is a palpable anger against the BJP for failing to run an inclusive government--as the Patils, Dalits, OBCs and Muslims are protesting over various issues. The BJP sarkar in the state is seen as a government that caters exclusively to the needs of powerful Hindu castes and the business community.

In Gujarat, known for its enterprising people, not all businessmen and traders are happy. The lower rung of the business community, like small traders and owners of textile industries in Surat, also feel being left out from the "Gujarat Model of Development" which actually helped Modi to become the PM of the country.

Along with the angst over local issues brewing in Gujarat against the incumbent party that is in power in the state for the last 22 years, it's the national debate over demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) that many analysts think might decide the number of seats the BJP would ultimately win in the state polls.

Feeling the pulse of the voters, the Congress has been vociferously targeting the BJP for giving "twin shocks" to the economy because of the demonetisation and the GST.

Amid all these attacks against the ruling dispensation, the BJP had announced the names of 106 candidates for the polls. In its first list, the party announced 70 candidates, followed by 36 more in the second list. The list of another 76 candidates will be announced soon by the party.

Along with avoiding several well-established names and former ministers from its candidates' lists (two lists have been announced so far, first on Friday and second on Saturday), the party has tried to keep the OBC community in good humour by giving tickets to several of its leaders.

The noteworthy fact about the BJP's first list of candidates for the Gujarat polls is that six of the 14 Congress MLAs who had defected to the saffron party in August have been given tickets to contest from their constituencies.

In its second list, the BJP has given tickets to 12 candidates from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category and two from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. There are two Patel candidates on the BJP's second list.

After weeks of brainstorming under the supervision of PM Modi and Shah, the two lists of the BJP have left many of its leaders dissatisfied. A few of them have already resigned from the party's primary membership for ignoring their political aspirations.

If the announcement of candidates for polls has created a rift within the BJP, the Congress too is walking a tightrope over declaring its candidates.

Sources say the Congress is facing a good amount of dilemma over choosing its candidates to keep all caste and community members happy.

On top of that, the grand old party can't afford to lose its leaders at this crucial stage and ensure that its flock remains together.

Hardik Patil, the leader of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), is said to have given a list of around 30 Gujarat Assembly constituencies, where he wants to field his own candidates. The Congress, on the other hand, is reluctant to accept the demand of leaving out 30 seats to Patel.

On Sunday reports said that a "deal" has been struck between the PAAS leader and the Congress. While the Congress and Hardik have come to a consensus on the reservation formula, the formal announcement on support will be made by the 24-year-old Patidar leader on Monday, the Congress said.

Hardik has made his support to the Congress conditional - he wants Patidars to be brought under the 27 percent quota for OBCs.

On Sunday, clashes broke out between members of the Congress and PAAS over ticket distribution after the grand old party announced the release of its first list of candidates.

Moreover, there was confusion galore in the Congress camp on Sunday after reports stated that the party had announced its first list of 71 candidates for the Gujarat polls.

As the news spread like a wildfire, Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki, the president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), tweeted to tell that the list is a fake one.

A Fake list of @INCGujarat Candidates is going around on Social Media with my signature. It is fake & We have released no such list.



Authority to declare the candidates completely lies with Central Election Committee & List of Candidates is always declared from Delhi by AICC.  Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017

However, within an hour, Solanki again tweeted to inform that the Congress has come up with its first list of 77 candidates for the polls.

This is our 1st Candidate list of 77 Candidates for #GujaratElection2017.



Congratulations & Best wishes to all the 77 Candidates.   ,   ! #NavsarjanGujarat pic.twitter.com/C8OCsbTavR  Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017

Solanki, who on Sunday stated that he was not going to contest elections and dismissed reports that he was not happy with the party high command over the selection of candidates, blamed the BJP for "spreading lies" on social media by circulating a "fake" list.

Like the BJP, the Congress too is having a tough time selecting its candidates, but the party which will hold its nerve definitely has an edge in the Gujarat polls.

Whether Rahul factor will work for the Congress in Gujarat or not is a secondary subject, the primary one should be--will Gujarat elections give a new lease of life to the Congress?

OneIndia News
Clashes between CPM, BJP members in Kannur

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Incidents of violence reported in different parts of Kannur district on Sunday night after a CPM rally was attacked in Azheekkal. As a result, CPM and RSS activists clashed at different parts of the district.

Late into the evening, a CPM office was attacked. Seven right-wing activists have been taken into custody for the attack. A right-wing labour union office of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh was also attacked by a gang of men on six motorcycles.

CPM Ponnadu branch committee secretary was injured in the attack and four Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists were attacked with iron rods by unidentified men, according to police. Two of them have been hospitalised with head injuries.

Incidents of political violence in Kerala have grabbed national headlines across the country in recent months with both left and the right-wing outfits accusing each other of increased hostilities.

Kannur is the Communist party bastion since the 1930s. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a local, won his assembly seat from this district's constituency of Dharmadom.

In early January 2017, 10 people belonging to BJP and RSS were taken into custody in Kerala in connection with the hurling of a bomb near the venue of a public meeting of CPI(M) state secretary in Kannur While CPI(M) alleged that BJP and RSS were behind the incident on , the BJP refuted the charge, saying the Left leadership was trying to spread "fake news" and create tension in Kannur.

OneIndia News
Seeking corrective measures to strengthen Congress but vilified by few: G-23 leaders at CWC

CWC meeting to be held on Sunday, Sonia Gandhi to join virtually

Rajasthan political crisis: Miffed CWC wants Gehlot out of the Cong presidential race

CWC meeting: Roadmap for Rahul Gandhi elevation announced

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday announced the schedule for election of the next party president.

News agency ANI incorrectly reported earlier that the CWC passed a resolution to make Rahul Gandhi party president.

At the meeting, the Congress Working Committee approved the schedule for the party presidential elections. Here is the list

1 December: Notification for the party presidential poll.

4 December: Last date for filing nomination.

5 December: Publication of list of valid nominees (3:30 pm).

11 December: Last date for withdrawal of nomination and final list of contesting candidates (3 pm).

16 December: Polling.

19 December: Counting and results.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray. On the last day of filing the nomination, if no other contestant files his/her nomination against Gandhi, then he will be declared President unopposed.

The CWC meeting was attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh along with senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel.

The party has time until December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and submit the report to the Election Commission.

The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by October-end.

Party leaders say though it is not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.

Rahul's elevation has been long awaited and is finally looking real. Rahul had taken over as party vice-president in January 2013.

OneIndia News
Drunk men harass Indigo staffer, then fall on her feet to apologise

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Two drunk men allegedly misbehaved with a woman cabin crew of Indigo airlines at the Hyderabad International Airport. When she reported the matter to the security staff the duo, in an inebriated state, was taken to a police outpost at the airport where they fell to the staffer's feet to apologise.

The duo was also accused of creating a nuisance at the airport. The video of the two men being taken to the police and kneeling down to apologise has gone viral on the social media.

Sub-inspector at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police station Ramesh Naik said the woman did not lodge any complaint against the duo, who later told the police that they were students, reported PTI.

He said the two were found to be in an inebriated condition and were booked for creating a nuisance.

OneIndia News
Frenemies? Why Dalai Lama wants India, China to work together

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Nov 20: The neighbouring countries India and China have been at the loggerheads since ages. The tense relationship between the two countries saw an ugly turn of an event during the Doklam stand-off earlier this year.

The 'Cold War-like situation' between the two countries has put the entire Asian region under threat. In spite of all the differences, China and India continue to work together in various spheres, especially in the fields of business and culture.

However, on Sunday Dalai Lama insists that the two countries need to work together at a "practical level" as they have "great potential".

"I think, a great potential... India and China combined are doing more compassionate work... At a practical level also. Imagine two billion people working together," he told during an event at the national capital.

The 82-year-old Buddhist monk, who has lived in India in self-imposed exile since 1959, said neither country had the "ability to destroy the other". "Whether you like it or not, you have to live side by side," he said.

He said India and China share an ancient spiritual connection. The Tibetan spiritual leader added that Chinese Buddhist traveller Hsuan Tsang visited Nalanda (now in Bihar) and brought Nalanda Buddhist tradition to China.

"All thinkers of Nalanda are Indians. So, the Nalanda's tradition is India's tradition. The Nalanda tradition had turned Tibetans, who were warriors, into more compassionate, peaceful and non-violent people," he added.

"So sometimes in Delhi, teasing my Indian friend, (I say) if Tibet still remained in the previous way of life, like Mongols, Chinese invasion may not have taken place," the Dalai Lama laughed.

He said nobody in the world wanted violence but it was happening "because our minds are dominated by destructive emotions due to short-sightedness".

"Nobody wants problems. Yet, many problems are our own creation."

The Dalai Lama said the existing modern education was oriented to material values. India can take lead in improving the education system by combining modern education with ancient knowledge, he suggested.

Now, it needs to be seen if China and India would honour the Dalai Lama's suggestion and decide to work together in a more holistic manner forgetting all ills against each other.

It seems unlikely, as there is a lot of Chinese opposition to India giving shelter to the Dalai Lama.

OneIndia News
Get back home, we will help, Army tells Kashmir locals who joined terror groups

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Top officials in Kashmir have told the local youth who have joined terror groups to return home. Director General of Police, Jammu, and Kashmir, S P Vaid has urged the local youth to return to their homes.

Vaid while making the appeal also said that they had managed to get at least 60 youth back into their homes. Lt Gen J S Sandhu too made a similar appeal and said that the youth should stop being a proxy of Pakistan.

The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves as Mujahids. But are you really a Mujahid or just a proxy, the Army official asked.

He further assured that the Army and police would extend all help. He said that there would be no harassment and the youth who are ready to return home would get more help than what they would have expected.

Meanwhile, Vaid played down the claims about the Islamic State launching operations in the state. He said that the claims are yet to be verified. I don't think there is an ISIS imprint here he also said.

OneIndia News
Govt will set up cow shelters, Vikas Parishad: Yogi Adityanath

India

pti-PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that his government was committed to establishing the rule of law and claimed that there were "no communal clashes" in the state in the past eight months.

Under previous state governments, there were "riots every week" and they also failed to nab the rioters, the chief minister said addressing a public meeting here ahead of the local body polls.

"In the past eight months, there have been no communal clashes in the state. When the BJP came to power, there was anarchy and 'gunda raj' in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

"Today, there are no Kairana-like incidents happening in the state. The exodus of people, especially traders, from Kairana started after threats from criminals and mafia. No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands. No one today can dare to threaten a trader or abduct anyone," he said.

The chief minister was referring to the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana that made headlines last year when local BJP MP Hukum Singh released a list of more than 300 families who, he claimed, fled following extortion threats and violent attacks.

"The toughness we had adopted, has shown good results. Investors from India and abroad are willing to invest in the state. Investments will create jobs, and it will increase possibilities of development. Traders who had left the state are now returning," Adityanath said.

He alleged that the "previous government" used to "eulogise" elements engaged in communal violence.

"No one today has the audacity to give shelter to any rioter. People know that the right place for rioters and criminals... (is in jail). After the BJP government came to power, criminals have been sent behind bars and those who tried to confront the law have been killed in encounters," the chief minister said.

He also claimed that his government had given a boost to Aligarh's traditional lock industry.

"One of the first decisions of the government was to promote the locks made in Aligarh. In this regard, it was decided that locks will be put on illegal abattoirs in the state... This will definitely help in rejuvenating the lock industry," the chief minister said in a lighter vein.

At another rally in Agra, he blamed previous governments of the state for obstructing development. "Past governments could not build 29,000 houses, while in just eight months we have constructed 11 lakh houses," he said.

He said his government has cleared Rs 370 crore for "a rubber check dam downstream of the Taj Mahal".

Agra is a major destination for international tourists and is visited daily by nearly 50,000 people. It is home to three world heritage monuments.

Adityanath said the UP government has approved funds for a civil airport and for improving water supply in the Taj city. He said a detailed project report for the Agra Metro has also been cleared.

"Steps would be taken to promote Agra's Petha and Mathura's Peda nationally and internationally," he said.

In Mathura, he said the state government has introduced a new policy for vendors to bring them under the organised sector.

He said the state government would set up 'goshalas' under 16 civic bodies. He said Mathura's other pilgrim centres such as Goverdhan, Gokul, Nandgaon, Baldeo would be developed to attract more tourists.

PTI
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

Gujarat elections: NCP not to ally with Congress, will fight polls alone

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Days after the Nationalist Congress Party said that they would fight Gujarat Assembly elections 2017 alongside the Congress, the NCP on Monday said they would contest the polls alone.

Senior NCP leader Praful Patel told ANI that Congress did not seem serious about the alliance.

"We wanted to contest in Gujarat in alliance with Congress and had talks with them too initially, but Congress did not seem serious and kept on delaying, so we will fight alone.Confident that we will do even better alone," he said.

The NCP had on Saturday said that it will contest the Assembly elections in Gujarat next month in an alliance with the Congress to oust the 22-year-old BJP regime in the state.

NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said the result of the Assembly polls will show people's feelings and perception about the central government's performance.

"The NCP has extended its full support to the Congress and will fight the Assembly polls (in Gujarat) in alliance with the Congress," Anwar had said.

Elections for Gujarat Assembly will be carried out in two phases on December 9 and 14.

OneIndia News
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

My meet with Rahul would have prevented BJP's Gujarat win: Hardik Patel

Gujarat polls: Hardik-Congress deal on seat sharing hits road bump

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Hardik Patel-Congress deal has hit a road bump ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections. Although the Congress and PAAS reached an agreement on seat sharing, a late night development appeared to change the course of the agreement.

The Congress announced its list of 77 candidates, including two PAAS leaders. PAAS and Congress workers clashed near the office of Praful Togadia. PAAS members alleged that they had been ignored in the distribution of tickets. They said that they would not allow the Congress office to operate unless they were given a proper deal.

The Congress announced tickets to PAAS members without consulting our core committee. We will register a strong protest by attacking Congress offices," said Dinesh Bambhania, co-convener of PAAS.

#WATCH: Miffed over ticket distribution, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel earlier today said will oppose Congress if our concerns are not addressed pic.twitter.com/ly7RQqIM8c  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

PAAS had earlier agreed to contest five seats. The first list declared by Congress on Sunday night included two PAAS leaders - Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji in Rajkot and Amit Thummar from Junagadh.

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clashed with Congress workers over ticket distribution in Surat.

#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017

OneIndia News
Over 100 protesters gathered Sunday afternoon to rally against the Keystone XL pipeline's proposed in-state route, ahead of a Monday announcement from the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

The commission's decision is the last regulatory hurdle facing project operator TransCanada.

Protestors at the steps of the Capitol building worry about water and land contamination and "man camps" that house pipeline workers during construction.

"There is no reason we would benefit from the pipeline," said Karin Carlson, an Omaha resident at the protest. "It's just wrong. We're here to see that it doesn't get built."

The rally began with a song from Native American drummers and was followed by various speeches, including Jason Valandra of Bold Nebraska, a progressive political advocacy group. Many of the speakers and attendees had also been to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation last year to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The protest comes in the wake of news that the Keystone XL pipeline leaked a reported 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.

Twelve-year-old Cyrus Walker, son of protest organizer Mechelle Sky Walker, spoke at the rally as well.

"We all need water to live," he said. "If they vote yes tomorrow, we need to come together to say no."
Gurung suspended from GJM, Binay Tamang takes over as President

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung, General Secretary Roshan Giri, Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha President Asha Gurung along with 11 others were suspended for six months from the party on Monday.

Binay Tamang was nominated the new President and Anit Thapa the General Secretary of the GJM. The development took place on Monday, a day ahead of the bipartite meeting between the West Bengal Government and hill political outfits in Siliguri. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is attending the talks.

Giri dubbing the expulsion "illegal" has threatened to take legal recourse.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) Central Committee meeting replaced Gurung with Tamang on Monday.

Following the meeting, addressing media persons, Binay Tamang stated "Invoking Article 6 and 7 of the GJM constitution we have suspended 14 GJM members including Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri and Asha Gurung for 6 months for having failed to discharge their duties as well as not being present in the Hills" stated Binay Tamang.

The 14 suspended from the party for 6 months include front rung GJM leaders and leaders from GJM and the frontal organizations.

The central committee thereby invoking Article 7(j) of the party constitution unanimously nominated Tamang as the President and Anit Thapa as the General Secretary.

While Tamang's name for the post of President was proposed by GJM Central Committee member LM Lama, the name of Anit Thapa for the post of General Secretary was proposed by Alok Kanta Mani Thulung.

"We initially had a 93 member central committee. However many have resigned and some have joined other political outfits. There were 37 members present in the Central Committee meeting which makes it a 43% attendance. We will appraise the change in portfolios to the State Election Commission and the Election Commission of India as GJM is a registered party" stated Tamang. A quorum is reached at around 33% attendance.

As the remaining 12 suspensions have left important port folios vacant in the frontal organizations affiliated to the GJM, a central committee meeting to be held soon will decide on the leaders to fill up the vacant posts, added Tamang.

Incidentally with the renewed agitation and the 104 day long bandh in the Hills since June, the GJM suffered a major blow and a vertical split. Tamang and Thapa coming out in open against the 104 day long bandh had parted ways with Gurung. They had given a call for the lifting of the bandh.

Gurung then claimed that a Central Committee had expelled Tamang and Thapa. The rebel leaders continued with the GJM asking Gurung to prove the quorum of the meeting.

Later Tamang was nominated the Chairman of the Board of Administrators (BOA) to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and Thapa the Vice Chairman, further putting Gurung in a tight spot.

Gurung who has been implicated in a number of cases and has been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act is on the run. He has a Look-out notice along with an arrest warrant in his name.

From undisclosed locations Gurung has been sending audio clips dubbing Tamang and Thapa for having sided with the West Bengal Government thereby selling the Gorkhaland demand. Gurung warned the Hills to stay away from "traitors" Tamang and Thapa.

Gurung had even appealed the Hills to stay away from the rally organized by Tamang and Thapa faction on November 19, dubbing it a "Black day."

However defying Gurung's diktat, the rally on Sunday had witnessed a huge turnout. Bolstered by this the GJM Central Committee ousted Gurung, Giri, Asha Gurung and Gurung sympathizers.

The move also comes a day ahead of bipartite talks between the State Government and Hill parties to find a solution to the Gorkha impasse. The meeting is scheduled to be held at 4pm at Pintail Village in the outskirts of Siliguri.

Binay Tamang; Anit Thapa; Darjeeling MLA Amir Singh Rai; Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma; central committee members Tshering Dahal and Sanchabir Subba will be attending the bipartite talks with the State Government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also be attending the talks.

Tamang and Thapa taking over the reins of the party has put them at an advantage feel political commentators. They will have to locus standi to attend tripartite talks between the State, Centre and the GJM in the capacity of the President and General Secretary of the hill political outfit.

The central committee meeting on Monday held in a resort in Ghoom, 8km from Darjeeling town also decided to expand, consolidate and strengthen the party along with the frontal organizations.

A GJM rally will be held in Sukna near Siliguri within the second week of December to be attended by party workers and supporters from the Hills, Terai and Dooars.

A 3 member GJM team led by LM Lama will be taking part in Gorkhaland demand programme in Delhi on November 26th organized by Gorkhaland Sangarsha Samity.

Roshan Giri reacting to the suspension stated "Suspension is illegal. They do not have any right. Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa have already been expelled from the party. We will seek legal recourse."

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Story first published: Monday, November 20, 2017, 18:39 [IST]
If you are a terrorist in Kashmir, dial 14411 to surrender

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The security forces in Kashmir have taken the surrender of local terrorists very seriously. While the forces would continue to hunt and kill those from Pakistan, it has decided to take a very different approach when it comes to the local terrorists.

There is a 24x7 toll-free number which has been set up for terrorists to surrender The number is 14411. This helpline number is called Madadgar. Either the terrorist himself can call in and surrender or the families too can dial and seek help.

Earlier top officials in Kashmir told the local youth who have joined terror groups to return home. Director General of Police, Jammu, and Kashmir, S P Vaid has urged the local youth to return to their homes.

Vaid while making the appeal also said that they had managed to get at least 60 youth back into their homes. Lt Gen J S Sandhu too made a similar appeal and said that the youth should stop being a proxy of Pakistan.

The local terrorists must realise that it is easy to call themselves as Mujahids. But are you really a Mujahid or just a proxy, the Army official asked.

He further assured that the Army and police would extend all help. He said that there would be no harassment and the youth who are ready to return home would get more help than what they would have expected.

Meanwhile, Vaid played down the claims about the Islamic State launching operations in the state. He said that the claims are yet to be verified. I don't think there is an ISIS imprint here he also said.

OneIndia News
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

It is now clear that PAAS were working as Congress agents: Rupani

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The clash between Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and the Congress workers in Surat has exposed that the Hardik Patel-led group were, in fact, working as Congress agents, said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday.

The protests were triggered by the Congress's first list of candidates that accommodated just three PAAS names. PAAS and Congress workers clashed near the office of Praful Togadia. PAAS members alleged that they had been ignored in the distribution of tickets.

"PAAS leaders were working as agents of Congress, and now they have been totally exposed. They were earlier agitating not for the reservation, but to make Congress win in the upcoming election," Rupani told news agency ANI.

Although the Congress and PAAS reached an agreement on seat sharing, a late night development appeared to change the course of the agreement.

"The Congress announced tickets to PAAS members without consulting our core committee. We will register a strong protest by attacking Congress offices," said Dinesh Bambhania, co-convener of PAAS.

PAAS had earlier agreed to contest five seats. The first list declared by Congress on Sunday night included two PAAS leaders - Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji in Rajkot and Amit Thummar from Junagadh.

OneIndia News
Its a 'Super Emergency' on Freedom: Mamata Banerjee on Padmavati row

India

pti-PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned personal attacks on the makers and actors of 'Padmavati' and called the whole controversy as unfortunate.

In a twitter post, Banerjee said, "The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves."

While urging the entire film industries to stand together against such violent forces, she said, "We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice."

Banerjee's stand in favour of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati came as an organisation of Kshatriyas in West Bengal wrote to her, demanding the removal of the ghoomar dance and some other scenes from the film, saying they are "objectionable".

The Bharat Kshastriya Samaj Trust in Bengal also claimed the film has a scene of the invader Alauddin Khalji romancing the Rajput queen, a claim that has been denied by director Bhansali, and journalists privy to a private screening have already reported that there is not a single scene of the two together.

This is not for the first time when Mamata stand beside Bollywood actors. In May 3, 2017, Mamata came out in support of Bollywood Actress Kajol who was trolled for uploading a 'Beef' video on a social networking site.

PTI
'Beauty is not about how you look': Mamata Banerjee apologises for Trinamool minister's comments on President

Mamata Banerjee leaves for North Bengal to discuss Darjeeling issues

India

pti-PTI

Kolkata, Nov 20: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday left for North Bengal to discuss the current situation in Darjeeling hills with all political parties there tomorrow.

The all-party meeting from the Darjeeling hills will take place at Pintail village during which the chief minister would also take a stock of the ongoing projects there, officials said.

Security arrangements at Pintail village and it's adjoining areas have been tightened to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the chief minister's visit, Banerjee will also be holding an administrative review meeting of Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts on November 22, the officials said.

Chief Secretary Malay De, Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha and representatives of local bodies of the three districts would be present at the meeting to be held at 'Uttar Kanya', the state's administrative headquarters in North Bengal. Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on November 23, the officials said. This all-party meeting on Darjeeling situation would be the fourth one held in the past few months.

Normalcy returned to the hills after Banerjee's first meeting with all political parties of the hills in Kolkata on August 29 and the 104-day long shutdown over a separate Gorkhaland state was called off thereafter.

A new administrative board for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) came into existence with the resumption of work of all projects that had come to a standstill due to the agitation. The state government announced earlier announced a Rs 500 crore package and later an additional Rs 174 crore was earmarked for the development of the hills.

PTI
North Bengal: Hand grenade explodes at police station sparking panic

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Panic and pandemonium played havoc in a girls' school when a live hand grenade exploded in a police station located in the vicinity of a school in North Bengal. More than 20 girls were injured. The school also aborted the ongoing examinations.

Incidentally, on November 15, morning, a live hand grenade was recovered from the Town Club ground, Haldibari in the Cooch Behar district in North Bengal.

Police had taken away the grenade and kept it in safe custody in the police station. Sources stated that on Monday while trying to defuse the hand grenade, it had exploded with a deafening sound.

Such was the sound that panic broke out at the Haldibari Girls' School located next to the police station. A stampede-like situation ensued and many students jumped from the verandah.

"At 10:30 there was a huge sound which triggered the panic. Many of the girls were injured" stated Ishita Deb, a teacher. Ongoing class 10 and 12 examinations were suspended after the blast. Around 20 students are reportedly injured in the incident.

The MLA confirmed the incident. "We are looking into the matter. Anything could have happened as the students were so traumatized after the alleged blast" stated Arghya Roy Pradhan, MLA.

The police however preferred to remain tightlipped. On Wednesday morning local residents had spotted the hand grenade lying in the undergrowth of the Town Club Ground. They immediately informed the police.

With the area located in close proximity to the Bangladesh border, the BSF guarding the Indo- Bangladesh borders, also arrived to look into the matter along with the police.

OneIndia News
Padmavati banned in Madhya Pradesh

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

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Padmavati release row : Death threat to fimlamker Bhansali

Amid raging protests over the period movie Padmavati, the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday decided to ban the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial.

"Etihaisik tathyon se khilwaad kar agar Padmavati ji ke samman ke khilaaf film mein drishya dikhaye gaye hain, uss Film ka pradharshan Madhya Pradesh ki dharti par nahi hoga (The history has been tinkered with and Queen Padmavati has been shown in poor ligh, such a movie will not be allowed in Madhya Pradesh)," Ani quoted Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as saying.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that it will not let Bollywood movie 'Padmavati' be released in the state unless its "controversial portions" are removed.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani o ensure that 'Padmavati' is not released without necessary changes to the film.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to ''consider the plea'' filed by a lawyer against 'Padmavati' movie, seeking deletion of objectionable scenes.

On Sunday, the makers of the film deferred the release of Padmavati as protests and threats continued over the film by various right-wing groups and political parties. The film was supposed to release on December 1.

Earlier the Censor Board sent back the film to the makers without watching it citing "technical deficiencies". Thereafter, the makers of Padmavati hosted a private screening of the film for the media.

After watching the film, some of India's popular TV journalists said that the film in no way hurt Rajput pride and sentiments and needs to be released soon. The act of the makers of Padmavati to host a private screening for journalists has irked the chief of Censor Board Prasoon Joshi.

OneIndia News
Violence over Padmaavat : Much ado about nothing?

Padmavati: UP group announces Rs 1 crore for burning Deepika alive

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Recommended Video

Padmavati Row: Rs. 1 Crore announced for burning Deepika Padukone ALIVE, SHAME!!! | Oneindia News

Lucknow, Nov 20: First, members of right wing groups protesting against the Bollywood film Padmavati threatened to chop off actress Deepika Padukone's nose and head. Now, a group in Uttar Pradesh wants the 31-year-old actress to be burnt alive.

In fact, several effigies of the actress, who has played the lead role of queen Padmavati in the movie, along with the director of the film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (for taking a dig at Rajput maharajas), were burnt in different parts of the state on Sunday.

"Moradabad: Members of Kshatriya Mahasabha burnt effigies of Shashi Tharoor for his 'Maharaja' remarks & director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone. #Padmavati" tweeted ANI.

Moradabad: Members of Kshatriya Mahasabha burnt effigies of Shashi Tharoor for his 'Maharaja' remarks & director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone. #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/NbQuilydW0  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 19, 2017

In Bareilly, members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Deepika at a park in the city. The protesters also shouted slogans against Deepika and Bhansali.

The group members took out a march to the collectorate office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding a ban on the release of the movie.

ABKM's youth wing leader Bhuvneshwar Singh said, "Deepika should know how it feels like to be burnt alive. The actress will never know the sacrifice of the queen.

"Any person burning her alive will be given Rs 1 crore. We demand that office-bearers of the organisation be shown the movie before it is released."

According to the legend, queen Padmavati of Chittor, Rajasthan performed jauhar (custom of self-immolation among women to avoid capture by foreign invaders).

Asked about Singh's threatening remarks, superintendent of police Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought in this regard. "We have sought a report from the policemen on duty. Thereafter, action will be taken," he said.

Since the making of the film, Padmavati has been facing protests over the alleged "distortion of historical facts" in the film.

In January, Bhansali was slapped by members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur while they destroyed the sets of the film. The goons of the group also vandalised the sets of the film in Kolhapur, Maharashtra earlier this year.

Meanwhile, special police protection has been provided to both Deepika and Bhansali in Mumbai.

On Sunday, the makers of the film deferred the release of Padmavati as protests and threats continued over the film by various right wing groups and political parties. The film was supposed to release on December 1.

Earlier the Censor Board sent back the film to the makers without watching it citing "technical deficiencies". Thereafter, the makers of Padmavati hosted a private screening of the film for the media.

After watching the film, some of India's popular TV journalists said that the film in no way hurt Rajput pride and sentiments and needs to be released soon.

The act of the makers of Padmavati to host a private screening for journalists has irked the chief of Censor Board Prasoon Joshi.

Apart from a few actors, directors and technicians, hardly any stars from the Hindi film industry have spoken in support of the film.

OneIndia News
Politics behind Padmavati: What these CMs had to say

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The raging debate and protests against Bollywood movie Padmavati is just refusing to end. As if the threats and "beheading" reamarks from fringe groups were not enough, the mainstream politicians are also jumping into the fray.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that it will not let Bollywood movie 'Padmavati' be released in the state unless its "controversial portions" are removed.

On Sunday, the makers of the film deferred the release of Padmavati as protests and threats continued over the film by various right-wing groups and political parties. The film was supposed to release on December 1.

Here is what some Chief Ministers had to say about Padmavati:

Its a 'Super Emergency' on Freedom, said Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned personal attacks on the makers and actors of 'Padmavati' and called the whole controversy as unfortunate. In a twitter post, Banerjee said, "The Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves." Shivraj Singh Chouhan bans Padmavati The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said 'Padmavati' will not be allowed to release in the state. "Etihaisik tathyon se khilwaad kar agar Padmavati ji ke samman ke khilaaf film mein drishya dikhaye gaye hain, uss Film ka pradharshan Madhya Pradesh ki dharti par nahi hoga (The history has been tinkered with and Queen Padmavati has been shown in poor ligh, such a movie will not be allowed in Madhya Pradesh)," he said. Amarinder Singh backed the protests over Padmavati "Nobody will accept distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so," Singh said. Vasundhara Raje wrote to Smriti Irani Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Saturday written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that 'Padmavati' is not released without necessary changes to the film.

Earlier the Censor Board sent back the film to the makers without watching it citing "technical deficiencies". Thereafter, the makers of Padmavati hosted a private screening of the film for the media. After watching the film, some of India's popular TV journalists said that the film in no way hurt Rajput pride and sentiments and needs to be released soon.

The act of the makers of Padmavati to host a private screening for journalists has irked the chief of Censor Board Prasoon Joshi.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, November 20, 2017, 17:11 [IST]
Mosque in Ayodhya will be of same size as Babri Masjid: Trust

Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Mosque in Lucknow: Shia Waqf Board's solution to Babri dispute

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Reiterating its support to the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Shia Waqf board on Monday said that the Mosque can be built in Lucknow.

"After discussions with different parties we have prepared a proposal in which a Ram Temple will be built in Ayodhya and a Mosque can be built in Lucknow.This is a solution which will ensure peace and brotherhood in the country," Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi told ANI.

Rizvi has in the past drawn flak from several Muslim bodies for his stand over the Ram Temple issue. Rizvi earlier met the Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru and apprised him of the Board's stand that a Ram temple should be built at the site.

The Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board had last month announced that it will gift 10 silver arrows if the 100-metre tall Lord Ram statue is built in Ayodhya.

Since 1989, the Shia Central Waqf Board has been a party to the Ram Janma Bhoomi- Babri Masjid dispute case but so far it had remained "neutral", said reports. Off late, the Board has decided to not only make a claim over the Masjid but also suggest a solution.

In August, the Shia Wakf Board filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that the Ram temple be built at the disputed site and the mosque be located at a reasonable distance in a Muslim-dominated area.

The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB) said, in the affidavit, that only they are entitled to negotiate and arrive at a peaceful settlement with other remaining stakeholders.

The affidavit also states that proximity of place of worships should be avoided as it may result in conflicts and acrimony. The Shia board has also said in the affidavit that it wants a peaceful solution to the dispute.

It must be recalled that the Babri case is being represented by both the Sunni and Shia Waqf Boards from the Muslim side.

OneIndia News
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Separate religious tag for Lingayats: Mahasabha sets December 30 deadline

India

oi-Anusha

The demand for separate religious status for Lingayats in Karnataka is only growing with the community now setting fresh demands and a deadline for the state government. During a rally on Sunday, prominent Lingayat leader Mathe Mahadevi put forth five demands along with setting a deadline for the Siddaramaiah government as part of the community's fight for a separate religious tag.

Prominent politicians and Lingayat community leaders apart from thousands from the community gathered at National college grounds in Bengaluru on Sunday to push the fight for religious tag forward. Previously, the community had proposed the setting up of 'Rashtriya Basava Sena', a youth organization that will create awareness about Basavanna's teachings apart from gathering support for the demand of separate religious status tag.

Mathe Mahadevi set a December 30th deadline for the Karnataka government to recommend separate religious status to Lingayats. The community put forth five demands.

Lingayat Mahasabha's demands

Recommendation for separate religious tag before December 30, 2017

According 'religious minority' status to Lingayats

Renaming of Kalburgi University after Basavanna

Withdraw circular that allows issuing of 'Lingayat caste certificates'

Name Basavanna as the 'official cultural leader' of Karnataka

The fight for separate religious status to the community has turned into a political controversy considering that Lingayats form a sizeable vote bank in Karnataka. The previous B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government came to power riding high on the Lingayat support. This time around, the internal squabble over separate religious tag within the community is likely to dent the BJP's prospects in terms of 'undivided' vote share from the community.

OneIndia News
Arab League meeting: Saudi, Bahrain target Iranian aggression

International

pti-PTI

Cairo, November 20: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain targetted Iran at an extraordinary general meeting of the Arab League at its Cairo headquarters.

Saudi warned that it would not stand idly by in the face of Iranian "aggression", as Bahrain said the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement was "in total control" of Lebanon.

The foreign ministers of both Gulf states spoke at the general meeting of the Arab League at its Cairo headquarters, called by Riyadh. The Arab League meeting comes as tensions soar between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, including over League member Lebanon.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir warned Iran that Riyadh will not stand idle in the face of Iranian "aggression". Saudi Arabia "will not hesitate to defend its national security to keep its people safe", Jubeir said in opening remarks at the meeting.

"I trust the League's council will take on its responsibility and take a decision regarding Iranian violations of Arab security," he said ahead of Sunday's talks. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al- Khalifa said the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon was "in total control" of the country.

"Iran's biggest arm in the region at the moment is the terrorist Hezbollah arm," he said. He added that Hezbollah "does not just carry out operations inside the borders of (Lebanon), it also crosses its borders to all of our nations", making it "a threat to Arab national security".

He called on countries "where Hezbollah is a partner in government to carry their responsibility". "The Lebanese Republic, in spite of our relations with it as a brotherly Arab nation... is under the total control of this terrorist party," Sheikh Khalid said.

Riyadh called the ministerial meeting to discuss "violations" by Iran after a missile was intercepted near Riyadh in a November 4 attack claimed by Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen.

The ministers were also due to discuss a pipeline fire in Bahrain on November 10, accusing Iran of responsibility. Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Tehran of "direct military aggression" against the kingdom by supplying the Yemen rebels with ballistic missiles, but Tehran has denied any involvement.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates supported the Saudi request for the extraordinary meeting, which was also approved by Djibouti, the current chair of the pan-Arab bloc, according to a memorandum seen by AFP.

Saudi-Iranian tensions have escalated over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation, also on November 4, in a statement from Riyadh in which he cited Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life.

Lebanon's foreign minister did not attend today's session, but Beirut's permanent representative was present.

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by Hariri.

In Syria, Hezbollah has fought to defend the government of President Bashar al-Assad, also an ally of Iran.

PTI
RAW sabotaging CPEC: China rubbishes Pak allegations

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, Nov 20: Rubbishing a top Pakistani Army General's allegation that India has established a special intelligence cell to sabotage the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China on Monday said it does not have any such report.

Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat on November 14 had accused India of stoking "chaos and anarchy" in the region. He alleged that Indians external intelligence agency RAW has established a special cell at a cost of USD 500 million to sabotage the CPEC.

He also accused India of fanning terrorism in the restive province of Balochistan.

"We have no such relevant reports," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing when asked about the allegation.

China's rebuff over the allegation against India is significant considering that Beijing and Islamabad regard themselves as "iron brothers" sharing "all-weather ties". Also in an apparent reference to Indias objections over the CPEC traversing through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Lu said, "we hope that CPEC could win more recognition and support from regional countries and the international community".

Pakistans top officials have been accusing RAW of sabotaging the CPEC as the Pakistani security forces had to battle numerous attacks by the Balochistan nationalist forces as well as the Islamic State in Balochistan province. The CPEC connects Chinas restive Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Balochistan. Lu said the CPEC is new type cooperation framework built by China and Pakistan for long term cooperation development.

"It is important not just to the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity," he said.

He said China believe that it can work with Pakistan to ensure the success of the CPEC and the economic cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

PTI
India vs South Africa T20 series streaming details: Where to watch 1st match in your country live online?

India vs South Africa T20 cricket streaming details: Where to watch 2nd match in your country live online?

South Africa: Indian envoy's family held hostage, robbed in Durban

International

oi-PTI

Johannesburg, November 20: Robbers target and briefly held hostage of India's Consul-General's family in the South African city of Durban was targeted by robbers at their official residence.

The family of consul-general Shashank Vikram, members of their domestic staff and a visiting teacher were held up at their residence on Innes Road, on Sunday. Among them were two children, aged five and 10.

"They are OK but they were obviously traumatised," said consul S K Pandey. Nobody suffered physical harm," he said, adding they planned to attend counseling.

He said a domestic worker's cellphone which was also robbed, could provide clues to the incident, the Independent Online reported.

The robbers reportedly gained entry by derailing the entrance gate, a strategy used often in a spate of brazen robberies recently in affluent suburbs north of Durban.

Following the incident, India has reminded South Africa of its duty to protect diplomatic staff and property, under the Vienna Convention.

PTI
From Gush Shalom

I am furious. And I have good reason to be furious.

I was going to write an article about a subject I have been thinking about for a long time.

This week I opened the New York Times and lo, my yet unwritten article appeared on its opinion pages in full, argument after argument.

How come? I have only one explanation: the author -- I have forgotten the name -- has stolen the ideas from my head by some magical means, which surely must be branded as criminal. A person once tried to kill me for doing the same thing to him.

So I have decided to write this article in spite of everything.

THE SUBJECT is idiocy. Particularly, the role of idiocy in history.

The older I get, the more convinced I am that sheer stupidity plays a major role in the history of nations.

Great Thinkers, compared to whom I am a mere intellectual dwarf, have pursued other factors to explain what has turned history into a mess. Karl Marx blamed the economy. The economy has directed humankind from its earliest beginnings.

Others blame God. Religion has caused awful wars, and still does. Look at the Crusades, which for almost 200 years raged in my country. Look at the 30-year War which devastated Germany. No end in sight.

Some accuse Race. Whites against Red Indians. Aryans against Untermenschen. Nazis against Jews. Terrible.

Or geopolitics. The White Man's Burden. The Drang-nach-Osten.

For many generations, Great Thinkers have been searching for some deep explanation for war. There must be such an explanation. After all, terrible historical events cannot just happen. There must be something profound, something sinister, which is causing all this untold misery. Something that has accompanied the human race from its very beginnings, and that still directs our destiny.

I HAVE adopted most of these theories in my time. Many of them impressed me very much. Great thinkers. Deep thoughts. I have read many thick volumes. But in the end, they left me unsatisfied.

In the end it hit me. There is indeed one factor common to all these historical events: foolishness.

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Even as we are all here together, events punctuate our lives and culture.There is a deep discontent in our world and lives here in the United States. The world is degrading as are our lives, while signs of emergent sustainability and political engagement abound. Curious times.

The 2017 election brought a host of firsts, and a clear repudiation of Trumpland.

From new governors in New Jersey and Virginia to lots of state and local races, there seems to be a real resistance to our corrupt federal government and corporations emerging. In Virginia, a transgender candidate, Danica Roem, defeated 14 term beat self declared 'biggest homophobe in the state' Bob Marshall. There were other ironies of a similar nature.

Across the nation minorities won a host of mayoral races, along with council seats, school boards and other local positions. And many of these folks were first time candidates, who have seemingly been coming out of the woodwork since Trump got elected.

Republicans in congress put on a 'brave' face, but it was clear from their reactions that this was an outcome unexpected and very disconcerting. Indeed, two republican congressmen announced they will not be seeking reelection on election night alone! Even with all the gerrymandered districts across this land, there are far less 'safe seats' it would seem, than there were before this election.

Do not consider this piece an endorsement of the Democratic Party. While Tom Perez, head of the DNC, was quick to rejoice at the night's events, it was not the DNC who carried the day. It was folks rising up and showing we're not going to take the old crap anymore. Our Revolution, Indivisible, Working Families Party and a host of local efforts to organize and get out the vote who deserve our thanks.

Let's not forget the role women played in this election either. Both as candidates and voters, women played a substantial role in this turn around. The other notable demographic is college educated white males, suburbanites, who seem to have had enough of Trump and the Republicans.

Here in Cincinnati, the incumbent, establishment candidate, John Cranley easily defeated the more progressive candidate, Yvette Simpson, for mayor. But in city council, two of the three new members are clear progressives, and the last seat is being contested between Jeff Pastor, a first time candidate under the mayor's wing, and another strong progressive Michelle Dillingham. We won't know who wins that seat until absentee and provisional ballots are counted, along with a standard recount.

As we move toward the 2018 mid-term elections, one wonders how it will play out. Will we see Tea Party like tactics on the left, where more progressive challengers go after establishment democrats in the primaries? Will the energy of this election (some called it a Blue Wave) continue to build? Will the DNC continue to favor the wealthy donors over citizen interests?

Of course, such questions need time before we have answers. What is clear is that the November, 2017 election was a nice turn of the wheel.
From Truthdig



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TORONTO -- Pity Canada. Its citizens watch the stages of U.S. decline and then, a few years later, inflict on themselves the same cruelties. It is as if the snuffing out of democracy across the globe and the rise of authoritarian regimes are a preordained Greek tragedy and all of us, in spite of our yearning for liberty, must ominously play an assigned part.

Canada is currently in the Barack Obama phase of self-immolation. Its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is -- as Obama was -- a fresh face with no real political past or established beliefs, a brand. Trudeau excels, like Obama, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in empty symbolism. These "moderates" spew progressive and inclusive rhetoric while facilitating social inequality, a loss of rights and the degradation of the environment by global corporations. They are actors in skillfully crafted corporate advertisements.

"Liberal democracy is bifurcating, giving rise to two new regime forms: 'illiberal democracy,' or democracy without rights, and 'undemocratic liberalism,' or rights without democracy," writes political theorist Yascha Mounk.

The "moderate" politicians espouse "undemocratic liberalism." Lifestyle choices and expressions of personal identity are respected, even championed, while we are politically disempowered. The focus on multiculturalism and identity politics is anti-politics. It is accompanied by sterile reforms -- such as more professionalized policing -- that never challenge the underlying structures of corporate power, which has turned the workers of deindustrialized communities into surplus or redundant labor.

We no longer seek to eradicate poverty; instead we applaud ourselves for not stigmatizing the poor. Only when the corporate forces cannibalizing nations are named and fought, as Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing in Britain, can we prevent the rise of proto-fascists such as Donald Trump who seek to implant an "illiberal democracy." The recent elections in Germany, which saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) take 94 seats in the Bundestag, making it the third largest party, spell not only the imminent demise of Merkel but the demise of all who engage in the pantomime of "undemocratic liberalism."

Trudeau, Macron, Turnbull, Merkel and Obama, because they appear to champion liberal ideals, discredit not only political "moderates" but also the core values of a liberal democracy. When the public rejects feckless politicians it also rejects the supposed values they represent. Fascism rises out of failed democracies where elites mouth the feel-your-pain language of liberalism while selling out the public. This was true in 1917 Russia, in Weimar Germany and in the former Yugoslavia.

Canada, like France, Australia and Germany, will never descend to the levels of nihilistic violence and mass shootings that plague the United States. There is enough of a residue of its socialist programs, such as universal health care and public education, to prevent it from becoming as cruel and heartless -- although there will be efforts to steadily defund and destroy these programs. Canada, France, Australia and Germany will not crash their economies trying to maintain an empire they can no longer afford. But they are, nevertheless, steadily marching toward the new authoritarianism, toward joining the despotisms rising up in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. The model for the future is not Liberte', egalite', fraternite' -- it is China's ruthless corporate totalitarianism. Where is Tommy Douglas, the great Canadian socialist who once described the free enterprise system as giving elephants the right to dance among chickens, when you need him?

Trudeau, Merkel, Turnbull, Macron and Obama, along with the Clintons and the United Kingdom's Tony Blair, represent the last desperate phase of corporate capitalism. Once their sunny faces are spurned, the face of hate rises to take their place. The con artists and thieves, no longer hiding behind the curtains, come out to pillage in the open, actively making war on the anemic democratic institutions, from the press to the courts, all of which long ago surrendered to corporate power. These proto-fascists rely for control on the array of undemocratic tools legalized by their "moderate" predecessors -- wholesale surveillance, militarized police, the criminalizing of dissent, the primacy of "law and order" and the revoking of due process and other rights by judicial and legislative fiat.

These "moderates" substitute personal style and esthetics for politics. They offer no real solutions to the assault by corporate capitalism and to growing social inequality. They preach fatuous bromides, like Candide, about "the best of all possible worlds" while ignoring the disasters and suffering around themselves. They call for tolerance and civility while empowering corporate machinery that creates an intolerant and uncivil society. They are mountebanks and charlatans. Their singular skill is to peddle in political form the drivel of positive psychologists. They make us, at least temporarily, feel good about ourselves. They use gestures -- Trudeau kayaking down the Niagara River for World Environment Day -- to mask their collaboration with corporations in the exploitation and poisoning of the nature world. Trudeau, despite his progressive rhetoric about climate change, is facilitating the building of new pipelines through Canada and the United States to export more oil out of Alberta's tar sands, one of the world's most catastrophic assaults on the ecosystem. Obama's environment record looked as if it was lifted from Sarah Palin. Turnbull and Merkel are no better. This rank hypocrisy, extended to all issues, is what dooms the proponents of "undemocratic liberalism."

The "moderates," like those on the far right, refuse to acknowledge reality. They speak and act as if we live in a democracy rather than a system defined by Sheldon Wolin as "inverted totalitarianism," one where the consent of the governed is a joke, elections are legalized bribery and public policy is determined not by popular will but by corporate lobbyists.

It does not matter, as illustrated by the Republican tax plan now before the U.S. Senate, what is just or what the public supports. There are no institutions left in the United States that can authentically be called democratic. The end result of this elaborate charade is embodied in the rise of the grotesque spectacle of the Trump administration or the proto-fascism in Hungary led by Prime Minister Viktor Orba'n. Stoking the fires of our decline and this political fantasy are useful idiots such as writer/blogger Andrew Sullivan, who argues that our problem is that we have too much democracy.

The novelist and social critic James Baldwin wrote, "People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster."

Nations have surrendered their economies to global banks, corporations, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund. This has created political paralysis. The longer this paralysis continues, the more governing institutions and "undemocratic liberalism" are discredited. The inability of the "moderates" to protect democracy, along with their attempt to redirect democratic aspirations to the culture wars, means they and traditional liberal and democratic values will vanish and the door will be flung open to the right-wing proponents of "illiberal democracy."

We must build mass movements to defy the "moderates" and overthrow corporate power or be frog-marched into a corporate dystopia ruled by narcissists, generals, racists, conspiracy theorists, misogynists, con artists, xenophobes and bigots. The "moderates" are as dangerous as the protofascists. Their "liberal" rhetoric about social issues disempowers the left and often makes it their accomplice. We cannot reform the corporate state. It must be destroyed. Trudeau is as much the enemy as Trump.

Time is running out. It may be too late to save the United States, although we Americans must try. Whatever our fate, it would be heartening if our national tragedy provided a lesson of salvation for others.
From WSWS

Zimbabwe's war veterans' association is staging a march today through the capital, Harare, demanding the resignation of President Robert Mugabe. Tens of thousands are expected to take part after all 10 of the country's provincial Zimbabwe African National Union -- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) branches passed motions of no confidence in Mugabe.

Mugabe refused to step down yesterday and was briefly released from house arrest to make his first public appearance since the army staged a palace coup early Wednesday.

His appearance in the role of chancellor of the Open University at a graduation ceremony in Harare was designed to lend an appearance of normalcy to an enforced transition of power to the faction of the ruling ZANU-PF led by its former vice president, Emmanuel Mnangagwa. The president's wife, Grace Mugabe, was not present at the ceremony.

Mugabe, now 93, sacked Mnangagwa last week to pave the way for Grace Mugabe, 52, to assume power. She heads the G40 faction of younger bourgeois layers in the ruling elite. The army, under the leadership of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, General Constantino Chiwenga, moved to back Mnangagwa and call a halt to efforts by Mugabe to sideline or remove from office members of the old guard tied to the military.

The military issued statements via Zimbabwe state media stressing their respect for Mugabe and citing progress in talks "with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward." But the talks are being held at gunpoint and a senior member of ZANU-PF warned, "If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday... When that is done, it's impeachment on Tuesday."

The chairman of the war veterans' association, Chris Mutsvangwa, a key ally of Mnangagwa, has been at the forefront of demands for Mugabe to go, and go quickly. Mutsvangwa boasted that "the war veterans of Zimbabwe" have the full support of the war veterans of South Africa, the government of South Africa... we are giving a very strong warning to Mugabe and his wife, he is done, finished. He won't be allowed to continue... He has to make a decision today to leave... If he doesn't leave, we will settle the scores tomorrow."

He told the media that three cabinet ministers under Mugabe -- Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Finance Minister Ignatious Chombo -- "are in jail" along with others. Moyo was scheduled to attend the graduation ceremony with Mugabe, but did not appear.

Grace Mugabe's actual whereabouts are disputed.

According to various reports, Chombo was detained at the King George VI military barracks after a fire-fight that left several bodyguards dead, while Moyo is on the run. The minister of foreign affairs, Walter Mzembi, has not returned from a trip to neighbouring Zambia. Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, Paul Chimedza, was arrested on Thursday at an army roadblock. Unconfirmed reports say that the Women's League secretary for administration, Letina Undengem, is also detained.

Central Intelligence Organization Director Albert Miles Nguluvhe was released on Thursday, with a senior military official stating that he was not a member of the G40 faction and that he had been arrested to "alienate him" from the president.

ZANU-PF National Youth League Secretary Kudzanai Chipanga is in military custody. He made a televised apology to military chief Chiwenga for criticizing his earlier threats to intervene to stop purges within the party leadership. "We are still young people. We are still growing up and learning from our mistakes," he said.

The army maintains a blockade around key buildings, including the presidential palace as well as Mugabe's own home -- site of current negotiations between Mugabe and Chiwenga, brokered by South African Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo. Mnangagwa fled to South Africa after being removed from his post by Mugabe.

Lending its backing to the military alongside the ANC government of Jacob Zuma is China. Beijing said Thursday that its "friendly policy" toward Zimbabwe would not change. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing: "We will continue to develop friendly cooperation with Zimbabwe on an equal, mutually beneficial win-win cooperation principle."

Several news sources, including CNN and Britain's Guardian, expressed concern that China was behind the coup and would be its main beneficiary. Noting the visit to Beijing last Friday by Chiwenga, Simon Tisdall listed China's "extensive investments in the mining, agriculture, energy and construction sectors," claiming that the "pre-independence guerrilla force led to victory by Robert Mugabe... was financed and armed by the Chinese in the 1970s. Close ties have continued to the present day."

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From Mondoweiss

In the late 1990s my journalistic career got a flat tire when I became wrapped up in the Clinton scandals. Good liberal friends told me I was overzealous or helping the other side. I had been assigned to write an article for the New York Times Magazine about Why People Hate Bill Clinton so much, but instead of doing a cultural examination of red state resistance to his social agenda, which is what the editors wanted, I went native in Arkansas and took his accusers seriously.

Today the Clinton scandals are getting a rehearing because of the revolution that is taking place in our mores, and in the structure of the patriarchy itself, due to the sexual harassment scandals that are felling powerful men. Many of these scandals mirror elements of the Clinton story. When Lindsey Graham asked in the House, Is this Peyton Place or Watergate? we said, Watergate. It was never just about a blowjob.

The two signature moments of the Clinton scandals both involve threats and sex. And anyone exploring these scandals 20 years on needs to reckon with these moments.

First, when civil servant Linda Tripp came to her desk in the Pentagon public affairs office on a day in 1998 after it had come out that she was cooperating with an investigation of Clinton's sexual conduct (the Paula Jones case), she found a sheet left on her chair reprinting the famous Clinton "body count." This was a list of people close to the Clintons or their political machine who had died. Tripp said she believed that her office-mate, Monica Lewinsky, left the list on her chair -- Lewinsky, who was close to the Clintons and of course was Bill Clinton's former lover.

Much of that list was surely spurious, a political hit job by Clinton-haters. And Linda Tripp became a very controversial figure back then because she secretly taped Lewinsky; her character was grotesquely smeared, including on SNL. But that's not the point. The point is that Linda Tripp disapproved of Clinton's conduct toward women and was threatened with harm for acting to report it.

The second signature moment is from the beginning of the Clinton White House. In the spring of 1993, word came to the White House that some Arkansas state troopers who had served at Clinton's statehouse when he was governor were talking to the press about his sexual conduct. The troopers would go public a few months later, in the American Spectator and LA Times. But that spring was a panicked moment in the new White House. The "bimbo eruptions" that Betsey Wright and other Clinton operatives had successfully suppressed through the 1992 election campaign -- Clinton's relationships with women in Arkansas -- were getting documented. They had to be suppressed.

It is a matter of record that Clinton himself dangled jobs to state troopers, the trooper said, in an effort to get them to maintain their silence. It is also a matter of fact that those first articles in 1993 led to the disclosure of Paula Jones's name, which led ultimately to Clinton's impeachment.

Clinton and his team knew damn well that this scandal could destroy him.

Just how large that panic was inside the White House in spring 1993 is the most important undisclosed part of the Clinton scandals for me. We are now in an area of conjecture, but I came to believe that deputy White House counsel Vince Foster was under a lot of pressure to help suppress the latest bimbo eruptions/the Troopers; and that a rumored divorce file he had compiled a few years earlier in Little Rock when his friend Hillary Rodham Clinton was considering divorcing Bill Clinton was suddenly a hot potato.

The night that Vince Foster died in Virginia, July 20, 1993, in what was ruled a suicide, Hillary Clinton aides went through his office rummaging through files. Two months later, the head of the Clinton campaign's security operation the year before, Luther "Jerry" Parks, was killed gangland style in Little Rock, and the murder was never solved. Parks's son told me that his father and Vince Foster had compiled that divorce file together.

Linda Tripp later testified that her fear for her own life stemmed from the fact that Jerry Parks had died violently, two months after Vince Foster died violently. That is the essence of the Clinton scandals. "If you knew something about Bill Clinton's sex life, that was dangerous information," as I wrote years ago.

Or as Kathleen Willey, who was harassed by Clinton, told Fox News:

"This story is not about what happened in the Oval Office. It is about what happened to me after I was subpoenaed by Paula Jones's attorney. It was after I was subpoenaed by Ken Starr's investigation. Terror, a terrible smear campaign, intimidation. No citizen in this country should be subjected to that kind of -- terror."

I'm never going to investigate the threats against these people again. I did my time in the '90s; I hurt my career by doing so. I moved on to more important heresies.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com.

Speaking of the situation on the Korean peninsula, he predicted that there would be "the greatest slaughter." He later requested 34 nuclear weapons for possible use in connection with the Korean situation. He would later claim that he had considered dropping "30 to 50 tactical atomic bombs" and had suggested laying a "belt of radioactive cobalt" with "an active life of between 60 and 120 years" across the northernmost part of Korea. And no, this was not President "Fire and Fury," nor was it part of the present crisis with "Rocket Man."

The year was 1950, the Korean War was underway, and the person in question was General Douglas MacArthur who, in terms of pure megalomania and self-regard, was surely the Donald Trump of his moment. As it happened, the general was gunning not just for Koreans but for a Democrat by the name of Harry Truman, a president who would, in the end, act as a commander in chief should. In a move deeply unpopular in its moment, he would dismiss his war commander (whom he dubbed "Mr. Prima Donna") only to watch MacArthur come home to a 19-mile New York City ticker-tape parade (and 3,000 tons of dropped paper) seen by more than seven million cheering spectators.

The Korean War was subsequently fought to a draw without atomic weapons, belts of cobalt, or anything else that might, in the end, have led to a global nuclear conflagration, in part because a president was able to corral an over-the-top general. Almost three quarters of a century later, the question, when it comes to that same peninsula and those same weapons, is: Who could corral a president with a yen to use them and the "sole authority" to do so? We're talking here about a man who, in the 2016 election campaign, wondered aloud to MSNBC's Chris Matthews why in the world, when it came to nuclear weapons, we would be "making them" if we weren't planning on using them?

At this very moment, Congress is exploring what, if anything, can be done to contain such a president, a man who, as a member of his own party suggested, could set the U.S. "on the path to World War III." Few in that body, however, offer much hope of reining in presidential powers in the nuclear realm, which means that the only thing standing between an "unstable" commander in chief and a type of weaponry not used since August 1945 might be the U.S. military itself -- in other words, a crew trained above all to follow the orders of its commander in chief.

This is the context in which to consider TomDispatchregular Michael Klare's chilling look at the urge of both President Trump and key figures in the Pentagon to normalize nuclear weapons as a basic war-fighting tool in the American arsenal. Just imagine what it might mean, given The Donald, for such weaponry to be made ever more -- it's a term that should take your breath away -- "usable." Tom

The Trump Doctrine

Making Nuclear Weapons Usable Again

By Michael T. Klare Maybe you thought America's nuclear arsenal, with its thousands of city-busting, potentially civilization-destroying thermonuclear warheads, was plenty big enough to deter any imaginable adversary from attacking the U.S. with nukes of their own. Well, it turns out you were wrong. The Pentagon has been fretting that the arsenal is insufficiently intimidating. After all -- so the argument goes -- it's filled with old (possibly unreliable) weapons of such catastrophically destructive power that maybe, just maybe, even President Trump might be reluctant to use them if an enemy employed smaller, less catastrophic nukes on some future battlefield. Accordingly, U.S. war planners and weapons manufacturers have set out to make that arsenal more "usable" in order to give the president additional nuclear "options" on any future battlefield. (If you're not already feeling a little tingle of anxiety at this point, you should be.) While it's claimed that this will make such assaults less likely, it's all too easy to imagine how such new armaments and launch plans could actually increase the risk of an early resort to nuclear weaponry in a moment of conflict, followed by calamitous escalation. That President Trump would be all-in on making the American nuclear arsenal more usable should come as no surprise, given his obvious infatuation with displays of overwhelming military strength. (He was thrilled when, last April, one of his generals ordered, for the first time, the most powerful nonnuclear weapon the U.S. possesses dropped in Afghanistan.) Under existing nuclear doctrine, as imagined by the Obama administration back in 2010, this country was to use nuclear weapons only "in extreme circumstances" to defend the vital interests of the country or of its allies. Prohibited was the possibility of using them as a political instrument to bludgeon weaker countries into line. However, for Donald Trump, a man who has already threatened to unleash on North Korea "fire and fury like the world has never seen," such an approach is proving far too restrictive. He and his advisers, it seems, want nukes that can be employed at any potential level of great-power conflict or brandished as the apocalyptic equivalent of a giant club to intimidate lesser rivals. Making the U.S. arsenal more usable requires two kinds of changes in nuclear policy: altering existing doctrine to eliminate conceptional restraints on how such weapons may be deployed in wartime and authorizing the development and production of new generations of nuclear munitions capable, among other things, of tactical battlefield strikes. All of this is expected to be incorporated into the administration's first nuclear posture review (NPR), to be released by the end of this year or early in 2018. Its exact contents won't be known until then -- and even then, the American public will only gain access to the most limited version of a largely classified document. Still, some of the NPR's features are already obvious from comments made by the president and his top generals. And one thing is clear: restraints on the use of such weaponry in the face of a possible weapon of mass destruction of any sort, no matter its level of destructiveness, will be eliminated and the planet's most powerful nuclear arsenal will be made ever more so. Altering the Nuclear Mindset The strategic guidance provided by the administration's new NPR is likely to have far-reaching consequences. As John Wolfsthal, former National Security Council director for arms control and nonproliferation, put it in a recent issue of Arms Control Today, the document will affect "how the United States, its president, and its nuclear capabilities are seen by allies and adversaries alike. More importantly, the review establishes a guide for decisions that underpin the management, maintenance, and modernization of the nuclear arsenal and influences how Congress views and funds the nuclear forces." With this in mind, consider the guidance provided by that Obama-era nuclear posture review. Released at a moment when the White House was eager to restore America's global prestige in the wake of George W. Bush's widely condemned invasion of Iraq and just six months after the president had won the Nobel Prize for his stated determination to abolish such weaponry, it made nonproliferation the top priority. In the process, it downplayed the utility of nuclear weapons under just about any circumstances on just about any imaginable battlefield. Its principal objective, it claimed, was to reduce "the role of U.S. nuclear weapons in U.S. national security." As the document pointed out, it had once been American policy to contemplate using nuclear weapons against Soviet tank formations, for example, in a major European conflict (a situation in which the USSR was believed to possess an advantage in conventional, non-nuclear forces). By 2010, of course, those days were long gone, as was the Soviet Union. Washington, as the NPR noted, now possessed an overwhelming advantage in conventional weaponry as well. "Accordingly," it concluded, "the United States will continue to strengthen conventional capabilities and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in deterring non-nuclear attacks."

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The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said search teams are trying to locate and identify the source of homemade weapons after two staff members were hurt over the last three days.

An inmate in Tecumseh used a homemade weapon to cut a Corrections staff member's hand Sunday. The staff member, who was retrieving an item from a port in a cell door at the time of the assault, received stitches.

And on Friday, five inmates in separate restrictive housing cells started small fires in their cells. One staff member who responded to the disturbance was cut on the nose, also with a homemade weapon.

Corrections Director Scott Frakes said Monday that search teams were looking for weapons.

Each of the individuals involved in the incident on Friday and the one involved Sunday were in restrictive housing due to the serious risk they present to the safety and security of the facility, our team members and other incarcerated individuals," Frakes said. "They remain in the appropriate placement given their behavior.

All incidents will be investigated, he said, with findings provided to the Johnson County attorney to decide whether criminal prosecution is warranted. The department's disciplinary process will be used with sanctions, such as loss of good time, applied according to the rules and regulations, he said.

The Tecumseh prison has had particular problems with assaults, disturbances, inmate deaths and staff shortages since early 2015.

As of last week, at least 110 positions were vacant at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, according to Nebraska Inspector General for Corrections Doug Koebernick.

Eight months ago, after the March 2 disturbance in which two Tecumseh inmates were killed by other inmates, the department contacted the National Institute of Corrections and asked experts there to conduct a critical incident review. The institute's consultants visited Tecumseh the week of March 20 and submitted a report to Frakes in May.

In his most recent annual report, issued in September, Koebernick referred back to the consultants' report, which was shared with the media.

At that time, the consultants found Tecumseh was bordering on a crisis condition in which staff and inmates both expressed concerns about safety and control of the facility.

They found an increase during the previous year in assaults, reported drug or intoxicant abuse, serious offenses and less serious offenses. And they believed the data was indicative of inmate management and control problems that would easily support the staff's perception concerns.

Along with staff shortages were the problems associated with staff turnover, including that 20 percent of all positions were staffed by workers with less than one year of experience and over half of the staff had between one and five years of experience.

Along with that was a significant racial demographic disparity between staff and inmates.

At that time, the department created what it called a closed management unit, to operate with more security and less out-of-cell time, and programs and incentives to lower inmate's risky behavior. It also added handcuffs and meal ports to cell doors and replaced porcelain sinks and toilets with stainless steel fixtures.

The consultants advised establishing an agency grievance administrator by July and new technology for grievances. Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz said last week the department has not yet hired a grievance officer.

At a hearing with Frakes in March, Bolz had asked him what the priorities of the department were after the March 2 disturbance. Frakes responded that it was a priority to have a much more robust and valid grievance system, she said.

"I thought that was worth noting, that that was their No. 1 priority and it hasn't yet been moved forward," she said last week.
If there was a striking theme in the Trump Asian trip, it was a clearly less muscular policy towards China.

U.S. naval patrols to reinforce freedom of navigation rights in the South China Sea were always provocative and appear to have ceased. The U.S. has also withdrawn from the Trans Pacific Partnership and now been led by Japan into what is clearly a trade bulwark against China. It was also opposed by many in the U.S. who considered it a corporate boondoggle.

Consequently, at COP23 local and regional leaders have responded and signed the Bonn-Fiji Commitment for faster climate action to help deliver the Paris Accords. Such efforts are increasingly urgent. The challenge for the Conference attendees, both state and non-state participants, including many automobile companies, is to cut back on fossil-fuel use. Hence their interest in electric cars for example.

There were demonstrations outside meeting venues, exhorting participants to be firmer in their recommendations because of the emissions gap. No global-warming deniers among them; these were notable only in their absence.

So what can one say to deniers? It's best to keep it short and simple.

3. Measurement of delta13C, a carbon isotope, presents 'smoking gun' evidence of human agency. This is because carbon in CO2 released from the burning of fossil fuels has a unique signature through increasingly negative delta13C. Plants have less of the 13C isotope of carbon than that in the atmosphere so that the burning of fossil fuels reduces the isotope in the atmosphere. It is measured as negative delta13C. The more negative the delta13C, as atmospheric CO2 increases, the higher the proportion of carbon from fossil fuels. Since 1980, delta13C has been on a consistent negative slope from -7.5 per mil to a -8.3 per mil in 2012 imputing human hands. Before the Industrial Revolution, it was -6.5 per mil. Put another way, our fingerprints are all over this crime scene.

The Paris Accord now embraces every country except the US, which signed under Obama but was withdrawn by Trump. At COP23, there are over 25,000 people with delegates from almost all countries, world leaders including the UN Secretary General, climate scientists, corporate representatives, NGOs, etc. One has to ask President Trump and the deniers, can all these distinguished persons, and all the evidence, be wrong? If not, how beholden are they to the fossil-fuel lobby?

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Bringing Rob Kall in as a consultant on making my business and its website more bottom-up was incredibly valuable. Rob's out-of-the-box member registration system suggestions led to a multi-leveled engagement process designed to maximally connect clients with the company, which took the company and the website to the next level. Rob's coaching in bottom-up thinking played a strong role in enabling me to sell my company for over a million dollars."



Don Brown, Founder, the International Wireless Industry Consortium (IWPC)
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall's book Bottom-Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution is both a welcomed manifesto and a guide for rethinking the power of human agency, understanding the connections that both make us human and legitimate human planetary relations. Moreover it is a powerful call for providing the ideas, social practices, and relations that make human connections possible, enable them to work together from the bottom up, and to transform such connections into a powerful movement in which people take control of their lives and create a better future for everyone."



Henry Giroux, Director of the McMaster Centre for Research in the Public Interest, author of Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism, Americas Education Deficit and The War on Youth, and dozens more.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"There's no dispute that we now live in a hyper-connected, globalized world--but plenty of argument over the type of globalization that's best for our collective future. In this timely work, Rob Kall makes a persuasive case for 'trickle-up' globalization from below and that the truest, best, and most long-lasting fundamental change always comes from the bottom up. Read this bookthen act on it!"



Rory O'Connor, award-winning filmmaker and author of Friends, Followers, and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media
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In one of the most glaring, power-serving omissions in some time, CBS News' 60 Minutes (11/19/17) took a deep dive into the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and did not once mention the direct role the United States played in creating, perpetuating and prolonging a crisis that's left over 10,000 civilians dead, 2 million displaced, and an estimated 1 million with cholera.

Correspondent Scott Pelley's segment, "When Food Is Used as a Weapon," employed excellent on-the-ground reporting to highlight the famine and bombing victims of Saudi Arabia's brutal two-and-a-half year siege of Yemen. But its editors betrayed this reporting -- and their viewers -- by stripping the conflict of any geopolitical context, and letting one of its largest backers, the United States government, entirely off the hook.

As FAIR has previously noted (10/14/16, 2/27/17), US media frequently ignore the Pentagon's role in the conflict altogether. Pelly did not once note that the US assists Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign with logistical support, refueling and the selling of arms to the tune of $400 billion. The US also routinely protects Saudi Arabia at the UN from condemnation -- a shield that may have vastly prolonged the war, given that it signals the support of the most powerful country on Earth.

Meanwhile, Iran's involvement in the conflict -- which, even by the most paranoid estimates, is far less than the United States' -- is placed front and center as one side of the "war." The conflict is framed in hackneyed "Sunni vs Shia" terms, with Saudi Arabia un-ironically called the "leader of the Sunni world" and Iran the "leader of the Shia world." A reductionist narrative that omits that Sunnis have fought alongside the Houthis, and the fact that Saudi bombs kill members of the marginalized, mostly Sunni Muhamasheen caste, who are neither "led" by Saudi Arabia nor part of the "Shia world."

This cartoon dichotomy is the extent of the context. Saudi Arabia is rightly singled out as the primary aggressor (though a dubious comparative body count of 3,000 killed by Saudis vs. 1,000 by Houthis is proffered that is far lower than the UN's January 2017 estimates of 10,000 total civilians killed), but who the Saudis' primary patrons are -- the United States and Britain (and Canada, too) -- is simply not mentioned. One would think, watching Pelley's report, it was a purely regional conflict, and not one sanctioned and armed by major Western superpowers to counter "Iranian aggression."

To compound the obfuscation, 60 Minutes doesn't just omit the US role in the war, it paints the US as a savior rescuing its victims. The hero of the piece is American David Beasley, the director of the UN's World Food Programme, the organization coordinating humanitarian aid. "The US is [the World Food Programme]'s biggest donor, so the director is most often an American. Beasley was once governor of South Carolina," Pelly narrates over B-roll hero shots of Beasley overseeing food distribution.

Beasley, in his sit-down interview, bends over backwards to downplay Saudi responsibility, insisting at every turn that "all parties" are to blame:

"You see it's chaos, it's starvation, it's hunger, and it's unnecessary conflict, strictly man-made. All parties involved in this conflict have their hands guilty, the hands are dirty. All parties."

The spin that the crisis is the fault of "all parties" is understandable from a US-funded de facto diplomat, charged with providing some cover for a major regional ally. But the premise that "all parties" are causing the famine is never challenged by Pelley. It's taken as fact, and the piece moves on.

It's part of a broader trend of erasing American responsibility for the conflict and resulting humanitarian disaster. The Washington Post ran an editorial last week (11/8/17) and an explainer piece Saturday (11/19/17) detailing the carnage in Yemen, neither one of which bothered to mention US involvement. American complicity in the war is so broad in scope, it merited a warning last year from the US's own State Department they could be liable for war crimes -- yet it hardly merits a mention in major media accounts. The war just is, a collective moral failing on the part of "all parties" -- irrational sectarian Muslims lost in a pat "cycle of violence" caricature.

As momentum builds in Congress, animated by grassroots anti-war activists, to push back against the war and hold US lawmakers accountable, how the US contributes to the death and disease in the Arabian peninsula is of urgent political import. By erasing the US role in the war, CBS producers obscure for viewers the most effective way they can end the war: by pressuring their own lawmakers to stop supporting it. Instead, viewers are left with what filmmaker Adam Curtis calls "Oh, dearism": the act of feeling distressed but ultimately helpless in the face of mindless cruelty -- perpetrated, conveniently, by everyone but us.
From RT

In an extraordinary US Senate hearing this week, lawmakers and military officials rounded on President Trump as being a danger to world peace due to his Commander-in-Chief powers for launching nuclear weapons.

The highlight came when the hearing was told military officers have the constitutional right to disobey the president.

This was, in effect, an open call to mutiny against the president's authority. The Senate hearing surely counts as an outstanding moment in a year of topsy-turvy politics since Donald Trump was elected 45th President of the United States on November 8 last year. Yet that moment of potential sedition seemed to pass off as a rather humdrum event.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its hearings Tuesday on the legalities surrounding the presumed executive power of the president to launch nuclear missiles. It was the first time in over 40 years since such a debate was convened on Capitol Hill, not since 1976 when Richard Nixon was about to be ousted. That reference alone speaks volumes as to what lies at stake for Trump.

Time magazine ran the headline: "Should President Trump Have the Sole Power to Launch Nuclear Missiles?"

Senator Chris Murphy (D) set the tone and purpose of the hearing by saying: "We are concerned the President of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, and has a decision-making process that is so quixotic that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with US security interests."

Hinting at the severe constitutional implication, Murphy added: "So let's just recognize the exceptional nature of this moment, of this discussion we're having today."

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By ursulafaw



Vladimir Putin & Donald Trump at APEC Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam, 10 November 2017

(Image by (From Wikimedia) Kremlin.ru, Author: Kremlin.ru) Details Source DMCA



Guardian journalist Luke Harding has written a book, Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win. The book contains conversations with former spy Christopher Steele, who admonished Harding to follow the yellow brick road, which in Trump's case is gold and extends all the way from Moscow to Trump Tower. Good advice and Robert Mueller is following it. Vanity Fair:

"In December of last year, Steele informed Luke Harding, a journalist for the Guardian, that 'the contracts for the hotel deals and land deals' between Trump and individuals with the Kremlin ties warrant investigation. 'Check their values against the money Trump secured via loans,' the former spy said, according to a conversation detailed in Harding's new book, Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win. "The difference is what's important." "According to his book, Steele did not elaborate on this point to Harding, but his implication was clear: it's possible that Trump was indebted to Russian interests when he descended Trump Tower's golden escalator to declare his candidacy. After the real-estate mogul suffered a series of bankruptcies related to the 2008 financial crisis, traditional banks became reluctant to loan him money -- a reality he has acknowledged in past interviews. As a result, the Trump Organization reportedly became increasingly reliant on foreign investors, notably Russian ones. As Donald Trump Jr. famously said in 2008, 'Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.' "The significance of such transactions is not lost on Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Citing a person familiar with the F.B.I. probe, Bloomberg reported in July that Mueller's team is investigating a series of deals Trump struck, including the Trump Organization's failed SoHo development that involved Russian nationals, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, and the president's sale of a Palm Beach estate in 2008. All three deals have drawn scrutiny for their ties to Russian interests; as Craig Unger outlined for the Hive, the 2014 Trump SoHo development is likely of interest to Mueller thanks to the involvement of Felix Sater -- a Moscow-born, Russian-American businessman who did time for stabbing a man in the face with a margarita glass -- and the now-defunct company he worked for, the Bayrock Group. Similarly, Russian developer Aras Agalarov, whose son Emin helped broker the controversial Trump Tower meeting last June between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, paid $20 million to bring Miss Universe to Moscow. And Russian fertilizer magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev bought the Florida mansion for a staggering sum of $95 million in 2008 -- despite Trump having paid just $41 million for the property four years prior."

Quite a cast of characters in that last paragraph and quite a connecting of dots. Here's even more. Politico:

"When did the KGB open a file on Donald Trump? We don't know, but Eastern Bloc security service records suggest this may have been as early as 1977. That was the year when Trump married Ivana Zelnickova, a twenty-eight-year-old model from Czechoslovakia. Zelnickova was a citizen of a communist country. She was therefore of interest both to the Czech intelligence service, the StB, and to the FBI and CIA. "According to files in Prague, declassified in 2016, Czech spies kept a close eye on the couple in Manhattan. (The agents who undertook this task were code-named Al Jarza and Lubos.) They opened letters sent home by Ivana to her father, Milos, an engineer. Milos was never an agent or asset. But he had a functional relationship with the Czech secret police, who would ask him how his daughter was doing abroad and in return permit her visits home. There was periodic surveillance of the Trump family in the United States. And when Ivana and Donald Trump, Jr., visited Milos in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, further spying, or 'cover.'"

Christopher Steele said that the KGB, "was cultivating Trump for at least five years," as a useful idiot. That estimate is conservative at best.

"As Trump tells it, the idea for his first trip to Moscow came after he found himself seated next to the Soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin.This was in autumn 1986; the event was a luncheon held by Leonard Lauder, the businessman son of Este'e Lauder. Dubinin's daughter Natalia 'had read about Trump Tower and knew all about it,' Trump said in his 1987 bestseller, The Art of the Deal. "Trump continued: 'One thing led to another, and now I'm talking about building a large luxury hotel, across the street from the Kremlin, in partnership with the Soviet government.' "Trump's chatty version of events is incomplete. According to Natalia Dubinina, the actual story involved a more determined effort by the Soviet government to seek out Trump."

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17-03-10 08 Zaatari Refugee Camp

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As many as a million children have been orphaned by the war in Syria which is in its sixth year, Aljazeera reported Sunday (Nov 19). The UN has warned against the dangers facing children without parents such as lack of education, trafficking and being indoctrinated by armed groups.

Many children are living in orphanages being run by local charities both inside Syria and abroad.

"I was five years old when Shabiha attacked and rounded everyone up," Mariam al Shalan, an orphan from Homs told Al Jazeera. "Then they opened fire and killed everyone. My mother came in fornt of us and took the bullets. My mother asked me for water. When I came back, she was dead. Me and my brother spent two days under the blood and the bodies."

In a centre for orphans in the city of Idlib, almost every child that has been affected by the war suffers from trauma and psychological stress. However, care givers have limited financial support. In addition to salaries, they need help including repair work for the buildings as winter approaches.

Al Jazeera spoke to some of the children who have lost one or both their parents. The children's accounts reveal how the ongoing war and the rising casualties it is bringing is creating challenges for their well-being inside Syria and in countries where they are living as refugees.

As the Syrian conflict entered its seventh year, more than 465,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting, more than a million injured and over 12 million Syrians - half the country's prewar population - have been displaced from their homes.

With much of Syria in ruins millions of Syrians have fled abroad. The Syrian refugee crisis remains one of the largest humanitarian crises since the end of World War II. The number of refugees who have fled the country now exceeds five million, including more than 2.4 million children, and millions more have been displaced internally, according to the United Nations.

The Syrian war is creating profound effects far beyond the country's borders. Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan are now housing large and growing numbers of Syrian refugees, many of whom have attempted to journey onwards to Europe in search of better conditions.

There are 5.3 million refugees in the Middle East which includes 2 million Syrians registered by UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, 3 million Syrians registered by the Government of Turkey, as well as more than 30,000 Syrian refugees registered in North Africa.

There are around one million Syrian refugees in 37 European countries.

In 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Syrian refugees living in Turkey could eventually be granted citizenship, but he gave no details on eligibility criteria or how long the process would take, according to Al Jazeera.

In Jordan, more than 26,000 Syrians have obtained work permits, but refugees do not automatically acquire rights to residency.

More than one million Syrian refugees have made Lebanon their temporary home, but last year, President Michel Aoun vowed to send them back to their home country.

Egypt also became a major destination for Syrian refugees, but many have since fled their adopted homeland, in part because of a rising tide of anti-Syrian sentiment that took hold during the unrest following the toppling of the country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013, Al Jazeera report said.

The 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees describes a refugee as any person who, "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country".

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From The Hankyoreh

The United States has long been viewed as a country with a tradition of respect for the rule of law. Political figures were held accountable to the courts and independent bureaucracies enforced rules and regulations. This didn't mean there wasn't any corruption; some level of corruption is unavoidable. But corruption was the exception and for the most part it was kept secret. Unlike many dictatorships, exposure meant the end of corruption. In the Trump presidency, this longer appears to be the case.

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Nebraska regulators have approved TransCanadas controversial Keystone XL pipeline, but not its preferred route through this state  raising questions about whether the company will continue to pursue the project.

Monday's decision by the Nebraska Public Service Commission, which came on a 3-2 vote, adds another twist to a debate that has made headlines for nearly a decade.

The commission  instead of signing off on TransCanada's 275-mile preferred route, which was the main focus of a court-style hearing in August  opted for a second, slightly longer route known as the "mainline alternative."

That route cuts further east then runs parallel with the existing Keystone pipeline for about 95 miles, with a 30-mile detour in Seward County.

It would impact about 40 new landowners, many of them in Madison and Seward counties, who aren't along the preferred route and don't have the original Keystone pipe cutting through their land already.

TransCanada didn't immediately say whether it will pursue Keystone XL construction along the alternate route. The commission's decision was met with stunned silence on the part of opponents and apparent confusion by TransCanada representatives.

"As a result of today's decision, we will conduct a careful review of the Public Service Commission's ruling while assessing how the decision would impact the cost and schedule of the project," said Russ Girling, the company's president and CEO, in a statement.

Attorney Brian Jorde of Omaha, who represents landowners who oppose the pipeline, compared the commission's move with a "choose your own adventure" book.

State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, who backs the pipeline and helped outline the process followed by the Public Service Commission, tweeted that Monday's decision "creates unnecessary uncertainty, too bad."

In dismissing TransCanada's preferred route, the commission majority said that option "fails to take advantage of any opportunity to co-locate" with the existing pipeline, "and therefore we are unable to conclude that the Preferred Route is in the public interest."

However, the mainline alternative route maximizes co-location with the original Keystone pipeline and is in the public interest, the commission wrote.

The alternative route diverts from the preferred route in Antelope County, then cuts through Madison County on its way into Stanton County. From there, it runs mostly parallel with the original Keystone pipeline  with a 30-mile detour around a wellhead protection area in Seward County  on its way to a pumping station in Steele City, along the Kansas state line.

It wasn't immediately clear if TransCanada has notified the 40 landowners who might now have a pipeline developer interested in their land.

Mike Flood, former speaker of the Legislature and a TransCanada backer, lives in Madison County and said he hopes the pipeline still gets built, citing its potential to contribute property tax revenue to counties along the route.

"I support the pipeline," Flood said.

Attorneys for pipeline opponents cautiously celebrated the rejection of the preferred route, promising to continue their fight but not revealing plans for their next step should TransCanada still desire to build.

Ken Winston of Lincoln, attorney for the Sierra Club, said the commission's move "opens up a whole new bag of issues."

Commissioner Crystal Rhoades of Omaha, who voted against the pipeline, said approving the mainline alternative instead of merely weighing in on TransCanada's preferred route raises due process questions, because many landowners along the alternate route weren't included in the commission proceedings.

Neligh-area farmer Art Tanderup's land would be impacted by either route. He said the mainline alternative still crosses fragile soils and the Ogallala Aquifer.

"What just happened is not protecting that resource," Tanderup told reporters after the decision.

Jane Kleeb, founder of the anti-pipeline group Bold Nebraska and chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said the fight will go on: "We are resolute in stopping this pipeline."

Nebraska's approval was one of the final necessary steps before TransCanada could begin turning dirt on the 1,179-mile project, which would move Canadian oil sands from Hardisty, Alberta, to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The Keystone XL appeared dead after former President Barack Obama stopped it in 2015, but the project received a jump start from President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Why approve the pipeline?

The commission majority summarized its reasons for approving the pipeline in its order:

"The Commission is very cognizant of the fact that opening a trench that entirely bisects the State of Nebraska from North to South to insert a 36-inch pipe will have impacts to the natural resources of the state, including soil, water, and wildlife," the majority wrote. "It is impossible to complete such a project without impacts.

"There is no utopian option where we reap the benefits of an infrastructure project without some effects. We are tasked with weighing those impacts against the potential benefits.

"We do not take lightly the concerns of the landowners, other Nebraskans, and our fellow Commissioners. We share many of the concerns expressed regarding the soils in Keya Paha, Holt, Boyd, and Antelope Counties.

"However, we also are very cognizant of the benefits to Nebraska, especially to the counties along the route. With economic concerns abounding, tax revenues from a project such as this can help ease burdened landowners, counties, school districts, and subdivisions by raising the potential of future property tax relief via expansion of the local tax base."

Commissioners also outlined why pipeline leaks  including last week's 210,000-gallon spill from a section of the original Keystone pipeline in South Dakota  could not be considered in their decision.

The Major Oil Pipeline Siting Act, adopted by the Nebraska Legislature in 2011, specifically prohibits the commission from considering pipeline safety, spills or leaks.

Why this route?

Opponents have argued that the Keystone XL should at least run adjacent to the original Keystone pipeline through Nebraska. That route cuts through Cedar, Wayne, Stanton, Platte, Colfax, Butler, Seward, Saline and Jefferson counties.

But TransCanada didn't include that option  also known as the "I-90" route  in its application. The company argues that Keya Paha County is the "fixed" entry point in northern Nebraska for the Keystone XL, because of a construction permit issued by South Dakota in 2010.

Commissioners dismissed the I-90 route for two reasons: deference to South Dakota's decision and because it wasn't part of TransCanada's application and therefore outside the commission's authority.

"While we understand that our primary focus is clearly the interests of Nebraska, we do not believe it to be in Nebraska's best interest to demand an approach that would result in direct conflict with our northern neighbor," the commission majority wrote.

Further, "The idea of the I-90 Route may sound good in theory, but we do not have the authority to approve it."

The mainline alternative route was included in TransCanada's application. And Meera Kothari, lead engineer for the Keystone XL, acknowledged at a hearing in August that the alternative route is viable.
Introducing the flat foam push bow Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) by ASIS

Marina Operations Rigid Inflatable Boat 8 meter

www.asisboats.com

ASIS Boats, once more comes up with a great innovation for marina operators, a special rigid inflatable boat with a flat foam push bow and a bow pull post, in order for the marina operators to be able to maneuver mega yachts and big yachts in case of distress or high wind, to assist them to moor safely.This specially customized Marina Operations Rigid Inflatable Boat was delivered to Meraas Holding for their newly developed marina along the shores of the Dubai creek. ASIS Boats was able once again to customize the RIB design to meet the customers un-met needs.Back in August, ASIS Boats was approached by Meraas Holding for a very specific Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) requirement. They needed a RIB that could push yachts and direct them in the right direction whereas it was because of engine failure or for help in mooring.One of ASISs main advantage and strength is Customization and meeting customers un-met needs so ASISs engineers and designers came up with the modified foam filled flat bow design that was received with an exceptional enthusiasm.Two month later, the first boat was manufactured, tested and ready for delivery. 8 meter in size, the ASIS Rigid Inflatable Boat is made of Fiberglass hull and is equipped with the bow tow post, stern tow post, T-top, a fuel capacity of 500 liters, single future console with Grab Handles and screen, Black Painted S.S Leaning Post with Back Rest single, Black Painted S.S A Frame with Platform and foldable Ladder.The newly design Marina Operations Rigid Inflatable Boat can accommodate 15 passengers.This ASIS Marina Operations RHIB 8 meter is fitted with Twin Yamaha 4 Stroke F200 BETX Hp Outboard Engines with Sea Star Hydraulic Steering System with complete accessories capable of achieving higher cruising speeds of 46 knots and travel greater distances in safety and comfort.At ASIS we pride ourselves in being an advanced maritime solution provider in Rigid Inflatable Boats. We bring concepts to reality, providing you with the solution to your most complex needs.Jebel Ali Industrial area 3, Dubai, UAE.PO Box 61426Tel: +971 4 880 4441email: info@asisboats.comwebsite:
Nov 20, 2017: Electromagnetic Brakes Market Forecast 2023 Boston, Formsprag Clutch, Inertia Dynamics, Marland Clutch

Electromagnetic Brakes

https://goo.gl/SoeSHq

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-electromagnetic-brakes-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

A market study  Global Electromagnetic Brakes Market  examines the performance of the Electromagnetic Brakes market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electromagnetic Brakes market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electromagnetic Brakes market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Electromagnetic Brakes Market 2017 report includes Electromagnetic Brakes market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electromagnetic Brakes industry volume, market Trends, Electromagnetic Brakes Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electromagnetic Brakes Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Electromagnetic Brakes Market Forecast 2017:1. Boston Gear (US)2. Formsprag Clutch, Inc. (US)3. Inertia Dynamics LLC (US)4. Marland Clutch (US)5. Warner Electric, Inc. (US)6. Dayton Superior Products Co., Inc. (US)7. Electroid Company (US)8. GKN Stromag AG (Germany)9. Hilliard Corp. (US)10. INTORQ GmbH & CO. KG (Germany)11. KEB America, Inc. (US)12. Lenze SE (Germany)13. Magnetic Technologies Ltd. (US)14. Magtrol, Inc. (US)15. Ogura Industrial Corp. (US)16. Placid Industries, Inc. (US)17. Redex Andantex (France)18. Andantex USA, Inc. (US)19. Merobel (France)20. Regal Power Transmission Solutions (US)21. Sjogren Industries, Inc. (US)22. Rexnord Corp. (US)Firstly, the report covers the top Electromagnetic Brakes manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Electromagnetic Brakes report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electromagnetic Brakes industry, Electromagnetic Brakes industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electromagnetic Brakes Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Electromagnetic Brakes research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electromagnetic Brakes market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electromagnetic Brakes market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Electrosurgical Analyzer Market Forecast 2023 Rigel Medical, Medtronic, Olympus, Smith Nephew

Electrosurgical Analyzer

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A market study  Global Electrosurgical Analyzer Market  examines the performance of the Electrosurgical Analyzer market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electrosurgical Analyzer market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electrosurgical Analyzer market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Electrosurgical Analyzer Market 2017 report includes Electrosurgical Analyzer market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electrosurgical Analyzer industry volume, market Trends, Electrosurgical Analyzer Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electrosurgical Analyzer Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Electrosurgical Analyzer Market Forecast 2017:1. Fluke Biomedical2. Rigel Medical3. B. Braun4. Medtronic5. Olympus6. Smith NephewElectrosurgical Analyzer Market : By Application Benchtop Electrosurgical Analyzer Portable Electrosurgical AnalyzerElectrosurgical Analyzer Market : By Type Hospitals ClinicsFirstly, the report covers the top Electrosurgical Analyzer manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Electrosurgical Analyzer report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electrosurgical Analyzer industry, Electrosurgical Analyzer industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electrosurgical Analyzer Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Electrosurgical Analyzer research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electrosurgical Analyzer market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electrosurgical Analyzer market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Electronic Therapy Instrument Market Forecast 2023 Medtronic, Abbott, J & J, TERUMO

Electronic Therapy Instrument

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A market study  Global Electronic Therapy Instrument Market  examines the performance of the Electronic Therapy Instrument market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electronic Therapy Instrument market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electronic Therapy Instrument market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Electronic Therapy Instrument Market 2017 report includes Electronic Therapy Instrument market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electronic Therapy Instrument industry volume, market Trends, Electronic Therapy Instrument Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electronic Therapy Instrument Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Electronic Therapy Instrument Market Forecast 2017:1. Medtronic2. Abbott3. J & J4. TERUMOFirstly, the report covers the top Electronic Therapy Instrument manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Electronic Therapy Instrument report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electronic Therapy Instrument industry, Electronic Therapy Instrument industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electronic Therapy Instrument Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Electronic Therapy Instrument research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electronic Therapy Instrument market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electronic Therapy Instrument market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market Forecast 2023 Drager, Pneumatik Berlin, Tedisel, Starkstrom

Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System

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A market study  Global Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market  examines the performance of the Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market 2017 report includes Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market Size, Revenue, market Share, Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System industry volume, market Trends, Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market Forecast 2017:1. Drager2. Pneumatik Berlin3. Tedisel Medical4. Starkstrom5. TLV Healthcare6. Novair Medical7. Brandon Medical8. KLS Martin9. MZ Liberec10. Surgiris11. Trumpf12. MaquetEndoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market : By Application Fixed Fixed Retractable Single Arm Movable Double Multi Arm MovableEndoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market : By Type Public Hospital Private HospitalFirstly, the report covers the top Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System industry, Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market revenue worldwide.Finally, Endoscopy Ceiling Pendant System market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Fiber Cystoscopes Market Forecast 2023 KARL STORZ, Stryker, Olympus, Richard Wolf

Fiber Cystoscopes market

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-fiber-cystoscopes-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

A market study  Global Fiber Cystoscopes Market  examines the performance of the Fiber Cystoscopes market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Fiber Cystoscopes market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Fiber Cystoscopes market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Fiber Cystoscopes Market 2017 report includes Fiber Cystoscopes market Size, Revenue, market Share, Fiber Cystoscopes industry volume, market Trends, Fiber Cystoscopes Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Fiber Cystoscopes Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Fiber Cystoscopes Market Forecast 2017:1. KARL STORZ2. Stryker3. Olympus4. Richard Wolf5. Vision Sciences6. Alltion7. LaborieFirstly, the report covers the top Fiber Cystoscopes manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Fiber Cystoscopes report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Fiber Cystoscopes industry, Fiber Cystoscopes industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Fiber Cystoscopes Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Fiber Cystoscopes research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Fiber Cystoscopes market revenue worldwide.Finally, Fiber Cystoscopes market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market Forecast 2023 Google, Microsoft, Apple

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

https://goo.gl/Gcvp9w

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-natural-language-processing-nlp-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

A market study  Global Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market  examines the performance of the Natural Language Processing (NLP) market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Natural Language Processing (NLP) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Natural Language Processing (NLP) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market 2017 report includes Natural Language Processing (NLP) market Size, Revenue, market Share, Natural Language Processing (NLP) industry volume, market Trends, Natural Language Processing (NLP) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Natural Language Processing (NLP) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market Forecast 2017:1. Microsoft2. SAS Institute3. Hewlett-Packard4. Dolbey Systems5. Google6. Netbase Solutions7. IBM8. 3M Company9. Verint Systems10. AppleNatural Language Processing (NLP) Market : By Application Statistical NLP Hybrid Based NLP Rule NLPNatural Language Processing (NLP) Market : By Type Automotive Healthcare Banking Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) IT and Telecom Defense & Aerospace Media & Advertisement Academia and EducationFirstly, the report covers the top Natural Language Processing (NLP) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Natural Language Processing (NLP) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Natural Language Processing (NLP) industry, Natural Language Processing (NLP) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Natural Language Processing (NLP) research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Natural Language Processing (NLP) market revenue worldwide.Finally, Natural Language Processing (NLP) market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Managed Print Services (MPS) Market Forecast 2023 Xerox, Lexmark, Ricoh, Canon

Managed Print Services (MPS)

https://goo.gl/LTuzqw

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-managed-print-services-mps-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

A market study  Global Managed Print Services (MPS) Market  examines the performance of the Managed Print Services (MPS) market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Managed Print Services (MPS) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Managed Print Services (MPS) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Managed Print Services (MPS) Market 2017 report includes Managed Print Services (MPS) market Size, Revenue, market Share, Managed Print Services (MPS) industry volume, market Trends, Managed Print Services (MPS) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Managed Print Services (MPS) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Managed Print Services (MPS) Market Forecast 2017:1. Xerox2. ARC Document Solutions3. Ricoh Company4. Lexmark5. Canon6. Konica Minolta7. KYOCERA8. Toshiba9. HP Development Company10. Print AuditManaged Print Services (MPS) Market : By Application On-Premise Hybrid Cloud-BasedManaged Print Services (MPS) Market : By Type BFSI Telecom and IT Health Care Education Construction Manufacturing Other (Retail, etc.)Firstly, the report covers the top Managed Print Services (MPS) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Managed Print Services (MPS) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Managed Print Services (MPS) industry, Managed Print Services (MPS) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Managed Print Services (MPS) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Managed Print Services (MPS) research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Managed Print Services (MPS) market revenue worldwide.Finally, Managed Print Services (MPS) market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:Spire Market Research is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244United States
Nov 20, 2017: Livestock Feed Enzymes Market Forecast 2023 Novozymes, DuPont (Danisco), AB Enzymes

Livestock Feed Enzymes Market

http://bit.ly/2hDhJN5

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-livestock-feed-enzymes-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

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Livestock Feed Enzymes Market Research 2017A market study  Global Livestock Feed Enzymes Market  examines the performance of the Livestock Feed Enzymes market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Livestock Feed Enzymes market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Livestock Feed Enzymes market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Livestock Feed Enzymes Market 2017 report includes Livestock Feed Enzymes market Revenue, market Share, Livestock Feed Enzymes industry volume, market Trends, Livestock Feed Enzymes Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Livestock Feed Enzymes Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Livestock Feed Enzymes Market 2017 :NovozymesDuPont (Danisco)AB EnzymesDSMAum EnzymesBASFCHR.HansenSoufflet GroupSEBKeminYiduoliAdisseoLongda Bio-productsFirstly, the report covers the top Livestock Feed Enzymes manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Livestock Feed Enzymes report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Livestock Feed Enzymes industry, Livestock Feed Enzymes industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Livestock Feed Enzymes Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Livestock Feed Enzymes research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Livestock Feed Enzymes market revenue worldwide.Finally, Livestock Feed Enzymes market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Chairman Tim Schram of Gretna said members of the Nebraska Public Service Commission won't immediately comment on their decision because of possible appeals.

However, three commissioners issued separate written opinions: Rod Johnson, who concurred with the majority decision, and Mary Ridder and Crystal Rhoades, who dissented.

ROD JOHNSON

Johnson's district covers east-central Nebraska and includes much of the approved route for the Keystone XL.

"(TransCanada) has made quite a few promises to Nebraskans, both in their application and during the course of this proceeding," Johnson wrote in his concurring opinion. "There should be no doubt that this commission and the citizens of this state expect TransCanada to keep those promises, and we will be watching to make sure that they do so."

MARY RIDDER

Ridder's district covers western and central Nebraska, and includes the northernmost part of the approved route for Keystone XL.

She dissented, saying TransCanada should have considered following the route of the original Keystone pipeline instead: "An existing utility corridor that is both feasible and beneficial does exist but was discarded as a route because the applicant chose a 52-mile shortcut through Nebraska's Sandhills."

CRYSTAL RHOADES

Rhoades' district is based in urban Omaha and isn't part of any proposed Keystone XL route, but she has been the commission's most outspoken critic of TransCanada's plans.

"The applicant provided no evidence to support a finding that the route is in the public interest," she wrote. Specifically, she said the commission lacked sufficient information about the mainline alternative route, violated the due process rights of landowners who are part of that route but not the preferred route, and improperly limited the role of environmental groups and Native American tribes in the proceedings.
Nov 20, 2017: Ski Pole Market Forecast 2023 Atomic, Burton, Rossignol, Halti

Ski Pole Market

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-ski-pole-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

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Ski Pole Market Research 2017A market study  Global Ski Pole Market  examines the performance of the Ski Pole market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Ski Pole market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Ski Pole market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Ski Pole Market 2017 report includes Ski Pole market Revenue, market Share, Ski Pole industry volume, market Trends, Ski Pole Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Ski Pole Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Ski Pole Market 2017 :AtomicBurtonRossignolHaltiArcteryxLafumaKjusBognerSpyderDecentePhenixAlpineNorthlandColumbiaPatagoniaDecathlonThe North FaceQuiksilverARMADASchoeffelKarbonFirstly, the report covers the top Ski Pole manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Ski Pole report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Ski Pole industry, Ski Pole industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Ski Pole Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Ski Pole research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Ski Pole market revenue worldwide.Finally, Ski Pole market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Nov 20, 2017: Synthetic Lubricants Market Forecast 2023 ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron

Synthetic Lubricants Market

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Synthetic Lubricants Market Research 2017A market study  Global Synthetic Lubricants Market  examines the performance of the Synthetic Lubricants market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Synthetic Lubricants market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Synthetic Lubricants market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Synthetic Lubricants Market 2017 report includes Synthetic Lubricants market Revenue, market Share, Synthetic Lubricants industry volume, market Trends, Synthetic Lubricants Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Synthetic Lubricants Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Synthetic Lubricants Market 2017 :ExxonMobilShellBPChevronTotalIdemitsu KosanBASFFuchsAshland ValvolineJX GroupLukoilPetronasChemturaAmsoilPertaminaCNPCSinopecDelian GroupOriginal ChemicalLOPALGAOKE PETROCHEMICALCOPTONFirstly, the report covers the top Synthetic Lubricants manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Synthetic Lubricants report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Synthetic Lubricants industry, Synthetic Lubricants industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Synthetic Lubricants Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Synthetic Lubricants research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Synthetic Lubricants market revenue worldwide.Finally, Synthetic Lubricants market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Nov 20, 2017: Polyetheramine Market Forecast 2023 BASF, Clariant, Huntsman

Polyetheramine Market

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Polyetheramine Market Research 2017A market study  Global Polyetheramine Market  examines the performance of the Polyetheramine market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Polyetheramine market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Polyetheramine market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Polyetheramine Market 2017 report includes Polyetheramine market Revenue, market Share, Polyetheramine industry volume, market Trends, Polyetheramine Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Polyetheramine Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Polyetheramine Market 2017 :BASFClariantHuntsmanZIBO Dexin Lianbang Chemical IndustryWuxi Acryl TechnologyQingdao IRO SurfactantYangzhou Chenhua New MaterialsYantai Dasteck ChemicalsFirstly, the report covers the top Polyetheramine manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Polyetheramine report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Polyetheramine industry, Polyetheramine industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Polyetheramine Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Polyetheramine research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Polyetheramine market revenue worldwide.Finally, Polyetheramine market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Blood Market 2017: Industry Demand, Latest Research, Current Scenario and Global Forecast 2023

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Blood is a major necessity for patients suffering from injuries and viral infections, which require blood transfusion. The patients are either given whole blood or blood components for quick recovery and healing, resulting into increased demand for blood banks.The global blood market was valued at $33,500 million in 2016, and is estimated to reach $45,982 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 4.6% from 2017 to 2023. The major factors that enhance the market growth are increase in geriatric population, rise in trauma cases, technological advancement in medical technology for donor screening, and advancement in blood transfusion instruments. However, rise in minimal invasive technology, which no longer requires blood transfusion restrains the market growth.Get Sample Copy of the Report:The global blood market is segmented by product, end user, and geography. Based on product, it is divided into whole blood collection, source plasma collection, blood therapeutics, blood typing products, blood screening, and blood processing equipment & associated products. Blood therapeutics segment contributed the highest share in 2016, owing to the increase in the demand for various plasma proteins for the recovery of patients. Based on whole blood collection, the market is bifurcated into system and reagents. On the basis of source plasma collection, it is divided into system and reagents. Blood therapeutics are categorized into intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), factor IX, factor VIII, hyperimmune, and albumins. Blood typing products are classified into system and reagents. Blood screening is further divided into systems and reagents. Blood processing equipment & associated products are categorized into systems and reagents.Geographically, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The North America market accounted for significant share in the global market in 2016, owing to a well-developed healthcare industry and rise in number of patient population requiring blood & blood components.Enquiry about Report:KEY BENEFITSThe study provides an in-depth analysis of the global blood market, with the current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets.The report provides quantitative analysis of the industry from 2016 to 2023 to enable stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing opportunities.Extensive analysis of the market based on the product and end user elucidates the prevailing opportunities in these segments.Comprehensive analysis of geographical regions is provided to determine the latent regional opportunities.Key players operating in the market and their strategies are profiled to determine the competitive outlook of the market.Get More Information & Research at:About UsIt is crucial for market players to take leaps strategically and update themselves with recent trends, opportunities, and emerging investment pockets. We, at 'Research Beam?, adhere to these factors and offer a wide range of reports that are detailed and enable our clients to achieve their goals with long term planning coupled with competitive advantage.Our database includes a broad array of various market reports from numerous publishers across the globe. These reports of several market categories and sub-categories help our clients to find the exact report they are looking for. We are instrumental to provide quantitative and qualitative insights in their area of interest and bring reports from various publishers under one umbrella to save their time and money. Our clients across the world are gaining profits from the information given in the reports sourced by us.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesMail Me-mailhelp@researchbeam.com
This Holiday Season Trust Allen Maintenance Corporation to Help Keep the Office Clean

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Allen Maintenance Corporation rings in the holiday season wishing all Michigan businesses and organizations, a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.During the holiday season, local Michigan businesses and organizations begin celebrating traditional holidays that increase the flow of office traffic. Floors get tracked with salt, water, and dirt, leaving trails of muddy foot prints.Restrooms become filthy; water faucets, light fixtures, and door handles cozy up with the FLU virus and cold season.Utilizing Environment Protective Agents (EPA) enables Allen Maintenance Corporation to effectively combat the spread of germs and FLU virus on contact.As a Worldwide Cleaning Association and A+ Better Business Bureau member, Allen Maintenance Corporation delivers thorough commercial cleaning services, your business or organization can rely on.Services are provided 24/7; and we always adhere to a professional quality level of trust, respecting the privacy rights of all business partners and their information security assets.Background checks are conducted on all Allen Maintenance Corporation employees, and training helps keep Allen Maintenance Corporation employees up-to-date on how to effectively wipe out germs on desktop and kitchenette counters.In fact, log on to our Web site and view educational clips sponsored by the Worldwide Cleaning Association () .Or, log onto our Web site () and learn more about the services, we provide and how we can help your business or organization maintain control over the spread of germs and viruses in your commercial office.Office hours are Monday-Friday 9am-3pm; contact us at 313.383.4840. We anticipate hearing from you! In the meantime, please have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!Allen Maintenance Corporation has been rendering professional commercial cleaning services throughout the Eastern District of Michigan for more than 26 years.4224 Dix Toledo HwyLincoln Park, MI 48146
Factors that Influencing the Growth of Organ-on-chip Market

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A new report added by Allied Market Research, forecast that the global organ-on-chip market was valued at $5 million in 2016, and is projected to reach at $170 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 63.2% from 2017 to 2023. Heart-on-chip segment is anticipated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period.For Sample PDF of the Report - Click at:North America was the highest revenue contributor in the global market in 2016, as advancements in cell biology, microfabrication, and microfluidics have led to the development of OOCs. In addition, rise in demand for lung- and kidney-based organ culture devices is expected to boost the market growth. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to witness a significant growth rate during the forecast period, owing to increase in research activities.In 2016, the lung-on-chip segment accounted for the highest share in the market, while the heart-on-chip segment is anticipated to witness the highest growth rate from 2017 to 2023, owing to increase in applications of organ-on-chip devices for the cure of several cardiac diseases such as heart failures.The global market is in its growth phase, and is expected to witness significant growth rate of 63.2% during the forecast period, due to surge in applications of organ-on-chip devices in the healthcare sector and increase in demand for organ-on-chip in drug screening.Access Full Summary at:The key players profiled in the study are Emulate, Inc., AxoSim Technologies LLC, CN Bio Innovations, Hurel Corporation, Ascendance Biotechnology, Inc., Insphero AG, Mimetas B.V, Nortis Inc., Organovo Holdings, Inc., and Tara Biosystems. These players have adopted various competitive strategies such as geographical expansions, mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, and partnerships & collaborations to strengthen their foothold in the market.Key Findings of the Organ-On-Chip Market:Heart-on-chip segment is projected to witness the highest growth rate of 64.1%.North America generated the highest share of $60 million, in terms of revenue, in 2016.Asia-Pacific generated the highest growth rate of 65.2% during the forecast period.Lung-on-chip segment generated highest market share of 21% in 2016.Do Purchase Inquiry@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.Contact Us:Rahul Thakur 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220 United StatesDirect: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com
Money20/20 Market 2017- By Develop Strategies Based on the Latest Regulatory Events

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Summary"Money20/20: Things We Learned", offers commentary and analysis of the key subjects covered at this years Money20/20 event in Las Vegas.Money20/20 is one of the biggest and most important events on the financial services calendar. Speakers from a wide range of organizations, covering financial services and other industries, provided their views and insights on a variety of subjects relevant to banking, including AI, regulation, payments, lending, security, and customer experience. This report covers the most important presentations and discussions, and provides perspective on what was said.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The report offers insight into -- The most important themes and trends that will affect the retail banking industry over the next few years, as identified by leading industry practitioners and commentators.- How providers are using new technology and new strategies to improve their performance.- How banks should prepare for and respond to these developments.Scope- Artificial intelligence will enhance, not threaten, the existing structure of banking.- Banks will harness technology to humanize banking.- Banks will not be rendered extinct by challengers, but will see their dominance challenged.- Regulators are helping to facilitate transformation in banking.- AI and automated services fit well with the distinctive needs of younger consumers.- Technology is helping to democratize lending.Reasons to buy- Discover what developments are currently driving the most excitement - and concern - in banking.- Understand how leading banks are reacting to these developments.- Learn how you should respond to these emerging trends to stay ahead of your competitors.Table of Content: Key PointsArtificial intelligence will enhance, not threaten, the existing structure of bankingBanks will harness technology to humanize bankingBanks will not be rendered extinct by challengers, but will see their dominance challengedRegulators are helping to facilitate transformation in bankingAI and automated services fit well with the distinctive needs of younger consumersTechnology is helping to democratize lendingContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
GaN Industrial Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "GaN Industrial Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The report provides a strategic analysis of the global GaN industrial devices market. The global GaN industrial devices market has been segmented on the basis of types, applications and geography. Furthermore, GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) has been bifurcated on the basis of their application areas. The cross sectional analysis of global GaN industrial devices market across the five major geographical segments has also been covered under the purview of this report. Increasing application of GaN based industrial devices in various areas such as automotive, defense, information and communication technology, military, aerospace and power distribution systems is primarily driving the growth of the market. GaN is being widely implemented in radio frequency (RF) devices, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and power electronics, owing to its ability to operate at high frequency, power density and high temperature.Moreover, increasing demand from defense sector for enhanced battlefield performance has consequently accelerated the demand for GaN industrial devices. The major application of GaN in military is its usage in HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor), which is essential for high frequency operations. Another factor fuelling the growth of the global GaN industrial devices market is the introduction of advanced technology and large scale production of GaN. Due to rapid improvement in GaN technology, many companies are coming up with new innovative products that are cost-effective and have better design and performance. The conjoint effect of all these drivers and trends is thus set to bolster the growth of the global GaN industrial devices market during the forecast period from 2015-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @GaN has found a strong foothold in various applications of power electronics such as security systems, cruise control, inverters, auxiliary power, battery management and voltage converters, due to the rapid development in material processing technologies. Gallium nitride promises to revolutionize the electronics industry and serve as an attractive replacement for silicon devices for applications in the field of electro-mobility and photovoltaic. Developments in improving the breakdown voltage of GaN based devices are indicating the future for the next generation hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). However, the production cost of pure Gallium nitride is significantly higher compared to silicon carbide, which has been a dominant semiconductor material for high voltage power electronics for a decade. This could be one of the major challenges in the commercialization of pure GaN based devices.The competitive profiling of the key players in the market and their market share across the five geographic segments namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America have been covered under the scope of the report. Moreover, the different business strategies that have been adopted by the leading players have been covered in this report. The market attractiveness analysis and supply chain analysis have been included in the report in order to provide an insight into the market dynamics.An exhaustive analysis of the market dynamics namely, the market drivers, restraints and opportunities has been also included under the purview of the report. Market dynamics are the factors that impact the growth of the market and thus help to understand the current trends in the market. Thus, the report provides a detailed analysis of the global GaN industrial devices market and also offers the forecast from 2015 to 2021.Browse Detail Report With TOC @The global GaN industrial devices market has been segmented into:GaN HEMT market, by ApplicationWiMAX/LTE marketWireless phone infrastructure: Base stations (BTS) marketCATV marketV-SAT marketSatellite marketDefense marketOthersGaN industrial devices market, by Types:Power devicesSchottky diodeMetal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFETs)High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs)Others (rectifiers, other advanced transistor types)Opto electronicsLight-emitting diodesLaser diodesGaN industrial devices market, by ApplicationRadio frequency (RF)Light-emitting diodes (LED)Power deviceGaN industrial devices market, by geography: The market is broadly segmented on the basis of geography into:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaOthers)EuropeGermanyUnited KingdomItalyFranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificAPEJChinaIndiaChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report description1.2 Research scope1.3 Research methodologyChapter 2 Executive SummaryCHAPTER 3 Global GaN Industrial Devices Market Overview3.1 Introduction3.2 Market Evolution3.3 Market drivers3.3.1 Supply side drivers3.3.1.1 Introduction of advanced technology and large scale production3.3.2 Demand side drivers3.3.2.1 Increasing application areas for GaN based devices3.3.2.2 Growing demand for enhanced battlefield performance from defense sector3.3.3 Economic drivers3.3.3.1 Growing economy in developing countries3.3.4 Impact analysis of drivers3.3.5 Restraints3.3.5.1 High cost of pure Gallium Nitride3.3.6 Opportunities3.3.6.1 Powering the next-generation Electric Vehicles (EV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV)3.4 Market Attractiveness Analysis for Global GaN Industrial Devices MarketRecommendationsChapter 4 Global GaN RF Market Analysis: High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT)4.1 Introduction4.2 GaN versus Silicon FET4.3 Microwave frequency bands comparison (Si, SiGe, GaAs and others)4.4 High-power industry transistors comparison (GaN, Si and Sic)4.5 Existing product portfolio for power industry GaN devices4.6 Cost analysis HEMT process GaN/SiC4.7 Global HEMT market revenue, 2014  2021 (USD million)4.7.1 Revenue forecast, 2014  2021 (USD Mn)4.7.1.1 4 inch revenue forecast, 2014  2021 (USD Mn)4.7.1.2 Others4.7.1.3 Others revenue forecast, 2014  2021 (USD Mn)4.8 Epitaxy techniques4.8.1 Growth potential4.9 Semi-insulating GaN substrates4.9.1 ManufacturersChapter 5 Global GaN HEMT Market Revenue: By Application, 2014  2021 (USD Mn)5.1 Overview5.1.1 Global GaN HEMT Market Revenue, By Application, 2014  2021 (USD million)5.2 WiMAX/LTE market5.2.1 WiMAX/LTE market revenue and forecast, 2014  2021 (USD million)5.3 Wireless phone infrastructure: Base stations (BTS) market5.3.1 Wireless phone infrastructure: base stations (BTS) market revenue and forecast, 2014  2021 (USD million)5.4 CATV marketResearchMoz 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.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Market : Segmentation, Industry trends and Development to 2025

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Global Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Market: SnapshotThe global market for physician office laboratory (POL) has been expanding substantially over the last few years. Supported by the technological advancements, the market is likely to remain proliferating over the next few years. POL testing has its base in developed regions as emerging economies still rely on hospital infrastructure for the diagnosis of acute and chronic medical conditions. Developing regions, however, has been demonstrating a significant potential for decentralized testing, thanks to the rising support from nongovernmental organizations and the increasing number of public health programs, intended towards spreading awareness for high-burden diseases such as hepatitis, acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS), diabetes, and tuberculosis (TB).As of now, the substandard care present at primary care facilities and community health organizations in most of the emerging countries lead a number of patients to hospitals. However, the rise in the disposable income of people in these nations have encouraged leading healthcare providers to invest heavily in western style physician practices, leading to the installation of a large pool of physician office laboratories and clinics, especially in India and China.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Since POL testing is not prevalent globally, as its counterparts (hospital laboratories, commercial or private reference labs, and hospital POCT), its future growth is seemingly uneven. Also active restriction on specified services from physicians or healthcare professionals over the primary care visits in some countries may also reflect negatively on the growth of this market in the near future.Global Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Market: OverviewClinical and hospital laboratories presently account for a massive chunk of the total number of diagnostic, monitoring or screening tests undertaken across the globe. However, a constantly rising number of physicians and physician groups are preferring to undertake part or entire volumes of lab testing in-house as an excellent way of improving patient care and boosting their operative incomes. Such in-house lab practices are called physician office laboratory (POL). The term is diverse and covers physicians practices as small as 2 to 5 physicians to large practitioners with 200 or more physicians that operate labs similar to laboratories in small hospitals.Request TOC of the Report @In-house testing practices facilitate physicians to become self-reliant and obtain results in a much faster manner than possible in outsourced lab tests. POLs also reduce the chances of loss or deterioration of test samples, enhancing the confidence regarding the accuracy of results. Broadly, POL refers to tests performed in: physicians office, conducted at the same time of consultation or with other healthcare professional, wherein results are mostly provided during the medical visit itself, and are used for monitoring, screening or diagnosis purposes.This report on the global physician office laboratory market presents a thorough overview of the present growth dynamics of the market and its key segments. Several insightful projections regarding the growth trajectory of the market over the period between 2017 and 2025 are also included in the report. The report also includes a detailed analysis of factors such as growth drivers, restraints, regulatory scenario, competitive landscape, and trends and opportunities, expected to have a notable influence on the growth prospects of the market over the said period.Global Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global POL market is chiefly driven by the vast advancements observed in the field of testing technologies and supporting instrument and equipment in the past few years. The emergence and easy availability of easy to use microelectronic and microfluidic instruments that offer excellent accuracy and control is making POL feasible for smaller offices and is also enabling some physicians to perform tests for other doctors.Get Discount @The demand for such in-house laboratories is also significantly rising globally owing to the rising prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases and associated public health issues. However, the cost of meeting compliance requirements for local, state, and federal regulations, especially in developed economies, may hamper the markets growth to some extent.Global Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsOn the basis of geography, the global physician office laboratory market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Of these, North America and Europe are presently the leading contributors to the revenue of the global physician office laboratory market. In the North America, the number of POLs increased at a phenomenal rate from nearly 95,000 in 2000 to 111,000 in 2010. The number of POLs has also significantly in Europe over the said period. Across both the regions, the constantly rising number of POL tests approved by the respective healthcare authorities will help drive the POL market in the next few years as well.However, the POL market is expected to witness the most lucrative growth market across emerging economies in Asia Pacific in the next few years. Several factors, including the vast rise in prevalence of infectious diseases, the rising population of elderly, and a significant rise in focus on quality health care are expected to fuel the growth of the Asia Pacific POL market in the next few years.Some of the most influential companies in the global physician office laboratory market are Accriva Diagnostics, Akers Biosciences, Axis-Shield, Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Boule Diagnostics, Alfa Wassermann Diagnostic Technologies, Diazyme Laboratories, Polymer Technology Systems (CHEK Diagnostics), Carolina Liquid Chemistries Corp., 3D Medical Diagnostics, Magellan Diagnostics, Biomerica, Inc., Accumetrics, Vital Diagnostics, and Nanosphere, 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:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Automotive Fuel Level Sensor Global Market Key Players  Bosch, Delphi, Continental, Omnicomm - Analysis and Forecast to 2021

Automotive Fuel Level Sensor Market 2017

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Automotive Fuel Level Sensor Market 2017Fuel level sensors are used to detect the level of fuel in fuel tanks. Various types of fuel level sensors are available in the market. Based on their material used, sensors can be classified as capacitive, resistive, and ultrasonic sensors. With the growing concern of fuel theft and to monitor fuel consumption patterns, smart sensors are being used. Capacitive sensors are mostly used because of the absence of moving parts and their long lifecycle.The analysts forecast the global automotive fuel level sensor market to grow at a CAGR of 1.66% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global automotive fuel level sensor market for 2017-2021. The report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEARequest a Sample Report @The report, Global Automotive Fuel Level Sensor 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 vendors Bosch Delphi Continental Omnicomm MSIL Sensata TechnologiesOther prominent vendors elobau OMEGA FPI Sensors Gill Sensors & Engine Controls PricolMarket driver Increasing demand for telematics to monitor fuel For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Compromise in raw material quality leads to sensor breakdown For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Growing acceptance of the sensor technology For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space?Any Query, Submit Here @Table of Contents Analysis of Key PointsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: Introduction Market outline Value chain analysisPART 05: Market landscape Market overview Market size and forecast Five forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by type of sensors Market overview Global automotive resistive fuel level sensor market Global automotive capacitive fuel level sensor market Global automotive fuel level sensor market for other sensorsPART 07: Market segmentation by geography Market overview Automotive fuel level sensor market in APAC Automotive fuel level sensor market in EMEA Automotive fuel level sensor market in AmericasPART 08: Decision frameworkPART 09: Drivers and challenges Market drivers Market challengesPART 10: Market trends Growing acceptance of the sensor technology Growing integration of sensors with smartphones Sensors resistant to organic solventsPART 11: Vendor landscape Competitive landscape Other prominent vendorsPART 12: Key vendor analysis Bosch Delphi Continental Omnicomm MSIL Sensata Technologies....ContinuedABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Address:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Artificial Lift Systems Market : In-Depth Market Research Report 2017 - 2025

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Global Artificial Lift Systems Market: SnapshotIt has been observed that at some point in their workable life, almost all oil wells need artificial lift systems. Of the nearly 2 mn operational oil wells across the globe, more than 90% which require some variety of artificial lift system to transport hydrocarbon to the surface at economical prices. As production capacities of most mature oil wells decline over the years, many forms of artificial lift systems can be implemented in unison to maximize recovery.However, owing to common challenges related to the process of retrofitting, including deployment of a workover rig, deferring production, and incurring nonproductive times, the profit of a slightly economic well can decline, compelling operators to devalue the asset or even abandon it. The dynamic field of artificial lift systems witnesses the introduction of innovative solutions to reduce the numbers of such shutdowns. Schlumberger's new artificial lift production lifecycle management service is an instance of such attempts to finding ways of optimizing artificial lift systems.This lifecycle management service gathers, transmits, analyzes, and monitors data from consumer well and helps in improving the production efficiency, reduce operating costs, and extend equipment longevity of artificial lift systems on a real time basis. The new artificial lift system lifecycle management service includes four tiers to execute various requirements of consumers in terms of well visualization, real-time diagnostics and surveillance, field optimization, and well optimization.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Global Artificial Lift Systems Market: OverviewArtificial lift is used to provide sufficient pressure to push crude to the surface in a low reservoir pressure well. The artificial lifting of crude oil comprises two methods, the first method involves usage of a gas lift to induce the upward movement of produced fluids and the other method involves the utilization of downhole pumps that function with electricity.Conventional methods of crude oil recovery need to be revived to parallel production to meet the current levels of demand. Most of the crude oil production across the world is derived from mature fields, of which, most display reservoir pressure insufficiency, which is a major production parameter. This exhibits the need for artificial lift systems.Currently, the oil and gas industry is focused on lowering the operation cost and optimizing well performance. Moreover, the focus is on monitoring, communicating, and analyzing well performance and production data in a timely manner. Huge investments by oil exploration and production companies for the development of small and matured oil fields and the development of unconventional hydrocarbon reserves in countries such as Russia, Venezuela, U.S., Canada, and China is presenting growth opportunities for the growth of the artificial lift systems.Request TOC of the Report @Global Artificial Lift Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing production of unconventional hydrocarbons such as shale and rising production of oil and gas from mature oilfields are some of the major factors driving the global artificial lift systems market. Moreover, escalating energy demand along with rising initiatives for deep and ultra-deep offshore oil production is furthering the growth of the artificial lift systems market. However, factors such as complexities in oil and gas production from mature fields and environmental considerations are challenging the markets growth. Nevertheless, the rehabilitation and redevelopment of fields are expected to present growth opportunities to this market. Moreover, subsea operations are exhibiting an increased utilization of artificial lift systems and are expected to continue in the long run.Global Artificial Lift Systems Market: Market SegmentationThe artificial lift systems market is segmented on the basis of geography and actuation mode. By actuation mode, the market for artificial lift systems is segmented into gas assisted and pump assisted artificial lift system. The sub-segments of pump assisted artificial lift system are Electric Submersible Pump (ESP), Gas Lift, Rod lift, and Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP). Further, the sub-segments of gas assisted artificial lift systems are Gas Lift and Plunger Lift. Each category of lift is suitable for specific reservoir conditions that they are used for.Get Discount @Global Artificial Lift Systems Market: Regional OutlookNorth America dominates the global artificial lift systems market. Increasing exploration of unconventional hydrocarbons such as shale holds promise for the markets growth. Europe holds a substantial share in the global market. This is mainly due to the re-development of mature oil fields in Russia that depend on artificial lift systems.Major Companies Mentioned in ReportSome of the leading companies operating in the global artificial lift systems market are Sclumberger Ltd, GE Energy, National Oil Varco Inc., Lufkin Industries Inc., Tenaris S.A., Weatherford International Ltd, Baker Hughes Incorporated, JSC Alnas, Kudu Industries Inc., and J&J Technical Services 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:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Market value projected to expand by 2026

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global variable frequency drive market in its latest report titled Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016 - 2026. According to FMIs report, the variable frequency drive (VFD) market is expected to increase at 7.2% CAGR in terms of value during 2016-2026; volume-wise, FMI estimates the VFD market to expand at 8.5% CAGR.Growth of the global variable frequency drive market is mainly driven upsurge in energy prices, introduction of variable frequency drives that can be retrofitted on existing motors, widening application areas, and tightening of energy-efficiency norms. VFD manufacturers are focusing on diversifying their variable frequency drive portfolio in order to enhance their presence in the market.FMIs report has segmented the variable frequency drive market on the basis of drive type, voltage range, application type, end-use application, and end-use industry.Request Sample Report@On the basis of drive type, the market has been segmented into AC, DC and Servo variable frequency drive segments. The AC variable frequency drive segment accounted for over 70% value share of the global variable frequency drive market in 2014. However, by the end of 2026, this segment is expected to witness a decline of 110 BPS in its market share.On the basis of voltage range, the VFD market is segmented into medium and low. Low voltage range VFDs account for higher market share, and this segment is expected to increase at 7% CAGR in terms of revenue.Variable frequency drive market segmentation by application type includes standard and regenerative segments. In terms of value as well as volume, the regenerative application type segment is anticipated to expand at a higher CAGR during 2016-2026.By end-use application, the global variable frequency drive market is segmented into pump, HVAC, fans, compressor, conveyor and other. Among these, the pump segment dominated the overall market in terms of value with over 30% share in 2014; however, this segment will witness a decrease of 90 BPS in its market share by the end of 2026.Request for Table of Contents@By end-use industry, the market is segmented into oil & gas, food processing, automotive, metals & mining, pulp & paper and other end-use industries. Of these segments, the oil & gas end-use industry segment dominated the market in terms of both value and volume contribution in 2014.Region-wise, the Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) market dominated the global VFD market in 2014, accounting for over 30% share in terms of both value and volume. APEJ is expected to remain the most lucrative market for variable frequency drives during the forecast period as well. Expansion of industrial base and manufacturing capacities is fuelling the growth of APEJ market.Key Players in Variable Frequency Drive MarketSome of the key players identified in the global variable frequency drive market are Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Siemens AG, ABB Ltd., American Electric Technologies Inc., General Electric Company, Hitachi Limited, Honeywell International Inc., Rockwell Automation Inc., Johnson Controls Inc., Emerson Industrial Automation, Toshiba International Corporation and Schneider Electric SE. Major players in the market follow the strategy of introducing innovative and cost-effective variable frequency drives to buy out competition.Buy Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Market Research Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite :
Wireless Fire Detection Systems Market to Record an Exponential CAGR by 2025

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Wireless fire detection systems are an effective alternative to traditional wired fire detection systems. Wireless fire detection system is a device that detects fire, smoke, carbon monoxide and simultaneously warns people around its vicinity through audio or visual output which are integrated with systems. Wireless fire detection Systems acts as a combination of wireless and wired technologies that are integrated with radio loop components. The combination of wireless and wired systems ensures more reliable networks that meet the demand of retrofitting environment, industries and multi occupancy buildings. Wireless fire detection systems utilize secured, license-free radio communications for interconnection of sensors and devices (call-points, smoke detectors etc.) with the integral controllers of the systems. The choice of fire detection systems depends upon the current legislation, building structure (altered or new building), use and purpose of the building. Wireless fire detection systems consist of monitoring module, detector heads (optical smoke detector, heat detector, carbon mono-oxide detector, multi sensor detectors), alarm sounder and wireless manual call point etc. There are many types of wireless fire detection systems such as wireless photoelectric smoke detector, Wireless Ac powered smoke alarm and others.Request For Report Sample:Wireless Fire Detection Systems Market DynamicsWireless Fire detection systems are important when it comes to alerting the individuals about the onset of fire and thereby protection of property, life and therefore are a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in almost every non-domestic buildings where people visit or work, such as hotels, shops, public venues, offices and in every new & altered buildings under the 2010 Building Regulations. This is the key factor that is expected to fuel the growth of wireless fire detection systems market. Wireless fire detection systems are simple concept that offers many unique benefits such as cost effectiveness and easy to install, which in turn, rise in demand for this technology in the retrofitting environment and anticipated to accelerate the growth of wireless fire detection systems market. Easy installation process reduces the overall response time and labour cost of the systems, which is another important factor for growth of the wireless fire detection systems market during the forecast period. However, high cost of in terms of maintenance and lack of awareness among the people of developing countries are the main factors which can hamper the growth of wireless fire detection systems market. Moreover, low reliability perception among the people to install a wireless fire detection system at home, is expected to act as restraint for the wireless fire detection systems market in the forecast period.Wireless fire detection systems market is estimated to register an affirmative positive growth in the upcoming period ranging from 2017 to 2027. The European market is expected to dominate the global wireless fire detection systems market due to high demand estimated form the end users along with strict legislations. Other regions such as Asian Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa are also expected to grow with moderate rate. Moreover, the North America and Western Europe are projected to register a high growth rate owing to strict government rules and regulations.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Wireless Fire Detection Systems Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the major players in the Global Wireless Fire Detection Systems market, identified across the value chain include:Zeta Alarm SystemsSterling Safety SystemsSiemens AGHoneywell International Inc.Eurofyre Ltd.EMS Wireless Fire & Security Ltd.Electro Detectors Ltd.Detectomat GmbHDEF Nederland B.V.Ceasefire Industries Pvt. Ltd.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:
Physical Therapy Software Market Sees Promising Growth in 2018

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Physical Therapy Software to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Physical Therapy Software market has been compiled by research analysts of the industry, with a primary aim to offer relevant information on the current market conditions for the global. Its objective is to talk about the growth prospects of the market and reach out to a wider range of audience such as government agencies, manufacturers of Physical Therapy Software, and multiple consultancy services. The research report offers comprehensive analysis of the vital driving factors that will have a huge impact on the global Physical Therapy Software market. It also studies the impeding or restraining aspects, upcoming and latest trends in the market which the prominent players in the market should make a note of to enhance their market presence. The potential of other factors of the market can be assessed by studying its multiple segments such as products, end users, types, application, services, and others, whichever are applicable. The report also studies the future conditions of the global Physical Therapy Software market in all the important regions across the world, such as Latin America, Middle East and Africa (MEA), North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.Get free sample copy of the report with TOC at:The report of the global Physical Therapy Software market gives out the projection of the market size in terms of its revenue (USD billion). Top-down as well as Bottom-up approaches are applied in the study report to give an estimate and confirm the size of the market and of its other different sub-segments. The research report also extensively discusses the opportunities that may arise in the global market for Physical Therapy Software by type and application in the manufacturing countries, and provides a prediction for the period of 2017-2022.Some of the prominent companies in the global Physical Therapy Software market have been mentioned to attract the market shareholders. These companies are profiled respectively so as to give out their product portfolio, recent strategic decisions, and overall market share. The chapter also tries to grasp the possibility of the entry of upcoming players in the market. The leading companies of the global market have been spotted with the help of secondary research methodologies and their dominance in respective areas have been evaluated with the help of detailed primary as well as secondary research.This report studies the global Physical Therapy Software market, analyzes and researches the Physical Therapy Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMPN Software SystemsPT Practice ProTherapySyncOptima Healthcare SolutionsMeditab SoftwareYocaleSystems4PTNet HealthPhydeoGoMotiveMy Rehab ProOptimisCorpRead Complete Table of Content of the Report at:Table of ContentsGlobal Physical Therapy Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Physical Therapy Software1.1 Physical Therapy Software Market Overview1.1.1 Physical Therapy Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Physical Therapy Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Physical Therapy Software Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 PC Terminal1.3.2 Mobile Terminal2 Global Physical Therapy Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Physical Therapy Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 MPN Software Systems3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Physical Therapy Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 PT Practice Pro3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Physical Therapy Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 TherapySync3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Physical Therapy Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Optima Healthcare Solutions3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Physical Therapy Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Meditab Software3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Physical Therapy Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Yocale...About QYReseachReports.comQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market : Trends, Growth and Forecasts to 2025

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Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market: SnapshotDigital storage oscilloscopes are able to capture and keep a log of electronic events, which has occurred in the absence of anyone or in times when observation is not possible. Thus, they are highly useful devices. Digital storage oscilloscopes are especially used for electronic devices. Since the recent times have seen a massive growth in the electronics industry, the demand for digital storage oscilloscopes is also expected to increase, driving the market towards growth in the period from 2017 to 2025. The report captures the various trends that recently sprung up, which are helping the market for these oscilloscopes to grow. It takes into account the various macroeconomic factors such as the rise in the economy of nations, increase in disposable incomes, technological advancements, and rapid urbanization.While the analog oscilloscopes were unable to store wave forms for later study or even for comparison purpose, digital storage oscilloscopes enable the wave forms to be saves by making use of memory chips. Technicians are able to probe each component within an electronic device to detect malfunctioning of any part. Moreover, digital storage oscilloscopes also allow technicians to measure and detect even the slightest variation in operation of components, thereby alerting the technician to the need for fine tuning or replacement of the component. This prevents the device from working erroneously altogether and also saves cost. Thus, greater risks can be avoided by making use of digital storage oscilloscopes. Players are investing extensively towards improving the accuracy of these devices. This is anticipated to drive the growth of the market further.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Global Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market: OverviewThe global market for digital storage oscilloscopes is deriving much of its growth from the rising intelligence of electronic devices. Digital storage oscilloscopes are extensively utilized in various electronic devices, such as broadcasting equipment used in radios and televisions, to measure signals for capturing and logging electronic events, which are otherwise impossible to determine.As of now, manufacturers of digital storage oscilloscopes are actively concentrating on extensive research to extend the bandwidth of oscilloscopes to enable then to measure signals with high frequency. Analysts expect this factor to support the worldwide digital storage oscilloscopes market in the long run.This research study offers an in-depth assessment of the global market for digital storage oscilloscopes on the basis of its current and historical performance. The key trends, driving forces, opportunities, challenges, and the future prospects of this market have also been studied thoroughly while leading this research. The prime objective of this report is to assist the market players in gaining a clear insight into this market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market: Growth Drivers and RestraintsThe intense competition among the leading vendors to provide additional efficient features, such as user interfaces and integration skills, is creating a ground for innovations, which is likely to boost the global market for digital storage oscilloscopes in the forthcoming years. These players are keeping up with the technological advancements and are constantly investing in research in order to develop and introduce new products. Apart from this, they are also offering additional services, such as installation, warranty, and technical support, to customers, differentiating themselves from their competitors.The market is also anticipated to be heavily influenced by the increased modular instrumentation of oscilloscopes in the coming years since modularization enables advanced inbuilt features in oscilloscopes, such as advanced timing and synchronizations and powerful software automation. However, the limited screen display capacity of hand-held digital storage oscilloscopes, which constrain their applications, will affect the growth of this market in the near future.In addition to this, the economic volatility, such as recession, which restrict the production of oscilloscopes with innovative features, owing to the lack of capital, will also affect this market over a longer period of time.Get Discount @Global Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market: End-use AnalysisDigital storage oscilloscopes find a widespread application in the electronics, medicines, and the telecommunications sectors. The accuracy in measurements provided by digital storage oscilloscopes compared to their traditional counterparts has increased their usage in the electronics sector. The demand for these oscilloscopes has also been increased in the medicines industry, thanks to the augmented usage of electrocardiograms, fueled by the rising prevalence of cardiovascular disorders across the world.In the telecommunication industry, digital storage oscilloscopes are likely to gain impetus from growing need for advanced triggers that are utilized to debug a communication problem efficiently at a quicker pace.Global Digital Storage Oscilloscope Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportTektronix Inc, Teledyne LeCroy, Agilent Technologies, and Rohde & Schwarz GmbH are some of the key players functioning in the global market for digital storage oscilloscopes.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:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Electronic Transformers Market Progresses for Huge Profits During 2017 - 2025

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Electronic transformers are used in low-voltage appliances such as SMPS, computer peripheral devices, medical electronics devices, etc. Whereas, power transformer is an electrical device having both primary and secondary windings, which is used to convert high voltage to low voltage and vice versa works through electro-magnetic induction principle. In power transformers, input voltage is stepped into up & down and used as per the desired requirement. Transformers works on the principle of Faradays laws of electromagnetic induction.Furthermore, electronic transformers are designed especially for low-voltage applications. Electronic transformer are used in RF (Radio Frequency) devices, computers and low-voltage lighting devices. Electronic transformers are used in circuit boards to insulate the complete circuit, electronics transformers are used in impedance correction and provide alternating but with low impedance. In low-voltage appliances, frequency should be maintained properly as change in frequency may result in output voltage, which can be adjusted with the help of RF transformer. To provide effective bias voltage for proper operation in low-voltage applications, electronic transformers are used. Moreover, low-voltage applications are small circuits and as compared to the power transformers electronic transformers are smaller in size or compact-size transformers and also less weight. Growing necessity of low-voltage applications globally, drives the growth of the electronic transformers market.Request For Report Sample:Global Electronic Transformers Market: SegmentationThe global electronic transformers market is segmented as follows:By transformer type, the global electronic transformers market is segmented into:FBT( Fly back transformers)LOPT( Line output transformers)RF (Radio frequency )PFN(Pulse forming network)Signal transformersOthers(telecommunication transformers)By applications, the global electronic transformers market is segmented into:Step down/Step upLightingImpedance matchingFrequencyOthersBy industry, the global electronic transformers market is segmented into:TelecommunicationRadio frequencyGlobal Electronic Transformers Market: DriversThe growing electronics and telecommunication industry, rise in technology, growing necessity of low-voltage applications usage are the key factors that drive the electronic transformers market. Electronic transformers are highly used in electronics devices and semiconductor devices for impedance correction, signal correction, noise correction and frequency correction, which drive the growth of the global electronic transformers market. The evolving electronic industry utilizes electronic transformer as a means of protecting devices in the circuit. Implementation of new updated technologies, where electronic components are replaced with updated transformers, sensors due to aging, and for better and efficient transformers in low-voltage electronic devices. Repair and replacement of electronic transformers is also expected to offer growth opportunities in the forecast period.Global Electronic Transformers: TrendsThe intensifying demand for electronic transformers are growing day-by-day. There are many electronic transformers in which each has specific application and task. Line output transformers and fly back transformers are designed to step up the output voltage with relatively low input voltage. To maximize the power transfer efficiency, the PFN pulse transformers are used. In order to get the DC voltage, current rectifier transformers are used. RF transformers are used to sample the frequency. To the get the discrete output, switch mode transformers are used. Each specific transformer has completely specific function.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global Electronic Transformers: Regional OutlookThe regional coverage of electronic transformers market includes North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and MEA. The electronic transformers market witnesses a promising demand and production in Europe and North America. North America and Europe hold the dominant market share in electronic transformers market. The growing technology, research and development in semiconductor devices in Europe penetrates the market. The evolution of the electronics industry in North America along with large exports and imports after the rescission 2008 in North America are the key factors driving the market. High usage of electronic transformers in semiconductor devices for better quality, efficiency and reliable electronic products in end use applications are the growth factors of the market in North America. APAC holds the significant market share, China is manufacturing cheap and cost-effective transformers for low-voltage applications, and they are exported all over the world. In India and China, the electronics industry is growing comparatively high, remarkable growth in electronics industry in last decade and demand from manufacturing industries pertaining to electronics industry, which is going to boost the growth of the market in APAC. Implementation of government regulations over the electronics sector is restraining the market in this region, low-voltage appliance such as semiconductor devices and other applications in the electronics industry are going to boost the market in APAC. Latin America & MEA hold a significant market share.Global Electronic Transformers Market: ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants identified across the value chain include TT Electronics plc, Houston Transformer Company, Ltd., Pulse Electronics, EPCOS AG, TOKO, INC., Bharat Electronics Limited, Mouser Electronics, Inc., Halo Electronics, Hammond, Macom, Wurth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KGAbout 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:
Comprehensive analysis of Ready Meals Market Research Report 2017

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In this report, the global Ready Meals market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Ready Meals in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest For Free Sample Of The Report @Global Ready Meals market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingNestleConAgraUnileverKraft HeinzCampbell SoupHormel FoodsThe Schwan FoodJBSSigma AlimentosIglo Group(Nomad Foods)Sisters Food GroupTyson FoodsFleury MichonGrupo HerdezGreencore GroupMaple Leaf FoodsMcCainAdvanced Fresh ConceptsOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFrozen & Chilled Ready MealsCanned Ready MealsDried Ready MealsOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Ready Meals for each application, includingHypermarkets and SupermarketsIndependent RetailersConvenience StoresOthersObtain Report Details @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About UsAlltake Market Research is division of the Alltake LLC. that offers premium quality market intelligence, market research, industry analysis reports & forecast data for different domains across the business industry.Alltake Market Research understands the importance of market analysis for any strategy that is implemented in any organization or association. In order to provide the best solution, Alltake Market Research have associated with major organizations within market research and consultancy firm. This portfolio offers market analysis report at one place for different business verticals. Alltake Market Research ensures to offer you with the most reliable and quality market research available.Contact UsAlltake Market Research16192, Coastal Highway Lewes,DE 19958, United StatesUS - 188 8587 9717UK - 4480 0680 0195Email sales@alltakemarketresearch.com
Europe Sintering Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2024

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Prominent enterprises with global presence such as Sumitomo Corporation, GKN plc., Hoganas A.B., and AMES are domiciled in Europe. This has rendered the Europe sintering market highly competitive. These players together held 20% of the market in 2015, which is indicative of its fragmented vendor landscape. A majority of the leading players in the Europe sintering market have established brand identities. This is a key factor determining their success amidst end users, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study.As competition is forecast to get fiercer with time, leading players are focusing on consolidation through strategies collaborations. Besides this, several companies are boosting their plant capacities as they strive for increased profitability. A majority of the key players are supported by a network of well-established suppliers and distribution network. This has an inevitable positive impact on their sales outlook. Despite such strong presence of established players, the market exhibits lucrative prospects for the entry of new players. Factors such as easy access to raw materials and rising applications of sintering have eased entry of new players. In the near future, the competition prevailing in the sintering market in thus expected to get fiercer.View Report Details:TMR has projected the Europe sintering market to reach US$11.09 bn by the end of 2024. At the start of 2015, the market was valued at US$8.35 bn. If these figures hold true, the Europe sintering market will exhibit a CAGR of 3.2% between 2016 and 2024. By material, the pure iron segment has reported dominance in the market. In 2015, the segment held over 35.7% in the Europe sintering market. Through the course of the forecast period, the segment is expected to retain its dominance. Among countries, Germany held the leading market share of 24.4% in 2015.Application across Diverse Industries to Aid GrowthThe sintering market in Europe is primarily gaining from the increasing demand for sinter-based structural auto parts. These auto parts are more durable, light-weight, and affordable compared to their conventional counterparts. Besides this, the usage of sinter-based components has significantly increased in engines, shafts, chassis, bearings, and different types of valves. Considering the increasing applications, the demand for sinter-based products is steadily spurring in Europe.Request to view Sample Report:Moreover, sintering helps in the manufacturing of superior quality components with peculiar shapes. While at initial phase, the automotive industry accounted for the most demand witnessed in the market, of late industries such as aerospace, construction, and mechanical engineering have realized their use. In the next few years, the market players can therefore expect moderately rising opportunities especially on account of the rising application of sinter-based components across diverse industries.Time Consuming Manufacturing Process Could Hamper GrowthSintering is a time-consuming process, which is a key restraint to its increased uptake. In addition, inadequate availability of systemic techniques to validate the inner-strength of sintered components, make optimizing manufacturing process highly tedious. This could have a negative impact on the overall market. Enactment of stringent regulations to curb harmful emissions has created bottlenecks, thus leading the market towards unwieldy growth trajectory.Buy Sintering Market Research Report:Nevertheless, with industrial and technological developments in sintering process, industry experts have positive outlook for the Europe sintering market.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Bentonite Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2024

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With a few dominant players, the global market for bentonite demonstrates a slightly consolidated competitive landscape, states a new research study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The top four players in this market, namely, Minerals Technologies Inc., Imerys SA, Clariant AG, and Ashapura Group, held more than 75% of the overall market in 2015.Currently, the key players are aggressively focusing on the expansion of their capacity due to the soaring demand for bentonite across the world. As the demand is higher than supply, the market witnesses a high degree of competition within it. Over the coming years, these companies are likely to make strategic acquisitions in order to raise their share in the regional as well as the global market, reports the research study.View report Preview:As per TMRs estimations, the opportunity in the global bentonite market is likely to increase at a CAGR of 3.0% over the period from 2016 to 2024, rising from US$1.42 bn in 2015to a value of US$1.85 bn by the end of the forecast period. Sodium bentonite has been the most valued product in this market. Researchers anticipate it to remain so over the next few years on the account of the rising preference for green sand casting process in the foundry.Demand for Bentonite to Remain Strong from Foundry SandsAccording to the research report, bentonite is mainly utilized in drilling mud, iron ore pelletizing, construction, foundry sands, pet products, cosmetic, paper, and pharmaceutical products across the world. Foundry sands have been registering a higher demand for bentonite compered to other application segments. Thanks to the constant rise in the automotive and the machinery industries, the segments is likely to remain the key application area of bentonite throughout the forthcoming years.Request to view Sample Report:A geographical analysis of the global bentonite market has also been presented in this market study. As per the report, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, and Europe are the key regions where the market for bentonite has a presence. Among these, Asia Pacific has emerged as the leading contributor to this market and is expected to remain so over the forecast period. In 2015, it held a share of 30% in the global market, marking its dominance.With the soaring demand for bentonite in the construction industry, the Asia Pacific market for bentonite is anticipated to continue growing at a significant pace over the next few years. Apart from this, the developments in the metal industry is also projected to reflect positively on the Asia Pacific market for bentonite in the near future. China, being the most prominent consumer of bentonite across the world, is poised to surface as the leading domestic market for bentonite in Asia Pacific, states the research report.Request Brochure of the Report:Expansion in Construction Industry to Boost Markets GrowthThe expansion in the construction industry has influenced the global bentonite market remarkably, says the author of this study. With the rising demand for smart infrastructure and the increasing infrastructure expenditure in emerging economies, the construction industry across the world has been registering a significant rise. Bentonite, being one of the key raw materials used in construction, has gained significant impetus in its demand due to this since the last few yearsThe scenario is anticipated to remain so over the forecast period, impacting the worldwide bentonite market greatly. The continued demand for iron casting from the automotive and the heavy equipment manufacturing industries and the rise in the cosmetics and personal care industry are also projected to boost this market substantially over the next few years. However, the decline in the demand for IOP grade bentonite in China and the Sluggish growth of the oil and gas industry may hamper the markets progress in the years to come, states the report.Buy Bentonite Market Research Report:About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Aroma Chemicals Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2024

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The top four players in the global aroma chemicals market held nearly 54% share in 2015, rendering its vendor landscape consolidated. Givaudan, Symrise, IFF, and Firmenich SA constitute the leading market players. Constant effort of these companies towards technological innovations, has resulted in low processing cost and high quality products, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. Besides this, investment in research and development is escalating, creating lucrative opportunities for the markets growth.The global aroma chemicals market is forecast to exhibit a CAGR of 6.2% between 2016 and 2024. At this pace, the markets valuation will reach US$6.57 bn by 2024, from US$3.85 bn in 2015.View Report Preview:Europe to Remain Dominant Regional Market for Aroma ChemicalsAmong the key application segments, which include personal care, household care, and others, the personal care segment held the dominant share of 47.2% in the market in 2015. While its dominance will remain unaffected through the forecast period, the market is also expected to tread along a positive curve in the household care segment.Regionally, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa constitute the key market segments. Europe emerged as the region holding the largest share of 33.3% in the global market in 2015. Besides this, Asia Pacific is demonstrating lucrative opportunities for the market players. During the forecast period, the CAGR witnessed by the market in Asia Pacific is expected to remain higher than other regions.Request to view Sample Report:Rising Uses across Diverse Industries to Bolster Market OpportunitiesWhile previously, the use of aroma chemicals was limited to the personal and household care sector, its expansion to the food and beverages and medical industries has spiked market opportunities. With the rising urbanization and growth in per capita income and spending, the demand for aroma chemicals is expected to rise especially in emerging nations such as India, China, Brazil, and Africa. Rising income entails increasing willingness among consumers to spend on personal care products, which will create lucrative prospects for the aroma chemicals market, said a lead TMR analyst.Also the demand for natural fragrances is at all-time high as they are considered greener, safer, and more sustainable. While not all perceptions may be accurate, but they boost the demand for natural aroma chemicals derived from ingredients harvested from sustainably grown plants. This also connotes that the changing consumer lifestyle will have a positive influence on the overall market.Request Brochure of the Report:Stringent Regulations to Emerge as Key ChallengeOn the downside, stringent regulation coercing companies to follow certain compliance policies is inhibiting the markets trajectory. For instance, wastewater discharge during the production of various synthetic aroma chemicals consists of several biological oxygen compound. As regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Clean Air Act (CAA) impose various restrictions on the emission of VOC under federal laws, the production of aroma chemicals might get curtailed to an extent.Nevertheless, increasing market penetration and investment towards product development, will help the aroma chemicals market overcome the aforementioned difficulties and register strong growth in the forthcoming years. Also with companies focusing on product diversification, consumers will have wider options to choose from. Spurred by these factors, the global aroma chemicals market will continue treading along a positive trajectory through the forecast period.Buy Aroma Chemicals Market Research Report:About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
On the same day that outraged critics were called for Sen. Al Franken to resign, Alabama's Republican Party offered its unqualified support to Senate candidate Roy Moore.

What's wrong with this picture?

Franken came under fire Thursday over allegations that he kissed and groped Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio anchor, without her consent in a 2006 USO tour in the Middle East, two years before the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member took public office.

Now, after years of practiced seriousness to dispel concerns about his comic past, his image has been undone in many minds by a photo. It is a shot of his grinning at the camera like a goofy doofus while reaching out in a pantomime grab for the breasts of a sleeping Tweeden. Tweeden says she didn't see the photo until after she returned home and felt understandably angry and humiliated. She also accused Franken of forcibly tongue-kissing her backstage, also without her consent.

Once you see the photo, as the saying goes, you can't un-see it. It may be the most politically damning photo since Gary Hart, the Democratic front-runner in the 1988 presidential race, was photographed with campaign aide Donna Rice sitting on his lap on a boat dock -- and Hart was wearing a shirt bearing the boat's name, "Monkey Business." He dropped out of that race.

"You knew exactly what you were doing," Tweeden writes in an online essay. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed."

Franken responded with two statements of apology to Tweeden and agreed with calls from both parties' leaders to turn his fate over to the notoriously toothless Senate Ethics Committee.

Moore, by contrast, continued to deny accusations that he stalked and "dated" high school girls, which allegedly included improper sexual contact with a 14-year-old, while he was a prosecutor in his 30s -- and revelations that he had been banned from a shopping mall in his hometown, Gadsden.

Yet he was endorsed by Alabama's Republican leaders, despite warnings from national GOP leaders that he could lose to Democratic candidate Doug Jones in the deeply conservative state -- or be expelled from Congress if he wins.

Ironically, Moore has cultivated a loyal base among the conservative state's evangelicals, which he now rallies by playing the conspiracy card. He claims to be the victim of anti-conservative conspirators in Washington, despite numerous calls from both parties for him to step aside.

His defiance may be reckless, but it also is his right. It also is the right of Alabama's voters to decide if this is the sort of man they want to send to Washington as their senator.

Personally, I would like to see Franken step down so his example would increase pressure on Moore and others to treat sexual harassment as a serious offense, whether it is criminal or not.

Among those others is President Donald Trump, who unfortunately responded to Franken's infantile stunt in a typically infantile Trumpian tweet: "The Al Frankenstien (sic) picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words."

And he continued the tweet with even more crudeness: "Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" Yuk, yuk.

Trump makes no mention the sexual harassment accusations that happen to have been made against him by multiple women.

Nor does he mention the accusations against his own Grand Old Party's albatross, Roy Moore.

With that in mind, one might think there hasn't been much progress since I called on President Bill Clinton to resign after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. He ignored such calls and, thanks to overreaching by impeachment-hungry Republicans, completed his second term with higher approval ratings for himself and his party than Congress had.

But times have changed. Franken is only one of the latest political and show business stars to be caught up in charges of sexual harassment. The Harvey Weinstein scandal and online "#MeToo" campaigns have heightened awareness and sensitivities since the bad old days when Anita Hill had to defend her credibility in Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings.

When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he believes the women regarding allegations against Moore, it marked how far we have come as a society. The sarcasm of Trump's tweets show how far we have to go.
Biological Imaging Reagent Sales Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Biological Imaging Reagent Sales Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Biological Imaging Reagent market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Biological Imaging Reagent for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Biological Imaging Reagent market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Biological Imaging Reagent sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingBAYER HEALTHCAREBECKMAN-COULTERBRACCOEVIDENT TECHNOLOGIESGE HEALTHCAREJUBILANT ORGANOSYSLANTHEUS MEDICAL IMAGINGLIFE TECHNOLOGIESPERKINELMERSCHERING AGSIEMENS MEDICALTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy ClassContrast reagentsOptical reagentsNuclear reagentsBy TechnologySmall chemicalsProbesRadiotracersChelating moleculesMicro bubblesFluorescent proteinsNanoparticlesBrowse TOC @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, includingContrast ImagingOptical ImagingRadioactive ImagingTable of ContentsGlobal Biological Imaging Reagent Sales Market Report 20171 Biological Imaging Reagent Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Biological Imaging Reagent1.2 Classification of Biological Imaging Reagent by Product Category1.2.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Contrast reagents1.2.4 Optical reagents1.2.5 Nuclear reagents1.3 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Contrast Imaging2 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Biological Imaging Reagent (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Biological Imaging Reagent (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Biological Imaging Reagent Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)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 @
Industrial Diamond Market showing growth prospects and challenges within the industry 2017

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A complete overview of the Industrial Diamond MarketThe presence of numerous applications likely to act as the key driving force behind the growth of this market in the near future. Developed regions are anticipated to witness progress in the global Industrial Diamond market. This market reports also offers dynamic key features of the opportunities that can gear up the demand in the market.This report studies Industrial Diamond in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions and forecast to 2022.Ask for Sample Copy of Industrial Diamond Market Report @A competitive analysis of this global market has also been presented, wherein key market players have been thoroughly reviewed to determine the markets grading. The major players upgrading the global Industrial Diamond market for the growth of consumers is mentioned in this study.Industrial Diamond Market Report focuses on top leading players:Advanced Diamond Solutions, Diamond Technologies, Industrial Abrasives Limited, Morgan Technical Ceramics Diamonex, Schlumberger, Applied Diamond, Scio Diamond Technology, Sumitomo Electric, Hebei Plasma diamond, Worldwide Diamond ManufacturersIndustrial Diamond Market Report On the basis of product:Triangular Diamond, Rhombic DiamondIndustrial Diamond Market Report by Application:Semiconductor, Aerospace, Aviation IndustryThe examination research overall Industrial Diamond grandstand covers key cash related view points, thing portfolios, association graph, SWOT examination, key headways and improvements, frameworks of key players drew in with the market. The information on the level associations is mined with the help of a strong research process took after at Reports Monitor Market Research which covers the entire demand and supply condition identifying with the assorted areas analyzed already.Table of Contents1 Global Industrial Diamond Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2 Global Industrial Diamond Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Industrial Diamond Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Industrial Diamond Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Industrial Diamond Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)3 Global Industrial Diamond Capacities, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Industrial Diamond Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Industrial Diamond Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Industrial Diamond Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Industrial Diamond Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)ContinuedBrowse Full Report of Industrial Diamond with Table of Contents @We at Reports Monitor provide an in-depth analysis and key data on the specific Industrial Diamond Market you are looking for. Our Reports are thoroughly researched and a valuable source of guidance for companies and individuals looking for information for the same.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform to meet the market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Hot Melt Adhesives Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2024

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The global hot melt adhesives market features a highly fragmented competitive landscape due to the presence of numerous small- and medium-sized enterprises. In a new study, Transparency Market Research (TMR) found out that the top six players in 2015 accounted for a cumulative share of 75% in the overall market. These players were Jowat SE, H.B. Fuller, Henkel, DOW Corning Corp., 3M Co., and Sika AG. These players are focusing towards their exports capacities in order to increase their geographical outreach across developed as well as emerging nations, which is likely to intensify competition in the near future, says TMRs lead analyst.As per the findings of the report, the opportunity in the global hot melt adhesives market was pegged at US$6.00 bn in 2015 and is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.20% between 2016 and 2024, reaching US$9.44 bn by 2024.View Report Preview:Europe to Maintain Leadership through 2024On the basis of end users, the packaging industry will continue to be the leading revenue contributor in the global hot melt adhesives market until 2024. The construction sector will also be a promising end user during the review period. Geographically, Europe will command the lions share in the market throughout the forecast horizon. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, will post a CAGR higher than any other region. The growth of the region can be attributed to the rising demand for high-quality packaging of consumer goods and food and beverages.Favorable Government Regulations to Escalate Adoption of Hot Melt AdhesivesThe extensive application of hot melt adhesives in the packaging, construction, and electronics industries stimulating the growth of the market. Therefore, the flourishing growth of these industries is reflecting positively on the sales of these adhesives, says a TMR analyst. In addition, developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, and Indonesia are high-profit destinations of key players owing to the increasing construction spending and widening packaging applications in the food and beverages sector.Request to view Sample Report:These adhesives are said to be safe for human use, environment friendly, and VOC-free thermoplastics, which are suitable for production, storage, and transportation. Owing to these properties, governments worldwide are encouraging their usage through favorable policies, thereby stoking the growth of the market.Volatile Crude Prices to Keep Market from Realizing Utmost PotentialThe turbulence in prices of crude oil is adversely affecting the overall revenue generation of the global hot melt adhesives market. This is further compounded by the abundant availability of alternatives. Moreover, manufacturers have to comply with stringent regulations, particularly in developed countries, which renders the pace of development of the market sluggish. Nevertheless, the spiraling demand for hot melt adhesives in various end-use industries is making way for technological advancements, which is likely to provide significant impetus to the market in the near future. Furthermore, the soaring demand for polyolefin based adhesives is creating ample growth opportunities for the global hot melt adhesives market.Buy Hot Melt Adhesives Market Research Report:About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
The 10th Annual Social Media in Pharma  Exclusive Speaker Interview

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Returning to London this January 2018, Day 1 will address topics on wearable technologies, patient engagement and social media strategies; while Day 2 covers interaction using social media, digital health strategies and effective content.SMi are delighted to welcome Jackie Cuyvers, Co-Founder and CEO of The Conversationalist Agency onto the speaker panel!At The Conversationalist Agency, Jackie leads a global team of 200 multi-lingual social listening analysts - helping agencies and enterprise identify actionable insights from online content, across the globe. Shes run Social Listening projects from Tajikistan to Turkey, Armenia to Atlanta and all points in between. Well versed in the intricacies of Pharma her company has developed proprietary technology to help Pharma and Life Sciences unlock the value of social data. Prior to The Conversationalist Agency, Jackie worked for ZS Associates, a Pharma focused Marketing Consulting firm where she developed and led their Social Listening practice.Jackie has an MBA in International Marketing is based in London and has over 15+ years of experience in Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy, Engagement and Analysis. The last 10 years she has been focused on using Social Data in context of additional data sets like launch or sales data to develop strategic business insights.Don't miss Jackie's presentation on: Putting social in context: Using social listening to deliver brand launch tracking and ROI. - Day 1 @14:40 -Summary of presentation:- Using social listening to help monitor a brand launch and find risks to launch in a timely manner globally and locally.- Social listening can help keep a real-time pulse on the market and key competitors during launch.- Correlating social mentions to Rx to achieve leading indicators on market changes or prescribing behavior of the newly launched brand.SMi had the chance to interview Jackie about her experience in the industry, heres one of her answers:"The greatest digital challenge for the pharmaceutical industry is being able to keep up with the pace of digital. Many of pharmas business processes are designed for more traditional media and digital is a challenge for most of these processes."View the full interview in the download centre online.Featured Speakers this January:- Andreas Haimboeck-Tichy, UK Director for Healthcare and Life Sciences, IBM- Adam Doggett, Research Analyst, CREATION- Paul Tunnah, CEO, Pharmaphorum- Steve Reeves, Director, Social Intelligence, Decision Resources Group- Elodie Douangmanivanh, Head of Digital Services, MSD- Sebastian Soithongsuk, Global Content Manager Digital Comms, GSK- Aslihan Unal, Digital Strategy Group Manager, Janssen- Herve Dumas, Patients Technology Solutions Lead, UCB- Sarah Holiday, Social Media Strategy Lead, Pfizer- Jackie Cuyvers, Co-Founder and CEO, The Conversationalist AgencyFor more information on all sessions, view the full agenda:For those looking to attend there is currently a 100 early-bird saving by November 30th.SMi Presents the 10th Annual Conference:Social Media in the Pharmaceutical IndustryDate: 22nd  23rd January 2017Location: Kensington, LondonWebsite:---end---Contact Information:For all media inquiries contact Pavan Solanki on Tel: +44 (0)20 7827 6048 / Email: psolanki@smi-online.co.ukAbout SMi Group:Participation as Sponsor/Exhibitor will be Highly Beneficial to Your Business DevelopmentMarket research and customer insight has indicated that our delegates are keen on hearing about your latest services and product offerings. Are you available this week? We'd be happy to give you a call to discuss your participation as either a sponsor joining our industry speaker panel below, or as an exhibitor.Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world's most forward-thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found atWestminster Bridge Road
Printing Inks Market by Product Lithographic Inks, Flexographic Inks, Gravure Inks, Digital Inks Growth and Demand Forecast to 2023

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As per the research, the global printing inks market is likely to grow from $17,537.4 million in 2016 to $23.9 billion by 2023. With the increasing applications in end-use industries such as food and beverages, printing, packaging and publication industry, the global market for printing inks is expected to grow at a robust pace during the forecast period. The steady growth in the packaging industry in the U.S., China and India is expected to augment the demand of printing inks at a significant level during the forecast period. The U.S. is expected to remain the largest market during the forecast period on account of growing penetration of eco-friendly inks comprising water-based and UV-cured printing inks, increasing demand in packaging sector backed by steady growth in consumer retail sales worldwide.Access Report Overview:As per the findings of research, the labels and packaging industry has been the largest consumer of printing inks globally. Based on product, lithographic inks have been the largest revenue generator for the market. Oil-based inks generate the largest revenue in the global printing inks market, in terms of formulation.Geographically, North America was the largest market for printing inks market, where the U.S. was the largest contributor to the regional market. China was the major market in Asia-Pacific, whereas in Europe, Germany generated the highest revenue. Additionally, Turkey was the largest market in the Middle East and Africa, while in Latin America, Brazil emanated the maximum demand.The increasing shift towards e-commerce and digitalization are expected to decline the overall demand for printing inks in the publication and commercial printing sector; however, factors such as increasing sales of inkjet printers and digital printers; rising consumption of textile inks and growing penetration of environment-friendly inks including water-based and UV-cured printing inks is expected to support further growth during the forecast period.Request For Sample Pages:Some of the key players in the global market include Flint Group, Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, DIC Corporation, hubergroup Deutschland GmbH, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., Sakata INX Corporation, ALTANA, Wikoff Color Corporation, T&K Toka Co., Ltd, and Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG.Recent developments in the printing inks market include various product launches and strategic partnerships. For instance, hubergroup recently introduced new printing inks solutions. Additionally, Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, Sun Chemical Corporation, and Flint Group were some of the major players to announce partnerships in this market.P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Peppers Seeds Market Will Thrive in the Future, New Research Report explores why

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Peppers Seeds market, Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493, and from there spread to other European, African, and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Peppers Seeds in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.The report on Global Peppers Seeds Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Peppers Seeds industry a propos classification, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Download Report Sample Copy@The potential of this industry segment has been rigorously investigated in conjunction with primary market challenges. The present market condition and future prospects of the segment has also been examined. Moreover, key strategies in the market that includes product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, etc., are discussed. Besides, upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also conducted.Report Includes:-The report cloaks the market analysis and projection of Peppers Seeds Market on a regional as well as global level. The report constitutes qualitative and quantitative valuation by industry analysts, first-hand data, assistance from industry experts along with their most recent verbatim and each industry manufacturers via the market value chain. The research experts have additionally assessed the in general sales and revenue generation of this particular market. In addition, this report also delivers widespread analysis of root market trends, several governing elements and macro-economic indicators, coupled with market improvements as per every segment. Furthermore, the report contains diverse profiles of primary market players of Peppers Seeds Market.Get Report Discount on this Report@The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Peppers Seeds industry, present condition of the market, feasibleness of the investment along with several strategies and policies. Apart from the definition and classification, the report also discusses the analysis of import and export and describes a comparison of the market that is focused on the trends and development. Along with entire framework in addition to in-depth details, one can prepare and stay ahead of the competitors across the targeted locations. The fact that this market report renders details about the major market players along with their product development and current trends proves to be very beneficial for fresh entrants to comprehend and recognize the industry in an improved manner. The report also enlightens the productions, sales, supply, market condition, demand, growth, and forecast of the Peppers Seeds industry in the global markets.Every regions market has been studied thoroughly in this report which deals with the precise information pertaining to the Marketing Channels and novel project investments so that the new entrants as well as the established market players conduct intricate research of trends and analysis in these regional markets. Acknowledging the status of the environment and products up gradation, the market report foretells each and every detail.So as to fabricate this report, complete key details, strategies and variables are examined so that entire useful information is amalgamated together for the understanding and studying the key facts pertaining the global Peppers Seeds Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Download Report PDF @About Us:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-Connect with us: Twitter | Facebook
Gastric Band Devices Market Report 2017- Apollo Endosurgery, COUSIN BIOTECH, Ethicon, Helioscopie

Gastric Band Devices Market

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Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Gastric Band Devices Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Gastric Band Devices Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Gastric Band Devices industry, and estimates the future trend of Gastric Band Devices market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Gastric Band Devices Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportApollo EndosurgeryCOUSIN BIOTECHEthiconHelioscopieMillennium SurgicalMIDThe market research report explores the Gastric Band Devices market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Gastric Band Devices Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Gastric Band Devices market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Gastric Band Devices. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Gastric Band Devices market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Gastric Band Devices is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Gastric Band Devices market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Gastric Band Devices market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Gastric Band Devices market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Gastric Band Devices production volume, data pertaining to demand and Gastric Band Devices supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Gastric Band Devices along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Gastric Band Devices across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Color Cosmetics Products 2017 Global Market Key Players  Loreal, P&G, Unilever, Estee Lauder, L'Occitane, Shiseido, Avon  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Color Cosmetics Products Market

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Color Cosmetics Products Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Color Cosmetics Products Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report studies Color Cosmetics Products in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringLorealP&GUnileverEstee LauderL'OccitaneShiseidoAvonLVChannelAmore PacificJahwaBeiersdorfJohnson & JohnsonJialaINOHERBSisleyRevlonJane iredaleHenkelCotyRequest a Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoNail productsLip productsEye Make-upFacial Make-upHair Color ProductsSpecial Effects ProductsOthersBy Application, the market can be split intoBeautySkin CareBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:1 Industry Overview of Color Cosmetics Products1.1 Definition and Specifications of Color Cosmetics Products1.1.1 Definition of Color Cosmetics Products1.1.2 Specifications of Color Cosmetics Products1.2 Classification of Color Cosmetics Products1.2.1 Nail products1.2.2 Lip products1.2.3 Eye Make-up1.2.4 Facial Make-up1.2.5 Hair Color Products1.2.6 Special Effects Products1.2.7 Others1.3 Applications of Color Cosmetics Products1.3.1 Beauty1.3.2 Skin Care1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Color Cosmetics Products2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Color Cosmetics Products2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Color Cosmetics Products2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Color Cosmetics Products8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Color Cosmetics Products8.1 Loreal8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Loreal 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Loreal 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 P&G8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 P&G 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 P&G 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Unilever8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Unilever 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Unilever 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Estee Lauder8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Estee Lauder 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Estee Lauder 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 L'Occitane8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 L'Occitane 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 L'Occitane 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Shiseido8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Shiseido 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Shiseido 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Avon8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Avon 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Avon 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 LV8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 LV 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 LV 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Channel8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Channel 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Channel 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Amore Pacific8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Amore Pacific 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Amore Pacific 2016 Color Cosmetics Products Business Region Distribution AnalysisContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Market Study Evaluate on Outpatient Clinics Market by Type, Manufacturers, Application 2025

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Global Outpatient Clinics Market: SnapshotAn outpatient clinic or a department is one where patients can be treated for their illnesses without having the need to stay at the medical organization conventional outpatient clinics have provided treatment options for common ailments or medical issues that have a swift diagnosis and cure. Modern outpatient clinics have evolved to provide a wide spectrum of treatment and diagnostic options and even minor surgical procedures. The outpatient clinic can form a vital body of any healthcare organization, as they can be places where doctors can perform immediate diagnoses as well as follow-up treatments for regularly visiting patients.More and more outpatient clinics around the world have started offering additional treatments or services for pain relief as well as rehabilitation. The more common types of additional features that may be found in outpatient clinics today, include surgery centers, imaging centers, lab centers, physical therapy centers, medical equipment rental facilities, GI diagnostic centers, and radiation therapy centers. Outpatient clinics may also provide additional services depending on the specializations held by the medical personnel in the facility. This can include cardiology or orthopedics, for instance. It is not uncommon to find highly trained and skilled medical personnel in modern outpatient clinics, due to the highly demanding job it has become.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Many outpatient clinics today also provide added comfort to patients in the waitlist. Clinics can possess comfortable seating arrangements, coffee shops, public telephones, snack shops, gift shops, and quiet rooms.Global Outpatient Clinics Market: OverviewOutpatient clinics or centers are medical facilities that offer medical as well as diagnostic treatments to patients who are suffering from several medical conditions. These clinics provide treatment that does not demand overnight stay the medical facility. The growing initiatives by governments to create an awareness reading the benefits of outpatient clinics and to decrease the number of hospital admissions are encouraging several new players to enter the market and create a niche across the globe.The research study further offers a clear picture of the global outpatient clinics market, providing information related to the growth factors, opportunities, and the latest trends in the market. The study throws light on the key segmentation of the global market and provides the estimated growth rate and market share of the leading segments throughout the forecast period. In addition, a detailed overview of the competitive landscape has been included to offer a clear picture of the market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Outpatient Clinics Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing prevalence of chronic diseases and the rising geriatric population across the globe are some of the key factors that are estimated to encourage the growth of the global outpatient clinics market in the near future. In addition, the reducing burden on the healthcare sector due to the significant reduction in the daily patient admissions is projected to supplement the growth of the market in the near future. On the other hand, the strict regulatory framework and the lack of doctors to attend patients are estimated to restrict the growth of the market in the near future. Nevertheless, the robust development of the healthcare sector, especially in the developing economies is expected to generate promising opportunities in the forecast period.Global Outpatient Clinics Market: Region-wise OutlookAccording to the research study, North America is expected to lead the global outpatient clinics market throughout the forecast period. This region is estimated to register a progressive growth rate in the near future, owing to the rising government initiatives to reduce hospital admissions. In addition, the tremendously rising healthcare spending, availability of advanced healthcare infrastructure, and the abundant availability of necessary funds are some of the vital factors that are projected to encourage the growth of the North America outpatient clinics market in the next few years.Furthermore, Asia Pacific is expected to witness substantial growth throughout the forecast period, thanks to the rising lucrative opportunities. The growing focus on the development of healthcare infrastructure and the growing popularity of medical tourism are some of the other factors that are predicted to encourage the growth of the Asia Pacific market in the coming few years.Get Discount @Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:With the rising number of players, the global outpatient clinics market is expected to witness intense competition in the near future. Some of the prominent players operating in the global outpatient clinics market are M D Anderson Cancer Center, Kaiser Permanente, Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale AZ, Davita, University of Maryland Medical Center, National Health Service, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Clevel and Clinic.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:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Diapers Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022

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Diapers Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022DescriptionA diaper (also called a nappy outside North America) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to defecate or urinate without the use of a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to prevent soiling of outer clothing or the external environment.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Diapers in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Get Free TOC @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversP&GKimberly ClarkUnicharmSCAKaoFirst QualityOntexHenganDaioDomtarChiausDSGDaddyBabyFuburgMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversDisposable diapersCloth diapersGet A Discount Copy Of The Report @Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoBabiesAdultsAbout Us :QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affectstheir business operations.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Theres no room for My way or the highway. Unless we can find compromise, the votes are simply not going be to there.  Papillion Sen. Jim Smith on tax reform packages awaiting the Nebraska Legislature in January.

Were going back to the four big days of 4-H and FFA that we all know and remember.  Lancaster County Agricultural Society Board member Jamie Bauman on plans to consolidate the Lancaster County Super Fair and reduce its scheduled to four days in 2018.

Ill feel a hell of a lot better, and Im not a mean person. I hope Im alive when this happens. Its what Im waiting for.  Dave Mausbach, whose wife, Jo, was killed in the 2002 Norfolk bank robbery, on the notice of execution drugs served to Jose Sandoval.

The primary focus is freedom from bias. His peers were concerned he could not divorce judging from his personal views. Were not here to become a political arm to anybody. If you choose to ignore it, you ignore it  we think we get it right most of the time.  Pamela Bresnahan, an official with the American Bar Association, standing behind its not qualified rating for Nebraska attorney Steve Grasz in his nomination to a federal appeals court.

That tuition money is not money we ever see. Its not money that leaves the university. In many ways, it moves from ledger column to ledger column.  University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student Brandy Judkins, expressing concern about a provision in the House tax reform bill to tax money in tuition waivers as income.

Its just been a great part of our community for many years, and now this gives us the ability to have the zoo be a year-round attraction.  Louie Sikich of Scheels on a $300,000 donation to the Lincoln Childrens Zoo.

I think that any small town in Nebraska, the school is your social hub, and it adds a lot of identity to your town. Its just a snowball effect once your school goes down.  Loup County Public Schools Superintendent Rusty Ruppert, after voters elected to retain the small district in the Sandhills.
Global Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market is Rise CAGR of 15.1% In 2017-2025

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request for Sample Report @Global Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market: OverviewThe Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market (Application- Vehicle Tracking, Fleet Management, Satellite Navigation, Vehicle Safety Communication, Others; Technology- Cellular, Satellite)  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017  2025, report provides analysis of the telematics in heavy equipment market for the period 20152025, wherein the years from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast period and 2016 is considered as the base year. Data for 2015 has been included as historical information. The report covers all the trends and technologies playing a major role in the telematics in heavy equipment market growth over the forecast period. It highlights the drivers, restraints and opportunities expected to influence the market growth during this period.The market overview section of the report demonstrates the market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends that is expected to influence the current nature and future status of this market. Key indicators mentioned in the report, provide a robust view about the vital factors that led to the strong adoption of telematics in heavy equipment around the globe. The key indicators also provide significance of the factors which are capable of changing the market scenario.These indicators are expected to define the market position during the forecast period. An attractiveness analysis has also been provided for every segment in the report, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the overall scenario of telematics in heavy equipment market. Moreover, the report provides an overview of various strategies adopted by the key players present in the market in company profile section. The report also includes key industry developments covering significant advances made by leading market players over the period of time.Global Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market: SegmentationThe report segments the market on the basis of application, technology and region. The application segment includes vehicle tracking, fleet management, satellite navigation, vehicle safety communication and others. Technology segment includes two segments which are cellular and satellite.The study provides a holistic perspective on the markets growth in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn) across different geographical regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. Report highlights the key trends affecting the market on a global scale. Furthermore, region wise prominent countries/regions covered in the report include - The U.S, Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., India, China, Japan, GCC, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.Global Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market: Competitive AnalysisThe report also highlights the competitive landscape of the global telematics in heavy equipment market, thereby positioning all the major players according to their presence in different regions of the world and recent key developments initiated by them in the telematics in heavy equipment market. The comprehensive telematics in heavy equipment market estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews, and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological, and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting telematics in heavy equipment market growth.This report provides all the essential information required to understand the key developments in telematics in heavy equipment market, growth trend of each segment and strategy of each company that helps them to efficiently compete in the market. Also, the report provides insights related to trends and its impact on the market. Furthermore, Porters Five Forces analysis explains the factors which are currently affecting the telematics in heavy equipment market.Trimble Inc., MiX Telematics, Daimler Trucks North America, Zonar Systems, Inc., Telogis, Masternaut Limited, Topcon Corporation, Teletrac Navman Group, PACCAR Inc., Inseego Corp., Element Fleet Management Corp., DPL Telematics, LHP Telematics, LoJack Corporation, OEM Data Delivery, TeMeDa, LLC, SmartDrive Systems, Inc., GPS Insight and GPSTrackIt are some of the major players operating within the telematics in heavy equipment market profiled in this study. Details such as financials, SWOT analysis, business strategies, recent developments, and other such strategic information pertaining to these players have been duly provided as part of company profiling.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Global Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market, by ApplicationVehicle TrackingFleet ManagementSatellite NavigationVehicle Safety CommunicationsOthersGlobal Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market, by TechnologyCellularSatelliteGlobal Telematics in Heavy Equipment Market, by RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeK.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East and AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of MEASouth AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaSend an Enquiry @Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Pet Oral Care 2017 Global Market Key Players  Allaccem, Ceva Sante Animale S.A., Dechra Pharmaceuticals Plc, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Nestle  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Pet Oral Care Market

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Pet Oral Care Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Pet Oral Care Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report studies the global Pet Oral Care market, analyzes and researches the Pet Oral Care development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeAllaccem, Inc.Ceva Sante Animale S.A.Colgate-Palmolive CompanyDechra Pharmaceuticals Plc.Healthy Mouth LLC.imRex Inc.Mars, IncorporatedMerial (Part of Boehringer Ingelheim)NestlePetzlife Product Inc.Vetoquinol S.A.VirbacRequest a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoToothbrushToothpastesMouth WashAdditivesOthersMarket segment by Application, Pet Oral Care can be split intoDogCatOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Pet Oral Care Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Pet Oral Care1.1 Pet Oral Care Market Overview1.1.1 Pet Oral Care Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Pet Oral Care Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Pet Oral Care Market by Type1.3.1 Toothbrush1.3.2 Toothpastes1.3.3 Mouth Wash1.3.4 Additives1.3.5 Others1.4 Pet Oral Care Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Dog1.4.2 Cat1.4.3 Others2 Global Pet Oral Care Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Pet Oral Care Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Allaccem, Inc.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Ceva Sante Animale S.A.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Colgate-Palmolive Company3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Dechra Pharmaceuticals Plc.3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Healthy Mouth LLC.3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 imRex Inc.3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Mars, Incorporated3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Merial (Part of Boehringer Ingelheim)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Nestle3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Petzlife Product Inc.3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Pet Oral Care Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Automotive Linear Gear Market size, Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends, Forecast 2017-2025

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"Automotive Linear Gear Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" is the latest addition to MarketResearchReports.Biz industry research reports collection.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @Linear gear is a gear that exhibits linear motion when it meshes with the different types of circular gears. It is a rectangular strip with teeth of different shapes on it. For example, rack and pinion is a type of linear gear actuator, wherein circular motion is converted into linear motion, where rack acts as a linear gear and pinions act as a circular gear.The steering mechanism has to be highly reliable and accurate. This has led to a rise in production of linear gears. Increase in concerns about safety and security has resulted in the addition of rack and pinion mechanism with the hydraulic steering system to back up the malfunction of the hydraulic system. This is one of the key factors driving the linear gear market. Linear gears are also used in special purpose vehicles, which are used in intercollegiate events such as organized by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and go-karting as wellBased on the shape of teeth on the rack, the automotive linear gear market can be classified into rack with straight teeth, helical teeth, and roller pinion. Straight teeth have the tooth axis parallel to the axis of rotation. Straight teeth gears are generally Helical teeth gears provide continuous engagement along the tooth length and are often quieter and more efficient than straight tooth gears. Helical tooth gears resemble spur gears in the plane of rotation, but include teeth that are twisted along a helical path in axial direction. Roller pinion drives use bearing supported rollers that mesh with the teeth of that rack in order to provide minimal to no backlash.Based on application, the automotive linear gear market can be segregated into linear gears for steering mechanism, drive transmission, and measuring scales. Rack and pinion arrangement is majorly used in steering mechanism to convert the rotary motion of the steering wheel into linear motion of the tie rod. Under the steering mechanism, the tie rod has the linear gear, which meshes with the pinion mounted at the end of the steering wheel bar. A linear gear in the form of a belt can be used to transmit the motion between two gears. This would result in higher efficiency and no slippage. Linear gear is also used in measuring scales, wherein it turns the dial with the help of rack and pinion arrangement.View Report @Based on material, the automotive linear gear market can be divided into metallic and non-metallic. The metallic material is used in the manufacture of harder gears. Metals such as cast iron, low carbon steel, medium carbon, high carbon steel, and alloy steel are used for manufacturing of automotive linear gear. Non-metallic linear gears are used at places where some flexibility is required. This includes belt transmission (belt with teeth). Generally, the material used is synthetic resins, plastics, etc.Based on vehicle type, the automotive linear gear market can be split into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicles include hatchbacks, sedans, and multi-utility vehicles. Commercial vehicles are further categorized into light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles. Light commercial vehicles include small carriers, health care vehicles, and three wheelers. Heavy commercial vehicles include heavy duty trucks, buses, agricultural vehicles, and off-road vehicles.Based on geography automotive linear gear market can be segmented in Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe and Rest of the World. In Asia Pacific & North America is likely to expand significantly in the near future due to the high production of automotives in these regions. The U.K. is a significant producer of automotive linear gear in Europe.Key global manufacturers of linear gear are Pailton Engineering Limited, Pearl Engineers, Andantex USA Inc., AmTech International, Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instruments, Nordex Inc., Neugart USA Corp., and Atlanta Drive Systems Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Request for Enquiry @The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Check Discount @ Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout 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.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Patient Engagement Software 2017 Global Industry Key Players - McKesson Corporation , Allscripts Healthcare Solutions , Phytel, Inc, Athenahealth , Orion Health Ltd , Cerner Corporation Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Global Patient Engagement Software Market

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Global Patient Engagement Software MarketThis report studies the global Patient Engagement Software market, analyzes and researches the Patient Engagement Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMcKesson CorporationAllscripts Healthcare SolutionsPhytel, IncAthenahealthOrion Health LtdCerner CorporationGetWellNetwork, IncLincor Solutions LtdYourCareUniverse, IncWelVUGet Real HealthOneview HealthcareRequest a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Patient Engagement Software can be split intoWeb-BasedCloud-BasedOn-PremiseMarket segment by Application, Patient Engagement Software can be split intoProvidersPayersIndividual UsersOthers (Employer Groups, Government Bodies, and Pharmaceutical Companies)Enquiry for buying report@Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Patient Engagement Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Patient Engagement Software1.1 Patient Engagement Software Market Overview1.1.1 Patient Engagement Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Patient Engagement Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Patient Engagement Software Market by Type1.3.1 Web-Based1.3.2 Cloud-Based1.3.3 On-Premise1.4 Patient Engagement Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Providers1.4.2 Payers1.4.3 Individual Users1.4.4 Others (Employer Groups, Government Bodies, and Pharmaceutical Companies)2 Global Patient Engagement Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Patient Engagement Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 McKesson Corporation3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Phytel, Inc3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Athenahealth3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Orion Health Ltd3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Cerner Corporation3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 GetWellNetwork, Inc3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Lincor Solutions Ltd3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 YourCareUniverse, Inc3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 WelVU3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Patient Engagement Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Get Real Health3.12 Oneview HealthcareContinued..Buy Now@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
Contemporary innovations in Automobile Engine Valve industry made available by top research firm in North America 2022

Automobile Engine Valve Market

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Automobile Engine Valve Market Report is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Automobile Engine Valve market.Automobile engine valve is a valve typically used to control the timing and quantity of gas or fuel flow into or flow out of an engine. Both gasoline engine and diesel engine need the valve and it is usually made of special steel and alloy powder.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Automobile Engine Valve Market in North America, especially in United States, Canada and Mexico. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.Get Sample PDF of Automobile Engine Valve Market Report @Automobile Engine Valve Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: Federal-Mogul, Eaton, Mahle, Fuji Oozx, Worldwide Auto, Aisan, Rane, Dengyun Auto-parts, ShengChi, Xin Yue, Yangzhou Guanghui, Nittan, Wode Valve, AnFu, JinQingLong, Tyen Machinery, Burg, SSV, Ferrea, Tongcheng.In this introductory section, the Automobile Engine Valve industry research report incorporates analysis of definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Automobile Engine Valve Market Segment by Type covers: Gasoline Engine Valve, Diesel Engine Valve.Automobile Engine Valve Market Segment by Applications covers: Passenger Vehicle, Commercial Vehicle.Next part of Automobile Engine Valve Market Research Report contains additional information like key vendors in Market space, Automobile Engine Valve Market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the North America Automobile Engine Valve Market , opportunities, market risk and market overview.Pre Order Enquiry for Automobile Engine Valve Market report @The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process.The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, growth rate of Automobile Engine Valve markets in 2022 is also explained. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption tables and figures are also given.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59481497Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Vegetable Seed Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application 2017

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Vegetable Seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering. Seeds are the product of the ripened ovule, after fertilization by pollen and some growth within the mother plant.Scope of the ReportThis report focuses on the Vegetable Seed in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversMonsantoSyngentaLimagrainBayer Crop ScienceBejoENZA ZADENRijk ZwaanGet Report Sample and Customization:Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoFarmlandGreenhouseOthersList of Tables and FiguresFigure United States Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)8Figure Canada Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)9Figure Mexico Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)9Figure Germany Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)10Figure France Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)11Figure UK Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)11Figure Russia Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)12To Browse a Full Report withTOC:Figure Italy Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)12Figure China Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)13Figure Japan Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)14Figure Korea Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)14Figure India Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)15Figure Southeast Asia Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)15Figure Brazil Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)16Figure Egypt Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)17Figure Saudi Arabia Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)17Figure South Africa Vegetable Seed Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2023)18About UsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Cardiac Care Medical Equipment industry forecast to 2022 scrutinized in new research in North America

Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market

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Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Report is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Cardiac Care Medical Equipment market.Cardiac Care Medical Equipment is the equipment used for cardiac care. The robust line of cardiac care products include Cardiac Monitors, EKG (Electrocardiogram) Equipment, Heart-Lung Bypass Machines, Stress Test Systems, Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps, Infusion Pumps, AEDs and Defibrillators, and more.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market in North America, especially in United States, Canada and Mexico. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.Get Sample PDF of Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Report @Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: Medtronic, St. Jude Medical (Abbott), Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Biotronik, Inc., Thoratec Corporation, LivaNova (Sorin), Cardiac Science, Teleflex, Getinge (Maquet), Berlin Heart.In this introductory section, the Cardiac Care Medical Equipment industry research report incorporates analysis of definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Segment by Type covers: Intra-aortic Balloon Pump, Cardiopulmonary Bypass Pumps , Cardiac Ultrasound Devices, CRM Device, External Defibrillators, Other.Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Segment by Applications covers:Hospital, Clinic.Next part of Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market Research Report contains additional information like key vendors in Market space, Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the North America Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market , opportunities, market risk and market overview.Pre Order Enquiry for Cardiac Care Medical Equipment Market report @The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process.The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, growth rate of Cardiac Care Medical Equipment markets in 2022 is also explained. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption tables and figures are also given.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59481500Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Automotive Tubeless Tire Market, New Tech, Trends, Analysis, 2023

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Automotive Tubeless Tire Is Circular Shaped Automobile Component Used To Cover Wheels Rim Externally To Protect It And Enhance The Vehicle Performance, And To Offer Tractive Force Between The Road Surface And Vehicle. Moreover, Tubeless Tire Does Not Comprise Inner Tube, In Which The Outer Surface Of Tire Makes An Air Tight Seal With The Rim Of The Wheel. The Valve Is Directly Mounted In Rim Of The Wheel, Through Which Air Is Held Inside The Tire. The Advance Manufacturing Technique Of Tubeless Tires With Advanced Materials & Utilizing Nanotechnology And Benefits, Such As Significant Noise, Vibration, And Harshness (Nvh) Performance, Better Fuel Efficiency, Better Heat Dissipation, And Better Bump Absorption, Make Them An Outstanding Alternative To Conventional Pneumatic Tires.For More Info, Get Sample :Growth In Automotive Industry In Countries, Such As China, Germany, The U.S., And Japan, Rise In Production & Sales Of Vehicles, And Increase In Stringent Fuel Economy & Exhaust Emission Control Norms Largely Driving The Automotive Tubeless Tire Market. However, Huge Capital Investment Required For Setting Up New Manufacturing Facilities And Volatile Raw Material Prices Restraining The Market Growth. In Addition, Commercialization Of Air-Less Tire In Heavy-Duty Vehicles Is Anticipated To Hamper The Market Growth. Irrespective Of These Challenges, Rise In Demand For Tubeless Tire In Aftermarket And Advancement In Technology (Manufacture Of Lightweight Tubeless Tire By Using Lightweight Material) Are Expected To Create Numerous Opportunities For New Products And Boost The Market Growth.The Market Segmentation Is Based On Type, Vehicle Type, Distribution Channel, And Geography. Based On Type, It Is Bifurcated Into Radial And Bias Tubeless Tires. Based On Vehicle Type, It Is Categorized Into Two-Wheelers, Passenger Cars, And Commercial Vehicles. Based On Distribution Channel, It Is Segmented Into Original Equipment Manufacturer (Oem) And Aftermarket. Geographically, The Market Is Analyzed Across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, And Lamea.Key Players Profiled In The Report Include Bridgestone Corporation, The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company, Continental Ag, Michelin, Pirelli Tyre S.P.A., Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Hankook Tire Co. Ltd., Cst., Yokohama Tire Corporation., And Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.Key Benefits The Report Includes An Extensive Analysis Of The Factors That Drive And Restrains The Global Automotive Tubeless Tire Market. Factors Affecting Market Growth And Projections From 2016 To 2023 Are Included. The Report Also Provides Quantitative And Qualitative Trends To Assist The Stakeholders To Understand The Situations Prevailing In The Market. In-Depth Analysis Of Key Segments Demonstrates Stakeholders With Different Types Of Tubeless Tire And Different Vehicle Types. Competitive Intelligence Highlights The Business Practices Followed By Key Market Players Globally.Enquire About Report :Automotive Tubeless Tire Market Key SegmentsBy Type Radial BiasBy Vehicle Type Two-Wheeler Passenger Car Commercial VehicleBy Distribution Channel Original Equipment Manufacturer (Oem) AftermarketBy Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany Uk Italy France Rest Of Europe Asia-Pacific China Australia India Japan Rest Of Asia-Pacific Lamea Latin America Middle East AfricaAlso Request For Discount :Market Players In The Value Chain Bridgestone Corporation The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company Continental Ag Michelin Pirelli Tyre S.P.A. Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. Cst. Yokohama Tire Corporation Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. Other Players In The Value Chain Ceat Ltd. Mrf Limited Kumho Tire Co., Inc. Apollo Tyres LtdTable Of Content CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4 AUTOMOTIVE TUBELESS TIRE MARKET, BY TYPE CHAPTER 5 AUTOMOTIVE TUBELESS TIRE MARKET, BY VEHICLE TYPE CHAPTER 6 AUTOMOTIVE TUBELESS TIRE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL CHAPTER 7 GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE TUBELESS TIRE MARKET, BY REGION CHAPTER 8 RELATED INDUSTRY INSIGHTS CHAPTER 9 COMPANY PROFILESAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Hospital Furniture industry forecast to 2022 examined in new market research report in North America

Hospital Furniture Market

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Hospital Furniture Market Report is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Hospital Furniture market.Hospital Furniture is the Furniture specially designed for hospital use. Hospital furniture along with modern medical equipment have important role to play in health care. They not only help surgeons to perform the critical surgery with utmost safety of patient, but also make patients feel comfortable during their stay in hospital or the surgery/post-surgery as well.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Hospital Furniture Market in North America, especially in United States, Canada and Mexico. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.Get Sample PDF of Hospital Furniture Market Report @Hospital Furniture Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: Hill-Rom, Paramount Bed, Stryker, Linet Group, Stiegelmeyer, ArjoHuntleigh, Pardo, France Bed, Bazhou Greatwall, Malvestio, Winco, AGA Sanit?tsartikel, Silentia, Merivaara, KC-Harvest, Haelvoet.In this introductory section, the Hospital Furniture industry research report incorporates analysis of definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Hospital Furniture Market Segment by Type covers: Hospital Bed, Hospital Chair & Bench, Hospital Cabinets, Hospital Screen, Hospital Trolley & Cart, Other.Hospital Furniture Market Segment by Applications covers: Hospital, Clinic, Other.Next part of Hospital Furniture Market Research Report contains additional information like key vendors in Market space, Hospital Furniture Market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the North America Hospital Furniture Market , opportunities, market risk and market overview.Pre Order Enquiry for Hospital Furniture Market report @The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process.The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, growth rate of Hospital Furniture markets in 2022 is also explained. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption tables and figures are also given.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59481508Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market Report for Period 2011 till 2022 Saint-Gobain, Nitto Denko, CFS, Desco Industries, Polyonics, Can-Do National Tape, Treentree-Shercon, Shanghai Xinke and Others

Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market

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Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely ESPI, DUNMORE, Treentree-Shercon, Shanghai Xinke, Micro to Nano, Electro Tape, CFS, Desco Industries, Essentra, 3M, Saint-Gobain, Nitto Denko, Dupont|Kapton, Hisco, Botron, Polyonics, Can-Do National Tape and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Kapton tape is made of high temperature polyimide film. This Polyimide tape is used in masking of circuit boards during wave soldering or other electronic manufacturing processes. It can be used in powder coating, automotive and transformer manufacturing. It has high dielectric strength. Kapton masking tape, offers excellent performance in electrical and thermal insulation.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:3MSaint-GobainNitto DenkoDupont|KaptonHiscoBotronPolyonicsCan-Do National TapeESPIDUNMORETreentree-SherconShanghai XinkeMicro to NanoElectro TapeCFSDesco IndustriesEssentraOthersGlobal Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market: Key Product TypeSilicone BasedAcrylic BasedOthersGlobal Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market: Key Application TypeConsumer Electronics & AppliancesMachinery & EquipmentAerospace & DefenseAutomotiveOthersGlobal Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Silicone Based1.2.1.2 Acrylic Based........................Continue (Global Polyimide Tape (Kapton Tape) Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Shipping Containers Market, Expected Growing $12,083 Million By 2023

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The global shipping containers market was valued at $8,705 million in 2015, and is expected to reach $12,083 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2017 to 2023. Containers are designed to be lifted vertically from above by cranes and transferred from ship to shore and between other forms of transport such as trains and lorries, to carry cargo. Therefore they need to have strength in the top corners where they are engaged by the twist locks of a container lifting crane. The corner castings in the top corners of the container are therefore points of strength.For More Info, Get Sample :Shipping containers are driven by improvement in transportation services, growth of seaborne trade, increase in number of manufacturing facilities, availability of low cost labor in China, and increase in demand for efficient transportation modules across the globe. Variation in prices of steel, and slow economic growth in countries such as China and certain European countries impede the market growth. Implementation of development programs by government organizations are anticipated to provide lucrative opportunities for the stakeholders of this market such as system integrators, container manufacturers, and component providers.The market segmentation is based on size of container, product type, and geography. The size of container segment is further classified into small containers (20 feet), large containers (40 feet), and high cube containers (40 feet). The product type segment is bifurcated into dry storage container, flat rack container, refrigerated container, special purpose container, and others. Geographically, the market is analyzed across North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, UK, The Netherlands, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa).The key players profiled in the global shipping containers market include China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd., TLS Offshore Containers International, CXIC GROUP, A.P. MOLLER - MAERSK GROUP, Singamas Container Holdings Limited, Dong Fang International Asset Management Ltd., W&K Containers, Inc., YMC Container Solutions, China Shipping Container Lines Co. Ltd., and Jindo Co. Ltd.KEY BENEFITS The report includes an extensive analysis of the factors that drive as well as restrain the growth of the global shipping containers market. The market projections from 2015 to 2023 are included along with the impacting factors. The report also offers quantitative as well as qualitative trends to assist the stakeholders to understand the situations prevailing in the market. Competitive intelligence highlights the business practices followed by leading market players across various geographies.MARKET SEGMENTATIONEnquire About Report :BY SIZE OF CONTAINER Small Container (20 feet) Large Container (40 feet) High Cube Container (40 feet)BY PRODUCT TYPE Dry Storage Container Flat Rack Container Refrigerated Container Special Purpose Container OthersBY GEOGRAPHY North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France Italy UK The Netherlands Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China South Korea Japan Singapore Malaysia Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Latin America Middle East AfricaAlso Request For Discount :MARKET PLAYERS IN VALUE CHAIN China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd. TLS Offshore Containers International CXIC GROUP A.P. MOLLER - MAERSK GROUP Singamas Container Holdings Limited Dong Fang International Asset Management Ltd. W&K Containers, Inc. YMC Container Solutions China Shipping Container Lines Co. Ltd. Jindo Co. Ltd.Other players in value chain include (profiles not included in the report) MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. CMA CGM Group Sea Box Inc. TempohousingTable Of Content CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4 SHIPPING CONTAINERS MARKET, BY SIZE OF CONTAINERS CHAPTER 5 SHIPPING CONTAINERS MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE CHAPTER 6 SHIPPING CONTAINERS MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER 7 RELATED INDUSTRY INSIGHTS CHAPTER 8 COMPANY PROFILESAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Hip Replacement Implant Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Johnson and Johnson, Smith and Nephew, Stryker Corporation, Exactech, DJO Global and Others

Hip Replacement Implant Market

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Global Hip Replacement Implant market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely MicroPort Scientific, OMNIlife science, Smith and Nephew, Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, B. Braun, Exactech, DJO Global, Johnson and Johnson and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Hip Replacement Implants are the artificial implant made of metal, plastics or ceramic which are replaced with the hip joint. Hip replacement procedure takes place when hip joint is damaged due to disease or injury.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Hip Replacement Implant Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:B. BraunExactechDJO GlobalJohnson and JohnsonMicroPort ScientificOMNIlife scienceSmith and NephewStryker CorporationZimmer BiometOthersGlobal Hip Replacement Implant Market: Key Product TypeB. BraunExactechDJO GlobalJohnson and JohnsonMicroPort ScientificOMNIlife scienceSmith and NephewStryker CorporationZimmer BiometOthersGlobal Hip Replacement Implant Market: Key Application TypeHospitalsOrthopedic ClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersOthersGlobal Hip Replacement Implant Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Hip Replacement Implant Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Hip Replacement Implant Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Hip Replacement Implant Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 B. Braun1.2.1.2 Exactech1.2.1.3 DJO Global........................Continue (Global Hip Replacement Implant Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Global Grain Analyzer Market 2017  2022: Perten Instruments, Digi-Star International, DINAMICA GENERALE S.p.A., Farmscan AG

Grain Analyzer Market

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Global Grain Analyzer Market Research Report 2017 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Grain Analyzer Market.Get Access to sample pages @Global Grain Analyzer market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes Perten Instruments, Digi-Star International, DINAMICA GENERALE S.p.A., Farmscan AG Pty. Ltd., ISOELECTRIC di Della Bona Oliviero, DICKEY-john, Pfeuffer GmbH, SUPERTECH AGROLINE ApS, Tecnocientifica S.A., Wile, Zeutec Opto-Elektronik GmbH, Foss, SCHALLER GmbH & Fairbanks ScalesGlobal Grain Analyzer (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Portable & BenchtopMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Portable xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Benchtop xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%The research study is segmented by Application such as Farm, Laboratory & Seed Company with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Grain Analyzer (Thousands Units) by Application (2017-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2017 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2017-2022)Farm xx xx xx xx% xx%Laboratory xx xx xx xx% xx%Seed Company xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx 100% xx%Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Grain Analyzer in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2017 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2017-2022)North America xx xx xx xx% xx%Europe xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 119 page research with title Global Grain Analyzer Market Research Report 2017 covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia & India and important players/vendors such as Perten Instruments, Digi-Star International, DINAMICA GENERALE S.p.A., Farmscan AG Pty. Ltd., ISOELECTRIC di Della Bona Oliviero, DICKEY-john, Pfeuffer GmbH, SUPERTECH AGROLINE ApS, Tecnocientifica S.A., Wile, Zeutec Opto-Elektronik GmbH, Foss, SCHALLER GmbH & Fairbanks Scales. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Grain Analyzer , the research gives you a perfect visual, products, submarkets and market leaders revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @This study is the collection of primary and secondary data including valuable information from major vendors in the market and the projections are derived on data from 2012 to current date and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry personnel, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report is a perfect answer to future development roadmap of Grain Analyzer based on ongoing outlook to assist industry player understand the development journey of Grain Analyzer Market.Key questions answered in this report - Global Grain Analyzer Market Research Report 2017What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Grain Analyzer marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Grain Analyzer market spaceBuy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Grain Analyzer market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Grain Analyzer , Applications of Grain Analyzer , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia & India, Grain Analyzer Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Grain Analyzer Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Portable & Benchtop], Market Trend by Application [Farm, Laboratory & Seed Company];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of ;Chapter 12, to describe Grain Analyzer Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Grain Analyzer sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Get customization & check discount for report @Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.Connect with us atHTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218
Global Telecom Operations Managements Market to 2022: Recent Study Including Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players and Forecasts

Telecom Operations Managements Market

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Global Telecom Operations Managements Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Telecom Operations Managements Market.Get Access to sample pages @Global Telecom Operations Managements market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes IBM Corporation, Accenture, Cisco Systems Inc, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard Enterprises, Amdocs, NEC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent & SAP AGGlobal Telecom Operations Managements (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Billing and Revenue Management, Performance Management, Network Management, Inventory Management, Customer and Product Management, Service Assurance Management & OtherMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Billing and Revenue Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Performance Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Network Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Inventory Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Customer and Product Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Service Assurance Management xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Other xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%The research study is segmented by Application such as Enterprise, Government, Utilities & Other with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Telecom Operations Managements (Thousands Units) by Application (2017-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2017 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2017-2022)Enterprise xx xx xx xx% xx%Government xx xx xx xx% xx%Utilities xx xx xx xx% xx%Other xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx 100% xx%Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Telecom Operations Managements in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2017 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2017-2022)United States xx xx xx xx% xx%EU xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 96 page research with title Global Telecom Operations Managements Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as IBM Corporation, Accenture, Cisco Systems Inc, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard Enterprises, Amdocs, NEC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent & SAP AG. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Telecom Operations Managements , the research gives you a perfect visual, products, submarkets and market leaders revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @This study is the collection of primary and secondary data including valuable information from major vendors in the market and the projections are derived on data from 2012 to current date and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry personnel, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report is a perfect answer to future development roadmap of Telecom Operations Managements based on ongoing outlook to assist industry player understand the development journey of Telecom Operations Managements Market.Key questions answered in this report - Global Telecom Operations Managements Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Telecom Operations Managements marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Telecom Operations Managements market spaceBuy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Telecom Operations Managements market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Telecom Operations Managements , Applications of Telecom Operations Managements , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia, Telecom Operations Managements Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Telecom Operations Managements Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Billing and Revenue Management, Performance Management, Network Management, Inventory Management, Customer and Product Management, Service Assurance Management & Other], Market Trend by Application [Enterprise, Government, Utilities & Other];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of ;Chapter 12, to describe Telecom Operations Managements Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Telecom Operations Managements sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Get customization & check discount for report @Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218Connect with us at
Crude Tall Oil Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Industrial Oleochemical, Mets Fiber, Foreverest, Segezga, Torgoviy Dom Lesokhimik and Others

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Global Crude Tall Oil market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Torgoviy Dom Lesokhimik, Industrial Oleochemical, Mets Fiber, GP Chemicals, Foreverest, Segezga and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Crude Tall Oil Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:GP ChemicalsForeverestSegezgaTorgoviy Dom LesokhimikIndustrial OleochemicalMets FiberOthersGlobal Crude Tall Oil Market: Key Product TypeChTOCTO I classOthersGlobal Crude Tall Oil Market: Key Application TypeMetal-working operationsMining industry for flotationObtaining corrosion inhibitors as a component of environmentally-friendly fuelProducing drill fluidsProducing metal-working fluids for metal-rollingSeparating fluids for concrete products industryOthersGlobal Crude Tall Oil Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Crude Tall Oil Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Crude Tall Oil Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Crude Tall Oil Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 ChTO1.2.1.2 CTO I class1.2.2 by Application........................Continue (Global Crude Tall Oil Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Ceiling Tiles Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of around 8.2% by 2023

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Market research future published a half cooked research report on Global Ceiling Tiles Market. The ceiling tiles market is expected to grow at the CAGR of around 8.2% during the period 2017 to 2023Market HighlightsThe increase in the home improvement and the renovation projects in developed countries are driving huge opportunities for the growth of the market. Ceiling tiles are generally used everywhere such as the retail store, offices, hospitals, building perimeter, hotels, and transportation terminals. Growing demand for decorative interior and low maintenance building products, is also expected to generate growth for the market. However, availability of substitutes and fluctuating prices of raw material, may restrict the growth of the market.The Prominent Players in the ceiling tiles market include Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (U.S.), Knauf (Germany), Grenzebach BSH GmbH (Germany), Rockfon (U.S.), USG Corporation (U.S.), Saint Gobain S.A. (France), SAS International (U.K.), Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH (Germany), Hunter Douglas (The Netherlands), Burgess CEP (U.K.)., Decorative Ceiling Tiles, Inc. (U.S.), VANS Gypsum Pvt Ltd (India), The ReWall Company, LLC (U.S.).Request a Sample Copy @Market Research AnalysisFor this study, the global ceiling tiles market has been divided, based on products, installation types and applications. On the basis of products, the market has been segmented as mineral wool, metal, gypsum, wood and others. Among products, mineral wool accounted for the largest market share. Mineral wool includes fibers derived from slag, rock, and glass wool. These have noise reduction characteristics and are highly utilized in commercial spaces that are exposed to noisy surroundings. Gypsum is the second largest product type of the market. Now a days, new eco-friendly gypsum based construction materials have come up, which are expected to fuel the demand of the gypsum product. Based on installation type, the market has been segmented as drop in, and glue up. In glue up, ceiling tiles are attached, directly to a ceiling surface using adhesive.On the basis of application, the market has been segmented as residential and non-residential. Non-residential dominates the application segment of the market and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Ceiling tiles are installed in numerous sub-applications within the non-residential construction sector, in corporate offices, healthcare centers, retail & grocery stores, and educational institutions. They are also installed in cafeterias, hotels, gymnasiums, and airport terminals. Residential is the second largest application segment of the market. Non-residential application is expected to contribute significantly during the forecast period.Enquire about this Report @Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global ceiling tiles market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next six years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global ceiling tiles market by product, by installation type, by application, and region.By Product Mineral Wool Metal Gypsum Wood OthersBy Installation Type Drop In Glue Up WallApplication Residential Non-residentialBy Region North America Asia-Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldTable of Content1... Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3... Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Ceiling Tiles Market, By Product4.1 Introduction4.2 Mineral Wool4.3. Metal4.4 Gypsum4.5 Woods4.6 Others5 Global S Market, By Installation TypeContinue.Browse Full Report Details @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:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Citronella Oil Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Nanchang Yang Pu Natural Essence and Spice Co., EOAS, Reho Natural Ingredients, VIETNAM ESSENTIAL OIL., JSC, Yunnan Tian Lake Essential Oil Company Ltd and Others

Citronella Oil Market

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Global Citronella Oil market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Yunnan Aroma Source, Yunnan Tian Lake Essential Oil Company Ltd, Karimun Kencana Aromatics, Manohar Botanical Extracts Pvt. Ltd, Reho Natural Ingredients, VIETNAM ESSENTIAL OIL., JSC, Anhui Great Nation Essential Oils Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Hengcheng Natural Flavor Oil Co., Ltd, Nanchang Yang Pu Natural Essence and Spice Co., EOAS, Van Aroma and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Citronella oil is one of the essential oils obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol. These chemicals find extensive use in soap, candles and incense, perfumery, cosmetic, and flavouring industries throughout the world. Citronella oil is also a plant-based insect repellent and has been registered for this use in the United States since 1948. The United States Environmental Protection Agency considers oil of citronella as a biopesticide with a non-toxic mode of action.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Citronella Oil Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Anhui Great Nation Essential Oils Co., Ltd.Jiangxi Hengcheng Natural Flavor Oil Co., LtdNanchang Yang Pu Natural Essence and Spice Co.EOASVan AromaYunnan Aroma SourceYunnan Tian Lake Essential Oil Company LtdKarimun Kencana AromaticsManohar Botanical Extracts Pvt. LtdReho Natural IngredientsVIETNAM ESSENTIAL OIL., JSCOthersGlobal Citronella Oil Market: Key Product TypeCeylon TypeJava TypeOthersGlobal Citronella Oil Market: Key Application TypeFood and DrinkDaily Chemical ProductOthersGlobal Citronella Oil Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Citronella Oil Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Citronella Oil Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Citronella Oil Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Ceylon Type1.2.1.2 Java Type1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Food and Drink1.2.2.2 Daily Chemical Product1.2.2.3 Others........................Continue (Global Citronella Oil Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
LNG Regasification India Market 2017 -Develop Market-Entry and Market Expansion Strategies

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Pune, India, 20th November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled H2 2017 Global Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook for LNG Regasification Terminals - India and China Impel Global Capacity Growth.Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification capacity is expected grow by 43.7% during the 20172021 period, from 42.9 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2017 to 61.8 tcf in 2021.Among regions, Asia and Europe lead in terms of both planned regasification capacity additions and capital expenditure (capex) spending. These two regions together contribute more than 55% of the global regasification capacity growth and more than 70% of the global capex spending during the outlook period. Asia is expected to contribute about 11.4 tcf of the global regasification capacity through 70 projects, followed by Europe with 3.2 tcf of planned capacity additions through 21 projects.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Among countries, India and China lead in terms of planned regasification capacity additions with 4 tcf and 2.3 tcf, respectively. In terms of capex for LNG regasification projects during the outlook period 20172021, Asia and Europe again lead with proposed capex of US$42.5 billion and US$11.5 billion, respectively. Globally, China, with proposed capex of US$15.7 billion, leads in terms of most capex spending countries, followed by India with US$6.5 billion and Indonesia with US$5.2 billion.In terms of capacity additions among companies, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation leads globally with 1.1 tcf by 2021. Shandong Hanas New Energy Co. Ltd and Excelerate Energy LP follow with 633 billion cubic feet (bcf) and 573 bcf, respectively.ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Chlamydia Infection Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Danaher Corporation, BioMerieux, Siemens AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Fujirebio, Abbott Laboratories and Others

Chlamydia Infection Market

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Global Chlamydia Infection market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely NANOGEN Biopharmaceutical, Siemens AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Novartis, Fujirebio, Abbott Laboratories, Danaher Corporation, BioMerieux, DiaSorin and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Chlamydia infection, often simply known as chlamydia, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Most people who are infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do develop this can take a few weeks following infection to occur Symptoms in women may include vaginal discharge or burning with urination. Symptoms in men may include discharge from the penis, burning with urination, or pain and swelling of one or both testicles.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Chlamydia Infection Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Abbott LaboratoriesDanaher CorporationBioMerieuxDiaSorinNANOGEN BiopharmaceuticalSiemens AGThermo Fisher ScientificNovartisFujirebioOthersGlobal Chlamydia Infection Market: Key Product TypeTherapeuticDiagnosticOthersGlobal Chlamydia Infection Market: Key Application TypeGenital DiseaseEye DiseaseJointsOthersGlobal Chlamydia Infection Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Chlamydia Infection Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Chlamydia Infection Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Chlamydia Infection Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Therapeutic1.2.1.2 Diagnostic1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Genital Disease1.2.2.2 Eye Disease1.2.2.3 Joints1.2.2.4 Others........................Continue (Global Chlamydia Infection Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Heatex, Hoval, Nortek Air Solutions, Oy Ekocoil, Munters, PRE-heat and Others

Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market

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Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely VES, PRE-heat, Inc., Oy Ekocoil, Munters, Trane, Air Change, Daikin, Heatex, Hoval, Nortek Air Solutions, XeteX, Klingenburg and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Air-to-air heat exchanger usually used in HRV devices, and can be divided into the following categories, like cross flow heat exchanger, plate heat exchanger, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:HeatexHovalNortek Air SolutionsXeteXKlingenburgVESPRE-heat, Inc.Oy EkocoilMuntersTraneAir ChangeDaikinOthersGlobal Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market: Key Product TypeCross flow heat exchangerPlate heat exchangerOthersGlobal Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market: Key Application TypeIndustrialCommercialOthersGlobal Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Cross flow heat exchanger1.2.1.2 Plate heat exchanger1.2.1.3 Others........................Continue (Global Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
RACINE  As soon as she saw the opening posted for executive director of the Womens Resource Center in Racine, Lyn Hildenbrand knew she wanted it.

My heart has always been with womens issues, she said.

Hildenbrand, who describes herself as a feminist whos interested in equity and equality, is a Milwaukee native who has worked in nonprofits for the past 25 years.

She began her nonprofit work running after-school programs at the YWCA of Southeastern Wisconsin. Later she was the fund development director at Feeding America and then was president of St. Joseph Academy. She started at the WRC, a local domestic violence program, in May.

Hildenbrand feels she can relate to those who stay in the Racine shelter on a personal level.

Im a survivor of domestic violence, she said.

In her view, the work she does fits into her growth and development as a person.

Being able to be here and knowing what I know and what I went through, I can be much more empathetic, she said. I walked the walk.

The shelters

WRC provides shelter to victims of domestic abuse at its 32-bed shelter in Racine, as well as at the 16-bed Dover Healing House in western Racine County. The shelters are open to all victims of domestic violence, including men, women, their children and transgender people.

Last year, the WRCs two shelters housed about 400 people. Its crisis line received 1,165 calls for help and advice.

Hildenbrand hopes that she is a role model for the women she and her co-workers help. Although she never had to stay at a shelter, Hildenbrand went through trauma and came out on the other side.

Still, I survived it, she said. After I left that situation I was able to finish my degree. I was able to get jobs in the areas that I wanted. I was able to grow and develop.

She feels this is where shes supposed to be.

Its sort of like a coming home kind of thing, she said. I can just use what Ive been through.

How WRC helps

WRC and its shelters work to help victims of domestic violence feel safe, whole and become self-sufficient.

In addition to emergency shelter, the organization provides prevention education and outreach, legal advocacy services and counseling to its clients.

Were a trauma-informed care organization, which means we recognize people for the trauma theyve gone through as a domestic violence survivor and build their programs keeping that in mind, she said. We help them get whole by treating each person as an individual and helping them to figure out what their strengths are because sometimes they dont know.

Changes at WRC

The Dover Healing House was initially opened in July 2016, but was closed in February 2017 after the heaters broke down. Day services at the Healing House started again in May, and it opened for shelter services in October.

WRC recently added seven new staff members, including someone who helps clients with legal matters and a male staffer who will work in a mentoring program with young men who are at risk of continuing the cycle of abuse. The other new workers are advocates who work directly with clients.

Future needs and hopes

Hildenbrand knows that one of the Racine shelters needs is electrical work. The home, built in 1904, only has a capacity to run one washer and dryer. This can be problematic when the shelter is at its 32-resident capacity.

Hildenbrand has a dream that different organizations will adopt each bedroom, painting them and providing bedding for each new client. This would also allow clients who graduate from the shelter to take their bedding with them to help them get started in a new household.

She also hopes in the future to put together kits containing things like dishes, silverware and pots and pans for those leaving the shelter.

WRC  which is funded by a variety of sources, including grants and donations  often looks to volunteers for help.

We work on a slim budget, Hildenbrand said.

The organization is currently in need of a volunteer handyman to help with projects around the shelter, as well as someone to set up a website.

The shelters are also always in need of donations of everyday household items like towels, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, laundry soap and personal hygiene items.

Anyone wishing to donate items, volunteer, or who is in need of help can contact the WRC at 262-633-3233.
Global Titanium Dioxide which is expected to reach US$ 51.450 billion by 2023

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Synopsis of Titanium Dioxide MarketCommenting on this report, an analyst from Market Research Future (MRFR)s team said, Global Titanium Dioxide Market size is expected to grow at USD ~51.450 billion by 2023. The market witnessed a significant growth over the forecasted period owing to growing applications such as into paints, plastics, photo-electrode, pigment, paper, cosmetics, food additives, and others.Titanium dioxide represented by the linear formula as TiO2 and commercially available in two crystal structures i.e. anatase and rutile. Due to its high purity, high specific surface area, good thermal and chemical stability, outstanding catalytic and photo-catalytic efficiency the product is suitable for many photo-catalytic applications, Suitable for the construction of efficient dye-sensitized solar cells, Additive and raw material for ceramic and metal materials as bonding agent, sintering additive, and anatase structure of titanium dioxide also makes it suitable for use as an effective UV filter.Surge In Demand Of Titanium Dioxide Is Set For Potential Growth In Asia-Pacific MarketRequest a Sample Copy @Key PlayersKey players of the global titanium dioxide market are DuPont (US), Tronox Limited (US), CRISTAL (Saudi Arabia), The Chemours Company Chemours (US), NL Industries, Inc (US), Shandong Doguide Group Co., Ltd (China), Argex Titanium Inc. (North America), Huntsman International LLC. (US), Evonik Industries (Germany), Tayca Corporation (Japan), Others.Segment AnalysisThe global titanium dioxide market has been segmented into application and end use industries. On the basis of application, the market has been divided into paints, coatings, plastics, photo-electrode, pigment, paper, cosmetics, food additives, and others. Among these applications paints and coatings have cover the largest market followed by plastics, photo-electrode, pigment, paper, cosmetics, food additives, and others.Titanium dioxide is the most important white pigment which is used primarily in the coatings industry. It is widely used because it efficiently scatters visible light, thereby imparting whiteness, brightness and opacity when applying into a coating industry. Titanium dioxide used in various type of coating industry such as architectural coating, packaging coating, transportation coating, industrial coating, and others. Above all architectural coating capture the largest titanium dioxide market share followed by industrial coating and packaging coatings.Enquire about this Report @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers4.1.3 Threat Of Substitutes4.1.4 Segment Rivalry4.2 Value Chain/Supply Chain Of Global Titanium Dioxide Market5 Industry Overview Of Global Titanium Dioxide MarketContinue.List of TablesTable 1 World Population By Major Regions (2015 To 2030) (Billion)Table 2 Global Titanium Dioxide Market: By Region, 2014-2023 (USD Billion)Table 3 North America Titanium Dioxide Market: By Country, 2014-2023 (USD Billion)Table 4 Europe Titanium Dioxide Market: By Country, 2014-2023 (USD Billion)Table 5 Asia-Pacific Titanium Dioxide Market: By Country, 2014-2023 (USD Billion)Table 6 RoW Titanium Dioxide Market: By Country, 2014-2023 (USD Billion)Table 7 Global Titanium Dioxide By Application Market: By Regions, 2014-2023ContinueBrowse Full Report Details @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:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Increasing Occurrence of Car Thefts is Propelling the Demand for Car Security Systems Globally, according to Research Nester.

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Car Security System Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024The global car security system market is segmented into car type such as economic cars, mid-range cars and premium Cars. Among these segments, mid-range car segment is growing at a considerable pace owing to increasing sales of mid-range cars across the globe. Factors such as changing lifestyle of mid class families is increasing the demand for mid-range cars. Moreover, availability of various car security systems at affordable cost is anticipated to fuel the growth of mid-range car segment over the forecast period.Global car security system market is expected to register a 13.2% CAGR over the forecast period. Moreover, the global car security system market is expected to reach at notable revenue of USD 12.2 Billion by the end of 2024. Increasing incidence of car thefts and rising disposable income of the consumers are some of the major factors which are likely to escalate the growth of global car security system market. Furthermore, technological advancements in car security system are also anticipated to fuel the demand for car security system.The face detection systems segment by technology is likely to experience significant growth during the forecast period. Consumers inclination towards advanced technologies and increased spending on car safety are major factors which are envisioned to foster the growth of this segment over the forecast period.Request Report Sample@Increasing Incidence of Vehicle TheftIncreasing attempts of car thefts is a major concern amongst the population. According to U.S. Department of Justice, motor vehicles were stolen in United States at a rate of 236.9 per 100,000 people in 2016. Furthermore, increasing number of stolen vehicles is key factor which has led population to install advanced car security system to prevent occurrence of car thefts.Technological Advancements in Car Security SystemsIncreasing concerns regarding safety of vehicles and theft prevention are fuelling the demand for potential car security systems. Smart phone car security, biometric, video recorder, face detection system are some of the technologies which are showcasing great potential in car security system market. Although, high cost of premium car security system and presence of poor quality of products by local companies are some of the factors that are likely to hinder the expansion of the Car Security System Market in the near future.The report titled Car Security System Market : Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024 delivers detailed overview of the global car security system market in terms of market segmentation by car type, by sales channel, by product type, by technology and by region. Further, for the in-depth analysis, the report encompasses the industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.Request For TOC Here:This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global car security system market which includes company profiling of Continental A.G., Delphi Automotive LLP, Hella KGaA Hueak & Co., Tokai Rika Co Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH, Denso Corporation, Strattec Security Corporation, Witte Automotive, Omron Corporation and Alps Electric Co., Ltd. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which encompasses business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. On the whole, the report depicts detailed overview of the global car security system market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Buy This Premium Reports Now @Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting, serving clients from 120+ countries across the globe. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Contact for more Info:Name:- Ajay Daniel1820 Avenue M, Suite# 1113,Brooklyn, New York 11230Email: ajay.daniel@researchnester.comU.S. +1 646 586 9123U.K. +44 203 608 5919
Smart Materials Market Global Industry Analysis 2023

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The smart materials market is growing with a considerable rate due to the high convenience offering property of the smart materials technology to the increasing aging population in the world. Smart packaging in consumer goods is one of the major trends that can be seen in the smart materials market. The main focus of the manufacturers is expected to be on better design and optimal use of materials for producing packages that could easily be opened. Investment in research and development is increasing due to the factors such as reducing waste, legislation and demand for higher quality of life from consumers end. The smart materials market is expected to grow in the coming years due to rise in demand of the smart materials from the construction industry.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:A material is considered as a smart material when the input stimulus of a variable changes the output of other variables which were not given as input. If there is a change in external environment such as light, pressure, temperature and electricity, then the smart materials would change some of its properties with respect to the change in environment. The reaction of different smart materials varies with the chemical structure of the materials. The materials sense the change in the environment and reacts to it by varying their properties for adopting the surroundings.The smart materials market can be categorized on the basis of applications as sensors, structural materials, actuators and motors, transducers, energy harvesting devices, and mechanical structures. On the basis of end users, the smart materials market can be categorized as agriculture and food, leisure and sports, construction and infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare. Under construction industry, smart materials are mostly used in structural health monitoring, whose main focus is to monitor detection and loads of damage to the structures.Request For Sample Pages:Rising piezoelectric devices usage and burgeoning artificial organ and bionics industry are some of the factors driving the growth of the smart materials market. Increasing number of end user applications for the smart materials is an opportunity for the smart materials market to grow at a considerable rate in the coming years. A challenge in transforming research and development of smart materials to end user applications is a factor that is restraining the growth of the smart materials market to some extent.Some of the competitors in the smart materials market are Advanced Cerametrics, Inc., Channel Technologies Group, LLC, Wright Medical Group, Inc., CeramTec GmbH, APC International, Ltd., Kyocera Corporation, TDK Corporation, LORD Corporation, CTS Corporation and NOLIAC A/S.P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Aquaculture Market Shares, Strategies and Forecast Worldwide 2013 to 2019

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The global market for aquaculture is highly fragmented and comprises a large pool of medium and large size players, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a research report. The competition in the market is anticipated to intensify over the coming years owing to the strategies being applied by the existing players such as enhancing the production capacity of the existing plants and also set up new plants. Many vendors are focusing on developing novel and advanced manufacturing plants. The players are also entering into agreements with other players or acquiring smaller players for increasing their production capacity and thus which will eventually allow them to meet the growing demand for seafood across the globe. Some of the creme companies operating in the market are Tassal Group Ltd, Thai Union Frozen Products Public Company Ltd., Stehr Group Pty Ltd., Selonda Aqauculture S.A., Stolt Sea Farm, Nireus Aquaculture S.A., Promarisco, Huon Aquaculture Group Pty Ltd., Marine Harvest ASA, Eastern Fish Co., Cermaq ASA, Cooke Aquaculture Inc., Blue Ridge Aquaculture, and Asmak.Download exclusive Sample of this report:According to a TMR analyst, The global aquaculture market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.10% from 2013 to 2019. In 2013, the market was worth US$135.1 bn and is likely to touch US$195.1 bn by the end of 2019. Based on the key products, the market was led by the segment of carps owing to the high compatibility they display in tough environment conditions in comparison to other fishes. Region-wise, Asia Pacific excluding China is likely to surface as a lucrative region owing to the growing consumption of sea food in the region. China, on the other hand, is likely to emerge undefeated as it likely to hold over 60% of the total share in the global market for aquaculture by 2018.Health Benefits to Play Key Role in Market ExpansionAquaculture is the quickest developing system of food production globally because of the absence of normally accessible assortments of fisheries gathered in indigenous habitats. The expanding familiarity with the medical advantages and nutritious esteem related with fish has quickened its utilization. Oceanic items, particularly cultivated shrimps and salmons, are very nutritious wellsprings of sustenance, comprising of essential proteins, vitamins A, B, D, and Niacin, nd minerals like iodine, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. These nourishments additionally have a huge wellspring of Omega-3 unsaturated fats, for instance, eicosapentaenoic corrosive (EPA). And docosahexaenoic corrosive (DHA). The high nearness of minerals and imperative supplements in fish assume a urgent part in the change of mental health and proliferation. Such nutritive favorable circumstances of aquaculture items have the reliance of individuals on these nourishment sources, bringing about the general development of the market amid the gauge time frame.Obtain Report Details @Freshwater Aquaculture to Present Future Lucrative OpportunitiesAquaculture can be led in crisp, saline, or marine water, in light of the expected deliver. Of these, freshwater aquaculture is the main income generator for the worldwide aquaculture market and is probably going to remain the prevailing portion in the coming years. While angle caught from normal waters have constituted most of the worldwide fish market, this has prompted extreme consumption of the fish populace in many parts of the world. This has prompted freshwater aquaculture, which is generally completed in misleadingly arranged tanks and lakes, going up against a vital part in the worldwide aquaculture market.In any case, the demand for marine species stays high over the world. Since most fish can solely make due in either marine or new water, this has prompted a developing appropriation of aquaculture in marine water. Marine aquaculture is in this way liable to be a main supporter of the worldwide aquaculture market in the coming years.This review of the market is based on a recent report by Transparency Market Research, titled, Aquaculture Market (Environment - Marine Water, Freshwater, Brackish Water; Product - Carps, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Salmon, Trout, Milkfish, Mackerel, Sea Bass, Trout, Sea Bream) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 - 2019.Global aquaculture market is segmented as:Aquaculture Market: Culture Environment Segment AnalysisFreshwaterMarine waterBrackish waterAquaculture Market: Product Segment AnalysisCarpsMollusksCrustaceansSalmonMilkfishTroutMackerelSea BreamSea BassOthers (Catfish and turbot)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:
Ultrafiltration Membrane Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Dow, Mitsubishi Rayon, Pentair(X-Flow), Toray, Koch, Asahi Kasei, Applied Membranes and Others

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Global Ultrafiltration Membrane market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Degremont Technologies, Applied Membranes, United Envirotech(Memstar), BASF(inge GmbH), TriSep, Synder Filtration, Dow, Koch, Asahi Kasei, GE, Evoqua Water Technologies, Mitsubishi Rayon, Toray, Pentair(X-Flow) and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.The Ultrafiltration Membrane is fruit that originally cultivated in Mexico and Central America. The Ultrafiltration Membrane tree (Persea Americana) is currently widely planted in tropical and Mediterranean climate area. It is classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. The fruit is also named as alligator pear. Trees are partially self-pollinating and the growers often propagate through grafting to keep quality and quantity of the fruit.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Ultrafiltration Membrane Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:KochAsahi KaseiGEEvoqua Water TechnologiesMitsubishi RayonTorayPentair(X-Flow)Degremont TechnologiesApplied MembranesUnited Envirotech(Memstar)BASF(inge GmbH)TriSepSynder FiltrationDowOthersGlobal Ultrafiltration Membrane Market: Key Product TypeOrganic MembraneInorganic MembraneOthersGlobal Ultrafiltration Membrane Market: Key Application TypeDrinking WaterIndustrialPharmaceuticalFood and BioengineeringSeawater ReverseOsmosis PretreatmentOthersGlobal Ultrafiltration Membrane Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Ultrafiltration Membrane Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Ultrafiltration Membrane Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Ultrafiltration Membrane Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Ultrafiltration Membrane Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
The Global Thrombectomy Devices Market is Estimated to be Worth US$1,974.5mn by 2022.

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Thrombectomy Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2022 This report on the global thrombectomy devices market projects the demand to increment at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. The report has been developed by experience market research analysts and aspires to serve as a credible business tool for targeted audiences such as healthcare service provides including hospitals and surgical centers, government regulatory authorities, non-government organizations, clinical research organizations, research laboratories and academic institutes, and research and development companies.Click here for Free Sample Report @Increasing acquisition or collaboration of small specialized hospitals by tier-1 hospitals, increasing prevalence of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, escalating number of product approvals and patents, ongoing technological advancements in minimally invasive surgeries, favorable reimbursement policies and improving healthcare infrastructure in a number of emerging economies are some of the key factors augmenting the demand in the global thrombectomy devices market. On the other hand, strict regulatory policies, lack of awareness among the patients pertaining to thrombectomy, which results in delayed treatment for peripheral vascular diseases, lack of product differentiation, adverse effects of thrombectomy devices, and increase in product recalls are a few factors obstructing the market for thrombectomy devices from attaining its true potential. Increasing number of research activities in the field of thrombectomy and diversifying application of ultrasound in vascular treatment are opening new opportunities in the global thrombectomy devices market, whereas strategic acquisitions of business segments and technological advancements in the advent of laser and UV radiation are some of the key trends.This report on the global thrombectomy devices market explores the current and future prospects of the demand across the globe. The report not only aspires to serve the stakeholders of companies that are engaged in the manufacturing and commercialization of thrombectomy devices, but also is directed towards new entrants who are aiming to enter this market. This report comprises an elaborate executive summary along with a market snapshot providing overall information on global thrombectomy devices market dynamics, supply chain, cost structure, list of distributors, average pricing, and technological assessment. This section also provides the overall information and data analysis of the global thrombectomy devices market with respect to the leading market segments based on major products, end user, application, and regions.Browse Full Report With TOC @Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: SegmentationsOn the basis of product, the global thrombectomy devices market has been segmented into aspiration, mechanical, ultrasonic, and hydrodynamic. On the basis of end-use, the market for thrombectomy devices has been bifurcated into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), clinics, and others. Application-wise, this report on the global thrombectomy devices market classifies it into cardiovascular, neurovascular, and peripheral vascular. Geographically, the report takes stock of the potential of thrombectomy devices market in the regions of North America (The U.S. and Canada), Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina), Europe (Germany, France, Spain, The U.K., Italy, and Nordic), Asia Pacific except Japan (China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and Singapore), The Middle East and Africa (GCC countries, Nigeria, South Africa, and Israel), and in the country of Japan. For each of these countries, the report provides revenue comparison on the basis of product, end user, and application.Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeStryker Corporation, Argon Medical Devices Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic PLC, Penumbra, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, BTG International Ltd., Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Phenox GmbH, Teleflex Inc., Terumo Corporation, and Spectranetics Corporation are some of the key companies currently operating in the global thrombectomy devices market. The report throws light on the existing competitive landscape, market shares of the companies, analysis of recent strategic decisions such as mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and product launches, and other details.Market Research Reports Search Engine(MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite :Read More Industry News At:
Transparent Ceramics Market Forecasts,Industry Share & Size Business Report 2017

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Progressive Markets added a report titled, "Transparent Ceramics Market- Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis, and Forecast, 2014-2025". According to the in-depth analysis, the global market is expected to grow at a considerable growth rate during the forecast period. Elaborate tables and figures illustrate vital information such as the market value based on the market segmentation for the period 2014-2025.Continue to Report Description and Full ToC:Transparent ceramics generally have an isotopic lattice structure, i.e. a cubic structure. These inorganic solid materials can transmit light of desired wavelengths through them. In the recent years, transparent ceramics have gained widespread acceptance in various sectors owing to their advanced features and optical properties. These properties offered by transparent ceramics are perfect for applications such as optical components, solid-state lasers, scintillators, and nonlinear optics.Drivers & Restraints:Several factors play a crucial role in the overall growth and development of the global transparent ceramics market. With rapid advancements in technology, these materials are gradually replacing traditional materials such as glass, plastic, and metal. Transparent ceramics are the ideal choice for applications that demand robust mechanical properties, along with high-quality transparency.The rate of thermal expansion is lower in comparison to the conventional materials. A growth in the investments and expenses of the defense sector made on the development of advanced materials and technologies drives the growth of the transparent ceramic industry. They are widely used in the development of armors, ballistic missiles, household goods, night vision devices, and the energy sector, thus propelling the growth of the market.Do Inquiry for Sample Report@The global transparent ceramics market is segmented by type, material, application, and the geography. The types of transparent ceramics available in the market include polycrystalline transparent ceramics, monocrystalline transparent ceramics, and others such as ceramic nanomaterials and glass-ceramics. Based on the material, the market is further bifurcated into spinel, sapphire, aluminum oxynitride, yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), and others such as Yttria [Y203] and composites of nanomaterials.Owing to its added benefits over other materials, transparent ceramics find applications in various sectors ranging from sensors & instrumentation, aerospace, defense & security, healthcare, consumer goods, Optics & optoelectronics, energy, and mechanical/chemical industries. Based on the geographical segmentation, the presence of the market is analyzed in the regions of North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and LAMEA. The report includes the transparent ceramics market forecast for each of the aforesaid segments for the duration 2014-2025.Key PlayersThe leading players profiled in the report include CeramTec ETEC, CoorsTek Inc., Surmet Corporation, Schott AG, II-VI Incorporated, Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Konoshima Chemicals Co., Ltd., Ceranova Corporation, CILAS, and Brightcrystals Technology Inc. These organizations collectively account for the major transparent ceramic market share. The company overview, financials and business segments, and the recent developments and milestones achieved in the transparent ceramics market are included in the report. Information about the mergers, acquisitions, and the winning strategies adopted by the leading players assist the entry-level organizations in formulating key business moves to expand their reach in the market.Key BenefitsQuantitative analysis of the current transparent ceramics industry assists in identifying the most lucrative investment options, in terms of revenue and growth. Porter's Five Forces Model analyzes the influence of the bargaining powers of the buyers and suppliers, the intensity of competitive rivalry, and the threat of substitutes and new entrants, on the dynamics of the market.Do Inquiry before purchasing Report@The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the major drivers, restraints, & opportunities available in the global transparent ceramics market, and highlights the current and emerging market trends. The transparent ceramics market size during 2014-2016 gives a deeper understanding of the changing dynamics of the industry. Vital statistics, tables, and figures are included to add credibility to the information presented in the report. The study also includes the global transparent ceramics market shares analysis for the duration 2014-2025.About ProgressiveThe company makes use of primary corporate research and secondary inputs from trusted sources to build its own reference base. It maintains consistency in quality as it keeps itself updated with changes in market dynamics and gauging its net effect on global business trends.Reach UsMr. Shriram Dighe4th Floor, Unit 12, Marisoft III,West Wing, Marigold IT Park,Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014,India: +91 20 66346040Toll Free: + 1-888-906-9222help@progressivemarkets.com
Car Rental Market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of 17.94% between 2017-2021 : Rising consolidation

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Car rental services operate in a network of pick-up/drop-off points and offer a range of vehicles. The vehicles are owned by an organization or firm that rents them to users for short periods of time, based on daily, monthly, or annual plans. Car rental has grown from a basic service provided by popular organizations to a widely recognized component of the urban transport market. It is also swiftly developing into a globalized industry that can provide many transportation, land use, environmental, and social benefits.Technavios analysts forecast the car rental market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of 17.94% during the period 2017-2021.Get the sample copy of report :Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the car rental mark et in Europe for 2017-2021. The report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:Western EuropeEastern EuropeTechnavio's report, Car Rental Market in Europe 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 vendorsAvis BudgetEnterpriseEuropcarHertzSixtSend an enquiry :Other prominent vendorsAlphabetArvalHermesIrish Car RentalMaggioreMarket driverRising consolidationFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeStringent rules for car rental in EuropeFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendElectric cars in rental industryFor 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?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 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 School Uniform Market - Assessment, Intelligence, Share Analysis and Industry Growth Report 2017

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The next in our huge database is Publishes the Global School Uniform Market Research Report 2017. It is divided on the basis of applications, the various technologies used, the geography and the types.We aim to give a detailed overview along with a well-researched analysis and up-to date data along with the industrys consumption value and the sales price.This report studies School Uniform in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This Study examine information as well as product or service requirements, constructing procedure, as well as product or service expense structure, and many more.Processings done seperately by regions,technologies, together with applications.Geographically it is divided School Uniform Market into seven prime regions which are on the basis of sales, revenue, and market share and growth rate.North America,Europe,China,Japan,Southeast Asia and IndiaGET SAMPLE REPORT @School Uniform Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingOASIS, Lands End, Dress Code Sweaters, Modest Apparel, Schooluniforms.Com, Dapper Snappers Belts, Flynn, Perry Uniform, Michael's School Uniforms, The School Outfit, RIMAS, Luming Uniform, Elder Manufacturing Company, Fraylich School Uniforms,Louis Long, Ivyclub, LT Apparel Group, Boruang, Skoolooks and Smart F&DMore detailed information, please feel free to contact :On the basis of product categorization, the report displays the production, revenue, price and the growth rate of each time mainly split intoDress,Suits,Shoes and OthersIt also focuses on the end users and applications on the basis of the different users such asPrimary School,Middle/Senior High School,College,Public Service and OthersThe above report can be customized according to your needs.We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets worldwide, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.Table of Contents1 School Uniform Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of School Uniform1.2 School Uniform Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global School Uniform Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global School Uniform Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Dress1.2.4 Suits1.2.5 Shoes1.2.6 OthersBROWSE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS and REPORT DESCRIPTION @About Us:Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Prime focus is to get reliable data based on large samples of the population to analyse using Data Analytics techniques.Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Contactless Smart Card Market Trends 2017 Demand By Key Players(Sony, Morpho, Gemalto, Oberthur)

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Global Contactless Smart Card Market 2017Global Contactless Smart Card Market Report Based On Defination, Status and Forecast 2022 contains a market overview of the industry which talks about market Application, production, Consumption, revenue, Gross margin, sales volumes and figures, growth estimation in coming years, current industry leaders and their sales/revenue metrics.Request For Free Sample Report Here :This report studies the global Contactless Smart Card market, analyzes and researches the Contactless Smart Card development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMorphoGemaltoOberthurGiesecke & DevrientSonyInfineonNXPCardLogixWatchdataAdvanced Card SystemsSpringCardSecura KeyDataCardGet Discount Here :Market segment by Type, Contactless Smart Card can be split intoRFIDRFICRFCPUMarket segment by Application, Contactless Smart Card can be split intoTransportationContactless Bank CardsIdentificationRequest for the Full Report Here @Key Points From TOC1. Global Contactless Smart Card Market Research Report 20172. Global Contactless Smart Card Market Competition by Manufacturers3. Global Contactless Smart Card Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4. Global Contactless Smart Card Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5. Global Contactless Smart Card Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6. Global Contactless Smart Card Market Analysis by Application7. Global Contactless Smart Card Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8. Contactless Smart Card Manufacturing Cost Analysis9. Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10.Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11.Market Effect Factors Analysis12.Global Contactless Smart Card Market Forecast (2017-2022)13.Research Findings and ConclusionThe above report can be customized according to your needs.We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets worldwide, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.About UsReports Monitor is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.About UsReports Monitor is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Electric Balance Market Report provides Company and Distribution Shares & Market Outlook to 2022

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This report covers the global Electric Balance market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Electric Balance Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Electric Balance market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are A&D Company Ltd., Mettler-Toledo International Inc., Sartorius AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Acculab Inc., Avery Weigh-Tronix Inc., Adam Equipment Co., BEL Engineering srl, Bonso Electronics Ltd., CAS Corp., Contech Instruments Ltd., Gram Precision S.L., Intelligent Weighing Technology Inc., Kern & Sohn GmbH, Ohaus Corp., Precisa Gravimetrics AG, RADW AG, Scientech Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Setra Systems Inc..The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.On the basis of product, this Electric Balance industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Top Loading Balance, Analytical Balance.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Electric Balance Market for each application, including Pharmaceutical Research, Scientific Research, Industrial, Food Research, Educational Research, Others.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Electric Balance Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Electric Balance Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Electric Balance Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Electric Balance Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets worldwide, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Us:Office C & D - 4th Floor,Siddhi Towers,Above Rupee Bank,Kondhwa Road,Pune 4481618048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59481618Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Research Report and Overview on Commercial Seed Market, 2012-2018

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a research report on the global commercial seed market. According to the report, the market was valued US$34.5 bn in 2011. The market is further expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.90% during the period from 2012 to 2018 and reach a value of US$53.3 bn by the end of the forecast period.The research report, titled Commercial Seeds Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 - 2018, states that rise in the global population, increasing usage of biofuels, and augmenting demand for animal feed and oleochemicals are fueling the global commercial seed market.Download exclusive Sample of this report:The challenges faced by the worldwide commercial seed market are also explained in this report at length. The market faces challenge from patent-related issues. Several companies have successfully gained patents on advanced methods of plant breeding, restricting others to conventional methods. These patents have also restricted others players from using specified genetic traits in the procedure of plant breeding.The global commercial seed market has become increasingly consolidated due to patent hegemony and 75% of the total market has been captured by top ten market players. Apart from this, the rising concerns over risk associated with genetically modifying crops are also hampers the growth of this market to a significant extent, states the report.Commercial seeds and bio-seeds (GM seeds) are the two main components of the global commercial seeds market, states the report. In the commercial seeds segment, maize crop led the global market in 2011 with 40% of the market in term of revenue, while soybean and other vegetable seeds collectively accounted for more than 30% of the overall market, in the same year. The market for maize crops is expected to report the fastest growth over the forecast period, cites the market study.Obtain Report Details @Further, the report discusses the GM Seeds market, in which the soybean seed segment witnessed the highest demand and contributed more than 40% of the total revenue generated by the market in 2011. However, the market for corn is likely to report the fastest growth in this market segment during the forecast period.The report also analyzes the global commercial seed market in terms of region. North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World are the major regional markets for commercial seed. In 2011, the North America commercial seed market accounted for more than 30% of the global market, positioning itself on the top.The commercial seed market in Asia Pacific and Europe captured second and third position, respectively. The report predicts extensive growth in the Asia Pacific commercial seed market owing to rise in demand for commercial seed from developing Asian economies during the forecast period.The major participants in the global commercial seed market are Monsanto Co., Syngenta Int. AG, DuPont Pioneer, Vilmorin & Cie SA, Bayer CropScience, KWS SAAT AG, Dow AgroSciences, Takii & Co. Ltd., Sakata Seed Corp., DLF-Trifolium, and AgReliant Genetics LLC. Monsanto led the global market with 20% share in 2011, reports the market study.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:
Fresh Cherries Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2017-2022

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With a large pool of fresh cherries vendors operating across the world, the global fresh cherries market is demonstrating a highly competitive business landscape, finds a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The continuous entry of new players into this market is expected to intensify the competition in the years to come. Leelanau Fruit, Rainier Fruit, Vitin Fruits, Dell's Marachino Cherries, Alacam Tarim, The Global Green Company, Smelterz Orchard, Hood River Cherry, and Bel'Export are some of the most prominent vendors of fresh cherries across the world, states the research report.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Increasing Preference for Fresh Fruits Reflect Positively on Demand for Fresh CherriesThe rising awareness among consumers regarding the harmful effects of chemicals and preservatives, used for food preservation, has surfaced as the key factor behind the significant growth of the global market for fresh cherries, says a TMR analyst. People, nowadays, are preferring fresh fruits and vegetables for consumption, which is influencing the demand for fresh cherries, considerably. The markets opportunity is expected to increase to US$3.9 bn by 2017. Researchers expect this market to continue registering a high rise, expanding at a CAGR of 5.50% during the period from 2017 to 2022 and reaching US$5.2 bn by the end of the forecast period.Over the coming years, the increasing consumption of cherries in emerging countries, such as China and India, will create lucrative opportunities for the growth of this market. The surge in consumers purchasing power and the increasing export demand for fresh cherries are likely to boost this market in the years to come, notes the research study.Obtain Report Details @Advent of China as Prominent Consumer to Boost APEJ Market for Fresh CherriesAccording to the research report, APEJ market for fresh cherries is leading the global market, thanks to the emergence of China as a prominent consumer of fresh cherries across the world. Researchers at TMR anticipate this regional market to remain on the top in the near future, rising at a CAGR of 5.90% and reporting immense increase over the period of the forecast. With the augmenting demand for cherries in China and several other Asian countries, fueled by the rising trend of urbanization and the surging influence of western culture on food habits, the APEJ fresh cherry market is projected to register high growth in the near future.The demand for sweet cherries is much higher demand than the sour ones, owing to which, the sweet cherries segment is estimated to hold more than 60% of the overall market by 2017. Analysts anticipated this segment to continue witnessing strong demand over the next few years. The traditional grocery stores and convenience stores have emerged the most prominent sales channels for fresh cherries across the world and this trend is projected to remain so over the next few years. However, online channels and direct sales are also expected to experience a rise in cherry sales from these sales channel over the forthcoming years, reports the research study.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:
Gas Pressure Regulator Market: Global Industry Trend Analysis 2012 to 2017 and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Gas Pressure Regulator Market: IntroductionSafety of man, material and facility is the prime concern in every manufacturing industry. While dealing with gases, it is of prime importance to maintain flow rates and supply pressure and regulate the flow. These factors bring gas pressure regulators in the picture as a crucial part of various industries, such as chemical, healthcare and oil & gas, among others. Gas pressure regulators not only regulate the flow rates and pressure but also reduce the need for pressure compensating meters, as they can hold steady pressure. These regulators can be small or large depending upon the type of application. Prominent application areas of gas pressure regulators are natural gas distribution, boiler gas supplies, plant air services, oxygen supply, ammonia supply, furnaces and ovens. The market for gas pressure regulators is estimated to witness steady growth from both, upcoming projects and replacement demand from existing installed pipelines.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Gas Pressure Regulator Market: DynamicsGrowth of the gas pressure regulator market can directly be co-related with the performance of end use industries, such as oil & gas, energy generation and chemical. The market is also projected to witness significant investment by manufacturers in product innovation and development. Government investment in the establishment of new oil & gas and energy generation facilities and maintenance of existing ones will be a key growth driver. The market for gas pressure regulators is estimated to witness stringent safety regulations over the forecast period. Although replacement demand will play a major role in market growth, declining replacement rates of gas pressure regulators and fluctuating performance of some key end-use industries are anticipated to restrain the growth of the global gas pressure regulator market. Existing price pressures on dealers and distributors are also projected to be key restraining factors for this market.Gas Pressure Regulator Market: SegmentationThe global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented on the basis of gas type, product type and end-use industry.By gas type, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Toxic GasesCorrosive GasesInert GasesBy product type, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Single StageDual StageBy Application, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:CommercialIndustrialBy end-use industry, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Oil & GasChemicalHealthcarePower GenerationOther ManufacturingGas Pressure Regulator Market: Regional OverviewAsia Pacific is projected to dominate the global gas pressure regulator market in terms of demand. China is expected to be a key market with a dominant market share throughout the forecast period. Strong growth of the manufacturing sector in key countries, such as India will supplement growth of the gas pressure regulator market in the Asia Pacific region. Europe and North America are projected to be the next big markets in terms of demand for gas pressure regulators. Europe is expected to have a relatively high growth rate as compared to North America. Within Europe, significant demand for gas pressure regulators will be from the western region and Eastern European countries, such as Russia and Poland are slated to witness slight fluctuation in terms of demand. The Middle East and Africa region will register significant demand for gas pressure regulators from oil & gas and chemical industries. The Latin America gas pressure regulator market is also pegged to witness healthy growth over the forecast period.Gas Pressure Regulator Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants identified in the global gas pressure regulator market are Honeywell International Inc., Emerson Electric Co, The Linde Group, Praxair Inc., Colfax Corporation, Maxitrol Company, GCE Group, Cavagna Group SPA, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Air Liquide, Airgas Inc., Equipment & Controls, Inc. and Pressure Tech Ltd.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.The report covers exhaust analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includes:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC Countries, S. Africa, Northern Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Request TOC of the Report @Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Hydraulic Fracturing Market Worth $72,629.4 Million by 2019

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Hydraulic Fracturing Market, by Technology Get Free Sample Report @This research study analyzes the market for hydraulic fracturing in terms of volume and revenue. The hydraulic fracturing market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application, and geography. For conducting the research, 2013 has been taken as the base year while all forecasts have been presented for the 20142022 period. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional as well as country-specific level for the 20132022 period. The regional segments have been further divided into country level segments, which include the major players in the global hydraulic fracturing market. The report provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and features companies engaged in the hydraulic fracturing business. This report includes the key market dynamics affecting the overall hydraulic fracturing industry globally. The report also provides a detailed industry analysis of the global hydraulic fracturing market with the help of the Porters Five Forces model. The Porters Five Forces analysis aids in understanding the five major forces that affect the industry structure and profitability of the global hydraulic fracturing market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat from new entrants, threat from substitutes, and degree of competition.The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the hydraulic fracturing business globally. Major drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the hydraulic fracturing market were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. There are currently numerous growth drivers for the hydraulic fracturing industry. One of the most prominent drivers is the presence of large unconventional gas reserves for the hydraulic fracturing market. Apart from this, deep-water offshore reserves also boost the demand for hydraulic fracturing technology. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the hydraulic fracturing market on the basis of geography. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market in different regions.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The hydraulic fracturing market was further segmented on the basis of technology and application type. Technologies included in this report are plug and perf and sliding sleeves. The application segments of the hydraulic fracturing market are conventional, shale gas, and others (shale oil, tight gas, tight oil, and coal bed methane). The hydraulic fracturing market was analyzed across six geographies: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East, and Africa. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the hydraulic fracturing market. Key market participants in the hydraulic fracturing market include Baker Hughes Inc., Calfrac Well Services Ltd., FTS International, Inc., Halliburton Company, Nabors Industries Ltd., RPC, Inc., Schlumberger Limited, Trican Well Services Limited, United Oilfield Services, Inc., and Weatherford International Ltd. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.Send an Enquiry @The global hydraulic fracturing market has been segmented as follows:Hydraulic Fracturing Market: Technology AnalysisPlug and PerfSliding SleevesHydraulic Fracturing Market: Application AnalysisConventionalShale gasOthersHydraulic Fracturing Market: Region AnalysisNorth AmericaS.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropePolandK.Rest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaAustraliaRest of Asia PacificSouth AmericaArgentinaBrazilRest of South AmericaMiddle EastOmanSaudi ArabiaRest of Middle EastAfricaAlgeriaNigeriaRest of AfricaCheck Discount @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Angioscope Device Market Key Trends and Opportunity Analysis 2025

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Angioscope is an equipment used for visualizing the interior of blood vessels by using a fibre-optic catheter inserted into an artery, composed of a fiberscope, operating part and guiding catheter with or without balloon. It is used for the determination of several diseases such as vascular disease, staging of atherosclerosis and determination of thrombus composition. A special kind of technique called as dye-image angioscopy is used clinically for analysis of thrombus composition, endothelial damage and plaque composition. Another new technique known as fluorescent image angioscopy is used for detailed description of coronary vessels.According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, during period of 1995-2015, around 610,000 people die of heart diseases in U.S. every year. Angioscopy is mainly preferred for determining any severe blockage by visualising in 2D or in 3D.Angioscope Device Market: Drivers & RestraintsHeart diseases such as coronary heart diseases, high blood pressure, cardiac arrest and others have gradually increased which leads to the growth of angioscope device market. Also due to the increasing awareness for heart diseases and its diagnosis, favourable government regulations, commercialization of angioscope devices and aging population with rise in number of life-style diseases are also contributing in the growth of global angioscope device market.Factors such as absence of reimbursement caused by equipment failure, coping with changing regulations and cost of the angioscope device makes it the major restrain of the angioscope device market depriving of its viability in developing countries regardless of its medical susceptibility.Request a sample of this report -North America is leading player for global angioscope devices market as it occupies a major share in this market followed by Europe. However, emerging countries like India and China are expected to record strong growth, due to high rise in investments by public & private players for providing improved healthcare services.As a geography conditions the Angioscope Device Market is segmented into: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. North America is considered as the major region in angioscope device market.Request a ToC of this report -Some players in Angioscope Device Market are Abbott Vascular (Abbott Laboratories), Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, GE Healthcare, Medtronic, Inc., Cordis Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation, and Siemens Healthcare and 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.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Latest Market Research Surgical Tables Industry is expected to rise to US$1,014.3 mn by 2022

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Surgical Tables Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2022.The report on the global surgical tables market presents a detailed assessment of the market and reliable forecasts regarding its likely growth trajectory in the coming years. The global surgical tables market is assessed on all fronts, including the hierarchy of its segmentation, the major factors influencing its growth, and the leading players staking a claim in it. The comprehensive view provided in the report is backed up by solid facts collated from reliable first- and second-hand sources and reliable market figures. The latest figures for the global surgical tables market are elaborated upon in detail in the report in order to provide readers a clear picture of the markets current standpoint. The analysis of the current figures is combined with insight derived from analysis of the global surgical tables markets historical trajectory to derive solid projections regarding the way the market is likely to progress in the coming years.Click here For Free Sample Report @Surgical tables are a key need in the healthcare sector and have thus benefited significantly from the growing investment in the healthcare sector in developed as well as developing countries. The surgical tables market has also benefited from the steady technological development embraced by the healthcare sector, which has resulted in the development of consistent progressions in design, boosting the demand from the surgical tables market. The rising economic prominence of the healthcare sector in the coming years is likely to ensure stable growth of the global surgical tables market in the near future.The global surgical tables market was valued at US$837.1 mn in 2017. Exhibiting a steady 3.9% CAGR in the 2017-2022 forecast period, the surgical tables market is expected to reach US$1,014.3 mn by 2022.Global Surgical Tables Market: DynamicsThe report provides a clear look into the dynamics of how various influential factors affect the global surgical tables market. The most important factors affecting the market are provided with great attention, with its relationship with the surgical tables market analyzed carefully to derive useful insight. Factors hindering the global surgical tables market are also assessed in detail in the report, which becomes a key tool for players to know what pitfalls to avoid. In dynamic markets such as the surgical tables market, with rapid influx of investment resulting in an unstable landscape, small matters can make a difference.The steady growth of the healthcare sector across the world is likely to remain the prime driver for the global surgical tables market. Healthcare industry players have started to pay attention to the growing need for advanced and innovative design in the medical devices industry, which has driven the development of innovative variants of various surgical implements, including the surgical tables market.Browse Full Report With TOC Click here @Global Surgical Tables Market: SegmentationNon-powered surgical tables dominate the global surgical tables market in terms of product type. The non-powered surgical tables segment was valued at US$619.1 mn in 2017, representing 74% of the market. Growing at a CAGR of 4.3%, the segment is expected to grow to US$765.7 mn by 2022, accounting for 75.5% of the global surgical tables market.Geographically, North America is the dominant contributor to the global surgical tables market due to the widespread adoption of advanced surgical equipment in developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada. The North America surgical tables market was valued at US$246.9 mn in 2017 and is expected to exhibit a steady 4.1% CAGR in rising to US$301.5 mn by 2022.Global Surgical Tables Market: Competitive DynamicsLeading players in the global surgical tables market are analyzed in the report in order to provide readers with a clear picture of the competitive dynamics of the global surgical tables market. Regulatory factors influencing the major competitive trends in the global surgical tables market are assessed in the report. Key companies examined in the report include AMTAI Medical Equipment, Inc., Allengers Medical Systems Limited, C-RAD AB, Getinge AB, Skytron Inc., STERIS, Elekta AB, Span America Medical System Inc., and Stryker Corporation.Make An Enquiry @Market Research Reports Search Engine(MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite :Read More Industry News At:
Critical Care Equipment Market of ME&A Worth over US$ 1061.4 Million by 2023, At CAGR Of 5.7%.

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Middle East and Africa Critical Care Equipment (CCE) Market information, by Type (Patient Monitor, Medical Ventilator, Dialysis, IV Pumps, Infusion pump, Suction Apparatus, and others), by End users (Hospitals, Research laboratories and others) - Forecast to 2023. Critical Care Equipment Market of Middle East and Africa is increasing consistently. This market was about US$ 681.2 million in 2016 and expected to reach US$ 1061.4 million by 2023 growing at the CAGR of 5.7%. Critical care also known as intensive care is a fundamental restorative practice to cure extreme injuries or perilous medical conditions.Get Sample Report @In critical care unit (CCU), medical professionals monitor and treat patient under controlled conditions with the assistance of critical care equipment Critical care equipment are extremely valuable to screen and get exact data about patient's wellbeing conditions. Critical Care Equipment Market In addition, Saudi Arabia advertise is additionally developing and is the second biggest market.These equipment give life support to patients after they have experienced noteworthy surgery, damage or have confronted dangerous injuries. Healthcare expenditure is developing in Middle East and Africa locale which include around 2% of the worldwide healthcare expenditure. Developing healthcare infrastructure, technological advance facilities, government initiatives to improve the healthcare sector and growing cases of non-communicable diseases are driving the growth of the critical care equipment market in Middle East and Africa.Huge Companies Involved in Middle East and Africa for Critical Care Equipment Market:General Electric Company (US)Siemens Healthcare Private Limited (Germany)Baxter (US)Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands)Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. (US)Medtronic (Republic of Ireland).Regional Analysis of Critical Care Equipment Market:Considering the situation of Middle East and Africa critical care equipment market, UAE locale is accepted to be the biggest market for the same in the previously mentioned region.Track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Middle East and Africa critical care equipment market.On the other hand, Egypts market is expected to grow at a steady pace in the Middle-East critical care equipment market in future. Rest of the Middle East and Africa region is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.Browse Report @Market Segments:Middle East and Africa critical care equipment market has been segmented on the basis of type of equipment which includes patient monitor, medical ventilator, dialysis, iv pumps, infusion pump, suction apparatus, and others.Study Objectives of Critical Care Equipment Market:To provide Country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospect.Overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market; comprehensively analyzing their core competencies and drawing a competitive landscape of the market.analyze the critical care equipment market based on various analyses which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis etc. Provide past and estimated future revenue of the markets segments and sub-segments with respect to two main geographies and their countries.Considerable AudienceHospitals and clinics,Critical care equipment devices manufacturers and suppliers, Government and independent regulatory authorities, Research laboratories, Research and development (R&D) companies, Market research and consulting service providers, Medical research laboratories, Potential investorsTable of Content:1. Report Prologue2. Introduction3. Research Methodology4. Market Dynamics5. Market Factor Analysis6. Middle-East And Africa Critical Care Equipment (CCE) Market By Type7. Middle-East And Africa Critical Care Equipment (CCE) Market By End User8. Middle-East And Africa Critical Care Equipment (CCE) Market By RegionGet Discount for this Report @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, 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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Epidural Anaesthesia System Market Key Developments with Forecast until 2025

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Epidural anaesthesia, also known as regional anesthesia is a type of anesthesia that is injected at the back of the body. It blocks all responses to nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments, which results in decreased sensation in lower half of the body. Epidural anesthesia medications are of local anesthetics and are delivered in combination with opioids, in order to decrease the required dose of local anaesthetic. Epidural anesthesia is consider as most common method to reduce pain.More than 50% pregnant women are given epidural anesthesia during C-section across the globe. Epidural anaesthetic have some side effects which include low blood pressure, loss of bladder control, itchiness, headaches and nerve damages. For continuous and regulated supply, epidural anaesthesia system is a must in each and every healthcare organization. According to reports of World Health Organization (WHO), high dose of anesthetics is reported as the main cause of death in the United States. Death rate due to anaesthesia has been subject to extensive research for past years. With many awareness camps and promotional incentives by the government, epidural anesthesia system market is expected to experience a gradual growth over the forecast period.Request a sample of this report -There are many advantages of epidural anesthesia system which drives the global market, to name a few, a great choice for healthcare professionals as it is easy to perform (though it takes a bit more practice than spinal anesthesia), more reliable from anesthesia, provides excellent operating conditions, has the ability to use the epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia and many others.Universally, the progress in well-organized and cutting-edge technology and an upsurge in the number of operative surgeries are the prime growth drivers of global epidural anaesthesia system market. The epidermal anesthesia system still incorporates few complications which may act as a restraint to overall growth of the market such as, prolonged labor, difficulty in forceps delivery, maternal exhaustion during labor, pre-eclampsia, unacceptable pain during labor and others. The new and advanced epidural anesthesia systems permit ceaseless exceptionally compelling alleviation of labor pain, utilizing just little measures of prescription saved specifically on the spinal nerves. With legitimate prescription blends and dosage alterations, this pain relief help can be accomplished, ideally without losing the capacity to control movement in any piece of the body.Based on component, the market is segmented into epidural catheter, needles and accessories. Epidural catheter system is widely used due to its long term durability and efficiency. Based on end user, the global epidural anesthesia system market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers and long term care center. Hospitals are expected to contribute highest share in the global epidural anesthesia system market due to large scale prescription of medication for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. With rapid technological advancement, aging population, and rise in the number of surgical procedures around the globe, the global epidural anesthesia systems market is expected to have healthy growth rate in the forecast period.On the basis of regional presence, global epidural anesthesia system market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia and LAMEA. North America and Europe are the leaders in epidural anesthesia system market due to stringent regulations and unfavorable government regulation and taxation polices. Cardiovascular diseases has rising incidences outside the U.S. and includes the countries, namely UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Asian economies are emerging as dominating markets for epidural anesthesia system mainly due to high healthcare awareness amongst the people and augmented disposable income. Amongst the Asian countries, India and China are growing with a gradual rate mainly due to their large population and increased number of hospitals.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the players operating in global epidural anesthesia system market are B. Braun Inc., Becton Dickinson Company, Getinge Group, Draegerwerk AG, Fischer & Paykel, ResMed, Teleflex Inc and Edenvridge Pharmaceuticals among others. Many of these companies are focusing on the development of epidural anesthesia system that can reduce the pain and other side effects.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:
Postpartum Depression Therapeutics Market Trends with Forecast up to 2025

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Postpartum depression is a mood disorder in women associated with the child birth. The birth of a child can trigger varying degree of emotions, from excitement to joy to anxiety and fear. But it can also result in to depression called as postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is caused by a combination of factors both physical and emotional. After childbirth fluctuation in the level of hormones in womens body take place. This fluctuation in the hormone level leads to chemical change triggering the mood swings. Other factors causing the postpartum depression includes constant sleep deprivation but this condition is treated after proper rest. But in some cases women experience more severe depression and require medications. Symptoms of postpartum depression includes, sadness, inability to care for baby, crying, trouble in bonding to baby, lack of focus and troubled with memory.Postpartum Depression Therapeutics Market: Drivers and RestraintsPostpartum depression therapeutic market is expected to be driven by the increasing awareness among people regarding the depression. Development of the drug by pharmaceutical companies targeting the postpartum depression and marketing campaigns by them are expected to be market driving factors. Underdiagnoses, inability of the women to communicate about the disease and family social stigma regarding psychotic disorders are expected to work as a restraint for the growth of postpartum depression therapeutic market. Increasing focus on the non-medication treatment options such as, exercise and psychotherapy are also expected to restraint the growth of postpartum depression therapeutics market.Request a sample of this report -Postpartum Depression Therapeutics Market: OverviewPostpartum depression is a severe condition felt be a mother after giving birth to a baby and if not treated properly it can be harmful for both baby and mother. Postpartum depression therapeutics market is expected to show significant growth over the period owning to increasing prevalence owning to changing lifestyle and trend to nuclear family which might leave new mother a the risk of depression. Campaigns are also going on to aware the people about the postpartum depression. Even though awareness is increasing among people but his condition is still underdiagnosed and undertreated. Psychotherapy and antidepressant are used in combination to treat the patient. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are expected to lead the drug class segment over the forecast owning to high level of effectiveness and general safety of this group.Postpartum Depression Therapeutics Market: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global postpartum depression therapeutic market can be segmented into regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the postpartum depression therapeutic market owning to high consumption of the antidepressants in the U.S., branded drugs and intense lifestyle. Europe is second biggest market for the postpartum depression therapeutics market. North America and Europe are expected to continue to do dominate the market due to increasing awareness among people regarding the postpartum depression, better healthcare facilities and programs by various government and non-government organization to ensure the safety of mother and child.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the market participants in the global postpartum depression therapeutics involves, Pfizer, Inc., Allegan, Eli Lilly Company, H. Lundbeck A/S, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Solvay S.A., AstraZeneca plc, Novartis AG and Sage Therapeutics, Inc. Major focus of the companies is on the development of the specific medication for the postpartum depression and companies are using the awareness campaigns to increase their shares in the postpartum depression therapeutics 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.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
This time of year is all about thankfulness, and this year Racine County has a lot to be thankful for. A lot of that is for Foxconn, which plans to invest billions of dollars to build a massive manufacturing campus in Mount Pleasant that could employ as many as 13,000 workers when fully constructed.

Going into a project this big, especially one with tax dollars supporting it, there are always going to be concerns.

And the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board was no exception. Before the Nov. 8 vote to approve a $3 billion contract with the Taiwanese manufacturer, there were concerns. For instance, Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, who sits on the board, was concerned that taxpayer funds could be exposed if Foxconn doesnt fulfill its part of the deal, calling the issue a nuclear bomb.

That issue was later rectified in the final contract.

Its the job of board members to bring up concerns to ensure that the public is protected, and the WEDC did a good job of that.

Under the terms of the contract:

The company will be able to collect up to $1.35 billion in construction-related tax credits if it creates a gradually increasing number of manufacturing jobs, up to 8,450 through 2025.

It will be able to collect up to $1.5 billion in tax credits if it creates up to 13,000 manufacturing jobs by 2022 and maintains that number through 2032.

The jobs must pay at least $30,000 per year and average $53,875 annually. The job credits pay out 17 percent of the first $100,000 of salary, which is higher than 7 percent for the states typical enterprise zone job credits. The construction credits equal 15 percent of capital investment, up from 10 percent in a typical enterprise zone.

The company will be eligible to receive the first $10 million in job credits starting next year if it creates 1,040 jobs in the state. To receive any credits next year, the company must create at least 260 jobs. But if the company doesnt earn the credits in a given year, they can be carried forward into subsequent years.

Within five years, the state can reclaim any credits it pays out if the company provides false information, leaves the state or ceases operations and doesnt restart within a year. After that, if the company employs fewer than 6,500 workers the state can reclaim a sliding scale ranging from $965 million in 2023 to $386 million in 2032.

Compliance with the terms will be audited by an independent accountant based on a sample of the companys workforce at the end of each year.

The companys CEO, Terry Gou, is pledging to personally back 25 percent of the amount that would be refunded to the state should the company default. Publicly traded parent company Hon Hai Precision Products, the 27th-largest company in the world, would back the rest.

That is a lot of protection. Now that the state contract is signed, one of the next steps is to sign the local development agreement, which will include the local tax incentives.

We know that locally, Racine County and Mount Pleasant have an outstanding team in place working on finalizing this deal  the deal of a lifetime.

Just as state board members did, we expect that local officials are asking the tough questions to ensure local taxpayers are protected just as state taxpayers are.

We look forward to having this deal signed, seeing shovels in the ground and officially welcoming Foxconn to Racine County.

Correction: An initial version of the article incorrectly stated Sen. Tim Carpenter's vote on the Foxconn deal. Carpenter did not support the final contract and was one of two members who voted against the contract summary.
Global Smart City Market 2017 Key Players -Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. (China), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc.(U.S.), AT&T Inc. AG (U.S), Siemens AG (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Microsoft Corporation (U.S.)..

Smart City Market

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Smart City Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Smart City Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummarySmart city is an urban development vision comprised of information and communication technology to reform and modify city assets and resources for betterment of citizens. Increasing urbanization, growing environmental concerns and resource scarcity and high number of aging population is boosting the smart city market. The smart city vision consists of some restraints that may hamper the market growth that includes lack of telecom and network infrastructure in developing countries and high capital investment is rendering the market growth.Smart city market is segmented on the basis of components that includes hardware, software and service. The study indicates, hardware components accounts for highest market share whereas software component is expected to be fastest growing in the smart city market. Hardware component is dominating the market owing to increased demand of hardware components for gathering data required for analysis. This data is captured by hardware components that includes sensors, counting system or other hardware equipment for analysis. For installation of every software onto any system needs the hardware components thus making it highest segment holder.The global smart city market provides services for maintenance of hardware components required in smart cities. The service segment consists of networking services but it is observed that service segment is expected to grow once the smart cities are developed. According to the study, the emerging opportunity in the growth of smart city market includes increased adoption of internet of things (IoT) and rise in usage of big data analytics and artificial intelligence for data management is fueling the market growth.The global smart city market had been valued at USD 446.22 billion in the year 2016, which is expected to reach USD 1933 billion by the end of the forecast period growing at ~27.68% CAGR.Request Sample Report @Key PlayersThe key players of smart city market includes Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. (China), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc.(U.S.), AT&T Inc. AG (U.S), Siemens AG (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Hitachi Corporation (U.S.), Ericsson (Sweden) among others.Objective of Global Smart City Market Analysis & Forecast, from 2016 to 2022To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next ten years of the various segments and sub-segments included in global smart city market with analysis of its development and demand in the marketUpcoming technologies, high growth geographies and countries were identifiedRegional and country specific demand and forecast for smart city were studiedKey segments covered in the report are: components and application.Unit breakdown for all different classification was finalized; and same was referred for forecasting, keeping few assumptions into factorFor all the regions, forecast demand for all applications were identified and then with historical figure, data collected through primary and annual reports were triangulated to derive the regional market sizeHistorical trend is identified to forecast and estimate the future value dataTarget AudienceNational/ State GovernmentReal Estate DevelopersResearch & consultant organizationIT Solution ProvidersSystem IntegratorsNetworking Solution ProvidersTelecom Service ProvidersTransportation Service ProvidersUtility CompaniesKey FindingsThe Global Smart City market is expected to reach USD 1933 Billion by 2022.By Component, hardware component in smart city accounts for the largest market share and is growing with approximately ~30.65% CAGR during forecast period.By Application, transport sub segment holds the largest market growing with approximately 30.34% CAGR by the end of forecast period.Geographically, North America region has been projected to have the largest market share in global smart city market followed by Europe region, while Asia-Pacific region has been projected to show a positive growth rate in smart city market.For further information on this report, visit -Regional and Country Analysis of Smart City Market Estimation and ForecastThe global smart city market is expected to grow at a promising rate during the forecast period, 2016-2022. North America is projected to have the largest market in smart city market. High adoption of internet of things, growth in high end infrastructure and focus towards energy saving and availability of efficient network connectivity is driving market in North America region. Followed by Europe region would hold a large share in the market. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in smart city market due to the increasing initiatives and high investment by government.The reports also cover country level analysis:North Americao USo Canadao Mexicoo OthersEuropeo Germanyo UKo Franceo Spaino Italyo Rest of the EuropeAsia  Pacifico Chinao Indiao Japano Rest of Asia-PacificRest of the WorldCONTINUEDBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Global and United States Sustainable Packaging Market Research Report 2017-2022 | Researchmoz

Sustainable Packaging Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Sustainable Packaging In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Sustainable Packaging industry.Major CompaniesAmcor Limited (Australia)Bemis Company, Inc. (U.S.)Tetra Laval International S.A. (Switzerland)Mondi plc (South Africa)WestRock Company (U.S.)BASF SE (Germany)Sonoco Products Company (U.S.)Smurfit Kappa Group PLC (U.S.)Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.)Huhtamaki OYJ (Finland)UFP Technologies (U.S.)Salazar Packaging (U.S.)Dupont (CA)Shillington Box Company LLC (U.S.)Guangzhou Yifeng Paper Products Co., Ltd. (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsSustainable Packaging Market, by MaterialPaper & PaperboardPlasticMetalGlassSustainable Packaging Market, by FunctionActive packagingMolded pulp packagingAlternate fiber packagingSustainable Packaging Market, by Key ConsumersFood & Beverage packagingHealthcare packagingPersonal care packagingOthersGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Sustainable Packaging In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Sustainable Packaging Market Overview1.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Sustainable Packaging, by Material 2012-20171.2.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Material 2012-20171.2.2 Global Sustainable Packaging Revenue Market Share by Material 2012-20171.2.3 Global Sustainable Packaging Price by Material 2012-20171.2.4 Paper & Paperboard1.2.5 Plastic1.2.6 Metal1.2.7 Glass1.3 Sustainable Packaging, by Function 2012-20171.3.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Function 2012-20171.3.2 Global Sustainable Packaging Revenue Market Share by Function 2012-20171.3.3 Global Sustainable Packaging Price by Function 2012-20171.3.4 Active packaging1.3.5 Molded pulp packaging1.3.6 Alternate fiber packagingChapter Two United States Sustainable Packaging Market Overview2.1 United States Sustainable Packaging Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Sustainable Packaging, by Material 2012-20172.2.1 United States Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Material 2012-20172.2.2 United States Sustainable Packaging Revenue Market Share by Material 2012-20172.2.3 United States Sustainable Packaging Price by Material 2012-20172.2.4 Paper & Paperboard2.2.5 Plastic2.2.6 Metal2.2.7 Glass2.3 Sustainable Packaging, by Function 2012-20172.3.1 United States Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Function 2012-20172.3.2 United States Sustainable Packaging Revenue Market Share by Function 2012-20172.3.3 United States Sustainable Packaging Price by Function 2012-20172.3.4 Active packaging2.3.5 Molded pulp packaging2.3.6 Alternate fiber packagingChapter Three Sustainable Packaging by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Sustainable Packaging Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Sustainable Packaging Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Sustainable Packaging by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Sustainable Packaging Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Sustainable Packaging Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Sustainable Packaging Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Sustainable Packaging by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Sustainable Packaging Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Sustainable Packaging Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Sustainable Packaging Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Sustainable Packaging Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Sustainable Packaging by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Sustainable Packaging Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Food & Beverage packaging6.3 Healthcare packaging6.4 Personal care packaging6.5 Others6.6 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...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.ResearchMozState 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 @
New Study on Global and United States Ping Pong Table Industry 2017-2022 | DHS, DOUBLEFISH, Butterfly, Stiga, DARKER, Donic, Nittaku

Ping Pong Table Industry

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Ping Pong Table In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Ping Pong Table industry.Major CompaniesDHS(China)DOUBLEFISH(China)Butterfly(Japan)Stiga(Sweden)Yasaka(Japan)Joola(Germany)YINHE(China)Tibhar(Germany)DARKER(Japan)SWORD(China)Donic(Germany)SUPERLONG(Taiwan, China)Ironman(China)Nittaku(Japan)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsPing Pong Table Market, by Table ClassificationIndoor TypeOutdoor TypePing Pong Table Market, by Table MaterialWoodenDensity BoardSawdust BoardFiberglassOthersPing Pong Table Market, by FoldableCan FoldableCan not FoldablePing Pong Table Market, by Key ConsumersClubRaceFamilyStadiumGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Ping Pong Table In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Ping Pong Table Market Overview1.1 Global Ping Pong Table Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Ping Pong Table, by Table Classification 2012-20171.2.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Table Classification 2012-20171.2.2 Global Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Table Classification 2012-20171.2.3 Global Ping Pong Table Price by Table Classification 2012-20171.2.4 Indoor Type1.2.5 Outdoor Type1.3 Ping Pong Table, by Table Material 2012-20171.3.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Table Material 2012-20171.3.2 Global Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Table Material 2012-20171.3.3 Global Ping Pong Table Price by Table Material 2012-20171.3.4 Wooden1.3.5 Density Board1.3.6 Sawdust Board1.3.7 Fiberglass1.3.8 Others1.4 Ping Pong Table, by Foldable 2012-20171.4.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Foldable 2012-20171.4.2 Global Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Foldable 2012-20171.4.3 Global Ping Pong Table Price by Foldable 2012-20171.4.4 Can Foldable1.4.5 Can not FoldableChapter Two United States Ping Pong Table Market Overview2.1 United States Ping Pong Table Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Ping Pong Table, by Table Classification 2012-20172.2.1 United States Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Table Classification 2012-20172.2.2 United States Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Table Classification 2012-20172.2.3 United States Ping Pong Table Price by Table Classification 2012-20172.2.4 Indoor Type2.2.5 Outdoor Type2.3 Ping Pong Table, by Table Material 2012-20172.3.1 United States Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Table Material 2012-20172.3.2 United States Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Table Material 2012-20172.3.3 United States Ping Pong Table Price by Table Material 2012-20172.3.4 Wooden2.3.5 Density Board2.3.6 Sawdust Board2.3.7 Fiberglass2.3.8 Others2.4 Ping Pong Table, by Foldable 2012-20172.4.1 United States Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Foldable 2012-20172.4.2 United States Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Foldable 2012-20172.4.3 United States Ping Pong Table Price by Foldable 2012-20172.4.4 Can Foldable2.4.5 Can not FoldableChapter Three Ping Pong Table by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Ping Pong Table Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Ping Pong Table Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Ping Pong Table by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Ping Pong Table Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Ping Pong Table Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Ping Pong Table Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Ping Pong Table by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Ping Pong Table Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Ping Pong Table Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Ping Pong Table Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Ping Pong Table Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Ping Pong Table by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Ping Pong Table Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Club6.3 Race6.4 Family6.5 Stadium6.6 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...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.ResearchMozState 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 @
In-Depth Research Report on Global and United States Botanical Extracts Market 2017-2022 | Researchmoz

Botanical Extracts Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Botanical Extracts In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Botanical Extracts industry.Major CompaniesFrutarom Ltd (Israel)Kalsec Inc (U.S.)Dler GmbH (Germany)MB-Holding GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)Synergy Flavors (U.S.)Blue Sky Botanics (U.K.)Organic-herb Inc (China)Provital Group (China)Making Cosmetics (U.S.)New direction saromatics (U.S.)E&A pure beauty (Greece)ID bio (French)KREGLINGER EUROPE (Belgium)Baoji Kano Phytochem Technology Co., Ltd (China)L. E. V. EKSTRAKTU RUPNICA, LTD (Latvija)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsBotanical Extracts Market, by FormPowderLiquidBotanical Extracts Market, by SourceSpicesHerbsTea leavesFlowersBotanical Extracts Market, by Key ConsumersBakery & ConfectionerySauces and DressingsAlcoholic beveragesCarbonated soft drinksIced teasFlavored dairy productsGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Botanical Extracts In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Botanical Extracts Market Overview1.1 Global Botanical Extracts Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Botanical Extracts, by Form 2012-20171.2.1 Global Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Form 2012-20171.2.2 Global Botanical Extracts Revenue Market Share by Form 2012-20171.2.3 Global Botanical Extracts Price by Form 2012-20171.2.4 Powder1.2.5 Liquid1.3 Botanical Extracts, by Source 2012-20171.3.1 Global Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Source 2012-20171.3.2 Global Botanical Extracts Revenue Market Share by Source 2012-20171.3.3 Global Botanical Extracts Price by Source 2012-20171.3.4 Spices1.3.5 Herbs1.3.6 Tea leaves1.3.7 FlowersChapter Two United States Botanical Extracts Market Overview2.1 United States Botanical Extracts Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Botanical Extracts, by Form 2012-20172.2.1 United States Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Form 2012-20172.2.2 United States Botanical Extracts Revenue Market Share by Form 2012-20172.2.3 United States Botanical Extracts Price by Form 2012-20172.2.4 Powder2.2.5 Liquid2.3 Botanical Extracts, by Source 2012-20172.3.1 United States Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Source 2012-20172.3.2 United States Botanical Extracts Revenue Market Share by Source 2012-20172.3.3 United States Botanical Extracts Price by Source 2012-20172.3.4 Spices2.3.5 Herbs2.3.6 Tea leaves2.3.7 FlowersChapter Three Botanical Extracts by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Botanical Extracts Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Botanical Extracts Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Botanical Extracts by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Botanical Extracts Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Botanical Extracts Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Botanical Extracts Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Botanical Extracts Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Botanical Extracts by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Botanical Extracts Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Botanical Extracts Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Botanical Extracts Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Botanical Extracts Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Botanical Extracts by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Botanical Extracts Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Bakery & Confectionery6.3 Sauces and Dressings6.4 Alcoholic beverages6.5 Carbonated soft drinks6.6 Iced teas6.7 Flavored dairy products6.8 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...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.ResearchMozState 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 @
Rainscreen Cladding Market: Featured Key Players Eco Earth Solutions, FunderMax Holding AG, Euramax: 2023

Rainscreen Cladding Market, Rainscreen Cladding Industry, Rainscreen Cladding Market 2017, Rainscreen Cladding Market 2023, Rainsc

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Global Rainscreen Cladding MarketThe report for Global Rainscreen Cladding 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.Request for Sample Report @Key Players:The key players of global Rainscreen Cladding Market include: Kingspan Insulation PLC (Ireland), Carea Ltd. (London), MF Murray Companies (U.S.), Celotex Ltd. (U.K.), CGL Facades Ltd. (U.K.), Rockwool International A/S (Denmark), Eco Earth Solutions (India), FunderMax Holding AG (Austria), Euramax (Netherlands), Trespa International B.V. (Netherlands) and others.Rainscreen cladding refers to an attachment of the outer skin with a ventilated cavity provided to a new or existing building infrastructure. The rainscreen cladding protects the exterior wall of a building from rainwater and prevents it from penetrating in the interiors of the buildings.Product Analysis:Product matrix which gives a detailed comparison of the market for different recycled product typesAdditional Information:Regulatory LandscapePricing AnalysisMacroeconomic IndicatorsGeographic Analysis:Geographical analysis across 15 countriesCompany Information:Profiling of 10 key market playersIn-depth analysis including SWOT analysis, and strategy information of related to report titleCompetitive landscape including emerging trends adopted by major companiesMarket Synopsis:The major factors driving the global Rainscreen Cladding Market are the increase in demand for energy efficient buildings construction and the emerging need for exterior wall protection. The increase in construction of residential and non-residential buildings in the developing and the developed nations, is also driving the growth of the Rainscreen Cladding Market. The introduction of stringent government policies has led to an increase in demand for eco-friendly buildings, thereby leading to an increase in use of rainscreen cladding.The Rainscreen Cladding Market is expected to grow with 7% CAGR during the forecast period.Study Objectives of Rainscreen Cladding Market:To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of various segments and sub-segments of the global Rainscreen Cladding MarketTo provide insights about factors affecting the market growthTo analyze the global Rainscreen Cladding Market based on various tools such as Price Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis, Porters Five Force AnalysisTo provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies, North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countriesTo provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospectiveTo provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, end-use and regionsTo provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketTo track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Rainscreen Cladding Market.Table of Content:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology3 Market Dynamics4 Global Rainscreen Cladding Market, By Type5 Global Rainscreen Cladding Market, By End-Use6 Regional Market Analysis7 Competitive AnalysisTABLE 1 GLOBAL RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY TYPETABLE 2 GLOBAL RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY END-USETABLE 3 GLOBAL RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY REGIONSTABLE 4 NORTH AMERICA RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY COUNTRYTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY TYPETABLE 6 NORTH AMERICA RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY END-USETABLE 7 U.S. RAINSCREEN CLADDING MARKET, BY TYPEFor More Feature TOC.Segmentation:Regional Analysis of Global Rainscreen Cladding Market:The Europe region is the fastest growing region for the rainscreen cladding, owing to the rapid urbanization and the increasing population in the region, which is leading to an increase in the number of construction activities. This increase in construction activities is further leading to the growth of the Rainscreen Cladding Market in the region. The market is further driven with the introduction of rules and regulations by the European commission with the objective of promoting the use of energy in an efficient manner across all end-use industries such as residential, commercial and industrial.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 Complete Report @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.Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global 3PL (Third-party logistics) Market 2017 Key Players -TNT, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Maersk, APL, Nippon Express, Exel, NOL, COSCO Logistics, Sinotrans, CMSTD, China Shipping,..

3PL (Third-party logistics)

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3PL (Third-party logistics):SummaryWiseGuyReports.com adds Third-party logistics (3PL) Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.This report studies the global 3PL market, analyzes and researches the 3PL development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeTNTFedExUPSDHLMaerskAPLNippon ExpressExelNOLCOSCO LogisticsSinotransCMSTDChina ShippingCNPLG. LogisticsChina Merchants LogisticsSouth Logistics GroupZtkyZJS ExpressKerry LogisticsRequest Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, 3PL can be split intoVehicles TransportingAnimal TransportOrdinary Goods TransportOtherMarket segment by Application, 3PL can be split intoLogistics controlLogistics controlProvide logistic service operationFor further information on this report, visit -Table of Contents:Global 3PL Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of 3PL1.1 3PL Market Overview1.1.1 3PL Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global 3PL Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 3PL Market by Type1.3.1 Vehicles Transporting1.3.2 Animal Transport1.3.3 Ordinary Goods Transport1.3.4 Other1.4 3PL Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Logistics control1.4.2 Logistics control1.4.3 Provide logistic service operation2 Global 3PL Competition Analysis by Players2.1 3PL Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 TNT3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 FedEx3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 UPS3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 DHL3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Maersk3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 APL3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Nippon Express3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Exel3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 NOL3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 COSCO Logistics3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 3PL Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Sinotrans3.12 CMSTD3.13 China Shipping3.14 CNPL3.15 P.G. Logistics3.16 China Merchants Logistics3.17 South Logistics Group3.18 Ztky3.19 ZJS Express3.20 Kerry Logistics4 Global 3PL Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global 3PL Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global 3PL Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of 3PL in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of 3PL5 United States 3PL Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)6 EU 3PL Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)7 Japan 3PL Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)8 China 3PL Development Status and Outlook8.1 China 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)8.2 China 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)9 India 3PL Development Status and Outlook9.1 India 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)9.2 India 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)10 Southeast Asia 3PL Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia 3PL Market Size (2012-2017)10.2 Southeast Asia 3PL Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2017-2022)11.1 Global 3PL Market Size (Value) by Regions (2017-2022)11.1.1 United States 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.2 EU 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.3 Japan 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.4 China 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.5 India 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.6 Southeast Asia 3PL Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.2 Global 3PL Market Size (Value) by Type (2017-2022)11.3 Global 3PL Market Size by Application (2017-2022)12 3PL Market Dynamics12.1 3PL Market Opportunities12.2 3PL Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 3PL Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 3PL Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixMethodologyAnalyst IntroductionData SourceCONTINUEDBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Integrated Drive Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Integrated Drive Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Integrated drive system is a concept that organizes a suite of products that are connected and integrated with each other along with industrial automation and control system. Integrated drive system provides a reliable and seamlessly integrated solution, which is much more than summation of its individual components. Every integrated drive system is tailor-made according to the industrial specifications, resulting in reduction in engineering or manufacturing time and increase in efficiency. This helps organizations shrink their total cost of ownership and increase reliability performance improvement. There are three aspects of the integrated drive system namely, horizontal, vertical, and lifecycle integration. In horizontal integration, drive components such as gear unit, motor, and coupling are appropriately and efficiently integrated along the power flow. It allows the system to operate better than those that are not-integrated, where there is a risk of incompatibility of components at some stage in the process. In vertical integration, the drive train and controller are integrated along the information flow. Entire drive train is integrated seamlessly into the automation environment with the help of this system.This enables the customer to make informed decisions, as more information about how the components are performing, and how they could perform better economically are available. In lifecycle integration, the time factor is added in, with the drive system being added by services and software that support the entire lifecycle; in particular the operation design elements. It gives a shorter time to the market, increases operational productivity, and profit.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Growth in industry automation worldwide, along with increase in focus on development of production efficiency, and stringent government regulations for the efficient use of energy is driving the integrated drive systems market. The integrated drive system is advantageous for industrial automation. It ensures compatibility with other machines or systems, thereby streamlining manufacturing, leaner commissioning, and amplifying consistency of the entire system. Additionally, it also provides high level precise control and monitoring; therefore, it helps in the efficient use of energy resources and raw materials, which is helpful for the environment. Integration of drive technology into the totally integrated automation (TIA) portal radically simplifies diagnostics, commissioning, and engineering work.High cost of the integrated drive system is expected to hamper the market. Potential buyers are refraining from implementation of integrated drive system in their organization, owing to the high cost involved. However, with the advancement in the technology pertaining to the integrated drive system, cost related to the integrated drive system is expected to reduce in the near future.The integrated drive systems market is segmented based on integration type, component, end-use industry, and region. In terms of integration type, the market is classified as vertical, horizontal, and lifecycle. Based on component, the market is trifurcated into hardware, software, and services. In termsof end-use industry, the market is segmented into oil &gas, transportation &logistics, pharmaceuticals, chemical, food &beverage, and others.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Based on geography, the integrated drive systems market is segmented into North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific, and South America. North America and Europe are expected to lead the integrated drive systems market owing to the presence of established players and high technological advancements with respect to the integrated drive systems. However, due to the growing industrial automation acrossemerging economies such as China, India, and Japan, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a faster pace.Key players operating in the integrated drive systems market are Siemens AG, Schneider Electric, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Inc., GmbH, ABB, Emerson Electric Co., YASKAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Integrated Drive System,and Bosch Rexroth USA.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Market Report 2017 : ADI, Intersil, Microchip

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The report Analog-to-Digital Converters Market is a comprehensive industry study featuring qualitative and quantitative analysis. In todays complex business environment, players in the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market need to remain updated about the latest trends. The latest intelligence on the Analog-to-Digital Converters market can help companies form more informed business decisions. Furthermore, knowing the latest market trends will also help companies avoid any unnecessary business risks in the changing landscape of the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market. The research report on the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market presents to readers recent news, key deals, and other trends that are shaping the market. Furthermore, the valuable recommendations provided in the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market report will help companies form a more effective strategy, whether to penetrate a new market or expand their portfolio.The research report begins with a brief industry overview. In this section, the report offers definition, specifications, classifications, and applications of Analog-to-Digital Converters. Further to this, key data on the latest industry news and major deals is covered. This will update readers regarding the key events that are shaping the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market. Moreover, the report also provides the latest news and details regarding the regulatory framework of the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market.For More Info Download Free PDF Brochure :Global Analog-to-Digital Converters market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Analog-to-Digital Converters sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingADITIMaximIntersilSTMON SemiconductorMicrochipNXPCirrus LogicXILINXLastly, the research report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape of the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market. This section covers the analysis of key companies operating in the global Analog-to-Digital Converters market with their portfolio, production data, company profile, price, revenue, and cost. In addition to this, this section also enlists the contact information of these major firms.Table of Contents1 Analog-to-Digital Converters Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Analog-to-Digital Converters1.2 Classification of Analog-to-Digital Converters by Product Category1.3 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Market by Application/End Users1.4 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Market by Region1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Analog-to-Digital Converters (2012-2022)2 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.2 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters (Volume and Value) by Type2.3 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters (Volume and Value) by Region2.4 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters (Volume) by ApplicationAccess the Report and full TOC @9 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data9.1 ADI9.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.1.2 Analog-to-Digital Converters Product Category, Application and Specification9.1.3 ADI Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.2 TI9.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.2.2 Analog-to-Digital Converters Product Category, Application and Specification9.2.3 TI Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Analog-to-Digital ConvertersFigure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Analog-to-Digital Converters by Application in 2016Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Sales Volume (K Units) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Laser Technology Market 2017-2024: Major Companies are: Access Laser, Alltec GmbH AMS Technologies, Bystronic Laser AG, Coherent Inc., Corning

"Laser Technology Market" - Global Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024

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Global Laser Technology Market accounted for USD 11.57 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 5.32% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for Free Sample Copy of the Report:Market Definition: Global Laser Technology MarketLaser technology uses light to store, transfer, or print images and text. It generates light energy by converting the energy states of a material. It has its wide application in telecommunications, research, aerospace and defense, healthcare, and others. Huge demand from the healthcare vertical is the major driver in the growth of laser technology market. On the other hand, regulatory compliance may hamper the market.Major Market Drivers: Global Laser Technology MarketIncreasing demand and awareness in the healthcare industrySuperior alternatives over traditional material processing techniquesShift towards production of nano and micro devicesRegulatory compliance for manufacturing and end-user industriesGet 10% Discount on Direct Purchase of the Report:Market Segmentation: Global Laser Technology MarketThe global laser technology market is segmented on the basis of type into solid laser, liquid laser, and gas laser. The solid laser sub segment is further categorized into YAG laser, semiconductor laser, thin disk laser, ruby laser, fiber laser, and others. The liquid laser sub segment is categorized into X-Ray laser, dye lasers, and others. Gas laser segment is further categorized into Co2 laser, excimer laser, argon laser, chemical laser, helium-neon laser, and others.Speak to the Author of the Report:The global laser technology market is also segmented on the basis of applications into optical communication, laser processing. Laser processing is further segmented into macro processing, micro processing, and advanced processing. The macro processing segment is further sub segmented into cutting, drilling, welding, and marking & engraving. The cutting segment is further categorized into fusion cutting, flame cutting, and sublimation cutting. The drilling segment is categorized into single pulse drilling, percussion drilling, trepanning drilling, and helical drilling.The global laser technology is further segmented on the basis of vertical into commercial, telecommunications, research, aerospace and defense, healthcare, automotive, semiconductor & electronics, industrial, and others.Request For TOC:On the basis of geography, global laser technology market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Major Market Competitors: Global Laser Technology MarketSome of the major players of the global laser technology market are Access Laser Alltec GmbH AMS Technologies Bystronic Laser AG Coherent Inc. Corning Epilog Laser Eurolaser GmbH Focuslight Technologies Inc. Hans Laser Technology Industry Group Co. Ltd. IPG Photonics Corporation Jeanoptik AG Keopsys Group Lasaerstar Technologies Corp. Lumentum Holdings Inc. Novanta Inc. NPI LASERS Co., Ltd Photonics Industries International. Inc. Prima Industrie S.P.A. Quantel Group Toptica Photonics AG Trumpf Group Universal Laser Systems Inc. Ushio Opto Semiconductors Inc. MKS Instruments OthersRelated Reports:Global Speech and Voice Recognition Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Speech and Voice Recognition Market, By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa), By Delivery Method (Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based, Non-Artificial Intelligence Based), By Technology (Voice Recognition (Speaker Identification, Speaker Verification), Speech Recognition (Automatic Speech Recognition, Text to Speech)), By End-user (Automotive, Enterprise, Consumer, Banking, Financial Services, & Insurance, Government, Retail, Healthcare, Military, Legal, Education)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit BlogFollow us on LinkedIn:
Global Microwave Oven Market Report 2017 Key Manufacturers : LG Electronics, AB Electrolux

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Microwave Oven Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The report Microwave Oven Market is a comprehensive industry study featuring qualitative and quantitative analysis. In todays complex business environment, players in the global Microwave Oven market need to remain updated about the latest trends. The latest intelligence on the Microwave Oven market can help companies form more informed business decisions. Furthermore, knowing the latest market trends will also help companies avoid any unnecessary business risks in the changing landscape of the global Microwave Oven market. The research report on the global Microwave Oven market presents to readers recent news, key deals, and other trends that are shaping the market. Furthermore, the valuable recommendations provided in the global Microwave Oven market report will help companies form a more effective strategy, whether to penetrate a new market or expand their portfolio.The research report begins with a brief industry overview. In this section, the report offers definition, specifications, classifications, and applications of Microwave Oven. Further to this, key data on the latest industry news and major deals is covered. This will update readers regarding the key events that are shaping the global Microwave Oven market. Moreover, the report also provides the latest news and details regarding the regulatory framework of the global Microwave Oven market.Get Research Summary Of The Report:Global Microwave Oven market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Microwave Oven sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingLG ElectronicsSamsung ElectronicsAlto-Shaam Inc.AB ElectroluxSharp CorporationHoover LimitedIllinois Tool Works Inc.Galanz Enterprise GroupLastly, the research report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape of the global Microwave Oven market. This section covers the analysis of key companies operating in the global Microwave Oven market with their portfolio, production data, company profile, price, revenue, and cost. In addition to this, this section also enlists the contact information of these major firms.Table of Contents1 Microwave Oven Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Microwave Oven1.2 Classification of Microwave Oven by Product Category1.3 Global Microwave Oven Market by Application/End Users1.4 Global Microwave Oven Market by Region1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Microwave Oven (2012-2022)2 Global Microwave Oven Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Microwave Oven Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Microwave Oven Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Microwave Oven Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Microwave Oven (Volume and Value) by Type2.3 Global Microwave Oven (Volume and Value) by Region2.4 Global Microwave Oven (Volume) by ApplicationView TOC (Table of Content) of the Report:9 Global Microwave Oven Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data9.1 LG Electronics9.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.1.2 Microwave Oven Product Category, Application and Specification9.1.3 LG Electronics Microwave Oven Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.2 Samsung Electronics9.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.2.2 Microwave Oven Product Category, Application and Specification9.2.3 Samsung Electronics Microwave Oven Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Microwave OvenFigure Global Microwave Oven Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Microwave Oven Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Microwave Oven Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Microwave Oven by Application in 2016Figure Global Microwave Oven Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Microwave Oven Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Microwave Oven Sales Volume (K Units) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. 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Chinese pianist Li Yundi will join the tour. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese pianist teams up with German orchestra Staatskapelle Dresden to round off China tour. Chen Nan reports.

The Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the oldest orchestras in the world, is touring China through Sunday, performing in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Wuhan in Hubei province.

Under the baton of conductor Alan Gilbert, the former music director of the New York Philharmonic, the orchestra will present Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major, K488 and Richard Strauss' Symphonia Domestica, Op 53.

The orchestra was founded in 1548, and it has built a unique connection with Strauss and Mozart over its long history.

Strauss entrusted the orchestra with nine of his opera premieres, including Salome, Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier, says Jan Nast, general manager of the Staatskapelle Dresden.

"This is one of the reasons why we are bringing one of Strauss' great tone poems, Symphonia Domestica, to China. It's a piece that is not performed very often in China, but it is definitely a landmark work inspired by events in Strauss' own life," says Nast.

Chinese pianist Li Yundi will join the tour. In the late fall of 2005, he toured with the Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany and performed Liszt's Piano Concerto No 1.

"I am glad to be performing with the orchestra in my home country, and the piece, Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major, K488, is one of my favorites," says Li, winner of the Warsaw Chopin Competition in 2000.

"This is the first time I'm working with Alan Gilbert, the great conductor, and I am looking forward to a spark of new inspiration in music."

According to Wu Jiatong, general manager of Wu Promotion, one of the first private touring companies and promoters in China, the orchestra made its debut show on the Chinese mainland in Beijing in 2000 and the company has been cooperating with the Staatskapelle Dresden since 2011.

The company also organized the first major tour of China by the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in October, which saw 10 concerts in five Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing, and attracted audiences of more than 12,000.

"In the past, the Vienna Philharmonic only stopped in Beijing or Shanghai for two to three concerts during their Asia tour. But the ongoing tour means that China has become an important market for international classical music," Wu says.
12500 N.E. Tenth Place  Bellevue, WA 98005  JPFO.org  800-869-1884  info@jpfo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Nov 20, 2017  Contact Boyd Kneeland

"Don't Fix NICS Background Check System!"

Background system cannot be fixed--go to Plan B

In an email announcement, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org published an article by an outside writer calling for repair to the NICS national background check system for guns. This was an editing oversight. The defective NICS system should be abolished, not fixed.

NICS failed, and could not possibly have stopped the Las Vegas murderer. NICS wastes untold fortunes that could go into real law enforcement, and has stopped virtually no real criminals despite inflated claims, now proven false*. It continuously denies innocent Americans fundamental rights without due process, yet is praised by "news" media and leftists, harmfully misleading the public.

Putting government in charge of exercising the Second Amendment runs contrary to the spirit and intent of gun ownership in this nation. Only the commission of real crime should institute police action. Providing national police with an on-off switch for gun sales, which NICS basically does, is abhorrent.

JPFO stands for eliminating NICS, and with it the bureaucratic infrastructure, without delay, not making it work "better." We ask our supporters for their understanding in letting that memo slip past the editor's desk. Although "improving" NICS is a talking point for other groups, it is not one for JPFO. So-called "gun control" is not a credible policy position, offering false promises of safety, leaving innocent people helpless and historically opening the door to oppression and genocide.

Even the posting's language should have alerted us, but it too slipped through. The report referred imprecisely to a shooter, instead of a murderer. We are all shooters. Being a shooter is good. More people should become shooters. JPFO encourages shooters. The media and the left want to steal this word from Americans. We've been over this before. Framing any discussion and denigrating that decent word or mindlessly attaching it to malfeasance hurts us all.

"The murderer in Sutherland Springs..." places the proper emphasis and is accurate, not intentionally vague, misleading or deceptive. The story was a horrid piece from JPFO's perspective, and again, we're sorry to have burdened our audience and the world with the sort of trash we expect from CNN and their propaganda cohorts claiming to be journalists.

NICS is an abomination. It not only failed to stop this psychopath, it could not, and no incarnation of it could. If anything, America should consider adopting the far less expensive BIDS (Blind Identification System) alternative. BIDS works like wanted posters. Instead of sending the names of millions of innocent gun buyers to the FBI, as leftists want and have implemented, the FBI simply alerts gun dealers of hardened criminals who are banned, by secure and encrypted means with tracking logs. Leftists and many politicians hate that--it shows them up for the frauds they are. Don't expect the "news" media to mention this.

The BIDS System explained:

http://www.gunlaws.com/BIDSvNICS.htm

The Politically Corrected Glossary:

http://www.gunlaws.com/politicallycorrect.htm

* https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2711323&download=yes

#####

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org is America's most aggressive civil-rights organization, dedicated to destroying the notion of "gun control" as any kind of credible public-policy position. So-called "gun control" does not control guns and doesn't control criminal behavior. What it does do is disarm the innocent, leaving them helpless in the face of criminals, tyrannical governments and genocide. History repeatedly proves this fact. Founded in 1989 by Aaron Zelman as a response to the Holocaust, JPFO speaks with the moral authority and tenacious commitment of survivors of persecution, and knows that surrendering your personal and family safety to government protection courts disaster. "You don't have to be Jewish to fight by our side, you just have to love liberty."

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Bio-MEMS Market: Technological Growth Map Over Time To Understand The Industry Growth Rate

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Transparency Market Research has observed the competitive landscape in the global Bio-MEMS Market to be quite consolidated. The top five players held a whopping share of about 45% in the global market in 2015. Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Baxter International Inc., Medtronic, and Boston Scientific have been dominating the global market with their persistent efforts to develop innovative products and continuous research and development to enhance their existing product portfolio. These companies are also expected to strategize important mergers and acquisitions to win larger shares in the global market to remain dominant.According to the research report, the global bio-MEMS market was valued at US$695.0 mn in 2015. However, between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is estimated to surge at a CAGR of 20.9% to reach a valuation of US$3.8 bn by the end of 2024.Sample With Latest Advancements @North America to Lead; Slated to Acquire 37.4% of Global Market by 2024On the basis of application, the global bio-MEMS market is segmented into neural implants, ENT implants, bionics, cardio-MEMS, and others. The cardio-MEMS segment is segment is estimated to show significant growth in the coming years as it is slated to acquire a share of 25.8% by the end of 2024. The high prevalence of heart-related issues is expected to keep the demand for cardio-MEMS to be high in the coming years.In terms of geography, the global bio-MEMS market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. In terms of revenue, North America is anticipated to lead the global market. This regional market is expected to garner a share of 37.4% by the end of 2024. The growing government grants to improve the healthcare infrastructure are considered to the key element to this growth.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Uptake of Microfluidics for Diagnostics Improves Adoption of Bio-MEMSThe global bio-MEMS market has been progressing against the backdrop of widening applications of tissue engineering in advanced surgical procedures. Bio-MEMS sensors, which include topical sensors are used to treat terminally ill patients. Collectively, these two factors are the key driving forces of the global bio-MEMS market. The uptake of microfluidics has also played a significant role directing the trajectory of the global market in a positive direction. Today, bio-MEMS are extensively being used for diagnostic purposes with the help of microfluidics. Furthermore, the market is also being driven by the advantage of bio-MEM such as quick detection of pathogens and bacteria. The high utility of bio-MEMS in the biomedical sector has proven to be essential and crucial to the growth of the global market, notes the lead author of this research report.Browse Our Table of Content @Complex Manufacturing Processes Threaten ProgressThe complex process of manufacturing MEMS and their sophisticated fabrication techniques have been the precise restraints for the global bio-MEMS market. Excessive dependency on technologically-advanced medical infrastructure has made adoption of bio-MEMS relatively difficulty. Analysts predict that these factors could hamper the growth of the overall market in the near future. In addition, the market will also be restrained from attaining its utmost potential due to the expensive nature of the technology. Implementation of MEMS is exceptionally expensive and unaffordable to many. This is a key restraint in the global bio-MEMS market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Testing, Inspection and Certification (T.I.C.) Market Recent Industry Developments And Growth Strategies Adopted By Players

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The global Testing, Inspection and Certification (T.I.C.) Market is highly fragmented. The global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) market caters the requirements of wide range of industries that includes telecom, food and beverages, oil and gas, aerospace, and medical devices among others. This has provided a great competitive landscape for the key players in the market. Some of the prominent names in the global testing, inspection, and certification market are Intertek Group PLC, Dekra SE, SGS Group, and Bureau Veritas SA. The companies are constantly adopting to the advancements in the market and using tactical business strategies to enhance their market presences. Bureau Veritas S.A. recently announced that the company has signed a deal with Ascenz Pte. Ltd. to offer ship monitoring and performance solutions to the ship-owners across the world to back bunker savings.The global market for testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) was dominated by the top four players. They accounted for almost 29% of total market share in 2015. The other small and mid-sized companies accounted for the remaining 71% of the total market share. The global testing, inspection, and certification market stood at a valuation worth US$178.65 bn in the year 2015 and it is expected to reach the total valuation of US$285.34 bn by 2024. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% over the aforementioned forecast period of 2016-2024. The oil and gas sector has come up to be the most-promising end-user segment for the global market for testing, inspection, and certification (TIC). The oil and gas sector was most dominating in the global market as it accounted for over 35% of total share of the market. The segment is expected to continue its dominance in the market across the world during the aforementioned forecast period of 2016-2024 with a sturdy CAGR of 5.6%Sample With Latest Advancements @Flourishing Import-Export Market to Drive Global TIC MarketIt is expected that the emerging economies across the world will experience an enormous growth in the global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) market. This is mainly because of the flourishing industrial segment and a considerable rise of affluent customers. These emerging nations are on course to become hub for global exports and imports. To comply products with different quality and safety regulations on international level, the product manufacturers are strictly bound to adhere with the mentioned standards of quality. This is chiefly driving demand for the global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services market. Increasing number of exports and imports in the global market and rising stringent quality norms coupled with a complex blend of universal and domestic regulations and standards are driving the testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) market globally.Product manufacturers are forced to comply with the strict quality checks, inspections, and obtain globally accepted certifications in order to trade internationally. This factor will spur the rising adoption of services of testing, inspection, and certification across a wide range of sectors such as oil and gas, food and beverages, textile, and aerospace among others in the coming years.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Lack of Clear International Regulations Pose Problems for Development of TIC MarketHowever, nations across the world have different sets of TIC regulations and standards, which also vary in terms of type of industries and products. This high diversity among the set of norms for TIC could often create a complicated situation for advocating international trade. Thus, such different TIC guidelines is expected to be a chief restraining factor for the growth of the global market. Moreover, pharmaceutical sector suffers the most in this situation as the drug producers find it hard to develop medicines and drugs that will get easy approvals across the world when submitted to respective country, thus creating hindrance in the development of the global testing, inspection, and certification market.Browse Our Table of Content @This review is based on the research report by Transparency Market Research titled, Testing, Inspection and Certification (T.I.C.) Market (Application - Oil & gas, Aerospace, Food & beverages, Automotive, Automation, Textile) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016  2024Market SegmentationGlobal testing, inspection, and certification market, by ApplicationOil & gasAerospaceFood & beveragesAutomotiveAutomationTextileOthersGlobal testing, inspection, and certification market, by Geography:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Laboratory Water Purifier Market Recent Industry Developments And Growth Strategies Adopted By Players

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The global Laboratory Water Purifier Market is fragmented in nature with a host of small and large players competing against one another. This makes the competitive environment quite cutthroat. In order to outsell their rivals, key manufacturers are focusing hard on product differentiation through innovative technologies. Some of the prominent names operating in the market are Merck KGaA, Elga Labwater, Pall Corporation, Sartorious AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Aqua Solutions, Inc., Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Purite Ltd., and Chengdu Ultrapure Technology Co. Ltd.A noticeable trend in the global laboratory water purifier market is the smaller players entering into partnerships with distributors and service providers to grow their market shares. Acquisitions are another means by which companies are growing their shares, especially the large ones. The well-entrenched manufacturers, with their robust distribution networks and strong after-sales service, are constantly striving to expand their outreach and retain their existing consumer base.Sample With Latest Advancements @A report by Transparency Market Research forecasts the global laboratory water purifier market to rise at a robust 11.6% CAGR between 2017 and 2022 to reach a value of US$19.259 bn by 2022 from US$10.060 bn in 2016.Technological Investments in China and Japan Propel Asia Pacific Market to the Top SlotDepending upon the end-use industry, the global laboratory water purifier market can be segmented into food, environment, oil and gas, academic and government, and healthcare. Among them, healthcare is again divided into hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and clinical diagnostics and OEM. At present the segment of healthcare dominates the market for laboratory water purifier. In 2016, the segments share in the market was a substantial 39%.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Geographically, the key segments of the global laboratory water purifier market are North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, Asia Pacific is a key region that accounts of maximum share in the market. In 2016 the regions share was about 41.0%. In the upcoming years, the region is also expected to clock maximum growth on the back of significant technological investment in the countries of China and Japan.Growing Application Areas Stokes Uptake of Laboratory Water Purification SystemsLatest technologies are helping to develop more advanced laboratory water purification systems with improved functionalities. Technological investments, particularly in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific, are providing a major boost to the global laboratory water purifier market. Another factor helping to catalyze growth in the market is the growing use of the systems in different applications. The expanding application areas of laboratory water purifiers in various laboratories activities is also generating high demand for laboratory water purifiers specifically in Asia-Pacific region, explains the lead analyst of the report.View Report @Besides the exploding ecommerce sector, the robust demand from the healthcare sector and the advent of industry specific laboratory water purifier systems in the developed countries of Europe and North America are also underpinning the growth momentum in the market.Lack of Awareness of Customers about Various Applications Crimps DemandOn the flip side, the growth in the global laboratory water purifier market is hampered by the dearth of awareness among customers as regards to which type of purification will be required for their application. However, continuous improvement technology is anticipated to present several growth opportunities over the forecast period, adds the lead analyst of the 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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Food Service Equipment (Commercial Refrigeration) Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/food-service-equipment.htm

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Transparency Market Research has published a report on the global Food Service Equipment (commercial Refrigeration) Market. As per the report, the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market is expected to expand at a 4.80% CAGR during the period between 2014 and 2020. The report, titled Food Service Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, states that the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market was valued at US$31.5 bn in 2013 and is predicted to reach US$44.3 bn by 2020.Browse the full Food Service Equipment (Commercial Refrigeration) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atSample With Latest Advancements @Constant developments in refrigeration technologies and increasing availability of large refrigerators has helped the growth of the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market in the recent past. Rapid growth of the hospitality industry is expected to be the major driver of the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market till 2020. Busy lifestyles have led to changes in the eating habits of the majority of the global population. Changes in eating habits have led to increasing demand for ready-to-eat-food products, thus fuelling the demand for refrigeration systems. Increase in the number of food outlets, restaurants, and hotels is expected to generate more opportunities for the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market during the forecast period.The global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market is segmented on the basis of product type and geography. Based on geography, the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market is divided into East Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, North West Europe, South West Europe, Russia, and Central Europe. In 2014, the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market was dominated by North America.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Growth of the North America market is driven by an increase in the activity of the hospitality industry and advancements in food refrigeration procedures. With recent developments, the leading players in the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market are expected to give tough competition to the new entrants. Some of the leading players in the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market are Ali Group, Hobart Corporation, Meiko, Manitowoc Company Inc., Cambro Manufacturing Company Inc., Hoshizaki Electric Co. Ltd., and Dover Corporation.Browse Our Table of Content @By product type, the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market is classified into ice machines, refrigerated vending machines, beverage dispensers, glass door merchandisers (GDMs), commercial fridges/freezers, blast freezers, ice cream machines, ice cream cabinets, walk ins, and others. In 2014, the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market was led by the walk ins segment; this segment registered the largest revenue, of close to US$5.3 bn, and is predicted to maintain its dominant position till 2020. In 2014, the walk ins segment registered sales of 990,790 units owing to the rising number of luxury hotels and restaurants in the hospitality sector. The beverage dispensers segment has the highest growth potential in the years to come. Advancements in cooling and refrigerating systems are expected to foster increased demand for better refrigeration systems, especially in the hospitality sector. Availability of commercial refrigerators in various sizes and with various capacities is expected to boost the global food service equipment (commercial refrigeration) market during the forecast period.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Optocouplers Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/optocouplers-market.htm

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Transparency Market Research announces the release of a new research report titled Optocouplers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021. The report is available for sale on the company website. According to the publication, the global Optocouplers Market is anticipated to grow from a value of US$1.8 Bn in 2014 to US$3.2 Bn by 2021. If these values hold true, then analysts indicate that the optocouplers market will expand at a healthy CAGR of 8.20% from 2015 to 2021.The report identifies and analyzes the various factors that impact the growth of the optocouplers market. According to the study, the optocouplers market is driven by rising demand for hybrid electric vehicles and industry automation, advanced isolation technologies, and economic growth in developing countries. While replacement of relays with optocouplers and the strengthening purchasing power of consumers are anticipated to boost the demand for optocouplers in the near future, intrinsic wear-out, low data rate, and increased power consumption are likely to challenge the growth of the optocouplers market.Sample With Latest Advancements @By product type, the optocouplers market is divided into 6 pin optocoupler, 4 pin optocoupler, IGBT gate driver, high-speed optocoupler, isolation amplifier, and others. Making up for 53.10% of the total market, the isolation amplifiers segment dominates the optocouplers market.On the basis of application, the optocouplers market is categorized into printer and imaging devices, communication, industrial, automotive, signage, commercial, and others. Among these, the industrial sector held 37.95% of the overall optocouplers market in 2014, making it the leading application segment in terms of value.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Geographically, the global optocouplers market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. In 2014, Europe accounted for 35.1% of the global market, making it the largest regional segment in terms of revenue. This optocouplers market is driven by rising demand from the automotive and industrial sector, rising demand for automation in the manufacturing sector, increased demand for hybrid electric vehicles, and growing applications in the communication sector. Asia Pacific held almost 31.50% of the global optocouplers market in 2014, making the second-largest regional segment. This market is also fueled by growth of the automotive, communication, and industrial sector.View Report @A key feature of the research report on the optocouplers market is the assessment of the competitive landscape. Leading vendors are identified and profiled in the optocouplers market on the basis of aspects such as company and financial overview, recent developments, product portfolio, and business strategies. The most prominent players functioning in the global optocouplers market include Toshiba Corporation, Maxwell Technologies, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Inc., Renesas Electronics, Isocom Limited, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Vishay Intertechnology, Avago Technologies, and Fairchild Semiconductor.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
GaN Industrial Devices Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/gan-industrial-devices-market.htm

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Transparency Market Research, in its latest report, indicates that the GaN Industrial Devices Market is fueled by the introduction of advanced technology, large-scale production, increasing application areas, and the rising demand for improved battlefield performance. The report, titled GaN Industrial Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021, states that rising at a 15.10% CAGR from 2015 to 2021, the value of the global GaN industrial devices market is anticipated to grow from US$481.8 mn in 2014 to US$1,315 mn by 2021.Blossoming economy in developing countries and the development of next-gen hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles hold immense opportunities for the development of the GaN industrial devices market. However, high cost of pure gallium nitride is anticipated to restrict its growth in the coming years.Sample With Latest Advancements @Based on type, the GaN industrial devices market is bifurcated into opto electronics and power devices. Opto electronics comprises laser diodes and light-emitting diodes and this segment held a 78.0% share in the overall market in 2014. Power devices are further broken down into metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFETs), Schottky diode, high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), and others.The key applications of GaN HEMTs are wireless phone infrastructure: base stations, V-SAT, defense, WiMAX/LTE, CATV, satellite, and others. Fueled by the increasing number of base transceiver station installations, base stations held the largest share of 26.0% in the overall market in 2014.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Based on application, the GaN industrial devices market is segmented into radiofrequency (RF), power device, and light-emitting diodes (LED). Driven by large-scale usage of GaN industrial devices in traffic signal lamps, vehicle lamps, and liquid crystal lamps, LED emerged as the leader in terms of both value and volume. The LED segment accounted for 68.0% of the market in terms of value and 82.50% in terms of volume in 2014.Based on geography, the global GaN industrial devices market is divided into five key regions: Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Accounting for a share of 31.10% in the overall GaN industrial devices market in 2014, North America emerged as the leader driven by high penetration of GaN-based transistors in military and defense applications and the growing demand for LEDs in computers, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, and televisions. Europe was a close second with a market share of 28.90% in 2014.View Report @The most prominent players operating in the global GaN industrial devices market include RF Micro Devices Inc., Renesas Electronics Corporation, Fujitsu Limited, Texas Instruments Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V., International Rectifier, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., International Quantum Epitaxy plc., GaN Systems Inc., Nichia Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, and Cree Inc. These players have been profiled in the GaN industrial devices market based on company and financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dissolved Gas Analyzer Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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According to a recent report released by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global Dissolved Gas Analyzer Market, which stood at US$277.0 mn in 2013, is anticipated to reach US$538.3 mn in 2020, exhibiting a promising CAGR of 11.70% between 2014 and 2020. The report is titled Dissolved Gas Analyzer Market - Global Industry Analysis Size Share Growth Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 and is available on the company website for sale.Power transformers and oilfield equipment often generate dissolved gases with complex chemical components and significant amounts of hydrocarbons. These gases are generated during power transformer operations and they get dissolved in the mineral oils used by the transformers. To identify the level of gas generated by these equipment, dissolved gas analyzers are used. Dissolved gas analysis helps diagnose the presence of these gases, thereby revealing the probability and nature of faults in power transformers.Sample With Latest Advancements @The demand for dissolved gas analysis has increased over the years as a part of the monitoring process of power transformers. This rise in demand is fuelled by several factors such as growing awareness regarding the fault probability of high voltage transformers and the high cost of replacing depreciating transformers. Using dissolved gas analyzers enables companies to detect faults in the power transformers deployed at an early stage. Such early diagnosis allows companies to deploy maintenance programs to repair and prevent faults and extend the longevity of power transformers.Policies adopted by governments around the world also play a critical role in determining the future of the global dissolved gas analyzer market. For instance, with stringent safety and efficiency regulations being imposed, the majority of power transformer users are left with no option but to adopt dissolved gas analysis. Furthermore, in emerging economies such as India, China, and Indonesia, governments are increasingly investing in infrastructure projects to extend the power capacity of transformers to meet the mounting electricity needs. Hence, emerging economies are likely to deploy dissolved gas analyzers in their power transformers to ensure early diagnosis of their faults and ensure better safety.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @In terms of analysis type, the global dissolved gas analyzer market is segmented in smoke alarms, DGA (dissolved gas analysis) monitoring, database software, comprehensive DGA monitoring, portable DGA, and laboratory services. Of these, the laboratory services segment held the largest share in the market in 2013, accounting for 39.2%. The regional segments of the global dissolved gas analyzer market include Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. In 2013, Asia Pacific led the global dissolved gas analyzer market, with a 35.0% market share. Growing awareness regarding safety and monitoring of power transformers drives the demand for dissolved gas analyzers from Asia Pacific.View Report @To present a holistic overview of the global market for dissolved gas analyzers, the report also studies its competitive landscape. For the purpose of the study, the report profiles the leading market players, including Morgan Schaffer Corporation (Canada), LumaSense Technologies (U.S.), Gatron GmbH (Germany), Weidmann (U.S.), OELCHECK GmbH (Germany), General Electric (U.S.), EMH (Germany), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), SD Myers, Inc. (U.S.), Doble Engineering (U.S.), Qualitrol LLC (U.S.), and Sieyuan Electric Co., Ltd. (China).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/europe-commercial-refrigeration-equipment-market.htm

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According to a recent market research report released by Transparency Market Research, the Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Market in Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% during the period between 2013 and 2019. The report, titled Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Market - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, forecasts the Europe commercial refrigeration equipment market to be worth US$11,597.2 million by 2019. The overall market was valued at US$7,745.0 million in 2012.The report points out the rise in international food trade, horticulture, and seafood and processed food exports as the primary reason behind the growth of the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Europe. Changing food consumption trends, aided by the emergence of supermarkets, hotels, and cafes, have further augmented the growth of the market in the region. Advancement in product technology is also expected to boost the market. However, the report mentions that the implementation of environmental regulations will restrain the growth of the overall market.Sample With Latest Advancements @The report states that environmental regulations have led to the development of solar-powered commercial refrigeration systems. Introduction of remote-monitored commercial refrigeration equipment will open new opportunities for the market in the near future. Remote-monitored commercial equipment offers benefits such as the ability to monitor the system to detect refrigerant leak, high system pressure, and high liquid levels. Allowable refrigerant charge for different locations or applications has emerged as the latest trend in the commercial refrigeration equipment market in the region.On the basis of product type, the Europe commercial refrigeration equipment market has been segmented into beverage refrigeration equipment, refrigerants and freezers, transportation refrigeration equipment, and other equipment and parts. The refrigerants and freezers and transportation refrigeration segments are growing rapidly and together accounted for a 36.2% share in market revenue in 2012.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @In terms of application, the report segments the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Europe into food and beverage retail, food and beverage production, food service, food and beverage distribution, and others. Food and beverage retail is expected to witness the highest demand during the forecast horizon.The report studies the commercial refrigeration equipment market across key regions in Europe such as Italy, France, Germany, the U.K., Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe. Owing to the presence of rapidly growing retail chains, Germany is forecast to remain as the largest market for commercial refrigeration equipment.View Report @The report profiles the key players in the Europe commercial refrigeration equipment market such as Dover Corporation, Hussmann International Inc., Epta S.p.A., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Metalfrio Solutions SA, United Technologies Corporation, and Hubbard Products Ltd. The report offers detailed information about the key players, such as financial overview, recent developments, and business strategies.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Home Energy Management Systems Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/home-energy-management-systems.htm

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The featured report from Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled Home Energy Management Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, offers key insights on the market. According to this report, the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market will expand at a remarkable CAGR of 25.0% during the forecast period from 2013 to 2019. In 2012, the global home energy management systems market was worth US$393.8 million and by 2019, the market is projected to be worth US$1,909.4 million.The report evaluates the world energy market scenario. The report discusses how rising electricity prices worldwide have prompted homeowners to seek alternative means of monitoring and controlling their electricity use. The rising need for saving energy and controlled utilization of energy is expected to drive the demand for home energy management systems (HEMS) in the foreseeable future. Moreover, the variable pricing schemes offered for electric distribution in various regions are also fueling the global HEMS market. In addition to this, the rising connectivity and accelerating smartphone applications will drive the global home energy management systems market.Sample With Latest Advancements @By functionality, the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market is divided into control devices, enabling technologies, and user interface. Even though control devices such as home lighting and automation and thermostats are dominating the market, enabling technologies are projected to witness the fastest growth in the foreseeable future.Technology-wise, the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market is segmented into Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, HomePlug, ZigBee, and others such as Wavenis, Insteon, Ethernet, and EnOcean. ZigBee is projected to grow at the highest CAGR, surpassing Wi-Fi as the major technology during the forecasting horizon. This is due to the growing demand of ZigBee in key markets such as North America and Europe. ZigBee is more scalable, compatible with HAN devices, and interference-tolerant as compared to Wi-Fi.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @On the basis of geography, the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World (Latin America, the Middle East and Africa). In 2012, North America led the global home energy management systems market due to large scale deployment of wireless technologies such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, and HAN (home area network). In 2012, the European home energy management systems market was estimated at US$155.7 million. The European HEMS market is projected to grow with the highest CAGR of 26.2% during the forecasting horizon.Players in the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market will benefit from the rising integration of HEMS with smart devices, high demand for HEMS in emerging economies, and exemption from energy and carbon tax policies. The majority of the key players in the global home energy management systems market are based in the U.S. Some of the key players operating in the global home energy management systems market are Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Intel Corporation (U.S.), General Electric Company (U.S.), and Panasonic Corporation (Japan).View Report @Although the global home energy management systems (HEMS) market will expand at a healthy rate, it will be challenged by the lack of awareness at present, perceived health risks, and high installation cost and complexity associated with HEMS.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Industrial And Commercial LED Lighting Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/industrial-commercial-led-lighting-market.htm

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Transparency Market Research has published a new report that offers an insightful study on the global Industrial And Commercial Led Lighting Market. The report, titled Industrial And Commercial LED Lighting Market - Global Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis And Forecast, 2013 - 2019, is available for sale on the companys website. The report gives an accurate analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market. Furthermore, it also highlights multiple trends governing this market.According to the research report, the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market was worth US$12.9 bn in 2012 and is expected to reach US$86 bn by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 30.8% from 2013 to 2019.The global industrial and commercial LED lighting market is segmented on the basis of end user and geography.Sample With Latest Advancements @Industrial and commercial LED lighting is mainly used for industrial, commercial, architectural, and outdoor purposes. The commercial segment is further sub-segmented into office buildings, hotels and restaurants, retail shops, educational institutes, and warehouses and storage units. Geographically, the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.Europe holds the biggest market share in the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market. According to the research report, it held a market share of 33.1% in the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market in 2012. This impressive market performance is attributable to the increasing investment made by various governments in this region. The Europe industrials and commercial LED lighting market is also getting an impetus from the complete ban on the production or import of incandescent lamps. This move is forcing manufacturers to shift focus to LED lighting, thus benefiting the regional market for industrial and commercial LED lighting.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @In addition to this, countries such as the U.K., Germany, Denmark, and Russia are also trying out various methods of effective and efficient lighting. The search for improved lighting solutions will fuel the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market.Amongst the end users of LED lighting, the commercial segment held a market share of 52.5% in 2012. The key growth driver for the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market is the increasing awareness about reducing CO2 emissions and cutting down on energy consumption.View Report @The research report on the global industrial and commercial LED lighting market has profiled some of the key players in the market. The list of players studied in this report includes Cooper Industries plc, Digital Lumens, Inc., Osram Lict AG, Dialight plc, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Cree, Inc., Zumtobel AG, GE Lighting Solutions, and Toshiba Corporation. The profile includes an overview of these companies, their financial status, product portfolio, and research and development status.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automated Fare Collection Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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Close to only 11% of the global automated fare collection market was taken up by regional players in 2014, indicating a highly consolidated market. The top three players  NXP Semiconductors, Atos, and Omron Corporation  collectively held a share of 56% in revenue in 2014. As stated by Transparency Market Research in a new report, all top automated fare collection services and technologies providers are constantly on the cutting edge of automated fare collection technologies through continuous innovation and system development. These innovations allow the vendors to tackle the rapid increase in demand while providing safe and secure transaction methods.Other key strategies adopted by the automated fare collection vendors include a significant scale of acquisitions and mergers to maintain and grow market value. At the same time, the players also invest heavily in improvement techniques of their own products. This includes investing in advanced bug tracking, real-time data solutions, and integrated operations.Sample With Latest Advancements @Transport Networks Improve, Add Greater Scope for Automated Fare CollectionAll parts of the world, whether developing or developed, hold transport at a high priority when it comes to development and expansion, states a TMR analyst. The latest development trend in transport is the implementation of smart transport systems, which can sync perfectly with the new automated fare collection systems available in the market.The use of automated fare collection in smart transport is expected to improve the overall flow of traffic and help government and other agencies cut down on operation costs.Additionally, the implementation of automated fare collection systems directly in the existing transport systems can also help substantially in reducing road congestion, which is a key cause of high fuel consumption and carbon emissions.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Organization and Integration Challenges Hinder Automated Fare Collection Vendor GrowthThe implementation of automated fare collection systems involves the installation of multiple hardware and software in a transportation system. It brings out a key challenge faced by all players: the complex nature of an automated fare collection system and its integration. The various components in an automated fare collection system may make it exceedingly difficult to integrate them with a current organization, especially when it comes to switching between automatic and manual fare collection.North America Leads Automated Fare Collection Revenue GenerationThe global automated fare collection market is expected to accrue a revenue of US$10.87 bn by the end of 2021. The revenue is speculated to be progressing at a CAGR of 11.4% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2021.View Report @Smart card technology has contributed significantly to the revenue growth. This segment is expected to reach US$4.69 bn by 2021.North America will be the leading region for most automated fare collection releases and development. This region is expected to generate US$3.87 bn in the automated fare collection market by 2021. Europe automated fare collection follows closely with an expected revenue of US$3.44 bn in 2021.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Air Care Market Future Forecast Assessed On The Basis Of How The Market Is Predicted To Grow

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SC Johnson & Son, Inc., Reckitt Benckiser Plc., and Procter & Gamble Co. held a collective share of 60% for air care products in 2014. While they do hold the majority of the market value together, the number of regional players offering air care products is still very high. Most of the manufacturers of air care products are beginning to focus on attractive market segments such as candle air fresheners. This is due to a growing concern over environmental issues and the consequent reduction in the use of aerosols and sprays.Candle air fresheners provide one of the most eco-friendly air care means, which is making them highly preferred in many regions. According to a new publication by Transparency Market Research, other products such as beads, plug-ins, and oils are also gaining popularity due to advancements in technology that make it feasible to sell these items on a large scale.Sample With Latest Advancements @Globally Improving Living Standards and Increasing Air Pollution Push Air Care Product SalesA lot of countries are showing a very positive rate of development, states a TMR analyst. The quality of life in Asia Pacific, for instance, is fast improving, and the disposable income that individuals hold is increasing as well. This is turning many consumers towards retail markets such as air care products for their cars and their homes, thus adding a significant weight to the demand for air care products on a global level.Asia Pacific and Latin America are most visibly showing high economic growth rates and preference for a wide array of air care products. This also applies to countries from other regions such as Egypt, where the massive amounts of dust in the air is creating an equally high demand for air care products.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Substitute Products Expected to Continue Slowing Air Care Product SalesA lot of countries, especially from the economically developing regions, still make use of homemade or locally produced dried herbs, flowers, and plant essences for fragrances and air cleansing. These are direct substitutes of air care products and are therefore reducing the effective consumer base for them.The impact of substitute usage is expected to remain high between 2015 and 2021 owing to their lower costs and the current lack of awareness of the diverse range of air care products.View Report @Europe Could Lose Leading Position to APAC in Air Care Products RevenueExpanding at a predicted CAGR of 2.6% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2021, the global market for air care products is expected to reach US$11.7 bn by the end of 2021. By the end of 2016, its revenue is expected to reach US$10.5 bn.Europe is the leading consumer region of air care products in the world for now. By 2021, it is expected to reach US$3.68 bn in revenue, but will most likely be overtaken by Asia Pacific thanks to the rapidly increasing demand for air care products in this region.The retail sales of air care products exceed B2B sales by a huge margin. By the end of 2021, the overall retail sales of air care products are expected to reach US$11.28 bn. The demand for spray or aerosol air fresheners is expected to remain high till 2021. It will end up reaching US$3.94 bn in revenue by the end of 2021.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Market: Technological Growth Map Over Time To Understand The Industry Growth Rate

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With drug development and discovery for new diseases and conditions gathering steam, the demand for global Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Market is poised for a healthy double-digital growth rate, finds a new study by Transparency Market Research. The report, titled Clinical Trial Management System Market- Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2019, states that the market will rise from its 2013 valuation of US$844.0 mn to US$1,848.5 mn by 2019 at a 14% CAGR between 2014 and 2019.Browse the full Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2019 report atWith companies long having realized that the best way to remain competitive in the pharmaceutical industry is by ploughing back of profits into R&D projects, the demand for clinical trial management systems is expected to see an uptick. While this will help impel the market greatly in the coming years, what also needs to be taken into consideration that the cost of implementing such a system may deter investment decisions.Sample With Latest Advancements @The most remunerative opportunities for companies in the clinical trial management system market lie in the life science, clinical research, and pharmaceutical industries. The integration of CTMS with HIS makes documentation during drug formulation and clinical trials simpler. This facet of clinical trial management systems appeals to most hospitals and clinical research centers. The report also notes that the clinical research outsourcing trend will prove conducive to the growth of the global clinical trial management system market.For the purpose of this study, the global clinical trial management system market is segmented on the basis of delivery mode, type, components, end user, and geography. On the basis of delivery mode, the CTMS market is segmented into: web-based, cloud-based, and on-premise clinical trial management systems. On similar lines, the CTMS market by end user is segmented into clinical research organization (CROs), healthcare providers, and pharmaceuticals. By type, the market is divided into site-based CTMS and enterprise-based CTMS. Basis components, the CTMS market is segmented into services, hardware, and software.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @The regional markets studied in this report include: Europe, North America, Asia, and Rest of the World. North America has traditionally been a leading market where clinical trials are concerned, and has thus become an important market for companies in the CTMS market as well. In 2011 alone, 56,981 clinical trials were conducted in the U.S., says the National Institute of Health. In Europe, on the other hand, the number of clinical trials conducted have increased in Central and Eastern Europe but have seen a dip in Western Europe. This indicates that clinical trial management system vendors have new opportunities in emerging regions in Europe.With Asia now widely being accepted as the fastest-growing pharmaceutical products market in the world, clinical trials are now being undertaken in greater numbers in China, India, and Japan. The Asian region, as a result, will be a hotbed of activity for CTMS companies.Leading companies in the clinical trial management system market are: Oracle Corporation, Merge Healthcare, PAREXEL, and Medidata Solutions are the leaders in the clinical research services space.Browse Our Full Report @Oracle Corporation and PAREXEL are leading players in the market. Other major players of clinical trial management system market include BioClinica, MedNet Solutions, eClinforce, Bio-Optronics, Forte Research and DSG.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Big Data in the Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis and Forecast 2017 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts

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Big Data originally emerged as a term to describe datasets whose size is beyond the ability of traditional databases to capture, store, manage and analyze. However, the scope of the term has significantly expanded over the years. Big Data not only refers to the data itself but also a set of technologies that capture, store, manage and analyze large and variable collections of data, to solve complex problems.Amid the proliferation of real-time and historical data from sources such as connected devices, web, social media, sensors, log files and transactional applications, Big Data is rapidly gaining traction from a diverse range of vertical sectors. The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is no exception to this trend, where Big Data has found a host of applications ranging from drug discovery and precision medicine to clinical decision support and population health management.Get the sample copy of report :SNS Research estimates that Big Data investments in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will account for nearly $4 Billion in 2017 alone. Led by a plethora of business opportunities for healthcare providers, insurers, payers, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders, these investments are further expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% over the next three years.The Big Data in the Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Industry: 2017  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of Big Data in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry including key market drivers, challenges, investment potential, application areas, use cases, future roadmap, value chain, case studies, vendor profiles and strategies. The report also presents market size forecasts for Big Data hardware, software and professional services investments from 2017 through to 2030. The forecasts are segmented for 8 horizontal submarkets, 5 application areas, 36 use cases, 6 regions and 35 countries.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Send an enqyury :The report covers the following topics:Big Data ecosystemMarket drivers and barriersEnabling technologies, standardization and regulatory initiativesBig Data analytics and implementation modelsBusiness case, application areas and use cases in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry34 case studies of Big Data investments by healthcare providers, insurers, payers, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholdersFuture roadmap and value chainCompany profiles and strategies of over 240 Big Data vendorsStrategic recommendations for Big Data vendors, and healthcare and pharmaceutical industry stakeholdersMarket analysis and forecasts from 2017 till 2030Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Hardware, Software & Professional ServicesHardwareSoftwareProfessional ServicesHorizontal SubmarketsStorage & Compute InfrastructureNetworking InfrastructureHadoop & Infrastructure SoftwareSQLNoSQLAnalytic Platforms & ApplicationsCloud PlatformsProfessional ServicesApplication AreasPharmaceutical & Medical ProductsCore Healthcare OperationsHealthcare Support, Awareness & Disease PreventionHealth Insurance & Payer ServicesMarketing, Sales & Other ApplicationsUse CasesDrug Discovery, Design & DevelopmentMedical Product Design & DevelopmentClinical Development & TrialsPrecision Medicine & GenomicsManufacturing & Supply Chain ManagementPost-Market Surveillance & PharmacovigilanceMedical Product Fault MonitoringClinical Decision SupportCare Coordination & Delivery ManagementCER (Comparative Effectiveness Research) & Observational EvidencePersonalized Healthcare & Targeted TreatmentsData-Driven Preventive Care & Health InterventionsSurgical Practice & Complex Medical ProceduresPathology, Medical Imaging & Other Medical TestsProactive & Remote Patient MonitoringPredictive Maintenance of Medical EquipmentPharmacy ServicesSelf-Care & Lifestyle SupportMedication Adherence & ManagementVaccine Development & PromotionPopulation Health ManagementConnected Health Communities & Medical Knowledge DisseminationEpidemiology & Disease SurveillanceHealth Policy Decision MakingControlling Substance Abuse & AddictionIncreasing Awareness & Accessible HealthcareHealth Insurance Claims Processing & ManagementFraud & Abuse PreventionProactive Patient EngagementAccountable & Value-Based CareData-Driven Health Insurance PremiumsMarketing & SalesAdministrative & Customer ServicesFinance & Risk ManagementHealthcare Data MonetizationOther Use CasesRegional MarketsAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeCountry MarketsArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK, USAKey Questions AnsweredThe report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the Big Data opportunity in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?How is the market evolving by segment and region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?Who are the key Big Data software, hardware and services vendors and what are their strategies?How much are healthcare providers, insurers, payers, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders investing in Big Data?What opportunities exist for Big Data analytics in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?Which countries, application areas and use cases will see the highest percentage of Big Data investments in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?Key FindingsThe report has the following key findings:In 2017, Big Data vendors will pocket nearly $4 Billion from hardware, software and professional services revenues in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. These investments are further expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% over the next three years, eventually accounting for over $5.8 Billion by the end of 2020.Through the use of Big Data technologies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been able to achieve cost reductions of more than 10%, improvements in outcomes by as much as 20% for certain conditions, growth in revenue by 30%, and increase in patient access to services by more than 35%.Big Data technologies are playing a pivotal role in accelerating the transition towards accountable and value-based care models, by enabling the continuous collection, consolidation and analysis of clinical and operational data from healthcare facilities and other available data sources.Addressing privacy and security concerns is necessary in order to fully leverage the benefits of Big Data in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it is essential for key stakeholders to make significant investments in data encryption and cybersecurity, in addition to adopting defensible de-identification techniques and implementing strict restrictions on data use.List of Companies Mentioned1010dataAbsolutdataAccentureACR (American College of Radiology)Actian CorporationAdaptive InsightsAdvizor SolutionsAeroSpikeAetnaAFS TechnologiesAlationAlgorithmiaAlluxioAlphabetAlpine DataAlteryxAmbient Clinical AnalyticsAMD (Advanced Micro Devices)AminoApixioArcadia DataArimoARMASF (Apache Software Foundation)ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)AstraZenecaAtScaleAttivioAttunityAustralian Digital Health AgencyAutomated InsightsAWS (Amazon Web Services)AxiomaticsAyasdiBangkok Hospital GroupBasho TechnologiesBayerBCG (Boston Consulting Group)Bedrock DataBetterWorksBig Cloud AnalyticsBig PandaBigMLBirstBitamBlue MedoraBlueData SoftwareBlueTalonBMC SoftwareBOARD InternationalBooz Allen HamiltonBoxeverCACI InternationalCambridge SemanticsCapgeminiCazenaCDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)CenterstoneCentrifuge SystemsCenturyLinkChartioCincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical CenterCisco SystemsCivis AnalyticsClearStory DataCloudabilityClouderaClustrixCMS (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)CNIL (Data Protection Regulatory Authority, France)CognitiveScaleCollibraConcurrent Computer CorporationConfluentContextiContinuum AnalyticsCosmosIDCouchbaseCrowdFlowerCSA (Cloud Security Alliance)CSCC (Cloud Standards Customer Council)CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization)DatabricksDataGravityDataikuDatameerDataRobotDataScienceDataStaxDataTorrentDatawatch CorporationDatos IODDN (DataDirect Networks)DecisyonDell TechnologiesDeloitteDemandbaseDenodo TechnologiesDigital Reasoning SystemsDimensional InsightDMG (Data Mining Group)Dolphin Enterprise Solutions CorporationDomino Data LabDomoDriveScaleDundas Data VisualizationDXC TechnologyEligotechEngineering Group (Engineering Ingegneria Informatica)EnterpriseDBeQ TechnologicEricssonEXASOLExpress ScriptsExscientiaFacebookFaros HealthcareFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation)Fractal AnalyticsFujitsuFuzzy LogixGainsightGE (General Electric)Genomics EnglandGinger.ioGlassbeamGNS HealthcareGold Coast HealthGoodData CorporationGoogleGreenwave SystemsGridGain SystemsGSK (GlaxoSmithKline)GuavusH2O.aiHDS (Hitachi Data Systems)HedvigHHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)HL7 (Health Level Seven)HLI (Human Longevity Inc.)HortonworksHPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)HuaweiIBM CorporationiDashboardsIEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise)IlluminaIMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative)Impetus TechnologiesINCITS (InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards)IncortaINDS (National Institute of Health Data, France)InetSoft Technology CorporationInferInforInformatica CorporationInformation BuildersInfosysInfoworksInsightsoftware.comInsightSquaredIntel CorporationInteranaInterSystems CorporationISO (International Organization for Standardization)ITU (International Telecommunications Union)IU Health (Indiana University Health)IURTC (Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation)JedoxJethroJinfonet SoftwareJohnson & JohnsonJuniper NetworksKALEAOKBV/NASHIP (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Germany)Keen IOKineticaKNIMEKognitioKyvos InsightsLavastormLexalyticsLexmark InternationalLinux FoundationLogi AnalyticsLongview SolutionsLooker Data SciencesLucidWorksLuminoso TechnologiesMaanaMagento CommerceManthan Software ServicesMapD TechnologiesMapR TechnologiesMariaDB CorporationMarkLogic CorporationMathworksMayo ClinicMedtronicMemSQLMerck & Co.Merck KGaAMetric InsightsMicrosoft CorporationMicroStrategyMinistry of Health, Labor and Welfare, JapanMinitabMolecularMatchMongoDBMSQC (Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative)Mu SigmaNCCS (National Cancer Centre Singapore)NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs)NEC CorporationNEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association)Neo TechnologyNetAppNHS (National Health Service, United Kingdom)NHS EnglandNHS ScotlandNimbixNIST (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology)NokiaNovartisNTT Data CorporationNumerifyNuoDBNutonianNVIDIA CorporationOASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards)Oblong IndustriesODaF (Open Data Foundation)ODCA (Open Data Center Alliance)ODPi (Open Ecosystem of Big Data)OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium)OpenText CorporationOpera SolutionsOptimal PlusOptumOptumLabsOracle CorporationPalantir TechnologiesPanorama SoftwarePaxataPentaho CorporationPepperdataPfizerPhocas SoftwarePivotal SoftwarePrognozProgress Software CorporationProteus Digital HealthPwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers International)Pyramid AnalyticsQlikQuantum CorporationQuboleRackspaceRadius IntelligenceRapidMinerRecorded FutureRed HatRedis LabsRedPoint GlobalReltioRocheRocket FuelRoyal PhilipsRStudioRyft SystemsSailthruSalesforce.comSalient Management CompanySamsung GroupSanofiSAPSAS InstituteScaleDBScaleOut SoftwareSCIO Health AnalyticsSeagate TechnologySeattle Children's HospitalSickweatherSinequaSingHealth (Singapore Health Services)SiSenseSnapLogicSnowflake ComputingSoftware AGSplice MachineSplunkSproxilSqrrlStrategy Companion CorporationStreamSetsStriimSumo LogicSupermicro (Super Micro Computer)SyncsortSynerScopeTableau SoftwareTalenaTalendTamrTARGITTCS (Tata Consultancy Services)Teradata CorporationThe Weather CompanyThoughtSpotTIBCO SoftwareTidemarkTM ForumToshiba CorporationTPC (Transaction Processing Performance Council)TrifactaU.S. Department of EnergyU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsUN (United Nations)UnitedHealth GroupUniversity of MichiganUniversity of Utah Health CareUnravel DataVHA (U.S. Veterans Health Administration)VMwareVoltDBW3C (World Wide Web Consortium)Waterline DataWestern Digital CorporationWiProWorkdayX12XplentyYellowfin InternationalYseopZendeskZoomdataZucchettiMRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 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
Automotive Battery Market Expecting Worldwide Growth By 2023

Automotive Battery Market

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Market Highlights:Automotive battery market has witnessed significant growth in the recent years. With manufacturers significantly investing in the development of automotive components that optimize electricity consumption within the automobile, the automotive battery market is expected to register high growth rate. Rapidly rising demand for electric vehicles, is one of the major driver contributing in the growth of the Automotive Battery Market. Increasing demand for electric vehicles will be tasked with enhancing battery performance and extending the capacity of individual batteries. It will also develop techniques for faster recharging. With the advent of technologies such as ADAS, occupant sensing and vehicle connectivity, the demand in the automotive battery is expected to significantly grow, mainly due to the increased requirement of battery power to support such technologies. Increasing demand for passenger vehicles and significant transformation of commercial vehicles to ensure high performance, are expected to propel the demand in the automotive battery market during the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Battery Market:The key players of global Automotive battery market are Johnson Controls International plc.(U.S.), Haldex Incorporated (Sweden), ZF TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation (U.S.), Hitachi Ltd.(Japan), EnerSys (U.S.), Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. (Japan), Leoch International Tech (China), GS Yuasa Corporation (Japan), Crown Battery Manufacturing Company (U.S.), and Exide Industries Limited (India).Global Automotive battery Market:The market for automotive battery systems is expected to grow with an increase in demand for automobiles, majorly in the United States and the European region. There is an immense demand of commercial vehicles in the U. S. With the increase in demand of commercial vehicles there is an increase in demand for automotive battery systems market. The growth of the European region is also driven by the presence of major auto manufacturers who are mainly focusing on meeting the increasing demand for both, passenger and commercial vehicles. Owing to all these factors, the growth of the regions is expected to grow at a rapid pace.Report Content:Chapter 1. Methodology And Scope1.1. Research Methodology1.1.1. Initial Data Exploration1.1.2. Statistical Modeling And Forecast1.1.3. Industry Insights And Validation1.2. Data SourcesChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Automotive Battery Industry 3600 Synopsis, 2012  20232.1.1. Business Trends2.1.2. Battery Type Trends2.1.3. Vehicle Type TrendsChapter 3 Automotive Battery Industry Insights3.1 Industry Segmentation3.2 Industry Size And Forecast3.3 Industry Ecosystem Analysis3.4 Industry Impact Forces3.4.1 Growth Drivers3.5 Growth Potential Analysis3.6 Company Market Share Analysis, 20153.7 Porters Analysis3.8 Pestel AnalysisContinueAccess Report Details @Market Research Analysis:Due to the presence of the most populous countries of the world such as China and India, the dominance of APAC in the global automotive battery systems market value becomes evident. Aggressive growth in the Asian automotive market is expected to boost the demand in the automotive battery market in this region. The market has been experiencing rapid growth in the last two years, owing to the rise in sales of passenger cars, emerging economies, shifting of global players and technological advancements. These factors give the much needed thrust to the automotive battery systems market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research Future:Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
In-depth Analysis on Dental CAM Milling Machine Market & Global Foreseen to 2022

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Dental CAM milling machine market information, by type of product (in-Lab system, and in-office system), by component (equipment, and software), by application (crowns, dentures, bridges, veneers and inlays/onlays), by end user (dental laboratory, dental clinic, research/academic institute) - Forecast to 2022Market Synopsis of Dental CAM milling machine market:Market Scenario:The dental CAM milling machine global market and is anticipated to grow $1415.6 Million by 2022Form past few years, Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) have invaded many practices and is so precise that dental restorations made by CAM milling machines often fits more better than those made manually in a dental lab. Patient satisfaction is being increased simply because the tooth gets repaired in a single day instead of having to return for repeat appointments. CAD/CAM dentistry technology is helping patients move on faster than ever before. By using the technology dentist can completely control the final result. Globally the market for Dental CAM milling machines is increasing steadily.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Dental CAM Milling Machine Market: Axsys Incorporated B&D Dental Technologies DATRON AG Dentsply Sirona KaVo Dental GmbH Planmeca OY Straumann Yenadent LtdKey Finding The dental CAM milling machine global market and is expected to reach $1415.6 million by 2022. Lab Scale milling machines holds the largest share of 65.2% of the market. Europe holds the largest market share of dental CAM milling machine market and is anticipated to reach $363.3 million by the end of forecast period. Globally, Asia-Pacific the fastest growing region and expected to grow at the rate of 7.6% during the forecast period.Segments:Dental CAM milling machine market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises of ilab scale milling machines, and office scale milling machines. On the basis of application, market is segmented into crowns, dentures, bridges, veneers and inlays/onlays. On the basis of end user, market is segmented into dental laboratory, dental clinic, and research/academic institutes.Browse Full Report Details @Study objectives of Dental CAM Milling Machine market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the dental CAM milling machine market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the 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- Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. 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 segments by type, by application, by end user and its sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling 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 dental CAM milling machine market.Regional Analysis of Dental CAM Milling Machine Market:Globally Europe is the largest market for dental CAM milling machines. North America is the second-largest market. Furthermore Asia pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for dental CAM milling machines. However, Middle East & Africa are expected to have a limited but steady growth.The report for dental CAM milling machine 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 markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Dental CAM Milling Machine Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Methodical Analysis on Plant Growth Regulators Market & Foresight to 2021

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North America : Plant Growth Regulators Market Research Report, By types (Cytokinins, Gibberellins, Ethylene, Abscisic Acid), By crop types- (Pulses & Oilseeds, Grains & Cereals, Fruits & Vegetables, Turf & ornamentals and others), By region (North America)- Forecast to 2021North America Plant Growth Regulators Market Report: IntroductionThe Market research future delivers a detailed analysis of 5 years forecast between year 2016 to 2021 and it is expected that North America Plant Growth Regulators Market will register the CAGR of more than 3.4% during the forecast period.The Plant Growth Regulators are chemical compounds, other than nutrients, that help in modifying plant physiological processes. As new products are coming from the R&D centers of companies in order for better growth in agriculture sector and higher productivity, demand for plant growth regulators are also increasing with same pace. Plant growth regulator helps to prevent the diseases of plants as well as in better and effective growth. This market has huge opportunities in the upcoming years as new developments for effective farming is coming.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Going ahead to product segmentation, in the year 2012 Cytokinin was accounted for more than 30% of market share followed by the Gibberellins.Europe is the leading player in the market of Plant growth regulators due to demand for organic foods and new revolutionary technologies in the field of agriculture. North America is also a big player due to technological advancement in their countries. The US which is the most high-tech country on the globe is helping in the advancement for plant growth market products. Countries located in APAC region like China and India which is the two biggest populated countries in the world. The most of population of these countries are dependent on agriculture which creates the enormous opportunities for the new players.Furthermore the report comprises the detailed analysis of the leading players including- BASF SE, Bayer, The Dow Chemical, Nufarm Ltd, FMC Corporation, Syngenta AG, Marrone Bio, Tata Chemicals and others with respect to their strategies, SWOT analysis, financials, and key developments.Moving forwards, the report comprises broad analysis of industry overview of Plant growth regulators Market which includes market drivers, restrains, opportunities, burning issues, winning imperatives on scale.This report also covers geographical analysis. Furthermore, the report has been segmented on the basis By types (Cytokinins, Gibberellins, Ethylene, Abscisic Acid), By crop types- (Pulses & Oilseeds, Grains & Cereals, Fruits & Vegetables, Turf & ornamentals and others), By regions (North America). The Plant Growth Regulators market research report provides detail analysis of market in terms of value market. The report also gives the future outlook of the market till 2021. Moreover, on whole region as well as market share in different countries. Lastly, the report provides company profiles of major players in the market.Browse Full Report Details @Research MethodologyTo calculate Plant Growth Regulators market size, we have considered top players in the market and to offer accuracy, our research is supported by industry experts who offer insight on industry structure and technology assessment, competitive landscape, penetration, emerging products and trends. Their analysis is based (80 to 85%) on primary & (15 to 20%) on secondary research as well as years of professional expertise in their respective industries. In addition to analyze current and historical trends, our analysts predict where the market is headed over the next five to ten years. It varies by segment for these categories geographically presented in the list of market tables. Top-down and bottom-up are important strategies of processing the information and knowledge ordering, used in a variety of fields including humanistic, software and scientific theories and management and organization. In practice, they can be seen as a style of thinking, teaching, or leadership.Get Discount @ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from North America Plant Growth Regulators Market Research Report - Forecast to 2021 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Top Vendors of Global LED Materials Market like Akzonobel N.V, Cree, Inc., Epistar Corporation, Hitachi Metals, Ltd.,Koninklijke Philips N.V., Forecast 2024

Global LED Materials Market

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New research report of Global LED Materials Market Analysis with Top Comapnies as recent as 2017 and forecasts up to 2024 that helps you track the unprecedented growth seen in the Information and communication Industry giving you an edge to not just compete but to outmatch the competition.The Global LED Materials Market accounted for USD 7.90 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Get a Free Sample Report @Global LED Materials Market By Type (Substrate, Wafer, Epitaxy, Phosphor) By Application {General Lighting (Residential, Industrial, Outdoor), Automotive Lighting (Interior, Exterior), Backlighting} By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Competitive Landscape:The Global LED Materials Market is fragmented with the presence of a large number of players across different regions. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.Avail 10% Discount on this Report @Major Market Drivers: Ban on the use of incandescent bulbs in several countries Government subsidies on LED lights Advantages of LEDs over alternative light sourcesMarket restraint: Lack of awareness about the benefits of LED in some regionsTOP Competitors of Market: Akzonobel N.V, Cree, Inc., Epistar Corporation, Hitachi Metals, Ltd., II-VI Incorporated, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Nichia Corporation, Osram Licht AG, Sumitomo Electric Industries, UBE Industries, Ltd., Addison Engineering, Inc., China Crystal Technologies Co., Ltd, Dowa Electronic Materials Co Ltd, Epigan NV, Everl0ight Electronics Co., Ltd, Freiberger Compound Materials GmbH, Lake LED Materials Co., Ltd, LG Innotek, Macom Technology Solutions, MTI Corporation, Seoul Semiconductors Co, Ltd, Sino Nitride Semiconductor Co, Ltd, Six Point Materials, Inc., Soraa, Xinxiang Shenzhou Crystal Technology Co., Ltd many more.Request for Detail TOC @Market Segmentation:The LED materials market is segmented on the basis of type into substrate, wafer, epitaxy, and phosphor.On the basis of application:- General lighting, automotive lighting, and backlighting. The general lightning is sub segmented into residential, industrial and outdoor.On the basis of end-user:- Tires, adhesives and industrial rubber.On the basis of geography:- North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others.Read more about This Report @About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit Blog:Follow us on LinkedIn:
Electric Vehicles Market Trends and Opportunities 2023

Electric Vehicles Market

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Market Highlights:The global Electric Vehicle Market is a very dynamic and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The growth of the electric vehicle market is majorly influenced by the surge in demand of electric vehicle worldwide, increasing fuel prices, and expansion of global auto-manufacturers into new emerging markets and government initiatives and among others. On the other hand, emerging economies seeks more opportunities for electric vehicles will create ample scope for market growth. However, high prices of electric vehicles and underdeveloped aftermarket services could hinder the market growth.Global automakers are increasingly introducing the electric cars to tackle the vehicle emission problems and reduce pollution. This has resulted in electric cars being increasingly affordable and commercially competitive with the conventional gasoline cars. One of the major drawbacks of the electric cars is the complexity of its drive and power train systems. The manufacturing of the individual components of these systems is highly costly and requires more time to test and implement the technology.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players in Global Electric Vehicles Market:The major players operating in this market includes Nissan Motor Company, Tesla Inc, Toyota Motor Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen, BMW, General Motors, Daimler AG, Hyundai Motor Company, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and among others.Market Research Analysis:Geographically, Asia-Pacific is the leading market for electric vehicle which has consumed the market share of 53.2% in 2016. Presence of China, Japan and South Korea is one of the major factors that is driving the Electric Vehicles Market. China is the largest market for electric car and electric two wheeler. Since 2015, the sales have been grown massively in China. However, it has created an ample scope for the automakers to cover the region. Moreover, the automakers such as Tesla, Tata Motors, Hyundai and other have decided to initiative the electric car production in India as well, which is quiet a profitable decision as the government has also taken various steps to make more investment in these countries.As per MRFR analysis, China is the largest market for electric vehicles production and has produced around 40% of the total electric vehicle build globally in 2016. Overtaking the US, China is now the most attractive country for electric vehicles. China has stretched its industry leadership by making profits across all scopes of the supply side of electric vehicles containing current and projected production of electric vehicle and their components, such as electric motors and lithium-ion battery cells.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Introduction2.1 Scope of the Study2.2 Assumptions2.3 Market Structure3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Introduction4.2 Market Drivers4.2.1 Surge in Demand of Electric Vehicle Worldwide4.2.2 Increasing Fuel Prices Will Boost Demand of Electric Vehicles4.2.3 Government Initiatives4.2.4 Expansion Of Global Auto-Manufacturers Into New Emerging Markets4.3 Market Restraints4.3.1 High Prices of Electric Vehicles4.3.2 Underdeveloped Aftermarket Services4.4 Market Opportunities4.4.1 Emerging Economies Seeks More Opportunities for Electric VehiclesContinueBrowse Full Report @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global electric vehicles market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global electric vehicles market by technology, by vehicle type and by regions.By Technology Battery Electric Vehicles Hybrid Electric Vehicles Plug-In Hybrid Electric VehiclesBy Vehicle type Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles Two WheelersBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldList of Table:Table 1 Global Electric Vehicle Market, By Technology, 2015-2023 (Usd Million)Table 2 Global Electric Vehicle Market, By Vehicle Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Million)Table 3 Global Electric Vehicle Market, By Region, 2015-2023 (Usd Million)Table 4 North America Electric Vehicle Market By Country, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 5 North America Electric Vehicle Market By Technology, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 6 North America Electric Vehicle Market By Vehicle Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 7 U.S. Electric Vehicle Market, By Technology, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 8 U.S. Electric Vehicle Market, By Vehicle Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 9 Canada Electric Vehicle Market, By Technology, 2015-2023 (Usd Billion)ContinueAbout 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:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Organic Acids Market 2017 Global Analysis By Top Key Players  Cargill, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Tate & Lyle Plc, Du Pont

Organic Acids Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Organic Acids Market 2017 Global Analysis By Top Key Players  Cargill, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Tate & Lyle Plc, Du Pont.This report studies Organic Acids in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCargillBASFDow Chemical CompanyTate & Lyle PlcDu PontEastman Chemical CompanyArcher Daniels Midland CompanyMyriant CorporationCalanese CorporationHenan Jindan Lactic Acid Technology Co. LtdGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoAcetic AcidCitric AcidFormic AcidPropionic AcidOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoIndustrialFoodFeedBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Ask Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsTable of ContentsGlobal Organic Acids Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Organic Acids1.1 Definition and Specifications of Organic Acids1.1.1 Definition of Organic Acids1.1.2 Specifications of Organic Acids1.2 Classification of Organic Acids1.2.1 Acetic Acid1.2.2 Citric Acid1.2.3 Formic Acid1.2.4 Propionic Acid1.2.5 Other1.3 Applications of Organic Acids1.3.1 Industrial1.3.2 Food1.3.3 Feed1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Organic Acids2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Organic Acids2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Organic Acids2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Organic Acids3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Organic Acids3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Organic Acids Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Organic Acids Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Organic Acids Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Organic Acids Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Organic Acids Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Organic Acids Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Organic Acids Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Organic Acids Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Organic Acids Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Organic Acids Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Organic Acids Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Organic Acids Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Organic Acids Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Organic Acids Market Share Analysis5.2 China Organic Acids Market Analysis5.2.1 China Organic Acids Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Organic Acids Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Organic Acids Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Organic Acids Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Organic Acids Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Organic Acids Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Organic Acids Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Organic Acids Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Organic Acids Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Organic Acids Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Organic Acids Market Share Analysis5.6 India Organic Acids Market Analysis5.6.1 India Organic Acids Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Organic Acids Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Organic Acids Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Organic Acids Market Share AnalysisContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Army to step up poll security measures

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Exhaustive Study on Allergy Immunotherapy Market & Global prognostication Up to 2023

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Allergy Immunotherapy market is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~10.85% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 4,324.7 million by 2023. It has been segmented on the basis of allergy type which comprise of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, peanut allergy, cat allergy, and other allergiesMarket synopsis of global Allergy Immunotherapy market:Market Scenario:Allergy Immunotherapy, also known as desensitization, is the only treatment therapy which targets the cause of allergy. According to the World Allergy Organization (WAO), approximately 10%-40% of the global population is suffering from allergy in 2013.The market for allergy immunotherapy is growing at a swift pace. The Allergy Immunotherapy Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~10.85% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 4,324.7 million by 2023.The market for Allergy Immunotherapy in emerging markets of Asia and Latin America is flourishing and demand for various Allergy Immunotherapy treatments is expected to rise in near future. Increasing number of patient pool suffering from allergy has spurred the growth of the market. Increasing awareness of the treatment, technological advancement, rapid adoption and increasing demand from emerging economies are driving the growth for the market. Some other factors like rising prevalence of various chronic diseases like allergy, asthma, diabetes and hypertension are driving the market growth. Growing research & development, clinical trials, and new approvals are leading the market growth. Companies are collaborating with hospitals and independent research centers to develop new treatments that are another major driver for the market. Rapid adoption of Allergy Immunotherapy treatments by medical professionals as well as patients, technological advancements, increasing knowledge of benefits of the treatments, and increasing success rate are important factors for the growth of global Allergy Immunotherapy market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @The countries like China is showing rapid growth in Asia Pacific region. Companies are investing large amount of money for business expansion in this region due to its high potential market growth. Technological advancement is also playing important role in this market by providing effective diagnostic and treatment options that leading to high success rate of Allergy Immunotherapy treatments. Changing healthcare practices, increasing healthcare expenditure and extended insurance cover are creating path for the growth of this market.Key players for global Allergy Immunotherapy Market ALK Abello A/S (Denmark) Allergy Therapeutics (UK) Circassia (UK) DBV Technologies (France) Stallergenes Greer (UK) Merck KGaA (Allergopharma) (Germany) HAL Allergy Group (Netherlands)Browse Full Report Details @Key Findings:Allergic Rhinitis segment accounts for the largest market share in the global Allergy Immunotherapy market while peanut allergy segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.30% during the forecast period from 2017  2023.Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) segment accounts for the largest market share in the global Allergy Immunotherapy market by treatment, this segment is expected to reach US$ 2,089.2 in 2023Americas market is expected to reach US$ 1,409.6 by 2023Segments:Global Allergy Immunotherapy market has been segmented on the basis of allergy type which comprise of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, peanut allergy, cat allergy, and other allergies.On the basis of treatment, it is segmented into Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT), Sublingual Immunotherapy, and Specific Immunotherapy (SIT). Sublingual Immunotherapy is further sub-segmented into sublingual immunotherapy drops, and sublingual immunotherapy tablets.Regional analysis of global Allergy Immunotherapy market:Considering the global scenario of the market, Europe is the top contributor in this market. The Western Europe is holding the largest market share and is expected to reach USD 954.1 million by 2023. Rise in prevalence of chronic diseases like allergy, asthma, diabetes and hypertension drive this market in Europe. According to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Belgium, in 2015 nearly 150 million European citizens were suffering from chronic allergic diseases and it is estimated that by 2025 more than 50% of all Europeans will suffer from at least one type of allergy. Due to high prevalence of allergic rhinitis & skin allergy, and increasing awareness regarding treatment of allergies, US Allergy Immunotherapy market was valued USD 329.2 million in 2016. Asia Pacific is witnessing rapid growth in this market which is mainly due to rapidly increasing awareness of treatments, and rising healthcare expenditure. Asia Pacific Allergy Immunotherapy market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.32% during the forecast period. Middle East & Africa is expected to have limited growth. UAE is dominating this market by holding 53.5% of the Middle East & Africa market share.Get Discount @The report for Global Allergy Immunotherapy 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 deeper insight to the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the 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 regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Allergy Immunotherapy Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
North America Dental Software Market: Industry Review, Growth & Forecast to 2027

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North American Dental Software Market information by Application (Clinical, Administration, Communication, Others) by Product type (Communications, Dental imaging, Planning, Practice Management) by Purchase (Subscription, Ownership) - Forecast to 2027Market Synopsis of Dental Software:Market Scenario:The level of assistance which is provided by dental software is one of the key reasons as to why the demand of dental software will increase in the market. Dental software makes the process smooth and increases the efficiency of every dental hospital or clinic. And with the availability of the subscription model in dental software market the low budget dental clinics and hospitals can also access this service, hence the demand for dental software will be growing at a tremendous growth rate. Globally the market for Dental Software is expected to grow at the rate of Significant CAGR from 2016 to 2027.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players:The key players that are involved in North America Dental Software market are Carestream Health, Inc.Abeldent, ACE Dental, Denti Max, Dexis, Henry Schein Dental, Open Dental, Sirona Dental Systems, Clear Dent and others.Segments:The market for Dental Software is segmented in mainly three parts i.e. by Type, Application, Deployment, Purchase, End Users and its various sub-segments; by type Practice Management, Software Patient, Communications Software, Treatment Planning Software, Patient Education Software, Dental Imaging Software, Dental Imaging Management Software, and Software for Dental Instruments. Whereas by application include Clinical Application, Administration, Communication and others. Furthermore by Development segment include Web Based and On Premise/ Cloud Based. And by Purchase include Subscription Model Ownership Model and by End Users include Hospitals and Clinics Academic and Research Institutes Others.List of Tables1 Introduction2 Research Methodologies3 Forecast Indicators4 MARKET ANALYSIS5 Market Analyses6 U.S. Dental Software, Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)7 U.S. Dental Software, by Application Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)8 U.S. Dental Software, by Type Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)9 U.S. Dental Software, by Deployment Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)10 U.S. Dental Software, by End Users Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)11 U.S Dental Software, by Region Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million)12 COMPANY LANDSCAPE13 COMPANY PROFILE14 MRFR CONSLUSION15 APPENDIXBrowse Full Report Details @Study Objectives of Dental Software: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the North America Dental Software market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Dental Software 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, Application, Deployment, Purchase, End Users, and its 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 North America Dental Software market.The report for Dental Software 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.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from North America Dental Software Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
North America Clinical Laboratory Test Market Comprehensive Analysis & Global Forecast to 2022

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North America clinical laboratory test Market information, by Type of Laboratory (Hospital based, Central/Independent, Physician office laboratory and others), By Type of Test (CBC and other routine blood test, anatomic pathology, molecular test, immunology test, drug test and others) By country (U.S., Canada, and Rest of North America), Forecast to 2022Market Synopsis of North America clinical laboratory test Market:Market Scenario:Clinical laboratory testing has emerged as the most growing segment of healthcare over the past few years. Clinical laboratory testing includes all routine check-ups and other pathology tests for the diagnosis of various diseases ranging from CBC and other routine blood test, anatomical pathological testing, molecular, immunological, drug testing and other tests for disease diagnosis and treatment.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Findings: The North America clinical laboratory test Market, is expected to reach $140.8 billion by 2022. U.S. holds the largest share of 88% of the North America clinical laboratory test Market.Key players of North America clinical laboratory test market:The key players in the North America clinical laboratory test market are; AURORA Diagnostic (USA), Laboratory Corporation of America (US), LifeLabs Medical Laboratories (Canada), and Quest Diagnostics (US).Segments:The North America clinical laboratory test market is majorly segmented on the basis of type of laboratory, type of test, and by country. Based on the type of laboratory, the market is segmented into hospital based laboratory, central/ independent laboratory, physician office laboratory, and others. Based on type of test these are classified into CBC and other routine test, anatomic pathology, molecular test, immunology test, drug test and others. Further on the basis of country the market is classified into U.S., Canada, and Rest of North America.Browse Full Report Details @Study objectives: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the North America clinical laboratory test market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the North America clinical laboratory test 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. 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 segments by type of laboratory, by type of test and, by country. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling 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 North America clinical laboratory test market.Intended Audience North America clinical laboratory commodities manufacturers & 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 UniversitiesThe report for North America clinical laboratory test 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 markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from CBCT Dental Imaging Market Research Report- Global- Forecast to 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Glazing For Automotive Market Is Predicted To Grow At A CAGR Of 16 % By 2022

Glazing for Automotive Market

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Market Highlights:The glazing for automotive market is growing rapidly, owing to factors such as improved balanced climate and increased privacy, comfort, & reduced energy demands of customers. The factors such as increased security and enhanced aesthetics are expected to be factors that drive the glazing for automotive market demand. The demand of the market is further expected to be driven by the integration of ultraviolet filter glass which can help in considerably extending the life of material and fabrics of the automobile. However, cost and complexity pertaining to glazing are projected to hinder the growth of the market.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players:The key players of Glazing for automotive market are Pilkington Group Limited, Research Frontiers, American Glass Products, Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd, Asahi Glass Co Ltd., Central Glass Co. Ltd., Guardian Industries Corporation, NordGlass, Pittsburgh Glass Works, LLC, Nippon Sheet Glass Company Ltd. and others.Market Research Analysis:Based on the advanced applications, hydrophobic glazing segment is expected to be the highest growing segment for glazing for automotive market, owing to features such as self-cleaning, reducing the foam in showers on the automobile windows. Other features such as anti-fogging, and acid resistance are also contributing to the growth of hydrophobic glazing for automotive.Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the glazing for automotive market with the highest CAGR. Developing nations, in the region such as China and India are exhibiting a considerable growth due to growing health & safety concerns. The increase in demand of automotive due to the rise in the purchasing power, is also expected to contribute to the growth of this region.Browse Full Report @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the Global Glazing for automotive market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global Glazing for automotive market by its application, advanced application, vehicle type and region.By Application Sidelite Sunroof Backlite LightingBy Advanced Application Large Windscreen SunControl Hydrophobic Glazing HUDBy Vehicle Type On-Highway Vehicles Off-Highway VehiclesBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldList of Tables:Table 1 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By ApplicationTable 2 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By Advanced ApplicationTable 3 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By Vehicle TypeTable 4 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By RegionsTable 5 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By CountryTable 6 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By ApplicationTable 7 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By Advanced ApplicationContinueAbout 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:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Piston Market Trends, Future Growth, & Worldwide Forecast 2022

Piston Market

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Market Scenario:A piston is an important component of automobile internal combustion engine, which transfers power within the cylinder of vehicle and delivers energy to the crankshaft after each power stroke during the cycle of an engine.The booming automotive industry is directly leading to the growth of the piston market. High end-bikes require a double engine cylinder consisting of two pistons. Therefore, the increase in demand of high end automobiles is leading to the increase in demand of pistons. Light weight pistons help in achieving fuel efficiency in automobile users. Thus, the rapid increase in the fuel prices is leading to the increased use of light weight pistons, thereby leading to the growth of the market.The growth of the market can be restrained by the emergence of electric vehicles, which do not require pistons.Request for Sample Copy @Key Players:The key players of global piston market are Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Japan), Federal-Mogul Corporation (U.S.), Rheinmetall Automotive AG (Germany), MAHLE GmbH (Germany), Arias Pistons Ltd (U.K.), Shandong BinzhouBohai Piston Co., Ltd. (China), Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., Inc. (U.S.), Ming Shun Industrial Co. Ltd (Taiwan), Ross Racing Pistons (U.S.), Shriram Pistons and Rings ltd. (India) and others..Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Piston Market, By Material4.1 Introduction4.2 Steel4.3 Aluminum GlassContinueBrowse Full Report @List of Tables:Table 1 Global Piston Market, By MaterialTable 2 Global Piston Market, By CoatingTable 3 Global Piston Market, By Vehicle TypeTable 4 Global Piston Market, By RegionsTable 5 North America Piston Market, By MaterialTable 6 North America Piston Market, By CoatingContinueRegional Analysis:Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow the highest with the increasing number of vehicles in developing nations such as India and China. The growth of the piston market in the Asia-Pacific region is due to the increasing per capita income of the individuals here, which is leading to the adoption of high-end automobiles, thus increasing the use of pistons. Prevalence of major automobile manufacturers in the region is also contributing to the growth of the piston market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Human Rotavirus Vaccine Market 2017: Key Players  Bharat Biotech, Merck & Co., Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Multinational pharmaceutical drug company and More

Human Rotavirus Vaccine Market 2017

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The Worldwide Human Rotavirus Vaccine Market inquire about report is developing with the quick pace; chiefly due the prospering Healthcare Sector. As per a current report distributed by the Market Research Future, The World Human Rotavirus Vaccine Industry Research report is blasting and anticipated that would pick up unmistakable quality over the conjecture time frame. The Market is anticipated to exhibit a colossal development by 2023, outperforming its past development records as far as esteem and volume. The global human rotavirus vaccine market is expected to reach US$ 12.3 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 11.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Market Research Future published new report, titled Human Rotavirus Vaccine Market -Research Report: Global Forecast till 2023.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Synopsis of Global Human Rotavirus Vaccine MarketRotavirus vaccine is used to protect against rotavirus infections which cause severe diarrhoea among young children. Symptoms of rotavirus infection include severe diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain which can result in disease. Rotavirus vaccine is administered by mouth and requires two or three doses starting around six weeks of age. The vaccine first became available in the United States in 2006.Rotavirus is a double-stranded RNA virus of the family Reoviridae and is transmitted through the faecal-oral route. It infects the cell lining of the small intestine and causes gastroenteritis. According to National Center for Biotechnology Information, rotavirus related diarrhoea was responsible for killing about 600,000 children in 2015, with more than 80% of all rotavirus-related deaths occurring in in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Rotavirus-related deaths represent approximately 5% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years of age worldwide. Almost every child in the world is infected with rotavirus at least once by the age of five. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that rotavirus vaccine be included in national routine vaccinations programs. The vaccines is responsible to prevent 15 to 34% of severe diarrhoea in the developing world and 37 to 96% of severe diarrhoea in the developed world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) in Mexico a decline of up to 50% in diarrhoeal deaths in children less than 5 years of age was attributed directly to the use of the vaccine.The market drivers for rotavirus vaccine market are its safety profile including use in HIV/AIDS patients, growing number of immunity-compromised individuals, increasing geriatric population, growing population and live births etc. The market restraints are risks such as immune reaction, babies who have had intussusception, low healthcare expenditure in developing regions, cleanliness initiatives by NGOs and health awareness creation to eradicate the prevalence of this virus etc.The global human rotavirus vaccine market is expected to reach US$ 12.3 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 11.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Market Segments:The global Human rotavirus vaccine market has been segmented on the basis of type and end users.Based on type, the market has been segmented as Rotarix, RotaTeq, Rotavac, Rotavin-M1, Lanzhou lamb and others.Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as hospitals & clinics, academic and research and others.Key Players:Some of key players profiled in the report are Bharat Biotech, Merck & Co., Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Multinational pharmaceutical drug company and others.GET FULL REPORT @Regional Analysis:The Americas account for a significant market share owing to extensive use of medications and high expenditure on the health care. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new technology in the US drives the global human rotavirus vaccine market. Also, concentration of major research companies and vaccine research sector in the developed countries of this region is adding fuel to the market growth.Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and healthcare penetration.Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly and China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing healthcare sector during the forecast period.Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions and poor healthcare development.The report for Global Human Rotavirus Vaccine Market by 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 a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Table of Contents1 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 Process2.2 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 Rivalry...9 Company Profile9.1 Bharat Biotech9.1.1 Overview9.1.2 Product Overview9.1.3 Financials9.1.4 Key Developments9.2 Merck & Co., Inc.9.2.1 Overview9.2.2 Product Overview9.2.3 Financials9.2.4 Key Developments9.3 GlaxoSmithKline Plc.9.3.1 Overview9.3.2 Product Overview9.3.3 Financials9.3.4 Key Development9.4 Sanofi9.4.1 Overview9.4.2 Product Overview9.4.3 Financials9.4.4 Key Development9.5 Others...CONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @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.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Glucagon Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Amgen Inc, Biocon Ltd, Dr.Reddys Laboratories Ltd and Others

Glucagon Market

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Global Glucagon Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Amgen Inc, Biocon Ltd, Dr.Reddys Laboratories Ltd and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Glucagon Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Pfizer IncSandoz International GmbHTeva Pharmaceuticals Industries LtdAmgen IncBiocon LtdDr.Reddys Laboratories LtdRoche LtdCelltrion IncSamsung BioepisOthersGlobal Glucagon Market: Key Product Typeprimarily split intoPowderInjectionOthersGlobal Glucagon Market: Key ApplicationOncologyBlood DisorderOthersGlobal Glucagon Market: Key RegionNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaThe Global Glucagon Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Glucagon Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Glucagon Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Glucagon Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Glucagon1.2 Glucagon Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Glucagon Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Glucagon Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Powder1.2.4 Injection1.3 Global Glucagon Segment by Application1.3.1 Glucagon Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Oncology1.3.3 Blood Disorder1.4 Global Glucagon Market by Region (2012-2022).....................Continue (Global Glucagon Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Hubei Yuancheng, Okayasu Shoten, TSUNO and Others

Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market

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Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Hubei Yuancheng, Okayasu Shoten, TSUNO and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Natural Ferulic Acid is extracted from Rice Bran Oil. It is one of the most powerful natural anti-oxidants. Ferulic acid is a natural chemical that is found in the cell walls of plants. It is called phytochemicals, which are found in a wide variety of plant species. The official name for this product is 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:DelekangApp ChemHubei YuanchengOkayasu ShotenTSUNOHSFOryzaShaanxi GuanjieAnkangHuachengTop PharmOthersGlobal Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market: Key ApplicationFoodCosmeticPharmaceutical IntermediatesOthersGlobal Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Food1.3.2 Cosmetic1.3.3 Pharmaceutical Intermediates1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions......................Continue (Global Natural Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Dow Chemical, The Chemours Company, Fisher Scientific and Others

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market

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Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Dow Chemical, The Chemours Company, Fisher Scientific and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:TCI ChemicalsDow ChemicalThe Chemours CompanyFisher ScientificHenry CompanyGlobal 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market: Key Product TypePreparation Method:Aromatics SeparationPreparation Method:Isomerization ProcessOthersGlobal 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market: Key ApplicationPlasticizerStabilizerCuring AgentOthersGlobal 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market: Key RegionUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaThe Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene1.2 Classification of 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene by Product Category1.2.1 Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Preparation Method:Aromatics Separation1.2.4 Preparation Method:Isomerization Process1.3 Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Plasticizer1.3.3 Stabilizer1.3.4 Curing Agent1.3.5 Others1.4 Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market by Region......................Continue (Global 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Agriculture Film Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Berry Plastics, Armando Alvarez, Polypak and Others

Agriculture Film Market

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Global Agriculture Film Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Berry Plastics, Armando Alvarez, Polypak and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Agriculture Film Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:British Polythene Industries (BPI)TrioplastBerry PlasticsArmando AlvarezPolypakBarbier GroupPlastika KritisOthersGlobal Agriculture Film Market: Key Product TypeHigh Grade Agriculture FilmMiddle Grade Agriculture FilmLow Grade Agriculture FilmOthersGlobal Agriculture Film Market: Key ApplicationShed Plastic FilmMulch Plastic FilmOthersGlobal Agriculture Film Market: Key RegionNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaThe Global Agriculture Film Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Agriculture Film Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Agriculture Film Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Agriculture Film Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Agriculture Film1.2 Agriculture Film Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Agriculture Film Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Agriculture Film Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 High Grade Agriculture Film1.2.4 Middle Grade Agriculture Film1.2.5 Low Grade Agriculture Film1.3 Global Agriculture Film Segment by Application1.3.1 Agriculture Film Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Shed Plastic Film1.3.3 Mulch Plastic Film1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Agriculture Film Market by Region (2012-2022)......................Continue (Global Agriculture Film Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Candidates son held for anti-poll activities in Rolpa

The son of CPN (Maoist Centre) Kathmandu-6 electoral candidate, Jhakku Subedi, has been arrested by Rolpa police on the suspicion of carrying out anti-election activities.
Petoskey library hosting food drive this holiday season

The Petoskey District Library has partnered with Manna Food Project to host a food drive Nov. 14  Dec. 23 to help people in need this holiday season.
Versatile Furious:

Air Chair with Jeff Kendall-Weed:

Remy Metailler - Taxco DH 2017:

Big Wheels, Autumn Feels:

RAW at Brandnertal:

Dalton Anderson - 100 Mile Style:

Smoked Out:

Joel Kristensen - What the hell is a Wollongong?

Return To The Roots:

Short n' Sweet with Wriggles:

Matt Jones - Frames Of Mind:

Frames of Mind - Behind the Scenes:

MTB In Sweden Rules - Bangers Tour 2017:

this.

Tyler Fernengel in Paris:

Dan Paley - Soulja:

The Flat Earth:

Asulkan Hut:

Triumph - A Tanner Hall Film:

Adventure Not War:

Since the new Furious was here, we looked for the best way to demonstrate its versatility. That's simple, it goes wherever the rider wants to go.I love riding this trail, so I decided to make a little video to remember it before a part of it will get affected by some logging this fall. In a few years it should be even better, too! Enjoy!From track walk, to laps with my friends, to the race, here is what happens during one of the wildest urban downhill events.The 29-inch revolution is upon us. What hasn't changed, fortunately, is the love every mountain biker has for cooling temperatures and fall conditions. Churning over the leaves as they fall through autumn-flavoured air.This is one hell of a track if it's not dry.Dalton threw down on his jumps for you to watch.Had one hell of a smokey dry summer, but Oscar and I still got out to snag a couple clips at the end. 2018 looks bright!Watch on as Joel Kristensen absolutely destroys his local trails, including one of the steepest and most technical trails in the region. Rarely using his brakes and letting all hell loose, Joel pushes the limits of speed and style to the absolute max.Growing up, Patrick Noonan knew he was fortunate to have the White Mountains as his playground. He would build trails behind his parents house with friends or hike up one of the peaks in his backyard.A couple chilled clips from one Sunday arvo jump jam. It's as simple as that, enjoy.One of the best and most creative videos we've seen all year.How did they make this film? Watch to find out.Join Sam Pilgrim and friends as they ride some of the best spots in Sweden.Shot on location in Krakow and Kielce, Poland.Fernengel teamed up with Rich Forne to win the 2017 Sosh Urban Motion video contest. This is amazing.Dan Paley goes into battle against the streets of Lisbon, Malaga, San Jose, Paris, Madrid and Glasgow.A skateboarding film featuring: Jamie Foy, Chase Webb, Carlos Iqui, Mike Pulizzi, and Cody Lockwood. Directed by Ty Evans.Nothing better than slaying fresh pow with friends.Follow Tanner as he returns to top form in his 2017-18 season, while he discusses all of the struggles and triumphs that brought him to where he is now.'Adventure Not War' takes us into mountains of Iraq revealing a seldom seen, beautiful underbelly in a place scarred with devastation. With this film we take a new approach to war, inviting veterans to rewrite their histories in places where they served and heal wounds deeper than flesh and bone. We hope this film will help promote peace and a universal understanding that beauty can replace hatred if we strive for adventure, not war.Title Photo by: Ian Collins To check out videos submitted by fellow Pinkbike members that didn't quite make Movie Mondays here
Sunday Briefing: Johannes Korsar Shines at PokerStars

November 20, 2017 Matthew Pitt Editor

Swedens Johannes Greenstone25 Korsar broke through the $10 million barrier for online poker tournament winnings on Nov. 19 courtesy of winning a PokerStars Sunday Major and reaching the final table of another.

Korsar was one of 135 entrants in the $2,100 Sunday High Roller event, a tournament that attracts some of the best poker players in the business. Korsar is considered to be one of those elite grinders and is currently ranked 12th in the world by our friends at PocketFives.com.

After almost 10 hours of play, Korsar and Austrias WushuTM struck a deal that saw the latter walk away with $50,370 and Korsar $53,827 and the title.

While Korsar was busy taking down the High Roller, he was also navigating his way through the 395-strong field in the Sunday 500. A double PokerStars win looked to be in the cards for the talented Swede, but he fell shy of victory, busting in third place for $19,337.

Some of the other notable victories at PokerStars on Nov. 19 included:

Tournament Champion Prize $215 Sunday Million money_hunte $91,813 $530 Bounty Builder High Roller klinger63 $63,797* $215 Sunday Warm-Up lil-lj1981 $36,362 Sunday 500 jricardosc $35,792 $215 Bounty Builder HighCardAceK $32,711* $109 Bounty Builder LStrelec $31,341* $215 Sunday Supersonic NLHE JonzStars $28,900 Bigger $109 CrazyLissy $23,336 Hotter $109 Fernando fviana Viana da Costa $18,667 $109 Sunday Kickoff Kenny LoneHixx Hicks $18,043 Hotter $215 MiracleQ $17,956 $109 Sunday Cooldown Vinicius jason13-2008 Steves $17,830 Bigger $215 Skubidu888 $17,683 $530 Omania High Roller Suhepxm $16,390 $215 NLO8 Sunday Supersonic kofi89 $8,207 $109 Sunday KOmania 7Be/\eC7 $8,170* Hotter $162 Renato bauruzito Almeida Prado Valentim $8,127 $215 Triple Threat Jordan JWPRODIGY Westmorland $7,092 $109 Omania James multious Christopherson $6,997 $109 Sunday Wrap-Up bluto357 $6,569 $109 Sunday Starter Al Magellan $5,857 $109 Bubble Rush MCvisitor $5,684 Bigger $162 bbbetts $5,456 $109 Sunday KOmania nilsef $5,301*

*includes bounty payments

888poker Highlights

Over now to 888poker where the Netherlands MisterN411 turned $320 into $21,500 by outlasting 212 opponents in the $100,000 Baby Whale, and Canadas Tim REALTTWIST Kelly won the $100,000 Mega Deep for $19,250.

Another of 888pokers popular Sunday tournaments is the $30,000 Turbo Mega Deep, which was taken down this week by Steven Kale333 van Zadelhoff for $7,350, a similar amount awarded to YouCashMeOut for winning the $25,000 Sunday Crocodile; this win was worth $6,675.

This weekends $60,000 Sunday Challenge was won by Argentinas germaxii for $11,400 while the recently added $40,000 Sunday Great 8 ended in a heads-up chop between runner-up Magicooo22 and champion kozirok_bel who scooped $8,168 and $9,176 respectively.

Big Winners at partypoker

And finally, at partypoker, Ozgur BornInNorth Arda won the $150K Gtd High Roller for a cool $26,946, which was the biggest score of the day at the site as the Main Event and Title Fight tournaments are now played over multiple days.

Sam Prince_Phlip-it Dearman won a similar amount to "BornInNorth", namely $26,775, for taking down the $150K Gtd Title Fight Warm Up, while Tenzor triumphed in the $100K Gtd Main Event Warm Up for a $21,314 score.

In the $50K Gtd Title Fight Kick-Off, it was gotthereagain who turned $215 into $14,006 and in the $100K Gtd High Roller Warm Up it was Alex Dynoalot Difelice who was crowned champion, an accolade that came with a $20,814 cash injection to his bankroll.

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The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media
By the time a true legend has been shellacked into history, almost the only way for art to restore some sense of its drama is to return to the moment and treat it as though the outcome were not a foregone conclusion. Thats in large part how Christopher Nolans steely modernist summer combat epic Dunkirk managed to sustain tension; that and the unfortunate yet dependable historical illiteracy of much of the moviegoing public.

Joe Wrights Darkest Hour takes that same hinge moment in history  when it looked as though the Wehrmacht would roll unimpeded over all that remained of Western Europe once Belgium and France had fallen  but approaches it more as a story of interpersonal conflict than actual combat. While Allied armies in France are collapsing like so many sand castles before the Nazi onslaught, the picture back in London is not one of jutted-chin defiance but confusion, dissent, traumatized panic, and delusional thinking. Its a moment of crisis screaming out for a leader.

Most recountings of this moment would have Winston Churchill stride into the chaos like some goliath. But in Wrights recounting, the hero of the moment galumphs on stage as an embarrassing has-been, half-anxious, half-arrogant, and filled with champagne and whiskey. With Gary Oldman well visible behind the heavy makeup and camouflage scrim of cigar smoke, its the kind of performance that gets called a tour de force, and for good reason. Oldman hasnt had a role like this since he burrowed into George Smileys mole-like quietude for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; the whole enterprise depends on him. Fortunately, all these years padding the resume with B-movie villain roles must have left Oldman hungry to play somebody with a spark more humanity in them. Darkest Hours Churchill is highly human in his fleshy and dithering way.

Churchill is first glimpsed in bed, firing up a stogie and ingesting a full English breakfast as he peruses the news and berates his new personal secretary Elizabeth Layton (Lily James, spunky in a generic way). Hes grumpy, mumbly, easily distracted, and moody as a teenager; not an auspicious character in which to entrust a nations hopes. However, as the better historical dramas do, Anthony McCartens script reminds us that crises never unfold in a clear line but as a series of accidents and near-misses.

When Wright starts things off, Parliament is in an uproar. Confidence in the hapless prime minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) has been lost after his years-long program of negotiating with Hitler has left them facing imminent invasion. Casting about for possible replacements, the parties fall upon Churchill, a divisive, self-consciously literary, and overly opinionated gadfly best remembered at that point for the disastrously miscalculated and bloody Gallipoli campaign in World War I. Its not a gift, Churchill remarks with the cheery cynicism of a veteran Westminster operator surveying the landscape of his opponents, its revenge.

Meanwhile, the clock ticks. Eschewing the normative palliative nature of most current British period movies, Wright jitters up the screen with big blast interstitials showing the dates changing; it not only delivers some sense of the urgency of the moment, but also serves as a handy reminder of just how brief a window of time was occupied by these momentous decisions. In short, what we are seeing is all the of the behind-the-scene machinations that happened off-screen in Dunkirk as the soldiers fought for survival in the chaos only briefly glimpsed here.

The Darkest Hour is finely turned historical drama when it emphasizes the chaos and tumult of politics in times of crisis. Although one imagines Churchills mind is racing with strategic alternatives for rescuing the British army from their ever-smaller redoubt at Dunkirk, his waking moments are preoccupied with more mundane matters. He must outmaneuver the forces of conciliation, represented here by Chamberlain and Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane), while simultaneously stirring the spirits of the common people with high-flying oratory and a judicious withholding of the more terrifying facts. Although the movie never wavers in its belief that Churchills bulldog tenaciousness makes him the man of the hour, it doesnt cheapen the narrative by presenting Chamberlain and Halifax as quivering cowards. It reminds us that these men were, like many other of their time, willing to do anything to keep their country out of another generation-annihilating war; the fact that Churchills strategic acumen wasnt airtight didnt help matters.

Bolstering Churchill as he frets and murmurs behind closed doors are his long-suffering wife Clementine (Kristin Scott Thomas, sharp as glass) and the reluctant ally King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn). Both performances are far less showy than Oldman, but no less perfectly attuned. Oldmans vibrant mix of bluster and owl-eyed perceptiveness commands the screen with ease, but Wright jabs his camera in close to that whiskey-bleared face whenever possible just to make sure we catch it.

There are moments in Darkest Hour when Wright doesnt seem confident enough in his material. Flash-bang dramatic at first, the movie unaccountably sags in the last third. The screenplay even invents an implausibly hokey scene where Churchill rides the Underground and asks the awestruck riders for their opinion on what he should do. Oldmans performance is hammy, of course, but one cant play the role without at least a dash of that; it would be like playing Orson Welles without ever overacting. A little more trust in the innate dramatic potential of a story where the fate of the free world hung in the balance would have pushed this movie from the ranks of the nearly-great to the truly-great.
Ron Miles has been a brass player on the scene for about 30 years. His primary association is with the versatile jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, in whose bands Miles has been a real voice  not just the trumpet player (or, more often these days, cornetist) but someone who carefully sings the songs, if instrumentally. He has also appeared on recordings by Frisell-linked musicians such as violinist Jenny Scheinman and keyboard wiz Wayne Horvitz, always bringing that sensibility: a tart, vocal lyricism.

In his music, Miles has developed a singing quality as well, one that seems always balanced by a sense of architecture. In my imagination, this has something to do with geography; though he was born in Indianapolis and spent a year, post-graduate, at the Manhattan School of Music, Miles has lived in Denver, Colorado for over 40 years. His playing has both the lyricism and majesty of the mountains that surround his home  there is a gorgeous architecture and weight to this music. (Please read Michelle Mercers excellent lines notes for I Am a Man, which also reflect this theme.)

I Am a Man is a beautiful, complex, mature work of art that achieves this balance with a natural-sounding care. On the one hand, Miless compositions are clean and songful: pleasing and cogent with a whistle-able appeal. On the other hand, he has set up harmonies, arrangements, and improvisational environments that encourage the assembled band to converse, explore, and discover.

The band is a knock-out, though they play with care and sympathy. Frisell is on guitar, his usual Telecaster set-up, but usually played with relatively few effects, in addition to acoustic bassist Thomas Morgan, drummer Brian Blade, and pianist Jason Moran. It is Moran who may surprise you, as his style and history are least closely linked to Miles and his recording history. But he fits into the band with careful (but not too careful) ease.

Darken My Door starts as a feature for Moran, setting him into a moody ballad space, no set tempo, as Morgan and Blade color around his statement of a dark Ron Miles melody. Moran moves through the tune and its harmonies like he wrote them, delivering a sumptuous four-minute statement that travels several moods, from fragmented to grand to the groove that invites Frisell and Miles in: a rolling alternation between measures of four and three that sounds as natural as ocean waves. The melody hypnotizes, Frisells solo comes through like light glinting around a set of mirrors, and then the composition returns to a solo by the leader that is built around a much busier set of licks and lines  which solo eventually moves into nearly-free abstraction, all while staying beautifully melodic. By its conclusion, this performance seems to have taken your ears through several new and wonderful lands.

Much of the music on I Am a Man could be said to exist in an ideally central place, with ECM-style introspective jazz on one side, classic post-bop on another, and the new jazz, with its shifting time signatures and complex structures on yet another. Revolutionary Congregation pairs cornet and guitar in unison for a graceful melody over a chiming accompaniment, and Miless improvisation begins as a fluid statement over that sliding, pleasant feel. But, a couple of minutes in, the rhythmic flow slows and breaks down. Exercising much more freedom, harmonically and tonally, Miles begins to improvise across an expressionist landscape  the guitar distorting, the rhythm turned to a gentle chaos, but all the musicians attentive to every detail, ultimately tailing it back to the very consonant theme. Ron Miles wont be pigeonholed here, even if all this music is clearly the creation one person and his sensibility.

Frisell fans will love Mother Juggler, which begins with a richly reverb-ed lead by the guitarist over a stately triple-meter. Miles and Frisell sound beautiful playing in octaves once the whole band kicks in, followed by a bridge in slow counterpoint, with bass, guitar, piano, and cornet coming together, veering apart, then allowing the leader to create a new melody on this tender soundscape, followed by Moran briefly. Is There Room in Your Heart for a Man Like Me? also takes advantage of Frisell, who opens things on a hip two-note figure over which Morgan solos. This pulse is handed over to Moran, if altered, as muted cornet and guitar play a unison melody. The whole shimmering performance, however, is animated by that shaking groove, with Blade goading on each player with his stuttering instigation to push forward, to rise. And then the last three minutes lift off even higher: a new groove, Frisell in overdrive, the whole band improvising collectively. Its my favorite moment on the record.

There is much else to love, however. The Gift That Keeps on Giving swings lightly, providing the session its most straight-ahead moment  Moran, in particular, sounding keenly like a veteran who has fully assimilated all of jazz piano from Monk to Andrew Hill and beyond. The title track I Am a Man has a hip, crooked walk of a tune, a funky saunter that is playful even as it inserts a melodic line that surges with a melancholy feeling.

What Ron Miles so well throughout this recording is exemplified by the title tunes sweet and sour combination. When the band is grooving on that funky figure, youd be satisfied with just that  its enough to carry a whole performance with a band this good. But Miles is a composer who is working on several levels at once  imagine those mountains in your mind. You climb, you reach a lovely spot with a great view, a picturesque lake sitting in a grove, but then there is another trail taking you up higher. This hiker on his journey  Morans fluid fingers on keys, Blade who does so much without calling attention to himself, Morgan always finding great notes, Frisell as a master of mood, and of course the cornet itself from the composer  move easily up, into the thinner atmosphere.

Ron Miles is a reminder that not all the music is about or around New York City or a city at all. This creative, improvised music comes from all over the U.S. and has traveled easily across the world. I Am a Man is titled for a cry by 1968 black sanitation workers in Memphis protesting mistreatment by management. The roots of the music  and of Ron Miles  come from a specific culture and place, from historical circumstances that we ought never forget. But the sensibility of this music is also expansive  it takes you up and around, it feels bigger than one place even though it necessary has its feet on the ground.
Marcelino Truong launched his autobiographical account of growing up in Saigon during the Vietnam War with the acclaimed graphic novel

Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63, originally published in French in 2012 and in English translation in 2016. That book concluded with his familys permanent relocation to London, England, as the chaos and bloodshed back home intensified.

Now Truong continues the tale with

Saigon Calling: London 1963-75 (originally published in French in 2015), which follows the experiences of his family after they seek refuge in Europe. It offers a poignant illustration of what life was like for a family of refugees from the war, and from the perspective of young children (granted, Truongs family were a privileged and upper class set of refugees, well-connected with South Vietnamese and European elites). While relatives and friends struggle to survive amid the bombs and street warfare of Vietnam, the displaced narrator and his siblings find their attention consumed by the latest fashion and music trends in London. The book offers a poignant and jarring reminder not just of the resilience of the human spirit, but also of its ability to seek solace in the materiality of ones present.

Truong is the son of a South Vietnamese diplomat, and his account is told primarily from the perspective of the South Vietnamese side in the war, lending its sympathies toward that side. Its partiality is borne from painful first-hand experience, of course, but the book underscores two much more important, and less partisan, points.

First is the troubling role of the United States. While Truong is sympathetic toward the US-allied, South Vietnamese regime, and critical of the ostensibly communist North, his book underscores that the US was no friend to its allies. American involvement in the war simply prolonged the inevitable North Vietnamese victory and occupied the worlds attention, at the expense of the very complex relationships and debates that existed amongst the Vietnamese themselves. Truongs narrative suggests the South Vietnamese regime might have had greater credibility as a struggling democracy if it hadnt been overshadowed by Americas forced friendship, which tended to only delegitimize the indigenous regime in the eyes of the world. Instead of seeing a struggle between two Vietnamese protagonists, the world saw a struggle between David and Goliath: an American puppet regime in the South on the one hand and a plucky anti-colonial regime struggling for self-determination in the North on the other. The US did few favours as a supposed ally of the South, his book suggests; on top of that, it couldnt even live up to its military promise, finally abandoning the South to defeat.

The second important point Truong brings forth is that the Vietnam War was fought by Vietnamese. It sounds trite to say, but it needs to be said. Because of the impact Americas role in the war had on so many Americans, and the way the world reacted to Americas involvement, people still tend to think of the war as an American war. And in many respects it was  it had a tremendous impact on Americas cultural psyche, and wouldnt have dragged on for so many years and cost so many lives if the US hadnt meddled. But whats often forgotten is that it wasnt just the US fighting. The South fielded armies that carried on a tremendous resistance against the North, Truong argues. While historians might quibble over the precise nature of the South Vietnamese regime  American puppets, or struggling democracy?  whats indisputable is the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers who died on both sides. Tom Hayden, in his posthumously published 2017 work

Hell No: The Forgotten Power of the Vietnam Peace Movement, reminds us that in addition to the estimated 58,000 Americans killed in the war and 153,000 wounded, the figures for South Vietnams armed forces were at least 200,000 dead and 502,000 wounded. The best estimate of civilian Vietnamese war dead is 2 million. And yet, he notes, Congress feared that to recognize them would mean having to pay them the same benefits their American counterparts get. So they, too, are airbrushed from the official history, and thus do they suffer a double betrayal.

Truong tackles the issue head-on in his book. A Vietnamese colonel working for the South Vietnamese embassy speaks up refuting the erroneous and too common idea that the Americans are the ones doing all the fighting. Our combat losses are twice those of our American allies, he rages. This disinformation comes from the fact that 80% of the 400 foreign correspondents posted to Vietnam are American, and they prefer to cover the operations where their boys are fighting

Truongs book is important enough as a graphic memoir of the war and its aftermath from a Vietnamese perspective, but his broader goal, it would seem, is to offer a more complex portrayal of the South Vietnamese regime. While acknowledging its corruption, nepotism, and many faults, he argues that it was also comprised of many idealistic, progressive and sincere democrats (like his father) who worked hard to build a democratic regime. Truongs books aim to rehabilitate their image and their agency in the tumultuous and bloody politics of that era.



Again, it offers plenty of fodder for debate amongst historians. Whether or not one chooses to give the failed South Vietnamese progressives as much credit as Truong does, his work is right to complicate our historical and cultural recollection of the war, especially in America. The war in Vietnam was an incredible turning point in American society, culture, and history. It sparked tremendous cultural changes and reshaped American society. Its legacy still carries that impact. Yet its important not to forget the impact the war had on the Vietnamese, and not to allow its impact on American society to overshadow its impact on Vietnamese society. Both were indelibly affected, and its important to acknowledge its role in both countries cultural histories. But it is still all too often the American war experience which gets our attention.



As Truong himself stated

in a fascinating interview for Le Minh Khais SE Asian History Blog, The non-Communist Vietnamese have all too often been ignored or caricatured. They were eclipsed by the towering American Armada. Some, like my father and many others, did try to promote some sort of democracy, along Western lines, but their endeavors were overlooked, despised, or got drowned in the smoke of war. They were all too often sneered at and looked down upon as puppets, the term used by their communist opponents to depict them.

Truongs work is compelling, provoking, and moving. In many ways the latest volume of his graphic memoir,

Saigon Calling, is even more fascinating than the first, insofar as it follows not only the war in Vietnam but also the culture shock of Truongs family attempting to readjust to life outside of the war zone, in Europe. Again, its generally the war experience in Vietnam that receives treatment in American popular culture; Truongs work follows the impact of that war on families that fled Vietnam.

Truong isnt the first writer, or even graphic artist, to tackle the theme. GB Trans magisterial

Vietnamerica, published in 2010, adopted a very similar approach, telling the story of Trans own family as they experienced and then fled the war. The artistic style of the two authors is very different. Truongs work is warm and detailed; bright and evocative of Herge-style French comics. Trans style is more harsh and angular, albeit colourfully lush and almost akin to oil paintings. Artistic styles aside however, its interesting to contrast the experience of the two authors, who each narrate their respective tales in the first person.

Trans family fled to the United States in the final hours of the war; Truongs family sought refuge in England. Both experienced culture shock as they attempted to adjust to their new homes; both experienced the division of families when the North won the war; and both also experienced heartrending losses in exile. Truongs family experienced mental breakdowns and suicide. Trans family experienced decades of division; his grandfather was a high-ranking Viet Minh officer and a war hero in the North, who had left the family when Trans father was only a baby in order to fight with Ho Chi Minhs guerrilla army. His armys victory was bittersweet, as his family fled the country mere hours before their victory, and they didnt see each other for decades.

What both of these tremendously talented authors convey, with tremendous and edifying passion, is the tragedy of the Vietnam War. Its almost impossible to separate the tragedy of war from the tragedy of imperialism in Vietnam, because it was imperialism that dragged the war out for so many years and led to such bitter recriminations and divisions. Yet both Truong and Tran remind us that the ideologies and politics that still surround our cultural memory of the war fade into inconsequence next to the profound and continuing human suffering that the war generated. Its a lesson that, sadly, humanity continually needs reminding.
Govt decision to scrap Budhi Gandaki project will be overturned: Oli

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has claimed that the next government will overturn the governments decision to scrap the deal to build Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project
The only people who should be writing memoirs about their time in the White House are the speechwriters. Most of the time when people are reading books about the presidency, they are looking for interesting tidbits and facts. Speechwriters actually have access to almost no useful or new facts about the White House. What they do know is what its like to grind away as a public servant day in and day out. Probably 90 percent of everything said by every president ever was actually written by speechwriters. They are the great unsung heroes of American politics. Rather than mining these type of memoirs for facts, we should be expecting the memoirist to be a competent writer. The main thing about speechwriters is, well, they know how to write.

Amongst the speechwriters, there are a few different species. One of them as the head speechwriter, which is the Rob Lowe character from Aaron Sorkins beloved Democratic fairy tale, The West Wing. Then theres the guy in charge of providing spirited poetry, those couple of lines that ring throughout history. Then theres the guy whos capable of processing very large amounts of boring infrastructure research into digestible pieces on an exceedingly short timeline. Then theres the rhetorical handyman, brushing up a stump speech template by changing out Ohio for Michigan and putting an extra comma in the right place before a speech gets loaded into the teleprompter. And then theres the guy who writes the jokes, and thats David Litt. If you want to read a White House memoir, I simply cant think of a better person to do the writing than down to earth funnyman Litt.

He calls Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years a speechwriters memoir, but really its far more broadly about life as a public servant. Litt used to work at The Onion, and then one day on a long flight he watched Obama give a speech on television. He was hooked, and after working on the election campaign he ended up as a low-level speechwriter. By the end of Obamas second term, he had gained significantly more footing in the food chain and this gave him insight into, among other things, why you must not tell the president that his hair is about to literally catch on fire and why you must tell the president that he looks like Hitler in a particular photograph. So there are some very funny and totally great anecdotes in here that are sort of worthless if youre trying to gather actual information behind the policy-making and leadership conundrums of presidential politics.

But Litt applies sense of humor to his own life as much as he applies it to dealing with the president, and this is Thanks, Obamas greatest asset as a memoir. Litt knows that ultimately he is nonessential personnel, as a government shut down once so pointedly reminded him. Theres no shortage of people waiting in line to become presidential speechwriters. Obama didnt even know Litts name until most of the way through his first term, because thats the nature of each of their jobs. But of course Litt isnt doing the work for a slap on the back from the president. Thanks, Obama is exemplary of the attitude one should have as a public servant:

This, I was realizing, is what it really means to work at the White House. Ping-ponging between emotional extremes, I had finally arrived at my inner common ground. I was in paradise and limbo. Indispensable and disposable. Defined by process and purpose. Washington was in the grip of unbreakable fever, yet there was nowhere Id rather be. Was my job as wonderful as Id imagined when Id first walked through the gates? Of course not. But it was also more than enough (206).

Substitute a public high school for White House and thats exactly the sentiment most veteran teachers express. As a high school English teacher who couldve very well ended up taking a totally different course in life and becoming a high school History teacher, I often day dream about a parallel universe where instead my career took an even stranger path and landed me in the shoes of Litt, in the Oval Office as a speechwriter to a Democratic president. I went into Thanks, Obama to use it as a sort of test case for whether or not my dream of being a speechwriter was actually viable and furthermore still desirable, and what I learned from Littwhich genuinely shocked meis the things that I would love about being a speechwriter are already the things I love about being a high school English teacher. That sense of accomplishment, that calling to public service, that ability to make big differences based on little things I do throughout my day and the way they aggregate for my audience over timeLitt and I are already barking up the same tree. Ive often thought that being a high school teacher has the same type of pacing or vibe as working in an emergency room, or in a firehouse, and now I know that actually working in a high school is also kind of the same as working in the White House.

Public service is a frantic beast. The particulars of any given day often suck. After having suffered an especially nasty diatribe by phone from a Hollywood big shot in response to an issue over which Litt had no actual decision-making power, Litt reflects:

Time that might have been spent on issues that truly mattered was spent emailing publicists instead. Where did that place me on the scale of moral flabitude? Was putting all that effort into pleasing one powerful person really the right thing to do? But what if I looked at it a different way? Were a few hours of my time worth placating someone who paid the salaries of organizers in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio? What if those organizers swung an election? What if that election got Zoe Lihn her heart surgery? What if that surgery saved her life? This, I had begun to realize, was politics. Sometimes the answer depends entirely on the questions being asked (146).

Look, only a few dozen people can truly identify with Barack Obamas position in this world. As for the rest of us? Call me hopey and changey, but Im picking up what David Litt is laying down. This merely funny memoir of an unknown speechwriter is a profound call to any type of public service. Just know that if youre going to do it, youve got to do it with a sense of humor.
Let me tell you about a man and a place far away from the cornfields of the Midwest: Jeff Pleadwell and Jeffs Pirates Cove at 111 Route 4, Ip Read moreJeffs Pirates Cove: A place of history
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Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) also called as lympholastic leukemia is a cancer that starts from the early version of white blood cells called lympholastic in the bone marrow. Over production of cancerous lymphoblast is the main reason behind this type of cancer. ALL is characterized by the over production of cancerous lymphoblasts. When a person is suffering from ALL, lymphoblasts are generally overproduced in the bone marrow and constantly multiply, causing damage to the bone marrow by restraining the production of normal cells such as platelets and red blood cells (RBC).Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14927 These lymphoblasts are also called as leukemia cells. As the number of lymphoblast increases in the bone marrow and blood, there is less room for healthy RBCs, white blood cells and platelets. This may cause anemia, infection and bleeding. The cancer can also spread to the brain and spinal cord.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: CategoriesAcute lymphocytic leukemia can be categorized into two types, childhood acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia and adult acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia are weakness and fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, fever, paleness, shortness of breath, bone and joint pain, bruising, petechiae, swollen glands in the groin, neck and under arms,enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: Available treatmentsProper medications, including antifungals, antineoplastics, antimicrobials is necessary take as soon as the disease detects. Apart from this, radiation therapy, biological therapy and immunotherapy should be taken by patients of ALL.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: TrendsIn terms of geography, North America is the leading market for acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market owing to the large base of leukemia patients. The American Cancer Society, estimates that in 2016 in the U.S, about 6,590 new cases of acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia would be diagnosed out of which 3590 would be males and 3000 would be females. The organization also estimated that during the same year, almost 1430 deaths would occur in the U.S. from acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia. Such growing base of leukemia population would further contribute to the growth of the overall acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market. However, other market such as Asia-Pacific tends to witness high growth in this market owing to the increased incidence of cancer cases in the recent years.Currently, the global acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market is highly lucrative, and is primarily driven by the growing incidence and prevalence of leukemia. Moreover, other factors such as high demand for improved cancer therapies; along with focused towards addressing the unmet medical needs are also driving the growth of this market. Furthermore, increasing burden of cancer among geriatric population and increased focus on retaining superior quality of life are some of the factors contributing to the growth of this market. However, rise in overall healthcare expenditure and patent expiries of antineoplastic drugs are some of the major factors; that might hinder the growth of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market in future.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=14927 The major companies involved with the acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market are Biogen Idec, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, ERYTECH Pharma, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Genzyme Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pfizer, Inc. and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.
Persistence Market Research

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Rapid evolution of software applications is creating need for performance management tools which can monitor and optimise the performance of these applications. Applications have evolved from stand-alone applications to client-server applications, distributed applications and recent cloud-based elastic applications. This rapid technological change is causing poor service delivery of businesses as it becomes difficult for software to manage increasing end-user traffic and provide excellent user experience at the same time.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/18517 APM automation tools provide performance metrics with baselines for applications and monitor these applications to find out any variance from the baseline. The performance metrics are displayed using data visualization which help in easy identification of any application problem.APM Automation Tools Market: Drivers and RestraintsPrimary driver for APM automation tool is the need for operational efficiency of applications to improve end-user experience. Furthermore, rapid increase in mobile app development to fulfil escalating customer requirements will also contribute to the growth of APM automation tools market. APM automation tools help in reducing the downtime related cost and mean-time-to-repair (MTTR). These advantages are expected increase the demand of APM automation tools.However, high cost of the software hampers the market growth as most of the SMBs are reluctant in implementing expensive software. Technological issues such as lack of integrated monitoring capabilities and lack of visibility also pose as major challenges in the adoption of these tools.Global APM Automation Tools Market: Market SegmentationGlobal APM Automation Tools Market can be divided into four segments, based on Component, Type, Deployment and End-user.Segmentation on basis of Component for APM Automation Tools Market:The major segments of APM Automation Tools market on basis of component include:SoftwareServiceSegmentation on basis of Type for APM Automation Tools Market:The major segments of APM Automation Tools market on basis of type include:App Metrics based APMCode based APMNetwork based APMSegmentation on basis of Deployment for APM Automation Tools Market:The major segments of APM Automation Tools market on basis of deployment include:On-premiseCloudHybridSegmentation on basis of End-user for APM Automation Tools Market:The major segments of APM Automation Tools market on basis of end-user include:BFSIIT and TelecomLogisticsRetailHealthcareManufacturingChemicalsOil and MiningOthersGlobal APM Automation Tools Market Technology TrendsTechnological developments such as Cloud and DevOps are expected to create opportunities for APM automation tools. Furthermore, analytics as a component of APM solution will help to improve application quality.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/18517 Global APM Automation Tools Competitive LandscapeSome of the major APM automation tools vendors include AppDynamics, New Relic, Inc., Dynatrace LLC, Microsoft Corporation, CA Technologies, Inc., BMC Software, Inc., IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Dell Inc, AppNeta, and Riverbed Technology Inc. among others.
Asia Pacific Butter Market was worth xx billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of xx%, to reach xx billion by 2021.

Butter Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 12:48:47

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Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream or milk. It can be used like a spread and as a regular ingredient in cooking. From a nutritional perspective, butter is a very good source of protein. It contains saturated fat made from the fresh cream and milk.View Full Report @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-butter-market-4397/ Due to rising health consciousness among people, the demand for natural products has risen which in turn drives the butter market. A rise in the disposable incomes, especially in the developing countries, is another driver of this market. In developed countries, product innovation and the increased home baking further fuels the market. Availability of healthy alternatives to butter, such as margarine, along with government regulations in the production and distribution of butter restrain the market growth. Growing demand in developing countries can be considered as an opportunity for this market.Free sample of the report is available @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-butter-market-4397/request-sample Asia Pacific Butter Market Segmentation by processing, type , usage and distribution channel. By processing the market is classified into Processed and non-processed butter. By type it is further analysed under Cultured, uncultured, cream and whipped, whey and salted. By usage the market is analysed under Spreadable and non-spreadable. Non-spreadable butter segment dominates the market. By distribution channel the market is segmented into Supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery stores and others.The supermarket segment dominates the global market. On the basis of geography, the global market is analysed under various regions namely China, India, Japan, Australia and South Korea. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period with India and China being the major markets. Increasing disposable incomes and change in consumer preferences are the main reasons for the growth of butter market in Asia-Pacific.Inquire before buying @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-butter-market-4397/inquire Some of the major Butter Market leaders are Amul, Arla Foods UK Plc. , Kraft Foods Inc., FrieslandCampina, Dean Foods company.About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and sksillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.
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Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is a form of non-melanocytic skin cancer that arises from basal cells, the small, round cells present in the lower epidermis. Around 85% of BCCs occur on the face, head and neck. BCCs usually do not spread or metastasize to other parts of body, they become life threatening by metastasis only in extremely rare cases. According to the American Cancer Society, BCCs constitute around 80% of all non-melanoma skin cancers. Australia has been found to have the highest rate of basal cell carcinoma across the globe. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is considered as the major cause behind BCC. Use of immunosuppressant drugs further enhance the chances of BCC as the immune system is compromised. White people are more vulnerable to BCC comparatively, according to a research published in the British Medical Journal. The symptoms of BCCs include waxy papules (slightly transparent bump) with pearly appearance and central depression and bleeding from the papules.Request a sample of this report -The factors driving the growth of the global Basal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics market is increasing incidence of Basal cell carcinoma by up to 10% annually across the globe. The incidence rate is much higher specifically in White population. Expanding geriatric population pool will also add to the market growth since the elderly people are more sensitive to BCCs. Changing habits of the urban population living in the developed countries such as the USA and European countries and a shift of population in the US from northerly cool areas to the sunbelt of the Southern and South-western United States will definitely give rise to incidence rate, leading to market growth.Global Basal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics market is consolidated due to the lack of number of available treatment options and companies. The market is expected to increase globally owing to increasing incidence rate and environmental factors leading to exposure of UV radiation. According to a published article in the journal Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 115 cases of BCC per 100,000 of population are reported in the Great Britain annually, similarly 7080 BCC in Germany, Switzerland and Italy; 170 BCC in the USA; and over 800 BCC cases in Australia are reported annually. Last 3 decades have observed the rise in incidence at a minimum 23 fold.Geographically, Basal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics market is segmented into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The market in North America is expected to grow due to increase in the incidence in white population and ageing population. European market is also expected to grow because of their fair toned skin. Currently, Australia is the leading market globally because of the highest incidence rate. Asian and African countries would report a slow market growth rate as the incidence rate and prevalence of BCC is uncommon in Asians and Black African races. However, Chinese and Japanese have a higher incidence rate in Asia.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the players in the global Basal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics market include Allergan, Inc., Genentech USA, Inc., Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Perrigo Company plc, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Apotex Inc., Sandoz AG, Strides Arcolab Ltd., TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and G&W Laboratories, Inc.
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One of the most fatal and chronic disorder now a day is Cancer. It is a highly hazardous disease with an extremely high mortality rate due to its highly invasive nature and prolonged duration of disease. Bone cancer is one the types of cancer in which the tissues of bone start growing in uncontrollable manner. This growth can be benign or malignant. In most of the cases, the bone cancer is a result from other cancers.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14948 The major and primary symptom of the bone cancer is severe and intolerable bone pain. This pain increases over the period of time. In addition to pain, symptoms like weight loss, fatigue, bone crack, fever, muscle pain, osteoporosis, and osteopenia are also identified. The diagnostic tests may preliminary include deep study of patients history and reasons of pain. Afterwards, the diagnosis of the bone cancer is carried out by using some imaging studies, such as, CT scan, MRI, bone scanning, and PET scanning. Biopsy test is also used for the diagnosis and confirmation of the disease.Bone cancer market: SegmentationThe market of bone cancer is segmented on the basis of types of bone cancer, such as, primary bone cancer and secondary bone cancer. Primary bone cancer is the type of cancer that originates from rapid and uncontrollable growth of the bone and related tissues. Whereas, secondary cancer is a type of bone cancer, in which, the cancer is originated to some other site of the body and metastasize to the bone structure. The bone cancer is also classified as, osteosarcoma, Ewings sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, chordomas, fibrosarcoma, and admantinomas.Bone cancer market: Types of therapiesthe market is also segmented on the basis of therapies and treatments available, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cryosurgery and surgical treatments. Limb amputation surgery, limb salvage surgery or limb sparing surgery are the major surgical practices used to treat bone cancer. Whereas, in radiation therapy, high energy X-rays or gamma-rays are used to destroy the tumors. Chemotherapy is a pharmacological treatment by using anti-cancer drugs either orally or parenterally. Major drugs include strontium-89 chloride, bisphosphonates, methotrexate, denosumab, doxorubicin and many others. Cryosurgery is also sometimes used to treat the bone cancer. In addition, the market is segmented on the basis of geography, such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). The North American region is the most dominating market in the world, owing to rapidly growing incidences of bone cancers and rising focus towards R&D for bone tumor treatments. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific and RoW regions are the most promising markets in the upcoming period, owing to rise in awareness of bone cancer, its chronic impacts and its treatments.Bone cancer market growthAlthough it accounts for much less than one percent of all cancers, the market of bone cancer is expected to grow at a steady rate during the forecast period from 2016  2024. This growth is anticipated to be driven by various factors, such as, R&D practices running across the globe, rising awareness amongst the population for bone cancer and other bone diseases, increasing medical infrastructure and technological advancements. Owing to R&D practices, a number of drugs and formulations are under pipeline studies and are expected to enter in the market during forecast period. However, low prevalence of the disease is the major hurdle in the market growth, followed by high cost of R&D, diagnosis and treatment.According to American Cancer Society estimates, approximately 3,300 new cases of bone cancer are expected to diagnose in 2016, out of which, around 1490 deaths are expected due to bone cancer. Hence, this very low prevalence is the major hurdle in the market growth.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=14948 The major players operating in this market include Amgen, Inc., Actavis plc, Novartis International AG, Debiopharm Group, Pfizer, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company amongst others.
Budesonide Market

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With the change in climate and environment, seasonal asthma has become main cause of respiratory ailments. Budesonide is used to control and prevent symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath caused by asthma. Budesonide belongs to a class of drugs named as corticosteroids. It works directly to the lungs to make breathing easier by reducing the irritation and swelling of the airways. Budesonide sold under the brand name pulmicort among others, is a steroid medication. It is available as an inhaler, pill, nasal spray, and rectal. The inhaled form is used in long-term management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmicort respules is meant only for inhalation by compressed air-driven jet nebulizer. Budesonide is used to avert difficulty while breathing, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing caused by asthma. Budesonide powder for oral inhalation is used in adults and children; 6 years of age and older. Budesonide suspension for oral inhalation is also used in children 12 months to 8 years of age. It comes as powder to inhale by mouth using an inhaler and as a suspension to inhale by mouth using a special jet nebulizer. Budesonide helps to prevent asthma attacks and shortness of breath. Each budesonide inhaler is designed to provide 60 to 120 inhalations, depending on its size. Budesonide is a glucocorticoid used in management of asthma, the treatment of various skin disorder, and allergic rhinitis. Budesonide is provided as a mixture of two epimers (22R and 22S). The extended release oral tablet, marketed as uceris got approved by FDA for the management of ulcerative colitis. The global demand for budesonide is expected substantial growth over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13456 Global Budesonide Market: DynamicsGlobal Budesonide is appropriate to the course of medication called corticosteroids. Budesonide, an adrenocortical hormone, was developed by AstraZeneca in the 1990s. It is mainly used for the treatment of non-budesonide glucocorticoid-dependent or glucocorticoid. In June 1997, budesonide aerosol got approved by FDA. In recent years, the increasing rate of air pollution will increase asthma and other breathing problem. It is estimated that, with the steady growth in asthma, demand for budesonide will be boosted. Budesonide is used to treat mild to moderate crohn's disease. Budesonide is generic name of a prescription drug sold under the brand names entocortec, uceris, pulmicort, pulmicort flexhaler, pulmicort respules, and rhinocort. It's also one of the drugs found in the inhaler symbicort, used to treat COPD and asthma. Budesonide is expected to grow at significant CAGR in near future.Global Budesonide Market: SegmentationThe global demand of global budesonide can be segmented on the basis of product type, application and region basis. On the basis of product type budesonide market can be segmented as aerosol, sprays, inhalants, and suspension, pill&rectal forms. On the basis application budesonide market is segmented to hospital, pharmacy, clinic and others. On the basis of region, budesonide market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Global Budesonide Market: Regional OverviewAsia pacific have significant high market share in budesonide market as compared to others owing to increasing population as well as increasing pollution issue in this region especially in the countries such as India and China. China is expected to dominate budesonide market in the near future. The market size of budesonide in Asia Pacific is expected to keep growing in next few years. The North America is expected to Experience significant growth in coming years following Europe. Latin America and Middle East & Africa is projected to experience stagnant growth rate during the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13456 Global Budesonide Market: Key PlayersFew market players in global budesonide are Pfizer, Sandoz, Cipla, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Manus Aktteva Biopharma LLP, Abbott, Lunan Better Pharmaceutical, Novartis, Mylan, Novartis, Skyepharma, AstraZeneca AB, Wellcome Australia Ltd, AstraZeneca plc, AstraZeneca Australia, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A, Orion Corporation, Santarus, Synmosa Biopharma Corporation.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for California Gold Mining Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - California Gold Mining Inc. (TSX Venture:CGM). has issued a press release with the following headline:California Gold Announces Closing of Private PlacementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on California Gold Mining Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/California Gold Mining Inc.Source: California Gold Mining Inc. (TSX Venture: CGM, OTCQX: CFGMF, ISIN: A14ZUC, WKN: CA1302641040)Date: November 20, 2017Time: 4:00 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of California Gold Mining Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Left alliance to carry on with its campaign

The left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre), which faced a major blow a week ahead of the first round of the federal and provincial elections due to the death of Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahals son Prakash, has decided to continue with its election campaign and other major events.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Canada Zinc Metals Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Canada Zinc Metals Corp. (TSX Venture:CZX). has issued a press release with the following headline:Canada Zinc Metals Hole A-17-142 Intersects High-Grade Mineralisation of 11.15% Zn Pb and 15.5 g/t Ag over 32.65 metres Including 23.32% Zn Pb and 30.9 g/t Ag over 11.31 metresTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Canada Zinc Metals Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Canada Zinc Metals Corp.Source: Canada Zinc Metals Corp. (TSX Venture: CZX, ISIN: A0RAQJ, WKN: CA1353061080)Date: November 20, 2017Time: 4:48 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Canada Zinc Metals Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Cellulosic Thickeners Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:36:36

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Cellulosic thickeners is a hydrophilic white powder in pure form, which dissolves in cold water, forming a clear viscous solution or gel. Cellulosic thickeners are used extensively in wide range of applications such as biodegradability, lack of toxicity, and abundant raw material. Cellulose thickeners are also named as cellulose gum, which are used as emulsifiers, suspending agents and thickeners in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Cellulosic thickeners are also used in chromatography as stabilizers for reagents and in therapeutics as bulk laxative with antacid properties. Cellulosic thickeners are also added to hair shampoo, liquid shop, and toothpaste in order to create their characteristic thick consistency. Cellulosic thickeners can be engaged as a mild glue which can be washed away with water. The increasing application of cellulosic thickener is driving the overall global cellulosic thickeners market to grow at significant CAGR in near future.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13432 Global Cellulosic Thickeners Market: DynamicsThe cellulose thickeners are used in various application such as pharmaceuticals, as a lubricant in eye drops and in oil & gas industry as an ingredient of drilling mud. Cellulosic thickeners, in the form of HPMC, MC, HEMC, is an odorless and tasteless white powder and also used as cellulose, Which can be obtained from wood or cotton in a water insoluble natural polymer. Cellulose after adding in specific material, enhances the properties of that material. Now a days cellulose thickeners are widely used in surgical and dental implants. Cellulose films are used as temporary substitute for human skin in case of burns, ulcers, and decubitus. Other new applications of cellulose thickeners are to maintain tackiness in food, cosmetics, etc., as a nonwoven fabric or paper for old document repair, as food additives and others. The growing demand of cellulosic thickener in such wide range of applications are fueling the growth of cellulosic thickener. Development of new derivatives and new applications of cellulose is expected to create raw material scarcity for the production of cellulosic thickeners. This scarcity of raw materials may hamper the market growth. Development of new applications in pharmaceutical and medicine field is expected to provide opportunities for the players in cellulose thickeners market.Global Cellulosic Thickeners Market: SegmentationThe global cellulosic thickeners market can be segmented on the basis of thickeners agent type, application and region basis. On the basis of thickeners agent types, the cellulosic thickener can be segmented by sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, and other cellulosic thickeners. on the basis of application cellulosic thickener can be further segmented into cosmetic & personal care, toiletries & household, paints & coatings, paper & paperboard, food & beverage, pharmaceutical & others(ceramic, construction, adhesive). On the basis of region, cellulosic thickeners can be segmented, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia pacific and the Middle East & Africa.Global Cellulosic Thickeners Market: Regional OverviewThe cellulosic thickeners are segmented among five regions Europe, North America, Asia pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are mature markets consequently innovation in the product line is expected to be the key strategy for the market players in this region. Asia pacific is the largest shareholder of global cellulosic thickeners market due to increasing rate of industrialization in this region. The increasing application of cellulose thickener in cosmetic industries as well as other industry is driving the market of cellulosic thickeners market worldwide. Cellulosic thickeners are expected moderate growth in region such as Middle East & Africa Market. Countries like China and India are emerging market for the cellulosic thickeners due to increasing manufacturing unit.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13432 Global Cellulosic Thickeners Market: Key PlayersThe global key vendors of cellulosic thickeners are Dow Chemical Company, DuPont (EI) de Nemours, Cabot Corporation, Croda International plc, FMC Corporation, Imperial Chemical Industries, International Paper Company, Kraft Foods Incorporated, Rhodia SA, TIC Gums Incorporated, Goodman Fielder Limited, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Eastman Chemical Company, Ciba Specialty Chemicals Incorporated.
Ceramic Tile Adhesive Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:31:39

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Ceramic tiles adhesive is an organic hybrid material also termed as glue mud. As a new material for recent decoration, ceramic tile adhesive have replaced traditional tile adhesive materialA ceramic tile adhesive is an advanced form of presentation and replacement of cement and bricks. Ceramic tile adhesive is generally used for floors and coating in residential, commercial, and industrial construction also at the airport, swimming pool, etc. Ceramic tile adhesive is new form of modern adornment which has greater bonding capacity as compared with cement sand. In recent years, development of new technology for the production of ceramic tiles has led to new thinner and large size tiles being easily available in the market, which is used to create continuously surfaces with extremely high architectural value worldwide. The increasing demand for improved soundproofing and thermal insulation in a building are stimulating the ceramic tiles adhesive.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13384 Global Ceramic Tile Adhesive Market: DynamicsGlobal ceramic tile adhesive is expected to create significant CAGR owing to increasing demand for attractive and durable flooring among the home makers. Ceramic tile adhesive is easy to apply as compare to bricks and are more attractive. Ceramic tile adhesive is used for various purposes and conditions such as cement extender, binder, and protective colloid, shape retention enhancer, coating polymer, lubricity and workability enhancer and suspension & stabilization agent. Chemicals which are used for ceramic tile adhesives are cellulosic, re-dispersible latex powders and emulsion polymers, with formulations that offer varying degrees of water retention at different temperatures, improved adhesion and cohesion, workability and flexibility. Rising demand of ceramic tile adhesive has led manufacturers to come up with innovative creation in the market.Global Ceramic Tile Adhesive Market: SegmentationGlobal demand of ceramic tile adhesive can be segmented on the basis of flooring type, by product type, by application, end use, and by region basis. On the basis of flooring type ceramic tile adhesive can be further segmented as standard type, strong type. On the basis of product, ceramic tile adhesive can be further segmented as stone floor pasting, tiled floor pasting, polyethylene floor pasting, floor pasting. On the basis application ceramic tile adhesive can be segmented flooring, wall coverings, and countertops. Flooring application is the dominating one among others. On the basis of end use ceramic tile adhesive can be segmented as residential, commercial, nonresidential, nonbuilding, transportation and industrial. The industrial segment will be dominant as compared to other application. On the basis of region, global ceramic tile adhesive market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. The demand of ceramic tile adhesive is more preferred within industrial end.Global Ceramic Tile Adhesive Market: Regional OverviewThe ceramic tile adhesive is segmented as five regions Europe, North America, Asia pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe emerged as market for ceramic tile adhesive in terms of consumption and production. However, major player in ceramic tile adhesive market are shifting their production plant to China due to availability of raw material, cheap labor, expansion of existing facilities and investment in building new infrastructure. Asia pacific ex japan accounts for a significant share in global ceramic tile adhesive market due to increasing industrialization and construction in this region. Increasing demand of substitute of traditional adhesive is creating opportunity for global ceramic tile adhesive market worldwide. Region such as Middle East & Africa is expected moderate growth rate. Country such as china and India are emerging market for the ceramic tile adhesive due to increasing real estate, construction business and adhesive.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13384 Global Ceramic Tile Adhesive Market: Key PlayersFew market players in ceramic tile adhesives market are of ceramic tile adhesive are BASF, ParexDavco, Bostik, Mapei, Sika, Henkel, Weber, TAMMY, ABC, Laticrete, LANGOOD, Ronacrete, Oriental Yuhong, Dunshi, Wasper, Kaben, Doborn, Vibon, EasyPlas, Wasper, Yuchuan.
Transparency Market Research has announced the addition of the Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2025 report to their offering.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 07:29:59

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90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyHead - Internet Marketing+1-518-618-1030

The global concrete block and brick industry is in a mature stage with numerous players  both branded and non-branded  manufacturing concrete blocks, bricks, and pipes. The market has weathered the economic downturn resulting from the 2008 financial meltdown to expand at a steady pace, particularly in the emerging economies of the world. Going forward, it is expected to continue its impressive growth pace in the developing nations. The market is predicted to see a solid growth on the back of industrial applications.Concrete bricks and blocks, on account of their high tensile strength, have supplanted conventional bricks to a great extent in the construction of different types of building structures. They are also known as concrete masonry units (CMUs). They are available in the market as cellular blocks, hollow blocks, and fully solid blocks that find application in different areas. A report by Transparency Market Research offers key insights into the global concrete block and brick manufacturing market after an exhaustive primary and secondary research. It furnishes information on the current market size by factoring in revenues and sales. It presents a thorough peek into the present competitive scenario by discussing the various growth drivers and restraints and by profiling the key players.Request For Report Sample: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1100 The rapid pace of industrialization and the tremendous growth in the IT sector, especially in the emerging economies of the world, has brought about a construction boom, which in turn has substantially boosted the global market for concrete block and brick manufacturing. Sweeping changes in the industrial sector leading to the overall development of infrastructure of many regions too has filliped the market. On account of their durable nature, concrete blocks and bricks have seen swifter uptake compared to conventional bricks. Another important factor driving growth in the market is the lower cost of manufacturing that has egged developers to quickly adopt the construction material which needs reduced processing compared to conventional materials.Regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Greenpeace to counter global warming, however, serve as a major bottleneck to the current growth of the market. The rising use of concrete blocks and bricks has been blamed for upping temperatures globally. This is because the heat gets arrested in concrete structures effecting a rise in temperature. The rise in temperature results in higher usage of air conditioners, bringing about a heat island effect, which further aggravates the pace of warming. Hence, restrictions have been placed on the use of concrete blocks and bricks.Geographically, the global market for concrete block and brick manufacturing can be segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Among them, North America, powered by the U.S., is the leading market. This is because of the huge pool of discerning consumers in the region who prefer durable raw materials while constructing their homes and other commercial structures. Asia Pacific is also considered a lucrative market on account of the massive upswing in construction activities in its densely populated developing economies, particularly India and China. Besides, the rising income of people in the emerging economies has brought about an uptick in renovation activities using sustainable building materials, thereby further boosting demand. To offer an accurate and detailed assessment of the competition prevailing in the global market for concrete block and brick manufacturing, the report profiles players such as Supreme Concrete, Brickwell, and SK Exim.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=1100
The global cryptococcosis market was calculated to reach US$4.31 bn by the end of 2016, and is projected to reach US$6.2 bn by the end of 2024, cryptococcosis market is after expanding at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2024.

Cryptococcosis Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:48:47

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90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Head  Internet Marketing+1-518-618-1030

Transparency Market Research reveals in a recently released market intelligence report that leading players from the global cryptococcosis market are likely to participate in a wave of mergers and acquisitions in all key regions of the market over the coming years. Business conglomerates have significant investments in the recent past to bring to fruition their research and development efforts for new drugs and are interested in expanding their distribution chain to broader regions. The global cryptococcosis market was calculated to reach US$4.31 bn by the end of 2016, and is projected to reach US$6.2 bn by the end of 2024, after expanding at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2024.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cryptococcosis-market.html The key factor currently working for the growth of the global cryptococcosis market is the growing count of patients being infected by the disease. Although previously classified as a rarely occurring illness, cryptococcosis is seen to be growing in count across the globe and the healthcare industry is aware of this. The CDC had stated earlier that close to a million new cases of cryptococcosis are being spotted globally each year and are the cause of 625,000 deaths. The current gold standard for cryptococcosis treatment  Amphotericin B plus oral flucytosin  is at the forefront of the demand so far. The scope for other existing and pipeline treatments is also very high, states a TMR analyst.Aiding the growth rate of the global cryptococcosis market are multiple governments highly interested in eradicating the disease from their nations. The increasingly powerful efforts put in by governments are allowing players in the market to invest better into advanced treatment options and the development on pipeline drugs, as well as the better distribution of existing ones. The count of cryptococcosis patients is also directly linked to the diagnosis of HIV, which is another growing count in the world. The increasing number of HIV patients are shown to be highly likely to develop cryptococcosis during late-stage HIV infection, further pushing the demand for cryptococcosis treatment.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=14984 One of the key factors holding the global cryptococcosis market back currently is the very high mortality rate among cryptococcosis patients. Pneumocystis pneumonia and cryptococcal meningitis are the two greater fungal infections that lead to death in the world. The mortality rate of HIV patients who get diagnosed with cryptococcosis is extremely close to 100%. This gives a very minor scope of development of existing and pipeline drugs as it can cripple the overall testing phase. The market is also expected to face severe degradation of quality due to the imminent patent expirations and the consequent surge of generics. Their extremely low pricing will allow them to take up large demand volumes in all regions, disallowing branded manufacturers from generating enough to invest in further research and development.The future of the global cryptococcosis market can lie in the installation of integrated facilities in the regions where penetration potential is currently at an all-time high. These integrated facilities can allow manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry to reduce operating costs and increase production speeds, allowing them to maintain a competitive edge against rivals, adds the analyst.Request Cryptococcosis Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14984 The highly fragmented global cryptococcosis market is being pioneered by only a handful of players based in developed regions of the world. Pfizer, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. had collectively held a share of 41% in the global cryptococcosis market in terms of value, for 2015. Their dominance in the market was marked by factors such as operating stronghold in developed economies where the demand and awareness are high, better brand name recognition, and higher investments in research and development.Buy Full Cryptococcosis Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=14984<ype=S About TMRTransparency 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.
Transparency Market Research has announced the addition of the D-Amino Acids Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014  2020 report to their offering.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 07:30:04

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90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyHead - Internet Marketing+1-518-618-1030

Amino acids are organic compounds comprised of amine and carboxylic groups and a unique side chain. Amino acids perform essential functions such as protein buildup and also participate in various metabolic processes. All amino acids except glycine exist in two sterioisomeric forms also called as enantiomers. These called as Dextro (D) or Levo (L) rotatory forms. These amino acids show optical activity and have ability to rotate the plane polarized light. Amino acids rotating the plane towards left are L-amino acids; while those rotating the plane towards right are D-amino acids. It was believed that, majority of the amino acids found in higher life forms are L-amino acids; and that D-amino acids are mostly found in cell wall of bacteria. However recent research suggests that D-amino acids are found in humans as well as animals, and participate in important metabolic pathways.Request For Report Sample: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1149 Various discoveries have proved the importance of D-amino acids in pharmaceutical industry and food industry. Although research is in its nascent stage, an array of applications of D-amino acids are driving the market. D-amino acids are a major component in manufacturing of antibiotics, siderophores, surfactins, and peptidoglycans. D-amino acids are used in semi-synthesis of amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephadroxyl and various others. Development of organic amino acids for industrial usage and for polypeptides is a challenge for research personnel. Production of amino acids results in a racemic mixture of D- and L- amino acids; hence manufacturing of optically pure amino acids needs further processing which increases the cost of production. Racemase enzyme is widely used in industries to convert L-amino acids to D-amino acids. Due to high cost of production, D-amino acids are more costly as compared to L-amino acids. In view to reduce this cost, scientists are trying to discover alternative methods to manufacture optically pure amino acids. An article published in Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry in 2013, details a chemical approach to convert L-amino acids to D forms. This method is expected to simplify the process and also reduce the operating cost.The global D-amino acids market is expected to grow rapidly due to its increasing scope of applications. Research and development towards simplifying production process is also expected to expand the market in the near future. Application of antibiotics in biopharmaceutical research has also been a key segment for D-amino acids. Increased demand for processed food, growing demand for animal feed are other major drivers for this market.Asia-Pacific dominates the global D-amino acids market. Asia Pacific region has been the home for generic drugs manufacturers for a long time. Low operating costs, availability of cheap yet skilled labor and large customer base are key reasons why western countries prefer outsourcing manufacturing business to Asian countries. China is emerging as a prime destination for amino acids manufacturers. Large numbers of companies have emerged as global suppliers of D-amino acids; thus helping manufacturers to tap global cost effective resources.Some of the major players in the D-amino acids market include Sichuan Tongsheng Amino Acid Co., Sigma-Aldrich Co., Sekisui Medical Co., Ltd., IRIS Biotech GmbH, AnaSpec, Inc., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., EVONIK Industries AG, Genzyme Corp., Shanghai Hanhong Chemical Co., Ltd., LifeSpan Biosciences, Inc., Sekisui Medical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd., Tocris Bioscience, and Zhangjiagang Huachang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=1149
Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics Market report categorizes the global market by Diagnostic Devices (Dermatoscopes, Microscopes and Trichoscopes, Imaging Equipment), Drug Class, End User & Geography

Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:52:45

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The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market was valued at more than US$18.5 bn in 2015 and is likely to rise to around US$21 bn by 2024. The dermatology therapeutics market is by far the dominant component of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market and is likely to rise to a valuation of more than US$20 bn by 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology diagnostic devices market is likely to exhibit a robust CAGR of 7.1% between 2016 and 2024 and is expected to rise in valuation from US$595.6 mn to US$1,095.1 mn.One of the key drivers for the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is the rising concerns regarding air pollution in developed regions. Rising air pollution has led to a steady increase in the prevalence of dermatological conditions and is likely to play a key role in the development of the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the rapid pace of urbanization and industrialization across the world.The rising geriatric population is also likely to aid growth of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years. Anti-aging products already constitute a key part of the global cosmetics sector and are likely to contribute significantly to the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.Regionally, North America is likely to dominate the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the steady presence of a number of major healthcare sector players in the region. North America is expected to account for 46.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market by 2024. The steady support to innovation in the medical sector in North America is also likely to remain a key driver for the North America dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.Within the dermatology diagnostic devices market, imaging equipment is likely to remain the leading contributor to the global market, with the segment expected to exhibit a strong 7.4% CAGR between 2016 and 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology therapeutics market is dominated by antibacterial therapeutics, as bacterial dermal infections are becoming a common concern around the world and are likely to lead to consistent demand from the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market. Antibacterial therapeutics accounted for 28.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain a dominant share through the forecast period.The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is marked by intense competition, which is likely to remain an unchanging feature of the market in the coming years. Leading players in the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market include Michelson Diagnostic Ltd., Strata Skin Sciences, GSK, Galderma, Agfa-Gevaert, AbbVie, and Janssen Biotech. These seven companies collectively accounted for more than 96% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain dominant shares in the market in the coming years. Expansion of geographical outreach and establishment of widespread distribution networks is likely to be a key competitive tactic for players in the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market.About TMRTransparency 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.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 22:05:12

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Emerald Bay Energy Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Calgary, Alberta (FSCWire) - Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture:EBY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Emerald Bay to Produce Oil From the Buda at Kuhn 4To view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Emerald Bay Energy Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Emerald Bay Energy Inc.Source: Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC Bulletin Board: EMBYF)Date: November 20, 2017Time: 4:05 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Emerald Bay Energy Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Asia Pacific Frozen Dough market was worth USD 3.98 billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 8.3%, to reach USD 7.06 billion by 2021.

Frozen Dough

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 12:36:32

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The market is showcasing evident potential in the mentioned forecasting period. The market continues to gain momentum with the rapid development in the pharmaceutical industry.Dough freezing is a method that produces the bread under normal circumstances to get dough or semi-product. Then put them for quick freeze and store below a threshold temperature. The shelf life of the frozen dough ranges from 3 to 6 months.View Full Report @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-frozen-dough-market-4616/ The rise in the number of bakery sector is seen, worldwide, with people opting for the cheaply priced frozen bakery products, over other baked foods. The rise in population, changing food habits are also responsible for the growth of this market.Free sample of the report is available @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-frozen-dough-market-4616/request-sample The Asia Pacific frozen dough market is segmented on the basis of Type into Ready to eat, Ready to make, Ready to bake, and others. Based on Application, the market is segmented as Frozen Pastry, Frozen Cake, Breads, Pizza Crust, and others.Inquire before buying @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-frozen-dough-market-4616/inquire On the basis of geography, the Asia Pacific market is analysed under various regions namely China, India, Japan and South Korea. The Asia Pacific Frozen Dough market is expected to grow significantly in future years owing to its growing population and increasing disposable income.Some of the major companies dominating the market, by their products are Aryzta, Barilla Holdings Spa, Cargill Incorporated, Custom Foods Inc., Euro pastry, and General Mills Inc.About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and sksillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:22:25

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Galvanic Skin Response is also referred as Skin conductance, or Electrodermal Activity, which allows us to measure skin conductance of the skin and variation occurs with its moisture level. It is because the sweat glands are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system and also the moments of strong emotion which brings changes in the electrical resistance of the skin. Galvanic skin response sensor act as an indicator of physiological and psychological arousal. Stress is the response to particular events and is the way where our body prepares itself to face tough conditions with heightened alertness, strength, and focus. When an individual perceives a threat, the Nervous system responds by releasing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.Request a sample of this report -Releasing of these hormones prepares the body for emergency action, and in some cases, these symptoms could be dangerous in certain situations. Galvanic Skin Response Sensor device is used to detect the different conductance of the skin when an individual is under stress and when not. Galvanic Skin Response Sensor uses just two electrodes which are placed on the fingers and act as if they were the two terminals of one resistance. To detect stress in blind people, an ambulatory device is developed which is used for the measurement of skin temperature which is another method to analyze stress.Galvanic Skin Response Sensor Market: Drivers and RestraintsGalvanic skin response sensor is nowadays available in the form of wearable, the design and development of these devices for monitoring health increasing the comfort level of an individual has gained lots of attention which is driving market of the galvanic skin response sensor. Galvanic skin sensor response market is mainly motivated by the increasing healthcare investment through government and non-government players. Galvanic Skin Response Sensor is also propelled by technological advancement in miniature biosensor devices, microelectronics, smart textiles as well as wireless communication and offers low-cost galvanic skin response sensor in low-cost wearable solutions for any place and continuous all-day mental, health and activity monitoring. Galvanic skin response sensor market is facing the challenges which could hamper it growth in upcoming years such as compatibility issues, stringent safety, and validation regulations, as well as difficulty in understanding the functionality of the product.Galvanic Skin Response Sensor Market: OverviewGalvanic Skin Response Sensor Market is expected to grow at healthy CAGR in forecast period as these galvanic skin response sensor are available in some various or different sizes and variety as well as designed using innovative technologies which aim to meet different requirements. Manufacturers are using highly versatile technologies in galvanic skin response sensors which are improving the precision of the device. Furthermore, eliminating the use of large other mechanical measuring devices and with the advent of new and advanced technologies being introduced in sensors the market for Galvanic skin response sensor is expected to witness significant opportunities.Galvanic Skin Response Sensor Market: Region-wise OutlookBy region, the global Galvanic Skin Response Sensor market is segmented into seven major regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (including Japan), Middle East and Africa. North America held the largest market share in galvanic skin sensor response market because of high technological development in the field of healthcare and medical into this region and also the rise in research and development investments. Furthermore, the growth is influenced by the high adoption of smart watches and wearable medical devices into this region. Europe ranked second followed by North America region regarding demand for galvanic skin response sensors. Europe market is mainly driven by increasing demand for continuous monitoring and diagnosis of the patient. Asia-Pacific follows Europe due to technological innovations, rise in disposable income as well as in funding through various players.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the major key players in Galvanic skin response sensor market are Maxim Integrated Products Inc., Mindfield Biosystems Ltd., Moviesens GmbH, Siemens AG and Thermo-fisher, Empatica Inc. and others.
NA team defuse IED near poll candidates house in Rasuwa

A team of Nepal Army defused a bomb that was found at Lahare, Uttargaya Rural Municipality-5 in Rasuwa district on Monday. The bomb was found at 7 am this morning near the house of federal election candidate Mohan Acharya.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:26:54

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As mobility demands of consumers continue to surge, the demand for automobiles or vehicles with efficient engines rises. The statutory premise of fuel-emission standards exercised across multiple regions brings more diversity and complexity for OEMs. Leading automakers are actively employing fuel injection technologies to comply with this diversity and develop engines for the future automobiles. Gasoline direct injection technology is a key part of the umbrella for advanced fuel-injection technologies, wherein high pressure instrumented on fuel is driving down the overall fuel consumption of a vehicle.Over the years, gasoline direct injection has gained grounds as one of the most bankable fuel-injection technology for lowering carbon emissions, and simultaneously improving the overall performance of vehicles. A recent study published by Future Market Insights projects that by the end of 2022, the global market for gasoline direct injection will be valued at an estimated US$ 6.6 billion. The study further reveals that over a five-year forecast period, 2017-2022, the global gasoline direct injection market will expand vigorously at a CAGR of 14.7%.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5264 Leading manufacturers of GDI systemsThe report has profiled key market players for gasoline direct injection, which include companies namely, Continental AG, TI Group Automotive Systems, L.L.C., Delphi Automotive Plc, Denso Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Robert Bosch GmbH, Eaton Corporation Plc, STMicroelectronics NV, and Infineon Technologies AG. During the forecast period, these companies are estimated to remain active in expansion of the global gasoline direct injection market.Increasing Adoption of GDI in Four-Stroke EnginesA key insight from the report reveals that the global market for gasoline direct injection will procure more than 70 percent of its revenues from sales of GDI systems across four-stroke engines. While gasoline direct injection technology is equally efficient in two-stroke engines, OEMs are expected to remain focused boosting their adoption in four-stroke engines. Considering the transportation needs of tomorrow, the demand for four-stroke engines will remain relatively higher than that of two-stroke engines. This factor is also expected to fuel the sales of gasoline direct injection for four-stroke engines across automotive markets.Request for Table of Contents@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5264 By the end of 2022, GDI systems worth over US$ 5.2 billion will be sold across four-stroke engines in the world. The report also projects that a majority of these sales will be recorded by OEMs while gasoline direct injection aftermarkets will witness a steady growth as sales channels. In 2017, around 90 percent of sales anticipated in the global gasoline direct injection market will be accounted by OEMs. The report also reveals that the market will witness higher revenue contribution from mid-sized and compact vehicles. In 2017, over half of the revenues procured in the global gasoline direct injection market are anticipated to be collectively accounted by mid-sized vehicles and compact vehicles.APEJ to Dominate Global Gasoline Direct Injection MarketA regional analysis of the global gasoline direct injection market is availed in the report. According to it, the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region is expected to represent largest market for gasoline direct injection in the foreseeable future. With the global automobile production concentred in this region, the APEJ gasoline direct injection market will be characterised by reliable procurement of raw materials and resources, increased focus on quality workmanship, low production costs, and inflating consumer base. The gasoline direct injection market in North America is also expected to be at the forefront of the global gasoline direct injection market, and will reach an estimated US$ 1.8 billion value by the end of 2022.Buy Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) Market Research Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/5264
Gastrointestinal Drugs Market report categorizes the global market by Drug Class(Acid Neutralizers, Antidiarrheal and Laxatives, Antiemetic and Antinauseants, Anti-inflammatory Drugs), Disorder Type(Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease) & Geography

Gastrointestinal Drugs Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 15:09:30

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90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Head  Internet Marketing+1-518-618-1030Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

As per the research report, the global gastrointestinal drugs market is anticipated to be worth US$61.1 bn by 2024. By drug class, acid neutralizers segment not led in the past, but is also expected to remain in the leading position in the coming years. This is because, acid neutralizers are cost effective and also because the increasing prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), will drive this segment.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gastrointestinal-drugs-market.html A report published by World Gastroenterology Organization states that around 15 to 25% of the people across the globe are suffering from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is positively impacting the demand for gastrointestinal drugs. The growing awareness about the disease and the increasing availability of treatment options is boosting the growth of the market. The growing investments in research and development activities for innovation of new drugs will further the growth of the market.The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains a mystery and this is expected to hamper the growth of the global gastrointestinal drugs market. The lack of permanent cure for gastrointestinal diseases will also act as a challenge for market players. On the positive side, the consistent technological advancements in the treatment therapies of gastrointestinal diseases are projected to reduce the impact of the aforementioned restraints, states a TMR analyst.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=20987 On the basis of geography, the global gastrointestinal drugs market is expected to be led by North America. Favorable reimbursement policies, and increasing geriatric population, who are more prone to gastrointestinal disorders, will drive the regions growth during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. North America held 41% of the market in 2016. Europe has also been witnessing healthy growth and is anticipated to continue being an attractive region for gastrointestinal drugs market. The emergence of biosimilars for treating inflammatory bowel diseases will also be a key growth driver for the market in Europe, says a TMR analyst. However, Asia Pacific is estimated to be the region with maximum opportunities for growth in the coming years. The growing investments and funding in the field of life science research and advanced therapies for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in developing nations such as China and India will fuel the growth of the Asia Pacific market.Request Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20987 The global gastrointestinal drugs market is consolidated with the top three players accounting for a whopping 61% of the market collectively in 2016. These three players are: Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Biotech Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical. While the market is moderately competitive at present, future holds much competitiveness among players and thus, the degree of competition is expected to be increase in the forecast period, states a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Some of the other players in the market are: Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH Sanofi, Allergan Plc, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Allergan Plc., and Abbott Laboratories.Buy Full Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=20987<ype=S About TMRTransparency 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.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:22:03

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Laboratories are involved in rigorous research and development processes and to develop, research, optimize, and capitalize processes are moving towards laboratory automation systems. Laboratory automation ensures improved productivity, reducing the time of operations, increased workflow, and enhanced quality of data. The process substitutes manual handling of reagents and products at this moment reducing the error in any process and leading to more accurate results. Laboratory automation enables processing of a large number of samples and faster turnaround times.Request a sample of this report -Laboratory Automation Systems Market: OverviewLaboratory automation processes are expanding in proteomics and genomics owing to improve reproducibility, creating new solutions, increasing sensitivity for the purification and separation of products and solutions. Laboratory automation can be segmented into two, such as total laboratory automation and modular automation. Total laboratory automation involves automation of process from the start till the end. However modular automation includes task specific automation.Laboratory Automation Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe market for laboratory automation is poised to grow during the coming years owing to shortage of highly skilled laboratory personnel's, cost effectiveness, increased funding from government and corporate sector. Regulatory and stringent control over research labs in healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is also boosting laboratory automation. However several factors restrict the growth of the market such as lack of planning for technology and less priority in low and medium scale labs.Laboratory Automation Systems Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the laboratory automation systems market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. North America leads the market for laboratory automation systems market owing to the highest rate of adoption of laboratory automation systems by end user segments. Europe is the second leading market for laboratory automation systems market due to increased funding and support for international organizations and government focus on research. The Asia Pacific Laboratory automation systems market is also anticipated to grow at an increasing rate owing to the demand for standardization in biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Asia Pacific region is accounted as a fastest growing region for laboratory automation systems market as many players have invested in the development of new drugs. These factors are likely to drive the market growth of laboratory automation systems market during the forecast period globally. The growing needs to outsource laboratory processes has also created a need for laboratory automation in emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil and other developing countries.Request a ToC of this report -The major players in laboratory automation systems market include Agilent Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.., Hamilton Robotics, Tecan Group, HighRes Biosolutions, Becton, Dickinson and Co., Roche Holding AG, Abbott Diagnostics, Biotek Instruments Inc., Perkinelmer Inc., Siemens Healthcare, Beckman Coulter Inc., Labware Inc. among others. Companies have several ongoing kinds of research for the development of new drugs. It has been found that companies have various molecules in the pipeline which ensures market growth during the forecast period. The market for laboratory automation is dominated by the leading companies owing to the increased technicality involved in the manufacturing of such laboratory automation systems.
Medical Microbiology Testing Technologies Market report categorizes the global market by Indication (Respiratory Diseases, Infectious Diseases), Technology (Cell Culture, Microscopy), Application, End User & Geography

Medical Microbiology Testing Technologies Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:55:36

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According to the reports estimations, the worldwide market for medical microbiology testing technologies was worth US$2.1 bn in 2015. Surging at a CAGR of 5.40% over the period from 2016 to 2024, the market is anticipated to reach US$3.4 bn by the end of the forecast period, thanks to the growing demand for automation in the area of medical microbiology.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/microbiology-testing-technologies-market.html The global market for medical microbiology testing technologies is expected to gain tremendous momentum in the near future, thanks to the rise in government investments to increase the research activities in life sciences and medical and biological sciences, says the author of this report. The market is also projected to be boosted by the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, particularly in emerging economies.On the other hand, the high cost incurred in the application of these technologies may limit their adoption in the near future, reflecting negatively on this market. The complicated application procedures will double up the difficulty the market is anticipated to face in the years to come, states the research report.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=11603 The report considers respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, and neurological diseases as the key indication segments of the global medical microbiology testing technologies market. Among these, the infectious diseases segment has been dominating the overall market and is expected to remain on the top over the next few years, on the grounds of the increasing incidence rate of infectious diseases across the world.In terms of the geography, the report categorizes the worldwide market for medical microbiology testing technologies into the Middle East and Africa, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Europe. North America and Europe have surfaced as the leading regional markets for medical microbiology testing technologies. However, Europe will take the top most position in this market in the years to come. The rising demand for enhanced microbiology technologies in Europe is expected to support this regional market over the forecast period, states the research report.Request Medical Microbiology Testing Technologies Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11603 As per a new report by Transprency Market Research (TMR), the global medical microbiology testing technologies market is characterized by intense rivalry in the key players. The strong growth in the established players, such as Abbott Laboratories, Becton, Dickinson and Co., Agilent Technologies, and Beckman Coulter Inc., points towards a high degree of competition in this market. These players are focusing aggressively on the development of new products, diversification in current offerings, and continued market penetration to maintain their supremacy over the next few years, reports the research study.Buy Full Medical Microbiology Testing Technologies Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=11603<ype=S About TMRTransparency 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.
Transparency Market Research has announced the addition of the Methionine Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012  2018 report to their offering.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 07:30:48

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The global market for methionine is expected to grow with growing meat consumption around the world. One of the major factors which are driving the global market for methionine is increasing meat consumption, primarily by the increasing population of developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil etc. Developed economies such as the U.S. and Western Europe are considered to be mature markets and are expected to grow at a lower rate compared to developing countries. Methionine is an amino acid that acts as a building block to form proteins. It is also used for increasing the quantity of lean meat. Methionine has gradually replaced the market for fish powder as it is more efficient than fish powder.Request For Report Sample: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1150 China is one of the biggest manufacturers of animal feed in the world and the country is also one of the biggest consumers of methionine which is used as a supplement for piglets and ruminants. The growth of the middle class population in many countries across the world is also expanding the global market for methionine. However, the volatility in raw material prices and the rising energy prices, which have a direct impact on the overall production cost, are acting as the major factors hindering the market growth.The concept of bio-based methionine has been there in the global market for many years now and companies are developing bio-based methionine for several years. In January, 2012 France based METabolic EXplorer (METEX) and Roquette joined hands to initialize industrial study on bio-based methionine. CJ CheilJedang and Arkema are also planning to build bio-based methionine manufacturing plants in Southeast Asia. The plant is expected to materialize by the end of 2013 with a capacity to produce 80 kilotons of bio-based methionine per year.Some of the companies operating in the global market for methionine include China National BlueStar, Jinzhou Amino Acid Co., Evonik Industries, Novus International, Sumitomo Chemical, and Nippon Soda, among others.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=1150
Military Antenna Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:28:48

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Increasing modernization of the military equipment coupled with the boost in legacy system around the world is expected to fuel the demand of military antenna market. Military antennas provide highly accurate tracking, surveillance, ground mapping, warning against aircrafts, weapons, etc. thereby enhancing the security. Apart from all the above mentioned features, military antenna used in the radars also provide missile guidance for accurate target tracking. The rise in border infiltration, terrorism activities, inter country conflicts, and attack prone borders are expected to drive military antenna market in the near future.On the basis of platform, ground platform is expected to dominate the military antenna market as they help in providing real time information related to ground penetration, unexploded tunnels, etc. during the war. However, the market for space based platform is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Based on application, homeland security system is estimated to dominate the global military antenna system market over the forecast period. The advancement in the surveillance system such as 3D drones and multifunctional radars is estimated to have high potential to drive the military antenna market globally.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13372 Global Military Antenna Market: DriversA major factor driving the growth of the global military antenna market is the rise in military spending. Moreover, escalation in the need for better border security is expected to upsurge the demand for military antenna market. Moreover, technological mushrooming coupled with the need of modern battle equipment is expected to fuel the betterment of military antenna market during the forecast period. Increasing use of military antenna in armored vehicles, naval vessels, aircraft, etc. speed up the expansion and growth of the global military antenna market.Global Military Antenna Market: RestraintsHigh initial costs coupled with the large spending on R&D activities is expected to hamper the growth of military antenna market. Moreover, economic crisis in the European countries like Germany, Russia, U.K. etc. is expected to restrain the growth of the global military antenna market.Global Military Antenna Market: SegmentationGlobal Military antenna market can be segmented on the basis of platform, product type, frequency, applications, and regions. On the basis of platform, the market can be segmented into airborne, ground, naval, and space. On the basis of product type, the global military antenna market can be segmented into vehicle mount antennas, base station antennas, shipboard antennas, man-pack and portable antennas, and asset tracking antennas. On the basis of frequency, the market can be segmented into High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF). On the basis of applications, global military antenna market can be segmented into homeland security system, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and handheld equipment. On the basis of regions, market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Global Military Antenna Market: Region wise OutlookBased on regions, North America is expected to be the most prominent revenue generating region in the global military antenna system market. North America spent nearly US$ 596 Bn., which holds nearly 36% of the entire worlds spending on military, in 2015. However, in the U.S., there is a decline in spending on military by 2.4% in 2015. Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The military spending in Asia Pacific increased by 5.6% in 2015. Moreover, APAC and China accounted for nearly 50% share in the total military spending which is nearly four times the spending in military by India. Additionally, increasing border disputes in APAC is expected to drive the growth of military antenna market in this region. Latin America is projected to witness sluggish growth due to severe economic crisis.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13372 Global Military Antenna Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the prominent players identified in the global military antenna market are as follows,MTI Wireless EdgeEylex Pty Ltd.Cojot OyAntenna Products CorporationComrod CommunicationsBarker and WilliamsonRohde & SchwarzLockheed Martin CorporationRaytheon CompanyTermaHarris Corporation
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:24:14

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Mobile Sterilization Solutions are equipment used for sterilization or bio decontamination of various medical devices and hospital premises such as operation theatres. These equipment are essential for maintenance of required low micro-organism loads in critically important facilities where there is huge risk of contamination. Around 5-10% of patients admitted to hospitals in the developed countries acquire infections. The risk in developing countries is approximately 2-20 times more than in developed countries. In a few developing nations, the incidence of health care-acquired infection can exceed 25%. Moreover, hospitals in developing countries do simple disinfection of medical material increasing the risk of infections remain high. Most of the mobile sterilization equipment use gaseous sterilization method for sterilization of the facilities. Vaporised high pressure Hydrogen peroxide is the most commonly used gaseous medium to carry out the process. Some of the beneficial features provided by mobile sterilization systems include compactness, user friendly, and reproducibility, auto-cleaning and wide range of applications.Request a sample of this report -The key factor driving the market growth of mobile sterilization solutions is increased demand for rapid and on the spot sterilization of facilities due to increasing number of surgeries. Another factor adding to the growth includes rising number of hospital acquired infections (Nosocomial Infections) and surgical site infections, which have created demand for effective sterilization not only for the operational facilities but the other parts of the premises as well. Other advancements with mobile systems are their proximity to surgical sites and quick turnaround whenever there is a requirement. The factors that may limit the market growth include high prices of the mobile sterilization solutions and their complex processes of working. Sensitivity of medical devices and their material towards chemicals and gases used for sterilization may add to limit of market growth.Global Mobile Sterilization Solutions market is highly fragmented as there are multiple numbers of manufacturers of mobile sterilization solutions. Their main significance lies in prevention of surgical site infections and hospital acquired infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 25 patients in hospitals acquires infection daily. In 2011, around 157,500 people developed infection from inpatient surgery and 75,000 of them died during their hospitalizations.Geographically, Mobile Sterilization Solutions market is segmented into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America and European countries are currently the leader of this market due to availability of high-tech innovative products. The market is expected to grow in developed countries because of rising caseload of surgical site infections. Developing countries may observe a rapid rate of growth due to presence of a huge population in need of surgery, reforming regulatory framework, availability of advanced products and support of the government in order to improve the healthcare outcomes.Request a ToC of this report -The key players in the global Mobile Sterilization Solutions market include STERIS plc, Odulair LLC, Mobile Medical International Corporation, Steril-Aire, Ecosphere Technologies, Inc, American Ultraviolet, Belimed, Vertisa, UVtronics, Moonmed, VitroSteril and Astell Scientific.
Aesthetic Services Market report categorizes the North America market by Service Type (Surgical, Non-surgical, and Reconstructive Procedures), End User (Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Dermatology Clinics) & Geography

North America Aesthetic Services Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:51:25

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The TMR report projects the demand in the North America aesthetic services market to increment at a healthy CAGR of 7.70% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024, reaching a valuation of US$28.1 bn by the end of 2024, significantly up from its evaluated worth of US$14.4 bn in 2015. The report anticipates the volume of the demand to nearly double by 2024, estimating it to account for 22 million procedures. Though hospitals remain primary end-users, growing number of dermatology and cosmetic centers is expected to escalate the demand substantially in the near future. The U.S., the third most populous country in the world, is expected to remain the most profitable country-wide market for aesthetic services in the region of North America, with Canada a distant second.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/north-america-aesthetic-services-market.html Based on services type, the TMR report segments the North America aesthetic services market into surgical services including skin tightening, body contouring, facial contouring, and facial rejuvenation, non-surgical services including dermabrasion and microdermabrasion, dermal fillers, and laser treatment, and reconstructive procedures including breast enhancement, burn repair surgery, and tissue expansion. In the recent past, breast enhancement and facial contouring sub-segments have gained significant demand, whereas the advent of injectable products and novel mechanical devices for noninvasive procedures have increased the demand for skin tightening and removal of unwanted fat.On the basis of end-users, the report categorizes the North America aesthetic services market into hospitals, dermatology clinics and cosmetic centers, and ambulatory surgery centers, and projects dermatology clinics and cosmetic centers category to expand at the most prominent CAGR of 8.60% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19274 The U.S. and Canada, collectively, contribute to more than 95% of the demand for aesthetic services in the region of North America, with the developed country of the U.S. the main country-wide market. Growing awareness among the consumers, improvement in the medical and healthcare infrastructure, and the prevalence of skin diseases are some of the key factors augmenting the demand for aesthetic services in the country of the U.S.The North America aesthetic services market is gaining traction from a number of factors, such as growing adoption of minimally invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, rapidly increasing population of the geriatrics, increasing awareness among the customers regarding the cosmetic procedures, technological advancements in energy-based aesthetic devices, growing demand from men, and the availability of user-friendly aesthetic devices. On the other hand, stringent safety regulations and low focus on the development of devices for dermatological conditions are somewhat hindering the market from attaining its true potential.Request North America Aesthetic Services Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19274 As per the findings of a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the aesthetic services market in the region of North America is highly competitive among some of the key companies, including Dermatology Solutions Group, Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Cosmetic & Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic Toronto, and Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery. A number of companies functional in the North America aesthetic services market are focused on innovating new products with increasing investment on technological advancements pertaining to the development of minimally invasive treatment, which are not only less painful for the patients but also reduce the duration of hospital stay.Buy Full North America Aesthetic Services Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=19274<ype=S About TMRTransparency 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.
Spine Biologics

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 11:30:41

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Spine biologics are used during spine fusion surgery for the treatment of spinal deformities such as trauma, tumors, degenerative disc disease, and spinal cord injuries by stimulating bone growth formation through inflammatory stage, repair stage, and remodeling stage. Therefore, surge in the number of spinal fusion surgeries have fueled the adoption of biologics.View Full Report @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-spine-biologics-market-4277/ Spine Biologics market is growing due to advancement in technology as well as demand for better minimally surgical procedures which make it more convenient for both the patient and doctor. A rise in prevalence of diseases due to aging population, increased government funding, is driving the market in most regions. Biologics help in faster recovery and activate cellular growth. The biggest restrain in the market is the healthcare cost for such procedures and the substitute product available. There is a lack of expert professionals and unfavourable reimbursement scenario.Free sample of the report is available @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-spine-biologics-market-4277/request-sample Europe Spine Biologics Market is broadly categorized into surgery type and product type. By surgery type the market is segmented into Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion , Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Others. Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion contributed to a a large share in the market. By product type the market is classified into bone graft, bone graft substitutes, platelet rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate therapy. The bone grafts substitutes segment accounted for a major share of the market. On the basis of geography, the market is analysed under various regions namely U.K, Italy, France, Germany and Spain.Inquire before buying @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-spine-biologics-market-4277/inquire The major companies profiled in the report include Alphatec Holdings, Inc., Depuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson), Exactech, Inc., Globus Medical, Inc., Medtronic plc, NuVasive, Inc., Orthofix International N.V., RTI Surgical, Inc., SeaSpine, and Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
Pasta Market Share

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 09:21:59

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Originating from Italy, pasta is now considered a global cuisine. Typically made from unleavened dough of durum wheat flour blended with eggs or water, it is available in the market in various shapes. To entice consumers, small and large manufacturers are now experimenting with different ingredients ranging from chickpea flour and rice flour to tomato, spinach, carrot, or beet juices and different herbs and spices for enhanced flavor and color.The global market for pasta can be classified into spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles. It can also be bifurcated into fresh and dried pasta. While the former is prepared from a simple dough of eggs and flour, the latter is made from finely ground semolina flour and water, sans egg mostly. Fresh pasta has a comparatively shorter shelf life than dried pasta and hence it is more expensive. Dried pasta generates accounts for a dominant share vis-a-vis sales in the global market for pasta. The overall global pasta market is expected to grow moderately in the upcoming years.Global Pasta Market: Trends and OpportunitiesBy dint of being an easy dish that can be prepared without much effort, pastas have become popular worldwide. This, coupled with their longer shelf life, has driven the growth of this market so far. Other factors providing a tailwind to the market are the high nutritional quotient of pastas and solid distribution channels such as supermarkets/ hypermarkets and departmental stores. To further improve margins, astute players are manufacturing pasta not just with added flavors but also with added value such as more fiber, less carbohydrate, gluten-free, and fortified. Some of the big ticket companies have also gone on to announce the use of only natural additives in their products. This recent trend to manufacture healthier varieties of pasta is expected to boost growth substantially in the coming years.Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10982 However, branded pasta companies  like many other staples  are finding it tough to safeguard their market share from private labels, especially in consolidated markets. Private labels steal a march with more or less decent quality goods that are priced lower.Global Pasta Market: Regional OutlookGeography-wise, the global market for pasta has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World. Among them, Europe accounts for maximum percentage share in terms of consumption and North America comes next. Markets in China and India, emerging economies whose growth rate has surpassed that of all other countries in the world, have proved to be tough ones to crack. Per capita sales of pasta is low in India and China on account of lesser priced regional staples such as rice and noodles. Besides the lack of affordability and cultural preferences, the abundant availability of pasta is another factor hobbling the growth of the Asian markets. Going forward, however, tables might likely turn due to rising per capita income in emerging economies, particularly India and China. This, coupled with rising urbanization, is anticipated to push substantial growth in the near future.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=10982 Companies Mentioned in the ReportTo study the vendor landscape of the market, the report has profiled companies such as American Italian Pasta Company, Armanino Foods of Distinction Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd., Fiori-Bruna Pasta Products, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Strom Products Ltd., and General Mills. Their recent developments and historical roadmap have been studied in the report in detail.
Nepal Communist Party Chitwan in-charge arrested

Police have arrested Lal Bahadur BC, the Chitwan district in-charge of the Biplav-led Nepal Communist Party. He was arrested on Sunday from Narayangadh market area.
Pharmacy Repackaging Systems Market report categorizes the global market by Product (Blister Card/Compliance Packaging Systems, Pouch Packaging, Bottle Filling/ Pill Counting and Liquid Medication Packaging Systems), End User & Geography

Pharmacy Repackaging Systems Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 15:00:56

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According to the research report, the global pharmacy repackaging systems market is expected to be worth US$1.8 bn by the end of 2024 from US$997.1 mn in 2015. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is estimated to progress at a CAGR of 7.8%.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pharmacy-repackaging-systems-market.html The rising incidence of erroneous deaths due to improper medications is expected to drive the growth of the global pharmacy repackaging systems market. The market is also benefiting from the stringent regulations governing various hospitals and health care institutes and pharmacies that demand reduction of such errors, costs, and fatalities due to poor management of dosages. Growing pressure on patient safety has augmented the demand for advanced technologies that have been designed and developed to avoid medication errors. The growing awareness pertaining to the efficient management of inventory with automated technologies is also expected to give the global market a shot in the arm in the coming years.However, the high cost of implementation of pharmacy repackaging system is expected to be a key factor responsible for restraining the growth of the global market between 2016 and 2024. Furthermore, lack of awareness about the potential benefits these automated systems can offer in several regional markets has also been an important inhibitor in the global market. This restraining factor has been predominant in developing countries of the world, where health care institutes are cost-sensitive and lack knowledge about one-time investments that can be reap benefits for a long time.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19964 In terms of geography, the global market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Of these regions, the North America pharmacy repackaging systems market is expected to lead the global market in the coming years. This dominance is a result of soaring demand for pharmacy repackaging systems from hospitals and pharmacies. By the end of 2024, the North America market will account for a share of 35.5% in the overall market.The end users in the global pharmacy repackaging systems market are retail/community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, long-term care (LTC) pharmacies, and mail order pharmacies. Analysts anticipate that the blister card/compliance packaging systems segment is projected to lead the global market in the coming years. This segment is anticipated to acquire a share of 40.8% by the end of 2024 as this technique allows pharmacies to pack medications to suit customers requirements, which, in turn, reduces wastage of medicine dosage.Request Pharmacy Repackaging Systems Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19964 With little or no product differentiation, players in the global pharmacy repackaging systems market are facing tough competition. Despite tough grounds, the players such as Omnicell Inc., and Swisslog Holding AG are leading with a share of about 34% in the global market in 2015. Companies are expected to focus on expanding to different regions by meeting the specific needs of patients and health care institutes.Buy Full Pharmacy Repackaging Systems Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=19964<ype=S About TMRTransparency 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.
Precipitated Barium Sulfate Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:21:59

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Barium sulfate is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water. Barium sulfate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula BaSO4. It occurs as mineral barite, which is the main commercial source of barium and material prepared from it. The white opaque appearance and its high density are exploited in its main application. Precipitated barium sulfate is widely applicable in the industries such as paints coating, pigment, paper, plastic, rubber, ink, leather, ceramic etc. for its purity, low oil absorption, high burning point, insolubility in water, precise PH value, longer shelf life, non-toxicity and effectiveness. In order to ensure the quality, precipitated barium sulfate is stringently tested on defined parameters. Precipitated barium sulfate is a synthetic barium sulfate precipitated with specified particle size. These product can be used effectively for industrial paints, enamels and plastic material, also can be utilized successfully in adhesives, coating and sealants. The demand for precipitated barium sulfate is expanding owing to increasing application of precipitated barium sulfate products. Precipitated barium sulfate is expected to exhibit significant CAGR over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13327 Global Precipitated Barium Sulfate Market: DynamicsGlobal precipitated barium sulfate is added to various types of synthetic resin such as acryl resins as a light diffusing material, and is thereby useful in diffusing light such as transmitted light and reflected light. Precipitated barium sulfate is a white crystalline solid odorless and insoluble in water. It transpires as the inorganic barite, which is the salable source of barium and materials prepared from barium. The precipitated barium sulfate is used for white plastic raw material such as for resin pellets and the translucent opaque reflection sheet. The precipitation of barium sulfate from aqueous solutions of barium chloride and sodium sulfate is investigated experimentally in a continuous Y Mixture to avoid any mixing influence. The increasing preference of plastic product among the consumer is boosting the overall precipitated barium sulfate market worldwide. The precipitated barium producers are targeting the coating industry for the precipitated barium sulfate trade. On the backdrop of coating and rubber industry precipitated barium sulfate market is expected to expand substantially in the near future.Global Precipitated Barium Sulfate Market: SegmentationThe global demand of precipitated barium sulfate can be segmented on the basis of type, application and region. On the basis of type, global precipitated barium sulfate market can be segmented into ordinary precipitated barium sulfate, modified barium sulfate, nanometer precipitated barium sulfate and others. Based on type nanometer precipitated barium sulfate expected to exhibit momentous growth in near future. On the basis of application global precipitated barium sulfate market can be segmented into coating industry, rubber industry, plastic industry and others. Among application segment plastic industry is expected to dominate the precipitated barium sulfate market worldwide. On the basis of region global precipitated barium sulfate can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Global Precipitated Barium Sulfate Market: Regional OverviewAsia Pacific region is dominating the overall precipitated barium sulfate market owing to increasing rate of industrialization in this region. Among countries in the Asia Pacific, China is expected to dominate the precipitated barium sulfate market. The rising demand for raw plastic among the chemical manufacturers in boosting the precipitated barium sulfate market in Asia Pacific region. Europe is also expected to expand significantly, following North America over the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East and Africa market is estimated to register moderate growth rate during the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13327 Global Precipitated Barium Sulfate Market: Key PlayersFew of the market players in global precipitated barium sulfate are Cimbar, Barium & Chemicals, Solvay, Jiaxin Chem, Fuhua Chem, Huntsman, NaFine, Xinji Chemical, Nippon Chemical Industry, Onmillion Nano Material, Redstar, Sakai Chem, Onmillion Nano Material, and Suns Chemical & Mineral.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 14:23:35

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Microbial detection is the process of identifying the harmful bacteria and fungi. Traditional microbial detection system are slow and can take more than one day in providing the results. Rapid microbial detection system is faster and better in identifying and detecting the microbial present in any system. Rapid microbial detection systems can be classified as qualitative, quantitative and identification methods. Qualitative rapid detection provide whether microbial are present or not in system. Quantitative system provide a numerical result indicating the total number of microbial present in a sample and identification system provide detail about the species or genus name of the microbial contaminating the sample. Specific system is used for the detection of viruses while same systems can be used for the identification of bacteria, fungi and molds.Request a sample of this report -Rapid Microbial Detection Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsRapid microbial detection system market is expected to be driven by the accuracy and safety of devices. These devices also provide result in matter few hour while traditional system can take more than one day in yielding the results. Other factors driving the growth of rapid microbial detection system market are improved sensitivity and specificity, shorter product release time and improved process control. Increasing approval by the regulatory bodies around the world is also driving the growth of rapid microbial detection system market.Rapid Microbial Detection Systems Market: OverviewRapid microbial detection system market is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period. This system is faster and more precise than the traditional microbial detection system. Also in traditional detection method higher colony growth is required as process is done by vision detection but rapid microbial detection system can detect and identify microbial growth even in case of lower culture growth. Adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence technique is most used as this technique is considered as gold standard in the microbial detection system and it is more precise for detection. Rapid microbial detection system are automated system which provide better result in identification and counting of microbial as manual traditional detection system. Requirement of specific system for the virus identification is also expected to drive the growth of rapid microbial detection system. Increasing prevalence of viral disease will be one of the factor increasing sales of virus detection system.Rapid Microbial Detection Systems Market: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global rapid microbial detection system market can be segmented in to regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the rapid microbial detection system market due to better infrastructure and technological advancement. Other factors are higher adoption of rapid microbial detection system by various industries and increasing regulatory approval. Asia Pacific is expected to be fastest growing market due to technological advancement, focus of the companies on comply with the FDA requirement and increasing focus of the government to avoid antimicrobial resistance.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the market participants in the global rapid microbial detection system market are Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., Merck KGaA, Pall Corporation, BioMerieux SA, Mocon, Inc, Shimadzu Corp. and Bruker. Some of the players are focusing on development of compatible and portable rapid microbial detection systems.
Redispersible Latex Powder Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 06:34:20

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Redispersible latex powder are organic polymer powder obtained through the spray drying of aqueous emulsions. Dispersion powder help improve the properties and performance of cement or dry mix powder. Redispersible latex powder combine the benefit of liquid latex modifiers with the convenience, reliability, and handling or storing advantage of one component dry mix system. The high performance redispersible latex are used in wide range of application as blender and additives to influence workability, strength development and many other application specific properties. Redispersible latex offers variety of features such as improved workability, improved open time, and abrasion resistance. Multipurpose application of redispersible latex powder is expected to expand significant during the forecast period. Redispersible latex powder are polymer emulsions that are converted by spray drying to free flowing powder. These powder redisperse back into liquid emulsions with essentially identical properties to the original emulsions when blended with water. The demand for redispersible latex powder is increasing due to its benefits in construction industry because of its application as strong strength development of the mortar, better water retention and workability, higher flexural strength and flexibility and strong impact.Request For Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13408 Global Redispersible Latex Powder Market: DynamicsRedispersible latex powder is a free flowing, white powder obtained drying of aqueous vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer dispersion. It is usually in diverse construction chemical application such as external thermal insulation composite system. Redispersible latex powder is an important additive in cement based or gypsum based dry powder. The demand is booting the growth of redispersible latex powders owing to its properties such as medium hard, improved water resistance, highly recommended for cement based plasters. The global demand for redispersible latex powders is expected to create significant CAGR during the forecast period. The chemical industry is trying to form a regulation that will set the standard for a chemical that is used in each and every product. The rising demand for cement-based plasters has led to a significant surge in the valuation of global redispersible latex powders market in the near future. Going further, the advent of combine the performance benefits of redispersible latex powders is likely to create opportunities for the market growth in coming years.Global Redispersible Latex Powder Market: SegmentationThe global redispersible latex powder can be segmented on the basis of type, application and region. On the basis of type redispersible latex powders can be segmented to vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) copolymers, vinyl acetate/vinyl ester of versatic acid (VAE-VeoVa) copolymers, styrene butadiene, and acrylic powder. On the basis application redispersible latex powders can be segmented to cement plasters, self-leveling underlayments, and gypsum setting compounds, repair mortars, and ceramic tile adhesives. Among application ceramic tile adhesives is expected dominate the overall redispersible latex powder worldwide.Global Redispersible Latex Powder Market: Regional OverviewThe redispersible latex powder is segmented into five region North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. Europe and North America market emerge dominate for redispersible latex powder owing increasing application of redispeesible latex powder such as external thermal insulation, composite systems, construction and tile adhesive. Asia Pacific have significant high market share of redispersible latex powders market due to increase in urbanization and modernization therefore consumption of redispersible latex power is rapidly increasing in this region. The increasing demand of innovative material is driving the market of redispersible latex powders market worldwide. The counties such as china and India are emerging market for the redispersible latex powders due to increasing manufacturing and construction business in this region.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13408 Global Redispersible Latex Powder Market: Key PlayersFew market players of redispersible latex powder are Akzo Nobel, Wacker Chemie AG, Wacker Polymers, Hexion, BASF SE, Construction Chemicals Div., Acquos, The Dow Chemical Company, Yil-Long Chemical Group Ltd, Dairen Chemical Corporation, Dinova Pvt. Ltd, BCD Rohstoffe fur Bauchemie HandelsGmbH, Synthomer Ltd, Nippon Gohsei, Bosson Chemical, F.A.R. Fabbrica Adesivi Resine S.p.A, Synthomer Ltd.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 19:50:14

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for RHC Capital Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (FSCWire) - RHC Capital Corporation (TSX Venture:RHC). has issued a press release with the following headline:RHC Capital Corporation Commences Operations on First Helium WellTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on RHC Capital Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/RHC Capital CorporationSource: RHC Capital Corporation (TSX Venture: RHC)Date: November 20, 2017Time: 1:50 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of RHC Capital Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Transparency Market Research has announced the addition of the Thermoformed Plastics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016  2024 report to their offering.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-20 07:30:13

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Thermoformed plastics are used during thermoforming where a plastic sheet is heated to get a bendable form so that it can be molded into desired shape. This afterwards is cooled to create the finished usable product. Various processes are available in the market for thermoforming plastics, the most common ones being vacuum snapback, thick and thin gauge thermoforming, and plug assist forming. The report studies the global thermoformed plastics market in detail, covering factors influencing its growth across the aforementioned segments and others.It is compiled with exhaustive information on the global thermoformed plastics market and discusses at length the growth drivers and restraints influencing its growth. Besides studying the market dynamics, the report also gauges the impact of prevailing regulatory norms on the overall market operations. The impact of the latest strategies adopted by the leading market players and technological advancements is analyzed in detail.Request For Report Sample: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1186 The global thermoformed plastics market is driven by the large application of thermoformed plastic in food packaging. As food packaging requires superior quality packaging materials to ensure protection against moisture, odor, and bacteria, which is provided by thermoplastics, their demand is significantly high in the food industry. Besides this, thermoformed plastics have recently found application in pharmaceutical articles packaging, which is projected to give significant boost to the market.Thermoformed plastics have a wide range of applications and are also cost-effective, which have significantly aided in the markets expansion over the last few years. Plastics that are used in thermoforming are petrochemical-based polymers. Despite the markets positive trajectory up until now, it is yet to gain immunity to the effects of fluctuating raw material prices. Furthermore, the high labor cost often incurred in the manufacturing thermoplastics also has a negative effect on the global thermoformed plastics market. Additionally, it is a difficult task to attain precise wall thickness along with uniform thickness in products during the process of thermoforming. This could result in less durability of the products. As a results the manufacturers are exploring potential substitutes to thermoformed polymers, which is regarded as a key restraint for the market.Due to the changing lifestyle and increasing disposable income, consumers across China and India have been exhibiting high demand for packaged food. Given the scenario, both these countries have emerged as lucrative markets for thermoformed plastics. TMR therefore observes attractive opportunities for market expansion in Asia Pacific. Besides this, the report has also identified increasing scope for the application for thermoforming process as manufacturers look to replace injection molding process owing to the lower cost incurred on tooling and benefits of high-speed production. Spurred by these factors, the demand for thermoformed plastics is expected to increase in developed and emerging markets alike.Some of the leading market players are Associated Packaging Technologies, Anchor Packaging, Tegrant, Genpak, Peninsula CM Packaging, Placon Corporation, and Packaging, Pactiv. The report includes the profiles of leading market players to provide insight into the markets vendor landscape. Using SWOT analysis, the report has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the companies profiled. This also helped analysts provide details pertaining to the opportunities and threats that these market players are likely to witness over the course of the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=1186
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and its joint venture partner, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, at the weekend executed the second and final phase of an alternative financing agreement, which the Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, said would help increase the countrys crude oil production by about 39,000 barrels per day.

Mr. Baru, who spoke in London at the formal signing of the agreement, said the arrangement would also help achieve an incremental peak production of about 283 million standard cubic feet per day, MMSCFD of gas.

According to the GMD, the increased production capacity would spread over the remaining life of the asset (until 2045).

Out of the total cost about $1.7 billion, Mr. Baru said, the project, which is about 92 per cent completed, include a $780 million third-party funding.

When completed, the facility would produce natural gas liquids and condensate extracted from the Sonam and Okan fields located in oil mining leases OMLs 90 and 91 in the Niger Delta.

Mr. Baru described the deal as a step in the right direction, saying it would grow the nations daily production capacity and support the strategic domestic gas-to-power aspirations, while aligning with NNPCs 12 Business Focus Areas (BUFAs).

He said the project would also include the completion of the Sonam non-associated gas, NAG, platform and Sonam living quarters platform; drilling of seven wells in the Sonam field and the Okan 30E NAG well, as well as the completion of the 20 inches by 32 kilometre Sonam pipeline and Okan pig receiver platform and development of the associated facilities.

The GMD said, the facilities at the moment were 100 per cent completed, while the wells were 40 per cent executed.

In carrying out the project, the NNPC boss said the joint venture adopted a two-staged financing approach, involving the provision of $400 million in the first stage, sourced from Nigerian commercial banks, and financial closure achieved on August 1, 2017.

The second stage financing to provide another $380 million from International Commercial Banks, ICBs, was what was sealed at the weekend in London.

Out of the $780 million total financing deal for both stages, Chevron JV would be co-lending about $312 million, while the NNPCs portion would be about $ 468million.

On the Alternative Financing approach, Mr. Baru explained that it was aimed at bridging NNPCs shortfall in funding JV cash call obligations, including settlement of pre-2016 cash call arrears.

The arrangement would also enable full funding of NNPCs JV obligations to restore investors confidence and stimulate further Foreign Direct Investments, FDIs in the industry.

Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director of CNL, Jeff Ewing, said his company supported the Federal Governments aspirations to sustain oil and gas production.

We know the important role gas supply to the domestic market plays in growing power generation. We also understand governments need to seek alternative sources to fund profitable and bankable JV Projects, Mr. Ewing added.

He commended the NNPC and other partners for backing the third party financing arrangement, which he said, would lessen cash call burden on the federation account.

Mr. Ewing expressed Chevrons commitment to execute the programme safely and timely, to deliver the expected values for all stakeholders.

In August this year, two sets of alternative financing agreements on JV projects were executed between the NNPC/CNL JV (project Falcon) and the NNPC/SPDC JV (Project Santolina).

Both are aimed at boosting reserves and production in line with parts of the federal governments aspirations for the Oil and Gas Industry.
The Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Muneer Bankole, on Monday faulted the call on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to increase the number of aircraft required by an airline to secure an Air Operators Certificate, AOC.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Bankole spoke to journalists at the sidelines of the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, World Aviation Forum in Abuja.

A group, the Aviation Round Table Initiative, ARTI, had urged the NCAA to increase the number from the current two to a minimum of 20 aircraft.

Mr. Bankole, reacting to the call, said that the number of aircraft to be operated was an issue of regulation and not something that should be bandied around to frustrate the airlines who were already grappling with various challenges.

ARTI cannot talk about AOC or aircraft acquisition, and with due respect to my fathers and brothers at the ARTI, the idea for the regulator to increase stake on the minimum number of aircraft for operation doesnt follow.

What should matter is how you use what you have to build capacity and entrench the safety needs.

Aviation is not a childs play and we have to contend with a lot of challenges from training of staff to maintenance, which last year we did, and this is the reality of the cost intensive nature of the business, he said.

Commenting on the forum, Mr. Bankole said it would be an opportunity to discuss some of the financial challenges in the aviation industry in Nigeria and provide solutions that would be beneficial to the country.

He noted that though Nigeria was behind in aviation infrastructure development, the forum was the perfect opportunity to showcase what the country had to offer to the world.

(NAN)
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on Monday said reports of African migrants being sold as slaves in Libya were appalling.

Mr. Guterres said he was horrified by video footage appearing to show a slave auction where migrants were sold for 400 dollars apiece, made public by a CNN investigation.

I abhor these appalling acts and call upon all competent authorities to investigate these activities without delay and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity, Mr. Guterres told journalists in New York.

The UN chief said he had asked the relevant UN actors to actively pursue the matter.

Mr. Guterres added that the scourge of human trafficking should also remind the international community of the need to address issues surrounding migration.

He called for development cooperation to address the root causes of current migration flows, a meaningful increase in legal migration opportunities and enhanced international cooperation to crack smugglers and traffickers.

(dpa/NAN)
Concerned about the poor funding of the health sector, the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale, PACFaH, is organising a press conference with theme: The falling 2018 health sector allocation as a threat to governments health care under one Roof Policy.

PACFaH is advocating adequate funding and the full implementation of governments commitment to child and family health.

President Muhammadu Buhari allocated N340.45 billion to the health sector in the proposed 2018 budget. This represents 3.9 per cent of the total N8.6 trillion budget.

If the appropriation bill is passed as it is, it would imply a three-year consecutive decline in the allocation to health sector

Allocation to the health sector in 2017 and 2016 are 4.16 percent and 4.23 percent respectively.

Follow our live updates of the event here.

The press conference begins at 11:45 a.m.

It has the theme Understanding the falling 2018 Health budget, and is organised by the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, in conjunction with dRpc and PACFaH.

The moderator, Aremu Fatai, who is the acting country director of PACFAH@ Scale, said the conference came because of the shortfall in the budgetary allocation to the health sector.

He said it was time to advocate for proper funding and timely release of funds to the health sector.

Ibama Asiton, acting General-Secretary NACHPN, says the association is clamouring for a raise in the health budget allocated to Nigeria.

While decrying the gradual shortfalls, he said the NACHPN, comprising of Community Health Officers, CHOs, Community Health Extentions workers, CHEWs and Junior Community Health Extension Workers, JCHEWs, are the front line primary health care professionals in partnership.

Asiton says making adequate budgetary provisions for health in the budget and by implementing it in full is important.

The 2018 Annual Budget proposal is called a budget of consolidation, if the government is committed to consolidation in the health care system, then the Community Health Influencer, Promoter and Services CHIPS are consolidators of the health sector.

While Nigerias overall budget has grown by 92 percent from N4.49 trillion in 2015 to N8.61 trillion in 2018, the same cannot be said of the health budget.

The health budget has instead fallen by 14 per cent.

The acting general secretary says the 2018 health to national budget of meagre 3.9 percent is the lowest in recent years.

Using a graphic illustration, he demonstrates that in 2015, 5.7 per cent of the total national budget was allocated to health, while 3.9 per cent was allocated in 2018.

Asiton tasks everyone to ask themselves key questions about the 2018 health budget. Will it provide enough resources to consolidate the work of primary health care providers working within the policy of the primary health care under one roof

With this budget, will the federal Ministry of Health keep its promise of revitalising 10,000 primary health care centre?

He said is more like the health sector is a runner up in this budget.

The national president of NACHPN, Akor Okechukwu, says it is time to advocate for increase in funding and ask for proper implementation of the government policies on health because the World Economic Forum in 2017/2018 competitive index report rates Nigerias health system as 136th out of 137 countries in the world.

He said this is certainly not the rightful place for Nigeria to be in the community of nations.

We therefore call on the National Assembly and all relevant stakeholders to do the needful by improving funding for Nigerias health system beginning from the 2018 Appropriation Bill, he says.

He continues:

We are making this call to action as we all advocate for improved and adequate funding for Nigerias health sector and to ensure that Nigerian government honours its policy commitments to the health sector in general and child and family health.

During question and answer, someone asks about the level at which CSOs monitored the implementation of the budget. The national vice president, Northeast, Yakubu Zaakshi, says they have been monitoring the implementation of the budget by the ministry of health and could attest that there was a fair implementation.

He said more needs to be done however. Though we were engaged in discussion with the ministry before the proposed budget was drafted, we were however surprised with the amount allocated to the health sector despite our engagement with the government, he said. We know there is still room or amendment as it is still with the National Assembly before it is passed. That is why we are pleading that they should improve on the allocation so that they can effect the desired change in the health sector. 

The former National President of the association, Musbau Tadese, says more funds need to be voted to realising an efficient primary health care delivery system because 70 per cent of Nigerians live in the rural area.

To know the true state of the primary healthcare system, people need to visit them. This is the only way to understand the implication of not voting enough money to the sector, he says.

We work in the rural area and we know some of the challenges we face when dispensing our duties. most of us work in under staff environment, no equipment to discharge our duties accurately and most often for mobilisation. This is why we are asking for more funds. This is the only way the impact of the primary healthcare can be felt on Nigerians and people will stop travelling out of the country for healthcare knowing we can deliver such services here n country, he said.

The event ends with a plea by the moderator, Aremu Fatai, to the media to support NACHPNs call in holding government accountable for adequate funding of the health sector and full implementation of key policies that will enhance child and family health in Nigeria.
Nepal needs the PR electoral system until we achieve inclusiveness that renders PR unnecessary

Under your tenure as Chief Election Commissioner, the country held the historic CA election in 2008. Why, in your opinion, are these elections important?
With over 25,000 children reported to have Noma disease in Nigeria, the federal government is collaborating with partners to establish a national control programme with the goal to eradicate the disease from the country.

Noma, also known as Ciwon Noma in Hausa, is an infection which eats off the soft tissues of the mouth, face or genitals. The disease mainly affects children under the age of 12 in poor countries in Africa.

It is a rapidly progressive, often gangrenous ulcer which is usually painless and ensues a degradation of the tissues of the bone in the face.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2017 National Noma Day in Abuja on Monday, Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the government was collaborating with its partners to establish a National Noma Control Programme in Nigeria.

The stakeholders meeting tagged No Noma in Nigeria, a multi stakeholders task, was a platform to draw a road map for creating awareness of the disease among health practitioners and how they can in turn educate the public.

Mr. Adewole who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Clement Uwaifo, said following 21,357 cases reported in 2015 across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, the federal government has made it a goal to prevent the disease and eradicate it completely on the long run.

This figures are alarming and calls for urgent actions and a multi-stakeholder approach to stem the tide of its spread in Nigeria, he said.

Mr. Adewole added that the National Noma Day was commemorated to raise awareness on the need to reinforce actions to prevent the disease as well as develop a policy of common action to eventually eradicate it.

According to the minister, the current incidence of Noma in Africa and Nigeria could be attributed to many factors that have adversely affected the health and well-being of children.

These include the worsening economic crisis, wars, famine, flood, natural and man-made disasters, deteriorating sanitation, declining nutritional status, the current escalation in the incidence of HIV/AIDs and increasing exposure to infectious diseases.

The World Health Organisation estimates that 500,000 people are affected and 140,000 new cases are reported yearly.

According to the minister, tackling the disease became a necessity for the government after a surveillance report by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control revealed that over 25,000 children ages zero to 59 months were reported to have the disease between 2012 and 2015 in Nigeria.

The guest lecturer at the event, Sunday Ajike, said the disease, which was once associated with poverty, is now associated with Africa.

Mr. Ajike, a professor of dentistry, in his lecture titled: The Noma experience and its implication on the healthy society, said most people are not aware of the implication of the disease which is also referred as water disease.

He said when the bacteria attacks a patient, the mouth begins to smell badly, and rashes and a gangrenous ulcer will appear in the mouth.

Mr. Ajike said Noma is associated with poor nutrition, especially deficiency of Vitamin A and B, or dehydration, poor oral hygiene, drinking of unsafe water, measles, smoking and drop in immunity in a person due to an immunodeficiency disease such as AIDS.

The situation is worse among poor peasant farmers and nomadic herdsmen who cannot afford the cost of treatment, he said.

He urged the government to train health workers especially in the rural areas for early detection of the disease and prompt referral so as to stop progression of the disease before it gets to the stage of disfigurement.

Treatment of the disease is expensive in terms of specialist manpower and materials required, he said.

Currently, there are centres in Nigeria attending to Noma cases, including the Centre for Oral Health Research, ICOH, in Jos, Plateau State, which caters for oral health needs, research and training needs of members states in the African region. Sokoto State and all teaching hospitals in Nigeria also have facilities for the treatment.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her husband, Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, on Monday marked 70 years of their marriage.

The couple got married in Westminster Abbey, London on November 20, 1947 before Queen Elizabeths ascension to the throne in 1952.

Their union is blessed with four children, including Prince Charles, heir to the throne, Anne, Andrew and Edward.

According to Reuters, there are no plans for a public event to mark this milestone.

Rather, Elizabeth, now 91, and Philip, 96, who retired from active public service in August, will have a private celebration at Windsor Castle, the monarchs home.

Britains Prime Minister, Theresa May, took to twitter to celebrate the seven decades milestone.

Congratulations to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrate their Platinum Wedding anniversary, she said.

They have devoted their lives to the service of the UK and the Commonwealth  my best wishes to them both on this special occasion. Mrs. May added.

According to BBC news, Queen Elizabeth who is the longest serving on the throne, becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

To commemorate this, the churchs bell will ring for more than three hours.

While the couples marriage has remained strong, three of their four children have seen their unions end in divorce, most notably heir Prince Charless ill-fated union with his late first wife Princess Diana. Reuters reports.
An aide of former governor of Jigawa State and presidential aspirant, Sule Lamido, has accused the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, of deliberately feeding the Nigerian public with falsehood.

In a statement on Monday, Umar Hadeja, the Coordinator of National Volunteers for Lamido, said Mr. Shehu was engaging in mischief bordering on denial and selective amnesia.

He was responding to the rejoinder by Mr. Shehu to criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress federal government by Mr. Lamido in an interview he granted Daily Trust newspaper after announcing his plan to seek the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 general elections.

Mr. Shehu had described the criticism of the anti-corruption war of the government by Mr. Lamido as a reflection of the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the opposition in the country.

It is only in Nigeria that a leader will divert money belonging to the public into his childrens account and then turn round to start pontificating on public morals, in the process subjecting the nations honest leadership to daily attacks based on falsehood.

It is even worse that such a person, facing criminal prosecution, will start going round saying he wants to be President, Mr. Shehu had stated.

But taking up defence of Mr. Lamido through his statement on Monday, Mr. Hadeja said it was Mr. Shehu who had chosen to misinform the public over the performance of the APC in government.

Clearly, Garbas attempted response to the said Sule Lamido interview is yet another classic example of the PR disaster and liability that he now represents for the Buhari administration.

Surely, we would care less for this misfortune of an appointee of Mr. President who is fishing and scavenging desperately for stuff that would make him look useful in a job he clearly does not know how to do.

His brazen and intellectually lazy import-substitution mission for issues never raised in the interview in the effort to tar Alhaji Sule Lamido with a dirty brush is at best, mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on Garba.

Mr. Hadeja accused Mr. Shehu of failing to address the facts raised in the Sule Lamido interview.

He accused Mr. Shehu of falsely accusing Mr. Lamido of impugning the integrity of the nations judicial system and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the government is itself destroying the two institutions.

Where, for instance, did Garba see any reference to these institutions in the said interview? Did he at all, read the interview or in the classic case of playing the Boss, lazily rely on some subordinates who supposedly drew his attention to a publication he never sighted?

And as if this was not shameful enough, he brazenly proceeded to blindly issue a rejoinder to a publication he apparently knew nothing about. This is a further injury to the image, integrity and ethics of the journalism profession

His usual habit of ignoring facts was manifest in his attempt to defend his party rather than the governments confused approach to implementing the agenda it promised.

Mr. Hadeja vowed that Mr. Lamido would not be deterred, distracted or cowed by the shenanigans of the presidential spokesman.

He said: as a statesman and nationalist whose sole driving impetus is improvement in the material condition of the ordinary Nigerian citizen, as well as carving a place of high repute for Nigeria in the comity of nations, he is forging ahead with steely determination and singleness of purpose.

Lamido will continue to speak truth to power and call out the APC government in all its numerous failings.

No amount of name-calling, falsehood, character assassination or intimidation will do the trick. Not from Garba Shehu, not from anyone else.

The APC government must shape up or ship out, or else expect the Sule Lamidos of this country and they are in the majority now, to continue to call it out.

Mr. Hadeja alleged confusion and lies, cross messaging and open confrontation among various officials of government even while brazenly engaged in corrupt practices of various kinds as widely reported in the media.

This is worse than a calamity for a developing nation like ours.

Garba should encourage the government he serves to investigate those cases instead of chasing shadows and silhouettes

Mr. Hadeja maintained that Mr. Lamido delivered his campaign promises to the people of Jigawa when he served as governor .

Every visible productive project of stature dotting the entire landscape was initiated and completed by him.

The essential Alhaji Sule Lamido is a quintessential leader who is and still loved by the people; among whom he lives to date.
Mourners have besieged the Independence Layout residence of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme following the news of his demise in a London hospital on Sunday.

A correspondent for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the residence of the former founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, reports that the atmosphere was solemn.

However, a condolence register was yet to be opened in the residence.

A security man who pleaded anonymity, said that he was under instruction not to allow journalists access to the compound.

The wife of Dr. Alex Ekwueme has gone to Abuja and none of the family members is here.

We are under instruction not to allow journalists to enter the compound and no condolence register has been opened, he said.

Mr. Ekwueme was initially admitted at Memfys Neurosurgical Hospital, Enugu, for a chest infection from where he was transferred to London on November 13.

His younger brother and traditional ruler of Oko community, Laz Ekwueme, announced the late vice presidents death in a statement.

Mr. Ekwueme was aged 85.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal have congratulated Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano on his reelection.

Mr. Obiano won the election held on Saturday with about 55 per cent of the votes cast, winning in all the 21 local government areas of the state against 36 other candidates.

The APC, in a statement on Monday signed by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the conduct of the poll and urged other candidates to take the outcome as the peoples choice.

APC also congratulated its candidate, Tony Nwoye, on his impressive performance at the election and his graciousness in conceding defeat.

We commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what is regarded as a credible election, which passes the integrity test. Similarly, we praise the high level of dedication and professionalism displayed by the security agencies and other ad-hoc staff mobilised for the election.

As a party, we believe the smooth conduct of the election, irrespective of its outcome, is a testimony to our party and President Muhammadu Buharis commitment to free, fair and transparent polls.

We appeal to other candidates and parties who participated in the election to accept its outcome as a true reflection of the will of the Anambra people.

In his own statement issued by his spokesperson, Imam Imam, Mr. Tambuwal said Mr. Obianos victory was a manifestation of the peoples trust and confidence in his leadership.

He urged the reelected governor to rise above partisan considerations and carry along all people, including his opponents, in the task of building the state further.

I urge His Excellency to see the fresh mandate given to him as a call to extra duty in the service of his state and an immense opportunity to carry forward the policies and projects initiated during his first term so as to promote progress and development Anambra State.

Mr. Tambuwal also urged the defeated candidates to accept the result in good faith and cooperate with the winner in the interest of the people, saying any challenge of the outcome should be within confines of the law.

He pledged the cooperation of Sokoto State Government to Mr. Obiano, saying his administration would work with all persons and interest groups to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Government says it has written to the Italian Embassy asking it why the 26 migrants recovered from the Mediterranean were buried nine days before the agreed date.

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told a news conference in Abuja on Monday that three bodies were identified as Nigerians.

Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said that time was not given for adequate identification of the girls and feedback on investigations carried out by the relevant authorities in Italy adding that the government would investigate at the highest diplomatic level.

It was shocking to watch the burial of these migrants on television, I think on November 17, because the information from the Italian Embassy to National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) was the fact that these girls would be buried on November 26.

We are asking the Italian authorities, and we have communicated a letter through the Italian Embassy here in Nigeria, why these girls were buried nine days before the agreed date.

Secondly, where are the results of the pathological tests that were done, who conducted the DNA tests and how do we now identify that all 26 girls were Nigerians?

From available information coming from Italy as I speak, about three girls can be identified to be Nigerians.

Did Italy get the permission to go ahead with the burial of these girls no matter their nationalities?

We appeal to the Italian authorities, we are going to take this up at the highest diplomatic level and we are going to get answers.

She said that 64 migrants were involved in the accident with many bodies unaccounted for and more questions to be answered by the Italian authorities.

She added that the Director-General of NAPTIP was currently in Italy working out further communications on the next step to take.

The fact is at the other end, they are not willing to save irregular migrants any more so it is going to get tougher and dangerous.

Yes, the administration should do the needful but the most important thing is awareness.

A representative of NAPTIP, Abdulrahim Shaibu, Director, Legal and Prosecution, said that the burial of the 26 dead migrants was a violation of agreements shared by both countries.

Between Nigeria and Italy, we have a Memorandum of Understanding and a cooperative agreement with anti-mafia; they are supposed to give us all information concerning our victims as well as any trafficker they get.

On this particular issue, we relied on their information that these girls would be buried on November 26 and this is in violation of the agreement to exchange pre-information so our government will have to take it up.

Mr. Shaibu also said that the agency was doing a lot to sensitise Nigerians to the dangers of human trafficking.

This mishap is one to many and that is why we are asking state governments to back our efforts and create programmes that would involve the youths to engage them productively.

The bodies of the 26 migrants were discovered on the Mediterranean by a Spanish Warship, Cantabria on November 5 and were all females from the ages of 14 to 18.

A funeral was, however, held for them in Salerno, Italy on November 17.
A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, said the late former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, while alive was a titan in Nigerian politics and an illustrious elder statesman.

Mr. Obasanjo stated this on Monday in a condolence message on the demise of Mr. Ekwueme, which he said he received with great shock.

He said the deceased was a hero and a great son of Nigeria whose life has been a life devoted to the service of his fatherland.

The late Dr. Ekwueme was a selfless, disciplined and patriotic Nigerian who lived a worthy and exemplary life, Mr. Obasanjo said.

This, indeed, is another opportunity for me to acknowledge his diverse and worthy achievements in the multi-faceted endeavours that he had undertaken in the course of a meritorious career in public and private life.

It cannot be gainsaid that, over the years, Dr. Ekwueme had shown courage of conviction and integrity in his dealings at the pinnacle of national affairs, notably with his record of sincerity as Vice President of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP during my administration as a democratically-elected President of Nigeria, Mr. Obasanjo added.

Similarly, a former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, described Mr. Ekwueme as a national icon whose contributions helped to stabilise democratic ideals in the nations polity.

He said the late Mr. Ekwueme was an exceptional personality who lived a life full of achievements in his professional career as an architect of international repute and also in the field of politics where he established himself as a remarkable politician and rallying point among his kinsmen, contemporaries and generality of Nigerians.

Articulate, focused, disciplined and patriotic, Dr. Ekwueme held aloft democratic ideals of the nations founding fathers and never wavered in the quest for a better Nigeria, he said.

This won him great respect from across the political spectrum putting him at a foremost spot as a legend and natural leader, the former governor said.

Also, a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, described the death of Mr. Ekwueme as a huge loss to the PDP and Nigeria.

Mr. Secondus in a statement he signed said Nigeria had lost a dependable resource person whose invaluable contributions to the socio-political development of the country remains unequalled.

The news of Mr. Ekwuemes death in a London clinic at the age of 85 on Sunday was confirmed by his brother and traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Laz Ekwueme.
President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will speed up the improvement of aviation infrastructure in the country to enhance the countrys economic development.

The president made this known when he received the President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Muyiwa Aliu, at the State House, Abuja on Monday.

Mr. Buhari declared his total support and commitment to work with regulatory agencies in the aviation sector to make air travel safer throughout the country.

The president, who received three awards recently won by Nigeria from ICAO, expressed delight with the high ranking accorded Nigeria in safety and security at the airports, following measures put in place to address gaps in airport security.

On the setting up of a national airline, President Buhari said he was under tremendous pressure from many patriotic Nigerians desirous of establishing one.

I equally support a national airline for both patriotic and economic reasons.

We have enough trained citizens including pilots and engineers. But Nigerians need to know how we lost (defunct Nigeria Airways) the one we had before, he said.

The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who led the ICAO delegation, informed President Buhari that Nigeria was hosting the meeting of International World Aviation Forum in Abuja.

He said the meeting would start on Tuesday, the first time such conference will hold anywhere outside Montreal, Canada.

He said over 40 aviation ministers and representatives from 70 countries, the World Bank, African Development Bank, manufacturers of planes and aviation equipment would attend this years conference focusing on Financing Development of Aviation Infrastructure.

The President of ICAO, who is a Nigerian, commended President Buhari for fast-tracking policy initiatives that changed the fortunes of air travel in Nigeria.

He described the reconstruction of the runway at the Abuja airport as a rare feat.

On behalf of the ICAO, Mr. Aliu presented a certificate of recognition of the School of Aviation, Zaria as a regional centre of excellence as well as the certification of both Abuja and Lagos airports which have attained ICAO standards for the first time in history.

He also presented another certificate marking the attainment of the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001, 2015 by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

Mr. Aliu, who also spoke to State House correspondents, said he formally informed President Buhari of the programme of the ICAO World Aviation forum being hosted by Nigeria.

He expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness by Nigeria to host the forum.

It is a huge event and we are happy for all the efforts that are being made to make that event a success.

It is also an opportunity for me as president of ICAO Council to bring to the attention of Mr President, the significant recognition that Nigeria is receiving when it comes to aviation development.

I also thank him for all the efforts he is making not only for Nigeria because the development of civil aviation in Nigeria affects the whole region with Nigeria being the African regional leader, he said.

(NAN)
The police have vowed to ensure that justice takes its course over the stabbing to death of a son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party by his wife.

Bilyamin Bello was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife, Maryam Sanda, at their Maitama residence in Abuja. He was the son of Haliru Bello, a former leader of the opposition PDP.

The incident is believed to have occurred on Saturday night after she saw a suspicious text message on his phone and accused him of extra-marital affairs.

Maryam is the daughter of former Aso Savings Bank Managing Director, Maimuna Aliyu, who himself is currently facing fraud charges in court for.

According to an account, Maryam allegedly stabbed Bilyamin multiple times while he was observing the Islamic Ishai prayer.

When she stabbed him on the back, chest and groin, he collapsed and began pleading for mercy, a report by Daily Nigerian online newspaper quoted a source who asked to be anonymous.

She let him lay there in the pool of his blood, pleading with her to save his life.

He was heard saying Maryam ki taimake ni Maryam ki taimake ni (Help me, Maryam Help me, Maryam) until he couldnt speak anymore.

She was said to have later taken him to Maitama District Hospital where he eventually gave up the ghost.

The FCT Police Command spokesperson, Anjuguri Manzah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday said the suspect was under police custody and investigation was ongoing.

Mr. Manzah said that immediately Maitama Police Division received the information about the death, it went to arrest the suspect.

He explained that the FCT command had since taken over the case from Maitama Division, and that the suspect was in its custody.

According to him, the case would be charged to court andjustice will take its course.

The police spokesperson later on Monday told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect had been transferred to the police homicide section.
An aide to President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday that the Nigerian government is concluding plans, latest by December, with the Switzerland Government for the repatriation of $321 million looted from Nigeria.

Juliet Ibekaku, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Justice Reforms made the disclosure at the Conversation on Anti-corruption Campaign organised by the Centre for Democratic Development, CDD, in Abuja.

She said that before now, Nigeria had no agreement or Memoranda of Understanding with foreign countries for the return of looted money.

The development, she said, explains why it took Nigeria a while to initiate the process of discussion and recovery at the international level.

So far, we have recovered part of the Malabu fund held by the UK courts.

We are also working to finalise the process for the return of $321 million and by December, we are going to sign the MoU for the return of the money held in Switzerland.

I am happy to also note here that some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in the area of asset recovery were involved in the negotiation of the MOU and will be involved in monitoring the assets.

This is to ensure that the returned funds are managed in a transparent manner as other recovery plans continue in countries like UK, Island of Jersey and France, she said.

Mrs. Ibekaku said that the federal government had also opened up discussion with the U.S. government for the return of the money that left that country for two or three years from 2013.

The presidential aide said that an example of such money was that of late Diepreye Alamieyeseighas, adding that different fronts were being opened up for the recovery of the money.

She said that the money recovery mission was hinged on the Open Government Partnership Initiative which was committed to four thematic areas: Transparency, Anti-corruption, Access to Information, Citizen Engagement and Empowerment.

She said government had set up one asset recovery account which made it easy for anybody that wanted to track recovered money to know where the money was going to.

According to her, this put to rest worry by Nigerians over the whereabouts of the recovered money, thinking the money were not being accounted for or managed properly.

Mrs. Ibekaku said that over the years, it was identified that there was a problem with the management of recovered money both domestically and internationally because there was no way to account for it.

She said that when this administration came to power, the president set up a presidential assets recovery committee to monitor what was going on with recovered assets from the agencies.

Mrs. Ibekaku said that the presidential committee, in turn, set the Assets Tracing subcommittee, adding that work was ongoing to determine where these moneys went as from 2012.

She said that the administration also created a central account in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), called the Asset Recovery Account.

The presidential aide said the president also directed all the law enforcement agencies to put all recovered money in the central account.

Mrs. Ibekaku said that the president also directed that asset recovery should now be ploughed into the budget to fund part of it, starting from 2017 so that is what the money is being used for.

She said all the money being recovered by anti-corruption agencies would go into such to fund part of the budget.

The Executive Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, said that the event was organised with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa and the Department for International Development, DFID.

According to her, the event is to get answers to some questions on the recovered money.

Ms. Hassan said that it was obvious that tackling corruption remained one of President Buharis main priorities.

She said it was in line with the presidents vision that the event was organised, to provide a platform for constructive review and interrogate governments approach to anti-graft campaign.

The executive director said the platform also sought to proffer alternative opinions for robust, effective and sustained interventions in the anti-corruption fight and effective usage of the recovered money.

She called on the government to let Nigerians know more about the amount recovered so far and how the money was being spent to ensure much confidence from the people in its programmes and policies.

(NAN)
NHRC concerned about continued attacks

The National Human Rights Commission has expressed its serious concern over continued attacks on leaders and cadres from different parties in various parts of the country and has asked the government to ensure security in the election campaigns.
In celebration of the World Childrens Day, the United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, has highlighted the importance of investing in every child in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event to mark the day in Abuja on Monday, the Chief of Communications, UNICEF, Doune Porter, said that there is an urgent need for Nigeria to invest more in children as that is the only way to invest in the future of the country.

Ms. Porter said, Today, November 20th is world childrens day. It is the anniversary of the establishment of the conventional right of a child. Today is all about raising awareness on the issues that are facing children around the world and in Nigeria.

We need to invest in children all over the world and especially in Nigeria with a huge population. We need to invest in the future of Nigeria and by doing that, we need to invest in the lives of children.

She noted that UNICEF is marking this day in a very special way and we hope that from now on, the world childrens day will be recognised.

She added that to mark the day, some children have been placed in different agencies to play significant administrative roles, like that of a general manager, a front desk officer amongst others.

The point of this, she said, is to raise childrens voices and to stand in solidarity with them.

She said the world childrens day is set aside to encourage young people across the world to step into their parents shoes and address the plight of those less fortunate from platforms they would ordinarily be too short to reach.

The theme of this years World Childrens Day is KidsTakeOver.

Eight-year-old Emmanuel Ikechukwu who was present at the event said that he is excited about the day and its significance.

Acting as a front desk officer, he said that the day gives children the opportunity to raise their voices as one.

Meanwhile, a new survey released by UNICEF on Monday cited poor education, violence against children, and terrorism as some of the biggest concerns for children in Nigeria.

The survey was carried out in 14 countries across the world and analyses data of more than 11,000 nine-18-year-old children.

In Nigeria alone, the survey, which centred on 500 children revealed that eight in 10 children admitted worrying a lot about poor education affecting them and seven in 10 children worried a lot about being personally affected by poverty.

The results also indicates that 59 per cent of children do not trust their countrys leaders.

In a press statement, the representative of UNICEF, Mohammed Fall, said: It is clear that children are acutely aware of the challenges their peers face across the world and they are afraid of being affected by these issues themselves.

The fact that our young people are telling us they do not think their opinion is heard or it does not have any impact, reflects that they feel powerless and disenfranchised, he said.
The Director General of the Willie Obiano campaign organisation, Victor Umeh, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his partys victory at the polls on Saturday.

Mr. Obiano, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won the Anambra governorship election with about 55 per cent of total votes cast. He also won in all the 21 local government areas of the state.

He defeated 36 other candidates, including Tony Nwoye of President Buharis All Progressives Congress, APC.

Speaking with TVC News in Awka on Sunday after the final results were announced, Mr. Umeh said the free and fair electoral process could be attributed to the president who allowed democracy to take its course without interfering in the process.

In the interview observed by PREMIUM TIMES. Mr. Umeh said the peaceful outcome of the elections was a good development for democracy in the country; considering the anxiety by residents of the state, who were afraid the final result may be rigged or changed at the last minute.

Let me say that INEC surprised everybody with its conduct of the elections, Mr Umeh said. If you see how people were reacting as the result was broadcast live. INEC carefully selected the ad-hoc staff and the collation officers independently.

They did not select politicians, or allow politicians to submit list of ad-hoc staff this time around. In order to avoid rigging of the elections, no one knew where this ad-hoc staff were coming from, he said.

Mr. Umeh recalled the situation in 2013, when his party, APGA, won in 20 out of 21 local government councils in the state.

He said the party bettered its records this time, by winning in all local government councils.

It shows that the Obiano projects in virtually all local government councils in the state impacted and won the 21 local governments. The people believe Governor Obiano will bring development to the state, including building an airport in the state within three years of his administration, Mr. Umeh said

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Tony Nnacheta, also congratulated the governor and his team for his victory. He said the governor was able to coast to victory in spite of observed weakness of the party during the campaigns.

Mr. Nnacheta assured the citizens of the state of an improvement in the quality of governance under the incumbent leadership. He said the governors re-election was a vote of confidence in him and his team.

I believe there wont be a slow-down in the tempo of the delivery of the dividend of democracy during the second tenure, the commissioner said.

In his review of the election result, an ally of President Buhari accused Mr. Obiano of intimidation and harassment of opposition officials during the elections.

Osita Okechukwu, an APC leader and head of the Voice of Nigeria, accused Mr. Obiano of not only manipulating INEC and other security agencies against opposition candidates, but also intimidating and harassing them over flimsy excuses.

Mr. Okechukwu, however, said Mr. Obiano was a beneficiary of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to free and fair elections.

Governor Willie Obiano benefited handsomely from President Muhammadu Buharis commitment to free, fair and transparent election. This is a case of democracy convert, who behaved better than old democrats.

Otherwise, he (Buhari) couldnt have allowed Obiano to manipulate INEC and security agencies against his partys candidate, Mr. Okechukwu said.

Despite the governors victory at the polls, Mr. Okechukwu said it was doubtful if Mr. Obiano would cope with the pressures of governing the state for another four years. He said the governor must have emptied the states treasury to fund his electoral victory.

Yes, free and fair elections. But, one does not know how Obiano will cope with governance. As per finance, when he over-bided other candidates? In our local parlance he used all the firewood. It was more or less a cash and carry election, he said.

Mr. Okechukwu alleged that APC officials, including its state chairman, Emeka Ibe, were arrested by security operatives on the eve of the elections over flimsy excuses.

He said many other APC supporters and officials were also harassed and hounded by security agents at the instance of the governor.

The election was less than free and fair. The governor just benefited from Mr. Presidents commitment, he said.
A former Nigerian Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, is dead.

According to the SUN newspaper, a statement from his family said he died at a London clinic on Sunday.

The statement, signed by his brother and the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, said Mr. Ekwueme died at 10:00 pm.

The statement reads in part: Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON.

The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.

The former vice president, who turned 85 in October, reportedly collapsed in his Enugu residence few weeks ago.

He was immediately taken to the Memfys Neurosurgery Hospital, Enugu, where he relapsed and went into a coma.

President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently directed that he be immediately flown abroad for urgent medical treatment.

Mr. Buhari authorised the trip after being briefed on Mr. Ekwuemes condition.

Born October 21, 1932, Mr. Ekweme was the first elected Vice-President of Nigeria.

He served as deputy to former President Sheu Shagari between 1979 and 1983.

WELL-EDUCATED

Mr. Ekwueme was vice president to Shehu Shagari from 1979 to 1983.

The late Second Republic politician was one of the most educated Nigerian political leaders.

He was educated at the Kings College, Lagos and earned a degree in Architecture and City Planning from the University of Washington, as a Fulbright scholarship recipient.

Mr. Ekwueme also took a masters degree in Urban Planning and later obtained a PhD in Architecture from the University of Strathclyde.

Aside his degrees in Architecture, Mr. Ekwueme also obtained degrees in Sociology, History, Philosphy and Law from the University of London. He was also called to the Nigerian Bar.

He was president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects.

JAILED BY BUHARI

Following the coup that ousted the Second Republic administration of Shehu Shagari in December 1983, Mr. Ekwueme was among politicians arrested by the incoming military government of Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr. Ekwueme and other politicians accused of various infringements and corruption were detained at the Kiri-kiri Prison in Lagos.

The family has not announced burial arrangement yet.
Many Nigerians have been reacting to the death of Nigerias former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, with some paying their tributes via social media.

The news of his death was confirmed by his brother and traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Laz Ekwueme.

According to him, Mr. Ekwueme died on Sunday in a London clinic at 10:00 p.m. He was 85 years old.

Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON, he said.

The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday 19th November 2017.

Following a relapse which resulted into a coma at his Enugu residence, PREMIUM TIMES had on November 12 reported how he (Ekwueme) was airlifted abroad for further medical treatment.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in an emotional message on Twitter mourned the passing of Mr. Ekwueme commending his dedication and service to the nation.

Today, I join Ndigbo and the entire nation to mourn the passing of one of Nigerias most illustrious sons, H.E. Dr. Alex Ekwueme, our first elected Vice-President. As we mourn his death, we celebrate his dedication and service to the development of our country, he said.

I will always remember Dr. Alex Ekwueme for his exemplary courage in the face of overwhelming odds  when he stood up to past military regimes, and his dexterity in his personal pursuits as a successful architect, lawyer, businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Saraki added.

A former Minister of Education and Co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls group, Oby Ezewesili also paid her tribute.

Really pained that former Vice President Alex Ekwueme did not make it back home to us and has now gone the way of all flesh. We remember him with fondness for his strides in the Land. May our Gracious God comfort Aunt Beatti, Chidi and all the Ekwueme clan, she said on Twitter.

A Nigerian lawyer, Festus Keyamo, said: It was just about two months ago that I last saw Dr. Alex Ekwueme. He was physically present at the Supreme Court for the induction of the new SANs. Such a fine gentleman. His passage is a big loss to the country as a whole. Deep commiseration to the Ekwueme family.

The South-east Governors Forum and the Igbo socio-political and cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have also mourned the death of Mr. Ekwueme describing it as a great loss to the Igbo nation and the entire country.

The Chairman of the Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, described the death of Mr. Ekwueme as, the end of an era.

Governor Umahi in statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, expressed shock over the death of Mr. Ekwueme. He described the loss as a great one to Ndigbo in particular and Nigeria in general.

He commiserated with the Government of Anambra State and entire Ekwueme family of Oko in Anambra State for the loss and prayed God to grant him eternal rest.

The death of our father and leader, Dr. Ekwueme is so devastating especially now that his fatherly advice is needed most. He was a great Nigerian and great believer in the unity of the country. As his children, we have learnt a lot from his deep political sagacity.

As the Vice President of Nigeria, Ekwueme was a great rallying factor of Igbo socio-political integration. He was a voice of reason and a man who toiled to place Ndigbo at the centre of mainstream politics. Indeed, we have lost a rare gem, a gentleman and a decent politician and academia, the statement said.

The governor disclosed that the South-east zone through the governors would soon draw a programme on how to pay last respects to the fallen statesman.

The President General of Ohanaeze, John Nwodo, in his ramarks said Mr. Ekwueme was an outstanding patriot, whose contributions to the countrys socio-political evolution would be indelible.

Mr. Nwodo, in a statement, said that the country has lost one of the foremost advocates of a restructured federation.

As Vice President, Dr Ekwueme was intellectually forthright, engaging, loyal and outstandingly patriotic. As a politician, he was courageous and original in his ideas. Ndigbo have lost a genius, a father and an intellectual giant.

Read more reactions here:

R. I.P Sir Alex Ekwueme; a life well lived  pic.twitter.com/dxiYsYtV3L  Ndi Kato (@YarKafanchan) November 20, 2017

Waking up to news of the death of Dr. Alex Ekwueme and confirming it from one of his sons is sad. May his gentle soul (cliche but very apt in this instance) rest in peace and may the family find the fortitude to bear the sad loss.#RIPAlexEkwueme  Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) November 20, 2017

He got into the presidency richer and came out poorer. A selfless leader! Dr. Alex Ekwueme, First Vice President of Nigeria. RIP! pic.twitter.com/GokrmRSSxf  Bello Shagari (@Belshagy) November 20, 2017

https://twitter.com/emekamewo/status/932539325224488960

a great leader devoid of tribalism.Dr. Alex ekwueme, may ur soul rest in peace..good leader  Ejekwuprecious (@Ejekwuprecious) November 20, 2017

Deeply saddened by the passing of one of the few leaders of conscience and intergrity.. Dr. Alex Ekwueme, First Vice- President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My prayers and thoughts are with the family and Nation in this dark hour  nwude ebuka (@nwudeebuka) November 20, 2017

So saddened by the death of former VP Dr Alex Ekwueme..He was a quintessential gentle man.May his soul RIP!!  Chidi (@ChidiUkanwoke) November 20, 2017

Passage of a Titan: Chief Alex Ekwueme, multi-discipline academic, politician and first elected Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria passed on last night in a london clinic. He was aged 85 Rest in peace Sir. pic.twitter.com/aeZdSwuieG  Myk (@chukwuezugo) November 20, 2017
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as the face of democracy in Africa.

Mr. Abubakar, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, said Mr. Jonathans democratic ideals were evident in his respect for the will of the people.

Mr. Jonathan turned 60 on Monday. Mr. Abubakar posted a tweet to wish him a happy birthday on Monday morning.

A very happy 60th birthday to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan @GEJonathan, the Face of Democracy in Africa. Your words that your ambition isnt worth the blood of our citizens will stand forever, the tweet read. I wish you continued good health and wisdom.

While gearing up for his re-election bid, Mr. Jonathan told Nigerians in 2014 to eschew political violence, saying his ambition was not worth dying for.

He was also hailed for conceding early defeat during the 2015 election, an act his supporters say saved the country from potential post-election violence.

The two leaders were members of the now-opposition Peoples Democratic Party before Mr. Abubakar decamped in 2013 to then recently-formed APC, after attempts to prevail on Mr. Jonathan not to seek a second term failed.

Mr. Abubakar also led many political bigwigs out of the PDP, a development that significantly affected the partys fortunes and culminated in Mr. Jonathans defeat in 2015.

As 2019 elections draw closer, there are speculations Mr. Abubakar may leave the APC if President Buhari seeks the partys ticket.

Although he has repeatedly shown interest in 2019 run, Mr. Abubakar has been quiet about the platform he plans to pursue his ambition, especially if Mr. Buhari runs as widely feared.

Calls for the former vice-president to return to the PDP have increased of late, with Mr. Jonathan saying last week that the best platform for him to realise his ambition is the PDP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may have wasted yet another opportunity to showcase its readiness for a system which guarantees hitch-free elections in Nigeria as inadequate preparation, failure of equipment, poor staff welfare and poor mobilisation of logistics almost undermined the Anambra gubernatorial election on Saturday.

According to a preliminary report of the election by the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and PREMIUM TIMES, some of these challenges were observed in various parts of the state during the election.

The election set a record as the governorship contest with the highest number of candidates, 37, in Nigerias electoral history. It was eventually won by Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, who won in all the local governments of the state,

The election may also have been an indication of what to expect in the 2018 Ekiti and Osun states elections as well as the 2019 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had in October assured Nigerians that his team had put in place measures to ensure a hitch-free election in Anambra.

The preparation we have put in place for Anambra is simply amazing. We have done all that needs to be done to ensure a successful outing. We have finished printing the voters register in triplicate. One is in colour, two in black and white, Mr. Yakubu said while addressing a session with civil society organisations in Abuja.

However, despite Mr. Yakubus assurances, many anomalies were observed during the elections some of which may have affected the low turnout of the election.

AD-HOC STAFF WELFARE

Elements of irregularities started manifesting on Friday, a day to election, when some ad-hoc staff, already trained for the elections, could not ascertain where they were posted to as their names were missing on the INEC list, the CDD report stated.

Then, on Saturday, the non-provision of welfare packages for members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, key officials of the process, delayed mobilisation of election materials.

Corps members at the Nkpor Registration Area Centre in Idemili North Local Government insisted they be paid their feeding allowance before setting out for the days business, the report stated. Turnout in Idemili North after final collation of results turned out to be 14 per cent; a factor that may have been influenced by the late arrival of the corps members to the polling units.

INEC is statutorily responsible for the payment of allowances of ad-hoc staff participating in the election. It did not complain of non-availability of funds to pay officials in the preparation leading to the exercise.

Arguments over the payment started early Saturday morning with the corps members, designated as presiding officers and assistant presiding officers, dramatically delaying the movement of election materials to polling units.

Again, the corps members were stranded after resolving the issue of allowances as drivers who were supposed to convey them refused to show up.

More worrisome is the issue of non-provision of adequate security raised by some of the corps members.

At the Registration Area Centre, RAC in Otolo Nnewi, corps members expressed reservations about going for the elections without security details attached to them, the report stated.

Their fears were understandable as corps members have been attacked and killed in past elections in other parts of the nation.

CARD READERS MALFUNCTION

For the umpteenth time, electronic verification of voters failed in many parts of the state.

In most of the polling units, the card readers simply failed to capture fingerprints of electorates and INEC ad-hoc staff resorted to the manual mode of checking the voters registration list and use of incidence form for accreditation. This stretched the already allocated time for the process.

At ward 1, polling units 002, 003, 004, all at Saints Primary School Onitsha, voters were delayed for accreditation over failure of the card readers, the report stated.

The same happened at the Bishop Patterson Junior Seminary Mbosi Ward 20, polling unit 004, polling unit 003, Ubuluisiozor ihiala LGA, polling unit 003 St Peters Ogidi and several others.

Meanwhile, Mr. Obiano was also unable to use the card reader at his Eri Primary School, Unit 004, Otuocha 1, Aguleri, polling unit as the machine malfunctioned.

This did not align with promises made by INEC in the build up to the elections.

Speaking before the Senate Committee on INEC in October, INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu, told the lawmakers that INEC has made improvements on the electronic card reader system to ease accreditation in the Anambra election.

For Anambra election, we will deploy the existing card readers in terms of management but in terms of technological enhancement of the card reader, we will make sure that the processes are involved. We are working seriously to improve the card readers not only to make accreditation faster but to also enable us translate results electronically from the polling units, Mr Yakubu had said.

SNATCHING OF BALLOT BOX

There were also cases of ballot box snatching in some polling units across the state. The report highlighted one such case at Idemili Local Government Area. Accreditation and voting was disrupted as two unknown men stormed the Amaugochukwu Hall 1 polling unit.

INEC officials were reported to have fled the scene with ballot papers, fearing for their safety. They later returned to discover that the card reader and ballot boxes had been carted away.

STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE

Meanwhile, agents of different political parties on Saturday openly distributed food and cash gifts at polling booths to sway the support of voters.

The report stated that observers witnessed agents of the ruling APGA, All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, either giving cash or cooked food as gifts to voters.

In some cases, voters simply handed over their voter cards for money.

Some of the examples highlighted in the report include at Illo Abito square, Nsugbe, where the APC gubernatorial aspirant, Tony Nwoye, voted. People received cooked rice as encouragement to vote, the report stated.

Also at the Okija Ward 2, PU009, Umuohi Community Primary School, observers witnessed suspected agents of the PDP, APC, and APGA wooing voters with cash.

Some voters did not even wait to be approached, they demanded enticements before casting their votes for parties. Some of these cases occurred at Nnewi Ichi ward, Polling Unit 003, Polling Unit 008, Umudioka Primary School Awkuzu Ward 2 and some others.

HIGH HANDED SECURITY?

One week to the governorship election in Anambra State, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB threatened voters with death if they came out to vote. They also vowed to disrupt the election.

Resulting from this, the police authorities deployed over 21,000 personnel to the state. The civil defence deployed another 13,000 while the military also deployed personnel and resources to monitor the election.

Although the election was largely peaceful, perhaps due to the large security presence, the report indicates that the heavy deployment may also have contributed to the low 22 per cent turnout in the election.

The army are conducting a thorough stop and search, they even asked people to go back in some cases, I just managed to come out, Ifeanyi Okoro, a voter, was quoted as saying.

A GLIMMER OF 2019?

The authors of the report advised INEC to ensure the issues raised are dealt with before the elections in Ekiti and Osun states next year; and that the processed be perfected before the 2019 election.

Already, some of the candidates who lost in Anambra have, though complained of some of the lapses raised in the report, congratulated Mr. Obiano for his victory.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday pledged his administrations commitment to work with the judiciary in addressing corruption and other national problems.

In his speech at a conference of judges of superior courts, the president highlighted the increased funding of the judiciary in the 2018 budget as a sign of the commitment by his administration.

Read the full speech below.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 2017 ALL NIGERIA JUDGES CONFERENCE OF THE SUPERIOR COURTS, HELD AT ANDREWS OTUTU OBASEKI AUDITORIUM NATIONAL JUDICIAL INSTITUTE, ABUJA ON NOVEMBER 20, 2017.

Protocols:

I am happy to accept your kind invitation to address this assembly of the learned minds and to declare this conference open.

The conference organizers have chosen a very important and apt subject for this years conference namely: Strengthening Judicial Integrity and the Rule of Law. A democratic system such as ours cannot survive or prosper without strict adherence to the Rule of Law.

My lords, distinguished delegates, the prime purpose of any government is to regulate social relations within its territorial jurisdiction. Without the rule of law the government will degenerate into dictatorship or anarchy.

The theme you have chosen this year keys in with our administrations resolve to strengthen the three arms of government to effectively fulfil their constitutional obligations.

For the judiciary, the public expects fairness, impartiality and speed in the administration of justice. Regrettably court cases can drag on for years and years, sometimes decades without resolution. I need only mention land cases in Lagos to illustrate my point.

Furthermore, there are huge backlogs of cases waiting to be dispensed especially at the Appellate levels. Reform of the judiciary should start at eliminating these seemingly endless delays in settling what to the layman are apparently simple cases.

Again, litigants expect that higher courts should endeavour to harmonise their rulings. There are contradictory decisions of superior courts on the same subject matter in cases where facts are substantially the same without a clear attempt in subsequent cases to distinguish the earlier cases. This lack of clarity leads to serious confusion to the lower courts.

The knock-on efforts of these delays and dis-continuities range from loss of confidence in the judicial system to over-crowding of prisons. This is an area Your Lordships should pay close attention to in your efforts at reforming the system.

Last month, I wrote to all state governors urging them to make special visit to prisons in company with state chief judges and release prisoners unnecessarily detained without due process.

My lords, as all of us are aware one of the objectives of this administration is to combat graft and other forms of corruption so endemic in our public life. The executive cannot achieve these objectives alone. We require the close cooperation of other arms of government.

My lords, earlier this year, the judiciary came under investigation. Let me again assure the judicial community, this action taken by the Executive was in no way a prelude to usurping the powers of the National Judicial Council or aimed at intimidating the Judiciary as wrongly portrayed in some sections of the media. Executive and legislative officials were also investigated

I am aware that the majority of judicial officers are learned and incorruptible and day in day out acting in the best spirit of their oath of office.

At the same time, I am quite aware of the problems besetting the Judiciary including under-funding, inadequate personnel and absence of modern technological aids.

Bearing these in mind, this administration increased allocation to the Judiciary from N70 billion to N100 billion in the 2017 Budget. A similar figure has been proposed for 2018.

Mr. Chief Justice, our administrations commitment is to accord the Judiciary its constitutional rights. I therefore commend your recent decision to ask all judges at lower courts to provide you with a comprehensive list of all corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special courts to handle them. I support your action and the public is awaiting the results of this initiative.

My lords, distinguished delegates, it is now my singular honour to formally declare the 2017 Biennial All Nigeria Judges Conference open.

I thank you all for your attention and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to sign a bill that detaches the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a presidency official said Monday.

The proposal has pitted the acting-chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, against Attorney-General Abubakar Malami for months, and Mr. Buhari had largely refrained from making his position known on the matter.

The Senate picked up and passed the bill in July, a few weeks after the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, an international body that monitors money movements to combat terrorism and illicit practices, suspended Nigerias financial intelligence monitoring department.

The suspension was a major blow to the Buhari administrations fundamental aim of combatting corruption, since it effectively deprived the country of needed cooperation from foreign countries, especially the West.

Following its passage in July by the Senate, the bill has proceeded to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers are expected to pass it.

Mr. Malami supports the measure, complaining in a memo to Mr. Buhari that the consequences of Nigerias suspension from the Egmont Group were multi-faceted and far-reaching.

Mr. Magu opposes outright removal of NFIU from the control of EFCC, but supports the setting up a committee to review all extant regulations for improved transparency.

Juliet Ibekaku, an assistant to Mr. Buhari on justice reform, said Mr. Buhari recognises the overarching benefits of an independent NFIU and would act accordingly once the bill gets to his table.

Its a critical legal framework for Nigeria that will demonstrate the independence of the countrys financial intelligence unit, Ms. Ibekaku said at an anti-corruption dialogue in Abuja Monday.

The event, tagged: Conversation on Anti-Graft Campaign, was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development, a civic intervention think-tank based in Abuja.

Ms. Ibekaku said the NFIU was not designed for only the EFCC, saying Mr. Buhari would consider all elements of the bill prior to granting a presidential assent.

Its going to be used by all law enforcement agency and not meant for one agency, Ms. Ibekaku said. The decision to sign it will be based on different factors and not on an individual.

She also echoed the Attorney-General, saying the NFIU as currently constituted was deemed not satisfactory to the international community recently.

Ms. Ibekaku was removed as the head of NFIU late 2013, and there had been speculation that she was responsible for the scathing petition that prompted Egmont Group to suspend Nigeria.

Participants at the anti-corruption forum asked for more transparency from the federal government, noting that the governments avowed war on corruption wont thrive amidst opacity.
Worried by the perceived low quality of basic education in the country, the Nigerian government said it has commenced a national assessment of teaching and learning quality in that sub-sector.

The assessment will hold between November 22 and 24.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Hamid Bobboyi, said this on Monday in Abuja while briefing journalists. He said the exercise was part of the commitment of the current administration to reposition basic education in the country.

He said the poor quality of teachers in basic education in the country is due to poor remuneration of teachers by state governments.

He said the recent incident in Kaduna where a lot of teachers failed simple tests administered to them was a clear indication of the crisis and rot in the basic education sub-sector.

The neglect of basic education over the years is responsible for the crises that have continued to plague the nation including the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, he said.

Boko Haram is an example. Boko Haram emerged out of this particular situation where schooling was a problem, learning was a problem in the North, he said.

Mr. Bobboyi said UBEC is committing N3 billion to resuscitate the rudiments of teaching and learning in Northern Nigeria.

He said the learning assessment last conducted in 2011 adding that the current one would enable the government gauge the state of basic education and proffer solutions.

Mr. Bobboyi said the assessment will enable the tracking of standards of education at the basic schools.

We have to know exactly which state is doing well in basic education and to know where basic education is functioning better. We also want to know why basic education is really having problems and to ensure that responses of intervention agency such as UBEC is tailor made to bring everyone on board, he said.

He said the assessment of learners achievement is crucial to the implementation of the basic education programme.

The exercise exposes learners performance in curricula delivery and impact of intervening variables, the Executive Secretary explained.

He also spoke on the specifics of the intended exercise.

For the primary level, the Local Government Education Authorities in each of the 36 states and the FCT were stratified on the basis of location. Simple random sampling was used to select six LGEAs in the urban and rural locations, he said.

The exercise will involve head teachers and teachers of selected primary 5 and 6 classes. The sample will consist of 216 LGEAs, 1080 primary schools, 1080 head teachers, 2160 teachers and 43,200 pupils.

In the junior secondary school level, 17,280 students and 12,960 parents would participate. 432 principals and 1728 teachers of English, Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology and Social Studies teachers will be selected to participate in the study, Mr. Bobboyi added.

On the sustainability of the assessment, the UBEC boss said Nigeria will maintain international standard of conducting the exercise every 2 years.
A deadly exchange of gunfire involving Nigerian soldiers guarding a storage facility operated by Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum in Port-Harcourt left at least one Army corporal dead last week, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The dead corporal (name witheld as we are not sure his family has been notified), was killed in action when unknown assailants ambushed a military escort vehicle he was riding in with his fellow soldiers on November 17, military sources informed PREMIUM TIMES weekend.

For two days, PREMIUM TIMES made unsuccessful efforts to get official comments from military spokespersons about the development.

Sani Usman, a brigadier-general and spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, did not respond to requests for comments. Calls and messages sent to him were unanswered. John Enenche, a major-general and head of media at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, said he was out of town and had not been informed about the incident.

The victims remains have been moved to a mortuary, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. Based on military guidelines, his family members should have been contacted, although this was not immediately clear as of the time of filing this report Monday afternoon.

The team also recorded a loss of arms and ammunition while repelling the fatal assault, PREMIUM TIMES understands.

The soldiers were attacked around the industrial neighbourhood of Rumuomasi, about six kilometres from Port-Harcourt city centre, while transporting food items to their colleagues who were protecting an oil installation jointly operated by Shell and BP in Abomina.

The number of those responsible for the attacks and their motive was not immediately ascertained.

A spokesperson for Shell Nigeria, Bamidele Odugbesan, and Rivers State police spokesperson, Omoni Nnamdi, did not immediately respond to PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments Monday. Calls and messages to them were unanswered.

The incident is the latest in a string of lethal attacks against Nigerian soldiers around the oil-rich state, which is the economic hub of the Niger-Delta.

In April, the Army said two soldiers were killed by sea bandits who were described as heavily armed.

In May, three military personnel, including an Army major, were killed by suspected pirates in Abonnema, a major Calabari town 60 kilometres south-west of Port Harcourt.

The outcome of investigations launched into the attacks have not been made public by military authorities several months later.
PM assures heightened security

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the government will control violent activities launched against the elections.
Boko Haram insurgents have beheaded six farmers at Dimge plantation in the Mafa Local Government Area of Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the killing is the latest in a string of attacks in the violence-wracked North-east, where more than 20,000 people have been killed in nine years of insurgency.

The killing occurred on Sunday, while the farmers worked on their farms in the plantation, a witness, Jiddah Ahmad, told a NAN correspondent in Jere town, near Maiduguri on Monday.

Mr. Ahmad said the insurgents abducted seven farmers as they worked on their farms and slaughtered six of them in a nearby bush.

Mr. Ahmad, who is a younger brother to one of the slain farmers, said that two of the victims were from Lawanti Gongulon Village in Jere.

According to him, the remaining four are from Masu Community in the Mafa Local Government Area of the state.

My brother was working on the farm together with other farmers. They were accosted by the insurgents when they went to fetch water at a river.

The insurgents shot my brother before beheading him and beheaded another farmer on the same spot while an old farmer was set free, Ahmad said.

A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Usman Muhammad, also told NAN that the insurgents had earlier slaughtered four other farmers at the same plantation.

Mr. Muhammad disclosed that the insurgents came to the farm on motorbikes and attacked the farmers.

He said that the insurgents forced an aged farmer among the abductees to witness the brutal murder of other farmers, telling him to convey the message to families of the victims.

We are currently seeking clearance from the military authorities to enable us to evacuate the corpses for proper burial, he said.

The military and police authorities have yet to make statements on the latest killings.

The military authorities have said that they have degraded Boko Haram but the group has continued to launch attacks on soft targets on a regular basis.

Nigerias North-east has remained the hotbed of the insurgency which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many others.

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The Police Command in Nasarawa State on Monday said it had arrested a Superintendent of Police (name withheld) and four others over alleged vandalism of electrical installation.

The commands Public Relations Officer, Kennedy Idirisu, told journalists in Lafia that the suspects were arrested on November 17 by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad based on intelligence information.

Mr. Idirisu said that the suspects allegedly vandalised a transformer at Obi junction in Obi Local Government Area of the state.

He said items recovered from them included four rolls of cable and tools used in vandalising the transformer.

The spokesperson said that the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department had begun investigation into the matter, while disciplinary procedure against the officer had started.

He said the command was determined to purge the force of bad eggs in line with the Inspector-Generals Policy of zero tolerance for corruption and unprofessional conduct.

In view of this, the case will be diligently investigated and all persons found culpable will be prosecuted, Mr. Idirisu said.

(NAN)
The Police in Lagos on Monday said they arrested four men over the alleged murder of a businessman, Emmanuel Ubah (aka Onwa), in Festac Town.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Imohimi Edgal, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, said that the arrest was made after a family member of the deceased petitioned the police over the murder.

Mr. Edgal said that the Inspector- General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, investigated the case after receiving the petition in August.

The petitioner, a pastor, alleged that on 21 July, at about 8 p.m., he received a phone call that the deceased had been murdered by some gunmen at Festac Town, Lagos and robbed of his three mobile phones.

In the course of investigation, the I-G IRT were deployed to Festac Town/ Iba Estate respectively to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder where all the suspects were arrested.

One berretta pistol with two rounds of live ammunition and one pump action gun were recovered from them.

All suspects will be charged to court soon, Mr. Edgal said. (NAN)
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.




Police intensifies search to nab Chand Maoist cadres; district leader held in Bajhang, Dolpa

Police have intensified search to nab the leaders and cadres of Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist in Bajhang and Dolpa districts after the rise in attacks targeting election candidates across the country.
Adding to its expanding portfolio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Cristal Group has entered into

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Marketing Pro Junction

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-- Adding to its expanding portfolio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Cristal Group has entered into a management agreement with Bayat Company for Hotel Services to operate Bayat Suites by Cristal. The 47-keys property enjoys a superb location in the city of Muhayil in Asir Region that lies in the southwest of the country. Expected to open in December 2017, the fully-furnished serviced apartments will offer guests a choice of two and three-bedroom units equipped with outstanding facilities.Making the announcement, Mr Kamal Fakhoury, CEO of Cristal Group, stated, "We are very excited to expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia and to diversify our portfolio in the Kingdom. We are glad to partner with a reputable organization like Bayat Company for Hotel Services and truly grateful to them for having given us this wonderful opportunity. With its excellent location near Hospital Muhayil Al Ahli on King Abdul Aziz Road, Bayat Suites by Cristal will be well placed to meet the needs of modern travelers who want convenient, fuss-free, affordable accommodation. The hotel will offer its guests everything they need and more when it matters most."Mr Mutasim Al-Rumayh, General Manager of Bayat Company for Hotel Services, said, "Muhayil is growing as a destination pushing the demand for quality accommodations. We believe with its strong track record in the region and in-depth understanding of the needs of local travelers, Cristal Group brings a fresh option for travelers to the town. We look forward to building a fruitful collaboration with the Cristal Group and are confident that Bayat Suites by Cristal, with its fabulous facilities, will be a popular choice among both the travelers and residents of the city."Once ready, Bayat Suites by Cristal will offer guests fully-furnished, self-contained two and three-bedroom apartments equipped with all the necessary facilities and amenities. The spacious units will range between 62 and 121 sqm. in size and are being developed to provide guests all the comforts of a home at a budget-friendly price. Targeting short and long-staying guests, each apartment will feature beds with luxurious pillow top mattress, a fully fitted kitchen, HD TVs, working desks in every room, Wi-Fi, dining table with six chairs, baby crib and bathroom amenities. Some apartments will also offer the facility of a maid room with an attached bathroom. To assist guests will be a reception, concierge desk and lobby cafe.About Cristal GroupThe Cristal Group was established in 2007 to deliver world class hospitality consultancy, technical services, asset management and brand management. Its vision is to be the premier business and leisure hotel operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The company boasts a superb portfolio of hotels and a strong development pipeline.For more information visit www.cristalhospitality.comFor media enquiries:Hina BakhtVice PresidentMPJ (Marketing Pro-Junction)Mob: 050 697 5146h.bakht@mpj-pr.com
Jack Huang, founder and CEO of 51Talk, delivered a keynote speech at the K-12 education section about the landscape of K-12 online English education in China, and what 51Talk has been doing to stay ahead among the ferocious competition.

On this topic, Jack stated that "...the dazzling increase of the K-12 market has pushed China's online education market from era 1.0 to era 2.0".

His opinion is that in era 1.0, the business model of most online education companies can be characterized as scale-oriented, less profitable, and dependent on streaming technologies provided by a third party. Whereas in era 2.0, only the companies with a sustainable business model, upgraded service and self-developed technologies will survive and thrive.

In order to embrace era 2.0, 51Talk has made a series of efforts in curriculum R&D and integrating educational resources from online to offline.

As shown in financial reports of 2017 Q2, the cash revenue generated from K-12 business took up 71.9% of 51Talk's total cash revenue, which represented a 165.2% year-over-year growth. New demands emerge as the market snowballs. One-to-one individual lessons cannot be a one-for-all solution for all young learners, hence a small-sized group class mode in which one teacher teaches four students was launched by 51Talk over a year ago to test the water.

Jack explained that the group class developed by 51Talk is targeted towards young learners aging from 6 to 12 years old. The teachers, students, and lesson timing slots of the group class are fixed.

"The better cost performance of the products is essential to infiltrate second or third-tier cities. The price advantage and upgrade in user experience of our group class will enable us to enhance the product profitability", Jack said.

As for the cooperation with offline educational institutions, Jack stated that 51Talk has collaborated with hundreds of training institutions and private schools. During the speech, Jack for the first time disclosed the "Dual Teacher Lesson", an online-to-offline lesson mode which combines the online video lessons provided by a foreign teacher and offline on-site teaching provided by a Chinese teacher.

"It has enabled a great number of schools in economically disadvantageous areas to have access to online educational resources. 51Talk's mission is to empower more kids with quality foreign teacher resources and systematic curriculum," Jack commented on this project.

In achieving this goal, 51Talk has appointed Michael Farley as Head of North American Operations recently, who served as the Founder and Superintendent of American International School of Utah ("AISU") and led the formation of a strategic partnership between 51Talk and AISU in October 2016.

"51Talk has developed an innovative strategy to address the growing need in second and third-tier cities in China, where they cannot get many quality native English speakers to teach the kids English. Now with 51Talk, kids in any part of the country can enjoy face-to-face online English courses." Michael shared his view on the role of 51Talk in connecting the educational resources abroad with the young learners in China.

Suffice to say, this Uber-style online education is reciprocal for China and the world. "In the U.S., there's a growing interest in China. There are many people who are either former teachers or current teachers, who want to work part-time at home to teach kids in China. 51Talk is one of the first companies to recruit teachers from America, and we position ourselves as the first choice for the prospective teachers."

About 51Talk:

51Talk, or China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE), is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company's mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The company's online and mobile education platforms enable students across China to take live one-on-one interactive English lessons with overseas foreign teachers, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified foreign teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

SOURCE 51Talk
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Acorns, the country's fastest-growing micro-investing app with 2.4 million investment accounts, is now being integrated into the PayPal experience. Beginning today, select U.S. PayPal customers will be able to set up and use Acorns within PayPal, with access for all U.S. users beginning in early 2018.

With more than 218 million active account holders, PayPal is helping consumers take better control of their financial lives to manage and move money. With the new integration, their customers will now have new ways to invest in their future.

"PayPal and Acorns are both committed to helping the up-and-coming achieve their financial potential  together, we see a future where anyone can grow wealth," said Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns. "Our strategic partnership with PayPal, supports our shared mission to deliver next generation financial solutions to our customers."

When consumers log into their PayPal account, they'll be able to link their Acorns account right from the PayPal home screen. Once the accounts are linked, consumers can transfer funds, monitor their investments, make withdrawals and manage their account from the PayPal website and mobile apps. New Acorns customers can easily sign-up for an Acorns account directly from PayPal.

To learn more about Acorns, please visit www.acorns.com.

About Acorns

Acorns is the leading micro investing app in the U.S. It's easy-to-use, mobile-first technology makes it simple for anyone to set aside and invest life's spare money. Acorns allows customers to automatically invest in a low-cost, diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds offered by some of the world's top asset managers (including Vanguard and Blackrock). Customers grow their wealth in one of five portfolios constructed with help from world-renowned Nobel Laureate economist Dr. Harry Markowitz. Acorns smart portfolio algorithms automatically work in the background of life, helping users build wealth naturally, pennies at a time. From Acorns mighty oaks do grow. You can access Acorns simply and easily via the app for iPhone, Android or desktop. Visit Acorns.com for more.

About PayPal

Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal's 218 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit https://www.paypal.com/about. For PayPal financial information, visit https://investor.paypal-corp.com.

SOURCE Acorns

Related Links

http://www.acorns.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Surging demand for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is primarily driven by stringent regulation norms introduced in various countries and intent to safeguard individuals and to reduce the number of road fatalities. ADAS allow a vehicle to monitor near and far fields in every direction and of evolving and improving sensor fusion algorithms that ensure vehicle, driver, passenger's, and pedestrian's safety based on factors such as traffic, weather and other conditions. Rise in demand for modern automobiles equipped with ADAS and increase in awareness towards safety systems is growing the demand for ADAS camera market.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206638

ADAS camera market was valued at a revenue of $XXm in 2016 and is estimated to reach $XXm in 2023 with an anticipated growth at a CAGR of XX% during 2017-2023. The increasing awareness regarding driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety has augmented the integration of ADAS particularly in passenger vehicle across the globe.

Moreover, government authorities have mandated the use of certain ADAS technologies, such as tire pressure-monitoring systems, in North America and Europe. Asian countries, such as Japan, China, and India, are also planning to introduce regulations mandating the use of specific ADAS technologies. These factors are likely to proliferate growth of ADAS market in future.

Geographically, North America dominated the ADAS camera market driven by rise in demand of ADAS in modern automobiles, growing influence of New Car Assessment Program in this region. North America was followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific as second and third largest markets for ADAS camera market. Asia-Pacific is projected to have the fastest growth, owing to rapidly increasing automotive purchase, rise in disposable income and increase in safety concerns amongst population in developing countries like China and India in the region.

Sample Companies Profiled in this Report are:

Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany),

Sony Corporation (Japan),

Continental AG (Germany),

Delphi Automotive LLP (U.K.),

Valeo (France)

10+.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206638

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.

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, hosted its second biennial gala on Wednesday, November 15th at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, raising 2.5 million dollars.

The event came just weeks after two major awards were presented to His Highness the Aga Khan. The United Nations Foundation presented him with the Champion for Global Change Award. He later received the Asia Society's Lifetime Achievement Award - the Society's most esteemed - at the organization's Game Changer Award ceremony. Both awards recognized his decades of work, dedicated to improving the lives of people everywhere.

The gala honored the Aga Khan Foundation's 50 years of innovative programs that improve the quality of life for millions. A member of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world's largest development organizations, AKF partners with communities across Africa and Asia to build better futures together.

This year's theme, "Educate Today for a Brighter Tomorrow," focused on the Foundation's pioneering work in education. A key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty is access to quality education. The Network makes long-term investments, from early childhood programs to universities, that benefit 2 million students annually. Aga Khan Foundation is particularly proud of its longstanding work to educate girls and women in some of the world's poorest and most marginalized communities.

The gala was attended by Prince Amyn Aga Khan and Aleem Walji, CEO of AKF U.S.A., along with 500 supporters. The amount of money raised surpassed the fundraising goal by half a million dollars. The event also raised awareness among leading members of the business, media, political, civil service and academic communities.

Addressing the attendees, Prince Amyn referenced the 50th anniversary of the Aga Khan Foundation by recognizing education, from early childhood to lifelong learning as the foundation of development and a prerequisite for the quality of life of an individual and community. His Highness voiced, "Education and the cultivation of intellect plays an important role in society. Aqil, or intellect, is not something to be cultivated, but an obligation."

Ali Velshi served as emcee and the keynote speaker was Dr. Vartan Gregorian, Ph.D. Tony winner Renee Elise Goldsberry performed "Borrow Mine" and Naznin Khimji and Karim Rehmat co-chaired.

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) partners with communities, nonprofits, businesses, governments and local leaders to make long-term investments, build permanent institutions and cultivate an active civil society. WWW.AKFUSA.ORG.

PHOTO LINK: Patrick McMullan Company

SOURCE Aga Khan Foundation

Related Links

http://www.akfusa.org


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- (RED) and Amazon are teaming-up for (SHOPATHON)RED  a special holiday experience offering people a selection of exclusive (RED) products that raise money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

From November 20th through the end of December, shoppers can choose from more than 150 (RED) products including fashion, cosmetics, kitchen goods, tech and more at Amazon.com/RED or via the Amazon App. On December 1st, World AIDS Day, Amazon will highlight (RED), the Global Fund, and (RED) products to bring awareness to the fight, and throughout the campaign special video content from (RED) celebrity supporters will encourage people to shop (RED) and save lives this holiday season.

Sharing smart ways to shop and give back, stars including Neil Patrick Harris, Tyra Banks, DJ Khaled, Ricardo Kaka, Allison Williams, Javier Munoz, Jay Ellis, and Yvonne Orji highlight their favorite (RED) product picks available on Amazon.com/RED.

As the Official Payment Provider of (SHOPATHON)RED, long-standing (RED) partner Bank of America is making every dollar spent go even further. For every dollar spent on Amazon.com/RED from November 20 until December 31, Bank of America will donate 30 cents  the daily cost of life-saving HIV/AIDS medication in sub-Saharan Africa - up to $1.5 million.

Among the selection of tech products is the brand new (RED) Amazon Echo. Amazon is donating $10 from the sale of each (RED) Echo to the Global Fund. Learn more about the new Amazon (RED) Echo here: www.amazon.com/redecho.

Every (RED) purchase made by shoppers this holiday will have real impact. The life-saving ARV pills, when taken daily, save not only the life of mothers living with HIV; they also prevent the virus being passed to their unborn babies. As well as providing medication, (RED) money to the Global Fund also supports prevention, testing, counseling and care services programs  all key pillars of the fight to end a disease which is preventable and treatable; a disease which needlessly sees an adolescent become infected every two minutes.

Deborah Dugan, CEO, (RED), said: "Our collaboration with Amazon will make the gift of giving more impactful than ever before. I'm so grateful to the incredible team at Amazon who have made our ambitions of turning the holidays '(RED)' a reality. Together with their enormous customer base, Amazon is helping to ensure lifesaving HIV/AIDS services are being delivered to communities most in need."

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE (RED)

Related Links

http://red.org


BEIJING, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambow Education Holding Ltd. ("Ambow"), a leading national provider of educational and career enhancement services in China, today announced its wholly-owned Delaware subsidiary, Ambow BSC Inc., has completed the acquisition of Bay State College, a private college located in Boston, Massachusetts. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Founded in 1946, Bay State College offers career-focused post-secondary education with Associates and Bachelor's programs in Business, Information Technology, Healthcare, Criminal Justice and Fashion.

"We're very excited to announce the acquisition of Bay State College, which is an excellent addition to our career-oriented international education portfolio," commented Dr. Jin Huang, Ambow's President and Chief Executive Officer, "The investment in Bay State College aligns perfectly with our growth strategy and creates tremendous value in our effort to address the rising demand for studying abroad and the pursuit of international career opportunities among Chinese students. With its commitment to delivering high quality career-focused education across popular majors and its culture of excellence with an intense focus on students' academic and career outcomes, Bay State College also resonates well with our mission and educational philosophy. Looking ahead, we will continue to foster our partnership with high-quality US colleges providing students with an efficient and effective passageway to international education and opportunities to develop career paths overseas with professional skills and confidence."

"On behalf of the College's Board of Trustees, we are excited to announce the acquisition of Bay State College by Ambow," said Bay State College's President, Craig F. Pfannenstiehl. "For the Board, the most important value we were looking for in an acquisition partner was a dedication to the ideal that serving students is what comes first. When I met Dr. Jin Huang in July 2016 to discuss ways our organizations could collaborate, I was most impressed with her passion for improving lives through education. Dr. Huang is a renowned entrepreneur, growing Ambow from the ground up, and we are excited to be working with her team at Ambow. Ambow can provide the resources for Bay State to thrive and build upon its already successful 71 year history."

Bay State College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and eligible to participate in federal student aid programs under Title IV of the U.S. Higher Education Act. Bay State College's academic programs are delivered at its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, a branch location in Taunton, Massachusetts and online.

About Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a leading national provider of educational and career enhancement services in China, offering high-quality, individualized services and products. With its extensive network of regional service hubs complemented by a dynamic proprietary learning platform and distributors, Ambow provides its services and products to students in 30 out of the 31 provinces and autonomous regions within China.

Follow us on Twitter: @Ambow_Education

About Bay State College

Bay State College was founded in 1946. Bay State College is a private college whose mission is to prepare students for successful careers and global citizenship through academic rigor and individualized support. Bay State College accomplishes this mission by providing a learning environment where teaching excellence and student services are blended to support the uniqueness of individual students, preparing them to achieve their full potential as ethically and socially aware citizens. For several years, Bay State College was named to the Presidents' Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Bay State College has approximately 800 students enrolled in day, evening and online bachelor's degree programs as well as range of associate's degree and certificate programs. Non-traditional students have the option of earning an online degree or attending evening college courses at Bay State's two locations in Boston and Taunton, MA. Visit baystate.edu for more information.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements 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" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook for the quarter and full year 2017 and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Ambow's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Ambow may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies, expansion plans, the expected growth of the content and application delivery services market, the Company's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with its customers, and the general economic and business conditions in the regions where the Company provides its solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Ambow undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

Tel: +86-10-6206-8104

The Piacente Group | Investor Relations

Tel: +1 212-481-2050 or +86 10-5730-6200

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Ambow Education Holding Ltd.
Built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD; American Song is already 7 weeks ahead of schedule. Immediately after the launch, the ship was positioned in Chesapeake's East Outfitting Basin where it will receive its upper decks and outfitting. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has a long history of designing and building innovative new ships for American Cruise Lines. American Song embodies this tradition and will possess a host of superior technical advancements, revolutionary in the industry.

American Song has 5 decks, accommodates 190 passengers, and has 102 staterooms. The bow of American Song is designed to open, allowing a retractable rotating gangway to extend from the ship's main deck directly to a river bank or dock. The uniqueness of this advanced bow and nimble gangway gives the ship the ability to make "bow landings" wherever needed. This feature will give American Song an array of options for its itineraries unmatched by other ships. The new riverboat also employs a superior propulsion system; 2 Veth Propulsion Z-drives (supplied by Veth of the Netherlands). These 360-degree azimuthing forward and aft propellers give American Song total flexibility for docking and maneuvering. American Song is also equipped with 2 advanced main engines from Caterpillar. These twin, ultra-low-sulfur diesel engines require less fuel and produce lower emissions than other engines currently in use on the market. In all, American Song will be the most technically superior, efficient, and environmentally friendly ship in U.S. river cruising.

The Inaugural season aboard American Song will begin in Fall 2018 on the Mississippi River and will continue on the West Coast in 2019 for American Cruise Lines' magnificent Columbia and Snake River itineraries.

About American Cruise Lines:

American Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the U.S. and the premiere leader in the industry. The Line has become the gold standard for cruising in the U.S. through a focus on ship innovation and a tradition of introducing only brand new ships. With two new vessels being introduced in 2018, the Line will operate 10 ships; the largest modern fleet of small cruise ships, modern riverboats, and authentic paddlewheelers in the country. With over 35 itineraries, the Line cruises along the rivers, as well as the coastal and inland waterways of the U.S. including New England, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Mississippi River system, and the Southeast.

For reservations or to learn more about the 2018-2019 season on American Song

please visit: AmericanCruiseLines.com or call 1-800-814-6880.

Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/americancruiselines

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/American_Cruise.

Media Contact: Alexa Paolella

Public Relations Manager

Tel: (203) 453-6800 x363

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Cruise Lines

Related Links

http://www.americancruiselines.com


PM directs security agencies to ensure security for polls

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the security officials to provide full security to the people in view of upcoming elections.
CHANTILLY, Va., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Koniag Inc's Arlluk Technology Solutions, LLC has been awarded a contract to provide Records, eDiscovery & Risk Management Enterprise Technology services to the Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The award is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $19M over five years.

As a component of the Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT), the Records, eDiscovery, and Risk Management (RERM) group is in an important phase of developing and delivering the eDiscovery services modernization initiative. The RERM solution requires full information technology (IT) lifecycle support across the portfolio. "The RERM program is a critical component of FDA's ability to support legal eDiscovery processes throughout all component organizations," says Gene Zapfel, Arlluk's President. "Arlluk is proud to support this mission critical service with a professional team of eDiscovery business and technology experts that are focused on further enhancement and operation of the solution." Arlluk is providing management, technical, Agile Software Development, operations, eDiscovery business and technical services, customer onboarding, training, implementation, and other Development, Modernization, and Enhancement (DME) services.

Arlluk is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, Inc. an Alaskan Native Corporation. Arlluk provides Software Development, Cloud Solutions, Digital Design, and other IT Services to Federal, State and Local Governments.

About Koniag Government Services

Koniag Government Services (KGS) companies have supported Federal, State and Local customers for more than 20 years. Professional services include Application Development, Healthcare IT, Telecommunications, Network Management, Enterprise Infrastructure Support, Cyber Security, Physical Security, Cultural Resource Services, Program Management and Management Consulting. KGS supports clients in more than a dozen locations across the United States as well as in more than 30 worldwide sites. We have built a reputation for consistent performance and forging long-term partnerships with our clients.

For more information, please visit www.koniaggss.com.

Media Contact:

MaryAnn Hoadley

Koniag Government Services

703-488-9303

[email protected]

SOURCE Arlluk Technology Solutions, LLC
The three-day biennial show considered as Southeast Asia's largest industry platforms, features five power-packed engineering events under one roof -- TENAGA -- Southeast Asia's Premier Power & Electrical Industry Expo & Forum; REVAC -- Southeast Asia's Premier Refrigeration, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning Expo & Forum; GREEN ENERGY -- Southeast Asia's Premier Green Energy Expo & Forum; ASEAN SOLAR -- Southeast Asia's Premier Solar Energy Expo & Forum and ASEAN LIFT -- Southeast Asia's Premier Lift & Escalators Technology Expo & Forum.

According to Mr M Gandhi, Managing Director of UBM Asia (ASEAN Business), "the event is 80% confirmed by the industry players with displays filling up almost the entire exhibition halls of KLCC. There is an overwhelming interest from both international and local exhibitors."

The event is set to welcome more than 15,000 trade professionals, decision makers, potential buyers and partners from 50 countries. During the three-day exhibition, ASEAN M&E 2018 will also feature more than 40 seminar sessions and technology symposiums where industry experts will present and discuss the latest market updates and technologies of each sector.

The organiser is also delighted to announce the co-located conference with IEM and Women Engineers. The 2nd International Conference of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET 2018) with the theme "Global Outlook of Women in Science, Engineering & Technology". The WiSET 2018 is open for submitting papers now.

The ASEAN M&E event is endorsed by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and supported by Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA), Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, Malaysia Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Association (MACRA), Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA).

Kindly visit www.aseanmne.com for more information.

About UBM Asia -- the show organiser (www.ubm.com)

We Create Business For You

Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organiser and with a track record spanning over 30 years. UBM Asia operates in 21 market sectors with 160 dynamic face-to-face exhibitions, 75 high-level professional conferences, 28 targeted trade publications, 18 round-the-clock vertical portals and virtual event services for over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world. We provide a non-stop diversified global service for high-value business matching, quality market news and online trading networks.

UBM Asia has extensive office networks in China, Southeast Asia and India, three of the world's fastest growing B2B events markets. In ASEAN, UBM Asia operates from its offices in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines with over 50 events in this region.

SOURCE UBM Asia (Malaysia)

Related Links

http://www.ubm.com


IRVING, Texas and NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avista Capital Partners ("Avista"), a leading private equity firm, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Miraca Life Sciences ("MLS" or the "Company") from Miraca Holdings Inc.

MLS is one of the largest independent anatomic pathology labs in the United States. The Company provides subspecialty anatomic pathology services in the fields of gastroenterology, dermatology, hematology, breast health, and urology. MLS has established a leading reputation among clinicians by creating an innovative, best-in-class practice that results in improved patient care. MLS's skilled pathologists currently serve over 3,000 physicians and 5,500 patients each day, leveraging the Company's state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure and rigorous quality assurance practices.

In connection with the closing of the acquisition, Scott Walton has been appointed CEO of MLS. Mr. Walton most recently served as President & CEO of Ameritox, a leader in pain medication monitoring. Mr. Walton has more than two decades of experience as a founder and executive of health care businesses, and more than thirteen years of experience in the lab services industry.

David Burgstahler, President and Co-Managing Partner of Avista Capital Partners, said, "We are excited to welcome MLS to our healthcare portfolio. We look forward to collaborating with Scott Walton, a seasoned industry executive in the lab services industry, to drive the Company's next phase of growth."

"I am honored to lead such an outstanding organization, and excited to start working with my new colleagues at MLS," said Mr. Walton. "In partnership with Avista, I look forward to building on MLS's extraordinary commitment to excellence, and positioning the Company for continued growth and expansion of our market leading services."

Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Avista. Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal counsel to Miraca Holdings Inc.

About Scott Walton

Mr. Walton is the former President & CEO of Ameritox, a leading pain medication monitoring company. Prior to joining Ameritox as its CEO, he was an Executive Vice President with Laboratory Corporation of America, where he ran the company's Esoteric Business Unit and was a member of LabCorp's five-person Executive Committee. He also previously served as LabCorp's head of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development, as well as the company's Chief Information Officer.

About Miraca Life Sciences

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Miraca Life Sciences provides the highest quality anatomic pathology services, primarily in the fields of gastroenterology, dermatology, hematology, breast health and urology. The Company's team of nearly 90 distinguished expert subspecialists utilizes state-of-the-art pathology laboratories to serve more than 5,500 patients every day. Miraca Life Sciences continuously improves diagnostic accuracy through consensus-based terminology and criteria, rigorous quality assurance, daily consensus conferences, extensive educational and training activities and close relationships with clinical partners. For more information, visit www.MiracaLifeSciences.com.

About Avista Capital Partners

Headquartered in New York, Avista Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm with approximately $5 billion under management. Founded in 2005, Avista makes middle market control buyout investments in the healthcare sector and is currently investing out of its fourth fund. Through its team of seasoned investment professionals and industry experts, Avista seeks to partner with exceptional management teams to invest in and add value to well-positioned businesses. For more information, please visit www.avistacap.com.

About Miraca Holdings Inc.

With group net sales of JPY204.2 billion (FYE 3/2017), Miraca Holdings, a Japan-based holding company in the healthcare sector, is engaged in the following three business segments: (1) clinical laboratory testing, (2) development, manufacture, and commercialization of in vitro diagnostics, and (3) other healthcare related businesses, which are conducted by its subsidiaries and affiliates including SRL, Inc. ("SRL"), Japan's largest commercial laboratory and Fujirebio Inc., a leading supplier of in vitro diagnostics in Japan. SRL offers comprehensive clinical laboratory testing services to medical institutes throughout the nation, ranging from general testing to esoteric testing.

Contacts:

For Avista:

Daniel Yunger and Kathleen Pierre

Kekst

212-521-4800

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Avista Capital Partners

Related Links

http://www.avistacap.com


WELLESLEY, Mass., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College Entrepreneurship Division Chair Andrew Corbett has been named the Paul T. Babson Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies.

The Professorship honors the memory of Babson College founder Roger Babson's cousin, Paul Babson, who was a graduate of the University of Nebraska, lived in Boston, and was a trustee and loyal benefactor of the College.

This Babson Professor is expected to provide intellectual and conceptual leadership for developing entrepreneurial studies at Babson, while administering the Entrepreneurship Division's teaching, course development, and related research programs.

Andrew Corbett joined Babson's faculty in 2011 from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was promoted to full professor in 2015, and has excelled as Entrepreneurship Division Chair ever since.

Most recently, Corbett was recognized as part of a global study of entrepreneurship research as one of the Top 25 Entrepreneurship Researchers in the World. With this honor, Babson College was also proud to be ranked No. 7 among academic institutions worldwide, above Harvard, Stanford, Syracuse, and more, for the impact of its entrepreneurship research as a whole.

This year, Babson has released the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Global Report, GEM Special Report on Senior Entrepreneurship, GEM Women's Report, and just this month published the GEM U.S. Reportannouncing that more than 25 million entrepreneurs are starting or running new businesses nationwide.

Andrew Corbett

In addition to his multiple roles at Babson College, Andrew Corbett is an editor for the Journal of Business Venturing, and co-editor of the Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence, and Growth book series. Corbett also holds an appointment as a Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at Nord University Business School in Bod, Norway.

Corbett's primary areas of research are corporate entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial learning and cognition, and entrepreneurship education. More specifically, his research examines behavioral aspects of the entrepreneurial process and the role of individuals within strategic renewal and innovations efforts within organizations.

As an educator, Corbett primarily focuses on graduate courses but he has taught across the entire curriculum. In addition to teaching feasibility, business planning, and marketing for entrepreneurs, his extensive, practical experience finds him consulting and teaching to corporate clients across the globe. Corbett also assists with strategic direction and the mentoring of young entrepreneurs in Babson's John E. and Alice L. Butler Launchpad.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

Media Contacts:

Michael Chmura

Public Relations Director

[email protected]

Phone: 781-239-4549

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE Babson College

Related Links

http://www.babson.edu


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The analytical research study on "Bath Salts Market (Product Type - Epsom Salt, Dead Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt, Bolivian Salt, Dendritic Salt, Other Product Types; Distribution Channel - Modern Trade, Drug Stores, Convenience Stores, E-Commerce, Other Distribution Channels; Application - Bath Care, Aromatherapy, Therapeutic, Home Care, Fertilizer, Other Applications; Grade- Fine, Medium, Coarse) - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2022" by Transparency Market Research supports the reader by assisting him in planning and assembling key growth strategies with a view to maintain the correct rhythm along the changing dynamics of the bath salts market in the present timeline as well as few years down the line.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207184







Weighted Analysis Delivered



The research report on global bath salts market gives a weighted analysis on the changing market scenario by studying different trends, opportunities, drivers and challenges that have an impact on the growth of the global market. These facets are studied across important regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Latin America and Middle East and Africa (MEA). It delivers in-depth analysis with insights and recommendations with an unbiased view. This gives a realistic market scenario to the reader with the help of which he can direct his internal research and marketing teams to glean conclusions and execute key strategies based on the informed decisions. The global bath salts market has been segmented in such a way that the reader can identify key revenue pockets in the aforementioned regions. Strong data mining followed by deep diving in all market segments along with forecast projections enables the reader to get a glimpse of the future market scenario with which present steps can be decided accordingly.



Transparency Market Research Uses an Exquisite Research Process



Research methodology used in Transparency Market Research to gather statistical data is a robust, unique and a much effective research process. This process starts with a vast secondary research with the help of which vital facts of the market are studied. Based on this research, a clear market understanding is obtained and different market segments are identified. The primary research includes telephonic or face to face interview with various market players, market observers, domain experts and opinion leaders. This process ensures maximum accuracy as it includes a series of validation and evaluation funnels throughout the research process. The data gleaned through secondary research and each primary interview is cross verified in the next interview. This removes errors in data estimation and enhances the accuracy level of each data point of every segment. This research process is essential as every data point that the report presents reflects the credibility of the research study.



Knowing Your Competition



The research study includes a comprehensive chapter on competitive analysis. This chapter focuses on various key companies participating in the global bath salts market. Their aspects such as company overview, key personnel, strategies, developments, innovations, SWOT analysis, product portfolio and financials are studied and presented in a systematic format. This supports the reader in achieving a complete market intelligence on bath salts with a global perspective to assist him gain competitive advantage in the coming years.



The market research study on global bath salts is a complete package of high level insights, key recommendations, and analysis on various market segments and their scenario in different regions in the globe. To give you a feel and flavor of the research report, it entails all essentials and facts in an efficient and orderly fashion making the research report on global bath salts a vital and user friendly study.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207184



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.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beam Suntory, the world's third-largest premium spirits company, has donated $100,000 to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities that they've worked so hard to protect. Since 2008, the world leader in bourbon has supported Operation Homefront, raising its total cash and in-kind contribution to more than $3.4 million. The funds will support Holiday Meals for Military, a program providing more than 8,400 family meals across the country this holiday season, run by Operation Homefront.

The Holiday Meals for Military program dates back to Thanksgiving 2009 at a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Fort Drum. A soldier, there with his wife and infant, had a handful of groceries they could not afford. A Beam Suntory employee in line behind them intervened and picked up the $12 cost, but was inspired to do much more.

"The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for military service men and women and we are proud to support those who defend our freedoms and their families, who are truly our nation's silent heroes," said Beam Suntory Chairman and CEO Matt Shattock. "It's been incredibly inspiring to see this program grow from that first donation to the distribution of thousands of meal kits today."

"The holiday season can be a very challenging time of the year for military families  particularly those who are on a very tight budget," said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront. "Our highly valued Holiday Meals for Military program has provided meals to more than 300,000 military family members over the past several years and I am proud to say Beam Suntory has been a driving force behind our important work. We are grateful to an amazing Beam team for all they do to help us help these deserving families thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect."

Beam Suntory employees are also volunteering to help pack meal kits across the country. Since Holiday Meals for Military's inception, Beam Suntory employees have volunteered thousands of hours to help pack and distribute family meals.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Hornitos and Sauza tequila, EFFEN and Pinnacle vodka, Sipsmith gin, and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

About Operation Homefront

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrivenot simply struggle to get byin the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

 2017 Beam Suntory Inc.

Merchandise Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60654

SOURCE Beam Suntory

Related Links

http://www.beamsuntory.com


"Speaking on behalf of our entire Bloomberg Government team, we're honored to be a 2017 recipient of the Business Partner of the Year Award," said Donald Thomas, vice president and general manager, Government Contracting, at Bloomberg Government. "This recognition reflects our commitment to delivering a premium, subscription-based service for business development professionals working in the complex federal marketplace."

The Chamber's Business Awards Dinner, held Nov. 9 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, honors the most influential business and government leaders in the region and celebrates innovation, achievement and commitment to the community. The 2017 Business Partner of the Year Award demonstrates Bloomberg Government's dedication to providing the information and tools government contractors need to partner, win and support federal government agencies on mission-critical work.

For more information and insights on Bloomberg Government and our government contracting tools and information, visit bgov.com/government-contracting/.

About Bloomberg Government

Delivering news, analytics and data-driven decision tools, Bloomberg Government's digital workspace gives an intelligent edge to government affairs, federal and contracting professionals influencing government action. For more information or a demo, visit www.bgov.com.

SOURCE Bloomberg Government

Related Links

http://about.bgov.com


IRVING, Texas, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, announced today that David D. Halbert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and David Spetzler, M.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., President and Chief Scientific Officer, will present at the 29th Annual Piper Jaffray Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 3:10 p.m. EST in New York, NY. Company leadership will discuss its two proprietary, precision medicine technology platforms, ADAPT Biotargeting System and Caris Molecular Intelligence, in addition to taking questions from the audience.

About Caris Life Sciences 

Caris Life Sciences is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation, and the world's leading immunotherapy diagnostic expert. Caris Molecular Intelligence, the company's Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Plus (CGP+) molecular testing service, assesses DNA, RNA and proteins, including microsatellite instability (MSI), total mutational load (TML) and PD-L1, to reveal a molecular blueprint to guide more precise and personalized treatment decisions. The ADAPT Biotargeting System, the company's revolutionary and unbiased profiling platform, is currently being utilized for drug target identification, therapeutic discovery and development, fixed tissue-based companion diagnostics, blood-based cancer screening and biomarker identification. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout the U.S., Europe and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com.

Media Inquiries:

The Ruth Group

Kirsten Thomas / Joanna Zimmerman

Tel: +1-508-280-6592 / +1-646-536-7006

[email protected]

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences

Related Links

http://www.carislifesciences.com


HONG KONG, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Cord Blood Corporation (NYSE: CO) ("CCBC" or the "Company"), China's leading provider of cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing and stem cell storage services, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter and first half of fiscal year 2018 ended September 30, 2017.

Second Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Highlights

Revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased by 27.4% to RMB234.6 million ( $35.3 million ) from RMB184.1 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. New subscribers and accumulated subscriber base were 23,647 and 620,680 1 , respectively.

, respectively. Gross profit increased by 30.2% to RMB188.9 million ( $28.4 million ) from RMB145.1 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. Gross margin increased to 80.5% from 78.8% in the prior year period.

Operating income increased by 39.4% to RMB76.3 million ( $11.5 million ) from RMB54.7 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. Operating income before depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses was RMB108.7 million ( $16.3 million ), up 31.2% from RMB82.9 million in the prior year period. 2

( ), up 31.2% from in the prior year period. Net income attributable to the Company's shareholders improved to RMB67.6 million ( $10.2 million ) from RMB16.6 million in the prior year period as no interest expense was recorded during this quarter.

( ) from in the prior year period as no interest expense was recorded during this quarter. Net cash provided by operating activities for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased to RMB215.3 million ( $32.4 million ) from RMB136.3 million in the prior year period.

First Half of Fiscal 2018 Highlights

Revenues for the first half of fiscal 2018 increased by 28.5% to RMB458.8 million ( $69.0 million ) from RMB357.1 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. New subscriber sign-ups reached 46,170, and accumulated subscriber base expanded to 620,680 1.

Gross profit increased by 31.3% to RMB368.4 million ( $55.4 million ) from RMB280.6 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. Operating income increased by 49.0% to RMB159.3 million ( $23.9 million ) from RMB106.9 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. Operating income before depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses increased to RMB201.0 million ( $30.2 million ), or 23.6% year-over-year, from RMB162.6 million in the prior year period. 2

( ), or 23.6% year-over-year, from in the prior year period. Net income attributable to the Company's shareholders increased materially to RMB136.7 million ( $20.6 million ) from RMB32.4 million in the prior year period.

( ) from in the prior year period. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of fiscal 2018 increased significantly to RMB441.7 million ( $66.4 million ) from RMB267.3 million in the prior year period.

"We are pleased with our growth in the second quarter, highlighted by the number of new subscribers reaching 23,647, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the tactics we adopted to fine-tune front line sales and nurture our markets. As the Guangdong division continues to display strong growth momentum, the Zhejiang market continues to ramp up and the Beijing market maintains a steady pace of growth, we are prudently optimistic about this year's prospect," said Ms. Ting Zheng, Chief Executive Officer of China Cord Blood Corporation. "While keeping our focus on the organic growth of our core business, we will also actively explore potential investment opportunities to build multiple revenue sources and boost profit growth as new challenges emerge to maintain our position as the industry leader."

Summary -- Second Quarter and First Half Ended September 30, 2016 and 2017









Three Months Ended September 30,

Six Months Ended September30,



2016

2017

2016

2017 (in thousands)

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

























Revenues

184,140

234,572

35,257

357,092

458,794

68,958 Gross Profit

145,052

188,928

28,397

280,571

368,368

55,366 Operating Income3

54,744

76,328

11,472

106,879

159,289

23,942 Interest Expense

(29,801)

-

-

(58,634)

(3,257)

(490) Net Income Attributable to

the Company's

Shareholders

16,641

67,595

10,160

32,363

136,730

20,551 Earnings per Share

-- Basic and Diluted4

(RMB/US$)

0.22

0.60

0.09

0.44

1.22

0.18 Revenues Breakdown (%)























Processing Fees

62.5%

65.7%





62.2%

65.6%



Storage Fees

37.5%

34.3%





37.8%

34.4%





























New Subscribers (persons)

18,037

23,647





34,674

46,170



Total Accumulated

Subscribers (persons)

536,877

620,6801





536,877

620,6801





Summary -- Selected Cash Flow Statement Items









Three Months Ended September 30,



Six Months Ended September 30,



2016

2017

2016

2017 (in thousands)

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

























Net cash provided by operating activities

136,277

215,293

32,359

267,291

441,710

66,390 Net cash used in investing activities

(5,151)

(11,354)

(1,706)

(84,280)

(22,017)

(3,309) Net cash used in financing activities

(60,000)

-

-

(60,000)

-

-

Second Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Financial Results

REVENUES. Revenues increased by 27.4% to RMB234.6 million ($35.3 million) in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 from RMB184.1 million in the prior year period. The increase was mainly driven by the strong growth in new subscribers and the Company's enlarged total subscriber base.

Revenues generated from processing fees and other services in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased by 33.9% to RMB154.1 million ($23.2 million) from RMB115.1 million in the prior year period. 23,647 new subscriber sign-ups were recorded during the reporting quarter compared to 18,037 new subscribers in the prior year period. Revenues generated from processing fees accounted for 65.7% of total revenues compared to 62.5% in the prior year period.

Revenues generated from storage fees increased by 16.7% to RMB80.5 million ($12.1 million) in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 from RMB69.0 million in the prior year period. The accumulated subscriber base as of September 30, 2017 was 620,6801. Storage fee revenues accounted for 34.3% of total revenues compared to 37.5% in the prior year period.

GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased to RMB188.9 million ($28.4 million), a 30.2% increase from RMB145.1 million in the prior year period. Benefiting from economies of scale, gross margin was 80.5%, up from 78.8% in the prior year period.

OPERATING INCOME. Operating income increased by 39.4% to RMB76.3 million ($11.5 million). The increase in sales and marketing expenses was reduced by slower growth in general and administrative expenses which resulted in operating margin expansion from 29.7% to 32.5%. Depreciation and amortization expenses for the quarter amounted to RMB12.4 million ($1.9 million), similar to the same period last year. Share-based compensation expense for the second quarter amounted to RMB20.1 million ($3.0 million) as compared to RMB15.5 million in the prior year period. Various sales and marketing expenses, excluding sales and marketing related share-based compensation expense, experienced an increase from the prior year period. As a result, operating income before depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expense grew at a flatter pace of 31.2% to RMB108.7 million ($16.3 million).2

Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses was RMB3.7 million ($0.6 million) in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 compared to RMB2.4 million in the prior year period.

Sales and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses amounted to RMB56.2 million ($8.4 million), as compared to RMB39.6 million in the prior year period. During the quarter, the Company continued to motivate its front line sales forces by stepping up performance incentives while escalating marketing and promotion activities. As a result, staff costs and promotion expenses continued to rise. However, sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues were kept in check at 23.9%, which was similar to the fiscal year 2017 full-year average.

General and Administrative Expenses. During the reporting quarter, the Company continued to closely monitor its general and administrative expenses. As a result, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues declined from 26.2% during the same quarter last year to 22.5% in the reporting quarter. In nominal value, general and administrative expenses increased from RMB48.3 million in the same period last year to RMB52.8 million ($7.9 million), and the increase was mainly driven by an increase in share-based compensation expense.

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY'S SHAREHOLDERS. As a result of an increase in operating income and the absence of interest expense, income before income tax for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased significantly to RMB83.2 million ($12.5 million) from RMB29.9 million in the prior year period. Income tax expense for the second quarter was RMB14.5 million ($2.2 million) compared to RMB12.6 million in the prior year period. Net income attributable to the Company's shareholders for the second quarter increased to RMB67.6 million ($10.2 million) from RMB16.6 million in the prior year period. Net margin for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 improved materially to 28.8% from 9.0% in the prior year period.

EARNINGS PER SHARE. Basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 improved to RMB0.60 ($0.09)4 from RMB0.22 in the prior year period.

LIQUIDITY. As of September 30, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB3,927.3 million ($590.3 million) with aggregate current and non-current deferred revenues amounting to RMB2,103.4 million ($316.1 million). Net cash provided by operating activities for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased to RMB215.3 million ($32.4 million) from RMB136.3 million in the prior year period, when an interest payment was made to the Company's convertible note holder.

First Half of Fiscal 2018 Financial Results

For the first half of fiscal year 2018, total revenues increased by 28.5% to RMB458.8 million ($69.0 million) from RMB357.1 million in the prior year period. The increase was largely attributable to an increase in the Company's processing fees revenues from new subscribers. Revenues from processing fees and storage fees grew by 35.6% and 16.8%, respectively. Gross profit increased by 31.3% to RMB368.4 million ($55.4 million) from RMB280.6 million in the prior year period. Operating income increased significantly by 49.0% to RMB159.3 million ($23.9 million) from RMB106.9 million in the prior year period. Operating income before depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses totaled RMB201.0 million ($30.2 million), up 23.6% from RMB162.6 million in the prior year period.2 Net income attributable to the Company's shareholders improved to RMB136.7 million ($20.6 million) from RMB32.4 million in the prior year period. Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to ordinary shares increased materially to RMB1.22 ($0.18) from RMB0.44 in the prior year period. Net cash provided by operating activities in the first half of fiscal 2018 increased to RMB441.7 million ($66.4 million) from RMB267.3 million in the prior year period.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 to discuss its financial performance and give a brief overview of the Company's recent developments, followed by a question and answer session. Interested parties can access the audio webcast through the Company's IR website at http://ir.chinacordbloodcorp.com. A replay of the webcast will be accessible two hours after the conference call and available for three weeks at the same URL above. Listeners can also access the call by dialing 1-720-452-9217 or 1-800-289-0438 for US callers, or +852-3008-1527 for Hong Kong callers, access code: 1974053.

1 During the three months and six months ended September 30, 2017, 23,647 and 46,170 new subscribers were recruited, respectively. The Company reclassified 142 and 530 private cord blood units as donated cord blood units during the three months and six months ended September 30, 2017 after the Company determined that the recoverability of these prior private cord blood banking subscribers was low. Therefore, the Company terminated their subscription services according to the subscription contracts and these units are being treated as if they were donated cord blood units and will be part of the Company's non-current inventories. Hence, the net accumulated subscriber base was 620,680 as of September 30, 2017.

2 See exhibit 3 of this press release for a reconciliation of operating income to exclude the non-cash items related to the depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses to the comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP").

3 The reported operating income for the three months and six months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017included the following: (i)



Depreciation and amortization expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017 were RMB12.6 million and RMB12.4 million ($1.9 million). Depreciation and amortization expenses for the six months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017 were RMB25.1 million and RMB25.1 million ($3.8 million); and (ii)







As of September 30, 2017, a total of 7,300,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") were issued and outstanding under the Company's RSU scheme, subject to certain performance conditions. Share-based compensation expenses related to this RSU scheme were RMB15.5 million and RMB20.1 million ($3.0 million) for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017. Share-based compensation expenses related to this RSU scheme were RMB30.6 million and RMB16.6 million ($2.5 million) for the six months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017.

4 Out of 7,300,000 RSUs issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2017, 7,080,000 ordinary shares ("Shares") were issued and deposited into a trust sponsored and funded by the Company ("Trust"), and will be transferred to respective executives, directors and key employees (or their designated nominees) under the Company's RSU scheme when the performance conditions are met. The Trust facilitates the granting (and subsequent vesting) of incentive RSUs and holds such Shares for the benefit of such executives, directors and key employees as a class. Taking into account of such Shares, in addition to 113,524,742 outstanding shares (73,003,248 outstanding shares for the three and six months ended September 30, 2016), basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share would be RMB0.20 and RMB0.56 ($0.08) for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017, basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share would be RMB0.40 and RMB1.15 ($0.17) for the six months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

GAAP results for the three months and six months ended September 30, 2017 include non-cash items related to the depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses. To supplement the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented on a U.S. GAAP basis, the Company has provided adjusted financial information excluding the impact of these items in this press release. The non-GAAP financial measure represents non-GAAP operating income. Such adjustment is a departure of U.S. GAAP; however, the Company's management believes that these adjusted measures provide investors with a better understanding of how the results relate to the Company's historical performance. Also, management uses non-GAAP operating income as a measurement tool for evaluating actual operating performance compared to budget and prior periods. These adjusted measures should not be considered an alternative to operating income, or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These measures are not necessarily comparable to a similarly titled measure of another company. A reconciliation of the adjustments to U.S. GAAP results appears in exhibit 3 accompanying this press release. This additional adjusted information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for U.S. GAAP financials. The adjusted financial information that the Company provides also may differ from the adjusted information provided by other companies.

About China Cord Blood Corporation

China Cord Blood Corporation is the first and largest umbilical cord blood banking operator in China in terms of geographical coverage and the only cord blood banking operator with multiple licenses. Under current PRC government regulations, only one licensed cord blood banking operator is permitted to operate in each licensed region and no new licenses will be granted before 2020 in addition to the seven licenses authorized as of today. China Cord Blood Corporation provides cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.chinacordbloodcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial performance. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "anticipates", "believes", "expects", "can", "continue", "could", "estimates", "intends", "may", "plans", "potential", "predict", "should" or "will" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions, uncertainties and other factors may cause the Company's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The information in this press release is not intended to project future performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company does not guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The Company expectations are as of the date this press release is issued, and the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date this press release is issued to conform these statements to actual results, unless required by law.

The forward-looking statements included in this press release are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company's businesses and business environments. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual results of the Company's operations may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors some of which include, among other things: continued compliance with government regulations regarding cord blood banking in the People's Republic of China, or PRC and any other jurisdiction in which the Company conducts its operations; changing legislation or regulatory environments (including the relaxation of China's one child policy) in the PRC and any other jurisdiction in which the Company conducts its operations; the acceptance by subscribers of the Company's different pricing and payment options and reaction to the introduction of the Company's premium-quality pricing strategy; demographic trends in the regions of the PRC in which the Company is the exclusive licensed cord blood banking operator; labor and personnel relations; the existence of a significant shareholder able to influence and direct the corporate policies of the Company; credit risks affecting the Company's revenue and profitability; changes in the healthcare industry, including those which may result in the use of stem cell therapies becoming redundant or obsolete; the Company's ability to effectively manage its growth, including maintaining effective controls and procedures and attracting and retaining key management and personnel; changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles; the availability of capital resources, including in the form of capital markets financing opportunities, in light of industry developments affecting issuers that have pursued a "reverse merger" with an operating company based in China, as well as general economic conditions; the proposed transactions between an affiliate of Golden Meditech Holdings Limited and Nanjing Ying Peng Hui Kang Medical Industry Investment Partnership (limited partnership); and other relevant risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States.

This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars as of and for the periods ending September 30, 2017 were made at the noon buying rate of RMB6.6533 to $1.00 on September 29, 2017 in the City of New York for cable transfers in Renminbi per U.S. dollar as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. China Cord Blood Corporation makes no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this press release could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, at any particular rate or at all.

For more information, please contact:

China Cord Blood Corporation

Investor Relations Department

Tel: (+852) 3605-8180

Email: [email protected]

ICR, Inc.

William Zima

Tel: (+86) 10-6583-7511

U.S. Tel: (646) 405-5185

Email: [email protected]

EXHIBIT 1

CHINA CORD BLOOD CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

As of March 31 and September 30, 2017





March 31,

September 30,



2017

2017



RMB

RMB

US$







(in thousands except share data)





ASSETS











Current assets











Cash and cash equivalents 3,510,264

3,927,280

590,276

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts











(March 31, 2017: RMB46,858; September 30, 2017:











RMB56,829 (US$8,541)) 112,533

111,697

16,789

Inventories 30,987

38,756

5,825

Prepayments and other receivables - Third parties 17,524

22,576

3,394

Prepayments and other receivables - Related parties -

2,284

343

Total current assets 3,671,308

4,102,593

616,627

Property, plant and equipment, net 551,434

541,612

81,405

Non-current deposits - Third parties 237,487

236,903

35,607

Non-current deposits - Related party -

8,500

1,278

Non-current accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful











accounts (March 31, 2017: RMB70,744; September 30,











2017: RMB68,696 (US$10,325)) 135,148

123,421

18,550

Inventories 68,775

69,843

10,497

Intangible assets, net 106,686

104,376

15,688

Available-for-sale equity securities 200,790

163,038

24,505

Other investment 189,129

189,129

28,426

Deferred tax assets 22,155

25,772

3,874

Total assets 5,182,912

5,565,187

836,457















LIABILITIES











Current liabilities











Convertible note, net 1,031,154

-

-

Accounts payable 11,060

13,125

1,973

Accrued expenses and other payables 65,162

92,238

13,864

Deferred revenue 323,690

374,912

56,350

Amount due to a related party 4,679

10,428

1,567

Income tax payable 11,383

13,294

1,998

Total current liabilities 1,447,128

503,997

75,752

Non-current deferred revenue 1,569,579

1,728,471

259,792

Other non-current liabilities 302,233

330,455

49,668

Deferred tax liabilities 21,423

20,985

3,154

Total liabilities 3,340,363

2,583,908

388,366











EQUITY











Shareholders' equity of China Cord Blood











Corporation











Ordinary shares











- US$0.0001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized,











73,140,147 shares issued and 73,003,248 shares











outstanding as of March 31, 2017 and 113,661,641











shares issued and 113,524,742 shares outstanding











as of September 30, 2017 50

78

12

Additional paid-in capital 936,417

1,987,057

298,657

Treasury stock, at cost (March 31 and September 30,











2017: 136,899 shares, respectively) (2,815)

(2,815)

(423)

Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) 24,428

(26,166)

(3,933)

Retained earnings 879,775

1,016,505

152,783

Total equity attributable to China Cord Blood











Corporation 1,837,855

2,974,659

447,096

Non-controlling interests 4,694

6,620

995

Total equity 1,842,549

2,981,279

448,091

Total liabilities and equity 5,182,912

5,565,187

836,457



CHINA CORD BLOOD CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the Three Months and Six Months Ended September 30, 2016 and 2017

















Three months ended September 30,

Six months ended September 30,





2016

2017

2016

2017





RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$





(in thousands except per share data)





























Revenues

184,140

234,572

35,257

357,092

458,794

68,958

Direct costs

(39,088)

(45,644)

(6,860)

(76,521)

(90,426)

(13,592)

Gross profit

145,052

188,928

28,397

280,571

368,368

55,366

Operating expenses

























Research and development

(2,377)

(3,664)

(551)

(4,326)

(6,343)

(953)

Sales and marketing

(39,642)

(56,152)

(8,440)

(77,834)

(99,602)

(14,970)

General and administrative

(48,289)

(52,784)

(7,934)

(91,532)

(103,134)

(15,501)

Total operating expenses

(90,308)

(112,600)

(16,925)

(173,692)

(209,079)

(31,424)

Operating income

54,744

76,328

11,472

106,879

159,289

23,942

Other (expenses)/income, net

























Interest income

4,438

5,790

870

8,715

10,617

1,596

Interest expense

(29,801)

-

-

(58,634)

(3,257)

(490)

Foreign currency exchange

























(losses)/gains

(15)

110

17

120

111

17

Others

576

993

149

728

2,142

322

Total other (expenses)/income,

























net

(24,802)

6,893

1,036

(49,071)

9,613

1,445

Income before income tax

29,942

83,221

12,508

57,808

168,902

25,387

Income tax expense

(12,639)

(14,525)

(2,183)

(24,315)

(30,246)

(4,547)

Net income

17,303

68,696

10,325

33,493

138,656

20,840

Net income attributable to

























non-controlling interests

(662)

(1,101)

(165)

(1,130)

(1,926)

(289)

Net income attributable to

























China Cord Blood Corporation's

























shareholders

16,641

67,595

10,160

32,363

136,730

20,551





























Earnings per share:

























Attributable to ordinary shares

























- Basic

0.22

0.60

0.09

0.44

1.22

0.18

- Diluted

0.22

0.60

0.09

0.44

1.22

0.18









































Other comprehensive losses,

























net of nil income taxes

























- Foreign currency translation

























adjustments

(1,400)

(8,376)

(1,259)

(8,360)

(20,107)

(3,022)

- Unrealized holding losses

























in available-for-sale

























equity securities

(10,507)

(18,562)

(2,790)

(16,977)

(30,487)

(4,582)

Total other comprehensive losses

(11,907)

(26,938)

(4,049)

(25,337)

(50,594)

(7,604)

Comprehensive income

5,396

41,758

6,276

8,156

88,062

13,236





























Comprehensive income attributable to

























non-controlling interests

(662)

(1,101)

(165)

(1,130)

(1,926)

(289)

Comprehensive income

























attributable to China Cord Blood

























Corporation's shareholders

4,734

40,657

6,111

7,026

86,136

12,947



EXHIBIT 3

CHINA CORD BLOOD CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP OPERATING INCOME

For the Three Months and Six Months Ended September 30, 2016 and 2017









Three months ended September 30,



Six months ended September 30,





2016



2017



2016



2017





RMB



RMB



US$



RMB



RMB



US$





(in thousands)

GAAP amount of operating



































income

54,744



76,328



11,472



106,879



159,289



23,942

Depreciation and



































amortization expenses5

12,563



12,354



1,857



25,147



25,106



3,773

Share-based compensation



































expense6

15,546



20,060



3,015



30,605



16,622



2,498

Non-GAAP operating



































income

82,853



108,742



16,344



162,631



201,017



30,213



5 Depreciation and amortization expenses relate to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets respectively. 6 Share-based compensation expense relates to the Company's RSU scheme in which 7,300,000 RSUs were issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2017.

SOURCE China Cord Blood Corporation

Related Links

http://www.chinacordbloodcorp.com


The joint institute was established at ZJU's Haining International Campus. As a new model of transnational education, the institute will provide a world-class engineering education by introducing top curricula and resources from UIUC, complemented with equally significant contributions from ZJU. Located in the Hangzhou Bay, a core area of the Yangtze River Delta region, the International Campus covers a land area of approximately 80 hectares, which also hosts the ZJU-Imperial Joint Lab for Applied Data Science and the ZJU-UoE (University of Edinburgh) Institute, etc. With ambitious planning of the Chinese government to build up the Hangzhou Bay area into an engine for economic innovation, or a Chinese version of San Francisco Bay Area, intense amount of attention has been drawn to this new ZJU campus.

"The construction of the International Campus is another important achievement of the internationalization drive of Zhejiang University," said Professor SONG Yonghua, executive vice president of ZJU and founding dean of the International Campus. After many years of internationalized school-running practice, ZJU developed a "4S Global Strategy" in 2013 that is distinctive and effective, namely "strategic", "substantial", "sustainable" and "service-oriented". "Based on the new norm of China, '4S Global Strategy' establishes the theoretical and practical framework for the internationalization of ZJU, while drawing upon all good practices of current world-class universities." SONG said.



ZJU is just one of China's top universities that are striding toward internationalization. In recent years, with the implementation of the national strategies of "rejuvenating the country through science and education" and "strengthening the country with talents", China's higher education has shown a new pattern of opening up and development, and is heading toward the center stage of global higher education with the latest government support through "Double First-Class Initiative".



China is exporting a larger number of students for overseas study, while more and more foreigners are seeking tertiary education in Chinese institutions, which has led to a higher level of internationalization in human resources development. In 2016, the number of Chinese students studying abroad reached 545,000, covering around 180 countries and regions, and China has become the world's largest exporter of foreign students. In the same year, over 443,000 foreign students were studying in China, making China the first destination in Asia. In addition, China is showing a strong "magnetic effect" for overseas talents, witnessing the largest tide of Chinese students returning home after studying abroad since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. By the end of 2016, the total number of returned students in China had exceeded 2.65 million.



Founded in 1897, ZJU is one of the earliest modern academies of higher learning founded by the Chinese themselves. After 120 years of development, it has become one of the top universities in China. According to the data released by Essential Science Indicator (ESI), as of November 2017, ZJU ranked among the top 1% in 18 disciplines and was listed in the top 50 of the world's academic institutions in 5 disciplines, registering the best performance among mainland Chinese peers.



With more and more cooperation between Chinese and foreign universities, China is pooling its education resources with international partners. By the end of 2016, China had established educational cooperative and exchange relations with 188 countries and regions, carried out educational collaboration and exchanges with 46 international organizations, and signed agreements with 47 countries and regions on mutual recognition of academic degrees. There are 2,480 Sino-foreign cooperatively-run education institutions and projects approved by the Ministry of Education of China.



As of September 2017, ZJU has established different forms of cooperation with more than 170 universities or educational institutions in 34 countries on five continents. In 2016, more than 4,800 ZJU students participated in international exchange and over 3,400 international degree students were attracted to its campuses.



Commenting on the internationalization of Chinese universities, Professor Krein said that against the backdrop of globalization, mankind is faced with more and more common challenges; meanwhile, globalization also provides unprecedented opportunities for cooperation in higher education. Through inter-cultural and cross-regional cooperation, students will have more chances to develop their ability to research and innovate, become creative talents leading the future, and better serve economic growth and social progress.

Image Attachments Links:

http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=301208





SOURCE Zhejiang University (ZJU)
Pvt sector extends condolences to Dahal family

The countrys private sector has expressed deep sadness over the sudden demise of Prakash Dahal, the only son of former Prime Minister and Chief of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda).
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Small Business League (ASBL) has won release of most of the 2013 Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation small business subcontracting plan (plan) filed with the Department of Defense (DOD), after a four year Freedom of Information Act battle. Most of the plan was released November 10, following the Justice Department's October 12 notification to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco that it would no longer defend DOD-Sikorsky's efforts to withhold the information.

Jonathan W. Cuneo, partner at Washington, DC based Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP, and ASBL's attorney, explained: "Plaintiff's discovery that the trade secrets defense is seemingly unsupportable raises the question as to whether the defendants acted in good faith. I believe somebody is lying. Apparently, either the government knew all along that trade secrets were not at risk or the government was misled by Sikorsky. Why was this costly, lengthy litigation even necessary?"

"The most significant revelation in this case is that we've exposed the fact the Pentagon and its prime contractors have shortchanged small businesses and small businesses owned by women, minorities and service disabled veterans out of hundreds of billions in subcontracts," said ASBL President Lloyd Chapman

The Sikorsky plan was filed with DOD under the controversial Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program (CSPTP), which is supposed to build new opportunities for small businesses.

"The Pentagon issued a report in November of 2015 that acknowledged the CSPTP had actually cut contracts to small businesses by over 50 percent. The data we have uncovered in this case indicates subcontracts to small businesses have been slashed by as much as 90 percent," Mr. Chapman said.

University of Baltimore Law Professor and government contracting expert Charles Tiefer is not surprised. Professor Tiefer, a former Solicitor and Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives who also served as Commissioner on the congressionally mandated Independent Commission on Wartime Contracting, has called CSP a "sham."

Professor Tiefer, who examined the Sikorsky plan, focused on the company's socio-economic subcategories within the target small business community: "Sikorsky admitted lowering many of its goals for women-owned, veterans-owned and similar subcontractor categories. For example, it admitted its veterans-owned goal 'is lower' and fell below even 1 percent, down to 0.9 percent, a pittance."

With its principal office in Washington, DC, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP represents clients in a range of civil justice and legislative matters including civil and human rights, antitrust, consumer protection, product liability and securities and intellectual property.

SOURCE Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP
ELKHART, Ind., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DexKo Global Inc., a global leader in highly engineered trailer running gear, chassis assemblies and related components is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Dexter, has agreed to acquire Henderson Wheel & Trailer Supply Inc., based out of Salt Lake City, UT. Henderson is a manufacturer of sprung and torsion axles and fenders as well as distributor of axles, trailer components and fenders.

"The addition of the Henderson product and manufacturing facilities, will complement the already extensive portfolio of products under Dexter while strengthening our presence in the Western U.S.," stated Fred Bentley, CEO of DexKo Global. Bentley added, "We are now continuing with our DexKo 2020 plan. Our new owner, KPS, is providing full support to add highly engineered and high growth products to our globally leading running gear product offering."

"This is an excellent opportunity to better serve all our customers with the addition of west-coast manufacturing capabilities," adds Adam Dexter, President and CEO of Dexter. "Our focus will be to further enhance our commitment to the core Dexter principles of safety, quality, and customer service that have been the foundation of our success for over 50 years. By concentrating on these areas, we are confident that the addition of Henderson will bring value to all our mutual customers."

"At Henderson, we are very proud of the legacy we have built since 1919. As a family run business, we are thrilled with the opportunity to continue growing our business while joining an even larger family," said John Henderson, President of Henderson. "I am confident that uniting with Dexter, the industry leader, will be beneficial for both our customers and employees."

DexKo Global is a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, LP ("KPS"). KPS is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of investment funds with approximately $5.2 billion of assets under management.

Please send inquiries to:

2900 Industrial Parkway East Stacey K Miller, Brand & Communications Manager Elkhart, Indiana 46515 [email protected] Phone: 574.295.7888 Phone: 574.296.7228 Fax: 574.296.7368



Dexter has been a leading manufacturer of trailer axles and trailer brakes for over 50 years for the utility trailer, recreation vehicle, heavy duty, manufactured housing, agricultural, marine, and specialty trailer markets. Dexter products are American made in highly automated manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, California, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Ontario, and Alberta. Since 1960, OEMs have installed more than 50 million Dexter axles with the assurance that they are providing a quality product that will enhance the safe operation of their trailers. Dexter Axle is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Dexter is a wholly owned subsidiary of DexKo Global, Inc. For more information visit www.dexteraxle.com .

KPS is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of investment funds with approximately $5.2 billion of assets under management. For over two decades, the Partners of KPS have worked exclusively to realize significant capital appreciation by making controlling equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries, including basic materials, branded consumer, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and general manufacturing. KPS creates value for its investors by working constructively with talented management teams to make businesses better, and generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness and profitability of its portfolio companies, rather than primarily relying on financial leverage. The KPS Funds' Portfolio Companies have aggregate annual revenues of over $6.6 billion, operate 162 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries, and employ approximately 49,000 associates, directly and through joint ventures worldwide. The KPS investment strategy and portfolio companies are described in detail at www.kpsfund.com.

SOURCE DexKo Global Inc.

Related Links

http://www.dexteraxle.com


BE'ER SHEVA, Israel, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DiA Imaging Analysis, a medical imaging analysis software company, today announced that it has signed a multi-year, non-exclusive licensing and professional services agreement with GE Healthcare. DiA intends to develop its automated imaging analysis technology to work with GE Healthcare's ultrasound devices.

DiA's automated tools for ultrasound analysis on mobile devices

DiA has marketed its automated imaging analysis technology to deliver immediate, accurate, and reproducible imaging interpretation of ultrasound for point of care settings. These tools utilize advanced, proprietary pattern recognition and sophisticated machine learning algorithms that can dramatically improve monitoring of patient conditions, offering physicians powerful tools to support their decisions.

"We are pleased to partner with DiA Imaging Analysis. GE Healthcare has a long history of bringing innovative solutions to our customers around the world," Rob Walton, general manager of GE Healthcare Primary & Affordable Care commented. "These tools would bring new capabilities to ultrasound at the point of care."

Hila Goldman Aslan, DiA's Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, stated, "We are excited with this collaboration, and look forward to working with a market leader such as GE Healthcare. Our advanced automated tools for point of care echo ultrasound analysis are first to market, and we are planning to soon launch additional automated imaging analysis tools as part of our vision to improve patient care."

Arnon Toussia-Cohen, DiA's Chairman and Vice President of Business Development, added. "To date, we are the only company that offers automated tools for handheld ultrasound devices and we are proud to partner with GE Healthcare to provide immediate information at the point of care."

The Company will be showing its systems at the upcoming Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting in Chicago at the Machine Learning Showcase, booth #8545.

About DiA Imaging Analysis

DiA Imaging Analysis Ltd. is a medical imaging analysis software company providing fully automated, implementable tools that enable quick, objective, and accurate imaging analysis, with an initial focus on echocardiography. The Company's FDA and CE cleared cognitive image processing tools are based on advanced pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms that automatically imitate the way the human eye identifies borders and motion, producing accurate and reliable data for the use of physicians. Headquartered in Israel, the company was founded by Hila Goldman Aslan (CEO), Michal Yaacobi (VP R&D) and Arnon Toussia-Cohen (Chairman & VP BD). For additional information, please visit www.dia-analysis.com

Company Contact:

Tlalit Bussi Tel Tzure

Vice President of Marketing

DiA Imaging Analysis

[email protected]



Media Contact:

Tsipi Haitovsky

Global Media Liaison

DiA Imaging Analysis

[email protected]

SOURCE DiA Imaging Analysis Ltd

Related Links

http://www.dia-analysis.com


BEIJING, Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Finance, a leading FinTech company in China announces to embed a new information section into its signature Fengming Intelligent Information Engine to provide professional-advised financial analysis and trend forecast. By June 2017, over 50 of 600 applied projects and companies have been settled with Phoenix Finance, that 85% of them have achieved the corporate credit rating of AA or AAA, such as CPIC, Sunshine Insurance Group and Evergrande Group.

Driven by the great investment opportunities in China's Internet technology, Phoenix Finance made unprecedented progress to meet the ever increasing demands from global Chinese to wealth management and assets allocation in three major dimensions.

Dimension 1: Deliver Professional Perspective with Merged Information Channels

As a minority group in the U.S., Chinese Americans have limited wealth management options to choose from due to the information asymmetry, mismatch of products and services and high threshold for investment and cumbersome transaction processes in the financial market.

To better serve the local Chinese in the U.S., Phoenix Finance international site in North American is launched to provide latest local assets management resources and more solutions such as US real estate mortgage products to global Chinese investors. In the short future, the U.S. office will also take care of personal investment service to Chinese citizens who live in Southeast Asia. In 2016, Phoenix Finance will enrich European investment options with cooperation with Denmark Saxo Bank Group to balance the global asset allocation options.

Dimension 2: AI-empowered Finance Platform - Generates Intelligent and Personalized Wealth Management Solutions

Fengming Intelligent Information is launched online in September 2017, with AI + Big Data, it broke the dividing crest among news, finance and technology to apply the concept of intelligent finance at user level and officially launched the Phoenix Finance Fengming Intelligent Information to provide clear analytical charts with insights of applicable investment model and practical knowledge to foster objective financial logic with critical thinking empowered by AI algorithms. The intelligent information engine breaks the limits of separated sectional settings of financial news, financial transitions, and financial technology  to offer a one-stop solution to the majority of global Chinese users. The innovative platform design benefits from Peking University-Phoenix Intelligent Finance Lab which was co-funded by New Finance and Venture Capital Research Center of Peking University in 2016.

A series of cutting edge financial technologies has been fully rolled out in the middle and back-end system, covering several modules like channel management, user management, corporate risk control and financial management. "2 years of continually improvements of technical capabilities, Phoenix Finance now offers various financial platforms such as Fengfei Engine, Fengqi System, Fengyu Wanxiang Risk Control (Enterprise Edition), Fengyu Wanxiang Risk Control (Personal Edition) and Fengyan to better meet the entire market's demands." Vince Zhang, the president of Phoenix Finance said, "Phoenix Finance will enrich its wealth management solution with more data driven intelligent investment products as Zhenzhun Intelligent Investment and Chaowei Fund Lab, etc."

Dimension 3: Cooperating with outstanding financial, scientific research and commercial institutions at home and abroad to provide Safe, Efficient and Convenient Financial Services with Cutting-edge R&D Resources and Advancing International Strengths

Phoenix Finance effectively increases the diversity of global quality assets with a newly established cooperation agreement with Saxo Bank. Enhanced investment and transaction abilities rely on the multi-asset transaction technologies of Saxo Bank which allows investors to have more financial products available for transaction. Thus the cooperation enables to synchronously obtain products and information of the two business sectors - global stock market and fixed income from Saxo Bank.

Besides diverse international asset allocation options, Phoenix Finance also provides convenient tools to process and deal with the financial payment. By April 2017, Phoenix Finance reached a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with Bank of Beijing to smoothen the procedure of payment and settlement, e-account services, wealth management and financial service innovation.

"As one of the first members of the National Internet Finance Association of China under the People's Bank of China, Phoenix Finance adopts 'Serving Global Chinese' and 'Internet Financial Technology' as the two core engines of development," Vince Zhang, the President of Phoenix Finance said, "we will continue to adhere to the mission of serving global Chinese and the development strategy of 'one-stop intelligent financial platform' and strive to consummate and expand the financial ecosystem based on our revolutionary technologies that allowing each user to enjoy the 'financial' benefits in the era of science and technology."

About Phoenix Finance

Phoenix Finance, Chinese leading intelligent financial services company that provides AI-driven financial information and asset allocation services. More than 85 percent of clients have achieved the corporate credit rating of AA or AAA, including famous organizations and enterprises such as CPIC, Sunshine Insurance Group and Evergrande Group.

SOURCE Phoenix Finance
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fir Tree Partners ("Fir Tree"), manager of certain funds that together beneficially own, through common stock and warrants, approximately 8.3% of the common stock of SandRidge Energy ("SandRidge"), announced today it strongly opposes the proposed acquisition of Bonanza Creek Energy ("Bonanza"). To support its decision, the firm issued the following statement:

"Put simply, the proposed acquisition of Bonanza makes no economic or strategic sense for the following reasons:

Dilutive and Overpriced Transaction . SandRidge is currently one of the most undervalued E&P companies operating in the United States . The stock is down ~30% YTD and now trades at ~3x 2018 EV/ EBITDA, 0.6x PDP PV-10, $13,000 per flowing barrel and has net cash. The proposed dilutive acquisition will drain SandRidge of its entire cash balance, force a significant draw on its RBL facility and use the issuance of undervalued SandRidge equity to fund the nearly $750 million acquisition. This purchase price implies 5.5x 2018 EV/EBITDA and $47,000 per flowing barrel for Bonanza, which is an unjustified premium to SandRidge's current valuation. The acquisition also represents more than a 75% premium to the $421 million valuation established when Bonanza creditors invested new capital just six months ago.

. SandRidge is currently one of the most undervalued E&P companies operating in . The stock is down ~30% YTD and now trades at ~3x 2018 EV/ EBITDA, 0.6x PDP PV-10, per flowing barrel and has net cash. The proposed dilutive acquisition will drain SandRidge of its entire cash balance, force a significant draw on its RBL facility and use the issuance of undervalued SandRidge equity to fund the nearly acquisition. This purchase price implies 5.5x 2018 EV/EBITDA and per flowing barrel for Bonanza, which is an unjustified premium to SandRidge's current valuation. The acquisition also represents more than a to the valuation established when Bonanza creditors invested new capital just six months ago. Non-Strategic Deal . Until the surprise announcement of this acquisition, management's guidance to shareholders was to protect the balance sheet, reduce operating costs, generate free cash flow and develop its significant remaining inventory in the Northwest Stack and North Park Basin in a disciplined manner. The proposed acquisition would put SandRidge in a fifth and sixth basin with no obvious synergies between any of its assets. We believe Bonanza's DJ Basin assets are Tier II in quality, more than 100 miles from North Park (with different geology), provide no obvious economies of scale benefits and would compete for capital expenditures and the focus of management. We believe the fact that no in-basin competitor emerged to purchase Bonanza speaks volumes about the questionable quality and prospects of the assets.

. Until the surprise announcement of this acquisition, management's guidance to shareholders was to protect the balance sheet, reduce operating costs, generate free cash flow and develop its significant remaining inventory in the Northwest Stack and North Park Basin in a disciplined manner. The proposed acquisition would put SandRidge in a fifth and sixth basin with no obvious synergies between any of its assets. We believe Bonanza's DJ Basin assets are Tier II in quality, more than 100 miles from North Park (with different geology), provide no obvious economies of scale benefits and would compete for capital expenditures and the focus of management. We believe the fact that no in-basin competitor emerged to purchase Bonanza speaks volumes about the questionable quality and prospects of the assets. Empire Building Again. With zero net debt, ~200,000 acres and decades of remaining inventory to exploit, we believe SandRidge is positioned to both return capital to its shareholders and grow production in a disciplined manner. The proposed acquisition represents a complete reversal of management's post-bankruptcy strategy and reminds us of SandRidge's prior history when this same management team acquired disparate assets and added leverage with reckless abandon."

"We believe this proposed acquisition represents a complete about face by management on its post-bankruptcy strategy and would be extremely value destructive to shareholder value. Fir Tree is opposed to the proposed transaction and intends to vote against this nonsensical and overpriced acquisition," said Evan Lederman and David Proman, Managing Directors at Fir Tree Partners.

About Fir Tree Partners

Fir Tree Partners, founded in 1994 and located in New York City (HQ) and Miami, is a value-oriented investment manager that manages private investment funds for endowments, charitable and philanthropic foundations, pension funds and other institutional and private investors.

For More Information Contact:

Scott Tagliarino or Taylor Ingraham

ASC Advisors LLC

(203) 992-1230

SOURCE Fir Tree Partners
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global cybersecurity leader Forcepoint today launched its 2018 Security Predictions Report, with security experts providing guidance on the threats facing organizations in the months to come.

Adding to the constantly shifting environment which security professionals face is a perfect storm of drivers influencing debate around privacy. This mega-trend will cause tectonic shifts in the privacy landscape and influence the ways in which organizations collect and manage data.

Forcepoint 2018 Predictions Report

Forcepoint believes that the security industry has been focusing on the wrong things. Traditional security perimeters are eroding or becoming obsolete, and so, rather than focus on building bigger walls, the industry needs better visibility. Understanding how, when and why people interact with critical data, no matter where it is located, is crucial. Critical data continues to move to the cloud, malware is constantly evolving, and despite growing investments in defensive technologies traditional security controls prove ineffective.

"At the heart of our predictions is a requirement to understand the intersection of people with critical data and intellectual property," said Dr. Richard Ford, Chief Scientist at Forcepoint. "By placing cyber-behavior and intent at the center of security, the industry has a fighting chance of keeping up with the massive rate of change in the threat environment."

"We know that data leakage and ransomware will continue to be the focus for remediation and prevention, but behavior-centric risks are now behind a multitude of security incidents," Ford continued. "People's behavior should not be set in opposition to security: the two are not mutually exclusive. Users have the potential to unintentionally compromise their own systems in one minute and be the source of innovation in the next, but we can only empower users if we truly understand the ways they interact with critical business data."

Eight for 2018

This year Forcepoint has made eight predictions. A preview can be found below:

Privacy Fights Back

Users' perception of privacy has changed in recent years, with a steady erosion of the line between "personal" and "public." There are tensions between individual rights and security for all as legal, technological, societal and political drivers combine to kick off what Forcepoint is calling "The Privacy Wars," pitting technologists against the ordinary person on the street, and splitting opinion in government, at work and at home.

Prediction: 2018 will ignite a broad and polarizing privacy debate, not just within governments, but between ordinary people.

Data Aggregators: a Goldmine Waiting to be Tapped

The Equifax breach rocked the security industry, and the full impact of this breach has not yet played out. Forcepoint believes that this was the first of what will be many breaches on hosted business applications: those that contain information on a sales force, prospects and customers, or those which manage global marketing campaigns. Attackers seek the path of least resistance, and if they can find a weak link in a system which already contains the crown jewels of personal data, they will exploit it.

Prediction: A data aggregator will be breached in 2018 using a known attack method.

The Rise of Cryptocurrency Hacks

As cryptocurrencies grow in importance, including as a method of extracting revenue from cybercrime, Forcepoint predicts that the systems surrounding such currencies will increasingly come under attack. We expect to see an increasing amount of malware targeting user credentials of cryptocurrency exchanges, and that cybercriminals will turn their attention to vulnerabilities in systems relying on blockchain-based technologies.

Prediction: Attackers will target vulnerabilities in systems which implement blockchain technology.

Disruption of Things: It's Going to Happen

The wide scale adoption of IoT devices in consumer and business environments, coupled with these devices often being both easy to access and unmonitored, has made them an attractive target for cybercriminals wishing to hold them ransom or obtain a long-term, persistent presence on the network. While ransomware of these connected things is possible, it remains unlikely in 2018. However, a new threat that will emerge in 2018 is the disruption of things. As the IoT offers access to both disruptive possibilities and massive amounts of critical data, we will see attacks in this area, and may also see the integration of a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

Prediction: IoT is not held to ransom but instead becomes a target for mass disruption

Learn More about All Predictions

Download the Forcepoint 2018 Security Predictions Report to read more about these and four other predictions:

GDPR: Procrastination Now, Panic Later



Cloud Security: Cloud Admin is the New Domain Admin



Encrypted by Default: Implications for All



UEBA: The Next Giant Leap for the Industry

See how Forcepoint did against our 2017 predictions. Our Scorecard gives a grade to each prediction from last year and overall, we got a B.

Join a live webcast to review the 2018 predictions in more detail. Webcasts run on Tuesday, Nov. 21 ( 10:30 a.m. GMT , 11:30 a.m. CET , 4 p.m. IST ) or Thursday, Nov. 30, ( 2 p.m. ET , 1 p.m. CT , 11 a.m. PT ).

About Forcepoint

Forcepoint is transforming cybersecurity by focusing on what matters most: understanding people's intent as they interact with critical data and intellectual property wherever it resides. Our uncompromising systems enable companies to empower employees with unobstructed access to confidential data while protecting intellectual property and simplifying compliance. Based in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint protects the human point for thousands of enterprise and government customers in more than 150 countries. For more about Forcepoint, visit www.Forcepoint.com and follow us on Twitter at @ForcepointSec.

Join Forcepoint on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForcepointLLC/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forcepoint

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/forcepointsec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forcepoint

Media Contact

Liem Nguyen

[email protected]

512-498-8821

SOURCE Forcepoint

Related Links

https://www.forcepoint.com


SEDONA, Ariz., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As many as 5.5 million Americans are living with the memory-robbing and ultimately fatal disease known as Alzheimer's. Adding to the disease's horrific toll is the anxiety relatives often experience by believing that their family history will ensure their future mental decline as well.

Jeanne Dockins

But, according to Jeanne Dockins, R.N., this fear is unfounded. "One may have inherited a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's but there are critical steps to take to prevent this devastating disease from occurring," she says. "And one of those steps is treating and eliminating gum disease, a link with dementia few medical professionals are currently addressing."

Dockins who was in the documentary, "Say Ah, The Cavity in Healthcare Reform," has been a guest on numerous radio talk shows discussing health topics such as breast health and how to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

She can answer such questions as:

* What steps one can take to avoid getting Alzheimer's?

* How strong is the relationship between Alzheimer's and oral health?

* What foods and supplements can help prevent Alzheimer's?

* Should people who consider themselves to be at risk have DNA testing?

* Does she have any suggestions that can be implemented by people who already have been diagnosed?

About Jeanne Dockins

Jeanne Dockins spent more than three decades as a surgical nurse at a level I trauma center where she observed that half of her surgical patients were having surgery with dentist diagnosed active periodontal infections. Through her Mastery of Self-Healing website, she empowers people to take responsibility for their own health and healing and sells nanosilver products that are FDA cleared to kill bacteria and fungus.

Availability: Nationwide by arrangement

Contact: Jeanne Dockins, RN, (419) 960-5460; [email protected]; www.masteryofselfhealing.com

SOURCE Jeanne Dockins
"We've had many franchisees purchase multiple locations over the years and we've seen a few of them sell a successful business in one of our brands only to turn around and start fresh with another, but this is historic business partners purchasing 13 locations across two brands," said Ray Titus , CEO and Founder of United Franchise Group. "We're very excited to have Tim and Stephen as part of our UFG family, and we look forward to working together and seeing their businesses thrive."

Larkins will oversee the Experimac brand. The company specializes in selling certified pre-owned Apple products and offering repair services for these devices. Hyde will manage the Signarama locations. Signarama is the world's largest sign franchise and offers a broad range of services from business signs to wrapped vehicles and more. Three of the locations will serve as satellites and the others will be production hubs.

"As we were looking for a good business opportunity, we noticed a need in the community for the types of services offered by Experimac," said Larkins. "The high-quality products offered through the brand and the ability to offer them at a lower price point is what really drew us in. These aspects will allow us to serve a need and take care of our community."

Based on market need, Larkins and Hyde plan on building locations that are within shared buildings or in close proximity to one another. This will allow them to align local marketing strategies and assist each other with business growth plans.

Currently, South Shreveport and Bossier City Experimac and Signarama locations are now open. These will be followed with openings in North Shreveport, Bossier City and Alexandria, LA as well as Longview, Texarkana and Tyler, TX.

About Signarama 

Signarama, the world's largest sign franchise, offers branding and messaging solutions in addition to comprehensive sign and graphic services to consumers and commercial customers  from business signs, vehicle wraps, and digital signs, to advertising and marketing services. Signarama is part of a successful system of business-to-business franchise brands and development services under the United Franchise Group (UFG). As part of the $49-billion-plus worldwide sign market, Signarama has been at the forefront of the sign industry for more than two decades. Signarama was ranked Number 35 on Entrepreneur Magazine's Top Global Franchises list in 2016. With over 800 locations in 60 countries, the company expects to have more than 1,500 locations worldwide by the end of 2020. For more information, visit www.SignaramaFranchise.com.

About Experimac

Experimac is a unique franchising concept that specializes in the sale of certified pre-owned Apple products. Your Local Experimac can also repair, upgrade or buy your current device, and no appointment is ever necessary. Experimac offers certified pre-owned electronics with a full one year warranty, which takes the risk out of buying pre-owned. Experimac was founded by Jim Muir in 2009, and began franchising as one of United Franchise Group's family of brands in 2014. Today there are more than 100 locations across the US, and Experimac stores can be found in Australia, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, France, Switzerland and Ireland. The brand has seen tremendous growth with no sign of slowing down. For more information visit www.ExperimacFranchise.com.

About United Franchise Group

Led by CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group is home to a variety of internationally recognized brands including Signarama, Fully Promoted, Experimac, Jon Smith Subs, Venture X, SuperGreen Solutions, Transworld Business Advisors and Paramount Tax. With over three decades in the franchising industry and more than 1400 franchisees throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Media Contact:

Ashley Soto

305-631-2283

[email protected]

SOURCE United Franchise Group

Related Links

http://www.unitedfranchisegroup.com


TSXV: GGI

OTC: GGIFF

Frankfurt: RQM

VANCOUVER, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Garibaldi Resources (TSX.V: GGI) (the "Company" or "Garibaldi") is pleased to announce that the latest drill hole (EL-17-14) at the Company's 100%-owned E&L Project at Nickel Mountain near Eskay Creek has intersected an important new discovery zone featuring massive nickel-copper-rich sulphides east of the historic E&L deposit.

Discovery hole EL-17-14, guided by successful earlier holes and Volterra borehole EM technology, entered massive sulphide mineralization at a depth of 123.75 meters and remained in massive sulphides over 16.7 meters (55.1 feet).

Although assays from hole 14 are pending, along with results from nine other holes, of particular potential significance regarding EL-17-14 is that in an earlier drill hole, 7.2% nickel, strong copper grades and a suite of other metals are now confirmed by SGS Canada in massive sulphides at relatively shallow depths in the immediate vicinity of EL-17-14 based on just-received assays from the fourth hole (EL-17-04) of the Nickel Mountain program.

Drilled toward the east into an area untested by 1960's drilling, EL-17-04 cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters (approximate true width) in massive pentlandite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval highlighted by 1.1% nickel.

Discovery Zone Hole 14 Highlights:

EL-17-14, completed to a depth of 252 meters, was collared 200 meters east of the historic main zone and was drilled toward the west with the 16.7-meter massive sulphide section closely approximating true width;

Significantly, the massive sulphide intercept is within the host country rocks;

Structural features have created pathways for massive sulphide concentration in this new discovery area, and the next drill holes will trace these structures to determine the full extent and shape of this zone as Garibaldi continues to expand northwest British Columbia's first nickel sulphide discovery in the heart of a producing high-grade gold Camp.

Nickel Tenor at High End of Estimated Range

Dr. Peter Lightfoot, one of the world's leading nickel sulphide experts and a technical adviser to Garibaldi, commented: "The high nickel grade of the assayed massive sulphide intercept in hole #4, combined with other assays as well as XRF analysis of sulphide mineralization in multiple holes, supports a Nickel Mountain nickel tenor that is at the high end of the estimated range as per Garibaldi's November 10, 2016, news release."

Dr. Lightfoot continued, "In addition, the displacement of massive sulphides into the host rocks, a feature at Noril'sk, is intriguing and speaks to the important process of sulphide concentration into country rocks."

Borehole EM Proof of Concept

Steve Regoci, Garibaldi President and CEO, commented: "We now have proof of concept with the Volterra borehole EM technology which has vectored us toward lenses of massive sulphide mineralization. It's also important to realize that the massive sulphides provide the trail that will lead us into what's expected to be the feeder conduit for Nickel Mountain mineralization. These are exciting times for the Eskay Camp and Garibaldi shareholders, especially at a time of such increased interest in nickel and copper."

Low Pyrrhotite to Nickel Ratio

Drilling completed to date along with early results supports an initial analysis by Dr. Lightfoot that sulphide mineralization at Nickel Mountain has a low pyrrhotite to nickel ratio and contains no significant deleterious elements, meaning the nickel sulphide is potentially of very high quality for processing purposes.

The Nickel Mountain "Magma Highway"

Mineralization at Nickel Mountain remains open in all directions including at depth and exhibits features consistent with a dynamic sulphide system within the Eskay Rift, one with interpreted pipe-like structures and dykes and sheet-like intrusions to serve as pathways and entrapments for high-grade nickel and copper.

Dr. Lightfoot states, "The E&L intrusion is emplaced along a magma highway likely provided by the motion of faults at the margins of the Eskay Rift. This is what also makes the rest of the Nickel Mountain Property so prospective. The exploration effort can expand greatly given the trend of VTEM plates and favorable geology."

Initial Assays Support Broad, Robust Disseminated Halo

Assay results for the first four holes at Nickel Mountain underscore the very well-mineralized disseminated halo of the Nickel Mountain system with increasing grades from EL-17-01 through EL-17-04 and each hole generating credits in palladium, platinum, gold, silver and cobalt to go along with high-grade nickel and copper.

Fourteen holes over 3,671 meters have been completed to date (new photos, maps and an updated presentation will be posted soon at GaribaldiResources.com).

EL-17-04 cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval from 108.4 meters grading 1.1% nickel, 0.69% copper, 0.38 g/t palladium, 0.23 g/t platinum, 0.16 g/t Au, 3.1 g/t Ag and 0.032% cobalt;

cut 7.2% nickel, 3.4% copper, 0.82 g/t palladium, 0.78 g/t platinum, 0.40 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.195% cobalt over 4.8 meters at the bottom of a broader 48.2-meter interval from 108.4 meters grading 1.1% nickel, 0.69% copper, 0.38 g/t palladium, 0.23 g/t platinum, 0.16 g/t Au, 3.1 g/t Ag and 0.032% cobalt; EL-17-04 also intersected a second zone of mineralization within a variable-textured gabbro featuring 1.08% nickel and 0.68% copper over 12 meters starting at a depth of 189 meters;

also intersected a second zone of mineralization within a variable-textured gabbro featuring 1.08% nickel and 0.68% copper over 12 meters starting at a depth of 189 meters; EL-17-03 , cutting across part of the historic northwest zone, intersected 13.5 meters grading 1.05% nickel and 1.0% copper within a broader core interval of 39 meters featuring 0.91% nickel and 0.74% copper beginning at a depth of 42 meters;

, cutting across part of the historic northwest zone, intersected 13.5 meters grading 1.05% nickel and 1.0% copper within a broader core interval of 39 meters featuring 0.91% nickel and 0.74% copper beginning at a depth of 42 meters; EL-17-02 intersected broad core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization between a depth of 58.5 meters and 190.5 meters. Significant intercepts included 18 meters @ 0.69% nickel and 0.80% copper, and 24 meters @ 0.56% nickel and 0.65% copper. The hole was drilled toward the east into a previously untested area. Valuable data was generated from the downhole probe;

intersected broad core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization between a depth of 58.5 meters and 190.5 meters. Significant intercepts included 18 meters @ 0.69% nickel and 0.80% copper, and 24 meters @ 0.56% nickel and 0.65% copper. The hole was drilled toward the east into a previously untested area. Valuable data was generated from the downhole probe; EL-17-01 was drilled away from the historic northwest zone toward the untested east, providing the best platform to collect important data from the downhole probe. Encouragingly, the hole intersected two long core intervals of disseminated sulphide mineralization totaling 176 meters to a depth of 332 meters, highlighted by a 60.5-meter section grading 0.54% nickel and 0.53% copper. Higher grades of copper (0.80%), palladium (1.26 g/t), platinum (0.60 g/t) and gold (0.60 g/t) were intersected over 4.5 meters starting at 279.5 meters within a broad disseminated zone.

Moving Forward at Nickel Mountain

Garibaldi is fully financed to launch an expanded new phase of drilling at Nickel Mountain. Faced with very challenging weather, crews did a remarkable job completing hole 14. As they were preparing to drill EL-17-15 toward another massive sulphide target, a severe winter storm enveloped the area and made conditions unsafe, causing a pause in drilling. The two rigs and other equipment have been winterized at the top of Nickel Mountain and drilling will resume as soon as weather conditions allow.

"With many more drill results to follow, in addition to an interpretation of the very promising multi-kilometer trend of VTEM conductors to the northeast of Nickel Mountain, news flow will be strong over the coming weeks," stated Regoci.

Garibaldi will also be expanding its team to carry out extensive sampling and potential drilling of Anomalies "A", "B" and "C" to the northeast in 2018 (see July 17, 2017 news release). Assays from chip and grab samples collected from weathered material along the periphery of the Anomaly "A" VTEM conductor (the main conductor area at a higher elevation has not yet been sampled) returned very encouraging copper values ranging from anomalous to 2%. While initial sampling (20 chip samples and 30 grab samples) was not a large enough in situ population size to produce a material conclusion by Garibaldi's QP, company geologists are excited about the potential of the VTEM-identified target areas and are continuing a comprehensive review of whole rock geochemistry, petrographics and geophysics with further details as soon as interpretations are finalized.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

All sample batches from Nickel Mountain drilling included 5% QA/QC samples consisting of blanks, standards and duplicates submitted to SGS Canada Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, for base metal, sulphur and precious metal analysis using Inductivity Coupled Plasma (ICP), Fire Assay (FA) and Leco methods. The performance on the blind standards, blanks and duplicates achieved high levels of accuracy and reproducibility. Anomaly "A" chip and grab samples were analyzed by ALS Minerals. Ore grade ICP fusion, fire assay ICP, and four acid decomposition methods were used.

Qualified Person

Mr. Everett F. Makela, P.Geo., Director/VP Exploration Canada for the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Garibaldi

Garibaldi Resources Corp. is an active Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in some of the most prolific mining regions in Mexico and British Columbia.

We seek safe harbor.

GARIBALDI RESOURCES CORP.

Per: "Steve Regoci"

Steve Regoci, President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Garibaldi Resources Corp.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/607622/MIKO__physiotherapeutic_jewellery.jpg )



Designed by Polish design duo, Ewa Dulcet and Martyna Swierczynska, Domestic Design graduates of the School of Form in Poznan, Poland, MIKO+ is a family of seven pieces of jewelry with one additional value - physiotherapeutic function. The project focuses on the wrist, where pain caused by mechanical injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, have created the necessity for those suffering to wear braces or splints. The MIKO+ jewelry pieces are made from gilded pink brass and mineral acrylic composite, all made by using traditional goldsmith techniques. It demonstrates an innovative combination of physiotherapeutic and aesthetic functions, transitioning the objects from medical to lifestyle products.

The Progress Prize is an international award that celebrates the next generation of design and is awarded to one Global Grad Show exhibitor each year. The winning design is selected by a global jury from fields of journalism, design, manufacturing, innovation and investment. The multidisciplinary nature of the jury is intended to reflect the varied assortment of partners necessary to take a project from prototype to market.

For the 2017 Progress Prize, the jury members are:

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum -Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Head of the Jury)

-Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Head of the Jury) Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi - CEO of Dubai Design District (d3)

- CEO of Dubai Design District (d3) Edwin Heathcoate - Architecture and Design critic, The Financial Times

- Architecture and Design critic, The Financial Times Noah Murphy-Reinhertz - NXT Space Sustainability Leader, Nike

- NXT Space Sustainability Leader, Nike Aric Chen - Lead Curator, Design and Architecture, M+ museum

- Lead Curator, Design and Architecture, M+ museum Petra Janssen - Owner and designer, Studio Boot and Social Label

- Owner and designer, Studio Boot and Social Label Hugo Macdonald - Design Critic and Consultant

- Design Critic and Consultant Jessica Bland - Head of Research and Foresight, Dubai Future Foundation

Noah Murphy-Reinhertz, NXT Space Sustainability Leader at Nike says, "It was a real honor to participate in the jury for this show. With such a fantastic range of ideas and designs on display, I spent as much time being inspired as I did critically evaluating the designs. Most compelling was a subtle new approach to sustainability in much of the work, that of shifting the mindset of consumers by elegantly extending the life of products. Whether by transforming old bikes into electric ones, creating children's clothing that grows with them or treating the afflictions of too much computer use with timeless analog jewelry, these designers are shaping my kind of future; one that is more fun than today and also more sustainable."

The following projects were highlighted as honourable mentions:

Nonliving stakeholders, Sungmy Kim - a program that encourages people to view objects as people and considering their experience, designed at Parsons School of Design - The New School, New York.

Folks, Kevin Chiam - a system of kitchen utensils designed to aid the blind, designed at National University of Singapore, Singapore.

The Reagiro, Reto Togni - a manual wheelchair with a novel steering system that allows the user to control the movement of the chair through the upper body rather than through breaking and pushing, designed at Royal College of Art / Imperial College London, London

For more information about Global Grad Show, please visit http://www.globalgradshow.com . Supporters can also keep up to date with the fair on the following social media channels: Instagram, Facebook and via regular newsletters (sign up on website).

@globalgradshow | #GGS2017

@dubaidesignweek | #DXBDW2017

ABOUT DUBAI DESIGN WEEK

Dubai Design Week is one of the world's newest and most ambitious international design events, conceived to shine a spotlight on Dubai as a leading design hub, and share the UAE's thriving design scene with the world at large.

Established in 2015, it is owned and managed by the Art Dubai Group and is held under the dedicated patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

The third edition of Dubai Design Week takes place 13-18 November 2017, in locations across the city. Staged in association with Dubai Design District (d3), which acts as the hub venue, the six-day event will attract designers, architects, educators, thought-leaders, influencers and significant public audiences, through a varied and comprehensive programme of contemporary design.

By engaging and showcasing design talent in Dubai, from across the region and around the world, Dubai Design Week's activity is carefully balanced to support and stimulate Dubai's design economy and to engage the Design Week's diverse audience. With a substantial marketing & communications campaign aimed at audiences locally and beyond, Dubai Design Week's goal is to engage through inspiration, visitor experiences and networking to celebrate the positive impact and potential of design in Dubai and beyond.

Dubai Design Week 2017 is supported by Meraas, who are responsible for a unique portfolio of urban destinations in Dubai and Audi, the long supporter of Dubai Design Week that will announce the second winner of the Audi Innovation Award as part of Dubai Design Week 2017.

From 2018, Design Days Dubai will be moved from March and held during Dubai Design Week under a new format. The dates will be announced in January 2018.

ABOUT GLOBAL GRAD SHOW

Global Grad Show is an exhibition of student works from the world's leading design schools, held each November as part of Dubai Design Week. Since launching in 2015, the show has grown to become the world's largest student gathering. For its third edition, the exhibition is set to include works from 92 universities from 43 countries. The projects presented take many forms. Some are conceptually simple, some technically complex. Many are physical; some are purely virtual. There are products intended for infants and for the elderly, for athletes, office workers, fruit vendors, and families displaced by war. The purpose of Global Grad Show is to bring together, in a single space, highlights from the degree shows of the most innovative technology and design programs in the world. The show's diversity is its greatest attribute. The 200 projects exhibited comprise a kind of collective intelligence, channeled through the various schools and pointed at the most pressing issues of our time: how to increase access to education, food, and shelter; how to encourage exchange and build community; how to reduce waste and generate clean energy.

ABOUT BRENDAN MCGETRICK

Brendan McGetrick is an independent writer, editor, and designer. His work has appeared in publications in over thirty countries, including The New York Times, Wired, The Financial Times, Art Review, Der Spiegel, Domus, and Vogue Nippon. His projects include the books MAD Dinner (Actar), Urban China: Work In Progress (Timezone 8), and Who is Architecture? (Domus/Timezone 8). From 2002-2006, he was head writer at Rem Koolhaas's research studio AMO as well as Koolhaas's personal editor. McGetrick is the editor and author of six books, including Content (Taschen, 2004), MAD Dinner (Actar, 2010), and Urban China: Work In Progress (Timezone 8, 2011). In 2011, he curated Unnamed Design, a component of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, in collaboration with Ai Weiwei. The exhibition received over 200,000 visitors and was named the year's best contemporary design exhibition by the New York Times. In 2014, he co-curated Fair Enough in the Russian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, for which he received a jury prize. In 2017, together with Justin McGuirk, he curated California: Designing Freedom at the Design Museum in London. Since 2015, he has served as director and curator of Global Grad Show.



ABOUT DUBAI DESIGN DISTRICT

Dubai Design District, better known as d3, is a home for the region's growing community of creative thinkers. It plays a key element in Dubai's vision to transform into an innovation-led economy, and it aims to engage, inspire and enable emerging talent, as well as providing a platform to showcase Arab creativity to a larger, global audience. As a dedicated creative destination, d3 answers a growing need for the regional design industry, ensuring that this important sector is able to develop and thrive. It provides businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives from across the design value chain with an ideally located, purpose-built and sustainable ecosystem, which leverages technology to integrate 'smart' solutions throughout the development. d3 is the newest of TECOM Group's vibrant creative communities, with 11 buildings making up the core of the site already delivered and being handed over to tenants. To support its many creative partners, d3 offers individuals and businesses the choice of operating either as a free-zone entity or as an on-shore business, each with its own merits. As d3 evolves so will its facilities, to include everything from cutting-edge workshops and renowned design institutes, to high-end homes, hospitality, retail and office space. Its public spaces will be distinct and characterized by unique street furniture and shaded walkways. By 2018, d3 will feature a one million square foot Creative Community, which will act as the site's cultural epicentre, inspiring emerging designers and artists, and attracting tourists to the area. By 2019, d3 will also boast a bustling, 1.8km esplanade running alongside Dubai Creek where international and design led hotels, a pop-up shop area, and an amphitheatre will all be located. All these elements have been carefully designed to ensure that the creative thinkers using and visiting d3 every day have an energized and culturally rich environment.

http://www.dubaidesigndistrict.com

SOURCE Global Grad Show
Ramechhaps Bethan declared riot zone from Tuesday

Ramechhap administration has decided to declare Bethan area of the district as riot zone from Tuesday in view of possible confrontation as election rallies of left alliance and Nepali Congress are set to coincide.
CLEVELAND, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- North America will post the fastest gains in new housing construction of any global region. The 4% annual growth projected for new housing units in North America through 2021 will be driven by above average household formation in Mexico as well as strong construction activity in the US. The size of an average North American housing unit is forecast to grow to 145 square meters in 2021, making North America's existing floor space the second largest, behind only the Asia/Pacific region, which had nearly six times as many housing units as North America in 2016. For in-depth analysis of these and other trends, see Global Housing Outlook, 7th Edition, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

For more information on the study, see the following link:

https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-housing-outlook-by-housing-type-region-and-country-7th-edition-3540.htm

Surging housing prices and household debt throughout Western Europe may indicate a new housing bubble. Fueling worries, Germany's central bank estimated in early 2017 that the housing market is overvalued by as much as 30%; in 2016, the nation accounted for 19% of the EU's outstanding mortgage value. In Sweden, average housing prices grew 15% between 2015 and 2016, faster than any other EU country, and household debt as a percentage of income reached 350%. To mitigate fears, Denmark and Norway enacted policies to restrict mortgage lending. In Spain, the economic recovery inches forward after years of downturn, as average housing prices increased for the first time in eight years in 2015 and foreclosures fell by over 30% in 2016.

China and India will continue to dominate the global housing market through 2021, representing a combined share of 43% of all new housing units. Growth will be supported by above average gains in residential building construction, particularly in India, where growth is projected to be more than double the global average. Following declines during the 2011-2016 period in China large-scale urbanization projects will promote the rebound of new multifamily housing units.

Related studies include:

About The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com  The Freedonia Group is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985, we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Additional Construction & Building Products studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com, www.marketresearch.com, and www.profound.com.

Press Contact:

Corinne Gangloff

+1 440.684.9600

[email protected]

SOURCE The Freedonia Group

Related Links

http://www.freedoniagroup.com


The CEI rated 947 businesses in this year's national benchmarking survey and report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Grainger joins 609 major U.S. businesses that achieved top marks on the 2018 report.

"It's an honor to be recognized for the fourth straight year by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the work we do around creating an inclusive workplace," said Grainger Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Joseph High. "We are committed to having a culture where all team members feel safe, valued and encouraged to contribute their best thinking, and we will continue to find ways to promote inclusion and diversity as a way to help our team members grow and succeed."

Grainger offers full benefits for same-sex domestic spouses and partners and has global policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Grainger also supports the LGBTQ community through its corporate partnership with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, annual participation in Chicago's Pride Parade and its internal Business Resource Group, the Equality Alliance.

For more information on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

To learn more about a career at Grainger, visit www.experiencedone.com.

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2016 sales of $10.1 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products (MRO), with operations also in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Follow Grainger on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to Grainger's Media Room to receive the latest news.

SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.grainger.com


PRAGUE, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hangzhou Tourism Commission led by deputy director Zhuo Xinning, together with Business Events Hangzhou and several MICE enterprises of Hangzhou attended the 56th ICCA Congress with the aim of promoting Hangzhou's rich convention and exhibition resources.

The 56th ICCA Congress took place at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, on November 12, 2017. The four-day event assembled together more than 1,200 participants from around the world, including leaders and executives from across the MICE community, as well as conference and exhibition organizers and members of the media. The number of participants nearly doubled from last year's event.

The ICCA Congress provides a key venue at which the city of Hangzhou can present what it can offer in terms of conference and exhibition resources to conference organizers from all over the world, enhance the global impact of its MICE brands and put in place channels outside of the home market.

The success of the G20 Summit in 2016 gave Hangzhou a significant opportunity to enhance its competencies in conference and exhibition services while improving the city's infrastructure. The city has demonstrated observable progress towards developing a MICE sector that fully meets the expectations of the MICE community. Following on the G20 Summit's success, Hangzhou will be hosting the 2020 Asian Games, a key happening that can be expected to deliver new opportunities to the city's industry of MICE sector, with the goal of building the city into a world-leading MICE destination.

The annual ICCA event, which the Hangzhou Tourism Commission attends regularly, this year witnessed the launch of the "Hangzhou, Inspiring New Connections" brand promotion and interactive zone, providing a stage on which the advantages of the city's MICE sector could be demonstrated to visitors via brand visibility and on-site face-to-face discussions. Several of industry insiders commented on how the hosting of G20 went a long way in making the world aware of Hangzhou as a MICE destination worthy of consideration. On the back of the G20 Summit, Hangzhou's MICE industry leaders rolled out a program to upgrade and enhance every step of the planning process, from bidding to implementation, for all types of meetings and conventions.

This year, Hangzhou has adopted some additional measures in promoting the "MICE Hangzhou" brand. The roll out by the city government of MICE preferential policies and roadshows held in China as well as abroad, have gone a long way in promoting the city as a MICE destination brand. The vision is to transform the city into one that can stand side by side with world MICE leaders, Hangzhou will continue to explore new MICE products and improve service offerings, allowing the world to re-discover the charm of Hangzhou alongside the value add provided by the MICE sector. The city has made it a key priority to attract large conferences, creating infinite possibilities and comprehensively improving the global influence of its brand.

SOURCE Hangzhou Tourism Commission
"Pat has a proven track record of leading teams to help ensure our members have access to quality care," said Reynolds. "His experience and expertise will help guide Harmony through its upcoming state expansion and beyond."

Burke joined WellCare in April 2015, and until this appointment, he was vice president of network management for its Medicaid plan in Missouri. He has 30 years of healthcare experience with both payers and providers. Before joining WellCare, Burke served as a managed care consultant to hospitals and physician groups, and held leadership roles at Coventry Health Plan in St. Louis and various hospitals in the greater Chicago area.

"I am proud to be able to work with the dedicated and talented leadership team at Harmony to help ensure that our Medicaid and Medicare members in Illinois receive the most appropriate care in the most appropriate settings," said Burke.

Burke holds a Masters of Health Administration from St. Louis University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

As of Sept. 30, 2017, WellCare and Harmony Health Plan serve approximately 192,000 members in Illinois, including 139,000 Medicaid members, 18,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 36,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 4.3 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wellcare.com


DENVER, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- From saving saigas in Mongolia to fighting cancer in dogs, Morris Animal Foundation is tackling the tough health issues facing animals around the world. On #GivingTuesday, November 28, animal lovers can help by making a gift to the Foundation to support its work.

A gift to Morris Animal Foundation funds animal health studies including:

The ongoing impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on dolphins

Pain management in arthritic cats

Saving the Tasmanian devil and saiga antelope from extinction

Helping horses survive colic

New treatments for dogs with fatal cancers

Preventing a fatal disease in cats

And much more

On #GivingTuesday 2016, animal lovers donated $20,000 to Morris Animal Foundation. This year, the goal is $25,000 to help fund studies that will advance animal health. #GivingTuesday gifts also will be matched dollar for dollar by generous donors (up to $217,000) as part of the Foundation's end-of-year giving campaign.

"If you have a pet, your life has been impacted by health studies funded by Morris Animal Foundation," said Dr. John Reddington, President and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. "We work every day to help ensure the animals we all love, in our homes and in the wild, have the healthiest lives possible. But we can't do it without the support of generous donors."

#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The giving day kicks off the holiday giving season and inspires people to collaborate in improving their local, national and global communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support. Make your gift today at Morris Animal Foundation #GivingTuesday.

About Morris Animal Foundation

Established in 1948, Morris Animal Foundation is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of animals through scientific innovation, education and inspiration. Our investment in research has yielded life-saving vaccines, new treatments for critical diseases, superior screening tests, and advanced diagnostic tools. We respond to emerging animal health threats that endanger entire species, and make new discoveries in basic animal biology to support applied research. With every study we fund  more than 2,600 to date  we strive to advance the science of veterinary medicine, honoring the founding principles of Dr. Mark L. Morris Sr. to benefit animals worldwide. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org

SOURCE Morris Animal Foundation

Related Links

http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org


Abby and Erin were born in CHOP's Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit on July 24, 2016, 10 weeks premature and joined at the top of their heads. On Tuesday, June 6, a multidisciplinary team of approximately 30 members successfully completed the separation of the then 10-month-old twins . The surgery, co-led by neurosurgeon Gregory Heuer, MD, PhD , and plastic surgeon Jesse Taylor, MD , lasted about 11 hours. It was the 24th time that surgeons at CHOP have separated a pair of conjoined twins, but the first craniopagus (joined at the head and the least common) pair.

Erin and Abby will require additional surgeries as they mature. Their CHOP team, who has been caring for them since birth, will continue to monitor them as they grow up. The team is optimistic about their progress so far and about their long-term potential. Read more in this update from Oct 22.

"The girls are inspiring," said Heather Delaney, mother to Erin and Abby. "As their parents, it is very neat for Riley and me to have a front-row seat to this and watch them overcome these incredible obstacles. We cannot wait to see what their future holds!"

"The team at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has become like family," added Heather. "Riley and I are so grateful for the care our girls have received here and so excited to take them home just in time for the holidays."

Watch Erin and Abby's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ0Lq6WIaok

About Conjoined Twins:

Doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have separated 24 sets of conjoined twins since 1957, more than any other hospital in the Western Hemisphere. The physicians have also managed the care of many others whose separation was not surgically possible. Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births; most are stillborn. Approximately 75 percent of conjoined twins are female and joined at least partially in the chest and share organs with one another. If they have separate sets of organs, chances for surgery and survival are greater than if they share the same organs. Craniopagus, represented by fusion of the skull, is the least common type of conjoined twins, accounting for 2 percent of cases.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu

MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Moore, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

[email protected] Office: 267-426-6071 or Cell: 215-630-4683

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Related Links

http://www.chop.edu


AUSTIN, Minn., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a multinational marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, today announced a 10 percent increase to the annual dividend to shareholders, marking the 52nd consecutive annual dividend increase.

The annual dividend on the common stock of the corporation was raised to $0.75 per share from $0.68 per share.

The Board of Directors authorized the first quarterly dividend of eighteen and three fourths cents (18.75) a share to be paid on Feb. 15, 2018, to stockholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 15, 2018.

The Feb. 15 payment will be the 358th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by the company. Since becoming a public company in 1928, Hormel Foods Corporation has paid a regular quarterly dividend without interruption.

About Hormel Foods  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenue across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hormel.com


"Wealth management for the young Chinese elite generation will become one of the most promising industries. Clients holding great amounts of wealth tend to be younger, as those born post 1970s and 1980s have become the new elite class with their possession of wealth. Their consumption patterns have been ever changing, as they are increasingly more concerned about asset allocation and satisfaction with multi-function requirements. For this reason, a large enterprise scaling into the billions' will help them accomplish worldwide asset allocation and management," Said Huang Xiaodan, the founder of Uoolu.

Uoolu, as the leading global real estate investment internet platform in Beijing, China, has been committed to online investment in global assets and focused on real properties for the past 2 years since its establishment. Through Uoolu, users can make investments online to acquire properties in 20 countries, including U.S.A., UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore and promising countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, UAE and Philippines. Uoolu has welcomed more than 1,000 property institutions worldwide on its global asset platform Uoolu+, and has created an integrated online cross-border financial service and property trusteeship system, which has renewed customers' experiences and services for overseas asset allocation and enabled consumers to manage their real properties worldwide through Uoolu app.

Uoolu has attracted more than one million monthly active users, with billions in annual turnover, and accumulated a large pool of the next generation young HWNIs (High Net Worth Individuals). In September of 2017, in a single week, Uoolu achieved a trading volume of up to 300 million RMB for cross-border investment in 8 countries.

SOURCE Uoolu.com

Related Links

https://www.uoolu.com/


DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 20, 2017 PRNewswire/ -- Arnold Fu, founder & CEO of Hujiang EdTech ("Hujiang" or "the company"), China's leading online education company, gave the keynote address, entitled "The Revolution In Education" at this year's World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha where he declared that innovative education technology companies are powering a sea change in the way that children are learning and economies are developing around the world. He held up winners of this year's 2017 WISE Awards (the Awards), where he served as the only Chinese juror, as prime examples of this movement.

Speaking to the attendees at WISE, which unites experts across multiple sectors with the aim of inspiring creative solutions to educational challenges, Fu laid out his vision for a world of interconnected companies that can collaborate across borders and cultures to support and benefit from each other, driving change across the globe.

In his speech, Arnold also spoke about his company's "Hu+(Hujia) Project," which aims to redress the imbalance in rural vs. urban education by sharing courses through the Internet and second-hand computers. Using software called CCtalk, kids from rural areas learn lessons that have been "donated" by famous school teachers in big cities. "The Hu+ project acts as a bridge, connecting donors and beneficiaries. In the past two years, the Project has linked more than 2,000 rural schools in China, benefitting over 1 million students," said Arnold Fu.

In addition to his role as a keynote speaker, Mr. Fu served as the only Chinese juror for the 2017 WISE Awards. The BBC referred to the awards as "The Nobel prize for education" - this year's six winners were recognized for projects that provide innovative solutions to urgent education challenges. They included ideas ranging from an engaging education solution promoting science and math literacy through interactive simulations, to a mentorship program that supports education and employment opportunities for young women in rural areas in Africa. A complete list of winners can be found here: http://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-awards

"I'm very honored to have been a member of the jury for the 2017 WISE Awards," said Fu. "I recognize kindred spirits among each of the winners, as they offer innovative approaches to education challenges, make positive impacts on society and have great potential to expand their businesses all around the world.

Fu further said, "Hujiang was created as a non-profit BBS because I saw that many young people were driven to study online due to a lack of educational resources. When I decided to turn it into a start-up, nobody believed that it would work. Because of this, I feel that it is very important that we recognize and support innovators and companies that are driving the revolution in education that is spreading around the world." Now Hujiang has become the largest online education platform in the world, with an audience of over 160 million users that is valued at more than $1.6 billion.

Arnold's speech was greatly appreciated audience. Isaac Otchere, Executive Director of Action on African Women Foundation, expressed his willingness to become a partner of Hujiang in Ghana. He believed that Hujiang's developed online volunteer teaching mode could help to promote equal education in Ghana. "It is amazing that the Hu+ Project is able to find a method to redress the imbalance of rural education," said Chris Macrae, a British businessman, hoping his team could participate in Hujiang's online teaching project to help Chinese students learn English.

About WISE

Founded in 2009, WISE is an international, multi-sectoral platform for creative thinking, debate and purposeful action. WISE has established itself as a global reference in new approaches to education. Through both the biennial Summit and a range of ongoing programs WISE is promoting innovation and building the future of education through collaboration. http://www.wise-qatar.org

About Hujiang EdTech

Founded in 2001 as an online BBS community offering online courses, Hujiang EdTech has grown to become one of China's leading online education companies. Hujiang EdTech makes high-quality education more accessible and enjoyable through mobile apps, online courses, and its interactive online teaching platform. Serving over 160 million users (including 130 million mobile users) in China, Hujiang EdTech offers a wide range of educational programs, including international & domestic examination preparation, foreign language learning, professional skills training, and more.

SOURCE Hujiang EdTech
GRAPEVINE, Texas, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Agile Mind's high school mathematics programs have received top ratings from EdReports.org, an independent nonprofit that delivers evidence-based review of instructional materials. This evaluation ranks Agile Mind's high school programs among those considered best in the nation. With the review of Agile Mind's middle school programs completed earlier this summer, Agile Mind is now the only publisher to receive top marks by EdReports.org for both middle and high school math.

The promise of powerful learning standards can only be realized when teachers and students have access to high quality, aligned materials to support classroom instruction. EdReports.org works with expert educators to offer independent reviews of curricula in three gateways: focus and coherence, rigor and mathematics practices, and usability. Top ranked in all three categories, Agile Mind has been identified as a premier provider of programs that can be used to transform the teaching and learning of mathematics.

"Agile Mind's math programs have been pivotal in transforming the teaching and learning experience in our schools," said Dr. Dianne Kelly, Superintendent of Revere Public Schools. "Since implementing Agile Mind's as our core programs in 2013, we've been able to see a real, measurable difference in the outcomes for our students. The program challenges students in a way that both provides access to rigorous content and encourages academic achievement."

In addition to daily job-embedded support for teachers, Agile Mind's programs provide lessons that emphasize problem solving and critical thinking within real-world contexts, and feature next-generation formative assessments that personalize students' learning experiences. The Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin is the author of their instructional content and professional support resources.

"We are thrilled to meet the expectations of EdReports.org's thorough review process. We seek to offer all students the opportunity to thrive with meaningful academic experiences that meet the rigor of the standards, and that prepare them for success in their future academic and professional pursuits." says Linda Chaput, Agile Mind founder and CEO.

EdReports.org's evaluations of Agile Mind's middle and high school math programs can be accessed here.

About Agile Mind: Agile Mind was founded to enhance one thing: the opportunity to learn. We focus on equity and high achievement in mathematics and science because of their importance to both the lives of students and to the future of our nation. Our missionand our promiseis to provide the programs, tools, and the instructional improvement systems you need to transform student achievement through exemplary, sustainable teaching practices. To date, nearly 4 million students and 35,000 educators have benefited from Agile Mind's programs and services.

About EdReports.org: EdReports.org is an independent nonprofit designed to improve K-12 education. EdReports.org increases the capacity of teachers, administrators, and leaders to seek, identify, and demand the highest-quality instructional materials. Drawing upon expert educators, EdReports.org's evidence-based reviews of instructional materials and support of smart adoption processes will equip teachers with excellent materials nationwide.

SOURCE Agile Mind
Upper Tamakoshi hydro project achieves major milestone

The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project achieved a major milestone on Sunday with the completion of digging of 8.4km headrace tunnel, which channels water diverted from the river to the power house where electricity is generated.
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor, a leading provider of beautiful business applications specialized by industry and built for the cloud, today announced that it will highlight Coleman AI capabilities, utilizing Amazon Lex, at AWS re:Invent 2017, which will take place Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, NV.

Infor will lead and contribute to conference sessions that discuss how Amazon Lex is powering functionality in Coleman AI, which help it act as a digital assistant in the enterprise to boost business productivity. Amazon Lex is a service by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for building conversational interfaces into any application using voice and text.

"Amazon Lex helps us power the ability to execute intelligent skills to perform a quick Q&A with the system expert, conduct self-service analytics, and quickly automate tasks through our Infor OS platform and our Infor Coleman AI platform," said Massimo Capoccia, Infor Senior Vice President of Software Development.

The AWS re:Invent sessions at which Infor will be represented include:

Session: MCL308  Using a Digital Assistant in the Enterprise for Business Productivity

2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 28

Venetian Hotel, Level 5, Palazzo N - 650, T1

Manjunath Ganimasty, Vice President of Software Development at Infor; Rick Rider, Product Director-Technology at Infor; and Harshal Pimpalkhute, Product Manager at Amazon Web Services, Inc., will present "Infor Coleman  Using a Digital Assistant in the Enterprise for Business Productivity," during which they will demonstrate how Infor integrated Amazon Lex into its standard technology stack, with several use cases based on advisory, assistant, and automation roles deeply rooted in its expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy. They will discuss how Amazon Lex has become a pivotal component of Infor's AI strategy, powering one of the major functionalities of Infor Coleman as a digital assistant.

Session: WIN201  EC2 Enterprise Workloads State of the Union: Driving Innovation with AWS Cloud, IoT and AI for your Enterprise Workloads

11:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 30

MGM Grand Hotel, Level 3, Premier Ballroom 319

Sandy Carter, Vice President for Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and Enterprise Workloads at Amazon Web Services, Inc., will note, in her Amazon EC2 "State of the Union" address, how Infor is building more than 250 industry-specific, AI-based skills in Coleman, using the services in the AWS AI stack.

Session: MSC302  How Do I Build a Global Transit Network on AWS?

12:15 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 29

Venetian Hotel, Level 2, Veronese 2405

Session: WIN304  How to Bring Microsoft Apps to AWS to Unlock your Budget

1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30

MGM Hotel, Level 1, Grand Ballroom 111

Infor Coleman AI

Infor Coleman is an AI platform that includes a custom AI skill builder and digital assistant front-end. Coleman is built on industry-specific Infor CloudSuite data, where machine learning models are optimized to advise, automate, or augment work across the software solution. Coleman can assist with critical activities such as automatic execution of time-sensitive tasks, proving expert recommendations or predicting future issues within the organization.

For more information on Infor Coleman AI, click here.

Tweet This:

[email protected] to highlight Coleman #AI capabilities, utilizing @Amazon Lex, @AWSreInvent 2017 in #LasVegas http://bit.ly/2htCn20

About Infor

Infor builds business software for specific industries in the cloud. With 16,000 employees and over 90,000 customers in more than 170 countries, Infor software is designed for progress. To learn more, please visit www.infor.com.

Media contact:

Steve Bauer

Infor

(628) 444-5101

(650) 670-7135 (mobile)

[email protected]

SOURCE Infor

Related Links

http://infor.com


DENVER, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 16 (US Mountain Time), Inspur announced the news in SC17 that Inspur has been awarded a contract to design and build a Petascale AI Supercomputer based on "NVLink + Volta" for Central China Normal University(CCNU), part of the university's ongoing research efforts in frontier physics and autonomous driving AI research.

The supercomputer will configure 18 sets of Inspur AGX-2 servers as computing nodes, 144 pieces of the latest Nvidia Volta architecture V100 chips that support NvLink 2.0, and the latest Intel Xeon SP (Skylake) processor. It will run Inspur ClusterEngine, AIStation and other cluster management suites, with high speed interconnection via Mellanox EDR Infiniband . The peak performance of the system will reach 1 PetaFlops. With NVLink2.0 and Tesla V100 GPU, the system will be able to simultaneously support both HPC and AI computing.

Inspur AGX-2 is the world's first density AI Supercomputer, supporting 8 *NVIDIA Volta 100 GPUs with NVLink 2.0 enabled in a 2U form factor. It offers NVLink 2.0 for faster interlink connections between the GPUs with bi-section bandwidth of 300 GB/s. AGX-2 also features great I/O expansion capabilities, supporting 8x NVMe/SAS/SATA hot swap hard drives and up to 4 EDR InfiniBand HCAs. AGX-2 supports both air-cooling and on-chip liquid-cooling to optimize and improve power efficiency and performance.

AGX-2 can significantly improve the computing efficiency of HPC, with 60T double precision flops per server. For VASP software, used extensively in physics and material science, AGX-2's performance with one P100 GPU equals 8 nodes 2-socket mainstream CPU computing clusters. The Nvlink provided by AGX-2 also features excellent performance in parallel efficiency of multiple GPU cards, with 4x P100 GPU cards in parallel reaching the performance of nearly 20 nodes 2-socket mainstream CPU computing clusters.

For AI computing, the Tesla V100 employed by AGX-2 is equipped with Tensor for deep learning, which will achieve 120 TFLOPS to greatly improve the training performance of deep learning frameworks with NVLink 2.0 enabled. Based on the Imagenet dataset for deep learning training models, the AGX-2 shows excellent scalability. Configured with 8x V100, the AGX-2 delivers 1898 images/s, which is 7 times faster than a single card and 1.87 times than P100 with the familiar config, when GoogleNet model is trained with TensorFlow.

Central China Normal University plans to further upgrade the AI supercomputer to multi-Peta flops system.

About Inspur

Inspur is the leader in intelligent computing and ranked top four in worldwide server manufacturing. We provide cutting-edge hardware design and deliver extensive AI product solutions. Inspur provides customers with purpose-built servers and AI solutions that are Tier 1 in quality and energy efficiency. Inspur's products are optimized for applications and workloads built for data center environments. To learn more, http://www.inspursystems.com.

SOURCE Inspur Electronic Information Industry Co., Ltd
BRYN MAWR, Pa., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On November 17, 2017, Jayne Nemerow Schiff, MSFS, CLU, ChFC, REBC, CAP, ChHC, MPS, was inducted into The American College of Financial Services Alumni Hall of Fame in recognition of her exceptional professionalism and dedication to The College and its educational mission. The induction ceremony took place during a luncheon celebration at the prestigious Pyramid Club Philadelphia in conjunction with the Managing Clients' Healthcare and Retirement Needs Continuing Education Lecture.

Jayne was the first woman to serve as president of The College's Alumni Association Advisory Board, and she continues to serve as an emeritus member. She also serves on The American College Foundation Board of Directors and on the advisory board of The American College MassMutual Center for Special Needs. The College's President and CEO, Robert R. Johnson, Ph.D., CFA, CAIA, CLF, notes that "Jayne has made significant and lasting contributions to The College, its alumni, and the profession it serves. She is a most worthy inductee into the Alumni Hall of Fame. The College is much better because of Jayne's influence."

Jayne is an independent insurance agent with Schiff Benefits Group, LLC. Before joining the firm, she was director of executive benefits for The NIA Group. She had also served as controller and senior account executive at NYLEX Benefits and at Clark/Bardes Partners. Jayne began her career as an agent with The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, where she led the Women's Division in her third year. She became MONY's first regional director of marketing, heading the Metro New York Region. In addition to her service in the insurance profession, Jayne was an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College and worked with families advocating for their special needs children. Jayne is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table and a member of the Association of Advanced Life Underwriters.

Jayne attended New York University and graduated from Marymount College of Fordham University, Tarrytown, NY. She holds a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree from Manhattanville College, specializing in learning disabilities. She earned her professional designations and holds a Master of Financial Services (MSFS) from The American College of Financial Services.

About The American College of Financial Services

The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest non-profit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification. It recently approved conferral of PhD degrees to the first class of graduates of that program. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders of the financial services profession. For more information, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu.

About The American College of Financial Services Alumni Hall of Fame

The American College of Financial Services Alumni Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to recognize graduates of The College's designation or degree programs who have made extraordinary contributions in time, treasure, effort and energy to this institution of higher learning. Candidates must be long-term volunteers and active participants in The College's community and learning environment. Each year, The College's Alumni Association Advisory Board of Directors oversees the selection of the Alumni Hall of Fame recipient.

SOURCE The American College of Financial Services

Related Links

http://www.TheAmericanCollege.edu


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroll ("the Company"), a global leader in risk mitigation, investigations, compliance, cyber resilience, security, and incident response solutions, today announced the appointment of Amine Antari and Sameeh El-Din as Managing Directors in the firm's Dubai, United Arab Emirates office. Antari and El-Din bring decades of broad international risk management and investigative experience, particularly in emerging markets, with deep expertise in anti-bribery and anti-corruption matters as well as overall regulatory compliance.

"Amine and Sameeh have a unique perspective on risk and regulatory compliance that is informed by their many years of on-the-ground work in a number of global and emerging markets," said Tom Everett-Heath, Regional Managing Director for Kroll EMEA. "They have advised many governments, financial institutions, multinational corporations, and law firms, and I am confident that Kroll's clients in the Middle East and around the world that have needs in the region will likewise find Amine and Sameeh to be a valuable source of knowledge and guidance."

"I am pleased to welcome Amine and Sameeh to Kroll," said David Fontaine, Chief Executive Officer of Kroll and its parent, Corporate Risk Holdings. "Their addition to our Dubai team underscores Kroll's commitment to serving our global clients with excellence in one of the fastest growing regions of the world, at a time when operating, regulatory, and investment risks are tangible and must be fully understood to be managed effectively. Amine and Sameeh bring with them the business acumen, global outlook, and collaborative approach that are necessary for anticipating, detecting, mitigating, and responding to a wide range of today's complex risks."

Most recently, Antari was Head of Compliance Investigations at SNC-Lavalin, a global infrastructure, engineering and construction company. He joined SNC-Lavalin in 2011 as a Director, Internal Audit, in its Montreal, Canada office, but has spent the last two years in Abu Dhabi, with primary responsibility for mitigating and investigating risks related to bribery, corruption, and fraud. In this role, Antari led a number of cross-border investigations involving multi-lateral development banks as well as governmental and private sector entities in various countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, as well as North and South America. Antari also played a central role in fraud risk assessments, anti-money laundering initiatives, internal controls design, and compliance consulting. He started his career in 2005 with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Montreal. Antari earned both his Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Radford University and is fluent in English, French, and Arabic. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Information Systems Auditor.

El-Din joins Kroll from Thomson Reuters, where he was Global Head of Government Market Development, based in Dubai. In this role, he was responsible for expanding the public sector business across emerging markets. From 2012-2014, he was Vice President, Government and Strategic Projects, MEA and Russia. Prior to that, El-Din was VP Legal for MEA, where he started up and developed the firm's legal information and advisory services in the GCC. Earlier in his career, from 1987 to 2007, El-Din held several positions with Reuters, ultimately serving as Global Head of Equities, based in London.

In other management roles with the company, El-Din was instrumental in accelerating growth throughout Europe. His background includes additional management and technical roles with BT Plc, Ericsson Information Systems, and Siemens. El-Din earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at Cairo University. He has also completed leadership training programs at the University of Michigan and the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth University. El-Din is fluent in English, German, and Arabic.

About Kroll:

Kroll is the leading global provider of risk solutions. For more than 40 years, Kroll has helped clients make confident risk management decisions about people, assets, operations and security through a wide range of investigations, cyber security, due diligence and compliance, physical and operational security and data and information management services. Headquartered in New York with more than 35 offices in 20 countries, Kroll has a multidisciplinary team of nearly 1,000 employees and serves a global clientele of law firms, financial institutions, corporations, non-profit institutions, government agencies and individuals. For more information visit www.kroll.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's performance and growth, and other non-historical statements. Forward-looking statements identify prospective information. Important factors could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those stated in the forward-looking statements. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "potential," "should," "will" and "would" or the negatives thereof, variations thereof or other similar words. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss the Company's future priorities, goals, strategies, actions to improve business performance, market growth assumptions and expectations, future business opportunities, capital expenditures, financing needs, financial position and other information that is not historical information or state other "forward-looking" information. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by which, such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good faith belief with respect to future events, and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Kroll

Related Links

http://www.kroll.com


DALLAS, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay LLC, The Pre Settlement Lawsuit Funding Company, reports today that a $247 million settlement was awarded to six plaintiffs who experienced numerous problems with their hip-replacement devices. The plaintiffs argued that the manufacturerDePuyrushed the Pinnacle hips to market with insufficient testing. DePuy was found guilty of misleading doctors about the device's safety, and did not warn patients of the risk of metal poisoning and tissue damage from the metal-on-metal product.

As the developers and marketers of the product, Johnson & Johnson ( J&J )was found negligible in regards to the Pinnacle brand device. The jury awarded a total of $79 million in actual damages and $168 million in punitive damages to a group of six New York residents whose hips had to be surgically removed. The settlement is the third such ruling in recent weeks, and Legal-Bay reports that there are over nine thousand more plaintiffs awaiting trial.

In light of the record $1 billion+ in active claims against the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based manufacturing giant, Legal-Bay has budgeted a large portion of their pre-settlement funds for plaintiffs waiting for their cases to settle.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay, commented, "We have been very active in all the metal-on-metal hip litigations and are perplexed at J&J's insistence to keep trying the Pinnacle cases in light of yet another huge jury award, and almost the exact design of the ASR model  which settled for a $200K base award. I believe the Pinnacle litigation should start to wind down with settlement ranges slightly less than the ASR model's for sheer sake of wrapping things up for all parties."

Legal-Bay reminds plaintiffs that there is no guarantee of a Pinnacle hip settlement amount and the defendant can choose to continue to fight the cases one by one. Regardless, Legal-Bay is committing more funding to Pinnacle hip cases at this time. If you are involved in a pending lawsuit and need lawsuit money now, you may apply at: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com.

Legal-Bay is a lawsuit funding company that provides financial assistance to people who have recently retained a lawyer, and can provide cash advances (sometimes referred to as a lawsuit loan or lawsuit loans by plaintiffs) while cases are tied up in litigation. These pre-settlement funds can assist people dealing with lost pay, lost benefits, emotional stress, punitive damages, and legal fees. They are committed to helping victims of wrongful conviction or death, hospital or medical malpractice, pain and suffering, and specialize in lawsuit funding for plaintiffs in civil rights cases, personal injury or car accident cases, as well as wrongful termination, sexual harassment or discrimination in workplace, and any civil cases where the plaintiff has a lawyer. Legal-Bay continues to fund many other hip litigations such as the DePuy ASR, Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II, and Wright hip system cases.

Legal-Bay's programs are non-recourse lawsuit cash advances, also known as case funding, which means you only repay the settlement advance if you win your case. None of the programs should be considered to be a lawsuit loan, lawsuit loans, settlement loans, settlement loan, pre settlement loans, pre-settlement loans, pre settlement loan or a pre-settlement loan.

Legal-Bay can assist you right now with a pre-settlement cash advance on your lawsuit while you are fighting your case. To apply now, go to the company's website at: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com

SOURCE Legal-Bay LLC

Related Links

http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com


AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Media and consumers are invited to watch a live webcast of the Jeep brand press conference from the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. For those who are unable to view the live program, an on-demand replay will be available at the same link immediately following the live events.

Jeep Press Conference

Wednesday, November 29, 12:50 p.m. (PST)

Jeep Webcast Link for Media

https://livestream.com/FCALive/JeepPressConferenceLA2017

Press Conference Location

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show

North Plaza - Los Angeles Convention Center

1201 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, California 90015

Consumers will be able to watch the reveal at the following Jeep brand sites:

About Jeep Brand

Built on more than 75 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.

The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options.

Follow Jeep and FCA US news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com

Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com

Jeep brand: www.jeep.com

Jeep blog: blog.jeep.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica

SOURCE FCA US LLC

Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com


"Becoming a Top Workplace is a great way to attract and retain the best talent; after all, employees want to work at companies that operate by a strong set of values," says Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage, the company that hosts the Top Workplaces awards across the country.

Here are a few of the ways that radius continually works to preserve a culture that allows employees to consistently perform at their best.

Using employee satisfaction to drive customer satisfaction

Through methods like employee engagement app myradiusGO, radius hones in on employee attitudes to help continue its focus on employee-directed workplace advances. An anonymous baseline survey that garnered an impressive 93 percent response rate  one of the highest response rates seen to date - laid the groundwork. "Instead of choosing areas for improvement in a vacuum and guessing what's important, real-time data allows us to laser focus on one or two of the most crucial areas," says COO & Principal, Keith Polaski.

This year, the company also recruited a cadre of "Culture Ambassadors," a cross-divisional group of eight employees at all levels and layers of tenure, who have taken on the role of serving as "the eyes and ears" of the company. Rather than using a top-down approach where management comes up with ideas, the group meets monthly for healthy dialogue on a host of issues that are important to the larger employee population.

As these Ambassadors are seeded within the company as culture champions, they can help manage the "coffee bar talk" when something is being misunderstood and share up issues where employees need their voices to be heard.

Fueling individual success through transparency

A new addition to radius' suite of tech advances is radius360, a platform that optimizes business performance by providing data visualization, reporting, analytics and business intelligence. In radius' offices, a myriad of monitors continuously track various metrics related to how quickly and smoothly loans are moving through the pipeline. That information helps create transparency for employees surrounding the company's achievements and their individual performance.

And because individual feedback is critical to success, radius is moving away from annual reviews and instead encouraging leaders to offer more frequent feedback designed to foster continuous improvement through monthly 15-minute, one-on-one meetings.

Implementing these ongoing meetings allows employees and team leads to connect regularly for real-time performance feedback and identify needs for course correction or skills gaps that will improve individuals' career paths.

Offering the right work atmosphere

Of course a key part of being one of the best places to work is being one of the best places to work "in," which is why radius recently revamped its office space. The recent redesign created a clean, cool and casual open-space work environment, with a cafe, patio and plenty of gathering areas.

Creating a culture of fun

radius also knows that employees work harder when they're some place they want to be  and that any "best place to work" has to be a "fun place to work," as well. And the company shows it via a wide variety of initiatives that inject a dose of fun into the office, to refresh and recharge and build camaraderie and connections that will cultivate better communication and teamwork.

From Taco, Pizza and Ice-Cream Trucks to Yoga Wednesday, from spontaneous office dart battles to its own version of the pop culture favorite, Mannequin Challenge, the company embraces initiatives that promote both wellness and well-being  truly exemplifying the adage "Work hard, play hard."

"We like to say that every day is employee appreciation day, because everything we do is focused on our employees' satisfaction," says Polaski. "We know that our most important assets walk out the door every night. We can offer the best loan products and the most innovative technology out there but none of it counts without our people putting it into practice, and we know that by taking care of our employees, they in turn will take care of our customers."

In fact, at a recent radius rally, Valentini made a point to thank each associate for the key role they all play in customer service. "Even though our loan officers are the ones who see the customer satisfaction surveys, it's important that each and every person here realize how they individually contribute to our customer satisfaction and delivering on our mission of making mortgages better."

About radius financial group inc.

radius financial group inc. is a leading, private, full-service mortgage lender in New England consistently delivering quality financial services to its clients and referral partners since 1999. With a commitment to delivering a measurably better experience to borrowers, radius has been nationally and locally recognized for its continued growth and achievements. Headquartered in Norwell, MA, radius services Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut and Florida, with offices in Mansfield, Marlborough, Waltham, West Springfield, Worcester and Bedford, NH. Visit us at www.radiusgrp.com or facebook.com/radiusgrp.

For more information, contact:

Dustin DeMeritt, Director of Marketing

Phone: 781-742-6500, x702

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE radius financial group inc.

Related Links

http://www.radiusgrp.com


LAWRENCEBURG, Ky., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey gave thanks to the bourbon brand's hometown by delivering 4,500 turkeys to the residents of Lawrenceburg, KY, including donating more than 500 turkeys to the local food pantry, just in time for Thanksgiving. Along with a team of more than 250 Wild Turkey volunteers, the Academy Award-winning actor surprised Lawrenceburg residents by showing up on their doorsteps with turkeys generously donated by Butterball. Today, they are releasing the Wild Turkey Gives Back video chronicling the effort to feed an entire rural town.

On November 4, McConaughey, who serves as the brand's Creative Director, celebrated his 48th birthday by making a surprise appearance at the Wild Turkey Distillery as Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell and an army of volunteers and distillery workers set out to say thanks to the small town that has been home to the iconic bourbon distillery for more than a century. McConaughey got the crowd excited for a day of service, saying, "We believe, in our family, that the more you're thankful for, the more you're going to create in your life to be thankful for. So thank you for being here. Let's go make some people happy!"

"In one of our very first conversations, Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell told me that the town of Lawrenceburg is what keeps the Wild Turkey family running," said McConaughey, Creative Director of Wild Turkey. "The support system in this community is amazing  in one form or another, everyone has some kind of relationship with Wild Turkey  and that's why we were so grateful to have the resources to give back and say thanks to Lawrenceburg residents. We thought, let's give everyone a turkey, one less thing for them to worry about this season."

Following the pep speech, McConaughey and the volunteers set out in cars and buses with more than 60,000 pounds of turkey to canvas Lawrenceburg's six square miles. Crews blanketed each neighborhood on foot from sun up until sun down, going door to door to drop off the frozen birds, delighting everyone along the way. Scores of residents opened their doors to find McConaughey on their porches, which elicited the kind of excitement you might expect when being surprised by an Oscar winner carrying a turkey.

As the holiday cheer spread through the small town, shocked members of the community took to social media to share their sightings of McConaughey and express deep thanks for the kind gesture from Wild Turkey and the troop of volunteers that delivered a turkey to every single home.

"Lawrenceburg has been our home for generations, and the people who live here support our passion for making great whiskey every day," said Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. "We wanted to say thanks to Lawrenceburg this Thanksgiving and to encourage people around the country to do what they can to assure no one goes hungry this holiday."

In addition to the deliveries in Lawrenceburg, and in the spirit of giving back, Wild Turkey has also made a donation equaling 50,000 Thanksgiving meals to the anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength to help families in need across the country. Wild Turkey is encouraging fans to join them in their Friendsgiving to End Hunger campaign (strength.org/WildTurkey) to support those who could use a hand this holiday. Fans can host a Friendsgiving fundraiser in their own hometown or make a donation to support Share Our Strength's work to end hunger in America.

"Wild Turkey and Matthew McConaughey's commitment to the community really touched us and we were happy to join together to help the cause," says Bill Klump, Chief Marketing Officer of Butterball. "Everyone deserves a great meal on Thanksgiving and Butterball is proud to be able help put a meal on a table for any family that might otherwise not be able to enjoy one."

Butterball is committed to giving back to deserving families and community organizations across the country each Thanksgiving and throughout the year. Butterball has donated more than 100,000 pounds of turkey for the 2017 holiday season, in addition to their donation of turkeys to local Lawrenceburg residents, and continues to do what they can to help families as well as deserving community members enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

Wild Turkey first connected with McConaughey a few years ago upon his inaugural visit to the iconic Kentucky distillery where he was introduced to the Russells  the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame father and son Master Distiller team who have worked at the Wild Turkey Distillery for more than 100 years collectively. Intrigued by the multi-generational family behind the bourbon, McConaughey discovered Wild Turkey's faithful devotion to distilling bourbon the right, unapologetic way. He later signed on as Creative Director and has since helped tell the brand's story via advertising campaigns and other projects.

About Matthew McConaughey

Texas native Matthew McConaughey is one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men. A chance meeting in Austin with casting director and producer Don Phillips led him to director Richard Linklater, who launched the actor's career in the cult classic "Dazed and Confused." Since then, he has appeared in over 40 feature films that have grossed over $1 billion; and has become a producer, director, and philanthropist  all the while sticking to his Texas roots and "jk livin" philosophy.

2014 was a game-changing year for McConaughey. For his riveting portrayal of Ron Woodruff in "Dallas Buyers Club," McConaughey received an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Gotham Award for Best Actor, the Best Actor Award at the Rome Film Festival as well as the Desert Palm Achievement Actor Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival. He also made the move to TV starring alongside Woody Harrelson in the HBO dramatic series "True Detective." The show was met by rave reviews from critics and fans alike and earned Matthew a Critics Choice and TCA Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series as well as an Emmy Nomination. McConaughey can next be seen in "White Boy Rick" and opposite Anne Hathaway in "Serenity".

In 2008, Mr. McConaughey started The just keep livin Foundation (www.jklivinfoundation.org), which is dedicated to helping boys and girls transform into men and women through programs that teach the importance of decision-making, health, education, and active living. The Foundation has partnered with Communities in Schools (CIS)  the nation's largest, non-profit, dropout-prevention organization in West Los Angeles to implement fitness and wellness programs in two large urban high schools. Through an afterschool program, they are able to give kids a healthy start in life and the promise of a healthy future.

About Wild Turkey

The Distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is located in Kentucky, situated on a deep limestone shelf on the Kentucky River. The shelf acts as a natural filter and provides the distillery with crystal clear water, vital to making such a high quality product. Wild Turkey features the legendary father and son Master Distilling team of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have nearly 100 years of collective experience working at the Wild Turkey distillery.

The famous Wild Turkey brand name first came about back in 1940 when distillery executive Thomas McCarthey took a few warehouse samples on a Wild Turkey hunting trip with a group of friends. The following year, his friends asked him for "some of that Wild Turkey whiskey" and the brand was born.

Wild Turkey is distilled and put into new oak barrels at a much lower ABV than most bourbons. This results in a much richer flavor, as less is cooked out during the production process. Ageing in the highest quality new American oak barrels with the heaviest char available (the Number 4 "alligator" char), imparts a smooth flavor and deep amber color to the whiskey.

The barrels are filled at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Website: wildturkey.com

About Gruppo Campari

Gruppo Campari is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities. Global Priorities, the Group's key focus, include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. The Group's growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari owns 18 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 20 countries. The Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI - Bloomberg CPR IM) have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: www.camparigroup.com/en

Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

About Butterball

Headquartered in Garner, N.C., Butterball is the largest producer of turkey products in the U.S.  producing more than 1 billion pounds of turkey each year. For more than 60 years, the company has provided foodservice and retail products to customers and consumers around the world. As an industry leader in quality, food safety and animal well-being, the company employs numerous processes to ensure the health of flocks and implements recognized prevention measures to exceed food safety standards. Butterball products are currently distributed throughout the U.S. and in more than 45 countries. Butterball operates seven processing plants located in North Carolina, Arkansas and Missouri.

For consumer questions or information, please visit Butterball.com or call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372).

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength was founded with the belief that everyone has a strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty, and that in these shared strengths lie solutions. Thirty years later, the organization has raised more than $604 million to combat hunger and poverty and is renowned for finding scalable, pragmatic solutions to social problems. Today, Share Our Strength is focused on ending hunger in America.

For Additional Information, contact:

Jared Ricardo  Gruppo Campari

(415) 923-8732

[email protected]

Chad Davis  Sunshine Sachs

(212) 691-2800

[email protected]

SOURCE Wild Turkey

Related Links

http://wildturkey.com


IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) mourns the passing of Jay Amestoy, the company's long-serving Vice President of Public and Government Relations. Amestoy, 69, passed away on Thursday, November 16, while being treated at the Mayo Clinic. He fought a number of courageous health battles during the past nine years, always with dignity and strength. He will be missed by many.

As vice president of public and government affairs for Mazda North American Operations until his retirement in 2012, Amestoy oversaw all public relations, government affairs, internal and external communications and national shows and events. Prior to that, as vice president of corporate affairs and communications for the previous Mazda Motor of America, Amestoy joined Mazda in March 1991 as vice president of public relations.

Prior to joining Mazda, Amestoy, a 30-plus-year veteran of the automotive industry, served as senior vice president and managing director of the automotive account in the Los Angeles office of Hill and Knowlton public relations.

Previously, he served as senior vice president and director of the automotive group at GCI Group public relations in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the public relations launch of Infiniti and Nissan's corporate affairs. Before joining GCI, Amestoy was public relations manager for Volkswagen United States in Troy, Mich. In addition, he was involved with public relations efforts in the Porsche/Audi Division of Volkswagen of America. Just prior to Volkswagen, Amestoy served as vice president of marketing for Recaro Industries.

Prior to Recaro, Amestoy served as an automotive editor at Argus Publishing Company in Los Angeles, a predominantly automotive-related publisher. Amestoy began his lengthy automotive career as an intern for Road & Track magazine in Newport Beach, Calif.

Amestoy lived in San Clemente, Calif., and is survived by his wife, Erica, as well as a sister and brother. Condolences may be sent care of Jeremy Barnes at Mazda public relations, [email protected], and will be passed along to the family. When available, further information on donations will be shared on InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 600 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations

Related Links

http://www.mazdausa.com


US calls for peaceful elections in Nepal

The United States (US) has said it is alarmed by recent attacks on political candidates and condemned any attempt to impede the electoral process through the use of violence.
HOUSTON, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DNAtrix, a leader in the development of oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, announced multiple studies detailing the mechanism and efficacy of DNX-2401 were presented at the 2017 Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting, held in San Francisco, CA on November 16th  19th.

Juan Fueyo, MD, Professor in the Department of Neuro-Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, gave an oral presentation of clinical results showing that DNX-2401 therapy for high grade malignant glioma leads to a reduction in the expression of TIM3, a key marker of T-cell exhaustion and negative regulator of antitumor immunity. These results are consistent with DNX-2401 triggering an anti-tumor immune response in patients.

Additional results were presented by scientists and physicians from Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Clinica Universidad de Navarra (Pamplona, Spain), demonstrating that DNX-2401 treatment promotes a microenvironment that is detrimental to tumors and is efficacious in a model of pediatric central nervous system tumors, a devastating disease in children.

"We are excited that this important research was selected for presentation at SNO, the premier conference for neuro-oncology," said Frank Tufaro, PhD, CEO of DNAtrix. "These results are encouraging and provide further support for the use of our lead product, DNX-2401, in combination with immunotherapeutic agents such as checkpoint inhibitors, a clinical study which is in progress."

Details of the presentations on DNX-2401 (also known as Delta-24-RGD) are as follows:

Immunomarkers in the DNX-2401 (Delta-24-RGD) oncolytic virus Phase I clinical trial

Abstract Number: ATIM-08

Presenter: Juan Fueyo, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Date: Sunday, November 19, 2017

Oncolytic viral therapy with Delta-24-RGD induces a tumor-detrimental environment via phenotypic shift of macrophages

Abstract Number: TMIC-03

Presenter: Wouter van den Bossche, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Date: Friday, November 17, 2017

The oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD mediates an efficient antitumor response in vivo in supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors

Abstract Number: PDTM-12

Presenter: Marc Garcia-Moure, PhD, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

For more information about ongoing DNAtrix clinical studies, visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website: NCT02798406 (DNX-2401 + KEYTRUDA for recurrent glioblastoma) and NCT03178032 (DNX-2401 for newly diagnosed pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma).

About DNX-2401

DNX-2401 is an investigational oncolytic immunotherapy designed to treat cancer. DNX-2401 sets off a chain reaction of tumor cell killing by selectively replicating within glioblastoma cells (but not normal cells), causing tumor destruction and further spread of the oncolytic virus to adjacent tumor cells. This process then triggers an immune response directed against the tumor. DNX-2401 has been well tolerated in patients with recurrent glioblastoma and survival has been prolonged compared to other therapies.

About DNAtrix

DNAtrix is a privately held, clinical stage, biotechnology company developing oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer. DNAtrix's lead product, DNX-2401, is a conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus being evaluated in clinical trials for recurrent glioblastoma, a brain cancer for which there is neither a cure nor adequate treatment. The company is backed by Morningside Ventures and Mercury Fund, and has been awarded a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For more information, please visit the company website at www.dnatrix.com.

Contact

DNAtrix

Imran Alibhai, PhD

SVP Business Development

[email protected]

SOURCE DNAtrix

Related Links

http://www.dnatrix.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Service members will spend an average of $569.00 on holiday related activities in 2017, with 87% spending the same or less than last year, according to the 2017 Military Holiday Spending Survey conducted by Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank. This annual survey of more than 250 service members highlights holiday trends and preferences, consumer confidence, and other unique holiday insights.

While spending trends remain relatively stable compared to previous years, the 2017 Military Holiday Survey indicates military families are feeling more secure about their future military career, and the income being generated by their military spouse. Concern about job security in the military has fallen by nearly half since 2015, with only 8% of respondents expressing fear about their future in the military this year. And only 6% said their spouses pay or work hours had been cut in 2017, while 12% highlighted this as a problem two years ago.

74% believe the economy is doing better or the same compared to last year

59% say sales and discounts are most important to them when making purchases

11% will spend more than $1,000 , while 6% will spend less than $100 in 2017

, while 6% will spend less than in 2017 38% will brave the shopping frenzy on Black Friday

23% will travel more than 500 miles for the holidays

A Christmas Story (1983) is the favorite holiday movie (29%), while 80% open gifts on Christmas morning.

These findings and other interesting results are available in an easy-to-read Survey Infographic.

Pioneer Services has also created a free online budgeting and spending tool for military families to spend smart this holiday season. HolidaySpendingPlanner.org is part of the company's award-winning financial education program, and features helpful blogs, guides, videos, and links to online holiday budgeting calculators and tools, and even a section on holiday giving.

For more information about the company, go to www.PioneerServices.com

Contact:

Scott Cahill, Corporate Communications

Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank

[email protected]

ph: 816-756-2020

SOURCE Pioneer Services

Related Links

http://www.PioneerServices.com


According to the new market research report "Military Radars Market by Component (Antenna, Transmitter, Receiver, Duplexer, Display, Digital Signal Processor), Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), End User, Type, Frequency Band, Dimension, Range, Application, & Region - Global Forecast to 2022" , published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to grow from USD 13.06 Billion in 2017 to USD 15.42 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 3.38% during the forecast period. The changing nature of modern warfare is one of the most important factors driving the demand for military radars across the globe. The threat of nuclear ballistic missiles has led to the development of new generation radars for various advanced air defense systems. The changing nature of aerial warfare has also led to the increased acquisition of advanced military radars by various countries, to defend against various aerial and ground threats.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 66 Market Data Tables and 32 Figures spread through 275 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Military Radars Market - Global Forecast to 2022"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/military-radar-market-51422570.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report



Based on platform, the land segment is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period

Based on platform, the land segment is expected to account for the largest share of the military radars market between 2017 and 2022. The increased expenditure on diverse air defense systems by various countries, such as the US, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and India, has contributed to the growth of this segment's market.

Based on range, the long range segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on range, the long range segment of the military radars market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the increasing use of long range radars for various air defense systems, including in various airborne early warning aircraft.

Download PDF Brochure : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=51422570

Based on application, the air & missile defense segment is projected to lead the market during the forecast period.

Based on application, the air & missile defense segment is projected to lead the military radars market during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to increased investments by countries, such as the US, China, Iran, India, Russia, North Korea, and France for the development of advanced missile defense systems.

Based on region, Asia Pacific is projected to lead the military radars market during the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region is projected to lead the military radars market from 2017 to 2022. This region is expected to account for the largest share of the military radars market during the forecast period. Regional tensions and increase in the defense spending of emerging economies are factors fueling the growth of the military radars market in the Asia Pacific region.

Inquiry Before Buy @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=51422570

Northrop Grumman (US), Raytheon (US), Saab (Sweden), Israel Aerospace Industries (Israel), Leonardo (Italy), Lockheed Martin (US), Terma (Denmark), and BAE Systems (UK) are some of the key players operating in the of military radars market.

Browse Related Reports

Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) Market by Range (Short, Medium, Long & Strategic System), Application (Ballistic Missile Defense, Conventional), Platform (Ground Based, Naval, Airborne) & by Region - Global Forecast to 2021

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/air-missile-defense-radar-market-140105037.html

Rocket and Missile Market by Type (Missile, Rocket), Launch Mode (Surface-to-Surface, Surface-to-Air, Air-to-Air, Air-to-Surface, Subsea-to-Surface), Propulsion (Solid, Liquid, Hybrid, Scramjet, Turbojet, Ramjet) & Region - Global Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/rocket-missile-market-203298804.html

Subscribe Reports from Aerospace & Defence Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

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Visit our [email protected] http://mnmblog.org/market-research/aerospace-defence

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
BRADENTON, Fla., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Marshall Gobuty, President of Mirabella Florida, and his team have raised $13,690 over the last few weeks for the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, whose animals desperately needed medical supplies after the devastation from this year's hurricane season. The fundraiser went viral, and within the first five days $9,000 was donated to the shelter, which was then able to quickly order their necessary supplies.

Marshall Gobuty, President of Mirabella, with his potcake adopted from the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, Lucky. The animals at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama.

Upon learning that the shelter where he had adopted his own dog, Lucky, several years ago, was in trouble after a catastrophic hurricane season, Gobuty decided to use his pet-friendly development, Mirabella, to help.

Mirabella started a fundraiser through a GoFundMe page they created, www.gofundme.com/mirabella-humane-society-fundraiser, and Gobuty promised to match all donations up to $5,000 made over the course of the following two weeks. The response was nothing short of astounding. In only five days, the page had received $4,500 and counting in donations from friends, family, and followers of Mirabella and the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. With such great response, Gobuty then upped his match to $7,500.

Now, the GoFundMe page has raised a total of $13,690 for the Humane Society of Grand Bahama and their beloved animals, which is released to the shelter as quickly as possible so they may continue to purchase supplies.

"It was the least we could do to help," said Gobuty. "When I heard my potcake Lucky's very own brothers and sisters were in need, I had to do something. I couldn't bear the thought of them going another day without the supplies they need to stay alive."

Being a huge animal-lover, Gobuty donates frequently to his local Humane Society, running promotions on his company's Facebook page, donating when people like, share or comment.

Although the matching period has ended, Mirabella and the Humane Society of Grand Bahama have decided to keep the GoFundMe page running, in the hopes that it will continue to generate donations.

"In the animal welfare world, it's easy to become disheartened when we see so much human apathy and cruelty to our animal friends. In 2010, Marshall Gobuty visited our shelter after having recently moved to Grand Bahama with his family," said Tip of the HSGB. "I will never forget the sight of him pulling into our parking lot in his pick-up truck on a regular basis to spend hours at a time with our dogs. He even spent months helping the dogs that were least likely to be adopted locally find homes in his friends and others in Canada. Even after his family's departure from our island, Marshall has stayed in touch and continued to support our shelter. When I reached out in desperation a few weeks ago, he, his family and his company sprang into action and we could not be more grateful. There truly are human angels among us, and Marshall, his family and his company are living proof."

Marshall and his team at Mirabella couldn't be more humbled to be able to help such a good cause, and after receiving such a great response, are excited to continue coming up with new fundraisers in the future.

Contact:

Andy Abramson

1 858 777 9777

[email protected]

SOURCE Mirabella Florida
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MisterTyre Malaysia Sdn Bhd ("MisterTyre") has signed an Internship Partnership Agreement with the TOC Automotive College ("TOC") to develop Malaysian Car Care Professionals for the digital economy. The Internship Programme provides TOC's students with practical on-the-job experience and exposure to the digital economy for automotive services and e-commerce.

Signed by Mr. Dennis Melka, the Executive Director & Founder of MisterTyre, and Madam Adelaine LK Foo, the CEO of TOC Automotive College

MisterTyre is first in the world to launch a mobile app that offers to customers new tyres from 28 global brands, rotation and front wheel alignment, engine oil service and battery via a mobile delivery service. MisterTyre's highly trained car care professionals also perform a free 12-point check for customers to ensure that every key aspect of their car is monitored. Appointment slots are available daily from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. to suit car owners' busy schedules. The substantial cost savings of digital economy and "direct from the manufacturer" supply chain is passed on to the consumer through MisterTyre's "Best Price Guarantee" commitment.

TOC Automotive College ("TOC") is a pioneer in professional automotive education in Malaysia. It has been accorded with multiple local and international awards in the education and skills industry. Earlier this year, Autobacs Seven Co. Ltd. (https://www.autobacs.co.jp/en/), a leading Asian automotive aftermarkets retailer headquartered in Japan, has become an equity holder of TOC.

"We are excited to work with TOC Automotive College and their students. The Internship Programme allows for students to learn valuable on-the-job skills from our highly skilled technicians in the context of a digital, e-commerce environment. The MisterTyre business model is a significant departure from and very disruptive to the traditional "store" model for automotive services. We are the world's first "app only" automotive aftermarket services provider offering new tyres, rotation and front wheel alignment, engine oil and batteries. Our business model removes the "middleman" from the supply chain, thereby allowing MisterTyre to offer incredible deals with no charge for mobile service whilst empowering consumers to make informed decisions on their automotive repair requirements.

The Internship Agreement was signed by Mr. Dennis Melka, the executive director and founder of MisterTyre, and Madam Adelaine LK Foo, the CEO of TOC Automotive College.

Mr. Melka also added that "The Internship program is a win-win solution for the TOC's students and MisterTyre as it enables a new generation of technicians to be trained directly in a digital economy environment without exposure to a traditional auto shop work culture. These young technicians will be trained in the usage of high-end equipment whilst learning the soft skills for customer engagement in a tech-enabled, mobile environment."

Adelaine LK Foo, CEO of TOC Automotive College, further added, "Through this collaboration, students will not only be able to be placed in the industry successfully but will also be able to extend their coursework knowledge beyond the classroom with the global digital leader in the automotive service industry. This aligns with the College's innovative vision in providing the best learning experience and to providing practical experience for students, grooming them to become world-class automotive specialists."

This Internship Partnership Agreement was signed on 14 November 2017, at TOC Automotive College, based in Petaling Jaya. The Internship Programme will commence in January 2018, after which outstanding trainees may be offered a full-time placement at MisterTyre.

ABOUT MISTERTYRE SDN BHD

MisterTyre Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a company incorporated in Malaysia and launched its innovative business model on 13 September 2017. MisterTyre seeks to transform automotive aftermarket services in ASEAN through low prices and doorstep delivery of services. For more information on MisterTyre, download the app here:

Android- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mistertyre.android.client

iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mistertyre/id1306428132?ls=1&mt=8

The Company is the first in Asia to offer mobile auto services through a mobile application. Currently operating in Klang Valley only, the Company seek to expand to the rest of Malaysia by early 2018.

ABOUT TOC AUTOMOTIVE COLLEGE

Established in 2004, TOC Automotive College (TOC) is the pioneer in professional automotive education that ensures mobility and employability. TOC's passion is what drives them to provide the best learning experience in automotive and motorsports. TOC plays an integral part in shaping the fundamentals and the future of the automotive industry in Malaysia.

For more information on TOC, visit www.toc.edu.my or Facebook /TOC.edu.

For further information, please contact:

MisterTyre: Jennifer Ratnam at 012- 442 5567 / [email protected]

TOC Automotive College: Nor Shahidah [email protected] 0182888418

Related Images

image1.jpeg

MisterTyre & TOC Automotive Internship Programme Signing Ceremony

image2.jpeg

SOURCE MisterTyre; TOC Automotive College

Related Links

http://www.toc.edu.my


DAVOS, Switzerland, BOGOTA, Colombia and STEENBERGEN, Netherlands, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Groasis is launching a pilot project in Colombia and implementing a radical innovation - the Growboxx plant cocoon. Groasis is part of the first cohort of start-ups to receive support through the UN's World Food Programme's Innovation Accelerator. This was reached after a competition with more than 100 start-ups who applied to the Global Impact Challenge, a joint call for innovations by Singularity University and the UN World Food Programme for "Zero hunger by 2030". The competition sought bold new ideas for quickly providing access to nutritious food for people living in hard to reach, eroded and disaster struck areas.

From December 2017, Groasis will run a project to investigate the impact that the Groasis Ecological Water Saving Technology can have on eliminating hunger by 2030. The project is a combination of ecosystem restoration and agroforestry done by food-insecure families with Groasis' Waterboxx and Growboxx plant cocoons, thus restoring degraded land, supported by the World Food Programme.

Groasis provides the low-cost, scalable solution - the Growboxx plant cocoon - which enables marginalized people to support their household's food and nutrition needs in a sustainable manner that lowers their dependence on aid.

The project focuses on local production of fruit and vegetables on degraded land with the promising water saving technology, which can be deployed on any type of soil and in any type of climate. The Groasis Ecological Water Saving Technology has already proven itself in more than 40 countries around the globe. It is known for its "Triple 90 benefits", since it offers 90% cost savings, 90% water savings, and a 90% survival rate of the trees and vegetables that are planted. The Growboxx plant cocoon is cheap, does not require energy and is easy to implement as it offers a good fit with local agricultural traditions.

In October 2016 the Dutch Government awarded Groasis the title of National Icon for being one of the 3 most innovative projects of The Netherlands with a high social impact and supporting economic growth.

Video message Pieter Hoff here.

Website - http://www.groasis.com

YouTube (fruit)tree planting channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Groasiswaterboxx

YouTube vegetables planting channel https://www.youtube.com/user/GroasisVegetables

High-resolution images here.

Twitter @Groasis

SOURCE GROASIS
LEWISVILLE, Texas, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC (MCS), a nationwide provider of services to the mortgage industry, has reached an agreement to acquire the property preservation division from Carrington Home Solutions, LP (CHS).

MCS will assume responsibility to inspect and maintain CHS' existing portfolio. Under the acquisition, CHS' property preservation operations will integrate into MCS' existing field service operations.

"The acquisition of CHS' field services unit enables MCS to expand our industry footprint, and increase our national presence and economies of scale," said Caroline Reaves, Chief Executive Officer of MCS. "Through our work with CHS in the past, we applaud the business they built. This addition is a perfect alignment with our MCS mission: being the leading outsourced services provider for banks, lenders, and mortgage servicers across the United States."

Over the past several years, MCS has continued to expand its portfolio of services and capabilities with the acquisitions of multiple national AMC valuation companies, title and settlement providers in addition to growing its field services division, which has operated for over 30 years.

"This transaction further demonstrates MCS' commitment to our clients and communities in which we operate," said Ms. Reaves. "We will continue to focus on quality, compliance and long-term relationships built on trust and integrity."

The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2017.

About Mortgage Contracting Services

For more than 30 years, MCS has protected, preserved and served communities across the nation. Some of the largest and most respected banks, lenders and mortgage servicers in the industry trust MCS to perform property inspections, property preservation, REO property maintenance, property registrations, valuations, settlement services, title and other mortgage-related services in all 50 states. MCS has a history of providing these services in a highly regulated environment, the proven ability to handle large volumes of properties, and a record of recruiting and monitoring a substantial vendor network. For more information, please visit http://www.MCS360.com.

Contact Information

Mark Annick

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC

Related Links

http://www.MCS360.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Researchers using MRI have discovered a common pattern of structural abnormalities in the brains of people with depression and social anxiety, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Major depressive disorder (MDD), often simply referred to as depression, is a serious condition. The condition can have a debilitating effect on an individual's life. People with MDD often lose interest in activities they once enjoyed and sometimes find it difficult just to get out of bed. At times, they may feel suicidal. About 16 million Americans have MDD.

Social anxiety disorder, or SAD, is an intense fear of being watched and judged by others. Symptoms can be extreme enough to interfere with daily activities. People with this disorder have difficulty developing and maintaining social and romantic relationships. About 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder.

Both conditions share some clinical symptoms, suggesting the two disorders may have similar brain mechanisms. However, few studies have directly compared the brain structural effects of the two disorders, said the author of the new study, Youjin Zhao M.D., Ph.D., from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China.

Dr. Zhao and co-author Su Lui, M.D., used MRI to assess alterations in the brain's gray matter among MDD and SAD patients. They focused on the thickness of the cortex, which is the outer layer of the cerebrum, or principal part of the brain.

The researchers acquired and analyzed high-resolution images from 37 MDD patients, 24 SAD patients and 41 healthy control individuals. Both MDD and SAD patients, relative to healthy controls, showed gray matter abnormalities in the brain's salience and dorsal attention networks. The salience network is a collection of brain regions that determine which stimuli are deserving of our attention, while the dorsal attention network plays an important role in focus and attentiveness.

"Our findings provide preliminary evidence of common and specific gray matter changes in MDD and SAD patients," Dr. Zhao said. "Future studies with larger sample sizes combined with machine learning analysis may further aid the diagnostic and prognostic value of structural MRI."

The differences between the MDD and SAD patients and the healthy controls related to either thickening or thinning of the cortex. For instance, both MDD and SAD patients, relative to healthy controls, showed cortical thickening in the insular cortex, a brain region vital to perception and self-awareness.

It is still unclear exactly what the relationship is between the clinical manifestations of MDD and SAD and cortical thickening in brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain associated with emotion, Dr. Zhao said.

"First, it is possible that a greater cortical thickness may reflect a compensatory mechanism that is related to inflammation or other aspects of the pathophysiology," she said. "Second, greater anterior cingulate cortical thickness could be the result of both the continuous coping efforts and emotion regulation attempts of MDD and SAD patients."

As for cortical thinning, Dr. Zhao said that other research provides convincing evidence to support the theory that reduced cortical layer thickness in some brain regions may result in the decreased thickness of the frontal lobe, a large part of the brain that is involved in a variety of functions, including emotion.

The researchers also found disorder-specific involvement of the brain's "fear circuitry" in patients with SAD and involvement of the visual recognition network in patients with MDD. Alterations in the brain within the region of the visual recognition network might be related to impaired selective attention and working memory in MDD, Dr. Zhao indicated.

"The visual recognition network is involved in emotional facial processing, which is crucial for social functioning," she said. "Depression has been associated with structural alterations in these regions."

Note: Copies of RSNA 2017 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press17 beginning Monday, Nov. 27.

RSNA is an association of over 54,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting.

For patient-friendly information on brain MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

SOURCE Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

Related Links

http://www.rsna.org


SAN FRANCISCO, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global nanosatellites and microsatellites market is expected to reach USD 4.97 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Evolving regulatory framework to accommodate small satellite systems for the development of the space industry is expected to propel market demand.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371361LOGO )

Nanosatellites and microsatellites have proven to be dynamic for embracing new developments in various sectors such as weather information and climatic research, multimedia communications, telephone and television, data distribution, transportation and logistics, navigation, safety, security, and rescue. As these satellites have paved the way for cost-effective earth observation missions along with the development of small launchers and small ground stations connected with cost-effective data distribution methods, industry participants have shifted their focus toward developing nanosatellites and microsatellites.

Moreover, CubeSats, which are smaller than nanosatellites are witnessing a rise in popularity due to their shorter time to orbit and lower manufacturing costs. With the emergence of nanosatellites and microsatellites, there has been a development of a new niche market dedicated to small satellites. Several new players are embracing miniaturized technologies along with a range of advanced launch technologies.

Furthermore, to develop sustainability in the market, players are maintaining a steady flow of microsatellite launches for widening their customer base. Increasing demand from economies such as India and Japan is contributing to the growth of the nanosatellite and microsatellite market. For instance, in the wake of miniaturization, Japan is developing strategies to tap the demand for compact satellites and aircraft.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Nanosatellite and Microsatellite Market Analysis By Mass (Microsatellites, Nanosatellites), By Application, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/nanosatellite-microsatellite-market

Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:

The nanosatellite segment is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, with a projected CAGR of close to 22% from 2017 to 2025

The commercial application segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 20% over the next eight years, fueled by the growing use of these satellites in automotive navigation systems and by space agencies

Asia Pacific is expected to be fastest-growing region, primarily attributed to the increasing government support for digitization and the growing initiatives for developing space programs

is expected to be fastest-growing region, primarily attributed to the increasing government support for digitization and the growing initiatives for developing space programs The technology and academic training application segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% over the forecast period

The key players in the industry include Dauria Aerospace, GomSpace Group AB, Innovative Solutions in Space, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SpaceQuest Ltd.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Video Games Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-video-games-market

Smart Grid Communications Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-grid-communication-market

Real-time Location Services Applications Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/real-time-location-services-applications-market

Fixed Satellite Services Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fixed-satellite-services-fss-market

Grand View Research has segmented the nanosatellite and microsatellite market by mass, application, end use, and region.

Nanosatellite and Microsatellite Mass Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Microsatellite Nanosatellite

Nanosatellite and Microsatellite Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Communication and navigation Earth observation/remote sensing Scientific research Technology and academic training

Nanosatellite and Microsatellite End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Government Defense and Security Commercial Civil

Nanosatellite and Microsatellite Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific China India Japan Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa



Read Our Blog By Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/technology

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]



Web: www.grandviewresearch.com



SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Scott Tingle will be available at 6 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 1 for live satellite interviews one last time prior to his upcoming launch to the International Space Station Dec. 17, on what will be his first mission in space.

Originating from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, the interviews will air on NASA Television and the agency's http://www.nasa.gov/live website. At 5:30 a.m., NASA TV will run a video feed of highlights from Tingle's training.

To interview Tingle, media must contact Sarah Volkman at 281-483-9071 or [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Media participating in the interviews must tune to the NASA TV Media Channel. Satellite tuning information is available at:

http://go.nasa.gov/1pOWUhR

Tingle is one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class, selected in July 2009. His astronaut training has included scientific and technical briefings; intensive instruction in space station systems, spacewalks and robotics; physiological training; T-38 flight training; and water and wilderness survival training.

A U.S. Navy captain, Tingle grew up in Randolph, Massachusetts, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University in Dartmouth, now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Following graduate school, Tingle spent three years with the Aerospace Corp., in El Segundo, California, as a technical staff member in its Propulsion Department. He was commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer in 1991, and accumulated more than 4,500 flight hours in 51 types of aircraft, 750 carrier arrestments and 54 combat missions.

Tingle will arrive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Monday, Dec. 4, for final prelaunch training. He and his crewmates, Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will launch on the Russian Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft at 2:20 a.m. EST Dec. 17. They are scheduled to return to Earth next spring.

The flight plan calls for an arrival at the station two days after launch, where they will join Expedition 54 Commander Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA. The crew members will continue several hundred experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science currently underway and scheduled to take place aboard humanity's only permanently occupied orbiting lab.

The experiments include Using Brachypodium distachyon to Investigate Monocot Plant Adaptation to Spaceflight (APEX-06), which investigates the growth of the common grass species Brachypodium distachyon in the microgravity environment of space. The grasses grow from seedlings aboard the station and are returned as frozen samples to Earth-based labs for detailed analysis and comparison with Earth based control groups. APEX-06 aims to compare the growth and gene-expression patterns of Brachypodium distachyon with those of the dicotyledonous model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which has been extensively studied in space and whose behavior in microgravity is better understood.

Understanding how different plants grow in space can result in improved life support system design and resource planning for long-term space missions. It also provides a better understanding of grass and cereal crop stress response systems that can be applied in agriculture, habitat restoration, and natural resource management on Earth. Results from this experiment also advance comparative understanding of how plants use genetic and biomolecular systems to protect themselves under stressful conditions.

Follow Tingle on Twitter and Instagram at:

https://www.twitter.com/Astro_Maker

and

https://www.instagram.com/astro_maker

Learn more about the International Space Station and its crews at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


Violent activities go unabated

As the first phase of the federal and provincial elections gets close, improvised explosive devices were defused at various places on Sunday. An unidentified group also attacked a candidate in Dhading district.
TOKYO, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In his new book, Black Belts Only: The Invisible but Lethal Power of Karate, Adam Newhouse explains traditional Karate as if he was there at the art's birth. At last, there is a book that (a) reveals the secrets of Kime (focused concentration) without which traditional Karate does not exist, (b) analyzes punching and blocking techniques from a fresh perspective, and, most importantly, (c) decodes the esoteric language of Kata.

Adam Newhouse Adam Newhouse

To Newhouse, Karate is not a sport or exotic physical exercise. It is a cold-sober serious endeavor where the interplay of life and death is always in the back of the practitioner's mind. To truly follow Budo, the Karate-ka must learn, practice, and perfect lethal techniques  as Newhouse methodically explains.

There is more. Indeed, the book deserves to be read if only for demystifying Kata, which, as the author tells it, historically have been presented to us in a secret code. For the first time since Karate has gone public, Black Belts Only has extracted and placed before us several conventions present in all Kata which practitioners can use to finally understand and translate Kata's hidden language and make sense of the movements.

Theory and practice become clear with generous photographs and lucid text. Newhouse explains the meaning of the first movement of every Shotokan Kata (no, those are not "blocks," as commonly thought) and explains Kata's other techniques. Black Belts Only is that rare book that advances the practice of Karate like few before it.

Black Belts Only, which features a foreword by Patrick McCarthy, Hanshi 9th Dan, can be ordered at Amazon.com. The book has 248 pages.

About Adam Newhouse

Adam Newhouse, a long-term resident of Japan, got his first taste of martial arts on Judo mats during primary school. After Judo, he took up Karate and has practiced in Shotokan dojos for four decades. Karate is a lifelong journey for Adam. He never stops questioning, studying and exploring to deepen his knowledge of the art, and to gain insight into its hidden applications. An episode in his Karate life in Japan gives a glimpse of Adam's passion and dedication. A favorite teacher, Osaka Yoshiharu-sensei, was teaching the Hyaku-Hachi (108) Kata  a rarity in any Shotokan dojo. But that brief introduction only whetted Adam's appetite. Inspired to learn the Kata thoroughly, he secretly studied the Suparinpei (108) Kata at a Goju-ryu dojo for more than seven years.

Contact Adam Newhouse:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://black-belts-only.com/

Tel. +81-090-6023-5717

Review copies and author interviews are available by emailing Adam at [email protected]

SOURCE Adam Newhouse

Related Links

https://black-belts-only.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) Project today announced the availability of its first platform release, ONAP "Amsterdam," which delivers a unified architecture for end-to-end, closed-loop network automation. ONAP is transforming the service delivery lifecycle for network, cable and cloud providers. ONAP is the first open source project to unite the majority of operators (end users) with the majority of vendors (integrators) in building a real service automation and orchestration platform, and already, 55 percent of the world's mobile subscribers are supported by its members.

"Amsterdam represents significant progress for both the ONAP community and the greater open source networking ecosystem at large," said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Networking and Orchestration, The Linux Foundation. "By bringing together member resources, Amsterdam is the first step toward realization of a globally shared architecture and implementation for network automation, based on open source and open standards. It's exciting to see a new era of industry collaboration and architectural convergence - via a healthy, rapidly diversifying ecosystem - begin to take shape with the release of ONAP Amsterdam."

The Amsterdam release provides a unified architecture which includes production-proven code from open source ECOMP and OPEN-O to provide design-time and run-time environments within a single, policy-driven service orchestration platform. Common, vendor-agnostic models allow users to quickly design and implement new services using best-of-breed components, even within existing brownfield environments. Real-time inventory and analytics support monitoring, end-to-end troubleshooting, and closed-loop feedback to ensure SLAs as well as rapid optimization of service design and implementations. Additionally, ONAP is able to manage and orchestrate both virtualized and physical network functions.

The entire platform has been explicitly architected to address current real-world challenges in operating tier-one networks. Amsterdam provides verified blueprints for two initial use cases, with more to be developed and tested in future releases. This includes VoLTE (Voice Over LTE), which allows voice to be unified onto IP networks. By virtualizing the the core network, ONAP is used to design, deploy, monitor and manage the lifecycle of a complex end-to-end VoLTE service. The second use case is Residential vCPE. With ONAP, all services are provided in-network, which means CSPs can add new services rapidly and on-demand to their residential customers to create new revenue streams and counter competitors.

"In six short months, the community has rallied together to produce a platform that transforms the service delivery lifecycle via closed-loop automation," said Mazin Gilbert, ONAP Technical Steering Committee (TSC) chair, and vice president, Advanced Technology, AT&T Labs. "This initial release provides blueprints for service provider use cases, representing the collaboration and innovation of the community."

Ecosystem Growth Produces ONAP PoCs

With more than 55 percent of global mobile subscribers represented by member carriers, ONAP is poised to become the de facto automation platform for telecom carriers. This common, open platform greatly reduces development costs and time for VNF vendors, while allowing network operators to optimize their selection of best-of-breed commercial VNF offerings for each of their services. Standardized models and interfaces greatly simplify integration time and cost, allowing telecom and cloud providers to deliver new offerings quickly and competitively.

Member companies  which represent every aspect of the ecosystem (vendors, telecommunication providers, cable and cloud operators, NFV vendors, solution providers)  are already leveraging ONAP for commercial products and services. Amsterdam code is also integrated into proof of concepts.

Additionally, ONAP is part of a thriving global community; more than 450 people attended the recent Open Source Networking Days events to learn how ONAP and other open source networking projects are changing network operations.

More detailsincluding download information, white papers, solutions briefs and videoson Amsterdam are available here. Comments from members, including those who contributed technically to Amsterdam, can be found here.

What's Next for ONAP

Looking ahead, the community is already beginning plans for the second ONAP release, "Beijing." Scheduled for release in summer 2018, Beijing will include "S3P" (scale, stability, security and performance) enhancements, more use cases to support today's service provider needs, key 5G features, and inter- cloud connectivity. Interest from large enterprises will likely further shape the platform and use cases in future releases.

ONAP will continue to evolve harmonization with SDOs and other other source projects, with a focus on aligning APIs/Information Models as well as OSS/BSS integration.

ONAP Beijing Release Developer Forum will take place on Dec. 11-13 in Santa Clara, California, and will include topics for end users, VNF providers, and the ONAP developer community via a variety of sessions including presentations, panels and hands-on labs.

ONAP community members and developers are encouraged to submit a proposal to share knowledge and expertise with the rest of the community: https://www.onap.org/event/submit-a-proposal-for-the-onap-beijing-release-developer-forum-santa-clara-ca

Additionally, ONAP will host a Workshop on "Container Networking with ONAP" in conjunction with CloudNativeCon + KubeCon December 5 in Austin, Texas. The workshop is designed to bring together networking and cloud application developers to discuss their needs, ideas and aspirations for automating the deployment of secure network services on demand. Details and registration information: https://www.onap.org/event/cfp-submit-a-proposal-to-onap-mini-summit-at-cloudnativecon-kubecon-north-america-tuesday-december-5-2017

About the Open Network Automation Platform

The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) Project brings together top global carriers and vendors with the goal of allowing end users to automate, design, orchestrate and manage services and virtual functions. ONAP unites two major open networking and orchestration projects, open source ECOMP and the Open Orchestrator Project (OPEN-O), with the mission of creating a unified architecture and implementation and supporting collaboration across the open source community. The ONAP Project is a Linux Foundation project. For more information, visit https://www.onap.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Additional Resources

Download ONAP Amsterdam

Amsterdam Architecture Overview

VoLTE Solution Brief

VCPE Solution Brief

Related videos

ONAP Blog

Join as a Member

Media Contact

Sarah Conway

The Linux Foundation

(978) 578-5300

[email protected]

SOURCE Open Network Automation Platform
ERIE, Pa., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) invites customers to celebrate the holiday season by entering its fourth annual "Merry & Bright" Holiday Lights Photo Contest.

Participants can enter by submitting a photo of their home's outdoor holiday light display on the Penelec Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric) from Monday, Nov. 27 to Friday, Dec. 15. Up to 10 finalists will be selected by Penelec based on criteria such as creativity and number of lights. Finalists' photos will be posted on Facebook for public voting from Monday, Dec. 18 to Friday, Dec. 22.

The grand prize winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card and a set of LED holiday lights controlled by a mobile app. The runner up will receive a $100 gift card.

More information, including complete contest rules, will be posted to the Penelec Facebook page. The "Merry & Bright" contest is open only to Penelec customers who are legal residents of Pennsylvania or New York and who are at least 18 years of age. Only one entry per household will be accepted. Employees and family members of FirstEnergy, Penelec or its advertising agency are not eligible.

Photos of the winning entries from 2016 can be found on Flickr.

Penelec is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and serves approximately 600,000 customers in 31 Pennsylvania counties. Connect with Penelec on Twitter @Penelec, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric, and online at www.penelec.com.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Related Links

http://www.firstenergycorp.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmaPoint: Migraine - Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2026



Summary







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206659





Migraine is a complex neurological condition, characterized by frequent headaches that can last between four and 72 hours. The pain is often unilateral and pulsating in nature, which can often be worsened by physical activity. In most cases, migraine is associated with symptoms such as photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and sometimes sensory disturbances.



It is estimated that pharmaceutical sales in the migraine market were approximately US$3.3 Billion throughout the 7MM in 2016. The US contributed to over 70% of these sales, generating about US$2.3 billon, driven mainly by the sale of triptans (around US$1.5 Billion) and Botox (almost US$0.5 Billion). The only triptan to remain patented in the US in 2016 was Pfizer's Relpax, which consequently is the highest-selling brand within this class.



Global migraine sales are expected to grow to around US$8.5 Billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 10%. The growth will be driven by the launch of several late-stage pipeline products, particularly the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) erenumab, galcanezumab, fremanezumab, and eptinezumab, developed by Amgen, Eli Lilly, Teva, and Alder respectively.



The major drivers of growth in the migraine market during the forecast period include -

- The launch and uptake of Eli Lilly's lasmiditan and Allergan's ubrogepant, which have novel mechanisms that satisfy unmet needs in the acute treatment market.

- The launch and uptake of Amgen's erenumab, Eli Lilly's galcanezumab, Teva's fremanezumab, Alder's eptinezumab, and Allergan's atogepant, which are the first migraine-specific prophylactic treatments.

- The high annual cost of therapy for mAbs, which will mean they will generate high sales.

- A rising prevalence of migraine in the 7MM throughout the forecast period, which will lead to an increase in the diagnosed and treated population and will drive sales.



The report "PharmaPoint: Migraine - Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2026", provides Overview of migraine, including epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and disease management.



In particular, this report provides the following -

- Annualized migraine therapeutics market revenue, cost of therapy per patient, and treatment usage patterns in two patient segments (episodic, chronic), forecast from 2016 to 2026.

- Key topics covered include strategic competitor assessment, market characterization, unmet needs, clinical trial mapping and implications for the migraine therapeutics market

- Pipeline analysis: comprehensive data assessing emerging trends and mechanisms of action under development for migraine therapy. The most promising candidates in Phase III development are profiled.

- Analysis of the current and future market competition in the global migraine therapeutics market. Insightful review of the key industry drivers, restraints and challenges. Each trend is independently researched to provide qualitative analysis of its implications.



Companies mentioned in this report: Pfizer, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Teva, Alder Biopharmaceuticals, Merck & Co, Allergan, Zogenix, RedHill BioPharma, Desitin, Grupe JUSTE, Grunenthal.



Scope

- Overview of migraine, including epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and disease management.

- Annualized migraine therapeutics market revenue, cost of therapy per patient, and treatment usage patterns in two patient segments (episodic, chronic), forecast from 2016 to 2026.

- Key topics covered include strategic competitor assessment, market characterization, unmet needs, clinical trial mapping and implications for the migraine therapeutics market

- Pipeline analysis: comprehensive data assessing emerging trends and mechanisms of action under development for migraine therapy. The most promising candidates in Phase III development are profiled.

- Analysis of the current and future market competition in the global migraine therapeutics market. Insightful review of the key industry drivers, restraints and challenges. Each trend is independently researched to provide qualitative analysis of its implications.



Reasons to buy

The report will enable you to -

- Develop and design your in-licensing and out-licensing strategies through a review of pipeline products and technologies, and by identifying the companies with the most robust pipeline.

- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends shaping and driving the global migraine therapeutics market.

- Drive revenues by understanding the key trends, innovative products and technologies, market segments, and companies likely to impact the global migraine therapeutics market in the future.

- Formulate effective sales and marketing strategies by understanding the competitive landscape and by analysing the performance of various competitors.

- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolios and create effective counter-strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

- Organize your sales and marketing efforts by identifying the market categories and segments that present maximum opportunities for consolidations, investments and strategic partnerships.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206659



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.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


PRISMA Telecom Testing, a leading supplier of innovative solutions for the wireless industry, will present the latest developments of its EmergencyNET systems at Milipol Paris 2017, the leading event for homeland security, held on 21-24 November.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/515151/PRISMA_Telecom_Testing_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606484/PRISMA_Telecom_Testing.jpg )



A compact plug-and-play portable system offering a complete private mobile network, EmergencyNET can provide reliable connectivity in case of major network breakdowns, enabling swift re-establishment of communications following disaster events.

Thanks to its extremely easy and quick setup, EmergencyNET enables rescuers to connect to any mobile device present in the emergency network area without delay, while victims can communicate their needs and position using standard devices.

A standalone private mobile network (no satellite connection is needed to operate), military certified from a mechanical point of view, EmergencyNET offers incomparable flexibility both in the scope of applications supported (ranging from railway emergency management to maritime operations and in general for critical infrastructure protection) and in terms of sheer scalability (such as number of users, number of calls, data throughput).

EmergencyNET, in its most compact backpack version, offers a complete mobile network for a single technology (GSM/GSM-R, UMTS or LTE). The extended EmergencyNET trolley version supports three different access technologies (GSM/GSM-R, UMTS, LTE) also running in parallel, thus operating as a multiple technology network provider.

PRISMA will exhibit at booth 6J123.

About PRISMA Telecom Testing

PRISMA Telecom Testing is a leading supplier of innovative and flexible performance testing solutions for mobile networks verification. PRISMA's test solutions for 2G/3G/4G/5G mobile networks, both over the wired and the radio interfaces, draw on over 30 years of experience in telecommunications engineering. The largest wireless Network Equipment Manufacturers and Service Providers worldwide rely on PRISMA for complete Radio Access Network testing.

A privately owned company, PRISMA Telecom Testing (formerly PRISMA Engineering) is headquartered in Milan, Italy, with its own offices in France, China, Sweden, the USA and Finland and partners across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

For more information about PRISMA and EmergencyNET: http://www.prismatelecomtesting.com

SOURCE PRISMA Telecom Testing
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 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

The End of Black Friday?

The Fiduciary Hot Potato: Who Is a Fiduciary, Who Wants to Avoid It, and Who's Embracing the Role?

Is Trump Fundamentally Doubtful of His Own Legitimacy?

Sexual Harassment and Employment Discrimination



MEDIA JOBS

Social Media Manger  South China Morning Post (NY)

Editor, Oil & Gas  ITP Media Group ( Dubai )

) Editor, Professional Product Innovation & Strategy  The Wall Street Journal (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

5 Questions with The Lily: The Washington Post's Bold Experiment for Millennial Women

International Journalists Honored for Their Inspiring and Relentless Pursuit of the Truth

Blog Profiles: Small Business Blogs

-------------------------------------------------------------------

EXPERT ALERTS:

The End of Black Friday?

Ross Steinman

Psychology Professor

Widener University

The day after Thanksgiving has long been considered the biggest and most chaotic retail day of the year. But that could be changing as shoppers increasingly move their gift-hunting online, according to Dr. Steinman. The shift doesn't mean shoppers are less savvy when it comes to finding a deal. Instead, they are more likely to compare prices and do extensive online research before jumping into a purchase. Says Steinman: "The best sales are no longer limited to brick-and-mortar stores or reserved for the people who wake up before sunrise to wait in line. Shoppers can find many of these deals online  signaling the end of Black Friday as we know it."

Bio: http://www.widener.edu/academics/faculty/steinmanr/default.aspx

Contact: Jessica Reyes, [email protected]

The Fiduciary Hot Potato: Who Is a Fiduciary, Who Wants to Avoid It, and Who's Embracing the Role?

Brady Bizarro

Consulting Attorney

The Phia Group, LLC

"We are moving toward expanded fiduciary and ethical duties. Courts and regulatory bodies are constantly restating the ethical duties involved in plan administration and it is very important to stay up-to-date on the latest legal requirements. Acting unethically is never okay, but when done in a fiduciary capacity, you are creating bigger problems for yourself."

Bizarro can speak to fiduciary duties and ethics in the industry. In particular, he can describe the connection between fiduciary and ethical obligations, the role of discretionary authority, the arbitrary and capricious standard, and the parties to whom fiduciary duties are owed. He can give examples of unethical behavior and violations of fiduciary duties, describe the current legal landscape, and provide best practices for resolving ethical dilemmas and avoid violations of fiduciary duties. He is based in Boston.

Website: https://www.phiagroup.com

Contact: Matthew Painten, [email protected]

Is Trump Fundamentally Doubtful of His Own Legitimacy?

Michael Klein, PsyD

Psychologist

MK Insights LLC

"Growing up in a family business or with family wealth can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, opportunities and financial security are plentiful. On the other, you never get to learn that you can make it on your own. When you never have to apply for a job, create a resume, go on a job interview, or succeed on your own, self-doubt can fester and grow. In the case of Trump, his obsession with having others acknowledge his value are a stand-in for his own paralyzing fear and self-doubt."

Klein is the author of "Trapped in the Family Business: A practical guide to understanding and managing this hidden dilemma." He has 20 years of experience consulting to HR professionals, as well as working as one himself.

Website: http://www.trappedinthefamilybusiness.com

Expert Contact: [email protected]

Sexual Harassment and Employment Discrimination

Dr. Christopher Metzler

Dr. Metzler, an international employment discrimination and sexual harassment expert, is able to discuss current sexual harassment and employment discrimination cases in the news: "Sexual harassment as an organizational reality has taken on a life of its own. Many organizations have crafted broad policies, established sexual harassment investigation teams and launched sexual harassment prevention training, all with varying degrees of success. However, most organizations are not yet developing clear organizational culture-change tools. Rather, they rely on 'training' and rarely, if ever, look at what in the culture allows sexual harassment to thrive. They regard sexual harassment as a series of events rather than cultural atrophy. This is a fatal mistake.'

Dr. Metzler has investigated hundreds of sexual harassment cases, consults globally on the topic and serves as an expert witness on sexual harassment prevention. He is the former senior associate dean for human resources at Georgetown University and created the Master's in H.R. at Georgetown. In addition to a Master's degree in Human Rights from Columbia University, he also holds a Ph.D. from University of Aberdeen in Law, as well as diplomas and postgraduate certificates in law. He is a member of The University of Oxford in Oxford, England, as well as a member of Kellogg College at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, he read international human rights law leading to a law degree (MsT) in international human rights law from Oxford. He is the author of "The Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a Post-Racial America."

Website: http://www.DrChristopherMetzler.com

Contact: Stacey Barker, [email protected]

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Social Media Manger  South China Morning Post (NY)

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) Editor, Professional Product Innovation & Strategy  The Wall Street Journal (NY)

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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 at [email protected]

5 QUESTIONS WITH THE LILY: THE WASHINGTON POST'S BOLD EXPERIMENT FOR MILLENNIAL WOMEN. Beyond Bylines chatted email with The Lily's editor-in-chief and creative director Amy King . Here's what she had to say about The Post's pop-up publication for women: http://prn.to/TheLily

POST'S BOLD EXPERIMENT FOR MILLENNIAL WOMEN. chatted email with The Lily's editor-in-chief and creative director . Here's what she had to say about The Post's pop-up publication for women: http://prn.to/TheLily INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS HONORED FOR THEIR INSPIRING AND RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH. Since 1998, the Knight International Journalism Award has been given to 45 winners from 37 countries Learn more about the awards and this year's winners: http://bit.ly/icfj17

BLOG PROFILES: SMALL BUSINESS BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at small business blogs: http://prn.to/smallbizblogs2

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PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire.

To contact ProfNet: [email protected] or 800-776-3638, ext. 1

SOURCE ProfNet

Related Links

http://www.profnet.com


SPARKS, Nevada, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

RESTANCE, Inc. (USOTC: ANCE) today announced a $500,000 contract to manufacture condoms under a major brand name for distribution in Africa. The company plans to reveal the 'major brand name' on November 28, 2017 in conjunction with a World AIDS Day announcement. The $500,000 contract is part of a strategic campaign that will be announced on November 28, 2017 in conjunction with World AIDS Day on December 1, 2017. The campaign is designed to contribute to the United Nations' goal of ending the AIDS Epidemic. RESTANCE plans to contribute to the UN goal to end the AIDS Epidemic by making condoms available everywhere in Africa through the previously announced #DoItForAfrica buy-one-give-one campaign where an anticipated $20 million in condoms will be sold in North American and for every condom sold, a condom will be manufactured in Africa and will be given away in Africa. The contract announced today is the initial commitment for the condoms to be manufactured and given away in Africa.

RESTANCE - $20 Million Revenue #DoItForAfrica Campaign

RESTANCE has acquired the tools to equip a condom manufacturing plant and plans to open a condom manufacturing plant in Kenya soon to produce condoms for all Africa. RESTANCE has secured a contract where the company will produce condoms under a major, globally recognized brand name in conjunction with the #DoItForAfrica buy-one-give-one campaign. The #DoItForAfrica campaign is anticipated to generate $20 million in revenue.

RESTANCE is pursuing several business lines in the growing economies of East Africa. The Company is developing opportunities in the region including initiatives in technology and systems integration services, utility support services, affordable housing and health products manufacturing. RESTANCE recently acquired East African Development Partners as part of its strategy in East Africa.

Learn more about the RESTANCE operations in Africa on the Company's website: http://www.restanceinc.com.

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

Media Contact:

Randell Torno

[email protected]

+1-800-834-5792



SOURCE RESTANCE, Inc.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rubrik, the Cloud Data Management Company, today announced it has been designated a global ISV co-seller through the Microsoft Partner Network and will offer its hybrid cloud data management solution on Microsoft Azure. In addition, Rubrik has updated its platform to include support for Microsoft Azure Stack as well as support for application migration to Microsoft Azure through its CloudOn solution. The integration will help companies, governments and nonprofits digitally transform their organizations and fully leverage a hybrid cloud model.

Co-seller designation enables Rubrik and Microsoft to offer Rubrik's Cloud Data Management platform as well as Azure Cloud Services and Azure Stack to its customers. Deploying Rubrik's Cloud Data Management platform alongside Azure cloud and Azure Stack will allow companies to protect, recover, manage and secure critical workloads whether they are in the cloud or on-premises. In addition, customers will be able to use the Rubrik Cloud Data Management platform to seamlessly orchestrate applications and data across Azure and Azure Stack.

As a Microsoft ISV Co-Sell Managed Partner, Rubrik expands its reach into the Microsoft customer ecosystem with everything from co-selling to joint demand generation campaigns. Rubrik delivers a scalable, efficient data management solution in the cloud, allowing enterprises to migrate workloads in the cloud and enabling cloud tiering to cost-effective locations over time.

"Microsoft Azure is a trusted partner in the enterprise and we're thrilled to be going to market with Microsoft," said Ranajit Nevatia, Vice President, Business Development & Alliances, Rubrik. "Together, we will help customers fully leverage a hybrid cloud model so they can digitally transform their organizations, be more productive and move faster."

Ron Huddleston, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner at Microsoft Corp. added, "It's exciting to see Rubrik take advantage of Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack to offer solutions that give our customers choice and make it easier for them to migrate and manage data for both cloud-native and hybrid cloud applications."

In July, Rubrik was one of the first data management vendors to announce support for Microsoft Azure Stack and continues to align on technology and shared go-to-market investments. Rubrik pioneered live mount for SQL to deliver near-zero RTOs and introduced cloud instantiation on Azure for "server-less" test/dev and disaster recovery. Rubrik has achieved Gold Cloud Platform competency and offers end-to-end coverage of Microsoft technologies and services. For customers in the federal space, Rubrik supports Azure Government Cloud.

Comments on the News

"Rubrik gives us the flexibility to spin up applications in a matter of minutes, allowing us to streamline our business and deliver speed to provide the best customer experience. With Rubrik, we can eliminate tape, integrate seamlessly with Azure, and securely mobilize our applications from on-premises to the cloud," said Leonard De Botton, CIO at Berkeley College. "Together, Rubrik and Azure helps us decrease costs, stay within our data retention policy, and establish a stronger DR strategy."

"This is great news for customers looking to digitally transform their organization and fully leverage the speed and certainty of a hybrid cloud model," said Mike Cartner, CEO and Co-Founder, eGroup. "As businesses shift their apps to Azure, Rubrik can orchestrate all critical data management functions for their cloud-native and hybrid cloud applications. And, Rubrik offers the ability to manage their entire Microsoft investment on one platform."

Resources

[VIEW NOW] On-demand webinar: Rubrik Cloud Data Management in Microsoft Azure

[INFOGRAPHIC] Rubrik + Microsoft

[CUSTOMER CASE STUDY] Berkeley College Decreases Cost and Migrates to Microsoft Azure with Rubrik

About Rubrik

Rubrik delivers instant application availability with data protection, search, analytics, archival and copy data management. Hybrid Cloud enterprises benefit from Rubrik's market-leading Cloud Data Management platform with simplicity, instant data access, app-mobility, policy-driven automation, Ransomware protection, and analytics at scale. For more information, visit http://www.rubrik.com and follow @rubrikInc on Twitter.

SOURCE Rubrik

Related Links

http://www.rubrik.com


SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Entrepreneur John Locke and his team at Lockedown Design are celebrating their fifth year in business with an expansion into SEO services.

In 2009, John Locke was a factory worker at a commercial bread plant in Sacramento. Like many blue-collar workers, John wanted to change his situation. He began studying web design and development in between work shifts, and eventually, in 2012, opened Lockedown Design. Today, the web design studio he founded is celebrating its fifth year in business, its most successful year to date.

John Locke, founder of Lockedown Design

Much has changed in the time since John started his web studio. "Mobile has taken over the web, and Google has made their search index mobile-first. New web technologies appear every day, and many web agencies have closed or downsized in the last few years," says John.

"When I first started Lockedown Design, it was easier for web agencies to navigate the landscape. Today, keeping on top of changes in search engines and web development takes a lot more effort," John states.

Lockedown Design has grown in a changing industry due to their focus on customer service and communication. Most of the company's clients have been ongoing clients for several years.

"One thing we wanted to do going forward was provide more value to our clients by focusing on search engine optimization and inbound traffic," Locke says. He continues, "Many agencies are great at design or development, but there is little attention given to the return on investment those improvements to the website have to the client. This is the reason we are changing our focus to driving and converting web traffic into sales for our clients. Search rankings and inbound traffic are things we can measure, that give our clients the best return on their investment."

Lockedown Design is launching three new SEO services: in-depth SEO audits, local SEO, and ongoing SEO retainer services.

These new SEO offerings will be aimed at industrial companies, manufacturers, and blue-collar small businesses.

"We look for long-term partnerships with our clients," says Locke. "Our goal is to work with companies that we can do great work for. Home-based businesses and other solopreneurs probably aren't the best fit for us to work with, but we encourage them to get free SEO information from our blog."

You can find more information about Lockedown Design and their services on their website: https://www.lockedowndesign.com

Media contact:

John Locke

[email protected]

(916) 747-2198

SOURCE Lockedown Design

Related Links

http://www.lockedowndesign.com


"Sae-A strives to be a beneficial member of the communities in which it works," said Sae-A's Chairman Woong-Ki Kim. "Through the medical mission we are able to provide primary health care services, disease screening, and health education for adults and children in the communities around the Caracol Industrial Park. We are proud to work with partners from Korea, the United States and Haiti who are committed to the well-being of our neighbors."

This year's team included 25 medical professionals from three countries the United States, South Korea, and Haiti. The medical providers spent the week treating local residents, including Sae-A employees and students, in space provided by the Sae-A supported, S&H Secondary School. To ensure access to these services to those who need it most, Sae-A provided transportation for local area residents.

The medical team included specialists from pediatrics, obstetrics, otolaryngology, urology, pain management, ophthalmology, internal medicine and family medicine. In addition to screening for illnesses, expectant mothers and children were given health examinations and provided with health education materials ranging from disease prevention to tips for good hygiene and nutrition.

This year marked the launch of a study led by the George Washington University School of Nursing on the prevalence and causes of anemia in the community. The study will provide critical insight into how best to tackle and reduce the prevalence of anemia. The researchers will present the community with a plan and strategy of how best to lessen the impact of anemia. As part of the screening process, those diagnosed as anemic will receive immediate medical intervention, including iron supplements.

About Sae-A's Community Engagement in Haiti

Since beginning its operations in Haiti in 2012, Sae-A has worked hard to be a partner to the community. Within a year of establishing its first factory, Sae-A built and runs the S&H Primary School serving students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Early in 2017, Sae-A opened the S&H Secondary School allowing children to receive the same high-quality education through high school graduation. The schools provide best-in-class education to more than 450 local students, including children of the company's employees. At the end of the school day, after classes are over, the facilities serve as a community center for local residents. They host a range of events and provide educational opportunities for adults.

Sae-A has also been a valued partner in disaster response. Most recently, in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the company donated emergency relief goods and medical supplies to the Government of Haiti.

About Sae-A Trading Co., Ltd

Established in 1986, Sae-A Trading Co., Ltd is one of the world's largest apparel manufacturing companies with more than 60,000 associates across Southeast Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. The company's exports more than $1.8 billion in apparel and textiles.

For more information on Sae-A, including its social responsibility programs, please visit: www.sae-a.com.

SOURCE Global Sae-A Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.sae-a.com


Will vote if our concerns are addressed: Landslide survivors

The landslide victims in Dundephant of Kaski say they shall vote for the candidate who would help them resettle and take initiative to control water-induced disasters in the area.
ATLANTA, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is partnering with Draper James, Reese Witherspoon's fashion lifestyle brand, to design a limited edition capsule collection for the brand's Spring line. Students from SCAD's top-ranked fashion program will design a "Mommy + Me" capsule, which will debut at SCAD FASHWKND in May 2018. The SCAD collection will be available for purchase at draperjames.com.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is partnering with Draper James, Reese Witherspoons fashion lifestyle brand, to design a limited edition capsule collection for the brands Spring line.

"SCAD and Draper James belong together! I really admire the depth and breadth of Reese's accomplishments in film and fashion. Her Draper James line is smart and chic, suffused with Southern charm  just like SCAD!" said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "This partnership with Draper James is a dream for our students, who study within the world's preeminent School of Fashion. Every day these SCAD students manifest their dreams, just as Reese has done with her elegant, up-for-any-occasion brand."

The project joins students from SCAD degree programs in fashion, accessory design, graphic design, fashion marketing and management, and fibers with the brand's top design leadership to develop a complete, market-ready collection. The collaboration will be unveiled at SCAD FASHWKND, the university's annual fashion celebration, May 17-20, 2018. Hosted in Savannah and Atlanta, SCAD FASHWKND presents SCAD students' senior fashion collections, mentored and juried by fashion industry designers and influencers, in a full professional production. In 2017, SCAD FASHWKND featured an immersive runway show at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, tableaux vivant-style vignettes at 1600 Peachtree in Atlanta, and a Shop the Runway component of SCAD alumni work at both locations.

SCAD will also honor Witherspoon with the university's prestigious SCAD Etoile award, presented in recognition of the brand's unique contributions to fashion, culture, design and style, at SCADshow theater in Atlanta at an event on Nov. 30. Etoile, which means star in French, celebrates outstanding achievements in style and design. Witherspoon joins other fashion designers SCAD has honored, including David Yurman, Vivienne Westwood, Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg, and Carolina Herrera.

"I'm so incredibly honored to receive the SCAD Etoile award and thrilled to be partnering with such a gifted and respected institution. I founded Draper James in order to showcase the originality and beauty of the South, and I'm thrilled it resonates so well with the emerging talent SCAD is known for around the world," said Witherspoon, the founder and creative director of Draper James.

SCAD is consistently ranked by Business of Fashion and Fashionista as a top fashion university, offering more than 200 courses focused on preparing students for professional careers in fashion industries. SCAD has pioneered programs in accessory design and luxury fashion management, and offers the largest fibers and jewelry degree programs in the U.S. SCAD fashion alumni work at globally renowned brands like Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Lanvin. In the past three years, SCAD students have won over 130 major fashion-related industry awards including consecutive Supima Design Competition grand prize awards, the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Design Award, and the International Design Awards Emerging Fashion Designer of the Year.

About Draper James

Draper James is a Southern-inspired lifestyle brand that embodies the personal style and sensibility of its Founder and Creative Director, Reese Witherspoon. Reese named the brand after her grandparents who taught her everything she knows about gracious Southern living. Draper James brings contemporary, yet timeless Southern style to your wardrobe and home, no matter where you live. The direct-to-consumer business launched online in May 2015 followed by its flagship store in Nashville that fall. Draper James also has brick-and-mortar locations in Dallas and Lexington with Atlanta opening fall 2017. Designed in-house, the collection consists of ready-to-wear, accessories, and home accents. For more information, please visit www.draperjames.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat.

SCAD Collaborative Learning Center (CLC)

The SCAD Collaborative Learning Center (CLC) partners with top businesses, brands, and organizations to generate design-based concepts and solutions for experiences, products, media and technology. By drawing on the talent of distinguished professors and students across strategic disciplines, the possibilities are limitless. Past CLC partners include Disney, BMW, NASA, L'Oreal, Hewlett-Packard and Fox Sports.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors, as well as minors in more than 75 disciplines across its locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning. With more than 35,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD demonstrates an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of nearly 14,000, comes from across the U.S. and more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2017, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni placement rate. In a study of Spring 2016 SCAD graduates, 98 percent were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Related Links

http://www.scad.edu


LAS VEGAS, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Monday, Nov. 20, will be the third annual SexEd Day, the sexuality educational day inspired by Rael, spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement," said sexologist Clemence Linard, who is also a Raelian guide.

Linard said Rael has long advocated the necessity of early sex education for children and young adults to remove fear, frustration and taboos.

"Those factors are the main sources of the sexual crimes still making the news today," Linard explained. She pointed out that several reports made by international experts from UNESCO*, OMS* and UNFPA* concur.

"They all recommend the kind of early sex education described by Raelian philosophy," she said. "But because Christian groups lobby against such education, it's slow to be implemented by governments. In fact, attempts to provide it have been censured and modified to remove the recommendation for early masturbation. That's not acceptable."

Linard emphasized that children are especially vulnerable when kept in the dark regarding their sexuality.

"They then become easy prey for the adults who themselves suffer from the frustrations imposed by the lack of sex education," she said. "This is a serious drawback of our religiously imprinted society. Scientific facts and studies should prevail over religious beliefs and traditions where the mental balance and well-being of our children is concerned."

She added, "Early sex education also means early training to respect sexual diversity and respect for one's own sexuality, which includes acknowledgment of the notion of pleasure. That is essential for the mental balance of any individual. And the key to stop all the sex crimes plaguing our society lies in providing the well-structured early sex education recommended by international experts."

Linard said Raelians across the country will congregate on November 20 in public places, including in front of major institutions, to explain why an annual SexEd Day and early sex education are essential.

* http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001832/183281e.pdf

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002431/243106e.pdf

www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_OperationalGuidance_WEB3.pdf

www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPAEvaluationWEB4.pdf

www.oif.ac.at/fileadmin/OEIF/andere_Publikationen/WHO_BZgA_Standards.pdf

SOURCE Raelian Movement
GREEN BAY, Wis., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the announcement of its Black Friday hours, door busters, and cyber deals, Shopko predicts 2017 gift-giving trends, including the hottest gifts shoppers are looking to purchase this year for all the personalities in their lives.

Shoppers are opting for a combination of both traditional and nontraditional gifts to create a personalized, one-of-a-kind experience. In fact, a survey completed by Deloitte found 27 percent of consumers prefer to buy gifts that provide an experience for the recipient.

Additionally, the survey found more than half of consumers would rather purchase indulgent gifts, or items the recipient wouldn't normally buy for themselves.

Recently named one of WalletHub's Best Stores for Black Friday, Shopko has identified six types of consumers: the caregiver, the adventurer, the techy, the fashionista, the kitchen master, and the littles, and this year's hottest gifts for each group in this checklist. Shoppers developing Black Friday game plans can utilize this list to inspire gifting ideas.

"Traditional gifts like clothes and electronics are still popular. But in today's world of Pinterest and personalization, we are finding new trends where shoppers are looking for gifts that fit a person's personality or lifestyle, whether it's a Barcalounger to provide relaxation at home, a kayak for someone who loves the outdoors, or combining several smaller gifts to offer a combination of both," Ron Ota, Shopko SVP Chief Merchandising Officer, said.

Some of Shopko's hottest-selling products this year align with this mentality. Tech products such as the Sky Rider Drone and Sony PS4TM Virtual Reality Headset or interactive kids' toys, like Little Live PetsTM, are more than just items consumers look at. They initiate interaction and exploration.

Shopko stores will open for 2017 Black Friday shopping starting at 4:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, and close at 10:00 p.m. on Black Friday, November 24. Customers can begin Black Friday shopping online starting November 22. Hours vary by location.

Shoppers will also enjoy an entire Cyber Week, as opposed to just Cyber Monday, with seven days of cyber deals November 26 through December 2. These prices will be available online and in-store.

Start Black Friday planning and click here to download a shopping checklist with this year's hottest gifts for all the unique people in your life.

About Shopko

Shopko is owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a leading private investment firm focused on leverage buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments in market-leading companies.

Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Shopko Stores Operating Co., LLC is a $3 billion retailer that operates 381 stores in 26 states throughout the Central, Western and Pacific Northwest regions. Retail formats include 127 Shopko stores, providing quality name-brand merchandise, great values, pharmacy, and optical services in small- to mid-sized cities; 5 Shopko Express Rx stores, a convenient neighborhood drugstore concept; 5 Shopko Pharmacy locations; and 244 Shopko Hometown stores, a smaller concept store developed to meet the needs of smaller communities. For more information, visit www.shopko.com.

Please note that Shopko welcomes media to its stores during holiday shopping. To coordinate an interview or b-roll shooting at your local Shopko or Shopko Hometown, please contact Michelle Hansen at 920-429-4054 or [email protected].

To download high resolution infographic PDF files, click here.

To download web resolution infographic JPG files, click here.

SOURCE Shopko

Related Links

http://www.shopko.com


LAS VEGAS, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart City Networks, the country's leading telecommunications and event technology provider for the hospitality and convention industry, set off on a nationwide Week of Service initiative to give back to the communities surrounding all 39 of its partner facilities.

During this Week of Service, Smart City team members from around the nation volunteered to assist local charity organizations. Each organization was thoughtfully selected by the local Smart City team to provide the greatest impact possible to those in need.

"Our team members across the country are always finding ways to give back," said Mark Haley, President of Smart City Networks. "After immense positive feedback from our management team following our participation in the Salvation Army's Christmas Assistance Program during our 2016 general managers meeting in San Antonio, we wanted to share the experience of giving throughout our entire organization."

In early November, teams in Orlando, Tampa, and Miami Beach joined cleanup crews on a mission to Keep Florida Beautiful with their local affiliates. Smart City teams in Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Long Beach assisted We Give Thanks with preparing a Thanksgiving Day feast for the homeless and less fortunate in Southern California. Other organizations chosen across the country include Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Rescue Mission, Toyful Joyful, and many more.

The majority of the work was completed during the Week of Service, November 13-19th. However, teams started projects in October and will continue their charitable efforts through the end of November.

More pictures here

About Smart City Networks

Smart City Networks, the industry leader in event telecommunications and technology, designs, installs and maintains data, voice, electrical and utility platforms, coupled with voice, video, data network engineering, security, and monitoring. With over 39 convention and meeting facilities across the U.S. in their portfolio, Smart City annually supports over 3,000 conventions and meetings, accounting for over 17 million square feet of exhibit space. For more information, call 702-943-6000 or visit www.smartcitynetworks.com.

SOURCE Smart City Networks

Related Links

https://www.smartcitynetworks.com


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that Miami is currently ranked third in terms of the highest volume of human trafficking cases in the U.S. In the past ten years, South Florida-based nonprofit No More Tears, along with their team of dedicated volunteer medical professionals, have rescued nearly 6,000 victims and helped them start a new life, free from abuse.

"We could not do the work we do without the help of our volunteer medical professionals," said Somy Ali, founder of No More Tears. "Many of our victims sustain serious injuries such as broken jaws, and damaged eye sockets. Their immediate care is vital to ensuring our victims recover."

Four Broward-based doctors volunteer their services to the 10 to 15 victims that No More Tears rescues each and every day. Dr. Wafa Abdulrazzaq of Cooper City provides free eye exams to victims, while Dr. Robert Bass of Plantation is available for free gynecological exams and treatment. Dr. Cynthia Somers of Tamarac provides psychological evaluations, and Dr. Katherine Ferguson of Davie offers free dental services.

"I am always available and willing to volunteer my services to this wonderful organization started by Somy, who is also one of my patients," Dr. Bass says. "My children also volunteer with No More Tears and have been busy planning this year's holiday party for all the children of the victims. For many this will be their first holiday season with presents, food and laughter."

Everyone who helps No More Tears is a volunteer, including Somy Ali. 100 percent of every donation received goes directly to the nonprofit's victims' assistance programs.

"When we aid victims, we not only remove them from their abusive environment; we also help them start a new life so that they never look back," Ali says. "I am grateful for the support of these wonderful physicians who are willing and able to help out."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, No More Tears is a nonprofit organization founded by Somy Ali. A victim of abuse, Ali moved to Broward County when she was 12, and then at 15 she moved to India to pursue a career in Bollywood. While there, she starred in 10 films, her most famous being Anth (1993). To learn more about No More Tears and how you can help visit www.nomoretearsusa.org or call (954) 324-7669.

About No More Tears

No More Tears, founded by former Bollywood actress Somy Ali in 2007, aims to assist and empower victims of domestic violence and human and sex trafficking. To date, No More Tears has helped more than 5,000 victims and 100 percent of all funds raised by the organization go directly to victims' assistance programs. To learn more, visit www.nomoretearsusa.org.

MEDIA RELEASE CONTACT

Laurie Menekou, (954) 732-0754 (or)

[email protected]

SOURCE No More Tears

Related Links

http://www.nomoretearsusa.org


"These were devastating storms, and we are grateful that all of our associates are safe and accounted for," said Steven Silverstein, President and CEO of Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc. "The Red Cross provides much needed service and relief for the thousands of people impacted by the hurricanes. Now more than ever, as a company, we wanted to stand tall and do our part to support everyone in need."

The American Red Cross uses donor dollars to provide shelter, comfort, food, and emergency support for the individuals and families in disaster zones. Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc.'s partnership with the organization is an effort to help those affected by the storms recover and get back on their feet in the challenging time ahead.

Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc. has taken several initiatives to raise money, including Spencer's and Spirit employee and company donations as well as customer donations. A substantial portion of this donation was raised in the stores, as part of ongoing philanthropic activity. Given the severity and immediate needs surrounding the devastating hurricane events, our partners agreed to allocate a portion of their funding to the Red Cross. The company has also launched a micro-site where donations can be made directly: https://www.redcross.org/spencergifts-emp.

About Spirit Halloween

Spirit Halloween (spirithalloween.com) is the largest Halloween specialty retailer in the country with more than 1,300 locations in strip centers and malls across North America. Celebrating 34 years of business, Spirit is the authority on all things Halloween, offering one-stop shopping for everything from costumes to decor and party goods to accessories. In addition to being a fun and interactive event for shoppers, Spirit stores offer complete selections of costumes and accessories for infants/toddlers, children, 'tweens, teens, and adults along with exclusive decor you won't find anywhere else.

At the heart of Spirit Halloween is Spirit of Children (spiritofchildren.com), a program which focuses on making hospitals less scary for kids and their families. Since its inception in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised over $37 million for the Child Life department at hospitals across the country. Donations to Spirit of Children stay within local communities, with 100% of funds going toward a child's life. For the 2017 Halloween season, Spirit of Children will be supporting 139 hospitals across the country, with a goal to raise $8.0 million. Spirit encourages customers to help make a difference in a child's life this Halloween season by donating at their local Spirit Halloween or spreading awareness via Facebook and Instagram by using #SpiritofChildren in their photos.

About Spencer's

For more than 65 years, Spencer's (spencersonline.com) has been selling unique and edgy lifestyle accessories. Founded in 1947 as a mail order catalog in Pennsylvania, the company opened its first brick and mortar store in 1963 and has since grown to more than 690 locations. Winner of Chain Store Age's "Storefront of the Year," Spencer's sells T-shirts, accessories, jewelry, drink ware, and more.

SOURCE Spirit Halloween

Related Links

http://spencersonline.com


CORAL GABLES, Fla., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tickmark, Inc. (Taxfyle), the leading on-demand tax preparation service, has partnered with Bench Accounting, Inc. (Bench), North America's largest online bookkeeping service, in order to provide small and mid-sized businesses with the optimal solution to all their tax and accounting needs. The partnership matches small and medium sized business (SMB) owners who have their books prepared by Bench, with certified public accountants (CPAs) and IRS enrolled agents (EAs) for tax planning, preparation and the filing of their business and/or personal tax returns.

"With new tax changes on the horizon; now, more than ever, SMBs stand to benefit from the tax planning and filing expertise that licensed professionals have to offer. Combine this with the tremendous job Bench does of preparing their clients books, and you essentially have a full-service accounting department for a fraction of the cost," said Richard Lavina, CEO & co-founder of Taxfyle.

Taxfyle provides the simplest and fastest way to engage a licensed professional to prepare individual or business taxes, all while providing customers with an upfront quote, unlike the typical accounting firm or tax preparation office. Taxfyle's platform is fully secure and enables customers to chat with their assigned professional and exchange documents with them as necessary.

Richard explained, "With the sweeping tax reform that appears to be taking shape in the House and Senate, having wide-ranging implications for both personal and business taxes; having a knowledgeable professional at your side is paramount. They have the knowledge to help put you in the most tax advantaged position possible."

"There's no shortage of critical, time-intensive back office tasks for small business owners to complete. But, these tasks aren't producing income," says Ian Crosby, Co-founder and CEO of Bench. "We selectively partner with companies like Taxfyle to equip our clients with effortless solutions to these tasks, leveraging our automation to establish a new foundation for small business success and long-term growth."

Bench clients will be able to receive a single quote for bookkeeping and tax services (business and personal), through a new bundle package. They'll pay one flat, monthly fee; and their books and tax preparation will be handled seamlessly. Once Bench has completed a client's tax-ready, year-end financial package, they will be uploaded to their Taxfyle account where one of Taxfyle's licensed CPAs or EAs will plan for and prepare their return.

About Taxfyle

Founded in August of 2015 and based in Coral Gables, Florida, Taxfyle is a secure, on-demand tax and accounting platform where clients are matched to the highest tax and accounting talent. Clients submit jobs, connect with a licensed professional, chat, exchange documents and sign their return, all on their mobile device or laptop. It doesn't matter if you're a recent college graduate, an entrepreneur, or a multi-millionaire, Taxfyle's platform solves all US income tax issues on-demand at below market rates. Follow @Taxfyle or visit .

About Bench

Bench is the largest online bookkeeping service in North America for small businesses. The five-year-old fintech company organizes the financials of small businesses, independent contractors, and entrepreneurs. Pairing its intuitive software with a live bookkeeping team, Bench combines the convenience and efficiency of modern technology with the expertise and time-savings afforded by a professional service to let business owners get back to doing what they love: running their business. Clients receive standardized, annual tax-ready financials, and monthly Profit & Loss and Balance Sheets.

Bench was co-founded out of NYC by Forbes 30 Under 30 winner, Ian Crosby in 2012. It has raised over $33M to date, services thousands of business owners across the country and currently employs 230 people out of its North American headquarters. Follow @Bench or visit https://bench.co.

SOURCE Tickmark, Inc. (Taxfyle)

Related Links

https://taxfyle.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Overview

Tert-butyl Hydroperoxide (TBHP) is a clear, colorless, stable and aqueous solution usually available in concentration of approximately 70 wt% TBHP and 30 wt% water. TBHP belongs to the alkyl hydroperoxide chemical family. It is a highly reactive product, with three types of significant physical hazards: flammability, thermal, and decomposition due to contamination.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207187

TBHP provides a readily available and convenient source of active oxygen suitable for diverse oxidation technologies. Epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide is the largest commercial application of TBHP. Under the polymerization initiation reaction, TBHP is employed to synthesize many perester, dialkyl peroxide, and perketal derivatives, as it serves as a free radical initiator for polymerization, co-polymerization, graft polymerization, and curing of polymers. TBHP is also used in manufacture of specialty chemicals required in fine chemical and performance chemical industries such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It can selectively oxidize hydrocarbons, olefins, and alcohols. Asymmetric epoxidation and kinetic resolution with TBHP can provide access to complex chiral intermediates.

Commonly used production processes of TBHP include reaction between hydrogen peroxide and tert butanol (TBA) in the presence of sulfuric acid. The TBHP-based PO production process generates TBA as by-product, along with PO. The recyclic nature of the process reduces the intensity of grade of TBHP at every pass. It enables manufacturers to procure TBHP at a lower cost than that of the original production. This is expected to act as a driver for the global TBHP market.

The report estimates and forecasts the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.

The study includes drivers and restraints for the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of Tert-butyl hydroperoxide and global average price trend analysis.

The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for tert-butyl hydroperoxide market between 2017 and 2025.

Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Geographic Segmentation

The study provides a comprehensive view of the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market by dividing it into application and geography segments. The applications are segmented into polymerization initiator, chemical synthesis, curing agent, and others. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.

Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of tert-butyl hydroperoxide in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.

Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Competitive Analysis

The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include LyondellBasell, PERGAN GmbH, Arkema Group, Akzo Nobel, and United Initiators GmbH. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).

Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Research Methodology

Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS), Chemical Weekly Magazine, U.N. Comtrade, World Bank, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and EUROPA - European Commission, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.

In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.

The global tert-butyl hydroperoxide market has been segmented as follows:

Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market, by Application

Polymerization Initiator

Chemical Synthesis

Curing Agent

Others

Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market, by Region

North America

U.S.

Canada

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Europe

Germany

Netherlands

U.K.

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

ASEAN

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207187

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.

__________________________

Contact Clare:

[email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- While most people love to hear the hip-hop genre - from freestyle rap, boom bap, to trap music - they often don't know of the struggles behind making the music. Two months away from the launch of their debut album "TIMELESS," the hip-hop group Sekkond Hand - made up of Jamie Haage aka Av Murphy, Spliftout and Bliz Balboa - drops a new documentary by the same name in which they open up about overcoming battles with cancer, addiction and their struggles as artists over the past 20 years.

Sekkond Hand - Hip-Hop artists release documentary on music, addiction, battling cancer and their struggle in the music industry.

Jamie Haage, an underground hip-hop artist, reveals the struggles he faced during many stages of his life. Influenced by hop-hop culture, Murphy began writing graffiti, DJing and eventually studying the craft of becoming an MC. Murphy talks about his transition from selling pills to abusing them to addiction, to his diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, to his turning point in life: his third open heart surgery in 2015 as a direct result of drug use.

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Spliftout moved to Brooklyn in 1990 to pursue his love of producing hip-hop. Eight years later, he would continue to push the boundaries and move to Los Angeles. In 2000, he signed an artist deal with a subsidiary of Interscope but would later get a release due to artistic differences. In 2006, Spliftout joined forces with multi-Grammy award winner Stevie J and pro skateboarder and musician Danny Way to release "Tear Down the Walls," featuring Travis Barker on the drums. The song debuted on ESPN X Games that year as it featured Jake Brown describing his big slam at the X Games from the previous year. From there he worked with Stevie J on LHHATL season 3 as Music Supervisor.

Bliz Balboa and Av Murphy are longtime friends (since 1996). For the past 20 years, they have collaborated on numerous underground hip-hop mixtapes, albums and events. As teenagers they were in the underground hip-hop group called "Kapital Korruption." This formed both their craft as artists and their bond as brothers. Bliz, together with DJ Menace, has recorded with such artists and producers as: Snoop Dogg, Killer Mike, MC Serch, Talib Kweli, Mims, Statik Selektah, DJ Eclipse and KXNG Crooked, aka "Crooked I."

Also featured in the documentary is Chevy Playa Slim, who, in reference to Av and Bliz, stated they are "two people that have been doing rap for years are still loyal to each other and loyal to hip-hop." Chevy Playa Slim is a hip-hop artist out of Delray Beach, Florida. He has been in the underground hip-hop scene for two decades.

Longtime friend Richard "Nyceflix" Jackson directed and produced "Always on Time" along with Av Murphy.

The debut album from Sekkond Hand, "TIMELESS," drops January 2018!

Sekkond Hand has pre-released one of the tracks - "TIMELESS" on Sound Cloud (http://thamessage.com/sekkond-hand-timeless-single)

Media Contact:

Shane McIntyre

Phone: 866-381-7591

Email: [email protected]

Related Links

ThaMassage.com

Documentary "Always On Time"

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwcyo6IzK1Y

SOURCE ThaMessage.com
"Now patients can receive this care from top physicians at a first-rate facility right in their own neighborhood without having to cross a bridge," said Gary G. Terrinoni, President and CEO of TBHC. "The expansion of TBHC's cardiology services means increased access to high-quality care for nearly one million Downtown Brooklyn residents, both in incidents of emergency and preventive care, allowing us to better continue Keeping Brooklyn Healthy ."

"Downtown and North Central Brooklyn has a significant community need for PCI and EP services as evidenced by a disproportionately higher percentage of premature deaths related to heart disease, low utilization of PCI services due to lack of access, and high rates of transport out of the borough for such services," said Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "Mount Sinai has a 19-year track record of offering the highest level of patient safety in New York State, and we pleased to provide our clinical expertise in PCI to TBHC."

Arthur Klein, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Health Network added, "This alliance demonstrates the high value we place on delivering quality cardiac care to the Downtown and North Central Brooklyn communities. Mount Sinai is proud to collaborate with The Brooklyn Hospital Center as part of our expanding network."

Srinivas Kesankurthy, MD, director of TBHC's newly enhanced program said, "With the expansion of these services and the building of our full-service cardiac catheterization lab, thanks to Mount Sinai Heart, our heart experts are able to offer a full spectrum of high-quality cardiac care. When every second counts, our community can count on TBHC before, during and after a cardiac event. We are very grateful to Mount Sinai to make this clinical partnership possible."

Distinguished guests included New York State Assemblyman Walter Mosley, New York State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, New York State Assemblyman Joe Lentol, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna, and Drew Gabriel from the Office of the Governor.

A ribbon-cutting took place to acknowledge the gift of the Family Education and Intake Area in TBHC's Cardiac Catheterization Lab by long-time TBHC physician Chennareddy Swaminathan, MD, and his wife, D. Pramila, MD, in memory of their beloved parents. Their son, Sarath Reddy, MD, is Chief of Cardiology at TBHC.

ABOUT THE BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER

Since 1845, The Brooklyn Hospital Center has been dedicated to providing outstanding health services, education, and research to keep the people of Brooklyn and greater New York healthy. TBHC's focus is ensuring optimal patient care through the use of advanced technology, innovative medical and surgical treatments, and staff expertise. Located in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, TBHC is a clinical affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital and an academic affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. As Brooklyn's first hospital, TBHC is proud to be a part of this incredibly diverse community and is committed to Keeping Brooklyn Healthy.

For more information, visit www.tbh.org or call 718.250.8000. For more information about comprehensive cardiac care at TBHC, call 718.250.8265 or visit tbh.org/brooklynheart.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally.

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Contact: Kim C. Flodin | The Brooklyn Hospital Center | 718.250.8271 | [email protected]

Contact: Wendi Chason / Mount Sinai/ 646-872-8872 / [email protected]

SOURCE The Brooklyn Hospital Center

Related Links

http://www.tbh.org


ORANGE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC), in collaboration with LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, answered the age old question: 'Is an Executive MBA worth it?' According to respondents of more than 1,000 Executive MBA (EMBA) alumni across the globe, 72 percent said the EMBA program had a positive impact on their career. For those graduates, an EMBA degree resulted in promotions, substantial salary increases over time, career changes or even launching their own business.

"The Executive MBA Council hears from alumni about how the program has enhanced their careers, but working together with LinkedIn to survey their members, we were able to gather concrete evidence that an EMBA program has a positive impact on one's career," said Michael Desiderio, executive director of the Executive MBA Council. "Interestingly, the results show that earning potential was not the main factor for prospective students when deciding to attend a program; rather, it was an increase in business knowledge and skills that could positively impact change for their career course."

In fact, the study found that the most important decision factors for prospective students when deciding to enroll in an EMBA program are core business knowledge, and leadership and collaboration skills. Salary increases came in as the fifth reason, behind opportunities to do fulfilling work and ability to change one's career trajectory. When rating how EMBA programs delivered on these pre-program decision factors, there was alignment for the top two reasons as graduates felt the program delivered well in those two areas.

"LinkedIn is actively investing in solutions for higher education institutions, so it was a natural fit for us to work with the Executive MBA Council to understand what graduates are gaining from EMBA programs," said Ira Amilhussin, global senior marketing manager, higher education at LinkedIn. "On LinkedIn, schools have a unique opportunity to engage prospects, current students and alumni, and we were able to survey our worldwide user base to determine the return on education as it relates to EMBA programs."

EMBAC is the academic association of business schools which offer EMBA programs throughout the world, which currently includes more than 200 colleges and universities that administer 300 plus programs in more than 30 countries worldwide. The survey was fielded Sept. 5 through 15, 2017,and included 1,017 graduates from North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

About the Executive MBA Council

The Executive MBA Council (EMBAC) is a non-profit association of universities and colleges that offer Executive MBA programs. EMBAC's vision is to be the preeminent global voice of the Executive MBA industry. The Council supports its members in fostering excellence and innovation in Executive MBA programs worldwide by providing outstanding educational and networking opportunities for professionals who deliver Executive MBA programs. EMBAC's mission is to advance the cause of EMBA programs by providing necessary thought leadership, serving as a facilitator of best practice sharing and knowledge dissemination, and fostering a community among high-quality programs. For more information or resources, visit www.embac.org or https://executivemba.org.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

Allison+Partners on behalf of the Executive MBA Council

(623) 201-5512

SOURCE Executive MBA Council

Related Links

http://embac.org


NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This report analyzes and forecasts the market for thermal insulation at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (Kilo Tons) from 2017 to 2025. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global thermal insulation market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for thermal insulation during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the thermal insulation market at the global and regional level.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207186

The report comprises a detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global thermal insulation market. Porter's Five Forces model for the thermal insulation market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.



Global Thermal Insulation Market: Scope of Study and Research Methodology



The report provides the estimated market size of thermal insulation for 2016 and forecast for the next nine years. The global market size of thermal insulation has been provided in terms of revenue and volume. Market numbers have been estimated based on key product, foam, end-user and regional segments of thermal insulation market. Market size and forecast for each major product, foam, and end-user have been provided in terms of global and regional/country markets.

In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research also includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants' insights, and recognizing business opportunities.



Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, and SEC filings, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market, National government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market, Factiva, etc.



Primary research involves e-mail interactions, telephonic interviews, and face-to-face interviews for each market, category, segment, and sub-segment across geographies. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators in order to validate the data and analysis. Primary interviews provide firsthand information on market size, market trends, growth trends, competitive landscape, and outlook, etc. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.

Global Thermal Insulation Market: Market Segmentation



The study provides a decisive view of the global thermal insulation market by segmenting it in terms of product, foam, end-user, and region. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for thermal insulation in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers demand for individual Foam segments in all the regions.



Global Thermal Insulation Market: Market Dynamics



The market for thermal insulation is primarily driven by rising demand from construction industry and increasing LNG demand. Demand for thermal insulation has been rising primarily due to the increase in demand for insulation in buildings for thermal purposes. With the growth of the population the rise for the construction industry is also increasing. Construction can be residential as well as non-residential. The rising demand from the new construction has raised the demand for thermal insulation products. The thermal insulation market would also be driven by increasing residential maintenance activities. Home owners are interested in investing more in the upkeep of their floors, walls, and roofing's. This trend is anticipated to promote the growth of thermal insulation market. Also, rise in construction industry will lead to the rise in the insulation market as the people are more inclined towards the energy saving processes. Growing population coupled with increasing numbers of nuclear families in Asia Pacific is encouraging growth of the construction industry in the region.



Global Thermal Insulation Market: Competitive Landscape



The study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global thermal insulation market. Key players in the thermal insulation market include Armacell, Asahi Kasei Corporation, BASF SE, Johns Manville, Covestro AG, The Dow Chemicals Company, DuPont, Insulcon Group, Isolatek International, Kingspan Group PLC, Owens Corning, ROCKWOOL International A/S, Saint-Gobain S.A., ThermaXX Jackets LLC, URSA Insulation S.A., and others. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, recent developments, and SWOT analysis.



The Global Thermal Insulation market has been segmented as follows:



Global Thermal Insulation Market: By Product

Cellular Material

Glass

Polypropylene

Polyurethane

Polystyrene

Polyisocyanurate

Epoxy

Fibrous Material

Mineral Wool

Fiberglass

Silica

Alumina Silica

Silicone Rubber

Granular Material

Cellulose

Calcium Silicate

Perlite

Aerogel

Expanded Vermiculite



Global Thermal Insulation Market: By Foam

Rigid Board

Rigid Foam/Foam Board

Flexible Foam

Sprayed Foam

Batts

Loose Fillers

Barriers

Others



Global Thermal Insulation Market: By End-User

Building & Construction

Residential

Commercial

Oil & Gas

Offshore

Subsea

Others

Aerospace & Aviation

Mechanical Systems

Clothing

Automotive

Industrial

Others



Global Thermal Insulation Market: By Region/Country/Sub-region

North America

US

Canada

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Russia

Turkey

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

ASEAN

South Korea

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05207186



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.

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


TOLEDO, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Toledo Edison invites customers to celebrate the holiday season by entering its second annual "Merry & Bright" Holiday Lights Photo Contest.

Participants can enter by submitting a photo of their home's outdoor holiday light display on the Toledo Edison Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison) from Monday, Nov. 27 to Friday, Dec. 15. Up to 10 finalists will be selected by Toledo Edison based on criteria such as creativity and number of lights. Finalists' photos will be posted on Facebook for public voting from Monday, Dec. 18 to Friday, Dec. 22.

The grand prize winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card and a set of LED holiday lights controlled by a mobile app. The runner up will receive a $100 gift card.

More information, including complete contest rules, will be posted to the Toledo Edison Facebook page. The "Merry & Bright" contest is open only to Toledo Edison customers who are legal residents of Ohio and who are at least 18 years of age. Only one entry per household will be accepted. Employees and family members of FirstEnergy, Toledo Edison or its advertising agency are not eligible.

Photos of the winning entries from 2016 can be found on Flickr.

Toledo Edison is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and serves more than 300,000 customers in northwest Ohio. Follow Toledo Edison on Twitter @ToledoEdison, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison, or online at www.toledoedison.com.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Related Links

http://www.firstenergycorp.com


BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedia Group founder and CEO Tom Madden couldn't be more pleased to welcome prominent attorney Peter Ticktin back as an esteemed client of his award-winning PR firm.

"This time we'll be promoting Peter personally whose engaging writings are striking positive chords with readers across the Internet," said Madden.

"We're thrilled to represent Ticktin as an expert and commentator on a wide range of subjects from President Donald Trump whom he knows personally, to legal issues and laws which he was instrumental in having courts adopt, plus his enormous scientific knowledge and expertise on global warming," said Madden.

The firm will assist Ticktin in turning a compilation of his posts and other writings into a must-read book about how Donald Trump's policies could help reduce the effects of global warming in America.

Trump was Ticktin's captain of Company "A" and he appointed Ticktin to be his Platoon Sergeant back in New York Military where they became lifelong friends. Madden is a published author himself whose latest book "Is there enough Brady in Trump to win the inSUPERable BOWL?" is available on Amazon.

Ticktin said he retained TransMedia this time for himself, as he has always been impressed by the firm's drive, creativity and resourcefulness in disseminating powerful messages that have built brands.

Ticktin received his first law degree from the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, where he defeated the Uniform Summons which caused every misdemeanor in the Province that used the form to be dismissed.

He tried numerous cases and appeared frequently before the Appellate Courts and on one occasion before the Supreme Court of Canada. In the mid-80s, Ticktin relocated to Florida and obtained a second law degree required for admission to The Florida Bar and graduated cum laude, was admitted to the Order of the Coif, was awarded the Gold Scholarship, and scored one of the highest scores in the bar examinations.

Ticktin has appeared in the Federal trial and appellate courts of the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Southern District of New York and numerous other courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Florida and the Supreme Court of California.

Contact: Alexandra Flugel, 561-750-9800 x2300; [email protected].

SOURCE TransMedia Group
LANGLEY, BC, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - The number of first year education students at Trinity Western University's School of Education jumped from 40 previously to 85 students this year. This doubling of education students will produce more teachers to help address the current teacher shortage in British Columbia.

Since 2001, TWU has graduated over 400 teachers, most of whom now teach in B.C. public or independent schools. It was one of the first teacher education programs in B.C. that required students to take at least one course in special education to meet specialized learning needs of students. The program also includes a mandatory Indigenous Education course focused on truth, reconciliation and heart transformation. Taught by Dr. Matthew Etherington and TWU's University Siya:m and Elder, Patti Victor, from the Sto:lo Nation, the course has all students present to a panel of invited Indigenous Elders and educators in lieu of writing a final exam.

TWU is one of the few universities in the province to offer a concurrent education degree where students begin taking education courses in their first year, allowing them to develop the mindset of a teacher from the beginning of their university studies.

"Our concurrent education program means we get highly committed and motivated students choosing our program who feel a calling to the teaching profession from very early on. Also, they are well prepared for the classroom when they graduate because they have so much more time to really come to see themselves as teachers," says Dr. Allyson Jule, new Dean of the TWU School of Education.

With the November 2016 Supreme Court of Canada ruling on class size and composition in B.C. classrooms, there is a record high demand for teachers in the province, particularly special education teachers. Trinity Western University's School of Education is well equipped and well prepared to respond to the need for excellent teachers who understand complex classrooms and are ready to meet the demands of the K-12 system.

The university is an innovative leader in developing a Minor in Special Education. Plus, its new Masters of Educational Studies in Special Education uses a mixed delivery cohort model where course work is a mix of online instruction and a series of four-week residencies on campus in the summer, making it fit the schedule of working professional teachers.

VIDEO: Teaching as a Calling  TWU's Master of Arts in Special Education

"We are particularly well positioned to fill the need for special education teachers in B.C. schools," says Dr. Ken Pudlas, TWU professor of education. "This program prepares teachers to meet a broad range of special educational needs resulting from students' cognitive, social, and sensory differencesincluding those resulting from learning disabilities, emotional disorders, behavioural disorders, giftedness, and developmental delay."

TWU education students carry out research that contributes to the public school system when they bring their skills to classrooms and communities.

Examples of TWU MA in Special Education student research topics:

Use of iPads to enhance literacy

Best practices in classroom inclusion

Exploring adolescent gender identity today and what it means to be "male"

Identifying and working with English Language Learners who may have special learning needs

Using an in-school cafe project to enhance social inclusion and academic skills

Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University offers liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media and culture.

SOURCE Trinity Western University

Related Links

http://www.twu.ca


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- uBack, a minority, women-led fintech startup based in Charlotte, has partnered with Bank of America to combine mobile banking with mobile giving. The partnership will allow Bank of America's 24 million mobile banking customers to donate to more than 800,000 nonprofits directly through the bank's mobile banking app.

The partnership came about through Bank of America's focus on improving the financial lives of its customers by understanding their life priorities, including giving back, particularly during the holiday season. The bank chose uBack to help its customers give back faster and easier, through a seamless integration with Bank of America's existing mobile platform.

"uBack was created because we believed that technology could make it easier than ever for people to change the world. Now, thanks to our powerful partnership with Bank of America, more than 24 million people will be able to leverage that technology and make a profound impact  right from their phones," said Melissa Bodford, co-founder and CEO of uBack.

Bank of America mobile banking customers will be able to use uBack's technology beginning Nov. 21, in time for its customers to support Giving Tuesday, the national day of giving on November 28, and through Dec. 31

"One of our customers' top priorities during the holiday season is giving back to their communities and favorite charities," said Michelle Moore, head of Digital Banking at Bank of America. "That's why we're making it more convenient for them to make donations through mobile banking while they're managing their financial lives."

Here's how the uBack technology works: Bank of America will feature uBack ads in its Mobile Banking experience. When customers click the ads, they will be redirected to the uBack donation portal, where they can search for their favorite charity from uBack's database of over 800,000 Charity Navigator-rated nonprofits and donate in just a few clicks.

"Research shows that customers increasingly want to do business with companies committed to community impact. Our partnership with Bank of America highlights their overall commitment to giving back in local communities by making it easier for their customers to donate to causes they care about," Bodford said. "uBack builds technology to facilitate that."

For more information about our partnership, click here.

SOURCE uBack Inc.

Related Links

https://www.ubackforgood.com/


NORTHBOOK, Ill., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a global leader in safety science, today announced the acquisition of ChemADVISOR, a recognized world leader in chemical regulatory compliance and data solutions. Integrating ChemADVISOR's environmental, health, safety and transportation information and solutions will broaden UL's compliance solution services that help businesses navigate the ever-changing, chemical regulatory landscape.

"Our customers are continually held accountable to be regulatory compliant in the products they design, manufacture, transport and sell," said Carlos Correia, SVP and GM, UL Supply Chain and Sustainability. "Considering ChemADVISOR's reputation as a world class leader in the industry, with a chemical regulatory and substance database second to none, aligning with ChemADVISOR enables UL to expand our full suite of value chain services to customers and help give them an added level of assurance."

Founded in 1986, ChemADVISOR, a privately held company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a broad range of customers, mostly large multinationals, covering more than 120 countries around the world in 44 different languages.

UL and ChemADVISOR's combined portfolio will help strengthen global relationships with key customers. The transaction closed on November 17, 2017.

About UL

UL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. We test, inspect, audit, certify, validate, verify, advise and train and we support these efforts with software solutions for safety and sustainability. To learn more about us, visit UL.com.

About ChemADVISOR

ChemADVISOR is a leading provider of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Transportation (EHS&T) information & regulatory compliance solutions to the global chemical-based manufacturing industry. The company offers a variety of database products, training programs and consulting services for handling hazardous materials on a global basis. ChemADVISOR's database products, including ChemADVISOR Navigator, LOLI (List of Lists) Database, and Transportation Advisor provide comprehensive up-to-date chemical regulatory information. LOLI contains hundreds of thousands of substances in over 5,700 lists, including non-regulatory and supplementary information. ChemADVISOR's products are designed by EHS&T experts to empower its customers to achieve compliance with regulations, author SDSs and label statements in multiple languages, determining Global Harmonized System (GHS) and Transportation Classifications, and much more.

Michelle Press

PR Director, UL

847-664-1966

[email protected]

SOURCE UL

Related Links

https://www.ul.com


Hosted by Bustos Media, Red Wolf, Reyes Media Group along with other independent radio stations, the two-day event was broadcasted throughout Spanish-language radio stations in 14 markets, including Amarillo, Texas; Goshen, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Louisville, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Portland and Salem, Oregon, as well as Seattle, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities and Yakima, Washington.

"We are proud to continue our lifesaving partnership with St. Jude, and I look forward to expanding our footprint together in the Hispanic market so that we can continue raising the critical funds necessary to help save the lives of children," said Amador Bustos, President and CEO of Bustos Media Holdings LLC.

"Events like these showcase the impact of the St. Jude mission, so that we can continue to lead the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases," said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "This wouldn't be possible without event volunteers, supporters and sponsors. Thanks to their generosity, St. Jude continues to treat patients worldwide."

During the event, radio listeners heard several heartwarming stories of Hispanic patient families, like 11-year old Yamila, who is being treated at St. Jude. Yamila has been fighting cancer since she was 3 years old, when she was found to suffer from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. Yamila, who is from Puerto Rico, went into remission after initially undergoing treatment at a local hospital, but the cancer came back. This time, her doctors recommended a bone marrow transplant and referred Yamila's family to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee for Yamila's continuing treatment and care.

St. Jude Promesa y Esperanza radio events began in 1997, with just three participating radio stations. Today, 20 years and 100 radio stations later, they have helped raise more than $130 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

For more information about Promesa y Esperanza or to make a donation, visit promesayesperanza.org. or call (800) 998-8432 and join in on social media with #UnidosConStJude.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food  because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@stjude

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Related Links

http://www.stjude.org


The Chairman's Award for Community Impact and Social Responsibility was created this year to "reward design-build teams which have shown extraordinary commitment to triple bottom-line successeconomic, environmental and socialand which have clearly improved the communities they've engaged," said DBIA CEO and Executive Director Lisa Washington.

Washington also commented that the UChicago team, led by design-builder Mortenson Construction and architect Studio Gang, "went above and beyond" to engage the Hyde Park and Chicago communities. Chicago residents performed 39.87% of the workforce hours; and minority- and women-owned businesses received 43.96% of the construction dollars paid to date.

"We are very proud to receive these awards for the Campus North project from the Design-Build Institute of America," said Larry Blouin, UChicago executive director of capital project delivery. "The university set ambitious and visionary goals for this residence hall, from the design and construction to LEED Gold certification and community involvement and connection, and the DBIA awards recognize these achievements."

"Underscoring the university's commitment to academic success and sustainability, all of the systems of the building work together to ensure high-performance standards for both the students and the architecture," said Jeanne Gang, founding principal of Studio Gang. "We designed an architecture that really feels like home for the students, but that simultaneously opens to and engages with the community."

"Like UChicago and Studio Gang, we at Mortenson believe how you build is as important as what you build," said Greg Werner, Mortenson senior vice-president and head of the Chicago office. "Our project team was passionate about generating economic opportunity for businesses and individuals in the Hyde Park and greater Chicago communities. I am thrilled to say we far exceeded our original project goals for a diverse workforce and minority- and women-owned business participation."

The Campus North residence hall opened in fall 2016, a full year ahead of the university's original plan due to the efficiencies of the design-build process. The 400,000-square-foot residence hall is composed of four buildings, ranging in height from a single-story dining commons to a 15-story residential tower with a student Reading Room at the top. The buildings overlap, forming a new portal at the corner of the university that is complemented by plazas, walkways, courtyards, and retail. The portal welcomes both students and the community to campus, inviting them to enjoy these new amenities.

About the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its home in Hyde Park and campuses around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact. www.uchicago.edu

About Mortenson

Founded in 1954, Mortenson is a U.S.-based, family-owned construction and development services company. As one of the nation's top builders, Mortenson provides a complete range of construction services, including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management and design-build. The company also is a leader in real estate development, developing all asset types. Mortenson has operations across North America with offices in Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and in Canada. www.mortenson.com

About Studio Gang

Studio Gang is an architecture and urban design practice based in Chicago and New York. Led by MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang and recognized internationally for a design process that foregrounds the relationships between individuals, communities and environments, Studio Gang produces award-winning work that ranges in scale from the 82-story Aqua Tower to the 14-acre Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. Current projects include the new United States Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil; a unified campus for California College of the Arts in San Francisco; and an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. www.studiogang.com

SOURCE Mortenson Construction
The contract, based on a transaction licensing model, will see Visage 7 implemented at select YNHHS radiology locations and integrated to their EHR for imaging results.

The implementation will span three of the health system's hospitals  Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale New Haven, including Yale New Haven's Children Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital, as well as numerous additional imaging locations across the state of Connecticut. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of the Yale School of Medicine.

"This is another very significant contract for us," said Dr. Sam Hupert, CEO of Visage Imaging. "Yale New Haven is one of the top academic medical centers in the US and its affiliated medical school is renowned. Their decision further validates our belief that Visage 7 is uniquely positioned to cater to the needs of the most sophisticated and demanding clinical environments."

Dr. Hupert continued, "This is another major milestone for us in terms of market acceptance and we look to build on this as a basis for continued growth in North American and other global markets."

Visage will be demonstrating the industry leading Visage 7 Enterprise Imaging Platform at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2017 annual meeting (Visage Booth 4365, McCormick Place-South Hall A), November 2630, Chicago, Illinois. To schedule a priority demonstration and/or meeting with Visage at RSNA 2017, please visit this link for additional details.

About Visage Imaging, Inc.

Visage Imaging is a global provider of enterprise imaging and advanced visualization solutions for diagnostic imaging. The Visage 7 Enterprise Imaging Platform delivers amazingly fast server-side rendered images streamed via an intelligent thin-client viewer with unmatched interoperability. Radiologists and referring physicians have a customized, protocol-driven workflow to natively view multi-dimensional imagery and multimedia using a One Viewer philosophy, scaled to support the world's most sophisticated healthcare organizations. Powerful solutions include enterprise interpretation and viewing; archiving, image enablement of EHRs; RIS/PACS, as well as anywhere mobile diagnostic access. http://www.visageimaging.com/

About Pro Medicus Limited

Pro Medicus Limited [ASX: PME] is Australia's leading imaging IT provider. Founded in 1983, the company provides a full range of integrated software products and services to hospital, imaging centers and health care groups worldwide. www.promed.com.au

About Yale New Haven Health

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals  Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. http://www.ynhhs.org/

Visage, Visage Imaging, Visage Ease Pro, Visage Ease, One Viewer, ANV, and Deconstructed PACS are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks that are licensed by Visage Imaging Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners or licensees.

SOURCE Visage Imaging, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.visageimaging.com


WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Volpara Solutions announced today that it has received regulatory clearances for its suite of quantitative breast imaging tools in Japan and Taiwan. In Japan, the full VolparaEnterprise suite of products has received regulatory approval as a Class II medical device. In Taiwan, VolparaDensity and VolparaDose have received regulatory clearance as a Class II medical device from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). VolparaEnterprise software is not classified as a medical device in Taiwan, and does not require regulatory approval.

Japan has approximately 65 million women and some 5 million are screened for breast cancer using mammography each year. It is estimated that Japan has 3,200 mammography machines, making it one of the world's largest users of mammography outside the US. The incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing in Japan, with breast cancer now one of the leading causes of cancer death, accounting for 20.4% of all new cancers. For this reason, breast cancer screening and increasing the compliance surrounding screening are areas of focus for the government. Women aged 4069 are encouraged to undergo a breast screen every two years, and breast density notification is under discussion.

Hirofumi Namba, president of Breast Healthcare, Volpara's Japanese distributor, will immediately launch the products into the Japanese market and will attend the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting, November 26-December 1, 2017 (Volpara Booth - South Hall #2571). Breast Healthcare already has multiple research sites installed and active with VolparaDensity software, including Hokkaido Cancer Centre, Niigata Cancer Centre, Hokuto Hospital and Showa University School of Medicine; and formally introduced VolparaEnterprise software at the Japanese Association of Breast Cancer Screening meeting in Tokushima last week.

Taiwan has a target population for screening of more than 670,000 women. It is estimated that Taiwan has around 300 digital mammography machines, and it is one of world's largest users of computer-aided detection in mammography outside of the US, in line with its status as a leading adopter of computer technology. The incidence of breast cancer is also rapidly increasing in Taiwan, with the number of cases almost doubling in the last 20 years and forecast to approach Western levels over the next 15 years. For this reason, breast cancer screening and increasing the compliance surrounding screening is an area of focus for the government. Women aged 45-69 are encouraged to undergo a breast screen every two years.

Volpara has two research sites in place, including Changhua Christian Hospital in Changhua City, which has commenced an evaluation of VolparaEnterprise Analytics, and set to be the first VolparaEnterprise customer in Asia. The Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei has been using VolparaDensity in clinical research since 2014.

"We know that there are a higher proportion of women with dense breasts in these countries compared to the West, which may contribute to the rising incidence of breast cancer and missed cancers," said Ralph Highnam, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Volpara. "We are pleased to continue expanding the global reach of Volpara's quantitative breast imaging tools, which are designed to help maintain accuracy and consistent quality in breast screening. We believe this will help improve the early detection of breast cancer in Japan and Taiwan."

About Volpara Solutions

Founded with the goal of helping radiologists give women the most accurate information possible regarding their breast health, Volpara Solutions is the wholly owned sales and marketing arm of Volpara Health Technologies Limited of New Zealand. Available in most markets where breast cancer screening is commonplace, VolparaDensity provides an objective volumetric measure of breast density from both digital mammography and tomosynthesis data. VolparaEnterprise is part of a suite of quantitative breast imaging tools which allow for personalised measurements of density, patient-specific x-ray dose, breast compression, breast positioning and other factors designed to provide critical insight for breast imaging workflow. For more information, visit www.volparasolutions.com.

SOURCE Volpara Solutions

Related Links

http://www.volparasolutions.com


GREENSBURG, Pa., Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- West Penn Power Company (West Penn Power) invites customers to celebrate the holiday season by entering its third annual "Merry & Bright" Holiday Lights Photo Contest.

Participants can enter by submitting a photo of their home's outdoor holiday light display on the West Penn Power Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WestPennPower) from Monday, Nov. 27 to Friday, Dec. 15. Up to 10 finalists will be selected by West Penn Power based on criteria such as creativity and number of lights. Finalists' photos will be posted on Facebook for public voting from Monday, Dec. 18 to Friday, Dec. 22.

The grand prize winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card and a set of LED holiday lights controlled by a mobile app. The runner up will receive a $100 gift card.

More information, including complete contest rules, will be posted to the West Penn Power Facebook page. The "Merry & Bright" contest is open only to West Penn Power customers who are legal residents of Pennsylvania and who are at least 18 years of age. Only one entry per household will be accepted. Employees and family members of FirstEnergy, West Penn Power or its advertising agency are not eligible.

Photos of the winning entries from 2016 can be found on Flickr.

West Penn Power is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and serves about 720,000 customers in 24 Pennsylvania counties. Follow West Penn Power on Twitter @W_Penn_Power, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestPennPower, and online at www.west-penn-power.com.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Related Links

http://www.firstenergycorp.com


LONDON, November 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

YO! Sushi ("YO!"), the iconic Japanese restaurant group, today announces the acquisition of Bento Sushi ("Bento"), North America's second largest sushi brand, creating a global multi-channel and multi brand sushi platform. The acquisition values Bento at CAN $100 million and has been facilitated by Mayfair Equity Partners, who partnered with the YO! management team as part of a management buyout in 2015.

Bento, founded in Toronto in 1996 by Ken Valvur, is the second largest sushi brand in North America, and the largest in Canada trading from over 600 locations, whilst supplying sushi to a further 1700 partner sites. Bento operates across a range of formats which complement YO!'s existing proposition. These include quick service restaurants, on-site kiosks in supermarkets and other food service locations, and a number of production facilities which supply sushi to grocery and institutional food service clients across North America. The business has achieved strong growth, delivering compound annual sales growth of 16% in the last three years. Bento and its licensees employ over 2000 highly trained sushi chefs and serve more than 20 million sushi portions every year. Bento's success has been driven by Ken Valvur and Glenn Brown, Bento's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer respectively, and as part of the deal they join the Board of YO! and become significant shareholders in the combined group.

With YO!'s international restaurant network across Europe, the Middle East and Australia, the combined business becomes one of the largest sushi companies outside Japan, providing an international, multi-brand, multi-channel offering, well placed to benefit from the continuing increase in consumer interest in healthy, provenance-rich foods. The acquisition will create synergies and enable the continued growth of both businesses, particularly in the US market. The combined businesses have recorded sales of approximately 175 million over the last twelve months.

The acquisition of Bento comes after two transformational years for YO!, in which Mayfair Equity Partners bought into the business and Robin Rowland returned to the role of CEO. Following a renewed focus on the brand, product, and people, including the appointment of several senior team hires, the business has seen like-for-like sales growth of +5% over the past 18 months. Eight new sites opened in the UK this year, as well as the Group's first sites in Manhattan, Paris and Sydney.

Robin Rowland, Chief Executive Officer of YO!, commented: "We've successfully reinvigorated the business over the last two years to ensure the foundations are in place for long term growth. This acquisition takes YO! into the next stage of its development, and creates the first global multi-channel Japanese food purveyor. Bento's proposition and its management team's strong track record make it the ideal partner for YO! as we look to further grow our brand."

Glenn Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Bento Sushi, stated: "This partnership presents Bento with an incredible opportunity to grow its platform. YO! and Bento share a similar ethos and history, and we look forward to working with the YO! team and taking advantage of opportunities to develop both brands."

Ken Valvur, Chairman of Bento Sushi, added: "The combination of YO! and Bento will further enhance our group's ability to be the partner of choice for grocery and institutional food service providers throughout our enlarged operating geography, and creates exciting opportunities for our valued team members on both sides of the Atlantic."

Notes to Editors:

Y O ! Sushi

Founded in 1997, YO! Sushi was the first to bring to the UK the concept of a Japanese 'kaiten' sushi bar that delivered food via a conveyor belt. Today, YO! Sushi has 97 restaurants worldwide; 81 owned and 16 franchised, serving over 7 million customers a year. YO! Sushi sources all its fish from reputable suppliers who share the same concerns with regards to environmental issues and sustainability of at-risk species through over fishing and the subsequent depletion of certain fish, and all YO! Sushi dishes are freshly prepared in their restaurants every day. YO! Sushi was acquired by Mayfair Equity Partners in November 2015.

Bento Sushi

Founded in 1996 in Toronto, Bento Sushi is Canada's largest sushi company and second largest in North America. With over 600 sushi bars and 6 Commissaries Bento Sushi continues to grow year-after-year based on the core values of being "the customer's choice for quick-service sushi based on excellence, trust, innovation and service". Bento Sushi is conveniently located in 'grab and go' kiosks and sushi bars in supermarkets, colleges and universities, shopping centres and corporate dining facilities across Canada and the United States. Bento Sushi cares about the environment and uses sustainably sourced seafood to prepare fresh and convenient products consumers can feel good about eating which translates to over 20 million servings of sushi sold annually.

Mayfair Equity Partners

Mayfair Equity Partners is a buyout and growth capital investor providing capital to dynamic businesses in the Consumer and TMT sectors. Its primary focus is on building strong partnerships with exceptional management teams. Mayfair is an investor in Ovo Energy, one of the UK's leading independent domestic energy brands, YO! Sushi, the UK's leading fast-casual restaurant operator focusing on Japanese cuisine, Fox International, European's leading independent fishing brand, Tour Partner Group, a leading inbound tour operator for group tours and individual travellers to the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Talon Outdoor, the UK's only fully independent Out of Home specialist media agency, SuperAwesome, the technology company which powers the kids' digital media ecosystem, and Promise Gluten Free, a highly innovative bakery which entered the gluten free market in 2012.

SOURCE YO! Sushi
Gold Cost office tower 50 Cavill Avenue, owned by Sydney-based fund manager GDI Property Group, announced it has leased more than 90% of its office space after a $10 million upgrade.

GDI purchased the tower in February 2016 with an occupancy rate of 54% and embarked upon an upgrade to unlock the value of the asset.

The refurbishment of the 22-level includes upgrades to common areas, six new destination control lifts, energy efficient air-conditioning and building systems targeting a 5 star NABERS rating, high speed fibre optic internet, end of trip facilities including showers, lockers, bike racks and modern landscaping to compliment the distinctive mirrored facade.

There is also a cafe and bar onsite.

50 Cavill Avenue offers water, beach and hinterland views from almost all levels and has attracted leading companies as tenants such as Mantra Group, CBRE, Regus, Maven Dental and Nine Gold Coast News, said GDI managing director Steve Gillard.

CBREs Nick Selbie, who has been heading the leasing campaign, noted that the recent success in improving occupancy is down to GDIs belief in both the building and the Gold Coast in general.

Once the message was delivered to market that long overdue change was taking place in the building we were inundated with enquiry which has flowed to over 20 new leases being entered into and a number under negotiation at present, Selbie says.

The top level of the building with panoramic views of the coastal, hinterland and the Nerang River remains to be leased.

While the refurbishment has been taking place, we have not actively sought a tenant but are now ready to field enquiry from potential tenants, Selbie added.

Founder, Perry Cross will officially open the newly reimaged building at a soiree in the forecourt later this month.
Two fashion and accessories tenants have signed up for new spaces within the popular Puckle Street retail strip in the inner Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds.

Casual wear label Sportscraft has leased at 63 Puckle Street, while 66 Puckle Street has been taken up by fashion accessories and handbags retailer Colette by Colette Hayman.

Sportscraft signed a three-year deal with further extension of three more years at $95,000 per annum net with 4% increases for the 200 sqm space, which was offered for the first time in four decades.

Colette by Colette Hayman will move into the 150 sqm shop on a five-year lease with a further five-year option and pay $80,000 per annum with 4% increases.

The lease was negotiated by Fitzroys agent Terence Yeh.

He said the strong results and long leases demonstrate tenants confidence in the area.

Puckle Streets limited amount of spaces available - totalling around 150 shops - offers businesses greater access to the local catchment population, further underpinned by the number of residential dwellings introduced to the area in medium and high-density developments.

There are more than 1,500 apartments within the Moonee Ponds Activity Centre in various stages of planning and development, generating confidence among businesses for the retail strips long-term viability.
Australia's housing boom has cooled after five years of expansion. Sydney housing prices have stopped rising and price growth is slowing in Melbourne. The housing construction boom is past its peak. Thankfully, this is arriving just as the drag from falling mining investment and commodity prices is coming to its end.

Importantly, the mining decline was much bigger, so the net effect should still be growth-positive. We see any negative 'wealth effect' from the end of housing boom as negligible. We see growth lifting in 2018 and expect it to be more broad-based across industries and regions than it has been in at least a decade.

Australia's housing boom has helped to fill the gap left by falling mining investment over the past five years, as the economy has needed to rebalance. Now, the housing boom is coming to its end (Chart 1). House prices have levelled out in Sydney since April and house price growth has slowed in Melbourne. The housing construction boom is also past its peak. Dwelling investment has already levelled out and is set to be a drag on overall growth from the second half of 2018, as the pipeline of apartment construction is completed.

Click here to enlarge.

Thankfully, the fall in dwelling investment is arriving just as the mining investment drag is coming to its end and, importantly, the drag from mining was much bigger. The mining investment decline is set to go from a maximum drag of around 1.5ppts of GDP in mid-2016, to no drag at all by mid-2018 (Chart 2). By comparison, the dwelling investment contribution to growth, which was a maximum of around 0.5ppts of GDP in mid-2016, is forecast to be a drag of around 0.25ppts by 2019. The collective effect from these two sectors is that a net drag on GDP of around 1ppt in mid-2016 is set to be almost no drag at all in 2018 and 2019.

Click here to enlarge.

Of course, there are also other forces at work. Falling commodity prices, between 2011 and 2016, were a large drag on national incomes. The lift in commodity prices from their trough levels in early 2016 is now supporting growth in national incomes. There has also been a ramp up in investment in urban infrastructure, largely funded by state government asset sales, which is supporting local growth and is set to continue to ramp up through 2018. Finally, tourism and education exports, supported by a much lower AUD in recent years and rising middle class incomes in Asia, are helping to fill the gap left by falling mining investment.

Nonetheless, some observers have argued that the end of the housing boom may have a strong negative effect on the economy, which could weigh on overall growth over the next couple of years. The argument is that households will be less inclined to spend as the cooling of the housing boom means they are no longer seeing wealth gains. However, in our view, there has been little evidence of a positive wealth effect in recent years, so we see a large negative wealth effect as unlikely.

The more downbeat observers point to the fall in the national household saving rate as evidence of a positive wealth effect. We disagree. Although the national household saving rate has fallen in recent years, the state-level numbers show that the saving rate has not fallen in the states which have had housing prices boom (NSW and Victoria) (Chart 3). If the rise in wealth had driven households to consume more, surely it would have happened in the states where wealth has been rising? Instead, household saving rates have only fallen in the mining states (WA and Queensland), after rising during the mining boom.

Click here to enlarge.

The moves in household saving rates therefore appear to reflect the impact of the resources cycle on incomes, not a wealth effect. Estimates of housing equity flows also suggest that households have been injecting equity into their dwellings in recent years, rather than withdrawing it, which is further evidence that there has not been a wealth effect. With no positive wealth effect, a negative wealth effect from the end of the housing boom seems unlikely.

Rather than wealth changes, the critical factor that has driven trends in household consumption in recent years has been household income growth. Weak growth in household consumption has been due to the slow growth in household incomes, reflecting weak jobs and wages growth at the end of the mining boom. However, as the mining sector starts to stabilise, we are now seeing the strongest growth in employment is coming from the mining states (WA and Queensland) (Chart 4). This should start to lift household income in those states and support consumption growth.

Click here to enlarge.

What we have not seen yet is a pick-up in wages growth. This is the final stage of the 'rebalancing act' at the end of the mining boom. The cyclical factors are now supportive of a pick-up in wages growth, although there are also structural factors weighing on wages. On the cyclical story, commodity prices have lifted, corporate profitability has improved, business conditions are at high levels and, critically, the labour market is tightening up. However, the structural factors weighing on wages growth include, the changing nature of work, due to technology, offshoring, as a result of globalisation, decreased unionisation, and, increasing casualization of the workforce, amongst others.

Our central case is that the cyclical factors, particularly the tightening of the labour market, will see a pick-up in wages growth in 2018, which will complete Australia's 'great rebalancing act'. We also expect growth to be more broad-based across industries and regions than it has been in at least a decade, which should help to see a pick-up in wages pressures as spare capacity from across the economy is absorbed. Of course, the clear risk is that this process takes longer than we have factored in, as the structural factors continue to offset the impact of the positive cyclical forces. The outlook for wages growth remains the main focus of the story.
2017 saw another large increase in global wealth, increasing by 6.4 per cent or (USD) $16.7 trillion to $280 trillion, driven by equity prices and non-financial assets, including housing.

Global wealth is projected by Credit Suisse to hit $341 trillion by 2022, driven largely by rapid growth in countries such as China and India.

The US continued an unbroken run of gains since the financial crisis in 2017.

The Eurozone saw the creation of 620,000 new US dollar millionaires as the currency picked up, and Australia once again punched above its weight in adding a further 202,000 millionaires, taking the total up from 958,000 to 1.16 million.

Switzerland's wealth per adult has increased by by a thunderous 130 per cent since the turn of the century in US dollar terms to $537,600, albeit largely due to shifts in the exchange rate, according to the Credit Suisse 2017 Global Wealth Report.

Among the countries in the world with available figures over the long term, Switzerland stands alone in seeing no decline in wealth inequality over the past century.

Home to just 0.01 per cent of the global population, Switzerland alone accounts for some 1.7 per cent of the top 1 per cent of global wealth holders, with several thousand ultra-high net worth individuals with personal wealth in excess of $50 million.

Lucky country

Switzerland is something of an exceptional case as a tax haven, but next in line comes Australia with a mean wealth per adult of $402,600, partly driven by "high property prices in the capital cities", somewhat perversely.

Australian household wealth gains have averaged 12 per cent per annum since the turn of the century, and the average debt to assets ratio is surprisingly low at only 20 per cent.

68 per cent of Australian adults have a net worth of above $100,000, which is some eight times the world average.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's wealth per adult moved ahead of Norway into fourth place in 2017.

Wealth inequality is relatively low in Australia, with a far smaller share of the population having a net worth of under $10,000 than the United Kingdom or US.

Indeed, when measured in median terms Australia's wealth per adult of $195,417 is not too far off the highest in the world, with only Switzerland edging us out at $229,059.

There are now 36 million high-net worth individuals in the world with a net worth of $10 to $50 million.

Some 2 million of them are located in China - nearly 40 times as many as at the turn of the century - with a further 6.3 million in India and other Asia-Pacific countries.
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Alane Adams has always had a passion for literature, but it took her a while to launch her career as a YA and childrens author. She spent decades as an accountant after her family convinced her to forget her English major and instead learn how to do the bookkeeping for the family business. In 2008, after a couple of decades balancing the books, Adams started a foundation focusing on global poverty issues that shone a light on the importance of literacy.

In the midst of this career change, Adamss 12-year-old son challenged her to write a book that he could read, which resulted in The Red Sun, the first installment of Legends of Orkney, an ongoing chapter book series. Since then Adams has taken her career as a writer very seriously.

This holiday season, Adams will publish The Santa Thief, the third installment of her series of picture books centered on an eight-year-old boy named Georgie, a character based on Adamss father. The series is set in Depression-era Pennsylvania and features colorful drawings that illustrate a time without todays luxuries. Georgie has a hole in his boot. He wears a coat he has outgrown. He spends his time doing lots of chores and he lives in a house that is heated by a potbelly stove. These things help children understand and imagine what life was like for kids in the olden days, and perhaps help them better appreciate the things they have today, Adams says.

In The Santa Thief, Georgie experiences the reality of Christmas in tough economic times, a plot element intended to remind young readers of the true meaning of Christmas. Georgie is crushed that Santa might not bring him new skates this year because times are tough, even for Santa, Adams explains. But Mama gently reminds Georgie that Christmas is about family and being together. This inspires Georgie to steal Santas identity and stay up all night making gifts for his family.

Adams works closely with illustrator Lauren Gallegos on the series. I consider the process like a dance, two partners moving back and forth, Adams says of her relationship with Gallegos. Adams sends Gallegos the manuscript and Gallegos returns a rough sketch of each page.

Then Alane comes back with feedback on the artwork, Gallegos says, as well as an edited manuscriptusually taking parts out that have been illustrated so the text doesn't repeat what we can already see. We'll do this a few times until we are both satisfied with what we have as a whole. And for the most part we discuss major points that need to be worked out while staying within our own skills of writing and illustrating.

The fourth title in the series, The Circus Thief, is due out in fall 2018. Adams is also working on a prequel for the Legends of Orkney series called The Witches of Orkney, as well as a new Greek mythology series with a sassy female protagonist. Adams hopes her books will not only inspire kids and teens to want to read, but also teach them to be kind and generous people: I wanted to give this series a great message for kids about giving back to others.
Widely acknowledged as the biggest event dedicated to childrens content in Asia, the China Shanghai International Childrens Book Fair (CCBF) has successfully wrapped up its fifth outing, which ran from November 17-19.

The fair attracted 350 exhibitors, with about one-third of its 25,000-square-meter hall devoted to overseas publishers. Attending for the first time were companies like Livres Canada Books, Bonnier (Sweden), Penguin Random House (U.S.) and Tohan (Japan). Speakers such as authors/illustrators Cao Wenxuan (the first Chinese author to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award), Taro Gomi (of the Body Science series) and Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski (creators of the Maps series) took part in the conference sessions. About 25 workshops and some 100 events were held throughout the fair.

The event's growth--the number of exhibitors this year increased by roughly 50--speaks to the China's expanding consumer base for children's books. There are 370 million children below the age of 18 in the country, and a sophisticated set of young parents (with disposable income that they like spending on books for their kids).

According to OpenBook, a Beijing-based clearinghouse for publishing statistics in China, sales of childrens books in 2016 accounted for 23.5% of Chinas total retail book market, which stands at CNY 70.1 billion ($10.2 billion). The childrens book segment grew 28.8% in 2016.

For CCBF exhibitors, new and seasoned, the fair is as much about finding new sales opportunities as it is about uncovering trends in the local book market.

David McMillan, group export senior sales manager at Walker Books, for instance, was thrilled to see imports of original English editions growing at a fast clip, driven by parents who want their children to start learning English at a young age.

As for what works (or does not work) in China, Luca Sassi of Sassi Editore said that the book-with-puzzle concept," which was unpopular last year, is "now being considered as viable.

Aby Mann of U.K.-based Aby Books reported seeing increased interest in graded readers, and math and science books. McMillan of Walker Books also noticed the broadening of the Chinese market to include imports of math and science titles.

When it comes to working the Chinese book market, Vittorio DAversa, international marketing and promotion manager at ELI, said time and patience are key. The Chinese publishing industry has different types of publishersregional and subject-based, for instanceand [there are] varying levels of competency and exposure in collaborating with overseas publishers." Given this, he said, publishers looking to break into the region need to invest time in order to build "trust" and develop the right connections.
Pay-TV operator StarTimes Nigeria has launched its Christmas promotion, encouraging subscribers to sign up for a second month at half the usual cost.





The deal, which runs from now until 31 January 2018, enables access to 80 channels on the digital terrestrial TV platform.Subscribers who renew their subscription for at least one month automatically get 50% discount on their second month subscription, said Qasim Elegbede, brand and marketing director, StarTimes Nigeria.We are entering into the festive season with lots of promotions in store for our subscribers. I believe this will allow our subscribers to watch all of their favourite programmes already lined up for the Christmas and New Year season without any form of interruption, he added.Digital TV operator StarTimes now covers 80% of Africas population with a distribution network that comprises over 200 brand halls, 3,000 convenience stores and 5,000 distributors.StarTimes is operating in an increasingly crowded pay-TV market in Nigeria, with the recent launch of rival platforms Kwese TV and TSTV, along with the existing DStv and GOtv platforms from South Africa-based competitor MultiChoice.
Angola is preparing for a 7 December launch of its first communications satellite, AngoSat-1, by the Russia Space Corporation Engergia (RKK Energiya).





AngoSat-1 will be launched on a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Airbus Defence and Space has built the communications payload. The satellite will comprise C- and Ku-bands on 44 transponders, and will primarily be used to broadcast satellite television. Around 80% of its capacity will be available for lease, with the remaining 20% used by the state.Investment in the satellite has amounted to US$320 million, financed by a consortium of banks led by Russias VTB, according to Jornal de Angola.The satellite is result of a 2009 agreement between Angola and Russia, and once launched, will be operated by the Angosat company in Angolas capital Luanda, where a mission control headquarters and associated infrastructure will be located.In May 2017 Angola announced the development of communications and earth observation satellites, and the establishment of a national space agency.
Thalia Droussioti, founder and CEO of television programme information supplier Global Listings, has been named the winner of the Stevie Award in the CEO category for Women in Business for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Europe, the Middle East & Africa.





The Stevie Award recognises and celebrates the achievements of female executives, entrepreneurs and the organisations they run  worldwide  and is one of the world's most coveted business prizes. Now celebrating their 14th year, the Stevie Awards have firmly established themselves as the world's premier business awards for Women in Business.The Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programmes: the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the American Business Awards, the International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organisations in more than 60 nations.The judges were so impressed with the accomplishments of all of the Stevie Award-winning women and organisations, remarked Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. The 2017 Stevie Awards for Women in Business received a record number of nominations and had a record number of ceremony attendees. We congratulate all of this years Award winners for their achievements.In her time at Global Listings , Droussioti has created a portfolio of products and services that includes electronic programme guides (EPGs), metadata for VOD, full editorial services, press schedules, TV highlights, TV listings, translations and global distribution.I am genuinely delighted and truly honoured to be a recipient of the worlds premier business award. It has been a hugely exciting journey to reach this moment  and for my achievements as both a female CEO and entrepreneur to be recognised by such a distinguished panel of international experts is incredibly flattering, she said, commenting on the award. Ive also loved meeting the other nominated top female executives from around the world, each of whom has their own success story to tell.
In a hurricane, there is a peaceful lull when the eye of the storm arrives, but it is just an illusion. This is where we are with North Korea.

We think we have been seen the worst: Pyongyang tested an H-bomb and launched missiles over Japan; America has flown its bombers off North Koreas coast; and both sides have traded insults and threats.



Now the eye of the storm has arrived. We hear that American and North Korean diplomats are in contact, and Trump is talking up Chinas positive but unspecified role.



Any sense that this crisis has been averted is illusory.



Conflict of some sort is a realistic outcome of the current standoff. This is not properly understood in Europe, where any potential conflict is seen as an all-or-nothing affair, with nuclear Armageddon the almost unavoidable result of a clash.



That may become the case once North Korea finally acquires a credible nuclear and ballistic force. But it is not yet so, and that is precisely why conflict is more likely now than later, when the consequences for regional allies and for the United States itself will be too great for them to risk.



The twin logics of confrontation



As the weaker party, North Koreas credibility and perception of security rests on continually demonstrating military progress. Halting the nuclear and ballistic program in exchange for economic relief is seen by Pyongyang as long-term suicide.



Conversely, the United States can ill afford to stand by and allow that progress to continue its evolution. Washington is fast losing credibility and risks emboldening other adversaries, especially Iran.



Commentators talk about the risk of a crisis being sparked by an accident or misunderstanding between the two leaders or their militaries. But the truth is that the dynamics above provide ample grounds for conflict even without such a mistake.



A realistic vision of conflict



For Pyongyang, repeating the recent nuclear and ballistic tests would achieve little. In fact this could inadvertently confirm doubts about remaining hurdles such as miniaturization and survival to flight and re-entry.



An alternative way of demonstrating progress would be a nuclear missile test resulting in a high altitude electro-magnetic pulse, or EMP, presumably over the Pacific. This would demonstrate a novel capacity, and one which solves the problem of re-entry. (An EMP detonation would take place in the outer atmosphere.)



The North Korean regime may bet, given Americas repeated failure to enforce red lines, that this would not cross the threshold provoking direct retaliation. They could also justify an EMP test on the grounds that the United States conducted similar tests in the early 1960s.



But it is hard to see the Trump administration letting another provocation stand. As to how it might respond, intercepting North Korean missiles remains difficult, but the United States could certainly take out one or more of the regimes missile launching pads.



A direct U.S. strike on North Korean soil such as this would likely provoke Pyongyang to retaliate against its American-allied neighbor to the south, resulting in a conventional weapons barrage across the 38th parallel. U.S. bunker-busters and the Air Force could take out North Korean artillery. But should this take too long to prevent mass casualties in South Korea, it could even resort to using tactical nuclear weapons on North Korea. This would also serve as a warning against a potential nuclear missile launch by Pyongyang.



At this point, a pause might finally set in. But a battered and weakened North Korean regime could nonetheless bank on patriotism to survive. The U.S. Army famously does deserts better than mountains, and there are good reasons not to attempt an occupation.



China is also a key factor: The presence of U.S. or South Korean forces in Pyongyang would be no more acceptable to Beijing today than it was in 1950. Should the Kim regime fall  an improbable event as conflict would reinforce its legitimacy in the short term  China would want to be directly involved in the next stage. Equally, should the regime continue to rule in a diminished state, China would have much more leverage than it does at present and would again defend the regime in principle, while congratulating itself on the fact that Kim Jong Un has been defanged.



Will it happen?



The above is an awful scenario in human terms. But it is not the nuclear armageddon assumed as the unavoidable outcome of any conflict. Indeed, for neighbors such as Japan it is actually less dangerous than the current gradual drift toward a full North Korean nuclear capacity.



The main cause for American restraint at present is South Koreas aversion to any conflict. But a major North Korean action, such as an EMP test or an attack on civilians in the South, could change Seouls calculus. Ultimately, Kim Jong Uns next action is the deciding factor, and that is definitely not reassuring.



What can the rest of us do?



Europe should be aware of the realistic possibility of conflict. While strengthening sanctions and compelling others to do the same is the right course, it should be aware that increased sanctions strengthen the rationale for conflict in Pyongyang. Much as imperial Japan in 1940, North Korea may prefer to engage in conflict with little chance of victory, rather than accepting a slow asphyxiation.



Europe has to protect European lives and interests in the vicinity of the 38th parallel. By addressing this potential scenario, and by openly discussing the aftermath of such a conflict, it would help to remove doubts in the North Korean leaders mind that the United States will use maximum force in the event of further provocation.



An old Japanese proverb says that "only after seeing the gates of hell does one turn back. Helping Kim Jong Un see those gates clearly may be the best way to secure peace.


A UGA PD officer looks on as a group of preachers who identify themselves as Militant Christian Media preaches to a crowd on the lawn between the Tate Student Center and Zell B. Miller Learning Center on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia, on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. The preachers' words cultivated a large gathering of students and incited often-pointed dialogue between the preachers and students, necessitating the presence of the officers. (Photo/Casey Sykes, www.caseysykes.com)
Martinsville is building a new police station. What you need to know.
The letter, sent earlier this month by an Afghan police commander, requested recruits for a new antiriot force in the capital, Kabul. Officer candidates should come from the country's main ethnic groups -- Hazara, Uzbek, and Pashtun.

Left out was the country's second-largest ethnicity -- Tajiks.

Now the letter has leaked, published in the Afghan press and circulated on social media, sparking an uproar and provoking new accusations of systemic ethnic favoritism in the administration of President Ashraf Ghani.

The controversy comes with ethnic tensions already running high, spurred on by an unpopular central government divided between Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who draws political support from the Tajik community. Ghani, a Pashtun, has been dogged by claims of favoritism and stoking tensions, allegations that he vehemently denies.

In the November 18 letter written by Abdul Fattah Frogh, a commander of the Afghan Public Protection Forces (APPF), he asks officials for recruits for the new force, and pointedly singles out Tajiks.

"On the basis of an order of the president, a 500-member antiriot unit has been established under the Kabul 101 commandant; hereby it is directed that within 24 hours the identities of officers belonging to Hazara, Uzbek, Pashtun -- except Tajik ethnicity -- must be sent," the letter reads.

The Interior Ministry, which oversees the APPF, did not dispute the veracity of the leaked document. It said what it showed was not discrimination, but rather a simple clerical error.

"The majority of our APPF members are currently ethnic Tajiks," Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said in a statement on November 20. "This is a typing error. We have adequate numbers of ethnic Tajik police officers within this unit. There is therefore a need in the unit for members from other ethnic groups so that the unit's ethnic composition is balanced."

Those remarks have not ended a wave of condemnation by lawmakers, members of the Afghan military community, and from the media.

'Cause Of Riots'

The angry reaction reflects the historical tensions among the country's ethnic groups. Tajiks are second only to Pashtuns in numbers, and the two groups have traditionally struggled for control over the country's most powerful government positions and wealth.

When they controlled the country in the years leading up to the U.S. invasion in 2001, the Taliban were largely made up of Pashtuns. Their opponents in the civil wars of the 1990s were mainly ethnic Tajiks.

"While Ashraf Ghani continues to say his government sees all Afghans as equal, the second satanic memo was issued by his [Interior Ministry] instructing relevant sections to exclude Afghans of Tajik ethnicity from antiriot unit," said Amrullah Saleh, a former intelligence chief who is the leader of the Green Trend movement. "Does it mean he creates [an] anti-Tajik unit? Shame & shame."

"These actions committed for political gain create differences at the national level," Fakuri Beheshti, a Hazara lawmaker from Bamiyan Province, said on November 20. "The unit cannot serve as antiriot police. Instead, the unit will be a cause of riots."

The independent Hasht-e Sobh daily wrote in an editorial that the "content of the letter shows clear discrimination."

"This is the second ethnic-based plan by the presidential palace which has been disclosed by media outlets; and has created concerns for the citizens of the country," the private Arman-e Melli daily wrote in an editorial on November 20.

Leaked Memo

The memo is the second to have leaked in months, and the second to stoke suspicions about Ghani's commitment to balancing government appointments among ethnic groups.

In September, a memo from the Administrative Office of the President appeared to show positions being handed out with the intention of keeping power in the hands of Pashtuns while giving the appearance of diversity.

"Tajiks and Uzbeks, who work completely under us, should be appointed symbolically so that people think every ethnicity is represented," said the memo, which was mistakenly shared on Telegram by Sawabdin Makhkash, the deputy chief of monitoring and observation in the administrative office.

The memo also mentions an official, saying he is "a good person but he brings in Hazaras and appoints them to top positions."

"We have to look for Pashtuns who are fluent in all languages," it adds.
Should he show up, the mere fact of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka presence at this week's Eastern Partnership in Brussels would surely grab the initial headlines.

But the November 24 summit is also marked by a "what now?" vibe.

With association agreements, free-trade agreements, and visa-free travel in force for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova -- but with membership obviously a far-off prospect -- the path forward is unclear.

On The Power Vertical Briefing, we look ahead to the summit and what we can expect. Joining me is RFE/RL's News Editor Steve Gutterman.

Enjoy...

NOTE: The Power Vertical Briefing is a short look ahead to the stories expected to make news in Russia in the coming week. It is hosted by Brian Whitmore, author of The Power Vertical blog, and appears on Mondays.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his visiting Czech counterpart, Milos Zeman, that bilateral relations are developing "despite all difficulties, among other things thanks to your efforts."

Speaking at talks in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Putin said on November 21 that the volume of bilateral trade grew by more than 40 percent in the first nine months of the year following a decline in the previous years.

Ahead of the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin "values the interest that [Zeman] is showing in developing Russian-Czech relations. This interest is very spectacular in Europe in general."

Amid a deterioration of relations between Moscow and the West over the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Syrian civil war, and other issues, Zeman has expressed support for Russia and Putin, raising some concerns among the Czech government and Western allies.

Zeman, whose position is mainly ceremonial in a country where the prime minister holds more power, angered Kyiv last month when he questioned the effectiveness of Western-imposed sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.

He called Moscow's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 a "fait accompli" and said that there should be dialogue over Russian compensation to Kyiv, possibly with natural gas, oil, or money.

He has unsuccessfully called on the Czech government to hold a referendum on its membership of the European Union and NATO, although he has said he favors remaining in both organizations and just wants to give citizens a choice.

In 2016, he blasted the United States for its "illegitimate" involvement in Syria's civil war, while praising Russia's "antiterror campaign" in the Middle Eastern country.

Zeman's four-day trip to Russia will also include a visit to Moscow, where he will meet on November 22 with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He is also scheduled to hold a lunch with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and address the Russian-Czech Business Forum, along with some 130 Czech company executives.

The visit will be one of Zeman's final foreign trips of his five-year presidential term, which will expire next spring. He is expected to seek reelection in the election scheduled for January 2018.

A recent poll showed Zeman would receive 41.5 percent of the vote, ahead of scientist Jiri Drahos, with 30.5 percent.

With reporting by Prague Daily Monitor, Lidovky.cz, Echo24.cz, TASS, and Interfax
The fact that the European Union wants to enact and enforce its own laws on its own territory shouldn't really strike one as controversial.

But nevertheless, Russia's prime minister is apparently taking issue with such a proposition.

In remarks last week, Dmitry Medvedev claimed that attempts by Brussels to regulate the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline are aimed at complicating its implementation and forcing Moscow to abandon it.

Medvedev's comments came in response to legislation proposed by the European Commission that would require all major gas pipelines entering EU territory to comply with the bloc's rules on transparency, accessibility, and efficiency.

This includes things like requiring nondiscriminatory tariffs and transparent reporting.

It also includes antimonopoly measures such as requiring pipelines to offer at least 10 percent of the capacity to third parties, and so-called ownership unbundling, which prohibits pipelines from being directly owned by gas suppliers.

Speaking about the regulations, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said they were necessary to provide "much-needed clarity and legal certainty" and that Nord Stream 2 "should not be built in a legal void."

Which sounds kind of, you know, reasonable.

But the fact that the Russian prime minister is actually making an issue of the fact that the EU wants pipelines on EU territory to comply with EU rules speaks volumes about what Russian energy companies have been able to get away with in the past.

And at a deeper level, the fact that Moscow objects to being subject to the same rules as everybody else in the European energy market also says a quite a bit about the gap that exists between Russia and the West on the primacy of the rule of law.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
WASHINGTON -- An American stockbroker who made a fortune in the Russian market in the 1990s and 2000s and later co-founded a posh Moscow nightclub before leaving the country died of blunt force injuries suffered as a result of a fall from a Washington, D.C. building.

The findings, released on November 16 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), confirm that Dan Rapoport died on August 14 after falling from a height, but do not conclusively explain the circumstances leading up to his death.



Washington police told RFE/RL that an investigation into his death had ended and declined further comment. Earlier this year, a police spokeswoman told RFE/RL that foul play was not suspected, but that final conclusions were pending the autopsy.



Washington metropolitan police found Rapoports body on August 14 on the sidewalk outside 2400 M Street, a nine-story apartment building in the northwest part of the city.



The medical examiner's report said Rapoport, 52, died of multiple blunt force injuries due to fall from height and described the death as sudden/unexplained. The report also said the manner of his death was undetermined.



The OCME said no other information would be immediately released.



A preliminary police report said officers responded to a report of a jumper on the evening of August 14, and the man, later identified as Rapoport, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.



The apartment building has an open rooftop with a pool, running track, and seating area for residents.

The police report said officers found $2,620 in cash on Rapoport when they discovered his body on the sidewalk, along with headphones, a cracked cell phone, a Florida drivers license, and other items.



He was wearing flip-flops, perhaps indicating he had been at the pool on the roof prior to falling.



Brianna Burch, a police spokesperson, told RFE/RL in August that there did not appear to be anyone with Rapoport at the time and there were no listed witnesses. In follow-up correspondences with RFE/RL through early November, the police continued to say they did not suspect foul play.



Rapoport had recently moved back to Washington after spending several years working in finance in Ukraine.



While some friends said they did not believe he would have committed suicide, others said he had appeared depressed.



Go-To Location



A native of Latvia and a fluent Russian speaker, Rapoport emigrated with his family to the United States in 1980. After graduating from a U.S. university, he moved to Russia in the early 1990s as a wave of privatizations swept across the country.



The sale of former state-owned companies created a booming stock market, minting a new generation of millionaires, Russian and foreign.



Rapoport was respected within Russian financial circles, where he worked for more than a decade at a local brokerage called CenterInvest, making his way up to managing partner. He claimed his clients included some of the nation's wealthiest tycoons.

In 2007, he opened a swanky nightclub in downtown Moscow called Soho Rooms, which became the go-to location for Moscows elite.



In 2012, he left Russia and returned to the United States, saying the stock brokerage industry that had made him a fortune "had died" as commission fees shrunk with improvements in technology.



But in a media interview prior to his departure, he also criticized the direction Russia had taken and expressed support for Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, who was jailed last year.



"Our flight to Washington is in 12 hours. It's sad to leave Russia, but for thoughtful people, living here has become unbearable and disgusting," Rapoport wrote on his Facebook page on June 13, 2012.



He moved to Washington, where he said his parents lived, and set up a company called Rapoport Capital to advise and assist technology start-ups as well as venture capital funds on fundraising options.



In 2016, four years after leaving Russia, Rapaport set up an office in Kyiv and opened a private equity fund. In social media posts, he was a vocal supporter of Ukraine, and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Rapoport gained a degree of publicity in January 2017, after The New York Times reported that the daughter and son-in-law of the then newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump had purchased a mansion owned by him and his first wife. The mansion was located in an exclusive neighborhood of the U.S. capital.



Later that same month, Raporport's co-founder of the Soho Rooms nightclub, Sergei Tkachenko, was found dead outside a Moscow building. Investigators said Tkachenko's body was found on a building awning with injuries typical of a fall from a great height.



In 2018, the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat reported that Rapoport had been the creator of a fictional persona named David Jewberg, who was frequently quoted in Ukrainian media as a senior Pentagon analyst.

With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington, D.C. and Mike Eckel in Prague.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish.

Before we get started, a few announcements: The newsletter is now biweekly, rather than going out only on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. To subscribe, click here.

And I will also be launching Talking China In Eurasia, a new podcast. Im joined by the Royal United Services Institutes Raffaello Pantucci to talk about Xi and Putin. Listen to the first episode here or below.

Xi Gets Pragmatic About Russia At The G20

It was light on optimism, but U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping injected a healthy dose of pragmatism back into the U.S.-China relationship with their meeting in Bali at a time when global anxiety is rising over Russias war against Ukraine.

Finding Perspective: The meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit was far from a breakthrough, but it did repair some damage from the recent backslide in relations between both countries and send some signals that the world isnt necessarily destined for Cold War 2.0.

The more than three-hour talks saw some blunt exchanges over contentious issues like Taiwan and North Korea, but the two leaders also pledged more frequent communications and decided that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing for follow-up talks in 2023.

Of particular note, Biden raised Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought, according to a White House readout.

While far from a sea change for Chinese policy, thats notable. The credibility of Beijings claims to be neutral on the Ukraine war continue to come under scrutiny, and China has shown discomfort of late with the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling.

Xi made similar comments after a November 4 summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and during another G20 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the French readout.

Why It Matters: Xi is not abandoning Putin, but this marks the latest shift for Beijings balancing act over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Four Chinese officials briefed on the February 4 meeting between Xi and Putin, where they declared a no-limits partnership, told the Financial Times that Putin didnt tell Xi the truth about the invasion and that Beijing was caught off guard by it.

What Xi knew about Putins war plans has been a topic of debate, and there is evidence to support both the idea that Xi was aware and that he was caught off guard.

Many analysts are of the opinion that Xi knew about Putin's decision to invade but expected a quick victory, which perhaps was what Putin believed at the time.

Others point to a steady stream of dismissals from Chinese officials and experts about the likelihood of an invasion in February and the fact that Beijing did not evacuate its citizens from Ukraine  like Western nations did  as evidence that China was not expecting a war.

China certainly has its own interests in keeping a distance from Moscows war and using that space to do some upkeep with the West. But perhaps the most important point here is that even if Putin did blindside Xi, China has stuck with Russia despite its battlefield failures, political isolation, and the atrocities its troops are accused of committing.

Again, this is pragmatism more than anything else. As Chinese experts often say, even if Russia is looking unattractive these days, why would Beijing abandon its main anti-Western partner as China continues to be in the crosshairs of rising American pressure?

Read More

 Want to hear more about Russia and Chinas complex relationship amid the Ukraine war? Then tune in to the debut of Talking China In Eurasia today at 2 p.m. CET/ 8 a.m. EST. You can listen live here and find the episode on RFE/RLs website and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 Condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and its global fallout is shaping up to be the key theme of the G20, with the Financial Times reporting that a joint communique from the summit takes aim at Moscow.

Expert Corner: The Future Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Readers asked: Did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to Beijing breathe new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? How do Islamabad and Beijing really feel about the project after all these years?

To find out more, I asked Filippo Boni, an expert on China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain:

Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China was high on symbolism and relatively low on substance. While the two sides were keen to reaffirm and emphasize the strength of their strategic partnership, no significant new commitment was made. Apart from a few memorandums of understanding and attempts from the Pakistanis in the run-up to the trip to address some of CPECs issues  including payments to Chinese independent power producers  nothing major came from the visit. This is despite Sharif's attempts at revitalizing CPEC since April and the very close ties he enjoys with the Chinese leadership.

The outcome of this visit is not entirely surprising, especially if interpreted against the backdrop of Pakistan's current domestic predicaments. The security situation for Chinese nationals has deteriorated, the economy is struggling, and political instability is at one of its highest points in recent years. All these dynamics, coupled with the global scaling down of Belt and Road Initiative financing, have likely impacted Beijing's lack of commitment to new projects.

After almost 10 years and $25 billion worth of projects, there seems to be a general consensus on both sides that the first phase of CPEC  the one focused primarily on energy projects  was largely successful. The same cannot be said for the second phase, including the slow progress on the development of Special Economic Zones, and for the port of Gwadar, where little progress has been made for the ports full commercial functioning.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. 'Sweep It Under The Rug'

Recent allegations of China operating 54 overseas police stations have fueled controversy around the world and sparked investigations, but in Hungary and Serbia the new findings are being met with swift denials by authorities, despite growing evidence.

The Details: My colleagues Akos Keller-Alant from RFE/RLs Hungarian Service, Mila Durdevic from RFE/RLs Balkan Service, and I reported on the fallout from these revelations and the slew of probes launched in many European countries recently.

The stations are overseas operations of the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces and are used to persuade citizens to return to China, including through pressure on family members at home. While most of those involved appear to be suspected of crimes such as telecommunications fraud or corruption, dissidents have also reported that the stations have been used to monitor and threaten them.

Fourteen governments have already launched investigations into the overseas police stations, and the Dutch and Irish governments have ordered China to shut down the facilities in their countries.

But in Hungary and Serbia  two countries where Beijing is said to operate such facilities and whose governments prize their warming political and economic ties with China  officials appear to be trying to sweep it under the rug, as one analyst characterized it, despite growing scrutiny from opposition lawmakers in each country.

2. Global Ripples Hit Central Asia

Political and economic shocks from Moscows war in Ukraine, coupled with added strains from tensions between Beijing and Washington, are taking their toll around the world, especially in Central Asia, where countries in the region are closely tied to both China and Russia.

What It Means: As RFE/RLs Uzbek Service reported, Vladimir Norov, the countrys foreign minister, warned about geopolitical tensions affecting stability in the region and beyond while addressing his counterparts at an Organization of Turkic States meeting in Samarkand.

The breakdown in global cooperation is felt particularly strong in Central Asia. While some economies have been able to benefit by becoming a new home for businesses and capital relocated from Russia, others are seeing investment dry up and their economies coming under strain.

World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde recently warned that Uzbekistan needs to continue with its market reforms in order to withstand the global economic shocks that are to come.

RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service also reported that the countrys government is trying to court more investment but that questions remain from investors about Kyrgyzstans stability and investment climate. According to official statistics from January to June of this year, China is the leading source of foreign investment, with $129 million during that span.

3. The Tech In Moscows Iranian Drones

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, looked into electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 drone, which Russia has used in its war in Ukraine, and found that theyre far from homegrown.

What You Need To Know: 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 technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The investigation also found drone components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm.

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.

The international tech in the drone not only highlights the complex ecosystem that allows firms and buyers to circumvent sanctions slapped on both Iran and Russia, but also the close networks between Chinese and Western tech companies that still exist, despite a recent push to break some of those linkages.

Across The Supercontinent

On The Mainland: The watchdog group Freedom House recently launched a new project called the China Dissent Monitor, which tracks protests and other forms of dissent inside China. Read it here.

Censored: Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by European Council President Charles Michel that was set to criticize Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and call for reduced European dependency on China, Reuters reported.

Backtracking: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has softened his countrys stance toward China, moving away from his predecessor Liz Trusss decision to label it a threat.

One Thing To Watch

How long will Chinas stringent COVID policies stay in place?

New infections are rising as a winter wave hits and popular frustration continues to boil over inside the country as investor confidence stays dented over the measures. New footage also showed crowds of residents in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou escaping a compulsory lockdown and clashing with police.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
AQTOBE, Kazakhstan -- Security was tight as the trial of several dozen people accused of illegal oil sales, some of whom are also charged with religious extremism, got under way in Kazakhstan.

Police cordoned off the Aqtobe Regional Court building before the high-profile trial started in the northern city on November 20.

The trial is being held behind closed doors, and the exact number of suspects has not been made public.

Investigators say some of the defendants are followers of the Salafi branch of Islam, which the secular authorities in mostly Muslim Kazakhstan consider extremist. Authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbaev's government began moves to ban Salafism in October 2016 but has not put the prohibition in place.

The suspects were arrested in December 2016 during a large-scale security operation held several days after a court in Aqtobe sentenced 29 men charged in connection with shooting attacks in June to lengthy prison sentences. The government blamed the attacks on Islamic militants.

Eighteen alleged attackers, five civilians, and three members of Kazakhstan's security forces were killed in the June 2016 violence.

Critics of Nazarbaev's government say the Kazakh authorities sometimes wrongly accuse groups of Muslims of extremism and inaccurately blame extremists for crimes.
Late results indicate a tight race for the big prize in the second round of local elections in Kosovo, with just 307 votes separating the two candidates in the Pristina mayoral contest.

Results from the Central Election Commission on November 20 showed incumbent Mayor Shpend Ahmeti of the Self-Determination Party, also known as the Vetevendosje movement (VV), leading with 41,403 votes, or 50.19 percent.

Arban Abrashi of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) had 41,096 votes, or 49.81 percent.

In the first round, Ahmeti had 43.61 percent, while Abrashi had 35.61 percent.

The commission said the totals did not include conditional, mail-in, or special-need ballots, and no announcement had been made as of early November 20.

Turnout in the capital was 44.39 percent, higher than the 38.09 percent for the country as a whole.

Voters throughout the Balkan country went to the polls on November 19 in the second round of elections, in another step in the young republics effort to solidify its democratic credentials.

Some 517,000 of the 1.36 million registered voters turned up at the 1,784 polling stations, election officials said.

The runoffs took place in 20 of the country's 38 municipalities in localities where mayors and councilors were not elected in the first round last month.

Preliminary results showed that the runoffs in many other municipalities, including Prizren, Mitrovica, Gjilan, and Gjakova, were very close as well.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi said earlier that "the electoral process is proceeding smoothly."

Police said a "sufficient number" of officers were deployed to guarantee order and security during the election process.

More than 12,000 local and international observers monitored the vote.

The first round indicated the ruling coalition headed by the PDK of President Hashim Thaci had 34 percent. The PDK coalition includes former prime minister and rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).

But the October 22 results also indicated that the nationalist VV was picking up support, gaining 27 percent, just ahead of a coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's LDK, which had 26 percent.

Election authorities said the turnout was around 44 percent in the first round.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said that the elections were "genuinely competitive and the campaign environment was calm" in Albanian-majority municipalities, "allowing numerous candidates to freely communicate their messages to the voters."

However, it said that "deep concerns" persisted over the democratic process in many Kosovo Serb communities, where it said the campaign environment was "marred by intimidation."

Western-backed Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by 115 countries, although not by Serbia or Russia.

There are some 120,000 Serbs in Kosovo, and most of them oppose the Pristina authorities.

The CEC has said that 27 of the municipalities have an ethnic Albanian majority, 10 have ethnic Serb majorities, and one is mostly ethnic Turkish.

Earlier this year, Kosovo experienced a prolonged period of political instability created by inconclusive June elections.

The political gridlock eased in September when a coalition headed by the PDK, the New Alliance for Kosovo (AKR), and the AAK agreed to form a government.

The deal gave the coalition, which also included ethnic Serb and other non-Albanian minority parties, 63 of parliament's 120 seats.

Thaci had said he would give Haradinaj, leader of the AAK, a formal mandate to try to form a government once he could show he had a deal showing a majority coalition was in place.
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has vowed to remain in politics after he leaves office later this week, saying that he plans to lead the ruling Social Democratic Party in parliamentary elections in 2020.

Atambaev was speaking on November 20 at his final press conference in a six-year term that he called a "long and difficult" period of his life.

"There were sleepless nights. But thank the Lord, I managed to carry it out worthily. It is with great relief that I am handing over the post," Atambaev said, adding that he was longing for "sleep and rest."

"After leaving office, I do not want to become parliament speaker or a lawmaker right away," he said. "But I plan to lead the list of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan in the next parliamentary elections."

President-elect Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who was Atambaev's prime minister from April 2016 to August 2017, is due to be inaugurated on November 24.

He won the October 15 election after a campaign in which critics said Atambaev -- constitutionally barred from seeking a second term -- used the courts, law enforcement, and other levers of power to put his favored successor in place in the country of 6 million.

Opposition politician Omurbek Tekebaev was convicted in August on bribery charges his supporters say were aimed to keep him off the ballot, and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Before meddling into our affairs, our neighbors will think twice from now on. And we will be stronger, while in Kazakhstan anything can happen. I trust in God. There is no bigger sin than to block a road."

Omurbek Babanov, who came in second in the October vote, fled the country days after the election, following a move by the Prosecutor-General's Office to launch an investigation on suspicion of inciting ethnic hatred during the campaign.

Constitutional amendments proposed by Atambaev and approved in a December 2016 referendum bolstered the powers of the prime minister -- a change opponents said were part of an effort by the president to maintain influence.

Turning to regional issues, Atambaev expressed confidence that tension between Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Kazakhstan will ease.

Atambaev -- who has called 77-year-old Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev "aged" and suggested he has been in power too long -- said that the situation "will be normalized, as it is in Kazakhstan's interest as well."

But he reiterated accusations that Kazakhstan has established a "blockade" on their shared border and suggested that Nazarbaev's government was trying to isolate Kyrgyzstan, saying that "what does not kill us makes us stronger."

Kyrgyzstan has blamed Kazakhstan for long lines and the slow movement of travelers, cars, and truck across the border -- delays that began when Kazakh authorities stepped up checks at the frontier on October 10.

Three days earlier, Atambaev accused the Kazakh authorities of throwing their support behind Babanov, Jeenbekov's chief rival in the presidential election. The accusations came after Nazarbaev met with Babanov in September.

At the press conference, Atambaev said he had no regrets about his remarks.

"Before meddling into our affairs, our neighbors will think twice from now on. And we will be stronger, while in Kazakhstan anything can happen. I trust in God," he said. "There is no bigger sin than to block a road."

Kazakh officials have denied any political motive for procedures at the border.

Atambaev stressed that despite the tension with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan will not quit the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) -- a trade bloc that also includes Russia, Armenia, and Belarus.

"Kyrgyzstan, in fact, has been cut off from the EEU," he said, apparently referring to the fact that Kazakhstan lies between Kyrgyzstan and other members, including Russia.

"But despite that, we have to preserve our brotherly ties with Russia. I hope that those who try to cut us off will reconsider.... This blockade damages not just Kyrgyzstan but mainly the image of the EEU," Atambaev said.

At the end of his two-hour press conference, Atambaev apologized to reporters for "being too emotional and harsh when talking to journalists sometimes."

"That is how I am. What is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh," he said. "I am sorry for such cases, even for the cases in which I was right."
A UN war crimes panel in The Hague is expected to deliver a verdict on November 22 against former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic. He faces 11 charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, including the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. He faces life in prison if found guilty. The man accused of orchestrating the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II was often defiant during his trial, and Mladic has denied all of the charges against him. (AP, AFP, Reuters)
The speech given before Germany's parliament by a Russian high-school student fit perfectly with the theme of the event -- an annual German remembrance for the military personnel and civilians killed in wars and from political oppression.

The Russian teen, Nikolai Desyatnichenko, lamented the loss of life during World War II, and he related the story of a German soldier who was taken prisoner during the Battle of Stalingrad and later died in a prisoner-of-war camp. He said some German soldiers clearly didn't want to fight in the war.

The speech didn't go down well back home.

The furious reaction Desyatnichenko's presentation sparked is a small reflection of Russia's hallowed history of what is known as the Great Patriotic War. It also reflects the increasingly rigid nationalism under President Vladimir Putin, where any critical revisiting of Soviet or Russian history -- war history, above all -- is met with withering scorn.

Desyatnichenko's school in Russia's far northern Novoi Urengoi region had participated in a joint academic project with a German high school, studying the biographies of some of the victims of the war.

The Russian students traveled to Berlin to participate in some of the ceremonies surrounding Volkstrauertag, the annual observance of the victims of the war and political oppression.

On November 19, Desyatnichenko, along with Russian classmates and German students, presented some of their findings before the Bundestag, which always holds an official ceremony.

During his 2 1/2-minute speech before lawmakers, he told the story of one Wehrmacht soldier, Georg Johann Rau, who was captured during the fighting in Stalingrad and died in March 1943 in a Soviet camp. He said he was moved by Rau's story, so he traveled to a cemetery in Russia's Chelyabinsk region, where Rau and other German soldiers were buried.

He said he was impressed by the site of the graves of the soldiers, "many of whom wanted to live peacefully and didn't want to fight. They experienced unbelievable difficulty during the war, which my great-grandfather, who was gravely wounded, told me about," he said.

"I sincerely hope that common sense will triumph everywhere on the planet and the world will never again see war," he said.

Supporting Fascism?

Video of Desyatnichenko's speech circulated on Russian social media and YouTube not long after; some commentators called for beating him up; others said he should be kicked out of Russia.

One blogger posted a written appeal to Russia's main security agency, accusing Desyatnichenko of trying to rehabilitate the memory of Nazi criminals. A lawmaker in the regional legislature released a letter calling on the local department of education and prosecutor's office to investigate both the student and his school's administration.

The Moscow tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda ran a headline: A Novoi Urengoi Student Repented In Germany For The Innocent Fighters Of the Wehrmacht.

Desyatnichenko did get a vote of support from Novoi Urengoi's mayor, who said the teen was right in saying that not all German soldiers wanted to fight. "That in no way should be interpreted as the boy's support for fascism," Ivan Kostogriz was quoted as saying by local news agencies.

Desyatnichenko's mother, meanwhile, told the news site Znak that she personally helped edit and draft the speech. She said she was surprised by the angry reaction to it.

"You can't say that my son was somehow apologizing" for the war, she was quoted as saying. "Just the opposite, I think that was he meant was a different fact: that there were these people, these soldiers fighting who possibly didn't want to fight and that they ended up there not by their own choice but were ordered to," she said.

She said people were reading his speech out of context, and she was worried about the threats and insults her son was receiving.

"He wanted people to understand and not to allow a repeat of this war," she said.

With reporting by Ura.news and Znak.com
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in the Armenian capital of Yerevan as part of a regional tour that included talks in neighboring Azerbaijan.

The visits are timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the two ex-Soviet republics, which have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region for even longer.

The visits are timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the two ex-Soviet republics, which have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region for even longer.

Lavrov is expected to meet with President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, with efforts to settle the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh high on the agenda.

Nalbandian said last week that Lavrov's visit, which will end on November 21, will provide an opportunity to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and bilateral cooperation.

"There is a truly broad range of issues thanks to our strategic, friendly relations," he told reporters on November 17. "We will spare no effort in developing and deepen our ties."

Lavrov flew in to Armenia from Azerbaijan, where he hailed the level of cooperation between Moscow and Baku as he met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, and President Ilham Aliyev.

Russia's top diplomat reportedly reiterated Russias interest in helping find a solution and ensure progress toward the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during his meeting with Aliyev on November 19.

Aliyev said that his country is "very interested in resolving the conflict.

Aliyev also hailed the "high level" of bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Russia and expressed confidence that cooperation will strengthen in the future.

In remarks during talks with Mammadyarov in the Azerbaijani capital, Lavrov said that friendly diplomatic relations between the two countries "plays a great role in providing security" in the South Caucasus and the Caspian regions.

He also said that the joint Russian-Azerbaijani commission on military-technical cooperation will hold its next session in December.

Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan amid a 1988-94 war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group have failed to result in a resolution. The Minsk Group is co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax
MOSCOW -- A new Russian statue, another round of allegations. Whether commemorating Mikhail Kalashnikov, Ivan the Terrible, or Vladimir the Great, statues erected by Vladimir Putin's Russia tend to be unveiled to controversy.

And the new likeness of 19th-century Tsar Alexander III that was opened ceremonially by President Putin on November 18 in occupied Crimea prompted more of the same.

Organizers were taken to task one day after the unveiling in a widely shared Telegram post listing a string of apparent historical inaccuracies in the ensemble.

The sculptor, Andrei Kovalchuk, has rejected the challenges and said he will make no corrections.

Tsar Alexander III, who ruled after the assassination of his father, Alexander II, from 1881 to 1894 and was known for his conservatism, is depicted sitting in military uniform resting his hands on a sword. Behind him is a bas-relief bearing famous figures and innovations from the tsar's reign.

The ensemble also carries a quote that it attributes to Emperor of All Russia Alexander III: "Russia has two allies -- its army and its fleet."

But in a series of allegations, the blog post on the Nechayevshchina Telegram channel says the phrase is wrongly attributed to the tsar and was actually pronounced by War Minister Pyotr Vannovsky. It also contends that eight images used in the relief are actually associated with other tsars and relate only indirectly to Alexander III.

"At first glance, the monument looks impressive, particularly against the background of short Putin," the blog says in a swipe at the stature of the 1.7-meter-tall Russian president. http://telegra.ph/CHto-ne-tak-s-pamyatnikom-Aleksandru-III-11-18 "But if you get closer, it turns out to be the latest illiterate, hasty job."

Philosopher and writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky is depicted in the relief but died 30 days before Alexander III's rule began, the bloggers note. And novelist Leo Tolstoy appears, although he wrote his two greatest works -- War and Peace and Anna Karenina -- under Alexander II and lived until 1910, well into Nicholas II's rule.

The bloggers also take issue with a reference to the Trans-Siberian Railway. Although its construction began three years before Alexander III's death, that storied railway was completed in 1916 -- 22 years after the end of his rule.

Along similar lines, the bloggers challenge references to Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery, the State Historical Museum, the Mozhaisk Plane, chemist and inventor Dmitry Mendeleyev, and geographer and traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky.

Sculptor Kovalchuk defended his work in extensive comments to state news agency RIA Novosti. "I'm sure there are no mistakes, and I don't intend to change anything," he said. "I have no doubts that everything that was made corresponds to Alexander's epoch. Although Dostoyevsky died a month before the murder of Alexander II, he absolutely correctly is present in this [relief]."

He called the other allegations groundless.

'Falsifiers Of History'

The disputes have been latched onto by Putin's opponents.

Anticorruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny, who is hoping against hope to run for president in March, posted the blog listing the apparent inaccuracies on Twitter and wrote: "I've always said: There are falsifiers of history in the Kremlin. People who do not love Russia and don't understand it."

Unveiling the statue, Putin called Alexander III an "outstanding statesman and patriot" who "felt a tremendous responsibility for the country's destiny."

Alexander III was notable for his conservatism, which included a rollback of liberal reforms carried out by his father.

In an editorial, the Vedomosti business paper wrote on November 19 that Putin had appeared to have "found his historical ideal -- or even prototype" in Alexander III. It suggested that if Putin hadn't explicitly named Alexander III "you could have thought that he was talking about himself."

The statue was erected at the late tsar's residence at Livadia, in Yalta, on the Crimean Peninsula that was seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

It is the latest organized by Russian authorities celebrating past leaders of various stripes -- including prerevolutionary and Bolshevik -- in keeping with a revolution-averse official narrative that emphasizes continuity between Russia's political leaders and regimes.

Some of the monuments have been tainted since historians or other observers spotted apparent inaccuracies.

A likeness of Kalashnikov unveiled in central Moscow in September was modified after one of the weapons depicted near the Soviet-era creator of the fabled AK-47 combat rifle was shown to be a German assault rifle developed by the Nazis.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the former governor of Ukraines Odesa region, told a protest rally in Kyiv that he is ready to create a new government of Ukraine and to become the countrys prime minister.

"Ukraine needs an urgent formation of a new government, Saakashvili told several hundred people in a tent city of protesters outside the parliament building on November 19. Im ready to spearhead this process jointly with you and to head this government if necessary.

Lets create a new government of Ukraine, he added. But above all, we will find those Ukrainians who care about Ukraine, who will respect and develop Ukraine.

Antigovernment protesters set up the tent city outside the Verkhovna Rada building on October 17, calling for the cancellation of parliamentarian immunity, the creation of an anticorruption court, amendments to election laws, and legislation on impeachment of the president.

The protests were initially called by Saakashvili, a onetime ally of President Petro Poroshenko, but many of Ukraine's opposition political leaders have also joined the demonstrations.

Saakashvili, who heads the opposition Movement of New Forces party, told protesters that if the authorities fail to meet their demands, they should begin a popular impeachment of Poroshenko and other leaders starting on December 3.

"December 3 will be the beginning of 'popular impeachment,'" he said. Before December 3, we will continue to do what we have started to do. December 3 is Day X for all of us. Let us get organized. I will be traveling across the country to raise people peacefully."

From 2004-13, Saakashvili was president of Georgia, where he is wanted on suspicion of trying to organize a coup there after his exit from office, allegations he denies.

In 2015, he was appointed by Poroshenko to be governor of the Odesa region and surrendered his Georgian citizenship to take the post.

However, Saakashvili resigned in November 2016, saying his reform efforts had been blocked by Poroshenko's allies.

Saakashvili was then stripped of Ukrainian citizenship by Poroshenko in June 2017 in a move he is challenging in court.

He left the country as a stateless person, but on September 10 he defied authorities and crossed back into Ukraine from Poland -- helped by hundreds of supporters amid scenes of chaos -- vowing to return to politics and calling for protests.

Poroshenko has said the real goal of protest organizers is to destabilize Ukraine.

Ukraine's powerful prosecutor-general, Yuriy Lutsenko, has accused Saakashvili and his supporters of plotting a coup backed by foreign financing.

With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and The Kyiv Post
ON MY MIND

Should he attend, Alyaksandr Lukashenka's appearance at this week's Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels will be sure to attract a lot of attention.

How will he be received by EU leaders? With Belarus's relations with Russia hitting a rough patch, will Lukashenka use the occasion to send a message to Moscow?

But beyond the inevitable Lukashenka show, this week's summit is also marked by a "what now?" vibe. (See a piece by Andrew Rettman in EUObserver, featured below.)

Association agreements, free-trade agreements, and visa-free travel have been implemented with Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, but membership is obviously a far-off prospect.

There is also the persistently yawning gap between these three countries and three other partnership countries -- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus -- which have, to put it mildly, not advanced as far on issues of democracy and human rights.

On this week's Power Vertical Briefing (featured below), we look ahead to the Eastern Partnership summit and what we can expect and should be looking for.

So be sure to tune in.

IN THE NEWS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, in Baku today for talks expected to focus on bilateral relations and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Iranian, Russian, and Turkish foreign ministers met in southern Turkey to discuss the yearslong civil war in Syria ahead of a summit between the three countries' presidents in Russia.

Czech President Milos Zeman is expected to arrive in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 20, with talks scheduled the following day with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin says.

Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists appear to be moving closer to a new round of prisoner exchanges after a flurry of comments from Kyiv, Moscow, and separatist groups.

A senior Russian official says Sweden and Uruguay have written a draft resolution that could lead to another vote to keep alive a United Nations investigation into who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Ukraine's main security agency says it has detained two Russian citizens wanted by Interpol, including one who allegedly was involved in the assassination of American journalist Paul Klebnikov.

Senior aides will present U.S. President Donald Trump with a $47 million plan to finance and sell high-tech defensive weapons to Ukraine to bolster its efforts to repel Russian aggression in the region, ABC News reported, quoting a State Department source.

NEW POWER VERTICAL BRIEFING

This week's Power Vertical Briefing looks ahead to the November 24 Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels.

WHAT I'M READING

The Sharp Power Of Authoritarianism

Christopher Walker and Jessica Ludwig have a piece in Foreign Affairs, The Meaning Of Sharp Power, on how authoritarian states project influence abroad.

The Kremlin's Use Of History

In his column for Republic.cu, opposition journalist Oleg Kashin takes this weekend's unveiling of a monument to Tsar Alexander III as a point of departure to look at the Kremlin's use of history.

The Eastern Partnership

In EUObserver, Andrew Rettman looks ahead to this week's European Partnership summit in Brussels and argues that the European Union appears to be distancing itself from aspirant countries from the former U.S.S.R.

Russia And Japan

Jonathan Eyal of the United Royal Services Institute has a commentary looking at Putin's complicated efforts to normalize relations with Japan.

Eastern Europe's Ghosts

In The National Interest, the Kennan Institute's Izabella Tabarovsky argues that Eastern Europe's inability to confront its dark past could imperil its future.

Hromadske television has an interview with Miriam Lexman, EU office director at the International Republican Institute, on managing historical memory in Poland and Ukraine.

And in a piece for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Joanna Hosa looks at rising nationalism in Poland.

Putin's Swan Song?

In The Independent, Oliver Carroll looks at the uncertainty in Putin's inner circle as next year's presidential election approaches.
Three other nations  Iran, Sudan and Syria  are on the State Departments list of state sponsors of terrorism. North Korea was previously removed from the list in 2008 amid nuclear negotiations spearheaded by former President George W. Bush. In his announcement, Mr. Trump invoked the death of Otto Warmbier, the American college student who was imprisoned by North Korea and died earlier this year after returning to the U.S. in a coma. He said more sanctions would be imposed on North Korea and related persons that the Treasury Department would begin to announce Tuesday.

There is strong bipartisan support for the move in Congress, which had passed legislation in August requiring the State Department to make a determination on putting North Korea back on the list. The primary impact of the designation may be to compound North Koreas growing international isolation as it is already subject to an array of tough U.S. sanctions restricting trade, foreign assistance, defense sales and exports of sensitive technology.
?The new TVS motorcycle, which was showcased to the world as Akula 310 Concept, will be launched as Apache RR 310 S in its production format. The motorcycle which is based on the BMW G 310 R is expected to go on sale in January 2018. Ahead of official launch, the bike has been spied on test while making speed runs on the Chennai-Bangalore highway.

TVS Apache RR 310 S is powered by the same 313 cc liquid-cooled single cylinder engine which is also seen on the BMW G310R. This engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Both the engine and gearbox are expected to be tweaked to offer a unique character. In its existing state of tune, the BMW motor produces 34 bhp and 28 Nm of torque.

One of the main rivals of TVS Apache 310 will be Below is a video taken by YouTube channel MotoStories. He has now shared the same with us, and you can see the same for yourself in the video below.

The video clearly shows that the Dominar 400 rider is trying all he can to chase the TVS Apache 310, but fails to catch up. In spite of gunning the Dominar at full speed of 159 kmph, the Dominar rider says that the Apache 310 was still pulling away into the distance.

Compared to the Apache, the Dominar 400 is a more powerful bike. Its 373 cc engine delivers 35 PS power and 35 Nm torque. But it seems that the TVS Apache RR310S has a higher top speed and a better acceleration. Below is a video of MotoStories chatting with the TVS Apache 310 test riders.

TVS Apache RR 310 S features Twin headlamps, tall windshield, muscular fuel tank, split seats, LED taillights and a stubby silencer would be the styling highlights. The motorcycle is expected to retain the USD front fork and rear monoshock. We can expect the motorcycle to offer optional dual-channel ABS and Pirelli tyres like the Apache RTR 200.

The TVS Apache RR 310 S will be pitted against the likes of KTM RC 390, Honda CBR 250R, Mahindra Mojo, Dominar 400 etc. More details will be revealed once the bike is launched in the coming weeks.


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23990 / November 17, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Green Tree Investment Group, Inc. and Jeffrey B. Mallett, Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-1091 (W.D.Tex., filed November 17, 2017) SEC Charges Broker and His Company for Failure to Register On November 17, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Jeffrey B. Mallett of Mason, Texas and his company, Green Tree Investment Group, Inc., for acting as unregistered brokers. Mallett and Green Tree have agreed to settle the SEC's charges and will pay combined disgorgement, interest, and penalties of over $777,000. According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Mallett and Green Tree purchased ownership interests in 16 different wells and oilfield facilities in Texas for the benefit of other investors. From April 2010 through October 2014, Mallett and Green Tree allegedly solicited and received approximately $3.7 million from investors and paid approximately $2.7 million to purchase ownership interests in the wells for the investors' respective accounts. The complaint alleges that Mallett and Green Tree received compensation by marking up the investors' purchase prices and charging commissions by retaining 10% of the interests purchased by the investors. The complaint further alleges that, despite acting as brokers, Mallett and Green Tree failed to register as required under Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Mallett and Green Tree agreed to settle the case without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations. The settlement is pending final approval by the court. Specifically, Mallett and Green Tree consented to a final judgment that permanently enjoins them from violating Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act; requires them to disgorge their ill-gotten gains of $651,597, and pay prejudgment interest of $111,259, within one year of the judgment; requires Mallett to pay a civil penalty of $7,500; and requires Green Tree to pay a civil penalty of $7,500. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Christopher Ahart and Melvin Warren, and supervised by Jessica B. Magee and Jim Etri of the Fort Worth Regional Office. The litigation is led by Keefe Bernstein. The Commission appreciates the assistance of the Texas State Securities Board in this matter. SEC Complaint https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23990.htm

Modified: 11/17/2017


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23992 / November 20, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Ibrahim Almagarby and Microcap Equity Group LLC, No. 17-cv-62255 (S.D. Fla. November 17, 2017) SEC Charges Individual and His Company with Operating an Unregistered Dealer Business The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Florida-based individual and his company with acting as unregistered dealers in the sale of billions of shares of numerous penny stock issuers. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in south Florida, alleges that, beginning in January 2013, Ibrahim Almagarby and his company, Microcap Equity Group LLC (MEG), engaged in a business that purchased aged penny stock issuer debts. After converting the debts into equity, they sold the resultant shares into the market. At the time of this conduct, the complaint alleges that neither Almagarby nor MEG were registered with the SEC as a dealer and Almagarby was not associated with a registered broker or dealer. Through these activities, Almagarby and MEG purchased over $1.1 million of aged debts of 39 microcap issuers and sold into the market over 7.4 billion shares generating over $1.4 million in ill-gotten gains. The SEC's complaint charges both Almagarby and MEG with violating Section 15(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Almagarby as a control person under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act for MEG's registration violations. The SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, civil penalties, surrender for cancellation of MEG's remaining shares in the penny stock issuers that are the subject of this action and surrender of any conversion rights in its remaining holdings of issuer debts, and penny stock bars. The SEC's investigation was conducted by James Thibodeau of the Salt Lake Regional Office, and the litigation will be led by Daniel Wadley and Amy Oliver. SEC Complaint https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23992.htm

Modified: 11/20/2017


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23994 / November 20, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Inofin, Inc., Michael J. Cuomo, Kevin J. Mann, Sr., Melissa George, Thomas Kevin Keough, David Affeldt, and Nancy Keough, Civil Action No. 1:11-CV-10633 (D. Mass., Complaint Filed April 14, 2011) Court Enters Final Judgment Against Massachusetts Company Responsible for Large Scale Securities Fraud The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that, on November 20, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final judgment in an enforcement action against Inofin, Inc., a Massachusetts-based subprime auto-financing company. The SEC's complaint, filed in April 2011, alleged that Inofin and several of its executives illegally raised at least $110 million from hundreds of individual investors across the country through the sale of unregistered promissory notes and made material misrepresentations to those investors about the company's financial performance and how it was using investors' funds. Inofin is now under the control of a bankruptcy trustee. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC's complaint, Inofin's bankruptcy trustee consented to entry of a permanent injunction against Inofin prohibiting violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and Sections 5 and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). Inofin was the last remaining defendant in the Commission's enforcement action against the company, its three principal executive officers, and two of its securities sales agents. The Commission previously obtained final judgments by consent against Inofin's former principal officers, President Michael Cuomo of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mann, Sr. of Marshfield, Massachusetts, and Chief Operating Officer Melissa George of Duxbury, Massachusetts and also against two of Inofin's sales agents, David Affeldt of Potomac, Maryland and Thomas Kevin Keough of North Reading, Massachusetts. These judgments ordered Cuomo, George, Mann, Affeldt and Keough to pay disgorgement and civil penalties and permanently enjoined them from violating relevant provisions of the Exchange Act and the Securities Act. In related criminal proceedings, on April 2, 2015, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Massachusetts indicted Cuomo and Mann, charging both with one count of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. On May 25, 2017, Cuomo and Mann entered pleas of guilty to each count of the indictment. On October 20, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts sentenced Cuomo and Mann to terms of imprisonment of 48 months and 42 months, respectively, and ordered that both jointly and severally pay restitution in the amount of $10,186,018. For further information, see Litigation Release No. 21929 (April 14, 2011), Litigation Release No. 22435 (August 6, 2012), Litigation Release No. 22667 (April 5, 2013), Litigation Release No. 23006 (May 28, 2014), Litigation Release No. 23212 (March 3, 2015), and Litigation Release No. 23315 (August 12, 2015). https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23994.htm

Modified: 11/20/2017
Notes: What if Navy blitz becomes blueprint? Notre Dame 'would welcome that'

football
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the company's Dragon capsule on an uncrewed cargo run to the International Space Station on April 14, 2015. The same Dragon is schedule to launch toward the orbiting lab again on Dec. 4, 2017.

If you want to make the case that spaceflight is about to take a giant leap, SpaceX's next cargo run to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA could be Exhibit A.

That mission, which is currently scheduled to launch on Dec. 4, will likely represent a reusability landmark. The cargo run will employ a pre-flown Dragon capsule, and the chances are good that the Falcon 9 rocket lofting the freighter will feature a used first stage as well, NASA officials have said.

And consider the cargo: One of the science investigations riding Dragon is a machine built by California-based company Made In Space that's designed to produce optical fiber aboard the ISS. If all goes according to plan, this experiment could be a big step toward the establishment of an off-Earth economy, Made In Space representatives have said. [The International Space Station: Inside & Out (Infographic)]

"We should think about who else we should get to fly on [this Dragon mission], to make it even more the bleeding edge of space," Made In Space CEO Andrew Rush told Space.com with a laugh.

A reusable future

SpaceX and its billionaire founder and CEO, Elon Musk, have long prioritized the development of reusable rockets and spacecraft, stressing that such technology will slash the cost of spaceflight and thereby open the heavens to greater exploration.

Musk's company has made a lot of progress toward turning that vision into reality. To date, SpaceX has successfully brought Falcon 9 first stages back to Earth 19 times during orbital missions, and three of those landed boosters have flown again.

SpaceX has also relaunched a Dragon to the ISS once. This past June, a Falcon 9 lofted a Dragon that also visited the orbiting lab in September 2014. But that rocket was completely new, so the upcoming resupply flight will break new ground in reusability if NASA does indeed greenlight the use of a pre-flown Falcon 9 first stage. (The Dragon that will lift off next month previously launched toward the ISS in April 2015, on SpaceX's sixth contracted cargo mission for NASA. Next month's launch will initiate resupply run number 13.)

Dragon, by the way, is the only currently operational cargo vehicle capable of being re-flown. The capsule comes back to Earth for soft, parachute-aided ocean splashdowns; all other uncrewed freighters are designed to burn up in our planet's atmosphere after their time at the ISS is done.

Such re-flights represent a sort of proving ground for SpaceX, which is working toward something much bigger. The company is developing a giant, fully reusable rocket-and-spaceship combo called the BFR, which Musk wants to use for a variety of purposes  especially to help establish a million-person city on Mars in the next half-century or so. [The BFR: SpaceX's Mars-Colonization Architecture in Images]

In-space manufacturing

Made In Space also has big dreams: The company is working on multiple projects that could lead to greater exploration and commercial development of the final frontier.

For example, Made In Space has launched two 3D printers to the ISS and currently operates one as a fully commercial facility. (NASA owns the other one.) Such machines could reduce the cost and risks associated with spaceflight (for example, by allowing voyaging astronauts to print out needed parts on demand), company representatives and NASA officials have said.

The two 3D printers aboard the ISS can currently manufacture products using only polymer "feedstock," but Made In Space is working to add metal to its orbital repertoire. The company is developing a metal-capable system known as Vulcan, with the aid of a NASA Small Business Innovation Research grant, which was awarded in July. And Made In Space is also working on a metal "extruder" head that could be added to a 3D printer already on the orbiting lab, Rush said.

"One of the broad goals that we have at Made In Space is to bring as many manufacturing technologies to a space-ready state as possible," Rush said. "The objective is ultimately to have the same kind of machine-shop manufacturing capabilities [that] you have on Earth in space."

Another project is Archinaut, a 3D-printing, robotic-arm-equipped spacecraft. Company representatives said this craft will be able to build big structures such as telescopes on orbit, and also repair and upgrade existing satellites.

Made In Space has partnered with Thorlabs on a project to produce ZBLAN optical fiber in orbit. This machine is scheduled to launch toward the International Space Station abroad a SpaceX Dragon capsule in December 2017. (Image credit: Made In Space)

Then there's the ZBLAN machine that's going up next month, as part of a project that's a collaboration with New Jersey-based company Thorlabs. Made In Space has said that space-produced ZBLAN optical fiber could be orders of magnitude more efficient than the stuff made here on Earth (because our planet's powerful gravity induces imperfections in the fiber's fine-scale structure).

The upcoming experiment is designed to test this idea out and help Made In Space determine if there's a viable market for the product.

"This will be the first in a program of flights to demonstrate and then really dial in this manufacturing of high-value materials in space," Rush said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Next stop, space? A spacesuit from Final Frontier Design did its third round of Canadian flight testing last month in preparation for eventual space tourist flights.

Between Oct. 2 and 5, the company flew its 3G Intra-Vehicular Activity suit on three flights over Ottawa on Falcon 20 jets; each flight had 18 parabolas to simulate microgravity for a few seconds. For the first time, testing was "visor down" on the suit  meaning that the subjects were fully sealed inside.

It was an important challenge for Final Frontier to meet, co-founder Ted Southern told Space.com. During previous Canadian flights in 2015 and 2016, the suit's visor was up. [Final Frontier Design: A Private Spacesuit Experience in Photos]

A view of the spacesuit testing setup inside the Falcon 20 jet that flew above Ottawa, Canada, earlier this month. (Image credit: Adrien Mauduit/Project PoSSUM)

"One of the biggest risks of microgravity is vomit. If you vomit inside a closed spacesuit in microgravity, there's a risk of inhalation and choking on your own vomit," Southern said. "It's a big step to go visor-down because of the risk involved, and also because you're relying on a life support system to sustain someone."

Each spacesuit subject was tested for vital signs such as blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, heart rate and body core temperature. Participants also had to operate a control system with a joystick and monitor while fully suited up.

Riding along with Final Frontier were two partners who have their own interests in spacesuit research. One of them is Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere), which eventually wants to use suited-up scientists to study clouds in the mesosphere. The other was the hosting organization, Canada's National Research Council, which wants to better understand why astronauts get sick in space.

Planning for commercial spaceflight

Southern and his Final Frontier co-founder, Nikolay Moiseev, first met each other as competitors during a NASA challenge intended to make better spacesuit gloves. In a subsequent 2009 competition, they paired up and won second prize ($100,000) in NASA's glove challenge.

The two founded Final Frontier Design  based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard  and have been busy with spacesuit research ever since. They now have seven spacesuits under their belt, encompassing four generations of changes. Their funding includes four Small Business Innovation Research grants, a NASA Space Act Agreement, a NASA fixed-price contract and a Flight Opportunities Program grant for microgravity testing.[Evolution of the Spacesuit in Pictures (Space Tech Gallery)]

While they're busy creating spacesuits, Southern says NASA won't have a place for those suits in the upcoming Orion space program. (NASA instead is going with a variation of the space shuttle's Advanced Crew Escape Suit for interior activities.) But down the road, Southern said he could see partnerships with entities such as Zero 2 Infinity, a Spanish ballooning company, or Starfighters Aerospace, a Kennedy Space Center company that operates F-104 supersonic aircraft for science and commercial work.

Southern worries about the many commercial companies  Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, World View  that plan to bring private citizens into space without pressurized suits.

"I think that's crazy," Southern said, pointing out that NASA and other space agencies have astronauts wear suits during launch and landing. (The unsuited Russian Soyuz 11 crew was killed in 1968 due to spacecraft depressurization during landing.) "Suits have proven to be useful  they are just like the oxygen masks that fall down from a commercial airliner when you're at 35,000 feet."

Southern said there would be more microgravity spacesuit testing in the coming weeks. He's also hoping to do a fourth round of Canadian testing with the National Research Council next year. [No Bathrooms, No Barf Bags: What Blue Origin's Space Tourists Can Expect]

This is the third year the spacesuits have been tested on parabolic flights above Ottawa, Canada. This year, the visor was put down for the first time. (Image credit: Adrien Mauduit/Project PoSSUM)

Clouds and climate change

Final Frontier and the nonprofit PoSSUM have been working together for about five years. PoSSUM's eventual goal is to do high-resolution imaging of noctilucent clouds, which form in the upper atmosphere and could be an indicator of climate change, according to the group's executive director, Jason Reimuller.

The clouds form in the mesosphere, in a zone that is too high for high-altitude balloons to reach, and too low for spacecraft.

It's a zone that thus would be perfect for scientists in commercial spacecraft, Reimuller told Space.com in a separate interview. Reimuller studied these clouds as part of his dissertation research. To get a better look at the clouds, the scientists would need to be suited up while studying them from commercial spacecraft. This prompted the partnership with Final Frontier, to learn how to design instruments capable of being manipulated in a spacesuit.

Participants go weightless in the Falcon 20 jet that flew above Ottawa, Canada. (Image credit: Brien Posey/Project PoSSUM)

Future flights, Reimuller said, could "fly through a cloud and focus on small structures we know exist that haven't been seen before. In doing so, we could really improve the models and our understanding of the upper atmosphere. This has direct implications for the man-made drivers of climate change, [including] designing hypersonic vehicles or vehicles that will operate in that region of our atmosphere. It also helps us understand low-density atmospheres, like on Mars."

But in the near future, Reimuller looks forward to a lot more instrument testing, including balloon flights in Antarctica (in December) and northern Canada (next summer) to study the clouds as best as possible from a lower altitude.

A parabola participant is suited up prior to flight, at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. (Image credit: Jason Reimuller/Project PoSSUM)

Space sickness

Humans have flown in space for nearly 60 years, and many of them experienced space sickness  which is also called space adaptation syndrome. According to a 2009 article in Air&Space magazine, the problem gained prominence at NASA during the Apollo program, when astronauts had room to move around in their spacecraft.

The problem persisted through Skylab and the space shuttle program, and likely still affects astronauts today on the International Space Station, although it isn't often discussed. Veteran flyers are advised to keep their heads still in the first few days in orbit, or to take antihistamines such as promethizine (Phenergan) and scopalamine, the article added.

The NRC has conducted research into space sickness for several decades, but there's a gap in this research overall, said Derek Gowanlock, the facility manager for the Falcon 20 that did the spacesuit parabolic flights. Specifically, there isn't much information available about motion sickness in microgravity.

"A lot of motion sickness research is based on dynamic maneuvering, whether it's aerobatic flight fighter jet type of stuff, or simulated  [devices in which] you can spin the person in three dimensions. Microgravity datasets are quite limited. There is data, absolutely, but it's nationally controlled. The NASA space program gathers data, but it's not widely published for research purposes."

Gowanlock said all participants in the Falcon 20 flights were monitored for warning signs of motion sickness, with the aim of eventually providing good antidotes. The motion sickness pills and patches that participants use today are only partially effective, he added.

"One of the applications of this research and knowledge development would be commercial space providers such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin," he said. These providers are planning short microgravity flights for paying tourists, he added, and the goal is to prevent space sickness in these situations.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
G lencore billionaire Telis Mistakidis was dealt a humiliating blow on Monday as he resigned from one the commodities giants key divisions over lax financial controls at a controversial mine in the Congo.

Mistakidis has stepped down from the board of Katanga Mining, the Canada-listed firm 86% owned by Glencore which produces copper and cobalt from mines in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after material weaknesses identified in internal controls over financial reporting.

The Katanga mine featured in recent Paradise Papers revelations.

The Glencore copper chiefs vast wealth comes from his 3% stake in Glencore worth more than 1.5 billion, allowing him to splash out 46 million on a luxury London flat two years ago. But he resigned along with two other directors, Liam Gallagher and Tim Henderson, following an internal review by independent directors.

The review found Katanga had incorrectly reported copper production in 2014 when it overstated output by 6650 tonnes while understating production the following year.

Although the FTSE 100 miner said the mis-statements do not hit its financial position, Canadas Ontario Securities Commission is investigating whether Katangas previous financial statements are misleading in a material respect.

The OSC is also probing the firms corporate governance and the adequacy of Katangas risk disclosures to investors under bribery, government payment and anti-corruption laws. The review found previously undisclosed payments to Katanga management in cash and Glencore shares, totalling $5.5 million (4.2 million) over five years.

Glencore said it is committed to ensuring the weaknesses identified in the review are addressed and do not reoccur. It has parachuted in three new directors to the board of Katanga to get a grip on the business, including the miners chief financial officer Steven Kalmin. Kalmins assistant Tony Moser also joins, alongside copper smelting and refining chief Mike Circillo. The company will put in place various structural and control changes across its copper department in order to enhance and strengthen its financial processes and procedures.

Sources said Mistakidis is likely to remain with Glencore despite the embarrassing blow.

Katanga featured in the Paradise Papers after leaks revealed it secretly loaned Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler $45 million in 2009 to help secure mining rights in the Congo, although Gertler and Glencore deny any wrongdoing.
W hile in London for a series of meetings with the financial community last week, I was very impressed by the breadth of the debate on Brexit. As it is the main topic of discussion at all levels, many wonder what the relationship between the UK and the EU might be once the split is completed.

I have the utmost respect for the choice of British voters, and I am unable to make predictions on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.

However, it seems to me that the vote on Brexit has produced one obvious consequence on the European Union  the acceleration of greater integration. To understand what the framework will be in which new relations between the UK and the EU will be established, it is perhaps useful briefly to review what has happened in the past decade and what the Unions agenda should be in the near future.

In 2008, Europe was hit by the harshest financial crisis in generations. Even if the origin of the shock was not in Europe, the consequences were worse here than in the US, partly because our institutions and leadership did not respond adequately and some of the negative effects were not addressed in time. At the same time, the eurozone crisis unveiled long-standing weaknesses in individual countries as well as the need to strengthen the institutional architecture of the EU. Italy is pursuing a balance between fiscal adjustment  particularly needed in high-debt countries  and support for growth, tied to structural reforms.

The current favourable macroeconomic environment in Europe now offers an opportunity to implement an ambitious reform agenda to overcome structural impediments. Such an agenda must include national and EU programmes for improving citizens living standards and making the EU a strong player in the global economy.

From my perspective, common solutions are preferable to splitting up. My prescription for Italy and for Europe is based on more and better innovation, through stronger support from private and public investment, and making human capital the key to obtaining stronger and more inclusive growth.

The ingredients for success are already available: the single market, the banking union and the capital markets union must be completed and integrated so as to exploit synergies. If we are to lift growth and improve citizens living standards while sharing more evenly the benefits of increased prosperity, we need a multidimensional approach. In fact, all our economies need to boost investment, private and public. To this end, both the single market must be further extended to larger-scale activity, to include innovations in digital and energy.

Banking union is the most ambitious project to reinforce the resilience of the EU, its financial markets and banking sector. Completing banking union requires risk reduction and risk-sharing to go hand in hand. The banking union should be part of the EUs support for the real economy as banks are better equipped to provide credit.

The Juncker Plan and the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) were launched by the European Commission to help provide backing for potentially profitable investment plans too risky for the private sector. The plan is aimed at the creation of knowledge-based capital, innovation and infrastructure. More investment is the way to make the best of an ambitious structural reform agenda. We should push these reforms to boost productivity growth, with more public and private investment, supported by a strong capital market union.

The reforms should equip our education and training systems for a fast- moving knowledge economy  the new opportunities should be available to all. This, together with more investment in knowledge creation, would underpin an innovation union.

Policies addressing widening inequalities must make use of the full range of available tools, while relying on solid institutions and constructive social dialogue. The lack of decisive action to tackle inequalities has direct consequences on the well-being of citizens, increasing the resentment against the union and fuelling radical anti-EU movements and parties across Europe. Inequality can be addressed also by providing stabilisation mechanisms in labour markets.

Italy has proposed ways to create a common unemployment insurance scheme for the EU and the eurozone. Stabilising the global economy also requires international public benefits.European public benefits include a common defence, security and migration system to make our borders safer, our society more inclusive and strengthen the EU in the dialogue with its partners. A restructured EU budget should find room for these things.

Europe must fully exploit the benefit of integration, while becoming more resilient in an evolving global economy

Finally, fiscal policy, coupled with structural reforms, has a crucial role in safeguarding macroeconomic stability while addressing income inequality. There are good equitable reasons to accompany the introduction of necessary structural reforms with budget allocations that partially compensate those who are, temporarily, worse off as a result of the reforms. Reducing growth gaps and providing equality of opportunity may mean additional spending in some areas but it should not alter the overall budget.

Besides the size of government, the composition of public spending matters. As EU integration continues, a better allocation of tasks and resources between national and EU budgets will mean public finance can promote inclusive growth. This could also help improve the EU fiscal rules by enabling national tax systems to be aligned.

The window of opportunity will not last for ever. Europe must fully exploit the benefits of integration, while becoming more resilient in an evolving global economy. As for the UK, it must be open to greater co-operation.
J ust over a year ago, the Brexiteer leaders loudly told the public that they would get money back if they voted to leave the EU. Today, behind the closed doors of Downing Street, those same politicians will quietly agree instead to hand over more of the publics money to Brussels.

The sum of 40 billion is reportedly what the Prime Minister is seeking the permission of her Cabinet to offer to get the EU talks moving  the figure the Evening Standard first predicted as far back as July. She has no option.

As has become painfully clear over the past few months, the EU holds the cards in this negotiation. We need access to its markets. Its the EUs decision whether to grant it.

The failure to agree to that access, while damaging for some EU countries, will be far more damaging to Britain. And because weve triggered Article 50, the clock is ticking and only the EU can decide whether to extend the deadline.

Thats why the Government keeps folding its hand.

Back in the spring, Downing Street demanded that any discussion of the divorce bill had to be conducted in parallel with talks about a future trading relationship.

That fell by the wayside, as the other EU governments continue to demand satisfactory progress on settling that bill before those talks even start.

In the summer, the Brexit Secretary insisted that an agreement on progress be reached by the October Council; now he implores the Europeans to allow it to happen in December.

The PM had been insistent that Britain wouldnt put any actual money on the table until we heard more detail from the EU about what a final deal might look like.

This autumn, in Florence, she caved in on that. The opening bid was 20 billion. The first rule, when haggling over the price of a rug in a Turkish bazaar, is: wait for the other side to make a move before raising your offer.

We dont have that luxury. The Europeans remained immovable. So today our offer has been doubled.

Of course, well now be told by Downing Street that nothing will be agreed unless everything is agreed  and the money can be withdrawn if the EU doesnt offer concrete detail on the outlines of a final trade deal.

Thats what Boris Johnson and Michael Gove demand in their ever-so-helpful secret memo to Theresa May. But that is not realistic.

Once the divorce bill has been signed off in principle, it will be next to impossible to unravel it without plunging our exit from the EU into chaos and condemning the UK to a legal quagmire.

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Meanwhile, Downing Street has been counting on Angela Merkel riding to the rescue and breaking the deadlock  something that was already unlikely (as we know from recent history).

With todays collapse of the German coalition talks, that now feels impossible.

All this belies an ever bigger looming problem at home. The fact that there is a bill for Brexit, rather than a bonus, has been so widely expected in Westminster that it has dulled our senses to the impact it will have when the country hears how it has been misled by the Brexiteers.

A clue was provided last night by Robert Halfon  a Tory MP with a populist instinct for what will and wont wash with the public. Mr Halfon says he voted Remain but if we start saying were going to give 40-50 billion to the EU, I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare.

As we saw with his rebellion over fuel duty hikes, where Mr Halfon leads, other backbenchers tend to follow. The leaders of Brexit seem brazenly willing to abandon their promises to the people. The public may be less expedient.

70 years and counting

Today, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary  as Sam Leith suggests in his column, its a milestone perhaps even more remarkable than Her Majestys 65 years on the throne.

We congratulate them.
While most were busy escaping the office for a festive Pret sarnie, 55 of the world's most beautiful women were storming down the Victoria's Secret runway in Shanghai.

Hailing from 20 different countries, the models walked the show staged at the Mercedez-Benz arena for the biggest extravaganza in the lingerie giant's 22-year show history.

Some of the brand's longest serving angels Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel and Adriana Lima joined more recent recruits Bella Hadid, Devon Windsor, Sara Sampaio and Elsa Hosk.

Among the 15 new faces this year were Grace Bol, Frida Aasen, Victoria Lee, Xin Xie, Alexina Graham, and Estelle Chen.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: The Newcomers 1 /20 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: The Newcomers Nadine Leopold Nationality: Austrian

Runway experience: Marchesa, Philipp Plein, Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas Vanessa Moody Nationality: American

Runway experience: Givenchy Getty Images for Visionaire Mayowa Nicholas Nationality: Nigerian

Runway experience: Prada, Chanel AFP/Getty Images Victoria Lee Nationality: Australian

Runway experience: Ralph Lauren instagram.com/victorial24 Gizele Oliveira Nationality: Brazilian

Runway experience: Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana Getty Images Roosmarijn de Kok Nationality: Dutch

Runway experience: Balmain instagram.com/roosmarijndekok Alecia Morais Nationality: Cape Verdean

Runway experience: Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger instagram.com/alecia_morais Grace Bol Nationality: Sudanese

Runway experience: Balmain Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot Aiden Curtiss Nationality: American

Runway experience: Miu Miu, Off-White, Versace Getty Images for Foundation Figh Estelle Chen Nationality: French

Runway experience: Louis Vuitton instagram.com/chen_estelle Frida Aasen Nationality: Norwegian

Runway experience: Prada, Louis Vuitton, Loewe Getty Images Amilna Estevao Nationality: Angolan

Runway experience: Givenchy, Lanvin AFP/Getty Images Xin Xie Nationality: Chinese instagram.com/xinxiexx Alexina Graham Nationality: British

Runway experience: Balmain Getty Images for amfAR Samile Bermannelli Nationality: Brazilian

Runway experience: Valentino, Kenzo, Emporio Armani, Alberta Ferretti Getty Images for Marc Jacobs

Keen to ensure this show was the most show-stopping yet, Victoria's Secret commissioned their first ever high fashion runway collaboration.

Enlisting Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, the brand gave the French designer a 'punk/rock' segment of the show to dress.

And dress it he did, with black and red tartan lingerie sets, metal spikes and heavy silver fringing dominating his collection.

Revelling in the partnership, Rousteing admitted that he and Victoria's Secret "believe in the same kind of woman," dubbing the brand's models "powerful ladies... a strong and confident sexy girl that knows what she wants."

The 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has taken place in Shanghai

Click here to see our run-down of the showcase as it happened
With the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show just moments away, models walking this year's extravaganza had an early start this morning as they made their way backstage for preening.

Taking place in Shanghai for the first time in the runway's history, the showcase kicks off at 8pm local time - 12pm GMT.

Joining the models this year for her second VS fashion show is Bella Hadid.

Having made her debut walking for the lingerie giant in Paris last year alongside older sister Gigi, Bella this year is the only Hadid walking after Gigi pulled out just last week.

Also absent this year is the Hadid sisters' good friend Kendall Jenner, who is skipping this year due to a contractual agreement with rival lingerie brand La Perla of which she is the face.

But while Gigi and Kendall are notable absences from this year's line up, there is a smorgasbord of well-known and legendary Victoria's Secret models returning to the runway today.

Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jasmine Tookes, and Stella Maxwell are all in Shanghai for the show, while Candice Swanepoel regains her place having stepped away from the catwalk for 2016 to have her baby.

Karlie Kloss also returns to the line up having left the brand two years ago.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: Confirmed Model Line-up 1 /72 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: Confirmed Model Line-up Walked before Karlie Kloss Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Walked before Candice Swanepoel Getty Images Walked before Sara Sampaio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Adriana Lima Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Devon Windsor Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Josephine Skriver Getty Images for Swarovski Walked before Bella Hadid Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Jasmine Tookes Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Taylor Hill Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Gizele Oliveira Getty Images Walked before Lily Aldridge Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Mayowa Nicholas AFP/Getty Images Walked before Barbara Fialho AFP/Getty Images Walked before Jourdana Phillips Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Kelly Gale Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Zuri Tibby Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Vanessa Moody Getty Images for Visionaire Walked before Stella Maxwell Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Amilna Estevao AFP/Getty Images Walked before Blanca Padilla Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Daniela Braga Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Grace Bol Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot Newcomer Aiden Curtiss Getty Images for Foundation Figh Newcomer Xin Xie instagram.com/xinxiexx Walked before Martha Hunt Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Alecia Morais instagram.com/alecia_morais Walked before Alanna Arrington Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Leila Nda AFP/Getty Images Walked before Bruna Lirio Getty Images Walked before Maria Borges Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Frida Aasen Getty Images Newcomer Samile Bermannelli Getty Images for Marc Jacobs Walked before Liu Wen Walked before Shu Pei Qin Getty Images Newcomer Victoria Lee instagram.com/victorial24 Walked before Sui He Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Nadine Leopold Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas Walked before Herieth Paul Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Maggie Laine Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Lais Ribeiro Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Grace Elizabeth Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Estelle Chen instagram.com/chen_estelle Walked before Dilone Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Romee Strijd Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Roos Marijn de Kok instagram.com/roosmarijndekok Walked before Elsa Hosk Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Sanne Vloet Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Leomie Anderson Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Alexina Graham Getty Images for amfAR Walked before Megan Williams Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Ming Xi Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Lameka Fox Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Cindy Bruna AFP/Getty Images

Photographed together backstage, the girls joined the brand's first ever high fashion runway collaborator Olivier Rousteing of Balmain ahead of today's debut.

Take a look through our gallery above to see the models as they prepare backstage for one of the biggest catwalk shows of the year
L ast year, Londoners tested for HIV more than, and also more frequently than, anywhere else in the country, which resulted in a significant drop in HIV diagnoses in the capital.

A record 40 per cent reduction in new diagnoses has been reported across five central London clinics since the ground-breaking HIV prevention campaign by London boroughs, known as Do It London, began.

Following on from this success, the latest phase of Do It London, which encourages HIV testing as part of combination prevention, has been timed to coincide with National HIV Testing Week (18-24 November).

Every three months

Do It London and National HIV Testing Week promote testing because getting tested early means that if you do have HIV, you can start treatment that will enable you to have normal life expectancy. It can also help prevent you from passing it on to others.

Testing is the bedrock and gateway for HIV prevention, says Paul Steinberg, lead commissioner of the London HIV Prevention Programme. For instance, in order to access the PrEP trial, which makes preventable drugs available to HIV-negative people considered at high risk of HIV, a person has to test negative and then test every three months after that to stay on it. In addition, when someone with diagnosed HIV achieves an undetectable status, the risk of passing on HIV becomes negligible to non-existent. Testing for HIV and receiving a prompt diagnosis is crucial to this scientifically proven method of prevention.

In 2016, 5,164 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in the UK, representing an 18 per cent decline from the 6,286 diagnoses reported in 2015. The UK is one of the first countries in Europe to witness a substantive decline in HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men, where the decrease has been most apparent  at 21 per cent.

When National HIV Testing Week was launched in 2012, testing rates were so low that getting people to test once a year was a big feat, says Steinberg. But now that testing is in the general consciousness, we are keen to encourage certain groups  including gay and bisexual men, those using PrEP and those with multiple and casual partners  to test every three months.

At-home tests

The options for HIV testing have diversified in recent years, so while the mainstay is still going to a sexual health clinic, you can also order a home sampling kit for free. With this method you send off a small blood sample and get your result by text message.

Home testing kits are also available until early next year via the Selphi trial. This works in a similar way to a home pregnancy testing kit, but involves pricking your finger for an instant result.

Running until early next year, Do It London encourages Londoners to recognise the multiplicity of options available to them, including PrEP, as well as using condoms, testing regularly for the virus and  for people who are HIV positive  becoming undetectable by taking antiretroviral medication.

For more information on the campaign, visit doitlondon.org
Marriage looks a lot different today than it did 30 or 60 years ago.

For example, millennials are more open to interracial and interfaith relationships and less likely to have sex outside of marriage.

We rounded up the biggest differences between the way millennials and their predecessors approach marriage.

The institution of marriage is constantly evolving.

Couples who get hitched today create a partnership that looks totally different from their parents' and grandparents'  from their wedding to their commitment to monogamy.

Below, Business Insider has collected some of the starkest contrasts between the way millennials and their predecessors approach married life. Just imagine how different marriage will look in another 30 years.

couple.jpg, by admin / Shutterstock / MRProduction

Millennials are more accepting of premarital sex ...

A 2015 study, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, found that millennials are the generation most accepting of pre-marital sex.

In the 1970s, just 29% of American adults believed premarital sex among adults was "not wrong at all." That number increased to 42% in the 1980s, 49% in the 2000s, and 58% between 2010 and 2012.

... but they're waiting longer to have it

Meanwhile, a 2016 study, also published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, found that millennials have had fewer sexual partners than previous generations.

As Business Insider's Chloe Pantazi reported, results showed 15% of millennials aged 20 - 24 said they had no sexual partners since turning 18. When people born in the 1960s were ages 20 - 24, just 6% said they hadn't had sex.

Dr. Helen Fisher, an anthropologist and the Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com, told Pantazi this is possibly because millennials are more ambitious in their careers and more cautious about starting relationships.

There's an app for every type of hook-up / Shutterstock

They're starting relationships online, and those marriages may be stronger and happier

At least one-third of couples meet online. Dating sites and apps are especially popular among younger generations of Americans.

And a growing body of research suggests those who connect through online-dating services go on to have happier marriages, and are less likely to divorce.

Best Wedding Venues in the UK - in pictures 1 /66 Best Wedding Venues in the UK - in pictures Moor Park Mansion, Hertfordshire Sue Lacey Photography Ellingham Hall, Northumberland Bridebook Crathorne Hall Hotel, Yorkshire Bridebook Fanhams Hall, Hertfordshire Bridebook Chateau Rhianfa, Isle of Anglesey Bridebook The Manor House, Wiltshire Bridebook Strawberry Hill House, London Bridebook Mitton Hall, Lancashire Bridebook Elmore Court, Gloucestershire Bridebook Nonsuch Mansion, London Bridebook Melville Castle, Edinburgh Bridebook Gileston Manor, Vale of Glamorgan Bridebook Crowcombe Court, Somerset Bridebook Hales Hall & The Great Barn, Norfolk Bridebook Holmewood Hall, Cambridgeshire Bridebook The Ravenswood, West Sussex Bridebook Berwick Lodge Hotel, Bristol Bridebook St Audries Park, Somerset Bridebook Gosfield Hall, Essex Bridebook Hedsor House, Buckinghamshire Bridebook Clearwell Castle, Gloucestershire Bridebook Iscoyd Park, Shropshire John Warburton Lee Photography Yogurt Rooms, West Sussex Yogurt Rooms Holkham Hall, Norfolk Rob Buttle Photography Woodhill Hall, Northumberland Woodhill Hall Wood Hall Hotel and Spa, West Yorkshire Wood Hall Hotel and Spa Queen Mary University of London, London Weddings at QMUL The Wellbeing Farm, Manchester The Wellbeing Farm The Vineyard, West Berkshire Adam Hillier The Ritz, London The Ritz London The Monastery, Manchester Teresa C Photography The Mansion, Leeds Joel Skingle The Imperial Tenby, Wales The Imperial Tenby RSA House, London RSA House Quantock Hills, Somerset Evoke Pictures Penton Park, Hampshire Lydia Stamps Oxleaze Barn, Gloucestershire Jessica Williams Photography One Aldwych, London One Aldwych Notley Abbey, Oxfordshire Notley Abbey Leez Priory, Essex Ben Brown of Lavenham Photographic Heaton House Farm, Cheshire/Staffordshire Steve Bridgwood Photography Fulham Palace, London Ben Moore Wedding Photography East Quay Venue, Kent East Quay Venue DUKES London, London DUKES London Dodmoor House, Northamptonshire Dodmoor House Coombe Trenchard, Devon Lucy Wallace Photography Busbridge Lakes, Surrey Busbridge Lakes Brookfield Barn, West Sussex Zara Price Photography Manor Hill House, West Midlands Bridebook Smeetham Hall Barn, Essex Bridebook

For example, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2012 looked at about 19,000 people who married between 2005 and 2012. People who met their spouse online said their marriage was more satisfying than those who met their spouse offline. Plus, marriages that began online were less likely to end in separation or divorce.

(That study was funded by eHarmony.com, but one of the study authors told MarketWatch that it was overseen by independent statisticians.)

It seems likely that people who register for online dating are more interested in a serious relationship  not that online dating directly causes relationships to be stronger.

Millennials are more likely to live together before marriage

INSIDER's Kim Renfro reported that some sociologists say there could be a link between declining divorce rates and more people deciding to live together before marriage. A 2009 Australian study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, found that "for more recent marriages, premarital cohabitation reduces the risk of separation."

Presumably, that's because people have a chance to realise they're not compatible after cohabiting for years. And indeed, 64% of millennials and Gen X-ers believe that living together before marriage may help prevent divorce.

Still, it's worth noting that some psychologists say moving in together as a trial run is rarely a good idea. Whatever problems you hope will disappear once you shack up probably won't.

(Shutterstock) / 97923017

Millennials are marrying later

Most millennials want to wed eventually: A 2013 Gallup poll found 86% of single, never-married Americans ages 18 to 34 would like to get married someday.

They're just waiting longer to do it. According to a 2016 Gallup poll, 20% of Americans ages 18 to 30 are married. Compare that to 32% of Gen X-ers and 40% of Baby Boomers when they were the same age.

Millennials are more open to interracial and interfaith marriage

According to a Pew Research Center survey, published in 2010, 85% of millennials say they would be fine with a marriage to any racial group (the survey asked specifically about African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and white Americans).

That number decreases to 73% among 30-to 49-year-olds, 55% among 50- to 64-year-olds, and 38% among those 65 and older.

Meanwhile, another Pew report, published in 2015, indicates that 39% of Americans who have married since 2010 have a spouse who is in a different religious group. Compare that to just 19% of Americans who married before 1960.

Shutterstock / bedya

Millennial weddings are especially lavish

According to a survey conducted on behalf of Best Buy, and highlighted in Glamour in 2015, 70% of newlyweds say their weddings were more elaborate than their parents'.

What's more, millennials are more likely to stage public proposals than their parents were.

Married millennials are less likely to have sex with someone other than their spouse

Younger generations of Americans are less likely than older generations to report having extramarital sex.

An analysis by Nicholas Wolfinger, a professor at the University of Utah, published on the conservative-leaning Institute for Family Studies blog, suggests that older Americans (55 and older) are now more likely to have sex outside their marriages than younger Americans (55 and younger).

Specifically, people born between 1940 and 1959 report the highest rates of extramarital sex  several percentage points higher than people in their 20s and 30s.

It's possible that older couples simply have had more time to stray. Except that the oldest generations surveyed  those in their 70s and 80s  are less likely to report having extramarital sex than those in their 50s and 60s.

Wolfinger writes: "Perhaps some people do become more likely to have outside sex partners as they age, but only if they grew up during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s."

Interestingly, Wolfinger's analysis also found people are less disapproving of extramarital sex today than they were in years past.

Shutterstock / Shutterstock

Millennials have complex attitudes about gender roles, marriage, and family

A 2017 paper for the Council on Contemporary Families found that young adults ages 18 to 25 have grown less supportive of gender equality in the home since the mid-90s.

Consider: In 2014, men ages 18 to 25 were more likely than their older counterparts to agree with the idea that it's better for women to be homemakers and men to be achievers in the outside world.

Other reports suggest that millennial men do support gender equality in the home, but they have a hard time putting those beliefs into action. An article in The New York Times reads:

"Millennial men  ages 18 to early 30s  have much more egalitarian attitudes about family, career and gender roles inside marriage than generations before them, according to a variety of research by social scientists. Yet they struggle to achieve their goals once they start families, researchers say."

That's possibly because of a relative lack of family-friendly policies in the American workplace.
W hile she may be the UKs longest-reigning monarch, the Queen and her husband Prince Philip have always been notoriously private.

Today, the pair will mark their 72nd wedding anniversary  an incredible feat  but its the early years of their relationship that has taken the spotlight again after Netflix released season three of The Crown this past Sunday.

Despite this fictional insight, the pair's courtship and subsequent marriage is steeped in mystery  only allowing the public to see what they want them to see.

Below is 17 things you might not know about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their 70th wedding anniversar in 2017 / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

1. Prince Philip gave up smoking the morning of their wedding

According to his valet, John Dean, Philip stopped smoking the morning of their wedding suddenly and apparently without difficulty as he knew how much the Queen hated it.

2. The Queen is believed to have met more people than anyone else

When its your job to meet people and youve been doing this job your entire life, its no wonder the Queen has met so many people.

3. They both do not vote in elections

This is so they do not influence public opinion.

4. There are specific rules when the Queen is on the Royal Train

When the Queen is travelling on the Royal Train, it is not allowed to go over bumpy tracks at 7:30am as this is when she has her bath.

5. Prince Philip was born on a kitchen table

He was born on the kitchen table of the Greek royals' summer home in Corfu at villa Mon Repos.

6. While Prince Charles was being born, Philip was playing squash

Of his baby son he said: "He looks like a plum pudding!"

7. The Queen is given breakfast in Tupperware containers

Every morning, her breakfast table is laid with porridge oats and cornflakes in Tupperware containers, yoghurt and two types of marmalade.

8. The Queen was ahead of the times

She sent her first email in 1976 from an army base.

9. Prince Philip was the first member of the Royal Family to do a TV interview

He was interviewed by Richard Dimbleby in 1961 about his involvement in Commonwealth Technical Training Week.

10. They are both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria

Yes, this means they are fourth cousins.

11. Prince Philip has pet names for the Queen

They are said to be cabbage and mon petit chou.

12. The Queens wedding ring is made from Welsh gold

The nugget of gold used for the ring comes from Clogau St Davids mine near Dolgellau.

13. The couple are thought to have had a public spat

During the 1954 tour of Australia, the pair reportedly had a heated row where the Queen threw a shoe at Philip. The footage was apparently caught on camera but was given to the Queen and never aired.

14. For their fifth wedding anniversary, the Duke designed a bracelet

The gold, diamond, sapphire and ruby bracelet included interlocking links of Es and Ps.

15. The Queen does her own washing up

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said: You sit there having eaten, the Queen asks if youve finished, she stacks the plates up and goes off to the sink.

16. The Queen does not have a passport

She is also the only person in the country who can drive without a licence or registration plates.

17. Prince Philip wrote a letter to the Queens mother before their wedding

In it he said how he had fallen in love completely and unreservedly with Elizabeth.

He added: The only thing in this world which is absolutely real to me, and my ambition, is to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good.
T hanksgiving is upon us  which can only mean that Black Friday isnt far behind.

Comparable to Boxing Day sales, the American tradition has made its way across the Atlantic and has infiltrated our shores.

But it's not just TV sets and toys you can get bargain deals on - there are some brilliant travel deals too.

Here are over 20 of the best - be prepared for your wanderlust levels to go sky-high.

What is Black Friday?

1. Ryanair is offering cheap deals every day this week

Beginning today, Ryanair is offering seven days of deals, revealing one each morning.

Todays deal is 15 per cent off 500,000 seats for December.

The top 25 cheapest city breaks in Europe 1 /33 The top 25 cheapest city breaks in Europe Bratislava, Slovakia Typical price per night: 36 Shutterstock Athens, Greece Typical price per night: 36 Milos Bicanski/Getty Images Vilnius, Lithuania Typical price per night: 35 Maciej Lulko/Flickr Istanbul, Turkey Typical price per night: 27 Chris McGrath/Getty Images Belgrade, Serbia Typical price per night: 27 Shutterstock Wrocaw, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Janek SkarzynskiFP/Getty Images Toulouse, France Typical price per night: 36.50 Rob DeGraff/Flickr Ljubljana, Slovenia Typical price per night: 36.50 Pedro Szekely/Flickr Thessaloniki, Greece Typical price per night: 28 Shutterstock Zadar, Croatia Typical price per night: 36.50 Min Zhou/Flickr Riga, Latvia Typical price per night: 36.50 AFP/Getty Images Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria Typical price per night: 33 Shutterstock Sofia, Bulgaria Typical price per night: 28 Dennis Jarvis/Flickr Tbilisi, Georgia Typical price per night: 24 Shutterstock Nantes, France Typical price per night: 38 AFP/Getty Images Palermo, Sicily Typical price per night: 36.50 Shutterstock Budapest, Hungary Typical price per night: 36 GLars Baron/Getty Images Catania, Sicily Typical price per night: 35 Carlos Bustamante Restrepo/Flickr Leipzig, Germany Typical price per night: 32.50 Shutterstock Krakow, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Jan Kucharzyk/Getty Images Zagreb, Croatia Typical price per night: 32 Shutterstock Saint Petersburg, Russia Typical price per night: 28.50 Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Bucharest, Romania Typical price per night: 28 Shutterstock Warsaw, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Shutterstock Kiev, Ukraine Typical price per night: 28.50 Marco Verch/Flickr

2. Virgin Trains East Coast route is currently half price

Virgin Trainss East Coast half-price sale launched today with 300,000 tickets up for grabs. Travel is for between January 6 and March 2 next year.

Prices include London to Edinburgh for just 20, so get in quick.

3. Save up to 5,000 on a trip to the Maldives with Six Senses Laamu

Turquoise Holiday Company is offering 50 per cent off a stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives.

The offer is valid for travel from April to September next year and applies to couples and families. You can save up to 2,100 per person or 5,000 per family.

Prices include a stay in a lagoon water villa, daily breakfast and dinner, domestic flights, speedboat transfers and international flights with Etihad from London Heathrow via Abu Dhabi. You can book the deal from 9am November 24 to 5pm November 27.

Craziest Black Friday moments in the UK

4. Topdeck is offering 70 per cent off

Topdecks sale will begin a day early from 2pm on the November 23 and will end at 9am on November 28.

Highlights include 70 per cent off Australia and North Africa trips, 50 per cent off trips to New Zealand and 15 per cent off trips to Spain, Belgium and Austria.

Airbnb's top solo travel destinations 2017 1 /14 Airbnb's top solo travel destinations 2017 Click through to discover Airbnb's top solo travel destinations for 2017 Shutterstock / baranq 1. Cancun, Mexico Shutterstock / Jenny Sturm 2. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Shutterstock / Sean Hsu 3. Cologne, Germany Shutterstock / 75tiks 4. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Shutterstock / Patryk Kosmider 5. Johannesburg, South Africa Shutterstock / Ariadna22822 6. Sao Paulo, Brazil Shutterstock / f11photo 7. Auckland, New Zealand Shutterstock / Dmitri Ogleznev 8. Mexico City, Mexico Shutterstock / Kamira 9. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Shutterstock / CLS Digital Arts 10. Busan, South Korea Shutterstock / Tanwa Kankang

5. You can get return flights to New Zealand for just 399

If youve always wanted to head to New Zealand  nows your time. There will be a limited number of return flights on sale for just 399 from London to Auckland, an absolute steal.

If America is more your style, return flights to Los Angeles will also be on sale for just 175 return and the airline will be dropping more deals throughout the day.

6. Mercure, Novotel and ibis Hotels are offering 30 per cent off

Guests of AccorHotels can book a stay at any of their participating 107 UK Novotel, ibis and Mercure hotels and receive 30 per cent off.

The deal is valid between the December 8, 2017 and March 11, 2018.

7. The Baltic Travel Company is offering 5 per cent off

The Baltic Travel Company are offering 5 per cent off bespoke trips worth over 3000.

These trips will be available over the six days leading up to Black Friday and include trips to Latvia, Lithuania, Scandinavia and Finland.

8. Save 150 on trips to Canada with Canadian Affair

You can save 150 on holidays worth over 999 with Canadian Affair when booked this Black Friday. Offering a wide range of holidays to suit all holiday types like a 12-day Vancouver and Alaska cruise or a Canadian Rockies by Rail holiday.

Enter the code 'BLACKFRIDAY' when you book a holiday between Friday November 24 and Sunday November 26.

9. You can save 50 on long-haul flights with Finnair

Finnair are offering 50 off all long-haul economy seats to Asian destinations like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Goa, Beijing and Seoul. The travel period is between January 10 and May 31 next year.

They have also launched a sale fare of 159 from London Gatwick to Kittila, Lapland this winter. This discount fare is available from now until 15 December 2017 for travel between 1 January and 31 March, 2018.

The deals will be available from 4pm on November 23 to November 27.

10. Save 5 on 16-25 Railcards

From November 24 to 28 you can save 5 off a 16-25 and Family and Friends Railcard. Railcards can save you 30 per cent on most rail fares throughout Britain.

11. Save up to 40 per cent with Principal Hotels

Save up to 40 per cent off stays at Principal Hotel Companys De Vere country estate hotels and a selection of the groups iconic city centre hotels

You can choose from destinations like Wales, Windsor, Gloucestershire and Surrey. The deals are available to book from November 24 to 27 and include stays until March 31 2018.

12. Visit the Maldives with 45 per cent off

Gili Lankanfushi is giving visitors 45 per cent off with Black Friday deals. The pioneering eco-resort is offering nearly half-price rooms that include a daily prosecco breakfast and gourmet dinner.

The best bit is that there is no limit on the number of nights booked. This deal is available for all bookings made on November 24 and 25.

13. Hotels.com is offering up to 77 per cent off on luxury packages

If youve always wanted to head to Thailand, nows the time as Hotels.com are offering 77 per cent off your stay in an executive pool villa at the Baan Ngam Boutique Resort and Villas.

Yachting more your style? You can save 75 per cent on your own private yacht with Miami Beach Luxury Charters.

They are also offering amazing deals to Cambodia, Turkey and Indonesia. For more information visit Hotels.com.

14. You can save up to 30 per cent on last-minute departures with Contiki

Contiki are offering two amazing last-minute deals  30 per cent off an eight day trip around Italy and 20 per cent off a nine day trip around Laos and Cambodia. Both are departing on December 16.

This offer is valid until November 30.

15. You can visit the Greek Islands for free with Busabout

Busabout are offering a free nine-day Greek Island Hopper package (worth 349) with every Unlimited Hop-on Hop-off Pass sold.

You can take advantage of this offer until November 30.

16. Singapore Airlines release flights to the US for just 300 return

Singapore Airlines have launched their flash Black Friday sale with international return flights from the UK starting at as little as 300.

Destinations include the US, New Zealand, Thailand, Australia and Singapore. Offer available from November 23 to 28.

17. Fly to Bali for just 508 return with Royal Brunei Airlines

Royal Brunei Airlines are offering discounted fares to a number of destinations including Bali, Manila, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne.

These fares are available from November 24 to 26.

18. Royal Caribbean is offering 25 per cent off cruises

Royal Caribbean's newest liner, Symphony of the Seas is set to launch next April so in conjunction with Black Friday they are offering 25 per cent off cruises on these bookings along with up to $1,000 (751) onboard credit.

Book between November 24 and 27 to take advantage of this deal.

19. You can get 10 per cent off an already-on-sale Global Interrail pass

Get unlimited rail travel in up to 30 European countries from 137 with Interrail. You can get an extra 10 per cent off the current 15 per cent off promotion with the code EXTRA10.

This offer is only available for 24 hours on November 24, so get in quick.

20. You can save up to 50 per cent on hotel booking with the Cairn Collection

The Cairn Collection is offering 50 per cent off stays at 10 of their signature hotels - with some starting at just 39 for a night.

These savings are available on stays from December 11, 2017 to January 31, 2018 using the code 'BFRIDAY' at the checkout. Offer subject to availability.

21. Artist Residence are offering 20 per cent off all stays

You can get 20 per cent off all stays in 2018 with boutique hotel company Artist Residence. Simply book before midnight November 26 using the code BLACK17.

22. Save up to 625pp when booking with Club Med

You can save big bucks when booking a long or short-haul all-inclusive holiday with Club Med. Deals end on November 28.

23. Save 550 off selected packages with Expedia

You can choose from eight flight and hotel packages and save 550 with the code UKBLACKFR550 on Expedia. Book by midnight November 24.
A Londoner has told how he was attacked while defending a train station worker from racist abuse at London Bridge station.

Peter Yeung, 26, said he saw three men shouting "Allahu Akbar" and making shooting gestures at a female member of railway staff on Saturday evening.

After he intervened, Mr Yeung claims he was grabbed into a headlock by one of the men.

Mr Yeung, a journalist at the Times, stepped in to help when he overheard three white men hurling racist slurs at a member of staff while he travelled home to Camberwell on Saturday, November 18.

The employee, a woman in her 40s, "appeared to be Arabic", he told the Standard.

Mr Yeung said: "She [the railway worker] was sweeping.

"There was three guys standing on the corner shouting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'you are a dirty Arab'."

"They were making shooting gestures at her", he added.

After asking the men to stop, Mr Yeung claimed the men started to shout racist abuse at him instead.

He said: "I'm mixed race, Asian by appearance. They started shouting abuse at me."

Mr Yeung said he was later caught in a headlock by one of the men and suffered "light bruising" after alerting station staff to the incident.

"I went back to take photos," Mr Yeung said.

"Then one of the men came over and grabbed me by the neck and tried to take my phone. He got me in a head lock."

Passengers at London Bridge station. / Getty Images

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: "We have received a report of a racially aggravated common assault and a racially aggravated public order offence against a member of railway staff and member of the public at London Bridge.

"The incident happened at around 6pm on Saturday 18 November.

"Officers are making enquiries and have been in contact with the victim.

"If anyone has any information please call 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 quoting reference number 189 of 19 November."

Southeastern Rail told the Standard they advised Mr Yeung to report the incident to BTP. A spokesperson said they passed his tweets to their eyewitness team, which monitors hotspots and trends in anti-social behaviour at our station.
T he horrified husband of a former fitness instructor ended their relationship after medical evidence proved the "monster" had killed their daughter, it has emerged.

Craig Scully-Hicks, 36, told a family court he had been left "lonely and frightened" since Elsie's death at the couple's home in Llandaff, Cardiff, when she was just 18 months old.

Elsie died in hospital four days after being violently shaken and thrown on the floor by Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, who could not cope with caring for her when his husband was away.

A jury convicted him of murder following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court and he was jailed for life, with a minimum sentence of 18 years.

During family court proceedings relating to Elsie's elder sibling  known only as C  Craig Scully-Hicks said he was "numb and devastated".

Mr Justice Moor said Craig Scully-Hicks, an account manager, did not want to be alone in the house where the murder took place.

Jailed: Matthew Scully-Hicks / PA

"He is lonely and frightened. It was his decision to part. He did so as the medical evidence was telling him that Matt had hurt his daughter," Mr Justice Moor said.

The judge said Craig Scully-Hicks had confronted his husband after receiving a medical report about Elsie's injuries.

"Matt continued to deny that he had done anything but the reports were categoric," Mr Justice Moor said.

"He didn't know what to think. Over the following days, there were endless heated arguments.

"He accepts that Matt hurt Elsie and she is dead because of it. He said it is a permanent separation.

"He had taken his vows in 2012 very seriously but has removed his wedding ring."

Victim: Elsie Scully-Hicks / PA

During the family court proceedings, Craig Scully-Hicks told the judge he will continue to "beat himself up" about being more concerned about Elsie's health rather than how her injuries were caused.

There is "nothing" that makes him think he should have picked up on his husband's behaviour at the time and no concerns were raised with him by professionals, the judgment states.

"The children idolised Matt and he idolised Matt. He said he didn't know this 'monster'," Mr Justice Moor said.

During the trial and family court proceedings, it emerged that Craig and Matthew Scully-Hicks had met in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 2006 and started a relationship two years later.

They relocated to South Wales and married in Portugal in August 2012.

Elsie's elder sibling, C, was placed with the couple as a baby and Matthew Scully-Hicks gave up full-time work to become primary carer  with Craig Scully-Hicks playing a "significant" role too.

Craig Scully-Hicks' job required him to work away from home for two to three nights per week and he was never present when Elsie suffered the injuries.

Both children were placed with Matthew and Craig Scully-Hicks by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Elsie in September 2015.

In December 2016, Craig Scully-Hicks informed the family court that he accepted his husband had killed her, as well as causing her a twice-broken leg in November 2015.

"Matt had lied to him ever since. He frankly accepted that he wanted not to believe it and he was numb and devastated," Mr Justice Moor said.

"Craig denies any failure to protect and says that the man (Matthew) that injured Elsie bears no resemblance to the man he married.

"He had no reason to suspect Matthew. They have separated and there will be no reunification or reconciliation."

Craig Scully-Hicks told the family court that the toddler's injuries were "awful as Elsie had been entrusted to their care".

"He said he did wonder why Elsie was having so many accidents when C was not having them but the professionals had accepted the explanations," Mr Justice Moor added.

Craig Scully-Hicks had heard his "quiet and mild-mannered" husband raise his voice to tell his children off, but had never witnessed him swearing at them.

In January 2016, he noticed a "couple of marks" to Elsie's ears, the judgment states.

However, Mr Justice Moor said there was no behaviour at home that would have alerted Craig Scully-Hicks that "something was not right".

"One of the conundrums of this case is that, on the surface, Matthew and Elsie were bonding. She showed no fear of him. She was happy to go to him," the judge added.

He said there were no "flaws or inconsistencies" in Craig Scully-Hicks' evidence.

"I have therefore come to the clear conclusion that I should exonerate Craig of any failure to protect Elsie," the judge added.

"There is nothing he could or should have done but I fear he may find that difficult to accept."

Craig Scully-Hicks moved in with a friend after separating on November 17 - what would have been Elsie's second birthday.

Additional reporting by Press Association
A mother who was stabbed to death after being gagged and bound in her north London home may have known her attacker, police said.

Catherine Burke's body was discovered at a house in a quiet street in Muswell Hill last Thursday evening after concerned neighbours raised the alarm.

Neighbours in Hill Road said at the weekend they were disturbed to read reports she was found tied up.

They said she had been living in fear about her security after a break-in three years ago.

A post-mortem examination revealed the 55-year-old's provisional cause of death to be from stab injuries, Scotland Yard said.

A police officer stands at the scene of the killing in Muswell Hill

The lead investigator in the case, acting Detective Chief Inspector Dave Bolton, said: "At this stage we are keeping an open mind as to any motive and whether Catherine knew her attacker or attackers."

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the victim on Wednesday or Thursday last week.

"We are aware that her daily routine included walking her dog locally and would be interested in speaking with anyone that knew her," DCI Bolton added.

No arrests have yet been made and Ms Burke's family have joined police to appeal for witnesses.

Murder scene: Floral tributes outside a house on Hill Road, Muswell Hill / PA

A family spokesman said: "Catherine will be deeply missed by family and close friends. We urge anyone with any information to come forward to police.

"As a family we ask for privacy at this difficult time."

The retired civil servant, originally from Galway, Ireland, was described as a much-loved figure in the community.

She had raised thousands of pounds for a neighbouring family when their child developed brain cancer.

Family friends said her only son Nial, who is in his early 20s, was beyond distressed and has returned to north London from university to stay with his grandmother and father nearby.
T wo teenagers have pleaded guilty to a "reckless" train surfing stunt that was filmed and uploaded onto YouTube.

Police have slammed the "stupid" actions of the youngsters after they filmed themselves climbing between carriages as the train travelled at high speed.

At one they point they can be seen leaning above the train putting them dangerously close to the overhead power lines, which carry 25,000 volts of electricity.

Harris Ahmed, 18, of The Warren, Manor Park and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of a person conveyed on the railway at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Two youngsters have been sentenced for "reckless" and "stupid" train surfing / BTP

Inspector Steve Webster, from British Transport Police, said: These pranksters risked their lives in making this reckless YouTube video.

It isnt impressive, it is stupid. I am stunned that people still think that so-called train surfing is a clever idea, when every day our force sees tragedy on the railway.

The teens filmed themselves leaning above the train as it travelled at high speed / BTP

The last thing we ever want to do is visit a family to inform them their loved one has been killed by dangerously climbing on top of a train or otherwise trespassing on the railway.

"The railway is a dangerous environment and can be fatal... a disaster was very narrowly avoided during this stunt.

The pair filmed themselves train surfing in Essex / BTP

The incident was first reported to BTP on Tuesday, October 31 this year, when officers were made aware of the YouTube footage which showed the two boys climbing on a TfL Rail service in Essex.

Ahmed was handed a 12-month community order and ordered to pay 105 victim surcharge. The 16-year-old was handed a four-month referral order and ordered to pay a 105 victim surcharge.
C ity firms will lose their financial passports when the UK leaves the European Union, Michel Barnier has warned.

The EUs chief Brexit negotiator warned there was no chance of Britain cherry picking desirable elements of the single market.

Speaking at a Centre for European Reform conference on Monday, he also used Theresa Mays catchphrase Brexit means Brexit against her.

He turned the phrase back on the Prime Minister as he dismissed contradictions of Leave supporters who say Britain can continue to enjoy some benefits of the single market while ditching its core principle of freedom of movement.

'Brexit means Brexit': Mr Barnier used Prime Minister Theresa May's catchphrase against her / AFP/Getty Images

Pointedly noting that "the UK knows the rules" because it had a part in drawing them up, he insisted that the principles of the market were "non-negotiable".

He added: "We take note of the UK decision to end free movement of people. This means, clearly, that the UK will close the benefits of the single market. This is a legal reality."

'Brexit Means Brexit' - Theresa May Gives First Speech as Tory Leader

Speaking out on talks relating to financial services, he told the conference: They say there will be no changes in market access for UK established firms, the say joint UK-EU rules would be decided in a new, symmetrical process... between the EU and the UK and outside of the jurisdictions of the European Court of Justice.

"This would contradict the April European Council guidelines, which are my mandate, which stress the autonomy of the European decision-making, the integrity of our legal order, and of the Single Market.

"The legal consequence of Brexit, the legal consequence, is that the UK financial service providers lose their EU passport."

Mr Barnier's speech came as Downing Street refused to confirm reports that Monday's meeting of the Cabinet's Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee would discuss the Brexit divorce bill.

Reports, dismissed as speculation by Number 10, have suggested Mrs May could be prepared to offer a further 20 billion in payments, which would bring the total sum Britain is prepared to pay to settle its liabilities to around 38 billion - well short of the 60 billion euro (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

Theresa May's Brexit in her own words

European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of next month for Britain to make further movement on the divorce bill.
T he European Medicines Agency (EMA) is to be relocated from London to Amsterdam after Brexit, it has been announced.

Alongside the European Banking Agency, the EMA is one of two key EU regulators which are to move away from Canary Wharf, where they currently employ around 1,000 staff.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam won a battle to host the EMA against a field including Athens, Barcelona, Bonn, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Lille, Milan, Porto, Sofia, Stockholm, Malta, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb.

Ministers from the 27 other EU members voted at a meeting in Brussels on which cities should become the agencies' new homes.

Thousands of anti-Brexit activists march to Parliament in protest 1 /16 Thousands of anti-Brexit activists march to Parliament in protest Demonstrators head towards Parliament Square. REUTERS Signs include 'I love EU' REUTERS The pro-EU march began in Hyde Park Corner. Si Carrington 'NHS? Brexit Wrexit' Oliver Day The march took protesters through the streets of London. Oliver Day One protester brought along a papier mache Queen, in reference to the blue and yellow hat she wore at the State Opening of Parliament. Peter Bailey 'Exit Brexit' Jonathan Hawley The September sun shone as activists marched through the streets. Martin Tod Roads were blocked during the protest. Maggie Jones The campaigners set off shortly after 11am from Hyde Park Corner. Maggie Jones The rally saw the activists march through the streets of central London. Johann Ketel EU colours of blue and yellow were seen throughout the march. Judi Conner

The chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Mike Thompson, said: "Congratulations to Amsterdam on their successful bid.

"Hosting the EMA is a singular honour for any city and we will do all we can to support the agency's smooth transition to its new home."

Theresa May's Brexit in her own words

Mr Thompson added: "Today's decision marks the moment when attention should switch to how patient safety and effective public health can be maintained during this complex transition and into the future.

"We now urge both the UK and the EU to put patients first and acknowledge that securing a comprehensive agreement to co-operate on medicines safety, regulation and supply is an urgent negotiating priority."

The news comes as Goldman Sachs announced it is to split its post-Brexit home between two European cities, Frankfurt and Paris.

Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein revealed the plans in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, adding that it will be up to the staff to decide where they want to move to from London.
T heresa May's policy chief today said he had stood down from the No 10 role and called for the Tory chairman to be replaced in a major shake-up.

He issued his call days after it emerged he had written to the Prime Minister warning that the Conservatives risked becoming defined as the party of nostalgia, hard Brexit, austerity and lazy privilege.

He proposed a Conservative Commission for Britain Beyond Brexit to renew the party while the Government focuses on Britains departure from the EU, struggles to get legislation through the Commons, and faces a rejuvenated Labour Party.

We could regain the political momentum by the Prime Minister announcing that we will use this unprecedented window to instigate a bold programme of Conservative Party renewal, with a new chairman and political team at CCHQ to oversee the intellectual, organisational and cultural renaissance of a conservatism fit to shape and lead us through the 21st century, he wrote on the ConservativeHome website.

Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin, a party stalwart who became an MP 31 years ago, has been chief whip and transport secretary, but faced criticism after the summer election.

Mr Freeman said that he had launched the Big Tent Ideas Festival and the Capital Ideas Foundation to champion enterprise, innovation and new approaches needed to tackle the most intractable problems defeating Whitehall policymakers.

Its why Ive stood down as chair of the Prime Ministers policy board in No 10, to focus on my role as chair of the Conservative policy forum, he added. We need a strong Conservative forum and voice  outside of, but heard inside, Government. The future of the No 10 policy board was put under review after Mrs Mays disastrous snap election in June. It is understood that it will not be re-established.

Mr Freemans outspoken comments highlight growing disquiet among Tory backbenchers, particularly the more recently elected MPs, about the direction of the party and the Government.

The commission would aim to open up policy formulation far wider than Parliament.

Mid-Norfolk MP Mr Freeman, who was elected to the Commons in 2010, added: This Commission should include not just our brightest parliamentarians and reformers from both sides of the EU Referendum debate from Nick Boles to Priti Patel and the new generation of MPs come to Parliament during the last few years, but also modern business leaders, social enterprise pioneers, our best council leaders and campaigners  so that the Conservative Party is harnessing the talents of all those we need to make a success of Britain beyond 2020.


T oday, the Queen and Prince Philip become the first members of Britains royal family to reach their platinum wedding anniversary.

In the past, such significant royal milestones have signalled a large gathering of friends and family, a sumptuous banquet and spectacular celebrations.

But the Queen, now 91, has decreed there will be no public festivities to acknowledge the couples 70th  in contrast to their silver, golden and diamond anniversaries, which were all marked with national services of thanksgiving.

Instead, she and Philip, 96, will celebrate with what insiders describe as a low-key dinner at Windsor Castle tonight. The usual suspects will gather at the Semi-State Rooms, a luxurious blend of the classical, gothic and rococo styles.

Of course, everything will still be arranged impeccably  the table set to perfection, bathed in the soft light of candles, and gleaming silverware and glassware placed with military precision. The menu will be sourced from the royal estates and the wines and champagne from suppliers holding a royal warrant.

The couple have been together 70 years / Matt Holyoak/CameraPress via Reuters

The events co-hosts, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, will be the first to arrive (Charles having just returned from his visit to the hurricane-hit Caribbean). The couple will be followed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duke of York and his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.

After them will come the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Princess Royal with her husband and children: Peter Phillips, with wife Autumn, and Zara Tindall, with her husband Mike.

The children of the late Princess Margaret, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, and their spouses will also be among the guests, as well as a number of friends. As the meal draws to a close, those present will charge and raise their glasses of vintage champagne in a toast, proposed by Charles, 69, to a wonderful mama and papa.

Platinum anniversary: The Queen and Prince Philip mark 70 years of marriage / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

It will be a fitting private dinner to celebrate a remarkable marriage. But  other than the release by the Royal Mint of a limited-edition 500 coin, struck in 22 carat gold  the occasion does seem remarkably underplayed.

Perhaps it is to be expected, as the monarchy has changed so dramatically in recent months. The Queen is, after all, far less active publicly and has handed more responsibility to her heir, while the Duke of Edinburgh is enjoying his retirement.

The Queen has also marked so many milestones of late, from becoming the longest-serving monarch in our history in 2015 to the longest-lived. She and Philip apparently feel they could not possibly top their golden and diamond wedding anniversaries and, frankly, do not particularly want to.

Six stamps have been issued by the Royal Mail to commemorate the occasion. / PA

With the loss of so many dear friends in the past year or so, among them the Queens cousin Margaret Rhodes and Philips cousin Countess Mountbatten, it is understandable. With great age, ones circle of close friends inevitably dwindles.

Philip, who has suffered health issues in recent years and was hospitalised in June, retired from active public life in August. One source explained: The Duke and the Queen felt a private dinner suited them better. These big, staged events can be quite all-encompassing and takes a lot out of them both these days, particularly the Duke.

From the beginning, it was marriage forged out of love, not an arranged royal match of old. The teenage Princess Elizabeth was left smitten by Philip, a young Royal Navy cadet, almost from the moment they first met properly in 1938.

The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage 1 /42 The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage A personal photograph of the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the top of the Coyles of Muick, taken by The Countess of Wessex in 2003. PA 1951 The royal family AFP/Getty Images 1949 Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, looking over Valetta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 1951 Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Queen Elizabeth Getty Images 1947 Then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 1949 Princess Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England Getty Images 1950 Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her Christening Getty Images 1951 Attending a concert at festival hall Getty Images 1951 At Riverdale Park in Toronto PA 1951 In Quebec Getty Images 1951 In Fort William, Ontario Getty Images 1952 Portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip Getty Images 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace PA 1952 The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral AFP/Getty Images 1953 Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown after her coronation PA 1954 Prince Philip with Princess Margaret PA 1954 In Hobart, Tasmania PA 1954 In Kandy, Sri Lanka Getty Images 1954 The royal family wave after returning from a trip around the world AFP/Getty Images 1955 In the grounds of Balmoral PA 1956 The Queen with one of her corgis PA 1957 Touring Springfield PA 1958 Watching a cricket match at Highclere Castle Getty Images 1959 During their royal tour of Canada PA 1959 Meeting President Eisenhower Getty Images 1960 With French President Charles de Gaulle and his wife PA 1961 With then-American President John F Kennedy and his with Jacqueline PA 1962 Driving around Hove Stadium PA 1964 At the conclusion of the Trooping of the Colour PA 1965 Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Queen, Prince Edward, Princess Margaret and Prince Andrew PA 1968 With Prince Andrew AFP/Getty Images 1972 In Balmoral AFP/Getty Images

It wasnt until later, during and after the Second World War, that the relationship grew stronger. Philip proposed in secret in 1946  on one knee in the Balmoral heather  although the formal announcement was delayed until July 1947, once Elizabeth had turned 21 and returned from a visit to South Africa.

I wonder if Philip knows what he is taking on, King George VI confided to a guest at the wedding at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. One day Lilibet will be queen and he will be consort. Thats much harder than being a king, but I think hes the man for the job.

In a letter shortly afterwards, Philip wrote to his new mother-in-law that his ambition was to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good.

Elderly share memories of the Queen's wedding

Six days before their first wedding anniversary, Charles was born, the first of their four children. Then on February 6, 1952, George VI died and the couples lives changed for ever.

Like any marriage it has not always been plain sailing, and there have been persistent, but categorically rebutted, rumours of Philips affairs.

There have also been moments of disharmony  one of the most serious of which was over the naming of their children. Philip, who took Mountbatten, the Anglicised surname of his mothers family, for his own, resented that his children would not bear it too.

In 1960, the Queen resolved this by agreeing to change the royal surname to Mountbatten-Windsor, in time for Andrews birth in February that year. But while Philip could be brusque and blunt, he has proved as supportive a companion as Elizabeth could have wished for, and more than lived up to her fathers expectations. The prince, who presented the Queen with an engraved E and P diamond and ruby bracelet to mark their fifth anniversary, has continued to romance her throughout their marriage with presents and she has long relied on his counsel, common sense and humour. The Countess of Wessex gave a rare insight into their relationship when she said: For her to have found somebody like him, I dont think she could have chosen better. And they make each other laugh, which is half the battle, isnt it?

For his part, when Philip was asked about the secret of a successful marriage, he paused before joking: Spend plenty of time apart and have different interests.

It is typical of the one-liners for which Philip has become famous, but he must know a secret or two. In November 1997, at a dinner at Londons Guildhall to mark their golden wedding anniversary, the Queen praised Philip in front of their assembled guests. He is someone who doesnt take easily to compliments, she said. But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.

The Queen and Prince Philip's 70 years of marriage in pictures

The two of them may be older and slower now but, it is fair to say, nothing else has changed.
T heresa May was threatened with a new Tory rebellion today as she prepared to double Britains EU divorce bill offer to 38 billion or more.

Former Education Minister Robert Halfon said there was a widespread view among MPs that any spare money must go on the publics priorities like housing and hospitals.

The idea of giving the EU 40 billion is horrendous when we have a huge public sector deficit, he told the Evening Standard.

Most people would go completely bananas if we suddenly found 40 billion for the European Union when they are worried about money for their local hospital, college or local housing.

Theresa May's Brexit in her own words

He spoke out hours before Mrs May was due to chair a crucial Cabinet committee which will decide whether to increase her financial offer to the EU from some 18 billion signalled in her Florence speech.

The Prime Minister was coming under pressure from all sides at the crunch meeting.

Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd were set to back her plan to guarantee the payments to enable trade negotiations to begin.

Brexiters Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Environment Secretary Michael Gove were insisting on strings being attached before giving their agreement.

Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to back Mrs May's plan to enable trade talks to begin / PA

Mr Halfon is seen as a voice of aspirant blue collar Conservative voters on the Tory backbenches and is not regarded as an ideological eurosceptic.

He said many Tory colleagues believed that there was no justification or need for such a big sum of money.

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If there is really 40 billion behind the back of the Treasury sofa it should be spent on cutting the cost of living and building housing for people on low incomes, he said.

Todays meeting of the Cabinet Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee was called in an attempt to end the deadlock in divorce negotiations between the UK and the EU, which has threatened to derail Britains hopes of starting talks on a possible trade deal.

Brexiters Boris Johnson wants strings attached before agreeing to the 40bn figure / PA

European Council president Donald Tusk bluntly set a deadline last week of the start of December for Britain to increase its financial offer.

Hopes of making progress at the EU summit on December 14 and 15 were thrown into further uncertainty by the political difficulties enveloping German leader Angela Merkel, the biggest player in the EU, whose attempts to form a new coalition foundered at the weekend.

Mr Johnson, who earlier this year said the EU could go whistle for money from the UK, was expected to insist at this afternoons meeting that any increased cash contribution from Britain to the EU must be tied to talks getting under way on an EU-UK trade deal.

A source said: There has to be clarity about how the EU will respond. Ministers were dismayed when Mrs Mays Florence speech, which they thought would be enough to unlock trade talks, failed after Germany and France intervened to demand more.

Mr Gove was expected to press for a Cabinet discussion about what sort of future relationship with the EU Britain wants to see. Mrs May has postponed such a debate, to avoid opening the split in her Cabinet.

Mr Hammond talked up the prospects of a deal emerging from the increased offer yesterday saying he could see some serious movement forward in our negotiations with the European Union, and starting to unblock that log jam.

Todays talks will not agree an exact figure for the cash offer but a formula setting out what bills will be paid in future, which Mrs May will present to Mr Tusk, possibly as early as Friday.

Instead of a lump sum, ministers expect to spread payments into the future for items like the cost of EU pensions, which could make the headline figure easier for the public to accept.

No 10 would not confirm reports that the total sum would run to 38 billion - well short of the 53 billion demanded by Brussels.

Business leaders stepped up pressure for a breakthrough on talks so that a transition period can be agreed.

Jasmine Whitbread, of lobby group London First, said four in 10 firms in London had put investment decisions on hold pending clarity.

If they got clarity on what this transition deal would look like they would be able to start to unlock those frozen decisions, she said.
T he National Trust has banned the use of the phrase Santa Claus in favour of Father Christmas because it is more British.

The institution has insisted that its stately homes should use the traditional nickname for St Nicholas during the festive season.

Santa Claus has become an increasingly popular name for the man in red but experts and the Trust have branded the phrase an Americanism.

Around 120 National Trust properties are set to host meet Father Christmas events.

Despite claiming it is not banning Santa, the Trust said it had instructed all of its shops and literature to refer to him as Father Christmas.

A National Trust spokesman said: Contrary to any speculation, the National Trust is not looking to ban Santa, Saint Nick or Santa Claus.

We recognise the gift-giving, jolly man with the beard goes by many names all over the world, but we try to stick to one, and for many years that has been Father Christmas.

The source explained that Father Christmas was perceived as the more traditional British name, certainly in England and Wales.
T he Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been pictured in three more photos as part of a series of portraits released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary.

The photographs, taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak, show Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November.

In the latest second sequence of pictures, released on Sunday, the royal couple are photographed against a platinum-textured back drop.

One shows the Queen beaming as she sits on a golden chair with matching upholstery with her hands resting on her lap, and the Duke standing next to her with his left hand in his pocket.

The 91-year-old monarch wears the cream day dress by Angela Kelly that she also wore at the Diamond Wedding Anniversary thanksgiving service, along with a yellow gold, ruby and diamond 'Scarab' brooch, designed by Andrew Grima and gifted to the couple in 1966.

The couple have been together 70 years / Matt Holyoak/CameraPress via Reuters

In another of the portraits, Philip looks tenderly at his wife as they stand side by side, turned slightly towards each other, while a third image shows them standing next to each other, looking straight at the camera.

Elderly share memories of the Queen's wedding

In the first photo, released on Saturday ahead of their anniversary, the couple are framed by Thomas Gainsborough's 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years, and the Queen holds her hands clasped in front of her, while Prince Philip stands upright with his hands behind his back.

Mr Holyoak has worked with a host of celebrities and his photos have regularly been splashed on the covers of magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Shortlist and Dazed and Confused.

The photographs were taken for Camera Press, which also celebrates its anniversary 70 years after the agency distributed the royal pair's official wedding photos as its first assignment.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters) / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

Elizabeth II, who married her consort at Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947, is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

Jennie Bond: Tolerance is key to Queen and Duke's 70-year marriage

The monarch, who was a 21-year-old princess when she walked up the aisle, is the nation's longest reigning sovereign, having overtaken the record set by Queen Victoria.

The 96-year-old newly retired Duke, who was 26 and fresh from serving for the Royal Navy in the Second World War when he wed, is the longest serving consort in British history.

The couple have reached their platinum wedding anniversary (Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters) / REUTERS

Together they have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reigns, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

With their family growing year by year, the Queen and Philip are preparing to welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April - a third child for the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

They already have five great-grandchildren - Savannah and Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Prince George and Princess Charlotte - as well as eight grandchildren - Peter and Zara Phillips, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn - and their own four children the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.

Celebrations for the Queen and Duke's 70th wedding anniversary will be a private affair at their request, markedly different from the public commemorations of the diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 which included a service of thanksgiving.

Close family and friends are gathering with the couple at Windsor Castle for a special private dinner on Monday evening.

Bells will also ring out at the historic London church where they said their vows.

At Westminster Abbey on Monday at 1pm, a team of 10 ringers will sound a full celebratory peal in tribute, lasting three hours and 20 minutes.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
T he Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary at a special party at Windsor Castle, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.

More than 100 guests gathered in the State Apartments to toast the royal couple, who wed 70 years ago in Westminster Abbey.

The monarch and Philip's eldest son, the Prince of Wales and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall were among those present, as were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are expecting their third child, and Prince Harry.

Pregnant Kate was wearing a black lace dress, and the Queen's Four Row Japanese Pearl Choker, while William and Harry were in smart black tuxedos and bow ties.

The Castle's opulent State Apartments were closed to visitors during the day as preparations were put in place for the special black tie reception and dinner to mark the milestone.

The Queen and Prince Philip's 70 years of marriage in pictures

The royal family were out in force for the celebration. Philip's German relations the Margrave of Baden and his brother Prince Ludwig of Baden had also reportedly travelled to the UK for the anniversary party.

Charles has just returned from a busy tour of hurricane-ravaged Caribbean islands, while the Duke of York is also back in the UK after an official visit to Mexico.

The Countess of Wessex, the wife of the Queen and Philip's youngest son the Earl of Wessex, and a favourite of the monarch, is overseas on a royal visit to Bangladesh, so missed the occasion.

The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage 1 /42 The Queen and Prince Philip: Early years of Marriage A personal photograph of the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the top of the Coyles of Muick, taken by The Countess of Wessex in 2003. PA 1951 The royal family AFP/Getty Images 1949 Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, looking over Valetta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 1951 Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Queen Elizabeth Getty Images 1947 Then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 1949 Princess Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England Getty Images 1950 Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her Christening Getty Images 1951 Attending a concert at festival hall Getty Images 1951 At Riverdale Park in Toronto PA 1951 In Quebec Getty Images 1951 In Fort William, Ontario Getty Images 1952 Portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip Getty Images 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace PA 1952 The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral AFP/Getty Images 1953 Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown after her coronation PA 1954 Prince Philip with Princess Margaret PA 1954 In Hobart, Tasmania PA 1954 In Kandy, Sri Lanka Getty Images 1954 The royal family wave after returning from a trip around the world AFP/Getty Images 1955 In the grounds of Balmoral PA 1956 The Queen with one of her corgis PA 1957 Touring Springfield PA 1958 Watching a cricket match at Highclere Castle Getty Images 1959 During their royal tour of Canada PA 1959 Meeting President Eisenhower Getty Images 1960 With French President Charles de Gaulle and his wife PA 1961 With then-American President John F Kennedy and his with Jacqueline PA 1962 Driving around Hove Stadium PA 1964 At the conclusion of the Trooping of the Colour PA 1965 Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Queen, Prince Edward, Princess Margaret and Prince Andrew PA 1968 With Prince Andrew AFP/Getty Images 1972 In Balmoral AFP/Getty Images

Ladies in waiting who have served Elizabeth II for decades were understood to be among the guests, along with long standing friends of the royals.

Earlier, the Queen presented the Duke with a rare honour as an anniversary present - a touching gesture seen as her recognition of the devotion Philip has shown through the decades, supporting her publicly and privately.

The monarch privately appointed Philip a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) for services to the sovereign.

The couple have been married for 70 years / BBC

Philip, 96, retired from his public role in the summer after years of royal duty alongside the monarch.

He is the longest serving royal consort in British history, and the Queen, the nation's longest reigning monarch, is the first to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary.

The couple have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary / Matt Holyoak/CameraPress via Reuters

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street.

The Duke is already a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG), a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (KT) and a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE).

Now with his GCVO he has four UK order of chivalry breast stars. The last UK citizen to equal this was his uncle Lord Mountbatten of Burma.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (REUTERS) / Matt Holyoak/Camera Press via Reuters

Elizabeth II was a 21-year-old princess when she married her consort Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

Together, the Queen and Philip have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reign, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

With their family growing year by year, the Queen and Philip are preparing to welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April - a sibling for Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Bells at the historic Abbey in central London rang out in tribute on Monday, with a full celebratory peal lasting around three hours and 20 minutes.

The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but the couple wanted this occasion to be private, without a public commemoration.

Prime Minister Theresa May sent her congratulations, while other messages came from the Women's Institute, of which the Queen has been a member longer than she has been married to the Duke, joining the Sandringham branch as a princess in 1943.

In 2007, on their 60th anniversary, the Queen bestowed the Royal Victorian Chain upon the Duke as a sign of her affection.
B ells will ring out at the historic church where the Queen married the Duke of Edinburgh, 70 years to the day that the royal couple said their vows.

On their platinum wedding anniversary, a full celebratory peal will sound from Westminster Abbey, where the 21-year-old future monarch Princess Elizabeth walked up the aisle to marry her dashing Greek and Danish prince in 1947.

At 1pm on Monday, November 20, the Abbey's Company of Ringers will begin a complicated peal consisting of 5,070 changes or sequences, with the 70 a nod to the special anniversary.

It will take the team of 10 ringers around three hours and 20 minutes to complete, as they deliver the tribute without a break.

It is a historic tradition that the Abbey bells are rung for significant royal occasions and anniversaries, and the Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leaving Westminster Abbey in 1947 / PA

The fairy-tale royal wedding was a morale boost in the tough years that followed the Second World War and millions of people tuned in to listen to the ceremony on the wireless.

Royals and dignitaries gathered inside the Abbey, waiting for the young royal bride, whose Norman Hartnell wedding dress was hand-embroidered with more than 10,000 pearls and crystals.

War-time leader Winston Churchill summed up the occasion as "a flash of colour on the hard road we travel".

For austerity reasons, very little extra seating was provided inside the gothic Abbey, with the number of guests kept to 2,000.

In contrast to later royal weddings, the only flowers in the Abbey were in large vases either side of the High Altar filled with white lilies and chrysanthemums, pink carnations, roses, variegated ivy and camellia foliage.

The Grave of the Unknown Warrior was the only stone that was not covered by the special carpet.

The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth followed a royal tradition started by her mother of sending her wedding bouquet back to the Abbey to be laid on the grave.

Less than five years later, the Princess became Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her father George VI and now 91 and having reigned for more than 65 years, she is Britain's longest reigning monarch.

The Abbey is also where the Queen was crowned in 1953, and where the funerals of the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales were held, and where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011.

Elizabeth II has maintained a close connection to the church, which is a Royal Peculiar and subject only to the sovereign and not to any archbishop nor bishop.

The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but this milestone is not being marked which such a service.

The Duke has officially retired from public duties and is now 96, and making the most of his free time.

Steeped in more than 1,000 years of history, Benedictine monks first came to the site in the middle of the 10th century.

The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country, with the medieval shrine of Anglo-Saxon saint Edward the Confessor still at its heart.

Its official title is the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, and it has been the coronation church since 1066. The Queen's was the 38th.

It is the final resting place of 17 monarchs, among them Charles II and Elizabeth I.

On the day of the royal wedding, eight bells rang out in celebration. There are currently 10 bells, located in the north west tower - two more were added in 1971.

A Westminster Abbey spokeswoman said: "A full peal demands considerable concentration by the ringers, all of whom commit the progress of the 5,000 changes to memory."
A tsunami warning has been issued after a massive earthquake struck off the east coast of Australia.

Large waves were already detected in New Caledonia following an earthquake of magnitude seven near the Loyalty Islands in the Pacific Ocean on Monday.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves could get as high as one metre above the high tide-mark in New Caledonia, with smaller waves expected in Vanuatu.

The waves will vary in size depending on the coastline and the Great Barrier Reef is expected to reduce some of the wave height, experts warned.

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However, they added that the first wave will not be the largest.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, areas within an 180 mile radius could be affected including Vanuatu and New Caledonia, whose capital Noumea sits 250 kilometres east of the epicentre.

Temblor's map shows the areas that were most affected by the earthquake / temblor

Initially all of the residents of the Loyalty Islands were told to evacuate, however after an hour they were told the threat had subsided but to remain vigilant.

Vanatus National Disaster Management Office advised people in southern provinces to evacuate to higher ground.

New Caledonias civil security agency said it was not planning to evacuate immediately as it was still receiving data about the severity of the tsunami.

The earthquake struck 51 miles east of New Caledonias Loyalty Islands at 9.43am local time.

It followed a series of tremors to hit the area around the islands in the past few weeks.

Currently there have been no reports of damage following the tsunami threat.
A British explorer who went missing on an expedition in Papua New Guinea recorded a video will to send to his family after fearing he was going to die from malaria, it has been revealed.

Benedict Allen, 57, was evacuated by helicopter after falling ill during a mission to find a remote tribe.

He was rescued from a mountaintop on Friday and was rushed to hospital with a fever, where doctors diagnosed him with either malaria or similar Dengue Fever and said he was lucky to be alive.

Documentary maker Mr Allen since revealed to The Daily Mail that, at his lowest ebb, he filmed a final message for his wife and children on his camera.

Missing: adventurer Benedict Allen has been found safe and well / Twitter

Images and pictures show the explorer lying in a mosquito net near an abandoned refuge centre in the Hewa valley.

Sweaty and delirious, he says to the camera: I've got fever, bad fever. This is so very quick... so sudden.

Recovering in hospital, he later told the newspaper: I was in a bad way. I was lying in an abandoned mission station and it was like a place for the dying.

The missionaries had fled during a tribal war. I felt it could be me next to go. It wasn't a place of hope, but of despair  a horrible place to be entombed in. I could hear birds of paradise singing outside, and it felt like I was slipping into heaven.

He said he thought about his wife Lenka, who raised the alarm that her husband was missing, and children Natalya, 10, Freddie, seven, and two-year-old Beatrice.

My mind was beginning to slip, he said. I was hallucinating about my children begging me, 'Please daddy come home' and 'Daddy don't do this'. I was thinking, 'Freddie needs to have a dad'  they all need me.

I was meant to be the strong one, but I was weak  I felt like an old man.

Mr Allen was dropped in the jungle three weeks ago with no mobile phone or GPS device with him.

Allen: The explorer was airlifted to hospital after being found on a mountain top / @benedictallen

He had been hoping to reach the Yaifo, a tribe thought to be one of the last on Earth to have no contact with the outside world.

The explorer was reported missing last week after he failed to board a flight back home via Hong Kong on Sunday.

His agent, Jo Sarsby, confirmed on Thursday that he had been seen near a remote airstrip and he was later rescued by helicopter and airlifted to hospital.

In a statement on Friday, his agent said: "We can confirm that Benedict Allen has been evacuated by helicopter and is now safe in Port Moresby.

"He is reported as feverish with suspected malaria. Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health.

"He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received."

Mr Allen's wife Lenka previously told how the couple's children were missing their father.

After hearing of sightings of Mr Allen, she told the Daily Mail: "It is such a relief. I'm so happy, it's amazing."

In a blog post on his website in September, Mr Allen described the Yaifo as "one of the last people on the entire planet who are out of contact with our interconnected world".

"Just like the good old days, I won't be taking a sat phone, GPS or companion. Or anything else much," he wrote.

"Because this is how I do my journeys of exploration. I grow older but no wiser, it seems."
C ult leader Charles Manson, whose followers killed actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, has died aged 83.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said he died from natural causes at 8.13pm on Sunday at a hospital in Kern County, California.

Earlier this week it was reported he was on his death bed in hospital with sources saying: "it's just a matter of time."

Debra Tate, the sister of one of his victims - pregnant actress Sharon Tate, told TMZ she received a call to say he had died.

She told People: 'I said a prayer for his soul.'

Manson orchestrated the killing of heavily pregnant actress Sharon Tate in 1969 / AP

The gory slayings horrified the world and revealed a violent underbelly of a counterculture that preached peace and love.

The killings occurred on successive August nights in 1969 and terrorised the city of Los Angeles.

Sharon Tate married director Roman Polanski in London on January 20, 1968.

Tate, who was nearly nine months pregnant, was found stabbed repeatedly in her Hollywood mansion, along with several of her friends. Other victims included coffee heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring.

Manson pictured in 1981 during an interview with television talk show host Tom Snyder in a medical facility in California / AP

The next night a wealthy couple was killed in a similar fashion.

Investigators learned Manson sent a group of disaffected young followers to commit murder as part of a twisted, quasi-religious belief that it would launch a race war.

The Los Angeles District Attorney who prosecuted Manson, Vincent Bugliosi, released a statement following his death: "Manson was an evil, sophisticated con-man with twisted and warped moral values."

Bugliosi added "Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death."

The octogenarian cult leader, who had a Swastika etched between his eyebrows, spent the past four decades in prison - barely making a dent in his nine life-sentences.

Sharon Tate was murdered by Manson and his followers in 1969 (REX) / Evening News

He was born Charles Milles Maddox on November 12 1934 in Ohio to a 16-year-old, drug-addict prostitute mother.

Shunned by mum Kathleen - who briefly married a man called William Manson - the nascent sociopath spent much of his early life in prison.

"The only thing that my mother taught me was that everything that she said was a lie," he claimed.

It is thought he never met his father, a colonel.

Wealthy grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary were killed by members of Manson's cult

In 1955, he moved to the land of promise California with a 17-year-old lover in tow, settling into a routine of theft and incarceration in San Francisco.

Manson was jailed for 10 years for forgery and released in 1967 - the year before he orchestrated a killing frenzy that would etch his name into history.

Caught in a swirl of hallucinogenic drugs, belief in the apocalypse, and an impending race war, the deluded narcissist recruited burned-out, malleable, middle-class followers.

The Family, as they became known, lived on isolated ranches - one in Death Valley - and grew drunk on Manson's claim to be a prophet sent to warn of the coming "Helter Skelter" ethnic conflict.

The charismatic visionary would pump his slavish followers with LSD and re-enact the crucifixion while they were tripping, former cult members said. Whatever he believed, they would too.

On August 9 1969, at Polanski's glitzy Los Angeles home, five people, including the heavily pregnant Sharon Tate, 26, were tied up and massacred by Family members. They were stabbed collectively 102 times.

Tate, who was repeatedly knifed in the stomach, had her blood used to write the word "pig" on the front door.

The horrifying episode was followed by a double-murder the following night of a supermarket executive and his wife; the two-day spree became known as the Tate/LaBianca killings.

Other celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Steve McQueen were reportedly targets for The Family.

Speaking in a documentary, a charged-up Manson said: "When I stand on the mountain and I say do it! It gets done ..."

Manson thought if the murders were pinned on black people, an "eschatological race war" would follow, and with The Family safe in a subterranean layer, they could emerge as the only white people in the world and then rule over it.

The keen musician called the end-times episode the "Helter Skelter", after the song from The Beatles.

Acolyte Susan Atkins told an inmate they wanted to "do a crime that would shock the world".

The proceedings mesmerised the city of Los Angeles and made global headlines.

Manson released an album called Lie to raise money for his legal defence and arrived at hearings with an X carved on his forehead that later mutated into a Swastika.

After a seven-month trial, Manson and four followers were convicted and received the death penalty in 1971; yet a year later the penalty was temporarily abolished and the sentences changed to life imprisonment.

Voytech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, Jay Sebring, and Abigail Folger were killed on the night of August 9, 1969 / AP

He showed no remorse for his crimes.

Speaking to journalist Diane Sawyer for a documentary, Manson said: "I see blood in here every day ... I've lived it all my life, woman. That don't wrinkle up my forehead.

"You could pile up 100 dead bodies in front of my cell and it don't set me to do nothing."

At its height, The Family reportedly had around 100 members and was a mix of both men and women.

Manson was married twice and had at least two children, although the real figure could be higher.

A besotted woman, Afton Burton, dated Manson when he was in jail, and applied for a marriage licence when she was 26 and he was 80 in 2014 - although it expired.

After months of failing health, he died from natural causes at Kern County Hospital in Bakersfield, California at 8.13pm on Sunday.
D onald Trump has said he intends to declare North Korea a state sponsor of terror.

The US President today said that adding the region to a list of areas America views as a threat will impose further penalties on the country.

He called it a long overdue step and part of the US "maximum pressure campaign" against the North.

The move returns North Korea to the list of countries the US views as state sponsors of terror for the first time since 2008.

Donald Trump visits China - In pictures 1 /18 Donald Trump visits China - In pictures U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose during a tour of the forbidden city, AP U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with opera performers at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China Reuters US First Lady Melania Trump (C-R) and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan (C-L) are surrounded by students after a cultural performance during a visit to Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) looks up as he sits beside First Lady Melania Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping Getty Images Military troops march during a welcoming ceremony for U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, China Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China Reuters U.S. first lady Melania Trump and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan, left, are escorted by a student after a cultural performance during a visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing AP President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump exit Air Force One upon their arrival at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing, China Getty Images U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (3-R) and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan (2-R) visit a fashion class during their visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrive on Air Force One at Beijing, China Reuters U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (2-L) assist a student to adorn a gown near Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan (C) during their visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China. Trump is on a 10-day trip to Asia Getty Images

That was when the North was removed in a bid to salvage a deal to halt its nuclear development.

US officials cited the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half brother in a Malaysian airport this year as an act of terrorism.

North Korea would join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the list of state sponsors of terror.

The revelation came days after a top US nuclear commander told an international security forum he would resist Mr if he ordered an "illegal" nuclear weapons strike.

Air Force general John Hyten, a commander of the US Strategic Command, spoke at the Halifax international security forum in Nova Scotia, in Canada, on Saturday.

Responding to a question on Mr Trump's threats of nuclear war with North Korea, Mr Hyten said: "I provide advice to the president, and he will tell me what to do.

"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do?

Donald Trump says friendship with Kim Jong Un is "a possibility"

"He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, often a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is.

"That's the way it works. It's not complicated. If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."

Trump has traded insults with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in recent months, branding him his "little rocket man".

Some US senators are demanding changes to the president's executive authority to launch nuclear strikes.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
E urope's chief Brexit negotiator today sank City hopes of keeping the current full access to EU financial markets after Britain leaves in 2019.

Michel Barnier said there could be no cherry-picking, in a speech that turned Theresa Mays mantra, Brexit means Brexit, against her.

On financial services, UK voices suggest that Brexit does not mean Brexit, he said. Brexit means Brexit. Everywhere.

Mr Barnier also criticised the contradictions of Brexiteers who claimed Britain could change the rules and still keep the benefits of the European single market of 500 million customers.

He spoke out as Mrs May prepared to double her cash offer of an EU divorce settlement to around 38 billion in the hope that it will unlock talks with the union on a trade deal.

Theresa May's Brexit in her own words

Mr Barnier dangled the offer of a most ambitious free trade agreement. But he said: We take note of the UK decision to end free movement of people. This means, clearly, that the UK will lose the benefits of the single market. This is a legal reality.

Mr Barnier said there could be equivalence in some areas, meaning that British financial standards may be recognised by the EU.

But he insisted: The legal consequence of Brexit, the legal consequence, is that the UK financial service providers lose their EU passport. He also emphasised: We will not compromise on financial stability.

Financial passporting allows firms to do business across the EU and the wider European Economic Area without having to be authorised in each country.

In a 30-minute speech, Mr Barnier said the UK knows the rules. He added: They say there will be no changes in market access for UK-established firms, they say joint UK-EU rules would be decided in a new, symmetrical process... between the EU and the UK and outside of the jurisdictions of the European Court of Justice.

This would contradict the April European Council guidelines, which are my mandate, which stress the autonomy of the European decision-making, the integrity of our legal order, and of the single market.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: This just shows how much of a mess the Government is in with their negotiations.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable claimed: Over 5,000 UK businesses and billions of pounds of tax revenue rely on financial passporting to access EU markets... all of this could be avoided if the Government chose to stay in the single market.

Catherine McGuinness, the policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, said it was no surprise that passporting would go, but said the City was working on proposals to keep market access.

Unlike any other country, the UK is looking to secure an agreement from the exact same starting point as the EU and so the UKs new trading relationship with the EU should reflect this unique situation, she said.

This should be the foundation of a historic trade deal. Its an ambitious plan, but it is one that will benefit the entire continent.

She warned that if London were to lose its crown as the worlds leading financial hub, activity would move to rivals like New York and Singapore rather than EU hopefuls Pais and Frankfurt.

Businesses and families would lose the benefits of deep and integrated financial markets, while fragmentation could potentially see costs rise.
S tudents at the University of Zimbabwe refused to sit their exams in protest after Robert Mugabe ignored demands to step down as president.

The students also demanded that Mugabe's wife Grace be stripped of her PhD from the university on Monday.

The university, in Harare, awarded Grace Mugabe an honorary PhD from the Department of Sociology in 2014.

Exams were postponed until further notice due to the protest.

Students, holding a portrait of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, took part in the demonstration / AFP/Getty Images

Pictures shared on Twitter showed students in Zimbabwe's capital demonstrating in front of the Great Hall at the university.

Students chanted and sang songs against 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, who is under mounting pressure to resign, according to a Reuters witness.

They said they refused to take their exams unless the president and University of Zimbabwe's vice-chancellor Levy Nyaguar stepped down.

Students demanded the vice-chancellor explain why Grace Mugabe was awarded a PhD, one Twitter user wrote.

Another user on the social network shared a photo of the student's list of demands.

The students wrote: "Nyagura must step down with immediate effect.

"Reverese [sic] of Grace Mugabe PHD.

"Cancellation of school fess.

"Debts by the University, fees must fall.

"We will not write exams until Mugabe resigns."

It was believed that the first lady did not write a thesis for her PhD, the South African reported.

A student told EWN that the vice-chancellor should "go farming and write poems".

"We have nothing in common with the old man," he said.

Thousands of people marched through the capital of Zimbabwe on Sunday to demand Mugabe be removed.

He failed to resign as president on Sunday after ruling party Zanu-PF set a deadline for his resignation.

Zanu-PF are now preparing to meet to discuss the president's impeachment.
T he pilot who used a US Navy plane to draw a giant penis in sky-writing has been banned from flying.

Despite scores of people appeared to find the incident amusing on social media, the Navy Air Station were less impressed with the stunt.

Both the pilot and crew involved in the obscene sky-drawing have been grounded.

A spokesperson for the Air Station, Lieutenant Commander Leslie Hubbell, told the Daily Mail: The actions of this aircrew were wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values.

"We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation - and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

The pilot's stunt was shared widely on social media. / @anahi_torres_

"The Navy apologizes for this irresponsible and immature act."

When the images first appeared on social media, the air station issued a statement which read:

We find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable."

But on Twitter, people were quick to applaud the pranksters.

Cody Ludwig wrote: Im actually kind of impressed the pilot was able to create that with that much accuracy and symmetry... lol

For some, it was difficult to resist a pun.

One user wrote: Bunch of nut jobs

Mike Petree said: Might be a stiff penalty headed his way.

Others didnt get the joke:

I have never understood the fixation some men have with drawing penises everywhere. Very strange". Joe Allen said.

While other internet users were not impressed:

Speaking to Buzzfeed Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker said: The American people rightfully expect that those who wear the Wings of Gold exhibit a level of maturity commensurate with the missions and aircraft with which they've been entrusted.

"Naval aviation continually strives to foster an environment of dignity and respect. Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today."

The pilots identity still has not been revealed.
R obert Mugabes son posted a defiant message on social media as he father sensationally refused to resign as president of Zimbabwe.

Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe, Robert's eldest son by second wife Grace, wrote on Facebook: You cant fire a revolutionary leader!

He said that the countrys ruling party Zanu-PF is nothing without President Mugabe".

Using the name of his fathers clan Gushungo, which means "crocodile", he added: Gushungo will always remain the champion of champions!

Chatunga Mugabe, 21, is known for his lavish party lifestyle, which he often shares with thousands of followers on social media.

Shortly before troops seized control of the country, he was pictured on social media apparently pouring a 200 bottle of champagne over his glitzy watch which he claimed was worth 45,000.

The post came as Mr Mugabe, 93, faces a deadline set by his own party to resign after a surprise speech in which he refused to stand aside.

Zanu-PF said it would impeach him if he does not resign by 12 midday local time (10am GMT) on Monday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe / AP

His grip on power has weakened since the army intervened on Wednesday, in a row over who should succeed him.

The ongoing crisis began two weeks ago when the leader sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mugabe addresses the nation but does not resign

This angered army commanders who saw it as an attempt to position his wife Grace as the next president.

Mugabe previously rejected a proposal to step down and allow Mr Mnangagwa, who he sacked as vice president earlier this month, to take over on an interim basis.

Baffled locals watch the televised address in Zimbabwe / AP

Zimbabweans had gathered in the streets expecting a celebration, however Mugabe failed to step down and instead vowed to oversee the party's December conference.

He appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party by trying to stay on during the speech while flanked by military officials.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

He added he was aware of issues within Zanu-PF and added the country must learn to resolve contradictions in a comradely spirit.

Mr Mugabe has led the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.
Z imbabwe's president Robert Mugabe faced impeachment today as a deadline for him to resign passed.

Officials said they would meet in the capital Harare to discuss bringing formal charges against the 93-year-old leader, who has held power for nearly 40 years. MPs would then be asked to vote tomorrow in favour of removing him from office.

Reports today suggested that a resignation letter had been drafted and Mr Mugabe had agreed to the terms of his departure. However a deadline set by his once loyal Zanu-PF party to leave by midday local time (10am GMT) was not met. Chris Mutsvangwa, chairman of the influential Zimbabwe War Veterans Association, said today: Your time is up. Mugabe go now.

Zanu-PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke said they would continue with impeachment plans even though they had been braced for his resignation last night. He said: I dont see us failing to proceed with the impeachment. Zanu-PF need a two-thirds majority in parliament to oust Mr Mugabe, which is understood to be achievable as other political parties pull together to remove the unpopular leader.

A news stand in Harare, Zimbabwe, shows headlines dominated by the country's political crisis. / AP

Mr Mugabe surprised the nation by saying nothing about quitting in a TV speech late last night. In the rambling 30-minute address he acknowledged a whole range of concerns among Zimbabweans but stopped short of resigning. He was flanked by the military and was given help to find his place on pages of notes.

Mr Mugabe said he would host a special Zanu-PF Congress scheduled for next month  despite having been dismissed as party leader yesterday.

The crisis began two weeks ago when he sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, angering army commanders who saw it as an attempt to position his wife Grace as next president.

Zimbabwe has since seen huge street rallies demanding his immediate resignation.

Marshall Gore, chief executive of Zanu-PF UK, today told Sky News that Mr Mugabe was likely to resign before being impeached  a process which he said could involve laborious legal discussions. What we want is the president to listen to the call of the people. We are looking for a peaceful process that will lead the president gracefully resting and going into retirement.

Crowds have gathered at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London to celebrate Robert Mugabe's downfall

Mr Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwes achieved official independence in 1980. Since the late Nineties, the country has lurched through economic and political crises as the former revolutionary leader has refused to relinquish power.

This morning CNN reported that Mr Mugabe had agreed to terms for his exit and that a resignation letter had been drafted, citing a well-informed but unnamed source.

Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe 1 /13 Protesters call for Mugabe to step down in Zimbabwe People wave a Zimbabwean national flag and carry banners during a demonstration AFP/Getty Images People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People taking to the streets as part of the mass action protests against President Robert Mugabe EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally EPA People gather at an anti President Mugabe rally AFP/Getty Images A man carries a placard during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Zimbabwe's president AFP/Getty Images People gather to demonstrate for the ouster of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe AP Euphoric crowds march and chant on the streets of Harare AP A man waves a Zimbabwean national flag AFP/Getty Images One protester demanded Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger be sacked too AFP/Getty Images

British minister for Africa, Rory Stewart, said an impeachment process would require Zanu-PF to work with the opposition, which could provide an opportunity for constitutional reforms.

This impeachment process against Mugabe requires a two-thirds vote in Parliament, and Zanu PF dont have two thirds of the Parliament so they are going to have to reach out to the opposition to get that impeachment through.

That is a small opportunity for the opposition to insist on government reform, insist that the next elections are held, and that they are held in a fairer way.

He said some of the constitutional reforms could include taking a million ghost voters off the electoral roll.

If the international community come together, he suggested this could be a moment for change in Zimbabwe.
Z imbabwe's recently fired vice president has been sworn in as leader after more than a week of political turmoil which saw despot Robert Mugabe ousted from power.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, who recently fled the country in fear of his life, made a triumphant return on Wednesday in advance of his inauguration as president on Friday.

The ceremony brought an end to Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule.

Mr Mugabe, 93, who had led Zimbabwe from independence in 1980, stepped down on Tuesday after the army seized power and the ruling party ZANU-PF turned against him.

Emmerson Mnangagwa Inauguration - In pictures 1 /20 Emmerson Mnangagwa Inauguration - In pictures Newly sworn in Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa walks after taking the oath of office at the national sports stadium AFP/Getty Images Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia arrive at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP Emmerson Mnangagwa is sworn in as Zimbabwe's president in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Emmerson Mnangagwa is sworn in as the new Zimbabwe's president in Harare AFP/Getty Images Emmerson Mnangagwa takes his seat at his presidential inauguration ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, AP The crowd cheers and dances at the presidential inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Women hold portraits of Emmerson Mnangagwa at his presidential inauguration ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe AP President elect Emmerson Mnangagwa gestures as he arrives with his wife Auxilia at the National Sport Stadium in Harare, AFP/Getty Images Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia arrive at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP The military parade at the presidential inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwean judges arrive for Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP Army General Constantino Chiwenga, center, arrives with his wife Mary at the presidential inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, Zimbabwe AP An honor guard marches on to the field for Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP The crowd cheers and dances at the presidential inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe AP

The former president resigned on Tuesday as parliament began a process to impeach him, sparking scenes of jubilation across Zimbabwe.

This blog is currently paused, but check back soon for further updates on the situation in Zimbabwe.
R obert Mugabe stumbled through a long speech that with every paragraph seemed to be getting further away from the hoped-for end - his resignation.

The controversial speech sparked conspiracy theories. Did they swap the speeches?! one woman said. Initial disbelief at his refusal to resign quickly turned to distress, and then to anger.

Im sorry for cursing, but Im really so angry," said one Zimbabwean in a bar just a few hundred metres from State House.

Viewers were glued to Whatsapp videos video appearing to show pages being shuffled off the table inches from Robert Mugabe.

The peculiar moment also went viral on social media, with Twitter users speculating that it may have been copies of the speech and that he may initially have been planning to resign.

Viewers likened the apparent sleight of hand to the stuff of high school exam cheats.

Others said the exchange was very suspect, with another asking: since when do national leaders hide documents?.

Military officials were spotted swapping paper work ahead of Robert Mugabe's speech / BBC News

Another Twitter user questioned whether Mr Mugabe read the speech he had initially intended to.

Zimbabweans had gathered in the streets ahead of the address, in which Mr Mugabe failed to step down and instead vowed to oversee the party's December conference.

He appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party by trying to stay on during the speech while flanked by military officials.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

He added he was aware of issues within Zanu-PF and added the country must learn to resolve contradictions in a comradely spirit.

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said the president would resign amid threats he would face impeachment on Monday.
E SBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.

Millions of shoppers are hitting the streets and big retail sites today, as Black Friday fever sweeps across the UK.

High street shops and online retailers are slashing prices on all sorts of good for the discount day.

Historically an American tradition falling on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday has proved a huge hit on these shores since its introduction a few years ago.

As UK consumers are set to spend thousands in the run-up to Christmas and the season's most in-demand products will sell out fast, we give you the lowdown on the event - and reveal the best deals going on everything from tech and homeware, to beauty and fashion.

Black Friday deals for 2019

If you need a new mattress/pillow/bedding or mattress protector, THIS is the sale to opt in to.

This is BIGGEST Black Friday mattress sale so far (it would be hard to beat). Just use code BLACK40 at checkout.

Aside from the brand's award-winning be-in-a-box, you can also save 40 per cent on new pillows, mattress protectors and bedding.

Amazon Early Black Friday Deals

The Black Friday Giant is back and promising to be bigger (and more affordable) than ever before.

If you want to see all the BEST Amazon deals on now, click here to reveal all the best deals by category.

aAPhilips 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD Android Smart TV was 1000 now 459

It's no secret Amazon is one of the best places for Black Friday deals and this year will be no exception starting a wide array of excellent offers:

Impressive tech like the LG 43UM7500PLA 43-Inch UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV with Freeview Play has been reduced from 599 to 357.

You can also save right now on these Bose SoundSport In-Ear Earphones, which have been reduced from 89.95 to 44.95.

Amazon's November 27 deals

Here are five more limited time deals on Amazon or you can shop all the Deal of the Day offers

Currys Deals

Laptops, TVs, and Speakers Oh My! Currys has launched an early "Why Wait" sale today (13/11) ahead of Black Friday. If you find it cheaper on Black Friday (29/11) they will refund the difference.

Shop Currys PC World Black Friday sale now .

Currys is always an excellent destination for Black Friday deals. You can expect large discounts on household appliances and a decent 10-20 per cent discount on bigger home appearances like range cookers and fridge/freezers.

You can shop Currys FLASH DEALS now.

Currys Deals on now:

Other deals include:

AO Deals

The online electrical retailer has savings of up to 50 percent across TVs, appliances, kitchen gadgets and more.

Argos Deals

Got kids to shop for or love gaming? A whole host of good offers from Argos are on now.

If last year is any indication expect discounts on gaming consoles, VR headsets and some of this years hottest toys.

You can view Argos' dedicated Black Friday page

Top Toys - Argos Toy Deals on now

Top Tech - Argos tech deals on now

Home Furniture Deals

Evans Cycles Black Friday Deals

Starting today you can save on everything from new hybrid bikes starting from just 160 with an additional 30 per cent off road bikes. Save 40 per cent on Castelli jerseys just in time for winter rides and you can take another 30 per cent off Osprey cycle bags and backpacks. There is LOADS more on offer, if you cycle or plan on a cycle related gift for Christmas this is the sale to shop now.

Shop the Evans Cycle Black Friday Sale Now

If not entirely sure what Black Friday is and where can you get the best deals, here's a handy guide for everything you need to know.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is just around the corner / PA

Black Friday is an annual shopping bonanza held the day after Thanksgiving which was first started in America.

It's a time when retailers unveil huge reductions on products for the Christmas period, and is generally regarded as the beginning of the festive shopping season in the US.

Originally a one-day event, thanks to its huge success many retailers now offer sales and deals in the week leading up to it.

A number of shoppers grab their bargains online so websites often receive huge levels of traffic on the day, while huge queues often form outside popular stores on the high street as well.

When is Black Friday 2019?

Black Friday is TODAY (Friday November 29) and many retailers  from fashion to homeware  are announcing deals in the build-up to it.

Major tech retailers, such as Argos and Currys, often launch deals on top brands, while others retailer such as Amazon hold huge sales too.

The following Monday - December 2 - is known as Cyber Monday, when online stores hold sales. But since the two days have been so popular, the whole weekend now tends to be marketed as Black Friday weekend,

Shoppers on Oxford Street in London for Black Friday / REUTERS

Where to shop the best Black Friday deals

For many shoppers Amazon is the first port of call, and for good reason: in the past, it has featured discounts of up to 87 per cent.

Other retailers such as John Lewis and Argos also offer some great discounts, along with Very and Currys.
J onnie Peacock is the latest star to lose his place on this years Strictly Come Dancing following a shock dance-off with former favourite Debbie McGee.

Its been an absolute honour to be the first disabled person on Strictly, he said. Hopefully this will pave the way for more in the future.

All four judges voted to save McGee, with Craig Revel Horwood praising her amazing technical skills.

There were audible gasps from the audience when McGee was the first person announced for the dance-off following her Spice Girls-inspired routine, with Ballas even claiming she was very surprised.

Paralympian Peacock failed to impress the judges with his tango during Saturday nights show, although Shirley Ballas was criticised for her insensitive remarks.

The head judge was slammed by viewers on Twitter for telling him to work on his leg movements, despite the fact that he is an amputee.

"Im trying to dream in my mind about how I can help you with your posture. I think you need to think of the tailbone in your spine pointed down and your chest, she said.

Magic: Alexandra Burke and Gorka Marquez dancing the quickstep / BBC/Guy Levy

Everything just needs to be in a straight line, your tummy doesnt need to be tucked too far forward just in a straight line.

She added: When the vertical line becomes much stronger, the legs operate much better. [Your] frames a little bit better, but still for me, posture really its got to better. Sorry.

A number of viewers vented their anger over the remarks on Twitter during the show, with some branding her insensitive.

Strictly Come Dancing 2017 - In pictures 1 /18 Strictly Come Dancing 2017 - In pictures Mollie King and her dance partner AJ Pritchard Guy Levy/PA Chizzy Akudolu and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev Guy Levy/PA Aston Merrygold and his dance partner Janette Manrara Guy Levy/PA Gemma Atkinson and her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec Guy Levy/PA Debbie McGee and her dance partner Giovanni Pernice Guy Levy/PA Joe McFadden and his dance partner Katya Jones Guy Levy/PA Alexandra Burke and her dance partner Gorka Marquez Guy Levy/PA Charlotte Hawkins and her dance partner Brendan Cole Guy Levy/PA Rev Richard Coles and his dance partner Dianne Buswell Guy Levy/PA Davood Ghadami and his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova Guy Levy/PA Susan Calman and her dance partner Kevin Clifton Guy Levy/PA Simon Rimmer and his dance partner Karen Clifton Guy Levy/PA Brian Conley and his dance partner Amy Dowden Guy Levy/PA Jonnie Peacock and his dance partner Oti Mabuse Guy Levy/PA

McGee also had a disappointing night with her samba which was deemed spiky and a little bit stiff by Craig Revel Horwood.

Alexandra Burke fought back tears as she topped the leaderboard on Saturday night, getting a near-perfect score of 39.

Darcey Bussell hailed it effortless and just gorgeous, while Craig Revel Horwood deemed it incredible.

Burke faced tough competition from Gemma Atkinson who clinched 38 points for her absolutely magic American Smooth with Aljaz Skorjanec.
T he new series of Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here started with the most "terrifying" launch episode ever as the stars were forced to undergo tasks before they even entered the jungle.

The 10 celebrities were buddied up and given challenges including jumping out of a plane, walking across a plank on top of a skyscraper and getting up close and personal with some nasty jungle critters.

Presenters Ant and Dec were quick to address the elephant in the room, joking about Ant's stint in rehab almost immediately as Dec introduced his co-host as Holly Willoughby.

"Oh guys, thats the wrong script! Youve put the wrong script in the thing Nobody was sure if you were going to make it or not! We didnt know," he joked.

Sky high: The celebs have to walk across a plank on top of a skyscraper(James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) / ITV/Rex

Jennie McAlpine, Rebekah Vardy, Dennis Wise, Amir Khan, Jack Maynard, Jamie Lomas, Georgia Toffolo, Shappi Khorsand, Staley Johnson and Vanessa White all settled into camp life at the end of the episode, having managed to win four meal tickets.

Unfortunately for Johnson and Khorsandi, they were the only pair not to win a ticket, after Johnson failed to correctly identify the flare his partner was supposed to set off.

New home: The camp mates settle into the jungle (ITV/REX/Shutterstock) / ITV/Rex

The 10 famous faces touched down in the Australian outback earlier this week and were given one last night of luxury before three whole weeks living off of beans and rice.

Last years winner Scarlett Moffatt, who has already backed Corries Jennie McApline to win, will return to host this years spin-off show, Extra Camp, alongside Joel Dommett.

All the action as it happened:

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here is on ITV at 9pm.
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In mid-2017 STM, a state owned Turkish firm, put on the market three new locally developed UAVs. These UAVs (Alpagu, Kargu and Togan) are simpler and smaller than earlier Turkish efforts. STM declared that the three new UAVs were already in service, which meant that Turkish troops and police tested them and found them useful. What the manufacturers want is export sales and these UAVs address a market that is currently very crowded and competitive.

Alpagu is a 3.7 kg (8.2 pound) fixed wing UAV that can do surveillance but is primarily meant for use as a portable cruise missile as it carries half a kilogram warhead and can be guided to a target up to 5,000 meters away by a soldier. This is similar to the American Switchblade, a one kilogram (2.2 pound) expendable (used only once) UAV that can be equipped with explosives. The Switchblade is launched from its shipping and storage tube, at which point wings flip out, a battery powered propeller starts spinning and a vidcam begins broadcasting images to the controller. The Switchblade is operated using the same gear the larger (two kg/4.4 pound) Raven UAV employs. Moving at up to a kilometer a minute, the Switchblade can stay in the air for 20-40 minutes (depending on whether or not it is armed with explosives) and entered service in 2011. This led to a larger version in 2017. This one weighed 2.2 kg (5 pounds) with up to 30 minutes endurance and a 9 kilometer range. Meanwhile Israel was offering its similar Hero 30, a three kg (6.6 pounds) UAV with 30 minutes endurance. Based on past experience Turkey wont have much luck finding export customers and appears to have put together these three new small UAVs mainly to show that Turkey can develop and ship this sort of thing.

The other two new STM UAVs (Kargu and Togan) are based on commercial quad-copter designs. Kargu is a 6.3 kg (13.8 pound) UAV while Togan is a 7.5 kg (16.5 pound) quad-copter design. These also carry a wide variety of accessories already available for UAVs like this.

Turkish UAV development has been going on since the late 1990s, when Israel was still an ally and supplier of weapons and tech to the Turks. But by 2000 an anti-Israel Islamic government took power in Turkey and local UAV development was crippled but not destroyed. In 2016 Turkey put its new Anka UAV into service for the first time but deliveries of production models only began in 2017. The Turkish Air Force ordered 30 aircraft (ten systems) in 2013. About the same time three export customers (Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) were announced but none of these were completed because of performance and political problems. Anka was clearly a military UAV, of the type the Israelis had pioneered in the 1980s.

Each Anka system consists of three UAVs plus ground control equipment and all necessary maintenance and ground operations gear. Looking very similar to the American Predator, the Anka is a 1.6 ton aircraft propelled by a rear facing propeller. Payload is 200 kg (440 pounds) and endurance is 24 hours, and Anka can operate up to 200 kilometers from its controller. Max altitude is 7,900 meters (26,000 feet). A UAV like this would sell for over $2 million each. The Turkish military was supposed to receive its first Anka by the end of 2013 but that was delayed by technical problems. Turkey also announced a larger (four ton) version of Anka that can carry missiles or a lot more reconnaissance equipment. That has also been delayed.

Turkey has developed workable UAVs. Another Turkish firm developed the Bayraktar Tactical UAV which entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2014. So far the Turks are the only customer. Bayraktar Tactical is a 500 kg (1,100 pound) aircraft with a 40 kg (88 pound) payload and an endurance of 14 hours.

There is also a Bayraktar Mini UAV which is a 4.6 kg (9.9 pound) aircraft that is battery powered and hand launched. Endurance is 60 minutes and the Bayraktar can operate up to 15 kilometers from the operator. The Turkish Army has been using the Bayraktar Mini since 2007 and some were sold to Qatar.

Turkey's economy has been booming since 2000 and the Islamic government made good on its pledge to crack down on the corruption that had long crippled the economy. As the economy grew, the government sought to make Turkey more self-sufficient in military equipment, and UAVs are considered part of this program. But this was mainly for show, not for real.
The public got all dressed up in their best vintage frocks as part of the retro revolution thats taking a hold of Tauranga.

A new Vintage and Retro Fayre, a brand new event to Tauranga, went off without a hitch, with many people saying it could be as big as the Napier Art Deco Festival.

The Greerton Village had 40 stalls of vintage items, such as clothing, furniture and vinyl on sale.

There were also four Bay of Plenty vintage vehicle clubs displaying their classic rides, including the BOP Vintage Car Club and Mini Car Club; and live music from Gin Rickey Jive who did a jazz spin on some modern songs.

Greerton Village Mainstreet Manager Sally Benning says the event was originally organised for March this year but was cancelled due to bad weather.

There was a really bad weather bomb then, so I found another day because I felt it was a great event for the community, she says.

"Vintage and retro are very popular now, and this event had something for everyone.

The public who dressed in theme were also rewarded for their efforts in playing the part, with spot prizes going to the best-dressed ladies and gents, as well as the best vintage car.

The best vehicle went to John Griffin, gents best dressed was Daniel French with runner-up Joe Scott, and ladies best dressed was Elaine Rickard with runner-up Miss Kitty Kat.

Daniel French from Tauranga came dressed as a World War 2 British spy and Elaine Rickard from Te Puke dressed as a preloved and recycled lady.

The response has been excellent from the public and I think the best-dressed competition had a lot of supporters, a lot of people dressed up and came out and supported them, says Sally. Its been a great day.

The Vintage and Retro Fayre was held at the Greerton Village Square, 179 Chadwick Road and in the Greerton Village School, from 10am-2pm.

All proceeds made on the day will go towards Greerton Village School.

Jasiel Fraser, 13, Haley Eastwood, 10.

Nick Haylings, Phillip Gore, Joe Scott, Frank Parnwell, Daniel French and Craig Williams.

Gin Rickey Jive.
There are over 85 million iPhone users in the United States, and while that's a figure Apple will doubtlessly be pleased with, the company is starting to become a victim of its own success. When it comes to its famous stores and the 'Geniuses' that work there, Cupertino is struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of customers.

Apple's Genius Bar customer support system is straining under the weight of store visitors and performance expectations, reports Business Insider, with the incredibly busy Christmas season proving to be one of the most difficult times of the year for staff.

"The customer service model is about ready to pop," said one worker. "It's turning into a reality that the system Apple has in place is not able to keep up with the volume of people and demand."

Apple retail employees are facing increased pressure as they try to get customers "in and out as fast as possible" and the number of people they help each day is tracked. The fact some people who purchased their handsets through wireless carriers are using Apple Stores to fix their iPhones is exacerbating the situation.

But Apple is trying to reduce the stress on its staff through a new store design, which includes larger spaces, balconies, and leather seating balls. More room and waiting areas for customers will help, but one of the biggest improvements came via the introduction of the Technical Expert role last year. This person can perform iPhone repairs and replacements and is better placed to deal with customers who walk in without appointments.

The Genius Bar itself is also being reimagined as the Genius Grove, which removes the traditional help desk and lets customers "get support working side-by-side with Geniuses under the comfortable canopy of local trees in the heart of [a] store."

As more people buy their smartphones online, Apple needs to keep offering something extra if it wants to entice consumers into their retail outlets. Free photography lessons may be compelling, but the hope that their iPhone problem will be quickly fixed is the reason behind many owners' visits. Just how much the revamp will ease the pressure remains to be seen, but at least the company has acknowledged that something needed to be done.
Last week brought news that Microsofts Xbox One X had sold over 80,000 units during its first week of release in the UK, matching the Nintendo Switchs launch figures and exceeding those of the PlayStation 4 Pro, which were just over 50,000. While Microsofts consoles tend to sell very well in western countries like the US and UK, its usually a different story over in Japan, where local companies such as Nintendo and Sony rule supreme.

According to Famitsu, Microsofts 4K-capable console sold just 1639 units between November 6 and November 12, that places it behind the Nintendo 2DS XL and 3DS, PlayStation 4, and even the PlayStation Vita.

The best-selling console of that week was still the Nintendo Switch, which, over eight months since it launched, shifted a massive 84,593 units. But what's possibly more amazing is that some people are still buying Wii Us.

1. Nintendo Switch - 84,593 units

2. PlayStation 4 - 23,613 units

3. New Nintendo 2DS XL - 10,935 units

4. New Nintendo 3DS - 6,576 units

5. PlayStation 4 Pro - 6,028 units

6. PlayStation Vita - 3,023 units

7. Xbox One X - 1,639 units

8. Nintendo 2DS - 1,176 units

9. Xbox One S - 49 units

10. PlayStation 3 - 38 units

11. Wii U - 32 units

It was a similar story when the original Xbox One was released in Japan in December 2013. It only sold 23,562 units in its first four days, whereas the PS4 sold 309,000 units, and even the much-maligned Wii U managed to move 308,000 models.

As noted by Kotaku, there were plenty of stores across Japan announcing they had sold out of Xbox One X consoles on launch day, but it turned out that they werent selling them in the stores; the signs referred to preorders. A lack of interest meant the outlets only required enough Xbox One X stock to fill these preordersthe non-existent lines made the iPhone 8 launch day queues look impressive.

Microsoft probably wont be too concerned about sales in Japan, though. The Xbox One X has been getting mostly positive reviews, and its expected to sell between 1 million and 1.5 million units before the end of this year.
According to the President of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), twelve airlines have requested to operate with Venezuela. | Read More
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/11/2017 (1822 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Update 2:15 p.m.  Aaron Martens has been safely found.

Morris RCMP are seeking the publics help in locating a man from the Lowe Farm area.

On Sunday, at 7:30 p.m., 18-year-old Aaron Martens left his home, on foot without his cell phone, in a distressed state.

RCMP HANDOUT Aaron Martens

Police said in a release on Monday that Martens is vulnerable and that they are concerned for his well-being.

He is described as Caucasian, 6 tall, 220 pounds and has short dark hair with blonde streaks. He was wearing a red and black Fox jacket, jeans, winter boots and a backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Morris RCMP at 204-746-6355 or call Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text TIPMAN plus a message to CRIMES (274637).
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

No one can issue an apology like Lena Dunham  a skill that comes from years of practice. While her preferred platform for apologizing has been Instagram, she took to Twitter last night to say that she is so sorry for defending Murray Miller, the Girls writer whom actress Aurora Perrineau accused of raping her when she was 17.

In May 2016, Dunham wrote a personal essay for LinkedIn  shes an official LinkedIn influencer!  titled Sorry, Not Sorry: My Apology Addiction, acknowledging that sorry is an oft-used word in her vocabulary. While womens tendency to overapologize is nothing to trivialize, Dunham frequently says bafflingly ignorant things for which she should feel deeply remorseful. Here are some of her greatest hits.

When she said she was sad about never having had an abortion.

On her podcast, Women of the Hour, Dunham wanted to have a meaningful conversation about the stigma surrounding abortion. To prove that she is totally okay with the procedure, she said, I still havent had an abortion, but I wish I had. She later apologized, blaming this dumbfounding statement on the delusional girl persona [she] often [inhabits], and donated money to abortion funds.

When she got pissed that Odell Beckham Jr. didnt want to have sex with her.

In her feminist newsletter Lenny, Lena Dunham published an interview with comedian Amy Schumer, in which she expressed that she was deeply offended that Odell Beckham Jr. did not seem DTF at the Met Gala.

I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards, Dunham said. She later took to Instagram to say, The fact is I dont know about his state of mind (I dont know a lot of things) and I shouldnt have acted like I did.

When she compared Gawker to an abusive husband.

In a podcast interview between Kara Swisher and Dunham from September 2015, Dunham confirmed that she was done reading Twitter and media outlets that were mean to her. She touched specifically on Gawker (R.I.P.), about which she said, Its literally if I read it, its like going back to a husband who beat me in the face. It just doesnt make any sense. She later explained via a now-deleted Instagram post that she does not think domestic violence is a joke.

When she compared Bill Cosbys criminal behavior to the Holocaust.

In January 2015, Dunham landed on the perfect analogy for Bill Cosbys alleged sex crimes: the Holocaust. Discussing movie director Judd Apatows obsession with Cosby with Time Out New York, Dunham said, Its sort of like saying someones obsessed with the Holocaust. She later acknowledged that comparing Bill Cosby to the Holocaust wasnt [her] best analogy.
8,000-Year-Old Engraving Shows Dogs Were Helping Humans Hunt

Rock engravings discovered on the Arabian Peninsula might be the oldest images of dogs ever foundand they show dogs on leashes.

The cautiously-estimated 8,000-year-old etchings show a man hunting with a bow and arrow with a pack of dogs surrounding him. Two of the dogs appear to be attached by leashes to the hunters waist.

The artwork indicates that dogs were domesticated by at least 6,000 B.C., thousands of years earlier than previously thought, according to Science magazine. Before these findings, the earliest depictions of dogs on leashes came from a wall painting in Egypt that was around 5,500 years old.

Its truly astounding stuff, Melinda Zeder, an archaeozoologist at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. told Science. Its the only real demonstration we have of humans using early dogs to hunt.

Two archeologists, Maria Guagnin and Angela Perri, from Germanys Max Planck Institute, cataloged about 1,400 carvings on sandstone cliffs in Shuwaymis and Jubbah, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The carvings tell of humans enteringor re-enteringthe region about 10,000 years ago. About 8,000 years ago the carvings show a shift to herdingthe cliffs show scenes of cattle, sheep, and goats.

Just above the etchings of farm animals are a series of hunting scenes. The carvings show dogs attacking prey animals like ibexes and gazelles. In others, they are shown tethered to human hunters.

Oldest Dogs Pictures Ever?

Researchers cannot put an exact age on the images. They can only estimate the age based on weathering and by the sequence of images showing the history of the people who made them.

The scholars best estimate is that the carvings are between 8,000 and 9,000 years oldwhich would make them the oldest depictions of dogs yet discovered, 1,000 years older than some pictures of dogs on Iranian pottery, previously the oldest images found.

The dog art is at least 8000 to 9000 years old, Guagnin told Science.

Archeologist Melinda Zeder isnt yet convinced about the age of the images, because the archaeological record in this region is really spotty, she told Science.

Paul Tacon, an archaeologist at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Australia, told Science, Dating rock art is often a guestimate. But, based on his nearly four decades of studying such images around the world, he said that their chronology is sound.

A YouTube Video of Ancient Times

When Maria came to me with the rock art photos and asked me if they meant anything, I about lost my mind, said Angela Perri, a student of skeletal remains of ancient dogs. Perri has argued that early dogs were critical in human hunting. A million bones wont tell me what these images are telling me, she told Science. Its the closest thing youre going to get to a YouTube video.

One of the other exciting deductions the pair made was that dogs were trained to play different roles in the hunt. This could mean training overrode normal pack behaviorhumans had domesticated the dogs to the extent that the humans were viewed as pack leaders.

Guagnin and Perri published their findings in an article, Pre-Neolithic Evidence for Dog-Assisted Hunting Strategies in Arabia, in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.

The dogs, they say, are similar to todays Canaan breed, but it is impossible to tell at this time if the breed was imported to the Arabian peninsula from elsewhere or were a domesticated breed developed independently from Arabian wolves. The dogs might look similar because they had evolved in similar ecosystems.

It is believed that humans domesticated dogs between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago.

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Abuse at Seven Childcare Centers Exposes Broken Pre-School System in China

Chinas childcare system has recently come under scrutiny after young children between ages one and five at different childcare centers were discovered to have been victims of abuse and cruelty by staffall exposed within less than a month. The public outcry began with a daycare center in Shanghai.

Via security camera footage, one woman threw a toddlers backpack on the ground and pushed the young girl, causing her to fall and hit her head on the edge of a desk. Another teacher can be seen forcibly feeding several toddlers wasabi, a spicy condiment. The mistreatment took place at a daycare center in Shanghai, run by Ctrip for children of its employees. Ctrip is one of Chinas largest online travel sites. Clips of the child abuse, dated Nov. 1 and 3, were first published onto Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, earlier this month. Ctrip confirmed the authenticity of the video and subsequently reported the abuse to the police.



Subsequently, other abuses were revealed in the past four months at the same daycare center in Shanghai: a toddlers pants were completely soiled after caretakers refused to change his diapers; a 17-month old toddler was told to stand in the corner of the classroom with her pants stripped down as punishment, and a teacher grabbed a boy by the ear to direct him back to his seat.

Besides the apparent cruelty, what fueled public anger was how the center failed to legally register with Shanghais education bureau. According to Chinese news portal Sohu, Ctrip had to shut down the daycare center one week after opening in February 2016, because it failed to get government approval. The daycare center reopened in June this year, after outsourcing operations to Shanghais Womens Federation, which promotes womens and childrens rights in China. However, the daycare center never got proper approval.

Since then, four people have been arrested by the police, including the head of the daycare center, only identified by her last name Zheng. Ctrips former vice president of human resources, Shi Qi, and current vice president of human resources, Feng Weihua, were suspended pending a company internal investigation.

News of child abuse then emerged at daycare centers throughout China. In Nanjing City, a 3-year-old boy was repeatedly beaten by a teacher surnamed Wang, before the teacher smashed his head against a chair, according to a report by Chinese news portal Sohu published on Nov. 6. In Hubei Province, an impatient caretaker used cold water and a soiled brush used to clean the bathroom floor to wash a boy after he defecated in his pants, slapping him on the face at the same time, according to state-run media Global Times on Nov. 10.

In Wuhan City in central China, a girl at preschool was pulled by the mouth and slapped on the ears, while 15 other children had been assaulted as well, reported Hong Kong media South China Morning Post on Nov. 14. And two days later, Global Times reported child abuse at two nursery schools in Beijing. A total of seven nursery schools and daycare centers for young children were discovered with child abuse.

Chinas preschool system is one of the worst in the world, according to a report by Liens Foundation, a philanthropic foundation based in Singapore. Titled Starting Well, the report placed China 41st in a ranking of 45 countries, in terms of its preschool quality, just ahead of Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, and India. China also didnt fare well in terms of availability and affordability, coming at 42nd and 45th, respectively. According to the report, a Chinese family could pay more to place a child in preschool than to put the child through university, a consequence of the limited number of public pre-schools, and the high cost of tuition at private ones.

The U.S. came in at 24th, just one spot ahead of Canada, with Finland grabbing the top honor.

Pang Lijuan, a standing committee member of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, and deputy director of the China Institute of Education Policy, pointed out Chinas greatest challenge in providing better childcare to young childrenthe lack of preschool education laws in China, reported Chinese state-run newspaper Peoples Daily. According to Pang, lack of government funding, caretaker professionalism, and caretaker secure income, in addition to negligence by local authorities, have all attributed to Chinas substandard preschools.

While the minimum requirement to be a kindergarten teacher in the U.S. is a bachelors degree, and a state teaching license for instructors in public schools, China has a much lower standard. According to 2015 data from Chinas State Council, only 66 percent of kindergarten teachers have a college degree or higher. In 2014, only 61 percent had a preschool teaching certificate, 17 percent had a certificate but not for preschool, while 22 percent did not have any certificate at all.

Li Yuanhua, formerly an assistant professor of history at Beijings China Capital Normal University, a school specializing in training teachers, said that both the Womens Federation and the local authorities who granted the Shanghai daycare center the business license must be held accountable, in an interview with The Epoch Times.

As for the high occurrence of child abuse, Li believed that the lack of morality in Chinese society was to blame. He explained that educators dont think what they are doing is invaluable for the childrens future; instead, it is all about making money. So, when children cry or become rowdy, they resort to threats and beatings, according to Li.

This is called [socialism] with Chinese characteristics, which is all about power. While our society looks to be all good and shiny, it is, in fact, a dark place, said Mr. Yu, a resident in Shanghai in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Yu added, We very much welcomed Trumps visit to China, welcomed him to help improve Chinas human rights. Business comes second; what is more important are values and human rights.
Single men and women gather to chat as thousands of Chinese unmarried people gather at a singles fair organized by a wedding planning agency, to look for their potential mates in Shanghai on Nov. 12, 2011. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

China Has a Bachelor Problem: Millions of Men Will Stay Single for All Their Lives

Decades of the one-child policy have resulted in more men than women in the singles market

For decades, the Chinese communist regime strictly enforced its one-child policy, with families that didnt comply facing heavy fines, forced abortions, and sterilization procedures. In 2016, the regime began allowing families to have a second child (while keeping the heavy-handed enforcement).

But the new policy cannot reverse overnight a crippling social problem bequeathed by the former one-child limit: a large number of bachelors who are unlikely to ever find a wife.

According to the latest estimates by the World Bank, Chinas sex ratio stands at 115.4 boys to 100 girls. This imbalance is the result of Chinas one-child policy coupled with a deep-seated cultural preference for boys over girls.

Hong Kong-based broadcaster Phoenix Television reported on Nov. 13 that the current gender imbalance means that more than 1 million bachelors will end up being single for the rest of their lives.

The one-child policy has also affected how women choose their spouses.

The Chinese regimes own numbers, published by state mouthpiece Peoples Daily in 2012, suggest the dimensions of the problem are several times greater. There are nearly 12 million bachelors between the ages of 30 and 39, compared to about 6 million bachelorettes in the same age range. In other words, in that cohort, at least 6 million men are expected to remain unwed.

According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in 2020 there will be 24 million single men looking for a wife.

The preference of male children is a tradition that has long existed in China. A boy is able to pass on the family name, whereas a girl typically takes the husbands last name upon marriage. In addition, in rural areas, boys can handle the manual labor needed for farming.

With the one-child policy in place, however, many Chinese parents decided either to abandon their babies or have an abortion upon discovering that their child was a girl. According to Chinese state-run news website The Paper, more than 20 million girls have gone unaccounted for in the last 30 years, either through abandonment or abortion.

Women Set High Price

The one-child policy has also affected how women choose their spouses. With single women in such high demand, they are in a position to choose carefully, often seeking wealthy men with assets. Growing up as only children, they are also used to being pampered and spoiled, and look for the same in a relationship.

According to 2016 research conducted by Zhenai, a matchmaking website in China, more than 80 percent of single females believed that a worthy partner should make a monthly salary of at least 5,000 yuan (about $754), while 67 percent said that a man worthy to become her husband should make between 5,000 to 10,000 yuan (about $754 to $1,510). Twenty-five percent asked for a monthly income of at least 10,000 yuan.

According to an article published in 2015 by Chinese news portal Sohu, which cited a report from Goldman Sachs, there are 150 million Chinese out of the total population of 1.3 billion whose monthly income reached 6,200 yuan (about $936)a mere 11.5 percent of the population. Half of this elite group is considered Chinas middle class, who typically work as public servants or employees at state-run companies.

In other words, these women are out of most mens league.

The effects of these financial demands were seen in April with the ending of an engagement in Anhui Province. A pregnant woman decided to have an abortion after talks of marriage fell apart, due to her fiances inability to pay 120,000 yuan (about $18,117) as bridewealth, according to Phoenix Television.

Marriage in Turmoil

The institution of marriage is under strain in China. According to data from Chinas Ministry of Civil Affairs, 11.43 million couples registered for marriage in 2016, a 6.7 percent drop from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the divorce rate rose from 1.85 percent in 2009 to 3 percent in 2016, an increase of 38 percent in seven years.

While China has to confront possible social instability as a result of having so many unmarried men, which may lead to the crimes of sex trafficking or the kidnapping of women, the Chinese regime has done little to encourage people to stay married. In fact, the frequent news of sex scandals among Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials has indirectly encouraged extramarital affairs.

In 2015, the CCPs anti-corruption watchdog agency uncovered the rampant trading of sex for political favors at China Unicom, a state-run telecommunications company.

Many party officials have engaged in such behavior, including former security czar Zhou Yongkang, who, according to the state mouthpiece Xinhua, engaged in numerous adulterous relationships and exchanged favors for sex. In June 2015, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for graft.

The turmoil in Chinese society regarding marriage can be seen in the steps women are taking to save, or break up, marriages.

In order to save their marriage in the face of a cheating husband, some married Chinese women have decided to enroll in classes to perfect their skills at being a wife, or hire a mistress dispeller to end the extramarital relationship.

On the other hand, some young women with limited options to improve their lives enroll in a very different classone that teaches them how to improve their seduction skills and snag a rich married man.

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Residents carry their belongings as they evacuate the site of a fatal housing block fire that killed 19 people and injured eight in Beijing on November 19, 2017. (Ryan Mcmorrow/AFP/Getty Images)

Beijing Apartment Fire Kills 19, Authorities Yet to Determine Cause

A fire in a Beijing apartment block has killed 19 people and injured eight, according to the Chinese regimes state-run mouthpiece Xinhua.

The fire broke out on the evening of Nov. 18 at a three-story apartment block in Beijings southern Daxing district.

Late on Nov. 19, Xinhua stated that preliminary investigations suggested the fire started in the basement of the apartment building, where the building is reported to have a refrigeration facility and a clothing factory.

The apartment building houses 300 residents. According to local reporters, the building had window guards installed, which prevented residents from easily fleeing. One of the three building exits was also locked.

Nearby residents and store workers noted that the fumes coming out of the building had an intense smell that stung their noses. Meanwhile, a resident who fled the apartment building told Chinese media Duowei News that by the time he exited the building, the smoke had blackened his entire face.

Chinese netizens speculated that the mysterious black fumes may provide clues to the true cause of the fire. Internet censorship was on high, however, as posts, including photos and videos from the scene, were continually deleted.

This is not the first time the neighborhood has suffered a major fire. On April 25, 2011, a fire broke out in a residential building in Daxing District that had violated fire safety codes, resulting in 17 deaths and 25 people injured.

The area houses many clothing factories, with factory workers living in low-rent apartments nearby.

Hong Yun and Wen Pu of The Epoch Times and Reuters contributed to this report.
Bill Clinton Accused of Sexual Assault by 4 More Women

Attorneys for four unidentified women notified Bill Clinton that they are preparing lawsuits against him for sexual assaults that took place after the former president left office in 2001.

All of the women were in their late teens when they allege Clinton sexually assaulted them. This according to highly placed sources in the Democratic Party who spoke to Ed Klein, a former New York Times Magazine editor and bestselling author. The women are seeking substantial payouts from Clinton for their silence.

The assaults took place when Clinton was working for billionaire Ron Burkle, who hired Clinton to drum up business as the pair flew around the world accompanied by beautiful women, the Daily Mail reported. The four women were all working at the low level of Burkles organization.

A member of Clintons legal team confirmed that they are aware of the accusations but cannot comment on the matter.

The legal negotiations between the Clinton team and the womens attorney have reached a critical stage. If there is no settlement, the women will vent their accusations at a press conference.

Bill is distraught at the thought of having to testify and defend himself against sex charges again, said a Democratic Party official who knows about the case. He hopes his legal team can somehow stop the women from filing charges and drag him through the mud.

Clinton, 71, paid $850,000 to settle a sexual assault lawsuit brought by Paula Jones in the 1990s. This led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives and subsequent acquittal by the Senate. The former presidents past is clouded with numerous credible claims of sexual assault, including rape.

There is no evidence to suggest Burkle knew about the assaults.

Hillary Clinton was infuriated to learn that her husband is mired in another sexual assault scandal, sources told the Daily Mail. She reportedly offered to hire private investigators to unearth dirt on the women, but was advised by Clinton attorneys against it.

In the past, Hillary had a team of detectives that managed to silence a number of women in Little Rock who had complaints about Bills unwanted sexual advances, said the source.

But now Hillary admits theres a different atmosphere in our culture about sexual harassment and its not possible to intimidate women into silence about charges once they make up their mind to speak up.

Hillary wants to remain in the public eye as a leader of the resistance to Donald Trump and play a major role in politics for years to come, including maybe even running for president again in 2020, the source continued.

Shes afraid this latest scandal could destroy the Clinton legacy and torpedo her plans, continued the source.

The relationship between Bill and Hillary has been more of a business relationship for a number of years, except when it comes to their daughter and grandchildren, said the source.

They havent lived as man and wife for a number of years, mostly due to Bills running around with other women.

It became obvious years ago that even age wasnt going to make Bill settle down and stop chasing women. Hillary has simply ignored it and lived her separate life.

Bill spends a great deal of his time in his penthouse apartment above the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, the source added. Hillary occasionally goes to Little Rock, but she refuses to stay in the apartment because she knows thats his love nest.

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This screen capture from a pharmacy security video shows Sgt. Souza chasing a remaining robber after having shot the other, gun in one hand, infant in the other. (Screen shot, International Business Daily)

Brazilian Cop Wins Shootout With 2 Robbers, While Holding His Infant Son

A Brazilian off-duty police officer who stopped by a pharmacy while out with his wife and infant son wound up in a deadly gunfight.

Sgt. Rafael Souza was strolling through the aisles of the Bifarma pharmacy in the Sao Paolo suburb of Campo Limpo Paulista on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 18, when a pair of armed robbers rushed in.

The officer, from the 49th Metropolitan Battalion, had been minding his child while his wife talked with the pharmacist and paid for her purchase.

One of the robbers pointed his pistol at Souza, who had identified himself as a police officer.

When he saw the gun pointing his way, Souza immediately drew his own weapon and opened fire.

After dispatching the first gunman, Souza set off after the second.

Much of the incident was caught by one of the stores the stores security cameras.

In the video, Souza can be seen shooting past another patron with his pistol in his right hand while holding his child on his left hip. Souza doubles back and catches the other gunman, while his wife cowers in an aisle, apparently imploring him to hand her their child.

Souza does, but not until he has thoroughly neutralized all threats.

When medical personnel arrived, they pronounced the two suspectsJefferson Alves, 24, and Italo Creato, 22dead at the scene, according to International Business Times.

Souza, his wife, and his child were completely unharmed. None of the customers nor the pharmacist were reported injured in any way either. Sgt. Souza seems to have saved them all.

Amazingly, Souzas gun-and-baby-wielding incident is not unique in Brazils recent history.

An officer from the Sao Paulo suburb of Campinas got drawn into a gunfight while holding his three-month-old daughter in 2014, according to RT.

That officer had to let go of his daughter to apprehend the suspect. His daughter sustained minor injuries.

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Chinese Caught Posing for Others to Take American University Entrance Exams

In recent years, higher education institutions and standardized test providers in the United States have been confronted with a new problem: Mainland Chinese students are trying to gain admission into top colleges and universities by hiring imposters to take entrance exams for them.

On Nov. 13, Wang Xinyan, a Chinese student at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania, was arrested for taking entrance exams to help others gain admission into American universities on six occasions, using a fake Chinese passport and a visa in another persons name, according to Reuters.

Wangs case is hardly an isolated incident. In May, Wang Yue, a Chinese student at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was arrested for taking the TOEFL examan English-language proficiency exam often required by American universities for prospective international studentsfor three students. The students, Zhang Shikun, Huang Leyi, and Cheng Xiaomeng, used the exam scores to enroll in Northeastern University, Penn State University, and Arizona State University, respectively, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Wang Yue was paid $7,000 to take the exam for the students after they failed to get the minimum score to enroll in their universities of choice. All four women have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

In May 2015, 15 Chinese nationals were charged by a U.S. federal grand jury for providing fake Chinese passports to imposters who then took exams including the SAT (college entrance exam), the GRE (graduate school entrance exam), and the TOEFL, according to the Justice Department. They were indicted on 35 charges, including conspiracy, fraud, and counterfeiting identification used to defraud organizations that administer the U.S. exams, including the College Board and the Educational Testing Services (ETS).

In China, hiring impostors for exams is not limited to higher education exams, such as the gaokao, Chinas version of the SAT.

In December 2016, Tong Han, considered the leader of the group, was sentenced to three years probation and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.

With a buoyant Chinese economy, many Chinese students choose to study abroad, believing that they will be more competitive in the job market with a foreign college degree. According to data from Chinas State Council, 544,500 students studied overseas in 2016, an increase of 144,900 from 2012.

Data released by the U.S. Institute of International Education showed that Chinese students made up the largest contingent of foreign students studying in America during the 20162017 school year, with 350,755 students out of the total foreign student population of 1.078 millionmaking up 32.5 percent. India came in at a distant second, with 186,267 students.

While Chinese students can still take TOEFL exams at test centers in China, they need to travel outside of China to take the SAT, since the College Board hasnt announced any test centers in China for the upcoming four examination dates in 2017 and 2018.

In China, hiring imposters is not limited to higher education exams, such as the gaokao, Chinas version of the SAT. Test takers hire imposters for nursing exams and truck driving tests, too.

In September, a Ms. He, who worked at the health bureau in Hengnan County, Hunan Province, paid 2,200 yuan (about $331) to an imposter to take a nursing exam on her behalf, according to Chinese news portal Sina. On the day of the exam in May 2016, the imposter was caught with Ms. Hes exam admission ticket and ID card. Both Ms. He and her imposter were given a penalty of six months supervision and a fine of 20,000 yuan (about $3,018).

In Beijing, truck drivers took cheating one step further. According to an article by state-run newspaper Beijing Youth Daily in April, local truck driving schools offered imposters 40 yuan (about $6) to take the test. The license exam included a multiple choice portion and a hands-on portion in which testers must change a truck wheel. Because the schools had colluded with local motor vehicle authorities, imposters were given test sheets with correct answers already filled in, and they only had to pretend to change the wheel. The schools, in turn, sold the obtained licenses to interested buyers for 1,500 to 1,800 yuan each (about $226 to $271).
The Sun Dial restaurant. ("Table In The Sky" by TranceMist/Flickr [CC BY 2.0 (ept.ms/2haHp2Y)])

Family of Boy Crushed at Rotating Restaurant in Atlanta Sues Company

The parents of a 5-year-old boy who died when his head was crushed in a rotating restaurant are suing the company that owns the establishment.

Charlie Holt died on April 14 after he got stuck in a pinch point between a rotating booth and a stationary wall at the Sun Dial restaurant located on top of the Westin Peachtree Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Marriott International, Inc., which owns the restaurant and the hotel, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, LLC, were both named in the suit.

The suit charges that the company failed to address a longstanding safety hazard that led to Holts death, the Journal-Constitution reported.

The Sun Dial had no protections to stop children from getting close to the pinch point or to stop the rotation of the floor if a child became trapped in the pinch point, the lawsuit states, the Journal-Constitution reported.

Rebeca and Michael Holt went to the restaurant with their son Charlie during a visit to Atlanta from North Carolina.

Atlanta police claim that Charlie wandered away from the table while the family was eating, but the lawsuit disputes that claim, saying that Charlie was just a few steps ahead of his parents as they departed the restaurant.

Security staff and employees at the Westin freed the boy, but it was too late. He died later at Grady Memorial Hospital.

The family was leaving the restaurant together after paying their bill, Joe Fried, the familys attorney, told the Journal-Constitution in an email on Thursday. They were walking to the exit, following the same path that the hostess used to walk them to their table and that they used to walk to and from the restroom earlier. Charlie was only a few steps ahead.

According to Fried, the familys path was blocked while a booth rotated in front of a stationary wall and the boy got trapped between the booth and the wall.

By the time someone could manually stop the rotation, it was too late, Fried said. Charlies head had been pulled into the narrow pinch point and he suffered catastrophic head traumaright in front of his parents.

The stop button was located on the ceiling in another room of the restaurant, the suit says, according to CNN.

The lawsuit demands a trial but does not specify the damages the family is seeking.

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Alleged Grandson of Death Cult Leader Charles Manson Speaks Out

The alleged grandson of Charles Manson, the only living descendant of the cult leader who died on Sunday night, spoke out.

Its a little rough for me right now, Jason Freeman, 41, told the New York Post after news of Mansons death emerged. It was hard because I didnt get to see my grandfather before he passed, and thats something Ive been working really hard at during this last year.

Where are the members of Charles Manson's Family now? https://t.co/Y0Qi8wCF0z pic.twitter.com/rN5WLHrWmi  BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 20, 2017

Charles Manson has never officially acknowledged any of his so-called offspring.

Freeman is the son of Charles Manson Jr., the only known child of Manson. Manson Jr. changed his name to Jay White to escape the infamy of his surname. He killed himself in 1993 in Burlington, Colorado, CNN reported in 2012.

According to CNNs account:

Forbidden from talking about Charles Manson to his school friends lest they tease and taunt him, Freeman always felt different from the other kids. Even behind closed doors and with his own family, talk about Charles Manson was discouraged. He was not permitted to ask his grandmother, Rosalie, about Charles Manson, the man she married in 1955. It was a ghostly elephant roaming through his life. More than anything, Freeman wants to connect with the father he knew only through an occasional letter or gift. He believes his father, who changed his name to Jay White, purposely stayed away from him, not wanting to tarnish his childhood in the same way his had been. He just couldnt let it go, reckons Freeman. He couldnt live it down. He couldnt live down who his father was.'

Manson was convicted in the killings of seven peoplenamely, ordering their deaths. He died at a Kern County hospital of natural causes at the age of 83.

She was killed by Charles Manson's followers and then, because of her family, became the face of victims' rights. Our story on Sharon Tate https://t.co/UWYnkkYbRY  Theresa Vargas (@TheresaVargas1) November 20, 2017

Theres no one else out there related to my grandpa, so its all on my head, Freeman, who is an oil rig worker, told the Post.

Freeman said in January 2017when Manson was last hospitalizedsaying that he wanted to see him in person. Anybody with a kind heart and a gentle soul would want to see their parents or grandparents at their worst states in life, I just want to visit my grandfather while hes in the hospital before its too late, Freeman said. I love people even if they do me wrong or if theyve done things wrong in their lives, I believe in forgiveness.

Charles Manson's grandson laments not getting final visit https://t.co/9xiIjLbEEc via @nypost: Ask the relatives of the ones he murdered if they forgive.  Albert Pisano (@BicPensPlus2) November 20, 2017

However, Manson may not have felt the same.

In a new report from People magazine, the mass murderer didnt list any next of kin, according to corrections officials.

Relatives have 10 days to come forward to claim his body, an official told the magazine on Monday afternoon. Then, the state will assume responsibility, and the official wasnt sure if Manson will be cremated or buried.

I know we are going to follow the law and comply with the law, the official told People, requesting condition of anonymity. I dont know if anyone will come forth, but I know there is that 10-day period.

The state of California will also take possession of any property that Manson left behind as well as any funds he left will be used to cover cremation costs, TMZ noted.

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Afghan security personnel gather next to a vehicle, which was used in a suicide bombing outside a wedding hall in Kabul on Nov. 16, 2017. A suicide attacker blew himself up outside a wedding hall in Kabul killing at least nine people, officials said Nov. 16, in an apparent attempt to strike at a political gathering underway inside. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

Hero Police Officer Bear Hugged a Suicide Bomber to Save Lives

'He was a very brave guy'

An Afghan police officer has been called a hero for using himself as a human shield when confronted with a suicide bomber.

Police Lt. Sayed Basam Pacha was guarding a hall crowded with dignitaries when a man refused to stop when asked, running toward the crowd.

Despite the risk of the suspect being a suicide bomber, Pacha threw his arms around him.

And indeed, a second later the bomber detonated an explosive vest, killing 14 peopleincluding Pacha. Seven other police officers and six civilians were killed.

Basir Mujahed, a police spokesman, said 18 others were wounded, but the number would have been much higher without Pachas self-sacrifice.

Hes a hero, he saved many lives, he told The New York Times. All seven of those policemen are heroes but especially him. Just think if that suicide attacker got past the gate, what would have happenedyou cannot even imagine.

Pachas father, Sayed Nizam Agha, wept as he told what happened to his son.

My son sacrificed himself to save other people, he said. He had two bachelor degrees, one in political science and another one at the police academy. He studied five years in Turkey. He came back from Turkey a year and a half ago. He was 25 years old and he was single. He has three brothers and one sister. He and I are the only police in our family. He was a very sporty guy.

The Islamic State in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack, while the Taliban denied their involvement.

A man at the gathering told AFP that he saw many bodies including police and civilians lying in blood.

After lunch as we were exiting the hall a huge explosion shook the hall, shattering glass and causing chaos and panic, he said, according to The Telegraph.

Pacha had been on duty in Kabul for a year and a half and had received a commendation from superiors.

Friend Sayed Najib Asil spoke warmly of him.

He was always worried about victims, but he never thought that one day he would get killed, he said. He wanted to make changes here, he had an opportunity to leave and go live abroad, but he rejected it. He really hated corruption, and felt bad when people assumed that all policemen are corrupt. He had very big dreams for himself. He wanted to be a general like his father, and maybe one day a high ministry official.

Asil added, I wasnt surprised when I heard he had hugged the suicide attacker. He was a very brave guy.

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Madeleine McCann: Mystery Woman in Purple Sought by Scotland Yard Identified as Waitress

A Spanish criminologist has identified the mystery woman being sought by British police in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Criminologist Heriberto Janosch Gonzalez, who has investigated the childs disappearance for 10 years, told Express he believed the woman dressed in purple was Bulgarian waitress Luisa Todorov.

I have been combing through all the police files trying to identify who the woman in purple could be. It has been widely reported that Yard officers are in Bulgaria, Gonzalez told the newspaper.

Examining all the known statements it seems highly likely the police are seeking the Todorovs as they are the only known people with a clear link to Bulgaria, he said.

Todorov, 58, was seen by two witnesses standing outside apartment 5a of the Ocean Club from where Madeleine vanished 10 years ago.

The waitress was working with her husband, Stefan, at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz where the McCanns and their friends were vacationing.

Todorov and her husband gave statements to Portuguese police five days after Madeleines disappearance denying any knowledge.

According to 9news, a woman who claimed to have seen the woman in purple thought it was strange that the woman was standing alone at the resort.

I dont know who she was but she caught my eye because she was dressed in purple-plum clothes, Jenny Murat told the news station.

It struck me as strange because its so unusual for anyone, particularly a woman, to be standing alone on the street in our resort.

Madeleine had not been seen since May 3, 2007. Her parents Kate and Gerry McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, were dining in a tapas restaurant at the resort at the time of her abduction.

The McCanns have always maintained that Madeleine must have been taken by a pedophile or child sex trafficker, reported 9news.

In 2011, Scotland Yard set up Operation Grange to reinvestigate the abduction following widespread criticism of the bungled Portuguese police investigation.

In September this year, Scotland Yard received around $204,000 (154,000) of additional funding which will last six months to find a new person of significance, reported Independent.

Over the years, Operation Grange has cost British taxpayers almost $16 million (12 million).

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Man Who Killed Infant Released from Prison One Year after Sentencing

A Texas man who was sentenced to eight years in prison for killing an infant is set to be released after serving just 13 months since his sentencing.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole approved the release of 27-year-old Justin Havard on Thursday, Nov. 16, KDFM reported.

Havard was arrested in 2013.

He called 911 claiming that his girlfriends 3-month-old son, Rylan McDaniel, was choking at the apartment in Jasper, Texas where he was watching his girlfriends kids.

Detectives who went to the emergency room and spoke to Havard noted that there was something suspicious. After an autopsy was performed on the child, it was determined that he died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The prosecutors in Havards case gave the jury an option of handing down a sentence from five years to life in prison. When the jury settled on an eight-year sentence, Havard had already spent nearly three years in jail. He was eligible for parole halfway through his sentence.

Ryan Gertz, Havards attorney, predicted that his client would be out in a year after his sentencing. Havards time in jail before the sentencing counted as time served, and since Havard would be up for probation after serving four years, his probation hearing took place this month.

Samantha McDaniel, the infants mother, is not happy about the parole boards decision, ABC affiliate KTRE reported.

I got a letter saying that they have agreed to release him and I literally cried from the moment I opened up the letter all the way through the next morning, McDaniel said.

McDaniel told KTRE that the weight of her childs death will never leave her and that Havards release is only making it harder.

Im terrified because I go to Walmart and he can be in there, said McDaniel. And, what I was told and suggested to do is, just for me, to turn around and leave.

McDaniel still doesnt know why Havard killed her child.

The trial itself, he never once got up there and even tried saying what he did, said McDaniel. He never gave us a reason why he decided to do this.

McDaniel realizes she isnt the only one in her situation and wishes that all moms would be more cautious about who they let take care of their children.

Not to be as naive as me, said McDaniel. I trusted someone with my children and this is the worst outcome that has happened. But, this seems to be happening as a daily thing.

McDaniel and her family do not plan on challenging the parole boards decision, however.

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Thomas Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at an immigration event at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Oct. 17, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Nominated ICE Director Thomas Homan Talks About Smugglers, Sanctuary Cities

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump formally nominated Thomas Homan to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Nov. 14. Homan has served as acting director since Jan. 30, after former director Sarah Saldana stepped down when Trump came into office.

Homan worked for 33 years in immigration enforcement, starting as a Border Patrol agent in 1984. He spent 20 years as a special agent investigating the organizations that smuggle aliens into the United States, and then eight years under former President Barack Obama in charge of ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations.

I actually retired on Jan. 27 for about three hours. On the way out of the ceremony, I got a call from General [John] Kelly [saying] that the president would like me to stay and run the agency, Homan said at an event at The Heritage Foundation on Oct. 17.

He used the podium to express his frustration with negative media reports about ICE operations.

We defend public safety and get vilified for doing it, he said. What [the media] dont say is that every one of these people being removed had their due process in this country. They got an order from a federal judge, issued from a bench, and ICEs job is to execute that order.

Were not going to be bullied into not enforcing the law.  Tom Homan, nominee for ICE director

Homan said he is often characterized as heartless.

If youve seen what Tom Homan has seen in 33 years, you would understand my emotion when we talk about this issue, he said. Homan held back tears as he recounted a 2003 case in Victoria, Texas, where 19 smuggled aliens died in the back of a tractor-trailer.

The crime scene was kept secure until I got there. I actually walked into the back of that tractor trailerI was surrounded by 19 dead aliens laying around me, that suffocated in the back of the tractor-trailer. One, a 5-year-old boy. That haunts me to this day, because I had a 5-year-old boy at the time.

What do you think that 5-year-old child went through in the last 30 minutes of his life? What do you think the father, who was holding that child, went through the last 30 minutes of his life, knowing he put his child in that position and couldnt change it? And they suffocated to death in this black, hot tractor-trailer.



These smugglers dont care, theyre out to make a buck. They dont care about the health and safety and well-being of these people.

Homan said he rescued many hostages while working in Phoenix, Arizona. Women were raped, children were molested.

Sanctuary Cities

Homans pet peeve is sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that create policies to prevent local and state law enforcement from communicating and cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Some sanctuaries, such as in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, forbid immigration agents from going into jails to interview and take custody of convicted criminal aliens. The criminals are instead released back into the community.

That doesnt make sense to me, Homan said. Every criminal alien that gets released by a sanctuary city that reoffends, has committed a crime thats preventable.

Even immigrant communities dont want criminals in their communities.

Homan said that as of July 31 this year, almost 10,000 criminal aliens who were released onto the streetsrather than being turned over to ICEhave committed another crime.

Proponents of sanctuary policies say that the policies promote trust in immigrant communities and, therefore, immigrants will come forward to report crimespurportedly making the community safer.

But Homan said his agentsand the communityare put at greater risk if ICE is forced to locate and arrest illegal aliens in communities, rather than take custody of them in a jail.

What you have done is force my hand and now I have to go to their homes. When I go into the home and find that bad guy, hes probably going to have other people with him, who may have immigration issues. My job is to take them into custody, too, he said.

So those politicians that chose to make a political statement over that of public safety, that want to tell their community [that] sanctuary cities protect the communitywrong. Because now you just put all these people who werent on my radar, on my radar.

Homan said ICE has a sensitive location policy, which precludes agents to arrest illegal aliens at churches, schools, and hospitals without prior approval from headquarters. And it has to be a significant public safety issue and national security issue to do that, he said.

He said politicians and media stoke fear about ICE, and at the same time, groups that advocate for illegal aliens tell them not to answer their door at home to ICE.

So we cant arrest them in the jail, we cant arrest them at their homes because they wont open their doors and cooperate with us because theyve been trained not towhat option does that leave us? Homan said.

And when youre in New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago, chances are, when you pull that car over, youre within a block or two of a school, or a church, or a hospital.

Homan said sanctuary cities entice more illegal aliens to enter the United States and hide out in those cities. Sanctuary cities are alien smugglers best friend. You dont think the alien smuggling organizations are using that as an enticement?



Homan said the United States spends billions of dollars a year on border security, detention, immigration courts, attorneys, and appeals courts.

And at the end, if a judge issues a final order, they need to be executed. Because if theyre not, theres absolutely no integrity in this entire system, he said.

People say were racist and white supremacistwe removed people to over 140 countries last year.



Were not going to be bullied into not enforcing the law. Theres not another law enforcement agency in this country where people ask them not to enforce the laws.
North Korean Hwang Pyong-So, director of the military's General Political Bureau, the top military post in North Korea, leaves a hotel at Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 4, 2014. Hwang, often described as North Koreas second-most powerful man, is being subjected to an unknown form of punishment, according to intelligence sources in South Korea. (BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)

North Koreas Most Powerful General Subjected to Unknown Punishment

The head of North Koreas most powerful military organization is being punished after a key military organ came under scrutiny by the Kim Jong Un regime, South Koreas spy agency disclosed Monday.

The move is being read by some as an attempt by Kim to ensure the political elite remain insecure and loyal as the country braces for deeper impacts from U.N. Security Councils sanctions.

South Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS) said a rare inspection of the North Korean militarys General Political Bureau was prompted by concerns of an impure attitude and led to top officials being punished.

It is the first time in two decades the General Political Bureau has been inspected, reports South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Hwang Pyong So heads up the bureau and is often described as the second most powerful person in North Korea, the political boss of North Koreas armed forces. According to the NIS, he has now being subjected to an unknown form of punishment.

Hwang is also the Vice Marshal of the Korean Peoples Army and one of five members of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers Party of Korea, the most powerful decision-making body in North Korea.

Hwang has been one of Kims closest aides since 2011 and began working with the North Korean dictator in 2007, before Kim took control of the North Korean regime, according to 38 North affiliate North Korea Leadership Watch (NKLW).

From 2011 to 2014 Hwang Pyong So was one of Kim Jong Uns close aides, serving as a gatekeeper and proxy between the supreme leader and several key organizations in the DPRKs national security community, reports NKLW.

In his previous position, Hwang acted as the critical link between Kim and several security organizations. He was promoted to his current position in April 2014.

According to South Korean representative Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party, the NIS was still trying to determine the exact nature of the punishment.

We have been watching the situation as we have gathered such intelligence (on the punishment), he said, quoting the NIS.

Hwangs second in command, deputy chief Kim Won Hong, is also being punished.

According to the briefing, the review of the bureau was led by its former head, Choe Ryong Hae, now the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Norths ruling Workers Party.

Choe was also subject to reports of punishment in 2015, with some reports saying he was sent to work in a mine for ideological re-education.

Choe was demoted but returned to the public spotlight with speculation that Kim was trying to create conflict between top officials in his regime as a way to pre-empt cooperation against him.

The bureau that Choe once led, that is now run by Hwang, plays an essential role in North Korea and influences the entire regime through managing crucial personnel placements in other military bodies like the Ministry of Peoples Armed Forces.

Whoever controls it has the power to influence loyalties in the armed forces by placing allies in important positions.

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Plane Crash on Florida Public Road Caught on Video

A plane crash-landed on a city street in Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday, Nov. 19. The 61-year-old pilot experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff and attempted an emergency landing on a public road. But the plane clipped a tree, lost control and crashed.

Neither pilot nor passenger was injured in the incident, which was captured on dashcam video by police.

Pinellas County Sheriffs Office deputies responding to an unrelated call in the area witnessed an unusual sight on Keene Road North in Clearwater. A single-engine aircraft was flying low and losing altitude as it approached the patrol car. The dashboard-mounted camera caught the planes dramatic descent, with cars stopping or pulling over in reaction to what looked like an emergency landing about to happen.

The plane passed overhead and the deputies turned around to follow it. The camera again caught sight of the aircraft streaking toward the trees and on a sharp descent.

The wing clipped a tree, causing the plane to spin out of control and crash.

According to Fox news the pilot, Marc Benedict, took off from Zephyrhills Airport just after 10:00 a.m., and soon after noticed engine trouble.

Benedict told investigators he thought the plane wouldnt make it back to the airport and began to search for a safe place to make an emergency landing, Fox reported. As the pilot tried to land on Keene Road, the planes left wing clipped a tree, causing the plane to lose control and crash.

Neither the pilot nor his passenger reported any injuries in the incident, said Fox.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is being carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

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Police: 2 Men Killed, 1 Injured in Shooting Near Fountain Square in Indianapolis

Police in Indianapolis are investigating a shooting that left two men dead and a woman injured on Saturday night near Fountain Square.

IMPD investigating more then one person shot 1800 Cottage -PIO enroute  IMPD (@IMPDnews) November 19, 2017

Officers responded to the scene in the 1800 block of Cottage Ave. at around 4:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, CBS4 reported.

#BREAKING: Three shot, Two dead after a shooting at Fountain Square in Indianapolis. (Photo: @Gabby_Gonzalez) pic.twitter.com/rg0PMrk9wl  BreakingNNow (@BreakingNNow) November 19, 2017

The woman who was shot was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, and officials said that she might be pregnant.

The Indianapolis Star reported that the female victim was transported to Eskenazi Hospital.

Police said three people shot, two males dead. Third a female believed pregnant currently in surgery at Eskanazi Hospital.  Emma Kate Fittes (@IndyEmmaKate) November 19, 2017

Police believe there was one shooter. Currently have a "person of interest" detained.  Emma Kate Fittes (@IndyEmmaKate) November 19, 2017

A shooting suspect is in custody, and the gun was recovered, the CBS affiliate reported.

Join us for a live report from @GrahamRHunter at 6.https://t.co/JjyWUApe52  Matt McClellan RTV6 (@mcclellantv) November 19, 2017

RTV6 reported that the two males who were shot were pronounced dead at the scene.

Other details about the shooting were not released.

According to the FBIs recent data, there was a 7 percent increase in the number of violent crimes committed in Indianapolis in 2016. Indianapolis violent crime rate amounted to 14 crimes per 1,000 residents last year compared to 13 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2015, according to the Indy Star.

This year, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police detectives have investigated 101 killings, which is tracking behind last years pace. Non-fatal shootings are also slightly down, with 343 recorded as of Sept. 24 compared with 353 by that time last year, according to IMPD data, the report stated.

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Protesters calling for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to step down take to the streets in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nov. 18, 2017. (REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)

President Mugabe Stuns Zimbabwe by Defying Pressure to Resign, Faces Impeachment

HARAREPresident Robert Mugabe stunned Zimbabwe on Sunday, Nov. 19, by making no mention of resignation in a television address, defying his own ZANU-PF party, which had sacked him hours earlier, and hundreds of thousands of protesters who had already hailed his downfall.

Two sources  one a senior member of the government, the other familiar with talks with leaders of the military  had told Reuters that Mugabe would announce his resignation to the nation after ZANU-PF dismissed him as its leader in a move precipitated by an army takeover four days earlier.

But in the speech from his State House office, sitting alongside a row of generals, Mugabe acknowledged criticisms from ZANU-PF, the military and the public but made no mention of his own position.

Instead, he said the events of the week were not a challenge to my authority as head of state and government, and pledged to preside over the congress scheduled for next month.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was dumbstruck.

I am baffled. Its not just me, its the whole nation. Hes playing a game, he told Reuters. He is trying to manipulate everyone. He has let the whole nation down.

ZANU-PF had given the 93-year-old, who has led his country since independence in 1980, less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto military coup.

Chris Mutsvangwa, the leader of the liberation war veterans who have been spearheading an 18-month campaign to oust Mugabe, said plans to impeach him in parliament, which next sits on Tuesday, would now go ahead, and that there would be mass protests on Wednesday.

He also implied that Mugabe, who spoke with a firm voice but occasionally lost his way in his script during the 20-minute address, was not aware of what had happened just hours earlier.

Blind or Deaf

Either somebody within ZANU-PF didnt tell him what had happened within his own party, so he went and addressed that meeting oblivious, or (he was) blind or deaf to what his party has told him, Mutsvangwa said.

ZANU-PFs central committee had earlier named Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new leader. It was Mugabes sacking of Mnangagwa as his vice-president  to pave the way for his wife Grace to succeed him  that triggered the armys intervention.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets of the capital Harare to celebrate Mugabes expected downfall and hail a new era for their country.

In jubilant scenes, men, women and children ran alongside armoured cars and the troops who stepped in to target what the army called criminals in Mugabes inner circle.

Many heralded a second liberation and spoke of their dreams for political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

They, like the more than 3 million Zimbabweans who have emigrated to neighbouring South Africa in search of a better life, are likely to be bitterly disappointed by Mugabes defiance.

Speaking from a secret location in South Africa, his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, had told Reuters that Mugabe and his wife were ready to die for what is correct rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao, who was also sanctioned by ZANU-PF, did not answer his phone on Sunday. However, Mugabes son Chatunga railed against those who had pushed out his father.

You cant fire a Revolutionary leader! he wrote on this Facebook page. ZANU-PF is nothing without President Mugabe.

Danger Ahead

The huge crowds in Harare have given a quasi-democratic veneer to the armys intervention, backing its assertion that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, rather than a plain coup, which would risk a diplomatic backlash.

But some of Mugabes opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military, and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another, rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.

The real danger of the current situation is that, having got their new preferred candidate into State House, the military will want to keep him or her there, no matter what the electorate wills, former education minister David Coltart said.

The United States, a longtime Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a new era in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

Besides changing its leadership, ZANU-PF said it wanted to change the constitution to reduce the power of the president, a possible sign of a desire to move towards a more pluralistic and inclusive political system.

However, Mnangagwas history as state security chief during the so-called Gukurahundi crackdown, when an estimated 20,000 people were killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the early 1980s, suggested that quick, sweeping change was unlikely.

The deep state that engineered this change of leadership will remain, thwarting any real democratic reform, said Miles Tendi, a Zimbabwean academic at Oxford University.

By Cris Chinaka, MacDonald Dzirutwe and Joe Brock
Report: Charles Manson Is Still Alive, Remains Hospitalized

Notorious prisoner Charles Manson was alive as of Friday, prison officials said, but they wouldnt offer any details on his hospital stay.

Manson, 83, was sent to a hospital Bakersfield for a serious medical problem. Reports this week indicated that his prognosis is grim.

Vicky Waters, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that hes still living and that officials could not provide any further details on his condition.

They remain under CDCR custody and 24-hour supervision during this time, said Waters, per the LA Times. CDCR also notifies and works with hospital security and law enforcement.

Officials also wouldnt comment on where hes being treated and why.

According to TMZ in a report last week, a source said that its just a matter of time before his death.

Manson and his followers, called The Manson Family, were convicted of two sets of infamous, brutal Los Angeles murders that were conducted in 1969.

Since he was put behind bars 1971, Manson incurred more than 100 rules violations, including assault, possession of a weapon, making threats, and possessing a cellphone. The LA Times reported that he also tried to cause a flood, set his mattress on fire, spat at a prison staffer, and got into fights.

And while in prison, he infamously carved a swastika in his forehead.

His next parole hearing is due in 2027.

According to the New York Daily News, a so-called friend of Manson, Ben Gurecki, claimed that he was brought to Mercy Heart Hospital with heart failure.

I dont believe he will leave the hospital, Gurecki said. (Its) heart failure. (His) body is shutting down.

Manson was hospitalized in January 2017. At the time, prison officials also remained mum.

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US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand attends the 25th annual Brooklyn tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on Jan. 17, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Sen. Gillibrand Says Bill Clinton Should Have Resigned Over Lewinsky Affair

Statement sends shockwaves through democratic party

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrands statement that Bill Clinton should have resigned as president over the Monica Lewinsky scandal has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party.

Gillibrands comments came in an interview with The New York Times, where she was asked whether Clinton should have resigned over his affair with the 22-year-old White House intern.

Yes, I think that is the appropriate response, Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand has been a staunch supporter of the Clintons over the years. In 2008, she filled Hillary Clintons Senate seat when she became the Secretary of State in the Obama administration.

She has however received backlash from Clinton supporters, as well as Hillary Clinton herself, following her statements.

Senator-designate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (L) during a lunch meeting with New York Gov. David A. Paterson and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Jan. 25, 2009 in New York City. (Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images)

Longtime Clinton aide Philippe Reines called her a hypocrite for saying Bill Clinton should have resigned.

Over 20 yrs you took the Clintons endorsements, money, and seat. Hypocrite, Reines said in a tweet.

In an interview with WABC radio, Clinton said that her husband was held accountable for his actions and that we cant rewrite and revise history.

The topic of Bill Clintons affair with Lewinsky has been off-limits for Democrats for many years, but the issue was again propelled to the forefront after new allegations of sexual assaults involving politicians came out.

Talking to MSNBC on Sunday, Gillibrand did not reiterate her statement that Clinton should have resigned but instead gave a more tempered response.

Philippe Reines, campaign adviser to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, speaks to members of the traveling press aboard the campaign plane on Nov. 2, 2016, while traveling to Las Vegas. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

My point is that the tolerance that we had 25 years ago, what was allowed 25 years ago, will not be tolerated today, is not allowed today, Gillibrand said.

Clinton became one of only two presidents to have been impeached in American history. He was impeached in 1998 for lying under oath about his affair with Lewinsky as well as obstruction of justice.

Former White House strategist to President Donald Trump Steve Bannon said Gillibrands statement set off an earthquake in the Democratic Party.

I think you saw the first opening shot of the 2020 primary with Gillibrand, who clearly has presidential aspirations. She put a shot right across the bow of the Clintons, Bannon told radio host John Catsimatidis.

(L-R) Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and Kathy Shelton sit before the town hall debate at Washington University in St Louis, Miss., on Oct. 9, 2016, Wiley has accused Bill Clinton of sexually harassing her, and Broaddrick has accused him of raping her. In a controversial defense of one of the two men who had raped the 12-year-old Shelton, Hillary Clinton attacked the childs character. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The New York Times Michelle Goldberg took the surprising action of defending Juanita Broaddrick, who has accused Bill Clinton of raping her.

In an article headlined I Believe Juanita, Goldberg writes that we should look clearly at the credible evidence that Juanita Broaddrick told the truth when she accused Clinton of raping her.

Juanita Broaddrick came out in 1999 accusing Clinton of raping her in 1978 when she was 35-years-old and Clinton served as Arkansas Attorney General.

President Trump invited Broaddrick to the second presidential debate, along with Kathleen Wiley and Paula Jones, who had each accused Clinton of sexual harassment, and Kathy Shelton, who was raped by two men in Arkansas in 1975 when she was 12 years old. Hillary Clinton attacked the childs character in a controversial defense of one of the rapists as a criminal defense lawyer.

For decades, Broaddricks claims have been dismissed in mainstream media. Broaddrick has said that at the time when the allegations came out, Hillary Clinton had intimidated her in an effort to keep her silent.

Broaddrick told Fox News on Nov. 17 that it is absolutely disgusting that the backlash against Clinton only comes after he and his wife exited electoral politics.

We were not believed, Jones said. [We] did not get any kind of help whatsoever from any of those liberal women.

This great epiphany shouldve occurred 20 years ago, she said. I should feel ecstatic about it but dont.

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Shoddy Construction on Chinas High-Speed Railway Exposes Systemic Problems

When a tragic collision of two high-speed trains in Wenzhou, China, resulted in the deaths of 40 people in 2011, the public became furious over railway authorities negligence, and grew weary of using the system.

Years later, the authorities have marched on with their high-speed rail ambitions. In December last year, China opened a high-speed rail line from Shanghai to Kunming, traversing 2,252 kilometers (about 1400 miles) to go from the eastern coastal city to the southwestern reaches of the country in 11 hours.

Within less than a year of operation, the rail line has recently been exposed for shoddy construction. The news was first revealed on Nov. 13 via a post on Weibo, Chinas equivalent to Twitter. A Chinese news website that covers happenings in Guizhou Province published internal documents from China Railway, a state-owned company that operates Chinas passenger and freight railways and is under the purview of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) bureaucracy.

The post revealed that a section of the Shanghai-Kunming rail line in Guizhou had faulty tunnel design and construction, resulting in severe water leakage that posed safety concerns. Trains had to run at 70 kilometers per hour, instead of the originally designed speed of 300 km, to avoid accidents.

In June and July, more than 100 trains were delayed in the area as a result. China Railways subsidiary units cut corners during construction and illegally subcontracted work. Meanwhile, a company contracted to inspect the project was found to be negligent in making proper assessments, according to the post, which was deleted soon after it was published.

Two days later, the CCPs National Railway Administration confirmed the news in an announcement that it would penalize the relevant subsidiary units and the contracted company with fines.

History

This is not the first time the rail line has encountered quality issues. In 2012, a section in Hunan Province was revealed to have used domestic-made materials, though authorities had initially promised it would use German-imported materials. The domestic materials had started to disintegrate and did not meet the CCPs own standards enacted by the Ministry of Railways.

The ministry was known for rampant corruption. Its head between 2003 and 2011 was Liu Zhijun, who embezzled millions of dollars, bribed powerful officials to gain promotion, and led the ministry into accruing a debt of 2.66 trillion yuanaccording to state media reports. Liu had risen through the ranks at the ministry with the political patronage of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin. It was Liu who ensured Jiang would have a special train car for himself whenever he traveled around the country.

After current leader Xi Jinping took power in 2012, he dissolved the railway ministry in March 2013, and dispersed its duties to the Ministry of Transport. Rail construction and management would come under the newly established China Railway.

In 2012, Liu was expelled from the Party under charges of corruption. A year later, he was given a suspended death sentence by Chinese court.

China Railway is still struggling financially. Up until the first half of 2017, it has accrued a debt of 4.77 trillion yuan, according to state media, citing numbers from its financial report.

Worries about Chinas High Speed Railways Abroad

After news of the shoddy construction in Guizhou emerged, Hong Kong residents became concerned about their local high-speed rails. In 2015, Hong Kongs Mass Transit Railway had ordered 93 new urban train cars from a Chinese state-owned manufacturer, Qingdao Sifang (which is a subsidiary of China Railway). This is the same manufacturer who made the trains that collided in Wenzhou in 2011.

Earlier Qingdao Sifang models purchased by Hong Kong in 2012 were found to have failed collision tests under European Union standards. The company also supplied trains to Singapore in 2016, which were found to have safety problems like passenger windows shattering and a power supply battery exploding during repair.

Despite these concerns, China has plans to continue exporting its high-speed rails abroad, such as to Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Libya, according to reports by Caixin, a Chinese business publication, and South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper. But the projects have stalled due to local regulations, high costs, and changing political climatessuch as in the case of Libya and the civil war that broke out in 2011.

Wang Jianyu and Liang Zhen contributed to this report.
Sister of Sharon Tate Speaks Out After Manson Death

The sister of actress Sharon Tate, who was killed by followers of Charles Manson in August 1969, has responded after Mansons death on Sunday night.

People are saying that this should be some kind of relief, but oddly enough it really isnt, Debra Tata told ABC News. While Charlie may be gone, its the ones that are still alive that perpetrate everything and it was up to their imaginations for what brutal things were going to be done. In an odd way I see them as much more dangerous individuals.

Tonight we dont remember a deranged psychopath. we remember the victims of #charlesmanson . What you dont see is Sharon Tates unborn baby. Sending love to @debra_tate9 pic.twitter.com/xfqEREPy4l  Michael Castner (@MichaelCastner) November 20, 2017

Sharon Tate, who was pregnant, hairstylist Jay Sebring, heiress Abigail Folger, writer Wojciech Frykowski, and teenager Steven Parent were stabbed under Mansons command.

The following night, members of Mansons group stabbed grocery owner Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, to death, using their blood to write, Death to Pigs and Healter Skeltera misspelled reference to the Beatles song Helter Skelteron the walls and refrigerator door.

Prosecutors said Manson gave out knives and told his followers to kill them to start a race war.

Although Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims, he was found guilty of ordering their murders.

Last surviving Tate family member needs your help. https://t.co/g9bE79fgU1  Wild Flower (@amongwldflwrs) November 12, 2017

Right now we have one Manson family member on deck who has been granted a parole date  and its important for people to know that these are individuals that are still brutal monsters capable of committing heinous crimes, Debra Tate added. Although Ive forgiven, I have not forgotten, and I feel its very important that they stay exactly where they are until they die.

And in that way, Charlie was the least of my worries. And I actually pray for his soul, she told ABC.

At a Kern County hospital on Sunday night, Manson died of natural causes, the California Department of Corrections confirmed. He was hospitalized earlier this week.

Michele Hanisee, who is head of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, said on Sunday: Today, Mansons victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death, NBC News reported.

In 1971, Manson was sentenced to death for ordering the murders during two nights. He was spared two years later and was sentenced to life behind bars. While he was in prison, he carved an X in his forehead before changing it to a swastika.

Long after Manson had largely faded from headlines, he loomed large as a symbol of the terror he unleashed in the summer of 1969.

The very name Manson has become a metaphor for evil, the late Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Manson, told the Los Angeles Times in 1994, Reuters noted.

Born Charles Milles Maddox on Nov. 12, 1934, in Cincinnati to a 16-year-old girl, Manson spent much of his youth being shuttled between relatives and juvenile detention halls. By age 13, he had been convicted of armed robbery.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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A housewife uses her new spin dryer in 1955 - around the time that Sydney and Rachel Saunders also purchased their appliances. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Elderly Couple Sells Home Appliances From 50 Years Ago That Still Work Perfectly Today

They bought their appliances more than 50 years ago, but now they must go.

Rachel and Sydney Saunders, 81 and 83, are upgrading their cooker, washing machine, and tumble dryer after more than half a century of service.

The elderly British couple are hoping the appliances, which are still in good working order, will go to a museum or a home where theyll be appreciated.

Sydney said: Things were made better in those days, they were more durable and stronger, but of course the new ones are more sophisticated.

Thats a good thing, but it means that if something goes wrong it can be quite a big job. I think a lot more care was taken in older days, he said, reported The Sun.

The appliances include a 54-year-old Burco tumble dryer, a 62-year-old Servis washing machine, and a Baby Belling cooker purchased in 1956 for 19. Plus a pair of irons given to them as a wedding present 62 years ago.

Still in Working Order

Rachel told the Sun: We were given the washing machine when we were married62 years agoand the last time it was used was 12 years ago.

Ive used it every week ever since up to a couple of months ago.

Its still in working order and all you have to do is put the clothes in and switch it on.

Its quite simplejust place the clothes forwards and backwards and then put it through the rollers.

The last time the cooker was used was 28 years ago and it was working fine then.

After clearing out their home in Exeter, southwest England, they have decided to sell the appliances and feel its a shame for them to go to waste.

Rachel said: It would be such a shame for them just to go to landfill so wed really like someone who is interested in them to come forward.

You just dont get appliances made like that today.

We dont know what theyre worth, but the money isnt important, we just want them to go to a good home.

Weve been here for 60 years and weve kept them for spares for years, but now well never use them again and its time we found a good home for them.

Im not bothered about the price, Id like them to go to a museum or something like that so they can be preserved.

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Considering the number of hunters which participated, the rate for hunting accidents was low in Wisconsin and Indiana on Nov.18, the first day of firearm deer season. (Raymond Roig/AFP/Getty Images)

Three Hunters Among First Kills of 2017 Deer Season

Deer-hunting season is underway in much of the United States. Sadly, some of the first kills were hunters.

Two hunting deaths were reported in Wisconsinone was a shooting incident, the other was from natural causes. A third was shot dead while hunting in Indiana with a wound that seems to have been self-inflicted.

Three more hunters were woundedall had accidentally shot themselves.

Considering that perhaps 100,000 hunters were out in the field last weekend in those two states, according to reports, the numbers are statistically negligible.

Saturday, Nov. 18, was the first day of Wisconsins nine-day gun-deer season. According to the Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel, about 600,000 people participated in its opening weekend.

The two deaths in Wisconsin were both in Marquette County, about 60 miles north of Madison, the states capital.

In one incident a Shawano County man was found dead on a private property in the town of Westfield, about 80 miles north of Madison. He had been hunting with friends.

One of his friends found his body, still in its elevated tree stand, at around 6 p.m. and called authorities. Firefighters from Westfield and the neighboring town of Oxford were called to retrieve the body from the stand, which was 16 feet off the ground.

Marquette County Coroner Tom Wastart said the 62-year-old died of natural causes.

A 57-year-old Marquette County man was found dead in the town of Newton, killed by a gunshot wound, the Journal-Sentinel reported. The mans father found the body in his ground blind at around 6 p.m. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No details have been released, but authorities are not looking for a shooter.

Accidental Self-Inflicted Wounds

Three hunters were reported to have accidentally shot themselves on Wisconsins opening day, the Journal-Sentinel reported.

A 49-year-old man from Crandon was sitting in his truck at about 9 a.m. when he spotted a deer. While attempting to grab his rifle, he accidentally discharged it, sending a bullet through both his legs.

A 51-year-old man from Shawano County also shot himself in the leg. This man accidentally fired his holstered pistol while bending over.

In addition, Department of Natural Resources Warden Mark Little reported that a 49-year-old man hunting in Brown County shot himself in the ankle. That incident apparently occurred around 5:30 a.m.

Lone Hunter in Tree Stand Dies of Head Wound

Finally, the Indiana News and Tribune website reported that 58-year-old Thomas Zimmerman, of Borden Indiana, was found dead in his elevated deer stand while hunting in Harrison County, Indiana.

Zimmerman was out hunting with a group of friends. As darkness fell, is friends called to Zimmerman and got no response. His friends called the Department of Natural Resources, which sent Conservation officers to investigate.

Conservation officers and other first responders used a rope and pulley to lower Zimmermans body to the ground.

Zimmerman had died of a single, close-range gunshot to the head. DNR officials are waiting on toxicology reports. They do not suspect foul play.

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President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Nov. 20, 2017. President Trump officially designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. (Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump Names North Korea a State Sponsor of Terrorism

President Donald Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday, opening the door to additional sanctions against Pyongyang as it continues to pursue nuclear weapons programs.

Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, Trump told reporters at the White House. Should have happened a long time ago, should have happened years ago.

The president made the announcement during brief remarks before a cabinet meeting, saying additional sanctions would come from the Treasury Department on Monday.

When the new sanctions are in place in about two weeks, it will be the highest level of sanctions ever imposed on North Korea, he said.

Trump described North Korea as a murderous regime and said it must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, as well as its support for international terrorism.

The announcement comes a week after Trumps return from Asia, where he toured five nations and worked to build international resolve to denuclearize North Korea.

During Trumps trip to Japan, a senior administration official previewed the rationale behind redesignating DPRK in a press briefing in Tokyo on Nov. 5.

I mean, if you look at all the victims worldwide of North Koreas aggressionwhether its bombing airliners or terrorist attacks abroad, or the hundreds of attacks that have taken place over the decades against U.S. and South Korean personnel, or the abductions of Japanese citizens and, of course, South Koreans who have been abducted over the years as wellit would take a lifetime to be able to meet with all of the people who have been victimized by that regime, said the official when asked about Americans held captive by North Korea.

Trump has been pursing a multilateral strategy to compel North Korea to negotiate an end to its nuclear missile program.

In addition to pushing for sanctions to cripple the regimes ability to obtain equipment necessary for its ballistic missile and nuclear bomb programs, the Trump administration has overseen an elevated military posture in the Western Pacific.

Ongoing military exercises and the presence of three aircraft carriers in the region have helped push the Chinese regime to enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions to stave off a potential war on the Korean Peninsula.

The move was greeted enthusiastically by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.).

The North Korean regime gets the designation it deserves: https://t.co/4uctb0DFuc  Rep. Trent Franks (@RepTrentFranks) November 20, 2017

It is difficult to predict the economic impact of the additional sanctions given the current potency of the existing U.N. sanctions, but one expert on the regimes previous designation said the move will further isolate the regime.

It certainly adds to the reputational sanction of North Korea, said Terence Roehrig, Director of the Asia Pacific Studies Group at the U.S. Naval War College, and the author of a study of North Koreas time on the state sponsor of terror list.

Its not entirely clear what specific impacts designating North Korea will have given that it is already under heavy sanctions, he added.

North Korea was previously designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1988 after the regime bombed a South Korean flight in 1987.

Former president George W. Bush delisted the regime as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a previous deal aimed at stopping North Koreas nuclear weapons program.
Asylum seekers sit before boarding trucks as Thai Immigration officials escort them to a court in Songkhla, southern Thailand on March 15, 2014. Thailand on March 15 sentenced dozens of asylum seekers thought to be from China's Uighur minority for illegal entry, an official said, despite a US appeal for their protection. (Tuwaedaniya MERINGING/AFP/Getty Images)

Twenty Chinese Uighurs Use Blankets to Escape Thai Cell

BANGKOKTwenty ethnic Uighur Muslims from China broke out of a detention center near the Thai-Malaysia border, Thai officials said on Monday, after digging holes in the wall and using blankets as ladders.

The 20 were part of the last remaining group of more than 200 Uighurs who were detained in 2014.

Members of the group identified themselves as Turkish citizens and asked to be sent to Turkey but more than 100 were forcibly returned to China in July 2015, a move that sparked international condemnation, including from rights groups who feared they could face torture in China.

Hundreds of people have died in recent years in Chinas troubled far western region of Xinjiang due to violence between majority Han Chinese and Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language.

Over the years, hundreds, possibly thousands, of Uighurs have escaped unrest in Xinjiang by traveling clandestinely via Southeast Asia to Turkey.

Twenty-five Uighurs dug through their cell wall using broken tiles and then used blankets to climb out of the cell to make their dramatic escape from the detention center in Thailands southern Songkhla province, immigration officials said.

Five were caught, but the rest fled, officials said.

Twenty are still at large, Police Captain Prasit Timmakarn, sub-inspector of the detention center, told Reuters, adding: Heavy rain helped to mask the loud escape noises.

Prasit said authorities have set up checkpoints along the border.

In August 2015, a bomb planted at Bangkoks Erawan shrine killed 20 people, most of them foreign tourists. Thai police arrested two Uighur men who are still on trial.

Authorities said the attack was prompted by an earlier crackdown on human smuggling networks but many analysts and diplomats said it was likely an act of revenge for Thailands deportation to China of the more than 100 Uighurs.

The Chinese government has blamed much of the Xinjiang unrest on separatist Islamic terrorists, though rights groups and exiles say that anger over tightening Chinese controls on the religion and culture of Uighurs is more to blame.

China routinely denies any repression in Xinjiang.

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Fresh Corn Season Might Be Over, but You Can Still Have Delicious Cornbread Using Frozen Corn
US Border Agent Killed, Another Injured in Ambush Attack in Texas

A border agent was killed and another injured in an apparent attack in Texas near the border with Mexico.

President Donald Trump tweeted: Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!

Details of the assault are not clear, a representative for the U.S. Border Patrol said.

Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2017

Agent Rogelio Martinez and his Big Bend Sector partner were responding to activity while on patrol near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area. Agent Martinezs partner reported that they were both injured and in need of assistance, according to a Border Patrol news release.

Agents then provided immediate medical care and took him to a nearby hospital, the agency said.

#CBP mourns the loss of #USBP Agent Rogelio Martinez who passed away this morning. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fellow Agents during this difficult time. #HonorFirst https://t.co/ALpQ30thVk pic.twitter.com/wLcPzEXtKs  CBP (@CustomsBorder) November 19, 2017

Martinez later died of his injuries and the unnamed partner is in serious condition at a hospital.

An investigation is underway, and the area has been secured by a number of different agencies.

CBP tells us Agent Martinez hometown was El Paso. He was 36 and entered on duty with the Border Patrol on 8/12/2013. pic.twitter.com/f9p1jzO7wW  Ashley Claster (@ClasterKFOX_CBS) November 19, 2017

They were not fired upon, said Jeanette Harper of the FBIs El Paso office, Fox News reported. There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline.

Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement that called his death a tragic event.

Report: Murdered Border Patrol agents skull crushed with rocks by illegal aliens https://t.co/84EpIl2qEF pic.twitter.com/yr7UGlsGEA  Beautiful Country (@beauticountry) November 20, 2017

Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured, the statement said.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also responded, calling it a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecured border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them, Fox reported.

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The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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The skinny: The Hyundai Tucson, replacing the ageing ix35, has now grown up enough to be considered a medium SUV to rival the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Subaru Forester (in order of sales popularity).

It is an all-new collaboration between Europe (where it is styled and built), the US (which did its packaging and interior) and Australia (local engineers had a big hand in the way it drives).

Were testing the middle-grade specification of this mid-sized SUV, called Elite and priced competitively at $38,240 plus on-road costs. Can it be a happy medium in the class?

Vehicle Style: Medium SUV

Price: $38,240 (plus on-roads)

Engine/trans: 130kW/265Nm 1.6 4cyl turbocharged petrol | 7sp dual-clutch automatic

Fuel Economy claimed: 7.7 l/100km | tested: 9.9 l/100km

OVERVIEW

SUV sales are booming, up 15.4 per cent compared with last year, where passenger cars are collectively down 2.8 per cent.

So the Hyundai Tucson is more important to the Korean brand than the Sonata sedan launched just before it. Why do we mention that medium sedan? Because the new Tucson and Sonata represent the new Hyundai in the way they drive.

For the first time, Aussie engineers have helped pick the chassis bones of these models rather than just tuning ex-factory.
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Hong KongAlibaba Group Holding Ltd.s $3.7-billion deal to buy a slice of Chinas largest hypermart chain pits it against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in the worlds largest retail arena.

Chinas biggest e-commerce company agreed to acquire 36 per cent of Sun Art Retail Group Ltd., which operates about 400 hypermarkets under the Auchan and RT-Mart banners. As part of the deal, Frances Auchan Retail SA will raise its stake in the Hong Kong-listed company to a similar level, and form an alliance with the internet giant to tackle the same Chinese food retail sector Wal-Mart is targeting.

Alibaba is essentially using Sun Art to quicken an assault on the $5.12-trillion brick-and-mortar retail arena, escalating competition with Wal-Mart in the hypermarts that hawk everything from fresh produce to electronics. The worlds largest retailer is focused on turning around a sluggish Chinese operation through a partnership with JD.com Inc. that could widen its customer base beyond cities, and expanding a network of Sams Club stores targeted at consumers looking for premium and imported goods.

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Alibabas profit surges, helping it gain on U.S. online giants

Alibaba and Sun Art are forming a strong alliance: Chinas dominant e-commerce giant and its best hypermarket operator, said Veronica Wang, an associate partner with OC&C Strategy Consultants. They can leverage the alliance and bring more benefits than Walmart and JD.

Alibabas manoeuvre again shows how its outspending Jeff Bezos in overhauling old-school shopping. Its the latest in a string of multibillion dollar investments in physical retail thatve deepened a lead over Amazon.com Inc., which kicked off its own foray into groceries by buying Whole Foods Market Inc. for $17.52 billion. Unlike that acquisition, Alibabas taking advantage of a years-long revenue deceleration and uncertain prospects to get Sun Art on the cheap  at a 24-per-cent discount to its most recent valuation.

Alibabas bent on transforming retail by infusing stores with technology to better manage inventory and customer data. Wal-Mart and JD.com are doing the same, marrying online commerce with data and combining their network of warehouses and cold storage for same-day delivery to customers. The U.S. giant increased its stake in its Chinese partner to just over 10 per cent last year, according to a regulatory filing, cementing their alliance.

But Sun Art now gets the technology and resources needed to take the battle to its deep-pocketed American foe. In return for a massive discount, investors in Sun Art  which had bet since February on a capital infusion  hitch a ride on a potential turnaround. Its shares gyrated on Monday as investors debated the merits, sliding 14 per cent before recovering to close to 4 per cent lower.

Sun Art has a pretty good supply chain, so cost-wise it might make more sense than Alibaba doing everything from scratch, said Julia Pan, a Shanghai-based analyst at UOB Kayhian. The new-retail strategy seems to be the new trend for e-commerce giants.

Its early days in Alibabas grand experiment, but if it works, it could deepen a lead over Bezos Amazon in the fragmented world of physical retail. Jack Mas company spent billions buying into grocers, shopping malls and even department stores long before Amazon picked up Whole Foods.

The overarching idea is to connect virtual and offline worlds, boosting online orders while amassing valuable customer purchasing data. Its betting that a move into physical commerce will pump-prime its main online business, rope in millions of new shoppers and expand its network into a relatively untapped Chinese hinterland.

Sun Art can help Tmall to penetrate into lower-tier cities, Pan said.

Sun Art, for its part, needs the capital and technology infusion. Auchan and RT-Mart have the biggest slice of Chinas hypermarket business, with about a 15-per-cent share, followed by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with 10 per cent, according to Euromonitor. But the companys sales growth has sputtered as more Chinese shop online.

Like other retailers, Sun Art is exploring ways to combine internet commerce with physical retail in a so-called online-to-offline, or O2O, model. Its partly owned by an arm of Frances closely-held Auchan Holding SA, which operates more than 3,700 outlets across 17 countries and reported revenue of 51.7 billion ($77.66 billion) last year. Sun Art has sought to make inroads into e-commerce after acquiring control of web grocery store Fields HK and Shanghai Diqi Network Technology Co.s Xiaohehe e-commerce business in 2015.

But decelerating growth and narrowing margins may be why Alibabas getting into Sun Art for about $6.50 (Hong Kong dollars, about $1.06 Canadian) a share versus $8.60 ($1.41 Canadian) before shares were suspended Nov. 13. Once the acquisition is complete, Alibaba, Auchan and a third company will own more than 77 per cent of the company. As they may be considered acting in concert, the group may be required to make an offer for the remainder of Sun Art shares, the listed company said in its filing.

It needs to get skill-sets on e-commerce and O2O to help them reach more tech-savvy young customers, said Wai-Chan Chan, a retail partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman in Hong Kong. The massive customer data is expected to give Sun Art a better understanding about customers and more experience to do business digitally.

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Black Friday this week unofficially marks the start of the holiday shopping season and for some people, the start of blown seasonal budgets and overspending.

If youre hoping to survive this years Black Friday  and subsequent Cyber Monday  without falling off the budget bandwagon, this is the article for you.

Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, director of education and community awareness at the Credit Counselling Society, shared her top tips on saving money and making wise financial decisions on two of North Americas top shopping days.

 Set your goals: If you decide to brave the crowds, be clear on your intention before you set out. Keep in mind what you hope to purchase, who youre buying it for, and what your price range is  then stick to it.

Are you doing your Christmas shopping? Do you need new towels? Or are you going there to browse and take in the crowds? says Yanchuk Oleksy. Ask yourself  am I tempted because I really do need this and its a great deal, or am I just tempted because I want it?

 Bring cash: Shopping with cash and leaving your credit and debit cards at home is a great way to limit your spending, avoid impulse purchases, and stick to your budget. One trick: fasten a piece of paper around your credit card with your budget on it and subtract each time you make a purchase.

If you cant do that, give yourself a hard maximum for spending, regardless of the deals, adds Yanchuk Oleksy.

 Canada is where its at: While Black Friday may have originated south of the border, its picked up momentum in Canada in recent years. With the Canadian dollar still not thriving, it may not be the best time to head across the border for your shopping needs.

If youre heading to the United States, make sure youre factoring in the exchange rate and then ask yourself if its still worth it, Yanchuk Oleksy says, noting shopping vacations also come with extra fees, such as hotels, food and travel expenses that need to be included in your budget.

 Coupon it up: If youre shopping online, consider other savings like discount gift cards and online coupons to drop costs even more.

Go to the companys website and engage the online chat feature, advises Yanchuk Oleksy. You can ask for a coupon code, a discount or get any questions you may have answered.

 Research, research, research: Do your homework and research online shopping prices beforehand so you can accurately compare costs  just because retailers say its a sale or a deal, doesnt mean that it is. And make sure to confirm taxes, exchange rates and shipping costs are included before you pay.

Sometimes the listed price looks like a good deal until you get to the online checkout, Yanchuk Oleksy adds, noting free shipping can really save you money.

 Dont shop: If youre looking for a guaranteed way to save money, avoid shopping on Black Friday and Cyper Monday altogether.

Theres a cute meme out there with Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music twirling around on the mountain top saying, I just saved 100 per cent by not shopping on Black Friday! says Yanchuk Oleksy.

Think about staying home and enjoying a nice cup of coffee or shopping local to support your neighbourhood small business owner, while others are battling the parking, crowds and lineups.

Here are six easy ways to save money on holiday shopping this season. (The Canadian Press)

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When youre trying to lose weight  or, at least stem the gain  theres an urge, sometimes, to reach for products that seem like food, but dont have as many pesky calories.

As a further plus, those shakes and bars come free from the hassles of, you know, grocery shopping and cooking.

Thats why Soylent, a beverage that, according to its website, is complete nutrition. Zero preparation, is a boon for Dennis Yang, 36.

Since the busy lawyer began replacing his lunch with this grimly named, soy-sunflower-based drink about a year ago, he said hes easily kept off the 20 pounds he recently lost.

Read more:

Soylent, the popular meal replacement, comes to Canada

I Ate This: Soylent 2.0

Soylent revolution: Could this grey smoothie end world hunger?

And his urges to snack in the afternoon have all but disappeared, he said, helping steer clear of the downtown cores fattening fast food scene. Soylent, he said, keeps him energized until dinner.

But Yang cant shake the feeling theres something wrong with replacing one meal a day with this 400-calorie drink thats made of more than 35 ingredients, many complicated-sounding and not recognizable as food.

He asked the Star to find out: Are there repercussions to drinking this every day?

The short answer, according to the experts I spoke with, is that there are no more consequences to a daily dose of Soylent than to consuming, in similar amounts, any lab-formulated foods that have been approved by the government.

Soylents components have gone through Health Canadas rigorous assessment process, according to Anne Goldman, a Mississauga-based food scientist.

Theres plenty of sound science thats gone into ensuring these ingredients are allowed to be put into products, she said. Theres no health risk to eating it every day.

Where the odd-sounding ingredients in Soylent are concerned, Goldman said there is much ado about nothing. Take gellan gum, for example. Its a fermented sugar that can be used to stabilize products and prevent them from curdling or separating into phases. Tricalcium phosphate, as another example, is the chemical name for the substance often found in baking powder. It is produced from naturally occurring phosphates and can be used as a source of minerals, including calcium and phosphorus, she said.

Problems can arise when Soylent or related products replace all food. Its almost like inducing sensory deprivation, Goldman said. One of the reasons we eat is to get a balance of different sensory components, aromas, flavours, textures, which make a meal more interesting, flavoursome and satisfying, she said.

Late last month, following a routine inspection, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the national regulatory body which polices food labels across the country, found that certain Soylent products do not meet national standards as a meal replacement. The agency defines meal replacement as a formulated food that, by itself, can replace one or more daily meals.

Soylent hasnt been recalled from Canadian shelves because it doesnt pose a health risk, according to an email sent to the Star from the agency. But once it sells out, it wont be available again in Canada until it complies with the national regulations.

Yang, who ordered a case online a few months ago, said that he wasnt able to order any more.

The Stars requests for comment from the makers of Soylent have gone unanswered.

Soylents website contains a message from Rob Rhinehart, CEO of Soylents parent company Rosa Foods, Inc. It said: Although we feel strongly that these requirements do not reflect the current understanding of human nutritional needs, we respect the (agencys) regulations and will fully comply with any regulatory action they deem appropriate.

Nick Bellissimo, associate professor and director of the Nutrition Discovery Labs at Ryerson University, said its never a good idea to replace all meals with any kind of product  even if they meet Canadas definition of a meal replacement.

Eating a variety of foods is key to health, he said, and helps with nutrient absorption in ways scientists dont yet fully comprehend.

While Soylent and similar products are intended to hack mealtime and make it faster and more convenient, Bellissimo said, they lack many important aspects of eating, including an opportunity to be social. Not to mention that chewing food, he said  rather than guzzling it  makes it more satiating.

Since there is no data to show whether drinks such as Soylent stave off hunger or for how long, Bellissimo said, there is also a danger that, for some, Soylent may become a snack between meals and that might defeat its purpose.

Jennifer Hittner, a specialist in fitness nutrition, said if Yangs goal is to improve his body composition, that is, to drop fat and build lean muscle, there are far better choices than Soylent.

The drinks high fat content  it has 20 grams of fat  will slow the bodys absorption of carbohydrates, making it less effective as a post-workout shake because it will not be able to quickly restore glycogen, a biological fuel, depleted during exercise. That fat will also slow the availability of protein, which rebuilds and repairs muscle tissue damaged during exercise.

On the topic of protein, Hittner said, soy isnt a bad choice, especially if you dont eat animal products. But its not the most efficient for building muscle. Our bodies much prefer whey protein or whole food sources such as eggs, beef and chicken, she said.

She says there is a body of research that indicates eating more protein per pound of body weight helps with weight loss. A man of Yangs stature  167 centimetres, 135 pounds  should probably be getting more protein at lunch than the 20 grams in Soylent.

Lastly, since Soylent amounts to less than two cups of fluid, theres not a lot to enjoy. For the same amount of calories, Yang could have a much greater volume of food, she said.

Yang could fill his plate with three ounces of skirt steak, about the same amount of sweet potato, two cups of green beans and two cups of mixed lettuce drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil for the equivalent 400 calories.

That would give him 24 grams of more efficient protein, 39 grams of easily digestible carbohydrates and 22 grams of fat.

Personally, Id be much more satisfied with my overflowing dinner plate versus 14 ounces of beverage, Hittner said.

Got a question for this column? Email mhenry@thestar.caDo you have a question about health, nutrition, fitness or being well that you cant resolve with a Google search? Michele Henry might be able to help. Send your questions to mhenry@thestar.ca and shell find an expert who can answer.

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MONTREALIn a group of several dozen homeless-health specialists from across the country that gathered last week in the basement of a Montreal hospital, two people stood out from the rest.

The medical professionals had stepped away from their street practices to begin drafting Canadas first set of evidence-based guidelines on homeless health treatment  recommendations that have been tried and were proved successful.

The goal of the process is to ensure that doctors across the country are delivering quality treatment for people on the streets or close to it.

The air was thick with medical lingo. They spoke of interventions and case management and shared-care models and patient-important outcomes.

But during a morning break, Terry Hannigan and Christine Lalonde snuck outside for a cigarette and spoke about the gaps between what they heard in the conference room and what they had lived through when they were homeless.

Even among this well-meaning group of doctors and nurses  most of whom describe themselves as activists  the perceived solutions didnt always square with the bleak realities of those on the street.

Theyre assuming that everyone whos homeless has a primary physician, said Lalonde, who lived in womens shelters in Ottawa until securing housing in 2015. I dont have one.

Hannigan, who was living in Torontos Maxwell Meighen Centre, Salvation Army shelter on Sherbourne St. until earlier this year, said he spent four months on the streets before he found a doctor willing to take him on as a patient. It was another two months before he got an appointment.

I had to be very patient for it. In the interim I was in the shelter and didnt have any medical care, said Hannigan, who has participated in and directs courses at a mental-health recovery program run out of Torontos St. Michaels Hospital.

Back inside the conference room, they both challenged the health experts, though Hannigan worried about being seen as a thorn in the side of the doctors and nurses in the room.

In fact, he is fulfilling the role he and Lalonde were recruited for by holding the proposed treatment guidelines up against their own experiences on the streets.

The result should assist doctors when they encounter, for example, a patient with a minor infection that is complicated by a mental-health disorder, drug addiction and an unstable income.

Right now people question can we do anything or is this just social work? Can you really make an impact as a doctor? said Dr. Kevin Pottie, an Ottawa physician and researcher who is leading the process of drafting the guidelines. We want to say, yes, we have evidence that you can make an impact and these are the things youre going to do.

The process is partially funded by a $200,000 grant from Inter City Health Associates, a group Toronto doctors who work out of shelters and drop-in centres across the city.

Pottie brings an expertise in the rigorous methods for drafting guidelines and a background working with disadvantaged communities, including immigrants and refugees.

He hopes to come up with six or eight solid recommendations within the next year that will act as a sort of checklist for physicians who comes across a patient who is on the streets or in a precarious housing situation.

We want them to be the most important and successful things for homeless people, Pottie said.

Earlier this year, Potties group conducted surveys to focus their work on the priority issues, including mental health and addiction treatment, co-ordination of care and access to income.

But the most important issue for the 84 health-care workers and homeless advocates as well as the 76 people who are or have been homeless was housing, perhaps not surprisingly.

This dovetails with a recent shift in thinking about how to treat the ailments that frequently accompany cases of homelessness, said Tim Aubry, a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa.

Weve finally come around to this idea that, if theyre homeless, maybe the first thing you should do is get them in a home rather than say they need more life skills, or to get their symptoms down, or theyve got to stop using (drugs), he said.

If you think about it, if somebodys homeless and youre trying to fix everything else but the housing it doesnt make sense.

The guidelines could recommend that doctors refer homeless patients to programs that provide housing vouchers or accommodation that is not contingent on them staying clean and sober so that they can focus on recovering without worrying about where theyll sleep at night.

One group of doctors broke away to discuss the benefits of income supplements  another acknowledgement of the non-medical factors at play in the homeless-health equation.

Theres probably about five or six people that are informing my comments in terms of whats relevant, said Dr. David Tu, a family physician at the Vancouver Native Health Clinic. Were talking about income right now. Being able to find employment opportunities would have made a world of difference.

Or as Lalonde noted earlier in the day: I dont care about a fungus on my toe when I have nowhere to live. Im not going to go out and buy new shoes.

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MEXICO CITY A former president of Mexico has a warning for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Dont abandon our country in NAFTA talks like some modern-day Judas.

Vicente Fox warns that would be a mistake.

The former Mexican president told CTV News that it wouldnt do any good if Canada ditched Mexico in pursuit of a one-on-one trade deal with the U.S., in the misguided belief President Donald Trump would go easier on Canada.

Fox made his case using a biblical metaphor  urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau not to behave like the apostle who sold out Jesus Christ.

He might, like Judas, give us a strike and go with the United States and leave us aside, Fox told the network, in an interview airing Sunday night.

I warn Trudeau, and I warn Canada, you will not make it (better without Mexico).

The Canadian government has repeatedly said its committed to working trilaterally to renew NAFTA as a three-country agreement. However, the Canadians have also raised eyebrows in Mexico by occasionally making more ambiguous comments: some Canadian officials have at times suggested theyre open to both bilateral or trilateral deals.

Trump says he could do one or the other.

In a speech to Mexicos Senate, the prime minister called for progressive values and the promotion of womens rights in a possible new NAFTA treaty. Justin Trudeau wrapped up his first official trip to the country Friday. (The Canadian Press)

Former prime minister Stephen Harper, in a memo earlier this year to associates obtained by The Canadian Press, appeared to favour the one-on-one approach. Harper suggested Trump had few trade complaints about Canada, and he said some Americans found it mystifying that the Canadian government remains so attached to a trilateral deal with Mexico.

Proponents of the three-country approach say it makes sense for several reasons: the continent has integrated supply chains for products like autos, some of the strongest defenders of trade in U.S. politics are from southern Mexican border states, and, they say, theres no guarantee anyway that Trump would go soft in a separate negotiation with Canada.

In the CTV interview, Fox also did what he has done repeatedly over the last two years  blast Trump. Using a few four-letter profanities, the former Mexican president called Trump a destroyer, pitting America against the world.

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By the late winter of 2014, James Dempsey had served in a world war, raised children, buried a wife and seen the best of his health behind him. As he prepared for a stay at a nursing home on the outskirts of Atlanta, the 89-year-old began to feel nervous.

So his family hid a camera in his room at Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation, Dempseys son later told WSBTV. His father knew about it, he said, but the nurses didnt.

James Dempsey died in that room on Feb. 27, 2014, in front of the secret camera. What his family saw on the video made them sue the facility.

Portions of the hidden video were aired this week by another news station, NBC 11Alive. The clips appear to show Dempsey gasping for air, begging for help and collapsing that morning while nurses barely attempt to revive him and at one point laugh over his bed.

At 4:34 a.m. on the last day of his life, Dempsey threw one skinny leg over the edge of his hospital bed. He pressed a button to call a nurse and croaked three times to an empty room: Help me, help me, help me.

A few seconds passed. Help me. Help me. Help.

The only immediate answer was the soft blare of a TV.

As seen in NBCs video, a worker entered the room eight minutes after that call. The worker adjusted Dempseys bed and inspected some tubes around his neck, then turned off his call light and left him alone.

In a deposition more than a year later, which the NBC station also aired, the video was shown to Wanda Nuckles, the nursing supervisor on duty that night.

Would you agree it appears as though hes gasping for air? the questioner asked Nuckles.

It looks like it, she said quietly as she watched.

Is that an emergency situation, maam?

Yep. Yes.

Hows it make you feel to watch this maam?

Sick.

Staff returned to the room nearly an hour later and found Dempsey unconscious, the NBC station reported. Nearly another full hour passed before anyone called 911, according to the station. At that point, Nuckles herself was called up to the room.

Earlier in her deposition, Nuckles testified that she ran across the nursing homes courtyard to Dempseys room, where she said she and a second nurse took turns performing constant CPR. Unless a doctor says stop you have to continue, Nuckles told the questioner. Thats always been the rule.

But the questioner played a clip from the video that told a different story. In the video, Nuckles walked into the room shortly before 6:30 a.m., where another nurse stood by Dempseys bed. Someone flipped the dying mans sheet up, and someone lowered his bed. But neither Nuckles nor the nurse appeared to touch Dempseys chest.

Contrary to the way you testified previously, theres no one doing CPR, is there? the questioner asked Nuckles after playing the clip.

No, Nuckles said.

A few minutes later, a third worker had joined Nuckles and the second nurse. Dempsey was still not moving, and still no one was attempting CPR.

The NBC station reported that the nurses were having trouble getting Dempseys oxygen machine to work by 6:30 a.m.  at which point in the video Nuckles leaned both hands onto Dempseys mattress and someone laughed.

Maam, is there something funny that was happening? the questioner asked Nuckles in the deposition.

I have no clue, sir, she said. I cant even remember all that.

A minute later, Nuckles finally attempted CPR on Dempsey. She pumped his chest half a dozen times in the video, then stopped.

Dempseys family sued the facility, but then settled and wouldnt comment to NBC about the video, which the station obtained after its own legal fight with Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation. The nursing home tried to have the video sealed by a court, the station reported, and only released it on a judges order.

A spokesperson for Sava Senior Care, which owns the facility, told the station it was saddened by the events, which occurred more than three years ago, and had since worked to improve its service. A worker who answered at the facility said staff werent allowed to talk about the events.

Nuckles and the other nurse in the video both lost their licences after the Georgia Board of Nursing learned of the video last year, according to NBC. Nuckles couldnt be reached by the Washington Post.

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James Forcillo absolutely does not deserve to go to jail. He is not a criminal. He is a police officer who had an extremely dangerous and tragic encounter. He is a father and a husband. He is my husband, and my best friend. Please, there is so much pain in this situation already, do not break more hearts of those who are impacted directly by this judgment. Please remember, it is not only James that is being sentenced, it is his wife, and his children as well.

Irina Forcillo, as she then was, wrote those words on April 12, 2016.

Her husband, as he then was, was awaiting sentencing upon conviction of attempted murder in the shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim.

Irina Ratushnyak, as she now is, was 15 months away from divorcing her husband, though presumably neither had an inkling of where their marriage was headed. Let us give them the benefit of that doubt.

A lot can happen in a year: The couple, portrayed as mutually devoted and dedicated to preserving their young family  Mrs. Forcillo (passim) entered a three-page plea for mercy  parted, divorced and took up with new partners, while continuing to share a home.

But she was, from the outset, wrong in her presentation of the facts, at least as the public probably understood them.

Forcillo, the Toronto police constable, was arguably a criminal at that point and his bail would have been revoked automatically upon conviction. But no conviction was formally entered because Forcillos top-drawer legal team immediately filed an abuse-of-process application, a bit of clever manoeuvring which technically meant the trial wasnt completed.

On July 27, six months after the jury returned its verdicts, Justice Edward Then sentenced Forcillo to six years in prison.

He spent precisely one night in custody before another judge granted bail, pending his appeal of the jurys verdict and the judges sentence.

On the date of sentencing, Forcillo  acquitted on the more serious charge of second-degree murder  was suspended without pay. Hed been suspended with pay since being charged.

Jail rarely does a person good. Few come out better than they went in. There are compelling reasons to set the bar relatively low for bail  for an accused awaiting trial and presumed innocent, and where theres no danger posed to the public or a flight risk.

Forcillo was no longer presumed innocent. But bail was extended this past September, days before the first part of the appeal was to be heard. Documents filed by his lawyers stated Forcillo was abiding by his stern house-arrest conditions  his wife and in-laws providing surety. Those conditions included residing at the family home, notifying the Special Investigations Unit of any change in address and remaining in residence at all times except for special circumstances, such as a medical emergency.

Forcillo, as we now learn, allegedly did not abide by the conditions.

His matrimonial situation had changed dramatically. His troth with Irina had dissolved. Hed reconnected with a college friend hed met in Los Angeles many years ago; indeed, Sara Balderrama had recently relocated to Toronto. She and Forcillo became engaged shortly after his July divorce.

Forcillo was purportedly the person who answered the door of his fiancees Bathurst St. apartment when a couple of SIU officers came knocking a week ago. Good morning, James, you are not supposed to here, one of the investigators said, according to court documents filed on behalf of the attorney general, as the Stars Betsy Powell reported.

The details are yet to be clarified. But Forcillo is a colossally stupid man.

It further underscores the poor judgment he exercised by firing nine shots in two separate volleys at Yatim, the teen brandishing a small flick knife aboard a by-then-empty streetcar in July, 2013. That second volley, with Yatim down but still scrambling for his knife, is what apparently convinced jurors to find Forcillo guilty on the attempted murder charge but innocent of murder, in an admittedly confusing compromise outcome. While delivering the sentence, Then described Forcillos actions in those moments as unreasonable, unnecessary and excessive, adding that the shooting  specifically the second volley  constituted an egregious breach of trust, further noting that Forcillo expressed no remorse during the trial.

Yet Forcillo has enjoyed every break possible during a legal odyssey that might still continue for years. Because courts just about always show benevolence for cops, out of respect for the job.

Until last week, when Forcillo ran out of breaks.

On Wednesday, Forcillo surrendered to Toronto police, charged with allegedly breaching his bail conditions  failure to comply with his recognizance, led out of court in handcuffs after being remanded for bail. In a brief appearance Friday, he was remanded again, in custody, until Nov. 30 on the breach charge. The Crown is seeking to revoke his bail pending appeal at the Ontario Court of Appeal some time in the next two weeks, though no hearing date has been set. The bail revocation documents state that Forcillos sureties are no longer suitable, having failed to effectively supervise him in the community. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the Court of Appeal had taken no steps to pull bail from their end.

As of Monday, he has already spent five times the length of period in custody than he did upon sentencing. Doubtless the legal wheels are churning.

A Toronto cop convicted of attempted murder has been arrested for allegedly breaching bail. Const. James Forcillo is accused of breaching house arrest conditions. (The Canadian Press)

In an affidavit Forcillo had filed with court on Nov. 6, he explained that his case took a significant toll on my marriage, but he was still living with his ex-wife as required. He sought variation of bail, permitting him to reside with Balderrama instead. I understand that Irina and her parents are willing to remain as sureties in the current amount, and to continue to supervise me while I am on bail. I would still see them regularly as Irina and I would share parenting duties.

In separate affidavits, all three of those parties indicated they would indeed remain as sureties.

Irina Ratushnyak stated that she was supportive of the variation to add Ms. Balderrama as a surety and to allow him to reside with her. She also backed a further variation to create an exception to allow the Applicant to take personal training sessions.

In her own affidavit, Balderrama, as a proposed surety, outlined how she had already been co-ordinating care of the children with no issues, the couple intends to get married shortly, that shes applied to get accredited as a registered massage therapist in Ontario, allowing her to obtain employment here within the next year; that she has about $15,000 in savings which shed prepared to put up as a surety, and I have no criminal record in the United States.

Interestingly, in a supplemental affidavit filed a few weeks later, Nov. 13, Balderrama expressed shock and confusion over the Crowns retrieval of a criminal record . . . for a charge of driving under the influence.

She was charged by the California Highway Patrol in 2010. She believed that paying a fine and attending drinking and driving sessions had resolved the matter, though she understood her licence had been suspended for a period of time and, following reinstatement, she was required to install an interlock device on her vehicle for six months.

I understood that the charge would remain on my driving record for seven years. I do not recall attending court to enter a plea of guilty or being sentenced by a judge; but . . . I may have.

Who doesnt remember going to court and being sentenced?

Forcillos fiancee, apparently.

Had I known that my charge of driving under the influence had left me with a criminal record, I certainly would have been forthcoming with the Court about this. I would never knowingly lie about this.

She lied unwittingly, allegedly. He breached his bail conditions, allegedly.

Were beginning to see how very much they have in common.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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It was just one of 13 recommendations from a working group looking to address systemic racism in the legal profession.

Its proving to be one of the most divisive topics in that profession this year, and appears to be sparking even more debate at Ontarios legal regulator than when its board wrangled over changing the institutions name. (The Law Society of Upper Canada will become the Law Society of Ontario on Jan. 1.)

Its the statement of principles.

In September, the law society sent an email to Ontarios nearly 60,000 lawyers and paralegals reminding them of the requirement to come up with a statement that acknowledges (their) obligation to promote equality, diversity and inclusion generally, and in (their) behaviour towards colleagues, employees, clients and the public.

The statement of principles was a recommendation from the law society working group, Challenges Faced by Racialized Licensees, which spent four years looking into those challenges. All the recommendations were adopted unanimously by the law societys board last December, with three abstentions.

Licensees can either choose a statement template provided by the law society or come up with their own, but they must indicate on their annual report to the regulator that its been done.

There has since been a flurry of open letters to the law society and newspaper opinion pages  mostly from white men  since the law societys September email went out, decrying the statement of principles as a violation of freedom of expression.

The requirement will be challenged at the law societys next board meeting in December, while a law professor has gone to court seeking an injunction to stop the law society from enforcing it.

A number of racialized licensees  the very people the statement of principles and other recommendations were crafted to aid  are speaking out, urging the law society not to backtrack on the issue.

Some see the requirement as an important step in improving the makeup of the legal profession and the judiciary, amid criticism that they dont accurately reflect Canadas diverse population.

People seem to consider the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion as being an issue of political belief or political speech. I dont see it that way, said Tina Lie, a Toronto lawyer.

I actually think it goes to the core of the administration of justice. If we want to improve the administration of justice, we absolutely need to advance the diversity goal that the law society has put out there. The reality is, when you look at it, the legal profession, the justice system and the judiciary, they dont actually reflect the communities they are supposed to serve.

The law societys working group found that challenges faced by racialized licensees were both long-standing and significant. They said change in the profession was needed now more than ever, as the number of racialized lawyers in Ontario has doubled  , to 18 per cent of the profession in 2014 from 9 per cent in 2001.

It is clear from the working groups engagement and consultation processes that discrimination based on race is a daily reality for many racialized licensees, the working groups report said.

Its a sad state of affairs for our profession if lawyers cannot even acknowledge that they have an obligation to treat clients and peers as equals, Avvy Go, a member of the working group and clinic director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, told the Star.

She said since talk of challenging the statement requirement emerged this fall, shes heard from young racialized lawyers experiencing uneasiness at work.

Theyre hearing from their colleagues, people they consider as friends, who are now making statements in opposition to the statement of principles, but theyre putting the statement in such a way that make racialized licensees feel like they are unwelcome in the workplace.

Lawyer Raj Anand, who co-chaired the working group, wrote the statement of principles recommendation, describing it to the Star as not a burdensome requirement. He said its an important part of changing a culture that too often is driving away good lawyers and paralegals.

The first goal is culture change, and thats what the statement of principles is about, he said.

Its simply to force people to recognize that there are barriers and that they are creating difficulties which affect them because they dont get the best people, or the people leave, and needless to say its harming the people who dont get good jobs because they dont find the working environment in certain firms to be hospitable.

Anand said hes witnessed overt racism, and then there are the more subtle acts: women being cut off in the boardroom, asking a Muslim lawyer if its OK to drink in front of them at a staff party, making an inappropriate joke in front of a racialized person, only to apologize and say no offence was intended.

I know an extremely smart, skilled lawyer who is a Muslim woman . . . She went to her first associate interview, and she was asked in the interview for hiring whether she advocated for the destruction of Israel. And she has never gone to a law firm again, Anand said.

Thats lost potential. Those are clients who arent served by a very good lawyer.

A number of organizations representing Indigenous and racialized licensees have sent letters to the law society urging the regulator to maintain the statement requirement, including the Indigenous Bar Association and the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.

The statement of principles proposed by the law society is necessary in order to address the systemic historical disadvantages suffered by Indigenous peoples at the hands of the legal profession, said Indigenous Bar Association president Scott Robertson in a letter to the law society.

Indigenous peoples and licensees face complicated challenges as a result of the impacts of colonialism, such as legislated assimilationist policies like residential schools, for example. Further to this, Indigenous licensees also encounter systemic discrimination within the legal system because the status quo is being perpetuated.

The advocacy committee of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers pressed the regulator in their letter not to move away from the recommendation for the statement of principles, or any other recommendation from the working group.

While the working groups recommendations, including the statement of principles, are not going to be popular amongst all licensees, they are essential, as the bar must come to grips with the reality that a lack of equality, diversity and inclusion in our profession has been, and continues to be, a widespread problem, the letter said.

Lawyer Anthony Morgan said the statement of principles does not require lawyers to do anything more than what they already have to do as a legal professional.

Its just an outward expression that I think is more about consciousness raising and moving the profession forward, he said.

One of the important things to consider in this, I think, is compare the difficulties of the experiences of racialized people on one hand, to the relative ease of making this statement about diversifying and supporting diverse colleagues in the profession. Theres simply no comparison.

Those who advocate strongly against the statement of principles say they believe in the ideals of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, but that the requirement infringes on their constitutional rights.

Toronto lawyer Joe Groia, a board member of the law society, is bringing a motion at the December board meeting to allow an exemption to the requirement for conscientious objectors.

Murray Klippenstein, perhaps best known as the lawyer for people suing Toronto police in a class-action lawsuit for wrongful arrest during the 2010 G20 summit, sent an 11-page open letter to the law society this month voicing his stance.

It looks like what started out as a laudable effort by the law society to address racism has morphed, at least in Rec. 3 (1), into something else  into me and thousands of other lawyers in Ontario being forced to adopt what sounds like someone elses political ideology, he wrote.

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After three days of delays, Liberal government and Progressive Conservative MPPs joined forces Sunday to order 12,000 striking college teachers  and their students  back to class over NDP objections.

Faculty report for work Monday and 500,000 students follow Tuesday to jump-start a semester stalled five weeks ago by what became the longest college strike in Ontario history.

We have some work to do to look at why the system failed students, acknowledged deputy premier Deb Matthews, also minister of advanced education.

Were going to take a really good look at the process of bargaining and see if theres any way we can prevent this from ever happening again, she added, promising details on fund of at least $5 million to help students facing financial hardships from the strike very soon.

The term will be extended two weeks to Dec. 22 in many programs, the winter reading week likely will be axed, and a week or two will be added to the school year next spring to make up for lost time, said chief executive Don Sinclair of the College Employer Council.

Its going to be a very busy rest of the semester, Joel Willett, president of the College Student Alliance, told reporters at Queens Park.

They have indicated to us they are very frustrated. This deal should have been done weeks ago.

Matthews said the semester has been saved, although Sinclair cautioned that students slated to finish their courses and graduate in December could face more difficulty given the time crunch.

That will be a bit of a challenge, he said in an interview with the Star.

Political recriminations continued after MPPs spent barely 35 minutes debating and voting Sunday on the back-to-work legislation the government had hoped to pass Thursday night, allowing time for students to return Monday.

New Democrats refused the unanimous consent required to pass the bill immediately, forcing the Legislature to hold rare extra sessions Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bringing in support staff on extra shifts or overtime.

It could have been Monday, Matthews said. For people who have classes Monday, its another week . . . it is a meaningful delay and completely unnecessary.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath rejected the governments interpretation as spin, maintaining the bill is anti-worker and deserved debate and scrutiny.

Whether that process started Thursday or Friday makes no difference in terms of the outcome, she said.

With a provincial election looming next June 7 and public opinion polls suggesting a tight race, Horwath was asked if an NDP government would allow such a college strike to continue indefinitely.

I do not believe in back-to-work legislation. New Democrats dont believe in back-to-work legislation. Its something we fundamentally think is a breach of peoples charter rights, she replied, referring to protections for collective bargaining that have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Matthews quickly pounced on Horwaths remark.

Thats an astonishing statement . . . the strike could have gone on forever.

Horwath said the government should have used powers under college legislation to direct the College Employer Council to amend its negotiating positions weeks ago when it was clear a deal was not coming together with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

Im not going to presuppose what might happen in the future but what I can tell you is this . . . I would do everything . . . I possibly could do . . . to prevent a strike from happening in the first place, Horwath added.

Union president Warren Smokey Thomas said he could not fault Premier Kathleen Wynnes government for introducing the back-to-work legislation.

If I was the premier and it was down to this particular juncture, Id do what shes doing, he said in an interview. The whole sessions in jeopardy.

However, Thomas added he will consider a legal challenge of the legislations constitutionality.

Calling the strike a catastrophe for students, he heralded the promise of a task force to study issues like the fact that 70 per cent of college faculty are part-time, which was a sticking point for the union given concerns about precarious work. Academic freedom was another key issue in the strike.

The contract dispute, in the meantime, will go to binding mediation and arbitration for settlement in the coming months. The last offer from the colleges, rejected by the union Thursday with a of 86 per cent vote, included a pay raise of 7.75 per cent over four years.

Progressive Conservative deputy leader Sylvia Jones blamed the lengthy strike on both Wynne and the New Democrats.

Unfortunately, because of the failure of the Liberal government in their action and pushing it back, and unfortunately, because of the NDPs intransigence and refusal to actually move forward on Thursday afternoon and evening, we are sitting here today, she said.

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KFAR SABA, ISRAEL Eliahu Pietruszka shuffled his 102-year-old body through the lobby of his retirement home toward a stranger he had never met and collapsed into him in a teary embrace. Then he kissed both cheeks of his visitor and in a frail, squeaky voice began blurting out greetings in Russian, a language he hadnt spoken in decades.

Only days earlier, the Holocaust survivor who fled Poland at the beginning of the Second World War and thought his entire family had perished learned that a younger brother had also survived, and his brothers son, 66-year-old Alexandre, was flying in from a remote part of Russia to see him.

The emotional meeting was made possible by Israels Yad Vashem Holocaust memorials comprehensive online database of Holocaust victims, a powerful genealogy tool that has reunited hundreds of long-lost relatives. But given the dwindling number of survivors and their advanced ages, Thursdays event seemed likely to be among the last of its kind.

It makes me so happy that at least one remnant remains from my brother, and that is his son, said Pietruszka, tears welling in his eyes. After so many years I have been granted the privilege to meet him.

Pietruszka was 24 when he fled Warsaw in 1939 as the Second World War erupted, heading to the Soviet Union and leaving behind his parents and twin brothers Volf and Zelig, who were nine years younger. His parents and Zelig were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and killed in a Nazi death camp, but Volf also managed to escape. The brothers briefly corresponded before Volf was sent by the Russians to a Siberian work camp, where Pietruszka assumed he had died.

In my heart, I thought he was no longer alive, Pietruszka said. He married in Russia and, thinking he had no family left, migrated to Israel in 1949 to start a new one.

Then two weeks ago, his grandson, Shakhar Smorodinsky, received an email from a cousin in Canada who was working on her family tree. She said she had uncovered a Yad Vashem page of testimony filled out in 2005 by Volf Pietruszka for his older brother Eliahu, who he thought had died.

Volf, it turned out, had survived and settled in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Ural Mountains. Smorodinsky tracked down an address and reached out to discover that Volf, who had spent his life as a construction worker, had died in 2011 but that Alexandre, his only child, still lived there. After Smorodinsky arranged a brief Skype chat, Alexandre decided to come see the uncle he never knew he had.

Smorodinsky, a 47-year-old professor from Ben-Gurion University in southern Israel, invited The Associated Press to record Thursday evenings reunion at his grandfathers retirement home in central Israel.

Upon meeting, the two men clutched each other tightly and chatted in Russian as they examined each others similar facial features.

You are a copy of your father, said a shaking Pietruszka, who has a hearing aid and gets around in a rolling walker. I havent slept in two nights waiting for you.

Throughout the meeting, Alexandre swallowed hard to hold back tears, repeatedly shaking his head in disbelief.

Its a miracle. I never thought this would happen, Alexandre, himself a retired construction worker, kept saying.

It did, thanks to the Yad Vashem database of pages of testimony, whose goal is to gather and commemorate the names of all of the estimated 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide. The Names Recovery Project has been Yad Vashems flagship mission in recent years. The memorials very name  Yad Vashem is Hebrew for a memorial and a name  alludes to its central mission of commemorating the dead as individuals, rather than mere numbers like the Nazis did.

It hasnt been an easy task. The project began in 1954, but over the following half century, fewer than 3 million names were collected, mostly because the project was not widely known and many survivors refrained from reopening wounds, or clung to hopes that their relatives might still be alive.

The names collected are commemorated in the museums Hall of Names, a cone-shaped room whose walls are lined with bookshelves containing folders upon folders of testimonies. Still, until 2004, more than half of the allotted folders remained empty.

That year, the database went online and provided immediate easy access to information in English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and German. Thanks to a high-profile campaign, and the efforts of Yad Vashem officials who have gone door-to-door to interview elderly survivors, the number has surged to 4.7 million names.

Another rewarding byproduct has been that of tech-savvy grandchildren using it to research their families, leading to emotional reunions between various degrees of relatives from around the world.

The rate of reunions has trickled significantly in recent years as elderly survivors have passed away, making each one increasingly significant, said Alexander Avram, the director of the database.

It is not too late to fill out pages of testimony. We need to document each and every victim of the Holocaust, he said. But such a reunion is a very special moment because we are not going to see a lot more of them in the future.

Debbie Berman, a Yad Vashem official at the reunion, said it was incredibly moving to be there for the end of an era.

This is one of the last opportunities that we will have to witness something like this. I feel like we are kind of touching a piece of history, she said.

For Pietruszka, a retired microbiologist and great-grandfather of 10, it was a fulfilling coda to a long, eventful life.

I am overjoyed, he said. This shows it is never too late. People can always find what they are looking for if they try hard enough. I succeeded.

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RAPID CITY, S.D.A university in western South Dakota is introducing an unconventional schedule for students interested in completing a college course in 18 days.

Black Hills State University-Rapid City (BHSU-RC) will offer block courses for students who want to focus on and finish one subject at a time, the Rapid City Journal reported.

University officials said the offering will be the first of its kind in South Dakota.

Traditionally, college courses are held at different times based on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule, and vary by semester.

Under the new block system, students will meet for three hour chunks at the same time in the morning or afternoon for 18 consecutive days. Each course will be separated by breaks of four days. Students will need to enrol in four blocks to qualify as full-time.

Gene Bilodeau, director of BHSU-RC, said that theres evidence learning under the 18-day approach is the same as under the traditional structure, if not more encouraging.

Its imperative that students leave knowing the material, Bilodeau said. Its not about shoving it down peoples throats; its about learning the material.

BHSU-RC is a commuter campus that serves working families and single parents. Bilodeau said it can be hard for a working student to adjust when classes meet at different times each semester.

The traditional course structure can also deter military students from enrolling because they can be deployed at short notice. The 18-day block is less risky than the usual 16-week course.

Faculty members have expressed concern over trying to squeeze 16 weeks of teaching into 18 days, according to Bilodeau. The university is offering teachers a stipend to develop new approaches.

The university plans to offer seven 18-day courses between Jan. 8 and May 2, and more next fall if the courses become popular.

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BERLINGermany, Europes largest economy and anchor of stability, is facing the prospect of months of political uncertainty after Chancellor Angela Merkels conservatives were unable to form a coalition with two smaller parties, raising the likelihood of new elections.

Merkel said Monday that she was very skeptical about trying to forge ahead with a minority government  a set-up that has never been tried in post-Second World War Germany  after talks with the left-leaning Greens and pro-business Free Democrats broke down hours earlier. Her current coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrat party, has remained adamant it will go into opposition after a disastrous result in Septembers election.

Even if it comes to new elections, a poll Monday for the broadcaster RTL indicated little change in support for the various parties, suggesting there would be similarly difficult prospects in forming a coalition.

Immediately after the talks broke down just before midnight Sunday, Merkel pledged she would do everything possible to ensure Germany would continue to be well-led. Later she said that while the situation was regrettable, we nevertheless have stability in our country.

Her comments came after President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appealed to political leaders to rethink their positions and try again to form a new government.

We now face a situation that we havent had in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, so in nearly 70 years, Steinmeier told reporters after meeting Merkel. It is Steinmeier who will have to decide whether to pave the way for a minority government or call a new election.

This is the moment at which all parties should pause and reconsider their position, he said. I expect from everyone readiness to talk, in order to make the formation of a government possible in the foreseeable future.

Merkel spent four weeks haggling with the Free Democrats and the Greens on a new, untried governing coalition until the Free Democrats walked out Sunday night.

Martin Schulz, the leader of her current coalition partner, the Social Democrats, reiterated Monday that his party was not available for a repeat, even without Merkel in charge, and that a minority government is not practicable in Germany.

Steinmeier said he will meet leaders of all the parties involved in the failed talks, as well as others, in the coming days.

Its likely to be months before the situation is resolved.

If neither the Free Democrats nor the Social Democrats budge, that leaves as the only options another election or a minority government. The German Constitution doesnt allow parliament to dissolve itself, so the decision lies with Steinmeier.

I dont have a minority government in my plans, Merkel said in an interview Monday with ARD public television. I dont want to say never today, but I am very skeptical and I think that new elections would then be the better way.

To get to either destination, the president would first have to propose a chancellor to parliament, who must win a majority of all lawmakers to be elected. Assuming that fails, parliament has 14 days to elect a candidate of its own choosing by an absolute majority. And if that fails, Steinmeier would then propose a candidate who could be elected by a plurality of lawmakers.

Steinmeier would then have to decide whether to appoint a minority government or dissolve parliament, triggering an election within 60 days. Merkels two-party Union bloc is easily the biggest group in parliament, but is 109 seats short of a majority.

Merkel made clear that her pre-election pledge to serve another full term stands and indicated that she was ready to run again.

I was always asked in the election campaign, Will you be ready to serve Germany as chancellor for four years? Merkel said. Two months have passed (since the election), so it would be very strange ... to say that what I told voters during the whole election campaign doesnt stand anymore.

The nationalist Alternative for Germany, which emerged from Septembers election as the third-biggest party, welcomed the coalition debacle.

Merkel has failed, party co-leader Alexander Gauland said. We think its time for her to go.

Meanwhile, the blame game was in full swing.

The Free Democrats leader, Christian Lindner, defended ending the talks, telling reporters we would have had to abandon our fundamental positions to join a government with the conservatives and Greens. He pointed in particular to compromises his party would have had to have made on key issues like migration policies, financial issues and education.

Social Democrats leader Schulz said the negotiating parties had put Germany in a difficult situation. To which the senior Free Democrat, Wolfgang Kubicki, replied: If there are new elections, its because of the Social Democrats, not because of us.

Other European countries expressed concern, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that its not in our interest for it to get tense.

Steinmeier underlined those worries.

There would be incomprehension and great concern inside and outside our country, and particularly in our European neighbourhood, if the political forces in the biggest and economically strongest country in Europe of all places didnt fulfil their responsibility, he said.

Read more:

Potential ally urges Germanys Angela Merkel to give up finance ministry in coalition

Germanys Angela Merkel preserves command, but far-right takes bite: Analysis

Despite triumph, Angela Merkel dances with defeat: Burman

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THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDSThe prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked judges Monday to authorize an investigation of reported human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including allegations of rape and torture by the U.S. military and CIA, crimes against humanity by the Taliban and war crimes by Afghan security forces.

The announcement marked the first time ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has gone after Americans for alleged war crimes and sets up a possible showdown with Washington. The United States is not a member state of the court, but its nationals can be charged with crimes committed in countries that are members.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that it was reviewing Bensoudas authorization request, but opposes the International Criminal Courts involvement in Afghanistan.

Our view is clear: an ICC investigation with respect to U.S personnel would be wholly unwarranted and unjustified, the State Department said. More broadly, our overall assessment is that commencement of an ICC investigation will not serve the interests of either peace or justice in Afghanistan.

As well as alleged crimes by American troops in Afghanistan, Bensouda wants to investigate the activities of CIA operatives in secret detention facilities in Afghanistan and other countries that are court members.

Bensouda said in a summary of her request that information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that U.S. military personnel and CIA operatives committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence against conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan and other locations, principally in the 2003-2004 period.

She added that the Taliban and its allies are suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes as part of a widespread and systematic campaign of intimidation, targeted killings and abductions of civilians perceived as supporting the government or opposing the Taliban rebels.

Afghan security forces are, in turn, suspected of involvement in systematic patterns of torture and cruel treatment of conflict-related detainees in Afghan detention facilities, including acts of sexual violence, Bensouda said.

In a statement, Richard Dicker, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the request.

It signals that victims there who have endured horrific crimes dating back to May 2003 may finally obtain some justice, Dicker said. The request to pursue abuses by all sides, including those implicating US personnel, reinforces the message that no one, no matter how powerful the government they serve, is beyond the law.

Established in 2002, the International Criminal Court is the worlds first permanent court set up to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Rome treaty that established the court, but President George W. Bush renounced the signature, citing fears that Americans would be unfairly prosecuted for political reasons.

There is no set timeframe for judges to rule on Bensoudas request. Victims have until Jan. 31 next year to make their views about the possible investigation known to judges who will assess the request.

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NAIROBI, KENYAKenyas Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Uhuru Kenyattas re-election in a repeat vote that the opposition boycotted while saying electoral reforms had not been made. The decision appeared to put an end to a months-long political drama never before seen in Africa that has left dozens dead.

In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed challenges by human rights activists and a politician who argued that last months election was not conducted according to the law.

Though the opposition called for calm, at least two people were killed in protests. Kibra police chief Enoch Maloba confirmed that one protester was shot dead by anti-riot police in that part of the capital, Nairobi. And in western Kenya, Migori county police chief Joseph Nthenge said one person was shot dead by anti-riot police battling with protesters blocking a highway.

Anger remained. We will not respect (Kenyatta) even after the court verdict. That was not an election and we will continue opposing him, said one resident of the opposition stronghold of Kisumu city, Wycliffe Onyango.

Live television footage showed Kenyatta supporters bursting into song. There was no immediate public comment from the president.

There is no perfect election; there will always be errors in elections, but you cannot invalidate an election unless those errors affect the outcome, said the countrys attorney general, Githu Muigai.

The court in September nullified the August presidential election over irregularities and ordered a new vote held last month. It was the first time a court in Africa had overturned a presidential election, and it kicked off months of uncertainty in East Africas economic hub.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose legal challenge led to the nullification, then boycotted the repeat election and rejected Kenyattas overwhelming win. In some opposition strongholds, the repeat vote could not be carried out amid unrest.

Odinga called Mondays court decision no surprise.

We ... had repeatedly declared before this Supreme Court ruling today that we consider this government to be illegitimate and do not recognize it. This position has not been changed by the court ruling, Odinga said.

The opposition leader said the courts decision was taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it.

He did not give details. There had been concerns about intimidation of the justices, who failed to muster a quorum to decide on a last-minute petition that sought to postpone last months election. One justices bodyguard was shot and seriously wounded hours before the expected judgment.

Odinga is now asking for international intervention as violent protests continue. Kenya was being pushed to the precipice, he said Sunday.

Dozens of people have been killed in clashes since the August vote. With this weekends death toll, nearly 100 people have died in the political unrest, the majority opposition demonstrators shot by police during protests.

Read more:

President Uhuru Kenyatta wins rerun election in Kenya

Kenyan streets calmer, but political standoff in new election still unresolved

Repeat elections exhaust Kenya, where democracy is challenged

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This countrys national park system is the Canada of myth and of the worlds imagining, breath-taking natural sanctuaries that are superb, unique, irreplaceable.

The largest of these  at almost 4.5 million hectares of forest, wetland, salt plains and prairie  is Wood Buffalo National Park, straddling the boundary of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Wood Buffalo, established as a national park in 1922 and larger than the Netherlands, is home to North Americas largest population of wood bison, a threatened species. It contains flyways for countless species of migratory birds and is the worlds only breeding ground for the endangered whooping crane.

It has huge tracts of boreal forest of spruce, jackpine, aspen and poplar. It has some of the largest undisturbed grass and sedge meadows left in North America. And it contains the worlds largest freshwater delta at the mouth of the Peace and Athabasca rivers.

Wood Buffalos size and remoteness has allowed for the protection of entire ecosystems. For those features, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Centre of outstanding universal value in 1983.

Appallingly, that status is in danger, despite warnings that have been urgent and frequent.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a global umbrella of 10,000 experts which advises UNESCO, says in a new report that Wood Buffalo is significantly threatened by hydroelectric and oilsands development. In fact, the conservation outlook deteriorated since (the last report in) 2014.

The causes are several.

Climate change is a no-doubter to those who live in Canadas North. In the Northwest Territories, former Tuktoyaktuk mayor Merven Gruben told the Star, our summers are getting longer, the springs are getting earlier, and the falls are getting later.

More specific to Wood Buffalo is the drying-out caused by dams on the Peace River and contamination from oil-and-gas activities along the Athabasca, especially the oilsands of Fort McMurray 225 kilometres to the south.

The water loss is of crucial concern to the Mikisew Cree First Nation, a community of about 2,800 that petitioned the UN committee in 2014 for help saving the park. For millennia, the bounty of the delta had sustained the Mikisew. Now they see it being lost.

In July, the UN World Heritage Committee called on Canada to implement a plan that included monitoring the Peace-Athabasca Delta, assessing environmental impacts of the Site C dam, and creating a buffer zone between the park and the oilsands. Canada is expected to report back on steps taken by the end of next year.

If progress isnt satisfactory, Wood Buffalo could be put on a list of World Heritage in Danger sites.

Alison Ronson, national director of the parks program for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, says the new report is really alarming and shows the need for Canada and Alberta and B.C. to work together.

Canada has started addressing the 17 recommendations from the World Heritage committee, she said, but were very concerned that Parks Canada is under-resourced to adequately address the problems.

In a sense, it is in Wood Buffalo that the most idealistic aspirations of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government  the primacy of the environment, the moral obligation of reconciliation with First Nations  will be tested.

The mandate letter for federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna clearly sets out that theyre going to limit development in our parks and make environmental issues a priority, Ronson told the Star.

So what were expecting for Budget 2018 is to see them basically putting their money where their mouths are, really investing in conservation What we need to see are investments across the country in better managing our natural world heritage sites.

The clock is ticking. And the world is watching.

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Activist-targeted Nestle SA is reportedly interested in buying Terra Chip maker Hain Celestial (HAIN) - Get Free Report , which is also under siege by an insurgent investor.

According to Bloomberg, citing sources, the Switzerland-based company has held preliminary talks to acquire Hain, which is a natural and organic food company that in September reached a deal bringing on six dissident directors as part of an a pact with activist Engaged Capital's Glenn Welling. The activist investor also scored a seat on Hain's strategic review working group, which was set up to consider options such as a sale.

A sale is a serious possibility as Welling has driven M&A at a number of his target companies in the past. Boulder Brands, which makes Earth Balance and Evol Foods, was sold to Pinnacle Foods in 2015 shortly after Engaged became involved. Also, Engaged Capital helped negotiate an $85 million investment by Oaktree Capital last year at Canadian natural and organic foods processor SunOpta Inc. (STKL) - Get Free Report .

In addition, Nestle is under pressure from Third Point LLC's Dan Loeb. On Nov. 15 it revealed that it was reorganizing its infant nutrition business, the latest in a series of strategy changes as Loeb watches.

The Deal reported in September that Nestle could be among a group of large packaged goods companies that could be interested in buying Hain. In July, The Deal suggested that Hain, the last remaining independent publicly-traded pure-play natural and organic food company, could be sold.

Other traditional packaged food companies could be interested in Hain or some of its brands, as they seek to increase their exposure to organic foods, include PepsiCo. Inc. (PEP) - Get Free Report , Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) - Get Free Report , Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) - Get Free Report , General Mills Inc. (GIS) - Get Free Report Krraft Heinz Co. (KHC) - Get Free Report and Unilever NV (UN) - Get Free Report . A Hain auction would follow France's Danone SA's $12.5 billion acquisition of organic foods company WhiteWave Foods Co.

Editor's note: This article originally appeared on The Deal , our sister publication that offers sophisticated insight and analysis on all types of deals, from inception to integration. Click here for a free trial.

PepsiCo is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio . Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells (PEP) - Get Free Report ? Learn more now.

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The fourth Tuesday of each month, food boxes are given away at the Bedford Sherwood Oaks Christian Church.
Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad Esco) has been awarded the contract for the development, and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) water reservoirs.



The installation of solar PV systems on Dewas water reservoirs will reduce the emirates carbon footprint and increase the proportion of solar power in Dubai's energy mix, said a statement from Esco.

"The installation of solar PV systems at Dewa water reservoirs comes under the implementation of the vision of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to transform Dubai into one of the most sustainable cities in the world. The solar PV systems will promote sustainable development, which will reinforce the UAEs position as one of the most advanced countries for alternative energy, said Ali Al Jassim, CEO of Etihad Esco.



As per the contract, Etihad Esco will design the solar PV systems and install them on Dewas water reservoirs.



Christos Mimikopoulos, executive director of Solar, Etihad Esco, said the company is committed to the social, economic and environmental development of the UAE.

"Since its establishment, Etihad Esco has not only brought the best integrated solar solutions, but has also offered innovative solutions to address strategic gaps in this sector. The installation of solar PV systems on Dewas water reservoirs is another breakthrough, which drives us closer to achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, that aims to provide seven per cent of Dubai's total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050," he stated.



The company pointed out that the total installed capacity of solar PV systems on water reservoirs could reach up to 60 Mega Watt peak.



According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the GCCs installed solar capacity is expected to reach 76 GW by 2020. Egypt is hoping to interconnect 2,650 MW of PV capacity by 2020, Morocco is aiming for 600 MW, while Jordan has 540 MW of PV projects under construction with more expected before the end of 2017. With a wave of solar projects already underway across Dubai, the Emirate is set for a green revolution with alternative energy.-TradeArabia News Service
Raising Canes fans in Bahrain can enjoy more of their favourite chicken fingers, as the brand opens its second restaurant at The Avenues  Bahrain.

The opening follows the brands successful opening at the Bahrain City Centre last September, a statement said.

Raising Canes, known for its premium chicken tenderloin meals, was founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, LA by Todd Graves, the CEO of the company. Voted one of the USs fastest growing brands and most popular chicken in the US, the brand today has more than 300 restaurants across the US and currently seven restaurants in the Middle East.

Brand business director Maan Kouly said: What makes Raising Canes a favourite is the difference in our chicken and the combination of flavours - our use of premium chicken tenderloins and the freshest ingredients. Were excited to be bring our fans in Bahrain more of their favourites as we continue to share the One Love for premium chicken.

Included in the Top Five US Quick Service Restaurants in the United States for seven years and counting, Raising Canes is a food lovers dream. With its 24-hour marinated hand-battered chicken tenderloins, premium crinkle-cut fries, golden-brown buttery Texas toast, secret recipe handmade Canes sauce and creamy coleslaw, Raising Canes is known for its One Love  premium chicken tenderloin meals. It uses only the highest ingredients and a handmade, cook-to-order system that ensures a great-tasting chicken tenderloin meal served hot and fresh every time, the statement said.

The new restaurant is open daily from 10 am to 12 am.  TradeArabia News Service
Mo Ibrahim Foundation calls for vigilance as a number of countries struggle to build on recent progress

The 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), launched today by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, reveals that the continents Overall Governance trajectory remains positive on average, but in recent years has moved at a slower pace. As many countries struggle to build on recent progress or to reverse negative trends, and as concerns emerge in some key sectors, the Foundation is calling for vigilance on the continents future.

The eleventh edition of the IIAG looks at both country and indicator trends over the last five years (2012-2016), within the context of the last decade (2007-2016). By evaluating more recent progress on governance alongside long-term performance, the 2017 IIAG provides the most nuanced assessment to date of the evolution and direction that countries, regions and specific dimensions of governance are taking. Over the last ten years, 40 African countries have improved in Overall Governance. In the last five years, 18 of these  a third of the continents countries and home to 58% of African citizens  including Cote dIvoire, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal, have even managed to accelerate their progress. In 2016, the continent achieved its highest Overall Governance score to date (50.8 out of 100.0).

However, over the same period, Africas annual average rate of improvement in Overall Governance has slowed. Of the 40 countries improving in Overall Governance during the last decade, more than half (22) have either done so at a slower pace in the last five years (i.e. Rwanda and Ethiopia) or show decline (i.e. Mauritius, Cameroon and Angola). Furthermore, eight of the 12 countries registering decline in Overall Governance over the past decade are showing no signs of turning things around, with scores decreasing at an even faster rate over the second half of the decade. This group includes Botswana, Ghana, Libya and Mozambique.

The best performing category of the IIAG, Human Development, reaches its highest average score to date in 2016 (56.1 out of 100.0), with all three underlying governance dimensions  Welfare, Education and Health  improving over the last ten years. However, all register slowing progress over the second half of the decade. Worryingly, in a continent where 41% of the population is under 15 years old, progress in Education has nearly ground to halt. Africans are particularly dissatisfied with how governments are addressing changing educational needs, as reflected by the accelerated pace of decline in the Education Provision indicator over the last five years.

Despite being the slowest improving category over the past decade and within the past five years, Sustainable Economic Opportunity has recorded progress since 2014. While the African average improvement has slowed over the last five years, 16 countries, representing 51% of the continents population and 54% of its GDP, have managed to accelerate their rate of improvement in this period. For 22 countries, however, progress is slackening (i.e. Mauritius and Rwanda) or even reversing to decline, as in Angola. The sub-category Infrastructure is a major driver of the continents overall performance in Sustainable Economic Opportunity, picking up momentum over the last five years, even if Electricity Infrastructure continues to register average decline. The deterioration in Africas Rural Sector over the last five years, which could threaten recent progress in this key area for the continents sustainable growth and wealth-creating potential, is a particular cause for concern.

Participation & Human Rights is the only category picking up speed in the last five years, with the greatest number of countries (17) improving at an accelerated rate across all four categories of the IIAG. However, this masks some concerning trends in certain countries and dimensions. 18 countries show either a slower pace (i.e. Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo and Uganda) or even display warning signs, declining in the second half of the decade (i.e. Egypt). The average positive trend is in fact mainly driven by the accelerated progress in Participation, led by a majority of countries improving in Free & Fair Elections. Worryingly, however, Political Participation shows a slight average decline over the last five years, which could threaten the progress made over the decade, while average deterioration in Civil Society Participation appears to worsen over the last five years.

On a more positive note, the pace of deterioration in Safety & Rule of Law seen over the decade has slowed in the last five years. This is mainly driven by slowing decline in Personal Safety  although indicators such as Crime and Political Violence remain on concerning negative trajectories  and by progress appearing over the last five years in Rule of law. However, Accountability, already the lowest scoring sub-category in the IIAG, is lately registering even slower progress. Another concerning trend shows National Security deteriorating at an even faster pace over the second half of the decade, more than doubling its annual average decline. At category level, deterioration worsens over the second half of the decade for 15 countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Libya, and Mozambique, while some countries, such as Angola and Mauritius, register a recent downturn despite improvement over ten years.

Mo Ibrahim, Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said: As the index shows us, overall governance in Africa is improving. This is good news. However, the slowing and in some cases even reversing trends in a large number of countries, and in some key dimensions of governance, means that we must be vigilant. Without vigilance and sustained efforts, the progress of recent years could be in danger of vanishing.

To explore the findings please visit http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/.
The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko handed over the Chairmanship of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force (TTF) to Mr Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Friday, 17th November, 2017.

Speaking during the handover ceremony , the EAC Secretary General and outgoing Chairperson, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko commended the incoming Chair for the various occasions he was able to step in on his behalf as TTF Chair during some important events that have taken place over the last few months.

I wish to specifically make reference to the signing ceremonies of the Tripartite Agreement by the Republic of Madagascar and also the Republic of Mauritius.

He said during the EACs tenure as Chair of the TTF from October 2016 to date, incremental progress has been made towards the realisation of the Tripartite vision of a developmental Free Trade Area that will promote economic development and growth in the 26 Partner States.

The outgoing Chair highlighted the progress made during EACs tenure which includes negotiations on all the outstanding Annexes in the Tripartite Agreement; 21 Member States have now signed the Free Trade Area Agreement out of 26; Work and Infrastructure programmes has been developed and was considered during the first Tripartite Ministerial Committee Meeting on Infrastructure.

Amb Mfumukeko informed the participants who attended the ceremony that the Tripartite now entered a new phase towards the realisation of the Tripartite agenda in which the primary focus areas are; concluding the negotiations on the outstanding areas of Agreement such as the Rules of origin and Tariffs, commencing work on Phase 2 negotiations, concluding the Agreement on Movement of Business Person as well as concretizing the ongoing work on the Industrial and Infrastructure Pillars.

I am happy to tell you that all the EAC Partner States have committed to ratifying the Agreement by December, 2017.

He called for the incoming Chair to address the main challenge which arises from the lack of funds which has had a paralyzing effect on the implementation of the Tripartite work schedules across the board. I am confident that the incoming Chair, will successfully pursue and deliver on our engagement with the bank and also explore other diversified source for budgetary support.

On his part, the incoming Chair and Secretary General of COMESA Mr Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya thanked the EAC, as the outgoing chairperson, for the excellent work done and achievements that have been made during her tenure as chairperson.

Speaking on the challenge of funding Mr. Ngwenya informed the meeting that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided some financial resources to support efforts aimed at creating awareness on the importance of the Tripartite FTA Agreement and the need to have it ratified by Tripartite Member/Partner States that have signed it in order for it to enter into force.

He disclosed to the participants that the Agreement requires at 14 ratifications before it may become operational and so far it is only Egypt that has ratified with the EAC being in the process of ratification.

The incoming Chair said the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite is in dire need of financial resources to support proceeding with Phase II work as the budgetary support from cooperating partners that supported Phase I work has been exhausted.

I am confident that with the concerted effort and support of EAC and SADC in the Tripartite Task Force, the task of mobilizing for resources and clearing outstanding work will be manageable.
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Hi, my wife and I will be traveling to Krabi (Thailand) from Darwin via Singapore. After our Thailand visit, we will proceed to India. On return from India to Darwin, we will again transit in Singapore. Because we will be flying on different airlines on all legs of both the forward and return journeys, we have to clear immigration, collect our bags in Singapore and recheck-in for our flights. The transit time in Singapore will be less than half a day during forward and return journeys.

Because I hold an Australian passport I dont need visa for transiting in Singapore, but because my wife is an Indian passport holder, she will need a visa because of having to clear immigration during both onward and return journeys. I understand that she can make use of the 96-hours Visa Free Transit Facility for either onward or return journey (but not for both).

Looks like at this stage she has to obtain a tourist visa for transiting in Singapore through VFS Global as mentioned on the Singapore High Commission website. But for getting the tourist visa in Australia she is required to attend VFS Global office in person in either Perth/Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney. The Singapore High Commission in Canberra will deal only with applicants from Canberra.

We live in Darwin and facing this issue where we have to spend hundreds of $$ (in flights, accommodation, food etc) in travel from Darwin to a major capital city for a tourist visa just for spending few hours in Singapore airport.

Anyone else had to obtain a tourist visa for transiting in Singapore? And what has been your experience with VFS Global? Anyone managed to get the Singapore tourist visa without having to travel to the major capital cities? Please let me know how you managed, thanks.
If you can go a month or two later, you might find Uluru and Cairns to be better choices than February. We did a 6 week trip to Australia this past Mar/April and included both places in our itinerary. While it was still stinger season in Cairns in April, we were able to get out for a GBR tour (wearing stingers suits provided by the tour operator) and we had great weather (late April). Port Douglas is a good base for that area. There are other highlights in that area (eg. Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Mossman Gorge) that will make a stay of 4 or 5 days worthwhile. Port Douglas is a wonderful town too.

At Uluru (early April) the flies weren't a major issue, although I still wore a bug net at times because even a few can be annoying (they don't bite, but they do like to literally 'get in your face'). Temperatures were really nice then too.

If you do decide on February, you could look into going to Tasmania, Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Adelaide/Kangaroo Island as some alternatives to Uluru and Cairns.

Flying, vs driving long distances to get to your destinations, is usually a better option in Australia, especially for a one month trip where you want to include several destinations. Not only does flying free up time for exploring at your destination, but it might be less expensive than paying a one way car hire surcharge plus fuel.

I looked into doing a trip on the Ghan but chose not to in favour of having more time at our destinations. It also didn't seem worth the cost for us for what we would have gotten out of it ... but reviews here on TA are positive for the most part, so perhaps reading through a variety of reviews will give you an idea of what people found worthwhile or not during their Ghan journey.

Good luck with your plans ... it's a great place to celebrate your anniversary :)

Edited: 4 years ago
The other thing to be aware of is that North Queensland has crocodiles, and while ypu can swim at the major beaches during the dsy (out of stinger season) you should not go in or near the water at night.

Cairns/Port Douglas and that region are well worth visiting for the reef as well as the myriad land-based activities, but if you are looking for white sand beaches, rolling surf and romantic strollls along the beach in the evenings, do include a few days on the Sunshine Coast (Noosa, Mooloolaba, Caloundra) as these beaches are stingr and croc free and absolutely beautiful.

Cheers.
With fifteen days, you have the time to visit Exmouth/Ningaloo Reef area as well as the Margaret River Region, but the value you get will be determined by how you allocate the time.

Because you are coming at a busy time with several public holidays, these will be constraints that you need to plan in advance to work around, so you are not disappointed with options.

Public holidays: Monday 25 December, Tuesday 26 December, Monday 1 January.

As JeanPerth has indicated, for Exmouth you need a minimum of five nights and four full days there to make the 1250km journey each way worthwhile. Accordingly it would be ideal if you could all fly Perth > Learmonth return so you could maximise your time there - so before we can help you plan, let us know if these flights are in your budget or not. Otherwise you will use up at least four days driving there and back.

Ideas for Exmouth:

For the Margaret River Region, you need a minimum of four nights and three full days there to make the four hour driving journey each way worthwhile. Yes you need to choose dates and book accommodation soon if you are to have any choice, as its peak school holiday season for the entire time you are coming and this region is very popular with people who live in Perth and other Australian cities too.

Ideas for Margaret River Region:
Some ready made itineraries, for 1, 2 wks and one called "honeymoon"- https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/itineraries/ .

A blog describing some hotels near SJO - https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/hotels-near-sjo/ . We stayed in the 2nd one on that list a couple of times, but since you are on your honeymoon, it might not be fancy enough for your trip (?).

Destinations summary guide: https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/costa-rica-destinations-summary-guide/ . Each area has a list of the main activities the area is known for, so it might help to narrow it down.

For weather and availability in January see https://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/best-time/january/ .

In Arenal, we enjoyed staying at https://www.arenalobservatorylodge.com . Our Smithsonian category room gave us a spectacular view of the volcano very close by, under 2 miles away. While we found the room itself quite modest, and there is only 1 restaurant, it is very close to the volcano, offers views of the Lake, too, has beautifully landscaped property with trails, you can just hang out on the property and hike. One trail has a waterfall. See https://www.arenalobservatorylodge.com/property-map for the maps of property and trails. It has no hot springs on its property. It is very close to SkyAdventure, but about 25 min drive away from La Fortuna (there is a local shuttle you can take, taxis, if not renting a car, and most tours will pick you up, for an extra fee).
You will likely need the first night by the airport to start on your way to Tortuguero the next day early in AM. So subtract that from your total # of nights in CR.

The main reason for going to T. is not turtles, as it is not the main turtle watching destination in CR, but wildlife canal tours. This simple hotel in T. village might be a good base for independent travelling to Tortuguero: http://casamarbella.tripod.com . They have good Directions/Map on their site, where you can see options how to get there. The owner speaks English. They also have a resident guide. Bring cash, as there are no banks. [Many accommodations there, incl. this one, do not have safes for the guests to use.]

If you decide to use services of companies providing transfers or Pkgs to Tortuguero (e.g., http://www.jungletomsafaris.com - see transfers under Our New Connections), pay attn to their possible baggage weight limit for the boat portion of the transfer.

I agree that you seem to be trying to include too many destinations into your 2 wks.

1 night by SJO

2 nights in Tortuguero

transfer to Arenal (long!) or flight (?)

Increase the # of days in Arenal/La Fortuna to ...(?) ....more than 1 full day, for sure, IMHO

2 nights in Monteverde (unless you are renting a car, use taxi-boat-taxi transfer option to Monteverde.

In low season, we found Manuel Antonio park / Quepos too crowded and touristy and I imagine that during your time, high season, it will be worse. Only you can decide if you will be ok with paying US$16 pp entrance fee to the comparatively small park and then definitely seeing more ppl in there than wildlife. (We had about 20 ppl per one sloth, for ex.).

We snorkelled on the Pacific coast, Papagayo, in the past, in March, and were disappointed with what we saw. CR is not the best destination for snorkelling in general. Riptides, waves, poor water visibility, which is dependent on the rainfall, etc. We travelled to the Caribbean coast of CR with our snorkelling equipment, but in 2 wks, could not do it once. on the subsequent trip, we simply left our snorkelling stuff at home...

Drake Bay is hard to get to, so going to Osa for a short time makes no sense to me. If you like nature, wildlife, hiking, adventure, April should be a good time to go there in terms of weather.

Then fly out to SJO the day before your return flight home.

See https://costa-rica-guide.com/nature/national-parks/corcovado/ for lots of info on Corcovado

and https://costa-rica-guide.com/nature/wildlife/turtle-nesting/ for turtle calendar in CR.
As you know from my reply to your prior post with your itinerary ( ), you do not necessarily need to rely on the pkgs from lodges outside of Tortuguero village, which include transportation, as there are independent ways to get to Tortuguero, as well as companies that provide both land and boat transfer options, with or without accommodations in Tortuguero, which could also drop you off at your next location, incl. Arenal, for ex., vs returning back to the starting point, which is San Jose for many.

Your rental car would be an extra expense and no use to you while you are staying in Tortuguero anyway, as it is all boat access only.

There is a variety of shared shuttle Co in CR. Look under the Top Qns about CR on the right of the screen for Travelling Options - lots of links for different types of transportation.

If you Reserve 3 or more segments with Interbus directly with them (one time, we booked the 3 trips with them over the phone, from home, prior to our trip), they may give 20% off the total price, which was a considerable amount. We also booked separate trips on line or a hotel owner in CR once booked it by fax - she had a form from Interbus, they called her back with the exact pick up time, so we had not booked that leg till about 3 days before the date, but we were flexible with the time.

Some destinations have only 1 ride a day, some 2, and some - every couple of hrs.

For some of the long transfers of many hrs each, we thought the shared shuttle rate was quite reasonable. If there are 1-2-3 of you.

Also, we once were the only clients for the entire transfer of 5.5 hrs long, so since we had also done the same route by a private transfer from the same SJO airport, we could compare. With the "private" shared shuttle ride that time, we got it 2.5 times cheaper, yet were the only passengers all the way! It was 3 times less expensive than some other private drivers' quotes we had received...

Of course, the van can also be full, and then you are sharing the transfer with a few other travellers. Luckily, we never had crying / seat kicking little kids or anything like that on our shared rides. Just the opposite - it was nice to chat with some other travellers on the way. We took photos, sent e-mails if there was WiFi in the van, and could relax vs worrying about renting and driving.
If you can, try to avoid the week before Easter, which in 2018 is at the end of March. It is the peak travelling season, when the beaches and roads will be crowded with local families and visitors.

For more details on weather and availability in March, you might want to read this: https://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/best-time/march/ .

There are some ready made 1-2 wk long itineraries here - https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/itineraries/ and since you have 9 days, you could do a combination of the things there.

In your length of time, you could do 2-3 areas, but depending on the times of your international flights, you might need to subtract the 1st and/last nights by the airport.

Yrs ago, we were in Papagayo beach in March. You might want to research dry forest more. While we still saw animals and what typically looks like green jungle type vegetation (during the trips), the overall view of the hills from our hotel room was that of dry brownish trees. The beach sand is dark and was too hot to walk on barefoot. (The hotel staff was pouring water from a hose to cool off a small area of the beach for the ppl playing beach volleyball.) It is the peak of the dry season, hot, so if you want jungle, not dry forest, pick accommodations / area carefully.

Manuel Antonio park, which is quite small, and the area around it are very popular due to their proximity to the airports. Your kids should enjoy the animals there. We were there in low season and found the trails and beaches very crowded. E.g., we saw a sloth on a low branch by one of the beaches inside the park, and a crowd of about 20 tourists ran toward it from all directions, pushing, stepping on each other's feet, trying to place flash cameras right into the poor animal's face, while the uniformed park rangers were sitting behind, not getting involved... Things like that, which stress out wild animals, bother us, but the others seemed happy about it. I understand it will be even busier in March, so make sure you are ok with seeing a lot more ppl than animals.
Hello

On a previous trip to Japan I spent an enjoyable day out of Kyoto visiting the thatched village around Miyama Kayabuki, which was interesting, attractive and peaceful. Next year's trip will be to the Takayama area. I'm aware there's an open air museum there, and also a day trip to Shirakawa-go village area, both with more thatched houses. i'd quite like to visit the Hida open air museum, i'm just wondering whether it's worth setting time aside to go to Shirakawago as well, given I've already visited thatched village near Kyoto. I'm not sure i'd enjoy it as much if it's over run by tourists.

Are Miyama and Shirakawa-go similar or quite different?

Thank you
Hi there! We are traveling from Kyoto to Hakone. Will be in Hakone for three nights and then heading back to Tokyo. We can use our JR pass to get to Hakone, but not back to Tokyo as our pass will have run out. We are staying at Hotel Musashiya. So I'm wondering the best way to get to Hakone and then back to Tokyo since we won't be able to use the pass back to Tokyo. Also, what is the best way to get to and from the hotel and then around Hakone for two days. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Aloha from Hawaii! My husband and I are traveling to Osaka for ten days between 12/25 and 1/5. Because this is our first trip there, we are wondering a few things:

1. We would like to travel to at least 2 other places while there - any suggestions where we should go?

2. Should these be day trips or would it be better to plan to stay in these other areas for a night or two?

3. Ideas on where to stay? how best to navigate the trains? Any other suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your help...
Re: For a bit of fun - How many more sleeps to your trip to Fiji

1534. Re: For a bit of fun - How many more sleeps to your trip to Fiji

From the forums there seems to be a big push to continually promote Navini resort although nice with it's 11 bures and our weeks stay there which we enjoyed .

We like the idea of helping all the Fijians and the wonderful resort workers by visiting many different islands off shore.

The list goes on where we have visited each year without returning to one yet.

Bounty, Plantation, Muscat Cove, Matomanao, Mana, Navini, Barefoot, Botaria, Octopus, Blue lagoon.

Definitely don't understand why people would just go to one Island all the time. Just like visiting Australia and just staying at say Newcastle and not seeing what the rest of the country(side) has to offer.All resorts are different in there own way. We bring back memories of our stay on each and every one of them enjoying the company of the wonderful Fiji people each and every time.
I wanted to start my trip report even though the trip isnt done - thanks so much to all who helped with questions and gave feedback on my itinerary. Here goes!

Wednesday 15 Nov

We arrived into LGA mid-afternoon and transferred to our hotel (Leon Hotel) via bus/train/foot. Had lunch at Good Taste Fuzhou - purely because my friend found amazing photos of the food on Instagram and it was right near our hotel. Maybe it was hunger and tiredness talking - but thats some seriously good dumplings and noodles right there. The evening saw us head into Midtown, my husband ate Chipotle for the first time for dinner (I was still full from the dumplings!) and we watched Anastasia, which was beautiful!

Thursday 16 Nov

Off to MoMA this morning, followed by lunch at Fuku+ for some delicious chicken sandwiches. We wandered around Central Park & the top end of 5th Avenue before heading over to Barrow St Theatre for Sweeney Todd, complete with a pie dinner before hand. This is the most intense musical I have ever seen - my husband is a huge Sondheim and Sweeney Todd fan and thought it was amazing. I felt slightly terrified, overwhelmed and mildly claustrophobic (even though Im not claustrophobic at any other time). I can absolutely appreciate the talent of the performers - they were brilliant, but the whole experience was just a bit too much for me. I had to go get a Five Guys milkshake and walk for a while to shake off the feeling that someone was going to come at me with a razor.

Friday 17 Nov

We went off to Woodbury Common and had a great day of shopping. I know Woodbury doesnt always get a good rap on these boards, but aside from the purchases we made for ourselves - weve got two little boys at home who grow through shoes and clothes faster than I can count - so being able to stock up on stuff for them from Nike, Oshkosh & ASICS at much lower prices than at home was a win. We got back to Manhattan at 6, stored our luggage at Port Authority, grabbed dinner at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns And Ramen - we LOVE xiao Long bao (soup dumplings) and these are up there with some of the best weve ever had. Then we were on to Dear Evan Hansen - which I can say is the most incredible theatre experience I have ever had AND that I think I will ever have. We feel incredibly fortunate to have seen Ben Platt in one of his final performances - he, and the rest of the cast, were just amazing. (We has just seen Hamilton in Chicago prior to arriving in New York - so I feel like Ive maxed out enough amazing theatre experiences for the rest of my life!!!)

Saturday 18 Nov

We did a food tour of Brooklyn with Ziggy and it was a day SO well spent. We went to parts of Brooklyn that we would never have gotten to otherwise and eaten things I didnt even know existed!! We ditched our plan to walk the Brooklyn Bridge in the evening due to the rain, so jumped on the subway, went to the TKTS booth and got some tickets for Spongebob Squarepants (yes, seriously), then grabbed some tacos at Gotham West Market before the show. my verdict: I was really pleasantly surprised by this show - I didnt know what to expect, but I think it was creative and so cleverly executed.

Sunday 19 Nov

We went over to Union square and wandered through the sweet little Christmas market before heading to Mighty Quinns BBQ on 2nd for lunch - my husband was in meat-lovers heaven. We were then on the subway into Midtown for a matinee of The Bands Visit...Ill be honest, I didnt love this one. I liked the music but not much more. After the show, we grabbed an early and SO delicious meal at Pure Thai Cookhouse before heading back to the Theatre District for School of Rock. This was a fun show - not my favourite, but a nice way to round out the evening, those kids are SO talented!!

With a few more days to go, Ill update this thread with the rest as I go. But weee having a splendid time and looking forward to a few more awesome days!
Just to give you an idea of my experience: Some years it has taken 9 hours to make the 4.5 hour trip from NYC to DC. To get from and to Vermont, you might want to park your car in Stamford Connecticut and take the train in to New York City (you can go inexpensively on Metro-North Transit). Or you can park near Interstate 84 at the Brewster train station. Both can help you avoid 50 miles of the worst traffic. But you know 95 in Connecticut will be packed with all those people headed to Providence, Boston, and NH. but 84 0r 15 (but that's so narrow) to Hartford and then to 91 may not be as bad.

Whatever you do, unless you leave by 7 AM, don't count on it taking only 5 hours.
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- Tension remained high in Mathare Constituency on Sunday, November 19 following a spate of killings

- Area MP Anthony Oluoch was shot in the leg as police clashed with locals over the attacks

- Police confirmed that four people had been killed during the attacks carried out by unknown people

Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch was on Sunday, November 19 shot and injured on the leg after police clashed with residents protesting overnight killings.

Four people were killed in Mathare Area 4 during the attacks carried out by unknown assailants.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that a tear gas cannister had been lobbied at the vehicle in which the legislator was being driven before he was shot.

READ ALSO: Tension high in a Nairobi estate after mysterious killing of five people

Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch (in yellow shirt) being restrained by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja as the MP charged against his Jubilee counterparts. Photo: Nation

According to nominated senator Elizabeth Ongoro, they were attacked by police officers during the fracas.

The MP was rushed to Nairobi hospital where he is receiving treatment for gunshot wound.

Police confirmed the killings but ruled out ethnic cleansing saying investigations had been launched to apprehend the culprits.

READ ALSO: 12 killed in freak road crash at Salgaa on Nakuru-Eldoret highway

Nairobi police boss Japhet Koome said that the situation had been normalised and more police officers deployed to quell the situation.

Barely a month ago, the legislator was hospitalised after he engaged in a fist fight with his Jubilee counterparts at a city hotel.

As reported earlier by TUKO.co.ke, Oluoch was at the thick of the drama as he was almost mauled by security personnel at the Panafric Hotel Nairobi as he attempted to storm a press conference by Jubilee leaders.

Gladys Wanga dares police officers to shoot her- on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Raila Odinga and his NASA co-principals said they neither recognise President Uhuru's October 26 poll victory nor the outcome of the election

- On Sunday, November 19, Mike Sonko took to social media to share a post, telling Kenyans to fight for themselves first before they took up politicians' causes

The Kenyan political climate continues to divide Kenyans. Currently, one is either a supporter of the ruling party, President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee, or a supporter of the opposition National Super Alliance, led by Raila Odinga and his co-principals.

So much fighting, injuries and deaths were reported following the disputed October 26 repeat presidential election.

In light of this, in a social media post shared over 1,300 times on Sunday, November 19, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko updated a post, calling on Kenyans to put themselves first instead of fighting for politicians who are friends away from the camera.

READ ALSO: Dadake Raila - Ruth Odinga - alazwa hospitalini

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. Photo: Mike Sonko/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Change of tune? Raila Odinga to make major announcement next week, rules out fresh poll

"Nothing justifies killing anyone, or destroying their business or property. Fighting people because they speak a language different from yours is primitive and retrogressive,

"Raila Odinga is a neighbor of Maina in Karen. NASA and Jubilee politicians are neighbours in Runda. Martha Wangari and Otiende Amollo are in Denmark representing Kenya to observe elections there,

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President Uhuru Kenyatta with NASA front runner Raila Odinga during past meets. Photos: Nation.

READ ALSO: Tension high in a Nairobi estate after mysterious killing of five people

"In Lavington, the story of peaceful neighbours continues. Kitsuru, Kilimani and Kileleshwa are the other locations that house the story of those in whose name you fight for. Before NASA politicians left to meet people where they are affected they were at Serena and what a scene as they met Jubilee politicians -No insults, just hugs, laughter and jokes,

"My point? Fight not for Uhuru, Ruto, Wetangula or Raila - they do not need your muscle. Fight instead to enhance your hustle, not destroy another person's hustle. Our generation has a responsibility, to clearly say, in strong terms that politicians are not that important in our lives,

"The most important person is us the citizens. Share and add a message - Let us heal our land and nation. We do not have to agree politically, but we can agree to discuss Kenya in optimistic and positive superlatives. Insult me, but let us in common bond be united, lift our beautiful flag and transform our Nation together," shared Sonko.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- DP William Ruto has warned that perpetrators of violence will be spared

- Ruto says the government will not sit back and watch people get killed and property destroyed

- He has called on police to move in and end the killings such as those witnessed in Nairobi

- Ruto was attending church in Kabete on Sunday, November 19

Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday, November 19, condemned the violence and killings witnessed in Nairobi since Friday, November 17, when NASA leader Raila Odinga jetted back from the US.

Speaking in Kiambu, Ruto warned that the government will not sit back and watch lives lost and property destroyed.

Ruto told the police to protect the lives of Kenyans and their property amid heightened political tensions in the country.

DP Ruto attended church in Kiambu where he condemned violence and killings Photo: Twitter/William Ruto

READ ALSO: All eyes on CJ Maraga as Supreme Court gives verdict on Uhuru's second win

We ask police to ensure there is no life lost or property destroyed. Every Kenyan has a right to live anywhere in Kenya without intimidation. Nobody is above the law and action will be taken against those inciting Kenyans to violence irrespective of social status, political party or where one comes from," Ruto said.

He called on all Kenyans to respect the law and abide by the constitution. Ruto further condemned the killings witnessed at Riverside estate in Ruaraka.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, at least four people were brutally killed on the morning of Sunday, November 19, sparking massive protests that saw property destroyed.

Ruto called on police to protect lives and property Photo: Facebook/William Ruto

READ ALSO: Angry Kenyans demand an end to ethnic cleansing after Mathare killings as tension remains high

Police engaged in running battles with residents who protested the killings. Two vehicles were torched in the violence that broke out.

Opposition leaders led by Raila Odinga also visited the area and condemned the killings. They accused the government of sponsoring the killings.

Raila Odingas return from USA-London trip trigger drama in Nairobi on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- MP Moses Kuria has warned President Uhuru Kenyatta against sparing Raila Odinga's political career

- Kuria says Uhuru supporters will not forgive him (Uhuru) if he allows Raila to continue roaming around

- Kuria has also warned Raila that he can also die and may be he should die following violence that has been witnessed in the country

- Kuria says Raila is inciting the violence and intends to vie for president in 2022

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria told President Uhuru Kenyatta that he risks the wrath of his supporters if he fails to end the political career of Raila Odinga.

Addressing a church congregation on Sunday, November 19 in Kiambu, Kuria said that Jubilee supporters will not care if Uhuru does not deliver on development.

READ ALSO: Gavana Sonko ashauri Wakenya kuhusu uhusiano wa Uhuru na Raila

He said the supporters are ready to forgive him if he fails to deliver in terms of development, but will not forgive him if allows Raila to continue in politics.

Moses Kuria (second from right) says Uhuru has to end Raila's political career Photo: Facebook/Moses Kuria

READ ALSO: All eyes on CJ Maraga as Supreme Court gives verdict on Uhuru's second win

Kuria turned to DP William Ruto who was present and told him to take the message to the president.

"Roads, railways, water, education are not important. The most important part of Uhuru Kenyatta's legacy is to take home Raila Odinga. He can try water projects and fail, railways to Kisumu, irrigation schemes we will forgive him, but we will not forgive him if after this Raila will be roaming in the Kenyan politics," Kuria said.

The controversial MP further warned the NASA leader that just like any other Kenyans he can get killed in the violence that has seen several Kenyans killed.

Kuria accompanied DP Ruto to a church service in Kiambu Photo: Facebook/William Ruto

READ ALSO: Uncertainty as Mugabe fails to announce resignation in much-awaited state address

Kuria further alluded that, maybe, it is time Raila dies.

His sentiments came after Ruto warned that the Jubilee administration will not sit back and watch Kenyans and their property destroyed.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, the DP asked police to protect lives of Kenyans and their property.

Kuria believes Raila's political career should end Photo: Facebook/Raila Odinga

READ ALSO: Angry Kenyans demand an end to ethnic cleansing after Mathare killings as tension remains high

At least four people were killed on the morning of Sunday, November 19, in Nairobi's Ruaraka area.

The killings sparked massive protests and chaos from residents who burnt vehicles and engaged in running battles with the police.

Raila visited the area and blamed the killings on the Jubilee administration, saying they were part of ethnic cleansing.

Raila Odingas return from USA-London trip trigger drama in Nairobi on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi claims NASA leader Raila Odinga has lost favour with the West

- He has asked Uhuru to hand Raila over to the ICC should he attempt to swear himself in

- Ngunyi alleges Raila's trip in the US did not yield him any benefits

- He also asked Uhuru not to enter into any political deal with Raila

Controversial political commentator Mutahi Ngunyi says NASA leader Raila Odinga has lost his political luster and has fallen out with the West.

He has also advised President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta to severally deal with the NASA leader should he attempt to swear in himself.

READ ALSO: Mwenyekiti wa IEBC Wafula Chebukati azungumza baada ya uamuzi wa mahakama

Ngunyi also claimed Railas latest trip to the US was a big flop which showed that he has lost favour with the West.

According to the political scientist,Raila has fallen out with the West.Photo:Raila Odinga/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Ruth Odinga admitted to hospital

The West has rejected Raila. They have no time for a war lord whose only currency of political transaction is violence. They are sticklers of law and constitutional order, he alleged through one of his students.

Ngunyi in his latest webisode said the Opposition leaders homecoming from the US was another indication that he has lost flavor.

The political analyst claimed Raila could not attract one million people to welcome him as had been declared by NASA and that only 900 came out, an indication that the people have rejected Raila.

READ ALSO: See you in 2022,Jubilee governor tell NASA after Supreme Court ruling

Jubilee supporters celebrate after Uhuru's win was upheld by the Supreme Court.Ngunyi says Uhuru should hand Raila over to the ICC should he attempt to swear himself in.Photo:Tuko.

READ ALSO: Haleluhya! Glory to God in Heaven - William Ruto celebrates Supreme Court win

Ngunyi added that Uhuru should be ruthless in the way he is dealing with the NASA leader and should not get into any deal with him.

Uhuru should make no covenant with Raila. He must destroy him decisively, he said.

He added that the way Uhuru handled Raila during his homecoming was brilliant.

Several people were killed and others injured when NASA supporters engaged police in running battles when they came out to welcome Raila on Friday, November 17.

The political scientist likened Raila to the Biblical Samson who was deceived by a woman and later committed suicide by bringing a temple down killing many of his enemies who had brought him there.

READ ALSO: We will forgive Uhuru for lack of development but not for failing to end Raila's political career - Moses Kuria

Ngunyi has advised Uhuru not to enter into any deal with Raila.Photo:Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook.

Raila is like Samson, and his Grace Mugabe is Orengo, Mudavadi, Muthama, Khalwale and co. These sisters, have handed him over to the enemy and Railas path is to commit political suicide and bring down the temple with the entire country in it, said Ngunyi.

The commentator said should Raila attempt to swear himself in, Uhuru should hand him over to the ICC.

Gladys Wanga dares police officers to shoot her

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- NASA chief principal Raila Odinga is in Zanzibar for undisclosed mission

- The opposition leader flew to Zanzibar on Sunday,November 19,just hours before the Supreme Court upheld Uhuru's win

- It is not yet clear when Raila Odinga will be back in the country ,but NASA assured its supporters that it will issue a directive in five days

Opposition leader Raila Odinga left the country for Zanzibar just hours beforethe Supreme Court upheld Uhuru Kenyatta's win in the October 26,fresh election,TUKO.co.ke has learnt.

The National Super Alliance chief principal left Kenya on Sunday,November 19,night for Zanzibar,where he is said to have gone on an undisclosed mission.

Raila's mysterious trip to Zanzibar was first made public by Raila Odinga's longtime adviser,Salim Lone who also works for the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) in the same capacity.

READ ALSO: I sympathise with the Supreme Court decision to uphold Uhuru's win - Raila Odinga speaks

Raila flies to Zanzibar on undisclosed mission. Photo: Nation

READ ALSO: Uhuru now to be sworn in as fourth president

''He left Kenya on Sunday night, according to Salim Lone, a longtime adviser to Mr. Odinga and his political party. He is now in Zanzibar, off the coast of mainland Tanzania, ''Lone revealed in an interview with New York Times on Monday,November 20 2017.

It is not yet clear when Raila Odinga will be back in the country ,but NASA assured its supporters that it will issue a directive in five days.

Raila's trip to Zanzibar came just hours before the Supreme Court delivered its verdict,which Uhuru as the rightfully elected president pending the official swearing in to be held on Tuesday,November 28 2017.

READ ALSO: Be calm and wait for instructions - NASA tells supporters after Uhuru's win at Supreme Court

Raila left for Zanzibar hours before Supreme Court upheld Uhuru's win. Photo:ZPF

The Supreme Court's verdict was however slammed by Raila Odinga who held that NASA will not recognize the verdict,which it termed as one which it expected.

Raila,in a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, maintained his stance and termed the Jubilee government 'illegitimate',even after the Supreme Court upheld Uhuru's win.

READ ALSO: Haleluhya! Glory to God in Heaven - William Ruto celebrates Supreme Court win

Raila and his party however did not blame the Supreme Court,but sympathised with it,saying it made the verdict under duress.

''We in NASA had repeatedly declared before this Supreme Court ruling today (November 20) that we consider this government to be illegitimate and do not recognize it. This position has not been changed by the Court ruling.We do not condemn the Court; we sympathize with it, because it was a decision taken under duress.'' Read the statement.

Raila Odingas return from USA-London trip trigger drama in Nairobi - on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
President Petro Poroshenko has stated that the Ukrainian Marine Corps is capable to perform any tasks both on land and water.

In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: The Ukrainian Marine Corps is capable to perform any tasks both on land and water. The tasks of the Naval Forces command are to complete the formation of this kind of troops - with the use of modern samples of weapons and military equipment, new forms and methods of conducting military operations.

As reported, President Petro Poroshenko during the celebrations on the occasion of the Day of the Marine Corps on November 16 said that the tank battalion of the marine corps of the Ukrainian Naval Forces will be transferred to the T-80 tanks next year as part of the general rearmament program for these troops. In addition, another battalion of marines will receive upgraded infantry fighting vehicles.

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One Ukrainian soldier was injured in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Andriy Lysenko said this at a press briefing on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"As a result of enemy attacks near Avdiivka, one soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was injured. He was immediately sent to hospital," Lysenko said.

He also added that on November 19, three Ukrainian servicemen were killed due to careless handling of the stove equipment in a military unit in Donetsk direction.

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rnational institutions built after the Second World War, the modern world sees more conflicts. From Colombia to Kosovo, South Sudan and the Korean Peninsula - the old conflicts do not fade, while the new ones flare up with double strength. The role of the UN peacekeeping forces in maintaining world order becomes more important. The question of how to bring them into line with current challenges was discussed at the UN Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial conference that was held in Vancouver, Canada, last week.

The participants in this large-scale event also included Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak. Ukrinform asked him to sum up the results of the conference and speak about Ukraine's progress in advancing its position on peacekeepers in the world.

Q: The heads of military institutions from all over the world gathered in Vancouver. Tell us first about your impressions of the conference. How would you assess this international event in general?

A: It was undoubtedly a significant event this year. It was attended by 79 countries and 40 defense ministers. During two days of the event, Ukraine was one of the key topics both on official platforms and in informal talks. This conference was a great opportunity to convey to the world community Ukraine's position on a possible peacekeeping mission in Donbas. During my speech at one of the sessions, I argued our principled position on this issue. I think it can be stated that the conference has become very successful for our state.

Q: Did you have a chance to talk with participants face to face?

A: During my visit, I held very constructive bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Brazil. There was an extremely valuable opportunity to check our partnership relations. During conversations, we discussed international cooperation in the defense field. I also informed my colleagues about the current situation in Donbas, and we planned our future work aimed at improving cooperation. We also plan to expand cooperation with the Scandinavian countries, including in the training of our military.

Q: What concrete agreements were reached?

A: Sweden expressed its intention next year to consider the possibility of the participation of their troops in the training of our military. The Swedish defense minister will arrive in Kyiv in the first quarter of next year to make a final decision on this issue.

Q: Speaking at the conference, Justin Trudeau did not assume any new commitments regarding the deployment of Canadian peacekeepers anywhere in the world. Does this mean that Canada's involvement in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine is closed?

A: During each meeting with foreign defense ministers, I spoke about our position regarding the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine. All states without exception, including Canada, supported our position. However, it is too early to talk about those who will lead, organize or participate in this mission. It is now necessary to adopt a decision on the deployment of this mission.

I emphasize that it is about Ukraine's proposal, which is significantly different from the Russian one. So, our position regarding the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Donbas has huge support from my colleagues around the world.

Q: Unfortunately, there are currently a lot of hot spots in the world, in addition to Donbas. Is Ukraine still on the radar of the international community?

A: Through its activities, including peacekeeping activity, Ukraine has proved to be a very principled state, which always carries out its own obligations. Over the years of independence, more than 40,000 of our troops participated in peacekeeping operations. Even now, missions in peacekeeping operations abroad are carried out by more than 400 Ukrainians. Our country has done a great deal of work for peace and calm all over the world, so we believe that we deserve special attention from our partners in ensuring peace in Donbas.

Q: What other questions were your interlocutors from other countries interested in?

A: Our colleagues were interested in everything that is going on in Ukraine: reforms, the general situation in the country and in the east, the reaction of our people to the current events. On the whole, everyone gave a positive assessment of the shifts that are taking place in Ukraine today.

Q: Canada is actively helping reform the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Ukraine in general. Are the Canadians satisfied with the progress of our state?

A: During the conference, I managed to talk not only with Canada's Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, but also with Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland. I have not heard any critical remarks. They are generally satisfied with the pace of change in Ukraine and cooperation between our states, not only in the defense sector, but also in other areas.

Q: Is it expedient for Ukraine, in conditions of aggression against it, to send the best soldiers abroad for peacekeeping missions?

A: Ukraine's participation in foreign peacekeeping missions does not affect the state of combat readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We have enough opportunities to fulfill our functions. The tasks that our peacekeepers carry out are extremely important. It is our contribution to stability and peace in the world, so we do not have the right to refuse, even now, when it's hard for us. By the way, our partners very much appreciate that even at a difficult moment Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations related to peacekeeping activities.

Maksym Nalyvaiko, Vancouver.

Photo: Volodymyr Tarasov, Ukrinform
Ukraine would be unable to resist Russian aggression without broad international support.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said this during the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Confrontation of Russian aggression would be impossible without solidarity and international support. We began to fight with arms of the twentieth century against the Russian army equipped with modern weapons. There was a fundamental difference between our military forces," Klimkin said.

He stresses that over the past three and a half years Ukraine has been developing new armed forces. "It's not just about lethal weapons. For me, a fighting spirit is extremely important. Whenever I meet with our soldiers and officers, I always feel this fighting spirit," the minister said.

Klimkin also called on the international community to provide Ukraine with modern defense equipment.

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The European Union has extended the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) to reform the civil security sector and approved a budget worth EUR 32 million for the next year and a half.

Ukrinform learnt this from the press service of the Council of the European Union.

"On November 20, the Council extended the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine until May 31, 2019 and approved a budget of 32 million for the next 18 months," the statement reads.

The European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine, EUAM Ukraine, has been deployed since December 2014, with a mandate to support Ukrainian agencies in the reform of the civilian security sector. The mission is one of the central elements of the EU's enhanced support to the Ukrainian authorities in recent years.

EUAM aims to strengthen and support reform in state agencies such as the police, other law enforcement agencies and the judicial sector, particularly the prosecutor's office.

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The rocket and space industries of Ukraine and Canada have several promising areas for expanding cooperation.

Chairman of the State Space Agency of Ukraine Pavlo Dehtiarenko said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

He had a conversation with President of the Canadian Space Agency Sylvain Laporte, during which they discussed the ways to expand our cooperation.

"We talked about an academic cooperation in a variety of space research, in particular, the solar and terrestrial interactions, the physics of the Sun and the planets, as well as research related to the colonization of the Moon and the planets of the Solar System," Dehtiarenko said.

According to him, the creation of a joint missile complex can become another promising area.

As reported, Ukraine and Canada recently signed a memorandum of understanding, which defines the legal framework for cooperation between the countries in the rocket and space industry.

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko says that he will take part in the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels on November 24.

He said this during a ceremony of honoring the memory of the fallen heroes of the Revolution of Dignity and the ATO fighters during his working trip to the city of Dnipro, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I will go to the Eastern Partnership Summit, and I am glad that we are going to the summit not empty-handed, because on Wednesday our partners from the European Parliament adopted the recommendations of the European Parliament on the creation of a new Eastern Partnership Plus," Poroshenko said.

As reported, on November 15, the European Parliament adopted a report urging to deepen the European integration of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova in the format of the Eastern Partnership Plus.

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President Petro Poroshenko is confident that the political forces of Ukraine must be united for the sake of the future of our country.

Poroshenko said this during a ceremony of honoring the memory of the fallen heroes of the Revolution of Dignity and the ATO fighters during his working trip to the city of Dnipro.

I urge all political forces to unite for the sake of Ukraine, the President said, noting that the last four years had been very important for our state.

Addressing the audience, the Head of State stressed that modern Ukrainians should remember the events that took place a century ago, when having signed the Third Universal of the Central Rada and thereby having proclaimed the independence of the Ukrainian People's Republic, Ukrainians failed to keep the power.

He also drew attention to the fact that Russia still hadnt put up with the existence of the independent Ukrainian state.
Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Yuriy Hrymchak believes that the Kremlin will withdraw its troops from eastern Ukraine in the spring of 2018.

He said this in the Dossier program with Serhiy Rudenko on the Espero.TV channel.

"This is the information that I personally received from several sources in Moscow. I was even told the exact time when it will happen. This is March-April 2018," Hrymchak said.

At the same time, he declined to name people who reported this to him.

"There are people who run risks when transmitting something [information]," the politician said.

In addition, according to the deputy minister, this view is also confirmed in open sources, which, he said, report that "funding for the occupied areas from Russia for next year is not envisaged."

"It is also known that until which month all this will be funded - until September next year," the politician said.

Hrymchak also said that during rotations Russian troops do not leave any weapons and ammunition to militants.

"They retreated and went out," he explained.

The behavior of the leaders of armed groups is also a sign of the rapid withdrawal of Russian-terrorist troops from the temporarily occupied areas, he said.

"Some leaders started to look for housing in Abkhazia, in Moscow region," Hrymchak added.

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The State Security Committee of Belarus (KGB) has claimed that Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko, who was detained in Belarus, created an intelligence network, with Belarusians allegedly collecting intelligence data for him for money.

This was announced by a representative of the Belarusian KGB, Dmitry Pobyarzhin, according to the portal Tut.by.

The Belarusian KGB thinks that after detention, Sharoiko admitted to working undercover as an intelligence officer. "Copies of intelligence reports" sent by the detainee to the "center" were found when searching him.

"On October 25, KGB employees carried out an agent action and caught Pavlo Sharoiko, staff officer of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's main intelligence department, red-handed," Pobyarzhin said.

"Given his record as head of the press service at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's main intelligence department, he was appointed for cover as a correspondent of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine," he said.

He said that in Belarus, Sharoiko created an intelligence network from Belarusian citizens, "who acted for money to fulfill his task on collecting intelligence in the military-political sphere."

"A criminal case was opened against Pavlo Sharoiko under Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (espionage), and the decision was made to apply the measure of restraint in the form of detention," Pobyarzhin added.

As Ukrinform reported, UA: Ukrainian Radio journalist Pavlo Sharoiko was detained by Belarusian KGB officers on October 25.

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Ukrainian consuls could not hand over the necessary medicines to Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Hryb kidnapped in Belarus, while visiting him in Krasnodar's detention facility.

His father, Ihor Hryb, reported this on his Facebook page.

"Seven minutes were given to the Ukrainian consuls to meet with Pavlo. Speaking Ukrainian is forbidden, medicines are forbidden. Pavlo does not remove the hood, his body is plucked with ulcers, and his health deteriorates," his father wrote.

As reported, a 19-year-old son of a State Border Service officer, Pavlo Hryb, disappeared in Belarus on August 24. Later it became known that he was kidnapped by Russian intelligence services and transferred to the Krasnodar detention facility (Russia).

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The Belarusian authorities have declared an adviser of the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk, Ihor Skvortsov, persona non grata in the case of detained Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko.

An official representative of the State Security Committee of Belarus (KGB), Dmitry Pobyarzhin, said this at a briefing in Minsk on Monday.

According to him, Sharoiko confirmed that his intelligence activities had allegedly been coordinated by "an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Ihor Skvortsov, who acted under the guise of an adviser to the Ukrainian Embassy in Belarus."

"For activities that are incompatible with his diplomatic status, Skvortsov has been declared persona non grata," Pobyarzin said.

As Ukrinform reported, UA: Ukrainian Radio journalist Pavlo Sharoiko was detained by Belarusian KGB officers on October 25.

He is charged with the creation of an agent network, with Belarusians allegedly collecting intelligence for him for money.

The Belarusian KGB thinks that after detention, Sharoiko admitted to working undercover as an intelligence officer. "Copies of intelligence reports" sent by the detainee to the "center" were found when searching him.

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Journalists from five countries of the world will visit Rivne region on Tuesday to get acquainted with the tourist potential of the region.

This was reported by the press service of the Rivne Regional State Administration.

"The journalists from the USA, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Turkey and Poland will visit Rivne region to get acquainted with the unique tourist attractions of the region. Tomorrow, November 21, a press-brunch will take place with the deputy chairman of the Rivne Regional State Administration and the representatives of the tourist industry of the region," the report says.

The visit of the representatives of foreign media takes place within the framework of the press tour "Opening Ukraine", which is a joint project of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and NGO "Kyiv Press Club". Within the project, the journalists will visit ten regions of Ukraine to learn the tourist potential of the country.

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A statement by the State Security Committee of Belarus that detained Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko is allegedly an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is untrue, the directorate's press service has reported.

"On November 20, 2009, the Belarusian media spread a statement by an official representative of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus concerning the involvement of Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko in the creation of an agent network and conducting intelligence activities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The statement also says that Pavlo Sharoiko admitted that he is an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The directorate's media liaisons office is authorized to state that the information mentioned in the said statement is untrue," reads the report.

The intelligence directorate reported that Sharoiko really served as head of the press service at the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, but in 2009 he was dismissed from military service for health reasons. After that, Shariko worked under a previously acquired specialty - as a Ukrainian journalist, including as a correspondent in Belarus.

As reported, Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko, a UA: Ukrainian Radio correspondent in Belarus, was detained in Minsk on October 25. He was charged with "espionage."

The Belarusian State Security Committee stated that Shariko had allegedly admitted to working as an intelligence officer and that he had created an agency network in the country.

Earlier, on August 24, Pavlo Hryb, a 19-year-old son of a Ukrainian State Border Service officer, disappeared in Belarus. Subsequently, it became known that he was kidnapped by the Russian special services and transferred to a detention facility in Krasnodar (Russia).

On November 20, it was also known that the Belarusian intelligence services detained another Ukrainian citizen, Oleksandr Skyba, the head of PJSC Plant of Weighting Materials, who arrived in Belarus for negotiations.

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Confronting open defecation

When health workers visited Chaw, a remote village in the central highlands, Fatima realised she could do something to bring about change.

She volunteered with the village health committee, which took part in the district wide Community-led Total Sanitation approach, where families identify areas around their homes that are used as toilets.

Using a combination of shock, shame, pride and disgust, families are encouraged through peer pressure to build a latrine and commit to using it. The process usually lasts three to six months until an entire community has given up defecating in the open, contributing to a healthier environment for everyone.

There were faeces everywhere but its cleaner now, people realised they needed to use their toilets, says Mercia, 20, who lives on the edge of the village.

The impact has not only been positive for the health of her son Alicina, 3, and daughter Sohaila, 5, but also her bank balance. Weve cut down on the numerous trips to the health clinics and hospitals to treat the children. The transport and treatment costs would add up to 2,000 Afghanis (US$30) a month, she explains.
Page Content

The Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir and Choral Union will combine to perform two pieces by Beethoven at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1.

The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. both evenings in Michelsen Hall at the Noel Fine Arts Center. The groups will perform Beethoven's Overture to Coriolanus, op. 62, and Mass in C Major, op. 86. The choirs are conducted by Lucinda Thayer, professor and director of choral activities, and the orchestra is conducted by Andres Moran, assistant professor of horn and orchestral director.

The performance will feature four additional vocalists  current faculty members Susan Bender, soprano, and Matthew Markham, bass-baritone, former faculty member Dennis Willhoit, tenor, and alumna and visiting lecturer Chelsea Betz, mezzo soprano.

Bender is a professor of voice who has taught at UW-Stevens Point since 2003. She teaches the Music Department's Opera Workshop and has performed with a variety of operas and orchestras. She is a Metropolitan Opera National Council winner and her students have won numerous vocal awards and contests as well.

Markham came to UW-Stevens Point in 2012 and is an associate professor of voice. He has an active career on the operatic, concert and recital stages. He has won several vocal awards, as have his students. He also teaches the Opera Workshop and serves on the Wisconsin National Association of Teachers of Singing Board.

Willhoit is the president and musical director for the American Gothic Performing Arts Festival. He is also an active soloist and principal tenor in the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. While at UW-Stevens Point, he earned a 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Betz is serving as a visiting lecturer at UW-Stevens Point this semester while Bender is on sabbatical. She graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 2014 and earned a master's degree in vocal performance at Northwestern University.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $5 for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point I.D. if not sold out. Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets also may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.






Prime Minister Hun Sen last week said he expects his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party to win handsomely at the general election in 2018 following the dissolution of the opposition party.

Speaking at a gathering of garment workers in Kandal province, the longtime prime minister appealed to the Cambodian people to resist foreign interference in Cambodian affairs.

He added that he had asked the United States to reclassify Cambodian debt as aid. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on the request.

He took credit for solving malnutrition after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, urging voters to continue to vote for the Cambodian Peoples Party and offer a chance for your uncle [Hun Sen] to be prime minister for the next ten years.

At a recent Asean summit in the Philippines, he said he raised the debt issue with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he described the debt as like taking a hammer to hit us and asking us to pay for the hammer.

David Josar, U.S. Embassy spokesman, said: Were not going to have any comment on the Prime Ministers comment on US debt.

However, Hun Sen claimed he said sorry to Trump for raising the issue, to which he said Trump replied, No problem, thank you.

Political observers said Hun Sen has effectively been campaigning for the 2018 election for some time already.

Yoeung Sotheara, a legal monitor with election watchdog Comfrel, said last week that if the election was to be considered free and fair, space must be given to other political parties to campaign as well.

You shouldnt detract from your competitors and create the chance for yourself to announce your voice alone, in order to attract support, but not let others do the same. Thats not fair competition, he said.
Prak Sokhon, Cambodias foreign minister, has defended the government over its crackdown on journalists and the dissolution of the countrys main opposition party on spurious charges last week.

Sokhon made the comments in a meeting with Gunnar Wiegand, managing director of the European Unions foreign service, and George Edgar, E.U. ambassador, last week, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

According to the governments account of the meeting, Sokhon said groups including the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a U.S. government-funded democracy promotion group, and the Cambodia Daily newspaper had closed of their own accord after the government notified NDI that it did not have proper authorization to operate and that the Cambodia Daily owed the government millions of dollars in back taxes and interest.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no choice but to stop the activity of this NGO, he said in the statement, referring to the NDI.

The NDI, however, says it was not given an opportunity to register and considered the move a deliberate decision to exclude it from the democratic process ahead of next years general election.

Similarly, the Cambodia Daily management alleges that the levying of a large tax bill was intended to close its operations ahead of the election.

Sokhon said the dissolution of the CNRP was a decision made independently by the Supreme Court.

The judge who presided over the case is a member of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and said to be close to Hun Sen. Sokhon told the E.U. officials Cambodia will not return to one-party rule.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party, the only serious challenger to Hun Sens CPP, was ordered dissolved by the Supreme Court on Thursday in a case widely seen as politically motivated.

In a statement following the decision, the E.U. said: An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate. The enforced dissolution of the CNRP effectively disenfranchises all those who gave the party their support in the elections in 2013 and 2017. A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders, and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored.

It added that if Cambodia wishes to continue to benefit from the so-called Everything But Arms preferential trade scheme, it must ensure respect for human rights and the democratic process.

A foreign ministry spokesman could not be reached.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported.

Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in an increasingly tense run-up to a 2018 election that has included a crackdown on critics, rights groups and independent media.

The United States announced on Friday it was ending funding for the election, and promised more concrete steps, after the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the request of the government, on the grounds it was plotting to seize power.

The party denied the accusation.

The pro-government Fresh News website reported that Hun Sen said in a speech to garment workers that he welcomed the U.S. aid cut and urged it to cut it all.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen confirmed that cutting U.S. aid wont kill the government but will only kill a group of people who serve American policies, Fresh News reported, using Hun Sens official title.

It did not identify the people suspected of serving U.S. policies but added: Hun Sen ... welcomes and encourages the U.S. to cut all aid.

The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to a request for comment.

In April, the U.S. embassy announced a $1.8 million grant to assist local elections this year and next years general election.

Chinese support

The U.S. State Department said on its website that U.S. assistance to Cambodia for programs in health, education, governance, economic growth and clearing unexploded ordnance was worth more than $77.6 million in 2014.

However, Chinese support for big ticket projects has allowed Hun Sen to brush off Western criticism of his crackdown on dissent.

China vastly outspends the United States in a country once destroyed by Cold War superpower rivalry, and its money goes on highly visible infrastructure projects and with no demands for political reform.

Opposition leader jailed

In September, authorities arrested the CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, and charged him with treason over what they said was a plot to take power with U.S. help. He denied any such plot. The U.S. State Department called on Friday for Cambodia to release him and reverse the decision to ban his party.

The court also banned 118 party members from politics for five years.

Police have begun to take down CNRP signs from their offices across the country. Mu Sochua, a senior CNRP member who moved abroad shortly before the party was banned, said Hun Sen was jeopardizing foreign investment.

Foreign investors serious about investing in Cambodia wont be coming and are, or will be, looking at an exit if they cant compete with Chinas monopoly in Cambodia because Hun Sen needs to pay back favors to China, she said.

Western countries, which for decades supported Cambodias emergence from war and isolation, have shown little appetite for sanctions in response to the crackdown, but the European Union has raised the possibility of Cambodia losing trade preferences.

Tariff-free access to Europe for Cambodian garments, and similar trade preferences in the United States, have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low-cost labour. EU and U.S. buyers take some 60 percent of Cambodias exports.
The annual pardoning of White House turkeys each year by American presidents is an interesting tradition leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. It is said that President Abraham Lincolns clemency for a turkey was the origin for the pardoning ceremony that is now so well publicized. VOAs Nikoleta Ilic has this report about the turkeys that are given to American Presidents.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe addressed the nation in a televised speech Sunday after being sacked as the ruling party leader. Reading his statement in a hesitant manner, the 93-year-old leader said the pillars of state remained functional during the most recent political turmoil and made it known he would preside over his party's congress in December. Zlatica Hoke reports.
He leads a group of men who wear irregular fatigues, let their hair grow below the shoulders, and drive around in white pick-up trucks, looking like the militants they have vowed to fight.

Bilal Bacha is the commander of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in the Achin district in Eastern Afghanistan. The area was once the stronghold of the Islamic State group. While most of it has been cleared, the day Bacha talked to VOA at one of his check posts, fighter planes whirred overhead, dropping multiple bombs in the surrounding mountains and creating mushroom clouds that could be seen from a distance. The fight was obviously not over.



Residents described Bacha and his men to be some of the fiercest fighters against IS militants and for good reason, their families had been among the victims of the IS attacks.



We've picked up these guns to protect our women and children. We are not doing this for money or for a salary. The $100 or $150 dollars we get per month is nothing. We can earn that doing anything else, Bacha said while looking out from his check post over the dusty surroundings.



The ALP unit in Achin is part of a project started in 2010 with American money and support from the U.S. Special Operations Forces. The idea was to create, train, and arm local units that could defend their own neighborhoods against the Taliban and other militant groups, particularly in areas where the governments security presence was weak.



Rapid expansion

Many resisted the concept at first, including the then-President Hamid Karzai, local units without central governments authority would resemble the militias of the past that contributed to the vicious civil wars of the 1990s, they reminded. In the end, Karzai accepted the proposal to establish a 10,000 member temporary force that would dissolve or be merged into the more structured Afghan security forces in a few years.



Since then, the ALPs strength across the country has grown three times, and it operates in 31 of Afghanistans 34 provinces.



The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), in one of his reports, described ALPs strengths as, Its ability to distinguish local residents from insurgents, a higher level of perceived trustworthiness compared to outside forces, and an intimate knowledge of villages vulnerable sites and exit routes.

But what is strength in some communities is exactly what is making the ALP controversial in others. Having local roots raised the ALPs stakes in the security of the area, but it also made it vulnerable to local influences, including those of local powerbrokers who have, in several instances, co-opted the force as local employment schemes for their followers and a tool to assert their control over the population.

Controversial role



An independent group of Kabul based researchers at Afghanistan Analysts Network reported, Evidence of ALP being imposed on communities, of abusive behavior and of the capture of units by strongmen and tanzims [the old armed factions] ... with political connections between ALP and figures in central government often making control of abusive forces impossible.



In a September news release, the international rights body Human Rights Watch said, While these forces have gained some local support as a result of recent reforms, in many localities these forces have been responsible for numerous abuses against civilians, as well as summary executions of captured combatants and other violations of international humanitarian law.

Afghanistans own national body, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, reported that recruitment in the ALP was not always done according to protocol. Criminals, members of illegal armed groups, even the Taliban in some cases, managed to find their way in.



The Afghan government has responded to the criticism by increasing accountability of these local units by its Afghan Local Police Directorate, and the sole funder of the force, the United States, has conditioned future support with reforms in the system.

Despite the reported problems, almost everyone, including the rights groups, seemed to agree that disbanding the forces suddenly was not an option, since it would create a security vacuum that was likely to give a military edge to the Taliban. Which was why many, including the International Crisis Group, had recommended a program of careful reintegration of these men into either the regular Afghan security forces or back into society.

Meanwhile, Bachas men regularly watered the new trees they had planted around their check post, hoping to watch them grow and one day enjoy the fruit.


While the Afghan military, with the help of NATO forces, is carrying out an operation to clear Eastern Afghanistan of the militant Islamic State group, the day to day security of the area is now in the hands of a controversial local police force funded by the United States. VOAs Ayesha Tanzeem spent time with the Afghan Local Police in the Achin district of Eastern Afghanistan, where this force is primarily fighting the Islamic State militants.
The Alabama woman who has accused Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexually abusing her four decades ago when she was 14 and he was 32 said Monday it took her decades before she regained her sense of trust and confidence in herself.

Leigh Corfman, now 53, told NBC's Today show that she was "a 14-year-old child trying to play in an adults world" when Moore, then a local prosecutor, initiated the 1979 encounter with her.

"I was expecting candlelight and roses, what I got was very different," she said. "I felt guilty. I felt like I was the one to blame. It was decades before I was able to let that go."

Corfman's accusations against Moore first appeared in The Washington Post more than a week ago, but her NBC appearance was her first televised account.

Corfman said she "didn't deserve to have a 32-year-old man prey upon" her.

"I met him around the corner from my house, my mother did not know and he took me to his home," Corfman said. "After arriving at his home on the second occasion that I went with him he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceeded to  seduce me, I guess you would say."

She had told the newspaper that Moore took off her "shirt and pants and removed his clothes," touched her over her bra and underpants and guided her hand to touch him over his underwear before she ended the encounter. She asked him to take her home, and he did.



Franken allegations



Meanwhile, a second woman has accused Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota of groping her.

The woman, Lindsay Menz, told CNN that while she posed for a picture with Franken at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair, he "pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek."

Last week, Los Angeles radio newscaster Leann Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her in 2006 while they were on a Middle East tour to entertain U.S. troops, then grabbing her breasts while she slept on the flight home. She posted a photo offering evidence of the latter accusation on her radio station's website.

Franken apologized to Tweeden. Franken said that while he does not remember having a picture taken with Menz, "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

In Alabama, Moore has repeatedly denied the accusations and rebuffed calls from prominent Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and two former Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain, to end his candidacy in the December 12 election. However, the deadline to withdraw from the contest has long since passed and Republican calls for a write-in candidacy of anyone as an alternative to Moore have faltered.

Corfman's allegations of sexual abuse against Moore, as well as those from another woman, and recollections of Moore's pursuit of other teenage girls in the late 1970s, have dominated Moore's attempt to win the contest in the southern state of Alabama against Democrat Doug Jones, a former federal prosecutor. The election is to fill the last three years of the Senate seat once held by Jeff Sessions, who resigned from it to join President Donald Trump's Cabinet as attorney general, the country's top law enforcement position.

Since the allegations first surfaced, Trump has largely avoided commenting on them, with the White House at first saying Moore should drop out of the race if the accusations were true. Trump had pushed for Republicans to nominate Luther Strange, the appointed senator now holding the seat, but when Strange lost to Moore in a party primary in September, Trump voiced his support for Moore on Twitter.

The White House signaled Monday it wants Moore to win the contest.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, in interviews with CNN and Fox News, described Jones as a "doctrinaire liberal" who would vote against tax cuts the Trump administration is pushing Congress to adopt.

Asked if the White House was asking people to vote for Moore, Conway deflected the question, but said, "I'm telling you we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump believes it is "up to the people of Alabama who their next senator will be."

Voter surveys in Alabama have shown that Jones has pulled ahead of Moore by about 5 to 8 percentage points.
Belarus's KGB state security service said on Monday it had uncovered a spy ring working for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry that had been set up by a detained Ukrainian radio correspondent.

Minsk-based journalist Pavlo Sharoyko was arrested in October and charged with being an undercover intelligence officer, KGB spokesman Dmitry Pobyarzhin said in a briefing.

"In Belarus, Sharoyko built a network of agents made up of Belarusian citizens, who carried out his assignments for monetary compensation," Pobyarzhin said.

An adviser to the Ukrainian embassy in Minsk, Ihor Skvortsov, has been declared persona non grata as he is believed to be Sharoyko's handler, Pobyarzhin said.

The Ukrainian Foreign and Defense Ministries declined immediate comment. Sharoyko and Skvortsov could not be reached for comment.

The case could put further pressure on relations between Minsk and Kyiv that were tested earlier this year when Belarus hosted large-scale joint military exercises with Russia on Belarusian territory.

September's Zapad-2017 (West-2017) war games unnerved neighboring Ukraine and NATO member states on Europe's eastern flank, which feared the exercises could be a rehearsal or cover for a real offensive.
Charles Manson, one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history, died late Sunday at the age of 83, after four and a half decades in prison.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Manson died of natural causes at a hospital in Kern County.

Manson and six of his associates were jailed in 1971 for a series of seven grisly murders in the Los Angeles area over two nights in 1969. Three other of his followers were later jailed for crimes linked to Manson.

Manson was born to an unwed mother in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1934. He spent his entire life in and out of detention for various crimes. He started in his teenage years with sentences for burglary and armed robbery. As an adult, the diminutive Manson was believed to be illiterate, but the chronically unemployed, self-styled songwriter won followers with good looks and charisma. In the mid-1960s he became the leader of a small cult known as the Manson Family whom he led to commit the murders of August 1969.

Manson claimed to be influenced by the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter." He said he believed the song alluded to an impending race war that would be brought about by the murders he and his followers committed.

Manson's most well-known victim was the American actress Sharon Tate, who was 26 years old and eight and a half months pregnant when she was stabbed to death by the Manson gang at the home she shared with film director husband Roman Polanski in Benedict Canyon, California. Also killed at the same location were Tate's acquaintances Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, as well as Steven Parent, a friend of the house caretaker. The murder scene was left in a gruesome mess; one of the Manson gang left the word "pig" written in blood on the front door.

The following night, six members of the Manson gang broke into the Los Feliz (L.A.) home of a wealthy supermarket executive, Leno LaBianca, and killed him and his wife Rosemary. The two sets of murders were not connected by authorities until weeks later.

After law enforcement authorities identified the Manson gang members by their fingerprints, Manson and his followers were tried in a spectacular court proceeding the following year. Manson attempted to represent himself, which resulted in a number of flamboyant legal motions. Ultimately he was assigned an attorney and responded by carving an "X" into his own forehead to demonstrate his displeasure. His followers copied him, disfiguring their own faces as well.

Manson later converted his "X" into a swastika, the symbol of the white-supremacist Nazi Party of Germany.

Manson and his followers were each given death sentences in the 1971 verdict, but the state of California outlawed the death penalty the following year -- so most of the Manson family members have remained behind bars despite dozens of parole hearings. Manson himself had been denied parole 12 times.

Manson's death leaves five members of the Manson Family still in prison, serving out their life sentences: Robert Beausoleil, Bruce Davis, Charles "Tex" Watson, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkel. All are in their 60s and 70s. A sixth member, Susan Atkins, died in prison, of brain cancer, in 2009.

At least three other Manson associates have been paroled after serving time for crimes linked to Manson.

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was paroled in 2009 after serving 33 years for an attempt on the life of U.S. President Gerald Ford.

Sandra Good was paroled in 1985 after serving nine years for sending threatening letters to more than 150 corporate executives. And Steve Grogan, convicted for helping Manson and Davis kill a ranch hand in 1969, also was paroled in 1985, after drawing a map that helped authorities locate the body of the victim, eight years after the murder.
China has proposed a three-phase plan for resolving the Rohingya crisis, starting with a ceasefire, that has won the support of Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Foreign Ministry said.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist majority Myanmar's Rakhine State. The Rohingyas' suffering has caused an international outcry.

Visiting the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China believed that the issue could be addressed by a solution acceptable to neighbors Myanmar and Bangladesh through consultations.

A ceasefire should be followed by bilateral dialogue to find a workable solution, the ministry website reported late on Sunday. The third and final phase should be to work toward a long-term solution.

Wang said a ceasefire was basically in place already, and the key now was to prevent a flare-up. He hoped the two sides could soon sign and implement an agreement already reached on repatriation.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council should give encouragement and support to both countries "to create the necessary conditions and a good environment", it quoted Wang as saying at a joint press conference with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader.

Myanmar was supportive of the Chinese plan, as was Bangladesh, where Wang visited earlier in the weekend. In Dhaka Wang said the international community should not complicate the situation.
Two of President Donald Trump's leading economic advisers sent mixed signals Sunday on the fate of a health care provision in the Senate version of a $1.5 trillion measure to overhaul business and personal income taxes that is expected to be voted on after Thanksgiving.

The provision to repeal a requirement that everyone in the U.S. have insurance has emerged as a major sticking point for Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has said that issue should be dealt with separately from the push by Trump and fellow Republicans to overhaul the tax code.

Collins' vote is crucial in a chamber where Republicans hold a slim 52-48 edge.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has already declared his opposition to the bill, saying last week that it doesn't cut business taxes enough for partnerships and corporations. GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Rand Paul of Kentucky also have concerns about the bill.

Republicans cannot afford to lose more than two senators on the final vote, which would allow Vice President Mike Pence to cast a tie-breaking 51st vote in his capacity as president of the Senate. Democrats are not expected to support the bill, as was the case when the House passed its version last week.

Asked whether the health care provision will be removed to keep Republicans on board, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated that the current plan is to keep the provision in the bill. The provision is not in the House version of the legislation.

The president thinks we should get rid of it. I think we should get rid of it, Mnuchin said. It's an unfair tax on poor people. To think that you put a penalty on people who can't afford to buy medical policies, it's just fundamentally unfair.

He added: But we're going to work with the Senate as we go through this.

Obamacare

Budget director Mick Mulvaney said the White House is open to scrapping the provision, which would repeal a key component of the Affordable Care Act health care law enacted by President Barack Obama. Trump has pressed for the provision to be added to the bill, partly to show progress on undoing the health care law. Congress fell short during previous attempts earlier this year to repeal the overall health care law.

I don't think anybody doubts where the White House is on repealing and replacing Obamacare. We absolutely want to do it, Mulvaney said. If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill and have a tax bill that is still a good tax bill that can pass, that's great.

If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we're OK with taking it out,'' Mulvaney added.

Legislative director Marc Short said the White House is very comfortable with the House bill,'' which does not include what's known as the individual mandate.'' But Short said the White House views the individual mandate as a tax and we like the fact that the Senate has included it in its bill.''

At issue is a provision to repeal the requirement that everyone in the U.S. have health insurance. Eliminating the so-called individual mandate under Obamacare would add an estimated $338 billion in revenue over 10 years that the Senate tax-writers used for additional tax cuts.

Collins said Sunday that the tax advantage that some middle-income consumers would get under the broader bill could end up being canceled out by repealing the mandate. They would face higher insurance premiums coupled with the loss of federal subsidies to help them afford the cost of insurance, she said.

The fact is that if you do pull this piece of the Affordable Care Act out, for some middle-income families, the increased premium is going to cancel out the tax cut that they would get,'' Collins said.

Collins said she hasn't decided how to vote on the bill because it will be amended before the final vote.

Mnuchin, meanwhile, said he's had very good discussions'' with Collins, Corker and Johnson about the bill. He said he wants to make sure their views are heard and incorporated before the final vote.

Mnuchin spoke on Fox News Sunday.'' Mulvaney and Collins were interviewed on CNN's State of the Union.'' Collins also appeared on ABC's This Week.''
Conservation groups sued the U.S. government on Monday over a plan to allow hunters to bring home elephant and lion trophies from Zimbabwe, following changing statements about the possible move by President Donald Trump's administration.

The lawsuit in federal court in Washington was the latest move in a saga that began last week when a trophy hunting group said at a conference in Africa that the White House was ready to overturn a rule banning the import of elephant trophies, sparking a surge of criticism from wildlife advocates.

The Center for Biological Diversity and the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement that their lawsuit intended to resolve "contradictory announcements" by the Republican administration about trophy imports of the at-risk species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday said it had concluded that Zimbabwe and Zambia had developed conservation plans that would allow sustainable hunting of the endangered species, an announcement that came the same week that Zimbabwe was rocked by a coup. A proposal published on Friday would have allowed both elephant and lion trophies shot in Zimbabwe, but not Zambia, to be imported into the United States.

"These two final agency actions are arbitrary and capricious, as the conclusions that trophy hunting of elephants and lions in Zimbabwe enhances the survival of the species are not supported by the evidence," the conservation groups said in their 34-page lawsuit Monday.

WATCH: Trophy Hunting

The lawsuit asked a judge to rule the move illegal and named as defendants Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Interior Department referred queries about the lawsuit to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Following the release of the proposed Zimbabwe rules, the White House said it had made no decision to allow trophy imports.

"Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal," Trump said on Twitter on Sunday.

Africa's elephant population plunged by about a fifth between 2006 and 2015 because of increased poaching for ivory, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said last year.

Wildlife activists argue that corruption is endemic in impoverished Zimbabwe, and that money generated by big game hunting and meant for conservation has been diverted to crooks and poachers.
Following a fatal traffic accident in Okinawa, the U.S. military in Japan has restricted all U.S. service members on Okinawa to base and their residences.

In addition, the U.S. military said in a statement Monday that service members on Okinawa and mainland Japan are prohibited from "purchasing or consuming alcohol, on or off base."

Police in Okinawa arrested Nicholas James-McLean, a 21-year-old Marine, Sunday on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death.

Kazuhiko Miyagi of the Okinawa police confirmed Sunday that the Marine's breath test indicated an alcohol level three times the legal limit.

The U.S. military said in the statement that "alcohol may have been a factor" in the accident.

Hidemasa Taira, who was 61, died when his vehicle and the serviceman's truck collided.

The Marines have expressed their "sincere condolences" to the victim's family and have promised to cooperate with the investigation.

The names of the two drivers have not been released.

The U.S. has a number of military bases in Japan with tens of thousands of U.S. troops. Many of the troops are stationed on Okinawa, where there has been longstanding opposition to their presence.

According to the military statement, all U.S. service members and government civilians in Japan will be required to attend "mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior."

"When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission," the statement said.

The U.S. military is in Japan as part of a joint security treaty.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will consult Monday with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier after weeks of talks to form a coalition government fell apart with one potential partner withdrawing from the process.

"It is at least a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany," Merkel told reporters. "But I will do everything possible to ensure that this country will be well led through these difficult weeks."

She spoke after the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) decided to exit a possible coalition with Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, along with the left-leaning Greens.

FDP leader Christian Lindner said his party opted to withdraw rather than compromise its principles and agree to policies it does not completely support.

"It is better not to govern than to govern falsely," Lindner said.

The parties have clashed on several issues, including immigration and the environment.

With the failure of the coalition talks, Germany could be headed to new elections. Merkel could still try to form a minority government, or try to convince the Social Democratic Party to change its mind and continue as a junior coalition partner in a new government.

But the Social Democrats have said since a disappointing result in the September election that they would be heading to the opposition.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday asked judges to authorize an investigation in Afghanistan into allegations including rape and torture by the U.S. military and CIA, crimes against humanity by the Taliban and war crimes by Afghan security forces.

The announcement marked the first time ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has gone after Americans for alleged war crimes and sets up a possible showdown with Washington. The United States is not a member state of the court, but its nationals can be charged with crimes committed in countries that are members.

As well as alleged crimes by American troops in Afghanistan, Bensouda wants to investigate CIA operatives for their roles in secret detention facilities in Afghanistan and other countries that are court members.

Bensouda said in a summary of her request that "information available provides a reasonable basis to believe" that U.S. military personnel and CIA operatives "committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence against conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan and other locations, principally in the 2003-2004 period."

She added that the Taliban and its allies are suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes "as part of a widespread and systematic campaign of intimidation, targeted killings and abductions of civilians" perceived as supporting the government or opposing the Taliban rebels.

Afghan security forces are, in turn, suspected of involvement in "systematic patterns of torture and cruel treatment of conflict-related detainees in Afghan detention facilities, including acts of sexual violence," Bensouda said.

In a statement, Richard Dicker, International Justice Director at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the request, saying it "signals that victims there who have endured horrific crimes dating back to May 2003 may finally obtain some justice. The request to pursue abuses by all sides, including those implicating US personnel, reinforces the message that no one, no matter how powerful the government they serve, is beyond the law."

Established in 2002, the International Criminal Court is the world's first permanent court set up to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Rome treaty that established the court, but President George W. Bush renounced the signature, citing fears that Americans would be unfairly prosecuted for political reasons.

There is no set timeframe for judges to rule on Bensouda's request. Victims have until Jan. 31 next year to make their views about the possible investigation known to judges who will assess the request.
The fate of 40,000 African migrants in Israel remains unclear after lawmakers approved a proposal to deport them.

The Cabinet in Jerusalem voted unanimously Sunday to close the isolated Holot detention facility in the Negev Desert. Holot houses thousands of Africans who entered Israel illegally. The center is due to shut down in three months, and residents will face the option of leaving the country or going to prison.

Impoverished Africans, mostly from war-torn Eritrea and Sudan, swarmed across Israels southern border with Egypts Sinai Peninsula from around 2006 until 2013, when the completion of a massive border fence cut off the influx.

Asylum or better life?

The migrants describe themselves as refugees seeking political asylum, but Israel sees the majority as illegal economic migrants and even infiltrators. Many live in squalid neighborhoods in south Tel Aviv, where Israeli locals blame them for rising crime and a deteriorating quality of life.

This is the right policy to ease the suffering of residents in south Tel Aviv and other neighborhoods where the infiltrators reside, said Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who initiated the deportation proposal. My duty is to return peace and quiet to south Tel Aviv and many neighborhoods across the country.



Officials say it is a national duty to protect the Jewish and democratic character of the state.

Our policy toward infiltrators is three staged, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Cabinet. Stage one is halting [the influx]. We built a fence and enacted laws that completely blocked the flow of infiltrators, and today we have zero infiltrators. The second stage is removal. We removed approximately 20,000 out of the existing infiltrators using various measures. Stage three is  to continue removing significantly more than what we have until now.

Netanyahu spoke of an international agreement which allows us to remove the 40,000 remaining infiltrators without their consent. The deal is reportedly with Rwanda and perhaps Uganda, which are said to have agreed to take in the migrants.

The controversial Cabinet decision has brought condemnation from both at home and abroad. Israel's current policies treat asylum seekers as threats and aim to coerce them into leaving Israel, the Tel Aviv-based African Refugee Development Center said on its website. However, this strategy continues to put asylum seekers at risk without a true guarantee of legal protection or safety.

UN concerned

The UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said it was seriously concerned about the proposal.

Due to the secrecy surrounding this policy and the lack of transparency concerning its implementation, it has been very difficult for UNHCR to follow up and systematically monitor the situation of people relocated to these African countries, the agency said in a statement.

UNHCR expressed concern in the statement that "these persons have not found adequate safety or a durable solution to their plight and that many have subsequently attempted dangerous onward movements within Africa or to Europe.

Critics in Israel point to a moral dilemma, comparing the Africans to Jewish refugees who were turned away from the United States and many European countries during the Holocaust. Officials here, however, say Israel was created as a refuge and homeland for the Jewish people, and not for underprivileged Africans seeking a better life.
When Zimbabwes military sent tanks into the capital, Harare, and took President Robert Mugabe into custody nearly a week ago, it was clear they wanted a quick resolution to the growing discontent with the longtime president.

But now, with Mugabe refusing to resign despite repeated attempts at persuasion, and with parliament threatening to begin impeachment proceedings Tuesday, the military could be on a long and complicated path with a formidable opponent: Mugabe himself.

WATCH: President Mugabe's Address



Lovemore Madhuku teaches law at the University of Zimbabwe. He says impeachment can be lengthy, complex and deliberate, because its meant to be more than just lawmakers voting out an unpopular leader by a two-thirds vote.

When we say an impeachment in the Zimbabwean context, it actually means a trial, he told VOA, noting that the president is allowed to present arguments in his defense at the impeachment hearing.

You are accusing the president of something and then you want them tried for that. If you find them guilty of that thing that you have accused them of, you then dismiss them from being president...You cant do it in one day, or in a few minutes or whatever. It takes several months to complete an impeachment.

Grounds for impeachment

Zimbabwes constitution provides four grounds for impeaching a president or vice president: serious misconduct; failure to obey, uphold or defend the constitution; willful violation of the constitution; or inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity.

Madhuku said that while a lawyer might see several opportunities there  Mugabe is, after all, widely accused of human rights abuses and clamping down on civil liberties during his 37-year rule, and he is 93 years old and sometimes falls asleep at public appearances  politicians may take other factors into account.

For example, he says, its unlikely that the ruling ZANU-PF would risk hurting its stature by highlighting actions that elevated the party to prominence, such as Gukurahundi, the series of army-led massacres of political and ethnic rivals in the 1980s.

If they get him on that, then they are exposing him to that whole issue about, you know, crimes against humanity and so forth, he said. And I dont think that ZANU-PF as currently constituted would want that end to President Mugabe. They are themselves beneficiaries of his leadership... The kind of things they will be accusing him of were things that were done [in the interests of] many of those people that now stand out and want to accuse him, or those that will vote and constitute the two-thirds that say Mugabe must go.

But these considerations clash with the increasingly loud demands of many Zimbabweans. In recent days, tens of thousands of Harare residents marched to demand Mugabes immediate resignation.

More protests expected



On Monday, Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans association, said demonstrations would continue  and that the group would also go to court to seek to legalize the militarys actions against Mugabe last week.

Now we want even more support, he told supporters in Harare. It will be a sit-in until Mugabes back is seen by the people of Zimbabwe. We are not going to be leaving Harare until he is gone.

But Madhuku says the military may have underestimated Mugabe and his familiarity with the law.

"So many things they are not aware of in terms of the law, he said. Im sure thats why they obviously lost the boardroom discussion, because on the legal side, Mugabe is always on the stronger side.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism in a speech Monday that comes as her country is accused of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi did not directly mention the refugee exodus as she welcomed European and Asian foreign ministers to Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar. But her speech highlighted the views of many in Myanmar who see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and blame the population for terrorist acts.

The ongoing Rohingya exodus is sure to be raised by the visitors at the meetings held Monday and Tuesday.

The world is in a new period of instability as conflicts around the world give rise to new threats and emergencies, Suu Kyi said, citing ``Illegal immigration's spread of terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war. Conflicts take away peace from societies, leaving behind underdevelopment and poverty, pushing peoples and even countries away from one another.''

Myanmar has been criticized for the military crackdown that has driven more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state into neighboring Bangladesh. The United Nations has said the crackdown appeared to be a campaign of ethnic cleansing, and some have called for re-imposing international sanctions that were lifted as Myanmar transitioned from military rule to elected government.

Foreign ministers and representatives of 51 countries are meeting in Naypyitaw in a forum that aims to further political and economic cooperation but takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.

A flurry of diplomatic activity preceded Monday's opening, with the foreign ministers of Germany and Sweden joining the EU's foreign policy chief in a visit to the teeming refugee camps in Bangladesh. China's Wang Yi was also in Bangladesh and met privately with Suu Kyi on Sunday in Myanmar following that trip.

Suu Kyi is Myanmar's foreign minister and state councilor, a title created for the country's once-leading voice for democracy since she is constitutionally banned from the presidency. She does not command the military and cannot direct its operations in northern Rakhine state, but her remarks in seeming support of the brutal crackdown have damaged her global reputation.

In her speech to the visiting foreign ministers, Suu Kyi also cited natural disasters caused by climate change as compounding the world's problems. She said mutual understanding of problems like terrorism would be crucial for peace and economic development.

I believe that if policymakers develop a true understanding on each of those constraints and difficulties, the process of addressing global problems will become easier and more effective, she said. It is only through mutual understanding that strong bonds of partnership can be forged.

The European Union's top diplomat said earlier Monday that she is encouraging Suu Kyi to implement the recommendations of an expert panel on ensuring stability in Rakhine state and work was still needed on that.

The commission, led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, called for promoting investment and community-directed growth to alleviate poverty in Rakhine, which Myanmar officials have supported. But it also called for Myanmar to grant citizenship and ensure other rights to the Rohingya, which are hotly disputed and effectively render most of them stateless.

The commission, established last year at Suu Kyi's behest, issued its report the day before a Rohingya insurgent group killed dozens in attacks on multiple police posts on Aug. 25. The military's response has been called disproportionate and a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Rohingya now in Bangladesh have described indiscriminate shootings, rapes and arsons that wiped out whole villages. Some survivors bear wounds from gunshots and land mines.

Stopping the violence, stopping the flow of refugees and (guaranteeing) full humanitarian access to Rakhine state and safe, sustainable repatriation of the refugees is going to be needed, said Federica Mogherini, the high representative for EU foreign policy.

She said the EU was encouraging Bangladesh and Myanmar to work on that issue.
Talks to update the North American Free Trade Agreement appeared to be in danger of grinding toward a stalemate amid complaints of U.S. negotiators' inflexibility, people familiar with the process said on Sunday.

The United States, Canada and Mexico are holding the fifth of seven planned rounds of talks to modernize NAFTA, which U.S. President Donald Trump blames for job losses and big trade deficits for his country.

Time is running short to reach a deal before the March 2018 start of Mexico's presidential elections, and lack of progress in the current round could put the schedule at risk.

"The talks are really not going anywhere," Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, the largest Canadian private-sector union, told reporters after meeting with Canada's chief negotiator on Sunday. "As long as the United States is taking the position they are, this is a colossal waste of time," said Dias, who is advising the government and regularly meets the Canadian team.

Hanging over the negotiations is the very real threat that Trump could make good on a threat to scrap NAFTA.

Canada and Mexico object to a number of demands the U.S. side unveiled during the fourth round last month, including for a five-year sunset clause that would force frequent renegotiation of the trade pact, far more stringent automotive content rules and radical changes to dispute settlement mechanisms.



Calls for greater US flexibility

"Our internal view as of this morning is that if any progress is to be made, the United States needs to show some flexibility and a willingness to do a deal," said a Canadian source with knowledge of the talks.

"We are seeing no signs of flexibility now," added the source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation. However, a NAFTA country official familiar with the talks said Canada had not yet submitted any counterproposals to the U.S. demands.

Dias said the United States was showing some signs of flexibility over its sunset clause proposal after Mexican officials floated a plan for a "rigorous evaluation" of the trade pact, but without an automatic expiration.

U.S. negotiating objectives that were updated on Friday appeared to accommodate the Mexican proposal, saying the revised NAFTA should "provide a mechanism for ensuring that the Parties assess the benefits of the Agreement on a periodic basis."

Canada and Mexico are also unhappy about U.S. demands that half the content of North American-built autos come from the United States, coupled with a much higher 85 percent North American content threshold. Officials are due to discuss the issue from Sunday through the end of the fifth round on Tuesday, Flavio Volpe, president of the Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, said there was little chance of making substantial progress on autos in Mexico City, as the U.S. demands were still not fully understood.

"I don't expect a heavy negotiation here," he said in an interview on the sidelines of the talks.
Regulators in the U.S. state of Nebraska have voted to approve a route for TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline - the last major obstacle to complete the oil pipeline that President Donald Trump has supported.

The regulatory body, which by state law could not consider the risk of leaks or potential environmental impacts, voted to approve the project just days after a leak in a separate pipeline - also named "Keystone" - spilled 5,000 barrels of oil in the nearby state of South Dakota.

The 3-2 decision by the Nebraska Public Service Commission is likely to be challenged in court by environmental activists in the nearly decade-long debate surrounding TransCanada's project linking Canada's Alberta oil sands to refineries in the United States.

The commission's vote does not approve TransCanada's proposed route, but a modified one which could prove more costly and difficult to build. It was not immediately clear whether the corporation would go through with the project as it considers its commercial viability.

In 2015, the Obama administration rejected construction of the pipeline, saying it would detract from America's global leadership on issues related to climate change.

But the Trump administration overturned the decision in March, saying that the pipeline is safer than other methods used to transport oil, and calling its completion "long overdue."

The 1,900-kilometer-long pipeline is designed to transport up to 830,000 barrels per day of tar sand oil from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska, where it would then enter existing pipelines to the Gulf Coast refineries.

The pipeline construction sparked months of protests by Native Americans and activist groups, who say the project could pollute local water supplies.
Cancer doctors struggling to work out the best way to use modern immunotherapy drugs now have further evidence of the benefits of adding them to chemotherapy, despite earlier skepticism.

News that Roche's immune system-boosting drug Tecentriq delayed lung cancer progression when given alongside chemo and its older drug Avastin validates the approach for the first time in a large Phase III clinical trial.

It is a significant milestone for physicians, patients and investors, who are trying to assess the competitive landscape as drugmakers race to develop better ways to fight tumors in previously untreated lung cancer.

Lung cancer is by far the biggest oncology market and first-line treatment provides access to the most patients, opening up potential annual sales forecast by some analysts at $20 billion.

Roche and Merck & Co have led the way in pioneering so-called "chemo-combo" treatment, while AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers are betting primarily on mixing two immunotherapies. AstraZeneca notably failed to show a similar

benefit in a high-profile clinical trial in July.

Stefan Zimmermann, an oncologist at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland, said the Roche data would help scotch concerns that chemo might hamper the new class of immuno-oncology medicines.

"Many experts in the field will be relieved because there has been uncertainty ... I think this will really encourage many of us to use this combination upfront," he told Reuters. "For now, the only positive data that we have is for chemo combination."

Merck, in fact, already has U.S. approval to add chemo to its immunotherapy drug Keytruda - but this was based on a small trial and the company withdrew a similar European application last month, knocking confidence in its strategy.

Since Keytruda, Bristol's Opdivo, Roche's Tecentriq and AstraZeneca's Imfinzi are all rival inhibitors of biological switches known as PD-1 or PD-L1, the market is "largely a zero-sum game," according to Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson.

"Roche's good fortune means there is less to go around for other companies," he said.

In the case of Merck, the U.S. drugmaker now faces a rival with a different and perhaps superior drug combination. Roche believes adding Avastin in addition to chemo can further help restore anti-cancer immunity.

For AstraZeneca and Bristol, the bar has just been raised for two other key clinical trials sponsored by the drugmakers that are expected to report results in 2018.

Roche itself will present full results on the ability of its new combination to delay the worsening of lung cancer at a European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Geneva on December 7. Data on whether it also helps patients live longer is expected in the first half of next year.

Overall survival is the gold standard in cancer care but proving a treatment extends the time before disease progresses is an important marker on the way.

"If there is positive progression-free survival then I think it is very, very likely this will also translate into an overall survival benefit over time," said Zimmermann.
Indonesia's anti-corruption agency has taken the country's parliament speaker into custody over his alleged role in a $170 million graft scandal.

Setya Novanto was taken to a detention center late Sunday and a spokesman for the Corruption Eradication Commission said he will be held for 20 days for questioning.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

Authorities accuse Novanto of being among a group of officials who used the introduction of a new national identification card system to steal government funds.

Police tried to arrest Novanto last week during a raid on his home, but he was not there.

On Thursday night, it was announced that his car had crashed and he had checked into Permata Hijau hospital in South Jakarta. His lawyer said Friday he was put under armed guard at a hospital by the anti-graft investigators.

Doctors said Sunday there was no need for Novanto to remain hospitalized, and he was seen wearing an orange vest worn by detainees as he was transferred from the hospital to a detention facility.
South Korea is vying with China to help develop the Philippines, as the aid recipients president crafts a multi-country foreign policy with no clear favorite.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told counterparts from the Philippines, as well as nine other Southeast Asian countries at regional summits last week, that Seoul was the best partner to share the experience of economic growth. South Korea, he said, can aid the others in high-tech, railways, clean energy and water management.

The Philippines stands near the front of the line for that assistance, analysts say. China pledged $24 billion in aid in October 2016 and last week signed 14 economic cooperation agreements, including one covering railways. Japan's prime minister announced $8.8 billion in economic support last month.

South Korea wants to keep up, especially with China, to ensure the Philippines stays in a U.S.-led alliance of Asia-Pacific countries, said Herman Kraft, political scientist at University of the Philippines Diliman. Washington, Seoul, Tokyo and Manila traditionally work together checking the expansion of China, a former Cold War rival.

I think one of the things that Korea might actually be concerned about right now is of course, in a similar groove with Japan, theyd like to make sure that the Philippines doesnt just turn around in terms of its relationship with the United States. Kraft said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte broke ice with China last year by setting aside a maritime sovereignty dispute that had divided them for four years. At the same time, he was threatening to stop U.S. support for his own relatively weak armed forces.

Money for infrastructure

This month South Korea offered $1.7 billion in credit and other financial aid to help the Philippines develop transportation and energy, Manila-based media outlets said. The South Korean Embassy in Manila could not be reached for comment.

Duterte has set out to spend $167 billion for building public infrastructure, a way of luring more foreign investment. Today Manilas seaport is congested, power costs exceed regional averages and most of the country lacks railway connections.

Philippine National Economic and Development Authority data in 2013 placed South Korea as Manilas seventh strongest development partner. Official development aid was worth $608.7 million.

Korean brand

South Korea may see aid to the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia as a way to elevate its national brand, as well, said Song Seng Wun, Southeast Asia-specialized economist with the private banking unit of CIMB in Singapore.

Chinas offers could eventually smooth exports of Chinese-branded goods in the Philippines, competing with South Koreas products, he said. South Koreas signature appliances and consumer electronics stand to lose ground if Chinese goods gain. Consumption underpinned Philippine economic growth of 6.9 percent last year.

It is really about protecting their brand name and not being overshadowed by the Chinese flag, which is really growing in size, Song said.

China began a $900 billion one belt, one road strategy four years ago to help countries across Asia build up infrastructure as a way of smoothing trade.

The total value of trade between South Korea and the Philippines has risen from $10 billion in 2011 to $13.40 billion in 2014 on the back of increased economic cooperation, according to media reports and a business consultancy in Manila. It ranked as the Philippines No. 6 foreign direct investment source last year.

South Korean leaders probably hope to tap Southeast Asia to avoid over-dependence on China as an investment destination, Song added.

In the first half of the year, Chinese boycotted South Korean goods and cut back travel to Korea over a state-to-state disagreement over Seouls deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system. Beijing worried the U.S.-designed system could monitor China as well as its official target, North Korea.

Clean reputation, sort of

South Korea has a clean name in the Philippines as the two sides lack historical baggage. But there are some areas of concern.

Duterte said in February that a South Korean mafia in the Philippine city Cebu was into prostitution, illegal drugs, and kidnapping, local media reported then.

I wouldnt say theres a negative reaction at this time, but at least Ive heard some Filipinos mentioning this in a way that its not normal anymore, Kraft said.

Philippine officials probably welcome Korean aid as a chance to diversify economic support without showing favor to anyone, said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist with Banco de Oro UniBank, Metro Manila.

Theres no issues of concentration, whether its China or Japan, because these are the two key players, but having a South Korean funding then eliminates a potential bias, Ravelas said.
The United States is returning North Korea to its list of states sponsoring terrorism after a 10-year absence, a move that will put additional financial and diplomatic pressure on the Pyongyang government.

"It should have happened years ago," President Donald Trump said Monday from the White House, calling North Korea a "murderous regime."

The U.S. Treasury Department will officially announce the designation and further sanctions on Pyongyang on Tuesday, Trump said. Other countries on the terrorism sponsors list are Iran, Sudan and Syria.

"We still hope for diplomacy," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told White House reporters in a follow-up briefing Monday. But he said there would be no letup in the campaign to constantly ratchet up sanctions until Kim Jong Un relents.

"The U.S. is ready to continue to tighten pressure on the Kim regime with the intention to have him understand this is only going to get worse until you're ready to come and talk, " the secretary said.

Tillerson noted recent success in persuading other countries in the region to withdraw support from the totalitarian regime.

"On our visit to Vietnam, they have committed that they are going to curtail activities further with North Korea," Tillerson said. "Malaysia has indicated a curtailment, Singapore has cut off all trade with North Korea, the Philippines have cut off all trade."

The secretary of state said the United States believes current sanctions are having a significant effect, and wondered aloud whether they might be responsible for Pyongyang's apparent halt in nuclear and missile tests.

"Is this the reason we haven't had a provocative act in 60 days?" Tillerson said. "I don't want to suggest that I can say, but we're hopeful this period will continue."

The U.S. put North Korea on the terror sponsor list in 1988, after North Korean agents blew up a South Korean civilian airliner, killing 115 people. But Pyongyang was removed in 2008 after it met benchmarks related to a nuclear disarmament deal.

The six-party disarmament talks collapsed a short time later, and North Korea declared the nuclear deal void. It has since conducted five more nuclear tests and steadily ramped up its ballistic missile program, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"We took them off that list for some specific issues we were seeking  mainly the destruction of the cooling tower and some disabling steps," said former Ambassador Christopher Hill, who led the U.S. delegation to the six-party nuclear talks. "In the meantime, by all accounts they seem to have the graphite-moderated reactor back in service. So they should be put back on the list."

A push to reinstate

The effort to reinstate North Korea to the terror list intensified after American college student Otto Warmbier died in June, shortly after being released from North Korean custody. Warmbier had been sentenced to 15 years hard labor for the alleged theft of a propaganda poster from his North Korean hotel.

The administration's move won praise from several members of Congress who have urged that North Korea be returned to the list of terrorism sponsors.

"Over the past year alone, Kim Jong Un and his regime brazenly assassinated his brother with a chemical weapon and brutally tortured Otto Warmbier, leading directly to his tragic death," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a California Republican, in a statement. "These aren't isolated incidents, but are examples of a consistent pattern of terror."

While North Korea is widely regarded as one of the most oppressive governments in the world with respect to its own people, its involvement with international terrorism had been less well known.

But the label is accurate, says Bruce Klingner, a North Korea specialist at the Heritage Foundation.

Specifically, Klingner cites recent cyberattacks against U.S. and South Korean targets, including the 2014 attack against Sony Pictures for producing a film critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Klingner also mentions multiple North Korean assassinations and assassination plots, including the killing of Kim Jong Nam, Kim's half brother, who was poisoned earlier this year at a Malaysian airport.

"While global attention has been on nuclear weapons and missiles, we must not lose sight of North Korea's terrorist acts and gross violations of human rights," Klingner said.
Envoys from the United States and China recently traveled to the Korean peninsula, just days after President Donald Trump wrapped up his first trip to the region. The visits, particularly the journey of a Chinese envoy to North Korea, which Trump has called a big move, has raised expectations that efforts toward a diplomatic solution may be gaining some traction.

Song Tao, a special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, met in Pyongyang with senior North Korean officials Saturday. According to North Koreas state media, the two exchanged views about issues of mutual concern on the situation of the Korean peninsula and region, as well as bilateral relations.

Diplomatic trips

So far, Chinese officials have been tight-lipped about the trip. At a regular press briefing, Monday, Chinas Foreign Ministry confirmed that Song Tao is still in North Korea, but provided few new details.

State media reports have portrayed the trip as a routine visit to discuss Beijings recently concluded 19th Party Congress. But Songs journey is the first by a high-ranking Chinese envoy in two years.

Some reports suggested that Song might meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Such a meeting would be a big step, given that relations between the North and China are currently at a historic low, given Pyongyangs repeated violations of United Nations sanctions and Beijings support of some of the toughest sanctions to date.

Positive signs

Analysts in China said the visit was unlikely to change that reality overnight, but they did note some recent positive signs about the overall situation.

Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences said North and South Koreas response last week to the defection of a North Korean soldier showed considerable restraint.

In the past, I think this would have been a major incident that couldve led to a series of escalated conflicts or responses. Yet, both sides stayed calm, which is a good thing, Lu said.

Lu added that South Koreas recent approval of the import of mineral water from the North for religious use was also a welcome development.

With such positive signals, envoy Song Taos visit may bring some positive results, Lu said.

Analysts note that while the tough rhetoric has shown no sign of abating, a two-month lull in nuclear and missile tests could signal that North Korea is considering returning to the negotiating table.

North Korea has stopped testing further nuclear weapons, also launching missiles. This means that because of the maximization of pressure from international community, and including China and including Washington, North Korea is considering also to make a breakthrough probably by coming to dialogue table, said Park Taewoo, a visiting professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

And if that is not what North Korea is considering, Park said it is likely that Song urged Pyongyang to please come to the dialogue table.

Pressure on North Korea

But Ahn Chan-il, a head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies, believes the visit is more about putting pressure on Pyongyang. To let the North know that further international sanctions can be avoided if it implements the conditions Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discussed at their recent summit.

North Korea was a key focus during President Donald Trumps stop in Beijing. Following a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the two made clear their opposition to a nuclear armed North Korea and commitment to denuclearization.

"China may have received Trump's messages [more] effectively than at any other time. In this regard, I think [China's envoy] might have brought a message that China cannot always stand by Pyongyang and the era to represent North Korea's position has passed, so it will be difficult for North Korea to survive if it does not change," Ahn said.

Keeping up the pressure was a key message, said Joseph Yun, the United States envoy on the North Korean nuclear issue who visited South Korea last week.



I think there is no doubt that both presidents want to find a peaceful way in regard to North Korean nuclear issues and so we discussed those, he said, referring to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Trump. And we really agreed the pressure campaign has to be the central element.



Key decision coming this week

This week, Trump is expected to decide whether to once again designate North Korea a state-sponsor of terrorism after the February assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Uns half-brother Kim Jong-nam in the Kuala Lumpur airport.

The U.S. designated North Korea a state-sponsor of terrorism for the 1987 bombing of a South Korean passenger plane that killed more than 100 people. The designation was removed two decades years later after Pyongyang agreed to dismantle its nuclear facilities  a promise it failed to keep.

In addition, the Yonhap News Agency reports that Russias top envoy on the North Korean nuclear issue will visit South Korea this week as well to discuss ways to induce Pyongyang to return to negotiations.

As Pyongyangs relations with Beijing have suffered over the nuclear stand-off, some analysts see Moscow playing a greater role.

In Moscow last month, the North Korean Foreign Ministrys director of its North American department, Choe Son Hui, made rare public comments on the nuclear issue, describing upholding its programs as a matter of life or death.

Daniel Schearf, Joyce Huang, and Youmi Kim contributed to this report.
Zimbabwe's longtime president Robert Mugabe has ignored a Monday noon deadline to either step down or face impeachment. Mugabe made clear in a televised speech Sunday that he did not intend to resign.

Millions tuned in to radio and television Sunday expecting to celebrate the end of what has been 37 years of Mugabe's autocratic rule.

They were bitterly disappointed - some to the point of tears - to hear Mugabe say he will preside over his ZANU-PF party congress next month.

He did not mention the word resign or appear to take the military intervention into the country's political crisis seriously.

"The operation...did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order nor did it challenge my authority as head of state, not even as commander-in-chief," he said.

The ruling party had issued the midday deadline at its meeting Sunday and also fired Mugabe as ZANU-PF chief -- a party he co-founded -- and installed ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new party leader.

In Washington, a State Department official said the future of Zimbabwe must be determined and established by the people of Zimbabwe and that the United States supports the country's transition to democracy.



The official told VOA on Monday whatever short-term arrangements the [Zimbabwe] government may establish, the path forward must lead to free and fair elections, in which the people of Zimbabwe, free to assemble without interference and to voice their opinions without fear, choose their own leaders. 



On Saturday, thousands of exuberant Zimbabwean demonstrators flooded the streets of Harare, some of whom marched toward the official residence of Mugabe amid nationwide protests calling for the his resignation.



The people of Zimbabwe took peacefully to the streets and firmly voiced their desire for a new era that will bring an end to Zimbabwes isolation and allow the country to rejoin the international community, said the State Department official.

Not in line with what we expected

Party whip Lovemore Matuke tells the Associated Press impeachment proceedings are a certainty and called Mugabe's speech "surprising."

"It is not in line with what we expected. We had understood that his resignation was coming to avoid the embarrassment of impeachment. The army is taking its own route, as politicians we are taking our own route, but the ultimate goal is to make sure he goes, which he should have done tonight," Mutake said.

The freedom fighters who fought alongside Mugabe in the liberation struggle have called for protests and are demanding that Mugabe relinquish his stranglehold on the presidency.

"That speech has nothing to do with realities," Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans' association, told AFP news agency. "We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets."

Mutsvangwa said he would like to see the military back off to let people and politics take care of Mugabe's removal from office. Mutsvangwa said the military is bound to protect Mugabe, even though they placed him under house arrest, because the president officially remains their commander-in-chief.

The war veterans' association is going to court, Mutsvangwa said, to argue that Mugabe is derelict of his executive duty."

Shaderick Guto, a professor emeritus of the University of South Africa, told VOA that Mugabe is "trying to play games" because he knows the army fears being ostracized by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union if it stages a coup. Neither organization condones the unconstitutional removal of an elected government.

Mugabe has been under house arrest since last week while negotiations are under way for his departure.

Zimbabwe has been in serious economic and political turmoil since the late 1990s.

Turning point

But the turning point in the current crisis came when Mugabe fired the popular military hero Mnangagwa and named his own hugely unpopular wife Grace as his successor.

Grace Mugabe has been accused of leading a life of luxury while many Zimbabweans go hungry.



Saying his wife would take power prompted the military to step in and carry out a de facto coup, taking over many state institutions and placing Mugabe under house arrest.

The 93-year-old Mugabe is the world's oldest head of state. He took power, first as prime minister then as president, in 1980 when Zimbabwe won independence from British white minority rule.

Although he initially brought some benefits to the black majority and the poor, Mugabe's authoritarian rule is seen as having destroyed Zimbabwe's economy, discouraged foreign investment and stifled any political challenges through violence, intimidation and what the opposition says have been rigged elections.

Mugabe has made no secret of his desire to run for re-election next year.

WATCH: Mugabe clinging to power
Far from the resignation speech that many expected to hear from Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, Sunday, the exact opposite happened.

In a 20-minute, televised speech, which showed President Mugabe flanked by the uniformed generals who have been holding him hostage since they took over the state last week, on side, and his support team on the other, President Mugabe instead re-enforced his position as the head of the country, and offered a recognizance of sorts, for the militarys action.

I as the President of Zimbabwe, and as their Commander in Chief, do acknowledge the issues they have brought my attention to and do believe these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep patriotic concern for the stability of our nation and welfare of our people, said President Mugabe.

Echoing the very denial by the military when it took over the state broadcaster, Tuesday, that there was no coup, President Mugabe assured the nation that while a few incidents may have happened during what he called the operation, nothing was harmed beyond repair.

The operation I alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government, he emphasized, not even as Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces.

Mr. Mugabe went on to commend the militarys respectful and comported, treatment of him since the incident, which proceeded the ouster of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Even happier for me, and arising from todays meeting is a strong sense of collegiality and comradeship, now binding the various arms of our security establishment, he said.

Dispelling further speculation of a coup, President Mugabe expressed his happiness for the manner in which the country continued to function after the military takeover.

True, a few incidents may have occurred here and there, but these are being corrected. I am happy that throughout the short period, the pillars of state remained functional, President Mugabe said.

Praise for Zimbabwes Citizens

Further surprises followed as President Mugabe expressed admiration for the citizens of his country, who the day before had turned out in one of the largest crowds ever seen in Zimbabwe, to demand his resignation. President Mugabe acknowledged the concerns that have come from the citizens, many who showed anger and frustration at his 37-years in office.

If there is any one observation we have made and drawn from events of the past week is the unshakeable pedestal upon which to rest our state of peace, law and order, amply indicating that as Zimbabweans we are genuinely peaceably disposed people, he said, adding that the dignity, discipline and restraint shown by Zimbabweans was to be admired.



Still in Charge

Making no mention or acknowledgement of his ouster from the ruling Zanu-PF party by his long-time colleagues earlier in the day, President Mugabe, said he will preside over the upcoming Extraordinary Congress in December.

The congress is due in a few weeks from now, I will preside over its processes which must not be pre-possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public, said President Mugabe, disregarding his partys resolutions Monday, which have now earmarked the occasion to enforce his ouster as the party leader, first secretary and presidential nominee, and transfer the titles his ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will be confirmed at that same congress.

Fixing Zimbabwe Economy

Among the various issues the military raised when it took over the state broadcaster, was the state of the economy which it said had been underdeveloped for the past five years due to the squabbling in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

In response, President Mugabe said it was true that the internal turmoil in his party had given the appearance of neglect for the economy and the well-being of the citizens of the nation. He vowed to change that in the future.

Amidst of all this, flagship projects already adopted by government stood stalled or mired in needless controversies, Mr. Mugabe acknowledged. All this now has to stop as we inaugurate a new work culture and pace which will show our strong sense of purpose, and commitment to turning around our economy in terms of our policies.

For examples, Mugabe cited the partys economic blueprint ZIMASSET, and development projects underway to help people in rural areas and growth points.

War Veterans

Another bone of contention raised by the generals, which triggered their state takeover, was the purge of the partys members who had contributed to the liberation of the country. Among these were ousted Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Joice Mujuru who was fired in 2014.

President Mugabe, who has lost the support of many of the war veterans who have openly challenged his leadership, said he would change that, and take better care of the veterans, and recognize their contribution.

We still have in our various communities veterans of that founding struggle who might have found the prevailing management of national and party issues quite alienating. This must be corrected without delay, including ensuring that these veterans continue to play central roles in the lives of our nation, Mugabe said.

President Mugabe has until noon on Monday to offer his resignation, or the partys chief whip will start proceedings to recall Mr. Mugabe, using a constitutional provision.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe took the nation by surprise when instead of announcing his resignation, restated his position as president and commander of the armed forces. He applauded the "collegiality and comradeship," of the military and boasted about the nations' "peaceably disposed people."
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Zimbabwe's Vice President Phekezela Mphoko was among several people expelled from the ruling Zanu-PF party Sunday. Members voted to expel Mphoko for being divisive, belonging to G40 group led by first lady Grace Mugabe, and preaching hatred, said Central Committee member Patrick Chinamasa.
The Zanu PF Youth League on Sunday sided with the decision of the party's Central Committee to expel Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, his wife and others. The same group had earlier pushed for Mrs. Mugabe's ascendancy to VP and Mr. Mugabe's candidacy for presidency in 2018.
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An aerial view shows the darkened ground of an oil spill that shut down a TransCanada pipeline in an agricultural area near Amherst, S.D. (Handout/Reuters)

The TransCanada oil pipeline rupture in a remote corner of South Dakota injects an unexpected element of suspense into the decision over the controversial Keystone XL pipeline due Monday at Nebraskas Public Service Commission.

The independent five-member commission has been under pressure from the Nebraska state legislature and labor unions to approve the pipeline while environmental groups and prairie populists have vowed to appeal, if necessary, to the courts and follow that up with civil disobedience.

The commissioners decision remains one of the last hurdles for the roughly $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline, which has become central to the battle over climate change and energy infrastructure and was a campaign promise for President Trump.

First proposed in September 2008, the pipeline was designed to carry 830,000 barrels a day of mostly thick bitumen from the oil, or tar, sands region of Alberta to Texas Gulf Coast refineries well suited to process the crude.

President Obama in 2012 approved the southern segment from the storage hub in Cushing, Okla., to Port Arthur, Texas. But in late 2015 he rejected the northern segment, citing climate concerns over the energy-intensive extraction process for oil sands.

Trump reopened the case in his first week in office and on March 24 granted approvals.

Nebraska state politics have delayed the project again. Opponents of the pipeline are a mixture of climate activists, environmentalists concerned about the impact on the states ecologically delicate Sandhills region, and Nebraska farmers and ranchers who have fought TransCanada over the companys planned exercise of eminent domain to plot the route of the pipeline.

We still have a bunch of family farmers on the land their ancestors homesteaded, said Jane Kleeb, a longtime foe of the pipeline who is now head of the Nebraska Democratic Party. They have a deep emotional and cultural tie to the land and a responsibility that they must protect it.

But the Public Service Commission has also come under pressure from the state legislature. Thirty-three of the state's 49 senators  a two-thirds majority  signed a letter urging approval on March 8. The signatories ranged from state Sen. Jim Smith, a longtime Republican supporter of the project, to first-year state Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat, former firefighter and executive board member of the state AFL-CIO who stressed job creation.

Earlier in the year, Smith introduced a bill that would eliminate the $75,000 annual salaries of the commission members and do away with restrictions on outside employment. Commissioners would be able to receive a $150 a day per diem. That would make it likely that the only people able to serve would be employees from a regulated business happy to pay someone to make regulatory decisions. So far, the bill has remained in committee.

TransCanada has also played a significant role in the state, supplying the arguments cited in the senators' letter and also spending $925,224 on lobbying in the state from 2011 through 2015, the fourth-biggest sum in Nebraska over that period, according to Common Cause.

In Canada, there is a need for crude oil pipelines. Despite a slowdown after the 2015 collapse in oil prices and the departure of Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips, production from Canada's oil sands, 3.85 million barrels a day in 2016, continues to grow  albeit at a slower rate. In October, TransCanada canceled plans for a 1.1-million-barrels-a-day pipeline that would have gone to Canada's east coast. TransCanada has received adequate support for Keystone XL from companies shipping 500,000 barrels a day of crude oil, though with "various conditions attached," the company's president, Paul Miller, told shareholders on Nov. 9.

TransCanada has argued that the pipeline project would also create U.S. jobs, be safer than railroad alternatives, and bring new supplies of crude to U.S. and world markets. The company has stressed that new technology and burying the 36-inch diameter pipeline deeper in the ground would help make it the safest pipeline ever built in North America.

But the pipeline rupture on Thursday puts TransCanada on the defensive again. The company posted a photograph taken Friday on Twitter showing the approximate location of the leak, a dark circular spot in a vast flat landscape of farmland.

At midday Friday, TransCanada said on its website that there were more than 75 people supporting our incident response, including specialists in environmental management, metallurgy, engineering, pipeline integrity and emergency response. The company added that the leak was controlled and there is no threat to public safety.

The company also posted a video of Tribal Chairman David Flute from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation. Standing at the site, Flute said that its a significant spill but that TransCanada said it would contain the spill, remove contaminated soil and inform the tribe of any artifacts that might be unearthed.

It remained unclear what had caused the rupture. TransCanada has a control room in Calgary that monitors pressure in the companys sprawling network of pipelines. If it detects an unexplained pressure drop, it shuts off the segment of pipe where that occurs within 15 minutes. That still leaves time for 5,200 barrels to flow through the trouble spot.

Yet pipelines might be safer than railroads, which oil companies have been using to carry crude from Canada and North Dakota. This week in Canada, three railway workers are on trial for criminal negligence in the deaths of 47 people killed when an unattended train carrying crude oil rolled downhill and off the tracks and exploded in Lac-Megantic.

Keystone XL foes still think they made winning arguments at public hearings in August. All that baloney about thousands and thousands of new jobs evaporated when they admitted that the number of permanent jobs would be nine and the temporary construction employment was certainly under a thousand, said David Domina, a lawyer representing landowners at the Public Service Commission.

TransCanada has also argued that Nebraska would get tax revenue from the pipeline, but Domina said the payments would end after the pipeline is fully depreciated, which would take only 15 years. But the pipeline would continue operating for 50 years. Domina also said he prompted the company to concede that it would abandon the pipeline in the ground after 50 years.

The public service commissioners were also looking at an alternative route for the pipeline, pressing TransCanada on why it didnt plan a route for Keystone XL alongside the existing Keystone line. The existing line crosses east in Canada and would enter Nebraska further east, missing the Sandhills and touching a smaller part of the Ogallala aquifer that provides irrigation and drinking water in most of the state.

TransCanada, however, rejected that alternative, arguing that the proposed route was best.

Nebraskas Public Service Commission was founded in 1885 to regulate railroads, then reformed with the passage of a constitutional amendment in 1906 as the Railway Commission. Today it regulates telecommunications, natural gas, oil pipelines, rail safety, grain warehouses, modular homes and recreational vehicles, high-voltage transmission lines and private water company rates.

But rarely does it occupy the spotlight as it will Monday.

The people of Nebraska did not elect these commissioners to be partisan, Domina said. Id be a psychotic mess if I didnt think that decision-makers would be true to themselves and decide on the evidence.
Santa Claus waves from his float during last years Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Those who want to visit with Santa at Macys in Herald Square can no longer just drop by. Reservations are required this year. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Santa Claus may be coming to town, but youll need a reservation to see him.

At Macys flagship store on 34th Street in New York City, a chance to sit on Saint Nicks lap is by appointment only this year, for the first time ever.

Starting Monday, eager families can go online to sign up for a time slot from 30 minutes to five days in advance. No walk-ins are allowed. Admission is free to Santaland Herald Square and runs from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve.

Macys says the new arrangement is intended to cut down on wait times and make it easier to see the man in the red suit.

Santas a popular guy, so the wait times to meet him have been quite long in previous years, especially on our busiest days, the company posted on its website.

Some Washington, D.C.-area malls  including Tysons Corner in Tysons, Virginia, and Westfield Montgomery in Bethesda, Maryland  offers reservations but don't require them. Families that want reservations at those spots must order photos, however.

Santaland is a 13,000-square-foot North Pole village complete with live elves and a train display, plus the world-famous Santa, immortalized in the film Miracle on 34th Street. The store opened in 1902.

The department store says families can cancel a reservation and make a new one at any time.

And they say dont be too early or late for the time slot, and be sure to check in with an elf when arriving.

Santas day is packed! To help keep him on schedule, please arrive within your time slot, the company said.
Dear Readers: Today's Sound Off is about the wearing of camouflage clothing:

Dear Heloise: People from babies to adults are wearing camouflage clothes. Its used on sheets, towels and whatever.

"I think this is a slap in the face to our men and women in the armed forces, who have earned the right to wear this type of clothing. I feel people should respect the camouflage clothes of the armed forces like we respect the American flag. Haven't our men and women in the military earned the right to wear camouflage, and not everyone else?"

Martha N., Riverton, Ill.

Martha, although I dont wear camouflage, I think its okay if others want to wear it. To some people, this is a way of showing support for and solidarity with our armed forces, while others find the design to be attractive, and hunters have used camouflage for years. Its currently a trend, but it may fade in time.

Dear Readers: Here are a few ideas for using wicker baskets:

 Use one to hold all the remote controls in your home.

 Use a large basket for your pets to sleep in, with a towel or pillow on the bottom.

 Save them to place gifts in. They make a nice presentation when handing a gift to someone.

Dear Heloise: My company is now encouraging employees to meditate during our breaks and if we have time during our lunch hour. Its an innovative idea and is becoming more common in the workplace, because there are benefits to both the company and the employee. First of all, when people meditate, they also form the ability to concentrate better on their work. We just seem to have more focus, more energy and feel better all over. Some of my co-workers swear they have a better quality of sleep after meditating. Id like to see more companies help their employees to learn meditation. Its certainly helped to cut down on turnover in our company!

Lillian G., Bismarck, N.D.

Dear Heloise: Jeans seem to last forever, but they do fade. So, twice a year, I dye them with two bottles of navy blue on the soak cycle of my washing machine. Then I run them through the regular cycle and clean my washer according to the manufacturers instructions. I wash them only with blue items or alone after that. Ive been doing this for years, and my jeans still look good.

Edna R., Rineyville, Ky.

Dear Heloise: I sew or pin a satin pillowcase over my pillow. When putting on the clean pillowcase, the pillow just slides over the satin with ease.

Eileen B., Lima, Ohio

Dear Readers: Its best to keep pets away from sugary treats during this holiday season. Ask visitors to refrain from giving your pets people food, and youll avoid an upset tummy for Fido or Fluffy.

Heloises column appears six days a week at

washingtonpost.com/advice

. Send a hint to

Heloise

, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Tex. 78279-5000, or email it to

Heloise@Heloise.com

.
Dear Miss Manners: Whats the protocol on appetizers at Thanksgiving?

No one knows.

If you provide enough to stave off your guests hunger until everyone arrives, those on time will complain of feeling stuffed halfway through dinner. They will keep eating, but the insinuation that you are force-feeding them will be annoying, considering all the work you did on their behalf.

However, if you skip appetizers (or have very light ones), the turkey will not be done when expected and your grandfather will need extra time to get there. So those who arrived on time will still get cross. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, someone will ask, Do you have any nuts or anything? and others will wander into the kitchen hoping to take some advance pokes into the pots.

Miss Manners wishes you a happy Thanksgiving.

Dear Miss Manners: I have a normal-size mouth  but on the smaller side. I cannot reasonably fit any soup spoon in my mouth. It is beyond awkward and uncomfortable, and also likely to cause a spill. Therefore, I use a teaspoon, which I unobtrusively request, if necessary, at restaurants. What is a polite person to do when etiquette requires something that is not possible?

Etiquette accepts valid excuses, although it is sick of people claiming dubious medical or psychological reasons for omitting common courtesies or just behaving rudely.

But in your case, there is no such problem. Miss Manners is happy to assure you that etiquette does not require you  indeed, forbids you  to put a soup spoon into your mouth, whatever the proportions of either. Soup is properly eaten by gently tipping the side of the spoon toward the mouth.

Dear Miss Manners: I find myself caught somewhat off guard. Ive invited a friend, her adult child and his college roommate to Thanksgiving dinner. Weve planned this for some time, and I purchased food according to the guest list. Now, just before Thanksgiving, my friend has asked to bring an additional four college students to the meal.

Of course I said okay, but I am really feeling the crunch. My house and dinner table are not large. I will need to set an additional table, have had to borrow china, since I only have eight place settings, and will need to purchase food and beverages to feed four more people.

I like to think of myself as a generous hostess but am feeling a little put out. My friend lives on a shoestring, so Im not good with asking her to provide the extras needed. I hope my feelings dont inadvertently show through. Any suggestions?

Yes: Don't let your feelings show through.

There is no of course about accepting additional last-minute guests. You can agree, or you can say, with gracious regret, that your party is full, but that you would love to meet them some other time.

Yet to comfort you for failing to do so, Miss Manners would like to point out how kind you are to go to the trouble of welcoming your indigent friends guests at Thanksgiving, of all holidays.

New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on washingtonpost.com/advice. You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com.
By Benjamin Jumbe & Stephen Otage

The Italian ambassador to Uganda Domenico Fornara has underscored the importance of culture preservation.

This comes as the embassy starts a week long Italian cultural and cookery week.

The ambassador says everybody needs to be proud of their cultures because it unifies people and promotes development.

For us in Italy, our culture is very important and all over the world, all our embassies are observing this culinary week to celebrate our food, wine and cultures and here we have organized gala dinners and film screenings, he said last Friday during a press conference at his residence.

He said part of the activities this week involve fundraising activities between the embassy and CoRSU rehabilitation hospital where they will be raising money for rehabilitating children with disabilities.

Today evening, the ambassador will be hosting an Italian gala dinner at his residence in Kololo with the live screening of Italian Actor Vicenzo Marras LEquilibros film where he will also be present to meet the guests.

Tomorrow, the Swiss Consulate in Kampala will be screening another film Smetto Quando Voglio at 7:30pm at the 7 Hills International School in Kololo and on Wednesday evening, the embassy will host an Italian dinner with live music at Cafe Latte.

On Thursday evening 7 Hills International School and the Swiss Consulate will host a public screening of another film II Capitale Umano and on Friday Bayimba and film Maker Vincenzo Marra will be conducting a film workshop at the Kampala film school in Ggaba.

According to Christiano Civitillo the director Kampala Film school, Uganda has an unexploited enormous potential for the film industry which needs to be harnessed because it involves, photography, videography, acting, arts and culture which can employ a sizable number of youths.

We are promoting the film industry because of its enormous potential here because film involves many disciplines like videography, art, culture and on Friday we shall be conducting a workshop on film making, he said.

On Friday evening, Sheraton Hotel will host another Italian gala dinner with the screening of Vincenzo Marras La Prima Luce where guests will also be meeting the film director while on Saturday evening, 7 Hills International School will be screening Heidi a Childrens film.

This years week has attracted a number of sponsors which according to Mr. Domenico, will be financing specific activities of the week
The cash reserves of United Medical Center have dwindled to approximately $4 million, down from about $10 million several months ago, according to D.C. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey S. DeWitt. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

The consulting company that recently lost its contract to run the Districts public hospital will stay on for up to two months as the hospitals board seeks a new management company to take over, board members decided Monday.

The unanimous vote by United Medical Centers directors means that Veritas of Washington, which has overseen since 2016 the financially troubled hospitals operations for a monthly fee of $300,000, could remain in charge through the end of 2017.

Board members voted to temporarily extend the Veritas contract on a month-to-month basis for up to 60 days, allowing themselves time to find a new contractor. On Nov. 7, the D.C. Council narrowly voted not to continue the Veritas contract, citing allegations of mismanagement and concerns about patient safety.

The board also got sobering news Monday about the hospitals financial condition. D.C. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey S. DeWitt said UMCs cash reserves  a vital measure of its financial health, given the unexpected expenses that can crop up for a hospital  have dwindled to approximately $4 million, down from about $10 million several months ago.

Should the reserves continue to drop, DeWitt said, the hospital could have trouble handling any large and unanticipated expenses.

We really cant take a hit, he said. Its at the point where it needs to be watched very, very closely.

Hospital board members  who in September approved a balanced budget for fiscal 2018  now acknowledge the budget will have to be redone, a process that could entail cuts to hospital services or a request to the city for a subsidy.

Board chairwoman and former Ward 8 council member LaRuby May said that despite its financial challenges and management turnover, UMC should aim to provide the best care possible to its patients until it is eventually replaced with a new public hospital in Southeast Washington. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) is expected to announce more detailed plans for that hospital, including its future operator, sometime next year.

[Veritas is out as operator of UMC, amid concerns about quality of care]

Our goal should not be to limp along until this hospital is replaced with a new facility, May said Monday morning in a prepared statement that was written by fellow board member Wayne Turnage, Bowsers health-care finance director. Under District law, the mayor appoints six of the boards 11 voting members and picks its chair.

Council member Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7), who led the effort to cut short the Veritas contract, said in an interview that he thought the boards action makes sense to ensure a smooth transition at UMC.

A spokeswoman for Veritas did not respond to requests for comment.

Veritas of Washington was founded in 2015. The company is owned by Chrystie Boucree, wife of longtime health-care executive Corbett Price, who is listed as the companys executive chairman in documents submitted to city officials.

[At Districts only public hospital, consulting fees mount  along with trouble]

Price, his relatives and his companies made more than $35,000 in political contributions to Bowser in 2014, the year she won office, campaign-finance records show. Bowser has said she had no role in the firms selection to run UMC, although a member of her administration recommended the company to the hospital board, which gave the firm a no-bid contract in the spring of 2016.

In March of this year, the citys top health regulator warned hospital officials that she had detected problems with the quality of care at UMC. In August, she shut down UMCs entire obstetrics ward, leaving two wards of the city without a local delivery room.

On Aug. 25, UMC nursing-home resident Warren Webb died after crying out for help, saying he couldnt breathe and being left on the floor for approximately 20 minutes by his nurse. Hospital officials did not report key details of that incident to health regulators, who are now investigating based on a report on Webbs death in The Washington Post.

[I cant breathe! A patient called for help. His nurse left him on the floor.]

On Nov. 3, Julian Craig, UMCs chief medical officer and past president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, wrote a letter to the D.C. Council alleging that Veritas employee Luis Hernandez encouraged doctors to admit patients who did not require treatment in an effort to boost admissions figures and revenue.

The same day, the hospitals former director of quality management and patient safety testified at a hearing of the councils health committee that she left the hospital in July after just seven months because of a lack of support by the Veritas leadership and continued pushback and interference from one of the Veritas consultants.

Veritas has denied Craigs allegations. In a Nov. 5 letter to May, Boucree said that the board had hired an independent legal team to investigate Craigs claims of improper admissions and that the team had informed Hernandez that he was cleared of wrongdoing. The board has not responded to The Posts requests for further information about that investigation, including who conducted it and its findings.

Boucree also defended the hospitals focus on patients and quality of care, noting its recent reaccreditation by the Joint Commission, a private inspection body.

Hospital officials say they can pay for a replacement firm with funds that have already been set aside for Veritas for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

Beyond that, however, the board says it may have to make additional cuts to the hospitals budget  or ask the District for an operating subsidy  in 2018.

City officials say the hospitals deteriorating financial state has causes that include declining patient admissions amid heightened scrutiny of UMC since August and overbilling of the federal government  which insures many UMC patients through Medicare and Medicaid  between 2015 and 2017.

DeWitt said Monday that the hospital would have to repay at least $2.2 million in federal payments, depending on the findings of an ongoing review of billing practices.

The hospital could also face costs for reopening the obstetrics ward and new contracts  including an anticipated agreement with GW Medical Faculty Associates, a group affiliated with George Washington University  to take over some medical services that are not currently included in this fiscal years budget, officials say.
House Republicans celebrate passage of their tax bill on a 227-205 vote along party lines on Thursday (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Ending a tax deduction for interest paid on student loans. Raising taxes for more than 100,000 graduate students who receive tuition waivers. Imposing a levy on endowments at certain private colleges and universities.

These actions are anathema to higher education leaders across the country. Yet they all appear in the House-approved Republican tax overhaul, evidence of a growing disconnect between large segments of the GOP and colleges that, for generations, have wielded enormous clout on Capitol Hill.

I didnt see it coming, said Robert L. Caret, chancellor of the public University System of Maryland. Obviously, theres a very different tenor here in Washington.

The bill the House passed Thursday would deliver a $1.5 trillion tax cut, with benefits tilted toward corporations, business owners and wealthy families. Republicans say the cut will spur economic growth, helping families, students and schools with a simpler set of revenue rules.

Do we want a complicated tax code that gives these small, sometimes invisible benefits to certain Americans  that, by the way, a lot of Americans dont take advantage of because they dont know they exist? Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said this month as the Ways and Means Committee considered a Democratic measure to preserve education initiatives. Or do we want a tax code that treats everyone more fairly, that provides growth opportunities for more people, that gives every American the opportunity to rise, to thrive, to flourish? Thats the debate were having here.

[GOP tax plan would shake up higher-ed tax credits, deductions and benefits]

Outside Washington, there are signs that Republican support for higher education is ebbing.

In July, the Pew Research Center found that 58 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say that colleges and universities have a negative effect on the way things are going in the country. That was up from 37 percent two years earlier.

By contrast, a large majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents  72 percent  said this year that colleges have a positive effect.

Gallup pollsters reported a similar partisan split in August, with far fewer Republicans than Democrats expressing confidence in higher education. Many Republican skeptics described colleges as "too liberal" and complained that they pushed an agenda that does not allow students to think for themselves.

Those opinions may have been shaped by debates over free speech that have erupted on campuses nationwide. Congress has scrutinized incidents in which conservatives say their views were suppressed. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing in June on what it called the assault on the First Amendment on college campuses.

Republicans are also ever-mindful of President Trumps political base. He won the 2016 presidential election with strong support from white voters who do not have a college degree  by a margin of more than 2 to 1, according to network exit polls. White college graduates were more split, favoring Trump by a slim 3 percentage points.

Historically, higher education has drawn bipartisan support from Capitol Hill. Democrats say the House bill breaks with that tradition.

The 1.4 percent excise tax on college endowment income would raise $2.5 billion over a decade, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Treating tuition reductions for graduate students and others as taxable income would raise $5.4 billion. Repealing the student loan interest deduction would raise $21.4 billion.

Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), who holds a PhD in physics from Harvard University, said he has been besieged by calls from academics upset about tax increases on graduate students. He accused Republicans of making a desperate grab to get any source of revenue they can, for the maximum possible tax cut for the wealthy and corporations. Thats the starting and ending point for what theyre trying to do.

Congressional Republicans can cite accomplishments this year for higher education, including a recent expansion of Pell Grants that enables students in financial need to access the federal aid year-round. Key Senate Republicans support raising the maximum grant, now $5,920 a year, to $6,020.

Im hopeful that we can continue building on that progress to help more students get the postsecondary education they need  whether its a college degree, advanced degree, trade program or certification training  to get ahead, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said in a statement.

Blunt, former president of Southwest Baptist University, and Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), former president of the University of Tennessee, are two of Capitol Hills most influential Republicans on higher education. The Senate version of the tax bill does not include the tax increase on graduate students and would preserve the student loan interest deduction.

But like the House bill, it would impose a tax on investment income for private colleges with endowments worth at least $250,000 per student. That would affect about 60 to 70 schools, including the eight Ivy League institutions and several small liberal arts colleges.

Extremely puzzling, said Mary Sue Coleman, president of the Association of American Universities, which represents top research schools. Endowments allow universities to do a lot of good in the world.

[Colleges mobilize to fight House GOPs proposed endowment tax]

Higher education lobbyists also worry about other provisions of the Senate bill that they fear could squeeze state funding for public higher education and deter charitable contributions.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, a higher education group, acknowledged that colleges and universities face political hurdles. Many low-income and working-class families, he said, feel the cost of a degree is climbing out of reach even though many schools provide significant financial aid.

It certainly does impact legislators on both sides of the aisle as they hear that from constituents, Mitchell said. He said colleges must correct that narrative.

Mitchell, a former Obama administration education official, said colleges also suffer from the popular impression  misguided, he says  that they favor liberals and suppress free speech.

The culture wars continue, he said. They bubble, and sometimes they boil, and were at a bit of a boiling moment.

Jason Delisle, a former congressional Republican aide who is a resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said the optics of higher education have shifted on Capitol Hill.

A decade ago, he said, the bipartisan policy mantra was: We have the best higher education system in the world and were proud of it. . . . The only problem: For some people, its a little bit out of reach and we should help them.

Now, he said, there is more populist suspicion among many Republicans about elite institutions and those who benefit from them. Its a class warfare thing, he said.

Emily Guskin contributed to this report.
Keevon Howard, 17, and Justin Blackmoore and James Colwell, both 12, cut the ribbon during the opening of a youth art exhibit last week at the U.S. Education Department. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

This particular piece of art, 17-year-old Keevon Howard said, was born out of conflict.

Keevon, a high school senior from Rhode Island, had been clashing with his mother when he created the collage in art class.

He turned 17 and thought he was grown, his mother, Kinya Howard, said.

But the two still had a formidable connection, said her son. That is represented in his mixed-media artwork, with its image of a mother and child nestled among light and dark magazine clippings.

This is supposed to be me and my mother, and positivity and negativity in the world, said Keevon, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and struggles with behavioral issues, according to his mother. And that nothing in the world can break the bond.

Keevons artwork is on display at the U.S. Education Department in Washington, part of an exhibit that showcases pieces created by young people with disabilities. The exhibit, which opened last week, includes more than a dozen pieces created by young artists from five countries.

Its amazing, Keevon said when asked what it was like to see his work displayed.

The exhibit includes a colorful painting of a fishs head with reddish-orange scales and bright-pink fish lips. Theres also a jaunty picture of a girl, a blue-and-yellow bow in her hair, a clutch of other people at her side. The artist, a 17-year-old girl in South Korea, titled the work I Exist Because of My Family.

"Art connects us," Kimberly Richey, acting assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services in the Education Department, told a crowd that gathered for the exhibit opening. "Art allows us to celebrate, it cultivates our connections with each other. It's therapeutic for some. Through art, we know that we can dream and we can dare, and we can surpass our limits and we can grow as individuals."

The show is expected to remain at department headquarters, on Maryland Avenue SW, until the end of December. The agencys ground-floor lobby regularly welcomes art exhibitions, and the one that opened last week is accessible to members of the public who have an escort.

Here at the department, our lives are changed every time we have an opening and talk to students about their work, said Jackye Zimmermann, co-founder and director of the departments student art exhibit program and director of editorial policy and publications.

When a show comes down, Zimmermann said, she gets phone calls from employees who explain that there is a piece they need to see before starting their day. For these staff members, the art serves as a reminder that what they do at the department has an impact, she said.

Believe me, she said, the artwork here changes our lives every day.

As the exhibit opened, Keevon and other students, parents and educators discussed the role of the arts and what they can offer. The group included 12-year-old Jaden Blackmoore, a seventh-grader at the District's School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens.

His work was not included in the show, but he spoke about what the arts mean to him, about how he used to be more interested in music and then got into drawing.

What I found out is, you can draw a whole world from your mind, straight onto paper, Jaden said. You can make it 3-D, 2-D, even 4-D. I dont know if thats possible  it may be.

Keevon told the crowd that he uses art to express his feelings, because he cant really do that in other ways. Art, he said, opens a door.

My art teacher, she basically gives us the supplies and tells us to express our feelings, he said. Theres only one rule  dont erase. Because in life, you have to deal with your problems. So whatever you put on the paper is what you deal with.

The works included in the exhibit were selected by VSA, an international organization on arts and disability at the Kennedy Center.

The arts are a powerful tool for everybody, said Mario Rossero, senior vice president of education at the Kennedy Center. No matter who you are.

Rossero isnt really allowed to have a favorite work of art in the exhibit, he said. But he mentioned Keevon and what the teen had said on the panel.

This is the one that Im going to leave thinking about, Rossero said.
Columnist

I started the morning with a lovely invitation: Lets have breakfast, the subject line chirped.

How nice!

The sender: Donald J. Trump

Um. What?

This was after an invitation to dinner last month. Join me in Dallas, Trump asked in that note, before addressing me as friend.

And because were friends, the president confided in me: The media is CLUELESS when it comes to understanding what voters think about our country.

So maybe not BFFs.

But since we're friends, he must also know I once called him "a bloviating yam."

And I'm sure he knows that back in March 2016 I was already worried that his vitriolic bluster would contaminate American kids with the "Trump effect."

Maybe he wants to discuss toning down his rhetoric over a well-done steak and eggs?

Or maybe he actually loved it when I predicted he would have the "Apprentice presidency" and he wants to tell me who is going to be fired next.

Wait a minute. I know. He wants to thank me for giving him credit for lighting the torches of white supremacy in Charlottesville this summer! Thats it.

[Trump lit the torches of white supremacy in Charlottesville. We must extinguish them.]

Frankly, Im stumped. Because I have said it in a box, I have said it with a fox, I have said it with a mouse, I have said it with a house. I do not like that bloviating yam, I do not like him, Sam I am. And I cant understand why hed invite me anywhere.

When I scroll down on the lovely invites, that are designed to appear as though theyre coming straight from The Donald himself, I see he wants more than a meal with me. The billionaire wants my money: $3 to be exact.

See, everyone else at that dinner in Dallas  a glittery fundraiser full of the one-percenters  had to pay between $2,700 and $35,000 for a seat.

That breakfast he wanted me to have with him in New York? Its the Holiday in Manhattan fundraiser where the elite are spending between $1,000 and $50,000 for the chance to break eggs with him.

And his invitation will give me the chance to enter a raffle  with a minimum $3 buy-in  to get a seat among his wealthiest supporters.

Its all fundraising for 2020, the Make America Great Again Committee and the Republican National Committee building up their war chest, nibbling away at peoples wallets by stoking their commander-in-chief fantasies, at $3 a pop.

Clearly, the folks running the fundraising campaigns hired the same geniuses who put Bo Obama on the home page of the tax bill or decided the gate at Dachau would make a cool poster to sell at Walmart.

Because if they ask me for cash, who else are they rattling the tin cup at?

Maybe Hillary Clinton has some change in the bottom of her purse?

Would Marshawn Lynch want to go all in?

Or perhaps Juli Briskman can dip into some of the cash folks sent to her as a thank-you for flipping off Trumps motorcade?

[Flipping off President Trump has changed Juli Briskmans life]

Im not the only last-person-on-earth-to-give-money-to-Trump who got these solicitations.

I found a few other journalists and plenty of anti-Trump activists who have been similarly invited to donate and dine.

Vikki Kauffman is really vocal about her opposition to Trump. She raises poodles, but her social media feed is all politics.

And she was also stunned to get the same email I got from our president. She posted it on Facebook  to howls from her like-minded friends in Seattle.

I could see myself being all nice yes Ill go . . . I would love to meet him . . . Yada yada . . . then get there and really give him a piece of my mind! Ha! one of Kauffmans friends replied.

Oh I think wed last about 30 seconds before being escorted out by the secret service, another one said.

Debbie Newlin, a Republican who disdains the one in the White House, is also getting all those emails, even though she keeps writing back to the RNC about her displeasure with Trump.

I have received untold numbers of telephonic, emailed and snail-mailed polls, surveys and solicitations asking for my support. I have been very clear in my refusals, Newlin told me. In fact, I sent back several mailed solicitations on which I had written, I will not ever make a contribution of support to this party as long as Donald Trump is a candidate. 

No luck, though. She keeps getting them.

Sean Walsh, a lawyer in Olympia, Wash., has no clue why he also started getting such friendly notes from the president.

I dont know how I got on their email list, he said.

I have protested him, but so did my wife who doesnt receive those emails, he said. Also, my cousin who voted for Trump doesnt receive them. It is a mystery.

So I asked Cassie Smedile, a press secretary for the Republican National Committee, to help me figure it out.

It didnt take long to get her answer after her tech folks crawled through their data.

I signed up for campaign updates in the summer of 2016, she told me.

A normal thing for a reporter to do. In fact, any informed American should try to learn about each candidate. But does that mean they should be asking me for money now?

They think so. A year after the election, the RNC folks are doing database maintenance, she said.

And that means theyre looking at any email address they have that isnt already part of their standard donor base and seeing whether they can get cash out of it.

Ah, yes. That makes sense now to Kauffman, the poodle woman. She remembers joining activists who were signing up for Trump rallies during the campaign, only to skip them, a tactic to shrink Trumps crowd size.

Oh, we were so naive and hopeful back then, she said.

The GOPs strategy is working, Smedile said.

The RNC is raising unprecedented amounts of money from everyday Americans via online outreach, Smedile said. We are grateful to the more than 300,000 new online small-dollar donors who are joining our effort in support of President Trumps mission to make America great again.

I guess I could spring for the $3 entry fee. Im sure I could get a good column out of that glitzy breakfast in Manhattan.

Then again, that only means Ill keep getting more emails from the yam.

Twitter: @petulad
Charles Manson, a fiery-eyed cult master whose lemming-like followers staged a bloody two-night murder rampage in Los Angeles in 1969 that gripped the city with fear and shocked the nation, died Nov. 19 at a hospital in Kern County, Calif. He was 83.

Spokeswoman Krissi Khokhobashvili of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the death but did not provide a specific cause. Mr. Manson, who was serving a life sentence at California State Prison in Corcoran, had had health problems in recent years and was hospitalized in January for gastrointestinal bleeding, according to news reports.

The sheer incomprehensibility of his followers' acts  mutilation and ritual stabbings of seven victims, among them rising Hollywood star Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant and married to movie director Roman Polanski  left the public aghast and police investigators stumped for months.

[Brutally killed by Mansons followers, Sharon Tate became the face of victims rights]

For many, Mr. Manson and his ragtag entourage of runaways, two-bit criminals and blindly loyal worshipers also symbolized the dark, even contradictory, excesses of the drug-driven, free-love 1960s, especially in California.

There, Mr. Manson and his "family" members wandered the countryside, scavenging, stealing and preparing for an apocalyptic race war prophesied by their leader and dubbed "Helter Skelter" after the Beatles song.

A prelude to the conflagration was the slaughter of the seven people in two affluent Los Angeles neighborhoods. Orchestrated by Mr. Manson on two successive nights in August 1969, the seemingly random killings were calculated to hasten the race war by making them appear committed by black militants. That, in turn, he told his followers, would stir white sentiment against African Americans, triggering widespread violence by blacks.

The scheme bore surface plausibility with the rash of urban explosions throughout the 1960s, culminating in the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and nationwide rioting.

Investigators, however, said the attacks also appeared motivated, at least in part, by Mr. Mansons uncontrolled rage in the weeks leading up to the murders, when Hollywood agents rejected his self-proclaimed musical talents.

The killings  known collectively as the Tate-LaBianca murders  led to the conviction of Mr. Manson and four of his followers in 1971. All were sentenced to death in the California gas chamber, but the sentences were reduced to life in 1972 when the state Supreme Court abolished the death penalty.

Over the years, the Helter Skelter massacres, as they were often described, attained macabre folklore dimensions, generating books, songs, movies and even an opera.

Mr. Manson transfixed the nation with his roving, luminous eyes and courtroom theatrics during the months-long trial in which he and three female followers  Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten  were convicted. A fourth family member, Charles "Tex" Watson, was convicted in a separate trial.

Mr. Manson and the women, as well as family supporters outside the courtroom, repeatedly disrupted the proceedings with antics, shouting often unintelligible slogans and chanting protests in unison. Once, Mr. Manson was restrained by bailiffs when he lunged at the judge.

Look at yourselves, he shouted another time, glaring at the spectators. Youre going to destruction.

Vincent Bugliosi, the hard-charging deputy district attorney who prosecuted Mr. Manson, described the Manson name as "a metaphor for evil."

Mr. Manson was a study in stark contrasts. Small and scrawny, he was also charismatic and held an almost hypnotic power over his followers, especially women. Some believed he was divine.

Investigators, academic researchers and journalists found him alternately erratic and focused, a proficient guitarist, a lover of animals, a racist and an anti-Semite with a left-leaning hatred of the establishment and corporate America and bitterness over his rejection by the music celebrity world of Hollywood.

He was not insane, but he could fake it and had an insatiable need to control others, prompting him to recruit naive and malleable acolytes to his family, according to behaviorists who studied his life.

Basically, Manson was a coward, Eric Hickey, dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University, told Macleans magazine in 2012. He was the kind of guy who had other people do his bidding, and I think he really enjoyed taking advantage of people who were gullible.

Charles Milles Manson was born on Nov. 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, the son of an unmarried 16-year-old girl who supported herself by committing petty crime.

He never knew his father, and with his mother periodically jailed, he was shunted among various relatives in small towns in West Virginia and Kentucky. He began engaging in petty theft himself and ended up in foster homes and reformatories.

His education stopped at the seventh grade. Although only sketchily literate, he scored a high-normal IQ of 121 while in prison.

He married twice, first to a teenage waitress, Rosalie Willis, in 1955, divorcing in 1958. Then in 1959, he married a woman with a prostitution record named Leona "Candy" Stevens, according to prison records. That union also ended in divorce. A son from his first marriage, Charles Manson Jr., who renamed himself Jay White, committed suicide in 1993. He had a son from his second marriage, Charles Luther Manson. He had at least one other child as well.

Mr. Manson drifted to California in the mid-1960s, was drawn to the beads-and-hippie scene in San Francisco and later Los Angeles. He began gathering a loose following of devotees, many of them disillusioned and confused young people from across the socioeconomic spectrum.

He attempted to ingratiate himself with the Hollywood glitterati, using his guitar and songwriting as a wedge, and was briefly befriended by Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson, record producer Terry Melcher, son of actress Doris Day, and others. He managed to get one song on the Beach Boys' album "20/20" in 1968. It was titled "Cease to Exist" but revised and retitled "Never Learn Not to Love" by Wilson. Little else came of his efforts, leaving him angry and bitter.

[Charles Mansons surreal summer with the Beach Boys: Group sex, dumpster diving and rock n roll]

Meanwhile, his followers, ranging loosely from a handful to a few dozen, encamped at various sites, abiding by his strict rules of communal living, including mandatory group sex and drug use.

We took hundreds of [LSD] trips together, Krenwinkel said in a 1994 prison interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News. Of group sex, she said, It was always very planned because it was a means of control.

Women were entirely subordinate to men. They turned over their money to Mr. Manson. The women did the cooking. . . . The men ate first and the women got what was left, wrote Jeff Guinn, journalist and author of Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson.

Four children were born into the family, at least one fathered by Mr. Manson.

It was during this time in the late 1960s that his vision of racial Armageddon jelled, guided, he said, by biblical prophecy and coded language in the Beatles White Album in such songs as Helter Skelter, Blackbird and Piggies.

During the war, in which blacks would overcome whites, he preached, his followers would go underground with him in Death Valley, then rise again to take over leadership from the victorious blacks.

On the night of Aug. 9, 1969, the first of two family teams entered an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood, targeting a house formerly rented by Melcher. Mr. Manson knew Melcher had moved but picked the house assuming it would be occupied by people similarly wealthy, influential and, he thought, deserving of death.

The group forced its way in, repeatedly beating, stabbing and shooting Tate and three friends  coffee heiress Abigail Folger, her boyfriend, Voytek Frykowski, and celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring. A fourth victim, Steve Parent, an acquaintance of the propertys caretaker, was shot in his car outside the house. Polanski was abroad at the time.

Late the next night, Aug. 10, another family group drove to a second upscale neighborhood where Mr. Manson picked a house adjacent to one where he and friends had partied earlier that year. The group broke in and with ritual savagery killed Leno LaBianca, a grocery store chain operator, and his wife, Rosemary.

At both houses, the intruders smeared bloody slogans on walls and furnishings  Death to Pigs, Rise  as well as a telltale Black Panther paw print to mislead police.

Investigators were stymied for months. They got their break when Atkins, jailed in connection with an unrelated murder, confided to cellmates about the Tate-LaBianca killings, and word reached officials. Fingerprint and ballistics evidence at the scene confirmed Atkinss assertions. Mr. Manson, also in custody on unrelated charges, was quickly indicted.

Prosecutors depicted Mr. Manson as the meticulous mastermind of the murders, and while family members acknowledged his planning role, they said he did not participate in the killings. The jury nevertheless found him equally culpable under Californias joint-responsibility rule.

He was also convicted for the July 1969 murder of Gary Hinman, and the August 1969 murder of Donald Shea, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Mr. Manson, who all his life denied ordering the killings, spent his years behind bars answering mountains of mail, weaving scorpions and spiders from string, and granting occasional TV interviews. As he aged, his eyes dulled, his scraggly hair and beard whitened and the swastika carved on his forehead began to fade.

Atkins died in prison in 2009 at 61.

Charlie Rose, in an Emmy Award-winning interview on the CBS "Nightwatch" news show in 1987, asked Mr. Manson for his reaction to the public perception of him as a "monster."

His answer: What you see is what you get.
Earle Hyman in 1997, before his induction to the Theater Hall of Fame at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. (Ron Frehm/Associated Press)

Earle Hyman, a veteran stage and screen actor who played Bill Cosbys father, Russell Huxtable, on The Cosby Show and whose love for playwright Henrik Ibsen led him to spend much of his career working in Norwegian theater, died Nov. 16 at an assisted-living facility in Englewood, N.J. He was 91.

Jordan Strohl, a representative for the Actors Fund, confirmed the death but did not disclose the cause.

Mr. Hyman made his Broadway debut as a teenager in 1944 and was a charter member of the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Conn. He drew praise for his interpretation of the title character of Shakespeares Othello, but he also played traditionally white Shakespearean leads such as Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear.

Mr. Hyman received a Tony nomination in 1980 for his performance in the Edward Albee play The Lady From Dubuque, and he voiced the character Panthro on the 1980s animated television series Thundercats.

But he became best known for "The Cosby Show," which premiered on NBC in 1984 and aired for eight seasons. Mr. Hyman was the trombone-playing, occasionally authoritative father to Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, even though he was only 11 years Cosby's senior. He appeared in 40 episodes, including an Emmy-nominated 1985 appearance in which he and wife Anna (Clarice Taylor) celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary with the help of a lip-sync rendition of the Ray Charles song "Night Time Is the Right Time," performed by the full Huxtable family.

"That's the one episode that was the most loved, most seen," Mr. Hyman told the podcast "Just My Show" in 2009. "We just had a ball, and the atmosphere just went over into a kind of reality. We were no longer Clarice and Earle, we were really Anna and Russell Huxtable."

George Earle Hyman was born in Rocky Mount, N.C., on Oct. 11, 1926, and moved to New York when he was 6. Both his parents were schoolteachers and took him to his first play, a Brighton Beach production of Ibsens Ghosts, when he was 13.

The experience inspired him to take up acting and led to a lifelong fascination with Norwegian theater. He eventually learned Norwegian and Danish and spent much of his time in Norway, performing in Norwegian plays as well as in translated works of Shakespeare and other English-language writers.

A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

Mr. Hyman said he felt like a true star only in Norway  not in the United States, where he sometimes fielded questions and complaints about his decisions to play traditionally white roles in the theater.

"As a young actor, I adored Shakespeare and walked around with a volume of his work under my arm," he told the New York Times in 1991. "One actress saw this and said, 'Ain't somebody told that boy that he's colored?' But I couldn't help it; I loved the plays that weren't written for me."

Here I am almost 65 years old and Im still saying that all roles should be available to all actors of talent, regardless of race, he continued. Why should I be deprived of seeing a great black actress play Hedda Gabler? That still makes me angry. Unless something is done  no matter how crazy it may seem  well never get anywhere. Were still fighting these battles.
THE DISTRICT

Person tries to jump

White House barrier

An individual was taken into custody Sunday after trying to jump the barrier along the north side of the White House, the Secret Service said.

The agency tweeted about 8 a.m. that someone had attempted to jump the bike rack barrier along Pennsylvania Avenue. The area was closed to pedestrian traffic but reopened a short while later.

President Trump was inside the White House at the time.

The Secret Service did not immediately respond to questions about the individuals identity or motive.

The incident came a little over a month after a Kentucky man dressed as the Pokemon character Pikachu jumped over a concrete barrier outside the residence and was quickly apprehended, according to the Secret Service.

 Faiz Siddiqui

Man is fatally shot

in Southeast D.C.

A 30-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday night in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said Sunday.

Police said Marcel Harrison of Southeast was found with gunshot wounds in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE, in the Garfield Heights neighborhood. Police had been responding to a call of an unconscious person when they found Harrison at 11:43 p.m.

Harrison was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information was asked to call 202-727-9099 or text tips to 50411.

 Faiz Siddiqui

25-year-old man dies

in Northwest shooting

A 25-year-old man was found fatally shot in Northwest Washington early Sunday, D.C. police said.

Police said Christian Isaac Lopez Ramirez suffered gunshot wounds after shooting broke out in the 1000 block of Spring Road NW. Police found Ramirez about 2 a.m. after receiving a report of an unconscious person at the location, which straddles the Columbia Heights and 16th Street Heights neighborhoods.

Police said Ramirez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No description of a suspect was provided. Rewards of up $25,000 are offered for tips leading to arrests and convictions in D.C. homicide cases.

 Faiz Siddiqui
Few people in Virginia, or elsewhere for that matter, spent Saturday night like a man from Norfolk, who was blown away from shore in a raft, and drifted across the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Coast Guard.

After the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Virginia Marine Police scoured the bay, the man told the Coast Guard that he drifted from the Norfolk area to the Machipongo area on the other side of the bay on Virginias Eastern Shore.

As the Coast Guard told it on Sunday, Wesley Schoonmaker was found by a helpful shore resident after he came shore at a beach in the Machipongo area. After reaching land with his raft Sunday, Schoonmaker walked into the residents backyard, the Coast Guard said.

The rafter was reported to be in stable condition, but windburned when found, the Coast Guard said. He was taken by Eastern Shore rescue personnel to a hospital in Onley, Va.

The overnight odyssey began, according to the Coast Guard, when Schoonmaker, 49, left his home in Norfolk Saturday in a wetsuit.

Reportedly he had expressed his intention to test a new oar by paddling his raft near Willoughby Spit in Norfolk. The raft was described as yellow and blue, and eight feet long.

It was a windy afternoon and evening in the around the Washington region on Saturday. National Weather Service data indicated that winds gusted as high as 30 mph Saturday afternoon in the Norfolk area.

It was not possible to determine the precise course followed by the raft as it drifted to the northeast across the bay, near where it joins the Atlantic Ocean.

However a straight course might have stretched for 40 to 50 miles.

The Coast Guard said a helicopter crew took to the air from Elizabeth City. N.C., and joined the Virginia Marine Police and other agencies to search throughout Saturday night. A search continued into Sunday morning, the Coast Guard said.

We appreciate the team effort from different agencies and stations during the search, said Coast Guard Lt.j.g. Bradley S. Milliken, command duty officer at the Sector Hampton Roads Command Center in Portsmouth. Were glad hes okay.
By Ssebuliba Samuel:

Supreme Court in Kenya has upheld uhuru Kenyattas victory in the 26th general election that was highly disputed.

Giving its final judgment this morning, the Supreme Court agreed that all three petitions lacked merit

There were three petitions filed in court after the repeat poll on October 26.

Two of the petitions challenge the process and outcome while one of the petitions raises complaints against National Super Alliance leaders and whether they should be held liable for electoral offences.

A petition filed by Njonjo Mue together with Khelef Khalifa, another by former assistant Minister Harun Mwau, are contesting the October 26 poll arguing that the withdrawal of Raila Odinga from the case meant that the poll was void.

Now according to the program Kenyatta will be sworn in as the president nest week which will mark the end of leadership vacuum in Kenya.
A woman who got a ride from a man she thought worked for a ride-sharing service was sexually assaulted by the driver early Sunday on the campus of American University in Northwest Washington, authorities said.

Police charged El Honcine Jourhdaly, 36, of Springfield, Va., with one count of first-degree sexual abuse and kidnapping.

Authorities said the woman had noticed a sticker for Uber on the rear right-side passenger window of a Honda Civic and believed she was getting into a vehicle for hire. A spokeswoman for Uber said Jourhdaly had been a contractor until 2015, when he was removed. She declined to provide a reason for the removal.

The incident began early Sunday when the woman and a male friend got into the vehicle at Dupont Circle and asked to be taken to American University, according to an arrest affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court. Police said the couple flagged down the driver.

The affidavit says the driver instructed the woman to sit in the front seat, and when the car arrived at the destination, the driver ordered the male passenger to get out.

Police said the driver then sped off with the female passenger in the front seat. Police said he later stopped at the university and ordered her out of the

vehicle.

The sexual assault occurred on the university campus between 3:20 a.m. and 3:50 a.m., near the Asbury Building off the 4400 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW, police said.

Jourhdaly told detectives the woman wanted to be with him, police said in the court affidavit.

Mark Story, an American University spokesman, said he could not confirm whether the victim was a student at the school, citing confidentiality concerns and the police investigation.

Uber vehicles do not pick up people who try to flag them down. The service can only be ordered through its app, which provides the customer with information on the driver.

The company has issued safety tips, including advising customers to make sure the driver, vehicle and license plate number match the information on the app, which includes the drivers photo. Customers can track their route via GPS and share their route with friends.

Never get in a car with a driver who claims to be with Uber and offers a ride, the company says.
Visitors take photographs on the grounds of the State Capitol in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

RICHMOND  Virginias Board of Elections voted unanimously Monday to delay certification of two House races, amid new claims that dozens of voters got the wrong ballot in a tight contest that could determine control of the legislatures lower chamber.

The board called a time out after state Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes announced that in April 2016, Fredericksburg registrar Juanita Pitchford erroneously assigned 83 voters from the 28th House District to the 88th.

It was not clear how many of the 83 voters actually cast ballots on Nov. 7, but the 28th District race is tight. Republican Robert Thomas leads Democrat Joshua Cole by 82 votes in the contest to fill the seat held by retiring Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford).

Jonathan A. Gerlach, a lawyer for Cole who lives in Fredericksburg, told the board that he had found evidence that more than 100 Fredericksburg voters had been mis-classified.

Noting the closeness of the race and legal action threatened by Democratic attorneys, the board decided to certify only the states 98 other House races and the contests for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Monday was the state deadline to certify the election under state law, but the code allows the board up to three more days if it is unable to ascertain the results.

Lets just take a time out, said board chairman James Alcorn. Our goal is to make sure voters trust the election results.

The delay drew sharp criticism from John Findlay, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia.

Welcome to Venezuela, Findlay said afterward. This is how elections happen in Venezuela, Soviet Russia and now the commonwealth of Virginia. We dont like the winners, were gonna have a new election.

The District 28 race is one of three likely headed for a state-funded recount after the Nov. 7 election, in which Democrats made huge gains in the House and swept statewide offices for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Before the election, Republicans boasted a 66-to-34 majority in the House of Delegates. Now the count is 49 Democrats and 51 Republicans, putting Democrats within striking distance of taking control. They need one more victory to force a power-sharing deal with Republicans and two more to take the reins of the chamber for the first time since 2000.

[Democrats make historic gains in House]

Republicans hold narrow leads in all three of the close races. In the other two, Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) has a 106-vote lead over Democrat Donte Tanner, while Del. David E. Yancey (R-Newport News) is up just 10 votes over Democrat Shelly Simonds.

View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor.

Lawyers for Cole and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund last week tried unsuccessfully to challenge the results in court. One lawsuit sought to have 55 late-arriving absentee ballots counted. The other asserted that voters who cast provisional ballots on Election Day had been given conflicting and misleading instructions. Both complaints were dismissed.

[Judge wont force a count of 55 late absentee ballots]

Marc Elias, one of the lawyers for Cole, also complained last week in a letter to the state board that 668 Fredericksburg voters had been given the wrong ballots, causing them to vote in the District 88 that Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) won handily, rather than in the District 28 squeaker. Elias asserted that Fredericksburg officials had improperly split two precincts that are entirely within District 28, giving some voters ballots for that House race and others ballots for the District 88 contest.

But on Monday, Cortes confirmed that the precincts were properly split.

Yet a new question arose over the weekend, which Elias spelled out in a letter emailed to the board Monday ahead of the meeting. Elias was no longer contending that the precincts should not have been split, but that some voters within those precincts received the wrong ballot. He said that was because elections records assign some voters to the wrong district.

Clara Belle Wheeler, the lone Republican on the three-member board, seemed initially reluctant to go along with a delay. But after Cortes explained that Pitchford appeared to have mis-assigned some voters in 2016, Wheeler agreed to hold off on certification. Pitchford died in April.

Im confused, I guess, as everyone, Wheeler said.

Del. Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), who will become speaker if Republicans hold onto the majority, said the 83 voters would not likely swing the race even they should have voted in District 28.

Each and every one of the 83 registered voters in question, if they did in fact vote in the wrong district, would have to have participated in this election, voted in the wrong district, and voted for Delegate-elect Thomas opponent in order to change the outcome, all of which are unlikely, Cox said in a written statement. The Department of Elections knows right now how many of these registrants actually cast ballots and they should make that information available right away. Doing so will reveal that Bob Thomas is the rightful winner of this election, under any scenario.

Cortes said it was not yet clear how many of the 83 residents voted.

The State Board of Elections today acknowledged that at least 83 people were mis-assigned in the system and thus possibly disenfranchised from voting in their appropriate house district, Virginia House Democratic Caucus, which hired Elias to represent Cole, said in written statement. The State Board of Elections made a judicious decision by delaying certification. We are currently assessing our legal options and will release another statement should we take further action.
Texas

Authorities investigate

death of border agent

Authorities are searching Texass Big Bend area for potential perpetrators and witnesses after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was killed while responding to activity there.

Border Patrol spokesmen said they could not provide any details Sunday about what had happened.

Spokesman Carlos Diaz said the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Another spokesman, Douglas Mosier, said that Rogelio Martinez, 36, and his partner were taken to a hospital, where Martinez died. Martinezs partner is in serious condition. His name wasnt released.

Martinez had been a border agent since August 2013 and was from El Paso.

 Associated Press

New York

Santa appointments

for Macys visitors

Santa Claus may be coming to town, but youll need a reservation to see him.

At the Macys flagship store on 34th Street in New York, a chance to sit on Saint Nicks lap is by appointment only this year, for the first time.

Starting Monday, people can sign up online for a time slot from 30 minutes to five days in advance. No walk-ins are allowed. Admission is free. Santaland Herald Square will be open from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. Macys said the new arrangement is intended to reduce wait times.

 Associated Press

Ohio high court justice apologizes again: An Ohio Supreme Court justice and Democratic gubernatorial candidate has issued another apology on Facebook after a post Friday outlining his sexual history with women drew condemnation. In his latest post Sunday morning, William O'Neill said that he was wrong and that he was headed to church to "get right with God." He apologized to his daughters and sisters and says he realizes he has hurt family members, friends and strangers with his "insensitive remarks," while damaging the national debate about sexual harassment and abuse. O'Neill deleted his original post from Friday.

Children involved in shooting in Minn.: Authorities in western Minnesota say a 3-year-old was accidentally shot and wounded by another child. The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office said it received a 911 call about the shooting from a home in Deer Creek about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The caller reported that a 5-year-old had caused the injury.
Devin Hall was billed more than $7,100 for an ambulance ride of about 20 miles. These charges are exorbitant, he said. (Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News)

One patient got a $3,660 bill for a four-mile ride. Another was charged $8,460 for a trip from a hospital that could not handle his case to another that could. Still another found herself marooned at an out-of-network hospital, where shed been taken by ambulance without her consent.

These patients all took ambulances in emergencies and got slammed with unexpected bills. Public outrage has erupted over surprise medical bills  generally out-of-network charges that a patient did not expect or could not control  prompting 21 states to pass laws over the years protecting consumers in some situations. But these laws largely ignore ground ambulance rides, which can leave patients stuck with hundreds or even thousands of dollars in bills and with few options for recourse, finds a Kaiser Health News review of 350 consumer complaints in 32 states.

Patients usually choose to go to the doctor, but they are vulnerable when they call 911 or get into an ambulance. The dispatcher picks the ambulance crew, which may be the local fire department or a private company hired by the municipality. The crew, in turn, often picks the hospital. Moreover, many ambulances are not summoned by patients, but by police or a bystander.

Betsy Imholz, special projects director at the Consumers Union, which has collected more than 700 patient stories about surprise medical bills, said at least a quarter concern ambulances.

Its a huge problem, she said.

Forty years ago, most ambulances were free for patients, provided by volunteers or town fire departments using taxpayer money, said Jay Fitch, president of Fitch & Associates, an emergency services consulting firm. Today, ambulances are increasingly run by private companies and venture capital firms. Ambulance operators now often charge by the mile and sometimes for each "service," such as providing oxygen. If the ambulance is staffed by paramedics rather than emergency medical technicians, that will result in a higher charge  even if the patient didn't need paramedic-level services. Charges range from zero to thousands of dollars.

The core of the problem is that ambulance companies and private insurers often cant agree on a fair price, so the ambulance service doesnt join the insurers network. That leaves patients stuck with out-of-network charges that are not negotiated, Imholz said.

This happens to patients frequently, according to a recent study of more than half a million ambulance trips taken by patients with private insurance in 2014. The study, by two staffers at the Federal Trade Commission, found that 26 percent of these trips were billed on an out-of-network basis.

That figure is "quite jarring," said Loren Adler, co-author of a recent report on surprise billing.

The KHN review of complaints revealed two common scenarios leaving patients in debt: First, patients get into an ambulance after a 911 call. Second, an ambulance transfers them between hospitals. In both scenarios, patients later learn the fee is much higher because the ambulance was out-of-network, and after the insurer pays what it deems fair, they get a surprise bill for the balance, also known as a balance bill.

The Better Business Bureau has received nearly 1,200 consumer complaints about ambulances in the past three years; half were related to billing, and 46 mentioned out-of-network charges, spokeswoman Katherine Hutt said.

While the federal government sets reimbursement rates for patients on Medicare, it does not regulate ambulance fees for patients with private insurance. Those patients are left with a highly fragmented system in which the cost of a similar ambulance trip can vary widely from town to town. There are about 14,000 ambulance services across the country, run by governments, volunteers, hospitals and private companies, according to the American Ambulance Association. (The Washington area reflects that mix.)

For a glimpse into the unpredictable system, consider the case of Roman Barshay. The 46-year-old software engineer, who lives in Brooklyn, was visiting friends in the Boston suburb of Chestnut Hill last November when he took a nasty fall.

Barshay felt a sharp pain in his chest and back, and he had trouble walking. An ambulance crew responded to a 911 call at his friends house and drove him four miles to Brigham and Womens Hospital, taking his blood pressure as he lay down in the back. Doctors there determined he had sprained tendons and ligaments and a bruised foot, and released him after about four hours, he said.

After Barshay returned to Brooklyn, he got a bill for $3,660, or $915 for each mile of the ambulance ride. His insurance had covered nearly half, leaving him to pay the remaining $1,890.50.

I thought it was a mistake, Barshay said.

But Fallon Ambulance Service, the private company that brought him to the hospital, was out-of-network for his UnitedHealthcare insurance plan.

The cost is outrageous, said Barshay, who reluctantly paid the bill after Fallon sent it to a collection agency. If he had known what the ride would cost, he said, he would at least have been able to refuse the ride and crawl to the hospital myself.

In a statement, UnitedHealthcare said: Out-of-network ambulance companies should not be using emergencies as an opportunity to bill patients excessive amounts when they are at their most vulnerable.

You feel horribly to send a patient a bill like that, said Peter Racicot, senior vice president of Fallon, a family-owned company based outside Boston.

But ambulance firms are severely underfunded by Medicare and Medicaid, Racicot said, so Fallon must balance the books by charging higher rates for patients with private insurance.

Racicot said his company has not contracted with Barshays insurer because they couldnt agree on a fair rate. When insurers and ambulance companies cant agree, he said, unfortunately, the subscribers wind up in the middle.

Its also unrealistic to expect EMTs and paramedics at the scene of an emergency to determine whether their company takes a patients insurance, Racicot added.

Ambulance services must charge enough to subsidize the cost of keeping their crews ready around the clock, said Fitch, the ambulance consultant. In a third of the cases where an ambulance crew answers a call, he added, they end up not transporting anyone and the company typically isnt reimbursed for the trip.

In part, Barshay had bad luck. If his injury had happened just a mile away  inside Bostons city limits  he could have ridden a city ambulance, which would have charged $1,490, according to Boston EMS, a sum that his insurer probably would have covered in full.

Very few states have laws limiting ambulance charges, and most state laws that protect patients from surprise billing do not apply to ground ambulance rides, according to Brian Werfel, a consultant to the American Ambulance Association. And none of the surprise-billing protections apply to people with self-funded employer-sponsored health insurance plans, which are regulated only by federal law. That's a huge exception: 61 percent of privately insured employees are covered by self-funded employer-sponsored plans.

Some towns that hire private companies to respond to 911 calls may regulate fees or prohibit balance billing, Werfel said, but each locality is different.

Insurers try to protect patients from balance billing by negotiating rates with ambulance companies, said Cathryn Donaldson, a spokeswoman for Americas Health Insurance Plans. But some ambulance companies have been resistant to join plan networks that offer Medicare-based rates, she said.

Medicare rates vary widely by geographic area. On average, ambulance services make a small profit on Medicare payments, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. If a patient uses a basic life support ambulance in an emergency in an urban area, for instance, Medicare payments range from $324 to $453, plus $7.29 per mile. Medicaid rates tend to be significantly lower.

There's evidence of waste and fraud in the ambulance industry, Donaldson added, citing a study from the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services. The report concluded that in 2012 Medicare paid more than $50 million in improper ambulance bills, including for supposedly emergency-level transport that ended at a nursing home, not a hospital. One in 5 ambulance services had "questionable billing" practices, said the report, which noted that Medicare spent $5.8 billion on ambulance transport that year.

Most complaints reviewed by Kaiser Health News did not appear to involve fraudulent charges. Instead, patients got caught in a system in which ambulance services can legally charge thousands of dollars for a single trip  even when the trip starts at an in-network hospital.

Thats what happened to Devin Hall, a 67-year-old retired postal inspector in Northern California. While he faces Stage 3 prostate cancer, Hall is also fighting a $7,109.70 bill from American Medical Response, the nations largest ambulance provider.

On Dec. 27, 2016, Hall went to a local hospital with rectal bleeding. Because the hospital didnt have the right specialist to treat his symptoms, it arranged for an ambulance ride to another hospital about 20 miles away. Even though the hospital was in his network, the ambulance was not.

Hall was stunned to see that AMR billed $8,460 for the trip. His federal health plan, the Special Agents Mutual Benefit Association, paid $1,350.30 and held Hall responsible for $727.08, records show. (According to his plans explanation of benefits, it paid that amount because AMRs charges exceeded the plans Medicare-based fee schedule, which is based on Medicare rates.) But AMR turned his case over to a debt collector, Credence Resource Management, which sent an Aug. 25 notice seeking the full balance of $7,109.70.

These charges are exorbitant  I just dont think what AMR is doing is right, said Hall, noting that he had intentionally sought treatment at an in-network hospital.

He has spent months on the phone calling the hospital, his insurer and AMR trying to resolve the matter. Given his prognosis, he worries about leaving his wife with a legal fight and a lien on their Brentwood, Calif., house for a debt they shouldnt owe.

After being contacted by Kaiser Health News, AMR said it pulled Halls case from collections while it reviews the billing. After further review, company spokesman Jason Sorrick said the charges were warranted because it was a critical care transport, which requires a specialized nurse and equipment on board.

Sorrick faulted Halls health plan for underpaying, and said Hall could receive a discount if he qualifies for AMRs compassionate care program based on his financial and medical situation.

In this case, it appears the patients insurance company simply made up a price they wanted to pay, Sorrick said.

In July, a California law went into effect that protects consumers from surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers, including some ambulance transport between hospitals. But Halls case occurred before that, and the state law doesnt apply to him because of his federal insurance plan.

The consumer complaints reviewed by Kaiser Health News reveal a wide variety of ways that patients are left fighting big bills:

 An older patient in California said debt collectors called incessantly, including on Sunday mornings and at night, demanding an extra $500 on top of the $1,000 that his insurance had paid for an ambulance trip.

 Two ambulance services responded to a New Jersey mans 911 call when he felt burning in his chest. One of them charged him $2,100 for treating him on the scene for less than 30 minutes  even though he never rode in that companys ambulance.

 A woman who rolled over in her Jeep in Texas was charged a $26,400 trauma activation fee  a fee triggered when the ambulance service called ahead to the emergency department to assemble a trauma team. The woman, who did not require trauma care, fought the hospital to get the fee waived.

In other cases, patients face financial hardship when ambulances take them to out-of-network hospitals. Patients dont always have a choice in where to seek care; thats up to the ambulance crew and depends on the protocols written by the medical director of each ambulance service, said Werfel, the ambulance association consultant.

Sarah Wilson, a 36-year-old microbiologist, had a seizure at her grandmothers house in rural Ohio on March 18, 2016, the day after having hip surgery at Akron City Hospital. When her husband called 911, the private ambulance crew that responded refused to take her back to Akron City Hospital, instead driving her to an out-of-network hospital that was 22 miles closer. Wilson refused care because the hospital was out-of-network, she said.

Wilson wanted to leave. But I was literally trapped in my stretcher, without the crutches she needed to walk, she said. Her husband, who had followed by car, wasnt allowed to see her right away. She ended up leaving against medical advice at 4 a.m. She landed in collections for a $202 hospital bill for a medical examination, a debt that damaged her credit score, she said.

Ken Joseph, chief paramedic of Emergency Medical Transport, the private ambulance company that transported Wilson, said company protocol is to take patients to the closest appropriate facility. Serving a large area with just two ambulances, the company has to get each ambulance back to its station quickly so it can be ready for the next call, he said.

Patients such as Wilson are often left to battle these bills alone, because there are no federal protections for patients with private insurance.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who has been pushing for federal legislation protecting patients from surprise hospital bills, said in a statement that he supports doing the same for ambulance bills.

Meanwhile, patients do have the right to refuse an ambulance ride, as long as they are older than 18 and mentally capable.

You could just take an Uber, said Adler, co-author of the surprise-billing report. But if you need an ambulance, theres little recourse to avoid unexpected bills, he said, other than yelling at the insurance company after the fact, or yelling at the ambulance company.

 Kaiser Health News

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent part of the Kaiser Family Foundation. KHN correspondent Chad Terhune contributed to this report.

Read more

Watch out for surprise medical bills when youre in the hospital

50 hospitals charge the uninsured more than 10 times the cost of care

Rattled by drug price increases, hospitals look for ways to stay on guard
SYRIA

Islamic State ousted again from stronghold

Pro-government forces defeated the Islamic State in the militant groups last major stronghold in Syria, state media and a monitoring group reported Sunday, leaving the extremists to defend just strips of desert territory and a besieged pocket outside the capital, Damascus.

Also Sunday, more than two dozen civilians were killed as government forces and rebels traded fire across fronts in Damascus and Homs.

The intensified violence is testing an accord by Russia, Turkey and Iran to suppress fighting in Syria ahead of the resumption of talks in Geneva between the government and the opposition, set for Nov. 28.

Eight civilians were killed in rebel shelling on Homs, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported. It added that two more were killed by shelling or rocket fire on Damascus.

At least 17 civilians were killed in government shelling and airstrikes on the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, which remain under opposition control, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The civil defense search-and-rescue group popularly known as the White Helmets said one of its volunteers was killed in the line of duty by a rocket.

The battle with the Islamic State for Bukamal featured its share of feints and ruses, with the militants pulling out of the town 10 days ago only to attack it again and threaten to trap pro-government forces inside.

But the militants could not hold it against the coalition of pro-government forces.

 Associated Press

TURKEY

Ankara imposes banon all LGBTI events

Officials in Turkey have banned all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights groups in Ankara, the countrys capital, a move that LGBTI organizations say is illegal and discriminatory.

The ban took effect Saturday for an indefinite period and applies to all LGBTI film screenings, theaters, panels and exhibitions.

The Ankara governors office said Sunday that the ban was imposed to protect public security. It said the events might cause animosity among different groups and endanger health and morality as well as the rights and freedoms of others.

The governors office warned that some groups could be provoked by LGBTI events and take action against participants because of certain social sensitivities.

Although homosexuality is not banned in Turkey and LGBTI associations are legally registered with the state, rights activists say LGBTI individuals face discrimination and stigma.

Two Ankara-based LGBTI associations slammed the ban in a statement late Sunday, saying it violates domestic and international laws.

 Associated Press

MOROCCO

15 dead, 5 hurt in a stampede for food aid

A stampede in a southern Moroccan village left at least 15 people dead and five injured Sunday as food aid was being distributed, the Interior Ministry said.

The crush took place in Sidi Boulalam, in the province of Essaouira, as a local association was distributing food aid in a weekly souk, or market, the ministry said in a statement.

A local news website reported that people were rushing for food aid whose value was about $16 per person.

Distributions of food aid are common in the North African nation, notably in remote parts of the country. They are organized by private sponsors and groups as well as by the authorities.

A drought has greatly hurt agricultural output in Morocco, contributing to the high cost of basic food items.

 Associated Press

Runoff to be held in Chile vote: Conservative billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera won Chile's presidential election Sunday, but will now have to face leftist candidate Alejandro Guillier in a runoff in December. The 67-year-old took 36.6 percent of the vote with 99 percent of votes tallied. Independent senator Guillier, 64, who represented outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's center-left coalition, received 22.6 percent of the vote. Guillier vowed that the left, representing a "broader" Chile with more "solidarity," would win Dec. 17.

Japanese man killed in crash involving U.S. Marine: Police on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa are investigating a fatal traffic accident in which a truck driven by a U.S. Marine collided with a small truck at an intersection, killing the Japanese driver of the other vehicle. The Marine was slightly injured in the crash in Naha, the main city on Okinawa, said Kazuhiko Miyagi of the Okinawa police. He confirmed Japanese media reports that a breath test indicated that the Marine had an alcohol level that was three times the legal limit. From news services
David Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, which is now part of HealthRIGHT 360 in northern California.

Fifty years ago, at the height of the "summer of love," up to 30,000 hippies crowded San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, dancing to the psychedelic music pioneered by bands such as the Grateful Dead. The event attracted thousands of young people to the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco  a small neighborhood that soon became the epicenter of a counterculture movement centered on the philosophy that chemistry and drugs could improve life experiences.

This was the complex environment that wrought Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader of the murderous Manson Family who would become a national obsession. I studied Manson, who died Sunday at age 83, while researching psychoactive drugs in the late '60s, watching as he became an infamous symbol of the dark side in the summer of love  and helped to stunt progressive policies for decades to come.

I first interacted with Manson and the women who followed him as a physician in 1967 while treating them at the health clinic I launched to serve the growing population of young drug users in Haight-Ashbury. I quickly discovered that their philosophy smacked of delusions of grandeur, fueled by LSD and mind control. Manson used his influence over the young female members of the Manson Family to control their behavior, changing their names to dissolve their identities. The philosophy was bizarre  but so was the whole of Haight-Ashbury, and Manson just seemed another character moving through our scene.

My next interaction with the group was in 1969. By this time, hippies had begun moving out of Haight-Ashbury and into the country, so we formed health groups to provide visiting nurses to their communes. We saw this as an opportunity to study the new counterculture communal phenomenon, prompting my clinics administrator, Al Rose, to temporarily live with and study the Manson Family on their ranch.

Rose brought back interesting field notes that served as the basis of our paper "The Group Marriage Commune: A Case Study," published in the Journal of Psychedelic Drugs and completed before Manson Family members began killing people. We found that Manson served as the group's absolute ruler, often performing drug-involved magic tricks to show his mental powers. The group consisted of 20 core members. Manson would use the sex lives of the women to determine who was truly committed to the philosophy and his control.

Failure to adapt brought discipline; many were asked to leave involuntarily. Failure to conform to Manson's philosophy or refusal to have sex with any member of the group were also grounds for expulsion. The Family's members never discussed murder or violence with us, but in an interview with member Susan Atkins in 1980 for her parole hearing, it became clear that Manson had probably formulated his "Helter Skelter" worldview  which predicted a race war in the United States  while they were using methamphetamines, leading to the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders in 1969.

Atkins said she spent five years in prison before Manson left her brain. We know now that drug-infused mind control is a very real phenomenon among such susceptible youths. Further, it is difficult to identify and anticipate. Society still has not fully grasped the danger when drugs, cult leaders and alienated youths mix. With the growing drug problem today, there is a potential for more violent cult acts to occur.

For many, the Manson episode validated their fears of the counterculture movement. But while there were legitimate negatives to the era, there was also real good happening  such as new forms of psychedelic music; increased racial, gender and religious tolerance, as well as acceptance of gays and lesbians; and the advance of the theory that addiction should be treated as a disease in mainstream medical settings.

I observed these changes firsthand. In May 1967, the San Francisco Health Department had refused our request to set up a free health clinic in the area. Health officials resisted the idea of serving long-haired, drug-taking, sexually promiscuous hippies, hoping instead that such people would just go away. This was the atmosphere that gave birth to the phrase health care is a right, not a privilege  which eventually became the protest statement for the national free-clinic movement. Half a century later, the slogan undergirded President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act and the fight now to preserve it during the Trump presidency. Few people understand how it evolved from the counterculture movement.

Charles Manson and his Family took advantage of this progressive movement to advance their own ideas of death, destruction and a tarnishment of moral principles. It is only despite the horrors of Mansons crimes that the spirit of the summer of love survives today.
Editorial page editor, 2000-2021

Did Russia get its moneys worth?

Vladimir Putin got taken for a ride: Thats one view. A year after Putin did his best to tip the U.S. election to Donald Trump, economic sanctions remain in place on his regime and U.S.-Russia relations have hardly thawed.

But I think to grade Putin only on that bilateral measure is to sell him short. When he ordered his KGB successor agencies to intervene in the election, he had much broader aims. Lets look at a fuller report card, one year in, based on three goals he likely set himself  remembering that were not even one-quarter of the way through this course.

Goal: Diminish U.S. leadership in the world.

Here Putin must be delighted. The Trump administration in one year has undermined U.S. leadership in ways Russia in a decade couldn't have accomplished on its own.

Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 11 nations desperate for U.S. protection in confronting Chinese dominance. This month we saw some results: eleven nations signing a TPP agreement without the United States. China strutting across the Asian stage as the undisputed kingpin. Trump finding no takers for his offer of bilateral trade deals.

Meanwhile, the administration is withdrawing from the Paris accord on climate change, making the United States the only nation in the world to do so  again allowing China, despite all its coal burning, to pose as the global leader on the environment. Trump seems close to blowing up the nation's most successful economic alliance, the trade accord with neighbors Mexico and Canada.

The administration has not withdrawn everywhere  Afghanistan being a notable counterexample. But in much of the globe, polls show respect for and trust in the United States falling sharply. Last week, in a telling development that few Americans even noticed, 23 European countries signed a U.S.-excluding defense pact.

Grade: A

Goal: Undermine faith in democracy.

Here again, Putin must be pleased. With minimal investment, he influenced voters in ways sufficient to cast doubt on the results of a presidential election. Perhaps more remarkable, the incumbent administration has taken almost no steps to prevent him from interfering again, and the majority party in Congress is ambivalent. So the country may be no better protected in 2018 and 2020.

The presidents former campaign chairman and his deputy are under indictment, a former foreign policy adviser has pleaded guilty, and a special prosecutor is, presumably, just getting started. The president, his attorney general, his former national security adviser, his son-in-law and other advisers all have been caught misinforming or giving incomplete information about their relations with Russia.

And if you are thinking, oh, Putin must worry about being caught out? No. The more suspicion falls on the U.S. system, the better it serves his purpose, which is to say: Yes, I may be sleazy and undemocratic, but so are you  only you are more hypocritical.

Meanwhile, the world sees a U.S. president who admires dictators more than democratic leaders. He talks about human rights where convenient (Cuba, Iran, North Korea) and laughs them off elsewhere (Saudi Arabia, the Philippines). As an authoritarian wave washes across the globe, he says: Not our concern.

At home, his government is understaffed, accomplishes little and is proudly underinvesting in research, education and infrastructure  hardly an exemplar for other democracies.

Grade: A

Goal: Turn Americans against each other.

Whats most striking about the fake news planted by Russians is its total cynicism: Theres no belief in anything, only a feeding of suspicion and hatred, an effort to turn religions and ethnic groups against each other and to undermine faith in institutions and in the idea of truth itself.

Putin could hardly have found a better accomplice for this effort than the current White House occupant. From his first-day fiction on inaugural crowds, he has been untethered to the truth. Many of his policies have continued his campaign themes of division: the travel ban, the prohibition-by-tweet of transgender troops, the abandonment of the "dreamers"  and his sudden discovery of judicious evenhandedness when it came to white supremacists in Charlottesville.

Polls show mistrust and partisanship growing, faith in most institutions declining. On the other hand, in the first major electoral test of Trumpism since Trump's election, voters in Virginia rejected a campaign that relied too heavily on racial division and fear of immigrants and crime.

Grade: A-minus

That Virginia result leads to a bigger point: Russia can do to us only what we allow it to do. Putin is exploiting fissures and tensions that already existed, not creating them. If Americans decide that our country is better than Putins vision of it, we can make it so. We can buttress our democratic institutions, reject bigotry and reach out to dreamers, as so many Americans already are doing.

And we can bring his grade-point average down.

Read more from Fred Hiatt's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Columnist

While the Trump administration celebrates a new deal meant to freeze the battlefield in southern Syria, the Assad regime and Iran are preparing for the next phase of the long-running war, in which they will attempt to conquer the rest of the country. Whether Iran succeeds depends largely on whether the United States acknowledges and then counters that strategy.

Tehran is pouring thousands of fighters into newly acquired territories and building military bases. Although U.S.-supported forces hold territories east of the Euphrates River in Syrias southeast, as well as along the borders of Israel and Jordan in the southwest, Iran has stated its intention to help Bashar al-Assad retake all of Syria.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani has been recently spotted in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, showing how high a priority it is for Iran to take the oil-rich land nearby. Soleimani has also been spotted near the town of Abu Kamal, which sits just across the border from the Iraqi city of Qaim and is the last piece of the land bridge Iran seeks to establish from Tehran to Beirut.

The agreement President Trump struck with Vladimir Putin in Asia was sold as a way to ensure that the liberated areas of Syria stay out of Assad's control and to provide for the exit of foreign fighters. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has no intention of pushing Iran to remove its troops from Syria.

So what can be done? A task force of senior former U.S. diplomatic and military officials has come up with suggestions for how Trump could prevent Iran from taking over whats left of liberated Syria and fulfill his own promise to contain Iranian influence in the region.

"Most urgently . . . the United States must impose real obstacles to Tehran's pursuit of total victory by the Assad regime in Syria," the report by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America states. "Time is of the essence."

First, the United States needs to declare a clear Syria policy that removes suspicions that the United States is going to pull up stakes now that the Islamic State caliphate has fallen. The policy should make clear that a U.S. military presence will remain on the ground and in the air, to ensure that the Islamic State doesnt reemerge and Assad doesnt retake the entire country, and to provide security for reconstruction.

Second, the Trump administration must increase its assistance to Sunni communities lucky enough to live outside Assads rule and help U.S.-supported local groups hold valuable territory in Syrias southeast. This territory can provide local communities economic benefits now and political leverage down the line.

Third, the United States should work with regional allies to stop Iran from moving weapons and troops into Syria. That would require interdicting shipments by sea and ensuring that U.S.-supported forces control key border towns in Syria and Iraq. Such moves could check Iranian aggression without triggering armed conflict with Tehran.

We need to cut off Irans ability to build a crescent of influence, said the task force co-chair, retired Air Force General Charles Wald. We need to continue to build our coalition with countries of like mind.

Trump is right when he points out that he was dealt a terrible hand in Syria. The Obama administration policy of halfhearted support for the Syrian rebels and wishful diplomacy backed by no leverage led to the situation on the ground today. But Trump must not repeat Barack Obamas mistakes.

We have all sorts of cards to play here if we have the wit and wisdom to play them, said former ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman, the other co-chair.

There is no appetite in the United States for a prolonged military mission in Syria, but the lessons of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 are fresh in the minds of military leaders. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pledged last week that U.S. forces would remain to prevent the emergence of "ISIS 2.0" and until the political process gets off the ground, but he stopped short of saying America would keep Iran's aggression at bay.

The U.S. national security interest is clear. Long-term Iranian control in Syrian areas liberated from the regime and the Islamic State would cause further instability, fuel extremism and prolong the crisis.

The United States Coalition with its partner forces on the ground have been the key to defeating ISIS, but liberating Syrians from ISIS into the hands of Iran will only perpetuate radicalization in the country, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

We are constantly told there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis, which is true. Whats also true is that no diplomatic solution is possible while Iran and Assad are still pursuing military victory and getting away with it.

Read more from Josh Rogin's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
FOR SEVERAL years Venezuela's self-styled socialist government has been paying billions of dollars to Wall Street to avoid default on its staggering debts, even while starving its people of vital imports of food and medicine. Now that unlikely policy, one of the last ways in which the government of Nicolas Maduro distinguished itself from the world's pariah regimes, appears to be crumbling. Last week, ratings agencies declared Venezuela and its state oil company to be in selective default, a step that could trigger a cascade of other judgments and send creditors racing to seize the country's foreign assets.

So far that stampede hasn't started, and Mr. Maduro and other Venezuelan officials insist they do not intend to stop payments on the more than $100 billion the government and state oil company owe. Last week the regime summoned bondholders to Caracas to say it wished to restructure and refinance the debt. But it offered no plan to do so, and it has missed a string of recent payment deadlines. With just $10 billion left in its reserves, it looks unlikely to cover the more than $8 billion it owes in the next year. Most financial analysts say a full default is inevitable, either now or within months.

Behind the numbers lies a staggering tale of corruption and malfeasance. The regime of Hugo Chavez and its successor borrowed breathtaking sums even while raking in record revenue from oil exports. Almost all this windfall of more than $1 trillion was squandered or stolen. When petroleum prices fell, Mr. Maduro had to choose between coupon payments and food supplies. He chose Wall Street, thereby exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe: A majority of the country's 30 million people say they have lost weight due to a lack of food, and some 500,000 people fled the country in the past two years.

The regimes reluctance to default reflects a healthy fear of the possible consequences. Venezuela has substantial assets abroad, including the oil company Citgo and the refineries it operates in the United States. If these, along with Venezuelas tankers, are seized, the government could lose its last economic lifeline.

Of course, Mr. Maduro could service Venezuela's debts and feed his people if he were willing to seek help from the International Monetary Fund, as well as humanitarian aid, and take elementary steps to stabilize the economy. But the only foreign help he seeks is that of Cuba's hard-line intelligence apparatus, which pushes him toward totalitarianism, and Russia, which in its zeal to back any anti-American cause has bailed him out several times  and announced another deal to refinance its loans last week.

The Trump administration, for its part, has helped force Mr. Maduro into bankruptcy by banning U.S. traders from further dealings with Venezuelan debt. Naturally the regime is now blaming Washington for the financial fix it is in, so it was clever of the Treasury Department to suggest a compromise: It said it might exempt a refinancing plan if it were approved by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Perhaps that will prompt Mr. Maduro to finally get serious about negotiations with the opposition. More likely, Venezuela is headed for more misery.
Muzoon Almehellan is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

I still remember clearly the day my father decided to leave Syria: Feb. 27, 2013.

I didnt want to flee my beloved country, because my country is my identity. Its where my childhood is and where my memories are. And I was sad to leave my friends and my school behind. I knew that if I lost my education that would be the end of my story.

Before leaving our house in Daraa, my father asked all of us to pack the things we needed the most. It mustnt be heavy, he said. But I told myself to pack my schoolbooks, because I realized that my education would be the most powerful thing in my life.

We walked on foot to reach the border with Jordan. I was carrying my bag, but my father noticed that I was struggling. He asked me if I needed help, but when he picked it up he said, Its too heavy. What did you bring with you?

My books! I replied.

My father was shocked; he told me I was crazy. But I said, If I cant find a school in the camp, Ill study by these books.

When we arrived at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, I was shocked. It was difficult to start a new life from nothing, a life completely different from the one I had come from. We had no electricity. We slept, ate, studied and welcomed guests in the tent where we lived.

But my only concern was my education. I asked people if there was a school, and the moment I found out I could continue my education was the moment I realized I could face these challenges. It was the moment I realized it was not the end of my story, but the beginning.

I thought all children would be glad to be able to go back to school, but that wasnt the case. Most of the families and children in the camp thought that education wasnt a priority, because once youve become a refugee, its not important for you to be an educated person. That saddened me. Because education was very important to me, I had thought it was important to all. I told myself that I needed to make a change, to persuade my society to believe in education. If no one thinks that they can make a difference, then no one will.

When I started, I knew that I would face many challenges and that many people wouldnt hear my voice. But I believed that one voice was strong enough to make a change  and not only a small one. I had nothing but my voice, so I used it to speak with every child, asking every mother and father to go back to school and to consider education a priority. I was going from tent to tent to fight for education.

The Zaatari camp wasnt my final stop. After living there for more than a year, my family and I moved to Azraq, another camp in Jordan, where I found the same challenges that existed in Zaatari. And after living for three years in Jordan, I had the opportunity to move to Britain.

When I arrived in England, I had to start everything again, and those changes have not been easy. Yet day by day, everything becomes easier. And I havent forgotten about the people who are still living in the camps in Jordan, those who have no voice. So Im trying to raise my voice from Britain  to share my story and let people hear the voices of children all over the world.

I am 19 years old now. Since April, Ive traveled with UNICEF to many places, but one trip that meant a lot to me was my recent visit to Jordan, where everything started. I met with wonderful girls who told me they want to go back to Syria to rebuild. Sarah, who is 16 years old, told me she goes to the Makani UNICEF center in Amman. She loves the community, but is sad  she didnt find a place at a school. Yet she said, Ill keep fighting. Those are strong words. I expect a great future for Syria with children such as her.

Monday was U.N. World Children's Day. To everyone who will read my story, I ask this: Please, help children in need. Please, raise your voices to help those who cannot speak out. Please, stand for peace and for equality. Education is the greatest weapon to solve these challenges, and it's the only way to build a global peace.
Regarding Colbert I. King's Nov. 18 op-ed, "Gun carnage and the do-nothing Congress":

After Lee Harvey Oswald easily purchased his rifle from a mail-order catalogue and assassinated President John F. Kennedy, the United States began a discussion about the need for gun-control legislation.

Since 1963, Americans have been victimized by the escalating number of mass shootings by gunmen, some of whom have used weapons usually reserved for combat. In 1964, Congress overcame 100 years of benign neglect and finally gave meaning to the sacrifice by the Civil War's 700,000 dead when it passed the Civil Rights Act.

On Wednesday, we commemorate the life of Kennedy. Doesnt his murder warrant Congress to finally pass sensible legislation to allow responsible citizens to keep their weapons? Can we once and for all put an end to our collective head-scratching after another mass shooting as we ask ourselves how that last gunman was allowed to purchase any weapon?

Paul L. Newman, Merion Station, Pa.
Regarding the Nov. 15 Metro article "Md. school official regrets word choice":

The vice president of the Montgomery County Board of Education has been caught by the word police. But there are hidden messages in the word retarded uttered by Judy Docca, even though she has apologized.

Fairfax County Public Schools, like Montgomery schools, urge diversity and inclusion, which makes a slip of the tongue a concern of parents who have students with disabilities. Words have power.

In Fairfax County, I was told by my daughters former special-education principal that my daughter is not a real child: Theyre not real children  theyre a kind of children. This speaks volumes. As the daughter of a career Coast Guard officer, I attended schools in 10 public school systems from New York to Honolulu, and I taught in four, including overseas. I dont need to be told how to recognize a real child as if I were a country bumpkin or a child myself.

In the changing landscape of the Arctic Circle, as polar bears search for food, visitors to the region are instructed to beware approaching bears. Its not the bear you see  its the bear you dont see. Whether spoken in jest or in earnest, retarded and not a real child are unacceptable. And whats in a label isnt nearly as important as the inference as to how some students are treated behind the closed doors of the classroom.

Helen Hurt Wiech, Montclair
Regarding the Nov. 10 The World article "Catalonia crackdown evokes dark memories" :

The article quoted the leader of an anti-immigrant party. It would have been key to note in a piece about the supposed awakening of the far right in my country that that party  or any other far-right movement, for that matter  doesnt have representation in any parliament in Spain.

That lack of accuracy pervaded the entire article. Spain is a modern and progressive democracy. Catalan media outlets are not under threat as the article stated. No action has been taken against them. On the contrary, a Reporters Without Borders report describes the former Catalan government's pressure on local and foreign media, the harassment of journalists and the generally poisonous climate for press freedom.

President Mariano Rajoy hasnt embraced the post-Franco constitution as the source of most of his authority. The constitution is not the source of most of the presidents authority. It is the only source of any authority held in Spain, the same as in any constitutional democracy.

We are far from our authoritarian past. This article didnt represent the reality of my country.

Pedro Morenes, Washington

The writer is the Spanish ambassador to

the United States.
Columnist

Sometimes, the Democratic Party amazes me. And not in a good way.

Here is a party fresh off a series of big election triumphs all over the country. The nation faces an unprecedented challenge brought on by President Trumps breathtaking irresponsibility. Republicans are pushing through the most reactionary tax bill since the 1920s.

And what do leading Washington Democrats want to do? They would have us engage in the move left vs. move to the center squabbles that have obsessed the party for at least three decades. Old arguments feel comfortable, but theyre inadequate for the moment. And new research is finding that this bickering does not match the mood of local anti-Trump activists.

Ever since Trumps surprise victory, the distinguished Harvard University scholar Theda Skocpol has been spending a lot of time in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Ohio with her colleagues Mary Waters and Kathy Swartz. They are talking to leaders and rank-and-file citizens in two counties in each state to track changes in our politics wrought by the 2016 outcome.

All the counties they are studying voted for Trump, yet in every one of them, new anti-Trump organizations have risen up. The researchers have found 10 such groups so far. (By the way, all these groups are led or co-led by women, many of whom are also deeply involved in their local churches.)

Whats struck Skocpol is how irrelevant the Democrats tired quarrels are to these freshly engaged citizens. At the grass roots, people are dealing with the crisis Trumps presidency presents to America, and theyre not refighting the election of 2016, she said in an interview. Theyre not talking about whether the Democratic Party should be more progressive or more centrist.

In fact, she finds that both Bernie [Sanders] and Hillary [Clinton] supporters are involved, which shows how you can have energetic citizen action that doesnt have to sort out national labels.

This activism, as Skocpol sees it, is motivated by a simple but powerful civic sense that Trump is violating basic norms and principles of American life. The troops on the ground dont need programs or litmus tests imposed from on high, she adds. They need practical support and the freedom to act as they see fit in their own areas.

This was also the lesson of this month's elections, which saw victories by Democrats across the party's spectrum of opinion. In Virginia, Gov.-elect Ralph Northam ran a moderate statewide campaign, while down-ticket winners in legislative races included a member of the Democratic Socialists of America as well as the first openly transgender person elected to a statehouse. Voters in Virginia (and New Jersey and elsewhere) said to Washington Democrats: Stop it with your stupid fights. We have work to do.

Of course, Democrats will have serious debates as time goes on over issues from health care and economics to trade and education. Such discussions are both healthy and necessary, as long as they dont involve promiscuously applied ideological purity tests.

And, yes, the party is more progressive on certain questions than it used to be. It is rightly more committed, for example, to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights  but so is the country as a whole. There has been a strong response from Democrats of all races to police shootings of young, unarmed black men. But this is less a move to the "left" than an expression of simple decency. A lot of this left/center business is about abstractions imposed on reality rather than a reflection of it.

The combatants in the intraparty arguments might usefully start by acknowledging the merits of some of the insights their opponents offer. Jared Leopold, the communications director of the Democratic Governors Association, said that Northam's approach resonated with Virginia voters who "were looking for a calm and strong leader in the midst of chaos in Washington." Moderates have a point when they say that voters nationally are similarly seeking steady and reliable leadership.

But progressives, in turn, are right to argue for clear, compelling and comprehensible policies to deal with the economic inequalities that are hurting many in the ranks of Clinton and Trump voters alike. Bold, not bland, is the way to go.

For now, the imperative is to check Trump's abuses and to stop the truly radical agenda that Republicans are advancing, including their continuing efforts to wreck Obamacare and to pass an unpopular, budget-busting corporate tax cut that redistributes large sums of money to society's wealthiest.

The grass-roots activists know how important these battles are. The ideological infighters should learn from them.

Read more from E.J. Dionne's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
THERE IS bad timing, and then there is this. Last week an apparent military coup placed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in custody, ushering in a new period of political uncertainty. A few days later, the Trump administration announced that Zimbabwe's government could be trusted to manage its elephant population responsibly, and so a ban on importing Zimbabwean elephant trophies  that is, body parts of animals U.S. hunters have slaughtered  would be lifted. Fortunately, President Trump said Friday that he would review this unwise decision, which ought not to stand.

African elephants are a species in crisis, and the U.S. government should not do anything that could endanger them further. Counterintuitively, well-managed trophy hunting could, on balance, help fund enforcement efforts and local communities that might otherwise poach nearby animals. But, as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) said, "in this moment of turmoil, I have zero confidence that the regime  which for years has promoted corruption at the highest levels  is properly managing and regulating conservation programs."

This and other pushback appeared to prompt Mr. Trumps welcome intervention. Any sensible review would recommend keeping the ban, for now. The military takeover calls into question who controls the Zimbabwean government, let alone whether it would be committed to responsible herd management.

Conservation advocates say Zimbabwe used to have decent programs. The U.S. government could have more confidence then that the heads and tusks hunters brought back were legally hunted under requirements that the hunt did not further endanger the already precarious African elephant population. But, environmentalists lament, in the past decade Zimbabwes deteriorating political situation and accompanying corruption undermined the governments stewardship. The Obama administration in 2015 banned elephant trophies from Zimbabwe, while continuing to allow their import from places with stronger governance, such as South Africa.

In seeking to reverse that call, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service argued that Zimbabwe's government offered convincing assurances that it has a management program in place based on good data with which to impose sensible hunting limits. Missing, though, was evidence the program is working on the ground  or a sense of what the current political instability means for conservation policy. In fact, the Fish and Wildlife Service admitted that a European Union study on Zimbabwe's program is not yet complete. Yet it decided to move ahead anyway  until, that is, Mr. Trump suddenly and thankfully halted the move.

A trophy ban in itself could not save the African elephant. The largest threat continues to be poaching for large-scale tusk harvesting to satisfy the international ivory trade. Recent moves by the United States and China to fight this trade  by cracking down on when and where ivory can be sold  are important elements in any strategy to stabilize and enhance the elephant population. But the trophy ban has done good. The threat of an import ban creates a large incentive for African countries seeking tourist dollars from American safari hunters to ensure their hunts are sustainable. Now is not the time for the U.S. government to take the pressure off Zimbabwe.
Columnist

President Trump's critics are arguing that GOP calls for the Justice Department to investigate Hillary Clinton and Democrats' ties to Russia are an effort to distract from the real Russia investigation, into potential Trump-Russia collusion.

No, they are not.

Ever since Watergate, the mantra of all major corruption investigations has been to "follow the money." Well, Americans of all political stripes should be outraged by the fact that both Democrats and Republicans in Washington are up to their eyeballs in Kremlin cash. Russian money found its way into the pockets of not only Trump advisers like Paul Manafort and Rick Gates  who were recently indicted by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III  but also Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.

This should suggest to objective observers that Russia was using its money to influence both sides in order to advance the Kremlins interests. And it means that any full and impartial investigation of Russias efforts to influence our political process needs to follow the Russian money flowing into the coffers of the Clintons, their foundation and their top associates.

The New York Times reported in 2015 that "shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, [former President Bill] Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock." In total, $145 million went to the Clinton Foundation from interests linked to Uranium One, which was acquired by the Russian government nuclear agency Rosatum.

Think that was just a coincidence? As former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy points out, the Uranium One deal is not a national security scandal, it is a corruption scandal involving "Clinton family self-dealing." Ask yourself: How many half-a-million-dollar speeches has Bill Clinton given to Kremlin-linked banks since Hillary Clinton was defeated? How much Russian money is flowing into the Clinton Foundation's coffers today? If Donald Trump had given a $500,000 speech paid for by a Kremlin bank, and his private foundation had accepted $145 million from Vladimir Putin-linked oligarchs and their Western business partners, do you think that his critics would be insisting there was nothing to see here?

Then there is Tony Podesta. It is now front-page news that Podesta has been forced to step down from his soon-to-be-defunct lobbying firm, the Podesta Group, after being ensnared in the same scandal that led to the indictment of Trump campaign aides Manafort and Gates. The Podesta Group failed to register as a foreign agent for Russian interests while lobbying on behalf of the European Center for a Modern Ukraine  a front group that Mueller's indictment says was "under the ultimate direction" of Ukraine's Putin-backed president and his political party.

We should all be deeply by concerned how much Russian cash was sloshing around Washington, and how much of it found its way into the bank accounts of the Clintons and those around them. And we should all, Democrats and Republicans alike, want to get to the bottom of it.

As Americans, it goes against our sensibilities to encourage the Justice Department of one party to investigate the vanquished candidate of the other party. But does the fact that Clinton lost mean Americans dont deserve to know the full extent of Russias efforts to influence our political process?

None of this absolves the Trump campaign or calls into question the intelligence community's conclusion that "Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help . . . Trump's election chances." But it does underscore that the Russians were smart in what the intelligence community calls their efforts "undermine public faith in the US democratic process." They played both sides, and in so doing preyed on the singular weakness of the Clintons and those around them  greed.

Any impartial investigation of Russias efforts to meddle in our democratic process needs to include a full inquiry of the Russian money flowing into Clinton world. Such an inquiry is not a distraction. It is critical to restoring public faith in American democracy.

Read more from Marc Thiessen's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
President Trump's budget director said Sunday that the White House is willing to remove a contentious provision taking aim at the Affordable Care Act from the Republican tax overhaul plan if politically necessary, a move that would fundamentally reshape the effort in the Senate.

In a television interview, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said the Trump administration would be fine with jettisoning a proposal to repeal the ACAs individual mandate if it becomes a hindrance to passing the tax bill, which is the GOPs top legislative priority.

If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill and have a tax bill that is still a good tax bill  that can pass  thats great, Mulvaney said on CNNs State of the Union. If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we are okay with taking it out.

He said it would ultimately be up to House and Senate negotiators to figure it out.

Mulvaneys comments came as party leaders race to try to get a tax bill to Trumps desk by years end. Despite controlling both Congress and the White House, the GOP has been unable to produce any other sweeping legislative accomplishments.



Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said Sunday that the White House is open to a compromise on the individual mandate for health insurance in order to get a tax bill to President Trumps desk. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The Republicans seek to pass a far-reaching plan to simplify the tax code and slash rates. The majority of the cuts would go to corporations and wealthy Americans.

The House passed its version of the plan last week. The Senate intends to take up its own legislation on the Senate floor when lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving recess.

One key difference between the bills is the repeal of the individual mandate. In a strategy shift, Senate GOP leaders added the repeal to their plan last week. The House bill does not include it.

Adding the mandate repeal freed up more than $300 billion in additional revenue, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, allowing Senate Republican tax writers more flexibility to pay for the deep tax cuts they seek.

It also gave Senate Republicans an opportunity to go after the law known as Obamacare, which they have been unable to repeal and replace despite years of promises to the conservative base to do so.

But the CBO also found that 13 million fewer Americans would have health insurance after 10 years and that insurance premiums would rise by 10 percent.

Some Republican senators who have resisted their partys efforts to shred the ACA have approached with caution or hostility the idea of repealing the individual mandate with the tax bill.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) reiterated her opposition to the idea Sunday. Last week, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said a recent bipartisan compromise aiming to stabilize insurance markets was important and would be particularly so if the individual mandate was repealed.

If the health-care language is stripped from the bill, Senate Republican leaders could be forced to change the plan dramatically. Possibilities include making corporate tax cuts temporary rather than permanent and cutting back on a proposed expansion of the child tax credit.

Collins, a centrist who has voiced several worries about the Senate bill, said on ABCs This Week that the biggest mistake was including the repeal of the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate.

She expressed hope that it would be dropped from the proposal or that a plan pushed by her and other senators to mitigate its effects would be adopted. Collins did not say how she would vote on the bill, voicing a belief that the measure will change.

Speaking on the same program, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said the White House is very comfortable with the House bill because it achieves its top priorities on taxes. He noted that the House bill does not include the mandate repeal.

But he also praised the Senates inclusion of it, saying he believes the individual mandate is hurting middle-class families.

On Fox News Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the mandate repeal is not a bargaining chip. The president thinks we should get rid of it. I think we should get rid of it.

Still, neither Mnuchin nor Short said it was a must-have in the final bill.

The individual mandate requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a fine. Including a repeal of the provision in the Senate bill gives GOP leaders more revenue to work with. It reduces the amount of subsidies the federal government would have to pay to help people purchase coverage, without any requirement that they have it.

A substantial portion of the savings, according to the CBO, would come from close to $179 billion in reduced Medicaid payments over 10 years because people would also drop out of that program if there was no penalty for bypassing insurance coverage.

Asked Sunday whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would be willing to remove the mandate repeal if it becomes an impediment, Don Stewart, a McConnell spokesman, declined to say one way or the other.

Senate Republicans must be especially mindful of budget math since they are trying to pass the bill through a process known reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority vote. The total tax bill, according to budget rules, can add only $1.5 trillion to the debt over 10 years, and it cannot add to the debt beyond that window.

Republicans hold a 52-to-48 advantage over Democrats in the Senate. So if no Democrats vote for the bill, Republicans can afford only two no votes in their ranks, with Vice President Pence breaking a tie. Already, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has come out against the plan without changes.

Trump took to Twitter on Sunday evening to criticize Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a frequent critic of the president who said on a hot microphone last week that the GOP would be toast if it becomes the party of Trump and controversial Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore of Alabama.

Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast,  Trump tweeted of Flake, who is retiring.

Flake is a staunch deficit hawk whose vote could be key to the success or failure of the bill in the closely divided Senate. He has voiced concern about how the measure would add to the national debt.

He was still reviewing the legislation Sunday evening, said his spokesman, Jason Samuels.

How he votes on it will have nothing to do with the president, Samuels said.

The margin of error could tighten next month. Recent polls show the Democratic candidate leading the Republican ahead of the Dec. 12 special election for a Senate seat in Alabama that has long been in GOP hands. The prospect of losing that seat has given Senate GOP leaders added incentive to try to pass their bill before then.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a top McConnell lieutenant, predicted on NBCs Meet the Press that the Senate bill would pass. If the Senate passes its legislation, it would have to work out its differences with the House version.

Blunt said he thinks the House and Senate bills are very reconcilable  even with the inclusion of the individual mandate repeal.

Democrats have forcefully criticized the GOP tax plan, arguing it would benefit the wealthiest Americans.

On CNNs State of the Union, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called it a terrible, terrible piece of legislation. He said making the cut to the corporate rate permanent but the individual rate temporary in the Senate bill was absolutely crazy.

Sarah Kaplan, Mike DeBonis and Anne Gearan contributed to this report.
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Monday faced new allegations of inappropriately touching women, but there are no signs he plans to step down amid the swirl of controversy now surrounding him.

The latest accusation surfaced when Lindsay Menz, 33, of Frisco, Tex., told CNN that Franken, 66, grabbed her when they posed for a photo at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. Franken, a second-term senator, already faces a Senate ethics investigation into allegations that he inappropriately touched a fellow performer on a USO tour in 2006.

He is the first sitting lawmaker to face accusations by women of inappropriate behavior in the wake of an ongoing wave of allegations against powerful men across American society.

Menz said she attended the fair with her husband and father and met the senator at a local radio booth sponsored by her fathers business. As her husband held up a phone to take the photo, Franken pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear, Menz told CNN. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek.

It wasnt around my waist. It wasnt around my hip or side. It was definitely on my butt, she told the news channel. I was like, oh my God, whats happening.



Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer D-N.Y.), center, flanked by Sen. Al Franken D-Minn.), right, and Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. D-Pa.), left, at the U.S. Capitol on July 11, 2017. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

In a statement to CNN, Franken did not deny that the incident took place.

I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly dont remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected, Franken said in a statement to CNN.

Franken's office did not return a separate request for comment. Over the weekend, an aide told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Franken planned to spend the Thanksgiving holiday week with his family in Washington, "and he's doing a lot of reflecting."

Multiple senior Democrats on Monday said Franken is not expected to resign over the latest allegations, nor is he expected to face calls for his ouster from Democratic congressional colleagues. These Democrats, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about the matter, said they see no reason for Franken to step down as long as he agrees to participate in an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.

While his colleagues stood by him, two liberal organizations  Credo Action and Indivisible  called on Franken to resign after reports of the new allegations.

Last week, Republicans and Democrats quickly denounced Franken after Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio news anchor and former model, accused the senator of forcibly kissing her and later grabbing her breasts while she slept on the flight home during an overseas USO tour in 2006. She offered photographic evidence of the latter accusation.

In response, Franken apologized and agreed to face an ethics investigation. He also contacted Tweeden, apologized and asked to meet with her. She said on a national television program that she would do so.



Leann Tweeden, the woman who last week accused Franken of inappropriate behavior, photographed on Dec. 12, 2007, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in a photo provided by the Department of Defense. (Christopher Grammer/AFP/Getty Images)

Franken usually stays at his daughter's Tenleytown home when in Washington. On Monday afternoon, network television pool cameras were trained on the front and back doors.

Producers and photographers who have been assigned to monitor the house since Friday said that they have seen people believed to be staffers come and go, in one case to pick up food, but that they have not seen the senator.

The senator's daughter, Thomasin, answered the door to the house on Monday afternoon with a baby and dog. She declined to tell a Post reporter whether her father was home.

"I'm not going to answer any questions today," she said, before ordering the black dog back inside and shutting the door.

The growing accusations against Franken come as Roy Moore, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama, faces calls to drop out of a special election amid accusations first reported by The Washington Post that he pursued or assaulted underage girls in the 1970s and 1980s.

While senior congressional Republicans have called on Moore to exit the race, he has so far refused to do so.

With the increased focus on sexual harassment in Congress, female lawmakers are also growing more forceful in talking about their experiences with male counterparts. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), a 21-year veteran, on Monday became the first member to specifically accuse another lawmaker of inappropriate sexual behavior, saying that a California Democrat made an unwanted advance on her years ago.

"I was in an elevator, and then-Congressman Bob Filner tried to pin me to the door of the elevator and kiss me, and I pushed him away," DeGette alleged on MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily."She recalled how years later Filner, who left Congress in 2012, won the mayor's race in San Diego but had to resign amid charges of sexually harassing young city employees.

Believe you me, I never got in an elevator with him again.

Read more at PowerPost


Malian soldiers, part of a joint military force, the G5 Sahel, sit in a vehicle as they patrol early this month in central Mali, in the border zone with Burkina Faso and Niger. (Daphne Benoit/AFP/Getty Images)

 By the time a U.S. Army Special Forces team arrived in Tongo Tongo last month  its last stop in an ill-fated mission  Islamist militants already wielded power and influence in the remote border village.

In a poor, barren region neglected by the state, the militants were at once the villagers benefactors, employers, customers and unofficial police force, according to residents. The militants bought goats, cows and supplies at the market. They gave food to farmers whose crops had failed and recruited jobless youths by offering motorcycles and cash. They caught thieves and punished drug traffickers.

In return, the militants expected loyalty.

The government cant protect us, said Mounkaila Alassane, the village chief. Thats why we collaborate with the jihadists.

[U.S. soldier in Niger ambush was bound and apparently executed]

A U.S. investigation is underway into the ambush by Islamist fighters that killed four American soldiers and five Nigerien troops on Oct. 4. It is certain to address issues such as whether they had adequate weaponry and a proper risk assessment.

Residents, Nigerien officials and analysts say it is clear that the U.S.-Niger team was operating in an area where many villagers sympathize with the militants or are forced to assist them. It is not clear how aware the soldiers were of the threat.

For U.S. troops supporting Nigers military, that bond between the villagers and the fighters may prove difficult to break.

It is the product of forces including poverty, altered weather patterns, and tribal and ethnic conflicts. There is an absence of state authority along Nigers long, sandy borders with Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, and security forces in the area are ill-equipped.

Its an asymmetrical war, said Hama Assah, a Nigerien lawmaker who heads the parliaments defense and security committee. The enemy can see you. But you cant see the enemy.

[Hours before death in Niger, U.S. soldiers were targeting militants in Mali]

Roughly 800 American troops are in the country, one of the worlds most impoverished. Hundreds work on two drone bases in Niger. A third of the U.S. troops are Special Forces soldiers who train local forces.

American troops began arriving in 2012, when ethnic Tuareg people launched a separatist rebellion and seized much of northern Mali. The revolt was soon hijacked by al-Qaeda and other extremists. That triggered a flowering of militant groups across West and North Africa.

Arms and fighters from Libya's civil war have contributed to the crisis. Today, Niger is surrounded by countries where militant groups linked to the Islamic State or al-Qaeda are operating.

We are in the middle of a fire, and the flames are everywhere, said Gare Amadou, a political analyst and journalist in Nigers capital, Niamey.

[The worlds deadliest U.N. mission]

Using them like tools

Nekanda Inoussa has been watching those flames slowly destroy his community. Over the past two decades, the Sahara desert has spread, consuming farming areas. The rainfall has been irregular, and the soil is so worn out that it cannot hold water. Every year, there are fewer crops, less food to eat.

These are the effects of climate change, said Inoussa, deputy prefect of the Ouallam district, which includes Tongo Tongo. At times, the rain doesnt fall. Other times it falls suddenly, destroying the crops. The food urgency is chronic.





In 2016, Niger ranked 187th out of 188 nations on the U.N. Human Development Index. Nearly half its 20 million residents live below the poverty line. It has one of the world's fastest-growing populations, putting further pressure on its economy. Niger has the highest rate of child marriages in the world  3 out of 4 girls marry before 18.

The shrinking of grazing areas from desertification has increased tensions between pastoralists and farmers. The Fulani, a tribe of cattle herders, has been at the center of these disputes, which began more than two decades ago. Their grievances, and the inability of the government to solve them, have propelled many Fulani men to join Islamist militant groups in Mali.

The Islamic State is using them to fight the state. They are using them like tools, said Diallo Aboubacar, a Fulani leader who has tried to mediate between the government and his tribe.



In Niamey, Niger, late last month, Diallo Aboubacar, president of a livestock breeders association of north Tillaberi on the Mali border, goes through a list of more than 300 Fulani herders killed by Tuareg raiders in the lawless region. (Tim Cocks/Reuters)

The Pentagon suspects that a relatively new Islamic State branch  the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara  is behind the ambush in Tongo Tongo. Nigerien officials say many Fulani youths have joined the group.

Most soldiers deployed along the Mali-Niger border do not speak the Fulani language, so the sides rarely communicate. The big issue is the military doesnt trust the community and the community doesnt trust the military, said Aboubacar, who heads a livestock breeders association in the north Tillaberi region, where Tongo Tongo is located. Most of the time, the military accuses the Fulani of helping the extremist groups.

Anything can happen

In Tongo Tongo, poverty is rife, and residents have little hope of assistance from the authorities, according to Alassane, the village chief. The government doesnt even come to see us, to ask how our kids are, if they are healthy or going to school, he said.

Nigers defense minister, Kalla Moutari, acknowledged in an interview that a key challenge for the government and its security forces is maintaining a strong presence along the long, sparsely populated border. But he and other Nigerien officials say the government is engaged and assisting the villages.



Niger Defense Minister Kalla Moutari in his office in Niamey early this month. (Tim Cocks/Reuters)

Criminals routinely cross the border from Mali, about 10 miles from Tongo Tongo, to prey on villagers. Drug trafficking is also prevalent. But with the Nigerien security forces spread thin, theres no law. The militants have filled the void.

This is a very dangerous place, Alassane said. When we need protection, we call on the jihadists. This is how we survive here.

[Trumps Niger uproar shines light on the U.S.s murky African wars]

The Nigerien police and military are constantly under pressure. Since February 2016, there have been nearly 50 attacks along the border, mostly against local security forces.

On Oct. 21, militants attacked a unit of the paramilitary police, known as gendarmes, about 30 miles from Tongo Tongo, killing 13 and wounding several others. As in the attack on the U.S. soldiers, the ambush was carried out by a large group of militants using machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other heavy weapons.

And as in other assaults, the extremists left with weapons taken from the Nigerien forces, adding to their arsenal.

Its a region of many threats, said Moussa Idrissa, 26, a gendarme who was shot in the thigh in that attack and spoke from his hospital bed in Niamey. Anything can happen. Any soldier can get attacked, not just the Americans.

He suspects that the locals provided intelligence to the extremists before the ambush. The collaboration with the villagers is not as much as wed like, Idrissa said.

Some of the militants who frequent Tongo Tongo speak Arabic. Others speak Fulani and some Malian languages.

They are not all welcome. While most pay for their purchases, others take the food, said Adamou Boubacar, a villager.

At times, they even kick you, he said. And they can do worse.

They threatened me, Alassane said. If I dont cooperate with them, they will kill me and my family. I have no choice  I have to cooperate with them.

Two days after the Oct. 4 ambush, Alassane called the Nigerien military. Some children tending cattle had discovered the remains of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of the four American soldiers killed.

The day after, Alassane was arrested on suspicion that he had collaborated with the Islamist militants. He was later released after the authorities found no evidence. Two villagers, he said, are still in prison facing charges of passing tips to the extremists.

I dont give the jihadists information to kill our people, Alassane said. Other people in the village also have the numbers of the militants.



Soldiers of France's Barkhane mission patrol early this month in central Mali, in the border zone with Burkina Faso and Niger, as a joint anti-insurgent force linking countries in the Sahel began operations. (Daphne Benoit/AFP/Getty Images)

Willing recruits

The government is struggling to find solutions to contain the militancy. Authorities have shut down 16 markets in the border region to prevent the extremists from getting supplies. They have imposed curfews on the use of motorcycles and other vehicles. But the measures have deepened peoples suffering and bred more resentment.

When this area was not declared a red zone, the youth were using the motorcycles to do business, Alassane said. Now they are jobless.

The militants recruited two villagers recently, Boubacar said, offering them $850 and motorcycles.

Conditions seem ripe for more such recruitment. The government has increased its defense spending next year to 17 percent of its budget, up from 10 percent two years ago. That means less funding for education, health and other programs to assist the population.

If the poverty and food shortages continue, if the government and its allies dont do anything, the terrorists will recruit all of our youth, said Inoussa, the deputy prefect.

Read more

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For 5,000 Somali refugees, a Canadian college scholarship was the only way out.

They were rescued from war. Now South Sudans child soldiers are going back.

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The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday formally requested authorization to investigate the U.S. military and CIA for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.

Fatou Bensouda, a Gambian jurist who has been the ICC's chief prosecutor since 2012, confirmed earlier suspicions that the United States would be implicated in the probe. The decision marks the first time the ICC under Bensouda will investigate American forces and operatives.

In a statement, Bensouda clarified that alleged "war crimes by members of the United States armed forces" and "secret detention facilities in Afghanistan" used by the CIA justified the court's investigation. Earlier this month, she had announced that "there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed" in Afghanistan but had declined to specify by whom.

On Monday, she named the U.S. armed forces and the CIA among a roster of probe targets that also included the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani network, as well as the Afghan National Security Forces.

[The U.S. begins bombing Taliban drug labs as Trumps Afghanistan strategy takes hold]



International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will investigate the United States for the first time under her administration. (Peter Dejong/AFP/Getty Images)

Furthermore, the Office has determined that there are no substantial reasons to believe that the opening of an investigation would not serve the interests of justice, taking into account the gravity of the crimes and the interests of victims, Bensouda said in her statement.

The statement noted that the investigation will focus on the alleged crimes committed in Afghanistan after May 1, 2003, and on other alleged crimes with clear connections to the conflict in Afghanistan that were committed on the territories of other member states after July 1, 2002. In the case of the American targets, Bensouda said, the investigation would focus primarily on 2003 through 2004.

The ICC, established in 2002, does not have the authority to investigate crimes committed in Afghanistan before those dates, the statement said.

The courts jurisdiction is bound to investigating crimes in the territories of member states, although the U.N. Security Council can authorize extensions of those probes into other nonmember states. Earlier this month, Burundi  in an apparent attempt to avoid prosecution  became the first country to withdraw from the ICC, but the court ultimately authorized an investigation relating to alleged crimes the government had committed anyway.

The United States is one of few nations that never formally submitted to the ICC, which was established as the worlds highest legal authority for the prosecution of war crimes and human rights abuses. But U.S. citizens can still be charged for relevant crimes they commit in other member states.

Afghanistan has been a member state since the courts inception.

No official deadline was given for the judges to respond to Bensoudas request.

Read More

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The sudden collapse of talks to form a coalition government left German politics in turmoil Monday, as Chancellor Angela Merkel reckoned with one of the worst crises of her 12-year tenure and signaled that a new election is likely.

The unexpected failure triggered a flurry of activity in the normally predictable world of German politics, putting financial markets on edge and upping the volume on previously whispered conversations about how much longer Merkel can last.

After a midday meeting with the chancellor, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attempted to calm the choppy waters with a speech calling on parties to come back to the negotiating table and avoid another vote after an inconclusive September election.

The responsibility given to the parties remains, said Steinmeier, noting that Mondays impasse was unprecedented in Germanys postwar history. One cant just return that responsibility to the voters.

But despite his plea, a fresh vote looked increasingly likely  a fact that Merkel acknowledged Monday evening in an interview with broadcaster ZDF.

While Merkel insisted that she would not step down, she also suggested that calling a new election would be preferable to leading a government that must survive vote-to-vote without a majority in the German parliament, the Bundestag.

Germany needs a stable government, she said.

Her comments indicated that without a change of heart from the center-left Social Democrats, who have resisted joining a new coalition, Germany is probably headed for a new election.

The possibility was met with enthusiasm by the German far right and with apprehension across Europe, where German stability has long been taken for granted.

After Brexit and Trump, Germans are now facing the prospect of something out of the ordinary happening in their own country, said Sudha David-Wilp, deputy director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund. Something that was beyond their borders is a spectacle that they will now have to deal with, too.

The breakdown of the talks ends the assumption that Europes largest economy will be governed by a previously untried coalition among Merkels conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats and the environmentalist Greens.

That awkward alliance  dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colors are the same as those of the island nation's flag  was considered the only viable path to a stable government.

[Merkel as a Rasta: Germanys fixation with Jamaica explained]

But after weeks of contentious negotiations over asylum, tax and environmental policies, the Free Democrats unexpectedly pulled out late Sunday, leaving Merkel with few options  none of them attractive.

One is to form a minority government, perhaps with the Greens. But that has never been attempted at the federal level in Germany, and it could prolong the countrys instability while hastening Merkels exit.

Another is for Merkel to persuade her partners from the last government, the Social Democrats, to join her in another grand coalition between Germanys two biggest parties.

But the Social Democrats continued to resist that idea Monday. The party will not shy away from new elections, Social Democratic leader Martin Schulz said. In fact, we welcome them.

The possibility of an election early next year that could open the way to more gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany Party (AfD)  and further unsettle the politics of a country that has been Europe's rock of stability  sent the euro sliding in early trading before it rebounded.

AfD leaders on Monday celebrated the breakdown in the talks.

Merkel failed, tweeted prominent AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch. An AfD success!

[Merkel has few options left to govern Germany]

At the least, a new vote would lead to months of uncertainty in German politics at a time when Europe has much on the line and other countries across the continent are looking to Berlin for leadership.

Among the outstanding issues are Britains departure from the European Union. Britain is due to get out by March 2019, but instability in Berlin could make the negotiations  already fraught  even more difficult.

French President Emmanuel Macron, too, has a lot at stake in the German talks.

He has advocated sweeping reforms for the European Union and the euro, including a "multispeed" Europe that would create a separate euro-zone budget and finance minister. But his initiatives rest on a strong Franco-German axis, a condition that was largely assumed as a given after Macron's election victory in May.

Macron told reporters Monday that he called Merkel late Sunday as her plans to form a governing coalition collapsed.

"It's not in our interests that the process freezes up," Macron said.

It is Merkel herself, however, who has the most to lose if the talks are not revived. After three terms in office, her fourth was expected to be the one that would cement her legacy. But now her ability to serve another four years is in jeopardy.

The major German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called the impasse the most difficult crisis of her 12 years in office.

It comes after a September election in which Merkel's Christian Democratic Union  and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union  topped the polls but fell well below expectations with 33 percent of the vote.

The election left Merkel weakened and with diminished leverage heading into coalition talks that were always expected to be difficult, but that most analysts had thought would ultimately yield a government.

Although the parties were considered far apart on key issues, most observers had predicted that they would put aside differences to avoid another election that could enhance support for the anti-immigrant AfD, which won parliamentary seats for the first time this year after gaining nearly 13 percent of the vote.

But the parties' stances on asylum rules and German reliance on coal proved to be the sticking points.

The breakdown came when Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner announced that his party was pulling out of the talks, saying there was no basis of trust.

It is better not to govern than to govern wrongly, said Lindner, whose party won nearly 11 percent in the September vote.

The Greens and the CDU accused the Free Democrats of political grandstanding.

Greens co-leader Katrin Goring-Eckardt, whose party won nearly 9 percent in September, said the parties had been headed toward a deal when the FDP suddenly pulled out.

Im convinced it wouldnt have taken much more time to come to agreement, she said.

Luisa Beck in Berlin, James McAuley in Paris and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more

The rise of Germanys far right leaves Merkel stuck with the Jamaican option

Merkels stumble in elections has big implications for Europe

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Kenya's Supreme Court rejected bids Monday to invalidate last month's rerun presidential election, closing one front in the country's deepening political battles but touching off fresh unrest among opponents of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The courts chief justice, David Maraga, said there were no legal merits to support the challenges against the outcome of the Oct. 26 election in which Kenyatta coasted to victory amid a boycott by his main rival, Raila Odinga.

The vote was forced after the same high court stunned Kenya in September by nullifying the results of the original August presidential election won by Kenyatta, citing voting irregularities.

The latest decision cleared the way for Kenyattas inauguration next week. But it also highlighted the volatile mix of tribal and political fissures that threaten further instability in a country that has been an anchor of relative stability and economic growth in East Africa.

Shortly after the court decision, violence broke out in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, one of Odingas strongholds. At least one boy was killed by a stray bullet, according to witnesses.

In sharp contrast, celebrations immediately broke out outside the court, where supporters of Kenyattas Jubilee Party had gathered, decked out in the party colors and waving Kenyan flags.

Kenyatta sweeps Kenyas presidential vote as opposition warns of resistance

Odinga dismissed Mondays court decision, saying it was made under coercion, and insisted that the government and the election remained illegitimate.

It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it, he said in a statement.

Last month, Odinga pulled out of the rerun at the last minute, saying the new election would be flawed as well because the commission overseeing the contest had not been reformed.

But supporters of Kenyatta were joyous Monday.

It is time to move forward  he is the best leader compared to Odinga that can lead us into prosperity, said Josphat Ngumi in Nairobis city center. Leaders should now work on healing the ethnic divide that they have created to access their various political mileage.

A roughly even division between Kenyatta and Odinga supporters is based largely on ethnic lines, between Kenyattas Kikuyu tribe and Odingas Luo, raising fears of ethnic clashes.

In the Kibera slum  the scene of many clashes between police and opposition supporters  merchants began removing their wares from their shops out of fears of unrest.

Dozens have been killed during demonstrations since the August election, and police have been accused of using excessive force with Odinga supporters.

On Friday, local media said at least five people were killed when police fired tear gas and then bullets at Odinga supporters seeking to welcome him home from a trip abroad. Odingas motorcade was then blocked by police from attending a rally at Uhuru Park.

George Owino, a Kibera resident, said the planned inauguration of Kenyatta next week should not go forward.

If they swear in Kenyatta, we hope to swear in Odinga, he said.

Paul Schemm in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report.

Read more:

Kenyas presidential vote could send the country into a political crisis

Kenya election thrown into turmoil as top opposition candidate withdraws

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Zimbabweans hold hands as they attend a prayer meeting called to urge President Robert Mugabe to resign, outside the Parliament Building in Harare on Nov. 20. (Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters)

Zimbabwe's defense forces appeared to open the door Monday to the possibility that 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe could stay in power, after both sides offered "several guarantees" nearly a week after the military detained him, according to a top army commander.

Although Mugabes fate remained murky, the prospect that he might have survived a military takeover, historic opposition protests and removal from his own political party suggested once again his uncanny ability to hang on to power.

In a statement Monday night, Gen. Constantino Chiwenga, chief of Zimbabwes armed forces, said the military had held further consultations with the president to agree on a road map for the country. The plan includes the expected return of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe fired this month. The statement referred to Mugabe as the commander in chief and said the military was encouraged by new developments.

Mnangagwas dismissal triggered the military intervention last Tuesday, and thousands took to the streets to celebrate what appeared to be the end of Mugabes rule. But on Sunday night, in what many expected to be a publicly televised resignation, the worlds oldest head of state instead delivered a meandering speech in which he made it clear that he had no intention of leaving the presidency.

Analysts said military commanders may have worked out a deal that would lead to Mugabes resignation after an interim period and his replacement by Mnangagwa, possibly during next months congress of the ruling ZANU-PF party. For now, the militarys vague statement about a road map left plenty of room for conjecture.

[Zimbabwes military discovers it may not be so easy to remove Mugabe]

What was clear was that as long as Mugabe remains in power, millions here will be devastated. For years, as Mugabes rule grew more erratic and repressive  and as the economy collapsed  Zimbabweans spoke openly about when and how the old man would go. The past week seemed to bring that outcome closer than ever.

Mnangagwas return would appease a small but powerful segment of the ruling party. He has been a core member of ZANU-PF for decades and has strong connections to the security forces. But many Zimbabweans see him as corrupt and oppressive for having helped insulate Mugabes regime for years before his abrupt falling-out with the president.

Chiwenga said Mnangagwa was expected in the country shortly. He fled to South Africa after being fired, apparently to avoid the possibility of arrest.

Mugabe could still be forced out through constitutional channels. Lawmakers were expected to begin proceedings Tuesday to impeach him, but it was unclear how the militarys statement would affect those plans. Some members of parliament who support Mnangagwa could now back away from impeachment.

Both military and civilian opponents of Mugabe appear eager to imbue any successor with an air of legitimacy that would be accepted by the international community. In its bylaws, a regional bloc of southern African nations includes strong language against coups.

For years weve been victims of the lawlessness of the ruling party, said Lovemore Madhuku, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Zimbabwe. If we abandon the law to get Mugabe out, we are not safeguarding ourselves from more lawlessness in the future.

Mugabe has taken the law into his own hands for much of his rule, encouraging his government to seize land belonging to white farmers by force and ordering the detention of political opponents. This month, a 25-year-old American woman, Martha ODonovan, was arrested for subversion after she allegedly insulted Mugabe on Twitter. Two weeks ago, four people were detained for booing the presidents wife at a rally.

[Zimbabwe seized white farmers land. Now some are being invited back.]

But when Mugabes own government finally turned against him, it declined to use the same brute force or extrajudicial power he has employed for years. Aside from wanting to avoid allegations of coup-plotting, Zimbabwes military may have been showing deference to the only president Zimbabwe has ever had and a hero of the countrys liberation struggle. In recent years, many critics of Mugabes leadership have blamed his wife, Grace, who is often portrayed as a puppet master manipulating a senile man. Grace Mugabe was seen as angling to be her husbands successor in the wake of Mnangagwas dismissal.

Amid the uncertainty, a debate is raging among legal experts and lawmakers about how long an impeachment process would take. Paul Mangwana, deputy secretary of ZANU-PF, said it would take only two days. Madhuku said it would likely take months if the law were followed.

Mangwana said that the parliament would set up a committee responsible for impeachment on Tuesday and that it would issue its decision Wednesday.

The main charge is allowing his wife to usurp government powers, he said.

But after the military's announcement, it was unclear whether impeachment proceedings would move forward. If Mnangagwa is permitted to return to the country as a part of a military-led compromise, some anti-Mugabe members of ZANU-PF might accept a compromise that would keep Mugabe in power.

On Sunday, the party voted to remove Mugabe as its leader and expelled his wife for life, so accepting his role as head of state now would be a stunning about-face.

Read more

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A rosary on Nov. 12 hangs on the fence surrounding the First Baptist Church one week after 26 people were killed inside in Sutherland Springs, Tex. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post)

The FBI is unlikely to try to make a federal legal case out of a locked iPhone used by a lone Texas gunman who fatally shot more than two dozen churchgoers two weeks ago, according to U.S. officials.

Some officials at both the FBI and the Justice Department are itching for a fresh confrontation with Apple over the issue of encryption, but overall federal law enforcement officials believe the Texas phone will not provide a new test case to try to compel the tech company to unlock it.

[Texas gunmans iPhone could reignite FBI-Apple feud over encryption]

Some Trump political appointees at Justice have expressed hope that the Texas case could provide the victory that eluded them in the departments last battle with Apple over the phone of a terrorist in San Bernardino, Calif.

But the circumstances are different in the Texas case. The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, appears to have acted alone, and there are no apparent links to international terrorism. In the San Bernardino case, the FBI found the perpetrators were inspired by the Islamic State and investigators were seeking clues to other plots that might be contained in one of the killers phones.

We do have a role in supporting the locals, but its not in FBIs wheelhouse to run this case, said one law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing. Its more of a local investigation at this point.

[Texas gunman was able to buy guns due to Air Force mistake, was having domestic dispute with family]

The probe is being led by the Texas Rangers, a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction. The FBI is offering assistance.

Shortly after the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Tex., investigators tried to press at least one of the dead mans fingers to the phone, hoping the Touch ID fingerprint feature would allow access, but the effort failed.

Since then, the phone has been sent to the FBIs lab in Quantico, Va., to see if FBI specialists can figure out some way to access the data on it. While those efforts have not yet been successful, FBI investigators havent given up hope they can find a solution, said individuals familiar with the matter.

If the phones data remains locked away, the most likely outcome is that federal officials will let state prosecutors in Texas decide whether they want to pursue legal action against Apple, the individuals said.

Two days after the shooting rampage, the FBI special agent in charge in San Antonio, Christopher Combs, said investigators are unable to get into the phone. At that point, law enforcement had a warrant to search the phone, but they had not contacted Apple with a request for technical assistance.

The firm still has not received any such request, an Apple spokesman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record, said on Monday.

Two days after Combss news conference, Apple received a search warrant from the Texas Rangers seeking data that might be backed up to Apples iCloud from Kelleys iPhone from Jan. 1, 2016. The warrant, issued on Nov. 9 by a district court judge in Wilson County, directs Apple to provide anything that might have been stored on the firms servers, including photos, videos, contact information and iMessages.

Authorities also have obtained a warrant for access to a second device found in Kelleys car, an inexpensive, push-button LG mobile phone, whose existence had not been previously disclosed. An LG spokesman declined to comment.

The San Antonio Express-News first reported on the search warrants.

Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein has called for tech firms to find a way to make encrypted data accessible to law enforcement officials.

Maybe we eventually will find a way to access the data, Rosenstein said at a Baltimore event. But it costs a great deal of time and money. In some cases, it surely costs lives. That is a very high price to pay. We need to find a solution.

Hamza Shaban contributed to this report.
The U.S. military has banned its service members in Japan from drinking alcohol and has ordered those stationed on Okinawa to stay on base or in their homes after a fatal vehicular crash on Sunday involving a U.S. Marine.

A Japanese man was killed in the collision, and the blood alcohol level of the 21-year-old Marine in the other vehicle was reportedly three times the legal limit when driving. It is the latest such incident on an island where the American military presence was already controversial.

Its the same thing over and over again every time. Im speechless, Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, who strongly opposes the expansion of U.S. bases in the southern island prefecture, told reporters.

The Marine, named in local reports as Nicholas James McLean, was driving a two-ton military truck when it collided with a mini-truck driven by Hidemasa Taira, 61.

A witness told police that the military truck ran a red light and hit the other driver's vehicle as it was making a right turn about 5:25 a.m., Kyodo News reported. Photos showed that the victim's mini-truck was severely damaged.

McLean suffered minor injuries and was questioned by police.

[ After Trumps visit to Japan, U.S. ambassador enters fray over Okinawa base ]

Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, commanding general of U.S. Marine Forces Japan, conveyed his deepest regret and sincere condolences to the family and friends of the Okinawan man who died as a result of this accident.

U.S. Forces Japan has ordered all 25,000-odd U.S. service members on Okinawa to stay on their base or in their homes and has banned them from consuming alcohol.

Service members stationed in mainland Japan also have been prohibited from buying or consuming alcohol, on and off base.

Commanders across Japan will lead mandatory training on responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior, U.S. Forces Japan said in a statement. All military members and U.S. government civilians in Japan are required to attend, it said.

Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, published a photo of a sign attached to Yuengling lager boxes inside a store at Yokosuka Naval Base declaring, "Alcohol purchase is suspended until further notice."

Last year, U.S. Forces Japan commanders imposed a similar alcohol ban in Okinawa after a 21-year-old service member crossed the centerline on a highway and crashed head-on into two cars shortly before midnight.

Although no one died in that crash, it came as service members were supposed to be on curfew, a restriction imposed after a former Marine and current military contractor was arrested on suspicion of raping and killing a local woman.

[ In Okinawa, protesters dig in as work proceeds to relocate U.S. Marine base ]

That man, Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, pleaded guilty last week to raping the 20-year-old woman last year and then dumping her body but not guilty to intending to kill her.

The case fueled public anger about the U.S. bases in Okinawa and the crime and accidents that are associated with them.

Last month, a Marine CH-53E transport helicopter caught fire during a training flight in the northern part of Okinawas main island. It crashed just 300 yards from houses; no one was injured.

Onaga, the governor, has complained that Okinawa bears too much of the burden for Japans alliance with the United States. The island chain accounts for less than 1 percent of Japans landmass but houses 64 percent of the U.S. military bases in the country.

He has been campaigning against the relocation of the huge Marine air station at Futenma, in the middle of Okinawas main island, to a remote spot on reclaimed land farther north at Henoko, saying that the base should be moved off the island entirely. A majority of Okinawans, according to polls, agree with him.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

For military-weary Okinawa, Donald Trump offers glimmer of hope

Japanese leader Shinzo Abe plays the role of Trumps loyal sidekick

Okinawa murder dominates talks between Obama and Abe

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Opinion

The Last Verse Trampled by Turtles embody the spirit of Americana on the album Alpenglow
Opinion

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Winnipeg has a new multiple listing service dedicated to commercial real estate properties, and industry officials predict it could help attract new investment to the city.

The commercial division of the Winnipeg Realtors Association has partnered with Michigan-based Catylist Real Estate Software to create the new Winnipeg Realtors Commercial Property Information Exchange (CPIX).

Although the new exchange has only been fully operational since Nov. 1, it already has nearly 1,200 listings on its website (winnipegcommercialrealtors.ca).

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Trevor Clay, chairman of the Winnipeg Realtors Associations commercial division, is enthused about the new Winnipeg Realtors Commercial Property Information Exchange, which lists commercial properties for sale in the city.

Catylist has developed similar commercial listing services for the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver and more than 35 U.S. real estate boards and associations. Although the association owns and manages the new website, it operates on Catylists servers and is directly linked to Catylistsown commercial listings website (catylist.com).

The Catylist website has more than 100,000 Canadian and U.S. listings, including those in Winnipeg, and can be accessed by anyone with a computer, smartphone or other internet-capable device.

So any investor whos sitting anywhere in the United States or overseas as long as they have access to the internet, can go to catylist.com and perform searches, Shane Hayes, Catylists vice-president of regional accounts, said in an interview.

He said if they enter Winnipeg in the search box, it will take them directly to the new Winnipeg site, where they can see all of the posted listings.

What were trying to do is kind of stitch together all of these members from throughout the U.S. and Canada, he said.

Even though they have a local platform thats run locally, theyre still getting national exposure throughout Canada and the United States.

Association senior vice-president Crystal Hollas and Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) senior vice-president Greg Dandewich agreed the new exchange could help bring new investment to the city.

Dandewich said when out-of-province companies are looking at new markets to enter, one of the first things they want to know is what properties are available that would suit their particular needs.

Thats why EDW has a dedicated spot on its website where companies and site selectors can go to see examples of available properties.

And when you start to augment that with things like the new CPIX, what it does is create a kind of robust portfolio of information which either individual companies or contracted search firms, like site selectors, can tap into, Dandewich said.

It creates a broader picture of what the opportunities are and the more you can build up your arsenal of information, and have it available at the convenience of the user  thats critically important.

Hollas said the association had its own locally produced CPIX system for more than a decade. But it had become outdated and cumbersome to use.

It was just time for a change, she said, adding the new system is far superior to the old one.

Trevor Clay, chairman of the associations commercial division, said the response from local real estate agents and firms has been encouraging.

Its been a very strong buy-in, he said. We already have just under 1,200 listings up on the site, versus Vancouver, which apparently only has about 400. So I think everybody has jumped on board and has understood that if you want to advertise your listings to the public, this is the way you have to do it.

Clay said one of the big benefits of the new system is that its specifically designed for commercial properties.

The old system was designed more around residential, whereas this system really understands what you want to know about a commercial listing and allows you to search commercial properties much more efficiently.

He also noted tenants or agents looking for space to rent or buildings to buy can also post their wants and needs on the website for other agents to see.

So it allows a lot more ease of interaction between members of the commercial division and the general public, he added.

It just allows for a lot more efficient flow of information.

Ken Jones, a commercial agent with Shindico Realty Inc. and a former chairman of the associations commercial division, agreed the new CPIX system is far superior to the old one.

The technology was getting old and inefficient, and didnt have the capability the Catylist system has, or all the bells and whistles and everything else, he said. This new one looks to be offering everything we wanted in a new, modern robust format.

Jones said that before, he often had to search the old CPIX system and numerous other sites when seeking office space for a client.

But this sort of brings everything together under one program. So if Im looking for 10,000 square feet of office (space), I should be able to find everything thats listed there, he added. And for agents who are listing properties on behalf of landlords, they can get their information out in a more efficient way and get it to the other (real estate) brokers.

Hayes said real estate boards in a number of other Canadian cities have seen the Winnipeg and Vancouver systems, and have expressed an interest in having Catylist develop one for their market.

So we may be moving forward with a few other groups (in Canada), he added.

Know of any newsworthy development in the local office, retail, industrial or multi-family-residential sectors? Let real estate reporter Murray McNeill know at the email address below, or at 204-697-7254.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  After months of negotiations to get Churchills damaged rail line and mothballed port into local hands, key figures have praised news about a possible partnership with a multibillion-dollar Toronto firm.

The federal government announced late last week that Fairfax Financial Holdings has expressed interest in partnering with a consortium of two northern Manitoba groups, which have merged their takeover bids.

Ottawa made the announcement two days after Omnitrax, the U.S.-based owner of the port and railway, made numerous allegations about bungled projects aimed at stabilizing northern Manitoba, and filed a notice of intent to seek arbitration under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Omnitrax has refused to repair the rail line north of Gillam to Churchill after it was flooded and part of it destroyed last May. The rail line was used to ship necessary supplies to the town. Without it, air transportation must be used, which has caused transportation costs to skyrocket.

For two months, a high-profile negotiator has been leading talks to effectively pay Omnitrax to transfer its port and rail line to Missinippi Rail and One North.

Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, who leads Missinippi Rail, said Saturday that the two groups still have homework to do, but that the Fairfax news is a good sign.

There are other people that we are meeting with, but Fairfax seems to be the best one so far, he said.

One of Fairfaxs investments is tied to Big Sky Railway Corp., a Saskatchewan company that owns and repairs its own lines. Theyre a very complementary partner; they have a lot of skills and opportunities to bring to the table, Dumas said.

Dumas tried to get Omnitrax to transfer the line to Missinippi Rail before last summer, when he became head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. He said any structure for the rail line and port wont involve a faraway owner.

It will still be majority First Nations-owned. Because why would we just trade one problem for the next?

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, who co-leads One North, said the talks can soon proceed to forming a business plan for the 2018 shipping season, which normally starts in late July.

After everything that our communities have gone through this past year, this is a significant and exciting development and opportunity for our region and beyond, he wrote in a news release. Fairfax Financial brings the long-term, patient capital needed to turn these assets into a world-class facility that will attract business and traffic.

One Norths other co-founder is Christian Sinclair, chief of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation at The Pas. He hopes the takeover talks would lead to a transfer of ownership soon.

We are pleased that a company of this status with a very successful track record in business is interested in working with northern Manitoba, Sinclair said in text message from South Korea, where he is attending a trade mission. He called the railway a lifeline.

One North is composed of five First Nations and 12 municipal communities in both Manitoba and southern Nunavut, all of which are served by the Hudson Bay Railway directly or by shipments.

As of Friday afternoon, Fairfax hadnt contacted Omnitrax, according to a spokeswoman. That said, we continue to welcome a sale that would provide fair value for the assets and a solution for the people of Churchill.

Last week, the federal government filed an $18.8-million lawsuit against Omnitrax for breach of contract, seeking to claw back the federal funds contributed under a 2008 deal to improve service along the line to Churchill. The Manitoba government has not indicated whether it will seek the $20 million it provided to Omnitrax under a similar contract.

In Ottawas statement of claim, it argues Omnitrax had an obligation to maintain service along the line and repair it after the May 23 washout.

It claims the company didnt follow multiple conditions of the 2008 contract, which Transport Canada spokeswoman Sofie McCoy-Astell said Friday included requirements to consult with First Nations along the rail line and to provide the results of those consultations to the government.

Ottawa hasnt said whether it raised these issues with Omnitrax beforehand.

 with files from Martin Cash

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  Pressure is mounting on the federal Liberals to compensate Metis people who were taken from their families in the Sixties Scoop, after they were excluded from an $800-million settlement last month.

But the president of the Manitoba Metis Federation said he has faith that Ottawa will follow through, after a solemn meeting with the minister handling the issue.

Our people want answers; they are going to get them. Im sure of that, said David Chartrand.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Metis president David Chartrand

Last month, the federal government announced it would settle as many as 19 lawsuits and compensate Indigenous people who had placed in non-Indigenous foster homes when they were children as far away as New Zealand, often without a reason. Its unknown how many Manitobans were caught up in the Sixties Scoop, which spanned the 1960s to the 1980s.

Carolyn Bennett, the minister for Crown-Indigenous relations, announced the $800-million payout will compensate each survivor from $25,000 to $50,000, and create a new foundation for healing aimed at reviving Indigenous languages and cultures, with a separate legal fund.

The lawsuits involved First Nations people, and lawyers say Metis people are not yet part of the settlement.

After being flooded with calls, Chartrand wrote a lengthy letter to Bennett on Oct. 12, expressing disillusionment and shock that Metis people werent included. Chartrand revealed his own wifes siblings had been taken from their mother. Our families were poor and seen as less worthy, he wrote, adding that Metis groups had no notice of the announcement.

Previously, federal government sources told the Free Press that Metis people were almost exclusively taken from their families by provincial social workers, limiting Ottawas responsibility.

On Friday, Ottawa said its not denying it had a role to play in Metis apprehensions, but that the provinces have to be at the table to design a fair settlement.

Bennetts spokesman James Fitzmorris wrote that last months announcement represents the first step in resolving this issue. We know that there are other claims that remain unresolved, including those of the Metis and non-status.

Chartrand said its clear Ottawa had a role, even if provinces removed Metis children from their parents. He fears this old blame game where both levels of government delay justice for Indigenous people.

The provinces are just trying to pass the buck. They just want out; theyre looking at their budgets, theyre saying We cant afford to give anything out, yet you destroyed so many lives.

Bennetts office hinted Friday that Ottawa still has to negotiate an end to the existing lawsuits filed exclusively by First Nations people, before including other people in the compensation package.

Its unclear whether Metis people will have to go through courts to be included.

In response to a question about whether the province will consider voluntarily compensating Metis people for Manitobas role in the Sixties Scoop, the province said no lawsuit has been filed against it.

There presently is no active litigation being pursued against Manitoba on behalf of Metis people in respect to the Sixties Scoop. If further litigation is filed, that would be addressed in the usual legal process, wrote provincial spokeswoman Caitlin MacGregor.

In June 2015, the Manitoba government apologized for its role in the Sixties Scoop.

Litigation could come soon. On Oct. 27, the former head of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan launched a federal human rights complaint against Bennett, saying the settlement discriminated against Metis people. Robert Doucette was taken from his mother in 1962

The complaint, filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, argues the federal Liberals are violating the charter right of equality. The commission says it will review the complaint, including whether it falls under federal jurisdiction  if not it will be transferred to a provincial equivalent.

Saskatchewans opposition NDP is calling on the governing Saskatchewan Party of Premier Brad Wall to offer compensation. So far no compensation has beren offered but Wall said his government is willing to apologize.

As for Chartrands letter, Bennetts office has promised to address his complaints. The letter has been crafted; we should get it any day now. Im being patient, he said. If you push too hard, too fast, you might not like what you get.

Chartrand said he had a poignant moment with Bennett last Thursday, when she flew into Winnipeg after commemorating a new road in the Northwest Territories and attending an anniversary in Edmonton of the 1885 execution of Metis leader Louis Riel.

Bennett arrived with flowers at Riels grave in St. Boniface, around 10 p.m. The two shared a moment of silence.

After we went for coffee and I said, You better get to bed, man, Chartrand said. She was still adamant to come show respect.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

Manitoba Metis Federation letter on Sixties Scoop survivors
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A Winnipeg convenience store owner who plotted to kill his business partner after their enterprise soured has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Amare Gebru, 44, plans to appeal the sentence imposed Monday by Court of Queens Bench Justice Vic Toews. Gebru was previously convicted of counselling to commit murder and counselling to commit robbery.

Defence lawyer Mike Cook had been seeking a jail sentence of less than six months, in order to avoid automatic deportation for Gebru, who immigrated from Ethiopia. He now faces deportation after he finishes serving his prison sentence.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The convenience store at 543 Balmoral St.

Toews said Monday the defences request for a sentence so substantially below the range for someone convicted of planning to rob and murder was an attempt to circumvent the sentencing process as a way to avoid deportation. The judge said the sentence must be in line with the seriousness of the crime  and there werent exceptional circumstances in this case to warrant the defences requested sentence of five months and 29 days.

Cook said Gebru has instructed him to appeal the sentence, as well as his conviction.

Gebru had been out on bail until he was taken into custody Monday morning, as his wife and several of his supporters cried outside the courtroom. During Gebrus sentencing hearing last month, more than 100 people showed up to support him.

At the time, Cook described him as a good man who did a bad thing. Gebru and his family fear hell be imprisoned upon return to Ethiopia because of past outspoken political views.

Ive never, in all my years of practice, seen that many people come to support somebody, which I think bodes well for him in terms of the time hes going to spend at Stony Mountain, Cook said Monday, describing Gebru as a much loved and admired man.

Hopefully, all those people can rally together and support a unified front to help Immigration Canada perhaps keep him in Canada and not send him back home.

Crown attorneys Mike Himmelman and Minh Nguyen sought six years on each charge, but Toews decided the two counts of counselling didnt warrant consecutive sentences.

The bizarre case began when Gebru, a married father of three, agreed to a business deal with a woman in her late 20s to buy the convenience store on Balmoral Street formerly known as Teddys. The deal would end with a police investigation that included covert recordings of Gebrus meetings with a would-be hitman, revealing Gebru spent six weeks plotting to murder his business partner.

Both had immigrated to Winnipeg from Ethiopia and bought the store together in 2011  but each business partner testified during a trial last spring the other had contributed less money to the purchase of the store, and accused the other of stealing money from the business.

Within a few months, their working relationship turned toxic, the store was struggling and both partners wanted out of the business, but they couldnt agree on a buyout plan.

In May 2012, Gebru approached a regular customer in the stores laundromat and hatched a plan for the man to rob his business partner while she was headed to the bank to make a cash deposit.

After that, he changed his mind. He says, I dont want her to be stealing money again. I just want her to be dead. So if you can be able to kill her do it and Ill give you money, $10,000, and Ill sign your mortgage for you,' the would-be hitman testified during Gebrus trial.

The man balked at the murder plot and told Gebrus business partner about the plan. Together, they went to police and the man agreed to wear a wire during secret meetings with Gebru.

In recordings of the meetings played in court, Gebru spoke vaguely about a mission he needed the man to complete.

When he testified in his own defence, Gebru claimed the tables were turned and his business partner was the one who hired a hitman to kill him, but Toews didnt believe him.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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Ten friends have banded together to inject new hope into an initiative that aims to help women in need.

For the past two years, Purses of Hope has collected gently used purses filled with useful items, such as new socks and panties, feminine hygiene products and toiletries, and distributed them to women who are homeless or live in shelters.

The initiative was started by Sherry Selley, Brandi Neves and Sherry Turner, who are lifelong friends.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sharon Evans (front) was inspired to start Handbags of Hope, filling purses with essential items for homeless women, with the help of Tracey Kleysen (from back left), Cathy Jowett, Silke Blaine, Shauna Angers and Karen Burns.

When Neves posted on Facebook last month that they would not be able to facilitate Purses of Hope this year because of personal situations, Sharon Evans decided to step in.

In a matter of minutes, she had nine of her girlfriends on board  and Neves blessing  to create Handbags of Hope.

Id tell people in my store about (Purses of Hope) all the time, says Evans, 53, who co-owns Lake Life, a womens clothing store. Hopefully, we can make (them) proud.

Evans and her friends are encouraging women to get involved by donating a gently used purse with useful items.

When she wrote about Purses of Hope two years ago, Free Press columnist Jen Zoratti noted that these kits meet practical and emotional needs.

Many women living on the margins feel isolated, invisible and ignored, Zoratti wrote.

A project such as this offers a chance to show empathy.

Evans and her friends hope to collect 1,000 purses by Dec. 11.

Cathy Jowett has known Evans for 15 years and says her friends enthusiasm inspired her to get involved.

So many women get forgotten, and thats tough to take right now, says Jowett, 52, who works as a credit analyst at Cargill. When you sit and reflect on women in shelters and the things theyre going through, you feel the need to give back. Its something we all can do.

Evans adds that if life circumstances were different, she or one of her friends could be living on the street.

You never know what can happen and where life can take you, she says.

Anyone interested in contributing a purse to Handbags of Hope can visit facebook.com/handbagsofhopewpg for a list of suggested items to include.

People can take their filled purses to Lake Life (440 Academy Rd.) or Calabria Market (139 Scurfield Blvd.). Evans is hoping to add more drop-off locations soon.

Youve got a few weeks, she says. Have a few girlfriends over, get together over a glass of wine and put together some purses.

Two and a half weeks into the initiative, Evans is having a blast.

Im super enthusiastic, and so are my girlfriends, she says. Its going to snowball, and we know its going to be an awesome way to kick off the holiday season.

Jowett hopes that even if people choose not to participate in Handbags of Hope, they do something to share what they have this holiday season.

We want to encourage everybody to pay it forward in their lives, she says.

Thats really the message we want to get out there, as well.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.
Opinion

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This article was published 20/11/2017 (1822 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After nearly two years of tough sledding over austerity measures, there was some speculation Premier Brian Pallister would to use this weeks speech from the throne as an opportunity to change the channel, as political operatives like to say.

Instead of public-sector wage freezes and layoffs or emergency-room closures, it was believed the premier would use the start of a new session to showcase the Tories as more than just bean counters.

Well, it appears the premier isnt big on delayed gratification. A full week before Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon even got a chance to start reading the throne speech, Pallister managed to change the channel.

During an arduous wilderness hike in New Mexico last week, Manitobas first minister suffered a serious fall that left him with a badly broken arm. Although its clear Pallister never intended it as such, his harrowing mishap does alter the narrative going into this next session of the Manitoba Legislature.

Pallister deserves genuine sympathy for his injury; the next few weeks are going to be a humbling experience. Particularly for a man who is legendary for his fierce self-sufficiency. If he needs some advice on how to recuperate and govern at the same time, he might give former premier Gary Filmon a quick call.

It was in February 1992 that Filmon slipped on some ice during a vacation in Vancouver and broke his ankle, an injury severe enough that it required surgery. Filmon was forced to take off a bit of time to rest, but returned to work much earlier than expected.

For a few weeks at least, journalists covering the legislature will tell you Filmon, an intimidating presence at the best of times, became downright fearsome.

Rather than scrum, on many days Filmon would hop through the hallway outside the chamber on his crutches until he found a journalist that had drawn his ire.

He wouldnt engage in debate, but would merely pass over a copy of a newspaper clipping with a few choice words written in the margins. Then, he hopped off.

If looks alone could kill, there would have been quite a body count among the members of the legislative press gallery while Filmon was recovering. However, it bears mentioning that other than bloodying the nose of a few scribes, the affairs of state did not suffer.

Although not quite halfway through his first term, this is the time when Pallister has to demonstrate a capacity to expand the scope of his governments work.

Legislatively, the Tories continue to be a significant disappointment. There have been a few bright spots  the increased powers and mandate for the childrens advocate serves as a good example of effective lawmaking  but not enough to convince critics or constituents this is a government that can see past its focus on eliminating the deficit.

The biggest non-fiscal initiatives  carbon pricing and legalized cannabis distribution and sales  have only been partly revealed. Neither has produced an actual bill for debate.

Outside those two files, far too many bills are limited to mostly symbolic impact: an act to certify participation in the New West Partnership, a new balanced budget bill that allows for a public vote on any major tax increase, legislation to reduce government red tape. Although they are worthy topics of discussion, none add up to serious legislative initiatives.

What could the Pallister government do? There is a host of unfulfilled campaign pledges and legislative projects awaiting the governments time and attention.

Such as the 2016 report from the Law Reform Commission on expanding and improving the Municipal Council Conflict of Interest Act. The commission  along with many municipalities, including Winnipeg  has long pressed the province to come up with new legal mechanisms to allow for the investigation and punishment of municipal conflict of interest and related misconduct.

The former NDP government failed miserably to deal with this pressing issue, despite being provided with numerous examples of immediate need during the Sam Katz era at Winnipeg city hall.

The Pallister government does have ethics on its mind, but its not clear whether the scope will include municipal officials. In October, Tory house leader Cliff Cullen asked Manitoba ethics commissioner Jeff Schnoor to provide, by years end, his recommendations on how to improve ethics legislation for provincial politicians.

This is an excellent legislative initiative and one that should bear fruit by early next year, but its not enough. Manitoba needs an arms-length body to receive and investigate ethics complaints, and new legal tools to bring elected officials at both the provincial and municipal officials back into line.

Another worthy issue to tackle would be organ donation.

Recently, the Tory caucus decided to withhold its support for a private members bill by former Tory MLA Steven Fletcher, which would have instituted presumed consent for all organ donations. Away from the smouldering wreckage of Fletchers bill, Pallister pledged an all-party task force to find ways of increasing the number of donated organs.

There is no good reason to exclude organ donation from the list of government priorities in the throne speech. After all, there is no better time to start working on a life-and-death issue like yesterday.

Pallisters injury, suffered on the eve of an extremely important moment in his governments first term, is the epitome of bad luck. With much more work to be done on carbon pricing and legalized marijuana, and fiscal challenges still very much in play, the premier hardly needed the distraction of a broken arm.

But government must forge ahead. If nothing else, well learn pretty quickly whether Pallister is really a one-man show, or whether he is surrounded by people that can help him bear the burden of governing.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 20/11/2017 (1822 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Unfortunately for taxpayers, Premier Brian Pallisters carbon tax doesnt come with a money-back guarantee if it doesnt deliver promised results. We already know Pallisters carbon tax is costly.

Hes proposing a tax of $25 per tonne of carbon next year  much higher than the initial federal requirement of $10 per tonne. That means Manitobans will see fuel prices jump by about five cents per litre. In total, it will cost Manitobans $260 million every year.

But what about the results?

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Files Premier Brian Pallister wants a carbon tax of $25 per tonne.

Pallister is promising two things.

First, a carbon tax will reduce emissions. Second, based on those reductions, the province will be able to stop a federal carbon tax thats scheduled to rise to $50 per tonne over five years.

The problem is Pallister provides no support for either promise. The provincial governments climate plan doesnt show how a carbon tax will reduce emissions.

All it offers is a speculative list of potential indicators it might monitor, including: 1) a reduction in gasoline and diesel sold; 2) the ratio of Manitobas GDP to gasoline and diesel consumed; 3) the increase in adoption of alternatives (e.g. ratio of gasoline to electric vehicles purchased); and/or, 4) economic competitiveness impacts by sector such as exports.

While Pallister provides no analysis on these potential indicators, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation recently ran the numbers and produced a report entitled Keeping Score: Measuring Manitobas Environmental Performance. The results are remarkable.

Lets look at the first potential indicator  the volume of fuel sold annually. Canadas overall fuel sales went up by 4.5 per cent from 2011-15. In British Columbia, where a carbon tax has been in place since 2008, fuel sales went up by 5.34 per cent.

Meanwhile, in Manitoba, fuel sales went up only three per cent. Manitoba is already outperforming Canada and B.C. on this potential indicator even without a carbon tax.

Manitobas performance is even better on the fuel-consumption-to-GDP ratio.

Canadas overall fuel-consumption-to-GDP fell by 6.88 per cent from 2011 to 2015. British Columbia did a bit better with a reduction of 8.65 per cent. But, again, Manitobas performance on this potential indicator is significantly better with a 12.12 per cent reduction, even without a carbon tax.

The third potential indicator is indecisive. In Canada overall, only 0.7 per cent of new vehicles purchased are electric.

In B.C., its only 1.05 per cent. In Manitoba its 0.11 per cent. For the moment, electric cars are a small part of the picture with more than 98 per cent of car buyers sticking with traditional cars.

The fourth potential indicator is baffling. How is the province planning to measure competitiveness and which exports will it watch? This potential indicator is too vague to specifically analyze beyond the obvious point that a carbon tax that increases the cost of doing business will make Manitoba less competitive.

Lets look again at Pallisters promises.

If a carbon tax will reduce emissions, wouldnt B.C., with its established carbon tax, be outperforming Manitoba? According to the provinces potential indicators that isnt the case. What about Pallisters promise that Manitobas higher initial carbon tax will protect the province from a higher federal carbon tax in the future?

That promise is based on a legal opinion suggesting that Manitoba could fight a federal carbon tax if the provinces environmental policies prove more effective than national standards. Presumably, that case would be built on the provinces performance on the potential indicators it cites.

But Manitoba is already outperforming the nation, as well as B.C. and its carbon tax. If Pallister wants to fight the federal carbon tax, he doesnt need to impose a carbon tax thats more than double the initial federal proposal. Manitoba already has a compelling case to contest a federal carbon tax.

Theres a real risk Manitobans wont get the benefits Pallister is promising, but theres no refund on the millions theyll pay in carbon taxes until then.

Todd MacKay is prairie director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The last trade union protest against President Emmanuel Macrons labor law decrees took place on Thursday. Despite the massive unpopularity of the decrees, the trade union, university student and high school student bureaucracies ultimately mobilized a fairly limited number of workers and youth.

Ever since the union bureaucracies began organizing one-day protests and rolling strikes against Macrons cuts, fewer and fewer workers have attended them. After the Stalinist General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union and its political allies folded up all protests last year against the labor law, faced with the Socialist Party (PS) governments threats to ban the protest, union calls for mobilization have met with little enthusiasm among workers. Moreover, the unions avoided calling strikes in several industries where they have traditionally tried to call strike action.

This reflects the cynical policy of the unions and their petty-bourgeois political allies, like the Unsubmissive France (LFI) movement of Jean-Luc Melenchon or the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA). The unions publicly negotiated the decrees with Macron. They do not want to fight decrees that give them considerable power and financingeven though the goal is to negotiate new contracts that would slash the wages and benefits of their own members. They are thus strangling the deep opposition that exists to Macron, now widely despised as the president of the rich.

On Thursday, police counted 8,000 protesters in Paris, while the trade unions claimed 40,000. The NPA-linked Solidarity-Unity-Democracy union called teachers out to protest. There were some strikes in the regional train networks. In Marseille, police claimed 2,500 people protested, while the protest organizers counted 25,000. In Lyon, between 3,000 and 10,000 people marched; between 900 and 1,200 protested in Strasbourg.

AFP reported 1,600 protesters in Rennes based on trade union figures. Some clashes broke out in Nantes near the main march, which gathered between 2,500 and 4,000 people. Security forces fired teargas at the protesters.

Some local or regional Workers Force (FO) officials joined the marches, but this was against the advice of the FO national leadership, which is hostile to opposition to Macrons decrees. The French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT) similarly did not call strike action. The Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) joined the movement, as did LFI and similar petty-bourgeois parties.

The limited participation in the latest protests underscores that mass opposition to Macron cannot be expressed though a movement controlled by the union bureaucracies. As Macrons decrees prepare drastic attacks on workers basic social rights in France and across Europe, opposition can only take the form of an eruption of mass struggles outside the trade union framework. Such struggles would require a revolutionary and socialist perspective and leadership for a struggle for power against Macron and the European Union (EU).

WSWS reporters spoke to protesters in Paris. The demonstration was politically heterogeneous, with significant layers of youth and also members of the different political tendencies that for decades have orbited around the Socialist Party (PS) and are now stunned by its disintegration and the victory of Macron. A separation could be felt between youth looking for a way to fight Macron, and members of petty-bourgeois parties increasingly conscious that they do not have a perspective for a struggle against Macron and are separated by a political gulf from broader masses of workers.

Louis, a high school student and member of the National High School Student Union (UNL), said he had come to protest as every time against the labor law, against which we cannot cease fighting. We came to oppose the Post-Baccalaureate Admission (APB) reform, something which affects us high school students directly and which many high school students oppose, also.

Louis connected Macrons labor decrees, his cuts to taxes on the wealthy and the APB reform, which he criticized for being elitist: Its a reform thats supposed to be based on merit and simply introduce the idea of universities selecting their students. That would mean that students would no longer have a say in where they go to school.  We find that scandalous. They are putting into place a system where the best students remain the best, and the less good also stay that way. So its another elitist reform, as you would expect from Macron and like he did with the labor law.

Louis raised that a new perspective and analysis of the far right was needed to oppose the rise of neo-fascism in Europe: I think today more than ever, we need to take a step back to get a broader view of why the far right is rising. The youth are really opposed to it, however, because the far right does not benefit the youth.

At the end of the interview, Louis also stressed his hostility towards the militarism of the different governments, in France and internationally: Today its disastrous, we have Donald Trump who has a policy where he does whatever he wants. And Macron has similar politics.

The WSWS also spoke to Julie, a member of the Young Communists (JC), the PCF youth, who declared she was protesting out of hostility to neo-liberal policies that have been carried out for years and that only enrich the ruling class.

Julie was extremely doubtful, however, of the possibility of organizing successful opposition to Macron. Asked about Jean-Luc Melenchons candidacy in the presidential elections, she said she voted for Melenchon because I think he was the only candidate on the left who had a bit of hope of winning, a little chance, though I didnt believe in it very much. Jean-Luc Melenchon, one knows he will not carry out a great social revolution...

Julie said she did not believe the union protests could force a retraction of Macrons law, saying that she saw them principally as a symbolic gesture: I think we dont have a choice  we have to do it, even if it is only to feel all right about ourselves.

Laeticia, a teacher and member of the Independent Workers Party (POI), said: Many teachers were in the street a few years ago, but two years ago there was the reform of the junior high schools that was a catastrophe for us. They did not listen to us, and now they want to attack the high school students, and we still do not agree. However, the only perspective she could see was, We keep protesting until they actually listen to us.
Spanish media have confirmed that Abdelbaki es-Satty, the mastermind of the August 17 Islamic State (IS) terror attacks in Barcelona, was a police informant.

A convicted drug dealer directly linked to the Al Qaeda operatives who carried out the March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombings, Satty was reportedly providing information and receiving payment from Spanish intelligence until shortly before the attack. He was reportedly the political or religious leader of the youth who carried out the Barcelona attacks, in which 16 people died and 152 were injured. Satty himself died shortly before the attacks, when large home-made bombs they were preparing at a house in Alcanar accidentally exploded.

This remarkable revelation underscores the utterly deceitful character of the European bourgeoisies insistence that deep attacks on democratic rights are needed to wage a war on terror. In Barcelona, as in the Charlie Hebdo and November 13 attacks in Paris in 2015, the Berlin Christmas attack, and the May 22 Manchester terror attack, the terrorists were known to law enforcement. They served as tools for the intelligence services and instruments of European imperialist wars in Syria and Iraq, and operated under official protection.

The exposure of Satty as a Spanish intelligence asset is particularly significant given the explosive situation in Catalonia, where Madrid suspended the regional elected government and imposed direct police rule after the October 1 Catalan independence referendum. These revelations raise questions of whether forces in Madrid or Barcelona allowed the attack to proceed in order to win political advantage in the bitter battle that escalated in the run-up to the referendum.

On November 16, the right-wing populist site OkDiario first reported that Satty, who served as an imam in the town of Ripoll, was an informant for Spains National Intelligence Center (CNI). At the same time as he provided information to the secret services and received special funding for this work, the imam was setting up the terror cell that perpetrated the second-bloodiest attack in the history of terrorism in Catalonia, OkDiario wrote, citing documents held by investigating magistrates in the Spanish judiciary.

OkDiario said Spanish officials were desperate to cover up this report. The obsession for weeks has been that the status of the imam as an agent should not get out and become known to public opinion, it wrote.

OkDiario also alleged that the Mossos dEsquadra, the Catalan regional police headquartered in Barcelona, were in close contact with Satty. It reported that an agent of the Mossos spoke for four minutes from his office in Barcelona with the perpetrator of the Barcelona massacre only two hours before the attack.

On November 17, El Pais, Spains main pro-social-democratic paper, published a terse article in which intelligence officials confirmed several of OkDiario s revelations. Sources in the CNI told El Pais the CNI maintained contact with Satty while he was in Castellon prison for drug dealing, from 2010 to 2014. This relationship, they added, was in line with the usual established protocols for handling convicts.

It appears Satty was in contact with the security services well before and well after the 2010-2014 period, however. El Pais continues, New evidence emerging from the investigation of the attacks, which the National Court is keeping secret, shows that Es Satty was almost an old acquaintance of the security forces from when he arrived in Spain in 2002. His name already appeared in the contact list of telephones of some of those detained for the March 11 attacks, according to sources in the anti-terrorism agencies.

In 2006, Satty was detained as a member of a terrorist cell based in Vilanova. It appears his status as an old acquaintance of the intelligence services served him well, however; he was released and his case was shelved. Later, however, he was arrested for trying to bring 121 kilograms of hashish into Spain in his car from Morocco and jailed for four years in 2010.

After leaving prison in 2014, he traveled to the Brussels area, where many of the individuals involved in the 2015 attacks in Paris were based. He was rejected for an imam position there due to his criminal record, however, and returned to take a job as an imam in Ripoll, in Catalonia. El Pais did not confirm OkDiario s report of contacts between Satty and the Mossos. However, it wrote that it was unusual that he served as an imam in Ripoll, as he had a criminal record, which in principle makes him ineligible for such a position.

These reports show how decades-long, criminal foreign policy operations of NATO continue to claim lives and facilitate attacks on democratic rights in Europe itself. Since the eruption of the 2011 war in Syria, networks like Al Qaeda, which emerged from the 1979-1989 CIA war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and IS, whose origins lie in the US-led imperialist wars in Iraq and Syria since 1991, send thousands of fighters to carry out attacks in the Middle East.

After the March 22, 2016 Brussels bombing, the WSWS wrote, [It] is clear that the individuals who carried out the March 22 bombings and the November 13 and Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris are part of a broader group of people who have been allowed to freely travel to and from the Middle East. The only conclusion that can be drawn from the ease with which these forces permeate national borders and conduct operations is that there are protocols in place to ease their passage and lower any red flags. They operate under a veil of official protection.

The latest revelations about Satty vindicate yet again this analysis of the rotten foundations of the war on terror in Europe. The imperialist interventions, the promotion of anti-Muslim hatreds, and the drive to police-state rule and states of emergency across Europe are based on political lies. The Islamists are not intransigent and undetectable opponents of imperialism, but its somewhat wayward tools.

When they carry out attacks in Europe, instead of against targets chosen by the NATO powers in the Middle East, imperialist governments simply use this as a pretext for more police-state measures. These are aimed not so much at the Islamists, which have deep ties to the state apparatus, but at opposition to austerity and war in the working class.

Many unanswered questions remain based on the revelations about Satty so far. Firstly, if Satty was indeed a police informant who was deceiving the CNI, as the Spanish edition of Vanity Fair writes, what did he tell the police he was doing? As his cell amassed a vast collection of bomb-making chemicals that ultimately exploded accidentally and took Sattys own life, who did the CNI think Satty was going to blow up?

Secondly, did the conflict between Madrid and Barcelona over the October 1 Catalan independence referendum, which had been announced on June 29, play a role in the CNIs shielding of Satty?

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys government responded to the August 17 attack by discussing the imposition of martial law, although Rajoy ultimately decided against it. After Rajoy launched the savage police crackdown on the peaceful vote on October 1, however, he suspended Catalonias elected government, placing it directly under police rule, amid mass protests in Barcelona and across Catalonia.

Might sections of the security apparatus, seeking a different pretext for the move toward police-state rule that was being prepared and discussed inside the state machine, have been willing to sanction some type of attack in order to justify the imposition of martial law?
After four weeks of talks, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Greens failed to reach agreement on a so-called Jamaica coalition by Thursday evening. German Chancellor and CDU leader Angela Merkel had set the November 16 date as the deadline for the conclusion of exploratory talks. Two months after the federal election, Germany remains without a new government, and it is entirely unclear when one will be established.

The negotiating teams separated early Friday morning after 15 hours of talks, having reached no agreement on any essential points in dispute. Several meetings of party committees organised to discuss the result were cancelled. The talks began again at midday on Friday, without a deadline for their conclusion being set.

The views on if and when an agreement will be reached diverge wildly. Deputy FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki said, We are so far apart on the issues in disputeimmigration, combatting climate change, finance policy, internal securitythat I currently cant imagine how we can come together in such a short time.

We are convinced that we can come together if we want to come together, said CSU leader Horst Seehofer. He added, We will do everything humanly possible to determine whether a stable government can be formed. Green Party parliamentary leader Katrin Goring-Eckhardt proclaimed over Twitter, We are ready to talk and hope there will be a result. At the same time, she did not exclude the possibility that this would not be achievable.

If the talks fail, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will assume a decisive role. He has the task of presenting a candidate for the post of chancellor to parliament. If this candidate does not receive an absolute majority in the first round, and another candidate fails to secure a majority within two weeks, deputies can elect a candidate in the third round with a relative majority. The president then has the option of accepting them within seven days as chancellor, or dissolving parliament. There has never been a minority government in the history of the German Federal Republic.

Steinmeier could use his position to force his party, the Social Democrats (SPD), to continue the grand coalition with the CDU and CSU. Such a coalition would have a clear majority in parliament, with 399 of 706 seats. However, the SPD has insisted thus far on going into opposition, not least because the right-wing extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) would be the largest opposition party in parliament. But this opinion could change. Almost all parties are afraid of new elections.

The rapidity with which the SPD could change course is shown by the latest developments in Lower Saxony. After having bitterly fought each other during the election campaign, the SPD and CDU reached a deal just four weeks later on the formation of a grand coalition.

The reason for the crisis of the Jamaica coalition talks (named after the colours in that countrys flag, the black, yellow and green of the CDU/CSU, FDP and Greens) is not the political differences between the participating parties, which have long collaborated in all conceivable combinations at the state level. It has much more to do with their political instability. Under the pressure of growing geopolitical tensions and sharp social conflicts, the political system which enabled three or four parties to guarantee stable left-wing and right-wing majorities is breaking apart.

As all of the established parties move further to the right, they are fracturing. This not only finds expression in the entry of the AfD into parliament, which now has seven parties for the first time, but also in sharpening conflicts within the parties. Within the CSU, which achieved its worst election result in its history, a bitter dispute is raging over leader Horst Seehofer, who risks losing his position as Bavarias minister president. Bitter faction fights are also ongoing within the CDU, SPD, Greens and Left Party.

Under these conditions, the issues in dispute among the Jamaica coalition negotiators, whose parties share considerable common ground, are becoming questions of prestige. This is shown very clearly on refugee policy, which was debated for 12 of the 15 hours of negotiations on Thursday.

The CSU, which fears competition from the AfD in next years Bavarian state elections, is insisting on an upper limit on immigration, while the Greens, eager to avoid losing liberal voters, oppose this. In practice, this amounts to the CSU seeking to write an overall limit for immigration into the coalition agreement, whereas the Greens prefer the formulation management of immigration.

Both options amount to the same thing, as has been shown in practice. In states where the Greens are in government, refugees are bullied and deported just as ruthlessly as in other states. The Greens ranks include Baden-Wurttembergs Minister President Winfried Kretschmann and Tubingen Mayor Boris Palmer, two hardliners on the issue of refugee policy.

The same applies to other issues being haggled over by the Jamaica coalition negotiators. A 61-page document containing the results of the exploratory talks thus far, which was leaked to the press on Thursday and contains disputed points in brackets, reveals widespread agreement on core points.

For example, the Jamaica parties agree that what is required is a new balance between the best possible security for our country and civil freedoms and rights. Translated into plain language, this means that civil rights will be sacrificed in the name of strengthening the security and surveillance apparatus. To this end, they plan to hire 7,500 new federal police offices and 5,000 at the state level, coordinate police and security services more closely, strengthen the federal domestic intelligence agency, extend video surveillance, and control the EUs external borders more effectively.

The massive military build-up and foreign interventions launched by the previous government will also be continued and expanded. The paper pledges on the issue of defence to make available to soldiers the best possible equipment, training and support.

We want to make the German army more UN-capable and suitable for Europe, the document continues, and for this purpose toughen it up in the following areas: digitalisation, deployment and transport capabilities, unmanned reconnaissance, tactical mobile communication.

The paper explicitly endorses an Africa strategy and the continuation of the military intervention in Mali. In Iraq and Syria, it strives for the development of the intervention against ISIS into a permanent military presence, with a mandate that makes a contribution to the new focus on capacity-building within the NATO framework, strengthening reliable and politically controlled security structures throughout Iraq.

On finance policy, where differences over detail exist, the coalition parties agree to table budgets without new debt for the coming four yearsmeaning the continuation of the austerity policies associated with long-serving Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble (CDU).

Nonetheless, ruling circles are concerned that due to internal differences, a Jamaica coalition will not prove stable enough to enforce its anti-worker and militarist programme in the face of mounting social and political opposition. An increasing number of press articles are being published accusing the Jamaica parties of not going far enough on the issues of the strengthening of the military and state apparatus at home and abroad.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published an article last week headlined, Jamaica is putting German security at risk. The author, Wolf Poulet, was a German army officer from 1963 to 1994, last as a colonel in the general staff, and now runs a consulting firm.

He accused the Jamaica alliance of failing to deal with the future capabilities of our country, under conditions of increasingly dangerous developments of the complex global situation. The key issues at stake are Will the new government plan, introduce and finance effective measures to reestablish the German defence capabilities required in Central Europe in time? Will Germany permanently be willing and capable of consistently realising the right to material self-assertion (i.e., the right to wage war), as every state is entitled to?

According to Poulet, The most important of all questions is not being asked: how much time and what means must be utilised so that the combat power and capability of the army, air force and navy to deploy is adequate? It is obvious that there is not enough daring to explain this demand to the traditionally peace-oriented Greens and frame it politically. As the devil evades the holy water, so the emotive words combat power and increase in deployment readiness are being avoided.

It remains unclear how long the process of forming a new government will drag on and what its final composition will be. However, one thing is certain: it will be the most right-wing government since the founding of the Federal Republic, combining massive attacks on democratic and social rights with militarism and war.
According to a report by the United Nations International Labour Organization, nearly 200 million people are victims of modern slavery or child labor around the globe. In 2016, 40.3 million men, women and children were victims of modern slavery. Nearly one in ten children, or 151.6 million people, are victims of child labor.

The report defines modern slavery as the various forms of coercion prohibited in international instruments on human rights and labour standards. This definition includes slavery, state-imposed forced labor, forced marriage, and human trafficking. One in four victims of forced labor are children, and 71 percent of total victims are female.

On any given day in 2016, approximately 16 million individuals were forced to work in the private sector. More than half of this labor involves the domestic, construction and manufacturing sectors. On average, victims are held for 20.5 months before escaping or being released.

The study also reports that 4.8 million people are victims of forced sexual exploitation. On average, victims are held for 23.4 months before escaping or being freed. The vast majority are women and girls, and children represent more than 20 percent of the victims.

By region, Africa has the highest rate of modern slavery, with 7.6 per 1,000 people. The rate is 6.1 per 1,000 people in Asia and the Pacific; 3.9 per 1,000 in Europe and Central Asia; 3.3 per 1,000 in the Arab states; and 1.9 per 1,000 in the Americas. Countries that are or have been recently ravaged by war experience higher levels of exploitation.

The ILO does not include in its definition of child labor those working in legal forms of employment. The definition used in the study includes work that is hazardous, demands too many hours, often deprives children of play and education, and puts their well being at risk. Despite the definitions limited scope, the study still gives a picture of the staggering level of child labor around the globe.

According to the study, slightly less than half of children in child labor (72.5 million) are performing hazardous work that places their health, safety or moral development at risk. Over 19 million children between the ages of 5 and 11; over 16.3 million between 12 and 14; and 37 million between 15 and 17 are involved in hazardous work. The hours children are forced to work are also horrendous. Approximately 63.3 percent of children between 15 and 17 that are engaged in child labor are forced to work 43 hours or more per week.

Nearly a third of children involved in child labor are outside of the education system. Those who do attend school tend to perform more poorly than their nonworking peers. The time and energy spent working interferes with the ability to benefit fully from classroom hours and impedes study time outside the classroom.

As with modern slavery, a significant proportion of child labor is located in countries afflicted by conflict and disaster. Approximately 17 percent of children in war-torn countries are involved in child labor, nearly double the global average.

The countries included in the report as being affected by armed conflict include Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other countries, including Syria and Libya, are not included as estimates were not available.

In Africa, one in five children is involved in child labor, making it the region where child labor is most concentrated, followed by Asia and the Pacific. However, child labor is not limited to low-income regions. In fact, over half of affected children live in lower middle- and upper middle-income countries, and 1.3 percent of children in high-income countries are child laborers.

While the percentage of children involved in child labor has fallen slightly from 2012 globally, it has actually increased in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The epidemic of slavery and child labor is one aspect of capitalist exploitation. The International Labour Organization estimates that $150 billion in profits are generated in the private sector each year from forced labor.

The issue is exacerbated in countries that are victims to neocolonial exploitation and imperialist conquest. A video released by CNN this week showed youth being auctioned off as farm laborers in Libya, a country devastated by the US-backed war launched by the Obama administration.

A 2016 investigation by Amnesty International revealed that children as young as seven are working in perilous conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to mine cobalt that ends up in smartphones, cars and computers sold to millions across the world. The mines supply corporations such as Apple, Microsoft and Vodafone.

The United Nations and leaders of industrialized countries have only taken modest measures to tackle the issues of modern slavery and child labor. This epidemic is not a question of laws and reforms, but a consequence of capitalism.
Washington is initiating a series of new policies aimed at building up the military power of the monarchical dictatorship in Saudi Arabia as it carries out a siege that could claim millions of lives in neighboring Yemen.

The Wall Street Journal, citing senior administration officials, reported Saturday that The Trump administration is looking at ways to quickly strengthen Saudi Arabia's missile defenses and disrupt the flow of advanced Iranian-made weapons across the Middle East as concerns grow over a destabilizing new crisis in the region.

The so-called destabilizing new crisis in the Middle East is one of Washingtons and Riyadhs own making, flowing from the Trump administrations attempt to forge an anti-Iranian alliance uniting US imperialism, Saudi Arabia and the other reactionary Sunni oil sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf and Israel in an anti-Iranian military alliance.

Emboldened by unconditional US support, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman has carried out a sweeping purge of potential rivals within the Saudi regime, while escalating the murderous war in Yemen and carrying out the kidnapping and forced resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri with the aim of destabilizing Lebanon and igniting a sectarian civil war against the Shia-based movement, Hezbollah.

According to the Journal article, the Trump administration views the controversy surrounding Hariri as a frustrating complication that is diverting Washingtons drive to galvanize support for new action against Iran.

The most criminal of the US-backed Saudi actions has been the imposition of a blockade of Yemen aimed at starving into submission its population and the Houthi rebels who seized much of the western part of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.

Riyadh has justified its blockade by saying it is trying to prevent arms from reaching the Houthis following the firing of a missile from Yemen on November 4 that was shot down near Riyadhs international airport. In reality, what Saudi Arabiawith the assistance of the US Navyis turning back are shipments of food, medicine and other vital supplies under conditions of spreading famine and the worst cholera epidemic in modern history.

Iran has denied Saudi charges that the missile was of Iranian manufacture, a position that has been supported by a panel of experts appointed by the United Nations Security council, which issued a statement six days after the missile was fired saying that there has been no evidence of Iranian transfer of short-range missiles to Yemen and charging that Riyadh is exploiting the incident as justification for obstructing the delivery of commodities that are essentially civilian in nature.

Washington, which echoed the Saudi propaganda blaming Iran for the attack, has issued no statement condemning the blockade of Yemen, a war crime in which the US is itself complicit. The major European powers have also remained largely silent as a near-genocidal campaign is being executed against the people of Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. The European arms manufacturers, like their American counterparts, have secured lucrative contracts with the Saudi monarchy.

According to the Journal article, the foremost response of the Trump administration to the crisis in the Middle East is to push more arms on the Saudi regime. Last month, Trump approved a weapons deal that allows Riyadh to purchase $15 billion worth of missiles, launchers, radar and other military technology. US officials said that deal could be accelerated as a result of the missile fired at Riyadh.

The newspaper added that, The US military also could step up its efforts to seize weapons shipments going through the Persian Gulf and across the region, meaning that the US Navy would escalate operations that are contributing to the blocking of relief supplies and the mass starvation engulfing Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has acknowledged that the US Air Force has more than doubled its refueling flights that keep Saudi and allied warplanes in the air, continuously bombing Yemeni hospitals, schools, residential blocks and basic infrastructure, accounting for the bulk of the 12,000 deaths in the two-and-a-half-year-old war. Washington also increased its supply of jet fuel to the Saudis by 140 percent over the fiscal year that ended in September, according to a report on the Al-Monitor web site.

The bombs and missiles that are killing Yemen are also supplied largely by Washington, with $3 billion worth of bombs provided to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since 2015 and a $500 million sale of precision-guided munitions approved by the US Senate in June.

The latest atrocity made possible by this arms aid took place on Sunday with a Saudi airstrike in the northern province of Jawf demolishing a home leaving eight children and three women, all from the same family, dead under the rubble.

The two-week-old Saudi blockade, however, threatens to dwarf the number of deaths caused by the bombing campaign. Even before Saudi Arabia shut down Yemens airports, sea ports and borders, turning away container ships full of food and relief supplies and fuel tankers that had already been inspected and searched for weapons, 7 million Yemenis were on the brink of famine, while 17 million others did not know where their next meal would come from.

The UN and various relief agencies have warned that, with Yemen dependent upon imports for 90 percent of its food, the blockade could rapidly lead to the deaths of millions.

Three Yemeni citiesHodeida, Saada and Taizran out of clean water on Friday because of the Saudi blockade preventing the delivery of fuel needed to run pumping and sanitation systems, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported. The lack of clean water will place at least a million more people at risk of cholera on top of the 928,000 already believed to have contracted the disease. The capital of Sanaa and other cities will find themselves in the same situation within weeks if the blockade is not lifted, the Red Cross said. The lack of fuel will also shut down generators powering hospitals, condemning many patients to death.

Doctors without Borders (MSF) reported Sunday that the Saudi regime is preventing it from conducting flights in and out of Yemen, despite claims from Riyadh that it was allowing the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel. The aid agency also said it had been warned by Saudi authorities against operating in areas under the control of the Houthi rebels.

The aid group Oxfam issued a blistering statement warning that A catastrophe of astonishing proportions is unfolding before our eyes as Yemens Houthi-controlled territory is sealed off and suffocated ... Absent a rapid turnaround, we are likely to witness in Yemen an extraordinary level of devastation, the likes of which most of us have never lived through.

The statement continued by noting that the US government has led its allies in demonstrations of solidarity with Saudi Arabia against Iran, ignoring a ghastly humanitarian crisis. The international communitys unqualified support for Saudi Arabias position nearly culminated in the adoption of a UN Security Council Presidential Statement condemning the Houthis and Irans malign activity without so much as a mention of Yemens dire humanitarian crisis and the steps taken by Saudi Arabia to push it to the brink of catastrophe.

The systematic extermination of Yemeni men, women and children by bombardment, starvation and disease exposes the real face of US imperialism. It demonstrates that behind the empty rhetoric about the war on terror, human rights and democracy, it is prepared to kill millions to offset the decline of American capitalism through a drive to assert US global hegemony by military means.
Robert Mugabe defied all expectations last night by not announcing that he was standing down as president in a televised address to the nation.

Mugabe shared a platform with the military leaders who just five days earlier staged a palace coup, rounding up the key political supporters of his wife Grace Mugabes G40 faction of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Mugabe himself had been placed under house arrest.

With the military staging a demonstration in the capital Harare on Saturday that attracted hundreds of thousands, including all of the opposition parties, and his ZANU-PF party removing him as leader and expelling his wife from the party earlier that day, Mugabe still refused to go.

In a long speech, made at times haltingly, Mugabe praised the military as the guardian of peace and security, as well as the constitutional order and of the traditions of the independence struggle, but nevertheless declared, The (ZANU-PF) Congress is due a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public.

ZANU-PFs Central Committee had earlier appointed former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as interim leader and named him as their favoured candidate to assume the post of Zimbabwes president. A key ally of Mnangagwa and leader of the powerful Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, backed up an official threat to impeach Mugabe if he did not quit by noon today with a more sinister threat that the military would allow him to be attacked if he refused to go.

Mutsvangwa told Britains Daily Mail, The army gave the dictator a message earlier [Saturday]. Either he steps down or they will let the people into his mansion to take him. The army is threatening to unleash the people and let Mugabe be lynched. The generals said they will not shoot the people for him. Instead, they will abandon their posts and leave him to his fate.

Mutsvangwa has now said that impeachment proceedings will proceed today and a mass demonstration will take place Wednesday.

Mugabe, who made an appeal for tolerance and forgiveness, is widely assumed to be seeking to protect Grace Mugabe and the rest of his family from retribution by offering to preside over a smooth transition. But he also calculates that he has a stronger hand to play than appearances would suggest.

In the first instance, Mugabe still enjoys some popular support, especially in the countryside. Any obvious ill treatment by the military could backfire by arousing sympathy for the 93-year-old leader whom these same forces until recently held to be the father of the nation.

Moreover, despite the euphoric scenes in Harare on Saturday, what is unfolding in Zimbabwe is not the second revolution, which was a popular slogan at Saturdays rally, but an attempted palace coup, which both sides in the immediate struggle and their backers behind the scenes are anxious to prevent from spinning out of control.

A major consideration in seeking a smooth transition is the economic impact of continued instability. The Global Times warned, As the largest trading partner of Zimbabwe and its largest foreign investor, China will inevitably see its interests affected by the chaos. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the Zimbabwe Investment Authority approved $929 million in foreign direct investment in 2015, with more than half of that from China.

Prior to staging the coup, General Constantino Chiwenga visited Beijing for talks with leading Chinese military and political figures. Mnangagwa was already there, having fled there via Mozambique after being removed from his post by Mugabe. A report by New Zimbabwe quoted a military source saying that Mnangagwas escape to China was made possible by Mutsvangwa, who facilitated the journey.

Speculation is rife over whether China organised the coup, but Beijing is generally assumed to be anxious for someone to provide the political and economic stability that Mugabe has proved incapable of securing.

As part of efforts to promote the interests of the aspiring younger layer of Zimbabwean capitalists for whom Generation 40 is named, Mugabe cancelled lucrative Chinese contracts in diamond mining and other areas. This was presented as part of a policy of indigenisation of the economy. China has extensive investments in mining, agriculture, energy and the construction sectors.

The Washington Post cited Yun Sun from the Stimson Center in Washington stating, Mugabes preferences for nationalisation and indigenisation in his economic policies, plus his domestic political turmoil, had made Chinas large investment in Zimbabwe look risky and led to complaints and grievances in Beijing. China wouldnt actively support a plot to get rid of Mugabe, Sun said, but if there is a domestic campaign to make him gone, China wont be cheering for him, either.

After making his appeal to Beijing, Mnangagwa went to South Africa for talks with the African National Congress and its leader Jacob Zuma. South Africas investments in Zimbabwe may not be as important as Chinas, but its political support is vital to any putative government.

Zuma sent two of his top aides to negotiate a peaceful transition from Mugabe to Mnangagwa on Friday. He fears that the destabilisation of Zimbabwe would impact heavily on South Africa, and more broadly throughout the continent.

The Southern Africa Development Community meets in Angola on Tuesday to discuss the Zimbabwe situation, also involving Angola, Tanzania and Zambia. But there are suggestions that South Africa is taking a cautious approach, in part because of concern for economic interests it shares with Russia. On November 17, the influential Zimbabwe Mail ran an article citing investments that pit Russian influence against Chinas.

It noted that the ALROSA group of diamond mining companies is invested in several projects in Zimbabwe. More importantly, Russia and South Africa together control about 80 percent of the worlds reserves of platinum group metals and are seeking to control prices and supply.

However, According to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CMZ) and geologists, Zimbabwe has far bigger platinum reserves than Russia. The country currently has the second known largest platinum reserves after South Africa.

With Zimbabwe seeking to increase production to 500,000 ounces per annum and needing investments of close to $3 billion to do so, a rich prize is there for the taking. Zimplats, one of the top three producers in Zimbabwe, is a unit of South Africas Impala Platinum. But, according to the Mail, further investment was hampered for Russia and South Africa by indigenisation and empowerment regulations which compel foreign-owned companies to sell [a] 51 percent stake to locals.

Speaking from South Africa on the situation in Zimbabwe, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev tacitly blamed Mugabe for the military takeover, saying, In most cases, instability emerges when people are not satisfied with their lives. Thats why it is necessary to attract money to the country in order to ensure stability, to attract investors, to create new enterprises.

Significantly, Sundays talks did not include the South African government delegation that took part in the first round, consisting of Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo.

The United States is concerned that events are unfolding without its own political proxies, such as Morgan Tsvangirai of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, taking centre stage. Hence the demands for a swift transition to civilian rule, which it hopes will bring some form of power-sharing.

Speaking Friday at a meeting with three dozen African foreign ministers in Washington, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told those gathered, [W]e all should work together for a quick return to civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution.

What is not spoken of by most commentators is the impact of Mugabes downfall on the expectations of Zimbabwes workers and young people. The military, ZANU-PF, and the opposition parties are all promising democratic and economic rebirth, even as they plot to ensure their own continued rule and the hiving off of Zimbabwes key assets to various global investors. Under these circumstances, the false unity evident at Saturdays anti-Mugabe rally will inevitably give way to renewed political and social conflict.
Brett Ratner has been accused of looking on while Def Jam founder Russell Simmons sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl.

Keri Claussen Khalighi was a model who had met Rush Hour director Ratner and Simmons at a casting call for a music video in 1991, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After taking her to dinner in New York, they then asked her back to Simmons apartment to watch another music video theyd been working on.

Once there, she alleges that Simmons began yanking off her clothes and making aggressive sexual advances.

I looked over at Brett and said help me and Ill never forget the look on his face, she said.

In that moment, the realization fell on me that they were in it together.

She says that she fought wildly against Simmons, who was 34 at the time, after he tried to force her to have sex with him, but eventually coerced her into oral sex.

I guess I just acquiesced, she added, while Ratner allegedly just sat there and watched.

She goes on to allege that Simmons further assaulted her in the shower following the incident, after which she left the apartment.

I know Keri Claussen Khalighi and remember the weekend in 1991 that she has referenced, said Simmons in a statement.

Everything that happened between us 26 years ago was completely consensual and with Keris full participation. We spent time in my apartment over a period of two days and one night, as well as at some public places including Nells Nightclub.

Much of the time we were in the presence of other acquaintances. Im deeply saddened and truly shocked to learn of Keris assertations as to what happened over the course of that weekend.

Though his lawyer, Ratner, who filmed a host of videos for Simmons Def Jam label in the late 80s and 90s, said that he had no recollection of Khalighi asking him to help her, and denied witnessing her protest.

Olivia Munn claims Ratner once masturbated in front of her.

A further three women came forward to accuse Ratner of sexual misconduct in the new expose in the Times, including an aspiring model called Tanya Reid who claims Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him when she was 18.

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There are six other previous allegations against Ratner from actresses including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge.

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By Eugene Lee





The brinkmanship in the words of leaders of the U.S. and North Korea is drawing dangerously close to a declaration of open warfare. At first, in a portrayal of senseless bravado each side has tried to outdo the other in calling each other names and the use of profanity. The fear is that these words may turn into full action.

The question is "What can we do?" I do have a suggestion and let me start from afar.

A week ago, on November 2, by invitation I was observing the 7th round of the Syrian negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan. I wasn't really impressed with the mood or the process itself. On that day the parties (25 altogether) were supposed to issue a resolution by 5 pm, but the negotiations dragged on late into the night. The sides couldn't find a compromise until 11 pm and eventually announced their "intent to gather again" for the 8th round sometime in December. Even without any clear result, as I see it, there is a very positive element. It means these negotiations allow all participants to indicate, probe and mark the grounds of discussion and hopefully, eventual peace.

On the next day, Nov. 3, we were invited to the presidential residence, the Akorda, to witness an award ceremony of a peace prize to the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, for his efforts in establishing peace in the Middle East and hosting refugees from war-torn Syria. He was the first recipient of the peace prize recently inaugurated by President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan,.

In the early 1990s the country organized and helped to establish a nuclear-free zone in Central Asia. Today Kazakhstan is a strong supporter of nuclear non-proliferation around the world. In a few months' time Kazakhstan is set to begin its non-permanent membership in the Security Council of the United Nations. All this puts Kazakhstan in a uniquely good position that allows it to engage various sides in disregard of existing differences.

I've been vocal about this earlier and, once again, would like to call for inviting Kazakhstan to help in mediating the conflict between South Korea and North Korea. Kazakhstan already has a fair share of history and experience of engagement with both. And with its current posture and influence in the international community, Kazakhstan is well equipped to bring all sides to the table.

Obviously, Kazakhstan will not be seeking participation in resolving the conflict on the Korean peninsula proactively, but maybe it should. Also, I would call out to Kazakhstan to show its own good will and employ its experience.

I am not deluded in thinking that Kazakhstan would become a panacea to the conflict. Nor am I imaging that North Korea will easily open its doors and meet with open arms. Nevertheless, it is a diplomatic route that we haven't explored yet and it is, in my belief, certainly worthy of our attention. Let's start and see where this road will take us.





Eugene Lee (mreulee@gmail.com) is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Governance of Sungkyunkwan University.
Heres a sentence you probably didnt expect to read in 2017: Diana Ross won big at the American Music Awards.

Not only did the Motown legend receive the AMAs coveted Lifetime Achievement award  previously bestowed upon the likes of Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston and Prince  during Sundays ceremony (hosted by her daughter, black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross!), but she also put on a performance of some of her biggest hits.

More than four decades after winning her first AMA, Ross returned to the stage to bless us with new renditions of Im Coming Out, Ease on Down the Road (from The Wiz), The Best Years of My Life and more. Watch footage of Ross performance below (which well replace with an official video, should one become available):

At the end of the medley, Ross invited her family members  including Ashlee Simpson! #neverforget  onto the stage, at which point she accepted the Lifetime Achievement award. This is all about love, she said. This says it all. This is my family. And Im sending out love to all of you, my global family.

Grade Ross performance below, then drop a comment with your full review.

Launch Gallery: American Music Awards 2017: Best and Worst Moments

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Hold onto your angel wings, because Harry Styles is performing at the Victorias Secret Fashion Show

If youve never watched the annual Victorias Secret Fashion Show before, you might want to change that. Because this year, Harry Styles will be one of the musical performers  one of four, to be exact. And if that doesnt convince you to tune into the show, which is set to air on CBS on November 28th, we dont know what will.

The Victorias Secret Fashion Show was bound to make history before the Harry Styles announcement, though, as its taking place in Shanghai, China. According to InStyle, its set to be the biggest show yet. But that isnt to say that it hasnt had its fair share of drama.

One of the most talked-about aspects of the Victorias Secret Fashion Show this year is the backlash that supermodel Gigi Hadid received after announcing her participation. A lot of people havent forgiven Hadid for the offensive and problematic Snapchat video shared by her sister Bella back in February. It showed Gigi squinting her eyes next to a Buddha-shaped cookie. Gigi confirmed that she would don angel wings in the annual show back in August. But just last week, she revealed that she would not, in fact, walk in the show.

Fans of Hadids were likely disappointed by the news that she wont be walking with the other Victorias Secret Angels. But the fact that Styles will be performing is a pretty good consolation prize.

Um, yeah, well take him.

A few other artists will join Styles as well.

InStyle reports that Miguel, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jane Zhang will also perform at the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai. Is there anything better than a combination of Hamilton and Harry Styles? Probably not.

It sounds like an unmissable show. In addition to those incredible musical acts, the Victorias Secret Fashion Show itself will feature more models than ever before  55 of them, to be exact. Maybe 55 Victorias Secret models should be a new verse in The 12 Days of Christmas.

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The models appearing in the show include Martha Hunt, Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver, and more. The Victorias Secret Instagram has featured them in some fun BTS photos for the international event.

The runway show will include other fan-favorite models too.

From Karlie Kloss to Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Candice Swanepoel, this show is STACKED.

The models always bring it to the Victorias Secret Fashion Show, but the news that Styles will join the angels makes this years event even more exciting than ever before. Hopefully, hell sing everyones favorite songs from his self-titled solo debut. And hopefully, hell perform everyones favorite dance moves as well.

Maybe Styles will give us a walk down the runway along with the models. You never know, but we cant wait to find out.
Tracee Ellis Ross will host the 45th annual American Music Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)

The American Music Awards will celebrate the best and most influential artists on Sunday night as voted by the fans. The AMAs 45th annual event, to be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, will be hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Ross shared on her Instagram page with fans how she is rehearsing for her big night, where her mother, Diana Ross, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award.

MORE REHEARSALS ~ @amas #AMAs (more silly rehearsal antics in my story) A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 18, 2017 at 8:52pm PST

The 45-year-old actress kept it casual for rehearsals, wearing a loose sweater over form-fitting black pants and silver stilettos.

Her hair braided up, and sporting natural makeup, the Black-ish star is not all work and no play. As the videos suggest, Ross is enjoying every minute of her gig as host of the awards show.

On Twitter, the actress shared the most important reason why you should watch tonights show: Because I am hosting, Ross said to her fans.

Tonights AMAs conclude a busy week for Ross as she has been promoting the award show.

On Friday, she shared a video practicing her fierce dance moves in a white jumpsuit at the Microsoft Theater.

MOVES ~ @amas #AMAs A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 17, 2017 at 7:44am PST

Thursday she visited Jimmy Kimmel Live and Good Morning America to talk surprises, and what she is most excited about for tonights show.

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KIMMEL TONIGHT ~ #AMAs wearing @davidkomalondon styled by @karlawelchstylist A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Nov 16, 2017 at 8:22pm PST

There are some great powerhouse women performing, its the night and the year of the woman, she said at GMA. Powerful voices and powerful women.

Lady Gaga, Pink, Kelly Clarskon, Christina Aguilera, and Selena Gomez are scheduled to perform.

But if youre gonna hang out for any performances, hang out for my moms, she added.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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When your Thanksgiving table needs light and civil conversation, turn to some of these topics. (Photo: PeopleImages via Getty Images)

Its a longtime American tradition to argue over the holiday table. This Thanksgiving, many Americans will show up at their relatives homes armed with pumpkin pie and political talking points.

But you may be like many people who feel theyve already argued with their relatives about these issues ad nauseam ... at the last family reunion, on Facebook or even at weddings. And sometimes you need a tiny bit of self-care.

If youd like to put aside the intensity for just one meal, weve compiled a list of conversation topics that arent about U.S. politics to help guide your Thanksgiving experience. Of course, if your racist relatives say something morally reprehensible, do call them out on it. Last year, Showing Up For Racial Justice created a great hotline to help guide people through these difficult moments and important conversations.

But if youre just trying to keep the meal light and civil, consider these topics that steer discussion away from sensitive news stories and political debates. While we cant guarantee these questions wont lead to more heated territory, we hope they offer enough to explore on their own.

Travel

Where is your next vacation? What are you excited to do there? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The Beatles

Whats your favorite Beatles album and song? Did you know this year marks the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band?

Thanksgiving Food

Which side dish is your favorite? Which pie do you prefer? How did you make this delicious casserole?

The Winter Olympics

Which events are you most excited to watch? Have you read anything about the next big Olympians to look out for?

Clothes

Where did you get your sweater? Did I tell you about these cool necklaces I found? Are you planning to hit up any Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales?

Wellness

Have you tried meditating? What do you do to unwind? Have you checked out that new plant-based restaurant in town?

The New Emojis

Which new emoji is your favorite? How annoying was that iOS update bug with the letter I? Do you think people overuse emojis?

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Pets

How is your dog doing these days? Do you follow any cute animals on Instagram?

Home Decor

Where did you get this tablecloth? I love your gallery wall  did you hang all of those yourself? How did you design it?

Fiction

Have you read any good novels lately? Whats your book club reading these days?

Tom Hanks

What is your favorite Tom Hanks movie? (Because who doesnt love Tom Hanks?)

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Traffic

Everyone hates traffic right? Where has it been particularly bad lately?

Hobbies

Has anyone taken up knitting? Are you still learning the saxophone? Did I tell you about my new bullet journal?

The British Royals

Do you think the Duchess of Cambridge is having a boy or girl? Any name predictions? Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married? Have you watched The Crown? Are you excited for the new season?

Coffee

How do you like your coffee? Whats your coffee routine? How many cups do you drink each day?

Moon Drop Grapes

Have you seen these things? Why are they so strange?

Upcoming Holidays

What are your plans for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/New Years?

Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is being largely edited out of Monday nights broadcast of the Kennedy Centers Mark Twain Prize ceremony honoring talk show host David Letterman, PBS said.

The decision to air an updated version of the pre-taped event follows allegations that the former comedian and Saturday Night Live star sexually harassed journalist Leeann Tweeden in 2006.

On Monday, a second woman publicly accused Franken of inappropriately touching her in 2010.

Sen. Al Franken, seen with his wife and daughter, appears at the gala honoring David Letterman in Washington last month. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters)

Sen. Al Franken participated in the event, but will not appear substantially in the PBS program airing nationally Monday evening at 8 pm ET, PBS said in a statement obtained by TVLine.

PBS and WETA, the producing station, felt that the inclusion of Sen. Franken in the broadcast at this time would distract from the shows purpose as a celebration of American humor.

Photos of Franken attending last months event with family members remain on the Kennedy Centers website.

Franken has apologized for his behavior and has asked for a Senate ethics investigation.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The Alabama Media Group has flatly rejected a demand from Roy Moores attorneys to cease and desist reporting about accusations of sexual misconduct against the Republican Senate candidate.

Any court action would also reveal other important information about your clients, warned the letter from attorney John Thompson of Lightfoot Franklin White, reported The Washington Post.

Thompsons letter demanded that Moore and his attorneys preserve all materials, documents, writings, recordings, statements, notes, letters, journals, diaries, calendars, emails, videos, computers, cell phones, electronic data, and other information related to allegations of sexual misconduct that could be used in the event of a lawsuit.

AMG owns several publications, including AL.com, The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times and the Press-Register  all of which ran an editorial on Sunday urging readers to stand for decency and reject Moore in the Senate special election on Dec. 12.

Law firm Garmon & Liddon sent a cease-and-desist warning to AMG last week on behalf of Moore, his wife and their Foundation for Moral Law.

The letter accuses AL.com of making false claims. It points to a note in a high school yearbook that one of Moores accusers says Moore wrote and that his attorneys say doesnt resemble his handwriting. It also challenges reports about a fifth woman accusing Moore of misconduct and about Moore allegedly being banned from an Alabama mall after pestering teenage girls.

You have accused AL.com of making false reports and/or careless reporting about multiple subjects related to your clients, Thompson responded on behalf of AMG. Your letter demands that AL.com retract and recant its prior stories and that it cease and desist from any further reporting about your clients. AL.com hereby rejects your demand.

Moore threatened to sue The Washington Post after the newspaper published the first bombshell story about him, in which a woman said he had molested her when she was 14 years old and he was in his 30s. Three other women told the Post that Moore asked them out on dates when they were teens and he was much older. There has been no word of that lawsuit yet.

Story continues

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
After publicly suggesting that nearly 700 voters could face jail time for violating a new voting law in the state, Alabamas secretary of state has announced that he wont refer anyone to be prosecuted following further investigation from election officials.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) said last month that his office had identified 674 people who may have illegally voted in the September GOP runoff election between Roy Moore and Sen. Luther Strange. The state recently passed a law prohibiting people from voting in primary elections for two different parties, and the Moore-Strange contest was the first time it had been in effect.

Merrill told ThinkProgress that he believed anyone who violated the law should face the maximum penalty: a fine of up to $15,000 and as many as 10 years in prison.

Merrills office asked local probate judges to verify the names of 674 people suspected of breaking the law and investigate what had happened. The office said Friday in a statement that it had found 534 cases of a poll worker, election official or voter committing an error and 140 confirmed incidents of illegal crossover voting.

When Merrill followed up on those 140 cases with the probate judges, there wasnt a single incident in which a judge recommended referring the case to local prosecutors for potential charges. Merrills office said it will document the names of crossover voters, but that it now considered the matter closed.

In this file photo from 2015, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) introduces Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) at an event. (Photo: Icon Sports Wire via Getty Images)

Critics say Merrill was too quick to suggest that hundreds of people had committed a crime when there was widespread confusion among voters and election workers about the new law. The incident underscores how episodes that seem like nefarious examples of voter fraud can be inadvertent errors. Moore defeated Strange by more than 44,000 votes in the special election in September.

Merrill told HuffPost in an interview that he didnt initially intend to draw attention to the crossover voters. He said he sent the list of suspected crossover voters to local officials, and that they gave it to the press. Merrill said he wanted to be as clear as possible about what he was doing to address the issue when a reporter contacted him about it.

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He said he wouldnt do anything differently in the future, except maybe ask the local probate judges not to share information with the press until their offices had been able to review it.

Although Merrill previously said anyone who violated the new law should be punished, he said Friday that he was excited no prosecution was recommended.

We were very excited to see that our efforts to educate and inform voters, in conjunction and cooperation with local election officials, were successful and that the Probate Judges have determined these findings do not warrant prosecution, he said in a statement.

Randall Marshall, the executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, said state election officials always had the information needed to prevent people who had voted in the Democratic primary from voting in the Republican runoff.

Much as we predicted, the Secretary of States initial grandiose statements about this being a widespread problem that should result in people being imprisoned has now ended with a whimper, Marshall said in a statement to HuffPost. This was always a matter that could be prevented by state election officials  after all, they have the records of who voted in the initial primaries and could effectively prevent such a person from voting in a runoff election. We hope the fear of prosecution has not deterred any eligible voters from participating in the upcoming election, and we are focused on ensuring Alabamians are informed about their right to vote on December 12.

Merrill told HuffPost he didnt think anyone would be confused about who they could vote for or whether they would be eligible to vote in the special election next month.

I dont know why anybody would think this is even applicable to a general election because this is only applicable to the primary process and the primary process has been executed, he said.

Asked whether a Republican who showed up at the polls might think they werent allowed to vote for a Democrat, Merrill said, That doesnt confuse me, and I dont know why it would confuse anybody thats a thinking person in the state.

Thats never been introduced in the history of the state, he said. Its been introduced by some trolls in Twitter and some trolls on Facebook, but it hasnt been introduced by anybody whos got any credibility.

More than half of the people who Merrills office suspected of violating the crossover voting law came from Jefferson County, the states most populous.

Alan King, the countys probate judge, told HuffPost earlier this month that more than 300 of the cases came from a precinct where the chief inspector had crossed off names in a pollbook to indicate people who were ineligible to vote. Merrills office, King said, misinterpreted those crossed-out names as people who had illegally voted in both the Democratic primary and the Republican runoff. King said Merrill had threatened voters prematurely.

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) previously accused Merrill of trying to intimidate voters by promising such harsh penalties  an accusation Merrill strongly denied. Sewell said Monday in a statement that she was glad Merrill was dropping the matter.

I am pleased that no voters are facing prosecution under Alabamas new crossover voting law, she said. As our state continues to inform election officials and voters about how the new law works, it is important that we prioritize voter education over punitive measures.

Nancy Worley, the chairwoman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said she wished Merrill had done a more thorough review before making a public statement.

I think theres always concern when an election official has publicized wrongdoing and people dont understand that thoroughly, she said.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Andy Cohen talks about his holiday plans with his dog, Wacha. (Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

When it comes to Thanksgiving  and pretty much every other day of the year  Andy Cohen likes to bring the drama.

The Watch What Happens Live host tells Yahoo that he likes to make a provocative Thanksgiving. Essentially, I want my Thanksgivings to be like Housewives reunion shows.

His tips for doing that are simple: Keep the drinks flowing and, well, be him.

You keep the wine flowing, but, you know, I know how to get a conversation started. What can I say? Cohen says.

Its true. His best advice for everyone whos not him?

Just say the name Trump and see where the conversation goes, he says.

Cohen, 49, will spend his holiday hosting, but not cooking, for his family. Im not really a cook, but Im a good eater, he says. (But he does the dishes, which is his least favorite part of Thanksgiving.) Balderdash will be played after dinner, and he and his dog  beagle-foxhound mix Wacha  will spend some quality time watching the National Dog Show Presented by Purina, which Cohen is promoting; underscore the watching rather than participating.

Andy Cohen hangs out with Wacha. (Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank)

Wacha would do horribly, Cohen says of the contest. Hes untrained, and hes unsuited [for it]. I mean, he has my Best in Show, but this one  its 175 breeds, theres 2,000 dogs. I think that he would misbehave, but thats fine. I like him misbehaving.

Cohen encourages other dog owners to participate from home via the dog food brands #DogThanking campaign. Now through Nov. 26, when someone posts what they love about their pet on social media, tagging Purina and using the #DogThanking hashtag, the company will donate $1 to hurricane relief for people and pets.

I absolutely Dog Thank every day, Cohen says. I love bragging about my dog on Instagram and social media, so this is right up my alley.

Oh hi A post shared by Andy Cohen (@bravoandy) on Mar 21, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

For the actual event, Cohen says he and his pup will watch the broadcast from home, where they will sleep, cuddle, [and] coo at each other.

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Fans who follow Cohen (or Wacha himself!) on Instagram know how much Cohen adores his pet. That being said, Cohen admits that the unofficial title of Most Powerful Dog in Hollywood belongs to another pooch.

Well, I think Giggy, Lisa Vanderpumps dog, is pretty powerful, Cohen says. Lisa started a movement, and shes raised a lot of awareness for whats going on with the Yulin situation, and Giggy is really one of the stars  if not the star  of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Speaking of TV, Cohen has an answer ready for the question of favorite guest hes had on his show: Oprah Winfrey, who stopped by the clubhouse on the Aug. 15, 2013, episode. I just loved it, and I also felt it was a pretty good interview, so I was happy about that, Cohen says.

Then Cohen spills the tea on the question, Who will you never have on again? After a pause, he throws out the name of an October 2012 guest that hes mentioned before. (It is not Kathy Griffin, a topic that his publicist says hes not speaking about today.)

I dont think Scott Baios gonna be running back any time soon, Cohen says. I dont think he liked the experience. I would have him back  hes now one of our great political minds.

See? Drama, just the way he likes it.

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Berlin (AFP) - Germany's veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel has survived multiple crises and outlasted a string of world leaders but now faces a battle for her political life after the collapse of talks to forge a coalition government.

After 12 years at the helm of the EU's biggest economy, the leader often called the world's most powerful woman may now have to contest snap elections at a time she is increasingly described as entering the twilight of her reign.

"Outside of Germany she is viewed with admiration as she enters the 13th year of her chancellorship, but at home the admiration has ebbed," Spiegel Online commented days ago.

With poll support for her conservative bloc around 30 percent, long-invincible Merkel faces sniping from within her own ranks over her refugee policy which sparked a far-right backlash that upended German politics.

Merkel won the September 24 elections, her fourth poll victory, but bled over a million votes to the far-right AfD, plunging her own party into weeks-long coalition talks that have now failed.

The famously cautious and cerebral leader now faces what she hates most -- a time of heightened uncertainty with Germany poised for weeks or even months of political limbo.

- 'Leader of free world' -

Merkel may be down, but few are counting her out just yet, given the many crises she has mastered before.

During her long rule, the pastor's daughter raised behind the Iron Curtain has been derided as Europe's "austerity queen", cheered as a saviour by refugees and hailed as the new "leader of the free world".

In the turbulent times of Trump, Brexit and multiple global crises, the 63-year-old was long seen as the bedrock in a country concerned with maintaining its enviable growth and employment rates.

Germans have thanked her by keeping her in power ever since she became their youngest and first female chancellor in 2005, a contemporary of long-gone leaders like George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac.

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"Mutti" (Mummy) Merkel, with her pragmatic, modest and reassuringly bland style, seemed to have perfected the art of staying in power in a wealthy, ageing nation that tends to favour stability over change.

Seemingly devoid of vanity and indifferent to the trappings of power, she lives in a Berlin flat with her media-shy scientist husband Joachim Sauer, shops in a local supermarket and spends holidays hiking in the Alps.

When international newspapers, after Trump's surprise victory last year, declared Merkel the new torch-bearer of liberal democracy, she waved off the accolade as "grotesque and absurd".

Though frequently criticised for sitting out tough challenges, Merkel has punctuated her reign with bold decisions -- from scrapping nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster to opening German borders to more than a million asylum seekers since 2015.

But the migrant influx cost her dearly, both with voters and EU neighbours, and may one day come to be seen as the beginning of the end for Merkel.

- 'Merkelvellian' -

Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner in 1954 in the northern port city of Hamburg.

Weeks later her father, a leftist Lutheran clergyman, moved the family to a small town in the communist East at a time when most people were headed the other way.

Biographers say life in a police state taught Merkel to hide her true thoughts behind a poker face.

Like most students, she joined the state's socialist youth movement but rejected an offer to inform for the Stasi secret police while also staying clear of risky pro-democracy activism.

A top student, she excelled in Russian, which would later help her keep up the dialogue with President Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB officer in Dresden when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

During that momentous upheaval, Merkel joined the nascent Democratic Awakening group, which later merged with the Christian Democrats (CDU) of then-chancellor Helmut Kohl, who fondly if patronisingly dubbed Merkel his "girl".

Merkel's mentor was not the last politician to underestimate her and pay the price.

When Kohl became embroiled in a campaign finance scandal in 1999, Merkel openly urged her party to drop the self-declared "old warhorse".

The move, which has been described as "Merkelvellian", kicked off her meteoric rise.

Until recently she was seen likely to beat the 16-year reign of Kohl, but since the overnight collapse of coalition talks, all bets are off.
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - An antitrust lawyer pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges that she conspired with her husband to use two bogus vendors to defraud two New York law firms out of $7.8 million.

Keila Ravelo, who prior to her 2014 arrest had been a partner at law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark, New Jersey to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion, prosecutors said.

The Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey-resident's husband, Melvin Feliz, pleaded guilty in 2015. Ravelo, 52, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, prosecutors said.

Ravelo's lawyers, Lawrence Lustberg and Steven Sadow, in a joint statement said that in pleading guilty, she accepted responsibility for failing to expose her husband's fraud on the law firms and MasterCard Inc, which was also defrauded.

"Instead, and under intense emotional pressure to keep silent, she wrongfully covered up his fraud, and by doing so, allowed it to continue," her lawyers said.

Prosecutors said Ravelo and Feliz set up two bogus vendors that from 2008 to 2014 billed the two New York law firms where she was a partner, Hunton & Williams and later Willkie, for litigation support services that were never performed.

Many of the payments were authorized by Ravelo, who along with Feliz used the money for personal expenses and investments, including $250,000 in payments to a jewelry store, prosecutors said.

Ultimately, the two law firms paid the vendors $7.8 million, prosecutors said. The law firms then in turn billed clients for the litigation support services, according to court papers.

While undertaking an internal investigation following her arrest, Willkie discovered communications in Ravelo's files with a plaintiffs lawyer, Gary Friedman, who was representing retailers in a class action lawsuit against American Express.

Those communications revealed that Friedman had shared confidential information from the American Express case with Ravelo, who was one of MasterCard's defense lawyers in a related class action.

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U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn in 2015 said Friedman's conduct "fatally tainted the settlement process."

Garaufis as a result rejected a settlement that would have allowed merchants to impose a surcharge on American Express users and allowed Friedman's law firm and two others to receive $75 million in fees.

MasterCard and Visa had at the time negotiated a $7.25 billion settlement with retailers that accused the card networks of improperly fixing credit and debit card fees. A U.S. appeals court tossed the deal in 2016. The litigation remains pending.

The case is U.S. v. Ravelo, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, No. 15-cr-00576.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Beirut (AFP) - Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Monday Lebanon should be "spared" from spiralling regional tensions, during a visit to Beirut a day after Arab diplomats condemned Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

The Arab League held an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday in Cairo at the request of Saudi Arabia, which called the ministerial-level session to discuss "violations" by its rival Iran.

Despite the meeting's strongly worded concluding statement, Abul Gheit said Arab nations sought to keep Lebanon insulated from harm.

"No one can accept, or want, any harm to happen to Lebanon," Abul Gheit said after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Baabda.

"Lebanon has a special character, a particular and special structure. The League recognises this," he told reporters.

Earlier Abul Gheit told Lebanon's National News Agency that "Arab countries understand and take into account the situation in Lebanon and want to spare it... from any dispute."

Abul Gheit also met parliament speaker Nabih Berri and will attend a conference organised by the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

In statements posted on Twitter, Aoun said Lebanon could not be held "responsible" for regional conflicts.

"It did not attack anyone, and it therefore shouldn't pay the price for these conflicts with its political stability or security," he said.

"Lebanon cannot accept the suggestion that its government is a partner in terrorist acts. The position that Lebanon's delegate to the Arab League took expresses a universal, national will," Aoun added.

- Hezbollah 'responsible' -

On Sunday, Arab foreign ministers strongly criticised Lebanon's powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.

In the meeting's concluding statement, they pledged to hold Hezbollah "responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

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They also demanded Hezbollah stop intervening in regional conflicts and spreading extremism and sectarianism.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not attend the meeting, leaving permanent representative to the Arab League Antoine Azzam to represent the country.

Abul Gheit said Sunday that Lebanon's delegation had expressed reservations on the statement, "specifically on the points related to Hezbollah's role".

Iran on Monday dismissed the Arab League resolution as "worthless" and urged Saudi Arabia to "stop its pressure on Lebanon, Qatar and the entire region".

Lebanon has been gripped by a political crisis since Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his surprise resignation earlier this month while in Saudi Arabia, lambasting Iran and Hezbollah for destabilising his country.

The shock announcement sparked worries that Lebanon would be caught up in the spiralling tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, which back opposing political and armed groups across the region.

After resigning, Hariri spent two more weeks in Saudi Arabia amid rumours he was under de facto house arrest there, before travelling to Paris on Saturday.

There, he met French President Emmanuel Macron and pledged he would be in Lebanon in time to mark its independence day on Wednesday.

Hariri said he would be in Cairo on Tuesday to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

A source close to Hariri said that meeting aimed to "continue the series of Arab and international consultations".

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to give a speech Monday at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) on the crisis in Lebanon and tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.
Mar del Plata (Argentina) (AFP) - Experts ruled out Monday the possibility that noise detected at sea could have come from an Argentine submarine missing with 44 people aboard, in the latest bad news to hit their relatives.

"The sound footprint could not correspond to a sub's... it may have been a noise from a living thing," said navy spokesman Enrique Balbi.

"The search continues," he added, noting that there are 14 vessels and 10 aircraft scouring area 24 hours a day in the midst of a storm front in the South Atlantic that is expected to ease on Tuesday.

News that noises had been detected had raised hopes to find alive the 44 crew members aboard the ARA San Juan, missing for five days in the South Atlantic -- after earlier apparent distress calls were dismissed as not coming from the vessel.

Argentina will still dispatch vessels with multi-beam undersea probes to explore the site where the noises were detected, some 360 kilometers (225 miles) offshore in shallow waters at the edge of Argentina's continental shelf that were on the sub's course, Balbi said.

The noises sounded like tools being banged on the hull of a submarine to attract the attention of rescuers, CNN reported, citing an unnamed senior US navy official familiar with the international search effort.

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon plane was immediately dispatched to the site where the noises were detected by two Argentine ships. The plane dropped sonar buoys into the sea to record the noises.

A multinational air and sea search is under way with help from seven countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, the United States and Uruguay.

- 'Breakdown' -

Earlier in the day, the navy said the German-built TR-1700class diesel-electric submarine launched in 1983 had reported a mechanical breakdown in its final communication Wednesday.

The nature of the breakdown was not immediately clear. It was the first time the navy indicated it had been aware of a problem.

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"The vessel surfaced and it reported a breakdown. It was therefore asked to change course and go to Mar del Plata," said Gabriel Galeazzi, the head of the naval base in the city, located 400 kilometers south of Buenos Aires.

Balbi also told reporters that analysis has shown that seven signals received by naval bases over the weekend were not attempted distress calls from the submarine's satellite phone.

- False hope? -

Monday's revelations were a blow to relatives of sailors aboard the sub, around 100 of whom are being housed at the Mar del Plata naval base as they await news of the crew.

"They have a lot of hope. The hours go by and the worry rate goes up. The best tranquilizer is accurate information," said Enrique Stein, a member of a psychological support unit set up for the families.

Andrea Ali, wife of Franco Ali, an electrician aboard the San Juan, added: "We don't know anything. We are waiting with a great deal of anxiety."

The submarine's fate has gripped the nation, and President Mauricio Macri visited the relatives and prayed with them.

Macri was briefed on the search during his visit to the base.

- Multinational rescue efforts -

Search efforts have been hampered by inclement weather, including a powerful storm that has whipped up waves reaching seven meters (23 feet) in height.

Rescuers are focusing on an ocean patch about 300 kilometers in diameter, radiating from the last point of contact.

US Southern Command has deployed the Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance plane with a crew of 21, as well as a NASA P-3 research aircraft, and other equipment and personnel.

The US Navy has deployed two unmanned underwater vehicles that use a sonar system to create an image of large sections of the sea floor.

Britain's Royal Navy said it had sent the HMS Protector, an Antarctic patrol ship.

The submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southernmost tip of South America, to Mar del Plata.

It is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters long and seven meters wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched more than three decades ago.

It underwent a refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its use by about 30 years.
By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand and Australia have begun talks about screening procedures for asylum seekers holding out in a Papua New Guinea detention center, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday, amid reports of worsening health conditions there. Australia has been refusing New Zealand's offer to take up to 150 of the detainees from the Australian-run camp on Manus Island, but Ardern's comments have raised speculation that Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is ready to accept. The center was closed almost three weeks ago after PNG's High Court ruled it was illegal, but more than 400 detainees have refused to leave, citing concerns for their security if they were moved to transit centers as planned. More than 150 men at the center were seriously ill without access to basic first aid or medicine, said advocacy group Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), which is calling for safe resettlement of the men. A team from the group, which is based in Australia, visited the center last Wednesday, a spokeswoman said. "The deteriorating state of the men's bodies was obvious to me as I was shown around," said Jana Favero, the group's campaigns director. "This is a medical emergency festering inside a humanitarian crisis." Medical conditions requiring urgent care ranged from chest pain and undiagnosed episodes of unconsciousness to infections and chronic diarrhea among others, the group added. Turnbull has been refusing New Zealand's offer as he worries asylum seekers could view it as a "back door" to Australia, undermining the country's tough immigration policies. Ardern said the conversations were about establishing the screening processes. "To be clear, we have not started that process," she told Radio New Zealand. "But I think that certainly we're a bit further along than we have been before - we haven't even had officials having those discussions in the past." The United Nations, which has warned of a "looming humanitarian crisis", last week urged Australia to accept New Zealand's offer to take the men. Turnbull has insisted the priority was an existing refugee swap deal negotiated last year with former U.S. president Barack Obama. The men holed up in the camp depend on erratic food supplies smuggled in by supporters. They lack power and running water. Australia's "sovereign borders" immigration policy that refuses to let asylum seekers arriving by boat reach its shores has been heavily criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups, but has bipartisan domestic political support. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield. Additional reporting by James Regan; Editing by Jane Wardell and Clarence Fernandez)
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Britain on Monday pulled its candidate from a hard-fought race for a seat on the International Court of Justice, allowing a judge from India to take the position.

It will be the first time since the ICJ was established in 1945 that there will be no British judge.

The election had turned into a stalemate between Britain's candidate Christopher Greenwood, who enjoyed support in the UN Security Council, and India's judge Dalveer Bhandari, who won the vote in the General Assembly.

"The UK has concluded that it is wrong to continue to take up the valuable time of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly with further rounds of elections," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said Monday.

"We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates."

Greenwood had served one nine-year term at the ICJ based in The Hague and was seeking to serve a second.

Some diplomats attributed Britain's failure to rally support for its candidate at the General Assembly to a loss of influence, following London's decision to leave the European Union.

In June, the General Assembly voted to refer the legal status of the British-ruled Chagos Islands to the ICJ.

The other elected judges were Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, Ronny Abraham of France, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia and Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade of Brazil.
Ottawa (AFP) - A union representing Canada's steelworkers on Monday urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to demand stronger labor rules in trade talks with Mexico to prevent killings as a means of repressing worker rights.

In a statement, the United Steelworkers union (USW) said an armed group's killing of two strikers at the Canadian-owned Media Luna gold mine in Mexico on Saturday "underscores the widespread repression of basic labor rights."

The mine in the state of Guerrero is owned by Canada's Torex Gold Resources.

In early November its workers went on strike to demand the right to form a union of their choosing, after Torex set up what the USW called an illegal "protection union" that doesn't legitimately represent workers.

On Saturday, following an escalation of tensions, an armed group attacked the strikers at a roadblock near the mine, and two brothers, Victor and Marcelino Sahuanitla Pena, were killed.

"We are once again urging the Canadian government to intervene with Mexican authorities and the company to recognize the basic rights of Mexican workers and prevent further violence," said the USW's Ken Neumann.

"The Mexican government and this Canadian company must ensure this conflict is resolved without further bloodshed," he said.

Canada is in the midst of talks with Mexico and the United States to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement.

One of Canada's proposals, which has the backing of the USW, was to amend the pact to include stronger labor provisions.
Family cult leader Charles Manson following his arrest on conspiracy-murder charges on November 19, 2017 (AP)

Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who instructed his followers to commit a string of gruesome murders in the summer of 1969, has died aged 83.

The head of the notorious Family cult became a symbol of the darker side of the counterculture movement, rewriting the history of the era of peace, love and flower power.

Manson, who died of natural causes on Sunday aged 83 after nearly half a century behind bars, orchestrated the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people in California as the 1960s came to an end.

His victims were butchered at two homes on successive August nights by intruders who scrawled Pigs and Healter Skelter (sic) in the victims blood.

The slaughter horrified the world, with Manson, who held a magnetic hold over the young women of his cult, became of the most notorious figures of the 20th century.

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Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the 60s ended abruptly on August 9, 1969, author Joan Didion wrote in her 1979 book The White Album.

Short and shaggy-haired, the ex-convict had hypnotic eyes, and was a charismatic figure who was able to turn middle-class youngsters into willing killers.

Manson, who was obsessed by the idea of a race war, carved an X into his forehead during his trial, but later changed it to swastika (AP)

At a former movie ranch outside Los Angeles, he and his devotees, many of them young runaways who likened him to Jesus Christ, lived commune-style, using drugs and taking part in orgies.

Tate, who lived with her husband, Rosemarys Baby director Roman Polanski, was eight and a half months pregnant when she was stabbed and hanged from a rafter in her living room.

Also killed were Abigail Folger, heiress to a coffee fortune; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Steven Parent, a friend of the estates caretaker; and celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, killed by Manson follower Charles Tex Watson, who announced his arrival by saying: I am the devil, and Im here to do the devils work.

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The next night, wealthy grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were stabbed to death in their home in another neighbourhood.

Prosecutors said Manson wanted to foment a race war, an idea he supposedly got from a twisted reading of the hard-rocking Beatles song Helter Skelter.

Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, three of Manons followers, laugh as they arrive for trial

Manson was born in Cincinnati on November 12 1934, to a teenager, possibly a prostitute.

When he was five, his mother went to prison for armed robbery. By the time he was eight, he was in reform school. He spent years in and out of penal institutions.

My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system, he said in a monologue on the witness stand. I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you.

He and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, sang and chanted, and Manson at one point launched himself across the counsel table at the judge.

Many of his followers camped outside the courthouse, threatening to immolate themselves if he was convicted.

When Manson carved an X in his forehead, his co-defendants did the same, saying they were Xed out of society. He later changed his X to a swastika.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, he maintained his innocence. I have killed no-one, and I have ordered no-one to be killed, Manson said.

He and the three women were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Another defendant, Charles Tex Watson, was convicted later.

Sharon Tate, the Hollywood actress and wife of director Roman Polanski, was Mansons most high-profile victim

All were spared execution and given life sentences after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972.

Manson also was convicted in the killings of stuntman Donald Shorty Shea and musician Gary Hinman.

At a 2012 parole hearing Manson boycotted, he was quoted as telling a prison psychiatrist: Im special. Im not like the average inmate. I have put five people in the grave. I am a very dangerous man.

The parole board decided he should stay behind bars for at least 15 more years.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , CC BY-SA

So, Charles Manson has died, aged 83, of natural causes. The con-man, musician and erstwhile cult leader, who came to embody mainstream American fears of the 1960s counterculture gone wrong, had an easier death at Kern County hospital in California than any of the seven people whose murders he orchestrated in August 1969.

Manson has been largely out of the public view since his conviction for the Tate-LaBianca killings in January 1971 alongside several members of his family  but there has been little diminution of his grisly fame. Earlier this year it was announced that Quentin Tarantino is making a film about the Manson murders. Big names such as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt are among those said to be lining up for parts.

There remains something strange about the attention that Manson generated in life and now in death. Its a level of interest which far exceeds matters of public record. As such, its difficult to know what to say by way of response to the news of his passing  or even what to say for the purposes of a tentative obituary. Difficult, because its hard to know precisely who (or what) the name Charles Manson is being used to describe.

Manson, born Charles Milles Maddox in 1934, spent most of his life behind bars. Before convening the cult-like group The Family in 1967, he had convictions for car theft and robbery. But it was towards the end of 1969 that he really came to public attention. He was arrested and put on trial for his role as the mastermind of a total of nine murders, including those of the actress Sharon Tate and four friends, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca over the course of the weekend of August 8-9 1969. In March 1971 he was given the death penalty which was later commuted to commuted to life imprisonment.

According to testimony at his trial and that of his followers, Manson was not actually directly responsible for wielding a murder weapon at either of the two crime scenes (although theres plenty to suggest he was involved in other murders at around the same time). But the court found he had masterminded and ordered the Tate-LaBianca killings, made all the more horrific by the fact that actress Tate had been pregnant at the time of her murder.

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Different kind of celebrity

Whether you like it or not, from his conviction to his death, Manson was a celebrity. He became a celebrity when he made the cover of Life magazine in December 1969 and Rolling Stone in June 1970  and subsequent novels, films, recordings, interviews, t-shirts and comic books have sought alternately to shore up this status and to demythologise it.

This Manson culture industry (which shows no signs of slowing down) has kept his name in public circulation for nearly half a century. Its this material which invariably forms the basis of the analysis whenever Mansons life and career is considered. What becomes visible is something of a schizoid split in which the name Charles Manson gains two points of reference.

Theres Charles Manson which effectively describes the life of Charles Milles Maddox, criminal  and then theres Charles Manson, the potent symbol of evil, the name which in the words of one of his recent biographers has become a metaphor for unspeakable horror.

An early example of the latter came from the writer Wayne McGuire in 1970. Writing in his column for Fusion magazine, An Aquarian Journal, he speculated that at some point in the future, Manson would metamorphose into a major American folk hero. The comment was later used as the epigraph for The Manson File, a collection of Manson-related writings first published by Amok Press in 1988. The prediction was fully realised in 1997 with the inclusion of Manson in James Parks collection, Cultural Icons. Here, nestling between Lata Mangeshkar, Mao Tse Tung and Robert Mapplethorpe, Manson was identified as an American Murderer who channelled his peculiar cocktail of black magic, drugs, sex and rock n roll into homicidal mania. It is this peculiar cocktail that underpins Mansons symbolic status.

What gives his crimes  and his name  a notoriety in excess of that held by the likes of the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo and the unknown Zodiac Killer, who terrorised Northern California in 1968 and 1969, is that they simultaneously interact with a matrix of other powerful symbols that carry a greater cultural resonance than the breaking of a law, however severe.

Hollywood meets the crazies

Tates murder brought into collision two heavily mediated zones: Hollywood and the counterculture. Mansons interest in The Beatles and use of their song title Helter Skelter as a blood-drenched slogan further intensified this disturbing elision of murder and popular culture. As with The Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway in December 1969  at which a member of the audience was murdered by a Hells Angel  the Manson murders, once filtered through media sensitive to their range of connections, become emblems for the end or even death of the 1960s.

Whether viewed as catalyst or symptom, they are events that stand in for explanations of economic shift, geopolitical crisis and social inequality which describe the decades apparent decline into death, violence and what Hunter S. Thompson called bad craziness.

If anything it was the Tate-LaBianca murders that carry the metaphorical currency, while the name Manson now probably signifies something else. Its a name to conjure with. Manson brings to mind the shadow-side of the 1960s: the incipient violence that lay beneath the countercultures day-glo optimism and the lost potential of a decades calls for peace and pacifism. When viewed from the vantage point of seeing the long, strange and violent life laid out, it refers also to someone who understood and was able to exploit the potency of the popular culture around him.

Theres very little to celebrate here, but maybe theres something to learn about what it means to be a celebrity.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

James Riley has previously received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for research into the writers of the Beat Generation.
Twenty years after orchestrating the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, Charles Manson was asked to describe who he was in one sentence.

Leaping forward in his chair, the cult leader giggled, raised his eyebrows and pulled faces before responding: "Nobody."

After taking a pause for dramatic effect, he continued: "I'm nobody.

"I'm a tramp, a bum, a hobo. I'm a boxcar and jug o' wine. And a straight razor, if you get too close to me."

Manson, whose name became synonymous with violence and madness, died on Sunday of natural causes at the age of 83.

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A recent photo showed the gray-bearded killer's face still bearing the scar of a swastika he carved into his forehead decades earlier.

He became one of the 20th century's most notorious criminals when he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people in what prosecutors said was a plan to incite a race war - an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter."

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty.

"These children that come at you with knives, they are your children. You taught them; I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up," he said in a courtroom soliloquy.

Although Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims, he was found guilty of ordering their murders.
Charles Manson, while he was serving a life sentence in California for the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, in an interview with Tom Snyder in 1981. (Photo: NBC NewsWire/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Charles Manson  the vile human who organized a grungy cult that murdered the actress Sharon Tate and four others at her home in 1969  has died at age 83. Manson was a petty thief and pimp who carved a swastika in his forehead and babbled angrily about a coming race war. Yet he achieved a perverse kind of glory as a pop presence, exerting a pull on numerous musicians, writers, producers, and actors. Scores of TV movies and books have been written about him; his sputtered music career fascinated some famous musicians.

The key to Mansons infamy is that he committed his most notable crimes in Los Angeles and its environs. In dispatching his so-called family of broken-down, brainwashed disciples to a showbiz-posh neighborhood in Benedict Canyon, Manson knew that the house hed pointed his minions toward had once been occupied by Terry Melcher, a famous Hollywood record producer. Manson blamed Melcher, among others, for the failure of his recording career. Manson had befriended Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and played Wilson his songs, hoping the Beach Boy would help him land a music contract. Nothing happened, although Wilson did record a song of Mansons, Cease to Exist, whose title Wilson changed to Never Learn Not to Love.

That Manson had rubbed his dirty shoulders with the Hollywood famous brought him instant attention upon his arrest. When he turned out to be a vicious, long-haired psychopath whod emerged from the dank alleys of San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury hippie scene, Mansons place in pop culture might have been predicted. When it was discovered that he referred to a coming apocalypse as Helter Skelter, a phrase borrowed from the Beatles, his notoriety was cemented. Musicians such as Marilyn Manson (where do you think Brian Hugh Walter got half of his stage name?) and Guns N Roses, looking to tap into a vein of easy evil, recorded Charles Manson songs. Film buffs took notice that the site of the Manson Family compound was Spahn Ranch, which in earlier decades had been the frequent location for movie and TV shoots, especially Westerns: Duel in the Sun as well as episodes of The Lone Ranger and Bonanza were filmed there.

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The most famous book about Manson is Helter Skelter, by lawyer Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. But the better book is The Family, written in 1971 by the poet and journalist Ed Sanders. Subtitled The Story of Charles Mansons Dune Buggy Attack Battalion, Sanderss book captures the countercultural atmosphere whose idealism could also turn rancid and end up a petri dish for Mansons nihilism. And the best book of all may be Jeff Guinns 2013 Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson, scrupulously researched and reported.

On television, Manson became a prime get  a much sought-after interviewee for TV personalities ranging from Diane Sawyer to Tom Snyder, whose 1981 session with Manson is creepy stuff indeed.

Manson inspired one entire TV series: Aquarius, a two-season show starring David Duchovny as a cop chasing down Manson (played by Gethin Anthony) along the dusty trail to Spahn Ranch. Numerous TV dramas used Manson, or fictionalized versions of Manson, as subplot-metaphors for wayward youths who fall under the spell of evil seducers. Losts Jeremy Davies played Manson in Helter Skelter, a 2004 CBS adaptation of Bugliosis book. Manson was also used for comedy: On The Ben Stiller Show in the early 1990s, Bob Odenkirk played the criminal in a recurring segment called Ask Manson.

In recent years, attention has turned to some of the women Manson attracted to his cult. The Lifetime movie Mansons Lost Girls, from 2016, is typical of this subdivision of Manson studies. Manson lore has also received a boost via the current true-crime boom, with podcasts such as You Must Remember This pouring hours of Manson poison into your earbuds.

Does Manson deserve to occupy a place in our minds? Of course not. But his awful crimes, the lives he destroyed, and the sense we try to make of it all continue to reach out to us and wont allow us to forget him.

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U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on a group of breakaway Democrats in the New York Senate to caucus with the Democratic Party, enabling the party to control the legislative chamber.

Currently, Democrats enjoy a 3231 numerical majority in the state Senate, but a group of nine Democrats have chosen to form a majority coalition with the Republicans. Eight Democrats are members of the Independent Democratic Conference, a caucus that has a power-sharing arrangement with the GOP, and a ninth lawmaker, Simcha Felder, caucuses with the GOP.

Schumer was asked about the matter on Monday during an event in Brewster, New York, where the Senator hoped to pressure New York Citys Metropolitan Transportation Authority to adopt positive train control.

The IDC, theyre elected as Democrats and they should caucus with the Democrats and create a Democratic majority, Schumer said. Thats the right thing to do. I have worked very hard through the years to help elect Democrats and create a Democratic majority in the Senate.

The IDC, they dont run as Republicans, they just caucus with the Republicans. Thats wrong, he added. They ought to caucus and work with the Democrats.

Schumer joins a chorus of top Democrats who have urged the breakaway Democrats to return to the fold. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has been outspoken about the need for the IDC to form a majority with Democrats, as have all 18 Democrats representing New York in the U.S. House.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged a group of breakaway New York Democrats to return to the party fold. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters)

Candice Giove, a spokeswoman for the IDC, said in an email message that members of the IDC have the greatest respect for Senator Schumer.

However, on this issue he is wrong, Giove said. The IDC, a third separate conference, has never caucused with Republicans and has consistently helped to elect Democrats throughout this state.

Indeed, IDC members do not caucus with Republicans, but the groups power-sharing agreement with the GOP minority, together with Felders membership in the GOP caucus, ensured Republican control of the state senate in the 2016 legislative session.

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Last Thursday, two activists affiliated with the Brooklyn chapter of Indivisible, a network of progressive grassroots groups, penned an op-ed in the New York Daily News admonishing Schumer for his intolerable silence on the matter.

Even though he is one of the nations two most powerful Democrats, representing a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 21, Schumer inexcusably tolerates illegitimate Republican control of one house of New Yorks Legislature, the state Senate, with the help of a group of breakaway Democrats, Liat Olenick and Christopher Denicola wrote.

Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and several New Yorkbased progressive activists praised Schumer for his remarks on Monday.

Senate Democrats have always had a great friend in Chuck Schumer and we appreciate his support, Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. More and more Democratic leaders are standing up and calling on the IDC to respect the wishes of New Yorkers who voted numerous times for a Democratic Senate majority and want Democrats to work together. The Senate Democrats agree.

The New York chapter of the Working Families Party said it was good to see Schumer weigh in on the matter.

Good to see @SenSchumer calling out @IDC4NY for their alliance with Republicans. Thank you Sen. Schumer for being there every election cycle in the fight to take back the State Senate, even when others weren't. https://t.co/InMiKV5z4O  NY Working Families (@NYWFP) November 20, 2017

Big news. Both NY Senators call for IDC breakaway Dems to rejoin the mainstream Dems (to stop conferencing with the GOP). Still waiting for Governor Cuomo to do the same. https://t.co/gMdUvqYXiT  Nomiki Konst  (@NomikiKonst) November 20, 2017

The IDC formed after an internal party dispute in 2011, and for years it remained largely off the radar of national Democrats.

In 2013, Democrats also had a 33-seat majority, which would have enabled them to control the Senate, even without Felder. But the IDCs insistence on remaining in a power-sharing coalition with Republicans prevented that from happening.

Then, losses in the 2014 elections wiped away Democrats thin numerical majority.

But in the November 2016 election, Democrats won a numerical majority again, reviving grassroots scrutiny on the breakaway bloc. The election of President Donald Trump also heightened progressive political activism, bringing the IDC to the attention of many left-leaning New Yorkers who were previously unaware of its existence. Progressive activists have organized demonstrations outside the offices of the IDCs members, at times attracting up to 100 protesters.

Members of the New York Senates mainstream Democratic caucus argue that the IDCs arrangement has prevented them from passing important pieces of legislation, and has delayed or diluted other bills.

They are giving power to the Republicans to decide whether those issues get brought up at all, Deputy Democratic Leader Michael Gianaris told HuffPost in May. Things that do get done, get done much later than they should or get watered down.

They further claim that the IDC members choose to work with Republicans for the perks it affords them, including leadership posts on Senate committees. The GOP majority even rewards the dissenting Democrats with financial stipends, known as lulus, that are normally reserved for committee chairmen.

Both the New York attorney generals office and the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn opened investigations into the practice after The New York Times unearthed it in May.

This article was updated to clarify the IDCs role within the Senate, and to note Democrats previous numerical majority in 2013.

Related...

New Yorks Renegade Democrats Face Growing Calls To Rejoin Party Fold

Chuck Schumer Warns Moderate Democrats Of The Perils Of Voting For GOP Tax Bill

Last Tuesday's Elections Gave Progressive Activists A Much-Needed Morale Boost

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Prague (AFP) - Billionaire Andrej Babis sought support on Monday for his controversial bid to become Czech prime minister as parliament met for the first time after his populist ANO party won elections last month.

Snubbed by most traditional parties over his murky communist past and recent fraud charges, Babis has been forced to propose a minority administration.

Campaigning on an anti-corruption, anti-euro and anti-migrant ticket, ANO won 78 of 200 seats in parliament ahead of the right-wing eurosceptic ODS, the anti-establishment Pirates, the far-right SPD and five other parties.

Although they will not enter into a formal coalition with ANO, parties including the Pirates, the SPD and the far-left Communists -- both staunchly anti-EU -- have signalled support for Babis's bid to govern the Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member of 10.6 million people.

A 63-year-old Slovak-born farm products and media tycoon, Babis must clinch the support of a majority of all MPs present to win a confidence vote.

Babis himself has said that he is in no rush to form a government, but he added he had already picked most of his ministers.

"I'm pondering industry and agriculture, otherwise it's complete," he said on Facebook.

If his cabinet fails to win a confidence vote, President Milos Zeman has said he will give political ally Babis a second chance.

Under the constitution, the president has two attempts to decide who will form the cabinet, leaving the third and final try to the speaker of parliament.

- Focus on later rounds -

Babis is now lobbying lawmakers to support ANO MP Radek Vondracek for the speaker's job, a move that would pave his way to a third confidence motion.

Parliament will pick the speaker during the inaugural session, which is expected to last several days.

"My guess is Babis will fail in the first round and then focus on the second," analyst Pavel Saradin from Palacky University in the eastern Czech city of Olomouc told AFP, adding that the mogul was keen to "put the other parties under pressure".

Story continues

Should Babis ultimately fail to form a government, few parties would have the means to finance another election campaign in a snap poll.

"What is at stake are three attempts for Andrej Babis (to form a government), and the way things are, he will most likely get them," Tomas Lebeda, another Palacky University analyst, told AFP.

Zeman, a 73-year-old pro-Russian, pro-Chinese and anti-immigration veteran leftwinger, himself faces a presidential election next January, competing for his second five-year term.

"The lengthy cabinet talks may also be due to the presidential election, with Babis waiting for the outcome," Saradin added.
Before he was accused of masterminding a multibillion-dollar sanctions-busting scheme involving gold sales to Iran in exchange for oil and gas, Reza Zarrab was one of Turkeys most visible businessmen. With his vast real estate holdings, private plane, and pop star wife, Zarrab was a symbol of the countrys new elite, with connections at the highest levels of the Turkish government.

Now, his fall from grace has become embroiled in the deteriorating relations between Turkey and the United States. Indicted by federal prosecutors for his role in evading American sanctions on Iran, Zarrab now faces trial in a federal courtroom in Manhattan.

But in recent days his case has taken a bizarre turn, as Zarrabs whereabouts have become unknown and his lawyers have missed key filing deadlines. The developments have some observers wondering whether Zarrab could be part of a deal between the Turkish government and Washington to secure his release  possibly in exchange for a group of detained American consular employees in Turkey. Such a deal is still just speculation, but reflects the high-level machinations that have marked the Zarrab case since his arrest in Miami in March of 2016.

I think theres a potential for a really big, global deal on Zarrab, said Henri Barkey, a former State Department official and professor at Lehigh University.

Among the Turkish governments potential concerns about the case is the possibly that Zarrabs testimony could point the finger at high-level officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the sanctions-busting scheme.

These allegations have made Zarrab a major liability for Erdogan. If Zarrab talks, hes going to implicate a lot of people in the Turkish government  maybe Erdogan and his family, maybe his son, Barkey said.

Whether those concerns are driving a deal is unclear, but in recent days Zarrabs lawyers have given indications they are pursuing some sort of agreement with prosecutors. His lawyers havent submitted questions to potential jurors in the trial, which is set to begin on Nov. 27, and lawyers for one of Zarrabs codefendants, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, have said in court filings that it is likely that Mr. Atilla will be the only defendant appearing at trial.

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The outlines of a possible deal, which could involve a guilty plea and a possible fine, remain unclear. Zarrabs attorney, Ben Brafman, declined to answer questions on Friday about his negotiations with prosecutors, but members of his legal team have said in court filings that they have attempted to resolve the case through diplomatic channels between Washington and Ankara.

With his trial set to begin in a matter of days, Zarrabs whereabouts are currently unknown.

A Bureau of Prisons database lists Zarrab as having been released, and federal prosecutors in New York are refusing to answer questions about his exact whereabouts. Zarrab is in federal custody, is all James Margolin, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office in the Southern District of New York, would tell Foreign Policy.

This mystery over Zarrabs whereabouts comes amid a crisis in U.S.-Turkey relations. American support for Kurdish forces in Syria has drawn outraged protests in Ankara, where government officials fear that a resurgent Kurdish movement in Syria will embolden separatists in southeast Turkey. Turkish government forces are currently carrying out a violent crackdown on individuals allegedly associated with the Kurdish PKK.

The State Department refused to respond to questions about Zarrab, including whether he has been subject of negotiations between Washington and Ankara. A spokesperson directed queries about his case to the Justice Department, which did not respond to a list of questions about Zarrabs prosecution and a possible plea deal.

The Turkish government has loudly protested Zarrabs prosecution and has demanded that he be returned to Turkey.

According to transcripts of wiretapped calls that are part of the case, Zarrab claimed to have personally spoken to Erdogan about the sanctions busting scheme and pitched his scheme as a way to mitigate Turkeys trade deficit. We have to do our best to achieve this $4 billion goal in exports Zarrab allegedly told one of his co-conspirators in 2013. I promised the prime minister.

At the time, Erdogan was serving as Turkeys prime minister, and since then has accumulated vast power by systematically eliminating his enemies and rewriting the countrys constitution.

Exposing the governments role in a vast bribery scheme would resonate deeply with the Turkish public at a time when the countrys economy is slowing.

Last week, the Turkish foreign ministry presented a formal demand for information about Zarrab, a possible indication, Barkey said, that the gold trader has been isolated from his Turkish lawyers ahead of a guilty plea feared by Ankara.

Turkish prosecutors attempted to unravel Zarrabs gold-for-gas scheme, which allegedly included bribes and kickbacks to senior government officials in Turkey, but Erdogan appears to have intervened to protect the business mogul. Following Zarrabs arrest in Turkey in 2013, Erdogan purged the government of thousands of prosecutors and policemen that he claimed were linked to the cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is living in exile in Pennsylvania and Erdogan claims is trying to unseat him. Following the purge, Erdogan appears to have used his additional power to push officials to drop charges against Zarrab.

But when Zarrab traveled to Miami in March of 2016  a decision that confounds observers of the case  U.S. officials were at the ready and promptly arrested him upon his arrival.

Since that arrest, Zarrab has hired the best lawyers money can buy.

His legal team is led by Brafman, a brash New York lawyer who has featured in some of the citys most prominent criminal prosecutions in recent years. He represented the rapper Sean Combs on weapons charges, took on former IMF boss Dominique Strauss Kahn as a client to combat sexual assault claims, and this year defended the pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli notorious for price gouging. The Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein recently signed up Brafman to defend him against a slew of sexual assault allegations, which prosecutors are reportedly examining as part of a criminal probe.

Other lawyers on Zarrabs defense team include former New York mayor and Donald Trump confidante Rudy Giuliani and former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who have attempted to broker a deal between the U.S. and Turkish governments for Zarrabs release. In February, shortly after Trumps inauguration, Giuliani and Mukasey traveled to Turkey to meet with Erdogan in an attempt to broker the gold-traders release.

Senior officials in both the U.S. government and the Turkish government remain receptive to pursuing the possibility of an agreement, Mukasey wrote in a court filing earlier this year.

Earlier this month, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim met with Vice President Mike Pence, fueling speculation that a deal for Zarrab was in the works. The White House readout of the meeting said that Pence expressed deep concern over the arrests of American citizens, Mission Turkey local staff, journalists, and members of civil society but made no mention of Zarrab.

A spokesperson for Pences office did not answer repeated questions about whether Yildirim took up Zarrabs case.

For now, the U.S. government isnt saying what it plans to do with Zarrab. As the trial approaches, lawyers for Zarrabs co-defendants have pleaded with the judge in the case, Richard Berman, to tell them whether Zarrab will be one of the defendants.

The one perk of being a judge is you dont have to answer questions, as witnesses or lawyers do, Berman said. So I would say, Just keep your eye on the docket.'
Demi Lovato didnt miss the opportunity to make a profound statement of inclusion at the American Music Awards Sunday, arriving with transgender lawmaker Danica Roem.

Lovato, 25, looked stunning as she walked the red carpet with Roem, who made history when she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates earlier this month, defeating Republican incumbent Bob Marshall.

(Photo: Neilson Barnard via Getty Images)

The pop superstar, who is an outspoken LGBTQ rights ally, told E! News that her decision to attend the AMAs with Roem was in line with the anti-bullying theme of her hit, Sorry Not Sorry, which she performed during the show.

We connected because I heard her story. She is actually the first out and seated transgender state legislator in American history, and when I heard that, I was just completely inspired by it, she said. I wanted to have her in the audience with me tonight because I feel like we have been through some of the same things and now we get to share this experience together.

Among those to applaud the gesture was GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, who praised Lovato and Roem as two strong and inspirational women who embody the need for all Americans to stand together united and to take action today against any form of discrimination and oppression in an email statement sent to HuffPost.

Danica Roem is a trailblazer whose win in Virginia showcased both how young people and marginalized communities can impact voting results and how every American deserves an opportunity to work hard and achieve their dreams, Ellis added. Demi Lovato continues her legacy of raising the bar for entertaining audiences around the world and for spotlighting social issues that need the most attention.

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Demi Lovato performs at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Demi Lovato arrives at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Demi Lovato performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Demi Lovato performs live on stage at Allianz Parque on in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Demi Lovato performs live on stage at Allianz Parque on in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato hand out sweet treats and tickets to Demi Lovato's sold out show in Los Angeles.

Demi Lovato performs live on stage during Global Citizen Festival 2016.

Demi Lovato leaves 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in New York City.

Demi Lovato attends Glamour Women Of The Year 2016.

Demi Lovato performs during the Future Now Tour in Rosemont, Illinois.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' Costume Institute Gala in New York City.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 Social Good Summit in New York City.

Demi Lovato arrives at 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango 2016.

Demi Lovato attends the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, California.

Demi Lovato attends the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, California.

Demi Lovato arrives at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Inglewood, California.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 Honda Civic tour in New York City.

Demi Lovato arrives at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California.

Demi Lovato attends The 58th GRAMMY Awards.

Demi Lovato attends The 58th GRAMMY Awards.

Demi Lovato performs onstage during The 58th GRAMMY Awards.

Demi Lovato performs on the Countdown Stage during New Year's Eve 2016.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 Global Citizen Festival In Central Park.

Demi Lovato attends the 2016 Global Citizen Festival.

Demi Lovato performs in concert with Nick Jonas at the AT&T Center.

Demi Lovato arrives at the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Lionel Richie.

Demi Lovato poses during WiLD 94.9's FM's Jingle Ball 2015.

Demi Lovato arrives at the Stella McCartney Autumn 2016 Presentation.

Demi Lovato attends 93.3 FLZ's 2015 Jingle Ball at Amalie Arena on December 19, 2015 in Tampa, Florida.

Demi Lovato attends KISS 108's Jingle Ball 2015 in Boston, Mass.

Demi Lovato attends the Billboard Women in Music Luncheon in 2015.

Demi Lovato attends 2016 Roc Nation Summer Classic Charity Basketball Tournament.

Demi Lovato attends the 2015 American Music Awards.

Demi Lovato attends the 2015 American Music Awards.

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Snow White made her debut in 1938, and to mark 80 years of the original Disney princess, four legendary designers are celebrating her youth and innocence in some cutting-edge gowns.

The designers  Alberta Ferretti, Naeem Khan, Monique Lhuillier, and Marchesa  drew inspiration from Snow Whites gothic, Tudor look to create one-of-a-kind fairytale gowns for a 21st century Snow White.

As a little boy, all the Disney characters were a part of my education, Khan says in a video about the project. And, as David Pacheco, Disneys creative director, explains, theres a lot to learn. For example, in addition to Snow Whites red ruby lips, her eyebrows are thin pencil lines. In order to keep the character looking young, she wore a little bow in her hair, he said, adding, She was very special to Walt Disney. She set the ground rules for all the Disney princesses.

Naeem Khan (Photo: Disney/Brenda Armendariz)

Dont assume that these creations are childish  these are anything but. Alberta Ferretti made a gown with a matching star-covered midnight blue cape, with the queens castle depicted on the back. Marchesas white gown with crystal embellishments and puffy sleeves, recalling the styles of 1938, is perfect for a fairytale wedding. If youre over her innocence, youll be drawn to Monique Lhuilliers blue beaded gown with a white tulle skirt, which goes to the dark side of Snow White, as Pacheco points out in the video. It features a subtle skull in the center of the bodice that, as he describes it, is reminiscent of the witch preparing the apple. That infamous red apple sits on the hip of the dress.

(Photo: Disney/Brenda Armendariz)

(Photo: Disney/Brenda Armendariz)

Marchesa (Photo: Disney/Kyle Markauer)

Monique Lhullier (Photo: Disney/Brenda Armendariz)

The custom dresses arent for sale (yet) but will be featured in Saks Fifth Avenues iconic New York holiday windows, alongside a 10-story-tall theatrical light show dedicated to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

This is the first time in its 94-year history Saks will animate all of its celebrated holiday window displays along Fifth Avenue. Until Jan. 2, the 14 windows will each depict a different scene from the movie. Vignettes will include Snow White dancing among woodland creatures, the seven dwarfs heigh-ho!-ing home from a days work in the diamond caves, and the Wicked Queens mischievous trickery with the infamous red apple, a press release reveals. A new 3D layering technique is also being introduced that incorporates original artwork from the film into the backdrops for each display.

Story continues

The store also has more Disney-themed holiday surprises in store  for example, character appearances  if you can tear your eyes away from the window displays.

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Why the Victorias Secret Fashion Show might be bad for body image, according to scientists

The Victorias Secret Fashion Show sends a dangerous message  but a plus size campaign wants to change that

The anti-Victorias Secret runway show proves all women can be angels

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By Ian Graham BELFAST (Reuters) - The head of the Democratic Unionist Party said on Monday Northern Ireland would leave the EU on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom, rebuffing a suggestion from the bloc that the region remain subject to some of its rules. Brussels has said it will not move to the second phase of Brexit talks with Britain until London provides additional detail of how it will guarantee that there be no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday asked the British government to detail what specific EU rules it would retain in Northern Ireland to ensure regulatory equivalence between the region and the Irish Republic and thus avoid the need for a hard border. But the head of the DUP, whose votes the government of British Prime Minister Theresa May is dependent on to pass legislation, repeated her rejection of the suggestion on Monday, saying she would not create barriers to business with the rest of the United Kingdom to allow smooth trade with Ireland. "Northern Ireland will exit the EU on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom," Arlene Foster said in a statement ahead of a meeting with May on Tuesday morning. "We will not countenance a border in the Irish Sea. I welcome the Prime Ministers commitment on this." The EU has said the UK needs to come forward with concrete proposals on the Irish border and on what past financial commitments it will honor by early December if EU leaders are to declare at their Dec. 14-15 summit that enough has been achieved to start talks on a transition period and a trade deal. Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc in March 2019. Foster said the EU's stance on Northern Ireland amounted to blackmail. "Those in Dublin and Brussels, recklessly trying to use Northern Ireland for their own objectives, should cease," she said in the statement. "The Prime Minister should warn Brussels that Northern Ireland must not be used as blackmail. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; editing by John Stonestreet)
A U.S. border agent has died following what government officials described as an attack in West Texas on Sunday morning that left a second agent seriously injured.

Rogelio Martinez, 36, was on patrol near Van Horn, Texas, roughly 90 miles east of El Paso, when his partner reported that they were injured and in need of assistance, according to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Both agents were transported to a local hospital where Martinez died from his injuries. His partner, who was not identified, remains hospitalized, the CBP stated.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to arrest of those responsible for the agents death.

U.S. border agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed in the line of duty on Sunday, authorities said. (Photo: Roger Martinez/Facebook)

Authorities have released few details about the incident, including information about possible suspects or the type of injuries sustained by the agents.

An official with the National Border Patrol Council labor union whos familiar with the investigation told The Los Angeles Times that Martinez was struck in the head, though its not clear with what.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released a statement on Sunday that described the agents as having been attacked and suggested that it was the result of an unsecure border.

This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them, his statement read. We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation.

President Donald Trump also addressed the agents death in a statement on Twitter Sunday night, reiterating his longtime call for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2017

An FBI spokeswoman told the New York Times that more details are expected to be released on Monday.

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We are still working hard putting the facts together, the spokeswoman said. Its a very active, fast-moving investigation.

The Border Patrols website lists 38 agents who have died in the line of duty since December 2003. One other agent, Isaac Morales, died this year following an assault while on patrol.

This story has been updated with reward information.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Luxembourg (AFP) - The EU's top court on Monday warned Poland's rightwing government to "immediately" stop logging in one of Europe's last primeval forests or face fines of up to 100,000 euros ($118,000) a day.

The case is the latest in a string of issues causing tension between Warsaw and Brussels, which has watched the Polish administration's recent judicial reforms with alarm.

"Poland must immediately cease its active forest management operations in the Bialowieza Forest, except in exceptional cases where they are strictly necessary to ensure public safety," said the European Court of Justice.

"If there is found to be an infringement, the court will order Poland to pay to the (European) Commission a penalty payment of at least 100,000 euros a day," the Luxembourg-based court added.

Environmental activists welcomed the court's statement.

"Currently financial penalties are, unfortunately, an essential tool to ensure that the best-preserved primeval forest in Europe is protected from further harm," said Agata Szafraniuk, a Warsaw-based lawyer for the ClientEarth environmental group.

"Trees are still being cut down every day, so the court prescribed this measure to guarantee the full protection of this unique forest, and to avoid irreparable damage," she said.

The court first ordered Warsaw to suspend logging in the forest on July 27, pending a final judgement.

The EU had taken Poland to court arguing that the operations were destroying a forest that boasts unique plant and animal life, including the continent's largest mammal, the European bison.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation European Union, has warned Poland to comply or see the logging issue added to a broader EU case against Warsaw over the rule of law.

The European Parliament last week voted to start an EU sanctions procedure over Warsaw's controversial judicial reforms that could eventually suspend Warsaw's voting rights in the bloc.

Adding to the trouble, EU President Donald Tusk, a former liberal prime minister of Poland, on Sunday questioned whether tensions between Poland's government with Ukraine and the EU were part of a "Kremlin plan".

Polish PM Beata Szydlo said that by "using his position to attack the Polish government, he's attacking Poland".
Resurrecting a dormant childhood dream, I spent almost nine months of this year as an over-the-road truck driver  six months in a Freightliner Cascadia pulling a refrigerated trailer, then nearly three months in a Kenworth T680 pulling a flatbed. I drove more than 90,000 miles, from New England to the Pacific Northwest, from San Diego to central Florida. I retired this month, partly because the dream has dark sides so dark they'd shame a black hole.



Last week I watched Elon Musk unveil the Tesla Semi to see how he'd address some of those unsavory elements. We don't know what the production truck will achieve when it hits the road, but the Semi has a lot going for it. Nevertheless, the Semi seems most impressive to those who don't know what it's like to be a truck driver.



First, let's clear up what this truck is for, as it was presented. This is not an over-the-road truck. This truck suits line-haul  routes that run between a company's terminals, like from one regional Wal-Mart distribution center to another. When Musk made the case for a 20-percent savings over a diesel truck, he based the numbers on a 100-mile trip  fifty miles out, fifty miles back. The Semi would be perfect for port work, which involves lots of waiting, idling, stop-and-go traffic, and local out-and-back trips. This first version of the Semi will not replace the dozens of thousands of trucks on huge regional or coast-to-coast runs, clocking 2,000 to 5,000 miles per week.





Tesla Semi

Tesla Semi interior





I only have space here to address a few issues, so we'll start with the central seating position. I don't see how that helps a trucker. I already get "a commanding view of the road" in a traditional truck because I sit six feet above traffic. What I need is a commanding view of my own truck, which the central seating position compromises. The worst blind spot in a tractor is next to the doors; in the Tesla Semi, I can't lean over to see if there's a Toyota Corolla camped out beside me. The central seating position hampers my commanding view when I need that view most: when I back up. For any backing maneuver, I watch both sides of the trailer in my mirrors to make sure I don't clobber anything, or I lean out of the truck to watch the trailer as I back. Being able to physically watch the trailer  not camera images on screens  can be the difference between making a clean back-up or making an insurance claim.



Furthermore, I can't see around trucks in front of me without pulling halfway into another lane. When I need to exchange paperwork with the guard at a terminal, or the police, I can't lean out the window to do so. Speaking of which, I have to believe one of the windows on the Tesla Semi rolls down, but I can't figure out which one. If, as it appears from the renderings, the windows only vent, well... that's unacceptable.



I'd want more mirrors. The silver, condo-sleeper truck at the presentation only had cameras mounted at the rear of the tractor. The black, mid-roof truck supplemented physical mirrors on lengthy stalks on both sides of the cab. Most new trucks come with mirrors mounted on the front fenders that provide views of the front corners  my Kenworth had seven mirrors in total, I've seen plenty of trucks with more. You'd be amazed at the number of tiny concrete and reinforced steel impediments lurking at truck stops and customer terminals. I know such mirrors would hamper aerodynamics on the Tesla Semi, but when those $8 contraptions could save thousands on carbon fiber repairs and downtime, I don't see why anyone would go without them.



Another reason to have physical mirrors: so I can turn off, or turn down, the two giant screens in the cab (screens which, by the way, hinder my view of the corners of my truck). The light required to provide a useful camera image at night would kill my eyes during a full drive shift. Doing an 11-hour stint in a dark cockpit in the glow of large digital screens only works in anime and "Battlestar Galactica." I had one computer in both trucks I drove, and unless I was using it, I turned the screen off.





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Tesla Semi





A few more quick takes based on Musk quotes from the presentation:



"We want a vehicle that accelerates like nothing else."



I understand acceleration is a core Tesla brand value, but I'm far more interested in braking. An 80,000-pound tractor trailer needs about 550 feet to come to a complete stop from 55 miles per hour, and I spent a surprising portion of every driving shift trying not to obliterate car drivers who weren't aware of that fact. Show me how much the Semi can lop off that braking distance.



"[A truck cab is] a clutter of third-party devices, it's very difficult to use.... It's a pain-in-the-neck."



No, it's not. The trucks I drove had one necessary third-party device in the cab, a Qualcomm computer to communicate with HQ, and I put a portable GPS unit on the windshield. That was it. The truck cabin photo Musk used during the presentation had a Qualcomm-type unit, plus a traditional GPS, plus an iPad with a GPS display, plus another small display I couldn't identify. I've been in plenty of truck stops and walked by a ton of trucks, and only the most frightened novice or the most chronically indecisive driver would mount that much junk.



"You have to sit there for 15 minutes while the tank gets filled."



Truckers don't "sit there" while filling up at a truck stop. Truckers clean all the windows, mirrors, and headlights, check the tires and axle seals, make sure every tractor and trailer light works, and look for damage. This walkaround can take longer than the actual fill-up, and it must be done no matter what energy powers the truck.



"Jackknifing is impossible."



This is a lie, unless the Tesla Semi and Tesla trailer can counteract physics and human error. My Freightliner weighed about 18,000 pounds, the reefer trailer added about another 16,000 pounds. That left enough for about a 46,000-pound load. When stuffed to the gills, I had 62,000 pounds ready to push me around or come around. If, either through physics or human error, the drive wheels or the trailer break loose too far, the Tesla Semi won't stop the jackknife.



These are only a few questions I have about the driver experience, before we get to some of the larger trucking issues the Tesla Semi wants to address, but it's enough for now. Electric trucks, including the Tesla Semi, are inevitable and welcome; making trucking more efficient and safer for drivers, fleet operators, and the environment benefits the entire world. Companies like Wal-Mart and JB Hunt that have placed orders for Tesla Semis have the routes, terminal control, and money for terminal infrastructure to make the most of the Semi, so we'll see what the production unit looks like in 2019 (hopefully) and parse the feedback after 10,000 miles of road duty. Don't be surprised to see more mirrors.



Related Video:

This ex-trucker has some questions about the Tesla Semi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Nov 2017 19:25:00 EST.
Thanksgiving dinner usually means turkey, the holidays traditional main dish. But while turkeys are versatile birds that can be prepared in countless ways, from dry brining to deep frying, they are not always the right main course for everyone. Some people prefer juicier birds or heartier cuts of meat, while others are vegetarians who often end up mostly eating side dishes.

According to professional chefs who spoke to TIME, there are several delicious options to serve at Thanksgiving in place of turkey. Here are a few alternatives:

Seek out smaller birds

Thanksgiving dinners vary in size, and if your dinner party is on the smaller side, a whole turkey could be too much for the crowd. Roast just a portion of the bird, or look into other kinds of fowl your guests can enjoy.

A lot of people dont have a lot of guests, says Alex Guarnaschelli, chef at New York Citys Butter and a recurring judge on Chopped. I would recommend a guinea hen or a Cornish game hen. Its also OK to serve roast chicken.

Michael Solomonov, chef at Zahav in Philadelphia, recommends capons, roosters that are castrated before reaching sexual maturity to yield high-quality, flavorful meat. April Bloomfield, the chef behind New York Citys The Spotted Pig and The Breslin, is not too keen on turkey, and often serves roasted duck glazed with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice instead.

Smaller birds are also easier to handle when life gets busy during the holidays. Indianapolis restaurateur Martha Hoover says duck will be the centerpiece of her unusual Thanksgiving dinner because her daughter is scheduled to have a baby around the same time. Instead of cooking a large bird, Hoovers family has opted to pick up a Peking duck from their favorite Chinese restaurant and accompany the dish with fried rice and scallion pancakes.

Draw on local ingredients and old family recipes

To Barefoot Contessa host Ina Garten, Thanksgiving is all about tradition  modify an old family recipe to fit into your holiday routine and current surroundings. For example, if Thanksgiving this year is in Florida by the coast, consider serving a seafood dish your family loves.

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It has to be something thats unique and just for that holiday, Garten says. While it might not be exactly what your mother or grandmother used to make, I think it should be some version of that.

Offer vegetarian fare

Vegetarians are often relegated to feasting on side dishes at Thanksgiving, including Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn. While most chefs can agree that the holidays side dishes are the secret to Thanksgiving success, theres always more you can do to accommodate guests who dont eat meat.

Guarnaschelli suggests making vegetarian options vegan when possible, so that everybody feels comfortable. For a main course, try marinating cauliflower steaks in coconut milk for a vegan dish that he says even meat enthusiasts will love.

Chef Guy Fieri, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, typically adds a variety of lasagnas to his Thanksgiving menu, including one with red sauce, one with greens and one with pesto. Making lasagna is a great way to get the kids involved and spend time with family, Fieri says.

Get meatier

Dont like turkey? Pick a different meat, like a baked ham.

If Im not going to serve a bird at all, it would be ham. I know thats really Easter but I like ham at Thanksgiving, says Mashama Bailey, chef at The Grey in Savannah, Ga.

Prime rib and pork roast are also excellent substitutes, chefs say. Fieri often adds prime rib to his menu because it doesnt require too much attention. Anything you can cook low and slow is good, he says. This is a great time to fire up the oven and warm the house.
By Felipe Iturrieta and Dave Sherwood SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chileans voted for a successor to President Michelle Bachelet on Sunday, with billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera leading in preliminary results, though he will almost certainly face a December runoff against a left-of-center candidate. With around 70 percent of votes counted, Pinera, who was president between 2010 and 2014 and leads the Chile Vamos bloc, had won 37 percent of support, electoral agency Servel said. Pinera needs 50 percent for an outright win. The early results showed weaker-than-expected support for Pinera, whom pollster CEP forecast receiving 42 percent of votes late last month. "We have a lead which is good, and we're going to have a very competitive second round," Pinera's campaign chief Andres Chadwick told journalists as the results came in. Former TV anchorman, Senator Alejandro Guillier, the flagbearer for Bachelet's fractured center-left Nueva Mayoria coalition, was coming in second with 23 percent. Leftist Beatriz Sanchez was snapping at his heels with 20 percent, closer than opinions polls had suggested. The election is the latest in South America to pit left-leaning politicians against the conservatives increasingly taking their places. Pinera has pitched himself as a vote for a brighter future, tapping into widespread discontent with Bachelet's government, which coincided with an economic downturn in the top copper exporter. "Today we're going to make a decision that will impact our lives for many decades," Pinera told journalists after voting at a school in Santiago on Sunday. "I know we're going to pick the right path, the one that takes us to better times." The vote is a turning point for Chile's coalition of center-left parties, previously known as the Concertacion. The pact, which for decades has dominated Chilean politics, fissured under Bachelet, riven by disagreements over policies such as loosening Chile's strict abortion laws and strengthening unions. Bachelet, who is barred from running in this election by term limits, will step down with approval ratings near 30 percent and the legacy of her social and economic policies uncertain. Many Chileans view the election as a referendum on her second term, which focused on reducing inequality by expanding access to free education and overhauling the tax code. Pinera, the market favorite, has campaigned on a platform of scaling back and "perfecting" her tax and labor laws, seen by many in the business community as having crimped investment at a time when slumping copper prices were already driving down economic growth. "Pinera's the best candidate. Plus, he already governed. We know who he is," said Fresia Jara, a 73-year-old retiree as she left a polling station in the capital Santiago. Pinera garnered international attention and domestic praise for his handling of the dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners during his prior term in 2010, and is seen as a safe pair of hands by investors. But his administration was marred by massive student protests seeking an education overhaul. His responses were often seen as out of touch and grassroots groups still oppose him. Guillier, who is ideologically aligned with Bachelet, has promised to deepen her reforms and has tapped support from Chileans who view Pinera as a setback for gains made for students, women and workers. "I voted for Guillier because I think we have to continue to provide free education. It's a social right," said unemployed voter Mario Giannetti, 53. Sanchez had criticized Guillier on the campaign as too similar to Pinera, and proposed a deeper departure from the country's business-friendly policies, including much higher taxes on mining companies. Sanchez, who represents the leftist Frente Amplio party, sought to tap the energy of student and protest groups who seek better health and education and are frustrated with Chile's longstanding free-market model. Juan Pablo Maldonado, a 30-year old electrical engineer from Santiago, said he'd planned to vote for Sanchez because her coalition represented a break from business as usual. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood, Felipe Iturrieta and Antonio de la Jara, writing by Mitra Taj; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Grant McCool)
The beleaguered Weinstein Co. may have found an unlikely white knight. Maria Contreras-Sweet, the former head of the Small Business Administration under President Obama, has partnered with some Silicon Valley investors to pony up $275 million dollars for the film and TV studio. If successful, Contreras-Sweet would be executive chairwoman of a majority-female board and rename the company. Yahoo Finances Alexis Christoforous, Melody Hahm and Brittany Jones-Cooper figure out if this is best for the company.
Paris (AFP) - From mediating in the crisis in Lebanon to defending Iran's nuclear deal, President Emmanuel Macron aims to fill the vacuum left by an isolationist America to boost France's clout in the Middle East.

On Saturday, Macron hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri for talks aimed at trying to resolve the crisis triggered by Hariri's shock decision to resign on November 4.

Hariri's announcement, which he made in Saudi capital Riyadh, was seen as a serious escalation of the regional battle for dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran being fought by proxies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and other countries.

Into the fray strode Macron, who was elected this year on a promise to restore France's international standing after years in which, in the Middle East particularly, the former colonial power had looked increasingly irrelevant.

"Macron is extremely opportunistic and is filling the void left by the US and the UK in the Middle East, positioning France as a playmaker in the region along with Russia," said Olivier Guitta, the managing director of GlobalStrat, a geopolitical risk consultancy firm.

- Walking diplomatic tightrope -

France had mandate power over both Lebanon and Syria during the first half of the 20th century but its influence in the two countries has waned in recent years, in tandem with France's economic decline.

By inviting Saudi-backed Hariri to Paris, holding telephone talks with the leaders of the US, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt, and announcing a visit next year to Iran, Macron hopes to re-establish France as a key player in the region.

"It's important to talk to everyone," the 39-year-old politician, a rookie in diplomatic terms, said after a surprise visit to Riyadh on November 10.

In Lebanon, historically a battleground for proxy wars and where the Iranian-backed Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah has been increasingly assertive, the media broadly welcomed Macron's intervention.

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For the pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al-Akhbar it signalled the return of France to the posse of powers jostling for influence, "alongside the Americans, the Saudis and the Iranians".

Macron drew particular praise for reaching out to all sides, unlike US President Donald Trump, who has voiced unconditional support for US ally Saudi Arabia over longstanding foe Iran.

As with the Paris climate agreement, which Macron has staunchly defended in the face of Trump's climate scepticism, the French president has also stood by a landmark nuclear deal reached with Iran in 2015 that Trump has called into question.

"If you want to stop any relation with Iran regarding nuclear activity, you will create a new North Korea," Macron told Time magazine in an interview earlier this month.

But he has also attempted to assuage US and Israeli concerns about a resurgent Iran, by repeatedly criticising Tehran's ballistic missile programme.

At the weekend he went further, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of "destabilising action... in the region".

For GlobalStrat's Guitta, the statements showed France's position had changed little and that it remained "one of the most vocal critics of the Iranian regime".

- Lost prestige -

Frederic Charillon, a professor at Sciences Po university in Paris, said France's youngest ever president stood to gain from even modest advances.

"If France allows the least diplomatic progress it will regain prestige it lost in the region in recent years and strengthen its position in future negotiations on Syria," he wrote in Lebanon's L'Orient le Jour newspaper.

But by trying to court all sides, he risked drawing a blank with one of them, Charillon warned.

Success in Lebanon would burnish his reputation as a consummate negotiator, four months after he got Libya's rival leaders to agree to a conditional ceasefire at talks in Paris.

Some observers have, however, expressed scepticism about France's ability to play a leading role in the Middle East, where the US, Russia and their allies have traditionally called the shots.

Hazem Hosni, professor of political science at Cairo University, said he believed France's influence would remain limited to its former mandates and colonies in French-speaking Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and, to a lesser extent, Syria.

France's diplomacy is "in the historical context of France's presence in these areas," he said.
Hidden footage from 2014 shows the disturbing moment a group of nurses laughed as a World War II veteran repeatedly called for help and died.

The family of 89-year-old James Dempsey of Woodstock, Georgia, installed a hidden camera in his room at the Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center when he first moved in, fearing mistreatment.

The camera later captured the night he died.

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The video showed Dempsey calling for help, even telling the nurses that he couldn't breathe at one point. It also showed nurses laughing as his breathing machine failed.

Dempsey's family initially thought the decorated veteran passed from natural causes. But after reviewing the footage, what Dempsey's family saw sparked a three-year legal battle.

According to WXIA-TV, the Dempsey family declined to comment on the case or video, citing a settlement with the nursing home.

However, the local station managed to obtain the footage after a DeKalb County Judge ruled to unseal the clip.

SEE ALSO: Hospital employees under fire for calling newborn 'mini Satan' and making baby dance to rap music

It wasn't until after the outlet sent a link to the footage of the incident to The Georgia Board of Nursing that the two nurses surrendered their licenses.

WXIA also reported that records show the nursing home has continued to have problems, including $813,000 in Medicare fines dating back to 2015. The station reported the institution received a good inspection report earlier this year, but still holds a one-star rating from Medicare.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's three would-be coalition partners went deep into overtime in talks on Saturday as they sought enough common ground in climate and migration policy to form a government and stave off the prospect of a repeat election. Incumbent chancellor Angela Merkel's only realistic hope of securing a fourth term after suffering losses in September's election is an awkward three-way conservative-liberal-Green alliance. But after four weeks of talks, the parties remained far apart as they adjourned for the night. The biggest sticking points are climate change, where the Greens want emissions cuts that the other parties see as economically ruinous, and immigration, where Merkel's arch-conservative allies in Bavaria insist on stricter rules. With the pro-business, tax-cutting Free Democrat (FDP) liberals freshly returned to parliament after four years in the wilderness, and the Greens out of office for 12 years, neither is keen to give ground. A self-imposed deadline of Thursday for wrapping up exploratory talks and starting formal coalition negotiations passed without agreement, forcing the conservatives to promise further concessions on emissions cuts to the Greens. FDP leader Christian Lindner said the talks now had to be wrapped up by 1700 GMT on Sunday. But President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a former foreign minister who now plays an apolitical role, said brinkmanship was to be expected. "Before the formal talks start, there are always attempts by parties to drive prices up," he told the weekly Welt am Sonntag. "What we've seen in the past weeks isn't so different from previous coalition negotiations." WIDE DIVISIONS Greens chairwoman Simone Peter said much that had earlier been agreed on emissions policy had been undone, without giving details. Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) faces regional state elections next year, and fears the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could unseat it after 60 years if it fails to secure tough immigration rules - which are anathema to the left-leaning Greens. Among its demands are a cap of 200,000 per year on the number of refugees Germany will take, and an end to the practice of allowing successful asylum seekers to bring their immediate families to join them. All parties are anxious to avoid a repeat election, which they fear could boost the AfD, which surged into parliament for the first time in September's national election. But the heterogeneous three-way coalition, made necessary after the conservatives and the centre-left suffered punishing election losses, is untested at national level. (Reporting By Thomas Escritt; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she was ready to lead her party into snap elections after the collapse of high-stakes coalition talks plunged the EU's top economy into a political crisis.

The veteran leader said she was "very sceptical" about a minority government, stressing that Germany needed a stable government "that does not need to seek a majority for every decision".

Merkel was forced into seeking a coalition with an unlikely group of parties after inconclusive elections in September left her without a clear majority.

But the shock breakdown of talks has left Merkel with no viable coalition partner in sight, endangering her fourth term in office.

But any new election also carries risks for her, as it could deliver results that are just as, or even more, fragmented.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who holds the power to call a new vote, made it clear that this was not his favoured option, as he told mainstream parties to rethink their positions and return to the negotiating table.

Underlining the duty of lawmakers to their voters, Steinmeier noted: "We have before us an unprecedented situation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, that is, in the last 70 years."

Germany now faces weeks, if not months, of paralysis with a lame-duck government that is unlikely to take bold policy action at home or on the European stage.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought Merkel's backing for an ambitious EU reform plan, expressed concern about Germany's political deadlock, adding that he hoped Berlin would remain a "stable and strong" partner to allow the two partners to "move forward together," his office said.

The euro and Germany's blue-chip DAX stock market index fell slightly on the news of the stalemate, but later clawed back early losses.

- 'Populist agitation' -

After more than a month of gruelling negotiations, the leader of the pro-business FDP, Christian Lindner, walked out of talks overnight, saying there was no "basis of trust" to forge a government with Merkel's conservative CDU-CSU alliance and the left-leaning Greens.

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The acrimonious negotiations stumbled on a series of issues, in particular immigration.

Merkel has let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, sparking a backlash that allowed the far-right AfD party to win its first seats in parliament.

The AfD's parliamentary co-leader Alexander Gauland welcomed the collapse of the talks, saying that Merkel had "failed" and that his party "looks forward to potential new elections" in which it hopes to make further gains.

The negotiating parties also differed on environmental issues, with the Greens wanting to phase out coal-fired power plants and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasised the need to protect industry and jobs.

The Greens angrily deplored the FDP's decision, accusing it of negotiating in bad faith.

Lindner, who had taken a harder line on refugees as the talks progressed, "opted for his kind of populist agitation instead of political responsibility", Reinhard Buetikofer, a Greens MEP, said on Twitter.

Sternly reminding politicians of their duty in public service, Steinmeier said: "Building a government has always been a difficult process of give and take, but the mandate to form a government is... perhaps the highest mandate given by voters to a party in a democracy. And this mandate remains."

"This is the moment where all participants need to reconsider their attitude," he added.

- Chancellor in danger -

Steinmeier said he would now hold talks with leaders of parties involved in the coalition talks.

But crucially, he also told the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to make itself available for coalition talks.

After suffering a humiliating loss at the ballot box, the SPD's leaders have repeatedly said that they will not renew an alliance with Merkel and that the party's place is now in the opposition.

Minutes before Steinmeier's statement, SPD chairman Martin Schulz had reiterated that his party was "not available to form a new grand coalition" with Merkel's conservative bloc.

Merkel said she was "ready for talks" with the SPD, with which, she said she "worked well together" in a coalition since 2013.

Voters in central Berlin expressed shock about the sudden injection of high drama into the often staid world of German politics.

Sarah Untheim, 23, said she feared the "very chaotic" outcome could help the AfD mobilise more supporters.

But law student Alexander Streb, 20, said he believed the upheaval did not spell "the end of the Merkel era".

"She stands for stability, that's also why young people like her," he told AFP.
Marlan Sheldon Ness, 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse.

Marlan was born in Hustler, Wis., Aug. 19, 1932, to Clarence and Ruth (Albertson) Ness. He was baptized and confirmed in the Christian Faith at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hustler. He attended Tunnel Grade School and New Lisbon High School.

Marlan worked at Waukesha Motors and The Weber Brewery, after which he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served at Fort Lewis, Wash., and served during the Korean War. He met Gyneth Wagenson on a blind date in 1957, and they were united in marriage Sept. 19, 1959, at St. Peters Lutheran Church in Shennington, Wis. Marlan joined the Wisconsin National Guard with the 32nd Brigade in May of 1959. He was called up for the Berlin Crisis in 1961. He was employed as a supply technician for USPFO For Wisconsin, Camp Williams, until he retired Dec. 31, 1988. After retirement, Marlan worked as a painter at Volk Field. He also enjoyed spending his time helping out at Twin Bluffs Country Market greenhouse. There he acquired the nickname of Petunia Man, as he transplanted many, many petunias.

He was a long-time member of the Camp Douglas Lions Club, and he recently was given special recognition for 50 years with the Camp Douglas American Legion Post 133. He served as director for the Lemonweir Valley Telephone Company board for 18 years. He was an active member of St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Camp Douglas and served on the church council several times throughout the years. He was a long-time member and past president of the St. Stephens Cemetery Board.

In his spare time, Marlan enjoyed fishing, hunting, bowling, playing cards, attending his granddaughters ball games, watching westerns and Americas Funniest Home Videos, and spending time with his dog, Princess. His three-year-old great-grandson, Hunter, brought him great joy, and his visits meant the world to him. Every Tuesday he joined his friends for coffee clutch at Camp Douglas Travel Mart. Most people who knew Marlan are aware of the fact that he had a love for bacon cheeseburgers. He always said you cant do anything wrong with a cheeseburger.

Marlan is survived by his wife of 58 years, Gyneth; son, Jeffery (Karol Knapp) Ness of New Lisbon; daughter, Kathy (Kevin) Niles of New Lisbon; brother, Claire (Nancy) Ness of Camp Douglas; sister, Darlene (Robert) Hunter of Cross Fork, Pa.; brother-in-law, Rodney Wagenson of Camp Douglas; sister-in-law, Susan Wagenson of Shiocton; grandchildren, Krista (William) Kobleska, Jill Niles, Morgan (Terry Paulson) Ness, Mackensea (Kurt) Starkey; great-grandson, Hunter Kobleska; nieces, nephews, and very special friends, Loren and Helen Laehn. He was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws, Claire and Clara Wagenson; and brother-in-law, Jerry Wagenson. A sister-in-law, Sue Wagenson, passed away several hours after Marlan.

The family extends their sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Mile Bluff Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic Health Care in La Crosse.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Stephens Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 283, Camp Douglas, WI 54618.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, at St. Stephens Lutheran Church, 215 Douglas St., in Camp Douglas. Relatives and friends are invited to a visitation from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, at the Hare Funeral Home, 217 W. Pearl St., in New Lisbon. The Rev. Jeff Ruetten presiding. Burial with military honors will take place in the St. Stephens Lutheran Cemetery.

The Hare Funeral Home in New Lisbon is assisting the family with services. Online guestbook available at www.harefuneralhome.com.
Beirut (AFP) - The head of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah on Monday flatly denied Arab accusations his group had sent weapons to conflict-ridden regional countries, while celebrating his fighters' military wins abroad.

The Arab League denounced Hezbollah during an extraordinary meeting in Cairo on Sunday, calling the group "terrorist" and demanding it stop intervening in regional conflicts and "spreading extremism".

Saudi Arabia called the ministerial-level meeting to discuss "violations" by its rival Tehran, which backs armed movements across the region, including Hezbollah.

The Sunni kingdom was furious after intercepting what it said was a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh by Shiite Yemeni rebels and supplied by Iran, which has denied the allegation.

In a televised address on Monday, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah said his group was not involved in the attack.

"No one from Lebanon's Hezbollah has anything to do with the launch of this missile," Nasrallah said.

He also rejected accusations that Hezbollah was sending weapons to regional conflict zones.

"I want to formally deny it: we did not send weapons to Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, or Iraq," Nasrallah said.

The Arab League meeting's concluding statement said it would hold Hezbollah "responsible for supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations in Arab countries with modern weapons and ballistic missiles".

Nasrallah mocked the accusations as "foolish," but stopped short of his typical vitriol against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

"We haven't sent weapons to any Arab country -- no ballistic missiles, advanced weapons, not even a pistol," he said, later clarifying that his fighters had sent arms to the Palestinian territories and had taken arms with them to Syria.

- 'Mission accomplished' -

Even as he rejected accusations of regional meddling, Nasrallah lauded Hezbollah's involvement in battlefield victories against the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq.

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In recent days, IS has lost control of the last towns it held in both countries, capping the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base.

Nasrallah said Monday he was ready to pull Hezbollah's fighters back from Iraq after IS lost the town of Rawa near the border with Syria.

"We consider that the mission has been accomplished, but we are waiting for the final, Iraqi announcement of victory," he said.

He said the group had deployed "large numbers of our commanders and cadres" to Iraq.

"If we find that it's over, that there is no need for the presence of these brothers, they will return to be deployed in any other arena that needs them," Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah has also dispatched thousands of fighters to neighbouring Syria, where they are bolstering President Bashar al-Assad's troops.

Regime forces and allied militia on Sunday ousted IS from Albu Kamal, the last town the jihadists had controlled in Syria.

"Today, with the liberation of the last pocket... of Albu Kamal, history will mark the end of Daesh as a state," Nasrallah said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

He admitted that a "large number" of Hezbollah fighters had lost their lives in the assault on Albu Kamal.

- 'Do not intervene' -

For more than a decade, Lebanon's political class has been largely split between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, and a Saudi-supported coalition led by prime minister Saad Hariri.

In a televised broadcast from Riyadh earlier this month, Hariri sent shockwaves across the region by announcing he was stepping down from the premiership.

He has yet to return to Lebanon, spending two weeks in Saudi Arabia before flying to Paris.

Hariri said he would be in Beirut by Wednesday to take part in Lebanon's Independence Day celebrations.

His extended stay in Riyadh prompted accusations -- even from Lebanese President Michel Aoun -- that Hariri was being held "hostage" by Saudi authorities.

On Monday, Nasrallah said he did not consider Hariri's resignation to be final, and said all Lebanese factions were awaiting the premier's arrival.

"The priority is the return of PM Saad Hariri to Lebanon," he said, adding that he was "open" to dialogue.

Nasrallah then turned the Arab League's accusation on its head, warning others not to meddle in Lebanon.

"Do not intervene in Lebanon's affairs, like the blatant, brazen intervention we have seen over the past two weeks."
By Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday his Iran-backed group had not sent any weapons to Yemen and denied that it was behind the firing of a ballistic missile at Riyadh from Yemeni territory held by Tehran-allied Houthi forces. In a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also urged followers to listen to recent comments by Israeli officials which he said pointed to ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Hezbollah's arch foe. An Israeli cabinet minister said this week that Israel has had covert contacts with Riyadh amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings. Nasrallah also heaped criticism on Arab states that accused Hezbollah of terrorism at an emergency Arab League meeting on Sunday. He called the charge "trivial and ridiculous", asking why Arab states were silent about what he described as the destructive war a Saudi-led coalition has waged in Yemen. "I confirm to them, no ballistic missiles, no advanced weapons, and no guns ... we did not send weapons to Yemen," or Bahrain, or Kuwait, or Iraq, he said. Hezbollah had however sent arms to Palestinian territories, including anti-tank missiles, Nasrallah said. "I take pride in that. And in Syria there are the weapons we are fighting with," he said. Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, whose rivalry has wrought upheaval in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain. Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Sunday at the request of Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to confront Iran and Hezbollah over their role in the region. Saudi Arabia has accused the heavily armed Shi'ite Hezbollah of helping Houthi rebels in Yemen and playing a role in the ballistic missile attack this month. Riyadh has been bogged down in the war it launched against the Houthis in Yemen in 2015. "I categorically deny it," Nasrallah said. "No man from Lebanese Hezbollah had any part in the firing of this missile or any missiles fired previously." OPEN TO DIALOGUE Lebanon was thrust back to the forefront of the power struggle between Riyadh and Tehran after its prime minister quit abruptly in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia this month. In his shock resignation speech, Saad al-Hariri accused Iran and Hezbollah of "sowing strife" in the region. Lebanese state officials and politicians close to Hariri say he was held in Riyadh against his will and forced to resign, which Riyadh and Hariri denied. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has refused to accept the resignation until Hariri comes home. A long-time Saudi ally and Sunni leader, Hariri flew to France at the weekend and is expected to return to Beirut in time for independence day celebrations on Wednesday. "We are all waiting for the return of the prime minister, whom we still consider has not resigned," Nasrallah said. "When he comes, we will see. We are open to any dialogue and any discussion that happens in the country." Hariri took office last year in a power-sharing deal that saw Aoun, a Hezbollah political ally, become president. His coalition government includes Hezbollah, a military and political movement that wields great influence in Lebanon. Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to support the Damascus government against mostly Sunni Syrian rebel factions, some of whom have received Saudi aid, and Islamic State militants. Nasrallah also thanked Major-General Qassem Soleimani for what he described as his huge role in fighting Islamic State in the eastern Syrian town of Albu Kamal. Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, led the battle from the frontlines from the very beginning, he said. "The battle must continue with the same strength ... and we must continue working to end the remnants of Daesh," he said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Hezbollah could withdraw its large number of commanders from Iraq once Islamic State was defeated there, he said. (Reporting by Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam; Editing by Tom Perry and Janet Lawrence)
Mumbai (AFP) - Indian filmmakers said they have delayed indefinitely the release of a Bollywood historical epic about a legendary Hindu queen that has been the subject of weeks of violent protests.

Caste-based groups have been targeting "Padmavati", which was due to hit screens on December 1, over rumours that the movie will depict a romance between the queen and a Muslim ruler.

In a statement late Sunday Viacom18 Motion Pictures said they had "voluntarily deferred" the release date of the film, which has yet to be certified by India's censor board.

"We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course," it said.

The movie first ran into opposition in January when protesters belonging to the Rajput Karni Sena caste-based group attacked director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and vandalised the set during filming in Jaipur in Rajasthan.

The protesters are apparently unhappy about speculation that the film will include a romantic liaison between Rajput queen Padmavati, also known as Rani Padmini, and the 13th and 14th century Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji.

The Rajput caste were historically Hindu warriors who ruled over kingdoms in western India.

Rajput Karni Sena accuse the film's makers of distorting historical facts, but historians say the queen is a mythical character and there is no clear evidence that she even existed.

Protesters attacked another set near Mumbai in March, burning costumes and other props.

They have stepped up protests in recent weeks, including making death threats against lead actress Deepika Padukone and Bhansali and demanding to preview the movie before it is released.

- 'Bullies' -

Last week the leader of another caste-related group, the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM), offered 50 million rupees ($769,000) to anyone who "beheaded" Padukone and Bhansali.

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Followers have burned effigies of the actress and the threats led Mumbai police to beef up their security of Padukone and the director.

India's Hindi film industry churns out hundreds of movies every year but filmmakers often face intimidation from fringe groups, fuelling fears over creative freedom in the country.

The censor board has so far refused to certify the movie, saying the producers' application form was "incomplete" while several politicians have also weighed into the controversy.

On Monday the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, a member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the film could not be screened in the state "if historical facts are distorted".

The deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, also a BJP politician, had earlier called for "controversial portions" to be removed from the movie.

Cast members have called for detractors not to rush to judgement before seeing the film for themselves while several Bollywood personalities have come out in support of the movie and its team.

"Sad that bullies have prevailed again. The government's stance is disappointing but not unexpected," Hansal Mehta, a director, wrote in a tweet.

Actress Sonam Kapoor said she was "appalled" at the controversy, describing it as "ludicrous".

The movie stars Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh, the husband of Padmavati, and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji who leads an invasion to try to capture the queen.
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq's top court on Monday declared the Kurdish north's independence referendum in September to be unconstitutional, firing a new salvo in the political crisis with the autonomous region.

The legal move marked the latest stage in the dispute between Baghdad and Kurdish regional capital Arbil sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding "yes" vote for independence in the Kurdish area.

A statement said the Supreme Court "rendered a decision declaring unconstitutional the referendum held on September 25, 2017 in Iraqi Kurdistan... and cancelling all the consequences and results".

Last week, as the deadline announced by the court for its decision on the constitutionality of the referendum approached, the Kurdistan government said it "respected" the decisions taken by Iraq's highest court.

It also said it respected a previous decision on Article 1 in the constitution insisting on Iraqi unity, which could be a basis for dialogue.

On Monday, the court again cited this article in its ruling, saying that the holding of the Kurdish independence referendum "contradicts and contravenes it", its spokesman Ayas al-Samuk said in the statement.

Parliament in Baghdad is currently reviewing the federal budget for the coming year, including the allocation for the Kurdish region.

Kurdish premier Nechirvan Barzani at a press conference in Arbil denounced the court's "unilateral" decision taken without consulting representatives of the autonomous region.

He also said he was "ready for dialogue" with Baghdad.

Earlier Abdel Salam Barwari, a former deputy and member of former Kurdish leader Massud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party, also rejected it.

"It was a predictable decision given the past of this court and the fact that it has now become a political tool," he told AFP.

In Baghdad, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the court decision, saying his government "rejected this referendum and refused to have anything to do with it".

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- Severe repercussions -

Last month, the UN Security Council urged the Iraqi government and regional leaders in Kurdistan to set a timetable for talks to end the crisis.

The world body's appeal came after Baghdad dismissed an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and hold talks.

Rejecting the freeze offer, Abadi instead demanded the annulment of the independence vote.

September's referendum was initiated by Barzani, for whom the repercussions were severe.

At the end of October he announced he was stepping aside, having lost almost all of the territory disputed between Arbil and Baghdad.

On October 16, Iraqi government and paramilitary forces had moved in to take over all of the disputed areas.

Under the constitution, these areas come under the central government in Baghdad, with their status to be discussed in future negotiations.

The Kurds also lost all of the oil resources in Kirkuk province that could have ensured the viability of a hypothetical Kurdish state.

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and in the wake of the chaos created in 2014 by a sweeping Islamic State group offensive, Kurdish peshmerga forces had filled a security vacuum in the north.

But in the space of just two weeks, Baghdad retook control of almost all of these areas with the aim of returning to the "blue line" of 2003, limiting Iraqi Kurdistan to the three northern provinces of Dohuk, Arbil and Sulaimaniyah.

The two sides also took part in a tit-for-tat wave of arrest warrants aimed at respective political and military figures.

The Kurds issued warrants for 11 Iraqi figures, and a Baghdad court did the same for the organisers of the referendum and the vice-president of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The crisis with the Kurdish areas came with Baghdad also battling to rid the country of the remnants of the jihadist fighters who had dug in after their lightning campaign three years ago swept across swathes of neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir has consistently denied secret talks between his country and Israel - AFP

An Israeli minister has publicly admitted for the first time that Israel and Saudi Arabia have been in covert contact as both countries strive to confront Iran in the Middle East.

The Jewish state and the Arab kingdom do not have formal diplomatic relations but there have long been rumours and reports of the two sides secretly working together.

Yuval Steinitz, Israels energy minister, confirmed there had been contact between Israel and Saudi Arabia but said that Riyadh was eager to keep the cooperation a secret.

"We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed, Mr Steinitz said.

"It's the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other side's wish, when ties are developing, whether it's with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries.

Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted of improved but secret ties between Israel and the "moderate Sunni states" in the Middle East Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Saudi Arabias leaders are deeply sensitive to claims that they are working with Israel because the Jewish state is still seen as an enemy by much of the Saudi public.

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, has said several times in the last two years that Saudi Arabia has no relationship with Israel and no secret back channels.

Asked about the persistent reports that Saudi Arabia and Israel were cooperating against Iran, Mr Jubeir said last week that there could only be a relationship between the two countries if there was a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

#_ : #     #          ... pic.twitter.com/zrc1eiZpBT     (@5a1di) July 24, 2016

"We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we don't have relations with Israel," he said.

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There was no immediate Saudi response to the Israeli ministers comments.

Israel and Saudi Arabia both see Iran as a major threat and there have been public signs of their warming ties since Donald Trump took office.

After visiting Riyadh in February, Mr Trump told Israelis that he found the Saudi leadership to be very positive towards Israel.

Israels top military commander gave an unprecedented interview to a Saudi newspaper last week in which he offered to share intelligence against Iran.

Both Israel and Saudi Arabia speak often about the threat from Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group which is supported by Iran.

Jerusalem says Hizbollah is amassing weapons in southern Lebanon with the aim of attacking Israel while Riyadh accuses Hizbollah of helping rebels in Yemen to launch missiles into Saudi Arabia.
By Jeffrey Heller and Stephen Kalin JERUSALEM/RIYADH (Reuters) - An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings. The Saudi government had no immediate response to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's remarks. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together. Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war, territory Palestinians seek for a future state. U.S. President Donald Trump's peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office. In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, did not characterise the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was "hiding its ties" with Saudi Arabia. He replied: "We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed. "It's the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other side's wish, when ties are developing, whether it's with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more ... (but) we keep it secret." In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, asked about reports of cooperation with Israel, cited a Saudi peace initiative, first adopted in 2002 by the Arab League, as key to forging any relationship. "We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we don't have relations with Israel," he said. That plan makes those relations contingent on a full withdrawal by Israel from territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem. Netanyahu has expressed tentative support for parts of the initiative, but there are many caveats on the Israeli side. INTELLIGENCE SHARING Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Steinitz's remarks "won't surprise anyone who's been paying attention to the budding courtship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is being especially pushed by the Israeli side". Last week, the Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot, told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share "intelligence information" with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran. Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group. Ibish said that given the mutual threat perceptions shared by Israel and Gulf Arab countries, it is unlikely that covert ties aren't developing. But he said Israeli officials have tended to exaggerate such interactions in a bid to "drive down the price they may have to pay, especially on Palestinian issues, to expand strategic relations and ties with Arab countries". In public remarks in September, Netanyahu pointed to covert relationships with Arab states, saying, without mentioning any by name, that cooperation exists "in various ways and different levels". Also in September, Israel Radio reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel that month, drawing an official denial from Riyadh. Last month, Saudi former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal shared a stage with ex-Israeli Mossad spy agency director Efraim Halevy at a debate on Iran in a New York synagogue. In 2016, former Saudi general Anwar Eshki visited Israel, where he met Israeli legislators, to promote - as he has at various academic forums - the Saudi peace initiative. (This version of the story corrects Saudi foreign minister's first name in paragraph 9 to Adel, not Abdel) (Additional reporting by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Editing by Kevin Liffey, David Evans and Adrian Croft)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews battled Israeli police near Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem on Monday, with 33 people arrested in the latest protests against compulsory military service, police said.

In mainly ultra-Orthodox Bnei Brak, adjacent to Tel Aviv, protesters threw firecrackers at riot officers and blocked streets, a police statement said.

Two policemen were injured and 28 protesters arrested, it said, during what it called "severe violence".

"The Israel police will act with determination and zero tolerance against any attempt to disturb public order, endanger passersby and road users, and disrupt the lives of residents," the Hebrew-language statement added.

In Jerusalem, it said, five "ultra-Orthodox extremists" were arrested during a protest outside an army draft centre, during which they attempted to block vehicles leaving the building.

A series of such protests in recent months has been spurred by the occasional arrests of ultra-Orthodox young men accused of dodging military service.

Haaretz newspaper said Monday's confrontations and similar incidents a day earlier were sparked by the Sunday sentencing of 11 ultra-Orthodox young men to 90 days in jail for draft evasion.

It said that, in response, an influential rabbi ordered his followers to "go out to the city streets and protest for the honour of the Torah, which has been trampled into the dust".

Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two.

Ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption.

Those who are not exempt must enlist and are subject to arrest by military police if they refuse.

In September, a decision by Israel's supreme court struck down the law exempting them.

But the court suspended its ruling for one year, giving the government time to pass a new law.

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The ruling raises the possibility that the ultra-Orthodox could be forced into service, a highly contentious proposition with political implications.

Ultra-Orthodox parties are a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition and have often acted as kingmakers in Israeli politics.

The ultra-Orthodox are against serving for a variety of reasons.

Some do not recognise Israel, believing a Jewish state is not allowed before the coming of the Messiah.

Others argue that religious study is just as important to Israel as military service, or that ultra-Orthodox soldiers would be confronted with strong language and other irreligious behaviour.

Around 10 percent of Israel's eight million people are considered ultra-Orthodox.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen announced Monday that she will leave the U.S. central bank when her term ends in February.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump named Jerome Powell, a Republican Fed governor who worked closely with Yellen, as the next Fed chair. Powell is now up for Senate confirmation, which he is widely expected to receive.

Although Yellens term as chair would end once Powell takes office in February, she had the opportunity to stay on as a Fed governor until Jan. 31, 2024.

In a Monday letter to Trump, Yellen revealed that she would not be availing herself of that opportunity.

As I prepare to leave the Board, I am gratified that the financial system is much stronger than a decade ago, better able to withstand future bouts of instability and continue supporting the economic aspirations of American family and businesses, she wrote in the letter. I am also gratified by the substantial improvement in the economy since the crisis.

The White House responded to Yellens announcement by praising her tenure.

The president has great respect for Chair Yellen and her service as Chair of the Federal Reserve. He wishes her well in her future endeavors, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen announced on Monday that she would leave the central bank in February. (Photo: DANIEL ROLAND/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama appointed Yellen as chair of the Federal Reserve in October 2013, as then-Fed chair Ben Bernankes second 4-year term came to an end. The Senate went on to confirm Yellen, making her the first woman to lead the United States powerful central bank when she took office in February 2014.

Obama had originally hoped to name his former economic adviser Lawrence Summers to the top post. But he bowed to pressure from womens groups and other progressive activists to name Yellen instead.

Summers had once suggested that women might have intrinsically less aptitude for math and science. He also elicited the ire of left-leaning activists for his support of 1990s-era financial deregulation and failure to anticipate the financial crisis of 2008.

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When Obama appointed Yellen, she was serving as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Prior to that she had served as president of the regional Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and was a longtime economist at the University of California, Berkeley.

Yellen is generally credited with enabling the current run of economic growth by maintaining low interest rates well into the recovery from the Great Recession. In December 2015, Yellen raised the central banks federal funds rate, a benchmark that influences borrowing costs throughout the economy, marking the first such hike since the 2008 financial crisis.

Yellen drew praise from progressives for resisting pressure to raise rates earlier and raising it further only gradually thereafter.

The single most important thing that she has done since 2014 is restrain the pace of the tightening of monetary policy and allow the economy to continue producing more jobs, said Andrew Levin, a Dartmouth College economist, who spent two decades at the Fed, including as a special adviser to Chair Bernanke and then-Vice Chair Yellen. "We have had 10 million new jobs under her tenure  and that number might have been half as big or zero under a different Fed chair.

Yellen was also willing to use her perch as Fed chair to expound on the Feds role in reducing economic inequality, including the wide disparity in opportunities available to workers of color as compared to white workers.

The Fed Up campaign, a coalition of progressive groups that pushes the Fed to prioritize full employment, urged President Trump to re-appoint Yellen.

The organization lamented Yellens decision to leave the central bank.

Janet Yellens retirement is a loss for working people across the country, said Jordan Haedtler, Fed Up campaign manager, in a statement. Janet Yellen did more than most of her predecessors to achieve the Feds objectives of maximum employment and stable prices.

Yellen showed remarkable leadership and spoke out about economic inequality, racial disparities in the economy, the role of women in the workplace, and the need for more diversity at the Fed, Haedtler added.

Despite some initial skepticism, Yellen even won over many Wall Street insiders, who benefit from higher rates, but value steady economic growth above all.

At one point during the 2016 presidential election, Trump went after Yellen for keeping rates low, which he claimed she did to benefit the incumbent Democratic Party  and by default, Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Since taking office he has changed his tun and claimed that he was seriously considering appointing her to a second term.

When Trump ultimately named Powell to the post, he praised Yellen as a a wonderful woman, whos done a terrific job.

At the time, some analysts deemed Trumps decision sexist, since he was replacing her with Powell, who unlike Yellen, has less experience at the Fed and no advanced degree in economics.

Denying Yellen reappointment fits the trend in this administration of marginalizing the views of women, people of color, and working families in favor of white men with ties to Wall Street, Fed Up said in its Monday statement.

Also on HuffPost

U.S. President Donald Trump flies via Marine One helicopter over the Tokyo suburbs to meet Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Japan.

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wave to reporters after they signed hats reading 'Donald and Shinzo, Make Alliance Even Greater'.

President Donald Trump gestures to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as Japanese professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama looks on, as they play golf at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, north of Tokyo, Japan.

President Donald Trump pours fish food out as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks on while they were feeding carps before their working lunch at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo.

President Donald Trump puts on a U.S. Pacific Air Forces bomber jacket before delivering remarks to members of the U.S. military at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

First Lady Melania Trump shows her calligraphy with Akie Abe, wife of Japanese prime minister, while attending a calligraphy class of 4th graders at the Kyobashi Tsukiji elementary school in Tokyo.

Melania Trump and Japan's first lady Akie Abe visit Kyobashi Tsukiji elementary school in Tokyo.

President Donald Trump smiles during a joint press conference with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea.

White House senior staff discuss the situation as U.S. President Donald Trump sits in his car after being grounded from an attempt to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the truce village of Panmunjom dividing North Korea and South Korea, at a U.S. military post in Seoul.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania visit the Forbidden City.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with opera performers at the Forbidden City.

President Donald Trump departs Seoul in Marine One while en-route to Osan Air Base, South Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrive on Air Force One in Beijing, China, November 8, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrive on Air Force One at Beijing, China.

U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony at the Great hall of the People in Beijing, China.

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shakes hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport.

Melania Trump smiles with children holding U.S. and China flags as she visits Beijing Zoo.

Melania Trump visits the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) as they pose for a group photo ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit leaders gala dinner in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 10, 2017.

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All it takes is a little bit of water and sunlight to power Elliott de Boer and Dugen Pippingers car.

The two Onalaska High School sophomores built their hydrogen-powered vehicle as one of their projects in teacher Ben Heisers principles of engineering course. The class, which makes use of the high schools new fab lab, gives students a brief overview of the different kinds of engineering disciplines available from mechanical to electrical to structural.

Students learn the basics of gears and motors, Heiser said, as well as hooking up a circuit or designing a structure to bear a load. All of these concepts are tied together through the many hands-on projects where students can forge their own path in solving a problem or meeting a need.

It gives these kids an opportunity to interact and explore, Heiser said. It lets them explore a number of career paths and see what they like and dont like.

Dugen and de Boer built their vehicle using one of the schools six kits from VEX Robotics. The $3,500 kits are shared amongst the student groups and allowed them to design their vehicle with different types of wheels, gears and other design elements.

Powering the vehicle, which is about the size of a shoe box, is a hydrogen fuel cell. Using a solar panel, distilled water in the cell is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical process called electrolysis.

That energy is then converted back into water, as well as powering the motor that turns the cars wheels. The only byproduct of the reaction is water, the two students said, meaning the system has no emissions.

It was fun being able to create electricity using only the sun and distilled water, Dugen said. The process creates a battery with the hydrogen.

The hydrogen cells could be a little finicky, de Boer said, and the group actually had to custom-build a part of their vehicle to make it work. Their original plan called for large tires, but those created too much friction, meaning the vehicle wouldnt move.

Instead, the two designed their own wheels and cut them out of plywood using a laser printer. Having the fab lab and its assortment of 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC robots, meant students could go their own way on their projects instead of just following a plan or a kit.

We could have done a standard kit, but where is the fun in that, said Dugen, who hopes to be an aerospace engineer someday. We went our own way on this project.

That is one of the great things about having the fab lab and the engineering class, Heiser said. These hands-on projects let students explore the why behind the concepts they learn in science and math classes as well as explore alternative ideas or ways to try and solve a problem.

One of the earlier projects in the class gave the students even more leeway as all they were given was a motor and a problem to solve: create a tow system that can lift a 200-pound person up a ski hill. In order to make their machine, the students had to 3D print, design and test all their ideas to scale.

Kids learn all this information in school, Heiser said. But it can be hard to picture and to apply. I love to see the light bulb go off in their heads as they make these connections.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday that his government will offer a formal apology for its past discrimination against LGBTQ citizens.

Trudeau will apologize for the persecution & injustices [LGBTQ people] have suffered at the House of Commons next week, according to a tweet from him and an invitation to the event obtained by the Canadian outlet The Globe and Mail.

The address is expected to be the most comprehensive ever offered by any national government for past persecution of sexual minorities, the outlet wrote.

On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 19, 2017

Trudeaus address will likely focus largely on Canadas past treatment of LGBTQ service members and other government employees. From the 1950s until 1992, many of those the government suspected of being gay were interrogated, put through humiliating tests to expose their sexual orientation and expelled from their Canadian government positions.

The forthcoming apology is one of several redresses recommended by the Canadian LGBTQ advocacy group Egale, which has been working with Trudeaus administration to address sexual minority equality issues in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to the crowd as he marches in the Pride Parade in Toronto in June. (Photo: Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images)

The planned apology comes as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to walk back American progress in the same sphere. In August, Trump released a memorandum banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, just over a year after the Pentagons 2016 decision to lift the ban. However, a federal judge last month blocked its enforcement.

Since his 2015 election, Trudeau has also issued apologies for Canadas past treatment of indigenous peoples and for the so-called Komagata Maru incident in 1914, in which Canada denied entry to hundreds of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu passengers and forced them to return to a violent situation back in India.

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Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's Supreme Court is due to rule Monday on whether President Uhuru Kenyatta can be sworn in for a second term or if there must be yet another vote.

The dispute over this year's presidential elections has left the country deeply divided, with protests and clashes between opposition supporters and police commonplace.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga won an unprecedented court victory overturning the result of the original August 8 poll after claims hackers broke into the electoral commission database and manipulated the results.

That led to a rerun last month that Odinga boycotted, claiming the vote would not be free and fair.

After hearing two days of arguments on the validity of the second vote, Chief Justice David Maraga said last week a six-judge bench would hand down its decision Monday -- the constitutional deadline.

The ruling will either call for a third presidential election to be held within 60 days or clear the way for Kenyatta's swearing in on November 28.

Former lawmaker and businessman John Harun Mwau submitted one petition challenging the vote, while another was filed jointly by Njonjo Mue, a human rights and judicial expert, and Khelef Khalifa, director of Muslims for Human Rights.

Although Kenyatta obtained 98 percent of votes cast last month, voter turnout was only 39 percent, down from 79 percent in August, after the opposition boycotted the new election saying the election commission had not instituted wide-ranging reforms necessary for a free and fair vote.

The opposition has since called for demonstrations, economic boycotts of certain companies and a campaign of civil disobedience.

Lawyers for Mwau have argued that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should have conducted fresh nominations ahead of the October 26 vote.

Mue and Khalifa's counsel has argued that violence and intimidation and a lack of independence for the IEBC -- whose own chairman Wafula Chebukati claimed he could not guarantee a free and fair election -- meant the rerun vote was not in line with the constitution.

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Chebukati later changed his mind and said the election could go ahead.

Maraga was thrust into the spotlight after annulling the original August 8 vote, a decision hailed worldwide as an opportunity to deepen Kenya's democracy and set an example for other African nations.

But the decision led instead to unrest and acrimony that has left the nation bruised and deeply divided. Kenyatta has said he will abide by the final ruling "no matter its outcomes".

Before the second vote, the Supreme Court had found by a majority vote of four judges to two that the initial election was marred by widespread illegalities and irregularities.

However, a last-minute Supreme Court hearing on the eve of the rerun challenging the legality of the election was scrapped when only two judges turned up raising fears the bench may have been compromised.
On Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim Kardashian West found herself witnessing first hand the homeless epidemic on Los Angeles's Skid Row after a visit to the Museum of Ice Cream with her family. After seeing the problem, she said, "I just want to work with one, like, some organization. I don't know which one, or where to go, but I just feel like there's something that we can do to help." Kim met with Andi Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission and took in a bird's eye view of the tent encampments from their rooftop. Bales explained that there are 47,000 people on the streets but only 12,000 shelter beds to go to. Kim also met women in the shelter who shared their stories of financial hardship. And after learning about LA City Councilwoman, Nury Martinez on her phone, she met with her in person and was shown the homelessness problem in the San Fernando Valley but this time they took a walk in one of the tent encampments. Martinez commented, "We're not trying to arrest anybody-- we're just simply trying to figure out, 'How did you get here? Are you willing to accept services?' And then we'll bring in the team to assess it." Kim ended up at L.A.'s Alexandria House, which provides safe and supportive transitional housing for women and children. And she brought the swag. "We are partnering with companies like Priv and Cost Plus World Market to provide some great products and services," she said. Ultimately, Kim hoped this episode would help raise awareness on a very serious and growing problem, and help the women at the Alexandria house "pamper" themselves. "You know, today I just wanted to pamper you guys," she said, "We have people inside that are gonna talk to you about money management and things that I wish they taught in high school and in schools that they just never really teach you, and women in there to help you write resumes for jobs. It's just a pampering day 'cause you guys really all deserve it so much." If you would like to donate actual money to the Alexandria House or Union Rescue Mission, click here or here.
(NEW ORLEANS)  LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first woman mayor of New Orleans.

The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.

Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, were still making history, Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech.

The leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted.

Her opponent, former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet, conceded the race and congratulated Cantrell late Saturday. Later, complete returns showed Cantrell with 60 percent of the vote.

I do not regret one moment of anything about this campaign, Charbonnet said.

The two women led a field of 18 candidates in an October general election to win runoff spots.

Landrieu earned credit for accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in an administration cited for reduced blight, improvements in the celebrated tourism economy and economic development that included last weeks announcement that a digital services company is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the city.

But Cantrell will face lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing the citys drinking water system and storm drainage  a problem that became evident during serious flash flooding in August.

About 32 percent of city voters took part in last months election. It was unclear whether turnout would surpass that on Saturday.

Cantrell faced questions about her use of a city credit card. Charbonnet had to fight back against critics who cast her as an insider who would steer city work to cronies.

Katrina was a theme in the backstories of both candidates. Cantrell moved to the city from California. Her work as a neighborhood activist in the aftermath of Katrina in the hard-hit Broadmoor neighborhood helped her win a seat on council in 2012.

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Charbonnet, from a well-known political family in New Orleans, was the citys elected recorder of mortgages before she was a judge. In the campaign she made a point of saying hers was the first city office to re-open after Katrina, providing critical property records to the displaced.

Cantrell entered the race as the perceived front-runner, leading in fundraising and in various polls. She had an 11 percentage point lead in a poll released last week by the University of New Orleans. It showed 46 percent of 602 voters surveyed from Nov. 1-8 favored Cantrell over Charbonnet, who had 35 percent; 20 percent were undecided.

Former state civil court Judge Michael Bagneris, who finished third in last months race, endorsed Cantrell, as did Troy Henry, a businessman who also ran for the post last month.

UNO political science professor Edward Chervenak said the endorsements appeared to help Cantrell overcome revelations that she had used her city-issued credit card for thousands of dollars in purchases without clear indications that they were for public purposes. The money was eventually reimbursed but questions lingered about whether she had improperly used city money for personal or campaign expenditures.

Voters also made history in a New Orleans City Council race.

Cyndi Nguyen defeated incumbent James Gray in an eastern New Orleans district. An immigrant who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 5 in 1975, Nguyen is the organizer of a nonprofit and will be the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the council.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (L) at the Elysee Palace in Paris - Anadolu

Saad Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister, has said he will return to Beirut in the coming days and explain his sudden resignation - and mysterious stay in Saudi Arabia - which has sparked political turmoil in Lebanon.

"I will participate in the celebrations for our independence (on Wednesday) and it is there that I will make known my position on all the issues after meeting with the president of our republic, General Michel Aoun," he told reporters in Paris.

Mr Hariri made the promise at the Elysee palace after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which he thanked France, a former colonial ruler of Lebanon, for the "positive political role" it is playing in the Middle East.

Mr Macron leveraged Frances close relations with both Saudi Arabia and Lebanon to secure a deal that saw Mr Hariri travel to Paris and begin a possible resolution of the crisis sparked when he announced his resignation on November 4 from Riyadh.

The French leader seized the role of mediator in the crisis after making a surprise visit to the Saudi capital on November 9 and inviting Mr Hariri to Paris to dispel fears that he was being held in Riyadh against his will.

A smiling Mr Hariri posed with his wife and eldest son on the steps of the Elysee on Saturday alongside Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte. His two younger children, who live in Saudi Arabia, have remained there "for their school exams", a source told AFP news agency.

French President Emmanuel Macron (4R) and his wife Brigitte Macron (R) welcome Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (2R), his wife Lara Bachir El-Alzm (3R) and their son Houssam (L) Credit: AFP

His relaxed appearance contrasted sharply with what were seen as wooden, carefully choreographed appearances from Saudi Arabia.

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While Mr Hariri has insisted that he resigned of his own volition, many Lebanese believe that he was forced to step down by Saudi Arabia as part of its regional campaign to confront Iranian influence in the Middle East.

Michel Aoun, Lebanons president and an ally of Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shia group which is closely aligned with Iran, accused Saudi Arabia of holding Mr Hariri hostage in Riyadh and has refused to accept his resignation until he delivers it in person in Beirut.

Maha Yahya, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre, said that whatever Saudi Arabia had hoped to achieve through the resignation of Mr Hariri, a Sunni, it had ended up uniting Lebanese citizens of all sects in anger at Riyadh.

With Lebanon so far what theyve done has backfired. You are in a situation today where Saudi Arabia has undermined the pre-eminent representative of the Sunni community in Lebanon and alienated the Sunni base," she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Saad al-Hariri, attend a meeting the Elysee Palace in Paris Credit: REUTERS

The Arab League is due to meet on Sunday at Saudi Arabias request and Riyadh is pushing its fellow states to aggressively condemn Iran and the firing of a missile from Yemen into Saudi territory two weeks ago.

Saudi Arabia may also try to get its neighbours to pass a resolution condemning Hizbollah, which may not sit well with states like Iraq that have benefitted from the Lebanese groups fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

Other Arab countries are sympathetic to Hizbollahs defiance of Israel and may be reluctant to criticise it in public.

In another development, Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Mr Hariri - whose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hizbollah - was acting under orders from Riyadh.

Mr Hariris stay in Paris, where his family have a plush residence lent to French ex-president Jacques Chirac for several years, may have eased tensions in the Middle East, but the Lebanese PM might face another sort of crisis in the French capital.

His familys construction firm Oger International, which is headquartered in a Parisian suburb, recently went bankrupt, leaving salaries and pensions worth millions of dollars unpaid around the world since 2015.

Dozens of laid-off French employees are suing for millions of euros in French courts to get their money from the company.

Meanwhile, dozens of Saudi Arabias wealthiest men, who were detained in an anti-corruption crackdown, are in their second week of detention in a gilded prison at Riyadhs Ritz Carlton hotel.

Princes, sheikhs and business moguls used to sleeping in royal suites have spent their nights on the floor of the hotel ballrooms under cheap blankets and the watchful eyes of security forces loyal to Mohammed bin Salman.

This week it emerged there was a possible way out of captivity: handing over millions of dollars in assets, shares, and cash to the Saudi state.
Santiago (AFP) - A strong showing by the radical left threw Chile's presidential race wide open and left billionaire Sebastian Pinera with a fight on his hands to secure victory in a runoff, analysts said Monday.

Center-right ex-president Pinera emerged from the first round in front as expected, albeit with a much lower than anticipated 36.6 percent, as Chileans went to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to Socialist President Michelle Bachelet.

Pinera, 67, faces Bachelet's candidate Alejandro Guillier, a 64-year-old former TV news anchor, in the second round on December 17.

But the big winner was new radical left party Frente Amplio, and its leader Beatriz Sanchez, who is set to play a key role in the second round even though Guillier pipped her to the runoff spot by just 160,000 votes.

Sanchez's emergence is "the biggest shock that Chilean politics has had since the return of democracy in 1990," analyst Mauricio Morales from the University of Talca told AFP.

"While polls had pointed to her gaining 13 percent of the vote, her strong outturn of 20.3 percent could mean that a larger than expected number of votes go to Mr. Guillier in the second round," Analysts Capital Economics said in a note.

Santiago Stock Exchange's IPSA index was down 4.5 percent shortly after opening Monday on news of market-friendly Pinera's weaker than expected showing.

The billionaire's Chile Vamos coalition performed weakly in the parallel parliamentary elections, falling short of a majority, which analysts said could hinder his economic agenda.

Pinera's promised market-friendly reforms looked less likely, particularly his plans to lower the corporate tax rate -- which Bachelet has just raised -- and cut red tape in the mining sector, Capital Economics said.

- Faulty polling -

Opinion polls taken before Sanchez's strong showing showed Pinera would comfortably win a runoff against Guillier, who polled 22.7 percent of the vote.

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While Pinera has a big lead, he had been expected to poll up to 43 percent in the first round.

Analysts said Pinera will now be forced to appeal to the far right for support in the second round, after extreme right-candidate Jose Antonio Kast polled strongly, taking 7.9 percent of the votes.

"Pinera came out with eight or nine points below what was expected and this is an ingredient that provides drama and uncertainty to the second round," analyst Marcelo Mella of the University of Santiago told AFP.

"The key will be what the contingent who voted for Beatriz Sanchez will do."

Right wing Senator Andres Allamand said Sanchez's emergence had changed the landscape of Chilean politics, adding a third force to the traditional coalitions of the left and right. "It's a political event of great magnitude," he said.

Sanchez, 46, a seasoned journalist who entered politics only in March, polled more than 1.3 million votes as a representative of the anti-austerity Frente Amplio party. The party also boosted its representation in congress, surging from three to 20 seats.

"The left-wing populist Frente Amplio has enough seats to be a nuisance in Congress. This could ultimately mean that some of Mr. Pinera's reforms are diluted," said Capital Economics.

Mirroring the rise of similar radical parties in Spain and Greece, the new party has drawn together leftist movements, student leaders and disenchanted former Bachelet supporters.

She rounded on the pollsters in a speech to supporters late Sunday, saying they had failed to provide a true picture of her party's public support.

Jointly, the six leftist candidates in the presidential race polled 3.6 million votes between them, while the two right-wing candidates took just 2.9 million votes.
This circa 1922 scene taken near 16th and Vine streets shows Eloda Sitzer Beach, at the door of the milk wagon, posing with milk-sipping students from the old Washington School as part of a local campaign to encourage childhood milk consumption.

Beach (1890-1964) was then a popular vaudeville actress who resided in La Crosse during the 1920s and early 1930s. The building in the background is Wittich Hall, which remains standing today on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus.

Anyone with more information about this photo or wishing to donate photos of the Coulee Region may contact the La Crosse Public Library Archives at 608-789-7136.
Jenni Konner (left) and Lena Dunham have apologised after speaking out in support of writer Murray Miller, who is accused of raping an actress when she was 17: Getty

Lena Dunham has issued an apology after coming out in support of a friend and former colleague accused of rape.

Murray Miller, a writer for Dunhams hit TV drama Girls, is accused of raping actress Aurora Perrineau when she was 17-years-old.

Millers attorney, Matthew Walerstein, said he categorically and vehemently denies Perrineaus outrageous claims and said his legal team had gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims.

She was also accused of seeking monetary damages from him [Miller] and accused of going to police after those demands were rebuffed.

Perrineaus mother vehemently denied that anyone from her legal team or family had asked for monetary damages.

There was never a demand for money ever made from anyone on behalf of Aurora or our family, she said.

Aurora Perrineau claims she was raped by writer and producer Murray Miller when she was 17. Miller categorically denies the accusation (Getty)

Aurora Perrineau, daughter of acclaimed actor Harold Perrineau, told The Wrap: I filed a police report today. I cannot talk about the investigation that is happening currently.

The now 23-year-old said in her statement to police that she met Miller while out with some friends at a hotel, where she consumed some alcoholic beverages.

He was flirting with me. I told him repeatedly that I was 17 years old, she said in the statement.

Perrineau and her friends allegedly accompanied Miller, who was 35 at the time, to his home because he was drunk and needed a ride.

At some point, I woke up in Murrays bed naked. He was on top of me having sexual intercourse with me. At no time did I consent to any sexual contact with Murray, she said in the statement.

Girls showrunners Dunham and Jenni Konner issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter after the allegations emerged, in which they declared the importance of women speaking out over sexual assault, yet assigned Perrineaus claim to the 3 per cent of assault cases that are misreported every year.

During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many womens voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified, they said in the joint statement.

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Its a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets.

We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 per cent of assault cases that are misreported every year. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all well be saying about this issue.

Their statement prompted a huge backlash due to Dunhams stance as a feminist, which has included tweets, statements and articles on the importance of believing womens claims of sexual assault.

She has since issued a statement, in which she said she and Konner regretted their decision to comment on the allegations.

As feminists, we live and die by our politics, and believing women is the first choice we make every single day when we wake up, a post on her Twitter read.
Its almost Thanksgiving, and you know what that means: family, friends, and too much food, and with that, the annual dilemma of what to wear, taking both style and comfort (as in room for waist expansion) into account.

This week, our Instagram influencers across America submitted their #OOTD, Thanksgiving edition, with plenty of inspiration for you  including from Karen of New Jersey, whos putting a fun and personal twist on a traditional holiday by heading to Disney World with her family.

See what shell be rocking at the theme park and how she plans to celebrate in the latest episode of #MyStyle. Then tell us which ideas you like best, as well as what occasions youd like to see our influencers try next. Please comment below!

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
In a short trading week, Tuesday sets up to be the busiest day for investors with a decent run of earnings to note as third quarter earnings season tails off.

Notable earnings reports expected Tuesday include Campbells Soup (CPB), Lowes (LOW), Dollar Tree (DLTR), and salesforce.com (CRM). Well also get results from both HP Inc. (HPQ) and HP Enterprise (HPE).

On the economic calendar, the only notable report will be the October reading on existing home sales.

While in Washington, D.C. lawmakers are back in their home districts for Thanksgiving with next week expected to see an intense push on tax reform from Senate Republicans. All will not be quiet in the nations capital, however, as President Donald Trump is set to pardon his first set of turkeys since taking office at 1 p.m. ET.

President Donald Trump will pardon two turkeys on Tuesday at the White House.

Yellen, out

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is leaving more than just her post at the top of the central bank in February. Yellen is leaving the Feds board of governors completely.

Yellen, who was appointed to a 14-year term on the board in 2010, said Monday she will resign from the board after Jerome Powell, a current member of the board of governors, is sworn in as the new head of the central bank.

Yellens departure is not entirely unexpected, but leaves yet another opening at the central bank for the Trump administration to fill.

When Powell was named by Trump as his nominee to replace Yellen, economists noted that in the likely event Yellen were to resign from the board of governors after Powell took office, changes at the Fed were far from done.

The transition at the Fed goes well beyond the appointment of Governor Powell, said Eric Winograd, senior U.S. economist at AllianceBernstein.

If Chair Yellen resigns from the Board upon the expiration of her term as Chair early next year there would be only 3 of the 7 seats filled, and the Vice Chair role is one of the empty ones. At least one additional Governor will need to be seated by that time to allow the Board of Governors to function.

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The appointment of a strong Vice Chair in particular is important; there are gaps in Powells resume and having somebody nearby who fills many of those gaps would offer some reassurance.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen poses for IMF Governors family photo during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, U.S., October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Winograd added that Powell and current governor Lael Brainard are likely to be the only members of the FOMC, the Fed committee that votes on monetary policy, with more than a year of experience on the FOMC by the middle of 2018.

That lack of institutional memory and expertise could prove problematic should the economic outlook change notably, Winograd said.

And while some have noted that at the Fed, the economic staff  which has more continuity away from the appointed officials who lead the central bank  drives a lot of the thinking on monetary policy, there is a clear opening for even more shaping of the Federal Reserve under the Trump administration.

As with any administration, tent pole legislation like an overhaul of the tax code or an effort to repeal the previous administrations signature legislative accomplishment is going to garner the most headlines. But the less visible moves now available for Trump to make at the worlds most powerful central bank might offer him an opportunity to make some of his most lasting impacts as president.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland

Read more from Myles here:
A magnitude 7.0 quake struck east of New Caledonia in the South Pacific

An undersea earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck in the South Pacific on Monday, sending small tsunami waves towards New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

The quake, initially reported as magnitude 7.3, struck 51 miles east of the Loyalty Islands and was the second major tremor in the same area in less than 24 hours and the third in the past month.

Monday's quake struck at 9.43 am local time (2243 Sunday GMT) at a shallow depth of six miles, east of the remote Loyalty Islands, the United States Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said small tsunami waves were observed in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, but later said the danger had largely passed.

Waves may have reached up to one metre (three feet) above the high tide level in parts of New Caledonia and smaller in Vanuatu, the PTWC said.

"Minor sea level fluctuations...may continue over the next few hours," a statement from the agency said.

"Government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations populations at risk," the PTWC said in an alert.

Nervous residents reported feeling several tremors throughout the night before the quake hit.

"Parked cars were shaking and everyone went outside," one official from Mare in the Loyalty Islands told AFP.

"I thought I was going to faint, I was very afraid and I rushed out of my building," said a resident of central Noumea.

A Tsunami threat is forecasted to hit the Southern islands and parts of Central islands. Waves of 0.30 meters to 0.5 meters are likely to hit the coastlines of TAFEA, SHEFA and MALAMPA and possibly SANMA provinces. People from these provinces should take precautionary measures.  Dan McGarry (@dailypostdan) November 20, 2017

Wayan Rigault, communications manager at Hotel Nengone Village on the island of Mare, said there was no immediate damage, but guests were on alert for a formal evacuation warning.

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"We are a little bit scared, we have had an earthquake last night and today it was quite a big one," he said.

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office advised people in southern provinces to evacuate coastal areas for higher ground.

New Caledonia's civil security agency said it was still compiling data, and was not planning to evacuate immediately.

Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said there were no tsunami threats to either of those countries.
Madrid (AFP) - The mayor of Caracas, a staunch opponent of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro who fled to Spain over the weekend, vowed Monday to battle against the president's regime, warning him to "get ready".

Antonio Ledezma, 62, arrived in Madrid on Saturday after escaping house arrest and fleeing to Colombia, saying he would help organise resistance to Maduro's increasingly authoritarian rule which has left millions facing food and medicine shortages.

"We haven't come here to enjoy a golden exile, we have come here to work," Ledezma told reporters in Madrid, alongside former Colombian president Andres Pastrana and Albert Rivera, the head of Spain's centre-right party Ciudadanos.

"Get ready Maduro, because you're now going to hear the roar of the engines of Venezuelan exile, which is going to get organised around the world to make the truth known," he said.

A lawyer by profession, Ledezma was arrested and jailed in February 2015 over allegations he was plotting to overthrow the president, and had been under house arrest since August following surgery.

He said he managed to reach Colombia last week thanks to the "cooperation" of members of Venezuela's military, adding that he would not feel "free until all political prisoners are released" in his country.

Ledezma also accused the Venezuelan government of being "an accomplice of drug trafficking" and of letting "300,000 children be under-nourished".

Last Friday he said he had fled Caracas because Venezuelan military and intelligence officials had informed him of a "government plan" against him, though he provided no details.

Oil-rich but cash-poor Venezuela is facing a deepening political and economic crisis as Maduro has moved to marginalise opposition forces, which control the country's legislature, and stifle independent media.

This month the government signed a deal with Russia to restructure foreign debt of some $150 billion after it was hit hard by falling oil prices and sanctions imposed by Washington, which has labelled Maduro a "dictator".
Business news network Cheddar has been partnering with social media platforms and OTT services in the U.S. And Cheddar is now looking at international markets. The media company is partnering with French startup Molotov so that French viewers can watch Cheddar from all their devices.

Cheddar first launched 18 months ago. Unlike many new media companies, the startup has been focusing on live video content. In other words, Cheddar is a TV channel that you can find on Sling TV, Amazon, Philo, Twitter, Pluto TV, 60 percent of smart TVs in the U.S., Vimeo and Facebook. It has raised over $30 million and covers tech, finance

So far, Molotov has been focusing on traditional TV channels, streaming dozens of channels live and on demand. Cheddar is a different beast as the company calls itself a post-cable network. This is the first sign that Molotov is willing to expand beyond traditional linear TV.

Cheddar founder and CEO Jon Steinberg told me that Molotov can access the feed without any licensing fee. However, Cheddar has been running brand-sponsored shows and brand integrations  those sponsored segments will still air on Molotov, and Cheddar is keeping the money. Cheddar plans to generate $11 million in revenue this year.

Molotov has more or less the same deal with basic cable networks. So far, the company can stream TF1's or France 2's live feeds for free, but French networks don't split ad revenue with Molotov (it's different when it comes to on-demand content).

It is a smart partnership as Molotov is already available on many devices and now claims to have more than 3 million monthly active users just 16 months after its launch and 7 months after reaching a million registered users. And theres a reason why Molotov has been quite successful. The startup is defining the future of TV.

After creating an account, you can find all your content on all your devices. You just need to sign in with the same account. Molotov works on connected TVs from LG and Samsung, digital media players, such as Apple TV, Android TV-powered devices, smartphones, tablets and computers.

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Using Molotov, you can watch live TV, start over from the beginning of a live show, play on-demand videos and bookmark your favorite content to store it in your cloud DVR. More importantly, browsing TV feels great, and Ive never seen a better search feature when it comes to TV content.

You can stream dozens of channels with a free account and pay for premium channels and storage. The company plans to expand beyond France and become the only TV app you need.

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A downcast Angela Merkel addresses media after the collapse of coalition talks - Getty Images Europe

Angela Merkel's future was hanging in the balance last night after high stakes talks to form a new government for Germany collapsed.

Citing irreconcilable differences, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) pulled out of the talks, meaning Mrs Merkel will either seek to form a minority government with the Greens or a new election will be held.

"Today there was no progress but rather there were setbacks because targeted compromises were questioned," FDP leader Christian Lindner told reporters.

"The four discussion partners have no common vision for modernisation of the country or common basis of trust, Mr Lindner said in the early hours of Monday morning, after dramatically walking out of coalition talks. It is better not to govern than to govern badly.

In a sombre press conference, held in the early hours of Monday morning, after talks collapsed, exhausted negotiators from the Greens, the CDU and the CSU, expressed their regret.

We believe we were on a path where we could have reached an agreement, Mrs Merkel, who will contact German President Steinmeier on Monday morning to work out how to proceed, said.

"It's a day of deep reflection," she said, claiming she will do everything she can to move the country forward.

Christian Lindner, head of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), gives a staement to the media following troubled preliminary coalition talks Credit: Getty

Jurgen Trittin, Green Party politician, spoke of his partys shock and horror, saying that "there were opportunities for agreement". It is clear the country will have to live with a managing government for a long time for the first time," Mr Trittin said.

While Gerd Muller, CSU politician, expressed frustration over the timings of the walk-out: "We actually had the breakthrough now," he said.

Disagreements around immigration have been a major part of the discussions after Germany's open-door policy to refugees in 2015 and the differences could prove irreconcilable.

Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and sister Bavarian-only Christian Social Union (CSU) sat down for gruelling talks with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the left-leaning Greens throughout the weekend in the hope of forming a new government, which is dubbed the "Jamaica coalition" because the parties' colours match those of the Jamaican flag.

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Mrs Merkel had hoped to wrap up the exploratory talks, which began more than four weeks ago, by the end of the weekend, in order to avert fresh elections that could destabilise Germany and Europe.

The four parties are already days past Mrs Merkel's initial Thursday deadline to establish the framework for the previously untested coalition.

German election results: Potential ways to coalition government

Wolfgang Kubicki, FDP vice president, had set a 6pm Sunday deadline for the talks to be completed, warning otherwise the "whole thing is dead".

But Katrin Goring-Eckardt, Green Party leader, said: "We negotiate as long as necessary.

Horst Seehofer, CSU boss, added: "I think we need a little bit more time.

The delay is bad news for an increasingly vulnerable Chancellor. "Today is a day of destiny for Mrs Merkel, the Bild newspaper said Sunday before the deadline passed.

If she fails to forge a coalition, then her chancellorship is in danger."

After Septembers election, Mrs Merkel has been left without a majority, as voters angered by her liberal refugee policy turned to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Her decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 has become a stumbling block as she seeks an unlikely alliance between parties spanning the left and right of the political spectrum.

A poll by Welt online found that 61.4 percent of those surveyed believed a collapse of talks would mean an end to Mrs Merkel as chancellor. Only 31.5 percent thought otherwise.

Failure to reach a deal could lead to new elections, something all the parties are anxious to avoid as they fear this could lead to the far-right AfD making further gains after surging into parliament in September, to become the third largest party.

Katrin Goring-Eckardt, right, and the Greens' co-chairman, Cem Ozdemir Credit: Kay Nietfeld

So far the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adamantly ruled out returning to a grand coalition with Mrs Merkel, after suffering a humiliating loss in September's elections.

If Jamaica negotiations fail, Mrs Merkel may have no choice but to form a minority government, or battle it out in a snap election in two months time. The delay has highlighted the deep divisions between the parties.

The biggest issue of contention in the Jamaica discussions is family reunification for refugees, according to those close to the talks.

The Greens are demanding that those given temporary asylum because they are fleeing wars should be allowed to bring their relatives to join them in Germany, which other parties oppose.

The parties have also clashed over CSU demands for an upper limit of 200,000 on the number of asylum-seekers allowed into Germany each year, and Green calls to close coal-fired power stations.

However, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's president, has played down the conflict, telling the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that if negotiators are "battling hard over major questions like migration and climate change, that may not be a bad thing for democracy".

There is "no need to start holding panic debates about new elections," he said.
By Paul Carrel and Gernot Heller BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would prefer a new election to ruling with a minority after talks on forming a three-way coalition failed overnight, but Germany's president told parties they owed it to voters to try to form a government. The major obstacle to a three-way deal was immigration, according to Merkel, who was forced into negotiations after bleeding support in the Sept. 24 election to the far right in a backlash at her 2015 decision to let in over 1 million migrants. The failure of exploratory coalition talks involving her conservative bloc, the liberal pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and environmentalist Greens raises the prospect of a new election and casts doubt about her future after 12 years in power. Merkel, 63, said she was sceptical about ruling in a minority government, telling ARD television: "My point of view is that new elections would be the better path." Her plans did not include being chancellor in a minority government, she said after meeting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Steinmeier said Germany was facing the worst governing crisis in the 68-year history of its post-World War Two democracy and pressed all parties in parliament "to serve our country" and try to form a government. His remarks appeared aimed at the FDP and the Social Democrats (SPD), who on Monday ruled out renewing their "grand coalition" with the conservatives. "Inside our country, but also outside, in particular in our European neighbourhood, there would be concern and a lack of understanding if politicians in the biggest and economically strongest country (in Europe) did not live up to their responsibilities," read a statement from Steinmeier, a former foreign minister who has been thrust centre-stage after taking on the usually largely ceremonial head of state role in March. Steinmeier's intervention suggests he regards a new election - desired by half of Germany's voters according to a poll - as a last resort. The SPD has so far stuck to a pledge after heavy losses in the September election not to go back into a Merkel-led broad coalition of centre-left and centre-right. Merkel urged the SPD to reconsider. "I would hope that they consider very intensively if they should take on the responsibility" of governing, she told broadcaster ZDF, adding she saw no reason to resign and her conservative bloc would enter any new election more unified than before. "If new elections happened, then ... we have to accept that. I'm afraid of nothing," she said. Business leaders also called for a swift return to talks. With German leadership seen as crucial for a European Union grappling with governance reform and Britain's impending exit, FDP leader Christian Lindner's announcement that he was pulling out spooked investors and sent the euro falling in the morning. Both the euro and European shares later recovered from early selling, while German bond yields steadied near 1-1/2 week lows, as confidence about the outlook for the euro zone economy helped investors brush off worries about the risk of Germany going to the polls again soon. FEAR OF FAR-RIGHT GAINS Earlier, Merkel got the strong backing of her CDU leadership. Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of Germany weekly Die Zeit said she could rely on CDU support for now, but added: "I will not bet on her serving out her entire four-year term." The main parties fear another election so soon would let the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party add to the 13 percent of votes it secured in September, when it entered parliament for the first time. Polls suggest a repeat election would return a similarly fragmented parliament. A poll published on Monday showed a new election would bring roughly the same result as the September election, with the Greens set to see the biggest gains. If Germans voted next Sunday, Merkel's conservatives would get 31 percent, the SPD 21 percent, the Greens and the AfD both 12 percent, the FDP 10 percent and the Left party 9 percent, the Forsa survey for RTL television showed. This compares with the election result of 32.9 percent for the conservatives, 20.5 percent for the SPD, 12.6 percent for AfD, 10.7 percent for FDP, 9.2 percent for the Left party and 8.9 percent for the Greens. The failure of coalition talks is unprecedented in Germany's post-war history, and was likened by newsmagazine Der Spiegel to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britain's referendum vote to leave the EU - moments when countries cast aside reputations for stability built up over decades. Any outcome in Germany is, however, likely to be more consensus driven. "The problem is stagnation and immobility, not instability as in Italy," said Joffe. The unravelling of the German talks came as a surprise since the main sticking points - immigration and climate policy - were not seen as FDP signature issues. Responding to criticism from the Greens, FDP vice chairman Wolfgang Kubicki said a tie-up would have been short-lived. "Nothing would be worse than to get into a relationship about which we know that it will end in a dirty divorce," he said. Even if the SPD or the FDP revisit their decisions, the price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel, who since 2005 has been a symbol of German stability, leading Europe through the euro zone crisis. The inability to form a government caused disquiet elsewhere in Europe, not least because of the implications for the euro zone reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Germany's political impasse could also complicate and potentially delay the Brexit negotiations - Britain has just over a year to strike a divorce deal with the EU ahead of an exit planned for March 29, 2019. "It's not in our interests that the process freezes up," Macron told reporters in Paris, adding he had spoken with Merkel shortly after the failure of talks. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr, Michael Nienaber, Andreas Rinke and Andrea Shalal in Berlin, Guy Faulconbridge in London, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
On November 18th, border patrol guards opened a gate along the U.S.-Mexico border to allow selected families to reunite as a part of 'Opening the Door of Hope'. The event, which is organized by the Border Angels migrant advocacy group, aims to bring families back together who have been previously separated due to deportation.

While tearful embraces were expected, none anticipated a wedding.

Brian Houston, a U.S. resident, donned a grey suit as his bride to be, Evelia Reyes, a Mexican citizen, glowed in her beautiful white gown. According to the Washington Post, the bride and groom brought their own rings as they are not allowed to move items across the border. The new family was only as one briefly. Shortly after their wedding, Brian, Evelia and her daughter returned to their designated sides of the border and spoke until Friendship Park closed at 2 p.m.

The images of the wedding are beautiful and heartbreaking. While their love for one another is as clear as day, so are the hardships they, and many Mexico and U.S. citizens, face when separated from those they love.

The couple is currently working with an immigration lawyer to obtain a green card for Reyes.
ARA San Juan last made contact on November 15 - Argentina Navy

An Argentine submarine missing in the South Atlantic is likely to be running out of air and had reported technical problems before vanishing, naval officials have said.

ARA San Juans last message reported a short circuit in its batteries and the vessel was ordered to return to its home.

The Argentine navy quashed hopes that incomplete satellite calls detected over the weekend could have been from the vessel, but then on Monday night said it was analysing separate "noise" to see if it was the boat.

Enrique Balbi, a Navy spokesman, said two of search vessels had detected the sound and called in a US P-8 Poseidon plane to record it with sonobuoys.

He later said experts determined the noise did not come from tools being banged against the hull of a submarine as was previously reported by some media. He said it likely came from a "biological" source.

ARA San Juan in Buenos Aires. Credit: AFP

Two oceanographic ships had been dispatched to the site of the sound to send down probes, the spokesman said, adding that the analysis of the captured sound would take some three hours.

Buenos Aires had been beginning to face domestic criticism of its handling of the search, with one union describing government efforts as badly coordinated and apathetic.

The submarine and its crew of 44 have now been missing for five days as a growing fleet of international vessels and patrol planes brave 20ft waves and high winds to search hundreds of square miles.

Timeline | Submarine accidents

US Navy submarine rescue chambers have been flown to the region in the hope of bringing the crew to the surface in case the vessel can be found.

Gabriel Galeazzi, a spokesman for the Argentine Navy, said the German-built diesel electric vessel had surfaced on Wednesday to report the fault.

He said: At that moment the commander was ordered to go directly to Mar de Plata. After that we lost contact.

He suggested the fault could have affected the submarines navigation, but said it did have back-up systems.

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Search and rescue mission for Argentinian submarine

Although the crew has enough food, oxygen and fuel to survive about 90 days on the sea's surface, they only have enough oxygen to last for seven days if submerged. After that, the boat would have to surface or get near the surface to replenish air supply.

Seven brief satellite signals lasting only seconds were detected over the weekend, raising hopes the crew were trying to call and prompting jubilation among the waiting families.

But analysis of the low frequency signals later found they were not from the submarine.

Up to 20 vessels, including the Royal Navys HMS Protector and HMS Clyde are joining the search. Britain has also sent an RAF C-130 aircraft and a Voyager refuelling aircraft to help it search for longer.

Submarine rescue mission

Cdr Erik Reynolds, spokesman for the US Navy, which is coordinating the international effort, said vessels were using their sonar to hunt for the ship, though high waves were hampering efforts. Maritime patrol planes are searching for signs of oil or waste that could have been jettisoned by the crew to signal their location.

Two US Navy undersea submarine rescue vessels are on standby if needed. The vessels can attach to the hatch of a stricken submarine at depths of up to 2,000ft and then ferry surviving crew back to the surface.

"There is no good news," Juan Carlos Mendoza, father of crew member Fernando Mendoza, told local reporters. "Hopefully they have oxygen."

A ship leaves a Naval base to join the search for missing submarine ARA San Juan, in Mar del Plata, Argentina Credit: a Devo Source:

The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet. Built in Germany, it underwent maintenance in 2008 in Argentina.

That maintenance included the replacement of its four diesel engines and its electric propeller engines, according to specialist publication Jane's Sentinel.

ATEPSA, a union representing workers in the protection and security of aeronautics, said the case of the submarine "puts centre stage the recurring failures in state policies". It said in a statement that "the apathy in the Services of Search and Rescue, and the lack of coordination which exists in all the public bodies involved, are the faithful reflection of multiple errors which complicate the principle objective: to reach the victims in an urgent manner".

Juan Carlos Mendoza, father of Fernando Mendoza, a crew member of the missing submarine ARA San Juan, stands outside the Naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina waiting for news Credit: AP

The union noted workers in several airports were participating in search operations "despite the problems of communication in the oceanic sector due to lack of investment." This was "aggravated by the fact that the plant that transmits and receives all the aeronautic communications in the country does not have staff," it complained.
Ming Xi walks the runway during the 2017 Victorias Secret Fashion Show In Shanghai. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victorias Secret)

Walking down the street without tripping can be challenge enough for most people. Add to the mix an audience of thousands (in person, millions if you count television and social media viewers), a runway hundreds of feet long, clothes where the fashion factor is multiplied and function is foregone, and youve got the Victorias Secret Fashion Show.

For the first time in Shanghai, the annual lingerie show took place Monday evening at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. This years costumes (youd be hard-pressed to find any other way to describe the looks) were as intricate as ever, which proved treacherous for at least one model.

#victoriassecret 2017VS in Shanghai A post shared by Yanbin (@yanbinyang) on Nov 20, 2017 at 6:49am PST

Model Ming Xi, a veteran on the VS runway, wore chrome-colored lingerie, styled with a billowing ice blue chiffon train, back-strapped floral attachment, and thigh-high gladiator heels. Just before she hit the end of the runway to pose for photographers, the model tripped on her train and fell onto her knees. After a collective gasp, the audience quickly cheered for Ming Xi to rally, and she stood with the help of another VS model who had caught up to her.

Model Liu Wen walks the runway during the 2017 Victorias Secret Fashion Show In Shanghai. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victorias Secret)

Its a wonder no other models stumbled during their walks. Lui Wen, another Chinese model cast in this years show, wore the same shoes as Ming Xi, and users on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform, pointed out that it looked as though Wen had walked the runway sans heel. Of course, her heel was still attached to the shoe itself, easily missed in a photograph but apparent through the reflection from the stage.

The Victorias Secret show is known for its elaborate, occasionally appropriating costumes as much as its known for its handful of awkward show moments (Karolina Kurkova lost a shoe during the 2006 show and managed to continue walking).

As for Ming Xi, the Shanghai native has walked every VS runway since 2013. She is now joined by six other Chinese models, part of Victorias Secrets strategy to appeal to the Asian market.

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The show will broadcast in the United States on Nov. 28.

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And after the show is the ... after party!

With the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show officially in the books, everyone celebrated in style in Shanghai. All the models who walked in the show hit the pink carpet in sexy looks that rivaled the lingerie outfits they donned on the runway just hours earlier.

Bella Hadid looked ravishing in a red gown with a corset top and wrap-around skirt with a thigh-high slit, while Martha Hunt stunned in a simple white slip dress that showed off a lot of leg.

Sparkle -- and a lot of it! -- was the theme of the night, with Taylor Hill, Georgia Fowler and Nadine Leopold posing in front of the paparazzi in their most striking and skin-baring ensembles.

But it was Candice Swanepoel who sent temps soaring in a mini LBD with a plunging neckline and cutouts that showed off major skin. She paired the look with a pair of caged heels that further accentuated her mile-long legs.

RELATED: All the looks at the VS Fashion Show:



The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place this year in Shanghai, China, for the first time ever.

Jasmine Tookes, Adriana Lima and Taylor Hill were some of the Angel veterans who strutted in some sexy lingerie down the runway. Bella Hadid finally earned her wings after walking in the show for the first time last year, while Alessandra Ambrosio revealed this year's show will be her last. Check out the slideshow above for all the hot after party looks!
A Canadian woman found guilty of her 7-year-old son's death after failing to seek medical treatment for his severe strep infection has been sentenced to prison for three years.

Tamara Lovett, 48, was found guilty back in January of criminal negligence causing the death of her child, Ryan Lovett, Inside Edition reported.

Ryan suffered terribly from this inaction, Justice Eidsvik said during the Supreme Court trial in Canada. He died an excruciating, unnecessary death.

RELATED: Click through some of the most outrageous mugshots and crimes



Lovett's son had been bedridden for 10 days at their home in Calgary back in 2013. And instead of seeking proper medical help for her son, Lovett reportedly gave Ryan dandelion tea and oregano oil to help treat his severe infection.

According to the report, Ryan had swollen lymph nodes, oozing ears, and jaundiced eyes at the time of his death.

The child also suffered from organ failure. His mother said she thought her son just had the flu or a cold.

Eidsvik said Lovett "gambled away" Ryan's life by not seeking medical help.

The mother also admitted that not providing her son with the proper medical care was wrong, and her grief and suffering were also acknowledged by the court, reports said.

RELATED: Symptoms of dry drowning



Lovett's defense lawyer, Alain Hepner, argued her case should be dismissed due to the lengthy amount of time it took for Lovett to be convicted in January despite her initial arrest.

In 2016, Supreme Court of Canada set out a 30-month time frame for superior courts in what has become known as the Jordan decision. However, the high court allowed some flexibility for cases in which charges were laid before its order in July 2016.

It took 38 months to prosecute Lovett's case.

"The parties were clearly operating under the old regime," she said. "In my view, it would not be just to set aside a conviction here and enter a stay."
(Photo: HuffPost)

(Photo: John Malmin via Getty Images)

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CHARLES MANSON DEAD AT 83 The infamous cult leader of the Helter Skelter gang has died after nearly five decades in prison. And heres what happened to his family. [HuffPost] [Tweet | Share on Facebook]

WHAT HOUSEKEEPERS ENDURE TO CLEAN HOTEL ROOMS Low-wage workers have been fighting sexual harassment for years. The national conversation is finally catching up with them. [HuffPost]

TOP GENERAL: I WOULD REJECT AN ILLEGAL NUCLEAR STRIKE ORDER FROM PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP Were not stupid people, nuclear commander Gen. John Hyten said at a forum Saturday. [HuffPost]

THE LAVAR BALL, TRUMP FEUD IS PEAK 2017 Its the perfect dumpster fire for the end of the year. [HuffPost]

JEFFREY TAMBOR HAS QUIT TRANSPARENT IN WAKE OF HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS A costar and a former assistant had accused the actor of sexual misconduct. Music producer Russell Simmons has been accused of assaulting a 17-year-old while Brett Ratner watched. And the Los Angeles Police Departments Hollywood sex crimes probe has ballooned to 24 cases. [HuffPost]

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Rabat (AFP) - Representatives of Morocco's religious minorities on Saturday urged the government to clarify the law on freedom of worship in Morocco, where Islam is the state religion.

Their statement came after an unprecedented meeting in the capital Rabat.

"The Moroccan state still places barriers when it comes to legal reforms concerning minorities," Jawad el Hamidi, the coordinator of the Moroccan Commission of Religious Minorities, told AFP.

"There is a kind of fear of opening this door and having a discussion -- even civil society is still reluctant to talk freely about this topic."

Religious minorities -- mostly Christians, Jews and Baha'is -- count for less than one percent of Morocco's population, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim.

But Saturday's forum brought together academics, researchers, human rights activists, preachers and representatives of religious minorities to demand recognition of their rights.

"We suffer repression and harassment," said Hamidi, adding that some media had referred to those present as "atheists" and "homosexuals".

The meeting's venue had to be changed and some speakers also withdrew after "pressure", organisers said.

Since the creation of Israel and the independence of Morocco, what was the largest Jewish community in North Africa has dwindled to fewer than 5,000 members.

Most Moroccan Muslims who convert to Christianity practise their new faith in secret.

There are no official statistics on Moroccan Muslim converts to Christianity, but the US State department estimates their numbers at between 2,000 and 6,000.

Expat Christians worship freely and are protected by the authorities -- providing they do not evangelise, a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.

Mohamed Said, a Moroccan convert to Christianity, said his ultimate goal was to see the country's constitution explicitly recognise freedom of religion.

"This congress, in my opinion, is a beginning... a small breakthrough," he said.
While my mom wouldnt let me dye my hair when I was in fourth grade (in fact, I still think shed say no), one 2-year-old has gotten the go-ahead from her mother to not only dye her hair, but wear makeup and fake tattoos.

Photo: Instagram/Amylameee

Tattoo artist Amy Lyn has tattoos, pink hair, and stretched ears, and doesnt believe that her daughter BellaMae should have to wait until shes a certain age to similarly express herself.

Sometimes being a mom, means if you want something done, you gotta bring your kid along for the ride. Bella literally jumped and did summersaults across the poor couch the whole time. Super glad I was the only one there for my appointment! A post shared by Amy Lyn (@amylameee) on Nov 19, 2017 at 11:56am PST

I didnt force her  to do this to herself, Amy began a video on YouTube about her views on children and appearance manipulation. It started out with stickers for her, she explained. We tried to encourage stickers to be just on paper, but I started seeing her put more and more stickers all over herself. She would just cover herself in stickers. So one day when we were at the store, I decided to pick up a pack of little temporary childrens tattoos for her.

When she explained the process of temporary tattoos and how they last a few days, BellaMae instantly fell in love with the idea. I didnt say, Hey were gonna do tattoos now. I just said, Do you like the look of these?  Theyre called tattoos. And she was interested, Amy recalled.

Next came the makeup and hair. She sees me with my colored hair all the time, and she likes my lipstick, and Ill let her wear lipstick a few days whenever she wants, Amy said. So I decided, Halloweens coming up, and other girls shes friends with and plays with were gonna do colored hair just for Halloween, and I had some leftover dye from myself. She uses Manic Panic and Arctic Fox semi-permanent dye, which doesnt really damage your hair at all, according to Amy, who added, She wouldnt need her hair bleached or anything for it to color her hair just a little bit. When she asked BellaMae if she was interested in dyeing her hair, BellaMae was confused. I showed her other children from all over the internet with colored hair  and she instantly said, I want blue hair.  I didnt say, Were gonna dye your hair blue now, Amy pointed out.

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The blue didnt come out so well, so a few days later they tried a pink/purple blend. She loved it; it came out in her hair perfectly, the mom reported. Now, a few weeks later, its washing out, and Amy thinks BellaMae will be ready for a new color whenever she decides.

My pumpkin butts hair is now purple A post shared by Amy Lyn (@amylameee) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:43am PST

Not only does this freedom allow BellaMae to be the coolest kid in pre-K, but it has also created plenty of beauty bonding opportunities for the mother-daughter duo.

The reason that I let her do this is because, one, she sees me with it and thats her normal, Amy explained. If shes interested in brightly colored hair and tattoos all over her, great. I think she should express herself from a young age so when shes older, she wont have to waste any time trying to find out who she is, like many of us adults now do. I think we should learn who we are at a young age, so that we can live the rest of our lives the way that we want in a positive manner.

And it isnt just about allowing BellaMae to explore her creative streak; theres an even more important life lesson in the freedom Amy allows her daughter. I think waiting until they are in middle school or high school or even 18 years of age, is too long to wait to teach them about choices and cause and effect, she said, according to Daily Mail. She believes this will save her daughter from making some mistakes later on in life (and if this writers botched and secretive hair-dyeing experiments are any indication, she could be right).

Most people would say that my daughter (almost 3 years old) is too young to be changing her hair color, but I say let her start choosing now.  I give my child the option to have fun bright hair now, so that she will be a better decision maker later in life.

This girl cracks me up. This was the silly face she made for me A post shared by Amy Lyn (@amylameee) on Nov 10, 2017 at 11:03am PST

Her argument is strong, but not entirely realistic. Creativity is absolutely important; creativity should be celebrated, child and adolescent psychologist Barbara Greenberg tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Theres an opportunity for her to bond with her 2-year-old daughter, and thats lovely too.

So, on the one hand, yes, there is something to all types of parenting, more conservative parenting and alternative parenting. But its a bit of a reach to believe that at 2, this approach will make your daughter able to make wiser adult decisions, because of her freedom of creativity, says Greenberg. And while the mother is hopeful about that, and I do believe the mother is coming from a place of good intention, theres no reason to believe that this kind of expression at age 2 is going to teach the child about cause and effect and will speed up the process of teaching the daughter who she is. Thats a bit much to expect.

On top of that, Greenberg does recommend holding off on the makeup when it comes to kids.

I would prefer that children focus on something other than their appearance at such a young age, because girls have a tough road ahead of them in terms of so much emphasis being placed on their appearance, she insists. But this is a complicated situation. On the other hand, this mother believes in creativity, shes a tattoo artist, this is what she loves, so Im not going to judge her on a micro level, but in general I would prefer  that our children wait until theyre a little bit older to focus on that.

Amy understands that not everyone is going to agree with her unique parenting techniques. I think that other parents that dont want to bother with hair color in their childrens hair because they dont think they are old enough to experience that kind of change, thats fine, she said in the video. But I think a different way. And I would love to see who she becomes when shes older because of it.

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On this day in 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. But even today, there are still a few points about the speech that are misunderstood.

For example, some people think that President Lincoln took little time to prepare the speech for November 19, 1863, an assumption based on decades of rumors and folklore. And there are some other more legitimate disputes, such as the exact location of where the speech was given.

Here's a review of seven myths and mysteries about the Address.

1. Lincoln wrote the speech on the back of an envelope

This is perhaps the biggest myth about the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln started working on his remarks shortly after the battle was fought in July 1863, according to Lincoln experts. Several drafts of the speech also exist that were written before November 19, 1863.

2. Lincoln wrote the speech on the train ride from Washington to Gettysburg

Thats another big myth that is easy to debunk. The draft copies of the speech are in Lincolns normal, steady handwriting. Given the bumpy nature of train travel in 1863, at least one of the drafts would have uneven handwriting. What is known is that Lincoln didnt have a final version of the speech done until he arrived in Gettysburg.

3. Lincoln omitted the words under God form the original speech

Weve reported on this story before and it is true the two early drafts of the speech dont have the words under God in the copy. But at least four newspaper accounts, written by reporters in the audience, include the words in the transcript of the live speech, and they were in three additional versions of the speech written by Lincoln after the event.

4. Where exactly did Lincoln give the speech?

That is a point that is still contested. Of course, the speech was in Gettysburg, but the question is where was the location of the speakers platform? One modern theory is that the speech was given from a platform inside Evergreen Cemetery, which was next to the Soldiers National Cemetery that was being dedicated.

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5. How many known photographs are there of Lincoln giving the speech?

There are no pictures of Lincoln giving the speech and there is one confirmed picture of him at the event called the Bachrach photo. There may be a second picture, based on recent claims about another photo that contains the image of a man with a beard and a stove top hat in the crowd near the platform.

6. Did Lincoln give the real Gettysburg Address?

Technically, famed orator Edward Everett was the featured speaker of the day and he spoke for about two hours before Lincoln made his brief dedicatory remarks.

7. Did everyone love the speech after Lincoln gave it?

Everett certainly liked it and he told Lincoln, "I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes." Pro-Union newspapers praised it.

The speech was interrupted by applause, but how much applause and when it happened is still a subject of debate. But Democrats quickly criticized the speech, since they were Lincolns avowed opponents north of the Mason-Dixon line. A correspondent for the Times of London called the speech dull and commonplace. The Chicago Times claimed Lincoln insulted the fallen soldiers the ceremony was supposed to honor. Another critic, a Harrisburg newspaper, had harsher comments (and just apologized for them last week as the 150th anniversary approached).
Niamey (AFP) - Counting began in Niger's presidential poll Sunday in an election that has seen incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou promise a first-round "knockout" blow to his opponents, who are already crying foul after a tense campaign.

A vast nation endowed with an abundance of uranium, gold, coal and oil but among the poorest on the planet, Niger is electing a head of state, as well as a new parliament, with Issoufou hoping for a second five-year term.

"Everything has gone well in an atmosphere of calm and serenity. There are some shortcomings but Ceni (the electoral commission) is taking measures to allow voters to exercise their right to vote," commission president Ibrahim Boube said, adding that voting in some areas had been pushed back to Monday after electoral material did not arrive in time.

A total of 7.5 million people were eligible to vote at 25,000 polling stations across the country on the edge of the Sahara desert, where security is a growing concern after attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Libya.

The election results are expected within five days.

Security was tight with forces on patrol across the country, including the capital Niamey, where voting got off to a delayed start in many parts of the city due to the late delivery of ballot papers and other materials.

Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said earlier Sunday that the vote was going smoothly "especially in Diffa, where voting material arrived on time", referring to a border region that has been hit by frequent Boko Haram Islamist violence, and where some 200,000 displaced people were eligible to vote.

After voting in Niamey, Issoufou said "there will be only one winner, and that will be Niger", saying he hoped the election would reinforce the country's democratic structures.

In an interview with AFP on Thursday, the 63-year-old said he was "absolutely" confident of victory.

Issoufou said he had met his pledges on boosting growth and infrastructure, while shoring up security in the face of jihadist attacks.

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Defence remains a top budget priority in Niger, with the remote north threatened by jihadists operating out of Mali and Libya while the southeast tries to fend off attacks by Nigeria-based Boko Haram.

In December, the government said it had foiled an attempted military coup.

Known as the "Zaki" or "Lion" in Hausa, the majority language in Niger, the former mathematician and mining engineer faces 14 competitors, including an ex-president.

Should he fail to win a first-round victory, his rivals, who have accused him of planning to rig the result, have agreed to unite behind whoever scores highest among them for the second round.

- 'Grossly unfair' -

Niger's opposition denounced the election late Sunday as "grossly unfair", saying there had been vote rigging and a problem with duplicate voter cards.

"In many places the opposition ballots were missing," said Moussa Harouna, a representative of Seyni Oumarou, a runner-up in the 2011 presidential race.

"We discovered voter card duplicates with prefabricated family books for these cards," he said, adding that in some places voting did not start until the end of the day.

"The system is going very badly," he said.

Aside from Oumarou, there are several others challenging the incumbent for the top position.

Heading the opposition pack is 66-year-old Hama Amadou, who campaigned from behind bars after being arrested in November over his alleged role in a baby-trafficking scandal.

Amadou, a former premier and parliament speaker, heads the Nigerien Democratic Movement (NDM) whose members were tear-gassed by police in a protest earlier this month.

Niger's first-ever democratically-elected president, Mahamane Ousmane, 66, is also running. The threat of unrest hangs over the vote.

"If Issoufou wins in the first round, it's because he has cheated. If this happens we will go on strike and there will be clashes," an Amadou activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tensions edged higher after Niger's top court approved a controversial plan to allow voters to cast their ballots without identity papers, sparking an opposition outcry.

"This could pave the way for fraud," Moussa Tchangari, a leading civil society and opposition figure, said ahead of the vote.

Niger, which has a history of military coups, has only had multi-party democracy since 1990.

"It's been a long time since we've seen such interest (in the election). It reminds me of the early days of democracy," said one voter, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
As Amazon looks to stamp its footprint beyond the Seattle area, Oculus is making further inroads into the Pacific Northwest's major tech hub. As reported by Seattle-based tech site GeekWire, local real estate sources say that the Facebook-owned virtual reality company is in the market for a 200,000-square-foot R&D space in nearby Redmond, which already houses some Oculus research efforts. Multiple real estate sources also suggested that Oculus is eyeing a 500,000- to 1 million-square-foot space for an additional Seattle area office.

On its job postings site, Oculus lists more than 60 Redmond-based research positions, for a total of more than 100 open positions in Redmond alone, and an additional six openings in Seattle proper  numbers that suggest that Oculus is making a major expansion in Redmond and possibly consolidating its offices in Seattle.

In 2015, the company moved into a 51,000-square-foot space in Seattle's Stadium Innovation Center. This summer, Oculus reportedly leased an additional slightly smaller office across the street in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.

"We recently shared our vision to get 1 billion people into VR, and were growing the Oculus team in Seattle to help make that happen," an Oculus spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Were excited about the talent and growth in Seattle, and welcome engineering, product, and hardware experts who want to join us!"

With Microsoft's HoloLens operations around the corner in Redmond, Valve nearby in Bellevue and a number of smaller VR companies making inroads in the region, the greater Seattle area is shaping up to be a major hub for the VR industry.
An Ohio man is facing federal charges after he allegedly threatened to stage a historic mass shooting at a Las Vegas casino where his estranged wife was employed at the time.

FBI officials said Wei Li, of Cuyahoga Falls, also threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a church with at least 1,000 people in attendance, according to a department release.

Authorities said the 28-year-old suspect made the threats through a series of text messages to his wife sent Nov. 69.

There are 1,000 people in our church, Li said in one message, according to court documents obtained by Cleveland.com. I will make the biggest in history.

Neither the name of the casino or church have been released.

Li allegedly sent his wife photos of himself holding a rifle and knives, according to Cleveland.com.

In a text sent Nov. 9, Li allegedly told his wife hed kill her if he didnt get his green card, according to Clevelands Fox affiliate.

FBI officials said Li bragged that the planned shootings would go down in history and that he would blame his wife for all the deaths, according to the release.

Federal agents conducted a joint interview with Cuyahoga Falls Police on Nov. 10. During the questioning, authorities asked Li to unlock his phone. Li complied but allegedly started to delete a string of text messages. At that point, he was arrested and taken into custody.

The FBI said Li acknowledged sending the threatening texts to his wife, but said he didnt intend to carry out the shootings. No firearms were found in his home, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Li was charged with interstate threatening communications and destruction of evidence, according to the release. He was transferred into federal custody on Nov. 16.

The threats came about a month after 58 people were killed, and more than 500 were wounded, by gunman Stephen Craig Paddock at an outdoor country music concert in Las Vegas.

(Photo: Cuyahoga Falls Police)

Also on HuffPost

Candles are lit during a vigil held at Las Vegas City Hall.

A crowd starts to gather for the vigil.

Mourners place candles and flowers down on the ground during the vigil.

A crowd gathers together for a candlelight vigil held on the north end of the Las Vegas strip.

Mourners attend a candlelight vigil at the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

A vigil on the Las Vegas strip for the victims.

People attend a candlelight vigil at the University of Las Vegas student union.

People hold up candles during a vigil on the Las Vegas strip.

People attend a candlelight vigil at the University of Las Vegas student union.

People pray together during a vigil at Guardian Angel Cathedral.

Candles make up a large vigil on the Las Vegas Strip.

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(Reuters) - A New Orleans City Council member who launched a political career after helping her neighborhood recover from Hurricane Katrina was elected as the city's first female mayor this weekend in a runoff that pitted her against another woman.

LaToya Cantrell, 45, on Saturday defeated former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet in a special runoff election to replace Mitch Landrieu. Both women are African-American.

Cantrell will take office as the 51st mayor of New Orleans in May 2018 as the Louisiana city celebrates the 300th anniversary of its founding by the French in 1718.

"Almost 300 years, my friends, and in New Orleans we're still making history," Cantrell said in a victory speech to supporters on Saturday.

"We are no longer about the haves and the have-nots," she said. "Our city continues to grow and give real opportunity. That pie is getting larger so that each and every one of us can share in it, can win in our city."

Cantrell and Charbonnet were the top vote-getters in a field of 18 candidates in an October general election.

Both women gained political traction from their response to Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing more than 1,800 people.

Cantrell was one of the leaders of a grassroots effort to fight a city advisory panel's proposal to turn her Broadmoor neighborhood in a green belt after it was hit by severe hurricane-related flooding. The cause propelled her to win a City Council seat in 2012.

In Katrina's aftermath, Charbonnet, then the city's elected recorder of mortgages, pressed for the office to reopen as quickly as possible so it could provide vital property records to displaced residents.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
By Ali Sawafta and David Brunnstrom RAMALLAH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Palestinian officials expressed surprise on Saturday at a U.S. decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington unless the group enters peace negotiations with Israel, and said they would not surrender to blackmail. A U.S. State Department official said that under legislation passed by Congress, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could not renew a certification that expired this month for the PLO office, "given certain statements made by the Palestinian leaders about the International Criminal Court." The law says the PLO, the main Palestinian umbrella political body, cannot operate a Washington office if it urges the ICC to prosecute Israelis for alleged crimes against Palestinians. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly in September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority called on the ICC "to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials for their involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our people." The State Department official added that restrictions on the PLO in the United States, including the operation of its Washington office, could be waived after 90 days if U.S. President Donald Trump "determines the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel." "We are hopeful that this closure will be short-lived," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Palestinian presidency expressed surprise at the U.S. move, which was first reported by the Associated Press. WAFA quoted Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki as saying that Palestinian leaders would not give in to blackmail or pressure regarding the operation of the PLO office or negotiations on an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. The agency quoted a spokesman for Abbas, Nabil Abu Rdainah, expressing surprise, given that meetings between Abbas and Trump had been "characterized by full understanding of the steps needed to create a climate for resumption of the peace process." A Palestinian official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters the State Department had informed the Palestinians of the decision on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear what effect the State Department's move might have on the Trump administration's efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which are led by Jared Kushner, the U.S. president's son-in-law and senior adviser. Abbas' spokesman called the U.S. move an unprecedented step in U.S.-Palestinian relations that would have serious consequences for the peace process and U.S.-Arab relations, according to WAFA. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday: "This is a matter of U.S. law. We respect the decision and look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. to advance peace and security in the region." The State Department official said the U.S. move did not amount to cutting off relations with the PLO or signal an intention to stop working with the Palestinian Authority. "We remain focused on a comprehensive peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians that will resolve core issues between the parties," the official said. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by David Brunnstrom; Editing by John Walcott and Lisa Von Ahn)
(Reuters) - Authorities were searching on Sunday for a gunman who killed a Pennsylvania police officer during a traffic stop, and raised the reward to $43,500 while asking for tips in the case.

Officer Brian Shaw, 25, who had been with the New Kensington Police Department for less than a year, was shot late on Friday after a traffic stop and foot chase, police have said.

Law enforcement agencies near the small town about 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation are searching for the suspect in the shooting, Pennsylvania State Police spokesman Trooper Steve Limani told reporters.

"We appreciate the phone calls we've been receiving. We've had a multitude of people call in, and we encourage those phone calls to continue," he said.

An arrest warrant identified the suspect as Rahmeal Sal Holt, 29, and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous, state police said on Twitter.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said Holt had a lengthy criminal record, including carrying an unlicensed gun and resisting arrest.

New Kensington area residents and the local police union raised the reward for information leading to Holt's arrest to $43,500 on Sunday from $40,000, state police said.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's top court said on Monday Poland would be fined 100,000 euros ($117,000) a day if it did not stop large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Warsaw has been locked in a legal battle with the EU for months over Bialowieza, sitting on the border between Poland and Belarus and home to European bison as well as rare birds. The nationalist, socially conservative Polish government tripled logging quotas there despite protests by environmental groups and criticism from Brussels that it was violating the bloc's wildlife protection rules. The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Monday reiterated its July stance that Poland must stop the logging immediately pending a final ruling in a case the EU's Brussels-based executive brought in front of the tribunal. Poland has said the logging is needed to ensure the safety of people who pick mushrooms in the forest, among others, where trees have been weakened by a beetle outbreak. After a protracted back-and-forth between the European Commission in Brussels, Warsaw and the court, the ECJ said in a statement that Poland had another 15 days to prove it was sticking to the ban on the logging, except for very few specific cases where public security would indeed be at risk. It would then be up to the Commission to assess, and it could turn to the court again if it believed Warsaw was still breaking EU laws. "The Court will then decide ... whether today's order has been infringed. If there is found to be an infringement, the Court will order Poland to pay to the Commission a penalty payment of at least 100,000 euros per day," it said, counting from Monday's notification. The row feeds into a wider clash between the EU and its biggest eastern member where the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is accused of undermining democratic standards, including weakening judicial independence. What the EU says is Warsaw disregarding the ECJ's decisions adds to rule of law worries clouding Poland's image. The key sponsor for the logging is Poland's Environment Minister Jan Szyszko, a conservative linked to a politically combative wing in the Polish Catholic Church, and a keen hunter himself. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Mark Potter)
By Marcos Brindicci and Maximiliano Rizzi MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Whipping winds and 20-foot waves in the South Atlantic were hindering the international search for an Argentine submarine with 44 crew members on board on Saturday as authorities readied a mission to comb the sea floor for signs of the missing military vessel. The German-built ARA San Juan submarine last reported its location 432 km (268 miles) off Argentina's southern Atlantic coast early on Wednesday, prompting a massive search-and-rescue operation on Friday. But a storm pitching powerful winds and waves 6 meters (20 feet) high has disrupted visibility and movement in the area, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters. The submarine's color and design, which aim to camouflage the ocean's surface, also posed a challenge. A scouring of about 80 percent of the area initially targeted for the operation turned up no sign of the vessel, navy official Gabriel Gonzalez told reporters. The dramatic search has captivated the nation of 44 million people, which recently mourned the loss of five citizens who were killed when a truck driver plowed through a bicycle path in New York City. Carlos Zavalla, a navy commander, urged the loved ones of crew members not to give up hope. "So far, the only concrete thing is the lack of communication," Zavalla said on TV channel A24. "That's all." Messages of support poured in from abroad. Pope Francis, an Argentine, was praying "fervently" for the crew to return home soon, his office said. Authorities were preparing for a high-tech operation to explore the bottom of the ocean, said Gonzalez. Argentina has deployed more than a dozen boats and planes to scour for the submarine. "We can't rule anything out," Balbi told a presser, adding that crew members should have ample supplies of food and oxygen. Foreign governments have also sent military planes and boats, including the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon maritime aircraft, NASA's P-3 explorer aircraft and the British Royal Navy's ice-patrol ship the HMS Protector, according to statements from the United States and Britain. The Argentine navy said an electrical outage on the diesel-electric-propelled vessel might have downed its communications. Protocol calls for submarines to surface if communication is lost. If the search ends in tragedy, the episode could put the country's poor safety record in the spotlight, with potential political implications for President Mauricio Macri. His center-right government has set an ambitious target for cutting government spending and told Reuters in March that it had few funds at the ready to replace an outdated military fleet beyond buying aircraft for training pilots. Many family members of crew members eagerly awaited news at the naval base in the port of Mar del Plata, where the ARA San Juan had been headed. "We're hopeful this will end soon to remain only as a bad memory," Maria Morales, the mother of crew member Luis Esteban Garcia told journalists at the port. Stormy weather was expected through Sunday afternoon in the area of sea where the submarine was last tracked, said a source in the navy who was not authorized to speak publicly. The ARA San Juan was inaugurated in 1983, making it the newest of the three submarines in the navy's fleet. Built in Germany by Nordseewerke, it underwent mid-life maintenance in 2008 in Argentina that required cutting its hull in half and sealing back it together again, according to state news agency Telam. Nordseewerke now belongs to German industrial group Thyssenkrupp AG , which could not be reached for comment outside of regular business hours. (Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi in Buenos Aires and Marcos Brindicci in Mar del Plata; Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Alistair Bell)
Washington (AFP) - Protesters marched Sunday in Washington in solidarity with hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, criticizing the lackluster US response to the storm and calling for reform.

Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in September, ravaging the US territory's infrastructure.

Some 50 percent of its population of 3.4 million people still lacks electricity more than two months later.

Demonstrators gathered at the US Capitol with Puerto Rican flags and signs that read "Fight for Puerto Rico," then marched toward the Lincoln Memorial at the other end of the National Mall.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of hit hip-hop musical "Hamilton," and Jose Andres, an award-winning chef who led efforts to feed hungry Puerto Ricans after the storm, both attended the march.

"We have men and women in Puerto Rico who are suffering. We need to help our fellow Americans. We need to abolish the Jones Act, we need to remove the debt, we need to make Puerto Rico great again," said Janette Messina, a 45-year-old protester from New York.

The Jones Act is a 1920 law restricts shipments between US ports to US-owned and operated cargo ships.

The restrictions were eventually waived for Puerto Rico, but were blamed for slowing the disaster relief response.

Messina carried a sign that read "Make Puerto Rico Great Again" -- a play on Donald Trump's campaign slogan, and one of many that appeared to take aim at the president.

"Tweet Puerto Rico With Respect," read another sign, an apparent reference to Trump's at-times vitriolic Twitter responses to criticism of his handling of the disaster.

Jasmin, a 39-year-old from New York who would only give her first name, said her family members on the island lacked basic necessities months after the storm hit.

"I have family in Puerto Rico -- they still don't have clean water, they don't have electricity, I can barely get a call in to them, and that is a major, major problem, and it's not being addressed," she said.

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"Months from the storm, and it's still the same. And there's this narrative that things are getting better, but it's not," added Jasmin.

"This is another instance where Puerto Rico always gets the short end of the stick."

Rafael Negron, 52, came from New York with his wife and daughters for the protest.

"We came out... to protest what's going on, the lack of support for Puerto Rico from the United States government," Negron said.

Another motivation was taking their daughters to their first demonstration, a chance for them to learn about "what it is to be an American and... how to protest things you don't like."
Essaouira (Morocco) (AFP) - Mourning relatives on Monday started burying the victims of a stampede that killed 15 women during a food aid delivery near the popular tourist town of Essaouira on Morocco's coast.

"It's a tragedy," said the husband of one of the victims, breaking down in tears after burying her.

Hundreds of women had gathered on Sunday at a marketplace in the village of Sidi Boulaalam, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Essaouira, for an annual distribution of food aid organised by a benefactor from the region.

A witness told AFP that people had pushed and broken down barriers as they fought for food.

"If you fall, it's over for you and you get trampled on," one survivor said, speaking from a hospital bed.

"Nobody came to our aid, everyone was shouting for help," she added.

Authorities have launched a probe into the tragedy, which also left 10 women injured.

At the morgue of Essaouira's hospital, the scent of incense barely covered the stench of corpses wrapped in blankets.

Mohamed, a forensic doctor from Essaouira who preferred not to give his last name, said the bodies were "in a sorry state".

"They had severe fractures, huge bruises on the body," he said.

The families of the dead came to identify their relatives as ambulances waited to take the bodies away for burial.

"I hardly recognised my mother," said Mjid, a son of one of the victims.

Habiba, a woman bundled up in a pink djellaba robe, a veil over her hair, said she had lost her big sister in the crush.

- 'People here are needy' -

"She came to get oil and flour, but there were too many people. She fell and was trampled on," the 57-year-old said.

The press and social media users have blamed Morocco's glaring social and regional inequalities for the accident, calling it a "two-speed country".

News website Medias 24 blamed poverty for the crush, calling it an "unprecedented tragedy".

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"People here are needy, there is no agriculture, no work," Mjid said.

He moved from Sidi Boulaalam to commercial capital Casablanca as a young man, leaving behind a village of 8,000 people eking out a meagre living from their livestock, far from the developed infrastructure of Morocco's main cities.

Late Monday, more than 100 people gathered in the main square in Essaouira to show their solidarity with the victims of the stampede and to denounce "the stigmatisation of the poor".

King Mohammed VI gave instructions for better security in the future when aid is distributed to the needy, the interior ministry said.

Provincial officials said arrangements had been made for the aid delivery on Sunday, but "the crowd exceeded estimates".

Khalid Azourar, a member of a local NGO, blamed the accident on a lack of organisation.

"Poverty is in people's minds," he said. "People do not know how to respect a queue".

An official report in early October slammed severe poverty in rural areas of Morocco.

Medias 24 said Sidi Boulaalam was "one of the poorest" villages in the country.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may not see eye to eye with the president on this human rights issue. (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that transgender people should not be discriminated against  a view in direct contradiction to several policies proposed under the Trump administration.

Tillersons comment was part of a statement issued to acknowledge Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance held Nov. 20 to honor the memory of those killed by anti-trans violence.

Transgender persons should not be subjected to violence or discrimination, he said, and the human rights they share with all persons should be respected.

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, the United States remains committed to advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, the statement continued.

Rex Tillerson's #TransDayofRemembrance statement -- just 4 months after @realDonaldTrump announced intention to ban trans service members from military pic.twitter.com/4TJpxhBgC9  Hayley Miller (@hayleymiller01) November 20, 2017

The State Department opinion aside, the Trump administration has tried to dismantle policies created to protect transgender rights.

In July, President Donald Trump surprised many people, including top military officials, by announcing plans to ban trans people from serving in the armed forces. He claimed the presence of trans people in the military was costly and created disruption  ideas that have been thoroughly debunked by military experts and LGBTQ advocates.

A federal judge blocked the enforcement of that proposed ban in October, holding that the reasons the Trump administration gave for it do not appear to be supported by any facts.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a directive in October that reversed workplace protections for trans people, stating that the Justice Department would roll back 2014 guidance on the interpretation of Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

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Title VIIs prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination between men and women, Sessions said in the memo, but does not encompass discrimination based on gender identity per se, including transgender status.

Trumps first year in office has been the deadliest year for trans people in at least a decade, according to a report from the Human Rights Campaign and the Trans People of Color Coalition.

There is still so much to be done to combat transphobia across our country and around the world, the report says. Nowhere is that more evident than at the doorstep of the White House, where Donald Trump and Mike Pence have made discrimination against LGBTQ people, as well as so many others, a top priority.

Its unclear if Trumps White House will acknowledge Transgender Day of Remembrance this year, although President Barack Obama did. A representative for the White House did not immediately return HuffPosts request for comment.

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Leigh Corfman, the first woman to accuse Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual assault, spoke out Monday for the first since her allegations were published 10 days ago by the Washington Post. Corfman told the newspaper that in 1979  when she was 14 and Moore was 32  Moore partially undressed her and himself, touched her over her undergarments and guided her hand to touch him.

Moore has fiercely denied misconduct allegations from a series of women, and he has denied even knowing Corfman.

I wonder how many mes he doesnt know, Corfman said on NBCs Today show.

She also elaborated on the alleged encounter.

Corfman said that she met Moore, then Alabamas assistant district attorney, around the corner from her house without her mothers knowledge, and he brought her to his home.

I wouldnt exactly call it a date. I would say it was a meet. At 14, I was not dating. At 14, I was not able to make those kind of choices, Corfman said. The age of consent in Alabama was then and remains today 16.

He basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceeded to, um, seduce me, I guess you would say, she recalled. He touched me over my clothing, what was left of it, and he tried to get me to touch him as well.

Corfman said she pulled back and got dressed, and Moore took her home.

I was a 14-year-old child trying to play in an adults world, she said. And he was 32 years old.

Corfman said when Moore called to meet her again, she made up an excuse and didnt go.

WATCH: @savannahguthrie's full interview with Roy Moore's 1st accuser, Leigh Corfman, who says Moore sexually abused her when she was 14 pic.twitter.com/ll4FGmPvUZ  TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 20, 2017

She dismissed critics who have wondered why she why she didnt come forward with her allegations until now.

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Its very simple, really  I did tell people, Corfman said, adding that they included her family and friends. And as Moore rose in the ranks of Alabamas judicial system, Corfman said, she considered confronting him.

I wanted to walk into his office and say, Hey, remember me? You need to knock this stuff off. I need to go public, she said. My children were small, so I didnt do it.

Corfman said she was absolutely not paid to come forward, as some Moore supporters have alleged without evidence.

My bank account has not flourished, Corfman said. If anything, its gone down because Im not working.

Corfman said she would not have gone public had the Post not heard about the encounter.

I didnt go looking for this  this fell in my lap, Corfman said, adding that she told the papers reporters that she would only go on the record if they found more accusers.

And they found those people, she said.

Related: #MeAt14: Women tweet photos of when they were age of Moores accuser

Corfman was the first of nine women to publicly accuse Moore of various forms of misconduct. All but one said they were teenagers when Moore pursued sexual relationships with them.

Congressional Republicans have distanced themselves from Moore amid the allegations, with many saying he should withdraw from the race. The White House, though, has taken a noticeably less forceful stance. President Trump has yet to comment publicly on Moore, and White House officials say that while the president is deeply troubled by the allegations against Moore, the matter should be left for Alabama voters to decide.

Moore and Democratic candidate Doug Jones are vying for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he was appointed attorney general. The special election is scheduled for Dec. 12.

In an appearance on Fox & Friends Monday, Kellyanne Conway, special counselor to the president, seemed to suggest that voters dismiss the claims against Moore and vote for the Republican.

Doug Jones in Alabama  folks, dont be fooled, Conway said. Hell be a vote against tax cuts. Hes weak on crime, weak on borders. Hes strong on raising your taxes. Hes terrible for property owners.

So vote Roy Moore? co-host Brian Kilmeade asked.

Im telling you we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through, she replied.

Meanwhile, Alabamas three biggest newspapers published a front-page editorial by the Alabama Media Group on Sunday, urging readers to stand for decency, reject Roy Moore.

This election is a turning point for women in Alabama, the editorial said. A chance to make their voices heard in a state that has silenced them for too long.

The seriousness of these incidents, including one involving a 14-year-old child, cannot be overstated, it continued. Do not let this conversation be muddled. This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders.

Read more from Yahoo News:
(Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images)

Many have believed the accusations against Roy Moore of sexual assault and harassment against teen girls to be massively hypocritical since for years hes presented himself as a hardcore evangelical man of faith, and he has a loyal white Christian evangelical following.

But what if Moores alleged actions actually meld with a religious belief among some evangelicals, even if the adherents wont outright admit it?

Moore in fact represents an extremist wing of an already theocratic-leaning base of the GOP that believes all women must be subservient and submit  as Mike Huckabee, who hasnt pulled his full-throated endorsement of Moore, infamously once said of women with regard to their husbands, expressing his own Handmaids Tale dream come true  and that would no doubt include young women such as teen girls. After all, as one of Moores defenders in the Alabama GOP said in dismissing the allegations, Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.

And since the advent of Donald Trump, this more extreme group of evangelicals has cleaved away from others and joined the alt-right and white nationalists, led by former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon  who is a front line warrior for Moores election campaign  and which include white supremacists and racists like those we saw in Charlottesville.

Jack Jenkins, senior religion reporter at Think Progress, has been charting the growth in the Trump era of Christian nationalism the melding of some evangelicals and their beliefs with nationalistic movements and ideologies  in several excellent and important articles. He, too, puts Roy Moore at the nexus of the white nationalist movement and the extremist evangelical movement.

As someone who has covered the Family Research Councils annual Values Voters Summit (VVS) for years, I, along with other observers, saw a marked difference in the speakers and in the crowd this past October, when Donald Trump became the first sitting president to speak at the event. Some long-time leaders like those from the Southern Baptist Convention  whose Russell Moore is a Never Trumper  were not there, along with their followers. They were replaced by Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and other white nationalists and their followers who never had an interest in VVS and are far from what anyone would think of as devout Christians.

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White Nationalism and Christian Right Unite at Values Voter Summit, was the headline of Adele Stans piece on Bill Moyers.com last month. A longtime progressive journalist, Stan, too, has covered VVS for years, as has Right-Wing Watchs Peter Montgomery. Both of them agreed in a discussion on my radio program that this marriage of evangelicals and white nationalists was clear at this years VVS, a sort of realignment taking place. The star of VVS this year was Roy Moore  backed by Bannon and his minions  who would become the test candidate for catapulting Christian nationalism further into the mainstream.

Its no secret that the alt-right and white supremacists like those we saw in Charlottesville arent just about white supremacy; theyre about male supremacy as well, as we saw in their brutal, misogynistic attacks on Heather Heyer after her murder by a white supremacist. Lets not forget last years headlines on Breitbart  then and once again led by Steve Bannon  from Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive And Crazy to Would You Rather Have Your Child Have Feminism or Cancer?

This past weekend, a group of clergy opposed to Roy Moore, including some evangelical leaders, held a rally in Birmingham to speak out against him. Their aim was to counter those evangelical pastors who gathered last week to support Moore, which included extreme Christian dominionists, such as Janet Porter. (Peter Montgomerys Trumps Dominionist Prayer Warriors Organizing To Build Christian Nation is a must-read on this topic.) The Moore evangelical defenders, and the politicians who pander to them, mostly claim that they do not believe the allegations from nine women to be true, and that the charges are part of some wide-ranging political hit job. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said the allegations were all concocted to destroy Bannon.

But Alabama GOP governor Kay Ivey actually admitted she has reason to believe the allegations but also believes its still important to elect a Republican and will vote for Moore. This no doubt reflects the belief of many Alabama voters who continue to support Moore in polls, and many evangelicals and white nationalists across the country who still support Moore  and still support Donald Trump, who of course is an accused sexual assaulter as well.

Its becoming clear that, for many evangelicals and many in the alt-right and white nationalist movements, sexual assault against women and girls is not only not a deal-breaker for a candidate but is also perfectly acceptable, whether they want to admit this or not. The uniting of white nationalists and the religious right, and the rise of Christian nationalism, is premised not only on the false idea that people of color, LGBTQ people and other minorities are exerting too much control, but also very much so on the belief that women  coming forward now and speaking out about sexual assault and demanding equality  must be put in their place.

Thats perhaps one reason why Roy Moore and everything he represents is galvanizing both the religious and the secular far right. And thats why the rise of Christian nationalism is very dangerous.

Follow Michelangelo Signorile on Twitter: www.twitter.com/msignorile

Language in this story has been amended to clarify that the group of pastors who organized a Birmingham rally to speak out against Moore were not all evangelical.

Related...

Republicans Turn On Roy Moore

Roy Moore Loses Campaign Cash

Roy Moore Accuser Describes How He 'Seduced' Her When She Was 14

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Moscow (AFP) - Russia's meteorological service confirmed on Monday "extremely high" concentrations of the radioactive isotope ruthenium-106 in several parts of the country in late September, confirming European reports about the contamination this month.

"Probes of radioactive aerosols from monitoring stations Argayash and Novogorny were found to contain radioisotope Ru-106" between September 25 and October 1, the Rosgidromet service said.

The highest concentration was registered at the station in Argayash, a village in the Chelyabinsk region in the southern Urals, which had "extremely high pollution" of Ru-106, exceeding natural background pollution by 986 times, the service said.

The isotope was then detected in Tatarstan and then in southern Russia, eventually reaching "all European countries starting in Italy and toward the north of Europe" from September 29, Rosgidromet said.

It did not point to any specific source of the pollution, but the Argayash station is about 30 kilometres from the Mayak nuclear facility, which in 1957 was the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

Today Mayak is a reprocessing site for spent nuclear fuel.

On November 9, France's Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) issued a report saying ruthenium-106 had been detected in France between September 27 and October 13.

It said that the source of the pollution was probably an accident somewhere between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, adding that the concentrations measured in Europe were not a danger to public health.

Ruthenium-106 is a product of splitting atoms in a reactor, and is also used in certain medical treatments. It does not occur naturally.

Russia's nuclear corporation Rosatom said at the time that "radiation around all objects of Russian nuclear infrastructure are within the norm and are at the level of background radiation".

France's IRSN had said a nuclear reactor could not have been the source of the Ru-106 since other radioactive elements would also have been detected.

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It suggested instead that a discharge from an installation linked to the nuclear fuel cycle or which produced radioactive materials as the cause of the radioactive cloud.

Greenpeace Russia on Monday called on Rosatom to open "an in-depth inquiry and publish the results about the incidents at Mayak".

"Greenpeace will send a letter asking prosecutors to open an inquiry into potential concealment of a nuclear incident," it said in a statement.

In mid-October, Rosatom had issued a statement cited by Russian media outlets saying "in samples tested from September 25 to October 7, including in the southern Urals, no trace of ruthenium-106 was found, except in Saint Petersburg".
A Donald Trump voter has said he would believe the US president over Jesus Christ, amid the Russia collusion claims, even if the Messiah got off the cross and said the allegations were true.

Pest control company owner Mark Lee threw his support behind the White House chief, whom he said stood up for the little guy, as he took part as a panellist in a CNN debate on the matter.

Mr Trump has been fighting off claims that officials in his election campaign had reached out to Moscow to dig up dirt on Hillary Clinton, his then rival last year for the Oval Office job.

The pressure piled on Mr Trump over the supposed collusion has deepened after campaign member George Papadopoulos admitted that he had lied to an investigation into the Russia links.

Mr Lee, a supporter of Mr Trump, weighed in behind the US president while speaking as a panellist in a CNN debate  titled Pulse of the People  Trump Voters One Year After Election.

When the presenter put the issue of the claims of ties between the tycoons campaign and the Kremlin, Mr Lee showed his apparent blind faith in belief for the White House chief.

The pest company owner said he had voted for Mr Trump over one of his pledges to drain the swamp that is Washington.

Mr Lee said: The swamp is horrible, and Trump is there, hes there for the small guy, hes there for people like myself.

Pressed to clarify what he meant by the swamp, he said: For me its the mainstream, its the elites that look down upon a small guy like myself."

He added: Let me tell you, if Jesus Christ gets down off the Christ and told me Trump is with Russia, I would tell him hold on a second, I need to check with the president if its true", adding: "I love the guy.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is leading the investigation into the supposed links between Mr Trumps election campaign and Russia.

In the latest twist, he has reportedly requested that the Justice Department turn over a range of documents, including some about the dismissal of former FBI director James Comey.

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A lawyer who represents Mr Trump said the campaign was in total cooperation with the special counsels investigation and had already begun handing over material.

The presidents personal attorney Michael Cohen said in a statement last month that both he and Mr Trump had nothing to do with any Russian involvement in our electoral process.
Shanghai (AFP) - Shanghai police have ruled out foul play and cast doubt on allegations that overwork contributed to the death of a 14-year-old Russian model after she took part in Shanghai Fashion Week last month.

The death of Vlada Dzyuba in a Shanghai hospital on October 27 threw a spotlight on the murky world of foreign models in China -- many from the former Soviet Union -- and raised questions over why a minor was working abroad without a proper guardian.

A Shanghai police statement released late Friday said Dzyuba died of multiple organ failure stemming from a suspected central nervous system infection, possibly meningitis.

"A forensic examination found no violent injuries on the surface of the body, routine blood tests were negative, and no abnormalities were found," the statement said.

English-language newspaper The Siberian Times had alleged that Dzyuba, from the city of Perm, died of meningitis compounded by exhaustion following "a gruelling fashion show in Shanghai".

But the Chinese agency representing Dzyuba, ESEE Model Management, has vehemently denied the claim.

Shortly after her death, ESEE reproduced a medical report from Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai that gave the cause of death as septicaemia, a type of bacterial blood poisoning.

The teen, who despite her youth was allowed to model under Chinese law, died without her family at her side because her mother could not travel to China in time.

Her body was returned to Russia on November 11, Shanghai police said.

Shortly after Dzyuba's death, Russian investigators in Perm opened a probe into whether her death was caused by negligence, TASS state news agency reported, citing regional investigators.
By Paul McLeary with Adam Rawnsley

Here come more Pyongyang missiles. North Korea is likely preparing a new round of missile tests this year, South Koreas spy agency said on Monday, leading to new concerns of a clash between the regime and a coalition of American, Japanese, and South Korean forces should a test accidently strike land.

The South Korean spy agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space, but in fact to ratchet up its threats against the United States, South Korean lawmakers told reporters after a closed-door briefing with intel officials.

Trump and nukes. More tests  including a possible nuclear test  brings up the spectre of president Donald Trump ordering a strike on North Korean missile sites, or somehow stumbling into a nuclear confrontation.

Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, told a panel at the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday that he and Trump have discussed such scenarios and that he would tell Trump he couldnt carry out an illegal strike:

If its illegal, guess whats going to happen, Hyten said. Im going to say, Mr President, thats illegal. And guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works.

And then we have this. Commercial satellite imagery of the Sinpo South Shipyard from November 5 indicates that North Korea is on an aggressive schedule to build and deploy its first operational ballistic missile submarine, according to 38 North.

New space race. Chief of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein, in Defense One: I believe we will be fighting in space in the next 10 yearsSpace superiority is going to be central to who we are as a service. That expansion may be difficult, given the Air Force trying to give pilots more money to stay, but they still arent sticking around, leading to a shortage of about 2,000 flyers.

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Hes back! Irans covert operations chief Qasem Soleimani is back in the public eye and snapping selfies, this time showing up among fighters from the Iranian-backed Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba militia in the Syrian town of Abu Kamal by the Iraqi border. The visit by the Qods Force commander, subject to U.N. travel restrictions, comes as Iranian and Syrian forces capture more territory from the Islamic State in Syrias eastern Deir Ezzour province.

Soleimanis visit to the Iraqi border was punctuated by the death of another senior Iranian commander, Khairollah Samadi, while fighting the Islamic State near Abu Kamal. Samadi, a commander in the Qods Force, is one of roughly a thousand Iranians killed in combat in Syria, though casualties have tapered off as the insurgency against the Assad regime has waned.

Where in the world Before he landed in a Manhattan courtroom, Reza Zarrab was one of Turkeys most high-flying businessmen. Now hes accused of masterminding a multibillion dollar gold-for-gas scheme to evade American sanctions on Iran. But with his trial about to begin, Zarrabs whereabouts are unknown, FPs Elias Groll reports, and it appears his high-powered legal team is trying to strike a deal with federal prosecutors. Observers are now wondering whether Washington is about to strike a deal with Ankara for Zarrabs freedom.

Afghan Army recruiting way down. The Taliban has been pressuring the families of Afghan army soldiers, forcing the recruits to leave the force in order to save their loved ones back home, the NYT reports.

Whos where when. Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan hosts an enhanced honor cordon at the Pentagon welcoming Afghanistans Acting Minister of National Defense Lt. Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami.

Welcome to SitRep. As always, please send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary.

Yet another collision. For the fifth time this year, a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific has been involved in a collision with a commercial vessel. The USS Benfold collided with a Japanese tug boat on Saturday, suffering only minor damage and no injuries. The incident, however, comes on the heels of two lethal collisions in June and April, which claimed the lives of 17 sailors in total.

Okinawa. A U.S. Marine driving a military vehicle in Okinawa killed a Japanese man in a car accident, raising the possibility of further tensions between the U.S. military base on the island and locals. Local media reports that the 21 year old Marine involved in the crash had a blood alcohol level tested three times the legal limit. The Navys 7th Fleet reacted swiftl, restricting all personnel on Okinawa to base and prohibited all service members stationed in Japan from consuming alcohol.

Home cooking. The alleged hit squad dispatched by North Korea to kill Kim Jong-uns estranged brother brewed up the VX nerve agent used in the attack at a crude laboratory in a Kuala Lumpur condo. Testifying at the trial of two suspects charged with the the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, Malaysian authorities said they found the VX lab in the condo of Ri Jong-chol, a North Korean man deported shortly after the attack.

Backchannel. Israel has publicly admitted what everyone has privately suspected: its been engaged in secret backchannel talks with Saudi Arabia. In a radio interview, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Israel has been talking to the Saudis and other Arab countries, keeping the discussions secret only because their counterparts were unenthusiastic about admitting to direct dialog with the Jewish state.

Slavery in Libya. Reporters from CNN managed to secretly record the horrifying spectacle of a slave auction in Libya, where human traffickers sold Nigerian immigrants as human chattel for as little as $800. Libyan human smugglers have increasingly transformed into slave traders as human trafficking from Libya to Europe has left smugglers in control of large numbers of would-be migrants and fewer opportunities to slip them out of the country.

Argentina. Over the weekend, an Argentine navy submarine went missing 268 miles off the countrys coast with 44 sailors on board. Recently discovered satellite signals from the submarine had raised hopes that rescuers could locate the vessel but search and rescue teams have thus far been unable to find it.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Rightist Israeli politicians and angry members of the public lashed out at President Reuven Rivlin Monday over his refusal to pardon a soldier jailed for shooting dead a prone Palestinian assailant.

Rivlin's decision not to intervene in the case of Elor Azaria's manslaughter conviction was the latest chapter in a story that has divided Israel since the March 2016 incident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Police on Monday announced an investigation after a photoshopped picture of Rivlin wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh headdress emerged amid widespread rage over his decision, announced on Sunday.

The badly doctored picture features a smiling Rivlin and the caption "Reuven Rivlin a traitorous Jew-boy may his name and memory be accursed" in Hebrew.

It immediately sparked comparisons with posters of Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin in a keffiyeh which appeared ahead of his assassination by a Jewish extremist in 1995.

Rivlin was a leading member of the right-wing Likud party until he was elected to the non-partisan presidency but former comrades were among the first to berate him.

Culture Minister Miri Regev, of Likud, said that he had "abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the institution of the (presidential) pardon".

Rivlin's Facebook page drew messages of support but also scathing criticism.

One person wrote that he was "no longer my president," while another accused him of "fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends."

Lawmaker Oren Hazan, also of Likud, called on him to resign, and said the power to grant pardons should be transferred to parliament.

'Unacceptable'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also Likud leader, said that while the imagery used against Rivlin was beyond what was permissible, criticism in general was a healthy thing.

"Not every criticism is incitement," he told senior Likud members on Monday, according to a party statement.

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My only request is for the criticism to be respectful and to the point -- without keffiyehs," Netanyahu added.

"This is unacceptable when it is directed at the president or any other public representative."

"I called for a full pardon for Elor Azaria from the first day," he said. "My opinion has not changed."

The keffiyeh image used against Rabin was a reference to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who made the scarf his trademark, and was meant to imply that Rabin was betraying the Jewish state.

Opposition head Isaac Herzog of the Labour party posted Rivlin's doctored image next to that of slain Labour leader Rabin.

"We all know how it starts, we all know how it ends," he wrote on Twitter.

Rivlin's office postponed an olive harvesting event at the presidential residence in Jerusalem set for Monday morning, citing "inclement weather," despite blue skies.

Azaria is due to remain in prison until October 2018.

The March 2016 shooting in the West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he had feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up -- a claim judges rejected.

The incident, and Azaria's subsequent arrest and trial, deeply divided Israel and led to an extraordinary rift between right-wing politicians who wanted to see him released and top military brass, who harshly condemned his actions.

On July 30, a military court turned down Azaria's appeal against his conviction for manslaughter and upheld an 18-month prison sentence, which he began serving on August 9.

In September, Israel's Chief of Staff General Gadi Eisenkot reduced the term to 14 months.

Rights group Amnesty International has said Azaria's sentence does "not reflect the gravity of the offence".

The UN human rights office said it was an "unacceptable" punishment for "an apparent extra-judicial killing".
Its rare for one person to get a victory at the Supreme Court, but a South Florida man will try for a second win this spring in a case about his arrest at a public meeting more than a decade ago.

Back in January 2013, Fane Lozman prevailed in a 7-2 decision in his appeal about his former floating home, which had been seized by Riviera Beach, Florida, and destroyed under the terms of admiralty law. Riviera Beach claimed the structure was a vessel and subject to impoundment due to overdue fees it never received.

Lozman had lost in the lower courts when he said the structure was a floating house, and not a vessel, because it wasnt capable of moving on its own. Justice Stephen Breyer, in a colorful opinion, said the Courts majority agreed with Lozmans definition and overturned the lower courts verdict.

Not every floating structure is a vessel. To state the obvious, a wooden washtub, a plastic dishpan, a swimming platform on pontoons, a large fishing net, a door taken off its hinges, or Pinocchio (when inside the whale) are not vessels, Breyer said, even if they are artificial contrivance[s] capable of floating, moving under tow, and incidentally carrying even a fair-sized item or two when they do so. (Note: In checking more than 200 years of Supreme Court decisions at CourtListener.com, Breyers opinion appears to contain the only reference to the fictional wooden character in the Courts history of opinions.)

Lozmans attempts to get what he felt was just compensation for the destroyed floating boat also failed in the lower court system, and the Supreme Court denied his appeal in April 2017.

But last week, the Court accepted Lozmans appeal in a third case that goes back to November 15, 2006. Lozman previously had objected to plans made by Riviera Beach to develop property that was part of a marina where his floating house was located. He appeared at a council meeting at a public comment session to speak about government corruption at a county level.

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In a scene caught on video and posted to YouTube, the Riviera Beach city council President asked Lozman to stop speaking about county-level issue, but Lozman continued speaking. The council President then summoned a police officer to the floor, who arrested Lozman after he refused to leave the public-comment session and walk outside of the room.

Two charges were filed against Lozman, but the state attorney didnt pursue the case. Lozman then sued Riviera Beach over the arrest, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated.

At a jury trial, Riviera Beach won its case, stating that the officer had probable cause to arrest Lozman based on his actions. A federal appeals court upheld the lower courts decision.

In their plea to the Supreme Court, Lozmans legal team wants the Justices to settle what it feels is an unresolved issue: Does the existence of probable cause for an arrest supersede First Amendment protections from an arrest based on a persons criticism of the government?

Lozmans team says the Courts 2006 decision in Hartman v. Moore said that a plaintiff must prove that probable cause didnt exist in a case involving retaliatory prosecution that violated First Amendment protections against retaliations by the government. A second Court case, Reichle v. Howards (2012), was taken in part by the Court to settle the question about retaliatory arrests, but the Justices didnt settle that question in their decision, they claim.

In its petition asking the Court to deny Lozmans appeal, Riviera Beach made several arguments. One was that the officer on the scene wasnt familiar with Lozman and his relationship with council, and he made the arrest based on his own probable cause judgment. The other broader argument was that the body and intent of the Courts prior decisions made it clear that the precedent set in Hartman also applied to retaliatory arrests and that the existence of probable cause defeated the First Amendment claim of retaliation.

In accepting the case, at least four of the Justices voted in private conference to hear arguments in 2018.
Deir Ezzor (Syria) (AFP) - Syria's army and loyalist militiamen Sunday ousted the Islamic State group from its last urban stronghold in the country as regime strikes claimed more lives in a rebel-held enclave near Damascus.

The army said it had taken full control of Albu Kamal in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, which has changed hands several times.

Government forces announced the capture of the town near the Iraqi border earlier this month but lost it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago.

"Syrian troops and allied forces took full control of Albu Kamal, and are removing mines and explosives left by IS," a military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP on Sunday.

"IS put up fierce resistance and tried to use explosives and suicide bombers, but besieging the city allowed the army to clinch the offensive and take full control of the city."

State news agency SANA also reported the advance in Albu Kamal, saying the "Syrian army and its allies eliminated the last Daesh (IS) terrorist pocket in the town".

A string of territorial defeats across northern and eastern Syria had left Albu Kamal as the last significant Syrian town held by IS.

Syria's army announced on November 9 it had ousted IS from the town, but the jihadists retook it in a lightning offensive.

A week later, the army and allied Iraqi, Lebanese, and Iranian fighters broke back into Albu Kamal and steadily advanced through the town.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of sources across Syria, confirmed on Sunday that regime troops and their allies had captured Albu Kamal.

"IS fighters withdrew from the city towards the Euphrates River," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"There is no more fighting in the town, but there are clashes around Albu Kamal," he said, adding that Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and Iraqi militias had fought alongside regime troops, backed by Russian air power.

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The monitor said more than 80 fighters were killed in the three days of ferocious combat to retake the town -- 31 pro-regime forces and at least 50 IS jihadists.

IS seized large areas of both Syria and neighbouring Iraq in a lightning 2014 campaign, but this year has lost much of the territory it once held.

The loss of Albu Kamal caps the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla group with no urban base.

- Heavy bombing near Damascus -

On another front near Damascus, intense regime bombardment on the rebel-held Ghouta region killed eight civilians and wounded 25, the Observatory said, as the United Nations urged all sides to avoid targeting non-combattants.

Six days of heavy bombing have killed dozens in the region, where rebel groups and regime forces are locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks.

On the sixth consecutive day of heavy bombing, an AFP videographer at a hospital in Ghouta's largest city, Douma, saw a man crying as he hugged an unconscious teenager.

A nurse helped a distraught woman who appeared to be searching for a loved one and a man kissed the body of a child wrapped in a shroud.

Doctors struggled to save a child with a blood infusion to the chest as a boy moaned in pain on another hospital bed.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces have besieged Eastern Ghouta since 2013, making humanitarian conditions in the area, where some 400,000 people live, extremely dire.

On Sunday, the UN's coordinator for humanitarian and development affairs in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari, called on "all warring sides to avoid targeting civilians".

"For days, there have been daily reports about civilians being killed and others being severely wounded, in addition to warehouses, hospitals and schools being put out of service during the exchange of shellfire, particularly in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta," Zaatari said.

More than 330,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the Syrian war, which began in 2011 as the regime brutally crushed anti-government protests. Millions have been displaced.

Diplomats from Iran, Russia and Turkey met Sunday in Antalya to discuss Syria ahead of a three-way summit in the Russian city of Sochi on Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the meeting with his Turkish counterparts Mevlut Cavusoglu and Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif "very productive" and said they had agreed on "all the main issues".

Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are sponsoring the so-called Astana peace talks, named for the Kazakh capital where they are regularly held, which calls for "de-escalation" zones in key areas of Syria -- including the Eastern Ghouta region.
The couples engagement was sealed with a heart. (Photo: Reddit/Orion_91)

People cant get enough of this newly engaged couple and their heart-shaped shadow.

On Sunday, Ryan Moon, 26, from Des Moines, Iowa, posted a Reddit photo of himself asking his girlfriend, Haley Smith, 25, to marry him, writing: Proposed to my girlfriend realized there is a heart in our shadows in a post that drew more than 1,600 comments.

The photo shows Moon on bended knee in front of the Iowa State Capitol Building, where he and Smith met as staff assistants for state representatives of opposing political parties. I saw her walking up the stairs at work one day and thought, Wow, shes beautiful, Moon tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Our first date was on Valentines Day, 2014, and I invited her to my place for a pork chop dinner to watch House of Cards.

Ryan Moon and Haley Smith. (Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Moon)

Moon planned to propose on the same day as Smiths family holiday photo session, and knowing the value of a social media ring shot, arranged for her girlfriend to suggest manicures beforehand. But then Haley said she didnt have time to get her nails done, so I encouraged her to take a day for yourself, says Moon.

On the big day, the family (who knew about the planned proposal) took a few group shots, and then Smiths stepmother told the couple to pose together  and thats when Moon got down on one knee. I asked her to be my Soup snake,' says Moon. Its our private joke from watching The Office  it means my soul mate.

The emotional expression on Smiths face did not go unnoticed on Reddit, where people shared statements such as, I hope I can make my gf this happy one day, Thats a bloody beautiful picture mate, well done, and, Something about her facial expression is really heartwarming. Congrats dude!!

One romantic even doctored the photo to make it black-and-white and the heart red.

The couple plan to memorialize the sweet moment. Well probably apply the photo to a canvas and hang it in our home, says Moon. Its our favorite.

Photo: Reddit

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




Beijing (AFP) - China called Tuesday for extra efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis through talks after US President Donald Trump re-branded Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Beijing has repeatedly pushed for negotiations to end the standoff. Some analysts warned that the terror designation could further inflame tensions.

"We still hope all relevant parties can contribute to easing tensions, that the relevant parties can resume talks and (adopt) the correct track to resolving the Korean peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation," said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

"More should be done in that regard."

China has pushed for a "dual track approach" which would require the United States to freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programmes, but the proposal has not gained traction.

Trump on Monday promised a rapid escalation of US Treasury sanctions against the North after adding its name to a terror blacklist previously led by Iran and Syria.

"Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago," Trump said.

He cited the death of a US student who had been held in a North Korean jail and the assassination by nerve agent of Kim's elder half-brother on foreign soil as reasons for the move.

However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said sanctions and diplomacy could still pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un into talks on nuclear disarmament.

"We still hope for diplomacy," he said, adding that punitive measures were already having a significant impact on Pyongyang's economy.

There was no immediate reaction from North Korea, but an editorial in the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun before the announcement described Trump as a "mentally deranged money-grabber" who was leading the US down an "irretrievable road to hell".

The White House has said it will not tolerate the North's testing or deployment of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

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Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets.

Japan said it "welcomes and supports" Trump's announcement. But there was a more restrained response from South Korea.

Seoul's foreign ministry said the US measure was "part of the international community's common efforts to bring North Korea to the path of denuclearisation through strong sanctions and pressure".

Some analysts warned of a possible backlash.

"North Korea will consider it as a thing next to a declaration of war," Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University for North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP.

"There is a possibility that it may retaliate by test-launching an ICBM in the near future."

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Both Trump and Kim have previously raised fears of open conflict erupting over the North's banned nuclear missile programme, as they exchanged insults and threats of a devastating military response.

But US officials say their main hope is that Pyongyang will back down, in the face of what Tillerson described as an inexorable increase in Chinese-backed economic and diplomatic pressure.

"We know that there are current shortages of fuel based upon what we can gather anecdotally and also from certain intelligence sources," Tillerson said.

"We know that their revenues are down," he said. "So I think it is having an effect. Is this the reason we haven't had a provocative act in 60 days?"

North Korea is already under a crushing sanctions regime, and Monday's terror designation will not have much immediate economic impact.

But Trump said his declaration was the prelude to a two-week period of announcements -- starting with a "very large" US Treasury sanctions measure -- that would amount to a "maximum pressure campaign".

US officials see the designation -- which was removed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 -- as a way of intensifying pressure on other nations and foreign banks which may be failing to fully enforce the sanctions.

- Tortured in custody? -

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said.

Trump invoked Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old who died this year after being repatriated from detention in North Korea in a coma. US officials allege he was tortured in custody.

In February Kim's potential rival and elder half-brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport, in an assassination blamed on Pyongyang.

US officials would not say what new sanctions might be announced but an expert predicted secondary measures against Chinese banks, and an Asian diplomat said there could be action against individual North Korean traders working in China.

The diplomat said Washington would like to impose a total oil embargo on the North but China was not yet ready to accept a move that could cause Kim's regime to topple and unleash chaos on its border.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller: Getty Images

Special counsel Robert Mueller has requested the Justice Department turn over a range of documents, including some about the dismissal of former FBI director James Comey, it has been reported.

Mr Mueller is currently leading an investigation into whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin, and is also reportedly examining whether Mr Trump himself obstructed justice by asking Mr Comey to drop an investigation into then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Investigators are apparently keen to obtain the emails regarding Mr Comeys sacking and the decision of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the matter.

Mr Muellers investigative team is interested in exchanges between officials at the Justice Department and the White House, a source told ABC News.

The request was issued in the past month and indicates that Mr Mueller is now demanding documents from the department that is overseeing his investigation.

The special counsel has been examining Russia's influence in the 2016 presidential election and also looking into whether the Trump campaign in particular colluded with the Russians.

Mr Trumps campaign had begun handing over documents to Mr Mueller in September and a lawyer that represents Mr Trump said the campaign was in total cooperation with the special counsels investigation.

Mr Muellers Russia probe has heated up in recent months. In October, five months after he was appointed to lead the inquiry, he announced 12 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US, against former campaign manager Paul Manafort and associate Rick Gates.
WASHINGTON  President Trump announced Monday that his administration is putting North Korea back on a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a mostly symbolic blow meant to deepen the diplomatic isolation of Kim Jong Uns regime in Pyongyang.

Speaking to reporters as he opened a meeting with his Cabinet, Trump said the designation would trigger further sanctions and penalties and that it supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime. The president added that the Treasury Department on Tuesday would announce additional punitive measures, part of a campaign over the next two weeks to tighten the economic and diplomatic vise on North Korea.

It was unclear what new sanctions the designation would unlock: The kinds of unilateral steps that it triggers, like a ban on U.S. economic aid or U.S. arms sales, are mostly irrelevant because North Korea already does not benefit from such assistance. But Trump could enable families of terrorism victims to file civil suits in U.S. courts.

I dont want to suggest to you that the designation is suddenly going to put a whole new layer of sanctions on them. Because again, I think, we already have North Korea so heavily sanctioned, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in the White House briefing room after the announcement. But this will close a few additional loopholes off.

And the designation could put more pressure on countries like China, North Koreas largest trading partner, to further sever business ties with the Stalinist regime.

A man watches a TV screen showing President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, during a news program at the Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo: Ahn Young-joon/AP)

Trumps announcement came amid concerns that escalating tensions over North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs could spiral into war.

In his remarks, the president alluded to several factors behind the decision. He referred to North Korea carrying out assassinations on foreign soil. That appeared to be a reference to the Feb. 13 killing of Kims half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, dispatched at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia, widely believed to be the work of North Korean agents. And he cited the death of American student Otto Warmbier, jailed during a January 2016 trip to North Korea and released in June 2017 while in a coma. He died a few days later.

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As we take this action today, our thoughts turn to Otto Warmbier, wonderful young man, and the countless others brutally affected by the North Korean oppression, the president said.

Trump said the designation should have happened years ago.

And Tillerson declined to point to other assassinations other than the one at the Malaysian airport, which he called a significant event that caused us to really begin to look carefully at what else they might have been doing.  That really got our attention.

The United States first put North Korea on the list in 1988, in the aftermath of the November 1987 bombing of Korean Air Flight 858. North Korean agents hid explosives aboard the passenger jet, which exploded on its Baghdad-to-Seoul route, killing all of the more than 100 people aboard.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson listens to President Trump speak during a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

In October 2008, the Bush administration announced that it was removing North Korea from the list as part of an effort to rescue a deal to restrain and monitor Pyongyangs nuclear programs. The Bush administration certified that the regime had not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six months and had promised not to support international terrorist acts in the future.

The Obama administration gave serious thought to returning North Korea to the list in late 2014, after the U.S. intelligence community fingered Pyongyang for the hacking of Sony Pictures and threats against movie theaters over the Sony-backed film The Interview, about a plot to assassinate Kim. The perpetrators also used malware to wipe out some of the companys servers.

In one discussion in the White Houses Situation Room, a senior Obama aide told Yahoo News, top officials wrestled with the argument that if this same amount of damage, amount of monetary damage, had been inflicted by a bomb exploding inside an empty Sony headquarters, and no one was killed, wed be calling this terrorism.

Ultimately, Obama told CNN: I dont think it was an act of war. I think it was an act of cyber-vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionally. Pyongyang stayed off the list, which includes Iran, Sudan and Syria.

A North Korean propaganda poster hangs inside of a conference room in the offices of the Jigsaw incubator within Alphabet at its offices in New York. (Photo: Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Trump had been expected to also lean on North Koreas abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, ostensibly to teach Pyongyangs agents how to blend in. The secretive nation admitted to the chilling practice in 2002. Trump met with relatives of some of the kidnapping victims during his stop in Japan.

The president referenced all three actions during his September speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

We were all witness to the regimes deadly abuse when an innocent American college student, Otto Warmbier, was returned to America only to die a few days later. We saw it in the assassination of the dictators brother using banned nerve agents in an international airport, Trump said. We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Koreas spies.

Trump did not announce any breakthroughs on North Korea during his recent 12-day trip to Asia. But there have been other significant developments since his return, including Singapores decision to suspend trade ties, in keeping with recent U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Read more from Yahoo News:
President Donald Trump lashed out at Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) after he was heard over a hot mic saying the Republican Party would be toast if it stuck with the president and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Trump tweeted Sunday that Jeff Flake(y) was unelectable. The president claimed that Flake was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Trump also said he expects Flake to vote against the GOP tax reform package.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017

Flake, who announced last month that he wont seek re-election, took the hot mic issue in stride, saying no one should be surprised by what he said.

Flake was talking to the mayor of a Phoenix suburb on Friday after a town hall meeting when he said: If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast. The comment was picked up by ABC affiliate KNXN.

No news here, Flake tweeted Saturday after his comments began to attract media attention. Ive been saying this to anyone who will listen.

No news here. I've been saying this to anyone who will listen https://t.co/50klmeSm5a  Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 18, 2017

Flake has not yet responded to the (latest) attack from Trump. Nor has he discussed how he plans to vote on the tax package.

In an emotional speech on the Senate floor last month, Flake announced his plans to retire. It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end, he said.

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By Jeff Mason and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs. The Republican president, who has traded personal insults with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but has not ruled out talks, said the Treasury Department will announce additional sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday. The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Korea's nuclear ambitions a centerpiece of his discussions. "In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump told reporters at the White House. "This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime." Trump, who has often criticized his predecessors' policies toward Pyongyang, said the designation should have been made "a long time ago." North Korea is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions and has made no secret of its plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It has fired two missiles over Japan and on Sept. 3 fired its sixth and largest nuclear test. South Korea's spy agency said on Monday the North may conduct additional missile tests this year to improve its long-range missile technology and ramp up the threat against the United States. Experts say the designation will be largely symbolic as North Korea is already heavily sanctioned by the United States, a reality that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to acknowledged while saying it would help dissuade third parties from supporting Pyongyang. "The practical effects may be limited but hopefully we're closing off a few loopholes with this," he told reporters. The United States has designated only three other countries - Iran, Sudan and Syria - as state sponsors of terrorism. Some experts think North Korea does not meet the criteria for the designation, which requires evidence that a state has "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism." In his remarks, Trump remembered Otto Warmbier, the college student from Ohio who died in June shortly after his return from North Korea, where he was held for more than a year. His death caused outrage in the United States and further inflamed tensions with Pyongyang. MOVE COULD BACKFIRE A U.S. intelligence official who follows developments in North Korea expressed concern that Trump's move could backfire, especially given that the basis for the designation is arguable. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Kim could respond in a number of ways, including renewing missile or nuclear tests in "a very volatile environment." The move also could undercut Trumps efforts to solicit greater Chinese cooperation in pressuring North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, the official said. In any case, it will do little to open the way for U.S. dialogue with North Korea, which China - Pyongyang's main ally - and others have been pushing for. "I don't see how this helps, and it might just be an important miscalculation," said Robert Gallucci, the chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis. In February, plans for talks in the United States between former U.S. officials and North Korea were scrapped when the State Department denied a visa for a top envoy from Pyongyang after the murder of Kim's half brother, Kim Jong Nam, in Malaysia. North Korea was put on the U.S. terrorism sponsor list for the 1987 bombing of a Korean Air flight that killed all 115 people aboard. But the administration of former President George W. Bush, a Republican, removed Pyongyang in 2008 in exchange for progress in denuclearization talks. Some members of Congress had been pushing for years for North Korea to be put back on the list, but others questioned whether the reclusive regime met the criteria of actively sponsoring international terrorism. U.S. Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, called the decision "an important step in our efforts to apply maximum diplomatic and financial pressure on Kim Jong Un." Democratic Senator Edward Markey said the designation "ratchets up the rhetoric" but does nothing to hold North Korea accountable for its weapons program. The designation could prove counterproductive, said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the conservative Center for the National Interest. "Sadly, this action by the Trump administration just further cements a dangerous game of escalatory brinkmanship where neither side is giving the other any off-ramp," he said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by John Walcott, Patricia Zengerle, Eric Walsh, Arshad Mohammed and Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Jeff Mason; Editing by Kieran Murray and James Dalgleish)
Uber has just taken another big step from a ride-sharing service to a transportation provider. It announced that it will buy up to 24,000 Volvo XC90s, marking the first major vehicle fleet purchase by a ride-hailing service. Uber will take delivery of the SUVs between 2019 and 2021, then equip them with its own sensors and tech, allowing it to do fully autonomous, driver-free passenger rides. "This new agreement puts us on a path toward mass-produced, self-driving vehicles at scale," Uber's Jeff Miller told Bloomberg. The XC90 starts at $47,000, so this could be a pretty substantial purchase -- over $1 billion worth of cars, to be exact. Uber and Volvo previously signed a $300 million pact, and Volvo, based in Sweden but owned by China's Geely Auto, is using the proceeds to develop its own driverless cars. It has been working with Uber for nearly three years to develop a base vehicle with core autonomous tech, which the ride-sharing company could then customize as it sees fit. Uber has also made deals with Ford and Daimler. Uber aims to eventually give driver-free passenger rides, which is the only way such a service would be economically feasible. "It only becomes a commercial business when you can remove the vehicle operator from the equation," Miller told Reuters. However, Uber and everyone else are still far from that goal. Uber has been offering autonomous car rides in Ford Fusion and other vehicles for over a year in Pittsburgh. However, earlier this year, it admitted that human drivers had to take the wheel at least once every mile. City dwellers are also reportedly tired of the tests, as they haven't provided the promised jobs and other benefits. On top of all that, Uber is embroiled in a lawsuit with Google's Waymo, which accused it of stealing key self-driving tech.
Two parliamentary groups have called on the UK government to introduce a new law that would extend the rights of Uber, Deliveroo and other "gig economy" workers. A year ago, two Uber drivers won an employment tribunal case that classified them as "workers," rather than "self-employed." That distinction might seem small, but legally it gave them the right to the national living wage, minimum levels of paid holiday, and basic protections against discrimination. Uber is trying to appeal the decision, but has so far been unsuccessful. Now, two select committees want everyone in the gig economy to be categorised as "workers" by default.

"The onus would be on the firm to prove self-employed status, when disputed, rather than on the worker to do so through the courts," the Works and Pensions Committee and the Business Select Committee wrote in their report. Worker status is different from a traditional "employee," however. A full or part-time member of staff, for instance, is also entitled to sick and parental pay, minimum notice periods and protection against unfair dismissal. "Worker," then, is a vaguely defined middle ground in UK law. The two committees would like "increased clarity" so that employers, workers and legislators know exactly how the rules apply.

Uber and Deliveroo, of course, are happy with the status quo. Typically, these companies draft contracts which don't have worker benefits in them  so drivers and couriers are automatically treated as self-employed. It's then down to the individual to take their employer to court and prove they deserve the worker classification. The two committees are now calling on the government to close this "loophole" and block "dubious business practices." "Recent court cases have exposed a pattern of companies using bogus self-employed status as a route to cheap labour," the MPs argue.

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Some people prefer to be labelled as self-employed, however, and the two committees don't want to put an "unnecessary burden" on this group. They do, however, want tribunals to be "more effective," with higher fines for companies that have lost similar cases in the past.

While worker status is the bulk of their demands, the group is also calling on the government to tackle the "volatile availability" of gig economy work. If you're a Deliveroo courier, for instance, there's no guarantee that you'll be offered a delivery when you 'log on.' To combat this, the committees want a new "wage premium" for hours where work can't be guaranteed. Such a scheme could, MPs argue, encourage companies to provide staff rotas and other shift details. For Uber and Deliveroo, however, that seems unlikely given the fluidity of customer orders.

Finally, the two parliamentary groups want the UK's enforcement bodies to have more power and resources. Fines should be increased and non-complying companies need to be "named and shamed," the politicians argue. "We need new laws but also much tougher enforcement," Rachel Reeves, an MP and chair of the business, energy and industrial strategy committee said, "to weed out those businesses seeking to exploit complex labour laws, and workers, for their competitive advantage."
WARSAW (Reuters) - Ukraine has summoned the Polish ambassador in Kiev after Poland denied entry to a Ukrainian official in an escalation of a diplomatic spat over the two neighbours' troubled past. Poland's decision to refused entry on Saturday to the head of Ukraine's commemoration commission, Svyatoslav Sheremet, was in response to a ban imposed earlier this year by Kiev on the exhumation of Poles killed in Ukraine during World War Two, Polish state news agency PAP reported. "The Ukrainian side has complained that Mr Sheremet was not allowed into Poland," Poland's ambassador to Kiev Jan Pieklo told PAP after the meeting with Ukrainian authorities. "I have been also informed that this is a problem that concerns the restarting of exhumations because Sheremet is the person responsible for this," Pieklo said, adding that both sides had agreed that the exhumations should be restarted. In an apparent effort to mend ties, representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian presidents said on Friday that they "reconfirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership". "The parties agreed that the ban on the search and exhumation works in Ukraine should be lifted," the statement published on Friday said. The denial of entry to Sheremet came after the Polish foreign minister said earlier in November that Poland would bar Ukrainians with "anti-Polish views". [L8N1N84EF] Poland last year passed a resolution that declared the World War Two-era killing of about 100,000 Polish men, women and children by units in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) "genocide". Ukraine rejects that label, saying the killings were a result of bilateral hostilities. (Reporting by Marcin Goettig; Additional reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Washington (AFP) - US authorities have arrested Hong Kong's former home affairs secretary and the ex-foreign minister of Senegal for leading a multimillion dollar bribery scheme in Africa on behalf of a top Chinese energy company, with some deals arranged in the halls of the United Nations.

US officials announced Monday that former Senegalese top diplomat Cheikh Gadio and Hong Kong's Patrick Chi Ping Ho sent huge bribes to high-level officials in Chad and Uganda to secure business advantages for the Chinese company.

The company was not identified in the announcement or the complaint filed in New York federal district court, but details in the complaint pointed to CEFC China Energy, the Shanghai-based rising star of China's energy industry.

CEFC China Energy has blown onto the scene in just a few years, taking major stakes in global projects, including a 14 percent chunk of Russia's Rosneft, and playing an important role in Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious One Belt One Road initiative.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he did not have details about the case.

"I just want to stress that the Chinese government asks its enterprises to abide by local laws and regulations when operating businesses abroad," Lu told a regular news briefing.

In the Justice Department complaint, the two men allegedly offered a $2 million bribe to the president of Chad "to obtain valuable oil rights," and a $500,000 bribe to an account designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, who had recently completed his term as the President of the UN General Assembly.

"In an international corruption scheme that spanned the globe, Chi Ping Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio allegedly conspired to bribe African government officials on behalf of a Chinese energy conglomerate," acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim said in a statement.

The charges were based on their use of the US banking system to process almost a million dollars in payoffs, sent under the guise of donations.

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Ho, who led a Hong Kong-based organization called the China Energy Fund Committee, also known as CEFC and funded by CEFC China Energy, also provided Uganda's president and foreign minister with gifts and promises of future benefits -- including a share in the profits of a potential joint venture, authorities said.

"Their bribes and corrupt acts hurt our economy and undermine confidence in the free marketplace," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco.

Ho, 68, and Gadio, 61, are each charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering, with possible jail sentences of as much as 20 years. They were arrested over the weekend in New York.

Ho was Hong Kong Home Affairs secretary from 2002 to 2007, and served for several years on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee Conference.

Gadio was Senegal's foreign minister from 2000 to 2009.

CEFC China Energy's role was apparent in the formal complaint. It identified the chairman of the unnamed company as someone who was appointed as a "special honorary advisor" to the president of the UN General Assembly in 2015, when Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa held that position.

A Chinese media report at the time showed CEFC China Energy Chairman Ye Jianming together with Kutesa noting Ye had just been named a "special honorary advisor" to the UN General Assembly.

Ye was labelled China's "newest oil baron" by Forbes magazine in 2016 after his company made a number of large investments in the Czech Republic.

CEFC China Energy has spread its business through Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Gulf states, rising in just a few years to be a major player in world oil markets and raising questions about its backing inside China.

Calls placed to the company went unanswered.
A US Marine who tested positive for excess alcohol was arrested in Japan's southern island of Okinawa on Sunday after an elderly local man was killed in a road accident, police said.

The 20-year-old was held for alleged negligent driving resulting in death, said Kazuhiko Miyagi, a road traffic officer with Okinawa police.

A 61-year-old Japanese man was killed when his vehicle collided with the serviceman's truck at an intersection.

A breath test on the Marine showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, Miyagi said.

The US Marine Corps confirmed the accident in a statement, expressing "sincere condolences" to the family of the dead man and promising full cooperation with the investigation.

The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty.

But crimes by US personnel have been a frequent irritant in relations.

In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force's sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman in April last year.

The case intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on Okinawa.

The island accounts for nearly 75 percent of land allotted for US bases in Japan even though it has a fraction of the country's total area.
The flag of the Palestine Liberation Organisation is seen above its offices in Washington, DC - AFP

The State Department has threatened to shut down the Palestine Liberation Organisation's office in Washington DC.

In response the PLO said it would cut off all communication with the Trump administration, undercutting the efforts of Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, to broker a peace Middle East peace deal.

Opened in 1994, the office is under threat after the State Department refused to recertify the PLO mission.

According to a State Department official, the decision follows moves by the Palestinians to bring Israel before the International Criminal Court.

This, the administration said, would breach conditions imposed by Congress which prohibited the PLO from taking a case to the ICC.

The office could, however, be reopened after 90 days if President Trump believes the PLO has entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel.

Washington is understood to have been angered by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, who told the UN in September that it had asked the ICC to investigate and prosecute Israeli officials over "involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our people".

The PLO reacted angrily to the threat to its office, describing the move as "extortion" and accusing the administration of bowing to pressure from the Israeli government.
Fatal violence against transgender individuals has increased in recent years, reaching a record high in 2017, according to two new reports.

At least 25 transgender people have been killed in violent crimes in the United States this year, making it the deadliest year for the trans community in recent years, according to a new report released by LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.

(Photo: Human Rights Campaign)

The report, released ahead of Mondays Transgender Day of Remembrance, found that 84 percent of trans victims of fatal violence in 2017 were people of color; 80 percent were trans women, and more than 75 percent were under the age of 35.

More than half of the deaths occurred in the South, and the majority of those killed were victims of gun violence. Four of the cases HRC recorded involved altercations with police.

The epidemic of violence against transgender people is an urgent crisis that demands the nations immediate attention, Chad Griffin, HRCs president, said in a statement.

Another report, released by the Trans Murder Monitoring research project, found that there were 325 cases of reported killings of trans and gender non-conforming people between Oct. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2017. According to TMM, there were 30 more victims in that time frame than in previous dates recorded.

The majority of the deaths TMM recorded occurred in Brazil (171), Mexico (56), and the U.S. (25). Since it began recording transgender victims of violence in 2008, TMM has recorded a total of 2,609 reported cases across 71 countries.

HRC has recorded more than 100 trans victims of fatal violence since 2013, based on media and police reports. The organization estimates that their research likely undercounts the number of deaths.

Some victims deaths may go unreported, while others may not be

identified as transgender in the media, often because authorities, journalists and/or family members refuse to acknowledge their gender identity, the report states.

The 25 victims in 2017 identified in the report included three transgender women of color  Chyna Gibson, Ciara McElveen and Jaquarrius Holland  who were killed in Louisiana in the month of February.

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The youngest victims  Ava LeRay Barrin and Ally Steinfeld  were just 17 years old.

None of the cases included in HRCs report were classified as hate crimes, but the organization noted that transgender individuals are disproportionately affected by systemic bias and occupy a vulnerable position in the U.S.

Just 17 states and the District of Columbia have hate crime laws covering sexual orientation and gender identity, according the Movement Advancement Project, a LGBTQ research group. Roughly a third of transgender people live in poverty, and an estimated 50 percent will experience violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.

In the past year, discrimination against transgender people has been reflected in several policy changes and announcements from the White House. In August, President Donald Trump proposed a ban on transgender individuals entering the military  a proposal that was shortly thereafter blocked by a district court.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo in October reversing workplace protections for transgender employees on the basis of religious freedom.

There is still so much to be done to combat transphobia across our country and around the world, Griffin and Trans People of Color Coalition executive director Kylar W. Broadus wrote in an opening letter introducing HRCs report.

Nowhere is that more evident than at the doorstep of the White House, where Donald Trump and Mike Pence have made discrimination against LGBTQ people, as well as so many others, a top priority, they added.

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Charlie Lowthian-Rickert, 10, who is transgender, is kissed by her father Chris on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on May 17, 2016, following a news conference announcing that Canada would introduce legislation to protect transgender people from discrimination and hate crimes.

Joe Wong

Joe Wong, 31, poses for a photograph at his apartment in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 3, 2015. The 31-year-old transgender man from Singapore underwent surgery to remove his breasts in 2007 and legally changed his name from Joleen to Joe. He had his uterus removed in 2009 and is legally recognized as a male. Wong is one of the many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Asia who faced abuse and violence from his family. To escape the violence and find acceptance, many LGBTQ people migrate abroad -- including Wong, who moved to Bangkok, where he works for the rights group Asia Pacific Transgender Network.

Tiffany

Tiffany, 19, who is transgender, shows a scar from a knife attack in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on March 10, 2011.

Geraldine Roman

Geraldine Roman, a transgender congressional candidate, is greeted by her supporters during a "Miting de Avance" (last political campaign rally) for the national election in Orani town, Bataan province, north of Manila in the Philippines on May 6, 2016. Roman won her seat in the Philippine parliament.

Vonn Jensen

Vonn Jensen, a non-binary trans person, presents creations from the AnaOno collection, a show modeled by members of the group #Cancerland, during New York Fashion Week on Feb. 12, 2017. Jensen aims to increase visibility and awareness around the LGBTQ community and cancer.

Chahat

Chahat, a member of the transgender community, prepares for Shakeela's party in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Jan. 22, 2017. At a party, the guests' saris twirled as they danced to the music and fed each other pieces of cake, but armed police guarding the door indicated this was no normal carefree birthday gathering. The transgender revelers run the risk of violence in conservative Muslim Pakistan where they often work as dancers at weddings and other parties but are rarely allowed to hold their own celebrations. "It's the first time in a decade that we have openly hosted such a function," said Farzana Jan, a leader of Trans Action Pakistan, which estimates there are at least 500,000 transgender people in the country of 190 million. City authorities usually refuse permission for transgender parties, and police often raid them.

Yiling

Qian Jinfan, an 84-year-old transsexual who prefers to be addressed as "Yiling," holds up a photo taken at the age of 59, in the town of Foshan, Guangdong province, China, on July 6, 2012. Qian, who told Reuters that she always felt she was a woman and experimented with hormone cream, tablets and injections at the age of 60, is believed to be the oldest transsexual to live openly in China. The retired Chinese Communist Party official said she would not undergo gender affirmation surgery until it fully guaranteed her a female body that was complete with a woman's bodily functions. She admitted her days may be limited, but hopes that speaking to the media can help break down traditional assumptions and initiate discussions about transsexuals in society. About 2,000 people in China have undergone gender affirmation surgery and up to 400,000 could be considering it, according to a report in 2009 by state newspaper China Daily.

Jenna Talackova

Transgender contestant Jenna Talackova takes part in the Miss Universe Canada competition wearing her evening gown in Toronto on May 17, 2012. Talackova was originally disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada contest because she was not a "naturally born female." Talackova, who underwent gender affirmation surgery when she was 19, was then reinstated to the Canadian competition by the future President Donald Trump, who used to own the Miss Universe organization.

Lulu

Lulu, a transgender girl, reads a book in her room at home in Buenos Aires on July 25, 2013. The 6-year-old Argentine child, who was listed as a boy at birth, has been granted new identification papers by the Buenos Aires provincial government listing her as a girl. According to her mother Gabriela, Lulu chose the gender as soon as she first learned to speak. Gabriela said her child, named Manuel at birth, has insisted on being called Lulu since she was just 4 years old, according to local media. Argentina in 2012 instituted liberal rules on changing gender, allowing people to alter their gender on official documents without first having to receive a psychiatric diagnosis or surgery.

Tanya Walker

Tanya Walker, a 53-year-old transgender woman, activist and advocate, gives an interview at her apartment in New York City on Sept. 7, 2016. Walker had lung cancer and was coughing up blood, but she said her emergency room doctor kept asking about her genitals. "It seemed like they weren't going to treat me unless I told them what genitals I had," Walker said about her 2013 experience in a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in New York. "I felt cornered." She experienced the stigma shared by many transgender people. The same rejection they confront at home and in society can often await them in the doctor's office, where many report being harassed, ridiculed or even assaulted.

Renee Richards

Renee Richards poses for a portrait at her home in Carmel, New York, on March 25, 2015. More than three decades after putting down her tennis racquet, Richards, 80, told Reuters that she was still astonished she'd possessed the moxie to join the women's professional tennis tour after living the first 34 years of her life as a man. The transgender pioneer, who was named Richard Raskind at birth, believes nothing could be tougher than what she endured in the 1970s.

Helena Vukovic

Helena Vukovic, the first Serbian transgender veteran army officer, poses for a picture in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sept. 7, 2016. More than a year after she was sacked from Serbia's army for coming out as transgender, Vukovic finally received a passport, driving license, health and ID cards confirming her identity as a woman -- a small but important step forward for a deeply conservative country. In January 2015, the defense ministry forced the major out after two decades' service, saying her "psychiatric diagnosis" could harm the reputation of the military. Vukovic, who is in her mid-40s, has since undergone a series of gender confirmation operations. She has become a vocal supporter of the rights of sexual minorities in Serbia, a predominantly Orthodox Christian country where many are still reluctant to come out.

Nada Chaiyajit

Nada Chaiyajit, a 37-year-old Thai transgender activist, poses during an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 28, 2016. Two months after Chaiyajit completed her undergraduate studies, school officials told her 12 classmates -- all men -- that their graduation certificates were ready. But the University of Phayao in northern Thailand would not issue her documents because she submitted a photo in which she presents as a woman, even though her identity card says she is male. "They asked me, 'Can you take a new photo -- can you tie up your hair and wear a tie to make yourself look like a man?' I said no," she said. "If I tie my hair back and wear a tie, then it doesn't belong to me. This belongs to me," she said, gesturing at her body and holding up the contentious portrait of herself in a black and lavender graduation gown. She refused to dress as a man or to petition to dress as a woman on grounds of gender identity disorder, as many Thai transgender students have done. Instead, in a landmark case, she petitioned her school to issue her documents according to the gender identity she has chosen, on the basis of her rights rather than mental illness.

Julio Yoaris Alvarez

Julio Yoaris Alvarez adjusts his brassiere while getting dressed at his home in Havana, Cuba, on May 16, 2009. From an early age, Alvarez dreamed of having gender affirmation surgery and is currently awaiting his turn for one under the Cuban health care system. The surgery, like all other health care in Cuba, will be free of charge.

Seema

Seema, 33, displays a picture in which she's dressed as a woman at her residence in New Delhi, India, on May 16, 2012. Seema is transgender, one of hundreds of thousands in conservative India who are ostracized, often abused and forced into prostitution.

Carly Lehwald

Carly Lehwald sits with her son Ben at her Chicago home on May 30, 2015. Carly is Ben's father, formerly known as Charlie, and is transitioning to life as a woman. Her story forms the basis for the reality television show "Becoming Us."

Some of several dozen detained Pakistani transgender people watch from a police bus as another transgender woman and a man are taken to a courthouse to face charges in Peshawar on May 25, 2010. Everyone on the bus was later jailed. Pakistani police arrested what they said was an entire wedding party at a ceremony between a man and a transgender woman, accusing the pair of promoting homosexuality in the devoutly Muslim country. Almost 50 people were at the ceremony in the northwestern city of Peshawar when it was raided by police.

Anna Grodzka

Anna Grodzka, Poland's first transgender lawmaker, attends an introductory session of the Polish parliament for newly elected lawmakers in Warsaw on Oct. 24, 2011.

Naz Seenauth

Naz Seenauth, a transgender man, poses in New York on Oct. 22, 2014. Seenauth's driver's license says he is male. His birth certificate says he is female. The mismatch, he says, is deeply frustrating. New York City, where Seenauth was born and raised, does not accept that he is a transgender man and will not amend his birth certificate, for now at least, even though his doctor will attest to his gender.

Damian Jackson

Damian Jackson (center), 51, shows family members his new documents after changing his officially registered gender from female to male at City Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 1, 2014. Jackson was among the first to obtain new documents under a new law legalizing the registration of a transgender person's preferred gender in official state documents, including identity cards and passports. Under the previous law, a person had to face hormonal treatment, surgery or sterilization before any change in gender registration was allowed.

Audrey Mbugua

Audrey Mbugua, 31, Kenyas most famous transgender campaigner, poses for a photograph in her garden in Kiambu, outside the capital of Nairobi on March 31, 2015. Assigned male at birth in Kenya and given the name Andrew, she felt trapped in the wrong body and started dressing in women's clothes while at university, attracting ridicule and rejection. Transgender people are some of the most invisible in Africa where rigid gender stereotyping continues to stifle freedoms. Many are forced to hide their identity and live on the margins of society or risk being vilified as immoral and unchristian by the conservative majority. Facing one hurdle after another, Mbugua decided she had to take up the mantle of advocating for transgender rights to combat the ignorance and stigma blighting her life.

Veronika Lee-Tillman

Randy Dolphin and transgender activist Veronika Lee-Tillman are married at City Hall in San Francisco on June 28, 2013. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr gave the bride away.

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The crew of The Grand Tour has been on the hunt for a fourth member ever since parting ways with "The American," Mike Skinner, earlier this month. In this clip, the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May turn their search for a replacement down under, giving Australian driver Mark Webber a go at impressing his way into a role on the show.

Webber, a former Formula One and Red Bull driver, auditions for a couple of laps  the first in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and then much at a much more leisurely pace in a Mercedes-AMG GT R. He impresses in the first, the second not so much.

"Why were you so slow in the Mercedes?" Clarkson asks.

"No, that was everything she has," Webber replies.

Webber, who retired from racing last year, last competed for Porsche, and he remains with the German brand as a brand ambassador. He also famously competed for Mercedes-AMG from 1997 until 1999, when he flipped a Mercedes-Benz CLR in spectacular fashion during practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race due to an aerodynamic fault in the sportscar. He was miraculously not injured in the crash.

Whether it was just the kind of tongue-in-cheek performance the show runners are looking for, or he badly flunked his audition, we'll have to wait and see. The Grand Tour Season 2 starts Dec. 8 on Amazon Prime. You can also read our review of the AMG GT R here.

Watch former Formula One driver Mark Webber audition for The Grand Tour originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Nov 2017 13:29:00 EST.
Update: This event has ended.

First lady Melania Trump is set to receive the White House Christmas tree on Monday, marking a start to the Trump family's first holiday season in Washington.

RELATED: A look at Melania Trump in her White House role


Berlin (AFP) - Germany could be forced to hold new elections after high stakes talks for a coalition collapsed Sunday between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU-CSU alliance, ecologist Greens and pro-business FDP.

Here are some possible scenarios for Europe's biggest economy:

- New round of negotiations? -

Merkel could suggest a cooling off period for the four parties which have been locked in talks for more than a month, before coming together again for a new round of negotiations.

Merkel, a veteran leader with experience of countless nights of fraught EU negotiations, knows what is at stake -- failure to forge a government essentially puts her chancellorship in peril.

But fundamental differences between the parties over immigration, environmental protection and Europe are unlikely to go away.

Dragging out the negotiation process also risks seeing parties harden their positions.

Already, a power tussle has erupted within Merkel's Bavarian allies CSU, putting its leader Horst Seehofer under pressure to deliver on his vow for a limit on new migrants.

But as Germany's constitution does not prescribe a deadline to form a government after an election, Merkel could sit tight as leader of a caretaker government until the parties find a compromise.

This, however, would mean that Europe's biggest economy would be run by a lameduck government with little incentive to take bold policy action.

- Another coalition partner? -

Merkel can in theory turn to the Social Democratic Party, which has been her junior coalition partner for the past four years.

Mathematically, it would also be the most stable option as together, Merkel's conservative alliance and the SPD have a crushing majority in parliament.

But after suffering a humiliating loss in September's elections, SPD top brass have repeatedly said the party's role is now in the opposition.

Its leader Martin Schulz has also said the party is ready for new elections.

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- A minority government? -

Merkel can also remain chancellor but lead a minority government, as a candidate is elected to the post by parliamentarians.

The Bundestag can be called to vote up to three times. If she wins a majority of the votes, Merkel could remain in office.

But the veteran leader herself is not in favour of this high-risk option, saying that she wants a stable government.

Such a minority government has also never been tested in post-war Germany.

- New elections? -

A return to the polls in early 2018 is the most probable option.

Before new elections could be called under Germany's Basic Law, the Bundestag lower house of parliament would have to be dissolved by the president.

Normally the chancellor could trigger this by calling a confidence vote in parliament. But because Merkel is only the head of a caretaker government, she does not have this option.

To move the process forward, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier could nominate Merkel for election by the Bundestag.

If she failed to win an absolute majority, a second vote may be held within 14 days. If this too is inconclusive, a third round would be held in which a plurality of the votes could potentially suffice to keep Merkel in office.

Steinmeier would then have one week to decide whether to recognise Merkel as chancellor or dissolve the Bundestag.

If he chooses the latter, snap elections must be held within 60 days.

But there is little appetite for new polls, and mainstream parties fear it could strengthen the far-right AfD, which has captured voters angry with the establishment as well as with Merkel's liberal refugee policy.
A white former police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for fatally shooting his daughters 19-year-old black boyfriend in 2014.

Last month, a jury convicted Shannon Kepler, a 57-year-old ex-cop, of first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Jeremey Lake. It was the fourth jury that Kepler had faced in the span of about a year, after three hung juries.

At the jurys recommendation, Tulsa County District Court Judge Sharon Holmes sentenced Kepler to a 15-year prison term on Monday. She also ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine.

Judge sentences ex-cop Shannon Kepler to 15 years in prison for manslaughter https://t.co/SOcrleyTwh pic.twitter.com/vKW0UrhyYl  Tulsa's Channel 8 (@KTULNews) November 20, 2017

Kepler has maintained that he shot Lake in self-defense in August 2014. The police veteran said hed driven to Lakes house out of concern for his then-18-year-old daughter Lisa Kepler, CBS News reported. He said his daughter, who had recently become romantically involved with Lake, had run away from home and hed hoped to convince her to return.

Lisa Kepler told jurors that her parents had kicked her out of the house and dropped her off at a homeless shelter in the days leading up to the shooting. It was there that shed met Lake, who volunteered at the facility. She said she soon moved in with the teen and his aunt.

On Aug. 5, 2014, Lisa Kepler and Lake returned home to find Shannon Kepler waiting outside in his SUV.

After exchanging a few words with her dad, Lisa Kepler said, she turned to walk into the house when she heard several gunshots. When she turned around, Lake was lying on the ground and her father had returned to his vehicle and driven off, she said.

Kepler said hed fired in self-defense because he saw Lake pull a semi-automatic gun out of his pocket.

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Hes bringing it, Im bringing it, Kepler told the court last month, according to The Associated Press. It was either him or me. Im not going to stand there and get shot.

Police, however, did not find a weapon on Lake or at the scene of the crime. Several witnesses also testified that they had not seen Lake with a gun.

Lakes aunt said her nephew had moved to shake Keplers hand when the police officer, who had been off-duty at the time, pulled the trigger, according to CBS News.

Neighbor says he saw a tall male figure do an about face and fired a shot into #JeremeyLakes body as he laid on the ground. https://t.co/lNTVJIhKnJ  Ashli Lincoln FOX 23 (@AshliLincoln) October 16, 2017

Prosecutors noted that Kepler, who turned himself in more than two hours after the shooting, had neither called 911 nor attempted to give medical attention to Lake.

Kepler said he had considered calling 911 but had called his wife instead because he realized he was in a pickle, per local CBS affiliate KOTV.

The issue of race had been a central focus in Keplers four trials. He killed Lake just days before a white police officer fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri.

Civil rights activists accused Keplers defense team of purposefully excluding black jurors from Keplers first three trials. The three deadlocked trials, the first dating back to November 2016, had only one African-American juror each.

Prosecutors also contend that a conviction took so long because many citizens are reluctant to send a law enforcement officer to prison, the AP reported.

Keplers defense team said the odds had been stacked against their client.

If the government is going to prosecute you four times in a row, the odds of you being convicted go up, Keplers attorney Richard OCarroll told The Washington Post this week. They argued racism without a shred of evidence ... [The judge] was biased from the beginning. I know that sounds like sour grapes, but its the truth.

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Tickets are about to go on sale for a women-only music festival.

The man-free event, named Statement Festival, has been organized by Swedish comedian Emma Knyckare after the countrys largest music event, Bravalla, was canceled following a string of sexual assault and rape complaints.

Organizers of Bravalla announced they were canceling the 2018 event after police received four rape and 23 sexual assault reports at the festival in July.

Tickets are going on sale for a women-only festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

SImilarly, in 2016 local media reported that five women were allegedly raped at the four-day camping festival, which is attended by thousands of people each year.

As for Statement Festival, only women will be allowed to attend the two-day event, which will be held next summer and will allow women to party and drink without having to look over your shoulder.

Comedian and radio host Emma Knyckare first floated the idea with her Twitter followers following news of the sexual assaults at Bravalla.

What do you think about putting together a really cool festival where only non-men are welcome? she tweeted, adding that the festival would run until all men have learned how to behave themselves.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign the festival has now been officially organized and tickets will go on sale in December.

Together we are making a statement against sexual assaults by creating a safe space for women, non-binary and trans people that want to attend festivals and feel secure at the same time, the radio host tweeted. We dont think this is too much to ask for!

But festival organizers are hoping the festival wont be an ongoing event. Under the heading Will it not make things worse? the website explains that the long-term goal is to be able to shut down the man-free event.

Our wish is that a festival like Statement, as a free zone from sexual assaults, would not be necessary, it says on its website. But sadly society keeps proving that this is needed, and that is why we are creating this festival.

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Are women-only festivals the solution? (Photo: Getty Images)

The reaction to the concept has been mixed, with some welcoming the change, while others believe it is sexist to exclude men from spaces.

It isnt the first time a male-free space has been explored at a festival. Last year, a group called the Sisterhood held a women-only event at Glastonbury.

In a world that is still run by and designed to benefit mainly men, oppression against women continues in various manifestations, the group explained. Their thought was that the way to fight against this sexism was to keep these festivals women-only zones.

Theres no doubt that banning men from a festival will help some women to feel safer, but is enforced segregation the solution?

To tackle the issue of sexual assault and rape, do we not need to deal with the crime and the criminals? Instead of women-only festivals, would it not be better to improve policing and security at mixed music spaces, so that women feel safe and secure at all festivals, not simply at ones where men arent allowed?

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Lena Dunham, the creator and star of HBOs Girls, generated widespread controversy last week after issuing and then walking back a statement defending Murray Miller, a writer and producer on the show whom actress Aurora Perrineau said raped her when she was 17 and he was in his 30s.

In response, author Zinzi Clemmons, a contributor to Dunhams online newsletter Lenny Letter, announced Saturday on Facebook that she would no longer write for the publication and urged women of color to divest from Lena Dunham.

Clemmons offered examples of Dunhams behavior and connections during college as further explanation for her decision, writing that she used to avoid Dunham and her circle of friends in college because of their well-known racism.

My statement on why I will no longer write for @lennyletter, and the behavior I witnessed firsthand from @lenadunham's friends.



It is time for women of color--black women in particular--to divest from Lena Dunham. pic.twitter.com/dxOWCLhTpA  zinziclemmons (@zinziclemmons) November 19, 2017

For all you writers who are outraged about what she did, I encourage you to do the same. Especially women of color. She cannot have our words if she cannot respect us, Clemmons wrote in the post that she later shared on Twitter.

Clemmons novel, What We Lose, was recently excerpted in the publication, which Dunham founded in 2015 with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner to empower women and showcase work from female writers.

In her post, Clemmons said that she had known Dunham, as well as Girls co-star Jemima Kirke, since they attended college. The author said Dunhams friends were known for their hipster racism, which typically uses sarcasm as a cover, excusing racist statements as just a joke.

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Most of these acquaintances were like Lenawealthy, with parents who are influential in the art world, she wrote. They had a lot of power and seemed to get off on simultaneously wielding it and denying it.

A representative for Dunham did not immediately return a request for comment.

When Perrineau came forward with her story on Friday, Dunham and Konner defended Miller.

While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year, they wrote in a statement. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all well be saying about this issue.

After widespread condemnation, Dunham apologized later on Friday.

I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friends situation as it has transpired behind the scenes over the last few months. I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry, she wrote. We apologize to any women who have been disappointed.

Clemmons tweeted that the statement was insufficient.

You should be apologizing to @AuroraPerrineau. This isnt an apology, this is a half-assed attempt to cover your ass. GTFOH https://t.co/2W5qegwqUU  zinziclemmons (@zinziclemmons) November 19, 2017

Read Clemmons full post here.

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An explosive Vox report published Monday revealed that New York Times White House correspondent Glenn Thrush has been suspended after being accused of acting inappropriately with several women.

The behavior attributed to Glenn in this Vox story is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times, Eileen Murphy, the senior vice president of communications for the Times, wrote in a statement to Vox. We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended. We support his decision to enter a substance abuse program. In the meantime, we will not be commenting further.

Voxs Laura McGann says she interviewed 40 individuals while reporting the piece, in which she also describes an inappropriate interaction she said she had with Thrush five years ago, when they both worked for Politico.

Glenn Thrush records an episode of "The Press Pool" on July 20, 2016. (Photo: Kirk Irwin via Getty Images)

McGann writes that she had been with Thrush and a few other reporters at a bar in Virginia. Toward the end of the evening, only she, Thrush and one other colleague remained. McGann says Thrush gave the other colleague a $20 bill as an incentive for her to get in a cab and leave. After the colleague left, McGann said Thrush did the following:

He slid into my side of the booth, blocking me in. I was wearing a skirt, and he put his hand on my thigh. He started kissing me. I pulled myself together and got out of there, shoving him on my way out.

McGann says Thrush sent her a vague but apologetic email the following morning, and that he did not specify why he was apologizing. She also said that later that same afternoon, she noticed Thrush in deep conversation with a number of men, after which she said she believed that certain men in the newsroom... started to look at me differently.

While interviewing one of those men for the new Vox story, McGann learned that this seemed to be a correct reading of the situation: The man said Thrush had relayed a story in which McGann had come onto him and hed rebuffed the advances.

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The source said that Thrush frequently told versions of this story with different young women as the subject, McGann writes. He would talk up a night out drinking with a young attractive woman, usually a journalist. Then hed claim that she came onto him. In his version of these stories, Thrush was the responsible grown-up who made sure nothing happened.

McGann added that the entire ordeal with Thrush and subsequent feelings had made her feel as though she shouldnt be in journalism and that she had brought this all on myself.

The Vox report cites several other accounts from women who said Thrush kissed and/or groped them when they didnt want him to, as well as one who said Thrush came inside her home after shed been drinking and he offered her a ride. McGann writes that the women she spoke to described feeling scared, violated, ashamed, weirded out and that she was (and currently still is) angry.

Thrush said in a statement emailed to McGann over the weekend that he apologizes to any woman who felt uncomfortable in my presence, and for any situation where I behaved inappropriately. Any behavior that makes a woman feel disrespected or uncomfortable is unacceptable.

Glenn Thrush works in the briefing room after being excluded from a gaggle at the White House on Feb. 24. (Photo: Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

Thrush, 50, is a well-known journalist. Bobby Moynihan has repeatedly portrayed him in Saturday Night Live sketches depicting the White House briefing room.

Alongside fellow New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, Thrush is currently writing a book about President Donald Trump for Random House.

Responding to the allegations against Thrush, Random House told HuffPost: This matter recently came to our attention and we are looking at it closely and seriously.

You can read the entire report on Vox here.

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Risa

"President-elect Donald Trump's victory represents the justification of sexism and institutionalized rape culture by millions of Americans. As a survivor, I am passionate about protecting human rights for all people, and I stand in solidarity with and fight for those negatively affected under the Trump administration."

Cassie

"The results of this election and [Donald Trump's] entire campaign left me feeling devastated and betrayed. It hurts, and I spent most of the following days on an emotional rollercoaster of pain that took a toll on my mental health. Its different for a survivor, and its hard to explain to others what it feels like. We try so hard to get to a place where we can become activists and disrupt rape culture, but when a presidential candidate is accused of rape and was still even being considered for president shows just how strong rape culture is in our society."

Jennifer

"Having a sexual predator [elected to the highest] office has, at the very least, made me uncomfortable. I've become uncomfortable to a greater extent with the rape culture that we live in."

Jacqueline

"Having an accused sexual predator as a president instills more fear in me than I ever thought I was ever capable of feeling. I feel that it may be perceived by some individuals as having the right to assault another person without any thought of the consequences because it is the kind of example our leader has set for us."

Sarah

"While the physical pain [my rapist] inflicted on me was unforgivable, the true emotional toll was the silence of my colleagues, the silence of my family, and the silence of my friends."

Alexis

"As a survivor, when I heard that Donald Trump won the election I felt that my country betrayed me. Electing an accused sexual predator to be the leader and image of our country means supporting rape culture. It means that there are a lot of people in this nation that dont support victims and survivors of gender based violence, and thats not OK."

Megan

As a survivor of domestic abuse, seeing another womans abuser as the leader of our country is discouraging. I can see how Trump makes many survivors feel silenced. However, the election has motivated me to speak even louder to stand with fellow survivors of gender-based violence and never stop fighting for the prevention of these kinds of abuse.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
- Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Zimbabwe's military appealed for calm on Monday as MPs prepared to to impeach Robert Mugabe as a "source of instability" amid mounting public outrage at his refusal to step down as the country's president on Sunday.

In a public address on Monday evening, the military, which launched a soft coup against Mr Mugabe last week, said it had agreed on a "road map" out of the deadlock and that a former vice president whose sacking triggered the crisis would return to the country shortly.

"We remained seized with Operation Restore Legacy... we have made further consultation to agree on a road map on the prevailing situation Gen Constantino Chiwenga, the head of the armed forces, said in a press conference. "We are encouraged by communication between the President and former vice president. We will advise the nation about talks between the two."

Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country after Mr Mugabe was fired him as vice president earlier this month, has not been seen since the coup began. The military is widely assumed to be seeking to install him as president.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe delivers his speech during a live broadcast at State House in Harare, Sunday, Nov, 19, 2017 Credit: AP

Mr Mugabe shocked the world and sparked confusion in Zimbabwe when he used a televised address - expected to be a resignation speech - to claim that military coup did not represent a challenge to his authority and that he would preside over the partys December congress as previously planned.

The speech, which came after his own party recalled him as their leader and organised massive street protests calling for his resignation in a bid to pressure him to resign, was so unexpected it sparked speculation he had been handed the wrong speech, possibly with the collusion of the generals.

We were disappointed yesterday in the midst of all those generals he appeared to swap [speeches] Chris Mutsvangwa, the head of the countrys influential veterans association, said at a press conference on Monday morning, referring to footage that showed Mr Mugabe shuffling papers and one of the generals seated behind him handling a sheaf of A4 sheets before he began speaking on Sunday.

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Mr Mutsvanga, whose organization was once a bastion of support for Mr Mugabe but is now calling for his removal, said the president's refusal to stand down a "dereliction of duty". Addressing Mr Mugabe directly, he added: "Your time is up."

A senior military source told the Telegraph that the country's generals had nothing to do with the non-resignation and were stunned and left furious when Mr Mugabe finished his rambling 20 minute speech without stepping down.

"They still respect him, so they would not check [the text of the speech]. They believed he would resign. The couldn't do anything to stop him," said the source, a long-serving senior officer.

Mr Mugabe has been under effective house arrest since the Zimbabwean military seized control of the country on Tuesday night in a coup designed to prevent him his wife, Grace, from succeeding him as president and install Mr Mnangagwa instead.

In an effort to retain a semblance of legitimacy for their actions, the generals have attempted to persuade Mr Mugabe to resign in accordance with the countrys constitution rather than to simply oust him in a classic coup detat. He was widely reported to have agreed to do so before Sunday night, when he claimed he would preside over the Zanu-PF party congress on December as planned.

Zanu-PF, the party Mr Mugabe founded and which he has led in office for more than 37 years, met to debate a parliamentary impeachment motion after the 93 year old president ignored another deadline to step down. The party had demanded that Mr Mugabe resign by midday local time (10:AM GMT).

People cheer soldiers during a march in the streets to demand that President Robert Mugabe resign and step down from power in Harare, Zimbabwe, on November 19, 2017 Credit: Barcroft Media

A draft of the impeachment and no-confidence motion, which the Telegraph has seen, lists grievances including failing to address corruption, sending the country into a 15-year "economic tailspin", allowing his wife, Grace Mugabe, to assume his constitutional responsibilities, and accusing deputies of plotting coups without evidence.

"This attests to the President's poor sense of judgement and disrespect for the law," reads the motion which was drafted by Lovemore Matuke, the Zanu-PF chief whip in parliament.

"[The motion] herefore calls upon this house to cause the removal of the President from office in light of the above," it adds.

Zimbabwes constitution allows parliament to remove the president if two thirds of both houses find him unfit to carry out his duties.

Parliament first would have to vote by a simple majority to appoint a select committee to investigate Mr Mugabes fitness to rule.

People cheer during a during a march in the streets to demand that President Robert Mugabe resign and step down from power in Harare, Zimbabwe, on November 19, 2017 Credit: Barcroft Media

Paul Mangwana, Zanu-PFs deputy secretary for legal affairs, told reporters at the party's Harare headquarters that impeachment could be set in motion as early as Tuesday and could be completed in two days.

Other legal experts have warned it could take weeks, however.

MPs from the Movement for Democratic Change, Zimbabwes main opposition party, said they would meet on Tuesday to agree a position on a possible impeachment vote.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC, warned that infighting inside Zanu-PF and differences with the military over how to handle the crisis should not be allowed to prevent a "fresh start" for the country.

"It would be inimical to progress and the future of the country if all this action was about power retention at all costs," Mr Tsvangirai wrote on his partys website.

Gen Constantino Chiwenga, head of the Zimbabwean military, looks on while Robert Mugabe reads a speech on Sunday Credit: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

The development came as one of Grace Mugabe's closest allies said he had manged to flee the country.

Jonathan Moyo, the tertiary education minister and a key figure in G40, the faction surrounding Mrs Mugabe, tweeted that he and at least 50 other senior party officials were "outside of the country." The tweet was later deleted

Theresa May said on Monday that it was clear Mr Mugabe had lost the support of the Zimbabwean people but that the outcome of the crisis remained uncertain.

"We don't yet know how developments in Zimbabwe are going to play out. What does appear clear is that Mugabe has lost the support of the people and of his party," said James Slack, Mrs Mays spokesman.

Mr Slack said Britain "would appeal for everyone to refrain from violence and hope to see a peaceful and swift resolution to the situation."

Kenneth Kaunda, a former president of Zambia, arrived in Harare on Monday in a bid to persuade Mr Mugabe to make a dignified exit.
The New York Times

PHOENIX  Kari Lakes defeat in the governors race in Arizona has set off a high-stakes tug of war within the Republican Party, as Lakes right-wing allies pushed her to mount a Trump-style challenge to the results, while some establishment leaders  including a former Republican governor  urged her to concede her loss and move on. Lakes next move could prove a turning point for her party and the far-right faction of election deniers that propelled her rapid rise this year. Lake stands as the
The police announced on Sunday that its political adviser, Lior Horev, who had frequently criticized the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration, decided to step down because of what he calls a "planned and unprecedented campaign to hamper the police from fulfilling its mission."

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Horev's resignation came about a month after Netanyahu alleged that "ever since political adviser Lior Horev was appointed as an external adviser to the police, costing taxpayers millions and without a tender, the illegal leaks (about ongoing investigations against meed) have become a tsunami, and the decision to avoid recommendations (to indict me) has disappeared as if it never was."

Horev (L) and Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan expressed his position several times against Horev's involvement in the police because of alleged harm to the police's credibility caused by the leakswhich he, like Netanyahu, blames Horev for.

Following efforts by Erdan to bring about Horev's dismissal, the comptroller and his legal advisor examined Horev's tweets and Facebook posts and determined them to be a breach of contract. It was then made clear that this would affect his continued employment by the police.

In a letter sent by Horev to the police, he announced his desire to resign, accusing recent attempts by the government to restrict the freedom and power of the police.

"Against the Israel Police and its leader, a planned and unprecedented campaign is being conducted to hamper the police from fulfilling its mission."

"This campaign is shared by several elements, some of whom have a direct connection to the police work, which are operated by political interest in order to harm the organization while delegitimizing it in order to disrupt its work.

"Unfortunately, within this campaign, I was also used as a tool for slamming the police and its head," Horev added. "Our decision not to respond (to this attack) stemmed from our obligation to the organization.

"This is a well-planned, continuous and ongoing campaign. We knew how to identify it, to determine those behind it both openly and covertly. These are very complex days. The mosaic of interests, of overt and less overt motives, will be revealed soon enough."

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Photo: Zohar Shahar)

Horev added in his letter that, "out of great appreciation to the organization, the senior officers of the police, all the people with whom I worked, the media, and above all the police commissioner, I have decided to remove my name from the list of consultants who provide consultation services to the police.

"My colleagues at Goldfinger Communications will continue to work professionally and diligently to continue to provide the police with the best possible service, as has been done so far."

Goldfinger Communications, in which Horev still serves as chairman and partner, will continue their NIS 2.4 million contract with the police.

"The reasons that led Lior Horev to remove his name from the list of advisors of Goldfinger Communications, which is employed by the Israel Police, were detailed in the letter he sent to the relevant police officers," the company said in a press release.

"The advice given by Goldfinger Communications is provided by many consultants and on a variety of topics, and will continue to be provided by Tal Goldfinger and the team of consultants who have been accompanying the Israel Police for the past two years."

The company refused to state whether Horev will still enjoy any dividends from its contract with the police.

"From the outset, Lior Horev should not have been employed by the Israel Police because of his political involvement and his blatant behavior toward politicians and elected officials, which in itself is unprecedented in a democratic regime," MK Dudi Amsalem said. "I am glad that the system eventually realized that it was mistaken and ended the contract with him."
A commander in Irans elite Revolutionary Guards and a lower-ranking Iranian fighter have been killed fighting Islamic State in Syria in recent days, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

The Revolutionary Guards, Irans most powerful military force which also oversees an economic empire worth billions of dollars, have been fighting in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for several years.

An Iranian official told the Tasnim news agency last year that more than 1,000 Iranians have been killed in Syria. Senior members of the Guards have been among those killed.
A new initiative seeking to curb violence in the ultra-Orthodox sector against young people who choose to enlist in the IDF aims to impose a financial price on organizations that support and fund the campaign against the draft law by calling on the public to boycott them.

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In the campaign, launched Sunday by the Forum Against Incitement, the organization called on the public to boycott the Orthodox Council of Jerusalem (OCJ)otherwise known in Israel as Badatzwhich serves as the ultra-Orthodox community's Kosher certification agencyby avoiding purchasing any food products bearing its certificate.

A still from the boycott video: 'Don't buy food products certified kosher by BadatzOCJ' (Photo: Forum Against Incitement)

In a video distributed by the new organization, an ultra-Orthodox man appears, standing nearly naked in front of the camera with the ambient sounds of a supermarket in the background.

With every beep of a barcode scanner, an additional garment associated with Haredi attire adorns him. Eventually, as the beeps continues, more extreme and anti-Zionist props begin appearing. At first he is seen carrying a sign disparaging the IDF, then treading on an IDF uniform, and finally holding a smoldering and burnt Israeli flag.

The Forum Against Incitement includes social activists and IDF reserve officerssecular, religious and ultra-Orthodoxwho have been fighting in recent months to curb incitement against the IDF, among them Benjamin Ze'ev Tsabari, who organized a protest in march in Mea Shearim in support of Haredi soldiers, and Gadi Dimri, a member of the Bet Shemesh Zionist organization who fights attacks on IDF soldiers in his city.

The boycott video (:  )

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At a conference the organization plans to hold in Jerusalem this week, its members will present an "Incitement Report", which has surveyed the activities of the OCJ and the radical Jerusalem Faction fringe group against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel over the past year, and will announce their next steps in the efforts to eradicate the phenomenon.

Moshe Lorber, founder of Citizens for Lone Soldiers, who is also taking part in the initiative, outlined the group's intentions and primary goals.

"We decided to do something and to end the brutal activity of the two groups," he said. "It is important for us to clarify that our claims are directed only at the OCJ and the Jerusalem Faction, and not at the entire Haredi community, most of whom are good citizens who contribute to the state. We also think that the activities of the two groups hurt the ultra-Orthodox.

"In the coming months, we will work to stop the funding of these groups through the Badatz kashrut certification. There is no need to fund inflammatory groups that harm IDF soldiers and the State of Israel," Lorber concluded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned for four hours on Sunday evening, during which he provided his version of events regarding an investigation involving his alleged acceptance of extravagant gifts from Israeli businessman Arnon Milchan in exchange for promoting his business interests.

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Beginning at 5pm, it was the sixth time the Israeli premier was investigated at his official residence in the affair, also known as Case 1000

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem)

At the conclusion of the investigation, the Israel Police issued a statement, but details were admittedly scant.

We confirm that the prime minister was investigated today for a number of hours at his residence in Jerusalem, as part of the investigation being conducted by Lahav 443," the statement read.

"The investigation is being conducted with the accompaniment of, and under the supervision of, the state attorney with the approval of the attorney general. Beyond the above, and due to the nature of things, we cannot elaborate on more details of the investigation.

While Netanyahu is suspected of accepting gifts from a numerous tycoons, investigators mainly focused on ascertaining the nature of the assistance he allegedly provided to Arnon Milchan in return for expensive cigars and champagne he lavished on the Netanyahu family.

During the last round of questioning, Netanyahu presented his investigators with a series of pictures of him and his family with Milchan in a bid to prove that he and Milchan were merely good friends, and that any gifts given were done so out of friendship rather than business pursuits.

With investigators signalling that they hope to wrap up the protracted affair by mid-December, Sundays grilling is expected to be the last for Netanyahu.

Policemen on their way to investigate Netanyahu at his Jerusalem residence (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Officials privy to the details of the investigation are divided, however, on how to proceed. According to reports, a general consensus has been formed that arraigning Netanyahu for bribery, or at least for receiving illicit benefits, is justified.

Nevertheless, some of the investigative staff insist that Netanyahu and Milchan will have to be indicted together, citing difficulties in explaining to the courts why only the Hollywood magnate has been let off the hook. In the end it will look like a witch hunt against him, one official said.

Some investigators have also echoed Netanyahus claims in justifying a decision to give Milchan a pass and refrain from recommending an indictment against him, acknowledging his significant contributions to the state over the years.
In a resolution long on criticism but short on concrete steps, Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo Sunday delivered a tirade of criticism against Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, saying Tehran was destabilizing the region.

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They said they planned to "brief" the UN Security Council on Iran's destabilizing policies in the region, particularly its support for Shiite rebels in Yemen, with a view to submit at a later stage an anti-Iran Arab resolution.

In what is perhaps the only concrete measure, the ministers said Arab telecommunications satellites would ban Iranian-financed television stations for what they said was their fomenting of sectarian and ethnic tensions and because they posed a threat to Arab security. It gave no details.

Meeting with Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul (Photo: AFP)

"We are not declaring war on Iran at this stage," Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said. "We have not taken a decision to ask the Security Council to meet, but we are just briefing the council and maybe the next stage would be for us to meet and call for a Security Council meeting and submit a draft Arab resolution (against Iran)."

Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a key member of a coalition government, and Iraq, a majority Shiite nation bound by close political and religious ties to Iran, stated their reservations about the harsher parts of the resolution, including one that branded Hezbollah a "terrorist" organization. The draft also blamed the Shiite group of supporting "terrorist groups" across the region and supplying them with weapons, including ballistic missiles.

Both Iraq and Lebanon were represented at the meeting by senior diplomats, not their foreign ministers.

The Lebanese envoy to the Arab League, Antoine Azzam, made carefully weighed comments at the meeting that reflected his country's delicate religious and ethnic balance.

While not mentioning Iran by name, he said Lebanon condemned all attacks against Arab nations, but blamed exploitable inter-Arab divisions that allowed international and regional powers to promote their interests.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni powerhouse, has significantly sharpened its anti-Iran rhetoric since its forces on Nov. 4 intercepted near its capital, Riyadh, a ballistic missile fired by Shiite rebels in Yemen who are allied with the Iranians. The Saudis said the missile was Iranian-made and declared the attack an act of war by the Iranians.

Iran denies arming the Yemeni rebels, known as the Houthis, who say they locally produced the missile.

Saudi Arabia, through its foreign minister, asked fellow Arab nations to take a "serious and honest" stand against Iranian "aggression" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (Photo: AFP)

Addressing the Arab foreign ministers' meeting, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said: "Showing leniency toward Iran will not leave any Arab capital safe from those ballistic missiles."

"We are obliged today to take a serious and honest stand... to counter these belligerent policies," he added.

He said his country was targeted by a total of 80 ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Shiite rebels since the kingdom in 2015 formed and led a coalition to fight them alongside forces loyal to the internationally recognized government there.

Saudi Arabia, added Al-Jubeir, will not stand idly by in the face of Iran's "blatant aggression."

The ministers, according to the final statement, said they supported any action to be taken by Saudi Arabia to protect its national security, within the boundaries of international legitimacy.

Speaking before Al-Jubeir at the 20-minute session broadcast live, Aboul-Gheit, the Arab league chief, was just as critical of Iran as the Saudi minister. Alluding to the Nov. 4 attack, he said it delivered a message to Arab nations that their capitals were within the range of Iranian missiles.

"We say it in clear terms that Iranian threats have exceeded all boundaries and are pushing the region toward the abyss ... (Iran's) missile program poses a danger to the region," said Aboul-Gheit.

Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, urged strong action by the Arab League against Iran. In the absence of such support, he said, his country would have no choice but to rely on the protection of its Western allies, citing the US 5th Fleet headquartered in Bahrain and naval ships patrolling the Persian gulf.
Dozens of Haredim were arrested Sunday evening when hundreds of demonstrators from the radical fringe Jerusalem Faction blocked several main roads and highways in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak in protest against the draft law, following the continued detention of several defecting yeshiva students.

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By Sunday night, at least 28 demonstrators had been arrested in Bnei Brak and ten in Jerusalem.

Police dispersing protesters in Bnei Brak (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Followign refusal of the protesters to obey the police's instructions to move on, riot police cavalry had to forcefully disperse the protest in Bnei Brak.

The protest in Bnei Brak (:  )

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Aside from calling policemen who came to disperse them "Nazis"a common theme of the riotsthey shouted religious proverbs calling the IDF an enemy of the Jews and disparaging the draft law: "Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us."

The biblical proverb expresses confidence that all the plans of enemies of the Jews will amount to nothing because God is at their side.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The Jerusalem Faction, headed by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, hoped that the calm in recent weeks would lead to the speedy release of the detained youths, who refused to report to the conscription offices and even to arrange for the postponement of their service as Torah scholars.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The protest in Jerusalem (:  )

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But the military court in Jaffa sentenced them to relatively long prison terms Sunday, and Auerbach decided to call on his followers to flow into the streets and block roads in protest.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Recently, there has been a lull in the ultra-Orthodox's demonstrations, as yeshiva students have been on holiday, given between study periods in the yeshiva. Their ability to stage mass protests therefore, was signifcantly diminished.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

While speakers at the protests insisted that their struggle was alive and kicking and declared every morning that they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the release of the yeshiva students, some of the most prominent activists in the field, those who draw thousands out into the streets, chose instead to underground.

The result was that Rabbi Auerbach's belligerent statements continued, but there was no one to translate them into reality.
Police launched an investigation on Monday morning into social media posts inciting against President Reuven Rivlin after he decided not to pardon former IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was imprisoned for shooting dead a neutralized terrorist.

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Rivlin's announcement that he decided to reject Azaria's request for pardon garnered hundreds of comments on his official Facebook account, with some inciting against the president.

One person posted a photo of Rivlin wearing a kaffiyah, while others posted photos of the president with the Palestinian flag or accompanied by the writing "You are not my president."

Photo of Rivlin wearing a kaffiyah

"You're garbage waste. Take your tongue out of the asses of the heads of the Israel Destruction Fund and go to hell, damned Nazi," wrote Michael.

"You disgust me, you're not my president. When I see your photo, I feel like throwing up," wrote Dror.

'You are not my president'

Avi dubbed Rivlin "a president of Arabs and leftists," while David encouraged the president "to eat kanafeh and baklavas at the terrorist's house," referring to Abed al Fatah al-Sharif, the seriously wounded and neutralized terrorist that Azaria shot dead in Hebron.

Some were outraged by the fact Rivlin, who is known for his right-wing views, rejected Azaria's pardon request.

"You got to where you did thanks to people like Elor Azaria and his parents," Ohad wrote.

"I thought you'd be a great president who erases the stain of your predecessor. You erased the stain and made it far worse. Peres is not of our tribe, while you are supposed to be one of us," one woman wrote. "Oh how the mighty fall. I'm ashamed of my president."

Guy offered, "You've shed your skin like a snake, you're a filthy traitor."

'You are not my president'

Many called on Rivlin to resign, with one woman writing "I wish you'd be thrown out of your job."

Tamir added, "I pray that when you go, the country will pull itself together, close this whorehouse called the President's Residence and invest the money where it's truly needed."

"Give back the keys and resign. No one asked us if we wanted to elect you. We don't want you, a president reminiscent of Abu goddamn Mazen," wrote Efraim, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

'Your people want you to resign

Azaria was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year and imprisoned for 18 months, a sentence he began serving in August. IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot accepted his request for leniency and shortened the sentence by four months.

President Rivlin, however, decided to reject Azaria's request for clemency, saying that to grant him early release would have negative implications for both the army and the state.

"The President concluded that taking all considerations into account ... an additional lightening of your sentence would harm the resilience to the Israel Defense Forces and the State of Israel," Rivlin wrote in a letter to Azaria explaining his decision.

"The values of the Israel Defense Forces, and among them the Purity of Arms, are the core foundation of the strength of the Israel Defense Forces, and have always stood strong for us in the just struggle for our right to a safe, national home, and in the building a robust society," the letter continued.

Azarias family responded to Rivlins decision with disappointment and regret.

The family is angry about the fact that Elors father, Charlie, heard about the decision through the media while he was waiting in hospital to undergo an MRI scan due to a deterioration in his medical state, the family vented in a statement.

Even after being denied pardon, Azaria could still be released early by submitting requests to two committees in the IDF to hold "another examination of the punishment."
The warning shots fired by the IDF on Saturday and Sunday at Syrian military positions constitute another message conveyed by Israel about its red lines in the Golan Heights.

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For the second day in a row, an Israeli tank fired a warning shell at a Syrian force building a post to protect the Druze village of Hader from the al-Nusra Front organization that has been threatening the village.

Seemingly, the IDF and the Syrian force building the fortifications west of the village have the exact same goalto defend the Druze living in the village. Al-Nusra Front militants, who are affiliated with al-Qaeda, tried to occupy the village from that direction a little over a week ago. They even got a car bomb into the village, killing nine Syrian Druze in its explosion.

IDF forces near Syrian border in Golan Heights (Photo: EPA)

The post being built by the Syrian army aims to block that route of attack. Israel has also vowed to protect the Syrian Druze in the village of Hader, because of the State of Israels alliance with its Druze citizens. So why is the State of Israel disrupting the Syrian armys efforts to defend the Druze, even forcibly preventing this protection?

The answer is that the Syrians are building the new fortified space within the buffer zone between the two disengagement linesthe Syrian and the Israeliin the Golan Heights. The 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which was signed after the Yom Kippur War, bars the Syrian army from entering that area and setting up posts there. When the Syrian army built a post on the eastern side of the village of Hader, Israel didnt say a thing, because that area is located on Syrian territory and not within the buffer zone.

The Syrians are building the new posts within the buffer zone, prompting Israel to fire warning shots despite the fact these posts actually serve the security of the residents of the village Israel officially vowed to protect. This is just one of many absurdities characterizing the Middle Eastern arena, and the reason for this absurdity is that Israeltoday more than everis unwilling to accept even the tiniest violation of the Disengagement Agreement signed 43 years ago.

Against Israels immediate interests

The 1974 agreement is the oldest agreement between Israel and Arab states that is still honored by both sides. Now, the agreement has become much more important for Israel than it has been in the past 20 years, in light of the attempts made by the Iranians and Hezbollah to get their peopleprimarily armed militiasinto the Syrian Golan Heights, and particularly into the area close to the disengagement line. Israel has already announced it wont allow it, and the Disengagement Agreement provides a legal and international basis for that.

The Disengagement Agreement includes not only a buffer zone along several kilometers. There are also dilution-of-forces strips on both sides of the buffer zone, where both the IDF and the Syrians are not allowed to keep armed forces beyond a limited amount. In the buffer zone, it is strictly forbidden to keep military forces, which is why there are no Syrian forces and no IDF forces between the two disengagement lines. Today, there are only rebels there.

There is a dilution strip on both sides of the buffer zone where the IDF and the Syrian army are allowed to keep 75 tanks and 6,000 soldiers. Beyond the first dilution strip there is a second strip, where each side is allowed to keep 450 tanks, but its location is more than 20 kilometers from the disengagement line on each side.

In practice, if the Iranians try to keep their own forcesfor example, Hezbollah or Shiite militias or even Revolutionary Guard soldiersless than 20 kilometers from the border with Israel, it would be seen as a violation of the Disengagement Agreement, which is being supervised by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. The Russians would see it right away, and so would the Americans and the UN.

So although this slightly contradicts its immediate interests, Israel is making it clear it wont allow the Syrian regime to protect Hader at the cost of violating the Disengagement Agreement, which is seen today an important deterring and legal tool against the Iranians and Hezbollah.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.

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The Saudi government had no immediate response to Steinitz's remarks. A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together.

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Photo: AFP)

Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, territory Palestinians seek for a future state.

US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office.

In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, did not characterize the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was "hiding its ties" with Saudi Arabia.

He replied: "We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed.

"It's the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us, usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other side's wish, when ties are developing, whether it's with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more ... (but) we keep it secret."

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, asked about reports of cooperation with Israel, cited a Saudi peace initiative, first adopted in 2002 by the Arab League, as key to forging any relationship.

"We have always said that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved on the basis of the Arab peace initiative that Israel would have enjoyed normal relations, economic, political, diplomatic relations with all of the Arab countries, and so until that happens, we don't have relations with Israel," he said.

Netanyahu has expressed tentative support for parts of the initiative, but there are many caveats on the Israeli side.

Intelligence sharing

Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Steinitz's remarks "won't surprise anyone who's been paying attention to the budding courtship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is being especially pushed by the Israeli side".

Last week, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share "intelligence information" with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran.

Eisenkot gives rare interview to Saudi paper

Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group.

Ibish said that given the mutual threat perceptions shared by Israel and Gulf Arab countries, it is unlikely that covert ties aren't developing.

But he said Israeli officials have tended to exaggerate such interactions in a bid to "drive down the price they may have to pay, especially on Palestinian issues, to expand strategic relations and ties with Arab countries".

In public remarks in September, Netanyahu pointed to covert relationships with Arab states, saying, without mentioning any by name, that cooperation exists "in various ways and different levels".

Also in September, Israel Radio reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel that month, drawing an official denial from Riyadh.

Last month, Saudi former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal shared a stage with ex-Israeli Mossad spy agency director Efraim Halevy at a debate on Iran in a New York synagogue.

In 2016, former Saudi general Anwar Eshki visited Israel, where he met Israeli legislators, to promoteas he has at various academic forumsthe Saudi peace initiative.
Turkish security forces confiscated an ancient Torah scroll that was put up for auction at the Mugla Province for 7.5 million Turkish lira ($1.9 million).

According to Turkish news agency Anatolia, the Torah scroll, which is estimated to be 700 years old, was taken to the Fethiye Museum for examination.
Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, reportedly told police investigators several months ago she only spoke to Hadas Klein , personal assistant of businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer , at the behest of Milchan, according to Channel Ten News.

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"My conversations with Hadas Klein took place after I spoke to Milchan, and he asked me to organize with Hadas the way in which the gifts he wanted to give us (would be delivered)," Mrs. Netanyahu reportedly told investigators.

"I didn't initiate things," Mrs. Netanyahu is said to have claimed. "Milchan would tell me he wanted to give us wine bottles. The amounts claimed to have been brought to us are completely farfetched. We're being falsely accused of things that didn't happen."

Sara Netanyahu (Photo: AFP)

illicit gifts affair (also known as Case 1000) that the gifts were never offered by the two billionaires, but were asked for by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

"Sara would ask for boxes of six or 12 bottles of champagne," she said. "Bibi (Netanyahu) would ask for cigars and also know about the quantities of champagne his wife received. The driver of the company would travel especially to Jerusalem to supply the cigars and champagnes."

The prime minister himself was questioned on Sunday for four hours on the illict gifts affair. He summed up with investigation with a short comment on Facebook, saying: "Tonight I'm still completely confident that there will be nothing, because there was nothing!"

By virtue of the friendship between the two businessmen and the Netanyahu couple, Klein developed a close relationship with the prime minister and his wife. Her testimony, therefore, is considered key by the police.

Hadas Klein (Photo: Facebook)

Klein provided the investigators with examples of unusual requests. For instance, when a leak needed repairing at the prime minister's house, she said Sara called demanding that a construction supervisor hired by the two billionaires come and direct PMO staff on how to handle the leak.

"It was a difficult conversation. Sara yelled at me," she said. "(Sara) Netanyahu wanted the construction supervisor who works with Packer and Milchan to come to advise the professional staff of the Prime Minister's Office about the leak.

"I did not approve of it, and then she shouted that I and Milchan humiliate her and Bibi by not approving things that are supposedly permitted to them.

"After a few hours, Netanyahu called himself, said that it was not right what they (Packer and Milchan) were doing to (Sara), that they need to understand what she is going through because of the media, and that they checked it with a legal consultant and 'it is all allowed.'"

Inquired about Sara's behavior and mental state, Klein said that "Sara was afraid of wire-tapping, and whenever she asked for things, she asked to speak only by landline or to meet face to face," adding Mrs. Netanyahu "shouted at me several times about the gifts."

As for the question of payment and its distribution, Klein said that Milchan set a cost distribution for gifts between him and Packer.
On November 9, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat faced the cameras for his annual address, in the presence of hundreds of members of the Peoples Assembly in Cairo, which went on to become the Egyptian parliament, guests of honor led by PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, local newspaper editors and foreign diplomats.

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The speech was long and boring, but suddenly it took a dramatic turn. Sadat changed his tone, raised his voice and dropped the bomb: I am willing, he declared, to travel with my peace initiative to the end of the world, even to Jerusalem. And he immediately added: I want to enter (the Israelis) hearts, break the psychological barrier.

No one, apart from a small group of confidants, knew at the timeneither here nor therewhat was being concocted behind the scenes. Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan and Hassan Tuhami, the Egyptian presidents strange adviser, met somewhere in Morocco. The two finalized the understandings ahead of the visit: Without a full withdrawal from Sinai, Sadat wouldnt have arrived.

Sadat (R) and Begin in Israel. Was the psychological barrier broken? Only in the immediate run (Photo: AP)

Sadat embarked on a series of visits to Arab states, seeking partners for peace. Syrian President Hafez Assad, Bashars father, not only firmly refused to join Sadat, but even planned to hold him in custody in Syria until he calmed down or blow up his plane over Cyprus. Fortunately, the Americans found out about the assassination plot and thwarted it.

On November 19, he arrived in Israel. Up to the very last moment, there were quite a few people in Israel who suspected that the Egyptian planes door would open and an armed terror cell would burst out with drawn weapons and try to assassinate all the VIPs standing along the red carpet at Ben-Gurion Airport. The entire political echelon was there, led by Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The suspicions were so strong, that the Sayeret Matkal elite unit was sent behind the plane, just in case.

Was the psychological barrier broken? In the immediate run, yes. The peace agreements were signed, embassies were opened in Tel Aviv and in Cairo, Israeli tourists flocked to see the pyramids, and occasionally, brave visitors arrived from Egypt too. But as we moved forward, the wall of hostility and abhorrence toward Israel grew higher.

Suddenly, we learned of the professional associations and the boycott and punishments against anyone caught in an act of normalization with the Zionist enemy. The cooperation came to an end. It was the punishment imposed on Sadat by the associations and the intellectuals for his failure to update them or consult them before flying to Jerusalem.

Physicians from Cairo refused to exchange a word with Israeli colleagues. Writers declared a boycott. In the Egyptian theater, actors jumped out of the window to avoid actors from Tel Avivs Cameri Theater. Until the past decade, you couldnt glance at an Egyptian newspaper without spotting inciting articles and cartoons reeking of anti-Semitism. Thats how the face of cold peace took shape.

Anti-Israel protest in Egypt in 2013 (Photo: EPA)

Egypt suffered too. In 1979, immediately after the peace treaty was signed, Arab states declared a boycott on Egypt and the Arab League headquarters were moved from Cairo to Tunis. Sadat was murdered, and his widow Jehan still insists that he knew, and I knew, that he would be murdered because of the peace with Israel.

Two events will be held simultaneously this Wednesday, in Jerusalem and in Cairo: President Reuven Rivlin has invited all the people who were involved in the historic visit to his residence. All those who are still alive will attend: Israels former ambassadors to Egypt, experts on Middle Eastern affairs from the academia, journalists and businesspeople who keep trying to open the locked gates on the Egyptian side.

In Cairo, Ambassador David Govrin will invite his guests to mark 40 years since the historic event. As always, until the very last moment, he wont know who is coming and who will apologize for their absence. Because in Egypt, which initiated the whole move, there is no desire to celebrate and there is no nostalgia.

The only thing they are doing to mark the event is analyzing the motives of Sadats dramatic decision. What he went through in his days of seclusion in Sinai and in Romania, who he consulted, if he even consulted anyone, and why did he believe he would succeed in shattering the barriers between the people. His widow, who turned down the invitation to come to Israel, is actually giving nonstop interviews in Cairo. Israel is an established fact even in the changing reality, but normalization is a different story.
ISTANBUL - Turkish authorities on Monday issued arrest warrants for 107 teachers for suspected ties to the US-based cleric Ankara blames for orchestrating last year's coup, the Dogan news agency said.

Fifty-one of the teachers were detained in Ankara after the local prosecutor issued the warrants, Dogan said, adding that operations continued to round-up the remaining teachers.

The teachers were previously suspended from their jobs as part of the ongoing crackdown that followed the attempted coup in July 2016, it said.

Turkey blames Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, for last year's failed coup. Gulen has denied any involvement and denounced the coup.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court dismissed on Monday five indictments against teenagers who participated in what became known as the "wedding of hate."

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Videos filmed at the Jerusalem wedding of Yakir and Ronny Ashbal in December 2015 show guests dancing while brandishing firearms and Molotov cocktails, and mocking the murder of Palestinian baby Ali Dawabshe who was burned to death along with his parents in an arson attack at his home in Dumaby stabbing a photo of his with a knife and trying to set it on fire

A year ago, the Jerusalem District Attorney charged 13 of the wedding guests, including five minors, with incitement to violence and terrorism and the unlawful possession of weapons.

Footage from the 'wedding of hate'

X

After the trial had begun, the minors' lawyers learned that when filing the indictments, the District Attorney's Office did not present an authorization from the attorney generalwhich is necessary for such indictments against minorsand asked to dismiss the case on those grounds.

The District Attorney's Office claimed they obtained this authorization, which was sent to them via email.

Judge Shimon Leybo determined there were flaws in the filing of the indictments and that the necessary authorization had not been obtained on time.

The judge did note he would not prevent the prosecution from re-filing the indictments after the necessary corrections are made.

Public Defense lawyer Moriya Sasson, who represents one of the defendants, said in response: "It turns out the filing of the indictment in this case was done in a flawed manner. The District Attorney's Office was more focused on public relations and their image than professional considerations."

Adv. Sinaia Harizi-Moses of the Honenu organization added, "I was happy to hear the court's decision, which brought justice where there was an attempt to allow the harming of minors in hindsight."
The Israel Police and the State Attorney's Office are working to have former PMO chief of staff David Sharan and former minister Eliezer (Moodi) Sandberg dismissed from their senior public positions in light of the serious suspicions against them in the submarine affair

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Representatives of the police and the State Attorney's Office held an urgent meeting on Monday to discuss how to have Sharanwho serves as the secretary general of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Companyand Sandbergwho serves as the chairman of Keren haYesod (United Israel Appeal)removed from their public positions.

Police are investigating corruption suspicions surrounding the procurement of submarines and patrol ships for Israel's Navy from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp.

David Sharan, left, and Moodi Sandberg, right (Photos: Amit Sha'al, Shaul Golan)

Businessman Miki Ganor, who was ThyssenKrupp's representative in Israel and later became the state witness in the case, has been providing investigators with information and documents that could incriminate different officials, including Sharan and Sandberg.

Ganor told police that he transferred some NIS 80,000 in cash to Sharan while the latter served as the prime minister's chief of staff to promote his business interests.

Ganor also told investigators he transferred NIS 100,000 to Sandberg for "consultation," so the latter would open doors for him at different state bodies to promote the submarine deal and other deals.

After their arrest, Sandberg and Sharan have been ordered to stay away from their offices, but Sandberg continues holding meetings at a hotel close to the organization's offices.

As their ban order is about to expire, police announced Monday they are vehemently against allowing the two to return to their public roles while the investigation is still ongoing. Police have prepared reports against the two and have sought the help of the State Attorney's Office on the matter.

The attorney general and the state attorney will have to decide on the matter.

Police raided the government offices of the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Sunday, combing through computers used by Sharan for hours.

"In light of the severity of the acts and the evidence we have, these senior public figures cannot return to their jobs as if nothing had happened," a senior law enforcement official said. "We will act with determination to keep the two from the public position they allegedly abused."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned on Monday afternoon the incitement against President Reuven Rivlin but added that "not all criticism is incitement."

"In a democracy, anyone can be criticized," he said at a Likud Party meeting. "The only request is for this criticism to be relevant and respectful: No kaffiyahs, no hanging ropes and no Nazi uniforms."

The prime minister noted he called for full pardon for Elor Azaria from day one.
The Indian Ministry of Defense reneged on an lucrative deal signed with Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to purchase half a billion dollars' worth of Spike anti-tank guided missiles, the Indian Express reported Monday.

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Previously considered as a flagship deal that cemented the budding Israeli-Indian security relationship, its finalization was awaiting signatures by representatives of both countries after pricing negotiations were concluded last year.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is said to have lost out on a mammoth Indian Defense Ministry deal (Photo: George Ginsburg)

Rafael entered into a joint missile production project with the Indian-based Kalyani Group and the missile manufacturing facility, situated near Hyderabad, was inaugurated this past August.

Sources within the Indian Ministry of Security told Indian Express the decision pull out of the deal was stemmed from fear that importing such weapons could have a negative impact on the program to develop weapons system by the ministry's Defense Research and Development Organization, which develops weapons in-house for the Indian army.

Meanwhile, Rafael said that the company had not been informed of the abrupt change.

"We have not been officially notified of a change regarding the deal. The Spike missiles system, currently in use in 26 countries, was selected by India after a prolonged process as part of which the system was tested with great success against a wide range of operational scenarios," a statement from Rafael said.

"After negotiations concluded, we even created a manufacturing infrastructurealong with the Kalyani Group and the BDL companyand a knowledge and manufacturing-sharing process has begun, as part of the (Indian government's) 'Make in India' conditions. Rafael is currently continuing to operate according to the set program," the company further said.
Over 2,000 hard-line ultra-Orthodox demonstrators protested the arrest of draft dodging yeshiva students in Bnei Brak on Monday afternoon, blocking the city's main Jabotinsky thoroughfare. Fifteen protesters have been arrested thus far.

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One of the protesters, 24, suffered minor wounds and was taken to the Ichilov Hospital at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center for treatment. By early evening, a total of fifteen people had received medical attention.

Protesters then tried to block Highway 4 in the Bnei Brak area, but police greeted them with mounted officers and water hoses.

Members of the Jerusalem Faction, which is led by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, were called to gather at 2:30pm to protest the imprisonment of yeshiva students who refused to enlist in the army and are considered by the IDF to be deserters.

Haredim protest in Bnei Brak (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

They were ordered by Auerbach to "shake the whole wide world in the struggle for the honor of the Torah."

The protest began on HaKhalutzim Street, only 500 meters away from the Geha Interchange on Highway 4. Some protesters were especially bussed in from across the country.

Multiple police forces, reinforced by Yasam (special patrol units), Border Police and mounted officers, deployed over the demonstration's area and adjacent streets in order to prevent blocking one of great Tel Aviv's main thoroughfares.

Road blocks were put up on HaKhalutzim Street to prevent protesters accessing the Geha Interchange and Jabotinsky Street. Some demonstrators attempted to run towards Highway 4, but were stopped from doing so.

Simultaneous protests were also held in Jerusalem's Rashi Street when Haredi demonstrators tried blocking the road to the local recruitment office. Five were arrested.

Mass demonstrations were held Sunday in two major areas: Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, the latter of which became violent and warranted arrests to be made.

Protesters in Bnei Brak Sunday were dispersed by force using mounted police officers and water hoses. Some of the Haredi protesters shouted Nazi epithets at the cops. In Jerusalem, meanwhile, junctions and roads were blocked. 28 protesters were arrested in Bnei Brak and 13 others in Jerusalem.

The Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach-led Jerusalem Faction were hoping relative calm over the past few weeks will bring about the speedy release of several young Haredi men who refused to arrive to recruitment offices, even if merely to request their deferment as yeshiva students. The Jaffa military tribunal, however, sentenced them to relatively long periods of incarceration, and Auerbach thus decided to send his thousands of followers to protest in the streets.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The Committee to Save the World of Torah, which organizes the protests, said, "The Israeli government must come to grips with the fact the country's Haredi public does not participate in the world of Torah's fire sale, as carried out by its representatives. The world of Torah will continue shaking to the world to its very core until the full status quo is returned, and there are no conditions or recruitment goals in exchange for not recruiting yeshiva students."

Current law stipulates that Haredi yeshiva students are exempt from army service. While the law was struck down by the High Court of Justice, it is still considered to be binding.

The Jerusalem Lithuanian factionspearheading the protestis fighting against the students' arriving at recruitment offices, despite the fact that is merely done to regulate their special standing.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The faction's leader, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, has been instructing his disciples to ignore the army's summons. According to Auerbach, the army is taking advantage of their arrival to the recruitment offices to try and convince them to join in special Haredi service tracks, in order to meet conscription quotas mandated by law.

Regardless of the veracity of these claims, Auerbach's students who do not come to recruitment offices when summed are deemed defectors. Every time such defectors were arrested by military police demonstrations have sparked up again.
A 67-year-old Romanian tourist was arrested on suspicion infiltrating an IDF base in the Negev. The tourist claimed he had even spent the night on the base.

Police said the tourist fled officers who recognized him and was later apprehended by cops.

The suspect claimed he wished to cross the border into Jordan, and was sent to psychiatric evaluation after being remanded.
HARARE, Zimbabwe  Zimbabwe's ruling party expressed confidence Monday that longtime President Robert Mugabe could be impeached within two days, while the world's oldest head of state ignored the party's midday deadline to resign.

As ruling party lawmakers began meeting on impeachment plans, deputy secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana said they would move a motion for impeachment on Tuesday and set up a parliamentary committee, and on Wednesday the committee would report back to all lawmakers and "we vote him out."

The main charge against the 93-year-old Mugabe is "allowing his wife to usurp government powers" and that "he is too old and cannot even walk without help," Mangwana told reporters.

He said the ruling ZANU-PF party needs the backing of the MDC opposition group to have enough votes in Parliament but "we have talked to them and they are supporting us."
JERUSALEM  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early December to discuss threats against Israel from Hezbollah and Iran and "ideas to stabilize the situation in Lebanon."

The prime minister told his Likud party at a meeting Monday that he spoke with the French president "at length" the previous day.

Lebanon was plunged into crisis earlier this month by the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Hezbollah rival. Hariri recently traveled to France from Saudi Arabia, where he had made the announcement.

Netanyahu says he and Macron agreed to meet to "see if we can adopt similar approaches, as much as possible, concerning this threat and the nuclear agreement with Iran."
A drill for response to biological unconventional terrorism will be held in the Tel Aviv District and at Holon's Wolfson Hospital Tuesday.

Various emergency bodies will be participating in the exercise, as well as relevant government ministries: the Israel Police, the Ministry of Health, Magen David Adom, firefighting services, Home Front Command and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (TNS)  In a glitzy Johannesburg nightclub this month, a wealthy young playboy poured an entire $660 bottle of Ace of Spades Armand de Brignac Champagne over his diamond-studded watch: It was Bellarmine Chatunga, the youngest son of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

He had bragged about the watch and chunky gold bracelet on an earlier social media post: $60,000 on the wrist when your daddy run the whole country ya know!!!

As Zimbabweans struggle to afford food, when many find themselves sleeping outside banks in the hope of withdrawing $10 in cash, the video drew outrage, even among the ruling elite that had propped up the 93-year-old Mugabe for 37 years.

It hadnt been an isolated incident. Mugabes wife, Grace, and her son from a previous marriage, Russell Goreraza, recently imported two Rolls-Royces, and she was caught up in a legal battle over a $1.35-million diamond ring.

Members of the ruling ZANU-PF party were furious that Grace Mugabe had seized majority control of a $1-billion government road contract. Then there was the incident involving a model who had been partying with Grace Mugabes sons in South Africa: She left an ugly gash when she hit the model with a power cord and, facing charges of assault, she claimed diplomatic immunity and high-tailed it out of the country.

It angered people. There have always been reports of the high living by these boys, high living by the mother, the father looking aside. They became arrogant and thought No one can do anything to us, confided one ruling party figure, who wouldnt be named for fear of reprisals. Theres palpable anger in the military.

The alarm over Grace Mugabe was magnified by her escalating power. When she attacked, government ministers fell. She said she could be president. Give me the job and see if I fail! she declared recently.

Zimbabwes fate came to a head this fall, according to numerous interviews with those close to the political intrigue, when Grace Mugabe turned her sights on former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his close allies among military commanders. At that point, sources say, those with any power to stop what was happening knew they would be finished  unless they toppled her. That meant removing Robert Mugabe.

Mugabes slow-motion downfall  planned for months by the military  is a story of his own hubris and arrogance, and his conviction that he was Africas last great liberation hero, with no living peers. For decades he chipped away at democracy and crafted the militaristic state that kept him in power, but he forgot that he was there at the militarys whim, not the other way around.

It was grand opera crossed with The Sopranos, full of scandal and treacherous turns, entertaining and dangerous. Accusations flew of poisoning, plotting, CIA espionage, military desertion and the theft of $15 billion in diamonds.

As the economy shriveled without foreign investment and a hard currency crisis sent prices of staples soaring 30 percent in a single week, many in the rank-and-file government felt hopeless at the prospect of going into elections in 2018 led by a president who could hardly stay awake in public meetings.

As Mugabe grew frail, he turned to promoting and protecting his wife, repeatedly warning the generals to stay out of politics, even as armed forces leaders were beginning to talk darkly of intervention.

The first hints of palace intrigue came last year, when higher education minister Jonathan Moyo  manipulative, arrogant, ambitious and a prolific tweeter with the handle @ProfJNMoyo  handed Grace Mugabe a report accusing armed forces chief Constantino Chiwenga, air force Cmdr. Perence Shiri and presidential guard Cmdr. Anselem Sanyatwe of plotting against Mugabe. In mid-2016, the president summoned the three men, who furiously denied the charges.

The accusation blew over, but it released its slow poison. Shiri retaliated on July 9, calling Moyo a liberation war deserter and collaborator.

Mugabe has spent his life cleverly playing one subordinate against another. But as his wife grew more ambitious, her poor judgment seemed to influence him. He embraced Moyo but lost the deft skill of juggling favor among sycophants.

He doled out benefits, handing out jobs and farms to loyalists, but took many farms for his own family. When he turned against a minister or party official, he drummed up provincial branch party support to swiftly purge them.

In August, Mnangagwa fell seriously ill at a ZANU-PF rally eating ice cream from the massive Gushungo dairy farm owned by Grace Mugabe. He was airlifted to South Africa, where doctors found traces of poison.

Why should I kill Mnangagwa? Grace Mugabe insisted furiously last month. Who is Mnangagwa on this Earth? Killing someone who was given a job by my husband? That is nonsensical.

At a Nov. 4 ZANU-PF rally in the southern city of Bulawayo, waiters handed out ice cream to all the VIPs  but pointedly excluded Mnangagwa and his wife. At the same event, ZANU-PF supporters heckled and booed Grace Mugabe.

Bring guns, soldiers and shoot me. I dont care. I am the first lady, and I will stand for the truth. Yes! she retorted.

The jeers outraged the president, who blamed Mnangagwa. Three men later were charged with insulting the dignity of the president.

Mugabe chose his moment for Mnangagwas dismissal carefully  a day after the booing. Chiwenga had been sent to China on a weeklong mission. National army Chief of Staff Trust Mugoba was dispatched on a mission to the African Union in Ethiopia.

But the president failed to appreciate how a year of confrontation with the generals had destroyed his iron throne.

The growing crisis was not just political but economic. Mugabe was isolated on the international stage; it was increasingly apparent that until the aging leader and his brood left office, Zimbabwe would be starved of investment and international support. Mnangagwa, in many eyes, was the only one who might be able to repair the situation.

For us, we knew the trigger would be the day that he touched the vice president, the ZANU-PF lawmaker said. We could have had a coup in Zimbabwe some time back. It was only a matter of a trigger.

Knowing he would be arrested, Mnangagwa immediately fled by road to Mozambique but was detained by police at the border at dawn. There was a tense standoff when a group of soldiers confronted police and took him under their protection. They sped away to a military airbase, where he was whisked out of the country.

Chiwenga knew that with his ally Mnangagwa narrowly escaping arrest, he likely faced the same fate. He considered flying back from China to Mozambique, but opted for confrontation. A group of military special forces, many in plain clothes, was at the airport when he arrived from China on Nov. 11, according to a ZANU-PF source. When police tried to arrest Chiwenga, they were overwhelmed.

On Monday, when Robert Mugabe received his weekly security briefings from the police, intelligence and military chiefs, Chiwenga sent a replacement. He spent the day meeting with officers before delivering a statement at their headquarters, warning that the military planned to take matters into its own hands. Flanked by 90 officers, Chiwenga delivered a message of stunning military unanimity.

As the Cabinet met Tuesday, troops rolled into Harare from Inkomo Barracks outside the city. ZANU-PF issued a statement in the late evening accusing Chiwenga of treason, but it was a belated, hollow gesture. There was no way for police still loyal to Mugabe to arrest the head of the armed forces, with military forces already on the move.

The army seized control of state television, the police armory and other key facilities. The presidential guard led by Sanyatwe, whose job is to protect Mugabe, abandoned the president.

The deputy director of the Central Intelligence Organization, Albert Ngulube, had left Mugabes mansion in the upscale Borrowdale neighborhood in the early hours of the morning when he came across vehicles moving toward the presidential residence and tried to stop them. The military beat him up, demanded his ID and arrested him, according a ZANU-PF source.

At 4 a.m., Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo read a statement announcing that the military had taken over in order to arrest criminals around Mugabe and restore order.

The truth of what had happened hit home for many when state-owned television began playing a joyful song called Pemberai, or Celebration, by iconic Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, a staunch Mugabe critic who had fled into exile in the U.S. in the 1990s because of state harassment.

The grudge between Jonathan Moyo and Chiwenga goes back more than four decades to the 1970s liberation war from white minority rule. Chiwenga has long accused Moyo of snitching on him for criticizing the liberation leader at the time, Ndabaningi Sithole, who promptly ordered Chiwenga to be executed.

Mnangagwas camp also claims Moyo has been a CIA agent since high school. Moyo denies all these accusations, but he was among the first to be arrested by the military this month; he was being held in a cell under military headquarters, his future extremely bleak.

Grace Mugabe has been stripped of her power and denied access to the negotiations between Mugabe and the military over his exit. Her only path to safety on offer is for her husband to give up power, say sources familiar with the discussions. Otherwise, she stands not only to lose all her property, but also could face charges ranging from corruption and embezzlement to possibly even attempted murder, should authorities pursue the poisoning accusation.

Arrest and asset seizures also would potentially affect her children, particularly if she were convicted of fraud and a new government demanded the return of stolen assets in South Africa.

One of the ironies of the unfolding drama is the extent to which the army now confronting Mugabe has been one of the presidents chief weapons of terror over the years.

The military carried out massacres in Matabeleland in the 1980s on Robert Mugabes orders to eliminate opposition. Roughly 20,000 people were reportedly killed.

The army and war veterans evicted white farmers from their land soon after 2000 and got farms in return. Mugabe used the military to violently crush the opposition in successive elections and in Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, when up to a million people were displaced in opposition areas, their homes bulldozed.

Mugabe, say those who know him best, has always had an instinctive manipulative cunning and an acute understanding of how to wield force to break an opponent. When he saw a threat, he either crushed it or consumed it whole.

But as he aged, he grew more remote, stubborn and out of touch, and was loath to trust or consult his generals.

He forgot the nature of the state that he himself helped to create, which is a militaristic, securocratic state, said opposition figure Tendai Biti, a former finance minister. He forgot that the militaristic state could just dump him when he stopped serving their interests. He could be fired, like anyone.

Independent analyst Earnest Mudzengi said the closed, oppressive state Mugabe created likely will outlast him.

He was made by the same guys who now want to do away with him. He made them, and he was made by them. Big people tend to overreach themselves, he said.

Basically what (the generals) want is a return to the status quo, he added. People are celebrating, but its premature.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed accusations Monday that the vitriolic criticism being leveled against President Reuven Rivlin over his refusal on Sunday to grant Elor Azaria a pardon necessarily constitutes incitement.

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In a democracy, it is permissible to criticize anyone. Nobody knows that better than me, and not all criticism is incitement, Netanyahu said on Monday, much to the dismay of critics who argue that pictures circulating on social media depicting Rivlin in a kaffiyah and associating him with Palestinian nationalism are tantamount to incitement.

Rivlin came under harsh attack for rejecting a pardon request filed by the former IDF soldier, who was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year and imprisoned for shooting to death a neutralized terrorist in March 2016, saying that to grant him early release would have negative implications for both the army and the state.

PM Netanyahu with President Rivlin (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

After Rivlin was subjected to streams of online abuse, Netanyahu outlined the parameters of legitimate criticism, listing the actions that he said fall afoul of a heated discourse.

The only request is that the criticism is topical and to the point and respectful without a kaffiyah, without sculptures, without nooses and without Nazi uniforms. That is unacceptable against the president or any other public figure, he said.

Depicting public officials in Nazi uniforms or donning a kaffiyah strikes a particularly sensitive chord in Israel due to similar incitement campaigns against former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, which precipitated his assassination.

Regarding criticism that is to the pointit is not only allowed, it is a must. It is the lifeblood of a democracy. We cannot define topical criticism from the Right as incitement and criticism from the Left as always being freedom of speech, he continued.

We want an equal attitude, respectful, topical, without inciting but as blunt as required. Because that is the basis of a democracy. There is nothing else, and it needs to work in both directions.

Photo of Rivlin wearing a kaffiyah

Netanyahu further clarified where he stood on the Azaria issue that had whipped up hysteria across the country, stressing that from the outset, he had supported his pardon request.

I called for the full pardoning of Elor Azaria from the first day. My opinion has not changed, he insisted.

Despite his statements, Netanyahu was also the subject of criticism by opposition leaders for not attempting to mollify the invective surrounding Rivlins decision.

"Since yesterday, the prime minister didnt find it appropriate to get up and criticize the attacks against the president of the state ... His silence is strange at best and dangerous at worst," said Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.

"The photo of President Rivlin wearing a kaffiyah was not created by those who don't remember the photo of (slain PM) Rabin with a kaffiayh, but by those who do remember. (Not condemning it) is akin to giving permission to kill," Lapid continued.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah boasted in a speech Monday that his organization shipped anti-tank missiles to the Gaza Strip. "I'm proud and honored to say we sent Kornet missiles to the Gaza Strip. We're using our own weapons in Syria as well," he said.

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The Hezbollah chief was nevertheless dismissive towards allegations his organization was responsible for the ballistic missile recently launched from Yemen at Saudi Arabia by Iran-affiliated Houthi rebels.

Nasrallah denounced Saudi Arabia for its 'normalization' vis-a-vis Israel, said he was proud of delivery of antitank missiles to Gaza

Nasrallah also complained that while no Israeli attack has thus far caused the Arab League's foreign ministers to convene, a single missile launched at Riyadh led to a special session of Arab countries' organization.

Touching on Lebanon's political turmoil following the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Nasrallah remarked, "I wish to remind (the Arab League ministers) and public opinion that the single greatest threat to Lebanese security and stability is the Israeli occupation. Likewise, the most important factor contributing to Lebanon's liberation is resistance, and the backbone of that resistance is Hezbollah."

Nasrallah also went on to bemoan the Arab League's decision to recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. "I thank the Palestinian factions for their responses to the Arab League decision marking Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The excitement we can now see within the Arab world is covering for relations with Israel."

Nasrallah added that IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's interview with the Saudi Elaph newspaper was "an especially grievous move as it pertains to normalization with Israel."

Hezbollah inserted Kornet antitank into the Gaza Strip

"I call on all the Arabs, all Muslims, the Palestinian people and the Lebanese people. You can listen to Israel's responses on its relations with Arab states and mutual visits, coordination and so on, especially with Saudi Arabia. No denial has been made on this issue," Nasrallah accused.

Nasrallah also ridiculed Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir . "O Jubeir, O KhaledI don't remember what your name isresistance is the most important factor in upholding Lebanese stability. Are you going to defend Lebanon from Israel?" he asked, before calling on the Saudi kingdom to "stay out of Lebanon's affairs."
Two IDF soldiers were injured, one seriously, Monday afternoon after being hit by a truck near the northern town of Hatzor HaGlilit, near Rosh Pinna. The second soldier sustained light-to-moderate injuries.

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In a separate incident, another soldier was lightly-to-moderately wounded while riding on an all-terrain vehicle.

The accident involving the two soldiers occurred on Route 90 near the northern town.

Hatzor HaGlilit (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

According to the IDF Spokespersons Unit, the two soldiers stopped their vehicles by the side of the road when they were hit by the truck.

Military Police immediately opened an investigation into the circumstances.

The two were evacuated to Ziv Medical Center in Safed where the seriously-injured soldier was examined for trauma before being rushed to the operating room.

In addition to sustaining serious head injuries, head of the Orthopedic Department Professor Alexander Lerner said that he had suffered a complex leg injury.

The third soldier was also admitted to the Ziv Medical Center after his ATV flipped over.

Last week, Ariel Harush, 21, an Artillery Corps soldier from Holon, was killed and an officer seriously wounded in a car accident in the upper Galilee. The truck driver was lightly wounded in the crash
A top attorney, who has been representing former deputy national security advisor Avriel Bar-Yosef in the submarine corruption investigation, and Shaul Elovitch in an investigation into the communications giant Bezeq, has been providing secret advice to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his various corruption investigations, according to reports broadcast Monday night by Channel 10 News.

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A law-enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while counsel provided by the attorney, Jacque Chen, may not be illegal, it raises suspicion.

Maybe there is no legal prevention on this but it doesn't smell good, the official said.

Jacques Chen (Photo: Yair Sagi)

Responding to the reports, Chen categorically denied that his joining of Netanyahus legal team had anything to do with either case.

I joined the team of attorneys headed by Dr. Weinroth at the prime ministers behest. The claim that this has something to do with the Bezq case and the vessels case is patently false, Chen said in a statement. The prime minister is not a suspect in either of these cases.

It was not immediately clear whether the State Attorneys Office will view the matter as a conflict of interest.

The Prime Ministers Office later responded to the report. In one consultation with his attorney the prime minister turned to Jacques Chen and asked him if he would assist in providing advice to the legal team in that was being led by Dr. Jacob Weinroth, the statement said.

Therefore, the publication of the issue of representation to the attorney general and the cases in which the prime minister is not a suspect is fundamentally false.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was himself helped by Chen, who advised him when he was being investigated in the Harpaz affair, involving a document penned by Boaz Harpaz, a close associate of former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, which claimed that Yoav Gallant was intending to besmirch Ashkenazis name in a bid to replace him.

The Israel Police and the State Attorney's Office convened Monday morning to discuss having former PMO chief of staff David Sharan and former minister Eliezer (Moodi) Sandberg dismissed from their senior public positions in light of the serious suspicions against them in the submarine affair, also known as Case 3000.

Sharan serves as the secretary general of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company, and Sandberg serves as the chairman of Keren haYesod (United Israel Appeal).
The family of Abera Mengistuwho has remained in Hamas captivity since voluntarily crossing the border into Gaza in 2014addressed the UN at its headquarters in New York Monday, calling for international pressure to be exerted on the terror group to release their son.

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We call upon the international community to use its full weight to help in the release of our son, the Ethiopian-Israeli family said during a press conference.

We call for a special UN discussion and for a resolute decision that will ensure that international rescue organizations will be allowed to visit Abera, said Mengistus bother, Ilan.

Ilan Mengistu with his mother and Ambassador Danon at the UN

Since Abera was captured, Hamas has persistently refused to provide any word on his wellbeing.

Hamas is cruelly playing with the fate of a civilian who has mental problems, who never did anything wrong to anyone. This is completely contrary to basic human morals and all laws, either conventional or international, Ilan continued.

My brother is alive. He is helpless and he is in need of your help, he appealed to those in attendance.

Look at my mother. Like all mothers, she also deserves to know what has happened to her son. We call upon the international community to exert pressure on Hamas.

Israels ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon also spoke during the press conference, slamming Hamas for its cruelty.

Hamas is refusing to give any sign of life to the Israeli families that are constantly suffering. We are here today with the mother and brothers of Abera in order to demand an answer. Anybody who calls for an end to the humanitarian situation in Gaza must also call for the release of Israelis cruelly held in Hamass hands, Danon said.

Abera Mengistu

Israel will not stay silent until all its citizens and soldiers are returned, he said in a reference to Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, whose bodies were abducted by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and never returned.

Hamas is also holding the residents of Gaza as hostages. Instead of supplying them with education and a comfortable life, they invest in digging terror tunnel and building missiles that prevents them from having the chance to have a good life.

Speaking earlier in an interview with Ynet, Ilan Mengistu explained that the familys central goal was to convey the message to human rights groups that they had an obligation to take the issue in hand and use their abilities to bring Abera home.

We will demand from the UN, which deals with humanitarian issues in the Gaza Strip, that Abera will also not be forgotten. They also need to worry about his life and wellbeing, Ilan said.

At the end of last week, the Mengistu family also met in the White House with President Donald Trumps special Middle East Envoy, Jason Greenblatt.

Lieutenant Hadar Goldin (left) and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul (right)

After the meeting Greenblatt posted a prayer on his Twitter account, both in English and Hebrew, for Aberas speedy return, accompanied with a picture of him with the Mengistu family and one of Abera himself.

Today I welcomed the family of Avera Mengistu to the White House. Avera has been held by Hamas in Gaza for over 1,000 days since he disappeared in September, 2014. It is outrageous that Hamas will not let him return home or communicate with his family, Greenblatt wrote on the tweet.

The Mengistu family will continue their efforts to enlist support in the US for their son this week, with meetings arranged with leaders of Jewish organizations in New York.

On Tuesday, they are scheduled to meet with diplomats from the US, Ethiopia, the EU and the Red Cross.
WASHINGTON (TNS)  TransCanada Corp. won Nebraskas permission to build its long-delayed Keystone XL crude oil pipeline across the state.

The Public Service Commission voted 3-2 Monday, removing one of the last hurdles to the Calgary-based companys construction of the $8 billion, 1,179-mile conduit, which has been on its drawing boards since 2008. The commission, though, approved an alternative route that could throw more uncertainty into the mix for Keystone XL.

Jane Kleeb, president of the environmental advocacy group Bold Alliance, said green-lighting the alternative may have helped the commission reach a middle ground solution. At the same time it opens new questions that she said her group would explore in federal court. She argued the secondary route wasnt adequately vetted.

That view mirrored a dissenting opinion from Commissioner Crystal Rhoades. She said that TransCanada didnt meet the burden of proof in proving that the pipeline is in the states public interest, and that the alternative route needed more study on both the state and federal level. For example, she said, Nebraskas Department of Environmental Quality didnt analyze the alternative route at all in its 2013 report.

It is clear TransCanada never intended it to be considered, Rhoades said.

In its post-hearing brief, TransCanada told the panel its preferred route was the product of literally years of study, analysis and refinement by Keystone, federal agencies and Nebraska agencies, and that no alternate route, even one paralleling the Keystone mainline as the approved path does, was truly comparable.

XLs route flexibility is also limited by where the pipeline exits South Dakota and enters Nebraska. Any material change to that path would require the approval of South Dakotas Public Utilities Commission, according to the companys PSC filing.

The PSC determined the project is in Nebraskas public interest, overriding the objections of environmental conservationists, Native American tribes and landowners along the pipelines prospective route. The project had the support of the states governor, Republican Pete Ricketts, its chamber of commerce, trade unions and the petroleum industry.

With Nebraskas go-ahead in hand, TransCanada still must formally decide whether to proceed with construction on the line, which would send crude from Hardisty, Alberta, through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it will connect to pipelines leading to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. The companys open season for gauging producers interest closed late last month, and TransCanada executives have indicated that theyve secured enough shipping commitments to make the project commercially worthwhile.

President Barack Obamas administration rejected TransCanadas bid for permission to build across the U.S. border in 2015. President Donald Trump vowed to reverse that determination and, in January, invited the company to reapply. Approval was quickly granted. He also championed completion of the Energy Transfer Partners LP-led Dakota Access Pipeline, which runs from northwestern North Dakota to Illinois via South Dakota and Iowa.

The panel heard testimony and took in evidence during a four-day August hearing. Its power over the project is drawn from the states constitution.

The evidence overwhelmingly shows Keystone XL would have positive economic and social impacts in this state, TransCanadas lawyers said in a post-hearing brief.

The U.S. State Department found the KXL project would support about 42,100 jobs and contribute $34 billion to the economy  including millions of dollars of new economic activity, millions of dollars in annual property tax revenue and hundreds of jobs for Nebraskans  according to the companys filing.

Omaha attorney David Domina, whos been fighting construction of the Keystone XL for more than five years, represented more than 90 landowners in the case, many of whom had fought the project to a standstill two years ago. He urged the commission to reject the project, contending TransCanadas lawyers hadnt met their burden of proof.

The pipeline will neither load nor unload products for Nebraskans, Domina said in a post-hearing submission, adding that the projects alleged economic effect on jobs and taxes within the state are overstated. TransCanada failed to prove its tax claims, failed to prove its job numbers, failed to defend its fixed starting point contention  which proved to be designed to mislead you, the attorney said.

Environmental groups spearheaded by Bold Alliance and the Sierra Club claimed the conduit would require an 80- to 110-foot-wide construction right-of-way, fifty feet of which would remain after completion, with the potential to devastate environmentally sensitive areas and harm endangered species.

TransCanada disputed that assertion, telling the commission its preferred route was selected because it would minimize disruption to sensitive environmental resources and avoided the states landmark Sandhills region.

Native American tribes claimed it threatened their historic lands and cultural sites.
A candy company that started in 2004 at a La Crosse business incubator is now making its sweet products in Viroqua at the Food Enterprise Center, 1201 N. Main St. Scotchwood Candy Co., owned and operated by Timothy and Mary Wood, began using a commercial kitchen at the Food Enterprise Center this past July.

The candy company makes artisan handmade English toffee, crunches and gourmet caramels that are based on a recipe from the Woods Scottish family. The recipe is only butter, brown sugar and salt, Timothy said. We do not use any syrups, hardeners or stabilizers. It is an all natural recipe that yields a crisp toffee and crunch that begins to melt as soon as you bite into it.

Timothy, who has a finance degree from Western Technical College and has been working full time in the marketing and commercial print industry in La Crosse, said he started making the family recipe as a challenge; no one else in the family wanted to make it because it has a small window between cooked and burnt. In 2004 we sought the process to make it professionally and were licensed and certified in a business incubator in La Crosse. I appreciate the start that Dave Loomis at the Coulee Region Business Center gave me, but I was looking to substantially grow the business which was available at the Food Enterprise Center.

Specialty coffees are also made by Timothy and his helpers. Their coffees are custom roasted to be low acid and low char. We use only organic and fair trade Arabica beans in the process of roasting, he said. We have our Scotch Blend, which is a nice bold low-acid medium roast. We have our top seller, Norselander Grog, which is our Proprietary Rum, Caramel & Vanilla Flavoring on our medium roast. We have our Celtic Sunrise, which is a floral light roast with vanilla, macadamia and coconut flavorings, and our Scandinavian Blend for the coffee purist, a dark, French and espresso blend for a smooth flavorful finish. Coffees are available in 2 ounce and 8 ounce sizes.

Locating in the Food Enterprise Center enables Scotchwood Candy Co. to grow and produce additional products such as our bear claw, chocolate enrobed caramels, and our five ice creams that we have test marketed and prototyped for production, Timothy said. He added that Sue Noble, executive director of the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA), which owns and operates the Food Enterprise Center, has been tremendously interested in having an active role in growing this business, and this was not offered or available at my previous location.

Scotchwood Candys English toffee, crunches and gourmet caramels are available in 4-ounce, 8-ounce and 1-pound bags. Their caramels also come in half-pound and full-pound boxes. Timothy added, Individual caramels can be purchased at our retail partners  Great River Popcorn Company in La Crosse, the Potters Shed in Shell Lake and at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa. Gift sets for special occasions are available. You can also find their products at shows like Bayfield Apple Fest and the Holiday Fair in La Crosse.

In addition, candy and coffee may be purchased from the company over its website, scotchwoodcandy.com, or by calling Timothy at 608-487-5235. We welcome Scotchwood Candy Co. to the Food Enterprise Center and wish it much success with its current and future products.

I&E Club, Dec. 13







The next Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) Club meeting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. at the Food Enterprise Center. The topic Product/Service Show and Tell will give inventors and entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their products, inventions and services, share questions with peers, and receive feedback and suggestions to improve designs, evaluate uses, and explore new market connections.

Bring whatever you would like to share with the group. Be ready to learn some new tips and well celebrate your ideas. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Sue Noble, executive director of VEDA, at 608-638-8332 or email her at snoble@veda-wi.org.
Todd Volden, a Westby financial advisor, announced that Edward Jones has reached $1 trillion in assets under care (AUC). The milestone cements Edward Jones place as one of the largest financial services firms in the United States, a position achieved through 60 years of organic growth, without any buyouts, takeovers or mergers.

This milestone reflects our firms ability to deeply understand our clients comprehensive financial needs and help them meet multiple goals, said Volden. Edward Jones was founded in 1922 and our first branch office opened in 1957. Since then we have increased our ability to serve more clients. As a Fortune 500 firm, we simultaneously use our resources to enhance the experience they receive.

The achievement is a vote of confidence in the firms unique partnership model, where the associates doing the work that creates our success have the potential to share in the firms ownership. As a partnership owned by its current and former associates, the firm can more easily make long-term decisions to better serve clients without having to focus on producing quarterly profits for shareholders. The firm provides financial advisors an opportunity to build and run their own practices, while offering a level of support and resources of a world-class financial services firm. Financial Advisors have access to Edward Jones in-house research department, state-of-the-art integrated technology and customized tools to enhance the client experience. This business model supports the success of financial advisors and allows the firm to open offices in local communities and major metropolitan areas across the country.

As a firm we see room for continued growth because we believe we can make a significant difference in the lives of our clients, Volden added. Our opportunity to serve serious, long-term, individual investors through personal relationships is unlimited  and we continue to recruit, train and support diverse and talented individuals from both other firms and those new to our industry.

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through our affiliate, in Canada.
In its sixth year, the first-time buyer license allows beginning hunters to purchase their first license at a reduced price.

Wisconsin residents who have never purchased a deer hunting license or have not purchased a Wisconsin resident deer hunting license in the past 10 years can do so for as little as $5. Other certain first-time resident hunting and fishing licenses are also available at a discount with the same eligibility requirements. Certain non-resident licenses are also discounted for first-time buyers.

Successful first-time deer hunters arereminded to fill out a first hunt certificate to commemorate time in the outdoors.

Hunting and fishing licenses may be purchased and printed online at GoWild.Wi.gov or purchased at over 1,000 license agents statewide who will provide a printout of the license and tags. Locate a license agent near you at dnr.wi.gov, keywords sales locations. This tool can locate agents by county or city.

All hunters must:

Carry printed carcass tags while hunting furbearers or bear.

Carry proof of a hunting license for deer or turkey. Validation and tagging are no longer required, but registration is. Even with electronic forms of proof of deer tags available, hunters will need to know the unique tag number in order to begin the harvest registration process.

The following forms of proof of a deer hunting license and deer tags are accepted include:

A paper copy.

An authenticated Wisconsin drivers license.

Go Wild Conservation Card; or

A DNR-issued digital file displayed on an electronic device.

Paper copies of licenses and tags may be obtained at no charge if printed at home or obtained at DNR service centers. There is a $2 fee for reprints obtained at license agents.